of Adam; it followeth, that to be saved from Sin, is to be saved from all the Evill, and
Calamities that Sinne hath brought upon us. And therefore in the Holy Scripture, Remission of
Sinne, and Salvation from Death and Misery, is the same thing, as it appears by the words of
our Saviour, who having cured a man sick of the Palsey, by saying, ( Mat. 9. 2.) Son be of good cheer, thy Sins be forgiven thee; and knowing that the Scribes took for blasphemy, that a man should pretend to forgive Sins, asked them (v. 5.) whether it were easier to say, Thy Sinnes be
forgiven thee, or, Arise and walk; signifying thereby, that it was all one, as to the saving of the sick, to say, Thy Sins are forgiven, and Arise and walk; and that he used that form of speech, onely to shew he had power to forgive Sins. And it is besides evident in reason, that since
Death and Misery, were the punishments of Sin, the discharge of Sinne, must also be a
discharge of Death and Misery; that is to say, Salvation absolute, such as the faithfull are to
enjoy after the day of Judgment, by the power, and favour of Jesus Christ, who for that cause
is called our SAVIOUR.
Concerning Particular Salvations, such as are understood, 1 Sam. 14. 39. as the Lord liveth that saveth Israel, that is, from their temporary enemies, and 2 Sam. 22. 4. Thou art my Saviour, thou savest me from violence; and 2 Kings 13. 5. God gave the Israelites a Saviour, and so they were delivered from the hand of the Assyrians, and the like, I need say nothing; there being neither difficulty, nor interest, to corrupt the interpretation of texts of that kind.
The Place of Eternail Salvation.
But concerning the Generall Salvation, because it must be in the Kingdome of Heaven, there is
great difficulty concerning the Place. On one side, by Kingdome (which is an estate ordained by men for their perpetuall security against enemies, and want) it seemeth that this Salvation
should be on Earth. For by Salvation is set forth unto us, a glorious Reign of our King, by
Conquest; not a safety by Escape: and therefore there where we look for Salvation, we must
look also for Triumph; and before Triumph, for Victory; and before Victory, for Battell; which
cannot well be supposed, shall be in Heaven. But how good soever this reason may be, I will
not trust to it, without very evident places of Scripture. The state of Salvation is described at
large, Isaiah 33. ver. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
Look upon Zion, the City of our solemnities; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation,
a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be
removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers, and streams; wherein shall
goe no Gally with oares; neither shall gallant ship passe thereby.
For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, he will save us.
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast; they could not spread the
sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
And the Inhabitant shall not say, I am sicke; the people that shall dwell therein shall be
forgiven their Iniquity.
In which words wee have the place from whence Salvation is to proceed, Jerusalem, a quiet
habitation; the Eternity of it, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, &c. The Saviour of it, the Lord, their Judge, their Lawgiver, their King, he will save us; the Salvation, the Lord shall be to them as a broad mote of swift waters, &c. the condition of their Enemies, their tacklings are loose, their masts weak, the lame shal take the spoil of them. The condition of the Saved, The Inhabitant shal not say, I am sick: And lastly, all this is comprehended in Forgivenesse of sin, The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. By which it is evident, that Salvation shall be on Earth, then, when God shall reign, (at the coming again of Christ) in
Jerusalem; and from Jerusalem shall proceed the Salvation of the Gentiles that shall be
received into Gods Kingdome: as is also more expressely declared by the same Prophet, Chap.
65. 20, 21. And they (that is, the Gentiles who had any Jew in bondage) shall bring all your brethren, for an offering to the Lord, out of all nations, upon horses, and in charets, and in
litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, saith the
Lord, as the Children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessell into the House of the Lord.
