torment me not before the time You say that God hath been with you to make sweet and pleasant your sufferings and Imprisonment to you It is a fearful judgement when God gives up men so far to believe their own lies that their own Poyson becomes pleasant and delectable unto them and that he doth this we find 2. Thes. 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness You boast of the sufferings as for the truth when they are for your abominable Blasphemie and bearing witness to lies for denying Christ Assention Session and the general day of judgement in that sense which the Scriptures deliver them unto us we know there are Pseudomartyrs as well as true Martyrs and as God comforts and supports the one so the Divel deludes and deceives the other for it is manifest to all sober Christians that read your Book you suffer not as a Martyr but as a Malefactor for rotten and detestable Heresies You complain some have revil'd you as a Blasphemer you should have said rebuk'd you What they have done I know not but I am sure it is their duty to warn their sheep to beware of the Wolf our Saviour himself hath done it Beware of false Prophets that come unto you in Sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Mat. 7. 15. and if they neglect to do it and the Sheep perish they shall answer for their blood Eze. 3. 20. But if they do it and the Sheep be slain the Shepherds shall deliver their own Souls Ez. 33. 9. And certainly a more dangerous Wolf or Heretick was not in the Church from the dayes of the Apostles until this time What do I speak of one if Pythagoras's transmigration of souls could captivate my belief I should not judge unreasonably should I judge that the souls almost of all the former Hereticks were transported into you for not any one of them maintained so many damnable opinions God give you a sight of your sin and grace to repent that if it be possible the sin of your heart may be forgiven you As for your Book it is a Labyrinth of errours and you your self a blind guid that run headlong into the pit of perdition and draw others after you For the Aspersions which you and your deceived followers cast upon us the Ministers we regard them not It is an honour to be evil spoken of by such companions especially for the truth and for righteousness-sake But we shall leave our cause to God and pray with the Psalmist Psal. 35. 1. plead thou our cause O Lord with them that fight against us and Psal. 27. 12. Deliver us not over unto the will of our enemies for false witnesses are risen up against us and such as speak wrong Before I enter upon this disputation it will be requisite to say somewhat of Blasphemie because it is much spoken of in the ensuing discourse To Blaspheme God is to detract from his sacred majestie to offer injurie to his holy name and dishonourable and reproachful speeches the sin of Pharaoh Exod. 5. 2. the sin of Rabshaketh 2. Kin. 18. the sin of the Israelitish womans son Lev. 24. 10. The punishment of this sin was death when it was manifest and notorious Lev. 24. 16. Dan. 3. 29. This sin is committed three wayes First when that is ascribed unto God which is repugnant to his nature as if any say he is corrupt or subject unto evil affections Secondly when that is taken from him which is proper unto him as when any shall say God is not merciful good just c. Thirdly when that is attributed to the creature which is proper to the Creator as when any shall say the Angels made the world or that a meer man can forgive sins Or if any shall assume to himself the name of the Messias as did the false Prophets c. moreover I may adde that Heresie is Blasphemie and that Hereticks are Blasphemers First because they manifestly oppose the truth and so God who is prima veritas upon which account St. Paul condemns Hymineus and Alexander 1. Tim. 1. 20. Secondly because they make God the Author of their lies by wresting his word to confirm their errours which is the property of Satan the patron of lies Thirdly because they set Gods stamp upon their counterfeit mettal telling the people it is Gods gold when it is no other then Satans dross of most of which this Heretick is guiltie as will appear by the ensuing discourse these things premised I proceed Christ who knew no sin you say took part of mans flesh and blood which was sinful Again you say Christ took upon him the sinful nature of all that sinned By Christ it seems you mean the Deity And by sinful nature you mean his Humanitie for what else can be your sense Which Proposition is both false and Blasphemous for the Holy Ghost in the conception sanctifi'd the Masse whereof Christ was made and separated it from sin Luke 1. 