Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 16 – Verse 17, 18
VERS. 16.
Now the Lord of peace himſelfe giuegive you peace alwaies by all meanes.
PAul, you may perceiue, growes towards his cloſe; ſo thicke and threefold he falles vponupon his deuotion. Howbeit this foreign or rather paſſionate prayer, if I miſtake not, hath reference to the former dutie: implying Caution againſt that, whether miſchiefe, or inconuenience, vſually conſequent to admonitions. Except prudence beare the greater ſway, ending in heart burnings, diſcontents, and no leſſe then notorious violations of peace. What through pride of heart, and choleriquenes of the galled Conſcience in the delinquent; and what thorough imprudence, or ſhew of wrath in the Reprouer, they ſeldome part, or after meet, but they ſtrike a heat.
My Brethren, theſe things ought not ſo to be; ImGal. 4.16. Am I therefore an enemie becauſe I tell you the truth? But asn1 Reg. 21.20. Achab, none ſhould thinke ſo. 2 Doth he hate the patient, that perſecutes the feuer. 3 Oh where is Dauids ſpirit, who counted it pretious oPſal. 141.5.balme? Yet ſee, as if ſimple monicion to keepe peace inuiolable, had bin to no auaile, God is prayed vntounto, himſelfe to interpoſe for preſeruation of peace.
Particulars in the prayer are 1 The bleſſing prayed for; Peace. 2 The Author, The Lord; The Lord himſelfe. 3 The neceſſity or difficulty or excellencie of the bleſſing (who can tell whether?) In the forme of the petition, The Lord himſelfe, Alwaies, by all meanes.
De 1o There is peace the vertue, or fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. And there is peace the bleſſing; The Lord ſhall giuegive vntounto his people the bleſſing of peace, Pſal. 29.11. Whether meanes the Apoſtle? One, or both? Truth is, they are ſubordinate.
In vaine we ſhall expect other then tumultuous conuerſation, till God giuegive vsus peaceable ſpirits: And in the mountaine of the Lord ſhall be pIſai. 11.6.7.8, 9peace, that the lambe may dwell ſecretly with the Lyon, and the young childe play vponupon the hole of the Aſpe, where God hath once maſtered our turbulent affections.
Suppoſe it meant of peace the vertue; are not vertuous inclinations gratious bleſſings of God? As to me they ſeeme, the prime of his bleſſings: to beqMat. 5.3, &c. poore in Spirit, pure in heart, meeke, mercifull, &c. are ſtiled ſo many beatitudes; ſay Schoolemen truely, they are beat…tudo diſpoſitiua; ſo many diſpoſitions to perfect bleſſedneſſe. 2 Euidence our title to conſummate beatitude. 3 Are pledges,r2 Cor. 1.22. earneſt of it. 4 BringſGal. 6.16. peace to the Conſcience, fill the ſoule with ioy vnſpeakeable and glorious. 5 Are appropried to the veſſells of mercy, that ſhall bee heires of ſaluation.
Ʋſe Which, if nothing elſe, may calme our fretfull murmurings at that ſeeming ataxie; that in outward things there be wicked, to whom it comes after the worke of the Righteous: Righteous, to whom it befalls after the worke of the wicked: what then? Are therefore the proud bleſſed? Or Gods Children miſerable? 1 Them ſee permitted to fowleſt euils; thoſe we call euills of fault. 2tPro. 1.32. Stayne with their eaſe; uEc. 5, 12. &baned with their wealth;*8.11. obfirmed in euill. 3 Forlorne of all vertuous goodneſſe, which onelyonly ſteedes in the day of wrath, Pro. 11.4. Theſe, afflicted indeed,x2 Cor. 4.8, 9. but 1 not forſaken: 2y17. renewed in the Inner man: 3 and marke but their end, its peace: In their zPro. 14.32.death is hope, comfort, ſuch asaNumb. 23.10. Balaam wiſheth to partake: and in the interim, adorned with vertues;bIac. 2.5. Rich in faith; bleſſed in all cEpheſ. 11.3.ſpirituall bleſſings that concerne life and godlineſſe; that euen now we may dMal. 3.18.diſcerne twixt him that ſerueth God, & him that ſerueth him not; while God caſts onelyonly the Refuſe of his bleſſings vponupon the wicked; reſerues his prime fauours, vertuous Inclinations, to the Children of his LoueLove.