And I will also take of them for Priests and for Levites, saith the Lord: Whereby it is manifest, that the chief seat of Gods Kingdome (which is the Place, from whence the Salvation of us that
were Gentiles, shall proceed) shall be Jerusalem: And the same is also confirmed by our
Saviour, in his discourse with the woman of Samaria, concerning the place of Gods worship; to
whom he saith, John 4. 22. that the Samaritans worshipped they knew not what, but the Jews
worship what they knew, For Salvation is of the Jews ( ex Judæis, that is, begins at the Jews): as if he should say, you worship God, but know not by whom he wil save you, as we doe, that
know it shall be by one of the tribe of Judah, a Jew, not a Samaritan. And therefore also the
woman not impertinently answered him again, We know the Messias shall come. So that which
our Saviour saith, Salvation is from the Jews, is the same that Paul sayes ( Rom. 1. 16, 17.) The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that beleeveth: To the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith; from the faith of the Jew, to the faith of the Gentile. In the like sense the Prophet Joel describing the day of Judgment, (chap 2. 30, 31.) that God would shew wonders in heaven, and in earth,
bloud, and fire, and pillars of smoak. The Sun should be turned to darknesse, and the Moon
into bloud, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come, he addeth verse 32. and it shall come to passe, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. For in
Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem shall be Salvation. And Obadiah verse 17. saith the same, Upon Mount Zion shall be Deliverance; and there shall be holinesse, and the house of Jacob shall
possesse their possessions, that is, the possessions of the Heathen, which possessions he expresseth more particularly in the following verses, by the mount of Esau, the Land of the Philistines, the fields of Ephraim, of Samaria, Gilead, and the Cities of the South, and concludes with these words, the Kingdom shall be the Lords. All these places are for Salvation, and the Kingdome of God (after the day of Judgement) upon Earth. On the other side, I have not found
any text that can probably be drawn, to prove any Ascension of the Saints into Heaven; that is
to say, into any Cœlum Empyreum, or other ætheriall Region; saving that it is called the
Kingdome of Heaven: which name it may have, because God, that was King of the Jews,
governed them by his commands, sent to Moses by Angels from Heaven; and after their revolt,
sent his Son from Heaven, to reduce them to their obedience; and shall send him thence
again, to rule both them, and all other faithfull men, from the day of Judgment, Everlastingly:
or from that, that the Throne of this our Great King is in Heaven; whereas the Earth is but his
Footstoole. But that the Subjects of God should have any place as high as his Throne, or higher
than his Footstoole, it seemeth not sutable to the dignity of a King, nor can I find any evident
text for it in holy Scripture.
2 Pet. 2. 5./2 Pet. 3. 13.
From this that hath been said of the Kingdom of God, and of Salvation, it is not hard to
interpret what is meant by the WORLD TO COME. There are three worlds mentioned in
Scripture, the Old World, the Present World, and the World to come. Of the first, St. Peter speaks, If God spared not the Old World, but saved Noah the eighth person, a Preacher of
righteousnesse, bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly, & c. So the first World, was from Adam to the generall Flood. Of the present World, our Saviour speaks ( John 18. 36.) My
Kingdome is not of this World. For he came onely to teach men the way of Salvation, and to
renew the Kingdome of his Father, by his doctrine. Of the World to come, St. Peter speaks,
Neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens, and a new Earth. This is that WORLD, wherein Christ coming down from Heaven, in the clouds, with great power, and glory,
shall send his Angels, and shall gather together his elect, from the four winds, and from the
uttermost parts of the Earth, and thence forth reign over them, (under his Father)
Everlastingly.
Redemption.
