their owne Spirits while they are one Spirit with Jesus Christ Many such lessons Jesus Christ teacheth us but they all are easily learn'd and practised when we thorowly understand those two great Lessons of the Lovelinesse and Love of Jesus Christ He that looks upon the Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ as he looks will feel himself by degrees transform'd into the same Spirituall beauties 2 Cor. 3. 1. Beholding the glory of the Lord we are chang'd into the likenesse of the same Image He that dives into the Love of Jesus Christ will feel himself irresistibly drawn and forc'd by it to answer and imitate it 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us The Lovelinesse and Love of the Lord Jesus fall both into the same Path. He that hath found one hath found both This is the shortest sweetest plainest and perfectest way to Heaven What shall I now say to conclude this Exhortation If the Lord Jesus have been working with me this day confirming the words which I have spoken outwardly to your ears with his words spoken inwardly to your hearts then I know your Hearts have been powerfully touch'd and some one among you sweetly affected with Jesus Christ begins to say I have hitherto sought my Honour in the Glory the Sweetness of my life in the pleasures of this world But doe thou thus still teach me ô my Iesus Make me to hear from thy mouth the sound of thy Loveliness and Love in my Spirit Then shall I have more joy in these things then ever I have had when my Corne and Oyle have abounded the treasures and delicacies of the Flesh Use 4 Direction You shall know the Teachings of Jesus Christ from all other by these Properties 1. Love 2. Life 3. Power 4. Perpetuity 5. Infallibility in his Person 6. Demonstration of his Doctrine 1. Property Love The teachings of Christ fell upon the Soul like the Soft rain upon the tender grasse The Touchings of men have much of their own humours and passions mingled with them which often nip the young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathings of Christ are soft and gentle not quenching any heat though never so weak and dark but fanning the least smoke till it be a flame As the Eagle bears her yong ones upon her Wing and so teacheth them to flie thus doth the Lord Jesus train us up to Spirituality bearing our infirmities 2. Property Life Jesus Christ speaks quickning creating words As he instructs he infuseth a Principle suitable to his Doctrine He holds forth a Light and makes a seeing Eye He utters divine Mysteries and makes a hearing Eare. He presents love riches joy strength and gives a heart to receive it 3. Property Power Jesus Christ speaks not Words but Things You have not so learn'd Christ if you have been taught of him and have learn'd the Truth as it is in him Ephes 4. 20 21. Christ doth not teach by signes but the sabstance it self He presents the Excellencies of which he discourseth He shews them to the life in his own Person He plants them and sets them in the Soule to grow there Christ so teacheth that he makes his words Spirit and Life Iohn 6. 63. one Spirit and Life with Himself and you He makes these three one Spirit the Teacher the Truths taught the Disciple that learns them 4. Property Perpetuity 'T is said of God that His work is for ever Eccles So are the teachings of Christ for ever He gives us his Spirit to be a Treasury and a Remembrancer of all Truth to us He shall bring all things to your mind Iohn Thou hast the words of everlasting life Iohn The words of Christ will live in your Spirits as long as ye live in your death eternally 5. Property The infallibility of his Person Let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 4. Nay man is not onely a Lyar but a Lie Surely men of low degree are Vanity and men of high degree are a Lie to be laid in a balance they are altogether lighter than Vanity Psal 62. 9. Man is nothing more than an empty appearance If he pretend to be or appear any thing he makes himself a Lie The wit strength excellency of man serve only to make a strong delusion Man hath infallibity no more then he hath immortality But Jesus Christ is more than man He is God too God neither tempts any man nor can be tempted James 1. 13. Jesus Christ cannot deceive any man nor be deceived If He appear His appearances are true If Jesus Christ say It is I the winds of temptation the waves of doubt obey and the greatest storm in the Soul is silenced into a Calme There remains now only the last Property of Christ's teachings which is the Principall one I shall therefore be somewhat the larger upon it 6. Property Demonstration of his Doctrines Saint Paul testifies of himself 1 Cor. 2. 4. And my Preaching was not in the enticing words of man's Wisdome but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power When Paul preached with an infallibility it was not Paul but the Lord Jesus that spake and gave a Demonstration of that which he spake 1 Cor. 7. 