,institutes of the ,christian ,religion ,,institutes ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,religion4 ,,by ,,john ,,calvin4 ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,original ,,latin1 ,,and ,,collated ,,with ,,the ,,author',s ,,last ,,edition ,,in ,,french1 ,,by ,,john ,,allen4 ,non tamen omnino potuit mors invida totum ,tollere ,calvinum terris2 terna manebunt ,ingenii monumenta tui3 et livoris iniqui ,languida paulatim cum flamma resederit1 omnes ,religio qua pura nitet se fundet in oras ,fama tui4 ,,buchanan4 ,,sixth ,,american ,,edition1 ,,revised ,,and ,,corrected4 ,,in ,,two ,,volumes4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,philadelphia3 ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,publication4 ,,book ,,iii4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,commencement ,,and ,,continual ,,progress ,,of ,,justification4 ,for the further elucidation of this subject1 let us examine what kind of righteousness can be found in men during the whole course of their lives4 ,let us divide them into four classes4 ,for either they are destitute of the knowledge of ,god1 and immerged in idolatry2 or1 having been initiated by the sacraments1 they lead impure lives1 denying ,god in their actions1 while they confess him with their lips1 and belong to ,christ only in name2 or they are hypocrites1 concealing the iniquity of their hearts with vain disguises2 or1 being regenerated by the ,spirit of ,god1 they devote themselves to true holiness4 ,in the first of these classes1 judged of according to their natural characters1 from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there will not be found a single spark of goodness2 unless we mean to charge the ,scripture with falsehood in these representations which it gives of all the sons of ,adam--that 8the heart is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked20#a that 8every imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth20#b that 8the thoughts of man are vanity2 that there is no fear of ,god before his eyes20#c that 8there is none that understandeth1 none that seeketh after ,god20#d in a word1 8that he is flesh10#e a term expressive of all those works which are enumerated by ,paul--8adultery1 fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness1 idolatry1 witchcraft1 hatred1 variance1 emulations1 wrath1 strife1 seditions1 heresies1 envyings1 murders10#f and every impurity and abomination that can be conceived4 ,this is the dignity1 in the confidence of which they must glory4 ,but if any among them discover that integrity in their conduct which among men has some appearance of sanctity1 yet1 since we know that ,god regards not external splendour1 we must penetrate to the secret springs of these actions1 if we wish them to avail any thing to justification4 ,we must narrowly examine1 ,i say1 from what disposition of heart these works proceed4 ,though a most extensive field of observation is now before us1 yet1 since the subject may be despatched in very few words1 ,i shall be as compendious as possible4 ,,ii4 ,in the first place1 ,i do not deny1 that whatever excellences appear in unbelievers1 they are the gifts of ,god4 ,i am not so at variance with the common opinion of mankind1 as to contend that there is no difference between the justice1 moderation1 and equity of ,titus or ,trajan1 and the rage1 intemperance1 and cruelty of ,caligula1 or ,nero1 or ,domitian2 between the obscenities of ,tiberius and the continence of ,vespasian2 and1 not to dwell on particular virtues or vices1 between the observance and the contempt of moral obligation and positive laws4 ,for so great is the difference between just and unjust1 that it is visible even in the lifeless image of it4 ,for what order will be left in the world1 if these opposites be confounded together8 ,such a distinction as this1 therefore1 between virtuous and vicious actions1 has not only been engraven by the ,lord in the heart of every man1 but has also been frequently confirmed by his providential dispensations4 ,we see how he confers many blessings of the present life on those who practise virtue among men4 ,not that this external resemblance of virtue merits the least favour from him2 but he is pleased to discover his great esteem of true righteousness1 by not permitting that which is external and hypocritical to remain without a temporal reward4 ,whence it follows1 as we have just acknowledged1 that these virtues1 whatever they may be1 or rather images of virtues1 are the gifts of ,god2 since there is nothing in any respect laudable which does not proceed from him4 ,,iii4 ,nevertheless the observation of ,augustine is strictly true--that all who are strangers to the religion of the one true ,god1 however they may be esteemed worthy of admiration for their reputed virtue1 not only merit no reward1 but are rather deserving of punishment1 because they contaminate the pure gifts of ,god with the pollution of their own hearts4 ,for though they are instruments used by ,god for the preservation of human society1 by the exercise of justice1 continence1 friendship1 temperance1 fortitude1 and prudence1 yet they perform these good works of ,god very improperly2 being restrained from the commission of evil1 not by a sincere attachment to true virtue1 but either by mere ambition1 or by self-love1 or by some other irregular disposition4 ,these actions1 therefore1 being corrupted in their very source by the impurity of their hearts1 are no more entitled to be classed among virtues1 than those vices which commonly deceive mankind by their affinity and similitude to virtues4 ,besides1 when we remember that the end of what is right is always to serve ,god1 whatever is directed to any other end1 can have no claim to that appellation4 ,therefore1 since they regard not the end prescribed by ,divine wisdom1 though an act performed by them be externally and apparently good1 yet1 being directed to a wrong end1 it becomes sin4 ,he concludes1 therefore1 that all the ,fabricii1 ,scipios1 and ,catos1 in all their celebrated actions1 were guilty of sin1 inasmuch as1 being destitute of the light of faith1 they did not direct those actions to that end to which they ought to have directed them2 that consequently they had no genuine righteousness2 because moral duties are estimated not by external actions1 but by the ends for which such actions are designed4 ,,iv4 ,besides1 if there be any truth in the assertion of ,john1 that 8he that hath not the ,son of ,god1 hath not life20#g they who have no interest in ,christ1 whatever be their characters1 their actions1 or their endeavours1 are constantly advancing1 through the whole course of their lives1 towards destruction and the sentence of eternal death4 ,on this argument is founded the following observation of ,augustine3 8,our religion discriminates between the righteous and the unrighteous1 not by the law of works1 but by that of faith1 without which works apparently good are perverted into sins40 ,wherefore the same writer1 in another place1 strikingly compares the exertions of such men to a deviation in a race from the prescribed course4 ,for the more vigorously any one runs out of the way1 he recedes so much the further from the goal1 and becomes so much the more unfortunate4 ,wherefore he contends1 that it is better to halt in the way1 than to run out of the way4 ,finally1 it is evident that they are evil trees1 since without a participation of ,christ there is no sanctification4 ,they may produce fruits fair and beautiful to the eye1 and even sweet to the taste1 but never any that are good4 ,hence we clearly perceive that all the thoughts1 meditations1 and actions of man1 antecedent to a reconciliation to ,god by faith1 are accursed1 and not only of no avail to justification1 but certainly deserving of condemnation4 ,but why do we dispute concerning it as a dubious point1 when it is already proved by the testimony of the apostle1 that 8without faith it is impossible to please ,god80#h ,v4 ,but the proof will be still clearer1 if the grace of ,god be directly opposed to the natural condition of man4 ,the ,scripture invariably proclaims1 that ,god finds nothing in men which can incite him to bless them1 but that he prevents them by his gratuitous goodness4 ,for what can a dead man do to recover life8 ,but when ,god illuminates us with the knowledge of himself1 he is said to raise us from death1 and to make us new creatures4#i ,for under this character we find the ,divine goodness towards us frequently celebrated1 especially by the apostle4 8,god10 says he1 8who is rich in mercy1 for his great love wherewith he loved us1 even when we were dead in sins1 hath quickened us together with ,christ10 c4#aj ,in another place1 when1 under the type of ,abraham1 he treats of the general calling of believers1 he says1 ,it is 8,god1 who quickeneth the dead1 and calleth those things which be not as though they were40#aa ,if we are nothing1 what can we do8 ,wherefore ,god forcibly represses this presumption1 in the ,book of ,job1 in the following words3 8,who hath prevented me1 that ,i should repay him8 ,whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine40#ab ,paul1 explaining this passage1 concludes from it1 that we ought not to suppose we bring any thing to the ,lord but ignominious indigence and emptiness4#ac ,wherefore1 in the passage cited above1 in order to prove that we attain to the hope of salvation1 not by works1 but solely by the grace of ,god1 he alleges1 that 8we are his workmanship1 created in ,christ ,jesus unto good works1 which ,god hath before ordained that we should walk in them40#ad ,as though he would say1 ,who of us can boast that he has influenced ,god by his righteousness1 since our first power to do well proceeds from regeneration8 ,for1 according to the constitution of our nature1 oil might be extracted from a stone sooner than we could perform a good work4 ,it is wonderful1 indeed1 that man1 condemned to such ignominy1 dares to pretend to have any thing left4 ,let us confess1 therefore1 with that eminent servant of the ,lord1 that 8,god hath saved us1 and called us with a holy calling1 not according to our works1 but according to his own purpose and grace20#ae and that 8the kindness and love of ,god our ,saviour towards man appeared10 because 8not by works of righteousness which we have done1 but according to his mercy he saved us2 that being justified by his grace1 we should be made heirs of eternal life40#af ,by this confession we divest man of all righteousness1 even to the smallest particle1 till through mere mercy he has been regenerated to the hope of eternal life2 for if a righteousness of works contributed any thing to our justification1 we are not truly said to be 8justified by grace40 ,the apostle1 when he asserted justification to be by grace1 had certainly not forgotten his argument in another place1 that 8if it be of works1 then it is no more grace40#ag ,and what else does our ,lord intend1 when he declares1 8,i am not come to call the righteous1 but sinners80#ah ,if sinners only are admitted1 why do we seek to enter by a counterfeit righteousness8 ,,vi4 ,the same thought frequently recurs to me1 that ,i am in danger of injuring the mercy of ,god1 by labouring with so much anxiety in the defence of this doctrine1 as though it were doubtful or obscure4 ,but such being our malignity1 that1 unless it be most powerfully subdued1 it never allows to ,god that which belongs to him1 ,i am constrained to dwell a little longer upon it4 ,but as the ,scripture is sufficiently perspicuous on this subject1 ,i shall use its language in preference to my own4 ,isaiah1 after having described the universal ruin of mankind1 properly subjoins the method of recovery4 8,the ,lord saw it1 and it displeased him that there was no judgment4 ,and he saw that there was no man1 and wondered that there was no intercessor3 therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him2 and his righteousness it sustained him40#ai ,where are our righteousnesses1 if it be true1 as the prophet says1 that no one assists the ,lord in procuring his salvation8 ,so another prophet introduces the ,lord speaking of the reconciliation of sinners to himself1 saying1 8,i will betroth thee unto me for ever1 in righteousness1 and in judgment1 and in loving-kindness1 and in mercies4 ,i will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy40#bj ,if this covenant1 which is evidently our first union with ,god1 depend on his mercy1 there remains no foundation for our righteousness4 ,and ,i should really wish to be informed by those1 who pretend that man advances to meet ,god with some righteousness of works1 whether there be any righteousness at all1 but that which is accepted by ,god4 ,if it be madness to entertain such a thought1 what that is acceptable to ,god can proceed from his enemies1 who1 with all their actions1 are the objects of his complete abhorrence8 ,and that we are all the inveterate and avowed enemies of our ,god1 till we are justified and received into his friendship1 is an undeniable truth4#ba ,if justification be the principle from which love originates1 what righteousnesses of works can precede it8 ,to destroy that pestilent arrogance1 therefore1 ,john carefully apprizes us that 8we did not first love him40#bb ,and the ,lord had by his prophet long before taught the same truth3 8,i will love them freely10 saith he1 8for mine anger is turned away40#bc ,if his love was spontaneously inclined towards us1 it certainly is not excited by works4 ,but the ignorant mass of mankind have only this notion of it--that no man has merited that ,christ should effect our redemption2 but that towards obtaining the possession of redemption1 we derive some assistance from our own works4 ,but however we may have been redeemed by ,christ1 yet till we are introduced into communion with him by the calling of the ,father1 we are both heirs of darkness and death1 and enemies to ,god4 ,for ,paul teaches1 that we are not purified and washed from our pollutions by the blood of ,christ1 till the ,spirit effects that purification within us4#bd ,this is the same that ,peter intends1 when he declares that the 8sanctification of the ,spirit0 is effectual 8unto obedience1 and sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus ,christ40#be ,if we are sprinkled by the ,spirit with the blood of ,christ for purification1 we must not imagine that before this ablution we are in any other state than that of sinners destitute of ,christ4 ,we may be certain1 therefore1 that the commencement of our salvation is1 as it were1 a resurrection from death to life2 because1 when 8on the behalf of ,christ it is given to us to believe on him10#bf we then begin to experience a transition from death to life4 ,,vii4 ,the same reasoning may be applied to the second and third classes of men in the division stated above4 ,for the impurity of the conscience proves1 that they are neither of them yet regenerated by the ,spirit of ,god2 and their unregeneracy betrays also their want of faith3 whence it appears1 that they are not yet reconciled to ,god1 or justified in his sight1 since these blessings are only attained by faith4 ,what can be performed by sinners alienated from ,god1 that is not execrable in his view8 ,yet all the impious1 and especially hypocrites1 are inflated with this foolish confidence4 ,though they know that their heart is full of impurity1 yet if they perform any specious actions1 they esteem them too good to be despised by ,god4 ,hence that pernicious error1 that though convicted of a polluted and impious heart1 they cannot be brought to confess themselves destitute of righteousness2 but while they acknowledge themselves to be unrighteous1 because it cannot be denied1 they still arrogate to themselves some degree of righteousness4 ,this vanity the ,lord excellently refutes by the prophet4 8,ask now10 saith he1 8the priests1 saying1 ,if one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment1 and with his skirt do touch bread1 or any meat1 shall it be holy8 ,and the priests answered and said1 ,no4 ,then said ,haggai1 ,if one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these1 shall it be unclean8 ,and the priests answered and said1 ,it shall be unclean4 ,then answered ,haggai1 and said1 ,so is this people1 and so is this nation before me1 saith the ,lord2 and so is every work of their hands2 and that which they offer there is unclean40#bg ,i wish that this passage might either obtain full credit with us1 or be deeply impressed on our memory4 ,for there is no one1 however flagitious his whole life may be1 who can suffer himself to be persuaded of what the ,lord here plainly declares4 ,the greatest sinner1 as soon as he has performed two or three duties of the law1 doubts not but they are accepted of him for righteousness2 but the ,lord positively denies that any sanctification is acquired by such actions1 unless the heart be previously well purified2 and not content with this1 he asserts that all the works of sinners are contaminated by the impurity of their hearts4 ,let the name of righteousness1 then1 no longer be given to these works which are condemned for their pollution by the lips of ,god4 ,and by what a fine similitude does he demonstrate this6 ,for it might have been objected that what the ,lord had enjoined was inviolably holy4 ,but he shows1 on the contrary1 that it is not to be wondered at1 if those things which are sanctified by the law of the ,lord1 are defiled by the pollution of the wicked2 since an unclean hand cannot touch any thing that has been consecrated1 without profaning it4 ,,viii4 ,he excellently pursues the same argument also in ,isaiah3 8,bring no more vain oblations2 incense is an abomination unto me2 your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth2 they are a trouble unto me2 ,i am weary to bear them4 ,when ye spread forth your hands1 ,i will hide mine eyes from you2 yea1 when ye make many prayers1 ,i will not hear3 your hands are full of blood4 ,wash you1 make you clean2 put away the evil of your doings40#bh ,what is the reason that the ,lord is so displeased at an obedience to his law8 ,but1 in fact1 he here rejects nothing that arises from the genuine observance of the law2 the beginning of which1 he every where teaches1 is an unfeigned fear of his name4#bi ,if that be wanting1 all the oblations made to him are not merely trifles1 but nauseous and abominable pollutions4 ,let hypocrites go now1 and1 retaining depravity concealed in their hearts1 endeavour by their works to merit the favour of ,god4 ,but by such means they will add provocation to provocation2 for 8the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the ,lord2 but the prayer of the upright0 alone 8is his delight40#cj ,we lay it down1 therefore1 as an undoubted truth1 which ought to be well known to such as are but moderately versed in the ,scriptures1 that even the most splendid works of men not yet truly sanctified1 are so far from righteousness in the ,divine view1 that they are accounted sins4 ,and therefore they have strictly adhered to the truth1 who have maintained that the works of a man do not conciliate ,god's favour to his person2 but1 on the contrary1 that works are never acceptable to ,god1 unless the person who performs them has previously found favour in his sight4 ,and this order1 to which the ,scripture directs us1 is religiously to be observed4 ,moses relates1 that 8,the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering40#ca ,does he not plainly indicate that the ,lord is propitious to men1 before he regards their works8 ,wherefore the purification of the heart is a necessary prerequisite1 in order that the works which we perform may be favourably received by ,god2 for the declaration of ,jeremiah is always in force1 that the 8eyes of the ,lord are upon the truth40#cb ,and the ,holy ,spirit has asserted by the mouth of ,peter1 that it is 8by faith0 alone that the 8heart0 is 8purified10#cc which proves that the first foundation is laid in a true and living faith4 ,,ix4 ,let us now examine what degree of righteousness is possessed by those whom we have ranked in the fourth class4 ,we admit1 that when ,god1 by the interposition of the righteousness of ,christ1 reconciles us to himself1 and having granted us the free remission of our sins1 esteems us as righteous persons1 to this mercy he adds also another blessing2 for he dwells in us by his ,holy ,spirit1 by whose power our carnal desires are daily more and more mortified1 and we are sanctified1 that is1 consecrated to the ,lord unto real purity of life1 having our hearts moulded to obey his law1 so that it is our prevailing inclination to submit to his will1 and to promote his glory alone by all possible means4 ,but even while1 under the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 we are walking in the ways of the ,lord1--that we may not forget ourselves1 and be filled with pride1 we feel such remains of imperfection1 as afford us abundant cause for humility4 ,the ,scripture declares1 that 8there is not a just man upon earth1 that doeth good and sinneth not40#cd ,what kind of righteousness1 then1 will even believers obtain from their own works8 ,in the first place1 ,i assert1 that the best of their performances are tarnished and corrupted by some carnal impurity and debased by a mixture of some alloy4 ,let any holy servant of ,god select from his whole life that which he shall conceive to have been the best of all his actions1 and let him examine it with attention on every side2 he will undoubtedly discover in it some taint of the corruption of the flesh2 since our alacrity to good actions is never what it ought to be1 but our course is retarded by great debility4 ,though we perceive that the blemishes which deform the works of the saints1 are not difficult to be discovered1 yet suppose we admit them to be very diminutive spots1 will they not be at all offensive in the sight of ,god1 in which even the stars are not pure8 ,we have now ascertained1 that there is not a single action performed by the saints1 which1 if judged according to its intrinsic merit1 does not justly deserve to be rewarded with shame4 ,x4 ,in the next place1 even though it were possible for us to perform any works completely pure and perfect1 yet one sin is sufficient to extinguish and annihilate all remembrance of antecedent righteousness1 as is declared by the prophet4#ce ,with him ,james also agrees3 8,whosoever shall offend10 says he1 8in one point1 he is guilty of all40#cf ,now1 since this mortal life is never pure or free from sin1 whatever righteousness we might acquire being perpetually corrupted1 overpowered1 and destroyed by subsequent sins1 it would neither be admitted in the sight of ,god1 nor be imputed to us for righteousness4 ,lastly1 in considering the righteousness of works1 we should regard1 not any action commanded in the law1 but the commandment itself4 ,therefore1 if we seek righteousness by the law1 it is in vain for us to perform two or three works2 a perpetual observance of the law is indispensably necessary4 ,wherefore ,god does not impute to us for righteousness that remission of sins1 of which we have spoken1 once only1 7as some foolishly imagine17 in order that1 having obtained pardon for our past lives1 we may afterwards seek righteousness by the law2 which would be only sporting with us1 and deluding us by a fallacious hope4 ,for since perfection is unattainable by us1 as long as we are in this mortal body1 and the law denounces death and judgment on all whose works are not completely and universally righteous1 it will always have matter of accusation and condemnation against us1 unless it be prevented by the ,divine mercy continually absolving us by a perpetual remission of our sins4 ,wherefore it will ever be true1 as we asserted at the beginning1 that if we be judged according to our demerits1 whatever be our designs or undertakings1 we are nevertheless with all our endeavours and all our pursuits1 deserving of death and destruction4 ,,xi4 ,we must strenuously insist on these two points--first1 that there never was an action performed by a pious man1 which1 if examined by the scrutinizing eye of ,divine justice1 would not deserve condemnation2 and secondly1 if any such thing be admitted1 7though it cannot be the case with any individual of mankind17 yet being corrupted and contaminated by the sins1 of which its performer is confessedly guilty1 it loses every claim to the ,divine favour4 ,and this is the principal hinge on which our controversy with the ,papists turns4 ,for concerning the beginning of justification1 there is no dispute between us and the sounder schoolmen1 but we all agree1 that a sinner being freely delivered from condemnation obtains righteousness1 and that by the remission of his sins2 only they1 under the term justification1 comprehend that renovation in which we are renewed by the ,spirit of ,god to an obedience to the law1 and so they describe the righteousness of a regenerate man as consisting in this--that a man1 after having been once reconciled to ,god through faith in ,christ1 is accounted righteous with ,god on account of his good works1 the merit of which is the cause of his acceptance4 ,but the ,lord1 on the contrary1 declares1 8that faith was reckoned to ,abraham for righteousness10#cg not during the time while he yet remained a worshipper of idols1 but after he had been eminent during many years for the sanctity of his life4 ,abraham1 then1 had for a long time worshipped ,god from a pure heart1 and performed all that obedience to the law1 which a mortal man is capable of performing2 yet1 after all1 his righteousness consisted in faith4 ,whence we conclude1 according to the argument of ,paul1 that it was not of works4 ,so when the prophet says1 8,the just shall live by his faith10#ch he is not speaking of the impious and profane1 whom the ,lord justifies by converting them to the faith2 but his address is directed to believers1 and they are promised life by faith4 ,paul also removes every doubt1 when1 in confirmation of this sentiment1 he adduces the following passage of ,david3 8,blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven40#ci ,but it is certain that ,david spake not of impious men1 but of believers1 whose characters resembled his own2 for he spoke from the experience of his own conscience4 ,wherefore it is necessary for us1 not to have this blessing for once only1 but to retain it as long as we live4 ,lastly1 he asserts1 that the message of a free reconciliation with ,god1 is not only promulgated for a day or two1 but is perpetual in the church4#dj ,believers1 therefore1 even to the end of their lives1 have no other righteousness than that which is there described4 ,for the mediatorial office is perpetually sustained by ,christ1 by whom the ,father is reconciled to us2 and the efficacy of whose death is perpetually the same1 consisting in ablution1 satisfaction1 expiation1 and perfect obedience1 which covers all our iniquities4 ,and ,paul does not tell the ,ephesians that they are indebted to grace merely for the beginning of their salvation1 but that they 8are saved by grace1 not of works1 lest any man should boast40#da ,,xii4 ,the subterfuges1 by which the schoolmen endeavour to evade these arguments1 are unavailing4 ,they say1 that the sufficiency of good works to justification arises not from their intrinsic merit1 but from the grace through which they are accepted4 ,secondly1 because they are constrained to acknowledge the righteousness of works to be always imperfect in the present state1 they admit1 that as long as we live we need the remission of our sins1 in order to supply the defects of our works2 but that our deficiencies are compensated by works of supererogation4 ,i reply1 that what they denominate the grace through which our works are accepted1 is no other than the free goodness of the ,father1 with which he embraces us in ,christ1 when he invests us with the righteousness of ,christ1 and accepts it as ours1 in order that1 in consequence of it1 he may treat us as holy1 pure1 and righteous persons4 ,for the righteousness of ,christ 7which1 being the only perfect righteousness1 is the only one that can bear the ,divine scrutiny7 must be produced on our behalf1 and judicially presented1 as in the case of a surety4 ,being furnished with this1 we obtain by faith the perpetual remission of our sins4 ,our imperfections and impurities1 being concealed by its purity1 are not imputed to us1 but are as it were buried1 and prevented from appearing in the view of ,divine justice1 till the advent of that hour1 when the old man being slain and utterly annihilated in us1 the ,divine goodness shall receive us into a blessed peace with the new ,adam1 in that state to wait for the day of the ,lord1 when we shall receive incorruptible bodies1 and be translated to the glories of the celestial kingdom4 ,,xiii4 ,if these things are true1 surely no works of ours can render us acceptable to ,god2 nor can the actions themselves be pleasing to him1 any otherwise than as a man1 who is covered with the righteousness of ,christ1 pleases ,god and obtains the remission of his sins4 ,for ,god has not promised eternal life as a reward of certain works2 he only declares1 that 8he that doeth these things shall live10#db denouncing1 on the contrary1 that memorable curse against all who continue not in the observance of every one of his commands4#dc ,this abundantly refutes the erroneous notion of a partial righteousness1 since no other righteousness is admitted into heaven but an entire observance of the law4 ,nor is there any more solidity in their pretence of a sufficient compensation for imperfections by works of supererogation4 ,for are they not by this perpetually recurring to the subterfuge1 from which they have already been driven1 that the partial observance of the law constitutes1 as far as it goes1 a righteousness of works8 ,they unblushingly assume as granted1 what no man of sound judgment will concede4 ,the ,lord frequently declares1 that he acknowledges no righteousness of works1 except in a perfect obedience to his law4 ,what presumption is it for us1 who are destitute of this1 in order that we may not appear to be despoiled of all our glory1 or1 in other words1 to submit entirely to the ,lord--what presumption is it for us to boast of ,i know not what fragments of a few actions1 and to endeavour to supply deficiencies by other satisfactions6 ,satisfactions have already been so completely demolished1 that they ought not to occupy even a transient thought4 ,i only remark1 that those who trifle in this manner1 do not consider what an execrable thing sin is in the sight of ,god2 for indeed they ought to know1 that all the righteousness of all mankind1 accumulated in one mass1 is insufficient to compensate for a single sin4 ,we see that man on account of one offence was rejected and abandoned by ,god1 so that he lost all means of regaining salvation4#dd ,they are deprived1 therefore1 of the power of satisfaction1 with which1 however they flatter themselves1 they will certainly never be able to render a satisfaction to ,god1 to whom nothing will be pleasing or acceptable that proceeds from his enemies4 ,now1 his enemies are all those to whom he determines to impute sin4 ,our sins1 therefore1 must be covered and forgiven1 before the ,lord can regard any of our works4 ,whence it follows that the remission of sins is absolutely gratuitous1 and that it is wickedly blasphemed by those who obtrude any satisfactions4 ,let us1 therefore1 after the example of the apostle1 8forgetting those things which are behind1 and reaching forth unto those things which are before1 press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling40#de ,,xiv4 ,but how is the pretence of works of supererogation consistent with this injunction--8,when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you1 say1 ,we are unprofitable servants2 we have done that which was our duty to do80#df ,this direction does not inculcate an act of simulation or falsehood1 but a decision in our mind respecting that of which we are certain4 ,the ,lord1 therefore1 commands us sincerely to think and consider with ourselves1 that our services to him are none of them gratuitous1 but merely the performance of indispensable duties2 and that justly2 for we are servants under such numerous obligations as we could never discharge2 even though all our thoughts and all our members were devoted to the duties of the law4 ,in saying1 therefore1 8,when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded10 he supposes a case of one man having attained to a degree of righteousness beyond what is attained by all the men in the world4 ,how1 then1 while every one of us is at the greatest distance from this point1 can we presume to glory that we have completely attained to that perfect standard8 ,nor can any one reasonably object1 that there is nothing to prevent his efforts from going beyond his necessary obligations1 who in any respect fails of doing the duty incumbent on him4 ,for we must acknowledge1 that we cannot imagine any thing pertaining either to the service of ,god or to the love of our neighbour1 which is not comprehended in the ,divine law4 ,but if it is a part of the law1 let us not boast of voluntary liberality1 where we are bound by necessity4 ,,xv4 ,it is irrelevant to this subject1 to allege the boasting of ,paul1#dg that among the ,corinthians he voluntarily receded from what1 if he had chosen1 he might have claimed as his right1 and not only did what was incumbent on him to do1 but afforded them his gratuitous services beyond the requisitions of duty4 ,they ought to attend to the reason there assigned1 that he acted thus1 8lest he should hinder the gospel of ,christ40#dh ,for wicked and fraudulent teachers recommended themselves by this stratagem of liberality1 by which they endeavoured1 both to conciliate a favourable reception to their own pernicious dogmas1 and to fix an odium on the gospel2 so that ,paul was necessitated either to endanger the doctrine of ,christ1 or to oppose these artifices4 ,now1 if it be a matter of indifference to a ,christian to incur an offence when he may avoid it1 ,i confess that the apostle performed for the ,lord a work of supererogation2 but if this was justly required of a prudent minister of the gospel1 ,i maintain that he did what was his duty to do4 ,even if no such reason appeared1 yet the observation of ,chrysostom is always true--that all that we have is on the same tenure as the possessions of slaves1 which the law pronounces to be the property of their masters4 ,and ,christ has clearly delivered the same truth in the parable1 where he inquires whether we thank a servant1 when he returns home in the evening1 after the various labours of the day4#di ,but it is possible that he may have laboured with greater diligence than we had ventured to require4 ,this may be granted2 yet he has done no more than1 by the condition of servitude1 he was under an obligation to do2 since he belongs to us1 with all the ability he has4 ,i say nothing of the nature of the supererogations which these men wish to boast of before ,god2 for they are contemptible trifles1 which he has never commanded1 which he does not approve1 nor1 when they render up their account to him1 will he accept them4 ,we cannot admit that there are any works of supererogation1 except such as those of which it is said by the prophet1 8,who hath required this at your hand80#ej ,but let them remember the language of another passage respecting these things3 8,wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread8 and your labour for that which satisfieth not80#ea ,it is easy1 indeed1 for these idle doctors to dispute concerning these things in easy chairs2 but when the ,judge of all shall ascend the judgment seat1 all such empty notions must vanish away4 ,the object of our inquiries ought to be1 what plea we may bring forward with confidence at his tribunal1 not what we can invent in schools and cloisters4 ,,xvi4 ,on this subject our minds require to be guarded chiefly against two pernicious principles--,that we place no confidence in the righteousness of our works1 and that we ascribe no glory to them4 ,the ,scriptures every where drive us from all confidence1 when they declare that all our righteousnesses are odious in the ,divine view1 unless they are perfumed with the holiness of ,christ2 and that they can only excite the vengeance of ,god1 unless they are supported by his merciful pardon4 ,thus they leave us nothing to do1 but to deprecate the wrath of our ,judge with the confession of ,david1 8,enter not into judgment with thy servant2 for in thy sight shall no man living be justified40#eb ,and where ,job says1 8,if ,i be wicked1 woe unto me2 and if ,i be righteous1 yet will ,i not lift up my head20#ec though he refers to that consummate righteousness of ,god1 compared to which even the angels are deficient1 yet he at the same time shows1 that when ,god comes to judgment1 all men must be dumb4 ,for he not only means that he would rather freely recede1 than incur the danger of contending with the rigour of ,god1 but signifies that he experiences in himself no other righteousness than what would instantaneously vanish before the ,divine presence4 ,when confidence is destroyed1 all boasting must of necessity be relinquished4 ,for who can give the praise of righteousness to his works1 in which he is afraid to confide in the presence of ,god8 ,we must therefore have recourse to the ,lord1 in whom we are assured1 by ,isaiah1 that 8all the seed of ,israel shall be justified1 and shall glory20#ed for it is strictly true1 as he says in another place1 that we are 8the planting of the ,lord1 that he might be glorified40#ee ,our minds therefore will then be properly purified1 when they shall in no degree confide nor glory in our works4 ,but foolish men are led into such a false and delusive confidence1 by the error of always considering their works as the cause of their salvation4 ,,xvii4 ,but if we advert to the four kinds of causes1 which the philosophers direct us to consider in the production of effects1 we shall find none of them consistent with works in the accomplishment of our salvation4 ,for the ,scripture every where proclaims1 that the efficient cause of eternal life being procured for us1 was the mercy of our heavenly ,father1 and his gratuitous love towards us2 that the material cause is ,christ and his obedience1 by which he obtained a righteousness for us2 and what shall we denominate the formal and instrumental cause1 unless it be faith8 ,these three ,john comprehends in one sentence1 when he says1 that 8,god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life40#ef ,the final cause the apostle declares to be1 both the demonstration of the ,divine righteousness and the praise of the ,divine goodness1 in a passage in which he also expressly mentions the other three causes4 ,for this is his language to the ,romans3 8,all have sinned1 and come short of the glory of ,god1 being justified freely by his grace30#eg here we have the original source of our salvation1 which is the gratuitous mercy of ,god towards us4 ,it follows1 8through the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus30 here we have the matter of our justification4 8,through faith in his blood30 here he points out the instrumental cause1 by which the righteousness of ,christ is revealed to us4 ,lastly1 he subjoins the end of all1 when he says1 8,to declare his righteousness2 that he might be just1 and the justifier of him which believeth in ,jesus40 ,and to suggest1 by the way1 that this righteousness consists in reconciliation or propitiation1 he expressly asserts that ,christ was 8set forth to be a propitiation40 ,so also in the first chapter to the ,ephesians1 he teaches that we are received into the favour of ,god through his mere mercy2 that it is accomplished by the mediation of ,christ2 that it is apprehended by faith2 and that the end of all is1 that the glory of the ,divine goodness may be fully displayed4#eh ,when we see that every part of our salvation is accomplished without us1 what reason have we to confide or to glory in our works8 ,nor can even the most inveterate enemies of ,divine grace raise any controversy with us concerning the efficient or the final cause1 unless they mean altogether to renounce the authority of the ,scripture4 ,over the material and formal causes they superinduce a false colouring2 as if our own works were to share the honour of them with faith and the righteousness of ,christ4 ,but this also is contradicted by the ,scripture1 which affirms that ,christ is the sole author of our righteousness and life1 and that this blessing of righteousness is enjoyed by faith alone4 ,,xviii4 ,the saints often confirm and console themselves with the remembrance of their own innocence and integrity1 and sometimes even refrain not from proclaiming it4 ,now1 this is done for two reasons2 either that1 in comparing their good cause with the bad cause of the impious1 they derive from such comparison an assurance of victory1 not so much by the commendation of their own righteousness1 as by the just and merited condemnation of their adversaries2 or that1 even without any comparison with others1 while they examine themselves before ,god1 the purity of their consciences affords them some consolation and confidence4 ,to the former of these reasons we shall advert hereafter2 let us now briefly examine the consistency of the latter with what we have before asserted1 that in the sight of ,god we ought to place no reliance on the merit of works1 nor glory on account of them4 ,the consistency appears in this--that for the foundation and accomplishment of their salvation1 the saints look to the ,divine goodness alone1 without any regard to works4 ,and they not only apply themselves to it above all things1 as the commencement of their happiness1 but likewise depend upon it as the consummation of their felicity4 ,a conscience thus founded1 built up1 and established1 is also confirmed by the consideration of works2 that is1 as far as they are evidences of ,god dwelling and reigning in us4 ,now1 this confidence of works being found in none but those who have previously cast all the confidence of their souls on the mercy of ,god1 it ought not to be thought contrary to that upon which it depends4 ,wherefore1 when we exclude the confidence of works1 we only mean that the mind of a ,christian should not be directed to any merit of works as a mean of salvation2 but should altogether rely on the gratuitous promise of righteousness4 ,we do not forbid him to support and confirm this faith by marks of the ,divine benevolence to him4 ,for if1 when we call to remembrance the various gifts which ,god has conferred on us1 they are all as so many rays from the ,divine countenance1 by which we are illuminated to contemplate the full blaze of supreme goodness1--much more the grace of good works1 which demonstrates that we have received the ,spirit of adoption4 ,,xix4 ,when the saints1 therefore1 confirm their faith1 or derive matter of rejoicing from the integrity of their consciences1 they only conclude1 from the fruits of vocation1 that they have been adopted by the ,lord as his children4 ,the declaration of ,solomon1 that 8,in the fear of the ,lord is strong confidence20#ei and the protestation sometimes used by the saints to obtain a favourable audience from the ,lord1 that 8they have walked before0 him 8in truth and with a perfect heart20#fj these things have no concern in laying the foundation for establishing the conscience2 nor are they of any value1 except as they are consequences of the ,divine vocation4 ,for there nowhere exists that fear of ,god which can establish a full assurance1 and the saints are conscious that their integrity is yet accompanied with many relics of corruption4 ,but as the fruits of regeneration evince that the ,holy ,spirit dwells in them1 this affords them ample encouragement to expect the assistance of ,god in all their necessities1 because they experience him to be their ,father in an affair of such vast importance4 ,and even this they cannot attain1 unless they have first apprehended the ,divine goodness1 confirmed by no other assurance but that of the promise4 ,for if they begin to estimate it by their good works1 nothing will be weaker or more uncertain2 for1 if their works be estimated in themselves1 their imperfection will menace them with the wrath of ,god1 as much as their purity1 however incomplete1 testifies his benevolence4 ,in a word1 they declare the benefits of ,god1 but in such a way as not to turn away from his gratuitous favour1 in which ,paul assures us there is 8length1 and breadth1 and depth1 and height20 as though he had said1 ,which way soever the pious turn their views1 how high soever they ascend1 how widely soever they expatiate1 yet they ought not to go beyond the love of ,christ1 but employ themselves wholly in meditating on it1 because it comprehends in itself all dimensions4 ,therefore he says that it 8passeth knowledge10 and that when we know how much ,christ has loved us1 we are 8filled with all the fulness of ,god40#fa ,so also in another place1 when he glories that believers are victorious in every conflict1 he immediately adds1 as the reason of it1 8through him that loved us40#fb ,,xx4 ,we see now1 that the confidence which the saints have in their works is not such as either ascribes any thing to the merit of them1 7since they view them only as the gifts of ,god1 in which they acknowledge his goodness1 and as marks of their calling1 whence they infer their election17 or derogates the least from the gratuitous righteousness which we obtain in ,christ2 since it depends upon it1 and cannot subsist without it4 ,this is concisely and beautifully represented by ,augustine1 when he says1 8,i do not say to the ,lord1 ,despise not the works of my hands4 ,i have sought the ,lord with my hands1 and ,i have not been deceived4 ,but ,i commend not the works of my hands2 for ,i fear that when thou hast examined them1 thou wilt find more sin than merit4 ,this only ,i say1 this ,i ask1 this ,i desire2 ,despise not the works of thy hands4 ,behold in me thy work1 not mine4 ,for if thou beholdest mine1 thou condemnest me2 if thou beholdest thine own1 thou crownest me4 ,because whatever good works ,i have1 they are from thee40 ,he assigns two reasons why he ventured not to boast of his works to ,god2 first1 that if he has any good ones1 he sees nothing of his own in them2 secondly1 that even these are buried under a multitude of sins4 ,hence the conscience experiences more fear and consternation than security4 ,therefore he desires ,god to behold his best performances1 only that he may recognize in them the grace of his own calling1 and perfect the work which he has begun4 ,,xxi4 ,the remaining objection is1 that the ,scripture represents the good works of believers as the causes for which the ,lord blesses them4 ,but this must be understood so as not to affect what we have before proved1 that the efficient cause of our salvation is the love of ,god the ,father2 the material cause1 the obedience of the ,son2 the instrumental cause1 the illumination of the ,spirit1 that is1 faith2 and the final cause1 the glory of the infinite goodness of ,god4 ,no obstacle arises from these things to prevent good works being considered by the ,lord as inferior causes4 ,but how does this happen8 ,because those whom his mercy has destined to the inheritance of eternal life1 he1 in his ordinary dispensations1 introduces to the possession of it by good works4 ,that which1 in the order of his dispensations1 precedes1 he denominates the cause of that which follows4 ,for this reason he sometimes deduces eternal life from works2 not that the acceptance of it is to be referred to them2 but because he justifies the objects of his election1 that he may finally glorify them2 he makes the former favour1 which is a step to the succeeding one1 in some sense the cause of it4 ,but whenever the true cause is to be assigned1 he does not direct us to take refuge in works1 but confines our thoughts entirely to his mercy4 ,for what does he teach us by the apostle8 8,the wages of sin is death2 but the gift of ,god is eternal life through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord40 ,why does he not oppose righteousness to sin1 as well as life to death8 ,why does he not make righteousness the cause of life1 as well as sin the cause of death8 ,for then the antithesis would have been complete1 whereas by this variation it is partly destroyed4 ,but the apostle intended by this comparison to express a certain truth--that death is due to the demerits of men1 and that life proceeds solely from the mercy of ,god4 ,lastly1 these phrases denote rather the order of the ,divine gifts1 than the cause of them4 ,in the accumulation of graces upon graces1 ,god derives from the former a reason for adding the next1 that he may not omit any thing necessary to the enrichment of his servants4 ,and while he thus pursues his liberality1 he would have us always to remember his gratuitous election1 which is the source and original of all4 ,for although he loves the gifts which he daily confers1 as emanations from that fountain1 yet it is our duty to adhere to that gratuitous acceptance1 which alone can support our souls1 and to connect the gifts of his ,spirit1 which he afterwards bestows on us1 with the first cause1 in such a manner as will not be derogatory to it4 ,footnote #a3 ,jer4 xvii4 #i4 ,footnote #b3 ,gen4 vi4 #e2 viii4 #ba4 ,footnote #c3 ,psalm xciv4 #aa2 xxxvi4 #a4 ,footnote #d3 ,psalm xiv4 #a-c4 ,rom4 iii4 #aa4 ,footnote #e3 ,gen4 vi4 #c4 ,footnote #f3 ,gal4 v4 #ai1 c4 ,footnote #g3 #a ,john v4 #ab4 ,footnote #h3 ,heb4 xi4 #f4 ,footnote #i3 ,john v4 #be4 ,footnote #aj3 ,eph4 ii4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #aa3 ,rom4 iv4 #ag4 ,footnote #ab3 ,job xli4 #aa4 ,footnote #ac3 ,rom4 xi4 #ce4 ,footnote #ad3 ,ephes4 ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #ae3 #b ,tim4 i4 #i4 ,footnote #af3 ,titus iii4 #d1 #e1 #g4 ,footnote #ag3 ,rom4 xi4 #f4 ,footnote #ah3 ,matt4 ix4 #ac4 ,footnote #ai3 ,isaiah lix4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #bj3 ,hosea ii4 #ai1 #bc4 ,footnote #ba3 ,rom4 v4 #f1 #aj4 ,col4 i4 #ba4 ,footnote #bb3 #a ,john iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #bc3 ,hosea xiv4 #d4 ,footnote #bd3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #aa4 ,footnote #be3 #a ,peter i4 #b4 ,footnote #bf3 ,phil4 i4 #bi4 ,footnote #bg3 ,hag4 ii4 #aa-ad4 ,footnote #bh3 ,isaiah i4 #ac-af4 ,footnote #bi3 ,deut4 iv4 #f4 ,psalm cxi4 #aj4 ,prov4 i4 #g2 ix4 #aj4 ,footnote #cj3 ,prov4 xv4 #h4 ,footnote #ca3 ,gen4 iv4 #d4 ,footnote #cb3 ,jer4 v4 #c4 ,footnote #cc3 ,acts xv4 #i4 ,footnote #cd3 ,eccles4 vii4 #bj4 ,footnote #ce3 ,ezek4 xviii4 #bd4 ,footnote #cf3 ,james ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #cg3 ,rom4 iv4 #i4 ,footnote #ch3 ,hab4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #ci3 ,rom4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #dj3 #b ,cor4 v4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #da3 ,ephes4 ii4 #h1 #i4 ,footnote #db3 ,lev4 xviii4 #e4 ,rom4 x4 #e4 ,footnote #dc3 ,deut4 xxvii4 #bf4 ,gal4 iii4 #aj4 ,footnote #dd3 ,gen4 iii4 ,footnote #de3 ,phil4 iii4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #df3 ,luke xvii4 #aj4 ,footnote #dg3 #a ,cor4 ix4 ,footnote #dh3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #ab4 ,footnote #di3 ,luke xvii4 #i4 ,footnote #ej3 ,isaiah i4 #ab4 ,footnote #ea3 ,isaiah lv4 #b4 ,footnote #eb3 ,psalm cxliii4 #b4 ,footnote #ec3 ,job x4 #ae4 ,footnote #ed3 ,isaiah xlv4 #be4 ,footnote #ee3 ,isaiah lxi4 #c4 ,footnote #ef3 ,john iii4 #af4 ,footnote #eg3 ,rom4 iii4 #bc1 c4 ,footnote #eh3 ,ephes4 i4 #e-g1 #ac4 ,footnote #ei3 ,prov4 xiv4 #bf4 ,footnote #fj3 #b ,kings xx4 #c4 ,footnote #fa3 ,ephes4 iii4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #fb3 ,rom4 viii4 #cg4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,boasting ,,of ,,the ,,merit ,,of ,,works1 ,,equally ,,subversive ,,of ,,god',s ,,glory ,,in ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,righteousness1 ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,certainty ,,of ,,salvation4 ,we have now discussed the principal branch of this subject2 that because righteousness1 if dependent on works1 must inevitably be confounded in the sight of ,god1 therefore it is contained exclusively in the mercy of ,god and the participation of ,christ1 and consequently in faith alone4 ,now1 it must be carefully remarked that this is the principal hinge on which the argument turns1 that we may not be implicated in the common delusion1 which equally affects the learned and the vulgar4 ,for as soon as justification by faith or works becomes the subject of inquiry1 they have immediate recourse to those passages which seem to attribute to works some degree of merit in the sight of ,god2 as though justification by works would be fully evinced1 if they could be proved to be of any value before ,god4 ,we have already clearly demonstrated that the righteousness of works consists only in a perfect and complete observance of the law4 ,whence it follows1 that no man is justified by works1 but he who1 being elevated to the summit of perfection1 cannot be convicted even of the least transgression4 ,this1 therefore1 is a different and separate question1 whether1 although works be utterly insufficient for the justification of men1 they do not1 nevertheless1 merit the grace of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,in the first place1 with respect to the term merit1 it is necessary for me to premise1 that whoever first applied it to human works1 as compared with the ,divine judgment1 showed very little concern for the purity of the faith4 ,i gladly abstain from all controversies about mere words2 but ,i could wish that this sobriety had always been observed by ,christian writers1 that they had avoided the unnecessary adoption of terms not used in the ,scriptures1 and calculated to produce great offence1 but very little advantage4 ,for what necessity was there for the introduction of the word merit1 when the value of good works might be significantly expressed without offence by a different term8 ,but the great offence contained in it1 appears in the great injury the world has received from it4 ,the consummate haughtiness of its import can only obscure the ,divine grace1 and taint the minds of men with presumptuous arrogance4 ,i confess1 the ancient writers of the ,church have generally used it1 and ,i wish that their misuse of one word had not been the occasion of error to posterity4 ,yet they also declare in some places that they did not intend any thing prejudicial to the truth4 ,for this is the language of ,augustine in one passage3 8,let human merit1 which was lost by ,adam1 here be silent1 and let the grace of ,god reign through ,jesus ,christ40 ,again3 8,the saints ascribe nothing to their own merits2 they will ascribe all1 ,o ,god1 only to thy mercy40 ,in another place3 8,and when a man sees that whatever good he has1 he has it not from himself1 but from his ,god1 he sees that all that is commended in him proceeds not from his own merits1 but from the ,divine mercy40 ,we see how1 by divesting man of the power of performing good actions1 he likewise destroys the dignity of merit4 ,chrysostom says1 8,our works1 if there be any consequent on ,god's gratuitous vocation1 are a retribution and a debt2 but the gifts of ,god are grace1 beneficence1 and immense liberality40 ,leaving the name1 however1 let us rather attend to the thing4 ,i have before cited a passage from ,bernard3 8,as not to presume on our merits is sufficiently meritorious1 so to be destitute of merits is sufficient for the judgment40 ,but by the explanation immediately annexed1 he properly softens the harshness of these expressions1 when he says1 8,therefore you should be concerned to have merits2 and if you have them1 you should know that they are given to you2 you should hope for the fruit1 the mercy of ,god2 and you have escaped all danger of poverty1 ingratitude1 and presumption4 ,happy the ,church which is not destitute1 either of merits without presumption1 or of presumption without merits40 ,and just before he had fully shown how pious his meaning was4 8,for concerning merits10 he says1 8why should the ,church be solicitous1 which has a more firm and secure foundation for glorying in the purpose of ,god8 ,for ,god cannot deny himself2 he will perform what he has promised4 ,thus you have no reason for inquiring1 on account of what merits we may hope for blessings1 especially when you read1 #8,not for your sakes1 but for my sake2'#fc it is sufficiently meritorious to know that merits are insufficient40 ,,iii4 ,the ,scripture shows what all our works are capable of meriting1 when it represents them as unable to bear the ,divine scrutiny1 because they are full of impurity2 and in the next place1 what would be merited by the perfect observance of the law1 if this could any where be found1 when it directs us1 8,when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you1 say1 ,we are unprofitable servants20#fd because we shall not have conferred any favour on ,god1 but only have performed the duties incumbent on us1 for which no thanks are due4 ,nevertheless1 the good works which the ,lord has conferred on us1 he denominates our own1 and declares that he will not only accept1 but also reward them4 ,it is our duty to be animated by so great a promise1 and to stir up our minds that we 8be not weary in well doing10#fe and to be truly grateful for so great an instance of ,divine goodness4 ,it is beyond a doubt1 that whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of ,god2 and that we cannot properly ascribe the least portion of it to ourselves4 ,if we truly and seriously acknowledge this truth1 not only all confidence1 but likewise all idea of merit1 immediately vanishes4 ,we1 ,i say1 do not1 like the sophists1 divide the praise of good works between ,god and man1 but we preserve it to the ,lord complete1 entire1 and uncontaminated4 ,all that we attribute to man1 is1 that those works which were otherwise good are tainted and polluted by his impurity4 ,for nothing proceeds from the most perfect man1 which is wholly immaculate4 ,therefore let the ,lord sit in judgment on the best of human actions1 and he will indeed recognize in them his own righteousness1 but man's disgrace and shame4 ,good works1 therefore1 are pleasing to ,god1 and not unprofitable to the authors of them2 and they will moreover receive the most ample blessings from ,god as their reward2 not because they merit them1 but because the ,divine goodness has freely appointed them this reward4 ,but what wickedness is it1 not to be content with that ,divine liberality which remunerates works destitute of merit with unmerited rewards1 but with sacrilegious ambition still to aim at more1 that what entirely originates in the ,divine munificence may appear to be a compensation of the merit of works6 ,here ,i appeal to the common sense of every man4 ,if he who1 by the liberality of another1 enjoys the use and profit of an estate1 usurp to himself also the title of proprietor1 does he not by such ingratitude deserve to lose the possession which he had8 ,so also if a slave1 manumitted by his master1 conceal his mean condition as a freed-man1 and boast that he was free by birth1 does he not deserve to be reduced to his former servitude8 ,for this is the legitimate way of enjoying a benefit1 if we neither arrogate more than is given us1 nor defraud our benefactor of his due praise2 but1 on the contrary1 conduct ourselves in such a manner1 that what he has conferred on us may appear1 as it were1 to continue with himself4 ,if this moderation ought to be observed towards men1 let every one examine and consider what is due to ,god4 ,,iv4 ,i know that the sophists abuse some texts in order to prove that the term merit is found in the ,scriptures with reference to ,god4 ,they cite a passage from ,ecclesiasticus3 8,mercy shall make place for every man according to the merit of his works40#ff ,and from the ,epistle to the ,hebrews3 8,to do good1 and to communicate1 forget not2 for with such sacrifices men merit of ,god40#fg ,my right to reject the authority of ,ecclesiasticus ,i at present relinquish2 but ,i deny that they faithfully cite the words of the writer of ,ecclesiasticus1 whoever he might be2 for in the ,greek copy it is as follows3 4 8,he shall make place for every mercy2 and every man shall find according to his works40 ,and that this is the genuine reading1 which is corrupted in the ,latin version1 appears both from the complexion of the words themselves and from the preceding context4 ,in the passage quoted from the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 there is no reason why they should endeavour to insnare us by a single word1 when the apostle's words in the ,greek imply nothing more than that 8with such sacrifices ,god is well pleased40 ,this alone ought to be abundantly sufficient to repress and subdue the insolence of our pride1 that we transgress not the scriptural rule by ascribing any dignity to human works4 ,moreover1 the doctrine of the ,scripture is1 that our good works are perpetually defiled with many blemishes1 which might justly offend ,god and incense him against us2 so far are they from being able to conciliate his favour1 or to excite his beneficence towards us2 yet that1 because in his great mercy he does not examine them according to the rigour of his justice1 he accepts them as though they were immaculately pure1 and therefore rewards them1 though void of all merit1 with infinite blessings both in this life and in that which is to come4 ,for ,i cannot admit the distinction laid down by some1 who are otherwise men of learning and piety1 that good works merit the graces which are conferred on us in this life1 and that eternal salvation is the reward of faith alone2 because the ,lord almost always places the reward of labours and the crown of victory in heaven4 ,besides1 to ascribe the accumulation of graces upon graces1 given us by the ,lord1 to the merit of works1 in such a manner as to detract it from grace1 is contrary to the doctrine of the ,scripture4 ,for though ,christ says1 that 8to every one that hath shall be given10 and that 8the good and faithful servant1 who hath been faithful over a few things1 shall be made ruler over many things10#fh yet he likewise shows in another place1 that the improvements of believers are the gifts of his gratuitous kindness4 8,ho1 every one that thirsteth10 says he1 8come ye to the waters1 and he that hath no money2 come ye1 buy1 and eat2 yea1 come1 buy wine and milk without money and without price40#fi ,whatever1 therefore1 is now conferred on believers to promote their salvation as well as their future blessedness1 flows exclusively from the beneficence of ,god2 nevertheless he declares1 that both in the latter and in the former1 he has respect to our works1 because1 to demonstrate the magnitude of his love to us1 he dignifies with such honour1 not only ourselves1 but even the gifts which he has bestowed on us4 ,v4 ,if these points had been handled and digested in proper order in former ages1 there would never have arisen so many debates and dissensions4 ,paul says1 that in erecting the superstructure of ,christian doctrine1 it is necessary to retain that foundation which he had laid among the ,corinthians1 other than which no man can lay1 which is ,jesus ,christ4#gj ,what kind of a foundation have we in ,christ8 ,has he begun our salvation1 that we may complete it ourselves8 and has he merely opened a way for us to proceed in by our own powers8 ,by no means2 but1 as the apostle before stated1 when we acknowledge him1 he is 8made unto us righteousness40#ga ,no man1 therefore1 is properly founded on ,christ1 but he who has complete righteousness in him2 since the apostle says1 that he was sent1 not to assist us in the attainment of righteousness1 but to be himself our righteousness2 that is to say1 that we were chosen in him from eternity1 before the formation of the world1 not on account of any merit of ours1 but according to the purpose of the ,divine will2#gb that by the death of ,christ we are redeemed from the sentence of death1 and liberated from perdition2#gc that in him we are adopted as sons and heirs by the heavenly ,father1#gd to whom we have been reconciled by his blood2 that being committed to his protection1 we are not in the least danger of perishing2#ge that being thus ingrafted into him1 we are already1 as it were1 partakers of eternal life1 and entered by hope into the kingdom of ,god2 and moreover1 that having obtained such a participation of him1 however foolish we may be in ourselves1 he is our wisdom before ,god2 that however impure we are1 he is our purity2 that though we are weak and exposed to ,satan1 yet that power is ours which is given to him in heaven and in earth1#gf by which he defeats ,satan for us1 and breaks the gates of hell2 that though we still carry about with us a body of death1 yet he is our life2 in short1 that all that is his belongs to us1 and that we have every thing in him1 but nothing in ourselves4 ,on this foundation1 ,i say1 it is necessary for us to build1 if we wish to 8grow unto a holy temple in the ,lord40#gg ,,vi4 ,but the world has long been taught a different lesson2 for ,i know not what good works of morality have been invented to render men acceptable to ,god1 before they are ingrafted into ,christ4 ,as though the ,scripture were false in asserting1 that 8he that hath not the ,son of ,god1 hath not life40#gh ,if they are destitute of life1 how could they generate any cause of life8 ,as though there were no truth in the declaration1 that 8whatsoever is not of faith1 is sin60#gi as though an evil tree could produce good fruits6 ,but what room have these most pestilent sophists left to ,christ for the exertion of his power8 ,they say that he has merited for us the first grace2 that is1 the opportunity of meriting2 and that now it is our part not to miss the offered opportunity4 ,what extreme impudence and impiety6 ,who would have expected that any persons professing the name of ,christ1 would presume thus to rob him of his power1 and almost to trample him under their feet8 ,it is every where testified of him1 that all who believe in him are justified3#hj these men tell us1 that the only benefit received from him is1 that a way is opened for all men to justify themselves4 ,but ,i wish that they had experienced what is contained in these passages3 8,he that hath the ,son1 hath life20#ha 8he that believeth is passed from death unto life20#hb 8justified by his grace10 that we might 8be made heirs of eternal life20#hc that believers have ,christ abiding in them1 by whom they are united to ,god2#hd that they are partakers of his life1 and sit with him 8in heavenly places20#he that they are translated into the kingdom of ,god1 and have obtained salvation2#hf and innumerable places of similar import4 ,for they do not signify that by faith in ,christ we merely gain the ability to attain righteousness or effect our salvation1 but that both are bestowed on us4 ,therefore1 as soon as we are ingrafted into ,christ by faith1 we are already become sons of ,god1 heirs of heaven1 partakers of righteousness1 possessors of life1 and 7the better to refute their falsehoods7 we have attained1 not the opportunity of meriting1 but all the merits of ,christ2 for they are all communicated to us4 ,,vii4 ,thus the ,sorbonic schools1 those sources of all kinds of errors1 have deprived us of justification by faith1 which is the substance of all piety4 ,they grant1 indeed1 in words1 that a man is justified by faith formed2 but this they afterwards explain to be1 because faith renders good works effectual to justification2 so that their mention of faith has almost the appearance of mockery1 since it could not be passed over in silence1 while the ,scripture is so full of it1 without exposing them to great censure4 ,and not content with this1 they rob ,god of part of the praise of good works1 and transfer it to man4 ,perceiving that good works avail but little to the exaltation of man1 and that they cannot properly be denominated merits if they be considered as the effects of ,divine grace1 they derive them from the power of free-will2 which is like extracting oil from a stone4 ,they contend1 that though grace be the principal cause of them1 yet that this is not to the exclusion of free-will1 from which all merit originates4 ,and this is maintained not only by the latter sophists1 but likewise by their master1 ,lombard1 whom1 when compared with them1 we may pronounce to be sound and sober4 ,truly wonderful was their blindness1 with ,augustine so frequently in their mouths1 not to see how solicitously he endeavoured to prevent men from arrogating the least degree of glory on account of good works4 ,before1 when we discussed the question of free-will1 we cited from him some testimonies to this purpose2 and similar ones frequently recur in his writings2 as when he forbids us ever to boast of our merits1 since even they are the gifts of ,god2 and when he says1 8that all our merit proceeds from grace alone2 that it is not obtained by our sufficiency1 but is produced entirely by grace10 c4 ,that ,lombard was blind to the light of ,scripture1 in which he appears not to have been so well versed1 need not excite so much surprise4 ,yet nothing could be wished for more explicit1 in opposition to him and his disciples1 than this passage of the apostle2 who1 having interdicted ,christians from all boasting1 subjoins as a reason why boasting is unlawful1 that 8we are his 7,god's7 workmanship1 created in ,christ ,jesus unto good works1 which ,god hath before ordained that we should walk in them40#hg ,since nothing good1 then1 can proceed from us but as we are regenerated1 and our regeneration is1 without exception1 entirely of ,god1 we have no right to arrogate to ourselves the smallest particle of our good works4 ,lastly1 while they assiduously inculcate good works1 they at the same time instruct the consciences of men in such a manner1 that they can never dare to be confident that ,god is propitious and favourable to their works4 ,but1 on the contrary1 our doctrine1 without any mention of merit1 animates the minds of believers with peculiar consolation1 while we teach them that their works are pleasing to ,god1 and that their persons are undoubtedly accepted by him4 ,and we likewise require1 that no man attempt or undertake any work without faith2 that is1 unless he can previously determine1 with a certain confidence of mind1 that it will be pleasing to ,god4 ,,viii4 ,wherefore let us not suffer ourselves to be seduced even a hair's breadth from the only foundation1 on which1 when it is laid1 wise architects erect a firm and regular superstructure4 ,for if there be a necessity for doctrine and exhortation1 they apprize us1 that 8for this purpose the ,son of ,god was manifested1 that he might destroy the works of the devil2 whosoever is born of ,god doth not commit sin30#hh 8the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the ,gentiles20#hi the elect of ,god are vessels of mercy selected to honour1 and therefore ought to be cleansed from all impurity4#ij ,but every thing is said at once1 when it is shown that ,christ chooses such for his disciples as will deny themselves1 take up their cross1 and follow him4#ia ,he who has denied himself1 has laid the axe to the root of all evils1 that he may no longer seek those things which are his own2 he who has taken up his cross1 has prepared himself for all patience and gentleness4 ,but the example of ,christ comprehends not only these1 but all other duties of piety and holiness4 ,he was obedient to his ,father1 even to death2 he was entirely occupied in performing the works of ,god2 he aspired with his whole soul to promote the glory of his ,father2 he laid down his life for his brethren2 he both acted and prayed for the benefit of his enemies4 ,but if there be need of consolation1 these passages will afford it in a wonderful degree3 8,we are troubled on every side1 yet not distressed2 we are perplexed1 but not in despair2 persecuted1 but not forsaken2 cast down1 but not destroyed2 always bearing about in the body the dying of the ,lord ,jesus1 that the life also of ,jesus might be made manifest in our body40#ib 8,if we be dead with him1 we shall also live with him2 if we suffer1 we shall also reign with him40#ic 8,being made conformable unto his death2 if by any means ,i might attain unto the resurrection of the dead40#id ,the ,father has predestinated all whom he has chosen in his ,son 8to be conformed to his image1 that he might be the first-born among many brethren20 and therefore 8neither death1 nor life1 nor things present1 nor things to come1 shall separate us from the love of ,god which is in ,christ ,jesus20#ie but 8all things shall work together for good0#if to us1 and conduce to our salvation4 ,we do not justify men by works before ,god2 but we say1 that all who are of ,god are regenerated and made new creatures1 that they may depart from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of righteousness2 and that by this testimony they ascertain their vocation1#ig and1 like trees1 are judged by their fruits4 ,footnote #fc3 ,ezek4 xxxvi4 #cb4 ,footnote #fd3 ,luke xvii4 #aj4 ,footnote #fe3 ,gal4 vi4 #i4 #b ,thess4 iii4 #ac4 ,footnote #ff3 ,ecclus4 xvi4 #ad4 ,footnote #fg3 ,heb4 xiii4 #af4 ,footnote #fh3 ,matt4 xxv4 #ba1 #bi4 ,footnote #fi3 ,isaiah lv4 #a4 ,footnote #gj3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #ga3 #a ,cor4 i4 #cj4 ,footnote #gb3 ,ephes4 i4 #c-e4 ,footnote #gc3 ,col4 i4 #ad1 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #gd3 ,john i4 #ab4 ,footnote #ge3 ,john x4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #gf3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #gg3 ,ephes4 ii #ba4 ,titus iii4 #g4 ,footnote #gh3 #a ,john v4 #ab4 ,footnote #gi3 ,rom4 xiv4 #bc4 ,footnote #hj3 ,acts xiii4 #ci4 ,footnote #ha3 #a ,john v4 #ab4 ,footnote #hb3 ,john v4 #bd4 ,footnote #hc3 ,rom4 iii4 #bd4 ,footnote #hd3 #a ,john iii4 #bd4 ,footnote #he3 ,ephes4 ii4 #f4 ,footnote #hf3 ,col4 i4 #ac4 ,footnote #hg3 ,ephes4 ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #hh3 #a ,john iii4 #h1 #i4 ,footnote #hi3 #a ,peter iv4 #c4 ,footnote #ij3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #bj4 ,rom4 ix4 #bc4 ,footnote #ia3 ,luke ix4 #bc4 ,footnote #ib3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #h-aj4 ,footnote #ic3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #id3 ,phil4 iii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #ie3 ,rom4 viii4 #bi1 #ch1 #ci4 ,footnote #if3 ,rom4 viii4 #bh4 ,footnote #ig3 #b ,peter i4 #aj4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,a ,,refutation ,,of ,,the ,,injurious ,,calumnies ,,of ,,the ,,papists ,,against ,,this ,,doctrine4 ,the observation with which we closed the preceding chapter is1 of itself1 sufficient to refute the impudence of some impious persons1 who accuse us1 in the first place1 of destroying good works1 and seducing men from the pursuit of them1 when we say that they are not justified by works1 nor saved through their own merit2 and secondly1 of making too easy a road to righteousness1 when we teach that it consists in the gratuitous remission of sins2 and of enticing men1 by this allurement1 to the practice of sin1 to which they have naturally too strong a propensity4 ,these calumnies1 ,i say1 are sufficiently refuted by that one observation2 yet ,i will briefly reply to them both4 ,they allege that justification by faith destroys good works4 ,i forbear any remarks on the characters of these zealots for good works1 who thus calumniate us4 ,let them rail with impunity as licentiously as they infest the whole world with the impurity of their lives4 ,they affect to lament that while faith is so magnificently extolled1 works are degraded from their proper rank4 ,what if they be more encouraged and established8 ,for we never dream either of a faith destitute of good works1 or of a justification unattended by them3 this is the sole difference1 that while we acknowledge a necessary connection between faith and good works1 we attribute justification1 not to works1 but to faith4 ,our reason for this we can readily explain1 if we only turn to ,christ1 towards whom faith is directed1 and from whom it receives all its virtue4 ,why1 then1 are we justified by faith8 ,because by faith we apprehend the righteousness of ,christ1 which is the only medium of our reconciliation to ,god4 ,but this you cannot attain1 without at the same time attaining to sanctification2 for he 8is made unto us wisdom and righteousness1 and sanctification and redemption40#ih ,christ therefore justifies no one whom he does not also sanctify4 ,for these benefits are perpetually and indissolubly connected1 so that whom he illuminates with his wisdom1 them he redeems2 whom he redeems1 he justifies2 whom he justifies1 he sanctifies4 ,but as the present question relates only to righteousness and sanctification1 let us insist upon them4 ,we may distinguish between them1 but ,christ contains both inseparably in himself4 ,do you wish1 then1 to obtain righteousness in ,christ8 ,you must first possess ,christ2 but you cannot possess him without becoming a partaker of his sanctification2 for he cannot be divided4 ,since1 then1 the ,lord affords us the enjoyment of these blessings only in the bestowment of himself1 he gives them both together1 and never one without the other4 ,thus we see how true it is that we are justified1 not without works1 yet not by works2 since union with ,christ1 by which we are justified1 contains sanctification as well as righteousness4 ,,ii4 ,it is also exceedingly false1 that the minds of men are seduced from an inclination to virtue1 by our divesting them of all ideas of merit4 ,here the reader must just be informed1 that they impertinently argue from reward to merit1 as ,i shall afterwards more fully explain2 because1 in fact1 they are ignorant of this principle1 that ,god is equally liberal in assigning a reward to good works1 as in imparting an ability to perform them4 ,but this ,i would rather defer to its proper place4 ,it will suffice1 at present1 to show the weakness of their objection1 which shall be done two ways4 ,for1 first1 when they say that there will be no concern about the proper regulation of our life without a hope of reward being proposed1 they altogether deceive themselves4 ,if they only mean that men serve ,god in expectation of a reward1 and hire or sell their services to him1 they gain but little2 for he will be freely worshipped and freely loved1 and he approves of that worshipper who1 after being deprived of all hope of receiving any reward1 still ceases not to worship him4 ,besides1 if men require to be stimulated1 it is impossible to urge more forcible arguments than those which arise from the end of our redemption and calling2 such as the word of ,god adduces1 when it inculcates1 that it is the greatest and most impious ingratitude not reciprocally to 8love him who first loved us20#ii that 8by the blood of ,christ our consciences are purged from dead works1 to serve the living ,god20#ajj that it is a horrible sacrilege1 after having been once purged1 to defile ourselves with new pollutions1 and to profane that sacred blood2#aja that we have been 8delivered out of the hand of our enemies10 that we 8might serve him without fear1 in holiness and righteousness before him1 all the days of our life20#ajb that we are made 8free from sin10 that with a free spirit we might 8become the servants of righteousness20#ajc 8that our old man is crucified10 that 8we should walk in newness of life40#ajd ,again3 8,if ye be risen with ,christ10 as his members indeed are1 8seek those things which are above10 and conduct yourselves as 8pilgrims on the earth20 that you may aspire towards heaven1 where your treasure is4#aje ,that 8the grace of ,god hath appeared1 teaching us1 that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly1 in this present world2 looking for that blessed hope1 and the glorious appearing of the great ,god and our ,saviour40#ajf ,wherefore 8,god hath not appointed us to wrath1 but to obtain salvation by ,christ40#ajg ,that we are the 8temples of the ,holy ,ghost10 which it is unlawful to profane2#ajh that we are not darkness1 8but light in the ,lord10 whom it becomes to 8walk as children of the light20#aji that 8,god hath not called us unto uncleanness1 but unto holiness2 for this is the will of ,god1 even our sanctification1 that we should abstain from fornication20#aaj that our calling is a holy one1 which should be followed by a correspondent purity of life2#aaa that we are 8made free from sin10 that we might 8become servants of righteousness40#aab ,can we be incited to charity by any stronger argument than that of ,john1 8,if ,god so loved us1 we ought also to love one another80 8in this the children of ,god are manifest1 and the children of the devil20#aac hereby the children of light1 by their abiding in love1 are distinguished from the children of darkness2 or that of ,paul1 ,that if we be united to ,christ1 we are members of one body1 and ought to afford each other mutual assistance8#aad ,or can we be more powerfully excited to holiness1 than when we are informed by ,john1 that 8every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself1 even as ,god is pure80#aae ,or when ,paul says1 8,having therefore these promises1 7relative to our adoption17 let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit80#aaf or than when we hear ,christ proposing himself as our example1 that we should follow his steps8#aag ,,iii4 ,these few instances1 indeed1 ,i have given as a specimen2 for if ,i were disposed to quote every particular passage1 ,i should produce a large volume4 ,the apostles are quite full of admonitions1 exhortations1 and reproofs1 to 8furnish the man of ,god unto all good works10#aah and that without any mention of merit4 ,but they rather deduce their principal exhortations from this consideration1 ,that our salvation depends not on any merit of ours1 but merely on the mercy of ,god4 ,as ,paul1 after having very largely shown that we can have no hope of life1 but from the righteousness of ,christ1 when he proceeds to exhortations1 beseeches us 8by the mercies of ,god0 with which we have been favoured4#aai ,and indeed this one reason ought to be enough2 that ,god may be glorified in us4#abj ,but if any persons be not so powerfully affected by the glory of ,god1 yet the remembrance of his benefits should be amply sufficient to incite them to rectitude of conduct4 ,but these men1 who by the obtrusion of merit extort some servile and constrained acts of obedience to the law1 are guilty of falsehood when they affirm that we have no arguments to enforce the practice of good works1 because we do not proceed in the same way2 as though1 truly1 such obedience were very pleasing to ,god1 who declares that he 8loveth a cheerful giver20 and forbids any thing to be given 8grudgingly1 or of necessity40#aba ,nor do ,i say this1 because ,i either reject or neglect that kind of exhortation1 which the ,scripture frequently uses1 that no method of animating us to our duty may be omitted4 ,it mentions the reward which 8,god will render to every man according to his works20#abb but that this is the only argument1 or the principal one1 ,i deny4 ,in the next place1 ,i assert that we ought not to begin with it4 ,moreover1 ,i contend that it has no tendency to establish the merit preached by these men1 as we shall afterwards see2 and1 lastly1 that it is entirely useless1 unless preceded by this doctrine1 ,that we are justified solely on account of the merit of ,christ1 apprehended by faith1 and not on account of any merit in our own works2 because none can be capable of the pursuit of holiness1 but such as have previously imbibed this doctrine4 ,this sentiment is beautifully suggested by the ,psalmist when he thus addresses the ,lord3 8,there is forgiveness with thee1 that thou mayest be feared20#abc for he shows that there is no worship of ,god without an acknowledgment of his mercy1 on which alone it is both founded and established4 ,and this well deserves to be remarked1 in order that we may know1 not only that the true worship of ,god arises from a reliance on his mercy1 but that the fear of ,god 7which the ,papists hold to be meritorious7 cannot be dignified with the title of merit1 because it is founded in the pardon and remission of sins4 ,,iv4 ,but the most futile of all their calumnies is1 that men are encouraged to the practice of sin by our maintaining the gratuitous remission of sins1 in which we make righteousness to consist4 ,for we say that so great a blessing could never be compensated by any virtue of ours1 and that therefore it could never be obtained1 unless it were gratuitously bestowed2 moreover1 that it is gratuitous to us indeed1 but not so to ,christ1 whom it cost so much1 even his own most sacred blood1 beside which no price sufficiently valuable could be paid to ,divine justice4 ,when men are taught in this manner1 they are apprized that it is not owing to them that this most sacred blood is not shed as often as they sin4 ,besides1 we learn that such is our pollution1 that it can never be washed away1 except in the fountain of this immaculate blood4 ,must not persons who hear these things conceive a greater horror of sin1 than if it were said to be cleansed by a sprinkling of good works8 ,and if they have any fear of ,god1 will they not dread1 after being once purified1 to plunge themselves again into the mire1 and thereby to disturb and infect1 as far as they can1 the purity of this fountain8 8,i have washed my feet10 7says the believing soul in ,solomon17 8how shall ,i defile them80#abd ,now1 it is plain which party better deserves the charge of degrading the value of remission of sins1 and prostituting the dignity of righteousness4 ,they pretend that ,god is appeased by their frivolous satisfactions1 which are no better than dung2 we assert1 that the guilt of sin is too atrocious to be expiated by such insignificant trifles2 that the displeasure of ,god is too great to be appeased by these worthless satisfactions2 and therefore that this is the exclusive prerogative of the blood of ,christ4 ,they say1 that righteousness1 if it ever be defective1 is restored and repaired by works of satisfaction4 ,we think it so valuable that no compensation of works can be adequate to it2 and therefore that for its restitution we must have recourse to the mercy of ,god alone4 ,the remaining particulars that pertain to the remission of sins may be found in the next chapter4 ,footnote #ih3 #a ,cor4 i4 #cj4 ,footnote #ii3 #a ,john iv4 #aj1 #ai4 ,footnote #ajj3 ,heb4 ix4 #ad4 ,footnote #aja3 ,heb4 x4 #bi4 ,footnote #ajb3 ,luke i4 #gd1 #ge4 ,footnote #ajc3 ,rom4 vi4 #ah4 ,footnote #ajd3 ,rom4 vi4 #d1 #f4 ,footnote #aje3 ,col4 iii4 #a4 ,heb4 xi4 #ac4 #a ,peter ii4 #aa4 ,footnote #ajf3 ,titus ii4 #aa-ac4 ,footnote #ajg3 #a ,thess4 v4 #i4 ,footnote #ajh3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #af1 #ag2 vi4 #ai4 ,ephes4 ii4 #ba4 ,footnote #aji3 ,ephes4 v4 #h4 ,footnote #aaj3 #a ,thess4 iv4 #c1 #g4 ,footnote #aaa3 #b ,tim4 i4 #i4 #a ,peter i4 #ae4 ,footnote #aab3 ,rom4 vi4 #ah4 ,footnote #aac3 #a ,john iv4 #aa2 iii4 #aj4 ,footnote #aad3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #ab1 c4 ,footnote #aae3 #a ,john iii4 #c4 ,footnote #aaf3 #b ,cor4 vii4 #a4 ,footnote #aag3 ,matt4 xi4 #bi4 ,john xiii4 #ae4 ,footnote #aah3 #b ,tim4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #aai3 ,rom4 xii4 #a4 ,footnote #abj3 ,matt4 v4 #af4 ,footnote #aba3 #b ,cor4 ix4 #g4 ,footnote #abb3 ,matt4 xvi4 #bg4 ,rom4 ii4 #f4 ,footnote #abc3 ,psalm cxxx4 #d4 ,footnote #abd3 ,cant4 v4 #c4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,harmony ,,between ,,the ,,promises ,,of ,,the ,,law ,,and ,,those ,,of ,,the ,,gospel4 ,let us now pursue the other arguments with which ,satan by his satellites attempts to destroy or to weaken justification by faith4 ,i think we have already gained this point with these calumniators--that they can no longer accuse us of being enemies to good works4 ,for we reject the notion of justification by works1 not that no good works may be done1 or that those which are performed may be denied to be good1 but that we may neither confide in them1 nor glory in them1 nor ascribe salvation to them4 ,for this is our trust1 this is our glory1 and the only anchor of our salvation1 ,that ,christ the ,son of ,god is ours1 and that we are likewise1 in him1 sons of ,god and heirs of the celestial kingdom2 being called1 not for our worthiness1 but by the ,divine goodness1 to the hope of eternal felicity4 ,but since they assail us besides1 as we have observed1 with other weapons1 let us also proceed to the repulsion of them4 ,in the first place1 they return to the legal promises which the ,lord gave to the observers of his law1 and inquire whether we suppose them to be entirely vain1 or of any validity4 ,as it would be harsh and ridiculous to say they are vain1 they take it for granted that they have some efficacy4 ,hence they argue1 that we are not justified by faith alone4 ,for thus saith the ,lord1 8,wherefore it shall come to pass1 if ye hearken to these judgments1 and keep and do them1 that the ,lord thy ,god shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers2 and he will love thee1 and bless thee1 and multiply thee40#abe ,again3 8,if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings2 if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour2 if ye oppress not1 neither walk after other gods2 then will ,i cause you to dwell in this place10 c4#abf ,i am not willing to recite a thousand passages of the same kind1 which1 not being different in sense1 will be elucidated by an explanation of these4 ,the sum of all is declared by ,moses1 who says that in the law are proposed 8a blessing and a curse1 life and death40#abg ,now1 they argue1 either that this blessing becomes inefficacious and nugatory1 or that justification is not by faith alone4 ,we have already shown1 how1 if we adhere to the law1 being destitute of every blessing1 we are obnoxious to the curse which is denounced on all transgressors4 ,for the ,lord promises nothing1 except to the perfect observers of his law1 of which description not one can be found4 ,the consequence then is1 that all mankind are proved by the law to be obnoxious to the curse and wrath of ,god2 in order to be saved from which1 they need deliverance from the power of the law1 and emancipation from its servitude2 not a carnal liberty1 which would seduce us from obedience to the law1 invite to all kinds of licentiousness1 break down the barriers of inordinate desire1 and give the reins to every lawless passion2 but a spiritual liberty1 which will console and elevate a distressed and dejected conscience1 showing it to be delivered from the curse and condemnation under which it was held by the law4 ,this liberation from subjection to the law1 and manumission1 7if ,i may use the term17 we attain1 when we apprehend by faith the mercy of ,god in ,christ1 by which we are assured of the remission of sins1 by the sense of which the law penetrated us with compunction and remorse4 ,,ii4 ,for this reason all the promises of the law would be ineffectual and vain1 unless we were assisted by the goodness of ,god in the gospel4 ,for the condition of a perfect obedience to the law1 on which they depend1 and in consequence of which alone they are to be fulfilled1 will never be performed4 ,now1 the ,lord affords this assistance1 not by leaving a part of righteousness in our works1 and supplying part from his mercy1 but by appointing ,christ alone for the completion of righteousness4 ,for the apostle1 having said that he and other ,jews1 8knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law1 believed in ,christ10 adds as a reason1 not that they might be assisted to obtain a complete righteousness by faith in ,christ1 but 8that they might be justified by the faith of ,christ1 and not by the works of the law40#abh ,if the faithful pass from the law to faith1 to find righteousness in the latter1 which they perceive to be wanting in the former1 they certainly renounce the righteousness of the law4 ,therefore let whosoever will now amplify the rewards which are said to await the observer of the law2 only let him remark1 that our depravity prevents us from receiving any benefit from them1 till we have obtained by faith another righteousness4 ,thus ,david1 after having mentioned the reward which the ,lord has prepared for his servants1 immediately proceeds to the acknowledgment of sins1 by which it is annulled4 ,in the nineteenth psalm1 likewise1 he magnificently celebrates the benefits of the law2 but immediately exclaims1 8,who can understand his errors8 cleanse thou me from secret faults40#abi ,this passage perfectly accords with that before referred to1 where1 after having said1 8,all the paths of the ,lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies10 he adds1 8,for thy name's sake1 ,o ,lord1 pardon mine iniquity2 for it is great40#acj ,so we ought also to acknowledge1 that the ,divine favour is offered to us in the law1 if we could purchase it by our works2 but that no merit of ours can ever obtain it4 ,,iii4 ,what1 then1 it will be said1 were those promises given1 to vanish away without producing any effect8 ,i have already declared that this is not my opinion4 ,i assert1 indeed1 that they have no efficacy with respect to us as long as they are referred to the merit of works2 wherefore1 considered in themselves1 they are in some sense abolished4 ,thus that grand promise1 8,keep my statutes and judgments2 which if a man do1 he shall live in them20#aca the apostle maintains to be of no value to us1 if we rest upon it1 and that it will be no more beneficial to us than if it had never been given2 because it is inapplicable to the holiest of ,god's servants1 who are all far from fulfilling the law1 and are encompassed with a multitude of transgressions4#acb ,but when these are superseded by the evangelical promises1 which proclaim the gratuitous remission of sins1 the consequence is1 that not only our persons1 but also our works1 are accepted by ,god2 and not accepted only1 but followed by those blessings1 which were due by the covenant to the observance of the law4 ,i grant1 therefore1 that the works of believers are rewarded by those things which the ,lord has promised in his law to the followers of righteousness and holiness2 but in this retribution it is always necessary to consider the cause1 which conciliates such favour to those works4 ,now1 this we perceive to be threefold3 ,the first is1 ,that ,god1 averting his eyes from the actions of his servants1 which are invariably more deserving of censure than of praise1 receives and embraces them in ,christ1 and by the intervention of faith alone reconciles them to himself without the assistance of works4 ,the second is1 ,that in his paternal benignity and indulgence1 he overlooks the intrinsic worth of these works1 and exalts them to such honour1 that he esteems them of some degree of value4 ,the third cause is1 ,that he pardons these works as he receives them1 not imputing the imperfection with which they are all so defiled1 that they might otherwise be accounted rather sins than virtues4 ,hence it appears how great has been the delusion of the sophists1 who thought that they had dexterously avoided all absurdities by saying that works are sufficient to merit salvation1 not on account of their own intrinsic goodness1 but by reason of the covenant1 because the ,lord in his mercy has estimated them so highly4 ,but at the same time1 they had not observed how far the works1 which they styled meritorious1 fell short of the condition of the promise2 unless they were preceded by justification founded on faith alone1 and by remission of sins1 by which even good works require to be purified from blemishes4 ,therefore1 of the three causes of the ,divine goodness1 in consequence of which the works of believers are accepted1 they only noticed one1 and suppressed two others1 and those the principal4 ,,iv4 ,they allege the declaration of ,peter1 which ,luke recites in the ,acts3 8,of a truth ,i perceive that ,god is no respecter of persons2 but in every nation he that worketh righteousness is accepted with him40#acc ,and hence they conclude1 what they think admits of no doubt1 that if a man by rectitude of conduct conciliate to himself the favour of ,god1 the grace of ,god is not the sole cause of his salvation2 moreover1 that ,god of his own mercy assists a sinner in such a manner1 as to be influenced to the exercise of mercy by his works4 ,but we cannot by any means reconcile the ,scriptures with themselves1 unless we observe a twofold acceptance of man with ,god4 ,for ,god finds nothing in man1 in his native condition1 to incline him to mercy1 but mere misery4 ,if1 then1 it is evident that man is entirely destitute of all good1 and full of every kind of evil1 when he is first received by ,god1 by what good qualities shall we pronounce him entitled to the heavenly calling8 ,let us reject1 therefore1 all vain imagination of merits1 where ,god so evidently displays his unmerited clemency4 ,the declaration of the angel to ,cornelius in the same passage1 8,thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before ,god10 they most wickedly pervert to prove that the practice of good works prepares a man to receive the grace of ,god4 ,for ,cornelius must have been already illuminated with the ,spirit of wisdom1 since he was endued with the fear of ,god1 which is true wisdom2 and he must have been sanctified by the same ,spirit1 since he was a follower of righteousness1 which the apostle represents as one of the ,spirit's most certain fruits4#acd ,it was from the grace of ,god1 then1 that he derived all these things in which he is said to have pleased him2 so far was he from preparing himself to receive it by the exercise of his own powers4 ,there cannot indeed be adduced a single syllable of the ,scripture1 which is not in harmony with this doctrine2 ,that there is no other cause for ,god's reception of man into his love1 than his knowledge that man1 if abandoned by him1 would be utterly lost2 and because it is not his will to abandon him to perdition1 he displays his mercy in his deliverance4 ,now1 we see that this acceptance is irrespective of the righteousness of man1 but is an unequivocal proof of the ,divine goodness towards miserable sinners1 who are infinitely unworthy of so great a favour4 ,v4 ,after the ,lord has recovered a man from the abyss of perdition1 and separated him to himself by the grace of adoption1--because he has regenerated him1 and raised him to a new life1 he now receives and embraces him1 as a new creature1 with the gifts of his ,spirit4 ,this is the acceptance mentioned by ,peter1 in which even the works of believers after their vocation are approved by ,god2 for the ,lord cannot but love and accept those good effects which are produced in them by his ,spirit4 ,but it must always be remembered1 that they are accepted by ,god in consequence of their works1 only because1 for their sakes and the favour which he bears to them1 he deigns to accept whatever goodness he has liberally communicated to their works4 ,for whence proceeds the goodness of their works1 but from the ,lord's determination to adorn with true purity those whom he has chosen as vessels of honour8 ,and how is it that they are accounted good1 as though they were free from all imperfection1 except from the mercy of their ,father1 who pardons the blemishes which adhere to them8 ,in a word1 ,peter intends nothing else in this passage1 but that ,god accepts