Of Religious Communion Private and Public, Part 6

Of Religious Communion Private and Public · Part 6

p. 100A Suruey of the Confession of faith published in certain Conclusions by the remaynders if M^r Smithes Company after his death.

IN honour of the trueth, & love of them who vnfeynedly seeke it, and more specially of the persons, vnderunder whose names this Confession passeth out, I have thought my self even called to examine, & censure by the word of God, such errours, as by the light thereof, I do discerne in it, as also in the other writing annexed vntounto it: purposing herein to passe by (as approving it) what I fynde agreable to the Scriptures, albeit not set down in so convenient termes: to explane, & clear what may seem doubtfull, & so to evince by the same Scriptures, what I deem contrarie to the wholesome doctrine of godlines & forme thereof. In all with I desire my endevours may so far be blessed of God, & accepted of men, as they contayn in them his simple trueth, & proceed frō him, who entyrely loveth all that seeke the same trueth in holines.

And first the 7^th Conclusion with is. That to vnderstand & conceive of God in the mynde is not the saving knowledge of God, but to be like to God in his effectes & propertyes, to be made conformable to his divine & heavenly attributes: this is the true saveing knowledge of God. 2. Cor: 3. 18. Math: 5. 48. 2. Pet: 1. 4. wherevnto we ought to geve all diligence, standes need of explanation. For takeing the former parte of the sentence eyther exclusively, that salvation standes not in these thinges alone, or comparatively, that it standes not therein principally, according to that forme of speach Rom: 1. 19. 1. Co: 1. 17. it is true, & the Scriptures brought do prove it: but not so, if the wordes be taken negatively, as though it stood not in these thinges at all. For † without faith (with is wrought in the mynde, & vnderstanding) no man can Heb. 11.Heb 11please God: nor come vntounto him. ‡ And this (saith Christ) is eternall lyfe to know Ioh. 17.John 17God the father, &c. and every where the Scriptures teach, that by faith Christ is received, & salvation obteyned: as is also that renewing of Gods Image in vsus, …h. 1. 12 …om. 3. … …oll. 3. 10first in the vnderstanding, in which we are first ioyned to God by true knowledge; and 2^dly, in our harte by sincere love: & so after in the other affections, & partes of soule & body.

The 9^th Position where it is said that God before the foundation of the world did foresee, & determyne the issue & event of all his workes. Act. 15. 18 comethCon…usion. much shorte of the trueth though there be no vntruth in it. For God hath not onelyonly foreseen, & determined the issues, & events of his workes, but hath also decreed & purposed the workes themselves before the foundation of the world. And so much the place in the acts proveth: where Iames teaching that all the workes of God are knowen vntounto him from eternity, purposeth p. 101to prove that the calling of the Gentiles, of with worke he speakes, is not a thing newly come into the thoughtes of God, but that with he hath promised, & purposed before. Which the other place also after alleadged plainly proves: where it is said, that God worketh all things according to the counsell Eph. 1. …Eph 1of his will. And to conceive that God doth any thing in tyme, with he did not from eternitie purpose to do, as he doth it, is derogatory to his infinite wisdom & power: & indeed to deny him to be God, & to make him finite: in whom there is a chaung wrought, & a begining, & grouth of counsayls. And this I note for two purposes. First that we may know that the condemnation of wicked men by God, for sin by their freewill to be wrought, was purposed of God before the world: it beinge a good worke of God, & effected by his infinite power for the holynes, & glory of his iustice: 2^dly, that since every good geveing, & every perfect gift is from above aescending Iam. 1. 1Jas 1:1from the father of lightes, & that, to know God, to beleve in him, to love, & obay him, to receive Christ, & the Gospel of salvation offered, are the good giftes of God, we may also know, that God not onelyonly foresees, that those graces will be in men, but also fore purposes frō eternity himselfe to worke, & effect them: that if any should tell vsus (as many do) that God hath indeed predestinated such men vntounto salvation, as he foresaw would beleve in Christ, & receive the grace in him offered, we may answer them, that God foresees indeed those graces in those men, but it is because he fore purposeth to work them. He workes them in tyme, because of his free grace he purposed to worke them before tyme was: without which his purpose, he could not have foreseen them. And as the Lord in the begining saw that the things he had made were all good when he had made them such: so did he foresee all other good graces in men, because he forepurposed so to worke & effect them.

The begining & end of the 10^th Position: viz: That God is not the Authour, 10 Co…clusionor worker of sin: & that he geves no influence, instinct, motion, or inclinatten to the least sin, I embrace: But the middle parte thereof, viz: That God onelyonly did foresee, & determyne what evill the free will of men, & Angels would do, I except against, as derogatory to the infinitenes of Gods power, & wisdom: neyther indeed is it senseible to say, that God determyned, what the will of others would do.

But what the forethoughtes & purposes of God have been from eternity about sin (so far as the knowledge thereof concerneth vsus) will best appear, if we consider, what the worke of his providence is, in, & about it in tyme, & when it is wrought by men, or Angels.

And first since sin is the worke of men & Angels, it followeth that sin is from them, who are themselves from God: though the si… be not, but of p. 102themselves: yea not onelyonly the natures, & persons, but even the naturall powers, faculties, and instruments together with their naturall motions, & actions, in, & by which sin is wrought, are of God also: by him susteyned, & vpheld, & acted by his almighty power, which is the cause of every creature,Act 17. …1.Acts 17:1 & vpholdeth all things, & so of every action, as an action: Sin not being created of God, not any part or power of man, or Angel, nor any motion,Rom. 11. …6.Rom 11:6 or action, but onelyonly the depravation, corruption, crooked & inordinate abuse & application of the same created part, power, or motion.Colle. 1. 7. For example: the very power, & vse of seeing the forbidden fruit,…ob. 1. 3. the naturall desire of it, as a pleasant thing, the power & ability of taking, as also of eating it, were of God in themselves: But the sin stood in the inordinatenes, & abuse of the sence, appetite, & power vppon that, which was forbidden by God. And this will yet appeare more playnly, if we consider that the very same sence, appetite, & worke both of body, & mynd set vppon an other fruit not forbidden by God, had been no sin at all.

II2^dly, God doth administer the occasions by which the creature through his own defalt, is provoked, & incited vntounto sin: as in the creation of the forbidden fruit very pleasant to the eyes, & of the Serpent, subtile, …. 3.and fit to be vsed by Sathan for temptation. Thus even the law of God is the occasion …om. 7. 8.of all lust, & sin, the gospell of fyre, & sword, & all variance, & debate. Mat. 15. …. 8 34. … c.Matt 15Thus Gods commuandement to Pharaoh to let his people go, the Miracles which Moses did in his sight, his conviction of Conscience, & remorse of harte,Exod. 5. … c.Exod 5 which by them the Lord wrought in him, were occasions of sin vntounto him, by his own rebellion, & Gods iudgment: & did harden his hart, and God by them, not as by causes, but occasions, which are also vsed of God, as all other the like occasions, to all men, for the tryall, discovery, & conviction of his creature, & to make way for his own further worke of mercy, or iustice.

IIIThirdly God doth permit, & suffer sin, & that both willingly, & wisely, not by geving the creature leave to sin, for that is impossible: but by not putting the effectuall impediments which might hinder sin, as he both could and lawfully might, if he would. He could, & might (had he so pleased) not have created men & Angels, with have sinned: or by irresistable grace, restreynt, or other disappoyntment have prevented their sin. He therefore permitteth it willingly, & when he could, hinder it, if he would, otherwise it were no permission, though he did not hinder it: no more then a man can be said to permit, or suffer the sun to shyne, or rayne to fall, that hinders them not. And thus sin (though it be alwayes agaynst the degrees of the commaunding, approueing, & effecting will of God) yet is not at all, agaynst his permitting will, or agaynst that degree p. 103of manifestation of that one in it self, & simple will of God: neyther is it wrought, he absolutely nilling it. For be being in heaven doth whatsoever he pleaseth. His counsayle shall stand, & he will do whatsoever he will, Psal. 115 3.Ps 115:3sayth the Prophet. This sin he doth also suffer, not (as men oft sufferIsa 46… 10,Isa 46:10 thinges to come to passe) without care, or consideration of it, but of purpose & with infinite wisdom, as knowing how to bring light out of darkenes, & by the creatures sin, to effect his most holy worke, according to his vnsearchable counsayle: the depth whereof may swallow vp the mind, but can not be sounded by it, & in the meditation whereof, the best bound, & bottom is for man to consider, & confesse, that God is both more wise, & more holy then he.

And so in the 4^th place, God doth most wisely, & most powerfully IVdetermine, order, & direct the sins of men, & Angels, in respect of the continuance, extent, & vse thereof by him to be made: bringing light out of darkenes, by his almighty power, & wisdom: & effecting by the creatures vnrighteousnes his own most holy, & righteous purposes. And thus he sometymes punisheth one sin with another, in the same persons ††Rom. 1▪ 18. 29.Rom 1:18Rom 1:29geving them over to reprobate myndes, for wuhholding his truth in vnrighteousnes: ††2. Thess. 2. 10.2 Thess 2:10sending vppon them the efficacy of delusion to beleve lyes, that they might be damned, who have not received the Love of the truth, that they might be saved: Searing with an hote iron their Consciences, who have spoken lyes in hypocrisie, and punishing the neglect of former conviction, with want of feeling, & numnes of heart afterwardes: & sometymes the sin of one man by the sin of another: and thus he punished Davids adulterie, &2. Sam. 11 & 12 15. & 1… & 18.2 Sam 11 murder, by Absoloms treason & incest: and the Israelits idolatries, & other iniquities, by the pride, & cruelty of the Assirians, & Babilonians. Sometymes also he vseth (or rather abuseth) the sins of wicked Angels2. King. 17. & 24 & 25.2 Kgs 17 & men for the tryall of the faith, & patience of his servants, as we see in the storie of Iob: and sometymes to make way for his own most excellent workes: as the Redemption of mankynd by the death of his sonne, for which he vsed the envy of the Pharises, the malice of Sathan, the treason of Iudas, & the iujustice of Pontius Pilate. And in this ordination of evill, God geveth vsus to see, that nothing is absolutely, & infinitely evill, as he is absolutely, & infinitely good: who also in these ordinations triumpheth over sin & iniquity: which he surely would never suffer, save as he is able to serve his most holy purpose of it, & of them that worke it: and in this respect especially God is said to do these thinges, which indeed are done by wicked Angels, & men, and by him ordered, & determyned to his most …oly purposes.

p. 104And lastly God doth eyther mercyfully pardon, & so abolish in Christ, or punish in the course of iustice, sin, & sinners, as the Scriptures every where teach.

And by these the workes of God in & about sin, it appeareth what the purposes of God were touching it from eternity: for whatsoever God doth in tyme, whether about sin, or otherwise, that he purposed to do before tyme, ere the world was: & so for the contrary.