10. Saint Paul makes a three fold Opposition 1. Oppos Between Words and Power 2. Oppos Between Enticing words and Demonstration 3. Oppos Between Man's wisdome and the Spirit Enticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswasive words such as are able to beget a humane faith to the highest The Demonstrations of Christ in his teachings are above not the Rhetorick only but the Philosophy of man They are more then words fancy wit reason or wisdome it self so far as man or any meer Creature is capable of them There are four Questions which being propounded and answered will give much light to this Scripture and this Property 1. Quest What is a Demonstration 2. Quest What is the Spirit 3. Quest What is the Demonstration of the Spirit 4. Quest How this is appropriated to Jesus Christ 1. Q. What is a Demonstration Answ A Demonstration is the Evidencing of things by an irresistible light and clearness of conviction The Philosopher teacheth us from the Principles of reason and nature that a Demonstration must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by such Truths as are the First truths in themselves and most immediate in respect to us The truths by which you will demonstrate any thing must be 1. First truths 2. Immediate truths 1. First truths Such as have none above none before them on which they depend for Certainty and Clearness Demonstrating truths must be absolute unquestionable such as no understanding can resist when they are presented That which manifests is Light Ephes 5. 13. That which makes clearly manifest without any deniall or doubt is Light in which there is no darkness as S. John speaks of God 1 J. 1. 5. Such a Light must that be which carries a Demonstration along with it It must be the originall and measure of all Truth as Light is
of colours It must have pleni-potency an all-sufficiency a Divinity of certainty and clearnesse in and of it self No other thing can ever make the soul fully sure without trembling or wavering A man must be of necessity double-minded and like a wave of the Sea as Saint James speaks Iames 1. till he come to the Corner stone the Bottom reason of truth because the whole Building of truth stands on this That only is a Demonstrating Principle an assuring a quieting truth which is so first of all that there lies no appeale from it to any it self being the Fountain which gives testimony to all truths but receives or needs a testimony from none 2. Immediate truths These are such as have an immediate Vnion with the Soul that there may be no dispute about their Evidence or diminution or danger of corruption by any second hand Saint Paul calls it a Demonstration of power when the first Light the first Truths communicate themselves nakedly to the naked soule of man both being uncloth'd of any intervening representations or reports Thus the Soul receives the Light of truth in the dignity of its strength in the excellenty of its might as Iacob speaks of his First-born The power of Truth is the first and highest Appearance which is proper perfect substantiall All inferiour appearances are Truth in its weakness and shadowy God made man and woman One that they might have a Holy Seed a Sead of God in the Hebrew Malac. 2. 15. The first Truth as the Man the Soule as the Woman must be espoused and married joyn'd without a Deputy or a Third they must be immediately entirely One that they may have a Seed of God a race of Truths cleer and Sure having the full brightnesse of a Demonstration shining in their faces If any thing come between your understanding or belief and the first Truths you doe not trust to their Testimony but to the report of some other thing concerning them The men of Samaria said to the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying For we have heard Him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Iohn 4. 42. If thy Soul will have any one truth in the demonstration of power it must be able to say to the Principle of Truth the highest Truth Now I believe not because of any other testimony proof or evidence For I have heard and seen and handled thee in my self and so I know that thou art indeed in substance and power the anointing Truth the only Light and Anointing of all truths 2. Quest What is the Spirit Answ The Spirit is a name of essence or subsistence in God of the divine Nature or one of the three divine Persons I wil speak of it now as it signifies the essence or nature of God God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth Iohn 4. 24. The Spirit is God unveil'd and shining out in his true Appearance above all the shadows types and Images of him in the Creatures The Flesh profits not but the Spirit quickneth Ioh. 6. 63. Thus our Saviour opposeth the Created and Uncreated part of things in his owne Person under the names of Flests and Spirit Divines say that every Creature even the highest Aâ—â—el hath something of materiality darknesse grosnesse composition carnality and so it is Flesh compared with God who only is a Spirit as the Spirit is a name of unity simplicity purity The Spirit then is God in the simplicity of his own Person abstracted from all mixture or composition with the Creature 3. Quest What is the Demonstration of the Spirit God in his Spirituall appearance to the Soul is the first Truth For He is above All. He is the Immediate Truth For he alone is most intimate with all things Nothing can unite it selfe to the Soul so inwardly so immediately as God For all things are by Him This is the onely Demonstration of every of any Truth the Spirituall appearance of God in the Soul holding forth that Truth in his own Light When Saint Paul had spoken of the Demonstration of the Spirit he adds that your faith might be not in the Wisdome of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 5. The Demonstration of the Spirit is above nature reason and all Principles of Wisdome or Truth in any Creature It is the power of God as God bringing forth the discovery of himself and all Truths as particular discoveries in that Vniversall One like branches in the stock of a tree or beames in the body of the Sun In thy light shall we see light Psal 36. 