35. The Angel said the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall over-shadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God The holy thing which shall be born of thee implies he was holy before he was born And this was done upon special cause First that it might be joyned to the Person of the Son which could not have been if it had been defiled with sin Secondly Christ was a Saviour as he was both God and man If he had been sinful himself he could not have saved others but should have stood in need of a Saviour himself therefore the humane nature of Christ was not polluted with Original sin but was sanctified And this sanctification hath two parts First the stoppage to the propagation of Original Corruption and the guilt of Adams Sin which was on this manner God in the beginning set down this order concerning man that what evil or defect he brought upon himself he should derive the same to every one of his Posteritie begotten of him and accordingly when any father begets his Child he is in the place of Adam and conveys into it beside the nature of man the very guilt and corruption of nature now for preventing this evil in Christ God provided in great wisdome that he should be conceived by the Holy Ghost without any generation by man and by this means he took the substance of the Virgin Mary and not the guilt and corruption of the substance Secondly as your proposition is false so it is blasphemous for you charge Christ with Original sin for as the soul and body make but one man So the divine and humane nature make but one Christ not the divine nature alone as you erroneously suppose
are observed to have few that have in them any thing of Godlinesse but such as follow your example perswading others and be perswaded themselves that heaven shall be the reward of the wicked though the Scripture saith without holinesse no man shall see the Lord I say God give you all grace to repent that you may escape the Vengeance which without repentance will assuredly fall upon you for receiving not the love of the truth and having pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11 12. CHAP. XVI In this Chapter three things are most considerable not to trace you in every absurdity that you speak of the 1. is Gods equal love to all The 2. is universal redemption 3. That this is onely means to keep men from sin The wise man saith God is a lover of all his Creatures yet doth he love Mankinde more then the rest and therefore he is not called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not a lover of the Creatures but a lover of man now though he love al mankind as appears by his Protecting and susteining them yet it cannot be denied but he loveth some of mankinde more then the rest because he hath shewed greater effects of his love to some then he hath to others in that he hath elected them effectually called justified and glorified them so that the love he bears to others whom he hath not elected called c. compared to this may in a manner be called hatred agreeable to that of Rom. 9. 13 Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now insomuch as he choseth some and refuses others as he did Jacob and not Esau he calleth some and not others as he did Abraham and none of his kindred he bestoweth more benefits upon some then upon others it is apparent his love is not equal but that he loves some more then others and therefore let this provoke us to love God more then others because he hath done more for us then for others to whom much is given of him much is required Concerning universal Redemption I know there be some places of Scripture that do seemingly make for it As 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 1 Tim. 24. Who will have all men to be saved 1 Iohn 2. 2. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world Now mark the Places that are against universal redemption and then I will reconcile them As Matth. 26. 28. Mark 14. 24. This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many Matth. 20. 28. He gave his life a ransom for many Heb. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many John 11. 52. there it is said that Christ should gather in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad which are onely his elect for whom he is said to lay down his life Iohn 10. 15. I lay down my life for the Sheep not for the Goats Iohn 17. 9. I pray not for the world but those that thou hast given me Is the Scripture therefore centrary to scripture or the Word against the Word no such matter one short distinction will reconcile all this which is this Christ died for all sufficientèr but not efficientèr His death was of sufficient value to redeem all the world yea and many more worlds if there had been more but yet it is not effectual for al◠because all do not make use of it and the reason is because all have not faith 2 Thessalonians 3. 2. You are declaring you say the gathering together of all men in Christ and more to this purpose for which you alledge or wrest many places of Scripture quoted in your Margent which I will answer as so many Objections Out of Heb. 2. 11. For he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one c. Nihil est Antipho quin male narrando possit depravari as we see in Satans allegation Mat. 4. 6. You take that which you think is though indeed it is not for your purpose and leave out that which is against you Read the verse before For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings Then follows For he that sanctifieth c. so you see it is Many sonns not all this makes against you 2. Eph. 1. 