there arose another Generation after them that knew not the Lord nor yet his Works which he had done for Israel And the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim And they forsook the Lord God of their Fathers which brought them out of the Land of Egypt and followed other Gods of the Gods of the People that were round about them and bowed themselves to them and provoked the Lord to anger And they forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth How was the Face of the Church disfigured at that Time when they publickly worshipp'd false Gods He that would see the several Ecclipses of the Church of Israel then let him read this History of the Judges particularly Chap. 2. 3 4 6 10. And 2 Chron. 15. 3. When Israel was for a long season without the True God and without a teaching Priest and without the Law. In the Reign of Rehoboam the Son of Solomon ten of the twelve Tribes of Israel revoked from the Service of God and publickly worshipp'd the Calves in Dan and Bethel which were made by the Commandment of Jeroboam 1 King. 12. And if you desire to see how much the Face of the Church was disfigured and how often the Service of God was interrupted read the History of the Kings The ten Tribes were the greatest part of the Church of Israel But in them the Church was so obscured in the Time of Ahab that Elijah complained 1 King. 19. 10. The Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the Sword and I even I only am left and they seek my Life to take it away God had indeed reserved to himself 7000 Men that had not bowed their Knees to Baal And 1 King. 18. 4. When Jezebel had put to death the Prophets of the Lord Obadia took an hundred Prophets and hid them by fifty in a Cave and sed them with Bread and Water So that there was a Church then left in Israel but iâ— was so obscured that Elijah himself could not see it In the Kingdom of Judah also there was sometimes the same obscure State of the Church As in the Time of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 24 25. For Ahaz gathered together the Vessels of the House of the Lord and cut them in pieces and shut up the Doors of the House of the Lord and he made him Altars in every corner of Jerusalem And in every several City of Judah he made high Places to burn Incense unto other Gods and to provoke to anger the Lord God of his Fathers Repeated again 2 Chron. 29. 6 7. There was no other Church of God then upon Earth but what was among the Children of Israel and Judah and there was not any one Temple dedicated to the Worship of the True God but that at Jerusalem But yet you see that was prophaned the Service of God banish'd Idolatry establish'd And what external Form of a Church then was there there where the true God was not acknowledged or served So in the Time of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 4 5. Who built again the high Places which Hezekiah his Father had broken down and he reared up Altars to Baalim and made Groves and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served them Also he built Altars in the House of the Lord whereof the Lord had said In Jerusalem shall my Name be for ever Which was as great a Promise as ever was made to any Church and if there had been any Promise designed ever to secure the State and Splendour of the Church in any place 〈◊〉 â—ould think this had been such an one If 〈◊〉 had been but a like Promise made or half 〈…〉 said of the Church of Rome what confiâ—â—nt boasting and brags should we have had yet you see Jerusalem and the Temple filled with Idols And it is moreover to be observed that at this time the State of the Church was so corrupt that there were no Copies of the Law to be found extant among the People but the Book of the Law was found in the restoring of the Temple by Josiah at the reading of which as a new thing the King was mightily terrified 2 Chron. 34. 18 19 20. which is a plain Argument that the Law was but little known and the Copies of it generally lost And the Prophet Jeremy saith Jer. 11. 13. That according to the number of thy Cities were thy Gods O Judah And according to the number of the Streets of Jerusalem which is yet called the Holy City Matth. 27. 53. have ye set up Altars to that shameful thing to burn Incense unto Baal And what Corruptions did the Prophet Isaiah complain of before Chap. 1. In the time of the Captivity the whole Land was a desâ—lation and an astonishment Jer. 25. 11. the Temple of Jerusalem was demolish'd and the Service of God beaten down So in the New Testament there are Prophecies of great defections and much obscurity that there should be in the Church 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. For the time will come that they shall not endure sound Doctrine but after their own Lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears And they shall turn away their Ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables So 1 Tim. 4. 1. The Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils or rather Doctrines concerning Demons or a sort of under-Gods or angelical Mediators with God speaking lies in hypocrisy having their Consciences â—eared with an hot Iron forbidding to marry and commanding 〈◊〉 abstain from Meats How well doth this agree to 4. Church of Rome Rev. 12. 6. The Woman by which the Church is represented fled into the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God there to lie hid for a time during the rage of the Dragon It is very unjust and unreasonable then to demand that at all times we should shew the visible State of the True Church Rev. 13. 15 16 17. The time is prophesied of that the second Beast shall cause that as many as will not worship the Image of the former Beast shall be killed And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a Mark in their right hand and in their forehead and that no Man might buy or sell save he that had the Mark or Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name And how should the Church then during this Tyranny have a visible and flourishing State And the Papists themselves allow that in the time of Antichrist there shall be an universal defection for a time It is certain in Fact that many Churches founded by the Apostles themselves have quite fallen away to Mahometanism And in the time of Athanasius the whole World almost was become Arian And in the Ages just before the Reformation the Purity of the Church was so
