and Customes V. Of the barbarous Custome of going naked VI. Of the ridiculous Deckings and Adornings of the Barbarians VII The Lawlessness of the Barbarians and their gross Extravagancies touching Wedlock apologized for by Cuphophron Advocate-General for the Paynims VIII Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the men of Arcladam that lie in Child-bed for their Wives IX Of the Pagans Cruelty to their Enemies and inhumane Humanity to their Friends X. Their killing men at Funerals to accompanie the dead XI The Caraiamites murthering good men to seise on their Vertues XII Of the Anthropophagi or Cannibals XIII Of the Atheism and the Polytheism of the Barbarians XIV Of their Men-Sacrifices XV. Of their worshipping the Devil XVI Of their sacrificing men to the Devil XVII Of Self-sacrificers XVIII The meaning of Providence in permitting such horrid usages in the world XIX The Madness of the Priests of the Pagans XX. Of their Religious Methods of living in order to future Happiness XXI Of their Opinions touching the other State XXII The Vnsuccessfulness of Cuphophron's Advocateship hitherto in reference to the ease of Hylobares his Perplexities XXIII Severall Considerations to make us hope that the state of the World may not be so bad as Melancholy or History may represent it The first Consideration The second Consideration The third Consideration The fourth Consideration The fifth Consideration The sixth Consideration The seventh Consideration The eighth Consideration XXIV Excellent Instances of Morality even in the most barbarous Nations The ninth Consideration The tenth Consideration The last Consideration XXV Cuphophron's rapturous Reasons why God does not dissolve the World notwithstanding the gross Miscarriages in it with Hylobares and Sophron's solid Animadversions thereon XXVI Hylobares as yet unsatisfied touching the Goodness of Providence by reason of the sad Scene of things in the World XXVII An Hypothesis that will secure the Goodness of Providence were the Scene of things on this Earth ten times worse then it is XXVIII Bathynous his Dream of the two Keys of Providence containing the above-mentioned Hypothesis XXIX His being so rudely and forcibly awaked out of so Divine a Dream how consistent with the accuracy of Providence XXX That that Divine Personage that appeared to Bathynous was rather a Favourer of Pythagorism then Cartesianism XXXI The Application of the Hypothesis in the Golden-Key-Paper for the clearing all Difficulties touching the Moral Evils in the World XXXII Severall Objections against Providence fetch'd from Defects answered partly out of the Golden partly out of the Silver-Key-Paper XXXIII Difficulties touching the Extent of the Universe XXXIV Difficulties touching the Habitableness or Unhabitableness of the Planets XXXV That though the World was created but about six thousand years ago yet for ought we know it was created as soon as it could be XXXVI Hylobares his excess of Ioy and high Satisfaction touching Providence from the Discourse of Philotheus XXXVII The Philosopher's Devotion XXXVIII The hazard and success of the foregoing Discourse XXXIX The Preference of intellectual Ioy before that which is sensual XL. That there is an ever-anticipative Eternity and inexterminable Amplitude that are proper to the Deity onely The Fourth Dialogue I. A brief Recapitulation of what has hitherto passed in their discourse page 1. II. The great force of a firm Belief of a a God and his Providence for the fixing a man's Faith in the truth of Christianity 3 III. The folly of Scepticism perstringed 5 IV. That there is a Divine Temper of Body requisite for the easilier receiving and more firmly retaining Divine Truth with the Method of obtaining it 7 V. Philopolis his Quere's touching the Kingdome of God 13 VI. What the Kingdome of God is in the general Notion thereof with a defence of the truth of the Notion 14 VII Of the absolute Sovereignty of God and whereon it is grounded 21 VIII The Kingdome of God withinus what it is 27 IX The means of acquiring it 31 X. The externall Kingdome of God properly so called what it is 39 XI When this Kingdome of God began 41 XII Of Christ's appearing in humane shape to the Patriarchs before his Incarnation 46 XIII Thy Kingdome come in what sense meant in our Saviour's time and afterwards 50 XIV The Easiness of the Prophetick style 57 XV. Where the Kingdome of God now is 59 XVI That smaller faults in Things or Persons hinder not but that a Church may still be the Kingdome of God 64 XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against the Reformation 67 XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation 71 XIX The Charge of that horrid sin of Rebellion 78 XX. What Success the Kingdome of God has had hitherto in the World and how correspondent to Divine Predictions 93 XXI Historicall Types of what was to befall Christ and his Church as the Sufferings of Joseph and his Exaltation 99 XXII The Paschal Lamb and the Israelites passage through the Red Sea 102 XXIII The brazen Serpent the Tabernacle High-priest and whole Camp of Israel a Type of Christ and his Church 108 XXIV Vocal Prophecies touching the Kingdom of Christ and its Success in the World 113 XXV The Apostasie of the Church how consistent with the durableness of God's Kingdome in Daniel 120 XXVI The Kingdome of Antichrist how warrantably so called and whether the Pope be that Man of Sin spoken of by the Apostle 124 XXVII Emperours and Princes how frequently excommunicated by the Pope 148 XXVIII The Bishop of Rome how hugely guilty of the effusion of bloud in Christendome 160 XXIX Their murtherous Attempts in Poisoning and Stabbing of Princes 164 XXX Cuphophron's Apologie in the behalf of the Romish Idolatries 169 XXXI His Apologie in the behalf of their Impostures and Murthers 176 XXXII How the Man of sin can be said to sit in the Temple of God while his sitting there makes it the Synagogue of Satan 182 XXXIII Means to know that the Man of sin prophesied of is already come into the World 185 XXXIV Cuphophron's ridiculous Indifferency in the greatest Points of Religion 190 XXXV Some few Prophecies hinted at touching the Reformation 192 XXXVI In what part of the Revolution of Ages we now are with some Cautions for the right understanding of the style of the Apocalypse 195 XXXVII The Application of the three first Vials to externall Events 201 XXXVIII Philopolis his last Quere deferr'd till next day's meeting 212 XXXIX The Conclusion with the Song of Moses and the Lamb sung to the Theorbo by Bathynous 214 The Fifth Dialogue I. The Entrance into the Dialogue 217 II. Philopolis his last Quere touching the Success of the Kingdome of God till the end of all things 218 III. The Interpretation of the fourth Vial. 221 IV. The Interpretation of the fifth and sixth Vials 228 V. The Interpretation of the last Vial. 235 VI. The future Glory of the Church after the utter destruction of Babylon 258 VII The Extent thereof 263 VIII A more particular Description of the future
this childish condition Whence the World is full of wrangling and vexation even about the pettiest Points of Religion that are Whereby mens minds must needs be exulcerated and the Government disturbed and the Safety of the Church hazarded Which would not at all be if this wholesome searching Doctrine had but place in the hearts of men For it would so ripen their growth in Christianity that all their Harshness and Sourness would soon mellow into Christian Love and Sweetness For believe it there is nothing more civil nothing more humane nothing more gentle and governable then a mature and well-grown Christian. Again in the Description of the Character of the Elias to come a main Note of him is that he is a Reconciler of the Magistrate to the People and of the People to the Magistrate that he is for Peace and Vnion in the Church of God and a declarer against Rents and Schisms And lastly that great Point of all That the Pope with his Clergie is that Antichrist and the Roman Church that City out of which God's People are bid to depart as it is most certainly true in it self and of huge Consequence to be known upon the account of a Spiritual Interest so does it most manifestly also consolidate the Secular Interest of all Protestant Princes and People against the Pretensions of the Pope and is a safe Cynosura to steer their Counsels by For I dare appeal even to the Pontificians themselves upon supposition that the Pope and his Clergie be Antichrist and the Church of Rome that Babylon out of which God's people are bid to depart whether any thing in counsell that makes towards the reduction of God's people nearer to that City and the ensnaring them again in their former Captivity can be adviseable for any Protestant Magistrate either upon point of Piety or Policy or supposing a God in Heaven can promise any prosperous Success Wherefore for any Protestant Subject so persuaded to conceal so important a Truth would be the greatest Perfidiousness even to his Terrestriall Sovereign as any man can stand guilty of These I think were sufficient Motives for the publishing these Dialogues But for the preposterous Order in publishing them the plainest account is the will of the Authour of which no worse Construction ought to be made then that as it seems he has a greater Concern for the Interest of Christianity then for the Curiosities of Philosophy For such is the Subject of the three first Dialogues Which had he had as great a propension to gratifie the Curious as to edifie the Church of Christ he would not have failed to have published at least as soon as these the matter of them being both Philosophicall as I said and that concerning the most enticing Points in Philosophy and also intermixt with much Pleasantry and Humour which by reason of the extraordinary Gravity of this present Subject it was thought fit I suppose the more strictly to abstain from But though I have no commission to publish the three first Dialogues themselves yet I thought fit for the more punctually understanding these two last to publish the Arguments of those they being sufficient for the understanding any References or Reflexions on them occurring in these And lastly Reader I have added for thy farther Entertainment by way of Appendage though not altogether so necessary I confess yet sutable enough to some Points in these Dialogues if not to the whole Design A brief Discourse of the true Grounds of the Certainty of Faith in Points of Religion as also some few plain Songs or Divine Hymns on the chiefest Holy-days in the Christian Kalendar agreeable enough with these Divine Dialogues both in Purpose and Title Wherein the Writer of them has observed always this Method to adde to the Historicall Narration an Application to the Emprovement of Life Which whether in Verse or Prose if it were diligently observed in the handling of the Historicall Articles of our Christian Faith would be of so great force for the making men good that I doubt not but Philotheus had he thought of it would have added this as a ninth Instruction tending to the Acceleration of those happy Times of the Church which he presages These Reader if thou pleasest candidly to accept for the present it will be the greater Obligation to the Authour to let what still remains in his hands in due time see the Light and be as willing to condescend to gratifie the Philosophicall Genius in those three first Dialogues as he has been in these ambitious to edifie the Religious G. C. The proper Characters of the Persons in the ensuing Dialogues with some Allusion to their Names Philotheus A zealous and sincere Lover of God and Christ and of the whole Creation Bathynous The Deeply-thoughtful or profoundly-thinking man Sophron The Sober and wary man Philopolis The pious and loyal Politician Euistor A man of Criticism Philologie and History Hylobares A young witty and well-moralized Materialist Cuphophron A zealous but Airy-minded Platonist and Cartesian or Mechanist Ocymo Cuphophron's Boy so called from his Nimbleness DIVINE DIALOGVES CONTAINING Several Disquisitions and Instructions touching the ATTRIBUTES of GOD AND HIS PROVIDENCE In the WORLD THE FOURTH DIALOGUE Philotheus Bathynous Sophron Philopolis Euistor Hylobares Cuphophron Philoth. OUr Conference hitherto I A brief Recapitulation of what has hitherto passed in their discourse O Philopolis has been spent either in proving briefly the Existence of God or in clearing of his Attributes or in defending of his Providence which was but a necessary preparation to them that doubt of these things for the due understanding of the Mysteries of his Kingdome For if there be no God nor any Divine Providence there can be no Kingdome of God upon Earth as Hylobares well noted at first And indeed if the Providence of God be not every-where it is a very suspicable business that it is in truth no-where Whence appears the necessity of admitting such Hypotheses as will make sense of all occurrences and appearances of things which we meet withall in what-ever Nations of the Earth or parts of the Universe And such I conceive were those that were suggested in our two last days Conferences With which if Hylobares who seemed to be the onely man dissettled touching these Points be fully satisfied I am now ready to serve you Philopolis according to the best of my skill touching your demands concerning the Kingdome of God Philop. I humbly thank you Philotheus and my eager desire to hear you discourse of so important a Theme and my jealousie that we shall be much streightned in time makes me beg of you that without any farther delay you would be pleased to fall upon the matter Hyl. Which Philotheus will doe the more couragiously II The great force of a firm belief of a God and his Providence for the fixing a man's Faith in the truth of Christianity O Philopolis after I have briefly acknowledged my thanks for
