Objection of force it would follow that this exhortation of the Apostle had then been as much after its time as that terme of a believers attention unto the word of prophecy be it either the incarnation Gospel-dispensation or regeneration of those whom he puts upon this duty was before this time The Gospel whether any of it were now written or not was promulged by Christ his Apostles and therefore was obliging If the particle untill bee sayd to denote a certaine terme not in this life but relating unto the dawning and rising of the vision of glory the question is graunted and the objection falleth While the Church is in a darke place the light of the Scripture is to be attended unto hence the written word is here compared unto a light that shineth in a darke place now wee know that there is much darkness and obscurity in the hearts of all the Children of light in this life 1 Corin 13.9 Or the particle untill signifyeth a terme issuing in attayning of all the good attainable in such a way or in the participatioÌ„ of the perfecting end of the subject spoken of A bruised read shall hee not break and smoaking flax shall hee not quench 〈…〉 untill he send forth judgment unto victory Mat 12.21 This notion agreeth not only with the analogie of faith but also according to the mind of the Apostles common action exhortatory seemeth more readily to flow The scope of Peter is to confirm the hearts of the twelve tribes scattered abroad concerning the trueth of the Gospel this he doth by two arguments The first taken from the testimony of the Apostles verse 15 16 17. The second from the word of Prophecy illustrated by two adjuncts the former of its sureness the latter of our taking heed thereunto this attention he amplifyeth by calling unto such a conscientious and vigorous continuance therin as may never be in vain in the Lord yea such as that the effectual light of the spirit of grace concurring with the doctrinal light of the word may from duty to duty shine upon the dark places of their hearts more and more untill the dawning of the perfect day of the vision of glory If with some Orthodox Interpreters wee understand by a dark place the time of the Church under the old Testament compared with the night wherein candles are lighted and by the day-dawning the time of the Gospel day-light wherin the Sun shineth the new Testament expounding the old and thereby giving a greater light Yet still we are to keep in mind that as the New Testament giveth light unto the Old so the Old Testament giveth light unto the New they give light mutually one unto another T is the same Christ the same Gospel which is held forth both in the old in the New TestameÌ„t Heb 13.8 Gal. 3.8 As the trueths of the old Testament are confirmed by the New so what more frequent then the confirmation of the New Testament from the Old both by Christ and his Apostles The word Vntill doth not here intend a certain time whereat they were discharged from after attention to the word of Prophecie as if they who were commended for their attention hitherto were now dismissed therefrom and stood not from henceforth obliged any more Gen 28.15 For I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken to thee of 2 Sam 6.23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto or untill the day of her death Mat 16 28. They shall not tast of death untill they see the Kingdome of God It were ill gathered from hence either that God did forsake Jacob after he had performed that promise concerning his safe return Or that Michal had a child after the day of her death Or that the Disciples which saw his glory in the Mount should not out-live the Assension Mission of the Holy Ghost and the promulgation of the Gospel to the Gentiles with signes ensuing Mat 11.13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophecyed untill John Mat 22.44 Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemyes thy footstoole John 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto or untill now and I work 1 Tim 4.13 Till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine In his exempris praeâ—eri tam ita negarat ut contrarium 〈◊〉 non significetur It cannot be gathered from hence either that after John there is no more Law and Prophets Or that after Christs enemyes are subdued he shall sit no longer at the right hand of his Father Or that after Christ spake those words the Fathers Governing-providence of the world ceased Or that after Pauls comming Timothy is no more to attend to reading exhortation and preaching In the Negative examples the word untill so inferreth the denyall of a thing concerning the time before it as that it doth not at all inferr the affirmative of that thing concerning the time after it In the affirmative examples the word untill so inferreth the affirmative of a thing concerning the time before as that it not at all infers the denyal of that thing concerning the time after it The summe is according to this last interpretation the word untill is taken extensively not exclusively So farr then is this text from disobliging believers from their attendance upon the Scriptures as that it is a most solemn serious incentive as of all others to whom the sacred Canon shall be revealed so also of believers in particular not only to attend upon the word of prophecie or the Scripture but so to take heed thereunto as that their attention through the co-operation of the Spirit