Salvation of a sinner, supposeth a precedent REDEMPTION; for he that is once guilty of Sin, is obnoxious to the Penalty of the same; and must pay (or some other or him) such Ransome, as
he that is offended, and has him in his power, shall require. And seeing the person offended, is
Almighty God, in whose power are all things; such Ransome is to be paid before Salvation can
be acquired, as God hath been pleased to require. By this Ransome, is not intended a
satisfaction for Sin, equivalent to the Offence, which no sinner for himselfe, nor righteous man
can ever be able to make for another: The dammage a man does to another, he may make
amends for by restitution, or recompence, but sin cannot be taken away by recompence; for
that were to make the liberty to sin, a thing vendible. But sins may bee pardoned to the
repentant, either gratis, or upon such penalty, as God is pleased to accept. That which God
usually accepted in the Old Testament, was some Sacrifice, or Oblation. To forgive sin is not an
act of Injustice, though the punishment have been threatned. Even amongst men, though the
promise of Good, bind the promiser; yet threats, that is to say, promises of Evill, bind them
not; much lesse shall they bind God, who is infinitely more merciful then men. Our Saviour
Christ therefore to Redeem us, did not in that sense satisfie for the Sins of men, as that his Death, of its own vertue, could make it unjust in God to punish sinners with Eternall death; but
did make that Sacrifice, and Oblation of himself, at his first coming, which God was pleased to
require, for the Salvation at his second coming, of such as in the mean time should repent, and
beleeve in him. And though this act of our Redemption, be not alwaies in Scripture called a
Sacrifice, and Oblation, but sometimes a Price; yet by Price we are not to understand any thing, by the value whereof, he could claim right to a pardon for us, from his offended Father;
but that Price which God the Father was pleased in mercy to demand.
CHAP. XXXIX.
Of the signification in Scripture of the word CHURCH.
Church the Lords house.
THE word Church, (Ecclesia) signifieth in the Books of Holy Scripture divers things. Sometimes (though not often) it is taken for Gods House, that is to say, for a Temple, wherein Christians assemble to perform holy duties publiquely; as, I Cor. 14. ver. 34. Let your women keep
silence in the Churches: but this is Metaphorically put, for the Congregation there assembled; and hath been since used for the Edifice it self, to distinguish between the Temples of
Christians, and Idolaters. The Temple of Jerusalem was Gods house, and the House of Prayer;
and so is any Edifice dedicated by Christians to the worship of Christ, Christs house: and
therefore the Greek Fathers call it
The Lords house; and thence, in our language it
came to be called Kyrke, and Church.
Ecclesia properly what./Acts 19. 39.
Church (when not taken for a House) signifieth the same that Ecclesia signified in the Grecian Common-wealths; that is to say, a Congregation, or an Assembly of Citizens, called forth, to
hear the Magistrate speak unto them; and which in the Common-wealth of Rome was called
Concio, as he that spake was called Ecclesiastes, and Concionator. And when they were called forth by lawfull Authority, it was Ecclesia legitima, a Lawfull Church,
But
when they were excited by tumultuous, and seditious clamor, then it was a confused Church,
It is taken also sometimes for the men that have right to be of the Congregation, though not
actually assembled; that is to say, for the whole multitude of Christian men, how far soever
they be dispersed: as ( Act. 8. 3.) where it is said, that Saul made havock of the Church: And in this sense is Christ said to be Head of the Church. And sometimes for a certain part of
Christians, as ( Col. 4. 15.) Salute the Church that is in his house. Sometimes also for the Elect onely; as ( Ephes. 5. 27.) A Glorious Church, without spot, or wrinkle, holy, and without blemish; which is meant of the Church triumphant, or, Church to come. Sometimes, for a Congregation assembled, of professors of Christianity, whether their profession be true, or
counterfeit, as it is understood, Mat. 18. 17. where it is said, Tell it to the Church, and if hee neglect to hear the Church, let him be to thee as a Gentile, or Publican.
In what sense the Church is one Person./Church defined.
And in this last sense only it is that the Church can be taken for one Person; that is to say, that it can be said to have power to will, to pronounce, to command, to be obeyed, to make laws,
or to doe any other action whatsoever; For without authority from a lawfull Congregation,
whatsoever act be done in a concourse of people, it is the particular act of every one of those
that were present, and gave their aid to the performance of it; and not the act of them all in
grosse, as of one body; much lesse the act of them that were absent, or that being present,
were not willing it should be done. According to this sense, I define a CHURCH to be, A
company of men professing Christian Religion, united in the person of one Soveraign; at whose
command they ought to assemble, and without whose authority they ought not to assemble.