and vain Caution CHAP. VI. That Temporal Happiness is a Mark of the Church Bellarm. de Eccles lib. 4. cap. 18. WHat was said of the former Mark may also be applied to this here This doth not agree to the Church alone and therefore cannot be a proper Mark to distinguish it from others For the Heathens and especially the Mahometans have often had this to plead for themselves Besides it is but a contingent Note and agrees to the Church and the Defenders of it but at some times And some times agrees to one part of the Church when it does not to another and sometimes to the more corrupt part of it when it is otherwise with that part that is more pure And therefore it is a very improper Note to distinguish one from the other and so doth not do the office of a proper Mark. Or if it signified any thing the Reformed of this and the last Age may plead it in some places blessed be God as well as the Romanists But indeed it is but a fallacious Mark and to assert it universally of the Church or the most pure part of it at all times it is false and contrary to the Doctrine and Predictions of the Scripture and the Experience of the Church John 18. 36. My Kingdom is not of this World. Our Saviour did not aim at an earthly Pomp or Grandeur or Authority like the Kings of the Earth nor to leave this as an Inheritance to his â—ollowers 1 John 2. 15. The Lusts of the Flesh and the Lusts of the Eye and the Pride of Life are not of the Father but of the World. Mat. 16. 24. If any will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Not temporal Happiness not a Cross of Gold and Silver but Affliction for the Gospel Mat. 24. 9. They shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all Men for my Name 's sakâ— This was the lot of the Apostles and the Christians of the first Age and so it hath continued to be more or less in most of the Ages since And the Church indeed seems to be calculated for a state of Affliction for then it thrives best John 15. 20. Remember the Word that I said unto you The Servant is not greater than the Lord If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you The Life of our Lord Jesus was a continual Persecution And God has predestinated us to be conformed to the Image of the Son Rom. 8. 20. John 16. 2. They shall cast you out of the Synagogues yea the time shall come that whosoever killeth you shall think that he doth God service Vers 20. Verily verily I say unto you That ye shall mourn and lament but the World shall rejoice ye shall be sad but your sadness shall be turned into joy All things have their season Eccles 3. The World laughs now but one day it shall gnash its teeth Good Men mourn here below but above God shall wipe away Tears from their Eyes Rev. 7. last Acts 14. 21. Paul and Barnabas returned confirming the Souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. Affliction and Tribulation is no more than what those who continue in the Faith may expect to meet with according to what hath come to pass in former Ages 2 Tim. 3. 12. All those that will live godly in the Faith of Jesus Christ shall suffer Persecution But the Children of Babylon glorify themselves and live deliciously Rev. 18. 7. 1 Thess 3. 3. I sent to comfort you that no Man should be moved by these Afflictions for your selves know that we are appointed thereunto The Church is not appointed then to a continual prosperous State. Rev. 12. 14 15. When the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth he persecuted the Woman which had brought forth the Man-Child And to the Woman were given two Wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the Wilderness into her place And the Serpent cast out of his Mouth Water as a Flood after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the Flood This represents the Fury of the Devil stirring up Persecution against the Church which God nourishes for a time in the Wilderness Chap. 13. 7. It was given him that is the Beast to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Where was then the Prosperity of the Church Chap. 17. 4. The Woman the Great Whore was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet-colour and deck'd with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls having a golden Cup in her Hand full of abominations and filthiness of her Fornications But now behold the Equipage of the faithful Martyrs Heb. 11. 36 37. They had trial of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the World was not worthy they wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth Therefore 1 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Trial as though some strange thing happened unto you John 16. 33. In the World ye shall have Tribulation a description of a State far enough from temporal Prosperity but be of good chear I have overcome the World. CHAP. VII That Miracles are a Mark of the Church Bellarm. de Eccl. lib. cap. 14. WHensoever any Persons have been sent out upon an extraordinary Message by an extraordinary Mission from God to preach or teach such Doctrine as hath not been delivered before or not sufficiently attested In that case it is confest that Miracles are necessary to attest their Mission and to confirm their Doctrine But this Mission of theirs having been once sufficiently attested and their Doctrine confirmed by Miracles and both this Doctrine and Miracles faithfully recorded and the Records safely preserved then there can be no absolute need of more Miracles For there can be no need of doing that again which hath been sufficiently done already And therefore there can be no need of more Miracles when a Doctrine already sufficiently confirmed by Miracles is only to be cleansed and restored from the mixture of Errors with which it is defiled or obscured But in that case it is sufficient to have recourse to the Writings and Records in which the true Doctrine hath been delivered which hath been sufficiently confirm'd before And therefore Hezekiah and Josiah wrought to Miracles when the Reformation was set a-foot by them according to the Law already confirm'd by Miracles And Hosea Amos c. wrought no Miracles when they were sent to recal the People from their Apostacy to the observation of the Law. And John Baptist himself wrought no Miracles John 10. 41. being but to teach the People that