no-where owes its birth to Rebellion and that the doctrine of Rebellion upon pretense of Religion is universally exploded by the publick Confessions of all the Protestant Churches but both professed and practised by the Janizaries of the Bishop of Rome The Title of the Book is A vindication of the Sincerity of the Protestant Religion in the point of Obedience to Sovereigns Cuph. Very good Philopolis I thank you for your information I shall enquire for the Book and at first leisure from my Philosophicall Speculations I shall give my self the satisfaction of perusing it In the mean time therefore I shall give you onely this one trouble touching a point which cannot be denied by Euistor nor any Historian of them all Did not the first Reformers rebell against the Sovereignty of the Pope Philop. O no Cuphophron they resisted or cast off the pretended Sovereignty of the Pope but that was not to rebell but to repell a wicked Usurpation For first that Christ never constituted the Bishop of Rome the Successour of Peter and his infallible Vicar-general of Christendome appears in that there is no such Doctrine in the ancient Fathers nor any such timely appeal to this Bishop's Infallibility nor any such thing recorded in Scripture which had been such an high Point that if it had been true it could never have been left out Nay on the contrary it witnesseth against this pretense for Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians doth plainly declare himself inferiour to none of the Apostles Chap. 1. and 2. And though Peter was present yet Iames did confessedly preside in the Council at Ierusalem Besides that the Uncircumcision was the Diocese of Paul but Peter's the Circumcision which certainly was the less Circuit of the two Not to adde how Paul withstood Peter at Antioch which suits ill with Peter's Superiority as Peter's being at Antioch as well as at Rome with the Superiority of the Roman Bishop above him of Antioch For that Peter was at Antioch is out of question but whether Peter was ever at Rome is still questionable among the Learned And lastly if Peter was so much taller by the head and shoulders then the rest of the Apostles why did he give the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and Paul Then again in the second place No secular Sovereign can forfeit his Sovereignty to any Spiritual pretended Superiority or Superintendency unless we admit that Principle of Wickleffianism Dominium fundatur in gratia which the Iesuites themselves so loudly hoot at when they please and is unfeignedly to be hooted at by every one that has an honest and upright heart Bath But do you not observe Philopolis how this Argument will also protect the Subject as well as the Prince from all wrong and violence from a spiritual Tyranny Philop. You say right Bathynous But so be it protect but my Sovereign safe from all injuries I am none of them that shall envy the overplus of good it may doe in behalf of Subjects that any-where may be thought to fall short of that grace of Illumination that others pretend to have when indeed they are wholly overwhelmed with gross Errours Superstitions and Idolatries And thirdly and lastly Suppose his Holiness of Rome had once a Sovereignty over all the Churches of Christendome in ordine ad Spiritualia which is the onely plea that can with any colour be pretended when his spiritual wares are so infinitely poisoned and corupted that the Religion he requires obedience to is as gross as any Pagan-Idolatry as most certainly Romanism is he does most assuredly lose his right of Sovereignty or Command in Spirituals unless he has a right to command us to disobey God and Christ whose Vicar he pretends to be and losing his right of Spiritual Sovereignty the Temporal Appendages thereto appertaining must likewise fall with it This methinks must seem very clear to an impartial eye Philoth. It must so Philopolis and yet I will cast in a fourth Argument of undeniable evidence to them that understand it Every Secular Prince nay every private man has a commission from Heaven to cast off the yoke of Rome as being that Mysticall Babylon mentioned in the Apocalypse of whom it is said Apoc. 18.4 And I heard another voice from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that you partake not of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues Philop. That 's well thought of Philotheus That 's an invincible Argument indeed to as many as are convinced that by Babylon there is meant Rome Christian or if you will Pagano-christian as I profess that I am very well satisfied it is by what I have read in late Authours who have demonstrated that Truth so plainly that I think no man that has but the patience to understand it and 't is no such great Riddle can ever have the face to deny it What say you Cuphophron to it Cuph. I say Philopolis that I have not yet had the patience to understand it But yet I understand so much from the present discourse as silences all scruples in me against Reformed Christendom's being the Kingdome of God so that Philotheus may pass to your Third Quere if he will Philop. I thank you for that good news XX What success the Kingdome of God has had hitherto in the world and how correspondent to Divine Predictions Cuphophron I beseech you therefore Philotheus take my Third Quere into your consideration and tell us What success the Kingdome of God has had hitherto in the world Philoth. I am glad we are come to this Point Philopolis as well for Hylobares his sake as your own For there is not a more illustrious Specimen of Divine Providence then the Progress of the Church or Kingdome of God judiciously compared with the Prophecies from its first commencement to this day Hyl. Though I am God be thanked O Philotheus very well settled in my belief of the Divine Providence yet as men do not drink of wholsome and pleasant wines merely for necessity but indulge something to delight so though this farther satisfaction be not altogether needfull as to that point yet the pleasure of the instances of a Truth of so great importance you may be sure will be very acceptable to me besides that it is a main ratification of the soundness of our Religion Upon which account I shall be still your more diligent Auditour Philoth. And the consideration of so serious and ingenuous an Auditour makes me with the greater alacrity betake me to my task which yet I must by reason of the time perform with all possible brevity To omit therefore that first Prediction of the Incarnation of Christ according to the more mysticall sense Gen. 3.15 that The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head we will take notice in the first place of that ancient Promise of God to Abraham Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed as also in
to think what is false or else that they never had any opportunity of falsifying in the Points they propound to our Belief Certainty of Sense is also required For if the Sense be not certain there could be no infallible Testimony of matter of Fact and Moses's conversing with God in the Mount may be but a Dream nor could there be any certain Eye-witnesses of our Saviour's Resurrection and Ascension if God will delude our Senses Wherefore to take away the Certainty of Sense rightly circumstantiated is to take away all Certainty of Belief in the main Points of our Religion Secondly Sense and Reason are rightly circumstantiated the one when the Organ is sound the Medium fitly qualified and the distance of the Object duely proportionated and the like the other when it is accompanied with Moral Prudence rightly so called such as it is defined in the above-said Enchiridion Lib. 2. c. 2. that is to say That this Reason be lodged either in a perfectly-unprejudiced Mind or at least unprejudiced touching the Point propounded For there are some Truths so clear that Immorality it self provided it do not besot a man or make him quite mad puts no bar to the assenting to them that is puts no bar to their appearing to be true no more then it does to the Eye unhurt to the discerning of Colours which the Wicked and Godly do alike upon this Supposition Wherefore The third Conclusion shall be That there be Natural Truths whether Logicall Physicall or Mathematicall that are so palpably true that they constantly and perpetually appear so as well to the Wicked as the Good if they be Compotes mentis and do not manifest violence to their Faculties The fourth That these Natural Truths whether Common Notions or Scientificall Conclusions that are so palpably true that they perpetually appear so as well to the evil as the good are at least as certain and indubitable as any thing that the Reason and Understanding of a man can give assent to that is to say There is at least as great a Certainty of these Axiomes that they are true as there can be of any And therefore because there is acknowledged a Certainty in some Points that our Understanding and Reason closeth with let us set down for The fifth Conclusion That these Natural Truths that constantly appear such as well to the evil as the good if they be not crack'd-brained nor do violence to their Faculties are in themselves most certainly true The sixth That what is a Contradiction to a certain Truth is not onely uncertain but necessarily false forasmuch as both the parts of a Contradiction cannot be true The seventh That no Revelation which either it self or the Revealing thereof or its manner of Revealing is repugnant to the Divine Attributes can be from God The eighth That no Tradition of any such Revelation can be true forasmuch as the Revelation it self is impossible The ninth That no Revelation is from God that is repugnant to Sense rightly circumstantiated This is manifest from the first Ground That Certainty of Faith presupposeth Certainty of Sense duly circumstantiated For if our Senses may be mistaken when they act in due Circumstances we cannot be assured that they are at any time true Which necessarily destroys the Certainty of all Revelation ab extra and of all Tradition and consequently of our Christian Religion Wherefore God cannot be the Authour of any such Revelation by Conclusion the seventh For it were repugnant to his Wisedom and Goodness The tenth That no Revelation is from God that contradicts plain Natural Truths such as were above described This is abundantly clear from Conclusion the 1 2 3 4 6 7. For if Reason where it is clearest is false we have no assurance it is ever true and therefore no Certainty of Faith which presupposes Reason by Conclusion the first Besides by Conclusion the sixth That which is contradictory to a certain Truth is certainly false But Divine Revelation is true Therefore there can be no Revelation from God that bears with it such a Contradiction Nay we may adde That if there were any Divine Truth that would constantly appear to Reason rightly circumstantiated contradictory to any constant Natural Truth God would not communicate any such Truth to men by Conclusion the seventh For the revealing of such a Truth were repugnant to his Attribute of Wisedome it making thereby true Religion as obnoxious to suspicion and exception as false For there is no greater exception against the Truth of any Religion then that it proposes Articles that are repugnant to Common Notions or indubitable Science Besides that one such pretense of true Revelation would enable a false Priesthood to fill the World with Figments and Lies Wherefore God will never be the Authour of so much mischief to mankind And lastly since the first Revelation must be handed down by Tradition and Tradition being but humane Testimony and infinitely more lubricous and fallible then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural Science how will it be possible for any but Sots or Fools to believe Tradition against solid Science or a Common Notion So that the Result must needs be either blinde Superstition gross Irreligion or universal Scepticism The eleventh That no Revelation that enforces countenances or abetts Immorality or Dishonesty can be from God This is manifested from the seventh Conclusion For it is repugnant to God's Attributes his Justice Fidelity Goodness and Purity or Sanctity The Image of God is Righteousness and true Holiness Wherefore no Doctrine that tends to Injustice Unrighteousness and Impurity can be a Revelation from God The twelfth That no Interpretation of any Divine Revelation that is repugnant to Sense or Reason rightly circumstantiated or to plain and indubitable Morality whether it be made by a private or publick hand can be any Inspiration from God There needs no new Confirmation of this Conclusion For the same Arguments that prove that no Divine Revelation can be in this sort repugnant do prove also that no Interpretation of any Revelation in this sort repugnant to Sense Reason or sound Morality can be Divine The thirteenth That no Interpretation of Divine Writ that justifies Sedition Rebellion or Tyranny can be any Inspiration from God This is easily evinced from the foregoing Conclusion For Sedition and Rebellion are gross and ponderous Species of Injustice against the Magistrate as Tyranny is also against the People both such high strains of Immorality that no Interpretation of Scripture that justifies these can be true much less Divinely inspired The fourteenth No Church that propounds as Articles of Belief such things as are repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason or sound Morality can rightly be deemed Infallible The reason is plain For it appears out of what has hitherto been said that they are already actually deceived or at least intend to deceive others The fifteenth That the Certainty of Faith cannot be grounded upon the Infallibility of any Church
