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<NAME>Lauren Proux</NAME>
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<P>The Nature of APOSTASIE From the Profe&s;&s;ion of the GOSPEL, AND THE Puni&s;hment of APOSTATES DECLARED, IN AN Expo&s;ition of Heb. 6.4, 5, 6.</P>
<P>WITH An Enquiry into the Cau&s;es and Rea&s;ons of the Decay of the Power of Religion in the World; or the pre&s;ent general Defection from the Truth, Holine&s;s, and Wor&s;hip of the GOSPEL.</P>
<P>ALSO, Of the Pronene&s;s of Churches and Per&s;ons of all &s;orts unto APOSTASIE.</P>
<P>With Remedies and Means of Prevention.</P>
<P>By <HI>John Owen,</HI> D. D.</P>
<Q><BIBL>John 5. 39.</BIBL>
<P>Search the Scriptures.</P></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>N. Ponder</HI> at the Peacock in <HI>Chan|cery-Lane</HI> near <HI>Fleet&s;treet,</HI> 1676.</P>
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<HEAD>TO THE READERS.</HEAD>
<P>SOME brief Account of the Occa&s;ion and de&s;ign of the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e, I judg due unto the <HI>Reader,</HI> that upon a pro&s;pect of them, he may either proceed in its peru&s;al, or de&s;i&s;t as he &s;hall &s;ee cau&s;e.</P>
<P>That the &s;tate of Religion is at this day deplora|ble in mo&s;t parts of the Chri&s;tian World, is acknow|ledged by all, who concern them&s;elves in any thing that is &s;o called. Yea the Enormities of &s;ome are come to that exce&s;s that others publickly complain of them, who without the Countenance of their more bold Provocations would them&s;elves be judg|ed no &s;mall part or cau&s;e of the Evils to be com|plained of. However this on all hands will as I &s;up|po&s;e be agreed unto, that among the generality of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians, the Glory and Power of Chri|&s;tianity are faded and almo&s;t utterly lo&s;t; though the Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es thereof are not agreed upon. For however &s;ome few may plea&s;e them&s;elves, in &s;uppo&s;ing nothing to be wanting unto a good &s;tate of things in Religion, but only &s;ecurity in what they
<PB N="2" REF="4"> are and enjoy, yet the whole World is &s;o evidently filled with the dreadful effects of the Lu&s;ts of men, and &s;ad tokens of Divine Di&s;pea&s;ure, that all things from above and here below, proclaim the Degenera|cy of our Religion in its profe&s;&s;ion, from its Pri&s;tine Beauty and Glory. Religion is the &s;ame that ever it was, only it &s;uffers by them that make Profe&s;&s;ion of it. Whatever di&s;advantage it falls under in the World, they mu&s;t at length an&s;wer for, in who&s;e mi&s;belief and practice it is corrupted. And no man can expre&s;s a greater enmity unto, or malice again&s;t the Go&s;pel, than he that &s;hould a&s;&s;ert or maintain, that the Faith, Profe&s;&s;ion, Lives, Ways and Walkings of the generality of Chri&s;tians are a ju&s;t Repre&s;entation of its Truth and Holine&s;s. The de&s;cription, which the Apo&s;tle gives of men in their principles, di&s;po&s;itions and actings, before there hath been any effectual influences on their minds and lives from the Light, Power, and Grace of the Go&s;pel, is much more applicable unto them, than any thing that is &s;poken of the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t in the whole book of God. <HI>Fooli&s;h are they, &amp; di&s;obe|dient, deceived, &s;erving divers Lu&s;ts and Plea|&s;ures, living in Malice and Envy, hateful and hating one another.</HI> The way, paths and foot|&s;teps of Go&s;pel-Faith, Love, Meekne&s;s, Tem|perance, Selfdenyal, Benignity, Humility, Zeal and Contempt of the World, in the Honours, Profits
<PB N="3" REF="4"> and Plea&s;ures of it, with readine&s;s for the Cro&s;s, are all overgrown, and almo&s;t worn out amongst men, that they can hardly be di&s;cerned where they have been. But in their &s;tead the works of the flle&s;h have made a broad and open Road that the multi|tude travel in; which though it may be right for a &s;ea&s;on in their own Eyes, yet is it the way to Hell, and goeth down to the Chambers of Death. For the&s;e works of the fle&s;h are manife&s;t in the World, not on|ly in their nature what they are, but in their open perpetration and di&s;mal effects; &s;uch are <HI>Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanne&s;s, La&s;civiou&s;ne&s;s, Ido|latry, Witchceraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulati|on, Strife, Seditions, Here&s;ies, Envyings, Mur|ders, Drunkene&s;s, Revellings, and &s;uch-like,</HI> as they are reckoned up by the Apo&s;tle. How the&s;e things have &s;pread them&s;elves over the face of the Chri&s;tian World among all &s;orts of per&s;ons, is mani|fe&s;t beyond all contradiction or pretence to the con|trary. And that &s;o it &s;hould come to pa&s;s in the <HI>later times</HI> is both expre&s;ly and frequently foretold in the Scripture, as in the en&s;uing di&s;cour&s;e will be more fully declared.</P>
<P>Many indeed there are who are not given up in the cour&s;e of their lives unto the open practice of &s;uch A|bominations. And therefore in that grand Defection from the Truth and Holine&s;s of the Go&s;pel which is &s;o provalent in the World, The Grace of God is greatly to be admired, even in the &s;mall remainders
<PB N="4" REF="5"> of Piety, Sobriety, and Mode&s;ty, and common U&s;e|fulne&s;s that are yet left among us. But tho&s;e openly flagitious cour&s;es are not the only way whereby men may fall of from, and even renounce the Power Grace and Wi&s;don of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>For even of tho&s;e, who will not run out into the &s;ame exce&s;s of riot with other men, the mo&s;t are &s;o ig|norant of the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel, &s;o negligent or formal in divine Wor&s;hip, &s;o infected with Pride, Vanity and Love of the World, &s;o regardle&s;s of the Glory of Chri&s;t, and Honour of the Go&s;pel, that it is no ea&s;ie thing to find Chri&s;tian Religion in the mid|e&s;t of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians, or the Power of Godli|ne&s;s among them who openly avow the Forme there|of.</P>
<P>By this means is Chri&s;tianity brought into &s;o great neglect in the World, that its great and &s;ub|tle Adver&s;arie &s;eems encouraged to attempt the ru|ining of its very foundations, that the name of it &s;hould no more be had in remembrance. For where|ever Religion is taken of from a &s;olid con&s;i&s;tency by its Power in the lives and minds of men, when it hath no other Tenure but an outward unenlivened Profe&s;&s;ion, and the &s;ecular intere&s;t of it Profe&s;&s;ors, it will not long abide the &s;hock of that Oppo&s;ition which it is continually expo&s;ed unto. And whil&s;t things are in this &s;tate, tho&s;e, who &s;eem to have any concern|ment therein, are &s;o ingaged in mutual charging one another with being Occa&s;ions thereof, mo&s;tly
<PB N="5" REF="5"> on &s;uch Principles of Difference in Judgment as have no con&s;iderable influence thereinto, as that a joynt endeavour after proper Remedies is utterly neglected.</P>
<P>And there is yet another Con&s;ideration rendring the pre&s;ent &s;tate of Chri&s;tian Religion in the World yet more deplorable. The only Principle of Evan|gelical Obedience is &s;acred Truth, and our Faith therein. That alone is the <HI>Doctrine which is ac|cording to Godline&s;s,</HI> and all acceptable Obedi|ence unto God is the <HI>Obedience of Faith.</HI> What|ever men do or pretend unto in a way of Duty unto him, whereof the Truth of the Go&s;pel is not the &s;pring and mea&s;ure, which is not guided and ani|mated thereby, it is not what God at pre&s;ent re|quireth, nor what he will eternally reward. Wherefore although men may, and multitudes do, under a profe&s;&s;ion of that Truth live in open Rebel|lion again&s;t its Power; yet the wounds of Religion are not incurable, nor its &s;tains indelible, whil&s;t the proper Remedy is owned, &amp; wants only due Applica|tion. But if this Truth it &s;elf be corrupted or de|&s;erted, if its mo&s;t glorious My&s;teries be abu&s;ed or de&s;pi&s;ed, and if its mo&s;t important Doctrines be im|peached of Error and Fal&s;e-hood, if the vain Imaginations and carnal Rea&s;onings of the &s;erpen|tine wits of men be &s;ub&s;tituted in their Room, or exalted above them, what hope is there of a Reco|very? the breach will grow like the Sea, until there
<PB N="6" REF="6"> be none to heal it. If the fountaines of the Waters of the Sanctuary be poi&s;oned in their fir&s;t ri&s;ing, they will not heal the Nations unto whom they come. Where the Doctrine of Truth is corrupted, the hearts of men will not be changed by it, nor their lives reformed.</P>
<P>How all this hath come to pa&s;s in the Apo&s;tacy of the Roman Church, and what Multitudes of pro|fe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians are carryed down the Stream of that Defection, is acknowledged among us who are called <HI>Prote&s;tants.</HI> How therein by various De|grees the corruption of the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel gave Occa&s;ion unto the Depravation of mens man|ners on the one hand, and the Wickedne&s;s of mens lives on the other hand led the way unto and &s;er|ved to make nece&s;&s;ary a further perverting of the Doctrine it &s;elf, until at length it is hard to deter|mine, whether the multiplied Errors of that Church have made the Reintroduction of true Holine&s;s and Evangelical Obedience, or the corrupt worldly Con|ver&s;ation of the generality of the members of its Communion, have rendred the Re&s;tauration of Truth more difficult &amp; unpracticable in their pre&s;ent &s;ta|tion, is in part declared in the en&s;uing di&s;cour&s;es, and de&s;erves yet a more particular and di&s;tinct en|quiry into. In general certain it is, that as Error with Super&s;tition on the one hand in the minds of the Teachers or Guides of the Church, and Sin with Conformity unto the ways manners &amp; cour&s;e of the
<PB N="7" REF="6"> pre&s;ent evil World in the Body of the People, were mutually a&s;&s;i&s;tant unto their joynt Introduction into the Profe&s;&s;ion and Lives of Chri&s;tians; &s;o having po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed them&s;elves of the vi&s;ible Church-&s;tate of many Nations, they are &s;o interwoven in their in|tere&s;ts, as to be mutually a&s;&s;i&s;tant to the exclu&s;ion of that Truth and Holine&s;s which they have di&s;po&s;e&s;&s;ed. And whereas moreover they have found out the pre|tence of Infallibility, &s;tretched wide enough in their own apprehen&s;ions, to cover patronize and ju&s;tify the mo&s;t enormous Errors, and highe&s;t inconformi|ty of Life unto the Go&s;pel, all hopes of their re|covery are utterly defeated, but what are placed on the Soveraign Grace and Almighty Power of God.</P>
<P>That there is al&s;o another Endeavour of the &s;ame kind, and for the &s;ame general end, namely to cor|rupt the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, though in another way, and unto another extreme, vigorou&s;ly carried on in the World by the <HI>Socinians,</HI> and tho&s;e who either ab&s;olutely or for the mo&s;t part comply with them in their penitious ways, is no le&s;s known, nor ought to be much le&s;s bewailed. For this En|deavour al&s;o is attended with many Advantages to give it &s;ucce&s;s. The Corruption of the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel in the <HI>Roman Church,</HI> as it &s;prang out of the Ignorance, Darkne&s;s, Super&s;tition and car|nal Affections of the minds of men; &s;o it is by the &s;ame means pre&s;erved. But although tho&s;e things in tho&s;e Ages and places, where they abounded,
<PB N="8" REF="7"> gave &s;ufficient and effectuall Advantage to its gra|dual Introduction, and although the Principles of it be now &s;o with the &s;ecular intere&s;ts of the ge|nerality of mankind in mo&s;t of the Nations of Europe, as to &s;ecure its &s;tation &amp; po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, yet in that Eman|cipation of Rea&s;on from under the bond of Super&s;titi|on &amp; Tradition, in that liberty of Rational Enquiry unto the true nature and cau&s;es of all things, in that refu&s;al to captivate their under&s;tandings in Religi|on to the bare Authority of men no wi&s;er than them|&s;elves, which all pretend unto at pre&s;ent, who dare venture on an ordinary conver&s;e in the World; it may &s;eem marvellous how it &s;hould get ground, and en|large its Teritories, unle&s;s it be among them, who are evidently bought off from them&s;elves and from under the conduct of their own minds by &s;ome out|ward Advantages, which they look upon as a valu|able con&s;ideration. The true Rea&s;ons hereof are enquired into in the en&s;uing di&s;cour&s;e. But this new Attempt, de&s;pi&s;ing the bafled Aids of Super&s;tition and carnal Affections, which were in former Ages predo|minant and effectual, take &s;helter under a pretence of Rea&s;on, and the &s;uitablene&s;s of what is propo&s;ed in it, unto the natural Light and under&s;tandings of men. Whatever there is or is not in this matter, of the Relation that is between Religion and Rea&s;on, yet this being grown through the encrea&s;e of Learn|ing and Conver&s;e, with a decay of the true fear of God, the very Idol of this Age; whoever will pre|pare
<PB N="9" REF="7"> a &s;acrifice unto it, though it be of the mo&s;t Holy My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel, he &s;hall not fail of good en|tertainment and applau&s;e. And whoever &s;hall re|fu&s;e to ca&s;t incen&s;e on its Altar, &s;hall be &s;ure to be exploded, as one that profe&s;&s;eth him&s;elf to be a fool, &amp; even a Common enemy unto mankind. Tell men that there are &s;ome things in Religion that are above Rea&s;on, as it is finite and limited, and &s;ome things contrary unto it, as it is deprav'd an cor|rupted, and they will reply (what is true in it &s;elf but wofully abu&s;d) that yet their Rea&s;on is the be&s;t, yea only means, which they have to judg of what is true or fal&s;e. The Liberty of mens own Rational Faculties having got the great vogue in the World, (as indeed it is that which is mo&s;t excellent there|in of what is merely in and of it, it is fond to ex|pect that it &s;hould not meet with a pernitious abu&s;e, as every thing that hath any worth in it, hath always done, when advanced unto &s;uch a Reputation as might render it liable thereunto. For no man will ever adventure to pervail him&s;elf of that which others have no re&s;pect unto, or do de&s;pi&s;e. Herein then lies the advantage of this &s;ort of men, the <HI>Socinians</HI> I mean &amp; their adherents, in attempting to corrupt the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, &amp; hereon depends all their &s;ucce&s;s therein. Fir&s;t they get the advantage of the ground in general, by pretending to reduce all men unto right Rea&s;on as the ju&s;t mea&s;ure and &s;tandard of Truth. Put in any exceptions unto this propo&s;al,
<PB N="10" REF="8"> endeavour to affix its bounds and proper mea&s;ures, offer the con&s;ideration of Divine Revelation in its proper u&s;e and place, and you give away the cau&s;e among the many, who de&s;ign at lea&s;t to come in as common &s;harers in the Reputation that Rea&s;on hath got above all things in the World. By the confident u&s;e of this Artifice, and the mo&s;t ab&s;urd application of this Principle unto things Infinite, and the mo&s;t Holy my&s;teries of Divine Revelation; have this &s;ort of men, otherwi&s;e for the mo&s;t part as weak and in&s;ufficient in their rea&s;onings, as their pre|dece&s;&s;ors in the like attempts, got the Reputation of the mo&s;t rational handlers of &s;acred things. And when, being harne&s;&s;ed with this Advantage, they proceed to the propo&s;al of their opinions in particu|lar, they have &s;uch an intere&s;t beforehand in the minds of men by nature, and have things &s;o di&s;po|&s;ed and prepared for their Reception, that it is no wonder if oftimes they obtain &s;ucce&s;s. For they are all of them de&s;igned unto one of tho&s;e two Heads. Fir&s;t that there is no Rea&s;on why we &s;hould believe any thing that Rea&s;on cannot comprehend, &s;o that we may &s;afely conclude, that whatever is above our Rea&s;on is contrary unto it, and for what is &s;o, it is de&s;tructive to the very natural Con&s;titution of our Souls not to reject. And &s;econdly that the mind of Man is in its pre&s;ent condition every way &s;ufficient unto the whole of its duties both Intellectu|al and Moral, with re&s;pect unto God, and to an|&s;wer
<PB N="11" REF="8"> whatever is required of us. Upon the mat|ter they pretend only to undertake the patronage of humane Nat&uacute;re, and the common Rea&s;on and Hone&s;ty of mankind, again&s;t tho&s;e imputations of weakne&s;s depravations and corruption in things Spiritual; wherewith by &s;ome it is charged and defamed. And although it be contrary unto the univer&s;al experience of the whole World, yet might this de&s;ign be allowed what commendation men plea&s;e, &s;o that the defence of Nature were not un|dertaken expre&s;ly again&s;t the Grace of our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, the Redemption that is in his blood; and the whole My&s;terie of the Go&s;pel. But whereas it is a part of the Depravation of our Nature not to di&s;cover its own Depravations, and all tho&s;e opini|ons are &s;uited to give it Countenance again&s;t what it is not &s;en&s;ible of, and whereof it is not willing to own the charge, it is no wonder if with very many they receive a ready entertainment. And whereas they &s;eem to intere&s;t men in that Reputation, which Rea&s;on in the things of God had obtained in the World, and thereby to countenance them in the c&ograve;n|tempt of others as weak and irrational, things plea|&s;ing to the depraved minds of men, it is more than probable that they will make a pernitious progre&s;s in one degree or another. So doth the &s;ubtle Enemy of our Salvation make his advantage of the di&s;po&s;i|tion, inclination and &s;tate of every Age and Sea|&s;on. Without his Interpo&s;ition, Devotion of old might
<PB N="12" REF="9"> have been carried on without Super&s;tition, &amp; in this Age the u&s;e of Rea&s;on might be vindicated, without a rejection of the nece&s;&s;ity of &s;upernatural Illumina|tion, and the great Truths of the Go&s;pel. But the better any thing is, the more noy&s;ome it will be, when once he hath mixed his Poi&s;on with it.</P>
<P>It were to be wi&s;hed that the Defection from the Truth of the Go&s;pel complained of, were confined unto the in&s;tances already mentioned, though in them the event be deplorable among multitudes of profe&s;|&s;ed Chri&s;tians. But the &s;ame in &s;ome mea&s;ure and degree is come to pa&s;s among Prote&s;tants al&s;o. Men grow weary of the Truths which have been profe&s;&s;ed ever &s;ince the Reformation, yea of tho&s;e in particular, which gave occa&s;ion thereunto, and without which it had never been attempted. For be&s;ides that many fall off unto tho&s;e extremes of Er|ror before in&s;i&s;ted on, &s;ome on the one hand, and &s;ome on the other, the Reformed Religion is by not a few, &s;o taken off from its old foundations, &s;o un|hinged from tho&s;e Pillars of important Truths, which it did depend upon, and &s;o &s;ullied by a confu|&s;ed medly of Noy&s;om Opinions, as that its lo&s;s in Re|putation of Stability and U&s;efulne&s;s, &s;eems almo&s;t ir|reparable. Hence are Divi&s;ions, Debates and A|nimo&s;ities multiplied about the principal Articles of our Religion, whereby tho&s;e Tongues are divided and Hands ingaged in mutual inte&s;tine conflicts, which all united were few enough to pre&s;erve the
<PB N="13" REF="9"> Remainders of the Prote&s;tant Profe&s;&s;ion from the Artifices and Power of him, who doth not de&s;pair once more to impo&s;e his Yoke on the Neck of the whole Chri&s;tian World. For nothing can more prepare the way of his &s;ucce&s;s, than the &s;haking of the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches from that con|&s;i&s;tency, wherein for &s;o long a time it &s;tood firm and &s;table again&s;t all oppo&s;ition.</P>
<P>But there is in this matter nothing ab&s;olutely new under the the Sun; no in&s;tance can be given of any Church or Nation in the World, which ever received the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, that did not &s;ooner or later either totally or in &s;ome con&s;idera|ble Degrees, fall off from the Doctrine which it re|veles and the Obedience which it requireth. Men do but deceive them&s;elves, who &s;uppo&s;e that the Pu|rity of Religion will be pre&s;erved in Confe&s;&s;ions and Canons, whil&s;t &s;ome make it their bu&s;ine&s;s to cor|rupt its Truth, and few or none make it their bu|&s;ine&s;s to pre&s;erve its Power. And therefore at this day on one account or other the Defection is almo&s;t Catholick. For it is in vain for any to pretend that the pre&s;ent general vi&s;ible Profe&s;&s;ion of Chri|&s;tianity, doth in any tolerable mea&s;ure an&s;wer the Original Pattern of it in the Scripture, or the fir&s;t Tran&s;cript thereof in the primitive Believers. And that, which in this degenerate &s;tate of things doth principally exerci&s;e the minds of con&s;iderate men, is, whether there ought to be an immediat
<PB N="14" REF="10"> Endeavour to reduce as many as will or can comply therewith, unto the original &s;tandard in Profe&s;&s;ion Obedience and Wor&s;hips, or whether the pre&s;ent po&s;ture of things be not &s;o far to be complyed withal, as to pre&s;erve therein the &s;mall Remainders of Re|ligion among the Community of Chri&s;tians who are not capable of &s;uch a Reduction. The difference, that is in the Judgments of men herein, is the ground of all tho&s;e le&s;&s;er Controver&s;ies and Opinions, which will be compo&s;ed and have an end put unto them, when God &s;hall graciou&s;ly afford unto us all a fre&s;h revival of Evangelical Faith, Love and Holine&s;s, and, I fear, not before.</P>
<P>Upon &s;ome Con&s;iderations of this &s;tate of things in the World, and under fears, perhaps not altogether groundle&s;s, that a further progre&s;s will yet be made in this woful declen&s;ion from the Power and Purity of Evangelical Truth, <HI>I</HI> &s;et my &s;elf into a general En|quiry what might be the &s;ecret Cau&s;es, and Rea&s;ons whence it is that all &s;orts of Per&s;ons in all Ages have been &s;o prone to apo&s;tatize from the &s;incere profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel in Faith and Obedience, as Experience in the &s;ucce&s;s of things manife&s;ts them to have been. And moreover an occa&s;ion was admini&s;tred unto thoughts of that nature, from my engagement in the Expo&s;ition of the &s;ixth Chapter of the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Hebre~ws,</HI> wherein the Apo&s;tle &s;o eminently de|&s;cribes the nature of total Apo&s;tacy, with the end of Apo&s;tates in the righteous Judgment of God.
<PB N="15" REF="10"> For con&s;idering the greatne&s;s of that &s;in, and the Terror of the Lord with re&s;pect thereunto, and not knowing whereunto the daily advance of impiety, prophanene&s;s and abominable lu&s;ts, with ignorance, Error, and &s;uper&s;tition, might at length arrive; thoughtfulne&s;s of what might be required at the la&s;t day of my &s;elf, though ca&s;t in a mean and ob&s;cure condition in the World, did not a little exerci&s;e my mind. The Glory of God, the honour of Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel, the Eternal welfare of the Souls of men being eminently concerned, I knew not how he could have the lea&s;t &s;atisfaction in the Truth and Reality of his own Chri&s;tianity, who was not great|ly affected with, and did not really mourn for their &s;uffering in this woful Apo&s;ta&s;ie. What I have at|tained unto in that kind, I have no Rea&s;on to de|clare; but hope I may &s;ay without the offence of any, that, as I verily believe, neither my Prayers nor Tears have been proportionable unto the Cau|&s;es of them in this matter, &s;o I can and will &s;ay that they have been real and &s;incere.</P>
<P>I was not Ignorant of the Weakne&s;s and imper|tinency of all thoughts, that a Per&s;on of my mean condition in the World, di&s;advantaged by all ima|ginable circum&s;tances that might prejudice the mo&s;t &s;incere Endeavours, &s;hould attempt any thing with re&s;pect unto the Relief of Nations or National Churches, which yet are not without the verge of this fatal Evil. To mourn for them in &s;ecret, to
<PB N="16" REF="11"> labour in prayers and &s;upplications for a more plentifull effu&s;ion of the Spirit of Chri&s;t upon them for their good, are things which although they may de&s;pi&s;e, yet God will accept in and from the meane&s;t of them that call on his name in &s;incerity. &V;nto whom other Oportunities and Advantages are granted, from them other things will be required. And it is no doubt a great account they have to give, who are admitted and e&s;teemed as tho&s;e who&s;e Place and Duty it is, to &s;tem the current of overflowing Impiety and Prophanene&s;s, and effectually to apply the Sovereign Remedies of all tho&s;e evils unto the Souls and Con&s;ciences of men. Sad will it be for them under who&s;e hand this breach &s;hall be, if they endeavour not to prevent it with their utmo&s;t di|ligence, and the open hazard of all their earthly con|cerns. A learned writer of the <HI>Church of Eng|land,</HI> affirms, <HI>That there were two, no &s;mall &s;ins of noy&s;ome Hypocri&s;ie, that he had e&s;pied among others; the one an opinion there can be no fit matter of Martyrdom in a State authorizing the true profe&s;&s;ion of that Religion which among many we like be&s;t, and left unto our &s;elves would make choyce of. The other which in part feeds a per&s;wa&s;ion that meer Errors in Doctrine or Opinion, are more pernitious than affected indulgence to lewd Practices, or con|tinuance in &s;infull cour&s;es, or open breaches of Gods Commandements:</HI> And after he had declared,
<PB N="17" REF="11"> that <HI>Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel may deny Chri&s;t, or manife&s;t their being a&s;hamed of the Go&s;pel, by not oppo&s;ing his Word as they ought unto the Sins of men;</HI> he adds; <HI>that any Age &s;ince Chri&s;tian Religion was fir&s;t propagated, hath wanted &s;tore of Martyrs, is more to be attribu|ted unto the Negligence, Ignorance and Hypo|cri&s;ie, or want of Courage in Chri&s;t's Emba&s;&s;a|dors, or appointed Pa&s;tors, than unto the Sinceri|ty, Mildne&s;s or Fidelity of the Flock, e&s;pecially of the Bell-weathers or chief Ring-leaders; Jac. Tom.</HI> 1: <HI>B.</HI> 4: <HI>C.</HI> 4: with much more to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, which will de&s;erve &s;ome mens con&s;iderations, before all things of this Nature be too late.</P>
<P>But there is a Duty of trading with a &s;ingle Talent. And if there be a ready mind, it is ac|cepted according to what a man hath, and not ac|cording to what he hath not. And this alone hath made me adventure the propo&s;al of my thoughts about the Nature, Cau&s;es, and Occa&s;ions of the pre&s;ent Defection from the Go&s;pel, and Decay of Holine&s;s, with the means of Pre&s;ervation from its Infection, and Prevention of its Prevalency in private Per&s;ons. For it is to no purpo&s;e to &s;hut up all endeavours under Fruitle&s;s Complaints, nor yet to attempt an Oppo&s;ition unto Effects who&s;e Cau&s;es are not well known and con&s;idered. Wherefore the Inve&s;tigation and Declaration of the Cau&s;es of this
<PB N="18" REF="12"> evil, is the principal &s;ubject of the en&s;uing di&s;cour&s;es. And if I have attained but thus much, that Per&s;ons of more &V;nder&s;tanding and Abilities to find out the hidden Springs of the inundations of Sin and Er|rors in the Chri&s;tian World, and who have more Advantages to improve their di&s;coveries unto pub|lick good, &s;hall be hereby excited to undertake &s;o nece&s;&s;ary a Work and Duty, I &s;hall e&s;teem my &s;elf to have received a full reward.</P>
<P>There is one thing yet whereof I mu&s;t advi&s;e tho&s;e Readers which are plea&s;ed to concern them|&s;elves in any writings of mine. The publi&s;hing of this Expo&s;ition of &s;ome ver&s;es of the &s;ixth Chap|ter of the Epi&s;tle unto the <HI>Hebrews,</HI> may have an appearance of my de&s;erting that continued Expo|&s;ition of the whole Epi&s;tle, which I had de&s;igned. But as I know not what I may attain unto, in the very near Approach of that Sea&s;on, wherein I mu&s;t lay down this Tabernacle, and the daily warn|ing which through many infirmities I have thereof, &s;o I am re&s;olved whil&s;t I live, to proceed in that work as God &s;hall enable, and other pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;a|ry duties will allow. And the Sole Rea&s;on added unto the &s;ea&s;onablene&s;s (as I &s;uppo&s;ed) of this di&s;|cour&s;e, why this part of the Expo&s;ition is &s;ingly pro|po&s;ed unto publick view, was, becau&s;e the thoughts which aro&s;e thereon were drawn forth into &s;uch a length, as would have been too great a Digre&s;&s;ion from the context and de&s;ign of the Apo&s;tle.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="12">
<HEAD>THE NATURE and CAUSES OF APOSTASIE FROM THE GOSPEL.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">The Nature of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel de|clared, in an Expo&s;ition of <HI>Heb. VI. ver&s;.</HI> 4, 5, 6.</HEAD>
<P>INtending an Enquiry into the Nature, Cau&s;es, and Occa&s;ions of the pre&s;ent Defection that is in the World, from the Truth, Holine&s;s and Wor&s;hip of the Go&s;pel, I &s;hall lay the Foundation of my
<PB N="2" REF="13"> whole Di&s;cour&s;e, in an Expo&s;ition of that pa&s;&s;age in the Epi&s;tle of <HI>Paul the Apo&s;tle un|to the Hebrews,</HI> wherein he gives an Account both of the Nature of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> and of the Puni&s;hment due unto <HI>Apo&s;tates.</HI> For as this will lead us naturally unto what is de&s;igned, &s;o an Endeavour to free the Con|text from the Difficulties wherewith it is generally &s;uppo&s;ed to be attended, and to explain the Mind of the Holy Gho&s;t there|in, may be neither unacceptable nor un|u&s;efull: And this is Chap. vi. <HI>v.</HI> 4, 5, 6. who&s;e words are the&s;e that follow.</P>
<Q><GAP DESC="foreign">.</Q>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Impo&s;&s;ibile enim;</HI> that is, <HI>e&s;t; it is impo&s;&s;ible. Syr.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>But they cannot.</HI> This re&s;pects the <HI>power</HI> of the Per&s;ons them&s;elves, and not the <HI>Event</HI> of things; it may be not improperly as to the Sence. <HI>Beza</HI> and <HI>Era&s;mus; fieri non pote&s;t; it cannot be.</HI> The &s;ame with <HI>impo&s;&s;ible.</HI> But the u&s;e of the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> in the New
<PB N="3" REF="13"> Te&s;tament, which &s;ignifies &s;ometimes onely what is <HI>very difficult,</HI> not what is <HI>ab&s;o|lutely</HI> denyed, makes it u&s;efull to retain the &s;ame word, as in our Tran&s;lation; <HI>For it is impo&s;&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">: <HI>Syr. Tho&s;e who one time, or once de&s;cended unto Bapti&s;m;</HI> of which Interpre|tation we mu&s;t &s;peak afterwards. All o|thers, <HI>qui &s;emel fuerint illuminati, who were once enlsghtened.</HI> Onely the <HI>Aethiopick</HI> fol|lows the <HI>Syriack;</HI> &s;ome read <HI>illu&s;trati,</HI> to the &s;ame purpo&s;e.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Vulg. Lat. Gu&s;ta|verant etiam donum coele&s;te; etiam,</HI> for <HI>et.</HI> Others expre&s;s the Article by the <HI>Pronoun,</HI> by rea&s;on of its Reduplication. <HI>Et gu&s;tave|rint donum illud coele&s;te;</HI> and have ta&s;ted of <HI>that heavenly</HI> gift. <HI>Syr. The gift that is from heaven.</HI> And this the <HI>Empha&s;is</HI> in the Original &s;eems to require. <HI>And have ta&s;ted of that heavenly gift.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Et Partici|pes facti &s;unt Spiritus &s;ancti. Vulg. Lat. And are</HI> made partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t. All others, <HI>facti fuerint; have been</HI> made parta|kers of the Holy Gho&s;t; <HI>Syr.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>Spirit of Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Vulg. Lat. Et</HI>
<PB N="4" REF="14"> <HI>gu&s;taverunt nihilominus bonum Dei verbum. Rhem. have Moreover ta&s;ted the good word of God.</HI> But <HI>moreover</HI> doth not expre&s;s <HI>nihil|ominus:</HI> and have <HI>notwith&s;tanding,</HI> which hath no place here, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>verbum pul|chrum.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Virtute&s;que &s;eculi futuri.</HI> Syr. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Virtutem;</HI> the <HI>power.</HI> Vulg. <HI>&s;eculi venturi.</HI> We cannot in our Language di&s;tingui&s;h between <HI>futurum</HI> and <HI>venturum,</HI> and &s;o under it, <HI>the world to come.</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">; Vulg. <HI>&amp; prolap&s;i &s;unt. Rhem.</HI> And <HI>are fallen.</HI> Others. <HI>Si prolabantur:</HI> which the &s;en&s;e requires: <HI>if they fall,</HI> that is, <HI>away,</HI> as our Tran&s;lation; properly. <HI>Syr.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>that &s;in again,</HI> &s;omewhat dangerou&s;ly; for it is one kind of &s;inning onely that is included and expre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. Vulg. <HI>rur&s;us re|novari ad poenitentiam; to be renewed again to repentance,</HI> rendring the <HI>active</HI> verb <HI>pa&s;|&s;ively.</HI> So <HI>Beza</HI> al&s;o, <HI>ut denuo renoventur ad re&s;ipi&s;centiam:</HI> that they &s;hould again be re|newed to Repentance. The word is <HI>active,</HI> as rendred by ours, to <HI>renew them again to repentance</HI></P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Rur&s;um cru|ficigentes &s;ibimetip&s;is filium Dei.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<PB N="5" REF="14"> Vulg. <HI>Et o&s;tentui habentes. Rhem. and making him &agrave; mockery.</HI> Era&s;. <HI>ludibrio habentes.</HI> Beza, <HI>ignominiae exponentes.</HI> One of late; <HI>ad Exemplum Judaeorum excruci|ant;</HI> torment him as did the Jews.</P>
<Q>For it is impo&s;&s;ible for tho&s;e who were once enlightened, and have ta&s;ted of the Heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Gho&s;t, and have ta&s;ted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they &s;hall fall away, (for any) to renew them again to repen|tance; &s;eeing they crucifie agian to them|&s;elves the Son of God, and put him to open &s;hame <HI>(or treat him ignominiou&s;ly.)</HI></Q>
<P>THat this pa&s;&s;age in our Apo&s;tles di&s;|cour&s;e hath been looked upon as ac|companied with great Difficulties, is known to all. And many have the differences been about its Interpretation. For both Doctri|nally &amp; Practically, &s;undry have here &s;tum|bled and mi&s;carried. It is almo&s;t generally agreed upon, that from the&s;e words, and the colourable but indeed perver&s;e Interpreta|tion, and application made of them by &s;ome in the Primitive times, occa&s;ioned by the then pre&s;ent Circum&s;tances of things,
<PB N="6" REF="15"> to be mentioned afterwards, the <HI>Latin</HI> Church was &s;o backward in receiving the Epi&s;tle it &s;elf, that it had not ab&s;olutely prevailed therein in the days of <HI>Hierome,</HI> as we have el&s;ewhere declared. Wherefore it is nece&s;&s;ary, that we &s;hould a little inquire into the occa&s;ion of the great conte&s;ts which have been in the Church almo&s;t in all Ages, about the &s;ence of this place.</P>
<P>It is known that the <HI>Primitive Church</HI> ac|cording to its Duty, was carefully watch|full about the Holine&s;s and upright walking of all that were admitted into the Society and fellow&s;hip of it. Hence, upon every known and vi&s;ible failing, they required an open Repentance from the Offenders, be|fore they would admit them unto a partici|pation of the &s;acred My&s;teries. But upon flagitious and &s;candalous crimes, &s;uch as Murder, Adultery, or Idolatry, in many Churches they would never admit tho&s;e who had been guilty of them into their Communion any more. Their greate&s;t and mo&s;t &s;ignal triall, was with re&s;pect unto them, who through fear of death complyed with the <HI>Gentiles</HI> in their Idolatrous Wor|&s;hip, in the time of per&s;ecution. For they had fixed no certain general Rule whereby they &s;hould unanimou&s;ly proceed, but
<PB N="7" REF="15"> every Church exerci&s;ed Severity or Lenity, according as they &s;aw cau&s;e, upon the cir|cum&s;tances of particular in&s;tances. Hence <HI>Cyprian</HI> in his bani&s;hment would not po&s;i|tively determine concerning tho&s;e of the Church in <HI>Carthage,</HI> who had &s;o &s;inned and fallen, but defer'd his thoughts until his re|turn; when he re&s;olved to advi&s;e with the whole Church, and &s;ettle all things accord|ing to the councell that &s;hould be agreed on among&s;t them. Yea many of his Epi&s;tles are on this &s;ubject, peculiarly; and in them all, if compared together, it is evident, that there was no Rule agreed upon here|in; nor was he him&s;elf well re&s;olved in his own mind, though &s;trictly on all occa&s;ions oppo&s;ing <HI>Novatianus,</HI> wherein it had been well if his Arguments had an&s;wered his Zeal. Before this the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> was e&s;teemed in particular more remi&s;s in their Di&s;cipline, and more free than other Chur|ches in their readmi&s;&s;ion unto Communion, of notorious Offenders. Hence <HI>Tertullian</HI> in his Book <HI>de Paenitentia,</HI> reflects on <HI>Zephe|rinus</HI> the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> that he had <HI>ad|mitted Adulterers unto Repentance, and thereby unto the communion of the Church.</HI> But that Church proceeding in her Lenity, and every day enlarging her charity, <HI>No|vatus</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="16"> <HI>and Novatianus,</HI> taking offence there|at, advanced an opinion in the contrary extreame. For they denyed all hope of Church-pardon, or of a Return unto Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Communion, unto them who had fall'n into open &s;in after Bapti&s;m; and in e&s;pecial peremptorily excluded all Per&s;ons what&s;oever who had outwardly complied with Idolatrous Wor&s;hip in time of per&s;e|cution, without re&s;pect unto any di&s;tin|gui&s;hing circum&s;tances. Yea they &s;eem to have excluded them from all ex&s;pectation of forgivene&s;s from God him&s;elf. But their followers terrified with the uncharitable|ne&s;s and horror of this per&s;wa&s;ion, temper|ed it &s;o far, as leaving all Per&s;ons ab&s;olute|ly to the mercy of God upon their Repen|tance, they only denyed &s;uch as we menti|oned before a readmi&s;&s;ion into Church communion, as <HI>Ace&s;ius</HI> &s;peaks expre&s;sly in <HI>Socrates; l.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI> 7. Now this opinion they endeavoured to confirm, as from the nature and u&s;e of <HI>Bapti&s;me,</HI> which was not to be reiterated; whereon they judged, that no pardon was to be granted unto them, who fell into tho&s;e &s;ins which they lived in before, and were clean&s;ed from at their <HI>Bapti&s;me;</HI> So principally from this
<PB N="9" REF="16"> place of our Apo&s;tle, wherein they thought their whole Opinion was taught and con|firmed. And &s;o u&s;u|ally doth it fall out very unhappily with men, who think they clearly &s;ee &s;ome pe|culiar Opinion or Per|&s;wa&s;ion, in &s;ome <HI>&s;ing|ular Text</HI> of Scrip|ture, <NOTE N="[&dagger;]" PLACE="marg"><HI>Solenne e&s;t haere|ticis alicujus capituli ancipitis occa&s;ine ad|ver&s;us exercitum &s;en|tentiarum in&s;trumenti totius armari.</HI> Tert. de pudicit; <HI>utique ae|quum, incerta de cer|tis, ob&s;cura de mani|fe&s;tis praejudicari, ut ne inter di&s;cordiam certo|roum &amp; incertorum, manife&s;torum &amp; ob&s;cu|rorum, fides di&s;&s;ipetur.</HI> Id. de Re&s;ur. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Clem. Abr. Stromat.</HI> 6. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Origen. ad Cel&s;. lib.</HI> 6.</NOTE> and will not bring: their interpre|tation of it, unto the <HI>Analogy</HI> of faith, whereby they might &s;ee how contrary it is to the whole de&s;ign and current of the Word in other places. But the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> on the other &s;ide judging rightly from other directi|ons
<PB N="10" REF="17"> given in the Scripture, that the <HI>No|vatians</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed the Rule of Charity and Go&s;pel-di&s;cipline in their Severities; yet as it &s;hould &s;eem, and is very probable, knew not how to an&s;wer the Objection from this place of our Apo&s;tle. Therefore did they rather choo&s;e for a &s;ea&s;on, to &s;u&s;|pend their a&s;&s;ent unto the Authority of the whole <HI>Epi&s;tle,</HI> than to prejudice the Church by its Admi&s;&s;ion. And well was it that &s;ome Learned men afterwards by their &s;o|ber Interpretations of the words, plainly evinced that no Countenance was given in them unto the errors of the <HI>Navatians;</HI> for without this it is much to be feared that &s;ome would have preferred their intere&s;t in their pre&s;ent controver&s;ie, before the Au|thority of it, which would in the i&s;&s;ue have proved ruinous to the Truth it &s;elf. For the Epi&s;tle being de&s;igned of God un|to the common Edification of the Church, would have at length prevailed, whate|ver &s;ence men through their prejudices and ignorance &s;hould put upon any pa&s;&s;ages of it. But this controver&s;ie is long &s;ince bu|ried; the Generality of the Churches in the world being &s;ufficiently remote from that which was truly the mi&s;take of the <HI>Novatians,</HI> yea the mo&s;t of them do bear
<PB N="11" REF="17"> peaceably in their Communion, without the lea&s;t exerci&s;e of Go&s;pel-di&s;cipline to|wards them, &s;uch per&s;ons as concerning whom the di&s;pute was of old, whether they &s;hould ever in this world be admitted into the Communion of the Church, al|though upon their open and profe&s;&s;ed Re|pentance. We &s;hall not therefore at pre|&s;ent need to labour in this controver&s;ie.</P>
<P>But the &s;ence of the&s;e words hath been the &s;ubject of great conte&s;ts, on other oc|ca&s;ions al&s;o. For &s;ome doe &s;uppo&s;e, and contend, that they are <HI>real and true Believ|ers,</HI> who are <HI>decyphered</HI> by the Apo&s;tle, and that their <HI>Character</HI> is given us in and by &s;undry in&s;eparable adjuncts, and properties of &s;uch Per&s;ons; Hence they conclude, that &s;uch Believers may <HI>totally and finally fall from Grace,</HI> and peri&s;h eternally. Yea it is evident that this <HI>Hypothe&s;is</HI> of the final Apo&s;tacy of true Believers, is that which influenceth their minds and judgements to &s;uppo&s;e that &s;uch are here intended. Where|fore others who will not admit that accor|ding to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, true Believers can peri&s;h everla&s;tingly, do &s;ay, that either they are not here intended, or if they are, that the words are only comminatory, wherein al|though
<PB N="12" REF="18"> the <HI>Con&s;equence</HI> in them in a way of arguing be true, namely that on the <HI>&s;up|po&s;ition</HI> laid down, the <HI>inference</HI> is certain, yet the <HI>&s;uppo&s;ition</HI> is not a&s;&s;erted in order unto a certain Con&s;equent, whence it &s;hould follow that true Believers might &s;o really fall away, and ab&s;olutely peri&s;h. And the&s;e things have been the matter of many conte&s;ts among Learned men.</P>
<P>Again; there have been &s;undry mi&s;takes in the <HI>practical Application</HI> of the intenti|on of the&s;e words, unto the Con&s;ciences of men, mo&s;tly made by them&s;elves, who are concerned. For whereas by rea&s;on of &s;in, they have been &s;urprized with Terrors and troubles of Con&s;cience, they have withall in their Darkne&s;s and Di&s;tre&s;s, &s;uppo&s;ed them|&s;elves to be fallen into the condition here di&s;cribed by our Apo&s;tle; and con&s;equently to be irrecoverably lo&s;t. And the&s;e Appre|hen&s;ions u&s;ually befall men on two occa&s;ions. For &s;ome having been overtaken with &s;ome <HI>great actual &s;in,</HI> again&s;t the <HI>&s;econd Table,</HI> after they have made a profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;|pel, and having their con&s;ciences harra&s;ed with a &s;en&s;e of their Guilt, (as it will fall out where men are not greatly hardned through the deceitfullne&s;s of &s;in) they judg that they are fallen under the &s;entence denounced in
<PB N="13" REF="18"> this Scripture again&s;t &s;uch &s;inners, as they &s;uppo&s;e them&s;elves to be, whereby their &s;tate is irrecoverable. Others doe make the &s;ame judgement of them&s;elves, becau&s;e they have <HI>fallen</HI> from that con&s;tant Compli|ance with their Convictions, which former|ly led them unto a &s;trict performance of Duties, and this in &s;ome cour&s;e of long continuance. Now whereas it is certain, that the Apo&s;tle in this di&s;cour&s;e gives no countenance unto that &s;everity of the <HI>Nova|tians,</HI> whereby they excluded offenders everla&s;tingly from the peace and communi|on of the Church; nor to the <HI>final Apo&s;ta|cy</HI> of true Believers, which he te&s;tifieth again&s;t in this very Chapter, in compliance with innumerable other Te&s;timonies of Scripture to the &s;ame purpo&s;e; nor doth he teach any thing whereby <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>con&s;cience of any &s;inner,</HI> who de&s;ires to return to God and to finde acceptance with him, &s;hould be di&s;couraged or di&s;heartned; we mu&s;t attend unto the Expo&s;ition of the Words, in the fir&s;t place, &s;o as not to break in upon the boundaries of other Truths, nor tran&s;|gre&s;s again&s;t the <HI>Analogy</HI> of faith. And we &s;hall find that this whole di&s;cour&s;e com|pared with other Scriptures, and freed from the prejudices that men have brought
<PB N="14" REF="19"> unto it, is both remote from admini&s;tring any ju&s;t occa&s;ion to the mi&s;takes before mentioned, and is a needfull whol&s;om commination, duely to be con&s;idered by all Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>In the words, we con&s;ider, 1. The Con|nexion of them unto tho&s;e foregoing, in|timating the occa&s;ion of the Introduction of this whole di&s;cour&s;e. 2. The Subject de&s;cribed in them, or the Per&s;ons &s;poken of, under &s;undry Qualifications, which may be enquired into, joyntly and &s;everally. 3. What is &s;uppo&s;ed concerning them. 4. What is affirmed of them on that Suppo|&s;ition.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Connexion of the words is in|cluded in the <HI>cau&s;al conjunction;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>For.</HI> It re&s;pects the introduction <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> of a Rea&s;on for what had been before di&s;cour&s;ed, as al&s;o of the Limitation which the Apo&s;tle added expre&s;&s;ely unto his pur|po&s;e of making a progre&s;s in their farther in&s;truction; <HI>if God permit.</HI> And he doth not herein expre&s;s his judgement that they to whom he wrote were &s;uch as he de|&s;cribes, for he afterwards declares that he <HI>hoped better things</HI> concerning them; only it was nece&s;&s;ary to give them this caution, that they might take due care not to be
<PB N="15" REF="19"> &s;uch. And whereas he had manife&s;ted that they were <HI>&s;low</HI> as to the making of a pro|gre&s;s in knowledge, and a &s;uitable practice; he lets them here know the danger that there was in continuing in that <HI>&s;lothfull</HI> con|dition. For not to proceed in the wayes of the Go&s;pel and Obedience thereunto, is an untoward entrance into a total Relin|qui&s;hment of the one and the other. That therefore they might be acquainted with the Danger hereof, and be &s;tirred up to avoyd that Danger, he gives them an ac|count of the mi&s;erable Condition of tho&s;e who after a Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, begin|ning at a <HI>Non-proficiency</HI> under it, do end in <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from it. And we may &s;ee, <HI>That the &s;evere&s;t Comminations, are not onely u&s;efull in the Preaching of the Go&s;pel, but ex|ceeding nece&s;&s;ary towards Per&s;ons that are ob|&s;erved to be &s;lothfull in their Profe&s;&s;ion.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The De&s;cription of the Per&s;ons that are the Subject &s;poken of, is given in <HI>five In&s;tances</HI> of the <HI>Evangelical</HI> Priviledges whereof they were made partakers, not|with&s;tanding all which, and again&s;t their obliging Efficacy to the contrary, it is &s;up|po&s;ed that they may wholly de&s;ert the Go&s;pel it &s;elf. And &s;ome things we may ob&s;erve concerning this De&s;cription of
<PB N="16" REF="20"> them in general. As, 1. The Apo&s;tle de|&s;igning to expre&s;s the fearfull State and Judgement of the&s;e Per&s;ons, de&s;cribes them by &s;uch things as may fully evidence it to be, as <HI>unavoidable,</HI> &s;o <HI>righteous</HI> and equal. Tho&s;e things mu&s;t be &s;ome emi|nent Priviledges and Advantages, whereof they were made partakers by the Go&s;pel. The&s;e being de&s;pi&s;ed in their <HI>Apo&s;tacy,</HI> doe proclaim their de&s;truction from God to be rightly de&s;erved. 2. That all the&s;e Privi|ledges do con&s;i&s;t in certain e&s;pecial Opera|tions of the Holy Gho&s;t, which were pe|culiar unto the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel; &s;uch as they neither were, nor could be made partakers of in their <HI>Iudai&s;me.</HI> For the Spirit in this &s;ence, was not received by <HI>the works of the Law, but by the hearing of faith, Gal.</HI> 3. 2. And this was a Te&s;timony unto them that they were delivered from the Bondage of the Law, namely by a participation of that <HI>Spirit</HI> which was the great Priviledge of the Go&s;pel. 3. Here is no expre&s;s mention of any Covenant<HI>-Grace,</HI> or Mercy, in them, or towards them; nor of any <HI>Duty</HI> of Faith, or Obedince, which they had performed. Nothing of <HI>Ju&s;tification, Sanctification,</HI> or <HI>Adoption,</HI> is expre&s;ly a&s;&s;igned unto them. After|wards,
<PB N="17" REF="20"> when he comes to declare his hopes and per&s;wa&s;ion concerning the&s;e <HI>Hebrews,</HI> that they were not &s;uch as tho&s;e whom he had before de&s;cribed nor &s;uch as would &s;o fall away unto perdition, He doth it upon three grounds whereon they were differenced from them. As, 1. That they had <HI>&s;uch things as did accompany Salvation,</HI> that is, &s;uch as Salvation is in&s;eparable from. None of the&s;e things therefore had he a&s;cribed unto tho&s;e whom he de&s;cribeth in this place; for if he had &s;o done, they would not have been unto him an Argu|ment and Evidence of a contrary End, that the&s;e &s;hould not fall away and peri&s;h as well as tho&s;e. Wherefore he a&s;cribes no|thing to the&s;e here in the Text, that doth peculiarly <HI>accompany Salvation,</HI> ver&s;. 9. 2. He de&s;cribes them, by their <HI>Duties of Obedience</HI> and Fruits of Faith. This was their <HI>work and labour of Love</HI> towards the Name of God, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 10. And hereby al&s;o doth he difference them from the&s;e in the Text, concerning whom he &s;uppo&s;eth that they may peri&s;h eternally; which the&s;e Fruits of &s;aving Faith and &s;incere Love cannot doe. 3. He addes, that in the pre&s;ervation of tho&s;e there mentioned, the <HI>Faithfulne&s;s of God</HI> was concerned; <HI>God is</HI>
<PB N="18" REF="21"> <HI>not unrighteous to forget.</HI> For they were &s;uch (he intended) as were intere&s;ted in the Covenant of Grace, with re&s;pect where|unto alone, there is any engagement on the <HI>Faithfulne&s;s</HI> or <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of God, to pre|&s;erve men from Apo&s;ta&s;ie and Ruine; and there is &s;o with an equal re&s;pect unto all who are &s;o taken into that Covenant. But of the&s;e in the Text, he &s;uppo&s;eth no &s;uch thing, and thereupon doth not intimate, that either the Righteou&s;ne&s;s or Faithful|ne&s;s of God were any way engaged for their pre&s;ervation, but rather the contrary. This whole de&s;cription therefore referres unto &s;ome e&s;pecial <HI>Go&s;pel Priviledges</HI> which Profe&s;&s;ors in tho&s;e dayes were promi&s;cu|ou&s;ly made partakers of, and what they were in particular, we mu&s;t in the next place enquire.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing in the De|&s;cription is, that they were <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>once enlightened.</HI> Saith the <HI>Syriack</HI> Tran&s;lation, as we ob|&s;erved, <HI>Once baptized;</HI> It is very certain, that early in the Church, Bapti&s;m was called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Illumination;</HI> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> to <HI>enlighten,</HI> was u&s;ed for to <HI>Baptize.</HI> And the &s;et times wherein they &s;olemnly admini&s;tred that Ordinance, were called <GAP DESC="foreign">, the
<PB N="19" REF="21"> <HI>dayes of Light.</HI> Hereunto the <HI>Syriack</HI> In|terpreter &s;eems to have had re&s;pect: And the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>once,</HI> may give countenance hereunto. Bapti&s;m was once onely to be celebrated, according to the con&s;tant Faith of the Church in all Ages. And they called Bapti&s;m <HI>Illumination,</HI> becau&s;e it being one Ordinance of the Initiation of Per&s;ons into a participation of all the my&s;teries of the Church, they were thereby tran&s;lated out of the Kingdome of Darkne&s;s into that of Light and Grace. And it &s;eems to give fur|ther countenance hereunto, in that, <HI>Bap|ti&s;m</HI> really was the beginning and Foun|dation of a participation of all the other &s;piritual Priviledges that are mentioned afterwards. For it was u&s;ual in tho&s;e times, that upon the baptizing of per&s;ons, the Holy Gho&s;t came upon them, and endow|ed them with extraordinary gifts peculiar to the dayes of the Go&s;pel, as we have &s;hewed in our con&s;ideration of the Order between <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> and <HI>Impo&s;ition of hands.</HI> And this Opinion hath &s;o much of proba|bility in it, that having nothing therewith|all un&s;uited unto the <HI>Analogy</HI> of Faith, or De&s;ign of the place, that I &s;hould embrace it, if the word it &s;elf as here u&s;ed, did not require another Interpretation. For it
<PB N="20" REF="22"> was a good while after the writing of this Epi&s;tle, and all other parts of the New Te&s;tament, at lea&s;t an Age or two, if not more, before this word was u&s;ed <HI>My&s;tically</HI> to expre&s;s Bapti&s;m. In the whole Scrip|ture it hath another &s;ence, denoting an in|ward Operation of the Spirit, and not the outward Admini&s;tration of an Ordinance. And it is too much boldne&s;s to take a word in a peculiar &s;ence in one &s;ingle place, di|ver&s;e from its proper &s;ignification and con|&s;tant u&s;e, if there be no circum&s;tances in the Text forcing us thereunto, as here are not. And for the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Once,</HI> it is not to be re&s;trained unto this particular, but referres equally unto all the in&s;tances that follow; &s;ignifying no more but that tho&s;e mentioned were really and truely parta|kers of them.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">, is to give <HI>Light</HI> or knowledge by teaching; the &s;ame with <GAP DESC="foreign">, which is therefore &s;o tran&s;lated oft-times by the <HI>Greeks.</HI> As by <HI>Aquila, Exod.</HI> 4. 12. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 33. <HI>Prov.</HI> 4. 4. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 27. 11. as <HI>Dru&s;ius</HI> ob&s;erves. And it is &s;o by the LXX. <HI>Judg.</HI> 13. 8. 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 12. 2. chap. 17. 27. Our Apo&s;tle u&s;eth it for to <HI>make manife&s;t,</HI> that is, <HI>bring to light,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4, 5. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 10. And the meaning of it, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 9. where we
<PB N="21" REF="22"> render it <HI>lighteth,</HI> is to Teach. And <GAP DESC="foreign"> is Knowledge upon In&s;truction, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 4. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>that the light of the Go&s;pel &s;hould not &s;hine into them;</HI> that is, the Knowledge of it; &s;o <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 6. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The light of the Knowledge.</HI> Wherefore, to be <HI>enlightened</HI> in this place, is to be in&s;tructed in the Do|ctrine of the Go&s;pel, &s;o as to have a Spi|ritual Apprehen&s;ion thereof. And this is &s;o termed on a double Account:</P>
<P N="1">1. Of the <HI>Object,</HI> or the things known and apprehended. For Life and Immor|tality are <HI>brought to light by the Go&s;pel,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 10. Hence it is called Light. <HI>The Inheritance of the Saints in light.</HI> And the State which men are thereby brought into, is &s;o called in oppo&s;ition to the Darkne&s;s that is in the world without it, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 9. The world without the Go&s;pel is the King|dom of Sathan; <GAP DESC="foreign">; 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 19. The whole of the world, and all that belongs unto it, in di&s;tinction from, and oppo&s;ition unto the New Creation, is under the Power of the wicked one, the Prince of the Power of Darkne&s;s, and &s;o is full of Darkne&s;s; it is <GAP DESC="foreign">, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. <HI>a dark place;</HI> wherein Ignorance, Folly,
<PB N="22" REF="23"> Errors and Super&s;tition do dwell and reign. By the Power and Efficacy of this Dark|ne&s;s are men kept at a di&s;tance from God, and know not whither they goe. This is called <HI>walking in Darkne&s;s,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 6. whereunto <HI>walking in the Light,</HI> that is, the Knowledge of God in Chri&s;t by the Go|&s;pel, is oppo&s;ed, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. On this Account is our In&s;truction in the Knowledge of the Go&s;pel called <HI>Illumination,</HI> becau&s;e it &s;elf is <HI>Light.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. On the Account of the <HI>Subject,</HI> or the <HI>Mind</HI> it &s;elf, whereby the Go&s;pel is apprehended. For the Knowledge which is received thereby, expells that Darkne&s;s, Ignorance and Confu&s;ion, which the Mind before was filled and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed withall. The Knowledge, I &s;ay, of the Doctrines of the Go&s;pel, concerning the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, of God's being in him reconciling the World to him&s;elf, of his Offices, Work and Mediation, and the like Heads of Di|vine Revelation, doth &s;et up a <HI>&s;piritual Light</HI> in the Minds of Men, enabling them to di&s;cern what before was utterly hid from them, while&s;t alienated from the Life of God, through their Ignorance. Of this Light and Knowledge there are &s;everal De|grees, according to the Means of In&s;tructi|on
<PB N="23" REF="23"> which they do enjoy, the Capacity they have to receive it, and the Diligence they u&s;e to that purpo&s;e: But a competent mea&s;ure of the Knowledge of the Funda|mental and mo&s;t material Principles or Do|ctrines of the Go&s;pel is required, unto all that may thence be &s;aid to be <HI>illuminated;</HI> that is, freed from the Darkne&s;s and Igno|rance they once lived in, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 18, 19, 20. This is the fir&s;t Property whereby the Per&s;ons intended, are de&s;cribed; they are &s;uch as were <HI>illuminated</HI> by the In|&s;truction they had received in the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, and the Impre&s;&s;ion made thereby on their Minds, by the Holy Gho&s;t; for this is a common work of his, and is here &s;o reckoned: And the Apo&s;tle would have us know, that</P>
<Q><P N="1"><HI>I.</HI> It is a great Mercy, a great Priviledge, to be Enlightened with the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, by the effectual working of the Holy Gho&s;t. <HI>But,</HI></P>
<P N="2"><HI>II.</HI> It is &s;uch a Priviledge as may be lo&s;t, and end in the Aggravation of the Sin, and Condemnation of tho&s;e who were made Partakers of it. <HI>And,</HI></P>
<P N="3"><HI>III.</HI> Where there is a Total Neglect of the due Improvement of this Priviledge and
<PB N="24" REF="24"> Mercy, the Condition of &s;uch Per&s;ons is hazardous, as inclining towards Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</P></Q>
<P>Thus much lyes open and manife&s;t in the Text. But that we may more parti|cularly di&s;cover the Nature of this fir&s;t part of the Character of Apo&s;tates, for their &s;akes who may look after their own Con|cernment therein, we may yet a little more di&s;tinctly expre&s;s the Nature of that Illu|mination and Knowledge which is here a&s;cribed unto them; and how it is lo&s;t in <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> will afterwards appear. And</P>
<P N="1">1. There is a Knowledge of Spiritual things, that is purely <HI>Natural</HI> and <HI>Di&s;ci|plinary,</HI> attainable and attained without any e&s;pecial Aid or A&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Holy Gho&s;t. As this is evident in common Ex|perience, &s;o e&s;pecially among &s;uch as ca&s;t|ing them&s;elves on the &s;tudy of Spiritual things, are yet utter &s;trangers unto all &s;pi|ritual Gifts. Some Knowledge of the Scripture and the things contained in it, is attainable at the &s;ame rate of pains and &s;tudy with that of any other Art or Sci|ence.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Illumination</HI> intended, being a Gift of the Holy Gho&s;t, differs from, and is exalted above this Knowledge that is
<PB N="25" REF="24"> purely <HI>natural.</HI> For it makes neerer Ap|proaches unto the Light of Spiritual things in their own Nature, than the other doth. Notwith&s;tanding the utmo&s;t improvement of Scientifical Notions that are purely Na|tural, the things of the Go&s;pel in their own Nature are not onely un&s;uited unto the Wills and Affections of Per&s;ons endued with them, but are really <HI>Fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> unto their Minds. And as unto that Goodne&s;s and Excellency which give De&s;ireablene&s;s unto Spiritual things, this Knowledge di&s;co|vers &s;o little of them, that mo&s;t men hate the things which they profe&s;s to Believe. But this <HI>Spiritual Illumination</HI> gives the Mind &s;ome Satisfaction with Delight and Joy in the things that are known. By that Beam whereby it &s;hines into Darkne&s;s, al|though it be not fully comprehended, yet it repre&s;ents the way of the Go&s;pel as a way of <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 21. which reflects a peculiar Regard of it on the Mind.</P>
<P>Moreover, the Knowledge that is meerly <HI>Natural,</HI> hath little or no Power upon the Soul, either to keep it from Sin or to con|&s;train it to Obedience. There is not a more &s;ecure and profligate Generation of Sinners in the world, than tho&s;e who are
<PB N="26" REF="25"> under the &s;ole conduct of it. But the <HI>Il|lumination</HI> here intended, is attended with Efficacy, doth effectually pre&s;s in the Con|&s;cience and whole Soul, unto an ab&s;tinence from Sin, and the Performance of all known Dutyes: Hence Per&s;ons under the Power of it and its Convictions, do oft-times walk blamele&s;ly and uprightly in the world, &s;o as not with the other to contribute unto the Contempt of Chri&s;tianity. Be&s;ides, there is &s;uch an Allicance between &s;piritual Gifts, that where any one of them doth re&s;ide, it hath a&s;&s;uredly other accompany|ing of it, or one way or other belonging unto its train, as is manife&s;t in this place. Even a &s;ingle Talent is made up of many pounds. But the Light and Knowledge which is of a mere Natural Acquirement, is &s;olitary, de&s;titute of the Society and Countenance of any &s;piritual Gift what|ever. And the&s;e things are exemplified un|to common ob&s;ervation every day.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is a &s;aving, &s;anctifying Light and Knowledge, which this <HI>Spiritual Il|lumination</HI> ri&s;eth not up unto: For, though it tran&s;iently affect the Mind with &s;ome Glances of the Beauty, Glory, and Excel|lency of Spiritual things; yet it doth not give that direct, &s;teady, intuitive in&s;ight
<PB N="27" REF="25"> into them, which is obtained by Grace. See 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. Chap. 4. 4, 6. Neither doth it renew, change, or transform the Soul into a Conformity unto the things known, by planting of them in the Will and Affections, as a gracious, &s;aving Light doth, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 17. <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 1. The&s;e things I judged nece&s;&s;ary to be ad|ded, to clear the Nature of the fir&s;t Cha|racter of Apo&s;tates.</P>
<P>The Second thing a&s;&s;erted in the De&s;cription of them, is, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>That they have ta&s;ted of the hea|venly Gift;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; The doubling of the <HI>Article</HI> gives <HI>Empha|&s;is</HI> to the Expre&s;&s;ion. And we mu&s;t enquire, (1.) What is meant by the <HI>Heavenly Gift;</HI> And, (2.) What by <HI>Ta&s;ting</HI> of it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t: The <HI>Gift of God;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, is either <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>donatio,</HI> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>donum.</HI> Sometimes it is taken for the <HI>Grant</HI> or giving it &s;elf, and &s;ometimes for the thing <HI>given.</HI> In the fir&s;t &s;ence it is u&s;ed, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9. 15. <HI>Thanks be to God,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, for <HI>his Gift that cannot be declared;</HI> that is, fully or &s;ufficiently: Now this <HI>Gift</HI> was his <HI>Grant</HI> of a free, charitable, and bountifull Spirit to the <HI>Corinthians,</HI> in mini&s;tring unto the
<PB N="28" REF="26"> poor Saints. The <HI>Grant</HI> hereof is called <HI>Gods Gift;</HI> So is the Gift of Chri&s;t u&s;ed al&s;o: <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 7. <HI>according to the mea&s;ure of the Gift of Chri&s;t;</HI> that is, according as he is plea&s;ed to <HI>give</HI> and <HI>grant</HI> of the Fruits of the Spirit unto men: See <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 15, 17. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 7. Sometimes it is taken for the <HI>Thing given;</HI> properly <GAP DESC="foreign"> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, as <HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 17. &s;o it is u&s;ed, <HI>Joh.</HI> 4. 10. <HI>If thou knewe&s;t the Gift of God,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The Gift of God,</HI> that is, the <HI>Thing given</HI> by him, or to be given by him. It is, as ma|ny judge, the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t him&s;elf in that place, which is intended. But the Context makes it plain, that it is the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t;</HI> For he is that <HI>Living Water</HI> which the Lord Je&s;us in that place promi&s;eth to be&s;tow. And &s;o far as I can ob&s;erve, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>gift,</HI> with re&s;pect unto God as deno|ting the <HI>thing given,</HI> is no where u&s;ed but onely to &s;ignifie the Holy Gho&s;t; And if it be &s;o, the &s;ence of this place is deter|mined, <HI>Acts</HI> 2. 38. <HI>Ye &s;hall receive</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the Gift of the Holy Gho&s;t;</HI> not that which he <HI>gives,</HI> but that which he <HI>is. Chap.</HI> 8. 20. <HI>Thou ha&s;t thought</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>that the gift of God may be purcha&s;ed with Money;</HI> that is, the Power of the Ho|ly Gho&s;t in Miraculous Operations. So ex|pre&s;&s;ely,
<PB N="29" REF="26"> <HI>chap.</HI> 10. 45. <HI>chap.</HI> 11. 17. El&s;e|where. <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;o far as I can ob&s;erve, when re&s;pecting God, doth not &s;ignifie the thing given, but the <HI>grant</HI> it &s;elf. The Holy Spi|rit is &s;ignally the <HI>Gift of God</HI> under the New Te&s;tament.</P>
<P>And he is &s;aid to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>heavenly,</HI> or from Heaven. This <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> may have re&s;pect unto his Work and Effect, they are <HI>heavenly</HI> as oppo&s;ed to Carnal and Earthly. But principally it regards his <HI>Mi&s;&s;ion</HI> by Chri&s;t after his A&s;cen|&s;ion into Heaven, <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 33. <HI>Being exalted and having received the Promi&s;e of the Fa|ther, he &s;ent the Spirit.</HI> The Promi&s;e of Him was, that he &s;hould be &s;ent <HI>from Hea|ven,</HI> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>from above,</HI> as God is &s;aid to be above, which is the &s;ame with <HI>hea|venly; Deut.</HI> 4. 39. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 5. 23. <HI>Job</HI> 31. 2, 8. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 2. 2, 15. <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <HI>Chap.</HI> 45. 8. When he came upon the Lord Chri&s;t to anoynt him for his Work, <HI>the Heavens were opened,</HI> and he came from above, <HI>Matth.</HI> 3. 16. &s;o <HI>Acts</HI> 2. 2. At his fir&s;t coming on the Apo&s;tles, there came a <HI>&s;ound from Heaven.</HI> Hence he is &s;aid to be <GAP DESC="foreign">; that is, to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;ent from Heaven;</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 12. Wherefore, although he may be &s;aid to
<PB N="30" REF="27"> be <HI>heavenly</HI> upon other Accounts al&s;o, which therefore are not ab&s;olutely to be excluded, yet his being <HI>&s;ent from Heaven</HI> by Chri&s;t, after his A&s;cen&s;ion thither, and Exaltation there, is principally here re|garded. He therefore is this <GAP DESC="foreign">, the <HI>heavenly Gift</HI> here intended, though not ab&s;olutely, but with re&s;pect un|to an e&s;pecial work.</P>
<P>That which ri&s;eth up again&s;t this Inter|pretation, is, that the Holy Gho&s;t is ex|pre&s;&s;ely mentioned in the next Clau&s;e; <HI>And were made partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> It is not therefore probable that He &s;hould be here al&s;o intended.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> (1.) It is ordinary to have the &s;ame thing twice expre&s;&s;ed in various words, to quicken the &s;ence of them; and it is nece&s;&s;ary it &s;hould be &s;o, when there are divers re&s;pects unto the &s;ame thing; as there are in this place.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) The following Clau&s;e may be <HI>exe|getical</HI> of this, declaring more fully and plainly what is here intended, which is u&s;ual al&s;o in the Scripture; &s;o that nothing is cogent from this Con&s;ideration, to di&s;|prove an Interpretation &s;o &s;uited to the &s;ence of the place, and which the con&s;tant u&s;e of the word makes nece&s;&s;ary to be em|braced. But,</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="31" REF="27"> (3.) The Holy Gho&s;t is here mentioned as the great <HI>Gift</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel times,</HI> as <HI>coming down from Heaven,</HI> not ab&s;olutely, not as unto his Per&s;on, but with re&s;pect unto an e&s;pecial Work; namely, the change of the whole State of Religious Wor&s;hip in the Church of God; whereas, we &s;hall &s;ee in the next words, he is &s;poken of onely with re&s;pect unto external actual Opera|tions. But he was the great, the promi&s;ed heavenly Gift, to be be&s;towed under the New Te&s;tament, by whom God would in|&s;titute and ordain a new Way, and new Rites of Wor&s;hip, upon the Revelation of him&s;elf and Will in Chri&s;t. Unto him was committed the Reformation of all things in the Church, who&s;e time was now come. <HI>Chap.</HI> 9. 10. The Lord Chri&s;t when he a&s;cended into Heaven, left all things &s;tand|ing and continuing in Religious Wor&s;hip, as they had done from the dayes of <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> though he had virtually put an end unto it. And he commanded his Di&s;ciples, that they &s;hould attempt no Alteration therein, un|till the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t were &s;ent from Heaven</HI> to enable them thereunto, <HI>Acts</HI> 1. 4, 5. But when he came as the great Gift of God, promi&s;ed under the New Te&s;tament, he removes all the Carnal Wor&s;hip and Ordi|nances
<PB N="32" REF="28"> of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and that by the full Re|velation of the Accompli&s;hment of all that was &s;ignified by them; and appoints the New, Holy, Spiritual Wor&s;hip of the Go|&s;pel, that was to &s;ucced in their Room. The Spirit of God therefore, as be&s;towed for the Introduction of the <HI>New Go&s;pel-&s;tate,</HI> in Truth and Wor&s;hip, is the <HI>heavenly Gift</HI> here intended. Thus our Apo&s;tle warneth the&s;e <HI>Hebrews,</HI> that they <HI>turn not away from him who &s;peaketh from Heaven,</HI> Chap. 12. 25. that is, Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;peaking in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel by the <HI>holy Gho&s;t &s;ent from Heaven.</HI> And there is an <HI>Antithe&s;is</HI> included herein, between the Law and the Go&s;pel; the former being given on <HI>Earth,</HI> the latter being immedi|ately from <HI>Heaven.</HI> God in giving of the Law made u&s;e of the Mini&s;try of <HI>Angels</HI> and that on the Earth; But he gave the Go&s;pel Church-&s;tate, by that Spirit which although he worketh on men in Earth, and is &s;aid in every Act or Work to be &s;ent <HI>from</HI> Heaven, yet is he &s;till <HI>in Hea|ven,</HI> and alwayes &s;peaketh from thence; as our Saviour &s;aid of him&s;elf, with re&s;pect unto his Divine Nature, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 13.</P>
<P>Secondly, We may enquire, what it is to <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of this Heavenly Gift. <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE>
<PB N="33" REF="28"> The Expre&s;&s;ion of <HI>ta&s;ting</HI> is <HI>Metaphorical,</HI> and &s;ignifies no more but to make a <HI>Trial</HI> or Experiment; For &s;o we doe by <HI>ta&s;ting,</HI> naturally and properly of that which is ten|dred unto us to eat. We <HI>ta&s;te</HI> &s;uch things by the &s;en&s;e given us to di&s;cern our Food, and then either receive or refu&s;e them as we find Occa&s;ion. It doth not therefore include <HI>eating,</HI> much le&s;s dige&s;tion and turning into Nouri&s;hment of what is &s;o ta&s;ted. For its Nature being onely there|by di&s;cerned, it may be refu&s;ed, yea though we like its reli&s;h and &s;avour upon &s;ome other Con&s;ideration. Some have ob&s;erved, that to <HI>ta&s;te,</HI> is as much as to <HI>eat;</HI> as 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 3. 35. <HI>I will not ta&s;te Bread, or ought el&s;e.</HI> But the meaning is, I will not <HI>&s;o much as ta&s;te</HI> it, whence it was impo&s;&s;ible he &s;hould eat it. And when <HI>Jonathan</HI> &s;ayes, that he onely <HI>ta&s;ted</HI> a little of the Honey, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14. 29. it was an Excu&s;e and Extenuation of what he had done. But it is unque&s;tion|ably u&s;ed for &s;ome kind of Experience of the Nature of things, <HI>Prov.</HI> 31. 18. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;he ta&s;teth that her Mer|chandize is good;</HI> or hath experience of it, from its encrea&s;e, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34. 8. <HI>O ta&s;te and &s;ee that the Lord is good;</HI> which <HI>Peter</HI> re|&s;pects, 1 <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 2, 3. <HI>If &s;o be that ye have</HI>
<PB N="34" REF="29"> <HI>ta&s;ted that the Lord is gracious;</HI> or found it &s;o by Experience. It is therefore Pro|perly to make an Experiment or trial of any thing, whether it be received or re|fu&s;ed; and is &s;ometimes oppo&s;ed to Eat|ing and Dige&s;tion, as <HI>Matth.</HI> 27. 34. That therefore which is a&s;cribed unto the&s;e Per|&s;ons, is, that they had had an Experience of the Power of the Holy Gho&s;t, that Gift of God, in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel, the Revelation of the Truth, and In&s;titu|tion of the Spiritual Wor&s;hip of it; Of this State, and of the Excellency of it, they had made &s;ome Trial, and had &s;ome Expe|rience; a Priviledge that all men were not made partakers of. And by this <HI>ta&s;te</HI> they were convinced, that it was far more ex|cellent, than what they had been before accu&s;tomed unto, although now they had a mind to leave the fine&s;t Wheat for their old Acorns. Wherefore, although <HI>ta&s;ting</HI> contain a Diminution in it, if compared with that <HI>&s;piritual Eating and Drinking,</HI> with that Dige&s;tion of Go&s;pel Truths, turn|ing them into Nouri&s;hment, which are in true Believers; yet ab&s;olutely con&s;idered, it denotes that Apprehen&s;ion and Expe|rience of the Excellency of the Go&s;pel as admini&s;tred by the Spirit, which is a great
<PB N="35" REF="29"> Priviledge and &s;piritual Advantage, the contempt whereof will prove an un&s;peak|able Aggravation of the Sin, and the re|medile&s;s ruine of Apo&s;tates. The meaning then of this <HI>Character</HI> given concerning the&s;e <HI>Apo&s;tates</HI> is, that they had &s;ome Ex|perience of the Power and Efficacy of the Holy Spirit from Heaven, in Go&s;pel Ad|mini&s;trations and Wor&s;hip. For what &s;ome &s;ay of <HI>Faith,</HI> it hath here no place; and what others affirm of Chri&s;t, and his being the Gift of God, comes in the I&s;&s;ue unto what we have propo&s;ed. And we may ob|&s;erve, further to clear the de&s;ign of the Apo&s;tle in this Commination.</P>
<P N="1">I. <HI>That all the Gifts of God under the Go&s;pel are peculiarly Heavenly, Joh.</HI> 3. 12. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 3. and that in oppo&s;ition, (1) To <HI>earthly</HI> things, <HI>Colo&s;s.</HI> 3. 11, 12. (2) To <HI>carnal Ordinances, Heb.</HI> 9. 23. let them be|ware by whom they are de&s;pi&s;ed.</P>
<P N="2">II. <HI>The Holy Gho&s;t, for the Revelation of the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel, and the In&s;titu|tion of the Ordinances of &s;piritual Wor&s;hip, is the great Gift of God under the New Te&s;ta|ment.</HI></P>
<P N="3">III. <HI>There is a Goodne&s;s and Excellency in this heavenly Gift, which may be ta&s;ted or</HI>
<PB N="36" REF="30"> <HI>experienced in &s;ome mea&s;ure by &s;uch as never receive them, in their Life, Power and Effi|cacy.</HI> They may <HI>ta&s;te,</HI> (1.) Of the <HI>Word,</HI> in its Truth, not its Power; (2) Of the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Church, in its outward Or|der, not its inward Beauty; (3) Of the <HI>Gifts</HI> of the Church, not it's Graces.</P>
<P N="4">IV. <HI>A Rejection of the Go&s;pel, its Truth and Wor&s;hip, after &s;ome Experience had of their Worth and Excellency, is an high Ag|gravation of Sin, and a certain Prae&s;age of De&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>The Third Property where|by <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> the&s;e Per&s;ons are de&s;cribed is added in tho&s;e words; <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>and were made partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> This is placed in the middle or Center of the Priviledges enumerated, two preceding it, and two following after; as that which is the root and animating Principle of them all. They all are Effects of the Holy Gho&s;t, in his Gifts or his Graces, and &s;o do depend on the participation of him. Now men do &s;o par|take of the Holy Gho&s;t, as they do receive him. And he may be received either as unto <HI>per&s;onal Inhabitation,</HI> or as unto <HI>&s;piri|tual Operations.</HI> In the fir&s;t way the <HI>World</HI>
<PB N="37" REF="30"> <HI>cannot receive him, Joh.</HI> 14. 17. where the World is oppo&s;ed unto true Believers, and therefore the&s;e here intended were not in that &s;ence partakers of him. His Operati|ons re&s;pect his Gifts. So to partake of him, is to have a part &s;hare or portion in what he di&s;tributes by way of &s;piritual Gifts; in an&s;wer unto that Expre&s;&s;ion; <HI>All the&s;e worketh that one and &s;elf-&s;ame Spirit, divi|ding unto every one &s;everally as he will,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 11. So <HI>Peter</HI> told <HI>Simon</HI> the <HI>Magician,</HI> that he had no <HI>Part</HI> in &s;piritual Gifts, he was not partaker of the Holy Gho&s;t, <HI>Act.</HI> 8. 21. Wherefore, to be <HI>partaker of the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> is to have a &s;hare in, and be|nefit of his &s;piritual Operations.</P>
<P>But, whereas the other things mention|ed, are al&s;o Gifts or Operations of the Ho|ly Gho&s;t, on what Ground or for what Rea&s;on, is this mentioned here in particu|lar, that they were made partakers of him, which if his Operations onely be intend|ed, &s;eems to be expre&s;&s;ed in the other In|&s;tances?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> (1) It is, as we ob&s;erved before, no unu&s;ual thing in the Scripture, to ex|pre&s;s the &s;ame thing under various Notions, the more effectually to impre&s;s a Con&s;ide|ration and &s;ence of it on our mind; e&s;pe|cially
<PB N="38" REF="31"> where an Expre&s;&s;ion hath a &s;ingular <HI>Empha&s;is</HI> in it, as this hath here u&s;ed: For, it is an exceeding aggravation of the &s;ins of the&s;e <HI>Apo&s;tates,</HI> that in the&s;e things they were partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) As was before intimated al&s;o, this participation of the Holy Gho&s;t, is placed it may be in the mid&s;t of the &s;everal parts of this De&s;cription, as that whereon they do all depend, and they are all but in|&s;tances of it. They were partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t, in that they <HI>were once enlighten|ed,</HI> and &s;o of the re&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">(3.) It expre&s;&s;eth their own per&s;onal Intere&s;t in the&s;e things. They had an In|tere&s;t in the things mentioned not onely <HI>objectively,</HI> as they were propo&s;ed and pre|&s;ented to them in the Church; but <HI>&s;ub|jectively</HI> they them&s;elves in their own Per|&s;ons were made partakers of them. It is one thing for a man to have a &s;hare in, and benefit by the Gifts of the Church, ano|ther to be per&s;onally him&s;elf endowed with them.</P>
<P N="4">(4.) To mind them in an e&s;pecial man|ner of the Priviledge they enjoyed under the Go&s;pel, above what they had in their <HI>Judai&s;me.</HI> For, whereas they had not then &s;o much as heard that there was a
<PB N="39" REF="31"> Holy Gho&s;t, that is, a ble&s;&s;ed Di&s;pen&s;ation of him in &s;piritual Gifts, <HI>Acts</HI> 19. 2; Now they them&s;elves in their own Per&s;ons were made partakers of him, than which there could be no greater aggravation of their <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie:</HI> And we may ob&s;erve in our way, that</P>
<P><HI>The Holy Gho&s;t is pre&s;ent with many as unto powerfull Operations, with whom he is not pre&s;ent as to gracious Inhabitation:</HI> Or, Many are made partakers of him in his <HI>&s;pi|ritual Gifts,</HI> who are never made partakers of him in his <HI>&s;aving Graces. Mat.</HI> 7. 22, 23.</P>
<P>Fourthly, It is added in the De&s;cription, that they had ta&s;ted <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The good Word of God.</HI> And we mu&s;t enquire, (1) What is meant by the <HI>Word of God:</HI> (2) How it is &s;aid to be <HI>Good;</HI> and (3) In what &s;ence they <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of it.</P>
<P N="1">1. <GAP DESC="foreign"> is properly <HI>verbum dictum;</HI> a word &s;poken; and although it be &s;ome|times u&s;ed in another &s;ence by our Apo&s;tle, and by him alone, <HI>Chap.</HI> 1. 3. <HI>chap.</HI> 11. 3. where it denotes the effectual active Pow|er of God; yet both the &s;ignification of the word, and its principal u&s;e el&s;ewhere, denote <HI>words &s;poken;</HI> and when applyed
<PB N="40" REF="32"> unto God, his Word as preached and de|clared. See <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 17. <HI>Joh.</HI> 6. 68. The <HI>Word of God,</HI> that is, the Word of the Go|&s;pel as Preached is that which they thus ta&s;ted of. But it may be &s;aid, that they enjoyed the Word of God in their &s;tate of <HI>Judai&s;me:</HI> They did &s;o, as to the <HI>written Word;</HI> for unto them were <HI>committed the Oracles of God, Rom.</HI> 3. 2. But it is the Word of God as <HI>preached in the Di&s;pen&s;a|tion of the Go&s;pel</HI> that is eminently thus called, and concerning which &s;uch excel|lent things are &s;poken, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 16. <HI>Act.</HI> 20. 32. <HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 21.</P>
<P N="2">2. This Word is &s;aid to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>good,</HI> de&s;ireable, amiable, as the word here u&s;ed &s;ignifieth. Wherein it is &s;o, we &s;hall &s;ee immediately. But whereas the Word of God preached under the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel, may be con&s;idered two wayes; (1) In General, as to the whole <HI>Sy&s;teme</HI> of Truths contained therein; And (2) In E&s;pecial, for the <HI>Declaration</HI> made of the Accompli&s;hment of the <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> in &s;ending <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> for the Redemption of the Church; it is here e&s;pecially intended in this latter &s;ence. This is <HI>emphatically</HI> call|ed <GAP DESC="foreign">, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 25. So the Promi&s;e of God in particular is called <HI>his Good Word;</HI>
<PB N="41" REF="32"> <HI>Jer.</HI> 29. 10. <HI>After Seventy years I will vi&s;it you, and perform my good word towards you;</HI> as he calls it the <HI>good thing</HI> that he had promi&s;ed, <HI>Chap.</HI> 33. 14. The Go&s;pel is the good tidings of Peace and Salvation by Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 7.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hereof they are &s;aid <HI>to ta&s;te,</HI> as they were before of the <HI>heavenly Gift.</HI> The Apo&s;tle as it were &s;tudiou&s;ly keeps him&s;elf to this Expre&s;&s;ion, on purpo&s;e to manife&s;t that he intendeth not tho&s;e who by Faith do really receive, feed, and live on Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as tendred in the Word of the Go|&s;pel, <HI>Joh.</HI> 6. 35, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55. It is as if he had &s;aid; I &s;peak not of tho&s;e who have received and dige&s;ted the &s;piritual Food of their Souls, and turned it into &s;piritual Nouri&s;hment; but of &s;uch as have &s;o far <HI>ta&s;ted</HI> of it, as that they ought to have de&s;ired it as <HI>&s;incere Milk</HI> to have grown thereby; But they had received &s;uch an Experiment of its Divine Truth and Power, as that it had various Effects upon them. And for the further Ex|plication of the&s;e words, and therein of the De&s;cription of the State of the&s;e &s;up|po&s;ed Apo&s;tates, we may con&s;ider the en|&s;uing Ob&s;ervations; which declare the &s;ence of the words, or what is contained in them.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="42" REF="33"> I. <HI>There is a Goodne&s;s and Excellency in the Word of God, able to Attract and affect the Minds of men, who yet never arrive at &s;incere Obedience unto it.</HI></P>
<P N="2">II. <HI>There is an e&s;pecial Goodne&s;s in the Word of the Promi&s;e, concerning Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the declaration of its Accompli&s;hment.</HI></P>
<P N="1">(1.) For the fir&s;t of the&s;e Propo&s;itions, we may enquire what is that <HI>Goodne&s;s,</HI> and wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t; as al&s;o how Apo&s;tatizing Back&s;liders may <HI>ta&s;te</HI> thereof; which things tend to the Explanation of the words, and what is de&s;igned by the Apo&s;tle in them.</P>
<P N="1">1. This <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> and Excellency of the Word of God con&s;i&s;ts in its <HI>&s;piritual hea|venly Truth.</HI> All Truth is beautifull and de&s;ireable; the Perfection of the Minds of Men con&s;i&s;ts in the Reception of it and Conformity unto it. And although, <HI>True</HI> be one con&s;ideration of any thing and <HI>Good</HI> another, yet they are in&s;eparable Proper|ties of the &s;ame Subject. Whatever is <HI>true</HI> is al&s;o <HI>good.</HI> So are the&s;e things put toge|ther by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Philip.</HI> 4. 8. And as <HI>Truth</HI> is Good in it &s;elf, &s;o is it in its Effects on the Minds of men; it gives them Peace,
<PB N="43" REF="33"> Satisfaction, and Contentment. Darkne&s;s, Errors, Fal&s;hood, are Evils in them&s;elves, and fill the Minds of Men with variety, un|certainty, &s;uper&s;tition, dread and bondage. It is <HI>Truth</HI> that makes the Soul <HI>free</HI> in any kind, <HI>Joh.</HI> 8. 32. Now the Word of God is the onely pure, immixed and &s;olid Truth. <HI>Thy Word is Truth, Joh.</HI> 17. 17. In mo&s;t other things as to the be&s;t evidence at|tainable, men wander in the wilderne&s;s of endle&s;s Conjectures. The Truth of the Word of God alone, is &s;table, firm, infal|lible, and which gives re&s;t to the Soul. As God is a <HI>God of Truth, Deut.</HI> 32. 4. the <HI>onely true God, Joh.</HI> 17. 3. &s;o he is, and he is alone e&s;&s;entially Truth, and the eternal Spring of it unto all other things. Hereof is this Word the onely Revelation. How excellent, how de&s;irable therefore mu&s;t it needs be, and what a <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> to be pre|ferred above all other things mu&s;t it be ac|companyed withall! As it is infallible Truth giving Light to the Eyes and Re&s;t to the Soul, it is the <HI>good Word of God.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It is &s;o in the <HI>Matter</HI> of it, or the Do|ctrines contained in it. As, (1) The <HI>Na|ture</HI> and <HI>Properties</HI> of God are declared therein. God being onely good, the onely Fountain and Cau&s;e of all Goodne&s;s, and
<PB N="44" REF="34"> in who&s;e Enjoyment all Re&s;t and Ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s doth con&s;i&s;t, the Revelation made of him, his Nature and Attributes, reflects a &s;ingular Goodne&s;s on it. <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 3. If it be incomparably better to know God, than to enjoy the whole World and all that is in it, that Word mu&s;t be <HI>good</HI> whereby he is revealed unto us, <HI>Jerem.</HI> 9. 23, 24. (2) It is exceeding <HI>good</HI> in the Revelati|on of the glorious My&s;tery of the <HI>Trinity,</HI> therein alone contained. This is that My|&s;tery the knowledge whereof is the onely Means to have a right Apprehen&s;ion of all other &s;acred Truths; and without it, no one of them can be under&s;tood in a due Manner, nor improved unto a due End. This is that alone which will give true Re&s;t and Peace to the Soul. And there is not the meane&s;t true Believer in the World, who is exerci&s;ed in Faith and Obedience, but he hath the Power of this Truth in and upon his Mind, though he be not able to &s;peak much of the Notions of it. All Grace and Truth are built hereon, and do center herein, and thence derive their fir&s;t Pow|er and Efficacy. Not one &s;aving Appre|hen&s;ion can we have of any gracious Di|&s;pen&s;ation of God towards us, but it is re|&s;olved into the Exi&s;tence of God in Trini|ty
<PB N="45" REF="34"> of Per&s;ons, and the Oeconomy of their Operations with re&s;pect unto us. It is a <HI>good</HI> Word whereby that My&s;tery is re|vealed. (3) It is &s;o in the Revelation of the whole My&s;tery of the <HI>Incarnation</HI> of <HI>the Son of God,</HI> with all the Effects of infi|nite Wi&s;dom and Grace thereunto belong|ing. What a &s;atisfactory Goodne&s;s this is accompanyed withall, it is the mo&s;t part of my bu&s;ine&s;s in this world to inquire and declare. (4) It is &s;o in the Declaration of all the <HI>Benefits</HI> of the <HI>Mediation of Chri&s;t,</HI> in Mercy, Grace, Pardon, Ju&s;tification, Adoption, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It is a <HI>good</HI> Word with re&s;pect unto its <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Effects, P&s;al.</HI> 19. 7, 8, 9. <HI>Act.</HI> 20. 32. <HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 21. On this Account the P&s;almi&s;t a&s;&s;ures us, that it is <HI>more to be de&s;ired than Gold, yea than much fine Gold;</HI> that it is <HI>&s;weeter than the Honey or the Heney-comb, P&s;al.</HI> 19. 10. That is, there is an incompa|rable Excellency, Worth and Goodne&s;s in it. And he who di&s;cerns not this <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> in the Word of God, is a &s;tranger unto all real Benefits by it.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) How <HI>Apo&s;tatizing</HI> Per&s;ons do <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of this <HI>good Word of God</HI> may be briefly declared. And their &s;o doing hath re&s;pect unto the three-fold Property of it men|tioned,
<PB N="46" REF="35"> whence it is denominated Good: (1) Its <HI>Truth;</HI> (2) Its <HI>Subject-matter;</HI> (3) Its <HI>Effects.</HI></P>
<P>And, (1) They <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of it as it is <HI>True</HI> in the Convictions they have thereof, in their Knowledge in it, and Acknowledge|ment of it. This gives (as it is the Nature of Truth to doe,) &s;ome &s;erenity and &s;a|tisfaction unto their Minds, although they are not renewed thereby. <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 35. They that heard <HI>John</HI> preach the Truth, <HI>rejoyced in his Light,</HI> as finding much pre&s;ent &s;atis|faction therein. So was it with them, <HI>Luke</HI> 4. 22. <HI>Joh.</HI> 7. 46. and others innumerable on the like occa&s;ion of hearing our Saviour preach. When men through the Know|ledge of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t do e&s;cape the pollutions that are in the World through lu&s;t, and them that live in Error, they <HI>ta&s;te</HI> a Goodne&s;s, a Sweetne&s;s in the Re&s;t and Satisfaction of their Minds, &s;o as that they &s;uppo&s;e they are really po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed of the things them&s;elves.</P>
<P N="2">(2) With re&s;pect unto the <HI>Matter</HI> of the Word, they have a <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of its <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> in the Hopes which they have of their future Enjoyment. Mercy, Pardon, Life, Immor|tality and Glory, are all propo&s;ed in the <HI>good Word</HI> of God. The&s;e upon tho&s;e
<PB N="47" REF="35"> grounds which will fail them at la&s;t, they have &s;uch hopes to be made partakers of, as that they find a great Reli&s;h and Satis|faction therein, e&s;pecially when they have relief thereby again&s;t their Fears and Con|victions. For even in tho&s;e wayes where|in they deceive them&s;elves, they have a <HI>Ta&s;te</HI> of what Sweetne&s;s and Goodne&s;s there is in the&s;e things unto them by whom they are enjoyed. And as tho&s;e who really believe and receive Je&s;us Chri&s;t in the Word, do thereon <HI>rejoyce with joy un|&s;peakable and full of Glory,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 8. &s;o tho&s;e who only <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of the Word, do feel in them&s;elves a great complacency in their Affections. <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. 20. For,</P>
<P N="3">(3) By this <HI>Ta&s;te</HI> they may receive ma|ny <HI>Effects</HI> of the Word on their Minds and Con&s;ciences, and therein have an Expe|rience of the Word, as unto its Power and Efficacy. It belongs unto the Expo&s;ition of the place to &s;peak a little hereunto; and withall to declare what the difference is between them, and wherein this <HI>ta&s;ting</HI> comes &s;hort of that <HI>receiving</HI> and <HI>feeding</HI> on the Word by Faith, which is peculiar unto <HI>true</HI> Believers.</P>
<P N="1">1. This <HI>Ta&s;te</HI> is accompanyed, or it may be &s;o, with Delight, Plea&s;ure and Satis|faction
<PB N="48" REF="36"> in hearing of the Word preached, e&s;pecially where it is di&s;pen&s;ed by any skil|ful Ma&s;ter of the A&s;&s;emblyes, who findes out <HI>acceptable words,</HI> or <HI>words of delight,</HI> which yet are upright and Truth, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 12. 10, 11. So was it with tho&s;e naughty <HI>Jews, Ezek.</HI> 33. 31, 32. with <HI>Herod,</HI> who heard <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t <HI>gladly,</HI> finding De|light and Plea&s;ure in his Preaching. So was it with multitudes that pre&s;&s;ed after Chri&s;t to hear the Word; and &s;o it is to be fear|ed that it is with many in the dayes where|in we live.</P>
<P N="2">2. It gives not onely <HI>delight</HI> in hearing, but &s;ome <HI>Joy</HI> in the things heard. Such are the Hearers of the Word whom our Savi|our compared to the <HI>Stony ground;</HI> they receive it with Joy, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. 20. as it was with the Hearers of <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 35. The Word as <HI>ta&s;ted</HI> onely, hath this Effect on their Minds, as that they &s;hall rejoyce in the things they hear; not with abiding &s;olid Joy, not with <HI>Joy un&s;peak|able and full of Glory,</HI> but that which is temporary and evanid. And this ari&s;eth from that Satisfaction which they find in hearing of the <HI>good things</HI> declared; &s;uch are <HI>Mercy, Pardon, Grace, Immortality</HI> and <HI>Glory;</HI> They cannot but rejoyce &s;ometimes
<PB N="49" REF="36"> at the hearing of them, though they will not be at the pains of getting an Intere&s;t in them.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Word onely thus <HI>ta&s;ted</HI> of, will work on men a <HI>Change</HI> and <HI>Reformation</HI> of their Lives, with a readine&s;s unto the per|formance of many Duties, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 18. 20. <HI>Mark</HI> 6. 20. And,</P>
<P N="4">4. What inward <HI>Effects</HI> it may have on the <HI>Minds</HI> and <HI>Affections</HI> of men, in Illumi|nation, Conviction, and Humiliation, I have declared at large el&s;ewhere. But all this while this is but <HI>ta&s;ting;</HI> The Word of the Go&s;pel and Chri&s;t preached therein, is the <HI>food</HI> of our Souls, and true Faith doth not onely <HI>ta&s;te</HI> it, but <HI>feed</HI> upon it, whereby it is turned into Grace and &s;piritual Nou|ri&s;hment in the heart. And hereunto is re|quired; (1) The <HI>laying it up,</HI> or trea&s;uring of it in the heart, <HI>Luke</HI> 1. 66. <HI>Chap.</HI> 2. 19. No Nouri&s;hment will ever be obtained by <HI>food,</HI> unle&s;s it be received into the Sto|mack, where the Means and Cau&s;es of Di|ge&s;tion and Communication are placed. And if the Word be not placed in the Heart by fixed Meditation and Delight, it may plea&s;e for a &s;ea&s;on, but it will not nou|ri&s;h the Soul. (2) Food mu&s;t be mixed and incorporated with the <HI>dige&s;tive</HI> Hu|mour,
<PB N="50" REF="37"> Power, and Faculty of the Stomack, wherein &s;oever it con&s;i&s;ts, or it will not nouri&s;h. Give a man never &s;o much Food, if there be any noxious humour in the Sto|mack hindring it from mixing it &s;elf with the Means of Dige&s;tion, it will no way profit him. And untill the Word in the Heart be mixed and incorporated with Faith, it will not advantage us, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. 2. And there is nothing hereof where there is a <HI>ta&s;te</HI> of the Word onely. (3) Where men <HI>feed</HI> on the Word, it is turned into a <HI>Principle</HI> of Life, &s;piritual Strength and Growth within, which a <HI>Ta&s;te</HI> of it onely will not give. As Food when it it is dige&s;t|ed, turns into Fle&s;h and Blood and Spirits; &s;o doth the Word and Chri&s;t therein unto the Souls of men &s;piritually. Hence Chri&s;t becometh our Life, and liveth in us, as the Efficient Cau&s;e of our &s;piritual Life; <HI>Gal.</HI> 2. 20. <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 3. 3. and we <HI>grow</HI> and <HI>en|crea&s;e</HI> by the Word, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 2. A meer <HI>ta&s;te,</HI> though it may yield pre&s;ent Refre&s;h|ment, yet it communicates no abiding Strength. Hence multitudes reli&s;h the Word when it is preached, but never at|tain Life, or Srength, or Growth by it. (4) The Word received as it ought, will <HI>transform the Soul</HI> into the Likene&s;s of
<PB N="51" REF="37"> God, who &s;ends us this Food to change our whole &s;piritual Con&s;titution, and to render our Natures like unto his in Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and true Holine&s;s; <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 21, 22, 23, 24. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. This a <HI>Ta&s;te</HI> onely will effect nothing towards. Nor, to con|clude, will it give us &s;uch a Love of the Truth, as to abide by it in Trials or Temptations, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 10. nor bring forth the Fruits of it in univer&s;al Obedience. And I might further di&s;cour&s;e from hence of the deplorable Condition of them who &s;atisfie their Minds in mere Notions of the Truth, and empty Speculations about it, without once attaining &s;o much as <HI>a ta&s;te</HI> of the Goodne&s;s of the Word; of which &s;ort there are many in the World; as al&s;o &s;hew the Nece&s;&s;ity which all the Hearers of the Word lye under, of a &s;evere Scru|tiny into their own Souls, Whether they do not re&s;t in a <HI>Ta&s;te</HI> onely of the Word, but come &s;hort of <HI>feeding</HI> upon it, and of Chri&s;t therein; but that I mu&s;t not divert from the Text. What hath been here &s;po|ken, was needfull to declare the true State and Condition of the Per&s;ons &s;poken of. The Second Propo&s;ition mentioned, hath been treated of el&s;ewhere.</P>
<PB N="52" REF="38">
<P> La&s;tly, It is added, <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>And the Powers</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> <HI>of the World to come,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> are <GAP DESC="foreign"> or <GAP DESC="foreign">; the mighty great miraculous Operations and works of the Holy Gho&s;t. What they were and how they were wrought among the&s;e <HI>He|brews,</HI> hath been declared in our Expo&s;i|tion on <HI>Chap.</HI> 2. 4. whither I referre the Reader; and they are known from the <HI>Acts</HI> of the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> where &s;undry in&s;tances of them are recorded. I have al&s;o proved on that Chapter, that by the <HI>World to come,</HI> our Apo&s;tle in this Epi&s;tle intends the days of the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> that being the u&s;ual name of it in the Church at that time, as the New World which God had promi&s;ed to create. Wherefore the&s;e <HI>Powers of the World to come,</HI> were the Gifts where|by tho&s;e Signs, Wonders, and mighty works, were then wrought by the Holy Gho&s;t, according as it was foretold by the Prophets, that they &s;hould be &s;o. See <HI>Joel</HI> 2. compared with <HI>Acts</HI> 2. The&s;e the Per&s;ons &s;poken of, are &s;uppo&s;ed to have <HI>ta&s;ted;</HI> for the particle <GAP DESC="foreign"> referres to <GAP DESC="foreign"> foregoing. Either they had been wrought in and by them&s;elves, or by others in their &s;ight, whereby they had an Ex|perience
<PB N="53" REF="38"> of the glorious and powerfull working of the Holy Gho&s;t in the Con|firmation of the Go&s;pel. Yea, I do judge, that them&s;elves in their own Per&s;ons were partakers of the&s;e Powers in the <HI>Gifts of Tongues</HI> and other Miraculous Operations, which was the highe&s;t Aggravation po&s;&s;ible of their Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and that which pecu|liarly rendred their Recovery impo&s;&s;ible. For there is not in the Scripture an Im|po&s;&s;ibility put upon the Recovery of any, but &s;uch as peculiarly &s;in again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t; and although that Guilt may be otherwi&s;e contracted, yet in none &s;o &s;ig|nally as this of rejecting that Truth which was confirmed by his mighty Operations in them that rejected it; which could not be done without an A&s;cription of his Di|vine Power unto the Devil. Yet would I not fix on tho&s;e <HI>extraordinary Gifts</HI> exclu|&s;ively unto tho&s;e that are ordinary. They al&s;o are of the <HI>Powers of the World to come.</HI> So is every thing that belongs to the Erecti|on or Pre&s;ervation of the New World, or the Kingdom of Chri&s;t. To the fir&s;t &s;etting up of a Kingdom great and mighty Pow|er is required; but being &s;et up, the ordi|nary Di&s;pen&s;ation of Power will pre&s;erve it: So is it in this matter. The Extraordi|nary
<PB N="54" REF="39"> miraculous Gifts of the Spirit were u&s;ed in the Erection of Chri&s;ts Kingdom, but it is continued by ordinary Gifts, which therefore al&s;o belong unto <HI>the Powers of the World to come.</HI></P>
<P>From the Con&s;ideration of this de&s;cripti|on in all the parts of it, we may under|&s;tand what &s;ort of Per&s;ons it is, that is here intended by the Apo&s;tle. And it appears, yea is evident,</P>
<P N="1">1. That the Per&s;ons here intended, are not <HI>true and &s;incere Believers</HI> in the &s;trict and proper &s;ence of that name, at lea&s;t they are not de&s;cribed here as &s;uch, &s;o that from hence nothing can be concluded con|cerning them that are &s;o, as to the po&s;&s;ibi|lity of their total and final Apo&s;ta&s;ie. For, (1) There is in their full and large De|&s;cription no mention of <HI>Faith</HI> or <HI>believing,</HI> either expre&s;&s;ely or in terms equivalent. And in no other place of the Scripture are &s;uch intended, but they are mentioned by what belongs e&s;&s;entially to their &s;tate. And, (2) There is not any thing a&s;cribed to the&s;e per&s;ons, that is peculiar to them as &s;uch, or di&s;criminative of them, as ta|ken either from their e&s;pecial Relation un|to God in Chri&s;t, or any &s;uch Property of their own, as is not communicable unto
<PB N="55" REF="39"> others. For in&s;tance, They are not &s;aid to be called according to Gods purpo&s;e, to be Born again not of the Will of Man, nor of the Will of the Fle&s;h, but of God; not to be Ju&s;tified, or Sanctified, or United unto Chri&s;t, or to be the Sons of God by Adoption, nor have they any other <HI>Cha|racteri&s;tical</HI> Note of true Believers a&s;cribed to them. (3) They are in the following ver&s;es compared to the Ground on which the <HI>rain often falls, and beareth nothing but thorns and briars.</HI> But this is not &s;o with true Believers; For Faith it &s;elf is an Herb peculiar to the enclo&s;ed Garden of Chri&s;t, and meet for him by whom we are dre&s;&s;ed. (4) The Apo&s;tle di&s;cour&s;ing afterwards of <HI>true Believers,</HI> doth in many particulars di&s;tingui&s;h them from &s;uch as might be Apo&s;tates, which is &s;uppo&s;ed of the Per|&s;ons here intended, as was in part before declared. For, 1. He a&s;cribes unto them in general <HI>better things</HI> and &s;uch as accom|pany Salvation, as we ob&s;erved, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 9. 2. He a&s;cribes unto them a work and <HI>la|bour of love,</HI> as it is true Faith alone which worketh by Love, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 10. whereof he &s;peaks not one word concerning the&s;e. 3. He a&s;&s;erts their Pre&s;ervation, (1) On the Account of the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Faith|fulne&s;s</HI>
<PB N="56" REF="40"> of God, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. (2) Of the <HI>Im|mutability</HI> of his <HI>Coun&s;el</HI> concerning them; <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17, 18. In all the&s;e and &s;undry other In&s;tances doth he put a difference between the&s;e Apo&s;tates and true Believers. And whereas the Apo&s;tle intends to declare the Aggravation of their Sin in falling away by the principal Priviledges whereof they were made partakers, here is not one word in Name or Thing of tho&s;e which he ex|pre&s;&s;ely a&s;&s;igns to be the chief Priviled|ges of true Believers, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 27, 28, 29, 30.</P>
<P N="2">2. Our next Enquiry is more particu|larly whom he doth intend. And (1) they were &s;uch as not long before were con|verted from <HI>Judai&s;me</HI> unto <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> upon the Evidence of the Truth of its Do|ctrine, and the miraculous Operations wherewith its Di&s;pen&s;ation was accompa|nyed. (2) He intends not the <HI>common &s;ort</HI> of them but &s;uch as had obtained <HI>e&s;pe|cial Priviledges</HI> among them. For they had received <HI>extraordinary Gifts</HI> of the Holy Gho&s;t, as &s;peaking with Tongues, or work|ing of Miracles. And, (3) They had found in them&s;elves and others convincing Evi|dences, that the <HI>Kingdome of God</HI> and the <HI>Me&s;&s;ia,</HI> which they called the <HI>World to</HI>
<PB N="57" REF="40"> <HI>come,</HI> was come unto them, and had &s;atis|faction in the gloryes of it. (4) Such Per|&s;ons as the&s;e, as they have a work of Light on their Minds, &s;o according unto the Effi|cacy of their Convictions may have &s;uch a <HI>Change</HI> wrought upon their <HI>Affections</HI> and in their Conver&s;ation, as that they may be of great e&s;teem among Profe&s;&s;ors; and &s;uch the&s;e here intended might be. Now it mu&s;t needs be &s;ome horrible frame of Spirit, &s;ome malicious Enmity again&s;t the Truth and Holine&s;s of Chri&s;t and the Go|&s;pel, &s;ome violent love of Sin and the World, that could turn off &s;uch Per&s;ons as the&s;e from the Faith, and blot out all that Light and Conviction of Truth, which they had received. But the lea&s;t Grace is a better &s;ecurity for Heaven than the great|e&s;t Gifts or Priviledges whatever.</P>
<P>The&s;e are the Per&s;ons con|cerning whom our Apo&s;tle di&s;|cour&s;eth, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> and of them it is &s;up|po&s;ed by him, that they may <HI>fall away,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. The e&s;pecial Nature of the Sin here intended is afterwards declared in two In&s;tances or aggravating Circum|&s;tances. This word expre&s;&s;eth the re&s;pect it had to the &s;tate and Condition of the
<PB N="58" REF="41"> Sinners them&s;elves; they <HI>fall away;</HI> do that whereby they do &s;o. I think we have well expre&s;&s;ed the word, if they <HI>&s;hall fall away.</HI> Our old Tran&s;lations rendred it one|ly, <HI>if they &s;hall fall,</HI> which expre&s;&s;ed not the &s;ence of the word, and was liable un|to a &s;ence not at all intended. For he doth not &s;ay, if they &s;hall fall into Sin, this or that or any Sin whatever that can be na|med; &s;uppo&s;e the greate&s;t &s;in imaginable, namely, the Denyal of Chri&s;t in the time of Danger and Per&s;ecution. This was that Sin (as we intimated before) about which &s;o many conte&s;ts were rai&s;ed of old, and &s;o many <HI>Canons</HI> were multiplyed about the ordering of them who had contracted the guilt thereof. But one Example well con|&s;idered, had been a better guide for them than all their own arbitrary Rules and Imaginations. For <HI>Peter</HI> fell into this &s;in, and yet was renewed again to Repentance, and that &s;peedily. Wherefore, we may lay down this in the fir&s;t place as to the &s;en&s;e of the words: There is no particular &s;in, that any man may fall into occa&s;ionally through the Power of Temptation, that can ca&s;t the Sinner under this Comminati|on, &s;o that it &s;hould be impo&s;&s;ible <HI>to re|new him to Repentance.</HI> It mu&s;t therefore
<PB N="59" REF="41"> (&s;econdly,) be a <HI>Cour&s;e of Sin</HI> or &s;inning that is intended. But there are various Degrees herein al&s;o, yea there are divers kinds of &s;uch Cour&s;es in &s;in. A man may &s;o fall into a way of &s;in as &s;till to retain in his Mind &s;uch a Principle of Light and Conviction that may be &s;uitable to his Re|covery. To exclude &s;uch from all hopes of Repentance, is expre&s;&s;ely contrary to <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18. 21. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 7. yea and the whole &s;ence of the Scripture. Wherefore men after &s;ome Conviction and Reformation of Life, may fall into corrupt and wicked Cour&s;es and make a long abode or con|tinuance in them. Examples hereof we have every day among&s;t us, although it may be none to parallel that of <HI>Mana&s;&s;e.</HI> Con&s;ider the Nature of his Education, un|der his Father <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> the greatne&s;s of his Sins, the length of his continuance in them, with his following Recovery, and he is a great In&s;tance in this Ca&s;e. While&s;t there is in &s;uch Per&s;ons any &s;eed of Light or Conviction of Truth which is capable of an Excitation or Revival, &s;o as to put forth its Power and Efficacy in their Souls, they cannot be looked on to be in the Condition intended, though their Ca&s;e be dangerous.</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="60" REF="42"> 3. Our Apo&s;tle makes a di&s;tinction be|tween <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 11. between <HI>&s;tumbling</HI> and <HI>falling,</HI> and would not allow that the unbelieving <HI>Jews</HI> of tho&s;e dayes were come &s;o far as <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is, to fall <HI>ab&s;olutely;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>I &s;ay then, have they &s;tumbled that they &s;hould fall? God forbid;</HI> that is, ab&s;olutely and irrecoverably. So therefore doth that word &s;ignifie in this place. And <GAP DESC="foreign"> increa&s;|eth the &s;ignification, either as to Perver&s;e|ne&s;s in the Manner of the Fall, or as to Violence in the Fall it &s;elf.</P>
<P>From what hath been di&s;cour&s;ed, it will appear, what <HI>falling away</HI> it is that the Apo&s;tle here intendeth. And</P>
<P N="1">(1) It is not a falling into this or that <HI>actual Sin,</HI> be it of what Nature it will, which may be, and yet not be a <HI>falling away.</HI></P>
<P N="2">(2) It is not a Falling upon <HI>Temptation or Surprizal,</HI> for concerning &s;uch Fallings we have Rules of another kind given us in &s;undry places, and tho&s;e exemplified in e&s;pecial In&s;tances; but it is that which is premeditated, of Deliberation and Choyce.</P>
<P N="3">(3) It is not a Falling by Relinqui&s;h|ment or Renunciation of &s;ome though very
<PB N="61" REF="42"> material <HI>Principles</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion, by Error or Seduction, as the <HI>Corinthi|ans</HI> fell, in denying the Re&s;urrection of the Dead, and the <HI>Galatians</HI> by denying Ju&s;tification by Faith in Chri&s;t alone, Wherefore,</P>
<P N="4">(4) It mu&s;t con&s;i&s;t in a <HI>total Renuncia|tion</HI> of all the con&s;tituent Principles and Doctrines of Chri&s;tianity, whence it is de|nominated. Such was the Sin of them who relinqui&s;hed the Go&s;pel to return unto <HI>Ju|dai&s;me</HI> as it was then &s;tated, in oppo&s;ition unto it and hatred of it. This it was, and not any kind of Actual &s;ins that the Apo|&s;tle manife&s;tly di&s;cour&s;eth concerning.</P>
<P N="5">(5) For the compleating of this Falling away according to the intention of the Apo&s;tle, it is required that this Renuncia|tion be <HI>avowed</HI> and profe&s;&s;ed; as, when a man for&s;aketh the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, and falls into <HI>Judai&s;me,</HI> or <HI>Mahumati&s;me,</HI> or <HI>Gentili&s;me,</HI> in Per&s;wa&s;ion and Practice. For the Apo&s;tle di&s;cour&s;eth concerning Faith and Obedience as <HI>profe&s;&s;ed,</HI> and &s;o there|fore al&s;o of their contraryes. And this <HI>Avowment</HI> of a Relinqui&s;hment of the Go|&s;pel hath many provoking Aggravations attending it. And yet whereas &s;ome men may in their Hearts and Minds utterly re|nounce
<PB N="62" REF="43"> the Go&s;pel, but upon &s;ome out|ward &s;ecular Con&s;iderations either dare not or will not profe&s;s that inward Renuncia|tion, their <HI>falling</HI> away is compleat and <HI>total</HI> in the &s;ight of God; and all they do to cover their Apo&s;ta&s;ie in an external com|plyance with Chri&s;tian Religion, is in the &s;ight of God but a mocking of him, and the highe&s;t Aggravation of their &s;in.</P>
<P>This is the <HI>falling away</HI> intended by the Apo&s;tle; A voluntary re&s;olved Relinqui&s;h|ment of, and Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel, the Faith, Rule, and Obedience thereof, which cannot be without ca&s;ting the high|e&s;t Reproach and Contumely imaginable upon the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t him&s;elf, as it is afterwards expre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Concerning the&s;e Per&s;ons and their thus <HI>falling away,</HI> two things are to be con&s;ider|ed in the Text. (1) <HI>What is affirmed of them.</HI> (2) <HI>The Rea&s;on of that Affirmation.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t is; <HI>That it is impo&s;&s;ible to re|new them again unto Repentance.</HI> The thing intended is <HI>Negative;</HI> to renew them again to Repentance, this is denyed of them; but the Modification of that <HI>Negation</HI> turns the Propo&s;ition into an <HI>Affirmation; It is Impo&s;&s;ible &s;o to doe.</HI></P>
<PB N="63" REF="43">
<P> <GAP DESC="foreign">. The Importance of this word is dubious; &s;ome think <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> an <HI>ab&s;olute,</HI> and others onely a <HI>moral</HI> Impo&s;&s;ibility is intended therby. This latter mo&s;t fix upon, &s;o that it is a matter rare, difficult, and &s;eldom to be expected, that is intended, and not that which is <HI>ab|&s;olutely</HI> impo&s;&s;ible. Con&s;iderable Rea&s;ons and In&s;tances are produced for either In|terpretation. But we mu&s;t look further into the meaning of it.</P>
<P>All future Events depend on God, who alone doth nece&s;&s;arily exi&s;t. Other things <HI>may be</HI> or <HI>may not be</HI> as they re&s;pect him or his Will. And &s;o things that are future may be &s;aid to be <HI>impo&s;&s;ible,</HI> or be &s;o, either with re&s;pect unto the Nature of God, or his Decrees, or his Moral Rule, Order and Law. Things are impo&s;&s;ible with re&s;pect unto the Nature of God, either ab&s;olutely as being incon&s;i&s;tent with his Being and E&s;&s;ential Properties; &s;o it is <HI>impo&s;&s;ible that God &s;hould lye:</HI> Or on &s;ome Suppo&s;ition; &s;o it is <HI>impo&s;&s;ible</HI> that God &s;hould <HI>forgive &s;in without &s;atisfaction,</HI> on the &s;uppo&s;ition of his Law, and the Sanction of it. In this &s;ence the Repentance of the&s;e Apo&s;tates <HI>it may be</HI> is not impo&s;&s;ible. I &s;ay, <HI>it may be;</HI> It may be there is nothing in it contrary to
<PB N="64" REF="44"> any E&s;&s;ential Properties of the Nature of God, either directly or reductively. But I will not be po&s;itive herein. For the things a&s;cribed unto the&s;e Apo&s;tates are &s;uch, namely, <HI>their crucifying the Son of God afre&s;h, and putting him to open &s;hame,</HI> as that I know not but that it may be contrary to the Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Glory of God as the Supreme Ruler of the World, to have any more Mercy on them than on the <HI>Devils</HI> them&s;elves, or tho&s;e that are in Hell. But I will not a&s;&s;ert this to be the meaning of the place.</P>
<P>Again, things <HI>po&s;&s;ible</HI> in them&s;elves, and with re&s;pect unto the Nature of God, are rendred <HI>impo&s;&s;ible</HI> by Gods <HI>Decree</HI> and Pur|po&s;e; he hath ab&s;olutely determined, that they &s;hall never be. So it was impo&s;&s;ible that <HI>Saul</HI> and his Po&s;terity &s;hould be pre|&s;erved in the Kingdom of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> It was not contrary to the Nature of God, but God had decreed that &s;o it &s;hould not be, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 15. 28, 29. But the Decrees of God re&s;pecting Per&s;ons in particular, and not <HI>Qualifications</HI> in the fir&s;t place, they can|not be here intended; becau&s;e they are free Acts of his Will, not revealed neither in particular, nor by vertue of any gene|ral Rule, as they are Soveraign Acts making
<PB N="65" REF="44"> differences between Per&s;ons in the &s;ame Condition, <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 11, 12. What is po&s;&s;ible or impo&s;&s;ible with re&s;pect unto the Na|ture of God, we may know in &s;ome good mea&s;ure from the certain Knowledge we may have of his Being and E&s;&s;ential Pro|perties. But what is &s;o one way or other with re&s;pect unto his Decrees or Purpo&s;es, which are Soveraign free Acts of his Will, knoweth no man, not the Angels in Hea|ven, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 40. 13, 14. <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 34.</P>
<P>3^d^l^y, Things are <HI>po&s;&s;ible</HI> or <HI>impo&s;&s;ible</HI> with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Order</HI> of all things that God hath appointed. When in things of Duty God hath neither expre&s;&s;ely com|manded them, nor appointed Means for the Performance of them, then are we to look upon them as <HI>impo&s;&s;ible,</HI> and then with re&s;pect unto us they are &s;o ab&s;olutely and &s;o to be e&s;teemed. And this is the Im|po&s;&s;ibility here principally intended. It is a thing that God hath neither commanded us to endeavour, nor appointed means to attain it, nor promi&s;ed to a&s;&s;i&s;t us in it. It is therefore that which we have no Rea|&s;on to look after, attempt or expect, as being not po&s;&s;ible by any Law, Rule, or Con&s;titution of God.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle in&s;tructs us no further in the
<PB N="66" REF="45"> Nature of future Events, but as our own Duty is concerned in them. It is not for us either to look, or hope, or pray for, or endeavour the Renewal of &s;uch Per&s;ons unto Repentance. God gives Law unto us in the&s;e things, not unto him&s;elf. It may be po&s;&s;ible with God for ought we know, if there be not a Contradiction in it unto any holy Properties of his Nature; Only he will not have us to expect any &s;uch things from him, nor hath he appointed any Means for us to endeavour it. What he &s;hall doe we ought thankfully to accept; but our own Duty towards &s;uch Per&s;ons is ab&s;olutely at an End. And indeed they put them&s;elves wholly out of our reach.</P>
<P>That which is &s;aid to be thus Impo&s;&s;ible with re&s;pect unto the&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> Per&s;ons, is, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to renew them again to Repentance.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, in the New Te&s;tament with re&s;pect unto God, &s;ignifies a <HI>Gracious Change of Mind</HI> on Go&s;pel Principles and Promi&s;es, leading the whole Soul into Conver&s;ion unto God. <GAP DESC="foreign">. This is the beginning and entrance of our turning to God, without which neither the Will nor the Affections will be engaged unto him, nor is it po&s;&s;ible for Sinners to find acceptance with him.</P>
<PB N="67" REF="45">
<P> It is impo&s;&s;ible <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to renew.</HI> The con&s;truction of the words is de|fective and mu&s;t be &s;upplyed; <GAP DESC="foreign"> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> may be added, to renew <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> it is not po&s;&s;ible they &s;hould do &s;o; or, <GAP DESC="foreign">, that <HI>&s;ome</HI> &s;hould, that any &s;hould re|new them; and this I judge to be intended. For the Impo&s;&s;ibility mentioned re&s;pects the Duty and Endeavours of others. In vain &s;hall any attempt their Recovery by the u&s;e of any Means whatever. And we mu&s;t enquire what it is to be <HI>Renewed,</HI> and what it is to be Renewed <HI>again.</HI></P>
<P>Now our <GAP DESC="foreign"> is the Renovation of the Image of God in our Natures whereby we are dedicated <HI>again</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> unto him. For as we had lo&s;t the Image of God by &s;in, and were &s;eparated from him as things Prophane, this <GAP DESC="foreign"> re&s;pects both the Re&s;tauration of our Nature and the Dedication of our Per&s;ons to God; And it is two-fold.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Real</HI> and <HI>Internal</HI> in Regenerati|on and effectual Sanctification. <HI>The wa&s;hing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Ho|ly Gho&s;t, Tit.</HI> 3. 5. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 23. But this is not that which is here intended. For this the&s;e Apo&s;tates never had, and &s;o can|not be &s;aid to be <HI>renewed again</HI> unto it.
