Oxford a man of such excellent Mr. Owen Learning and Judgement But truly such Doctrine deserved such a License that something at least might make it considerable Whereas the true Doctrine of Christ the Word of Faith the Word of the Kingdom hath a standing License from Jesus Christ and comes upon the World as the Rain and Dew without asking Prodiit ex adipe iniquitas eorum transierunt in affectum cordis leave of Man or the Son of Man But great Places are greatly dangerous to those whose Faith is not stronger then their form And so I leave this also to the Wisdom and Judgement of our Lord Jesus Christ into whose hands God hath given all things Christian acquaint thy self much with the Word of God and be much in the prayer of Faith for some of the Angels are preparing to sound the Last Trumpets and to pour out the Last Vials on the very Seat and Throne of the Beast and we hope ere long to hear that shout of Triumph in the Spiritual Church Babylon is faln is faln is faln and is now become the Habitation of Devils and unclean Spirits which before was the Habitation of Hypocrites and false Christians yet covered over with all the most glorious shews of Religion and Holiness that the Deceiveableness of Vnrighteousness could put upon them And now if thou please read on and let the Spiritual man judge who judgeth all things William Dell. The stumbling Stone Math. 11. ver 6. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me THese words are the conclusion of Christs Answer to that Question which John the Baptist Iohns Question propounded to him by two of his Disciples himself being in prison the Question was this Art thou he that should come or do we look for another Now it is much disputed whether John Some say Iohn did not ask it for his own sake himself did at this time doubt of Christ or no and several men give in several Opinions which I shall not now stand to recite but all almost both Antient and Modern do conclude that John propounded this Question to Christ not that he himself did now doubt whether Christ were the true Messias or no seeing He had before given so clear a Testimony to Christ that he was the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world and had also Baptized him with water and had seen at that time the Heavens opening and the Spirit of God as a Dove descending and resting on Christ and had heard the Fathers own voice saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Wherefore they say that John himself could not possibly after all this doubt of Christ and therefore that he did not propound this Question to him by his Disciples But for his Disciples for his own sake but for Theirs that they who before had envied Christ for their Masters sake and would rather have had John to have been the Messias then him might now be assured and fully instructed touching Christ from Christ Himself Thus they But for my part I do conceive that Iohn did propound this The Authors judgement Question to Christ for his own sake rather then for his Disciples For though when he lived in peace and freedom he had a clear Revelation from the Father touching the Son by the Spirit and had accordingly cleerly spoken of Christ to others yet now being in Prison and Bonds and neer unto death he is brought by great Tribulation and Temptation to doubt of all that Truth which before he had been taught of God and even to question whether Christ were the true Christ or no For thought he If he be the true Christ why doth he not send Redemption to me who suffer for his sake but suffer me thus to perish whilst he might help me if he be the Christ and if he work Miracles for others as I hear he doth why doth he wholly neglect me who have given such an honourable Testimony to the world of him And truly brethren we know not vvhat place or power the Tribulation our trial Gospel of God our Saviour hath in us till Tribulation come and so much of the true knowledge of Christ and of true faith in Christ we have indeed as we have strength in such hours That truth which we confess freely in Prosperity we are fain to begin to learn it again in Tribulation and Tribulation makes us learn the Truth over again the second time it makes us to learn that in Experience which before we had learned only in Doctrine And how hard a matter it is to hold fast in Trouble that Truth Hard to hold fast truth in Trouble which we well know and freely profess in Prosperity we may see not only in John the Baptist who being in Prison doubted whether Christ were the true Christ after he had been so clearly taught him by God and his Spirit and had so plainly confessed him but also in the Disciples of Christ who though they had heard all his Doctrine and seen all his works and had confessed him to be Christ the Son of the living God yet when the High-Priests were inraged and the People in an uproar and when they beheld the Swords and the Staves and Christ was apprehended and themselves in danger they were all offended at him and fled Yea we may see it in Christ himself who though the Father had testified touching him three times from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son c. Yet when his suffering drew near he exceedingly feared and was amazed and astonished and on the Cross cried out aloud my God my God why hast thou forsaken me ☜ My brethren no man knows the grievousness and efficacy of Tribulation and the weakness and frailty of Humane Nature but they who have had experience of both but this is the comfort of the faithfull that that knowledge of Christ and the Gospel which God hath taught us and we have heard and learned from him will certainly endure and hold out throughout all the greatest and longest storms of Tribulation and Temptation though with much striving and difficulty but they who have had much knowledge of the Truth and have made a glorious profession of it before men and yet have wanted the true Teaching of God and true faith through that teaching such when Tribulations and Difficulties have risen up have quite departed from the Truth and have often renounced it We know not brethren I say again what we do believe aright touching Christ and his Gospel touching the Love of God to us and the Remission of our sin c. till distress and Tribulation and death come and what we are then we are that indeed Yea at such times we are to be judged according to our faith and not according to our sense and feeling Luther was wont to say that in Temptation he could hardly make Luther use at all of that