10. That he might gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him I pray read the verse following which hath a necessary dependance the words are these In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Now how doth this prove your return of all men Doth he not speak of those that he predestinated to the Adoption of children As appears more fully out of the 4. and 5. verses and who are they Those whom he had chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World The Apostles purpose in all this is to prove the gathering together the elect both of the Jews and Gentiles into one body by the preaching of the Gospel as appears more plainly in Ephe. 2. from the 11. verse unto the end of that Chapter And also of the uniting of the Church-militant with the Church-triumphant under the same head Jesus Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Now what doth this make for the proving that Reprobates Infidels Impenitent persons yea the Divels and the damned shall be brought home to Christ Are they predestinated to be the sons of God Were they elected before the foundation of the World For shame if not for love of your own soul rectifie your judgement if you have not lost your understanding in the thick darkness of errour Also the same Apostle tells us Ephes. 4. 18 19. of a people that have their understandings darkned and strangers from the life of God and in the fifth Chapter verse 5. which I cannot pass over that no whormonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God except they repent and we know that there are too many with the deaf Adder stop their ears and refuse to hear the voice of the charmer Psal. 58. 4 5. Eze. 34. 16. I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind-up that which was broken and strengthen that which was sick c. Mark I pray what is this to prove the gathering together of all men in Christ to be brought home to the father for which you quote it For observe what follows in the very same Verse But I will destroy the fat and the strong and will feed them with judgement but as for you O my flock thus
death when men are so overwhelmed with miseries that they seem to be dead and buried whilest they are alive The Prophet fore-tells that they should be brought into such a condition for their sins and yet God should deliver them out of it when they repented which came to pass for they were delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and after delivered by the Edict of Cyrus But who can better expound the Prophet then the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 54. who expounds it of the Resurrection So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this Mortalitie shall have put on immortalitie then shall the saying be brought to pass that is written death is swallowed up in victory And that very fitly for when we die death gets the victory over us when we rise again life gets then victory of death You bring a place out of the 27. of Isaiah v. 1. which if you will apply unto the Devil and his Angels is enough to break their hearts could they conceive any hope of your redemption In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan that crooked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon in the Sea In that day when God shall do this shall be sung this song the Church is a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Fury is not in me that is though he correct it in his anger yet his fury shall not rest upon it though bryers and thorns should be set against him he would go through them and burn them up together By briers and thorns he means the Enemies of his Church whom he will destroy for ever in the day of Judgment But some interpret this place of the destruction of the Babylonians by the Persians and their deliverance by Cyrus which afterwards came to passe and then the Church had cause to sing that song Your last Argument overthrows your own cause Isa. 30. 33. Tophet is prepared of old for the King it is prepared it consists of fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Tophet was a Temple in the valley of Hinnon wherein stood the abominable Idol of Saturn to whom the Israelites offered up their children and that they might not hear their mournful cries they sounded bells to drown their voices from whence it came to be called Tophet of Toph which signifies a bell By this vallie of slaughter the Prophets do many times set forth Hell and the torments thereof Again the Assyrians or the Babylonians were always cruel enemies to the Church of God they often invaded their Country burnt up their Cities slew their people and carried them away captive wherefore Satan and his Angels with his instruments are many times compared to the King of Babel his Souldiers and his people Now in this place the Prophet goes about to set forth the day of judgement when not onely the Babylonians but all the enemies of the Church shall be destroyed Satan and his Angels Tyrants Persecuters Hereticks c. and he begins it in this manner The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard and shall shew the lighting down of his Arm with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of devouring fire with scattering and tempest and hailstones For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down which smote with the rod with the rod of his mouth when he shall pronounce the last sentence against them But what shall become of them they shall be cast into Hell and all the people that forget God which hell is here called Tophet when was this made of old But it cannot hold them all Yes 't is deep and large There wants fewel no there is fire and much wood Though it be kindled yet it may go out no it is like a burning River of Brimstone the breath of the Lord continually kindling it and wherefore is all this to burn the Assyrian and his Babylonians This exposition is plain enough yet to do it more fully Transitus Virgae fundatus quem requiescere faciet Dominus super eum He shall make the rod of his anger to rest upon him That is upon Satan and his Angels and the wicked that shall be tormented in those flames they which worshipped the Beast and his image and receive his mark in their forehead or hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb and the smoke of their Torments ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night Apo. 14. 