Amongſt theſe, reckon it as none of the meaneſt, to be of a peaceable Spirit: This vertuous bleſſing, a bleſſed vertue: characterizing vsus eMat. 5.9.Gods Children, whoſe ſtile it is, frequent as any, to be the God of Peace.
There are pacati: as Haemor and Shechem giuegive Teſtimonie of Iacob and his Retinew;Bernard. The men are fGen. 34.21.peaceable amongſt vsus. No ſteereſmen in contentions; yet when exaſperated by wrongs, going forth too haſtelie to contentions; there is Leo dormiens.
2. Patientes; whom iniuries prouoke not to breach of peace. Why g1 Cor. 6.7.rather ſuffer yee not wrong?
3. Pacifici; Ambitious, after a ſort, to compoſe quarrells; yeelding, perſwading to any thing Reaſonable, rather then peace to be violated in the mountaine of Gods holineſſe: ſuchhAct. 7.26. Moſes; iGen. 13.8, 9.Abraham. Theſe ſhall be called the ſonnes of God; noticed of all men, to beare the Image of the God of peace.
Ʋſe Sirs, We are Brethren; why ſtriue we? Eſpecially about trifles; indifferent Church Ceremonies; ſo long, till wee hauehave made our ſelues a reproach, a prey almoſt to rayling aduerſaries; till our Goſpel is defamed, as if it were not the Goſpel of peace: our God blaſphemed, as if hee were Authork1 Cor. 14.33. of Confuſion, not of peace.
2. About temporalls, things of this life, ſo long, ſo eagerly, till we hauehave ruined families of Antienteſt honour; raiſed Lawyers from the dunghill, that they now inherit the ſeate of glorie, and ſit with the Princes of the people.
Should difference of Iudgement, eſpecially in adiaphoris, worke diſunion of affections?lRom. 14.5. one man eſteemes a day aboue another: Another counts all daies alike: moderately he ſpake, and as a louer of peace, who ſaid, Abundet quiſque ſenſu ſuo. Nor vrge, nor oppoſe them ſo, as to breake the peace of the Church.
And for theſe foreign, the bones of ſo dogged Contentions; Is there not a m1 Cor. 6.5, 6.wiſe man amongſt vsus, who can vmpire in trifles of them? But Brother goes to Law with Brother? 'Tis well not vnderunder Infidels; they would ſure more deteſt the faith of the Church. Yet why ſo ouerpriſe wee theſe infamous goods, as for them to violate pretious peace? I ſay as Nehemiah; Come, I beſeech you, come, let vsus ioyne hands and hearts to aNeh. 2.17.build the walles of Ieruſalem, that we be no more a reproach.
But rather, I preſume, you apprehend Paul to meane the bleſſing of peace. That Saint Bernard thus tripleth: There is peace, 1 internall, betwixt God and the conſcience; betwixt rectified reaſon and appetite; betwixt affection, and affection in Gods children. 2 Externall, betwixt a man and his neighbour. 3 Eternall in the Heauens, where is the moſt perfect tranquillitie of order: where wee are ſet out of touch, or reach euen of the Deuils wrangling.
But peace Paul meanes externall, twixt a man and his neighbour. That 1 ſometimes, ſoundes freedome from hoſtilitie, reſt from the tumults of warre. Iud. 5. vlt. 2 Sometimes, immunitie from perſecutions. Actes 9.31. 3 And here, tranquillitie, quiet conuerſation in Chriſtian ſocietie, free from vaine ianglings, vnbrotherly diſcords and diſſenſions. As Mar. 9.50. & alibi paſſim.