9. In the manifestation of God within us shall we see the manifestation of each Truth You are Light in the Lord Ephes 5. 8. Every Person every appearance is Light hath a power of evidencing and manifesting it self so far only as it is in the Light of God 4. Quest How is the Demonstration of the Spirit appropriated to Jesus Christ Answ Saint Paul shall answer this question Acts 3. 3. Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which we now see The Spirituall manifestation of God is the onely distinguishing character the demonstration of every spirituall truth This appearance is the Promise the great and last promise of the Father the great and last expectation of all the Saints The Lord Jesus received this manifestation of God in the Person of the Holy Ghost immediately We all receive it or wait for it in the Person of Jesus Christ by His Mediation This Spirit or this Spirituall shining out of the divine Majesty is the onely Seale of truth Ephes 1. 13. Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise in the former part of the Verse were these words after that ye received the word of truth They were sealed that is the truth of the Gospel was sealed in and to and on them by the Seale of the Spirit which is the Ingraving of the first Truth upon each truth or heart The Lord Jesus is the Angel that hath this Seale of the living God in his hand Revel 7. 2. For He himself is first sealed with it and all other Members of this Truth or Disciples of this Master are sealed by and in Him Him hath the Father sealed Joh. 6. 27. The Father is the Sealer primitively by power and authority The Son as he is the second Person in the Trinity is the Image which the Father sets on when he seals Heb. 1. 3. the expresse Image of his Person the Sealing Image The Holy Spirit is the Impression of this Image in and by the Father In this sense the Holy Ghost is said to be received as the Wax receives Impression of the Image in sealing So he is called the Sealing wherewith we are sealed in that fore-quoted place of the Ephesians The Person of the Lord Jesus as he is Mediatour God-man is the Sealer by place and
THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST IN THE SOULE OPENED In a SERMON before the Right Hon ble House of PEERS in Covent-garden-Church upon the Solemne Day of their Monthly Fast March 29. 1648. By PETER STERRY M. A. Sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge AND Now Preacher of the Gospel in LONDON Published by Order of that House LONDON Printed for R. Dawlman and are to be sold at the Signe of the Crowne and Bible at Dowgate neer Canning-street 1648. Die Lunae 3 0 Aprilis 1648. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled That M r Sterrey one of the Assembly of Divines is hereby thanked for his great paines taken in his Sermon Preached the last Fast before their Lo ps in the Covent-Garden Church And he is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be printed and published which is to be done onely by Authority under his owne hand IO BROWNE Cleric Parliamentorum To the Right Hon ble the House of PEERS Assembled in Parliament Right Hon ble I Have principally endeavoured in this Sermon to search What that is to Which we may Trust our Soules and What Foundation we are to Lay in our Religion If we were once Established in this maine Point concerning the Next World we should Enjoy our selves with much more Setledness and Security in This World For how quietly should we repose our Selves for this Outward Short Life in the Body on that Power to Which we commit the Care of our more Excellent and Immortall Part What Difficulty would there be in Trusting to Him for our Preservation from Death to whom we trust our Selves in Death for Eternity Our Lord Jesus seems to this End to be Shaking Heaven and Earth Church and State all Outward Powers and Inward Principles in Both that the True Foundation of Heaven and Earth may be Discovered Saint Paul saith Other Foundation can no Man lay than that which is laid Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. God Hath laid no other Foundation neither May we neither Can we On This alone hath God built the World His Church His Glory He hath made All Things by Jesus Christ Coloss 1. 16. On this alone must we build our Belief and Obedience in Divine Things our Wisdome and Power in the Things of Man For All Power is given to Him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. Whoever raiseth any Outward or Inward Frame of Things upon any other Ground-worke he makes a Lie he works the Works of the Devill whose End is to be Dissolved to Vanish into Ayre or Perish in the Fire S. Paul Divides Man into Three Parts Spirit Soule and Body 1 Thess 5. 23. The Body is an Outward Image made of Dust Gen. 2. 7. God formed Man of the Dust of the Ground The Soule is a Breath of Life Inclosed in This Image Clothed with It and Giving Life to It He breathed into his Nosthrils the Breath of Life and Man became a Living Soul The Spirit is the Fountain of Life which flowes forth from God to Feed and Maintain the Breath of Life in the Body When the time of Death Comes This Spirit draws back to Their Head again Those streams of Life by Which It went forth into the Body Then the Outward Image falls to the Ground and moulders away Thus doth the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit returns to God that gave it Eccles 12. 