And because in all Common-wealths, that Assembly, which is without warrant from the Civil
Soveraign, is unlawful; that Church also, which is assembled in any Common-wealth, that hath
forbidden them to assemble, is an unlawfull Assembly.
A Christian Common-wealth, and a Church all one.
It followeth also, that there is on Earth, no such universall Church, as all Christians are bound
to obey; because there is no power on Earth, to which all other Common-wealths are subject:
There are Christians, in the Dominions of severall Princes and States; but every one of them is
subject to that Common-wealth, whereof he is himself a member; and consequently, cannot be
subject to the commands of any other Person. And therefore a Church, such a one as is
capable to Command, to Judge, Absolve, Condemn, or do any other act, is the same thing with
a Civil Common-wealth, consisting of Christian men; and is called a Civill State, for that the subjects of it are Men; and a Church, for that the subjects thereof are Christians. Temporall and Spirituall Government, are but two words brought into the world, to make men see double, and mistake their Lawfull Soveraign. It is true, that the bodies of the faithfull, after the Resurrection, shall be not onely Spirituall, but Eternall: but in this life they are grosse, and
corruptible. There is therefore no other Government in this life, neither of State, nor Religion,
but Temporall; nor teaching of any doctrine, lawfull to any Subject, which the Governour both
of the State, and of the Religion, forbiddeth to be taught: And that Governor must be one; or
else there must needs follow Faction, and Civil war in the Common-wealth, between the
Church and State; between Spiritualists, and Temporalists; between the Sword of Justice, and the Shield of Faith; and (which is more) in every Christian mans own brest, between the
Christian, and the Man. The Doctors of the Church, are called Pastors; so also are Civill Soveraignes: But if Pastors be not subordinate one to another, so as that there may bee one
chief Pastor, men will be taught contrary Doctrines, whereof both may be, and one must be
false. Who that one chief Pastor is, according to the law of Nature, hath been already shewn;
namely, that it is the Civill Soveraign: And to whom the Scripture hath assigned that Office, we
shall see in the Chapters following.
CHAP. XL.
Of the RIGHTS of the Kingdome of God, in Abraham, Moses, the High Priests, and
the Kings of Judah.
The Soveraign Rights of Abraham.
THE Father of the Faithfull, and first in the Kingdome of God by Covenant, was Abraham. For
with him was the Covenant first made; wherein he obliged himself, and his seed after him, to
acknowledge and obey the commands of God; not onely such, as he could take notice of, (as
Morall Laws,) by the light of Nature; but also such, as God should in speciall manner deliver to
him by Dreams, and Visions. For as to the Morall law, they were already obliged, and needed
not have been contracted withall, by promise of the Land of Canaan. Nor was there any
Contract, that could adde to, or strengthen the Obligation, by which both they, and all men
else were bound naturally to obey God Almighty: And therefore the Covenant which Abraham
made with God, was to take for the Commandement of God, that which in the name of God
was commanded him, in a Dream, or Vision; and to deliver it to his family, and cause them to
observe the same.
Abraham had the sole power of ordering the Religion of his own people.
In this Contract of God with Abraham, wee may observe three points of important consequence
in the government of Gods people. First, that at the making of this Covenant, God spake onely
to Abraham, and therefore contracted not with any of his family, or seed, otherwise then as
their wills (which make the essence of all Covenants) were before the Contract involved in the
will of Abraham; who was therefore supposed to have had a lawfull power, to make them
perform all that he covenanted for them. According whereunto ( Gen. 18. 18, 19.) God saith,
All the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him, For I know him that he will command his
children and his houshold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. From whence
may be concluded this first point, that they to whom God hath not spoken immediately, are to
receive the positive commandements of God, from their Soveraign; as the family and seed of
Abraham did from Abraham their Father, and Lord, and Civill Soveraign. And consequently in
every Common-wealth, they who have no supernaturall Revelation to the contrary, ought to
obey the laws of their own Soveraign, in the externall acts and profession of Religion. As for
the inward thought, and beleef of men, which humane Governours can take no notice of, (for God onely knoweth the heart) they are not voluntary, nor the effect of the laws, but of the
unrevealed will, and of the power of God; and consequently fall not under obligation.