Ʋſe I pray God once ſettle vsus in it: …nite our hearts to feare him; to louelove, and liue at peace one with another. Thorough the great mercy of the Lord of peace, we hauehave beene long free from the miſeries of bloody warres: the bleſſing Dauid prayed for tooPſal. 122.7. Ieruſalem, wee hauehave enjoyed it ſeemes ad nauſeam vſque: till now the people are ready to cry ad arma, alarme. So long hath peace beene within our walles, and plenteouſneſſe within our palaces. And as for perſecution, the name is ſcarcely heard amongſt vsus, ſithence Tempora Mariana; that now wee are growne touchie, and tender of reproach, and churle, if the Lord call vsus to ſuffer euen rebuke for his name. Yet, as if wee were made of wrangling metall, had our life, as Salamanders in the fire of contention, ſo dote we about queſtions, and ſtrife of words in the Church; ſo eagerly purſue we petieſt rights, reuengefully proſecute triflingeſt wrongs: that we ſet Church and Common-wealth all in a combuſtion.
He knew the hearts and temper of his countrimen,Llboyde apud Maginum in cambria. the Cambro-Britannus, who thus writes of them. That they are naturally propenſe to brawles, ſometimes of the bloudieſt. And now, ſithence they hauehave beene forced to brake their ſwordes into ſithes, their ſpeares or welch-hookes into mattockes, to giuegive vent to the wrangling humour, they ſpend their time, and ſtate in perſecuting Law ſuites. And wee, Britans of t'other race, are growne all Camber, Camber: quite changed from the temper of our peaceable fore-fathers. That now, writtes walke for words; and but ſub paena, wee tread not downe one graſſe of our neighbours. Tempora, tempora.
Church ſtories record, how vnderunder bloody perſecutions, Biſhops and other Chriſtians merited the ſtile of the ſons of peace: ſo vnanimouſly they ſtroue for the faith once giuen to Saints, reſisting againſt ſin to the ſhedding of their beſt bloud. After when vnderunder Conſtantine the Churches had reſt round about, then fell in domeſtique Contentions, firſt about matter of faith; as in that peſtilent hereſie of Arrius. Theſe calmed, about primacie, and praeeminence, and ſuch like traſh; till at laſt purity of faith, and worſhip was well-nigh loſt, in almoſt the whole Church. And we, who hauehave ſeene iſſues of ſuch contentions, wanton, it ſhould ſeeme, with outward peace, are madde vponupon queſtions, wrangle about trifles, as about the heart and life of our faith.
Per viſcera Ieſu noſtri obſecro, obteſtor, pRom. 14.19.Let vsus follow the things that concerne peace, and wherewith wee may edifie one another. That will neuer bee, till wee hauehave learned:
1 To walke by qPhil. 3.16.one Rule; That which the Lord hath appointed, the onelyonly Canon and meaſure of Faith. While Thomas with his Saint Ariſtotle and Saint Denys muſt vmpire it in Religion; Reaſon muſt bee iudge of Faith, in vaine we looke for ought but endleſſe queſtions in the Church. foreign.
2 While we are rIac. 3.1.ſo many Masters; eueryevery one will bee a Maſter in Iſrael, to iudge whats order and decorum, maruell not if the Church bee filled with contention; Oh that the meekeneſſe of wiſedome were in vsus;ſPhil. 2.3. Euerie man to thinke another better then himſelfe.
3 Saint Hierom would hauehave no man patient, in cauſa laeſae fidei; yet is it in Pauls Counſell and practiſe, in things indifferent to be indifferently minded; to t1 Cor. 9.12.become all vntounto all. Ambroſe his moderation, what wiſe man but approues in externall Rites, to fit himſelfe to that Church; God ſhall call or occaſion him to liue in. Turpis eſt omnis pars, quae vniuerſo non congruit ſuo.
As to ciuill contentions, we may then hope to hauehave them calmed; when men hauehave learn'd, 1uPro. 17.1. Ʋnderualue their pence, to their peace. 2 To pacifie the *Iac 4.1.luſts which warre in their members. 3 To thinke it their xPro. 19.11.glory, to paſſe by an offence. 4 To be humble and lowly; ſithyPro. 13.10. onelyonly by pride men make contentions. But why preſcribe wee? When Paul thought preſcripts ſo little auaileable; And, inſteed of exhorting, prayes God himſelfe to interpoſe for preſeruation of peace.
