he that trains not up his Child to God for whom does he train him up but the Devil For is there any Mean between What Complaint God taketh up against Israel about their giving up their Children to Moloch may he not take up against Thousands in the World upon this Account Thou hast taken my Children and delivered them up to make them pass through the Fire That is the Children which I have given thee and which should have been mine He warned Men against Lying and False-speaking by the Example of Ananians and Sapphira that were struck dead for it Which he called a fearful Judgment set up as a Pillar of Salt at the very entrance of the Gospel into the World that Men might see and hear and fear and not dare to Lie under the Gospel of Truth especially not to the Spirit of Truth And if you look upon Ananias his doing you see him Deceiving and Lying and if you observe Peter's Words you may see he referrs his Lying and Deceiving to their proper Original Viz. That they both are the Work of the Devil Why hath SATAN filled thy Heart to lye and filled thy Heart to deceive and keep back part of the Price of the Land That if you will trace his Wickedness to the Spring-head his Intent to deceive made him lye and his base Covetousness made him deceive and the Devil caused all He gave this Rule concerning Apparel and for the avoiding Pride in what Men put on God allows Men to wear good Cloths according to their Quality and Degree but if Pride be there it is beside his Allowance God allows us Cloths to keep us warm He allows us Cloths to adorn our Rank and Quality but if we lace and trim our Wear with Pride there is a Leprosie got into the Warp and Woof that rots all God appointed the Jews to wear Fringes upon their Garments to make them still to be remembring the Law I am afraid the Fringing and Finery of two many have a clean contrary Effect It doth but puff them up and make them proud And again If any should ask What Cloths and Hair and Garb may I wear this may be a very direct and satisfactory Answer Wear what you think good so it be without Pride And this I believe will shut out of Doors 1. Wearing a Garb above one's Rank and Degree For I question whether one can wear a Garb above his Rank without Pride And 2. Affecting foreign and strange and few fangled Fashions For tho' it may be possible for a Person to be in the Fashion without Pride because he would not be hooted at for Singularity yet certainly it is hardly possible to affect new fangled Fashions without Pride It is one thing to put on the Fashion to avoid Reproach and another thing to dote upon Fashions and to make them Bravery He that makes his Cloths his Bravery it is very suspicious he makes them his Vainglory and he that dotes on the Fashion it is to be doubted he dotes on the Pride of the Fashion THESE Instances are enough to shew what a plain but fruitful Method of Teaching and Preaching Dr. Lightfoot took But he also took care of his People's Principles to preserve them from warping from the National Church as hath been taken notice of before and from the Church consider'd as Protestant Of which I shall proceed to a few Instances To arm his Auditors against Popery thus he taught them Our Histories tell us That when Austin the Monk came hither into Britain from the Pope as to settle Religion and when some of the British Christians consulted with a grave prudent Man whether they should close with him and submit to his Rules Yes saith he if he be humble do But if he be proud he is not of God Would you take a Measure of true Religion no surer Token than these two Humility and Charity They talk they will prove the Truth of their Religion by Antiquity Universality and I know not what Let them shew it by the Humility and Mercifulness of it and we shall desire no more But I doubt that Religion that teacheth the Merits of a Man's Works is too proud against God to be the true Religion and that that teacheth that the Pope is above all Princes is too proud against Men. And I doubt that Religion that stirs up Mâ—n to murder Princes Nobles People that will not be of that Religion is not the true Religion I am sure Christ and his Apostles were never either of such Pride or Cruelty but further from these Principles of Rome than it is 'twixt Rome and Jerusalem And as he warned them against Popery in general so particularly Against a blind Zeal Zeal without Knowledge or Zeal in a wrong Way It is good always to be zealous in a good Matter but mischievous to be zealous in a bad There was a great deal of Religious Zeal for those Parents to offer their Children to Moloch to be burnt alive in his Arms in Devotion to that God of theirs But it was blind Zeal mad Religion distracted Devotion Their God was the Devil St. Paul in one Place saith That in Zeal he persecuted the Church But in another Place he saith He was exceeding mad against the Church That Zeal of his was mere Madness It was blind and mad cared not whither it went nor what it did Rom. x. The Jew hath Zeal but without Knowledge and that made him so to set himself against the Truth You remember that They that kill you shall think they do God Service It was great Zeal but as blind as a Beetle It runs upon it cares not what as a blind Man runs upon every Post and falls into every Pit And against Cruelty The Papists plead stoutly that theirs and none but theirs is the true Religion If that should be tryed by this very Touchstone Is that can that be true Religion that makes it Religion to murder Men None of you but have heard of the bloody Days of Queen Mary and how many poor innocent holy Men were then put to the Fire and there ended their Lives And this forsooth done by the Papists out of Zeal for Religion Just such a Religion as they were spurred by that offered their Children to Moloch For compare the things together and what can be liker Those Wretches out of that Devotion and Religion as they took on them made their poor innocent Children pass through the Fire a Sacrifice to Moloch These Wretches out of that Devotion and Religion as they took on them made these poor innocent Souls pass through the Fire a Sacrifice to the Pope The Cruelty much alike the Manner of the Death they put them to much alike And were they not Religious think you much alike Such a Sacrifice to their Moloch would they have offered of innocent ones when they would have sent away our Parliament out of the World in Fire and Gunpowder and this forsooth out of Zeal to Religion
some Hundreds of Years all this Western World was Popish Italy Spain France England Germany and no Religion visible in all these Countries but Popery The Name of Protestant not owned the Protestant Religion not to be seen And where was then your Religion say the Papists to us To whom to give a full Answer let us compound these three or four things together We must tell them or else we speak not as the Truth is that the Popish Religion was far from being the true Religion and the Popish Church from being the true Church all that time or from ever being so I shall not insist upon many Arguments to prove this I shall only give you one Argument from a Scriptural Reason and one Consideration of a Scriptural Expression The Argument from a Scriptural Reason is this That Church that is built more on Traditions and Doctrines of Men than on the Word of God is no true Church nor Religion But the Church of Rome is built more upon Traditions and Doctrines of Men than on the VVord of God Ergo. The Foundation of the true Church of God is Scripture Eph. ii 20 And are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets But if you look upon what the whole Frame of Popery is built you will find it upon a Sand of Humane Tradition That the Pope is Head of the Church that he pardons Sin rules over Princes where find you this in Scripture They are but Points of the cursed Inventions of Men. That Priests can sing Souls out of Purgatory that the Service of God should be in an unknown Tongue that the Priests can change the Bread into a God and generally the whole Rabble of their Romish Religion hath not so much as any one underpinning of Scripture Warrant but all founded upon the rotten Trash of Humane Invention and Self-ends The Scriptural Expression to be considered is that Title of Rome Rev. xvii 5 MYSTERY Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth For that it speaks of Rome is plain ver 18. The Woman which thou sawest is the great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth And described even as the Roman Writers themselves do describe her ver 9. The Seven Heads are Seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth She is stiled Mystery Babylon She was a Mystery of Iniquity Babylon while she takes upon her Sion Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth when she takes upon