may be effectual and that so long as their hearts are dark places i. e. during their present state of imperfection untill Christ the bright morning-starr appear in their soules according to the fulness of the Spirit of grace and the noon-day-light of the perfection of glory The heterodoxie errour of such who from the text alledged inferr the old Testament to be unnecessary unto those that live under the Gospel is argued thus Promises given unto the Saints in the old Testament belong unto believers living under the new Testament The Promise made unto Joshua Josh 1.5 to David Psal 118.6 The Hebrews are led by the hand unto taught confidently to make use of in reference unto their present and Personal cases For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we viz believers under the Gospel not onely David may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not feare what man shall do unto mee The trueths held forth by the Prophets touching salvation by Christ concerned not onely those who lived in the times of the old but also us who live in the times of the new Testament 1 Pet 1.10 11 12. Vnto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you
Essence Who being the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person Heb 1.3 The first manner of existence in the Divine Being is here called Hypostasis which imports a distinct subsistence If the Father viz. the Correlate be a distinct subsistence there is the same reason of the Son vâ—z the Relate If the Father be a distinct subsistence the Son is a distinct subsistence If the Son be a distinct subsistence the Father is a distinct subsistence the Son is as distinct from the Father August de trinit lib. 7 c. 4. as the Father is from the Son that which the Greek calls hypostasis the latine calleth persona from which last is our English word person Christ speaking of the Father Iohn 5.32 calleth him another there is another that beareth witness of mee likewise speaking of the Holy-Ghost he calleth him another Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father he shall give you another Comforter this predicate another is unintelligible of the Essence for so the Father Son Holy-Ghost are one Iohn 10.30 1 Iohn 5.7 therfore it must proceed concerning the Subsistence what is more manifest then that another Subsistence and another subsistence speake distinct subsistences The distinction of the persons or Subsistences is manifest from the relative properties of begetting being begotten and proceeding Psal 2.7 Iohn 15.27 Begetting is distinct from being begotten being begotten from begetting both from proceeding A personal act is God necessarily relatively and in an Incommunicable manner acting within or upon himselfe Now these acts of the Persons one upon another argue the distinctnes of the subsistences viz to beget being begotten proceeding God in the first manÌ„er of subsistence is considered as acting upon himselfe in a way of understanding in the second manner of Subsistence as reflecting upon himself understood August de trinit lib. 5. c. 11 lib. 6. c. 5. in the third manner of subsistence as willing of delighting in himselfe Hence the Spirit is called the hand of the Trinity proceeding from the two other persons as the Love of them both which selfe-sufficient and infinitely blessed Communion of God in and with himself before there was either mountain or hill while as yet he had not made the earth wee read of Prov. 8.30 Then was I by him as one brought up with him I was dayly his delight rejoycing alwayes before him The distinction of the Persons further appeares from the order of their operations upon the creature held forth in their mission or sending the second Person is sent from the Father Iohn 8.42 Iesus said unto them if God were your father yee would love mee for I proceeded forth came from God neither came I of my selfe but he sent mee The Holy-Ghost is sent from the Father the Son whom the Father will send John 14 26. whom I will send John 15.26 Sending imports two things First an eternall relative property of the Divine Essence the order original whereof is not of it self Secondly a designation of the Person distinguished by this relative property unto some work concerning the creature to be performed in time Now evident it is that he which sendeth and he which is sent are distinct That the Father sending the Son sent by the Father the Father and Son sending the Spirit and the Spirit sent by the Father Son are distinct subsistences and not the same Concerning satisfaction to some Objections Object 1 The Church was without the Scripture or written Word for the space of 2454 yeares untill Moses during which space the Doctrine of Life was communicated VOCALLY by the Patriarches Therefore there is no need of the Scripture or written Word Answ There are many Reasons obvious why the Tradition of the Rule of life by word of mouth might better suit the state of the Church in the time of the longâ—evity of the Patriarchs then now as also why God saw not good to continue unto after ages such and so frequent extraordinary manifestations of himself as wee read of in those elder times Why God dispensed the Rule of life then by word of mouth not by writing a principal reason thereof was his good pleasure The same good pleasure may stand for a principal reason way he dispenseth the Rule of life now by the word written and not by vocall tradition