Imprimatur Sam. Parker RR mo in Christo Patri ac Domino Ex Aedibus Lambeth Decemb. 20. 1667. Domino Gilberto Divinâ Providentiâ Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi à Sacris Domesticis THE TWO LAST DIALOGUES Treating of the Kingdome of God Within us and Without us AND OF His special PROVIDENCE through CHRIST over His CHURCH from the Beginning to the End of all Things Whereunto is annexed A brief Discourse of the true Grounds of the Certainty of Faith in Points of Religion together with some few plain Songs or Divine Hymns on the Chief Holy-days of the Year LUKE 9.62 No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God REVEL 1.17 Fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and of Death LONDON Printed by I. Flesher 1668. THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER Reader I Believe thou wilt wonder at the preposterous Order of my publishing these Two Dialogues before the Three first have seen the Light and indeed it may be most of all why I publish them at all If it were a matter of ordinary intelligible Political Interest or the Solution of some Algebraicall Probleme or the Discovery of some quaint Experiment towards the perfecting of Natural Philosophy or the Decision of some notable Point in Polemicall Divinity Reason would that we should accept of your Performance and have the patience to peruse it But to draw out a long tiresome Story of the Kingdome of God and Fate of the Church through I know not how many dark Types and obscure Aenigmaticall Prophecies where we can fix no sure footing in any thing Quis leget haec The Gallio's of this Age care for no such things Well admit the case to stand so Reader as thou suggestest yet this could be no just Impediment to either the Writing or Publishing these Dialogues For every genuine Minister of the Kingdome of God has a commission to preach in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 He that observes the Winde shall not sow Eccles. 11.4 and he that regardeth the Clouds shall not reap If S. John's Apocalypse had not been writ nor published before it would have been readily read and understood the date of those Visions had been at least fifteen hundred years later then it was and the Event of things had anticipated their Prediction And for the pretended Aenigmaticall Obscurity of the Types and Prophecies the endeavour of this Authour has been that they should cease to be so any longer which I believe they do to them that look upon them with an impartial eye and are duely prepared to receive the Sense of them For some Pollutions may hinder them from seeing any thing as they say it is in the looking into the Magick Crystall or Shew-stone Two looking into the same Crystall but differently prepar'd or predisposed the one sees clearly a Scene of things to come the other nothing Which though it be strange in that case yet it seems far stranger in this of the Prophecies the main things aimed at being of as clear Solution the Postulata admitted that is to say the truth of History and the Sense of the Prophetick style though no farther then the Scripture it self interprets it as any Probleme in Algebra As will certainly appear to the intelligent from M r Mede's Synchronisms and the eight last Chapters of the first Book of Synopsis Prophetica And admit but that Joint-Exposition of these two Chapters of the Apocalypse the thirteenth and seventeenth there will be little Controversie of the Solution of the rest And still the less upon the Perusall of these Dialogues which give light into the whole Apocalypse and so take away that Excuse from some that pretend they cannot safely promise themselves they understand any part unless they understand all This Reader is in return to thy false Surmize as if the whole Dialogues were stuffed with nothing but the recitall of dark Prophecies Whenas besides plain History there are many usefull moral Passages As that Method of regaining a due Divine temper of Body which consists in a more aethereal Purity of the Spirits that we may possess our Vessell in a right measure of Sanctity and Holiness that it may be more meet to receive and retain Divine Truths As also the means of arriving to that state which is the Kingdome of God within us Which though it be not a matter of Politicall or Secular Interest yet it is so palpable an Interest of every man as methinks there should no man be such a Gallio as to slight it unless he think it an indifferent thing whether he be damned or saved But believe it if any one have really attained to the Kingdome of God within him it is then impossible that he should be unconcerned for the Kingdome of God without him he being so certainly united with that Spirit the Eternall Minde that superintends the Affairs of the Vniverse and of his own peculiar Kingdome and People in a more special manner He that has lost the sense of his own carnal and personal Concerns is naturally as I may so speak seised upon and actuated by the Spirit of God and all his Affections of Love and Care and solicitous Foresight are taken up with the Interest of that Communialty of which he is a living Member under one Head Christ Jesus And therefore as it is supposed by the Poet that it was a great satisfaction to Aeneas to be instructed by Anchises concerning the Fate and Success of his Family and Posterity their glorious Atchievements and the Largeness of their Empire that they should Virgil. Aeneid lib. 6. super Garamantas Indos Proferre Imperium so likewise they that once have got into a real Cognation and Spiritual Consanguinity with the true Apostolick Church as having derived upon them or transfused into them from their Head that Divine Spirit that actuates the whole Body of Christ it cannot but be a transcendent Pleasure to them to understand the overspreading Glory and Success which the Family of God of which they are part I mean the true Apostolick Church will have in the World before the Consummation of all things Which illustrious Scene of Futurities though they neither descend with Aeneas to get a view of them amongst the Shades below nor with S. John have the Heavens open upon them from above to exhibit those Celestiall Visions yet they casting the pure eyes of their Minde upon the Scripture see all those glorious Futurities writ in Heaven plainly reflected to them from the Books of the Prophets as we see the Sky and Clouds the Moon and Stars by looking on some River or Pool to their ineffable pleasure and satisfaction Which may excuse this Authour 's so laborious a Ramble as it may seem to some through so many dark Types and Prophecies to finde out this future Glory of the
and also have declared the steddy efficacy of his yesterday's discourse For though I was highly exalted through the sense and power of his Reason yet I do not now flag again as the day before but having a full and comprehensive view of things I finde in my self a permanent assent to Truth as well now I am cool and calm as then when I was most transported and which is a wonderful accession to all this this firm and full satisfaction I have thus unexpectedly received touching the Existence of God and the unexceptionableness of his Providence draws in along with it a more hearty and settled belief of all the fundamental Points of Christian Religion so far forth as the Scripture has declared them So that that of Christianity which hung more loosely and exteriourly in my mind before methinks I have now imbibed into the very centre of my heart and soul and do without all hesitancy close with the truth thereof Whence I hope I shall be the more idoneous Auditour of this higher Discourse of yours O Philotheus touching the Kingdome of God Philoth. I am exceeding glad O Hylobares that my former Discourses have had this excellent effect upon you though it be no more then I hoped for and have often experimented in others and most feelingly in my self who could never doubt of Christianity when I had once satisfied my self of the truth of those Points you profess your self now at length so fully satisfied in Which I must confess makes me prone to think that those that either slight or misbelieve Christianity so far forth as the Scripture has declared the same do not seriously or settledly believe there is a God or a Divine Providence but are of a light Sceptical confounded and heedless spirit and take more pleasure to seem able to talk then to find themselves of any determinate judgement though in things of the greatest moment Cuph. The greatest Wits of the World have been such persons as you seem so freely to perstringe III The folly of Scepticism perstringed O Philotheus that is to say Sceptical or Aporetical Witness not onely the whole Sect of the Academici but that Miracle for wit and eloquence Plato himself Diog. Laert in vita Platon that sweetly-singing Swan as Socrates had him represented to him in a dream Is there any thing more pleasant then his mellifluous Dialogues and yet ordinarily nothing concluded but is a mere Sceptical or Aporetical chace of wit a game wherein nothing is taken or aimed at but mere ingenious pastime Philoth. Such wilde-goose chaces in matters of less moment O Cuphophron may be more plausible or tolerable but in Points of greater consequence to speak eloquently on both sides and then to be able to conclude nothing nor it may be so much as desirous thereof is not so much like the famed melody of the Swan's voice as like the clapping of her wings one against another and so making a fluttering noise for a time but after casting both behind her back not at all regarding whether the right or left wing were stronger Hyl. A flourish O Cuphophron that every Goose can make as well as a Swan But for my part Philotheus I desire nothing more then a settledness of mind in matters of the highest consequence such as the Existence of God the Immortality of the Soul the benignity of Providence and the like and therefore I think my self infinitely happy in that full satisfaction I have received from your excellent Reasonings I find them so firm and permanent Philoth. And I wish they may long so abide Hylobares Hyl. Why what can dissettle them Philotheus Philoth. Nothing IV That there is a Divine temper of Body requisite for the easilier receiving and more firmly retaining Divine Truth with the method of obtaining it unless dissettledness of Life If you fix in the Divine Life which is fixable no-where but in the Divine Body then the reasons of Divine Truth will take root in this ground and so prove permanent indeed But if they grow not up from this ground they will be but as a Flower in your hand or a Feather in your cap and having no vital Cognation with the Subject they are in they will easily be blown away or wither Hyl. I had thought the Soul had been so Divine a thing of it self that the Cognation betwixt it and the reasons of Divine Truth had been sufficient if once received firmly to retain them Philoth. O no Hylobares The Soul by sympathizing too much with this earthly and brutish Body becomes brutish her self and loses her Divinity else all would be alike capable of Divine Truth But the recuperation of the Divine Body by virtue of her true and real Regeneration is also the recovery of her Divinity Hyl. But what do you mean by this Divine Body O Philotheus Philoth. The same which the Pythagoreans mean by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is also called Ethereal or Heavenly Euist. That is no wonder that the Heavenly Body and the Divine should be all one De Coelo lib. 2. c. 3. whenas Aristotle himself calls Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine body Hyl. But how shall we be able to attain to this Divine Body O Philotheus in which so far as I see is the Root and Substance of Truth forasmuch as the Life is in it Philoth. Reason without this is but a dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or umbratile Imagination a faint and ineffectual thing evanid fugitive and flitting but Reasons flourishing out of this stock are the immarcescible Flowers of the Paradise of God Hyl. Wherefore Philotheus I am the more desirous to know how we may come by this Divine or Paradisiacal Body Philoth. By a firm and lively Faith in the Power and Spirit of the Lord Iesus whereby he is able to mortifie and subdue all sin in us and extinguish all Selfishness so that we become utterly dead to our selves and as little concerned for our selves in any externall gratification of worldly Honour carnal Pleasure mundane Power or any thing that is grateful to the mere Animal Life as if we were not at all in being If we stand firm in this Faith and second it with constant and sincere Devotion and inward breathings toward the prize set before us adding thereto a due and discreet Temperance and circumspection in all our externall deportments that we neither act nor speak any thing from the promptings of the Selfish Principle or any way to gratifie our corrupt Animality this method will in due time bring us to a perfect state of Self-deadness which death being finished there does most certainly succeed a spiritual Resurrection from the dead into the Life which is truly Divine and which is not found but in the Divine Body So that by our sincere Devotions and breathings toward God we imbibe both the Divine Life and the Divine Body at once which is the true spiritual Birth of Christ Joh. 1.12 whom as