after as Believers received the Spirit so they became Ministers of the New Testament as we see in the Acts of the Apostles and in the first 300. years after Christ For there is but one only Ministry of the New Testament which is common to all men alike who have received the Spirit of God and to none else though never so excellently qualified with Natural Abilities and Humane Learning For the things of the Gospel are altogether invisible things and The things of the Gospel cannot be known but by the teaching of the Spirit cannot be known but by the teaching of the Spirit though a man have all the Wisdom and Knowledge in the World as Paul declares 1 Cor. 2. ver 8 9 10. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor the Heart of man understood the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them to Vs believers by the Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the World which for its highest perfection hath only humane Wisdom and Knowledge but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Where we learn that the things of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of God are not known at all nor discerned in the least measure but by Gods Spirit which Spirit is given to all that believe and this Spirit alone is sufficient both to enable us to know clearly and certainly the things of God and also to publish them unto others and nothing of Man or the Creature can add to it Wherefore when Christ chose his Ministers according to his Fathers Councel he chose not the Wise and Learned but plain simple men that it might appear to all the World throughout all ages how infinitely able the Vnction of his Spirit alone is without any addition of any thing else for the Ministry of the New Testament and Christ upon the serious consideration of this strange choice of God by Him breaks forth into this Thanksgiving Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things that is the Word of Faith and Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father because it pleased thee And David admiring this wonderfull dispensation speaks thus in the joy of his heart Psal 8. ver 1 2. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the World who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens and then showing wherein this high Glory of God appears saith Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger God useth no other Instrument to overcome the greatest Enemies and Avengers that arise in the World and worldly Church then the strength he ordaines out of the mouths of babes and sucklings that is true believers who live only on the sincere milke of the Word The Lord had all the World before him to have chosen out of it whom he pleased to be the Instruments by whom he would hold forth his Word and Gospel to all Nations Yet in his infinite wisdom and gracious Councel and good Pleasure he would pass by the Wise and Learned men and great Philosophers and subtile Disputants as Paul affirms 1 Cor. 1. 19. that God hath said I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent God is so far from making use of Humane Wisdom and Prudence in the Gospel of his Son that he quite destroyes it and brings it to nothing Wherefore Paul adds v. 20. Where is the wise where is the learned or lettered man where is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe By the foolishness of preaching that is by the Word of Faith out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings which the World reckons foolishness by this alone doth God bring about the Salvation of the Elect. Now at these things how grievously are the Worldly wise and deep learned ones as they esteem themselves offended that Gods Spirit alone should be a sufficient Vnction for the Ministry of the New Testament and that God should on set purpose lay aside the Wise and Prudent men and choose babes and out of their mouth ordain his great strength to set up Christs Kingdom in the world and to destroy Antichrists Yea this Doctrine will chiefly offend the * University â—nd all in it of all Degrees Objection By the Univerty Vniversity For you will say If this be so What need is there then of our Philosophy and of our Arts and Sciences to the Ministry of the New Testament And what need is there of our Acts and Cleâ—ums And what need is there of our Scarlet and Tippets And what need is there of our Hoods and Caps c. If the Vnction of the Spirit alone be sufficient for the right Ministry and Christ do perfect his praise by the mouths of Babes and sucklings then what need is there of all these things I Answer No need at all as to Christs Kingdom and the Ministry Answer to it of that For it is one of the grossest errors that ever reigned under Antichrists Kingdom to affirm that Vniversities are the fountain of the Minsters of the Gospel which do only proceed out Quò indubiè taxat Academias in quibus tales homines creantur è quibus prodicrunt omnes in orbem praedicatores c. Totus enim orbis in hac sententia est hos fontes esse è quibus scaturiant qui docere populum debeant Hic est error horrendus abominandus ut nihil aeque aversandumulla ex re quam ex Academiis prodierit c. Luth. in loc Objection of Christs flock And because you will be greatly offended at me for speaking thus you shall hear what Luther saith to this matter on 2 Pet. 2. 1. upon these words but there were false Prophets among the people as there shall be false Teachers among you the word Peter uses here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false Doctors or false Masters and Luther saith it came to pass by the singular Councel of God that our Teachers should be called Doctors and Masters that it my appear to all whom Peter here means and he farther saith that Peter hereby doth undoubtedly tax the Vniversities in which such men are created and out of which have proceeded all the Preachers in the World so that
