Hee must not keepe away the Bread of life from Gods familie The word of reconciliation is committed vnto him Yea necessity is laid vpon him so that were he as great as S. Paul himselfe yet woe be vnto him if he preach not the Gospell This consideration that the Ministerie of the Word is the meanes of our life O what esteeme should it cause that sacred Calling to bee of among men How beautifull should their feet bee that bring glad tidings of peace How amiable their presence that present vs to God in Christ What haue wee or what can wee giue to them proportionable to the good we receiue from God by them being instrumentally the very Sauiours of our soules Who can open the mouth or lift vp the hand despightfully against such to whom hell it selfe is constrained to giue this applause These men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluation The neglect of hearing the Word nay Recusancy contempt must therefore needs be a haynous sinne whatsoeuer salue of excuse may be laid vpon it For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation offered vnto vs in the Ministery of the Gospell of Christ Such men as thus reiect and put the Word of God from them if wee will beleeue the Apostle pronounce a direfull sentence against themselues for by the very act of neglect and contempt of the Word they iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life Then how carefull ought we to be to attend vpon the ordinance of God in the Ministery of his Word Let the preaching of the Crosse be to the profane world to them that perish foolishnesse but saith the Apostle Vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God For so it hath pleased God by that which vaine men set so light by euen by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Let euery soule therefore that would bee partaker of the grace of life neglect no good opportunity of hearing Consider that life eternall consisteth in the Knowledge of God in Christ and as all Learning so heauenly Knowledge must enter into the heart by the eare the sense of hearing being the organe or instrument of learning Set downe then this resolution in thy heart with the faithful in the Psalme I wil heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints but let not them turne againe to folly The second meanes of entrance into the Church is by beleeuing This must follow hearing and goe before Baptisme for without faith neither is the Word of force to vs nor we fit for Baptisme The Word preached saith the Apostle did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it And the Eunuch desiring Baptisme is told by Philip that he must first be a beleeuer If thou beleeuest saith he with all thy heart thou mayest Looke into the examples of all that euer were added to the Church if they will be sound members they must beleeue nay they cannot so much as be admitted into the outward society but they must at least professe faith yea euen Simon Magus himselfe Thus Chrispus beleeued on the Lord with all his house Many of the Corinthians hearing beleeued and were baptized And so of all the rest of the Conuerts to Christianity And there is great reason for it for no man can be added to the body of the Church to become a sound member of it but he must be vnited to the Head Christ Iesus in whom all the members grow vp into a compleate body Now we are vnited vnto Christ by none other meanes but by faith whereby hee dwelleth in our hearts Againe What is the Church but a company of beleeuers a congregation of faithfull men Therefore vnlesse a man beleeue he cannot be of that society Besides the Word is the bread of life the foode of the soule so that as naturall food cannot sustaine nature vnlesse it be receiued into the body and digested no more can the Word bee a Word of life to the soule except it be apprehended by faith It is a sauing Word onely to them that beleeue They therfore that hearing beleeue not are in the same or rather worse condition then they that heare not at all For sinnes of knowledge are greater then sinnes of ignorance and the meanes not profited by doth aggrauate the sin Yea the sentence is feareful that He that beleeueth not shal be damned And the very same word that is by vnbeliefe so reiected shall iudge the incredulous that receiue it not by faith at the Last day This should mouingly perswade euery Christian Soule to mixe the Word with faith considering that as the means of vniting to the Church on Gods part is the liuely voice of his Word preached so on mans part the effectuall meanes is faith Nay God for our greater incouragement hath promised to his both the meanes and efficacy thereof For the meanes see the Prophet Esay Though saith the Prophet the Lord giue you the bread of aduersity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be remoued into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying This is the way walke in it And as for the efficacie God hath bound himselfe so to assist his outward ordinance that his inward working grace shall concurre with it I wil put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts saith the Lord. This also may be a touchstone to try vs whether we bee indeede vnited to the Church of God or in outward shew onely for we see euidently that none are incorporated into the body of Christ but the true Beleeuers And who are those true beleeuers Take these briefe notes of them 1. A true beleeuer doth rely only vpon the mercie of God in Christ whose mercy he doth so account his al sufficient merit that he professeth vnfainedly that he hath none in heauen but the Lord and none on earth but he 2. The true Beleeuer liueth no longer in the former course of his ignorance and sinne he walkes not after the flesh but after the Spirit becomming by the power of the death of Christ dead to sinne 3. The true Beleeuer doth expresse his faith by his workes knowing that it is not idle but worketh by loue 4. The true beleeuer is constant in his way of piety and vertue that he may attain to the end of his faith the saluation of his soule for he knoweth well that he cannot receiue the Crowne of life vnlesse he be faithfull to the death The Sacrament of Baptisme is the third meanes of entring into the Church for the
THE WAY TO HEAVEN SHEVVING 1. That Saluation is onely in the Church 2. What that Church is 3. By what meanes men are added to the Church 4. The Author or Efficient of this addition 5. The time continuance of that worke 6. The happinesse of those that are added to the Church By Iohn Phillips Bachelor of Diuinity and Pastor of Feuersham in Kent Isa. 30.21 This is the way walke in it LONDON Printed by FELIX KINGSTON 1625. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THE MAIOR and the IVRATS his BRETHREN AND TO THE COMMVNALTIE of the Towne and PORT-LIMME of FEVERSHAM in KENT I. P. wisheth happy societie with the heauenly Ierusalem heere and in heauen Right Worshipfull and Beloued HAppinesse is the common obiect of euery mans desire so that as Seneca saith Viuere omnes beatè volunt There is not a man that would not be happy But there are two obstacles that hinder the attainement of this desired Happinesse One is as hee saith well Sed ad peruidendum quid sit quòd beatam vitam efficiat caligant Their sight is so dimme that they cannot perceiue what that thing is that makes a man happy The other is Si viâ lapsus est If a man misse of the right way In which case Ipsa velocitas maioris interualli causa fit The faster he runnes the farther hee is out of the way Therefore this wise Heathen man doth giue good counsell Decernatur it a que quò tendamus qua We must looke both to the end whereunto wee ayme as also to the way whereby wee may attaine vnto it For the course of the world is vtterly against reason Pecorum ritu se qui antecedentium gregem pergentes non qua eundum est sed qua itur That men indued with reason should imitate the brute and vnreasonable creatures which follow one another though it bee out of the way as if men should goe on not considering what way they ought to goe but what way is usually gone of others But this is non ad rationem sed ad similitudinem viuere not to liue according to reason but according to example not like men but like Apes Now our good Guide who is the Way the Truth and the Life and therefore a better Instructer then the wisest heathen hath directed vs Christians both to the end and to the way leading vnto that end which is true Happinesse in deed and consisteth in the fruition of God by the meanes of sauing knowledge and grace in this life with the rest of the Church Militant heere in earth as also by inioyning his glorious presence with the Church Tâ—iumphant in heauen So that if we follow his direction wee shall know quò qua both whither and by what way we must goe to attaine true felicity here below as S. Augustine saith by faith and heereafter aboue by sight And this is the scope which I haue propounded to my selfe in this Treatise that I might not onely by liuely voyce say This is the way walke in it but as it were by the hand leade you in the way for I am obliged by the bond of dutie as being your Pastour and you my flocke both to pray for you and to direct you the best I can in this heauenly course Which as I haue carefully indeuoured to doe amongst you by the space of almost twenty yeeres so I wish I may with good successe happily continue to our mutuall ioyes through Gods blessing For I can truly say with the Apostle My hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that ye might be saued and with the Prophet Samuel God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord and cease praying for you but I will shew you the good and right way Giue me leaue then I beseech you to stiree vp your Christian mindes to an vnfained desire and indeuour to enter into this way tending to life and happinesse In worldly benefits wee would not haue others to goe before vs why should wee not haue as great nay greater care of heauenly things Our Sauiour vpbraided the chiefe of the Iewes for that Publicans and Harlots went into the Kingdome of God before them And what a shame is it as S. Augustine saith Vâ— simplices