many as receive they become the sons of God as being born 2 Cor. 4.16 not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh but of God And this also is that inward man of which Paul professes that though the outward perish is yet in the true Saints of God renewed day by day Wherefore he that is arrived to this Substantiality of life will be fixt in all useful Divine Truths and the Reasons that grow on such a Root will be found solid and permanent by him that has the Root but where they are merely verbal and imaginarie and float onely in the Brain the Heart being animal and brutish they may easily prove very weak fugitive and vanishing Not that they are so in themselves but may appear so to those who have onely the Picture of the Flower in their Brain not the Root in their Heart in which is the Pavilion of Life and inmost Tabernacle of God in the Soul He that lives in this dispensation of life O Hylobares can never be dissettled in his thoughts touching the Existence of God and his Providence or the Immortality of the Soul For he cannot be prone to suspect the Soul's capacity of living separate from the Body whiles he perceives her to live at that distance and defiance with the Body already while she is in it nor at all doubt of the Existence of God whose power spirit impulse and energie he so distinctly perceives in his own Soul For such is the nature of the Divine Life that none that feels it but must confess it not to belong to any creature as such but to be the very Power and Spirit of God actuating the Soul How can he then doubt of Him whose power and presence he so sensibly feels Wherefore this Dispensation of Life Hylobares is all in all to him that desires to philosophize with steddiness and solidity Hyl. These are great and magnificent things which you declare O Philotheus but yet such as seem to me neither incredible nor unimitable And therefore God willing I shall endeavour as well as I can to steer my course according to the Rules you have intimated and make it my main scope to attain to that state which you call the Dispensation of Life For I see all is very vain and shadowy without it But in the mean time I must crave pardon of Philopolis that I have occasioned Philotheus to mis-spend so much of that time that he thought too little for his own design and for the present purpose in hand Philop. Philotheus speaks so favourly and edifyingly of every subject he is put upon that it is ever pitty to interrupt him But sith he has now desisted of himself if he please at length to enter upon the Subject I first of all propounded it will very much gratifie my desires Hyl. It is therefore now Philopolis very seasonable to propound your Quere's to him Philop. My First Quere V Philopolis his Quere's touching the Kingdome of God O Philotheus was What the Kingdome of God is the Second When it began and where it has been or is now to be found the Third What progress it has hitherto made in the world the Fourth and last What success it is likely to have to the end of all things These are the Quere's Philotheus which I at first propounded concerning which if you please to instruct us plainly and intelligibly though not so accurately and scholastically we shall think our selves eternally obliged to you for your pains Philoth. I shall doe my best I can to serve you herein Philopolis and that as briefly and perspicuously as I can with all plainness of speech and without any affectation of Scholastick Scrupulosities being desirous onely to be understood and to convince And the God of Heaven assist us in this our discourse of his heavenly Kingdome that we may so understand the Mysteries of it as that we may faithfully endeavour the promoting the Interest thereof both in our selves and in all men to the Glory of God and Salvation of the World Amen Philop. Amen I pray God Philoth. VI What the Kingdome of God is in the general Nation thereof with a defence of the truth of the Nation Your first Quere O Philopolis though it be very short yet is exceeding comprehensive and by reason of the multisarious signification of the terms involves much matter in it at once which yet I shall endeavour to comprise and take in as well as I can by this brief Definition of the Kingdome of God in general The Kingdome of God is the Power of God enjoyning exciting commissioning or permitting his creatures to act according to certain Laws which considering all circumstances or upon the compute of the whole are for the best Philop. I partly understand you Philotheus and conceive you intend such a Definition of the Kingdome of God as takes in the Kingdome of Nature also and respects those Laws whereby both the brute Animals are guided and the senseless Plants and dead Meteors and Elements according to the extent of your defence hitherto of Divine Providence running from the highest and most Intellectual Order of things even to those Material Beings which are framed and actuated by the Spirit of Nature or Seminal Soul of the World Sophr. Why that is no more then the Scripture it self will warrant him to doe Philopolis The Psalmist is very frequent in such expressions The Lord has prepared his throne in Heaven Psalm 103.19 21 22 and his Kingdome ruleth over all Bless ye the Lord all his Hosts ye Ministers of his that doe his pleasure Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion Bless the Lord O my Soul This in the 103. Psalm And in the 148. Psalm he makes all the several degrees of the Creation from Heaven to Earth from Angels to Brutes Plants and Meteors the Hosts of God and exhorts them all to praise the name of the Lord For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created he hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken And again in the 119. Psalm O Lord thy word endureth for ever in Heaven thy Truth also remaineth from one generation to another Thou hast laid the foundation of the Earth and it abideth they continue this day according to thy ordinance for all things serve thee Whence it is plain that the Dominion of God and his Kingdome reaches as far as the whole comprehension of the Creation Cuph. Why then in some places O Sophron the Kingdome of God will be coincident with the Kingdome of the Devil Bath Why Cuphophron what greater inconvenience is there in that then that the Kingdome of Nature and the Kingdome of God should be coincident which you seem not to gainsay Cuph. Methinks it sounds very odly and besides we may conceive a subordination betwixt the Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of Nature but the
Empire in Constantine's time became the Kingdome of God but were no particular members of the Church at that time in any thing reprehensible Whether the Reformation cease to be the Kingdome of God for the wickedness of some of that denomination let our Adversaries be judges who never spared to style themselves Holy Church for all the abhorred ungodliness of the Heads their Holinesses at Rome and universal pollution of the members and that because they took themselves to be the true Christian Church and to hold the right Faith and to retain the Rites and Religious Practices as to the externall Worship of God though they were indeed an Antichristian Church and all overrun with abominable Doctrines and Idolatrous Practices and Diabolical Cruelties against the true Worshippers of God Of how much more right therefore ought the Reformation to be held the holy people of God and his peculiar Kingdome who profess the Apostolick Faith entire without any Idolatrous superadditions who murther no man for his Conscience and make the infallible Word of God it self the Object of their Profession and the platform of their Religion Cuph. The truth is the disparity is infinitely great if the Roman and Reformed Church stood in competition which of them two should be the Kingdome of God Bath But it being so plain that the Reformed Church is the true Externall Kingdome of God forasmuch as they make pure profession of the Gospel of the Kingdome cleared from all the gross Corruptions of men and teach Christ merely according to the Word of Christ and that also in this regard the Church of Rome by their Antichristian Doctrines is really a contrary Kingdome thereunto that is the Kingdome of Antichrist how abominably nauseous O Cuphophron must Indifferency in Religion be amongst Pretenders to Protestantism whenas the Romanists themselves scarce in the worst of times would have laid down their zeal in the behalf of that Christianity against Turcism though Turcism ought not to be more abominable to them then their Antichristianism ought to be to us XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against th Reformation For what can be more contrary then the Kingdome of Christ and of Antichrist Cuph. This would bear more weight with it Bathynous if there were no gross flaws in the externall Profession of the Protestants and that they were right in their declared Opinions For in my judgement Antinomianism and Calvinism I mean that dark Dogma about Predestination are such horrid Errours that they seem the badges of the Kingdome of Darkness rather then of the Kingdome of God Bath What you mean by Antinomianism O Cuphophron I know not But so far as I know there are but these two meanings thereof either a conceit that we are exempted by the liberty of the Gospel from all moral Duties a thing exploded by all the Protestant Churches as you may understand by the Harmony of their Confessions or else it signifies a disclaim of being justified by the doing our Duties and an entire relying on the Satisfaction or Atonement of Christ which rightly understood has no evil at all in it but is an excellent Antidote against Pride For those that profess such an Antinomianism as this and declare they look to be saved by Faith onely without the Works of the Law will not deny but that they are to live as strictly and holily as if they were to be saved by the integrity of their conversations and yet when they have lived as precisely as they can that they are wholly to relie upon the mercy of God in Christ. How lovely how amiable is such a disposition of a Soul as this who taking no notice of her own innocency or righteousness casts her self wholly on the Goodness and Merits of her Saviour and so like an un-self-reflecting and an un-self-valuing childe enters securely and peaceably into the Kingdome of God and into the choicest mansions of his heavenly Paradise Cuph. Nay if that be the worst of it Bathynous I am easily reconciled to Protestantism for all this Bath This is the worst of it O Cuphophron so far as I can understand And you know the orthodox Protestants universally adde their Doctrine of Sanctification or a good life to that of Justification by Faith onely so that I dare say they dealt bonâ fide but by a secret Providence directed so their style and phrase as was most effectual to oppose or undermine the gainful traffick of that City of Merchandises where the good works they ordinarily cry'd up so were nothing else but the good and rich wares those cunning Merchants purchased at cheap rates from abused souls the increase of whose sins were the advance of the Revenues of the Church and their externall good works as they are called an excuse for their want of inward Sanctification and real Regeneration the main things the Protestants stand upon which can be no more without Good works in the best sense so called then the Sun without Light Cuph. But are there then Bathynous no Antinomians in the ill sense amongst the Protestant Bath No otherwise Cuphophron then there were Gnosticks and Carpocratians in the Apostolick times There are but disallowed by general suffrage Cuph. Let that then suffice XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation But this dark Opinion of Predestination how dismall does it look Bathynous black as the smoak of the bottomless pit out of which the Locusts came Bath What do you allude to the Turks and Saracens Cuphophron The Turks indeed are held great Fatalists whence some in reproch call this Point of Calvin Calvino-Turcism Who would have thought Cuphophron so Apocalyptical That you take so great offence at Predestination in that rude and crude sense that some hold it I do not at all wonder for it has ever seemed to me an Opinion perfectly repugnant to the nature of God that he should Predestinate any Souls to endless and unspeakable misery for such sins as it was ever impossible for them to avoid This is a great reproch in my apprehension to the Divine Majesty But that there is an effectual Election or Predestination of some to eternall life I must confess I think it not onely an Opinion inoffensive but true which seems to me probably to be intimated from such passages as these Apoc. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And again in another place of the Apocalypse And they that are with him are called Apoc. 17.14 and chosen and faithfull And also in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 8.28 29. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called c. These places considered together want not their force
this Objection of yours O Cuphophron is as loud a Lie as ever the Devil invented had your great parts condescended to be as conversant in History as in the sublimer parts of Philosophy your self would long ere now have discovered Cuph. O how dearly do I love thee Euistor for this freeness But since my self has been taken up with higher matters I prithee declare the truth freely from thine own reading For indeed I have a great suspicion of Luther and Calvin whose names are most illustrious in the Reformation that they were abettors or exciters of Sedition and Rebellion Euist. I shall declare the truth freely and impartially to you Cuphophron touching these persons and by the manifest injuries done to them you may judge of the rest As for Luther he was so far from being an exciter or abettor of Rebellion against Secular Princes that he wrote a Treatise to exhort every Soul to be subject to the higher Powers and was himself a very severe and carefull practiser of his own Doctrine For at that Confederacy of defensive arms at Smalcald which the Romanists declaim against as such an example of Rebellion though it was not Luther was very shy and averse from giving his Assent thereto till he was throughly instructed by the learned in the Law touching the Constitution of the Empire of Germany For by the Magna Charta as I may so call it of the Empire the Princes of the Empire are invested in such Rights as if they be violated by the Emperour it is lawfull for them to take arms and resist sine Rebellionis aut Infidelitatis crimine And the skilfull in the Law abundantly satisfied Luther that the Emperour had violated these Rights Philop. The truth is Cuphophron since the Empire was made Elective and a perpetuall Power established in the Seven Electours the Emperour's Authority in many parts of Germany became little more then titular and an empty Honour without Power they that elect him having a right also to depose him for Mal-administration of the Affairs of the Empire The Electours and other Princes of the Empire govern their own Principalities without paying any thing to the Emperour but Homage and the Imperial Cities are most free from the Imperial Laws Must every appearing in arms then against the Emperour be presently Rebellion Cuph. I did not think there could have been so much said in the behalf of Luther Euist. And now for Calvin the Charge of Rebellion upon him is that he expelled the Bishop of Geneva who was the chief Magistrate of that City and changed the Government into an Aristocracy and so carried on Reformation and Rebellion at once Is not this that which you mean Cuphophron Cuph. I believe it is for I have not much interess'd my self in these