Thess 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness God punisheth them by their own very sins and makes it a judgment unto them as he did by the Jews and they are under much what the same judgment with the Jews for the first did chuse Delusions and Lies and then God gave them up unto them just as God gave the Jews to a hard heart and a blind mind and they are all laid in the grave of unbelief and prejudice against Christ the true Messiah and therefore they are Sacrificing and Sacrificing still now under the Gospel Why so God has given up these sacrificing Christians and so these Apostates or Backsliders in heart come to be filled with their own ways And you must certainly give your selves up to strong Delusions or else you would never abuse and disbelieve the Holy Scriptures as you do which is the revealed Will of 〈…〉 and walk by so that the people have no more use of the Gospel than the Jews that do not believe that Christ is yet come in the flesh so that you are as ignorant with a respect to any saving experiemental knowledg of Christ's being come in the flesh as the very Jews are for while you profess to know him in word you deny him in works namely in sacrifices and other carnal Ordinances and were not your Consciences seared with a hot Iron you would never disbelieve your own senses and reason and understandings as you do for you must not believe your own eyes that tell you that the Bread or Wafer after Consecration as it 's called is still Bread and the Wine is Wine still without any alteration Nor you must not believe your own hands that give the same account of it unto you nor you must not believe your own mouth that telleth you that it is Bread and not Flesh But the Priest by what authority I know not will not suffer the Lay-peoples mouths to make a judgment upon the Wine whether it be Wine or Blood tho Christ hath given a particular and an express command for it as in them words of our Saviour's Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 And they all drank of it But this is your misery you must believe as the Church believes or as the Priest commands ye to believe you must not believe Christ nor his Apostles nor his Gospel nor your own sences reason and understanding none of these are to be believed but all is fast lockt up in unbelief and the Priest carrieth the Key of your Knowledg at his Girdle and thus you do see clearly and spontaneously proved that you are the persons which the Apostle Paul prophesied of that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper when as there is no material Sacrifices of this kind to be offered up in this manner for Christ at his coming and dying and rising again put an end to all that kind of worship Col. 2.14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23. Heb. 9.9 10 11 12. But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that we have our Gospel-Sacrifices but they are all Spiritual viz. The sacrifice of a broken heart and of an humble contrite spirit and the sacrifice of prayer and of thanksgiving and every part of holy worshipping of God in spirit and in truth these are the Sacrifices that are accepted and well-pleasing unto God when we offer up our selves in them when all is offered up unto God upon the Golden Altar the Lord Jesus Christ and mixed with his Merits and both the person and the offering covered with his Robe of Righteousness the only Garment of Salvation Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar 〈…〉 cense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ who presents our persons and petitions unto God the Father for us if they be indicted in us by God the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. And the person must be clothed with Christ's Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels This is the Wedding-garment that every soul hath on that is married to Christ and hence you may observe floweth all the Saints joy and comfort from their being justified by the righteousness of Christ But if this be so as you see clearly proved that it is then what a miserable condition must all these poor souls be in that hope for and expect Eternal life and Salvation upon no better ground nor foundation than their own meritorious works of righteousness and boast of their works of Supererogation which will all prove Physitians of no value and will prove miserable Comforters in the End they are but sparks of their own kindling Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Thus you do see what a vast difference there is between your Sacrifices and the Protestants Gospel-Sacrifices the one is an abomination and abhorred by the Lord The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And the true Gospel-sacrifices are accepted with the Lord in and through Christ if offered up upon the Golden Altar of his Righteousness and Merits then they are God's delight Now in the next place I shall offer unto you a few modest and solid Reasons together with some Arguments to confute this gross error and strong delusion that you poor souls are involved in In the first place if this Doctrine of yours be true why then so far it renders Faith useless and destroys it for if our Saviour Christ be personally and substantially come again and is thus present with his people why then the use of that part o◠Faith is at an end As for instance before our Saviour Christ came in the flesh it was the duty of a 〈◊〉 God's 〈…〉 come in the flesh because God had