her to be Mother of all Churches and the only Spouse of Christ in the World A Jezabel as Rev. ii 20 that takes on her to be a Prophetess but is a Seducer And Mysterious is the Providence of God in permitting such a Deceiver that should seduce all the Western World with a general Seduction It is observed that Popery and Mahometism rose together one overwhelmed all the East the other the West Where had been Glorious Churches there this Smoke of the Bottomless Pit clouded and darkened all And it is observable that wheresoever the Gospel had been these two came and spoiled all And Popery the more abominable than the other because under the Name of Christ and the Gospel it led Men from Christ and the Gospel We may say upon Thoughts of both as it is Rev. xvi 5 Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved it was just with thee Righteous God to send them strong Delusions that they might believe a Lie That they all might be damned that believed not the Truth but had Pleasure in Unrighteousness 2 Thess. ii 10 11 12. So that to question where was the Church of God before Luther we must answer 1. That the Roman Church was not it for that was but Babylon the Mystery of Iniquity the Plague of God upon the World for not receiving the Love of Divine Truth 2. Wheresoever there were any in that time that kept to the Truth of God they were the Church of God Ubi Imperator ibi Roma So wheresoever the true Profession of the Truth was there the Church was Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them The Seven Thousand that worshipped not Baal were the true Church I shall not insist to shew that even in the thickest and darkest Times of Popery there were other Churches in the World that were not infected with that Plague as the Grecians Abyssines c. But even Stories do shew that even within the Compass of the Popish Church there were some in all Ages that held to the Truth of God and Abominated the Wickedness and Delusions of the Church But if any such could not be named yet God never left himself without Witness and it hath ever been the Glorious Providence of God to preserve a Noah in a wicked old World a Lot in Sodom an Abraham in an Idolatrous Chaldea a Job in Heathen Arabia and a Jeremy in a most wicked Jerusalem a Church to himself in the worst Times But observe that the Church of God is the least part of the World and so the least part of the visible Church We must distinguish the Church in Opposition to the World and in Opposition to Hypocrites and carnal Gospellers So the Scripture nameth Saints in Opposition to the Heathen and in Opposition to unholy Christians Now take the Word in this latter Sense which is the most proper and the true Church of God is the least part of the Church I deny not that the Church of England Scotland and Ireland is a true Church of God in regard of outward Profession But there are Multitudes in these that are not the true Church in regard of sincere Profession but profane Hypocrites Castaways Imagine a great Parish or Congregation that meet together and in the Church hear and wait on the Ordinances and have the Word and Ordinances truly administred They attend upon them in outward Attendance but out of the Church are Profane and Ungodly We cannot but say here is a Church in Opposition to the Heathen a true Church in Opposition to a false where the Ordinances are not rightly administred Yet we cannot say this is a true and sincere Church of God because they do but outwardly profess and not at all Practice So Israel professed went to the Temple Es. i. had Ordinances rightly administred This was a true Church so far But they lied sware falsely committed Adultery oppressed the Innocent and such like Can we then say they were a true Church of God See that Eph. v. 25 26 27. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word That he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blemish Let us take up all these
Subscription to the Orders of the Church which a great many of them had refused But Lightfoot honestly said that this was the Question betwixt our Saviour and the Woman of Samaria And if she had directly asked him whether the Church of the Jews were the true Church he would doubtless directly have answered it was For otherwise God had no Church in the World And yet was the Church of the Jews at that time in a worse Condition than any of them could think the Church of England then was 2. He was no Innovator He sat indeed in the Assembly of Divines called together by the Parliament to consult upon Matters of Religion and he came thither in the simplicity of his Heart contributing his Service towards the Correcting of supposed Abuses in Religion But still he had a respect to the good Laws of the Church and disliked and declared against many Propositions brought in for Reformation and opposed several things attempted to be introduced not only by Independents and Antinomians but such as were for transcribing the Model of the Scotch and Geneva Discipline In their settling a Set Form for Religious Worship the Parliament having laid aside the Common-Prayer-Book Lightfoot had an Eye to former Rubricks and Canons To give one Instance hereof When in the Directory for Baptism the giving Ministers warning when any Children were to be Baptized was omitted he moved that that might be taken order for seeing that in our old Rubrick said he it is enjoyned that warning should be given the Night before And now he shewed there was more need since the Minister by the Directory was to make an Exhortation and to give some Instructions concerning Baptism Whereupon this Clause was added Warning being given to the Ministers the Day before Again he utterly disliked the bringing in a Rank of Women for Officers in the Church viz. Widows Which some had urged grounding themselves upon that of the Apostle Let not a Widow be taken into the number under Sixty Years old Where Lightfoot shewed that for that very thing he could not be of that Opinion For that it was contrary to the Old Testament where the Officers of the Temple were to be dismist at Fifty Years Old And when Goodwin answered that the Priests indeed were discharged of their Service at those Years because of the Burthen of their Service As particularly carrying of the Ark and the Labour of Sacrificing Lightfoot replied that the Ark was fixed after Solomon's time So that there was no more Occasion to carry that Neither were the Sacrifices any such Burthen the Courses of the Priests were so full as that no less than Eighty opposed Vzziah And he shewed it from Josephus and that there were Five Thousand apiece at least in each Course and that their Service was but one Week in half a Year And therefore they could not be overladen with Work Nevertheless when after much Debate it was brought to the Vote whether Widows were Church Officers it was voted in the affirmative Yet only by one Voice Lightfoot being then absent which he calls in his Journal His Misfortune and adds that the Proposition was utterly against his Mind and far different from his Judgment 3. He set himself especially against such as made use of Religion to supersede the Duties of Morality and who upon pretence of higher Attainments in Christianity overlookt Truth Honestly and Righteousness He could not bear such as made Religion a Pander to Sin And such Sects there were that shewed their Faces in his Time There were some that had refined Religion to that Degree that they went all upon Illuminations Revelations and Spiritual Raptures and talked of nothing but of their being acted by the Spirit of God and doing all by some mighty Influences of that Spirit Poring so much upon these Fancies that they measured their own and others Religion according as they were endued with these Enthusiastical Flights In the mean time made little or no account of Moral Duties and were much addicted to Unpeaceableness Covetousness Fraud Lying Deceiving Slandering and such like There was one considerable Sect that then appeared and got much ground which was known and distinguished by this Doctrine That Christians were not obliged by the Moral Law Against this Party great complaints were at length brought into the Assembly of Divines many of whom among which was our Divine saw well to what a Decay all true Religion would soon come if Men of this Opinion were tolerated For to shew them a little to the present Age these were Doctrines contained in the Books or Speeches of three of them collected by Dr. Temple and offered to the Assembly as I find them in Lightfoot's Journal 1. That the Moral Law is of no use at all to Believers No Rule to walk by nor to examine their Lives by And that Believers are freed from the Mandatory Power of it 2. That it is as possible for Christ to Sin as for a Child of God 3. That a Child of