preached and if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received or another Gospel which ye have not accepted ye might well bear with him Here the Apostle Prophesied of another Jesus that is of a false transubstantiated Christ as I humbly conceive which he saw by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost would come into the Gospel Church or Temple of God which caused God to turn it into a Desart And these are the same false Christs which our Saviour does forewarn us and commands us not to go out after them That is that we should not believe in them Matt. 24.23 24 25 26. And there was Signs and Wonders to attend these false Christs which our Saviour spake of insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect But they are but lying Wonders and false Signs as the Apostle declares they are made up of deceit But here the Apostle Paul spake of another Spirit which St. John calleth the spirit of Antichrist 1 John 4.3 Rev. 16.13 14. This is the same spirit by which they do work their pretended Miracles Signs and Lying Wonders and this is another Gospel which is their Canons and Councils Decrees and Prescriptions and unscriptural Traditions of old Fathers and so they did cast off the true and pure Gospel of God and do not adhere unto it to this day and place these Scriptures of their own invention in the room of it and cry them up to be Canonical and Infallible And this is that another Gospel namely A false Antichristian Gospel stuffed with nothing but Errors and Heresie And pray observe what the Apostle saith by way of caution concerning this kind of Gospel and them that Teach it Gal. 1.8 9. But tho we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed The Apostle spake by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost prophetically and clearly of what was to come into the Temple of God when the Man of Sin should be revealed And in the 13 14 15. verses of that 2 Cor. 11. he gives a clear character of those persons that should be guilty in assisting to bring in and preach up another Jesus and another Spirit and another Gospel into the Temple of God viz. such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Miâ—â—◠〈…〉 righteousness whose end shall be according to the works they are for works of Merits and in 〈◊〉 end they shall have as much salvation as they have earned by them these you see are the Devils Minsters and they are acted and influenced by his spirit Rev. 16.13 14. And I saw three unclean spirit like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and oâ— of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet for they are the spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth Acts 20.28 29 30. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost have made you overseers to feed the Church of God which 〈◊〉 hath purchased with his own blood For I know thâ—â— that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter 〈◊〉 among you not sparing the flock Also of your oâ—â— selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. Noâ— the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisies having their consciences 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 Now what Sect or sort of persons are there to be found among Christians that do forbid Men that are in spiritual Orders to Marry or if they are Married that do forbid them to take that Office or Place upon them And these are the person here intended by the Holy Ghost which sent the Apostle an express from Heaven with the foreknowledg of it The Apostle Peter who some call the Prince of the Apostles was a married man for we read 〈◊〉 a miracle that our Saviour Christ wrought to cuâ— his wives mother of a Fever Mat. 8.14 15. aâ—â— several of the other Apostles were married meâ— 1 Cor. 9.5 And the same Apostle namely Paul saâ—â— in the 1 Cor. 7.9 It is better to marry than to burâ— viz. than to burn in lusts here and in Hell he after to all Eterniy for Fornication and Adultery it is better for them to be married seven times to â—ven wives successively in Gods way and holy Ordnance than it is for them to borrow or make be with their neighbours wife once And then as for commanding to abstain frâ—â— Meats at certain times and seasons that is univerâ—â— and reacheth to all and the same Apostle saiâ— That we may eat whatsoever is sold in the Shambles â—ing no questions for conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 〈◊〉 does not say eat whatsoever is sold in the Fish-marâ— tho he did not prohibit that and all those amâ—â— Christians that are thus guilty which are foâ—â—â—â—der this Character are those thâ—◠〈…〉 Man of Sin the 〈…〉 theirs from Christ their Head for tho they confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh in words yet in works they deny it Again the Turk never professed the Christian Religion nor owned the true Gospel of God and the pure Instituted Worship of Jesus Christ and afterwards Apostatized from it and rejected and despised the Faith and Truth of the Gospel and fit in the Temple of God and usurp a power over all Christian Kings and Princes and Rulers and over all Worship and Worshippers and sit in the room of Christ in his Temple and give Laws to mens Consciences as this Man of Sin doth and as the many Antichrists do Nor did the Turk broach nor bring in strange and monstrous Doctrines of Devils into the Church or Temple of God for mind the Apostle Act. 20.30 Also of your own selves shall men arise this could not be Turks for they were Christians and what shall these do speaking perversethings to draw away Disciples after them 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed â—o sedning spirits and Doctrines of Devils c. Now can you think this to be meant of the Turks It is spoken of persons that profess the name of Christ that do call themselves Christians Here we see was Prophesied that in the latter times that is in the time of Antichrist's power