The God of peace himſelfe giuegive you peace. Surely its hee that makes men to be of one minde in a houſe; Its the zPſal. 29 11.Lord, who giues vntounto his people the bleſſing of peace.
But why that foreign Emphaticall prefixed? It ſounds, mee thinkes, as if the Lord muſt bow the heauens and come downe, himſelfe in perſon interpoſe to ſettle vsus in peace. Is our nature ſo abhorrent from peace? Or what is it? View man as nature ſends him out into the world, thou ſeeſt him naked, and, more then any creature, vnarmed; as if his maker meant him for ſome Picture of Peace. Yet behold him in his Inwards ſo depraued ſince the fall, that Tigres, or wood Beares, are ſcarce ſo fierce as hee: the firſt ſins vented by the ſonnes of Adam, wereaSee Gen. 4. & 6 wrath, hatred, enuie, violence, &c. ſinnes all oppoſite enemies to peace: the laſt that are mortified, ſeeme the ſame contentious humours; wherefore to all the Churches Paul writes vntounto, are caucats frequenteſt, against affections of that Nature.
And vntounto this, the diuels ſteering eſpecially towards the breach of peace; nothing ſo much aduantaging or aduancing his Kingdome, as the diſcords and diſſentions of Brethren: thus ſteales he Truth, Deuotion, Sanctitie, Charitie, and all out of the Church, while we are hotly contending about Goates wooll: perhaps that's Reaſon, Paul prayes Gods immediate manifeſting himſelfe in working our peace.
But vſually, the more difficult, the more neceſſarie and excellent. Thence, perhaps, it is, Paul ſo enlargeth his petition to all meanes and Times: that other Reading by foreign, is generally reiected. But meanes▪ you muſt thinke, hee meanes lawfull, and holie; for ſo elſe-where hee ſpecifies, it muſt bee peace with holineſſe, Hebrewes 12.14.
Alwaies by all meanes: Scarce any dutie is found in this ſort enforced, as is the endeauour of peace.bHeb. 12.14. foreign, follow after peace, purſue it running from you, and that with all men. LoueLove we life? Said the Pſalmiſt.cPſal 34.12.14 Seeke peace and enſue it. dRom. 12.18.If it be poſsible, (that ſhowes it difficult) as much as in you is, hauehave peace with all men. And here, alwaies by all meanes: where I ſee enforcements ſo emphaticall, mee thinkes I apprehend ſome excellencie or vſefulneſſe extraordinarie in the dutie exhorted vntounto; elſe, ſome more then ordinarie abhorrence from it, from nature or ill cuſtome: at leaſt, ſome ſpeciall ſpight, in Satan, labouring to hinder vsus in it: where Paul with aeEpheſ. 6.16. foreign preſſeth care to keepe Faith, I apprehend, by his teaching, ſpeciall vſefulneſſe of it in the ſpirituall combate. When Peter, f1 Pet 4 8.Charitie, with like Emphaſis, I conceiue, excellencie vſefulneſſe of it in the whole life of a Chriſtian; ſpightiſheſt inſidiations of Satan, to robbe vsus of it: like thinke I of the breſſing of peace, and endeauours to preſerue it for like enforcements.
Ʋſe It wonders me, to ſee a duty ſo enforced, ſo generally ſleighted: yet are we not ignorant of Satans wiles: while thus we vilifie and vnderprize ſuch bleſſings, the Lord is proued to remoue them from vsus. God grant wee ſee not ſuch iſſues. Are we ſated with the word? Wee may liue to ſee gAm 8.5.11, 12a Famine of it: weary of the ſweet bleſſing of peace? We may, as our Neighbour Churches, taſte the miſeries of Warre. Auertat omen Deus. But let vsus learne to ſet better price vponupon bleſſings ſo pretious. I cloſe with that of Dauid, paraphraſed by Bernard; hPſal. 133.1.Behold how good and pleaſant a thing it is; Brethren to dwell together in vnity: there are ſome things good, which are not pleaſant: ſome pleaſant, which are not good; ſome neither good, nor pleaſant. In this, meet goodnes and pleaſance more then ordinary. Now the Lord of peace himſelfe giuegive vsus peace alwaies by all meanes…: and of the maine materialls of the Epiſtle, thus farre: follow the vſuall appertinences.