No pretence of Private Spirit against the Religion of Abraham.
From whence proceedeth another point, that it was not unlawfull for Abraham, when any of his
Subjects should pretend Private Vision, or Spirit, or other Revelation from God, for the
countenancing of any doctrine which Abraham should forbid, or when they followed, or adhered
to any such pretender, to punish them; and consequently that it is lawfull now for the
Soveraign to punish any man that shall oppose his Private Spirit against the Laws: For hee
hath the same place in the Common-wealth, that Abraham had in his own Family.
Abraham sole Judge, and Interpreter of what God spake.
There ariseth also from the same, a third point; that as none but Abraham in his family, so
none but the Soveraign in a Christian Common-wealth, can take notice what is, or what is not
the Word of God. For God spake onely to Abraham; and it was he onely, that was able to know
what God said, and to interpret the same to his family: And therefore also, they that have the
place of Abraham in a Common-wealth, are the onely Interpreters of what God hath spoken.
The authority of Moses whereon grounded.
The same Covenant was renewed with Isaac; and afterwards with Jacob; but afterwards no
more, till the Israelites were freed from the Egyptians, and arrived at the Foot of Mount Sinai:
and then it was renewed by Moses (as I have said before, chap. 35.) in such manner, as they
became from that time forward the Peculiar Kingdome of God; whose Lieutenant was Moses,
for his owne time: and the succession to that office was setled upon Aaron, and his heirs after
him, to bee to God a Sacerdotall Kingdome for ever.
John 5. 31.
By this constitution, a Kingdome is acquired to God. But seeing Moses had no authority to
govern the Israelites, as a successor to the right of Abraham, because he could not claim it by
inheritance; it appeareth not as yet, that the people were obliged to take him for Gods
Lieutenant, longer than they beleeved that God spake unto him. And therefore his authority
(notwithstanding the Covenant they made with God) depended yet merely upon the opinion
they had of his Sanctity, and of the reality of his Conferences with God, and the verity of his
Miracles; which opinion coming to change, they were no more obliged to take any thing for the
law of God, which he propounded to them in Gods name. We are therefore to consider, what
other ground there was, of their obligation to obey him. For it could not be the commandement
of God that could oblige them; because God spake not to them immediately, but by the
mediation of Moses himself: And our Saviour saith of himself, If I bear witnesse of my self, my
witnesse is not true; much lesse if Moses bear witnesse of himselfe, (especially in a claim of Kingly power over Gods people) ought his testimony to be received. His authority therefore, as
the authority of all other Princes, must be grounded on the Consent of the People, and their
Promise to obey him. And so it was: For the people ( Exod. 20. 18.) when they saw the Thunderings, and the Lightnings, and the noyse of the Trumpet, and the mountaine smoaking,
removed, and stood a far off. And they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear,
but let not God speak with us lest we die. Here was their promise of obedience; and by this it was they obliged themselves to obey whatsoever he should deliver unto them for the
Commandement of God.
Moses was (under God) Soveraign of the Jews, all his own time, though Aaron had the
Priesthood.
And notwithstanding the Covenant constituteth a Sacerdotall Kingdome, that is to say, a
Kingdome hereditary to Aaron; yet that is to be understood of the succession, after Moses
should bee dead. For whosoever ordereth, and establisheth the Policy, as first founder of a
Common-wealth (be it Monarchy, Aristocracy, or Democracy) must needs have Soveraign
Power over the people all the while he is doing of it. And that Moses had that power all his own
time, is evidently affirmed in the Scripture. First, in the text last before cited, because the
people promised obedience, not to Aaron but to him. Secondly, ( Exod. 24. 1, 2.) And God sai