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 saw them have always been satisfied that it was a real thing Tho it is true the wicked enemies many times 〈…〉 believing Jews did of our blessed Lord and Saviour's casting out Devils when they said that he cast out Devils by Beclzebub the Prince of Devils Matt. 12.24 But when the pharisees heard it they said this fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils They blasphemously and boldly did assert that Christ the Eternal Son of God did derive his Power and Authority to work Miracles by from the Devil when as Christ himself is the Omnipotence God the Second person in the most Glorious Trinity Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come the Almighty John 8.58 Jesus saith unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was I am Prov. 8.23 30. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the carth was Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejeycing always before him And likewise concerning that wonderful Miracle of Christ rising from the dead How did they porsuade and bribe the Soldiers that watched the Sepulchre to tell the Governor that while they slept his Disciples came by night and stole him away Matt. 28.11 12 13. But now this Transubstantiated Miracle of yours does not nor cannot satisfy any Man's Senses or Reason unless it be with Ignorance I dare be bold to say and appeal to all men that no Romanist himself can have his Sense and Reason satisfied as to the truth of it for it cannot be it is impossible All that can be said is this their unbelief has overcome and captivated their Sense and Reason and so they do lay a force upon it and suspend the following of the dictates of it as our Saviour Christ saith Mark 4.12 That seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand They may force their Tongues and so extort a Confession that the Bread or Wafer in the Sacrament is the Real Body and Substantial Flesh of Christ but the Eye saith Tongue thou liest at the same time for the Eye seeth no change upon the Accidents but they remains still as they were before which if there were such a change wrought upon them then the Elements would cease to be and quite disappear but he seeth the Elements still remaining as they were But implicit Faith and Unbelief hath so blinded his spiritual Eyes that he must not believe his own corporeal Eyes by which means be cannot or will not perceive the deceit And their hearts being so hardened through the deceitfulness of sin that they will not exercise their thoughts about it and their hearts are so beclouded or vailed over with their false Doctrine that although they hear better things with their Ears yet-they must not believe them because they are bound to believe as their Church commands them to believe And the Hand that 〈…〉 Mouth that can taste nothing but Bread or the Wafer the Mouth cannot taste one bit or morsel of Flesh or feel the least Bone or Gristle in it And as for the Wine that is really turned into blood they must take the Priests word for that and pawn the Salvation of their Souls for the truth of it too But tho they do blind themselves in this nature yet their Senses and Reason do their Office tho they will not hearken unto them nor give the least credit unto what they inform them And Christ and the Apostle tells them that it is Bread after Consecration and that the Cup is a Cup in which the Wine is 1 Cor. 10.16 17. And their own Senses and Reason tell them that it is so but they will not believe Christ nor the Apostles no nor their own Eyes Nose Hands nor Mouth but they will believe as the Church believes or believe the Priest before them all altho they have neither their own Senses Reason nor Understanding on their side nor the Holy Scriptures on their side which is the revealed will of God and ought to be the Rule for every Christian to live and walk by But Sir your own sense and reason and understanding and the Sacred Scriptures are all against you and this is the main reason why your Priests will not permit nor allow the use of the Gospel-light that holy and Sacred Touchstone to the people for if they did it would discover all their spiritual coyn to be but dross and counterfeit and it would never pass among the people Joh. 3.20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved They first put out the light of the Gospel and then they bring them to resign up their sences and reason and understanding and conscience and souls and all unto the conduct of the Priests or Church And when they have them thus in the dark why then they lead them which way they please for he is no longer acted nor guided by his own reason or understanding nor by the holy Scriptures but by the Priests O Sirs look to the Word of God Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them O precious souls do not deceive your selves I beseech you by sollowing these blind Guides but take our blessed Redeemer's advice and counsel in Mat. 15.14 Let them alone that is as much as to say do not follow them they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch And the Prophet Isaiah saith in Isa 9.16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err and they that are lead of them â—re destroyed Again secondly if it be so that your Priests do by vertue of their Consecration convert the Bread â—nd Wine into the real substantial person of Christ 〈◊〉 wit of Body Soul and Divinity why then it 〈…〉 follow that Christ must be as compleat substantial and intire lacking nothing of all these blessed personal perfections as he was when he was here personally upon Earth before he ascended up into Glory for this must be the inevitable and necessary consequence of it for even so it must be or else it is but a meer fantastical imaginary Sham-Christ and is of the number of those sort of false Christs which our Saviour Christ bids us beware of which are out in the desert among the false Prophets Matt. 24.23 24 25 26. Then if any man shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or there believe it not for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets This was prophesied by our Saviour Christ that when Antichrist the Man of Sin did or should arise that then these false Christs and false Prophets should arise in great numbers with him and shall shew great signs and
wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the desert go not forth behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not And Antichrist was to arise and come with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders saith the Apostle which is the same character which our Saviour gives of him This desert where these false Christs are I take it to be a Church or People professing the name of Christ in words but deny him in works being abominable disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Titus 1.16 They are a Company of Deserters that have deserted Christ and run from the true Christian Colours for you see they are a sort of nominal Christians that do own Christ's Name but they do follow another Jesus as I have already shewed from the Apostles words 2 Cor. 11.4 They are a people that have deserted Christ's Standard who himself is Generalissimo of all the Christian spiritual Soldiers or Army But these false Prophets and others are those that are gone over to Antichrist who is Head and Generalissimo of all the many Antichrists and Apostates Now that our Saviour Christ prophesied here of Antichrist's rising it appeareth to me to be as clear as the Sun that shineth in the firmament because the Apostle hath laid down the very same Character of Antichrist and his Disciples and false Prophets as our Saviour had done before for our Redeemer saith that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets which should shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect And the Apostle saith that the Man of sin Antichrist should come after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish Our Saviour saith consequentially Signs and Wonders and Deceit And the Apostle also saith Signs Wonders and Deceit If it were passible they shall deceive the very elect saith our Saviour that is by their great Signs and Lying Wonders They shall come with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish saith the Apostle And then here followeth their desertion of the Standard of Christ their General Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Here they first desert God and then God deserts them as you may see in those following words of the Apostle as I have already proved 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 That is those who believe not the Gospel of God in opposition to this lie but had pleasure in unrighteousness Surely then this must needs be a dreadful desert when a Church or people desert and leave God And God doth cast off them and desert and leave them this I humbly conceive to be the meaning of our Saviour Christ in Matt. 24. which does agree and suit so well with that of the Apostle Paul's description of Antichrist the Man of Sin this is that desert where these swarms of false Christs and false Prophets are and do reside it is a deserted false worship And hear again what is said in 1 John 2.18 19. with which Scripture I shall close this Head and so go on towards the finishing of this Discourse Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time There be the false Prophets which Christ tells us should arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive the credulous people And here followeth their Apostatizing or Desertion to wit They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Thus you see that this Doctrine of yours is not true and your Tronsubstantiated Christ is but a false Christ and of the number of those Christs that are out in the Desart Now I pray Sir do not take it amiss that I deal thus plainly with you nor do not think much of my repeating over some things that have been mentioned under former Heads for you know in a trial at Law among Men you have often one and the same thing repeated over and over by the Witnesses and others c. Ay and we have it so in Scripture also in many places and in many cases and I will give you one which relates unto this our Tryal or Discourse Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel Which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ But tho we or an angel frem heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach aâ— other gospel unto you than that ye have received 〈◊〉 him be accursed And what the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 say I and let all good men say Amen to it 3. Thirdly If this Doctrine of yours be truâ—â— then after Consecration as you call it there would appear all the lineaments of a Man visibly to aâ— the spectators with all the faculties of a Man for 〈◊〉 was Christ when he was here upon Earth personallâ— in Body Soul and Divinity before he laid dowâ— his Life and after he took it up again viz. after he arose again from the dead Luke 24.39 Behoâ—â— my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle 〈◊〉 and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see 〈◊〉 have If this Doctrine of yours be really truâ— why then it would necessarily follow that all thâ— spectators as well as the partakers would be satisfied that it is so and not an imaginary fancy for such is the nature of Miracles as you see haâ—â— been clearly proved by several instances both from Scripture and Reason which do witness the trutâ— of it 4. Fourthly If this Doctrine of Transubstantiation in your sense be true viz. That Christ is iâ—â— tire in his person with all the lineaments and facuâ—ties of Man after Consecrating the Elements in thâ— Sacraments then Sir I would fain know what 〈◊〉 the Reason that he doth not speak or what should hinder or impede Christ from speaking personally and vocally now as well as he did to his Disciple after he arose from the dead when they were under doubts and fears whether it was he or no wheâ— he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why 〈◊〉 thoughts arise in your hearts Behold my hands and mâ—â— feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a spirâ—â— hath