God needs not nay ought not to ask Pardon for Sin and that it is no less than Blasphemy to ask Pardon for our Sin And one of them being told that David asked Forgiveness of Sins it was answered it was his Weakness 4. That God doth not chastise any of his for Sin Let Believers Sin as fast as they can there is a Fountain open for them to wash in That not for the Sin of God's People but for Swearers and Drunkards the Land is punisht 5. That there ought to be no Fasting Days under the Gospel and Men ought not to afflict their Souls no not in a Day of Humiliation And it being asked one of them whether he Fasted in obedience to the Civil Command he answered That were to be the Servants of Men. 6. That this Doctrine is false If you Fast and Pray and Humble your selves unto God then God will turn away his Judgments Yea if you Pray by the Spirit you are not hereupon to expect deliverance from Judgments 7. That when Abraham in outward appearance seemed to Lye in his Distrust Lying Dissembling and Equivocating even then truly all his Thoughts Words and Deeds were perfectly Holy and Righteous from all Spot of Sin in the sight of God 8. That if a Man by the Spirit know himself to be in a State of Grace though he commit Murder or Drunkenness yet God doth see no Sin in him Lightfoot with divers others of the soberer sort in the Assembly were hugely concerned at these Men and their Doctrines Because they well saw and urged to the rest how these Opinions opened a Gap to all manner of Licentiousness struck at the very obedience due to the Civil Magistrate horribly scandalized all the Doctrine of Free-Grace and Justification endeavoured to blast all Faithful Ministers calling them Legal Preachers And that this Sect was the more dangerous because their Preachers crept into the Favour of the Souldiers And it was observable that when the Definition
it You know the hot Disputes that have been about this And for the Divisions of Reuben there are great Thoughts of Heart Hence mainly are our Separations and Divisions in Religion As in Jephtha's Case his dear Daughter was his greatest Trouble Judg. xi 35 Alas my Daughter thou hast brought me very low and thou art one of them that trouble me So this precious Sacrament of Communion is unhappily proved the great Occâ—sion of Division but in the same Notion that Christ was a Stumbling-block Which was not of any Fault of his but of Men in faultering about him 'T is true receiving of this Sacrament is a Communion but it is most especially external in the Profession of the same Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel And the Communion of Saints in this Article aimeth further I have formerly observed to you the Phrase This is the New Testament in my Blood 1 Cor. xi 25 Not only My Blood of the New Testament nor only A Seal and Sanction of the New Testament but the New Testament That is A new Administration of the New Covenant terminating Judaism and binding over Receivers to the Profession of the Evangelical Doctrine and Religion So this properly is the Communion that Receivers have in this Sacrament one with another viz. That they join in the Profession of the same Christian Doctrine and that not only among themselves but even with the whole Church that professeth the same Truth And hence it was that in the Infancy of the Church they received the Sacrament almost daily that those new Professors might thereby be held to constant Profession against revolting to their Judaism So that in this there is indeed something of the Communion of Saints all professing the same Truth and Religion but we must still look further for a Communion among Saints to take up the full meaning of the Article before us For the Inquiry after which we are first to consider that Christ's Mystical Body the Church consists of all the Saints that are or shall be in the World from the beginning to the end of it And so it includes the Saints in Glory jointly with these that are yet on Earth Those in Glory Members already above Water as their Head also is yet in the Waves of this troublesome World and not got above them As it is said of Christ himself Luke ii ult That he grew in Stature so is the Mystical Body of Christ growing in Stature till it shall be consumate at the last Day Observe that Eph. iv 13 Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ or the measure of the full Stature of Christ. Some fondly hence conclude that all Saints shall be raised as at the very Age and Stature of Christ when he was raised which was at his very Prime viz. Two and Thirty years and an half of Age. That Elect Infants shall not be raised Infants but as of that Age and Stature That the Aged shall not be raised as Aged but as at their Prime of that Age and Stature Which as it breeds confusion in the understanding of the Article of the Resurrection of the Body so it is clean besides the Apostles intent there He speaks not of our Bodies but of Christ's Mystical Body viz That God had given Apostles and Teachers for the building up that Body the Church by degrees till it came to its full Stature and Perfection in the Salvation of all that belong to it So Saints are building up daily and those that are gone to Glory so much of that Body is compleated and the rest growing on to the same Perfecting till all be Compleated and the whole Body Perfected So that those compleated in Glory and these compleating toward Glory here are the same Body though at present of a different condition The Church Militant and Triumphant are not two Churches not two Bodies but one whole Church and Body of Christ consisting of Members some already Perfected and some Perfecting As Israel at the Temple in the two Courts were not two Congregations and Churches but one Congregation in two divers places two Companies of one Congregation The Apostle in Heb. xi ult saith God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect When some say the Saints under the Law are not perfected in Glory till Christ's coming but in Limbo Whereas the Apostle speaks in the sense we are upon viz. That those Holy Ones without us under the Gospel are not the perfect Body of Christ but the Body was to consist of Gentiles as well as Jews Of some yet to be saved as well as of them that are saved already Now is there any Communion 'twixt these two parts of the same Body Saints on Earth and Saints in Glory I mean is there any imparting of the one to the other as there is 'twixt two Parties in Communion Some will tell you Yes We are to Pray to them and they Pray for us As he in the Prophet makes a God and then falls down to it So it is common in the Church of Rome to make whom they think good Saints and then to Pray to them that they would Pray for them to God Whereas they can never clear the Praying to Creatures from Idolatry and can never prove that it is possible for a Saint in Heaven to hear one Speaking and Praying on Earth much less to know the Heart with which he Prays So can they ever prove that there is Praying in Heaven at all The Church here is called the House of Prayer but it is hard to prove that Heaven is so There is Praising and Thanksgiving and Glorifying God and Adoring the Lamb But where do we ever read of Praying in Heaven Nay Can any prove that Christ Prayeth there for his People But he exerciseth his Mediation some other way He offereth up the Prayers of his Saints Rev. viii 3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne But that he offers them he Praying also cannot be cleared But I shall not insist on this The Article aims at the Communion of Saints upon Earth according to David's Style Psal. xvi 3 To the Saints that are in the Earth Saints scattered in the Earth and yet have they Communion We may think of that Ezek. xxxvii 3 Can these dry scattered Bones come together and Live Yes ver 7. Bone came to his Bone and Lived So Son of Man can Men dispersed in Europe Asia Africa and America have Communion They know not one another never saw one another and they have Communion Yes There is an invisible Vein of Communion runs betwixt all Saints on Earth Which we consider in these
