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Show ·W.hJ Chri.fls vcice after ~tbfince if more precio11s. there is the fame, yea a greater, reafon for the Souls rejoycing to hear the voice ofChrift [peaking by his Spirit, as for its rejoycing to bear hit voice in his Word; and as great a caufe for the Soul to rejoyce in both efpecially after a time of want, as for a man that is almotl familhed to rejoyce at the news of bread or water, or him that hath been lick unto death, to rejoyce when he finds within himfelf fame recovery of llrength and retum of health ; yea fo much greater as the difference is gre<~ter betwixt the Soul and the Body, and the former is more excellent than the other. I have done with the Doctrinal part of the Propofition: I come to the Application. In the firll place, This lheweth us the vanityofthedollrine of the Chrmh •f Rome. They indeed will allow• this concerning the Churcb, That !he knoweth the voice of Cbrift; but, I. It muft be tbrir own Church meerly, !he alone mull be the Church, theCa· tholick Church. 2. It mull be the Church in their notion, not the whole body of the Chrmh as it conlilleth of Pallors and People: but the DolJorJ of the Church, no, nor yet all the Doctors of the Church, but a Cmncil, no nor yet a Cozmcil, unlefs conlirm'd by their holy Father th« Pope: he is .Peter'! Vicar forfooth, and he alone knows the voice ofChtill it feems, and what he· faith is the meaning of the Scriptures, or what elfe he faith, was lefi as a tradition by the Apollles or the -Primitive Church, that the people mull believe is the voice of Chrill, the will of God concerning private pcrfons, :who mull not difcern and judg about it, nor difpute 'and argue. it, but thew their humilitY, in judging any Dothine probable that the DoCl:ors of the Church determine, and> ncceffary, and beyond all difpute the will of God,• if once it hath been agreed to be fo by a Council, if that Counci!>he.confirrn'd by the Pope. In conformity to this, They d·my the Scriptures to the Laity (as they call them•) in their own language, and impofe, a roo things to be believed and dbnebfl>eopk, as the wi!l'.DfGodl concerning them, leaving no liberty• to private Chrillian ~ to•exa-< mine & to judg as to the things of Go.d,and matters oftheir own pr~Cl:ice. There are others, w.ho will ptatend ipdeed to leave to pmate ~hrillians this liberty o( difcerning and judging (which Indeed rs the ba!is of the Prottllant Religion) . but they either> grant it partially, or deny it iq1'radice: it hay WiU goant it •may m~y be, that every priv.ate CChriftianHnmatters·of'F.aith neceffary to Salv.a.tion, doth know, and iS"able tbdif~ern,and ought to judg _ '• . what chrifliavs e~horted to di.fcern tile voice of their Beloved. what it ought to believe: But in other matters which they think indifferem, Let the private Chrlllian judg them never fo unlawful; there they will tell us that the private Chriftian is to follow the determilwions ofth'O,Cburch, and to do what they call the Church commandeth them to do, and therein to !hew their humility and obedience: this incleed is in words to acknowledg this truth, but in fad to deny it. Surely the volceofChrill in his Word, tcacheth us not only what is td'be by us believed,but alfo what in all things we are to do: and the Soul may be damned for doing amifs in any thing, as well as for believing amifs : and the believing Soul is as able tti> know the voice of Chrill as to things that are to be done, as to things that are to be believed. If indeed a Soul j udg· et!. any thing to be indifferent, there may be an Obligation upon it to take that part which the Elders of the Church determine to be done ; but to grant that a private Chrifiian either may or mull do, what the Elders of the Church conclude ough~ to be done by him, when this Chrillians own confcience tells him that the voice of Chrill is otherwife, were to grant a\Vay one of the greatelt priviledr;os of the Gofpel , to make our [elves the Servants of men,and ro deny this great truth as t\) particular Souls,That Chrij/1 fheep ~now biJ voice, That the Spoufe ofChrill knows the voice of its Beloved; and to fay with the rebellious Jews, Come, let M mak! m Ca!taint and return into Egypt agai1t. Secondly, Let this mind us all of our du~y to ~;[,ern. the voice of our Beloved. Chrill hath given unto h1s Sa1nts thts Talent, let them not wrap it up in a Napkin: he hath clothed us with his dignity, let us then exercife this facul'ty, and fo difcharge our duty. LHther faith they lin damnably that do It not, they are certainly carelefs of ;heir own Souls in a defperate degree that do it not. To ufe my former inftance; you may fuppofe a Clerlvf" Mark!t who is no fool, but Is able to try weit.btt, a11d meafurn,ana baUances: you may fuppofe him in Office to d~ it,. that it. rna~ be his place and duty, and yet he may be negle~tve m the d1f~harge , of his duty: fo it is with a Chriftian, the Word of God IS the Standard of the fpiritual Market. The Chrillian is no fool, God hath indued him as other men with a reafonable Soul, nay more than fo God hath given him the' illumination of his holy Spirit ; by vert~e of this he is able to d"lfcern the voice of Chrill from a· nother voice ; nay yet further, God hath put him in office to do it, he h~th bid him prove aO tbingt, try the{piriu, though God hath referved |