Idiotae rapiant nobis Coelum nos cum nostra scientia mergamur in infernum That simple Idiotes should snatch heauen from vs and we with all our knowledge and learning should be plunged into hell Oh let vs not doe our selues so great aniniurie It is the propertie of worldlings who liue not according to faith as S. Augustine speaketh to angle for all their peace and prosperitie in the sea of temporall profits whereas the righteous liue in full expectation of the glory to come Which that you may also doe take for your furtherance this weake helpe in good worth vse it and peruse it I hope you shall finde your labour well bestowed The occasion of this Worke was the interring of our neighbour Master Edward Lapworth Doctor of Physicke It is for the method and matter the very same that was then publikely deliuered by liuely voyce but is now not onely amplified by accesse of those things that the strictnesse of time would not then permit but is also further inlarged into a conuenient Treatise the waight of the matter and fitnesse of these times so requiring If any desire to know the reason of the publishing of it I must ingenuously confesse it was neuer liberally intended on my part but rather extorted and wrung from mee for had it not beene for a furious and ouer-hasty Midwife that drew it out of the wombe by violence this Embryon had neuer seene the light Yet when I did call to minde That Samsons Lyon had honie in it so that out of the eater came foorth meate and out of the strong came foorth sweetnesse I did willingly set vpon this Worke hoping that by the blessing of God some wholesome food and sweet repast might issue out of these bitter beginnings to the refreshing of the hungry soule But to leaue Parables and to speake plainely This Gentleman deceased was noted of all that knew him to bee inclined to the Romish Religion At the Funerall I tooke occasion to speake something of the deceased which either of simple misprision or sinister acception was misconstrued and by some officious hearers carried as newes to such whose eares are patent and gates wide open to receiue the tale-bearer Heereupon the poore Predicant was rated as if it had beene a Schoole-boy by some austere Pedantee and yet the Censor had nothing to obiect praeter auditum but onely by bare heare-say not one auditor obiecting any thing against the Teacher but some godly and well-minded shewing their acceptance did giue him thanks for his labours Now forsooth the criminations or faults obiected were these 1. That the deceased partie was commended being accounted a Papist yea and a seducer The
couenant being propounded in the Word and accepted and imbraced of the beleeuer by faith is ratified and confirmed by the Seale of Baptisme and so saluation as by a deede vnder hand and seale is effectually conuaied vnto vs. Therefore Baptisme is called by S. Peter The like figure which now saueth vs because it is not a naked or bare signe of our regeneration and saluation but an effectuall seale organe and instrument to conuay and as it were to set the very stampe and Character of Sauing grace vpon the soule of euery faithfull Christian. Hence is that of S. Ambrose Origo verae vitae veraeque iustitiae in Regenerationis posita est Sacramento c. The originall of true life and of true righteousnesse is grounded in the Sacrament of Regeneration Sutable to this Antiquity is the moderne doctrine of our Christian Church Baptisme saith our Church of England is not onely a signe of profession and marke of difference c. but is also a signe of regeneration or new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receiue Baptisme rightly are grafted into the Church c. Yea Caluin himselfe is so plaine for the efficacy of the Sacrament and to shew that it is not a bare signe that he proueth out of the Epistle to the Romanes Quòd per Baptismum Christus nos mortis suae fecerit participes vt in eam inseramur That by Baptisme Christ hath made vs partakers of his death that we may be ingrafted into it And immediately after in the very next words he saith Qui Baptismum eâ quâ debent side accipunt verè efficaciam mortis Christisentiunt They that receiue Baptism with such faith as they ought doe truely feele the efficacie of Christs death euen as the young graffe receiueth sap from the stock into which it is set And afterwards he calleth Baptisme with S. Paul Lauacrum regenerationis renouationis the Lauer or washing of regeneration and renouation Noting thereby the force of Baptisme Againe Caluin in another place defending the Baptisme of infants against Anabaptists and speaking of the state of infants in Baptisme saith Eos vt viuificet sui participes facit That Christ to the end he may make infants capable of life hee maketh them partakers of himselfe And a little after he taketh away this Anabaptisticall obiection Quomodo regenerantur infantes nec boni nec mali cognitions praediti How can infants be regenerate say the Anabaptists seeing they know neither good nor euill Whereunto Caluin answereth Opus Dei etiamsi captui nostro non subiaceat non tamen