Hellenists be they where they would they in the Dispersion used no doubt the Greek It may be supposed Philo himself did not understand Hebrew as is observed by Drusius 3. No Judge might be admitted into the great Sanhedrin unless he had Seventy Tongues that is many Languages 4. The Synagogae Libertinorum Cyreniorum c. Acts vi shew Diversity of Nations And there is as little doubt of Diversity of Languages 5. That in Acts vi there is a plain and evident Distinction of the Hellenists and Hebrews living asunder and severally even in the Time of having all things common 11. Again a great Controversie the Assembly had with the Congregational Men about Paul and Barnabas their coming from the Church at Antioch to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Acts xv to know what was to be done with the Believing Gentiles since certain that came down from Judea thither had taught that it was needful to circumcise the Brethren and to keep Moses's Law in point of Salvation Now by this Application of Paul and Barnabas about this Question to the Apostles and Elders here in the Name of the Church at Antioch an Argument was raised that that Church submitted it self to be ordered and directed by the Church and Ministers thus met at Jerusalem But to evade this Goodwin in behalf of the Congregational or Independent Party moved to prove that this Meeting was for the Government of Jerusalem only For that there were some of the Sect of the Pharisees there that were of the same Mind v. 5. To him Lightfoot answered that these Churches would never have sent for Determination in point of Government for them had they not known the Presbytery constantly sitting at Jerusalem for Acts of Government of their own Church Bridg to this answered that then it was no Synod And that they met for Acts of Government finally to find out the Truth but not formally to exercise the Acts of Government To this our Divine Replyed That the Consequence did not hold it was a Presbytery before Ergo no Synod now 2. That their meeting about those Pharisees in Jerusalem ver 5. that were of the same mind with them at Antioch as Goodwin had said did make this Consequence that then they met for the Government of their own Church 3. That this did infer their Act of Government formally that Paul and Barnabas Ministers of the Uncircumcision came to Jerusalem to question about a Business which concerned the Converted Gentiles Now if it had been only to find out the Truth Peter and James Ministers of the Circumcision had been most proper for to have determined this Point with them Why then should they convent the Elders if not for an Act of Government 12. When the Assembly was drawing up the Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper there were these Words used The Bread and Wine being set before him the Minister in PLATTERS the Word Platter was thought to be improper and so it was altered The Bread in comely and convenient Vessels But Lightfoot liked not this Expression but opposed it And when they had used the Word Sanctification of Elements because they avoided the using of the Word Consecrate Lightfoot scrupled at that Word SANCTIFY as an Hebraism as Consecrate was accounted a Romanism And therefore he offered the Word Set apart as a Medium Hence arose a Debate But after a long time it was exprest He shall begin the Act with Sanctifying and Blessing the Elements 13. When Lightfoot had Discoursed Learnedly about the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and for General Admission to it and explained the institution of it from the Passover and that therefore in Luke there is mention made of two Cups as there was in the Passover Rotherford the Scots Commissioner that liked not our Divine who in truth spared not often to thwart the Scots labouring in this Assembly to bring in their Discipline into this Church of England took upon him to prove against him that there were not two Cups meant by that Evangelist Chap. xxii but that it was an Hysterosis And that there was no mention of a Cup in the Institution of a Passover and no news of that but in the Rabbins speaking contemptibly as it seemed of that sort of Learning But Lightfoot answered 1. That in all the Evangelists there is hardly an Hysterosis in any one of them in so small a Compass And that it is hard to find any Hysterosis in Luke at all unless it be in one or two Places 2. That it is true that Wine was not mentioned in the Institution of the Passover For Israel was not in the Land of Wine But when they came into the Land of Wine why might they not take Wine to the Passover as well as lay down some things that were circumstantial under the Institution Adding that there were divers things in the New Testament which we must be beholden to the Rabbins for the understanding of them or else we should not know what to make of them 14. When the matter of a Synod lay before the Assembly divers would have the Members of a Synod to consist of Laiâ—y as well as the Spiritualty The Proposition ran Pastors and Teachers lawfully called and it was added by some OTHER FITTING PERSONS are constituent Members of a Synod The Scots opposed this Addition exceedingly and so did Palmer Seaman and our Divine Those that were for it were Marshal Vines Herle and the Independents who grounded themselves upon Acts xv 7 13. where Peter and James calls the Council Men and Brethren and ver 22. It pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send Chosen Men c. The Apostles and Elders pointing out the Clergy and the whole Church the Laity Where Lightfoot gave this Construction of the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viz. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Brethren was meant the Uncircumcised Converts as at ver 1. and 23 they are understood Now it is most like that the Uncircumcised Churches would send their Ministers and not Laymen And by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not meant the Church but that Meeting of the Council Seaman took at Lightfoot and followed largely Herle applauded the Interpretation but refused it and gave some Reasons why viz. Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 4. is taken properly for the Church And the Men that brought the Letters to the Churches could not be said to Send Greeting ver 23. The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send Greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles To this Lightfoot answered That the Interpretation of Scripture is from the scope of the Place as in the Hebrew word that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Translates it is apparent Vines denyed his Interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that James and Peter called all the Company 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Men and Brethren But Lightfoot shewed that that was a common Hebraism
of Justification lay before the Divines having under their Hand the Consideration of the Homily of Justification Palmer moved that to meet with the Antinomians Repentance might go into the Definition of Justification but it would not pass But a Clause in the Homily was thought good to be inserted Viz. Which though it do not exclude Repentance and Conversion to God c. Yet doth it not include them as Parts of the Works of Justification And this Clause was voted affirmatively But Lightfoot thinking it not sufficient shewed that the Phrase Doth not exclude Repentance did not reach to meet with the Antinomians and Profane ones who abused this Doctrine And therefore he tendred the Word Required and that it should run though it do REQUIRE Repentance and Conversion c. But it was feared that word might be doubtful and therefore they rather inclined to the former Phrase Not excluding And as he shewed his Zeal against this Sect in the Assembly so his Doctrine in his Sermons was to the same Import These words he spake in one of them with much earnestness I have observed and cannot but observe again to you how much is laid in Scripture upon our discharging of our Duty towards our Neighbour upon dealing in Truth in Righteousness in Charity and Integrity with Men as if this were the very ALL we had to do The Jews say that all the Six Hundred and Thirteen Commands of the Law are summed up in those Eleven Psal. xv Reckon up those Eleven and how many of them refer to our upright and righteous dealing with our Neighbour Who shall abide in the Lord's Tabernacle Who shall dwell in his Holy Hill He that works Righteousness and speaks Truth to his Neighbour that takes not up a Reproach against his Neighbour that keeps his Oath though to his own Hurt that takes not Vsury that takes not Reward against the Innocent He that doth these things shall never be moved One would think said he the Answer to this Question Who shall abide in the Lord's Tabernacle should have been such an one as this He that is Devout and Constant in Prayer He that is a constant Hearer and much in Meditation of the Word of God He that is careful to keep the Sabbath and so to relate to the Duties of the First Table But ye see here all referrs to our dealing Fairly Truly Uprightly with our Neighbour And so Mat. xix 18 If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments He saith unto him Which Jesus saith Thou shalt do no Murther Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not Steal Thou shalt not bear false Witness c. So that if you ask the Way to Sion If you enquire which Way shall I go to the Lord 's Tabernable to dwell