<PB N="68" REF="46"> For no man can be renewed again unto that which he never had.</P>
<P>Secondly, It is <HI>outward</HI> in the <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> and Pledge of it. Wherefore Renovation in this &s;ence con&s;i&s;ts in the &s;olemn Con|fe&s;&s;ion of Faith and Repentance by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, with the Seal of Bapti&s;m received thereon. For thus it was with all tho&s;e who were converted unto the Go&s;pel. Upon their Profe&s;&s;ion of Repentance to|wards God, and Faith in our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, they received the Bapti&s;mal Pledge of an inward Renovation though really they were not partakers thereof. But this E&s;tate was their <GAP DESC="foreign">; their Renova|tion. From this &s;tate they fell totally, re|nouncing <HI>Him</HI> who is the Author of it, his <HI>Grace</HI> which is the Cau&s;e of it, and the <HI>Ordinance</HI> which is the Pledge thereof.</P>
<P>Hence it appears what it is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to renew them again.</HI> It is to bring them again into this &s;tate of Profe&s;sion by a &s;e|cond Renovation, and a &s;econd Bapti&s;me as a Pledge thereof. This is determined impo&s;sible, and &s;o unwarrantable for any to attempt. And for the mo&s;t part &s;uch Per&s;ons do openly fall into &s;uch Bla&s;phe|mies again&s;t, and engage (if they have Power) into &s;uch Per&s;ecution of the Truth,
<PB N="69" REF="46"> as that they give them&s;elves &s;ufficient Di|rection how others &s;hould behave them|&s;elves towards them. So the Ancient Church was &s;atisfied in the Ca&s;e of <HI>Julian.</HI> This is the &s;umme of what is affirmed concern|ing the&s;e Apo&s;tates, namely, That it is im|po&s;&s;ible to renew them unto Repentance; that is, &s;o to act towards them as to bring them to that Repentance whereby they may be en&s;tated in their former Condi|tion.</P>
<P>Hence &s;undry things may be ob&s;erved for the clearing of the Apo&s;tles de&s;ign in this Di&s;cour&s;e. As,</P>
<P N="1">(1) Here is nothing &s;aid concerning the Acceptance or Refu&s;al of <HI>any upon Repen|tance</HI> or the Profe&s;son thereof after any &s;in, to be made by the Church, who&s;e Judge|ment is to be determined by other Rules and Circum&s;tances. And this perfectly ex|cludes the pretence of the <HI>Novatians</HI> from any countenance in the&s;e words. For whereas they would have drawn their warranty from hence for the utter Exclu|&s;ion from Church Communion of all tho&s;e who had denyed the Faith in times of Per|&s;ecution, although they expre&s;&s;ed a Re|pentance who&s;e &s;incerity they could not evince; Tho&s;e onely are intended, who
<PB N="70" REF="47"> neither do, nor can come to Repentance it &s;elf, nor make a Profe&s;&s;ion of it, with whom the Church had no more to doe. It is not &s;aid that men who ever thus fell away, &s;hall not upon their Repentance be admitted again into their former &s;tate in the Church; But that &s;uch is the &s;everity of God again&s;t them that he will not again give them Repentance unto Life.</P>
<P N="2">(2) Here is nothing that may be brought in barr again&s;t &s;uch as having fallen by any <HI>great Sin,</HI> or any Cour&s;e in &s;inning, and that after Light, Convictions, and Gifts received and exerci&s;ed, who de&s;ire to re|pent of their Sins and endeavour after Sincerity therein. Yea &s;uch a de&s;ire and endeavour exempts any one from the Judgement here threatned.</P>
<P>There is therefore in it that which tends greatly to the Encouragement of &s;uch Sin|ners. For, whereas it is here declared con|cerning tho&s;e who are thus rejected of God, that it is impo&s;&s;ible to <HI>renew them,</HI> or to do any thing towards them that &s;hall have a tendency unto Repentance; tho&s;e who are not &s;atisfied that they do yet &s;avingly Repent, but only are &s;incerely exerci&s;ed how they may attain thereunto, have no concernment in this Commination;
<PB N="71" REF="47"> but evidently have the Door of Mercy &s;till opened unto them. For it is &s;hut only again&s;t tho&s;e who &s;hall never endeavour to turn by Repentance. And although per&s;ons &s;o rejected of God, may fall under Convictions of their Sin attended with de&s;pair, which is unto them a fore&s;ight of their future Condition; yet as unto the lea&s;t attempt after Repentance on the terms of the Go&s;pel, they do never ri&s;e up unto it. Wherefore the <HI>Impo&s;&s;ibility</HI> intended of what &s;ort &s;oever it be, re&s;pects the &s;everity of God, not in refu&s;ing or rejecting the greate&s;t &s;inners which &s;eek after and would be renewed unto Repentance, which is contrary unto innumerable of his Promi&s;es; but in the giving up &s;uch Sinners as the&s;e are here mentioned unto that obduratene&s;s and ob&s;tinacy in &s;inning, that blindne&s;s of Mind, and hardne&s;s of Heart, as that they neither will nor &s;hall ever &s;incerely &s;eek after Repentance, nor may any means ac|cording to the Mind of God be u&s;ed to bring them thereunto. And the Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s of the exerci&s;e of this Severity is taken from the Nature of this Sin or what is contained in it, which the Apo&s;tle de|clares in the en&s;uing In&s;tances. And we may in our pa&s;&s;age, ob&s;erve, That</P>
<PB N="72" REF="48">
<P> <HI>In the preaching of the Go&s;pel, it is ne|ce&s;&s;ary to propo&s;e unto men, and to in&s;i&s;t on the Severity of God, in dealing with provo|king Sinners again&s;t it.</HI> And indeed the <HI>Se|verity</HI> of God is principally though not &s;olely exerci&s;ed with re&s;pect unto &s;ins a|gain&s;t the Go&s;pel. This our Apo&s;tle calls us to the con&s;ideration of, in the ca&s;e of the unbelieving <HI>Jews. Rom.</HI> 11. 22. <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Behold the goodne&s;&s;e and &s;everity of God; towards them that fell,</HI> (tho&s;e in the Text) <HI>&s;everity.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, is a &s;harp Di&s;&s;ecti|on or cutting off. I do not therefore un|der&s;tand by it an e&s;&s;ential Property of the Nature of God. It is not the &s;ame with his Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, or vindictive Ju&s;tice. The&s;e are e&s;&s;ential Properties of the Divine Nature, whence it is that he neither will nor can ab&s;olutely &s;uffer men to &s;in, and let them go for ever unpuni&s;hed without any Satisfaction or Attonement made for their &s;ins, whereof we have treat|ed el&s;ewhere. But by Gods <HI>Severity</HI> is in|tended the free Act of his Will, acting ac|cording unto tho&s;e Properties of his Na|ture in an eminent manner, when and how he plea&s;eth. And therefore into them it is
<PB N="73" REF="48"> re&s;olved. So our Apo&s;tle when he would intimate this <HI>Severity</HI> unto us to ingenerate in us a holy Fear and Reverence of God in his Wor&s;hip, addes as his Motive, <HI>for our God is a con&s;uming fire, Heb.</HI> 12. 29. That is, of an infinitely pure, holy, righte|ous Nature, according to which he will deal with us, and &s;o may unexpectedly break forth upon us in <HI>Severity</HI> if we labour not for Grace to &s;erve him acceptably with Reverence and godly Fear. Wherefore this Severity of God is his exemplary deal|ing with provoking Sinners according to the exigence of his Holine&s;s and Wi&s;dom, without an Interpo&s;ition of longer Pati|ence or Forbearance. There are &s;ome &s;ins or degrees in &s;inning, that neither the Ho|line&s;s, nor Maje&s;ty, nor Wi&s;dom of God can &s;o bear withall, as to &s;uffer them to pa&s;s unpuni&s;hed or unremarked on in this world. In &s;uch ca&s;es is God &s;aid to exerci&s;e his <HI>Severity.</HI> And he doth &s;o,</P>
<P N="1">(1) In extraordinary <HI>outward Judge|ments</HI> upon open pro&s;ligate Sinners, e&s;pe|cially the Enemies of his Church and Glo|ry. Hence on &s;uch an occa&s;ion doth God give that de&s;cription of him&s;elf; <HI>Nahum</HI> 1. 2. <HI>God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth and is furious; the Lord</HI>
<PB N="74" REF="49"> <HI>will take vengeance on his adver&s;aries, and he re&s;erveth wrath for his Enemies.</HI> When God acteth towards his Adver&s;aries ac|cording to the De&s;cription here given of him&s;elf, he deals with them in <HI>Severity.</HI> And two things are required to make the&s;e Judgements of God again&s;t his Adver&s;a|ries in this world to be In&s;tances thereof. (1) That they be <HI>unu&s;ual,</HI> &s;uch as do not commonly and frequently fall out in the ordinary di&s;pen&s;ation of Divine Provi|dence; <HI>Numb.</HI> 16. 29, 30. God doth not in the Government of the World &s;uffer any thing to fall out or come to pa&s;s that in the i&s;&s;ue &s;hall be contrary to his Ju&s;tice, or incon&s;i&s;tent with his Righteou&s;ne&s;s. But yet he beareth with things &s;o for the mo&s;t part, as that he will manife&s;t him&s;elf to be exceedingly full of Patience and Long-&s;uffering, as al&s;o to exerci&s;e the Faith of them that believe in the Expectation of a future Judgement. Wherefore there mu&s;t be &s;omewhat <HI>extraordinary</HI> in tho&s;e Judgements wherein God will exerci&s;e and manife&s;t <HI>Severity.</HI> So it is expre&s;&s;ed; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28. 21. <HI>The Lord &s;hall ri&s;e up as in Mount Perazim, he &s;hall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may doe his work, his &s;trange work, and bring to pa&s;s his act, his</HI>
<PB N="75" REF="49"> <HI>&s;trange act.</HI> The Work he will doe is <HI>his</HI> Work, but it is his <HI>&s;trange</HI> Work; that is, not &s;trange from or oppo&s;ite unto his Na|ture, for &s;o he will do nothing; but that which is <HI>unu&s;ual,</HI> which he doth but &s;el|dome, and is therefore marvellous. Thus in &s;udden de&s;tructions of Per&s;ecutors or Per&s;ons of a flagitious wickedne&s;s, in great De&s;olations of provoking Families, Cities and Nations, in Fire from Heaven, in In|undations, Plagues, Earthquakes, and &s;uch &s;udden extraordinary con&s;uming Judge|ments, God giveth In&s;tances of his <HI>Severity</HI> in the world; <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 18. (2) In this ca&s;e it is required that &s;uch Judgements be <HI>open, vi&s;ible,</HI> and manife&s;t both unto tho&s;e who are puni&s;hed, and to others who wi&s;ely con&s;ider them. So God &s;peaketh of him&s;elf; <HI>Deut.</HI> 7. 10. <HI>God that repayeth them that hate him to their face, to de&s;troy them; he will not be &s;lack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face:</HI> That is, he will do it openly and manife&s;tly, that them&s;elves and all others &s;hall take notice of his <HI>&s;everity</HI> therein. This I &s;ay is one way whereby God acts his <HI>Severity</HI> in this world. And hereby he poureth everla&s;ting contempt upon the &s;ecurity of his proude&s;t and haughtie&s;t Adver&s;aries. For when they
<PB N="76" REF="50"> think they have &s;ufficiently provided for their own &s;afety, and &s;topped all <HI>Avenues</HI> of Evil according to the Rules of their Policy and Wi&s;dom with the be&s;t Ob&s;er|vations they are able to make of the ordi|nary effects of his Providence, and &s;o give up them&s;elves to take &s;atisfaction in their Lu&s;ts and Plea&s;ures, He breaks in upon them with an In&s;tance and Example of his &s;everity to their utter de&s;truction. So when they &s;ay, <HI>Peace and Safety, then &s;udden de|&s;truction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with childe, and they &s;hall not e&s;cape,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 3. This will be the &s;tate one day of the whole <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> intere&s;t in the world, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18. 7, 9. But this is not directly intended in this place; although even this effect of Gods <HI>Severity</HI> overtook the&s;e Apo&s;tates afterwards.</P>
<P N="2">(2) In <HI>&s;piritual Judgements.</HI> By the&s;e God in his <HI>Severity</HI> leaveth unprofitable, provoking, and Apo&s;tate Profe&s;&s;ors under the impo&s;&s;ibility here intended of being renewed unto repentance. And this is the &s;ore&s;t of all Gods Judgements. There is in it a &s;entence of Eternal Damnation de|nounced on men afore-hand in this world. So our Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>Some mens &s;ins are open beforehand, going before to judgement;</HI>
<PB N="77" REF="50"> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 24: God &s;o pa&s;&s;eth judgement concerning them in this world, as that there &s;hall be no Alteration in their State and Condition to Eternity. And this <HI>&s;everity</HI> of God towards Sinners under the Go&s;pel, &s;hutting them up under final Impenitency, con&s;i&s;ts in the&s;e four things.</P>
<P N="1">(1) God puts an end unto all his <HI>Ex|pectation</HI> concerning them; He looks for no more from them, and &s;o exerci&s;eth no more care about them. While&s;t God is plea&s;ed to afford the u&s;e of Means for Conver&s;ion and Repentance unto any, he is &s;aid to <HI>look for and expect</HI> an&s;werable Fruits; I did (&s;aith he) &s;o to my Vineyard, <HI>and I looked</HI> that it &s;hould bring forth Grapes; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5. 2, 4. Wherefore when God takes away all Means of Grace and Repentance from any, then he puts an End unto his own Expectation of any Fruits. For if a man can have no Fruit from his Vineyard while&s;t he dre&s;&s;eth it, or his Field while&s;t he tilleth it, he will never look for any after he hath given them up and laid them wa&s;te. And on the other &s;ide, when he utterly cea&s;eth to look for any Fruit from them, he will <HI>till</HI> them no more; for why &s;hould he put him&s;elf to charge or trouble to no purpo&s;e? Wo un|to
<PB N="78" REF="51"> the Souls of men when God in this &s;ence <HI>looks for</HI> no more at their hands; that is, when he puts an end unto that Patience or Long-&s;uffering towards them from whence all &s;upplyes of the Means of Con|ver&s;ion and Repentance doe ari&s;e and &s;pring. This God doth by &s;ome, and that in &s;uch wayes as we &s;hall afterwards de|clare.</P>
<P N="2">(2) God will actually puni&s;h them with, or inflict on them <HI>Hardne&s;s of Heart</HI> and Blindne&s;s of Mind, that they never &s;hall Repent or Believe. <HI>Joh.</HI> 12. 39, 40. <HI>There|fore they could not Believe, becau&s;e E&s;aias &s;aid again, He hath blinded their Eyes, and hardned their Heart, that they &s;hould not &s;ee with their Eyes, nor under&s;tand with their Heart, and be converted, and I &s;hould heal them.</HI> God will now Judicially blind them and harden them, and by one Means or other every thing that befalls them &s;hall promote their Induration. So it was with the&s;e <HI>Jews;</HI> The Doctrine of Chri&s;t filled them with Envy, his Holine&s;s with Malice, and his Miracles with Rage and Madne&s;s. Their <HI>Table was a Snare</HI> to them, and that which &s;hould have been for their good turned to their hurt. So is it with all them whom God in his <HI>Severity</HI> hardeneth. Whe|ther
<PB N="79" REF="51"> the outward Means be continued un|to them or no, all is one, every thing &s;hall drive them farther from God and increa&s;e their Ob&s;tinacy again&s;t him. From hence they become <HI>Scoffers</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ecutors</HI> avow|edly &s;corning and hating the Truth. And herein it may be they &s;hall plea&s;e them|&s;elves untill they are &s;wallowed up in De|&s;pair or the Grave.</P>
<P N="3">(3) God u&s;ually in his <HI>Severity</HI> gives them up unto <HI>&s;en&s;ual Lu&s;ts.</HI> So he dealt with the Idolaters of old; He <HI>gave them up to vile affections, Rom.</HI> 1. 26. &s;uch as tho&s;e there de&s;cribed by the Apo&s;tle; and in the pur&s;uit of them, <HI>gave them over to a reprobate Mind, to do the things that are not convenient,</HI> ver. 28. Whence they were <HI>filled with all unrighteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> ver. 29. So doth God frequently deal with Apo&s;tates from the Go&s;pel, or from the principal Truths of it, unto Idolatry and Super&s;ti|tion. And when they are engaged in the pur&s;uit of the&s;e Lu&s;ts, e&s;pecially when they are Judicially given up unto them, they are held a&s;&s;uredly as under Cords and Chains unto final Impenitency.</P>
<P N="4">(4) God gives &s;uch Per&s;ons up unto <HI>Sathan</HI> to be blinded, and lead by him into pernicious Delu&s;ions. <HI>Becau&s;e they received</HI>
<PB N="80" REF="52"> <HI>not the love of the Truth, that they might be &s;aved, God &s;hall &s;end them &s;trong delu&s;ion, that they &s;hould believe a lye; that they all might be damned who loved not the Truth, but had plea&s;ure in unrighteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 2. 10, 11, 12. This was the State and Con|dition of the Per&s;ons here prophe&s;ied of: The Truth of the Go&s;pel was preached unto them, and for &s;ome time profe&s;&s;ed by them. They received the Truth, but they received not the <HI>Love</HI> of it, &s;o as to com|ply with it and improve it unto its proper End. This kept them barren and unprofi|table under their Profe&s;&s;ion. For where the Truth is not <HI>loved</HI> as well as <HI>believed</HI> or a&s;&s;ented unto, it will bring forth no Fruits. But this was not all; They had <HI>plea&s;ure in their &s;ins,</HI> lu&s;ts, and unrighte|ou&s;ne&s;s, re&s;olving not to part with them on any terms. Whereas therefore the&s;e are all of them ab&s;olutely and without Limi|tation judged and condemned by the Truth of the Go&s;pel, they began to di&s;like and &s;ecretly to hate the Truth it &s;elf. But whereas together with their lu&s;ts and un|righteou&s;ne&s;s wherein they had plea&s;ure, they found a Nece&s;&s;ity of a Religion one or other, or the pretence of &s;ome Reli|gion or other to give them countenance
<PB N="81" REF="52"> again&s;t the Truth which they rejected, they were in a readine&s;s to any thing that &s;hould offer it &s;elf unto them. In this con|dition in the way of Puni&s;hment, and as a Revenge of their horrible Ingratitude and Contempt of his Go&s;pel, God gives them up to the Power of Sathan, who blindes, deludes, and deceives them with &s;uch Efficacy, as that they &s;hall not onely readily embrace, but ob&s;tinately believe and adhere to the Lyes, Errours and Fal&s;|hoods that he &s;hall &s;ugge&s;t unto them. And this is the way and cour&s;e whereby &s;o many carnal Go&s;pellers are turned off unto <HI>Romi&s;h</HI> Idolatry every day.</P>
<P>Other In&s;tances of the <HI>Severity</HI> of God on this Occa&s;ion might be given; but the&s;e are fully &s;ufficient to declare the man|ner of his dealing with &s;uch as tho&s;e de|&s;cribed in the Text, whence it follows, that their Renovation unto Repentance is <HI>impo&s;&s;ible.</HI> For what hopes or expectati|ons &s;hould we have concerning &s;uch as God hath utterly for&s;aken, whom he hath judicially &s;mitten with Blindne&s;s and Hard|ne&s;s of Heart, whom he hath given up not only to the Power and Efficacy of their own Lu&s;ts and vile Affections, but al&s;o immediately unto Sathan to be deluded,
<PB N="82" REF="53"> and lead captive at his plea&s;ure? In vain &s;hall the Repentance of &s;uch Per&s;ons be either expected or endeavoured.</P>
<P>And this <HI>Severity</HI> of God ought to be preached and in&s;i&s;ted on in the Declara|tion of the Go&s;pel. Let the Reader con|&s;ult what hath been already offered con|cerning the u&s;e of Go&s;pel <HI>Threatnings</HI> and Comminations, on the Third and Fourth Chapters. There is a pronene&s;s in corrupted Nature to de&s;pi&s;e the Riches of the Good|ne&s;s Forbearance and Long-&s;uffering of God, not knowing that the Goodne&s;s of God leadeth them to Repentance, and thereon after their hardne&s;s and impeni|tent heart trea&s;ure up to them&s;elves wrath again&s;t the day of wrath, as our Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 4, 5. Con&s;idering nothing in God but Mercy and Long-&s;uffering, and nothing in the Go&s;pel but Grace and Par|don, they are ready to de&s;pi&s;e and turn them into La&s;civiou&s;ne&s;s, or from them both to countenance them&s;elves in their &s;ins. By this Means, on &s;uch mi&s;taken Ap|prehen&s;ions, &s;uited to their Lu&s;ts and cor|rupt Inclinations, heightened by the craft of Sathan, do multitudes under the preach|ing of the Go&s;pel harden them&s;elves daily to De&s;truction. And others there are, who
<PB N="83" REF="53"> although they will not on &s;uch wicked pretences give up them&s;elves to their Lu&s;ts and carnal Affections, yet for want of con|&s;tant Vigilancy and watchfulne&s;s, are apt to have Sloth and Negligence with many ill Frames of Spirit to increa&s;e and grow upon them. Both &s;orts are to be &s;tirred up by being put in mind of this <HI>Severity</HI> of God. They are to be taught that there are &s;ecret Powers accompanying the di&s;pen|&s;ation of the Go&s;pel, continually in a rea|dine&s;s to <HI>revenge all di&s;obedience;</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 6. That God is not mocked, but <HI>what|&s;oever a man &s;oweth, that he &s;hall al&s;o reap. For he that &s;oweth to the Fle&s;h, of the Fle&s;h &s;hall reap corruption; but he that &s;oweth to the Spirit, &s;hall of the Spirit reap Life ever|la&s;ting; Gal.</HI> 6. 7, 8. But I have el&s;ewhere already &s;hewed the Nece&s;&s;ity there was of arming the Go&s;pel with Threatnings, as well as confirming of it with Promi&s;es, &s;o as that it may not <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Expo&s;.</HI> Heb. Chap. 4. 1, 2.</NOTE> be here again at large in&s;i&s;ted on.</P>
<P>From what hath been di&s;cour&s;ed, it is evident how nece&s;&s;ary and whol&s;ome a Warning or Threatning is here expre&s;&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle. It is the open Mi&s;takes of men that have drawn undue Entangle|ments
<PB N="84" REF="54"> out of it; In it &s;elf it is both plain and nece&s;&s;ary. Shall we be afraid to &s;ay, that God will not renew &s;uch Sinners as tho&s;e before de&s;cribed unto Rpentance? or to declare unto &s;inners, that without Repentance they cannot be &s;aved? or &s;hall we Preach to men, that whatever Light they have had, whatever Gifts they have received, whatever Priviledges they have been made partakers of; whatever Pro|fe&s;&s;ion they have made, or for how long a &s;ea&s;on &s;oever; if they fall totally and de&s;pightfully from the Go&s;pel into that which is mo&s;t oppo&s;ite both to its Truth and Holine&s;s, yet there is no doubt, but they may again repent and be &s;aved? God forbid &s;o great a wickedne&s;s &s;hould fall from our Mouths. Nay, we are to warn all Per&s;ons in danger of &s;uch Apo&s;ta&s;ies, that if any one &s;o draw back, Gods Soul will have no plea&s;ure in him; that it is a <HI>fearfull thing</HI> to fall into the hands of the Living God; that he will harden &s;uch Sinners, and give them up to &s;trong delu|&s;ions that they may be damned; that he is not under the ingagement of any Pro|mi&s;e to give them Repentance, but hath rather given many &s;evere Threatnings to the contrary. He hath told us, that &s;uch
<PB N="85" REF="54"> Per&s;ons are as <HI>Trees twice dead,</HI> plucked up by the roots, of which there is no hope, that denying the Lord that bought them; they bring on them&s;elves &s;wift de&s;truction, who&s;e Damnation &s;lumbreth not, with the like Declarations of <HI>Severity</HI> again&s;t them innumerable.</P>
<P>But what &s;hall be &s;aid unto them, who having through great Temptations, and it may be Fears and Surprizals, for a &s;ea&s;on renounced the Go&s;pel; or &s;uch as by rea|&s;on of great &s;ins again&s;t Light, and back|&s;liding in Profe&s;&s;ion, do apprehend them|&s;elves to be fallen into this Condition, and yet are greatly de&s;irous of a Recovery, and do crye to God for Repentance and Acceptance? I an&s;wer as before, they are not at all concerned in this Text. Here is nothing excluding them from Acceptance with God and Eternal Salvation, be they who or what they will that &s;eek it by Re|pentance; onely there are &s;ome who are excluded by God, and do ob&s;tinately &s;hut up them&s;elves from all Endeavours after Repentance it &s;elf, with whom we have not any thing to doe.</P>
<P>It is true, tho&s;e alone are here fir&s;tly and directly intended, who in tho&s;e dayes had received <HI>extraordinary</HI> or Miraculous Gifts
<PB N="86" REF="55"> of the Holy Gho&s;t. But this by ju&s;t <HI>Ana|logy</HI> may be extended unto others, now tho&s;e Gifts are cea&s;ed in the Church. For tho&s;e Gifts and Priviledges which are yet continued unto men do lay (in pre&s;ent cir|cum&s;tances) the &s;ame Obligation upon them unto Per&s;everance in Profe&s;&s;ion, and give the &s;ame Aggravation unto their Apo&s;ta|&s;ie, as did tho&s;e extraordinary Gifts for|merly conferr'd upon Profe&s;&s;ion. Let us not then be high-minded but fear. It is not good approaching too neer a Precipice. Let unprofitable Hearers and Back&s;liders in heart and wayes, be awaked, le&s;t they may be nearer falling under Gods <HI>Severity</HI> than they are aware of. But we mu&s;t re|turn unto our Apo&s;tle giving an Account of the <HI>Nature</HI> of this Sin which is attended with &s;o &s;ore a Judgement. And this he doth in a double In&s;tance.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Beza</HI> affirms that <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>To them|&s;elves,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> is ab&s;ent from &s;ome Co|pyes, and then the words may admit of a &s;ence diver&s;e from that which is common|ly received. For <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>crucifying again,</HI> may referre unto <GAP DESC="foreign">, included and &s;up|po&s;ed in <GAP DESC="foreign">, that <HI>&s;ome</HI> or <HI>any</HI> &s;hould
<PB N="87" REF="55"> Renew them. It is impo&s;&s;ible that any &s;hould renew them to Repentance; For this cannot be done <HI>without crucifying the Son of God again,</HI> &s;ince the&s;e Apo&s;tates have utterly rejected all Intere&s;t in, and Benefit by his Death as once undergone for Sinners. This none can doe; we ought not, we <HI>cannot crucifie Chri&s;t again,</HI> that they may be renewed and &s;aved. Who can entertain a thought tending towards a de|&s;ire that &s;o it might be? And this &s;ence in the &s;ame or an alike Ca&s;e the Apo&s;tle plain|ly expre&s;&s;eth, <HI>Chap.</HI> 10. 26, 27. <HI>If we &s;in wilfully after we have received the know|ledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more Sacrifice for &s;in.</HI> Chri&s;t cannot be offered again, and &s;o crucified again, without which the &s;ins of &s;uch Per&s;ons cannot be expiated. For the unbloody Sacrificing of Chri&s;t every day in the <HI>Ma&s;&s;e</HI> was not as yet invented; and it is a Relief fit onely for them to tru&s;t unto, who have no In|tere&s;t in that Sacrifice which he offered once for all. But there is in that other place an allu&s;ion to the Sacrifices under the Law. Becau&s;e they could legally expiate no &s;ins but what were pa&s;t before their Offering, they were to be frequently re|peated upon reiterated &s;inning. So from
<PB N="88" REF="56"> time to time they &s;inned, (as no man liveth and &s;inneth not,) and had Sacrifices renewed for their &s;ins, applyed unto the particular &s;ins they had committed. This could now be &s;o no more, Chri&s;t being once offered for Sin&punc; whoever lo&s;eth his Intere&s;t in that one Offering, and forfeit|eth the Benefit of it, there is no more Sa|crifice for him; Chri&s;t henceforth dieth no more. It cannot be hence imagined that the Grace of the Go&s;pel is re&s;trained, as being all confined unto that one Sacri|fice, from what was repre&s;ented in the mul|tiplyed Sacrifices of the Law.</P>
<P>For, (1) The <HI>one</HI> Sacrifice of Chri&s;t, ex|tended farther as to Sins and Per&s;ons, than <HI>all</HI> tho&s;e of the Law with all their Repe|titions put together. <HI>By him all that be|lieve are ju&s;tified from tho&s;e things which they could not be ju&s;tified from by the Law of Mo&s;es, Acts</HI> 13. 39. There were &s;ome &s;ins under the Law for which no Sacrifice was provided, &s;eeing he who was guilty of them was to dye without Mercy; as in the Ca&s;es of Murder and Adultery, with re&s;pect whereunto <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Thou de&s;i|re&s;t not Sacrifice el&s;e would I give it, thou delighte&s;t not in Burnt-offering, P&s;al.</HI> 51. 16. namely in &s;uch Ca&s;es as his then was.</P>
<PB N="89" REF="56">
<P> But, (2) In ca&s;e of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the one and the other, the <HI>Event</HI> was the &s;ame. There was under the Law no Sacrifice ap|pointed for him who had <HI>totally Apo&s;ta|tized</HI> from its Fundamental Principles, or &s;inned <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>pre&s;umptuou&s;ly,</HI> with an hand high and &s;tubborn. This was that de&s;pi&s;ing of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Law, for which tho&s;e that were guilty thereof, <HI>were to dye with|out Mercy, Heb.</HI> 10. 28. And &s;o it is under the Go&s;pel. Wilfull Apo&s;tates forfeiting all their Intere&s;t in the Sacrifice of Chri&s;t, there is no Relief appointed for them, but God will cut them off and de&s;troy them; as &s;hall God willing be declared on that place. And this may be the &s;ence of the words, &s;uppo&s;ing <GAP DESC="foreign"> not to belong ori|ginally unto this place. God hath con|fined all hopes of Mercy Grace and Salva|tion unto the <HI>one &s;ingle Offering</HI> and Sacri|fice of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> This our Apo&s;tle in|&s;i&s;teth on and pre&s;&s;eth, <HI>Chap.</HI> 9. 25, 26, 27, 28. <HI>Chap.</HI> 10. 12, 14. Infinite Wi&s;dom and Sovereign Plea&s;ure hath centred all Grace Mercy and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s in him alone; <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 14, 16, 17. <HI>Acts</HI> 4. 12. <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 19. And this <HI>one Offering</HI> of his is &s;o &s;ufficient and effectually powerfull unto all that by Faith &s;eek an Intere&s;t therein, that this
<PB N="90" REF="57"> re&s;traint is no re&s;traint; nor hath any Sin|ner the lea&s;t cau&s;e to complain of it. If they reject and de&s;pi&s;e it, it is their own fault, and at their own Peril. Nor is it the reiterated Sacrifice of the <HI>Ma&s;&s;e,</HI> or what|ever el&s;e they may betake them&s;elves unto, that will afford them any relief.</P>
<P>But the word is con&s;tant enough in ancient <HI>Copyes</HI> to maintain its <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> own &s;tation, and the context requires its continuance. And this makes the work of <HI>crucifying again,</HI> to be the act of the Apo&s;tates them&s;elves, and to be <HI>a&s;&s;erted,</HI> as that which belongs unto <HI>their &s;in,</HI> and not <HI>denyed</HI> as belonging to a <HI>Relief</HI> from their Sin. They <HI>crucifie him again to them|&s;elves.</HI> They doe it not really, they can|not do &s;o; but they do it <HI>to them&s;elves</HI> Morally. This is in their &s;in of falling away, part of it comprized in it, which renders it unpardonable; they again cru|cifie the Son of God, not ab&s;olutely, but in and to them&s;elves.</P>
<P>And we mu&s;t inquire how they did it, or in what &s;ence it is by the Apo&s;tle charged on them. Now this (to omit all other things that may be thought to con|curre herein) was,</P>
<P N="1">(1) Principally by an <HI>Acce&s;&s;ion in &s;uf|frage</HI>
<PB N="91" REF="57"> unto them who had crucified him once before. Hereby they went over the &s;ame work with them, and did that for their own parts, which the others had done be|fore for theirs. They approved of and ju&s;tified the fact of the <HI>Jews</HI> in crucifying him as a Malefactor. For there is no <HI>Me|dium</HI> between the&s;e things. The Lord Chri&s;t mu&s;t be e&s;teemed to be the Son of God, and con&s;equently his Go&s;pel to be indi&s;pen&s;ably obeyed, or be &s;uppo&s;ed to be ju&s;tly crucified, as a Seducer, a Bla&s;|phemer and a Malefactor. For Profe&s;&s;ing him&s;elf to be the Son of God, and wit|ne&s;&s;ing that Confe&s;&s;ion unto his Death, he mu&s;t be &s;o received or rejected as an evil doer. And this was done by the&s;e <HI>Apo|&s;tates;</HI> for, going over to the <HI>Jews</HI> they ap|proved of what they had done in crucify|ing of him as &s;uch a one.</P>
<P N="2">(2) They did it by declaring that ha|ving made trial of <HI>him</HI> his <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> and wayes, they found nothing of <HI>Sub&s;tance</HI> Truth or Goodne&s;s in them, for which they &s;hould continue their Profe&s;&s;ion. Thus that fa|mous or infamous Apo&s;tate <HI>Julian</HI> the Em|perour gave this as the Motto of his Apo|&s;ta&s;ie, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>I have read, known and condemned</HI> your Go&s;pel. And
<PB N="92" REF="58"> this hath been the way of Apo&s;tates in all Ages. In the Primitive times they were the <HI>Gentiles Intelligencers,</HI> and like the Spyes of old brought up a fal&s;e Report upon the Land. For they were not &s;atis|fied (for the mo&s;t part) to declare their di&s;approbation of what was really taught believed and practi&s;ed among the Chri|&s;tians, but the more to countenance their <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> not only invidiou&s;ly repre&s;ented and odiou&s;ly traduced what was really profe&s;&s;ed, but withall invented Lyes and Calumnies about Con&s;piracies, Seditions, and Incon&s;i&s;tencyes with publick Peace among them, &s;o if it were po&s;&s;ible, to ruine the whole Intere&s;t and all that be|longed unto it. This is to crucifie Chri&s;t afre&s;h, and to put him to open &s;hame. And &s;uch is the manner of them unto this day. If any have made an Acce&s;&s;ion to the more intimate Duties of Religion, as Prayer and Preaching by vertue of &s;piritual Gifts with other Acts of mutual &s;piritual Communi|on, which the generality of men concern not them&s;elves in; when in complyance with their Occa&s;ions and Temptations they fall from them and renounce them; they aim at nothing more than by malicious &s;currilous Repre&s;entations of them, and
<PB N="93" REF="58"> fal&s;e Additions unto them of things per|ver&s;e or ridiculous, to expo&s;e them to open &s;hame and ignominy. Their language is, <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>We have known and tryed the&s;e things, and declare their folly;</HI> &s;o hoping to be believed, becau&s;e of their pretended Experience, which alone is &s;uf|ficient to render them &s;u&s;pected with all Per&s;ons of Wi&s;dom and Sobriety. Now no man living can attempt an higher di&s;ho|nour again&s;t Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in his Per&s;on, or in any of his wayes, than openly to pro|fe&s;s that upon Trial of them, they find no|thing in them for which they &s;hould be de|&s;ired. But it had been better for &s;uch Per|&s;ons, <HI>not to have known the way of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, than after they have known it, to turn a&s;ide from the holy Commandment de|livered unto them.</HI></P>
<P>And this is the fir&s;t Aggravation of the &s;ins mentioned, taken from the Act a&s;cri|bed unto the Sinners; They <HI>crucifie him again,</HI> they do it as much as in them lyeth, and declare that they <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> would actually do it, if it were in their power. He addes another from the Con&s;ideration of the Per&s;on who was thus treated by them. It was the <HI>Son of God,</HI> whom they dealt thus withall. This
<PB N="94" REF="59"> they did, not when he had emptyed him|&s;elf, and made him&s;elf of no Reputation, &s;o that it was not an ea&s;ie matter to look thorough all the veyls of his outward Weakne&s;s and Condition in this world, to behold <HI>his Glory, as the Glory of the onely Begotten of the Father,</HI> in which &s;tate he was crucified by the <HI>Jews;</HI> but now when he had been declared to be <HI>the Son of God with Power, according to the Spirit of Holi|ne&s;s, by the Re&s;urrection from the dead,</HI> and his Divinity was variou&s;ly atte&s;ted unto in the world, and among them&s;elves; And this is the great Aggravation of &s;in again&s;t the Go&s;pel, namely, of Unbelief; that it is immediately again&s;t <HI>the Son of God.</HI> His Per&s;on is de&s;pi&s;ed in it, both Ab&s;olutely and in the Di&s;charge of all his Offices. And therefore is God him&s;elf &s;o, becau&s;e he hath nothing to do with us but by his Son.</P>
<P>Secondly, The Apo&s;tle addes as another Aggravation of their Sin, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>expo&s;ing him again to publick ignominy or &s;hame.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> is to bring any &s;uppo&s;ed Offenders unto &s;uch open Puni&s;hment as is <HI>&s;hamefull</HI> in the eyes of men, and renders them <HI>vile</HI> who are &s;o traduced and pu|ni&s;hed.
<PB N="95" REF="59"> The word is but once more u&s;ed in the New Te&s;tament, namely, <HI>Matth.</HI> 1. 19. where it is &s;poken of <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> in refe|rence unto his E&s;pou&s;ed Wife the Holy Virgin; <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Not wil|ling to make her a publick Example;</HI> that is, by bringing of her forth unto a <HI>&s;hame|full</HI> Puni&s;hment for the terror of others.</P>
<P>According unto this &s;ence our Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;ing the Death of Chri&s;t as inflicted by men, reduces the Evils that accompa|nyed it unto two heads: (1) The <HI>Pain</HI> of it, and (2) The <HI>Shame;</HI> Chap. 12. 2. <HI>He endured the Cro&s;s and de&s;pi&s;ed the Shame.</HI> For as the Death of the Cro&s;s was <HI>poenal,</HI> or painfull and dolorous, &s;o in the manner of it in all its Circum&s;tances of Time, Place, Per&s;on, it was mo&s;t highly <HI>&s;hamefull.</HI> He was in it <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>ignominiou&s;ly tra|duced,</HI> or put to open &s;hame; yea, the Death of the Cro&s;s among&s;t all people was peculiarly <HI>&s;hamefull.</HI> Thus in calling over his Death in this place, he referres it unto the &s;ame heads of <HI>Suffering</HI> and <HI>Shame; crucifying</HI> him, and putting him to open <HI>&s;hame.</HI> And in this latter he was not &s;pa|red by the&s;e Apo&s;tates no more than in the former, &s;o far as it lay in their pow|er.</P>
<PB N="96" REF="60">
<P> And hence we may rai&s;e a &s;ufficient An|&s;wer unto an <HI>Objection</HI> of no &s;mall impor|tance that ari&s;eth again&s;t our Expo&s;ition of this place. For it may be &s;aid, <HI>That if tho&s;e, or many of them, or any of them, who actually and</HI> really crucified <HI>the Son of God in his own Per&s;on, and put him to open &s;hame, did yet obtain Mercy and Pardon of that and all other Sins, as it is confe&s;&s;ed they did; Whence is it that tho&s;e who renounce him, and do &s;o crucifie him and put him to &s;hame only</HI> Metaphorically <HI>and to them&s;elves, &s;hould be excluded from all hopes of Repen|tance and Pardon?</HI></P>
<P>I an&s;wer, That the &s;in of tho&s;e who for&s;ake Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel after their Conviction of its Truth, and Profe&s;&s;ion of it, is on many Accounts far greater than that of tho&s;e who Crucified him in the dayes of his Fle&s;h: And there are &s;undry Rea&s;ons whereon God will exerci&s;e more <HI>Severity</HI> towards this latter &s;ort of &s;inners than towards the former.</P>
<P N="1">(1) The Sin is greater, becau&s;e no way to be extenuated by <HI>Ignorance.</HI> This is every where allowed, as that which made the Sin of Crucifying of Chri&s;t <HI>pardonable</HI> upon their Repentance, and their Repen|tance <HI>po&s;&s;ible.</HI> So <HI>Peter</HI> in his Sermon to
<PB N="97" REF="60"> them, layes down this as the Foundation of his Exhortation unto Repentance. <HI>And now Brethren, I wot that through Ignorance you did it, as did al&s;o your Rulers, Act.</HI> 3. 17. <HI>Had they known it, they would not have cru|cified the Lord of Glory,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 8. which our Apo&s;tle pleads al&s;o in his own Ca&s;e, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 13. This put their &s;ins among the number of tho&s;e which Sacrifices were al|lowed for of old, and which fell under the care of him who knows how to have compa&s;&s;ion on the <HI>ignorant,</HI> and them that are out of the way.</P>
<P>But it may be enquired, <HI>How</HI> They <HI>could be excu&s;ed by Ignorance, who had &s;o many Means and Evidences of Conviction as to the Truth of his Per&s;on, that he was the Me&s;&s;iah; and of his Doctrine, that it was from Hea|ven? For be&s;ides the concurrent Te&s;timony of</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>and the</HI> Prophets <HI>given unto him, the Holine&s;s of his Per&s;on and Life, the Effi|cacy of his Doctrine, and the Evidence of his Miracles, did abundantly prove and confirm the Truth of tho&s;e things; &s;o that they could be no otherwi&s;e Ignorant but by wilfull Ob|&s;tinacy.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> 1. The&s;e were indeed &s;uch Means of Conviction, as that their Sin and Un|belief again&s;t them had no <HI>real Excu&s;e;</HI> as
<PB N="98" REF="61"> him&s;elf every where expre&s;&s;eth; <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. 22. <HI>Chap.</HI> 12. 47, 48. <HI>Chap.</HI> 10. 36, 37, 38. 2. Nothing is allowed unto this Ignorance, but that it left their Repentance <HI>po&s;&s;ible,</HI> and their Sin <HI>pardonable.</HI> 3. This it will doe, untill God hath u&s;ed <HI>all the Means</HI> of Conviction which he intendeth, and no longer. This as yet he had not done. He had yet two farther Te&s;timonyes unto the Truth, which he would graciou&s;ly afford. (1.) His <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> from the Dead; <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 4. which was alwayes afterwards plead|ed as the principal Evidence of Gods Ap|probation of him. (2.) The <HI>Effu&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> in his Miraculous Operati|ons; <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 32, 33. <HI>Chap.</HI> 5. 32. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 16. But where at any time God hath granted all the Means of Conviction that he plea&s;eth, be they Ordinary or Extra|ordinary, if they are rejected, there is no hope, <HI>Luke</HI> 16. 29, 30, 31. On the other &s;ide, this Sin of Rejecting Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel after Profe&s;&s;ion is ab&s;olutely <HI>wil|full,</HI> and with an high hand, again&s;t all the Light and Conviction that God will give of the Truth unto any of the Children of Men in this World.</P>
<P N="2">(2) The&s;e Per&s;ons had an <HI>Experience</HI> of the Truth, Goodne&s;s and Excellency of the
<PB N="99" REF="61"> Go&s;pel, which tho&s;e others had not, nor could have; For they had <HI>ta&s;ted of the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come,</HI> and had received great Satisfacti|on in the things they were convinced of, as was before at large declared. Where|fore in their Rejection of him and them, an unconquerable Hatred and Malice mu&s;t be granted to be predominant. And let men take heed what they do when they begin to &s;in again&s;t their own <HI>Experience,</HI> for Evil lyes at the door.</P>
<P>(3^l^y,) In and under the <HI>crucifying</HI> of the Lord Chri&s;t, God had yet a <HI>De&s;ign</HI> of Mer|cy and Grace to be communicated unto Men by the Di&s;pen&s;ation of his <HI>Spirit.</HI> Therefore there was a way &s;et open unto tho&s;e who were guilty of that Sin, to Re|pentance and Pardon. But now having made u&s;e of this al&s;o, that being &s;inned again&s;t, there is no place left for any thing but <HI>Severity.</HI> Wherefore,</P>
<P>(4^l^y,) There was in the Sin of the&s;e Per|&s;ons <HI>Bla&s;phemy again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> For they had received in them&s;elves, or &s;een in others, tho&s;e mighty Operations of his whereby he gave Atte&s;tation unto Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel. Therefore they could not renounce the Lord Chri&s;t, without an
<PB N="100" REF="62"> A&s;cription of the&s;e Works of the Holy Gho&s;t unto the Devil, which the Devil acted them unto. So &s;aith our Apo&s;tle; <HI>No man &s;peaking by the Holy Gho&s;t, calleth Je&s;us Anathema, or</HI> Accur&s;ed, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 3. To call him <HI>Anathema,</HI> is to declare and avow that he was ju&s;tly crucified as an Accur&s;ed Per&s;on, as a publick Pe&s;t. This was done by the&s;e Per&s;ons who went over to the <HI>Jews,</HI> in Approbation of what they had done again&s;t him. This no man can doe &s;peaking by the Holy Gho&s;t. That is, who&s;oever doth &s;o, is acted by the &s;pirit of the Devil; And if he have known the Te&s;timony of the Holy Spirit to the con|trary, he doth it in de&s;pight of Him, which renders the Sin irremi&s;&s;ible.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="101" REF="62">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Partial Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel. Pretences of the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> again&s;t the Charge of this Evil, examined and rejected.</HEAD>
<P>APo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel is either <HI>Total</HI> or <HI>Partial.</HI> Of the former we have treated in an high and &s;ignal In&s;tance. When men <HI>wilfully</HI> and maliciou&s;ly (for they cannot do it <HI>wilfully</HI> but they mu&s;t do it <HI>maliciou&s;ly,)</HI> renounce Je&s;us Chri&s;t as a Seducer and Malefactor, going over in their &s;uffrage unto the <HI>Jews</HI> by whom he was crucified, they enter into that part of Hell and Darkne&s;s which properly con&s;ti|tutes this Sin. It were well for &s;uch Per|&s;ons if their Guilt had no other Aggrava|tion, than theirs who actually <HI>with wicked hands &s;lew him, and hanged him on a Tree.</HI> But ri&s;ing up unto a Contempt of all the Means of Conviction and Evidences of Truth that God will grant us in this world, they ca&s;t them&s;elves without that Line of Divine Mercy and Pardon, which &s;ome of
<PB N="102" REF="63"> the others were encompa&s;&s;ed withall. So is it with many at this day in the world; who with wicked Hearts and blinded Minds in the pur&s;uit of carnal Lu&s;ts, vo|luntarily and ob&s;tinately embrace <HI>Mahu|meti&s;me,</HI> with an open Renunciation of Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel. Unto &s;uch Per&s;ons there is nothing left but a <HI>fearfull Expecta|tion of Judgement and fiery Indignation that &s;hall con&s;ume the Adver&s;aries.</HI> Not that I would ca&s;t all Per&s;ons who may be actually hurried into this Abomination under the &s;ame dreadfull Doom, &s;eeing the ca&s;e in general will admit of many circum&s;tantial differences, if not altering the Nature of the Crime, yet di&s;po&s;ing of things unto various Events. Not onely Surprizals by mighty Temptations with dread and ter|rour, &s;o &s;haking the Powers of Nature, as to intercept the influence of Light and Con|victions of Truth, do claim an Exemption from a decretory Determination under this Sentence; but other Ca&s;es may al&s;o be at|tended with &s;ome &s;uch alleviating Circum|&s;tances, as pre&s;erving their Minds and Souls from <HI>wilfull Malice,</HI> leave room for the exerci&s;e of Soveraign Grace. I my &s;elf knew one, yea was conver&s;ant with him, and a&s;&s;i&s;ting of him in the Concerns of his
<PB N="103" REF="63"> Soul, who in the <HI>Indies</HI> turned <HI>Mahume|tan,</HI> was actually initiated by Circumci|&s;ion into their Super&s;tition, and lived in its outward Practice a year or two; who yet was &s;incerely recovered unto Repen|tance, and died in the Faith of the Son of God.</P>
<P><HI>Partial Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> is every Crime again&s;t the Go&s;pel which partakes of the Nature of the other in any Mea&s;ure or Degree. And whatever doth &s;o, makes an Acce&s;&s;ion towards the Guilt of <HI>crucifying the Son of God afre&s;h, and putting him unto open &s;hame.</HI> For it is in his Go&s;pel and Church alone wherein he can now &s;uffer from the Sons of men. When any important Principle of Evangelical Truth is for&s;aken and renoun|ced, e&s;pecially when Many of them are &s;o; when the Rule of Obedience which the Go&s;pel pre&s;cribeth is habitually neglected, when men Believe otherwi&s;e than it teach|eth, and Live otherwi&s;e than it requireth, there is a <HI>partial Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from it, who&s;e Guilt and Danger an&s;wers the Degrees and Mea&s;ures which in each kind it pro|ceeds unto.</P>
<P>And this is that which we may charge, yea which the Lord Chri&s;t in his Word doth charge on every Nation under Hea|ven
<PB N="104" REF="64"> where the Go&s;pel is publickly pro|fe&s;&s;ed. Men are apt to plea&s;e them&s;elves, to approve of their own State and Con|dition, wherein they have framed unto them&s;elves Re&s;t and Satisfaction. Churches content them&s;elves with their outward Or|der and Admini&s;trations, e&s;pecially where accompanyed with Secular Advantages; and contend fiercely that all is well, and the Go&s;pel &s;ufficiently complyed withall, while&s;t their outward Con&s;titution is pre|&s;erved, and their Laws of Order kept in|violate; About the&s;e is the World filled with endle&s;s Digladiations, wherein the mo&s;t aim at no more but &s;ucce&s;s in their e&s;pecial Conte&s;ts. Only a few remain who fruitle&s;&s;ely complain, that under all the&s;e Conflicts, the Glory, Power, and Purity of Chri&s;tian Religion is lo&s;t in the World. And it is known that the Judgement of Chri&s;t concerning Churches, as unto their good or bad &s;piritual E&s;tate, is oft-times very di&s;tant from their own concerning them&s;elves. It was not onely for their &s;akes, but as a Warning unto all others in all Ages, that it is entred on an everla&s;t|ing Record, that when the Church of <HI>Lao|dicea</HI> judged and declared without hae&s;ita|tion, that &s;he was <HI>rich, increa&s;ed in Goods,</HI>
<PB N="105" REF="64"> <HI>and wanted nothing,</HI> the Lord Chri&s;t, the <HI>Amen,</HI> the <HI>true and faithfull Witne&s;s,</HI> pro|nounceth her <HI>poor,</HI> and <HI>blind,</HI> and <HI>wretch|ed,</HI> and <HI>mi&s;erable.</HI> That things at this day are in no better a Condition in many, in mo&s;t Churches in the World, is too evi|dent to be denyed with any pretence of Reverence to the Word of God; and it will be afterwards made to appear.</P>
<P>Certainly the Lord Chri&s;t may &s;ay to the Churches and Nations among whom his Name is yet owned in the World, what God &s;aid of old concerning that of the <HI>Jews,</HI> then his only Church; <HI>I had plant|ed thee a Noble Vine, wholly a right Seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate Plant of a wild Vine unto me? Jer.</HI> 2. 21. Yea, to mo&s;t of them as in another place; <HI>How is the faithfull City become an Harlot? it was full of Judgement, Righteou&s;ne&s;s lodg|ed in it, but now Murderers. Thy Silver is become dro&s;s, thy Wine mixed with Water; I&s;a.</HI> 1. 21, 22. The Greatne&s;s of the Evil complained of, the &s;ecret My&s;tery of its Accompli&s;hment, the Unrea&s;onablene&s;s Fol|ly and Ingratitude of the Fact, the Strange|ne&s;s of the Event, makes the complaint to be formed into a <HI>Scheme</HI> of Admiration. And indeed, if a man be able to con&s;ider
<PB N="106" REF="65"> the Nature of the Go&s;pel, with the Bene|fits communicated thereby unto Mankind, he cannot but be a&s;toni&s;hed to find the generality of them to be &s;o &s;oon weary of it, and &s;o ready on all Occa&s;ions to relin|qui&s;h it; For as future Glory and ble&s;&s;ed Immortality are attainable onely thereby, &s;o all that true Freedom, Tranquillity, Peace and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s whereof our Nature in this Life is capable, are by no other means communicable unto the Souls of men. In brief, whatever is of Advantage in any gracious Communication from God unto us, without which we are nothing but the very wor&s;t and mo&s;t malignant Product of Sin and Mi&s;ery, it is all confined unto the Go&s;pel and the Contents thereof. Wherefore the carele&s;ne&s;s of men in neg|lecting of it, their Wickedne&s;s in its Re|linqui&s;hment as to its Principles and Obe|dience, may well be expre&s;&s;ed as God doth in the inferiour In&s;tance of the Apo&s;ta&s;ie of the <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> Church, <HI>Jerem.</HI> 2. 11, 12. <HI>Hath a Nation changed their Gods, which are yet no Gods? But my People hath changed their Glory for that which doth not profit. Be a&s;toni&s;hed O ye Heavens at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very de&s;olate, &s;aith the Lord.</HI> Yet thus is it and no otherwi&s;e, as
<PB N="107" REF="65"> we &s;hall afterwards manife&s;t, among&s;t the generality of them that are called Chri&s;ti|ans in the world.</P>
<P>The Church of <HI>Rome</HI> violently pleads an Exemption from this Charge, by virtue of e&s;pecial Priviledge. Not an <HI>internal</HI> Pri|viledge of Efficacious Grace unto their Minds and Wills, to pre&s;erve it and all that belongs unto it alwayes in &s;aving Faith and Obedience, wherein alone a Comply|ance with the Go&s;pel con&s;i&s;ts; but an out|ward Priviledge of <HI>Indefectibility</HI> keeping them in the &s;tate the Go&s;pel requireth, they know not how, but as it were, whether they will or no.</P>
<P>But there is no Party or Society of men under Heaven (con&s;idering the Notoriety of matter of Fact to the contrary) that can with le&s;s violence unto common Mo|de&s;ty make u&s;e of this Pretence. So when the <HI>Jews</HI> of old were charged by the Pro|phets, of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Law and the Obedience which it required, with Threats of De&s;truction for their &s;ins, they warded them&s;elves from a Conviction of Guilt and Fear of Puni&s;hment, by an unrea&s;onable, yea outragious Confidence in Church Pri|viledges, then not onely appropriated but confined unto them, crying out, <HI>The Temple</HI>
<PB N="108" REF="66"> <HI>of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Tem|ple of the Lord are the&s;e;</HI> This they thought &s;ufficient to repell the Charge of the Pro|phets, to vindicate their Innocency, and &s;ecure their Peace. The Reply of the Pro|phet unto them will equally &s;erve in both ca&s;es; <HI>Behold, ye tru&s;t in lying words which cannot profit. Will ye &s;teal, murder and com|mit Adultery, and &s;wear fal&s;ely, and burn Incen&s;e unto Baal, and walk after other Gods whom ye know not; And come and &s;tand before me in this Hou&s;e, which is called by my Name, and &s;ay, We are delivered to doe all the&s;e Abominations? Jerem.</HI> 7. 8, 9, 10. A Plea of Innocency and hope of Impunity, under an evident Guilt of the highe&s;t Im|moralities, and the vile&s;t of Super&s;titions, do equally participate of Folly and Impu|dence.</P>
<P>It is fallen out with this Church of <HI>Rome</HI> &s;omewhat in like manner as it did with him from whom &s;he fal&s;ely pretends to de|rive her wonderfull Priviledge of <HI>Indefecti|bility.</HI> For when our Lord Chri&s;t foretold that all men &s;hould for&s;ake him, he alone with the highe&s;t Confidence, and in a &s;ingu|lar manner undertook the contrary for him|&s;elf. But all the Prerogative which he pre|tended unto i&s;&s;ued onely in this, that when
<PB N="109" REF="66"> all the other Di&s;ciples for&s;ook their Ma&s;ter and fled, according to his Prediction, he <HI>alone</HI> for&s;ook him and <HI>denyed</HI> him. And that Im|po&s;&s;ibility of Failing which this Church ap|propriates unto it &s;elf as its &s;ingular and incommunicable Priviledge, hath po&s;&s;ibly been a means of, but a&s;&s;uredly is accompa|nyed with, a peculiar Apo&s;ta&s;ie above all other Churches in the World. Nothing certainly can be more vain in it &s;elf, nor more pernicious unto the Souls of them who are under the Power of &s;uch an Ap|prehen&s;ion, than this Pretence, when all Evidences in matter of Fact do openly te|&s;tifie to the contrary. The Principal Na|tions of its Communion are at thid day en|gaged in fierce bloody and cau&s;ele&s;s Warrs, and the&s;e &s;o managed, as to be accompa|nyed with a Confluence of all tho&s;e Evils and flagitious Wickedne&s;&s;es which have a tendency to make Mankind &s;infull and mi&s;erable. Is this that Love and Peace which according to the Rule of the Go&s;pel ought to be among the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, and without which it is impo&s;&s;ible they &s;hould have any Evidences in them&s;elves, or give any Te&s;timony unto the World, that &s;o they are? Doth this an&s;wer the Promi&s;es to be accompli&s;hed in the dayes
<PB N="110" REF="67"> of the <HI>Me&s;&s;ia, I&s;a.</HI> 2. 3, 4. or the innume|rable Precepts given by Je&s;us Chri&s;t him|&s;elf as to Unity, Love and Peace? But Warres they &s;ay are Lawfull, and &s;o no Argument that tho&s;e engaged in them are Revolters from the Rule of the Go&s;pel: I &s;ay it may be &s;o; but it is far &s;afer to judge all Warre unlawfull, than to ju&s;tifie all the Warres that rage in <HI>Chri&s;tendome;</HI> or to &s;uppo&s;e them con&s;i&s;tent with the Rule or Doctrine of the Go&s;pel. The truth is, many things mu&s;t concurre to reconcile any of them unto that Obedience which we owe to the Prince of Peace; Nor is any of them of that Nature or Nece&s;&s;ity, but that if the Go&s;pel had its proper Effi|cacy on the Minds of all that are called Chri&s;tians, and its due Authority over their Con&s;ciences, they would be all prevented. However, in a Church pretending to be no way fallen off, or Apo&s;tatized from the Evangelical Rule, it is ju&s;tly expected that another <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> be made of the Re|ligion taught by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, than that which appears in the De&s;olations that are wrought in the Earth, through the Lu&s;ts and Rage of the Members of it. The &s;tate of things among&s;t them &s;eems not to con|&s;titute that Kingdome of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,
<PB N="111" REF="67"> Love and Peace, which Chri&s;t came to &s;et up in the World, and which indeed at pre|&s;ent by rea&s;on of the general Apo&s;ta&s;ie of the Nations, is little el&s;ewhere to be found but in the Souls of his &s;anctified ones. And tho&s;e particular Churches are ble&s;&s;ed in a peculiar manner, who endeavour in their Profe&s;&s;ion and Obedience, in any mea&s;ure to ri&s;e up unto an Expre&s;&s;ion thereof.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, the Lives of the Generality of them who adhere unto the Communion of that Church, of the mo&s;t who <HI>pre&s;ide</HI> therein, are openly contradictory unto the Evangelical Rule of Obedience. It may for the mo&s;t part be &s;aid concerning them with re&s;pect unto the whole, as one of them &s;aid of a part of the New Te&s;tament; <HI>Either this is not Go&s;pel, or we are not Chri|&s;tians.</HI> In brief, if the Kingdom of Light, and Truth and Holine&s;s, of &s;eparation in Prin|ciples, Affections, and Conver&s;ation from the World, of Communion with God, and Loving Kindne&s;s among Men, of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, Peace and Joy in the Holy Gho&s;t, may become, and is become a Kingdom of Darkne&s;s, Pride, Ignorance, Ambition, Per|&s;ecution, Blood, Super&s;tition and Idolatry; then and not el&s;e doth it vi&s;ibly remain
<PB N="112" REF="68"> among them, and they have nothing Apo|&s;tatized from the Laws and Government of it.</P>
<P>But they can ea&s;ily di&s;charge them&s;elves of the Guilt of this Imputation. For not|with&s;tanding that the things mentioned be in part acknowledged to be &s;o, (as to what purpo&s;e is it to deny the Sun to &s;hine at Noon-day?) yet the Peace, Love, and Unity, the Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s that ought according to the Go&s;pel to be and re&s;ide in the Church, are found among&s;t them on other Accounts. For the whole Body of the Church and all the Members of it, agree and are united in one Head, even the <HI>Pope of Rome,</HI> which is the onely Evangelical Unity required of the Di&s;ciples of chri&s;t; and the Holine&s;s of the Wor&s;hip with that of the Saints that have been among them, as al&s;o of their pre&s;ent reti|red Devotioni&s;ts, and the charity of many, te&s;tified by Magnificent Works of Piety and Bounty, do &s;ufficiently an&s;wer that <HI>Sanctification,</HI> Holine&s;s and Love, that con|formity unto chri&s;t in Heavenly-minded|ne&s;s and Obedience, which the Go&s;pel re|quireth. But this is no other but an Ac|count of the true Nature of that Apo&s;ta&s;ie of the latter times, which is foretold by
<PB N="113" REF="68"> the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. <HI>In the la&s;t dayes perillous times &s;hall come; for men &s;hall be lovers of their own &s;elves, cove|tous, proud, boa&s;ters, bla&s;phemers, di&s;obedient unto Parents, unthankefull, unholy, without natural Affection, truce-breakers, fal&s;e Ac|cu&s;ers, incontinent, &s;ierce, de&s;pi&s;ers of tho&s;e that are good, traytors, heady, high-minded, lovers of plea&s;ures, more than lovers of God, having a form of Godline&s;s but denying the power thereof.</HI> Under the Power of the mo&s;t filthy and outragious Lu&s;ts, men frame to them&s;elves an outward <HI>Shape</HI> Image and Repre&s;entation of Holine&s;s; They de|lineate a Form of Religion, by a Sub&s;titu|tion of other things in the room of the Life and Sub&s;tance of it, which are lo&s;t. The Power of Chri&s;tianity is openly de|nyed, in their being acted by the Power of all tho&s;e Lu&s;ts which are contrary unto it. For the Grace of God in the Go&s;pel <HI>teacheth</HI> them by whom it is received, <HI>to deny all ungodline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts, to live &s;oberly, righteou&s;ly and godly in this pre&s;ent world.</HI> This men cannot more perfectly re|nounce, than in being <HI>fooli&s;h and di&s;obe|dient, deceived, &s;erving divers lu&s;ts and plea|&s;ures, living in malice and envy, hatefull and hating one another;</HI> &s;uch Per&s;ons bein<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">|ficiently
<PB N="114" REF="69"> remote from being <HI>&s;aved by the wa&s;hing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> While&s;t men live in this &s;tate and condition, wherein a compleat Denyal or Renunciation of the Power of Godline&s;s or Religion doth con&s;i&s;t, if to &s;upply the ab&s;ence thereof, they draw and take on them&s;elves a <HI>Scheme, Form,</HI> and <HI>Appearance</HI> of it, by the Application of the Names, Offices, and Properties of Go&s;pel Effects unto outward lifele&s;s Duties or <HI>Ap|pearances</HI> of them, the Apo&s;ta&s;ie foretold is compleatly accompli&s;hed. This is to let <HI>David</HI> goe, and to foy&s;t an Image covered with <HI>Goats hair</HI> in his &s;tead; or at be&s;t like <HI>Rehoboam,</HI> to make <HI>brazen Shields</HI> in the room of tho&s;e of <HI>Gold</HI> taken away by <HI>Shi|&s;hak.</HI> No otherwi&s;e doth the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> deal in this matter. The Power of Faith, Love, Peace, Holine&s;s, Conformity unto Chri&s;t, Self-denyal, and all the Prin|ciples of an Heavenly conver&s;ation being lo&s;t and denyed among the generality of its Members, and all the real Glory of Chri&s;tianity thereby forfeited and de&s;pi&s;ed; they have &s;et up a <HI>Form</HI> or <HI>Image</HI> of it, wherewith they content them&s;elves, and attempt to deceive others. In&s;tead of that My&s;tical &s;piritual Union with him&s;elf and
<PB N="115" REF="69"> among them&s;elves which Chri&s;t prayed for, and purcha&s;ed for his Di&s;ciples, they have &s;ub&s;tituted the <HI>Morpho&s;is</HI> or <HI>Mormo</HI> of an Agreement in profe&s;&s;ing Subjection to the <HI>Pop&eacute; of Rome:</HI> For that heavenly <HI>Love</HI> of one another in him, and for his &s;ake, which he renews the Souls of Believers unto by his Grace, we are pre&s;ented in their Pro|fe&s;&s;ion, with outward Works of Charity and Bounty, mea&s;ured and valued by the Advantage which redounds unto the prin|cipal Actors in this <HI>Show. Peace</HI> the great Legacy of Chri&s;t unto his followers, with God in their own Minds, with the whole Creation not &s;hut up under the Cur&s;e, that comprehen&s;ive Grace and Mercy wherein is comprized all the Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s which in this World we can be made partakers of, is pre&s;erved in the flouri&s;hing Pro&s;perity and Temporal Succe&s;&s;es of the Court of <HI>Rome:</HI> The internal effectual Operations of the Spirit of Grace, have the outward Di&s;pen&s;ations of Ordinances &s;huffled in their place and &s;tead. Regeneration is Bap|ti&s;m; Growth in Grace is Epi&s;copal Con|firmation; the Application by Faith of the Blood of Chri&s;t once offered in an holy Sacrifice for us, mu&s;t give way unto the daily Sacrifice of the <HI>Ma&s;&s;e</HI> offered for the
<PB N="116" REF="70"> Sins of the Quick and the Dead; Di&s;ci|plines and &s;ome outward bodily Severities mu&s;t &s;upply the place of the <HI>Mortification</HI> of Sin; the Power whereof is never more lo&s;t and denyed than it is under the highe&s;t external Pretences of it. So the whole Work of the Spirit, as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication in the Church, mu&s;t be, and is unto them&s;elves &s;atisfactorily repre|&s;ented, by reading, &s;aying, chanting with Voyces and Mu&s;ical In&s;truments, Prayers and Prai&s;es invented and compo&s;ed by they know not whom, and in a <HI>Language</HI> which the mo&s;t of tho&s;e who are obliged to comply with them, under&s;tand not at all.</P>
<P>And even the wor&s;t part of their Image is in what they have fixed on as the Delineation and Repre&s;entation of the Rule and Di&s;cipline of Chri&s;t in the Go|&s;pel. For rejecting that humble, holy, meek, diligent endeavour to pre&s;erve all the Faithfull in Obedience, Love, Unity, and fruitfull Walking, by the Application of the Commands of Chri&s;t unto their Souls and Con&s;ciences through his Spirit, and with his Authority; They have erect|ed a worldly <HI>Domination over Gods Heri|tage,</HI> in who&s;e Exerci&s;e more Force, Fraud,
<PB N="117" REF="70"> Extortion, Oppre&s;&s;ion, Violence and Blood|&s;hed, have been acted and perpetrated, than it may be in the &s;ecular Government of any Tyrannical State in the World.</P>
<P>Other In&s;tances of the like Nature might be given. This is that <GAP DESC="foreign">. or <GAP DESC="foreign">, that <HI>figure</HI> and Repre|&s;entation of Evangelical Truth and Holi|ne&s;s, wherewith the&s;e men would counte|nance them&s;elves in, and cover from others, that Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel which pre|dominant Lu&s;ts have ca&s;t them into, and keep them under the Power of, according as it was foretold it &s;hould come to pa&s;s in the <HI>latter dayes.</HI></P>
<P>It is yet replyed, That whatever Appre|hen&s;ions others may have, or whatever Judgement &s;hall be made of the predomi|nant Evils reigning among the generality of them, and their &s;eeming incon&s;i&s;tency with the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, yet the <HI>Promi&s;e of the Spirit to lead into all Truth,</HI> is not only granted but <HI>confined</HI> unto them; &s;o as that they are eternally &s;ecured as to Faith and Belief, whatever other mi&s;carria|ges they may fall into. And the Nature of this Plea is &s;o effectual, that if it could be made good and confirmed on their behalf, notwith&s;tanding I &s;ee not as yet how it is
<PB N="118" REF="71"> po&s;&s;ible to &s;olve other difficulties that oc|curre in this ca&s;e, yet would it with me determine all things in <HI>controver&s;ie</HI> between them and us. Let them but evince that they <HI>alone</HI> do inherit the promi&s;ed Spirit of Chri&s;t, exclu&s;ively unto all others, that he dwells, re&s;ides, works, guides in and among them <HI>alone;</HI> and in other things we will &s;pare them the trouble of further pleading their Cau&s;e. But their pretence hereunto is impotent and contemptible. For what they in&s;i&s;t upon amounts to no more but this; that They being the Church the Promi&s;e of giving the Spirit is made and fulfilled unto Them alone, which only beggs the Matter that is in principal dif|ference between us; and the Di&s;putes about it are endle&s;s. If indeed they argued on the other hand, that they are the onely Church of Chri&s;t, becau&s;e they alone enjoy the Promi&s;e of the Spirit, as the Inference were undoubtedly certain, (for it is the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t by his Spirit that gives being or Exi&s;tence unto the Church) &s;o the Truth of the A&s;&s;ertion were capable of an ea&s;ie Trial and a &s;atisfactory Determination. For where the Spirit doth &s;o re&s;ide, accord|ing to the Promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, and abide with any, as he doth with no other in the
<PB N="119" REF="71"> &s;ame kind, he will infallibly <HI>manife&s;t</HI> his pre&s;ence by his Operations, and &s;ufficient|ly evidence them with whom he is, to be the Church of Chri&s;t, &s;eeing as he is the promi&s;ed Spirit of Truth the <HI>World</HI> cannot receive him. His Operations are all of them either in a way of <HI>Grace</HI> or <HI>Gifts;</HI> and his Gifts are either Extraordinary or Ordi|nary. When therefore tho&s;e of the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> can manife&s;t that they enjoy &s;uch gracious Operations of the Spirit, as others enjoy nothing of the &s;ame Kind, or that they are furni&s;hed and &s;upplyed with &s;uch <HI>&s;piritual Gifts</HI> either Ordinary or Extraor|dinary, as no other do participate of with them or be&s;ides them; not proving it by &s;aying they alone are the Church and therefore it mu&s;t be &s;o, but by the Evi|dence of the things them&s;elves as it was in the Primitive Times, they &s;hall not only free them&s;elves from the Charge of any dangerous Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel, but enjoy moreover all that their hearts can wi&s;h.</P>
<P>But this Pretence hath been &s;o often and &s;o fully evinced of Fal&s;hood, and that by all means of Conviction in the Exami|nation of Cau&s;es and Effects, (it being un|denyably demon&s;trated, That as no &s;uch
<PB N="120" REF="72"> Promi&s;e was ever peculiarly made unto them, much le&s;s on &s;uch terms of &s;ecurity as they imagine, and that in the i&s;&s;ue as unto matter of Fact in&s;tead of being <HI>lead into all Truth,</HI> they have departed almo&s;t from all,) that it needs not again to be in|&s;i&s;ted on. And indeed &s;uch a Promi&s;e as is pretended, is altogether incon&s;i&s;tent with the Glory and Honour of the Go&s;pel of God. The Word of the Go&s;pel, that is, the Truth contained therein is the &s;ole ex|ternal In&s;trument of the Reconciliation of Sinners unto God, and of their Walking before him in Obedience unto his Glory; other End and U&s;e it hath none. To give by irrevocable Grant the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this Truth and not in order unto that End, and &s;o to continue it whether ever that Effect be produced or no, yea where it is not, corre&s;ponds not with other Fruits of the Wi&s;dom of God in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of his Grace. And whereas the Go&s;pel as to the Nature of its Doctrine will and may be interpreted by its Fruits and Effects in the Lives of men; to allow them the &s;e|curity of its Truth on a &s;uppo&s;ition of a cour&s;e of &s;in, and a continuance in a &s;tate of Irreconciliation or Enmity again&s;t God, is to expo&s;e the Doctrine of it, and the
<PB N="121" REF="72"> Law of Obedience contained in it, to ju&s;t cen&s;ure and reproach.</P>
<P>Wherefore notwith&s;tanding the&s;e or any other Pretences of an alike Nature, we may &s;afely proceed to &s;hew, How the Ge|nerality of Chri&s;tians have <HI>partially Apo&s;ta|tized</HI> from the Go&s;pel, and to enquire in|to the Wayes, Means, Cau&s;es, and Rea|&s;ons thereof.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="122" REF="73">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the My&s;tery, Truth or Doctrine of the Go&s;pel. Pronene&s;s of Per&s;ons and Churches thereunto; proved by all &s;orts of In&s;tances.</HEAD>
<P>THere are three things in the Go&s;pel which are as the E&s;&s;entially con&s;ti|tutive parts of it: (1) The <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of its <HI>Doctrine,</HI> which is the <HI>Object</HI> of Faith. (2) The <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of its <HI>Precepts,</HI> which is the <HI>Matter</HI> of our Obedience. And (3) the <HI>Purity</HI> of its <HI>In&s;titutions</HI> of Wor&s;hip, which is the <HI>Trial</HI> of our Faith and Obedience, as to their Profe&s;&s;ion. With re&s;pect unto the&s;e we are to make our Enquiry, both as unto matter of Fact, and as unto the Rea&s;ons, Cau&s;es, and Occa&s;ions of it, in the Apo&s;ta&s;ie from them that is in the world. In&s;tances hereof in every one of the particulars mentioned we &s;hall find in our own dayes, and tho&s;e both deplorable and of ill abode. But I &s;hall not confine my &s;elf unto the pre&s;ent Age, nor unto
<PB N="123" REF="73"> what is done or come to pa&s;s among our &s;elves; but con&s;ider things with re&s;pect unto the whole Cour&s;e and Progre&s;s of Religion &s;ince the fir&s;t Preaching and De|claration of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of the Truth or Do|ctrine of the Go&s;pel which is the <HI>Object of our Faith,</HI> is the <HI>Foundation</HI> of its Precepts and In&s;titutions, of the Holine&s;s it requi|reth, and of the Wor&s;hip that it appoint|eth. Where this is for&s;aken, the others cannot be retained. Men may <HI>profe&s;s</HI> the Truth, and yet not yield <HI>Obedience</HI> unto it, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 16. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 5. But without the <HI>real Belief</HI> of it, no man can be <HI>obedient</HI> as he ought. The Obedience which the Go|&s;pel requireth, is the <HI>Obedience of Faith, Rom.</HI> 1. 5. or being <HI>Obedient unto the Faith, Act.</HI> 6. 7. It is this Grace of God alone which <HI>teacheth men to deny all ungodline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts, to live &s;oberly righteou&s;ly and godly in this world,</HI> &s;o as to find Ac|ceptance with God therein, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 11, 12. Wherever therefore this is rejected, re|nounced, for&s;aken, declined from by any, &s;o far as it is &s;o, &s;o far there is and will be an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from all other Concernments of the Go&s;pel. This therefore we are to enquire into. And we &s;hall find in our En|quiry
<PB N="124" REF="74"> that all &s;orts of Per&s;ons, all Churches are and alwayes have been exceedingly prone to turn a&s;ide from the My&s;tery and Truth of the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel; that they have done &s;o accordingly, and that tho&s;e which are now in the World con|tinue to be of the &s;ame Temper and Incli|nation. And as it will appear that no evil practices are indulged unto on this Suppo|&s;ition; &s;o it is de&s;ireable that tho&s;e who are &s;ecure in this matter on &s;uch Principles as wherewith they are &s;atisfied, would not with too much &s;everity reflect on them who cannot but be jealous over them&s;elves and others. The great Apo&s;tle him&s;elf makes this the principal Ornament in the preparation of his Triumph upon the Suc|ce&s;s of his Mini&s;try, That he <HI>had kept the Faith,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 6, 7, 8. <HI>I am</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>ready to be offered, and the time of my de|parture is at hand, I have fought a good fight, I have fini&s;hed my Cour&s;e, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Lord the righteous Judge &s;hall give me at that day.</HI> Of all that made way for that Triumphant Glory which he now had a Pro&s;pect of, he in&s;i&s;ts on this onely in particular, that he had <HI>kept the Faith,</HI> which he did not doe
<PB N="125" REF="74"> without a &s;evere Warfare and Conflict. So great a matter was that in his E&s;teem, which mo&s;t &s;uppo&s;e &s;o common, &s;o ea&s;ie, that little Diligence or Watchfulne&s;s is re|quired thereunto. And the frequent &s;o|lemn Charges with pathetical Exhortati|ons which he gives unto his Son <HI>Timothy</HI> to be carefull herein, manife&s;t both the weight he laid upon it, the difficulty that was in it, and the danger of mi&s;carriage wherewith it was attended; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 20, 21. <HI>O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy tru&s;t, avoiding profane and vain Bablings, and Oppo&s;itions of Science fal&s;ely &s;o called; which &s;ome profe&s;&s;ing, have erred concerning the Faith.</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 13, 14. <HI>Hold fa&s;t the Form of &s;ound words which thou ha&s;t heard of me, in Faith and Love, which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep, by the Holy Gho&s;t which dwell|eth in us.</HI> And the &s;ame Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;ely mentions the pronene&s;s of &s;ome to relin|qui&s;h the Truth of the Go&s;pel; whom there|fore he would have rebuked &s;harply, that <HI>they migbt be &s;ound in the Faith,</HI> not giving heed to Fables and Comandments of men turning away from the Truth; <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 13, 14. Neither would there be any need that &s;ome &s;hould earne&s;tly <HI>contend for the Faith once</HI>
<PB N="126" REF="75"> <HI>delivered unto the Saints, Jude</HI> 3. but that others are very ready to corrupt it, and turn away from it.</P>
<P>Examples of this <HI>State</HI> and Event of things among all the Churches in the world, &s;ince the fir&s;t Planting of them in and by the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, will give more Evidence unto the Truth of our A&s;&s;ertion, and a clear Account of that Matter of Fact who&s;e Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es we are to en|quire into. And becau&s;e I would confine my &s;elf unto the full Declaration of the My&s;tery of Chri&s;t, I &s;hall not in&s;i&s;t on the Church of the <HI>Jews</HI> under the Old Te&s;ta|ment. But it is known unto all, how from their fir&s;t Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion in making the <HI>gol|den Calf,</HI> whereon as God complains they <HI>quickly,</HI> in a few dayes, turned out of the way, they were continually prone unto all &s;orts of Apo&s;ta&s;ie; And in the I&s;&s;ue, the Generality of them fell off from the Pro|mi&s;e and Covenant of <HI>Abraham</HI> by their Unbelief, as the Apo&s;tle declares, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. And it is to be feared, that the Appearance and Pretence of &s;ome <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> Churches unto better &s;ucce&s;s, have this onely Advan|tage, that their Wayes and Practices are not recorded by the Spirit of God as theirs were. But I &s;hall not in&s;i&s;t on that In&s;tance.</P>
<PB N="127" REF="75">
<P> Of all the Churches that are or ever were in the World, tho&s;e gathered and planted by the Apo&s;tles them&s;elves, had the greate&s;t Advantage to know the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> of the Go&s;pel, and the mo&s;t forcible Rea&s;ons unto Con&s;tancy and Per|&s;everance therein. Con&s;idering the <HI>Ability</HI> of their Teachers to reveal unto them the <HI>whole Coun&s;el of God,</HI> with their <HI>Faithful|ne&s;s</HI> in <HI>with-holding nothing that was profi|table unto them; Act.</HI> 20; their <HI>Authority,</HI> as being &s;ent immediately by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and their ab&s;olute <HI>Infallibility</HI> in all that they delivered; a man would rationally think that there were no room, no pre|tence left for any to decline in the lea&s;t from the Doctrine wherein they were in|&s;tructed by them; nor any Advantage for Sathan or Seducers to practi&s;e upon them. There is no doubt but mo&s;t of us &s;uppo&s;e, that had we been &s;o taught by the Apo|&s;tles them&s;elves, nothing could ever tempt us to doubt or waver; much le&s;s to relin|qui&s;h any Truth wherein we were &s;o in|&s;tructed. But alas! this thought is not un|like the Apprehen&s;ion of the <HI>rich Man</HI> in <HI>Hell,</HI> who judged that if one ro&s;e <HI>from the Dead</HI> to warn his Brethren, they would Repent and be Converted unto God. But
<PB N="128" REF="76"> as <HI>Abraham</HI> told him, if they would not <HI>believe Mo&s;es and the Prophets, neither would they believe &s;hould one ri&s;e from the dead;</HI> no more would we, if we be not con&s;tant and &s;teadfa&s;t in the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel as revealed in the Scripture, be &s;o if we had been taught it by all the Apo&s;tles to|gether. An Example of this pronene&s;s to relinqui&s;h Evangelical Principles we have in mo&s;t of the Churches called and gather|ed by them, who&s;e Faith and Practice is recorded in their writings.</P>
<P>The Church of <HI>Corinth</HI> was planted by the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> and watered by <HI>Apollos</HI> that great <HI>Evangeli&s;t;</HI> And none can que|&s;tion but that they were fully in&s;tructed by them in all the Principles of the Go&s;pel; which is evident al&s;o from that Abundance of &s;piritual Gifts which above any other Church they had received. But yet within a few years, before the writing of his <HI>fir&s;t Epi&s;tle</HI> unto them, which was not above five or &s;ix years at the mo&s;t, many of them fell into that Fundamental Error of deny|ing the <HI>Re&s;urrection of the dead,</HI> whereby they wholly annihilated, (as the Apo&s;tle declares) the whole Death and Re&s;urrecti|on of Chri&s;t; rendering what &s;eemed to remain of their Faith altogether vain, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 13, 14, 15.</P>
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<P> The Churches of the <HI>Galatians</HI> are yet a more pregnant In&s;tance. Converted they were unto the Faith of Chri&s;t, and planted in their Church State by the Mini&s;try of the &s;ame Apo&s;tle. And although he in|&s;tructed them <HI>in the whole Coun&s;el of God,</HI> yet it may be ju&s;tly &s;uppo&s;ed that he la|boured in nothing more than to e&s;tabli&s;h them in the Knowledge and Faith of the Grace of God in Chri&s;t, and the free <HI>Ju&s;ti|fication</HI> of Believers by Faith in him or his Blood alone. For this he every where declareth to have been his principal Aim and De&s;ign in the whole Cour&s;e of his Mi|ni&s;try. The Doctrine hereof they received with &s;o much Joy and Satisfaction, that they valued the Apo&s;tle as <HI>an Angel of God,</HI> received him as <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and e&s;teemed him above the Sight of their own eyes; <HI>Chap.</HI> 4. 14, 15. But yet after all this, upon a &s;udden, &s;o as that he was &s;urprized with it and amazed at it, they fell from the Do|ctrine of Grace and Ju&s;tification by Faith alone, to &s;eek after Righteou&s;ne&s;s as it were by the Works of the Law, <HI>Chap.</HI> 3. 1. <HI>O fooli&s;h Galatians,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>who hath be|witched you, that you &s;hould not obey the Truth, before who&s;e Eyes Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath been evidently &s;et forth crucified among you?</HI>
<PB N="130" REF="77"> Notwith&s;tanding the evident Demon&s;tra|tions of the Truth which they had received, and Experience of the Power of the Word, which he mentions <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. yet all on a &s;udden they <HI>apo&s;tatized</HI> from it. And as the Foundation hereof lay in the uncured Folly and Vanity of their Minds, (as we &s;hall &s;ee afterwards that it doth in all alike ca&s;es,) yet the &s;trangene&s;s of the Manner of it, that it &s;hould be &s;o <HI>&s;udden,</HI> and it may be <HI>univer&s;al,</HI> makes him ask if there were not &s;ome <HI>&s;trange fa&s;cination</HI> or &s;piri|tual <HI>Witchcraft</HI> in it. So have we &s;een Per|&s;ons among our &s;elves, who in a day or two have renounced all tho&s;e Principles of Truth wherein they have been in&s;truct|ed, and embraced a <HI>Sy&s;teme</HI> of Notions <HI>diametrically</HI> oppo&s;ite unto them; in&s;omuch as &s;ome have &s;uppo&s;ed that there hath been a real <HI>diabolical</HI> Fa&s;cination in the Matter. Now this Apo&s;ta&s;ie of the <HI>Galatians</HI> was &s;uch, as the Apo&s;tle peremptorily declares that Chri&s;t and all the Benefits of his Death were renounced therein.</P>
<P>Wherefore, although we may be trou|bled at it and bewayl it, that &s;undry Per|&s;ons are &s;o ready to fall off from the &s;ame Truth in the &s;ame Manner, yet ought we not to think &s;trange of it, or be moved
<PB N="131" REF="77"> by it; &s;eeing that whole Churches <HI>called</HI> and <HI>in&s;tructed</HI> therein, and that particu|larly by the Apo&s;tle him&s;elf, did &s;o fall in a &s;hort time after their fir&s;t Plantation.</P>
<P>It is more than probable, that tho&s;e who endeavoured to make <HI>a &s;poyl</HI> of the <HI>Colo&s;&s;ians</HI> by <HI>Philo&s;ophy and vain deceit, after the Tradition of men, Chap.</HI> 2. 8. had no &s;mall &s;ucce&s;s among them. And &s;uch things they were, wherewith they were attempt|ed and beguiled, as took them off from <HI>holding the Head,</HI> turning them a&s;ide unto the curious Speculations of men <HI>vainly pufft up in their own fle&s;hly minds,</HI> ver&s;. 18, 19. Things of the like nature may be ob|&s;erved in mo&s;t of the other Churches unto whom the <HI>Epi&s;tles</HI> are directed.</P>
<P>And in tho&s;e unto particular Per&s;ons, as unto <HI>Timothy</HI> and <HI>Titus,</HI> he warns them of this <HI>Readine&s;s</HI> of all &s;orts of Per&s;ons to Apo&s;tatize from the Truth, giving expre&s;s In&s;tances in &s;ome by <HI>Name</HI> who had done &s;o them&s;elves, and &s;edulou&s;ly endeavoured the overthrow of the Faith of others. The Holy Apo&s;tle <HI>John</HI> lived to &s;ee more of the&s;e wofull turnings a&s;ide from the Truth, and Relinqui&s;hments of Evangelical My|&s;teries. Hence in his Epi&s;tle he gives an Account expre&s;&s;ely of the Apo&s;ta&s;ies that
<PB N="132" REF="78"> were among Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel, of the Seducers, and their Pretences where|by it was promoted, warning Believers of the danger thereof, and of &s;undry Duties incumbent on them nece&s;&s;ary to their Pre|&s;ervation: And the Epi&s;tle of <HI>Jude</HI> is writ|ten to the &s;ame purpo&s;e. It is known al&s;o how mo&s;t of the Churches unto whom the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t granted the favour of his <HI>Vi&s;itation,</HI> wherein he tried and judged their State and Condition, their Stability in, and Declen&s;ions from the Truth, were found guilty by him as to &s;ome Degrees of Back&s;liding and Apo&s;ta&s;ie, for which they were &s;everely reproved.</P>
<P>Certainly we can never enough admire the profound Negligence and Security of mo&s;t Churches and Profe&s;&s;ors in the world, with re&s;pect unto a due Adherence unto the My&s;teries and Truths of the Go&s;pel. Some think that they have &s;uch a Privi|ledge, as that they can never decline from them, or mi&s;take about them, nor have done &s;o in the long Tract of Sixteen hun|dred years, although they have been plun|ged into all Manner of wickedne&s;s and carnal Security. Others are wanton and carele&s;s under their Profe&s;&s;ion, making <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">le difference between Truth and Error,
<PB N="133" REF="78"> or however &s;uppo&s;e that it is no great At|chievement to abide in the Truth where|in they have been in&s;tructed. And the&s;e things have brought mo&s;t Churches and Places under the Power of that Apo&s;ta&s;ie which &s;hall afterwards be di&s;covered. But if the Churches thus planted by the Apo|&s;tles them&s;elves were liable unto &s;uch De|fections, and many of them did actually, at lea&s;t for a &s;ea&s;on, fall away from mo&s;t im|portant Doctrines of the Go&s;pel (from whence it may be they had never been recovered, if healing had not been timely applyed by <HI>Apo&s;tolical</HI> Authority and Wi&s;|dom,) can we who have not their Advan|tages, nor &s;ome of the Evidences of the Truth which they enjoyed, having all the &s;ame Cau&s;es of Apo&s;ta&s;ie <HI>inward</HI> and <HI>out|ward</HI> which they had to be tryed withall, expect that we &s;hall be per&s;erved, unle&s;s we watchfully and carefully attend unto all the Wayes and Means whereby we may &s;o be. But the&s;e things will be &s;poken unto afterwards.</P>
<P>We may in the next place enquire, What was the State of the Churches after the ending and fini&s;hing of the <HI>Sacred Records,</HI> and the death of the Apo&s;tles, with all other Per&s;ons Divinely in&s;pired? Here
<PB N="134" REF="79"> &s;ome would have us believe that all things were well, at lea&s;t for a long &s;ea&s;on, and &s;ome that they are &s;o to this very day. All that was believed and practi&s;ed among them, mu&s;t be e&s;teemed almo&s;t as Sacred as the Go&s;pel it &s;elf, and be made a part of the Rule of our Faith and Wor&s;hip. It &s;eems tho&s;e very Churches which during the dayes of the Apo&s;tles and while&s;t they were under their In&s;pection, were &s;o prone to mi&s;takes, to follow their own Imagina|tions, or comply with the Inventions of others, yea in &s;undry In&s;tances &s;o as to Apo&s;tatize from the mo&s;t important Do|ctrines of the Go&s;pel, were all on a &s;udden, on no other Advantage but being deliver|ed from <HI>Apo&s;tolical</HI> Care and Over&s;ight, &s;o changed, e&s;tabli&s;hed, and confirmed, that they declined not in any thing from the Truth and Rule of the Go&s;pel. For my part I pay as great a Re&s;pect and Reve|rence unto the Primitive Churches of the Fir&s;t, Second, and Third <HI>Centuries,</HI> as I think any man living can ju&s;tly doe; But that they did in nothing decline from the Grace, My&s;tery, Truth, or Rule of the Go&s;pel, that they gave no admittance unto vain Deceits after the Tradition of Men, and the Rudiments of the World, there
<PB N="135" REF="79"> are &s;uch Evidences unto the contrary, as none can believe it, but tho&s;e who have a great Mind it &s;hould be &s;o, and their Credulity at their di&s;po&s;al. I &s;hall there|fore briefly enquire what was foretold that would en&s;ue among tho&s;e Churches, and what came to pa&s;s accordingly.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> tells the <HI>Elders of the Church of Ephe&s;us</HI> that <HI>he knew that after his departure grievous Wolves would enter among them, not &s;paring the flock; Act.</HI> 20. 29. Though he compare them to <HI>devour|ing Wolves,</HI> yet are they not bloody Per|&s;ecutors by external Force that he doth intend. For that Expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>&s;hall enter in among you,</HI> denotes an Admi&s;&s;ion into the Society and Conver&s;e of the Church, un|der pretence of the &s;ame Profe&s;&s;ion of Re|ligion. They are therefore <HI>Hereticks</HI> and Seducers who lay in wait to Deceive through various Sleights and cunning Craftine&s;s, being not (whatever they pre|tended) really of the Church, not of the flock of Sheep, no not in Profe&s;&s;ion, but devouring <HI>Wolves.</HI> The &s;ame Per&s;ons are intended who by <HI>Peter</HI> are called <HI>fal&s;e Teachers,</HI> &s;uch as &s;hould <HI>privily bring in damnable here&s;ies, denying the Lord that bought them,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 1. But the Apo&s;tle
<PB N="136" REF="80"> addes moreover in the next place; <HI>Al&s;o of your own &s;elves &s;hall men ari&s;e &s;peaking per|ver&s;e things, to draw away Di&s;ciples after them,</HI> ver&s;. 30. I do not think that the Apo&s;tle in that Expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>Al&s;o of your own &s;elves,</HI> intended preci&s;ely any of tho&s;e who were then per&s;onally pre&s;ent with him, or at lea&s;t it is not nece&s;&s;ary that we &s;hould &s;o judge; But &s;ome that were quick|ly to &s;ucceed in their room and Office, are intended. And all the <HI>perver&s;e things</HI> which they would teach, being contradictory to the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, contained &s;ome degrees of Apo&s;ta&s;ie in them. That they prevailed in this Attempt, that the Church was leavened and infected by them, is evi|dent from hence, that not long after that <HI>Church</HI> is charged by our Saviour to be fallen in &s;undry things from its fir&s;t Purity, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 4, 5. So he a&s;&s;ures <HI>Timothy,</HI> that the time would come, (and that &s;peedily, as ap|pears by the Pre&s;cription he makes for its prevention,) 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1, 2. <HI>That men would not endure &s;ound Doctrine, but after their own lu&s;ts &s;hould heap up to them&s;elves Teach|ers, having itching ears, whereby they &s;hould be turned from the Truth, and turned unto Fables;</HI> ver&s;. 3, 4. A plain Prediction of that Defection from Evangelical Truth and
<PB N="137" REF="80"> Purity which was to befall the Churches, and did &s;o. And this with the danger of it he doth more vehemently urge, as from a Spirit of Prophe&s;ie; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1, 2. <HI>Now the Spirit &s;peaketh expre&s;&s;ely, that in the latter times &s;ome &s;hall depart from the Faith, giving heed to &s;educing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils.</HI> By that Phra&s;e of &s;peech, <HI>The Spi|rit &s;peaketh expre&s;&s;ely,</HI> the Apo&s;tle under|&s;tands not a plain di&s;tinct Revelation made thereof unto him&s;elf alone, but that the infallible Spirit of God whereby him&s;elf and the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles were guided, did <HI>every where</HI> te&s;tifie the &s;ame. It is an Expre&s;&s;ion not unlike that he u&s;eth, <HI>Acts</HI> 20. 24. <HI>The Holy Gho&s;t witne&s;&s;eth in every City;</HI> that is, in all places tho&s;e who were Divinely in&s;pired agreed on the &s;ame Pre|diction.</P>
<P>And I judge the Apo&s;tles did every where by joynt con&s;ent acquaint the Churches, that after the Go&s;pel had been received and profe&s;&s;ed for a while, there would en&s;ue a <HI>notable Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Truth and Wor&s;hip of it. So <HI>Jude</HI> tells them, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17, 18. <HI>That the Apo&s;tles of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t told them, that in the latter dayes there &s;hould be Mockers, who walk after their hearts lu&s;ts.</HI> This All the Apo&s;tles
<PB N="138" REF="81"> agreed in the Prediction of, and warned all the Churches concerning it. S. <HI>John</HI> ex|pre&s;&s;eth it, 1 <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> chap. 4. 3. <HI>This is that Spirit of Antichri&s;t whereof you have heard that it &s;hould come.</HI> He &s;peaks of the come|ing of Antichri&s;t, and therewithall an Apo|&s;ta&s;ie from the Faith, as that which they had been fully in&s;tructed in. And the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> mentioneth it as that which not onely they were forewarned of, but al&s;o acquainted with &s;ome particulars con|cerning it, which it was not, it may be, convenient in tho&s;e dayes to mention pub|lickly for fear of Offence; <HI>There mu&s;t</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>be a falling away,</HI> or an Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Faith, under the leading of the Man of Sin; <HI>And,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you the&s;e things, and now ye know what withholdeth,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 3, 5, 6. He had both told them of the Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and al&s;o acquainted them with <HI>one particular</HI> about it, which he will not now mention. This being the great Te&s;timony of the Spirit of God in tho&s;e dayes, that the <HI>Vi&s;ible Church</HI> &s;hould &s;o fall away from the Faith; one of the cheif Wayes whereby Sathan brought it to pa&s;s, was by the advancing of a contrary Reve|lation and Principle, namely, That this or
<PB N="139" REF="81"> that Church, the <HI>Church of Rome</HI> for in|&s;tance, was Infallible and Indefectible, and could never <HI>fall away</HI> from the Faith. By this Means he obliterated out of the Minds of Men the former Warnings given by the Spirit unto the Churches, &s;o rendring them &s;ecure, defeating the Ends of the Predicti|on: For hereby he not onely lead men in&s;en&s;ibly into the greate&s;t Apo&s;ta&s;ie, but taught them to adhere invincibly unto what they had done, and with the highe&s;t Confidence to ju&s;tifie them&s;elves therein. But all tho&s;e and many other Warnings did the Holy Gho&s;t give concerning the <HI>Defection</HI> from the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, which the Churches would in &s;ucceeding times fall into, which being neglected by &s;ecure Profe&s;&s;ors while&s;t their Faith was weakened and undermined by innumera|ble Artifices, i&s;&s;ued in their Apo&s;ta&s;ie. For the&s;e things being thus expre&s;&s;ely fore|told by the Spirit of God him&s;elf, we may briefly enquire into the Event of the Pre|dictions mentioned, and whether indeed they came to pa&s;s or no?</P>
<P>An Account in general of the &s;tate of the Church after the dayes of the Apo&s;tles we have given us by <HI>Hege&s;ippus,</HI> who lived
<PB N="140" REF="82"> in the next Age after them, as his words are recorded by <HI>Eu&s;ebius, lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 20. Relating the Martyrdom of <HI>Simon</HI> the Son of <HI>Cleopas,</HI> he addes; <HI>&V;nto the&s;e times the Church continued a pure and incorrupted Virgin; tho&s;e who endeavoured to corrupt the Rule of &s;aving Truth, where any &s;uch were, lying hid in ob&s;curity. But after that the ho|ly Company of the Apo&s;tles came to their &s;eve|ral Ends, and that Generation was pa&s;t who heard the Divine Wi&s;dome with their own ears, a Con&s;piracy of wicked Error by the Seductions of tho&s;e that taught &s;trange Do|ctrines began to take place; and where none of the Apo&s;tles were remaining, they began to &s;et up their Science fal&s;ely &s;o called with open face, again&s;t the Preaching of the Truth.</HI> We have already &s;een that there were many Declen&s;ions in the dayes of the Apo&s;tles them&s;elves; But as they were jealous over all the Churches with Godly Jealou&s;ie, (for having <HI>e&s;pou&s;ed them to one Husband,</HI> they took care to pre&s;ent them as <HI>a cha&s;te Virgin</HI> unto Chri&s;t, (the words which <HI>He|ge&s;ippus</HI> alludes unto) and thereon watched again&s;t all Wayes and Means whereby as <HI>the Serpent beguiled Eve through his &s;ubtilty, lea&s;t their Minds &s;hould be corrupted from the &s;implicity that is in Chri&s;t,</HI> by the teach|ing
<PB N="141" REF="82"> of other Doctrines than what they had received from them, as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 2, 3, 4.) &s;o by their Wi&s;dom, Diligence and Watchfulne&s;s, they were for the mo&s;t part &s;oon reduced from their Wandrings, and recovered from their Mi&s;takes. Hence this holy Man pronounceth the Church a <HI>pure Virgin</HI> during the dayes of the Apo&s;tles and their In&s;pection, at lea&s;t comparative|ly as to what en&s;ued thereon. For imme|diately after he acknowledgeth that they were much corrupted and defiled, that is, fallen off from <HI>the &s;implicity that is in Chri&s;t,</HI> intending probably tho&s;e very things wherein after-Ages made them their Ex|ample. For things quickly came unto that &s;tate in the world, and which yet with the mo&s;t continueth therein, that men de|&s;ire no greater Warranty for their Practice in Religion, than the &s;haddow or Appear|ance of any thing that was in u&s;e or pre|vailed among tho&s;e Churches, though them|&s;elves therein went off evidently from the Simplicity that is in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>This Account and unque&s;tionable Te&s;ti|mony we have in general of the Accom|pli&s;hment of the Predictions before men|tioned concerning a Declen&s;ion that was to en&s;ue from the Power, Purity and Sim|plicity
<PB N="142" REF="83"> of the Go&s;pel. But whatever is here intended, it mu&s;t be looked on as the very Beginning and Entrance of the Apo&s;ta&s;ie that en&s;ued, which can &s;carce be taken no|tice of in compari&s;on of that Exce&s;s which it quickly proceeded unto. In particular, the parts of the Sacred Predictions men|tioned, may be reduced unto four heads. (1.) <HI>Men from among them&s;elves &s;peaking perver&s;e things.</HI> (2.) <HI>Grievous Wolves en|tring in, not &s;paring the Flock.</HI> (3.) Wea|rine&s;s, and not <HI>enduring of &s;ound Doctrine,</HI> but turning the mind unto Fables, and from the Truth. (4.) A Gradual &s;ecret my&s;terious Work of a <HI>general Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> in the whole vi&s;ible Church. And it might be ea&s;ily demon&s;trated by In&s;tances, how all the&s;e had their particular Accompli&s;h|ment, untill the whole Apo&s;ta&s;ie foretold was formed and compleated. We may give &s;ome &s;hort remarks upon them all.</P>
<P N="1">(1) It cannot be denyed, but that many of the principal Teachers in the fir&s;t Ages of the Church after the Apo&s;tles, e&s;pecially among tho&s;e who&s;e Writings remain unto Po&s;terity, did in a Neglect of the Go&s;pel and its Simplicity, embrace and teach &s;un|dry things <HI>perver&s;e,</HI> curious, and contrary
<PB N="143" REF="83"> to the form of whol&s;ome words committed unto them; while&s;t for any thing that ap|pears, they were not &s;o duely conver&s;ant in Evangelical My&s;teries with Reverence and godly Fear, as it was their Duty to have been. It is known how in&s;tances hereof might be multiplyed out of the Writings of <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clemens, Origen, Tatianus, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Lactantius</HI> and others. But I &s;hall not reflect with any Severity on their Names and Me|mories who continued to adhere unto the Fundamental Principles of Chri&s;tian Reli|gion, though what by curious Speculati|ons, what by <HI>Philo&s;ophical</HI> Prejudices and Notions, by wre&s;ted <HI>Allegorical Expo&s;itions</HI> of Scripture, by Opinions openly fal&s;e and contradictory to the Word of God, they much corrupted and deba&s;ed the pure and holy Doctrine of Je&s;us and his Apo|&s;tles.</P>
<P N="2">(2) The <HI>grievous Wolves</HI> foretold of, who were to <HI>&s;poyl the Flock,</HI> I look on as <HI>Hereticks</HI> in their various Kinds. And on this Account it would &s;eem to exceed all Belief, what multitudes and Sholes of all &s;orts of Per&s;ons fell off from the My&s;tery and Truth of the Go&s;pel, after they had been declared unto them and profe&s;&s;ed by
<PB N="144" REF="84"> them; which is a full Confirmation of the A&s;&s;ertion before laid down. But they may in general be reduced unto two heads.</P>
<P N="1">1. Of tho&s;e who in a Regardle&s;ne&s;s and Contempt of the Go&s;pel which they had received and profe&s;&s;ed, fell away into fooli&s;h extravagant heatheni&s;h Imaginati|ons, unintelligible endle&s;s fancies, for the mo&s;t part (as is &s;uppo&s;ed) accompanyed with wicked Practices, whereby although they would retain the Name of Chri&s;ti|ans, they compleatly and ab&s;olutely fell off from Chri&s;t and his Go&s;pel. Such were the <HI>Gno&s;ticks</HI> in all their Branches, and under their &s;everal Appellations, <HI>Marcio|nites, Manichees,</HI> and others almo&s;t innu|merable, with who&s;e Names, Ri&s;e, Opini|ons, and Cour&s;e of Lives, <HI>Epiphanius, Au|&s;tin</HI> and <HI>Phyla&s;trius</HI> have filled up their Ca|talogues. It may be &s;aid they were all of them Per&s;ons of &s;o great Abominations that they de&s;erve no con&s;ideration among &s;uch as own Chri&s;tian Religion. But the greater the Abominations were which they fell into, the more wilde, &s;encele&s;s and wicked were their Imaginations, con&s;idering the multitudes of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians which fell into them, the more effectual is the
<PB N="145" REF="84"> <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> they give unto the Truth of our A&s;&s;ertion. For were there not an inex|pre&s;&s;ible pronene&s;s in the Minds of men, to relinqui&s;h the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, was it not promoted by unutterable Folly and &s;ecret Enmity again&s;t the Truth, would it have been po&s;&s;ible that &s;o early in the Church, taking date immediately from the decea&s;e of the Apo&s;tles, &s;uch multitudes of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians, &s;hould openly re|nounce tho&s;e &s;acred Truths, for &s;uch noxi|ous fooli&s;h Imaginations? The&s;e are they who are expre&s;&s;ely prophe&s;ied of, that they &s;hould <HI>bring in damnable here&s;ies, denying the Lord that bought them, bringing on them|&s;elves &s;wift de&s;truction; many following their pernicious wayes, by rea&s;on of whom the way of Truth was evil &s;poken of;</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 1, 2. For all their impious Opinions and practi|ces were by the Heathen objected unto, and charged on <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> as is evident in <HI>Origens</HI> Reply to <HI>Cel&s;us,</HI> among others; and &s;o by rea&s;on of them <HI>the way of Truth</HI> was <HI>evil &s;poken of.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. There was another &s;ort of <HI>Here&s;ies</HI> and &s;o of real Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, who&s;e Authors and Follow|ers yet pretended an Adherence unto and Profe&s;&s;ion thereof. And the&s;e may be re|duced
<PB N="146" REF="85"> to two heads: (1) Concerning the <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> and (2) concerning the <HI>Grace</HI> of Chri&s;t. Of the fir&s;t &s;ort the principal and mo&s;t prevalent was that of the <HI>Arri|ans,</HI> in denying his <HI>Deity;</HI> the latter that of the <HI>Pelagians</HI> in oppo&s;ing his <HI>Satisfaction, Merit,</HI> and <HI>Grace.</HI> The fir&s;t of the&s;e was poured out as a Flood from the mouth of the Old Serpent, and bare all before it like a Torrent; the latter in&s;inuated it &s;elf as Poy&s;on into the very Vitals of the Church. The fir&s;t as a <HI>burning Fever</HI> carryed pre|&s;ent Death with it and before it; the latter as a <HI>Gangrene</HI> or <HI>Hectical di&s;temper</HI> in&s;en&s;ibly con&s;umed the vital Spirits of Religion. In the fir&s;t we have a mo&s;t wofull Evidence of the <HI>In&s;tability</HI> of Profe&s;&s;ors, and their Readine&s;s to forgoe the &s;aving My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. For in little more than half an Age after its fir&s;t Ri&s;e, the gene|rality of Chri&s;tians in the world, <HI>Bi&s;hops, Prie&s;ts</HI> and <HI>People</HI> fell under the Power of it, and in their publick Confe&s;&s;ions re|nounced and denyed the true eternal Deity of the Son of God. For having obtained the Patronage of &s;ome Emperours, as <HI>Con|&s;tantius</HI> and <HI>Valence,</HI> and the &s;uffrage of innumerable Prelates, who joyntly pro|moted this <HI>Here&s;ie</HI> by Force and Fraud;
<PB N="147" REF="85"> almo&s;t the whole world as to outward Profe&s;&s;ion was for a &s;ea&s;on lead into this Apo&s;ta&s;ie, wherein &s;ome whole Nations, (as the <HI>Goths</HI> and <HI>Vandals,)</HI> continued for &s;undry Ages afterward. And for the latter, or <HI>Pelagiani&s;me,</HI> it &s;ecretly, &s;ubtilly and gradually &s;o in&s;inuated it &s;elf into the Minds of men, that for the Sub&s;tance of it, it continues to be no &s;mall part of that Religion which the generality of Chri&s;ti|ans doe at this day profe&s;s, and is yet upon a prevalent progre&s;s in the World. This is the Second way of the Apo&s;ta&s;ie of Pro|fe&s;&s;ors which was foretold by the Holy Gho&s;t, which &s;o came to pa&s;s as that the wounds which Chri&s;tianity received there|by are not healed unto this day.</P>
<P N="3">(3) Another way was, that men &s;hould grow <HI>weary of &s;ound Doctrine,</HI> and not be|ing able, for the Rea&s;ons afterwards to be in&s;i&s;ted on, to endure it any longer, &s;hould hearken after <HI>Fables,</HI> and be turned away from the Truth. And this no le&s;s eminent|ly came to pa&s;s than any of the for|mer. About the third Century it was that <HI>Monki&s;h Fables</HI> began to be broached in the world. And this &s;ort of men, in&s;tead of the Doctrines of the Grace of God, of Ju&s;tification by the Blood of Chri&s;t, of
<PB N="148" REF="86"> Faith and Repentance, of New Obedience and walking before God according to the Commands of Chri&s;t and Rule of the Go|&s;pel, which men grew weary of and could not well longer endure, filled their Minds, and &s;atisfied their <HI>itching Ears,</HI> with &s;tories of Dreams and Vi&s;ions, of Angelical Per|fection in them&s;elves, of &s;elf-invented De|votions, of uncommanded Mortifications, and a thou&s;and other fooli&s;h Super&s;titions. By &s;uch <HI>Fables</HI> were innumerable Souls turned from the Truth and Simplicity of the Go&s;pel, thinking that in the&s;e things alone Religion con&s;i&s;ted, de&s;pi&s;ing the whole Doctrine of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles in compari&s;on of them. The&s;e are particularly prophe&s;ied of and de|clared, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1, 2, 3. By the Hypocri&s;ie, and Lyes, fabulous Stories and Doctrines of Devils of this &s;ort of men, the Body of the Chri&s;tian people was &s;o leavened and in|fected with the Belief of vain Delu&s;ions, and the Practice of fooli&s;h Super&s;titions, that little or nothing was left &s;ound or whol&s;ome among them.</P>
<P N="4">(4) La&s;tly, the &s;ecret working of the <HI>My&s;tery of Iniquity,</HI> in, under, and by all the&s;e wayes and other Artifices innumera|ble, which the &s;ubtilty of Sathan, with
<PB N="149" REF="86"> the Vanity of the Minds and Lu&s;ts of the Hearts of Men made u&s;e of, wrought out that fatal Apo&s;ta&s;ie which the World groan|ed under and was ruined by, when it came unto its height in the Papacy. The Ri&s;e and Progre&s;s of this Catholick Defection, the Wayes, Means and Degrees of its Pro|cedure, its &s;ucce&s;&s;efull Advance in &s;everal Ages, have been &s;o di&s;covered and laid open by many, &s;o far as the Nature of &s;o my&s;terious a Work is capable of a Di&s;co|very in this World, that I &s;hall not need to repeat here any In&s;tance of it. In brief, the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel was &s;o depra|ved, and the Wor&s;hip of it &s;o far corrupt|ed, that the Waters of the Sanctuary &s;eem|ed like the River <HI>Jordan</HI> to run and i&s;&s;ue in a Dead Sea, or like tho&s;e of <HI>Aegypt,</HI> to be turned into Blood, that would yield no Refre&s;hment unto the Souls of Men. So was that Prophetical Parable of our Saviour fulfilled; <HI>Luke</HI> 19. 12, 13, 14, 15, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Before I proceed to particulars among our &s;elves in this kind, I &s;hall yet further confirm our A&s;&s;ertion in general, by the Con&s;ideration of the Second Venture (if I may &s;o &s;ay,) that God gave the Go&s;pel in the World, the Second Trial which he
<PB N="150" REF="87"> hath made of many Churches and Nations, and what hath been the Event and Suc|ce&s;s thereof.</P>
<P>During the &s;ea&s;on &s;poken of, the Church was <HI>driven into the Wilderne&s;s,</HI> as to its vi|&s;ible Profe&s;&s;ion, where it was &s;ecretly nou|ri&s;hed by the Spirit and Word of God, and the few Witne&s;&s;es unto the Truth which yet remained, prophe&s;ied in Sackcloth, oft|times &s;ealing their Te&s;timony (whereby the World was di&s;quieted and tormented) with their Blood. But when the time came that God would again graciou&s;ly vi&s;it the remnant of his Inheritance, he &s;tirred up, gifted, and enabled many faithful Servants of Chri&s;t, by whom the work of Reforma|tion was &s;ucce&s;&s;efully begun and carried on in many Nations and Churches. It is true, they arrived not therein at the Pu|rity and Peace of the Apo&s;tolical Churches, nor was it by &s;ome of them ab&s;olutely aim|ed at. And this quickly manife&s;ted it &s;elf by the great differences that were among them both in Doctrine and Wor&s;hip, where|on tho&s;e mutual Conte&s;ts and Divi&s;ions en|&s;ued, which proved the principal Means of ob&s;tructing the Progre&s;s of their whole Work, and continueth to do &s;o to this very day. But a &s;tate of a ble&s;&s;ed and
<PB N="151" REF="87"> u&s;efull Recovery it was from that Apo&s;ta|&s;ie into Errors, Here&s;ies, Super&s;titions and Idolatries, which the whole profe&s;&s;ing Church of the&s;e parts of the World was fallen into. And many wayes did it mani|fe&s;t it &s;elf &s;o to be.</P>
<P>For, (1) The <HI>Doctrine</HI> taught by them generally, was <HI>agreeable to the Scripture,</HI> which they &s;trenuou&s;ly vindicated from the Corruptions of the foregoing Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and the Wor&s;hip of the Churches was freed from open Idolatry.</P>
<P N="2">(2) The <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> of men pre&s;&s;ed har|ra&s;ed and di&s;torted with innumerable vain Affrightments, Super&s;titions, fooli&s;h Imagi|nations, and fal&s;e Opinions, whereby they were <HI>brought into bondage</HI> to their pre|tended Guides of all &s;orts, and forced unto Services under the Name of <HI>Religious Du|ties,</HI> merely &s;ub&s;ervient unto their carnal Intere&s;ts, were <HI>&s;et at liberty</HI> by the Truth, and directed into the wayes of Go&s;pel Obe|dience.</P>
<P N="3">(3) Multitudes had it <HI>given unto them</HI> on the behalf of Chri&s;t, not onely to <HI>be|lieve</HI> in him but al&s;o to <HI>&s;uffer</HI> for him, &s;o that no le&s;s numbers &s;ealed their Te&s;timo|ny with their Blood, under the Power of tho&s;e who undertook the Patronage of the
<PB N="152" REF="88"> pre&s;ent Apo&s;ta&s;ie, than did under the Rage of the Heathens at the fir&s;t introduction of Chri&s;tian Religion into the world.</P>
<P N="4">(4) The <HI>Fruit</HI> which it hath brought forth in many Nations by the <HI>real Conver|&s;ion</HI> of multitudes to God, their Edifica|tion and holy Obedience, their &s;olid &s;pi|ritual Con&s;olation in Life and Death, with many other things, do give Te&s;timony un|to this Work that it was of God.</P>
<P>It cannot therefore be denyed, but that many Churches were by the Reformation brought into a &s;tate of <HI>Revale&s;cency</HI> or Re|covery from that mortal Di&s;ea&s;e they had been under the Power of. But all men know what Care and Diligence is requi|red to attain perfect Health and Soundne&s;s in &s;uch a Condition, and to prevent a Re|lap&s;e, which if it &s;hould fall out, the la&s;t Error would be wor&s;e than the fir&s;t. It might therefore have been ju&s;tly expected from them, and it was their Duty to have gone on in the work of Reformation un|till they had come to a perfect Recovery of &s;piritual Health. But in&s;tead thereof things are &s;o fallen out, by who&s;e default God knows, that not onely the work hath received little or no Improvement among them&s;elves in the Encrea&s;e of Light, Truth
<PB N="153" REF="88"> and Holine&s;s, nor been progre&s;&s;ive or &s;uc|ce&s;&s;efull in the world towards others, but al&s;o hath vi&s;ibly and apparently lo&s;t its force, and gone backwards on all Accounts. Wherefore we have here al&s;o another &s;ad Evidence of the pronene&s;s of men to fore|goe the Truths of the Go&s;pel, after they have been in&s;tructed in them. I &s;hall in|&s;tance onely in the known Doctrines of the <HI>Reformed Churches,</HI> aiming e&s;pecially at what is of late years fallen out among our &s;elves, in a &s;ort of men whom the preceding Generations were unacquainted withall, which I &s;hall therefore in&s;i&s;t on apart and by it &s;elf afterwards.</P>
<P>It is not unknown how ready many, yea multitudes are in all places to de&s;ert the whole Prote&s;tant Faith and Religion, ca&s;t|ing them&s;elves into the baffled pro&s;tituted Remainders of the old Apo&s;ta&s;ie. Every &s;light Occa&s;ion, every Temptation of Plea|&s;ure, Profit, Favour, Preferment, turns men unto the <HI>Papacy;</HI> and &s;ome run the &s;ame cour&s;e merely to comply with the Vanity of their Minds in Curio&s;ity, Novelty, and Conformity unto what is in fa&s;hion among men. Some fly unto it as a Sanctuary from Guilt, as that which tendereth more ready wayes for the Pacification of Con&s;cience