7. Now of These Three the Higher lives In the Lower and Above It. The Lower lives by the Higher And the Highest of all Three the Spirit of Man hath a Higher than That by which It Self lives even the Spirit of the Lord Jesus who is the King and Father of Spirits Our Saviour reasons after this manner Is not the Life More than Meat and the Body than Rayment Mat. 6. 25. My Lords We are all well assured of This that Nothing can Give More than It Hath These Bodies of ours which have a more Noble Image and Life than any other part of this Outward World in which they are cannot receive Either or continue in Either by any Inferiour and Outward Thing but by a Soule which dwells in the Body as a Silk-worm in her Work which lives in the Body as a Fire in the Flame Food and Rayment may be the Fuell by which the Soule maintains the Flaming Appearance of this Bodily Image But the Vertue goes forth from the Soule Our Saviour again teacheth us that Nothing which comes from Without can make the Soule Miserable or Happy Clean or Unclean This is done by that which comes from a more Inward and Higher Principle from the Spirit of Man In like manner this Spirit it self derives Its Life from the Right or the Left Hand of Jesus Christ His Love or His Wrath. From Hence our Spirits convey Life into our Soules and thorow them into our Bodies Thus our Bodies live not by Bread alone but by that Vertue which comes forth from our Soules Our Soules live not by their Counsels and Courages alone but by every Stream of Life that descends from our Spirits upon them Our Spirits live not by their own Eminencies but by Every Word that comes forth from the Mouth of Jesus Christ S. Paul said The Head of the Woman is the Man The Head of the Man is Christ The Head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11. 3. So the Head of the Body is the Soule the Head of the Soule is the Spirit the Head of the Spirit is Jesus Christ as He comes forth to us in the Ministery of Angels Therefore let us have a Covering over our Heads a Power over our Soules and Spirits holding them in Subjection for these Angels sakes Amongst Which and By Which Jesus Christ the Head of our Soules and Spirits doth now raigne over us Our Lord Jesus calls Himself the Sun of Righteousnesse O that men did once Know that there can be no Right Judgment made no true Distinction or Discovery of Things but by the Shining out of Jesus Christ in their Hearts Are there not Invisible Things as well as Visible Have not They also Their Sun The Sun the Brightest Body is the Foundation and Fountain of all Light Vertue Forme and Being in this Globe of Bodily Substances If the Sun be quite hid all Shapes are lost in an Utter Darkness The Lord Jesus among Spirits and Spirituall Things is the onely Foundation of Truth Life and Power All Truth and True Life is lost in Doubt Uncertainty and a Spirituall Death to those Spirits in which He withdraweth Himself Why is the Heaven of our Religion darkened with Clouds of Dispute with so much Diversity such Uncertainty of Opinions that he begins to seem the Wisest among us who is most of all a Sceptique that is a Scorner or an Atheist How comes our Reason to such a Losse that She cannot Find or Know Her self She can give no Cleer or Constant Account of Her self in any One Man or in any One Particular Thing Doe not These things
cried My Lord and my God his eye being on the Divinity while his hand was upon the Humanity But he that attributes any thing in Spirituall things to man in the other consideration as he is in himselfe he makes him a member of that man of sin who sets himself up in the Temple of God shewing himself 2 Thess 2. 4. The Text being thus opened is easily divided into two parts a Rule Be not ye called Masters the reason of the Rule for ye have one Master even Christ The Doctrine THe Words thus opened and divided afford us from both parts this one Doctrine Doctr. Jesus Christ is the onely Master in Christianity Jesus Christ is Emmanuel God with us Mat. 1. 23. The Creatour in union with the Creature The Divine nature joyned with the Humane in one Person God living in the nature and forme of man man living in the person and power of God This Christ is Lord of all as the Scripture speaks and so he is a Master But I speak not of him now in this sence as a Master in power but in precepts as a Master over servants but Disciples I will give you one Proofe of the Doctrine and one Reason for it Proofe The Proofe is that place Matth. 11. 27. All things are delivered to me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him There is nothing worth the knowing but God alone Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth me Jer. 9. 24. There is nothing capable of being Known but God or by the Knowing of him first For all other things are meer Representations of him and relate to him Prov. 16. 4. God hath made all things for himself that is to resemble him and returne to him No knowledge can bring into your soules substance or satisfaction life or immortality besides this This is Eternall life to Know thee the only true God John 17. 