to their authority and the exercise of it over their Brethren CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day THE light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and soveraignty over all is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart with all the soul and with all the might a Ro 1.20 Act 17 14 Psa 119.68 Jer 7.10 Psal 31.23 Psal 18.3 Ro 10.12 Psal 62.8 Josh 24.14 Mar 12.33 But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself so limitted by his own revealed wil that he may not be Worshiped according to the imaginations and devises of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in holy Scripture b Deu 12.32 Mat 15.9 Acts 17.25 Mat 4.9.10 Deut 4.15 to 20. Exod 20.4 5 6. Col 2.23 II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to him alone c Mat. 4.10 with John 5.23 and 2 Cor 13.14 not to Angels Saints or any other creature d Col 2.18 Rev 19.10 Rom 1.25 and since the fall not without a Mediatour nor in the mediation of any other then of Christ alone e Joh 14.6 1 Tim. 2.5 Eph 2.18 Col 3.17 III. Prayer with thanksgiving being one special part of Religious worship f Phil 4.16 't is by God required of all men g Psa 85.2 and that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son h John 14.13 14. 1 Pet 2.5 by the help of his Spirit i Ro 8.26 according to his will k 1 Joh 5.4 with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance l Psa 47.7 Eccl 5.12 Heb 12.28 Gen 18.27 Jam 5.16 Jam 1.6 7 Mar 11.24 Mat 6.12 14 15. Col 4.2 Eph 6.18 and if vocal in a known tongue m Cor 14.14 IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful n Joh 5.14 and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter o 1 Tim 1.1 2. Joh 17.20 2 Sam 7.29 Rut 4.12 but nor for the dead p 2 Sam 12.21 22 23. with Luke 16.25.26 Rev 14.13 nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death q 1 Joh 5.5 V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear r Act 15.21 Rev 1.3 the sound preaching Å¿ 2 Tim 4.2 and conscionable hearing of the Word in obedience unto God with understanding faith and reverence t Jam 1.22 Acts 10.33 Mat 13.10 Heb 4.2 Isa 66.2 singing of Psalms with grace in the heart u Col 3.16 Eph 5.19 Jam 5.13 as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the Sacraments instituted by Christ are all parts of the ordinary Riligious Worship of God w Mat 28.19 1 Cor. 11 23 to 29. Acts 2 12. beside Religious Oaths x Deut 6.13 with Neh 10.29 Vows y Isa 19.21 with Eccles 5.4 5. Solemn Fastings z Joel 2.12 Esther 4.16 Matth 9.15 1 Cor 7.5 and Thanksgivings upon special occasions a Psal 107. throughout Esth 9.12 which are in their several times and seasons to be used in an holy and religious manner b Heb 12.28 VI. Neither prayer nor any other part of Religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed e Joh 4.21 but God is to be Worshiped every-where d Mal 1.11 1 Tim 2.8 in Spirit and in Truth e Joh 4 23 24. as in private Families f Jer 10.25 Deu. 6.6.7 Job 1.5 2 Sam 6.18 20. 1 Pet 3.7 Acts 10 2. daily g Mat. 6.11 and in secret each one by himself h Mat 6.6 Eph 6.18 so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto i Is 56.6.7 Heb 10.25 Pro. 1 20.21 24. Acts 13.24 Luk 4.16 Acts 2.42 VII As it is the Law of Nature that in general a due proportion of time be set apart for the Worshiping of God so in his Word by a positive Moral and perpetual Commandment binding all men in all Ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him k Exo 20.8.10.11 Isa 56.2 4 5 6 7. which from the beginning of the World to the resurrection of Christ was the last Day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week l Gen 2.2.3 1 Cor 16.1 2. Acts 20.7 which in Scripture is called the Lord's Day m Rev 1.10 and it to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath n Exod 20.8 10. with Mat 5.17.18 VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering of their common affaires before hand do not onely observe an holy rest all the Day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly imployment and recreations o Ex 20.8 Exod 16.23 25 26 29.30 Exod 31.15 16 17. Isa 58.13 Neh 13.15 16 17 18 19 21 22. but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his Worship and in the duties of necessity and mercy p Isa 58.13 Mat 12.1 to 13. CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and of the Sabboth Day examined IN the foregoing Chapters you gave us a scantling of your faith and here you exhibite a view of your piety or Religion but as your faith was many wayes unsound so your Religion for the greatest part will prove a will worship and both it and the time you allot thereunto are so ungrounded that we can neither Sabbatize in your worship nor worship your sabboth with you You have here touched many things that concern that worship as the object the rule the part or subject