<PB N="154" REF="89"> than that Faith and Repentance which the Go&s;pel doth require. Some having lo&s;t the &s;ence of all Religion in the pur&s;uit of their Lu&s;ts, finding them&s;elves unea&s;ie in their Athei&s;me, or di&s;advantaged by the Repu|tation of it, take &s;helter in the <HI>Roman</HI> Dre&s;s. Some are really entangled and over|come by the power and &s;ubtilty of nume|rous Seducers, who lye in wait to deceive. By one way and Means or another, on Mo|tives known to them&s;elves and him who u&s;eth them as his Engines to &s;ubvert the Faith, many in all places fall off daily to the <HI>Papacy,</HI> and the old Super&s;tition &s;eems to be upon a new Advance, ready to re|ceive another Edition in the world. Yea, it is to be feared, that there is in many pla|ces &s;uch a general Inclination unto a De|fection, or &s;uch an Indifferency to all Re|ligion, that multitudes want nothing but a Captain to conduct them back into <HI>Aegypt.</HI> For whereas they have lo&s;t all &s;ence of the Power, U&s;e, and Excellency of that Reli|gion or Profe&s;&s;ion of Truth wherein they have been educated and in&s;tructed, and that by giving up them&s;elves unto their Lu&s;ts and Plea&s;ures, which will not fail to produce that cur&s;ed Effect, they either em|brace the <HI>Roman Religion,</HI> to &s;upply the
<PB N="155" REF="89"> place of that, no Religion which they had left unto them&s;elves; or if they pretend to &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">r to &s;uch a Pitch of Rea&s;on as to di&s;|own the vanity and folly of that Profe&s;&s;i|on&punc; and its incon&s;i&s;tency with all the Prin|ciples of free generous and rational Minds, they betake them&s;elves for a while unto a kind of <HI>Sceptical Athei&s;me,</HI> which having given them a &s;orry talkative Entertainment for a little &s;pace, by deba&s;ing and corrupt|ing their Minds, gives them up again unto what they did before de&s;pi&s;e. By &s;uch Means are the Numbers of Apo&s;tates multi|plyed among&s;t us every day.</P>
<P>But there are yet other In&s;tances of the pronene&s;s of Men in forgoing the Faith that the <HI>Church</HI> was retrived unto at the fir&s;t Reformation. How great an Inroad hath been made on our fir&s;t profe&s;&s;ion, at lea&s;t an Alteration made therein, (whether for <HI>better</HI> or for <HI>wor&s;e</HI> the great Day will di&s;co|ver,) by that <HI>Sy&s;teme</HI> of Doctrines which from its Author, and for di&s;tinctions &s;ake is called <HI>Arminiani&s;me!</HI> I am not bound to believe what <HI>Polinburgh</HI> affirms in his Preface to the Second Part of <HI>Epi&s;copius</HI> his works; namely, That the mo&s;t of the Prelates and Learned men in <HI>England</HI> are of their way and Judgement, which as
<PB N="156" REF="90"> &s;tated by <HI>Epi&s;copius</HI> hath many <HI>Racovian</HI> Additions made unto what it was at fir&s;t. Nay, I do believe that what he a&s;&s;erts is fal&s;e and calumnious unto the Per&s;ons he intends. But yet I wi&s;h withall that too much countenance were not given by many unto his In&s;inuation.</P>
<P>A late Writer in <HI>a Treati&s;e</HI> which he calls <HI>A &s;ober and compa&s;&s;ionate Enquiry,</HI> &amp;c. among other things of the like nature, fan|cieth that &s;ome di&s;like the Church of <HI>Eng|land</HI> on the Account of its Doctrine. And this they doe as he farther &s;uppo&s;eth, be|cau&s;e it doth <HI>not &s;o punctually agree with the Synod of</HI> Dort <HI>as they could wi&s;h.</HI> To evidence the unrea&s;onablene&s;s hereof, he informs us, That <HI>no one Father or Writer of the Church, whether Greek or Latine, be|fore St.</HI> Au&s;tins <HI>time agreed in Doctrine with the Determinations of that Synod. And as for St.</HI> Au&s;tin <HI>he was a devout Good man, but who&s;e Piety was far more commendable than his Rea&s;on. And therefore rejects it with Indignation</HI> (as well he may) <HI>that a Novel</HI> Dutch <HI>Synod &s;hould pre&s;cribe Doctrine to the Church of</HI> England, <HI>and outweigh all Antiquity;</HI> and &s;o clo&s;eth his Di&s;cour&s;e with &s;ome unworthy Calumnies ca&s;t on the Divines of that A&s;&s;embly, which were
<PB N="157" REF="90"> e&s;teemed of the be&s;t that all the Reform|ed Churches of <HI>Europe</HI> (that of <HI>France</HI> alone excepted) could afford at that time.</P>
<P>But the Intere&s;t of the pre&s;ent De&s;ign which he had in hand, was more regarded in the&s;e A&s;&s;ertions than that of the Truth. It is but a pretence, that tho&s;e whom he reflects upon do di&s;like <HI>the Doctrine</HI> of the Church of <HI>England.</HI> For look upon it as it is contained in the <HI>Articles of Religion,</HI> in the <HI>Books of Homelies,</HI> and declared in the Authenticated Writings of all the Learned Prelates and others for <HI>Sixty years</HI> after the Reformation, wherein the Doctrine taught, approved and confirmed in this Church, was te&s;tified unto all the world; and the generality of tho&s;e reflected on by him, do &s;acredly adhere unto it. It is a De|fection from this Doctrine that is by &s;ome complained of, and not the Doctrine it &s;elf. And how the Doctrine of the Per&s;on be|fore mentioned, or of <HI>Curcelleus,</HI> of who&s;e works <HI>Limburgh</HI> in his Preface unto them boa&s;ts, that they were &s;o earne&s;tly de&s;ired in <HI>England,</HI> can be brought into a con&s;i&s;ten|cy with that of this Church &s;o confirmed and declared, will require a &s;ingular fa|culty in the Reconciliation of open multi|plyed contradictions, and tho&s;e in the
<PB N="158" REF="91"> mo&s;t weighty points of Religion, to de|clare. Let but the Doctrine e&s;tabli&s;hed at the fir&s;t Reformation, as explained and declared in the Writings of the principal Per&s;ons who pre&s;ided, lived and died in the Communion of this Church, which are the Mea&s;ure of it in the judgement of all other Churches in the World, be conti|nued and adhered unto, and there will be neither difference nor complaint in this Matter. For the Di&s;putes which have been, and which it may be alwayes will be among Learned men, concerning &s;ome Ab|&s;tru&s;e and Philo&s;ophical Notions about the Order of the divine Decrees, Predetermi|nation, the Nature of Humane Liberty, and the like innumerable, neither ever did or ever will much di&s;turb the Peace of the Church. For as they are under&s;tood by very few, if by any at at all, &s;o the Com|munity of Chri&s;tians are altogether uncon|cerned with them, either as to their Faith or Obedience. Differences about them will be ended at the la&s;t day, and it may be as to the great End of the Go&s;pel, that is time enough.</P>
<P>But the pretence of this Author, that <HI>no one Father or Writer of the Church, Greek or Latine, before St.</HI> Au&s;tins <HI>time agreed</HI>
<PB N="159" REF="91"> <HI>with the Determination of the Synod of</HI> Dort, is of little importance in this Cau&s;e. For as I &s;uppo&s;e he may not &s;peak this ab&s;olute|ly on his own Trial and Experience, but rather on the &s;ugge&s;tions of others, &s;o it is no more than what is &s;trongly pretended concerning the <HI>Doctrine of the Holy Trinity it &s;elf</HI> with re&s;pect unto the Determination and Declaration made of it at the Councel of <HI>Nice.</HI> And it were to be wi&s;hed that too much countenance had not been given un|to this Imagination, by <HI>Petavius</HI> and &s;ome others, who&s;e Collections of ambiguous Expre&s;&s;ions out of the ancient Writers of the Church, and Ob&s;ervations upon them, are highly boa&s;ted in by our pre&s;ent <HI>Pho|tinians.</HI> And as it may be it will not be ea&s;ie for this Author po&s;itively to declare what was the judgement of <HI>any one anci|ent Writer</HI> in all points of Chri&s;tian Belief, e&s;pecially in &s;uch as had not received an e&s;pecial Di&s;cu&s;&s;ion from Oppo&s;itions made unto them in their own dayes, or before them; &s;o it is confe&s;&s;ed by all, that an Al|lowance is to be given unto general Ex|pre&s;&s;ions of &s;uch Writers as &s;eem occa&s;io|nally to declare their pre&s;ent thoughts in any particular Doctrines, about which there had never been any Controver&s;ie in the
<PB N="160" REF="92"> Church. For the proper &s;ignification of words them&s;elves, whereby men expre&s;s their Minds, is never exactly &s;tated, untill the things them&s;elves which they would &s;ignifie, have been thoroughly di&s;cu&s;&s;ed. Hence the &s;ame words have had various U&s;es and diver&s;e Significations in &s;everal Ages. And by this Rule, whatever be &s;up|po&s;ed that none of the Ancients before <HI>Au|&s;tin</HI> were of the &s;ame Mind with tho&s;e who a&s;&s;embled at <HI>Dort,</HI> it may with more Truth be affirmed, that none of them were other|wi&s;e minded but <HI>Origen</HI> onely, and tho&s;e who were influenced by him, he being by many, on evident grounds, accu&s;ed to have prepared the way and opened the door both unto <HI>Ariani&s;me</HI> and <HI>Pelagia|ni&s;me.</HI></P>
<P>The Cen&s;ure pa&s;&s;ed on <HI>Au&s;tin,</HI> namely, That <HI>his Piety was far more commendable than his Rea&s;on,</HI> is at lea&s;t as <HI>novel</HI> as the <HI>Dutch Synod.</HI> For it is not the Commenda|tion of his Piety, but the Di&s;paragement of his Rea&s;on that is intended. And I mu&s;t take the liberty to &s;ay, that either this Author hath not been much conver&s;ant in the Writings of this great and holy Per|&s;on, or he is a very incompetent Judge of the <HI>rational Abilities</HI> of them in who&s;e
<PB N="161" REF="92"> Writings he is conver&s;ant. This Confidence in pronouncing a Cen&s;ure &s;o contrary to the concurrent &s;ence of the generality of Learned men of all &s;orts in the Church for Twelve hundred years, &s;avours too much of Partiality and Prejudice. But it is &s;ome relief, that the Adver&s;aries of the Truth with whom he had to doe, were never able to di&s;cover nor make advantage of the weakne&s;s of his Rea&s;on. It was &s;uffi|cient for the work whereunto God de&s;ign|ed him, which was not only to check and &s;uppre&s;s the many In&s;tances wherein &s;undry crafty Per&s;ons apo&s;tatized from the Truths of the Go&s;pel, both in his own dayes and before; but al&s;o to give over the Light of Truth clearly di&s;covered and &s;trenuou&s;ly vindicated, unto Po&s;terity, for the Bene|fit of the Church in all Ages. Per&s;ons may freely de&s;pi&s;e the men of their pre&s;ent Con|te&s;ts, again&s;t whom they have all the Ad|vantages which may prompt them there|unto; and they have &s;o much countenance in ca&s;ting contemptuous Reflections on the principal fir&s;t Reformers, as not to think therein they invade the bounds of Chri|&s;tian Mode&s;ty. But what will be the Apo|logy for their Confidence in &s;uch cen&s;ures of the Rational Abilities of <HI>Au&s;tin,</HI> I can|not
<PB N="162" REF="93"> conjecture, though the Rea&s;on of it I can ea&s;ily gue&s;s at. However it needeth not be much taken notice of, &s;eeing a Cen|&s;ure &s;omewhat more &s;evere hath not long &s;ince been pa&s;&s;ed on St. <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf by a Writer of the &s;ame &s;train and judge|ment.</P>
<P>There is little Ground of Fear as I &s;up|po&s;e, that <HI>a novel Dutch Synod,</HI> (as it is call|ed) though con&s;i&s;ting of Per&s;ons delegated from all the principal Reformed Churches of <HI>Europe,</HI> (that of <HI>France</HI> onely excepted) <HI>&s;hould pre&s;cribe Doctrines to the Church of England;</HI> &s;eeing in that Synod the Church of <HI>England</HI> did rather pre&s;cribe Doctrines to the <HI>Dutch,</HI> than receive any from them. For the Divines which had the prehemi|nence of Suffrage and Authority in that A&s;&s;embly, were tho&s;e of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> &s;ent thither by publick Autho|rity to te&s;tifie the Doctrine of this Church, and to lead the <HI>Dutch</HI> into the &s;ame Con|fe&s;&s;ion with them&s;elves.</P>
<P>But to return, it is to be feared that le&s;t as <HI>Pelagiani&s;me</HI> in its fir&s;t Edition did &s;ecretly and gradually in&s;inuate it &s;elf into the Animal and vital Spirits of the Body of the Church in tho&s;e dayes, proving a Poy&s;on unto it; &s;o that under its new Var|ni&s;h
<PB N="163" REF="93"> and gilding it will be received, un|till it diffu&s;e it &s;elf into the Veins and Vi|tals of the pre&s;ent Reformed Church-&s;tate in the World. This I know, that &s;ome pretending a Zeal for Holine&s;s and Refor|mation of Life, do yet with a &s;hamefull Partiality charge tho&s;e Doctrines as a prin|cipal means of the <HI>Decay of Piety,</HI> which they cannot but know were generally be|lieved and avowed then when <HI>Piety</HI> mo&s;t flouri&s;hed in this Nation. But this is part of that Entertainment which the <HI>Church of England</HI> meets with at this day from her degenerate Offspring. The Doctrine of all the ancient Bi&s;hops mu&s;t be traduced as the <HI>Means</HI> of the <HI>Decay of Piety.</HI> And which encrea&s;eth the wonder, it had not this Effect till it began to be publickly de|&s;erted and renounced. For whether they are the one the Cau&s;e of the other or no, yet there is a demon&s;trative Coincidence between the Originals of our vi&s;ible Apo|&s;ta&s;ie from <HI>Piety,</HI> and the Admi&s;&s;ion of the&s;e <HI>novel Opinions</HI> contrary to the Faith of the fir&s;t Reformed Churches, and that they both bear the &s;ame date among us.</P>
<P>But there is yet a greater Abomination effectually taking place among us, to the utter Overthrow of the Faith of &s;ome,
<PB N="164" REF="94"> and the corrupting of the Minds of others from the Truth of the Go&s;pel. This is the <HI>Lepro&s;ie</HI> of <HI>Sociniani&s;me,</HI> which &s;ecretly en|ters into the Walls and Timber of the Hou&s;e, whence it will not be &s;craped out. It commenced in the world &s;ome time be|fore the other &s;pring of a <HI>partial</HI> Apo&s;ta&s;ie before mentioned. But for a good &s;pace it lay fermenting in &s;ome ob&s;cure places of <HI>Poland</HI> and the Countreys adjacent. When the Books and Writings of the Authors and Promoters of the Opinions called by that Name came once to be known and read in other places, they were continually all of them abundantly an&s;wered and con|futed by Learned men of all &s;orts, &s;o as it was ju&s;tly hoped it would obtain no great &s;ucce&s;s or progre&s;s in the world. But</P>
<Q><L>Latius exci&s;ae &s;erpit contagio gentis</L>
<L>Victore&s;&abque; &s;uos natio victa premit.</L></Q>
<P>The Vanity of the Minds of Men, their wearine&s;s of &s;ound Doctrine which they will endure no longer whatever they em|brace, have given it admi&s;&s;ion either in part or in whole, among multitudes who once profe&s;&s;ed the Faith of the Go&s;pel. For whereas the whole <HI>Sy&s;teme</HI> of the Opi|nions
<PB N="165" REF="94"> of tho&s;e men is but a Collection of &s;uch Errors as formerly perplexed the Church, and overthrew the Faith of many, the principal and mo&s;t material of them may be referred unto two heads: (1) <HI>Pho|tiniani&s;me,</HI> and (2) <HI>Pelagiani&s;me.</HI> Unto the fir&s;t are referred their denyal of the <HI>Trinity,</HI> and con&s;equently of the Divine <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Incarnation</HI> of the Son of God. Under the latter, their Oppo&s;ition unto the <HI>Satisfaction</HI> of Chri&s;t, the true Nature of his <HI>Prie&s;thood</HI> and Sacrifice, <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by Faith in his Blood, and the <HI>Imputation</HI> of his Righteou&s;ne&s;s, of the Efficacy of his <HI>Grace,</HI> and the Corruption of our <HI>Natures</HI> by the Fall, may be comprized. The de|nyal of the <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> of the &s;ame Bo|dies, the <HI>Eternity</HI> of the Puni&s;hment of the Damned in Hell, with other of their Ima|ginations, were al&s;o traduced from &s;ome of Old. The fir&s;t part of their Here&s;ie as yet takes no great place but onely among them|&s;elves, the Doctrine oppo&s;ite unto it being &s;ecured by Law, and the Intere&s;t of men thereon who have Advantage by the pub|lick Profe&s;&s;ion. But yet it is to be feared, that the <HI>Coldne&s;s</HI> of many in a&s;&s;erting and defending tho&s;e Fundamental Doctrines of the Go&s;pel which they oppo&s;e, yea their
<PB N="166" REF="95"> Indifferency about them, and the horrid Notions with &s;trange Expo&s;itions that &s;ome have embraced and do u&s;e concerning the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t,</HI> do proceed from &s;ome &s;e|cret Influence on the Minds of Men which the venome of their Opinions and <HI>Sophi&s;ti|cal</HI> Di&s;putes have had upon them. And from a ju&s;t improvement of their Senti|ments have proceeded tho&s;e bold Efforts of Athei&s;tical Imaginations and Oppo&s;iti|ons unto the Scripture, both the Letter and &s;ence of it, which have of late been divulged in publick Writings, which being brought from the neighbour Nation, do find no &s;lack entertainment by many among us.</P>
<P>But as to the latter branch of their Pro|fe&s;&s;ion, or their <HI>Pelagiani&s;me,</HI> it hath diffu|&s;ed it &s;elf among multitudes of Per&s;ons who were &s;ometimes of another Per&s;wa&s;ion, and have yet Engagements on them &s;o to be. All that unrea&s;onable Advancement of Rea&s;on in Matters of Religion which we have among&s;t us, the new Notions men have of the <HI>Satisfaction</HI> of Chri&s;t, pre|tending to the Acknowledgement of it, indeed de&s;tructive unto it, the noy&s;ome Conceptions of the little u&s;e of the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t in Religion beyond the Revela|tion
<PB N="167" REF="95"> and Confirmation of the Go&s;pel; Do|ctrines of the Po&s;&s;ibility yea Facility of yielding Acceptable Obedience unto all Evangelical Commands without the Aids of Effectual Grace; of the Powers and Incorruption of our Natures; of Ju&s;tifica|tion by and upon our own Obedience; of the &s;uitablene&s;s of all Go&s;pel My&s;teries to unrenewed Rea&s;on or an un&s;anctified Mind; of Regeneration as con&s;i&s;ting only in the Reformation of our Lives; with a Rejecti|on of all internal real Efficacy in convert|ing Grace, and the Sub&s;titution of Mora|lity in the room of Grace; with the deny|al of any influences of Grace from Je&s;us Chri&s;t unto the Holine&s;s of Truth; and ma|ny other Opinions wherewith men even pride them&s;elves to the Contempt of the Doctrine received and e&s;tabli&s;hed in the Reformed Churches of Old, are borrowed out of the Store-hou&s;es of their Imagina|tions, &s;hall I &s;ay, or raked out of their Dunghill. And whither the Infection may diffu&s;e it &s;elf, I know not; The Re&s;urrecti|on of the &s;ame Bodies &s;ub&s;tantially, the Sub&s;i&s;tence and acting of the Soul in its &s;e|parate &s;tate and Condition, the Eternity of Hell Torments, the Nature of Chri&s;ts Sacerdotal Office as di&s;tingui&s;hed from his
<PB N="168" REF="96"> Regal, begin to be either que&s;tioned or very faintly defended among&s;t many. And ma|ny other noy&s;ome Opinions there are, about the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> the <HI>Nature of God,</HI> his <HI>Attri|butes</HI> and <HI>Decrees,</HI> the <HI>two Covenants,</HI> our <HI>&V;nion with Chri&s;t,</HI> the <HI>Gifts</HI> and <HI>Operations</HI> of the <HI>Spirit,</HI> which &s;ome vent as pure My|&s;teries and Di&s;coveries of Truth, and value them&s;elves for being the Authors or Main|tainers of them, that came all from the &s;ame Forge, or are Emanations from the &s;ame corrupt Fountain of <HI>Sociniani&s;me.</HI></P>
<P>We have as I &s;uppo&s;e &s;ufficiently demon|&s;trated the Truth of what we before ob|&s;erved, concerning the <HI>Pronene&s;s</HI> and <HI>Readi|ne&s;s of Mankind to relinqui&s;h and fall off from the My&s;tery and Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, after it hath been declared unto them, and received by them.</HI> Withall we have &s;tated the Matter of Fact, namely, That &s;uch a <HI>Defection</HI> there hath been, and is in the world at this day; the Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es whereof we are now to enquire into. Onely I mu&s;t premi&s;e, That the principal In&s;tance de&s;igned, and which is among our &s;elves, I have referred to an e&s;pecial Con&s;ideration by it &s;elf, wherein we &s;hall enquire into the e&s;pecial Rea&s;ons of it, which are &s;uperadded unto tho&s;e more general, which equally re&s;pect Apo&s;ta&s;ies of this kind.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="169" REF="96">
<HEAD>CHAP. IV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">The Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth or Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, and the Inclination of all &s;orts of Per&s;ons thereun|to in all Ages, enquired into and declared. &V;ncured Enmity in the Minds of many again&s;t Spiritual Things, and the Effects of it in a wicked Conver&s;ation, the fir&s;t Cau&s;e of Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P>FOR an Entrance into the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e, I &s;hall lay down that Principle which I pre&s;ume all men will give their a&s;&s;ent unto; namely, <HI>That a Defection from the Truth of the Go&s;pel once profe&s;&s;ed, is a &s;in of the highe&s;t Guilt, and that which will i&s;&s;ue in the mo&s;t pernicious Events.</HI> God him&s;elf did frequently com|plain by his Prophets of Old, that his Peo|ple <HI>had for&s;aken him,</HI> and were gone away from him; that is, the Doctrine and In&s;ti|tutions of his Law, the onely Means of Conjunction and Communion between him and them. <HI>Deut.</HI> 28. 20. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 8. 8. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI>
<PB N="170" REF="97"> 34. 25. <HI>Jerem.</HI> 5. 7. 19. <HI>Chap.</HI> 16. 11. To convince them of their horrible Folly and Iniquity herein, he demands of them, <HI>What Iniquity they had &s;een in him, what Inequali|ty in his Wayes, what Di&s;appointments they had met withall, that they &s;hould grow weary of his Laws and Wor&s;hip,</HI> &s;o as to relinqui&s;h them for &s;uch things and wayes as would end in their their Temporal and Eternal Ruine, <HI>Jer.</HI> 2. 5. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18. 25. For if there were nothing in them whereof they had cau&s;e to complain, if they were all Holy Ju&s;t and Good, if in the Ob&s;ervance of them there was great Reward, if by them God did them Good and not Evil all their dayes, there was <HI>no Apology</HI> or Excu&s;e to be made for their Folly and Ingratitude. That &s;o it was with them, that their De|fection from the Law and In&s;titutions of God, was the highe&s;t Folly and greate&s;t Wickedne&s;s imaginable, is by all acknow|ledged; yea it will be &s;o by them who at the &s;ame time are under a greater Guilt of the &s;ame kind. For the Judgements of men are oft-times &s;o bribed by their pre|&s;ent Intere&s;ts, or corrupted by the Power of depraved Affections, as to ju&s;tifie them|&s;elves in wor&s;er Evils than tho&s;e which they condemn in others.</P>
<PB N="171" REF="97">
<P> But as it was with the People of Old, &s;o it is at pre&s;ent with them who decline from the <HI>My&s;teries</HI> or renounce the <HI>Doctrines</HI> of the Go&s;pel, after they have been received and profe&s;&s;ed by them, or have done &s;o at any time. Yea, their Guilt hath greater Aggravations than accompanyed the Ido|latrous Revolts of the <HI>Jews</HI> of Old. For the Go&s;pel is a clearer Revelation of God, and much more Glorious than that which was made by the Law. There is therefore no Rea&s;on to be taken from it &s;elf, why men &s;hould de&s;ert it, either in its Doctrines and Precepts, or the Wor&s;hip which it doth require. Nothing can be charged on the Go&s;pel, nothing on any thing contained in it or produced by it, which &s;hould counte|nance any in a Defection from them. It is in it &s;elf a ble&s;&s;ed Emanation from the Eter|nal Fountain of Wi&s;dom and Truth; and hath more Impre&s;&s;ions and Characters upon it of Divine Excellencies, than the whole Creation be&s;ides. Neither hath it any pro|per Operations or Effects on the Souls of Men, but what are Means and Cau&s;es of deliverance from their Original Apo&s;ta&s;ie from God, with all the Evil that en&s;ued thereon, which is all that is evil. For the Recovery of lo&s;t Mankind from a &s;tate of
<PB N="172" REF="98"> Darkne&s;s, Bondage and Mi&s;ery, into that of Liberty Light and Peace, the pre&s;ent Favour and future Enjoyment of God, with Order and mutual U&s;efulne&s;s in this World while&s;t they continue therein, is the great and immediate De&s;ign of the Truths of the Go&s;pel. Neither is there any thing that is truely good, holy, ju&s;t, benign or u&s;efull among men, but what is influenced by them, and derived from them. Some there have been indeed, (perhaps in all Ages,) who pretending unto the Liberty of it, have really been Servants of Corruption, and have turned the Grace of God into La&s;civiou&s;ne&s;s. And &s;ome have charged the principal Doctrines of it, as tho&s;e which give men a Di&s;charge from a Nece&s;&s;ity of holy Obedience, and the utmo&s;t u&s;e of their own Endeavours therein. And there are tho&s;e who being given up to Sen&s;uali|ty of Life, living under the Power of Dark|ne&s;s in the pur&s;uit of &s;ecular Ends, who have no other thoughts of it but what the Devils in the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed Man had of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that it comes to <HI>torment them before their time.</HI> And there are not wanting &s;ome who fear no Evil but from the Go&s;pel; who &s;uppo&s;e, that the Minds of all men would be &s;erene and peaceable,
<PB N="173" REF="98"> that all things would be quiet, flouri&s;hing and orderly in the World, if the Go&s;pel were out of it. For whatever Di&s;turbances men make them&s;elves, in Envy, Wrath, Malice, Per&s;ecution of others, the Guilt and Blame of them &s;hall be charged on the Go&s;pel it &s;elf. And it is notoriou&s;ly known how a fal&s;e pretence of &s;ome Grants made in, and Appointments &s;ettled by the Go|&s;pel, hath been made u&s;e of, to counte|nance &s;ome &s;orts of men in the crafty Ac|qui&s;ition, and violent Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of worldly Power Grandeur and Wealth, venting them&s;elves in Ambition, Cruelty, Luxury and Pride of Life. But the Iniquity and Folly of all the&s;e Abominations, cur&s;ed Ar|tifices of the Father of Lies and Fountain of Malice, &s;hall be (if God will) el&s;ewhere di&s;covered. At pre&s;ent I &s;hall take it for granted, that in it &s;elf it is a glorious Re|pre&s;entation of Divine Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, Grace and Love; neither doth it produce any Effects but whereof God is the imme|diate Author, and will be the everla&s;ting Rewarder. Wherefore the Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the part of the Go&s;pel under pre&s;ent Con&s;ideration, that is, the <HI>My&s;teries</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> of its Doctrine, mu&s;t be &s;earched for in the <HI>Minds</HI> of them
<PB N="174" REF="99"> by whom it is for&s;aken, with the exter|nal Furtherances that doe accompany them.</P>
<P>It is not unnece&s;&s;ary &s;uch an Enquiry &s;hould be engaged into. For things are in that Po&s;ture and Condition in the Chri&s;ti|an World in this pre&s;ent Age, that if it &s;hould be &s;uppo&s;ed, that the Lives of pro|fe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians do make a due Repre&s;en|tation of the Go&s;pel, that the Generality of men were led and influenced into that cour&s;e of Life and Conver&s;ation which they openly pur&s;ue, by the Doctrines and Prin|ciples of it, it could &s;carce &s;tand in com|petition with <HI>Heatheni&s;h Philo&s;ophy,</HI> for U&s;e|fulne&s;s unto the Glory of God, and the Good or Advantage of Mankind. It is not therefore the Go&s;pel, but it is Apo|&s;ta&s;ie from it which hath produced &s;o ma|ny deplorable Effects in the World, and which by drenching Mankind in Wicked|ne&s;s make way for their Mi&s;ery and Ruine. And this in the Vindication of the Go&s;pel will be made in &s;ome mea&s;ure to appear, in the di&s;covery of the Cau&s;es and Rea&s;ons of this Apo&s;ta&s;ie. For let men pretend what they plea&s;e, unle&s;s they have fir&s;t for&s;a|ken the Go&s;pel in their Hearts and Minds, they would not, they could not for&s;ake all
<PB N="175" REF="99"> Rules of <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Morality</HI> al&s;o in their Lives.</P>
<P>Again, the <HI>Prevalency</HI> of this Defection is &s;o great, and the <HI>Neglect</HI> of Men (either intent on their private Occa&s;ions De&s;ires and Intere&s;ts, or captivated under the Power of it, unto the Approbation of the greate&s;t and mo&s;t dangerous Evils) &s;o vi|&s;ible and &s;hamefull, as that every &s;incere Attempt to warn them of their Danger, to excite them unto their Duty, or direct them in its Performance, whereby the pro|gre&s;s of this Product of the Councels of Hell may be ob&s;tructed, and them&s;elves de|feated, ought to have a candid Recepti|on of all tho&s;e who have a due regard un|to the Intere&s;t of Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel in the World, or the everla&s;ting Concern|ments of their own Souls.</P>
<P>The&s;e are the general Ends which are aimed at in the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;es. And if any one of greater Abilities for this work, &s;hall be hereby provoked, or take occa&s;ion from hence to make a more dili|gent Enquiry into the Cau&s;es and Rea&s;ons of that Defection from the Glory and Power of Chri&s;tian Religion which pre|vails in the world, and &s;hall thereon pre|&s;cribe more &s;uitable and effectual Reme|dyes
<PB N="176" REF="100"> for the Healing of this <HI>Epidemical</HI> Di&s;temper, I &s;hall re&s;t abundantly &s;atis|fied in the Succe&s;s of this Attempt and E&s;&s;ay. And the Rea&s;ons which pre&s;ent them&s;elves to my thoughts are the&s;e that follow.</P>
<P>That <HI>rooted Enmity</HI> which is in the Minds of men by Nature unto <HI>Spiritual</HI> things, abiding uncured under the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, is the Original and fir&s;t Spring of this Apo&s;ta&s;ie. So the Apo&s;tle tells us, that the <HI>carnal Mind is Enmity again&s;t God, Rom.</HI> 8. 7. that is, unto the Revelation of the Will and Mind of God in Chri&s;t, with the Obedience which he requireth there|unto; For of the&s;e things doth he there di&s;cour&s;e. The Nature of this Enmity, and how it operateth on the Minds of men, I have el&s;ewhere declared at large, and &s;hall not here again in&s;i&s;t upon them. It is &s;ufficient unto our pre&s;ent Purpo&s;e, that men on various Accounts may take upon them the Profe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>Truths</HI> of the Go&s;pel, while&s;t this <HI>Enmity</HI> unto Spiritual things abides uncured, yea Predominant in their Minds. So was it with them of whom the Apo&s;tle complains, that under their Profe&s;&s;ion they manife&s;ted them&s;elves by their wicked Lives, <HI>to be Enemies of the</HI>
<PB N="177" REF="100"> <HI>Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t, Phil.</HI> 3. 18. As tho&s;e al&s;o who profe&s;&s;ing <HI>that they know God, do yet in Works deny him, being abominable and di&s;obedient, and to every good work repro|bate, Tit.</HI> 1. 16.</P>
<P>Thus upon the fir&s;t Preaching of the Go&s;pel many were convinced of its Truth, and took upon them its Profe&s;&s;ion, merely on the Account of the <HI>Miracles</HI> that were wrought in its Confirmation, who&s;e Hearts and Minds were not in the lea&s;t reconciled unto the things contained in it; See <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 23, 24. <HI>Act.</HI> 8. 13.</P>
<P>Some are &s;o far prevailed with as to ac|knowledge its Truth, by the Efficacy of its Di&s;pen&s;ation as an Ordinance of God for their Conviction and In&s;truction, and yet not part with their Enmity again&s;t it. Thus <HI>John</HI> was among the <HI>Jews</HI> as a <HI>burning and &s;hining Light,</HI> and they rejoyced for a &s;ea&s;on in his Mini&s;try, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 35. in&s;omuch as the Body of the People were initiated into his Doctrine by the Token and Pledge of it in <HI>Bapti&s;me, Matth.</HI> 3. 5, 6. But though all of them confe&s;&s;ed their &s;ins according to his Direction, very few for&s;ook them ac|cording to their Duty.</P>
<P>When both the&s;e concurred, Preaching and Miracles in an eminent manner, as when
<PB N="178" REF="101"> our Saviour Preached on his feeding <HI>five thou&s;and with five Barley Loaves and two &s;mall Fi&s;hes,</HI> being prepared in their Minds by the Miracle they &s;aw, they were &s;o af|fected with his Doctrine about the <HI>Bread of Life that came down from Heaven,</HI> that they cryed out, <HI>Lord give us evermore of this Bread; Joh.</HI> 6. 34. But their Natural <HI>Enmity</HI> unto Spiritual things being yet un|cured, upon his procedure to in&s;truct them in Heavenly My&s;teries they put in <HI>Excepti|ons</HI> to his Doctrine, <HI>ver.</HI> 41, 52, 60. and immediately for&s;ook both Him and It; <HI>ver.</HI> 66. And our Saviour a&s;&s;igns the Rea&s;on of their Defection to have been their <HI>&V;n|belief,</HI> and that it <HI>was not given unto them of the Father to come unto him;</HI> ver. 64, 65. or the Enmity of their carnal Minds was yet unremoved. Hence what they e&s;teem|ed an hard and unintelligible &s;aying, <HI>ver.</HI> 52, 60. his <HI>true Di&s;ciples</HI> under&s;tood to be the words of <HI>Eternal Life,</HI> ver. 68.</P>
<P>In proce&s;s of time many are prepo&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Notions of the Truth of the Go&s;pel in their Education, by the outward Means of In&s;truction that have been applyed unto them. But yet notwith&s;tanding this Advan|tage, they may &s;till abide under the Power of this depravation of their Minds.</P>
<PB N="179" REF="101">
<P> <HI>Evangelical Truths</HI> being by the&s;e or the like Means entertained in the Minds of men, which are al&s;o variou&s;ly affected with them, they will move and act towards their proper End and De&s;ign. And hereof there are three parts.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) To take off the <HI>Soul</HI> of Man from <HI>Re&s;t and Satisfaction in it &s;elf,</HI> as unto pre&s;ent Peace in the Condition wherein it is, and Hope of future Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s by its own En|deavours. For neither of the&s;e are we ca|pable of in our depraved Apo&s;tate &s;tate. Wherefore the fir&s;t Work of the Go&s;pel is to influence, guide, and direct the Minds of men to renounce them&s;elves as to the&s;e Ends, and to &s;eek after Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Life, Peace and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">(2) The <HI>Renovation of our Minds, Wills</HI> and <HI>Affections</HI> into the <HI>Image or likene&s;s of God,</HI> is another part of its De&s;ign. And this it doth by pre&s;enting <HI>&s;piritual</HI> things unto us, in that Light and Evidence, with that Power and Efficacy, as to transform us into their <HI>likene&s;s,</HI> or to bring the &s;ub|&s;tantial <HI>Image</HI> of them upon our whole Souls, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 24. <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 10.</P>
<P N="3">(3) It <HI>engageth</HI> the <HI>whole Soul</HI> in all its Powers and Faculties, through the whole cour&s;e of its Activity, or in all it doth, to
<PB N="180" REF="102"> <HI>live unto God</HI> in all holy Obedience, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 1.</P>
<P>But when this work, or any part of it is urged on the Con&s;ciences and Practice of men, they like it not in any mea&s;ure. The uncured <HI>Enmity</HI> whereof we &s;peak, ri&s;eth up in Oppo&s;ition unto them all. It begins to &s;uppo&s;e that it hath admitted a trouble&s;ome <HI>In-mate,</HI> that came in as it were to <HI>&s;ojourn,</HI> and will now be a <HI>Judge.</HI> While&s;t the Mind is exercis'd onely about the Notions of Truth in Speculation and Rea&s;onings, it is &s;atisfied and plea&s;ed with them. Yea it will come unto a Complyance with its Guidance in <HI>&s;undry things</HI> and Duties which it may perform, and yet abide upon its old Foundations of <HI>&s;elf-&s;ufficiency</HI> and <HI>&s;atisfaction, Mark</HI> 6. 20. But when in pur&s;uit of the Ends before mentioned, the Go&s;pel pre&s;&s;eth to take men off wholly from their Old Foundations and Principles of Nature, to work them unto an univer|&s;al Change in Powers, Facultyes, Opera|tions and Ends, to make them <HI>New Crea|tures,</HI> it proves irk&s;ome unto that <HI>Enmity</HI> which is predominant in them, which therefore &s;tirreth up all the Lu&s;ts of the Mind and the Fle&s;h, all the deceitful Po|licies of the <HI>Old Man</HI> and Powers of Sin,
<PB N="181" REF="102"> all carnal and unmortified Affections in oppo&s;ition unto it. Hence Spiritual Truths are fir&s;t <HI>neglected,</HI> then <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> and at la&s;t on ea&s;ie terms <HI>parted withall.</HI></P>
<P>For men by Conviction, and on Ratio+nal Grounds or Motives, whether <HI>natural</HI> or <HI>&s;piritual</HI> may receive that as Truth, and give an A&s;&s;ent unto it, which when it &s;hould be reduced unto Practice, the Will and Affections will not comply withall. So it is &s;aid of &s;ome, that <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 28. <HI>It liked them not,</HI> It plea&s;ed them not, they approved not of it, to <HI>hold,</HI> retain, or keep <HI>God in their knowledge;</HI> or to continue in that Acknow|ledgement of him whereof they were con|vinced. The in-bred Notions which they had by the Light of Nature, with their Con&s;ideration of the works of Creation and Providence, gave them Conceptions and Apprehen&s;ions of the <HI>Being</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of God, <HI>ver.</HI> 19, 20. Hereby they are &s;aid to <HI>know God,</HI> as they did with re&s;pect to the things mentioned, that is, the E&s;&s;en|tial Properties of his Nature, <HI>his eternal Power and Godhead; ver.</HI> 21. This Know|ledge, the&s;e Notions and Conceptions, did immediately direct them <HI>to glorifie him as God</HI> in holy Wor&s;hip and Obedience, as
<PB N="182" REF="103"> it is expre&s;&s;ed in the &s;ame Ver&s;e. But this, through the Depravation of their Minds and Affections <HI>they liked not,</HI> and therefore would not retain this Knowledge of him, but gave them&s;elves up unto all abomi|nable Idolatries and bruti&s;h Lu&s;ts which were incon&s;i&s;tent therewithall, as the Apo|&s;tle at large declares. Wherefore even as unto Divine things that are conveyed un|to us by Natural Light, and &s;uch as is un|avoydable unto all Mankind, the Will, the Affections, and the practical Under|&s;tanding, are more <HI>vitiated</HI> and <HI>corrupted</HI> than are the Preceptive and Directive Pow|ers of the Mind. And hence it was that all the World who had nothing to con|duct them but the Light of Nature, Apo|&s;tatized from its Guidance, and lived in contrariety unto it. They were all <HI>Rebels</HI> again&s;t that Light which they had, and &s;o will all Mankind be without the e&s;pecial Grace of God.</P>
<P>It is &s;o al&s;o with re&s;pect unto Truths communicated by <HI>&s;upernatural Revelation.</HI> It is given as the Character of tho&s;e who were to carry on the <HI>great Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the My&s;teries and Wor&s;hip of the Go&s;pel, that they <HI>received not the Love of the Truth that they might be &s;aved,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 10.
<PB N="183" REF="103"> The <HI>Truth</HI> it &s;elf as to the Profe&s;&s;ion of it they did receive and own for a time. But &s;uch an Approbation of it, &s;uch a Love un|to it as &s;hould encline them unto Obedi|ence or the improvement of it unto its proper Ends, that &s;o they might be &s;aved, they neither had nor endeavoured after. This made them prone on all Occa&s;ions and Temptations to forgoe and relinqui&s;h the Profe&s;&s;ion of it, to change it for the vile&s;t Errors and gro&s;&s;e&s;t Super&s;titions. For in &s;uch a po&s;ture of Mind, mens Corrupti|ons will prevail again&s;t their Convictions. Fir&s;t they will &s;tifle the Truth as to its Operations, and then reject it as to its Profe&s;&s;ion. Let other Notions be propo|&s;ed unto them, more &s;uited unto the Vani|ty of their Minds or the Sen&s;uality of their Affections, and they will not fail of a ready entertainment.</P>
<P>There are In&s;tances among all &s;orts of men, how when they have imbibed <HI>Per|&s;wa&s;ions</HI> and <HI>Opinions,</HI> even &s;uch as are Fal&s;e vain and fooli&s;h, and have them riveted in their Minds by powerfull Intere&s;ts or inveterate Prejudices, neither the Evidence of Truth, nor the Fear of Danger can pre|vail with them for their Renunciation or Relinqui&s;hment. All fal&s;e wayes in Chri|&s;tianity,
<PB N="184" REF="104"> and that of <HI>Mahumeti&s;me,</HI> give us Examples hereof. But we have two gene|ral In&s;tances of it, that may well fill the Minds of men with A&s;toni&s;hment: The fir&s;t is of the <HI>Jews,</HI> who for &s;o many &s;ucce&s;&s;ive Generations, under all manner of Difficul|ties and Calamities, continue ob&s;tinate in the mo&s;t irrational Unbelief, and Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Faith of <HI>Abraham</HI> their Forefather, and the Expectation of all their Ance&s;tors, that can enter into the Heart of any man to imagine. For many Generations tho&s;e who from among them have been &s;o con|vinced of their Folly, as really and &s;in|cerely to embrace the Go&s;pel, do &s;carce an&s;wer one unto a <HI>Century</HI> of years. The other is in the Church of <HI>Rome.</HI> It is known how that Communion aboundeth with men otherwi&s;e <HI>wi&s;e</HI> and <HI>learned,</HI> what Kings and Rulers of the Earth do adhere thereunto. And this they continue to doe, and will do &s;o, notwith&s;tanding that the Errors, Impieties, Super&s;titions and Idola|tries of that Church are &s;o many and &s;o manife&s;t. Other In&s;tances there are &s;uffi|ciently pregnant to evince, that no Opi|nions in Religion can be &s;o fooli&s;h or con|temptible, but that &s;ome will be found pertinaciou&s;ly to adhere unto them again&s;t
<PB N="185" REF="104"> all Endeavours for their Relief, either in the way of God by Rational and Spiritual <HI>Convictions,</HI> or in the Way of the World by <HI>Per&s;ecution.</HI></P>
<P>It may be more may and will be found to be Ob&s;tinate in <HI>Error</HI> upon Trials with Difficulties, Dangers, and Oppo&s;itions, than on the like Trials be con&s;tant in the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of <HI>the Truth;</HI> I mean among them who together with its <HI>external</HI> Profe&s;&s;ion have not received its <HI>internal</HI> Power and Efficacy, with the Love of it in their Hearts. For both &s;orts receive their Notions and Apprehen&s;ions of things in the &s;ame Way, and on the &s;ame Grounds of appearing Rea|&s;ons, though the Under&s;tanding be impo|&s;ed on and deceived in the one and not in the other. But Error once received under the Notion of Truth, takes firmer Root in the carnal Minds of Men, than Truth doth or can, while&s;t their Minds are &s;o carnal. And the Rea&s;on of it is, becau&s;e all <HI>Error</HI> is &s;ome way &s;uited unto the Mind as thus depraved, and there is nothing in it that is Enmity thereunto. Neither in it &s;elf nor any of its Effects doth the Mind di&s;like it; for being fallen off from the fir&s;t Truth and Goodne&s;s, it wanders and delights to wander in crooked or by-paths
<PB N="186" REF="105"> of its own. For <HI>God made Man upright, but they have &s;ought out many Inventions, Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 29. The&s;e it plea&s;eth it &s;elf withall, and is conformed unto. For there is &s;omewhat in every Error to recommend it &s;elf unto the Vanity or Curio&s;ity, or Pride, or Super|&s;tition of the carnal Mind. But it is other|wi&s;e with Evangelical Truths, which the Mind di&s;reli&s;heth, becau&s;e of its innate En|mity unto the things which they propo&s;e and exhibit. Hence it is ea&s;ier for the mo&s;t part to draw off a thou&s;and from the Profe&s;&s;ion of it, who have no Experience of its <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Efficacy</HI> in their Souls, than to turn one from an Erroneous way, e&s;pe|cially if he be confirmed in it by Intere&s;t and Prejudice. And &s;o it is at pre&s;ent in the World. Every &s;ort or party of fal&s;e Profe&s;&s;ors, as <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> and others, do carry off multitudes of common Profe&s;&s;ors from the Truth which they had owned, but &s;eldom do we hear of any one recovered from their Snares. Nor need any Seducers de&s;ire a greater Advantage, than to have admittance unto their work where Per&s;ons live in an outward Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, and inward Enmity unto it. They &s;hall be filled with Pro&s;elytes unto &s;atiety.</P>
<P>This was the fundamental Cau&s;e of that
<PB N="187" REF="105"> Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Doctrine and Truths of the Go&s;pel, which had prevailed in al|mo&s;t the whole vi&s;ible Church. Had the Generality of men received the Truth <HI>in the Love</HI> thereof, had they not had a &s;ecret Enmity in their Hearts and Minds again&s;t it, had not things vain curious and &s;uper|&s;titious been &s;uited unto the prevailing Principles of their Minds and Affections, they would not, they could not upon any Sugge&s;tions or Temptations, &s;o ea&s;ily, &s;o univer&s;ally have for&s;aken the Go&s;pel for the Traditions of Men, nor gone away from Chri&s;t to follow after Antichri&s;t, as we know them to have done. But when an <HI>external Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the Truth became to be tran&s;mitted from one Generation to another, the <HI>Spirit and Power</HI> of it being wholly neglected, men did but wait for Opportunities gradually to part with it, and give it up for any thing el&s;e that was &s;ugge&s;ted unto them; many in the mean time &s;etting their Wits on work to find out Inventions &s;uited to their Lu&s;ts and corrupt Affections. That it was thus with them who were carried away with the great Apo&s;ta&s;ie, that they did by all out|ward wayes and means in their Lives and Conver&s;ations manife&s;t that &s;o it was with
<PB N="188" REF="106"> them, &s;hall be afterwards declared. And had it not been &s;o with them, the Event complained of had not en&s;ued.</P>
<P>And herein lyes the pre&s;ent danger of the Per&s;ons, Churches and Nations, which at this day make Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel. For if a pre&s;&s;ing Trial, or vigorous Temp|tation, if a Coincidence of various wayes and Means of Seduction do befall them who have <HI>received the Truth</HI> but not in the Love and Power of it, they will be hard|ly pre&s;erved from a general Apo&s;ta&s;ie. For when any Attempts &s;hall be made from without upon them, they have Treachery from the Deceitfulne&s;s of their own Hearts at the &s;ame time working in them. For their <HI>uncured Enmity</HI> again&s;t the Truth doth but watch for an Opportunity to part with it, and reject it. Any thing that will but free them from the Efficacy of tho&s;e Convictions, or Power of the Traditions under which they are held captive unto the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, as it were whether they will no, &s;hall be chearfully embraced and complyed withall. And the Danger hereof doth &s;ufficiently evidence it &s;elf in that open di&s;like of the Rule and Conduct of the Truth, which mo&s;t men te&s;tifie in the whole Cour&s;e of their Lives.</P>
<PB N="189" REF="106">
<P> It is plain therefore, that unle&s;s this <HI>En|mity</HI> be conquered or ca&s;t out of the Mind, unle&s;s the Mind be freed from its corrupt Agency and Effects, unle&s;s the Truth ob|tain its real Power and Efficacy upon the Soul, unle&s;s it be <HI>&s;o learned as it is in Je&s;us,</HI> whereby men put off concerning the for|mer Conver&s;ation the <HI>Old Man which is corrupt according unto deceitfull lu&s;ts,</HI> and be <HI>renewed in the &s;pirit of</HI> their <HI>Minds,</HI> put|ting on that <HI>New Man which after God is created in Righteou&s;ne&s;s and true Holine&s;s;</HI> unle&s;s they love and value it for the Effects of &s;piritual Peace Power and Liberty which it produceth in them, there will be found among them little Con&s;tancy or Per|&s;everance in their Profe&s;&s;ion, when Tem|ptations &s;hall concurre with Opportuni|ties for a Revolt. For who can give &s;e|curity that what hath formerly fallen out among&s;t the Generality of Mankind, &s;hall not in any place do &s;o again, where the &s;ame Cau&s;es of it do again concurre.</P>
<P>Having di&s;covered this <HI>fir&s;t Cau&s;e of De|fection</HI> from the Go&s;pel, we may ea&s;ily di&s;cern what are the onely true effectual Wayes and Means of the Pre&s;ervation and Continuance of the true Religion in any place or among any People where it hath
<PB N="190" REF="107"> been profe&s;&s;ed, e&s;pecially if Temptations unto a Revolt &s;hould abound, and the Sea&s;on be made perillous by advantagious Opportunities: Love of the Truth and Experience of its Power in the Hearts of men will produce this Effect, and nothing el&s;e. All other Means where the&s;e have been wanting have failed in all places in the World, and will do &s;o again when a time of Trial &s;hall come. True Religion may be e&s;tabli&s;hed by Law, countenanced by Authority, have a Pre&s;cription of a long Profe&s;&s;ion, or be on other accounts &s;o fixed on the Minds of men, as that multitudes &s;hall promi&s;e the firme&s;t Stabi|lity in the Profe&s;&s;ion thereof. But there is no Security in things of this Nature; and we &s;hall quickly &s;ee all the Hopes that are built upon them vani&s;h into nothing. Convictions or Traditions unto who&s;e Power a &s;ecret <HI>Enmity</HI> is retained, may make a blu&s;ter and Noy&s;e for a &s;ea&s;on, but every breath of Temptation will carry them away before it. Were it not &s;o with the mo&s;t of men, had it been po&s;&s;ible that &s;o many Nations in le&s;s than an <HI>Age</HI> &s;hould fall into <HI>Ariani&s;me,</HI> after the Truth had been &s;o long known and profe&s;&s;ed among them; or that the Body of this Nation
<PB N="191" REF="107"> after a ble&s;&s;ed Reformation &s;hould again relap&s;e into <HI>Popery,</HI> as in the dayes of <HI>Queen Mary,</HI> when many who had profe&s;&s;ed the Go&s;pel, ca&s;t others into Flames who con|tinued &s;o to doe.</P>
<P>It is greatly complained of, that <HI>Popery</HI> doth encrea&s;e in this Nation, and &s;ome ex|pre&s;s their Fears of its farther prevalency, and that perhaps not without Cau&s;e. And although there are &s;everal other wayes whereby men may and do <HI>apo&s;tatize</HI> from the Truth, yet all tho&s;e who take any other mea&s;ure of things, be&s;ides their own Secular Intere&s;ts, with the corrupt Affecti|ons of their Minds, in Wrath, Envy, and Revenge, do look on this as far the mo&s;t dangerous, as that which will be mo&s;t com|pliant with the predominant Lu&s;ts of the pre&s;ent Age, and mo&s;t comprehen&s;ive to receive the Community of Men. Be&s;ides, by what it hath done formerly, it &s;uffici|ently in&s;tructs what it is like enough to doe agian. Wherefore very many indu&s;tri|ou&s;ly attempt its prevention, as that which would prove (if it &s;hould prevail) deplo|rably ruinous unto the Nation and their Po&s;terity therein. To this end &s;ome im|plore the Aid of Authority for the enact|ing of <HI>&s;evere Laws</HI> for the prohibition of it.
<PB N="192" REF="108"> This, according to the Opinion of late Ages, &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e the mo&s;t effectual Means for the pre&s;ervation of the Truth. For if they can but de&s;troy all that are otherwi&s;e-minded, the <HI>re&s;t of Mankind</HI> will have the face of Peace unto them who are advantaged thereby. Some write <HI>Books</HI> in the Confutation of the Errors of it, and that to very good Purpo&s;e. But in the mean time, (if there be any thing of Truth in Reports) the work is as effectually pro|gre&s;&s;ive as if no Oppo&s;ition had been made unto it. And we may a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves, that the&s;e and &s;uch like Means as the&s;e, if they are alone, will never keep <HI>Popery</HI> out of <HI>England,</HI> if it &s;hould ever have an Ad|vantage and Opportunity for a Return, nor prevent the Entrance of any other fal&s;e way in Religion.</P>
<P>As for the U&s;e and Severity of <HI>Penal Laws,</HI> I meddle not with it, as that which is to be referred to the Wi&s;dom of our Go|vernours. But I mu&s;t needs &s;ay, it &s;eems not to be unto the Advantage of Truth, or at lea&s;t not unto the Reputation of them by whom it is profe&s;&s;ed, that they &s;hould no otherwi&s;e be able to pre&s;erve its &s;tation among&s;t men. Neither can it be Honoura|ble unto any Religion, that where it pre|tends
<PB N="193" REF="108"> unto all the Advantages and Rights of Truth, and in the real po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of all outward Emoluments and Supportments, yet that it cannot &s;ecure it &s;elf or main|tain its Profe&s;&s;ion without outward Force and Violence, things &s;o remote from the fir&s;t Introduction and planting of Truth in the World. But the&s;e things are not of our pre&s;ent Con&s;ideration. For the Confuta|tion of the Errors, Super&s;titions, and Ido|latrous practices of the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> in Books of Controver&s;ie, it is (no doubt) a work good, u&s;efull and nece&s;&s;ary in its kind. But when all is done, the&s;e things reach but a <HI>few,</HI> nor will many divert from other Occa&s;ions to the &s;erious con&s;iderati|on of them. Wherefore, &s;ome other way mu&s;t be fixed on and ingaged in, to &s;ecure the Truth and Intere&s;t of Prote&s;tant Reli|gion among us. And this is no other but the effectual Communication of the know|ledge of it unto the Minds, and the Im|plantation of the Power of it on the Hearts of the People. This is that alone which will root out of them that <HI>Enmity</HI> unto Evangelical My&s;teries and Spiritual things, which betrayes the Souls of men into Apo|&s;ta&s;ie.</P>
<P>Unle&s;s men know <HI>what</HI> they are to value
<PB N="194" REF="109"> Religion for, and <HI>what Benefit</HI> they really receive by its Profe&s;&s;ion, it is irrational to expect that they will be <HI>con&s;tant</HI> there|in when a trial &s;hall befall them. If once they come to &s;ay, It is <HI>in vain thus to &s;erve God,</HI> or <HI>what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances,</HI> they will ea&s;ily admit the Yoke of any Fal&s;hood or Super&s;tition, that pretends to gratifie them with greater Advantages. And at one time or other it will be no otherwi&s;e with them with whom this <HI>Enmity</HI> is predominant.</P>
<P>But on the other &s;ide, when God by the Go&s;pel &s;hines into the Hearts of men, <HI>to give them the Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> when they find their Con&s;ciences &s;et free thereby from the in|tolerable Yokes of Super&s;tition and Tradi|tion; and that by the Word of Truth which they do profe&s;s, they are begotten anew unto the Hope of Eternal Life, their <HI>inward Man</HI> being renewed, and their <HI>Lives</HI> Reformed thereby; that their Ex|pectation of a ble&s;&s;ed Immortality is well founded on it, and &s;afely re&s;olved into it; they will through the effectual Supplyes of the Spirit of Chri&s;t abide con&s;tant in the Profe&s;&s;ion of it, whatever may befall them.</P>
<PB N="195" REF="109">
<P> On the&s;e Terms, on the&s;e experienced Evidences of Truth and Goodne&s;s was the Go&s;pel fir&s;t entertained among men, and the Reformation of Religion fir&s;t intro|duced into this Nation. For although &s;undry other things concurred unto its Reception and E&s;tabli&s;hment, yet if the Minds of multitudes had not received an Experience of its Power and Efficacy unto the Ends mentioned, it would never have been of any Permanency among us. The mere outward Form of true Religion is not able to contend with that <HI>Appearance</HI> which Error and Super&s;tition will repre|&s;ent unto the Minds of Men, as knowing how much they &s;tand in need thereof.</P>
<P>The&s;e things I know are by &s;ome de|&s;pi&s;ed. They &s;uppo&s;e they have &s;urer Wayes, and better Expedients for the Pre|&s;ervation of the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel among&s;t us, than its own Power and Effi|cacy. What tho&s;e Wayes are we need not conjecture, &s;eeing them&s;elves declare them continually, but they &s;hall not be here &s;poken unto. But it is to be feared that they may be filled with the Fruit of their own Imaginations when tho&s;e things &s;hall fail them wherein they have placed their Confidence. Wherefore, if there be
<PB N="196" REF="110"> a Neglect about the&s;e things in the Mini&s;try, and others who&s;e Duty it is to promote them, the I&s;&s;ue will be &s;ad, it may be be|yond what is feared. For if the Body of the People be &s;uffered to live without any Evidence of an Acquaintance with the Power of that Truth which they do pro|fe&s;s, or any demon&s;trative Fruits of it in a holy Conver&s;ation, we may cry out, <HI>Popery, Popery,</HI> as long as we plea&s;e, when Temptations, Opportunities, and Intere&s;ts do concurre, their Profe&s;&s;ion will fall from them as dry leaves from a Tree when they are moved with the wind. The Apo|&s;tle tells us, that tho&s;e <HI>who went out from them were never of them,</HI> for if they had <HI>been of them</HI> they would <HI>have continued with them,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 19. They were <HI>among</HI> them by the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, or they could not have gone out <HI>from</HI> them. But they were <HI>never of them</HI> in the Partici|pation of the <HI>Power</HI> of the Truth, and <HI>Communion thereby with the Father and the Son;</HI> for if they had, they would have <HI>con|tinued</HI> with them, that is, &s;teadfa&s;t in their Profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>This is that which ought to be fixed on the Minds of all per&s;ons concerned, of all that are zealous for the Truth of the <HI>Pro|te&s;tant</HI>
<PB N="197" REF="110"> <HI>Religion,</HI> or are obliged, what lyes in them, to provide for its pre&s;ervation. When things are come unto the appointed Sea&s;on, when they are i&s;&s;uing in that Pe|riod which they have a natural tendency unto, all other Expedients and Devices will be of none Effect. A diligent Com|munication unto the Body of the People through the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word, or Preaching of it, the <HI>Power</HI> of the Truth they profe&s;s in all its ble&s;&s;ed Effects, where|on they will have an Experience and Wit|ne&s;s within them&s;elves, of the Rea&s;ons why they ought to abide <HI>con&s;tantly</HI> in its Profe&s;&s;ion, will alone &s;ecure the Conti|nuance of the Go&s;pel in &s;ucceeding Gene|rations. All other Means will be ineffectual unto that End; and &s;o far as without this they are or may be effectual, it will be of no advantage unto the Souls of men.</P>
<P>That there is a <HI>danger</HI> at all times of a Defection among profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians from the Truth, hath been before evinced. That this Danger at pre&s;ent hath many e&s;pecial Circum&s;tances rendring it dangerous in a peculiar manner, is in like manner acknow|ledged by all &s;uch as call the&s;e things into &s;erious con&s;ideration. And it will not (I pre&s;ume.) be denyed, but that every man
<PB N="198" REF="111"> according as he is called and warranted by e&s;pecial Duty, is obliged to his utmo&s;t Endeavours for the Prevention of a Revolt from the Truth. The whole Enquiry is, What is the be&s;t Way, Means, or Expedi|ent to be plyed unto this End. And this, I &s;ay, is onely by the diligent Mini&s;terial Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word, with &s;uch an exemplary Zeal and Holine&s;s in them by whom it is di&s;pen&s;ed, and all other things requi&s;ite unto the Di&s;charge of that work, as may reconcile the Hearts of the People unto <HI>Evangelical</HI> Truths, beget in them a <HI>delight</HI> in Obedience, and implant the <HI>Power</HI> of the Word in their whole Souls. Want hereof was that which lo&s;t the Go|&s;pel in former Ages, and will do &s;o where|ever it is, in this or tho&s;e which are to come. And I &s;hall not in my own thoughts blameably digre&s;s from my pre&s;ent Subject, if I confirm this Opinion with &s;ome few obvious Con&s;iderations. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. It is the Way, <HI>the onely Way</HI> which God hath <HI>ordained</HI> and which he <HI>ble&s;&s;eth</HI> to this End and Purpo&s;e. None will pre|tend, as I &s;uppo&s;e, that God hath appointed any other Way to bring men unto the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, but by the Preaching and Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word alone. When
<PB N="199" REF="111"> they are wrought upon or convinced there|by, &s;o as to give up them&s;elves unto the Profe&s;&s;ion of it, it will be hard to find an Ordinance of God of another kind for their Pre&s;ervation therein. When the Apo|&s;tle took his la&s;t Farewell of them who were converted by his Mini&s;try at <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> he <HI>commended them to the Word of Gods Grace, which</HI> (as he judged) <HI>was able to build them up, and give them an Inheritance among them that are &s;anctified,</HI> Acts 20. 32.</P>
<P>A man would think it were a more diffi|cult work to convert men from <HI>Judai&s;me,</HI> or <HI>Pagani&s;me,</HI> any fal&s;e Religion, unto the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, than to retain them in that Profe&s;&s;ion when they are initiated thereinto. For in that fir&s;t Work there are all &s;orts of Prejudices and Diffi|culties to be conflicted withall; and not the lea&s;t advantage from any acknow|ledged Principles of Truth. But as to the Pre&s;ervation of men in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth which they have received and owned, the Work on many Accounts &s;eems to be more expedite and ea&s;ie. If therefore the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word as it is Gods Ordinance unto that end, hath been a &s;ufficient and effectual Means for
<PB N="200" REF="112"> the <HI>former,</HI> what Rea&s;on can be a&s;&s;igned that it &s;hould not be &s;o for the <HI>latter</HI> al&s;o, without farther Force or Violence?</P>
<P>It will be &s;aid, that the fir&s;t Preachers of the Go&s;pel were furni&s;hed with <HI>extraordi|nary Gifts,</HI> whereby their Mini&s;try was ren|dred <HI>effectual</HI> unto the fir&s;t Conver&s;ion of the Nations. But whereas now tho&s;e Gifts do cea&s;e, the Efficacy of the Mini&s;try doth &s;o al&s;o, and therefore &s;tands in need of &s;uch <HI>outward</HI> A&s;&s;i&s;tances as the former did not. I &s;ay, for my part, I wi&s;h it all the A&s;&s;i&s;tance which tho&s;e unto whom it is committed can de&s;ire, &s;o that no Force be offered to the Con&s;ciences or Per&s;ons of other Men. But why &s;hall we not think that the <HI>ordi|nary Gifts</HI> of the Mini&s;try are as &s;ufficient for the <HI>ordinary Work</HI> of it, as the <HI>extra|ordinary</HI> were for that which was <HI>extraor|dinary?</HI> To &s;peak the truth, the Difference lyeth in <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> in the di&s;charge of their Duty, and not in the things, Gifts or Du|ties them&s;elves. Were all tho&s;e who are Called, or pro&s;e&s;s them&s;elves to be Called unto the Pre&s;ervation of the Truth of the Go&s;pel in the Work of the Mini&s;try, as con&s;cientiou&s;ly diligent in the di&s;charge of their Duty, as well fitted according to the Rules of the Go&s;pel with tho&s;e ordinary
<PB N="201" REF="112"> <HI>&s;piritual</HI> Gifts which are nece&s;&s;ary unto their Work and Calling; did as fully repre|&s;ent the De&s;ign and Nature of their Me&s;&s;age unto men in an holy Conver&s;ation, as tho&s;e fir&s;t appointed unto the Conver&s;ion of the Nations were, and did, according to their larger Mea&s;ures of Grace and Gifts; the Work would have a proportionate Suc|ce&s;s in their hands unto what it had in the Beginning. But while&s;t tho&s;e unto whom this Charge is committed, do neglect the U&s;e of this Means which is the Ordinance of God unto this purpo&s;e, that the Truths of the Go&s;pel be pre&s;erved among&s;t men, while&s;t either they judge that the princi|pal End of their Office is to capacitate them for Secular Advantages, and to give them outward Re&s;t therein, with the Enjoy|ment of tho&s;e things which unto the mo&s;t in this World &s;eem de&s;ireable, and there|withall think meet to betake them&s;elves unto other Expedients for the Pre&s;ervati|on of the Truth, which God hath not ap|pointed nor &s;anctified to that End, it is no wonder if Faith and Truth fail from among&s;t men.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> fore&s;aw that a Time would come, wherein &s;ome men would <HI>not endure endure &s;ound Doctrine, but after</HI>
<PB N="202" REF="113"> <HI>their own hearts lu&s;ts</HI> would <HI>heap up unto them&s;elves Teachers, having itching Ears,</HI> who &s;hould <HI>turn them away from the Truth, and turn them unto Fables;</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 3, 4. And we may &s;ee what Cour&s;e he pre&s;cribeth for the Prevention of this Evil, that it might not proceed unto a <HI>general Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> It mu&s;t al&s;o be ob&s;erved, that the Advice he gives in this Ca&s;e, though Originally directed unto one individual Per&s;on who was immediately concerned, yet it lyes in Charge on all that are or &s;hall be called unto the Rule of, or Mini&s;try in the Church. This Cour&s;e he propo&s;eth <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1, 2, 5. of that Chapter. <HI>I charge thee before God and the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall judge the quick and the dead, at his Appearing and his Kingdom, Preach the Word, be in&s;tant in &s;ea&s;on, out of &s;ea&s;on, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-&s;uffering and Doctrine, watch in all things, endure Afflictions, do the work of an Evangeli&s;t, make full proof of thy Mini&s;try.</HI> This is that Cour&s;e and Way which he pre&s;cribeth for the Pre&s;ervation of the Truth again&s;t the Corruptions of mens Minds and the Craft of Seducers. And the Charge of this Duty he giveth with &s;o great a Solemnity, and urgeth with &s;o many Motives emphatically expre&s;&s;ed, as
<PB N="203" REF="113"> manife&s;t of how great moment he conceived it to be.</P>
<P>Perhaps this way of the pre&s;ervation of the Truth, and the Salvation of the Souls of Men by continual <HI>labouring in the Word and Doctrine,</HI> with an undergoing of all tho&s;e Difficulties which attend it, is not e&s;teemed &s;o advi&s;eable as formerly. For what Good would mens Lives or Prefer|ments doe unto them, if they &s;hould be obliged thus to labour in this <HI>&s;weaty kind of Preaching?</HI> But if it be &s;o, they mu&s;t at one time or another be contented to part with the Truth and all the Advantages they have by the Profe&s;&s;ion of it. For let men turn them&s;elves which way they plea&s;e, let them traver&s;e their Methods, and mul|tiply their Councels to &s;ecure Religion ac|cording to their Apprehen&s;ion, however they may hereby chain their Idols as the Heathens did their Gods of Old, to pre|vent their departure from them, and fix a Profe&s;&s;ion of Lyes, the Truth of the Go|&s;pel as unto any u&s;efull End of it will be no otherwi&s;e pre&s;erved in a Nation, Church or People, but by this Means of Gods ap|pointment.</P>
<P N="2">2. This is &s;uch a Way and Expedient for the Pre&s;ervation of the Truth and the
<PB N="204" REF="114"> Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, as none can have the Impudence to complain of, or except again&s;t. There is in all places, among all &s;orts of Per&s;ons, a pretence of Zeal for the retaining of what they conceive to be the Truth, or Right in Religion. But the Wayes which for the mo&s;t part they have cho&s;en unto that purpo&s;e, have been full of Scandal unto <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion:</HI> So far from being Rational Means of pre&s;erving men in it, as that they are effectual to de|terre them from it. Such is that <HI>outward Force</HI> which hath been now tryed in this Nation, as el&s;ewhere by all &s;orts of Per&s;ons; and wi&s;e men may ea&s;ily ob&s;erve what it is arrived unto. In the mean time it is openly evident, that let the End aimed at be ne|ver &s;o Good, the Means u&s;ed for the attain|ing of it are accompanyed with much Evil. What peace or Satisfaction they have in them&s;elves who are the <HI>Pro&s;ecutors</HI> of this way, I know not. It is above my under|&s;tanding to apprehend that the Minds of any Chri&s;tians can be thoroughly at ea&s;e, rejoycing in God through Je&s;us Chri&s;t, while&s;t they cau&s;e others to be terrified, pur&s;ued, ruined and de&s;troyed, meerly for that which is their Faith and Hope in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. But I know not the Principles of
<PB N="205" REF="114"> the Minds of other men, the Make or Con|&s;titution of their Con&s;ciences, nor the Rules of their walking before God, much le&s;s their prevailing Prejudices and In|tere&s;ts that influence them beyond all evi|dence of Rea&s;on to the contrary; and therefore they may have a &s;atisfactory peace in this way, though I under&s;tand not how. On the other &s;ide, tho&s;e who are practi&s;ed upon, and forced to &s;uffer in this Cour&s;e of proceeding, are filled with <HI>Alienation</HI> from them and their profe&s;&s;ion by whom they &s;uffer. Hence it is known what mu|tual Animo&s;ities, Hatreds, Contentions, &s;e|vere Reflections and dreadfull Scandals this way is attended withall. We &s;ee at this day what Clamours and Conte&s;ts are rai&s;ed about it, what pleas are managed again&s;t &s;uch procedures, how uncouth it is unto Humane Nature, to &s;uffer all Extremities for that which men are fully per&s;waded they de&s;erve well in of Mankind; nor can any man give A&s;&s;urance, but that at one time or other the Wheat &s;hall be plucked up in&s;tead of Tares.</P>
<P>But as to the way now propo&s;ed, of pre&s;erving the Truth by the diligent, ef|fectual Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word of the Go&s;pel unto the generality of the People
<PB N="206" REF="115"> who can pretend a provocation by it, or take offence at it? <HI>No mortal man</HI> will be prejudiced by it in any thing that he dares own a Concernment in. The <HI>Devil</HI> indeed will be enraged at it, not onely as that which is de&s;igned unto the ruine of his Intere&s;t and Kingdom in the i&s;&s;ue, but as that wherein he hath no &s;hare, nor can in|terpo&s;e his Endeavours. For he is a Spirit as <HI>re&s;tle&s;s</HI> and <HI>active</HI> as he is <HI>malitious,</HI> and loves not to be excluded out of any Bu&s;i|ne&s;s that is on foot in the world. Where|fore although he equally hates the Truth in the Management of all men, yet in the way of <HI>pre&s;erving</HI> of it before mentioned, he can and doth &s;o apparently immix him|&s;elf and his effectual workings, that he is very well &s;atisfied with it; For what he may po&s;&s;ibly lo&s;e on the one hand in point of <HI>Truth,</HI> he gains ten times more on the other in the lo&s;s of <HI>Love, Peace, Holine&s;s,</HI> with all the Fruits of Goodne&s;s, Meekne&s;s and Benignity, which ought to be among men. And let him have but his hand ef|fectually in the promotion of this <HI>lo&s;s,</HI> and have the contrary Fruits to feed upon, he is little concerned with the Profe&s;&s;ion of Truth in this or that Way of Wor&s;hip among&s;t men. Be it therefore that he is
<PB N="207" REF="115"> or will be enraged at this way of <HI>pre&s;erv|ing</HI> the Truth, we know that the King|dom of Chri&s;t will be no otherwi&s;e main|tained in the world but by a Conque&s;t of his Rage. And for tho&s;e who mannage the &s;ame de&s;ign with him, their Wrath and Envy which they dare not manife&s;t, will but torment and con&s;ume them&s;elves.</P>
<P N="3">3. Setting a&s;ide &s;ome few In&s;tances of <HI>Violence</HI> and <HI>Blood</HI> con&s;uming the Per&s;ons of men, as among the <HI>Walden&s;es, Bohemians,</HI> and &s;ome others, which yet were never totally prevalent; and Revolutions of Go|vernment attended with the like Cruelties as in the dayes of <HI>Queen Mary</HI> in <HI>England,</HI> which was but of &s;hort continuance; no In&s;tance can be given of the Defection of any Church or Nation from the Truth, but where there was a neglect of implant|ing the <HI>power</HI> of the Go&s;pel on the Minds and Hearts of men by tho&s;e unto whom that Charge is committed. This &s;infull Neglect was that which con&s;tantly opened the Door unto all Apo&s;ta&s;ie. Wherefore, on this Foundation the weight of all u&s;e|full Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel among us doth depend. And if God will be plea&s;ed to put it into the Hearts of all them who are concerned in this Duty, to labour ef|fectually
<PB N="208" REF="116"> therein, and to give unto the People an Example of the <HI>power</HI> of the Go&s;pel, in their own holy humble u&s;efull fruitfull Conver&s;ation among them, and &s;hall be plea&s;ed moreover to furni&s;h them with the <HI>Gifts of his Spirit,</HI> enabling them unto a &s;ucce&s;&s;efull di&s;charge of their Duty, Evangelical Truth would certainly receive an unconquerable E&s;tabli&s;hment among us. And it may be it is not &s;uited unto the Exigence of this Sea&s;on, that any of tho&s;e who are called and enabled unto this work, being willing to engage their utmo&s;t in de|fence of the Truth, e&s;pecially in this way of its <HI>pre&s;ervation,</HI> by leavening the Minds of men with a &s;ence of its <HI>power</HI> and <HI>worth,</HI> &s;hould be prohibited the di&s;charge of their Duty. But the Purpo&s;es of God in all things mu&s;t &s;tand, and him&s;elf be humbly adored, where his <HI>Judgements are un&s;earch|able,</HI> and his <HI>Wayes pa&s;t finding out.</HI></P>
<P>Again, This innate and yet uncured <HI>En|mity</HI> unto things <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>heavenly</HI> be|comes a Cau&s;e and Means of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Truths of the Go&s;pel, by filling the Hearts of men with a <HI>Love of Sin,</HI> and their Lives with the Fruits of it in <HI>wicked Works.</HI> For men are <HI>alienated, and enemies in their minds</HI> in <HI>or</HI> by <HI>wicked works; Col.</HI> 1. 21.
<PB N="209" REF="116"> The Enmity which is in their Minds doth operate and manife&s;t it &s;elf in wicked works. And the Alienation wherewith this Enmity is accompanyed, is from <HI>the Life of God; Eph.</HI> 4. 18. <HI>Having the &V;nder&s;tand|ing darkened, being alienated from the Life of God;</HI> that is, the &s;piritual heavenly Life of Faith and Holine&s;s, which God requi|reth, and whereof he is the End and Ob|ject. Of this Life the Truths of the Go&s;pel are the Spring, Rule, and Mea&s;ure; See <HI>Act.</HI> 5. 20. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 24. Wherefore, when men are <HI>alienated from the Life of God,</HI> and through the Love of Sin are given up un|to <HI>wicked works,</HI> they cannot but &s;ecretly di&s;like and <HI>hate</HI> that Truth, that Spiritual and Heavenly Doctrine which is the <HI>Spring</HI> and <HI>Rule</HI> of Holine&s;s, and whereby both the <HI>Love of Sin</HI> and the Fruits of it in <HI>wic|ked Works,</HI> are everla&s;tingly condemned. Let then men pretend and profe&s;s what they plea&s;e, while&s;t this <HI>Enmity</HI> is in them as a predominant Principle of Sin and wic|ked Conver&s;ation, they are <HI>practically</HI> and <HI>really</HI> Enemies unto the Go&s;pel it &s;elf. And where any per&s;ons are &s;o, it is ea&s;ily ima|ginable, how ready and prone they will be to part with it on any Occa&s;ion. For none will retain that in their Minds which
<PB N="210" REF="117"> is <HI>u&s;ele&s;s</HI> to them, and <HI>trouble&s;ome</HI> unto their principal Inclinations, any longer than they have a fair Opportunity to part with it. That this Frame of Mind is an effectual Ob&s;truction unto the <HI>due receiving</HI> of the Go&s;pel, our Saviour expre&s;&s;ely de|clares, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 19, 20. <HI>This is the Condem|nation, that light is come into the World, and men loved darkne&s;s rather than light, be|cau&s;e their deeds were evil. For every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh unto the light, le&s;t his deeds &s;hould be re|proved.</HI> Wherever the <HI>power</HI> of Sin abi|deth, and men are engaged in the <HI>practice</HI> of it, &s;o as that their <HI>deeds are evil,</HI> they will not receive the Light of the Go&s;pel; that is, in its own Nature and Power, and for its proper Ends. And when they are by Conviction or any other Means wrought unto a complyance with it, yet they do it but <HI>partially</HI> and <HI>hypocritically,</HI> nor can do it otherwi&s;e while&s;t their deeds are Evil. So was it with them who are &s;aid to <HI>believe in Chri&s;t,</HI> being &s;ome way convinced of the Truth of his Doctrine, yet would they not <HI>confe&s;s him,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>they loved the prai&s;e of men more than the prai&s;e of God; Joh.</HI> 12. 42, 43. By the reigning Power of this one &s;in of ambitious Hypocri&s;ie, mo&s;t of
<PB N="211" REF="117"> them were kept off from any a&s;&s;ent unto the Go&s;pel, as our Saviour &s;peaks unto them, <HI>How can you believe which receive honour one of another, and &s;eek not the ho|nour which cometh from God only; Joh.</HI> 5. 44. With the re&s;idue who were not able wholly to with&s;tand their Convictions, it prevailed &s;o far as that they &s;hould not receive it <HI>&s;incerely</HI> but <HI>partially</HI> and hypo|critically. Now that which &s;o effectually keeps the mo&s;t from giving any <HI>Admi&s;&s;ion</HI> at all unto the Go&s;pel, and which &s;uffers none to receive it in a <HI>due Manner,</HI> will ea&s;ily prevail where it abides in its <HI>power</HI> unto a total Relinqui&s;hment of it when Oc|ca&s;ion is offered.</P>
<P>Seeing therefore that all tho&s;e who&s;e <HI>deeds are evil,</HI> who through the Enmity that is in their Minds do give up them|&s;elves in their Lives unto <HI>wicked Works,</HI> are really alienated from the Truths of the Go&s;pel, they are and will be ready at all times for a Defection from them. For be|ing kept under the Dominion of Sin, they have no real Benefit by them, but rather find them incon&s;i&s;tent with their principal Intere&s;ts and chiefe&s;t Joys.</P>
<P>Hence is that De&s;cription which the Apo&s;tle giveth of tho&s;e who were Evan|gelically
<PB N="212" REF="118"> converted unto God; <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 17, 18. <HI>God be thanked that you were the &s;ervants of Sin, but you have obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you; being then made free from Sin, ye became the &s;ervants of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> There is no Obedience from the Heart unto the Go&s;pel, no po&s;&s;ibility of being ca&s;t into the Mould of the Doctrine delivered in it, unle&s;s we be made free from the &s;ervice of Sin.</P>
<P>We may therefore without &s;cruple fix this as one principal Means and Cau&s;e of that Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth of the Go&s;pel which hath been in the World, and which is yet deplorably progre&s;&s;ive. Men who <HI>love Sin,</HI> and <HI>live in Sin,</HI> who&s;e Works are wicked, and who&s;e Deeds are evil, are all of them in their Hearts alienated from the &s;piritual holy Doctrines of the Go&s;pel, and will undoubtedly on any Occa&s;ion of Tem|ptation or Trial, fall away from the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of them.</P>
<P>What rea&s;on have we to hope or judge, that Drunkards, Swearers, unclean Per&s;ons, Covetous, Proud, Ambitious, Boa&s;ters, vain Sen&s;uali&s;ts, and the like Enemies of the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t, &s;hould adhere unto the Truth with any Con&s;tancy if a Trial &s;hould
<PB N="213" REF="118"> befall them. <HI>Look diligently,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>le&s;t there be any Fornicator or Pro|fane per&s;on as E&s;au, who for one mor&s;el of meat &s;old his Birth-right; Heb.</HI> 12. 16. <HI>E&s;au</HI>'s Birth-right was his Right unto and In|tere&s;t in the Promi&s;e of the Go&s;pel made unto <HI>Abraham.</HI> This he being a prophane Per&s;on, when he was pre&s;&s;ed with a little hunger, parted withall, for one <HI>mor&s;el of Meat.</HI> And if others, &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, are like him, prophane per&s;ons, Fornica|tors, or &s;uch as live in any Cour&s;e of Sin, if a Temptation befall them, and their Lu&s;ts call to be &s;atisfied, they will for <HI>mor&s;els of Bread,</HI> for the &s;malle&s;t earthly Advan|tages, part with their Intere&s;t in and Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel. So he tells us of them who having <HI>put away a good Con&s;ci|ence</HI> did make <HI>&s;hipwrack of the Faith;</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 19. After men have debauched their Con&s;ciences by living in Sin, they may for a while &s;peed on their Voyage with full Sails of Profe&s;&s;ion; but if a Storm comes, if a Trial befall them, if they meet with a Rock or Shelve in their way, they quickly <HI>make Shipwrack of the Faith,</HI> and lo&s;e <HI>that</HI> whatever el&s;e they labour to pre&s;erve.</P>
<P>What &s;hould &s;ecure &s;uch Per&s;ons unto any Con&s;tancy in Profe&s;&s;ion? for while&s;t
<PB N="214" REF="119"> they are in this Condition, it is altogether indifferent unto them, as to their pre&s;ent or future Advantage, what Religion they are of; or whether they are of any at all or no. It is true, one way of Religion may more harden them in Sin, lay more pre|judices again&s;t and hindrances of their Conver&s;ion, than another. But no Religi|on can do them good, or yield them the lea&s;t eternal Advantage while&s;t they abide in that Condition. It will be all one at the la&s;t day what Religion wicked and ungod|ly Sinners have been of; unle&s;s it be that the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth will prove an Aggravation of their Sins, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 11, 12.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, when a Temptation unto the Re|linqui&s;hment of the Truth doth befall them, it hath nothing but a few Traditional pre|judices to contend withall. When they are taken off from them, and begin to &s;earch them&s;elves for Rea&s;ons why they &s;hould adhere unto the Truth which they have outwardly profe&s;&s;ed, they quickly find in their own hearts a predominant di&s;like and hatred of that Light and Truth which they are &s;ollicited to part withall. For eve|ry man, as our Saviour te&s;tifieth, <HI>hateth the Light,</HI> who&s;e deeds are evil.</P>
<PB N="215" REF="119">
<P> This is that which abroad in the world hath lo&s;t the Go&s;pel &s;o many <HI>Princes, Nobles,</HI> and great Men, who for a while made Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of it. This is that which is of &s;uch di&s;mal abode at this day, as to the danger of a general Apo&s;ta&s;ie. All &s;orts of Per|&s;ons do give up them&s;elves unto the &s;ervice of Sin. The Complaint of the Prophet is not un&s;uited to our Occa&s;ion, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1, 4, 5, 6. Many are openly flagitious, beyond Pre&s;ident or Example among the Heathen: Worldline&s;s, Pride, Ambition, Vanity, in all its variety of Occa&s;ions and Objects with Sen&s;uality of Life, have even over-run the world. And that which is of the mo&s;t dreadfull con&s;ideration, is that the &s;ins of many are accompanyed with the highe&s;t Aggravation of all Provocations; namely, that they <HI>proclaim</HI> them like <HI>Sodom,</HI> and hide them not, but glory in their <HI>&s;hame.</HI> In all the&s;e things men do really though not in words proclaim that they are weary of the Go&s;pel, and are ready to leave it, &s;ome for any pretence of Religion, &s;ome for none at all.</P>
<P>And this is the mo&s;t dangerous Po&s;ture that any Place, Church, or People can be found in. For whereas men are of them|&s;elves ready and prone unto a <HI>&s;piritual</HI> Re|volt
<PB N="216" REF="120"> and Defection; when this ari&s;eth from and is promoted by the Love of Sin, and a Life therein, God is ready al&s;o penally to give them up unto &s;uch Delu&s;ions, as &s;hall turn them off from the Go&s;pel. So the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;eth it; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 10, 11, 12. <HI>They received not the love of the Truth that they might be &s;aved. And for this cau&s;e God &s;hall &s;end them &s;trong Delu&s;ions that they &s;hould believe a lye; that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had plea&s;ure in unrighteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Where men under the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth will continue profligate in Sin, and taking plea&s;ure in Unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, God will not alwayes &s;uffer the Go&s;pel to be pro&s;tituted to give them Countenance in their wicked|ne&s;s, but will Judicially give them up unto &s;uch Delu&s;ions, as &s;hall flood them away into an open Apo&s;ta&s;ie from it.</P>
<P>This was the great Cau&s;e of that general and almo&s;t <HI>Catholick</HI> Apo&s;ta&s;ie that was in the World before the Reformation. The Body of the Chri&s;tian People, by &s;uch Means and on &s;uch Occa&s;ions as &s;hall be afterwards declared, were grown worldly, &s;en&s;ual, wicked and Ob&s;tinate in &s;in. The Complaints hereof are left on Record in the Writings of many in tho&s;e dayes. And
<PB N="217" REF="120"> in vain it was for any to attempt to re|duce them unto a Conformity unto the Go&s;pel, e&s;pecially con&s;idering that the mo&s;t of their Guides were no le&s;s Infected than them&s;elves. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> was almo&s;t the only per&s;on, at lea&s;t he was the mo&s;t eminent who &s;et him&s;elf in his Mini&s;try to &s;temme (if it were po&s;&s;ible) the ri&s;ing Tide of Im|piety and Wickedne&s;s among all &s;orts of per&s;ons. But in&s;tead of any &s;ucce&s;s, his ho|ly Endeavours ended in his own Bani&s;h|ment and Death. All Degrees and Orders of men undertook the Patronage of publick &s;inning, again&s;t him, and to his ruine. Where|fore, there remained but two wayes of dealing with the Generality of men in &s;uch a condition. The one was, according to the advice of the Apo&s;tle, to <HI>turn away or withdraw from them;</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 5. &s;o leaving them out of the Communion of the Church. The other was, to accommodate Religion unto their Temper and Lu&s;ts, whereby a Face and Appearance of Chri&s;tianity might be pre&s;erved among them. And the gene|rality of their Leaders preferring their In|tere&s;t before their Duty, the <HI>latter</HI> way was cho&s;en and gradually promoted.</P>
<P>Hence were Opinions and Practices in|vented, advanced, and taken into Religion,
<PB N="218" REF="121"> that might accommodate men in their Lu&s;ts, or give countenance and pretended relief unto them who were re&s;olved to live in their &s;ins. Such were <HI>Auricular Con|fe&s;&s;ion, Penances, Ab&s;olutions, Commutations of all &s;orts, Mi&s;&s;atical Sacrifices</HI> for the Living and the Dead, the Churches Trea|&s;ury of <HI>Merit,</HI> and Power of <HI>Pardon,</HI> Suf|frage and Help of <HI>Saints,</HI> e&s;pecially <HI>Purga|tory</HI> with all its Appendages.</P>
<P>Hereby was the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> compleated; for men being grown carnal and <HI>wicked,</HI> there appeared no way to keep them up unto the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, but by the corrupting the whole <HI>Doctrine</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of it, that their Lu&s;ts might be &s;ome way accommodated. To this End, <HI>external</HI> things were &s;ub&s;tituted in the room of things <HI>internal,</HI> having the &s;ame Names given unto them; <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> things in the room of things <HI>Spiritual;</HI> outward Offices, Orders, and multiplyed Sacraments with their Efficacy by vertue of the work wrought, in the place of real Conver&s;ion unto God, Purity of Heart, with &s;trict uni|ver&s;al Holine&s;s; <HI>Di&s;ciplines</HI> and corporeal Severities, in the room of Evangelical Re|pentance and Mortification. Nor could the Lu&s;ts of men have po&s;&s;ibly an higher
<PB N="219" REF="121"> Accommodation while&s;t any pretence of Religion was nece&s;&s;ary to be pre&s;erved. So formerly did Wickedne&s;s of Life lead the way into Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth. And the whole of the <HI>Papal</HI> Apo&s;ta&s;ie may be reduced unto the&s;e two heads. Fir&s;t an Accommodation of the <HI>Doctrine</HI> and <HI>Wor|&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel unto the <HI>carnal Minds</HI> and <HI>Lu&s;ts</HI> of men, with the <HI>&s;tate</HI> of their Con&s;ciences that en&s;ued thereon. And Se|condly, the Accommodation of the <HI>Lu&s;ts, Ignorance</HI> and <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> of men, unto the <HI>Intere&s;ts</HI> and <HI>worldly Advantage</HI> of the <HI>Pope</HI> and his Clergy.</P>
<P>And herein lyeth the Danger of this Age. The great De&s;ign of the generality of men is to <HI>live in Sin</HI> with as little Trouble at <HI>pre&s;ent,</HI> and as little Fear of what is <HI>future</HI> as they can arrive unto. And there are but two Wayes whereby &s;uch a Po&s;ture of Mind may be attempted.</P>
<P>The one is by Obliterating all <HI>Notions</HI> of <HI>Good</HI> and <HI>Evil,</HI> all <HI>Sen&s;e</HI> of future Re|wards and Puni&s;hments, or of Gods Go|vernment of the World. This &s;ome in all Ages have endeavoured. For <HI>the Fool hath &s;aid in his heart there is no God:</HI> And thereon are <HI>they corrupt, and doe abominable works; P&s;al.</HI> 14. 1. And no Age could
<PB N="220" REF="122"> ever give more In&s;tances of this affected <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> than that wherein we live. Nei|ther do any deceive them&s;elves into it, but meerly with this De&s;ign, to Live in Sin without Controll from them&s;elves, which is the la&s;t Re&s;traint they can acquit them|&s;elves of. And &s;ome of them do plea&s;e them&s;elves with the Attainment of them in the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t: The Wicked through the Pride of his Countenance will not &s;eek after God; God is not in all his thoughts; P&s;al.</HI> 10. 4. But God hath in-laid the Minds of men, antecedently unto all Actings of their Wills and Affections, with &s;uch a tenacious and unan&s;werable <HI>Witne&s;s</HI> to the contrary, that it is very difficult for any to bring them|&s;elves unto any tolerable Satisfaction this way. For <HI>that which may be known of God is manife&s;t in them&s;elves</HI> whether they will or no; <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 19. Neither can they free them&s;elves from prevailing Apprehen&s;ions, that <HI>it is the judgement of God, that they who commit Sin are worthy of Death,</HI> ver&s;. 32. Wherefore we have not many In&s;tances of men who pretend a &s;encele&s;ne&s;s of the&s;e things out of Principle, or that they find no di&s;quietment on the account of Sin. And by the mo&s;t of them this is but pre|tended: Their <HI>ouward Boa&s;ting</HI> is but a &s;orry
<PB N="221" REF="122"> Plai&s;ter for their <HI>inward Fears</HI> and <HI>Vexati|ons.</HI> Nor will the pretended Security of &s;uch impious Per&s;ons endure the Shock of the lea&s;t of tho&s;e Surprizals, Calamities and Dangers which Humane Nature is obnoxi|ous unto in this Life, much le&s;s of Death it &s;elf. The End therefore mentioned, be it never &s;o earne&s;tly de&s;ired, is not this way to be attained.</P>
<P>Another Way therefore mu&s;t be found out unto the &s;ame End, and this mu&s;t be by <HI>a Religion.</HI> Nothing but Religion can convert men from Sin, and nothing but Religion can &s;ecure them therein. To this purpo&s;e is that of our Apo&s;tle; <HI>In the la&s;t dayes perillous times &s;hall come; for men &s;hall be lovers of their own &s;elves, covetous, boa&s;t|ers, proud, bla&s;phemers, di&s;obedient unto Pa|rents, unthankfull, unholy, without natu|ral Affection, Truce-breakers, fal&s;e Accu&s;ers, incontinent, fierce, de&s;pi&s;ers of tho&s;e that are good, Traytors, heady, high-minded, lovers of Plea&s;ures more than Lovers of God, having a Form of Godline&s;s, but denying the Power thereof.</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Had they the <HI>Power</HI> of Religion in them, they could not give them&s;elves up unto the pur&s;uit of &s;uch bruti&s;h Lu&s;ts; and had they not &s;ome Form or other of it, they could not be &s;ecure in their Practice. For,</P>
<PB N="222" REF="123">
<P> <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> are &s;tubborn in their Conflict while&s;t immediately oppo&s;ed; <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> pleading that there &s;hould be no Sin; and <HI>Sin</HI> contending that there may be no Con&s;cience: But as Nature is corrupted they will both comply with an Accommodation. Wherefore a device to <HI>&s;atisfie</HI> Sin, and to <HI>deceive</HI> Con&s;cience, will not fail of a ready Entertainment. And this is the De&s;ign in part or in whole of every fal&s;e Way in Religion that men Apo|&s;tatize into from the <HI>purity</HI> and <HI>&s;implicity</HI> of the Go&s;pel. See 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 18, 19. One Way or other is propo&s;ed to take men off from the Nece&s;&s;ity of Regeneration, and the Renovation of their Nature into the <HI>Image</HI> of God in the fir&s;t place. For this is that <HI>Lyon</HI> in the way, which deterrs all &s;orts of <HI>&s;luggards</HI> from attempting any thing &s;eriou&s;ly in Religion. And whereas our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath placed the Nece&s;&s;i|ty of it on the fir&s;t entrance into the King|dom of God; there is no fal&s;e Way of Re|ligion, but its fir&s;t De&s;ign is to de&s;troy its <HI>Nature,</HI> or take away its <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity.</HI> Hence &s;ome would have it to be onely <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> with the Grace it conferrs by the work wrought. Some &s;ub&s;titute <HI>a Moral Refor|mation</HI> of Life in the room of it, which
<PB N="223" REF="123"> (as they &s;uppo&s;e) is &s;ufficiently &s;evere. And the <HI>Light within</HI> makes all thoughts of it u&s;ele&s;s. For if this point be not well &s;ecu|red, all en&s;uing Attempts to accommodate men with a Religion will be in vain. It will &s;till be returning on them, that unle&s;s <HI>they are born again,</HI> they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Internal Sanctifica|tion of the whole Per&s;on, the Mortifica|tion of all the Motions of Sin that are in the Fle&s;h, with that Univer&s;al Obedience which is required unto the Life of God, mu&s;t al&s;o be provided for or again&s;t, and yet Con&s;cience be &s;atisfied therewithall. Wherefore, if you can obtain, that Per&s;ons who live in Sin, and are re&s;olved &s;o to do, not troubling them&s;elves about the&s;e things, &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e that they may be &s;ecured eternally in &s;uch a Way of Religion as you propo&s;e unto them; that what is wanting in them&s;elves &s;hall be done for them by <HI>Ab&s;olutions</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;&s;es,</HI> and various Sup|plyes out of the <HI>Churches Trea&s;ury,</HI> with the great Re&s;erve of <HI>Purgatory</HI> when things come to the wor&s;t; there is no great fear, (e&s;pecially if &s;ome other Circum&s;tances fall in al&s;o to promote the De&s;ign,) but that you will find them very Ductile and pliable unto your de&s;ires. Add hereunto, that the
<PB N="224" REF="124"> Wayes whereby any may be intere&s;ted in the&s;e Efficacious Means of Eternal Salva|vation, namely, by <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion, Penances</HI> and <HI>Alms,</HI> are po&s;&s;ible, yea ea&s;ie to Per&s;ons who never intend to leave their Sins. Of this &s;ort are the mo&s;t of tho&s;e vi&s;ibly who eve|ry day fall off to the <HI>Roman Church.</HI> And it were to be de&s;ired, that the Wickedne&s;s of men did not give Grounds of fearing Additions to their Number. For if there be no A&s;&s;urance of the <HI>Con&s;tancy</HI> of men in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, unle&s;s their Souls and Lives are transformed into the <HI>Image</HI> of it, (as there is not,) certainly the&s;e Wayes wherein men are furiou&s;ly ingaged in the pur&s;uit of their Lu&s;ts, mu&s;t needs be <HI>perillous,</HI> and may without the e&s;pe|cial Help of Divine Grace bring forth a <HI>fatal Defection.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="225" REF="124">
<HEAD>CHAP. V.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Darkne&s;s and Ignorance, another Cau&s;e of Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P>THE &s;econd Spring or Cau&s;e of De|fection from the Go&s;pel in any kind, is that Spiritual <HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Ignorance</HI> which abides in the Minds of Men under the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth.</P>
<P>The Go&s;pel may fall under a double Con&s;ideration: Fir&s;t, Of the <HI>Things them|&s;elves</HI> that are contained, revealed, and pro|po&s;ed therein. The&s;e are the material Ob|jects of our Faith. Secondly, With re&s;pect unto the <HI>Doctrinal way</HI> of their <HI>Declarati|on.</HI> With re&s;pect unto the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> there is a Spiritual <HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> on the Minds of all men by Nature, &s;o as that they cannot di&s;cern them in their own <HI>native</HI> Form and Beauty. With re&s;pect unto the <HI>latter</HI> men are &s;aid to be <HI>ignorant,</HI> namely, when they do not in a due manner under&s;tand and compre|hend the <HI>Doctrines</HI> of the Go&s;pel; and &s;o
<PB N="226" REF="125"> peri&s;h for want of Knowledge. The&s;e things being of a di&s;tinct Con&s;ideration, and of different Influence into this perni|cious Event, the fir&s;t &s;hall be fir&s;t &s;poken unto.</P>
<P N="1">1. That there is &s;uch a <HI>&s;piritual Dark|ne&s;s</HI> on the Minds of men by Nature, and wherein their Depravation by Sin doth principally con&s;i&s;t, is fully te&s;tified in the Scripture, as I have at large el&s;ewhere evinced. Hence all men grant, &s;o far as I know, that there is need of <HI>&s;piritual Illu|mination,</HI> to enable us to di&s;cern Spiritual things in a due Manner, though all are not agreed in the Nature and Cau&s;es of that Illumination. But to deny the thing it &s;elf, is to deny the Go&s;pel, and to make the Promi&s;es of God of none effect. Now where <HI>Illumination</HI> is needfull, there Dark|ne&s;s is to be removed. For, the end of the bringing in of Light is to di&s;pell Darkne&s;s. Wherefore &s;uch a Depravation of the Minds of men in &s;piritual Darkne&s;s mu&s;t be ac|knowledged, or the Gift and Grace of God in <HI>Illumination</HI> mu&s;t be rejected. And they by whom it is done, doe by their own Blindne&s;s give new Evidence unto the Truth which they doe oppo&s;e; there be|ing no more certain Demon&s;tration of the
<PB N="227" REF="125"> Power of Darkne&s;s in any, than for them to affirm that they &s;tand in no need of Light to be communicated unto them by the effectual Operations of the Spirit of God. As to the Nature of this Illuminati|on, I &s;hall not here di&s;pute, but take it at pre&s;ent for granted, that it is <HI>an Act of his Power who of old commanded Light to &s;hine out of Darkne&s;s, &s;hining into our hearts, to give us the knowledge of his glory in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 6.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is a <HI>Glory and Beauty</HI> in tho&s;e <HI>&s;piritual things</HI> which are the <HI>Subjects</HI> of the Truths of the Go&s;pel. There is in them the <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> of God, the <HI>Wi&s;dom of God in a My&s;tery,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 6, 7. yea, <HI>the manifold Wi&s;dom of God, Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 10. The <HI>Glory of the Lord;</HI> which is repre&s;ented unto Be|lievers in <HI>the Gla&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. or <HI>the Glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Chap.</HI> 4. 6. Things expre&s;&s;ely beyond di&s;covery by the u&s;e of any means meerly Natural whatever, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 9, 10. Even the <HI>Philo&s;ophers</HI> of old contended that there was a <HI>Beauty</HI> in all Truth, which would engage the Minds and Affections of men unto it, were they able to di&s;cern it. And if they &s;aw and granted this in things Natural and Moral, which are Earthly and
<PB N="228" REF="126"> expo&s;ed unto the common Rea&s;on of Man|kind, how much more mu&s;t it be granted of the Truth of things Heavenly, Spiritual and Divine. See <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 12. In brief, what|ever there is of divine Glory or Excellency in the Divine Nature it &s;elf, in any or all of its holy Properties, in the great and mo&s;t glorious Effect of them in the Per&s;on and Grace of Chri&s;t, in the Renovation of our Nature unto the <HI>Image</HI> of God, in the divine Life of Faith and Obedience, it is propo&s;ed unto us in the Truths of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="3">3. Whatever <HI>Doctrinal Propo&s;ition</HI> may be made of the&s;e things unto the minds of Men, yet the things them&s;elves cannot be comprehended nor Spiritually di&s;cerned without the <HI>Illumination</HI> of the Holy Gho&s;t before mentioned. Hence it follows, that men may be in&s;tructed in the Doctrines of Truth, yet continuing under the Power of Natural Darkne&s;s, not di&s;cern the things them&s;elves in their own &s;piritual Nature and Glory, nor have any Experience of their Power and Efficacy. This all the Prayers of holy men in the Scripture for &s;piritual Light and In&s;truction, all the Pro|mi&s;es of God &s;avingly to enlighten the Minds of men, and the De&s;criptions given
<PB N="229" REF="126"> of that work of his Grace whereby he doth effect it, do undenyably evince. One Con&s;ideration will be &s;ufficient unto our purpo&s;e. Whoever hath a <HI>&s;piritual</HI> View and Knowledge of the&s;e things, his Mind will be and is certainly <HI>changed and trans|formed</HI> into the Image of them. So the Apo&s;tle tells us expre&s;&s;ely; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. <HI>We all with open face beholding as in a Gla&s;s the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the &s;ame Image.</HI> They are ca&s;t into the &s;ame mould with the Doctrine whereunto they are given up, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 17. The Mind is united unto the things &s;o di&s;cerned, and the Image of them is &s;o brought forth there|in, as that there is an exact Conformity between them. But we &s;ee by open and palpable Experience, that notwith&s;tanding the Knowledge which many have of <HI>&s;pi|ritual</HI> things, their Minds continue Carnal and Fle&s;hly, filled with corrupt and de|praved Affections and are no way changed into the Image or Likene&s;&s;e of the things them&s;elves. There needs no farther De|mon&s;tration that men have never had a <HI>&s;pi|ritual</HI> view of, or in&s;ight into the Glory of Go&s;pel Truths, be their Doctrinal Know|ledge of them what it will, than this, that their Minds are not renewed thereby,
<PB N="230" REF="127"> nor transformed into the Likene&s;&s;e of them.</P>
<P N="4">4. Where it is thus with men, they have no <HI>&s;table Grounds</HI> whereon to abide in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth again&s;t <HI>Temptati|on, Oppo&s;ition,</HI> or <HI>Seduction.</HI> For their <HI>&s;ted|fa&s;tne&s;s</HI> mu&s;t be an Effect of &s;uch an A&s;&s;u|rance in their Minds of the Truth of the things which they do believe, as will be prevalent again&s;t all that Force and Arti|fice wherewith they may be a&s;&s;aulted, and &s;uch as will not &s;uffer their own Minds to be indifferent, carele&s;s or negligent about them. But whence &s;hould this ari&s;e? A&s;&s;u|rance from outward <HI>natural</HI> Sen&s;e in <HI>&s;pi|ritual</HI> things we are not capable of; nor are they evidenced unto our Minds by Ra|tional Demon&s;tration. All the full Per|&s;wa&s;ion or A&s;&s;urance we can have of them, which will be prevalent again&s;t Tempta|tions and Oppo&s;itions, ari&s;eth from &s;uch a <HI>&s;piritual</HI> View of them as gives an Expe|rience of their Reality, Power and Efficacy upon our Minds. And this re&s;pects both the Renovation of the Mind it &s;elf in Light and Faith, the Adhe&s;ion of the Will unto the things known and believed, with an holy, heavenly, unconquerable Love, and the con&s;tant Approbation of the good ac|ceptable
<PB N="231" REF="127"> and perfect Will of God in all things. Hence this A&s;&s;urance, though it be neither that of Sen&s;e, nor that of Rea|&s;on, yet in the Scripture is compared with them, and preferred above them, as that which giveth the Mind a more certain Sa|tisfaction than they can doe, although it be of another kind. And without this it is impo&s;&s;ible that men &s;hould attain any &s;uch Evidence or full Per&s;wa&s;ion of that <HI>Evangelical Truth</HI> which they may profe&s;s, as to &s;ecure them in their Profe&s;&s;ion in &s;uch a Juncture of Circum&s;tances and Occa&s;ions as they may fall into.</P>
<P>Here therefore I place another Means and Cau&s;e of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Truth of the Go&s;pel, after it hath been received and profe&s;&s;ed. Multitudes in all Ages have been in&s;tructed in the Truth; &s;ome have been learned and knowing in the Doctrines of it. But whereas by rea&s;on of their <HI>dark|ne&s;s</HI> as being de&s;titute of <HI>&s;piritual Illumi|nation,</HI> they did not di&s;cern the things them&s;elves which they a&s;&s;ented unto, in their &s;upernatural, heavenly Nature and Glory, and thereon had no Experience of their proper Power and Efficacy on their own Minds, Affections, and Lives, they could not have any &s;uch Evidence of their
<PB N="232" REF="128"> Truth, as would upon Trials confirm their Adherence unto them, or &s;ecure them from <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P>Had the Minds of men been <HI>transform|ed</HI> in their <HI>Renovation</HI> to <HI>prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect Will of God;</HI> had they by <HI>beholding of Spiritual things been changed into the &s;ame Image from Glory to Glory by the Spirit of the Lord;</HI> they would not have abandoned the mo&s;t important Doctrines of the Go&s;pel, as we know them to have done, nor have embraced fooli&s;h Imaginations in their &s;tead, on every plau|&s;ible Court&s;hip and Addre&s;s unto their Fan|cies. How came men under the <HI>Papal Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> gradually to de&s;ert the principal Truths of the Go&s;pel, and all the <HI>&s;piritual</HI> Glory of its Wor&s;hip? Not di&s;cerning the internal Glory and Beauty of things Evan|gelical and purely Divine, not having an Experience of the <HI>power</HI> of them in and upon their own Minds, they cho&s;e to com|ply with and give Admi&s;&s;ion unto &s;uch things who&s;e outward painted Beauty they could di&s;cern, and who&s;e Effects on their natural and carnal Affections they had ex|perience of.</P>
<P>We have &s;een in all Ages, that men <HI>learn|ed</HI> and <HI>skilled</HI> in the <HI>Doctrines</HI> of the Truth
<PB N="233" REF="128"> &s;o as that they might have been looked on as <HI>Pillars</HI> of it, yet to have been as forward as any unto Apo&s;ta&s;ie from it, when they have been tryed; yea &s;uch have been the Leaders of others thereinto. So many of this &s;ort fell into <HI>Ariani&s;me</HI> and <HI>Pelagiani&s;me</HI> of Old, as &s;ome have done unto <HI>Socinia|ni&s;me,</HI> and many unto <HI>Popery</HI> in our dayes. When &s;uch fall away, u&s;ually they over|throw the Faith of &s;ome, and &s;hake the Confidence of others. But the Apo&s;tle gives a double Relief again&s;t this Tempta|tion: Fir&s;t, the <HI>&s;tability</HI> of Gods <HI>Purpo&s;e</HI> in the Pre&s;ervation of the Elect, and the <HI>means</HI> of Pre&s;ervation in the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of them that Believe; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 17, 18, 19. And we may be a&s;&s;ured concerning them all, that they never had that <HI>intuition</HI> into, nor Comprehen&s;ion of <HI>&s;piritual</HI> things which alone could &s;ecure their <HI>&s;tability.</HI> They never &s;aw &s;o much or that in them for which they &s;hould be preferred above all other things. No man who for&s;akes the Truth ever &s;aw the Glory of it, or had Experience of its Power. <HI>They went out from us, but were not of us,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo|&s;tle of &s;uch Per&s;ons) <HI>for if they had been of us,</HI> (who&s;e Fellow&s;hip is with the Father and with his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t) <HI>they would</HI>
<PB N="234" REF="129"> <HI>no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manife&s;t that they were not all of us,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 19.</P>
<P>Thus when the Apo&s;tle had de&s;cribed the wofull Apo&s;ta&s;ie of &s;ome among the <HI>Hebrews,</HI> he addes concerning them who&s;e Pre&s;ervation he believed; <HI>But Beloved we are per&s;waded better things of you, and things that accompany Salvation; Heb.</HI> 6. 9. What|ever Knowledge men may have of the Doctrines of the Go&s;pel, and whatever Profe&s;&s;ion they may make, unle&s;s they have withall tho&s;e things which are <HI>in&s;eparable from Salvation,</HI> &s;uch as is the &s;aving <HI>Illu|mination</HI> of the Holy Gho&s;t, whereby the Darkne&s;s of our Minds is removed, there can be no A&s;&s;urance that they will alwayes quit them&s;elves like Men, and <HI>&s;tand fa&s;t in the Faith.</HI> And this Con&s;ideration doth not a little evidence the danger of a Defection from the Truth which attends the dayes wherein we live.</P>
<P>For fir&s;t, It is from hence that we have &s;uch a numerous Generation of <HI>Scepticks</HI> in Religion, among us. A &s;ort of men who pretend not to renounce or for&s;ake the Truth, onely they will talk and di&s;pute about it with the greate&s;t Indifferency as to what is true or fal&s;e. The <HI>Scripture,</HI> the
<PB N="235" REF="129"> <HI>holy Trinity,</HI> the Per&s;on of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> his <HI>Offices,</HI> the Nature of <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> and <HI>Grace,</HI> whe|ther it be or be not, this or that Church, all or any in the World as to their <HI>Pro|fe&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI> are weighed in the de|filed tottering Scales of bold irreverend Di&s;cour&s;es. For &s;ome Rea&s;ons known to them&s;elves this &s;ort of Per&s;ons will own the publick Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion, perhaps be Teachers in it. But on all Occa&s;ions they fully manife&s;t that they are utterly igno|rant of the fundamental Differences be|tween Truth and Error, and &s;o give no firm a&s;&s;ent unto what they do Profe&s;s. For this Difference lyeth in their Glory and Beauty in them&s;elves, and in their Power and Efficacy towards us. Spiritual hea|venly <HI>Truth,</HI> by its Relation unto the Be|ing, Infinite Wi&s;dome, Goodne&s;s, Love and Grace of God, by the Characters of all the&s;e things impre&s;&s;ed on it and repre&s;ent|ed by it, is glorious, amiable, and de&s;ireable. All Errour, as an Effect of Darkne&s;s, and by its Relation unto Sathan as the Head of the Apo&s;ta&s;ie which drew off our Minds from the Original E&s;&s;ential Truth, is di|&s;torted, deformed, and brings the Mind into Confu&s;ion. <HI>Truth</HI> is powerfull, and effectual to conform the Soul unto God,
<PB N="236" REF="130"> and to principle it with a Love of, and Power unto Obedience. Error turns the Mind a&s;ide into crooked and by-paths of Folly or Super&s;tition, or Pride and Self-advancement. Were men Practically ac|quainted with this Difference between Truth and Error, it would take away that Indifferency in their Minds unto them, which this <HI>Sceptical</HI> humour doth di&s;co|ver. Truth &s;o known in its Nature and Efficacy will beget that Reverence, that Love, that &s;acred E&s;teem of it &s;elf in the Souls of men, as they &s;hall not dare to pro|&s;titute it to be bandied up and down with every fooli&s;h Imagination. And from this &s;ort of men, who are commonly the mo&s;t bold and forward in undertaking the Con|duct of others, by a pretended generous Contempt of their narrow Principles, groundle&s;s Scruples, and pu&s;illanimous Fears, nothing is to be expected but a wi&s;e and &s;afe Complyance with any Wayes or Means of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth which &s;hall be advantageou&s;ly pre&s;ented unto them.</P>
<P>And by the Means of this Darkne&s;s, it is ea&s;ie to conceive how uncertain and un|&s;table the Minds of the Generality of men, who perhaps al&s;o are &s;omewhat ignorant
<PB N="237" REF="130"> (whereof we &s;hall treat afterwards) mu&s;t needs be in their <HI>A&s;&s;ent</HI> unto the Truth and the Profe&s;&s;ion of it. They are no way able to di&s;cover it in &s;uch a way or man|ner as to give them an A&s;&s;urance which will be infallibly victorious again&s;t Tem|ptations and Oppo&s;itions. Nor can they have that holy Love unto it, which will &s;ecure their Minds and Affections from be|ing enticed and ravi&s;hed from it. But all the difference between Truth and Error which they can di&s;cern, lying in bare diffe|rent Notions and Apprehen&s;ions, wherein al&s;o they are dark and unskilled, it is no wonder if at any time they make an ea&s;ie Tran&s;cur&s;ion from one to the other. So did the Body of the People lo&s;e the Truth gradually under the <HI>Papal Defection</HI> with|out any great complaint, yea with much Complacency and Satisfaction. And it is to be feared, that multitudes are ready at once to &s;teer the &s;ame cour&s;e if Occa&s;ion be offered unto them.</P>
<P>From this con&s;ideration we may rectifie the &s;eeming <HI>Soloeci&s;me</HI> that is in the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of Religion, or the Profe&s;&s;ors of it. <HI>Truth</HI> in every kind is the onely Guide of the Minde in all its Actings. Wherein it proceeds not according unto it, it is always
<PB N="238" REF="131"> out of the way. Divine Truth is the &s;ole Conduct of the Mind in all its Actings towards God. It is the onely Fountain, immediate Cau&s;e and Rule of all our Obe|dience. But yet whereas in other things men generally walk in the Light of tho&s;e &s;parks of Truth which they have received, we &s;ee that many by whom <HI>Divine Truth</HI> is owned and profe&s;&s;ed in its greate&s;t Purity and highe&s;t Di&s;covery, are oft-times no le&s;s wicked and vicious in their Lives, no le&s;s Enemies unto Holine&s;s, no le&s;s barren and unfruitfull in tho&s;e good and u&s;efull Works it guides and directs unto, than tho&s;e who having the greate&s;t Aver&s;ation from it, are under the Conduct of other Principles Erroneous and Super&s;titious. Thus the Lives of the common &s;ort of <HI>Prote&s;tants</HI> are no better than tho&s;e of the <HI>Papi&s;ts;</HI> nor theirs to be compared with &s;ome of the <HI>Mahumetans;</HI> yea by the Pow|er of fal&s;e and &s;uper&s;titious Apprehen&s;ions impo&s;ed on their Minds and Con&s;ciences, &s;ome are carried out unto greater and more frequent Acts of Bounty and Charity, of the Mortification of the Fle&s;h, the denyal of its &s;en&s;ual Appetites and Satisfactions, than are to be found among the mo&s;t who profe&s;s them&s;elves to be under the Conduct
<PB N="239" REF="131"> and Rule of Truth. Hence no Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion, be it never &s;o corrupt or fooli&s;h, is advanced among&s;t us, but in|&s;tantly, (at lea&s;t for a &s;ea&s;on, and while&s;t it is New) it pretends an Advantage as unto Life and Conver&s;ation again&s;t the <HI>Truth</HI> mea&s;ured by the Lives of its com|mon Profe&s;&s;ors. Yea this is made the prin|cipal Motive and Argument to prevail with hone&s;t and well-meaning People un|to a Compiyance with the Profe&s;&s;ion of their Way, becau&s;e of the Effects which (as it is pretended) it produceth in their Lives and Conver&s;ations, above tho&s;e which pro|fe&s;s the Truth. And how prevalent this Pretence hath been among us, is known unto all.</P>
<P>Wherefore, I &s;ay, we cannot allow that the Lives of the <HI>common &s;ort</HI> of Profe&s;&s;ors, &s;hould be e&s;teemed a ju&s;t and due Repre|&s;entation of the <HI>Doctrine</HI> which they doe profe&s;s. It is true, that where it is not &s;o, men will have no Benefit by their Profe&s;&s;i|on, nor will they be &s;tedfa&s;t in it when a Trial &s;hall befall them. Where the Mind is internally and really conformed unto the Truth, there the Actions of the Life may be allowed to repre&s;ent <HI>&s;incerely</HI> though not <HI>perfectly</HI> the Truths which are Believed.
