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Show 1679· ~ Part. II. SeCI.4. An Addrefs to 'Proteftants. Voi:. I. Godly in this prefent World. Which h:ts ~his great Encouragement joy ned to it; that thote who fo live, have only R1ght to look for that Bl~Ifed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God, and our Sav1our Jrfus Cb~i~in add the Teftirnony of his Beloved Difciple John, who has defined to us. the End ~JjCbrijl's Coming, rhus: Wbofoevu commllteth Sm, Tranfa 1 John 3• 4,_ reffeth aljo the Law ; and ye know, that be was 1/Jamfefted to ttJ~e away ~ur ~.6, 7,8,9, ~· Ad to thew that this is underflood, not only of the Gutlt ot Stns Jo. . kmf i~ .b u;o f the Nature and pr~fenr Po_wer o~Sin in Man, ob~erve. what fol~ Wlofi ever akidttb in h1m (Chnft) Smnetb nat. As lf thiS Apoftle h~~sf~ref:cn ° the prefenr Mifchief Chrifli,!niry labours under both on the Side of Evil Men~ and of bur roo many m1lb.ken ~rofeCfors. He.add.s, Lmte Children, fer no jUan deceive )'Oll; he thar do~b .Rtgbreoufnrfs u Rtghreou~, even as he is Ri~:hreous; be thar commiunh St'! IS of the Devd, for the Devtl finnerh frotn tbt Beginning. (Now comes hts moft exprefs. ~affage to the Mauer in H:1nd) For this Purpofe the Son of .God was manijefled, !hat he might deflroy rbe Works of the Devil: W.hich is more than the R:m1ffion of s· tbJt are paft. here is the Defirutbon of the Power and Kmgdom of Sms They that' know not this know not Chrifi as he fhould be known, atata.vi gly For as we fo our Lord is known by his Fruits, by the \V01ks ~o~ich hne w~rks in us: Therefore it is faid, Th11t his oron T~ork.r praife bun. A d (1lid Chrifi If 1 bad not done among them rhe Works wluclJ noot~er Man John 1 5• 24• diJ,&c. So that' he referred to his W?rks to .prove his N~rure and M1ffion .. He therefore that lives in Sin ~eme~ Chrijl, by den.ym~ rhe End ol ht.s Coming. The Fool did nor fay wtth hts Mouth,_ but t'! lm Heart, Tbe;e u no God; yet bur too many now aed~ys, plead wuh the1r T~n~~e~ and Pens for Sin Term 0f Life, by endeavounng to fhew the lmpofhbiltt) of overcoming Sin. But what faith this Apoftle f~nher of the Bufinefs? Whofo:ver is born of God, darb nor commit Sin: Jn tbrs rhe Chddr~n of Go.1 are "!anife/f,. and the Children of the Devil, whofoever doth not Rtl,bltoJJfn~fs, t.r n~t f'j God; neitbcr be tbat /ovetb not his Brot.ber. B.ut if you walk m tbe Lztbt, 4s God is in the Light, we hove Fellow/hiP on~ u.111b another, .and the ~food of 1 John 3• 9, 10. tjolm 1. 7· Jefus Chrijl bis Son, cletm{etb us from all Sm. J:te rkar fmth he. abzduh tn Cb. 1• 6• 14' Ch 'fl ou1,bt bimfrl[ alfo fo to walk, even as Cbnfl W11lked. A lnde lower in ~~d fame Chapter he fays, I have wrilten unto yo11, Young .Aien, bccaufe )'e are flrong, 1md the Word of God abidcrb in you, and ye have ovucome the Wi~k~1If~~d one Scriptme-Teftimony more in the prefent Cafe, and it is Chap. 4. 17; this: Herein (faith Jobn) is our LoVe made perjefl, thar .we "!ay have Bo/Je nejs in tbe Day of jJJdgment, becaufe as he i.r, fo ore we tn tbu World •. Eph •. 1. 27• Behold now the true Enl of Chrifi•s Co'!'-ing! viz. To /ave from S~n and Rom. fl• 14o Eph.4. t:t. Gal. ~ .22, 2J,!::4· to purge us from all Iniquity; that he m1ght prefent tlS to God Without S ot or Blemifh. Let us not then flatter our felves, for wt: f~all be ~he L~fers : Nei[her let us make that impoffible through our Infidelity, whtch a Grain of Sincere Faith can make not only Poffible ?ut Eafi~. Wh~t.has been may he again. nay, in this Cafe mufi be. Dtd the Fuft Chn{bans over;ome tbe Wickei o11e? .fo muft the Laft Chriftians too. ~Vere th~fe Ages led by the Holy Spirit, and naught by the Groce of God to lrr:e Go4·1Jk.e, or like God in the World) fO mutt we of thefe latter Ages too, .tf we will be bleifed for ever; that, ~aving put fljf rhe old .Man, the Devtl and his Works, we may pitt on Chn(f the new and hc:tvenl.Y Man~ th~ _fec~nd Adam, with his Holy Life agd Works; fo flull the Fr':'ll.f of b.;s Spmt !hme through us which are Love, Joy, Peace, Long·fJtj[errng, P,a1ence, Genr{e-nefs, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperanee; for they thar are C~ri/l'~ have Crucifi· td rbe Flefh with the AjfeOions and Luft.r: They hear his Votce that lea.ds them out of the Concupifcences of this Vile World, and r!J~} follo~ bun, and be givet unto them 1'../crnal Life, and a Stranger they uull not Jolluw. t~~.1o. 4 ' The World the Flefh and the Devil m!lke up