and â—eign some not all should depart from the Faith that is they should Apostatize from the very Doctrine of the true Christian Faith they would disown the true Doctrine of Faith they would depart from the very fundamental Doctrine of Justification and Sanctification and Salvation by the Righteousness Merits and Spirit of Christ alone and look to be saved by their own righteousness and Meritorious works in conjunction with Christ's Righteousness and Merits when it is said in Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and in Rom. 10.3 4. For they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God for Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth for by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified And they departed from the Faith of one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 And they have made to themselves many Mediators And they have departed from the Faith of one intercessor in Heaven and have made to themselves many Intercessors when as it is said in Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is â—â—d that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is 〈…〉 that is risen again who is 〈…〉 â—â—cession for us he is our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 2 3. And lastly they depart from all other fundamental Doctrines of true Gospel-worship and Discipline and in all these departings they depart from God himself who is the chief Good and ought to be the last End and by this they fall into all mischief and Heresie being drawn away and seduced by these seducing spirits who are false Teachers to give up the sole conduct and government of their souls unto them that have their own Consciences seared with an hot Iron who feed them with Doctrines of Devils or Demons they teach or speak lies in hypocrisie And here the Apostle layeth down their forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from Meats to be part of these Lies For saith he Speaking lies in hypocrisie having their conscience seared with a hot Iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the Truth Mark they pervert the very End and Design of God in the Creation of these things God has created them to be made use of in his own way and ordinance the one in Chastity and the other in Temperance Not but that a Minister or any others are left to their liberty whether they will marry or not but they ought not to be imposed on by others but in this case they are a law to themselves neither doth this destroy a holy fasting or abstinency when it is done heartily and sincerely according to God's own appointment and prescription in his Holy Word but it wholly destroys all Impositions that are irregular and also it destroys all Pharisaical Hypocritical Meritorious Fasting and Penance But you will say How can this forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from Meats be part of those Lies and Doctrines of Devils which they speak in Hypocrisie First in forbidding to marry they injoyn the penalty of Damnation and pretend that if any persons in Spiritual Orders do marry they do not only forfeit the said Office but do also incur the guilt of damnation and they will yet sooner absolve them of the guilt of Fornication or Adultery as they pretend than of that offence Now this is Diametrically contrary to the Holy Scriptures which is the whole Faith and Truth which they are departed from and therefore it must needs be a lie for the word of Truth saith plainly That it is better to marry than to burn 1 Cor. 7.9 Secondly They do command all to abstain from Meats and make the ignorant people believe that they shall be damned if they eat flesh on certain times and seasons which they have prohibited without a dispensation from the Church which is the 〈…〉 Now the word of Truth saith Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no questions for Conscience sake And further it is said If any of them that believe not bid you to a Feast and ye be disposed to go whatsoever is set before you eat asking no questions for conscience sake Here you see the Man of Sin commandeth one thing and the holy God by his servant Paul commandeth another therefore this must be a lie because God is a God of Truth and cannot lie and the same Apostle saith Let God be true and every man a lier Rom. 3.4 But the Man of Sin is a lier and is departed from the Faith and the Truth is not in him Thus you see how they do impose upon the easie credulous ignorant people and make them believe that if they do disobey the Canons or Commands of their Church they do incur the penalty of damnation because say they our Church is infallible and cannot err And therefore you must believe as the Church believes or as she commands ye to believe which is to assume that Power and Prerogative which peculiarly and properly belongeth unto God viz. to make them a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110.3 Why even so Antichrist by force or fraud makes them an ignorant willing people in the day of his Dragooning power by the permission of God. But here lieth the great difference whereas God when he doth come by his Spirit by the Omnipotent power of Grace to work upon the souls of sinners to make them a willing people he also maketh them a wise and understanding people Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple God worketh first upon the Understanding and then upon the Will and by that he enlightens the Mind in the knowledg of Christ and then the Will is sanctified and changed and so of an unwilling people they are made willing But Antichrist when he exerts and puts forth his power to proselyte a soul he works first upon the Understanding and then upon the Will also but it is to put out the common light of the Understanding in Spiritual things and wholly depraveth the Will and resigns it up to the will of Antichrist and then leadeth the Mind wholly into the dark that they may not discern their deceit nor see the true way to come to the knowledg of Christ and therefore they take away and rob them of the Key of Knowledg namely the Holy Scriptures which is the Rule of Life and Faith that every man ought to walk by and believe because it is the revealed Will of God. But say they our Church is infallible and cannot err that is she is so good and so holy that there needs no amendment nor reformation in her