of the world as I am not of the world Wherefore every true Christian who speaks and professes the VVord of Faith the VVord which exalts Christ alone and his things and throws down all other things of the VVorld though in the highest esteem with men must needs meet with his enemies and avengers his Scribes and Pharisees his Herods and Pilates And now when the carnal Church which hath the favor and countenance of the State sees poor Christians for the VVords sake suffering all the hatred malice and rage of the world and worldly Church they are greatly offended at them and in being offended at them they are offended at Christ Himself for it is his cause in which they suffer and not their own and it is he who suffers in his cause more then they as is evident by that complaint of his Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I say as it is Christ that is and doth all in his true Saints so also it is he that suffers all in them and they who are offended at these Sufferings of Believers which they suffer in and for Christ are offended at Christ himself And in these three regards it doth plainly appear that many who pretend to honor the outward Name of Christ are yet indeed grievously offended at Him Vse 2 2. The second Vse is another Caution to warn all men to take heed as not to be offended themselves at Christ so also not to be Caution not to be offended through the offences of others by considering 1. That it is no new thing for men to be offended at Christ troubled nor offended with the offences of Others But when we see the whole world and worldly Church offended at Christ and his things let us take care that we be not therefore offended also but let us consider 1. That it is no new thing that Christ and his Gospel should be stumbled at and contradicted by the World and worldly Church For thus it was foretold by the Prophets and thus it hath been done ever since Christ was manifested in the flesh In the days of his Ministry his Doctrine was so contrary to carnal reason and the humane apprehensions of men in matters of Religion that many of his Disciples said This is a hard saying who can bear it Joh 6. Yea many of his Disciples murmured at his Doctrine and went back and walked no more with him And all along during Christs Ministry many were snared and stumbled and fell and were broken thereby and he that is troubled and offended at this must get him another Christ and another Gospel For the true Christ is set for a sign to be spoken against the true Gospel is set for a Word of contention and contradiction to the carnal Christians to the whole VVorld Wherefore when we see in our time the VVorld and worldly Church offended at Christ and his Gospel let us know that thus it hath been from the beginning and let uâ— know that as Christ and his Gospel are the same now as they were then so the VVorld and Antichrist and the Devil the Head of both are the same also and therefore it cannot be but Christ and his Gospel must suffer the same 2. Christ and his Word are not the worse for the offence of the World contradiction in our time as they have done in all former times 2. That we may not be offended with the common and general offence of others let us consider that Christ and his Gospel are never the worse for the offence which the World takes at them but Christ is still the Son of the living God and the Gospel is still the Power of God to Salvation to every one that believes and Christ and his Word do still remain a sure foundation for the true Church of God That Christ crucified which is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness is notwithstanding to them who believe Christ the Power of God and Christ the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. So that Christ is not the worse for the Worlds being offended at Him neither do the faithfull think him the worse Nay the more vile he is to others he is still the more precius to them 3. Let us consider that notwithstanding all the offence of men Christ and his Gospel still remain and continue what they are and 3. Christ still remains for al such offence cannot be prevailed against Men may be offended at Christ and his Word but they canot destroy and extinguish them but they still remain and do alwayes prevail against all things that oppose them Wherefore to deliver us from the scandal of all Mens being offended against Christ we are to consider that as all the World have been are and will be against Christ so Christ and his Kingdom shall rise up and increase against all the World and against all their thoughts and endeavours And all their Councels Contrivances and industrious Actings shall not be able to hinder the Kingdom of Christ from prospering and growing great But it shall arise and stand up in all its Glory out of the midst of all the offences and contradictions in the world Wherefore Christ and his Kingdom are called a Tried stone for he hath long ago indured whatever the World and worldly Church could do against Him and whatever the might and malice of men and Devils could do against him and yet hath overcome all All that have opposed Him have been dashed in pieces by him in the several Ages of the World and He and his Kingdom still remain and shall remain for ever For He is a sure tried stone And they in this Town and Vniversity who are the most grievously offended at the Word shall not by all their subtilty Malice Slanders evil speaking nor by any thing they can say or do design or undertake be able to prevail against it but they must shortly die and depart out of the World and in despite of them leave this Word of God behind them to live and flourish and overspread the World And these considerations if entertained by Faith may keep us from being offended at the offence of the whole World And this for the second Use Vse 3 3. In the third place I shall shew you how believers ought to Direction how to carry our selves in the midst of offences 1. To abide in Christ carry themselves in the midst of those offences that are taken against Christ and against themselves for Christs sake that is for his Life and Doctrines sake 1. First then We ought to be careful to abide in Christ and to walk in Christ To speak all our words and to do all our works and to live our whole life in Christ and in his Spirit that so the World may not be offended at Vs who are nothing and do nothing in our selves but at Christ in Us who is and doth all in us And then as we shall certainly be established and preserved in