this Stranger·, and thofe that are car'tied aw:~y by this Stranger are in an Unrecon~iled State ro God, and, fo . dying, muit inevitably peri(h. Well, then Will c~dt;u;~~~ VoL.L An .Addrefs to 'Protefiants. Chriftilns? Have weFairh? t~en let us rake the A.dvice of that good Man Peter:, Ler tn add to our Fauh Virtue, and ro. Virtue Knowledge, aizd 10 Knowledge Temperan&e, and to Temperance Parzence, and ro Patience GoJ/je n~f.r, and to God/;~ef.r Brotbe.r/y·Km~nifs, dnd ro Brotberly-Kindnef.r Cbaruy: For rays he. if rbefe Tbm~s ~ern .JOII and abound, they make you, that ye ~all neaher be barren nor unjrNJtfut m tb~ Kttow!edg~ oj our LorJ J~fir.r Chrijl. lJNt be tbarlacluth rhefr: ThMgs H blmf, and cannot fufar off. and bath forgou.en,rb~r. be WtU purged from bis.old Sins. W.herrfore rhe ,;rler, Brerhren, J:~Vc D1bgcnce, to make your Callrng nnd EleOton jure; for if ye do rbefe Thmgs, ye fh~U never faY. Jl_or fo. an Enrr·ance jh11U be 111ini}Jrcd unto you ':bundamly znto the Everlaftm( K_mgdom of our Lord and Saviour ]eftn Cbrift. Thus much, ~ ye Prorejfants! That profefs a Reformation, and val~e your felves upon It, Of the true Reformed Doil:rine of Godli· nefs, a vmuous and good Life, without which your Profeffion will be the Aggravation of your Guilt. For know this once for all that a true Refor· mation lies in the _Spirit of Ref?rmation, reformirig the1Minds and Manners of fuch as profefs a. God Almighty open your Eyes a:nd affea your Hearts with this great Trudi. Secl:. 5· The Fourth great Ectlejiaftical Evil, ;, Preferring Humane Authority abwe Reafon and Truth; T His and the next Evil, which fs the laft now to be co!'J1idered to wit Pr~pogation of Fairh by Fofpe, Rdigion bj Arm.r are rhe T:Vo Leg~ upon wh1ch the falfe Church hath in .!II A$es ftood. Under rhis Degenera· cy we find the j~rtJijh Cb11rch ~r. Chrifi's co'ming, and he complains of it, m ~ ~Part 11. Sea. 4· 1 Pet. 1.~ 1 71 8,9,1~ u. Te teach for Do8rmes the Tradtt10n.r of Men, yefeek to kiD me, a Man tbot bttt told you rhe Trurb: ~utI chal_lenge the whole Account of Time, and Mat. 1~; 9! Records of the World, which are come to the Hands of this Age, to tell John8.4o. me When, Where, and by whom~ thefe Principles have been received, improv· ect and ufed, in any Sort of Proportion or C1Jmp.1rijon, with the PraEl:ice of that Church, which has long prided her felf in the Name of Ct~tbolick and f;briflian. And yet I could wi(h nothing of thefe Two 10 Principlc.r had found any Place amongft Us, that call our felves Proteflants; though to the great Men of her Cummunion, in divers Coumrie.r of Europe, is chief·' ly owing moft of that ltnor"nce, Superflition, ldolarry, Perjec11tion and Blood-jhed that have been amon.g Chriflllln.r, fince the Chrijlian Profeffion hath grown to any Power in the World. I fhaii confider them feverally; refpecting us, and in their doue Order, with ;~s muc·h Brevity as well I can. That Humane Autho~iry hath been preferred above Reofon and Trut&, that is, That the lipprebenjions, lnrlrpreration.r, Conclujions and Injunl!ion.r of Men have been reputed the great NeceCfaries or Effenrials to SJlvation and Chriftian Communion, infomuch a:; a fober and reafonable DHfent hath been too often over-rul'd, not by Weight of Argument or Evidence of Truth, but by the Power and Numbers of Men in Ecclefiafiical Office and Digniry, is, and fpeak Modeftly, in a large Degree true among us. The Firft Church-Evil reprehended in this Difcourfe may begin the Proof, and give the firft Witnefs upon this Part of the Charge, viz. That Opinions have been made .ilrticles of Fai1h; thar U, Tbe Conflr11flion:r a"J. Omclufion.r of .Men from Sacred Writ, and not the Text it fe/f, b.zve butJ enfoyn'd and ilfle pos'd ns E.ffemial to Eternal Sa/varian, and External Cl;riftllln CtJmmunion. Infomuch as no Rea jon, Scriprure or pureft Antiquity hath been fuflered ro prevail againll fuch Determmations, and too often not enough to excufe thofe that have pleaded for a Confcientious Ditfent from them ; the Authors of them either refting upon the Authoiity of their own Jodgmenrg, Or conforming themfelvcs to the Examp~e of Ages lefs pure and clear: . I Confcienrioufly refufe to n:~me Parues, becaufe.I am render of g1vtng the Ieafl Offence; but upon a Juft Obfervance of tbofe Revolutions 6f *'Protefbncy that have beeo amongfi us, we may fee; with what Stiffne&, not co fay Obltinacy, feveral Models of RcliJ.ion and Dra11ghtt of C~:.;~ |