that the Holy Scriptures were true and that their Redeemer that was revealed in them ever liveth and did make satisfaction and intercession to God the Father for them Ay and he was with them and in them at the Gibbet and in the very Flames as he was with the three Worthies of old in the fiery Furnace Dan. 3.25 He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the son of God. I hope by this time you are not only persuaded that the Scriptures that we Protestants do profess and own were not the invention of Man but also you are satisfied of the veracity or truth of them That they are not invented by men of any sort but are indeed and in truth the Holy Word of God. But lest you should be yet staggering or stumbling for further corroboration I will add Eight Arguments and I will draw a parallel between our Scripture which we Protestants do profess and believe to be the Word of God and the Scriptures of Antichrist 1. First of all my first Argument shall be this If the Holy Bible does not give the least indulgence or countenance to any kind of Sin and Iniquity whatsoever then the Scriptures must be the revealed Will and Word of God But the Holy 〈…〉 we Protestants of all sorts do own and believe to be the Word of God does not give the least Indulgence or Countenance unto any kind of Sin or Iniquity Therefore the Holy Scriptures must be the Word of God and not the Invention of men Secondly If the Scriptures were not made by bad men nor invented by Good men then it must be infallibly the word of the true and living God. But you see clearly proved that the Scriptures were not made by bad men nor invented by good men therefore they must be the Word of the living and true God and made by him without the help of man. 3. Thirdly If the Scriptures do not in the least degree discourage and discountenance Grace and Holiness but is the promoter of it then the Scriptures must be the Holy Word of God. But the Scriptures do not in the least degree discourage or discountenance Grace and Holiness but do promote it in the hearts of Believers Therefore the Holy Scriptures must be the infallible Word of God not the word of Man nor of Mans making or inventing 4. Fourthly If the Scriptures teach all Goodness and Virtue Moral and Divine both for Body and Soul and Detect and Condemn all manner of Evil which is hurtful to Body and Soul both temporal and spiritual Evils and gives righteous Rules to Men to walk by and shews them what is Good and how they should demean themselves in every Relation Station and Condition from the Prince upon the Throne unto him that grindeth at the Mill and teacheth the Prince how to Rule and Govern in Righteousness and Peace and teacheth the People how to be governed in the fear of the Lord and to obey them that have the Rule over them not for Wrath but for Conscience-sake and all for the Good and Weal both of Prince and People Then surely the Scriptures must be the Word of God and not the Word of Men. But the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do own and believe to be the word of God do teach all Goodness and Virtue Moral and Divine both for Body and Soul and Detect and Condemn all manner of Evil which is hurtful to Body and Soul both temporal and spiritual Evils and gives righteous Rules to Men to live and walk by and shews them what is Good and how they should demean themselves in every Relation Station and Condition from the Prince upon the Throne unto him that grindeth at the Mill and teacheth the Prince how to Rule and Govern in Righteousness and Peace and teacheth the People how to be governed in the fear of the Lord and to obey them which have the Rule over them not for Wrath but for Conscience-sake and all for the Good and Weal both 〈…〉 which we Protestants of all sorts do profess and believe must be the Word of God and not the Word of Men nor of Mens Invention 5. Fifthly If the Scriptures had been invented by any sort of sinful men whatsoever then certainly that sinful man would have made provision for the flesh and given Indulgence to his own sin and lusts for it is natural for every one to be kind to themselves and to cherish that which they love But the Holy Scriptures do no not give the least Indulgence or Countenance unto any one particular Sin or Immorality in the whole Book of God from the first of Genesis unto the last of Revelations but the whole Current of the Scriptures is bent against it Therefore the Scriptures were not the Invention of man but must be the Word of God. 6. Sixthly If the Scriptures in all Ages have been the Object of wicked and ungodly mens rage and malice which have caused them to persecute those persons to the very Death that have been the strictest Professors of it then it could not be wicked men that made and invented the Scriptures But the Holy Scriptures in all Ages have been the Object of wicked and ungodly mens Rage and Malice which have caused them to persecute those persons to the very Death that have been the strictest Professors of it Therefore it could not be wicked and ungodly men that made or invented the Holy Scriptures But it must be the Word of God. 7. Seventhly If wicked men had made and invented the Scriptures Satan having the Government and Conduct of them and they being acted and influenced and led by his Spirit as a Good man is acted and influenced and led by the Holy Ghost for Satan ruleth in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience for he is their Father John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Now I say if the Children of the Devil had made the Scriptures they would have been tender and favourable unto their Father's Kingdom and Interest and have given some Countenance unto it and not have made the whole bent and stream of the Scriptures against it and afford no manner of Indulgence to themselves who are the Devil's Subjects or Vassals or rather his Bond-slaves indeed nor no manner of Relief or Support to his Kingdom But are made against all Heresie and all other Iniquity which is that wherein the strength of the Devil's Kingdom lieth then surely the Holy Scriptures must be the Word of God and not 〈…〉 But the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do own and believe to be the Word of God are against all Heresie and all other Iniquity whatsoever