1 The valediction, in this verſe. 2 The ſalutation in thoſe following.
1 The valediction, carried in termes vſuall with vsus in our bidding farewell. The Lord be with you all; as if all welfare ſtood in this, that the Lord is with vsus: particulars are, 1 The bleſſing wiſhed them; The Lord be with you. 2 The extent of it in Pauls deſire; with you all.
De 1o The phraſe of ſpeech in Scripture denotes principallie three things, 1 Gods fauour; and, what goes with it, his ſiding with vsus, Rom. 8.31. If God be with vsus, who can be againſt vsus? 2 His Aſſiſtance He went about doing good, &c. for God was with him, Act. 10.38. See alſo 1 Chron. 11.9. 3 Protection: they ſold Ioſeph into Aegypt; But God was with him, and deliuered him, Act. 7.9, 10. & Iac. 1.29.
1 If Gods fauour be vnderſtood, the foreign ſeems Epitome of the high Prieſts bleſſing; Numb. 6.25. ſounds much what like that of Ioſeph to his Brother Beniamin. The Lord bee Gratious vntounto thee my Sonne, Geneſis 43.29.
Seriouſly it hath bin inquired by men, you muſt thinke, abounding with leaſure; which is the greateſt bleſſing God euer beſtowed on man. Some, preferring Creation in that excellent forme, with thoſe eximious endowments, conferred on man in Innocencie: Some, Redemption by the bloud of Chriſt, whereby hee is aduanced, to farre better and more firme eſtate; whereupon they bleſſe the fault, which occaſionad him ſuch a Redeemer. In theſe curioſities, if I might interpoſe, thus I ſhould reſolue; of all bleſſings, this is the prime; that God hath ſet his louelove on man, conferred his grace and free fauour on him: from this iſſued Election, Creation, Redemption, or if any bleſſing ſpirituall may be thought more precious then theſe.
Conſequents of it are theſe. 1 None can be againſt vsus, Rom 8.31. Thinke not, he meanes in their affection, to oppoſe, or worke our annoyance, but to hurt vsus; as Peter explicates, who is it that i1 Pet. 3.13.ſhall hurt or harme you? if you follow that which is good.
2 It brings with it, friendſhip of all the friends of God, Saints, and holy Angels; that made Eliſha ſay to his man, there are k2 Reg. 6.26.more with vsus, then thoſe that are againſt vsus; hoaſts of Angels, to fight our quarrels, to miniſter for the good of all them who ſhall be heires of ſaluation, Heb. 11.14.
3 In a word, he lackes nothing, who hath God to be his friend. Salomon had his ſtile Iedidiah; that is, beloued of the Lord, for the Lord loued him, 2 Sam. 12.25. his fauour is, But aske and hauehave, 1 King. 3.5. Aske, what I ſhall giuegive thee.
There be many that ſay, who will ſhew vsus any good? I ſay, and pray as Dauid. Lord lPſal. 4.6.lift vp the light of thy countenance vponupon me; giuegive me thy fauour, thou giueſt me all: ſee Pſal. 63.3.
2 Aſſiſtance, Acts 10.38▪ that is, 1 either aiding or ſuccouring our infirmiti…s: 2 elſe enabling to neceſſary performances. It hath oppreſſed me, Lord ſuccour mee .i. relieue, ſupport, aid my infirmity: ſee Rom. 8.26. In our preſſures by affliction, ſpecially neceſſary.
We know not what fight of afflictions God reſerues vsus for: But 1 we are yet in the fleſh, Heb. 13.3. 2 hauehave ſeene Iudgement begun at the houſe of God, 1 Pet. 4.17. The Cities plagued ouer which Gods name was called: and may we hope to eſcape? Ier. 25.29. 3 our ſinnes are ripe for vengeance. 4 Second Cauſes pregnant, and ready to be deliuered. Bleſſed is the man, whom the Lord aſſiſts; whom he ſupports in the houre of temptation.