<PB N="240" REF="132"> And he is no firm Chri&s;tian in any kind, he is brought into no &s;piritual Order, who&s;e Mind doth not receive by the Spirit of Chri&s;t the transforming Influence of Evangelical Truth, and who exerts not the power of it in an holy Conver&s;ation, &s;o as that he is not unwilling that what he <HI>believeth,</HI> may be impartially judged by what he <HI>liveth,</HI> as to Sincerity though not as to Perfection. But if we &s;hould allow the Lives of men in General to be a Rule whereby Judgement might be &s;afely pa&s;&s;ed in the&s;e things, it cannot be denyed but that &s;ometimes and in &s;ome Ages and Pla|ces, <HI>Error</HI> would (at lea&s;t for a &s;ea&s;on) carry it in Glory and Reputation from the <HI>Truth,</HI> yea the Light of <HI>Nature</HI> from <HI>Grace, Tradition</HI> from the <HI>Scripture,</HI> and the <HI>Alco|ran</HI> from the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI></P>
<P>But we have &s;ufficient ground of Ex|ceptions unto this Interpretation and Ex|po&s;ition of the Doctrine of our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, and that without the lea&s;t Apo|logy for the ungodly Lives of its Profe&s;|&s;ors. Among the&s;e, that now in&s;i&s;ted on is of the fir&s;t Rank and Evidence. Multi|tudes of tho&s;e who profe&s;s the Truth never had a View of its <HI>&s;piritual</HI> Glory, becau&s;e of the Darkne&s;s of their Minds, and there|fore
<PB N="241" REF="132"> have no Experience of its Power and Efficacy, nor are their Hearts and Lives influenced or guided by it. For the Go|&s;pel will not have its Effects on the Minds of men, unle&s;s it fir&s;t communicates unto them tho&s;e internal &s;piritual Principles which are nece&s;&s;ary unto all the Operati|ons that it doth require. Put this New Wine into Old Bottles, and all is lo&s;t, both Bottles and Wine al&s;o. The Doctrine of the Go&s;pel taken in Notionally into the old unrenewed corrupt Minds of men, is utterly lo&s;t unto all the proper Ends of it. And wherever there is a Reformation of Life, with any diligent attendance unto Duties Moral or Religious wrought in Per|&s;ons by the Light and Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel, they are the <HI>immediate Effects</HI> of tho&s;e Doctrines which it hath in common with the Light of Nature and the Law in its Power, and not of tho&s;e which are pe|culiarly its own. And this they &s;eem to to under&s;tand well enough, who finding either in their own Experience, or from the Ob&s;ervation they have made of others, how ineffectual the Truth of Go&s;pel My|&s;teries is towards the Minds of carnal men, have upon the matter abandoned the Preaching of it, and have taken up onely
<PB N="242" REF="133"> with tho&s;e Principles which are &s;uited unto the Light of Nature and Convictions of the Law.</P>
<P>The Holine&s;s which the Go&s;pel requi|reth, is the transforming of our whole Souls into the Image and Likene&s;s of God, with the Actings of renewed Nature in an uni|ver&s;al <HI>Approbation</HI> of his good, perfect and acceptable will; <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 2. But this will not be effected unle&s;s we can <HI>behold the Glory of God in it,</HI> whereby alone we may be <HI>changed into the &s;ame Image from glory to glory;</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. Nor can we &s;o behold that Glory, unle&s;s he who commanded <HI>Light to &s;hine out of Darkne&s;s,</HI> do &s;hine into our Hearts to give us the Knowledge of it; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 6. Hence is the Doctrine of it in|effectual in the Hearts and upon the Lives of many by whom its Truth is openly pro|fe&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>It is otherwi&s;e with every <HI>fal&s;e Religion.</HI> The Motives which they make u&s;e of, and the In&s;truments they apply unto the Hearts of men to effect the Reformation of their Lives, and to engage them unto &s;uch Works and Duties as they require, are all of them &s;uited either unto their Natural Light, or unto their Super&s;titions, Fears, De&s;ires, Pride, and other depraved Affecti|ons.
<PB N="243" REF="133"> Tho&s;e of the fir&s;t &s;ort, namely, &s;uch as are &s;uited unto <HI>Natural Light,</HI> are common in &s;ome degree or mea&s;ure unto all Reli|gion whatever, be it on other Accounts true or fal&s;e. Every thing that is called <HI>Re|ligion</HI> pretends at lea&s;t unto the improve|ment of <HI>Natural Light,</HI> as did the <HI>Philo&s;o|phers</HI> among the Heathen of Old. It urgeth al&s;o the Law &s;o far as it is made known unto them, though by other Pre&s;umptions and Prejudices &s;ome do abate and take off from its Force and Efficacy, making void the Commandments of God through their own Traditions. Whatever change is wrought or effected on the Minds and Lives of men, by vertue of the&s;e Principles, and Motives taken from them, doth not belong unto any one way in Religion more than another; Nor is it to be accounted unto the Glory or Advantage of any of them. In the&s;e things <HI>Mahometi&s;me</HI> and all fal&s;e wayes in <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> have an equal &s;hare and intere&s;t; unle&s;s where by &s;ome corrupt Opinions of their own, men de|prave the Light of Nature, and the Rule of the Law it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Some finding, as they &s;ay, more of Ju&s;tice, Temperance, Veracity, Righteou&s;ne&s;s in dealings, with common u&s;efulne&s;s unto
<PB N="244" REF="134"> Mankind, among <HI>Turks</HI> and <HI>Banians</HI> than among the common &s;ort of Chri&s;tians, do fooli&s;hly begin to think, that their Reli|gion is better than Chri&s;tianity. But as this <HI>Scandal</HI> will be &s;orely required at the hands of them who give it by their flagitious Lives, &s;o it is fooli&s;hly and wickedly taken by others. For tho&s;e Truths and Laws which produce the&s;e Effects in them, are common unto all Religions, and are equally &s;uited unto the Light and Rea&s;on of all Mankind; and have more Evidence and Efficacy communicated unto them by the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> than by any other kind of Religi|on whatever. And &s;o it is with them among our &s;elves who would plead an Advantage unto their Profe&s;&s;ion by the Effects of it in their Lives as to a Moral Conver&s;ation, when they can pretend un|to no real Motive thereunto, namely, un|to what is good and u&s;efull, and not meer Affectation and Hypocri&s;ie, but what is owned and pre&s;&s;ed in the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel which we adhere unto. The Diffe|rences therefore that are in this kind, are not from the Doctrines men profe&s;s, but they ari&s;e from the Per&s;ons them&s;elves who embrace them, with their various Lu&s;ts, Inolinations and Temptations.</P>
<PB N="245" REF="134">
<P> It is evident therefore that whatever there is of Moral Good, Duty, or u&s;efulne&s;s among men in any <HI>fal&s;e Way of Religion,</HI> it all proceeds from tho&s;e Principles, and is the Effect of tho&s;e Motives which are own|ed and improved in that which is <HI>true.</HI> And it may be ea&s;ily evinced, that they are more cultivated and cleared, have more Evidence, Life, Light and Power given them by the Truths of the Go&s;pel, than by any other Means or Way whatever. And where they have not an <HI>equal</HI> Effect upon tho&s;e who profe&s;s that Truth, which they have on &s;ome by whom it is de&s;erted, it is from the Power of their own cur&s;ed Lu&s;ts and carnal Security. The Difference on the part of <HI>Religion</HI> it &s;elf con&s;i&s;ts in what is &s;uperadded unto the&s;e general Principles by any Notions of it. Now this in every fal&s;e Religion is what is &s;uited unto the Natural Principles of mens Minds, their innate Pride, Vanity, Curio&s;ity, Super&s;ti|tion, irregular Hopes and Fears. Such among the <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> are the Doctrines of <HI>Merit,</HI> of outward <HI>Di&s;ciplines,</HI> of <HI>Satis|factions for &s;in,</HI> of <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion, Penances,</HI> of <HI>Purgatory,</HI> and the like. They were all of them found out to put &s;ome <HI>awe</HI> on the Minds and to have &s;ome <HI>influence</HI> on the
<PB N="246" REF="135"> Lives of Men, who had lo&s;t all <HI>&s;ence</HI> of the Principles and Motives of Go&s;pel Obe|dience; though &s;ome con&s;iderable re&s;pect was had unto the Benefit and Advantage of them by whom they were invented; for why &s;hould men labour and beat their Brains meerly for others, without &s;ome In|come and Revenue of Advantage unto them&s;elves? And it is no wonder if they produce in many, as they have done, great appearing Acts of Devotion, many out|ward works of Bounty and Charity, yea in &s;ome, real Au&s;terities of Life and Renun|ciations of the Plea&s;ures of the world. I doubt not but that the &s;en&s;ual wicked <HI>Pa|radi&s;e</HI> of <HI>Mahomet,</HI> doth effectually prevail in the Minds of many of his Followers un|to that kind of Vertuous and devout Life which they &s;uppo&s;e may bring them unto its Enjoyment.</P>
<P>The Enquiry then on the whole matter is, Wherefore the <HI>Truths of the Go&s;pel</HI> do not produce (in all by whom they are pro|fe&s;&s;ed) Effects as much more excellent than tho&s;e mentioned, as Truth is more excel|lent than Error, heavenly Light than Su|per&s;tition, Faith than frightfull Apprehen|&s;ions of &s;aigned Torments, true Peace and Tranquility of Mind than outward Repu|tation
<PB N="247" REF="135"> and Glory? And the principal Rea|&s;on hereof is, becau&s;e &s;uch Per&s;ons as are <HI>barren in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> do not di&s;cern tho&s;e Truths in their &s;piritual Nature, nor can therefore take in the Power and Efficacy of them on their Souls.</P>
<P>There is an <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> Obedience, and Fruitfulne&s;s in good Works, wrought, pre|&s;erved and maintained by the <HI>Truth of the Go&s;pel</HI> in them who are truely regenerated and &s;anctified thereby, who receive the proper Efficacy of it on their Minds and Souls, which differs <HI>in the whole Kind</HI> and Nature from any thing which the Principles and Motives before mentioned which have their Efficacy from their &s;uitablene&s;s unto the depraved Affections of mens Minds, can produce. And this alone is acceptable with God; But it mu&s;t be granted, that where men are <HI>Ignorant</HI> of the Power, and unacquainted with the internal Efficacy of the Go&s;pel, their Lives under the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Truth may be as bad, and it is a great wonder they are not wor&s;e than tho&s;e of the <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> of the mo&s;t Errone|ous Per&s;ons, or even of the <HI>Mahometans</HI> them&s;elves. For they have many &s;uper|&s;titious Imaginations and fal&s;e Principles,
<PB N="248" REF="136"> that are &s;uited to put &s;ome outward Re|&s;traint upon their Lu&s;ts, and to pre&s;s them unto Actions prai&s;e-worthy in them&s;elves. But the&s;e being no way <HI>influenced</HI> by &s;uch Apprehen&s;ions, and being not under the Power of Go&s;pel Truth, it is a wonder (I &s;ay) if they exceed them not in all man|ner of wicked Conver&s;ation. It is not merely the <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the Truth, but the <HI>inward Power</HI> of it, that is either u&s;efull unto the World or the Souls of Men.</P>
<P>And hence it is that the Preaching of any Per&s;on, which principally dwelleth on, and argueth from the things which the <HI>Light of Nature</HI> can of it &s;elf reach unto, and the Convictions which are by the <HI>Law,</HI> is better accepted with and appears more u&s;efull unto <HI>multitudes of common Profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> than the Declaration of the <HI>My&s;teries</HI> of the Go&s;pel is. For &s;uch things are &s;uited unto the <HI>Natural Conceptions</HI> of men, and the working of their own Rea&s;ons, which gives them a &s;ence of what Efficacy they have; but being in the Dark unto the <HI>My&s;teries</HI> of the Go&s;pel, they neither &s;ee their Excellency, nor experience their Power. Neverthele&s;s <HI>they</HI> and <HI>they onely</HI> are the true Spring, Cau&s;e, and Rule of all
<PB N="249" REF="136"> acceptable Obedience, even <HI>the Power of God unto Salvation in them that do believe.</HI> From the whole it appears how prone &s;uch Per&s;ons mu&s;t be unto an Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth, who have no &s;piritual <HI>Light</HI> to di&s;cern its Glory, nor to let in the Power of it upon their Souls.</P>
<P>If then we would be <HI>e&s;tabli&s;hed in the Truth,</HI> if we would &s;tand fa&s;t in the Faith, if we would be pre&s;erved from the danger of that Defection from the Go&s;pel which the World is prone, di&s;po&s;ed and enclined unto, it mu&s;t be our principal Endeavour to have a &s;piritual Acquaintance with the things them&s;elves that are declared in the Doctrine of Truth which we do profe&s;s, and to have an Experience of their Effica|cy upon our own Souls. Mere <HI>Notions of Truth,</HI> or the Knowledge of the Doctrines of it, enabling us to talk of them, or di&s;pute for them, will not pre&s;erve us. And al|though this &s;piritual Light be the <HI>Grace</HI> Promi&s;e and Gift of God, yet is it that which we are to endeavour after in a way of <HI>Duty.</HI> And the Directions en&s;uing may contribute &s;omewhat towards the right di&s;charge of our Duty herein.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Pray earne&s;tly for the Spirit of Truth to lead us <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> all Truth.</HI> For this End is
<PB N="250" REF="137"> he promi&s;ed by our Saviour unto his Di&s;ci|ples, and there <HI>are no Teachings like his.</HI> If we learn and receive the Truth of the Go&s;pel merely in the Power and Ability of our Natural Faculties as we doe other things, we &s;hall not abide con&s;tant unto them in &s;piritual Trials. What we <HI>learn of our &s;elves</HI> in &s;piritual Things, we receive onely in the outward Form of it; what we are taught by the Spirit of God we receive in its <HI>Power.</HI> The Apo&s;tle grants that the <HI>Spirit of Man,</HI> his Mind, Rea&s;on and Under&s;tanding is able to conceive of and apprehend the <HI>things of Man,</HI> things merely Natural, Civil or Moral, which are cognate unto Humane Nature: But, &s;aith he, <HI>the things of God,</HI> the My&s;tery of his Wi&s;dom, Love and Grace in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <HI>are known onley unto the Spirit of God,</HI> and by him are they revealed unto them that do Believe, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 9, 10, 11, 12. With|out his e&s;pecial Aid men may by their Natural Sagacity and Indu&s;try attain an Acquaintance with the Doctrines of Truth, &s;o as to handle them (like the <HI>School-men)</HI> with incredible Subtilty and Curio&s;ity: But they may be far enough, for all that, from an e&s;tabli&s;hing Knowledge of <HI>&s;piri|ritual things.</HI> That horrible Neglect which
<PB N="251" REF="137"> is among Chri&s;tians of this one Duty of <HI>earne&s;t Prayer for the Teaching of the Spirit of Chri&s;t;</HI> that &s;corn which is ca&s;t upon it by &s;ome, and that Self-confidence in Op|po&s;ition unto it which prevails in the mo&s;t, &s;ufficiently manife&s;ts of what Nature is their Knowledge of the Truth, and what is like to become of it when a Trial &s;hall befall them. The lea&s;t &s;park of <HI>&s;aving know|ledge</HI> in-laid in the Minds of the poore&s;t Believers by the gracious Operations of the Holy Gho&s;t, will be more effectual unto their own Sanctification, and more preva|lent again&s;t Oppo&s;itions, than the <HI>highe&s;t Notions</HI> or mo&s;t &s;ubtile Rea&s;onings that men have attained in <HI>leaning unto their own under&s;tanding.</HI> Wherefore the Scripture abounds in Examples, In&s;tances and Directi|ons for Prayer unto this End, that we may have the A&s;&s;i&s;tances of the Holy Spirit in Learning of the Truth of the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel, without which we cannot doe &s;o in a due Manner. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. <HI>Making mention of you in my Pray|ers, That the God of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the Spirit of Wi&s;dom and Revelation, in the Knowledge of him: The eyes of your under|&s;tanding being enlightened, that ye may know</HI>
<PB N="252" REF="138"> <HI>what is the Hope of his Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints. And what is the exceeding great|ne&s;s of his Power to us-ward who Believe, ac|cording to the working of his mighty Power; which he wrought in Chri&s;t, when he rai&s;ed him from the dead, and &s;et him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.</HI> Chap. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. <HI>For this cau&s;e I how my knees unto the Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is Named, That he would grant you according to the Riches of his Glo|ry, to be &s;trengthened with might by his Spi|rit in the inner man; That Chri&s;t may dwell in your Hearts by Faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in Love, may be able to com|prehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth; and know the Love of Chri&s;t which pa&s;&s;eth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulne&s;s of God.</HI> Col. 2. 1, 2, 3. <HI>For I would that ye knew what great Conflict I have for you, and for them at</HI> Laodicea, <HI>and for as many as have not &s;een my Face in the fle&s;h; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit toge|ther in Love, and unto all Riches of the full A&s;&s;urance of &V;nder&s;tanding, to the Acknow|ledgement of the My&s;tery of God, and of the</HI>
<PB N="253" REF="138"> <HI>Father, and of Chri&s;t, in whom are hid all the Trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom and Know|ledge.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Re&s;t not in <HI>any Notions of Truth,</HI> un|le&s;s you find that you have <HI>learned it as it is in Je&s;us.</HI> What it is to learn the Truth as it is in Je&s;us, the Apo&s;tle fully declares, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. <HI>But ye have not &s;o learned Chri&s;t: If &s;o be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the Truth is in Je&s;us; That ye put off con|cerning the former Conver&s;ation, the Old Man, which is corrupt according to the de|ceitfull Lu&s;ts; And be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind: And that ye put on that New Man, which after God is created in Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and true Holine&s;s.</HI> This it is to learn the Truth as it is in Je&s;us; namely, together with the Knowledge of it, to have an Experience of its Power and Efficacy, in the Mortification of Sin, in the Reno|vation of our Natures, and Transforming the whole Soul into the Image of God in Righteou&s;ne&s;s and the Holine&s;s of Truth. When men learn that they may know, and are &s;atisfied with what they know, without an endeavour to find the Life and Power of what they know in their own Hearts, their Knowledge is of little U&s;e,
<PB N="254" REF="139"> and their A&s;&s;ent unto the Truth will have no Stability accompanying of it. The im|mediate End (with re&s;pect unto us) of the whole Revelation of the Mind and Will of God in the Scripture, is, that it may put forth a <HI>&s;piritual practical Power</HI> in our Souls, and that we may doe the things which are &s;o revealed unto us. Where this is neglected, where men content them|&s;elves with a bare Speculation of Spiritual Truths, they doe what lyes in them to fru&s;trate the End, and <HI>reject the Coun&s;el of God</HI> in them. If therefore we would know any <HI>Evangelical Truths</HI> in a due manner, if we would have that Evidence and A&s;&s;u|rance of them in our Minds which may &s;e|cure our Profe&s;&s;ion again&s;t Temptations and Oppo&s;itions, let us not re&s;t in any Ap|prehen&s;ions of Truth who&s;e Efficacy we have <HI>no Experience</HI> of in our Hearts, nor think that we know any more of the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel than we find ef|fectually working in the <HI>Renovation</HI> of our Minds, and the <HI>transforming</HI> of our Souls into the Image of the Glory of God in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. Learn to e&s;teem more of a <HI>little Know|ledge</HI> which di&s;covers it &s;elf in its <HI>Effects</HI> to be <HI>&s;anctifying</HI> and <HI>&s;aving,</HI> than of the
<PB N="255" REF="139"> highe&s;t Attainments in Notions and Specu|lations, though gilded and &s;et off by the Reputation of Skill, Subtility, Eloquence, Wit and Learning, which do not evidence them&s;elves by a-like Operations. We are fallen into dayes wherein men of all &s;orts, Sects and Partyes are <HI>vying for the Reputa|tion of Skill,</HI> Ability, Knowledge, Subti|lity and Cunning in Di&s;putes about Reli|gion. And few there are who are ca&s;t un|der &s;uch Di&s;advantages by apparent want of Learning, but that they hope to make it up one way or other, &s;o as to think as well of their own Knowledge and Abili|ties as of other mens. He who hath learned to be meek, humble, lowly, patient, &s;elf|denying, holy, zealous, peaceable, to pu|rifie his Heart, and to be U&s;efull in his Life, is indeed the Per&s;on who is be&s;t acquaint|ed with Evangelical Truth. Wherefore let this Knowledge be e&s;teemed both in our &s;elves and others above all that proud, pre&s;umptuous, notional, puffing Know|ledge which &s;ets up for &s;o great a Repu|tation in the World, and we &s;hall have ex|perience of a ble&s;&s;ed Succe&s;s in our pur&s;uit of it.</P>
<P N="4">4. Be not &s;atisfied without a <HI>Di&s;covery</HI> of &s;uch a Goodne&s;s, Excellency and Beau|ty
<PB N="256" REF="140"> in <HI>&s;piritual things</HI> as may attract your Hearts unto them, and cau&s;e you to cleave unto them with unconquerable Love and Delight. This is that nece&s;&s;ary, in&s;epara|ble Adjunct, Property, Fruit or Effect of Faith, without which it is not E&s;&s;entially differenced from the <HI>Faith of Devils.</HI> That Knowledge, that Perception and Under|&s;tanding of the Truth, which doth not pre&s;ent the things known, believed, per|ceived, as <HI>lovely, excellent</HI> and <HI>de&s;ireable</HI> unto the Will and Affections, is <HI>a Cloud without Water,</HI> which every wind of Tem|ptation will &s;catter and blow away. Do not therefore &s;uppo&s;e that you have learn|ed any thing of God in Chri&s;t, of the My|&s;tery of his Grace, of his acceptable and perfect Will; unle&s;s you &s;ee therein that Evidence of Infinite Wi&s;dome, Goodne&s;s, Holine&s;s, Love, in all things &s;o &s;uited unto the Eternal Glory of God, and Advantage of your own Souls in the uttermo&s;t Re&s;t, Peace and Satisfaction that they are capable of, as that you may admire, adore, delight in them and cleave unto them with an holy, prevalent, unconquerable Love. When you doe &s;o, then will you be e&s;tabli&s;hed in the Truth, and be able to bid Defiance unto the Artifices of Sathan with the <HI>Solicita|tions</HI>
<PB N="257" REF="140"> of men, that would withdraw or &s;e|parate you from it. But I will not farther digre&s;s in the&s;e Di&s;cour&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>Ignorance</HI> is another Occa&s;ion of Apo|&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth, which was named under this Head of the <HI>Depravation of the Minds of men.</HI> It is the want of a due Perception, Under&s;tanding or Knowledge of the principal Doctrines of the Go&s;pel, with the Evidence which is given unto them, and the u&s;e of them in the Scriptures, that we intend hereby. A general Know|ledge of &s;ome Doctrines without an Ac|quaintance with their Grounds and Rea|&s;ons, their U&s;e and Effects in the Life of God, is of no value in the&s;e things. When per&s;ons know not in Religion what <HI>they ought to know, as they ought to know it,</HI> or what it is their Duty to know, and with|out the Knowledge whereof they can per|form no other Duty of Religion in a right manner, then are they culpably <HI>ignorant,</HI> and &s;o as to be expo&s;ed unto all other Evils that may befall them. For whether this be for want of <HI>due In&s;truction</HI> from others, or want of <HI>Diligence</HI> in them&s;elves to Learn, the Event is equally pernicious. In the fir&s;t way the Holy Gho&s;t a&s;&s;ures us, That <HI>where there is no Vi&s;ion the People peri&s;h;</HI>
<PB N="258" REF="141"> <HI>Prov.</HI> 29. 18 The People will &s;uffer where tho&s;e who&s;e Duty it is &s;o to doe, are not able to in&s;truct them; For if the Blind lead the Blind, both mu&s;t into the Ditch. And in general it is affirmed, That the <HI>People are de&s;troyed for lack of Knowledge; Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 6. Of &s;uch ruinous con&s;equence by one means or other is the <HI>Peoples Ignorance</HI> of what it is their Duty to know. And by no one way doth it &s;o effectually operate unto their De&s;truction, as by this of di&s;po&s;ing them to a <HI>Defection from the Truth</HI> which they have profe&s;&s;ed, when any Trial or Temptation doth befall them.</P>
<P><HI>Multitudes,</HI> yea whole Nations are often brought unto an outward general Profe&s;&s;i|on of the Truth of Religion, e&s;pecially with re&s;pect unto the Oppo&s;ition of any other that is made thereunto. The Influ|ence and Example of &s;ome that are in Power and E&s;teem among them, falling in with a &s;ea&s;on of encouraging Circum|&s;tances, may produce this Effect, where men have little Knowledge of what they profe&s;s, and le&s;s Sen&s;e of its Power and Efficacy. So the Body of the People of Old turned unto the Profe&s;&s;ion of the true Religion under the <HI>Reformation</HI> made by <HI>Jo&s;iah; Neverthele&s;s,</HI> (as the Prophet ob|&s;erves,)
<PB N="259" REF="141"> <HI>they did it not with their whole Hearts, but feignedly; Jer.</HI> 3. 10. They did it not out of Love to the Truth, or a cor|dial Re&s;pect unto the wayes of God, but in an <HI>hypocritical complyance</HI> with their Ruler. The Conver&s;ion of the <HI>Northern</HI> Nations after they had po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed the <HI>We&s;tern</HI> parts of the <HI>Roman Empire,</HI> was a Pledge of what their future Profe&s;&s;ion was like to prove. The fir&s;t Conver&s;ion of the World, was by the laborious Preaching of <HI>Apo&s;tles, Evangeli&s;ts,</HI> and others, accompa|nyed with many miraculous Operations, exemplified in Holine&s;s of Life, and Pati|ence under all &s;orts of Per&s;ecutions. And by this Means none were received or ad|mitted into the Profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Chri&s;tian Re|ligion,</HI> but &s;uch as were Per&s;onally con|vinced of its <HI>Truth,</HI> in&s;tructed in its <HI>My&s;te|ries,</HI> conformed in their Lives to its <HI>Pre|cepts,</HI> and engaged unto its <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> again&s;t Per&s;ecution. But in the&s;e latter Conver|&s;ions &s;ome Kings, Rulers or Potentates be|ing dealt withall by <HI>Popes</HI> or other Prin|ces, and thereon (perhaps with no &s;mall Influence from Secular Con&s;iderations) ad|mitting of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion</HI> in op|po&s;ition unto <HI>Pagani&s;me,</HI> their <HI>Allyes, Kin|dred</HI> and <HI>Subjects</HI> u&s;ually followed them
<PB N="260" REF="142"> therein, having indeed little more of Chri|&s;tianity than the Admini&s;tration of &s;ome external Rites, and a Relinqui&s;hment of their Old Idols for the New Saints pro|po&s;ed unto them. By this Means their fir&s;t Profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> was laid in pro|found Ignorance of the Principles and mo&s;t important Doctrines and Duties of the Go&s;pel. Hence it became mo&s;t ea&s;ie for them who were looked on as their Guides, to lead them into all tho&s;e <HI>fooli&s;h Opinions,</HI> Idolatrous Practices, &s;uper&s;titious Devoti|ons, and blind Subjection to them&s;elves, whence at length i&s;&s;ued the fatal <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> Knowing but little of what they ought to have known, and delighting not in Obe|dience unto what they did know, they willingly embraced them&s;elves, and God Judicially gave them up unto tho&s;e &s;trong Delu&s;ions which turned them wholly from the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Thus the Generality of this Nation hath received and profe&s;&s;ed the <HI>Prote&s;tant Re|ligion</HI> in oppo&s;ition unto <HI>Popery.</HI> And no doubt many did &s;o through a &s;incere and effectual Conviction of its <HI>Truth</HI> upon the fir&s;t <HI>Reformation.</HI> But it is &s;o come to pa&s;s, that what through their own &s;upine Negligence and Carele&s;ne&s;s about all things
<PB N="261" REF="142"> Invi&s;ible and Eternal, what through the Sloth, Ignorance, Lazine&s;s, and wretched Indifferency in Religion of &s;ome of tho&s;e that &s;hould in&s;truct them, Multitudes are become &s;hamefully ignorant of the Ru|diments and Principles of that Religion which they account them&s;elves to profe&s;s. So hath it been almo&s;t in all Ages and Pla|ces, after Profe&s;&s;ion became Notional. Ma|ny will not make u&s;e of the Means of In|&s;truction which they have, and more want that Means in an effectual mea&s;ure. Nor (it may be) can there be an In&s;tance given where there hath been <HI>&s;ufficient care taken,</HI> or at lea&s;t <HI>&s;ufficient Provi&s;ion made</HI> for the In&s;truction of the Body of the People in all parts of it. Neither is that ordinary Cour&s;e of the Mini&s;try which is pa&s;&s;ant in the World, &s;ufficient to this purpo&s;e. Can any man who knows any thing of the Go|&s;pel, or of the Nature of men with re&s;pect unto <HI>&s;piritual things,</HI> once &s;uppo&s;e, that the Reading of Prayers unto a People, or the Rehear&s;ing of a Sermon without Zeal, Life, Power, or Evidence of Compa&s;&s;ion for the Souls of men, accompanyed with a light, vain, worldly Conver&s;ation, (as it is with many) &s;hould an&s;wer the Apo&s;toli|cal pattern of <HI>laying the Foundation,</HI> and
<PB N="262" REF="143"> then <HI>carrying on of men</HI> by continual In|&s;truction <HI>unto Perfection?</HI> From hence (as al&s;o from other Rea&s;ons obvious unto all impartial Ob&s;ervers,) it is, that Darkne&s;s covers the Earth and thick Darkne&s;s the People, ignorance prevailing on all &s;orts of men. Some will not learn, &s;ome have none to teach them, &s;ome are engaged in the pur&s;uit of &s;en&s;ual Lu&s;ts and Vanities, &s;ome &s;wallowed up in the Love of, and cares about the things of the world, few in any Age have been con&s;cienciou&s;ly diligent in the things which are of Eternal Concern|ment unto them.</P>
<P>This was that which facilitated the <HI>Pa|pal Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> from whence it took its ri&s;e, and by which it received its Progre&s;s. Tho&s;e who would on the Motives men|tioned be accounted Chri&s;tians, and which it was the intere&s;t of the pretended Pre&s;i|dents in Religion to have &s;o e&s;teemed, being profoundly ignorant, they fir&s;t ac|commodated the Practices of Religion unto their carnal &s;uper&s;titious Minds, and then gradually lead them into all Errours and Fables. For they were blind and knew not whither they went. So were the important Truths of the Go&s;pel abandoned for <HI>Mon|ki&s;h Dreams,</HI> for Legends of fooli&s;h lying
<PB N="263" REF="143"> Miracles, and other Heatheni&s;h Super&s;titi|ons. It was by Ignorance (I &s;ay) principally that the People gave them&s;elves up unto the power of Seducers, which enabled the <HI>Architects</HI> of the <HI>Roman</HI> Apo&s;ta&s;ie to carry them into Opinions, wayes and practices &s;uited unto their &s;ecular Intere&s;t. And &s;o &s;en&s;ible have they been of their Advantage hereby, as that &s;ome of them have com|mended <HI>Ignorance</HI> as the mo&s;t u&s;efull Qua|lification of the people in Religion.</P>
<P>We may therefore well fix this as ano|ther Cau&s;e or occa&s;ion at lea&s;t of Apo&s;ta&s;ie; When men are ignorant of the Religion which them&s;elves profe&s;s, as to its Doctrines and the principal grounds of them; where they are like the <HI>Samaritans,</HI> who under|&s;tood not their own Religious Wor&s;hip which they had received by Tradition, <HI>but wor&s;hipped they knew not what; Joh.</HI> 4. 22. They are no way able to defend them&s;elves again&s;t the lea&s;t Impre&s;&s;ions of Seducers. They may plod on in the old Track of &s;ome formal outward Duties, but if any one meets them in their way, it is ea&s;ie for him to turn them out of it. So the Apo&s;tle &s;hewing the danger that Profe&s;&s;ors were in becau&s;e of <HI>Apo&s;tatical Seducers,</HI> he a&s;&s;igns the Means of their Pre&s;ervation to
<PB N="264" REF="144"> be <HI>the &V;nction which they had received, whereby they knew all things; Joh.</HI> 2. 19, 20, 27. Had they not been taught and in|&s;tructed in the Truth, they could not at &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on have per&s;evered in the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Faith. Yea &s;uch Per&s;ons are very ready to think that there is <HI>&s;omething worthy their con&s;ideration</HI> in what is propo|&s;ed unto them by the mo&s;t corrupt Sedu|cers, whereas they have really found no|thing in what them&s;elves have &s;o long pro|fe&s;&s;ed. For no man can find any real Bene|fit, Profit or Advantage in that whereof he is <HI>ignorant.</HI> So it is &s;aid, that &s;ome by <HI>good words and fair &s;peeches do deceive the hearts of the &s;imple, Rom.</HI> 16. 18. Every thing they &s;ay hath a plau&s;ible Pretence and Appear|ance unto Per&s;ons under that <HI>Character,</HI> &s;o as that they are apt to be taken and plea&s;ed with it. Hence is that advice of the Apo&s;tle unto them who de&s;ign E&s;ta|bli&s;hment in Faith and Order. <HI>Brethren, be not Children in under&s;tanding; howbeit in malice be ye Children, but in under&s;tand|ing be ye men,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 20. <GAP DESC="foreign">; be ye <HI>compleat, perfect,</HI> well in&s;truct|ed in your Minds, fully initiated into the Doctrines of the Go&s;pel. Such the Apo&s;tle calls <GAP DESC="foreign">; <HI>perfect men,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 7. <HI>Heb.</HI>
<PB N="265" REF="144"> 5. 14. Tho&s;e who in oppo&s;ition hereunto are <HI>Children,</HI> that is, weak and ignorant, will al&s;o be uncertain and un&s;table. They will be as Children <HI>to&s;&s;ed to and fro, carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the &s;leight of men and cunning craftine&s;s, where|by they lye in wait to deceive; Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 14.</P>
<P>For let &s;ome crafty <HI>Papal</HI> Emi&s;&s;aries come among this &s;ort of People, and let them confidently tell them, that they neither have nor ever will have any <HI>Benefit</HI> by the <HI>Religion</HI> they profe&s;s; and that they have no Evidence or A&s;&s;urance of the Truth of it; they tell them no more but what they will know to be true, if once they take it into con&s;ideration. For whereas they have &s;eemed to be <HI>alwayes learning,</HI> by re&s;orting to Church and the like outward Means whereby Religion is expre&s;&s;ed, yet they never <HI>came to the Knowledge of the Truth.</HI> Wherefore, when by any means they are put unto a &s;tand, and are forced to con&s;ider them&s;elves, they are amazed to find how little it is that they believe of the Reli|gion which they profe&s;s, or know of the ground of what they would be thought to believe.</P>
<P>Let &s;uch Per&s;ons adde, (as they will not
<PB N="266" REF="145"> fail to doe,) that with them of <HI>Rome</HI> is full <HI>A&s;&s;urance,</HI> that none ever mi&s;took the way who accompanyed them that are of the Old Religion which their Forefathers pro|fe&s;&s;ed &s;o many Ages before this <HI>New-fan|gledne&s;s</HI> came up, which hath filled all things with Confu&s;ion, Di&s;order, Sects, and Divi&s;ions; whereas before, all were of <HI>one Mind</HI> (which was the mo&s;t plau&s;ible Argu|ment of <HI>Pagani&s;me</HI> again&s;t Chri&s;tianity,) every trouble&s;ome per&s;onal Circum&s;tance of their pre&s;ent condition, makes them in|clinable to believe, that it <HI>may be</HI> as they &s;ay. Let them tell them moreover of the Power granted unto the <HI>Prie&s;thood</HI> of their Church to pardon all &s;orts of Sins, of the effectual <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>Saints</HI> and Angels, among whom they may choo&s;e out parti|cular Patrons and Guardians for them&s;elves; of the Mercy, Grace, Goodne&s;s, Power and Intere&s;t in Heaven of the <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Virgin,</HI> all continually exerci&s;ed in the behalf of <HI>Catholicks,</HI> of the <HI>Miracles</HI> that are daily wrought among them, of the wondrous <HI>Sanctity</HI> and Devotion which &s;ome among them have attained, they begin to think that there is &s;omewhat in the&s;e things which they can <HI>feel</HI> or &s;ee, whereas in their own Religion they can under&s;tand
<PB N="267" REF="145"> little or nothing at all. The <HI>great things</HI> of the Go&s;pel are <HI>&s;trange things</HI> unto them; they neither doe nor can under|&s;tand them by all the diligence they think meet to u&s;e in this Ca&s;e. But the things now propo&s;ed unto them have the Na|ture of <HI>Tales,</HI> which the Mind of Man is accu&s;tomed unto, and apt both to receive and retain. And it is not imaginable how ea&s;ie a <HI>Tran&s;ition</HI> will prove, from a Reli|gion whereof men know little or nothing at all, unto that which at one view pre|&s;ents unto their Fancies and Sen&s;es all that they need believe or doe, that they may be eternally happy.</P>
<P>Suppo&s;e one of another &s;ort come among &s;uch per&s;ons, and at once call them off from the Profe&s;&s;ion of that <HI>Religion</HI> which they pretend unto, confidently requiring them to attend wholly <HI>unto a Light within them,</HI> which will be their Guide and di|rect them unto God. They find by <HI>Natu|ral Experience</HI> that there is &s;ome &s;uch Light within them, as that which he &s;eems to propo&s;e unto them; for there is &s;o in all men, as the Apo&s;tle declares, even the <HI>Light of Con&s;cience accu&s;ing or excu&s;ing as unto Sin or Duty; Rom.</HI> 2. 14, 15. Having therefore by rea&s;on of their <HI>Ignorance</HI> no
<PB N="268" REF="146"> Experience of any Power or Efficacy in that Religion which them&s;elves profe&s;s, they begin to think there is a Reality in what is propo&s;ed unto them, and &s;o are ea&s;ily inveigled. For there is no &s;ecurity of his <HI>con&s;tancy</HI> for one moment when a Trial or Temptation &s;hall befall him, who hath not Light or Knowledge enough of the Truth to give him &s;ome inward Expe|rience of the Efficacy of what he doth pro|fe&s;s.</P>
<P>But it is no way nece&s;&s;ary to in&s;i&s;t any longer on that which is &s;o evident both in Matter of fact and in the Rea&s;ons of it. An <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from a <HI>Traditional Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> of tho&s;e Truths which indeed men under&s;tand not, is ea&s;ie, and in a time of Temptation unavoidable. In all Ages multitudes have thus peri&s;hed for want of Knowledge. For &s;uch per&s;ons are de&s;titute of defence again&s;t any <HI>external Cau&s;e</HI> or Means of Defection. They have nothing in their Minds to op|po&s;e to <HI>force,</HI> nothing unto Seductions or <HI>fraud,</HI> nothing to the <HI>Examples</HI> of great Leaders, nothing to conflict with the <HI>&s;u|per&s;tition</HI> of their own Minds, and will therefore when Wind and Tide &s;uits the De&s;ign, comply with any fair pretence for a Revolt.</P>
<PB N="269" REF="146">
<P> And herein lyeth no &s;mall part of the danger of the publick Profe&s;&s;ion of the Prote&s;tant Religion among us. By who&s;e defect principally God knows, but it is in|credible how <HI>&s;tupidly ignorant</HI> Multitudes are. Such there are who know no diffe|rence in Religion, while&s;t the <HI>&s;ame Names</HI> of God and Chri&s;t are commonly u&s;ed, and &s;ame places frequented for Wor&s;hip. Yet will this &s;ort of men &s;hew great zeal and earne&s;tne&s;s again&s;t <HI>Popery</HI> and other Here|&s;ies. None more forward to revile, con|temn and pro&s;ecute them to their power, as ready as <HI>Mahometans</HI> are to per&s;ecute <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> or <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> &s;incere Believers, and that on the &s;ame Grounds. But if at any time they are put unto a &s;tand, and ne|ce&s;&s;itated to give an Account unto them|&s;elves of the Rea&s;on of their own Religion, <HI>what</HI> it is they Believe, and <HI>why</HI> they do &s;o, their Confidence will fail them, and like unto men fallen into <HI>Cro&s;s-paths</HI> and wayes, they will not know what to doe. And on &s;uch Occa&s;ions they are the rea|die&s;t of all men in a kind of <HI>Shame of them|&s;elves,</HI> to give up the Religion which they have profe&s;&s;ed, for any other wherein it is promi&s;ed they &s;hall have more Skill, and by which they may have &s;ome Benefit, as
<PB N="270" REF="147"> it is pretended, whereas by their own they have had none at all.</P>
<P>Whatever therefore is among&s;t us or el&s;e|where an occa&s;ion of <HI>Ignorance</HI> among the People, it doth expo&s;e them unto a fatal Defection from the Truth. If tho&s;e upon whom it is incumbent to in&s;truct them in the Knowledge of the Truths and My&s;te|ries of the Go&s;pel, are unskilfull or negli|gent in the di&s;charge of their Duty, they doe what lyeth in them to give them up bound hand and foot to the Power of their &s;piritual Adver&s;aries. And they will be found chargeable with no le&s;s guilt, who lay Ob&s;tructions in the way of others who would willingly labour in the In&s;truction of them unto their power. A man would think from all Circum&s;tances, and all In|dications of the pre&s;ent Inclinations of the Minds of men, that it were the chief In|tere&s;t of all that really love the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> to pre&s;erve its Profe&s;&s;ors from Apo&s;ta&s;ie, or any di&s;po&s;ition thereunto. That this will be done effectually without a continual <HI>In&s;truction</HI> of them in the Truths which are to be profe&s;&s;ed, with their Grounds, Rea&s;ons and Effects, is &s;o fond an Imagination, as that it de&s;erves no con|&s;ideration; It is but to build Ca&s;tles in the
<PB N="271" REF="147"> Air, to &s;uppo&s;e that men will be kept <HI>con|&s;tant in the Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion,</HI> by out|ward Laws, the Ob&s;ervance of external Forms, and the Secular Advantages of &s;ome Per&s;ons by it, wherein they are not concerned. They will not be &s;o, I &s;ay, when a <HI>Trial</HI> &s;hall befall them. There is no other Means that is appointed of God, or is rational in it &s;elf, for the attaining of this End, but that tho&s;e who are &s;o concern|ed, do what in them lyes <HI>per&s;onally</HI> to in|&s;truct the People in the Truth, encoura|ging of them unto Obedience by their own <HI>Example,</HI> and to prevail with them who have the &s;ame de&s;ign, to be a&s;&s;i&s;ting with them therein. But to cry out of the great <HI>danger</HI> of <HI>Prote&s;tant</HI> Religion in the growth of <HI>Popery,</HI> and at the &s;ame time not onely to be Negligent them&s;elves in the great Duty of communicating the real effectual Knowledge of it unto the Souls of men, but al&s;o to lay needle&s;s Ob&s;tructi|ons in the wayes of others who would &s;incerely endeavour &s;o to doe, is an unac|countable <HI>Soloeci&s;me</HI> in Religion. Either we are not in earne&s;t in our pretended <HI>Zeal</HI> for the Truth, and our Fears of the prevalency of <HI>Popery,</HI> or we believe not that In&s;truction in the Truth is the onely
<PB N="272" REF="148"> Means to pre&s;erve men in the u&s;efull Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of it, which is to renounce the Go|&s;pel, and all rational Con&s;ideration there|withall; or we are influenced by other things which we far more e&s;teem than <HI>Evangelical</HI> Truth and the Purity of <HI>Reli|gion.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Reformation</HI> of the Church con&s;i&s;t|ed principally in the Deliverance of the people from Darkne&s;s and Ignorance. And if through our <HI>Neglect</HI> they &s;hould be re|duced again into the &s;ame State and Con|dition, they would be a ready Prey for the <HI>Papacy</HI> to &s;eize upon. The Advice of the Apo&s;tle as to the Duty of all Go&s;pel Mini&s;ters and Officers, in &s;uch a Sea&s;on as we are fallen into, is that alone which will pre&s;erve us, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1, 2, 3, 4.</P>
<P>But it may be &s;uppo&s;ed, that &s;o <HI>much Labour</HI> and Diligence in the In&s;truction and Teaching of the People, as &s;ome a&s;&s;ert, is altogether unnece&s;&s;ary. It is enough if they be taught what are the <HI>general Principles of Religion,</HI> and do thereon comply with the Conduct of the Church whereunto they do belong. Be&s;ides, if this <HI>burden</HI> be incumbent on the Mini&s;try, that tho&s;e call|ed thereunto are to have no Relaxation from con&s;tant &s;edulous <HI>Labouring in the</HI>
<PB N="273" REF="148"> <HI>Word and Doctrine,</HI> and are moreover re|quired to exemplifie what they teach in the whole cour&s;e of their Conver&s;ation, who would ever take upon him that Office that can advantage him&s;elf in the World any other way? It mu&s;t needs prove very burden&s;ome, if we have a <HI>Religion</HI> that will not be pre&s;erved in the Minds of men, without all this con&s;tant endle&s;s Toyl and Labour. In the <HI>Roman</HI> Church we &s;ee how ea&s;ie a thing it is to keep up the People unto its Profe&s;&s;ion, while&s;t the <HI>Clergy</HI> are at Liberty to pur&s;ue and u&s;e the Plea&s;ures and Honours of this World; nor are any of them obliged unto tho&s;e irk&s;ome and endle&s;s Pains which we &s;eem to require. Yea they find by Experience that <HI>Igno|rance</HI> in the <HI>People</HI> is the be&s;t Expedient to keep them in Subjection to the <HI>Prie&s;ts,</HI> and then all things are &s;ecure. I wi&s;h that &s;uch thoughts as the&s;e do not influence the Minds of &s;ome unto a Readine&s;s for a <HI>Change,</HI> if &s;o be it might be effected with|out hazard. But if more Pains, Diligence, Labour, with Per&s;everance therein, be re|quired by us in the <HI>Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel</HI> and <HI>Guides of the Church,</HI> than the Holy Gho&s;t in the Scripture doth plainly, po&s;i|tively, frequently enjoyn, let it be re|jected
<PB N="274" REF="149"> and de&s;pi&s;ed. Alas! the be&s;t of us, of all that are alive, do come &s;hort in ma|ny things of the Rules and Examples that are propo&s;ed unto us therein. Nor doe I know on what <HI>Grounds,</HI> or by what Mea|&s;ures the mo&s;t of us do intend to give up our Accounts at the la&s;t day. Nor is there any more impious Opinion nor more con|tradictory to the Go&s;pel, than that it is enough for the People to be in&s;tructed onely in the <HI>general Principles</HI> of Religion, without any farther Improvement or Growth in Knowledge. For tho&s;e who are thus called the <HI>People,</HI> are (I &s;uppo&s;e) e&s;teemed <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> that is, Di&s;ciples of Je&s;us Chri&s;t and Members of his My&s;tical Body. And if they are &s;o, their <HI>Growth</HI> in Under&s;tanding, their Edification in Know|ledge, their being <HI>carryed on unto Perfecti|on,</HI> their Acquaintance with the whole Coun&s;el of God, with the My&s;teries of his Love and Grace in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, are as ne|ce&s;&s;ary for them as the <HI>&s;aving of their Souls</HI> indi&s;pen&s;ibly depending thereon, can ren|der them. And if we will be <HI>Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel,</HI> it will not be be&s;t for us to pre|&s;cribe unto our &s;elves, our Rules and Mea|&s;ures of Duty. It will be our Wi&s;dom to accept of that Office on the terms limited
<PB N="275" REF="149"> by the Holy Gho&s;t, or utterly to let it alone. And we mu&s;t know, that the more exactly our Profe&s;&s;ion is &s;uited unto the Go&s;pel, the le&s;s mixture there is in it of any thing <HI>humane,</HI> the more difficult it is throughly to in&s;truct men in the Knowledge of it. The Mind of man is far more apt and able to comprehend and retain <HI>Fables, Errors</HI> and <HI>Super&s;titions,</HI> than Evangelical Truths. The former are Natural unto it; again&s;t the latter it hath a Di&s;like and En|mity untill they are removed by Grace. Hence &s;ome will make a more appearing <HI>Proficiency</HI> in a fal&s;e Religion in four or five dayes, than others will doe in the Know|ledge of the Truth almo&s;t in &s;o many years. We may have well-grown <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> in a Months time that &s;hall be expert in the My|&s;teries of their Devotion; and there is another Profe&s;&s;ion that <HI>two or three dayes</HI> will bring men unto a Perfection in. But <HI>&s;low</HI> is the progre&s;s of mo&s;t in learning the Truth and My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. If pe|culiar Diligence and con&s;tant Sedulity be not u&s;ed in their In&s;truction, they will be made a Prey unto the next Opportunity for a Defection from the Truth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="276" REF="150">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Pride and Vanity of Mind, Sloth and Negli|gence, Love of the World, Cau&s;es of Apo|&s;ta&s;ie; The Work of Sathan and Judge|ments of God in this Matter.</HEAD>
<P>THe innate <HI>Pride</HI> and <HI>Vanity of the Minds of men,</HI> is another Means whereby they are di&s;po&s;ed and in|clined unto an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Profe&s;&s;ion of Evangelical Truth. With re&s;pect here|unto the De&s;ign and Work of the Go&s;pel is to ca&s;t down <HI>Imaginations,</HI> and <HI>every high thing that exalteth it &s;elf again&s;t the knowledge of God</HI> (taught therein,) <HI>bring|ing into Captivity every thought unto the Obe|dience of Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 3. The Mind of Man is Naturally lifted up with high Thoughts in it &s;elf and of it &s;elf. That it is &s;ufficient unto all the Ends of its Being, all the Duties of its Condition, without any e&s;pecial Aid or A&s;&s;i&s;tance from above, is the prevailing Principle whereby it is
<PB N="277" REF="150"> acted. Men do not onely by Nature &s;ay, <HI>With our Tongue we will prevail, our Lips are our own; Who is Lord over us? P&s;al.</HI> 12. 4. we have a Sovereignty over all our out|ward Actions; but al&s;o that nothing is, or can, or ought to be required of us, but what we have <HI>Power</HI> in our &s;elves to com|prehend, comply withall and perform; this in all Ages of the Church under various forms and pretences hath been contended for. The true &s;tate of all Controver&s;ies about the <HI>Powers of Nature and Grace,</HI> is this; That on the one hand the Minds and Wills of men are a&s;&s;erted to be <HI>&s;elf-&s;uffici|ent</HI> as to internal Abilities unto all Duties of Obedience nece&s;&s;ary unto eternal Ble&s;|&s;edne&s;s; on the other, That we have <HI>no &s;ufficiency</HI> of our &s;elves, but that all our &s;ufficiency is of God; See 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 5. <HI>Chap.</HI> 9. 8. This Principle which &s;prung imme|diately out of that Pride, whereby aiming at an Enlargement of our &s;elf-&s;ufficiency we utterly lo&s;t what we had, was never yet rooted out of the Minds of the gene|rality of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>In all things the Mind of Man would be its own Mea&s;ure, Guide and Rule, conti|nually teeming with the&s;e two Evils:</P>
<P N="1">(1) It exalts <HI>Imaginations</HI> of its own,
<PB N="278" REF="151"> which it loves, applauds, dotes on and adheres unto. This is the Original of <HI>He|re&s;ie,</HI> this hath given Birth, Growth and Progre&s;s to Error. For God made <HI>Man up|right, but they &s;ought out many Inventions, Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 29. Seeking out and exalting <HI>In|ventions</HI> of our own in things Spiritual and Religious, is the principal and mo&s;t per|nicious Con&s;equent of our fall from that &s;tate of <HI>&V;prightne&s;s</HI> wherein of God we were created.</P>
<P N="2">(2) It makes <HI>it &s;elf</HI> the &s;ole and <HI>ab&s;olute Judge</HI> of what is Divinely propo&s;ed unto it, whether it be <HI>true</HI> or <HI>fal&s;e, good</HI> or <HI>evil,</HI> to be received or rejected, without De&s;ire or Expectation of any <HI>&s;upernatural Guidance</HI> or A&s;&s;i&s;tance. And whatever is un&s;uited unto its own prejudicate Imaginations, it is ready to &s;corn and de&s;pi&s;e. That there|fore which we are now to demon&s;trate, is, That where this <HI>Pride</HI> and Principle are predominant, where the one is not <HI>morti|fied</HI> by Grace, nor the other <HI>eradicated</HI> by Spiritual Light, there men can never re|ceive the Truths of the Go&s;pel in a due Manner, and are ready to renounce them when they have by any Means been brought unto the Profe&s;&s;ion of them for a &s;ea&s;on. For,</P>
<PB N="279" REF="151">
<P> The Go&s;pel, that is, the Doctrines of it, and Truths contained in it, is propo&s;ed unto us <HI>in the Name</HI> and on the <HI>Authority</HI> of God, having his Image and Super|&s;cription upon it. It hath &s;uch Impre&s;&s;ions of Divine Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, Grace, Ho|line&s;s, and Power upon it, as manife&s;ts it to be the <HI>glorious Go&s;pel of the ble&s;&s;ed God,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 11. Hence it ought to be received with an holy Reverence, with a due &s;en&s;e of the Glory of God, and as his <HI>Voyce &s;peak|ing unto us from Heaven.</HI> Hence is the Cau|tion of the Apo&s;tle, that we would not <HI>refu&s;e</HI> or turn from <HI>him who &s;peaketh from Heaven, Heb.</HI> 12. 25. Without this it will never be duely received, truely under|&s;tood, nor &s;teadfa&s;tly believed. It is not to be received as <HI>the Word of Men, but as it is in Truth the Word of God,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 13. It mu&s;t be received with that Frame of Spirit, with that Submi&s;&s;ion, that Subjecti|on of Soul and Con&s;cience, which becomes poor Worms of the Earth when they have to doe with the great and holy God, ex|pre&s;&s;ed <HI>Gen.</HI> 18. 27. So our Saviour tells us, that <HI>unle&s;s we be converted and become as little Children, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.</HI> Unle&s;s we deny our &s;elves and all our own Imaginations, unle&s;s
<PB N="280" REF="152"> we become <HI>humble</HI> and teachable, we can never arrive at an u&s;efull Acquaintance with the My&s;teries of it. And he convin|ced the learned <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> that by rea&s;on of their Pride, Vain-glory and Hypocri&s;ie, they could not perceive or under&s;tand the Doctrine which he taught.</P>
<P>God promi&s;eth that he will <HI>teach the Meek</HI> or Humble <HI>in Judgement;</HI> the <HI>Meek will he teach his way,</HI> P&s;al. 25. 9. <HI>The &s;ecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will &s;hew them his Covenant,</HI> Ver. 14. <HI>Whom &s;hall he teach Knowledge? whom &s;hall he make to under&s;tand Doctrine? Them that are weaned from the Milk, and drawn from the Brea&s;ts,</HI> I&s;a. 28. 9. Unle&s;s Men become as weaned Children, as <HI>David</HI> affirms of him&s;elf, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 131. 2. when <HI>his Heart was not haughty nor his Eyes lifted up,</HI> Ver. 1. God will not teach them. There is there|fore no &s;uch effectual Ob&s;truction of Di|vine Teachings as the <HI>Pride</HI> of mens Minds, which is utterly incon&s;i&s;tent with them. Hence it is that Men come with carnal Con|fidence in them&s;elves, the Ability and <HI>Sa|gaeity</HI> of their own Minds, to the Con&s;ide|ration of the Go&s;pel and the things con|tained in it, without the lea&s;t peculiar Awe or Reverence of God from whom it is. And
<PB N="281" REF="152"> hence do they &s;uppo&s;e them&s;elves without more adoe, <HI>competent Judges</HI> of the Mind of the Holy Gho&s;t in all Divine Revelations. Can men who have once read the Scripture imagine that this is the way to <HI>learn Hea|venly Truth,</HI> or to partake of the Teachings of God? Will the &s;ame Frame of &s;pirit &s;uffice them in this De&s;ign, as that which they have when they are exerci&s;ed about their other Occa&s;ions? When we con&s;ider how men for the mo&s;t part <HI>learn the Truth,</HI> we need not wonder to &s;ee how ea&s;ily they <HI>unlearn</HI> and for&s;ake it. If the Truth at any time be entertained by a Soul who&s;e Mind is <HI>unhumbled,</HI> and who&s;e Affections are un|mortified, it is a trouble&s;ome Inmate, and will on the fir&s;t Occa&s;ion be parted withall. It is true, we ought to imploy the utmo&s;t of our Rational Abilities in the Inve&s;tiga|tion of Sacred Truth: But yet if therein we follow the Conduct of our own Minds, diving perhaps into Subtilities and Niceties, for&s;aking an humble dependance on the Teachings of God, it may be under Ap|prehen&s;ions of &s;ingular Wi&s;dom, we betray our &s;elves into ruinous Folly. This was that which corrupted all the Endeavours of the <HI>School-men,</HI> and left them in the height of their Enquiries to <HI>wax vain in</HI>
<PB N="282" REF="153"> <HI>their Imaginations.</HI> The way of handling <HI>&s;piritual things</HI> in a <HI>&s;piritual Manner,</HI> in the <HI>Words</HI> which the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t teacheth;</HI> that is, not with curious &s;ubtle Rea&s;onings and Inventions of carnal un&s;anctified Minds, but with that Evidence and plainne&s;s in Argu|mentation, &s;uited practically to affect the Minds and Con&s;ciences of men, which the Scripture giveth us both Example and Rule for, was de&s;pi&s;ed by them. But they came to the &s;tudy of Sacred Things with their Minds &s;tuffed and prepo&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Philo|&s;ophical Notions and Conceptions, with Sophi&s;ms, Di&s;tinctions, and various Ex|pre&s;&s;ions of the <HI>Serpentine</HI> Wits of men, which they mixed with <HI>Divinity,</HI> or the Doctrine of the Scripture, wofully cor|rupting, deba&s;ing and perverting it there|by. Mo&s;t of their Di&s;putes were &s;uch as had never had Foundation nor Occa&s;ion in the world, if <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> had not invented &s;ome odde Terms and Di&s;tinctions remote from the common Under&s;tanding and Rea|&s;on of men wi&s;er than him&s;elf. To enquire into <HI>Divine Revelation</HI> with an holy, hum|ble Frame of Heart, waiting and praying for Divine Teaching and Illumination of Mind, that them&s;elves might be <HI>made wi&s;e</HI> in the Knowledge of the My&s;teries of the
<PB N="283" REF="153"> Go&s;pel, and able to in&s;truct others in the Knowledge and Fear of God, it never came into their Minde. But being furni&s;hed and <HI>puffed up</HI> with a Conceit of their own <HI>&s;a|gacity,</HI> Philo&s;ophical Ability, and di&s;puting Faculty, harna&s;&s;ed with <HI>Syllogi&s;mes, Di|&s;tinctions, Solutions,</HI> and mo&s;t prepo&s;terous Methods of Craft; they came with Bold|ne&s;s on Chri&s;tian Religion, and forming it to their own Imaginations, dre&s;&s;ing it up and expo&s;ing of it in fooli&s;h terms of Art, under a &s;emblance of <HI>wondrous Subtility,</HI> they wholly corrupted it, and drew off the Minds of men from the <HI>Simplicity of the Truth</HI> as it is in <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Not one <HI>Ar|ticle</HI> of Religion did this proud &s;elf-con|ceited Generation of men leave, that (whe|ther their Conclu&s;ions were true or fal&s;e about it,) any man could come to the un|der&s;tanding of it, who had not been a better Proficient in the School of <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> than of Chri&s;t. To Believe and Teach the Doctrine of the Scripture, though with <HI>&s;ound Rea&s;on</HI> and Judgement, and in the way of the Scripture to affect the Minds and Con&s;ciences of men without their Phi|lo&s;ophical Notions, Niceties, Di&s;tinctions, whereby they had carved a corrupt, depra|ved, mon&s;trous Image of all things, and the
<PB N="284" REF="154"> Knowledge of them, was among them to be an Heretick or a Block-head. By the Pride, Confidence, and pretended Subtilty of the&s;e men, was <HI>Religion</HI> totally cor|rupted, and the <HI>Fountains</HI> poy&s;oned from whence others &s;ought for the <HI>Waters</HI> of the Sanctuary. Even what was left of <HI>Truth</HI> among them was &s;o deba&s;ed, &s;o deve&s;ted of its native heavenly Glory, Beauty and Maje&s;ty, was rendred &s;o deformed and un|&s;uited unto that <HI>&s;piritual</HI> Light wherein alone it can be u&s;efully di&s;cerned, as to render it altogether u&s;ele&s;s and inefficaci|ous unto its proper Ends. Nor are we ever in more danger to &s;ubduct our &s;elves from under the <HI>Teachings of God,</HI> than when we lean unto our own Under&s;tandings in our Enquiries into <HI>&s;piritual</HI> things, &s;o as to for|get that <HI>humble lowly frame of Heart</HI> where|in alone we are meet to be Taught, or to Learn in a due manner. And this is one way whereby men through the <HI>innate Pride</HI> of their Minds are ob&s;tructed in the Receiving, and di&s;po&s;ed unto the <HI>Relinqui&s;h|ment</HI> of Evangelical Truths.</P>
<P>Again; It is confe&s;&s;ed that there is no|thing propo&s;ed unto us in the Go&s;pel that is <HI>contrary</HI> unto Rea&s;on, as Rea&s;on is the due Comprehen&s;ion and Mea&s;ure of things
<PB N="285" REF="154"> as they are their own Nature. For how &s;hould there be &s;o, &s;eeing it is in it &s;elf the principal external Effect of the Rea&s;on or <HI>Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> which hath given unto all things their Natures, Properties and Mea|&s;ures? But yet there are things revealed in it which are <HI>above the Comprehen&s;ion of Rea&s;on,</HI> as planted in the finite limited Un|der&s;tanding of Man. Nor is the Ground hereof the <HI>accidental</HI> Corruption of our Nature, but the <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> Con&s;titution of its Being. There are (I &s;ay) Divine My&s;te|ries in the Go&s;pel who&s;e <HI>Revelation</HI> we may under&s;tand, but the <HI>Nature</HI> of the things them&s;elves we cannot comprehend. And this Rea&s;on it &s;elf cannot but acknow|ledge. For whereas it knows it &s;elf to be finite, limited and bounded, how &s;hould it be able perfectly to comprehend things Infinite, or all the Effects of Infinite Wi&s;|dom. <HI>Can we by &s;earching find out God? can we find out the Almighty unto Perfection? It is high as Heaven, what can we doe? deep|er than Hell, what can we know? the Mea|&s;ure thereof is longer than the Earth, and broader than the Sea; Job</HI> 11. 7, 8, 9. The&s;e things &s;o exceed the natural and duely pro|portionate Objects of our Under&s;tandings, as that we cannot find them out to <HI>Perfecti|on.</HI>
<PB N="286" REF="155"> The Rea&s;on of Man hath nothing here to doe, but humbly to comply with the <HI>Revelations</HI> that are made of them.</P>
<P>Moreover, there are in the Go&s;pel Things that are un&s;uited, yea <HI>contradictory</HI> unto Rea&s;on as it is Corrupted. Rea&s;on in us is now no longer to be con&s;idered merely as it is <HI>finite</HI> and Limited, but as in the <HI>Sub|ject</HI> and Exerci&s;e of it, it is impaired, de|praved and corrupted. To deny this, is to deny the fundamental Principle and Sup|po&s;ition that in all things the Go&s;pel pro|ceedeth on; that is, That <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> came into the World to re&s;tore and repair our Natures. In this &s;tate as it is unable of it &s;elf to <HI>di&s;cern</HI> and judge of <HI>&s;piritual Things</HI> in a due manner, &s;o it is apt to frame un|to it &s;elf <HI>vain Imaginations,</HI> and to be pre|po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with innumerable <HI>Prejudices,</HI> con|trary unto what the Go&s;pel doth teach and require. And whatever it doth &s;o fancy or frame, the Mind e&s;teems as proper Acts and Effects of Rea&s;on as any it exerci&s;eth or is capable of.</P>
<P>With re&s;pect unto both the&s;e, namely, the <HI>Weakne&s;s of Rea&s;on</HI> as it is Finite and Limited, and the <HI>Depravation of Rea&s;on</HI> as it is Corrupted, it is the De&s;ign of the Go&s;pel to bring every thought into Cap|tivity
<PB N="287" REF="155"> unto the Obedience of Faith. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. As to the former it requires men to Believe things <HI>above their Rea&s;on,</HI> merely on the Authority of Divine Revelation. Things they mu&s;t believe, <HI>which Eye hath not &s;een,</HI> nor <HI>Ear heard,</HI> neither have they <HI>entred into the Heart of man to conceive,</HI> onely they are <HI>revealed unto us by the Spi|rit,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 9, 10. It will not admit of an Enquiry <HI>how</HI> tho&s;e things may be which the Mouth of the Lord hath &s;poken. The Sence and Meaning of the <HI>Revelation</HI> it may enquire into, but cannot comprehend the things Revealed. <HI>Nobis Curio&s;itate opus non e&s;t po&s;t Je&s;um Chri&s;tum, nec Inqui&s;itio|ne po&s;t Evangelium; cum credimus nihil de|&s;ideramus ultra credere, hoc enim pri&ugrave;s cre|dimus, non e&s;&s;e quod ultra credere debemus. Tertull. Prae&s;crip. adv. Haere&s;.</HI> And when of Old, the Wi&s;e, the Scribes, the Di&s;pu|ters of this World, would not &s;ubmit here|unto, under the &s;uppo&s;ed conduct of their Rea&s;on, they fell into the mo&s;t bruti&s;h Unrea&s;onablene&s;s, in Judging the <HI>Wi&s;dom of God</HI> to be <HI>Folly,</HI> and his <HI>Power</HI> to be <HI>Weakne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25. And it is an unparallel'd Attempt of <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> which &s;ome in our dayes (who would yet
<PB N="288" REF="156"> be accounted Chri&s;tians) have engaged in: They would exalt <HI>Philo&s;ophy</HI> or <HI>humane Rea&s;on</HI> into a Right of <HI>Judicature</HI> over all <HI>Divine Revelations.</HI> Nothing mu&s;t be &s;up|po&s;ed to be contained in them, but what is mea&s;urable by <HI>its</HI> Principles and Rules. What pretends to be above them they &s;ay it ought to be rejected, which is to make it &s;elf <HI>Infinite,</HI> or the Wi&s;dom and Un|der&s;tanding of God <HI>Finite</HI> and Limited. Wherefore, as to the things that are Re|vealed in the Go&s;pel, becau&s;e many of them are ab&s;olutely <HI>above</HI> the Comprehen&s;ions of our Minds or Rea&s;ons, they are not the <HI>Judge</HI> of them, but are the Servants of Faith onely in bearing witne&s;s unto them. <HI>For the things of a Man knoweth the &s;pirit of a Man that is in him, but the things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God;</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 11, 12. In brief, To affirm that we can be obliged to <HI>believe no more</HI> than we can comprehend, or nothing but what we can perfectly under&s;tand the Nature of in it &s;elf, or that we may reject what is really <HI>above Rea&s;on,</HI> on a Suppo&s;ition that it is <HI>contrary</HI> unto Rea&s;on, is to renounce the Go&s;pel, and therewith all Divine Re|Revelations. And this is &s;poken not of Rea&s;on as it is <HI>corrupted,</HI> but merely as
<PB N="289" REF="156"> it is Humane Rea&s;on, <HI>Finite</HI> and Limi|ted.</P>
<P N="2">2. As in things <HI>infinite, &s;piritual</HI> and <HI>heavenly,</HI> the Go&s;pel propo&s;eth unto men things quite <HI>above</HI> their <HI>comprehen&s;ion,</HI> &s;up|po&s;ing their Rea&s;on to be <HI>pure</HI> and incor|rupted, onely allowing it to be that which is <HI>finite</HI> and limited; &s;o in thigns which Practically re&s;pect the Obedience of Faith which it doth require, it pre&s;cribeth things <HI>contrary</HI> unto our natural Conceptions, or Rea&s;on as it is in us <HI>depraved.</HI> For the na|tural Conceptions of our Minds about Re|ligious Duties and the way of Living un|to God, are all of them &s;uited unto the <HI>Covenant of Works:</HI> For they are the Effects of the Remainders of that Light which did direct us to walk with God thereby. But hereunto the Di&s;po&s;al of things in the <HI>Co|venant of Grace</HI> is <HI>diametrically</HI> oppo&s;ed, &s;o that their Accounts will never intermixe. <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 6. Yea the <HI>carnal Mind,</HI> that is, Rea&s;on as it is corrupted, acts its Contra|diction unto the Will of God as revealed in the Go&s;pel with <HI>Enmity</HI> and Hatred; <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 7. And for tho&s;e Duties which are &s;uited unto the Light of Nature, the Go|&s;pel doth &s;o <HI>change</HI> them with the Re&s;pect it gives them unto the Mediation of Chri&s;t
<PB N="290" REF="157"> and the Efficiency of the Holy Spirit, as that corrupted Rea&s;on defies them being &s;o qualified, as foreign unto its Conceptions. The Duties them&s;elves it can approve of, but not of their <HI>Re&s;pect</HI> unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t, whereunto they are di&s;po&s;ed by the Go|&s;pel.</P>
<P>Hence it is that of Old tho&s;e who pre|tended &s;uch an <HI>ab&s;olute Sovereignty</HI> in their own Rea&s;on, as to admit of nothing as Truth but what its Dictates complyed withall, were of all men the &s;lowe&s;t to <HI>receive,</HI> and the forwarde&s;t to <HI>oppo&s;e</HI> the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel; Becau&s;e they were <HI>above</HI> it in &s;ome things, and <HI>contrary</HI> unto it in more, as it is in mo&s;t things corrupted, they looked on them as <HI>folly</HI> and &s;o de&s;pi|&s;ed them. This the Apo&s;tle declares and records; 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> chap. 1^&s;^t, 2^d^. E&s;pecially was it &s;o among them who unto the <HI>vain Ima|ginations</HI> wherein in general their <HI>fooli&s;h heart was darkened,</HI> had &s;uperadded &s;ome peculiar Sect in <HI>Philo&s;ophy</HI> which was of Reputation among the Wi&s;e-men of the World. For they conceived and maintain|ed all the <HI>Maxims</HI> of their Sect as the ab|&s;olute Dictates of Right Rea&s;on, though mo&s;t of them were fooli&s;h Fancies, either taken up by <HI>Tradition</HI> or <HI>&s;ophi&s;tically</HI> im|po&s;ed
<PB N="291" REF="157"> on their Under&s;tandings. Hence eve|ry thing that was contrary unto &s;uch Prin|ciples, or incon&s;i&s;tent with them, they looked on as oppo&s;ite unto <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> and &s;o De&s;pi&s;ed it. Nor is it much otherwi&s;e at this day with many Chri&s;tians, who make the <HI>Traditional Principles</HI> of their Sect or Party, the <HI>Rule</HI> whereby every thing that is in Religion propo&s;ed unto them, may be examined. Thus though the Generality of <HI>Philo&s;ophers</HI> and Wi&s;e-men at <HI>Athens</HI> re|jected the Doctrine of the Apo&s;tle, yet were there none &s;o forward and fierce in their Oppo&s;ition unto him, &s;o contemptu|ou&s;ly proud in their Cen&s;ures of him, as were the <HI>Epicuraeans</HI> and <HI>Stoicks, Act.</HI> 17. 18. And the Rea&s;on hereof was, becau&s;e the Doctrine which he taught was eminently contrary to the <HI>Maxims</HI> of their peculiar Sects. For whereas the <HI>Epicuraeans</HI> denyed the <HI>Providence</HI> of God in the Government of the World, the <HI>Exi&s;tence</HI> of the <HI>Souls</HI> of Men after this Life, all Eternal <HI>Rewards</HI> or <HI>Puni&s;hments,</HI> there was no Admi&s;&s;ion of any one word of the Apo&s;tles Doctrine without a Renunciation of all their impi|ous Sentiments, and &s;o the Ruine of their Sect. And as for the <HI>Stoicks,</HI> the funda|mental Principle of their <HI>Philo&s;ophy</HI> was,
<PB N="292" REF="158"> That a Man &s;hould look for all Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s or Happine&s;s in and from Him&s;elf alone, and from the things that were in his own Power, as being every way &s;ufficient unto him&s;elf for that End. All that the Apo&s;tle taught concerning the <HI>Mediation of Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Grace of God</HI> by Him, was al&s;o <HI>diametrically</HI> oppo&s;ite unto this Principle. Wherefore, tho&s;e of the&s;e two <HI>Sects</HI> oppo|&s;ed him in a peculiar manner; not onely from the Pride and Darkne&s;s that is natu|rally in the Minds of men, and improved by the Advancement of corrupted Rea&s;on <HI>above</HI> its own proper Place and Dignity; but from the <HI>prejudicate Opinions</HI> which on the Reputation of their Sects they ad|hered unto, as a&s;&s;ured Dictates of right Rea&s;on in general. And when &s;ome &s;uch Per&s;ons as the&s;e, afterwards upon a gene|ral Conviction of its Truth took upon them a Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, they were the men who corrupted its principal My|&s;teries by their vain Philo&s;ophy, as the Apo&s;tle intimates, <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 8. So <HI>Tertullian: Haere&s;es &agrave; Philo&s;ophi&acirc; &s;ubornantur. Inde Aeo|nes &amp; formae, &amp; ne&s;cio quae, &amp; Trinitas hominum apud Valentinum, Platonicus fue|rat. Inde Marcionis Deus melior de tran|quilitate, &agrave; Stoicis venerat; &amp; uti anima</HI>
<PB N="293" REF="158"> <HI>interire dicatur ab Epicuraeis ob&s;ervatur; &amp; ut Carnis Re&s;titutio negatur, de un&acirc; omnium Philo&s;ophorum Schol&acirc; &s;umitur.</HI></P>
<P>We may apply the&s;e things unto our pre&s;ent purpo&s;e. The De&s;ign of the Go&s;pel in all its e&s;pecial Truths and My&s;teries, is, to bring <HI>every Thought in Subjection unto the Obedience of Faith.</HI> Hence is that Di|rection which Fle&s;h and Blood will never comply withall; <HI>If any man among you &s;eemeth to be Wi&s;e in this World, let him be|come a Fool that he may be Wi&s;e,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. Unle&s;s Men renounce their carnal Wi&s;dom in all its Principles, Effects and Operations, they will never become <HI>Wi&s;e</HI> with that Wi&s;dom which is from above. And he who knoweth not what it is &s;o to become a <HI>Fool,</HI> be he who he will, was never yet <HI>Wi&s;e</HI> towards God. Wherefore, when men have taken on them the <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;i|on</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> they begin to find upon Enquiry, that the My&s;teries and Principles of its <HI>Doctrine</HI> are un&s;uited unto the <HI>natu|ral Pride</HI> of their Minds, and incon&s;i&s;tent with that ab&s;olute <HI>Sovereignty</HI> which they would in all things give unto their own Rea&s;on. Hereon many <HI>Inventions are &s;ought out</HI> to ca&s;t off the Yoke of <HI>Faith,</HI> and to re-inthrone <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> in the Room thereof.
<PB N="294" REF="159"> Not that Men depart from the Faith with this expre&s;s De&s;ign, but this is that which &s;ecretly influenceth them thereunto. Hence the Generality of tho&s;e who for&s;ake the <HI>Truth</HI> on this Ground and Occa&s;ion, are &s;uch as tru&s;ting <HI>too &s;oon</HI> to their own <HI>Ratio|nal Abilities,</HI> having neither Will, nor Humi|lity, nor Indu&s;try, to enquire into the <HI>Prin|ciples</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> of <HI>Truth</HI> in a due man|ner, do give up them&s;elves unto the Con|duct and Teaching of others, who have in|vented Opinions more &s;uited unto the <HI>in|nate Pride</HI> of their Minds and <HI>carnal Rea|&s;onings.</HI> And &s;ome by an over-earne&s;t pur|&s;uit of the workings of their own Rational Faculties in <HI>&s;piritual things,</HI> having &s;ub|ducted their Minds from that <HI>humble Frame</HI> wherein alone they are capable of <HI>Divine Teaching,</HI> are betrayed into the &s;ame Mi&s;|carriage. All ancient <HI>Here&s;ies</HI> &s;prung from this Root; yea, tho&s;e of them which are mo&s;t ab&s;urd and fooli&s;h, and mo&s;t <HI>dia|metrically</HI> oppo&s;ite unto right Rea&s;on, aro&s;e from a Pretence thereof. For when Men will have Rea&s;on to have an ab&s;olute <HI>Supremacy</HI> in Religion, it is unavoidable but they mu&s;t judge that their <HI>own</HI> is the Rea&s;on which is intended; and that &s;ome may be led hereby into very fooli&s;h Ima|ginations,
<PB N="295" REF="159"> is ea&s;ie to be conjectured, unle&s;s we &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e all men to be equally wi&s;e and &s;ober.</P>
<P>I &s;hall briefly exemplifie the&s;e things in one In&s;tance, and that in a prevalent Apo|&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth, and which at pre|&s;ent is vi&s;ibly progre&s;&s;ive in the World. This is that of <HI>Sociniani&s;me.</HI> And I &s;hall give an In&s;tance herein, becau&s;e the Poy|&s;on of it is highly Efficacious where it meers with the Complexion and Con&s;titution of Mind before de&s;cribed, and is more diffu|&s;ed than many are aware of. For although the Name of it be generally condemned, and there are &s;ome Opinions comprized under it, who&s;e Profe&s;&s;ion is incon&s;i&s;tent with the Intere&s;t of the mo&s;t, yet all tho&s;e <HI>Deviations</HI> from the Truth which we have among&s;t us under &s;everal Denominations, are Emanations from that corrupt Foun|tain. Yea the whole of it being <HI>a Sy&s;teme</HI> of Opinions craftily &s;uited unto the fir&s;t Notions and Conceptions of corrupted Rea&s;on, and the in-bred Pride of Mens Minds in them, who on any Account own <HI>Divine Revelation,</HI> the fir&s;t Propo&s;al of them finds ready Entertaiment with many of tho&s;e who&s;e Souls are not prepared and fortified again&s;t them by a <HI>&s;piritual</HI> Expe|rience
<PB N="296" REF="160"> of the Excellency, Power, and Effi|cacy of the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. They no &s;ooner hear of them but they know they expre&s;s what they would <HI>have,</HI> as gra|tifying all the corrupt De&s;ires and carnal Rea&s;onings of their Minds.</P>
<P>There are, as was ob&s;erved before, two &s;orts of things in the Doctrines of the Go|&s;pel. (1) Such as are <HI>above</HI> the Compre|hen&s;ion and Mea&s;ure of Rea&s;on in its be&s;t Condition, as it is in us <HI>Limited</HI> and <HI>Con|fined.</HI> (2) Such as are <HI>contrary</HI> unto it as <HI>Corrupted</HI> and <HI>Depraved.</HI> And unto the&s;e two Heads is this kinde of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> re|ducible.</P>
<P N="1">1. What is <HI>above Rea&s;on,</HI> Incomprehen|&s;ible by it, tho&s;e of this way do ab&s;olutely reject. Such are the Doctrines of the <HI>Tri|nity,</HI> and of the <HI>Incarnation of the Son of God.</HI> Becau&s;e <HI>the Things</HI> taught in the&s;e Doctrines are not comprehen&s;ible by their Rea&s;on, they conclude that they are re|pugnant unto right Rea&s;on. And by others the &s;ame Doctrines are refu&s;ed as not com|pliant with the <HI>Light</HI> that is within them. For the <HI>Exi&s;tence of the Divine Nature in Three di&s;tinct Per&s;ons,</HI> with the <HI>Hypo&s;tati|cal &V;nion</HI> of the Natures of God and Man in the &s;ame Per&s;on, they cannot acknow|ledge.
<PB N="297" REF="160"> The&s;e things, &s;o fully, &s;o plainly, &s;o frequently revealed and a&s;&s;erted in the Scripture, &s;o atte&s;ted by the Primitive <HI>Ca|tholick Church,</HI> are rejected on no other Rea&s;on, but that they are <HI>again&s;t Rea&s;on;</HI> nor is there any pretence that they are &s;o, but becau&s;e they are <HI>above</HI> it. When they have puzled them&s;elves with <HI>Nicodemus</HI> his Que&s;tion, <HI>How can the&s;e things be?</HI> they peremptorily deny their Exi&s;tence, be|cau&s;e they cannot comprehend the Manner of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. As unto tho&s;e things which are <HI>con|trary unto Rea&s;on as corrupted,</HI> the&s;e they deprave and wre&s;t unto a complyance therewithall: So they deal with the Do|ctrine of the <HI>Attributes of God,</HI> of his <HI>Eter|nal Decrees,</HI> of the <HI>Office and Mediation of Chri&s;t,</HI> of <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by his Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, of the <HI>Power and Efficacy of the Grace</HI> of the <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> in the Conver&s;ion of Sinners, and of the <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> of the Dead. Becau&s;e they cannot bring their Rea&s;on as corrupted and depraved unto a complyance with the&s;e Truths, rhey will force, hale, torture and rack the Truths them&s;elves to bring them into <HI>&s;lavery</HI> unto their own Rea&s;ons, or carnal fle&s;hly Con|ceptions of <HI>&s;piritual</HI> things. For allowing
<PB N="298" REF="161"> the Words, Terms, and Propo&s;itions where|in they are expre&s;&s;ed, they put ab&s;urd &s;ences upon them, de&s;tructive unto the Faith, and contrary to the whole Scope and De&s;ign of the Scripture; &s;o do they endeavour expre&s;&s;ely to bring every Divine Revelation into <HI>Captivity</HI> unto the bon|dage of their own perver&s;e Rea&s;onings and Imaginations.</P>
<P>It is therefore evident that this kind of Apo&s;ta&s;ie &s;prings from no other Root but the <HI>Pride of the Minds of Men,</HI> refu&s;ing to admit of Evangelical Truths on the meer Authority of Divine Revelation, where they are <HI>above Rea&s;on</HI> as it is <HI>limited,</HI> or <HI>contrary</HI> unto it as <HI>corrupted.</HI> On the&s;e terms the Go&s;pel can no where keep its Station, nor will it foregoe its Prerogative by &s;ubjecting it &s;elf to be tryed by the&s;e uncertain Mea&s;ures, or weighed in the&s;e uneven tottering Ballances. The <HI>humble,</HI> the <HI>meek,</HI> the <HI>teachable,</HI> tho&s;e who are made free and willing to captivate their Under&s;tandings unto the Obedience of Faith, are tho&s;e alone with whom it will abide and continue.</P>
<P>But it may be &s;aid, that this being onely one private <HI>Here&s;ie,</HI> of no great Extent or Acceptation in the World, there is no dan|ger
<PB N="299" REF="161"> of any influence from it into a more general Defection. So it may be, it &s;eems unto many, but I mu&s;t acknowledge my &s;elf to be otherwi&s;e minded; and that for two Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e of the Advance which it ma|keth every day in the Addition of new, bold, proud <HI>Imaginations</HI> unto what it hath already made its &s;ucce&s;&s;efull Attempts in. For in the pur&s;uit of the &s;ame Principles with tho&s;e of the men of this way and Per|&s;wa&s;ion, not a few begin ab&s;olutely <HI>to &s;ub|mit the Scripture</HI> and every thing contain|ed in it to the Judgement and Sentence of their own Rea&s;on, which is the true Form and Spirit of <HI>Sociniani&s;m,</HI> vi&s;ibly act|ing it &s;elf with &s;ome more than ordinary Confidence. What is &s;uited unto their Rea|&s;on they will receive, and what is not &s;o, let it be affirmed an hundred times in the Scripture, they will reject with the &s;ame Ea&s;e and Confidence as if they were <HI>Imagi|nations</HI> of Men like them&s;elves. Both <HI>Books</HI> that are written unto this purpo&s;e, and the common <HI>Di&s;cour&s;es</HI> of many do fully te&s;ti|fie unto this Advance of the <HI>Pride</HI> of the Minds of Men. And he is carele&s;s about the&s;e things who &s;eeth not, that the next Stage is down-right <HI>Athei&s;me.</HI> This is that
<PB N="300" REF="162"> Dunghill which &s;uch blazing Exhalations of Pride do at la&s;t fall into. And herein do many countenance them&s;elves with a fal&s;e and fooli&s;h Pretence, that all tho&s;e whom they differ from are <HI>fanatical</HI> Ene|mies of Rea&s;on, when they a&s;cribe unto it all that any man in his Wits can &s;o doe, who believeth Divine Revelations, and doth not ab&s;olutely di&s;avow the <HI>corruption</HI> of the Nature by the Fall.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Poy&s;on</HI> of the&s;e Principles is greatly diffu&s;ed in the World. For hence it is that all tho&s;e Doctrines of the Go&s;pel which have any thing of <HI>&s;piritual My&s;tery</HI> in them, which are con&s;tituent Principles of, or do any way belong unto the <HI>Cove|nant of Grace,</HI> and &s;o not ab&s;olutely re|concileable unto Rea&s;on as Corrupt and Carnal, are by many &s;o laden with Con|tempt and Scorn, that it is &s;ufficient to ex|po&s;e any man unto the Contumelies of <HI>Ignorant, Irrational</HI> and <HI>Fooli&s;h,</HI> who dares to avow them. Such are the Doctrines of <HI>Eternal Prede&s;tination,</HI> of the <HI>total Cor|ruption of the Nature of Man</HI> as unto Spiri|tual things by the Fall, of the <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Efficacy of the Grace of God</HI> in the Conver|&s;ion of Sinners, of the <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of <HI>Regeneration,</HI> of <HI>&V;nion</HI> with Chri&s;t, of
<PB N="301" REF="162"> <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by the Imputation of his <HI>Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> of the Nature of Internal Inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s or <HI>Evangelical Holine&s;s,</HI> of the Nece&s;&s;ity of continual Supplies of the Spirit in <HI>actual Grace</HI> unto all Duties of Obedience, of the <HI>Power of the Holy Gho&s;t</HI> evidencing the Divine Authority of the <HI>Scriptures</HI> in and by them&s;elves, with &s;un|dry others. Many can &s;ee no <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> for the admittance of the&s;e things, or they cannot &s;ee the Rea&s;on of them; and therefore al|though they are fully and plainly declared in the Scriptures, yet are they (by no &s;mall Generation among us) &s;o derided and ex|ploded, as that the very Names of them are grown into Contempt. But why all this <HI>Scorn,</HI> all this Severity? Men may do well to con&s;ider, that not long &s;ince all the <HI>Prelates of England</HI> owned tho&s;e Doctrines as <HI>Articles of Faith</HI> which now they &s;o de|ride. And although they are not obliged by any Divine Precept to be of the &s;ame Judgement with them becau&s;e it was <HI>theirs,</HI> yet it may be they are under &s;ome Obli|gation from the <HI>Laws of the Land</HI> not to Renounce the Ancient Doctrines of the Church, and are certainly bound by the Laws of Chri&s;tian Mode&s;ty and Sobriety, not to vilifie and &s;corn the Doctrines they
<PB N="302" REF="163"> owned, and all that do profe&s;s them.</P>
<P>But it is Warrant &s;ufficient unto &s;ome for the utmo&s;t Dete&s;tation of any Principles in Religion, that they have a &s;eeming <HI>incom|plyance</HI> with their <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> though appa|rently corrupted by Prejudice, and weaken|ed by Ignorance. Hence they will not admit that there can be a Con&s;i&s;tency be|tween the <HI>&V;nchangeablene&s;s</HI> of Gods De|crees, and the <HI>Freedom</HI> of our Wills; That <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by the Blood of Chri&s;t doth not render our own <HI>Obedience</HI> needle&s;s; That the <HI>Efficacy</HI> of Gods Grace and the <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of our Duty, are reconcileable. And herein they &s;eem to take along with them as their Security the&s;e two Principles, &s;eeing without them they have no Foun|dation to build upon.</P>
<P N="1">(1) That <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> as it acts in them, is the &s;ame with <HI>right Rea&s;on</HI> in general, that whatever Re&s;pect is due to the one, is &s;o to the other. It were well in the mean time, if Prejudices, corrupt Affections and gro&s;s Ignorance did not on great variety of Oc|ca&s;ions manife&s;t them&s;elves among this &s;ort of Per&s;ons; and not onely &s;o, but &s;uch a cour&s;e of Conver&s;ation among &s;ome of them, as none can think con&s;i&s;tent with the <HI>Divine Teachings</HI> who Believe the Scrip|tures.
<PB N="303" REF="163"> But it is &s;o come to pa&s;s, that all that Humility, Meekne&s;s, Self-diffidence, all that Con&s;cientious Fear of &s;inning and Practice of Holine&s;s, which the Word of God makes &s;o nece&s;&s;ary unto them who would learn <HI>the Truth as it is in Je&s;us,</HI> are by many (puffed up with a Conceit of their own Ability to know all things) ut|terly di&s;regarded.</P>
<P N="2">(2) That there is no Time nor In&s;tance wherein tho&s;e thoughts which &s;eem to us mo&s;t <HI>Rational,</HI> are to be captivated unto the Obedience of Faith. And yet without this there is no true Knowledge of the Mind of God in the Go&s;pel to be attained. What &s;uch Principles will carry men out unto in Religion were ea&s;ie to <HI>conjecture,</HI> if Experience did not render <HI>conjecture</HI> hopele&s;s in this ca&s;e.</P>
<P>Wherefore, this Pride of the Minds of Men refu&s;ing to bow or &s;ubject them&s;elves unto the <HI>Authority of Divine Revelation,</HI> de&s;igning to exalt Self in its <HI>Intellectual</HI> and <HI>Moral</HI> Abilities, in its Powers to know what it &s;hould, and do what it ought, hath in all Ages been a great Principle of Oppo&s;ition unto, and Apo&s;ta&s;ie from <HI>Evan|gelical</HI> Truth. Nor was it ever more Ram|pant than in the Dayes wherein we live.
<PB N="304" REF="164"> For be&s;ides that it hath openly &s;pawned that whole brood of Errors which &s;ome entire Sects do e&s;pou&s;e, it diffu&s;eth it &s;elf in its Effects among all &s;orts of Profe&s;&s;ors of Chri&s;tianity. An <HI>humble &s;ubjection</HI> of Mind and Con&s;cience unto the <HI>Authority</HI> of God in his Word, which alone upon trial will be found to an&s;wer the Expe|rience of Believers, is the onely &s;ecurity again&s;t this Di&s;temper. This we may, this we ought to pray for, not onely for our &s;elves, but that it might be given of God unto them who &s;carce Believe that God gives any thing that is <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>&s;uper|natural</HI> unto the Souls of men in any &s;uch way, as that the Effect &s;hould depend on the Efficiency of Grace, and not on their own Wills.</P>
<P>Unto this <HI>Pride,</HI> as in&s;eparable from it, we may adjoyn that <HI>Vanity and Curio&s;ity</HI> that are in the Minds of men. The&s;e are tho&s;e which the Apo&s;tle marketh under the outward Sign and Effect of them, name|ly, <HI>itching Ears;</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 3. For hence an Inclination and hearkening of Mind after things <HI>novel, vain</HI> and <HI>curious,</HI> doth ari&s;e. Under the power of tho&s;e Affections men <HI>cannot endure &s;ound Doctrine,</HI> nor will abide in the Simplicity of the Go&s;pel. They
<PB N="305" REF="164"> know not how to be <HI>wi&s;e unto Sobriety,</HI> and to keep their Speculations about <HI>&s;pi|ritual</HI> things within the bounds of &s;ober Mode&s;ty. But they are &s;till <HI>intruding them|&s;elves</HI> into things they have not &s;een, being <HI>vainly puffed up in their own fle&s;hly Minds, Col.</HI> 2. 18. And as this <HI>Curio&s;ity</HI> hath pro|duced many of the&s;e needle&s;s vain Opini|ons, &s;ubtle, nice, philo&s;ophical Di&s;putati|ons and Di&s;tinctions, wherewith &s;ome have filled Religion, &s;o from the uncured <HI>va|nity</HI> of Mind doth proceed that Levity and Incon&s;tancy which are in many, whereby they are <HI>to&s;&s;ed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine</HI> that blows upon them from the cunning Sleights of men who lye in wait to deceive. Unto all we may adde, that <HI>carnal Pride</HI> and Ambition (where the out|ward Affairs of the Church or the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of Religion are accompanyed with &s;uch Secular Advantages of Wealth, Ho|nour and Rule as to &s;tirr up Envy and Emulation among men of Earthly Minds,) which as they have occa&s;ioned many &s;can|dalous Outrages in Religion, &s;o they have been the Ri&s;e and Occa&s;ion of many <HI>He|re&s;ies</HI> al&s;o.</P>
<P N="4">IV. <HI>Carele&s;s Security and groundle&s;s Con|fidences</HI> do betray men into Apo&s;ta&s;ies from
<PB N="306" REF="165"> the Go&s;pel, when unexpected Trials do befall them. To give Evidence hereunto we may do well to con&s;ider the things that en&s;ue.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Holy Spirit hath &s;ufficiently warned us all, that Defections and Back|&s;lidings from the Truth would fall out among the Profe&s;&s;ors of it. This hath been already abundantly manife&s;ted in the <HI>ex|pre&s;s In&s;tances</HI> of &s;uch <HI>Warnings</HI> and Pre|dictions before produced and in&s;i&s;ted on. And there is in the Word a vehement Ap|plication made of all the&s;e Warnings unto us and our Duties. Thence are tho&s;e <HI>Ex|hortations</HI> and <HI>Precepts</HI> multiplyed, to <HI>Watch,</HI> to <HI>&s;tand fa&s;t</HI> in <HI>the Faith,</HI> to <HI>be &s;trong</HI> and <HI>quit our &s;elves like men</HI> in this matter. No|thing but a <HI>Diligent Attendance unto all Go&s;pel Duties, and a vigorous acting of all Go&s;pel Graces,</HI> will pre&s;erve us, if the Scrip|ture may be believed. And as for tho&s;e by whom the&s;e things are de&s;pi&s;ed it is no mat|ter at all what Religion they are of.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are foretold and forewarned of the great <HI>Danger</HI> that will attend the Pro|fe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel when &s;uch a <HI>&s;ea&s;on of Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> &s;hall by any means come upon them. So prevalent &s;hall the means of it be, as that <HI>many &s;hall be deceived,</HI> and if it were
<PB N="307" REF="165"> po&s;&s;ible <HI>even the Elect</HI> them&s;elves; <HI>Math.</HI> 24. 10, 24. Such a Sea&s;on is an <HI>hour of Temptation that cometh on the World to trye them that dwell upon the Earth, Rev.</HI> 3. 10. And the wofull Event in them that &s;hall be overtaken with the Power of it, in their utter and eternal De&s;truction, is in many In&s;tances &s;et before us.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is al&s;o plainly intimated, that <HI>&s;uch a &s;ea&s;on</HI> of the Prevalency of a Defection from the Truth &s;hall be a time of <HI>Great Se|curity</HI> among the Generality of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians. Churches &s;hall be a&s;leep, Per|&s;ons &s;hall cry <HI>Peace, Peace,</HI> when that Day cometh as a &s;nare.</P>
<P>We are not therefore left without <HI>&s;uffi|cient Warning</HI> in this Ca&s;e, both of the <HI>cer|tainty</HI> of our Trial, the <HI>greatne&s;s</HI> of our Concernment, and the <HI>danger</HI> of Security. And yet notwith&s;tanding all the&s;e Means of Excitation unto a <HI>vigorous Attendance</HI> unto our Condition, Danger and Duty, it is evident unto every di&s;cerning Eye, how de&s;perately <HI>&s;ecure</HI> are the Generality of Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel with re&s;pect unto this Evil and the Con&s;equents of it. No|thing can <HI>awake</HI> them unto the Con&s;idera|tion of their own &s;tate, although their <HI>Neighbours hou&s;es</HI> are &s;et on fire from Hell.