in his Holy Hill Why Friend you must begin at a perfect and good Heart toward Men an so go along to a perfect and good Heart toward God and so to Sion God calls for such Duties towards our Neighbour as it were to set us to our ABC and Primer to learn the first Elements and Lessons of Religion Thus would he sometimes meet with the Antinomian and pull down the high-flying Religionists that were above these low Dispensations of Morality Truth Justice and upright Dealing with Men. These Doctrines therefore and such like broached by Men of unquiet Spirits he liked not and especially when they led Men away from that true Heavenly-mindedness Meekness and Humility which are the great Laws of the Gospel This was one Reason made him no Friend to the Millenary Opinion which taught Men to look for an Earthly Paradise and Reward in this World For these that dreamt of Christ's Personal Monarchy here on Earth imagined themselves also to be some of those that must reign with him and had the Best Right to the Possessions of this World Which was a Doctrine that opened a Door to Violence Rapine and all kind of Injustice to the high Disparagement also of Christ's Holy Religion On that account also he was no Friend to it but as he had occasion confuted it Those that embraced this Opinion concluded that place in the Revelations Chap. xxi 2 I John saw the Holy City the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned c. for a Description of the Times when Christ should come and reign on Earth But our Divine shewed no more to be meant by it but the State under the Gospel And that the New Jerusalem there meant nothing but the Christian Church as might be shewed at large When the Old Jerusalem in Canaan at he spake in one of his Sermons is destroyed John sees a New Jerusalem When the Old Church of the Jews is cast away he sees a New Church And this Church is said to come down from Heaven A Saint is Heaven-born and is Heavenly while he is here upon Earth From Heaven he comes and to Heaven he must return He is born from above Adorned and Drest from Heaven and in a Heavenly Dress And he is Drest for Heaven The Millenaries made use also of that Expression of the Apostle in the Acts Chap. iii. 21 That the Heavens must retain Christ till the Restitution of all Things Against whom thus he Armed his Auditors This encourageth the Millenary to Dream of Christ's Reigning here on Earth a Thousand Years before the Final End of the World and Swords must be then beaten into Plowshares and Spears into Pruning-Hooks Then an Universal Peace Concord and Tranquility is to be restored to the Church and all the Glorious Things the Prophets have spoken of to come to pass and be settled But as to that Place the Doctor shewed there were two manners of restoring things viz. to their old Estate or to a new and better The Millenary himself dreamt not of restoring to any former Estate And if it be meant of restoring to a new and better that is done already when Elias came and restored all things Mat. xvii 11 And our Divine shewed that this Restoration or Restitution signified no more but that all things in the Prophets should be made good or accomplished This is learnedly treated of in the last Discourse of the Third Decad. To which I refer the Reader The Perfectionists that pretended to live without Sin he saw wanted that Humility and Modesty and constant dependence upon God's Grace that was necessary to the Christian State and therefore by no means approved of them neither And endeavoured to Arm his People against that Doctrine And what his Thoughts were of it may be seen in the first Discourse of the Third Decad. Where to pull down the Plumes of this Vain-Glorious Generation he shewed that a Saint of God in his imperfect Condition did exceed Adam himself in his unsinning Condition in divers respects 4. He was in fine one that had a mighty Concern for the Honour of God and Religion That God might be served in Spirit and Truth Which was
the Division of the Sanctum and Sanctum Sanctorum bore out the two Vails to view In this Sense the Church is the Pillar of Truth  24  25 9. The Roof of the Sanctuary had four Covers The Sides till within three quarters of a Yard of the Ground had two half a Yard below that but one and the Silver Foundation none at all Such are Mysteries in Scripture the Fundamentals of Religion plain Other things vailed under one Cover others under two and some Counsels of God past finding out  26  27  28 10. The Fabric and Service of the Tabernacle the Fountain of Ceremonies well looked into will shew the Romanist most foolishly ceremonious and his Doctrin concerning the outward Worship of God impious  29  30  Fifty Days after Israel's Departure out of Egypt they receive the Fire of a Law at Sinai the Sixth Day of Sivan in the Morning In the Afternoon he goes up to the Mount and receives Fifty-seven Ceremonial and Judicial Laws of nearest Relation to the Moral That Night he writeth them in a Book here is a piece of Writing older by Forty Days than the two Tables The next Day Morning he causeth an Altar to be built to represent God and twelve Pillars to represent the twelve Tribes He commands the First born of Israel to offer Sacrifice and Peace-Offerings With the Blood he sprinkles the Altar and the twelve Pillars Which * Here is a Figurative Speech in the first Covenant So the Bread is Christ's Body in the second because they represented the People they are called the People And thus Israel enters into Covenant Which when they were their Elders draw near to God which while they were out of Covenant they might not do without Danger Then did they eat a solemn Holy Dinner eating those Parts of the Peace-Offerings before the Lord which were left at the making of the Covenant And in the Strength of this Meat Moses was in the Mount Forty Days and Forty Nights and ate nothing but lived by the Words that proceeded out of the Mouth of God In Divine Contemplation he seâ—th Christ as he was to be shewed to the Jews till the time of Reformation should come under the Figures of a Tabernacle and a Priest The sight of which taught him Christ to the full in his Natures and Offâ—ces In the Tabernacle were three Crowns answerable to his three Offices Viz. the Crown of the Law the Crown of the Priesthood and the Crown of the Kingdom The Crown of the Law was the Ark a Chest gilded with Gold within and without as Christ was pure from Sin both in Thought and Action The Cover a piece of massy Gold called The Mercy-Seat because it hid the Law and because God from it spake favourably to Men from between Cherubins which once were Instruments of his Indignation Gen. iii. ult The Crown of the Priesthood was on 〈…〉 of Incense Which stood between 〈…〉 stick and Shew-Bread and sanctified them both by Prayer The Crown of the Kingdom was on the Table of Shew-Bread where a several Golden Dish applied to every Loaf shewed God's special Care of every Tribe in particular The Measure of Meal viz. Two Omers put into every Cake and the Cakes set before the Lord on the Sabbath-Day put Israel in mind of their Sustinence in the Wilderness When their Stint on the Sabbath was two Omers Exod. xvi For this they might justly rely upon him for their Daily Bread Year of the World MMDXIII Days of the M. Tammuz  1 Consider these few things  2 I. The Angels in the Tabernacle-Curtains taught only their Attendance upon the Church not any Action of theirs in the Work of Mediation For they were only silent Spectators while the Priest did mediate  3 II. The best and holiest of Israel's Men at least that should have been so the Priests and the best Actions of the Priests viz. Sacrificing were not Holy in themselves but had their Sanctity from other The Priest from his Garments the Sacrifice from the Altar that Merits might be excluded and inherent Righteousness only attributed to Christ.  4  5 III. The Priest never went to offer Incense till he had offered Sacrifice Teaching that he only that sacrificed himself for Man is to be his Mediator  6 IV. There was no Sacrifice without Blood Incruentum Sacrificium is a Stranger to Moses and to Holy Language  7 V. Moses is still above Aaron in Dignity tho' he were the younger Brother This might teach Rome Subjection to the Prince  8 VI. God's answering David by the Ephod without the Ark teacheth that God is not bound to the Means himself tho' he bind us On the contrary God not answering Saul by the Ark without the Ephod taught him to remember his Fact of slaying the Priests which should have worn it  9  10  11 The Stones in Aaron's Ephod rightly understood and readily remembred give Light in many Places As Revel xxi The Jasper is the first Foundation in the new Hierusalem This Stone was Benjamin's in the Ephod This pleadeth for Paul of Benjamin and not for Peter of Zebulon to have Pre-eminence in building oâ— the Church of Gentiles The Rainbow about God's Throne Rev. iv is of Smaragd Colour The Rainbow is the Sign of a Covenant Gen. ix The Smaragd in the Ephod was for Levi the Priesthood So here is the true Sign of the Church the Rainbow of Smaragd the true Preaching of the Covenant by the Priesthood  12  13  14  15  16 EXOD. XXXII 17 Moses cometh from the Mount and finds the Golden Calf newly made Moses Second Fast of Forty Days 18 He goeth up again and is there Forty Days more to beg Israel's Pardon Deut. ix 18 He wisheth to be Anathema for his Kindred according to the Flesh. He obtains Respite of Punishment for the present but cannot obtain but that in time it shall fall upon them  19  20 EXOD. XXXIII 12 The Angel of the Covenant is threatned to be withdrawn from them and their Conduct to be committed to a created Angel  22  23   24   25   26   27   28   29  Year of the World MMDXIII Days of the M. Ab.  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28 He comes down from the Mount again Moses his Third Fast of Forty Days and Nights 29 He goeth up with two Tables ready made again and stayeth 40 Days and Nights more