Even so Father because it pleaseth thee Distinguish between necessity absolute necessity according to Divine constitution God according to his absolute power can communicate the rule of life by what means he pleaseth therefore the scripture is not necessary absolutely But Gods will being to communicate the Rule of life by his written word hence the scripture is necessary by necessity of divine constitution or appointment Whilest Israel was in the wilderness God give them Manna bread from heaven in an extraordinary manner After their comming into Canaan he changeth his dispensation and giveth them bread in the ordinary way of agriculture or tillage He could still have supplyed them in an extraordinary way out he would not The Maana ceased Josh 5.12 Not the letter without the mind of the Author nor the Spirit without the letter but the Scripture i. e. the word-written as including the sense of the author is the Rule of life Distinguish between Moral-obliging-power and strengthning-Physical-power All the strengthning-Physical-power whereby we are enabled to obey the Rule is from the Spirit but the Moral-obliging-power is from the Scripture it self or CoÌ„mand as denoting the will of God signifyed thereby Surely they are under a Rule who have not the Spirit Since the Canon of the Scripture is closed so farr is the Spirit from being a Rule of life that to us it is not the Spirit but as it moves agreeably to the written word Hereby we are taught to discerne between the Spirit of trueth and the Spirit of error Object 2 The words of the Scripture are to be taken simply without interpretation or consideration of what is signifyed by them Answ This Objection exposeth Scripture to the imputation of non-sence which cannot be without at least the reflexion of blasphemy interpretative upon the author It was wont to be said Scripture lyeth not in the Sound but in the Sence They are not the inkie characters without the mind of the author that can constitute Scripture But taking the mind of the objection more favourably as proceeding only against any other sense or interpretation to be given of Scripture then according to the sound of the words in a proper or according to some in a literall sence yet it unscriptures a considerable part of the Scripture unto us becommeth a fruithfull womb of confusion error and absurdity should it stand in force The example those words that they may be one as wee are one John 17.22 give an uncertain sound Nay the Papists Transsubstantiation Origen's castration are hence warrantable Distinguish between no interpretation mis-interpretation sound
Power but of God the Powers that be are or lained of God This or that Form of Civill government is of God mediately i. e. by the means of man 1 Pet 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Wherefore yee must needs bee subject not only for weath but also for Conscience sake Rom 13.5 Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion See in the next chapter That Visible Politica-Charches Church-Officers and Church-Ordinances are Gospel-Institutions appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the world appeareth as followeth briefly That Commandement which Pâ—â—â— gave to Timothy is to be kept untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus 1 Tim 6.14 But Visible political-Political-Church estate is part of that CoÌ„mandment which Paul gave to Timothy 1 Tim 3.15 Therefore Visible political church-estate is to continue untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. to the end of the world The word Commandment relates generally to all conteined in this Epistle prescribed unto Timothy to be observed Whence Beza readeth it pâ—eception rather then Precept This is part of that Depositum that great thing deposited which the holy Apostle so frequently affectionately calleth upâ—n his dear Timothy to see unto Yea and sometime forbeareth not as with a severe and most vehement adjuration to charge bin with the custody of 1 Tim 5.13 14 20. I give thee charge in the sight of God O Timothie keep that which is committed to thy charge Either God since the institutioÌ„ of the Ceremonial worship Polity of Israel by Moses hath changed the Rule of Political Church-estate more then once or he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning Political church-estate or else the Political church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue to the end of the world But since the institution of the Ceremonial worship Polity of â—srael by Moses God hath changed the Rule of the Political estate of the Church but once Heb 12.26 27. And it is not a trueth to say that he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning the Political estate of the church Heb 3.5 6. 1 Tim 3.14 15. 