11. what can be more strong against you to prove the eternity of the punishment of the damned You conclude these are all the fruits of hell to take away their sins and great fruits they are if true to Purge the Devils and the damned it far exceeds the fire of Purgatory for that onely purgeth some as the Papists vainly teach of their venial sins and the temporal punishment of their mortal but this purgeth all Cain Esau Judas Julian the Devil and damned but let me tell you you were not best to trust to it but make your peace with God if it may be before you come there for if you come to be shut up in that Dungeon or as in the 20. Revel. 10. when you shall be cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever eternity in your own sense there will be no hope of deliverence When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2. Thes. 1. 7 8 9. What can be more plain to all except to such as have their understanding darkned by the ignorance that is in them and their minds alienated from the life of God because of the blindnesse of their hearts and because they will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved but provoke God to send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye and be damned But you wickedly and vainly boast that you fight against the enemies of the truth when it appears plainly that you fight against the friends of the truth nay against the truth it self and that you are not a brother of Christ as you in the pride of your heart call your self but a brother of Anti-Christ whom Christ will destroy with the breath of his mouth I am come to examine the 5. Chap. which is of Christs ascension and his coming to Judgement
veritie of the general judgement at the last day which is written with a beam of the Sun and with the very finger of God if you be not past all shame be ashamed of your damnable doctrine whereby you endeavour to overthrow as you are truly told by Mr. Head the very fundamentals of Christian Religion CHAP. XIII The practise of Magistrates and Ministers discovered how they one uphold another to serve not the Lord but themselves The Magistrates and Ministers do not denie that they defend one the other and in so doing they fulfil their dutie serve the Lord and discharge a good conscience For they are the two hands by which the Lord doth govern his people and as one hand ought to help and assist the other so ought the Magistrate and Minister to strengthen and defend one another Thou leadest thy people like Sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron Psal. 77. 20. who was it that led his people God wherewith By the hands of whom Of Moses and Aaron what were they The Prince and the Priest the Magistrate and the Minister That these were ordained by God to assist each other you may read Exod. 4. 14 15 16. and how they did assist each other you may finde in Exod. 7. and Numb. 16. when Jannes and Iambres withstood Moses Aaron lends him his Rod and when Corah Dathan and Abiram that cursed crue rose against Aaron crying out as such as you do by us ye take too much upon you ye sons of Levi all the Lords people are holy Moses lends him his hand as you may read in Numb. 16. Both Magistrates and Ministers are the Lords Shepherds under Christ the great Shepherd of our souls and both must joyn together in defending the flock from the teeth of the Wolf and from the Claws of other ravenous beasts that seek to devour them the Ministers with the sword of the spirit and the Magistrate with the sword of Justice for the first read Tit. 3. 10. Ephe. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. for the second read Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. and Deut. 13. It is a great curse to have evil Magistrates or evil Ministers and yet it is a far greater to have none at all for then every man teacheth what he will 2 Chron. 15. 3 4 5. every man doth what he will Micah sets up Idolatry and consecrates a Priest Iudges 17. the poor Levite hath his Concubin ravished and Dan goes a robbing Iudg. 18. Those that under colour of Christian libertie go about to take away Ecclesiastical and Civil Government abuse the Scriptures and as much as in them lies endeavour to destroy both Church and state for the libertie which the Scripture speaks of in Gal. 5. 1. is a liberty from the Ceremonial Law from the power and dominion of sin from the rigor and curse of the Law and a liberty in good things not an Exemption from Ecclesiastical and civil Government as is apparent in Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Heb. 13. 17. Those therefore that resist the powers resist the ordinance of God and shall receive to themselves Damnation Also they endeavour to overthrow the Christian State ubi nullus Gubernator corruit Populus Prov. 11. 