<PB N="308" REF="166"> Love of the World with Pro&s;perity and Ea&s;e on the one hand, or the Cares and Bu&s;ine&s;&s;es of it on the other, do &s;o take up the Minds of men that they are not &s;en&s;ible of any Concernment in the&s;e things. And we may briefly con&s;ider the various wayes whereby this <HI>&s;ecurity</HI> puts forth its Effica|cy in di&s;po&s;ing men unto Apo&s;ta&s;ie when they they &s;hall fall into the Occa&s;ions of it.</P>
<P N="1">(1) It doth &s;o by <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing</HI> and <HI>over|powring</HI> them with a proud, carele&s;s, &s;upine <HI>Negligence.</HI> Men hear of this Evil and the Danger of it, but (like <HI>Gallio)</HI> they <HI>care for none of the&s;e things.</HI> They know not of any Concernment they have in them, nor of any Need they have to provide again&s;t them. Unto &s;ome others perhaps the&s;e things may belong, but unto them not at all. Tho&s;e who would pre&s;s them on their Minds and Con&s;ciences, they look on as Per&s;ons cau&s;ele&s;ly importunate, or troubled with groundle&s;s Su&s;pitions and Fears. If there be any <HI>danger about Religion,</HI> they doubt not but &s;ooner or later Provi&s;ion will be made again&s;t it by <HI>Law.</HI> But as un|to any e&s;pecial Duty incumbent on them|&s;elves with re&s;pect unto their own Souls, they know nothing of it, nor will con&s;ider
<PB N="309" REF="166"> it. Had not the World been a&s;leep in this <HI>&s;ecurity,</HI> had not men been utterly regard|le&s;s of their Intere&s;t in the Truth, it had not been po&s;&s;ible that Religion &s;hould have been &s;o totally corrupted as it was in the <HI>Papacy,</HI> and yet &s;o few take any notice thereof. At &s;ome Sea&s;ons God rai&s;ed up among them <HI>Witne&s;&s;es of the Truth,</HI> who not only declared and profe&s;&s;ed it, but al&s;o &s;ealed their Confe&s;&s;ion with their Blood. But the Generality of <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> were &s;o far from being excited thereby to the Con|&s;ideration of their own Concerns and Duty, as that they oppo&s;ed and <HI>per&s;ecuted</HI> them unto De&s;truction, as the Di&s;turbers of the <HI>publick Tranquillity.</HI> And it is no other|wi&s;e at this Day. Many complain, more fear a Defection from the Go&s;pel. It is al&s;o evident in how many things the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of it is already by &s;ome <HI>corrupted,</HI> by whom it was formerly <HI>profe&s;&s;ed.</HI> In&s;tances of as great Apo&s;ta&s;ies as the Name of <HI>Chri&s;tia|nity</HI> is capable of, are multiplyed among us: And yet how few are there that do at all <HI>regard</HI> the&s;e things, or once con&s;ider what is either their Duty or their Danger in &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on!</P>
<P N="2">(2) It worketh and is effectual by a <HI>wic|ked Indifferency</HI> as unto all things in <HI>Reli|gion.</HI>
<PB N="310" REF="167"> Men under the Power of this <HI>Secu|rity</HI> neither &s;ee nor will under&s;tand, nor can be made &s;en&s;ible of the difference that is between <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Error, Piety</HI> and <HI>Su|per&s;tition,</HI> &s;o as to value one more than another. It is all <HI>Religion,</HI> and it is no more but &s;o. If Per&s;ons change from <HI>one Way</HI> to another, &s;o as they do not utterly renounce <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> they may be &s;aved in the way they betake them&s;elves unto. The Profe&s;&s;ion of &s;uch Per&s;ons attends on all Occa&s;ions, and an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel will be but an u&s;e|full complyance with Opportunity.</P>
<P>We judge no Men, no Party of Men as to their Eternal State and Condition upon the account of their <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> in Religion, unle&s;s they are open <HI>Idolaters</HI> or <HI>flagitious</HI> in their Lives. God onely knows how it is between him and their Souls. The framing of Churches (as the <HI>Church of Rome,)</HI> according unto mens Minds, Fancies, Opinions or Intere&s;ts, and then <HI>confining Salvation</HI> unto them, is an Effect of Pride and Folly, as contradictory to the Go&s;pel as any thing that can be imagined. But yet there is a wide Difference to be made between <HI>Apo&s;tates</HI> and others. Better men had <HI>never known the way of Righteou&s;|ne&s;s,</HI>
<PB N="311" REF="167"> <HI>than after they have known it, to turn a&s;ide from the holy Commandement.</HI> Tho&s;e who have been in&s;tructed in the Truth of the Go&s;pel and made Profe&s;&s;ion of it, are for the mo&s;t part acted by &s;uch <HI>depraved Principles,</HI> moved by &s;uch <HI>corrupt Lu&s;ts,</HI> and do &s;hew &s;o much <HI>Ingratitude</HI> again&s;t the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t in their Defection, <HI>denying the Lord that bought them,</HI> that they put a peculiar Character and Mark upon them&s;elves. And although we will not <HI>judge</HI> any, yet is it our Duty to put men in Remembrance of the Danger that at|tends &s;uch Apo&s;ta&s;ies. So the Apo&s;tle ex|pre&s;&s;ely tells the <HI>Galatians,</HI> that upon their admittance of <HI>Legal Ceremonies,</HI> and falling from the Grace of the Go&s;pel in that one point of <HI>Ju&s;tification,</HI> that <HI>Chri&s;t &s;hould profit them nothing,</HI> or they &s;hould have no Benefit by what they yet retained of the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, <HI>Chap.</HI> 5. 2, 3, 4, 5. And as to tho&s;e who are carryed away by the &s;trong Delu&s;ions of the grand Apo|&s;ta&s;ie foretold, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. he &s;ayes plainly, <HI>that they &s;hall be damned, ver.</HI> 12. As <HI>Peter</HI> al&s;o affirms, that tho&s;e who introduce <HI>dam|nable Here&s;ies do bring on them&s;elves and tho&s;e that follow their pernicious wayes, &s;wift de&s;truction;</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 1, 2. So little Coun|tenance
<PB N="312" REF="168"> doth the Scripture give unto this Effect of cur&s;ed <HI>Security.</HI></P>
<P N="3">(3) It likewi&s;e worketh by <HI>vain Confi|dences.</HI> Mo&s;t men think with <HI>Peter,</HI> and on no better Grounds than he did, (nor &s;o good nether, as not being con&s;cious unto them&s;elves of &s;o much &s;incerity as he was,) that <HI>though all men &s;hould for&s;ake</HI> the Truth and Purity of Religion, yet they will not do &s;o. But they under&s;tand not at all what it is to be pre&s;erved in an Hour of Tempta|tion, nor what is required thereunto. They <HI>&s;corn</HI> to fall away, and yet they <HI>&s;corn all the Means</HI> whereby they may be pre&s;erved from &s;o doing. Tell them that they &s;tand in need of the <HI>Power of God</HI> for their Pre|&s;ervation, of the <HI>Interce&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> of the <HI>con&s;tant Supplyes</HI> of the <HI>Spirit,</HI> of an <HI>Experience</HI> of the Goodne&s;s and Efficacy of the Truth, with the Benefits which their own Souls have received thereby, and that for this End they are to <HI>watch, pray,</HI> and <HI>live</HI> in a con&s;tant Attendance unto all Evan|gelical Dutyes; and they de&s;pi&s;e them all through their <HI>Pride,</HI> or neglect them through their <HI>&s;piritual Sloth</HI> that they are given up unto. Such per&s;ons as the&s;e, if they meet with any thing that <HI>mates their Confidence,</HI> fall at once under the Power
<PB N="313" REF="168"> of the next Temptation they are a&s;&s;aulted withall. Wherefore, whereas the Gene|rality of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians are influenced one way or other by this <HI>wofull Security,</HI> it is no wonder if they are &s;urprized and hurried away from their Profe&s;&s;ion by <HI>Se|ducers,</HI> or that they will be ea&s;ily carryed down the &s;tream when they fall into a ge|neral Inclination unto a Defection.</P>
<P N="5">V. <HI>Love of this pre&s;ent World and the peri&s;hing Satisfactions of it,</HI> betrayes innu|merable Souls into frequent Apo&s;ta&s;ies from the Go&s;pel. So the Apo&s;tle a&s;&s;ures us in the In&s;tance of <HI>Demas;</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 10. <HI>Demas hath for&s;aken me, having loved this pre&s;ent World.</HI> And as he for&s;ook the Apo&s;tle, &s;o al&s;o the work of the <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> and it may be <HI>Chri|&s;tianity</HI> therewithall. I &s;hall not in&s;i&s;t on that <HI>Love of the World</HI> which works by <HI>Covetou&s;ne&s;s</HI> in the cour&s;e of Mens Lives, though this be a Means al&s;o di&s;po&s;ing them unto Apo&s;ta&s;ie. For our Saviour affirms, that the <HI>Seed which falls among Thorns is choaked;</HI> The Word which is received by Men who&s;e Hearts are filled with the Cares of this pre&s;ent World never comes to the Perfection of Fruit-bearing. I &s;hall onely make mention of <HI>two Sea&s;ons</HI> wherein the Predominancy of this Love in the Hearts
<PB N="314" REF="169"> of men, multiplies Apo&s;tates from the Truth.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is that of <HI>Per&s;ecution,</HI> wherein the Profe&s;&s;ors compared by our Saviour unto the <HI>&s;tony ground</HI> do pre&s;ently fall away. Such per&s;ons, &s;aith he, <HI>have no root in them|&s;elves,</HI> but <HI>during for a while, when Tribu|lation or Per&s;ecution ari&s;eth becau&s;e of the Word, they are offended; Matth.</HI> 13. 20, 21. The fir&s;t thing that <HI>Per&s;ecution</HI> attacques the Minds of men withall is their <HI>&s;ecular Intere&s;ts</HI> in this World; their Wealth, their Hou&s;es, Lands and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions are put into hazard by it. Willing it may be this &s;ort of men are to <HI>follow</HI> Chri&s;t for a while with the <HI>Young Man in the Go&s;pel;</HI> but when they hear that all they have will be hazarded, it may be mu&s;t be parted with|all, they goe away <HI>&s;orrowfull.</HI> Sorry they are for a while to leave that Word or Do|ctrine which before they had received with <HI>Joy;</HI> as <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. 20. But &s;orrowfull as they are, Love of the World overcomes all other Con&s;iderations, and away they goe. What <HI>Multitudes</HI> &s;uch &s;ea&s;ons have driven from the Truth; what Starrs they have ca&s;t down from the Heaven, no Na|tion hath had greater Experience than our own in the dayes of <HI>Queen Mary;</HI> I pray
<PB N="315" REF="169"> God it never meet with another Trial, and al&s;o hope that it is not likely &s;o to doe.</P>
<P>The other Sea&s;on where Love of the World gives up Men unto this <HI>fatal Evil,</HI> is, when and where <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Error</HI> are Enthroned. We may look into &s;ome &s;oreign Nations where the Go&s;pel had once taken great place, e&s;pecially a great part of the <HI>Nobles</HI> were Obedient unto the Faith. But the Supreme Power of the Na|tions abiding in the hands of tho&s;e of the <HI>Roman Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> and therewith the Di&s;po|&s;al of Authority, Riches, and Honour, tho&s;e vain Bubbles of the World, and Idols of corrupted Minds, it is known what In|fluence it hath had upon the Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion; mo&s;t of the Po&s;terity of tho&s;e great and truely Noble Per&s;ons which once profe&s;&s;ed the <HI>Prote&s;tant</HI> Religion being in mo&s;t places fallen back into the Old Apo|&s;ta&s;ie. For their Minds being filled with the <HI>Love of this World,</HI> and precipitated by Ambition into a fierce pur&s;uit of their De&s;ires, finding the way to worldly Ho|nour and Wealth &s;hut up unto all that would &s;tedfa&s;tly adhere unto the Truth, they have generally &s;acrificed their Con|victions, Con&s;ciences and Souls unto this
<PB N="316" REF="170"> predominant Lu&s;t. And &s;uch a Sea&s;on as this, is more to be feared than <HI>Per&s;ecution</HI> it &s;elf. Many have a generous Stoutne&s;s not to be violently forced out of their Per|&s;wa&s;ion and Profe&s;&s;ion. But when the&s;e cur&s;ed Baits are laid before men with va|rious pretences to &s;tifle their Con&s;ciences, and Advantages to keep up their Reputa|tion, there is no &s;etting up a Damm again&s;t the Torrent of their <HI>Love of this World.</HI> The Warmth of the Sun cau&s;ed him to <HI>ca&s;t away his Garment,</HI> which the Blu&s;ter|ing of the Wind did but <HI>wrap clo&s;er about him.</HI> The Rayes of Power in Honours and Favours have made more ca&s;t away their Religion in the Neighbouring Nations, than Per&s;ecutors ever could doe. While&s;t therefore the <HI>World</HI> is enthroned in the Minds of Men, while&s;t it is made their <HI>Idol,</HI> while&s;t Hopes of Advance, and Fears of Lo&s;s, are the principal Affections whereby their Cour&s;e of Life is &s;teered, Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth &s;tands upon very uncertain and tickli&s;h terms. And therefore while&s;t we &s;ee that the Minds of Multitudes are under the Power of this <HI>Lu&s;t,</HI> all the Secu|rity can be had of their continuance in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, is their not being lead into either of the Temptations men|tioned.</P>
<PB N="317" REF="170">
<P> I &s;hall not in&s;i&s;t on other depraved Af|fections of the Minds of Men. The Truth is, there is no one prevalent Lu&s;t, no one predominant Sin, no Spiritual or Moral Di&s;order indulged unto, but it di&s;po&s;eth the Soul fir&s;t unto an <HI>under-valuation,</HI> and then a <HI>Relinqui&s;hment</HI> of the Truth, as Oc|ca&s;ions are offered.</P>
<P N="6">VI. <HI>The hand of Sathan is in this matter.</HI> He was the Head of the fir&s;t Apo&s;ta&s;ie from God. Having him&s;elf fallen away from that Place and Order in the <HI>Obediential</HI> part of the Creation wherein he was made, the fir&s;t work he engaged in, (and he did it effectually,) was to <HI>draw Mankind</HI> into the Guilt of the &s;ame Crime and Rebelli|on. And ever &s;ince the Revelation of the Means of <HI>Recovery</HI> for Man, (from which he was ju&s;tly excluded) he hath pur&s;ued the &s;ame de&s;ign towards all unto whom that way of Recovery is propo&s;ed: Thus he quickly carryed away the <HI>whole Old World</HI> upon the matter into <HI>Idolatry.</HI> And ever &s;ince God hath been plea&s;ed to make known the way of Life and Salvation by <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> his two great De&s;igns and Works in the World have been, to keep men off from Receiving the Go&s;pel, and to turn them a&s;ide who have Received it.
<PB N="318" REF="171"> The fir&s;t he managed two wayes; Fir&s;t by &s;tirring up <HI>raging bloody Per&s;ecutions</HI> again&s;t them that profe&s;&s;ed it, to deterre others from engaging into the like way: And the other by <HI>Blinding the Eyes of Men,</HI> and fill|ing them with Prejudices again&s;t the Truth; as the Apo&s;tle declares, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 4. By what Wayes and Means in particular he carryed on this fir&s;t De&s;ign in both parts of it, belongs not unto our pre&s;ent En|quiry. Failing herein, his principal De|&s;ign in the World hath been, and conti|nueth yet to be, the <HI>corrupting</HI> of the Minds of men about the Truth, and drawing them off from it in part or in whole, &s;o the Apo&s;tle intimated; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 3. <HI>I fear lea&s;t by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve by his Subtilty, &s;o your Minds &s;hould be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Chri&s;t.</HI> It was the <HI>Serpent</HI> by whom <HI>Eve</HI> was be|guiled, but who is it the Apo&s;tle is jealous that the <HI>Corinthians</HI> might have their Minds corrupted by from the Simplicity that is in Chri&s;t; that is, by fal&s;e Doctrine, or as it were <HI>another Go&s;pel,</HI> as he &s;peaks, <HI>ver.</HI> 4? It was the &s;ame <HI>Serpent</HI> by him&s;elf and in his <HI>Agents,</HI> as he expre&s;&s;eth it <HI>ver.</HI> 14, 15. And he compareth his Attempt to draw off Profe&s;&s;ors from the Go&s;pel, unto his
<PB N="319" REF="171"> Attempt on <HI>Eve,</HI> whereby he began the Apo&s;ta&s;ie from God in the &s;tate of Nature. The Tenure of the Covenant was propo|&s;ed unto our fir&s;t Parents in the Prohibi|tion of <HI>Eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,</HI> and the <HI>Threatning</HI> annex|ed thereunto. And he beguiled <HI>Eve</HI> by Corrupting the <HI>Threatning</HI> by his fal&s;e In|terpretation of it, whereby he corrupted her Mind. The Tenure of the Covenant of Grace is propo&s;ed unto us principally in the <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> of the Go&s;pel, which are the Center of the whole Doctrine of it. The&s;e therefore he endeavours by all Means to pervert, in Oppo&s;ition unto the Wi&s;dom and Grace of God in them. Hereby he hopes to draw off Men from the <HI>Simplicity that is in Chri&s;t,</HI> or the plain Declaration of the Will of God in the Go&s;pel, unto fal&s;e and fooli&s;h Imaginations of his own &s;ugge&s;tion. And what an hand he was to have in the great <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> the Apo&s;tle foretells; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 9, 11. There was to be the <HI>working of Sathan</HI> in it, and <HI>&s;trong</HI> or effectual <HI>Delu&s;ions unto the belief of Lyes,</HI> which are all from him who is the Father of them. So Men departed from the <HI>Faith</HI> by <HI>giving heed to &s;educing Spirits;</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1. that is, the Devil and his Agents. It
<PB N="320" REF="172"> would be too long a Digre&s;&s;ion to engage into a particular Enquiry, How, by what Wayes and Means, Sathan prevails with men to turn them off from the Truth, and turn them unto Fables. How he blinds their Minds, how he enflames their Lu&s;ts, how he pre&s;ents Occa&s;ions, how he &s;ug|ge&s;ts Temptations with fal&s;e and corrupt Rea&s;onings, what Colours and Pretences he puts upon his De&s;igns when he trans|forms him&s;elf <HI>into an Angel of Light,</HI> with what Power Signs and lying Wonders he gives Countenance to his Delu&s;ions, how he works on the Minds of <HI>Seducers,</HI> how on the Minds of them that are to be <HI>&s;edu|ced,</HI> how he &s;tirres up Per&s;ecution again&s;t the Truth and its Profe&s;&s;ion; would re|quire a Di&s;cour&s;e <HI>fully</HI> to declare longer than the whole of this is de&s;igned to be. It may &s;uffice to know, that he is not <HI>weary</HI> nor <HI>wanting</HI> unto any of tho&s;e manifold Advantages which are admini&s;tred unto him. He is at work in all places at this day, in &s;ome making Havock of the Churches, in others by various Wiles and Artifices filling the Minds of men with Prejudices again&s;t the Truth, and turning them from it.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, <HI>God</HI> doth not look on all the&s;e
<PB N="321" REF="172"> things as an <HI>unconcerned Spectator.</HI> He in|deed is not <HI>tempted with Evil;</HI> He <HI>Tempt|eth none,</HI> he &s;educeth none, but he rules them all, and over-rules all Events unto his own Glory. He will not &s;uffer men fir&s;t to undervalue and de&s;pi&s;e, and then to <HI>re|ject</HI> and <HI>for&s;ake</HI> the chiefe&s;t of his Mercies, &s;uch as his <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> are, without reflecting on them with &s;ome Acts of his &s;everity. Wherefore, when men from the corrupt Principles mentioned, &s;educed by the Lu&s;ts of their own Hearts, and entan|gled by the Deceits of Sathan, do relinqui&s;h the Truth; God in his holy righteous Judgement gives them up unto <HI>farther De|lu&s;ions,</HI> &s;o that they &s;hall compleat their Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and grow ob&s;tinate therein un|to their De&s;truction. When a People, a Nation, a Church, or private Per&s;ons have received the Go&s;pel and the Profe&s;&s;ion thereof, not walking an&s;werably thereun|to; God may for&s;ake them, and withdraw from them the Means of their Edification and Pre&s;ervation. The <HI>Rule</HI> of his Con|tinuance with any People or Church as to the outward Di&s;pen&s;ation of his Provi|dence and the Means of Grace, is that ex|pre&s;&s;ed, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 15. 2. <HI>The Lord is with ye while ye be with him, and if ye &s;eek him he</HI>
<PB N="322" REF="173"> <HI>will be found of you, but if you for&s;ake Him he will for&s;ake You.</HI> He <HI>judicially</HI> for&s;akes them by whom he is <HI>wilfully</HI> for&s;aken.</P>
<P>God may be for&s;aken by men in <HI>one</HI> way, and he may Righteou&s;ly for&s;ake them in <HI>another:</HI> For in&s;tance; Under the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Truth men may give up them|&s;elves unto all <HI>&V;ngodline&s;s</HI> and <HI>&V;nrighte|ou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> unto a flagitious cour&s;e of Life in all Abominations; &s;o holding the Truth captive in Unrighteou&s;ne&s;s. In this Ca&s;e God oft-times in a way of <HI>Puni&s;hment</HI> gives men up unto an Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth which they have profe&s;&s;ed, to &s;hew that he will not alwayes have it pro&s;tituted un|to the Lu&s;ts of men. So the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks expre&s;&s;ely; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 10, 11, 12. Although <HI>they received the Truth</HI> in the Profe&s;&s;ion of it, yet they <HI>loved it not,</HI> they yielded not Obedience unto it, but <HI>took plea&s;ure in Sin;</HI> therefore God ordered things &s;o, that they &s;hould <HI>reject the Truth it &s;elf al&s;o,</HI> and Be|lieve Lyes unto their own De&s;truction. Herein at this day lyes the danger of a to|tal and ruinous Apo&s;ta&s;ie. Multitudes, the Generality of all &s;orts, the Body of the People do yet a&s;&s;ent unto and profe&s;s the Truth; But alas! what are the <HI>Lives</HI> and <HI>Conver&s;ations</HI> of many under that Profe&s;&s;i|on?
<PB N="323" REF="173"> How do all manner of Sins abound among us? The Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth by <HI>not a few</HI> is the greate&s;t Di&s;honour and Di&s;paragement that can be ca&s;t upon it. The be&s;t Service many can doe it, is by <HI>for&s;aking</HI> it, and declaring that the Belief of it is incon&s;i&s;tent with their cur&s;ed wic|ked Lives. And may we not ju&s;tly fear, le&s;t &s;uch per&s;ons &s;hould &s;peedily be given up by one Means or other to <HI>&s;trong De|lu&s;ions</HI> to Believe a Lye unto their ju&s;t Damnation. And on the other hand al&s;o, God &s;ometimes gives men up to <HI>Sins and wickedne&s;&s;es in Practice,</HI> becau&s;e of the Re|jection of the Truth which they have re|ceived: So he dealt with them who liked not <HI>tho&s;e Notions</HI> of Truth which they had concerning Him, his Being, and his Provi|dence, from the Light of Nature, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 28. And &s;o he u&s;ually deals with all Apo&s;tates. If they <HI>will</HI> for&s;ake the Truth, they <HI>&s;hall</HI> for&s;ake Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Holi|ne&s;s which are the proper Fruits of it, and be given up unto all abominable Lu&s;ts and Practices.</P>
<P>We may therefore enquire by what Wayes and Means God doth &s;o puni&s;h and revenge the Beginnings of <HI>Wilful Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Go&s;pel, &s;o that Men &s;hall
<PB N="324" REF="174"> compleat them and prove ob&s;tinate in them, unto their Eternal De&s;truction. And this he doth,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, By <HI>removing his Candle&s;tick</HI> from among them. This the Lord Je&s;us threatens his back&s;liding Church withall; <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 5. God will by one Means or another de|prive them of the Light and Means of the Knowledge of the Truth, that Ignorance and Darkne&s;s &s;hall cover them, and irre|&s;i&s;tably encrea&s;e upon them. Some of the In&s;truments of Light it may be &s;hall be ta|ken away by Death, and &s;ome &s;hall lye under Prejudices, the Gifts of the Spirit &s;hall be re&s;trained or with-held from others, that they &s;hall have <HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> for <HI>Vi&s;ion,</HI> and the <HI>Sword of the Lord &s;hall be upon their right Eye that it &s;hall be quite dryed up.</HI> In this Condition of things the Minds of Apo|&s;tates already bent upon Back&s;liding, are by their Ignorance and Darkne&s;s more and more filled with Prejudices again&s;t the Truth, and alienated from it. For as they lo&s;e the Knowledge and Faith of any part of Truth, their Minds are po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with what is oppo&s;ite thereunto.</P>
<P>Secondly; In this Condition God <HI>&s;ends them &s;trong Delu&s;ions</HI> that they may <HI>believe a Lye;</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 11. God is, as it were,
<PB N="325" REF="174"> now re&s;olved on the End of the&s;e Per&s;ons, what they have righteou&s;ly de&s;erved. And therefore he makes u&s;e of any Means as it is meerly <HI>poenal</HI> to bring them thereunto. And as by the former Act of his Di&s;plea|&s;ure he took from them the Knowledge of his Truth, &s;o by this he gives them up irrecoverably to adhere unto a Lye, they &s;hall not onely <HI>profe&s;s</HI> it, but <HI>believe</HI> it, which is the cruelle&s;t Slavery the Mind of Man is capable of. Now Gods &s;ending of men <HI>&s;trong Delu&s;ions that they may believe a Lye,</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in the&s;e things.</P>
<P N="1">(1) <HI>Delivering</HI> them up to the <HI>Power</HI> of <HI>Sathan.</HI> He is the grand Seducer, the De|luder of the Souls of men, the fir&s;t Author of Lying, who&s;e principal De&s;ign it is to win over the Faith and A&s;&s;ent of men there|unto. This work he &s;tands continually ready for, but that God is plea&s;ed to <HI>limit, bound</HI> and <HI>re&s;train</HI> him with re&s;pect unto tho&s;e who are yet under his e&s;pecial Care; But as to the&s;e <HI>Apo&s;tates,</HI> God breaks down all his Fences about them, and by his efficacious Permi&s;&s;ion &s;uffers Sathan to act his part to the utmo&s;t, for their De|lu&s;ion. This was the &s;tate of things un|der the <HI>Papal Apo&s;ta&s;ie;</HI> wherein Sathan had deluded men, (as it &s;hould &s;eem) to
<PB N="326" REF="175"> the Satisfaction of his utmo&s;t Malice. And to &s;hew how Ab&s;olute he was in his Suc|ce&s;s, he did as it were <HI>make Sport</HI> with the deluded Souls of Men. There was nothing &s;o <HI>fooli&s;h</HI> and <HI>&s;otti&s;h</HI> that he did not impo&s;e on their Credulity. Many <HI>Volumes</HI> will not contain the Stories of tho&s;e <HI>ridiculous Follies</HI> which he hath &s;o impo&s;ed on the Minds of poor deluded Mortals, wherein he &s;eemed to &s;port him|&s;elf in the Mi&s;ery of blinded Mankind. God grant that he never receive a Com|mi&s;&s;ion to act the &s;ame part among us, who&s;e &s;ins &s;eem to cry aloud for it; and Men live as if they longed to be again given up to the Power of the Devil.</P>
<P N="2">(2) By &s;uffering <HI>Seducers</HI> and <HI>fal&s;e Teachers</HI> to come among a People, with &s;uch advantagious outward Circum&s;tan|ces as &s;hall further their Succe&s;s. The&s;e <HI>Seducers</HI> prepare them&s;elves for their work by their own Inclinations and the Sug|ge&s;tions of Sathan. But God for the Exe|cuting of his ju&s;t Di&s;plea&s;ure, will by his Providence put <HI>Advantages</HI> into their hands, of prevailing over the Minds of men. So the chief Seducers in the World at this day, namely, the <HI>Pope</HI> and tho&s;e Acting with or under him, have po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed
<PB N="327" REF="175"> that Place, and obtained that <HI>Reputation</HI> among men, as gives them oft-times an uncontroulable Succe&s;&s;e in their Work. Did men &s;tand upon even Ground with them who were in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, &s;hould any &s;o come unto them to per&s;wade them unto the Errors, Super|&s;titions and Idolatry of the <HI>Papacy,</HI> they could not but de&s;pi&s;e their offer. But the&s;e Men having once gotten the Name of the <HI>Temple of God,</HI> and &s;hewing them|&s;elves to the People in the &s;tead and place of God, what could they not draw and <HI>&s;educe</HI> them unto? Neither is their Super&s;tition or Profe&s;&s;ion continued on any other Grounds on the Minds of the Multitude, but onely by that <HI>Power</HI> over the Con&s;ciences of Men, which <HI>Names, Titles,</HI> and the Places they &s;eem to po&s;&s;e&s;s in the Church, do give unto them. Then therefore doth God give up men to De|lu&s;ions, when in his Providence he affords &s;uch <HI>Advantages</HI> unto them by whom they are to be deluded. For tho&s;e who po&s;|&s;e&s;s the places of <HI>outward Veneration</HI> may lead a back&s;liding Multitude into what they plea&s;e.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, God doth <HI>judicially</HI> &s;mite &s;uch Per&s;ons with <HI>Blindne&s;s of Mind</HI> and <HI>Hard|ne&s;s</HI>
<PB N="328" REF="176"> <HI>of Heart,</HI> that they &s;hall <HI>not &s;ee, nor perceive, nor under&s;tand,</HI> even when the Means of Light and Truth are propo&s;ed unto them. This Effect of Gods Seve|rity is declared; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 6. 9, 10, 11; and Application is made of it unto the <HI>Jews</HI> under the Mini&s;try of our <HI>Saviour</HI> him|&s;elf; <HI>Joh.</HI> 12. 40, 41. and that of the <HI>Apo&s;tles; Act.</HI> 28. 29; and is expounded <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 8. When things are come to this I&s;&s;ue, when God <HI>&s;ubducts</HI> the Means of Grace from men in the <HI>whole</HI> or in <HI>part,</HI> or as unto their Efficacy, when he <HI>permits</HI> Sathan to deceive them by &s;trong Delu&s;ions, and moreover him&s;elf <HI>&s;mites</HI> them with Hardne&s;s of Heart and Blind|ne&s;s of Mind, then is the State of &s;uch <HI>Apo&s;tates</HI> mi&s;erable and irrecoverable. We are not therefore to think &s;trange, that the Light of the Go&s;pel diffu&s;es it &s;elf no more in the World, that &s;o Eminent <HI>a &s;top</HI> is put unto its Progre&s;s; God hath put an End unto his Gracious dealings with &s;ome kinds of <HI>Apo&s;tates,</HI> and they are re&s;erved for another Di&s;pen&s;ation of his Providence.</P>
<P>The&s;e are &s;ome of the general Prin|ciples of that <HI>Defection</HI> which is in the World from the My&s;tery and Truth of
<PB N="329" REF="176"> the Go&s;pel, with the Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es of them, unto which more (I doubt not) of the like Nature may be added.</P>
<P>But there is moreover a particular Con|&s;ideration to be had of tho&s;e <HI>e&s;pecial Truths</HI> which any turn away from, and the Ima|ginations they fall into, whereof the e&s;pe|cial Grounds and Rea&s;ons, &s;uperadded unto the&s;e we have con&s;idered, as equally re&s;pecting every kind of Defection from the Go&s;pel, are al&s;o to be enquired into, and it &s;hall be done in <HI>one In&s;tance</HI> among our &s;elves.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="330" REF="177">
<HEAD>CHAP. VII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">In&s;tance of a peculiar Defection from the Truth of the Go&s;pel, with the Rea&s;ons of it.</HEAD>
<P>BE&s;ides the Rea&s;ons in&s;i&s;ted on, which have a general Influence into all <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ies</HI> from the Doctrine or My|&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, each e&s;pecial <HI>Defection</HI> in every kind, hath Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es peculiarly &s;uited unto its Ri&s;e and Furthe|rance. There are indeed not a few who for&s;ake the Truth which they have pro|fe&s;&s;ed, merely on the Impre&s;&s;ions of out|ward Circum&s;tances, in the encouraging Examples of &s;ome who go before them in the &s;ame Paths, from whom they expect Advantage. And every Age giveth us in one place or another <HI>renewed Evidence,</HI> that where either <HI>&s;ecular</HI> Intere&s;t, or Wearine&s;s of the Truth, through the Love of the pre&s;ent World, and Hatred of Holine&s;s, or &s;trict Evangelical Obedience, do give a
<PB N="331" REF="177"> Propen&s;ity unto a Declen&s;ion from any Doctrines of the Go&s;pel, unto Per&s;ons who&s;e <HI>Grandeur</HI> and outward Advantages are &s;ufficient to attract a Complyance from the Minds of men under the Power of Ambition, or any importunate de&s;ire of Earthly things, that <HI>Multitudes</HI> of all &s;orts &s;uppo&s;e there is nothing left for them but to croud who &s;hall come neare&s;t the Lead|ers in the Apo&s;ta&s;ie. And it is not &s;eldom that meeting with new Temptations they <HI>out-run</HI> both them and them&s;elves al&s;o, in|to &s;uch Extreams as at fir&s;t they de&s;igned not. For hence it is, that &s;o many do even at pre&s;ent i&s;&s;ue their Rece&s;&s;ions from the Truth under the Conduct of tho&s;e <HI>Ignes fatui</HI> or Erratick Exhalations of Counte|nance and Favour, in the unde&s;igned Boggs of <HI>Popery</HI> on the one hand, or <HI>Sociniani&s;m</HI> on the other. But I &s;hall not at pre&s;ent take them into further Con&s;ideration, nor indeed are they worthy of any at all, who&s;e Minds are vi&s;ibly bya&s;&s;ed in the Profe&s;&s;i|on of things <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>heavenly,</HI> with tho&s;e that are <HI>earthy</HI> and <HI>carnal.</HI></P>
<P>They are of another &s;ort from whom we may take an In&s;tance of the e&s;pecial Rea&s;ons of a <HI>peculiar Defection</HI> from the Go&s;pel. For it is manife&s;t how &s;ome among
<PB N="332" REF="178"> our &s;elves are fallen off from the whole My&s;tery of it, with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Grace</HI> of Chri&s;t, the <HI>Satisfaction for Sin</HI> made by his Death, the <HI>Attonement</HI> by the Blood of his Sacrifice, <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by his Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and <HI>Sanctification</HI> by his Spirit. If any &s;hall think them&s;elves un|duely charged herein, they may be plea&s;ed to know, that none are intended but tho&s;e who are really <HI>guilty.</HI> Whoever owns the Things mentioned, though he will cau&s;e|le&s;&s;ely make u&s;e of peculiar words of his own for their Expre&s;&s;ion, neither <HI>Scriptu|ral</HI> nor <HI>proper,</HI> nor &s;uch as Believers have in former Ages been accu&s;tomed unto, yet while&s;t the things them&s;elves are <HI>believed</HI> and <HI>received,</HI> at pre&s;ent we lay nothing to his charge. But, unle&s;s to &s;ecure a ground|le&s;s, u&s;ele&s;s, irrational Charity, we wilfully &s;hut our Eyes and &s;top our Ears, we can|not avoid the Evidence that the&s;e things are by many even totally renounced. Yea and this is done by them to the greate&s;t di&s;advantage of them&s;elves, and di&s;honour of the Truth that can be well imagined. For their Profe&s;&s;ion is, that they have tryed Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel in the&s;e things, and find there is Nothing in them for which they &s;hould <HI>abide</HI> in the Faith of them, or place their Confidence in them.</P>
<PB N="333" REF="178">
<P> I hope none of them have gone unto that Length as to ca&s;t them&s;elves under the dreadfull Doom in the Apo&s;tolical pa&s;&s;age in&s;i&s;ted on; but that their Condi|tion is dangerous, cannot be denyed. To prevent the like <HI>&s;tate</HI> in our &s;elves and others, we may do well to con&s;ider, What are the true, real, next and immediate <HI>Springs</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> of &s;uch Mens Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, as added unto the General Rea&s;on of all Apo&s;ta&s;ie of this kind before mentioned. For &s;o it is, that be&s;ides tho&s;e General Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es, which have their Efficacy and In|fluence in all Apo&s;ta&s;ies, and mu&s;t alwayes be con&s;idered in this matter; there are al|&s;o Rea&s;ons that are peculiar unto every e&s;pecial In&s;tance of Back&s;liding in any kind.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Ignorance</HI> of the <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> and the Benefits of his <HI>Mediation</HI> un|to Life and Salvation, hath betrayd them fir&s;t into an <HI>Indifferency</HI> about them, and then a <HI>Defection</HI> from them. They want a <HI>true</HI> and in their own Souls a <HI>full</HI> Convicti|on of their <HI>per&s;onal</HI> want of the&s;e things. Such Apo&s;tates ari&s;e out of <HI>loo&s;e Notional Profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> who never had any &s;ound Con|victions of the want of Chri&s;t; like them,
<PB N="334" REF="179"> <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 37. or him, <HI>Act.</HI> 16. 30. And al|though they lived, &s;ome of them, a long time in the <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> that &s;uch a Conviction of the <HI>worth</HI> and <HI>u&s;e</HI> of Chri&s;t and his Grace was <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> unto them that would be &s;aved; yet dare they not own that ever them&s;elves had any &s;uch Con|viction. For if they had, why do they now for&s;ake him as unto tho&s;e Ends for which they were convinced he was &s;o to be de&s;ired? That Faith alone will never for&s;ake Chri&s;t, which &s;prings out of, or is built on a Conviction of the want of Him. They who are well and in health will not alwayes e&s;teem the <HI>Phy&s;ician.</HI></P>
<P>Unto this <HI>Conviction</HI> of the want of Chri&s;t two things are required in all men, according to the mea&s;ure of the <HI>Light</HI> which they have received.</P>
<P N="1">(1) The <HI>Knowledge</HI> of the <HI>Nature, Guilt, Filth,</HI> and <HI>De&s;ert</HI> of <HI>Sin.</HI> For he came to &s;ave us from our Sin. And no man will look after him to be delivered from he knows not what; or look to the <HI>Brazen Serpent,</HI> who is not &s;tung. Few have any Knowledge hereof but what they cannot avoid, and fewer are <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> of the&s;e things in a due manner. The great de&s;ign of Sa|than at this day in the World is, to <HI>exte|nuate</HI>
<PB N="335" REF="179"> Sin in Opinion, and &s;o <HI>countenance</HI> it in Practice. Indeed it ever was &s;o; but it is in a peculiar manner at pre&s;ent <HI>vi&s;ible</HI> and <HI>open,</HI> though the Con&s;piracy be &s;o &s;trong, that a publick Re&s;i&s;tance unto it is &s;carcely maintainable. His Aym in it is and ever was, to take off from the <HI>Nece&s;&s;i|ty</HI> and <HI>&V;&s;efulne&s;s</HI> of Chri&s;t and his Grace, again&s;t which his Malice is principally bent. And when once he can convey away the <HI>Relief,</HI> he will be ready enough to aggra|vate the <HI>Evil.</HI> Hence are tho&s;e Opinions &s;o diligently advanced and greedily em|braced, again&s;t the <HI>Guilt</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of <HI>Ori|ginal Sin,</HI> and the <HI>Depravation</HI> of our <HI>Na|tures,</HI> wherein men of all &s;orts con&s;pire. Whatever &s;ome men may de&s;ign, his End in them all is no other but to prevent a <HI>Conviction</HI> of the want we have of Chri&s;t. So al&s;o are Sins in <HI>practice</HI> extenuated, <HI>&s;pi|ritual</HI> Sins again&s;t the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> are made no|thing of, yea laughed at; and <HI>Immoralities</HI> again&s;t the Law are lightly e&s;teemed, and ea&s;ily pa&s;&s;ed over. To take off at pre&s;ent a <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> of the want of Chri&s;t, and to make way for future Apo&s;ta&s;ie, is the End of the&s;e and the like corrupt Opinions. Ac|cordingly it is come to pa&s;s in the World. Never was there le&s;s Regard of the <HI>Per&s;on</HI>
<PB N="336" REF="180"> and <HI>Offices</HI> of Chri&s;t, of his Grace, and Be|nefits of his <HI>Mediation,</HI> among them that are called Chri&s;tians, than is found among many at this Day. Unle&s;s God graciou&s;ly relieve, the World is like to lo&s;e Chri&s;t out of the Go&s;pel, as to the true Glory of his <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> and U&s;e of his <HI>Mediation.</HI> Thus was it with the Generality of them con|cerning whom we &s;peak, they never had a thorow <HI>practical Conviction</HI> of the want of Chri&s;t; for if they had, they would not &s;o &s;hamefully have left him as they have done. The general Notions they had here|of, &s;erve onely to entitle them unto a <HI>De|fection.</HI> I know the&s;e things are de&s;pi&s;ed by many, unto whom the <HI>want</HI> of Chri&s;t, and the <HI>receiving</HI> of him, or an <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> in him, are contemptible things. But that is all one; we mu&s;t not foregoe the Go&s;pel, with our own Experience, and ruine our Souls, to e&s;cape their Reproaches. Sin will be Sin, and Chri&s;t will be Chri&s;t, and Sal|vation by him will be what it is, when they have done what they can.</P>
<P N="2">(2) Hereunto is required a <HI>knowledge</HI> and <HI>&s;ence</HI> of the <HI>Weakne&s;s</HI> of the Be&s;t of our <HI>Duties,</HI> and their utter <HI>In&s;ufficiency</HI> to abide the <HI>Trial</HI> in the &s;ight of God. With|out the former we cannot <HI>have,</HI> and with|out
<PB N="337" REF="180"> the latter we can never <HI>abide</HI> in a Sen&s;e of the want of Chri&s;t. A right Con&s;ide|ration of the <HI>In&s;tability</HI> of our Minds in them, the <HI>weak Actings</HI> of Grace for the mo&s;t part, the <HI>Wearine&s;s</HI> of the Fle&s;h that accompanyes them, &s;ecret <HI>Impre&s;&s;ions</HI> from Self and inward <HI>Oppo&s;itions</HI> from Sin that attend them, with the Greatne&s;s and <HI>Holi|ne&s;s</HI> of God with whom we have to doe in them, is indi&s;pen&s;ibly nece&s;&s;ary to keep the Lord Chri&s;t and his Grace alwayes <HI>de|&s;ireable</HI> unto us. Want hereof makes &s;ome dream of a <HI>Perfection</HI> in them&s;elves, and others of a <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by their own Obe|dience; The fir&s;t tending to the Contempt, the latter unto the Neglect of Chri&s;t and his Grace. This is the beginning of Tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion unto many Apo&s;tates. They never had a <HI>due &s;en&s;e of the want of Chri&s;t,</HI> either as to their Deliverance from the Guilt of Sin, or as to the procuring of a Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s wherewith they might appear in the pre&s;ence of God. This are they to en|quire after, who &s;hall endeavour their Re|covery. To contend with them about their own Imaginations, is for the mo&s;t part <HI>endle&s;s</HI> and <HI>fruitle&s;s.</HI> Let it be inquired, whether they ever had any <HI>Conviction</HI> of the want of Chri&s;t for the Pardon of Sin,
<PB N="338" REF="181"> or for the obtaining of Life and Salvation? If they &s;hall grant they had, it may be asked, why they do not make u&s;e of him unto the <HI>Ends</HI> with re&s;pect whereunto they were convinced of the <HI>want of him?</HI> and if they do &s;o, we have no Conte&s;t with them in this matter. If they acknowledge that they never had any &s;uch <HI>Conviction,</HI> this is that which we are to confirm, That &s;uch a <HI>Conviction of the want of Chri&s;t,</HI> is indi&s;pen&s;ibly nece&s;&s;ary unto the Salvation of all that are Adult. And herein we have the Te&s;timony (upon the matter) of the whole Scripture, the Law and the Go&s;pel, to confirm the Truth we contend for. Want therefore hereof was one Spring of this <HI>Defection.</HI> For, tho&s;e who have own|ed the <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of him, or an <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> in him, for the <HI>Ends</HI> mentioned; and after|wards declare, that there is nothing of <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> or <HI>Truth</HI> in what they have found and di&s;covered, for which they &s;hould continue &s;o to doe, their Profe&s;&s;ion is, That they have <HI>con&s;idered</HI> this matter, <HI>known</HI> it, and do <HI>condemn</HI> it; wherein the formal Nature of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t. And all tho&s;e Di&s;ciples which they draw after them, they doe it, by hiding from them or draw|ing them off from any &s;en&s;e of a want of
<PB N="339" REF="181"> <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or of his <HI>Mediation.</HI> That which is the Foundation of our Profe&s;&s;ion in Op|po&s;ition hereunto, which we lay the weight of all our Eternal Concerns upon, is, That without Chri&s;t, before we receive him as &s;et forth by God to be a <HI>Propitiation tho|rough Faith in his Blood,</HI> we are in a lo&s;t, undone, and accur&s;ed Condition; that our <HI>clo&s;ing</HI> with him, our <HI>believing</HI> in him, is upon a Conviction of our <HI>want of him</HI> for Life, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Acceptation with God, both before and after Believing. And it is in vain for Sathan him&s;elf to attempt the <HI>Faith of Gods Elect</HI> herein. A concur|rence of plain Revelation and evident Ex|perience is invincible. But he who never knew, who never was made deeply &s;en|&s;ible of the want of an <HI>Intere&s;t in Chri&s;t,</HI> will never per&s;evere in the pur&s;uit of it, nor abide in what he hath attained when attacqued by any Vigorous Temptati|on.</P>
<P>Secondly, Want of a <HI>&s;piritual View</HI> of the <HI>Excellency</HI> of Chri&s;t both in his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Offices,</HI> is another Spring and Cau&s;e of this Declen&s;ion from the Faith of the Go&s;pel. This View of him in Types, Sha|dows and Promi&s;es, was the Life of the Faith of the Saints under the Old Te&s;ta|ment.
<PB N="340" REF="182"> Herein <HI>Abraham &s;aw his day and rejoyced, Joh.</HI> 8. 5, 6. So <HI>Cant.</HI> 2. 8, 17. And it is mentioned as their chiefe&s;t Priviledge, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 33. 17. The&s;e things they <HI>diligently inquired into,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 11. and <HI>longed after,</HI> de&s;iring (if it were po&s;&s;ible) to <HI>&s;ee them, Matth.</HI> 13. 17. For the Glory and Life of all Religion, of all Entercour&s;e with God, lay in them from the giving of the fir&s;t Promi&s;e. Chri&s;t was <HI>all and in all</HI> unto them no le&s;s than unto us. Take a Re&s;pect unto Him and his Offices out of the Old Admi|ni&s;trations, and they are things of no value or &s;ignification. And it was better for them who were enquiring after Chri&s;t diligently under dark Types and Shadows, than it will be for tho&s;e among us who &s;hut their Eyes at the glorious Light of the Go&s;pel. And the Rea&s;on why he was rejected by the <HI>Jews</HI> at his Coming, (for <HI>he came unto his own, and his own received him not, Joh.</HI> 1. 11.) was, becau&s;e they could <HI>&s;ee neither Form, nor Comeline&s;s, nor Beauty in him, why he &s;hould be de&s;ired, I&s;a.</HI> 53. 2. None can or will abide con&s;tant in his <HI>Doctrine</HI> who are not able <HI>&s;piritually</HI> to di&s;cern the Glory of his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Offices.</HI> Hence the Apo&s;tles lay it down as the Foundation of their Faith; that <HI>they beheld his Glory,</HI>
<PB N="341" REF="182"> <HI>the Glory as of the onely Begotten of the Fa|ther, full of Grace and Truth, Joh.</HI> 1. 14. And that which they had in them&s;elves they endeavoured to communicate unto others, that they <HI>al&s;o might believe through their Word, and have fellow&s;hip with Him,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 3. So he him&s;elf makes this the Foun|dation of his Church, the Rock upon which he will build it. For on the Confe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Peter,</HI> that he was <HI>the Chri&s;t, the Son of the Living God,</HI> (which expre&s;&s;eth the Glory both of his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> as the Son of the Living God, and of his <HI>Offices</HI> as the Chri&s;t,) he &s;ayes, <HI>On this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t it; Matth.</HI> 16. 16, 18. Whoever builds not hereon, builds on the <HI>&s;and,</HI> and will be prevailed again&s;t. So our Apo&s;tle de|clares, that tho&s;e that <HI>hold him not as the Head,</HI> will be <HI>beguiled,</HI> and <HI>vainly puffed up in their fle&s;hly minds,</HI> falling into fooli&s;h Errors, and vain Curio&s;ities; <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 18, 19. And he re&s;ts the whole Foundation of all Go&s;pel Faith in this Glory of his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Offices; Heb.</HI> 1. 2, 3. <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. It is this Knowledge of Him alone, that will make us di&s;e&s;teem and de&s;pi&s;e all other things in compari&s;on of Him; <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 8, 10.</P>
<PB N="342" REF="183">
<P> Wherefore, a &s;piritual <HI>view of him,</HI> an <HI>Acquaintance</HI> with him, as the <HI>Brightne&s;&s;e of the Glory of the Father,</HI> and the <HI>expre&s;&s;e Image of his Per&s;on,</HI> as he in whom all the Perfections of the Divine Nature, as Wi&s;|dom, Goodne&s;s and Grace, do center, as to their Manife&s;tation, even in the <HI>&V;nion</HI> of his Natures, the <HI>Glory</HI> of his Offices, the <HI>&s;uitablene&s;s</HI> of his <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and Grace unto all the Wants and De&s;ires of the Souls of Men, is indi&s;pen&s;ibly nece&s;&s;ary unto our Pre&s;er|vation from Apo&s;ta&s;ie. And I could ea&s;ily manife&s;t by particular In&s;tances, that a fail|ing herein hath had a principal and pre|valent Influence into all the Apo&s;ta&s;ies that have been in the Chri&s;tian World, both as unto <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip.</HI> It is, though a <HI>new,</HI> yet a mo&s;t <HI>wicked</HI> Attempt that Sa|than is making by &s;ome again&s;t the whole of our Religion, while&s;t allowing his <HI>Per|&s;on</HI> to be what it is, (which for &s;ecular Ends they dare not deny,) they endeavour to render him of little or no u&s;e in our Pro|fe&s;&s;ion. This is to fight neither again&s;t &s;mall nor great, but again&s;t the <HI>King of I&s;rael.</HI> And if &s;uch &s;erpentine Attempts be not prevented, the <HI>publick Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of Re|ligion among us will i&s;&s;ue in <HI>Athei&s;m,</HI> or &s;omewhat of a near Alliance thereunto.</P>
<PB N="343" REF="183">
<P> Thus it &s;eems to be with &s;ome of them of whom we &s;peak. They had among other Notional Profe&s;&s;ors, an <HI>hi&s;torical</HI> Know|ledge of Chri&s;t, and thereof made Pro|fe&s;&s;ion; but they were never <HI>&s;piritually</HI> ac|quainted with the glorious <HI>Excellencies</HI> of his Per&s;on and Offices. For if they had, they would not have for&s;aken the <HI>great My&s;tery of Godline&s;s, God manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h,</HI> for other uncouth Notions of their own. Who can think it po&s;&s;ible, that any one who hath known the <HI>Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> the Lord of Glory, the <HI>Son of God Incar|nate,</HI> receiving our Nature into an Hypo|&s;tatical Union with him&s;elf, and a ble&s;&s;ed Sub&s;i&s;tence in his own Per&s;on, as propo&s;ed unto us in the Go&s;pel, as evidently there|in Crucified before our Eyes, as the <HI>Apo&s;tle and High-Prie&s;t of our Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> as our <HI>Ad|vocate</HI> with the Father, as making Peace for us and Reconciliation through the Blood of his Cro&s;s, as made of God unto us <HI>Wi&s;dom, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Sanctification and Redemption;</HI> who ever had Experience or Benefit in their Temptations and Trials of his Love, Care, Tenderne&s;s, Compa&s;&s;ion, Readine&s;s and Ability to &s;uccour them that <HI>come to God by him;</HI> can Renounce all the&s;e things, to betake them&s;elves to vain No|tions
<PB N="344" REF="184"> of a <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Perfection</HI> of their <HI>own</HI> in their &s;tead. I hope they are few who do &s;o <HI>practically,</HI> but the Expre&s;&s;ions of many have a dangerous A&s;pect that way. And it is certain, there is nothing more ne|ce&s;&s;ary unto all that are called Chri&s;tians, than to have clear di&s;tinct Notions in them|&s;elves of the Per&s;on of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and plainly to declare, How they place their whole Faith, Hope and Tru&s;t in Him. And for &s;uch as really do &s;o, though not able to expre&s;s them&s;elves in a due Manner, yea though unduely captivated unto &s;ome no|vel Conceptions and Expre&s;&s;ions, the Good Lord pardon them, and let Mercy and Peace be on them, and on the whole <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God. Whereas therefore &s;ome who have made a Profe&s;&s;ion of the&s;e things, do now Relinqui&s;h them, I &s;hall pray they may take heed that they do not thereby <HI>crucifie the Son of God afre&s;h, and put him to open &s;hame.</HI> Neither is it a <HI>verbal</HI> Acknow|ledgement in owning that Chri&s;t which &s;uffered at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> which will free any from this Charge and Guilt. Unle&s;s the Lord Chri&s;t, that Chri&s;t which is <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Man</HI> in one Per&s;on, be owned, received, believed in, loved, tru&s;ted unto, and obey|ed in all things, as he is propo&s;ed unto us
<PB N="345" REF="184"> in the Scripture, and with re&s;pect unto all the Ends of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Holine&s;s, Life and Salvation, for which he is &s;o propo&s;ed, he is <HI>renounced</HI> and for&s;aken. Who can &s;ufficiently expre&s;s the cunning Sleights of Sathan? who can &s;ufficiently bewail the Fooli&s;hne&s;s of the Hearts of Men, that after they have (at lea&s;t Doctrinally) known, and profe&s;&s;ed the&s;e things, they &s;hould be turned a&s;ide from the Glory, Truth, and Holine&s;s of them? Let Chri&s;tians therefore know and beware, that if they find any Decay in Faith, Love, Delight, and Tru&s;t in the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> and <HI>Mediation</HI> of Chri&s;t, they are in the way that leads to &s;ome cur&s;ed Apo&s;ta&s;ie of one kind or another.</P>
<P>But where the <HI>Divine Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t is denyed, or all Acquaintance with him is de&s;pi&s;ed; where the Communication of <HI>Grace</HI> from him unto Believers is &s;corned, where no u&s;e by Faith of his <HI>Love, Care, Compa&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> as our High-Prie&s;t and Advocate with the Father in our Du|ties, Sins, Temptations, and Sufferings, is allowed; we need not repre&s;ent the dan|ger of falling into <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> &s;uch Per&s;ons are already in the depth of it. I &s;peak this with the more Earne&s;tne&s;s, becau&s;e, of all the Evils which I have &s;een in the Cour&s;e
<PB N="346" REF="185"> of my Pilgrimage, (now ha&s;tning unto its Period) there hath been none more griev|ous than the publick Contempt I have lived to &s;ee ca&s;t on the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t, as to its Concernment in our Religion, and the Benefits we receive from him. But God taketh care of the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Want of <HI>Experience</HI> of the <HI>Pow|er</HI> and <HI>Efficacy</HI> of the <HI>Spirit</HI> and <HI>Grace</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> of his Life and Death for the <HI>Mor|tification</HI> of Sin, hath been another Spring of this Apo&s;ta&s;ie. How it is wrought by the&s;e Means, and can be no otherwi&s;e ac|compli&s;hed, I have &s;hewed el&s;ewhere at large, and mu&s;t not here a&s;&s;ume the &s;ame Argument again. Onely two things may be ob&s;erved concerning this Work and Duty. As,</P>
<P N="1">(1) It is that wherein, or whereunto the greate&s;t <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>Exerci&s;e</HI> of <HI>Faith</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t, or is required. It is a matter purely <HI>Evangelical</HI> to derive Strength and Ability from Chri&s;t for the <HI>Mortification</HI> of Sin, by vertue of his Death, in a way of Believing. Unenlightened Rea&s;on can nei|ther &s;ee nor under&s;tand any thing of this matter, yea it is <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> unto it, as are all other My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. There is not any other way for the &s;ame End,
<PB N="347" REF="185"> which it will not more willingly em|brace.</P>
<P N="2">(2) It is a Work and Duty whereunto there is a great <HI>Reluctancy in the Fle&s;h,</HI> in corrupted Nature. There is nothing it had rather be freed from, and that whether we re&s;pect the <HI>inward Nature</HI> of it, or the <HI>con&s;tant Continuance</HI> in it that is required of us. Yet is it &s;uch, as that without it we can never attain Life and Salvation; <HI>for if we by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Fle&s;h, we &s;hall live,</HI> and not otherwi&s;e. Wherefore, when men once begin to be &s;en&s;ible of the powerfull inward Workings of Sin, they will take one of the&s;e two wayes, nor can they do otherwi&s;e. For either they will <HI>yield</HI> them&s;elves up <HI>Ser|vants unto Sin,</HI> and make <HI>provi&s;ion for the Fle&s;h to fulfill the lu&s;ts thereof,</HI> according as they are able, and as far as con&s;i&s;ts with their Secular Intere&s;t, as doe the mo&s;t; or they will betake them&s;elves to &s;ome Way or other for its <HI>Re&s;traint</HI> and <HI>Mortification,</HI> either in <HI>part</HI> or in <HI>whole.</HI> And here many things will pre&s;ent them&s;elves unto &s;uch per&s;ons, &s;ome (it may be) of their own Devi&s;ing, and &s;ome of Gods Appointment, but for <HI>other Ends</HI> than what they apply them unto. Hence Multitudes faint in this
<PB N="348" REF="186"> Work, and at length utterly give it over. They begin in the <HI>Spirit,</HI> and end in the <HI>Fle&s;h.</HI> For not <HI>&s;triving lawfully,</HI> nor in the right Way, Sin gets ground and &s;trength again&s;t them, and they yield up them&s;elves to the Service of it. Hence have we &s;o many, who having under their Convicti|ons contended again&s;t their Lu&s;ts in their <HI>Youth,</HI> do give up them&s;elves unto them in their <HI>Age.</HI> But &s;o it is in this matter, that tho&s;e who through their <HI>&V;nbelief</HI> cannot ari&s;e or attain unto an Experience of the Power and Efficacy of the Grace of Chri&s;t for the <HI>Mortification</HI> of Sin, will betake them&s;elves to &s;omewhat el&s;e for their Re|lief. And this is that principally which hath brought forth that <HI>Light within</HI> among &s;ome, which mu&s;t doe all this work for them, and much more. If any will betake them&s;elves thereunto, they &s;hall find that Remedy again&s;t Sin, and that Perfection of Holine&s;s in a <HI>few dayes,</HI> which they had been looking for from Chri&s;t a <HI>long &s;ea&s;on</HI> to no purpo&s;e. So would they have us to think, who it may be never had Experi|ence what it is to derive &s;piritual Strength from Chri&s;t, or to wait on him for it; one|ly they have been wearied by the &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ele&s;ne&s;s of their Convictions, and the
<PB N="349" REF="186"> burden&s;omene&s;s of Lifele&s;s Duties. For &s;ome of them were for a Sea&s;on not onely <HI>&s;ober</HI> in their Conver&s;ation (which I hope they yet continue to be,) but <HI>diligent</HI> in Duties of Religion. But finding neither <HI>life, power,</HI> nor <HI>&s;ucce&s;s</HI> in them, through their own uncured Unbelief, they &s;eem to have grown weary of them. For nothing is more grievous than the <HI>outward Form</HI> of &s;piritual Duties, where there is no Expe|rience of <HI>inward Power</HI> and Sweetne&s;s. Wherefore, the corrupt Minds of men will be ready to relinqui&s;h them, for any thing that pretends a better Relief.</P>
<P>What was the Rea&s;on that &s;o many in the <HI>Papacy</HI> betook them&s;elves to <HI>Penances,</HI> &s;evere <HI>Di&s;ciplines</HI> and <HI>Self-macerations,</HI> for the Relief of their Con&s;ciences with re|&s;pect unto the <HI>Mortification</HI> of <HI>Sin?</HI> It all &s;prang from this Root, or Ignorance of the Power and Efficacy of the <HI>Spirit</HI> and <HI>Grace</HI> of Chri&s;t for that End. Somewhat mu&s;t be done unto this purpo&s;e, and not knowing the right Way and Go&s;pel-Method of it, they betook them&s;elves unto what they could invent, or what was impo&s;ed on them by the Super&s;tition of others, that pretended to afford them a Relief. Some|what hereof tho&s;e among us &s;eemed for a
<PB N="350" REF="187"> while to make an Appearance of, in an <HI>out|ward</HI> Gravity, and &s;eeming Au&s;terity of Life; but the Things them&s;elves they had no mind unto, as not complyant with other Intere&s;ts they had to pur&s;ue. But the <HI>Light within</HI> &s;hall do all of this Kind for them; wherefore, in compari&s;on thereof, and as unto this End at lea&s;t, they reject the Lord Chri&s;t, and do what in them lyes to <HI>put him to open &s;hame.</HI> For what do they le&s;s, who declare, that that is done in a <HI>few dayes</HI> for them by <HI>another Means,</HI> which could not be effected <HI>by the Faith which for &s;o long a &s;ea&s;on</HI> they profe&s;&s;ed in him? But the Cau&s;e of the whole lyes &s;olely in their own <HI>Ignorance,</HI> and want of <HI>Experi|ence</HI> of the things which them&s;elves pro|fe&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>Ignorance of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> hath been another Spring of this Apo&s;ta&s;ie. This the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;ely de|clares to be the Rea&s;on why men <HI>goe about to e&s;tabli&s;h a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their own; Rom.</HI> 4. 3. <HI>Being ignorant of the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of God, and going about to e&s;tabli&s;h their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, they have not &s;ubmitted unto the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God.</HI> And this he &s;peaks of the <HI>Jews,</HI> and that the Be&s;t of them, who followed after Righteou&s;ne&s;s,
<PB N="351" REF="187"> and <HI>&s;ought</HI> it, as <HI>it were by the works of the Law; Rom.</HI> 9. 31, 32. Of all men they thought them&s;elves mo&s;t Knowing of the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of God, for they made <HI>their boa&s;t of God, and knew</HI> (as they thought and profe&s;&s;ed) <HI>his Will, and approved the things that are more excellent, being in&s;truct|ed out of the Law, and were confident that they them&s;elves were Guides of the Blind, and the Light of them that are in Darkne&s;s, In|&s;tructers of the Fooli&s;h, and Teachers of Babes, having the Form of Knowledge, and of the Truth in the Law; Rom.</HI> 2. 17, 18, 19, 20. Yet the&s;e men <HI>&s;ubmitted not</HI> to the <HI>Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of God, but went about to <HI>e&s;tabli&s;h</HI> their own <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> becau&s;e they were ignorant of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God. And where&s;oever this Ignorance is, men will doe &s;o.</P>
<P>Take the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of God in any &s;ence wherein it is mentioned in the Scrip|ture, and this Event will follow upon the Ignorance thereof. For it mu&s;t be either the Righteou&s;ne&s;s that is <HI>in him,</HI> or the Righteou&s;ne&s;s he requires <HI>of us</HI> in the Law, or the Righteou&s;ne&s;s he hath provi|ded <HI>for us</HI> in the Go&s;pel. Con&s;ider it any of the&s;e wayes, and the Ignorance of it is that which countenanceth men in betaking
<PB N="352" REF="188"> them&s;elves unto a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their <HI>own,</HI> yea, unavoidably ca&s;teth them upon it. For,</P>
<P N="1">(1) A right under&s;tanding of the <HI>infi|nite Purity,</HI> the glorious <HI>E&s;&s;ential Holine&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Nature</HI> of God, of his ab&s;olute <HI>Eter|nal Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> as the Lord and Judge of all; will teach men what Apprehen&s;ions they ought to have of any thing done <HI>in</HI> them or <HI>by</HI> them. <HI>Our God is a con&s;uming Fire, Heb.</HI> 12. 29. <HI>A God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, Hab.</HI> 1. 13. <HI>Who will in no wi&s;e acquit the guilty, Exod.</HI> 34. 7. Who&s;e <HI>judgement</HI> it is, that <HI>they who commit &s;in are worthy of Death, Rom.</HI> 1. 32. <HI>An Holy God, a Jealous God, that will not forgive Tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions and Sins, Jo&s;h.</HI> 24. 19. While&s;t the Dread and Terror of the Excellency of this Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s is before men, they will not ea&s;ily betake them&s;elves and their Tru&s;t unto a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their own. There are two &s;orts of Per&s;ons that the Scripture repre&s;ents under an Ap|prehen&s;ion of this Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God. The fir&s;t are <HI>convinced guilty Sinners,</HI> and the other <HI>humble holy Believers:</HI> And what thoughts of them&s;elves each &s;ort is thereon filled withall, it doth declare. For the for|mer &s;ort, we have an In&s;tance in <HI>Adam,</HI>
<PB N="353" REF="188"> <HI>Gen.</HI> 3. 10. In <HI>others, I&s;a.</HI> 33. 14. as al&s;o, <HI>Micah.</HI> 6. 7. The &s;umme is, they can think of nothing, have no other Conceptions in their Minds, but how either they may <HI>flye</HI> from him, and <HI>hide</HI> them&s;elves; or feign to them&s;elves impo&s;&s;ible wayes of <HI>Attonement;</HI> or be &s;wallowed up in Horror and De&s;pair. Send them in this Condition unto a Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of their own, and they will ea&s;i|ly under&s;tand you do but reproach their Mi&s;ery. And for the other &s;ort or <HI>humble holy Believers,</HI> we may &s;ee al&s;o how on this Occa&s;ion they expre&s;s them&s;elves in this matter; <HI>Job</HI> 4. 17, 18, 19. <HI>Chap.</HI> 9. 2. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 130. 3. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 143. 6. They all joyntly ac|knowledge, that &s;uch is the glorious Holi|ne&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, &s;uch the Imperfection of our Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Im|purity of our Works, that there is no ap|pearance or &s;tanding before him on their Account. It is the want of a due Medita|tion hereof, that hath produced the many pre&s;umptuous Opinions in the World con|cerning the <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> of Sinners. The Scripture &s;peaking of Ju&s;tification, directs us to conceive <HI>it in the &s;ight of God, P&s;al.</HI> 130. 2. or <HI>before him, Rom.</HI> 3. 20. Teach|ing us, that in this matter we &s;hould &s;et our &s;elves as in the pre&s;ence and under the
<PB N="354" REF="189"> Eye of this Holy God, and then con&s;ider on what <HI>Ground</HI> we may <HI>&s;tand</HI> before him. But where men are <HI>ignorant of this Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of God,</HI> when they have &s;ecret thoughts that he is <HI>altogether &s;uch an one as them&s;elves</HI> as the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> &s;peaks; that is, one who is either not &s;o Holy in him&s;elf as is pretend|ed, or one who doth not require a <HI>&s;uitable|ne&s;s</HI> in us unto his Holine&s;s, but is little concerned in our Duties, le&s;s in our Sins; is it any wonder if men think they can of them&s;elves do that which is Satisfactory unto him, and &s;o <HI>goe about to e&s;tabli&s;h their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s?</HI> And this way even in <HI>Teaching</HI> have &s;ome betaken them&s;elves un|to. They endeavour to &s;atisfie their Di&s;ci|ples, that there is no &s;uch <HI>&s;everity</HI> in God again&s;t <HI>Sin</HI> as &s;ome pretend, no &s;uch <HI>Holi|ne&s;s</HI> in his Nature as nece&s;&s;arily to inferre an Indignation again&s;t every Sin; that they are but <HI>vain frights</HI> and needle&s;s Di&s;quiet|ments which either their own Con&s;ciences or the Preaching of &s;ome men do put them unto. And if they can prevail to be cre|dited herein, there is no doubt but that tho&s;e whom they &s;o per&s;wade will be plea|&s;ed with their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s; but whether God in this matter of <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> will be plea&s;ed with it or no, is not &s;o ea&s;ie to be determined.</P>
<PB N="355" REF="189">
<P> And hence it is, that all Opinions of a <HI>Self-righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> or <HI>Ju&s;tification by Works,</HI> have alwayes produced <HI>Licentiou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Life,</HI> though they who a&s;&s;ert it clamorou&s;ly pretend to the contrary. So when a Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s of <HI>Works</HI> was ab&s;olutely enthroned in the <HI>Papacy</HI> before the Reformation, the Lives of the generality of men were flagi|tiou&s;ly Wicked, and mo&s;t of the <HI>good works</HI> that were performed among&s;t them, were but <HI>Barterings</HI> with God and Con&s;cience for horrible Vices and Impietyes. Accord|ing al&s;o unto the growth of the &s;ame Opi|nion in its various degrees among us, is the Progre&s;s al&s;o of all &s;orts of Impiety and Licentiou&s;ne&s;s of Life. And if the Ma&s;ters of the&s;e Opinions would but open their Eyes, they would &s;ee, that whereas they a&s;&s;ert their <HI>Ju&s;tification by Works</HI> under a pretence of a Nece&s;&s;ity &s;o to doe, for the Maintenance of Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;|ne&s;s among men, that Unholine&s;s, Unrighte|ou&s;ne&s;s, Intemperance of Life, and all Abo|minations do grow upon them, &s;uch as were not heard of in former dayes among them who made any Profe&s;&s;ion of Religi|on. And the Rea&s;on hereof is, becau&s;e the very &s;ame Notions of God which will allow men to &s;uppo&s;e that they may be
<PB N="356" REF="190"> <HI>ju&s;tified</HI> in his &s;ight by their own Duties, will al&s;o accommodate their Lu&s;ts with &s;everal Apprehen&s;ions that he will not be &s;o <HI>&s;evere</HI> again&s;t their Sins as is &s;uppo&s;ed. However this is plain in matter of Fact, that the Opinion of <HI>Self-righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Loo&s;ene&s;s</HI> of Conver&s;ation in the practice of Sin, have gone together generally, from the dayes of the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> to this pre&s;ent &s;ea&s;on. And as this proud Conceit receives daily Advancement in &s;everal Degrees, under various Pretences, it is to be feared the World will be more and more filled with the bitter Fruits thereof. It is <HI>Grace</HI> and the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of it, as well as its <HI>Power,</HI> that mu&s;t put a &s;top to Sin. He that drives men into a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their <HI>own</HI> at one door, opens another unto their Sins. And all that we have got hitherto by fierce Di&s;putations about <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> as it were by <HI>Works,</HI> is only that the Faith of &s;ome hath been weakened, the Peace of Multitudes di&s;quieted, Differences encrea&s;ed, without the lea&s;t Evidence of Holine&s;s improved, or the Vices of men reformed by them. And it will not be granted, that the &s;tricte&s;t Profe&s;&s;ors in the&s;e dayes, (whether they have imbibed the&s;e Opinions or no,) do in real Holine&s;s and Fruitfulne&s;s of Life ex|ceed
<PB N="357" REF="190"> tho&s;e of the fore-going Age, who firmly and without He&s;itation tru&s;ted unto the Lord Chri&s;t alone, for Life, Righteou&s;|ne&s;s and Salvation.</P>
<P N="2">(2) Suppo&s;e the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> God <HI>re|quires of us in the Law,</HI> to <HI>be intended;</HI> the Ignorance thereof al&s;o is a great Rea&s;on why men venture on a <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of their own, and go about to e&s;tabli&s;h it. Were they indeed acquainted with the <HI>purity, &s;pirituality, &s;everity,</HI> and <HI>inexorablene&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Law,</HI> they would never be po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with Imaginations that the <HI>Perfection</HI> which they dream of in them&s;elves, would en|dure its Trial. But when men &s;hall &s;up|po&s;e that the Law re&s;pects onely <HI>outward</HI> Duties, and tho&s;e al&s;o of the greate&s;t No|toriety as to <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> and can relieve them&s;elves in &s;undry things by <HI>pha|ri&s;aical</HI> Di&s;tinctions and Expo&s;itions of it, when they con&s;ider not, or under&s;tand not the extent of it unto an exacting of the entire <HI>Image</HI> of God in us wherein we were created, unto the regulating all the Frames, Figments and fir&s;t Motions of the Heart, and its Application of the <HI>Cur&s;e</HI> un|to the lea&s;t Deviation from it; they may plea&s;e or &s;ome way &s;atisfie them&s;elves <HI>by e&s;tabli&s;hing a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their own,</HI> as
<PB N="358" REF="191"> it were <HI>by the Works of the Law.</HI></P>
<P>But, (3) The <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God</HI> in this place is taken principally for that <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> which he hath <HI>provided for us</HI> in the Go&s;pel. And what this is, the Apo&s;tle declares in the next Ver&s;e; <HI>For</HI> (&s;ays he) <HI>Chri&s;t is the End of the Law for Righteou&s;ne&s;s unto every one that believeth,</HI> ver. 4. And this he calls the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is of Faith,</HI> Chap. 9. ver. 30. Where|fore, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God is Chri&s;t as fulfilling the Law, and an&s;wering the End of it, received by Faith. This is that <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> which who&s;oever are ignorant of, and &s;ubmit not unto, they will go about to e&s;tabli&s;h a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their own, and tru&s;t unto it. And thus hath it openly and vi&s;ibly fallen out with them concerning whom we treat. They will not deny but that under their <HI>Convicti|ons</HI> they were &s;olicitous after a Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s with which God might be well plea&s;ed. And if they &s;hould deny it, they were not to be believed; becau&s;e it is im|po&s;&s;ible it &s;hould be otherwi&s;e with any in that Condition: For <HI>Conviction</HI> is princi|pally a &s;en&s;e of the want of a <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> In this &s;tate the Go&s;pel which they had, and which it may be they heard preached,
<PB N="359" REF="191"> pre&s;ented unto them <HI>Chri&s;t as the End of the Law for Righteou&s;ne&s;s unto them that do believe;</HI> as it is fully declared; <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25; with Chap. 5. 18, 19. This divers of them for a &s;ea&s;on profe&s;&s;ed them&s;elves to embrace and acquie&s;ce in. But when things came to the Trial, it ge|nerally appeared that they had all along been Ignorant of this <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God;</HI> for they have left it for a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their <HI>own,</HI> which had they truely and really known it, they could not have done. He who hath ever truely and really made Chri&s;t the End of the Law for <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s</HI> unto him&s;elf by Believing, will not ca&s;t Contempt and Scorn upon his Righteou&s;|ne&s;s imputed unto us, as it is the manner of &s;ome to doe. But herein is the Son of God in &s;ome mea&s;ure <HI>crucified afre&s;h, and put unto open &s;hame.</HI> When men &s;hall pro|fe&s;s that they did look after Righteou&s;ne&s;s by him, and would have received him as the End of the Law for Righteou&s;ne&s;s, but not finding that therein which they expect|ed, they have betaken them&s;elves to a Righteou&s;ne&s;s wholly <HI>within</HI> them, and &s;o <HI>wholly</HI> their own; they will not ea&s;ily con|trive a way whereby they may reflect more Di&s;honour upon him. Whatever pretences
<PB N="360" REF="192"> may be made to the contrary, whatever Maze of words any may lead men into, and tire them withall, whatever Revilings and Reproaching of others they may com|pa&s;s them with, they cannot but know in their own Con&s;ciences that it is thus with them; notwith&s;tanding any Profe&s;&s;ion that they ever made, they never did come nor ever could attain unto a real Knowledge of and Acquaintance with this <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of God,</HI> &s;o as to receive it by Faith, and obtain thereby re&s;t unto their Souls. And thence it is that as unto Profe&s;&s;ion at lea&s;t, they have betaken them&s;elves unto an Endeavour <HI>to e&s;tabli&s;h their own Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> which if it produce and effect a real holy Conver&s;ation and Righteou&s;ne&s;s in them of any long continuance, they are the fir&s;t in whom it ever had that Effect in this World, and will be the la&s;t in whom it &s;hall find that Succe&s;s.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Want of Submi&s;&s;ion unto the <HI>Sovereignty</HI> of God, hath contributed un|to the furtherance of this Evil. The <HI>Sove|reignty</HI> of God acting it &s;elf in infinite Wi&s;|dom and Grace, is the &s;ole Foundation of the Covenant of Grace, and runs through the whole My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel. Thence proceeded the <HI>Incarnation</HI> of the Son of
<PB N="361" REF="192"> God, and his being filled with all Grace to be a Saviour; <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 16. <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 19. <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 16. Other Account thereof none can be given. Thence was his Sub&s;titution as the Surety of the Covenant in our &s;tead, to undergoe the puni&s;hment due to our Sins, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53. 6, 10. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 21. Eternal <HI>Election</HI> flows from thence, and is regulated thereby; <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 11, 18. So doth Effectu|al <HI>Vocation; Matth.</HI> 11. 25, 26. and <HI>Ju&s;ti|fication</HI> by Faith, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 30. The like may be &s;aid of all other My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. Love, Grace, Goodne&s;s, di&s;pen&s;ed in a way of <HI>&s;overeign</HI> unaccountable Plea|&s;ure, are in them all propo&s;ed as the Objects of our Faith. The <HI>carnal Mind</HI> is plea&s;ed with nothing of all this, but ri&s;eth up in Oppo&s;ition unto every In&s;tance of it. It will not bear that the Will, Wi&s;dom and Plea&s;ure of God, &s;hould be &s;ubmitted un|to and adored in the Paths which it cannot trace. Hence the Incarnation and Cro&s;s of the Son of God are <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> unto it, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 23, 24, 25. The Decrees of God as to <HI>Election</HI> and <HI>Reprobation,</HI> unju&s;t and une|qual, overthrowing all Religion; <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> through the Imputation of the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of Chri&s;t, that which everts the Law, and renders
<PB N="362" REF="193"> all our own Righteou&s;ne&s;s unnece&s;&s;ary. So in the whole My&s;tery, in all the Doctrine, Precepts, or Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, that &s;pring from or are re&s;olved into the <HI>Sove|reignty</HI> of God, the <HI>carnal Mind</HI> ri&s;eth up in Oppo&s;ition unto them all. For whereas the formal Nature of Faith con&s;i&s;teth in <HI>giving Glory to God</HI> by Believing the things that are <HI>above</HI> Rea&s;on as it is <HI>ours,</HI> and <HI>again&s;t</HI> it as <HI>carnal, Rom.</HI> 4. 18, 19, 20, 21. this &s;ets up an <HI>Enmity</HI> unto it in all things. It is therefore alwayes tumultuating again&s;t the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel, and if it once come to make it &s;elf the Judge of them, taking Aid from &s;en&s;ual Affections, and the vain Imaginations of the Mind, it will make Havock of all the Articles of Faith. And thus it &s;eems to have fallen out in this Mat|ter. Tho&s;e concerning whom we treat, &s;eem to have ca&s;t off a due Regard unto the <HI>Sovereignty</HI> of God, becau&s;e them&s;elves were never bowed by Faith &s;avingly there|to. Wherefore in an Oppo&s;ition unto it, they have &s;et up their <HI>Light within</HI> as the Rule, Mea&s;ure and Judge of the Truths and Doctrines of the Go&s;pel. In &s;tead of <HI>be|coming Fools</HI> by a Re&s;ignation of their Rea|&s;on and Wi&s;dom to the <HI>Sovereignty</HI> of God, that &s;o they might in the I&s;&s;ue be really
<PB N="363" REF="193"> <HI>Wi&s;e,</HI> they have become <HI>wi&s;e</HI> in their own Conceit, and have waxed vain in their <HI>fooli&s;h Imaginations.</HI> Neither indeed is there any broader way of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go|&s;pel, than a Rejection of Gods <HI>Sovereignty</HI> in all things concerning the Revelation of Him&s;elf and our Obedience, with a Refu|&s;al to bring into Captivity every Thought unto the <HI>Obedience of Faith,</HI> which fir&s;t brought forth <HI>Pelagiani&s;me,</HI> and of late <HI>So|ciniani&s;me,</HI> as hath been &s;hewed, from which two the whole of the pre&s;ent <HI>Defection</HI> is derived.</P>
<P>Sixthly, We may adde hereunto, as ano|ther Spring of this <HI>partial Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> want of an Evidence in them&s;elves of the <HI>Di|vine Authority</HI> of the <HI>Scriptures.</HI> It is not enough to e&s;tabli&s;h any man in the Profe&s;&s;i|on of the Go&s;pel, to own in general that the Scripture is the <HI>Word of God,</HI> or a <HI>Di|vine Revelation</HI> of his Will. He that hath not an Experience of a <HI>Divine Authority</HI> in it upon his own Soul and Con&s;cience, will not be &s;teadfa&s;t when his Trial &s;hall come. God looks with regard unto them alone <HI>who tremble at his Word,</HI> as owning his pre|&s;ent Authority in it. Where this doth not abide upon them, <HI>unlearned and un&s;table men</HI> (as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks,) will be bold
<PB N="364" REF="194"> to wre&s;t the Scriptures to their de&s;truction, or to preferre other things before them, or at lea&s;t to equalize them with them. It is not therefore enough that we a&s;&s;ent unto the <HI>Truth</HI> of the Word of God, unle&s;s al&s;o we are &s;en&s;ible of its <HI>Power,</HI> and of that Claim which it makes in the <HI>Name of God,</HI> of the ab&s;olute <HI>Subjection</HI> of our whole Souls and Con&s;ciences unto it. Now this Evidence in them&s;elves of this pre&s;ent <HI>Di|vine Authority,</HI> differing it unconceivably from all other <HI>real</HI> or <HI>pretended</HI> Convey|ances of Truth, the&s;e Per&s;ons either never had, or have in&s;en&s;ibly lo&s;t, or ca&s;t off openly the Yoke of God therein. Hereon every <HI>Imagination</HI> of their own, exalts it &s;elf into an Equality of Right and Autho|rity with it. The End of the&s;e things is, that God gives men up to <HI>&s;trong Delu&s;ions to believe a Lye,</HI> becau&s;e they <HI>received not,</HI> or <HI>retained not the Truth in the Love there|of;</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. And when once it comes unto this, it is the work of Sathan (which he ea&s;ily accompli&s;heth,) both to &s;ugge&s;t unto them endle&s;s <HI>Delu&s;ions,</HI> and to render them &s;o Ob&s;tinate therein, as that they &s;hall de&s;pi&s;e every thing that is tendred un|to <HI>Conviction.</HI></P>
<P>This is the fir&s;t Way whereby men <HI>fall</HI>
<PB N="365" REF="194"> <HI>away</HI> from the Go&s;pel, namely, from the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> and <HI>Doctrine</HI> of it as it is the Object of our <HI>Faith;</HI> wherein they doe what in them lyes, <HI>to crucifie the Son of God afre&s;h, and to put him unto open &s;hame.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Holine&s;s of the Go&s;pel; the Occa&s;ion and Cau&s;e of it. Of that which is Gradual, on the pretence of &s;omewhat el&s;e in its room.</HEAD>
<P>THere is, Secondly, <HI>a Falling away from the Go&s;pel, with re&s;pect unto the Holine&s;s of its Precepts,</HI> which is to be the <HI>Matter,</HI> as they are the <HI>Rule</HI> of our Obedience. And this al&s;o is of a Na|ture no le&s;s <HI>perilous,</HI> and attended with Con&s;equents and Effects no le&s;s <HI>dangerous</HI> than the former, and doth no le&s;s than that expo&s;e the <HI>Son of God to open &s;hame.</HI> Yea an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Holine&s;s of the Go&s;pel,</HI> is on many Accounts more dreadfull and dangerous than a <HI>partial</HI> Apo&s;ta&s;ie from its
<PB N="366" REF="195"> <HI>Truth.</HI> For as it is more <HI>&s;preading</HI> and <HI>Ca|tholick</HI> than that is, and of le&s;s Ob&s;erva|tion or E&s;teem, &s;o it is u&s;ually more <HI>irre|coverable,</HI> mo&s;t men under it being greatly <HI>hardened</HI> through the <HI>deceitfulne&s;s of Sin.</HI> Be&s;ides, <HI>commonne&s;s</HI> hath taken off the <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> of its Evil and Danger. If there be an <HI>Er|ror</HI> broached again&s;t the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of the Go&s;pel, it is oddes but &s;ome or other will take Notice of it, Confute it, and warn all men of the Danger wherewith it is attend|ed. But let the whole World (as it were) lye in Evil, let the generality of Mankind drown them&s;elves in Lu&s;ts and Plea&s;ures, let the Lives and Conver&s;ations of men be as contrary to the <HI>Rule</HI> of the Go&s;pel as Darkne&s;s is to Light, &s;o they make no Di&s;|order in this or that Way of <HI>outward Wor|&s;hip,</HI> and be either good <HI>Catholicks,</HI> or good <HI>Prote&s;tants,</HI> or any thing el&s;e of that kind; he &s;hall &s;carcely e&s;cape the Cen&s;ure of <HI>Peevi&s;hne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Severity</HI> (it may be of <HI>Self|conceitedne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Hipocri&s;ie)</HI> who &s;hall re|flect any great Blame on the&s;e things. And yet notwith&s;tanding this <HI>Partiality</HI> in Judg|ment or Practice, with re&s;pect unto the&s;e Evils, it is generally acknowledged that it is po&s;&s;ible that men may plea&s;e God and be accepted with him, notwith&s;tanding
<PB N="367" REF="195"> many Mi&s;takes, Errors, and Mi&s;conceptions of their Minds about <HI>&s;piritual things;</HI> but that any one &s;hould ever come unto the Enjoyment of Him, who Lives and Dyes <HI>impenitently</HI> in any Sin again&s;t the Rule and Tenor of that <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go|&s;pel requireth, I know as yet none that pleadeth. For once to pretend that men may <HI>live in,</HI> and <HI>habitually act</HI> any known Sin, without &s;triving again&s;t it, labouring for Repentance, and endeavouring its Mor|tification, is all one as avowedly to at|tempt the overthrow of Chri&s;tian Religion. Wherefore, on the&s;e and &s;undry other Con|&s;iderations, this latter &s;ort of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel, is at lea&s;t as <HI>pe|rilous,</HI> as much to be oppo&s;ed, and con|tended again&s;t, as that which is from the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> and <HI>Doctrine</HI> of it; and that where|of the Generality of men&punc; are more ear|ne&s;tly to be warned, as the Evil where|unto they are more <HI>obnoxious</HI> than to the other. And we do conjoyn both the&s;e to|gether, not onely as tho&s;e which are of the &s;ame tendency, and do alike both <HI>ruine</HI> the <HI>Souls</HI> of Men, and <HI>put the Lord Chri&s;t to open &s;hame,</HI> but al&s;o as tho&s;e concerning which we are forewarned that they &s;hall enter into and come in the World together
<PB N="368" REF="196"> in the <HI>latter dayes.</HI> And whatever &s;ence the <HI>latter dayes</HI> mentioned in the Scripture may be taken in, either tho&s;e of the <HI>World</HI> and of <HI>Religion</HI> in <HI>general,</HI> for of the <HI>parti|cular Churches</HI> whereunto men may belong, they are unque&s;tionably come upon us, who&s;e Danger and Duty therefore is de|clared in the&s;e Pre-admonitions. Where|fore, of the fir&s;t our Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, 1. <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1. <HI>The Spirit &s;peaketh expre&s;&s;ely, that in the latter times &s;ome &s;hall depart from the Faith, giving heed unto &s;educing Spirits and the Doctrines of Devils.</HI> I doubt not but this Prediction had its &s;ignal Accom|pli&s;hment in the <HI>Papacy;</HI> and am well per|&s;waded, that the Holy Gho&s;t had re&s;pect in particular unto tho&s;e Principles and Practices which a Learned Per&s;on of this Nation hath laid open under the Title of <HI>The Apo&s;tacy of the latter times.</HI> But we find al&s;o by wofull Experience, and that re|newed almo&s;t every day, that it hath re|&s;pect unto <HI>us al&s;o</HI> and the Times wherein we live.</P>
<P>The Entrance and Coming of that Kind of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which we have now de&s;igned to treat of, is in like manner foretold, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; The &s;umme of what the Apo&s;tle there in&s;tructeth us, is, That in
<PB N="369" REF="196"> the&s;e <HI>latter times</HI> under an <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> men &s;hould give up them&s;elves unto the <HI>pur&s;uit</HI> of the <HI>vile&s;t Lu&s;ts,</HI> and the <HI>practice</HI> of the mo&s;t <HI>abominable Sins.</HI> And we fear this <HI>prediction</HI> is in like manner fulfilled.</P>
<P>Now although the&s;e things are Evil and Dangerous, both in their own <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>Tendency,</HI> e&s;pecially as they come together and make their joynt Attempt again&s;t the <HI>Honour</HI> of Chri&s;t, and the <HI>Salvation</HI> of the Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel; yet this <HI>Predicti|on</HI> of them, and <HI>Pre-admonition</HI> concerning them may be of advantage unto them that are <HI>&s;incere</HI> and <HI>upright,</HI> if duely improved.</P>
<P>For, (1) If this two-fold ruinous <HI>Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> will and doth pre&s;s upon Us, on whom the&s;e Ends of the World are come, we ought &s;urely to <HI>&s;tand upon our Guard,</HI> that we be not <HI>&s;urprized</HI> with it, nor <HI>overcome</HI> by it. How ought <HI>we to &s;pend our Sojourning here in Fear?</HI> It was the Advice of him who&s;e Confidence had like to have been his Ruine. It is a&s;&s;uredly no time for any to be <HI>carele&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;ecure,</HI> who de&s;ign or &s;o much as de&s;ire to be pre&s;erved from this <HI>fatal Evil.</HI> However we cannot any of us plead, that we were not warned of our <HI>Danger,</HI> nor called on for that Circum|&s;pection and Watchfulne&s;s, that Care and
<PB N="370" REF="197"> Diligence, that Earne&s;tne&s;s for <HI>Divine Help</HI> and A&s;&s;i&s;tance, which our Condition re|quireth, and which will be a Means of <HI>Deliverance</HI> and <HI>Safety.</HI> And,</P>
<P N="2">(2) Being found in the way of our own <HI>Duty,</HI> we need not be greatly <HI>moved</HI> or <HI>&s;haken in our Minds</HI> when we &s;ee the&s;e things come to pa&s;s. It may be a Pro&s;pect of the <HI>State of Religion</HI> at this day in the World, is ready to terrifie the Minds of &s;ome, at lea&s;t to fill them with amaze|ment. For if things &s;hould alwayes &s;o pro|ceed, they may be afraid le&s;t <HI>Chri&s;tian Re|ligion</HI> &s;hould at length lo&s;e all its Beauty and Glory. But the&s;e things are all of them punctually foretold, whereby the Efficacy of the Temptation from their coming to pa&s;s, is prevented. Yea con&s;idering that all our Faith is re&s;olved into the Scripture, and built on the Infallibility of its Pro|phe&s;ies and Predictions, &s;eeing they are foretold, the Temptation would be accom|panyed with more Vigour and Efficacy if we &s;aw them not come to pa&s;s, than it is now we doe; &s;eeing it is evident from other Circum&s;tances, that we are fallen into the <HI>latter dayes,</HI> which the Accompli&s;hment of the&s;e Predictions renders unque&s;tionable. See <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 24. <HI>Acts</HI>
<PB N="371" REF="197"> 20. 29, 30. 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 3. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 3. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And the truth is, there was never any per&s;wa&s;ion more pernicious be|fell the Minds of men, than that Churches, this or that Church, or any Church, are not, or is not lyable or obnoxious unto the&s;e Decayes, Declen&s;ions and Apo&s;ta&s;ies; or that any in them or of them can be pre&s;erved from them, without the utmo&s;t Care and Diligence in attending unto the Means appointed for their Pre&s;ervation. When the <HI>Jews</HI> fell into &s;uch a fooli&s;h Con|fidence with re&s;pect unto their <HI>Temple</HI> and Wor&s;hip, God was wont to bid them goe to <HI>Shilo,</HI> and &s;ee what was become there|of; as a&s;&s;uring them that what fell out in one Time and Place, might doe &s;o in ano|ther. And we know how it was in this matter with the fir&s;t <HI>Chri&s;tian Churches,</HI> and how &s;oon, (as hath been declared,) <HI>Revel.</HI> 2. 4, 5. <HI>Chap.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3, 4; 14, 15, 16, 17. We may <HI>goe to them</HI> and learn how vain are all the Pretences of outward Priviledges and Exemptions; for a&s;&s;uredly, <HI>unle&s;s we re|pent we &s;hall all likewi&s;e peri&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>That therefore which we &s;hall now en|quire into, is, the <HI>Nature,</HI> the <HI>Cau&s;es,</HI> and <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> of that Apo&s;ta&s;ie or falling off from the <HI>Holine&s;s of the Go&s;pel</HI> in Churches and
<PB N="372" REF="198"> by particular per&s;ons, which is thus fore|told to fall out in the <HI>latter dayes,</HI> and hath done &s;o accordingly. And we &s;hall have re&s;pect herein both unto that <HI>general Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> of this kind which fell out in former Ages under the Conduct of the <HI>Roman Church</HI> principally, and that al&s;o which by various Wayes and Means is at pre&s;ent pre|vailing in the World. And &s;ome things mu&s;t be premi&s;ed unto our Con&s;ideration hereof.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Doctrine of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> is a <HI>Do|ctrine of Holine&s;s.</HI> This it teacheth, requi|reth and commandeth. This the <HI>My&s;teries</HI> and <HI>Grace</HI> of it lead unto; this the <HI>Pre|cepts</HI> of it require, and this the great <HI>Ex|ample</HI> of its <HI>Author</HI> propo&s;ed in it unto us, doth enjoyn. And it doth not this as that which is <HI>convenient</HI> for us, or &s;ome way or other <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> unto us, but as that without which we can have no Intere&s;t in any of its <HI>Promi&s;es.</HI> No <HI>unholy Per&s;on</HI> hath any ground to expect the lea&s;t Advantage by the Go&s;pel here or hereafter. When all things come to their i&s;&s;ue, and &s;hall fall under Eternal Judgment according to the Go&s;pel, all other Pleas and Pretences will utterly and for ever fail them who are <HI>Work|ers of Iniquity, Matth.</HI> 7. 22, 23.</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="373" REF="198"> 2. The <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go&s;pel re|quireth is an <HI>Obedience</HI> of another <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>Kind</HI> than what is required by any other Doctrine or way of In&s;truction. The <HI>Law of Nature</HI> continueth to &s;ugge&s;t unto us many important Duties towards God, our &s;elves, and other men. The <HI>written Law</HI> is an exact Repre&s;entation of all tho&s;e <HI>Moral Duties</HI> which were required of us in the &s;tate wherein we were created. But there is an <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> required by the Go&s;pel which although it include the&s;e things within the compa&s;s of its Law and Order, yet (on &s;undry Con&s;iderations) is of another <HI>kind</HI> than what is required by tho&s;e Laws, in the <HI>Manner</HI> wherein it is required in them. For it proceedeth from other Prin|ciples, on another formal Rea&s;on and Mo|tives, hath other e&s;&s;ential Properties, Acts, Duties and Ends, than the Obedience by them required hath. This hath been &s;o fully evinced in our Di&s;cour&s;e of the <HI>Na|ture and Nece&s;&s;ity of Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> that it need not be here again in&s;i&s;ted on.</P>
<P N="3">3. Together with the <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Doctrine</HI> of the Go&s;pel, or the Preaching of it, there is an <HI>Admini&s;tration of the Spirit</HI> to <HI>con|vince men of Sin, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Judge|ment.</HI> This God hath <HI>promi&s;ed, I&s;a.</HI> 59. 21.