Religious contests Euist. But this is a mere Calumnie against Iohn Calvin and without all ground For not so much as that is true that Calvin was one of the first Planters of the Reformation at Geneva and much less that he or any other Reformers expelled the Bishop out of the City It was Farrell Froment and Viret that by their Preaching converted Geneva in the Bishop's absence who fled away eight months before being hated by the Citizens for the Rape of a Virgin and many Adulteries with their Wives he being also in fear of his life for his Conspiracy with the Duke of Savoy to oppress the Liberties of the City for which his Secretary was hang'd But those that changed the Government were strong Papists and after main opposers of the Reformation Cuph. I perceive a man must take heed how he believes any charges of the Romanists against the first Reformers Sophr. The measure of truth with them is the Interest of Holy Church and therefore every Lie subservient to that end is holy Cuph. But if I mistake not Zwinglius cut his way for the Reformation violently with his Sword for they say he was slain in battel Euist. That 's another gross mistake Cuphophron For the Reformation was establish'd in Zurick at least ten years sooner by Edict of the Senate upon the peaceable preaching of the Gospel there and the Switzers had shaken off the yoke of the Empire two hundred years before So little ground is there of accusing the Reformation there of Rebellion Cuph. But as loud a noise of Rebellion as ever sounded in my ears begun in reference to Reformation is that of the Vnited Provinces shaking off the yoke of the King of Spain this sounds as high as that of Luther Euist. And is as loud a Falshood For the Reformed Religion was spred over the Seventeen Provinces many years before their union against the Spaniard nor did they unite upon the account of Religion but of State for the maintaining their Liberties against the Oppression of Spain And therefore they chose for their Prince Francis Duke of Alenzon a Roman Catholick which they had not done if the Protestants had been the greater part Nor was the King of Spain their absolute Sovereign but their Count. So that neither the Reformation was the Brat of this Union nor this Union more by the Protestants then by the Papists nor less justifiable afterwards in that they held it in the behalf of the true Religion also as well as of their Liberties and would not submit to one that was not their absolute Sovereign to have their Souls murthered by a false Religion or else their Bodies by adhering to the true Cuph. I did not think Euistor that these Aspersions could have been so easily wiped out There 's but one Instance more occurrs to my mind and that is of the Boisterousness and Rebelliousness of Scotland in the behalf of the Reformation If i be not mistaken I have heard a very ill report of that Nation in this point Euist. That 's very likely Cuphophron nor are they any way to be excused nor the Reformation to be accused of what appertains not properly to its spirit but is peculiar to the spirit of that Nation For before the Reformed Religion the Scots of an hundred and five Kings which they reckon till Queen Mary had killed thirty five besides five which they had expelled and three which they had deposed Cuph. The Collection thence is very easie Philop. And the like consideration is to be had of whatever unlawfull Risings of the Protestants there may have been in France It is not to be imputed to their Religion but to the Genius of that Nation who are so easily and so often drawn into Rebellion and where that crime is look'd so slightly upon as a Country-man of their own has ingeniously noted of them and has impartially drawn into view such things and circumstances as give good light how to estimate the measure of their transgression in this matter Which I would recommend to your reading Cuphophron I knowing you to be so great a lover of Truth and Vertue For the Authour has wrote very pertinently to satisfie you that the Reformation
such a Gift he keeping the knowledge thereof from us it 's a sign it was with a reservation of the right of Invocation to himself But if he has not so much as given them any such share of his Omniscience as I verily believe he has not 't is still more firm that they have no right of being invoked Sophr. For my part Philopolis I think that passage in Isay has no contemptible weight with it to assure us that God does not communicate any such share of his Omniscience to the holiest Souls departed Though Abraham be ignorant of us Isa. 63.16 and Israel know us not yet thou art our Father that knowest us and beholdest us and art ever ready to hear our Prayers For that this is the sense the verse immediately preceding doth plainly insinuate Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory c. And then follows that of Abraham Philop. Besides Cuphophron our mere having no commission to give away or communicate a known peculiar Right of God to the Creature on our own heads without any warrant or declaration from him for this power of Invocation he has intrusted us with as his Depositum for his own use for us I say to give this to any other invisible Power besides himself the very Law of Nature and common Reason will tell us it is Injustice against God And being it is the giving away part of his rights of Worship without his leave it is that piece of Injustice against him which is Idolatry And how gross a piece of Idolatry then is this Invocation when it is set out with those Pagan Circumstances of consecrated Altars Images and Temples to the Saint they invoke The case is so plain Cuphophron that I desire you would give your self no farther trouble touching this point See if your Apologie will succeed better in the next Cuph. XXXI His Apologie in the behalf of their Impostures and Murthers That of Imposture Why methinks Philopolis that is the easiest of all to be apologized for because the generality of men being so hugely devoid of all real Vertue and goodness methinks it is but a just and pleasant spectacle to see a company of subtile witty Lads timely train'd up for the game to play tricks with this wicked World to ride them and bestride them and sit as close as an Ape with a whip in his hand on a great Mastiff's back next to the Bearward chief Master over the Dogs and Bears The ordinary mass of mankinde gives no other milk then what is thus fetch'd from them by tricks of Legerdemain they being far more prone to believe Lies then to conceive Truth And were it not a great oversight then Philopolis for the Priests not to frame such as make most for their own gain and honour Philoth. Phy Cuphophron that you should so boldly apologize for that which is both the bane and shame of any Priesthood nay the subversion of all Religion and the filling of the world with Atheists and Unbelievers This is the genuine effect of the Imposture of the Priests They bring ruine upon Religion and shame and destruction upon themselves cheating and couzening being so vile so base and so hatefull a thing in the sight of all men Nothing ought to be more pure nothing more holy nothing more sincere then a Priest If these Fountains will not run clear all mens mouths must be filled with either poison or mud Matt. 5.13 Ye are the salt of the Earth but if the salt have lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under foot by men Whence that prayer of the Psalmist will ever be seasonable Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousness Psalm 132.9 and thy Saints with joyfulness Sophr. And I promise you Philotheus one will not easily be without the other For the Priests contriving their Impostures into a Law it must needs bring a sad Persecution upon the Saints of God Witness that one Instance of Transubstantiation a Figment made anonce for the honour and profit of the Priesthood in what bloudy Persecutions has this involved the innocent Lambs of Christ For thus stood the case before the Reformation the Pope with his Clergie having so wholly seised these parts of Christendome as Robbers entred into an house they that would not be bound and gagg'd they murthered It is but an homely comparison but sets off the case of the Empire in those times very truly and lively If any cried out against the Frauds and Impostures of the Roman Priests rejecting their Lies and Figments as instruments of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Thefts and Robberies Apoc. 9.21 he was presently murthered by fire or the sword Philop. Do you see Cuphophron whither your pleaded-for Impostures carry even to savage Murther and Bloudshed What Apologie can you find for this Cuph. O Philopolis are you so well versed in Politicks and do not understand what a great difference there is in Right and Justice betwixt private man and man and private men and the publick This point the noble Philosopher toucheth notably in some of his Letters Philop. What then Cuphophron you think Reason of State may justifie any actions though never so barbarous even the Murther of innocent persons Cuph. There 's a great Subtilty in those things Philopolis Next to Metaphysicks they will require a very acute judgment Philoth. Truly for my part Cuphophron I am so dull as that I could never conceive any Power to have a right to doe another man wrong And certainly the slaying of an innocent man for standing to the Truth of God and declining Idolatry is the highest injury that can be done to any one The chief Priests and Pharisees indeed of old ran upon that Principle of Reason of State when they held a Council against Iesus If we let him thus alone John 11.48 all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and Nation And thus by their wicked Policy at the end were they cast upon the murthering of the Son of God but by that fact brought upon themselves that horrid Destruction which they thought by this means to have avoided As Daniel also intimates who presently upon his mentioning of the Iews cutting off their Messias Dan. 9.26 adjoins And the people of the Prince that is to come viz. the Romans shall destroy their City and their Sanctuary c. And thus the carnal Pontifician Ierusalem that has committed so many Murthers on God's Saints and Children upon the account of Reason of State that is of their Church-state establishing their own Security as they think in the bloud of the innocent this murtherous Policy shall be their certain Ruine according as it is written and annexed as an Epilogue to the description of their predicted Destruction For in her was found the bloud
thus For they have shed the bloud of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them bloud to drink for they are worthy Cuph. Methinks Philotheus it is but an harsh and strained sense of Scripture that fetches out bloud The Spirit of God surely breaths out more Meekness and mercifulness Bath There is a Meekness and Sweetness of the natural Complexion which would pretend to that Divine Spirit but falls as short of it as Nature does of God and is a Softness over-usually accompanied with a Falsness and Perfidiousness to all Truth and Vertue and betrays all that ought to be dear to a man his Prince his Friend his Country and all What Rigour or unmercifulness was there in slaying the Spaniards at Sea that would have destroy'd our Land with fire and sword if they could as they intended have made an Invasion What Harshness in executing such persons as would traitorously have murthered the King or Queen Such Mercy as this is like that of the wicked Pro. 12.10 which as Solomon saies is Cruelty it self Cuph. Nay Bathynous as you represent the case I am abundantly convinced Philoth. And so you may well be from the very Text it self For the Angel of the Waters his justification of this Revenge is onely touching the Rivers that is Emissary forces that come to assault others and ruine them Surely defensive Opposition in so just a Cause and the paying them thus in their own Coin has with it all the Equity imaginable And therefore this passage is not at all misbecoming the Spirit of God Philop. I am fully of your mind in that Philotheus and those Reformed Churches that can doe that right to themselves by propulsing their Enemies I think they may thank God for the good condition they are in But we are advanced no higher in the Vials as yet Philotheus are we Philoth. No surely not in that more externall and Politicall sense But I know not whether in some other sense we may And assuredly the Apocalypse has its eye upon Religious accounts as well as Politicall I mean the Propheticall Iconisms sometimes have not onely a Politicall sense but a more Spiritual and it may be sometimes onely such Philop. In the mean time I am not a little pleased Philotheus that I know whereabout we are in this Politicall sense which methinks should be as desirable to be known by all that have any thing to doe with the affairs of the Kingdome of God as it would be to the Pilot of a Ship on the main Ocean to know in what Longitude and Latitude he is You have led me through my Three first Quere's Philotheus with much delight and satisfaction Let me now intreat you to give your self the trouble of instructing me touching the last Cuph. XXXVIII Philopolis his last Quere deferr'd till next day's meeting Truly if I have any aime or presage in me Philopolis if Philotheus fall upon your last Quere thus late he will not onely give himself but also you and the rest of the company the trouble of sitting up all night Philoth. Indeed Philopolis I fear my self that that Theme will so spread it self in the entring into it that it will require at least as long a time as we have spent already Philop. This is a sad distraction and unexpected that I am cast into Philotheus To desire you to goe on would be both uncivil and unsupportable to you and the whole company To leave off would be such a torment to my desire of seeing to the end of this great Theorie and a loss so irreparable that I have not the patience to think of it Cuph. Why then Philopolis is it not a plain case that you must stay in town to morrow Philop. I must so Cuphophron whatever becomes of my Country affairs I will lie at a friend's house by the way