14. as a ship without a Pilot so a people without a Governour and Counsel must and will fall and excellent is that prayer of Moses Num. 27. 16 Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation which may go out and in before them that the Congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd You say let the people judge who thy are that cause divisions we also say the like and that the Apostle in that place of Rom. 16. 17 18. tells them who they are They that teach Doctrine contrary to that which they had been taught Now I pray who do so you that overthrow the Articles of our faith in that sense they are delivered received and beleeved by all the Christian Churches in the World or we that defend them you that by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. or we who tell them the truth that if they live and die in their sins in following after unrighteousnesse and disobeying the truth The Lord in flaming fire shall take vengeance on them for they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. read 2 Thes. 1. 8 9. Rom. 2. 9 10. You that speak evill of Dignities and despise Dominions Iud. 8. or we that defend them T is you build up Babel with blood and raise the foundation of Sion you cannot be said to build up Sion in that you cause the people to err by crying peace when there is no peace that all mankinde Iew and Gentile shall be saved contrary to the very words of Christ Matth. 25. 46. 2. That a Regenerate man cannot sin contrary to St. Paul Rom. 7. 23 24 25. Who shall deliver me from this body of death Me he speaks of himself 3. That there is redemption out of hell and that hell paines shall have an end contrary to the words of Christ Mark 9. 44. Their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched 4. That good works are not needfull to salvation When the Scripture saith without holinesse no man shall see God Heb. Heb. 12. 14. You charge us with preaching for hire saying You the Priests divine for mony c. which page is full of such reproaches and slanders For we preach to convert souls to God to build up the Church of Christ and as for our Tithes which you call uor hire we take them as our inheritance setled upon us by the Laws of God and the Laws of the land Who have thought fit that he that serves at the altar should live by the altar according to that 1 Cor. 9. from the first to the 15. verse It is your self and such as you are that preach for Reward that live by gifts and bribes wherfore you devise false Doctrines such as will please foolish corrupt Mens fancies that put hony in the Sacrifice instead of salt and sow Pillows under mens Elbows that they may sleep at ease in sin that tell the wicked they shall live though God hath said they shall surely die except they repent that strengthen the hands of evil doers that they should not return You I say run without sending Ier. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran that bring in damnable Heresies and preach aliud Evangelium another Gospel Gal. 1. 6 7. not that there was another Gospel then that which Paul taught but because there was like yours an invention of their own braines Good reason therefore have the ministers to warn the peopel to beware of you and the Magistrates to shut you up that you sow not your damnable doctrines among the people that they follow not your pernicious wayes by
reason of which the word of truth might be evil spoken of but that they may be mindeful of that excellent admonition of the Apostle 2 Ioh. 7. 8 9 10 11. For many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Iesus is come in the flesh This is a deceiver an Anti-Christ Look to your selves that we loose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God-speed for he that biddeth him God-speed is partaker of his evil deeds CHAP. 14. You argue those that do preach the Doctrine of Damnation telling the people that they are eternally damned are no Gosâ—el-Ministers do preach from an evil spirit but Christ did not preach this Doctrine of eternal damnation to any for he did preach salvation to all men and the acceptable year of the Lord and to prove this you quote Luk. 4. 18. Iohn 3. 17. To tell you your Major or Minor is false or to treat you after the manner of Disputants is a thing passeth your understanding therefore I shall answere you thus Those that preach according to the Commission Christ gave unto his Disciples to preach at his departure are Gospel preachers but those that preach damnation to the impenitent and unbelievers as well as Salvation to the penitent and believers preach according to that Commission therefore they are Gospel preachers Mark 16. Go into all the World and preach the Gospel that is he that believes and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned is not here damnation to the unbelievers as there is Salvation for believers Are they not commissionated to preach this throughout the World and did they not faithfully perform it Read Rom. 2. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. where the Apostle pronounceth Glory Honour Immortalitie and Eternal life to every man that worketh good but denounceth tribulation and anguish wrath and judgement at the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgement of God to the impenitent that obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness Likewise in the 2. Thes. 1. 6 7 8 9. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mightie Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. read also 2 Pet. 2. 2 3 4 5. and the whole Epistle of Iude. I hope you will not say now these men were not Gospel-preachers or that they had not the spirit of God for it was after the day of Pentecost when the cloven tongues descended and sat upon them Acts 2. 1 2 3. But let me ask you one question when Christ gave unto his Disciples the keys of the kingdome of Heaven wherein did the power of the keys consist Was it not in binding as well as in loosing You will finde it was in Iohn 20. 23. You falsely and impudently say that Christ never preached damnation to any but Salvation to all Certainly you have read Christs Sermon upon the Mount and it is most certain you understand it not for it is plain Mat. 5. 21 22 23 24. and in the 29. It is better that one of thy members perish then that thy whole body should be cast into Hell Mark 6. 11. It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in that day of judgement then for that Citie Likewise read Mat. 23 from the 13. verse to the end of the Chapter and you shall finde how many woes are pronounced by Christ there and the greater damnation to Hypocrites for their holy pretences verse 14. and the 30. It seems plainly you know not what you say and care not what you affirm that you are led by the spirit of falshood and errour and not by the spirit of truth who dare thus boldly contradict the truth But that text of Mat. 23. 14 and 33. quoted by Mr. Sanbroke I perceive confounded you that you know not what to say or at least said you knew not what something nothing to the purpose which was That Christ was then a fulfilling the Law which you your self overthrow at the latter end of this disputation Page 64. out of Heb. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Now if he were the same yesterday as certainly he was for he was the lamb slain in Gods decree ab origine Mundi therefore he had fulfilled yesterday Gods account but if it were so yet it doth not lessen your fault who have falsely affirmed that Christ preached not damnation to any but salvation to all Not to pass over your playing Legerdemain with the Scriptures your saying that Christ told the Pharisees that the kingdome of God was to be revealed in them and which should suddenly come unto them and that they hearing this demanded of Christ when the kingdome of Heaven should come also that Christ answered them The kingdome of Heaven comes not with observation Now let any one read that Chapter of Woe and damnation to the Pharisees Mat. 23. and he shall finde there is no such question or answer in that Chapter nor in that Evangelist neither is there any thing like it and therefore you falsifie the Scriptures to make a colourable answer to that which is unanswerable and what you quote out of the 17. of Luke 20. 21. is spoken upon another occasion and the answer concerned not the Pharisees but was directed to the Disciples verse 22. and he said unto his Disciples c. I think there is no man so deluded except your self as to think that Christ should tell the Pharisees that the kingdome of Heaven was within them of whom he had given this Testimony in the words before that their inside was full of extortion and excess that they were like unto painted Sepulchers full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness But you say the Kingdome of Heaven was within the Scribes and Pharisees though yet they knew it not But Christ that knew all things knew them intus in cute he knew their conditions and concluded they were a generation of Vipers and should not escape the damnation of Hell You tell us our Schools will never teach us this lesson of knowing Christ within us First you are ignorant what Doctrine the Schools teach and I therefore can give no account of it a fools bolt is soon shot praised be God our Schools teach no such doctrine as you teach nor any of the
Schools of the Prophets but the School of Antichrist where Cerinthus Marcion Montanus and Muncer had their learning and whereof you are a professour You speak something of another Book of yours called Truths Testimony It seems all your Books are like the Egyptian temples they have a fair and beautiful outside a splendid Title but nothing else then rotten within Mr. Sanbrook tells you he burnt it and well did he doubtless in so doing if I should do the like too by this I am treating of I should do you no wrong I have not met with a worse printed and published You question our calling saying I question whether some of you have received this Gospel-commission from Christ yet or no Which calling of ours hath been sufficiently vindicated by many learned and godly Ministers of the Church of England both against our adversaries the Papists abroad and also our malicious enemies the sectaries at home and will be again when any worthy of an answer shall go about to question it But because I have undertaken to answer your follies I will adde something more in answer to your objections against the Ministers way of preaching the Gospel though I have done it sufficiently already You say that we have no commission from Christ because we preach damnation which is no Gospel-message This or to this effect is that you have said at the beginning of this Chapter Page 61. already answered but something more may be said concerning two places of Scripture quoted there in the Margent which you make the ground of your objections The first is Luke 4. 