and loves his children1 in whom he beholds the marks and lineaments of his own countenance2 for we have elsewhere shown that regeneration is a reparation of the ,divine image in us4 ,wherever the ,lord contemplates his own likeness1 he justly both loves and honours it4 ,the life of his children1 therefore1 being devoted to holiness and righteousness1 is truly represented as pleasing to him4 ,but as the faithful1 while they are surrounded with mortal flesh1 are still sinners1 and all their works are imperfect1 and tainted with the vices of the flesh1 he cannot be propitious either to their persons or to their works1 without regarding them in ,christ rather than in themselves4 ,it is in this sense that those passages must be understood1 which declare ,god to be merciful and compassionate to the followers of righteousness4 ,moses said to the ,israelites1 8,the ,lord thy ,god1 which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments1 to a thousand generations0#ace--;a sentence which was afterwards in frequent use among that people4 ,thus ,solomon1 in his solemn prayer3 8,lord ,god of ,israel1 who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart40#acf ,the same language is also repeated by ,nehemiah4#acg ,for as1 in all the covenants of his mercy1 the ,lord stipulates with his servants for integrity and sanctity in their lives1 that his goodness may not become an object of contempt1 and that no man infected with a vain confidence in his mercy1#ach may bless himself in his mind while walking in the depravity of his heart1 so he designs by these means to confine to their duty all that are admitted to the participation of his covenant2 yet1 nevertheless1 the covenant is originally constituted and perpetually remains altogether gratuitous4 ,for this reason1 ,david1 though he declares that he had been rewarded for the purity of his hands1 does not overlook that original source which ,i have mentioned3 8,he delivered me1 because he delighted in me20#aci where he commends the goodness of his cause1 so as not to derogate from the gratuitous mercy which precedes all the gifts that originate from it4 ,,vi4 ,and here it will be useful to remark1 by the way1 what difference there is between such forms of expression and the legal promises4 ,by legal promises ,i intend1 not all those which are contained in the books of ,moses1--since in those books there likewise occur many evangelical ones1--but such as properly pertain to the ministry of the law4 ,such promises1 by whatever appellation they may be distinguished1 proclaim that a reward is ready to be bestowed1 on condition that we perform what is commanded4 ,but when it is said that 8the ,lord keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him10 this rather designates the characters of his servants1 who have faithfully received his covenant1 than expresses the causes of his beneficence to them4 ,now1 this is the way to prove it3 ,as the ,lord favours us with the hope of eternal life1 in order that he may be loved1 reverenced1 and worshipped by us1 therefore all the promises of mercy contained in the ,scriptures are justly directed to this end1 that we may revere and worship the ,author of our blessings4 ,whenever1 therefore1 we hear of his beneficence to them who observe his laws1 let us remember that the children of ,god are designated by the duty in which they ought always to be found2 and that we are adopted as his children1 in order that we may venerate him as our ,father4 ,therefore1 that we may not renounce the privilege of our adoption1 we ought to aim at that which is the design of our vocation4 ,on the other hand1 however1 we may be assured1 that the accomplishment of ,god's mercy is independent of the works of believers2 but that he fulfils the promise of salvation to them whose vocation is followed by a correspondent rectitude of life1 because in them who are directed by his ,spirit to good works1 he recognizes the genuine characters of his children4 ,to this must be referred what is said of the citizens of the ,church3 8,lord1 who shall abide in thy tabernacle8 who shall dwell in thy holy hill8 ,he that walketh uprightly1 and worketh righteousness10 c4#adj ,and in ,isaiah3 8,who shall dwell with the devouring fire8 ,he that walketh righteously1 and speaketh uprightly10 c4#ada ,for these passages describe1 not the foundation which supports the faithful before ,god1 but the manner in which their most merciful ,father introduces them into communion with him1 and preserves and confirms them in it4 ,for as he detests sin1 and loves righteousness1 those whom he unites to him he purifies by his ,spirit1 in order to conform them to himself and his kingdom4 ,therefore1 if it be inquired what is the first cause which gives the saints an entrance into the kingdom of ,god1 and which makes their continuance in it permanent1 the answer is ready2 ,because the ,lord in his mercy has once adopted and perpetually defends them4 ,but if the question relate to the manner in which he does this1 it will then be necessary to advert to regeneration and its fruits1 which are enumerated in the psalm that we have just quoted4 ,,vii4 ,but there appears to be much greater difficulty in those places which dignify good works with the title of righteousness1 and assert that a man is justified by them4 ,of the former kind there are many1 where the observance of the commands is denominated justification or righteousness4 ,an example of the other kind we find in ,moses3 8,and it shall be our righteousness1 if we observe to do all these commandments40#adb ,if it be objected that this is a legal promise1 which1 having an impossible condition annexed to it1 proves nothing1--there are other passages which will not admit of a similar reply2 such as1 8,in case thou shalt deliver him the pledge1 c41 it shall be righteousness unto thee before the ,lord40#adc ,similar to this is what the ,psalmist says1 that the zeal of ,phinehas in avenging the disgrace of ,israel1 8was counted unto him for righteousness40#add ,therefore the ,pharisees of our day suppose that these passages afford ample ground for their clamour against us4 ,for when we say1 that if the righteousness of faith be established1 there is an end of justification by works1--they argue1 in the same manner1 that if righteousness be by works1 then it is not true that we are justified by faith alone4 ,though ,i grant that the precepts of the law are termed righteousness1 there is nothing surprising in this2 for they are so in reality4 ,the reader1 however1 ought to be apprized that the ,hebrew word 7commandments7 is not well translated by the ,greek word 1 7righteousness47 ,but ,i readily relinquish all controversy respecting the word4 ,nor do we deny that the ,divine law contains perfect righteousness4 ,for although1 being under an obligation to fulfil all its precepts1 we should1 even after a perfect obedience to it1 only be unprofitable servants1--yet1 since the ,lord has honoured the observance of it with the title of righteousness1 we would not detract from what he has given4 ,we freely acknowledge1 therefore1 that the perfect obedience of the law is righteousness1 and that the observance of every particular command is a part of righteousness2 since complete righteousness consists of all the parts4 ,but we deny that such a kind of righteousness any where exists4 ,and therefore we reject the righteousness of the law2 not that it is of itself defective and mutilated1 but because1 on account of the debility of our flesh1#ade it is no where to be found4 ,it may be said1 that the ,scripture not only calls the ,divine precepts righteousnesses1 but gives this appellation also to the works of the saints4 ,as where it relates of ,zacharias and his wife1 that 8they were both righteous before ,god1 walking in all his commandments30#adf certainly1 when it speaks thus1 it estimates their works rather according to the nature of the law1 than according to the actual condition of the persons4 ,here it is necessary to repeat the observation which ,i have just made1 that no rule is to be drawn from the incautiousness of the ,greek translator4 ,but as ,luke has not thought proper to alter the common version1 neither will ,i contend for it4 ,those things which are commanded in the law1 ,god has enjoined upon man as necessary to righteousness2 but that righteousness we do not fulfil without observing the whole law1 which is broken by every act of transgression4 ,since the law1 therefore1 only prescribes a righteousness1 if we contemplate the law itself1 all its distinct commands are parts of righteousness2 if we consider men1 by whom they are performed1 they cannot obtain the praise of righteousness from one act1 while they are transgressors in many1 and while that same act is partly vicious by reason of its imperfection4 ,,viii4 ,but ,i proceed to the second class of texts1 in which the principal difficulty lies4 ,paul urges nothing more forcible in proof of justification by faith1 than what is stated respecting ,abraham--that he 8believed ,god1 and it was counted unto him for righteousness40#adg ,since the action of ,phinehas1 therefore1 is said to have been 8counted unto him for righteousness10#adh we may also use the same argument concerning works1 which ,paul insists on respecting faith4 ,therefore our adversaries1 as though they had established the point1 determine that we are justified neither without faith1 nor by faith alone2 and that our righteousness is completed by works4 ,therefore ,i conjure believers1 if they know that the true rule of righteousness is to be sought in the ,scripture alone1 to accompany me in a serious and solemn examination how the ,scripture may be properly reconciled with itself without any sophistry4 ,paul1 knowing the righteousness of faith to be the refuge of those who are destitute of any righteousness of their own1 boldly infers that all who are justified by faith1 are excluded from the righteousness of works4 ,it being likewise evident1 on the other hand1 that this is common to all believers1 he with equal confidence concludes that no man is justified by works1 but rather1 on the contrary1 that we are justified independently of all works4 ,but it is one thing to dispute concerning the intrinsic value of works1 and another1 to argue respecting the place they ought to hold after the establishment of the righteousness of faith4 ,if we are to determine the value of works by their own worthiness1 we say that they are unworthy to appear in the sight of ,god2 that there is nothing in our works of which we can glory before ,god2 and consequently1 that being divested of all assistance from works1 we are justified by faith alone4 ,now1 we describe this righteousness in the following manner3 ,that a sinner1 being admitted to communion with ,christ1 is by his grace reconciled to ,god2 while1 being purified by his blood1 he obtains remission of sins1 and being clothed with his righteousness1 as if it were his own1 he stands secure before the heavenly tribunal4 ,where remission of sins has been previously received1 the good works which succeed are estimated far beyond their intrinsic merit2 for all their imperfections are covered by the perfection of ,christ1 and all their blemishes are removed by his purity1 that they may not be scrutinized by the ,divine judgment4 ,the guilt1 therefore1 of all transgressions1 by which men are prevented from offering any thing acceptable to ,god being obliterated1 and the imperfection1 which universally deforms even the good works of believers1 being buried in oblivion1 their works are accounted righteous1 or1 which is the same thing1 are imputed for righteousness4 ,,ix4 ,now1 if any one urge this to me as an objection1 to oppose the righteousness of faith1 ,i will first ask him1 ,whether a man is reputed righteous on account of one or two holy works1 who is in the other actions of his life a transgressor of the law4 ,this would be too absurd to be pretended4 ,i shall next inquire1 ,if he is reputed righteous on account of many good works1 while he is found guilty of any instance of transgression4 ,this1 likewise1 my adversary will not presume to maintain1 in opposition to the sanction of the law1 which denounces a curse on all those who do not fulfil every one of its precepts4#adi ,i will further inquire1 ,if there is any work which does not deserve the charge of impurity or imperfection4#aej ,but how could this be possible before those eyes1 in which the stars are not sufficiently pure1 nor the angels sufficiently righteous8 ,thus he will be compelled to concede1 that there is not a good work to be found1 which is not too much polluted1 both by its own imperfection and by the transgressions with which it is attended1 to have any claim to the honourable appellation of righteousness4 ,now1 if it be evidently in consequence of justification by faith1 that works1 otherwise impure and imperfect1 unworthy of the sight of ,god1 and much more of his approbation1 are imputed for righteousness1--why do they attempt1 by boasting of the righteousness of works1 to destroy the righteousness of faith1 from which all righteousness of works proceeds8 ,but do they wish to produce a viperous offspring to destroy the parent8 ,for such is the true tendency of this impious doctrine4 ,they cannot deny that justification by faith is the beginning1 foundation1 cause1 motive1 and substance of the righteousness of works2 yet they conclude1 that a man is not justified by faith because good works also are imputed for righteousness4 ,let us therefore leave these impertinences1 and acknowledge the real state of the case2 if all the righteousness which can be attributed to works depends on justification by faith1 the latter is not only not diminished1 but1 on the contrary1 is confirmed by it2 since its influence appears the more extensive4 ,but let us not suppose that works1 subsequent to gratuitous justification1 are so highly esteemed1 that they succeed to the office of justifying men1 or divide that office with faith4 ,for unless justification by faith remain always unimpaired1 the impurity of their works will be detected4 ,nor is there any absurdity in saying1 that a man is so justified by faith1 that he is not only righteous himself1 but that even his works are accounted righteous beyond what they deserve4 ,x4 ,in this way we will admit1 not only a partial righteousness of works1 which our opponents maintain1 but such as is approved by ,god1 as though it were perfect and complete4 ,a remembrance of the foundation on which it stands will solve every difficulty4 ,for no work is ever acceptable1 till it be received with pardon4 ,now1 whence proceeds pardon1 but from ,god's beholding us and all our actions in ,christ8 ,when we are ingrafted into ,christ1 therefore1 as our persons appear righteous before ,god1 because our iniquities are covered by his righteousness1 so our works are accounted righteous1 because the sinfulness otherwise belonging to them is not imputed1 being all buried in the purity of ,christ4 ,so we may justly assert1 that not only our persons1 but even our works1 are justified by faith alone4 ,now1 if this righteousness of works1 whatever be its nature1 is consequent and dependent on faith and gratuitous justification1 it ought to be included under it1 and subordinated to it1 as an effect to its cause2 so far is it from deserving to be exalted1 either to destroy or to obscure the righteousness of faith4 ,thus ,paul1 to evince that our blessedness depends on the mercy of ,god1 and not on our works1 chiefly urges this declaration of ,david3 8,blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven1 and whose sins are covered4 ,blessed is the man to whom the ,lord will not impute sin40#aea ,if1 in opposition to this1 the numerous passages be adduced where blessedness seems to be attributed to works2 such as1 8,blessed is the man that feareth the ,lord2#aeb that hath mercy on the poor2#aec that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly2#aed that endureth temptation20#aee 8,blessed are they that keep judgment2#aef the undefiled1#aeg the poor in spirit1 the meek1 the merciful10 c42#aeh they will not at all weaken the truth of what is advanced by ,paul4 ,for since no man ever attains all these characters1 so as thereby to gain the ,divine approbation1 it appears that men are always miserable till they are delivered from misery by the pardon of their sins4 ,since all the beatitudes celebrated in the ,scriptures are of no avail1 and no man can derive any benefit from them1 till he has obtained blessedness by the remission of his sins1 which then makes room for the other beatitudes1 it follows that this is not merely the noblest and principal1 but the only blessedness2 unless1 indeed1 we suppose it to be diminished by those which are dependent on it4 ,now1 we have much less reason to be disturbed by the appellation of righteous1 which is generally given to believers4 ,i acknowledge that they are denominated righteous from the sanctity of their lives2 but as they rather devote themselves to the pursuit of righteousness than actually attain to righteousness itself1 it is proper that this righteousness1 such as it is1 should be subordinate to justification by faith1 from which it derives its origin4 ,,xi4 ,but our adversaries say that we have yet more difficulty with ,james1 since he contradicts us in express terms4 ,for he teaches1 that 8,abraham was justified by works10 and that we are all 8justified by works1 and not by faith only40#aei ,what then8 ,will they draw ,paul into a controversy with ,james8 ,if they consider ,james as a minister of ,christ1 his declarations must be understood in some sense not at variance with ,christ when speaking by the mouth of ,paul4 ,the ,spirit asserts1 by the mouth of ,paul1 that ,abraham obtained righteousness by faith1 not by works2 we likewise teach1 that we are all justified by faith without the works of the law4 ,the same ,spirit affirms by ,james1 that both ,abraham's righteousness and ours consists in works1 and not in faith only4 ,that the ,spirit is not inconsistent with himself is a certain truth4 ,but what harmony can there be between these two apparently opposite assertions8 ,our adversaries would be satisfied1 if they could totally subvert the righteousness of faith1 which we wish to be firmly established2 but to afford tranquillity to the disturbed conscience1 they feel very little concern4 ,hence we perceive1 that they oppose the doctrine of justification by faith1 but at the same time fix no certain rule of righteousness1 by which the conscience may be satisfied4 ,let them triumph then as they please1 if they can boast no other victory but that of having removed all certainty of righteousness4 ,and this miserable victory1 indeed1 they will obtain1 where1 after having extinguished the light of truth1 they are permitted by the ,lord to spread the shades of error4 ,but1 wherever the truth of ,god remains1 they will not prevail4 ,i deny1 therefore1 that the assertion of ,james1 which they hold up against us as an impenetrable shield1 affords them the least support4 ,to evince this1 we shall first examine the scope of the apostle1 and then remark wherein they are deceived4 ,because there were many persons at that time1 and the ,church is perpetually infested with similar characters1 who1 by neglecting and omitting the proper duties of believers1 manifestly betrayed their real infidelity1 while they continued to glory in the false pretence of faith1 ,james here exposes the foolish confidence of such persons4 ,it is not his design1 then1 to diminish1 in any respect1 the virtue of true faith1 but to show the folly of these triflers1 who were content with arrogating to themselves the vain image of it1 and securely abandoned themselves to every vice4 ,this statement being premised1 it will be easy to discover where lies the error of our adversaries4 ,for they fall into two fallacies2 one respecting the word 8faith10 the other respecting the word 8justification40 ,when the apostle gives the appellation of faith to a vain notion1 widely different from true faith1 it is a concession which derogates nothing from the argument2 this he shows from the beginning in these words3 8,what doth it profit1 my brethren1 though a man say he hath faith1 and have not works80#afj ,he does not say1 ,if any one have faith without works2 but1 ,if any one boast of having it4 ,he speaks still more plainly just after1 where he ridicules it by representing it as worse than the knowledge of devils2 and lastly1 when he calls it dead4 ,but his meaning may be sufficiently understood from the definition he gives3 8,thou believest10 says he1 8that there is one ,god40 ,indeed1 if nothing be contained in this creed but a belief of the ,divine existence1 it is not at all surprising that it is inadequate to justification4 ,and we must not suppose this denial to be derogatory to ,christian faith1 the nature of which is widely different4 ,for how does true faith justify1 but by uniting us to ,christ1 that1 being made one with him1 we may participate his righteousness8 ,it does not1 therefore1 justify us1 by attaining a knowledge of ,god's existence1 but by a reliance on the certainty of his mercy4 ,,xii4 ,but we shall not have ascertained the whole scope of the apostle1 till we have exposed the other fallacy2 for he attributes justification partly to works4 ,if we wish to make ,james consistent with the rest of the ,scriptures1 and even with himself1 we must understand the word 8justify0 in a different signification from that in which it is used by ,paul4 ,for we are said by ,paul to be justified1 when the memory of our unrighteousness is obliterated1 and we are accounted righteous4 ,if ,james had alluded to this1 it would have been preposterous for him to make that quotation from ,moses3 8,abraham believed ,god10 c4#afa ,for he introduces it in the following manner3 ,abraham obtained righteousness by works1 because he hesitated not to sacrifice his son at the command of ,god4 ,and thus was the ,scripture fulfilled1 which saith1 ,abraham believed ,god1 and it was imputed unto him for righteousness4 ,if an effect antecedent to its cause be an absurdity1 either ,moses falsely asserts in that place1 that ,abraham's faith was imputed to him for righteousness1 or ,abraham did not obtain righteousness by his obedience1 displayed in the oblation of his son4 ,abraham was justified by faith1 while ,ishmael1 who arrived at adolescence before the birth of ,isaac1 was not yet conceived4 ,how1 then1 can we ascribe his justification to an act of obedience performed so long after8 ,wherefore1 either ,james improperly inverted the order of events1 7which it is unlawful to imagine17 or1 by saying that ,abraham was justified1 he did not mean that the patriarch deserved to be accounted righteous4 ,what1 then1 was his meaning8 ,he evidently appears to speak of a declaration of righteousness before men1 and not of an imputation of it in the sight of ,god2 as though he had said1 ,they who are justified by true faith1 prove their justification1 not by a barren and imaginary resemblance of faith1 but by obedience and good works4 ,in a word1 he is not disputing concerning the method of justification1 but requiring of believers a righteousness manifested in good works4 ,and as ,paul contends for justification independent of works1 so ,james will not allow those to be accounted righteous1 who are destitute of good works4 ,the consideration of this object will extricate us from every difficulty4 ,for the principal mistake of our adversaries consists in supposing1 that ,james describes the method of justification1 while he only endeavours to destroy the corrupt security of those who make vain pretences to faith1 in order to excuse their contempt of good works4 ,into whatever forms1 therefore1 they pervert the words of ,james1 they will extort nothing but these two truths--that a vain notion of faith cannot justify2 and that the faithful1 not content with such an imagination1 manifest their righteousness by their good works4 ,,xiii4 ,nor can they derive the least support from a similar passage which they cite from ,paul1 that 8,not the hearers of the law1 but the doers of the law1 shall be justified40#afb ,i have no wish to evade it by the explanation of ,ambrose1 that this is spoken1 because faith in ,christ is the fulfilling of the law4 ,for this ,i conceive to be a mere subterfuge1 which is totally unnecessary4 ,the apostle in that place is demolishing the foolish confidence of the ,jews1 who boasted of possessing the exclusive knowledge of the law1 whilst at the same time they were the greatest despisers of it4 ,to prevent such great self-complacence on account of a mere acquaintance with the law1 he admonishes them1 that if righteousness be sought by the law1 it is requisite not only to know but to observe it4 ,we certainly do not question that the righteousness of the law consists in works1 nor that this righteousness consists in the worthiness and merit of works4 ,but still it cannot be proved that we are justified by works1 unless some person be produced who has fulfilled the law4 ,that ,paul had no other meaning1 is sufficiently evident from the context4 ,after having condemned the ,gentiles and ,jews indiscriminately for unrighteousness1 he proceeds particularly to inform us1 that 8as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law20 which refers to the ,gentiles2 and that 8as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law20 which belongs to the ,jews4 ,moreover1 because they shut their eyes against their transgressions1 and gloried in their mere possession of the law1 he adds1 what is exceedingly applicable1 that the law was not given that men might be justified merely by hearing its voice1 but by obeying it2 as though he had said1 ,do you seek righteousness by the law8 ,plead not your having heard it1 which of itself is a very small advantage1 but produce works as an evidence that the law has not been given to you in vain4 ,since in this respect they were all deficient1 they were consequently deprived of their glorying in the law4 ,the meaning of ,paul1 therefore1 rather furnishes an opposite argument3 ,legal righteousness consists in perfect works2 no man can boast of having satisfied the law by his works2 therefore there is no righteousness by the law4 ,,xiv4 ,our adversaries proceed to adduce those passages in which the faithful boldly offer their righteousness to the examination of ,divine justice1 and desire to be judged according to it4 ,such are the following3 8,judge me1 ,o ,lord1 according to my righteousness1 and according to mine integrity that is in me40#afc ,again3 8,hear the right1 ,o ,lord4 ,thou hast proved mine heart2 thou hast visited me in the night2 thou hast tried me1 and shalt find nothing40#afd ,again3 8,i have kept the ways of the ,lord1 and have not wickedly departed from my ,god4 ,i was also upright before him1 and ,i kept myself from mine iniquity4 ,therefore hath the ,lord recompensed me according to my righteousness1 according to the cleanness of my hands40#afe ,again3 8,judge me1 ,o ,lord1 for ,i have walked in mine integrity4 ,i have not sat with vain persons2 neither will ,i go in with dissemblers4 ,gather not my soul with sinners1 nor my life with bloody men2 in whose hands is mischief1 and their right hand is full of bribes4 ,but as for me1 ,i will walk in mine integrity40#aff ,i have already spoken of the confidence which the saints appear to derive from their works4 ,the passages now adduced will form no objection to our doctrine1 when they are explained according to the occasion of them4 ,now1 this is twofold4 ,for believers who have expressed themselves in this manner1 have no wish to submit to a general examination1 to be condemned or absolved according to the whole tenor of their lives1 but they bring forward a particular cause to be judged2 and they attribute righteousness to themselves1 not with reference to the ,divine perfection1 but in comparison with men of impious and abandoned characters4 ,in the first place1 in order to a man's being justified1 it is requisite that he should have1 not only a good cause in some particular instance1 but a perpetual consistency of righteousness through life4 ,but the saints1 when they implore the judgment of ,god in approbation of their innocence1 do not present themselves as free from every charge1 and absolutely guiltless2 but having fixed their dependence on his goodness alone1 and confiding in his readiness to avenge the poor who are unlawfully and unjustly afflicted1 they supplicate his regard to the cause in which the innocent are oppressed4 ,but when they place themselves and their adversaries before the ,divine tribunal1 they boast not an innocence1 which1 on a severe examination1 would be found correspondent to the purity of ,god2 but knowing that their sincerity1 justice1 simplicity1 and purity1 are pleasing and acceptable to ,god1 in comparison with the malice1 wickedness1 fraud1 and iniquity of their enemies1 they are not afraid to invoke ,him to judge between them4 ,thus1 when ,david said to ,saul1 8,the ,lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness0#afg he did not mean that the ,lord should examine every individual by himself1 and reward him according to his merits2 but he called the ,lord to witness the greatness of his innocence in comparison with the iniquity of ,saul4 ,nor did ,paul1 when he gloried in having 8the testimony of0 his 8conscience0 that he had conducted himself in the ,church 8with simplicity and godly sincerity10#afh intend to rely on this before ,god2 but the calumnies of the impious constrained him to oppose all their slanderous aspersions by asserting his fidelity and probity1 which he knew to be acceptable to the ,divine goodness4 ,for we know what he says in another place3 8,i am conscious to myself of nothing2 yet am ,i not hereby justified40#afi ,because1 indeed1 he was certain1 that the judgment of ,god far transcended the narrow comprehension of man4 ,however1 therefore1 the pious may vindicate their innocence against the hypocrisy of the impious1 by invoking ,god to be their witness and judge1 yet in their concerns with ,god alone1 they all with one voice exclaim1 8,if thou1 ,lord1 shouldst mark iniquities1 ,o ,lord1 who shall stand80#agj ,again3 8,enter not into judgment with thy servant1 for in thy sight shall no man living be justified40#aga ,and1 diffident of their own works1 they gladly sing1 8,thy loving-kindness is better than life40#agb ,,xv4 ,there are likewise other passages1 similar to the preceding1 on which some person may yet insist4 ,solomon says1 8,the just man walketh in his integrity40#agc ,again3 8,in the way of righteousness there is life2 and in the pathway thereof there is no death40#agd ,thus also ,ezekiel declares1 that he who 8doth that which is lawful and right1 shall surely live40#age ,we neither deny nor obscure any of these4 ,but let one of the sons of ,adam produce such an integrity4 ,if no one can1 they must either perish from the presence of ,god1 or flee to the asylum of mercy4 ,nor do we deny1 that to believers their integrity1 however imperfect1 is a step toward immortality4 ,but what is the cause of this1 unless it be that when the ,lord has admitted any persons into the covenant of his grace1 he does not scrutinize their works according to their intrinsic merit1 but embraces them with paternal benignity8 ,by this we mean1 not merely what is taught by the schoolmen1 8that works receive their value from the grace which accepts them20 for they suppose1 that works1 otherwise inadequate to the attainment of salvation by the legal covenant1 are rendered sufficient for this by the ,divine acceptance of them4 ,but ,i assert1 that they are so defiled1 both by other transgressions and by their own blemishes1 that they are of no value at all1 except as the ,lord pardons both2 and this is no other than bestowing on a man gratuitous righteousness4 ,it is irrelevant to this subject1 to allege those prayers of the apostle1 in which he desires such perfection for believers1 that they may be unblamable and irreprovable in the day of ,christ4#agf ,these passages1 indeed1 the ,celestines formerly perverted1 in order to prove a perfection of righteousness in the present life4 ,we think it sufficient briefly to reply1 with ,augustine1 8that all the pious ought1 indeed1 to aspire to this object1 to appear one day immaculate and guiltless before the presence of ,god2 but since the highest excellency in this life is nothing more than a progress towards perfection1 we shall never attain it1 till1 being divested at once of mortality and sin1 we shall fully adhere to the ,lord40 ,nevertheless1 ,i shall not pertinaciously contend with any person who chooses to attribute to the saints the character of perfection1 provided he also defines it in the words of ,augustine himself2 who says1 8,when we denominate the virtue of the saints perfect1 to this perfection itself belongs the acknowledgment of imperfection1 both in truth and in humility40 ,footnote #abe3 ,deut4 vii4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #abf3 ,jer4 vii4 #e-g4 ,footnote #abg3 ,deut4 xi4 #bf2 xxx4 #ae4 ,footnote #abh3 ,gal4 ii4 #af4 ,footnote #abi3 ,psalm xix4 #ab4 ,footnote #acj3 ,psalm xxv4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #aca3 ,lev4 xviii4 #e4 ,footnote #acb3 ,rom4 x4 #e1 c4 ,footnote #acc3 ,acts x4 #cd1 #ce4 ,footnote #acd3 ,gal4 v4 #e4 ,footnote #ace3 ,deut4 vii4 #i4 ,footnote #acf3 #a ,kings viii4 #bc4 ,footnote #acg3 ,neh4 i4 #e4 ,footnote #ach3 ,deut4 xxix4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #aci3 #b ,sam4 xxii4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #adj3 ,psalm xv4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #ada3 ,isaiah xxxiii4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #adb3 ,deut4 vi4 #be4 ,footnote #adc3 ,deut4 xxiv4 #ac4 ,footnote #add3 ,psalm cvi4 #cj1 #ca4 ,footnote #ade3 ,rom4 viii4 #c4 ,footnote #adf3 ,luke i4 #f4 ,footnote #adg3 ,rom4 iv4 #c4 ,gal4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote #adh3 ,psalm cvi4 #ca4 ,footnote #adi3 ,deut4 xxvii4 #bf4 ,footnote #aej3 ,job iv4 #ah2 xv4 #ae2 xxv4 #e4 ,footnote #aea3 ,rom4 iv4 #g1 #h4 ,psalm xxxii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #aeb3 ,psalm cxii4 #a4 ,footnote #aec3 ,prov4 xiv4 #ba4 ,footnote #aed3 ,psalm i4 #a4 ,footnote #aee3 ,james i4 #ab4 ,footnote #aef3 ,psalm cvi4 #c4 ,footnote #aeg3 ,psalm cxix4 #a4 ,footnote #aeh3 ,matt4 v4 #c1 #e1 #g4 ,footnote #aei3 ,james ii4 #ba1 #bd4 ,footnote #afj3 ,james ii4 #ad4 ,footnote #afa3 ,james ii4 #ba-bc4 ,gen4 xv4 #f4 ,footnote #afb3 ,rom4 ii4 #ac4 ,footnote #afc3 ,psalm vii4 #h4 ,footnote #afd3 ,psalm xvii4 #a1 #c4 ,footnote #afe3 ,psalm xviii4 #ba1 #bc1 #bd4 ,footnote #aff3 ,psalm xxvi4 #a1 #d1 #i-aa4 ,footnote #afg3 #a ,sam4 xxvi4 #bc4 ,footnote #afh3 #b ,cor4 i4 #ab4 ,footnote #afi3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #d4 ,footnote #agj3 ,psalm cxxx4 #c4 ,footnote #aga3 ,psalm cxliii4 #b4 ,footnote #agb3 ,psalm lxiii4 #c4 ,footnote #agc3 ,prov4 xx4 #g4 ,footnote #agd3 ,prov4 xii4 #bh4 ,footnote #age3 ,ez4 xxxiii4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #agf3 #a ,thess4 iii4 #ac1 et alibi4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,justification ,,by ,,works ,,not ,,to ,,be ,,inferred ,,from ,,the ,,promise ,,of ,a ,,reward4 ,let us now proceed to those passages which affirm that 8,god will render to every man according to his deeds20#agg that 8every one may receive the things done in his body1 according to that he hath done1 whether it be good or bad40#agh 8,tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doeth evil2 but glory1 honour1 and peace1 to every man that worketh good40#agi ,and1 8,all shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation40#ahj 8,come1 ye blessed of my ,father2 for ,i was a hungered1 and ye gave me meat3 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave me drink10 c4#aha ,and with these let us also connect those which represent eternal life as the reward of works1 such as the following3 8,the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him40#ahb 8,he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded40#ahc 8,rejoice and be exceeding glad2 for great is your reward in heaven40#ahd 8,every one shall receive his own reward1 according to his own labour40#ahe ,the declaration1 that ,god will render to every one according to his works1 is easily explained4 ,for that phrase indicates the order of events1 rather than the cause of them4 ,but it is beyond all doubt1 that the ,lord proceeds to the consummation of our salvation by these several gradations of mercy3 8,whom he hath predestinated1 them he calls2 whom he hath called1 he justifies2 and whom he hath justified1 he finally glorifies40#ahf ,though he receives his children into eternal life1 therefore1 of his mere mercy1 yet since he conducts them to the possession of it through a course of good works1 that he may fulfil his work in them in the order he has appointed1 we need not wonder if they are said to be rewarded according to their works1 by which they are undoubtedly prepared to receive the crown of immortality4 ,and for this reason1 they are properly said to 8work out their own salvation10#ahg while1 devoting themselves to good works1 they aspire to eternal life2 just as in another place they are commanded to 8labor for the meat which perisheth not10 when they obtain eternal life by believing in ,christ2 and yet it is immediately added1 8which the ,son of man shall give unto you40#ahh ,whence it appears that the word work is not opposed to grace1 but refers to human endeavours2 and therefore it does not follow1 either that believers are the authors of their own salvation1 or that salvation proceeds from their works4 ,but as soon as they are introduced1 by the knowledge of the gospel and the illumination of the ,holy ,spirit1 into communion with ,christ1 eternal life is begun in them4 ,now1 8the good work which0 ,god 8hath begun in0 them1 8he will perform until the day of ,jesus ,christ40#ahi ,and it is performed1 when they prove themselves to be the genuine children of ,god by their resemblance to their heavenly ,father in righteousness and holiness4 ,,ii4 ,we have no reason to infer from the term reward1 that good works are the cause of salvation4 ,first1 let this truth be established in our minds1 that the kingdom of heaven is not the stipend of servants1 but the inheritance of children1 which will be enjoyed only by those whom the ,lord adopts as his children1 and for no other cause than on account of this adoption4 8,for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman40#aij ,and1 therefore1 in the same passages in which the ,holy ,spirit promises eternal life as the reward of works1 by expressly denominating it 8an inheritance10 he proves it to proceed from another cause4 ,thus ,christ enumerates the works which he compensates by the reward of heaven1 when he calls the elect to the possession of it2 but at the same time adds1 that it is to be enjoyed by right of inheritance4#aia ,so ,paul encourages servants1 who faithfully discharge their duty1 to hope for a reward from the ,lord2 but at the same time calls it 8the reward of the inheritance40#aib ,we see how they1 almost in express terms1 caution us against attributing eternal life to works1 instead of ascribing it to ,divine adoption4 ,why1 then1 it may be asked1 do they at the same time make mention of works8 ,this question shall be elucidated by one example from the ,scripture4 ,before the nativity of ,isaac1 there had been promised to ,abraham a seed in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed1 a multiplication of his posterity1 which would equal the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea1 and other similar blessings4#aic ,many years after1 in consequence of a ,divine command1 ,abraham prepares to sacrifice his son4 ,after this act of obedience1 he receives this promise3 8,by myself have ,i sworn1 saith the ,lord1 for because thou hast done this thing1 and hast not withheld thy son1 thine only son2 that in blessing ,i will bless thee1 and in multiplying ,i will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven1 and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore2 and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies2 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed2 because thou hast obeyed my voice40#aid ,what8 did ,abraham by his obedience merit that blessing which had been promised him before the command was delivered8 ,here1 then1 it appears1 beyond all doubt1 that the ,lord rewards the works of believers with those blessings which he had already given them before their works were thought of1 and while he had no reason for his beneficence1 but his own mercy4 ,,iii4 ,nor does the ,lord deceive or trifle with us1 when he says that he will requite works with what he had freely given previously to the performance of them4 ,for since it is his pleasure that we be employed in good works1 while aspiring after the manifestation or enjoyment of those things which he has promised1 and that they constitute the road in which we should travel to endeavour to attain the blessed hope proposed to us in heaven1 therefore the fruit of the promises1 to the perfection of which fruit those works conduct us1 is justly assigned to them4 ,the apostle beautifully expressed both those ideas1 when he said that the ,colossians applied themselves to the duties of charity1 8for the hope which was laid up for them in heaven1 whereof they heard before in the word1 of the truth of the gospel40#aie ,for his assertion1 that they knew from the gospel1 that there was hope laid up for them in heaven1 is equivalent to a declaration that it depended not on any works1 but on ,christ alone2 which perfectly accords with the observation of ,peter1 that believers 8are kept by the power of ,god through faith unto salvation1 ready to be revealed in the last time40#aif ,when it is said that they must labour for it1 it implies1 that in order to attain to it1 believers have a race to run1 which terminates only with their lives4 ,but that we might not suppose the reward promised us by the ,lord to be regulated according to the proportion of merit1 he proposes a parable1 in which he has represented himself under the character of a householder1 who employs all the persons he meets in the cultivation of his vineyard2 some he hires at the first hour of the day1 others at the second1 others at the third1 and some even at the eleventh hour2 in the evening he pays them all the same wages4#aig ,a brief and just explanation of this parable is given by the ancient writer1 whoever he was1 of the treatise 8,on the ,calling of the ,gentiles10 which bears the name of ,ambrose4 ,i shall adopt his words in preference to my own4 8,by the example of this comparison1 7says he17 the ,lord has shown a variety of manifold vocation pertaining to the same grace4 ,they who1 having been admitted into the vineyard at the eleventh hour1 are placed on an equality with them who had laboured the whole day1 represent the state of those whom1 to magnify the excellence of grace1 ,god1 in his mercy1 has rewarded in the decline of the day1 and at the conclusion of life2 not paying them the wages due to their labour1 but sending down the riches of his goodness1 in copious effusions1 on them whom he has chosen without works2 that even they who have laboured the most1 and have received no more than the last1 may understand theirs to be a reward of grace1 not of works40 ,lastly1 it is also worthy of being observed1 that in those places where eternal life is called a reward of works1 it is not to be understood simply of that communion which we have with ,god1 as the prelude to a happy immortality1 when he embraces us in ,christ with paternal benevolence2 but of the possession or fruition of ultimate blessedness1 as the very words of ,christ import--8in the world to come1 eternal life40#aih ,and in another place1 8,come1 inherit the kingdom10 c4#aii ,for the same reason1 ,paul applies the term adoption to the revelation of adoption1 which shall be made in the resurrection2 and afterwards explains it to be 8the redemption of our body40#bjj ,otherwise1 as alienation from ,god is eternal death1 so when a man is received into the favour of ,god so as to enjoy communion with him and become united to him1 he is translated from death to life2 which is solely the fruit of adoption4 ,and if they insist1 with their accustomed pertinacity1 on the reward of works1 we may retort against them that passage of ,peter1 where eternal life is called 8the end 7or reward7 of faith40#bja ,,iv4 ,let us not1 therefore1 imagine1 that the ,holy ,spirit by these promises commends the worthiness of our works1 as though they merited such a reward4 ,for the ,scripture leaves us nothing that can exalt us in the ,divine presence4 ,its whole tendency is rather to repress our arrogance1 and to inspire us with humility1 dejection1 and contrition4 ,but such promises assist our weakness1 which otherwise would immediately slide and fall1 if it did not sustain itself by this expectation1 and alleviate its sorrows by this consolation4 ,first1 let every one reflect1 how difficult it is for a man to relinquish and renounce1 not only all that belongs to him1 but even himself4 ,and yet this is the first lesson which ,christ teaches his disciples1 that is to say1 all the pious4 ,afterwards he gives them such tuition during the remainder of their lives1 under the discipline of the cross1 that their hearts may not fix either their desires or their dependence on present advantages4 ,in short1 he generally manages them in such a manner1 that whithersoever they turn their views throughout the world1 nothing but despair presents itself to them on every side2 so that ,paul says1 8,if in this life only we have hope in ,christ1 we are of all men most miserable40#bjb ,to preserve them from sinking under these afflictions1 they have the presence of the ,lord1 who encourages them to raise their heads higher1 and to extend their views further1 by assurances that they will find in him that blessedness which they cannot see in the world4 ,this blessedness he calls a reward1 a recompense2 not attributing any merit to their works1 but signifying that it is a compensation for their oppressions1 sufferings1 and disgrace4 ,wherefore there is no objection against our following the example of the ,scripture in calling eternal life a reward2 since in that state the ,lord receives his people from labor into rest2 from affliction into prosperity and happiness2 from sorrow into joy2 from poverty into affluence2 from ignominy into glory2 and commutes all the evils which they have endured for blessings of superior magnitude4 ,so1 likewise1 it will occasion no inconvenience1 if we consider holiness of life as the way1 not which procures our admission into the glory of the heavenly kingdom1 but through which the elect are conducted by their ,god to the manifestation of it2 since it is his good pleasure to glorify them whom he has sanctified4 ,only let us not imagine a reciprocal relation of merit and reward1 which is the error into which the sophists fell1 for want of considering the end which we have stated4 ,but how preposterous is it1 when the ,lord calls our attention to one end1 for us to direct our views to another6 ,nothing is clearer1 than that the promise of a reward to good works is designed to afford some consolation to the weakness of our flesh1 but not to inflate our minds with vain-glory4 ,whoever1 therefore1 infers from this1 that there is any merit in works1 or balances the work against the reward1 errs very widely from the true design of ,god4 ,v4 ,therefore1 when the ,scripture says1 that 8the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 shall give0 to his people 8a crown of righteousness10#bjc ,i not only reply with ,augustine--8,to whom could the righteous ,judge have given a crown1 if the ,father of mercies had never given grace8 and how would it have been an act of righteousness1 if not preceded by that grace which justifies the ungodly8 how could these due rewards be rendered1 unless those unmerited blessings were previously bestowed80 but ,i further inquire--,how could he impute righteousness to our works1 unless his indulgent mercy had concealed their unrighteousness8 ,how could he esteem them worthy of a reward1 unless his infinite goodness had abolished all their demerit of punishment8 ,augustine is in the habit of designating eternal life by the word grace1 because1 when it is given as the reward of works1 it is conferred on the gratuitous gifts of ,god4 ,but the ,scripture humbles us more1 and at the same time exalts us4 ,for beside prohibiting us to glory in works1 because they are the gratuitous gifts of ,god1 it likewise teaches us that they are always defiled by some pollutions2 so that they cannot satisfy ,god1 if examined according to the rule of his judgment2 but it is also added1 to prevent our despondency1 that they please him merely through his mercy4 ,now1 though ,augustine expresses himself somewhat differently from us1 yet that there is no real difference of sentiment will appear from his language to ,boniface4 ,after a comparison between two men1 the one of a life holy and perfect even to a miracle1 the other a man of probity and integrity1 yet not so perfect but that many defects might be discovered1 he at length makes this inference3 8,the latter1 whose character appears inferior to the former1 on account of the true faith in ,god by which he lives1 and according to which he accuses himself in all his delinquencies1 and in all his good works praises ,god1 ascribing the glory to him1 the ignominy to himself1 and deriving from him both the pardon of his sins and the love of virtue2 this man1 ,i say1 when delivered from this life1 removes into the presence of ,christ4 ,wherefore1 but on account of faith8 which1 though no man be saved by it without works1 7for it