with which the supposed matter the Place and time of it after your manner but we cannot but wonder at four things first your strange omissions secondly some truths which break from you at unawares contradicting what you said before thirdly your gross mistakes and lastly your confident affirming of things most false and destitute of foundation For the first it is no small matter of wonderment to us that you neither shew us what the worship of God is nor of what latitude in the general nor how many kinds there be of it nor wherein Gods principal eternal and saving worship lieth especially since the holy Scriptures are so clear in all the four which set forth unto us First that to worship God is all one as to fear him serve him and glorifie him Mat. 4.10 It
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former place Heb. 1.2 fignifies ages or generations as sometime that word is found to do this last place which clearly speakes of the work of creation having the same word again will evict that the former place speakes of worlds truly so called as it is well and truly rendred in our translation If you reply again that perhaps the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Rabbins sometimes take the word gnolam gnolam caton for the Microcosme and gnolam gadol for the Macrocosme gnolam hazzeh for this world and gnolam habha for the world to come and the same word again for the lower world that is the earth sometimes for the middle world which is all these visible heavens and lastly for the Angels world or the invisible heavens Answer It may be so yet are these neither one entire world nor were all these things created in the space of six dayes as you untruly affirm First That the Angels world called by our Saviour and the Apostle Paul Paradise Luke 23.43 2 Cor. 12 4. and this present world are not one entire but two remote and distinct worlds it is evident out of the words of our blessed Savior Mat. 12.32 But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Luk. 20.34 5.36 And Jesus answering said unto them the children of this world marry and are given in marriage but they that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they die any more for they are equall to the Angels c. Secondly Nor were the Angels and their heavens created within the space of those six dayes wherein all things of this world were made Gen. 1.1 but long before For 1. It is certain that Moses makes no mention of them in the narration and history of those six dayes workes 2. Esdras in his second Book of which we spake before saith expresly Chap. 3.6 That Gods right hand planted Paradise before ever the earth came forward and that he having created man in time did lead him into it Nor doth he alone speak this that the Angels were existent before the creation of this world but the Lord himself also Job 38.4 Where wast thyou when I laid the soundations of the earth and then followes When the morning Stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy So that those sons of God who are at all hands confessed to be the Holy Angels were present and glorified God when he laid the first foundation of this world Nor is it improbable which some late prophetical men affirm that man was created in the room of the faln Angels which so much the more stirred up the envy of the Devil against him Certain it is that the wicked Angels were not only pre-existent but had faln also from their first estate before man was created 3. As the Scriptures make frequent mention of the Heavens of Heavens which can be no other then Paradise or the Angels which also are Gods heaven in whom he dwelleth So the Psalmist shews that they were of old Psal 68.33 To him which rideth upon the Heavens of Heavens which were of old Nor can we or you justly reject their opinion who say that as the Angels are in nature nearer to God then the creatures of this gross visible world so he first laid forth himself in them and that many ages before he proceeded to the creation of those things which were remoter and further distant from him But whether the Lord used the ministry of these Spirits in the creation of this world as he doth in the government of the same we will not dispute Howsoever it was the unanimous consent of most of the Greek fathers if not of them all and the assertion of divine Nazianzen in special and of Jerom among the Latines that the creation of Angels did precede the making of this world and that upon these grounds before alledged among many other After you have spoken of this world in general you come to the composure of the creature for whose sake this world was especially made even mankinde where according to holy Scriptures we finde another world not only because man is stiled a Microcosme by â—o contemptible Authors but by reason of an inteâ—â—â— and spiritual world and that far