The 16^th Conclusion: That Adam dyed the same day that he sinned: Gen:6 Cor. …usion. 2. 17. for that the reward of sin is death. Rom: 6. 13. and that his death was losse of innocency, peace of Conscience, & of the comfortable presence of of God. Gen: 3. 7. 11. must be further opened & better cleared then (I suppose) the Authour intendeth it.

For by Death threatned Gen: 2. 17. is not onelyonly ment spirituall Death standing in losse of innocency, peace of Conscience, and Gods comfortable presence, but withall eternall death, whereof the other is but the begining: as one of the noted Scriputres proveth. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternall life in Chr: Iesus our Lord. Where the Apostle opposeth vntounto Death, eternall …om. 6. …lyfe, & therefore intendeth eternall Death of soule & body. In which Death threatned was included bodily death also, with all the meanes, & miseries, which lead vntounto it. And this appeares in the last Scripture alleadged. Which is Gen: 3. where, God, after many bodily calamities both vppon the woman…n 3. 16 … 18. 19 man & man for that sin, denounceth as their end, and consummation, death, & dissolution of body into the Earth from which they were taken.

It is true, that the body being made of corruptible creatures, was subiect in it self to corruption, & mortality: yet must it be remembred, that even the heavens themselves were made of one & the same first common matter, that rude lumpe & vnformed Chaos, and so are also in themselves…. 1. 1. subiect to dissolutiō. Yea whatsoever hath a begining, & is a creature, is subiect to come to an end naturally: as with which is cōmunicated but a finite power & vertue; and so the very soules of men, and the Angels are in themselves subiect to death, & mortality, save as they are by the continuall influence of the Divine power & providence, susteyned, & preserved. But God now haveing enobled the whole man soul & body with his Image & ioyned them together in one person: the soul to informe, & quicken the body, & the body to be quickned, & vsed by it, as an active, & lively instrument for her operations, & workes: the separation of these two (with death is) being a dissolution of so great a worke of God, & of the habitation of his own Image, could not come, but by sin. Not that I thinke Adam should allwaies have continued in that his naturall estate, in tilling, & kepeing the garden of Eden, in eating, drinkeing, procreating of children, governing p. 105the familie, & the like: or should alwayes have had an earthly, heavy, grosse, & dark body, but that in the Lordes appoynted tyme, there should have bene a change of all those earthly imperfections, as, there shalbe in the bodies of all the faythfull, who shalbe alive at Christes second comeing: but1. Cor. 1… 51.1 Cor 1:51 the same without all greif, & payn: much more without all separation of1. Thes. … 17. soul, & bodie: most of all without the bodies corrupting, & rotting in the grave: which are the proper fruits of sin. And therefore as God gave him a living sonle, so he gave him the tree of life in the garden, as an effectuall Sacrament of life: he made all things good in themselves, & for him: subject vntounto him, & serviceable to his vse. So that though his bodie were in it self capable of violence by fyre, water, & otherwise, yet should the providence of God, the ministery of Angels, & his own perfect wisdom so have directed, & ordered both them, & himself, as that no hurt, but good every way should have come vntounto him, by them.

Wherefore (sayth the Prophet) doth the liveing man complayn? he answereth, man complayneth for his sins? So that all the sorrowes of this life,Lam. 3. 39.Lam 3:39 all the grevous pangs & passions of the minde: all the turmoylings of the body, by hunger, thirst, wearysomnes, sicknes, diseases, & so death vntounto which they lead, & which is the extremitie of them all, are for sin, inflicted by God, & by man borne: which the Scriptures every where testify, & that in examples so well knowen, as in vayn it were to trouble the Reader with noteing them down.

To conclude: the Apostle Rom: 5. 12. 14. speaking of bodily death, affirmeth expresly that for sin it reigned even before the law was given by Moses, & that over them who had not sinned as Adam, that is actually: & more playnly, 1. Cor: 15. where speaking of the bodily resurrection, after bodily death, he teacheth, that by man & in Adam, all dy: and that even this bodily death is one of Christs enemyes to be destroyed at the last: which these men themselvesvers. 22. v. 25. do also confesse, (though they observe it not) Conclus: 34. and that death & the grave are vanquished by Christ vppon the crosse. And since Christ suffered nothing but for our sins, if bodily death had not been a punishment of sin, why should Christ have suffered it, as he did, & that for our sinnes, according to the Scriptures? But it will here be demaunded, if God threatned1. Cor 3.1 Cor 3 bodily death vppon Adam, the day, he sinned, why he did not accordingly exequute it? I answer that the threatning was legall, & according to the course of iustice, and therefore did not hinder but God in mercy might fynde a remedy, as he also did: & so the L: meaning was no more, but that in the day wherein Adam ate, he should be subject to, & guilty of death, & the curse of God. In the verie same forme of speach, Salomon threatneth Shimei, that the day he went out of Ierusalem any whether, he should surely p. 1061. Kng 37.dy: that is beguilty of death: for neyther did (neyther almost possibly could) he actually kill him that very day. The truth then is, that God threatned not onelyonly spirituall, and eternall death (which is the consummation of the former) but bodily also, & with it, all bodily, & temporary calamityes leading vntounto it. And of this it is most needfull the servantes of God should be firmely persuaded, & continually myndefull, that in their sorrowes both of life, & death, they might be lead to the remembrance of their sins,1. Kin. 17 28.1 Kgs 17:28 & for them be humbled vnderunder the hand of God, of which fruit of their afflictions these mens doctrine bereaveth them.1 Cor. 11 29. 30. 17 Conclusion.1 Cor 11:291 Cor 11:301 Cor 11:17

The 17^th Conclusion: that Adam being faln did not loose any naturall power, or facultie, which God created in his soul, because the work of the Devill, which is sinn…, cannot abolish Gods workes, & Creatures: and therefore being fallen he still reteyned fredom of will. Gen: 3. 23. 24. is in parte doubtfully set down, and in parte, vntrue.

That Adam had as well freedom of will after, as before his fall, is, as true, as that he was a man after, as before. For take away will from a man, & he ceaseth to be a man: and take away freedom from the will, in that which it willeth, & it ceaseth to be will. But here is the difference, that the same naturall power of freewill, which before, was rightly ordered, & disposed onelyonly to good actually, (though changeably) was afterwards corrupted, disordered & clean cōtrarily disposed, till by supernaturall grace it was rectifyed, & renued. It is true then, that sin destroyeth not the naturall powers, or parts of soul, or body, but onelyonly corrupteth, infecteth, & disordereth them: whence also ariseth in the mynde, ignorance, errour, doubtinges, & vnbeleef; & in the will, & affections, perversnes, & disorder, with manifold lusts, to the fullfilling & execution whereof, the bodily instruments are disposed. But the reason brought, that sin can not abolish Gods work, or Creatures, is frivolous: For God suffering sin to enter, suffereth therein an abolition of his own work & creature. It is confessed, Propos: 11. That Adam sinning, dyed the death, & lost innocency, peace of Conscience, & the comfortable presence of God. Now was not this spirituall death which Adam dyed, an abolition, & destruction of his spirituall life, innocency, &c: works of God, & his creatures? the same may be sayd of the whole Image of God. What were these but workes of God, creatures, & created graces, & endowments, wrought in him, & bestowed on him by the hand of the Creatour, which sin abolished both in him, & in his posterity by naturall propagation? as will appear in the refutation of the 18^th Conclusions: which is,

That Originall sin is an idle term, & that there is no such thing as men intend by… 8 Conclusion. the word. Eze: 18. 20. Because God threatned Death onelyonly to Adam. Gen: 2. 17. not to his posterity, & because God created the soul. Heb: 12. 9.

p. 107That Originall sin is an hereditary evill, I shall prove hereafter, (God assisting) and do answer to the Scriptures; & frist to that in Ezech: The soul that sinneth shall dy, the sonne shall not bear the iniquitie of the father. The Prophet speakes of such children as forsake sin, & repent, as the whole context sheweth, which was to reprove the hypocrisy of the Iewes, who complayned of injustice from God in punishing them, who were holy, for their fathers sins. Besides, all Adams naturall posterity were souls sinning in him: whom in that his sin, we must not consider as a private person, but as the common father of mankinde, communicateing with the nature, the sin (which was not merely personall, but naturall) with his naturall posteritie: both which are also their own, as on the cōtrary, the second Adam Christ, & his righteousnes is so communicated with the members of his body, as every faithfull person may truely say, that both he, & it are his. And hence was it, that in the punishment of this sin, the earth was cursed; not to him alone, but to his ensueing posterity: neyther was Eve alone to suffer the sorrowes of conception, & childbirth, but all her daughtes after her: neyther were the Cherubims set to keep them two alone, but all their after posterity out of the gardē of Eden: & so is it for death it self, & all the passages which lead vntounto it: according to that of the Apostle, as by one man sin entered into the world & death by sin, even so death went over all men, in whom all have sinned. Rom 5. 12.Rom 5:12Where they further alleadge, that because God created the soul, that is doth immediately create the soul of every particular person: Hebr: 12. 9. ther, is therefore no …riginall sin they take too much liberty both for the exposition of the Scripture, & their inference vppon it, shewing no reason for the one, or other.

First then by††foreign. flesh. Heb: 12. 9. (for so it should be turned, & not bodyes) is not ment the bodyes of men without soules, which the parents do not correct, that is††foreign. correct with instruction, as the word signifyeth: nor by spirits, soules without bodyes, since God is the father of the bodyes of mē, & of all creatures, Iob: 38. 28. Luk. 3. 35. but as by flesh is oft in the Scriptures ment earthly things (for which our naturall parēts trayn vsus vp, & correct vsus) & as God is our spirituall Mayster, & guide, to the meaning may well be, that if for the conveniency of this life, we submit to the chasticemēt of our earthly father, much more ought we to humble our selves to the discipline of our heavēly father, for spirituall things. 2^dly since they generally who think the soul to be created immediately, & infused, do not onelyonly hold Originall sin, but also shew how they conceiv it to be propogated, it is but presumption in these men (without answering what others so ordinary bring to the contrary) thus to conclude, that because the soul is thus immediately created, therefore there …s no originall sin. But as I see small reason to persuade me, that the dead …ody, before the soul be vnited with it, can be the proper subject of sin, p. 108or meanes to traduce it, or indeed any way sinfull, more then after it be separated from the soul: and lesse reason, that the same body can infect the soul, being of spirituall nature, with any contagion of sin, though it might hinder, or fayl it, in some outward exequution; so seemeth it to me much more agreable vntounto truth, that the blessing of God to encrease, & multiply did as well geve vertue, & power vntounto mankynde, as vntounto other kyndes, to beget,Gen. 1. …2. 28.Gen 1:2Gen 1:28 & generate their like: & not onelyonly a dead carkas, & livelesse body, inferiour to the issue of bruit beasts, which do procreate their kynde, both body & soule, or life. Neyther see I how Adam could be sayd to have begotten a sonne after his own Image, Gen: 5. 3. opposed to Gods Image v: 1. that is, sinfull, and corrupt, if he onelyonly had begotten the body, & not the soul also: which I think he did, even the whole, the whole; after a maner convenyent to eyther nature. And if these two Positions can not stand together, that God createth the soul immediately: & that there is originall sin: where these men conclude, that there is therefore no originall sin, I conclude contrary wise, that therefore the soul is not immediately created, nor the place to the Heb: so to be expounded; since the proufes for originall sin are so certayn, & evident.