1 Cor 14.33 Therefore the Political Church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue unto the end of the world Pastors Teachers are Church-Officers Pastors Teachers are to continue to the end of the world Therefore Church-Officers are to continue unto the end of the world The Apostle Ephe. 4.11 12. having instructed us concerning the institution use of Pastors Teachers proceeds verse 13. to inform us concerning their duration where unto that question how long are Pastors Teachers to continue He hath prepared an answer long since in those words till we all come in the Vnitie of Faith of the knowledge of the Sonn of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullnes of Christ. Wee have in the text presented before us the duration of these Officers described from two periodical and indubitable notes First the meeting of all the elect in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Secondly the attaining of all believers unto a perfect man or he full stature of Christ. By the first understand the effectual calling together with the perfect agreement of all the Elect in the faith By the second the perfection of Christ mystical The head and members Christ all believers make one mystical person or one mystical-bodie The perfection whereof is heâ—e held forth by a metaphor taken from the full stature of the body natural after which there is no augmentation Now the perfection or full stature of the body mystical after which it receiveth no augmentation imports two things First that no member shall then be wanting secondly that every member shall be perfect From the premises it being manifest that these two periodical notes shall not be untill the end of the world therefore as manifest it is that Pastors and Teachers being to continue untill then they are to continue unto the end of the world Those three verses are as Aarons rod an argument were it alone sufficient quite to take away the murmurings of the people Yet for the further satisfaction of the Reader touching the Gospel-ministry two things may here not unseasonably be spoken to 1. Concerning the nature of extraordinary Gospel-ministers 2. Concerning immediate mission of persons in these dayes Touching the first Church-Officers are Extraordinary i. e. but for a time as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Ordinary i. e. such whose function continueth and is standing at all times To the constitution of an Apostle four extraordinary gifts concurred 1. A Call immediately by Christ Matthias substituted in the place of Judas is elected by Lot which was a divine vote Acts 1.26 Paul hath a vision of Christ and heareth a voice from heaven Acts 26.16 1 Cor. 15.8 2. Plenitude and amplitude of the power of the Keyes i. e. all Church-power in all Churches John 21.21 Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 3. Infallible assistance in their administration when called thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 21. 4. Power to work Miracles 2 Cor 12.12 The Prophets were called immediately by the Spirit their work was to interp et dark Scriptures by a special gift without study Acts 13.1 15.32 1 Cor 14.24 Prediction of things to come Acts 11.27 28. 21.11 Joel 2.28 Aâ—ts 2.9 Luke 2.36 Acts 21.9 Evangelists were extraordinary Ministers called by the Apostles as ordinary Ministers are by the Church Such were Timothy Titus Quest Touching the querie whether we have any Scripture warrant to expect persons immediately sent of God in these dayes Answ We have no promise of any such ministry in our times The last dayes Acts 2.17 are by some senced as relating to the last dayes of the Jewes immediately preceding the dreadfull famous destruction of that Nation According to them called the great terrible day of the Lord. Thus James chapt 5.3 speaking of the wealthy Jewes saith that they have treasured up their wealth as fire against the last dayes i. e. against those times of destruction when their wealth should but do them a mischief marking them out as prizes preyes for the enemy But this interpretation is left to free disquisition The Apostles seem not so to have expected any succession of Apostles Hence in their life time they appointed Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 And left behind them a prescribed form as a directory of the Churches concerning persons to be called by man into the Ministry successively in the ages to come 1 Tim 3 Titus 1. But though we have no promise of any such ministry yet in the Scripture we have frequent prediction caution of pretenders to immediate mission of deceivers false Apostles false Prophets false Teachers Speakers of lyes in the name of the Lord with Command and directions to try them not by their own profession for that is no
great thing if the ministers of Satan transform themselves into the ministers of Righteousness 2 Cor 11.15 Nor so much by their Conversation for the trueth were not true if such ravening Wolves did not come in sheeps cloathing as by their doctrine by which fruit they are in an especial manner to be known Mat. 7.16 Iohn 2 Epist 9 10. Yea and upon just tryal so farr ought we to bee from being moved by them in point of our faith as confidently to pronounce them Anathama's But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that yee have received let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that yee have received let him be accursed Scepticks all others are heÌ„ce beseeched to consider what unmovednes and firmnes in fundamentalls Christ looks for especially from those who would acquit themselves as Church-members in reference to such deceivers Though we have no Scripture warrant to expect immediate missions and have both frequent and solemn cautions concerning the rising of false pretenders therunto yet it being also a trueth that the holy One of Israel hath not limited himself herein When any arise with the gifts prementioned and with the fruits both of doctrine life conformable to the Scripture they are accordingly to be received in the Lord. The Lords Supper is a