<PB N="374" REF="199"> and this the Lord Chri&s;t doth <HI>effect,</HI> where|ever the Word is Orderly di&s;pen&s;ed ac|cording unto his Mind and Will, <HI>Joh.</HI> 16. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Hereby are men wrought upon unto a <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of this Holine&s;s, and <HI>Expre&s;&s;ion</HI> of it in outward Duties. For all that Religion which hath any thing of Truth and Reality in it in the World, is an Effect of the Word and Spirit of Chri&s;t. Multitudes in all Ages have hereby been made <HI>really holy,</HI> and many yet continue &s;o to be. The&s;e (as we believe,) &s;hall never fall utterly from it, but &s;hall be pre&s;erved by <HI>the Power of God through Faith unto Salva|tion.</HI> But yet &s;uch as the&s;e al&s;o may decay as unto <HI>Degrees</HI> in Holine&s;s, and the <HI>Fruit|fulne&s;s</HI> of it. And in every &s;uch Decay there is a <HI>partial Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> and much Di&s;honour unto <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> nor doth any man know in that Condition but that in the i&s;&s;ue as to his particular, it may be <HI>total</HI> and de|&s;tructive to his Soul. Thus was it with tho&s;e <HI>Churches</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> whom our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t chargeth to have <HI>lo&s;t their fir&s;t Faith and Love,</HI> whom he admoni&s;heth to <HI>remember whence they are fallen,</HI> and <HI>to re|pent.</HI> And it is principally for the &s;ake of the&s;e, that Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel be not di&s;honoured by them, nor their Eternal
<PB N="375" REF="199"> Concernments hazarded, and tho&s;e who in the u&s;e of Means are in a thriving progre&s;s towards the &s;ame Condition, that the en|&s;uing Cautions and Warnings are prepared. And others there are who are brought onely unto a <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of this Holine&s;s, in <HI>inward Convictions</HI> and <HI>outward Dutyes.</HI> And although they are not yet arrived un|to a full po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of its <HI>Power</HI> and Con|formity unto its <HI>Rule,</HI> yet are they in the Way of attaining thereunto. Such as the&s;e may (on various occa&s;ions) fir&s;t <HI>decay</HI> in their <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Duties,</HI> and afterwards utter|ly <HI>fall from them</HI> into the open Service of Sin and the World.</P>
<P>Thus al&s;o it is with Churches. At their fir&s;t Planting, they were &s;et in a <HI>pure</HI> and <HI>holy &s;tate,</HI> as to the <HI>Doctrine,</HI> profe&s;&s;ed <HI>Ho|line&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel. They were all planted <HI>Noble Vines,</HI> wholly of a <HI>right &s;eed,</HI> however they turn afterwards in|to the <HI>degenerate Plant of a &s;trange Vine.</HI> They may lo&s;e of this <HI>Order</HI> and <HI>Beauty,</HI> part with <HI>Truth,</HI> decay in <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>faithful City thereby become an Harlot.</HI> How this hath come to pa&s;s, how thereby <HI>Chri|&s;tianity</HI> hath lo&s;t its Glory, Power, and Efficacy in the World, how that Ble&s;&s;ing which it brought along with it unto the
<PB N="376" REF="200"> Nations, is lo&s;t and forfeited, and by what Means, &s;hall in &s;ome principal In&s;tances be declared.</P>
<P N="4">4. Where this <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> is profe&s;&s;ed, and the <HI>Power</HI> of it evidenced in its <HI>Fruits,</HI> there, and then <HI>alone</HI> is <HI>Chri&s;t glorified</HI> and Honoured in the World. It is true, there are other things that belong unto that Re|venue of Glory which our Lord and King requireth of us. Such are the Profe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>Truth,</HI> and Ob&s;ervance of the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel. But if the&s;e things are di&s;|joyned and &s;eparate (as they may be) from <HI>holy Obedience,</HI> they no way advance the <HI>Glory of Chri&s;t.</HI> But where Churches and Per&s;ons profe&s;&s;ing the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> are <HI>changed</HI> and <HI>renewed into the Image of God,</HI> where their Hearts are <HI>purified</HI> within, and their Lives made <HI>fruitfull</HI> without, where they are <HI>univer&s;ally</HI> under the Conduct of a Spi|rit of Peace, Love, Meekne&s;s, Benignity, Self-denyal, Heavenly-mindedne&s;s, and are <HI>fruitfull</HI> in <HI>good Works,</HI> in which things and other of an alike Nature this <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t; there do they make <HI>a due Repre|&s;entation</HI> of the Go&s;pel and its Author in the World, then do they evidence the <HI>Power, Purity</HI> and <HI>Efficacy</HI> of his Doctrine and Grace, whereby he is <HI>glorified.</HI> Here|in
<PB N="377" REF="200"> doth he <HI>&s;ee of the Travail of his Soul and is &s;atisfied;</HI> this is his <HI>portion</HI> and <HI>the Lot of his Inheritance</HI> in this World. But where it is otherwi&s;e, where Men, where Churches are called by his <HI>Name,</HI> and un|der a Profe&s;&s;ion of his <HI>Authority,</HI> and Ex|pectation of <HI>Mercy</HI> and <HI>Eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> from him, do come &s;hort of this <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> and walk in Paths contrary unto it, there is the holy Son of God <HI>crucifyed afre&s;h, and put to open &s;hame.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e things being premi&s;ed, way is made for the due Con&s;ideration of what was before propo&s;ed. For whereas there is an open &s;hamefull manife&s;t <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel, among the mo&s;t who are <HI>called Chri&s;tians</HI> at this day in the World, it is worth our while to enquire a little into the Rea&s;ons or Cau&s;es of it, and the Means whereby a &s;top may be put unto it, or at lea&s;t <HI>particular Per&s;ons</HI> may be pre&s;erved from the Guilt of it, and the Judgements wherein it will i&s;&s;ue. If any &s;hall think that there is not &s;uch an <HI>Apo&s;ta|&s;ie</HI> in the World, but that the Face of things in <HI>Europe</HI> and among our &s;elves doth make a <HI>due Repre&s;entation</HI> of the Go&s;pel, and that tho&s;e things which we hear of and &s;ee continually among&s;t the generality of Chri|&s;tains,
<PB N="378" REF="201"> are the true and genuine Effect of the <HI>Doctrine</HI> and <HI>Principles</HI> of our Reli|gion; I &s;hall no way contend with them, &s;o as that they will but a little &s;tand out of our way, and not hinder us in our Pro|gre&s;s.</P>
<P>Now the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> that is in the World from <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s</HI> or <HI>Evangelical Obedi|ence,</HI> is of two Kinds. For &s;ome fall from it as <HI>formally &s;uch,</HI> and others as to the <HI>matter</HI> of it. Of the fir&s;t &s;ort are they who would advance <HI>another Kind of Obedience,</HI> a Cour&s;e of another &s;ort of Duties, or the &s;ame as to the <HI>&s;ub&s;tance</HI> of them, but as proceeding from other <HI>Principles,</HI> and car|ryed on by other <HI>Motives</HI> than what it re|quireth, in the &s;tead thereof. Thus it is with many in the World. They pretend unto a <HI>&s;trictne&s;s</HI> in &s;ome Duties, and a <HI>multiplication</HI> of others, at lea&s;t unto a great Appearance thereof. But it is hard for any one to di&s;cover how that which they doe, belongeth to <HI>Evangelical Holi|ne&s;s,</HI> if its Nature depend on <HI>Evangelical Principles</HI> and <HI>Ends.</HI> Others fall from it <HI>openly</HI> and <HI>vi&s;ibly,</HI> into a <HI>&s;infull, worldly, flagitious</HI> Cour&s;e of Life. This is that <HI>Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which the <HI>Chri&s;tian World</HI> groans un|der at this day, and which (as it is to be
<PB N="379" REF="201"> feared) will bring the <HI>Judgements</HI> of God upon it. The very <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>Piety</HI> is much <HI>lo&s;t,</HI> yea much <HI>derided</HI> among&s;t many. <HI>Duties</HI> of Holine&s;s, <HI>Strictne&s;s</HI> of Conver&s;a|tion, <HI>Communication</HI> unto Edification, are not onely <HI>neglected,</HI> but <HI>&s;corned.</HI> It is in many places a <HI>lo&s;t labour</HI> to &s;eek for <HI>Chri|&s;tianity</HI> among <HI>Chri&s;tians;</HI> And the De|generacy &s;eems to be increa&s;ing every day. It is the <HI>latter</HI> of the&s;e which I principally intend, as that which is of mo&s;t <HI>univer&s;al</HI> Concernment. But the former al&s;o, though under many <HI>&s;pecious</HI> Pretences, being of no le&s;s <HI>pernicious</HI> Event unto many, mu&s;t not be wholly pa&s;&s;ed by. I &s;hall therefore fir&s;t give &s;ome In&s;tances of mens <HI>Declen&s;ions</HI> from the holy Wayes of <HI>Go&s;pel Obedience,</HI> into Paths of <HI>pretended Duties</HI> of their own finding out, and adde tho&s;e Rea&s;ons of their di&s;like of the <HI>Good Old Way,</HI> which gives them Occa&s;ion &s;o to doe.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t and mo&s;t &s;ignal In&s;tance of this kind is given us by the <HI>Romani&s;ts.</HI> None boa&s;t more than they of <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> that is, of their Church, making its <HI>Sanctity</HI> a Note of its <HI>Truth.</HI> But becau&s;e the <HI>wicked</HI> and <HI>flagitious</HI> Lives, not onely of the <HI>Body of the People</HI> among them, but of many of their chief <HI>Rulers and Guides,</HI> is openly manife&s;t;
<PB N="380" REF="202"> in the defence of their confident Claim, as that alone which will give countenance unto it, they betake them&s;elves unto their <HI>Votaryes,</HI> or tho&s;e who dedicate them&s;elves by <HI>Vow</HI> unto more &s;trict Exerci&s;es in Reli|ligion, than others attain or are obliged unto. And this &s;ort of People have ob|tained alone the Name and Reputation of <HI>Religious</HI> among them. What is their <HI>Way</HI> and <HI>manner of Life,</HI> what the <HI>Devotion</HI> wherein they &s;pend their Hours, what the <HI>Duties</HI> they <HI>oblige</HI> them&s;elves unto in great variety, and the <HI>manner</HI> wherein they per|form them, I &s;hall take for granted, and pa&s;s by as generally known. Many have already di&s;covered the <HI>Vanity, Super&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Hypocri&s;ie</HI> of the whole <HI>outward Cour&s;e</HI> wherein they are generally ingaged, though they neither do nor ought to judge of the Hearts, Minds and State of <HI>Indi|viduals,</HI> unle&s;s where by their <HI>Deeds</HI> they manife&s;t them&s;elves; I &s;hall onely evince, that what at Be&s;t they pretend unto, (though boa&s;ted of not onely to be <HI>all,</HI> but <HI>more</HI> than God requireth of them,) is not that <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> or Obedience which is pre&s;cribed unto us in the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> but &s;ome|what &s;ub&s;tituted in the room of it, and con|&s;equently in Oppo&s;ition unto it. And</P>
<PB N="381" REF="202">
<P> Fir&s;t, It hath not that <HI>Evidence</HI> of <HI>&s;pi|ritual Freedom and Liberty</HI> which <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s</HI> in all the Duties of it is accompa|nyed withall. The fir&s;t Effect of its <HI>Truth</HI> upon our Minds, is, <HI>to make us free, Joh.</HI> 8. 32. It is the <HI>Principle</HI> of all Holine&s;s, and en|largeth the Mind and Spirit unto it, whence it is called the <HI>Holine&s;s of Truth, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 24. <HI>So where the Spirit of God is, there is Liber|ty,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 17. Men are <HI>naturally</HI> the <HI>Ser|vants of Sin,</HI> willingly giving up them&s;elves unto the fulfilling of its Lu&s;ts and Com|mands, and are <HI>free</HI> onely from <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s.</HI> But where the <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> worketh with the Word of <HI>Truth,</HI> men are made <HI>free from Sin, and become the Servants of God, having their Fruits unto Holine&s;s, Rom.</HI> 6. 20, 22. So it is &s;aid of all <HI>Believers,</HI> that they have <HI>not received the Spirit of Bondage again unto Fear, but the Spirit of Adoption, whereby they cry Abba Father,</HI> Rom. 8. 15. <HI>Not a Spirit of Fear, but of Power and Love, and of a &s;ound Mind,</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 7. The Meaning of all the&s;e and the like Te&s;timonies, is, that God by his <HI>Grace</HI> enlargeth, <HI>makes free</HI> and ready the Hearts of Believers unto all <HI>Go&s;pel-Obedi|ence,</HI> &s;o as that they &s;hall <HI>walk</HI> in it, and perform all the Duties of it <HI>willingly, chear|fully,</HI>
<PB N="382" REF="203"> <HI>freely,</HI> without that Fear and Dread which is an Effect of the Power of the Law. They are not in a <HI>&s;crupulous Bondage</HI> unto outward Duties and the Manner of their Performance, but do all things with <HI>De|light</HI> and <HI>Freedom.</HI> They have by the <HI>Spi|rit of Adoption</HI> as the <HI>reverential Fear</HI> of Children, &s;o their Gracious <HI>Inclination</HI> un|to Obedience. But in that Exerci&s;e of <HI>De|votion,</HI> and multiplyed outward Duties of Religion which the <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> boa&s;t of as their e&s;pecial Sanctity, there are great Evi|dences of a Servile <HI>Bondage,</HI> or &s;lavi&s;h Frame of <HI>Spirit.</HI> For they are forced to <HI>bind</HI> them|&s;elves, and to be bound unto it by <HI>e&s;pe|cial Vows,</HI> in who&s;e Ob&s;ervation they no more act as their own Guardians, or as tho&s;e who are <HI>&s;ui Juris,</HI> but are under the coercive <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> of others, and outward Puni&s;hment in ca&s;e of Failure. And tho&s;e who are &s;o <HI>Servants of Men</HI> in Religious Duties are not <HI>Gods Free-men,</HI> nor have they Chri&s;t for their <HI>Lord</HI> in that Ca&s;e, who have another. The Foundation of all the&s;e Duties, and which alone obligeth them unto their Performance, are <HI>Vows,</HI> no where required by God or our Lord Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel. And the principal Regard which any have in their <HI>&s;trict At|tendance</HI>
<PB N="383" REF="203"> unto them, is the <HI>Obedience</HI> which they owe unto the <HI>Super-Intendents</HI> of tho&s;e Vows. It is ea&s;ie to apprehend how incon&s;i&s;tent this Way is with that <HI>&s;piritual Freedom,</HI> and <HI>Liberty</HI> of Mind which in&s;e|parably accompanyeth true <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s.</HI> Be&s;ides, the Opinion of <HI>Merit,</HI> which not onely goeth along with them, but al&s;o <HI>ani|mates</HI> them in all the&s;e Services, makes them <HI>&s;ervile</HI> in all they doe. For they cannot but know, that every thing in <HI>Merit</HI> mu&s;t not onely be tryed by the Touch-&s;tone of <HI>Sin|cerity,</HI> but weighed in the Ballance to the <HI>utmo&s;t &s;cruple,</HI> to find out what it amounts or comes unto. And this is perfectly de|&s;tructive of that <HI>Liberty</HI> in Obedience which the Go&s;pel requireth. So al&s;o is that tormenting Per&s;wa&s;ion which they are un|der the Power of, namely, <HI>That they have no Grounds of Confidence or A&s;&s;urance, that either they are accepted with God here, or &s;hall come to the ble&s;&s;ed Enjoyment of him hereafter.</HI> Hence in all Duties they mu&s;t of Nece&s;&s;ity be acted with a Spirit of <HI>Fear,</HI> and not of <HI>Power</HI> and a <HI>&s;ound Mind.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The <HI>Rule</HI> of their <HI>Duties</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> as to what is in their <HI>own judge|ments</HI> Eminent therein, is not the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> but a <HI>Sy&s;teme</HI> of peculiar <HI>Laws</HI> and <HI>Rules</HI> that they
<PB N="384" REF="204"> have framed for them&s;elves. So &s;ome obey the Rule of <HI>Benedict,</HI> &s;ome of <HI>Francis,</HI> &s;ome of <HI>Dominic,</HI> &s;ome of <HI>Ignatius,</HI> and the like. This utterly ca&s;ts out their <HI>whole Endeavour</HI> from any Intere&s;t in <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s;</HI> For the Formal Nature of that con&s;i&s;ts herein, that it is a <HI>Conformity</HI> unto the <HI>Rule of the Go&s;pel</HI> as &s;uch, or a Complyance with the <HI>Will</HI> of God as manife&s;ted therein. Hence do they multiply <HI>unrequired Duties,</HI> yea, the prin|cipal parts of their <HI>Devotion</HI> and Sanctity con&s;i&s;t in <HI>them</HI> which are of their own <HI>de|vi&s;ing,</HI> for which they have no Go&s;pel <HI>Pre|cept</HI> or <HI>Command.</HI> And &s;uch in particular are tho&s;e <HI>Vows</HI> which are the Foundation of all that they doe. In this Ca&s;e our Sa|viour Reproving the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> for their additional Duties beyond the Pre&s;cript of the <HI>Word,</HI> &s;hews them how they made <HI>the Commandment of God of none Effect by their Traditions,</HI> and that <HI>in vain</HI> they <HI>wor&s;hip|ped</HI> God, <HI>teaching the Commandments</HI> of Men; <HI>Matth.</HI> 14. 6, 9. And when they were offended at his Rejection of one of their new-impo&s;ed Duties; he replyes, That <HI>every Plant which his Heavenly Father hath not planted &s;hould be rooted up;</HI> ver. 13. So wholly rejecting all tho&s;e Religious Duties which they had framed by Rules of their
<PB N="385" REF="204"> <HI>own devi&s;ing.</HI> Nor are the&s;e of the <HI>Roman</HI> Devotioni&s;ts of any better Con&s;titution; they are <HI>Plants</HI> of mens <HI>own planting,</HI> and &s;hall be rooted up accordingly and ca&s;t in|to the fire. Let the <HI>Number</HI> of fal&s;e invent|ed Duties of Religion be never &s;o <HI>great,</HI> let the <HI>Manner</HI> of their Performance be never &s;o <HI>exact</HI> or <HI>&s;evere,</HI> they &s;erve to no other End but to <HI>divert</HI> the Minds of Men from the Obedience which the Go&s;pel re|quireth.</P>
<P>Thirdly, There is nothing in all that is <HI>pre&s;cribed</HI> by the <HI>Ma&s;ters</HI> of this Devotion, or <HI>practi&s;ed</HI> by the <HI>Di&s;ciples,</HI> but it may all be done and ob&s;erved without either <HI>Faith</HI> in Chri&s;t, or a Sen&s;e of his <HI>Love</HI> unto our Souls. The Obedience of the Go&s;pel is the <HI>Obedience of Faith;</HI> on that and no other <HI>root</HI> will it grow; And the princi|pal Motive unto it is the <HI>Love of Chri&s;t,</HI> which <HI>con&s;traineth unto it.</HI> But what is there in all <HI>their Pre&s;criptions</HI> that the&s;e things are nece&s;&s;ary unto? May not men ri&s;e at Midnight to repeat a Number of Prayers, or goe Bare-foot, or wear Sack|cloth, or ab&s;tain from Fle&s;h at certain Times or alwayes, &s;ubmit to Di&s;cipline from them|&s;elves or others, and (if they have bodily Strength to enable them,) undergoe all the
<PB N="386" REF="205"> <HI>horrid</HI> (and indeed <HI>ridiculous)</HI> Hard&s;hips of <HI>&s;tanding on a Pillar</HI> continually, or <HI>bearing</HI> great <HI>loggs of Wood</HI> on their Shoulders all the day long, that are told or fabled of the <HI>Egyptian Monks,</HI> without the lea&s;t Dram of &s;aving <HI>Faith</HI> or <HI>Love?</HI> All <HI>fal&s;e</HI> Religi|ons have ever had &s;ome among&s;t them who have had an Ambition to amuze others with the&s;e <HI>&s;elf-afflictions</HI> and <HI>macerations,</HI> wherein the Devotions among the <HI>Banni|ans</HI> do exceed at this day whatever the <HI>Ro|mani&s;ts</HI> pretend unto.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The <HI>whole</HI> of what they doe, is &s;o <HI>vitiated</HI> and <HI>corrupted</HI> with the proud Opinion of <HI>Merit</HI> and <HI>Supererrogation,</HI> as renders it utterly <HI>forreign</HI> unto the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> It is not my pre&s;ent Bu&s;ine&s;s to <HI>di&s;pute</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e Opinions. It hath been al|ready abundantly manife&s;ted, (and may be yet &s;o again where it is nece&s;&s;ary,) that they wholly <HI>enervate</HI> the <HI>Covenant of Grace,</HI> are <HI>injurious</HI> to the <HI>Blood</HI> and <HI>Mediation</HI> of Chri&s;t, and are utterly incon&s;i&s;tent with the <HI>fundamental Principles</HI> of the Go&s;pel. Whereas therefore the&s;e proud Imaginati|ons do animate their whole Cour&s;e of Du|ties, the Go&s;pel is not concerned in what they doe.</P>
<P>And we may adde unto what hath been
<PB N="387" REF="205"> remarked already, the Con&s;ideration of that <HI>gro&s;s Super&s;tition,</HI> yea and <HI>Idolatry,</HI> which they give up them&s;elves unto, almo&s;t in mo&s;t of their Devotions. This is not the lea&s;t of their Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions in the&s;e things, but is &s;ufficient to <HI>violate</HI> all they doe be&s;ides. Wherefore, notwith&s;tanding their Pre|tence unto <HI>Sanctity,</HI> and a more &s;trict At|tendance unto Duties of Obedience than other men; yet it is manife&s;t, that the Be&s;t of them are under a <HI>Defection</HI> from the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel, &s;ub&s;tituting an Obe|dience unto their own Imaginations in the room thereof.</P>
<P>Again, Others confine the <HI>whole</HI> of their Obedience unto <HI>Morality,</HI> and <HI>deride</HI> what|ever is pleaded as <HI>above</HI> it and <HI>beyond</HI> it under the Name of <HI>Evangelical Grace,</HI> as <HI>Enthu&s;ia&s;tical Folly.</HI> And the Truth is, if tho&s;e Per&s;ons who plead for the Nece&s;&s;ity of Go&s;pel <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> which is more than &s;o, do under&s;tand each other, and that &s;omewhat of the &s;ame things are not intended by them under different Expre&s;&s;i|ons and divers Methods of their Manage|ment, they are not of the &s;ame Religion. But if they mi&s;take the Meaning of each other, and differ onely in the <HI>Manner of Teaching</HI> the &s;ame Truth, I &s;uppo&s;e they
<PB N="388" REF="206"> &s;teer the &s;afe&s;t Cour&s;e and free&s;t from ju&s;t Offence, who follow and comply with the <HI>Manner</HI> wherein the things intended are taught in the <HI>Scripture,</HI> rather than tho&s;e who accommodate their Di&s;cour&s;es unto the <HI>Phra&s;eology</HI> of Heathen Philo&s;ophers. But the Truth is, the Difference &s;eems to be <HI>real,</HI> and the Principles men proceed upon in the&s;e things are <HI>contradictory</HI> to each other. For &s;ome do plainly affirm, that the <HI>whole</HI> of Go&s;pel Obedience con|&s;i&s;ts in the Ob&s;ervance of <HI>Moral Vertue,</HI> which they &s;o de&s;cribe as to render it ex|clu&s;ive of <HI>Evangelical Grace.</HI> This others judge to contain an open <HI>Declen&s;ion</HI> from, and waving of Go&s;pel Holine&s;s. It is granted freely, that the performance of all <HI>Moral Duties</HI> Evangelically, that is, in the Power of the Grace of Chri&s;t, unto the Glory of God by him, is an E&s;&s;ential part of Go&s;pel Obedience. And whoever they are who (under the pretence of <HI>Grace,</HI> or any thing el&s;e,) do neglect the Improve|ment of <HI>Moral Vertues,</HI> or the Ob&s;ervance of the Duties of Morality, they are &s;o far di&s;obedient unto the Go&s;pel and the Law thereof. And &s;ome Men do not under&s;tand how contemptible they render them&s;elves in the Management of their Cau&s;e, when
<PB N="389" REF="206"> they charge others with an Oppo&s;ition un|to <HI>Morality,</HI> or <HI>Moral Vertue,</HI> and &s;etting up they know not what <HI>imaginary Holine&s;s</HI> in the room thereof. For, tho&s;e whom they &s;o calumniate, are not onely immediately di&s;charged from any &s;en&s;e of Guilt herein, by the Te&s;timony of their own Con&s;cien|ces, but all other men, &s;o far as the Rule of Ingenuity is extended, do from the know|ledge of their <HI>Doctrine,</HI> and Ob&s;ervati|on of their <HI>Practice,</HI> avouch their Inno|cence.</P>
<P>But is it not &s;o then, that men do <HI>con|demn Morality</HI> as that which is not to be Tru&s;ted unto, but will deceive them that re&s;t in or upon it? I an&s;wer, they do &s;o, when it is made (as it is by &s;ome) the <HI>whole</HI> of Religion, and as it is obtruded into the place of Evangelical Grace and Holine&s;s by others. They take <HI>Moral Vertue</HI> (as it al|wayes was taken, untill of late) for <HI>natural Hone&s;ty,</HI> or &s;uch a Conformity of Life unto the Light of <HI>Nature,</HI> as to be u&s;efull and approved among men. But this may be; Men may doe that which is <HI>morally Good,</HI> and yet never doe any thing that is accept|ed with God. For they may doe it, but not for the Love of <HI>God</HI> above all, but for the Love of <HI>Self.</HI> And therefore <HI>they</HI> charge
<PB N="390" REF="207"> <HI>Morality</HI> with an In&s;ufficiency unto the Ends of Religion, or the &s;aving of the Souls of Men;</P>
<P N="1">(1) Where nothing is intended by it, but that whereof the <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Mea&s;ure</HI> is the <HI>Light of Nature;</HI> For that doth direct unto every Duty that is properly <HI>Moral.</HI> And what it doth not direct unto, what is not Naturally by the Law of our <HI>Crea|tion</HI> Obligatory unto all Mankind, cannot be called <HI>Moral.</HI> Now to confine all Reli|gion as to the Preceptive and Obediential part of it, unto the <HI>Light of Nature,</HI> is to Evacuate one half of the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI></P>
<P N="2">(2) Where it is in <HI>practice</HI> an Effect of <HI>Conviction</HI> onely, and performed in the <HI>innate &s;trength</HI> of the Rational Faculties of our Souls, without the e&s;pecial &s;upernatu|ral Aid of the <HI>Spirit</HI> and <HI>Grace</HI> of God. Whatever Name any thing may be called by that is not wrought <HI>In us</HI> by the <HI>Grace</HI> of God, as well as <HI>By us</HI> in a way of <HI>Duty,</HI> is foreign unto <HI>Evangelical Obedience.</HI> And tho&s;e who reject <HI>Morality</HI> as in&s;ufficient un|to Acceptation with God and Eternal Sal|vation, intend onely what is of that kind performed in the Powers of our <HI>Natural Faculties</HI> externally excited and directed, without any &s;upernatural Influence or Ope|ration
<PB N="391" REF="207"> of <HI>e&s;pecial Grace.</HI> And indeed &s;o to place a Confidence in &s;uch Duties, is open <HI>Pelagiani&s;me.</HI></P>
<P N="3">(3) Where it proceedeth not from the <HI>&s;piritual &s;upernatural Renovation</HI> of our Souls. The Rule and Method of the Go&s;pel is, that the <HI>Tree be fir&s;t made Good,</HI> and then the <HI>Fruit</HI> will be &s;o al&s;o. Unle&s;s a per|&s;on be fir&s;t <HI>Regenerate,</HI> and his <HI>Nature</HI> there|in Renewed into the <HI>Image</HI> and <HI>Likene&s;s</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> unle&s;s he be endued with a New Principle of <HI>&s;piritual Life</HI> from above, en|abling him to Live unto God, he can do nothing of what&s;oever &s;ort it be, that is ab&s;olutely <HI>acceptable</HI> unto God. And it is e&s;pecially under this Con&s;ideration that any reject <HI>Morality,</HI> as not Comprehen&s;ive of <HI>Go&s;pel Obedience;</HI> yea as that which is apt to draw off the Mind from it, and which will deceive them that tru&s;t to it; name|ly, that it proceedeth not from the <HI>Prin|ciple</HI> of <HI>Grace</HI> in a <HI>renewed Soul.</HI> For what|ever doth &s;o, though it may be Originally of a <HI>Moral Nature</HI> in its &s;elf, yet from the Manner of its Performance it becomes <HI>gra|cious</HI> and Evangelical. And we need not fear to exclude the <HI>be&s;t</HI> Works of Un|renewed Per&s;ons from being any part of <HI>Go&s;pel Holine&s;&s;e</HI> or <HI>Obedience.</HI></P>
<P N="4"><PB N="392" REF="208"> (4) Where tho&s;e in whom it is, or who pretend unto it, are really de&s;titute of the internal <HI>Light of &s;aving Grace</HI> enabling them to di&s;cern <HI>&s;piritual things</HI> in a <HI>&s;piritual man|ner,</HI> and to know the My&s;teries of the King|dom of God. That there is &s;uch a <HI>&s;aving Light</HI> wrought in the Minds of Believers by the Holy Gho&s;t, that without it men cannot di&s;cern <HI>&s;piritual things,</HI> &s;o as to &s;a|vour, like, and approve of them, hath been el&s;ewhere at large demon&s;trated. But this belongs not unto the <HI>Morality</HI> con|tended about. It is not onely independent on it, but is indeed &s;et up in competition with it, and oppo&s;ition unto it. No man need fear to judge and cen&s;ure that <HI>Mo|rality</HI> as unto its Intere&s;t in Go&s;pel Obe|dience, and Sufficiency unto the Salvation of the <HI>Souls</HI> of Men, which may be ob|tained, practi&s;ed and lived up unto, where God doth not <HI>&s;hine into the Hearts of Men</HI> to give them the <HI>Knowledge of his Glory in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> where no work of <HI>&s;piritual Illumination</HI> hath been in their <HI>minds</HI> enabling them to <HI>di&s;cern and know the Mind of God,</HI> which none knoweth Origi|nally <HI>but the Spirit of God, by whom they are made known unto us;</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 11, 12. Yet this is that which &s;ome Men &s;eem to take up
<PB N="393" REF="208"> withall, and re&s;t in, unto the Rejection of Evangelical Obedience.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, The &s;ame <HI>Cen&s;ure</HI> is to be pa&s;&s;ed on it, wherever it is &s;eparable from tho&s;e Fundamental Go&s;pel Graces which both in their Natures, Acts, and Objects are purely <HI>&s;upernatural,</HI> having no Principle, Rule or Mea&s;ure but <HI>Truth &s;upernaturally revealed.</HI> Such in particular is the whole re|gard we have unto the <HI>Mediation of Chri&s;t,</HI> as al&s;o the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> of <HI>the Spirit</HI> promi|&s;ed to abide with the Church for ever as its <HI>Comforter,</HI> with all the Duties of Obe|dience which depend thereon. He is igno|rant of the Go&s;pel, that knows not that in the&s;e things do lye the <HI>fundamental Prin|ciples</HI> of its Doctrine and Precepts, and that in the Exerci&s;e of tho&s;e Graces in a way of Duty which immediately concerns them, con&s;i&s;t the principal parts of the Life of God, or of that Obedience unto him by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which is indi&s;pen&s;ibly requi|red of all that &s;hall be &s;aved. Whereas therefore the&s;e things cannot be e&s;teemed meerly <HI>Moral Vertues,</HI> nor do at all belong unto, but are con&s;idered as &s;eparate from all that <HI>Morality</HI> which is judged in&s;uffici|ent unto <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Salvation,</HI> it is evident that it is not in the lea&s;t dealt withall too
<PB N="394" REF="209"> &s;everely, nor cen&s;ured more har&s;hly than it doth de&s;erve. If therefore any betake them&s;elves, hereunto as to the <HI>whole</HI> of their Duty, it comes under the account of that <HI>partial Defection</HI> from the Go&s;pel which we enquire into.</P>
<P>Some there are who, as unto them&s;elves, pretend they have attained unto <HI>Perfection</HI> already in this World; &s;uch a Perfection in all <HI>degrees of Holine&s;s</HI> as the Go&s;pel is but an Introduction towards. But this proud Imagination, de&s;tructive of the <HI>Co|venant of Grace,</HI> of all U&s;e and Mediation of the <HI>Blood of Chri&s;t,</HI> contrary to innume|rable Te&s;timonies of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and the <HI>Ex|perience</HI> of all that do Believe, and con|cerning which their own <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> do re|prove the Pretenders unto it, needs not detain us in its Examination. It is &s;uffici|ent unto our <HI>pre&s;ent De&s;ign</HI> to have given the&s;e In&s;tances, How men may in a <HI>pre|tended Con&s;cientious Di&s;charge</HI> of many Du|ties of Obedience, yet <HI>fall off</HI> and <HI>decline</HI> from that which the Go&s;pel requireth. The <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;ons</HI> hereof (&s;uppo&s;ing tho&s;e more <HI>General</HI> before con&s;idered with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Truth of the Go&s;pel,</HI> which all of them take place here, and have their Influence upon their Di&s;like of its <HI>Holine&s;s,)</HI>
<PB N="395" REF="209"> may be briefly enquired into, and repre|&s;ented. Nor &s;hall we confine our &s;elves unto the In&s;tances given, but take in the Con&s;ideration of every <HI>Declen&s;ion</HI> from it, which on any Account befalls them who having had a <HI>Conviction</HI> of its <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> yet refu&s;e to come unto its <HI>univer&s;al practice.</HI> And to this End we may ob&s;erve:</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> That the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go|&s;pel requireth, will not be <HI>kept up</HI> nor main|tained either in the <HI>Hearts</HI> or <HI>Lives</HI> of men, without <HI>a continual Conflict,</HI> warring, con|tending; and that with all Care, Diligence, Watchfulne&s;s, and Per&s;everance therein. It is our <HI>Warfare,</HI> and the Scripture abounds in the Di&s;covery of the <HI>Adver&s;aries</HI> we have to Conflict withall, their Power and Subtilty, as al&s;o in Directions and Encou|ragements unto their Re&s;i&s;tance. To &s;up|po&s;e that <HI>Go&s;pel Obedience</HI> will be maintain|ed in our Hearts and Lives without a con|tinual Management of a <HI>vigorous Warfare</HI> again&s;t its Enemies, is to deny the <HI>Scrip|ture</HI> and the <HI>Experience</HI> of all that do Be|lieve and Obey God in Sincerity. <HI>Sathan, Sin,</HI> and the <HI>World,</HI> are continually a&s;&s;ault|ing of it, and &s;eeking to ruine its <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> in us. The Devil will not be <HI>re&s;i&s;ted,</HI> which it is our Duty to doe, (1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 8, 9.) with|out
<PB N="396" REF="210"> a &s;harp <HI>Conte&s;t</HI> and <HI>Conflict;</HI> in the Management whereof we are commanded to <HI>take unto our &s;elves the whole Armour of God; Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 12. <HI>Fle&s;hly Lu&s;ts</HI> do conti|nually <HI>warre</HI> again&s;t our Souls, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 11. and if we maintain not a <HI>Warfare</HI> unto the End again&s;t them, they will be our <HI>ruine.</HI> Nor will the <HI>Power</HI> of the World be any otherwi&s;e avoided than by a <HI>Victory</HI> over it, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 4. which will not be carryed without <HI>Contending.</HI> But I &s;uppo&s;e it needs no great Confirmation unto any who know what it is to <HI>&s;erve</HI> and <HI>obey</HI> God in <HI>Tempta|tions,</HI> that the <HI>Life</HI> of <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Race</HI> of <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> will not be <HI>pre&s;erved</HI> nor continued in, without a &s;evere <HI>&s;triving, labouring, contending, warring,</HI> with Diligence, Watch|fulne&s;s and Per&s;everance; So that I &s;hall at pre&s;ent take it as a Principle (Notionally at lea&s;t,) agreed upon by the Generality of Chri&s;tians. If we like not to be <HI>Holy</HI> on the&s;e Terms, we mu&s;t let it alone, for on any other we &s;hall never be &s;o. If we <HI>faint</HI> in this Cour&s;e, if we give it over, if we think what we aim at herein not to be worth the obtaining or pre&s;erving by &s;uch a <HI>&s;evere Contention</HI> all our dayes, we mu&s;t be content to be without it. Nothing doth &s;o promote the Intere&s;t of <HI>Hell</HI> and <HI>De|&s;truction</HI>
<PB N="397" REF="210"> in the World, as a Pre&s;umption that a <HI>lazy &s;lothfull Performance</HI> of &s;ome <HI>Duties,</HI> and <HI>Ab&s;tinence</HI> from &s;ome <HI>Sins,</HI> is that which God will <HI>accept</HI> of as our <HI>Obe|dience.</HI> Crucifying of <HI>Sin,</HI> mortifying our <HI>inordinate Affections,</HI> conte&s;ting again&s;t the whole Intere&s;t of the <HI>Fle&s;h, Sathan,</HI> and the <HI>World,</HI> and that in <HI>inward</HI> Actings of Grace, and all In&s;tances of <HI>outward</HI> Duties, and that <HI>alwayes</HI> while we live in this <HI>World,</HI> are required of us hereunto.</P>
<P>Here lyes the <HI>fir&s;t Spring</HI> of the Apo&s;ta|&s;ie of many in the World, of them e&s;pe|cially who betake them&s;elves unto, and take up Satisfaction in <HI>another Way</HI> of Du|ties than what the Go&s;pel requireth. They had (it is po&s;&s;ible) by their <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Con|victions</HI> made &s;o near Approaches unto it, as to &s;ee what an <HI>unce&s;&s;ant Travail</HI> of Soul is required unto its Attainment and Pre&s;erva|tion.</P>
<P>They are like the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> travailing in the <HI>Wilderne&s;s</HI> towards the Land of <HI>Canaan.</HI> When they came neer unto the Borders and Entrance of it, they &s;ent &s;ome to <HI>&s;py it out,</HI> that they might know the <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>State</HI> of the Land and Coun|trey whither they were going. The&s;e for their Encouragement, and to evince the
<PB N="398" REF="211"> Fruitfulne&s;s of the Earth, bring unto them <HI>a Branch with one Clu&s;ter of Grapes</HI> &s;o Great and Fair that they <HI>bare it between two on a &s;taffe,</HI> and <HI>they brought al&s;o Pomegranates and Figs; Numb.</HI> 13. 23. But withall, they told them of the <HI>hideous Difficulties</HI> they were to Conflict withall, in that the People were <HI>&s;trong,</HI> their <HI>Cities walled,</HI> and the <HI>Anakims</HI> dwelling among them, <HI>ver.</HI> 28. This ut|terly di&s;heartens the <HI>carnal People,</HI> and not|with&s;tanding the Pro&s;pect they had of the Land that <HI>flowed with Milk and Honey,</HI> back again they goe into the <HI>Wilderne&s;s,</HI> and there they peri&s;h.</P>
<P>So it is with the&s;e Per&s;ons; Notwith|&s;tanding the neer Approach they have made by <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Convictions</HI> unto the <HI>Kingdom of God,</HI> (as our Saviour told the <HI>Young Man</HI> who was as one of them; <HI>Mark</HI> 12. 34.) and the Pro&s;pect they have of the <HI>Beauty</HI> of <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> yet turn off from it again and peri&s;h in the <HI>Wilderne&s;s.</HI> For upon the View they have of the Difficulties which lye in the Conflict mentioned, they fall under many Di&s;advantages which at length utterly divert them from its pur&s;uit. As,</P>
<P N="1">(1) <HI>Wearine&s;s of the Fle&s;h,</HI> not enduring to comply with that con&s;tant Cour&s;e of <HI>Duties</HI> continually returning upon it, which
<PB N="399" REF="211"> is required thereunto. Various Pleas will be made for an Exemption from them, at lea&s;t in &s;ome <HI>trouble&s;ome In&s;tances.</HI> And the carnal Mind will not want Pretences to countenance the Fle&s;h in its <HI>Wearine&s;s.</HI> Here|on, one Duty after another is fir&s;t <HI>omitted</HI> and then utterly <HI>foregone;</HI> Neglect of a vigorous Con&s;tancy in <HI>&s;ubduing the Body,</HI> and <HI>bringing of it into &s;ubjection,</HI> commended by the Apo&s;tle in his own <HI>Example,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9. 27. is with many the <HI>beginning</HI> of this kind of Apo&s;ta&s;ie. The&s;e things (I &s;ay) will oft-times fall out, that through the <HI>wearine&s;s</HI> and Aver&s;ation of the Fle&s;h, coun|tenanced by various Pretences of the <HI>car|nal Mind,</HI> &s;undry Duties will be omitted. But this is the <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Trial</HI> of the Saints, here is the difference between <HI>&s;ound Be|lievers,</HI> and tho&s;e who are acted onely by <HI>Convictions.</HI> Tho&s;e of the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> &s;ort will &s;ooner or later (for the mo&s;t part &s;peedily) be <HI>humbled</HI> for &s;uch Omi&s;&s;ions, and recover their former Diligence according to the Prayer of the P&s;almi&s;t; <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. <HI>ult.</HI> But where this Ground is won by the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> and men grow &s;atisfied under the Lo&s;s of any Duty, it is an Evidence of a <HI>hypocri|tical back-&s;liding Heart.</HI></P>
<P N="2">(2) When men are come unto the <HI>height</HI>
<PB N="400" REF="212"> of their <HI>Convictions,</HI> and proceed no far|ther, <HI>Indwelling Sin</HI> with its Lu&s;ts and cor|rupt Affections, (which have for a while been checked and mated by Light,) will in&s;en&s;ibly <HI>prevail,</HI> and weary the <HI>Mind</HI> with Sollicitations for the Exerci&s;e of its old <HI>dominion.</HI> For the <HI>Spring</HI> of it being not dryed, the <HI>bitter Root</HI> of it being not digged up nor withered, it will not cea&s;e untill it hath <HI>broke down</HI> all the Bounds that were fixed unto it, and bear down <HI>Convictions</HI> with Force and Violence.</P>
<P N="3">(3) <HI>Ignorance</HI> of the <HI>true Way</HI> of making <HI>Application</HI> unto the <HI>Lord Chri&s;t</HI> for <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Supplyes of the Spirit,</HI> to bring them unto, or pre&s;erve them in a State of <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> is of the &s;ame importance. With|out this, to dream of being <HI>holy</HI> according unto the Mind of God, is to renounce the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> We need not look farther for Mens <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> than this, if they are <HI>&s;atisfied</HI> with &s;uch an Holine&s;s, &s;uch an Obedience, as is not <HI>derived</HI> unto us by the <HI>Grace of Chri&s;t,</HI> nor <HI>wrought</HI> in us by the <HI>Spirit of Chri&s;t,</HI> nor <HI>pre&s;erved</HI> in us by the <HI>Power of Chri&s;t.</HI> The <HI>Way</HI> hereof &s;uch Per&s;ons are alwayes <HI>ignorant</HI> of, and at length do openly <HI>de|&s;pi&s;e.</HI> Yet may men as well <HI>&s;ee</HI> without the Sun or Light, or <HI>breathe</HI> without the Ayre,
<PB N="401" REF="212"> or <HI>live</HI> without Natural Spirits, as engage into or abide in the practice of <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s</HI> without continual Applications unto <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the Fountain of all Grace, for <HI>&s;piritual &s;trength</HI> enabling them thereunto. The Way and Means hereof the&s;e Per&s;ons being <HI>ignorant</HI> of, and unacquainted with|all, the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go&s;pel requi|reth becomes unto them a thing <HI>&s;trange</HI> and burden&s;ome, which therefore they de|&s;ert and refu&s;e. If therefore it be true, that <HI>without Chri&s;t we can doe nothing;</HI> that in our Life unto God, <HI>he liveth in us,</HI> and Efficiently <HI>is our Life;</HI> if from him (as the <HI>Head)</HI> Nouri&s;hment is &s;upplyed unto every <HI>living Member</HI> of the Body; if the <HI>Life</HI> which we lead <HI>be by the Faith of the Son of God,</HI> and the onely Way of deriving the&s;e things and all Supplyes of <HI>&s;piritual Strength</HI> from him, be by the Exerci&s;e of <HI>Faith</HI> in him; it follows unavoidably that all tho&s;e who are unacquainted with this Way, who know not how to make their <HI>Application</HI> unto him for this End and Purpo&s;e, can never per&s;evere in a Pur&s;uit of <HI>Go&s;pel-Ho|line&s;s.</HI> So hath it fallen out and no other|wi&s;e with them concerning whom we &s;peak; As <HI>Ignorance</HI> of the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> or of <HI>Chri&s;ts being the End of the Law for Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s</HI>
<PB N="402" REF="213"> <HI>unto them that do Believe,</HI> is the Rea&s;on why Men go about to <HI>e&s;tabli&s;h a Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their own,</HI> and will not <HI>&s;ub|mit to the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God;</HI> &s;o <HI>Igno|rance</HI> of the <HI>Grace</HI> which is continually to be received from Chri&s;t in a way of <HI>Be|lieving,</HI> that we may be <HI>holy</HI> with <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> is the Rea&s;on why &s;o many turn off from it, unto <HI>another kind</HI> of Holine&s;s of their <HI>own framing,</HI> which <HI>yet is not ano|ther,</HI> becau&s;e it is none at all. But many are &s;o far from <HI>endeavouring</HI> after, or <HI>abi|ding</HI> in Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s on this Founda|tion of <HI>continual Supplyes of Grace</HI> from Je|&s;us Chri&s;t to that End, as that they avow|edly <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> all Holine&s;s and Obedience &s;pringing from that Fountain, or growing on that Root; in which Ca&s;e God will judge. In the mean time, I &s;ay, (and the matter is evident,) that one principal Rea|&s;on why men turn off from it upon the Pro|&s;pect of the <HI>Difficulties</HI> that attend it, and the <HI>Oppo&s;itions</HI> that are made unto it, is their <HI>&V;nbelief</HI> and <HI>Ignorance</HI> in the Way of <HI>making Application</HI> unto <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> by Faith, for Supplyes of &s;piritual Strength and Grace.</P>
<P N="4">(4) <HI>&V;nacquaintedne&s;s</HI> with the true Na|ture of <HI>Evangelical Repentance,</HI> is another
<PB N="403" REF="213"> Cau&s;e hereof. This is that <HI>Grace</HI> which com|fortably carryeth the Souls of Believers tho|rough all their Failings, Infirmities and Sins. Nor are they able to <HI>live to God one day</HI> without the con&s;tant Exerci&s;e of it. They find it as Nece&s;&s;ary unto the Continuance of &s;piritual Life, as <HI>Faith</HI> it &s;elf. It is not only a <HI>Means</HI> of our Entrance into, but it be|longs <HI>e&s;&s;entially</HI> unto our Go&s;pel-&s;tate and our Continuance therein. Hereunto be|longs that continual humble <HI>Self-aba&s;ement,</HI> from a Sen&s;e of the <HI>Maje&s;ty</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of God, with the <HI>di&s;proportion</HI> of the Be&s;t of our Duties unto his Will, which Be|lievers <HI>live</HI> and <HI>walk</HI> in continually; And he that is not &s;en&s;ible of a gracious <HI>&s;weet|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>u&s;efulne&s;s</HI> therein, knows not what it is to <HI>walk with God.</HI> Hereby doth God admini&s;ter &s;everal Encouragements unto our Souls to abide in our Way of Obedi|ence; notwith&s;tanding the many Di&s;cou|ragements and De&s;pondencies we meet withall. In brief, take it away, and you overthrow <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Hope</HI> and all other Graces. Tho&s;e therefore who are unac|quainted with the Nature and U&s;e of this <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Duty,</HI> who can ta&s;te no &s;piri|ritual <HI>Refre&s;hment</HI> in all its Sorrows, who know nothing of it but <HI>legal Troubles,</HI> An|gui&s;h,
<PB N="404" REF="214"> Fear and Di&s;tractions, will not en|dure the Thoughts of living in the <HI>practice</HI> of it all their dayes, which yet is as Ne|ce&s;&s;ary unto <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> as <HI>Faith</HI> it &s;elf. Men I &s;ay falling into this Condition, find|ing all the&s;e <HI>Difficulties</HI> to Conflict with|all, and lying under the&s;e Di&s;advantages, if any thing will offer it &s;elf in the room of this Co&s;tly <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> they will readily embrace it. Hence, as &s;ome betake them|&s;elves unto a <HI>pretence of Morality,</HI> (which as unto many is a <HI>meer Pretence,</HI> and made u&s;e of onely to countenance them&s;elves in a <HI>Neglect</HI> of the <HI>whole</HI> of that Obedience which the Go&s;pel openly requireth;) &s;o others doe under other Expre&s;&s;ions retreat unto the meer <HI>Duties of their own Light,</HI> and tho&s;e as onely required therein, with &s;ome peculiar Reliefs unto the <HI>Fle&s;h</HI> in what is <HI>burden&s;ome</HI> unto it. As for In&s;tance; There is nothing that the <HI>Fle&s;h</HI> more ri&s;eth up in a Di&s;like of, and Oppo&s;ition unto, than Con&s;tancy in the Duty of <HI>Prayer,</HI> in Pri|vate, in Families, on all Occa&s;ions; e&s;pe|cially if attended unto in a <HI>&s;piritual Man|ner</HI> as the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> doth require. But in it <HI>&s;elf,</HI> and as to the <HI>&s;ub&s;tance</HI> of it, it is a Duty which the <HI>Light of Nature</HI> exacteth of us. But whereas this may prove <HI>burden|&s;ome</HI>
<PB N="405" REF="214"> to the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> a Relief is borrowed from a Pretence of <HI>Go&s;pel Light</HI> and Liber|ty, that men need not Pray at any time, unle&s;s their <HI>own Spirits</HI> or <HI>Light</HI> do previ|ou&s;ly require it of them; which is to <HI>turn the Grace of God</HI> into an <HI>Occa&s;ion of &s;inning.</HI> By this Means &s;ome have gotten an <HI>Holi|ne&s;s</HI> wherein for the mo&s;t part it &s;eems <HI>in|different</HI> to them whether they <HI>pray</HI> at any time or no. And other In&s;tances of the like Kind might be given. Upon the whole matter, to <HI>free</HI> them&s;elves from this State, &s;o unea&s;ie to Fle&s;h and Blood, &s;o contrary unto all the Imaginations of the carnal Mind, &s;ome men have betaken them&s;elves unto <HI>another,</HI> wherein they have (or pre|tend to have) no <HI>Conflict</HI> again&s;t Sin, nor to need any <HI>Application</HI> unto the Lord Chri&s;t for Supplyes of <HI>&s;piritual Strength,</HI> which belongs not unto that <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go&s;pel requires, and which God ac|cepts.</P>
<P>It may be &s;aid, that in &s;ome of the <HI>In|&s;tances</HI> before given, e&s;pecially in that of the <HI>Papacy,</HI> there is an Appearance of a <HI>greater Conflict</HI> with, and more <HI>hard&s;hips</HI> put on the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> than in any other way of Obedience that is pleaded for. And there is indeed &s;uch an <HI>Appearance,</HI> but it is no
<PB N="406" REF="215"> more. The Oppo&s;itions that ari&s;e again&s;t their <HI>Au&s;terities,</HI> are from <HI>without,</HI> or from Nature as it is <HI>weak,</HI> but not as it is <HI>carnal.</HI> It is po&s;&s;ible that <HI>Sin</HI> may not be con|cern'd in what they do, neither in its <HI>Pow|er</HI> nor <HI>Reign;</HI> Yea &s;o far as it is leavened by <HI>Super&s;tition,</HI> it acts it &s;elf therein no le&s;s than it doth in others by <HI>fle&s;hly Lu&s;ts.</HI> But it is an <HI>internal &s;piritual immediate</HI> Op|po&s;ition unto its <HI>Being</HI> and all its Actings, that it ri&s;eth up with &s;uch Rage again&s;t, as to <HI>weary</HI> tho&s;e who have not that <HI>living Principle</HI> of <HI>Faith</HI> whereto the Victory over it doth peculiarly appertain.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> This <HI>Evangelical Holine&s;s</HI> will not <HI>allow</HI> of, nor will <HI>con&s;i&s;t</HI> with the con|&s;tant <HI>habitual</HI> Omi&s;&s;ion of any <HI>one Duty,</HI> or the Satisfaction of <HI>any one Lu&s;t</HI> of the <HI>Mind</HI> or of the <HI>Fle&s;h.</HI> As we are in all In&s;tances of <HI>Duty</HI> to be <HI>perfecting Holine&s;s in the fear of the Lord,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 1; &s;o <HI>no Provi&s;ion is to be made for the Fle&s;h, to fulfill the Lu&s;ts thereof. Rom.</HI> 13. 14. This is that which lo&s;eth it &s;o many Friends in the World. Would it barter with the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> would it give and take <HI>Allowances</HI> in any kind, or grant <HI>Indulgence</HI> unto any one Sin, Multi|tudes would have a <HI>kindne&s;s</HI> for it, which now bid it <HI>defiance.</HI> Every one would have
<PB N="407" REF="215"> an Exemption for that Sin which he <HI>likes be&s;t,</HI> and which is <HI>mo&s;t &s;uited</HI> to his Incli|nations and carnal Intere&s;ts. And this would be Virtually <HI>a Di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> for all Unholine&s;s whatever. But the&s;e are the Terms of the <HI>Go&s;pel;</HI> no one Duty is to be <HI>neglected,</HI> no one Sin is to be <HI>indulged,</HI> and they are looked upon as <HI>intolerable. Naaman</HI> would not give up him&s;elf unto the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the God of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> but with this Re&s;erve, That he might al&s;o <HI>bow in the Hou&s;e of Rimmon,</HI> whereon his <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Preferment</HI> did depend. <HI>Many things</HI> the <HI>Young Man</HI> in the Go&s;pel boa&s;ted him|&s;elf to have done, and was (doubtle&s;s) wil|ling to continue in the Performance of them; But yet through his whole Cour&s;e, <HI>the Love of the World</HI> had the <HI>Prevalency</HI> in him, and when he was <HI>tryed</HI> in that In&s;tance, rather than relinqui&s;h <HI>it,</HI> he gave up the <HI>whole.</HI> But this is the <HI>Law</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel:</HI> Although it provide a <HI>mercifull Relief</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e daily Sins which we are <HI>overtaken withall</HI> by our Frailty and Weakne&s;s, or <HI>&s;urprized</HI> into by the Power of Temptations, again&s;t the Bent of our Minds and habitual Inclination of our Wills, (1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 1, 2.) yet it alloweth not the Cheri&s;hing or Practice of <HI>any one Sin,</HI>
<PB N="408" REF="216"> Internal or External whatever. An <HI>habitu|al Cour&s;e</HI> in any Sin, is utterly incon&s;i&s;tent with <HI>Evangelical Obedience,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 6, 7, 8, 9. Yea it requireth indi&s;pen&s;ibly that we be engaged in our Minds and Wills, in an Oppo&s;ition unto <HI>all Sin,</HI> and a con&s;tant Endeavour after its <HI>not being</HI> in us, either in the <HI>Root</HI> or in the <HI>Fruit</HI> thereof. It will not <HI>connive</HI> at, or <HI>comply</HI> with any inordi|nate Affection, any habitual &s;infull Di&s;tem|per, nor the fir&s;t Motions of Sin that are in the Fle&s;h. This is that <HI>Perfection</HI> which is required in the <HI>New Covenant, Gen.</HI> 17. 1. that <HI>Sincerity, Integrity, freedom from Guile, walking after the Spirit and not after the Fle&s;h,</HI> and <HI>Newne&s;s of Life,</HI> which the Go|&s;pel every where pre&s;cribeth unto us. On no other Terms but <HI>&V;niver&s;ality</HI> in <HI>Obedi|ence</HI> and <HI>Oppo&s;ition</HI> unto <HI>Sin,</HI> will it approve of us, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 8, 9.</P>
<P>And this occa&s;ioneth the <HI>turning a&s;ide</HI> of many from the Pur&s;uit of an Endeavour to be <HI>holy</HI> according unto the Rule of the Go&s;pel. When by their <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Convicti|ons</HI> they come to take a view of what is required thereunto, it di&s;liketh them, they cannot bear it, and therefore either at <HI>once</HI> or <HI>gradually</HI> give over all Wayes of pur|&s;uing their fir&s;t De&s;ign. And men break
<PB N="409" REF="216"> with the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> on this Account, by the Means en&s;uing.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> They cannot make the <HI>&s;ame judge|ment of Sin</HI> that the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> doth, nor will judge all tho&s;e things to be Sin and Evil which the Go&s;pel declares &s;o to be. Yea we have &s;ome come unto that <HI>Phari&s;ai&s;me,</HI> that they &s;carce think any thing to be <HI>&s;in|full,</HI> or worth taking notice of, unle&s;s it be openly <HI>flagitious.</HI> Under this Darkne&s;s and Ignorance all &s;orts of <HI>filthy noy&s;ome Lu&s;ts</HI> may be cheri&s;hed in the Hearts of Men, keeping them at as great and real a Di&s;tance from the <HI>Holine&s;s of Truth,</HI> as the <HI>mo&s;t outragious outward Sins</HI> can doe. And this Neglect or Refu&s;al to comply with the Rule of the Go&s;pel before laid down, is grounded in and promoted by two Occa|&s;ions.</P>
<P N="1">1. They have <HI>a willing In&s;en&s;ibility</HI> of the Guilt of &s;ome <HI>unmortified Lu&s;t,</HI> this they will abide in and cheri&s;h. For their Minds being <HI>habituated</HI> unto it, they find <HI>no great evil</HI> in it, nor do &s;ee any cogent Rea&s;on why they &s;hould foregoe it. So was it with the <HI>Young Man</HI> with re&s;pect un|to the <HI>Love of the World.</HI> He was &s;orry that he could not be <HI>Evangelically</HI> Obedi|ent while&s;t he retained it; but &s;eeing that
<PB N="410" REF="217"> would not be, he did not di&s;cern any &s;uch Evil in, nor was &s;en&s;ible of any &s;uch Guilt from it, nor could apprehend any &s;uch Equality in, or Nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> that he &s;hould renounce the one for the embracing of the other. So will it be when any Lu&s;t is made <HI>familiar</HI> unto the Mind; it will not be <HI>terrified</HI> with it, nor can &s;ee any great <HI>danger</HI> in it. It is between &s;uch a <HI>Soul</HI> and <HI>Sin</HI> as it is between the <HI>Devil</HI> and the <HI>Witch,</HI> or one that hath a <HI>familiar Spirit,</HI> as we render the <HI>Hebrew Ob</HI> and <HI>Jideoni.</HI> At the fir&s;t Appearance of the Devil, be it in what Shape it will, it cannot but bring a <HI>Tremor</HI> and Fear on Humane Nature. But after a while he be|comes a <HI>familiar,</HI> and when alone he is to be <HI>feared,</HI> he is not <HI>feared at all.</HI> The poor deceived Wretch then thinks him in his Power, &s;o that he can u&s;e or command him as he &s;ees good; whereas he him&s;elf is ab|&s;olutely in the Power of the Devil. Men may be <HI>&s;tartled</HI> with Sin in its fir&s;t Ap|pearance, on their fir&s;t <HI>Convictions,</HI> or its fir&s;t dangerous <HI>Efforts;</HI> but when it is be|come their <HI>Familiar,</HI> they &s;uppo&s;e it a thing in their <HI>own Power,</HI> which they can u&s;e or not u&s;e as they &s;ee Occa&s;ion; though indeed them&s;elves are the <HI>&s;ervants of cor|ruption,</HI>
<PB N="411" REF="217"> being <HI>overcome</HI> thereby and brought into Bondage. Hence it is inconceivable how little &s;en&s;e of Guilt in &s;ome Sins men find, after they are <HI>habituated</HI> unto them. In <HI>&s;ome &s;ins</HI> I &s;ay, for with re&s;pect unto <HI>Sins ab&s;olutely</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Light of Nature,</HI> Con|&s;cience will not ea&s;ily be bribed not to <HI>con|demn</HI> them. It will not in &s;uch Ca&s;es be <HI>&s;peechle&s;s,</HI> untill it be &s;eared and made <HI>&s;en&s;e|le&s;s.</HI> But there are Sins not accompanyed with &s;o <HI>great an Evidence,</HI> yet attended with <HI>no le&s;s Guilt</HI> than tho&s;e which direct|ly militate again&s;t the <HI>Light of Nature.</HI> In this Ca&s;e, when the Word of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> comes, as it is <HI>living</HI> and <HI>powerfull, &s;harper than any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing a&s;under of the Soul and Spirit, and of the Joynts and Marrow,</HI> as a <HI>Di&s;co|verer and Judge of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart;</HI> When it comes and di&s;covers the &s;ecret Frames, Figments, Imaginations, Inclinations of the Mind, and condemneth what is in the lea&s;t Mea&s;ure or Manner <HI>ir|regular;</HI> when it will not be put off, nor accept of any Compo&s;ition or Compen&s;a|tion by the mo&s;t <HI>&s;trict</HI> and <HI>rigid Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> in other things; Men are ready to <HI>withdraw</HI> them&s;elves to the Rule of their own <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> which they find more <HI>gentle</HI> and <HI>tractable.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="412" REF="218"> 2. A <HI>Dereliction</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> on this Account with re&s;pect unto the <HI>inwardne&s;s, &s;pirituality</HI> and <HI>extent</HI> of its <HI>Commands,</HI> is much increa&s;ed under the Influence of <HI>cor|rupt Opinions.</HI> And of this Nature are all tho&s;e which tend unto the <HI>Extenuation</HI> of <HI>Sin.</HI> For &s;ome there are who &s;uppo&s;e that there is not &s;uch a <HI>provoking Guilt,</HI> &s;uch a <HI>&s;piritual Outrage</HI> in Sin, as others pretend. Hence multitudes, as they judge, are <HI>need|le&s;&s;ely</HI> troubled and perplexed about it. A <HI>generous Mind</HI> free from &s;uper&s;titious Fears, and dark Conceits imbibed in <HI>Education,</HI> will deliver the Mind of Man from the trouble of &s;uch Apprehen&s;ions. A <HI>great &s;en&s;e</HI> of the Guilt of <HI>&s;mall Sins,</HI> is an En|gine to promote the Intere&s;t of <HI>Preachers,</HI> and tho&s;e who pretend to the Conduct of <HI>Con&s;cience.</HI> The <HI>Filth</HI> and <HI>Pollution</HI> of Sin, is a <HI>Metaphor</HI> which <HI>few</HI> can under&s;tand, and <HI>none</HI> ought to be concerned in. That the <HI>Power</HI> of the Remainder of <HI>In-dwelling Sin</HI> is a <HI>fooli&s;h Notion;</HI> and that the <HI>di&s;or|derly Frames</HI> of the <HI>Heart,</HI> and the <HI>Mind,</HI> through Darkne&s;s, Deadne&s;s, &s;piritual In|di&s;po&s;ition, or other &s;ecret Irregularities, are <HI>Fancies,</HI> not <HI>Sins,</HI> which we need not be troubled at our &s;elves, nor make any Acknowledgement of unto God. The&s;e
<PB N="413" REF="218"> and the like Opinions are the <HI>Phari&s;aical Corban</HI> of our Age, corrupting the <HI>whole Law</HI> of our <HI>Obedience.</HI> And it were ea&s;ie to manife&s;t, how <HI>perillous</HI> and <HI>ruinous</HI> they are unto the Souls of Men; what <HI>powerful In&s;truments</HI> in the hand of Sathan to eclip&s;e the Glory of the <HI>Grace</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> on the one hand, and to promote <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> in the Hearts and Lives of men on the other. I &s;hall onely &s;ay, &s;et the corrupt Heart of Man by any Means <HI>at Liberty</HI> from an Awe and Reverence of the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of <HI>God</HI> and his <HI>Law,</HI> with re&s;pect unto the <HI>inward</HI> Actings and Frames of the Soul, with a &s;en&s;e of Guilt where they are <HI>irregular,</HI> and a Nece&s;&s;ity of con&s;tant <HI>Humiliation</HI> before God thereon, and an equally con&s;tant <HI>Application</HI> of it &s;elf unto the <HI>Lord Chri&s;t</HI> for Grace and Mercy; and it is <HI>wholly in vain</HI> to think of fixing any other Bounds unto the <HI>progre&s;s</HI> of <HI>Sin.</HI> The Ignorance hereof is that which hath pro|duced in &s;ome the proud Imagination of <HI>Perfection,</HI> where they are far enough from bringing their Con&s;ciences and Lives to the <HI>Rule</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> but onely aggravate their Guilt by attempting to bend that <HI>in|flexible Rule</HI> unto their own perver&s;e and <HI>crooked Minds.</HI></P>
<PB N="414" REF="219">
<P> <HI>Secondly;</HI> In this Ca&s;e, <HI>carnal Intere&s;t,</HI> which takes in and comprizeth all the <HI>Cir|cum&s;tances</HI> of Men, calls for an <HI>Indulgence</HI> unto &s;ome <HI>one Sin</HI> or other, which the <HI>Go|&s;pel</HI> will not admit of. Pride and Ambi|tion, Covetou&s;ne&s;s or Love of this pre&s;ent evil World, and the peri&s;hing things of it, Uncleanne&s;s or Sen&s;uality in Eating, Drinking; Self-exaltation and Boa&s;ting, Vain-glory, Idlene&s;s, one or other mu&s;t be &s;pared. One thing (I &s;ay) or other on the Account of <HI>carnal Intere&s;t,</HI> either becau&s;e <HI>&s;mall,</HI> or <HI>u&s;eful,</HI> or <HI>general,</HI> or &s;uited unto a <HI>Natural Temper,</HI> or as is &s;uppo&s;ed made <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> by the Occa&s;ions of Life, mu&s;t be re&s;erved. Where this Re&s;olution prevails, as men are ab&s;olutely excluded from any real Intere&s;t in <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> which will admit of no &s;uch Re&s;erves, &s;o it will not fail to lead them into open <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> of one kind or another. For,</P>
<P N="1">(1) Such Per&s;ons are <HI>unapproved of God</HI> in <HI>all that they doe,</HI> and &s;o have no Ground for Expectation of his Ble&s;&s;ing or A&s;&s;i&s;tance. For the Allowance of the lea&s;t Sin, is &s;uch an Impeachment of <HI>Sincerity,</HI> as ca&s;teth a man out of the compa&s;s of <HI>Covenant-Com|munion</HI> with God. This is that <HI>offending in One point</HI> which ruines a mans Obedi|ence,
<PB N="415" REF="219"> and renders him Guilty again&s;t the <HI>whole Law; Jam.</HI> 2. 10. Any one <HI>actual Sin</HI> makes a man guilty of the Cur&s;e of the <HI>whole Law,</HI> as it contains the Covenant of Works; and the willing Allowance of a mans &s;elf in any one Sin <HI>habitually,</HI> breaks the <HI>whole Law</HI> as it contains the Rule of our Obedience in the Covenant of Grace. And if in this <HI>di&s;approved Condition</HI> men meet with outward Pro&s;perity in the World, their Danger will be encrea&s;ed, as well as their Guilt aggravated. And the utmo&s;t Care of Profe&s;&s;ors is requi|red in this matter. For there &s;eems to be among many an open Indulgence unto <HI>ha|bitual</HI> Di&s;orders; which hazards their whole <HI>Covenant-Intere&s;t,</HI> and mu&s;t fill them with Uncertainty in their own Minds. High time it is for all &s;uch Per&s;ons to &s;hake off every weight, and the &s;in <HI>that doth &s;o ea&s;ily be&s;et</HI> them, and to run with re-doubled Di|ligence the remainder of the Race that is &s;et before them.</P>
<P N="2">(2) This <HI>Indulgence unto any one Sin,</HI> will make way in the Minds, Con&s;ciences and Affections of men for the Admi&s;&s;ion of <HI>other Sins</HI> al&s;o: It will be like <HI>a Thief</HI> that is hid|den in an Hou&s;e, and onely waits an Op|portunity to open the Doors unto his other
<PB N="416" REF="220"> Companions; To this end he watcheth for a Sea&s;on of <HI>&s;leep</HI> and <HI>darkne&s;s,</HI> when there is none to ob&s;erve his Actings. Let a Per|&s;on who thus alloweth him&s;elf to live in <HI>any &s;in,</HI> fall into Temptation while&s;t he is a little more than ordinary carele&s;s, his <HI>allowed Corruption</HI> &s;hall open his Heart un|to any other Sin that offers for Admi&s;&s;ion. <HI>Look not</HI> (&s;aith the Wi&s;e-man) <HI>upon the Wine when it is red, when it giveth its co|lour in the Cup, when it moveth it &s;elf aright; Thine Eyes &s;hall behold &s;trange Women, and thine Heart &s;hall utter perver&s;e things;</HI> Prov. 23. 31, 33. One Sin liked and loved, will make way for any other. There is a Kin|dred and Alliance between Sins of all &s;orts, and they agree in the &s;ame End and De|&s;ign. Where any one is <HI>willingly</HI> entertain|ed, others will intrude them&s;elves beyond all our Power of Re&s;i&s;tance.</P>
<P N="3">(3) It will <HI>divert the Soul</HI> from the <HI>&V;&s;e</HI> of <HI>tho&s;e Means</HI> whereby all other Sins &s;hould be <HI>re&s;i&s;ted,</HI> and thereby <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> be <HI>pre|vented.</HI> For, there is no Means appointed or &s;anctified by God for the Re&s;i&s;tance or Mortification of Sin, but it oppo&s;eth <HI>Sin as Sin,</HI> and con&s;equently every thing that is &s;o, and that <HI>becau&s;e</HI> it is &s;o. Wherefore, whoever <HI>willingly</HI> re&s;erves any one Sin from
<PB N="417" REF="220"> the Efficacy of the Means God hath ap|pointed for its Mortification, doth equally re&s;erve <HI>all.</HI> And as tho&s;e Means do lo&s;e their Power and Efficacy towards &s;uch Per|&s;ons, &s;o they will in&s;en&s;ibly fall off from a Con&s;cientious Attendance unto any of tho&s;e Ways and Duties whereby Sin &s;hould be <HI>oppo&s;ed</HI> and <HI>ruined.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Many of tho&s;e <HI>Graces</HI> in who&s;e Exerci&s;e this <HI>Evangelical Holine&s;s</HI> doth prin|cipally con&s;i&s;t, are &s;uch as are <HI>of no Repu|tation</HI> in the World. The greate&s;t Mora|li&s;ts that ever were, whether <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> or <HI>Philo&s;ophers,</HI> could never &s;eparate between their <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Practice</HI> of Vertue on the one hand, and their own <HI>Honour, Glory</HI> and <HI>Reputation</HI> on the other. There was in them, as the <HI>Poet</HI> expre&s;&s;eth it in one In&s;tance,</P>
<Q>&mdash;Amor Patriae, landum&abque; immen&s;a cupido.</Q>
<P>Hence they alwayes e&s;teemed tho&s;e Vir|tues the mo&s;t Excellent which had the be&s;t <HI>Acceptation</HI> and the greate&s;t Vogue of Pray&s;e among Men. And it &s;eems to be in|grafted in the <HI>Nature</HI> of Man, to have &s;ome kind of De&s;ire to be <HI>approved</HI> in what men judge them&s;elves to do well and Laudably. Neither is this De&s;ire &s;o evil in it &s;elf, but that it may be mannaged in &s;ubordination
<PB N="418" REF="221"> unto the Glory of God, which nothing that is ab&s;olutely Evil or in its own Nature, on any Con&s;iderations or Circum&s;tances can be. But when at any time it &s;wells in|to an Exce&s;s, and the <HI>Phari&s;aical</HI> Leaven of <HI>being &s;een and pray&s;ed</HI> of men, puffeth it up, it is the wor&s;t Poy&s;on that the Mind can be infected withall. In what degree &s;oever it be admitted, in the &s;ame it <HI>alie|nates</HI> the Mind from <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s.</HI> And it doth &s;o Effectually, I mean this <HI>Self-love,</HI> and love of the Pray&s;e of <HI>others</HI> doth &s;o, on the Rea&s;on mentioned; namely, that the Graces in who&s;e Exerci&s;e it doth prin|cipally con&s;i&s;t, are of <HI>no Reputation</HI> in the World. Such are, Meekne&s;s, Gentlene&s;s, Self-denyal, Poverty of Spirit, Mourning for Sin, hungring and thir&s;ting after Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, Mercy and Compa&s;&s;ion, Purity of Heart, Openne&s;s and Simplicity of Spirit, Readine&s;s to undergoe and forgive Inju|ries, Zeal for God, Contempt of the World, Fear of Sin, Dread of Gods Judgement for Sin; and the like. The&s;e are tho&s;e <HI>Adorn|ings of the Inner man of the Heart which with God are of great price.</HI> But as unto their <HI>Reputation</HI> in the World, <HI>Weakne&s;&s;e, Softne&s;&s;e of Nature, Super&s;titious Folly, Mad|ne&s;s, Hypocritical Preci&s;ene&s;s,</HI> is the be&s;t
<PB N="419" REF="221"> Mea&s;ure they meet withall. When men be|gin to di&s;cern, that as unto this <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel, its principal work lyes <HI>within doors,</HI> in the Heart and Mind, in the things that no Mortal Eye &s;eeth, and few com|mend &s;o much as in the Notion of them, and which in their outward Exerci&s;e meet with no good Entertainment in the World, they betake them&s;elves unto and re&s;t in tho&s;e Duties which make a <HI>better Appear|ance,</HI> and meet with <HI>better Acceptance.</HI> And many of them are &s;uch as in their proper place are <HI>diligently</HI> to be attended unto, provided they draw not off the Mind from an Attendance unto tho&s;e <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed Graces</HI> and their Exerci&s;e, wherein the Life of true Holine&s;s doth con&s;i&s;t. And it is well if we are all &s;ufficiently aware of the De|ceits of Sathan in this Matter. In the Be|ginnings of the General <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Purity</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion, to countenance all &s;orts of Per&s;ons in a Neg|lect of the <HI>principal Graces</HI> of the Go&s;pel, the <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity of Regeneration</HI> and an Hea|venly Principle of <HI>&s;piritual Life,</HI> they were put wholly on Outward <HI>&s;plendid Works</HI> of Piety and Charity, as they were e&s;teemed. Let their Minds be defiled, their Lu&s;ts un|mortified, their Hearts unhumbled, their
<PB N="420" REF="222"> whole Souls unfurni&s;hed of &s;piritual and heavenly Graces, yet (as they would have it,) the&s;e outward Works &s;hould a&s;&s;uredly bring them all unto a ble&s;&s;ed Immortality and Glory. But this <HI>face of the Covering,</HI> this Vail that was &s;pread over many Nations, being now in many places (particularly among Us) <HI>rent and de&s;troyed,</HI> both Wi&s;dom and much Circum&s;pection are required, that neither under a Pretence, nor under a real Endeavour after the inward <HI>&s;piritual Graces</HI> of Chri&s;t and their due Exerci&s;e, we do not countenance our &s;elves in the Neglect of tho&s;e <HI>outward Duties</HI> which are any way u&s;efull unto the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind. The&s;e are &s;ome of the Cau&s;es, and other there are of an alike Nature, from the powerfull Influ|ence whereof upon their Minds, men have changed <HI>Go&s;pel Holine&s;s</HI> for <HI>other Wayes</HI> of Obedience, which al&s;o they give other Names unto.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="421" REF="222">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Apo&s;ta&s;ie into Profanene&s;s and Sen&s;uality of Life; the Cau&s;es and Occa&s;ions of it. De|fects in Publick Teachers and Guides in Religion.</HEAD>
<P>THat which yet remaineth to be con|&s;idered under this Head of <HI>Back|&s;liding from the Commands of the Go&s;pel,</HI> and the Obedience required in them, is of a wor&s;e Kind, and of a more perni|cious Con&s;equence. And this is that open Apo&s;ta&s;ie into <HI>Profanene&s;s and Sen&s;uality of Life,</HI> which the Generality of them who are called <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> are in mo&s;t places of the World vi&s;ibly fallen into. If any be otherwi&s;e minded, if they &s;uppo&s;e and judge that the Wayes and Walkings of the Gene|rality of <HI>Churches</HI> and individual Chri&s;ti|ans, of whole Nations that profe&s;s them|&s;elves to be &s;o, are &s;uch as the Go&s;pel re|quireth and approveth of, they &s;eem either to be ignorant of the <HI>true &s;tate</HI> of the&s;e
<PB N="422" REF="223"> things in the World, or to be highly in|jurious unto the Grace and Truth which came by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. To &s;uppo&s;e that he by his Go&s;pel giveth Countenance unto, or conniveth at, that Darkne&s;s, Profane|ne&s;s, Sen&s;uality, tho&s;e bloody Contentions and Oppre&s;&s;ions; in a word, all tho&s;e fil|thy and noxious Lu&s;ts which at this day have overwhelmed the Chri&s;tian World, doth what he can to render and repre&s;ent it, not onely <HI>u&s;ele&s;s,</HI> but extremely <HI>perni|tious</HI> unto Mankind. For they do &s;ay there|in, That by <HI>him</HI> and <HI>his Doctrine</HI> Counte|nance is given unto that Degeneracy in Wickedne&s;s, which <HI>Heatheni&s;me</HI> would not allow, whereby the World is filled with Confu&s;ion, and in danger to be precipitated into Ruine. I &s;hall therefore at pre&s;ent take it for granted, (with the highe&s;t Rea|dine&s;s to give up that Conce&s;&s;ion when any tolerable Evidence &s;hall be given to the contrary,) that there is among and in the <HI>Churches</HI> whereunto the <HI>generality</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> do reckon them&s;elves to belong, a <HI>vi&s;ible Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from that Piety, Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Go&s;pel in|di&s;pen&s;ably requireth in all the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, and which the Primitive Chri&s;ti|ans did Earne&s;tly follow and Eminently
<PB N="423" REF="223"> abound in. An Enquiry into the Means and Cau&s;es hereof, is that which now lyes before us. And that e&s;pecial In&s;tance which I &s;hall alwayes regard, is the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> which as it hath given the mo&s;t emi|nent Example of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> in this Kind of any Church in the World; &s;o whatever of the &s;ame Nature befalleth others, it is &s;uffi|ciently repre&s;ented therein.</P>
<P>The immediate <HI>internal</HI> Cau&s;es, (which are, as the Ri&s;e and Original of all Sins, &s;o of tho&s;e wherein this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t, becau&s;e they are not peculiar hereunto, but equally re&s;pect all &s;ins at all times,) belong not unto our pre&s;ent Enquiry. By the&s;e Cau&s;es I intend in <HI>general,</HI> the De|pravation of Nature, the Power and De|ceitfulne&s;s of Sin, Love of the World, the Profits, Honours and Plea&s;ures of it, the Rage of the Fle&s;h after the &s;atisfaction of its &s;en&s;ual Lu&s;ts, with the Aver&s;ation of the Minds of Men from things Spiritual and Heavenly, as being <HI>alienated from the Life of God,</HI> through the Darkne&s;s and <HI>Ignorance that is in them.</HI> For, the&s;e and the like de|praved Affections being excited and acted by the crafty Influences of Sathan, and in|flamed with Temptations, do incline, in|duce and carry men into all manner of
<PB N="424" REF="224"> Wickedne&s;s with <HI>delight</HI> and <HI>greedine&s;s; Jam.</HI> 1. 14, 15. But whereas all the&s;e things in General re&s;pect equally <HI>all Times, Occa|&s;ions,</HI> and <HI>Sins,</HI> and whereas it is the con|&s;tant Work of the <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> of the Go&s;pel (tho&s;e I mean, who under&s;tand their Em|ployment, with the Account they mu&s;t give of the Souls committed unto their Charge) to di&s;cover the Nature, detect the Deceit, and warn men of the Danger of the&s;e Prin|ciples and Occa&s;ions of Sin <HI>within</HI> them and <HI>without</HI> them; I &s;hall not need parti|cularly here to in&s;i&s;t upon them. It is the more publick <HI>external</HI> Means and Cau&s;es which have produced, furthered and pro|moted the Apo&s;ta&s;ie complained of, that we &s;hall take under Con&s;ideration.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t <HI>Occa&s;ion</HI> hereof in all Ages hath been given by, or taken from the <HI>publick Teachers, Guides</HI> or Leaders of the People in the Matter of Religion. I intend them of all &s;orts, however called, &s;tyled, or di|&s;tingui&s;hed, into what Forms or Orders &s;oever they are ca&s;t by them&s;elves or others. And I name them &s;o at large, becau&s;e it is known how variou&s;ly they are multiplyed, e&s;pecially in the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> where (as to the&s;e parts of the World,) this Apo|&s;ta&s;ie began, and by which it is principally
<PB N="425" REF="224"> promoted, and that by all &s;orts of them. The&s;e at all times have and mu&s;t have an e&s;pecial Influence into the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> or <HI>&V;n|holine&s;s</HI> of the People; yea, the Purity or Apo&s;ta&s;ie of the Church, as to <HI>outward Means,</HI> doth principally depend upon them, with the di&s;charge of their Office and Du|ty. In many things they &s;ucceed into the Room of the Prie&s;ts of Old, and frequent|ly fall under the Command and Rebuke given unto them; <HI>Mal.</HI> 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; <HI>O ye Prie&s;ts, this Commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give Glory unto my Name, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts, I will even &s;end a Cur&s;e upon you, and will cur&s;e your Ble&s;&s;ings: Yea, I have cur&s;ed them already, becau&s;e you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your &s;eed, and &s;pread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your &s;olemn Fea&s;ts, and one &s;hall take you away with it. And ye &s;hall know that I have &s;ent this Command|ment unto you, that my Covenant might be with Levi, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts. My Co|venant was with him of Life and Peace, and I gave them to him for the Fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my Name. The Law of Truth was in his mouth, and Iniquity was not found in his lips: He</HI>
<PB N="426" REF="225"> <HI>walked with me in Peace and Equity, and did turn many away from Iniquity. For the Prie&s;ts lips &s;hould keep Knowledge, and they &s;hould &s;eek the Law at his mouth: For he is the Me&s;&s;enger of the Lord of Ho&s;ts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have cau&s;ed ma|ny to &s;tumble at the Law: Ye have corrupt|ed the Covenant of Levi, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts. Therefore have I al&s;o made you con|temptible and ba&s;e before all the People, ac|cording as ye have not kept my wayes, but have been partial in the Law.</HI></P>
<P>That holy, humble, laborious <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> which Chri&s;t fir&s;t in&s;tituted in the Church, was the great Means of Converting Men unto <HI>Evangelical Obedience,</HI> and the Pre|&s;erving of them therein. This, their Do|ctrine, their Spirit, their Example, their Manner and Cour&s;e of Life, their Prayers, Preaching, and entire Endeavour tended unto, and were ble&s;&s;ed and pro&s;pered of God unto that purpo&s;e; Then were the Lives of Chri&s;tians a <HI>Tran&s;cript</HI> of the Truth of the Go&s;pel. But through the Degeneracy of the following Ages, tho&s;e who &s;ucceeded them became Troubled <HI>Fountains,</HI> polluting and corrupting all the <HI>Streams</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion. It is no unea&s;ie thing to ob&s;erve, in the Cour&s;e of
<PB N="427" REF="225"> <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> Records and Stories, how by various degrees the Leaders of the Church became <HI>corrupt,</HI> and did corrupt the Peo|ple, giving them in them&s;elves an Example of Stri&s;es, Divi&s;ions, Ambition, Worldly-mindedne&s;s; and by their Negligence in Di&s;charge of their Duty depriving them of the Means of being made better, by the Power of the Doctrine, and Commands of the Go&s;pel. Under the Old Te&s;tament the Prie&s;ts and Prophets led the People into a double <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> Fir&s;t into that of <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Idolatry; Jer.</HI> 23. 15. And this continued prevailing among them, un|till their Sin i&s;&s;ued in a de&s;olating Calami|ty. This was the <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Captivity, wherein all their <HI>Idols</HI> were buried in the Land of <HI>Shinar; Zach.</HI> 5. 11. After the Return of the People from thence, when they would no more be inveigled into <HI>Ido|latry,</HI> whereof God de&s;igned that Capti|vity for an effectual Cure, the &s;ame &s;ort of Per&s;ons by Negligence, Ignorance, and their evil Example in Profanene&s;s, turned them off from God and his Law. This was begun in the dayes of <HI>Malachi</HI> the la&s;t of the Prophets, and ended in the <HI>total Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> and <HI>De&s;truction</HI> of that Church and People. And when the whole came unto
<PB N="428" REF="226"> its la&s;t I&s;&s;ue in the Rejection of the Lord Chri&s;t the Son of God, the &s;ame &s;ort of Per&s;ons, even the <HI>Guides</HI> and <HI>Teachers</HI> led and even forced the Body of the People into that great Rebellion and Impenitency therein, as is evidently declared in the Go&s;pel. And it is to be feared that &s;ome|thing of the like Nature hath fallen out among Chri&s;tians al&s;o: The fir&s;t Apo&s;ta&s;ie the Chri&s;tian World fell into, was by <HI>Super|&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Idolatry,</HI> principally under the Conduct of the Church of <HI>Rome.</HI> And this (as it will alwayes be) was accompanyed with Wickedne&s;s of Life in all &s;orts of Per|&s;ons. Many Churches and Nations being delivered from this Abomination, it is well if (by the &s;ame means) they are not falling into that of a worldly &s;en&s;ual prophane <HI>Conver&s;ation.</HI></P>
<P>The Scripture is &s;o full on this Subject, and the Nature of the thing it &s;elf is &s;uch, as &s;eems to require a deep and thorough Con&s;ideration of it. But the Nature of <HI>my De&s;ign</HI> will not admit of Enlargements on any particular Head, for I intend onely to point at the chief Springs and Occa&s;i|ons of this Evil; and accordingly this part of our Subject mu&s;t be onely briefly (as that preceding) treated on.</P>
<PB N="429" REF="226">
<P> What was before a&s;&s;erted in general, namely, That the <HI>Well-being of the Church depends on the right di&s;charge of the Office of the Mini&s;try,</HI> will I &s;uppo&s;e be acknow|ledged by all; and it is plainly declared by the Apo&s;tle; <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 12, 13, 14, 15. In proportion thereunto it will thrive or decay. The Nature of this <HI>Office,</HI> the Ends of its In&s;titution, the Works and Duties of it, with the univer&s;al Experience of all Ages and Places, do evince this Ob&s;ervati|on beyond all Contradiction. If therefore tho&s;e who undertake the Exerci&s;e of this <HI>Office</HI> do eminently and notoriou&s;ly fail in the Performance and Di&s;charge of the Du|ties thereof, e&s;pecially if they do &s;o <HI>gene|rally,</HI> and in any <HI>long &s;ucce&s;&s;ion</HI> of time, it cannot be but that the People will be cor|rupt, and degenerate from the Rule of the Go&s;pel. The <HI>Flocks</HI> will not be pre&s;erved where the <HI>Shepheards</HI> are negligent; and Fields will be over-run with Weeds, Thorns and Briars, if they be not duely tilled. I &s;hall therefore in the Fir&s;t place call over &s;ome of tho&s;e things which are indi&s;pen|&s;ably required in and of the <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> and <HI>Teachers</HI> of the Church, that it may be pre|&s;erved in its Purity, and kept up unto its Duty in Evangelical Obedience. And I
<PB N="430" REF="227"> &s;hall in&s;i&s;t onely on tho&s;e which all men will acknowledge to be <HI>&s;uch Duties,</HI> or which none who own the Go&s;pel can or dare deny &s;o to be.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It is required of them that they keep <HI>pure and uncorrupted</HI> the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> e&s;pecially that concerning the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> enjoyned in it, both as to its <HI>Na|ture, Cau&s;es, Motives</HI> and <HI>Ends.</HI> So of Old, the <HI>Prie&s;ts lips</HI> were to pre&s;erve <HI>Knowledge,</HI> and the People were to <HI>&s;eek the Law at his mouth.</HI> This was one main End for which the Lord Chri&s;t gave unto, and in&s;tituted the Office of the Mini&s;try in the Church. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. <HI>And he gave &s;ome Apo&s;tles; and &s;ome Prophets; and &s;ome Evangeli&s;ts; and &s;ome Pa&s;tors and Teachers: For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Mini&s;try, for the edifying of the Body of Chri&s;t: Till we all come in the &V;nity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man, unto the mea&s;ure of the &s;tature of the fulne&s;s of Chri&s;t: That we henceforth be no more Children, to&s;&s;ed to and fro, and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine, by the &s;leight of Men, and cunning craftine&s;s whereby they lye in wait to de|ceive: But &s;peaking the Truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the</HI>
<PB N="431" REF="227"> <HI>Head, even Chri&s;t.</HI> The Pre&s;ervation of the Truth, the Declaration, Vindication and Defence of it, &s;o as the Members of the Church, the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t com|mitted to their Charge, be neither through Weakne&s;s or Ignorance as <HI>Children,</HI> nor thorough the Delu&s;ions of Seducers <HI>turned off from it,</HI> or be un&s;ettled in it, was one great End why the Lord Chri&s;t in&s;tituted this Office therein. And upon their Di&s;|charge of this Duty depends the Growth, the Obedience, the Edification and Salva|tion of the whole Body. And therefore doth the Apo&s;tle give this principally in Charge unto the <HI>Elders</HI> of the Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> in his &s;olemn giving of it up unto their Care and In&s;pection, when he him|&s;elf was no more to come among them; <HI>Act.</HI> 20. 28, 30. <HI>Take heed therefore unto your &s;elves, and to all the Flock, over the which the Holy Gho&s;t hath made you Over&s;eers, to feed the Church of God which he hath pur|cha&s;ed with his own Blood. For I know this, that after my departing &s;hall grievous Wolves enter in among you, not &s;paring the Flock. Al&s;o of your own &s;elves &s;hal men ari&s;e, &s;peaking perver&s;e things, to draw away di&s;ciples after them.</HI> As he hath a regard unto other things, &s;o in an e&s;pecial manner to the
<PB N="432" REF="228"> Introduction of perver&s;e and <HI>corrupt Opi|nions,</HI> contrary to the Truth wherein they had been in&s;tructed by him, which com|prized the whole <HI>Coun&s;el of God</HI> concern|ing their <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> with his own <HI>Wor&s;hip;</HI> ver. 27. This they were to do, by their carefull, faithfull, diligent Decla|ration, Vindication and Defence of the Doctrine which they had received. E&s;pe|cially doth he pre&s;s this upon his beloved <HI>Timothy.</HI> He being for a &s;ea&s;on fixed in the Mini&s;try of the Church, he was cho|&s;en out by the Wi&s;dom of the Holy Gho&s;t to be a Pattern and <HI>Example</HI> in the In|&s;tructions given unto him, unto all Mini|&s;ters of the Go&s;pel in &s;ucceeding Genera|tions. This Charge is expre&s;&s;ely committed unto him; 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 13, 14. <HI>I give thee charge, in the &s;ight of God who quickeneth all things, and before Chri&s;t Je&s;us who be|fore Pontius Pilate witne&s;&s;ed a good Confe&s;&s;i|on; That thou keep this Commandment with|out &s;pot, unrebukeable, till the appearing of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> Ver. 20. <HI>O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy tru&s;t, avoiding prophane and vain Bablings, and Oppo&s;itions of Science fal&s;ely &s;o called.</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 13, 14. <HI>If we believe not, yet he abideth faithfull, he cannot deny him&s;elf. Of the&s;e</HI>
<PB N="433" REF="228"> <HI>things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they &s;trive not about words to no profit, but to the &s;ubvert|ing of the Hearers.</HI> And what he was en|joyn'd in his own Per&s;on, that al&s;o he was directed to <HI>commit unto others</HI> with the &s;ame Charge, that the Truth of the Go&s;pel might be pre&s;erved incorrupt in &s;ucceed|ing Generations, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 2. <HI>Thou there|fore, my Son, be &s;trong in the Grace that is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. And the things thou ha&s;t heard of me among many Witne&s;&s;es, the &s;ame commit thou to faithful men, who &s;hall be able to teach others al&s;o.</HI> The <HI>vehemency</HI> of the Apo&s;tle in this Charge, and his <HI>pathetical</HI> Exhortations do &s;ufficiently evince the Moment and Nece&s;&s;ity of this Duty, as that without which the Church would not be continued to <HI>be the Ground and Pillar of Truth.</HI></P>
<P>There are Three <HI>Repo&s;itories</HI> of Sacred Truth, or of the Truths of the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel; The <HI>Scripture,</HI> the <HI>Minds</HI> and <HI>Hearts</HI> of <HI>Believers,</HI> and the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> of the pre&s;ent Age. In the fir&s;t God pre&s;erveth them by his <HI>Providence,</HI> in the &s;econd by his <HI>Spirit</HI> and <HI>Grace,</HI> in the la&s;t by way of an <HI>Ordinance</HI> or e&s;pecial In&s;titution for that End.</P>
<PB N="434" REF="229">
<P> In the fir&s;t Way they have been kept and &s;hall be kept &s;afe again&s;t all Oppo&s;iti|ons of <HI>Hell</HI> and the <HI>World,</HI> unto the Con|&s;ummation of all things. And if this way might fail, we acknowledge that the others would doe &s;o al&s;o, whatever &s;ome pretend of their <HI>Traditions</HI> and others of their pre|&s;ent <HI>In&s;pirations.</HI> And while&s;t this doth abide (as it &s;hall alwayes doe,) the lo&s;s that may befall in the other wayes may be re|trived. And &s;o it hath been &s;everal times, when the Faith of the Church hath been <HI>recovered,</HI> and its Profe&s;&s;ion <HI>reformed</HI> by the Light and Knowledge derived afre&s;h from the <HI>Scripture.</HI> This <HI>Fountain</HI> there|fore of Truth &s;hall never be dry, but men may alwayes draw &s;ufficiently, yea abun|dantly from it, while&s;t they u&s;e the Means appointed thereunto. But yet this alone will not &s;ecure the <HI>publick Intere&s;t</HI> of Truth and Holine&s;s. There mu&s;t be other Means al&s;o of Communicating what is contained therein unto the Minds and Con&s;ciences of men. And the Scripture it &s;elf doth both appoint and require a <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> unto this End. Secondly, There may be a Pre&s;er|vation of the Truth derived from the Scri|pture for a &s;ea&s;on in the <HI>Minds of Men and Hearts of</HI> private <HI>Believers.</HI> So was it in
<PB N="435" REF="229"> the dayes of <HI>Elijah,</HI> when in a de&s;titution of all outward Mini&s;try <HI>&s;even thou&s;and</HI> were pre&s;erved in Faith and the Fear of God, <HI>not bowing the Knee unto Baal,</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 19. 18. This the Holy Gho&s;t is in e&s;pecial manner promi&s;ed and given unto them to to effect; <HI>Joh.</HI> 14. 16, 17, 26. <HI>Chap.</HI> 16. 13. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 20, 21. For herein is the Promi&s;e accompli&s;hed, that <HI>they &s;hall be all taught of God; Joh.</HI> 6. 45. which though it be not wholly without Means, yet it is &s;uch as doth not alwayes and in all things indi&s;pen|&s;ably depend thereon, <HI>Heb.</HI> 8. 11. And unto this Work of the Spirit, pre&s;erving the Truth in the Minds and Hearts of true Believers, the Continuance of it in the World as to its <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> under great and general <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ies,</HI> is to be a&s;cri|bed. So I no way doubt but that during and under the <HI>Papal</HI> Defection, there were great Numbers in who&s;e Hearts and Minds the principal Truths of the Go&s;pel were pre&s;erved inviolate, &s;o as that by virtue of them they lived unto God and were ac|cepted with him. But this way of the Pre|&s;ervation of the Truth is confined unto <HI>individual Per&s;ons,</HI> and as &s;uch onely are they concerned therein. As unto <HI>publick Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> and the Benefits thereof, all Sa|cred
<PB N="436" REF="230"> Truth is committed unto the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> of the pre&s;ent Age, and on the due Di&s;|charge of their Office and Work it doth depend. The Imagination of the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> about keeping Sacred Truths in the hidden <HI>Cells</HI> of <HI>Tradition,</HI> or invi&s;ible <HI>phanta&s;tical</HI> Trea&s;ures, which requires nei|ther Care nor Wi&s;dom nor Hone&s;ty unto its Cu&s;tody, but a meer pretence of <HI>Key</HI> to open it, was one Engine whereby both <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> were driven out of the World.</P>
<P>The&s;e things are in&s;eparable. <HI>Go&s;pel-Truth</HI> is the onely Root whereon <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s</HI> will grow. If any Worm corrode, or any other corrupting Accident befall it, the Fruit will quickly fade and decay. It is impo&s;&s;ible to maintain the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>God|line&s;s,</HI> where the <HI>Doctrine</HI> from whence it &s;prings is unknown, corrupted or de&s;pi&s;ed. And on the other &s;ide, where men are weary of <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> they will not long give Entertainment to the <HI>Truth.</HI> For as to their De&s;ires and Affections, they will find it not onely <HI>u&s;ele&s;s</HI> but <HI>trouble&s;ome.</HI> Hence the <HI>great Oppo&s;ition</HI> which is made at this day again&s;t many important Truths of the Go|&s;pel, ari&s;eth principally from the Di&s;like men have of the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which they guide unto, and require.</P>
<PB N="437" REF="230">
<P> Secondly, It is required of the &s;ame Per|&s;ons, that they diligently <HI>in&s;truct the People</HI> in the Knowledge of the <HI>whole Coun&s;el of God,</HI> in the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of the Go&s;pel, the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of Truth, that they may know and doe the Will of God. And this are they to doe by all the <HI>Means</HI> and <HI>Wayes</HI> that God hath <HI>appointed,</HI> pre&s;&s;ing it in|&s;tantly, together with In&s;tructions on their Souls and Con&s;ciences for its practice. The End why <HI>Evangelical Truth</HI> is committed unto their Care, is not that they may keep it to them&s;elves, &s;o <HI>locking up the Key of Knowledge,</HI> but that they may communi|cate it unto others and in&s;truct them there|in. And he who doth not de&s;ire and en|deavour to communicate unto his Flock <HI>all things that are profitable for them,</HI> can have no Evidence in his own Mind that God hath called him to the Office of the <HI>Mini&s;try.</HI> The Apo&s;tle propo&s;ing his own Example unto the <HI>Elders</HI> of the Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> affirms, That he had <HI>not &s;hunned to declare unto them the whole Coun&s;el of God;</HI> Act. 20. 27. And that he <HI>kept back nothing that was profitable unto them;</HI> ver. 20. Men begin to <HI>talk</HI> or <HI>write</HI> about Preaching on this or that Subject: Some (they &s;ay,) preach <HI>all about Chri&s;t and</HI>
<PB N="438" REF="231"> <HI>Grace, and Ju&s;tification by the Imputation of Chri&s;ts Righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> and the like: But They preach about <HI>Gods Attributes, Moral Duties, Obedience to Superiours,</HI> and things of that Nature. But whether this Fancy have more <HI>Folly</HI> or <HI>Malice</HI> in it, is not ea&s;ie to determine. It is like tho&s;e who make this Plea, do &s;peak truely as to their own Con|cernment. They preach of the things they expre&s;s <HI>exclu&s;ively</HI> unto the others which they meddle not with at all. For if they do teach them, then is the Oppo&s;ition they fan&s;ie between tho&s;e Wayes of Preaching altogether vain. But that others doe preach the things a&s;cribed unto them with a Neg|lect of tho&s;e other Doctrines which &s;uch Per&s;ons pretend to appropriate to them|&s;elves as their Province, is a fond Imagi|nation; and to encrea&s;e the Vanity of it, the Di&s;tribution is made by &s;ome with a <HI>total Silence</HI> on all hands, both on their <HI>own</HI> which they <HI>extoll,</HI> and that of <HI>others</HI> which they <HI>condemn,</HI> of that which cer|tainly ought to be the principal Subject of all Preaching, namely, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t and him crucifyed.</HI> But the Truth is, he who knows not that it is his Duty to declare unto the People, not this or that part of it, but the <HI>whole Coun&s;el of God,</HI> and who is
<PB N="439" REF="231"> not endowed with &s;ome mea&s;ure of <HI>Wi&s;|dom,</HI> &s;o as to di&s;cern what is <HI>u&s;efull, pro|fitable</HI> and <HI>&s;ea&s;onable</HI> unto his Hearers, ac|cording as their &s;piritual States and Occa|&s;ions do require; knows not what it is to be a Mini&s;ter of Chri&s;t or his Go&s;pel, a <HI>faithfull Steward</HI> of the My&s;teries of God, nor is meet to take that Office upon him. And there are three things which <HI>Mini|&s;ters, Teachers, Leaders</HI> of the People are to attend unto in the Di&s;charge of this principal part of their Office, in the <HI>Com|munication of the Knowledge of the Truth committed to them,</HI> unto others.</P>
<P N="1">1. That they are to do it with all <HI>Care, Diligence</HI> and <HI>Sedulity.</HI> How vehement is our Apo&s;tle in his Charge to this purpo&s;e. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1, 2. <HI>I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall judge the quick and the dead at his Appear|ing, and his Kingdom; Preach the Word, be in&s;tant in &s;ea&s;on, out of &s;ea&s;on; reprove, re|buke, exhort, with all Long-&s;uffering and Doctrine.</HI> How ought the&s;e words to &s;ound continually in the Ears of all Mini&s;ters who de&s;ign to be Faithfull in the Di&s;charge of their Duty? How ought the <HI>power</HI> of them to abide on their Hearts? Are they &s;poken alone unto <HI>Timothy?</HI> Or will the Souls of
<PB N="440" REF="232"> Men be pre&s;erved, edified, &s;aved, <HI>now</HI> with le&s;s Pains, and at an ea&s;ier Rate than <HI>for|merly?</HI> It will appear at the la&s;t day, that <HI>others</HI> al&s;o have an Eternal Concernment herein.</P>
<P N="2">2. That they labour with the <HI>utmo&s;t</HI> of their <HI>&s;trength,</HI> even to <HI>Fatigation</HI> and <HI>Wea|rine&s;s.</HI> All the Names whereby their Office and their Work are expre&s;&s;ed in the <HI>New Te&s;tament,</HI> do include this kind of Labour. As they are to <HI>give them&s;elves unto the Mi|ni&s;try of the Word; Act.</HI> 6. 4. that is, <HI>wholly and entirely</HI> in their utmo&s;t Endeavours, continually unto this Work; &s;o are they enjoyned <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to labour to the utmo&s;t of the &s;trength</HI> they have, therein. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 17. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16. 16. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 12. It is not Bodily Labour alone in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word (wherein there may be much Variety according unto the various Natu|ral Di&s;po&s;itions or Tempers of men, and of acquired Gifts,) but that Earne&s;tne&s;s and Intention of Spirit which will carry along with them the laborious pains of the whole Per&s;on, that I intend. The cold <HI>for|mal Pronunciation</HI> or <HI>Reading</HI> (as is the manner of &s;ome) a <HI>well-compo&s;ed Oration</HI> doth not well expre&s;s this <HI>Labouring in the Word and Doctrine.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><PB N="441" REF="232"> 3. That their <HI>whole Work</HI> and all their <HI>Endeavours</HI> therein be accompanyed with <HI>con&s;tant Prayer,</HI> that the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> in their <HI>Mi|ni&s;try</HI> may <HI>run and be glorified,</HI> that the <HI>Word</HI> may pro&s;per in the Hearts and Lives of the People. So the Apo&s;tle affirms that they would <HI>give them&s;elves continually un|to Prayer and the Mini&s;try of the Word; Act.</HI> 6. 4. That Mini&s;tration of the Word which is not accompanyed with <HI>continual Prayer</HI> for its Succe&s;s, is not like to have any great Ble&s;&s;ing goe along with it. As our Apo&s;tle calls God to witne&s;s of his <HI>frequent mention of them in his Prayers</HI> unto whom the Word was Preached, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 9, 10; &s;o he de&s;ireth the Prayers of others al&s;o, that his Work and Labour in the Mini&s;try might be pro&s;perous and &s;ucce&s;&s;efull, <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 18. For a Mini&s;ter to Preach the Word without con&s;tant <HI>Prayer</HI> for its &s;ucce&s;s, is a likely Means to cheri&s;h and &s;trengthen &s;e|cret <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> in his own Heart, and very unlikely to work Holine&s;s in the Lives of others.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It is in like manner required of them, that (&s;o far as Humane Frailty will permit,) they doe in their <HI>Per&s;ons, Wayes</HI> and <HI>Walkings,</HI> or <HI>Conver&s;ations,</HI> e&s;pe|cially in the Di&s;charge of all their <HI>Mini&s;te|rial</HI>
<PB N="442" REF="233"> <HI>Duties,</HI> give a true <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> both of the <HI>Doctrine</HI> which they Preach, and of <HI>Him</HI> in who&s;e Name they di&s;pen&s;e it. What Meekne&s;s, Humility, Zeal for the Glory of God; what Moderation, Self|denyal and Readine&s;s for the Cro&s;s; what Mortification of corrupt Affections and in|ordinate De&s;ires of Earthly things; what Contempt of the World; what Benignity, Conde&s;cen&s;ion and Patience towards all men; what Evidences of Heavenly-minded|ne&s;s are required hereunto, both the Scrip|ture declares, and the Nature of the thing it &s;elf makes apparent. What can any men Rationally believe, but that they who Preach <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> unto them, do declare that they have no other Effect or Tendency but what in them&s;elves they expre&s;s and repre&s;ent unto them? There is a &s;ecret Language in the Mini&s;try of men, that what they <HI>are</HI> and <HI>doe,</HI> is that which the <HI>Doctrine</HI> they Preach doth require, which their Hearers do <HI>under&s;tand,</HI> and are apt to <HI>believe.</HI> The very Philo&s;ophers &s;aw that &s;o it would be with re&s;pect unto them who publickly taught <HI>Philo&s;ophy.</HI> To which purpo&s;e the words of <HI>Therni&s;tius</HI> are remarkable. <HI>Orat.</HI> 1. <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<PB N="443" REF="233"> Whatever Vices mo&s;t men ob&s;erve in &s;uch Per&s;ons, they will not attribute them un|to their depraved Natures or inward Cor|ruptions, but unto the <HI>Philo&s;ophy</HI> they pro|fe&s;s. Hence it is enjoyned them, that in <HI>all things</HI> they <HI>&s;hew them&s;elves patterns of good Works. Tit.</HI> 2. 7. 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 3. 9. <HI>Be thou</HI> (&s;aith our Apo&s;tle unto his <HI>Timothy,) an Example unto Believers, in Word, in Conver|&s;ation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Faith, in Purity,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 12. This is the Dignity, Honour and Preferment that the Lord Chri&s;t calls his <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> unto, namely, that they &s;hould in their own Per&s;ons re|pre&s;ent his <HI>Graces</HI> and the Holine&s;s of his <HI>Doctrine,</HI> unto others. Tho&s;e who are otherwi&s;e minded, who&s;e De&s;igns and Af|fections look another way, will find them|&s;elves to fall under the Effects of a great Mi&s;take. I do not reflect any thing upon what <HI>outward, &s;ecular, circum&s;tantial</HI> Ad|vantages men may have in this World: But I do &s;ay, whatever they have of that Kind, which doth not enable them the more effectually in their Cour&s;e and Work to expre&s;s the <HI>Meekne&s;s, Humility, Self-de|nyal,</HI>
<PB N="444" REF="234"> and <HI>Zeal</HI> of Chri&s;t, with the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Doctrine they teach, or &s;hould &s;o doe, it will not redound unto any great Ac|count in the Kingdom of God.</P>
<P>Fourthly; It is al&s;o incumbent on them to <HI>attend</HI> with Diligence unto that <HI>Rule</HI> and Holy <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> which the <HI>Lord Chri&s;t</HI> hath appointed for the <HI>Edification</HI> of the Church, and the Pre&s;ervation of it in Pu|rity, Holine&s;s and Obedience. This indeed mo&s;t pretend a Readine&s;s to comply with|all, as that which is condited unto their Appetite by an Appearance of Authority and Power, which &s;eldom are unaccom|panyed with other de&s;ireable Advantages. I &s;hall onely &s;ay, it will be well for them by whom they are Admini&s;tred according to the mind of Chri&s;t; but, that more be|longeth thereunto than is u&s;ually appre|hended &s;o to doe, I &s;uppo&s;e few &s;ober and intelligent Per&s;ons will deny.</P>
<P>That the&s;e things, yea and many others of the like Kind, with all tho&s;e Duties which are &s;ub&s;ervient or any way nece&s;&s;ary unto them, are required of all <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> of the Go&s;pel, <HI>Teachers, Guides, Rulers</HI> of the Church, and that <HI>con&s;tantly</HI> to be at|tended unto with Zeal to the Glory of God and Compa&s;&s;ion for the Souls of Men,
<PB N="445" REF="234"> none (I &s;uppo&s;e) who profe&s;s them&s;elves <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> will in General deny. And if in the&s;e things the <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of the Mini&s;try (whereon the Purity and Holine&s;s of the Church depend) do con&s;i&s;t, where they are wanting it is Morally impo&s;&s;ible but that the <HI>generality of the People</HI> will gradually degenerate into Ignorance, Pro|fanene&s;s, Immorality and Unholine&s;s of every Kind.</P>
<P>There is nothing I could more de&s;ire, than that the pre&s;ent Defection from <HI>Evan|gelical Holine&s;s</HI> which is &s;o Vi&s;ible in the World, might neither in <HI>whole</HI> nor in <HI>part</HI> be charged on a <HI>Defect</HI> in the&s;e things among this &s;ort of men; yea that it might not be &s;o unto Qualifications, Principles, and Actings directly contrary unto what is thus required. For if it be not &s;o, there will be yet hopes of a <HI>Stay</HI> to be put unto its Progre&s;s, yea of an <HI>Healing</HI> and <HI>Reco|very</HI> from it. But I &s;hall a little enquire into that which offers it &s;elf unto the view of all, premi&s;ing the&s;e two things. (1) That I do not intend the Mini&s;try of any one <HI>Place,</HI> or <HI>Nation,</HI> or <HI>Age,</HI> or <HI>Time</HI> more than another, but &s;hall &s;peak Indefinitely unto what hath been and is in the Chri&s;ti|an World. (2) That if indeed upon Trial
<PB N="446" REF="235"> none be found <HI>blame-worthy,</HI> none <HI>defective</HI> in the&s;e things, there is no Harm done, in that any are warned what to avoid. And,</P>
<P N="1">1. Have they all <HI>kept the Truth</HI> and <HI>Do|ctrine</HI> and <HI>My&s;teries</HI> of the Go&s;pel, com|mitted to the <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> thereof? (1) Are there not many of this &s;ort who are them|&s;elves <HI>wofully Ignorant of the Coun&s;el of God</HI> revealed therein? Nay, are there not ma|ny who have neither <HI>Will</HI> nor <HI>Ability</HI> to &s;earch into the <HI>My&s;teries</HI> of the <HI>Doctrine</HI> of Chri&s;t, and do therefore <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> them? Can men keep in a way of Duty what they <HI>ne|ver had,</HI> nor ever u&s;ed tho&s;e Means for the attaining of it, without which it will not be &s;o done? And is it not manife&s;t what mu&s;t needs be, and what really are the Effects and Fruits hereof? Do not hereon Multitudes <HI>peri&s;h for want of Knowledge,</HI> and continue in the wayes of Sin becau&s;e they have none to teach them better, at lea&s;t not to teach them on &s;uch Principles as are alone effectual unto their Conver|&s;ion and Holine&s;s? They mu&s;t <HI>dye,</HI> they &s;hall <HI>dye in their Sins,</HI> but the Blood of their Souls will be required at other hands. For all the Cau&s;es of <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> all proper Motives unto it, all effectual Ways
<PB N="447" REF="235"> and Means of Attaining it are hid from them.</P>
<P>It is known how <HI>bruti&s;hly Ignorant</HI> the Generality of their Prie&s;ts are in the <HI>Papa|cy;</HI> neither, for the mo&s;t part, do the Ru|lers of that Church require any more of them, than that they have skill enough to <HI>read</HI> and manage their publick <HI>Offices of Devotion.</HI> Neither is it much otherwi&s;e in the <HI>Greek</HI> Church in any of the Branches of it, whereby whole Nations, under a publick Profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity, are thorough &s;tupid Ignorance degenerated into a prophane Cour&s;e of Life, no le&s;s vile than that of the <HI>Heathens.</HI> It is well if it be not &s;o in &s;ome mea&s;ure in other places al&s;o. But the Truth is, the <HI>Ignorance</HI> of many who take upon them the Office of the Mini&s;try, and their <HI>uncon&s;cionable Idlene&s;s</HI> when they have &s;o done, is the great Occa&s;ion of the Continuance of <HI>Pro|phanene&s;s</HI> and <HI>&V;ngodline&s;s</HI> among the Peo|ple. And if the <HI>Preaching of the Go&s;pel</HI> be the onely Sovereign effectual Means ap|pointed by God for the Change of Mens <HI>Natures,</HI> and the Reformation of their <HI>Lives,</HI> (a Denyal whereof includes a Renuncia|tion of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,)</HI> it is a vain Expecta|tion that either of them will be wrought
<PB N="448" REF="236"> in &s;uch a way as to re&s;tore the <HI>Beauty</HI> and <HI>Glory</HI> of Religion in the World, unle&s;s Pro|vi&s;ion be made for an <HI>able Mini&s;try</HI> to in|&s;truct the Body of the People through all their Di&s;tributions in Knowledge and Un|der&s;tanding.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is the Duty of this &s;ort of Per&s;ons unto the &s;ame End, to <HI>pre&s;erve the Truth pure and uncorrupted.</HI> Unle&s;s this be done carefully and effectually, <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> will not be maintained or pre&s;erved in the World. And it is evident how many of them have acquitted them&s;elves herein, as hath been in part declared in the foregoing Ac|count of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Doctrine</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> of the Go&s;pel. By them it hath been, principally, <HI>deba&s;ed, corrupted, per|verted,</HI> and continueth yet &s;o to be. Neither is there at this day &s;carce any one Doctrine that &s;hould really promote <HI>Evan|gelical Obedience,</HI> which is free from being <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed</HI> or <HI>depraved</HI> by &s;ome of them. But this is not that which we now &s;peak unto, it hath been done already. Our pre&s;ent Enquiry is after that <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Care</HI> of, that <HI>Zeal</HI> for the Truth, which are eminently required of them. Do they <HI>pray</HI> and <HI>labour,</HI> and <HI>plead</HI> with God and Man for its Pre|&s;ervation, as that wherein their <HI>principal</HI>
<PB N="449" REF="236"> <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> doth lye? Or do many e&s;teem of it any further but as their <HI>outward</HI> Advan|tages are &s;ecured by it? A <HI>Fault</HI> there is in this matter, and it is not without the e&s;pecial Guilt of &s;ome that the World is come to &s;uch an <HI>Indifferency</HI> about the <HI>principal Truths</HI> of the Go&s;pel, that from thence men &s;lip into <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> every day.</P>
<P N="3">3. Neither are the&s;e Defects &s;upplyed by <HI>Diligence</HI> in their <HI>Work;</HI> Yea the <HI>want</HI> thereof is of all other Evils in this Kind mo&s;t <HI>evident.</HI> No words are &s;ufficient to expre&s;s the <HI>&s;loth</HI> and <HI>negligence,</HI> the <HI>cold|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>carele&s;ne&s;s</HI> that are found among&s;t many in the Di&s;charge of their Duty, as to the In&s;truction of others, and the <HI>Appli|cation</HI> of the Word of God to the Hearts and Con&s;ciences of Men. I &s;hall not men|tion <HI>particular In&s;tances,</HI> that none may be offended. The <HI>Matter</HI> it &s;elf is evident, and the <HI>Effects</HI> of it manife&s;t. It may &s;eem to &s;ome de&s;ireable that &s;uch things &s;hould be concealed; but while&s;t by rea&s;on hereof the <HI>Souls</HI> of Multitudes are in danger of <HI>Eternal Ruine</HI> every day, tho&s;e who are &s;en&s;ible of their <HI>Mi&s;ery</HI> may be allowed to complain. How few therefore do diligent|ly and indu&s;triou&s;ly lay out them&s;elves and their Strength in the Mini&s;try with
<PB N="450" REF="237"> <HI>Zeal</HI> for the Glory of God, and <HI>Compa&s;&s;ion</HI> unto the Souls of Men? How few do take heed to them&s;elves and to the Flocks, do watch and pray, and pre&s;s their Me&s;&s;age on the <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> of their Hearers? Alas! it is but <HI>little</HI> of &s;aving <HI>Truth</HI> that many know in the <HI>Notions</HI> of it, <HI>le&s;s</HI> they care to communicate unto others, becau&s;e they know it not in its <HI>power.</HI> Will the <HI>Souls</HI> of Men be brought into the Obedience of Faith; will the <HI>power</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t</HI> of <HI>Sin</HI> and the <HI>World</HI> in them be ca&s;t down and de&s;troyed; will <HI>Go&s;pel-Obedience</HI> be pre|&s;erved in the <HI>Lives</HI> of Men by &s;uch weak and Languid Endeavours as many &s;atisfie them&s;elves withall? If it be &s;o, <HI>Conver&s;ion</HI> unto God, and the <HI>Fruits of Holine&s;s,</HI> mu&s;t be looked on as mo&s;t ea&s;ie things, and the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> it &s;elf to be of little u&s;e in the World. Certainly, there is another Repre|&s;entation of the&s;e things in the <HI>Scripture;</HI> And notwith&s;tanding the Growth of &s;ome Opinions that would render the whole work of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> &s;o ea&s;ie and facile as to be accommodated unto a <HI>negligent Mi|ni&s;try,</HI> yet the Event thereof is openly per|nicious. Wherefore, we need not fear to &s;ay, that <HI>coldne&s;s, lukewarmne&s;s, &s;loth</HI> and <HI>negligence,</HI> e&s;pecially when accompanyed
<PB N="451" REF="237"> with <HI>Ignorance</HI> and &s;piritual <HI>Darkne&s;s</HI> about the principal <HI>My&s;teries</HI> of the Go&s;pel, with an Inconcernment of <HI>Mind</HI> and <HI>Affections</HI> in the <HI>Importance, End</HI> and <HI>De&s;ign</HI> of their Work, among them who are looked on as the <HI>publick Teachers</HI> of the Church at any Time, or in any Place, keeps open a <HI>wide Door</HI> for the <HI>Lu&s;ts</HI> of men to pour forth them&s;elves into that Deluge of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Power</HI> of Godline&s;s, which the World is even overwhelmed withall.</P>
<P>So was it with the Church under the <HI>Old Te&s;tament,</HI> as God by the Prophets complains in an hundred places. Can any man be &s;o &s;tupid as to imagine, that the Ordinary Di&s;charge of the <HI>Prie&s;tly Office</HI> in the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>Rome,</HI> in &s;aying their <HI>Offi|ces</HI> at <HI>Canonical</HI> Hours, <HI>hearing of Confe&s;&s;i|ons,</HI> and <HI>giving Ab&s;olutions,</HI> without the lea&s;t Dram of <HI>labouring in Word and Do|ctrine,</HI> is a Means to keep up the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> or is not an Effectual Means to drench Mankind in Sin and Se|curity? Neither doth the calling of things by other <HI>Names,</HI> change their <HI>Natures.</HI> Wherever there is the &s;ame Neglect of the true Work of the <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> in the <HI>matter</HI> of it, or <HI>manner</HI> of its Performance, the &s;ame Event will en&s;ue thereon. And it
<PB N="452" REF="238"> will be no where more <HI>fatal</HI> than where Men <HI>love to have it &s;o,</HI> and <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> whatever is &s;poken to the contrary, &s;o as that it &s;hall be e&s;teemed a <HI>Crime</HI> for any one to be di&s;&s;a|tisfied with the &s;oul-ruining Sloth and Neg|ligence of this &s;ort of Men.</P>
<P N="4">4. Moreover, whereas great <HI>Relief</HI> in all the&s;e Ca&s;es might be taken from an <HI>holy exemplary Conver&s;ation</HI> and walking, among them in whom it is required as an Ordi|nance of God for the <HI>Direction</HI> and <HI>Encou|ragement</HI> of the People, it is manife&s;t in the World, and &s;ufficiently taken notice of, that many of them in their own Per|&s;ons are openly <HI>ambitious,</HI> in&s;atiably <HI>cove|tous, proud, &s;en&s;ual, haters</HI> of them that are Good, Companions of the <HI>wor&s;t</HI> of men, evidencing the <HI>depraved habits</HI> of their Minds in all &s;ignal In&s;tances of Vice and Folly. He that &s;hall con&s;ider what was the <HI>&s;tate,</HI> what were the <HI>Lives</HI> of the Apo&s;tles and fir&s;t Preachers of the Go&s;pel, with tho&s;e who &s;ucceeded them for &s;ome Ages following, not meerly as to their <HI>outward</HI> Condition of Straights and Poverty, (which as it will be pleaded, was occa&s;ioned by the <HI>&s;tate</HI> of things then in the World,) but as to that <HI>Humility, Lowline&s;s of Mind, Self|denyal, Contempt of the World, Zeal for God,</HI>
<PB N="453" REF="238"> <HI>Purity of Life,</HI> which they pre&s;cribed unto others, and gave an <HI>Exemplification</HI> of in them&s;elves; and then take a view of that <HI>univer&s;al Contradiction</HI> unto them and their <HI>Wayes</HI> which the <HI>Lives</HI> and Cour&s;e of very many in the World do at this day openly expre&s;&s;e, he mu&s;t conclude, that either all tho&s;e things were <HI>needle&s;s</HI> in them as to the publick Intere&s;ts of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> or that they are un&s;peakably <HI>endammaged</HI> by tho&s;e of &s;ome at pre&s;ent.</P>