And that it is no idle term, (as is imagined) but a miserable calamity possessing all the posterity of Adam by naturall generation, & ever by them to be bewayled, & purged out, I hope playnly to prove, & with all, that by reason of it they are naturally vnable to chuse, or will any thing spiritually good, or truely pleasing God.

And for this, (remembring what I have formerly noted from Rom: 4. 12. about all mens sining in that one & first man) observe we, that these men confesse every where, & truely, that††Ioh. 3. …3. 5.John 3:3John 3:5 a man must be regenerate, or borne anew, before he can enter the kingdom of God. wherevppon it followeth necessarily, that by the first birth, & generation all men are excluded from the kingdom of God. And if by the first birth men be not corrupt, then is not the second birth simply necessary: but all are rather to indevour to preserve the purity of the former. And this myne argument is further confirmed, where Christ our Lord teacheth, that, that which is borne of the flesh, … flesh, that is sinfull, which he therefore opposeth to the spirit: and so the second,Ioh. 3. 6.John 3:6 or new birth by the Spirit, required for that entring the kingdom of heaven, to the first, or old birth, by which all men are naturally excluded. And theRom 3. 23.Rom 3:23 same it is which we read, Ioh: 1. v: 12. 13. that the sonnes of God are borne … of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. In which respect also … treating of man borne of a woman, sayth, that no man can bring a clean thing … Ioh. 14. 4.John 14:4of filthines. Hence also was it, that David bewayling his sins of adultery … murder in particuler, & leading both himself, & others from the stream p. 109to the fountayn, doth confesse that he was born in iniquity, & conceived in sin. Psal.Ioyn with all these that, which the testifyeth both of Iewes, & Gentiles, that they were by nature children of wrath, that is born such, as the word nature importeth. Hence is it that Iude speaking of such deceavers, as had crept intoEph. the Church, & taken vppon them the profession of Christ, & after turned that grace of God into wantonnes calles them corrupt & rotten trees, & twice dead, v: 4. 12. who had they not been first dead in Adam in trespasses, & sins. Eph: 2. 1. how could they have been twice dead? Ad we vntounto these the consideration of the Circumcision of the Lords people of ould, livelily teaching, that nothing comeing of mans vncleane seed naturally, could be clean, as Iob sayth, which was also further declared in the vncleannes, & so in the purification of every woman after Child birth, by burnt offeringes, & sin offerings.

Lastly even common sence, & experience, which teacheth the most simple, confirmeth this doctrine of originall sin. Who seeth not in children even from their cradels, the fruit of this bitter root? crying (as Austin confesseth of himself) to be avenged of their nurses, being naturally prone to lying, for complaints, or excuses, though so brought vp, as they hear no ly tould: also prydeing themselves in any gay, or gorgeous thing, & despiseing others which want the like: and so evident is this to sence, & experience, as that the fyre is warme, & a stone heavy.

Now the same Scriptures which prove this naturall, & originall sin, serv also to disprove all originall, & naturall freedom of will or other power to any good thing truely spirituall, or pleasing God. I will apply some of the forenamed Scriptures, & ad some others to that purpose.

And first, since all must be regenerate, or begot, & borne anew, before they can enter, or see, the kingdom of heaven, Io… …this wholy difarmeth the naturall man of all power vntounto spirituall things, without a supernaturall regeneration,††… or new birth by that incorruptible seed of the word of God ‡‡…& spirit of life: which must also be of the whole, & of all the parts, as is the first generation. Agreable wherevnto is that Eph: 2. 1. where all are sayd to be dead in tr…spasses, & sins. These mē graunt it of Adam, by his offence: & that Scripture, with others, teach the same of all men by nature, & through that his one offence. And as no motion, or action of naturall life, can possibly be made, or performed,… by a man naturally dead; so neyther any spirituall motion, or action, by any dead spiritually, till God breath into him anew that his quickening spirit, the spirit of lyfe. And as of things vnknowen there is no desyre, or will, so is it not possible that the naturall or animall man (for that title is geven him of his more noble parte the soul) which knowes not, … 8. 5.nor is capable of the things of the spirit, being discerned spiritually, should will, or desire them. Yea being p. 110offered by the preaching of the Gospell, they are foolishnes vntounto him, & things which he savoreth not: the very wisdom, or myndeing of the flesh being enmity against God, with is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. If it be asked why doth God then require it should be, or punish men where it is not? it is easely answered, that this inability cometh by mans own defalt. God made all men in Adam able to keep the law: & the obedience thereof is due debt vntounto God: now the inability of the debtour, & his heyrs (especially by their own default) is no sufficient discharge of the debt vntounto the Creditour who lent it: so neyther doth mans inability preiudice the Lords right, but that he may in the course of iustice, require that obedience to his holy law, vntounto which by creation he enabled mankynde. And for fayth in Christ, & repentance, (which are the summe of the Gospell) God doth not requyre them, as due from the creature, to a Creatour, by order of iustice, but as conditions convenient vntounto man, dead in sin & misery, if he wilbe made partakers of that Life & light come into the 19.world; & offered by Christ: which whilst men dispise, loueinge darknes more then light because their works are evill: their condemnation followeth vppon their impenitency, & vnbeleif, as doth the death of a wounded man vppon his wilfull contempt of the sovereign salve offered for his healing.

To conclude then, they of whom God requires this fayth, repentance, & obedience, eyther yeald it him answerably, or not? If not; as they can not, so their own hearts & consciences will witnes agaynst them, that they will not; but do on the contrary willingly withstand, & with draw from the Lords commandements: who are therefore inexcusable, & have no cause to complayn, save vppon themselves. And for them who yeald submission by the effectuall work of Gods spirit writing faith & the law in their harts, much lesse have they cause of complayning agaynst God, but onelyonly of thankesgeveing for the grace received,…. 10. … 3. by which he hath even created them anew as his workmanship: not being fit of themselves, as of themselves, so much as to think a good thought, but haveing God workeing in them both the will, & deed, according to his good pleasure.

It is added,…on…on. that if Originall sin might have passed from Adam to his posterity yet is the issue thereof stayed by Christs death, which was effectuall, & he the lamb of God slayn from the begining of the world. Apoc: 13. 8.

I answer that he was indeed from eternity that lamb of God, v. 29in tyme to be slayn: but to take away the sins of the world, as Iohn witnessed of him: and so his death was effectuall. It is confessed, & truely, Conclus: 30. That Christ is become the Mediator of the new Testament, & Priest of the Church. This new Testament, is established in his blood: and he a Priest for vsus, as he offered, p. 111and gave him self a Sacrifice, & Ransom for vsus: and this bloodshed was for the washing away of sins: this Sacrifice for procureing Pardon: and this Ransom for the freing of them, that are taken captive by sin, and Sathan. This stopping then of the issue of sin, as it is intended, is but a fiction.

That Infants are (as is further affirmed) conceived, & born in innocency without sin is contrary to the Scriptures:20 C…clusi… as, that they are all vndoubtedlie saved, is a peremptory affirmation, but without ground. VntoUnto the Scriptures brought to prove it, which are Gen: 5. 2. & 1. 27. compared with 1. Cor: 15. 49. I answer that by the Image of the earthly Adam, in the last Scripture is not meant the Image of God, in wisdom, righteousnes, & holynes, accordingCol. 3 Eph. 4Col 3Eph 4 to which Adam was sayd to be created in the former places: but that corruptible, & ignoble state of the body in death, from with at the resurrection of the iust it shalbe freed: which therefore vers. 50. is called flesh & blood, which cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven: and corruption, which cannot inherit incorruption. It should rayther be mynded, that Moses speaking of Adams estate in innocency, sayth he was created after Gods image & likenes: Gen. 1 27 & Gen. …Gen 1:27but speaking of him after his fall, & of his estate then, sayth that he begat a sonne in & after his own likenes & image, that is sinfull & miserable. It is further objected, from Rom. 4. 15. that Where there is no law there is no transgression, or sin. and agayn from Rom: 5. 13. Math: 13. 9. Neh: 8. 3. that the law was not given to Infants, but to them that could vnderstand. I answer, that the law is eyther given vocally, & in the letter spoken, & written, & so it is not given to Infants, no nor to thousands of men, & woemen in their persons: or written in the heart by creation with the finger of God: & so all Infants have it given, as both experience, & also the Scriptures testify, where they teach that the very Gentiles, to whom it was never vocally preached,Rom. … 15.Rom 15 shew the effects of it written in their harts: VntoUnto the fullfilling of which law all Infants by nature corrupted are averse, & disposed to all disobedience, even as the whelpes, & cubs of foxes, & wolves, are disposed to pray, & raven from the first, though they cannot actually so practise. Besides in Adam the cōmon father of mankynde all his posterity (being in his loynes) received, as the Image of God, & Lordship over the creatures, so the law of God; as † Levi, long before he was††Heb. 7Heb 7 born, did in Abrahā his father (in whose loyns he was) pay tithes to Melchizedek.

That all actuall sinners bear the Image of the first Adam in his innocēcy, fall & restitution 21 Co…clusionin the offer of grace. 1 Cor: 15. 49. & so passe vnderunder this threfold estate, is vnsound sundry wayes. The great misinterpreting of the Scripture, I have shewed in the last Conclusion: as also Concl: 18. that neyther all, nor any of his naturally conceived posterity bear the Image of his innocency: neyther yet all of them in the offer of grace; though the offer of grace not received, p. 112is a very naked Image of restitution. How many thousands never had the Gospell (the onelyonly meanes of their restitution) offered them? but sinning agaynst the law of nature written in their harts, & in the creatures, & withholding that truth of God in vnrighteousnes, have been given over of God to reprobate myndes, & so perished in their sins, as the Apostle teacheth; Rom: 1. & 2.

That Adam being faln, God did not hate him, but loved him still, & sought hisConsion. good, Gen: 3. 8. 15. Neyther doth he hate any man, that falleth with Adam, but that he loveth mankinde, and from his love sent his onelyonly begotten sonne into the world, to save that which was lost, Ioh: 3. 16. And that God never forsaketh the creature till there be no remedy, neyther doth cast away his innocent creature from allConsion. eternity but casteth away men irrecoverable in sin. Esa: 5. 4. Ezech: 18. 23. 32. & 33. 11. Luk: 13. 6. 9. And that as there is in all creatures an inclination to their young to do them good, so in the Lord towards man infinitely: who therefore doth25 …nclu…. not create, or predestinate any to destruction, no more then a father begets his childe to the gallowes. Ezech: 33. 11. Gen: 1. 21. 15. 49. Gen: 5. 3. must be received with sundry limitations.