THE Stumbling-Stone OR A Discourse touching that offence which the World and Worldly Church do take against 1. Christ Himself 2. His true Word 3. His true Worship 4. His true Church 5. His true Government 6. His true Ministry Wherein the UNIVERSITY is reproved by the WORD of GOD. Delivered partly to the University-Congregation in Cambridge partly to another in the same Town Together with A brief touch in the Epistle for the present on the late quarrelsom weak and erroneous Animadversions of one Mr. Chambers called Doctor in Divinity and Pastor of Pewsy in Wiltshire By William Dell Minister of the Gospel and Master of Gonvil and Caius Colledge in Cambridge Mihi plane omnium jucundissima facies ista in rebus est videre ob verbum Dei studia dissentiones fieri is enim est Verbi Dei cursus casus eventus nam dicit non veni pacem mittere sed gladium Luther LONDON Printed by R. W. for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Black-spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1653. To the Reader HEre I present thee with this Discourse which met with such notable Opposition and Contradiction from the Vniversity of Cambridge to whom it was delivered and also from such of the Town then present who are baptized into the University spirit And yet every point of this Doctrine will appear to spiritual men to be the Word and Truth of God and if need shall require I can yet more fully prove it to be so by the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles and by the Doctrine of Christ himself the Head of both and that against not only One but All Universities and also against the Gates of Hell and Powers of darkness And by this gross Opposition against the plain Gospel thou maist judge and discern that this Vniversity which hath beeen counted one of the Eyes of the Nation SEEING SEES NOT and which hath been counted a Fountain of Knowledge and good Learning HEARING HEARS NOT NEITHER UNDERSTANDS Whereby we may conceive that gray Haâ—rs are upon it and that the time of its departure is near except it REPENT I had thought also at this time to have given a farther Testimony for Jesus against the Mysterie of iniquity which hath hitherto prevailed in the Ecclesiastical State and in the Vniversities the Head and Heart of it but that this work under my hands multiplied into too great a Proportion for an Epistle And also because I intend to add threunto my Testimony against that Mysterie of Iniquity which hath hitherto also prevailed in the civilState Antichrist having with his deceivableness of unrighteousness seduced and deluded both ever since the Reign of Constantine And this twofold Testimonie through Grace given and hoped to be given I intend very shortly to publish For I Judge it most necessary for the true Church to be acquainted herewith especially after so many of the Seals have been opened and also seeing the time of the Restitution of all things makes haste upon us and we hope is even at the doors Wherefore we continually intreat that the Arm of the Lord would awaken and put on strength not only as in Ancient times and in the days of old but more also to wit as his Spirit by his Prophets hath foretold he will do in the last time when he will reveal his Arm for Christ and his seed in his greatest Might and Glory And let the Remembrancers of the Lord not keep silence till the cursed Kingdom of Antichrist with all its Religion Works Duties Doctrines counterfeit Law and Gospel false Clergy false Church false Power and Jurisdiction or Discipline false Ordinances and false all things be utterly overcome with the Spirit of Christs mouth and the Brightness of his coming And till the true spiritual Church that through Faith Hope and Love lives out of this World and the Elements thereof in the Kingdom of Gods dear Son be made an Eternal Excellency and the Ioy of Generations and till they who have afflicted it and domineered over it be made to come humbly bending to it and to lick the dust of its feet as the Lord hath promised Farther I thought good at this time to advertise thee of the Animadversions of Mr. Humfry Chambers called Doctor in Divinity and Pastor of Pewsy in the County of Wilts on a discourse published by me entituled The Crucified and quickned Christian In which Animadversions as he calls them after Mr. Christopher Loves Example who was one of his Forerunners in this opposition to the Truth he hath Doctor-like contradicted the manifest Truth and the very Substance Marrow and Mysterie of the Gospel which being made void which yet is impossible as to the true Church there would be neither true Righteousness nor Life nor Redemption nor Salvation nor the true Christ nor the true God in Christ left remaining to Believers All which I make account in due time to make appear by the Scriptures for I allow no Doctrine that is not according Christ is the only Law-giver and the Spirit is the only Law Interpreter to the Doctrine of Christ and the writings of his Apostles and Prophets which are a most sure and infallible word if they be understood according to Christs mind and not according to Mans. Now when I read those Animadversions I found them very Captious Slight Weak and grosly erroneous and somewhat like the Animadversions of the Sorbonists on some of Luthers writings And this hath not been my Judgement only but also it hath been represented to me from godly and understanding Christians that this great undertaking of this Doctor is judged such by them that it deserves no more Refutation his Animadversions compared only with the Discourse it self being sufficiently for ever already confuted by it And truly I cannot but bless God who hath given his Truth so weak an Enemy and Error and Darkness so weak a Patron But by this the true Church may judge also what a sad Ministry these poor Nations have received from Antichrists Ordination when the chief Doctors the very Scribes and Pharisees among the Clergy do not know the very first Principles of the Gospel in any spiritual light or by any Teaching from God but all their cold faint and uncertain Doctrine they scrape from Fathers and Schoolmen and from other Ordinary Systemes of Divinity without any presence of Faith or anointing of the Spirit whereby all their Doctrine becomes carnal and corrupt and contrary to Christs mind and agreeable to Antichrists So that I cannot choose but conclude with John Hus THAT ALL THE CLERGY MUST BE QUITE TAKEN AVVAY ERE THE Ioan. Hus libr. de vita Reg. Antichrist cap. 37. CHURCH OF CHRIST CAN HAVE ANY TRUE REFORMATION Another thing hath happened in this matter which makes me wonder and that is that those few Shreds of weakness and Error published by Mr. Chambers should be so honourably licensed by so famous a Divine as the present Vicechancellor of