<P>Wherefore it cannot with any Mode&s;ty be denyed, but that by Rea&s;on of the&s;e and the like Mi&s;carriages in the <HI>&s;piritual Guides</HI> of the People, that the Generality of Chri&s;tians have been either led, or &s;uf|fered in&s;en&s;ibly to fall into the pre&s;ent <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> When God &s;hall be plea&s;ed to give unto the People who are called by his Name, in a more abundant manner <HI>Pa&s;tors after his own Heart, to feed them with Know|ledge and &V;nder&s;tanding,</HI> when he &s;hall revive and increa&s;e an holy, humble, zeal|ous, &s;elf-denying, powerfull <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> by a more plentifull Effu&s;ion of his Spirit from above, then and not untill then may we hope to &s;ee the <HI>pri&s;tine Glory</HI> and Beauty of our Religion re&s;tored unto its <HI>primitive</HI> State and Condition.</P>
<PB N="454" REF="239">
<P> Tho&s;e who do yet judge, that matters among the common Profe&s;&s;ors of <HI>Chri&s;ti|anity</HI> as to the Obedience of <HI>Faith,</HI> are in as good a Po&s;ture as they were at any time formerly, or as they need to be, who have no other De&s;ire or Intere&s;t in them, but onely that they &s;hould not be better; may abide in their &s;ecurity without troubling them&s;elves with the&s;e things. But for &s;uch as cannot but &s;ee that a <HI>Revolt</HI> or <HI>Defection</HI> from <HI>Go&s;pel Obedience,</HI> is not onely be|gun in the World, but carried unto that height that it is ready to i&s;&s;ue in <HI>Idolatry</HI> or <HI>Athei&s;me,</HI> it is time for them to con|&s;ider under who&s;e hand this hath fallen out, and be &s;tirred up to put a &s;top unto its progre&s;s, before it be too late. Nor is it to be expected or fan&s;ied that there will be a <HI>Recovery</HI> of the People from <HI>ungodli|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Prophanene&s;s,</HI> or unto the <HI>holy Obe|dience</HI> the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> requireth, untill there be &s;uch a Change wrought in the <HI>Mini&s;try,</HI> that the <HI>Word</HI> may be &s;o di&s;pen&s;ed, and &s;uch <HI>Examples</HI> given, as may be effectual unto that End. It is to ca&s;t the highe&s;t Contempt on the <HI>Office</HI> it &s;elf, to imagine that this <HI>Breach</HI> can be otherwi&s;e healed. For whereas this Declen&s;ion is fallen out under the Conduct of the <HI>pre&s;ent Mini&s;try</HI>
<PB N="455" REF="239"> and that of the <HI>fore-going Ages,</HI> it is not to be thought that it will be retrived under the &s;ame Conduct; and to &s;uppo&s;e that it can be done any other Way, that the World of profe&s;&s;ed <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> &s;hall be re|covered unto <HI>holy Obedience</HI> by any other Means but the <HI>Mini&s;terial Di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> of the <HI>Word,</HI> is to render it a thing altogether <HI>u&s;ele&s;s.</HI> Here then mu&s;t begin the Cure of that Lethargy in <HI>Sin</HI> that the World is fallen into, namely, in the Renovation of a powerfull <HI>Evangelical Mini&s;try,</HI> or the due Di&s;charge of that Office by them that are <HI>called</HI> thereunto, or po&s;&s;e&s;s the <HI>place</HI> of it, if ever it be effected unto any pur|po&s;e in this World.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="456" REF="240">
<HEAD>CHAP. X.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Other Cau&s;es and Occa&s;ions of the Decay of Holine&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>SEcondly; Multitudes are led into, and countenanced in the wayes of <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Prophanene&s;s,</HI> freely indulging unto their Lu&s;ts and corrupt Affections; by a <HI>fal&s;e appropriation of ju&s;tifying Names and Titles unto them, in wayes of Sin and Wickedne&s;s.</HI> This was one principal Means of Old whereby the <HI>Jews</HI> were hardned in their <HI>Impieties</HI> and <HI>flagitious Lives.</HI> For when the Prophets told them of their <HI>Sins,</HI> and warned them of Gods approaching Judgements, they oppo&s;ed that Out-cry unto their whole Mini&s;try, <HI>The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, The Tem|ple of the Lord are the&s;e;</HI> Say what you plea&s;e, we are the onely Po&s;terity of <HI>Abra|ham,</HI> the onely Church of God in the World. This Conte&s;t they mannaged with the Prophet <HI>Jeremiah</HI> in an e&s;pecial manner;
<PB N="457" REF="240"> <HI>Chap.</HI> 7. he &s;aith unto them in the Name of the Lord, <HI>Amend your wayes and your doings, and I will cau&s;e you to dwell in this place,</HI> ver. 3. their Reply and Defence is, <HI>The Temple of the Lord,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>ver.</HI> 4. Where|unto the Prophet makes that &s;evere Re|turn, <HI>ver.</HI> 9, 10. <HI>Will ye &s;teal, murder and commit Adultery, and &s;wear fal&s;ely, and burn Incen&s;e to Baal, and walk after other Gods whom you know not, and come and &s;tand before me in this Hou&s;e which is called by my Name?</HI> Will you give up your &s;elves unto all manner of <HI>wickedne&s;s,</HI> and countenance your &s;elves therein by being a People unto whom the <HI>Temple</HI> and the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of it is appropriated? And this in like manner was the great Prejudice which the <HI>Bapti&s;t</HI> had to contend withall when he came to call them to Repentance. <HI>Abrahams</HI> Children they were, and by vertue of that Relati|on had Right unto all the Priviledges of the Covenant made with him, whatever they were in them&s;elves, <HI>Matth.</HI> 3. 9. And it is evident in the&s;e Examples, that the nearer Churches or Per&s;ons are unto an utter Forfeiture of all their <HI>Priviledges,</HI> and <HI>De&s;truction</HI> it &s;elf for their Sins, the more ready they are to boa&s;t of and &s;upport them&s;elves with their <HI>outward &s;tate,</HI> as ha|ving
<PB N="458" REF="241"> nothing el&s;e to tru&s;t unto. But if Men were able to countenance them&s;elves in their Sins on this preten&s;e again&s;t that Ex|traordinary <HI>Prophetical Mini&s;try</HI> which en|deavoured to di&s;card them of it, and call|ed them unto the Nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Per&s;onal Holine&s;s;</HI> how much more will they be able to &s;helter them&s;elves under its &s;hades, when they &s;hall be <HI>taught</HI> &s;o to doe?</P>
<P>When Men who have given up them|&s;elves unto a vitious, &s;en&s;ual, worldly Cour&s;e of Life, having either fallen into it by the Power of their <HI>Lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Tempta|tions,</HI> or were never brought into a better Cour&s;e by any Means of correcting the Vices of <HI>Nature,</HI> &s;hall find, that notwith|&s;tanding what they are, what they know them&s;elves to be, and what Judgement others mu&s;t needs pa&s;s of them, yet that they are e&s;teemed to <HI>belong to the Church of Chri&s;t,</HI> and are made partakers of all outward Priviledges of it, it cannot but greatly heighten their <HI>&s;ecurity</HI> in Sin, and weaken the <HI>Efficacy</HI> of all Means of their Reformation. And when others, not &s;o en|gaged in the wayes of Sin and Prophane|ne&s;s, &s;hall &s;ee that they may have all <HI>ex|ternal Pledges of Divine Love</HI> and Favour communicated unto them, although they
<PB N="459" REF="241"> &s;hould run into the &s;ame compa&s;s of Riot and Exce&s;s with others, it cannot but in|&s;en&s;ibly weaken their <HI>Diligence</HI> in Duty, and render them more pliable Subjects of <HI>Temptations</HI> unto Sin. For they are but <HI>few</HI> who care to be <HI>better</HI> than they judge they mu&s;t be of <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity.</HI> When the Church of <HI>Sardis</HI> was really <HI>dead,</HI> the principal Means of keeping it in that Condition, was the <HI>Name</HI> it had to be <HI>alive.</HI></P>
<P>Let us therefore con&s;ider, how it hath been in the World in this Matter. While&s;t the&s;e things have been communicated pro|mi&s;cuou&s;ly unto all &s;orts of Men, yea to the <HI>wor&s;t</HI> that live on the Earth, is it not evident that the Name of the <HI>Church,</HI> and the Admini&s;tration of its Ordinances would be made u&s;e of to countenance Men in a Neglect of <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> yea a <HI>Contempt</HI> and <HI>Hatred</HI> of it. While&s;t the&s;e Sacred Names, Titles and Priviledges, the&s;e Pledges of the <HI>Love</HI> of God, and of all the <HI>Benefits</HI> of the <HI>Mediation</HI> of Chri&s;t are forced to Lacquey after Men into the mo&s;t <HI>provoking Cour&s;es</HI> of flagitious <HI>Sins,</HI> what can put a &s;tay to the Lu&s;ts of Men? If the Church be that <HI>Society</HI> in the World which is alone the Object of Gods <HI>e&s;pecial Love</HI> and <HI>Grace,</HI> if the <HI>principal End</HI> of the Admini&s;tration
<PB N="460" REF="242"> of its Ordinances be to Confirm unto Men their Intere&s;t in the <HI>Benefits</HI> of the <HI>Me|diation</HI> of Chri&s;t, how can the Lu&s;ts of Men be more accommodated than by the <HI>Application</HI> of the&s;e things unto them, while&s;t they are <HI>flagrant</HI> in their pur&s;uit? It may indeed be &s;uppo&s;ed, that the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath made <HI>Evangelical Obedi|ence</HI> to be the immoveable <HI>Rule</HI> of an <HI>In|tere&s;t</HI> in his Church; Indeed, whether Obe|dience unto the <HI>Precepts of the Go&s;pel</HI> be not the onely and indi&s;pen&s;able <HI>Condition</HI> of a Participation of the <HI>Priviledges</HI> of the Go&s;pel, ought to be out of Di&s;pute with them that own the <HI>Truth</HI> of its Doctrine. And whereas all that is required of us that we may be Eternally <HI>&s;aved,</HI> is contained in the <HI>Precepts of the Go&s;pel,</HI> men can have no other <HI>outward &s;ecurity</HI> of their Souls welfare, than what doth accompany the <HI>Church</HI> and its Rights. When therefore they do find on what ea&s;ie terms they may hold an <HI>undefea&s;ible Intere&s;t</HI> in them, &s;o as that by a Complyance with &s;ome <HI>outward Forms</HI> or Con&s;titutions, they may &s;ecure their Right from any Impeachment or For|feiture by the mo&s;t <HI>profligate Cour&s;e</HI> of Life which for the Satisfaction of their Lu&s;ts they can betake them&s;elves unto, what re|mains
<PB N="461" REF="242"> of <HI>outward Means</HI> that can put a Re|&s;traint upon them?</P>
<P>This was the <HI>Engine</HI> whereby Sathan promoted that General Apo&s;ta&s;ie from <HI>Evangelical Obedience</HI> which befell the <HI>Church of Rome,</HI> in all its Branches, Mem|bers and Adherents. For, after that innu|merable Multitudes were brought into the <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity,</HI> not through a Conviction and Experience of its <HI>Truth, Power, Holine&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> unto the pre|&s;ent Peace and eternal Welfare of the Souls of Men; but in Complyance with the <HI>Ru|lers</HI> of the Nations and their own <HI>Secular Intere&s;t,</HI> being once &s;afely lodged (on mo&s;t ea&s;ie and gentle terms) in the Church, they were quickly &s;ecured from all Appre|hen&s;ions of the <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of that <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go&s;pel doth require. For being a&s;&s;ured, that although their <HI>Lives</HI> were wor&s;e than tho&s;e of the <HI>Heathen,</HI> were they never &s;o lewd, filthy and wicked, did all manner of Sins that may be named, or ought to be named, abound among them; yet that <HI>they,</HI> and <HI>they alone</HI> were the <HI>Church</HI> of Chri&s;t, and could not be otherwi&s;e, to what purpo&s;e &s;hould they trouble them|&s;elves with <HI>Mortification, Self-denyal, Pu|rity of Heart</HI> and <HI>Hands,</HI> and &s;uch other
<PB N="462" REF="243"> ungratefull Duties? What Ground is there to expect the &s;ame Cour&s;e of Obedience from them who engaged into a <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> on the&s;e Terms, with tho&s;e who in the <HI>Primitive</HI> Times embraced the <HI>Truth</HI> in the <HI>Love</HI> of it, for its <HI>own &s;ake,</HI> with a deliberate Re&s;olution to foregoe <HI>all things,</HI> rather than to for&s;ake its <HI>Pro|fe&s;&s;ion,</HI> or decline from its <HI>Commands?</HI></P>
<P>E&s;pecially were Men confirmed in their <HI>Security</HI> when they &s;aw others <HI>condemned Body and Soul unto Hell,</HI> and con&s;umed with <HI>Fire</HI> and <HI>Sword</HI> in this World, for not be|ing what <HI>they</HI> were, that is, <HI>the Church.</HI> They could not choo&s;e but applaud their own Happine&s;s, who on &s;uch ea&s;ie Terms were certainly freed from <HI>pre&s;ent</HI> and <HI>eternal</HI> Flames. When hereunto for the nece&s;&s;ary Satisfaction of &s;ome Convictions, the Re|liefs of <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion, Penances, Commutation</HI> and <HI>Redemption</HI> of Sins by outward <HI>Works</HI> of &s;uppo&s;ed Piety or Charity were found out, with the great Re&s;erve of <HI>Purgatory</HI> in all Dubious Ca&s;es, the Generality of Men bid an <HI>open Farewell</HI> unto the <HI>Holi|ne&s;s of the Go&s;pel,</HI> as that wherein they were not concerned, and wherewith they would not be troubled.</P>
<P>In the&s;e things con&s;i&s;ted the <HI>My&s;tery of</HI>
<PB N="463" REF="243"> <HI>Iniquity,</HI> the Springs and Occa&s;ions of that <HI>great Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which was in the World under the <HI>Papacy.</HI></P>
<P N="1">(1) The <HI>Doctrine</HI> of <HI>the Go&s;pel</HI> (as to its peculiar Nature, the Cau&s;es, Motives and Ends of it) was generally <HI>lo&s;t,</HI> partly through the horrible <HI>Ignorance</HI> of &s;ome, and partly through the pernitious <HI>Errors</HI> of others, who&s;e Duty it was to have <HI>pre|&s;erved</HI> it. And how impo&s;&s;ible it is to main|tain the <HI>life</HI> and <HI>power</HI> of Obedience when this Spring of it is <HI>dryed</HI> up or <HI>corrupted,</HI> when this Root is withered and decayed, is not hard to apprehend. Sometimes <HI>Truth</HI> is lo&s;t <HI>fir&s;t</HI> in a Church, and then <HI>Holine&s;s;</HI> and &s;ometimes the <HI>decay</HI> or <HI>hatred</HI> of Ho|line&s;s is the Cau&s;e of the <HI>lo&s;s</HI> of Truth; but where either is <HI>rejected,</HI> the other will not <HI>abide;</HI> as we have declared. And &s;o it fell out in that <HI>fatal Apo&s;ta&s;ie;</HI> The&s;e Evils pro|moted and furthered each other.</P>
<P N="2">(2) The <HI>Ground</HI> got by the lo&s;s of <HI>Truth,</HI> was &s;ecured by the Application of the <HI>Name, Title, Priviledges</HI> and <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> of the <HI>Church</HI> unto all &s;orts of Men, though living <HI>impenitently</HI> in their &s;ins. For there was and is virtually contained therein an <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> given unto them, that they are in that Con|dition wherein the Lord Chri&s;t requires
<PB N="464" REF="244"> they &s;hould be, which he accepts, approves, and hath annexed the Promi&s;es of the Go|&s;pel unto. When men were declared to be in this E&s;tate, what need they be at any Pains or Charge to have it <HI>changed</HI> or <HI>bet|tered?</HI> Certainly, in <HI>general</HI> they are too much in <HI>love</HI> with their Lu&s;ts, Sins and Plea&s;ures to part with them, unle&s;s they &s;ee a greater <HI>nece&s;&s;ity</HI> for it than &s;uch a Condition would admit. And for their further Security herein, they were inform|ed, that the <HI>Sacraments</HI> of the <HI>Church</HI> did by virtue of their Admini&s;tration alone conferre unto them all the Grace which they do &s;ignifie. Particularly they were taught to believe, That every one who had a <HI>Mouth,</HI> (whatever Villanies his Heart and Life were filled withall,) might <HI>eat the Fle&s;h,</HI> and <HI>drink the Blood</HI> of. Je&s;us Chri&s;t, (at lea&s;t by Concomitancy,) which him&s;elf hath a&s;&s;ured us, that who &s;o doth, <HI>&s;hall have Eternal Life; Joh.</HI> 6. 53, 54. And other wayes almo&s;t innumerable there were, whereby through their pretended Intere&s;t in the <HI>Church</HI> and its <HI>Priviledges,</HI> even <HI>flagitious Sinners</HI> were &s;ecured of Im|mortality and Glory.</P>
<P N="3">(3) For the Encrea&s;e of their <HI>Satisfacti|on,</HI> of the confirming of their <HI>Security,</HI>
<PB N="465" REF="244"> they found that <HI>Hell</HI> and <HI>De&s;truction</HI> were denounced onely again&s;t them who were not of the <HI>Church.</HI> For be&s;ides one great Maxim of Truth which pa&s;&s;ed currant among&s;t them, but fal&s;ely applyed unto their Advantage, namely, <HI>That out of the Church there was no Salvation,</HI> which Church they were; and one al&s;o of no le&s;s U&s;e to them, though of le&s;s Truth in it &s;elf, That the Church was like <HI>Noahs Arke, all were &s;aved that were in it, and all drowned that were out of it,</HI> with others of an alike encouraging Nature, they &s;aw the Truth of them exemplified before their Eyes. For if it &s;o fell out, that there were any who did not belong unto the Church as they did, nor would comply with it, although they were evidently in their Wayes and Lives more Righteous than them&s;elves, they &s;aw them by the Autho|rity of the Church, <HI>Cur&s;ed, Condemned un|to Hell, Ca&s;t into Dungeons,</HI> and <HI>con&s;umed</HI> with <HI>Flames.</HI> And herewith they could not but be fully &s;atisfied, that there was no Fear of Danger and Trouble in this World or another, but onely in not being of the Church, which Sin they were re&s;olved not to be guilty of, &s;eeing they could avoyd it on &s;o ea&s;ie Terms. And it will be found
<PB N="466" REF="245"> alwayes true, that as <HI>Per&s;ecutions,</HI> with the Sufferings of the Saints of God, do tend to the <HI>brightening</HI> of the Grace of &s;ome, and the <HI>Confirmation</HI> of the Faith of others who really Believe; &s;o they do greatly unto the <HI>Obduratene&s;s</HI> and <HI>Impenitency</HI> of Wicked men in their Sins. Never was there a more pernitious Engine again&s;t the <HI>Glory</HI> of the Go&s;pel invented, than for <HI>pro|fe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians</HI> to per&s;ecute, hurt and de&s;troy others in like manner profe&s;&s;ing <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion</HI> with them&s;elves, who vi&s;ibly excell them in an holy fruitfull Con|ver&s;ation, becau&s;e in &s;ome things they di&s;|&s;ent from them. For what can more <HI>&s;ecure</HI> Men in their Impietyes, than to per&s;wade them that they are <HI>ju&s;tified</HI> in them by the Rule of the Go&s;pel, above tho&s;e who in all Duties of <HI>Morality</HI> do really excell them. Certainly, for Swearers and Drunkards, Prophane per&s;ons and Unclean, to <HI>per&s;e|cute</HI> &s;uch for Religion as are vi&s;ibly <HI>pious, &s;ober, temperate,</HI> given unto <HI>Prayer</HI> and good <HI>Works,</HI> is no u&s;efull Repre&s;entation of <HI>Chri|&s;tianity.</HI> But,</P>
<P N="4">(4) The&s;e <HI>Priviledges</HI> and the&s;e <HI>Atte&s;tati|ons</HI> were not <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> and <HI>alwayes</HI> &s;uch Ar|mour of Proof unto Sinners, but that &s;ome <HI>Arrows of Conviction</HI> would ever and anon
<PB N="467" REF="245"> pierce into their Minds and Con&s;ciences, giving them no &s;mall Di&s;quietment and Trouble. One thing or other, either in &s;ome Beam of Truth from the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> or from <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> it &s;elf, on the Occa&s;ions of New <HI>Surprizals</HI> in Actual Sin, or from <HI>Fear,</HI> or an Apprehen&s;ion of &s;ome <HI>publick Judgements,</HI> would ever and anon befall them, and that unto an <HI>inward Di&s;turbance,</HI> beyond what the <HI>Advantages</HI> mentioned could reduce them from. And this was the mo&s;t likely way of awaking them out of their <HI>Security,</HI> and cau&s;ing them to en|quire what God yet required of them. In this Ca&s;e were the other Helps and Sup|plyes mentioned, found out and propo&s;ed unto them. If it be &s;o that you are not ab&s;olutely &s;atisfied with your Intere&s;t in the <HI>Advantages</HI> of the Church in <HI>general,</HI> if Sin will yet give you any Di&s;quietment, then you mu&s;t to <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion,</HI> and <HI>Penances,</HI> and <HI>Works</HI> of Redemption, with the like approved Medicines and Remedies for Troubled Minds. But if the Con&s;cience of any prove &s;o <HI>&s;tubhorn</HI> or inflexible after all the&s;e Mollifying and &s;uppling Medicines, that the Wound will not be <HI>skinned over,</HI> all that is yet wanting &s;hall be well i&s;&s;ued and &s;ecured in <HI>Purgatory,</HI> wherein it is
<PB N="468" REF="246"> mo&s;t certain, that never any Soul did mi&s;|carry.</P>
<P>By the&s;e and the like Means, the Gene|rality of Mankind was brought into an utter Inconcernment with <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s.</HI> They neither under&s;tood it, nor found any need of it, nor did like what by any Means they might hear of it; untill at length <HI>a blind Devotion,</HI> deformed with various Super&s;titions, obtained the Repu|tation of it; the World in the mean time being drenched in Ignorance, Prophane|ne&s;s, and all manner of wicked Conver&s;a|tion. So under the Name of the <HI>Church</HI> and its <HI>Priviledges,</HI> were <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> almo&s;t utterly lo&s;t among&s;t men.</P>
<P>It will not be otherwi&s;e where the &s;ame Principles are entertained, according unto the degrees of their Prevalency. And were it not but that the Minds of Men are pow|erfully influenced with Re&s;erves from the&s;e things, it were impo&s;&s;ible that &s;o many <HI>called Chri&s;tians,</HI> &s;hould in their Lives and Conver&s;ations exceed <HI>Heathens</HI> and <HI>Maho|metans</HI> in Wickedne&s;s. The Commands of the Go&s;pel are mo&s;t <HI>holy,</HI> its Promi&s;es <HI>great,</HI> and its Threatnings mo&s;t <HI>&s;evere;</HI> and yet under a <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of owning them all, Men lead Lives wor&s;e than the <HI>Heathens,</HI> who
<PB N="469" REF="246"> knew nothing of that holy Rule, or tho&s;e Promi&s;es and Threats of Eternal things wherein the highe&s;t Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s and utmo&s;t Mi&s;ery of our <HI>Natures</HI> do con&s;i&s;t, which the&s;e profe&s;s to be regulated by.</P>
<P>To &s;uppo&s;e really the lea&s;t Countenance to be given hereunto by any thing that belongs unto the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> is to exerci&s;e again&s;t it the highe&s;t De&s;pite imaginable. This Event therefore mu&s;t and doth prin|cipally follow on the undue Application of the <HI>outward Tokens</HI> of Gods Favour and Pledges of Eternal Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s unto Men in their Sins, by tho&s;e unto whom the <HI>Ad|mini&s;tration</HI> of them is &s;uppo&s;ed to be com|mitted by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And let none ex|pect a Return of a <HI>Conver&s;ation</HI> becoming the Go&s;pel among Chri&s;tians, untill things are &s;o ordered in the Church, as that none may flatter them&s;elves with a &s;uppo&s;ed In|tere&s;t in the <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> and <HI>Priviledges</HI> of the Go&s;pel, who live not in a vi&s;ible Subjecti|on unto and Complyance with all the <HI>Pre|cepts</HI> of it. But while&s;t all things are hudled together promi&s;cuou&s;ly, and there is no more required to make a Chri&s;tian, than for him to be Born in &s;uch a Place or Na|tion, and do not oppo&s;e the Cu&s;toms and U&s;ages in Religion which are there E&s;ta|bli&s;hed;
<PB N="470" REF="247"> we mu&s;t be content to bear the Evils of that <HI>Defection</HI> which the World groans under.</P>
<P>Thirdly; <HI>Great Examples</HI> of Per&s;ons ex|alted in Places of <HI>Eminency</HI> giving up them|&s;elves unto <HI>Boldne&s;s</HI> in a Cour&s;e of <HI>Sinning,</HI> which have fallen out in all the latter Ages of the Church, have had a &s;ignal Influence into the Encrea&s;e and Furtherance of this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> E&s;pecially they have had &s;o where the Per&s;ons giving &s;uch Examples have been &s;uch as pretend unto the <HI>Con|duct of Religion;</HI> See <HI>Jerem.</HI> 23. 15. It can|not with any Mode&s;ty be denyed, but that the flagitious &s;candalous Lives of many <HI>Popes</HI> and other great <HI>Prelates</HI> of the <HI>Court of Rome,</HI> have hurried many into the very Depths of <HI>Athei&s;me,</HI> and countenanced Multitudes in a carele&s;s, voluptuous, &s;en|&s;ual Cour&s;e of Life. And if at any time a Man who&s;e Wayes are made con&s;picuous by the Eminency of his Employment, be|ing as it were at the Head of all the Re|ligion that is publickly profe&s;&s;ed, and ha|ving the chief Conduct of it in his hand, as it is in the <HI>Papacy</HI> in many places, be <HI>vain</HI> in his Communication, <HI>prophane</HI> in his Principles, <HI>&s;en&s;ual</HI> in his Cour&s;e of Life, <HI>negligent</HI> in the Duties of his Office, no
<PB N="471" REF="247"> way <HI>rebuking</HI> open Sins, but taking plea|&s;ure in them that doe them; it is incredible how &s;oon an whole Age or Generation of profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tians, will be influenced, corrupted, and debauched thereby. For what is the Family like to be, when the <HI>Stewards</HI> are &s;uch as the evil Servant de|&s;cribed, <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. 48, 49, 50. As men are warned every day <HI>not to be wi&s;er than their Teachers,</HI> but duly to <HI>obey their Guides,</HI> &s;o they either cannot or will not for the mo&s;t part &s;ee any Rea&s;on why they &s;hould be <HI>better</HI> than they, or walk in any other Paths than what they tread before them. When the <HI>Sons of Eli,</HI> the Sons and Suc|ce&s;&s;ors of the High-Prie&s;t, actually exerci|&s;ing the Prie&s;ts Office in their own Per|&s;ons, gave the People an open Example of <HI>Prophanene&s;s</HI> and <HI>Lewdne&s;s</HI> of Life, the Body of the Nation was quickly &s;o far cor|rupted, as that the Judgements of God in the <HI>fir&s;t Captivity of the Land</HI> en&s;ued there|on. The World at pre&s;ent is &s;o <HI>precipi|tate</HI> and <HI>head&s;trong</HI> in a Cour&s;e of Sin, that the be&s;t Examples are not able in any mea&s;ure to &s;temme the Torrents of it. But if in any Place, at any Time, Encourage|ments are given unto men by any eminent Examples in &s;inning, helping to remove
<PB N="472" REF="248"> the remaining Curbs of Fear, Shame, and Reputation, Impudence in <HI>&s;inning</HI> will ari&s;e unto an exorbitant and uncontroul|able Outrage. Hereby then hath the <HI>De|fection from Holine&s;s</HI> complained of, been greatly promoted in all Ages; for few or none of them have wanted <HI>plenty</HI> of the&s;e Examples. Indeed the fir&s;t vi&s;ible <HI>Degene|racyes</HI> of Chri&s;tianity, as they <HI>accompanyed</HI> &s;o they were <HI>occa&s;ioned</HI> by the open Pride, Ambition, Strife, Contentions, and Con|formity unto the World, that po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed the Minds and &s;tained the Lives of far the greate&s;t part of the <HI>Prelates</HI> and principal Leaders of the Church, after it came under the Protection of the <HI>Roman Empire,</HI> and men thought to purcha&s;e an Intere&s;t in the good things of Religion, or at lea&s;t a <HI>Re|pre&s;entation</HI> of them, by giving Power, Wealth and Honour, unto per&s;ons no way <HI>better</HI> than them&s;elves, who had got the Name and Title of the <HI>Clergy,</HI> or Guides of the Church. For about the&s;e things they contended endle&s;&s;ely, to the &s;hame of Chri|&s;tian Religion, and the utter Lo&s;s in the mo&s;t of the true real <HI>power</HI> and <HI>vertue</HI> of it. And in following Ages as things grew wor&s;e and wor&s;e, the lewd and wicked Lives of <HI>Popes, Prelates</HI> and others, &s;igna|lized
<PB N="473" REF="248"> unto the World by their Power and Dignity, did by their Examples in&s;en&s;ibly bring about a publick Conformity unto their Vices, according as the Concurrence of Opportunity and Ability did enable men thereunto. Wherever therefore Per|&s;ons &s;hall fall within the Compa&s;s of the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> of the Church, or as Guides thereof are on that Account (on what Principles &s;oever,) exalted unto places of Eminence or Dignity, whereby they are made Con&s;picuous and Ob&s;ervable, if they do not proportionably excell others in <HI>vi|&s;ible exemplary Holine&s;s,</HI> at lea&s;t, if they be not Unblameable in &s;uch a <HI>godly</HI> Conver|&s;ation as truely expre&s;&s;eth the <HI>Grace</HI> of the Go&s;pel, in Humility, Meekne&s;s, Contempt of the World, &s;en&s;ual Plea&s;ures, and the Pride of Life, Zeal and Diligence in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word, it cannot be but that <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Go&s;pel, as to its <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> will be kept up and promoted.</P>
<P>Fourthly; This <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> hath been very much promoted by <HI>Per&s;ecution.</HI> I mean not that Per&s;ecution which hath befallen the &s;incere con&s;tant Profe&s;&s;ors of Chri&s;tianity from the <HI>avowed Enemies</HI> thereof, upon the Account of their Profe&s;&s;ion of it. This is
<PB N="474" REF="249"> &s;o far from being any Cau&s;e or Occa&s;ion of a Defection from the <HI>Holine&s;s of the Go&s;pel,</HI> as that it hath been the peculiar Glory of our Religion, and a notable outward Means of the Encrea&s;e of it. So hath it been with re&s;pect unto the whole <HI>Doctrine</HI> of the Go|&s;pel in general, and &s;o it is with re&s;pect unto any e&s;pecial <HI>Branch</HI> or part it. It was the <HI>primitive Glory</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion, that it &s;et out in the face of an <HI>univer&s;al Oppo&s;ition</HI> from the whole World, and not onely made good its Station, but encrea&s;ed under the fierce&s;t Per&s;ecutions, untill it had fini&s;hed that glorious Conque&s;t which it was de&s;igned unto. And not onely did it pre&s;erve its <HI>Being,</HI> and enlarge its <HI>Extent</HI> under them, but they were <HI>Means</HI> al&s;o to pre&s;erve its <HI>Purity,</HI> and to exert its <HI>Power</HI> in the Hearts and Lives of its Profe&s;&s;ors. The Church never lo&s;t <HI>finally</HI> either <HI>Truth</HI> or <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> by the violent Per&s;ecutions of its avowed Enemies. But I &s;peak not of the Outrages committed on the <HI>flock of Chri&s;t</HI> by <HI>Wolves</HI> in their own Skins, but by &s;uch as have got on <HI>Sheeps-cloathing;</HI> for the&s;e things in whom&s;oever they are, proceed from the uncured <HI>wolvi&s;h Nature</HI> in per&s;ons on whom the Go&s;pel hath not obtained its promi&s;ed Efficacy; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11. 6,
<PB N="475" REF="249"> 7, 8, 9. It is <HI>profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;tians</HI> per&s;ecu|ting one another, about &s;ome differences among them&s;elves concerning their Appre|hen&s;ions of <HI>&s;piritual</HI> things and Practice of Divine Wor&s;hip, that I intend. And this hath been &s;o great, e&s;pecially in the <HI>latter Ages of the Church,</HI> that it is que&s;tionable whether there hath not greater Effu&s;ion of the Blood of Chri&s;tians, Ruine of Families, and Deva&s;tation of Nations, been made by them who have profe&s;&s;ed the &s;ame <HI>Re|ligion</HI> in General, than by all the <HI>Pagans</HI> in the World &s;ince the fir&s;t Promulgation of it. He that &s;hall <HI>impartially</HI> read the Go&s;pel, will not be able to di&s;cern how it was po&s;&s;ible, that any &s;uch things &s;hould ever fall out among tho&s;e who pretend to avow it as their Rule and Guide, in any mea&s;ure. For the whole De&s;ign, and all the Rules of it are &s;o expre&s;&s;ely contra|dictory unto any &s;uch practice, as that no Man who had not learned the contrary from the Event, could po&s;&s;ibly conjecture that any per&s;ons could ever fall into it, without an antecedent <HI>Renunciation</HI> of the Go&s;pel it &s;elf. But thus in proce&s;s of time it did fall out unto the irreparable <HI>&s;candal</HI> and <HI>detriment</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion; and that &s;o it would do, was fore-told. For
<PB N="476" REF="250"> the principal De&s;ign of the <HI>Book of the Re|velations</HI> is, to foretell and delineate &s;uch an <HI>Apo&s;tate-&s;tate</HI> of the Church, as where|in the <HI>External Power</HI> prevailing in it, &s;hould per&s;ecute, de&s;troy and kill tho&s;e who would not comply in the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie;</HI> for which rea&s;on together with <HI>Idolatry,</HI> that State is called <HI>Babylon.</HI> And we all know how it came to pa&s;s under the Pow|er and Prevalency of the <HI>Roman</HI> Church. And we may ob&s;erve, that upon the De|&s;truction of <HI>Babylon</HI> it is &s;aid, that in her was found the Blood of the <HI>Prophets and Saints, and all that were &s;lain on the Earth; Rev.</HI> 18. 24; that is, for the Go&s;pel and the Profe&s;&s;ion thereof. Whoever therefore offereth Violence unto the Life of any on the Account of their Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go|&s;pel and Religion of Chri&s;t, be it under what preten&s;e it will, he doth therein and &s;o far joyn him&s;elf unto that <HI>Apo&s;tate-&s;tate</HI> which &s;hall be de&s;troyed. Our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t came to re&s;tore that <HI>Love of God</HI> which was departed from our Nature, and thereon that Love unto and among Man|kind which the Law of Creation Origi|nally required, and that advanced unto an higher degree of Worth and Excellency by an Addition of new Motives, Duties
<PB N="477" REF="250"> and Ends unto it; He came to <HI>&s;ave the Lives of Men and not to de&s;troy them,</HI> to deliver them out of a &s;tate of Enmity and mutual Hatred, into that of Peace and Love. And can any &s;ober man imagine, that the Hurting, Impri&s;oning, Fining, Ba|ni&s;hing, Killing and de&s;troying of Men for no other Rea&s;on or Cau&s;e in the World, but for <HI>Believing</HI> in Chri&s;t, and <HI>Wor&s;hipping</HI> of him according as they are invincibly convinced they ought to doe, is a good and due Repre&s;entation of this De&s;ign of Chri&s;t? Nay, is it not evident that this Practice draws a Veil over the Glory of it, ob&s;curing the principal attractive Beautyes of the Go&s;pel, and teaching the World a Chri&s;tian Religion, <HI>fierce, cruel, oppre&s;&s;ive, vindictive, bloody,</HI> to the utter Exclu&s;ion of that which is &s;o indeed. There is there|fore no more expedient Cour&s;e to draw off the Minds of Men from the due Con|&s;ideration of one principal End of the <HI>Me|diation</HI> of Chri&s;t, (which is to turn them from the Go&s;pel, and to &s;ub&s;titute another Go&s;pel in the room thereof, which yet is not <HI>another,</HI> becau&s;e it is none, whatever it pretends;) than for tho&s;e who profe&s;s Chri&s;tian Religion to <HI>per&s;ecute</HI> others of the &s;ame Profe&s;&s;ion for their <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> plead|ing
<PB N="478" REF="251"> this to be a Duty of that Religion. Wherefore, when the Generality of Man|kind, by what they heard and &s;aw, were per&s;waded that this was the true Religi|on, namely, Variou&s;ly to <HI>per&s;ecute</HI> and at length to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> others, who profe&s;&s;ing it did yet in &s;ome things di&s;&s;ent from them in <HI>Power,</HI> they had lo&s;t the <HI>true Go&s;pel,</HI> and the Benefits of it.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, that Religion is <HI>alien</HI> from the Go&s;pel, at lea&s;t includes a notable <HI>Defecti|on</HI> from it, who&s;e avowed Profe&s;&s;ion doth not repre&s;ent the <HI>Spirit, Graces,</HI> and <HI>Ver|tues</HI> of him who was its Author. Yea, <HI>Con|formity</HI> unto him in all things is the <HI>&s;umme</HI> and <HI>&s;ub&s;tance</HI> of that Obedience which it doth require. But in this way of <HI>External Force</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ecution,</HI> there &s;eems to be an Appearance of the Spirit of <HI>Mahomet</HI> and <HI>Anti-Chri&s;t</HI> rather than our <HI>Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> And hereby are the <HI>Minds</HI> of men infected with fal&s;e <HI>Notions</HI> and Apprehen|&s;ions of the <HI>Nature</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion, which while&s;t they Conform them&s;elves unto, they depart from the <HI>Glory</HI> and <HI>Pow|er</HI> of it. It hath been &s;ufficiently el&s;ewhere evinced, how contrary al&s;o this Practice is to the mo&s;t <HI>plain Rules</HI> and <HI>principal Ends</HI> of the Go&s;pel. And when at any time there
<PB N="479" REF="251"> is this kind of <HI>Per&s;ecution</HI> prevailing among Chri&s;tians, there is not &s;o much as the <HI>form, face,</HI> or <HI>Appearance</HI> of Chri&s;tianity left among&s;t men. All that Love, Charity, Peace, Meekne&s;s, Quietne&s;s, Conde&s;cen&s;ion, Mercy, Compa&s;&s;ion, Benignity, towards Mankind, which belong <HI>E&s;&s;entially</HI> unto Chri&s;tian Religion, are forced to give way to Wrath, Strife, Revenge, evil Surmizes, fal&s;e Accu&s;ations, Tumults, Di&s;order, Force, Rapine, and every thing that is Evil. Whereas therefore this Cour&s;e hath been &s;teered in many places of the World, and yet continueth &s;o to be, the Generality of Men mu&s;t needs be much <HI>untaught</HI> the Truth of Religion thereby. For that kind of <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> thereof which is con&s;i&s;tent with &s;uch Practi&s;es, is not directed in the lea&s;t by the Go&s;pel. And when the Minds of Men are hereby <HI>unframed,</HI> they are <HI>un|&s;uited</HI> unto all other Evangelical Duties. Whatever Advantages any &s;hall pretend to have by this Means accrueed unto the <HI>Truth</HI> (as they &s;uppo&s;e) in &s;ome few In&s;tan|ces, yet as none can be &s;o immode&s;t as to deny but that it hath been a thou&s;and times more &s;ub&s;ervient unto the Intere&s;ts of <HI>Er|rour;</HI> &s;o no pretended Advantage of <HI>Truth</HI> can countervail that Corruption of <HI>Chri|&s;tian</HI>
<PB N="480" REF="252"> <HI>Morality</HI> which hath been introduced and countenanced by it.</P>
<P>Fifthly; Want of <HI>Watchfulne&s;s</HI> again&s;t the In&s;inuation of <HI>National Vices,</HI> and the <HI>prevailing Sins</HI> of any pre&s;ent Age hath effectually promoted an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from <HI>Evangelical Holine&s;s</HI> among the Generality of Chri&s;tians. There are &s;ome Vices, Crimes, or Sins, that particular Nations, (on what Grounds I &s;hall not now enquire,) are pe|culiarly enclined unto, which therefore abound in them. For it is evident what great Advantages tho&s;e <HI>Vices</HI> mu&s;t have on the <HI>Minds</HI> of men, and how ea&s;ie it is to have their Practice impo&s;ed on them. All Men are continually encompa&s;&s;ed with them in their Occa&s;ions, and <HI>commonne&s;s</HI> takes off the &s;en&s;e of their <HI>Guilt.</HI> That which would be looked on in one Nation as the greate&s;t <HI>Debauchery</HI> of Humane Na|ture, is through <HI>Cu&s;tom</HI> in another pa&s;&s;ed by without any Animadver&s;ion. Hence the <HI>Prevalency</HI> of the Go&s;pel in any Nation may be mea&s;ured by the Succe&s;s it hath again&s;t <HI>known National Sins.</HI> If the&s;e are not in &s;ome good mea&s;ure &s;ubdued by it, if the Minds of Men be not alienated from them and made watchfull again&s;t them, if their Guilt appear not naked without the Var|ni&s;h
<PB N="481" REF="252"> or Veil put upon it by <HI>commonne&s;s</HI> or <HI>cu&s;tom,</HI> whatever Profe&s;&s;ion is made of the Go&s;pel, it is vain and u&s;ele&s;s. Thus the Apo&s;tle allows that there were <HI>National</HI> Sins prevalent among the <HI>Cretians, Tit.</HI> 1. 12, 13. <HI>One of them&s;elves, a Prophet of their own &s;aid, The Cretians are alwayes Lyars, evil Bea&s;ts, &s;low Bellyes; this witne&s;s is true; Wherefore rebuke them &s;harply, that they may be &s;ound in the Faith.</HI> Whatever their Pro|fe&s;&s;ion were, if they were not deliver|ed by the Go&s;pel from the Power and Practice of the&s;e <HI>National Sins</HI> which they were &s;o prone unto, they would not long be <HI>&s;ound in the Faith,</HI> nor Fruitfull in Obe|dience. So among the <HI>Jews</HI> there was a peculiar kind of <HI>Stubbornne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Ob&s;ti|nacy</HI> above any other Nation under Hea|ven, which God complaineth of in their &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ive Generations from fir&s;t to la&s;t, and which continueth to be their <HI>Characteri&s;ti|cal</HI> Evil unto this Day. Hence <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> was eminently commended, becau&s;e his <HI>Heart was tender,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 34. 27. He was not under the <HI>power</HI> of the common Sin of that People, which indeed includes all other Evils whatever. It was a rare thing to find one of a <HI>tender heart</HI> among them.</P>
<P>And we may ob&s;erve, (it being ea&s;ily
<PB N="482" REF="253"> demon&s;trable,) that the <HI>great Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which is at this day among the Nations which have received the Chri&s;tian Religi|gion con&s;i&s;ts in a <HI>Degeneracy</HI> into tho&s;e <HI>Cu&s;toms, Manners, Humours,</HI> and <HI>cour&s;e of Conver&s;ation</HI> which were common among them, and <HI>National</HI> before the entrance of <HI>Chri&s;tianity.</HI> Set a&s;ide an <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> and Formality of Wor&s;hip, and the Gene|rality of Men in mo&s;t Nations live as they did formerly, and are given up greatly unto tho&s;e Vices which were prevalent among them in their <HI>Heatheni&s;m.</HI> A full Evidence this is, that the <HI>Power</HI> of Evan|gelical Truth is lo&s;t among them, the Effi|cacy thereof con&s;i&s;ting in curing the <HI>Vices of Nature,</HI> and tho&s;e Evils which men have been mo&s;t habituated unto, as the Prophet at large declares; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.</P>
<P>Thus the Sin of this Nation hath been alwayes e&s;teemed <HI>Sen&s;uality of Life,</HI> in an Exce&s;s of Eating and Drinking, with the Con&s;equents thereof. Hereunto of late hath been added <HI>Vanity in Apparel,</HI> with fooli&s;h, light, la&s;civious Modes and Dre&s;|&s;ings therein, and an immode&s;t Boldne&s;s in Conver&s;ation among Men and Women. The&s;e were Corruption; which being bor|rowed from the <HI>Neighbour Nation,</HI> and
<PB N="483" REF="253"> grafted on Crab-&s;tocks of our own, have brought forth the Fruit of Vanity and Pride in abundance. And it is the mo&s;t manife&s;t Evidence of a degenerate People when they are prone to <HI>naturalize the Vices of other Nations</HI> among them, but care not to imitate their <HI>Vertues</HI> if in any kind they do excell. But thus the <HI>Lu&s;t of the Eyes</HI> and <HI>the Pride of Life</HI> are joyned unto the <HI>Lu&s;ts of the Fle&s;h,</HI> to give the World, (as oppo&s;ite unto God,) a compleat Intere&s;t among us. It may be the&s;e things are re|&s;trained in &s;ome by <HI>contrary Vices,</HI> as Co|vetou&s;ne&s;s and an earne&s;t De&s;ire or Am|bition to enrich a Family, and leave a Name among&s;t Men, a Vanity infu&s;ed among&s;t Mankind from the great De&s;ign of the <HI>Builders of Babel,</HI> which was to make unto them&s;elves a Name; <HI>Gen.</HI> 11. 4. This is but another way of the Exerci&s;e of the &s;ame Sin.</P>
<P>Now where Sins are thus <HI>National</HI> and <HI>common,</HI> it is Ea&s;ier for Men to pre&s;erve them&s;elves from the mo&s;t raging <HI>Epidemical Di&s;ea&s;e,</HI> than from being in one degree or other tainted with the Infection of them. It is almo&s;t inexpre&s;&s;ible how <HI>efficaciou&s;ly</HI> they will in&s;inuate them&s;elves into the Minds and Lives of Men. They are &s;o be&s;et on
<PB N="484" REF="254"> every &s;ide with the Occa&s;ions of them, and Temptations unto them, they offer them|&s;elves continually with &s;o many &s;pecious Pretences, as that there is no Security again&s;t them but by being encompa&s;&s;ed with the <HI>whole Armour of God,</HI> a Matter that few under&s;tand or apply them&s;elves unto. But it is not on any other Grounds or by any other Means for &s;ingle Per&s;ons to hold out and prevail again&s;t a <HI>National</HI> Confederacy in Sin. For they who will not &s;ay a <HI>Confederacy to them,</HI> or in tho&s;e things wherein an whole <HI>People &s;hall &s;ay a Confederacy,</HI> mu&s;t be contented to be <HI>for Signs and Wonders,</HI> to be de&s;pi&s;ed and even hooted at; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8. 11, 12, 18. However it is apparent, that by them the <HI>general Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> we treat of, is vi&s;ibly and openly promoted. Some are engaged in them by a corrupt Cour&s;e of <HI>Education,</HI> and &s;ome are betrayed into the Entrances of them by <HI>Sloth, Negligence,</HI> and <HI>Security;</HI> &s;ome lo&s;e a Sen&s;e of their Guilt by their <HI>Com|monne&s;s;</HI> &s;ome yield to the Arguments that are pleaded, if not in their <HI>ju&s;tification,</HI> yet in their <HI>excu&s;e,</HI> or for their <HI>extenuation;</HI> one way or other, <HI>Multitudes</HI> of all &s;orts are by them turned away from <HI>Go&s;pel Obedience.</HI> Hence it is come to pa&s;s&punc; that <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI>
<PB N="485" REF="254"> is (as unto Cu&s;toms, Manners, Vanities, Vices, and Way of Conver&s;ation,) &s;unk down into <HI>Heatheni&s;me;</HI> or prevalent Na|tional Sins have drowned the <HI>power,</HI> and left little but the <HI>outward Form</HI> of it in the World. And where it is &s;o, the Life, Sub|&s;tance, and all the real Benefits of the Go|&s;pel are renounced. For it doth not de&s;ign onely to turn men in their <HI>outward Pro|fe&s;&s;ion</HI> from <HI>dumb Idols to &s;erve the living God,</HI> to change the <HI>Form</HI> and <HI>outward State</HI> of Religion, as the <HI>Roman Mi&s;&s;iona|ries</HI> have made Conver&s;ions of the <HI>Indians,</HI> giving them New <HI>Images</HI> in&s;tead of their Old <HI>Idols,</HI> and New <HI>Saints</HI> for their former <HI>Zemes;</HI> but to turn men al&s;o <HI>from all &V;n|godline&s;s and worldly Lu&s;ts, to live &s;oberly, righteou&s;ly and godly in this World.</HI> Where this is not effected, either the Go&s;pel ne|ver really prevailed among men, or they are fallen away from it. And where men do ingage into a Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion di&s;allowing and condemning &s;uch <HI>National Vanities, Vices</HI> and <HI>Cu&s;tomes,</HI> if they are publickly countenanced, they occa&s;ion <HI>par|ticular Apo&s;ta&s;ies</HI> every day. This is that which on the one &s;ide and the other hath almo&s;t lo&s;t the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion</HI> in &s;ome neighbour Nations. For not being able to
<PB N="486" REF="255"> hold out again&s;t tho&s;e <HI>National Vanities and Vices</HI> which are publickly countenan|ced, they find no Relief unto their Minds but in a <HI>Renunciation</HI> of that Religion by which they are condemned. And this I look upon as the principal Means of that general Defection from <HI>Evangelical Holi|ne&s;s</HI> which prevails in mo&s;t Nations: The Go&s;pel comes upon a Nation as on a <HI>Wil|derne&s;s</HI> or <HI>Forre&s;t</HI> that is full of &s;uch Wood, Thorns and Bryars, as the Soyl of it &s;elf is peculiarly di&s;po&s;ed to produce. The&s;e it cuts down to the ground, planting <HI>good and Noble Plants</HI> in their room, whereby the barren Wilderne&s;s becomes for a Sea|&s;on a fruitfull Field; But in proce&s;s of time, if continual <HI>care</HI> and <HI>culture</HI> be not u&s;ed about it, the Earth pours out of its own accord the <HI>Weeds and Briars</HI> which are Natural unto it. The&s;e &s;pringing up abundantly, choak the <HI>other Plants and u&s;efull Herbs,</HI> whereby the fruitful Field is turned again into a Wilderne&s;s. There needs no more unto this Apo&s;ta&s;ie, but that <HI>National Vices</HI> for a time &s;uppre&s;&s;ed by the <HI>Power</HI> of the Word, &s;hould over|grow the Generality of any People, where|by the <HI>Graces</HI> of the Go&s;pel will be cer|tainly &s;tifled and choaked.</P>
<PB N="487" REF="255">
<P> Sixthly; <HI>Mi&s;takes about the Beauty and Glory of Chri&s;tian Religion</HI> have been no &s;mall Cau&s;e of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from its <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s.</HI> That it &s;hould have a <HI>Glory,</HI> &s;omewhat that might render it Honour|able in the Eyes and E&s;teem of Men was alwayes thought unque&s;tionable, and it is certainly true; provided that we &s;uppo&s;e tho&s;e with whom we have to doe, have Eyes <HI>to &s;ee that Glory,</HI> and Minds enlighten|ed to make a true Judgement of it. In com|plyance herewithall was Religion outward|ly figured and repre&s;ented among the <HI>Jews.</HI> And as the Apo&s;tle declares that the Wor|&s;hip of God in the Admini&s;tration of the Go&s;pel is <HI>truely glorious,</HI> and eminently &s;o above what was to be found in the Admi|ni&s;tration of the Law; &s;o Chri&s;tian Reli|gion is in it &s;elf truely honourable, and contains in it every thing that is &s;o, in the Judgement of God and the rectified Rea|&s;on of Mankind. But about the true No|tion and Apprehen&s;ion of that <HI>Glory and Honour</HI> which is proper unto <HI>Religion,</HI> and &s;uited unto its <HI>Nature,</HI> men have fallen into many wofull Mi&s;takes. For whereas it principally con&s;i&s;ts in the <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> inter|nal Operations of the Holy Spirit,</HI> Renewing our Natures, Transforming us into the
<PB N="488" REF="256"> Image and <HI>Likene&s;s</HI> of God, with the Fruits of his <HI>Grace</HI> in Righteou&s;ne&s;s and true Ho|line&s;s, in a meek, humble, gracious <HI>Con|ver&s;ation,</HI> and the Performance of all <HI>Du|ties</HI> according to the <HI>Rule;</HI> few are able to di&s;cern Beauty or Glory or Honour in the&s;e things. But yet where there is not <HI>an Eye to di&s;cern them,</HI> the Go&s;pel mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be de&s;pi&s;ed and abandoned, and &s;omewhat el&s;e &s;ub&s;tituted in the room thereof. This therefore al&s;o proved a great furtherance of the <HI>general Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> and continues an Efficacious Means of keeping Multitudes under the <HI>power</HI> of it unto this Day. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. Through the Lo&s;s of <HI>&s;piritual Light,</HI> and Neglect of the <HI>Grace</HI> of God, things were come to that pa&s;s in the World, that tho&s;e who had the Conduct of Religion <HI>&s;aw no real Glory them&s;elves</HI> in the things wherein all the <HI>Glory</HI> of the Religion taught and appointed in the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t. And they are but few that do &s;o at this Day. Therefore the Profe&s;&s;ion that is made of them by any, is generally looked on as <HI>Hypocri&s;ie</HI> mixed with a certain kind of <HI>Super&s;tition,</HI> and is accordingly de&s;pi|&s;ed. Yea nothing is more contemptible in the World, than the <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>profe&s;&s;ion</HI>
<PB N="489" REF="256"> of tho&s;e Wayes which are <HI>truely</HI> if not <HI>onely</HI> Noble. Their View therefore be|ing lo&s;t in the <HI>Eyes</HI> of the Leaders of the Church, it could not be expected that they &s;hould be in&s;trumentul to open the Eyes of others, or carefull to in&s;truct <HI>them</HI> how to look after what them&s;elves did not di&s;cern.</P>
<P N="2">2. They were fully &s;atisfied, that there was in the&s;e things no <HI>Evidence of Glory</HI> unto the Eyes of the Generality of Man|kind whereunto they thought it Wi&s;dom to accommodate them&s;elves and the No|tions of Religion. Men naturally can &s;ee no more <HI>Beauty</HI> in the &s;piritual Powers of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> than the <HI>Jews</HI> could &s;ee in the <HI>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t</HI> when they rejected him, becau&s;e unto them he made no Appear|ance thereof; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53. 2. That <HI>Religion</HI> &s;hould be &s;et off and repre&s;ented as truely <HI>glorious</HI> and <HI>honourable</HI> in the Eyes of Men, they thought it incumbent on them to take Care. But leaving herein the Judge|ment of <HI>God,</HI> of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>Holy Spirit,</HI> as declared in the Scripture, they accommodated them&s;elves unto the carnal Apprehen&s;ions of them with whom they had to doe, which were al&s;o &s;uited unto their own. Wherefore, that this <HI>Glory</HI> of
<PB N="490" REF="257"> Religion con&s;i&s;ted in a <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> in the Church humble, holy, laborious, eminent in the Graces and Gifts of the Spirit, look|ing for no Honour or Re&s;pect but <HI>for their Works &s;ake;</HI> in a <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> plain, unadorned, &s;piritual, who&s;e Life and Excellency con|&s;i&s;ts in the invi&s;ible, effectual Admini&s;tra|tions of the Spirit of God, in <HI>Meekne&s;s, Self-denyal, Mortification</HI> of <HI>Sin,</HI> and the Fruits of <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> proceeding from the <HI>Grace</HI> of the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> they neither did apprehend them&s;elves, nor could imagine that others would be of that Mind. For the World generally &s;uppo&s;eth the direct contrary unto all the&s;e to be <HI>honourable</HI> and <HI>glorious.</HI> Things which have a pre|ten&s;e of <HI>Height and Gallantry of Spirit,</HI> a <HI>Religious Wor&s;hip</HI> &s;et off with &s;uch Orna|ments and Modes as to affect the outward Sen&s;es, with &s;omewhat that may give Sa|tisfaction unto <HI>Lu&s;t</HI> and <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> at the &s;ame time, are the things which unto the mo&s;t are alone de&s;ireable. Wherefore, all Pretence unto the <HI>Power</HI> of Religion Dwindling away into an empty jejune <HI>Form</HI> and Appearance of it in <HI>Monkery,</HI> the &s;uppo&s;ed <HI>Glory</HI> of Chri&s;tianity in the World i&s;&s;ued in the&s;e three things.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) The <HI>&s;ecular Pomp and Grandeur of</HI>
<PB N="491" REF="257"> <HI>the Rulers of the Church.</HI> This was de&s;igned to beget a Reverence unto their <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> and <HI>Offices,</HI> without which <HI>Religion</HI> it &s;elf would be de&s;pi&s;ed. And it is ea&s;ily con|ceivable how by this Means their Minds were drawn off from a <HI>due con&s;ideration</HI> of all tho&s;e things which are truely <HI>honourable</HI> in them, and the Neglect whereof will be the lo&s;s of the <HI>Power</HI> of Religion in the mo&s;t at any time. For when they had &s;e|cured unto them&s;elves that <HI>Honour,</HI> Re|&s;pect, and Reverence, which they e&s;teem|ed needfull unto the <HI>Glory of Religion,</HI> and found very &s;uitable unto their own De&s;ires and Ends, to what purpo&s;e &s;hould they trouble or perplex them&s;elves with tho&s;e <HI>hard Duties</HI> of Exemplary Mortification, Self-denyal, and painfull Labour in the Work of the Mini&s;try, when the whole of what they aimed at, or needed, was pre|pared for them. And how corrupt a Spring of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> brake forth hereon, hath been before declared.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) A <HI>Pompous Ceremonious Wor&s;hip,</HI> which began to be introduced by a Pre|tence of Outward <HI>Solemnity,</HI> and ended in plain <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Idolatry.</HI> And here|by were the Minds of Men diverted and taken off from inquiring after that <HI>&s;piritual</HI>
<PB N="492" REF="258"> <HI>Exerci&s;e</HI> of the Graces and Gifts of the <HI>Spi|rit,</HI> wherein alone the <HI>Beauty</HI> of <HI>Evangelical Holine&s;s</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">(3.) In Works of <HI>Magnificence</HI> and <HI>Boun|ty,</HI> wherewith the <HI>Clergy</HI> were enriched, and the <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> of Men pacified in a Cour&s;e of <HI>Sin</HI> or an <HI>unholy Life.</HI> When the World was once per&s;waded, that in the&s;e things con&s;i&s;ted the <HI>Glory and Beauty of Religion,</HI> and found them all readily complyant with their Lu&s;ts and Darkne&s;s, that real Holine&s;s and Obedience which is required in the Go&s;pel was every day more and more neglected and de&s;pi&s;ed. Be&s;ides, it is not expre&s;&s;ible, what wicked &s;canda|lous <HI>Practices</HI> in Pride, Ambition, Divi&s;i|ons and Contentions among the <HI>Leaders</HI> of the Church, did &s;pring from and en&s;ue on the&s;e Principles. Henceforward no &s;mall part of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Story</HI> is taken up with fierce <HI>Contentions</HI> and <HI>Quarrels</HI> about the Preheminence, Dignities, Priviledges and Juri&s;diction of the <HI>Prelates.</HI> Tho&s;e who were wi&s;e and &s;ober among the <HI>Heathen</HI> ob&s;erved this Evil among <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> re|porting it as that whereby their <HI>Religion</HI> was deba&s;ed and corrupted. Such is the Account given by <HI>Ammianus Marcellinus,</HI> of that bloody and &s;candalous Conflict be|tween
<PB N="493" REF="258"> <HI>Dama&s;us</HI> and <HI>&V;r&s;icinus,</HI> whether of them &s;hould be <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> of <HI>Rome, Lib.</HI> 27. <HI>Chap.</HI> 6.</P>
<P>Seventhly, During the&s;e Sea&s;ons, <HI>Sathan</HI> (as he will never be,) was not wanting unto his own <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> and <HI>Advantages;</HI> And they are altogether <HI>ignorant of his De|vices</HI> who di&s;cern him not at work even at pre&s;ent unto the &s;ame End and Purpo&s;e. Nor is it po&s;&s;ible that in any Age, Time, or Place, the <HI>Glory</HI> of the Go&s;pel &s;hould be abated, and the principal <HI>Endeavour</HI> therein not to belong to him. He is the <HI>Head and Leader</HI> of every Apo&s;ta&s;ie from God. Therein he began his Work in this World, and in the Promotion of it, he will fini&s;h it. And as he ingaged all his Power and Art again&s;t the <HI>Head of the Church,</HI> &s;o by his total Defeat in that At|tempt, wherein he made the cleare&s;t Di&s;co|very of his <HI>Pride</HI> and <HI>Malice</HI> again&s;t God, that it is po&s;&s;ible for him to doe, he is not di&s;couraged from pur&s;uing the &s;ame De|&s;ign again&s;t the <HI>whole Church</HI> it &s;elf. And the way now in&s;i&s;ted on, hath been the <HI>chiefe&s;t Path</HI> that he hath beaten in his Cour&s;e. For, from the very Entrance of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> he began to immix him&s;elf with all tho&s;e Lu&s;ts of Men whereby a <HI>Defection</HI>
<PB N="494" REF="259"> from its <HI>power</HI> and <HI>purity</HI> might be &s;et on foot and effected. And he engaged again&s;t it in both his Capacities, as a <HI>Lyon</HI> and as a <HI>Serpent;</HI> As a <HI>Lyon</HI> he &s;tirred up, acted and animated all tho&s;e bloody <HI>Per&s;ecuti|ons</HI> whereby the <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Pagan</HI> World attempted for Three hundred years to ex|terminate the <HI>Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ion.</HI> But herein his Succe&s;s was an&s;werable to that of his Attempt again&s;t the <HI>Head</HI> of the Church, and ever will be &s;o, by <HI>virtue of the Victory</HI> the Lord Chri&s;t had over him in the &s;ame kind of Conflict. The Force of the <HI>Devil</HI> and the <HI>World</HI> having been once fully broken and &s;ubdued by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> it &s;hall never prevail in the i&s;&s;ue again&s;t his <HI>Followers.</HI> Sathan in a Confederacy with the World may as a <HI>Lyon</HI> through Rage and Blood make a great blu&s;ter, and <HI>&s;cat|ter</HI> the Churches of Chri&s;t for a Sea&s;on, but <HI>prevail</HI> unto the Ruine of the Church in this way, he never did nor &s;hall. And if at any time by <HI>National Deva&s;tations</HI> he do &s;o far &s;ucceed as to expell the Go&s;pel from any place or Countrey for a &s;ea&s;on, it &s;hall be evident unto all that it &s;hall turn greatly unto its <HI>Advantage</HI> in general, and in other places. Let not then any fear his <HI>bloody Fury</HI> as to the Intere&s;t of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and
<PB N="495" REF="259"> the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> in the World. As &s;ure as he was conquered and triumphed over in the <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> he &s;hall finally be &s;o in all &s;uch Attempts. Happy and ble&s;&s;ed are they and &s;hall they be, by who&s;e Blood and Tem|poral Ruine his <HI>power</HI> at any time is or &s;hall be broken. So I &s;ay it fell out in his fir&s;t Attempt in this way again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion.</HI> For through the Efficacy of the <HI>Grace</HI> of Chri&s;t, and by virtue of the Victo|ry obtained again&s;t him in his own Per&s;on, he was overcome by the <HI>Blood</HI> and <HI>Con|&s;tancy</HI> of innumerable holy Souls, untill he was ca&s;t out of the Havens of the World, and an end was put unto his Rage. But in the mean time while&s;t this &s;worn Enemy of the Church made all this Blu&s;ter as a <HI>Lyon,</HI> and rai&s;ed all the&s;e &s;torms of <HI>Per&s;e|cution,</HI> which the Minds of all the Pro|fe&s;&s;ors of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> were intent upon and generally much fortified again&s;t, he was &s;ecretly at work as a <HI>Serpent</HI> al&s;o. Here|in he &s;ecretly and gradually infected the Minds of many with <HI>Ambition, Worldline&s;s, Super&s;tition,</HI> and a Neglect of the <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Simplicity</HI> of the Go&s;pel. That this is his Work as <HI>a Serpent,</HI> our Apo&s;tle declares; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 2, 3. And herein &s;ometimes <HI>he transformed him&s;elf into an Angel of Light,</HI>
<PB N="496" REF="260"> as he &s;peaks in that place; <HI>ver.</HI> 13, 14, 15. For he not onely <HI>poy&s;oned</HI> and <HI>enflamed</HI> the Lu&s;ts of Men, but <HI>drew them a&s;ide</HI> from the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> by Sugge&s;tions and Pretences of <HI>more Piety</HI> and <HI>Devotion,</HI> or at lea&s;t of other outward <HI>Modes</HI> and <HI>Means</HI> of their Ex|pre&s;&s;ion, than it did require. So did the <HI>My&s;tery of Iniquity</HI> work in the dayes of the Apo&s;tles them&s;elves; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2 7. He was at <HI>work</HI> &s;ecretly by Wayes and Means not ea&s;ie to be di&s;covered, to draw off the Minds of Men from <HI>Evangelical Truth</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> by &s;owing the Seeds of that <HI>Am|bition</HI> and <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> which afterwards &s;pread them&s;elves over the Face of the whole <HI>vi&s;ible Church.</HI> So was he the <HI>Spirit</HI> which animated the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which by va|rious and in&s;en&s;ible Degrees prevailed in the following Ages. Tho&s;e who acted in it and promoted it, never knew any thing of the De&s;ign, but added one thing unto another, which gave it Encrea&s;e as Occa&s;ion was offered. But in him the <HI>Projection</HI> was de&s;igned, and regularly carryed on from the Beginning. Hence had it the Name of <HI>The My&s;tery of Iniquity,</HI> as being in&s;inuated and promoted by &s;uch un&s;earchable Me|thods or <HI>Depths of Sathan,</HI> that tho&s;e for the mo&s;t part who were &s;ub&s;ervient to his
<PB N="497" REF="260"> De&s;ign, knew not what they did, though &s;ufficiently warned in the <HI>Scripture</HI> of what he would do, and what &s;hould come to pa&s;s. Wherefore, being di&s;appointed (as was &s;aid) in his Endeavours by <HI>outward Force</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ecution,</HI> (as he will ever be) leaving the <HI>Name, Power</HI> and <HI>Advantage</HI> of the Church unto them that profe&s;&s;ed Chri|&s;tianity, he made u&s;e of all the Darkne&s;s, Ignorance, Errours, Ambition and Lu&s;ts of Men, gradually to draw them from the <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel. And he cea&s;ed not untill he had brought <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion</HI> to be looked on as made up <HI>prin|cipally,</HI> if not <HI>onely,</HI> of tho&s;e things which by his Crafts and the Lu&s;ts of Men were introduced into it. So did he pur&s;ue his Work, almo&s;t undi&s;covered, untill the Ge|nerality of tho&s;e who profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tian Religion were given up to the Power of <HI>&s;en&s;ual Lu&s;ts</HI> on the one hand, or brought under the Power of <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> on the other. All this he attempted, and in a great mea&s;ure effected of his own Accord. But after that Men had voluntarily given up them&s;elves unto his <HI>Delu&s;ions,</HI> rejecting the <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the Go&s;pel, as un|to their <HI>Love</HI> to them, and <HI>Delight</HI> in them, God in his righteous Judgements gave
<PB N="498" REF="261"> them up unto his <HI>Power,</HI> to be infatuated by him, and hardened, to their <HI>Eternal Ruine.</HI> So the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;eth it; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 11, 12. <HI>For this Cau&s;e God &s;hall &s;end them &s;trong Delu&s;ions that they &s;hould believe a Lye; that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had plea&s;ure in &V;nrighteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Thus was the Apo&s;ta&s;ie compleated under the <HI>Papacy.</HI> And by the &s;ame Artifices is <HI>Sathan</HI> &s;till at work among <HI>us</HI> unto the &s;ame Ends and Purpo&s;es.</P>
<P>Moreover, Among the <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> of the pre&s;ent Decay of <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and the Power of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> in the World, we may reck|on <HI>the Scandal that hath been given by,</HI> or <HI>is ju&s;tly taken at</HI> tho&s;e who have <HI>profe&s;&s;ed</HI> the mo&s;t <HI>&s;trict Obedience</HI> unto the <HI>Rules</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> There is nothing difficult here|in but onely to choo&s;e out the mo&s;t preg|nant In&s;tances in the Multitudes which offer them&s;elves, to evidence this Occa&s;ion. Nor do I intend &s;uch Offences as &s;ome men will <HI>enviou&s;ly</HI> &s;eek after, and &s;ometimes <HI>cau&s;e|le&s;ly</HI> create, but &s;uch as are <HI>really given,</HI> and offer them&s;elves unto the Con&s;idera|tion of all &s;orts of men. Of the&s;e I &s;hall mention two onely, which are the mo&s;t ob|vious and exten&s;ive. And,</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Offence</HI> hath been taken at the <HI>Divi|&s;ions</HI>
<PB N="499" REF="261"> <HI>that have been among them, and con|tinue &s;o to be,</HI> with the Mannagement of them in an <HI>evil contentious Frame of Spirit.</HI> The Lord Chri&s;t hath declared and ap|pointed, that the <HI>mutual Love</HI> of his Di&s;ci|ples &s;hould be the <HI>great Te&s;timony</HI> of the <HI>Truth</HI> of his Doctrine, and the <HI>Sincerity</HI> of their Obedience. He hath al&s;o command|ed them to be one in Heart, Mind, and Affections, praying for them al&s;o that &s;o they might be. His Commands and Di|rections unto this Purpo&s;e are known unto all who know the Go&s;pel, and &s;o need not here to be repeated or in&s;i&s;ted on. The Ble&s;&s;ed Effects and Fruits of them were <HI>eminent</HI> for a Sea&s;on among the Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel, and their <HI>mutual Love</HI> was a convincing Argument of the <HI>Truth, Effi|cacy</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Doctrine</HI> which they did profe&s;s. For where there is <HI>One|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Love</HI> thereon, there is Peace, Or|der, U&s;efulne&s;s to Mankind, and every good Work; whereas the want of them is attended with Strife, Envy, Confu&s;ion, Di&s;order, and every evil work whatever. Some Divi&s;ions indeed happened among the <HI>primitive Chri&s;tians,</HI> but were quickly healed by the Spirit of <HI>Apo&s;tolical Autho|rity,</HI> and that <HI>Love</HI> which was yet preva|lent
<PB N="500" REF="262"> among them. But afterwards all things grew wor&s;e, and the fir&s;t vi&s;ible <HI>Degeneracy</HI> of Chri&s;tianity con&s;i&s;ted in the Strifes, Di|vi&s;ions and Contentions of its <HI>Profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> e&s;pecially of their <HI>Leaders.</HI> And the&s;e in no long proce&s;s of Time proceeded unto that Exce&s;s, and were acted with &s;uch an evil Spirit of Pride, Ambition, Envy and Malice, that the very <HI>Heathens</HI> made them|&s;elves &s;port with their Contentions, and ob&s;erved that there were no &s;ort of Men in the World &s;o Ready for them; and Im|placable in them as the <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> of tho&s;e dayes were. But when once one or other Party of them got into <HI>Power,</HI> and &s;natch|ing that Sword of Force and Violence out of the hands of <HI>Pagans,</HI> which had been embrewed in the Blood of the <HI>Holy Mar|tyrs,</HI> began in the pur&s;uit of their Divi|&s;ions to <HI>per&s;ecute</HI> one another, (which way <HI>carnal</HI> Men having ta&s;ted the &s;weetne&s;s and Advantage of, as that which <HI>gratifying</HI> their Envy, Malice and Ambition, doth al&s;o (as they &s;uppo&s;e) <HI>&s;ecure</HI> all their Earth|ly Concerns, they would not foregoe, nor have &s;o done untill it is become the Top-&s;tone of many mens Religion,) it was meer|ly from the un&s;peakable Care and Mercy of God that they made not the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> an
<PB N="501" REF="262"> <HI>Abhorrence</HI> unto all Fle&s;h. For who, not yet endued with that <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Grace</HI> which might &s;ecure him from the <HI>power</HI> of &s;uch Temptations, could look on the fierce, devouring, <HI>bloody Contentions</HI> of its Pro|fe&s;&s;ors, and that &s;olely on its <HI>own account,</HI> and not &s;uppo&s;e that it &s;elf proceeded from a &s;pirit of <HI>Malice, Strife</HI> and <HI>Di&s;order?</HI> But the <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Faithfulne&s;s</HI> of God, pre&s;erv|ed it again&s;t all the Oppo&s;itions of its Ad|ver&s;aries, and in the mid&s;t of the Treache|ries of its avowed Friends. Thus was it in the <HI>Primitive Times,</HI> which as it was the fir&s;t con&s;iderable &s;top unto the Progre&s;s of the Go&s;pel, &s;o it was one principal Cau&s;e of corrupting the Conver&s;ations of many, filling them with a Frame of &s;pirit in all things directly oppo&s;ite unto that of the Go&s;pel. The Differences with their un|toward Management which fell out among the <HI>fir&s;t Reformers,</HI> was the chief Means that hindred their Work from an <HI>univer|&s;al Succe&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Is it much otherwi&s;e among the <HI>&s;tricte&s;t &s;orts</HI> of Profe&s;&s;ors at this Day? Doe not &s;ome &s;eem to aime at nothing more than to multiply and encrea&s;e <HI>Divi&s;ions,</HI> and to delight in nothing more than to Live and Di&s;pute in the <HI>Flames</HI> of them? There is
<PB N="502" REF="263"> not the lea&s;t different Apprehen&s;ion of mens Minds about any thing in Religion, but &s;uch Per&s;ons &s;uppo&s;e it a &s;ufficient Ground to quarrel and contend about it for ever. By &s;uch Wayes and Means <HI>Scan|dals</HI> are given unto the World in its prone|ne&s;s unto Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and &s;eeking Occa&s;i|ons for it, or Countenance unto it, which is its pre&s;ent po&s;ture. For the&s;e things are not done in a corner. Men who know no|thing of the <HI>inward power</HI> and vertue of that Religion which is in &s;uch Profe&s;&s;ors as it is hoped, &s;eeing and ob&s;erving tho&s;e other Di&s;tempers among them, are really <HI>alienated</HI> from all the Good they do pro|fe&s;s; and not onely &s;o; but do from thence <HI>ju&s;tifie</HI> and <HI>approve</HI> them&s;elves in their <HI>Im|morality</HI> and <HI>Prophanene&s;s,</HI> as tho&s;e which allow them a better Condition than &s;uch Wranglers can afford them. By this Means hath Religion lo&s;t much of that <HI>awfull Au|thority</HI> in the World whereby it oft-times put a Re&s;traint on the Minds and Con&s;ci|ences of Men, who were never acted by its <HI>power.</HI> What are the <HI>Rules</HI> whereby we ought to walk under the <HI>Continuance</HI> of the&s;e Differences, and what are the be&s;t Means to put an I&s;&s;ue unto them, I have enquired in a Treati&s;e unto that purpo&s;e.
<PB N="503" REF="263"> But it mu&s;t be acknowledged, that for the mo&s;t part, Attempts for the <HI>rebuking</HI> of the&s;e Di&s;tempers, the <HI>Reconciliation</HI> of Di&s;&s;en|ters and the <HI>uniting</HI> of Profe&s;&s;ors, have been mannaged from &s;uch <HI>Principles,</HI> and in &s;uch a Frame of <HI>Spirit,</HI> as have height|ned and encrea&s;ed rather than allayed or dimini&s;hed them.</P>
<P N="2">2. Great <HI>Offence</HI> is given to the World by the <HI>&V;&s;ele&s;ne&s;s of Profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> and in that they are not what they ought to be, the <HI>common Good and Ble&s;&s;ing of Mankind.</HI> There is a <HI>&s;elfi&s;h</HI> Spirit on many of them, whence contenting them&s;elves with <HI>Ab&s;ti|nence</HI> from known Sins, and the <HI>Perform|ance</HI> of the Religious Duties of Divine Wor&s;hip, they are of little or no u&s;e unto others. Some will be <HI>kinde, benigne, help|full, good</HI> in &s;ome mea&s;ure unto other men; but yet will and doe give undue Bounds and Limits unto their Actings in this kind. Their <HI>own Hou&s;hold,</HI> and the <HI>Hou&s;hold of Faith,</HI> according unto that mea&s;ure which from Opinion or Prejudice they take of it, they will alone regard. As for Love, Conde&s;cen&s;ion, Beniguity, Kindne&s;s, Readi|ne&s;s to help, a&s;&s;i&s;t and relieve <HI>all Mankind,</HI> yea the <HI>wor&s;t of Men</HI> as they have Oppor|tunity, they under&s;tand them not; yea have
<PB N="504" REF="264"> many Pretences that they are not required of them. But if we are <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> it is re|quired of us to <HI>abound in Love towards all men;</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 3. 12. and our doing Good unto all, being U&s;efull unto all, exerci&s;ing Loving Kindne&s;s in the Earth towards all, is the principal way whereby we may <HI>ex|pre&s;s</HI> our &s;incere Obedience unto the Go|&s;pel. One <HI>Profe&s;&s;or</HI> that is kind, benign, conde&s;cending, charitable, u&s;efull, ready to <HI>become all things unto all men</HI> for their good, brings more Glory to the Go&s;pel than an hundred who are looked on as tho&s;e who live too much unto them&s;elves. When the Old Saying was, <HI>Bonus vir Cajus Sejus, &s;ed Malus quia Chri&s;tianus;</HI> Such a one is a Good man, Evil onely in this that he is a Chri&s;tian; Religion did by &s;uch Convictions in&s;en&s;ibly get ground among&s;t men. If the World cannot &s;ee that it hath any <HI>advantage</HI> by Profe&s;&s;ors, but hath <HI>Trouble</HI> on the other hand by the Hatred which it cannot but have of their <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> it is no wonder if it de&s;ire to have no more to doe with them. Did men find that &s;o &s;oon as any gave them&s;elves unto the <HI>&s;trict|e&s;t wayes</HI> of Profe&s;&s;ion, that therewithall they became <HI>benign, kind, mercifull, chari|table, u&s;efull</HI> and <HI>helpfull</HI> unto all Men, it
<PB N="505" REF="264"> could not but give an Honourable Repu|tation in their Minds unto that Religion which they do profe&s;s. But an Ob&s;erva|tion of a <HI>contrary</HI> Frame and Temper in &s;uch Per&s;ons, and of how little <HI>u&s;e</HI> they are in the World, mu&s;t needs produce <HI>con|trary</HI> Effects. By rea&s;on of &s;uch Mi&s;car|riages as the&s;e and others of an alike Na|ture, whereby &s;ome Profe&s;&s;ors are &s;o far from <HI>adorning the Go&s;pel of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> as that they ca&s;t (what lyes in them) a Blemi&s;h and Reproach upon it, others are every day hardened in their <HI>Alienation</HI> from all its Concerns.</P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>few In&s;tances</HI> have I given of the <HI>Means</HI> and <HI>Wayes</HI> whereby a <HI>general Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the Holy <HI>Precepts</HI> of the Go&s;pel, as the Rule of our Obedience, hath been begun and carried on. Many others of an alike Nature might be added unto them; But it is to no purpo&s;e to in&s;i&s;t long on the <HI>Nature of a Di&s;ea&s;e,</HI> when we find it to de|&s;pi&s;e all po&s;&s;ible <HI>Remedyes. Sovereign Grace</HI> yet remaineth, whereunto this State of things is referred.</P>
<P>And this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> in its Mea&s;ure and Proportion partakes of the Guilt of that pre&s;cribed in the <HI>Text</HI> which we made the Foundation of this Di&s;cour&s;e. For therein
<PB N="506" REF="265"> al&s;o is Chri&s;t <HI>crucifyed afre&s;h, and put unto open &s;hame.</HI> For,</P>
<P N="1">(1) All Per&s;ons who <HI>profe&s;s</HI> the <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> and yet are thus fallen off or <HI>alie|nated</HI> from its <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> do really <HI>renounce</HI> and foregoe the <HI>Commands</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and tho&s;e as enlivened by his <HI>Promi&s;es,</HI> for the <HI>plea&s;ure</HI> and <HI>wages</HI> of Sin. And herein doe they openly declare and avow as the Judge|ment and Re&s;olution of their <HI>Minds,</HI> That there is not that Excellency in his <HI>Precepts,</HI> nor that Goodne&s;s, Beauty, De&s;ireablne&s;s or Satisfaction in <HI>Obedience</HI> unto them, or not that A&s;&s;urance in his <HI>Promi&s;es,</HI> or Worth in the things <HI>promi&s;ed,</HI> as that they ought to be preferred before the Cour&s;e of the <HI>World</HI> and the Plea&s;ures of <HI>Sin.</HI> Hence &s;ome <HI>Commands</HI> of the Go&s;pel (and tho&s;e of no &s;mall Importance unto the Furtherance of holy Obedience,) are neglected and ca&s;t from among the Generality of Chri&s;tians. Such are the Commands for <HI>mutual Love,</HI> whereof there is &s;carce any &s;hadow left in the World. For that Pretence of it which &s;ome &s;eem to re&s;t in, and plead for as <HI>&s;a|tisfactory,</HI> in the Peaceable and (as they &s;ay) loving Conver&s;e of Per&s;ons in their <HI>Civil</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> Di&s;tributions, is no other than what is found among <HI>Mahometans</HI>
<PB N="507" REF="265"> and <HI>Pagans</HI> on the like Occa&s;ion, which as it is good and commendable &s;o far as it proceeds from and is &s;uited unto the Light of Nature, &s;o it no way an&s;wers either in the Kind of it or in its Acts and Fruits, unto that <HI>Evangelical Love</HI> which the Lord Chri&s;t requires among his Di&s;ciples. That <HI>Watchfulne&s;s</HI> over one another with Love Care and Tenderne&s;s, tho&s;e <HI>mutual Ad|monitions,</HI> Exhortations and Con&s;olations which the Go&s;pel &s;o frequently and dili|gently pre&s;cribes unto us are not onely <HI>neglected,</HI> but &s;o far <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed</HI> that the very Naming of &s;uch Duties is made a matter of <HI>&s;corn,</HI> as a Pretence of <HI>hypocritical pre|ci&s;ene&s;s.</HI> And no better Entertainment have many other of the <HI>Commands of Chri&s;t</HI> among the Generality of them that are called <HI>Chri&s;tians.</HI> So do many, on all Ac|counts, openly profe&s;s in their Walkings and Conver&s;ation, that they &s;ee no cogent Rea&s;on why they &s;hould comply with him in his <HI>Commands.</HI> And it is not ea&s;ily to be conceived how they can ca&s;t a greater <HI>Di&s;honour</HI> or <HI>Contempt</HI> upon him.</P>
<P N="2">(2) By continuing in the <HI>outward Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity,</HI> they do mo&s;t <HI>fal&s;ely</HI> repre&s;ent <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> unto the World, and thereby (what lyes in them) <HI>put</HI>
<PB N="508" REF="266"> <HI>him to open &s;hame.</HI> For, pretending to yield Obedience unto him, and to place their <HI>Hope</HI> for Life and Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s in Him by the Go&s;pel, they profe&s;s withall that he is a Per&s;on that will <HI>approve of &s;uch Wayes as they walk in,</HI> and his Go&s;pel a Doctrine that <HI>gives countenance</HI> unto all manner of Licentiou&s;ne&s;s in <HI>Sin.</HI> Who would judge otherwi&s;e who had no know|ledge of <HI>Him</HI> or <HI>It,</HI> but by the <HI>Repre&s;en|tation</HI> that is made of them in the profli|gate Conver&s;ation of &s;uch <HI>Apo&s;tates.</HI> But this Argument I have el&s;ewhere in&s;i&s;ted on.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="509" REF="266">
<HEAD>CHAP. XI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Apo&s;ta&s;ie from Evangelical Wor&s;hip.</HEAD>
<P>THat which was propo&s;ed to be con|&s;idered in the la&s;t place, is that <HI>Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which is in the World from the <HI>Purity of the Wor&s;hip of the Go&s;pel</HI> as ap|pointed by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And herein prin|cipally did con&s;i&s;t that great <HI>Defection</HI> fore|told by our Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. which is al&s;o prophe&s;ied of in the <HI>Revelations,</HI> and did accordingly come to pa&s;s. But becau&s;e I have in&s;i&s;ted on this Subject on many other Occa&s;ions, and &s;ome things relating thereunto are under <HI>Difference</HI> and <HI>Debate</HI> among &s;uch as are capable of the Warning given concerning the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> that is in the World, I &s;hall wholly wave the Con&s;ide|ration of particulars, about which any &s;uch Differences may be, and onely mention &s;uch things as the Generality of Chri&s;tians, at lea&s;t of <HI>Prote&s;tants,</HI> cannot but acknow|ledge.</P>
<PB N="510" REF="267">
<P> I &s;hall take it for granted at pre&s;ent, that our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t did <HI>in&s;titute and ap|point a &s;olemn Wor&s;hip of God</HI> to be con|tinued inviolably and unalterably unto the End of the World. And the principal End of his appointing, continuing or pre|&s;erving any <HI>Church</HI> on the Earth, is the <HI>Ce|lebration of this Wor&s;hip.</HI> For herein alone con&s;i&s;teth that <HI>publick Revenue</HI> of Glory which God requires from Believers in this World. All other Duties of the Go&s;pel may be performed by Men in their <HI>&s;ingle Capacities</HI> if there were no &s;uch thing as a <HI>Church</HI> on the Earth. And tho&s;e <HI>Churches</HI> do exceedingly mi&s;take their Duty, and the very End of their Being, which make it not their principal Bu&s;ine&s;s to take care of the due <HI>Celebration</HI> of that <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> which the Lord Chri&s;t hath appointed. <HI>He was faithfull in the whole Hou&s;e of God as was Mo&s;es; Heb.</HI> 3. 6. And if the Life, Being, Happine&s;s and Welfare of the Church of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> con&s;i&s;ted in and depended on their Remembrance of the <HI>Law of Mo&s;es,</HI> which God <HI>commanded unto him in Horeb, with the Statutes and Judgements; Mal.</HI> 4. 4. be|cau&s;e he was <HI>faithfull in the Hou&s;e of God</HI> as a Servant; certainly the Being and Well|being of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Church</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in and
<PB N="511" REF="267"> depends upon their <HI>ob&s;erving and doing of all whatever</HI> He <HI>hath commanded</HI> in the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of God, as <HI>Math.</HI> 28. 18; <HI>who is faithfull as a Son</HI> in and over the whole Hou&s;e of God.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides it is acknowledged by all, and we &s;hall (God willing) &s;hew the <HI>Manner</HI> of it in our Expo&s;ition of the <HI>&s;eventh Chap|ter</HI> of the <HI>Epi&s;tle to the Hebrews,</HI> that the Lord Chri&s;t in and by the Go&s;pel, hath altered and aboli&s;hed all that <HI>Solemn Wor|&s;hip,</HI> all tho&s;e Ordinances and In&s;titutions which God him&s;elf had &s;et up under the Old Te&s;tament, to continue unto the <HI>time of Reformation.</HI> And hereby he rendred it ab&s;olutely <HI>unlawfull</HI> for any one to &s;erve God according unto tho&s;e In&s;titutions. Hereunto God &s;ignally &s;et his publick Seal of Approbation in the &s;ight of the World. For no &s;ooner had the Lord Chri&s;t by the <HI>Promulgation of the Go&s;pel</HI> taken away all their Authority and Obligatory <HI>power,</HI> &s;o as that his Di&s;ciples ought not to make u&s;e of them any longer; but that God imme|diately by &s;evere and unparallel'd Judge|ments de&s;troyed <HI>the Seat and Place</HI> of them, &s;o that tho&s;e who <HI>would,</HI> yet never <HI>could</HI> Regularly make u&s;e of them unto this Day. And &s;hall we think that the Lord
<PB N="512" REF="268"> Je&s;us Chri&s;t thus took away and <HI>aboli&s;hed</HI> the <HI>old &s;olemn Wor&s;hip of the Church,</HI> and &s;ub&s;tituted <HI>none</HI> in the room of it? Or that he took away that which was erected by the <HI>Wi&s;dom of God,</HI> though but for a Sea|&s;on, and left the Church as to its main <HI>Duty</HI> and principal <HI>End</HI> in this World, un|to the <HI>Inventions</HI> and <HI>Imaginations</HI> of Men? One of the&s;e mu&s;t be &s;uppo&s;ed, if it be de|nyed that he hath e&s;tabli&s;hed a <HI>&s;olemn Wor|&s;hip</HI> of God, to continue unalterably unto the End of the World; and both of them are highly Bla&s;phemous. Again, let any in Faith and Obedience unto him, <HI>practi&s;e</HI> and attend unto all tho&s;e parts of <HI>Divine Wor|&s;hip</HI> which he hath appointed, and I am per&s;waded no Man will have the Confi|dence to &s;ay, that there is this or that want|ing to render it <HI>a &s;olemn</HI> and acceptable Service; however they may contend for the <HI>conveniency</HI> of &s;ome <HI>circum&s;tantial Ad|ditionals.</HI> Wherefore, I take it for granted at pre&s;ent, that the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath appointed &s;uch a <HI>&s;olemn Wor&s;hip</HI> under the Go&s;pel, which all his Di&s;ciples are obliged con&s;tantly and invariably to ob&s;erve, as he declares, <HI>Matth.</HI> 28. 20. And with re&s;pect hereunto Men may <HI>fall away</HI> and Apo&s;tatize from the Go&s;pel, no le&s;s <HI>&s;in|fully</HI>
<PB N="513" REF="268"> and <HI>fatally</HI> than they may fall from the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of its <HI>Doctrine</HI> or the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of its <HI>Precepts.</HI> And there are two wayes whereby this may be done. (1) By <HI>neg|lecting</HI> and <HI>refu&s;ing</HI> to <HI>ob&s;erve and doe</HI> what he hath <HI>appointed.</HI> (2) By <HI>adding Appoint|ments</HI> of our own thereunto, incon&s;i&s;tent with and de&s;tructive of that which he hath ordained.</P>
<P N="1">I. In the fir&s;t way we have &s;ome among our &s;elves who are fallen off from the <HI>Wor|&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel. It is true, they will doe <HI>&s;ome things</HI> which have an Appearance of being what he hath <HI>commanded.</HI> Such are their <HI>Fir&s;t-dayes Meeting</HI> and their <HI>Pray|ers</HI> with <HI>&s;peaking</HI> in them. But they neither ob&s;erve the <HI>Lords Day,</HI> nor <HI>pray</HI> or <HI>&s;peak</HI> in Obedience unto any In&s;titution of his. <HI>Conveniency</HI> and the <HI>Light within</HI> are all the Rea&s;on and Guide which they plead for them. And for the <HI>Sacraments,</HI> or <HI>Bap|ti&s;me</HI> and <HI>the Supper of the Lord,</HI> which are &s;o great a part of the <HI>My&s;tical Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Church, on I know not what fond Pretences, they utterly reject. In like man|ner they deal with a &s;tated <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> as of <HI>Chri&s;ts Appointment,</HI> although they have found out Means to &s;et up <HI>one</HI> of their own.</P>
<PB N="514" REF="269">
<P> And becau&s;e herein al&s;o Chri&s;t is put <HI>unto open &s;hame,</HI> we &s;hall briefly enquire into the Grounds and Rea&s;ons of this <HI>De|fection</HI> from the Obedience due to his <HI>Com|mands.</HI></P>
<P N="1">(1.) Now the <HI>principal Rea&s;on</HI> (and which comprizeth all others) why &s;ome men have <HI>for&s;aken</HI> the Go&s;pel as unto the <HI>Admini&s;tration of its Ordinances,</HI> is, becau&s;e they are no way &s;uited unto, nor indeed con&s;i&s;tent with that <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Obedience</HI> which they have betaken them&s;elves unto. For the Ordinances of the Go&s;pel are <HI>Re|pre&s;entations</HI> of the things which we Be|lieve, and <HI>Means</HI> of the Conveyance of their Efficacy unto us. Unto the Confir|mation of that <HI>Faith,</HI> and our <HI>Edification</HI> therein, are they &s;uited, and to nothing el&s;e. Now the&s;e Per&s;ons having fallen (as we have &s;hewed) from the <HI>Faith</HI> of the Go&s;pel in the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of it, and the <HI>&s;piri|tual Obedience</HI> which it doth require, of what u&s;e can the Ordinances of <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> be unto them? For In&s;tance; The Ordinance of the <HI>Lords Supper</HI> is in&s;tituted in the <HI>Re|membrance of the Death of Chri&s;t,</HI> of his <HI>&s;uffering</HI> in our &s;tead, of the <HI>Sacrifice</HI> he made of him&s;elf therein, of the <HI>Attone|ment</HI> or <HI>Reconciliation</HI> with God that he
<PB N="515" REF="269"> wrought, and of the <HI>&s;ealing</HI> of the <HI>New Covenant</HI> with his <HI>Blood.</HI> To what end &s;hould any man &s;olemnly <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> God in and by this Ordinance, who upon the mat|ter believeth none of the&s;e things, at lea&s;t doth not Believe them as propo&s;ed in the Go&s;pel, namely, as the <HI>principal Cau&s;es</HI> and <HI>Springs</HI> of Life, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Salva|tion? Tho&s;e who believe in God thorough the&s;e things, who find the Effects of them upon their Souls in Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Peace, cannot but delight to be found in the Exerci&s;e of <HI>Faith</HI> through this Ordi|nance, as they know it to be their Duty &s;o to doe. But it is apparent, that neither this nor the other Ordinance of <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> do contribute any thing to the Furthe|rance, Encrea&s;e, or E&s;tabli&s;hment of that <HI>Light within Men,</HI> which upon the matter they re&s;olve their Faith and Obedience into. Yea they are in their true and pro|per Notion, as both directing unto the <HI>&s;anctifying</HI> and <HI>ju&s;tifying</HI> Blood of Chri&s;t, <HI>diametrically</HI> oppo&s;ite thereunto, and unto what is a&s;cribed unto it. It is therefore &s;o far from being <HI>&s;trange</HI> that the&s;e Men &s;hould for&s;ake the&s;e Ordinances of <HI>Go&s;pel Wor&s;hip,</HI> that the Admi&s;&s;ion of them in their true and proper <HI>u&s;e</HI> and <HI>&s;ignification,</HI>
<PB N="516" REF="270"> is de&s;tructive of the whole <HI>Scheme of Re|ligion</HI> which they have formed unto them|&s;elves. Where the <HI>Faith</HI> of the Go&s;pel is for&s;aken, the <HI>Ordinances</HI> of <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> mu&s;t be &s;o too, and &s;o all in&s;tituted <HI>Divine Service</HI> be neglected, or other things found out that may &s;uit unto the <HI>Imaginations</HI> whereunto Men are turned a&s;ide.</P>
<P N="2">(2) Another Rea&s;on hereof hath been want of <HI>&s;piritual Light</HI> to &s;ee through the Veils of <HI>outward In&s;titutions,</HI> and of the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of <HI>Faith</HI> to obtain <HI>Communion</HI> with God in Chri&s;t by them. Our Wor&s;hip un|der the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> is either ab&s;olutely <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> or that which comes immediately unto what is &s;o. But in the&s;e In&s;titutions there is &s;omewhat that is <HI>outward</HI> and <HI>&s;en&s;ible;</HI> And it is to be feared that many do re&s;t in the&s;e <HI>outward</HI> things, and proceed no far|ther in the <HI>Wor&s;hip of God</HI> by them, than the Actions and Words that are u&s;ed will carry them: But they are (as appointed by Chri&s;t) <HI>Animae Vehicula,</HI> Means of leading and conveying the Soul unto an <HI>intimate Communion</HI> with God. That they may be &s;o unto us, three things are required.</P>
<P N="1">1. That we &s;ubmit our Souls and Con|&s;ciences unto the <HI>Authority of Chri&s;t</HI> in the&s;e In&s;titutions. Unle&s;s this be the Founda|tion
<PB N="517" REF="270"> which we build upon, the whole Ser|vice will be <HI>lo&s;t</HI> unto us.</P>
<P N="2">2. That we re&s;t on the <HI>Veracity of Chri&s;t</HI> for the working of the Grace and accom|pli&s;hment of the Mercy repre&s;ented in them, and Sacramentally exhibited by them. For they will not profit them by whom the <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> of Chri&s;t (virtually contained in them and accompanying of them,) are not <HI>mixed with Faith;</HI> and we cannot believe the <HI>Promi&s;e,</HI> unle&s;s we &s;ubmit to the <HI>Autho|rity</HI> of Chri&s;t in the Appointment of that whereunto it is annexed.</P>
<P N="3">3. That we <HI>under&s;tand</HI> in &s;ome mea&s;ure the <HI>My&s;tical Relation</HI> that is between the <HI>outward Symbols</HI> of the Ordinance and the <HI>Lord Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf, with his <HI>Grace</HI> repre|&s;ented thereby, wherein the Nature, U&s;e and End of the In&s;titutions are contained. And all the&s;e are nece&s;&s;ary to keep up any <HI>delight</HI> in them, or a Con&s;cientious <HI>u&s;e</HI> of them. Where therefore all the&s;e are want|ing, (as apparently they are in tho&s;e con|cerning whom we treat, being none of them either under&s;tood, owned, or ac|knowledged by them; whereas they have neither <HI>&s;piritual Light</HI> into the internal Na|ture of the&s;e things, nor <HI>&s;piritual Gifts</HI> for their Admini&s;tration unto Edification, fol|lowing
<PB N="518" REF="271"> the Conduct of their own <HI>Prin|ciples,)</HI> they could do no otherwi&s;e but <HI>re|ject</HI> them, and therein fell off from the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel, and thereby do re|flect Di&s;honour upon the <HI>Son of God,</HI> the <HI>Author</HI> and Lord of all the&s;e <HI>In&s;titutions.</HI></P>
<P N="2">II. There is <HI>another Way</HI> whereby Men may, and many Men do <HI>fall away,</HI> and have for <HI>many Ages</HI> fallen away from the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> with re&s;pect unto its <HI>Wor&s;hip;</HI> and that is, by rejecting its <HI>Simplicity</HI> and <HI>pure In&s;titutions,</HI> &s;ub&s;tituting a <HI>Super&s;titious</HI> yea <HI>Idolatrous Wor&s;hip</HI> of their own in the room thereof; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 3. For whereas there are various <HI>degrees</HI> of Declen&s;ion from the <HI>Purity</HI> of <HI>Go&s;pel Wor&s;hip,</HI> according as Men <HI>for&s;ake</HI> any part of it, or make any <HI>Addi|tions</HI> of their own unto it, yet at pre&s;ent I &s;hall mention Them only by whom it is wholly <HI>perverted,</HI> that is, tho&s;e of the <HI>Church of Rome.</HI> For as they have added unto it <HI>Rites</HI> and <HI>In&s;titutions</HI> of their own, in great number, partly <HI>Super&s;titious</HI> and partly <HI>Ido|latrous,</HI> &s;o there is no one <HI>Ordinance</HI> or <HI>In|&s;titution</HI> of Chri&s;t which they have not <HI>cor|rupted,</HI> the mo&s;t of them &s;o far, as utterly to de&s;troy their Nature and U&s;e. Where|as therefore the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t doth in the <HI>Ordinances of Go&s;pel Wor&s;hip,</HI> and the due
<PB N="519" REF="271"> Celebration of them, repre&s;ent his own <HI>Re|ligion</HI> and <HI>Authority</HI> unto the Church; to remove them out of the way, and to in|troduce another <HI>Fabrick</HI> of them of another <HI>Con&s;titution,</HI> is to repre&s;ent <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> un|to the Church, and not <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> and thereby to put Chri&s;t unto <HI>open &s;hame.</HI> The Ways and Means whereby this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> was ef|fected, by the Craft of Sathan and the car|nal Intere&s;t of Men, in a long Tract of Time, I &s;hall not here declare: It &s;hall &s;uffice at pre&s;ent to ob&s;erve, That as Men grew <HI>Car|nal,</HI> having lo&s;t the Spirit, Life and Power of the Go&s;pel, and &s;o far as they did &s;o, they found it nece&s;&s;ary to introduce a <HI>carnal vi&s;ible pompous</HI> Wor&s;hip, &s;uited unto that inward Principle and Light whereby they were acted. And as the People in the <HI>Wil|derne&s;s</HI> being <HI>carnal</HI> in their Hearts, and accu&s;tomed unto <HI>carnal</HI> wayes of Wor&s;hip, upon the Ab&s;ence of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in the Mount, cryed out unto <HI>Aaron, Make us Gods that may goe before us,</HI> (that is, Gods vi&s;ibly pre|&s;ent,) <HI>for as for this man Mo&s;es we know not what is become of him,</HI> whereupon they made <HI>a Calf;</HI> &s;o the&s;e Men finding the whole Fa|brick of <HI>Mo&s;aical In&s;titutions,</HI> con&s;i&s;ting in outward Images and Repre&s;entations of Things, taken away, and them&s;elves left (as
<PB N="520" REF="272"> it were) without any <HI>pre&s;ent Gods</HI> to guide them, that is, <HI>vi&s;ible Repre&s;entations</HI> of the Pre&s;ence of God as their carnal Hearts and Minds might delight in, they provided all tho&s;e <HI>Calves</HI> whereof their pre&s;ent <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t. And becau&s;e there were ma|ny in tho&s;e dayes when this De&s;ign was fir&s;t &s;et on foot, who were <HI>truely &s;piritual and holy,</HI> wor&s;hipping God <HI>in Spirit and in Truth,</HI> this <HI>Idolatrous Wor&s;hip</HI> could not be introduced and pre&s;erved but by <HI>in&s;en&s;ible Degrees,</HI> and in a long Tract of Time; throughout the whole whereof the <HI>My&s;tery of Iniquity</HI> wrought effectually unto the &s;ame certain End. Tho&s;e in the mean time who wor&s;hipped God in <HI>Truth</HI> were either impo&s;ed on, by a &s;hew of Humility and De|votion in the <HI>degrees of Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which were added in their dayes, or el&s;e complained of what they could not remedy.</P>
<P>And if the&s;e <HI>Brief Con&s;iderations</HI> of the Nature of the <HI>pre&s;ent Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> that is in the World from the <HI>Power</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religi|on, in all the principal <HI>Concerns</HI> of it, with the <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> and <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> thereof, do excite or provoke any who hath more Lei&s;ure and Ability for this Work, unto a more diligent and u&s;efull Enquiry into them, it will be an ample Reward unto my Endeavours.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="521" REF="272">
<HEAD>CHAP. XII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Inferences from the foregoing Di&s;cour&s;es. The pre&s;ent Danger of all &s;orts of Per&s;ons in the Prevalency of Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Truth, and Decayes in the Practice of Evangelical Holine&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>THE la&s;t part of this Di&s;cour&s;e is de&s;igned for <HI>Cautions</HI> unto tho&s;e who yet <HI>&s;tand,</HI> or <HI>think they &s;tand,</HI> with re&s;pect unto that general <HI>Defection from the Go&s;pel,</HI> who&s;e Cau&s;es and Occa|&s;ions we have thus far enquired into. And thereunto &s;ome Directions may be added, to be u&s;ed as Preventives of its Conta|gion.</P>
<P>This <HI>Method</HI> are we guided unto by the Apo&s;tle, who having declared the <HI>Apo&s;ta|&s;ie</HI> and <HI>Ruine</HI> which en&s;ued thereon of the Generality of the Church of the <HI>Jews,</HI> im|proves the Con&s;ideration of it unto the <HI>Caution</HI> of others, under a pre&s;ent Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the Truth. <HI>Thou wilt &s;ay then,</HI>
<PB N="522" REF="273"> (&s;aith he to the Gentile Believers,) <HI>the Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted on. Well, becau&s;e of &V;nbelief they were broken off, and thou &s;tande&s;t by Faith; be not high-minded, but fear. For if God &s;pared not the Natural Branches, take heed le&s;t he al&s;o &s;pare not thee. Behold therefore the Goodne&s;s and Severity of God; on them which fell, Severity; but towards thee, Good|ne&s;s, if thou continue in his Goodne&s;s; other|wi&s;e thou al&s;o &s;halt be cut off; Rom.</HI> 11. 19, 20, 21, 22. And in another place on an alike Occa&s;ion, he &s;peaks unto the &s;ame purpo&s;e; <HI>Let him that thinketh he &s;tandeth take heed le&s;t he fall.</HI></P>
<P>Mo&s;t men are apt to &s;uppo&s;e, that the Continuance of the True Religion in any place, depends &s;olely on the <HI>Prudence</HI> and <HI>Indu&s;try</HI> of tho&s;e unto whom the Conduct of its Outward Concerns are committed. The <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> of &s;ome and the <HI>Duty</HI> of others in the Management of Humane Laws and Con&s;titutions, are generally looked on as a &s;ufficient and the <HI>onely</HI> Means of its Pre|&s;ervation. And tho&s;e of this Per&s;wa&s;ion think they have <HI>per&s;onally</HI> no Concernment herein, but only to <HI>herd</HI> them&s;elves in the Multitude, and to take their Fate, what|ever it be. Such as the&s;e will de&s;pi&s;e our <HI>Cau|tions,</HI>
<PB N="523" REF="273"> as tho&s;e from which the Rea&s;ons and Confidences of their Fears are mo&s;t remote. But whereas the <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of Religion in the Community of Chri&s;tians, will not be pre&s;erved but by the <HI>Power</HI> of it in <HI>Indi|viduals,</HI> the onely Root whereon it will long thrive or grow; we &s;hall not at all concern our &s;elves in them by whom the Directions of their Duty are thought <HI>need|le&s;s</HI> or <HI>u&s;ele&s;s.</HI> For after the utmo&s;t exer|ci&s;e of <HI>Humane Policy,</HI> it is the <HI>Wi&s;dom that is from above</HI> which mu&s;t be our <HI>Stability.</HI> And if the <HI>Power</HI> of Truth and Holine&s;s be not pre&s;erved in the Hearts and Lives of <HI>particular Per&s;ons,</HI> the <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of them in <HI>Churches,</HI> or the <HI>pretence</HI> of them in <HI>Na|tions,</HI> (which are all that will remain,) are neither Acceptable unto <HI>God,</HI> nor U&s;efull unto the Souls of <HI>Men.</HI></P>
<P>Some think them&s;elves, as for their own part, little concerned in the&s;e things. That there is &s;uch a <HI>Defection</HI> from the Go&s;pel as hath been complained of, they cannot deny; and they will al&s;o grant, that it is de&s;perately <HI>pernitious</HI> unto them that are overtaken thereby. Therefore they &s;up|po&s;e it not ami&s;s, that <HI>Men &s;hould be warn|ed</HI> of its Danger, and directed to avoid it. But this they think nece&s;&s;ary for <HI>others,</HI>
<PB N="524" REF="274"> not for <HI>them&s;elves.</HI> For as for their part, they have not the like Occa&s;ions, nor are expo&s;ed unto the &s;ame Temptations with them who formerly Apo&s;tatized from the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> or are in danger now &s;o to doe. Be|&s;ides, they know well enough what are their own <HI>Re&s;olutions;</HI> and that though all Men &s;hould for&s;ake either the <HI>Doctrine</HI> taught in, or the <HI>Obedience</HI> required by the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> yet &s;hould their Con&s;tancy be im|moveable. But I do not think the&s;e Ap|prehen&s;ions &s;ufficient to render our <HI>Warn|ings</HI> needle&s;s. <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> and <HI>Temptations</HI> are not in our power. Our greate&s;t pre|&s;ent Freedom from them, will not &s;ecure us from the A&s;&s;aults of the next Hour. <HI>Peter</HI> fore&s;aw not his <HI>Dangers</HI> and <HI>Fears,</HI> when he &s;o confidently engaged into <HI>Con|&s;tancy</HI> in the Profe&s;&s;ion of his Ma&s;ter, which yet within a few Hours came upon him. And &s;uch is the Subtilty of our &s;piritual Adver&s;ary, that &s;ometimes we are under the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>Temptation</HI> when we think our &s;elves mo&s;t remote from it. It is beyond the Compa&s;s of <HI>Humane Rea&s;on</HI> to take at once a Pro&s;pect of all the <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> and <HI>Means</HI> thereof, with the wayes of its Efficacy and Prevalency. And if at any time we judge our &s;elves free from an <HI>hour of Temptation,</HI>
<PB N="525" REF="274"> which comes on the World to trye them that dwell therein, which mo&s;t are exer|ci&s;ed with, and many are prevailed on by, &s;o as to be &s;ecure and regardle&s;s of the <HI>Means</HI> of our Pre&s;ervation, of all men we are in the mo&s;t danger to be <HI>ruined</HI> by it. Neither will the be&s;t of our <HI>Re&s;olutions</HI> be of any avail without the utmo&s;t of our <HI>En|deavours.</HI> The great Apo&s;tle thought and re&s;olved with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> of Chri&s;t, that he would neither <HI>deny him</HI> nor <HI>for&s;ake him;</HI> And if this Confidence did not <HI>betray</HI> him into his <HI>Fall,</HI> yet to be &s;ure it did not <HI>pre&s;erve</HI> him from it; And it was upon his own Experience that he gave afterwards that holy Advice, that we &s;hould <HI>give a Rea&s;on of the Hope that is in us with Meekne&s;s and Fear,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 14, 15; and <HI>pa&s;s the whole time of our &s;ojourning here in Fear;</HI> Chap. 1. 17. The highe&s;t pre|&s;ent <HI>Confidences</HI> have ever proved the mo&s;t deceiving <HI>Pre&s;ages</HI> of future <HI>&s;tability.</HI> Wherefore, the utmo&s;t I de&s;ign in the en|&s;uing <HI>Cautions,</HI> is but to excite men unto a due Apprehen&s;ion of their <HI>Danger,</HI> that they be not &s;urprized into that pernitious Security, which is the <HI>Mire wherein this Ru&s;h doth grow.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The Con&s;ideration of the <HI>Extent</HI> and
<PB N="410" REF="275"> almo&s;t <HI>&V;niver&s;ality</HI> of this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> may be of U&s;e unto this purpo&s;e. Ignorance, Prophanene&s;s, Worldly-mindedne&s;s, with Sen&s;uality of Life, have obtained the mo&s;t eminent <HI>Catholici&s;me</HI> in <HI>Chri&s;tendome.</HI> The Complaint of the Prophet is not un&s;uited to the pre&s;ent State thereof. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. 4, 5, 6; <HI>Ah &s;infull Nation, a People laden with Ini|quity, a Seed of evil Doers, Children that are Corrupters, they have for&s;aken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy one of I&s;rael unto Anger; they are gone away backward. The whole Head is &s;ick, and the whole Heart faint, from the &s;ole of the Foot even unto the Head there is no Sounde&s;s in it, but Wounds and Brui&s;es and putrifying Sores.</HI> Do we hear but of this or that <HI>individual Per&s;on</HI> who hath Apo&s;tatized from a Profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Ho|line&s;s,</HI> in a &s;en&s;ual wicked worldly Cour&s;e of Life, or is turned from the <HI>Faith</HI> into pernitious Errors, there is no Man that is wi&s;e and carefull of his Eternal Concerns, but he will take it as a <HI>Warning</HI> to examine, trye, and be carefull of him&s;elf. And this Coun&s;el is laid before us by the Apo&s;tle; 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 18, 19. What then is required of us, when we &s;ee <HI>Nations, Churches,</HI> Mul|titudes of People by one Means or other, degenerated from that <HI>Power of Godline&s;s</HI>
<PB N="411" REF="275"> which once they profe&s;&s;ed. If we hear that one or other in a City is vi&s;ited with the <HI>Plague,</HI> we are not altogether un&s;en&s;ible of our own <HI>Concern</HI> and <HI>Danger,</HI> becau&s;e we know how u&s;ual it is for the <HI>Infection</HI> of that Di&s;ea&s;e to &s;pread and diffu&s;e it &s;elf. But if the <HI>whole City</HI> be infected, and <HI>thou|&s;ands</HI> fall under it every Week, there is none &s;o &s;otti&s;h as to need much warning of their Danger. And &s;hall we be le&s;s con|cerned for our <HI>immortal Souls</HI> and their Eternal Condition, than we are for the&s;e <HI>frail Carca&s;es</HI> and their Continuance for a few dayes in the World, which if they e&s;cape one Di&s;temper, may yet in a few Moments fall under the Power of another? This <HI>&s;piritual Pe&s;tilence</HI> that hath formerly <HI>walked in Darkne&s;s,</HI> is now a De&s;truction wa&s;ting at <HI>Noon-day.</HI> Nations are depopu|lated by it, and Cities left de&s;olate, as unto their Intere&s;t in God and the Go&s;pel. And is it not high time to look diligently le&s;t the Infection reach unto <HI>us</HI> al&s;o, le&s;t We al&s;o &s;hould <HI>fail and come &s;hort of the Grace of God,</HI> and be <HI>hardened through the deceit|fulne&s;s of Sin.</HI> As then our <HI>Bodies</HI> are of the &s;ame Natural Frame and Con&s;titution; as they have in them the &s;ame Humours, the &s;ame kind of Animal Spirits as are in
<PB N="528" REF="276"> tho&s;e who are infected with the Plague, whereby we are obnoxious unto the &s;ame Infection with them; &s;o there are in our <HI>Souls</HI> and <HI>Minds</HI> the &s;ame Principles of Sin and Love of the World, as are infected, drawn away, enticed, excited and enraged by outward Occa&s;ions and Temptations, untill they have i&s;&s;ued in <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> Do we think that we &s;hall be alwayes ea&s;ily pre&s;erved (and that while&s;t we are <HI>carele&s;s</HI> and &s;ecure,) from that Torrent which hath carryed away &s;uch Multitudes before it? Are we in our &s;elves <HI>better than they</HI> or any of them? Have we a <HI>Patent</HI> for our Pre|&s;ervation, while&s;t we neglect any Wayes, Means, or Diligence that the <HI>Rule</HI> requi|reth thereunto? Doth not God &s;hew unto us, not <HI>one</HI> but <HI>many</HI> Churches and Nati|ons, &s;aying, <HI>Goe unto tho&s;e Shilo's where I &s;ometimes placed my Name, and &s;ee what is become of them, and what I have done un|to them?</HI> Will you goe after them, have you a Mind to be made like unto them? Think not to &s;ay within your &s;elves, <HI>We have Abraham to our Father;</HI> We have tho&s;e outward Priviledges and Advantages which they have not; for they al&s;o en|joyed the &s;ame untill they had forfeited them by their <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> Certainly the <HI>ge|neral</HI>
<PB N="529" REF="276"> Prevalency of this Evil proclaims &s;uch a Danger, as no wi&s;e Man, no man that takes care of his own Salvation, ought or indeed can neglect. Wherefore, as it is alwayes with Chri&s;tians, if ever it be a time to <HI>watch,</HI> to <HI>&s;tand on our Guard,</HI> to <HI>take unto our &s;elves the whole Armour of God,</HI> to be <HI>jealous</HI> of our &s;elves, to be <HI>con&s;tant</HI> and <HI>diligent</HI> in the u&s;e of all Means both <HI>private</HI> and <HI>publick</HI> for our Pre&s;ervation, it is now a time &s;o to be. And if Profe&s;&s;ors will not be awakened, if they will not &s;tirre up them&s;elves with the <HI>Gifts</HI> and <HI>Graces</HI> which they have received, if they will plea&s;e them&s;elves that all is well with them and is likely &s;o to be; if they will yet immix them&s;elves with Boldne&s;s and Confidence in the Wayes of the World; Oh that my Head were a Fountain of <HI>tears!</HI> Oh that my Soul could mourn in &s;ecret for them! &s;eeing a&s;&s;uredly they will not be able to &s;tand in that <HI>Day of Temptation</HI> which is come upon the Face of the Earth, to <HI>trye</HI> them that dwell therein. The <HI>out|ward Court</HI> is long &s;ince given to be <HI>trodden down by the Gentiles,</HI> and how &s;oon the Enemies may roar in the very <HI>Sanctuaries,</HI> and <HI>&s;et up their Banners for Tokens,</HI> we know not; For,</P>
<PB N="530" REF="277">
<P> 2^d^l^y, The pre&s;ent State of this <HI>Defection</HI> hath a dangerous <HI>A&s;pect.</HI> Phy&s;itians &s;ay, <HI>Nemo moritur in Declinatione Morbi;</HI> No man dyes in the Declen&s;ion of his Di&s;ea&s;e. And when a publick <HI>pe&s;tilential Di&s;temper</HI> is in its Wane or Decay, the Danger is e&s;teemed in a great mea&s;ure over. But while&s;t a <HI>Di&s;ea&s;e</HI> is yet <HI>growing</HI> and daily <HI>&s;preading</HI> its Contagion, while&s;t the <HI>Bills of Mortality</HI> are every Week <HI>encrea&s;ed,</HI> they are onely <HI>hardened</HI> and <HI>profligate</HI> Per&s;ons whom the <HI>Commonne&s;s</HI> of the Judgement renders Regardle&s;s and &s;en&s;ele&s;s of it. And it is no otherwi&s;e with the Evil complain|ed of at this day. There is almo&s;t nothing in the World that <HI>all &s;ober</HI> Men do gene|rally agree in, but this alone, <HI>That the whole World doth daily wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e.</HI> Who can give an In&s;tance of the <HI>Decrea&s;e</HI> or <HI>Abatement</HI> of any one Sin, in its Love or Practice? but that &s;ome are advanced to higher Degrees of Confidence in their Per|petration, than former Dayes or Ages af|ford us any Pre&s;ident of, every one can declare. What In&s;tances have we of a <HI>&s;pi|ritual Recovery</HI> from any of our Decayes? What Attempts unto that purpo&s;e are made by any, unle&s;s by &s;uch as are not of Con&s;ideration, as have not Advantages
<PB N="531" REF="277"> to enable them to Effect any thing there|in? The World is highly at variance about <HI>Religion,</HI> mannaging its Differences with great Animo&s;ities and Indu&s;try, how one Way, Party and Profe&s;&s;ion, may draw per&s;ons from other Wayes and Profe&s;&s;ions. The &s;ole Bu&s;ine&s;s of the <HI>Church of Rome,</HI> is by all manner of <HI>Artifices</HI> to win over men unto their Communion; that is, a Subjecti|on of their Souls, Con&s;ciences, and en|tire Intere&s;ts, here and for Eternity, to the <HI>Authority</HI> of the <HI>Pope.</HI> Others be&s;tirre them&s;elves as well as they are able, to keep what they have, and to re&s;cue Men from their Seductions. And yet although they have the Advantage of the <HI>Truth</HI> on their &s;ide, and for the mo&s;t part the Advantage of <HI>Abilities</HI> in the mannagement of their Cau&s;e, yet they vi&s;ibly lo&s;e ground every day; and where one is recovered from the <HI>Roman Intere&s;t,</HI> many are added unto it. And there can be no Rea&s;on a&s;&s;igned here|of, but onely that the Apo&s;ta&s;ie is upon its Encrea&s;e, this being one way of it. Half that pains would have formerly turned an <HI>whole City</HI> from <HI>Popery,</HI> which will not now &s;ucceed unto the pre&s;ervation of <HI>one Per&s;on.</HI> But in the mean time, both in one Profe&s;&s;ion and another, all &s;orts of men
<PB N="532" REF="278"> continue regardle&s;s of <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Obedience.</HI> And while&s;t they quarrel about the <HI>outward Form,</HI> the <HI>inward power</HI> of <HI>Godline&s;s</HI> lyes neglected. Do we &s;ee things any where in the World upon a <HI>Recovery,</HI> or any thriving De&s;ign for the Retrival of <HI>Holine&s;s?</HI> The Name and Thing are growing more and more into Contempt. What In&s;tance can be given wherein this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> doth or may exert it &s;elf, be it in <HI>Athei&s;me,</HI> be it in <HI>Popery,</HI> in hatred of and &s;coffing at the <HI>My&s;teries of Evangelical Truth,</HI> in Worldline&s;s, Pro|phanene&s;s, Vanity, and Sen&s;uality of Life; in the Coldne&s;s in Love, and Barrenne&s;s among Profe&s;&s;ors, that is not openly in its <HI>progre&s;s?</HI> And is this a time to be <HI>&s;ecure, carele&s;s,</HI> or <HI>negligent?</HI> Are we &s;ure that this <HI>Epidemical Infection</HI> &s;hall not enter our Ha|bitations? Do we not find how it hath one way or other attempted us already? Can we find no decay in <HI>Zeal</HI> or <HI>Love</HI> among our &s;elves, no Adherence unto the World un&s;uited unto our pre&s;ent State and Con|dition in it; No neglect of <HI>Duties,</HI> no Rarene&s;s in Divine <HI>Vi&s;itations,</HI> no want of <HI>Life</HI> and Delight in <HI>&s;piritual Commu|nion</HI> with Chri&s;t, no hurtfull Growth of carnal Wi&s;dom, with all its Attendants?
<PB N="533" REF="278"> Or have we not found our &s;elves one way or other &s;en&s;ibly attacqued by the&s;e Evils? It is to be feared that tho&s;e who can make no Ob&s;ervation of any thing of this Nature among them&s;elves, are &s;omewhat &s;ick of the <HI>Laodicean</HI> di&s;temper. And if we will not be awakened and &s;tirred up to a more than ordinary Diligence, Care and Watch|fulne&s;s at &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on as this is, it is to be feared that ere long the Generality of Profe&s;&s;ors will come to be in the Condi|tion of the Church of <HI>Sardis, to have a Name to live,</HI> but indeed and in the &s;ight of Chri&s;t <HI>to be dead.</HI></P>
<P>3^l^y, As this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> is yet in its <HI>progre&s;s,</HI> &s;o what will be its <HI>Event,</HI> what it will ari&s;e unto, is altogether uncertain. God can put a &s;top unto it when he plea&s;eth, as he hath in his holy Purpo&s;es fixed Bounds unto it which it &s;hall not pa&s;s. But in the mean time being greatly provoked by the <HI>Ingratitude</HI> of a wicked World, no man knows how long he may &s;u&s;pend tho&s;e more powerfull Influences and more extra|ordinary Effects of his <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Spirit,</HI> which are needfull unto the <HI>healing of the Nations,</HI> and without which they will not be <HI>cured.</HI> I hope for better things, and pray for better things, but I have no cer|tain
<PB N="534" REF="279"> Ground of A&s;&s;urance that this Apo|&s;ta&s;ie &s;hall not <HI>grow,</HI> untill in one In&s;tance or other of it, it &s;wallow up all <HI>vi&s;ible Pro|fe&s;&s;ion.</HI> The whole World, &s;o far as I know of, (I mean the&s;e parts of it,) may become <HI>Papal</HI> again, or be &s;o <HI>corrupted</HI> in their <HI>Prin|ciples</HI> and <HI>prophane in their Lives,</HI> as that it is no great matter what their <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> in Religion be. Two things I do know or believe; namely, (1) That <HI>the Founda|tion of God &s;tandeth &s;ure, having this Seal, God knoweth who are his;</HI> His Elect, that truely <HI>fear</HI> him, and diligently <HI>&s;erve</HI> him, &s;hall be pre&s;erved from <HI>peri&s;hing eternally,</HI> and every thing that nece&s;&s;arily leads there|unto. (2) That God hath appointed a <HI>Time</HI> and <HI>&s;ea&s;on,</HI> wherein he will not only put a <HI>&s;top</HI> unto this <HI>Defection</HI> from the Go|&s;pel, but an <HI>end</HI> al&s;o. He will one day execute the Vengeance that he hath writ|ten and recorded, on the Throne, Power and Kingdom of the <HI>Antichri&s;tian Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> and in <HI>one day</HI> &s;hall the Plagues of <HI>Babylon</HI> come upon her; And <HI>he will again turn to the People a pure Language, that they may all call on the Name of the Lord, to &s;erve him with one con&s;ent; Zeph.</HI> 3. 9, 10. He will again <HI>revive</HI> the Beauty of his <HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI> and the Glory of <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> in the Earth.