For first it is true, that God hateth nothing that he hath made, so far as it is his worke: but as sin comeing in hath destroyed the worke of God, though not in respect of the nature, or being, yet of the integrity, & holy being of the creature; so God, through his vnchangeable holynes, hateing sin, doth also most fervently hate, & abhor from the sinfull creature, in whom it reigneth, in respect of it, as the † Scriptures do expressely, & plentifully…al. 2. 3 …l 5. 6. teach. And God loveing himself, & his own holynes in the first place, & most, and the creature, & his good, but in the second place, the love of the creature must give way to the love of himself, and so he necessarily… 16. 5 …. 1. 16. hate the obstinate sinner. And this it is most needfull for all men firmely to beleve, & continually to bear in mynde, that they may alwayes bewayle their sins, & nourish in themselves the hatred of that, which God so hateth, & for it, the creature; & for which he punisheth it with most horrible curses, & punishments for ever.

And yet even in the very exequution of his most fearefull vengeance vppon the reprobate, men, & Angels, he retayneth the generall love of a Creatour; & out of it preserveth the being of the creature, which in it self, & in respect of the vniversall is better then not to be, though not so in the sence of the person: & also moderateth the extremity of that torment, which he both could, & might in iustice inflict.

Secondly though God do love all men even sinning, as he did Adam sinning, yet not with the same degre of love wherewith he loved him: neyther doth he seek their good, as he did his. When he had sinned, & so fled p. 113from God, as his enemy, he notwithstanding followed after him, & for hisGen 3.Gen 3 recovery, preached vntounto him the Gospell of salvation in the seed of the woman: and not onelyonly so, but gave him also an heart to beleve his promise; & repentance, to turn vntounto him: whereas many thousands in the world (even the bodie of the Gentiles to speake of, before Christ, & how many now?) never had the Gospell so much as once published vntounto them, nor Christ named amongst them, but had, & have onelyonly the sound, & preachingPsal 14… 19 20. Isa. 52. … Rom. 19 20. 21.Ps 14:19Isa 52 of the creatures, & of their naturall consciences (too much corrupt) by which they were, & are taught, that there is a God, and he the maker & governour of the world, and Iudge of all persons, & things: and to be honoured, & inquired after, that his will being knowen, he might be worshippedAct. 14. 16.Acts 14:16 accordingly: for the neglect whereof, & the with-holding of that trueth offered, in vnrighteousnes, they were (& are) given over of God to reprobate myndes, Psal. 19. 5.Ps 19:5& to all vile affections, & filthy lustes of their own hartes, that so sinning without the law (to wit which the Iewes had, much more without that clearer revelationRom. 1… 10 & chw 1. 1… 19. 20. &c. chap 12. 14. … 16.Rom 1:10 of Christ vouchsafed to many others) they might perish by Gods iudgement: much lesse doth God seek after all for their recovery, as he did after Adam, by giveing them his † spirit in their hearts, & by it faith, & repentance, to beleve, & to be saved, as he did him. And for the love of God in sending his sonne into the world to save that which was lost. Ioh: 3. 16. it is determined in the same place, to those that beleve on him. But for those that beleve not, but†Mat. 1. 25. & 1… 11.Matt 1:25Matt 1:11 continue in vnbeleif, God did not love them vntounto salvation, so as to give his sonne effectually to redeem them from their sins, of which more heareafter.Ioh. 3. … 1. Cor. … 10. 11. &c.John 31 Cor 10:11

Secondly it is also true that God doth not cast away his innocent creature nor hath created or predestinated any man to destruction, to wit eyther remayning as he created him, or because he would destroy him: and this, some of the Scriptures, Conclus: 25 do prove, the rest being impertinent: but that GodPhy 1. … 2 Tim. 2 25.2 Tim 2:25 hath from eternity decreed the condemnation of some for sin, forepurposed by him to be suffered, & so foreseene to be wrought by man, is evident, both by the word of God, as Iude testifyeth of of certain worked men that they were ordeyned of ould to condemnation: & God is sayd to have hated Esau, before he was borne: that is to have purposed the hatred of him for his sin, foreseene,Iude 3. 4. Mala. 1. 3 Rom 9. 11 13.Mal 1:3Rom 9:11 & forepurposed to be suffered: and also by the worke of God, in that he doth in tyme, cast away, & condemn impenitent sinners: for††Act. 15. 18.Acts 15:18 all Gods workes are knowen vntounto him from the begining of the world: and Gods very doing a thing in tyme, is an vnanswerable proof that he purposed the same thing before tyme, & from eternity.

And for Gods forsakeing, or leaving a man vntounto himself; as he vsually doth it, for a punishment of former sins, so did he thus leave Adam without p. 114out any such respect. He could (if he would) eyther have kept him from being tempted, or have delivered him out of his temptation, by his almighty power, & grace, & the irresistable efficacy of his spirit: but God, for the tryall of the will of man, & to manifest how weak the most excellent creatures are not dependeing wholy vppon the Creatour, & not seeking their good & happynes, by cleaving vntounto him, the cheif, & vnchangeable good: as also to make way to the further declaration of his merciemercy, & iustice, did suspend, & withhold from Adam in his temptation, that efficacy of grace, by which he could (if he would) have established him vntesistably vntounto perseverance.

So also could God by his alsufficient power (if such his good will were) recover thousandes, that perish in, & by their sins: otherwise he were not almighty: not that true, which is sayd of him in the Psalm, He doth whatsoever Ps. 115. 3Ps 115:3pleaseth him. Besides, it should els sollow, that sin, & Sathan were stronger then he: & which he could not possibly defeat, & withstand: which is, as impossible, as that God should not be God. He is able by his almightyLuk. 3. 8.Luke 3:8 power, if such his good pleasure be to rayse of the very stones children vntounto Abraham: and by takeing away the stony heart, to geve an heart of fi…sh, tenderEzech. 11 19.Ezek 11:19 & sensible, & to write in it, his will, & law.

And what the Lords power is, in remedying, & recovering of most desperate sinners, may be seen in some particulars. In the recovery of Manasseh 2 King 21 12. 16.2 Kgs 21:122 Kgs 21:16an hortible, & apostate Idolatour, a vile sorcerer, & witch, & most cruell murtherer, filling the streetes with innocent blood: of Mary Magdelen possessedwhich 2 Chro 33. 12 13 &c. 1 Tim …. 13.2 Chr 33:12 with 7 Divels: & of Saul, a persequuter, blasphemer, & oppressour, & that when the fyre of most violent persequution burned hottest in his brest: causing him to breath out of his mouth threatnings, & slaughter, as smoake, Act. 9 1. And since all men are by nature children of wrath, & dead in sins, so that they who are the Lords, have new life put into them, yea are borne, yea whichEph 2. 2.Eph 2:2 is more, created anew, it sheweth, that the whole being, & life of the spirituall man, with all the motions, & inclinations thereof, are of Gods speciall & supernaturall grace; as also that though men in themselves be vtterly remedilesse, & irrecoverable, yet are they by Gods grace, & power recoverable, if such his good will be.

The Scriptures Isa: 5. 4. Ezech: 18. 23. & 33. Luk: 13. 6. 9. speak of the Lords dealing with his Church in the outward ministery of the word, & other common motives to repentance: as is also further manifest Math: 21. 33. 34. &c. & so are neyther to be vnderstood (as here they are) of the Lords dealing with all men, nor at all of the vttermost efficacy of his spirit, when he pleaseth to worke by it what he can for the recovery of sinners.

p. 115Lastly touching the similitude brought from a naturall father, I must vse two limitations: the former that a naturall father would not suffer his sonne to come to the gallowes, or desert thereof, if he could possibly in his vtmost power hinder it: he would rather wish not to beget him at all, or that he might never be born: but so is it notwith God, who both willingly produceth, & preserveth the creature, whom he purposeth to destroy for sin, which he foreseeth the creature will work, & suffereth him to fall into, though he could (would he vse the vtmost of his power,) hinder both the sin, & punishment. And 2^dly, the hanging of the childe is no way to the honour of his naturall father, but to his greif, & shame every way:Prov. 10. 20.Prov 10:20 but on the contrary, the destruction of the wicked for their sins is to the great glorie of the iustice of the Creatour, which then it should not be magnifyed, better all men & Angels perish.

Touching this Conclusion, God hath not onelyonly determined before the 26 Conclus.world, that the way of salvation shalbe by Christ: and foreseen who would follow it, (as they teach) but hath also determined in particular, whom he would effectually call to the participation of that grace: which being his own worke in tyme, he hath therefore purposed before tyme. It is he that††Math. 11. 26.Matt 11:26 revealeth this way vntounto man from heaven: which flesh & blood cannot do: who also must††Eph. 1… 5… 9. 1… Rom 9. 11. 15.Eph 1:5Rom 9:11Rom 9:15 drew them, who come vntounto it. And this he doth first by sending his Gospell of Salvation to such, as are his (in his decre) Act: 13. 47. 48. & Ch: 18. 9. 10. then by opening the heart (as of Ldia) to listen vntounto it. Act: 16. 4. & so workeing in their hearts by his spirit to beleev & obay it, he perfecteth their happynes in glory. Rom: 8. 30. 31. So that God foreseeth that such, & such will beleve, & chuse the way of life, because he forepurposeth to give them this grace, knowledg, will, & power to beleve, & to chuse the good way: & all this of his good & gracious pleasure towards them, on whom he will shew merciemercy. And this the places brought by those men. Eph: 1. 4. 5. 2. Tim: 1. 9. do most directly prove: so also doth Iude, 4. expressely teach, not that God foresaw who would follow the way of infidelity & impenitency, for which they alleadg it: but whom God hath foreordeyned to condemnation for their wickednes. The Scriptures, then do no where prove any such idle foresight in God, as is imagined by these men, & others: as if God were in truth, but a prognosticator, & reader of mens destinyes: who could onelyonly fortell, what should be done by, & become of these, & these men.

Touching 27^th Conclus: That as God created all men according to his Image, so hath he redemed, all that fall by actuall sin, to the same end: & that God in his redemption Concl. 27, 28,hath not swarved from his mercy, which he manifested in his creation: & that part of Concl: 28. where it is sayd, that God in his love to his enemies gave Christ to dy, & so bought them that deny him; sundry things are to be observed.

p. 116And first, that God did not manifest any mercy, but onelyonly goodnes, inANS. the creation: for mercy presupposeth misery in him towards whom it is shewed. Secondly it is no swarving at all of Gods goodnes, if he extend not the grace of redemption to as many as he did the grace of creation: for then Christ should have redeemed the Angels, (who were partakers of a greater grace of creation:) which he in no sorte did. And if God, did inHeb. 2. 16.Heb 2:16 iustice paste by the Angels that sinned: might he not in the same iustice have passed by men also? And if he might in iustice have passed by all, (where he could not in iustice, nor possibly create one man vnjust) as no man will deny but our redemption by Christ, was a worke of Gods mercy, & not of his iustice) is it injustice in him to passe by some, who also on their parte take pleasure in vntighteousnes, & to continue in their estate of impenitency, & vnbeleef, loveing darkenes more then light, because then workes are evill?