2 Elſe, enabling to doe the dueties of generall or particular calling, 2 Tim. 4.17. the Lord aſſiſted, and enabled me.
Neceſſitie appeares: 1 Naturally, and of our ſelues, we are impotent, 1 Cor. 2.14. 2 Cor. 3.5. 2 Oppoſition we finde from Satan, Zech. 3.1. 3 Reluctation from our owne fleſh, Rom. 7.21, 23. meanes qualifying to this fauour of God: 1 ſenſible acknowledgement of our owne inabilities: 2 vſing meanes ſanctified. The Lord is nigh to all that call vponupon him, Pſal. 145.18.
3 Protection, as Acts 7.9, 10. that afforded; either 1 by ſafeguarding vsus from the touch or annoyance of euill; as when temptations violent are kept from vsus, 1 Cor. 10.13. or we taken from them, Apoc. 3.10. Iſai 57.1. 2 Reg. 22.10. 2 Or ſuſtaining vsus in the euils, 2 Cor. 12.9. 3 Or by deliuering vsus from their perill or preſſure, 2 Tim. 4.18. Ier. 45.
Neceſſitie iudge of: by 1 delicacy and tenderneſſe naturall: 2 fearefull fals of great Saints, in caſe of deſertion, Mat. 26.74. 3 perill of withdrawing, Heb. 10.…8.
Diſpoſition requiſite: preciſeſt keeping Gods wayes; the promiſe of protection is to vsus, inmPſal. 91.11. vijs, not in precipitijs.
Suppoſe; when we either 1 runne wilfully vponupon our owne perill, caſting our ſelues into temptation: 2 nor neglect nMat. 4.5.7.meanes lawfull, for preuention or deliuerance. 3 Nor vſe vnlawfull, to auoid danger. Then ſhall the Lord be with vsus: ſo is the foreign.
2 The perſons to whom he wiſheth ſo well, All without difference. So impartiall is he, ſhould wee in our louelove and welwiſhing affection to the people of God: ſo is the charge, Iam. 2.1. ſo teacheth vsus the wiſedome that is from aboue, Iam. 3.17.
Diſtinguiſh ye twixt ſpecialtie of louelove, and partialitie. Specialtie of louelove, conceiue preferring one before another, in the meaſure of our louelove and welwiſhing affection. Our Sauiour had hisoIoh. 21.20. fauorite: God himſelfe, hispIac. 2.23. friend: ſee annotata ad 1 Theſ. 5.13.
Partialitie, here vnderſtand, encloſing to ſome, with excluding others. Lo…e ſhould be to all Saints, Col. 1.4. 1 Theq1 Cor. 12.15, 21. meaneſt member is a member: 2 Vſefull in its kinde. 3 And this noticeth that wee louelove Gods children, rMat. 10.42.quà tales, when all that are ſuch, are entertained into our louelove.
Ʋſe No wiſe man loues encloſure, of what ſhould be common. Nor God, I dare ſay, ſuch encloſure of louelove.
The Greekiſh Chriſtians at Hieruſalem obſerued, it ſeemes, ſomeſActs 6.2. ſlighting of their widowes in the daily Miniſtration. Saint Iames in his time noted, thence grew to murmuring, Acts 6.11. contempt of poorer Saints, for pouertie ſake, Iam. 2.
Saints Pauls caueat noticethtRom. 14.3. contempt of weaker Chriſtians, amongſt the ſtrong: miſdeemings vncharitable in weake ones towards the ſtrong. Nor are we, in our times, free from the fault.
I ſay as Iames, My brethren theſe things ought not ſo to be. All Nations are now concorporate, Epheſ. 3.6. Poore God hath choſen, to be rich in faith, heires with vsus of the Kingdome which he hath promiſed: left them amongſt vsus, as matter of our *Mark. 14.7.Compaſſion and liberality.