my dear Friend fare ye well until we meet at the Day of Judgment But methinks I hear some Persons carp and deny the Veracity or Truth of the Scriptures which we Protestants do own and profess to be the revealed Will and Word of God. I had thought to have gone no further but this layeth me under a Necessity and irresistible Obligation to Answer this black and grim Objection which seems to have way-laid me all this while or at least I am jealous that it has or may be so and therefore to prevent the worst I shall by the assisting Power of God give an Answer unto it In the first place It may be supposed that some Persons especially them which find themselves the Persons mostly concerned in this Discourse namely those which teach the poor ignorant People this kind of Doctrine will be so bold and hardy as to object against the Veracity or Truth of the Holy Scriptures and say perhaps That they were Invented and made by some Apostate Heretick or some other Person for so it is and must be that either the Scriptures which we that are Protestants do own â—nd believe to be the revealed Will and Word of God are not true or else their Religion and Scriptures must be false for theirs and ours cannot both be â—rue because they are directly contrary one to the other so as nothing can be more Light and Darkness cannot be more for indeed it is Spiritual â—ight and Darkness Secondly If the Holy Scriptures be but the Invenâ—on of Men that is to say mere Human Invention â—â—en it will necessarily follow That it was either â—â—d Men or good Men that did invent them one 〈◊〉 these two sorts of Men it must be that cannot be â—â—nied for there can be no Neutrality in this case â—â—â—y that are not for Christ are against him 〈◊〉 By the Omnipotent Power and Grace of 〈…〉 that God that made and indicted the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do profess and own and also believe I shall prove the Sacred Scriptures to be the revealed Will and Word of God and not a Humane Invention and that by Arguments drawn and deducted from Reason And also I shall draw a Parallel between the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants profess and own and the Scriptures which Antichrist doth profess and own which is that another Gospel which I have spoken unto you of in Gal. 1.8 9. 1. In the first place I do positively assert That the Holy Scriptures which we profess could not be invented and made by a Heretick because it damns Heresy and so consequently Hereticks to Hell and Damnation 2 Pet. 2.1 2. But there were false Prophets among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of Now would any Heretick write Destruction and Damnation and such bitter things against himself think you No sure therefore it could not be a Heretick that made and invented the Holy Scriptures Ay but it may be objected that he may be a Heretick and not know it why it is very true a Person may be a Heretick and not know it nay I do believe that it is so with all Hereticks nay I do believe that the greatest Hereticks in the World do count themselves the best Christians nay the only Christians and all others Hereticks Isa 65.3 4 5. Rev. 3.9 But yet notwithstanding in this respect he could not be a Heretick but he must know it for what is Heresy but Error and Falshood about Spiritual things it is a mis-guided Judgment and could any Man have such Gifts and Parts as to invent the Scriptures that must not certainly know that what he writ at the same time were lies and falshood and what he writ in the Name of God and for God's Word was but his own It is impossible that ever he could be a Heretick in this Sense but that he must know it and surely he would never have written so severely against Heresy and false Doctrine therefore the Scriptures which we profess must not be the Word of Man. 2. Secondly It could not be an Apostate of any sort that writ the Holy Scriptures or that invented them for see what it saith of such Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for these who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Now would any kind of Apostate either from you to us or from us to you or to nothing at all which is better than that which some People profess ever write so severely against his own Practice and exclude himself from Heaven and Happiness for ever Therefore it could not be an Apostate that made and invented the Scriptures 3. Thirdly It could not be a Hypocrite that invented the Scriptures which we profess and own because it denounceth Wo and Damnation to such Matth. 23.13 14. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them which are entring to go in Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation Now can it be imagined that ever either Heretick or Apostate or Hypocrite would write thus dreadfully against themselves when as these three sorts of Men especially in all Ages have been the greatest Sticklers against and Opposers of the Holy Scriptures and also the most violent Persecutors of them who are or have been the strictest Professors of it 4. Fourthly It could not be a Coveteous and Proud Person or a Griping Usurer that made or invented the Scriptures because it speaks against them as much as it does against them that make Images and bow down unto them and worship them which God hath positively forbid Exod. 20. For a covetous Person the Scripture hath particularly Branded with that black-Pitch-Mark of Hell namely Idolatry in these words viz. Beware of Covetousness which is Idolatry And our Saviour hath told us that it is a very difficult thing for a rich Man who trusteth in his Riches to get to Heaven and be saved And it is said that God resisteth the Proud and beholdeth them afar off and the Usurer is much spoken against in the Holy Scriptures therefore it could be neither of these bad Men that made or invented the Holy Scriptures because they would never have written so severely against themselves for it is contrary to Nature 5. Fifthly It could not