Of the Scriptures brought: first, that of Ioh: 1. 3. shewes that by Christ, to wit, as God, all things were made, or created, which is nothing to the present matter. And where vers: 16. he sayth, of his fulnes we all have received, & grace, for grace, he speaks not of all men, but onelyonly of all those, who receive Christ, & beleve in his name, as vers: 12. & are borne of God. vers: 13. So 2. Cor: 5. 19. by the world which God reconciled to himself in Christ, are not meant all that actually sin, but such as by the word of reconciliation preached vntounto them, & beleeved by them, have their sins forgeven them.

By all men 1. Tim: 2. 6. is meant all sortes of men, as well Kings, & Magistrates, whom, because they were for the present, persequutours of the Saints, it seems some thought they were not to pray for, as for others, vers. 1. he exhorts to pray for all men: & vers: 2. he shewes his meaning to be for all sorts, as Kings, & them in autority vnderunder them, whom vers: 4. he sayth God would have saved as well as others: as for whom Christ dyed, & so redeemed them, as well as others. Of Ezech: 33. I have spoken formerly, as also of Ioh: 16.

By the enemyes spoken of Rom: 5. 10. are meant onelyonly such, as are in tyme actually reconciled to God, & saved: as appears plainly, if the place be well considered; whom God is sayd to love, & that not which the common love of a Creatour towards the creature, but with the love of a Redemer, in respect of his decre of love, (& not of the actuall application of it) as he is sayd to have loved Iacob, & hated Esau, before they were borne: Actually he did not hate, or love the one, or other, neyther doth or can God love actually wicked men so remayning Psal: 5. 5. 6. Lastly Christ is sayd. 2. Pet: 2. 2. to have bought those deceaveers, in respect of the former profession of holynes, which they made: by which in the judgement of Charity, they were p. 117so esteemed: as appears evidently in Iude, who speaking of the same persons sayth vers: 3. they were vngodly men crept into the Church.

Now for Christs Redemption, it must be knowen, that the word foreign Redemption, vsed in the Scriptures, is borrowed from the custome of freeing prisoners, taken in war, from death, or bondage, by paying a iust price, or ransom for them. And so to affirm that Christ hath reaeemed all that fall by actuall sin, is to affirm, that he hath payed a price to the iustice of God, for all such, & freed them from the guilt, & bondage of sin, & Sathan: & so consequently, that all who have sinned actually, have fayth, & repentance: without which they cannot have forgivenes of sins, nor freedom from the bondage, & guilt thereof. It is confessed (& truely) Conclus: 35. That the efficacy of Christs death is onelyonly derived to thē which mortify their sins, &c.Ioh. 3. Act. 10 43. 2. Cor. 17.John 3Acts 10:43 and therein directly graunted that Christs death is not effectuall for all mē: and that it is in it self sufficient for all, (being the death of him that was God, Act: 20. 28.) we acknowledg: as also that no particular person (not haveing sinned agaynst the holy Ghost) can be excluded eyther by himself, or vsus, from the number of them, for whom Christ dyed. It were agaynst fayth to pray that God would save all the men, that are, & shalbe in the world to the end thereof: but love teacheth me to pray for any person particularly, vppon occasion.

Now for that these men alledg Rom: 5. to prove that Christ redeemed all who sin actually: and M_r Helw: & others much insist vppon the same place, to prove that he redeemed all, who sinne in Adam: and so would have a frewill though not by nature, which they dislike, but by grace given to all: as if Turkes, and Pagans, and all the wicked world were in Christ, and so free from condemnation Rom: 8. 1. and they who had crucifyed the flesh and the lusts thereof: Gal: 4. 24. which they must be, before they can be partakers of the grace of God through Christ, or of any frewill through him: Ioh: 15. 5. I will playnly, and briefly prove (the Lord assisting me) that the Apostle intends neyther the one, nor the other, but the contrary.

The Apostles meaning there is to shew the priviledges of the faythfull: that notwithstanding all their afflictions, They have peace with God: accesse vers. 2. 3…vntounto his grace and hope of glorie. having by fayth assurance of the love of God shed into their hearts by the holy Ghost. This love of God he confirmeth vntounto them, by the work of their redemption: and proveth that since out of the love of God, Christ dyed for them when they were sinners, & instifyed them by his vers. 1. …blood, much more should they be saved from wrath through him, and that if when vers. 10they were enemyes, they were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne, much more being reconciled they should be saved by his lyfe: and agayne, That they who had received vers. 17that abundance of grace, & gift of righteouses, should reigne in lyse by Iesus p. 118Christ: and in the last place, that, that Grace should reign through righteousnes vntounto eternall lyfe by Iesus Christ our Lord. Which grace he also amplyfieth, and confirmeth by comparing Christ as the 2^d Adam, with the first Adam: teaching that both the one, & the other did, & do propagate to all theirs, what theirs was: the first Adam, sin, & death to all comeing of him naturally: the 2^d Adam Christ, righteousnes, & eternall lyfe to all that are in him spiritually, & for whom he died. The meaning thē of the Apostle seems vntounto me plainly to be this: that for whomsoever Christ did indeed and effectually dy, they should certainly be saved: & that whomsoever God did reconcile by his death, he will much more save by his lyfe, notwithstanding their afflictions & all other the enemyes of their salvation: & so to be the same in effect with that which the same Apostle hath Rom: 8. 28. that all things shall worke together for the best vntounto them that love God even vntounto them who are called of purpose: & that those who are predestmate are also called, & iustifyed, & glorifyed: & vers: 32. 39. that to them, for whom God hath not spared to give his sonne, he will give all things with him: and so victorie over sin, & Sathan, & their own flesh, with all temptations, so as nothing shall separate them from the love of God.

From Rom: 5 then, may be more truely (& I am persuaded vndeniably.) concluded, these two things. 1. that Christ did not effectually dy for, or reconcile by his death all men in particular: for then all should be saved by his lyfe: & 2^dly, that whomsoever he so died for, & effectually reconciled, they shall be kept by the power of God, & of his grace, vntounto eternall lyfe: yea He that beleveth in the sonne, sayth Iohn Baptist, hath eternall lyfe: & drinkeing …. 3. 36. …. 4. 14once of the water which Christ giveth, he shall never thrist agayn, but it shall be in him a well of water, springing vp to eternall lyfe. A wellspring (we know) is never wholy dry, though a ditch be: as it is also one thing to drink of this water of lyfe: and another thing onelyonly to tast of it: which they that do, may fall …eb. 6. 4. 6.away, as never haveing had their thirst indeed quenched in them, nor haveing drunk in the rayn of grace, as vers: 7. And it is well to be observed by vsus, how carefully the Holy Ghost in this, & in other places, preventeth both the offence at, & errour about mens falling away from their holy profession.

We read of some in the parable of the sower who receiv the seed of the word with ioy, & in whom it hath also got some kyndeof growth, and yet theyMath. 13 …5. 7. & …. 21. 22 …. 23.Matt 13:5Matt 13:7Matt 21:22Matt 21:23 come to nothing: but we fynde in the same place, that the soyl of those mens hearts, was never indeed good: but at the best, as stony & thorny ground: But the seed sowen in the good ground indeed, decayes not, but growes vp, and is fruitfull to the harvest.

p. 119So Paul 2. Tim. 2. sheweth that some there are, who have their fayth vers. 1. 19. 20destroyed by heresyes, & evill lyfe: but he geves vsus to vnderstand in the same place, that these men were never indeed vnderunder the seal of Gods election, nor knowen of him, nor vessels of honour, of silver, & of gould.

The Apostle Peter likewise speaketh of some, who denyed the Lord2. Pet. that bought them, to wit, being iudged by their former profession, but in the same place he shewes that the same persons were but indeed dogs and swine, at the best, though outwardly washed, and disburdened of such sins,vers. … as clogged their Consciences, as is the dog by vomiting of his surchargure. And Iude vers. 4. speaking of those verie men expressely chargeth them, but to have crept in, at the first, &c.

Lastly Iohn speakeing of many Anti-Christs who went out from the true1. Ioh. 18. 19. Church and Christians, sayth plainly that they were not of them, that is not of the number of Gods truely annoynted ones: and that by their not continueing with them it appeared, they were never of them. For they that are borne of God cannot commit sin, because the seed of Gods word abydeth in them, as it followeth in same Epistle: Chap: 3. 9. and thus much in effect these men confesse, when they teach (as the truth is & Scripture proveth) Concl: 47. That the regenerate man shalbe a piller in the house of God, & shall goe no Rev. 3.Rev 3more out. And if men truely iustifyed, & sanctifyed should wholy fall away, they could not possiby be recovered, but were as trees twice dead, and soIude 1…Jude 1 to be plucked vp by the roots: neyther can there be two new birthes, any more then two first birthes: and if there might, then must there be also an answerable repeating of Baptism, which is the lavacher of the new Tit. 3.Titus 3birth.

To conclude this poynt … they who eyther hould that Christ effectually redeemed all from their naturall corruption, or that any truely iustifyed, and sanctifyed, may wholy fall away and perish, do devide Christ from himself, and make him a party Saviour: and a Preist for some to redeem them by his death, to whom he is not a King to save them by his lyfe: & a Saviour in parte to the very damned at the last day: freeing all of them from the guilt of their originall sin: and many of them, even from one part of their actuall sins, namely, so much as they wrought, before the tyme of their falling away, but not from the rest. Which how vayn a thing it is to imagine, and how derogatorie to the excellency, & perfection of Christs sacrifice, and mediation, needs not be shewed. All who have any parte in Christ, are in Christ, & so free from condemnation: & vntounto whomsoever heRom. 8Rom 8 shall appear a Saviour they are his people & he shall save them from all their sins, & not from some part of them onelyonly.

p. 120That the sacrifice of Christs bodie, & blood offered vntounto God his father vppon the crosse, though a sacrifice of sweet savour, & that God be well pleased in him, doth not reconcile God vntounto vsus, who did never hate vsus, nor was our enemy, but reconcileth vsus vntounto God, 2. Cor. 5. 19. & slayeth the enmitie, & hatred, which is in vsus agaynst God, Eph. 2. 14. 16. Rom. 1. 30. is most vntrue, and indeed a very pernitious doctrine, destroying the mayn fruit of Christs sacrifice, & death.