sweet Saviour that in him is nothing but love and mercy and goodness and compassion and kindness to such as are in distress and in grievous fears and agonies from the sense of sin and wrath and from the presence of Death and Hell working in them And we must believe Christ to be such an one as the Gospel represents him that we may come to him with comfort and put our whole trust in him in all times of sin and sorrow and in all hours of darkness and temptation and let us never entertain any other thoughts of Christ then these but let us hold him unchangeably for such an one as the Gospel reveals him what ever the Law or our evil consciences or the Devil shall suggest to the contrary and then in all our distresses we shall not be affraid of Christ as of a severe Lawgiver and an unexorable Iudge but may run to him as to our mercifull and powerfull Saviour whose proper Office is among the afflicted And thus we see that Christ is known by his Works and what kinde of works they are Secondly Christ would be known by his Word 2. Christ known by his Word And as Christ is known by his Works so also by his Word and therefore he saith Go shew Iohn the things you see and hear and the things you hear as well as the things you see and that is that the poor have the Gospel preached to them For Christs works and Christs Word do alwayes go together Christs works and word go always together Christs Life is alwayes accompanied with Christs Doctrine and his works with his Word The best works that any man can do without the word of the Gospel accompanying them are not Christs Works and the most glorius word that any man can hold forth without the works of Christ accompanying it is not Christs word but Christs works and Christs word go alwayes together both in himself the Head and in the true Church his body Wherefore Christ saith Go shew to Iohn the things you see and hear the things you see the blind receive their sight c. the things you hear and the poor have the Gospel preached to them Now the Gospel is the free promise of God in which nothing The Gospel what it is but meer love mercy and grace is offered in Iesus Christ to them that believe though they be never so great and grievous Sinners in themselves And nothing is more joyfull then this to the soul that is under the sense of Sin and wrath and he that receives this Word of Grace by true faith doth not weigh a feather all the terrors of the Law Sin Death and Hell So that all the outward works of Christ are a small matter if compared to the Gospel Now this Gospel is preached to the Poor that is to the Poor in It is preached to the poor Spirit and these are such who do not love nor desire nor delight in present things but are so afflicted and oppressed in their heart consciences with the sense of sin and wrath that they regard not the world nor the Riches Pleasures and Honors of it but all they mind or care for is Iesus Christ and in Him the love of God and the Remission of sin and the gift of the Spirit These are the Poor to whom Christ Preaches the Gospel and they only regard and entertain the Gospel whil'st the Lovers of this world and the Lovers of themselves and this present life care not for it And thus is Christ known by preaching the Gospel to the poor Christ known by the Gospel as Moses by the Law Moses his Ministry was full of wrath terror and death to sinners but Christs ministry holds forth nothing to the greatest sinners in the world that are sensible of sin but the free Grace and Mercy of God to them even to them in pardoning their sin and Christ known by the Word in the Church his body aswel as in himself the Head giving them righteousness and by this word Christ is well known to the whole true Church of God And as Christ is known by his Word in himself the Head so also in the Church his Body for whereever Christ is present there is his Word aswell as his works and where Christs true Word is not neither is his presence there Wherefore all the faithfull as they have received the Gospel themselves so they hold forth the same Gospel to others upon all opportunities according to the Covenant which God made with Christ touching his Seed which is mentioned Isa 51. ver 21. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is upon thee and the words which I have put into thy mouth that is the Gospel shall never depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever By which Scripture we may learn that the Ministry of the New-Testament is a common Ministry belonging equally and alike to all the seed of Christ that is to all true believers for when Christ dwells in their hearts by faith who shall hinder Christ in them from speaking the Word of God by them For God doth not consider men as the World doth to wit as they are Tradesmen or Gentlemen or Schollars or Clergy-men but God considers men either as Believers or Unbelievers he considers men as Believers or Vnbelievers And if they be Vnbelievers then are they destitute of the true presence of Christ and of the true Word of Christ what ever their outward condition be in the World yea though they be Schollars and Clergy-men and if they are Believers then have they Christs true presence and word with them what ever their outward condition is in the world yea though they be Gentlemen or Tradesmen and every one of them saith with David and with Paul I believed therefore have I spoken So that we are not to conceive of the spiritual Church according The true Ministry is only of Believers to any outward state or condition in the world but according to Faith through which Christ dwells in the hearts of believers and if Christ the living word of God dwel in them he will not keep silence And this confession of the word before the world Christ requires of all believers alike saying He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my father and before his Angels and there is no true and right confessing Christ without holding forth the word and Doctrine of the Gospel So then every one that is of God speaks Gods word and he that speaks it not is not of God for in all the true children of God the Spirit of their father speaks in them And thus the true presence of Christ is known by the word of the Gospel in the Church his body and in every one of his Members aswell as in himself the head This