18. which the Evangelist takes out of Isa. 61. 1. but a place that makes not for you but is full against you for it is not general but to the poor to them that are throughly touched with the feeling of their sin and have their hearts broken with sorrow for their transgressions to set at libertie them that acknowledge themselves to be in bondage sold under sin against their wills as St. Paul did Rom. 7. 14. and are ready to cry out with him who shall deliver me from the body of this death To those that do not acknowledge their condition and the need they have of a deliverer Christ came not to send peace but a sword Mat. 10. 34. They are in effect the words of Isaiah to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God c. he alludes to the deliverance of Israel out of the captivitie of Babylon by Cyrus for as that was a year of Iubile to the Jews so it was a year of vengeance to the Caldeans that held them in Captivitie The second place Iohn 3. 17. which is fully expounded and answered by our Saviour himself v. 18. 19 He that beleeveth on him is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved on the name of the only begotten Son of God and this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light because their deeds were evil Is not here condemnation preached to unbeleevers as well as salvation to beleevers is it not as clear as the light at Noon-day You quote Col. 1. 6. The Gospel which is come unto you as it is in all the world c. If we should grant it hath been preached c. yet it makes nothing for your purpose for though it be the power of God unto salvation to all that beleeve Rom. 1. 16. yet is it not so to the impenitent and unbeleevers for unto them it is the power of God to destruction 2 Cor. 10. 6. CHAP. XV In this Chapter you talk much of the whore of Babylon her rage her names of Blasphemy against the truth her seat c. Wherein you set forth your ignorance and manifest your malice in that you apply that to another which is proper to your self The whore of Babylon is the Malignant Church the Corps of the reprobate the head of which is Satan and Anti-Christ is his Vice-gerent she is compared to a Whore in opposition to the Spouse of Christ who is compared to the Woman Revel 12. The Whore of Babylon is adorned with worldly Ornaments as Gold Silver and Pearl to difference her from the Church of Christ who is clothed with heavenly the Sun and the Moon are under her feet and a Crown of Stars upon her head The Beast which the Whore rides on is the Roman Empire Dan. 7. 2 3. Her seat Babylon 1 Pet. 5. 13. which the Romists themselves will needs have to be Rome and which is very probable as appears in Revel. 17. 18. onely we must remember that though St. Peter spake then of the time present the spirit of God intends there to foretell the condition of that Church to come She hath in her fore-head the name of Mystery in her hand is a Golden cup full of abominations by the Golden cup is understood the Scriptures which she turns to abominations by wresting them to her own wicked purposes as you have done she rages against the truth and those that maintain it and shews the effect of her rage by making her self drunk with their blood Now what is all this to your Opponents how can you apply any of these things to any particular action of theirs truly falsly I find you do Their zeale for Gods Glory and for the Love of the truth never more abused by any Heretick then your self you call rage their telling you and others the truth in saying you are a Blasphemer and a Perverter of Scripture you call railing or reviling when you may as well say that he is a Railer that calles a thief a thief and a murderer by the Name of Murder Or with what face can you rank your self with the Saints the Martyrs of Iesus the Apostles with Christ himself when you are not wrongfully called but proved a Blasphemer and a seducer when you are strongly suspected for incâ—ntinency for you were indicted at Maidstone this Summer Assises for attempting the Chastity of two of your Proselytes with base actions and filthy speeches the Bills were found and judgement passed upon them by the whole Bench and you were fined accordingly I should now wonder at your impudence but that Saint Paul sayes the devil when he means to deceive the world transforms himself into an Angel of Light and likewise his Ministers whose end shall be according to their works 2 Cor. 11. 14. 15. Such Saints as you may fitly be compared to Iezebel who called her self a Prophetesse Revel. 2. 20 that is such an one as was inspired by the spirit of God and so made God the Author of her blasphemies and lies seduced the servants of God and taught them to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to Idols Wherefore God threatens to punish her and her companions except they repent God give you an heart to repent and also your followers for you