greater and more excellent then this outward Fabrick placed 〈…〉 of which Solomon not a stranger to any of these worlds speaks Eccles 3.11 He hath made every thing beautifull in his season he hath also set the world in their bea rt so that no man can finde out the worke of God from the beginning to the end Which world was Gods Kingdome in the man or the beautifull Image of God upon the inward and outward man as may appear by the promises of God which he hath gratiously given us in Christ for the repairing and re-edifying the same when it was decayed and defaced Esay 51.16 And I have put my words in thy mouth and have covered thee in the shadow of my hands that I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundation of the earth and say unto Zion Thou art my people Esai 65.17 18. For behold I create new Heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde But be yee glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy 2. Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his promises look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness But the outward heaven and earth of which many understand this place never was nor ever shall be the subject of righteousness for they are irrational yea liveless creatures Nor is this spiritual and glorious workmanship of God though to the world and her wise ones invisible called a world in the Old Testament alone but in the New also Rom. 4.13 For the promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham and his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Now if any hearing of more worlds be sorry with Alexander that he hath taken so much travaile for one growing ambitious to have the other also let him first by faith obedience prayer and all other good means seek to get the inward and spirituall world planted and created in him and upon him by the grace and power of Christ and he may be in the better possibility of the third and highest world and prove an heir of Paradise with the blessed Angels For as the Lord himself proceeded gradually first to that creation which was spiritual and invisible and then to that which was visible and corporeal so let the sons of men now faln and corrupted turn from the outward creature get the inward world of righteousness and holiness and so
whom and to whom are all things g Rom. 11.36 and hath most Sveraign Dominion over them to do by them for them and upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth h Re 4.11 1 Tim 6.15 Dan 4.25 35. In his sight all things are open and manifest i Heb 4.13 his knowledge is infinite infallible and independent upon the creature k Rom 11.33 34. Psa 147.5 so as nothing to him is contingent or uncertain l Act 15.18 Ezek 11.5 He is most holy in all his counsels in all his works and in all his commands m Psa 145.17 Rom 7.12 to him is due from Angels and men and every other creature whatsoever worship service or obedience he is pleased to require of them n Revel 5.12 13 14. III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three Persons of one substance power and eternity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost o 1 Joh 5.7 Mat 3.16.17 Mat 28.19 2 Cor 13.14 The Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is eternally begotten of the Father p Joh 1.14.18 The Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son q Joh 1.15.26 Gal 4.6 CHAP. II. Of God and of the Holy Trinity Examined IN This Chapter yon present us in the first Section with a large description of Gods Essence where we cannot but wonder that you should omit an essential to him and an essence so bright and glorious in the Godhead as the Divine light of God is whereby he manifests himself unto Angels and Men opposeth himself to the Prince of darkness And of which glorious Attribute or Nature of his the word of God maketh so frequent mention There are found in the holy Scripture some short but excellent descriptions of him first Hebr 11.6 That God is that is he onely is of from by and in himself and all other things are by in and for him Secondly God is light 1 John 1.5 that is a lightful bright and glorious being Thirdly God is a Spirit John 4.24 that is a most spiritual being yea that Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 3 17. Lastly God is love 1 John 4.16 that is a most holy good gratious kinde patient vertuous and perfect Being for love is the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 see 1 Cor. 13.1 2 to the 13. Now it seems strange unto us that you which are and who would be accounted Seers should not observe the second of these Is not light Gods glorious Robe and Vestment Psal 104.2 Who coverest thy self wiâ—h light as with a garment Is not light Gods habitation Who dwelleth in the light whereunto no man can approach 1 Tim 6.16 Doth not God distinguish himself and his work from Satans