is not a reprobate faith1 but such as works by love17 yet produces remission of sins1 for the just lives by faith2#bjd but without it1 works apparently good are perverted into sins40 ,here he avows1 without any obscurity1 that for which we so strenuously contend--that the righteousness of good works depends on their acceptance by the ,divine mercy4 ,,vi4 ,very similar to the foregoing passages is the import of the following3 8,make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness2 that1 when ye fail1 they may receive you into everlasting habitations40#bje 8,charge them that are rich in this world1 that they be not high-minded1 nor trust in uncertain riches1 but in the living ,god2 that they do good1 that they be rich in good works2 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come1 that they may lay hold on eternal life40 #bjf ,here good works are compared to riches1 which we may enjoy in the happiness of eternal life4 ,i reply1 that we shall never arrive at the true meaning of these passages1 unless we advert to the design of the ,spirit in such language4 ,if ,christ's declaration be true1 that 8where our treasure is1 there will our heart be also10#bjg--;as the children of this world are generally intent on the acquisition of those things which conduce to the comfort of the present life1 so it ought to be the concern of believers1 after they have been taught that this life will ere long vanish like a dream1 to transmit those things which they really wish to enjoy1 to that place where they shall possess a perfect and permanent life4 ,it behoves us1 therefore1 to imitate the conduct of those who determine to migrate to any new situation1 where they have chosen to reside during the remainder of their lives2 they send their property before them1 without regarding the inconvenience of a temporary absence from it2 esteeming their happiness the greater in proportion to the wealth which they possess in the place which they intend for their permanent residence4 ,if we believe heaven to be our country1 it is better for us to transmit our wealth thither1 than to retain it here1 where we may lose it by a sudden removal4 ,but how shall we transmit it8 ,why1 if we communicate to the necessities of the poor2 whatever is bestowed on them1 the ,lord considers as given to himself4#bjh ,whence that celebrated promise1 8,he that hath pity upon the poor1 lendeth unto the ,lord40#bji ,again3 8,he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully40#baj ,for all things that are bestowed on our brethren in a way of charity1 are so many deposits in the hand of the ,lord2 which he1 as a faithful depositary1 will one day restore with ample interest4 ,are our acts of duty1 then1 it will be asked1 so valuable in the sight of ,god1 that they are like riches reserved in his hand for us8 ,and who can be afraid to assert this1 when the ,scripture so frequently and plainly declares it8 ,but if any one1 from the mere goodness of ,god1 would infer the merit of works1 these testimonies will afford no countenance to such an error4 ,for we can infer nothing from them except the indulgence which ,god in his mercy is disposed to show us1 since1 in order to animate us to rectitude of conduct1 though the duties we perform are unworthy of the least notice from him1 yet he suffers not one of them to go unrewarded4 ,,vii4 ,but they insist more on the words of the apostle1 who1 to console the ,thessalonians under their tribulations1 tells them that the design of their infliction is1 8that they may be counted worthy of the kingdom of ,god1 for which they also suffer4 ,seeing10 says he1 8it is a righteous thing with ,god to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you2 and to you who are troubled1 rest with us1 when the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven40#baa ,and the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews says1 8,god is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love1 which ye have showed toward his name1 in that ye have ministered to the saints40#bab ,to the first passage ,i reply1 ,that it indicates no worthiness of merit2 but since it is the will of ,god the ,father1 that those whom he has chosen as his children be conformed to ,christ his first begotten ,son2#bac as it was necessary for him first to suffer and then to enter into the glory destined for him2#bad so 8we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of ,god40#bae ,the tribulations1 therefore1 which we suffer for the name of ,christ1 are1 as it were1 certain marks impressed on us by which ,god usually distinguishes the sheep of his flock4 ,for this reason1 then1 we are accounted worthy of the kingdom of ,god1 because we bear in our body the marks of our ,lord and ,master1#baf which are the badges of the children of ,god4 ,the same sentiment is conveyed in the following passages3 8,bearing about in the body the dying of the ,lord ,jesus1 that the life also of ,jesus might be made manifest in our body40#bag 8,being made conformable unto his death1 if by any means ,i might attain unto the resurrection of the dead40#bah ,the reason which the apostle subjoins tends not to establish any merit1 but to confirm the hope of the kingdom of ,god2 as though he had said1 ,as it is consistent with the judgment of ,god to avenge on your enemies those vexations with which they have harassed you1 so it is also to grant you respite and repose from those vexations4 ,of the other passage1 which represents it as becoming the righteousness of ,god not to forget our services1 so as almost to imply that he would be unrighteous if he did forget them1 the meaning is1 that in order to arouse our indolence1 ,god has assured us that the labour which we undergo for the glory of his name shall not be in vain4 ,and we should always remember that this promise1 as well as all others1 would be fraught with no benefit to us1 unless it were preceded by the gratuitous covenant of mercy1 on which the whole certainty of our salvation must depend4 ,but relying on that covenant1 we may securely confide1 that our services1 however unworthy1 will not go without a reward from the goodness of ,god4 ,to confirm us in that expectation1 the apostle asserts that ,god is not unrighteous1 but will perform the promise he has once made4 ,this righteousness1 therefore1 refers rather to the truth of the ,divine promise1 than to the equity of rendering to us any thing that is our due4 ,to this purpose there is a remarkable observation of ,augustine2 and as that holy man has not hesitated frequently to repeat it as deserving of remembrance1 so ,i deem it not unworthy of a constant place in our minds4 8,the ,lord10 says he1 8is faithful1 who has made himself our debtor1 not by receiving any thing from us1 but by promising all things to us40 ,,viii4 ,our ,pharisees adduce the following passages of ,paul3 8,though ,i have all faith1 so that ,i could remove mountains1 and have not charity1 ,i am nothing40 ,again3 8,now abideth faith1 hope1 charity1 these three2 but the greatest of these is charity40#bai ,again3 8,above all these things1 put on charity1 which is the bond of perfectness40#bbj ,from the first two passages they contend that we are justified rather by charity than by faith2 that is1 by the superior virtue1 as they express it4 ,but this argument is easily overturned4 ,for we have already shown1 that what is mentioned in the first passage1 has no reference to true faith4 ,the second we explain to signify true faith1 than which he calls charity greater1 not as being more meritorious1 but because it is more fruitful1 more extensive1 more generally serviceable1 and perpetual in its duration2 whereas the use of faith is only temporary4 ,in respect of excellence1 the preminence must be given to the love of ,god1 which is not in this place the subject of ,paul's discourse4 ,for the only point which he urges is1 that with reciprocal charity we mutually edify one another in the ,lord4 ,but let us suppose that charity excels faith in all respects1 yet what person possessed of sound judgment1 or even of the common exercise of reason1 would argue from this that it has a greater concern in justification8 ,the power of justifying1 attached to faith1 consists not in the worthiness of the act4 ,our justification depends solely on the mercy of ,god and the merit of ,christ1 which when faith apprehends1 it is said to justify us4 ,now1 if we ask our adversaries in what sense they attribute justification to charity1 they will reply1 that because it is a duty pleasing to ,god1 the merit of it1 being accepted by the ,divine goodness1 is imputed to us for righteousness4 ,here we see how curiously their argument proceeds4 ,we assert that faith justifies1 not by procuring us a righteousness through its own merit1 but as the instrument by which we freely obtain the righteousness of ,christ4 ,these men1 passing over in silence the mercy of ,god1 and making no mention of ,christ1 in whom is the substance of righteousness1 contend that we are justified by the virtue of charity1 because it is more excellent than faith2 just as though any one should insist that a king1 in consequence of his superior rank1 is more expert at making a shoe than a shoemaker4 ,this one argument affords an ample proof that all the ,sorbonic schools are destitute of the least experience of justification by faith4 ,but if any wrangler should yet inquire1 why we understand ,paul to use the word faith in different acceptations in the same discourse1 ,i am prepared with a substantial reason for such an interpretation4 ,for since those gifts which ,paul enumerates1 are in some respect connected with faith and hope1 because they relate to the knowledge of ,god1 he summarily comprises them all under those two words2 as though he had said1 ,the end of prophecy1 and of tongues1 of knowledge1 and of the gift of interpretation1 is to conduct us to the knowledge of ,god4 ,but we know ,god in this life only by hope and faith4 ,therefore1 when ,i mention faith and hope1 ,i comprehend all these things under them4 8,and now abideth faith1 hope1 charity1 these three20 that is1 all gifts1 whatever may be their variety1 are referred to these4 8,but the greatest of these is charity40 ,from the third passage they infer1 that if 8charity is the bond of perfectness10 it is therefore the bond of righteousness1 which is no other than perfection4 ,now1 to refrain from observing that what ,paul calls perfectness1 is the mutual connection which subsists between the members of a well-constituted church1 and to admit that charity constitutes our perfection before ,god2 yet what new advantage will they gain8 ,on the contrary1 ,i shall always object1 that we never arrive at that perfection1 unless we fulfil all the branches of charity2 and hence ,i shall infer1 that since all men are at an immense distance from complete charity1 they are destitute of all hope of perfection4 ,,ix4 ,i have no inclination to notice all the passages of ,scripture1 which the folly of the modern ,sorbonists seizes as they occur1 and without any reason employs against us4 ,for some of them are so truly ridiculous1 that ,i could not even mention them1 unless ,i wished to be accounted a fool4 ,i shall therefore conclude this subject after having explained a sentence uttered by ,christ1 with which they are wonderfully pleased4 ,to a lawyer1 who asked him what was necessary to salvation1 he replied1 8,if thou wilt enter into life1 keep the commandments40#bba ,what can we wish more1 say they1 when the ,author of grace himself commands to obtain the kingdom of heaven by an observance of the commandments8 ,as though it were not evident1 that ,christ adapted his replies to those with whom he conversed4 ,here a doctor of the law inquires the method of obtaining happiness1 and that not simply1 but what men must do in order to attain it4 ,both the character of the speaker and the inquiry itself induced the ,lord to make this reply4 ,the inquirer1 persuaded of the righteousness of the law1 possessed a blind confidence in his works4 ,besides1 he only inquired what were those works of righteousness by which salvation might be procured4 ,he is therefore justly referred to the law1 which contains a perfect mirror of righteousness4 ,we also explicitly declare1 that if life be sought by works1 it is indispensably requisite to keep the commandments4 ,and this doctrine is necessary to be known by ,christians2 for how should they flee for refuge to ,christ1 if they did not acknowledge themselves to have fallen from the way of life upon the precipice of death8 ,and how could they know how far they have wandered from the way of life1 without a previous knowledge of what that way of life is8 ,it is then1 therefore1 that ,christ is presented to them as the asylum of salvation1 when they perceive the vast difference between their own lives and the ,divine righteousness1 which consists in the observance of the law4 ,the sum of the whole is1 that if we seek salvation by works1 we must keep the commandments1 by which we are taught perfect righteousness4 ,but to stop here1 would be failing in the midst of our course2 for to keep the commandments is a task to which none of us are equal4 ,being excluded1 then1 from the righteousness of the law1 we are under the necessity of resorting to some other refuge1 namely1 to faith in ,christ4 ,wherefore1 as the ,lord1 knowing this doctor of the law to be inflated with a vain confidence in his works1 recalls his attention to the law1 that it may teach him his own character as a sinner1 obnoxious to the tremendous sentence of eternal death1 so1 in another place1 addressing those who have already been humbled under this knowledge1 he omits all mention of the law1 and consoles them with a promise of grace--8,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest2 and ye shall find rest unto your souls40#bbb ,x4 ,at length1 after our adversaries have wearied themselves with perversions of ,scripture1 they betake themselves to subtleties and sophisms4 ,they cavil1 that faith is in some places called a work1#bbc and hence they infer that we improperly oppose faith to works4 ,as though faith procured righteousness for us by its intrinsic merit1 as an act of obedience to the ,divine will1 and not rather because1 by embracing the ,divine mercy1 it seals to our hearts the righteousness of ,christ1 which that mercy offers to us in the preaching of the gospel4 ,the reader will pardon me for not dwelling on the confutation of such follies2 for they require nothing to refute them but their own weakness4 ,but ,i wish briefly to answer one objection1 which has some appearance of reason1 to prevent its being the source of any difficulty to persons who have had but little experience4 ,since common sense dictates that opposites are subject to similar rules1 and as all sins are imputed to us for unrighteousness1 they maintain it to be reasonable1 on the other hand1 that all good works should be imputed to us for righteousness4 ,those who reply1 that the condemnation of men proceeds from unbelief alone1 and not from particular sins1 do not satisfy me4 ,i agree with them1 that incredulity is the fountain and root of all evils4 ,for it is the original defection from ,god1 which is afterwards followed by particular transgressions of the law4 ,but as they appear to fix one and the same rule for good and evil works in forming a judgment of righteousness or unrighteousness1 here ,i am obliged to dissent from them4 ,for the righteousness of works is the perfect obedience of the law4 ,we cannot therefore be righteous by works1 unless we follow this straight line throughout the whole of our lives4 ,the first deviation from it is a lapse into unrighteousness4 ,hence it appears that righteousness arises not from one or a few works1 but from an inflexible and indefatigable observance of the ,divine will4 ,but the rule of judging of unrighteousness is very different4 ,for he who has committed fornication or theft1 is for one transgression liable to the sentence of death1 because he has offended against the divine ,majesty4 ,these disputants of ours1 therefore1 fall into an error for want of adverting to the decision of ,james1 that 8whosoever shall keep the whole law1 and yet offend in one point1 he is guilty of all40 ,for he that said1 8,do not commit adultery10 said also1 8,do not kill10 c4#bbd ,it ought not1 therefore1 to be deemed absurd1 when we say1 that death is the reward justly due to every sin1 because they are all and every one deserving of the indignation and vengeance of ,god4 ,but it will be a weak argument to infer1 on the contrary1 that one good work will reconcile a man to ,god1 whose wrath he has incurred by a multitude of sins4 ,footnote #agg3 ,rom4 ii4 #f4 ,matt4 xvi4 #bg4 ,footnote #agh3 #b ,cor4 v4 #aj4 ,footnote #agi3 ,rom4 ii4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #ahj3 ,john v4 #bi4 ,footnote #aha3 ,matt4 xxv4 #cd-cf4 ,footnote #ahb3 ,prov4 xii4 #ad4 ,footnote #ahc3 ,prov4 xiii4 #ac4 ,footnote #ahd3 ,matt4 v4 #ab4 ,luke vi4 #bc4 ,footnote #ahe3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #h4 ,footnote #ahf3 ,rom4 viii4 #cj4 ,footnote #ahg3 ,phil4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #ahh3 ,john vi4 #bg4 ,footnote #ahi3 ,phil4 i4 #f4 ,footnote #aij3 ,gal4 iv4 #cj4 ,footnote #aia3 ,matt4 xxv4 #cd4 ,footnote #aib3 ,col4 iii4 #bd4 ,footnote #aic3 ,gen4 xii4 #b1 #c2 xiii4 #af2 xv4 #e4 ,footnote #aid3 ,gen4 xxii4 #af-ah4 ,footnote #aie3 ,col4 i4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #aif3 #a ,peter i4 #e4 ,footnote #aig3 ,matt4 xx4 #a1 c4 ,footnote #aih3 ,mark x4 #cj4 ,footnote #aii3 ,matt4 xxv4 #cd4 ,footnote #bjj3 ,rom4 viii4 #bc4 ,footnote #bja3 #a ,peter i4 #i4 ,footnote #bjb3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ai4 ,footnote #bjc3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #h4 ,footnote #bjd3 ,heb4 x4 #ch4 ,footnote #bje3 ,luke xvi4 #i4 ,footnote #bjf3 #a ,tim4 vi4 #ag-ai4 ,footnote #bjg3 ,matt4 vi4 #ba4 ,footnote #bjh3 ,matt4 xxv4 #dj4 ,footnote #bji3 ,prov4 xix4 #ag4 ,footnote #baj3 #b ,cor4 ix4 #f4 ,footnote #baa3 #b ,thess4 i4 #e-g4 ,footnote #bab3 ,heb4 vi4 #aj4 ,footnote #bac3 ,rom4 viii4 #bi4 ,footnote #bad3 ,luke xxiv4 #bf4 ,footnote #bae3 ,acts xiv4 #bb4 ,footnote #baf3 ,gal4 vi4 #ag4 ,footnote #bag3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #bah3 ,phil4 iii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #bai3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #b1 #ac4 ,footnote #bbj3 ,col4 iii4 #ad4 ,footnote #bba3 ,matt4 xix4 #ag4 ,footnote #bbb3 ,matt4 xi4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #bbc3 ,john vi4 #bi4 ,footnote #bbd3 ,james ii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,on ,,christian ,,liberty4 ,we have now to treat of ,christian liberty1 an explanation of which ought not to be omitted in a treatise which is designed to comprehend a compendious summary of evangelical doctrine4 ,for it is a subject of the first importance1 and unless it be well understood1 our consciences scarcely venture to undertake any thing without doubting1 experience in many things hesitation and reluctance1 and are always subject to fluctuations and fears4 ,but especially it is an appendix to justification1 and affords no small assistance towards the knowledge of its influence4 ,hence they who sincerely fear ,god will experience the incomparable advantage of that doctrine1 which impious scoffers pursue with their railleries2 because in the spiritual intoxication with which they are seized1 they allow themselves the most unbounded impudence4 ,wherefore this is the proper time to introduce the subject2 and though we have slightly touched upon it on some former occasions1 yet it was useful to defer the full discussion of it to this place2 because1 as soon as any mention is made of ,christian liberty1 then either inordinate passions rage1 or violent emotions arise1 unless timely opposition be made to those wanton spirits1 who most nefariously corrupt things which are otherwise the best4 ,for some1 under the pretext of this liberty1 cast off all obedience to ,god1 and precipitate themselves into the most unbridled licentiousness2 and some despise it1 supposing it to be subversive of all moderation1 order1 and moral distinctions4 ,what can we do in this case1 surrounded by such difficulties8 ,shall we entirely discard ,christian liberty1 and so preclude the occasion of such dangers8 ,but1 as we have observed1 unless this be understood1 there can be no right knowledge of ,christ1 or of evangelical truth1 or of internal peace of mind4 ,we should rather exert ourselves to prevent the suppression of such a necessary branch of doctrine1 and at the same time to obviate those absurd objections which are frequently deduced from it4 ,,ii4 ,christian liberty1 according to my judgment1 consists of three parts4 ,the first part is1 that the consciences of believers1 when seeking an assurance of their justification before ,god1 should raise themselves above the law1 and forget all the righteousness of the law4 ,for since the law1 as we have elsewhere demonstrated1 leaves no man righteous1 either we must be excluded from all hope of justification1 or it is necessary for us to be delivered from it1 and that so completely as not to have any dependence on works4 ,for he who imagines1 that in order to obtain righteousness he must produce any works1 however small1 can fix no limit or boundary1 but renders himself a debtor to the whole law4 ,avoiding1 therefore1 all mention of the law1 and dismissing all thought of our own works1 in reference to justification1 we must embrace the ,divine mercy alone1 and turning our eyes from ourselves1 fix them solely on ,christ4 ,for the question is1 not how we can be righteous1 but how1 though unrighteous and unworthy1 we can be considered as righteous4 ,and the conscience that desires to attain any certainty respecting this1 must give no admission to the law4 ,nor will this authorize any one to conclude1 that the law is of no use to believers1 whom it still continues to instruct and exhort1 and stimulate to duty1 although it has no place in their consciences before the tribunal of ,god4 ,for these two things1 being very different1 require to be properly and carefully distinguished by us4 ,the whole life of ,christians ought to be an exercise of piety1 since they are called to sanctification4#bbe ,it is the office of the law to remind them of their duty1 and thereby to excite them to the pursuit of holiness and integrity4 ,but when their consciences are solicitous how ,god may be propitiated1 what answer they shall make1 and on what they shall rest their confidence1 if called to his tribunal1 there must then be no consideration of the requisitions of the law1 but ,christ alone must be proposed for righteousness1 who exceeds all the perfection of the law4 ,,iii4 ,on this point turns almost the whole argument of the ,epistle to the ,galatians4 ,for that they are erroneous expositors1 who maintain1 that ,paul there contends only for liberty from ceremonies1 may be proved from the topics of his reasoning4 ,such as these3 8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us40#bbf ,again3 8,stand fast1 therefore1 in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free1 and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage4 ,behold1 ,i ,paul say unto you1 that if ye be circumcised1 ,christ shall profit you nothing4 ,every man that is circumcised is a debtor to do the whole law4 ,christ is become of no effect unto you1 whosoever of you are justified by the law2 ye are fallen from grace40#bbg ,these passages certainly comprehend something more exalted than a freedom from ceremonies4 ,i confess1 indeed1 that ,paul is there treating of ceremonies1 because he is contending with the false apostles1 who attempted to introduce again into the ,christian ,church the ancient shadows of the law1 which had been abolished by the advent of ,christ4 ,but for the decision of this question it was necessary to discuss some higher topics1 in which the whole controversy lay4 ,first1 because the brightness of the gospel was obscured by those ,jewish shadows1 he shows that in ,christ we have a complete exhibition of all those things which were adumbrated by the ceremonies of ,moses4 ,secondly1 because these impostors instilled into the people the very pernicious opinion1 that this ceremonial obedience was sufficient to merit the ,divine favour1 he principally contends1 that believers ought not to suppose that they can obtain righteousness before ,god by any works of the law1 much less by those inferior elements4 ,and he at the same time teaches1 that from the condemnation of the law1 which otherwise impends over all men1 they are delivered by the cross of ,christ1 that they may rely with perfect security on him alone--a topic which properly belongs to our present subject4 ,lastly1 he asserts the liberty of the consciences of believers1 which ought to be laid under no obligation in things that are not necessary4 ,,iv4 ,the second part of ,christian liberty1 which is dependent on the first1 is1 that their consciences do not observe the law1 as being under any legal obligation2 but that1 being liberated from the yoke of the law1 they yield a voluntary obedience to the will of ,god4 ,for being possessed with perpetual terrors1 as long as they remain under the dominion of the law1 they will never engage with alacrity and promptitude in the service of ,god1 unless they have previously received this liberty4 ,we shall more easily and clearly discover the design of these things from an example4 ,the precept of the law is1 8,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thine heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy might40#bbh ,that this command may be fulfilled1 our soul must be previously divested of every other perception and thought1 our heart must be freed from all desires1 and our might must be collected and contracted to this one point4 ,those who1 compared with others1 have made a very considerable progress in the way of the ,lord1 are yet at an immense distance from this perfection4 ,for though they love ,god with their soul1 and with sincere affection of heart1 yet they have still much of their heart and soul occupied by carnal desires1 which retard their progress towards ,god4 ,they do indeed press forward with strong exertions1 but the flesh partly debilitates their strength1 and partly attracts it to itself4 ,what can they do in this case1 when they perceive that they are so far from observing the law8 ,they wish1 they aspire1 they endeavour1 but they do nothing with the perfection that is required4 ,if they advert to the law1 they see that every work they attempt or meditate is accursed4 ,nor is there the least reason for any person to deceive himself1 by concluding that an action is not necessarily altogether evil1 because it is imperfect1 and that therefore the good part of it is accepted by ,god4 ,for the law1 requiring perfect love1 condemns all imperfection1 unless its rigour be mitigated4 ,let him consider his work1 therefore1 which he wished to be thought partly good1 and he will find that very work to be a transgression of the law1 because it is imperfect4 ,v4 ,see how all our works1 if estimated according to the rigour of the law1 are subject to its curse4 ,how1 then1 could unhappy souls apply themselves with alacrity to any work for which they could expect to receive nothing but a curse8 ,on the contrary1 if they are liberated from the severe exaction of the law1 or rather from the whole of its rigour1 and hear ,god calling them with paternal gentleness1 then with cheerfulness and prompt alacrity they will answer to his call and follow his guidance4 ,in short1 they who are bound by the yoke of the law1 are like slaves who have certain daily tasks appointed by their masters4 ,they think they have done nothing1 and presume not to enter into the presence of their masters without having finished the work prescribed to them4 ,but children1 who are treated by their parents in a more liberal manner1 hesitate not to present to them their imperfect1 and in some respects faulty works1 in confidence that their obedience and promptitude of mind will be accepted by them1 though they have not performed all that they wished4 ,such children ought we to be1 feeling a certain confidence that our services1 however small1 rude1 and imperfect1 will be approved by our most indulgent ,father4 ,this he also confirms to us by the prophet3 8,i will spare them10 saith he1 8as a man spareth his own son that serveth him20#bbi where it is evident1 from the mention of service1 that the word spare is used to denote indulgence1 or an overlooking of faults4 ,and we have great need of this confidence1 without which all our endeavours will be vain2 for ,god considers us as serving him in none of our works1 but such as are truly done by us to his honour4 ,but how can this be done amidst those terrors1 where it is a matter of doubt whether our works offend ,god or honour him8 ,,vi4 ,this is the reason why the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews refers to faith1 and estimates only by faith1 all the good works which are recorded of the holy patriarchs4#bcj ,on this liberty there is a remarkable passage in the ,epistle to the ,romans1 where ,paul reasons that sin ought not to have dominion over us1 because we are not under the law1 but under grace4#bca ,for after he had exhorted believers1 8,let not sin1 therefore1 reign in your mortal body2 neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness2 but yield yourselves unto ,god1 as those that are alive from the dead1 and your members as instruments of righteousness unto ,god10#bcb--they might1 on the contrary1 object that they yet carried about with them the flesh full of inordinate desires1 and that sin dwelt in them2 but he adds the consolation furnished by their liberty from the law2 as though he had said1 ,although you do not yet experience sin to be destroyed1 and righteousness living in you in perfection1 yet you have no cause for terror and dejection of mind1 as if ,god were perpetually offended on account of your remaining sin2 because by grace you are emancipated from the law1 that your works may not be judged according to that rule4 ,but those1 who infer that we may commit sin because we are not under the law1 may be assured that they have no concern with this liberty1 the end of which is to animate us to virtue4 ,,vii4 ,the third part of ,christian liberty teaches us1 that we are bound by no obligation before ,god respecting external things1 which in themselves are indifferent2 but that we may indifferently sometimes use1 and at other times omit them4 ,and the knowledge of this liberty also is very necessary for us2 for without it we shall have no tranquillity of conscience1 nor will there be any end of superstitions4 ,many in the present age think it a folly to raise any dispute concerning the free use of meats1 of days1 and of habits1 and similar subjects1 considering these things as frivolous and nugatory2 but they are of greater importance than is generally believed4 ,for when the conscience has once fallen into the snare1 it enters a long and inextricable labyrinth1 from which it is afterwards difficult to escape2 if a man begin to doubt the lawfulness of using flax in sheets1 shirts1 handkerchiefs1 napkins1 and table cloths1 neither will he be certain respecting hemp1 and at last he will doubt of the lawfulness of using tow2 for he will consider with himself whether he cannot eat without table cloths or napkins1 whether he cannot do without handkerchiefs4 ,if any one imagine delicate food to be unlawful1 he will ere long have no tranquillity before ,god in eating brown bread and common viands1 while he remembers that he might support his body with meat of a quality still inferior4 ,if he hesitate respecting good wine1 he will afterwards be unable with any peace of conscience to drink the most vapid2 and at last he will not presume even to touch purer and sweeter water than others4 ,in short1 he will come to think it criminal to step over a twig that lies across his path4 ,for this is the commencement of no trivial controversy2 but the dispute is whether the use of certain things be agreeable to ,god1 whose will ought to guide all our resolutions and all our actions4 ,the necessary consequence is1 that some are hurried by despair into a vortex of confusion1 from which they see no way of escape2 and some1 despising ,god1 and casting off all fear of him1 make a way of ruin for themselves4 ,for all1 who are involved in such doubts1 which way soever they turn their views1 behold something offensive to their consciences presenting itself on every side4 ,,viii4 8,i know10 says ,paul1 8that there is nothing unclean of itself2 but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean1 to him it is unclean40#bcc ,in these words he makes all external things subject to our liberty1 provided that our minds have regard to this liberty before ,god4 ,but if any superstitious notion cause us to scruple1 those things which were naturally pure become contaminated to us4 ,wherefore he subjoins1 8,happy is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth4 ,and he that doubteth is condemned if he eat1 because he eateth not of faith2 for whatsoever is not of faith is sin40#bcd ,are not they1 who in these perplexities show their superior boldness by the security of their presumption1 guilty of departing from ,god8 whilst they who are deeply affected with the true fear of ,god1 when they are even constrained to admit many things to which their own consciences are averse1 are filled with terror and consternation4 ,no persons of this description receive any of the gifts of ,god with thanksgiving1 by which alone ,paul1 nevertheless1 declares them to be all sanctified to our use4#bce ,i mean a thanksgiving proceeding from a mind which acknowledges the beneficence and goodness of ,god in the blessings he bestows4 ,for many of them1 indeed1 apprehend the good things which they use to be from ,god1 whom they praise in his works2 but not being persuaded that they are given to them1 how could they give thanks to ,god as the giver of them8 ,we see1 in short1 the tendency of this liberty1 which is1 that without any scruple of conscience or perturbation of mind1 we should devote the gifts of ,god to that use for which he has given them2 by which confidence our souls may have peace with him1 and acknowledge his liberality towards us4 ,for this comprehends all ceremonies1 the observation of which is left free1 that the conscience may not be bound by any obligation to observe them1 but may remember that by the goodness of ,god it may use them1 or abstain from them1 as shall be most conducive to edification4 ,,ix4 ,now1 it must be carefully observed1 that ,christian liberty is in all its branches a spiritual thing2 all the virtue of which consists in appeasing terrified consciences before ,god1 whether they are disquieted and solicitous concerning the remission of their sins1 or are anxious to know if their works1 which are imperfect and contaminated by the defilements of the flesh1 be acceptable to ,god2 or are tormented concerning the use of things that are indifferent4 ,wherefore they are guilty of perverting its meaning1 who either make it the pretext of their irregular appetites1 that they may abuse the ,divine blessings to the purposes of sensuality1 or who suppose that there is no liberty but what is used before men1 and therefore in the exercise of it totally disregard their weak brethren4 ,the former of these sins is the more common in the present age4 ,there is scarcely any one1 whom his wealth permits to be sumptuous1 who is not delighted with luxurious splendour in his entertainments1 in his dress1 and in his buildings2 who does not desire a preminence in every species of luxury2 who does not strangely flatter himself on his elegance4 ,and all these things are defended under the pretext of ,christian liberty4 ,they allege that they are things indifferent2 this ,i admit1 provided they be indifferently used4 ,but where they are too ardently coveted1 proudly boasted1 or luxuriously lavished1 these things1 of themselves otherwise indifferent1 are completely polluted by such vices4 ,this passage of ,paul makes an excellent distinction respecting things which are indifferent3 8,unto the pure all things are pure2 but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure2 but even their mind and conscience is defiled40#bcf ,for why are curses denounced on rich men1 who 8receive their consolation10 who are 8satiated10 who 8now laugh10 who 8lie on beds of ivory10 who 8join field to field10 who 8have the harp1 and the lyre1 and the tabret1 and wine in their feasts80#bcg ,ivory and gold1 and riches of all kinds1 are certainly blessings of ,divine ,providence1 not only permitted1 but expressly designed for the use of men2 nor are we any where prohibited to laugh1 or to be satiated with food1 or to annex new possessions to those already enjoyed by ourselves or by our ancestors1 or to be delighted with musical harmony1 or to drink wine4 ,this indeed is true2 but amidst an abundance of all things1 to be immersed in sensual delights1 to inebriate the heart and mind with present pleasures1 and perpetually to grasp at new ones1--these things are very remote from a legitimate use of the ,divine blessings4 ,let them banish1 therefore1 immoderate cupidity1 excessive profusion1 vanity1 and arrogance2 that with a pure conscience they may make a proper use of the gifts of ,god4 ,when their hearts shall be formed to this sobriety1 they will have a rule for the legitimate enjoyment of them4 ,on the contrary1 without this moderation1 even common and ordinary pleasures are chargeable with excess4 ,for it is truly observed1 that a proud heart frequently dwells under coarse and ragged garments1 and that simplicity and humility are sometimes concealed under purple and fine linen4 ,let all men1 in their respective stations1 whether of poverty1 of competence1 or of splendour1 live in the remembrance of this truth1 that ,god confers his blessings on them for the support of life1 not for luxury2 and let them consider this as the law of ,christian liberty1 that they learn the lesson which ,paul had learned1 when he said1 8,i have learned1 in whatsoever state ,i am1 therewith to be content4 ,i know both how to be abased1 and ,i know how to abound3 every where and in all things ,i am instructed1 both to be full and to be hungry1 both to abound and to suffer need40#bch ,x4 ,many persons err likewise in this respect1 that1 as if their liberty would not be perfectly secure unless witnessed by men1 they make an indiscriminate and imprudent use of it--a disorderly practice1 which occasions frequent offence to their weak brethren4 ,there are some to be found1 in the present day1 who imagine their liberty would be abridged1 if they were not to enter on the enjoyment of it by eating animal food on ,friday4 ,their eating is not the subject of my reprehension2 but their minds require to be divested of this false notion2 for they ought to consider1 that they obtain no advantage from their liberty before men1 but with ,god2 and that it consists in abstinence as well as in use4 ,if they apprehend it to be immaterial in ,god's view1 whether they eat animal food or eggs1 whether their garments be scarlet or black1 it is quite sufficient4 ,the conscience1 to which the benefit of this liberty was due1 is now emancipated4 ,therefore1 though they abstain from flesh1 and wear but one color1 during all the rest of their lives1 this is no diminution of their freedom4 ,nay1 because they are free1 they therefore abstain with a free conscience4 ,but they fall into a very pernicious error in disregarding the infirmity of their brethren1 which it becomes us to bear1 so as not rashly to do any thing which would give them the least offence4 ,but it will be said1 that it is sometimes right to assert our liberty before men4 ,this ,i confess2 yet the greatest caution and moderation must be observed1 lest we cast off all concern for the weak1 whom ,god has so strongly recommended to our regards4 ,,xi4 ,i shall now1 therefore1 make some observations concerning offences2 how they are to be discriminated1 what are to be avoided1 and what are to be disregarded2 whence we may afterwards determine what room there is for our liberty in our intercourse with mankind4 ,i approve of the common distinction between an offence given and an offence taken1 since it is plainly countenanced by ,scripture1 and is likewise sufficiently significant of the thing intended to be expressed4 ,if you do any thing at a wrong time or place1 or with an unseasonable levity1 or wantonness1 or temerity1 by which the weak and inexperienced are offended1 it must be termed an offence given by you2 because it arises from your fault4 ,and an offence is always said to be given in any action1 the fault of which proceeds from the performer of that action4 ,an offence taken is1 when any transaction1 not otherwise unseasonable or culpable1 is1 through malevolence1 or some perverse disposition1 construed into an occasion of offence4 ,for in this instance the offence is not given1 but taken without reason by such perverseness of construction4 ,the first species of offence affects none but the weak2 the second is created by moroseness of temper1 and ,pharisaical superciliousness4 ,wherefore we shall denominate the former1 the offence of the weak1 the latter1 that of ,pharisees2 and we shall so temper the use of our liberty1 that it ought to submit to the ignorance of weak brethren1 but not at all to the austerity of ,pharisees4 ,for our duty to the weak1 ,paul fully shows in many places4 8,him that is weak in the faith receive ye40 ,again3 8,let us not therefore judge one another any more2 but judge this rather1 that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way20#bci and much more to the same import1 which were better examined in its proper connection than recited here4 ,the sum of all is1 that 8we1 then1 that are strong1 ought to bear the infirmities of the weak1 and not to please ourselves4 ,let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification40#bdj ,in another place3 8,but take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak40#bda ,again3 8,whatsoever is sold in the shambles1 that eat2 asking no questions for conscience' sake2 conscience1 ,i say1 not thine own1 but of the other40 ,in short1 8,give none offence1 neither to the ,jews1 nor to the ,gentiles1 nor to the ,church of ,god40#bdb ,in another place also3 8,brethren1 ye have been called unto liberty2 only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh1 but by love serve one another40#bdc ,the meaning of this is1 that our liberty is not given us to be used in opposition to our weak neighbours1 to whom charity obliges us to do every possible service2 but rather in order that1 having peace with ,god in our minds1 we may also live peaceably among men4 ,but how much attention should be paid to an offence taken by ,pharisees1 we learn from our ,lord's injunction1 8,let them alone2 they be blind leaders of the blind40#bdd ,the disciples had informed him1 that the ,pharisees were offended with his discourse4 ,he replies that they are to be let alone1 and their offence disregarded4 ,,xii4 ,but the subject is still pending in uncertainty1 unless we know whom we are to account weak1 and whom we are to consider as ,pharisees2 without which distinction1 ,i see no use of liberty in the midst of offences1 but such as must be attended with the greatest danger4 ,but ,paul appears to me to have very clearly decided1 both by doctrine and examples1 how far our liberty should be either moderated or asserted on the occurrence of offences4 ,when he made ,timothy his associate1 he circumcised him2#bde but could not be induced to circumcise ,titus4#bdf ,here was a difference in his proceedings1 but no change of mind or of purpose4 ,in the circumcision of ,timothy1 8though he was free from all men1 yet he made himself servant unto all20 and says he1 8,unto the ,jews ,i became as a ,jew1 that ,i might gain the ,jews2 to them that are under the law1 as under the law1 that ,i might gain them that are under the law3 ,i am made all things to all men1 that ,i might by all means save some40#bdg ,thus we have a proper moderation of liberty1 if it may be indifferently restricted with any advantage4 ,his reason for resolutely refraining from circumcising ,titus1 he declares in the following words3 8,but neither ,titus1 who was with me1 being a ,greek1 was compelled to be circumcised2 and that because of false brethren unawares brought in1 who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in ,christ ,jesus1 that they might bring us into bondage2 to whom we gave place by subjection1 no1 not for an hour2 that the truth of the gospel might continue with you40#bdh ,we also are under the necessity of vindicating our liberty1 if it be endangered in weak consciences by the iniquitous requisitions of false apostles4 ,we must at all times study charity1 and keep in view the edification of our neighbour4 8,all things 7says ,paul7 are lawful for me1 but all things are not expedient3 all things are lawful for me1 but all things edify not4 ,let no man seek his own1 but every man another's40#bdi ,nothing can be plainer than this rule1 that our liberty should be used1 if it conduces to our neighbour's edification2 but that if it be not beneficial to our neighbour1 it should be abridged4 ,there are some1 who pretend to imitate the prudence of ,paul in refraining from the exercise of liberty1 while they are doing any thing but exercising the duties of charity4 ,for to promote their own tranquillity1 they wish all mention of liberty to be buried2 whereas it is no less advantageous to our neighbours sometimes to use our liberty to their benefit and edification1 than at other times to moderate it for their accommodation4 ,but a pious man considers this liberty in external things as granted him in order that he may be the better prepared for all the duties of charity4 ,,xiii4 ,but whatever ,i have advanced respecting the avoidance of offences1 ,i wish to be referred to indifferent and unimportant things2 for necessary duties must not be omitted through fear of any offence3 as our liberty should be subject to charity1 so charity itself ought to be subservient to the purity of faith4 ,it becomes us1 indeed1 to have regard to charity2 but we must not offend ,god for the love of our neighbour4 ,we cannot approve the intemperance of those who do nothing but in a tumultuous manner1 and who prefer violent measures to lenient ones4 ,nor must we listen to those1 who1 while they show themselves the leaders in a thousand species of impiety1 pretend that they are obliged to act in such a manner1 that they may give no offence to their neighbours2 as though they are not at the same time fortifying the consciences of their neighbours in sin2 especially since they are always sticking in the same mire without any hope of deliverance4 ,and whether their neighbour is to be instructed by doctrine or by example1 they maintain that he ought to be fed with milk1 though they are infecting him with the worst and most pernicious notions4 ,paul tells the ,corinthians1 8,i have fed you with milk20#bej but if the ,popish mass had been then introduced among them1 would he have united in that pretended sacrifice in order to feed them with milk8 ,certainly not2 for milk is not poison4 ,they are guilty of falsehood1 therefore1 in saying that they feed those whom they cruelly murder under the appearance of such flatteries4 ,but admitting that such dissimulation is to be approved for a time1 how long will they feed their children with the same milk8 ,for if they never grow1 so as to be able to bear even some light meat1 it is a clear proof that they were never fed with milk4 ,i am prevented from pushing this controversy with them any further at present1 by two reasons--first1 because their absurdities scarcely deserve a refutation1 being justly despised by all men of sound understanding2 secondly1 having done this at large in particular treatises1 ,i am unwilling to travel the same ground over again4 ,only let the readers remember1 that with whatever offences ,satan and the world may endeavour to divert us from the ordinances of ,god1 or to retard our pursuit of what he enjoins1 yet we must nevertheless strenuously advance2 and moreover1 that whatever dangers threaten us1 we are not at liberty to deviate even a hair's breadth from his command1 and that it is not lawful under any pretext to attempt any thing but what he permits4 ,,xiv4 ,now1 since the consciences of believers1 being privileged with the liberty which we have described1 have been delivered by the favour of ,christ from all necessary obligation to the observance of those things in which the ,lord has been pleased they should be left free1 we conclude that they are exempt from all human authority4 ,for it is not right that ,christ should lose the acknowledgments due to such kindness1 or our consciences the benefit of it4 ,neither is that to be accounted a trivial thing1 which we see cost ,christ so much2 which he estimated not with gold or silver1 but with his own blood2#bea so that ,paul hesitates not to assert1 that his death is rendered vain1 if we suffer our souls to be in subjection to men4#beb ,for his sole object in some chapters of his ,epistle to the ,galatians is to prove that ,christ is obscured1 or rather abolished1 with respect to us1 unless our consciences continue in their liberty2 from which they are certainly fallen1 if they can be insnared in the bonds of laws and ordinances at the pleasure of men4#bec ,but as it is a subject highly worthy of being understood1 so it needs a more diffuse and perspicuous explanation4 ,for as soon as a word is mentioned concerning the abrogation of human establishments1 great tumults are excited1 partly by seditious persons1 partly by cavillers2 