As one of the Scriptures quoted, which is Rom. 1. 30. speakes of wicked mens hateing of God, so are the rest meant of Gods hatred towards wicked men: which they also fully prove. And if the sacrifice of Christs bodie, & blood vppon the crosse were a sweet smelling savour vntounto his father, is it not evident that we did formerly stinck in Gods nostrils by reason of our sins? Where he gave himself a sacrifice for vsus, was it not to appease the fathers wrath towards vsus? In which respect he is sayd to be our propitiation, Ioh. 2. …2.John 2:2& advocate if we sin: being as our eternall high priest (sprinkled with the blood of his crosse) entered the most holy place, the heavens, & there appearing continually to pacify the wrath of his father, & to procure for vsus all grace. Who also to redeem vsus from the curse of the law vnderunder which we, with all…ll. 3 10 Cor. 6. …. flesh, were, was made a curse for vsus: paying a price for vsus to satisfy the iustice of his father. And if God be well pleased in him, doth it not follow that he is displeased without him? So by the reconciliation of the world vntounto God through Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 19. is not meant our laying aside of hatred, & enemitie…ath. 3. …. agaynst God (though that follow vppon the other) but the takeing away of his hatred & enmitie towards vsus, as is evident in that the Apostle in the former verse placeth this reconciliation in Gods not imputing our sins vntounto vsus: the end of his exhortation vers: 20. being to provoke vsus to the growth of fayth for the applying of the same. Neyther speaketh he Eph: 2 of the slaying of the enemitie & hatred in vsus agaynst God, as is sayd: but first of the slaying of the hatred betweē Iewes, and Gentils, by breaking down the partition wall of Ceremonies: and 2^dly, & more principally, of slaying the hatred wherewith God hated both, for sin, being the one, & other by nature children of wrath vers: 3. that is vnderunder the wrath of God, as their deserved inheritance. So that the chief, & first work of our redemption by Christ is the freeing of vsus from the guilt of sin, & most fearefull wrath of God, by paying the price of his pretious blood for a ransom to the iustice of his father, thereby procuring him of a most severe, & fearefull Iudg to become vntounto vsus a gracious father, and to love vsus vntounto life: which love of his being shed into our hearts by the holy Ghost, & we being thereof persuaded, doth effectually allure vsus to love him agayn, who hath so loved vsus in his sonne.

Now whereas in Conclus: 57. & so foreward many things concerning56. 57. Conclusion. fayth, repentance, the regenerate man, & new creature: are set down both vnsoundly p. 121& vnorderly. I thinke it best breifly to note down in the first place, the trueth, & order of those things: & so to compare therewith the particulars in the confession.

This worke of grace then in the generall God beginneth ordinarily by the Ministerie of his word, & first of the law: which (through mans inabilitie to keep it) convinceth, & condemneth him, & so leaves him vnderunderRom 8. 3. & Chap. 7. 7. Gal. 3. 1…Rom 8:3Gal 3:1 Gods curse: from whence also aryseth in the minde a servile fear of God, & his iudgments, with greif & sorrow in respect thereof, which is commonly called legall repentance, or (better) penitency, & so a dispayting of all remedie in a mans self. Then cometh the Gospell of glad tydinges, offering gace, & merciemercy vntounto those who being weary & heavy laden do come vntounto Math 1. 28. Act 13. 48. 2 Cor 3 2. Cor. 2. 10. 11. 1… &c.Matt 1:28Acts 13:482 Cor 32 Cor 2:102 Cor 2:112 Cor 2:1Christ for ease, & rest, by beleveing in him; which so many do as are ordeyned of God to eternall lyfe: God with & by the same Gospell Ministring, & conveying the graces of his spirit into the heart, (by which a man becomes of a naturall man, a spirituall man) and of these graces first, & principally fayth, by which Christ is received. Ioh: 1. 12. and the lyfe of grace begun, as Paul testifyeth. Gal: 2. 20. that he lyved by fayth in the sonne of God. From which fayth, and assurance of the forgivenes of sins, and so great love of God shed into the heart of a miserable sinner, ariseth, by reflexion, as it were, a love agayn towards God, & from this love, a godly sorrow for sin wroughtLuk … 4 2. Cor. … 10.Luke 42 Cor 10 agaynst so good a God: and from this sorrow, true repentance, and the turning of the heart from evill to good, with an hatred, feare, and earnest endevour to avoyd sin in respect of Gods mercy: as on the contrary a love, desire, & constant endeavour of and vntounto whatsoever pleaseth him. Now allPs 103. 4… & 130. … 1 Cor. 1… 4.Ps 103:4Ps 103:1301 Cor 1:4 these, and all other truely spirituall graces, howsoever wrought by that one Spirit, and at one tyme, yet are in the order of nature, & manifestation, one before another, & so fayth the cause of the rest.

Where then it is sayd Conclus: 56. that the new creature followeth repentance, it is not so in trueth (nor the Scripture brought which is Luk: 3. 6. any thing pertinent) though to our sence, and manifestation, it seeme so to be. For this repentance is a worke of man immediatly (though formerly wrought in him of God: 2. Tim: 2. 25.) & so followeth the worke2. Cor. 7… 10.2 Cor 7:10 of our regeneration, or recreation, which is Gods work. Repentance arisethMath. 7. 18.Matt 7:18 from a godly sorrow which can onelyonly be in a godly man, as a fruit of a good tree: and this godly man (all being vngodly by nature) must be a new creature, or regenerate of God: though for the perfiting of our new creature, and till the ould man be wholy crucifyed, repentance be required, as a cause, or meanes thereof. So neyther doth repentance go before fayth, as58 Conclus. Heb. 11. … Act. 15. …Heb 11Acts 15 it is put Conclus: 58. but followeth it as a fruit thereof: without which no man can please God; and so not repent aright: our repentance arising from a p. 122sorrow for the offending of God, this sorrow from the knowledg of his love towards vsus, which is faith: which faith purifieth the heart, & is the beginingAct. 15. 9.Acts 15:9 of all spirituall lyfe in vsus, as I have formerly proved.

That man (viz. naturall) hath power to reiect the motions of Gods spirit, (as is affirmed) I acknowledg, and the two Scriptures Math: 23. 37. Act: 7. 51. besides woefull experience, prove it: but deny, that he hath power to receav these motions, till God by the supernaturall gift of grace open his eyes, and change his will therevnto, as hath formerly been proved in the 18. Conclus: The 3^d Scripture which is Acts 6. 10. speakes of no such thing, but onelyonly shewes how mightely Steven confuted his adversaries in disputation.

The last place which is Rom: 10. 14. sheweth that none can beleve without preaching: & vers: 18. that the Gentiles had God preached vntounto them from the beginning, by the sound of the creatures, as Psal: 19. 5. neyther can more be thence proved. Lastly in the 58^th Conclusion, the new creature is ill, and daungerously made a parte of our iustification before God, Rom 3. …4. 25. …8.Rom 3:4Rom 3:25Rom 3:8which the Scriptures do ascribe onelyonly to faith: and the free grace of God, through that redemption that is in Christ Iesus. Our redemption then, or instification properly taken, is in Christ, & not in our selves, as it should be, if it stood in our sanctification, or the new creature, which is affirmed. Our sanctification, or renovation is an inseparable work of that fayth by which we are iustifyed, Act: 15. 9. but doth not answer the rigour of Gods iustice, nor can present vsus innocent, before his iudgement seat, being imperfect in this world, by reason of the roote of sin yet abyding in vsus, which we can not pluck vp out of our hearts, as is confessed Proposition 67. though els where denyed. That onelyonly the righteousnes of Christ can do, being imputed by grace, and by fayth receaved: Who was made sin for vsus, …. Cor. 5. …1.that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him. Now as Christ became sin for vsus, not by haveing our sin dwelling in him, but imputed vntounto him, so we become the righteousnes of God (that is perfectly righteouse before God) by his righteousnes imputed to vsus, and not by that which dwelleth in vsus: which was also livelily figured in, and is effectually proved by the sacrifices vnderunder the law, by the offering whereof, as the vnclean person, or he that had sinned, was legally cleansed, and purifyed, and his sin forgeven: so by the merit, and purity of that one oblation ofLevit. 5. 10. 13. 16 18.Lev 5:10Lev 5:13Lev 5:16 Christ offered once for all, and applyed by fayth, are we cleansed from the guilt of sin, & reconciled to God for ever.Ch…p. 12. ….

That God doth not in our regeneration vse the helpe of any creature, nor doth it by the doctrine of faith & repentance, but immediatly in the soule, is an ould59. Conclusion. errour of the Anabaptists condemned expressely by the Scriptures brought p. 123to iustify it. The first whereof is Iam: 1. 15. where God is sayd to have begotten vsus by the word of truth: which word therefore we are to be swift to hear. vers: 19. which is els where called good seed, and the word of life. which word even that which was preached by the Apostles. vers: 25. is alsoMath. 13 3.Matt 13:3 called 1. Pet: 1. 23. the immortall seed, which falling in good ground neverPh. 2. 15 Mat. 13… 8. 23.Matt 13:8Matt 13:23 perisheth, but bringeth forth fruit to eternall lyfe.

Not to trouble the Reader with many Scriptures for the proufe of that which every regenerate mans experience doth confirm, the Apostle calling him self the father of the Corinthians, who had in Iesus Christ begot them by the 1. Cor. 4. 15.1 Cor 4:15gospell, and them his children in the same respect vers: 14. and Onesimus his sonne, whom he begot in his bonds: and Titus his naturall sonne, according to the Phil. 10. Tit. 1. 3.Titus 1:3Common faith, expressely teacheth the vse of mans ministerie for the regeneration of the elect, & ministration of the spirit of lyfe. 2. Cor: 3. 6.

Alike, if not more deceiptfull, and daungerous is that other Proposition.

That the new Creature, which is begotten of God, needeth not the outward scriptures, creatures, or ordinances of the Church to support him, but is above60 61 62 63 Concl. them. 1. Cor: 13. 10. 1. Ioh: 2. 27. seing he hath in him self 3. witnesses, the Father, the Word, & the Holy Ghost, which are better then all scriptures, or creatures, though such as have not atteyned the new Creature need them, for instruction, comfort; & to stir them vp, &c. 2. Pet: 1. 19. 1. Cor: 11. 26. Eph: 4. 12. 13.