on Sunday and on Monday I shall be pretty timely at home Cuph. Very well resolved Philopolis But I will not thank you for this Dine but with me here in this Arbour for now you cannot say you are pre-engaged and for that honour you and this company shall doe me I shall heartily thank you You may begin your Discourse with Philotheus immediately after Dinner and gain an hour or two's time Philop. How ready and skilfull Cuphophron is to entrap men into the acceptance of a Civility If you will give your Parol that you will make us a right frugal and Philosophicall entertainment I will dine with you to morrow because I see you so earnest in it Cuph. XXXIX The Conclusion with the Song of Moses and the Lamb sung to the Theorbo by Bathynous I promise you I will not at all exceed In the mean time this Glass of Canarie to you till our next meeting Philop. Not a drop I thank you Cuphophron A Fit of Musick rather according to your Pythagorick mode to compose our minds to bedward For indeed it is late though I was loth to think so when I would have had Philotheus to proceed in his discourse Sophr. Bathynous play us the other Lesson I pray you Philopolis desires it And but a short one it being so late Here take the Theorbo Bath It seems I must the second time shew my unskilfulness You shall sing Sophron and I will play a thorough Base to it Sophr. What shall I sing I have neither Song nor Voice Bath Yes but you have the Song of Moses and of the Lamb. Sophr. The onely piece of Poetry that I was ever guilty of in all my life My zeal and love for the Reformation was the Muse that with much adoe once inspired those humble Rhymes which I can onely repeat not sing at all Bath If you cannot Sophron I can And the Lute I think is pretty well in tune Philoth. I pray you do Bathynous Bath Great and marvellous are Thy works Lord God of Might Thou Sovereign of Saints Thy ways are just and right Who shall not fear thee Lord And glorifie thy Name Thou onely Holy art Thine Acts no tongue can stain All Nations shall adore Thy Iudgements manifest Thy holy Name implore And in thy Truth shall rest Philop. That is all Nations shall be converted to the pure Truth of the Gospel and rest satisfied at the length in so solid and unexceptionable a Religion Sophr. I meant so Philopolis Philop. A very good meaning and a very sutable Song for this day 's Subject I pray God hasten that time to the comfort of the whole Earth I must abruptly bid you all good night for the present and see if I can dispatch a Letter home by this night's Post. But I shall keep promise with Cuphophron and am not a little joy'd that I shall once more enjoy this excellent society before I leave the Town Cuph. It is our happiness that we have detain'd you one night longer Philoth. Good night dear Philopolis I shall meet you here according to your expectation Philop. In the mean time dear Philotheus good night
meaning therefore of those Philoth. These are parallel to the Description of that Heros on the white Horse Apoc. 19.12 15 13. whose eyes are said to be as a flame of fire and a sharp sword to come out of his mouth and whose Name is also The word of God These Voices therefore and Thunderings and Lightnings are the Divulgations of the Law of Christ with an allusion to that terrible way of the Promulgation of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai that is of the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Spirit which is resembled to fire By these I say is set out an extraordinary efficacious preaching of the Word in the power and demonstration of the Spirit under this last Vial. Analogous to which is that Vision in Esdras 2 Esdr. 13.10 of the Man who sent out of his mouth as it were a blast of fire and out of his lips a flaming breath and out of his tongue he cast out sparks and tempests which is there expresly interpreted of the Law of the Son of God 2 Esdr. 13.38 which is like unto fire Now this Thundering and Lightning is accompanied with a mighty Earthquake as it is said of mount Sinai at the thundring out of the Law that the whole Mount quaked greatly Exod. 19.18 and again in the Psalms Psalm 77.17 18. The air thundred and thine arrows went abroad the voice of thy Thunder was heard round about the Lightnings shone upon the ground the Earth was moved and shook withall Philop. Well but what in the mean time Philotheus becomes of that pitch'd Battel that those impure spirits the Frogs called the whole World to in the field of Armageddon For there is neither Fight nor Victory mentioned as if the Vision were left imperfect Philoth. Their Success is intimated in the signification of the word Armageddon as I told you before And the Vision is completely continued though under a new representation For you are to take special notice how this large pitch'd Camp the Symbols naturally leading to it is by a Commutation of Iconisms on a sudden turned into a mighty great City which signifies still but the same thing that is to say the Comprehension of those three Parties I numbered up to you before But this Tripartition is more plainly and elegantly declared in the Cortex of the Prophecy upon the mention of the Earthquake as if it were an Effect of it Apoc. 16.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philop. The Elegancy indeed is very admirable Philotheus very pleasing and harmonious Philoth. Nor is there any harshness in resembling that great Conflux of people in Armageddon to one great City because the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World are said to be gathered together there in that Symbol of a Camp which being turned into the Iconism of a City that City must needs be said to be a great one for it is in a manner the City of the whole World Matt. 4.8 in such a sense as all the Kingdoms of the world were said to be shewn to our Saviour which therefore must needs be the Comprehension of a world of Cities though the whole World be but as one great City Philo Jud. lib. de Ioseph as Philo speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And though every Kingdome of it self be a Sea yet the Comprehension of abundance of Kingdoms together is in the Prophetick style termed one great Sea as it is in Daniel 7. where the four winds of Heaven are said to strive on the great Sea Wherefore as the great Sea consists of a great many Seas so in like Analogie may one conceive this great City in the inward sense to consist of a great many Cities and these great many Cities which is the thing I drive at to be divided into three parts or parties the Cities of the Infidels conceited Deists and mere Moralists the Cities of the true Christians and the Antichristian Cities viz. Babylon with her daughters Philop. Well I confess Philotheus this is not unnatural But what execution in the mean time is there done in that Battel of the great day of God Almighty Philoth. The Cities of the Nations fell that is to say the Cities of the Gentiles Infidels or Unbelievers Philop. I suppose by the edge of the sword Philotheus Philoth. By the edge of that sword that comes out of the mouth of the Rider of the white Horse I mean by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Or rather to keep to the present Vision they fell being Thunder-struck by the powerfull Boanergesses of the Gospel under the last Vial they were convinced and subdued and brought under the Sceptre of Christ and were adjoyned to his Kingdome Philop. Very good news I pray God it may so come to pass But Babylon it seems stands it out Philoth. Did not our Saviour of old tell the chief Priests and Elders that the Publicans and Harlots would goe into the Kingdome of God before them Matt. 21.31 But Babylon stands it out to her utter ruine and destruction She is forced to drink of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath Apoc. 16.19 20. and every Island flies away she shall not be possess'd of any of her Churches or consecrated places and the Mountains are not found all her Ecclesiasticall Honours and Dignities shall vanish For great showrs of Hail out of Heaven shall fall upon her Ver. 21. every stone about the weight of a Talent that all her goodly Trees will be spoiled and stripp'd of their both leaves and fruit their boughs broken down and their stocks beaten bare even to the inmost bark Apoc. 18.6 7 8. Then shall it be doubled unto her double according to her works and how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow will be given her For strong is the Lord God that judgeth her Philop. But will not all this misery reclaim her Philotheus Philoth. Ask Solomon that question Philopolis and he will tell you roundly Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestill Prov. 27.22 yet will not his foolishness depart from him A considerable part of her may be thus obstinate for ever These are the fools that will be found to walk naked and all will see their shame which if themselves could see as well as others they would be converted But being struck with superstitious Blindness in stead of acknowledging the Truth and giving glory to God it is said Apoc. 16.21 they blaspheme God because of the plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great Philop. So far then as I see Philotheus neither the Vision of the Rider of the white Horse where the Beast and the false Prophet are said to be cast alive into the Lake of fire nor this last Vial nor the Vision of the Wine-press signifie the destruction of the Persons of the Antichristian Kingdome but
so a very learned Authour declares for the Appearance of Eliah before his second coming also Philoth. And for ought I know Philopolis that Opinion may be true if rightly understood that is to say neither of Elias the Thisbite nor of Iohn the Baptist personally nor of any one Person exclusively but according to the Prophetick style of the Spirit of Elias in a Company or Succession of persons In this sober sense I know not but this expectation of the coming of Elias first may not be vain Philop. What do you understand then by the Spirit of Elias O Philotheus that we may know where and when he doth appear Philoth. As touching that Philopolis we are not to excogitate what Character we please but casting our eyes upon History and Prophecy we are impartially to gather the true Character of that Spirit out of the Scripture Philop. How I beseech you Philotheus Philoth. XX The Character of this Elias gathered out of Prophecy As first out of Prophecy Admitting the Prophecies to have a double Completion as our Saviour seems plainly to imply a double coming of Elias forasmuch as when the Baptist was beheaded yet he said that Elias will indeed come and restore all things the description of the Messenger of the Covenant in Malachi is an admirable lively description of the Spirit of Elias Mal. 3.1 2 3. Behold I send the Messenger of the Covenant which ye delight in by whom the Hebrew Writers understand Elias behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiner's fire and like Fuller's soap And he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteousness Therefore the Doctrine of casting away all Corruption Insincerity and Hypocrisy is one Note of the Spirit of Elias Again in the Prophet Isay Isa. 40.3 4 5. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the Desert an high-way for our God Every Valley shall be exalted and every Mountain and Hill shall be made low and crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places plain And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Philop. What Note do you gather out of that Philotheus Philoth. A Doctrine or declaration against the Distortion or perversion of the Simplicity of Christian Truth by proud and politick persons who have made Religion a Labyrinth for men to lose themselves in that they may the more easily take them up as a prize and booty The anfractuous serpentine windings of a false Church-policy that has so monstrously corrupted Religion in Doctrine and Practice is here declared against The Voice in the Wilderness bids take it away that the glory of the Gospel may be manifested to all flesh in the genuine purity and simplicity thereof and so all Nations be brought under the Sceptre of Christ. Philop. That meaning is marvellous easie and natural Philoth. A third Character of this Spirit is remarkable in the last of Malachi Behold Mal. 4.5 I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord that is to say before the Battel of the great Day of God Almighty under the last Vial Apoc. 16.16 And he shall turn the heart of the Fathers unto the Children and the heart of the Children to their Fathers lest I come and smite the Earth with a curse That is to say This Spirit will be no Sectarian spirit to rend and tear but a reconciling spirit to soder together the affections of Magistrate and Subject in the Kingdome of God to prevent the Miseries of this earthly life that arise out of Dissension Tumult and War Philop. This is an excellent Spirit of Elias indeed I pray God hasten his coming Philoth. There is also another very remarkable Character of the Elias to come intimated by our Saviour himself in his discourse with his Disciples after his Transfiguration on the Mount before which time notwithstanding as I told you before the Baptist was beheaded Matt. 17.10 11. yet he being asked by his Disciples touching the Opinion of the Scribes That Elias must first come he answers Elias truly shall first come and restore all things Which effect however to accommodate to Iohn the Baptist I believe would be very hard Philop. Well but what Character Philotheus do you gather out of this Prediction Philoth. That the Spirit of Elias will neither abrogate what is authentick nor introduce what is new but be a Restorer onely of what useful Truths or Practices may seem to have been lost in the long delapse of Ages For the Decursion of Time is like that of a River which if there be not great care taken will bring down straws leaves and sticks but sink what is most solid to the bottome Philop. This consideration of Knowledge Philotheus puts me in minde of that Proverbial Prediction of the Iews touching their expected Elias Elias cùm venerit solvet omnia It seems then he will be a great Promoter of Wisedome and Learning will he not Philotheus Philoth. Such you do not mean Philopolis as the finding out the Quadrature of the Circle or a perpetual Motion Philop. To tell you the truth Philotheus I do not know what I mean I pray you what do you think of it Philoth. I told you before he will be a Restorer of usefull Truth and it may be of such clear and plain Principles as may solve the most concerning Difficulties that Humane Reason is subject to be entangled withall But I do not believe that he will be an Abettour of any useless Subtilties or of any Knowledge that promotes not Vertue and the common good He is that Voice in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight His wisedome respects onely the Promotion and Interest of the Kingdom of Christ. XXI His Character taken out of History But now for the Characters taken out of the History of Iohn the Baptist and Elias First it is observable in both their Persons how much sequestred they were from the World what haunters of Wildernesses and Deserts And more particularly of Eliah how his abodes were by Brooks and under solitary Trees 1 Kings 19.8 9 c. in Caves and Mountains as on Mount Horeb where God talked with him after there had passed before him the strong Winde the Earthquake and the Fire Philop. Shall then all that partake of the Spirit of Eliah be Eremites Philoth. That 's not the meaning of it Philopolis but that they shall be of a spirit separate from the World and untainted and unsophisticated by the unwholesome Converse of men that their