<PB N="535" REF="279"> But in the mean time what things may come unto, I know not. Tho&s;e who pretend to a clearer In&s;pection into <HI>future things,</HI> may not do ami&s;s &s;trictly to examine the <HI>Grounds</HI> whereon they proceed. For many have been made <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> of their Predictions that within &s;uch or &s;uch a Time the <HI>Yoke of Babylon &s;hould be broken.</HI> This is all I &s;ay, (and I &s;ay it only for my &s;elf,) I know no A&s;&s;urance that can be given on infal|lible Grounds, that the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which we are treating of, &s;hall not one way or other, in one In&s;tance or other, become again to be <HI>Catholick,</HI> and prevail again&s;t all open vi&s;ible Profe&s;&s;ion of the Purity and Power of <HI>Go&s;pel-Wor&s;hip</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s.</HI> Now if this be not &s;o unto others, yet unto my &s;elf it ought to be a Warning, how I may be thought <HI>worthy to e&s;cape,</HI> and to <HI>&s;tand be|fore the Son of Man.</HI> And I am &s;ure, there is &s;o much danger of it at lea&s;t, as to de|&s;erve the Con&s;ideration of all who take care of their Eternal Salvation. For if things &s;hould come to &s;uch a pa&s;s, they are not many, they are but <HI>very few</HI> who will be <HI>entirely</HI> pre&s;erved. The mo&s;t will one way or other <HI>&s;uffer lo&s;s.</HI> And it is not an ea&s;ie thing to be found among the num|ber of the <HI>few</HI> in &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on. Can we
<PB N="536" REF="280"> think that men carele&s;s in holy Duties, cold in Zeal, lukewarm in Love, barren in good Works, cleaving to the World, and con|formable unto it, low in their Light, du|bious in their State, u&s;ele&s;s in the World, fearfull of Trials, will be of this number? They are wofully deceived who are plea&s;ed with &s;uch apprehen&s;ions; other Principles, other Wayes, Cour&s;es and Practices, will be required in them who &s;hall be <HI>hidden</HI> and <HI>&s;afeguarded</HI> in that Day.</P>
<P>4^l^y, The <HI>various Wayes</HI> whereby this <HI>De|fection</HI> prevails in the World, &s;hould al&s;o warn us to &s;tand upon <HI>our Guard.</HI> Were it of <HI>one &s;ort</HI> onely, did it work onely <HI>one way,</HI> or made u&s;e of <HI>one Engine</HI> alone for its Progre&s;s, the Evil and Danger of it might be the more ea&s;ily either with&s;tood or avoyded. But as we have before refer|red it unto three general Heads with re|&s;pect unto the <HI>Doctrine,</HI> the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel, &s;o under each of them there are various Wayes and Means whereby it is promoted. The In|fection from this Plague is taken innume|rable wayes, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 1. Some take it in their Shops or <HI>e&s;pecial Vocations,</HI> &s;ome in their <HI>Societies,</HI> Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, &s;ome from the <HI>Vanities and Plea&s;ures,</HI> &s;ome from
<PB N="537" REF="280"> the <HI>Profits</HI> and <HI>Advantages</HI> of the World; Unbelief, the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin, Cor|rupt Lu&s;ts and Affections, &s;piritual Sloth, Cares about, and Love of Riches, lye all in a Readine&s;s to give Entertainment to, and to embrace any Opportunity Advan|tage or Means whatever it be, whereby this Apo&s;ta&s;ie may be admitted and take place in them. See <HI>Heb.</HI> 3. 12, 13. <HI>chap.</HI> 12. 15, 16, 17. Sathan in the mean time labours by his In&s;inuations to corrupt our Minds, to poy&s;on our Lu&s;ts, and to &s;upply them with all enveigling or provoking Objects. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 3. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 12. In this State of things look how many <HI>publick Tempta|tions</HI> there are in the World, &s;o many ge|neral Wayes and Means are there whereby this Apo&s;ta&s;ie doth prevail; And who can reckon up the&s;e Temptations? Hence it is that men fall under this Evil &s;uch various Wayes, and unto &s;uch various Degrees; Some do &s;o by <HI>Errors</HI> and damnable He|re&s;ies, <HI>denying the Lord that bought them;</HI> &s;ome by <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Idolatry;</HI> &s;ome by a <HI>Contempt</HI> of Go&s;pel My&s;teries, and pre|ferring another way of Duty before Evan|gelical Obedience; &s;ome by <HI>Ambition</HI> and Pride of Life, &s;ome by Love of the World, and a Neglect of Duties <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>moral</HI>
<PB N="538" REF="281"> under a deceiving Profe&s;&s;ion; &s;ome by &s;uffering carnal <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and &s;ome &s;en&s;ual <HI>Lu&s;ts</HI> to devour their Convictions and their Efficacy; &s;ome by the <HI>&V;ncertainty</HI> of their Minds brought to an Indifferency in all things <HI>Supernatural</HI> and <HI>Divine;</HI> &s;ome by <HI>Vain-glory</HI> and <HI>Shame</HI> to be found among the &s;corned Society of tho&s;e who are truely Religious; and Multitudes are initiated into an <HI>irrecoverable Prophanene&s;s,</HI> by the vain Pomps and Spectacles of the Age; And other Wayes there are more than can be recounted, whereby this Evil is propa|gated, and men fall under the <HI>power</HI> of it. By this Means the very common <HI>Aire</HI> we breath in, is infected, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 33. <HI>Snakes</HI> are in all Gra&s;s whereon we tread, and <HI>Scorpions</HI> under every Stone. Snares are laid for us on every hand, and tho&s;e (&s;ome of them) &s;o gilded and &s;et off, that Multi|tudes of loo&s;e Profe&s;&s;ors have taken them up, and wear them as their Ornaments. Tho&s;e who e&s;cape one Evil do every day fall into others. And how &s;hall they e&s;cape who are encompa&s;&s;ed with &s;o many Dan|gers, if they live in the Neglect of any one <HI>Duty</HI> or Means of their Pre&s;ervation, that God hath appointed and made u&s;efull thereunto?</P>
<PB N="539" REF="281">
<P> 5^t^h^l^y, Con&s;ider, that there is an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which is <HI>irrecoverable;</HI> and it will end in <HI>Eternal Ruine.</HI> This is that which we are taught in this Context, according unto the Expo&s;ition before given of it. No man in this World can be by the Rule of the Go|&s;pel in an <HI>un&s;aveable Condition,</HI> that is, be concluded under an unavoidable De&s;tructi|on by any known Rule of the Revealed Will of God, unle&s;s it be an <HI>Apo&s;tate.</HI> There are al&s;o &s;everal &s;orts and Degrees of <HI>Apo&s;ta|&s;ie</HI> that may have &s;everal Cau&s;es and Effects, and &s;o various Events. Great Surprizals, &s;trong Temptations, Negligence in Watch|ing again&s;t the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin, may produce <HI>Temporary Abnegations</HI> of Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel, wofull <HI>Declen&s;ions</HI> from the due Ob&s;ervation of his Commands, with wandring into fooli&s;h Opinions, and yet Per&s;ons be recovered from them all, and brought by Repentance unto Salvation. Signal In&s;tances of this Grace and Patience in God might be given. And this is &s;uffi|cient to render the <HI>De&s;pair</HI> of them cau&s;e|le&s;s, who are ever awakened in this World time enough to endeavour a Deliverance from any Sin or Cour&s;e of Sinning provo|king and de&s;tructive. For when any man is by any Means called to have any thing
<PB N="540" REF="282"> to doe with God about his Eternal Con|cernments, God doth not allow him to be the ab&s;olute <HI>Soveraign Judge</HI> of him&s;elf, which would u&s;urp his Prerogative, and put the Sinner in the place of God. He that <HI>de&s;pairs,</HI> &s;ayes, <HI>I am in the &s;tead of God to my &s;elf in this matter; there is neither Good|ne&s;s, nor Grace, nor Mercy in him but what I can comprehend.</HI> And this Evil God hath obviated in &s;ignal In&s;tances of the Reco|very of great <HI>Apo&s;tates.</HI> But yet withall there is (as we have &s;hewed) an <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> that is <HI>irrecoverable;</HI> and hereof God per|mits many Examples in this World, to put an Awe not onely on <HI>bold</HI> and <HI>pre&s;umptuous</HI> but al&s;o on <HI>carele&s;s</HI> and <HI>negligent</HI> Sinners. For whereas our Apo&s;tle doth expre&s;&s;ely <HI>twice</HI> mind the <HI>Hebrews</HI> of this <HI>&s;everity of God</HI> again&s;t Apo&s;tates, in this place, and <HI>Chap.</HI> 10. 26, 27; in the one he doth it with re&s;pect unto <HI>unprofitablene&s;s</HI> under the Means of Grace, and in the other unto a <HI>Negligence</HI> in attending unto the Admini|&s;tration of Go&s;pel <HI>Ordinances.</HI> Now where|as any men may be overtaken with the <HI>Be|ginning of Decayes</HI> and Declen&s;ions from the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel, all which have a Tendency in their own Na|ture unto this <HI>irrecoverable Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> ought
<PB N="541" REF="282"> they not to be continually <HI>jealous</HI> over them&s;elves, le&s;t they &s;hould pa&s;s the Bounds God hath fixed unto his <HI>Patience</HI> and <HI>Grace?</HI> Ought we not to be carefull about every Sin or Omi&s;&s;ion of Duty that hath a tendency unto this dolefull I&s;&s;ue? For this very End, that we may be warned to take heed of the <HI>Beginning of Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> doth the Apo&s;tle in this place declare the <HI>End</HI> of it. The <HI>Reader</HI> may if he plea&s;e (to help him herein) con&s;ult our Di&s;cour&s;es on <HI>Chap.</HI> 4. <HI>ver.</HI> 3. It is not an ea&s;ie Task to &s;top a <HI>Cour&s;e in Backsliding</HI> when once it is entred into. And I &s;hall clo&s;e this Warning with naming two Directions un|to this purpo&s;e. (1) <HI>Take heed of a Cour&s;e in any Sin.</HI> Though every Sin doth not immediately tend unto Final Apo&s;ta&s;ie, yet <HI>a Cour&s;e in any Sin</HI> continued, doth &s;o. (2) <HI>Take heed of</HI> touching on &s;uch <HI>e&s;pecial Sins</HI> as have a peculiar Tendency there|unto; and of what Nature they are, hath been declared.</P>
<P>6^t^h^l^y, Our la&s;t Con&s;ideration of this Kind &s;hall be taken from the <HI>Nature and Guilt</HI> of this Sin, wherever it be found, with the <HI>Severity</HI> of God again&s;t it. And we may look upon it as it is <HI>Total,</HI> &s;uch as that &s;up|po&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4, 5, 6. The
<PB N="542" REF="283"> Expo&s;ition we have given of the words, will warrant us to conclude, that <HI>Total Apo&s;ta&s;ie from the Go&s;pel once profe&s;&s;ed, is a greater Sin, and of a more heynous Nature than that of the Jews in Crucifying the Lord Chri&s;t in the dayes of his Fle&s;h.</HI> This was &s;ufficiently proved in the Expo&s;ition of the words. It remains only that we do briefly enquire what doth concurre unto &s;uch a <HI>Total Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> whereby the Truth of the <HI>Expo&s;ition</HI> and the Nece&s;&s;ity of the <HI>Warn|ings</HI> given, will be made yet more Evi|dent. And though I &s;hall &s;peak with e&s;pe|cial re&s;pect unto <HI>total</HI> Apo&s;ta&s;ie from all <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> yet are the things that &s;hall be &s;poken, to be found in their <HI>degree</HI> and <HI>mea&s;ure</HI> in all tho&s;e who are guilty of that <HI>partial Defection</HI> which we have de&s;cribed. There are therefore alwayes found in this <HI>great Offence</HI> the things en&s;uing.</P>
<P N="1">(1) The <HI>lo&s;s of all Ta&s;te of any Goodne&s;s or Excellency in the Go&s;pel,</HI> in the Truth or State of its <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip.</HI> There is no man who hath ever made a <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the Go&s;pel in <HI>Earne&s;t,</HI> beyond Pretence and Cu&s;tom, but he hath found &s;ome kind of <HI>Ta&s;te,</HI> Reli&s;h or Sweetne&s;s in the things of it. They <HI>ta&s;te of the good Word of God,</HI> and <HI>the Powers of the World to come;</HI> either
<PB N="543" REF="283"> in the things them&s;elves, or in the Manner of their Di&s;pen&s;ation, or of the Duties of Wor&s;hip enjoyned therein, they have found &s;omewhat that hath given their <HI>Minds</HI> and <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> &s;ome Satisfaction. A man can|not goe into a <HI>plea&s;ant Garden</HI> in the Spring, but he will &s;mell <HI>&s;ome &s;avour</HI> from the <HI>Flowers,</HI> though he gather not one of them. A man cannot take <HI>Meat &s;avoury</HI> and well condited into his Mouth, but he will <HI>ta&s;te the Reli&s;h of it,</HI> though he have no Mind nor Appetite to eat it. Nor can any man <HI>walk</HI> in the <HI>Sun,</HI> but he will have &s;ome Impre&s;&s;ions from its <HI>Heat.</HI> It is &s;o, it can be no otherwi&s;e with them who live under the <HI>Preaching of the Go&s;pel</HI> and make Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of its <HI>Doctrine.</HI> More or le&s;s it will in&s;inuate it &s;elf into their Minds with <HI>a Ta&s;te of its Excellency</HI> and <HI>Goodne&s;s.</HI> This in the Ca&s;e con&s;idered is <HI>lo&s;t</HI> in the fir&s;t place. And generally it comes to pa&s;s by a <HI>Love of Sin</HI> and <HI>Plea&s;ures</HI> of the World. When this hath filled and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed the Soul, all its Sences grow <HI>dead</HI> unto <HI>&s;piri|tual</HI> things, it hath no Faculty or Ability to <HI>ta&s;te</HI> any Reli&s;h in them; yea it loaths and abhorres them as contrary to what it hath immer&s;ed it &s;elf in, or given up it &s;elf unto. This u&s;ually is <HI>lo&s;t</HI> in the fir&s;t place;
<PB N="544" REF="284"> &s;uch Per&s;ons find nothing any longer in Chri&s;t or the Go&s;pel, for which they &s;hould either <HI>delight</HI> in them or <HI>de&s;ire</HI> them; And it &s;eems to be thus with &s;o many in the World, who once gave hopes of better things, that the Con&s;ideration of it is dread|full.</P>
<P N="2">(2) This is quickly followed with <HI>a lo&s;s of all prevailing Evidence and Conviction of the Truth of the very Doctrine of the Go&s;pel.</HI> This Conviction all are &s;uppo&s;ed to have who profe&s;s it, and all really have it who profe&s;s it in any &s;incerity. Why el&s;e doe they make Profe&s;&s;ion of it, if they a&s;&s;ent not unto its <HI>Truth</HI> upon its Conviction and Evidence. For we &s;peak not at all of them who&s;e Profe&s;&s;ion hath no other Principle or Foundation but <HI>Cu&s;tom</HI> or <HI>Education.</HI> Others build their Per&s;wa&s;ion upon <HI>Grounds</HI> and <HI>Evidences</HI> prevalent to obtain their A&s;|&s;ent unto the Truth again&s;t Temptations and Objections; This <HI>Apo&s;tates</HI> lo&s;e in the next place. The <HI>Truth</HI> remains what it was, and &s;o do the Arguments and Evidences of it, but they have no longer any Force upon, or <HI>Authority</HI> in their Minds. It may be they do not pre&s;ently renounce the Go|&s;pel as <HI>a Lye,</HI> or a cunningly <HI>devi&s;ed Fable;</HI> They may let the <HI>Notions</HI> of it lye loo&s;e in
<PB N="545" REF="284"> their Minds for a &s;ea&s;on neglected and un|regarded, but give them no part of that Entertainment which is due unto acknow|ledged Truths of that Nature, nor do re|ceive any <HI>Impre&s;&s;ions</HI> from its <HI>Authority.</HI> And when men have lo&s;t the&s;e, they have lo&s;t their A&s;&s;ent to the <HI>Truth</HI> of the Go&s;pel upon its proper Evidence, and are directly <HI>&V;nbelievers.</HI> And this on every Occa&s;ion will i&s;&s;ue in a <HI>formal Renunciation</HI> of the Truth of the whole. And when Men ar|rive unto this Po&s;ture in their <HI>Minds,</HI> they will di&s;cover them&s;elves, as by a <HI>Conver&s;a|tion</HI> wholly regardle&s;s of the Precepts of Chri&s;t, &s;o al&s;o by light irreverent Expre&s;&s;i|ons concerning the <HI>Scripture,</HI> which (where they have Freedom) will be poured out from the Abundance of their Hearts. This &s;tep towards <HI>total Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> will follow that foregoing. When once Men have lo&s;t all Ta&s;te and Reli&s;h of the <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Ex|cellency</HI> of the Word of God on their Hearts and Affections, they will not long retain any prevalent <HI>Evidence</HI> of its <HI>Truth</HI> in their Minds. Hence,</P>
<P N="3">(3) <HI>A Contempt of the things promi&s;ed in the Go&s;pel doth en&s;ue.</HI> The Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel do indeed contain tho&s;e things wherein the evident <HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Happi|ne&s;s</HI>
<PB N="546" REF="285"> of our Natures doth con&s;i&s;t. Such is <HI>Serenity</HI> of Mind in this World, and Eter|nal <HI>Felicity</HI> in the Enjoyment of God. The&s;e (for the &s;ub&s;tance of them) Mankind cannot de&s;pi&s;e untill they grow <HI>Athei&s;ti|cally Bruti&s;h.</HI> But they may, and many do &s;o, in the <HI>manner</HI> and on the Terms of their Propo&s;al and Declaration by the <HI>Pro|mi&s;es</HI> of the Go&s;pel. That this Enjoyment of God (wherein <HI>Everla&s;ting Happine&s;s</HI> con|&s;i&s;teth,) mu&s;t be in and through <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> alone, that the Way of attaining thereun|to, and the onely Means of pre&s;ent <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Serenity</HI> of Mind, is by <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Obe|dience</HI> in and unto him, this they <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> and <HI>contemn.</HI> This naturally follows on the former; for all Expectation of Good by and from the <HI>Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel,</HI> depends on the <HI>Evidence</HI> that we have of the <HI>Truth</HI> thereof. And when <HI>that</HI> is lo&s;t, <HI>the&s;e</HI> will be de&s;pi&s;ed. Now herein con&s;i&s;teth one of the greate&s;t Aggravations of this Sin. For whereas men cannot but <HI>de&s;ire</HI> the things (for the &s;ub&s;tance of them) which are <HI>pro|mi&s;ed</HI> in the Go&s;pel, as tho&s;e wherein their <HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> doth con&s;i&s;t; they will (out of Hatred to <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,)</HI> reject and <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> them, and Eternally deprive their Souls of them, rather than accept of them <HI>in</HI> and
<PB N="547" REF="285"> <HI>through</HI> him: They will rather never have any Intere&s;t in <HI>God,</HI> than have it <HI>by Chri&s;t.</HI> This Rejection therefore of the <HI>Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel,</HI> as tho&s;e which either as to the <HI>Matter</HI> of them are not to be <HI>de&s;ired,</HI> or as to the <HI>Truth</HI> of them not to be <HI>tru&s;ted,</HI> is the mo&s;t provoking Sin. No greater Re|proach can po&s;&s;ibly be ca&s;t on <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> as that which leaveth him the Honour neither of his <HI>Truth</HI> nor <HI>Power;</HI> neither of which the <HI>Jews</HI> could in the lea&s;t impeach, when they took away his life. And,</P>
<P N="4">(4) <HI>They choo&s;e &s;ome other Way or Means in the place and &s;tead of Chri&s;t and the Go|&s;pel, for the Ends which they once &s;ought after by them.</HI> So did tho&s;e Per&s;ons who fell off to <HI>Judai&s;me.</HI> They looked for that in the <HI>Law</HI> and <HI>Ceremonyes</HI> which they could not find in the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> And of the&s;e there are two &s;orts; (1) Such as <HI>retain</HI> their <HI>fir&s;t End</HI> in <HI>general,</HI> but reject the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> from being a <HI>&s;ufficient Means</HI> for <HI>at|taining</HI> it; (2) Some that <HI>renounce</HI> the <HI>whole End</HI> it &s;elf, and &s;eek for <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> other wayes. The former are &s;uch as pre|&s;erve an Aym in general to <HI>wor&s;hip God,</HI> to <HI>do</HI> that in Religion which may be ac|cepted by him, and to <HI>believe</HI> that of him which is <HI>right.</HI> But they reject the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI>
<PB N="548" REF="286"> as an <HI>in&s;ufficient</HI> and deceitfull Guide in and about the&s;e things. And this is done either <HI>totally,</HI> by &s;uch as Apo&s;tatize to <HI>Ju|dai&s;me</HI> or <HI>Mahumeti&s;me;</HI> or <HI>partially,</HI> by &s;uch as turn off from the Purity, Truth, Spirituality and My&s;tery of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> un|to <HI>Popery,</HI> or the like. I &s;ay not this with an intention to charge the Guilt of this whole Sin on this latter &s;ort; onely I &s;ay, they &s;hare in a very con&s;iderable part of it, and without <HI>Repentance</HI> will do &s;o in the Puni&s;hment due unto it. And this ca&s;ts the &s;corn of <HI>Folly</HI> on Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel, both <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> as having neither Truth nor Efficacy &s;ufficient for the End propo&s;ed by them, and <HI>comparatively,</HI> that a Fal&s;hood or Lye, a diabolical Invention or Delu&s;ion is to be preferred before them, which is the highe&s;t Provocation unto the Eyes of Gods Glory. The latter &s;ort quite ca&s;t off the general End of <HI>plea&s;ing God, and living unto him.</HI> For a while they thought that this would have brought them in &s;ome con&s;iderable Satisfaction, and u&s;ed the Go|&s;pel to that End and Purpo&s;e. But now being fallen under the <HI>power</HI> of the former Degrees of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> in contempt of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> as that which will not afford any tolerable an&s;wer unto their Expectations,
<PB N="549" REF="286"> they take up in the Lu&s;ts and Plea&s;ures of the World, preferring them before all the <HI>Promi&s;es of Chri&s;t,</HI> and de&s;pi&s;ing all the Threatnings denounced again&s;t tho&s;e that pur&s;ue them. And of this &s;ort of <HI>Apo&s;tates</HI> we have numberle&s;s Examples in the World.</P>
<P N="5">(5) Hereunto is added, <HI>a perfect Hatred and Contempt of &s;uch as abide con&s;tant in their Adherence unto and Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel.</HI> Con&s;tant Ob&s;ervation hath ap|proved the &s;aying, <HI>Apo&s;tata e&s;t O&s;or &s;ui Or|dinis;</HI> Great Apo&s;tates have been alwayes great Per&s;ecutors in <HI>Word</HI> or <HI>Deed</HI> accord|ing to their Power. As tho&s;e who <HI>love</HI> Chri&s;t, do <HI>love</HI> all that are his, <HI>becau&s;e</HI> they are his; &s;o they that <HI>hate</HI> him, do <HI>hate</HI> all that are his, <HI>becau&s;e</HI> they are his. And their <HI>Hatred</HI> becau&s;e it is again&s;t the whole Kind, acts it &s;elf every way po&s;&s;ible. They <HI>de|&s;pi&s;e them</HI> as <HI>weak</HI> and <HI>fooli&s;h,</HI> for Adhering and tru&s;ting to the Things which they have Relinqui&s;hed, tru&s;ting to them&s;elves, their Rea&s;on and Gallantry of Spirit. They are filled with <HI>Revenge</HI> again&s;t them, as tho&s;e who cen&s;ure, judge, and condemn them as guilty of the highe&s;t <HI>Villany</HI> and mo&s;t de|&s;perate <HI>Wickedne&s;s.</HI> They know in their Hearts that they have <HI>Re&s;erves</HI> again&s;t them,
<PB N="550" REF="287"> as Per&s;ons whom their Lord will one day <HI>judge</HI> and <HI>de&s;troy,</HI> which makes them de|&s;ign (if it were po&s;&s;ible) their utter <HI>Extir|pation</HI> from the face of the Earth. Tho&s;e who <HI>crucified Chri&s;t</HI> in his own Per&s;on, did it but <HI>once,</HI> and could do &s;o no more; the&s;e do &s;o every day; for what is done unto any of <HI>his,</HI> for <HI>his</HI> &s;ake, he e&s;teemeth as done unto him&s;elf. <HI>Why per&s;ecute&s;t thou Me?</HI></P>
<P N="6">(6) The&s;e Per&s;ons who proceed thus far, do alwayes fall into a <HI>peculiar Contempt of the Spirit of God,</HI> and his whole Work in the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pel.</HI> The Pro|mi&s;e of the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ation of the Spirit,</HI> is the e&s;pecial <HI>Priviledge</HI> and <HI>Glory</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> He is &s;ent and given in an e&s;pecial manner by <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> as <HI>exalted.</HI> His whole Work is to <HI>glorifie</HI> and <HI>exalt</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and to make his Mediation <HI>effectual</HI> unto the Souls of Men. And in the things which concern him and his Work, lyes the <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Soul</HI> of the Go&s;pel. Hence tho&s;e who Apo&s;ta|tize from it, have a peculiar <HI>Enmity</HI> again&s;t him and his Work. And this u&s;ually is one of the fir&s;t things wherein the <HI>fatal Back|&s;lidings</HI> of Men do manife&s;t them&s;elves. When once men <HI>tread under foot the Son of God,</HI> and <HI>account the Blood of the Cove|nant</HI>
<PB N="551" REF="287"> <HI>wherewith he was &s;anctified, an un|holy thing,</HI> (as they do in the former In|&s;tances,) they will a&s;&s;uredly <HI>do de&s;pite un|to the Spirit of Grace; Heb.</HI> 10. 29. How this is done in particular, &s;hall be con&s;ider|ed on that place, if God will, and we live thereunto. Under this Head and Degree, the Sin of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> becomes formally <HI>irre|mi&s;&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P N="7">(7) An <HI>open Profe&s;&s;ion of a Dete&s;tation of the Go&s;pel,</HI> &s;o far as it is con&s;i&s;tent with their <HI>Worldly Intere&s;ts</HI> and Advantages, compleats the <HI>Soul-ruining Sin</HI> we treat of. It may be they may live in &s;uch Times and Places, as that it would be to their Secu|lar Di&s;advantage openly to avow their <HI>Renunciation</HI> of Chri&s;t. But when that is the onely Curb from the Declaration of them&s;elves, the Frame of their Minds is e&s;teemed for a full Profe&s;&s;ion of their Apo|&s;ta&s;ie.</P>
<P>Now whereas all the&s;e things (and it may be &s;undry others) do concurre unto this Sin of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> I &s;hall conclude two things concerning it. (1) That it is <HI>a far greater Sin</HI> than that of the Generality of the <HI>Jews</HI> who <HI>crucified</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t in the dayes of his Fle&s;h, as was before a&s;&s;erted. (2) That it is <HI>incon&s;i&s;tent</HI> with the Holi|ne&s;s,
<PB N="552" REF="288"> Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Honour and Faithful|ne&s;s of God, to <HI>Renew &s;uch Per&s;ons</HI> as are <HI>fully</HI> and <HI>openly</HI> Guilty hereof unto <HI>Repen|tance.</HI> Repentance may be given unto <HI>them</HI> in Hell, with as much Advantage unto the Glory of God. For when men after <HI>Trial</HI> and <HI>Experiment,</HI> with &s;ome Convictions of its <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Excellency,</HI> do ob&s;tinately <HI>reject</HI> the onely Remedy and Relief that God hath provided for Sinners, and there|in do <HI>de&s;pight</HI> unto the whole <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Tri|nity,</HI> and each Per&s;on thereof in his pe|culiar Intere&s;t in the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> and <HI>Ap|plication</HI> of Grace, God neither in his <HI>Faith|fulne&s;s</HI> will, nor in his <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> can have any thing more to doe with &s;uch pre&s;umptuous Sinners in a way of <HI>Mercy.</HI> He may and doth <HI>endure them</HI> for a while in this World, and that without any vi&s;ible Tokens of his <HI>Indignation,</HI> &s;atisfying his Ju&s;tice in the <HI>&s;piritual Judgements</HI> that are upon them; but it is onely as <HI>Ve&s;&s;els of Wrath fitted to De&s;truction,</HI> and &s;uch who&s;e <HI>Damnation &s;leepeth not.</HI> And the&s;e things may &s;uffice to warn men of the <HI>Danger</HI> of this <HI>Evil;</HI> and they will be Warnings unto all who &s;hall <HI>con&s;ider</HI> them, who are not hardened through the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin; And all the Judgements of God, which are either
<PB N="553" REF="288"> <HI>impendent</HI> over, or already <HI>inflicted</HI> on a wicked Apo&s;tatizing World, are <HI>Calls</HI> from Heaven unto a Con&s;ideration of them.</P>
<P>Now although the Generality of men &s;eem to be <HI>&s;ecure</HI> enough from any <HI>Trouble</HI> or Di&s;compo&s;ure in their Minds from the Con&s;ideration of things of this Nature, yet &s;ome there are who may by their own Mi&s;apprehen&s;ions fall under &s;uch <HI>Di&s;courage|ments</HI> as may hinder them in that Cour&s;e of <HI>Obedience</HI> which they would pur&s;ue. I &s;hall therefore divert a little, to prevent or remove the Objections which &s;uch Per|&s;ons make again&s;t them&s;elves, and from whence their <HI>Di&s;couragement</HI> doth ari&s;e, adding &s;ome <HI>Directions</HI> &s;uited unto their State or Condition. For,</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Some may &s;uppo&s;e them&s;elves &s;o far intere&s;ted in the <HI>Backsliding</HI> and <HI>Apo|&s;ta&s;ie</HI> de&s;cribed, as that the <HI>Threatning</HI> de|nounced in the Text doth belong unto them al&s;o; and that they are <HI>judicially</HI> now &s;hut up under Impenitency. For, they &s;ay that they had attained unto a greater Mea|&s;ure or Degree of <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> unto more Readine&s;s, Evenne&s;s and Con&s;tancy in the Duties of <HI>Obedience</HI> than they do now re|tain. They have fearfully and wofully fallen off from a <HI>better Frame,</HI> into Dead|ne&s;s,
<PB N="554" REF="289"> Barrenne&s;s, Neglect of Duties, and it may be in &s;ome In&s;tance into a <HI>&s;infull Cour&s;e,</HI> and that for many dayes. Hence now they fear, that le&s;t as they are &s;en|&s;ible that they have <HI>for&s;aken God</HI> and gone off from him, &s;o he &s;hould <HI>for&s;ake them</HI> utterly, and that they &s;hould be <HI>&s;ealed up</HI> under Impenitency.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. As this Ca&s;e too often falls out, &s;o it is often an&s;wered; and I &s;hall not therefore much in&s;i&s;t upon it, nor any other|wi&s;e but as our pre&s;ent de&s;ign and Di&s;cour&s;e is concerned therein. And I &s;ay,</P>
<P N="1">(1) It is to be granted, that all &s;uch <HI>Backslidings</HI> are not onely <HI>evil</HI> and <HI>&s;infull,</HI> but <HI>dangerous</HI> al&s;o, as to the I&s;&s;ue and Event. Whoever therefore finds him&s;elf under the <HI>power</HI> of them, or any way <HI>over|taken</HI> by them, ought not onely to con|&s;ider the Guilt of all the particular Sins and Omi&s;&s;ions of Duties which they con|tract, but principally the <HI>whole State of their Souls,</HI> and the Danger they are in of being hardened through the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin. For no man in &s;uch a State can have the lea&s;t <HI>&s;piritual A&s;&s;urance</HI> or &s;ecu|rity, that he &s;hall not fall <HI>totally</HI> and <HI>fi|nally</HI> from God; and whatever Per&s;wa&s;ion he hath of that nature, it is but a <HI>deceiving</HI>
<PB N="555" REF="289"> <HI>Pre&s;umption</HI> that will effectually promote his Apo&s;ta&s;ie and Ruine. For there is no Word of Truth, no Promi&s;e of God, to a&s;&s;ure any of his Love and Favour while&s;t they are in &s;uch a State. It is therefore unque&s;tionably the Duty of every one who is <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> of any Evil of this Nature, in the Frame of his Heart, or Cour&s;e of his Life, to give him&s;elf no <HI>Re&s;t</HI> therein, &s;eeing the <HI>Eternal Welfare</HI> of his Soul is highly in que&s;tion. But,</P>
<P N="2">(2) There is a <HI>Decay,</HI> a <HI>Falling away</HI> from the <HI>Degrees of Holine&s;s and Obedience</HI> that Men may have attained, and that it may be for a <HI>long &s;ea&s;on,</HI> and po&s;&s;ibly with re&s;pect unto &s;ome <HI>e&s;pecial Sin</HI> which is <HI>re|coverable,</HI> and which doth not ca&s;t Per|&s;ons under the <HI>power</HI> of it, <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> into the Threatning here recorded. What <HI>Cir|cum&s;tances</HI> are required hereunto, and what <HI>Aggravations</HI> of Sin, hath been &s;hewed in the Opening of the Words. Now there may be a <HI>falling away,</HI> and that great and dangerous, which yet ri&s;eth not up unto the Provocation of the Evil here in an <HI>e&s;pe|cial manner</HI> intended. And I judge it may be given as a &s;afe Rule in General, That <HI>he who is &s;piritually &s;en&s;ible of the Evil of his Backsliding, is unque&s;tionably in a recove|rable</HI>
<PB N="556" REF="290"> <HI>Condition;</HI> and &s;ome may be &s;o who are not yet <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> thereof, &s;o long as they are capable of being made &s;o by <HI>Convicti|ons.</HI> No man is pa&s;t <HI>Hopes</HI> of Salvation, un|till he is pa&s;t all <HI>Po&s;&s;ibility</HI> of Repentance. And no man is pa&s;t all <HI>po&s;&s;ibility</HI> of Re|pentance, untill he be <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> hardened again&s;t all <HI>Go&s;pel Convictions.</HI> Wherefore there is a <HI>Recoverable Backsliding.</HI> For, (1) Chri&s;t <HI>calleth</HI> men unto &s;uch a <HI>Recove|ry,</HI> which therefore he approves of, and will a&s;&s;i&s;t them therein who con&s;cienti|ou&s;ly apply them&s;elves unto their Duty, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 5. <HI>Chap.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3, 4; which latter In&s;tance is great in this Kind. (2) God hath <HI>promi&s;ed</HI> to <HI>recover</HI> and <HI>heal</HI> &s;uch Back|&s;lidings in Believers; <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 14. 4. And un|to whom this is not Encouragement &s;uffi|cient to endeavour a <HI>Recovery</HI> of them&s;elves, it is to be feared they will wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e through the <HI>power</HI> of Sin, untill it hath <HI>full dominion</HI> over them. Yea what Pretences &s;oever they make to keep them|&s;elves off from &s;uch Endeavours, it is either <HI>&V;nbelief</HI> or the <HI>Love of Sin</HI> that is the &s;ole <HI>proper Cau&s;e</HI> thereof. Wherefore,</P>
<P N="3">(3) If the <HI>Backsliding</HI> (whereof men complain) from the wayes of <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> have not proceeded out of <HI>di&s;like</HI>
<PB N="557" REF="290"> unto Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel, if they have not by the Power and Deceit wherewith they are accompanyed, <HI>cho&s;en any other Way</HI> of Duty or Sin in his &s;tead; as there is all Nece&s;&s;ity imaginable that they &s;hould, &s;o there is all Encouragement nece&s;&s;ary, to put them upon the diligent u&s;e of all Means of a <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Recovery.</HI> Suppo&s;e their <HI>Decayes</HI> have befallen them, or that they have fallen into them, through the <HI>Power of Tempta|tions,</HI> the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin joyning with their own Sloth and Negligence, which is the highe&s;t Suppo&s;ition that can be made in this Kind; yet if they &s;hall &s;ay in their Hearts, that they <HI>will return to their former Husband, for then it was better with them than now;</HI> they had <HI>Peace</HI> and much <HI>Refre&s;hment</HI> in their <HI>fir&s;t Wayes</HI> of Faith and Obedience, which they will therefore re|turn unto; as the Lord Chri&s;t <HI>calls</HI> upon them &s;o to doe, &s;o he is ready in all the Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel to <HI>receive</HI> them upon their &s;o doing. Onely let &s;uch Per|&s;ons remember, that the <HI>Command</HI> is urgent on them, as on <HI>Lot</HI> when he was to flee out of <HI>Sodom,</HI> and the Angel &s;aid unto him, <HI>E&s;cape for thy Life, look not behind thee, neither &s;tay thou in all the Plains, e&s;cape to the Mountains, le&s;t thou be con&s;umed.</HI>
<PB N="558" REF="291"> There is no time of Deliberation, much le&s;s of Delay in this matter; it is for their <HI>Souls,</HI> and the pre&s;ent Moment wherein they are warned is the onely <HI>Sea&s;on</HI> for their E&s;cape; And if any &s;hall yet linger as <HI>Lot</HI> did, the Lord lay hold upon them and bring them forth by the Power of his <HI>Grace,</HI> that they may be delivered. What are the Wayes whereby this may be done, what Duties &s;uch Per&s;ons are with Diligence to attend unto, what Means they are to u&s;e; are not things which at pre&s;ent fall under our Con&s;ideration. All that I de&s;ign is to &s;hew, that tho&s;e who thus complain, are not ca&s;t under any Di&s;couragement (by this <HI>Context</HI> and its <HI>Expo&s;ition)</HI> from an Endeavour of a <HI>Recovery,</HI> wherein they will find Acceptance with God.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly;</HI> It may be alleadged, that as to the <HI>I&s;&s;ue</HI> of things it will be all one whether we <HI>fall</HI> from <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s,</HI> or can never <HI>attain</HI> unto it; And this, &s;ay &s;ome, is Our Condition: For whatever we have thought of our &s;elves, or whatever others have thought of us upon our <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> yet we now find by Experience that we have not <HI>attained</HI> the <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> which the Go&s;pel requires. For their <HI>Corruptions</HI> (they &s;ay, this or that it may be in particular,) are too
<PB N="559" REF="291"> &s;trong for their <HI>Convictions;</HI> and after they thought them&s;elves <HI>above</HI> them, they have again been <HI>prevailed on</HI> and overcome. They find the <HI>power</HI> of one or other Lu&s;t grown &s;o <HI>habitual</HI> unto them, that they fall again and again under the <HI>power</HI> of it, untill (it may be) they have lo&s;t much of the <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> of its Guilt, and more of their <HI>power</HI> to re&s;i&s;t it. And it mu&s;t be acknow|ledged al&s;o, that this Condition is <HI>&s;piri|tually dangerous,</HI> and &s;uch as (if Delive|rance be not obtained from,) will probably end in <HI>total Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HI> To &s;tate things aright in this Ca&s;e, we may ob&s;erve,</P>
<P N="1">1. That there are <HI>three Degrees</HI> in the Power and Prevalency of <HI>Sin,</HI> and it mu&s;t be enquired under which of them they are &s;uppo&s;ed to be, concerning whom this Complaint is made. The fir&s;t is that men|tioned <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 23. <HI>I &s;ee a Law in my Mem|bers warring again&s;t the Law of my Mind, and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin:</HI> Where this is onely, or the <HI>Capti|vating Power of Sin,</HI> there are two things to be con&s;idered. (1) That the <HI>Will</HI> in its Di&s;po&s;itions and Inclinations is con&s;tant|ly <HI>fixed</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> of <HI>Sin,</HI> &s;o that in all its Prevalency it <HI>&s;uffers</HI> Hard&s;hip, and is &s;en&s;ible of its Captivity.
<PB N="560" REF="292"> (2) That this <HI>Captivity</HI> unto the Law of <HI>Sin,</HI> doth not reach unto the <HI>outward Per|petration</HI> of Sin, but onely the <HI>Conflict</HI> that is in the Mind and Affections about it. And this is a Condition which no man in this World is <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> freed from, but is in &s;ome mea&s;ure or other exerci&s;ed with it, even as the Apo&s;tle him&s;elf was, and there|on groaned for Deliverance, <HI>ver.</HI> 24. Ano|ther Degree of the <HI>Prevalency of Sin</HI> is ex|pre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 16, 19. <HI>Know you not that to whom you yield your &s;elves &s;ervants to obey, his &s;ervants you are unto whom you obey, whether of Sin unto Death, or of Obedience unto Righteou&s;ne&s;s?</HI> There is a <HI>State</HI> and <HI>prevalency</HI> of Sin, wherein men being wholly under its Dominion do give up them&s;elves unto its Service willingly, notwith&s;tand|ing any Checks from Light or Con&s;cience they meet withall. And &s;uch as the&s;e, the <HI>willing Servants of Sin,</HI> that yield up them|&s;elves in their Affections and Members of their Bodies unto the Obedience and Ser|vice of it, we do not at pre&s;ent con&s;ider. Between the&s;e there is a Degree of the <HI>Pre|valency</HI> of <HI>Sin,</HI> beyond the fir&s;t, yet falling &s;hort of the latter, expre&s;&s;ed 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 19. Men are therein in &s;ome &s;ence <HI>Servants of Corruption,</HI> in that they are <HI>overcome</HI> by it,
<PB N="561" REF="292"> and brought into Bondage. They are not &s;uch as <HI>willingly</HI> without any <HI>Conte&s;t</HI> or <HI>Conflict</HI> give up them&s;elves unto the Ser|vice of Sin, but they are <HI>overcome</HI> by it, which manife&s;ts that they do in &s;ome mea|&s;ure <HI>&s;trive</HI> again&s;t it. And on the other hand they go beyond them who complain they are <HI>led Captives</HI> to the Law of Sin; For they are &s;aid to <HI>become Servants to Corrupti|on,</HI> which the others are not in any &s;ence. The&s;e therefore &s;eem to be &s;uch, and &s;uch I do intend, who notwith&s;tanding all their <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Convictions,</HI> with all the <HI>Endea|vors</HI> that they u&s;e, are &s;o far under the <HI>power</HI> of &s;ome prevalent <HI>habitual Lu&s;t,</HI> as to <HI>&s;erve</HI> it in a frequent Reiteration of <HI>Actual Sins.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. If this be the <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> complained of, it is acknowledged to be a Condition of <HI>no &s;mall hazard</HI> and Danger. And he who is not deeply <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> hereof, is like him that lyeth down in the mid&s;t of the Sea, or as he that lyeth on the Top of a Ma&s;t; as this &s;tate is at large de&s;cribed with re&s;pect unto them who <HI>are given to Wine; Prov.</HI> 23. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35. Wherefore, unle&s;s &s;ome <HI>Remedy</HI> be found out in this Ca&s;e, it mu&s;t be acknowledged that it will deprive men of, or keep them from any a&s;&s;ured <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> in <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<PB N="562" REF="293">
<P> I mu&s;t not here divert to con&s;ider in Ge|neral the <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>Means</HI> of the <HI>Morti|fication of Sin;</HI> I have done it already in other <HI>Di&s;cour&s;es,</HI> with the <HI>be&s;t Directions</HI> for that End which I am able to propo&s;e. Un|to them I do referre the Per&s;ons concern|ed for Guidance and Coun&s;el where better is not at hand. Unto what hath been &s;o treated already I &s;hall onely adde, that tho&s;e who would &s;ecure an <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> in <HI>Go|&s;pel Holine&s;s,</HI> by a Deliverance from the <HI>power</HI> of Inveterate <HI>habitual Corruptions,</HI> may take the en&s;uing Directions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, If they have <HI>in vain</HI> attempted their own <HI>Deliverance,</HI> let them not delay to acquaint &s;ome <HI>able Spiritual Guide</HI> with their State and Condition. This &s;ometimes hath broken, defeated, and &s;cattered at once the <HI>Forces of Sin</HI> in the Soul, where in its own Wi&s;dom and Strength it was no way able to <HI>conflict</HI> with it. And it is the <HI>Ordinance of God</HI> to this purpo&s;e; <HI>Jam.</HI> 5. 16. <HI>Confe&s;s your Faults one to another,</HI> &amp;c. It was no &s;mall Effect of the Craft of <HI>Sa|than,</HI> &s;o to abu&s;e this Ordinance of God by turning it into a <HI>nece&s;&s;ary Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of all Sin unto <HI>a Prie&s;t,</HI> inve&s;ted with Power of <HI>Ab&s;olution,</HI> which was attended with innumerable Evils, and proved an effectual
<PB N="563" REF="293"> Engine for the Ruine of the <HI>Souls</HI> of Men, to keep them off from that Benefit which the due u&s;e of it was de&s;igned to admi|ni&s;ter unto Sinners. If therefore any have found that Sin <HI>hath</HI> been, and yet <HI>is too &s;trong</HI> for them, and that <HI>that</HI> is come upon them which the Wi&s;e man mentions, <HI>Woe unto him that is alone;</HI> let them addre&s;s them&s;elves for Advice unto &s;uch as have <HI>the Tongue of the Learned,</HI> to &s;peak a Word <HI>in &s;ea&s;on</HI> unto them that are <HI>weary</HI> and rea|dy to <HI>faint,</HI> and they will find Relief; God will <HI>di&s;cover</HI> that Evil of this kind, which Men will <HI>hide</HI> to their own Di&s;advantage. He will lay open tho&s;e <HI>fe&s;tered Wounds</HI> which men would cover untill <HI>Rottenne&s;s</HI> enter into their Bones.</P>
<P>Secondly, The <HI>Effect</HI> aimed at will never be Accompli&s;hed without <HI>Violence</HI> offered unto <HI>our &s;elves</HI> as unto all Occa&s;ions of Sin, namely, as to the <HI>particular Corruption</HI> &s;up|po&s;ed prevalent. In this Ca&s;e, when known Occa&s;ions of the Excitation or Actings of the Evil complained of do occurre, no De|liberations or Inclinations or Civil Com|plyances are once to be admitted. <HI>Violence</HI> and &s;uddain Executions of fore-taken Re|&s;olves without any Parly or Debate, are to be pur&s;ued. This is the Condition where|in
<PB N="564" REF="294"> our Saviours Advice mu&s;t take place, if we intend to e&s;cape; namely, of <HI>pulling out a Right Eye,</HI> and <HI>cutting off a Right Hand; Math.</HI> 5. 29, 30; which cannot be done without offering Violence unto our Affections and Inclinations. This is the Meaning of the Coun&s;el given, <HI>Prov.</HI> 4. 14, 15. <HI>Enter not into the Path of the Wicked, and goe not in the Way of evil men; avoyd it, pa&s;s not by it, turn from it and pa&s;s away.</HI> The Multiplication of the Expre&s;&s;ions wherein the Duty charged doth con&s;i&s;t, do intimate that in the Obedience requi|red in this particular, a Re&s;olution acted with an <HI>holy Violence</HI> is required. And there are three things in this <HI>holy Violence</HI> with re&s;pect unto the <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> of a <HI>preva|lent Corruption.</HI></P>
<P N="1">(1) The <HI>Minds Rejection</HI> of their <HI>fir&s;t Solicitations.</HI> When &s;uch <HI>Sea&s;ons</HI> do befall, or are befalling any Man, wherein his Lu&s;t or Sin hath wonted to act it &s;elf, they <HI>&s;mile</HI> on one another, and are ready to &s;hake hands in Folly. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 18. <HI>Prov.</HI> 23. 31. And &s;undry things will pre&s;ent them&s;elves unto the <HI>Mind</HI> to render the Occa&s;ion <HI>ne|ce&s;&s;ary,</HI> or at lea&s;t not <HI>dangerous.</HI> But if all <HI>In&s;inuation</HI> of that kind be not immediate|ly <HI>rejected</HI> without Parly or Delay, the
<PB N="565" REF="294"> Soul probably will be again entangled and overcome.</P>
<P N="2">(2) A <HI>&s;tated Satisfaction</HI> concerning the Folly of <HI>Re&s;erves</HI> although the <HI>Occa&s;ion</HI> &s;hould be complyed withall or embraced, &s;o as that the Mind will hear no more of them under any Pretence whatever. Such <HI>Re&s;erves</HI> will offer them&s;elves, that although a Man proceed &s;o far, or &s;o far in the Gra|tification of his pre&s;ent <HI>Inclinations,</HI> yet he will put <HI>a &s;top</HI> unto or <HI>avoyd</HI> what they may lead unto. When the Mind is fully po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of the <HI>Deceitfulne&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Heart</HI> in this mat|ter, it will &s;ee its own Folly in li&s;tening after &s;uch fal&s;e Promi&s;es or Re&s;erves, and reject the fir&s;t Thoughts of them with In|dignation.</P>
<P N="3">(3) <HI>Local Mutation,</HI> or avoyding the <HI>Place</HI> it &s;elf, or <HI>Society</HI> and <HI>Company,</HI> with an holy Force put upon the Affections, where &s;uch Occa&s;ions are offered. This is that which is &s;o expre&s;&s;ed and pre&s;&s;ed on us in the Place before mentioned, <HI>Prov.</HI> 4. 14, 15.</P>
<P>The&s;e things belong unto that <HI>holy Vio|lence</HI> which men are to u&s;e unto them|&s;elves, and mu&s;t u&s;e if ever they intend to be freed from the Power of an <HI>habi|tually</HI> prevalent Corruption. And tho&s;e
<PB N="566" REF="295"> who judge their Deliverance not to be worth this <HI>Watchfulne&s;s</HI> and Care, will live and dye under the <HI>power</HI> of Sin.</P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>Con&s;tancy in private Prayer</HI> again&s;t the <HI>power</HI> of &s;uch a Corruption. This is all the way a Man hath to deal with God about &s;uch an Evil. For &s;uch things are to be thought and &s;poken, &s;uch Circum|&s;tances to be in&s;i&s;ted on, and &s;uch Pleas to be u&s;ed, as are not meet to be communi|cated to or with others. And for the mo&s;t part it will be found, that con&s;tant, earne&s;t, faithfull <HI>private Prayer,</HI> and any <HI>&s;trong Corruption,</HI> will be like <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Ama|leck.</HI> When <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Hands were down, <HI>Amaleck</HI> prevailed; but when they were lifted up, <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had the upper hand. And if a Man engages into <HI>e&s;peccial Prayer,</HI> in oppo&s;ition unto any Sin or Corruption, whatever he thinks of his own Re&s;olu|tions, whatever Confidence he hath in his Purpo&s;es, as he begins to fail or faint in the Con&s;tancy or Fervency of that Du|ty, &s;o his Sin gets Strength in him, and will not fail to attempt him &s;ucce&s;&s;efully on the next Occa&s;ion. Nor will the ut|mo&s;t-Effect of any mans Wi&s;dom, or Care, or Ability, work out his Delive|rance in this Ca&s;e, without a Con&s;cien|tious
<PB N="567" REF="295"> Attendance unto, and Di&s;charge of their <HI>Duty.</HI></P>
<P>Sundry other things of an alike Nature unto the&s;e might be in&s;i&s;ted on, but that I mu&s;t not too far digre&s;s from my <HI>prin|cipal De&s;ign.</HI> This I thought meet to interpo&s;e for the Direction of &s;uch as may be kept off from a &s;ucce&s;&s;efull En|deavour <HI>to perfect Holine&s;s in the Fear of the Lord.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="568" REF="296">
<HEAD>CHAP. XIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Directions to avoyd the Power of a prevailing Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P>UNto the <HI>Warnings</HI> given in the precedent <HI>Chapter</HI> &s;ome <HI>Directi|ons</HI> may be added, perhaps not unu&s;efull unto them who would be pre|&s;erved from the Occa&s;ions, Cau&s;es and Dan|ger of the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> thus far enquired into. For although (as hath been declared,) a <HI>watchfull Attendance unto all Go&s;pel Duties, and a vigorous Exerci&s;e of all Go&s;pel Graces in general</HI> are required unto our Pre&s;er|vation, yet there are &s;ome things which have an e&s;pecial Re&s;pect unto the pre&s;ent State of the <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> and <HI>Circum&s;tances</HI> of the Evil in&s;i&s;ted on, which ought in an e&s;pe|cial manner to be remembred. And that things of this Nature are by many <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> is no Argument why we &s;hould not be <HI>diligent</HI> in our Attendance unto them. For if they are &s;uch things as the Scripture pre|&s;cribeth
<PB N="569" REF="296"> in the like Ca&s;es, the Contempt of them proceeds onely from that Pride and Security which are no &s;mall part of the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> complained of.</P>
<P>Our Fir&s;t Direction of this kind is, that we &s;hould <HI>all labour for a true real &s;ence of the Concernment of the Glory of God in this matter,</HI> and what is <HI>our Duty</HI> with re&s;pect thereunto. Where this is not, Men are under the <HI>power</HI> of that Security which is the <HI>broad Way</HI> and <HI>wide Gate</HI> leading into Apo&s;ta&s;ie. Yea where this is not the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>principal</HI> thing wherewith we are affected in any Evil that falls out in the World, our Hearts are not upright in what we profe&s;s.</P>
<P>When God threatned to di&s;inherit the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> and de&s;troy the whole Congre|gation as one Man in the Wilderne&s;s, be|cau&s;e of their provoking Rebellion; that wherewith <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in all the Circum&s;tances of his <HI>Relation</HI> unto them and <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> in them was affected withall, was, the Con|cernment of the <HI>Glory</HI> and <HI>Name</HI> of God therein; <HI>Numb.</HI> 14. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. And it was &s;o with <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> in the Sin and Puni&s;hment of the &s;ame People. <HI>What wilt thou doe</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>unto thy great Name; Jo&s;h.</HI> 7. 9. Words which have been made a
<PB N="570" REF="297"> publick Deri&s;ion in the dayes wherein we live.</P>
<P>We cannot but have Thoughts about the&s;e things, for they are the common Sub|ject of many Mens Di&s;cour&s;e. But if our Thoughts about them are confined unto a <HI>narrow Compa&s;s,</HI> and &s;o that it be well with us and &s;ome few others in whom we are peculiarly concerned, the Evil that is come on the World in other places, is light|ly &s;et by; if we are &s;en&s;ible of no Intere&s;t of the <HI>Glory of God,</HI> of the <HI>Honour of Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> therein, or are Regardle&s;s of them, we are &s;carce likely to be deli|vered from that fatal I&s;&s;ue whereunto all the&s;e things are in an open Tendency.</P>
<P>Is it nothing unto us that <HI>&s;o many Nati|ons</HI> in the World where the <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>the Go&s;pel,</HI> and an avowed Subjection of Soul and Con&s;cience unto Je&s;us Chri&s;t did flouri&s;h for &s;ome Ages, are now utterly over-run with <HI>Mahumeti&s;me, Pagani&s;me,</HI> and <HI>Athei&s;me?</HI> Do we &s;uppo&s;e the&s;e things are fallen out by <HI>Chance,</HI> or come to pa&s;s by a <HI>fatal Revolution</HI> of Affairs, &s;uch as all things in this World are obnoxious unto? Did ever any Nation or People under Heaven <HI>lo&s;e the Go&s;pel</HI> as unto its <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> who did not fir&s;t reject it as unto its <HI>Power,</HI>
<PB N="571" REF="297"> <HI>Purity,</HI> and <HI>Obedience?</HI> And is not the <HI>Glory of God,</HI> is not the <HI>Honour of Chri&s;t</HI> peculiarly concerned herein?</P>
<P>Is it nothing unto us, that innumerable Souls who yet continue to make an <HI>out|ward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of the Name of Chri&s;t, have &s;o degenerated from the <HI>My&s;tery, Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Go&s;pel, as to provoke the Holy God to give them up for &s;o ma|ny Generations unto the mo&s;t wofull <HI>Bon|dage</HI> and <HI>Slavery</HI> that ever any of the Children of men were ca&s;t under from the Foundation of the World, without the lea&s;t Hopes or Appearance of Relief? And is it not to be bewailed, that &s;uch is the <HI>power</HI> of that <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which brought all this Evil upon them, as that they have not to this day <HI>accepted of the Puni&s;hment of their Sins,</HI> nor been bettered by all that they have undergone? And doth not that Holy Name whereby we are called &s;uffer in the&s;e things? Is it not on their Account Evil &s;poken of? For do not the <HI>Mi&s;eries,</HI> the long continued wofull <HI>Calamities</HI> and Oppre&s;&s;ions of innumerable Multitudes, of great Nations, <HI>outwardly Profe&s;&s;ing the Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> become a &s;nare to the World, and a Temptation again&s;t the <HI>Truth</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> and the <HI>Power</HI> of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t?</HI>
<PB N="572" REF="298"> The <HI>Jews</HI> them&s;elves are not left unto more <HI>Di&s;tre&s;&s;es,</HI> nor more de&s;titute of any <HI>pledges</HI> of <HI>divine Protection,</HI> nor are more <HI>unreformed</HI> under their Mi&s;eries, than many who are called <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> upon the Account of their <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> It is true, <HI>great Di&s;tre&s;&s;es,</HI> and <HI>&s;ore Per&s;ecutions</HI> may befall the Church in its <HI>be&s;t State</HI> and <HI>Con|dition;</HI> But then doth God &s;o di&s;po&s;e of all things, as that their Trials &s;hall evidently tend both unto his <HI>own Glory</HI> and their <HI>&s;pi|ritual Advantage</HI> who are exerci&s;ed with them. And in the I&s;&s;ue the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> it &s;elf &s;hall never be a Lo&s;er by the <HI>&s;uffering</HI> of its <HI>&s;in|cere Profe&s;&s;ors.</HI> But in tho&s;e horrible <HI>Judge|ments</HI> which have befallen many parts of the <HI>Apo&s;tatized Chri&s;tian World,</HI> nothing offer|eth it &s;elf unto our Minds but what is matter of <HI>Lamentation</HI> and <HI>Temptation.</HI></P>
<P>Is it nothing to us that the greate&s;t Num|ber of tho&s;e who are <HI>called Chri&s;tians</HI> and enjoy Pro&s;perity in the World, do live in <HI>open Idolatry,</HI> to the un&s;peakable Scandal of <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> and eminent Danger un|to <HI>them&s;elves</HI> of <HI>Eternal Ruine?</HI> Nothing that &s;o many do openly renounce the <HI>hum|ble meek Spirit</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> en|deavouring to <HI>per&s;ecute, ruine</HI> and <HI>de&s;troy</HI> other Chri&s;tians perhaps <HI>better</HI> than them|&s;elves,
<PB N="573" REF="298"> becau&s;e they cannot captivate their <HI>Souls</HI> and <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> in Obedience unto their <HI>Impo&s;itions?</HI> Nothing to &s;ee and hear of all tho&s;e <HI>dreadfull Effects</HI> of this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> in all manner of <HI>Outragious Sins</HI> that the World is filled withall?</P>
<P>Certainly if we are not greatly <HI>affected</HI> with the&s;e things, if our Souls <HI>mourn</HI> not <HI>in &s;ecret</HI> about them, if we are not &s;olici|tous about the <HI>&s;mall Remainders</HI> of the In|tere&s;t of <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> in the World, we are in no &s;mall <HI>danger</HI> our &s;elves of being (one time or other) carryed away with the Deluge.</P>
<P>If we are &s;en&s;ible of the Concernment of the <HI>Glory of God</HI> in the&s;e things, it may not be ami&s;s to con&s;ider <HI>What is our Duty</HI> with re&s;pect thereunto.</P>
<P>And the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> thing required of us, is, that <HI>we mourn in &s;ecret</HI> for that <HI>&s;ad I&s;&s;ue</HI> which the Profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> is come unto in the World. God puts an <HI>e&s;pecial Mark</HI> on them who <HI>mourn for the Prevalency of Sin,</HI> and the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie of the Church</HI> in any Sea&s;on. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 9. 4. Neither will he have regard un|to any others when he comes to execute Judgements on <HI>ungodly Apo&s;tates.</HI> Men may <HI>&s;uffer</HI> with them, with whom they will not <HI>&s;in.</HI> For where we are unconcerned for the
<PB N="574" REF="299"> <HI>Sins</HI> of men, we &s;hall not be &s;o in their <HI>Suf|ferings.</HI> It is therefore tho&s;e alone who out of a &s;en&s;e of the <HI>di&s;honour</HI> of God, and <HI>com|pa&s;&s;ion</HI> towards the Souls of peri&s;hing Sin|ners, do <HI>&s;igh</HI> and <HI>cry</HI> over <HI>the&s;e Abomina|tions,</HI> that &s;hall be either <HI>pre&s;erved</HI> from tho&s;e <HI>publick Calamities</HI> wherein they may i&s;&s;ue, or be comfortably <HI>&s;upported</HI> under them. And there is nothing of a more <HI>Omi|nous pre&s;age</HI> that things are yet <HI>waxing wor&s;e,</HI> than that general <HI>Regardle&s;ne&s;s</HI> about them that is among the Be&s;t of us. Who&s;e Eyes <HI>run down with Waters</HI> becau&s;e <HI>Men keep not the Law?</HI> Who doth &s;ufficiently bewail the Decayes of <HI>Faith, Truth</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> that are in the Earth? Mo&s;t men (like <HI>Gallio)</HI> either <HI>care for none of the&s;e things,</HI> or at be&s;t, <HI>de&s;ign</HI> to <HI>&s;ave their own Hou&s;es</HI> in the <HI>general Conflagration.</HI> Many mea&s;ure all things by their <HI>own Advantage,</HI> and can &s;ee nothing ami&s;s in the Profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Religion,</HI> but onely in the <HI>Complaints</HI> that any things are &s;o. And although the <HI>Degeneracy</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> in the pre&s;ent Profe&s;&s;ors of it be grown a <HI>common Theam</HI> in the Mouths of mo&s;t, yet very few are <HI>affected</HI> with it in a due Manner in their Hearts.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly;</HI> It is in <HI>this &s;tate of things</HI> re|quired of us to <HI>Pray continually,</HI> pleading
<PB N="575" REF="299"> tho&s;e Promi&s;es which are Recorded in the Word of God for the Re&s;tauration of the <HI>pri&s;tine Glory, Power</HI> and <HI>Purity</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion.</HI> This was the Way and Means whereby the Church was recovered of Old; and the &s;ame Duty is &s;till enjoyned unto us, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 62. 6, 7. And hereunto are all our pre&s;ent Hopes reduced. There is nothing too hard for God. If He will <HI>work</HI> herein none &s;hall <HI>lett him.</HI> Things are not gone be|yond <HI>his Cure.</HI> He can &s;end <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> from <HI>above,</HI> and cau&s;e them to <HI>prevail</HI> on the Earth. Were all things left ab&s;olutely unto the <HI>Wills</HI> of <HI>Men</HI> in that <HI>de|praved &s;tate</HI> whereunto they are arrived in the World, nothing but an <HI>Encrea&s;e</HI> of over|&s;preading <HI>Abominations</HI> might be expected. <HI>Soveraign and Effectual Grace</HI> can yet give Relief, and nothing el&s;e can &s;o doe. <HI>Truely in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Hills and the multitude of Mountains, truely in the Lord our God is the Salvation of I&s;rael.</HI> But for all the&s;e things will God be &s;ought unto. And <HI>Con&s;tancy</HI> in this Duty for others, out of a deep <HI>&s;ence</HI> of the Concernment of the <HI>Glory of God,</HI> and <HI>Zeal</HI> for the <HI>Honour</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> is the mo&s;t <HI>Effectual Means</HI> of our own Deliverance and Pre&s;ervation.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly; Con&s;tancy in our Te&s;timony</HI> again&s;t
<PB N="576" REF="300"> the <HI>prevalency</HI> of this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> is required of us. And hereof there are two parts. (1) An <HI>open avowed Profe&s;sion</HI> of, and <HI>con|tending</HI> for the <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Truth</HI> of the <HI>Go|&s;pel.</HI> The <HI>publick Contempt</HI> and <HI>&s;corn</HI> that is by a <HI>prevalent Vogue</HI> ca&s;t on &s;ome <HI>important Evangelical Truths,</HI> is ready to di&s;courage many from the <HI>owning</HI> and <HI>profe&s;sion</HI> of them. Men for the mo&s;t part have &s;o many things to take into Con&s;ideration before they will undertake the <HI>Defence</HI> of the <HI>Truth,</HI> that they can find no <HI>Sea&s;on</HI> for it, while&s;t <HI>noy&s;ome Errors</HI> are vented every day with <HI>confidence</HI> and <HI>diligence.</HI> It is there|fore Now (if ever) a Time for all tho&s;e in who&s;e <HI>Hearts are the Wayes of God,</HI> to <HI>con|tend earne&s;tly for the Faith once delivered un|to the Saints.</HI> And if either Sloth or Self|love, or carnal Fears, or Earthly Ambitious De&s;igns, do <HI>betray</HI> any into a <HI>Neglect</HI> of their <HI>Duty</HI> in this matter, it will at one time or other give them <HI>di&s;quietment</HI> and <HI>trouble.</HI> But (2) <HI>Exemplary Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Fruitfulne&s;s in good Works,</HI> belong unto this <HI>Te&s;timony</HI> again&s;t the <HI>prevalent Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> which is required of us. As this is our <HI>con|&s;tant Duty</HI> at all times, &s;o the Progre&s;s of the <HI>fatal evil</HI> complained of, renders the <HI>doubling</HI> of our <HI>diligence</HI> herein at pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ary, and puts a Lu&s;tre on it.</P>
<PB N="577" REF="300">
<P> Secondly; Tho&s;e who would be <HI>pre&s;erv|ed</HI> in &s;uch a Sea&s;on, mu&s;t <HI>keep a due and care|full Watch over their own Hearts,</HI> with re&s;pect unto their <HI>Duty</HI> and <HI>Danger.</HI> For although <HI>Temptations</HI> do abound, and tho&s;e attended with all &s;orts of Circum&s;tances encrea&s;ing their <HI>Efficacy,</HI> and the Outward Means and Cau&s;es of this Evil are multiplyed, yet the <HI>Beginnings</HI> of all mens &s;piritual Declen&s;ions are in their own <HI>Hearts</HI> and <HI>Spirits.</HI> For the <HI>different Effects</HI> that the&s;e things have upon the <HI>Minds</HI> and <HI>Lives</HI> of Men, is principally from them&s;elves. As they are carefull, dili|gent and watchfull over them&s;elves in a way of <HI>Duty</HI> on the one hand, or &s;lothfull, care|le&s;s, negligent on the other, &s;o are they <HI>pre|&s;erved</HI> or <HI>prevailed</HI> again&s;t. The Advice therefore I intend, is that given by the Ho|ly Gho&s;t in this Ca&s;e, <HI>Prov.</HI> 4. 23. <HI>Keep thy Heart with all diligence, for out of it are the I&s;&s;ues of Life;</HI> or as it is Emphatically ex|pre&s;&s;ed in the Original, <HI>Above all Keeping, keep thy Heart.</HI> The greate&s;t Exerci&s;e of men in the World, is about <HI>keeping what they have,</HI> what they e&s;teem <HI>their own,</HI> where|with the De&s;ire of <HI>adding</HI> unto it, is of the &s;ame Nature. What belongeth hereunto, What <HI>Care,</HI> what <HI>Watchfulne&s;s,</HI> what <HI>Dili|gence,</HI> what Exerci&s;e of their <HI>utmo&s;t Wi&s;dom</HI>
<PB N="578" REF="301"> and <HI>Indu&s;try,</HI> all men know; unle&s;s it be &s;uch as by the <HI>power</HI> of their <HI>Lu&s;ts</HI> are given up unto <HI>Prodigality</HI> and Profu&s;ene&s;s. But the Care and Diligence in <HI>keeping of our Hearts,</HI> (the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> being Judge) ought to exceed whatever of that kind is employed about other things. And it is too evident, that there is much want of this <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> among&s;t us in the <HI>World.</HI> Of all things, the <HI>lea&s;t Diligence</HI> is u&s;ed by many in <HI>keeping of their Hearts.</HI> So they can <HI>&s;afe|guard</HI> their other <HI>Concerns,</HI> the <HI>Heart</HI> may be left to take its own Cour&s;e. Yea the <HI>Heart</HI> is never &s;o much <HI>neglected</HI> u&s;ually, nor more <HI>lo&s;t</HI> than in the u&s;e it is put unto in <HI>keeping other things;</HI> for while&s;t it is employed to <HI>keep</HI> our Lives, to keep the World, and the things of it, it <HI>is lo&s;t</HI> it &s;elf in Worldline&s;s, Covetou&s;ne&s;s, carnal Wi&s;dom, Negligence of holy Duties, and Barrenne&s;s in the Fruits of Righteou&s;ne&s;s. That this is no good Bar|gain, that nothing is got hereby, yea that all will be <HI>lo&s;t</HI> by it at la&s;t, <HI>Heart</HI> and <HI>World</HI> and every thing wherein we are concerned, the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> plainly intimates in this <HI>Directi|on,</HI> wherein we are commanded above all things to <HI>keep our Hearts.</HI> And we are not onely laid under this <HI>command,</HI> but a <HI>cogent Rea&s;on</HI> is added to enforce our Obedience;
<PB N="579" REF="301"> <HI>For out of it are the I&s;&s;ues of Life.</HI> Hereon do all <HI>Events</HI> depend; The <HI>Heart</HI> being <HI>kept,</HI> the whole Cour&s;e of <HI>our Life</HI> here will be ac|cording unto the <HI>Mind</HI> of God, and the End of it wlll be the Enjoyment of Him hereaf|ter. This being neglected, <HI>Life</HI> will be <HI>lo&s;t,</HI> both here as unto <HI>Obedience,</HI> and hereafter as unto <HI>Glory.</HI> This therefore is that which in the fir&s;t place is to be applyed unto the pre&s;ent Ca&s;e. Would any not be overta|ken with the <HI>power</HI> and <HI>prevalency</HI> of any of the <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> mentioned be|fore, let them look well unto their <HI>own Hearts,</HI> &s;eeing that from thence are <HI>the I&s;&s;ues of Life.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>Heart</HI> the Scripture under&s;tandeth all the <HI>Faculties</HI> of our <HI>Souls</HI> as they are an intire <HI>rational Principle</HI> of all <HI>Moral</HI> and <HI>Spiritual Operations;</HI> and &s;o do we al&s;o. The <HI>pre&s;ervation</HI> of them in their <HI>due Order,</HI> act|ing in all things according unto their <HI>di|&s;tinct Powers</HI> and the <HI>Duty</HI> of the <HI>whole Soul</HI> with re&s;pect unto <HI>God,</HI> is that which is in|tended by this <HI>keeping of the Heart;</HI> And hereunto with reference unto the <HI>pre&s;ent duty</HI> &s;undry things do belong in an e&s;pecial manner: As,</P>
<P N="1">(1) That the <HI>Heart</HI> be kept <HI>awake and attentive unto its own Deceitfulne&s;s.</HI> The
<PB N="580" REF="302"> Wi&s;e man tells us, that <HI>he that tru&s;teth in his own Heart is a Fool; Prov.</HI> 28. 26. The Be|ginning of all <HI>Security</HI> (which is an a&s;&s;ured Entrance into all Evil) lyes in Mens leaving their Hearts unto them&s;elves and <HI>tru&s;ting</HI> in them. He is no <HI>wi&s;e man</HI> (the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> be|ing Judge) who after &s;o many In&s;tructions and Warnings given us in the <HI>Scripture,</HI> of the <HI>Deceitfulne&s;s of our Hearts,</HI> or the <HI>De|ceitfulne&s;s</HI> of that <HI>Sin</HI> which is bound up in them, (which is all one,) will carele&s;&s;ely tru&s;t them with their <HI>Eternal Concernments.</HI> The Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> did &s;o once upon a &s;trong Confidence that his <HI>Heart</HI> would not fail him; but we know what was the I&s;&s;ue of it. It is apt to be &s;o with mo&s;t men in this mat|ter. They think and do really judge, that if all men &s;hould <HI>fall off</HI> and <HI>for&s;ake</HI> the Go|&s;pel, either <HI>wholly</HI> or as unto the <HI>degrees</HI> in <HI>Obedience</HI> which they have attained, yet <HI>they</HI> would not &s;o doe. But all things are filled with <HI>vi&s;ible Examples</HI> of their Di&s;ap|pointments. There are no <HI>Apo&s;tates</HI> but once thought they would not be &s;o. For we &s;peak onely of them who had <HI>Light</HI> into and <HI>Conviction</HI> of their <HI>Duty,</HI> and who had therefore nece&s;&s;arily <HI>Re&s;olutions</HI> to continue therein. Wherefore, a con&s;tant watchfull <HI>Jealou&s;ie</HI> over our own Hearts as to their
<PB N="581" REF="302"> <HI>Deceitfulne&s;s,</HI> their Readine&s;s to be impo|&s;ed on, and &s;ecret Pretences to countenance them&s;elves in complyance with <HI>Temptations,</HI> is the <HI>Foundation</HI> of all other Duties nece&s;&s;a|ry unto our Pre&s;ervation.</P>
<P>Even this al&s;o is by &s;ome de&s;pi&s;ed. They know of <HI>no deceitfulne&s;s in their own Hearts,</HI> nor think there is any &s;uch thing in the Hearts of others. They cannot but acknow|ledge that there is mutual <HI>Deceit</HI> enough among&s;t Mankind in the World; but that there &s;hould be <HI>Deceit and Treachery in Mens Hearts</HI> with re&s;pect unto them&s;elves, their own Actions, Duties and Wayes; with re&s;pect unto God and their own Eternal Condition, <HI>that</HI> they cannot apprehend. For, what or whom &s;hould a Man tru&s;t un|to, if he may not &s;afely repo&s;e his Confi|dence in <HI>his own Heart,</HI> that it will be al|wayes true unto its <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>eternal</HI> In|tere&s;t? Happy Men, were &s;uch Apprehen|&s;ions as the&s;e to be the Rule of their <HI>pre|&s;ent Duty</HI> or <HI>future Judgement.</HI> But is it not po&s;&s;ible there may be in the Hearts of men a blind <HI>Self-love,</HI> &s;o far predominant as practically to impo&s;e fal&s;e Apprehen&s;ions and Notions of things upon the <HI>Mind</HI> and <HI>Affections,</HI> with re&s;pect unto <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Duty?</HI> Is there no <HI>Di&s;order</HI> in the Faculties of our
<PB N="582" REF="303"> Souls, nor <HI>Confu&s;ion</HI> in their Operations thereon? Are there <HI>no Remainders</HI> of Sin in&s;eparable from them in this Life, accom|panyed with all manner of &s;piritual Deceit|fulne&s;s? No <HI>corrupt Rea&s;onings</HI> for the Pro|cra&s;tination of the mo&s;t important Duties? No <HI>Inclinations</HI> unto undue Prefidences and Pre&s;umptions? No <HI>Vanity</HI> or <HI>&V;ncer|tainty</HI> in the Mind? Or can the&s;e things (with the like innumerable) be &s;uppo&s;ed without any Deceit in them or accompa|nying of them? What one &s;aid of Old to the <HI>Druides,</HI>
<Q><L>Solis n&ocirc;&s;&s;e Deos &amp; Coeli Numina vobis</L>
<L>Aut Solis ne&s;cire datum.&mdash;</L></Q> may be applyed unto the men of this Per|&s;wa&s;ion; either they <HI>alone Know the State of the Heart of Man with re&s;pect unto God, Evan|gelical Obedience and their own Eternal In|tere&s;t, or they alone are Ignorant thereof.</HI> Un|till therefore we have more Satisfaction in this novel pretended Di&s;covery, we dare not cea&s;e the pre&s;&s;ing of Men to be <HI>diligent|ly</HI> attentive unto the <HI>Deceits</HI> of their own Hearts. If this be neglected, we &s;hall labour in vain, whatever el&s;e we doe. Ble&s;&s;ed is he who thus <HI>feareth alwayes.</HI> This will make
<PB N="583" REF="303"> men carefully and con&s;cientiou&s;ly avoyd all <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> of all things, whether in their <HI>in|ward Frames</HI> or <HI>outward Practice,</HI> that may on any account have a Tendency unto a <HI>Declen&s;ion</HI> from the Go&s;pel. A bold, hazar|dous, carele&s;s Frame of Spirit, venturing on all <HI>Companyes</HI> and <HI>Temptations,</HI> complying with <HI>Vanities</HI> and prophane <HI>Communication,</HI> offering it &s;elf with a <HI>fearle&s;s Confidence</HI> un|to Wayes of <HI>Seduction,</HI> through the cun|ning Sleights of Men that <HI>lye in wait to de|ceive;</HI> is that which hath ruined innume|rable Profe&s;&s;ors. Self-di&s;tru&s;t, Humility, Fear of offending, with the like <HI>Soul-pre|&s;erving Graces,</HI> will be kept up unto Exer|ci&s;e onely where men are <HI>awake</HI> unto the Con&s;ideration of the <HI>Deceitfulne&s;s</HI> of their own Hearts.</P>
<P N="2">(2) We mu&s;t keep our <HI>Heart awake and attentive unto its Help and Relief.</HI> And this lyes onely in <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us</HI> the Captain of our Salvation. After all <HI>Peters</HI> Confidence, it was the <HI>Interpo&s;ition</HI> of Chri&s;t alone that pre&s;erved him from utter Ruine; <HI>I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not&punc;</HI> And if any can once prevail &s;o far as to deterre men from looking for all &s;piritual Help and Re|lief from Chri&s;t, for daily <HI>&s;upplyes</HI> of Grace and Strength from him alone; from a con|tinual
<PB N="584" REF="304"> Application unto him, for directing, a&s;&s;i&s;ting, pre&s;erving, e&s;tabli&s;hing Grace, (which they variou&s;ly attempt,) there is no need to fear, but they will ea&s;ily follow them into whatever el&s;e, either they or Sa|than, or the World &s;hall have a mind to draw them. But in all our <HI>Di&s;cour&s;es</HI> we pro|ceed on other Principles. We look on Je&s;us <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> as the <HI>Spring and Fountain</HI> of all <HI>Grace,</HI> as He who alone is able to pre&s;erve us in <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> and doth communicate &s;upplyes of <HI>effectual Grace</HI> unto Believers for that purpo&s;e. Unto him therefore are we to make our Applications continually by <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Prayer</HI> for our Pre&s;ervation, as we are directed, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. 15, 16. It is He alone who can <HI>keep us from the Hour of Temptation which is come upon all the World, to trye them that dwell on the Earth; Rev.</HI> 3. 10. Who&s;o|ever therefore would be kept from the <HI>pow|er</HI> of the Temptations unto Apo&s;ta&s;ie, which every way encompa&s;s us, and threaten to bear down all before them, let them keep their <HI>Hearts</HI> continually attentive unto their onely Help and Relief. Tho&s;e who have not taken in a <HI>&s;ence</HI> of their <HI>danger,</HI> will &s;ee little Rea&s;on to concern them&s;elves in the&s;e <HI>Directions.</HI> But as for &s;uch as are affected with the vi&s;ible Ruine of Multitudes, and
<PB N="585" REF="304"> their own apparent Hazard, from prevail|ing <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> and innumerable <HI>Occa&s;ions</HI> there|of, who&s;e Eyes are in any mea&s;ure opened to &s;ee the <HI>general Inclination</HI> that is in the World unto a <HI>Relinqui&s;hment</HI> of all the <HI>prin|cipal Concerns</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> by what various <HI>wayes</HI> that Inclination is furthered, follow|ed and pur&s;ued, will not think it unneed|full to be minded of an Help and Refuge whereunto they may betake them&s;elves and be pre&s;erved.</P>
<P N="3">(3) Let the <HI>Heart</HI> be kept <HI>attentive</HI> unto its <HI>own Frames,</HI> its Progre&s;s or Decayes in <HI>Holine&s;s.</HI> How &s;ecret, and even oft-times <HI>im|perceptible</HI> the Beginnings of &s;piritual <HI>De|clen&s;ions</HI> are in many, with the Rea&s;ons and Cau&s;es thereof, hath been declared in our <HI>Expo&s;ition</HI> of <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. <HI>ver.</HI> 12, 13. whither the Reader is referred. I &s;hall here onely offer, that he who in &s;uch a Sea&s;on as that which is pa&s;&s;ing over us, doth not often <HI>call him&s;elf unto an account</HI> how things &s;tand with him as to the <HI>inner Man;</HI> what is the State of his <HI>&s;piritual Life,</HI> whether his <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Love</HI> do thrive or decay, whether <HI>God</HI> or the <HI>World</HI> get ground in his Affections, will be expo&s;ed unto more <HI>dangers</HI> than it may be he is readily able to deliver him&s;elf from. The&s;e things are all of them <HI>u&s;efull,</HI>
<PB N="586" REF="305"> yea <HI>needfull</HI> unto the Cour&s;e of our Obedi|ence at all times. That which is here in|tended is, their <HI>exerci&s;e</HI> and <HI>di&s;charge</HI> with re&s;pect unto the Evil and Danger under Con&s;ideration. When we have done the <HI>utmo&s;t</HI> of our Duty, we &s;hall have cau&s;e to rejoyce in the <HI>Grace of God</HI> if we are pre|&s;erved and delivered. But if we be found <HI>&s;lothfull, negligent</HI> and <HI>&s;ecure,</HI> what Hopes can we have that we &s;hall <HI>with&s;tand</HI> the Evil that doth on every &s;ide be&s;et us? There is not any Way of <HI>Fraud</HI> or <HI>Force</HI> wherein we either <HI>are</HI> not or <HI>may</HI> not be a&s;&s;aulted. The &s;ecret Wayes whereby this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> puts forth its Efficacy, are &s;o various as not to be enumerated. The Current, furthered by the Winds of all &s;orts of Temptations, lyes &s;trongly again&s;t us. New Acce&s;&s;ions are made unto it every day. New Pretences again&s;t the <HI>Truths</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> are &s;ought out and made u&s;e of. By &s;ome they are &s;ecretly undermined, by others openly de&s;pi&s;ed; and the <HI>hand of Sathan</HI> is in all the&s;e things. If we &s;hould now <HI>neg|lect</HI> a watchfull <HI>care</HI> over our own Hearts, and a diligent Attendance unto all Means of their Pre&s;ervation in <HI>&s;oundne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Doctrine</HI> and <HI>holine&s;s</HI> of <HI>Life,</HI> what A&s;&s;urance can we have that we &s;hall finally e&s;cape?</P>
<PB N="587" REF="305">
<P> Having premi&s;ed the&s;e <HI>Directions</HI> in <HI>ge|neral,</HI> tho&s;e which en&s;ue mu&s;t have a <HI>parti|cular</HI> re&s;pect unto &s;ome of the e&s;pecial <HI>wayes</HI> and <HI>means</HI> whereby this Declen&s;ion hath been carried on and promoted, peculiarly &s;uch as the <HI>pre&s;ent Age and Sea&s;on</HI> are mo&s;t obnoxious unto. And becau&s;e this <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e</HI> is drawn forth to a length beyond my fir&s;t De&s;ign, I &s;hall name a few things onely to intimate of what &s;ort tho&s;e <HI>Directions</HI> are which might be more largely in&s;i&s;ted on. And two only &s;hall be named; where|fore,</P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>Take heed of Re&s;ting in or Tru&s;t|ing unto the outward Priviledges of the Church,</HI> and a <HI>participation</HI> of the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> of the <HI>Ordinances</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> therein. It is known what various Apprehen&s;ions as to the e&s;pecial Wayes of <HI>outward &s;olemn Wor|&s;hip</HI> and the <HI>State of the Church,</HI> there are among all &s;orts of Men. But whereas all men do approve of and adhere unto <HI>one Church|&s;tate</HI> or other, one way of Wor&s;hip or other, I intend no one more than another in parti|cular, but would &s;peak unto all with re&s;pect unto <HI>that Way</HI> which them&s;elves do approve and practi&s;e. And it was before declared, how greatly the World was deluded by a <HI>Pretence</HI> of them. And we may not think to
<PB N="588" REF="306"> excu&s;e the Nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Watchfulne&s;s</HI> in this matter, becau&s;e all the good things of the Church, and all the Ordinances of the Go|&s;pel were then <HI>abu&s;ed, corrupted</HI> and <HI>defiled,</HI> whereas we now all of us (in our own Ap|prehen&s;ions) enjoy their Admini&s;tration in <HI>purity,</HI> according unto the In&s;titution of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> For they are all of them no le&s;s liable to be abu&s;ed in this kind, when duely Ad|mini&s;tred, than when mo&s;t corrupted. Yea in &s;ome Ca&s;es they are more apt &s;o to be, &s;eeing there is a greater appearance of <HI>Rea|&s;on</HI> why we &s;hould place our <HI>confidence</HI> in them.</P>
<P>It is indeed an e&s;pecial Mercy for any to be entru&s;ted with the <HI>Priviledges</HI> of the Church, and <HI>In&s;titutions</HI> of the Go&s;pel. Yea it is the greate&s;t outward Dignity and Pre|heminence that any can be advanced unto in this World, however by the mo&s;t it be lightly &s;et by. <HI>Theodo&s;ius,</HI> one of the greate&s;t Emperours that ever were in the World, affirmed that he e&s;teemed his being <HI>a Mem|ber of the Church</HI> a greater Dignity than his <HI>Imperial Crown.</HI> And although the Ruine of the <HI>Jews</HI> aro&s;e principally from their carnal Confidence in their <HI>&s;piritual</HI> or <HI>Church Pri|viledges,</HI> yet the Apo&s;tle doth acknowledge that they had great Preheminence and Ad|vantage,
<PB N="589" REF="306"> and might have had great Profit thereby, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 1, 2. <HI>Chap.</HI> 9. 4. And theirs mu&s;t be granted more Excellent in every kind, who enjoy that Admini&s;tration of Holy Things, in compari&s;on whereof that committed unto the <HI>Jews</HI> had neither <HI>Beau|ty</HI> nor <HI>Glory;</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 10. By whom&s;oever therefore the&s;e things are <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed</HI> or <HI>neg|lected,</HI> under whatever Pretences they coun|tenance them&s;elves, they are utter <HI>&s;trangers</HI> unto Go&s;pel Holine&s;s. For what Holine&s;s can there be where men live in an <HI>open di&s;o|bedience unto the Commands of Chri&s;t,</HI> and a Neglect of the <HI>u&s;e</HI> of tho&s;e Means which he hath appointed to <HI>beget</HI> and <HI>pre&s;erve</HI> it in our Souls? Nothing therefore mu&s;t be &s;po|ken to take off from the <HI>Excellency, Dignity</HI> and <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of the <HI>Priviledges</HI> and <HI>Ordinan|ces</HI> of the Church, when we would call off men from placing that Confidence in them which may tend unto their Di&s;advantage. And if Per&s;ons can find no <HI>Medium</HI> between <HI>rejecting</HI> all the Ordinances of the Go&s;pel, and <HI>tru&s;ting</HI> unto the outward Performance or Celebration of them, they have no|thing but their own Darkne&s;s, Pride and Unbelief to a&s;cribe the Ruine of their Souls unto.</P>
<P>Again; There is not any thing in the
<PB N="590" REF="307"> whole Cour&s;e of our Obedience wherein the continual Exerci&s;e of <HI>Faith and &s;piritual Wi&s;dom</HI> with <HI>Diligence</HI> and <HI>Watchfulne&s;s</HI> is more indi&s;pen&s;ibly required than it is unto the due U&s;e and Improvement of Go&s;pel Priviledges and Ordinances; for there is no other part of our Duty, whereon our <HI>giving Glory to God,</HI> and the <HI>Eternal Concern</HI> of our own Souls do more eminently depend. And He is a &s;piritually thriving Chri&s;tian who know how duely to Improve <HI>Go&s;pel In&s;ti|tutions</HI> of Wor&s;hip, and doth &s;o according|ly. For they are the onely ordinary Out|ward Means whereby the Lord Chri&s;t com|municates of his Grace unto us, and where|by we immediately return Love, Prai&s;e, Thanks, and Obedience unto him; in which &s;piritual Entercour&s;e the Actings of our &s;piritual Life principally do con&s;i&s;t, and whereon by Con&s;equence its <HI>Growth</HI> doth depend. It is therefore certain, that our Growth or Decay in <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> our Stead|fa&s;tne&s;s in or <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> from Profe&s;&s;ion, are greatly influenced by the <HI>u&s;e</HI> or <HI>abu&s;e</HI> of the&s;e Priviledges.</P>
<P>That therefore which in complyance with my pre&s;ent De&s;ign I intend, is onely a <HI>Warning</HI> that we doe not <HI>re&s;t in the&s;e Things,</HI> the Name, Title, Priviledge, and
<PB N="591" REF="307"> outward Ob&s;ervance of them; &s;eeing &s;o ma|ny have thereby been deluded into Securi|ty and Apo&s;ta&s;ie. Some there are, (and of them not a few) all who&s;e Religion con&s;i&s;ts in <HI>going to Church,</HI> and abiding there during the celebration of that &s;ort of <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> which they approve of. Herewith they &s;atisfie their Con&s;ciences as unto all that they have to doe with God, e&s;pecially if they are ad|mitted unto a participation of the Sacra|ments in the appointed Sea&s;ons. And many others (it is to be feared) content them&s;elves with a bare <HI>hearing of the Word,</HI> and do treat their Con&s;ciences into a <HI>quietne&s;s</HI> and <HI>&s;ecu|rity</HI> thereby. It were otherwi&s;e impo&s;&s;ible that among &s;o great Multitudes as crowd after the <HI>preaching</HI> of the <HI>Word,</HI> &s;o few &s;hould be wrought over unto &s;incere and univer&s;al Obedience. But I intend tho&s;e in particular who make a <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of giving them&s;elves up unto <HI>Go&s;pel Obedience,</HI> and are thereon made Partakers of all <HI>Go&s;pel Priviledges</HI> ac|cording to the Rule. Let them take heed that they do not too much <HI>re&s;t</HI> in, nor too much <HI>tru&s;t</HI> unto the&s;e <HI>outward things;</HI> For &s;o they may doe &s;undry wayes unto their di&s;|advantage.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t;</HI> Men may herein deceive them|&s;elves <HI>by Spiritual Gifts,</HI> which may be rec|koned
<PB N="592" REF="308"> in the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> place among the Privi|ledges of the Church. Some re&s;t in the Gifts of <HI>others,</HI> and the Satisfaction they receive thereby. For by the <HI>u&s;e</HI> and <HI>exerci&s;e</HI> of them mens <HI>Affections</HI> may be greatly moved, as al&s;o <HI>temporary Faith</HI> and <HI>evanid Joy</HI> be great|ly excited. The&s;e things, it is to be feared, &s;ome <HI>live</HI> upon, without further care after a <HI>&s;pring of living Water</HI> in them&s;elves. Others may re&s;t in their own Gifts, their Light, Knowledge, Ability to <HI>pray</HI> or <HI>&s;peak</HI> of the things of God. But it is the De&s;ign of the Apo&s;tle, in the Context before in&s;i&s;ted on to declare, that the mo&s;t eminent <HI>&s;piritual Gifts</HI> with all their Effects, either in the <HI>Souls</HI> or <HI>Lives</HI> of them who are made Partakers of them, or in the <HI>Church</HI> for <HI>Edification,</HI> will not &s;ecure any Per&s;ons from <HI>total Apo&s;ta&s;ie;</HI> &s;o al&s;o &s;ome &s;hall be utterly rejected at the la&s;t Day, who were able to plead their <HI>Pro|phe&s;ying and ca&s;ting out Devils</HI> in the Name of Chri&s;t, and that in His Name they had <HI>done many wondrous Works, Math.</HI> 7. 22, 23. And therefore when his Di&s;ciples (who were <HI>true,</HI> but as yet <HI>weak</HI> Believers,) were <HI>greatly affected</HI> (and it may be <HI>lifted up)</HI> with the &s;ucce&s;s they had in <HI>ca&s;ting out of Devils</HI> in his Name, he recalls them from any Con|fidence therein, as unto their <HI>Eternal Con|cernment,</HI>
<PB N="593" REF="308"> unto a <HI>tru&s;t</HI> in Gods <HI>free Electing Grace,</HI> with the Fruits thereof; <HI>Luke</HI> 10. 20. And the Rea&s;on hereof is, becau&s;e the&s;e <HI>Gifts</HI> have no in&s;eparable Relation unto any of the e&s;pecial and peculiar <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> of Salvation. That which &s;eemeth to be of any difficulty, is, that they are an <HI>e&s;pecial Fruit</HI> of the <HI>Me|diation of Chri&s;t,</HI> purcha&s;ed by his <HI>Death,</HI> given into his Power upon his <HI>Re&s;urrection,</HI> and fir&s;t communicated on his <HI>A&s;cen&s;ion.</HI> But all that followeth from hence is, that they are <HI>good and holy in them&s;elves,</HI> and de|&s;igned unto <HI>good and holy Ends</HI> or <HI>&V;&s;es,</HI> namely, the <HI>Confirmation</HI> of the Go&s;pel, and <HI>Edification</HI> of the Church. But it doth not thence follow that they are <HI>&s;aving</HI> unto them that do receive them, unle&s;s they are accompanyed with <HI>e&s;pecial Grace</HI> towards them, and <HI>holy Obedience</HI> in them, from both which they are &s;eparable. It is there|fore greatly incumbent on all tho&s;e who have received of the&s;e <HI>&s;piritual Gifts,</HI> to take care they be enlivened and acted by <HI>e&s;pecial Grace.</HI> For if they are not carefull they will give them a Pretence and Apprehen&s;ion of what they <HI>have not,</HI> and &s;et a greater Lu&s;tre upon what <HI>they have,</HI> than it doth de&s;erve. For in their Actings, becau&s;e the Objects of them are <HI>&s;piritual</HI> and <HI>heavenly things,</HI> the
<PB N="594" REF="309"> &s;ame with that of <HI>e&s;pecial Grace,</HI> men are apt to &s;uppo&s;e that Grace is exerci&s;ed when it may be far from them; And as to the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion that men make, the&s;e <HI>Gifts</HI> will &s;et it off with that Beauty as &s;hall render it very acceptable unto others, and very well|plea&s;ing unto them&s;elves. Both the&s;e tend evidently unto the Ruine of the Souls of Men, if not <HI>wi&s;ely</HI> managed and improved. Wherefore, by the way, to help us unto a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ight Judgement in this matter, we may ob|&s;erve one certain difference between the Operations of <HI>&s;piritual Gifts</HI> which are &s;o|litarily &s;o on the one hand, and <HI>&s;aving Grace</HI> on the other. Gifts have their <HI>e&s;pe|cial Works</HI> which they are confined unto, according as their <HI>e&s;pecial Nature</HI> is. <HI>In</HI> them they act vigorou&s;ly, <HI>out</HI> of them they influence not the Soul at all. But the work of <HI>&s;aving Grace</HI> is <HI>univer&s;al,</HI> equally re|&s;pecting all Times, Occa&s;ions, Sea&s;ons and Duties. And although it may be acted more eminently at one Time than another, in one In&s;tance of Duty than another, yet it enliveneth and di&s;po&s;eth the Heart alike unto all Obedience. But of the Diffe|rence that is between <HI>&s;piritual Gifts</HI> and <HI>&s;aving Grace,</HI> as al&s;o concerning their whole Nature and U&s;e, I &s;hall (God
<PB N="595" REF="309"> a&s;&s;i&s;ting) treat at large in another <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e.</HI> At pre&s;ent I intend onely this Caution, that men Countenance not them&s;elves by them, nor Re&s;olve a <HI>Peace</HI> (or rather <HI>Secu|rity)</HI> into their <HI>Exerci&s;e,</HI> under real <HI>&s;piritual Decayes</HI> of Grace and Obedience.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Too high an E&s;timation of any <HI>peculiar Way</HI> of <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> is apt to en|tice the <HI>Minds</HI> of &s;ome unto an <HI>hurtfull Confidence</HI> in the&s;e things. Having an Ap|prehen&s;ion that they alone have attained unto the <HI>Right Way</HI> of <HI>Go&s;pel-Wor&s;hip,</HI> and the Admini&s;tration of its <HI>Ordinances,</HI> and that perhaps on &s;uch Accounts, as where|in they are eminently <HI>deceived,</HI> they be|gin fir&s;t greatly to <HI>value them&s;elves,</HI> and then to <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> all <HI>others,</HI> and (if they can) to <HI>per&s;ecute</HI> them. This in&s;en&s;ibly works them unto a <HI>tru&s;t</HI> in that which they e&s;teem &s;o Excellent, and that unto an open Neglect of things of a greater weight and Moment. Thus is it not unu&s;ual to &s;ee Per&s;ons who are under the <HI>power</HI> of &s;ome &s;ingular Opinion and Practice in Re|ligion, to make <HI>one thing</HI> almo&s;t their whole Bu&s;ine&s;s; the Mea&s;ure of other things and Per&s;ons, the Rule of Communion, and of all &s;incere Love; to value and e&s;teem them&s;elves and others according
<PB N="596" REF="310"> unto their Embracing or not Embracing of that Opinion. There is here &s;omething of that which God complains of in the Prophet; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65. 5. And it were to be wi&s;hed, that &s;uch Principles and Practices were not vi&s;ibly accompanyed with a <HI>De|cay</HI> of Love, Humility, Meekne&s;s, Self|diffidence, Conde&s;cen&s;ion and Zeal in other things; &s;eeing where it is &s;o, let mens <HI>outward Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> be what it will, the Plague of <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> is begun. Wherefore, although we ought greatly to prize, and to endeavour after the true <HI>Order</HI> of the Church of Chri&s;t, the <HI>Purity</HI> of Wor&s;hip and Regular <HI>Admini&s;tration</HI> of Ordinan|ces, yet let us take heed that we <HI>prize not our &s;elves</HI> too much on what we have attained; For if we do &s;o, we &s;hall be very apt to countenance our &s;elves in other Neglects thereby, which will certainly bring us into a &s;piritual <HI>Sickne&s;s</HI> and <HI>De|clen&s;ion.</HI> And one way or other there is an undue <HI>Confidence</HI> placed in the&s;e <HI>out|ward Priviledges,</HI> when either any or all of the things en&s;uing are found among us.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>A Neglect of private Duties.</HI> This ruinous Event never falls out among Pro|fe&s;&s;ors, but it proceeds either from an
<PB N="597" REF="310"> <HI>over-fulne&s;s</HI> of the World and its Occa&s;i|ons, or the <HI>Prevalency</HI> of &s;ome predomi|nant Lu&s;t, or a &s;infull <HI>re&s;ting</HI> in or <HI>tru&s;t|ing</HI> unto the Duties of publick Wor&s;hip; When all the&s;e concurre, (unle&s;s God Ef|fectually awaken the Soul,) it is in a <HI>pe|ri&s;hing Condition.</HI> In particular, when men are &s;atisfied, as unto <HI>Religious Wor&s;hip,</HI> with that which is <HI>publick</HI> or in Communion with others, &s;o as to countenance them|&s;elves in a Neglect of the Duties of their <HI>private Retirements,</HI> they are in an high Road unto Apo&s;ta&s;ie.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The Indulgence of any private Lu&s;t,</HI> unto the <HI>Satisfaction</HI> of the <HI>Fle&s;h.</HI> This great Defect in the <HI>power</HI> of <HI>Godline&s;s,</HI> is frequently countenanced by Strictne&s;s in the <HI>form</HI> thereof. And a great Effect it is of the <HI>Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin,</HI> when it can delude the Minds of men, to <HI>ju&s;tifie</HI> them|&s;elves in any one <HI>Sin,</HI> with the Names, Titles, Reputation, and Priviledge of the <HI>Church,</HI> or the <HI>Ordinances,</HI> whereof they are made Partakers; And the &s;ecret Effi|cacy of this Deceit is not ea&s;ie to be de|tected.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is &s;o al&s;o when <HI>a loo&s;e and care|le&s;s Frame</HI> in our <HI>Walking</HI> is indulged un|to on the &s;ame Account. It is hard in|deed
<PB N="598" REF="311"> to know Directly whence this is come to pa&s;s, that &s;o many Profe&s;&s;ors of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> &s;hould give up them&s;elves un|to a negligent and carele&s;s <HI>Walk;</HI> but that it is &s;o come to pa&s;s, is certain. There is no Truth more acknowledged than that <HI>a &s;trict and clo&s;e Walk with God,</HI> and At|tendance thereunto on all Occa&s;ions with Diligence and Circum&s;pection, with a con|tinual con&s;cientious Fear of <HI>Sin,</HI> is in|di&s;pen&s;ibly required unto acceptable <HI>Evan|gelical Obedience</HI> or <HI>Holine&s;s.</HI> Yet &s;o it is, that many Profe&s;&s;ors walk with that Loo&s;ene&s;s and Carele&s;ne&s;s, that venturous Boldne&s;s with re&s;pect unto the Occa&s;ions of Sinning, that Liberty or rather Licen|tiou&s;ne&s;s of Conver&s;ation, as are utterly incon&s;i&s;tent therewithall. As there are many Cau&s;es hereof, &s;o I fear this may be one among them, that they too much &s;atisfie them&s;elves with their Intere&s;t in the <HI>Church</HI> and its <HI>Priviledges,</HI> and with their Ob&s;ervance of <HI>publick Wor&s;hip</HI> and the <HI>Or|dinances</HI> thereof, according to their re&s;pe|ctive Stations and Capacities.</P>
<P>Wherefore, the &s;umme of this <HI>Directi|on</HI> is, That if we would be pre&s;erved from the <HI>Prevalency</HI> of the pre&s;ent <HI>Apo|&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> we mu&s;t have a &s;trict Regard unto
<PB N="599" REF="311"> our <HI>Principles</HI> and <HI>Practice</HI> with re&s;pect unto the Priviledges of the Church and Ordinances of <HI>Go&s;pel-Wor&s;hip.</HI> If we <HI>neg|lect</HI> or <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> them, we ca&s;t off the <HI>Yoke</HI> of Chri&s;t, and have no ground to look for his Acceptance of us, or Concern|ment in us. It is but Folly for them to pretend an Hope in his <HI>Mercy,</HI> who defie his <HI>Authority.</HI> And if (on the other hand) we &s;o <HI>re&s;t in them</HI> as to countenance our &s;elves in any of the Evils mentioned, we &s;hall &s;ucceed into their Room, who un|der the Name and Pretence of the <HI>Church</HI> and its <HI>Priviledges</HI> fell into an open Apo|&s;ta&s;ie from <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel.</HI> For, the &s;ame Cau&s;es will produce the &s;ame Effect in us as they did in them. There is a <HI>Middle</HI> Way between the&s;e <HI>Extremes,</HI> which who &s;o are guided into, will find Re&s;t and Peace unto their Souls. And this is no other but an humble carefull con|&s;cientious Improvement of them all unto their proper Ends. And it may not be ami&s;s to name &s;ome of tho&s;e things where|by we may know whether our Hearts are upright, and rightly di&s;po&s;ed in the u&s;e of <HI>Go&s;pel-Ordinances.</HI> And we may judge of our &s;elves herein;</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>If our Hearts are Bettered by them,</HI>
<PB N="600" REF="312"> <HI>or humbled for it if they are not.</HI> Their End with re&s;pect unto us, is to excite and put forth all Grace into Exerci&s;e. When therefore we find Faith and Love, Delight in God, longing after an Encrea&s;e of <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s;</HI> with a Dete&s;tation of <HI>Sin,</HI> Fruitfulne&s;s in <HI>good Works</HI> and all <HI>Duties</HI> of <HI>Obedience,</HI> Joy in <HI>&s;piritual things,</HI> Self|aba&s;ement, and Admiration of <HI>Grace,</HI> &s;tirred up in us by them; our Hearts need not Condemn us as to want of Sincerity in the&s;e Duties, though we are &s;en&s;ible of many Weakne&s;&s;es and Imperfections. And whereas through the Power of <HI>Corrupti|ons</HI> and <HI>Temptations,</HI> through the Weak|ne&s;s of the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> and Prevalency of <HI>&V;n|belief,</HI> we come &s;ometimes &s;hort of a &s;en|&s;ible <HI>Experience</HI> of this Effect on our Souls by and under them, there may yet re|main a relieving Evidence of &s;ome <HI>Sin|cerity</HI> in what we doe. And this is, if rejecting all other Pretences and Preju|dices, we charge our &s;elves alone with our <HI>&V;nprofitablene&s;s,</HI> and be humbled in a <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> thereof. Want hereof hath been the Rea&s;on why &s;ome have <HI>rejected</HI> the Ordi|nances of the Go&s;pel as <HI>dead and u&s;ele&s;s,</HI> and others have grown <HI>formal, carele&s;s</HI> and <HI>barren</HI> under the Enjoyment of them.
<PB N="601" REF="312"> When all Vails and Coverings &s;hall be ta|ken away and de&s;troyed, the&s;e things will appear to be the Fruits of <HI>Pride,</HI> and the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is &s;o when in the <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ation</HI> of the Ordinances, <HI>&s;piritual things are real|lized and made nigh unto us.</HI> When in the Preaching of the Word we find Je&s;us Chri&s;t <HI>evidently &s;et forth as crucified before our Eyes; Gal.</HI> 3. 1. When the <HI>form</HI> of the things delivered is brought upon our <HI>Minds, Rom.</HI> 6. 17. When we doe as it were <HI>feel</HI> and <HI>handle</HI> the <HI>Word of Life,</HI> and the things hoped for have &s;ome kind of <HI>&s;ub&s;i&s;tence</HI> given them in our Souls, as <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 1. then are we Exerci&s;ed in a due manner in this part of our <HI>Obedience.</HI> To this purpo&s;e our Apo&s;tle di&s;cour&s;eth, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 6, 7, 8. The <HI>Word</HI> as preached and other Ordinances, do not direct us unto things <HI>afar off;</HI> but bring the Lord Chri&s;t with all the Benefits of his <HI>Media|tion</HI> into our <HI>Hearts.</HI> But if we content our &s;elves with <HI>empty light,</HI> with unaffect|ing Notions of <HI>&s;piritual things,</HI> if we re&s;t &s;atisfied with the <HI>outward Performance</HI> of our own Duty and that of other Men, we have ju&s;t cau&s;e to fear that our Harts are
<PB N="602" REF="313"> not Right in the &s;ight of God in this mat|ter.</P>
<P N="3">3. When we find that a <HI>con&s;cientious attendance</HI> on all the Ordinances of <HI>In&s;ti|tuted Wor&s;hip</HI> doth <HI>quicken our Diligence and Watchfulne&s;s unto all other Duties of Obedience that are required of us,</HI> we are conver&s;ant in them in a <HI>due manner.</HI> When under a <HI>pretence</HI> of them, and a mi&s;taken <HI>&s;atisfaction</HI> in them, men countenance them|&s;elves in the <HI>Neglect</HI> of other Duties, how way is made for further Apo&s;ta&s;ie from <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> hath been declared. Where|fore there can be no greater Evidence of our due Attendance unto them, than when we are excited, quickened, enlarged and confirmed by them, unto, and in all the wayes of <HI>univer&s;al Obedience.</HI> Tho&s;e there|fore who mo&s;t <HI>con&s;cientiou&s;ly</HI> make u&s;e of <HI>Church-Priviledges</HI> and <HI>Go&s;pel-Ordinances,</HI> are they who&s;e Hearts are mo&s;t engaged unto all other Duties by them.</P>
<P>La&s;tly; It is an Evidence of the &s;ame Importance when we have that <HI>Experi|ence</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t and his Grace</HI> in the <HI>Admi|ni&s;tration</HI> of <HI>Go&s;pel-Ordinances</HI> according unto his Will, as that we are <HI>&s;trengthened</HI> hereby to <HI>&s;uffer for Him and them,</HI> when
<PB N="603" REF="313"> we are <HI>called</HI> thereunto. The Time will come when neither <HI>meer Light</HI> and <HI>Con|viction</HI> of <HI>Truth,</HI> nor the <HI>Gifts</HI> of the <HI>Mi|ni&s;try</HI> will &s;ecure men unto their Profe&s;&s;i|on. But he who hath <HI>ta&s;ted how Gracious</HI> Chri&s;t is in the Wayes of his Appoint|ment, will not ea&s;ily be removed from his Re&s;olution of <HI>following</HI> Him whitherever he goeth.</P>
<P>Fourthly; <HI>Take heed of the Infection of National Vices.</HI> What I intend thereby, hath been before declared. And this Cau|tion is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary when they are mo&s;t <HI>prevalent</HI> among any People. For <HI>Common|ne&s;s</HI> will take off a Sen&s;e of their <HI>Guilt,</HI> and <HI>Countenance</HI> will in&s;en&s;ibly take away <HI>Shame.</HI> Be&s;ides, when &s;ome goe out unto an <HI>open Exce&s;s,</HI> others are apt to ju&s;tifie them&s;elves in vain <HI>Practices</HI> and &s;inful <HI>Mi&s;|carriages,</HI> becau&s;e they ri&s;e not up unto the &s;ame height of Provocations with them. This makes le&s;&s;er Vanities in Habits, At|tires, Plea&s;ures, Mi&s;pence of Time in <HI>Talk|ing-Hou&s;es,</HI> Exce&s;s in Eating and Drinking, corrupt Communication and carele&s;s Bold|ne&s;s in common Conver&s;es, whereby Per|&s;ons tread in the Steps, and &s;ometimes on the very Heels of the predominant Sins of
<PB N="604" REF="314"> the <HI>Place</HI> and <HI>Age,</HI> &s;o to abound among us. Some openly &s;hew what they have a Mind to be at, if they dur&s;t; and that it is more <HI>Reputation</HI> and the Power of <HI>Convictions,</HI> than the Love of <HI>Go&s;pel-Ho|line&s;s</HI> that re&s;trains them from running forth into <HI>the &s;ame Exce&s;s of Riot</HI> with others. <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of Old dwelt alone, and was not numbred among the Nations. And <HI>the Remnant of Jacob</HI> is to be &s;o in <HI>the mid&s;t,</HI> in the <HI>bowels</HI> of many People, as to be a <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing</HI> unto them, <HI>Mic.</HI> 5. 8. not to be <HI>corrupted</HI> by them. If Profe&s;&s;ors will &s;o immer&s;e them&s;elves into the Body of the People as in&s;en&s;ibly to learn their <HI>Man|ners,</HI> they will be carried down the &s;tream with them into Perdition. And the <HI>Dan|ger</HI> hereof is beyond what mo&s;t men con|ceive. Grace was but <HI>&s;paringly</HI> admini&s;tred unto the Community of the People under the <HI>Old Te&s;tament.</HI> And therefore after Giving of the Law, God would not tru&s;t them to live among other People, nor other People to live among them, as knowing how unable they were to with&s;tand the <HI>Temptations</HI> of <HI>Conformity</HI> unto them. Here|on he appointed that all the Nations &s;hould be utterly <HI>extirpated</HI> where they were to
<PB N="605" REF="314"> inhabit, that <HI>they &s;hould not learn their Cu&s;toms, Lev.</HI> 18. 30. The Neglect of this <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God, the Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of his <HI>Will</HI> herein, by mixing them&s;elves with other Nations, and learning their <HI>Man|ners,</HI> was that which proved their <HI>Ruine.</HI> Under the Go&s;pel there is a more <HI>plentifull Effu&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>Spirit;</HI> God now entru&s;ts all that are called unto the <HI>Obedience</HI> of it, to live in the <HI>mid&s;t of all Nations</HI> under Heaven; Yet he &s;o doth it, as to warn them of their <HI>Danger</HI> thereby, and to re|quire them to &s;tand upon their <HI>Guard</HI> here|in continually. This is that part of <HI>true Religion</HI> which the Apo&s;tle <HI>James</HI> calls the <HI>keeping of our &s;elves un&s;potted from the World,</HI> Chap. 1. 27. Mo&s;t men think it enough, that no more can be required of them nor expected from them, than that they <HI>wallow not</HI> in the Mire and Pollutions of it. If their <HI>Practice</HI> be free from <HI>Actual open &s;ins,</HI> they care not what <HI>&s;pots</HI> of a <HI>World|ly Conver&s;ation</HI> are upon them; but they know not what will be the End there|of.</P>
<P>It may be it will be &s;aid, that unle&s;s we do conform <HI>our &s;elves</HI> in &s;ome things unto the <HI>Cu&s;toms</HI> that are prevalent among
<PB N="606" REF="315"> us, as in <HI>Habit</HI> and <HI>Fa&s;hion,</HI> and way of <HI>Conver&s;e,</HI> we &s;hall be de&s;pi&s;ed in the World, and neither we nor ours be of any regard.</P>
<P>I an&s;wer, (1) That I am not contending about <HI>&s;mall things,</HI> nor pre&s;cribing <HI>Modes of Attire,</HI> or Manner of <HI>Deportment</HI> unto any. There is none who doth more de|&s;pi&s;e the placing of Religion in <HI>Cloaths,</HI> in <HI>Ge&s;tures,</HI> in the Refu&s;al of Civil and ju&s;t <HI>Re&s;pects,</HI> than I doe; Nor have I any Severity in my Thoughts again&s;t a <HI>Di|&s;tinction</HI> in the&s;e things among Per&s;ons ac|cording to their <HI>Degrees</HI> and <HI>Conditions</HI> in the World, though apparently there be an <HI>Exce&s;s</HI> in all &s;orts herein. But that which I intend, is, a <HI>Complyance</HI> with the World in tho&s;e things which <HI>border on,</HI> and make &s;ome kind of <HI>Repre&s;entation</HI> of the predominant <HI>Vices</HI> of the <HI>Place</HI> and <HI>Age</HI> wherein we live. And if you think you &s;hall be <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed</HI> if you come behind the re&s;t of your Rank and Quality in the World in the&s;e things, &s;till you will be &s;o unle&s;s you come up unto them in all <HI>Abominations,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. 34. and whether it be fit to relinqui&s;h <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> all <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>Morality,</HI> to have the <HI>Friend&s;hip of the World,</HI> judge
<PB N="607" REF="315"> ye. And, (2) Be &s;ure to outgoe them in <HI>fixed Hone&s;ty, Kindne&s;s, Benignity, &V;&s;e|fulne&s;s, Meekne&s;s, Moderation of Spirit, Charity, Bowels of Compa&s;&s;ion, Readine&s;s to help and relieve all men</HI> according un|to your Power, and you will quickly find, (even in this World,) how little you are concerned in that <HI>Contempt</HI> of the <HI>vile&s;t</HI> part of Mankind, whereof you &s;eem to be afraid.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Carefully avoyd all tho&s;e <HI>Mi&s;|carriages of Profe&s;&s;ors</HI> which <HI>alienate</HI> the <HI>Minds</HI> of men from the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> and <HI>coun|tenance</HI> them in the Contempt of the <HI>Pro|fe&s;&s;ion</HI> of it. Some of them we have men|tioned before, and many of the like Na|ture might be added unto them. As the &s;candalous profligate <HI>Lives</HI> of tho&s;e in General who are called <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> gives that Offence unto <HI>Jews, Mahumetans</HI> and <HI>Gentiles</HI> all the World over, that <HI>hardens</HI> them unto a Contempt and Dete&s;tation of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> and hath brought the whole Matter of <HI>Religion</HI> in the World unto <HI>Force</HI> and the <HI>Sword;</HI> &s;o the Mi&s;|carriages of the <HI>&s;tricte&s;t &s;ort of Profe&s;&s;ors</HI> do greatly countenance others in their Di&s;like of, and Enmity again&s;t the <HI>power</HI>
<PB N="608" REF="316"> of <HI>Godline&s;s,</HI> which they profe&s;s. And &s;o far as we <HI>continue</HI> in them, we have a &s;hare in the Guilt of the pre&s;ent <HI>Defecti|on.</HI> Not to in&s;i&s;t on Particulars; the things of this Nature that are charged on them, may be reduced unto three Heads.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>(1) Want of <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>&V;nity</HI> among them&s;elves.</ITEM>
<ITEM>(2) Want of <HI>&V;&s;efulne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Kindne&s;s</HI> towards all.</ITEM>
<ITEM>(3) <HI>Spiritual Pride</HI> and <HI>Cen&s;oriou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> or ra&s;h <HI>judging</HI> of other Men.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The&s;e are the things which are com|monly charged on &s;ome <HI>Profe&s;&s;ors.</HI> And although (it may be) they are but <HI>few</HI> who are guilty of all or any of the&s;e things, at lea&s;t not as they are charged and <HI>reproached</HI> by others, yet they may all learn <HI>what</HI> in an e&s;pecial manner to avoyd, that they give no Advantage un|to tho&s;e who <HI>&s;eek</HI> for it, and would be <HI>glad</HI> of it; It is our Duty by a watch|full holy Conver&s;ation in all things to <HI>put to &s;ilence the Ignorance of fooli&s;h men,</HI> and &s;o univer&s;ally to approve our <HI>Sincerity</HI> unto God and Men, that whereas we are, or may be at any time Evil-&s;poken of as <HI>Evil-doers,</HI> they may be <HI>a&s;hamed,</HI>
<PB N="609" REF="316"> beholding our <HI>good Conver&s;ation</HI> in Chri&s;t, and <HI>glorifie</HI> God in the <HI>day of Vi&s;itation.</HI> This is the Law that we have brought our &s;elves under, not to frett and fume, and in our Minds &s;eek for <HI>Revenge,</HI> when we are traduced and Evil &s;poken of; but by a <HI>patient continuance in Well-doing,</HI> to over|come all the Evil that the Malice of Hell or the World can ca&s;t upon us. And if we like not this <HI>Law</HI> and <HI>Rule,</HI> we had be&s;t Relinqui&s;h our <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion,</HI> for it is in|di&s;pen&s;ibly required of all the Di&s;ciples of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. And he who&s;e Heart is con|firmed by Grace <HI>to doe well</HI> while&s;t he is <HI>Evil-&s;poken of,</HI> will find that pre&s;ent Satis|faction in a &s;en&s;e of his Acceptation with Chri&s;t, as to make him &s;ay, <HI>This Yoke is ea&s;ie, and this Burden light.</HI> E&s;pecially ought we carefully to avoyd the things men|tioned and Appearances of them, whereby publick Offence is taken, and Advantage made by Evil men to countenance them|&s;elves in their Sins. You are but <HI>few</HI> unto whom the&s;e things are communicated, and &s;o may judge that all your Care in and about about them, will be of little &s;ignifi|cancy to put any &s;top unto the General <HI>Declen&s;ion</HI> from <HI>Go&s;pel-Holine&s;s.</HI> But it is
<PB N="610" REF="317"> hoped that all others are warned in the &s;ame manner, yea and more effectually than you are; However, every Ve&s;&s;el mu&s;t &s;tand on its <HI>own bottom;</HI> the <HI>Ju&s;t &s;hall live</HI> by his <HI>own Faith;</HI> every <HI>one of us mu&s;t give an ac|count of him&s;elf unto God,</HI> and no more is required of you but your own <HI>per&s;onal Duty.</HI></P>
<P>It is true, you cannot put an End unto tho&s;e <HI>Differences</HI> and <HI>Divi&s;ions,</HI> that Want of <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Agreement</HI> that is among <HI>Pro|fe&s;&s;ors.</HI> But you may take care that the <HI>Guilt</HI> of none of the&s;e things may be ju&s;t|ly charged on <HI>you.</HI> Love unto the Saints without Di&s;&s;imulation, Readine&s;s to bear in Meekne&s;s with different Apprehen&s;ions and palpable Mi&s;apprehen&s;ions, not in|trenching on the <HI>Foundation,</HI> freedom from Impo&s;ing your <HI>Sentiments</HI> on tho&s;e who cannot receive them, and from <HI>judging ra&s;h|ly</HI> on &s;uppo&s;ed Failures, Readine&s;s for <HI>uni|ver&s;al Communion</HI> in all Religious Duties with all that <HI>love the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t in Sincerity;</HI> as they are our <HI>Duties,</HI> as they are &s;ome of the principal Wayes whereby we may truely Repre&s;ent the <HI>Lord Chri&s;t</HI> and the Doctrine of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> unto others; &s;o they will <HI>di&s;arm</HI> Sathan and the World
<PB N="611" REF="317"> of a <HI>great Engine</HI> whereby they work no &s;mall <HI>Mi&s;chief</HI> unto the whole <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> of Religion.</P>
<P>Again; were all Profe&s;&s;ors <HI>meek, quiet, peaceable</HI> in their Societies and among their Neighbours, <HI>&s;ober, temperate, humble</HI> in their per&s;onal Conver&s;ation in the World, <HI>u&s;e|full, kind, benign, conde&s;cending</HI> towards all, <HI>chearfull</HI> in Trials and Afflictions, alwayes <HI>rejoycing in the Lord;</HI> Men not given up to a <HI>reprobate &s;en&s;e,</HI> (who are not to be re|garded,) would at length be &s;o far from taking <HI>Offence</HI> at them, as to judge that they &s;hould not know what to doe <HI>without them,</HI> and be won to endeavour a <HI>Confor|mity</HI> unto them. In like manner, were tho&s;e <HI>Rules</HI> more diligently attended, which are pre&s;cribed unto all Believers, as unto their <HI>Conver&s;ation</HI> in this World, it would be of no &s;mall Advantage unto <HI>Religion.</HI> See <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 8. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 12. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. 7. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 12, 13. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4. 11, 12. <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 18. Did Hone&s;ty, Sincerity, Uprightne&s;s in all Occa&s;ions of Life, in the whole Conver&s;e of <HI>Profe&s;&s;ors</HI> in the World, &s;hine more brightly, and give more <HI>Evidences</HI> of them|&s;elves than at pre&s;ent among many they &s;eem to doe, it would undoubtedly turn
<PB N="612" REF="318"> unto the un&s;peakable Advantage of Reli|gion.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, for that <HI>judging</HI> or <HI>condemn|ing of others,</HI> wherewith they are &s;o <HI>pro|voked,</HI> there is but one way whereby it may be done, &s;o as to give no ju&s;t Offence; And this is in our <HI>Lives</HI> The Practice of <HI>Holi|ne&s;s</HI> judgeth all <HI>unholy Per&s;ons</HI> in their own Brea&s;ts. And if they are <HI>provoked</HI> thereby, there is nothing in it but a <HI>new Aggrava|tion</HI> of their own <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Impiety.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>Reader, by rea&s;on of the Printers ha&s;te in this Work, the&s;e fol|lowing <HI>ERRATA's</HI> have e&s;caped, which thou art de&s;ired thus to correct with thy Pen.</HEAD>
<P><HI>PAge</HI> 19. <HI>line</HI> 27. <HI>dele</HI> that, <HI>p.</HI> 23. <HI>l.</HI> 1. <HI>for</HI> they <HI>r.</HI> men, <HI>ibid. l.</HI> 6. <HI>after</HI> required <HI>dele,: p.</HI> 26. <HI>l.</HI> 3. <HI>after</HI> Efficacy <HI>in&s;ert</HI> &s;o as that it, <HI>ibid. l.</HI> 13. <HI>r.</HI> others, <HI>p.</HI> 30. <HI>l.</HI> 6. <HI>for</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>r.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>p.</HI> 303. <HI>l.</HI> 19. <HI>for</HI> hopele&s;s <HI>r.</HI> u&s;ele&s;s, <HI>p.</HI> 304. <HI>l.</HI> 25. <HI>for</HI> hearkening <HI>r.</HI> han|kering, <HI>p.</HI> 394. <HI>l.</HI> 13, 14. <HI>r.</HI> &V;&s;e of the Mediation and Blood&punc; of Chri&s;t, <HI>p.</HI> 478. <HI>l.</HI> 20. <HI>r.</HI> than of, <HI>p.</HI> 513. <HI>l.</HI> 14. <HI>for</HI> he <HI>r.</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>ibid. l.</HI> 25. <HI>r.</HI> reject them, <HI>p.</HI> 520. <HI>l.</HI> 2. <HI>r.</HI> &s;uch vi&s;ible, <HI>p.</HI> 523. <HI>l.</HI> 1, 2. <HI>r.</HI> Rea&s;ons of their Confidences and Fears, <HI>p.</HI> 524. <HI>l.</HI> 22. <HI>r.</HI> Adver&s;aries, <HI>p.</HI> 526. <HI>l.</HI> 19. <HI>r.</HI> into a.</P>
<PB REF="318">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