God by his Grace hath made Good. 1. First it could not be a Moral Honest Good Man that made and invented the Scriptures who counts himself so for he will tell you That he shall go to Heaven and be saved because he deals uprightly and justly with all men and payeth every one their own and does wrong to no man and I do as I would be done by which is all very good in its place and let me tell you that it is so good that there is no going to Heaven without it but yet let me tell thee also Tho thou dost give Man his due yet if thou dost not give God his due it will all avail thee nothing in Point of Justification and Salvation But what is it to give God his due Why the sole Conduct and Government of thy Soul all thou art and all thou hast must be resigned up to God from whence thou didst receive it thou must forsake all whenever God in his Providence calls thee to it and deny thy self and follow Christ the Lamb of God whithersoever he goeth Will you see a full Scripture for proof of this Why you shall Matth. 19.18 19 20 21. Jesus said Thou shalt do no murder thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not steal thou shalt not bear false witness honour thy father and thy mother and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self The young man saith unto him All these things have I kept from my youth up What lack I yet Jesus said unto him If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me Moral Honesty will not do unless we follow Christ by Faith and in Love. Therefore it could not be a Moral Honest Man that made or invented the Scriptures because they are quite against him and surely if the Moral Good Man had made them he would have made his way wide enough for himself to go to Heaven and be saved by his Morality 2. Secondly There is another sort of Persons that count themselves so good that they think there is none like them but that they are the only good men in the world Isa 65. Rev. 3.9 And these are a whipping sort of Good Men the Pharisaical self-righteous Men that are so zealous in their way to make up a Righteousness of their own to be justified and saved by that they will whip themselves 〈…〉 and hang and burn their neighbours for God's sake and this sort of men in all Ages have justified themselves and condemned all others Pray hear what our Saviour Christ saith of these Luke 18.10 11 12 13 14. Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee and the other a Publican The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are Our Saviour Christ has told us that Publicans and Harlots shall go to Heaven before a self-righteous Man shall And in Prov. 30.12 13. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness There is a generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up Thus you see that it could not be a Self-righteous Man which counts himself a good Man that made and invented the Scripture that makes up a righteousness of his own part of works of Mercy and part of works of Cruelty who are for Meritorious works and works of Supererogation that think to climb up to Heaven by that Rope of Sand for if such a Man had made the Scriptures he would never have written such bitter things against himself and left himself in the hopelessest condition of all sorts of men in the whole World of ever being saved without a change of that principle 3. But Thirdly and Lastly Might it not be a good Man that had the Grace of God in his heart and the fear of God before his eyes that might invent and compose the Scriptures To this I answer in the negative No it is impossible that it could be Tho it is true there is nothing in the Holy Scriptures that is against him for his goodness as there is nothing in them that doth indulge a wicked Man in his wickedness And therefore you will say that a good Man was the likeliest of all men to have made and invented the Scriptures But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that a good Man could not nor dare not invent the holy Scriptures for it is utterly inconsistent with his goodness for can he be a good Man and yet at the same time be a deceitful Man For he would be the inventer of an evil thing if it were invented by Man for it would be a Lie because instead of being the Word of God it would be the word of Man But you see this cannot possibly be for it would be to do evil that good might come of it which the Scriptures does down-rightly forbid But you will say If neither bad men nor good men made and invented the Scriptures Then pray who were they made and invented by To this I answer the Word of God telleth us all plainly in these following Scriptures who it was that made the Holy Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Knowing this first that no prophesie is of any private interpretation 〈…〉 man that is Man did not invent them but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Tim. 3.16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness Rev. 1.1 The Revelations of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John. And in Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets Hath in these last days spoken to us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom he also made the worlds John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth Christ is the essential Word of God and all godly men have the Spirit of Christ dwelling and abiding in them and that is the reason that good men in all Ages have put such a value upon the Holy Scriptures and would suffer any thing rather than part with the Holy Scriptures David prized them above his appointed food and the Martyrs prized them above their Lives which made them go joyfully to Prisons to the Gibbet to the Flames and this made them rejoyce at the place of Execution and clap their hands in the Flames which struck terror to their Adversaries And what made them do this Why next unto the holy Ghost it was because they knew