those that pretend to the Reformation But we are not at all surprized at it or moved to think e're the worse of the Reformation from the Church of Rome because we don't agree in some things amongst our selves For we are foretold that so it should come to pass Rom. 16. 17. Mark them which cause Divisions It implies that Divisions there would be And 1 Cor. 11. 9. For there must be Heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest Heresies are some of the Works of the Flesh Gal. 5. 20. And therefore as long as the Flesh is so predominant with many it is no wonder that there should be Heresies which are the Works of it If Christianity at first could not prevent it we can have no expectation that the Reformation should do it 2 Pet. 2. 1. There were false Prophets among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them And they doing it privily it may not be presently discerned neither till after some tract of time But say they You have not the means of Vnity among you for you want a Judg of Controversies which is absolutely necessary in a Church and therefore there are so many Heresies and Divisions among you But this pretended means of Unity is refuted before in the Chapter of the Infallibility of the Church c. where it is proved that there is no such thing or means appointed We have as much the means of Unity as the Primitive Church had which was as much as God thinks fit to appoint in the Church They had infallible Teachers to teach them the Doctrine of God and we have the Doctrine which was taught by these infallible Teachers recorded in the Scriptures which is of the same use to us as it was to them But neither they nor we have an infallible Judg to dermine our Assent nor can have unless you will put out the Eyes of humane Nature But every one is left to judg for himself by the Rule of the Doctrine delivered God hath given us a plain Rule as hath been proved and is ready to assist us with his Spirit in all things necessary to our Salvation if we be humble and teachable And then we should do well enough without an infallible Judg. But yet these means were not effectual in the Primitive Church to prevent Divisions and Heresies because Men did not use them aright for all Men will never be so sincere and honest and diligent as they should be though they were sufficient to have done this if Men had used them as they ought And therefore how can we expect now they should be of better success The Church of Rome indeed pretends to such a means of Unity which we prove that Christ never appointed viz. An Infallible Judg of all Controversies But then as they pretend to that which they think is a greater means of Unity so one would think that they should have a greater Unity too among themselves But is it so indeed Is there nothing but Unity in the Church of Rome Are there no Divisions or were there never any Schisms Hath this pretended Judg of Controversies determined and put an end to all Controversies No he neither hath done it nor dares attempt it But we agree say they in all the fundamental Points In what Is not the Doctrine of the Infallible Judg a fundamental Point it self And do they all agree in that and who this is And if they did so do we agree in the same Rule of Faith the Holy Scriptures And why is not our agreement in the same Rule of Faith as good as their agreement about the Infallible Judg But they all agree likewise that Protestants are in the wrong And we all agree as much that Papists are in the wrong So that if this Point of agreement signify any thing here we are even with them But do they agree among themselves in other things No no more than Protestants do among themselves but have differences the same or as great as any Protestants can have whatsoever they be And notwithstanding the decisions of their pretended infallible Judg they do as much differ in particular Doctrines in the sense of those decisions which are for the determining of the sense of Scriptures as the Protestants do about the sense of Scripture without the decisions of such a determining Judg Therefore we think it very reasonable that the Church of Rome should do as our Saviour directs when they cry out so much upon our Divisions that they would first pull out the Beam out of their own Eyes and reconcile all Differences at Home and then they shall see the more clearly to cast out the Mate out of their Brother's Eye Which they can never do whilst the Beam is in their own or at least I hope we shall never go to them to do it FINIS This Chapter should have come in after Chap. XI That there are some Places more Holy than others and that it is a Work of Piety to go in Pilgrimages to them Bellarm. de Cultu Sacris lib. 3. cap. 8. THis is to revive Judaism again For God dwelt among the Jews indeed in an appropriate manner in the Temple of Jerusalem where were the Symbols of his Presence The Temple was God's House and therefore an Holy Place because God was there peculiarly present Thither were all the Males of the Children of Israel to resort three times a Year and there alone offer their Sacrifices and Oblations to God And the Place made the Worship acceptable to God which was offered there so that the Worship was not so acceptable to God which was performed in other places for the Presence of God sanctified the Place and made it Holy and that sanctified the Worship and gave value to it and therefore it was more acceptably performed there than in another Place But now under the Gospel there is no such Holiness of Places because there is no such symbolical Presence of God in one place more than in another for God's Presence is no longer confined to any one Place but he equally accepts the Worship that is devoutly offered him all the World over John 4. 21 23 24. Woman believe me the Hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father as the peculiar and appropriate Place of his Worship as if he were more especially present there than in any other Place or would better accept the Worship performed there than in any other Place For now all such religious distinction of Places for Worship shall be taken away But the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him as well in one place as another And such devout Worshippers shall be acceptable to him in any Place Mal. 1. 11. For from the rising of the Sun unto