Judgements shall not be blinded by beholding the frequent and accustomary practice of authentick wickedness Philop. And what I pray you is meant by the Raiment of Camel's hair and leathern girdle about John the Baptist's loyns Matt. 3.4 And the very body of Elias is so described 2 King 1.8 that he was an hairy man Philoth. That 's very obvious O Philopolis to spell out It signifies how rough and unpolish'd how rude and sylvatick the spirit of Elias will appear to the World because it will so freely and impartially reprehend the World To declare truth in all plainness and simplicity of heart though otherwise with all civility imaginable assure your self Philopolis will appear to the World a great piece of roughness rudeness and uncourtliness So tender and so rotten is the heart of the wicked But there are also in the Story other Characters of the Spirit of Elias that are less symbolicall As an holy boldness and undauntedness of courage to witness to the Truth though to the utmost perill of one's person Which was conspicuous both in the Baptist and in Elias The instructing every one in their Duty as Iohn did the People Luk. 3.10 the Publicans and the Souldiers The raising men out of a false Security from external or carnal respects as he did the Sadducees and Pharisees Matt. 3.8 9. Bring forth fruits meet for Repentance And say not within your selves We have Abraham to our Father or that we are the Successours of Peter and the rest of the Apostles For God is able of these Stones you tread upon to raise up Successours unto Peter This also is a notable Character of the Spirit of Elias 1 King 19.10 a vehement Iealousie in the behalf of the purity of God's Worship against all Polytheism and Idolatry Philop. Yes that was very conspicuous indeed in Elias the Thisbite But what is meant by his bringing down fire from Heaven upon the Captains and their Fifties 2 King 1.10 Philoth. That indeed is again symbolicall Philopolis and signifies that the Elias to come will use onely the power of the Spirit from on high to oppose all weapons of any carnal warfare against him Philop. There is but one passage more Philotheus and I think we shall then have Characters enough of the Eliah to come viz. The Thisbite's Contest with the Priests of Baal where he seems to try the Truth of Religion by this Touchstone The God that answers by fire 1 King 18.24 let him be God Philoth. The Elias to come will make the same appeal to the people Ye worship you know not what John 4.22 as our Saviour said of the Samaritans that did not worship God in spirit and in truth The God that answers by fire let him be God Philop. I but what 's the meaning of that Philotheus Philoth. Does God care for the oblation of a Bullock Philopolis The Beast which we are to offer to be consumed in a Burnt-sacrifice are the Beastly Affections in us The God that answers by fire that is to say by his Spirit to the consumption of these let him be God But he that worships not this living God that by the working of his Spirit cleanses us from our Corruptions let him be deemed as the worshipper of an Idol Philop. This is a good useful sense Philotheus Nor have you I think omitted any Character of the Elias to come unless it be that Severeness and Austerity observable in the Baptist and the sharpness and tartness of his Reprehensions Philoth. That was partly glanced at before in the roughness and hairiness of their Persons and Garbs I mean of both the Thisbite and the Baptist. Which Dispensation though it may seem harsh yet it will stand in a seasonable opposition to the Vanity and Levity to the Prophaneness and Frivolousness of the Age it appears in Cuph. I think both Philopolis and Philotheus are so sadly and severely set on it that they have on purpose declined the mentioning of as notorious an Example of Elias his carriage of himself as any occurrs in his whole Story Philop. I pray you Cuphophron what 's that Cuph. The deriding the Priests of Baal so sarcastically Philoth. That was left for Cuphophron to glean up it fits his humour so well Hyl. And I dare say he catched at it with great greediness Philotheus hoping for his other-day's tart jears and satyrical Derisions of the known miscarriages of the civilized World under pretence of playing Advocate-General for the Paynim that he may deserve if computation of time will permit to be deemed no small limb of that great Elias that is spoken of Cuph. Who I Hylobares I would not for all the world be so much as the little finger of so hairy rough and hispid a body Nay I thank my God I am of a more smooth civil and compleasant temper then so Philop. And let him be so XXII The time of Elias his coming if he will Hylobares In the mean time Philotheus since I am pretty well satisfied touching the Characters I beseech you tell me when the time of the coming of Elias is Philoth. Within the first Thunder Philop. That I knew before Philotheus for you told me it would be before the effusion of the last Vial. But under what Vial will it be Philoth. About the fourth or fifth nor may I define more precisely About that time is the appearance of Elias in the Spirit Philop. Is that then the beginning of that Regnum Spiritûs the Cabbalists speak of Philoth. No Philopolis not properly the Beginning of it but rather a Preparation to it according as it is written Mal. 3.1 Behold I send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me And then the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple Philop. What Temple 's that Philotheus Philoth. Ezekiel's Temple in the new Ierusalem I above told you of That is the Temple meant in this second Completion of the Prophecy And you know there are several Periods of their Completion as in Ezekiel's Vision there was a wheel in a wheel Ezek. 1.16 Philop. But it is said of that new Ierusalem Apoc. 21.22 that there is no Temple there Philoth. There is and there is not There is no material Temple but yet there is a Mysticall one For God Almighty and the Lamb is the Temple thereof God Almighty is the Object of our Worship and the Lamb that is stylo Prophetico the Body of Christ his Church for * 1 Cor. 12.12 Gal. 3.16 Christ sometimes signifies so in Scripture in which he rules and dwells by his Spirit is the Temple according to that of the Apostle For the Temple of God is holy 1 Cor. 3.17 which Temple ye are This is the Temple which the Lord Christ is in a more peculiar manner to come into after the Ministry of Elias the Messenger of the Covenant who is to be as a Refiner's fire and as Fuller's soap
particular or universal as infallibly inspired that is deprehended to be actually deceived in any Points she proposes to be believed as necessary Articles of Faith This is so plain that it wants no farther proof The sixteenth That the Moral and Humane Certainty of Faith is grounded upon the Certainty of Vniversal Tradition Prophecy History and the Nature of the things delivered Reason and Sense assisting the Minde in her Disquisitions touching these matters That Certainty of Faith I call Moral or Humane that is competible even to a carnal man or a man unregenerate as it is said of the Devils that they believe and tremble By Vniversal Tradition I understand such a Tradition as has been from the Apostles that is to say has been always since the completion of their Apostleships as well as in every place of the Church For since there was to be so general and so early a Degeneracy of the Church as is witnessed of in the Holy Scriptures the generality of the Votes of the Church was not alwaies a sufficient warrant of the truth of Tradition But those Truths that have been constantly held and unalterably from the Apostles times til now it is a sign that they were very Sacred unquestionable and assured Truths and so vulgarly and universally known and acknowledged that it was not in man's power to alter them By Prophecy I understand as well those Divine Predictions of the coming of Christ as those touching the Church after he had come By History I mean not onely that of the Bible and particularly the New Testament but other History as well Ecclesiastick as Prophane And what I mean by the Nature of the things delivered is best to be understood out of such Treatises as write of the Reasonableness of Christianity such as Dr. Hammond's and Mr. Baxter's late Book See also Dr. More 's Mystery of Godliness where the Reasonableness of our Christian Faith is more fully represented and plainly demonstrated * Book 7. chap. 9 10 11. that it has not been in the power of the Church to deceive us as touching the main Points of our Belief though they would The seventeenth That no Tradition is more universal and certain then the Tradition of the Authentickness of such Books of the Bible as all Churches are agreed upon to be Canonicall There can be no more certain nor universal Tradition then this in that it has the Testimony of the whole Church and all the parts thereof with one Consent though in other things they do so vehemently disagree Wherefore no Tradition can be of any comparable Autority to this And therefore we may set down for Conclusion The eighteenth That the Bible is the truest Ground of the Certainty of Faith that can be offered to our Understanding to rest in The Reason is because it is the most universal both for time and place the most unexceptionable and universally-acknowledged Tradition that is The nineteenth That the Bible or Holy Writ dictated by the Spirit of God that is written by Holy and Inspired men is sufficiently plain to an unprejudiced Capacity in all Points necessary to Salvation This must of necessity be true by Conclusion the seventh Otherwise the manner of Gods's revealing his Truth in the Holy Scriptures would be repugnant to the Divine Attributes and which were Blasphemy to utter he would seem unskilfully to have inspired the Holy Pen-men that is to say in such a way as were not at all accommodate to the end of the Scriptures which is the Salvation of mens Souls nor to have provided for the Recovering of the Church out of those gross Errours he both foresaw and foretold she would fall into The twentieth That the true and primarie Sense of Holy Scripture is Literal or Historicall unless in such Parts or Passages thereof as are intimated to be Parables or Visions writ in the Prophetick style or the literal Meaning be repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science c. For then it is a sign that the Place is to be understood Figuratively or Parabolically not Literally The truth of this appears out of the immediately-foregoing Conclusion For else the Scripture would not be sufficiently plain in all Points necessary to Salvation Indeed in no Points at all but all the Articles of our Faith that respect the History of Christ might be most frivolously and whifflingly allegorized into a mere Romance or Fable But that the History of Christ is literally to be understood is manifest both from the Text it self and from perpetuall and universal Tradition Which if it were not the right Sense it were a sign that it is writ exceedingly obscure even in the chief Points which is contrary to the foregoing Conclusion But that those Places or Passages that are repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science are to be interpreted figuratively is plain from the general Consent of all men in that they universally agree when Christ says I am the Door I am the true Vine c. That these things cannot be literally true And there is the same reason of Hoc est Corpus meum This is my Body The twenty first That no Point of Faith professed from the Apostles time to this very day and acknowledged by all Churches in Christendome but is plainly revealed in the Scripture This may be partly argued out of the nineteenth and twentieth Conclusions and also farther proved by comparing these Points of Faith with Texts of Scripture touching the same matter The twenty second That the Comprehension of these Points of Faith always and every-where held by all Christian Churches from the Apostles time till now and so plain by Testimony of Scripture is most rightfully termed the Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith The twenty third That there is a Divine Certainty of Faith which besides the Grounds that the Moral or Humane Certainty hath is supported and corroborated by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and by illuminated Reason This is not to be argued but to be felt In the mean time no more is asserted then this That this Divine Certainty has an higher Degree of Firmness and Assurance of the truth of the Holy Scriptures as having partaken of the same Spirit with our Saviour and the Apostles but does not vary in the Truths held in the common Faith The twenty fourth What-ever pretended Inspiration or Interpretation of the Divine Oracles is repugnant to the above-described Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith is Imposture or Falshood be it from a private hand or publick The Reason is apparent because the Articles of this Common Faith were the Doctrines of men truely inspired from above and the Spirit of God cannot contradict it self The twenty fifth None of the Holy Writ is of it self unintelligible but accordingly as mens spirits shall be prepared and the time sutable as God has already so he may as Seasons shall require still impart farther and farther Light to the Souls of the Faithfull