as though all obedience of men were at once subverted and destroyed4 ,,xv4 ,to prevent any one from falling into this error1 let us therefore consider1 in the first place1 that man is under two kinds of government--one spiritual1 by which the conscience is formed to piety and the service of ,god2 the other political1 by which a man is instructed in the duties of humanity and civility1 which are to be observed in an intercourse with mankind4 ,they are generally1 and not improperly1 denominated the spiritual and the temporal jurisdiction2 indicating that the former species of government pertains to the life of the soul1 and that the latter relates to the concerns of the present state2 not only to the provision of food and clothing1 but to the enactment of laws to regulate a man's life among his neighbours by the rules of holiness1 integrity1 and sobriety4 ,for the former has its seat in the interior of the mind1 whilst the latter only directs the external conduct3 one may be termed a spiritual kingdom1 and the other a political one4 ,but these two1 as we have distinguished them1 always require to be considered separately2 and while the one is under discussion1 the mind must be abstracted from all consideration of the other4 ,for man contains1 as it were1 two worlds1 capable of being governed by various rulers and various laws4 ,this distinction will prevent what the gospel inculcates concerning spiritual liberty from being misapplied to political regulations2 as though ,christians were less subject to the external government of human laws1 because their consciences have been set at liberty before ,god2 as though their freedom of spirit necessarily exempted them from all carnal servitude4 ,again1 because even in those constitutions which seem to pertain to the spiritual kingdom1 there may possibly be some deception1 it is necessary to discriminate between these also2 which are to be accounted legitimate1 as according with the ,divine word1 and which1 on the contrary1 ought not to be received among believers4 ,of civil government ,i shall treat in another place4 ,of ecclesiastical laws also ,i forbear to speak at present2 because a full discussion of them will be proper in the ,fourth ,book1 where we shall treat of the power of the ,church4 ,but we shall conclude the present argument in the following manner3 ,the question1 which1 as ,i have observed1 is in itself not very obscure or intricate1 greatly perplexes many1 because they do not distinguish with sufficient precision between the external jurisdiction and the court of conscience4 ,the difficulty is increased by ,paul's injunction to obey magistrates 8not only for wrath1 but also for conscience' sake20#bed from which it should follow1 that the conscience also is bound by political laws4 ,but if this were true1 it would supersede all that we have already said1 or are now about to say1 respecting spiritual government4 ,for the solution of this difficulty1 it will be of use1 first1 to know what conscience is4 ,and the definition of it must be derived from the etymology of the word4 ,for as1 when men apprehend the knowledge of things in the mind and understanding1 they are thence said scire1 8to know10 whence is derived the word scientia1 8science0 or 8knowledge20 so when they have a sense of ,divine justice1 as an additional witness1 which permits them not to conceal their sins1 or to elude accusation at the tribunal of the supreme ,judge1 this sense is termed conscientia1 8conscience40 ,for it is a kind of medium between ,god and man2 because it does not suffer a man to suppress what he knows within himself1 but pursues him till it brings him to conviction4 ,this is what ,paul means by 8their conscience also bearing witness1 and their thoughts accusing1 or else excusing1 one another40#bee ,simple knowledge might remain1 as it were1 confined within a man4 ,this sentiment1 therefore1 which places man before the ,divine tribunal1 is appointed1 as it were1 to watch over man1 to observe and examine all his secrets1 that nothing may remain enveloped in darkness4 ,hence the old proverb1 ,conscience is as a thousand witnesses4 ,for the same reason ,peter speaks of 8the answer of a good conscience towards ,god10#bef to express our tranquillity of mind1 when1 persuaded of the favour of ,christ1 we present ourselves with boldness in the presence of ,god4 ,and the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews expresses absolution or freedom from every future charge of sin1 by 8having no more conscience of sin40#beg ,,xvi4 ,therefore1 as works respect men1 so conscience regards ,god2 so that a good conscience is no other than inward integrity of heart4 ,in which sense ,paul says1 that 8the end of the commandment is charity1 out of a pure heart1 and of a good conscience1 and of faith unfeigned40#beh ,afterwards also1 in the same chapter1 he shows how widely it differs from understanding1 saying1 that 8some1 having put away a good conscience1 concerning faith have made shipwreck40#bei ,for these words indicate that it is a lively inclination to the service of ,god1 and a sincere pursuit of piety and holiness of life4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 it is likewise extended to men2 as when the same apostle declares1 8,herein do ,i exercise myself1 to have always a conscience void of offence toward ,god and toward men40#bfj ,but the reason of this assertion is1 that the fruits of a good conscience reach even to men4 ,but in strict propriety of speech it has to do with ,god alone1 as ,i have already observed4 ,hence it is that a law1 which simply binds a man without relation to other men1 or any consideration of them1 is said to bind the conscience4 ,for example1 ,god not only enjoins the preservation of the mind chaste and pure from every libidinous desire1 but prohibits all obscenity of language and external lasciviousness4 ,the observance of this law is incumbent on my conscience1 though there were not another man existing in the world4 ,thus he who transgresses the limits of temperance1 not only sins by giving a bad example to his brethren1 but contracts guilt on his conscience before ,god4 ,things in themselves indifferent are to be guided by other considerations4 ,it is our duty to abstain from them1 if they tend to the least offence1 yet without violating our liberty of conscience4 ,so ,paul speaks concerning meat consecrated to idols3 8,if any man say unto you1 ,this is offered in sacrifice to idols1 eat not for conscience' sake2 conscience1 ,i say1 not thine own1 but of the other40#bfa ,a pious man would be guilty of sin1 who1 being previously admonished1 should1 nevertheless1 eat such meat4 ,but though1 with respect to his brother1 abstinence is necessary for him1 as it is enjoined by ,god1 yet he ceases not to retain liberty of conscience4 ,we see1 then1 how this law1 though it binds the external action1 leaves the conscience free4 ,footnote #bbe3 ,ephes4 i4 #d4 #a ,thess4 iv4 #c1 #g4 ,footnote #bbf3 ,gal4 iii4 #ac4 ,footnote #bbg3 ,gal4 v4 #a-d4 ,footnote #bbh3 ,deut4 vi4 #e4 ,footnote #bbi3 ,mal4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #bcj3 ,heb4 xi4 #b4 ,footnote #bca3 ,rom4 vi4 #ad4 ,footnote #bcb3 ,rom4 vi4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #bcc3 ,rom4 xiv4 #ad4 ,footnote #bcd3 ,rom4 xiv4 #bb1 #bc4 ,footnote #bce3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #e4 ,footnote #bcf3 ,titus i4 #ae4 ,footnote #bcg3 ,luke vi4 #bd1 #be4 ,amos vi4 #a1 c4 ,isaiah v4 #h1 c4 ,footnote #bch3 ,phil4 iv4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #bci3 ,rom4 xiv4 #a1 #ac4 ,footnote #bdj3 ,rom4 xv4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #bda3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #i4 ,footnote #bdb3 #a ,cor x4 #be1 #bi1 #cb4 ,footnote #bdc3 ,gal4 v4 #ac4 ,footnote #bdd3 ,matt4 xv4 #ad4 ,footnote #bde3 ,acts xvi4 #c4 ,footnote #bdf3 ,gal4 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #bdg3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #ai1 #bj1 #bb4 ,footnote #bdh3 ,gal4 ii4 #c-e4 ,footnote #bdi3 #a ,cor4 x4 #bc1 #bd4 ,footnote #bej3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #b4 ,footnote #bea3 #a ,peter i4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #beb3 ,gal4 v4 #a1 #d4 ,footnote #bec3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #bc4 ,footnote #bed3 ,rom4 xiii4 #a1 #e4 ,footnote #bee3 ,rom4 ii4 #ae4 ,footnote #bef3 #a ,peter iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #beg3 ,heb4 x4 #b4 ,footnote #beh3 #a ,tim4 i4 #e4 ,footnote #bei3 #a ,tim4 i4 #ai4 ,footnote #bfj3 ,acts xxiv4 #af4 ,footnote #bfa3 #a ,cor4 x4 #bh1 #bi4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,on ,,prayer1 ,,the ,,principal ,,exercise ,,of ,,faith1 ,,and ,,the ,,medium ,,of ,,our ,,daily ,,reception ,,of ,,divine ,,blessings4 ,from the subjects already discussed1 we clearly perceive how utterly destitute man is of every good1 and in want of all the means of salvation4 ,wherefore1 if he seek for relief in his necessities1 he must go out of himself1 and obtain it from some other quarter4 ,it has been subsequently stated1 that the ,lord voluntarily and liberally manifests himself in his ,christ1 in whom he offers us all felicity instead of our misery1 and opulence instead of our poverty2 in whom he opens to our view the treasures of heaven1 that our faith may be wholly engaged in the contemplation of his beloved ,son1 that all our expectation may depend upon him1 and that in him all our hope may rest and be fully satisfied4 ,this1 indeed1 is that secret and recondite philosophy1 which cannot be extracted from syllogisms2 but is well understood by those whose eyes ,god has opened1 that in his light they may see light4 ,but since we have been taught by faith to acknowledge1 that whatever we want for the supply of our necessities is in ,god and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 in whom it has pleased the ,father all the fulness of his bounty should dwell1 that we may all draw from it1 as from a most copious fountain1 it remains for us to seek in him1 and by prayers to implore of him1 that which we have been informed resides in him4 ,otherwise to know ,god as the ,lord and ,giver of every good1 who invites us to supplicate him1 but neither to approach him nor to supplicate him1 would be equally unprofitable1 as for a man to neglect a treasure discovered to him buried in the earth4 ,wherefore the apostle1 to show that true faith cannot but be engaged in calling upon ,god1 has laid down this order--that1 as faith is produced by the gospel1 so by faith our hearts are brought to invoke the name of the ,lord4#bfb ,and this is the same as he had a little before said1 that the 8,spirit of adoption10 who seals the testimony of the gospel in our hearts1 encourages our spirits1 so that they venture to pour out their desires before ,god1 excite 8groanings that cannot be uttered10 and cry with confidence1 8,abba1 ,father40#bfc ,this last subject1 therefore1 having been before only cursorily mentioned and slightly touched1 requires now to be treated more at large4 ,,ii4 ,by means of prayer1 then1 we penetrate to those riches which are reserved with our heavenly ,father for our use4 ,for between ,god and men there is a certain communication2 by which they enter into the sanctuary of heaven1 and in his immediate presence remind him of his promises1 in order that his declarations1 which they have implicitly believed1 may in time of necessity be verified in their experience4 ,we see1 therefore1 that nothing is revealed to us1 to be expected from the ,lord1 for which we are not likewise enjoined to pray2 so true is it1 that prayer digs out those treasures1 which the gospel of the ,lord discovers to our faith4 ,now1 the necessity and various utility of the exercise of prayer no language can sufficiently explain4 ,it is certainly not without reason that our heavenly ,father declares1 that the only fortress of salvation consists in invocation of his name2 by which we call to our aid the presence of his providence1 which watches over all our concerns2 of his power1 which supports us when weak and ready to faint2 and of his goodness1 which receives us into favour1 though miserably burdened with sins2 in which1 finally1 we call upon him to manifest his presence with us in all his attributes4 ,hence our consciences derive peculiar peace and tranquillity2 for when the affliction which oppressed us is represented to the ,lord1 we feel abundant composure even from this consideration--that none of our troubles are concealed from him1 whom we know to possess both the greatest readiness and the greatest ability to promote our truest interest4 ,,iii4 ,but some will say1 ,does he not1 without information1 know both our troubles and our necessities2 so that it may appear unnecessary to solicit him with our prayers1 as if he were inattentive or sleeping1 till aroused by our voice8 ,but such reasoners advert not to the ,lord's end in teaching his people to pray2 for he has appointed it not so much for his own sake as for ours4 ,it is his pleasure indeed1 as is highly reasonable1 that his right be rendered to him1 by their considering him as the ,author of all that is desired and found useful by men1 and by their acknowledgments of this in their prayers4 ,but the utility of this sacrifice1 by which he is worshipped1 returns to us4 ,the greater the confidence1 therefore1 with which the ancient saints gloried in the ,divine benefits to themselves and others1 with so much the more earnestness were they incited to pray4 ,the single example of ,elijah shall suffice1 who1 though certain of ,god's design1 having already with sufficient authority promised rain to king ,ahab1 yet anxiously prays between his knees1 and sends his servant seven times to look for it2#bfd not with an intention to discredit the ,divine oracle1 but under a conviction of his duty to prevent his faith becoming languid and torpid1 by pouring out his prayers before ,god4 ,wherefore1 although1 when we are stupid and insensible to our own miseries1 he vigilantly watches and guards us1 and sometimes affords us unsolicited succour1 yet it highly concerns us assiduously to supplicate him1 that our heart may be always inflamed with a serious and ardent desire of seeking1 loving1 and worshipping him1 while we accustom ourselves in all our necessities to resort to him as our sheet anchor4 ,further1 that no desire or wish1 which we should be ashamed for him to know1 may enter our minds2 when we learn to present our wishes1 and so to pour out our whole heart in his presence4 ,next1 that we may be prepared to receive his blessings with true gratitude of soul1 and even with grateful acknowledgments2 being reminded by our praying that they come from his hand4 ,moreover1 that when we have obtained what we sought1 the persuasion that he has answered our requests may excite us to more ardent meditations on his goodness1 and produce a more joyful welcome of those things which we acknowledge to be the fruits of our prayers4 ,lastly1 that use and experience itself may yield our minds a confirmation of his providence in proportion to our imbecility1 while we apprehend that he not only promises never to forsake us1 and freely opens a way of access for our addressing him in the very moment of necessity2 but that his hand is always extended to assist his people1 whom he does not feed with mere words1 but supports with present aid4 ,on these accounts our most merciful ,father1 though liable to no sleep or languor1 yet frequently appears as if he were sleepy or languid1 in order to exercise us1 who are otherwise slothful and inactive1 in approaching1 supplicating1 and earnestly importuning him to our own advantage4 ,it is extremely absurd1 therefore1 in them who1 with a view to divert the minds of men from praying to ,god1 pretend that it is useless for us by our interruptions to weary the ,divine ,providence1 which is engaged in the conservation of all things2 whereas the ,lord declares1 on the contrary1 that he 8is nigh to all that call upon him in truth40#bfe ,and equally nugatory is the objection of others1 that it is superfluous to petition for those things which the ,lord is ready voluntarily to bestow2 whereas even those very things1 which flow to us from his spontaneous liberality1 he wishes us to consider as granted to our prayers4 ,this is evinced by that memorable passage in the ,psalms1 as well as by many other correspondent texts1--8,the eyes of the ,lord are upon the righteous1 and his ears are open unto their cry20#bff which celebrates the ,divine ,providence as spontaneously engaged to accomplish the salvation of believers2 yet does not omit the exercise of faith1 by which sloth is expelled from the minds of men4 ,the eyes of ,god1 then1 are vigilant to succour the necessity of the blind2 but he is likewise willing to hear our groans1 to give a better proof of his love towards us4 ,and thus it is equally true1 that 8he that keepeth ,israel neither slumbers nor sleeps10 and yet that he remains1 as it were1 forgetful of us1 while he beholds us slothful and dumb4 ,,iv4 ,now1 for conducting prayer in a right and proper manner1 the first rule is1 that our heart and mind be composed to a suitable frame1 becoming those who enter into conversation with ,god4 ,this state of mind we shall certainly attain1 if1 divested of all carnal cares and thoughts1 that tend to divert and seduce it from a right and clear view of ,god1 it not only devotes itself entirely to the solemn exercise1 but is likewise as far as possible elevated and carried above itself4 ,nor do ,i here require a mind so disengaged as to be disturbed by no solicitude2 since there ought1 on the contrary1 most anxiously to be kindled within us a fervency of prayer1 7as we see the holy servants of ,god discover great solicitude1 and even anguish1 when they say they utter their complaints to the ,lord from the deep abysses of affliction and the very jaws of death47 ,but ,i maintain the necessity of dismissing all foreign and external cares1 by which the wandering mind may be hurried hither and thither1 and dragged from heaven down to earth4 ,it ought to be elevated above itself1 that it may not intrude into the ,divine presence any of the imaginations of our blind and foolish reason1 nor confine itself within the limits of its own vanity1 but rise to purity worthy of ,god4 ,v4 ,both these things are highly worthy of observation--first1 that whoever engages in prayer1 should apply all his faculties and attention to it1 and not be distracted1 as is commonly the case1 with wandering thoughts2 nothing being more contrary to a reverence for ,god than such levity1 which indicates a licentious spirit1 wholly unrestrained by fear4 ,in this case our exertions must be great in proportion to the difficulty we experience4 ,for no man can be so intent on praying1 but he may perceive many irregular thoughts intruding on him1 and either interrupting1 or by some oblique digression retarding1 the course of his devotions4 ,but here let us consider what an indignity it is1 when ,god admits us to familiar intercourse with him1 to abuse such great condescension by a mixture of things sacred and profane1 while our thoughts are not confined to him by reverential awe2 but as if we were conversing with a mean mortal1 we quit him in the midst of our prayer1 and make excursions on every side4 ,we may be assured1 therefore1 that none are rightly prepared for the exercise of prayer1 but those who are so affected by the ,divine ,majesty as to come to it divested of all earthly cares and affections4 ,and this is indicated by the ceremony of lifting up the hands1 that men may remember that they are at a great distance from ,god1 unless they lift up their thoughts on high4 ,as it is also expressed in the psalm1 8,unto thee do ,i lift up my soul40#bfg ,and the ,scripture frequently uses this mode of expression1 8to lift up one's prayer20 that they1 who desire to be heard by ,god1 may not sink into lethargic inactivity4 ,to sum up the whole1 the greater the liberality of ,god towards us1 in gently inviting us to disburden ourselves of our cares by casting them on him1 the less excusable are we1 unless his signal and incomparable favour preponderate with us beyond every thing else1 and attract us to him in a serious application of all our faculties and attention to the duty of prayer2 which cannot be done unless our mind by strenuous exertion rise superior to every impediment4 ,our second proposition is1 that we must pray for no more than ,god permits4 ,for though he enjoins us to pour out our hearts before him1#bfh yet he does not carelessly give the reins to affections of folly and depravity2 and when he promises to 8fulfil the desire0#bfi of believers1 he does not go to such an extreme of indulgence1 as to subject himself to their caprice4 ,but offences against both these rules are common and great2 for most men not only presume1 without modesty or reverence1 to address ,god concerning their follies1 and impudently to utter at his tribunal whatever has amused them in their reveries or dreams1 but so great is their folly or stupidity1 that they dare to obtrude upon ,god all their foulest desires1 which they would be exceedingly ashamed to reveal to men4 ,some heathens have ridiculed and even detested this presumption1 but the vice itself has always prevailed2 and hence it was that the ambitious chose ,jupiter as their patron2 the avaricious1 ,mercury2 the lovers of learning1 ,apollo and ,minerva2 the warlike1 ,mars2 and the libidinous1 ,venus2 just as in the present age 7as ,i have lately hinted7 men indulge a greater license to their unlawful desires in their prayers1 than if they were conversing in a jocular manner with their equals4 ,god suffers not his indulgence to be so mocked1 but asserts his power1 and subjects our devotions to his commands4 ,therefore we ought to remember this passage in ,john3 8,this is the confidence that we have in him1 that1 if we ask any thing according to his will1 he heareth us40#bgj ,but as our abilities are very unequal to such great perfection1 we must seek some remedy to relieve us4 ,as the attention of the mind ought to be fixed on ,god1 so it is necessary that it should be followed by the affection of the heart4 ,but they both remain far below this elevation2 or rather1 to speak more consistently with truth1 they grow weary and fail in the ascent1 or are carried a contrary course4 ,therefore1 to assist this imbecility1 ,god gives us the ,spirit1 to be the director of our prayers1 to suggest what is right1 and to regulate our affections4 ,for 8the ,spirit helpeth our infirmities2 for we know not what we should pray for as we ought2 but the ,spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered20#bga not that he really prays or groans2 but he excites within us confidence1 desires1 and sighs1 to the conception of which our native powers were altogether inadequate4 ,nor is it without reason that ,paul terms those 8groanings10 which arise from believers under the influence of the ,spirit1 8unutterable20 because they who are truly engaged in prayers1 are not ignorant that they are so perplexed with dubious anxieties1 that they can scarcely decide what it is expedient to utter2 and even while they are attempting to lisp1 they stammer and hesitate2 whence it follows that the ability of praying rightly is a peculiar gift4 ,these things are not said in order that we may indulge our own indolence1 resigning the office of prayer to the ,spirit of ,god1 and growing torpid in that negligence to which we are too prone2 according to the impious errors of some1 that we should wait in indolent supineness till he call our minds from other engagements and draw them to himself2 but rather that1 wearied with our sloth and inactivity1 we may implore such assistance of the ,spirit4 ,nor does the apostle1 when he exhorts us to 8pray in the ,holy ,ghost10#bgb encourage us to remit our vigilance2 signifying1 that the inspiration of the ,spirit operates in the formation of our prayers1 so as not in the least to impede or retard our own exertions2 since it is the will of ,god to prove in this instance the efficacious influence of faith on our hearts4 ,,vi4 ,let this be the second rule3 ,that in our supplications we should have a real and permanent sense of our indigence1 and seriously considering our necessity of all that we ask1 should join with the petitions themselves a serious and ardent desire of obtaining them4 ,for multitudes carelessly recite a form of prayer1 as though they were discharging a task imposed on them by ,god2 and though they confess that this is a remedy necessary for their calamities1 since it would be certain destruction to be destitute of the ,divine aid which they implore1 yet that they perform this duty merely in compliance with custom1 is evident from the coldness of their hearts1 and their inattention to the nature of their petitions4 ,they are led to this by some general and confused sense of their necessity1 which nevertheless does not excite them to implore a relief for their great need as a case of present urgency4 ,now1 what can we imagine more odious or execrable to ,god than this hypocrisy1 when any man prays for the pardon of sins1 who at the same time thinks he is not a sinner1 or at least does not think that he is a sinner8 which is an open mockery of ,god himself4 ,but such depravity1 as ,i have before observed1 pervades the whole human race1 that as a matter of form they frequently implore of ,god many things which they either expect to receive from some other source independent of his goodness1 or imagine themselves already to possess4 ,the crime of some others appears to be smaller1 but yet too great to be tolerated2 who1 having only imbibed this principle1 that ,god must be propitiated by devotions1 mutter over their prayers without meditation4 ,but believers ought to be exceedingly cautious1 never to enter into the presence of ,god to present any petition1 without being inflamed with a fervent affection of soul1 and feeling an ardent desire to obtain it from him4 ,moreover1 although in those things which we request only for the ,divine glory1 we do not at the first glance appear to regard our own necessity1 yet it is incumbent on us to pray for them with equal fervour and vehemence of desire4 ,as when we pray that his name may be hallowed1 or sanctified1 we ought 7so to speak7 ardently to hunger and thirst for that sanctification4 ,,vii4 ,if any man object1 that we are not always urged to pray by the same necessity1 this ,i grant1 and this distinction is usefully represented to us by ,james3 8,is any among you afflicted8 let him pray4 ,is any merry8 let him sing psalms40#bgc ,common sense itself therefore dictates1 that because of our extreme indolence1 we are the more vigorously stimulated by ,god to earnestness in prayer according to the exigencies of our condition4 ,and this ,david calls 8a time when ,god may be found10#bgd because 7as he teaches in many other places7 the more severely we are oppressed by troubles1 disasters1 fears1 and other kinds of temptations1 we have the greater liberty of access to ,god1 as though he then particularly invited us to approach him4 ,at the same time1 it is equally true that we ought to be1 as ,paul says1 8praying always10#bge because1 how great soever we may believe the prosperity of our affairs1 and though we are surrounded on every side by matter of joy1 yet there is no moment of time in which our necessity does not furnish incitements to prayer4 ,does any one abound in wine and corn8 ,since he cannot enjoy a morsel of bread but by the continual favour of ,god1 his cellars or barns afford no objection to his praying for daily bread4 ,now1 if we reflect how many dangers threaten us every moment1 fear itself will teach us that there is no time in which prayer is unsuitable to us4 ,yet this may be discovered still better in spiritual concerns4 ,for when will so many sins1 of which we are conscious1 suffer us to remain in security1 without humbly deprecating both the guilt and the punishment8 ,when will temptations grant us a truce1 so that we need not be in haste to obtain assistance8 ,besides1 an ardent desire of the ,divine kingdom and glory ought irresistibly to attract us1 not by intervals1 but without intermission1 rendering every season equally suitable4 ,it is not in vain1 therefore1 that assiduity in prayer is so frequently enjoined4 ,i speak not yet of perseverance1 which shall be mentioned hereafter2 but the scriptural admonitions to 8pray without ceasing0 are so many reproofs of our sloth2 because we feel not our need of this care and diligence4 ,this rule precludes and banishes from prayer1 hypocrisy1 subtilty1 and falsehood4 ,god promises that he will be near to all who call upon him in truth1 and declares he will be found by those who seek him with their whole heart4 ,but to this1 persons pleased with their own impurity never aspire4 ,legitimate prayer1 therefore1 requires repentance4 ,whence it is frequently said in the ,scriptures1 that ,god hears not the wicked1 and that their prayers are an abomination2 as are also their sacrifices2 for it is reasonable1 that they who shut up their own hearts1 should find the ears of ,god closed against them2 and ,god should be inflexible to them who provoke his rigour by their obduracy4 ,in ,isaiah1 he threatens thus3 8,when ye make many prayers1 ,i will not hear3 your hands are full of blood40#bgf ,again in ,jeremiah3 8,i protested1 yet they inclined not their ear4 ,therefore1 though they shall cry unto me1 ,i will not hearken unto them40#bgg ,because he considers himself grossly insulted by the wicked boasting of his covenant1 while they are continually dishonouring his sacred name4 ,wherefore he complains1 in ,isaiah1 8,this people draw near me with their mouth1 but have removed their heart far from me40#bgh ,he does not restrict this solely to prayer2 but asserts his abhorrence of hypocrisy in every branch of his worship4 ,which is the meaning of this passage in ,james3 8,ye ask1 and receive not1 because ye ask amiss1 that ye may consume it upon your lusts40#bgi ,it is true1 indeed1 7as we shall presently again see17 that the prayers of the faithful depend not on their personal worthiness2 yet this does not supersede the admonition of ,john3 8,whatsoever we ask1 we receive of him1 because we keep his commandments20#bhj because an evil conscience shuts the gate against us4 ,whence it follows1 that none pray aright1 and that no others are heard1 but the sincere worshippers of ,god4 ,whosoever therefore engages in prayer1 should be displeased with himself on account of his sins1 and assume1 what he cannot do without repentance1 the character and disposition of a beggar4 ,,viii4 ,to these must be added a third rule--,that whoever presents himself before ,god for the purpose of praying to him1 must renounce every idea of his own glory1 reject all opinion of his own merit1 and1 in a word1 relinquish all confidence in himself1 giving1 by this humiliation of himself1 all the glory entirely to ,god2 lest1 arrogating any thing1 though ever so little1 to ourselves1 we perish from his presence in consequence of our vanity4 ,of this submission1 which prostrates every high thought1 we have frequent examples in the servants of ,god2 of whom the most eminent for holiness feel the greatest consternation on entering into the presence of the ,lord4 ,thus ,daniel1 whom the ,lord himself has so highly commended1 said1 8,we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness1 but for thy great mercies4 ,o ,lord1 hear2 ,o ,lord1 forgive2 ,o ,lord1 hearken and do2 defer not1 for thine own sake1 ,o my ,god2 for thy city and thy people are called by thy name40#bha ,nor does he1 as is generally the case1 confound himself with the multitude1 as one of the people2 but makes a separate confession of his own guilt1 resorting as a suppliant to the asylum of pardon2 as he expressly declares1 8,whilst ,i was confessing my sin1 and the sin of my people40#bhb ,we are taught the same humility also by the example of ,david3 8,enter not into judgment with thy servant2 for in thy sight shall no man living be justified40#bhc ,in this manner ,isaiah prays3 8,behold1 thou art wroth2 for we have sinned3 in thy ways is continuance1 and we shall be saved4 ,for we are all as an unclean thing1 and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags2 and we all do fade as a leaf2 and our iniquities1 like the wind1 have taken us away4 ,and there is none that calleth upon thy name1 that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee2 for thou hast hid thy face from us1 and hast consumed us1 because of our iniquities4 ,but now1 ,o ,lord1 thou art our ,father2 we are the clay1 and thou our potter2 and we all are the work of thy hand4 ,be not wroth very sore1 ,o ,lord1 neither remember iniquity for ever2 behold1 see1 we beseech thee1 we are all thy people40#bhd ,observe1 they have no dependence but this2 that considering themselves as ,god's children1 they despair not of his future care of them4 ,thus ,jeremiah3 8,though our iniquities testify against us1 do thou it for thy name's sake40#bhe ,for that is equally consistent with the strictest truth and holiness1 which was written by an uncertain author1 but is ascribed to the prophet ,baruch3 8,a soul sorrowful and desolate for the greatness of its sin1 bowed down and infirm1 a hungry soul and fainting eyes give glory to thee1 ,o ,lord4 ,not according to the righteousnesses of our fathers do we pour out our prayers in thy sight1 and ask mercy before thy face1 ,o ,lord1 our ,god2 but because thou art merciful1 have mercy upon us1 for we have sinned against thee40#bhf ,,ix4 ,finally1 the commencement and even introduction to praying rightly is a supplication for pardon with an humble and ingenuous confession of guilt4 ,for neither is there any hope that even the holiest of men can obtain any blessing of ,god till he be freely reconciled to him1 nor is it possible for ,god to be propitious to any1 but those whom he pardons4 ,it is no wonder1 then1 if believers with this key open to themselves the gate of prayer2 as we learn from many places in the ,psalms4 ,for ,david1 when requesting another thing1 says1 8,remember not the sins of my youth1 nor my transgressions3 according to thy mercy remember thou me1 for thy goodness' sake1 ,o ,lord40 ,again3 8,look upon mine affliction and my pain2 and forgive all my sins40#bhg ,where we likewise perceive1 that it is not sufficient for us to call ourselves to a daily account for recent sins1 unless we remember those which might seem to have been long buried in oblivion4 ,for the same ,psalmist1 in another place1#bhh having confessed one grievous crime1 takes occasion thence to revert to his mother's womb1 where he had contracted his original pollution2 not in order to extenuate his guilt by the corruption of his nature1 but that1 accumulating all the sins of his life1 he may find ,god the more ready to listen to his prayers in proportion to the severity of his self-condemnation4 ,but though the saints do not always in express terms pray for remission of sins1 yet if we diligently examine their prayers recited in the ,scriptures1 it will easily appear1 as ,i assert1 that they derived their encouragement to pray from the mere mercy of ,god1 and so always began by deprecating his displeasure2 for if every man examine his own conscience1 he is so far from presuming familiarly to communicate his cares to ,god1 that he trembles at every approach to him1 except in a reliance on his mercy and forgiveness4 ,there is also1 indeed1 another special confession1 when they wish for an alleviation of punishments1 which is tacitly praying for the pardon of their sins2 because it were absurd to desire the removal of an effect1 while the cause remains4 ,for we must beware of imitating foolish patients1 who are only solicitous for the cure of the symptoms1 but neglect the radical cause of the disease4 ,besides1 we should first seek for ,god to be propitious to us1 previously to any external testimonies of his favour2 because it is his own will to observe this order1 and it would be of little advantage to us to receive benefits from him1 unless a discovery to the conscience of his being appeased towards us rendered him altogether amiable in our view4 ,of this we are likewise apprized by the reply of ,christ2 for when he had determined to heal a paralytic person1 he said1 8,thy sins be forgiven thee20#bhi thereby calling our attention to that which ought to be the chief object of desire1 that ,god may receive us into his favour1 and then1 by affording us assistance1 discover the effect of reconciliation4 ,but beside the special confession of present guilt1 in which believers implore the pardon of every sin and the remission of every punishment1 that general preface1 which conciliates a favourable attention to our prayers1 is never to be omitted2 because1 unless they be founded on ,god's free mercy1 they will all be unavailing4 ,to this topic we may refer that passage of ,john--8,if we confess our sins1 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness40#bij ,wherefore1 under the law1 prayers are required to be consecrated by an atonement of blood1 to render them acceptable1 and to remind the people that they were unworthy of so great and honourable a privilege1 till1 purified from their pollutions1 they should derive confidence in prayer from the mere mercy of ,god4 ,x4 ,but when the saints sometimes appear to urge their own righteousness as an argument in their supplications with ,god1--as when ,david says1 8,preserve my soul2 for ,i am holy20#bia and ,hezekiah1 8,i beseech thee1 ,o ,lord1 remember now how ,i have walked before thee in truth1 and have done that which is good in thy sight10#bib--their only design in such modes of expression is1 from their regeneration to prove themselves to be servants and sons of ,god1 to whom he declares he will be propitious4 ,he tells us by the ,psalmist1 7as we have already seen17 that 8his eyes are upon the righteous1 and that his ears are open unto their cry20#bic and again1 by the apostle1 that 8whatsoever we ask1 we receive of him1 because we keep his commandments20#bid in which passages he does not determine the value of prayer according to the merit of works2 but intends by them to establish the confidence of those who are conscious to themselves1 as all believers ought to be1 of unfeigned integrity and innocence4 ,for the observation in ,john1 made by the blind man who received his sight1 that 8,god heareth not sinners10#bie is a principle of ,divine truth1 if we understand the word sinners1 in the common acceptation of ,scripture1 to signify those who are all asleep and content in their sins1 without any desire of righteousness2 since no heart can ever break out into a sincere invocation of ,god1 unaccompanied with aspirations after piety4 ,to such promises1 therefore1 correspond those declarations of the saints1 in which they introduce the mention of their own purity or innocence1 that they may experience a manifestation to themselves of what is to be expected by all the servants of ,god4 ,besides1 they are generally found in the use of this species of prayer1 when before the ,lord they compare themselves with their enemies1 from whose iniquity they desire him to deliver them4 ,now1 in this comparison1 we need not wonder1 if they produce their righteousness and simplicity of heart1 in order to prevail upon him by the justice of their cause to yield the more ready assistance4 ,we object not1 therefore1 to the pious heart of a good man making use before the ,lord of the consciousness of his own purity for his confirmation in the promises which the ,lord has given for the consolation and support of his true worshippers2 but his confidence of success we wish to be independent of every consideration of personal merit1 and to rest solely on the ,divine clemency4 ,,xi4 ,the fourth and last rule is1 ,that thus prostrate with true humility1 we should nevertheless be animated to pray by the certain hope of obtaining our requests4 ,it is indeed an apparent contradiction1 to connect a certain confidence of ,god's favour with a sense of his righteous vengeance2 though these two things are perfectly consistent1 if persons oppressed by their own guilt be encouraged solely by the ,divine goodness4 ,for as we have before stated1 that repentance and faith1 of which one terrifies1 and the other exhilarates1 are inseparably connected1 so their union is necessary in prayer4 ,and this agreement is briefly expressed by ,david3 8,i will come 7says he7 into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy2 and in thy fear will ,i worship toward thy holy temple40#bif ,under the 8goodness of ,god10 he comprehends faith1 though not to the exclusion of fear2 for his majesty not only commands our reverence1 but our own unworthiness makes us forget all pride and security1 and fills us with fear4 ,i do not mean a confidence which delivers the mind from all sense of anxiety1 and soothes it into pleasant and perfect tranquillity2 for such a placid satisfaction belongs to those whose prosperity is equal to their wishes1 who are affected by no care1 corroded by no desire1 and alarmed by no fear4 ,and the saints have an excellent stimulus to calling upon ,god1 when their necessities and perplexities harass and disquiet them1 and they are almost despairing in themselves1 till faith opportunely relieves them2 because1 amidst such troubles1 the goodness of ,god is so glorious in their view1 that though they groan under the pressure of present calamities1 and are likewise tormented with the fear of greater in future1 yet a reliance on it alleviates the difficulty of bearing them1 and encourages a hope of deliverance4 ,the prayers of a pious man1 therefore1 must proceed from both these dispositions1 and must also contain and discover them both2 though he must groan under present evils1 and is anxiously afraid of new ones1 yet at the same time he must resort for refuge to ,god1 not doubting his readiness to extend the assistance of his hand4 ,for ,god is highly incensed by our distrust1 if we supplicate him for blessings which we have no expectation of receiving4 ,there is nothing1 therefore1 more suitable to the nature of prayers1 than that they be conformed to this rule--not to rush forward with temerity1 but to follow the steps of faith4 ,to this principle ,christ calls the attention of us all in the following passage3 8,i say unto you1 ,what things soever ye desire1 when ye pray1 believe that ye receive them1 and ye shall have them40#big ,this he confirms also in another place3 8,whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer1 believing1 ye shall receive40#bih ,with which ,james agrees3 8,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not4 ,but let him ask in faith1 nothing wavering40#bii ,where1 by opposing 8faith0 to 8wavering10 he very aptly expresses its nature4 ,and equally worthy of attention is what he adds1 that they avail nothing1 who call upon ,god in perplexity and doubt1 and are uncertain in their minds whether they shall be heard or not2 whom he even compares to waves1 which are variously tossed and driven about with the wind4 ,whence he elsewhere calls a legitimate prayer 8the prayer of faith40#cjj ,besides1 when ,god so frequently affirms1 that he will give to every man according to his faith1 he implies that we can obtain nothing without faith4 ,finally1 it is faith that obtains whatever is granted in answer to prayer4 ,this is the meaning of that famous passage of ,paul1 to which injudicious men pay little attention3 8,how shall they call on him1 in whom they have not believed8 ,and how shall they believe in him1 of whom they have not heard8 ,so then faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the word of ,god40#cja ,for by a regular deduction of prayer originally from faith1 he evidently contends1 that ,god cannot be sincerely invoked by any1 but those to whom his clemency and gentleness have been revealed and familiarly discovered by the preaching of the gospel4 ,,xii4 ,this necessity our adversaries never consider4 ,therefore1 when we inculcate on believers a certain confidence of mind that ,god is propitious and benevolent towards them1 they consider us as advancing the greatest of all absurdities4 ,but if they were in the habit of true prayer1 they would certainly understand1 that there can be no proper invocation of ,god without such a strong sense of the ,divine benevolence4 ,but since no man can fully discover the power of faith without an experience of it in his heart1 what advantage can arise from disputing with such men1 who plainly prove that they never had any other than a vain imagination8 ,for the value and necessity of that assurance which we require1 is chiefly learned by prayer2 and he who does not perceive this1 betrays great stupidity of conscience4 ,leaving1 then1 this class of blinded mortals1 let us ever abide by the decision of ,paul1 that ,god cannot be called upon1 but by those who receive from the gospel a knowledge of his mercy1 and a certain persuasion that it is prepared for them4 ,for what kind of an address would this be8 8,o ,lord1 ,i am truly in doubt1 whether thou be willing to hear me2 but since ,i am oppressed with anxiety1 ,i flee to thee1 that if ,i be worthy thou mayest assist me40 ,this does not resemble the solicitude of the saints1 whose prayers we read in the ,scriptures4 ,nor is it agreeable to the teaching of the ,holy ,spirit by the apostle1 who commands us 8to come boldly to the throne of grace1 that we may find grace20#cjb and informs us1 that 8we have boldness and access1 with confidence1 by the faith of ,christ40#cjc ,this assurance of obtaining what we implore1 therefore1 which is both commanded by the ,lord himself1 and taught by the example of the saints1 it becomes us to hold fast with all our might1 if we would pray to any good purpose4 ,for that prayer alone is accepted by ,god1 which arises 7if ,i may use the expression7 from such a presumption of faith1 and is founded on an undaunted assurance of hope4 ,he might1 indeed1 have contented himself with the simple mention of 8faith20 yet he has not only added 8confidence10 but furnished that confidence with liberty or 8boldness0 to distinguish by this criterion between us and unbelievers1 who do indeed pray to ,god in common with us1 but entirely at an uncertainty4 ,for which reason1 the whole ,church prays in the psalm1 8,let thy mercy1 ,o ,lord1 be upon us1 according as we hope in thee40#cjd ,the ,psalmist elsewhere introduces the same idea3 8,this ,i know2 for ,god is for me40#cje ,again3 8,in the morning will ,i direct my prayer unto thee1 and will look up40#cjf ,for from these words we gather1 that prayers are but empty sounds1 if unattended by hope1 from which1 as from a watch-tower1 we quietly look out for ,god4 ,with which corresponds the order of ,paul's exhortation2 for before exhorting believers to 8pray always with all prayer and supplication in the ,spirit10 he first directs them to 8take the shield of faith1 the helmet of salvation1 and the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the word of ,god40#cjg ,now1 let the reader recollect1 what ,i have before asserted1 that faith is not at all weakened by being connected with an acknowledgment of our misery1 poverty1 and impurity4 ,for believers feel themselves oppressed by a grievous load of sins1 while destitute of every thing which could conciliate the favour of ,god1 and burdened with much guilt1 which might justly render him an object of their dread2 yet they cease not to present themselves before him2 nor does this experience terrify them from resorting to him1 since there is no other way of access to him4 ,for prayer was instituted1 not that we might arrogantly exalt ourselves in the presence of ,god1 or form a high opinion of any thing of our own2 but that we might confess our guilt to him1 and deplore our miseries with the familiarity of children confiding their complaints to their parents4 ,the immense accumulation of our distresses should operate as so many incitements to urge us to pray2 as we are taught likewise by the example of the ,psalmist3 8,heal my soul2 for ,i have sinned against thee40#cjh ,i confess1 indeed1 that the operation of such incentives would be fatal1 were it not for the ,divine aid2 but our most benevolent ,father1 in his incomparable mercy1 has afforded a timely remedy1 that allaying all perturbation1 alleviating all cares1 and dispelling all fears1 he might gently allure us to himself1 and facilitate our approach to him1 by the removal of every obstacle and every doubt4 ,,xiii4 ,and in the first place1 when he enjoins us to pray1 the commandment itself implies a charge of impious contumacy1 if we disobey it4 ,no command can be more precise than that in the psalm3 8,call upon me in the day of trouble40#cji ,but as the ,scripture recommends no one of the duties of piety more frequently1 it is unnecessary to dwell any longer upon it4 8,ask1 7says our ,lord17 and it shall be given you2 knock1 and it shall be opened unto you40#caj ,to this precept1 however1 there is also annexed a promise1 which is very necessary2 for though all men acknowledge obedience to be due to a precept1 yet the greater part of them would neglect the calls of ,god1 if he did not promise to be propitious to them1 and even to advance to meet them4 ,these two positions being proved1 it is evident that all those who turn their backs on ,god1 or do not directly approach him1 are not only guilty of disobedience and rebellion1 but also convicted of unbelief2 because they distrust the promises2 which is the more worthy of observation1 since hypocrites1 under the pretext of humility and modesty1 treat the command of ,god with such haughty contempt as to give no credit to his kind invitation1 and even defraud him of a principal part of his worship4 ,for after having refused sacrifices1 in which all holiness then appeared to consist1 he declares the