there any thing here that does not exactly agree to them And how unlikely is all this to give Men much Instruction Habak 2. 18. What profiteth the graven Image that the Maker thereof hath graven it The molten Image and a teacher of Lies What Instruction or Teaching can it give to set out God and the Holy Trinity by the Resemblances before-mentioned or to dress out God like a Pope with a Miter and a Triple Crown which yet they often do and make Ale-house Signs with such Pictures Is not this to expose the Divine Nature to contempt and scorn instead of giving any good Instruction But as the making of the Images of God is cried down and condemned in the Scripture so of any other likewise in order to their being worshipp'd or bowed down to and the bowing down to any Image is condemned which equally respects Popish Images as any others To the Law above-mentioned Exod. 24. add Levit. 26. 1. Ye shall make no Idols nor graven Images neither rear you up a standing Image neither shall you set up any Image of Stone in your Land to bow down to it for I am the Lord your God. Deut. 27. 15. Cursed be the Man that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord the Work of the hands of the Crafts-man Isa 2. 8 9. The Jews are severely reproved for this Their Land is full of Idols they worship the Work of their own Hands that which their own Fingers have made And the mean Man boweth down and the great Man humbleth himself therefore forgive them not It is not the worshipping of Images as they are the Images of false Gods that the Prophet condemns them for but in general of all Images And he censures them for just such Worship as is practised in the Church of Rome for humbling themselves and bowing down to them This is that they do in the Church of Rome they fall down before their Images and pray before them and moreover they kiss them they offer Incense to them they light Candles to them they dress them and adorn them they crown them with Flowers they carry them upon their Shoulders they go in Pilgrimages to them in a word they do every thing and more they render them the same Service and the very same outward expressions of Honours which the Jews or Pagans did to their Images So Isa 44. 13 c. The Carpenter stretcheth out his Rule he marketh it out with a Line he fitteth it with Planes and he marketh it out with a Compass and maketh it after the Figure of a Man according to the Beauty of a Man that it may remain in the House He â—eweth him down Cedars and taketh the Cypress and the Oak which he strengthneth for himself among the Trees of the Forrest he planteth an Ash and the Rain doth nourish it Then shall it be for a Man to burn for he will take thereof and warm himself yea he kindleth it and baketh Bread yea he maketh a God and worshippeth it he maketh it a graven Image and falleth down thereto He burneth part thereof in the Fire with part thereof he eateth Flesh he rosteth Rost and is satisfied yea he warmeth himself and saith Aha I am warm I have seen the Fire And the residue thereof-he maketh a God even his graven Image He falleth down to it and worshippeth it and prayeth unto it and saith Deliver me for thou art my God. See also Jer. 10. 3. Again Chap. 46. 6 7. They lavish Gold out of the Bag and weigh Silver in a Ballance and â—hire a Goldsmith and he maketh it a God they fall down yea they worship They bear him upon their Shoulders they carry him and set him in his place and he standeth and from his place he shall not remove yea one shall cry unto him yet can he not answer nor save him out of his trouble And why are not these and all other things wherein the Popish and Jewish Concerns about Images alike equally to be condemned For note that it is not to be imagined that either the Jews or Heathen were so stupid as to worship the Images before-mentioned as Gods themselves but as the Symbols of him whom they thought therâ—â—â— God and whom by consecration they thought to be in them or present with them and so worshipp'd them in relation to him For the Apostle says of the Heathens Rom. 1. 25. That they changed the Truth of God whom they knew vers 21. into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or besides the Creator who is blessed for ever Which implies that they worshipped the Creator but making these Images of him they worshipp'd them besides him or with him Which shows that Idolatry is consistent with the Worship of one Supreme God. And that worshipping the Images of this one Supreme God together with him was the Sin of the Heathen And therefore though the Papists likewise own and worship one Supreme God the Creator yet by worshipping his Images in relation to him or with him they may be guilty of Idolatry As the Men of Ephesus worshipp'd the Image which came down from Jupiter Acts 19. 35. So that they did not take the Image for Jupiter himself but as the Image of him whom they thought the Supreme God and as the Symbol of his Presence and so they accordingly worshipp'd it do not the Papists the same And it is evident that the Jews in worshipping the molten Calf intended their Worship to it not as being either a God really it self nor yet as an Image of an Egyptian or false God but as an Image of Jehova the True God and as the Symbol of his Presence with them Moses being as they thought quite gone from them and there being a Promise made just before his departure to send an Angel before them For they intended to worship that God in it that brought them out of Egypt And could they think that this Image did it before it was made or that an Egyptian God would work such a deliverance for them Besides Aaron proclaimed a Feast to Jehova upon the Day of its Consecration Exod. 32. And their Sacrifices to it were Sheep and Oxen which was an abomination to the Egyptians to offer Neither is this any where laid to their Charge that they fell to the Idolatry of worshipping false Gods as afterwards to Baal Peer Moâ—och Remphan c. Such also was the Worship given to the two Calves at Dan and Bethel set up by Jeroboam It was given to them as the Symbols of the true God. Jeroboam not intending thereby to forsake him but only to take Men off from going to Jerusalem to worship him which was contrary to his Interest He gives this as the only Reason 1 Kings 12. 27. If this People go up to do Sacrifice in the House of the Lord at Jerusalem then shall the Heart of this People turn again unto their Lord even unto