and his Kingdom by this very thing 1 John 1.5 6 7. This then is the message which we have received of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him dwelleth no darkness at all c. Is not God the Father called the light of Israel Isa 10.17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy one for a flame Is it not said of the Son of God John 1.9 That was the true light which lighteth every man which cometh into the world Is not the Holy Ghost the everlasting light of Gods spiritual Jerusalem Isa 60.20 Thy Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the daies of thy mourning shall be ended Is not Gods work in the regenerate light of this light Ephes 5.8 For ye were once darkness but now ye are light in the Lord. Yea Is not our everlasting inheritance a participating of his living and glorious light Psal 36.9 For with thee is the Fountain of life and in thy light we shall set light Col. 1.12 Giving thanks unto God the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Brethren what would you think of him who should undertake to give you a description of the Sun and should leave out his glorious splendor and light would you not conclude he had suffered some Ecclipse of his inward and outward senses But we desire to spare you and hope the best of many of you But here we must not omit to shew our great detestation of a late Diabolical Doctrine which turns God into a Devil making him the Author of the evils of sin aswell as the evils of punishment and affirming that he is the worker in deeds of darkness aswel as in the works of light yea maintaining that he is aswell pleased with the one as the other See 1 John 1.5 This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth So also Jam. 3.11 CHAP. III. Of God's Eternal Decree GOd from all Eternity did by the most wise and holy Councel of his own will freely and unchangable ordain whatsoever comes to pass a Eph 1.11 Ro 11.33 Heb 6.17 Rom 9.15 18. yet so as that neither is God the Author of sin b Jam. 1.13 17. 1 John 1.5 nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away but rather established c Act 2.23 Mat 17.12 Acts 4.27 28. Job 19.11 Pro 16.33 II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions d Act 15.18 1 Sam 23 12. Mat 11.21 23. yet hath he not decreed any thing because he fore-saw it as future or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions e Rom 9.11 13 16 18. III. By the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory some men and Angels f 1 Tim 5.21 Mat 25.41 are predestinated unto everlasting life and others fore-ordained to everlasting death g Rom 9.22 23. Eph 1.5 6. Pro 16.4 IV. These men and Angels thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangable designed and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished h 2 Tim 2.9 Joh 13.18 V. Those of mankinde that are predestinated unto life God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory i Eph 1.4 9 12. Rom 8.30 2 Tim 1.9 1 Thes 5.9 out of his meer free grace and love without any foresight of faith or good works or preseverance in either of them or any other thing in the creature as conditions or causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious grace l Eph 1.6 12. VI. As God hath appointed the Elect unto glory so
betwixt the second and the third because the Apostle speakes of the Doctrine of Baptismes Hebrews 6.2 as also for that some were said to be Baptized for the dead 1 Corinthians 15.29 the former of which places implies that the acts of Baptism might be a plurality though all at one time successively performed The other That some were Baptized to become dead with Christ which we take to be the genuine meaning of that Text and that the Baptizer there paused if he went any further at that time The other is Whether those that were ignorant of what was done to them in their Infancy by death of Parents or Sureties may not lawfully be Baptized again at the time of their Repentance and Conversion to God and that for their further edification or comfort though otherwise we neither see what necessity there can be of Persons once Baptized and knowing they were so to be rebaptized or what warrant the Anabaptists have from God or men to reiterate this Sacrament or administer it at all CHAP. XXIX Of the Lords Supper OVR Lord Jesus in the night wherein he was betrayed instituted the Sacrament of his body and blood called the Lords Supper to be observed in his Church unto the end of the world for the perpetual remembrance of the Sacrifice of himself in his death the sealing all benefits thereof unto true Beleever their spiritual nourishment and growth in him their further ingagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him and with each others as members of his mystical body a 1 Cor 11.23 24 25 26. 1 Cor 10.16 17 21. 