principal and most acceptable part of his service to be1 8calling upon him in the day of trouble40 ,wherefore1 when he requires what is due to him1 and animates us to a cheerful obedience1 there are no pretexts for diffidence or hesitation sufficiently specious to excuse us4 ,the numerous texts of ,scripture1 therefore1 which enjoin us to call upon ,god1 are as so many banners placed before our eyes to inspire us with confidence4 ,it were temerity to rush into the presence of ,god1 without a previous invitation from him4 ,he therefore opens a way for us by his own word3 8,i will say1 ,it is my people2 and they shall say1 ,the ,lord is my ,god40#caa ,we see how he leads his worshippers1 and desires them to follow him2 and therefore that there is no reason to fear lest the melody1 which he dictates1 should not be agreeable to him4 ,let us particularly remember this remarkable character of ,god1 by a reliance on which we shall easily surmount every obstacle3 8,o thou that hearest prayer1 unto thee shall all flesh come40#cab ,for what is more amiable or attractive than for ,god to bear this character1 which assures us1 that nothing is more agreeable to his nature1 than to grant the requests of humble suppliants8 ,hence the ,psalmist concludes that the way is open1 not to a few only1 but to all men2 because he addresses all in these words3 8,call upon me in the day of trouble3 ,i will deliver thee1 and thou shalt glorify me40#cac ,according to this rule1 ,david1 in order to obtain his request1 pleads the promise that had been given him3 8,thou1 ,o ,lord1 hast revealed to thy servant--2 therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray40#cad ,whence we conclude that he would have been fearful1 had he not been encouraged by the promise4 ,so in another place he furnishes himself with this general doctrine3 8,he will fulfil the desire of them that fear him40#cae ,in the ,psalms we may likewise observe the connection of prayer as it were interrupted1 and sudden transitions made1 sometimes to the power of ,god1 sometimes to his goodness1 and sometimes to the truth of his promises4 ,it might appear as though ,david mutilated his prayers by an unseasonable introduction of such passages2 but believers know by experience1 that the ardour of devotion languishes1 unless it be supported by fresh supplies2 and therefore a meditation on the nature and the word of ,god is far from being useless in the midst of our prayers4 ,let us not hesitate1 then1 to follow the example of ,david in the introduction of topics calculated to reanimate languid souls with new vigour4 ,,xiv4 ,and it is wonderful that we are no more affected with promises so exceedingly sweet2 that the generality of men1 wandering through a labyrinth of errors1 after having forsaken the fountain of living waters1 prefer hewing out for themselves cisterns incapable of containing any water1 to embracing the free offers of ,divine goodness4 8,the name of the ,lord 7says ,solomon7 is a strong tower3 the righteous runneth into it1 and is safe40#caf ,and ,joel1 after having predicted the speedy approach of a dreadful destruction1 adds this memorable sentence3 8,whosoever shall call on the name of the ,lord1 shall be delivered20#cag which we know properly refers to the course of the gospel4 ,scarcely one man in a hundred is induced to advance to meet the ,lord4 ,he proclaims by ,isaiah1 8,before they call1 ,i will answer2 and while they are yet speaking1 ,i will hear40#cah ,and in another place he dignifies the whole ,church in general with the same honour2 as it belongs to all the members of ,christ3 8,he shall call upon me1 and ,i will answer him3 ,i will be with him in trouble3 ,i will deliver him40#cai ,as ,i have before said1 however1 my design is not to enumerate all the texts1 but to select the most remarkable1 from which we may perceive the condescending kindness of ,god in inviting us to him1 and the circumstances of aggravation attending our ingratitude1 while our indolence still lingers in the midst of such powerful incitements4 ,wherefore let these words perpetually resound in our ears3 8,the ,lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him1 to all that call upon him in truth20#cbj as well as those which we have cited from ,isaiah and ,joel2 in which ,god affirms1 that he is inclined to hear prayers1 and is delighted1 as with a sacrifice of a sweet savour1 when we cast our cares upon him4 ,we derive this singular benefit from the ,divine promises1 when our prayers are conceived without doubt or trepidation2 but in reliance on his word1 whose majesty would otherwise terrify us1 we venture to call upon him as our ,father1 because he deigns to suggest to us this most delightful appellation4 ,favoured with such invitations1 it remains for us to know that they furnish us with sufficient arguments to enforce our petitions2 since our prayers rest on no intrinsic merit2 but all their worthiness1 as well as all our hope of obtaining our requests1 is founded in1 and dependent upon1 the ,divine promises2 so that there is no need of any other support or further anxiety4 ,therefore we may be fully assured1 that though we equal not the sanctity so celebrated in holy patriarchs1 prophets1 and apostles1 yet1 since the command to pray is common to us as well as to them1 and we are partakers of the same common faith1 if we rely on the ,divine word1 we are associated with them in this privilege4 ,for ,god's declaration1 7already noticed17 that he will be gentle and merciful to all1 gives all1 even the most miserable1 a hope of obtaining the objects of their supplications2 and therefore we should remark the general forms of expression1 by which no man1 from the greatest to the least1 is excluded2 only let him possess sincerity of heart1 self-abhorrence1 humility1 and faith2 and let not our hypocrisy profane the name of ,god by a pretended invocation of him2 our most merciful ,father will not reject those whom he exhorts to approach him1 and even urges by every possible mode of solicitation4 ,hence the argument of ,david's prayer1 just recited3 8,thou1 ,o ,lord1 hast revealed to thy servant--2 therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee4 ,and now1 ,o ,lord ,god1 thou art that ,god1 and thy words be true1 and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant30 begin therefore and do it4#cba ,as also in another place3 8,let thy kindness be according to thy word unto thy servant40#cbb ,and all the ,israelites together1 whenever they fortify themselves with a recollection of the covenant1 sufficiently declare that fear ought to be banished from our devotions1 because it is contrary to the ,divine injunction2 and in this respect they imitated the examples of the patriarchs1 particularly of ,jacob1 who1 after having confessed himself 8not worthy of the least of all the mercies0 he had received from the hand of ,god1 yet declares himself animated to pray for still greater blessings1 because ,god had promised to grant them4#cbc ,but whatever be the pretences of unbelievers1 for not applying to ,god under the pressure of every necessity1 for not seeking him or imploring his aid1 they are equally chargeable with defrauding him of the honour due to him1 as if they had fabricated for themselves new gods and idols2 for by this conduct1 they deny him to be the ,author of all their blessings4 ,on the contrary1 there is nothing more efficacious to deliver believers from every scruple1 than this consideration1 that no impediment ought to prevent their acting according to the command of ,god1 who declares that nothing is more agreeable to him than obedience4 ,these observations tend more fully to elucidate what ,i have advanced before2 that a spirit of boldness in prayer is perfectly consistent with fear1 reverence1 and solicitude2 and that there is no absurdity in ,god's exalting those who are abased4 ,this establishes an excellent agreement between those apparently repugnant forms of expression4 ,both ,jeremiah and ,daniel use this phrase3 8,make prayers fall0 before ,god2 for so it is in the original4#cbd ,jeremiah also3 8,let our supplication fall before thee40#cbe ,again3 believers are frequently said to 8lift up their prayer40#cbf ,so says ,hezekiah1 when requesting the prophet to intercede for him4 ,and ,david desires that his prayer may ascend 8as incense40#cbg ,for though1 under a persuasion of ,god's fatherly love1 they cheerfully commit themselves to his faithfulness1 and hesitate not to implore the assistance he freely promises1 yet they are not impudently elated with careless security1 but ascend upwards by the steps of the promises1 yet in such a manner1 that they still continue to be suppliant and self-abased4 ,,xv4 ,here several questions are started4 ,the ,scripture relates that the ,lord has complied with some prayers1 which nevertheless did not arise from a calm or well-regulated heart4 ,jotham1 for a just cause indeed1 but from the impulse of rage1 resentment1 and revenge1 devoted the inhabitants of ,shechem to the destruction which afterwards fell upon them3#cbh the ,lord1 by fulfilling this curse1 seems to approve of such disorderly sallies of passion4 ,samson also was hurried away by similar fervour when he said1 8,o ,lord1 strengthen me1 that ,i may be avenged of the ,philistines40#cbi ,for though there was some mixture of honest zeal1 yet it was a violent1 and therefore sinful1 avidity of revenge which predominated4 ,god granted the request4 ,whence it seems deducible1 that prayers not conformable to the rules of the ,divine word1 are nevertheless efficacious4 ,i reply1 first1 that a permanent rule is not annulled by particular examples2 secondly1 that peculiar emotions have sometimes been excited in a few individuals1 causing a distinction between them and men in general4 ,for the answer of ,christ to his disciples1 who inconsiderately wished to emulate the example of ,elias1 8that they knew not what spirit they were of10 is worthy of observation4 ,but we must remark1 further1 that ,god is not always pleased with the prayers which he grants2 but that1 as far as examples are concerned1 there are undeniable evidences of the ,scripture doctrine1 that he succours the miserable1 and hears the groans of those who under the pressure of injustice implore his aid2 that he therefore executes his judgments1 when the complaints of the poor arise to him1 though they are unworthy of the least favourable attention4 ,for how often1 by punishing the cruelty1 rapine1 violence1 lust1 and other crimes of the impious1 by restraining their audacity and fury1 and even subverting their tyrannical power1 has he manifestly assisted the victims of unrighteous oppression1 though they have been beating the air with supplications to an unknown ,god6 ,and one of the ,psalmists clearly teaches that some prayers are not ineffectual1 which nevertheless do not penetrate into heaven by faith4#ccj ,for he collects those prayers which necessity naturally extorts from unbelievers as well as from believers1 but to which the event shows ,god to be propitious4 ,does he by such condescension testify that they are acceptable to him8 ,no2 he designs to amplify or illustrate his mercy by this circumstance1 that even the requests of unbelievers are not refused2 and likewise to stimulate his true worshippers to greater diligence in prayer1 while they see that even the lamentations of the profane are not unattended with advantage4 ,yet there is no reason why believers should deviate from the rule given them by ,god1 or envy unbelievers1 as though they had made some great acquisition when they have obtained the object of their wishes4 ,in this manner we have said that the ,lord was moved by the hypocritical penitence of ,ahab1 in order to prove by this example how ready he is to grant the prayers of his own elect1 when they seek reconciliation with him by true conversion4 ,therefore in the ,psalms he expostulates with the ,jews1 because1 after having experienced his propitiousness to their prayers1 they had almost immediately returned to their native perverseness4#cca ,it is evident1 also1 from the history of the ,judges1 that whenever they wept1 though their tears were hypocritical1 yet they were delivered from the hands of their enemies4 ,as the ,lord1 therefore1 8maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good10#ccb promiscuously1 so he despises not the lamentations of those whose cause is just1 and whose afflictions deserve relief4 ,at the same time his attention to them is no more connected with salvation1 than his furnishing food to the despisers of his goodness4 ,the question relative to ,abraham and ,samuel is attended with more difficulty2 the former of whom prayed for the inhabitants of ,sodom without any ,divine direction1 and the latter for ,saul even contrary to a plain prohibition4#ccc ,the same is the case of ,jeremiah1 who deprecated the destruction of the city4#ccd ,for though they suffered a repulse1 yet it seems harsh to deny them to have been under the influence of faith4 ,but the modest reader will1 ,i hope1 be satisfied with this solution2 that mindful of the general principles by which ,god enjoins them to be merciful even to the unworthy1 they were not entirely destitute of faith1 though in a particular instance their opinion may have disappointed them4 ,augustine has somewhere this judicious observation3 8,how do the saints pray in faith1 when they implore of ,god that which is contrary to his decrees8 ,it is because they pray according to his will1 not that hidden and immutable will1 but that with which he inspires them1 that he may hear them in a different way1 as he wisely discriminates40 ,this is an excellent remark2 because1 according to his incomprehensible designs1 he so regulates the events of things1 that the prayers of the saints1 which contain a mixture of faith and error1 are not in vain4 ,yet this no more affords an example for imitation1 than a sufficient plea to excuse the saints themselves1 whom ,i admit to have transgressed the bounds of duty4 ,wherefore1 when no certain promise can be found1 we should present our supplications to ,god in a conditional way2 which is implied in this petition of ,david3 8,awake to the judgment that thou hast commanded20#cce because he suggests that he was directed by a particular revelation to pray for a temporal blessing4 ,,xvi4 ,it will also be of use to remark1 that the things ,i have delivered concerning the four rules for praying aright1 are not required by ,god with such extreme rigour as to cause the rejection of all prayers1 in which he does not find a perfection of faith or repentance1 united with ardent zeal and well-regulated desires4 ,we have said1 that although prayer is a familiar intercourse between ,god and pious men1 yet reverence and modesty must be preserved1 that we may not give a loose to all our wishes1 nor even in our desires exceed the ,divine permission2 and to prevent the majesty of ,god being lessened in our view1 our minds must be raised to a pure and holy veneration of him4 ,this no man has ever performed with the purity required2 for1 to say nothing of the multitude1 how many complaints of ,david savour of intemperance of spirit6 not that he would designedly remonstrate with ,god1 or murmur at his judgments2 but he faints in consequence of his infirmity1 and finds no better consolation than to pour his sorrows into the ,divine bosom4 ,moreover1 ,god bears with our lisping1 and pardons our ignorance1 whenever any inconsiderate expressions escape us2 and certainly without this indulgence there could be no freedom of prayer4 ,but though it was ,david's intention to submit himself wholly to the ,divine will1 and his patience in prayer was equal to his desire of obtaining his requests1 yet we sometimes perceive the appearance and ebullition of turbulent passions1 very inconsistent with the first rule we have laid down4 ,we may discover1 particularly from the conclusion of the thirty-ninth psalm1 with what vehemence of grief this holy man was hurried away beyond all the bounds of propriety4 8,o spare me 7says he7 before ,i go hence1 and be no more40#ccf ,one might be ready to say1 that the man1 being in despair1 desires nothing but the removal of ,god's hand1 that he may putrefy in his own iniquities and miseries4 ,he does not intend to rush into intemperance of language1 or1 as is usual with the reprobate1 desire ,god to depart from him2 he only complains that he cannot bear the ,divine wrath4 ,in these temptations1 also1 the saints often drop petitions1 not sufficiently conformable to the rule of ,god's word1 and without due reflection on what is right and proper4 ,all prayers polluted with these blemishes deserve to be rejected2 yet if the saints mourn1 correct themselves1 and return to themselves again1 ,god forgives them4 ,thus they offend likewise against the second rule2 because they frequently have to contend with their own indifference2 nor do their poverty and misery sufficiently incite them to seriousness of devotion4 ,now1 their minds frequently wander1 and are almost absorbed in vanity2 and they also need pardon in this respect1 lest languid1 or mutilated1 or interrupted and desultory prayers should meet with a repulse4 ,god has naturally impressed the minds of men with a conviction that prayers require to be attended with an elevation of heart4 ,hence the ceremony of elevating the hands1 as before observed1 which has been common in all ages and nations1 and still continues2 but where is the person1 who1 while lifting up the hands1 is not conscious of dulness1 because his heart cleaves to the earth8 ,as to praying for the remission of sins1 though none of the faithful omit this article1 yet they who have been truly engaged in prayers1 perceive that they scarcely offer the tenth part of the sacrifices mentioned by ,david3 8,the sacrifices of ,god are a broken spirit2 a broken and a contrite heart1 ,o ,god1 thou wilt not despise40#ccg ,thus they have always to pray for a twofold forgiveness2 both because they are conscious of many transgressions1 with which they are not so deeply affected as to be sufficiently displeased with themselves1 and as they are enabled to advance in repentance and the fear of ,god1 humbled with just sorrow for their offences1 they deprecate the vengeance of the ,judge4 ,but above all1 the weakness or imperfection of their faith would vitiate the prayers of believers1 were it not for the ,divine indulgence2 but we need not wonder that this defect is forgiven by ,god1 who frequently exercises his children with severe discipline1 as if he fully designed to annihilate their faith4 ,it is a very sharp temptation1 when believers are constrained to cry1 8,how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people80#cch as though even their prayers were so many provocations of ,divine wrath4 ,so when ,jeremiah says1 8,god shutteth out my prayer10#cci he was undoubtedly agitated with severe trouble4 ,innumerable examples of this kind occur in the ,scriptures1 from which it appears that the faith of the saints is often mingled and agitated with doubts1 so that amidst the exercises of faith and hope1 they nevertheless betray some remains of unbelief2 but since they cannot attain all that is to be wished1 it becomes them to be increasingly diligent1 in order that1 correcting their faults1 they may daily make nearer approaches to the perfect rule of prayer1 and at the same time to consider into what an abyss of evils they must have been plunged1 who even in their very remedies contract new diseases2 since there is no prayer which ,god would not justly disdain1 if he did not overlook the blemishes with which they are all deformed4 ,i mention these things1 not that believers may securely forgive themselves any thing sinful1 but that1 by severely correcting themselves1 they may strive to surmount these obstacles2 and that1 notwithstanding the endeavours of ,satan to obstruct them in all their ways1 with a view to prevent them from praying1 they may nevertheless break through all opposition1 certainly persuaded1 that1 though they experience many impediments1 yet ,god is pleased with their efforts1 and approves of their prayers1 provided they strenuously aim at that which they do not immediately attain4 ,,xvii4 ,but since there is no one of the human race worthy to present himself to ,god1 and to enter into his presence1 our heavenly ,father himself1 to deliver us at once from shame and fear1 which might justly depress all our minds1 has given us his ,son ,jesus ,christ our ,lord to be our ,advocate and ,mediator with him2#cdj introduced by whom we may boldly approach him1 confident1 with such an ,intercessor1 that nothing we ask in his name will be denied us1 as nothing can be denied to him by his ,father4 ,and to this must be referred all that we have hitherto advanced concerning faith2 because1 as the promise recommends ,christ to us as the ,mediator1 so1 unless our hope of success depend on him1 it deprives itself of all the benefit of prayer4 ,for as soon as we reflect on the terrible majesty of ,god1 we cannot but be exceedingly afraid1 and driven away from him by a consciousness of our unworthiness1 till we discover ,christ as the ,mediator1 who changes the throne of dreadful glory into a throne of grace2 as the apostle also exhorts us to 8come boldly unto the throne of grace1 that we may obtain mercy1 and find grace to help in time of need40#cda ,and as there is a rule given for calling upon ,god1 as well as a promise that they shall be heard who call upon him1 so we are particularly enjoined to invoke him in the name of ,christ2 and we have an express promise1 that what we ask in his name we shall obtain4 8,hitherto 7says he7 ye have asked nothing in my name3 ask1 and ye shall receive4 ,at that day ye shall ask in my name2 and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name1 that will ,i do1 that the ,father may be glorified in the ,son40#cdb ,hence it is plain beyond all controversy1 that they who call upon ,god in any other name than that of ,christ1 are guilty of a contumacious neglect of his precepts1 and a total disregard of his will2 and that they have no promise of any success4 ,for1 as ,paul says of ,christ1 8,all the promises of ,god in him are yea1 and in him amen20 that is1 are confirmed and fulfilled4#cdc ,,xviii4 ,and we must carefully remark the circumstance of the time when ,christ commands his disciples to apply to his intercession1 which was to be after his ascension to heaven2 8,at that day 7says he7 ye shall ask in my name40 ,it is certain that from the beginning no prayers had been heard but for the sake of the ,mediator4 ,for this reason the ,lord had appointed in the law1 that the priest alone should enter the sanctuary1 bearing on his shoulders the names of the tribes of ,israel and the same number of precious stones before his breast2 but that the people should stand without in the court1 and there unite their prayers with those of the priest4#cdd ,the use of the sacrifice was to render their prayers effectual4 ,the meaning1 therefore1 of that shadowy ceremony of the law was1 that we are all banished from the presence of ,god1 and therefore need a mediator to appear in our name1 to bear us on his shoulders1 and bind us to his breast1 that we may be heard in his person2 and1 moreover1 that the sprinkling of his blood purifies our prayers1 which have been asserted to be otherwise never free from defilement4 ,and we see that the saints1 when they wished to obtain any thing by prayer1 founded their hope on the sacrifices2 because they knew them to be the confirmations of all their prayers4 ,david says1 8,the ,lord remember all thy offerings1 and accept thy burnt-sacrifice40#cde ,hence we conclude1 that ,god has from the beginning been appeased by the intercession of ,christ1 so as to accept the devotions of believers4 ,why1 then1 does ,christ assign a new period1 when his disciples shall begin to pray in his name1 but because this grace1 being now become more illustrious1 deserves to be more strongly recommended to us8 ,in this same sense he had just before said1 8,hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name2 ask40#cdf ,not that they were totally unacquainted with the office of the ,mediator1 7since all the ,jews were instructed in these first principles17 but because they did not yet clearly understand that ,christ1 on his ascension to heaven1 would be more evidently the advocate of the ,church than he was before4 ,therefore1 to console their sorrow for his absence with some signal advantage1 he claims the character of an advocate1 and teaches them that they have hitherto wanted the principal benefit1 which it shall be given them to enjoy1 when they shall call upon ,god with greater freedom in a reliance on his intercession2 as the apostle says that this new way is consecrated by his blood4#cdg ,so much the more inexcusable is our perverseness1 unless we embrace with the greatest alacrity such an inestimable benefit1 which is particularly destined for us4 ,,xix4 ,moreover1 since he is the only way of access by which we are permitted to approach ,god1 to them who deviate from this road1 and desert this entrance1 there remains no other way of access to ,god1 nor any thing on his throne but wrath1 judgment1 and terror4 ,finally1 since the ,father has appointed him to be our ,head and ,leader1 they who in any respect decline or turn aside from him1 endeavour1 as far as they can1 to deface and obliterate a character impressed by ,god4 ,thus ,christ is appointed as the one ,mediator1 by whose intercession the ,father is rendered propitious and favourable to us4 ,the saints have likewise their intercessions1 in which they mutually commend each other's interests to ,god1 and which are mentioned by the apostle2#cdh but these are so far from detracting any thing from the intercession of ,christ1 that they are entirely dependent on it4 ,for as they arise from the affection of love1 reciprocally felt by us towards each other as members of one body1 so likewise they are referred to the unity of the ,head4 ,being made also in the name of ,christ1 what are they but a declaration1 that no man can be benefited by any prayers at all1 independently of ,christ's intercession8 ,and as the intercession of ,christ is no objection to our mutually pleading for each other1 in our prayers in the ,church1 so let it be considered as a certain maxim1 that all the intercessions of the whole ,church should be directed to that principal one4 ,we ought to beware of ingratitude particularly on this head1 because ,god1 pardoning our unworthiness1 not only permits us to pray each one for himself1 but even admits us as intercessors for one another4 ,for1 when those who richly deserve to be rejected1 if they should privately pray each for himself1 are appointed by ,god as advocates of his ,church1 what pride would it betray to abuse this liberality to obscure the honour of ,christ6 ,,xx4 ,now1 the cavil of the sophists is quite frivolous1 that ,christ is the ,mediator of redemption1 but believers of intercession2 as if ,christ1 after performing a temporary mediation1 had left to his servants that which is eternal and shall never die4 ,they who detract so diminutive a portion of honour from him1 treat him1 doubtless1 very favourably4 ,but the ,scripture1 with the simplicity of which a pious man1 forsaking these impostors1 ought to be contented1 speaks very differently2 for when ,john says1 8,if any man sin1 we have an ,advocate with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ10#cdi does he only mean that he has been heretofore an ,advocate for us1 or does he not rather ascribe to him a perpetual intercession8 ,what is intended by the assertion of ,paul1 that he 8is even at the right hand of ,god1 and also maketh intercession for us80#cej ,and when he elsewhere calls him the 8one ,mediator between ,god and man10 does he not refer to prayers1 which he has mentioned just before88#cea ,for having first asserted that intercessions should be made for all men1 he immediately adds1 in confirmation of that idea1 that all have one ,god and one ,mediator4 ,consistent with which is the explanation of ,augustine1 when he thus expresses himself3 8,christian men in their prayers mutually recommend each other to the ,divine regard4 ,that person1 for whom no one intercedes1 while he intercedes for all1 is the true and only ,mediator4 ,the apostle ,paul1 though a principal member under the ,head1 yet because he was a member of the body of ,christ1 and knew the great and true ,high ,priest of the ,church had entered1 not typically1 into the recesses within the veil1 the holy of holies1 but truly and really into the interior recesses of heaven1 into a sanctuary not emblematical1 but eternal1--,paul1 ,i say1 recommends himself to the prayers of believers4 ,neither does he make himself a mediator between ,god and the people1 but exhorts all the members of the body of ,christ mutually to pray for one another2 since the members have a mutual solicitude for each other2 and if one member suffers1 the rest sympathize with it4 ,and so should the mutual prayers of all the members1 who are still engaged in the labours of the present state1 ascend on each other's behalf to the ,head1 who is gone before them into heaven1 and who is the propitiation for our sins4 ,for if ,paul were a mediator1 the other apostles would likewise sustain the same character2 and so there would be many mediators2 and ,paul's argument could not be supported1 when he says1 #8,for there is one ,god1 and one ,mediator between ,god and men1 the man ,christ ,jesus2 in whom we also are one1 if we keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4'0 ,again1 in another place3 8,but if you seek a priest1 he is above the heavens1 where he now intercedes for you1 who died for you on earth40 ,yet we do not dream that he intercedes for us in suppliant prostration at the ,father's feet2 but we apprehend1 with the apostle1 that he appears in the presence of ,god for us in such a manner1 that the virtue of his death avails as a perpetual intercession for us2 yet so as that1 being entered into the heavenly sanctuary1 he continually1 till the consummation of all things1 presents to ,god the prayers of his people1 who remain1 as it were1 at a distance in the court4 ,,xxi4 ,with respect to the saints who are dead in the flesh1 but live in ,christ1 if we attribute any intercession to them1 let us not imagine that they have any other way of praying to ,god than by ,christ1 who is the only way1 or that their prayers are accepted by ,god in any other name4 ,therefore1 since the ,scripture calls us away from all others to ,christ alone1--since it is the will of our heavenly ,father to gather together all things in him1--it would be a proof of great stupidity1 not to say insanity1 to be so desirous of procuring an admission by the saints1 as to be seduced from him1 without whom they have no access themselves4 ,but that this has been practised in some ages1 and is now practised wherever ,popery prevails1 who can deny8 ,their merits are frequently obtruded to conciliate the ,divine favour2 and in general ,christ is totally neglected1 and ,god is addressed through their names4 ,is not this transferring to them that office of exclusive intercession1 which we have before asserted to be peculiar to ,christ8 ,again1 who1 either angel or demon1 ever uttered to any of the human race a syllable concerning such an intercession as they pretend8 for the ,scripture is perfectly silent respecting any such thing4 ,what reason1 then1 was there for its invention8 ,certainly1 when the human mind thus seeks assistances for itself1 in which it is not warranted by the word of ,god1 it evidently betrays its want of faith4 ,now1 if we appeal to the consciences of all the advocates for the intercession of saints1 we shall find that the only cause of it is1 an anxiety in their minds1 as if ,christ could fail of success1 or be too severe in this business4 ,by which perplexity they1 in the first place1 dishonour ,christ1 and rob him of the character of the only ,mediator1 which1 as it has been given by the ,father as his peculiar prerogative1 ought therefore not to be transferred to any other4 ,and by this very conduct they obscure the glory of his nativity1 and frustrate the benefit of his cross2 in a word1 they divest and defraud him of the praise which is due to him for all his actions and all his sufferings2 since the end of them all is1 that he may really be1 and be accounted1 the sole ,mediator4 ,they at the same time reject the goodness of ,god1 who exhibits himself as their ,father2 for he is not a father to them1 unless they acknowledge ,christ as their brother4 ,which they plainly deny1 unless they believe themselves to be the objects of his fraternal affection1 than which nothing can be more mild or tender4 ,wherefore the ,scripture offers him alone to us1 sends us to him1 and fixes us in him4 8,he10 says ,ambrose1 8is our mouth1 with which we address the ,father2 our eye1 by which we behold the ,father2 our right hand1 by which we present ourselves to the ,father4 ,without whose mediation1 neither we1 nor any of all the saints1 have the least intercourse with ,god40 ,if they reply1 that the public prayers in the churches are finished by this conclusion1 8through ,christ our ,lord10 it is a frivolous subterfuge2 because the intercession of ,christ is not less profaned when it is confounded with the prayers and merits of the dead1 than if it were wholly omitted1 and the dead alone mentioned4 ,besides1 in all their litanies1 both verse and prose1 where every honour is ascribed to dead saints1 there is no mention of ,christ4 ,,xxii4 ,but their folly rises to such a pitch1 that we have here a striking view of the genius of superstition1 which1 when it has once shaken off the reins1 places in general no limits to its excursions4 ,for after men had begun to regard the intercession of saints1 they by degrees gave to each his particular attributes1 so that sometimes one1 sometimes another1 might be invoked as intercessor1 according to the difference of the cases2 then they chose each his particular saint1 to whose protection they committed themselves as to the care of tutelary gods4 ,thus they not only set up 7as the prophet anciently accused ,israel7 gods according to the number of their cities1#ceb but even according to the multitude of persons4 ,but1 since the saints refer all their desires solely to the will of ,god1 and observe it1 and acquiesce in it1 he must entertain foolish and carnal1 and even degrading thoughts of them1 who ascribes to them any other prayer1 than that in which they pray for the advent of the kingdom of ,god2 very remote from which is what they pretend concerning them--that every one of them is disposed by a private affection more particularly to regard his own worshippers4 ,at length multitudes fell even into horrid sacrilege1 by invoking them1 not as subordinate promoters1 but as principal agents1 in their salvation4 ,see how low wretched mortals fall1 when they wander from their lawful station1 the word of ,god4 ,i omit the grosser monstrosities of impiety1 for which1 though they render them detestable to ,god1 angels1 and men1 they do not yet feel either shame or grief4 ,prostrate before the statue or picture of ,barbara1 ,catharine1 and others1 they mutter ,pater ,noster1 8,our ,father40 ,this madness the pastors are so far from endeavouring to remedy or to restrain1 that1 allured by the charms of lucre1 they approve and applaud it4 ,but though they attempt to remove from themselves the odium of so foul a crime1 yet what plea will they urge in defence of this1 that ,eligius and ,medardus are supplicated to look down from heaven on their servants1 and to assist them8 and the holy ,virgin to command her ,son to grant their petitions8 ,it was anciently forbidden at the ,council of ,carthage1 that at the altar any prayers should be made directly to the saints2 and it is probable that1 when those holy men could not wholly subdue the force of depraved custom1 they imposed this restraint1 that the public prayers might not be deformed by this phrase1 8,saint ,peter1 pray for us40 ,but to how much greater lengths of diabolical absurdity have they proceeded1 who hesitate not to transfer to dead men what exclusively belongs to ,god and ,christ6 ,,xxiii4 ,but when they attempt to make this intercession appear to be founded on the authority of ,scripture1 they labour in vain4 ,we frequently read1 they say1 of the prayers of angels2 and not only so1 but the prayers of believers are said to be carried by their hands into the presence of ,god4 ,but if they would compare saints deceased to angels1 they ought to prove that they are the ministering spirits who are delegated to superintend the concerns of our salvation1 whose province it is to keep us in all our ways1 who surround us1 who advise and comfort us1 who watch over us2 all of which offices are committed to angels1 but not to departed saints4#cec ,how preposterously they include dead saints with angels1 fully appears from so many different functions1 by which the ,scripture distinguishes some from others4 ,no man will presume1 without previous permission1 to act the part of an advocate before an earthly judge3 whence1 then1 have worms so great a license to obtrude on ,god as intercessors those who are not recorded to have been appointed to that office8 ,god has been pleased to appoint the angels to attend to our salvation1 whence they frequent the sacred assemblies1 and the ,church is to them a theatre1 in which they admire the various and 8manifold wisdom of ,god40#ced ,those who transfer to others that which is peculiar to them1 certainly confound and pervert the order established by ,god1 which ought to be inviolable4 ,with equal dexterity they proceed to cite other testimonies4 ,god said to ,jeremiah1 8,though ,moses and ,samuel stood before me1 yet my mind could not be toward this people40#cee ,how1 they say1 could he thus have spoken concerning persons deceased1 unless he knew that they were accustomed to intercede for the living8 ,but ,i1 on the contrary1 deduce this conclusion--,that since it appears that neither ,moses nor ,samuel interceded for the ,israelites1 there was then no intercession of the dead4 ,for who of the saints must we believe to be concerned for the salvation of the people1 when this ceases to be the case with ,moses1 who far surpassed all others in this respect while alive8 ,but if they pursue such minute subtleties1 that the dead intercede for the living1 because the ,lord has said1 8,though they interceded10 ,i shall argue1 with far greater plausibility1 in this manner--,in the people's extreme necessity1 no intercession was made by ,moses1 of whom it is said1 ,though he interceded4 ,therefore it is highly probable1 that no intercession is made by any other1 since they are all so far from possessing the gentleness1 kindness1 and paternal solicitude of ,moses4 ,this is indeed the consequence of their cavilling1 that they are wounded with the same weapons with which they thought themselves admirably defended4 ,but it is very ridiculous1 that a plain sentence should be so distorted2 only because the ,lord declares that he will not spare the crimes of the people1 even though their cause had been pleaded by ,moses or ,samuel1 to whose prayers he had shown himself so very propitious4 ,this idea is very clearly deduced from a similar passage of ,ezekiel--8,though these three men1 ,noah1 ,daniel1 and ,job1 were in the land1 they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness1 saith the ,lord ,god20#cef where he undoubtedly meant to signify1 if two of them should return to life again2 for the third was then alive1 namely1 ,daniel1 who is well known to have given an incomparable specimen of his piety1 even in the flower of his youth4 ,let us then leave them1 whom the ,scripture clearly shows to have finished their course4 ,therefore ,paul1 when speaking of ,david1 does not say that he assists posterity by his prayers1 but only that 8he served his own generation40#ceg ,,xxiv4 ,they further object--,shall we then divest them of every benevolent wish1 who through the whole course of their lives breathed only benevolence and mercy8 ,truly1 as ,i do not wish too curiously to inquire into their actions or thoughts1 so it is by no means probable that they are agitated by the impulse of particular wishes1 but rather that with fixed and permanent desires they aspire after the kingdom of ,god2 which consists no less in the perdition of the impious1 than in the salvation of believers4 ,if this be true1 their charity also is comprehended within the communion of the body of ,christ1 and extends no further than the nature of that communion permits4 ,but though ,i grant that in this respect they pray for us1 yet they do not therefore relinquish their own repose1 to be distracted with earthly cares2 and much less are they therefore to be the objects of our invocation4 ,neither is it a necessary consequence of this1 that they must imitate the conduct of men on earth by mutually praying for one another4 ,for this conduces to the cultivation of charity among them1 while they divide1 as it were1 between them1 and reciprocally bear their mutual necessities4 ,and in this1 indeed1 they act according to ,god's precept1 and are not destitute of his promise2 which two are always the principal points in prayer4 ,no such considerations have any relation to the dead2 whom when the ,lord has removed from our society1 he has left us no intercourse with them1 nor them1 indeed1 as far as our conjectures can reach1 any with us4#ceh ,but if any one plead1 that they cannot but retain the same charity towards us1 as they are united with us by the same faith1 yet who has revealed that they have ears long enough to reach our voices1 and eyes so perspicacious as to watch over our necessities8 ,they talk in the schools of ,i know not what refulgence of the ,divine countenance irradiating them1 in which1 as in a mirror1 they behold from heaven the affairs of men4 ,but to affirm this1 especially with the presumption with which they dare to assert it1 what is it but an attempt1 by the infatuated dreams of our own brains1 forcibly to penetrate into the secret appointments of ,god1 without the authority of his word1 and to trample the ,scripture under our feet8 which so frequently pronounces our carnal wisdom to be hostile to the wisdom of ,god2 totally condemns the vanity of our mind2 and directs all our reason to be laid in the dust1 and the ,divine will to be the sole object of our regard4 ,,xxv4 ,the other testimonies of ,scripture which they adduce in defence of this false doctrine1 they distort with the greatest perverseness4 ,but ,jacob 7they say7 prays that his own name1 and the name of his fathers1 ,abraham and ,isaac1 might be named on his posterity4#cei ,let us first inquire the form of this naming1 or calling on their names1 among the ,israelites2 for they do not invoke their fathers to assist them2 but they beseech ,god to remember his servants ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,their example1 therefore1 is no vindication of those who address the saints themselves4 ,but as these stupid mortals understand neither what it is to name the name of ,jacob1 nor for what reason it should be named1 we need not wonder that they so childishly err even in the form itself4 ,this phraseology more than once occurs in the ,scriptures4 ,for ,isaiah says1 that the name of the husband is 8called upon0 the wife who lives under his care and protection4 ,the naming or calling1 therefore1 of the name of ,abraham upon the ,israelites1 consists in their deducing their genealogy from him1 and revering and celebrating his memory as their great progenitor4 ,neither is ,jacob actuated by a solicitude for perpetuating the celebrity of his name1 but by a knowledge that all the happiness of his posterity consisted in the inheritance of that covenant which ,god had made with him3 and perceiving that this would be the greatest of all blessings to them1 he prays that they may be numbered among his children2 which is only transmitting to them the succession of the covenant4 ,they1 on their part1 when they introduce the mention of this in their prayers1 do not recur to the intercessions of the dead1 but put the ,lord in remembrance of his covenant1 in which their most merciful ,father has engaged to be propitious and beneficent to them1 for the sake of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,how little the saints depended in any other sense on the merits of their fathers1 is evinced by the public voice of the ,church in the prophet3 8,thou art our ,father1 though ,abraham be ignorant of us1 and ,israel acknowledge us not3 thou1 ,o ,lord1 art our ,father1 our ,redeemer40#cfj ,and when they thus express themselves1 they add at the same time1 8,o ,lord1 return1 for thy servants' sake20 yet not entertaining a thought of any intercession1 but adverting to the blessing of the covenant4 ,but now1 since we have the ,lord ,jesus1 in whose hand the eternal covenant of mercy is not only made but confirmed to us1--whose name should we rather plead in our prayers8 ,and since these good doctors contend that the patriarchs are in these words represented as intercessors1 ,i wish to be informed by them1 why1 in such a vast multitude1 no place1 not even the lowest among them1 is allotted to ,abraham1 the father of the ,church8 ,from what vile source they derive their advocates1 is well known4 ,let them answer me by proving it right1 that ,abraham1 whom ,god has preferred to all others1 and elevated to the highest degree of honour1 should be neglected and suppressed4 ,the truth is1 that since this practice was unknown in the ancient ,church1 they thought proper1 in order to conceal its novelty1 to be silent respecting the ancient fathers2 as though the difference of names were a valid excuse for a recent and corrupt custom4 ,but the objection urged by some1 that ,god is entreated to have mercy on the people for the sake of ,david1 is so far from supporting their error1 that it is a decisive refutation of it4 ,for if we consider the character sustained by ,david1 he is selected from the whole company of the saints1 that ,god may fulfil the covenant which he made with him2 so that it refers to the covenant1 rather than to the person1 and contains a figurative declaration of the sole intercession of ,christ4 ,for it is certain that what was peculiar to ,david1 as being a type of ,christ1 is inapplicable to any others4 ,,xxvi4 ,but it seems that some are influenced by the frequent declarations which we read1 that the prayers of the saints are heard4 ,why8 ,truly because they have prayed4 8,they cried unto thee10 says the ,psalmist1 8and were delivered2 they trusted in thee1 and were not confounded40#cfa ,therefore1 let us likewise pray after their example1 that we may obtain a similar audience4 ,but these men preposterously argue1 that none will be heard but such as have been once already heard4 ,how much more properly does ,james say1 8,elias was a man subject to like passions as we are1 and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain2 and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months4 ,and he prayed again1 and the heaven gave rain1 and the earth brought forth her fruit40#cfb ,what6 does he infer any peculiar privilege of ,elias1 to which we should have recourse8 ,not at all2 but he shows the perpetual efficacy of pure and pious prayer1 to exhort us to pray in a similar manner4 ,for we put a mean construction on the promptitude and benignity of ,god in hearing them1 unless we be encouraged by such instances to a firmer reliance on his promises2 in which he promises to hear1 not one or two1 or even a few1 but all who call upon his name4 ,and this ignorance is so much the less excusable1 because they appear almost professedly to disregard so many testimonies of ,scripture4 ,david experienced frequent deliverances by the ,divine power2 was it that he might arrogate it to himself1 in order to deliver us by his interposition8 ,he makes some very different declarations3 8,the righteous shall compass me about2 for thou shalt deal bountifully with me40#cfc ,again3 8,they looked unto him1 and were lightened2 and their faces were not ashamed4 ,this poor man cried1 and the ,lord heard him1 and saved him out of all his troubles40#cfd ,the ,psalms contain many such prayers1 in which he implores ,god to grant his requests from this consideration1 that the righteous may not be put to shame1 but may be encouraged by his example to entertain a good hope4 ,let us be contented at present with one instance3 8,for this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found20#cfe a text which ,i have the more readily cited1 because the hireling and cavilling advocates of ,popery have not been ashamed to plead it to prove the intercession of the dead4 ,as though ,david had any other design than to show the effect which would proceed from the ,divine clemency and goodness when his prayers should be heard4 ,and in general it must be maintained1 that an experience of the grace of ,god1 both to ourselves and to others1 affords no small assistance to confirm our faith in his promises4 ,i do not recite numerous passages1 where he proposes to himself the past blessings of ,god as a ground of present and future confidence1 since they will naturally occur to those who peruse the ,psalms4 ,jacob by his example had long before taught the same lesson3 8,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies1 and of all the truth1 which thou hast showed unto thy servant2 for with my staff ,i passed over this ,jordan2 and now ,i am become two bands40#cff ,he mentions the promise indeed1 but not alone2 he likewise adds the effect1 that he may in future confide with the greater boldness in the continuance of the ,divine goodness towards him4 ,for ,god is not like mortals1 who grow weary of their liberality1 or whose wealth is exhausted2 but is to be