at last Crucified him between two Thieves by the common consent of all the People and destroyed the Son of God as if he had been the Son of Perdition And in all this bitter suffering no body afforded him the least pitty or compassion but the common People mocked him and said he saved others but cannnot save himself if thou be the Son of God come down from the Cross And this usage Christ complains of to his Father Psalm 22. 6. where he saith that He by his cries had no deliverance which yet Others who had trusted in God obtained but saith he I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the People All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shout out the lip they shake the head saying be trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him if he delight in him And Isaiah saith that by reason of this strange suffering of Christ many were astonished at him his visage was marr'd more then any mans and his face more then the sons of men and through this suffering of Christ all the World were so extreamly offended that Christ crucified was to the Iews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness And thus was and is the VVorld and Worldly Church offended at the true Christ whom the Scriptures hold forth Indeed the false Church have fancied to themselves such a Christ as flesh and blood can like of well enough a Christ fashioned after the mind and will and Wisdom and Prudence and Righteousness of man and such a Christ they extol and magnifie to wit for their own worldly advantage sake as the Papists have fancied the por Virgin his Mother who kept Iosephs house and provided his diet and layd her hands to the performance of his ordinary household affairs to be a gallant Lady and have clothed her in Silke and Sattin and rich attire and such a Mother of Christ they do highly esteem whereas the poor Virgin the true believer who lived in the plain and laborious imployment of a Family they would even scorn to regard such an one No more will the carnal Church regard or value the true Christ in his mean condition and marred Visage And thus much for their Offense at Christ himself 2. The World and Worldly Church are offended at Christs true 2. They are offended at his his true Word VVord Because Christ under the New Testament hath given forth a New VVord which is the VVord of the Gospel And this also they are offended at in many regards as 1. Because it is the word of Faith the word of Faith and not 1. Because it is the Word of faith of Sense the Word of Faith and not of VVorks For this VVord of Faith is wholly a Spiritual Word and hath nothing in it that is sutable to flesh and blood Nothing in it that pleaseth the Fancy or Reason or Understanding of man it hath nothing in it 2. Because it exalts Christ alone and God in Christ wherein a Natural or Carnal heart can take pleasure but is throughout a Word of Faith 2. They are offended at the New word of the New Testament because it exalts Christ alone and in him the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and the Righteousness of God and the Things of God and cries down all the Things of the World in which men trust and delight and all the common Religion and Righteousness of the World and makes Christ all in all and God in Christ and all other things nothing So Paul 1 Cor. 1. preached to them that did believe Christ the power of God and Christ the wisdom of God and nothing else 3. They are offended at this Word because it cannot be learned as humane Arts and Sciences can to wit by the teaching of man 3. Because it can only be learned by the Teaching of God together with their own pains and endeavors but only by the teaching of God and his Spirit as it is written They that is the true children of the Spiritual Church shall be all taught of God he therefore that hath heard and learned of my father cometh to me All my divinity said Luther consisteth in this that I believe that Christ only is the Lord touching whom the scriptures speak and neither my Grammer nor Hebrew tongue taught me this but it is the work of the holy spirit Now when God teacheth us his word Himself we have an other When God teacheth us his Word we know it otherwise then other men understanding of it then other men who hear and read the same outward words and yet want that inward Teaching For then have we the spiritual meaning of the Word and the very mind of Christ in it which others want that are not so taught And this offends the carnal Christians grievously that the spiritual Christians have another knowledge and understanding of the Word then they VVhereupon they thus break out what say they are you the only men who have the word of God and is all wisdom and knowledge comprehended in your brests and do you know more of the Mysterie of of Christ then the grave and learned men who have studied the Scriptures all their life and will you with your pretended teaching overthrow that Orthodox sense of the Scriptures that we have had so many yeers and thus they are greatly offended 4. They are offended at this word because it discovers the 4. Because it discovers the wickedness of the World and worldly Church wickedness of the world and worldly Church at a very high rate The world doth not seem the thousand part so wicked anywhere as it doth where the Gospel comes For where this cleer light of God shines and the word comes in any degree of truth and Power there not only the wickedness of the world appears out of measure wicked but also the Religion and Righteousness and Works and Duties of the carnal Christians are manifested to be gross hypocrisie and the deceivableness of unrighteousness and wholly contrary to Christ the righteousness of God and so nothing else but a more plausible way to Death and Hell Where the Word of Christ or the Gospel of God comes in power Many who seemed good are discovered to be very evil by the light of the Word there many who before seemed very Godly and Religious people and very good Christians and very quiet and peaceable men do presently become full of wrath and rage and cursed enmity against it and call it Error and Heresie and Blasphemy and so do no less then spit in the very face of the Truth and Gospel of Christ which he hath manifested above all his name And no man could ever have imagined they had been such children of the Devil before the word came And thus by the coming of the Word in the Spiritual Sense and Doctrine of it many that did once seem to be Christs Friends are manifested to be