the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every Place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering that is inward and spiritual Worship and Sacrifices whereof the Ceremonial here express'd were but Types and Figures And thus People are every where to serve God with true and oure Worship For it is the Service now that sanctifies the Place and not the Place that sanctifies the Service as it was among the Jews 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will therefore that Men pray every where lifting up holy Hands without wrath and doubting of God's audience and acceptance For God is every where present and in whatsoever Place we are we are equally near unto him 1 Cor. 10. 26. The Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof The whole Earth where God is called upon is Holy Land. St. Paul prayed on the Sea-shore at Tyre Acts 21. 5. And Mat. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Every Assembly of Christians met together in Christ's Name and according to his Will is the Church and House and living Temple of God where he is present which is not built with Stone or Brick but is made up of living Saints the Habitation of the Spirit as the Church in the House of Nymphi Col. 4. 5. of Aquila and Priscilla 1 Cor. 16. 19. The Temple of Jerusalem was but a Type and Figure of Christ's Body and Humane Nature which was the True Temple in which the God-head dwelt and therefore he calls his Body the Temple John 2. 19. Destroy this Temple and in three days will I raise it up And therefore after the Incarnation of Christ in which the Figure and Type of the Temple of Jerusalem was accomplish'd God would no more have a Figurative Temple And now Christ is ascended into Heaven there is no Temple upon Earth but the Saints themselves who are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and who offer up spiritual Sacrifices by the assistance of the Spirit which are acceptable to God not as performed in this and the other place as if they derived acceptance from the Holiness of any Place but by the Offering of the Body of Christ once for all through the Eternal Spirit with which he sits at the right Hand of God in the Heavens to make Intercession for us and to procure the acceptance of our Persons and Services Much less then is there any Holiness in Places derived from any Saints from whom the Popish Churches yet derive their Holiness It was the peculiar Presence of God which was thought among the Jews to render the Place Holy for where God is peculiarly present there it is Holy Ground But now it is from the Saints and the Worship that is performed to them in such a Place and their Relicks that are placed there that the Popish Holiness of most of their Places is derived And it is a great Act of Devotion with them to go in Pilgrimages to visit and worship at such Places as to our Lady of Loretto Montferrat to St. Thomas at Canterbury St. Winifred's Well and such-like Places And they think their Services performed in such Places are very acceptable for the Place sake Now if there be no appropriate Holiness in Places with respect to the Presence of God peculiarly in them which renders the Worship acceptable Who can believe that the Shrines of Saints can derive any acceptance to the Service Yet we do not deny but in common decency that some peculiar Respect should be shewn to such Places where we solemnly worship God. But it is the Worship that is there performed to God and not the Presence of God that is supposed to be peculiarly there more than in any other Place that doth sanctify the Christian Places of Worship whatever Sanctification they have But it is not the Place that doth sanctify the Worship as it was among the Jews where the Altar sanctified the Gift Matth. 23. 19. Of the Sacraments This should have followed Chap. XXI That the Sacraments do confer Grace ex opere operato by the Work done Council of Trent Sess 7. Can. 8. THE Sacraments are Seals of the Covenant and Promise of God on his part made with Men which they confirm to us upon our susception or receiving of them and the performance of the Condition which on our part is required and which we enter into a solemn Engagement to do and do make a visible profession of in them And it being a Covenant of free Grace which God makes with Man and by which he really intends to procure our Salvation it must needs be supposed by virtue of this Covenant that God is before-hand with Men with such measures of his Grace without which in this corrupt and fallen State we could do nothing by which now we may be enabled to do what on our part is required And upon our solemn engagement of our selves to God in this Holy Covenant on our part it is not to be doubted but the Spirit of Grace shall be given to us to enable us to perform all the Duties and Conditions of the Covenant necessary to Salvation But the Grace which is given is the effect of the Spirit and is given by virtue of the Covenant and Promise The Sacraments do no otherwise exhibit it to us than as they confirm the Covenant on God's part by which it is given and assure this Gift to us upon our performance of our part The Holy Ghost doth call the Sacraments Signs and Seals of the Grace of God as Gen. 17. 11. Ye shall circumcise the Flesh of the Fore-skin and it shall be a Token or Sign of the Covenant between me and you And Rom. 4. 11. He that is Abraham received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith. But it cannot be any where found that the Sacraments are called Vessels containing the Grace of God. And it was a Seal of the Promises made to the Righteousness of the Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised So that Abraham ' s Faith went before the Sacrament of Circumcision and was not wrought by it And Vers 9 10. This Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness not in Circumcision but in Vncircumcision That so vers 11. believing before Circumcision he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not Circumcised but who also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet Vncircumcised And as Abraham believed and was justified before Circumcision and therefore his Faith and Justification was not wrought by the Sacrament of Circumcision so Cornelius and his Company received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized As iâ— plain from the words of St. Peter Acts 10. 47. Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we Which teacheth us that God doth neither tie his