estimated by his own nature1 as is judiciously done by ,david1 when he says1 8,thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth40#cfg ,after ascribing to him the praise of his salvation1 he adds1 that he is a ,god of truth2 because1 unless he were perpetually and uniformly consistent with himself1 there could not be derived from his benefits a sufficient argument for confiding in him1 and praying to him4 ,but when we know that every act of assistance1 which he affords us1 is a specimen and proof of his goodness and faithfulness1 we shall have no reason to fear lest our hopes be confounded or our expectations disappointed4 ,,xxvii4 ,let us conclude this argument in the following manner3 ,since the ,scripture represents the principal part of ,divine worship to be an invocation of ,god1 as he1 in preference to all sacrifices1 requires of us this duty of piety1 no prayer can without evident sacrilege be directed to any other4 ,wherefore also the ,psalmist says1 8,if we have stretched out our hands to a strange god1 shall not ,god search this out80#cfh ,besides1 since ,god will only be invoked in faith1 and expressly commands prayers to be conformed to the rule of his word2 finally1 since faith founded on the word is the source of true prayer1--as soon as the least deviation is made from the word1 there must necessarily be an immediate corruption of prayer4 ,but it has been already shown1 that if the whole ,scripture be consulted1 this honour is there claimed for ,god alone4 ,with respect to the office of intercession1 we have also seen1 that it is peculiar to ,christ1 and that no prayer is acceptable to ,god1 unless it be sanctified by this ,mediator4 ,and though believers mutually pray to ,god for their brethren1 we have proved that this derogates nothing from the sole intercession of ,christ2 because they all commend both themselves and others to ,god in a reliance upon it4 ,moreover we have argued1 that this is injudiciously applied to the dead1 of whom we nowhere read that they are commanded to pray for us4 ,the ,scripture frequently exhorts us to the mutual performance of this duty for each other2 but concerning the dead there is not even a syllable2 and ,james1 by connecting these two things1 8,confess your faults one to another1 and pray one for another10 tacitly excludes the dead4#cfi ,wherefore1 to condemn this error1 this one reason is sufficient1 that right prayer originates in faith1 and that faith is produced by hearing the word of ,god1 where there is no mention of this fictitious intercession2 for the temerity of superstition has chosen itself advocates1 who were not of ,divine appointment4 ,for whilst the ,scripture abounds with many forms of prayer1 there is not to be found an example of this advocacy1 without which the ,papists believe there can be no prayer at all4 ,besides1 it is evident that this superstition has arisen from a want of faith1 because they either were not content with ,christ as their intercessor1 or entirely denied him this glory4 ,the latter of these is easily proved from their impudence2 for they adduce no argument more valid to show that we need the mediation of the saints1 than when they object that we are unworthy of familiar access to ,god4 ,which indeed we acknowledge to be strictly true2 but we thence conclude1 that they rob ,christ of every thing1 who consider his intercession as unavailing without the assistance of ,george and ,hippolytus1 and other such phantasms4 ,,xxviii4 ,but though prayer is properly restricted to wishes and petitions1 yet there is so great an affinity between petition and thanksgiving1 that they may be justly comprehended under the same name4 ,for the species which ,paul enumerates1 fall under the first member of this division4 ,in requests and petitions we pour out our desires before ,god1 imploring those things which tend to the propagation of his glory and the illustration of his name1 as well as those benefits which conduce to our advantage4 ,in thanksgiving we celebrate his beneficence towards us with due praises1 acknowledging all the blessings we have received as the gifts of his liberality4 ,therefore ,david has connected these two parts together3 8,call upon me in the day of trouble3 ,i will deliver thee1 and thou shalt glorify me40#cgj ,the ,scripture1 not without reason1 enjoins us the continual use of both2 for we have elsewhere said that our want is so great1 and experience itself proclaims that we are molested and oppressed on every side with such numerous and great perplexities1 that we all have sufficient cause for unceasing sighs1 and groans1 and ardent supplications to ,god4 ,for though they enjoy a freedom from adversity1 yet the guilt of their sins1 and the innumerable assaults of temptation1 ought to stimulate even the most eminent saints to pray for relief4 ,but of the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving there can be no interruption1 without guilt2 since ,god ceases not to accumulate on us his various benefits1 according to our respective cases1 in order to constrain us1 inactive and sluggish as we are1 to the exercise of gratitude4 ,finally1 we are almost overwhelmed with such great and copious effusions of his beneficence2 we are surrounded1 whithersoever we turn our eyes1 by such numerous and amazing miracles of his hand1 that we never want matter of praise and thanksgiving4 ,and to be a little more explicit on this point1 since all our hopes and all our help are in ,god1 7which has already been sufficiently proved17 so that we cannot enjoy prosperity1 either in our persons or in any of our affairs1 without his benediction1--it becomes us assiduously to commend to him ourselves and all our concerns4 ,further1 whatever we think1 speak1 or act1 let all our thoughts1 words1 and actions be under his direction1 subject to his will1 and finally in hope of his assistance4 ,for the curse of ,god is denounced on all1 who deliberate and decide on any enterprise in a reliance on themselves or on any other1 who engage in or attempt to begin any undertaking independently of his will1 and without invoking his aid4 ,and since it has already been several times observed1 that he is justly honoured when he is acknowledged to be the ,author of all blessings1 it thence follows that they should all be so received from his hand1 as to be attended with unceasing thanksgiving2 and that there is no other proper method of using the benefits which flow to us from his goodness1 but by continual acknowledgments of his praise1 and unceasing expressions of our gratitude4 ,for ,paul1 when he declares that they are 8sanctified by the word of ,god and prayer10 at the same time implies1 that they are not at all holy and pure to us without the word and prayer2#cga the word being metonymically used to denote faith4 ,wherefore ,david1 after experiencing the goodness of the ,lord1 beautifully declares1 8,he hath put a new song in my mouth20#cgb in which he certainly implies that we are guilty of a criminal silence1 if we omit to praise him for any benefit2 since1 in every blessing he bestows on us1 he gives us additional cause to bless his name4 ,thus also ,isaiah1 proclaiming the unparalleled grace of ,god1 exhorts believers to a new and uncommon song4#cgc ,in which sense ,david elsewhere says1 8,o ,lord1 open thou my lips2 and my mouth shall show forth thy praise40#cgd ,hezekiah likewise1 and ,jonah1 declare that the end of their deliverance shall be to sing the ,divine goodness in the temple4#cge ,david prescribes the same general rule for all the saints4 8,what shall ,i render 7says he7 unto the ,lord for all his benefits towards me8 ,i will take the cup of salvation1 and call upon the name of the ,lord40#cgf ,and this is followed by the ,church in another psalm3 8,save us1 ,o ,lord our ,god1 to give thanks unto thy holy name1 and to triumph in thy praise40#cgg ,again3 8,he will regard the prayer of the destitute1 and not despise their prayer4 ,this shall be written for the generation to come2 and the people which shall be created shall praise the ,lord4 ,to declare the name of the ,lord in ,zion1 and his praise in ,jerusalem40#cgh ,moreover1 whenever believers entreat the ,lord to do any thing 8for his name's sake10 as they profess themselves unworthy to obtain any blessing on their own account1 so they lay themselves under an obligation to thanksgiving2 and promise that the ,divine beneficence shall be productive of this proper effect on them1 even to cause them to celebrate its fame4 ,thus ,hosea1 speaking of the future redemption of the ,church1 addresses the ,lord3 8,take away all iniquity1 and receive us graciously2 so will we render the calves of our lips40#cgi ,nor do the ,divine blessings only claim the praises of the tongue1 but naturally conciliate our love4 8,i love the ,lord 7says ,david7 because he hath heard my voice and my supplications40#chj ,in another place also1 enumerating the assistances he had experienced1 8,i will love thee1 ,o ,lord1 my strength40#cha ,nor will any praises ever please ,god1 but such as flow from this ardour of love4 ,we must likewise remember the position of ,paul1 that all petitions1 to which thanksgiving is not annexed1 are irregular and faulty4 ,for thus he speaks3 8,in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving1 let your requests be made known unto ,god40#chb ,for since moroseness1 weariness1 impatience1 pungent sorrow and fear1 impel many to mutter petitions1 he enjoins such a regulation of the affections1 that believers may cheerfully bless ,god1 even before they have obtained their requests4 ,if this connection ought to exist in circumstances apparently adverse1 ,god lays us under a still more sacred obligation to sing his praises1 whenever he grants us the enjoyment of our wishes4 ,but as we have asserted that our prayers1 which had otherwise been defiled1 are consecrated by the intercession of ,christ1 so the apostle1 when he exhorts us 8by ,christ to offer the sacrifice of praise10#chc admonishes us that our lips are not sufficiently pure to celebrate the name of ,god1 without the intervention of the priesthood of ,christ4 ,whence we infer1 how prodigious must be the fascination of the ,papists1 the majority of whom wonder that ,christ is called an ,advocate4 ,this is the reason why ,paul directs to 8pray without ceasing10 and 8in every thing to give thanks20#chd because he desires that all men1 with all possible assiduity1 at every time and in every place1 and in all circumstances and affairs1 may direct their prayers to ,god1 expecting all from him1 and ascribing to him the praise of all1 since he affords us perpetual matter of prayer and praise4 ,,xxix4 ,but this diligence in prayer1 although it chiefly respects the particular and private devotions of each individual1 has1 notwithstanding1 some reference also to the public prayers of the ,church4 ,but these cannot be unceasing1 nor ought they to be conducted otherwise than according to the polity which is appointed by the common consent4 ,this1 indeed1 ,i confess4 ,for therefore also certain hours are fixed and prescribed1 though indifferent with ,god1 yet necessary to the customs of men1 that the benefit of all may be regarded1 and all the affairs of the ,church be administered1 according to the direction of ,paul1 8decently and in order40#che ,but this by no means prevents it from being the duty of every ,church often to stimulate themselves to a greater frequency of prayer1 and also to be inflamed with more ardent devotion on the pressure of any necessity unusually great4 ,but the place to speak of perseverance1 which is nearly allied to unceasing diligence1 will be towards the end4 ,moreover these things afford no encouragement to those vain repetitions which ,christ has chosen to interdict us2#chf for he does not forbid us to pray long or frequently1 or with great fervour of affection2 but he forbids us to confide in our ability to extort any thing from ,god by stunning his ears with garrulous loquacity1 as though he were to be influenced by the arts of human persuasion4 ,for we know that hypocrites1 who do not consider that they are concerned with ,god1 are as pompous in their prayers as in a triumph4 ,for that ,pharisee1 who thanked ,god that he was not like other men1#chg undoubtedly flattered himself in the eyes of men1 as if he wished to gain by his prayer the reputation of sanctity4 ,hence that 7vain repetition7 which from a similar cause at present prevails among the ,papists2 while some vainly consume the time by reiterating the same oraisons1 and others recommend themselves among the vulgar by a tedious accumulation of words4 ,since this garrulity is a puerile mocking of ,god1 we need not wonder that it is prohibited in the ,church1 that nothing may be heard there but what is serious1 and proceeds from the very heart4 ,very similar to this corrupt practice is another1 which ,christ condemns at the same time2 that hypocrites1 for the sake of ostentation1 seek after many witnesses of their devotions1 and rather pray in the market-place1 than that their prayers should want the applause of the world4 ,but as it has been already observed that the end of prayer is to elevate our minds towards ,god1 both in a confession of his praise and in a supplication of his aid1 we may learn from this that its principal place is in the mind and heart2 or1 rather1 that prayer itself is the desire of the inmost heart1 which is poured out and laid before ,god the searcher of hearts4 ,wherefore our heavenly ,teacher1 as has already been mentioned1 when he intended to deliver the best rule respecting prayer1 gave the following command3 8,enter into thy closet1 and when thou hast shut thy door1 pray to thy ,father which is in secret2 and thy ,father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly40#chh ,for when he has dissuaded from imitating the example of hypocrites1 who endeavoured by the ambitious ostentation of their prayers to gain the favour of men1 he immediately adds a better direction1 which is1 to enter into our closet1 and there to pray with the door shut4 ,in which words1 as ,i understand them1 he has taught us to seek retirement1 that we may be enabled to descend into our own hearts1 with all our powers of reflection1 and promised us that ,god1 whose temples our bodies ought to be1 will accede to the desires of our souls4 ,for he did not intend to deny the expediency of praying also in other places2 but shows that prayer is a kind of secret thing1 which lies principally in the heart1 and requires a tranquillity of mind undisturbed by all cares4 ,it was not without reason1 therefore1 that the ,lord himself1 when he would engage in an unusual vehemence of devotion1 retired to some solitary place1 far from the tumult of men2 but with a view to admonish us by his own example1 that we ought not to neglect these helps1 by which our hearts1 naturally too inconstant1 are more intensely fixed on the devotional exercise4 ,but notwithstanding1 as he did not refrain from praying even in the midst of a multitude1 if at any time the occasion required it1 so we1 in all places where it may be necessary1 should 8lift up holy hands40#chi ,and so it is to be concluded1 that whoever refuses to pray in the solemn assembly of the saints1 knows nothing of private prayer1 either solitary or domestic4 ,and again1 that he who neglects solitary and private prayer1 how sedulously soever he may frequent the public assemblies1 only forms there such as are mere wind1 because he pays more deference to the opinion of men than to the secret judgment of ,god4 ,in the mean time1 that the common prayers of the ,church might not sink into contempt1 ,god anciently distinguished them by splendid titles1 especially when he called the temple a 8house of prayer40#cij ,for by this expression he taught both that the duty of prayer is a principal part of his worship1 and that the temple had been erected as a standard for believers1 in order that they might engage in it with one consent4 ,there was also added a remarkable promise3 8,praise waiteth for thee1 ,o ,god1 in ,sion2 and unto thee shall the vow be performed20#cia in which words the ,psalmist informs us that the prayers of the ,church are never in vain1 because the ,lord supplies his people with perpetual matter of praise and joy4 ,but though the legal shadows have ceased1 yet since it has been the ,divine will by this ceremony to maintain a unity of faith among us also1 the same promise undoubtedly belongs to us1 ,christ having confirmed it with his own mouth1 and ,paul having represented it as perpetually valid4 ,,xxx4 ,now1 as ,god in his word commands believers to unite in common prayers1 so also it is necessary that public temples be appointed for performing them2 where they who refuse to join with the people of ,god in their devotions1 have no just reason for abusing this pretext1 that they enter into their closets1 in obedience to the ,divine mandate4 ,for he who promises to grant whatever shall be implored by two or three persons convened in his name1#cib proves that he is far from despising prayers offered in public2 provided they be free from ostentation and a desire of human applause1 and accompanied with a sincere and real affection dwelling in the secret recesses of the heart4 ,if this be the legitimate use of temples1 as it certainly is1 there is need of great caution1 lest we either consider them as the proper habitations of the ,deity1 where he may be nearer to us to hear our prayers1--an idea which has begun to be prevalent for several ages1--or ascribe to them ,i know not what mysterious sanctity1 which might be supposed to render our devotions more holy in the ,divine view4 ,for since we are ourselves the true temples of ,god1 we must pray within ourselves1 if we wish to invoke him in his holy temple4 ,but let us1 who are directed to worship the ,lord 8in spirit and in truth10#cic without any difference of place1 relinquish those gross ideas of religion to the ,jews or pagans4 ,there was1 indeed1 anciently a temple dedicated1 by ,divine command1 to the oblation of prayers and sacrifices3 at that time the truth was figuratively concealed under such shadows2 but now1 having been plainly discovered to us1 it no longer permits an exclusive attachment to any material temple4 ,nor1 indeed1 was the temple recommended to the ,jews that they might enclose the ,divine presence within its walls1 but that they might be employed in contemplating a representation of the true temple4 ,therefore ,isaiah and ,stephen have sharply reprehended those who suppose that ,god dwells in any respect 8in temples made with hands40#cid ,,xxxi4 ,hence it is moreover clearly evident1 that neither voice nor singing1 if used in prayer1 has any validity1 or produces the least benefit with ,god1 unless it proceed from the inmost desire of the heart4 ,but they rather provoke his wrath against us1 if they be only emitted from the lips and throat2 since that is an abuse of his sacred name1 and a derision of his majesty2 as we conclude from the words of ,isaiah1 which1 though their meaning be more extensive1 contain also a reproof of this offence3 8,the ,lord said1 ,forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth1 and with their lips do honour me1 but have removed their heart far from me1 and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men1--therefore1 behold1 ,i will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people1 even a marvellous work and a wonder2 for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish1 and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid40#cie ,nor do we here condemn the use of the voice1 or singing1 but rather highly recommend them1 provided they accompany the affection of the heart4 ,for they exercise the mind in ,divine meditation1 and fix the attention of the heart2 which by its lubricity and versatility is easily relaxed and distracted to a variety of objects1 unless it be supported by various helps4 ,besides1 as the glory of ,god ought in some respect to be manifested in every part of our bodies1 to this service1 both in singing and in speaking1 it becomes us especially to addict and devote our tongues1 which were created for the express purpose of declaring and celebrating the ,divine praises4 ,nevertheless the principal use of the tongue is in the public prayers which are made in the congregations of believers2 the design of which is1 that with one common voice1 and as it were with the same mouth1 we may all at once proclaim the glory of ,god1 whom we worship in one spirit and with the same faith2 and this is publicly done1 that all interchangeably1 each one of his brother1 may receive the confession of faith1 and be invited and stimulated by his example4 ,,xxxii4 ,now1 the custom of singing in churches 7to speak of it by the way7 not only appears to be very ancient1 but that it was even used by the apostles1 may be concluded from these words of ,paul3 8,i will sing with the spirit1 and ,i will sing with the understanding also40#cif ,again1 to the ,colossians3 8,teaching and admonishing one another in psalms1 and hymns1 and spiritual songs1 singing with grace in your hearts to the ,lord40#cig ,for in the former passage he inculcates singing with the voice and with the heart2 and in the latter he recommends spiritual songs1 which may conduce to the mutual edification of the saints4 ,yet that it was not universal is proved by ,augustine1 who relates that in the time of ,ambrose1 the church at ,milan first adopted the practice of singing1 when1 during the persecution of the orthodox faith by ,justina1 the mother of ,valentinian1 the people were unusually assiduous in their vigils2 and that the other ,western churches followed4 ,for he had just before mentioned that this custom had been derived from the churches of the ,east4 ,he signifies also1 in the second book of his ,retractations1 that in his time it was received in ,africa4 8,one ,hilary1 7says he17 who held the tribunitial office1 took every opportunity of loading with malicious censures the custom which was then introduced at ,carthage1 that hymns from the ,book of ,psalms should be sung at the altar1 either before the oblation1 or while that which had been offered was distributed to the people4 ,in obedience to the commands of my brethren1 ,i answered him40 ,and certainly if singing be attempered to that gravity which becomes the presence of ,god and of angels1 it adds a dignity and grace to sacred actions1 and is very efficacious in exciting the mind to a true concern and ardour of devotion4 ,yet great caution is necessary1 that the ears be not more attentive to the modulation of the notes1 than the mind to the spiritual import of the words4 ,with which danger ,augustine confesses himself to have been so affected1 as sometimes to have wished for the observance of the custom instituted by ,athanasius1 who directed that the reader should sound the words with such a gentle inflection of voice1 as would be more nearly allied to rehearsing than to singing4 ,but when he recollected the great benefit which himself had received from singing1 he inclined to the other side4 ,with the observance1 therefore1 of this limitation1 it is without doubt an institution of great solemnity and usefulness4 ,as1 on the reverse1 whatever music is composed only to please and delight the ear1 is unbecoming the majesty of the ,church1 and cannot but be highly displeasing to ,god4 ,,xxxiii4 ,hence also it plainly appears1 that public prayers are to be composed1 not in ,greek among the ,latins1 nor in ,latin among the ,french or ,english1 as has hitherto been universally practised2 but in the vernacular tongue1 which may be generally understood by the whole congregation2 for it ought to be conducted to the edification of the whole ,church1 to whom not the least benefit can result from sounds which they do not understand4 ,but they who disregard the voice both of charity and of humanity1 ought at least to discover some little respect for the authority of ,paul1 whose words are free from all ambiguity3 8,when thou shalt bless with the ,spirit1 how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say ,amen at thy giving of thanks1 seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest8 ,for thou verily givest thanks well1 but the other is not edified40#cih ,who1 then1 can sufficiently wonder at the unbridled license of the ,papists1 who1 notwithstanding this apostolic caution against it1 are not afraid to bellow their verbose prayers in a foreign language1 of which they neither sometimes understand a syllable themselves1 nor wish a syllable to be understood by others6 ,but ,paul directs to a different practice3 8,what is it then8 7says he7 ,i will pray with the spirit1 and ,i will pray with the understanding also3 ,i will sing with the spirit1 and ,i will sing with the understanding also40#cii ,signifying by the word spirit the peculiar gift of tongues1 which was abused by some of its possessors1 when they separated it from understanding4 ,thus it must be fully admitted1 that both in public and in private prayer1 the tongue1 unaccompanied by the heart1 cannot but be highly displeasing to ,god2 and likewise that the mind ought to be incited1 in the ardour of meditation1 to rise to a much higher elevation than can ever be attained by the expression of the tongue2 lastly1 that the tongue is indeed not necessary to private prayer1 any further than as the mind is insufficient to arouse itself1 or as the vehemence of its emotions irresistibly carries the tongue along with them4 ,for though some of the best prayers are not vocal1 yet it is very common1 under strong emotions1 for the tongue to break forth into sounds1 and the other members into gestures1 without the least ostentation4 ,hence the uncertain muttering of ,hannah1#djj somewhat similar to which is experienced by the saints in all ages1 when they break forth into abrupt and imperfect sounds4 ,the corporeal gestures usually observed in prayer1 such as kneeling and uncovering the head1 are customs designed to increase our reverence of ,god4 ,,xxxiv4 ,now1 we must learn not only a certain rule1 but also the form of praying2 even that which our heavenly ,father has given us by his beloved ,son2#dja in which we may recognize his infinite goodness and clemency4 ,for beside advising and exhorting us to seek him in all our necessities1 as children1 whenever they are afflicted with any distress1 are accustomed to have recourse to the protection of their parents2 seeing that we did not sufficiently perceive how great was our poverty1 what it was right to implore1 or what would be suitable to our condition1 he has provided a remedy even for this our ignorance1 and abundantly supplied the deficiencies of our capacity4 ,for he has prescribed for us a form1 in which he gives a statement of all that it is lawful to desire of him1 all that is conducive to our benefit1 and all that it is necessary to ask4 ,from this kindness of his1 we derive great consolation in the persuasion that we pray for nothing absurd1 nothing injurious or unseasonable2 in a word1 nothing but what is agreeable to him2 since our petitions are almost in his own words4 ,plato1 observing the ignorance of men in presenting their supplications to ,god1 which if granted were frequently very detrimental to them1 pronounces this to be the best method of praying1 borrowed from an ancient poet3 8,king ,jupiter1 give us those things which are best1 whether we pray for them or not2 but command evil things to remain at a distance from us1 even though we implore them40 ,and indeed the wisdom of that heathen is conspicuous in this instance1 since he considers it as very dangerous to supplicate the ,lord to gratify all the dictates of our appetites2 and at the same time discovers our infelicity1 who cannot1 without danger1 even open our mouths in the presence of ,god1 unless we be instructed by the ,spirit in the right rule of prayer4#djb ,and this privilege deserves to be the more highly valued by us1 since the only begotten ,son of ,god puts words into our mouths1 which may deliver our minds from all hesitation4 ,,xxxv4 ,this form or rule of prayer1 whichever appellation be given to it1 is composed of six petitions4 ,for my reason for not agreeing with those who divide it into seven parts is1 that the ,evangelist appears1 by the insertion of the adversative conjunction1 to connect together these two clauses2 as though he had said1 ,suffer us not to be oppressed with temptation1 but rather succour our weakness1 and deliver us1 that we may not fall4 ,the ancient writers of the ,church also are of our opinion2 so that what is now added in ,matthew in the seventh place1 must be explained as belonging to the sixth petition4 ,now1 though the whole prayer is such1 that in every part of it the principal regard must be paid to the glory of ,god1 yet to this the first three petitions are particularly devoted1 and to this alone we ought to attend in them1 without any consideration of our own interest4 ,the remaining three concern ourselves1 and are expressly assigned to supplications for those things which tend to our benefit4 ,as when we pray that ,god's name may be hallowed1 since he chooses to prove whether our love and worship of him be voluntary1 or dictated by mercenary motives1 we must then think nothing of our own interest1 but his glory must be proposed as the only object of our fixed attention2 nor is it lawful for us to be differently affected in the other petitions of this class4 ,and this indeed conduces to our great benefit2 because1 when the ,divine name is hallowed or sanctified as we pray1 it becomes likewise our sanctification4 ,but our eyes should overlook1 and be1 as it were1 blind to such advantage1 so as not to pay the least regard to it4 ,and even if we were deprived of all hope of private benefit1 yet this hallowing1 and the other things which pertain to the glory of ,god1 ought still to be the objects of our desires and of our prayers4 ,this is conspicuous in the examples of ,moses and ,paul1#djc who felt a pleasure in averting their minds and eyes from themselves1 and in praying with vehement and ardent zeal for their own destruction1 that they might promote the kingdom and glory of ,god even at the expense of their own happiness4 ,on the other hand1 when we pray that our daily bread may be given us1 although we wish for what is beneficial to ourselves1 yet here also we ought principally to aim at the glory of ,god1 so as not even to ask it1 unless it tend to his glory4 ,now1 let us attempt an explanation of the prayer itself4 ,,xxxvi4 ,,our ,,father1 ,,who ,,art ,,in ,,heaven1 c4 ,the first idea that occurs is1 what we have before asserted1 that we ought never to present a prayer to ,god but in the name of ,christ1 since no other name can recommend it to his regard4 ,for by calling ,god our ,father1 we certainly plead the name of ,christ4 ,for with what confidence could any one call ,god his ,father8 who could proceed to such a degree of temerity1 as to arrogate to himself the dignity of a son of ,god1 if we had not been adopted as the children of his grace in ,christ8 who1 being his true ,son1 has been given by him to us as our brother1 that the character which properly belongs to him by nature1 may become ours by the blessing of adoption1 if we receive this inestimable favour with a steady faith2 as ,john says1 that to them is given 8power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe on the name of the only begotten of the ,father40#djd ,therefore he denominates himself our ,father1 and wishes us to give him the same appellation2 delivering us from all diffidence by the great sweetness of this name1 since the affection of love can nowhere be found in a stronger degree than in the heart of a father4 ,therefore he could not give us a more certain proof of his infinite love towards us1 than by our being denominated the sons of ,god4 ,but his love to us is as much greater and more excellent than all the love of our parents1 as he is superior to all men in goodness and mercy2#dje so that though all the fathers in the world1 divested of every emotion of paternal affection1 should leave their children destitute1 he will never forsake us1 because 8he cannot deny himself40#djf ,for we have his promise1 8,if ye1 then1 being evil1 know how to give good gifts unto your children1 how much more shall your ,father which is in heaven80#djg ,again1 in the prophet3 8,can a woman forget her child8 ,yea1 they may forget1 yet will ,i not forget thee40#djh ,but if we are his sons1 then1 as a son cannot commit himself to the protection of a stranger and an alien1 without at the same time complaining of the cruelty or poverty of his father1 so neither can we seek supplies for our wants from any other quarter than from him1 without charging him with indigence and inability1 or with cruelty and excessive austerity4 ,,xxxvii4 ,neither let us plead that we are justly terrified by a consciousness of our sins1 which may cause even a merciful1 kind ,father to be daily offended with us4 ,for if1 among men1 a son can conduct his cause with his father by no better advocate1 can conciliate and recover his lost favour by no better mediator1 than by approaching him as an humble suppliant1 acknowledging his own guilt1 and imploring his father's mercy1 7for the bowels of a father could not conceal their emotions at such supplications17 what will he do1 who is 8the ,father of mercies1 and the ,god of all comfort80#dji ,will he not hear the cries and groans of his children when they deprecate his displeasure for themselves1 especially since it is to this that he invites and exhorts us2 rather than attend to any intercessions of others1 to which they resort in great consternation1 not without some degree of despair1 arising from a doubt of the kindness and clemency of their ,father8 ,of this exuberance of paternal kindness1 he gives us a beautiful representation in a parable2#daj where a father meets and embraces a son who had alienated himself from his family1 who had dissolutely lavished his substance1 who had grievously offended him in every respect3 nor does he wait till he actually supplicates for pardon1 but anticipates him1 recognizes him when returning at a great distance1 voluntarily runs to meet him1 consoles him1 and receives him into favour4 ,for by proposing to our view an example of such great kindness in a man1 he intended to teach us how much more abundant compassion we ought1 notwithstanding our ingratitude1 rebellion1 and wickedness1 to expect from him1 who is not only our ,father1 but the most benevolent and merciful of all fathers1 provided we only cast ourselves on his mercy4 ,and to give us the more certain assurance that he is such a ,father1 if we be ,christians1 he will be called not only 8,father10 but expressly 8,our ,father20 as though we might address him in the following manner3 ,o ,father1 whose affection towards thy children is so strong1 and whose readiness to pardon them is so great1 we thy children invoke thee and pray to thee1 under the assurance and full persuasion that thou hast no other than a paternal affection towards us1 how unworthy soever we are of such a ,father4 ,but because the contracted capacities of our minds cannot conceive of a favour of such immense magnitude1 we not only have ,christ as the pledge and earnest of adoption1 but as a witness of this adoption he gives us the ,spirit1 by whom we are enabled with a loud voice freely to cry1 8,abba1 ,father40#daa ,whenever1 therefore1 we may be embarrassed by any difficulty1 let us remember to supplicate him1 that he will correct our timidity1 and give us this spirit of magnanimity to enable us to pray with boldness4 ,,xxxviii4 ,but since we are not instructed1 that every individual should appropriate him to himself exclusively as his ,father1 but rather that we should all in common call him ,our ,father1 we are thereby admonished how strong a fraternal affection ought to prevail among us1 who1 by the same privilege of mercy and free grace1 are equally the children of such a ,father4 ,for if we all have one common ,father1#dab from whom proceeds every blessing we enjoy1 there ought to be nothing exclusively appropriated by any among us1 but what we should be ready to communicate to each other with the greatest alacrity of heart1 whenever necessity requires4 ,now1 if we desire1 as we ought1 to exert ourselves for our mutual assistance1 there is nothing in which we can better promote the interests of our brethren1 than by commending them to the providential care of our most benevolent ,father1 with whose mercy and favour no other want can be experienced4 ,and1 indeed1 this is a debt which we owe to our ,father himself4 ,for as he who truly and cordially loves any father of a family1 feels likewise a love and friendship for his whole household1 in the same manner1 our zeal and affection towards this heavenly ,father must be shown towards his people1 his family1 his inheritance1 whom he has dignified with the honourable appellation of the 8fulness0 of his only begotten ,son4#dac ,let a ,christian1 then1 regulate his prayers by this rule1 that they be common1 and comprehend all who are his brethren in ,christ2 and not only those whom he at present sees and knows to be such1 but all men in the world2 respecting whom1 what ,god has determined is beyond our knowledge2 only that to wish and hope the best concerning them1 is equally the dictate of piety and of humanity4 ,it becomes us1 however1 to exercise a peculiar and superior affection 8unto them who are of the household of faith20 whom the apostle has in every case recommended to our particular regards4#dad ,in a word1 all our prayers ought to be such1 as to respect that community which our ,lord has established in his kingdom and in his family4 ,,xxxix4 ,yet this is no objection to the lawfulness of particular prayers1 both for ourselves and for other certain individuals2 provided our minds be not withdrawn from a regard to this community1 nor even diverted from it1 but refer every thing to this point4 ,for though the words of them be singular1 yet as they are directed to this end1 they cease not to be common4 ,all this may be rendered very intelligible by a similitude4 ,god has given a general command to relieve the wants of all the poor2 and yet this is obeyed by them who to that end succour the indigence of those whom they either know or see to be labouring under poverty2 even though they pass by multitudes who are oppressed with necessities equally severe1 because neither their knowledge nor ability can extend to all4 ,in the same manner1 no opposition is made to the ,divine will by them who1 regarding and considering this common society of the ,church1 present such particular prayers1 in which1 with a public spirit1 but in particular terms1 they recommend to ,god themselves or others1 whose necessity he has placed within their more immediate knowledge4 ,however1 there is not a perfect similarity in every respect between prayer and donation of alms1 for munificence cannot be exercised but towards them whose wants we have perceived2 but we may assist by our prayers even the greatest strangers1 and those with whom we are the most unacquainted1 how distant soever they may be from us4 ,this is done by that general form of prayer1 which comprehends all the children of ,god1 among whom they also are numbered4 ,to this may be referred the exhortation which ,paul gives believers of his age1 8that men pray every where1 lifting up holy hands without wrath20#dae because by admonishing them1 that discord shuts the gate against prayers1 he advises them unanimously to unite all their petitions together4 ,,xl4 ,it is added1 ,,that ,,he ,,is ,,in ,,heaven4 ,from which it is not hastily to be inferred1 that he is included and circumscribed within the circumference of heaven1 as by certain barriers4 ,for ,solomon confesses1 that 8the heaven of heavens cannot contain0 him4#daf ,and he says himself1 by the prophet1 8,the heaven is my throne1 and the earth is my footstool40#dag ,by which he clearly signifies that he is not limited to any particular region1 but diffused throughout all space4 ,but because the dulness of our minds could not otherwise conceive of his ineffable glory1 it is designated to us by the heaven1 than which we can behold nothing more august or more majestic4 ,since1 then1 wherever our senses apprehend any thing1 there they are accustomed to fix it1 ,god is represented as beyond all place1 that when we seek him we may be elevated above all reach of both body and soul4 ,moreover1 by this form of expression1 he is exalted above all possibility of corruption or mutation3 finally1 it is signified1 that he comprehends and contains the whole world1 and governs the universe by his power4 ,wherefore1 this is the same as if he had been said to be possessed of an incomprehensible essence1 infinite magnitude or sublimity1 irresistible power1 and unlimited immortality4 ,but when we hear this1 our thoughts must be raised to a higher elevation when ,god is mentioned2 that we may not entertain any terrestrial or carnal imaginations concerning him1 that we may not measure him by our diminutive proportions1 or judge of his will by our affections4 ,we should likewise be encouraged to place the most implicit reliance on him1 by whose providence and power we understand both heaven and earth to be governed4 ,to conclude3 under the name of 8,our ,father0 is represented to us1 that ,god who has appeared to us in his own image1 that we might call upon him with a steady faith2 and the familiar appellation of ,father is not only adapted to produce confidence1 but also efficacious to prevent our minds from being seduced to dubious or fictitious deities1 and to cause them to ascend from the only begotten ,son to the common ,father of angels and of saints2 moreover1 when his throne is placed in heaven1 we are reminded by his government of the world1 that it is not in vain for us to approach to him who makes us the objects of his present and voluntary care4 8,he that cometh to ,god 7says the apostle7 must believe that he is1 and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him40#dah ,christ asserts both these of his ,father1 that we may have first a firm faith in his existence1 and then a certain persuasion that1 since he deigns to extend his providence to us1 he will not neglect our salvation4 ,by these principles1 ,paul prepares us for praying in right manner2 for his exhortation1 8,let your requests be made known unto ,god10 is thus prefaced3 8,the ,lord is at hand4 ,be careful for nothing40#dai ,whence it appears1 that their prayers must be attended with great doubt and perplexity of mind1 who are not well established in this truth1 that 8the eyes of the ,lord are upon the righteous40#dbj ,,xli4 ,the first petition is1 ,,that ,,god',s ,,name ,,may ,,be ,,hallowed2 the necessity of which is connected with our great disgrace4 ,for what is more shameful1 than that the ,divine glory should be obscured partly by our ingratitude1 partly by our malignity1 and1 as far as possible1 obliterated by our presumption1 infatuation1 and perverseness8 ,notwithstanding all the sacrilegious rage and clamours of the impious1 yet the refulgence of holiness still adorns the ,divine name4 ,nor does the ,psalmist without reason exclaim1 8,according to thy name1 ,o ,god1 so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth40#dba ,for wherever ,god may be known1 there must necessarily be a manifestation of his perfections of power1 goodness1 wisdom1 righteousness1 mercy1 and truth1 which command our admiration and excite us to celebrate his praise4 ,therefore1 because ,god is so unjustly robbed of his holiness on earth1 if it is not in our power to assert it for him1 we are at least commanded to regard it in our prayers4 ,the substance of it is1 that we wish ,god to receive all the honour that he deserves1 that men may never speak or think of him but with the highest reverence2 to which is opposed that profanation1 which has always been too common in the world1 as it continues to be in the present age4 ,and hence the necessity of this petition1 which1 if we were influenced by only a tolerable degree of piety1 ought to be superfluous4 ,but if the name of ,god be truly hallowed1 when separated from all others it breathes pure glory1 we are here commanded to pray1 not only that ,god will vindicate his holy name from all contempt and ignominy1 but also that he will constrain all mankind to revere it4 ,now1 as ,god manifests himself to us partly by his word1 and partly by his works1 he is no otherwise hallowed by us1 than if we attribute to him in both instances that which belongs to him1 and so receive whatever proceeds from him2 ascribing1 moreover1 equal praise to his severity and to his clemency2 since on the multiplicity and variety of his works he has impressed characters of his glory1 which should draw from every tongue a confession of his praise4 ,thus will the ,scripture obtain a just authority with us1 nor will any event obstruct the benedictions which ,god deserves in the whole course of his government of the world4 ,the tendency of the petition is1 further1 that all impiety which sullies this holy name1 may be utterly abolished2 that whatever obscures or diminishes this hallowing1 whether detraction or derision1 may disappear2 and that while ,god restrains all sacrilege1 his majesty may shine with increasing splendour4 ,,xlii4 ,the second petition is1 ,,that ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,god ,,may ,,come2 which1 though it contains nothing new1 is yet not without reason distinguished from the first2 because1 if we consider our inattention in the most important of all concerns1 it is useful for that which ought of itself to have been most intimately known to us1 to be inculcated in a variety of words4 ,therefore1 after we have been commanded to pray to ,god to subdue1 and at length utterly to destroy1 every thing that sullies his holy name1 there is now added another petition1 similar and almost identically the same--,that his kingdom may come4 ,now1 though we have already given a definition of this kingdom1 ,i now briefly repeat1 that ,god reigns when men1 renouncing themselves and despising the world and the present state1 submit themselves to his righteousness1 so as to aspire to the heavenly state4 ,thus this kingdom consists of two parts2 the one1 ,god's correcting by the power of his ,spirit all our carnal and depraved appetites1 which oppose him in great numbers2 the other1 his forming all our powers to an obedience to his commands4 ,no others therefore observe a proper order in this petition1 but they who begin from themselves1 that is1 that they may be purified from all corruptions which disturb the tranquillity1 or violate the purity1 of ,god's kingdom4 ,now1 since the ,divine word resembles a royal sceptre1 we are commanded to pray that he will subdue the hearts and minds of all men to a voluntary obedience to it4 ,this is accomplished1 when1 by the secret inspiration of his ,spirit1 he displays the efficacy of his word1 and causes it to obtain the honour it deserves4 ,afterwards1 it is our duty to descend to the impious1 by whom his authority is resisted with the perseverance of obstinacy and the fury of despair4 ,god therefore erects his kingdom on the humiliation of the whole world1 though his methods of humiliation are various2 for he restrains the passions of some1 and breaks the unsubdued arrogance of others4 ,it ought to be the object of our daily wishes1 that ,god would collect churches for himself from all the countries of the earth1 that he would enlarge their numbers1 enrich them with gifts1 and establish a legitimate order among them2 that1 on the contrary1 he would overthrow all the enemies of the pure doctrine and religion1 that he would confound their counsels1 and defeat their attempts4 ,whence it appears that the desire of a daily progress is not enjoined us in vain2 because human affairs are never in such a happy situation1 as that all defilement of sin is removed1 and purity can be seen in full perfection4 ,this perfection is deferred till the last advent of ,christ1 when1 the apostle says1 8,god will be all in all40#dbb ,and so this petition ought to withdraw us from all the corruptions of the world1 which separate us from ,god1 and prevent his kingdom from flourishing within us2 it ought likewise to inflame us with an ardent desire of mortifying the flesh1 and finally to teach us to bear the cross2 since these are the means which ,god chooses for the extension of his kingdom4 ,nor should we be impatient that the outward man is destroyed1 provided the inward man be renewed4 ,for this is the order of the kingdom of ,god1 that1 when we submit to his righteousness1 he makes us partakers of his glory4 ,this is accomplished1 when1 discovering his light and truth with perpetual accession of splendour1 before which the shades and falsehoods of ,satan and of his kingdom vanish and become extinct1 he by the aids of his ,spirit directs his children into the path of rectitude1 and strengthens them to perseverance2 but defeats the impious conspiracies of his enemies1 confounds their insidious and fraudulent designs1 disappoints their malice1 and represses their obstinacy1 till at length 8he0 will 8consume0 ,antichrist 8with the spirit of his mouth1 and destroy0 all impiety 8with the brightness of his coming40#dbc ,,xliii4 ,the third petition is1 ,,that ,,the ,,will ,,of ,,god ,,may ,,be ,,done ,,on ,,earth ,,as ,,it ,,is ,,in ,,heaven2 which1 though it is an appendage to his kingdom1 and cannot be disjoined from it1 is yet not without reason separately mentioned1 on account of our ignorance1 which does not apprehend with facility what it is for ,god to reign in the world4 ,there will be nothing absurd1 then1 in understanding this as an explanation1 that ,god's kingdom will then prevail in the world1 when all shall submit to his will4 ,now1 we speak not here of his secret will1 by which he governs all things1 and appoints them to