sin also that is like to undo and ruine the Vniversity and to race it down to the very ground even your horrible The University admonished Envy Enmity and Opposition to the truth of the Gospel When Christs word or the Truth as it is in Iesus is hated opposed derided and scoffed at in your Colledges in your Schools in your Meetings yea sometimes in your Pulpits this sin will dash you in pieces that you shall find none to recover you This sin will engage against you the Son of the living God and when his wrath is kindled against you not a little but to the very utmost for so great wickedness shall then your * Certum est Aristotelem mortuum damnatum esse Doctorem hodie omnium Vniversitatum magis quà m Christum Luth. Respons ad Libr. Ambros Cathar Masters Plato Aristotle Pythagoras c. wretched Heathens who with all their wisdom knew not Christ but are dead and damned many hundred years ago be able to deliver you Or shall Thomas and Scotus and other Schoolmen with their cold vain and Antichristian Divinity help you Or shall the Secular Arm and worldly Power whom you have seduced for many Ages be able to shelter you in such an hour No certainly but if you continue in your bitter Emnity against the true and spiritual Word and Gospel of Christ Christ lives and reignes to bring you down wonderfully and to make your Name a shame and a Curse to the whole true Church of God And this poor contemptible Doctrine of the Gospel which you hear to day and it may be most of you despise and esteem of no more then a straw for strength this very Word shall prevail against you and triumph over you And the poor People of God that small handfull of believers that are amongst you whom you despise in your hearts and reckon but as the filth and off-scouring of the place even they shall see your downfall and shall say Thou art righteous O Lord who hast judged thus and shall say again Even so Lord God almighty true and righteous are thy Iudgements And this now have I spoken in faithfulness to Iesus Christ and The Conclusion to the University in faithfulness to his true Church and in faithfulness also to the Vniversity that they might hear and avoid that Ruine with will otherwise inevitably befall them for their offence at Christ and his Gospel And now let them that can receive it receive it and let them that cannot deride and reject it But whether you receive it or whether you reject it sure I am I have spoken the Truth which God himself in his due time will witness to and so much also for this Point The fourth Point is 4. Generall The blessedness of them that-are not offended at Christ according The Blessedness of those who are not offended to Christs word here Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me Now those very few that are not offended at Christ and his things when the whole World and worldly Church are offended their Blessedness appears in many particulars 1. As first in that its evident that they all are taught of God 1. Such are taught of God and have heard and learned from the Father himself touching the Son And they that see Christ by the Revelation of the Father are not at all offended at him when all other men are For such do clearly see Christs Power in his weakness his Glory in his Reproach his Exaltation in his Abasement his Divine nature in his Humane they see his Sufferings were for our sins his stripes to heal Us his Death to deliver us from death and all this they know not only by the Letter of the Word but also by the Revelation of the Father in their hearts and so they cannot be offended at Christ who see him thus Wherefore when the World and worldly Church had many several Opinions of Christ and Peter notwithstanding acknowledged him to be the Son of the living God Christ replied blessed art thou Simon for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee but my Father which is in Heaven and this is thy blessedness that thou knowest me by the Revelation of the Father and so knowest me aright and art not offended He then that is not offended at Christ when all other men are hath for certain the Fathers Teaching and sees Christ far otherwise then the World and worldly Church do He sees Christ in all his Mysterie and in all his Glory and when we see him thus we value him never the worse for the form of a Servant nor for all his reproaches and sufferings from the World but we rather behold these things with the greater wonder and comfort seeing for our sakes he humbled himself from the form of God to the form of a servant and in that form to the death of the Cross 2. They are blessed because through this Revelation of the Father they have true Faith in Christ wrought in them For true 2. Through this Revelation have true Faith Faith in Christ doth necessarily follow the Fathers Revelation and when God teaches us Christ we must needs believe in him and through this Faith we know him by Experience and he that knows Christ through the Experience of Faith finds and feels Christ to be all that to him which the Scripture speaks of him He through this faith feels Christ to be made unto him of God VVisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and all things and Christ being through Faith made all that to him which he is in Himself it is not possible he should be offended at him Farther through this Experience of Faith Christ becomes precious to him as Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. 7. to you who believe he is precious That very Christ which to others is a Stone of stumbling and a rock of offence is precious to them who have Faith and know him by Experience So precious that they esteem all the greatest and most excellent things in the world but dross and dung in comparison of Him and such believers have chosen to part with their Liberty their Estates their Relations and their own Lives all which are precious things in themselves rather then they would part with this infinitely more precious Christ 3. They are blessed in that through this faith they have establishment as Christ saith on this rock I will build my Church And he 3. Through this faith have establishment that hath Christ for his only Foundation is never offended at him what ever scandals the World and the Devil raise up against him But he that hath another Foundation then Christ to wit either his own works and Righteousness or the World and the Things of the World when scandals come they are presently offended and their offence against Christ declares they are not built on him But they whom nothing can offend they are surely built and established on Christ and in