Weake there muſt be, that ſtronger may afford them ſupport. Stronger there ſhall be, for ſuccour of the weake. In admirable wiſedome hath God tempered the body myſticall, ſo as all the members may hauehave helpe mutuall, muſt needes hauehave vſe one of another. WhereforeuIam. 2.5. but to knit vsus together in the nearer bond of louelove: ſee 1 Cor. 12. tot. he loues no Saint for ſanctitie ſake, who loues not all: So is the valediction: the ſalutation remaines. For euen Religion allowes ciuill curteſie: nor are Apoſtles ſo preciſe but to keepe complement: thus you read it.
VERS. 17, 18.
The ſalutation of me Paul with mine owne hand, which is the token in eueryevery Epistle, ſo I write.
The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, be with you all, Amen.
IN it are three things: I the maine matter or foreign, verſ. 18.2 the forme or manner, with mine owne hands. 3 ſpecification of the end or vſe, of conueyance in that manner, to be the ſigne of eueryevery Epistle.
The matter or foreign ye may obſerue to be for ſubſtance the ſame, in all Pauls Epiſtles: ſpecification of the forme, common to this with the firſt ſent to Corinth, 1 Cor. 16.21.and that to Colloſſe, Col. 4.18. peculiar to this is, the ſignification of the end he aimed at, in chooſing that forme of ſubſcribing: that is, to characterize his Epiſtles, that they might bee diſcerned from counterfeits, if any, by impudent fiction or forgerie of falſe Teachers, ſhould be fathered vponupon him.
Where, if the quaere be, what, in the ſalutation, is intended the ſigne or character of diſtinction? thus you may conceiue. Not the foreign, or matter alone: for 1 its not much different that Peter hath in his cloſe, 1 Pet. 5.14. 2 and how eaſely had that bin imitated by falſe Apoſtles? Rather Pauls ſtyle, or character, or, as we tearme it, his hand, faſhioning the foreign, in ſuch figure of literall characters, as hardly or not at all could be framed by counterfeits. It ſhould ſeeme the learned Scribes of thoſe times, were not ſo skilfull in that diuelliſh Art of forgerie, as now are the baſeſt amongſt our mechanicke Scriueners: whither learnd they it of the diuell? or the diuell of them?
But, audaciouſneſſe of Heretiques hath neuer bin leſſe then impudence: what forehead, but frontleſſe, durſt hauehave attempted, fathering their fictions on Apoſtles yet ſuruiuing.
Ʋſe Strange not, to ſee like impudencie at this day in the Sectaries of Antichriſt. Out of like forge came the Recantation of Maſter Beza; fained to bewaile his oppoſition to Poperie in his death; and to confeſſe himſelfe therein to hauehave bin erroneous: while yet he liued to make anſwer to their ſlander. No leſſe that of the thrice reuerend Biſhop of London, whoſe ſoule is now with God; the rather, I dare ſay, for that he was knowne liuing and dying to hate Popery with an vnfained, a perfect hatred. So more then knauiter impudent hauehave bin falſe Teachers in all Times.
Touching the foreign or fauſta apprecatio, ye may conſult with Interpreters all, ſo many as hauehave gone thorough with expoſition of any Saint Pauls Epiſtles. For my part, I contradict not any: onelyonly propound to the iudgement and inquirie of the learned; whither it bee remiſſion of ſinnes, iuſtification, the grace of adoption and regeneration, which properly comes vnderunder this tearme? I deny not but theſe are fauours of God purchaſed to vsus by Chriſt. Yet what if wee may finde the Apoſtle himſelfe enlarging the expoſition, and explaining his meaning?
Erre I? or did he meane the ſpecification of that generall, or whole of the grace of Chriſt; by thoſe particulars of the LoueLove of God the Father, and communion of the holy ſpirit? 2 Cor. 13.13. Tis no new thing in Scripture, by ſuch copulatiues to explicate: And they are principals, and as I may tearme them, Spring-fauours purchaſed to the Church by the obedience of our bleſſed Sauiour. To him for that grace purchaſed to the Church, be all honour and glory in all Churches of the Saints for euer and euer, Amen.
FJNJS.