Holy Catholick Church can we only think of that which is visible as to an outward Profession in which Millions perish and go to Hell for ever No we are to think of the Church invisible the number known to God of his Faithful ones And on the other Hand as a Man may be in the visible Church and yet not be saved So possibly a Man may be out of the visible Church and yet may be saved An Infant not yet Baptized is not yet admitted into the visible Church but it were hard to say all so dying were not saved David's Child not Circumcised died and yet who doubts of his Salvation Consider David's Demeanor upon his Death and compare it with the Demeanor of him upon the Death of Absalom 2 Sam. xviii 33 The King was much moved and went up to the Chamber over the Gate and wept and as he went thus he said Oh my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had died for thee Oh Absalom my Son my Son This for Absalom But for his Infant 2 Sam. xii 18 David 's Servants feared to tell him that the Child was dead For they said Behold while the Child was yet alive we spake unto him and he would not hearken unto our Voice how will he then vex himself if we tell him that the Child is dead But how well he took it see v. 23. Now he is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me He could not but doubt Absalom's Condition because he died in Rebellion But had he doubted so of the Child's Condition could he have been so well apaid upon his Death Had he been of Popish Faith to believe that Children are not saved that receive not the Sign of Admission into the Church could he have been so well satisfied And in another Case a good Man may possibly die excommunicate out of the visible Church It were hard to conclude such a Man's Damnation meerly upon that reason John ix 34 The Jews there cast out a Man for arguing that Christ must be a true Prophet because he cured him who had been born blind And ver 22. The Jews had agreed already that if any Man did confess that he was Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue And Christ told the Disciples that they should be cast out of the Synagogue If they died in that Excommunication out of that visible Church did that prove their Damnation How many Holy Men have died excommunicate out of the Church of Rome Which so little argues their Damnation that it rather argues the contrary Nay it may come to pass that a good Man may die excommunicate out of a true Protestant Church neither for Heresie nor Impiety and yet it were hard to doom such an one to Perdition I speak not this to animate any to separate or withdraw from the visible Church wherein we live For such Divisions of Reuben there are sad Thoughts of Heart But that by observing this needful Distinction you may the better observe the Intent of this Article Learn then this Distinction of Visible and Invisible As the Apostle hath it All are not Israel that are of Israel So all are not the Church of God that are of the Church visible As we may say every Minister is not a Minister every Soldier is not a Soldier And let this be thy Meditation upon this Article God hath a Holy Church that serve him truly whom the World cannot discern And I must get to be of that number or this my Profession will be greater Damnation This needful Distinction will help to answer that Cavil of Papists Where was your Church before Luther Answer God saw his own that profess'd his Truth in the midst of Popery As there was a Lot in Sodom and Seven Thousand that bowed not to Baal This also will afford an Answer to that reproachful Cavil Do you think your Ancestors were damned that lived in Popery And they think they have us in a Strait by this Argument But we may answer 'T is not for us to judge God hath His whom Men cannot discern I doubt not but that many were in the Popish Church that were not of it The Papists indeed brag of the Visibility of their Church They will have it a City on a Hill a Candle on a Candlestick c. Mat. v. 14 15. and make a puff at the Protestant Church because it was not visible Two Hundred Years ago and their Church hath been a Thousand Years They tell us we had had no Scriptures had not their Church preserved them No Ordination of Ministers had it not been conveyed all along in their Church And such things as these they vapour as if there could be no true Church but theirs which hath been visible in all Ages I remember a Story when one had proclaimed a King with a World of Titles the King of France made his Herauld proclaim him nothing but King of France King of France divers times over accounting more Dignity in that one Title than in all the others The Church of Rome proclaims her self pompously in her arrogated Titles that She She is the Mother Church the Holy Church the Catholick Church the Only Church and I know not what The Protestant Church need to say of her self no more than that she is the Church of God The other brags of Antiquity Universality Visibility Succession and other Bravado's whereas the Protestant Church hath but this to glory of and it is enough That she is built upon the Prophets and Apostles Ingenious was that Picture In one Scale you see all the Trinklements of Popery and the Pope and Friars hanging on in the other the Protestants put the Bible and it outweighs This is the Glory and sure Friend of a Church to be built upon the Holy Scriptures altho' there be no Visibility of that Church to the Eyes of Men at all But that we may take up the Consideration of this thing the better and that we may see how needful it is to take the Distinction proposed observe these things It is true the Church of Rome if a Church hath been visible a Thousand Years and more when no Protestant Church was to be seen So the World was visibly of one Religion Two Thousand Years viz. Irreligious Heathenism when but only in one spot of Ground one that served the true God was not to be found Abraham in Chaldea when he first hearkned to God how might this Romish Argument have been used against him What thou only of all the World not worship Gods of Gold and Silver Look thro' Europe Asia and Africa and thou wilt not find one of thy Mind Was Abraham's Religion ever the worse for being so lonely or the other the better for being so universal Michaiah and the false Prophets of Ahab he One they Hundreds Were their Words ever the truer for their Multitudes 'T is true that for