Let the Scriptures brought be judge, and they will plead theyr own dignitie agaynst them, by whom they are thus vilely debased. In 2. Pet: 1. 19. The Apostle doth not compare the inward spirit with the outward Scriptures, but the Scriptures with themselves, the writings of the Prophets, which he compares to a light shineing in a darke place, vntounto the writinges, and preachinges of the Apostles, which revealing Christ come in the flesh, he compares to the dawning day, and morning star. Besides even they whom Peter exhorts to attend vppon the Scriptures, had obteyned the new Creature: as haveing obteyned the same pretious faith with Peter, and all things b…nging to lyfe, & godlynes by the divyne power: who are2. Pet. 1. … 3.2 Pet 1:3 also expressely sayd to be regenerate vntounto a lovely hope. 1 Epis: 1. 3. & vers: 23. to be borne anew, by the immortall seed, the word of God. So were the Corinthians also borne anew, in that they were (though but) Babes in Christ, 1. Cor. 3. 1.1 Cor 3:1and having much flesh yet abyding in them: who were to vse the Lords Supper, to shew forth his death till he came, that is till his generall comeingPhil 1. 6. 1. Thess. 5 2.Phil 1:61 Thess 5:2 to judgement, or speciall, at their death. 1. Cor: 11. 26. which is the 2 d Scripture.Act. 1. 11 Revel. …. 15.Acts 1:11

p. 124So for the 3^d Scripture: Eph. 4. 12. 13. the Apostles meaning is not that the godly should have no further need of the Ministerie for their edification, when they were come to a perfit man, as there he speakes, that is when they ceased to be as children, wavering mynded, & caryed about with every wind of doctrine, but that they should so vse it, as thereby to bring them to that perfit, & manly estate, and therein to establish them. Neither doth the particle Vntill importe a ceasing of the vse of the Ministerie when men become perfit, and growen past that childish waveringnes there reproved, but a not ceasing before then: as it is also vsed sundry tymes in the Scriptures, as, 1. Tim. 4. 13. Revel, 2. 25. & els where.

In 1. Cor. 13. 10. 12. the Apostle doth not speak of the estate of perfection…ers. 8. 9. …0. 11. in this lyfe, but in that to come, when the measure of our knowledg shalbe perfit, which is now but in parte, and but as a childes in comparison of a mans: as it shall also be immediate, & we see God face to face: when there shallbe no vse of the glasse of the word, and ordinances, when prophecying & tounges shall cease, yea when even fayth, & hope shall cease: (the things beleeved & hoped for being fully attayned) & onelyonly love shall abyde, which is therefore called the greatest of the three vers. 13.

The Apostles meaning also 1. Ioh. 2. 27. is greatly mistaken: which is not that the anoynting, or spirit which they had received, set them above the Scriptures, and all outward teachings: but that he needed not teach them, as ignorant of these things, which by that anoynting, or spirit, were sealed vp vntounto their Consciences: as where Paul tels the Thessal: that he needs not wryte vntounto them of brotherly love, because they were taught of God one to love another, …. Thes. 4. 9.his meaning onelyonly is, that they were not without that grace, but did practise it: yet doth he in the very same place vers: 10. exhort them to encrease more & more. So doth Iohn also write that his Epistle to teach and admonish those anoynted ones to beware of false Prophets & Anti-Christs of whom they were in danger, as of other evilles.

Two other Scriptures are intended, but so misput, as I can not fynde which they are, and therefore passe them by; being also assured they can geve no confirmation to this vayn presumption deceaving vnderunder a shew of Angelicall perfection.

The reason to prove the Scriptures vnnecessarie from the inward witnes of the Father, Word, & Spirit, is verie deceitfull: since the inward grace doth not abolish but establish the outward meanes, by which it is wrought, & encreased. David had this witnesse in his heart (being a man after Gods heart) and was regenerate, and yet he desires God to teach him the way of his Psal. 119. 33. vers. 18. … 16.Ps 119:33statutes: and that he would open his eyes that he might see the marvayles of his law: which he professes he will not forget. And being driven from the Tabernacle, p. 125& visible ordinances of God: how did he bewayl his want, & misery? Far was he from this imagined spirituality. The Apostle calles the Gospell the power of God to salvation: and exhorts Timothy to continue in it, to theRom. 1. 17.Rom 1:17 saveing of himself & others: by the Ministerie whereof, he also laboured to present the Corinthians a pure Virgin vntounto Christ. All which places prove the necessary1. Tim 16. vse of it till death, even for the most perfit.2. Cor 2.2 Cor 2

And see whether these things lead. The naturall, vnregenerate, and vnsanctifyed man, can have no right vse of the Gospell, and holie things: and1. Cor. 14.1 Cor 14 the spirituall, regenerate, and new creature, needes them not. To whom then are they geven: or by whom can they be rightly vsed? And beholdTit. 1. 1…Titus 1:1 here, the malice, and craft of the Divell, who assayling Gods people continually with his temptations: from which, Peter, and Paul were not free, noLuk. 2 31.Luke 2:31 nor Christ himself, who was tempted in all poynts, like as we are, but without sin, would yet persuade them, they had no need of their spirituall armor, in speciall,2. Cor. 7.2 Cor 7 of the sword of the spirit, the word of God: whereof evē Christ himself also in his temptations had vse, yea need, to drive away Sathan, as he had need ofHeb. 4. Eph 6 Matth 1. 4. 7. 1. Ioh. 4.Heb 4Eph 6Matt 1:4Matt 1:71 John 4 meat and drink to drive away hunger, and thrist: though he could by his divyne power have resisted both, without meanes. Our victorie sayth Iohn is our faith: and the foundation of our fayth, are the writings of the Apostles, & Prophets: & is the foundation of no vse for the standing of the building? or will not the enemy of our salvation easily overthrow the building, whenEph. 2Eph 2 he hath vndermyned the foundation?

Ad to these things, that the Scriptures, the law & gospell shalbe the Iudg of all, to whom they come. And is any man above his iudge? or if this beRom … 12. 16. 2. Thes 2. 4. 1. Pet. 18.Rom 12:162 Thess 2:4 not, what is it for man to exalt himself above all that is called God?

Lastly the regenerate are continually to grow in grace, & for that end to desire the sincere milk of the word to grow thereby. 1. Pet. 2. 2.

But lo here another mischeif: the perswasion of perfection in holynes; which these men would also have vsus think M^r Smith had attayned, a litle before his death. And it made well for the credit of the doctrine, that he did not survive: for then the imperfections of his lyfe, would have discovered the errour of the doctrine. Yea verely if this were his fayth here published, it is too evident how far he was from perfection. And for the help of those who are in danger of this great, & deep seduction, I will here insert a few things touching perfection.

And first we acknowledg all the faythfull perfit, and that perfitly, by Christs perfit obedience, and righteousnes imputed vntounto them for their iustification: for † by one oblation he hath perfited or consecrated for ever them that are sanctifyed. 2^dly, we acknowledg in them an inherent perfection ofHeb. 1… 14.Heb 1:14 righteousnes, and holines, which is their sinceritie, integritie, & vprightnes p. 126of heart in all things before God: vsually called the perfection of partes: as a childe, though new born is a perfit man in all the parts: & thus Iames sayth that, he who sins not in word, is a perfit man, that is, he is able to bridle all the body. And this commendation the Scriptures give of men, notwithstanding…. 2. 3. their frayltyes, that are not hypocrites, & hollow harted: theKing. …. 14. …. 1. whole man being sanctifyed, though not wholy. 3^dly, we acknowledg also in some men a perfection in degre, not absolute, but in comparison of others, though godly: and that, whereas some are but as children, and babes in grace, others are as grown, and perfit men in comparison, both for knowledg, stablenes of fayth, and all grace. Which two sorts of men are vsually opposed as strong, and weak, in the Scriptures: vntounto which perfection all…eb. 5. 12 3. 14. …h 4. 1… … 13. …hil. 3. 15 … 15. 1 must strive to attayn, & not continue alwayes children, & babes, which is both shamefull & dangerous.

But for any such perfection in this world, as wherein a man stands not need continually to renue his repentance, and to purg him self of the remnants of sin, casting of the ould man, and putting on the new man, and to grow in the knowledg, and grace of God by the vse of the Scriptures, and other Gods ordinances leading thereunto, it is none other but a most daungerous delusion of that Prince of darknes transforming himself into an Angel of light.

And to let passe the common infirmities, yea (by occasion) the greater falles (noted in the Scriptures) of those holy men, of whose perfection the same Scriptures testify: as also the dayly, monthly, & yearely sacrifices ordinarily to be offered of ould, for all & every one of the congregation, as evidences of their guilt, Solomon teacheth. 1. King. 8. 46. that there is us man, that sinneth not; according to which is that in the preacher. Ch: 7. 20. There is not a wise man vppon earth that doth good, & sinneth not. And who can sayrev. 20. (sayth the wise man) I have made my heart clean, I am clean from my sin? And if any man do say that he hath no sin, be deceaveth himself, & there is no truth in …Ioh. 1. 8 …h. 3 6. vers. 4. 8.John 1:8him. For though he who is born of God sinneth not, that is commits not, or workes not sin, makeing it his course, & trade, as it were, which onelyonly he doth, who is of the Devill, yet puts Iohn himself in the number of them, who can not say without lying, that they sin not. Thus David acknowledgeth in generall,…sal. 19. 3. that no man can know his errours, & so doth pray to be freed from secret saultes: & so doth the Apostle professe of himself in particular that he is not perfect: but onelyonly followes after, & presses hard toward the mark: & how ever in that…hil 3. …. 13. …eb. 12. 1 …om. 7. his race, he was so cūbred with that his clogging, & pressing sin, as that like a law it forced him both from the good which he would have done, & to the evill which he would not have done, & that when he would have done well, evill was present with him: though in his inward man, that is, so far as he was regenerate (which was far beyond any now) he delighted in the law of God, & served it.

p. 127Lastly, if any in this lyfe come to the perfection of leaveing sinning, they must also leav praying, & so leav being Christs Disciples; for he hath taught all his Disciples every Day to aske the forgivenes of their trespasses: yea they must be past being Godly: for, for this (because God is mercifull in forgeving sins)Matt. …. 12. Every godly man shall pray vntounto him in an acceptable tyme. And lastly they must be past hope of Christs comeing in glorie: for every one that hath this hope in Psal. 32Ps 32him, purgeth himself, as he is pure. So long therefore as we are absent from1. Ioh. 3.1 John 3 Christ, & till our glorie in him appear, we must still be purging our selves: which if the filth of sin were not still in vsus, lesse, or more, we need not be: as we must also grow in grace, & edify our selves in our most holy faith, being (as we are from the truth) so far from the vaine presumption of any such perfection, as is by these men intended.

That the outward, or visible Church consists of penitent persons, & beleeving onelyonly (opposing them to impenitent and vnbeleevers) and that such onelyonly64 71 Concl. are to be baptized, I acknowledg, and the Scriptures brought confirm: but deny it, opposing beleevers to their infants, which are neyther vnbeleevers & impenitent, nor innocent, as is affirmed. The Vineyard, and Kingdom which was taken from the Iewes, is let out, and geven to vsus,Mat. 2… 43.Matt 2:43 in which though no bryars, nor brambles, nor fruitlesse trees might grow, yet young plants, and impes, not yet bringing forth fruit actually, both might, and may: as children might and may be in Gods Kingdom, though no rebels.