esse nullum The worke of God though it be not subiect to our capacity yet it doth not therefore cease to be Thus we see that Baptisme is an effectuall meanes of our entrance into the Church of God They are therefore worthy of seuere reproofe who either out of error vnderualuing the excellency of this Sacrament or through negligence conceiting there is no such necessity of it doe sinfully omit and deferre the seasonable vse of Baptisme Such must suffer themselues to be informed in the truth and know that there is as expresse a mandate for Baptisme as there is for teaching hearing praying or any other pious or morall duty He that said Go and teach said also Baptize them The Apostle did not simply say to those whom he directed in the way to saluation Repent ye but withall he addeth and be baptized euery one of you for the remission of sinnes And it was according to the Lords charge giuen in the Apostles commission which is that they teach mē to obserue whatsoeuer he had commanded them So then though it be not of that absolute necessitie that infants dying without it when it cannot conueniently be had should bee damned according to the Romish bloody position yet seeing there is the necessity of precept men must take heed of neglecting so waighty a dutie If the Iew for the neglect of Circumcision was to be cut off how shall the Christian be excusable How shall hee escape for the omitting of so great a Sacrament Thus we haue seene the meanes whereby men are added to the Church The Word Faith and Baptisme the next point is The Author of this addition and that is The Lord The Lord added to the Church such as should be saued The Rhemists adde the Pronoune Our Lord as their vsuall manner is contrary to their vulgar Latine Edition which yet they pretend in their Translation exactly to follow It is in truth a grosse abuse of the sacred Text to adde so many hundred Pronounes more then euer God made and yet cauill at our Translation for turning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the word Congregation whereas it is the most proper signification of the word But it is worth the noting to obserue how they are constrained sometime to translate The Lord and not Our Lord seeing in themselues the absurdity of it as in Matthew where it is said The Lord said vnto my Lord there they leaue out the Pronoune perceiuing how odde and harsh the tone would be to translate it Our Lord said to my Lord. These Pronounists doe so glory in the phrase that it is become a distinguishing note of a Romish Catholike insomuch that if any will symbolize with them he must speake in their language as some to please them doe To come to the point It is the Lord that doth adde to the Church such as shall be saued God must perswade Iaphet it is he that must inlarge him that he may dwell in the tents of Shem. He giueth vnto Christ such as are ordained to life otherwise there is a plaine impossibility of our vnion with Christ and his Church For our Sauiour doth peremptorily affirme that no man can come vnto him except the Father draw him and except it were giuen vnto him of his Father The meanes without this efficient cannot be effectuall Paul planted Apollo watered but God gaue the increase without whom neither he that planteth is any thing neither he that watereth God opened the heart of Lydia before she could profitably attend to S. Pauls preaching If his Spirit doe not inwardly coworke with the outward voice it shall but beate the ayre in vaine The reason is euident for mans deadnesse is such that he can no more mooue toward heauen so much as one step then a dead man can rise of himselfe Nay there is in the corrupt nature of man an opposite disposition willingnesse to remaine in the state of sin like Lot to linger in Sodom so that there is naturally a reluctation and striuing against the worke of Grace which remaining in the regenerate in part causeth them that they cannot alwayes doe the good that they would Againe the worke of conuersation and regeneration is a miraculous worke greater then the worke of creation and therefore requireth a diuine power to effect it In
the first Creation there was no let God said the word and the creatures had their being instantly but in the worke of Regeneration there are many obstacles Satan the world the flesh not that any thing can hinder the effect of Gods omnipotencie but in respect of vs. This confuteth the errour of freedome of will to good in man by nature whether wholly as the Pelagians held or in part as our Romists maintaine The right Christian and Catholike veritie is with S. Paul by a negatiue to exclude nature and extoll grace whereby nature of nilling is made willing For it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to doe Nos volumus sed Deus dat vt velimus We will saith a Father but God doth giue vs that power to will Is any man partaker of this grace is he drawne of God hath the Lord added him to his Church Let him giue his Name the praise and confesse with the Apostle that he hath obtained mercy For indeed it is a great mercy of God to be taken out