is in Truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe They received it as the Word of God How knew they that From the Scriptures themselves Therefore it is said that they are the Formal Object of Faith as well as the Material They contain what is to be believed and the reason why to believe them And that is especially twofold I. The Majesty of the Spirit of God speaking in them II. Their powerful Working I. The Majesty of the Spirit of God speaking in them such things as Man cannot speak 1 Cor. ii 10 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God And we may say the deep things of Man yea and the Depths of Satan as Rev. ii 24 1. How impossible is it for Man to reveal the deep Mysteries of Salvation i. e. the Mind of God 1 Cor. ii 16 Who hath known the Mind of the Lord that he may instruct him But we have the Mind of Christ. In Scripture we have it And ver 7 8 9. of that Chapter But we speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our Glory Which none of the Princes of this World knew For had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard c. The hidden Wisdom of God Let all the Wits in the World have conspired together could they have told the secret Wisdom and Mind of God about Salvation God Christ and the Divine Operation of his Spirit the Fruits of Grace and the Weight of Eternal Glory How blind was the Wisdom of all the World to these Mysteries So far that when they were revealed they were accounted but Folly 1 Cor. i. 25 Because the Foolishness of God is wiser than Men and the Weakness of God is stronger than Men. That is as they took them And that Opinion is transplanted into Papacy which will find out a wiser Way to Salvation than the Scriptures have directed Herein the Majesty of Scripture shews it self because it speaks of those sublime Divine hidden things that Men's Wisdom could never find out As they John vii 46 are convinced that Christ was more than other Men because he spake as never Man spake so the Majesty of the Scriptures declares that they are the Divine Word of God because Men never spake Men cannot speak as they speak 2. The Majesty of the Spirit in Scripture appears in that it reveals the very Thoughts and commands the very Heart of Man Heb. iv 12 The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart And 1 Cor. xiv 24 25. But if all Prophesie and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all And thus are the Secrets of his Heart made manifest and so falling down on his Face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a Truth It can discover a Hypocrite can make an Atheist tremble can pierce to the very Thoughts and Imaginations of the Heart That as the Woman of Samaria said because Christ had told her the secret Wickedness of her Life John iv 29 Come see a Man which told me all things that ever I did So we must conclude of this it is able to discern check regulate the very Thoughts of the Heart Therefore not the Invention of Men but the Powerful Divine Searching Word of God 3. The Majesty of the Scriptures appears in that it discovers the very Subtilties of Satan We are not ignorant of his Wiles saith the Apostle How come we to know them This Divine Light hath shewed them It would have been hard to have known that there is a Devil had not this discovered it And it would have been impossible to have discovered his Plots and Malice and Temptations else This Divine Word hath done it in despite of Satan Would he ever have had his Plots discovered if he could have hindred That Men should know his Mischief and Malice and Subtilty He would gladly have walked as an Angel of Light that Men might not suspect his Delusions but this Divine Word hath pulled off his Vizar and shewed his Designs in open Light It madded the King of Syria that all his secret Stratagems against the King of Israel were discovered by the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings vi 11 12. It vexeth this King of Darkness that his private Policies and Actings should be laid open But this Sacred Word doth it and he cannot prevent it Thus doth the Scripture reveal it self to be the Word of God by its Divine Majesty wherein it speaketh and by the Wisdom wherein it shews it self II. In its powerful Working breaking Hearts converting Souls conquering the Kingdom of Satan How have the Scriptures gone through the World and made Nations bow before them and have cast out Satan and his Power So that if we should say as they did What Sign shewest thou that thou art Christ So what Sign shew ye that ye are the Word of God They may answer Look through the World how many Thousands have been converted and saved how is the Idolatry and Blindness of the Heathen cast out how hath Satan been bound and many poor Souls taught and armed to resist all his Power Papists talk much what the Sign of the Cross and Holy Water can do for mastering the Devil Fabulae aniles But Thousands of Experiences have shewed what the Divine Word of God in Scripture can do against him And thus do they evidence themselves to be the Word of God and so to be believed for themselves because they are the VVord of God Then is no Man no Company of Men to be believed but as what they say is agreeable to Scripture No Council Father Church If they speak not according to Scripture it is because there is no Light in them and not to be believed Let God be true and every Man a Lyar saith the Apostle So we are to say in this case VVhosoever speaks not according to the Truth of God in Scripture he is but a Lyar and the Truth is not in him You understand that I speak of things of Faith and Religion In Historical Natural Civil Moral Things we deny not but that they speak much Truth But that is to be tryed by our Reading and Reason But in the things of Divine Concernment there is no Truth but that of Scripture or what speaks agreeable to it Gal. i. 8 Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I might instance how the Fathers themselves harp upon this String Non quid Augustinus nec quid Hieronymus sed quid Scriptura Not that which
Scriptures upon that Account But he reads studies meditates on them finds the Divine Excellency Sweetness Power of them And then he believes they are the VVord of God And that now is not for the Churches sake but for themselves The Church of England in the Thirty-nine Articles hath determined such Books Canonical VVhy Because the Church hath ever held them so That is some Furtherance to their Belief but not the cause of it They first believed the Church held them so but they saw Cause and Reason in the Books themselves to believe they were so As the Samaritans believed not at first that Christ was Christ for the VVoman's Relation but they believed she thought so and believed he might be so but that he was so they believed upon his own Words So we believe the Church owns the Scriptures but he is but a poor Christian that believes the Scriptures are the Scriptures upon no other Account He may believe the Canons of the Council of Trent about Scripture upon such an Account But he is a right Christian that believes the Scripture is the Word of God upon Proof and Trial. II. The Communion of Saints THIS Article harps upon the String of that before I believe the Holy Catholick Church and I believe that Church is in a Communion It is a Church of Saints for it is a Holy Church and tho' it be Catholick dispersed in divers Nations yet there is a Communion of those Saints But to what is this Article material What is it to me whether there be a Communion of Saints or no It is material in it self and if thou beest a true Christian it is material to thee And there is no true Saint but he blesseth God that there is such a Communion and he rejoyceth to be of that Communion as in the opening of the thing you will see the Cause If I should say there is a Communion of Devils or a Communion of ungodly Wretches Devils incarnate I doubt it would prove too true and it might not be unprofitable to observe such a fearful Communion to avoid it But when I say there is a Communion of Saints it is not only a Truth in Divinity but it is a Comfort in Religion and a Perswasive in Reason that Men would strive to be of that Communion if they did but understand what it meant It is not only I believe there is a Company of Saints for the Article before speaks that but I believe there is a Sacred Union Communion common Interest among that Company what is advantageous to every Member and to the whole What this Communion is and wherein it consists we must find out by these Considerations I. That Saints are very thin in the World Here one of Christ's little Flock there another but very rare Jer. iii. 14 And I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion There were many Thousands in the City and but One of so many and many Cities in a Tribe and but Two of all these the Lord 's picked ones to bring to Zion Take the Character of a true Saint of God as David pictures him Psal. xv and how rarely is such an one to be found Day was when in all Jerusalem among Thousands of Persons such a Person was not to be found Jer. v. 1 Run ye to and fro through the Streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad Places thereof if ye can find a Man if there be any that executeth Judgment and seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it Cast out the Chaff and Refuse that is in the World and how very little Wheat is to be found Openly prophane and close Hypocrites carnal Gospellers and lukewarm Christians covetous Worldings and voluptuous Epicures set these aside by themselves and look at those that truly fear God and eschew Evil that deny themselves and dare not break any Command of God and how small is that Number But Three Hundred in Gideon's Army fit to do the Work of God of Thirty-two Thousand If there be Three Hundred of Three Hundred Thousand that prove true Saints it is well if there be so many as it is sad there be no more Let me pose any one or let every one pose their own Heart Dost thou think thou art a true Saint of God Every one will be