which is that wherein the strength of their father's Dominion lieth and doth afford no manner of relief nor support to the Devils Kingdom nor no kind of countenance to his subjects or children But the whole bent and stream of the Scripture is against his Kingdom subjects and children therefore the Holy Scriptures could not be invented or made by any of them but it must be the infallible true word of the everlasting God who cannot lie nor deny himself and it was indicted by his Holy Spirit and written by holy men of God as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost Eighthly and Lastly If it be not in the Power of a Good Man to give the Reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation which is the full Fruition and Enjoyment of God for ever in Glory which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it Nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures have denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it because it would be to promise that which he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and threaten that which he hath not a power to execute Then it could not be a good man that made or invented the Scriptures But it is not in the power of a good man to give the reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation Tit. 1.2 which is the full fruition and enjoyment of God for ever in Gloty which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures hath denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Because it would be to promise that which he knew in his own Conscience that he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and to threaten to inflict that punishment which was not in his power to execute and so he would have been a liar and an impostor which is quite contrary to the Principle of a good man and it is utterly inconsistent with his Goodness Therefore it could not be a good man that made or invented the Sacred Scriptures because this power is peculiar and wholly in the hands of God and therefore it must be the word of God. The Apostle St. Paul saith But I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Thus you see clearly proved That the Holy Scriptures were not made nor invented by either good men or bad men Therefore it must be undoubtedly the Infallible Word of the True and Ever-living God and not a humane Invention Now I shall close up this Discourse in drawing a Parallel between some part of the Holy Scriptures of Christ and the Scriptures of Antichrist which is that another Gospel as the Apostle called it in 2 Cor. 11.4 and Gal. 18.9 And I shall Answer another Objection with Three Arguments and so finish the whole 1. First the Gospel of Christ teacheth Love Peace Meekness Humility and lowliness of mind Col. 3.15 2 Tim. 2.24 25. But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men Hatred Variance Pride Malice and Haughtiness of Spirit 2. Secondly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do good for evil But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men to do evil for good for if they know that a man doth but endeavour to convince them of their Errors and Heresie which is the greatest and best good that any man can do for a Person they will Burn or Hang him or clap him up in the Inquisition for a Heretick if it lieth in their Power which is to do the greatest evil for the greatest good 3. Thirdly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do to others as they would be done by themselves Matth. 12. But the Scripture of Antichrist teacheth men to do by others as they would not be done by themselves 4. Fourthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to pray for their Enemies that persecute them Matth. 5.44 But the Gospel of Anrichrist teacheth them account them their Enemies that pray for them and 〈◊〉 persecute them 5. Fifthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 to love our neighbours as our selves But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth them 〈◊〉 betray and murder their neighbours for Hereticks if they be not of their Perswasion 6. Sixthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 Ministers of Jesus Christ to compel people to conâ—â—â— unto Christ and believe in him for Life and Salvation by peaceable suasive Arguments drawn and deduced from the Holy Scriptures But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth his Ministers to compel Persons to come unto him a 〈◊〉 embrace his Religion and Worship by the forcible Arguments of Dragoons and Inquisitions 7. Seventhly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 That God is a spirit and they that worship him 〈◊〉 worship him in spirit and in truth John 〈…〉 But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth That God is an Old Man sitting in Heaven and must be worshipâ—ed carnally and falsely by Images c. 8. Eighthly The Gospel of God teacheth Men Wisdom and Understanding 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the â—imple But the Gospel of Antichrist maketh men of Understanding simple and teacheth that Ignorance â—s the mother of Devotion but I will assure you it â—s not fatherless for it has a Father too for if Ignorance be the Mother of it then the Devil must be the Father of it John 8.44 9. Ninthly the Gospel of Christ teacheth men and women to be better than their own natural Dispositions and corrupt Inclinations which is the great Doctrine of Christianity nameiy Self-denial which is the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all other pretended Religions in the world if performed in a right manner and to a right end it is this that maketh a man more excellent than his neighbour for it teacheth a man to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously 〈◊〉 teacheth a man to deny sinful-self and righteous-self too which is a higher Attainment than the denying of sinful-self for many Persons can â—eny sinful-self that cannot deny righteous-self for it is one of the hardest duties that is incumbent upon a Christian to deny righteous-self which is â—o do good works and discharge every Duty as carefully and as consciously as if he should be justified and saved by and for so doing and when he has done all to cast them behind his back as if he had done nothing