In Conclusion 65 the visible Church, is vnfitly called, a figure of the invisible; 65 Conclus.as is the invisible vntruely sayd to consist onelyonly of the spirits of iust, & perfit men. He who hath in him true fayth, and holines, is a member of the invisible Church, and the same person makeing holy profession thereof outwardly, in the order left by Christ, a member of the visible Church: and the whole man of both, (and not the soul of the one, and bodie of the other:) though of the invisible in respect of the inward fayth seen of God: and of the visible in respect of the outward manifestation before men, ariseing from the former. The Scriptures brought which are Revel: 1. 10. with Chap. 21. 2. 13. 27. speak of the visible Church onelyonly, & so are impertinent.

The particulars which I deem amisse Conclus: 68. I have noted in the68 Conclus. 56. Proposition: & refer the reader thither.

That the Sacraments have the same use that the word hath, & teach to the ey of them that vnderstand, as the word teacheth the eares of them, that have74 Conclus. eares to hear, Prov: 2. 12. & that therefore they perteyn no more to Infants, then the word doth; is neyther true in all poynts, nor well applyed in any.

p. 128For 1. the word serves to convert men Psal: 19. 7. and is to be ministred to vnconverted, and prophane persons: which vse the Sacraments have not, nor must be administred to such. 2^dly, if this (applyed to Infants) were true, then should not circumcision have been administred to the Israelitish Infants, who had not eares to hear. Yet is the ground good being rightly layd (vntounto which that also Conclus: 73. is agreable, though the Scriptures be brought hand over head to confirm it.) For as God by promising Abraham that he would be his God, & the God of his seed, preached to his ear, so by giveing him, & his seed circumcision, he preached to his ey, for the ratification of the same promise. And so is it now with vsus, who have received grace to be of the fayth of Abraham, haveing the same covenant, promise, or Gospell preached by doctrine to our ear, & confirmed by baptism to our ey, for ourselves, & our seed.

To the 82. Conclus: that there is no succession in that outward Church but that all the succession is from heaven, & that the new Creature onelyonly hath the 2 Conclus.thing signifyed, & substance, whereof the outward Church, & ordinances are shadowes, Col: 2. 16. 17. I answer, 1. That the Apostle Colos: 2. speaks onelyonly of the Iewish ordinances, which are abolished, and not of the Church ordinances now. 2^dly, If it be meant that all succession is from heaven immediately, it is a fantasy: if mediately, then must the outward succession (to wit of Ministerie) be in the outward Church, whereof it is an ordinance. And whereas the Church, and new creature are opposed, it is amisse, since the Church is to consist onelyonly of such men as are in their measure renewed by the Holy Ghost, and sanctifyed: and if by the new creature they mean any other thing, it is a new creature of their own makeing.

In Conclus: 83. Where the office of the magistrate, is called a permissive ordinance …3 Conclusion.of God, is both a contradiction, and evill speakeing of them in authoritie. Where it is called an ordinance of God, it is confessed good, for every creature of God is good, and all his ordinances are his creatures; and so, many things are ascribed to the office of Magistrates in this, and the other Conclus: about it, which prove it to be good, and lawfull in it self: but where it is made permissive, it is condemned as evill: since onelyonly evill is permitted, or suffered of God.

And where it is objected Prop: 85. that Christs Disciples must love their enemyes, & not kill them: pray for them, & not punish them, &c. I answer, that the godly Magistrate may do both. Doth not God punish with temporary death those that he loveth? and why may not Gods deputyes, the Gods Psal. 82. …. 6.Ps 82vppon earth, be mynded as God herein? When the godly Kings, and governours in Israel were commaunded to exequute judgment and iustice vppon the people for their transgressions, were they commaunded not to p. 129love them, & not to pray for them? When Mr Smith in his sicknes, tels his children (as it is in the end of the booke) that if he live, he must correct, & be at them, not because he hates them, but because he loves them, as God did him, doth he not answer the objection, & shew the those two may well stand together, as in the private father, so in the publique father, the Magistrate? Where agayn it is sayd that Christs Disciples must with him be persequuted, afflicted, murdered &c: & that by the authority of the Magistrate. I do answer; that those things are not simply necessary for all persons, but as God calles men vntounto them. And 2. both the Scriptures, & other Stories do testify that godly Magistrates themselves, have suffered these thinges for the Lord & his trueth, & for well doeing: sometymes the inferiour Magistrates, by the Superiour, & sometymes the Governours by the people vnderunder them. InstancesEx. 3. 1…. 12. 15. vvith Act. 7. 25 & 1 2. 3Exod 3:1Exod 3:12Exod 3:15Acts 7:25Acts 1:2Acts 1:3 we have hereof in Moses, David, Gedeliah, Daniel, Shadrach, Mishael, & Abed nego, with Nicodemus, & others many mo. And much it is that these men should acknowledg that Magistrates are to be prayed for, & geven thanks for, as the Scriptures teach. 1. Tim: 2. 1. 3. & that their ordinance is of God, & for the good of mankynde, Rom: 13. in the workesNum. 1… 2. 10. & 16. 1. 2. &c.Num 1:2Num 1:10Num 16:1Num 16:2 whereof they may please God. 2. King: 10. 30. & in all these that it is a good & lawfull thing, (for no vnlawfull thing is of God, nor pleaseth him, nor is to be prayed, or geven thankes for) & yet for it should exclude them from the Church, as not being Christs Disciples. Doth any good1. Sam. 18. 8. 9. 12.1 Sam 18:81 Sam 18:91 Sam 18:12 & lawfull thing hinder a man from being Christs Disciple, vntounto whom all creatures, & ordinances are sanctifyed, & pure? or are men to be kept outDan. 6. … 2. 3. & 3 12.Dan 6:2Dan 6:3Dan 3:12 of the Church for weldoeing? Surely even as lawfully as to be receaved in for evill doeing. They ad that the Magistrate is not to medle with religion, or matters of conscience, nor to compell men to this, or that forme of religion, because Ioh. 7. 82 Tit. 1. 5John 7:82Titus 1:5Christ is the King, & lawgiver of the Church & conscience. Iam: 4. 12. I answer that this indeed proves that he may alter, devise, or establish nothing in religion otherwise then Christ hath appoynted, but proves not, that he may not vse his lawfull power lawfully for the furtherance of Christs Kingdom & lawes. The Prophet Isaias speakeing of the Church of Christ, foretels that Kings shalbe her noursing fathers, & Queens her noursing mothers: which if they medle not with her, how can they be? And where these men make this theIsa. 49. 23.Isa 49:23 Magistrates onelyonly worke, that iustice, & civility may be preserved amongst men, the Apostle teacheth an other end, which is, that we may lead a peaceable lyfe vnderunder them in all godlynes. It is true they have no power agaynst the lawes, doctrine,1. Tim. … …. & religion of Christ: but for the same (if their power be of God) they may vse it lawfully, & agaynst the contrary And so it was in speciall foretold by Iohn, that the kings of the earth should make the where absolate, & naked, & … her flesh, & burn her with fyre.…

p. 130This M^r Helwisse frivolously interprets of their spirituall weapons: which are no other then the spirituall weapons of all other Christians: besides that it is contrary to the clear meaning of the H Ghost, which is, that these kings should first vse their civile power for the beast, & whore, & after agaynst them to their destruction.

To conclude this poynt then: both these men, & M^r Helw: especially, in his whole discourse about this matter labours of the common disease of all ignorant mē in pleading agaynst the vse of the ordināce by the abuse: which standes eyther in prohibiting any thing which God hath commanded, or in commanding any thing which he hath forbidden: as indeed he hath whatsoever he hath not commanded, eyther expresly, or by consequence, in his religion, & worship.

Lastly it is not truely affirmed that Christians must iudg all their causes of difference amongst themselves, & may not go to law before Magistrates, nor vse an oath. For the first head is alleadged 1. Cor: 6. 1. 7.

I answer that Paul doth not there simply forbid the Saints goeing to law, but goeing to law vnderunder Infidels: & that wronging, & oppressing one another, when they should rather have suffered wrong: or at least have appoynted some able men for arbitratours, to have ended things. Which course when doubtfull differences of weight do arise, the members of the Church ought to take, & so to rest in their equall determinations. But what if none of the Chuch can sufficiently iudg of the things: or setle them in peace for after posteritie? (as it may well come to passe in cases of inheritance especially) the matter may & ought quietly, & peaceably to be referred to the Magistrates determination. His office being of God, Gods people may have the sanctifyed vse of any lawfull worke thereof.

Touching an oath. It is not the meaning of our Saviour. Math: 5. 34. 37. nor of his Apostle Iam: 5. 12. absolutely to forbid the vse of it: & to restreyn all speach to yea & nay: for then Christ had broken his own rule in his so vsuall asseverations of verily, verily: or amen, which are more then bare, yea, & nay.

The meaning of Christ was to free the law from the corrupt glosse of the pharisees, who taught, that …it was no byndeing oath, in which the name of God was not expresly mentioned, but the creatures onelyonly: as it was both his, & his Apostles meaning to reprove needles swearing in ordinarie communication. Christ our Lord professeth of himself, that he came not to destroy Matth. 5. 7.Matt 5:7the law, or ten words, but to fullfill it: & haveing taken away the curse thereof by his Death, to write the same in our hearts, that we might also observe it, & so vse Gods name holily, as a parte thereof. We read how God himself… 31. 32 swore sundry tymes for mans confirmation & assurance. And is … p. 131man eyther more holy, or better to be trusted then he, that an oath should be eyther vnholy or greivous to him? We have also for our warrant the examples of the holy Patriarks & Prophets, Abraham, Isack, Iacob, & the rest, sometymes giveing vntounto others, & sometymes takeing oathes of them,Iere. 1. … Isa 45. 23.Jer 1Isa 45:23 which being done religiously, was also a part of, & sundry tymes put for the whole solemn worship of God; & the same not ceremoniall, & shadowish;Iere. 12. 16.Jer 12:16 wish; but morall & eternall. And since strifes will alwayes be amongest men, & those many tymes such, as in which no sufficient testimony by men,Psal. 6▪ 10.Ps 6:10 or other proofe can be had, an oath (wherein God is called to witnes the truth, & to avenge the contrary) is alwayes of vse: which the Apostle directly teacheth Heb: 6. 10. An oath for confirmation is vntounto men an end of all doubts. The lawfulnes whereof the same Apos…le doth plainly confirm, by his own practise, takeing God for his witnes. Rom: 1. 9. & agayn. 2. Cor: 1. 13. takeing God for a record vppon his soul (that is to be revenged vppon him therein) that he lied not vntounto them.

And thus much for this Conclusion, wherewith I will also conclude the book: entreating of God through Christ, that all who seek his trueth in sincerity, that in the knowledg, & obedience thereof, they may please him, may both fynde the same, & with myself, mercy & forgivenes in all our errours, & faylinges of this life, which how many they are no man knoweth, nor can know, whilst he knoweth but in parte, as all men but do, whilst they live in this world, & are absent from the Lord.

THE END.

End of the text · John Robinson, Of Religious Communion Private and Public (1614)