3. Thou art a good Christian if thou Knowest thy God thy Father from whence thou camest in whose house thou dwellest to whom thou must returne But no man can Know the Father except he be taught by the Son Reason The Reason of the Doctrine is the Office of Christ Our Saviour hath a three-fold Office of 1. King 2. Priest 3. Prophet It belongs to him by all these Offices to be our onely Master 1. Christ hath the Office of a King Psal 2. 6. God saith I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Christ is a King of God's making and appointing the King of Saints a King in his Church which is the true mount Sion Saul the first King of the Jewes was taller by the head than the rest of his Brethren Jesus Christ is higher by the head than all the Creatures his head is ever above all Clouds in the light of the Divine nature The head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11. 3. Thus is Christ crowned King by the Godhead And by this Title hath he the Law of all Truth and Goodnesse in his own Breast For he is an absolute supream King God calls Christ my King a King in my likenesse in my stead Therefore Moses speaks to Jesus Christ in a Figure after this manner Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand to be trained up and form'd by thee O Lord Jesus they sate at thy feet as Paul at the feet of Gamaliel they received the words from thy mouth It is a Spirituall Kisse from the mouth of Jesus Christ upon the soul that can alone set the stamp of a Truth or a Law upon any thing there They received the words from my mouth Christ is our only Master by his Kingly office 2. Christ hath the Office of a Priest Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech Some Divines tell us from the 7. of the Hebrews that this Melchisedech was the Holy Ghost or Jesus Christ in the Spirit appearing to Abraham in the Form of a Man Both are much at one But however this be it appears clearly from the Chapter that this Order of Priesthood was absolute incommunicable immortall The Priesthood and Kingdome of Christ are both peculiar to himself For he hath a peculiar anointing to them both Psal 45. 7. God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy Fellows The anointing which Jesus Christ hath is the powring forth of the Divine nature upon the Humane This makes him both Priest and King after an eminent and singular manner Now it was one of the Principall works of the Priest to teach men the Knowledge of God So you may read Mal. 2. 7. For the Priests lips should keep Knowledge and they should Seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts This was the duty of Priests under the Law as the Type But this is the dignity of Christ alone in the Gospel as the Truth to that Type He is the Messenger the Angel of the Lord of Hosts This is the living Spring of Knowledge which is ever full and flowes forth upon those Soules that hang on his lips even the Spirit of our Lord Jesus The Office and aptnesse of Christ to Teach his Communicative nature in Divine things is sweetly exprest Cant. 5. 13. His Lips like Lillys dropping sweet-smelling Myrrhe The Appearances and Discoveries of Christ to the Soule are those Lips with which he Kisseth the Spirits of Men. Lillys are Flower-de-luces Flowers of Divine light Myrrhe is an Embalming spice of sweet savour preserving from corruption The Lips of Christ his layings forth of himself to the Soul are exceeding faire with the brightnesse of heavenly Truths They drop upon the Soule in the pretiousnesse and power of those Truths like Myrrhe carrying the sweet savour of Life and Immortality along with them This is the second Office of Christ his Priesthood by vertue of which he is our only Master 3. Christ hath the Office of a Prophet Act. 3. 27. Moses truly said to the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your Brethren like unto me Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you The Lord Jesus is a Prophet like Moses because he is a Man but unlike him because he is God as well as Man He is like Moses because Moses was the shadow of this rising Sun which went before him Yet he is unlike because he is the Sun it self The name of a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies two things in the Office 1. To fore-tell things to come 2. To tell forth the Hidden truths of God from the Secret of his Spirit to the Ears or Souls of Men. A Prophet in the latter of these senses is that Prophet of which I now principally speak And in this sense are Prophets spoken of 1 Cor. 14. 29. Let the Prophets
are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Can Sense which is the light of Beasts trace the workings and flights of Reason in her Contemplations or discerne the things of men Can we see a soule or an Angel by the light of a Candle Divine things must have a Divine light to discover them a Divine power and principle to comprehend them 2. Reason at first was no sure Judge It never was infallible It was deceived It may then be so alwayes If it were againe perfect it might againe be deceived Man being in honour continueth not but becomes like the beast that perisheth Psal 49. 