this they are blessed 4. They who have received the Revelation of the Father and 4. Through this establishment are free from perishing through this Revelation true Faith and through this true Faith firm Establishment are farther Blessed in that all such are past perishing For he that cleaves so inseparably to Christ that nothing can offend him and is so firmly built on Christ that nothing can remove him It is impossible for him to perish by any thing Wherefore it is said behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone Elect and precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded And Mat. 16. saith Christ On this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail 5. And last of all They that have escaped the Offence of Christ are sure of Salvation For such do truly partake of all that infinite 5. Are sure of Salvation and everlasting advantage that is by Christ they partake of his own Righteousness and Wisdom and Truth and Power and Nature and Life and Word and Spirit and of all his fulness and thus they have true possession of the beginnings of eternal life as John saith These things have I written to you that believe that you may know ye have eternal life abiding in you 1 Joh. 5. 13. and Christ saith I give unto my sheep eternal life that very life which was in the Father and was communicated to Christ and manifested in his humane Nature And in all these Regards are they blessed that are not offended at Christ as Christ affirms blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me And so now I proceed to some Uses 5. General The Vses 5. The Vses 1. To warn all of all men sorts that they take special care that they 1. To admonish men to take heed that themselves be not offended at Christ be not offended at Christ and the things of Christ You have heard that the World and the wisest and greatest of the world and that the worldly Church and the holiest and most religious in that are offended at Christ And you have heard also how great an evil it is to be offended and how great a blessedness it is not to be offended Wherefore I do advise you from the Word to take care that you be not found amongst them who are offended at Christ Objection But you will be ready to say We hope we are not offended at Christ but we do love honor and embrace both Christ and the things of Christ Answer To this I answer That many do usually say they are not offended Many are offended at Christ who say they are not offended 1. They that are offended at the Word are offended at Christ at Christ and it may be some may think so too who yet indeed and before the Lord are grievously offended at Him as may thus appears For. 1. First He that is offended at the true Word of Christ is offended at Christ himself For Christ is the Word the Gospel Word the Word that was with God and was God and came into the flesh and that spake and did and suffered and overcame all in that flesh and Christ said it was expedient for the Church that he should withdraw his flesh or bodily presence and only continue that presence of his with them which is by the living Word of God through the Gospel And this is that Jesus Christ who is present with believers to the end of the World And so he that is offended at the true spiritual Word held forth by the confession of Faith is offended at Christ himself who is present in that Word Wherefore saith Peter 1 Pet. 2. 8. He is a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to them that Stumble 〈◊〉 the Word The most people adore the outward name of Christ but yet cannot endure the true Word of Christ Now all that are offended at the true spiritual Word of Christ and right Doctrine of the Gospel are offended at Christ himself and stumble at that stumbling Stone And thus multitudes are offended at Christ who do think themselves very free from this sin 2. They that are offended at true Believers are offended at Christ 2. And they who are offended at true Believers himself For they are in the World as He was and Walk as He did Walk And they are one flesh and Spirit with him They are his Members They are Himself And whosoever is offended at Them is offended at Him For Christ is the self same both in Himself the Head and in Believers his Members And These are the Children of God together with Him the first born and These are comprehended in the same Love chosen with the same Choice called with the same Calling Sanctified with the same Holiness Kept by the same Power and Glorified with the same Glory These partake of the same Divine Nature and have the same Word and Spirit dwelling in them in the same Righteousness Wisdom Grace and Truth and there is no difference between Christ and them but what is between the Head and the Members the first-born and his Brethren And so they that are offended at These would as certainly and necessarily be offended at Christ himself if He had lived in their time or if They had lived in his time It is manifest then that They who are offended at the Word of Christ and at the Works of Christ at the Nature and Life of Christ in Believers would have been offended at them in Christ Himself Yea they who are offended at Christ in Believers would much more have been offended at Christ in Himself because what is in a Christian but in part was fully in Christ And what is in a Christian in a small measure was in Christ without measure and there was in Christ a far more glorious presence and manifestation of God then in any Christian and proportionably would they have been offended at Him in Himself who are truly offended at Him in his Members 3. They who are offended at the Sufferings which come on 3. And they who are offended at the sufferings of Christians Christians for Christs sake are offended at Christ Himself because they suffer not on their own account but on Christs and the Cross they take up and bear is His and not their own If They would live as other men in the common Religion of the Nation and make use of the form of Godliness without the Power and comply with that Doctrine and Discipline which the Clergy shall allow for Orthodox and the Magistrate accordingly approve and confirm then might they live as quietly and prosperously as other men but because they cleave only to Christ and take Him for their only Master in the things of God and do receive his Word in Faith and then hold it forth to others therefore the World hates them as Christ said I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not