of the slauery and bondage of Satan and to be put into the Lords seruice which is perfect freedome and hath for the end euerlasting life To conclude this point Doth any desire to bee sincerely vnited vnto the Church of Christ Let him goe to the Fountaine of this grace and cry with them in the Song of Salomon Draw me we will runne after thee And with Dauid Vnite my heart to feare thy name And with the Prodigall O Lord make me as one of thy houshold seruants The time of this addition to the Church is heere said to be daily or from day to day it shall not faile to the last day nor time be any more when the number of the elect is once compleate Yet it is not so to be vnderstood as if the increase of the Church should be alwaies apparant and in a flourishing eminencie as our Rhemists vpon this Text would haue it for we know by the Word of God that there must be Apostasie and falling into error in these last times as was said before The consideration of the time is of excellent vse It sheweth the patience of God in waiting so long from day to day for our conuersion It was great to the old world when the long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah by the space of 120. yeeres but it was nothing to the time of the Gospel from the first to the second comming of Christ. This aduiseth vs to take speciall notice of the day of our visitation For through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from an high hath visited vs. Haue we the light Let vs walke in it while we haue it and pray the Lord to send it to them that sit in darkenesse Againe let vs not rashly censure nor vncomfortably despaire of those that are without The Lord addeth to his Church daily therefore let vs while there is time both hope and helpe forward the worke of God All are not called in in the prime of the day but some at the third some at the sixt some at the eleuenth houre He that is to day with Saul a persecuter may be to morrow a Conuert and professe that which before hee persecuted We say Hee runnes farre that neuer returnes But know that none can outrunne God when hee will fetch him home to himselfe To close vp this matter in briefe See here in the last place the happinesse of those that are added to the Church it is in one word Saluation being made the seruants of God and becomming of his family which is the Church They haue saith the Apostle their fruit in holinesse and the end euerlasting life They are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation They are safe in the Arke whilest the world of the wicked perish in the Deluge They are in the little Zoar of Gods Church out of the danger of the fire of Gods wrath Happie are the people that are in such a case yea thrice happy are they that haue the Lord for their God What can allure vs to be of this societie if this motiue of eternall happinesse preuaile not with vs Men desire to bee free of those Corporations that haue great immunities and priuiledges then know that no citie can compare with the heauenly Ierusalem no societie comparable to the Communion of Saints How prophane then and blasphemous is the conceit of wicked worldlings that say It is in vaine to serue God and what profit is in Religion and religious walking before the Lord and count the proud and wicked like themselues the onely happy men What a lamentable thing is it that the god of the world should so blinde their eyes that they should not see their owne miserie and the contrary happines of Gods people till with the rich Glutton it be too late As for those that haue their part in this happines let them goe on cheerefully abounding in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as they know that their labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Let them from the bottome of their hearts say Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for vs. Amen FINIS Seneca de vita beata l. 1. c. 1. Ioh. 14.6 Psal. 144.15 Ioh. 17 3. Aug de Ciu. Dei l. 19. c. 27. Rom. 10.1 Mat. 21.31 32. Aug. de Ciu. Dei l. 19. c. 17. Iudg. 14.8 Act. 28.2 Ioh 1.41 45. Iob 32. 22. Isa. 5. 20. Reu. 2.10 Isa. 22.12 13. 2. Pet. 3.3 Mat. 26.50 2. Sam. 1.23 24 Neh. 13.14 Luk. 24.49 Act. 1.4 5. Act. 2.4 11. Act. 2.41 1 No saluation but in the Church Demonstrated 1. by Noahs Arke 2. Pet. 2.5 Gen. 7.23 1. Pet. 3.20 21. Eph. 2.12 2 By the proportion of the head and the body Colos. 1.18 Eph. 1.22 23. 1. Cor. 12.27 Colos. 2.29 Eph. 4.16 Eph. 5.23 Greg. in Ps. 5. poen Istud est corpus extra quod non viuificat spiritus 3 By sacred similies 1 Of a House 1. Tim. 3.15 As it is taken for a building 1. Pet. 2.5 6. 1. Cor. 3.9 10 11. Eph. 2.20 Matth. 16. As it is taken for the inhabitans 1. Pet 4.17 Heb. 3.6 Eph. 3.17 Mat. 24.45 Eph. 2.19 Gal. 6.10 Luk. 12.42 Psal. 145.9 Psal. 36.6 Mat. 5.45 Psal. 73.1 1. Tim. 4.10 2 Pet. 1.3 Psal. 119.94 2. Of a Citie in two respects Reu. 21.2 10. Heb. 12.22 1. Defence Num. 32.17 Ier. 4.5 8.14 Isa. 26.1 Ioel 2.32 Psal. 147.12 13. Aug. de Ciu. Dei l. 19. c. 11. Psal. 31.21 2. Priuiledge Ibidem c. 21. Gal. 4.26 Eph. 2.12 13.19 Rom. 6.14 22. Rom. 8 â— 3. Of a