Visible-Political-Church-Ordâ—nanceâ— and is to continue unto the end of the world For as after as yee eat this bread drinke this Cup yee shew forth the Lords death untill he come 1 Cor. 12.26 In these words saith Paraeus is a tacite promise of the conservatioÌ„ of the Church unto the end of the world Baptisme is a Visible-Political-Church-Ordinance and is to continue unto the end of the world Teach and Baptise c and loe I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Mat 28.19 20. Therfore visible political-Church-ordinances are to continue unto the end of the world Object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in our translation we read world signifieth an Age and according to this version the text alledged speaks not of the continuance of Baptism unto the end of the world but unto the finishing of the age viz of that ministration or of the Apostles age Answ The trueth of the premises already evicted concludes this evasion a falsity Hence it would follow that the instant of John's death the last surviver of the Apostles the instant of the dissolution of Church order was the same But that John did not thus understand Christ yea that Christ did not thus understand himself witness besides his silence of any such notion in his Epistles to the other Churches his writing expresly to the Church of Thyatira that it was the precept of the Son of God concerning that Church that they should hold fast the doctrine they had received part whereof was chuâ—ch-estate not till John's death but till Christ's Comming Rev. 2.25 Namely to Judgment If the words be understood by any of his speciall comming to them by their personal deaths the like also being to be understood concerning others it effectually makes void this objection Add hereunto that John by that formidable Anathema chap 22.18 19. secureth the obligatory observance of all the words of the Revelation wherein is mention of Political church-estate as also of the rest of the sacred Canon according to the judgment of the best orthodox interpreters untill the second comming of Christ Rev. 22.7 12 20. Neither did Ignatius who lived in the time of the Apostles outlived Iohn thus understand Christ Witness those Epistles which are acknowledged by orthodox learned Criticks in antiquity as genuine wherein he attesteth unto owneth many churches then in being by honouring of them with the express titles of the Churches of Christ This objection renders the motion of Christ retrograde viz first forwards from the daâ—ker dâ—spensation of the law unto a more cleare dispensation of the Gospel and then backwards again unto a dâ—spensation more dark then that of the Law wherein the people of God may we credit the objecter are for 1500 yeares left without a Rule without Order without Seales without any sent by Office to preach unto them or any Church-Ordinance That the English translation is apt and renders not onely a true sense of the word but also its proper sense in this place appeareth from a particular indiction of its various acceptions in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to its proper notation signifieth such a duration as is without an end for EVER Hence in reference unto duration it is used in diverse notions 1. For everlasting Iohn 12.34 6.51 4.14 14.16 2 Pet. 2.17 The objecter reading the word in these and many other texts the Age of a man must therewithall a firm that the residence of the Holy Ghost the state of grace heaven and hell shall continue but the age of a man 2. It is used also for a duration that is long viz for all the tract of time from its beginÌ„ing untill such a Term then spoken of Iohn 9.32 3. For the whole course of time Mat. 13.39 40 49. 4. For the Vniverse or frame of Creation it â—elâ— which is the Subject of time that duration being an insepperable adjunct thereof Thus it is rendered worlds Heb. 1.2 11.3 importing in born the visible world The world 2 Coâ— 4 4. speaking of this world as contradâ—stinct from the world to come For there are two worlds this world Iohn 12.31 and that world Luke 20.35 This present world 2 Tim 4.10 and the world to come Ephe 1.21 This is the subject of the duration of time that of the duration of Eviternity Of the premised expositions the reader may soon perceive both from the subject matter spoken of and the collation of other Scriptures that the third acception only agreeth with the text presented unto consideration and that this acception fully agree to therewith There is yet in the Gospel according to some learned men another acception of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely for the whole course of the time of the Gospel-dispensation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the abrogation of the Mosaical-dispensation at the ascention of Christ This is called the last Age of the world after which there is no other to be looked for by us here as after old age man is to expect no other age in this life but death which putteth an end unto his time And the Scripture as they conceive in this notion of age relates to a very notable distribution of famous account amongst the jewes of the time before and after the Messiah into two ages The first is called the Age before the Messiah the then present age the age of the jewish state The secoÌ„d the Age after the Messiah the future age the age of Christianitie Not inconformably whereunto Tobit speaking of the second Temple rebuilded