ready to assume the Title but sift thy Heart to the Bran and what saith it Is there no Love of the World No Malice Pride Self-seeking Coldness in Religion Carelesness of Duty there I tell thee a Saint's Heart is a rare Jewel we may go a great way before we find one Oh! that all the Lord's People were Prophets as Moses said so I say Oh! that they were Saints But it proves not so A Saint is a rare Creature and they grow very thin in the World here and there a Berry in the Top of a Bough here and there a Plant of the Lord 's planting but very rare Therefore when the Creed speaks of the Catholick Church meaning true Saints that serve God in Truth it speaks not Multitude tho' it mean Universal But it speaks that such are scattered up and down the World here some in one Nation there some in another here One in One City there another in another II. Therefore Communion of Saints cannot mean Personal or Local Union or Communion Saints in one Place or in one Lump together Not a College of all Saints in one Place but a Communion 'twixt them as scattered here and there all the World over As there is a Communion 'twixt two Friends one in Turky another in England one in New England another in Old The Jews little understand the Communion of Saints when they construe Hos. i. 11 Then shall the Children of Judah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and they shall appoint themselves one Head c. and such other Places Literally of their Meeting together and going to Canaan together and dwelling there together Whereas the Words mean their gathering into Communion of another Nature How would you understand that Mat. xxiv 31 And he shall send his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other By the Angels he means his Messengers the Ministers by the Sound of a Trumpet he means the Gospel by the whole he means that after the Destruction of Jerusalem of which the Speech is in the Verses before God by the preaching of the Gospel would fetch in his Elect among all Nations or call home the Gentiles But how gather them together What Into any one Place or Country or City No but into such a Communion as we are speaking of in the several Nations or Countries where they lived One Saint in Judea another in Assyria another in Greece All staying in the Place where they receive the Gospel and yet all gathered together into one
the true Cause that he was so serious earnest and diligent in the Assembly of those Divines that he was called to sit with For whatever By-ends they were convented for and divers of them perhaps drove at yet his Designs were only what that Assembly was given out to be called for Viz. The reforming of Religion And he never one Day failed of being present at the Assembly from the first Session thereof but ever shewed himself there to discharge this Trust of Religion till Jan. 22. 1643. that is about Five Months that being the first time he went down to Munden to enter upon his Living It was from this Principle that he was extremely concerned once when certain blasphemous Persons were brought before the Judges who sent to the Assembly to know their Judgments in a Point of Blasphemy Which was That one Jane Stretton had said that Christ was a Bastard And one John Hart a Soldier said commonly Who made you My Lord of Essex Who redeemed you Sir William Waller Who sanctified and preserved you My Lord of Warwick The Answer the Assembly return'd was That they had horribly blasphemed and desired exemplary Punishment might be shewed upon them And besides Lightfoot and one or two more moved that such an Occasion being offered they should present a Request to the two Houses that strict Laws and Penalties should be published against Blasphemy which did increase And a Committee was chosen for that Purpose And it was but a little after that the Lord Pembrook Lord Admiral came into the Assembly being sent from the House of Lords to hasten them in settling the Government of the Church for that Opinions grew very many and blasphemous I might also add That Mr. Chambers one of the Assembly related to them some Blasphemies of one As on Gen. vi 6 he said that it was untrue that God repented he made Man That the Soul dieth with the Body and all things shall come to an end but God That Christ came to live Two and Thirty Years and nothing else that he knew That God loves any Creature as well as Man That we are not to be saved by that Christ that suffered at Jerusalem but by a Christ formed in us c. Whereupon it was ordered presently that this should be brought to the Lords and they desired to send to apprehend them It sprang from the same Principle of his awful Apprehension of God's Honour that when the Assembly had finished the Directory and read it over in order to the last Hand Lightfoot observing that the singing of the Psalms was quite left out he moved again and again that it might be put in and that such a material Part of Divine Worship should not be omitted And at length it was done accordingly He had a great Concern at the Atheisticalness of the Age when Men began to shake the very Principles of Religion and strove to make themselves and others believe no Existence of Spirits nor any Being after Death the great Curb to restrain the wicked Excesses of evil Men. To this I attribute the Pains he took to transcribe with his own Hand a notable Relation of a Spirit appearing in Driffield in Yorkshire that was sent to Mr. after Dr. Ezekiah Burton then Fellow of Magdalen College in Cambridge by Mr. Moore formerly Fellow of the said College and Mr. Blackwell another Minister as it seems who took the Relation from the Woman 's own Mouth to whom the Spirit often appeared And seeing our Divine took the Pains to transcribe it for his own use I may be pardoned if I offer it here to the Public from his Manuscript I suppose you have heard the News of a Spirit appearing to a Woman named Isabel Billinger at Driffield in this County of York I had this Relation be it true of false from the Woman her self It is too long to write it to you as I did it from her but the chief things are these That she saith A Spirit did appear to her at several times in several Likenesses After some of the first Appearances she found in a low room as she swept it out a piece of a Stake which she pulled up and digged there and found some Teeth Collar Bones and a Skull broken After this the Spirit upon her demanding if it would have any thing spake to her and said Fourteen Years have I wandred in this Place suffering Wrong three times Seven Years I have to wander One and Twenty Years is my time Another time it appeared to her and said My Life was taken from me in the Chamber of this House by three Women Mary Burton Alice Colson and Anne Harrison because of 23 l. which I lent to Mary Burton Three Years before and 23 s. which they took out of my Pocket and three Rings two of Gold and one of Silver and other Writings and Bonds of the Money two of the Rings were my Grandmother's and the Silver one my own Mother's They took my Life betwixt Eight and Nine a Clock at Night and I received my Grave betwixt Twelve and One. It tells many Particulars she says which I have writ about the Place where it did live its Father's Name and Mother's and other Kindred She said It bade her make a Fire where she took up the Stake and let Mary Burton be there who came of her self to the making of it She only of the three Women is alive The Woman says she sat by the Fire till the People in the Street said her Child cried in the other Room But when she went the Child was asleep and the Spirit was standing within the Door where the Child was and said Blessed be the time when this Fire was made and blessed be they that gave Consent to the Fire-making For the Stake begins to be as warm at the Root as the Heart of me was when the Stake was struck thro' it Another time it said Send Mary Burton to the Goal and I will be with her there She says she ask'd it how it should do for Witness when she came before the Judge of the Assize and it said Thou shalt never want Witness as long as I can get either Mile or Miles She says it desired her to go to Mr. Crompton's one of the Justices and desire him to send to the Churches to pray for a wandring Soul and pray for Prosperity of a Spirit that will discover the Murder of it self the next Assize which was done Fourteen Years ago passing a Week before Midsummer last She accordingly did this Message to the said Justice and related her Story to him She says Mr. Crompton desired to see it in the Day-time but it said he was not so good as his Word to send to the Churches to get them to pray for a wandring Soul and so it would not be seen by him in the Day unless the Dark were no Danger to him She says when she would have touched it it said Thou needest not take hold of me for