for a fuller and a more general understanding the obscurest Passages in the Divine Oracles The truth of this Assertion is so clear that it seems little better then Blasphemie to contradict it For to say the Holy Writ is in it self unintelligible is equivalent to the pronouncing it Non-sense or to averre that such and such Books or Passages of it were never to be understood by men is to insinuate as if the Wisedome of God did not onely play with the children of men but even fool with them This is but a Subterfuge of that conscious Church that is afraid of the fulgour of that Light that shines against her out of such places of Scripture as have for a long time seemed obscure The twenty sixth That there are innumerable Passages of Scripture as well Preceptive as Historicall that are as plainly to be understood as the very Articles of the common Faith and which therefore may be very usefull for the clearing those that may seem more obscure This wants no proof but Appeal to Experience and the twentieth Conclusion The twenty seventh That no Miracle though done by such as may seem of an unexceptionable Life and of more singular Sanctity can in reason ratifie any Doctrine or Practice that is repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or Natural Truths or Science or the common Christian Faith or any plain Doctrine or Assertion in Scripture The Truth of this is manifest from hence That no man can be so certain that such a man is not a crafty and cautious Hypocrite and his Miracle either a Juggle or Delusion of the Devil or if he was not an eye-witness of it a false report of a Miracle as he is certain of the truth of rightly-circumstantiated Sense of Common Notions and Natural Science of the Articles of the Apostolick Faith or of any plain Assertion in the Scripture And therefore that which is most certain in this case ought in all reason to be our Guide The twenty eighth That it is not onely the Right but the Duty of private men to converse with the Scriptures being once but precautioned not to presume to interpret any thing against rightly-circumstantiated Sense Natural Truth common Honesty the Analogie of the Catholick Faith or against other plain Testimonies of Holy Writ The truth of this appears from the Conclusion immediately preceding For why should they be kept from having recourse to so many and so profitable and powerful Instructions from an infallible Spirit when they are so well fore-armed against all Mistake and are so laid-at by so many not onely fallible but fallacious and deceitful persons to seduce them And why is there not more danger of being led into Errour by such as are not onely fallible but false and deceitfull then by those Inspired men that wrote the Scripture who were neither fallible in what they wrote nor had any design to deceive any man Wherefore there being no such safe Guide as the Scripture it self which speaks without any Passion Fraud or Interest it is not onely the Right but the Duty of every one to consult with the Scripture and observe his times of conversing with it as he tenders the Salvation of his own Soul The twenty ninth That even a private man assisted by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and rightly-circumstantiated Reason being also sufficiently furnish'd with the knowledge of Tongues Historie and Antiquity and sound Philosophy may by the help of these and the Blessing of God upon his industry clear up some of the more obscure Places of Scripture to full satisfaction and certainty both to himself and any unprejudiced Peruser of his Interpretations That this Assertion is true may be proved by manifold Experience there having been sundry persons that have cleared such Places of Scripture as had for a time seemed obscure and intricate with abundant satisfaction and conviction But it is to be evinced also à priori viz. from the seventeenth and eighteenth Conclusions which avouch the Scripture to be the most Authentick Tradition that is as also from the twenty fifth that concludes it not unintelligible in it self nor to mankinde and lastly out of the first that asserts that Certainty of Faith presupposes Certainty of Reason For thus the Object of our Understanding being here certain and we not spending our labour upon a Fiction or Mockery and our Reason rightly-circumstantiated not blinded by Prejudice nor precipitated into Assent before due deliberation and clear comprehension of the matter if after so cautious a Disquisition she be fully satisfied she is certainly satisfied or else there is no certainty in rightly-circumstantiated Reason which yet is presupposed in the Certainty of Faith by the first Conclusion So that the Certainty of Faith it self seems ruinous if no private man have any Certainty of any Interpretation of Scripture that has once been reputed obscure Not to add that all the Scripture that has been once obscure and the Interpretation thereof not yet declared by the Church universal has been hitherto and will be God knows how long utterly useless Which is a very wilde Supposition and such as none would willingly admit unless those that would rather admit any thing then that Light of the Scripture that discovers who they are and what unworthy Impostures they use in their dealings with the children of men The thirtieth That no Tradition can be true that is repugnant to any plain Text of Scripture The Reason is because the Scripture is the most true and the most Authentick Tradition that is and such as the universal Church is agreed in The thirty first That if any one Point grounded upon the Autority of Tradition that has been held by the Church time out of minde prove false there is no Certainty that any Tradition is true unless such as it has not been in the power of the Church to forge corrupt deprave or else their Interest not at all concerned so to doe The Reason is because the Certainty of Tradition as Tradition is placed in this by those that contend so much for it that nothing can be brought into the Church as an Apostolick Practice or Doctrine but what ever was so from the Apostles Wherefore if once a Point be brought into the Church and profest and practised as Apostolicall that may be clearly proved not to be so this Ground for Tradition as Tradition is utterly ruined and considering the Falseness and Imposture that has been so long practised in Christendome can be held no Ground of Certainty at all As not Reason quà Reason nor Sense quà Sense but quatenus rightly-circumstantiated can be any Ground of Certainty of Knowledge so not Tradition quà Tradition can be the Ground of the Certainty of Faith but onely such a Tradition as it was not in the power of the degenerate Church to either forge or adulterate And such were the Records of the Holy Bible onely The thirty second That rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason and Holy Writ are
the truest Grounds of the Certainty of Faith This is the common Protestant Doctrine and a great and undeniable Truth and will amount to the greatest Certainty desirable if the Spirit of Life and of God assist For that will seal all firm and close and shut out all Doubts and Waverings In the mean time even in mere Moral men but yet such as use their Sense and Reason rightly-circumstantiated in their Dijudications touching the truth of Holy Writ and Religion it is plain they are upon the truest Grounds of Faith they can goe or apply themselves to forasmuch as the Holy Writ is the truest and most certain Tradition and no Tradition to be discerned true but upon the Certainty of rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason as appears by the first Conclusion These Advertisements though something numerous are yet brief enough but very effectual I hope if strictly followed to make thee so wise as neither to impose upon thy self nor be imposed upon by others in matters of Religion and so Orthodox as to become neither Enthusiast nor Romanist but a true Catholick and Primitive Apostolick Christian THE END DIVINE HYMNS DIVINE HYMNS An HYMN Upon the Nativity of CHRIST THe Holy Son of God most High The Historicall Narration For love of Adam's lapsed Race Quit the sweet Pleasures of the Sky To bring us to that happy Place His Robes of Light he laid aside Which did his Majesty adorn And the frail state of Mortals tri'de In Humane Flesh and Figure born Down from above this Day-Star slid Himself in living Earth t' entomb And all his Heav'nly Glory hid In a pure lowly Virgin 's Womb. Whole Quires of Angels loudly sing The Mystery of his Sacred Birth And the blest News to Shepherds bring Filling their watchfull Souls with Mirth The Application to the Emprovement of Life The Son of God thus Man became That Men the sons of God might be And by their second Birth regain A likeness to His Deity Lord give us humble and pure mindes And fill us with thy Heav'nly Love That Christ thus in our Hearts enshrin'd We all may be born from above And being thus Regenerate Into a Life and Sense Divine We all Ungodliness may hate And to thy living Word encline That nourish'd by that Heav'nly Food To manly Stature we may grow And stedfastly pursue what 's good That all our high Descent may know Grant we thy Seed may never yield Our Souls to soil with any Blot But still stand Conquerours in the field To shew his Power who us begot That after this our Warfare's done And travails of a toilsome Stage We may in Heav'n with Christ thy Son Enjoy our promis'd Heritage Amen An HYMN Upon the Passion of CHRIST THe faithfull Shepherd from on high The Historicall Narration Came down to seek his strayed Sheep Which in this Earthly Dale did lie Of Grief and Death the Region deep Those Glories and those Ioys above 'T was much to quit for Sinners sake But yet behold far greater Love Such pains and toils to undertake An abject Life which all despise The Lord of Glory underwent And with the Wicked's worldly guize His righteous Soul for grief was rent His Innocence Contempt attends His Wisedome and his Wonders great Envy on these her poison spends And Pharisaick Rage their Threats At last their Malice boil'd so high As Witnesses false to suborn The Lord of Life to cause to die His Body first with Scourges torn With royal Robes in scorn th' him dight And with a wreath of Thorns him crown A Scepter-Reed in farther spight They adde unto his Purple Gown Then scoffingly they bend the knee And spit upon his Sacred Face And after hang him on a Tree Betwixt two Thieves for more Disgrace With Nails they pierc'd his Hands and Feet The Bloud thence trickled to the ground The Pangs of Death his Countenance sweet And lovely Eyes with Night confound Thus laden with our weight of Sin This spotless Lamb himself bemoans And while for us he Life doth win Quits his own Breath with deep-fetch'd Groans Affrighted Nature shrinketh back To see so direfull dismall sight The Earth doth quake the Mountains crack Th' abashed Sun withdraws his Light The Application to the Emprovement of Life Then can we Men so senseless be As not to melt in flowing Tears Who cause were of his Agonie Who suffer'd thus to cease our Fears To reconcile us to our God By this his precious Sacrifice And shield us from his wrathfull Rod Wherewith he Sinners doth chastise O wicked Sin to be abhorr'd That God's own Son thus forc'd to die O Love profound to be ador'd That found so potent Remedie O Love more strong then Pain and Death To be repaid by nought but Love Whereby we vow our Life and Breath Entire to serve our God above For who for shame durst now complain Of dolorous dying unto Sin While he recounts the hideous Pain His Saviour felt our Souls to win Or who can harbour Anger fell Envy revengefull Spight or Hate If he but once consider well Our Saviour lov'd at such a rate Wherefore Lord since thy Son most just His natural Life for us did spill Grant we our sinful Lives and Lusts May sacrifice unto his Will That to our selves we being dead Henceforth to him may wholly live Who us to free from Dangers dread Himself a Sacrifice did give Grant that the sense of so great Love Our Souls to him may firmly tie And forcibly us all may move To live in mutuall Amity That no pretence to Hate or Strife May rise from any Injurie Since thy dear Son the Lord of Life For love of us when Foes did die An HYMN Upon the Resurrection of CHRIST The Historicall Narration WHo 's this we see from Edom come With bloudy robes from Bosrah Town He whom false Jews to death did doom And Heav'n's fierce Anger had cast down His righteous Soul alone was fain Isa. 63.3 The Wine-press of God's Wrath to tread And all his Garments to distain And sprinkled Cloaths to die bloud-red 'Gainst Hell and Death he stoutly fought Who Captive held him for three days But straight he his own Freedome wrought And from the dead himself did raise The brazen Gates of Death he brake Triumphing over Sin and Hell And made th' Infernall Kingdomes quake With all that in those Shades do dwell His murthered Body he resum'd Maugre the Grave's close grasp and strife And all these Regions thence perfum'd With the sweet hopes of lasting Life O mighty Son of God most High The Application to the Emprovement of Life That conqueredst thus Hell Death and Sin Give us a glorious Victory Over our deadly Sins to win Go on and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Iud. Flesh and bloud in the moral sense Edom still subdue And quite cut off his wicked Race And raise in us thine Image true Which sinfull * The old Adam Rom. 6.6 Edom doth