12. The rectitude of Reason was the Image of God the Crowne and Glory of Man By this he grew up streight in the midst of the Creatures uniting them heightning them all by a Harmony into the same Image So he subdued them to himselfe himselfe with them ascended into and rested in the Divine Image Thus Man was the true Orpheus with his Divine Hymnes in the midst of Beasts Trees and Stones dancing to his Musick But vaine Man continues not in this Honour Reason proves a degenerating thing It is quickly tempted easily overcome so it sinks downward first into a brutish then a devilish state Reason was the glittering and circling Serpent in Paradise more subtle then all the beasts of the field or subtle above all the beasts of the field Gen. 3. 1. Yet this Serpent was the first seate and instrument of that deceit by which the Devill ruined our first Parents But if Reason were undeceived uncorrupt and should remaine so yet could it give us no assurance For it is a derived subordinate Principle Reason may indeed be considered in a two-fold state 1. State As Reason is supreame in God So it is no other then Jesus Christ For He is the Image the Harmony the Light the Truth the Wisdome the Word the Reason of God John 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Instead of Word you may reade Reason as properly according to the Greeke for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speech Christ is that Reason in which all things are knit together and appeare to God that Reason by and for which God made all things Reason in this sense is the Spirit For Christ and the Spirit are One not two Masters but One. 2. State as Reason is subordinate in Man Thus it is a distinct Master and Light from the Spirit In this sense we have hitherto spoken of it and doe so still Vpon this ground we say that Reason in Man if it were pure and could abide so could have no full assurance in it selfe could give us none because it is a derived subordinate Light It is subject to another and depends upon another above it So it cannot have any Certainty or perfect Cleernesse but in that other Light Neither can it establish us in any Certainty but as it holds forth that other Light in it selfe That was the true Light which lightneth every man that commeth into the world saith Saint John of Jesus Christ John 1. 9. Reason hath so much of a true light as it hath of Jesus Christ in it Reason in Man is an inferiour Light and therefore imperfect If we receive the Testimony of Man the Testimony of God is greater 1 Joh. 5. 9. As God is above Man so is the Prinple of Light by which God sees which is His Sonne and Spirit above that Principle of Light by which Man judgeth all things which is his Reason For this is the Testimony of Man his Reason this is the Testimony of God His Spirit So far then as the Light of Man falls short of the Light of God it must of necessity fall short of perfection have a negative though not a privative want be mixt with darknesse uncertainty doubt feare Though these in innocency were tempered with their contraries reduced to a harmony and so had not deformity or torment yet even then the morning of light and the evening of darknesse made the day of man's knowledge God is light and in him is there no darknesse 1 John 1. 5. Reason at first at best is but a Twi-light This is Reason in Man an inferiour imperfect dependent Principle unsuitable at best to Divine things unsure at first apt to be deceived deceived now depraved in all men This is that which at first betrayed us and cast us out of Paradise shall we trust it now when it is corrupt can it now bring us into Paradise againe We have examined the first Master and found him unfit for the Schoole of Christ Let us now try the second 2. Master The Authority of the Church What doe you take a Church to be A Combination of men If you cannot trust your owne Reason or that of another man because Reason hath a worme at its root is adulterate in its Principle O then doe not trust your foules your immortality to a Councel of all mankind if it were met together in one For all men are acted by the same Principle of Reason In vaine you worship me teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of men saith Jesus Christ Obj. But you will say A Church is a Communion of Spirituall men in the Spirit of Jesus Christ It is the Vnity of the Spirit that binds men up into a Church Keepe the unity of the Spirit in the band of peace Ephes 4. 3. It is the presence and power of Christ who is the Image and glory of God that gives to any the Authority of a Church I am with you to the end of the world saith our Saviour Mat. 1. 1. Paul saith 1 Cor. 5. 4. In the name of our Lord Jesus when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Thus he describes a Church-meeting by the Name which is the Discovery and the Power of Christ upon them Answ If it be the Unity of the Spirit and the Presence of Christ that make a Church then is it the Appearance of Christ and his Spirit through any sort of men that must discover the true Church to me and distinguish them from every false and pretended one I will know saith Saint Paul not the speech but the power of such 1 Cor. 4. 19. For the Kingdome of God that is the Church is not in word but in power that is in the power of Christ working with them ver 20. The woman is the Glory of the man saith Saint Paul Christ is my Master The Church shall be my Mistris so far as she is the Spouse of Christ his Image his Glory I then submit my selfe to the authority of the Church when I submit my selfe to the Appearances of Christ and the manifestations of his Spirit in any society of men See how S. Paul as an Apostle in whom the authority of the whole Church lay commends and justifies