The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 63
Section 63.
Wee are now Secondly, to compare the Offices of Chriſt one with another,2 Hypocrites diuide one office of Chriſt from another. and thence to ſee if wee may not diſcouer the hypocriſie of many by their halfe or partiall putting on Chriſt,1 Some confeſſe him as a Prophet, but deny him. 1 as a prieſt and that as briefely as I may.
Firſt, ſome acknowledge him a Prophet, but, in effect at leaſt, denye him to be their Prieſt and King.
Firſt, for denying his Prieſthood.As firſt our Ieſuites.
1. Our Ieſuites eſpecially among the Popiſh ſort, who will be the only Gnoſticks of our time, in regard of extraordinary and great knowledge and learning, and ſo of being inlightned by Chriſt, (of which their learning they brag ſo much, and in compariſon wherof they vilifie all others) yet, whiles they, as generally, the reſt will hauehave, as is ſaid, a treaſury of meritts beſides his, and a quire of Saints and Angels, for Interceſſours in heauen beſides him: what doe they, but confeſſe him their Prophet, (and yet not that fully as we hauehave ſeene) deny him to bee their Prieſt, ſeeing if he only bee not, he is not at all?
2 Socinus in his damnable hereſy.2. The ſame damnable Hereticke, lately mentioned, and his blaſphemous crue, grant Chriſt to bee a Prophet, but deny his ſatiſfactory death, in which eſpecially, his Prieſt-hood conſiſts; ſaying, that the manner of appeazing God, is onelyonly doctrinall and exemplary, that is, that Chriſt ſhewed the way of ſaluation only by his doctrine (loe his Propheticall Office) and confirmed it by his example of life, (which belongs to the ſame Office) but not by his death; which, as is ſaide, was, in his Language,Language. but by occaſion; God forgiuing our ſinne, without any ſatisfaction made to his Iuſtice, meerly of his owne bounty and merciemercy, though the Scripture tell vsus plainely that without ſhedding of blood there is no remiſsion, Rom. 3.25.and that God hath ſet out Chriſt to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood. The like damnable doctrine is held by ſome (if not all) of our Familiſts, for which, if for nothing elſe, they deſerue all execration, and that their company ſhould be abandoned for euer.3 Such as knowing him liue in ſinne.
3. Such, in proportion, are they who hauing ſome good knowledge of God, yet liue in ſinne, kill not their luſts, pray not, praiſe not God in Chriſt for his mercies.
2 As a King. Knowing, but not obeying him2. Such by ſo doing, though they know Chriſt as a Prophet yet liue ſtill as ſlaues to ſinne, which is ſuffered, & not Chriſt, to raigne in them, they obeying, not him, but ſinne in the luſts thereof. But of this often, and thus they, confeſsing him as a Prophet, deny him as a King; ſuch are they as being diligent hearers, are negligent prayers. &c.
2 Some confeſſe him as a Prieſt,Secondly, ſome acknowledge Chriſt (and ſo put him on) as a Prieſt, but not withall, as a Prophet and King.
but not, 1 As a Prophet. As ſuch who hope to be ſaued by him yet.1. Not as a Prophet: for many will bragge of their Iuſtification, and of the pardon of ſinne by vertue of Chriſts death, who yet neuer ſaw their ſinnes by the Law, with which they neuer compared their liues,1 Neuer ſaw their ſins. their actions, words and workes; or if they did, then only with the Letter and words of the Law, not with the meaning and full ſenſe of it, whereby, ſeeing the wicked frame of their hearts inwardly, and the ſtaines and Leopard ſpots of actuall ſinn outwardly,2 Liue in Ignorance. they ſhould bee truly humbled and aſhamed of themſelues for the ſame. Nay, many, not only of the Popiſh ſort, but of our ſelues, will hope well, yea, as well as any, to be ſaued by Chriſt (loe thus they would put him on as a Prieſt by his death) yet liue in ignorance, and neglect ordinarily the meanes of knowledg, and hearing of Gods Word, liuing according to the rule of their owne luſts, and ſinfull faſhions of the world; whereas God couples both together, ſaluation, (by the merits of Chriſt,1 Tim. 2.4. as our Prieſt dying for vsus) and knowledge, (as our Prophet, teaching and inſtructing vsus by his Word) no ſaluation then to any (of yeares) by Chriſt as our Prieſt, 2 Theſ. 1.8.without the knowledge of Chriſt in his word, as our Prophet.
2. Not as a King, 2 Not as a King.for many looke to be ſaued by him, who yet obey him not, but ſuffer ſinne to raigne in their hearts,As theſe who obey him not the Pope in their conſciences, being alſo ſlaues to mens humors, &c. which want of obedience to the Goſpell of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, as our King, cannot ſtand with ſaluation by him, as our Prieſt, as in the place laſt quoated is moſt plaine.
3 Some confeſſe him as a King.Thirdly, ſome acknowledge, and would put on Chriſt as a King, who yet put him not on either as a Prophet, or a Prieſt.
but, firſt not as a prophet.1. Not as a Prophet: thus many would bee accounted the true ſeruants of Ieſus Chriſt, to obey him as their King, who yet liue ignorant of his word, and know not (from him as their teacher and Prophet) how he wil be ſerued acceptably;as, 1 Such as ſerue him ignorantly according to their owne good intentions. they ſerue him onelyonly according to their owne good meanings, and as they liſt themſelues, or according to will-worſhip of their own deuiſing, and thus they ſerue and obey not him ſo much as themſelues. As therfore there are many that know their maſters wil, yet doe it not: ſo alſo there are many who (would ſeeme to) doe their Maſters will, yet know it not, and both alike culpable: the former offends by negligence, the later by preſumption & pride: neither ſhall eſcape ſtripes, becauſe they diuide Chriſt and his offices. Thus many, in killing and perſecuting the Saints and ſeruants of God,Ioh. 16.2.3. will thinke they doe God and Chriſt ſeruice; yet theſe things, ſaith our Sauiour, will they doe vntounto you, becauſe they hauehave not knowne the Father nor me. Thus the moſt ſpecious and moſt zealous works being done in blinde deuotion, proue moſt grieuous ſins, becauſe men in ſuch actions, pretending to ſerue and honour Chriſt as their King and Captaine, doe it not according to his word, and ſo diuide betweene Chriſt a King, and Chriſt a Prophet, Act. 17.23.and ſo doe ſeruice to an vnknowne God. The like is the obedience page missing ſlauiſh feare of God or man; here may be an obedience to Chriſt, but no ſacrifice withall; he is only feared, and ſo obeyed as a King, not loued, and ſo ſerued and obeyed in louelove as a Sauiour. 2 Not by faith in Chriſt as a Preiſt.There may alſo be a doing outwardly of what he requires, as a King, but not in faith in him as a Prieſt, dying for them,And by reſting in the worke done. and therefore a reward is chalenged, not (through faith) by vertue of the death and merits of Chriſt, whoſe obedience actiue & paſsiue makes our workes, euen our beſt workes, acceptable; but (through pride) by vertue of the works themſelues, Iſa. 58.3. &cand the bare and formall performance of the ſame, as we ſee it in thoſe hypocriticall Iewes of old in Iſay. But of this againe preſently.
Now, to conclude this poynt, of all theſe, who thus diuide Chriſt in his offices, and in the parts of any one of them, I muſt ſay, they put not on whole Chriſt; and therfore they are no true, full, & ſound Chriſtians, but ſuch,Par. 3. § 64 as who liuing in ſuch ſinnes of ignorance, diſobedience, and infidelitie, without repentance and timely conuerſion, may, yea ſhall goe to hell notwithſtanding that name in which they ſo glory.