be so is also plain because our Saviour gave it to his Disciples as his Blood shed But his own natural Blood then was not shed unless they will say it was shed before he suffered for this was before his Suffering So that it must needs be understood only figuratively that the Wine poured forth did signify and represent the Blood of his which was shortly to be shed for Sinners and by which the New Testament was confirmed And for that end and because of the use of it mentioned it has the name of the Blood given to it the Sign having the name of the thing signified And though it be thus only in a figurative and not in a proper sense that we are to understand the words of the Institution yet the Benefit and Comfort of the Sacrament will be nevertheless For it may be of equal efficacy and advantage to us if we outwardly receive only the Symbols as if we received the very Body and Blood of Christ themselves for the efficacy doth not lie in the thing received but in the Blessing that goes along with the Institution As the Water in Baptism without a substantial change in the Element with the Divine Blessing is equally serviceable to the Ends of that Sacrament as if there were a substantial change So 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Bread which we brake is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We may have Communion with the Body of Christ by partaking of the Bread. As Idolaters may have fellowship with Devils by partaking of the Sacrifices offered to them without having the substance of the things sacrificed to them turned into the substance of Devils 1 Cor. 10. 20. So Believers may have fellowship with Christ by partaking of the Bread and Wine instituted for that End without having the substance of the Bread and Wine changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ We see then it is highly reasonable and necessary to understand the words of Institution as other figurative Expressions of the like nature are to be understood And there is not the least inconvenience or absurdity will follow upon it But to understand them in the sense of Transubstantiation is highly unreasonable and is against the being and design of the Scripture and is also monstrously absurd If the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament be turned into the Body and Blood of Christ then Christ must be with us still with his bodily Presence which is against the whole current of Scripture for he is ascended into Heaven and therefore he is not here Acts 3. 21. The Heavens must receive or retain him until the time of restitution of all things And how is he then in the hands of the Priest Col. 3. 1. Christ sits at the right Hand of God and there we must seek him and not in the hands of a Priest or upon the Altar For said he John 16. 28. I leave the World and go to the Father And therefore in his absence he promised the People another Comforter who should abide with them and supply his place John 14. 10. But Henceforth saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 16. we know him no more after the Flesh he abiding in us only by his Spirit and we know him only by Faith. We are not like the Disciples of the Prophet Elijah who sought on Earth for their Master whom God had taken up into Heaven 2 King. 2. Our Saviour sâ—ith Mat. 26. 11. The Poor ye have always with you but me ye have not always Whereas if he be every where in the Mass we may have him with us always as much as the Apostles had him And when our Saviour told them they had always the Poor with them whom they might shew kindness to but not him and therefore they should not grudg at the expence of a box of Ointment upon him If they had been of the Miâ—d of the Church of Rome they might have answered Lord we shall have thee with us as long as we shall have the Poor and this cost which this poor Woman hath been at is nothing in comparison of what shall one day be laid out upon Thee in hâ—â—ging the Streets with Tapestry in â—â—ecking the Altar◠〈◊〉 inclosing Thee in rich and â—ostly Pieces and in sâ—â—ting Thee up 〈◊〉 stately and magnificent Mansions But then if Christ's Body be with us it seems he must be invisible also and not to be felt which is contrary to the nature of an humane Body In which he is made like unto us Heb. 2. 17. To be invisible is to be more like a Spirit which hath not Flesh and 〈◊〉 Luke 24. 39 40. If the Body of Christ be also in the small Wafer of the Sacrament he must be without proper extension suitable to the nature of an humane Body And if he be whole in every Wafer of the Sacrament he must be whole in many places at once Which is a contradiction for then he would have a Body which is one and not one but many as the places are in which he wholly is And it is against the reasoning of the Angel Mat. 28. 5 6. He is not here for he is risen But according to this Doctrine he might be there and risen too and then the Angel's reasoning was not good And then Christ might be distant from himself as that Body now which is at London would be distant from that that is at Rome many hundred miles and that Body which is at Rome may meet that Body which is at London and so it would be the same and not the same and the same would move towards and meet it self And then Christ's Body might move and not move at the same time and it might be carried and not carried and it might be eaten and not eaten in one place eaten with Rats and at another place worship'd and might be glorious and not be glorious and innumerable such Absurdities follow upon this sensless and unreasonable Doctrine Besides the barbariâ—y and bloodiness of eating and drinking humane Flesh and Blood and devouring ones God. And then the most wicked Men may receive Christ with the mouths of their Body and likewise eat his Flesh and drink his Blood. But Christ tells us this we only do now by believing in him John 6. For the Flesh profiteth nothing The Wicked having not Faith have no part in him they do not dwell in Christ nor Christ in them as they that eat his Flesh and drink his Blood do John 6. 56. And therefore it must be understood spiritually and by Faith. To conclude We have as much assurance that Transubstantiation is false as that Christianity is true that is our Sense and Reason in concurrence with the Holy Scripture And is not this a goodly Doctrine which if granted would raze the Foundation of the Christian Faith and reduce us to the vastest Uncertainty so that we could reasonably believe nothing For what can we be certain of at all if not