Ezek. 13. 18. 5. & 4. 21. Jude 19. they be a prefcribed form, as a liturgy, or prayers conceived extemporarily by the natural strength and faculty of the mind, they are all but fuperMat.10.20. ftitions, will-worship, and abominable idolatry in Acts 24 the fight of God; which are to be denied, reJohn 3. 6. jected, and feparated from, in this day of his fpiritual arifing: however it might have pleased him Ads17.23. (who winked at the times of ignorance, with refpect to the fimplicity and integrity of fome, and of his own innocent feed, which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men, under the mass of fuperftition) to blow upon the dead and dry bones, and to raise fome breathings, and answer them, and that until the day fhould more clearly dawn and break forth. Eph. 4 5. As The Twelfth Propofition. Concerning BAPTISM. S there is one Lord and one faith, fo there is one baptifm; which is not the putting away Gal. 3. 27. of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good Col. 2. 12. confcience before God, by the refurrection of Jesus John 3. 30. Chrift. And this baptifm is a pure and fpiritual thing, to wit, the baptifm of the Spirit and fire, by which we are buried with him, that being 1Cor. 1. 17. washed and purged from our fins, we may walk in newness of life; of which the baptifm of John was a figure, which was commanded for a time, and not to continue for ever. As to the baptifm of infants, it is a mere human tradition, for which neither precept nor practice is to be found in all the fcripture. The The Thirteenth Propofition. Concerning the COMMUNION, OF PARTICIPATION of the BODY and BLOOD of CHRIST. I 16, 17. 1 Cor. 5.8. HE communion of the body and blood of 1 Cor. 10. TH Chrift is inward and fpiritual, which is the participation of his flesh and blood, by which John 6. 32. the inward man is daily nourished in the hearts of 332 35 those in whom Chrift dwells; of which things the breaking of bread by Chrift with his difciples was a figure, which they even used in the church for a time, who had received the fubftance, for the cause of the weak; even as abftaining from things Ads 15.20. Strangled, and from blood; the walking one ano- James 5. 14. ther's feet, and the anointing of the fick with oil; all which are commanded with no lefs authority and folemnity than the former; yet feeing they are but the fhadows of better things, they ceafe in fuch as have obtained the fubftance. The Fourteenth Propofition. Concerning the POWER of the CIVIL MAGISTRATE, in Matters purely RELIGIOUS, and pertaining to the CONSCIENCE. SINCE John 13.13. 56. Tit. 3. 10. INCE God hath affumed to himself the power and dominion of the confcience, who alone can rightly inftruct and govern it, therefore it Luke 9. 55, is not lawful for any whatfoever, by virtue of Mat. 7. 12, any authority or principality they bear in the 29. government of this world, to force the confciences of others; and therefore all killing, banishing, fining, imprifoning, and other fuch things, which men are afflicted with, for the alone exercife of their confcience, or difference in worfhip or opinion, proceedeth from the fpirit of 1 Pet. 1. 14. Cain, the murderer, and is contrary to the truth; provided always, that no man, under the pretence of confcience, prejudice his neighbour in his life or eftate; or do any thing deftructive to, or inconfiftent with human fociety; in which case the law is for the tranfgreffor, and juftice to be adminif tered upon all, without respect of perfons. The Fifteenth Propofition. Concerning SALUTATIONS and RECREATIONS, &c. SEEING the chief end of all religion is to Eph. 5.11. redeem man from the fpirit and vain conJohn 5. 44. verfation of this world, and to lead into inward Jer. 10. 3. communion with God, before whom, if we fear Mat. 15.13. always, we are accounted happy; therefore all Col. 2. 8. the vain customs and habits thereof, both in word Acts 10.26. and deed, are to be rejected and forfaken by those who come to this fear; fuch as the taking off the hat to a man, the bowings and cringings of the body, and fuch other falutations of that kind, with all the foolish and fuperftitious formalities attending them; all which man has invented in his degenerate state, to feed his pride in the vain pomp and glory of this world; as alfo the unprofitable plays, frivolous recreations, sportings and gamings, which are invented to pass away the precious time, and divert the mind from the witness of God in the heart, and from the living fenfe of his fear, and from that evangelical Spirit wherewith Chriftians ought to be leavened, and which leads into fobriety, gravity, and godly fear; in which, as we abide, the blefling of the Lord is felt to attend us in those actions in which we are neceffarily engaged, in order to the taking care for the fuftenance of the outward man. ΑΝ AN APOLOGY FOR THE TRUE CHRISTIAN DIVINITY. PROPOSITION I. Concerning the true Foundation of KNOWLEDge. Seeing the height of all happiness is placed in the true knowledge of God (This is life eter- John 17. 3. nal, to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Christ whom thou haft fent) the true and right understanding of this foundation and ground of knowledge is that which is most neceffary to be known and believed in the first place. H E that defireth to acquire any art or fcience, feeketh first thofe means by which that art or fcience is obtained. If we ought to do fo in things natural and earthly, how much more then in spiritual? In this affair then fhould our inquiry be the more diligent, because he that errs in the entrance is not fo eafily brought back again into the right way; he that miffeth his road from the beginning of his journey, and is deceived in his first marks, at his first fetting forth, the greater his mistake is, the more difficult will be his entrance into the right way. Thus when a man firft propofeth to himself the The way to knowledge of God, from a fenfe of his own un- the true worthinefs, and from the great wearinefs of his of God. mind, occafioned by the fecret checks of his con fcience, knowledge tors and Pharifees science, and the tender, yet real glances of God's light upon his heart; the earnett defires he has to be redeemed from his prefent trouble, and the fervent breathings he has to be eafed of his difordered paffions and lufts, and to find quietness and peace in the certain knowledge of God, and in the affurance of his love and good-will towards him, make his heart tender, and ready to receive any impreffion; and fo (not having then a diftinct difcerning) through forwardnefs embraceth any thing that brings prefent eafe. If either through the reverence he bears to certain perfons, or from the fecret inclination to what doth comply with his natural difpofition, he fall upon any principles or means, by which he apprehends he may come to know God, and fo doth center himfelf, it will be hard to remove him thence again, how wrong foever they may be: for the first anguifh being over, he becomes more hardy; and the enemy being near, creates a false peace, and a certain confidence, which is ftrengthened by the mind's unwillingness to enter again into new doubtfulness, or the former anxiety of a search. This is fufficiently verified in the example of the Pharifees and Jewish Doctors, who most of all Jewish Doc- refifted Chrift, difdaining to be efteemed ignorant; for this vain opinion they had of their knowrefift Chrift. ledge hindered them from the true knowledge; and the mean people, who were not fo much pre-occupied with former principles, nor conceited of their own knowledge, did eafily believe. Wherefore the Pharifees upbraid them, faying, John 7. 48, Have any of the Rulers or Pharifees believed on him? But this people, which know not the law, are accurfed. This is alfo abundantly proved by the experience of all fuch, as being fecretly touched with the call of God's grace unto them, do apply themfelves to falfe teachers, where the remedy proves worse than the difeafe; becaufe inftead of 49. knowing |