saith the Lord God behold I judge between Cattel and Cattel between the Rams and the he-Goats which is point-blank against you unless you could prove the Reprobates to be the Sheep of Christ which doubtless you are ready enough to hold Jerem. 33. 6. Behold I will bring it health and cure and I will cure them and I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth To whom is this spoken to Babylon of the Caldeans or to spiritual Babylon the corps of the Reprobate Do not the words following shew that it is spoken to Judah and Jerusalem the Church of God observe the words I will cause the captivitie of Judah and of Israel to return and build them as at the first c. I see you are much necessitated when you bring those promises that God makes unto the house of David Verse 21. to prove the salvation of the reprobate Rom. 5. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Justification of life Read the verse following For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous the purpose of the Apostle is to shew that as Adam by his disobedience destroyed all his Posteritie so Christ by his obedience saved all his seed that is all that were the seed of Abraham not according the flesh but according to the Spirit Rom. 9 7 8. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be blessed that is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive What the Apostle brings here to prove the Resurrection of the body you urge to prove the Resurrection of the soul a goodly argument But suppose we grant it yet will not the Text help you at all for the genuine sense of it must be this as all that were in Adam died so all that are in Christ are made alive Luke 19. 10. For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost It is true but it is meant those that know and acknowledge themselves to be lost as the Prodigal did that say in themselves I will go to my father and say unto him father I have sinned c. Luke 15. Christ prayed for his enemies that had imbrued their hands in his blood because they did it out of ignorance Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do It is true he did and his prayers were heard for some of them were converted by St. Peters Sermon as appeareth out of Acts 2. but yet it doth not follow that he prayed for the Reprobate he teacheth us the contrary where he sayeth I pray not for the World but for them that thou hast given me out of the world 1 John 2. 1 2. If any sin we have an Advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World I answer as at the beginning that he is a propitiation sufficient for the sins of the whole World but not efficient because all do not believe 1. Tim. 2. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Which must not be understood of his secret will but of his revealed according to which he would have them to be saved if they repent and believe the Gospel otherwiâ—e they cannot expect Salvation and this is agreeable to that doctrine which Christ commanded his Disciples to preach Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Others answer that the Apostle speaks not de singulis generum sed de generibus singulorum that is of all sorts and conditions of men as appears by the words going before But here I wonder to what purpose you bring in the History of the ten Lepers and that in such a fashion that if you did not help it with a lame exposition in the latter end of your book Article 21. a man would judge that you mean Christ was one of them I wonder I say to what purpose you will say to prove that all men shall be saved for this is the subject of the whole Chapter then the summe of the argument must be this ten Lepers were cured by Christ and but one of them returned to give thanks therefore all shall be saved a goodly conclusion But had you any ingenuity or love to truth you would have argued as any School-boy would have done thus ten Lepers were healed by Christ and but one of them returned to give thanks therefore but one of them shall be saved is not this the most probable of the two Seeing Christ himself hath taught us that few are they that shall be saved Mat. 7. 14. Lastly you say that this Doctrine of the love of God to all men is the only means to keep them from sin This is a way both disagreeable to the word and will of God and also to reason That it is to the word of God I have already sufficiently proved yet I will adde more Jude 22 23. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire Those that sin either out of weakness of judgement or want of strength are to be gently dealt with but those that sin out of wilfulness are sharply to be reproved Titus 1. 13. Thus Peter did Simon Magus Acts 8. 20. 21 22 23. or as Paul did Elymas the sorcerer Acts 13. 10 11. when wounds are corrupted and stink they ought first to be cleansed before we pour in Balm otherwise we shall heal them deceitfully like false Prophets such as your self is Jerem. 6. 14. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace It is also disagreeable to reason suppose a man to have two sons on which he hath a large Patrimony to bestow and being committed to the care of a Tutor one of them proves a Prodigal I mean not such a Prodigal as is returned from his evil wayes but an incorrigible one that is in the full career of Vice his Tutor intending as in duty bound to reclaim him tells him his father beareth a great deal of love towards him and notwithstanding his evil courses cannot will not disinherit him and much more to this purpose will any one think that this is the best and most rational course to reclaim him Surely no but rather a means to increase his licentiousness a good Tutor will rather with a severe and