1 Cor 12.13 II. In this Sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father nor any real Sacrifice made at all for remission of sins of the quick and dead b Heb 9.22 25 26.28 but only a commemoration of that once offering up himself by himself upon the Cross once for all and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same c 1 Cor 11.24 2â— 26 Matth 26.26 27. So that the Popish Sacrifice of the Mass as they call it is most abominably injurious to Christs one onely Sacrifice the alone Propitiation for the sins of the Elect d Heb 7.23 24 27. Heb 10.11 12 14 18. III. The Lord Jesus hath in this Ordinance appointed his Ministers to declare his word of institution to the people to pray and bless the Elements of bread and wine and thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use and to take and break the bread to take the cup and they communicating also themselves to give both to the Communicants e Mat 26.26 27 28. Mark 14.22 33.24 Luke 22.19 20. with 1 Cor 11.23 24 25 26. but to none who are not present in the Congregation f Act 20.27 1 Cor 11.20 IV. Private Masses or receiving this Sacrament by a Priest or any other alone g 1 Cor 10 6. as likewise the denial of the Cup to the people h Mark 14.23 1 Cor 11.25 26 27 28 29. worshiping the Elements the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration and the reserving them for any pretended religious use are all contrary to the nature of this Sacrament and to the institution of Christ i Mat 15. â— V. The outward Elements in this Sacrament duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ have such relation to him crucified as that truely yet Sacramentally onely they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent to wit the body and blood of Christ k Mat 26.26 27 28. albeit in substance and nature they still remain truly and onely bread and wine as they were before l 1 Cor 11 2â— 27 28. Mat 26.29 VI. That Doctrin which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christs body and blood commonly called transubstantiation by consecration of a Priest or by any other way is repugnant not to the Scripture alone but even to common sense and reason overthroweth the nature of the Sacrament and hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions yea of gross Idolatries m Acts 3.21 with â— Cor 11.25.26 Luke 24.26 39. VII Worthy receivers outwardly pertaking of the visible Elements in that Sacrament n 1 Cor 11.28 do then also inwardly by faith really and indeed yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually feed upon Christ crucified and all the benefits of his death the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in with or under the bread and wine yet as really but spiritually present to the faith of beleevers in that ordinance as the Elements themselves are to the outward senses o 1 Cor 10.16 VIII Although ignorant and wicked men receive outward Elements in this Sacrament yet they receive not the thing signified thereby but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord to their own damnation wherfore all ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to injoy communion with him so are they unworthy of the Lords table and cannot without great sin against Christ while they remain such pertake of the holy mysteries p Cor 11.27 28 29. 2 Cor 6.14 15 16. or be admitted thereunto q 1 Cor 5.6 7 13. 2 Thes 3.6 14 15. Matth 7.6 CHAP. XXIX Of the Lords Supper examined BRETHREN to give you your due you have here truly set forth the Author of this Sacrament the time of its institution with some of the ends for which it was ordained in the first Section and some part of the Ministers duty in the right administration of it in the third Section you have learnedly detected and confuted many of the gross abuses of the Papists in or about this Sacrament in your second fourth fifth and sixth Sections endeavoured to comfort the receiver of it in the seventh and set Railes about the Communion Table in the eighth Section to keep back ignorant profane and unworthy Communicants but if we here convince your selves with your Authors and guides of gross ignorance and error in the main Mystery of this Sacrament we hope you will the sooner yeeld that it was possible for you to erre in other things even in the most of these we have mainly challenged you for yea peradventure you will be hereupon induced to beleeve these things That there is a departure from the faith come into the Church 1 Tim. 4.1.2 2 Thes 2.24 That the man of sin errour and delusion is crept in 2 Thes 2.3 4 That much saving truth hath been lost for many hundred years That your Authors were not sent of God to preach the true Gospel which they never understood rightly in its chief mysteries concerning Christ That it was needful that the Gospel should be preached a new to the whole world before the end of the