fulfil his own purposes4 ,for though ,satan and men oppose him with all the violence of rage1 yet his incomprehensible wisdom is able1 not only to divert their impetuosity1 but to overrule it for the accomplishment of his decrees4 ,but the ,divine will here intended1 is that to which voluntary obedience corresponds2 and therefore heaven is expressly compared with the earth1 because the angels1 as the ,psalmist says1 spontaneously 8do his commandments1 hearkening unto the voice of his word40#dbd ,we are therefore commanded to desire that1 as in heaven nothing is done but according to the ,divine will1 and the angels are placidly conformed to every thing that is right1 so the earth1 all obstinacy and depravity being annihilated1 may be subject to the same government4 ,and in praying for this1 we renounce our own carnal desires2 because1 unless we resign all our affections to ,god1 we are guilty of all the opposition in our power to his will1 for nothing proceeds from us but what is sinful4 ,and we are likewise habituated by this petition to a renunciation of ourselves1 that ,god may rule us according to his own pleasure2 and not only so1 but that he may also create in us new minds and new hearts1 annihilating our own1 that we may experience no emotion of desire within us1 but a mere consent to his will2 in a word1 that we may have no will of our own1 but that our hearts may be governed by his ,spirit1 by whose internal teachings we may learn to love those things which please him1 and to hate those which he disapproves2 consequently1 that he may render abortive all those desires which are repugnant to his will4 ,these are the three first clauses of this prayer1 in praying which we ought solely to have in view the glory of ,god1 omitting all consideration of ourselves1 and not regarding any advantage of our own1 which1 though they largely contribute to it1 should not be our end in these petitions4 ,but though all these things1 even if we never think of them1 nor wish for them1 nor request them1 must nevertheless happen in their appointed time1 yet they ought to be the objects of our wishes1 and the subjects of our prayers4 ,and such petitions it will be highly proper for us to offer1 that we may testify and profess ourselves to be the servants and sons of ,god2 manifesting the sincerest devotedness1 and making the most zealous efforts in our power for advancing the honour which is due to him1 both as a ,master and as a ,father4 ,persons1 therefore1 who are not incited1 by this ardent zeal for promoting the glory of ,god1 to pray1 that his name may be hallowed1 that his kingdom may come1 and that his will may be done1 are not to be numbered among his sons and servants2 and as all these things will be accomplished in opposition to their inclinations1 so they will contribute to their confusion and destruction4 ,,xliv4 ,next follows the second part of the prayer1 in which we descend to our own interests2 not that we must dismiss all thoughts of the ,divine glory1 7which1 according to ,paul1#dbe should be regarded even in eating and drinking17 and only seek what is advantageous to ourselves2 but we have already announced that this is the distinction--that ,god1 by exclusively claiming three petitions1 absorbs us entirely in the consideration of himself1 that thus he may prove our piety2 afterwards he permits us to attend to our own interests1 yet on this condition1 that the end of all our requests be the illustration of his glory1 by whatever benefits he confers on us1 since nothing is more reasonable than that we live and die to him4 ,but the first petition of the second part1 ,,give ,,us ,,this ,,day ,,our ,,daily ,,bread1 is a general request to ,god for a supply of all our corporeal wants in the present state1 not only for food and clothing1 but also for every thing which he sees to be conducive to our good1 that we may eat our bread in peace4 ,by this we briefly surrender ourselves to his care1 and commit ourselves to his providence1 that he may feed1 nourish1 and preserve us4 ,for our most benevolent ,father disdains not to receive even our body into his charge and protection1 that he may exercise our faith in these minute circumstances1 while we expect every thing from him1 even down to a crumb of bread and a drop of water4 ,for since it is a strange effect of our iniquity1 to be affected and distressed with greater solicitude for the body than for the soul1 many1 who venture to confide to ,god the interests of their souls1 are nevertheless still solicitous concerning the body1 still anxious what they shall eat and what they shall wear2 and unless they have an abundance of corn1 wine1 and oil1 for the supply of their future wants1 tremble with fear4 ,of so much greater importance to us is the shadow of this transitory life1 than that eternal immortality4 ,but they who1 confiding in ,god1 have once cast off that anxiety for the concerns of the body1 expect likewise to receive from him superior blessings1 even salvation and eternal life4 ,it is therefore no trivial exercise of faith1 to expect from ,god those things which otherwise fill us with so much anxiety2 nor is it a small proficiency when we have divested ourselves of this infidelity1 which is almost universally interwoven with the human constitution4 ,the speculations of some1 concerning supernatural bread1 appear to me not very consonant to the meaning of ,christ2 for if we did not ascribe to ,god the character of our ,supporter even in this transitory life1 our prayer would be defective4 ,the reason which they allege has too much profanity2 that it is unbecoming for the children of ,god1 who ought to be spiritual1 not only to devote their own attention to terrestrial cares1 but also to involve ,god in the same anxieties with themselves2 as though1 truly1 his benediction and paternal favour were not conspicuous even in our sustenance2 or there were no meaning in the assertion1 that 8godliness hath promise of the life that now is1 and of that which is to come40#dbf ,now1 though remission of sins is of much greater value than corporeal aliments1 yet ,christ has given the first place to the inferior blessing1 that he might gradually raise us to the two remaining petitions1 which properly pertain to the heavenly life2 in which he has consulted our dulness4 ,we are commanded to ask 8our bread10 that we may be content with the portion which our heavenly ,father deigns to allot us1 nor practise any illicit arts for the love of lucre4 ,in the mean time1 it must be understood that it becomes ours by a title of donation2 because neither our industry1 nor our labour1 nor our hands1 as is observed by ,moses1#dbg acquire any thing for us of themselves1 when unattended by the ,divine blessing2 and that even an abundance of bread would not be of the least service to us1 unless it were by the ,divine power converted into nourishment4 ,and therefore this liberality of ,god is equally as necessary to the rich as to the poor2 for though their barns and cellars were full1 they would faint with hunger and thirst1 unless through his goodness they enjoyed their food4 ,the expression 8this day10 or 8day by day10 as it is in the other ,evangelist1 and the epithet daily1 restrain the inordinate desire of transitory things1 with which we are often violently inflamed1 and which leads to other evils2 since if we have a greater abundance1 we fondly lavish it away in pleasure1 delights1 ostentation1 and other kinds of luxury4 ,therefore we are enjoined to ask only as much as will supply our necessity1 and as it were for the present day1 with this confidence1 that our heavenly ,father1 after having fed us to-day1 will not fail us to-morrow4 ,whatever affluence1 then1 we possess1 even when our barns and cellars are full1 yet it behoves us always to ask for our daily bread2 because it must be considered as an undeniable truth1 that all property is nothing1 any further than the ,lord1 by the effusions of his favour1 blesses it with continual improvement2 and that even what we have in our possession is not our own1 any further than as he hourly bestows on us some portion of it1 and grants us the use of it4 ,since the pride of man does not easily suffer itself to be convinced of this1 the ,lord declares that he has given to all ages an eminent proof of it1 by feeding his people with manna in the desert1 in order to apprize us 8that man doth not live by bread only1 but by every word that proceedeth out of his mouth20#dbh which implies1 that it is his power alone by which our life and strength are sustained1 although he communicates it to us by corporeal means2 as he is accustomed to teach us likewise by an opposite example1 when he breaks1 at his pleasure1 the strength 7and1 as he himself calls it1 8the staff07 of bread1 so that though men eat they pine with hunger1 and though they drink are parched with thirst4#dbi ,now1 they who are not satisfied with daily bread1 but whose avidity is insatiable1 and whose desires are unbounded1 and they who are satiated with their abundance1 and think themselves secure amid their immense riches1 and who nevertheless supplicate the ,divine ,being in this petition1 are guilty of mocking him4 ,for the former ask what they would not wish to obtain1 and even what most of all they abominate1 that is1 daily bread only2 they conceal from ,god1 as much as they can1 their avaricious disposition2 whereas true prayer ought to pour out before him the whole mind1 and all the inmost secrets of the soul2 and the latter implore what they are far from expecting to receive from him1 what they think they have in their own possession4 ,in its being called 8ours10 the ,divine goodness is1 as we have observed1 the more conspicuous1 since it makes that ours1 to which we have no claim of right4 ,yet we must not reject the explanation which ,i have likewise hinted at1 that it intends also such as is acquired by just and innocent labour1 and not procured by acts of deception and rapine2 because1 whatever we acquire by any criminal methods1 is never our own1 but belongs to others4 ,our praying that it may be 8given0 to us signifies that it is the simple and gratuitous donation of ,god1 from what quarter soever we receive it2 even when it most of all appears to be obtained by our own skill and industry1 and to be procured by our own hands2 since it is solely the effect of his blessing1 that our labours are attended with success4 ,,xlv4 ,it follows--,,forgive ,,us ,,our ,,debts2 in which petition1 and the next1 ,christ has comprised whatever relates to the heavenly life2 as in these two parts consists the spiritual covenant which ,god has made for the salvation of his ,church--8,i will write my law in their hearts1 and will pardon their iniquities40#dcj ,here ,christ begins with remission of sins3 immediately after1 he subjoins a second favour--that ,god would defend us by the power1 and support us by the aid1 of his ,spirit1 to enable us to stand unconquered against all temptations4 ,sins he calls debts1 because we owe the penalty of them--a debt we are altogether incapable of discharging1 unless we are released by this remission1 which is a pardon flowing from his gratuitous mercy1 when he freely cancels these debts without any payment from us1 being satisfied by his own mercy in ,christ1 who has once given himself for our redemption4 ,those1 therefore1 who rely on ,god's being satisfied with their own merits1 or the merits of others1 and persuade themselves that remission of sins is purchased by these satisfactions1 have no interest in this gratuitous forgiveness2 and while they call upon ,god in this form1 they are only subscribing their own accusation1 and even sealing their condemnation with their own testimony4 ,for they confess themselves debtors1 unless they are discharged by the benefit of remission1 which nevertheless they accept not1 but rather refuse1 while they obtrude upon ,god their own merits and satisfactions4 ,for in this way they do not implore his mercy1 but appeal to his judgment4 ,they who amuse themselves with dreams of perfection1 superseding the necessity of praying for pardon1 may have disciples whom itching ears lead into delusions2 but it must be clear that all whom they gain are perverted from ,christ1 since he teaches all to confess their guilt1 and receives none but sinners2 not that he would flatter and encourage sins1 but because he knew that believers are never wholly free from the vices of their flesh1 but always remain obnoxious to the judgment of ,god4 ,it ought1 indeed1 to be the object of our desires and strenuous exertions1 that1 having fully discharged every part of our duty1 we may truly congratulate ourselves before ,god on being pure from every stain2 but as it pleases ,god to restore his image within us by degrees1 so that some contagion always remains in our flesh1 the remedy ought never to be neglected4 ,now1 if ,christ1 by the authority given him by the ,father1 enjoins us1 as long as we live1 to have recourse to prayer for the pardon of guilt1 who will tolerate the new teachers1 who endeavour to dazzle the eyes of the simple with a visionary phantom of perfect innocence1 and fill them with a confidence in the possibility of their being delivered from all sin8 which1 according to ,john1 is no other than making ,god a liar4#dca ,at the same time1 also1 these worthless men1 by obliterating one article1 mutilate1 and so totally invalidate1 the covenant of ,god1 in which we have seen our salvation is contained2 being thus guilty not only of sacrilege by separating things so united1 but also of impiety and cruelty1 by overwhelming miserable souls with despair1 and of treachery to themselves and others1 by contracting a habit of carelessness1 in diametrical opposition to the ,divine mercy4 ,the objection of some1 that in wishing the advent of ,god's kingdom1 we desire at the same time the abolition of sin1 is too puerile2 because1 in the first part of the prayer1 we have an exhibition of the highest perfection1 but here of infirmity4 ,thus these two things are perfectly consistent1 that in aspiring towards the mark we may not neglect the remedies required by our necessity4 ,lastly1 we pray that we may be forgiven ,,as ,,we ,,forgive ,,our ,,debtors2 that is1 as we forgive and pardon all who have ever injured us1 either by unjust actions or by contumelious language4 ,not that it is our province to forgive the guilt of sin and transgression2 this is the prerogative of ,god alone3 our forgiveness consists in divesting the mind of anger1 enmity1 and desire of revenge1 and losing the memory of injuries by a voluntary forgetfulness4 ,wherefore we must not pray to ,god for forgiveness of sins1 unless we also forgive all the offences and injuries of others against us1 either present or past4 ,but if we retain any enmities in our minds1 meditate acts of revenge1 and seek opportunities of annoyance1 and even if we do not endeavour to obtain reconciliation with our enemies1 to oblige them by all kind offices1 and to render them our friends1--we beseech ,god1 by this petition1 not to grant us remission of sins4 ,for we supplicate him to grant to us what we grant to others4 ,this is praying him not to grant it to us1 unless we grant it also4 ,what do persons of this description gain by their prayers but a heavier judgment8 ,lastly1 it must be observed1 that this is not a condition1 that he would forgive us as we forgive our debtors1 because we can merit his forgiveness of us by our forgiveness of others1 as though it described the cause of his forgiveness2 but1 by this expression1 the ,lord intended1 partly to comfort the weakness of our faith2 for he has added this as a sign1 that we may be as certainly assured of remission of sins being granted us by him1 as we are certain and conscious of our granting it to others2 if1 at the same time1 our minds be freed and purified from all hatred1 envy1 and revenge2 partly by this1 as a criterion1 he expunges from the number of his children1 those who1 hasty to revenge and difficult to forgive1 maintain inveterate enmities1 and cherish in their own hearts towards others1 that indignation which they deprecate from themselves1 that they may not presume to invoke him as their ,father4 ,which is also clearly expressed by ,luke in ,christ's own words4 ,,xlvi4 ,the sixth petition is1 ,,lead ,,us ,,not ,,into ,,temptation1 ,,but ,,deliver ,,us ,,from ,,evil4 ,this1 as we have said1 corresponds to the promise respecting the law of ,god to be engraven in our hearts4 ,but because our obedience to ,god is not without continual warfare1 and severe and arduous conflicts1 we here pray for arms1 and assistance to enable us to gain the victory4 ,this suggests to us our necessity1 not only of the grace of the ,spirit within us to soften1 bend1 and direct our hearts to obedience to ,god1 but also of his aid to render us invincible1 in opposition to all the stratagems and violent assaults of ,satan4 ,now1 the forms of temptations are many and various4 ,for the corrupt conceptions of the mind1 provoking us to transgressions of the law1 whether suggested by our own concupiscence or excited by the devil1 are temptations2 and things not evil in themselves1 nevertheless become temptations through the subtlety of the devil1 when they are obtruded on our eyes in such a manner that their intervention occasions our seduction or declension from ,god4 ,and these temptations are either from prosperous1 or from adverse events4 ,from prosperous ones1 as riches1 power1 honours2 which generally dazzle men's eyes by their glitter and external appearance of goodness1 and insnare them with their blandishments1 that1 caught with such delusions and intoxicated with such delights1 they forget their ,god4 ,from unpropitious ones1 as poverty1 reproaches1 contempt1 afflictions1 and other things of this kind2 overcome with the bitterness and difficulty of which1 they fall into despondency1 cast away faith and hope1 and at length become altogether alienated from ,god4 ,to both these kinds of temptations which assail us1 whether kindled within us by our concupiscence1 or presented to us by the craft of ,satan1 we pray our heavenly ,father not to permit us to yield1 but rather to sustain and raise us up with his hand1 that1 strong in his might1 we may be able to stand firm against all the assaults of our malignant enemy1 whatever imaginations he may inject into our minds2 and also1 that whatever is presented to us on either quarter1 we may convert it to our benefit2 that is1 by not being elated with prosperity or dejected with adversity4 ,yet we do not here pray for an entire exemption from all temptations1 which we very much need1 to excite1 stimulate1 and animate us1 lest we should grow torpid with too much rest4 ,for it was not without reason that ,david wished to be tempted or tried2 nor is it without cause that the ,lord daily tries his elect1 chastising them by ignominy1 poverty1 tribulation1 and the cross in various forms4 ,but the temptations of ,god are widely different from those of ,satan4 ,satan tempts to overthrow1 condemn1 confound1 and destroy4 ,but ,god1 that1 by proving his people1 he may make a trial of their sincerity1 to confirm their strength by exercising it1 to mortify1 purify1 and refine their flesh1 which1 without such restraints1 would run into the greatest excesses4 ,besides1 ,satan attacks persons unarmed and unprepared1 to overwhelm the unwary4 8,god1 with the temptation1 also makes a way to escape1 that they may be able to bear0 whatever he brings upon them4#dcb ,by the word evil1 whether we understand the devil or sin1 is of little importance4 ,satan himself1 indeed1 is the enemy that lies in wait for our life2 but sin is the weapon with which he seeks our destruction4 ,our petition therefore is1 that we may not be overwhelmed and conquered by any temptations1 but that we may stand1 strong in the power of the ,lord1 against all adverse powers that assault us1 which is not to submit to temptations2 that being taken into his custody and charge1 and being secure in his protection1 we may persevere unconquered1 and rise superior to sin1 death1 the gates of hell1 and the whole kingdom of the devil4 ,this is being delivered from evil4 ,here it must also be carefully remarked1 that it is not in our power to contend with so powerful an enemy as the devil1 and sustain the violence of his assaults4 ,otherwise it would be useless1 or insulting1 to supplicate from ,god what we already possessed in ourselves4 ,certainly1 they who prepare themselves for such a combat with self-confidence1 are not sufficiently aware of the skill and prowess of the enemy that they have to meet4 ,now1 we pray to be delivered from his power1 as from the mouth of a ravenous and raging lion1 just about to tear us with his teeth and claws1 and to swallow us down his throat1 unless the ,lord snatch us from the jaws of death2 knowing1 at the same time1 that if the ,lord shall be present and fight for us while we are silent1 in his strength 8we shall do valiantly40#dcc ,let others confide as they please in the native abilities and powers of free-will1 which they suppose themselves to possess1--let it be sufficient for us1 to stand and be strong in the power of ,god alone4 ,but this petition comprehends more than at first appears4 ,for if the ,spirit of ,god is our strength for fighting the battle with ,satan1 we shall not be able to gain the victory1 till1 being full of him1 we shall have laid aside all the infirmity of our flesh4 ,when we pray for deliverance from ,satan and sin1 therefore1 we pray to be frequently enriched with new accessions of ,divine grace2 till1 being quite filled with them1 we may be able to triumph over all evil4 ,to some there appears a difficulty and harshness in our petition to ,god1 that he will not lead us into temptation1 whereas1 according to ,james1 it is contrary to his nature for him to tempt us4#dcd ,but this objection has already been partly answered1 because our own lust is properly the cause of all the temptations that overcome us1 and therefore we are charged with the guilt4 ,nor does ,james intend any other than to assert the futility and injustice of transferring to ,god the vices which we are constrained to impute to ourselves1 because we are conscious of our being guilty of them4 ,but notwithstanding this1 ,god may1 when he sees fit1 deliver us to ,satan1 abandon us to a reprobate mind and sordid passions1 and so lead us into temptations1 by a righteous yet often secret judgment2 the cause being frequently concealed from man1 but1 at the same time1 well known to him4 ,whence it is inferred1 that there is no impropriety in this mode of expression1 if we are persuaded that there is any meaning in his frequent threatenings1 that he will manifest his vengeance on the reprobate1 by smiting them with blindness and hardness of heart4 ,,xlvii4 ,these three petitions1 in which we particularly commend to ,god ourselves and all our concerns1 evidently prove1 what we have before asserted1 that the prayers of ,christians ought to be public1 and to regard the public edification of the ,church1 and the advancement of the communion of believers4 ,for each individual does not supplicate the gift of any favour to himself in particular2 but we all in common pray for our bread1 the remission of our sins1 that we may not be led into temptation1 that we may be delivered from evil4 ,the cause is likewise subjoined1 which gives us such great boldness in asking1 and confidence of obtaining2 which1 though not to be found in the ,latin copies1 yet appears too apposite to this place to be omitted--namely1 ,,his ,,is ,,the ,,kingdom1 ,,and ,,the ,,power1 ,,and ,,the ,,glory ,,for ,,ever4 ,this is a solid and secure basis for our faith2 for if our prayers were to be recommended to ,god by our own merit1 who could dare to utter a word in his presence8 ,now1 all miserable1 unworthy1 and destitute as we are of every recommendation1 yet we shall never want an argument or plea for our prayers3 our confidence can never forsake us2 for our ,father can never be deprived of his kingdom1 power1 and glory4 ,the whole is concluded with ,,amen2 which expresses our ardent desire to obtain the blessings supplicated of ,god1 and confirms our hope that all these things are already obtained1 and will certainly be granted to us2 because they are promised by ,god1 who is incapable of deception4 ,and this agrees with that form of petition already quoted--8,do this1 ,o ,lord1 for thy name's sake1 not for our sake1 or for our righteousness20 in which the saints not only express the end of their prayers1 but acknowledge that they are unworthy to obtain it1 unless ,god derive the cause from himself1 and that their confidence of success arises solely from his nature4 ,,xlviii4 ,whatever we ought1 or are even at liberty1 to seek from ,god1 is stated to us in this model and directory for prayer1 given by that best of masters1 ,christ1 whom the ,father has set over us as our ,teacher1 and to whom alone he has enjoined us to listen4#dce ,for he was always his eternal wisdom1 and being made man1 was given to men as the ,angel of great counsel4#dcf ,and this prayer is so comprehensive and complete1 that whatever addition is made of any thing extraneous or foreign1 not capable of being referred to it1 is impious and unworthy of the approbation of ,god4 ,for in this summary he has prescribed what is worthy of him1 what is acceptable to him1 what is necessary for us1 and1 in a word1 what he chooses to bestow4 ,wherefore those who presume to go beyond it1 and to ask of ,god any thing else1 in the first place1 are determined to make some addition of their own to the wisdom of ,god1 which cannot be done without folly and blasphemy2 in the next place1 despising the limits fixed by the will of ,god1 they are led far astray by their own irregular desires2 and in the last place1 they will never obtain any thing1 since they pray without faith4 ,and there is no doubt that all prayers of this kind are made without faith1 because they are not sanctioned by the word of ,god1 the only basis on which faith can stand4 ,but they who neglect the ,master's rule1 and indulge their own desires1 not only deviate from the word of ,god1 but make all possible opposition against it4 ,with equal beauty and truth1 therefore1 ,tertullian has called this a legitimate prayer1 tacitly implying1 that all others are irregular and unlawful4 ,,xlix4 ,we would not here be understood1 as if we were confined to this form of prayer1 without the liberty of changing a word or syllable4 ,for the ,scriptures contain many prayers1 expressed in words very different from this1 yet written by the same ,spirit1 and very profitable for our use4 ,many1 which have little verbal resemblance to it1 are continually suggested to believers by the same ,spirit4 ,we only mean by these observations1 that no one should even seek1 expect1 or ask for any thing that is not summarily comprehended in this prayer1 though there may be a diversity of expression1 without any variation of sense4 ,as it is certain that all the prayers contained in the ,scriptures1 or proceeding from pious hearts1 are referred to this1 so it is impossible to find one any where which can surpass or even equal the perfection of this4 ,here is nothing omitted which ought to be recollected for the praises of ,god1 nothing that should occur to the mind of man for his own advantage2 and the whole is so complete1 as justly to inspire universal despair of attempting any improvement4 ,to conclude2 let us remember1 that this is the teaching of ,divine wisdom1 which taught what it willed1 and willed what is needful4 ,l4 ,but though we have before said that we ought to be always aspiring towards ,god with our minds1 and praying without intermission1 yet as our weakness requires many assistances1 and our indolence needs to be stimulated1 we ought every one of us1 for the sake of regularity1 to appoint particular hours which should not elapse without prayer1 and which should witness all the affections of the mind entirely engaged in this exercise2 as1 when we rise in the morning1 before we enter on the business of the day1 when we sit down to meat1 when we have been fed by the ,divine blessing1 when we retire to rest4 ,this must not be a superstitious observance of hours1 by which1 as if discharging our debt to ,god1 we may fancy ourselves discharged from all obligation for the remaining hours2 but a discipline for our weakness1 which may thus1 from time to time1 be exercised and stimulated4 ,it must especially be the object of our solicitous care1 whenever we are oppressed1 or see others oppressed1 with adversity1 immediately to resort to him with celerity1 not of body1 but of mind2 secondly1 to suffer no prosperity of our own or others to pass without testifying our acknowledgment of his hand by praise and thanksgiving2 lastly1 we must carefully observe this in every prayer1 that we entertain not the thought of binding ,god to certain circumstances1 or prescribing to him the time1 the place1 or the manner of his proceedings4 ,as we are taught by this prayer to fix no law1 to impose no condition on him1 but to leave it to his will to do what he intends1 in the manner1 at the time1 and in the place he pleases1 therefore1 before we form a petition for ourselves1 we first pray that his will may be done2 thereby submitting our will to his1 that1 being1 as it were1 bridled and restrained1 it may not presume to regulate ,god1 but may constitute him the arbiter and ruler of all its desires4 ,,li4 ,if1 with minds composed to this obedience1 we suffer ourselves to be governed by the laws of ,divine ,providence1 we shall easily learn to persevere in prayer1 and with suspended desires to wait patiently for the ,lord2 assured1 though he does not discover himself1 yet that he is always near us1 and in his own time will declare that his ears have not been deaf to those prayers which1 to human apprehension1 seemed to be neglected4 ,now1 this1 if ,god do not at any time answer our first prayers1 will be an immediate consolation1 to prevent our sinking into despair1 like those who1 actuated only by their own ardour1 call upon ,god in such a manner1 that if he do not attend to their first transports1 and afford them present aid1 they at once imagine him to be displeased and angry with them1 and1 casting away all hope of succeeding in their prayers1 cease to call upon him4 ,but deferring our hope with a well-tempered equanimity1 let us rather practise the perseverance so highly recommended to us in the ,scriptures4 ,for in the ,psalms we may frequently observe how ,david and other faithful men1 when1 almost wearied with praying1 they seemed to beat the air1 and ,god seemed deaf to their petitions1 yet did not desist from praying2 because the authority of the ,divine word is not maintained1 unless it be fully credited1 notwithstanding the appearance of any circumstances to the contrary4 ,nor let us tempt ,god1 and provoke him against us by wearying him with our presumption2 which is the practice of many who merely bargain with ,god on a certain condition1 and as though he were subservient to their passions1 bind him with laws of their own stipulation2 with which unless he immediately complies1 they give way to anger and fretfulness1 to cavils1 and murmurs1 and rage4 ,to such persons1 therefore1 he frequently grants in his wrath what he denies in mercy to others4 ,this is exemplified in the children of ,israel1 for whom it had been better for the ,lord not to have heard them1 than for them to swallow his indignation with the meat that he sent them4#dcg ,,lii4 ,but if1 after long waiting1 our sense neither understands what advance we have made by praying1 nor experiences any advantage resulting from it1 yet our faith will assure us1 what cannot be perceived by sense1 that we have obtained what was expedient for us1 since the ,lord so frequently and so certainly promises to take care of our troubles when they have been once deposited in his bosom4 ,and thus he will cause us to possess abundance in poverty1 and consolation in affliction4 ,for though all things fail us1 yet ,god will never forsake us2 he cannot disappoint the expectation and patience of his people4 ,he will amply compensate us for the loss of all others1 for he comprehends in himself all blessings1 which he will reveal to us at the day of judgment1 when his kingdom will be fully manifested4 ,besides1 though ,god grants our prayers1 he does not always answer them according to the express form of the request2 but seeming to keep us in suspense1 shows by unknown means that our prayers were not in vain4 ,this is the meaning of these words of ,john3 8,if we know that he heareth us1 whatsoever we ask1 we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him40#dch ,this seems to be a feeble superfluity of expression1 but is in reality a very useful declaration1 that ,god1 even when he does not comply with our desires1 is nevertheless favourable and propitious to our prayers1 so that a hope depending upon his word can never disappoint us4 ,now1 this patience is very necessary to support believers1 who would not long stand unless they relied upon it4 ,for the ,lord proves his people with heavy trials1 and exercises them with severity2 frequently driving them to various kinds of extremities1 and suffering them to remain in them a long time before he grants them any enjoyment of his grace2 and as ,hannah says1 8,the ,lord killeth1 and maketh alive2 he bringeth down to the grave1 and bringeth up40#dci ,in such distresses must they not inevitably faint in their minds1 and fall into despair1 unless1 in the midst of their affliction and desolation1 and almost death1 they were revived by this reflection1 that ,god regards them1 and that the end of their present evils is approaching8 ,but though they rely on the certainty of this hope1 they at the same time cease not to pray2 because1 without constant perseverance in prayer1 we pray to no purpose4 ,footnote #bfb3 ,rom4 x4 #ac1 #ad1 #ag4 ,footnote #bfc3 ,rom4 viii4 #ae1 #bf4 ,footnote #bfd3 #a ,kings xviii4 #db1 c4 ,footnote #bfe3 ,psalm cxlv4 #ah4 ,footnote #bff3 ,psalm xxxiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #bfg3 ,psalm xxv4 #a4 ,footnote #bfh3 ,psalm lxii4 #h4 ,footnote #bfi3 ,psalm cxlv4 #ai4 ,footnote #bgj3 #a ,john v4 #ad4 ,footnote #bga3 ,rom4 viii4 #bf4 ,footnote #bgb3 ,jude #bj4 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #bgc3 ,james v4 #ac4 ,footnote #bgd3 ,psalm xxxii4 #f4 ,footnote #bge3 ,ephes4 vi4 #ah4 ,footnote #bgf3 ,isaiah i4 #ae4 ,footnote #bgg3 ,jer4 xi4 #g1 #h1 #aa4 ,footnote #bgh3 ,isaiah xxix4 #ac4 ,footnote #bgi3 ,james iv4 #c4 ,footnote #bhj3 #a ,john iii4 #bb4 ,footnote #bha3 ,dan4 ix4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #bhb3 ,dan4 ix4 #bj4 ,footnote #bhc3 ,psalm cxliii4 #b4 ,footnote #bhd3 ,isaiah lxiv4 #e-i4 ,footnote #bhe3 ,jer4 xiv4 #g4 ,footnote #bhf3 ,baruch ii4 #ah4 ,footnote #bhg3 ,psalm xxv4 #g1 #ah4 ,footnote #bhh3 ,psalm li4 #e4 ,footnote #bhi3 ,matt4 ix4 #b4 ,footnote #bij3 #a ,john i4 #i4 ,footnote #bia3 ,psalm lxxxvi4 #b4 ,footnote #bib3 #b ,kings xx4 #c4 ,footnote #bic3 ,psalm xxxiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #bid3 #a ,john iii4 #bb4 ,footnote #bie3 ,john ix4 #ca4 ,footnote #bif3 ,psalm v4 #g4 ,footnote #big3 ,mark xi4 #bd4 ,footnote #bih3 ,matt4 xxi4 #bb4 ,footnote #bii3 ,james i4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #cjj3 ,james v4 #ae4 ,footnote #cja3 ,rom4 x4 #ad1 #ag4 ,footnote #cjb3 ,heb4 iv4 #af4 ,footnote #cjc3 ,ephes4 iii4 #ab4 ,footnote #cjd3 ,psalm xxxiii4 #bb4 ,footnote #cje3 ,psalm lvi4 #i4 ,footnote #cjf3 ,psalm v4 #c4 ,footnote #cjg3 ,ephes4 vi4 #af1 #ah4 ,footnote #cjh3 ,psalm xli4 #d4 ,footnote #cji3 ,psalm l4 #ae4 ,footnote #caj3 ,matt4 vii4 #g4 ,footnote #caa3 ,zech4 xiii4 #i4 ,footnote #cab3 ,psalm lxv4 #b4 ,footnote #cac3 ,psalm l4 #ae4 ,footnote #cad3 #b ,sam4 vii4 #bg4 ,footnote #cae3 ,psalm cxlv4 #ai4 ,footnote #caf3 ,prov4 xviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #cag3 ,joel ii4 #cb4 ,footnote #cah3 ,isaiah lxv4 #bd4 ,footnote #cai3 ,psalm xci4 #ae4 ,footnote #cbj3 ,psalm cxlv4 #ah4 ,footnote #cba3 #b ,sam4 vii4 #bg1 #bh4 ,footnote #cbb3 ,psalm cxix4 #gf4 ,footnote #cbc3 ,gen4 xxxii4 #aj1 c4 ,footnote #cbd3 ,jer4 xlii4 #i4 ,dan4 ix4 #ah4 ,footnote #cbe3 ,jer4 xlii4 #b4 ,footnote #cbf3 #b ,kings xix4 #d4 ,footnote #cbg3 ,psalm cxli4 #b4 ,footnote #cbh3 ,judges ix4 #bj4 ,footnote #cbi3 ,judges xvi4 #bh4 ,footnote #ccj3 ,psalm cvii4 ,footnote #cca3 ,psalm cvi4 #ci4 ,footnote #ccb3 ,matt4 v4 #de4 ,footnote #ccc3 ,gen4 xviii4 #bc4 #a ,sam4 xv4 #aa4 ,footnote #ccd3 ,jer4 xxxii4 #af1 c4 ,footnote #cce3 ,psalm vii4 #f4 ,footnote #ccf3 ,psalm xxxix4 #ac4 ,footnote #ccg3 ,psalm li4 #ag4 ,footnote #cch3 ,psalm lxxx4 #d4 ,footnote #cci3 ,lam4 iii4 #h4 ,footnote #cdj3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #e4 #a ,john ii4 #a4 ,footnote #cda3 ,heb4 iv4 #af4 ,footnote #cdb3 ,john xvi4 #bd1 #bf2 xiv4 #ac4 ,footnote #cdc3 #b ,cor4 i4 #bj4 ,footnote #cdd3 ,exod4 xxviii4 ,footnote #cde3 ,psalm xx4 #c4 ,footnote #cdf3 ,john xvi4 #bd4 ,footnote #cdg3 ,heb4 x4 #bj4 ,footnote #cdh3 ,ephes4 vi4 #ah1 #ai4 #a ,tim4 ii4 #a4 ,footnote #cdi3 #a ,john ii4 #a4 ,footnote #cej3 ,rom4 viii4 #cd4 ,footnote #cea3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #e4 ,footnote #ceb3 ,jer4 ii4 #bh2 xi4 #ac4 ,footnote #cec3 ,heb4 i4 #ad4 ,psalm xci4 #aa2 xxxiv4 #g4 ,footnote #ced3 ,ephes4 iii4 #aj4 ,footnote #cee3 ,jer4 xv4 #a4 ,footnote #cef3 ,ezek4 xiv4 #ad4 ,footnote #ceg3 ,acts xiii4 #cf4 ,footnote #ceh3 ,eccles4 ix4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #cei3 ,gen4 xlviii4 #af4 ,footnote #cfj3 ,isaiah lxiii4 #af4 ,footnote #cfa3 ,psalm xxii4 #e4 ,footnote #cfb3 ,james v4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #cfc3 ,psalm cxlii4 #g4 ,footnote #cfd3 ,psalm xxxiv4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #cfe3 ,psalm xxxii4 #f4 ,footnote #cff3 ,gen4 xxxii4 #aj4 ,footnote #cfg3 ,psalm xxxi4 #e4 ,footnote #cfh3 ,psalm xliv4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #cfi3 ,james v4 #af4 ,footnote #cgj3 ,psalm l4 #ae4 ,footnote #cga3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #e4 ,footnote #cgb3 ,psalm xl4 #c4 ,footnote #cgc3 ,isaiah xlii4 #aj4 ,footnote #cgd3 ,psalm li4 #ae4 ,footnote #cge3 ,isaiah xxxviii4 #bj4 ,jonah ii4 #i4 ,footnote #cgf3 ,psalm cxvi4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #cgg3 ,psalm cvi4 #dg4 ,footnote #cgh3 ,psalm cii4 #ag1 c4 ,footnote #cgi3 ,hosea xiv4 #b4 ,footnote #chj3 ,psalm cxvi4 #a4 ,footnote #cha3 ,psalm xviii4 #a4 ,footnote #chb3 ,phil4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #chc3 ,heb4 xiii4 #ae4 ,footnote #chd3 #a ,thess4 v4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #che3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #dj4 ,footnote #chf3 ,matt4 vi4 #g4 ,footnote #chg3 ,luke xviii4 #aa4 ,footnote #chh3 ,matt4 vi4 #f4 ,footnote #chi3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #cij3 ,isaiah lvi4 #g4 ,footnote #cia3 ,psalm lxv4 #a4 ,footnote #cib3 ,matt4 xviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #cic3 ,john iv4 #bc4 ,footnote #cid3 ,isaiah lxvi4 #a4 ,acts vii4 #dh4 ,footnote #cie3 ,isaiah xxix4 #ac1 #ad4 ,matt4 xv4 #h1 #i4 ,footnote #cif3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #cig3 ,col4 iii4 #af4 ,footnote #cih3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #cii3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #djj3 #a ,sam4 i4 #ac4 ,footnote #dja3 ,matt4 vi4 #i4 ,luke xi4 #b4 ,footnote #djb3 ,rom4 viii4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #djc3 ,exod4 xxxii4 #cb4 ,rom4 ix4 #c4 ,footnote #djd3 ,john i4 #ab1 #ad4 ,footnote #dje3 #a ,john iii4 #a4 ,psalm xxvii4 #aj4 ,isaiah lxiii4 #af4 ,footnote #djf3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #ac4 ,footnote #djg3 ,matt4 vii4 #aa4 ,footnote #djh3 ,isaiah xlix4 #ae4 ,footnote #dji3 #b ,cor4 i4 #c4 ,footnote #daj3 ,luke xv4 #aa1 c4 ,footnote #daa3 ,gal4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #dab3 ,matt4 xxiii4 #i4 ,footnote #dac3 ,ephes4 i4 #bc4 ,footnote #dad3 ,gal4 vi4 #aj4 ,footnote #dae3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #daf3 #a ,kings viii4 #bg4 ,footnote #dag3 ,isaiah lxvi4 #a4 ,acts vii4 #di2 xvii4 #bd4 ,footnote #dah3 ,heb4 xi4 #f4 ,footnote #dai3 ,phil4 iv4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #dbj3 ,psalm xxxiv4 #ae2 xxxiii4 #ah4 ,footnote #dba3 ,psalm xlviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #dbb3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #bh4 ,footnote #dbc3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #dbd3 ,psalm ciii4 #bj4 ,footnote #dbe3 #a ,cor4 x4 #ca4 ,footnote #dbf3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #h4 ,footnote #dbg3 ,lev4 xxvi4 #bj4 ,footnote #dbh3 ,deut4 viii4 #c4 ,matt4 iv4 #d4 ,footnote #dbi3 ,lev4 xxvi4 #bf4 ,footnote #dcj3 ,jer4 xxxi4 #cc1 #cd2 xxxiii4 #h4 ,footnote #dca3 #a ,john i4 #aj4 ,footnote #dcb3 #a ,cor4 x4 #ac4 ,footnote #dcc3 ,psalm lx4 #ab4 ,footnote #dcd3 ,james i4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #dce3 ,matt4 xvii4 #e4 ,footnote #dcf3 ,isaiah xi4 #b4 ,footnote #dcg3 ,num4 xi4 #ah1 #cc4 ,footnote #dch3 #a ,john v4 #ae4 ,footnote #dci3 #a ,sam4 ii4 #f4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,eternal ,,election1 ,,or ,,god',s ,,predestination ,,of ,,some ,,to ,,salvation1 ,,and ,,of ,,others ,,to ,,destruction4 ,the covenant of life not being equally preached to all1 and among those to whom it is preached not always finding the same reception1 this diversity discovers the wonderful depth of the ,divine judgment4 ,nor is it to be doubted that this variety also follows1 subject to the decision of ,god's eternal election4 ,if it be evidently the result of the ,divine will1 that salvation is freely offered to some1 and others are prevented from attaining it1--this immediately gives rise to important and difficult questions1 which are incapable of any other explication1 than by the establishment of pious minds in what ought to be received concerning election and predestination--a question1 in the opinion of many1 full of perplexity2 for they consider nothing more unreasonable1 than that1 of the common mass of mankind1 some should be predestinated to salvation1 and others to destruction4 ,but how unreasonably they perplex themselves will afterwards appear from the sequel of our discourse4 ,besides1 the very obscurity which excites such dread1 not only displays the utility of this doctrine1 but shows it to be productive of the most delightful benefit4 ,we shall never be clearly convinced as we ought to be1 that our salvation flows from the fountain of ,god's free mercy1 till we are acquainted with his eternal election1 which illustrates the grace of ,god by this comparison1 that he adopts not all promiscuously to the hope of salvation1 but gives to some what he refuses to others4 ,ignorance of this principle evidently detracts from the ,divine glory1 and diminishes real humility4 ,but according to ,paul1 what is so necessary to be known1 never can be known1 unless ,god1 without any regard to works1 chooses those whom he has decreed4 8,at this present time also1 there is a remnant according to the election of grace4 ,and if by grace1 then it is no more of works2 otherwise1 grace is no more grace4 ,but if it be of works1 then it is no more grace2 otherwise1 work is no more work40#ddj ,if we need to be recalled to the origin of election1 to prove that we obtain salvation from no other source than the mere goodness of ,god1 they who desire to extinguish this principle1 do all they can to obscure what ought to be magnificently and loudly celebrated1 and to pluck up humility by the roots4 ,in ascribing the salvation of the remnant of the people to the election of grace1 ,paul clearly testifies1 that it is then only known that ,god saves whom he will of his mere good pleasure1 and does not dispense a reward to which there can be no claim4 ,they who shut the gates to prevent any one from presuming to approach and taste this doctrine1 do no less injury to man than to ,god2 for nothing else will be sufficient to produce in us suitable humility1 or to impress us with a due sense of our great obligations to ,god4 ,nor is there any other basis for solid confidence1 even according to the authority of ,christ1 who1 to deliver us from all fear1 and render us invincible amidst so many dangers1 snares1 and deadly conflicts1 promises to preserve in safety all whom the ,father has committed to his care4 ,whence we infer1 that they who know not themselves to be ,god's peculiar people will be tortured with continual anxiety2 and therefore1 that the interest of all believers1 as well as their own1 is very badly consulted by those who1 blind to the three advantages we have remarked1 would wholly remove the foundation of our salvation4 ,and hence the ,church rises to our view1 which otherwise1 as ,bernard justly observes1 could neither be discovered nor recognized among creatures1 being in two respects wonderfully concealed in the bosom of a blessed predestination1 and in the mass of a miserable damnation4 ,but before ,i enter on the subject itself1 ,i must address some preliminary observations to two sorts of persons4 ,the discussion of predestination--a subject of itself rather intricate--is made very perplexed1 and therefore dangerous1 by human curiosity1 which no barriers can restrain from wandering into forbidden labyrinths1 and soaring beyond its sphere1 as if determined to leave none of the ,divine secrets unscrutinized or unexplored4 ,as we see multitudes every where guilty of this arrogance and presumption1 and among them some who are not censurable in other respects1 it is proper to admonish them of the bounds of their duty on this subject4 ,first1 then1 let them remember that when they inquire into predestination1 they penetrate the inmost recesses of ,divine wisdom1 where the careless and confident intruder will obtain no satisfaction to his curiosity1 but will enter a labyrinth from which he will find no way to depart4 ,for it is unreasonable that man should scrutinize with impunity those things which the ,lord has determined to be hidden in himself2 and investigate1 even from eternity1 that sublimity of wisdom which ,god would have us to adore and not comprehend1 to promote our admiration of his glory4 ,the secrets of his will which he determined to reveal to us1 he discovers in his word2 and these are all that he foresaw would concern us or conduce to our advantage4 ,,ii4 8,we are come into the way of faith10 says ,augustine2 8let us constantly pursue it4 ,it conducts into the king's palace1 in which are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,for the ,lord ,christ himself envied not his great and most select disciples when he said1 #8,i have many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now4' ,we must walk1 we must improve1 we must grow1 that our hearts may be able to understand those things of which we are at present incapable4 ,if the last day finds us improving1 we shall then learn what we never could learn in the present state40 ,if we only consider that the word of the ,lord is the only way to lead us to an investigation of all that ought to be believed concerning him1 and the only light to enlighten us to behold all that ought to be seen of him1 this consideration will easily restrain and preserve us from all presumption4 ,for we shall know that when we have exceeded the limits of the word1 we shall get into a devious and darksome course1 in which errors1 slips1 and falls1 will often be inevitable4 ,let us1 then1 in the first place1 bear in mind1 that to desire any other knowledge of predestination than what is unfolded in the word of ,god1 indicates as great folly1 as a wish to walk through unpassable roads1 or to see in the dark4 ,nor let us be ashamed to be ignorant of some things relative to a subject in which there is a kind of learned ignorance4 ,rather let us abstain with cheerfulness from the pursuit of that knowledge1 the affectation of which is foolish1 dangerous1 and even fatal4 ,but if we are stimulated by the wantonness of intellect1 we must oppose it with a reflection calculated to repress it1 that as 8it is not good to eat much honey1 so for men to search their own glory1 is not glory40#dda ,for there is sufficient to deter us from that presumption1 which can only precipitate us into ruin4 ,,iii4 ,others1 desirous of remedying this evil1 will have all mention of predestination to be as it were buried2 they teach men to avoid every question concerning it as they would a precipice4 ,though their moderation is to be commended1 in judging that mysteries ought to be handled with such great sobriety1 yet1 as they descend too low1 they have little influence on the mind of man1 which refuses to submit to unreasonable restraints4 ,to observe1 therefore1 the legitimate boundary on this side also1 we must recur to the word of the ,lord1 which affords a certain rule for the understanding4 ,for the ,scripture is the school of the ,holy ,spirit1 in which1 as nothing necessary and useful to be known is omitted1 so nothing is taught which it is not beneficial to know4 ,whatever1 therefore1 is declared in the ,scripture concerning predestination1 we must be cautious not to withhold from believers1 lest we appear either to defraud them of the favor of their ,god1 or to reprove and censure the ,holy ,spirit for publishing what it would be useful by any means to suppress4 ,let us1 ,i say1 permit the ,christian man to open his heart and his ears to all the discourses addressed to him by ,god1 only with this moderation1 that as soon as the ,lord closes his sacred mouth1 he shall also desist from further inquiry4 ,this will be the best barrier of sobriety1 if in learning we not only follow the leadings of ,god1 but as soon as he ceases to teach1 we give up our desire of learning4 ,nor is the danger they dread1 sufficient to divert our attention from the oracles of ,god4 ,it is a celebrated observation of ,solomon1 that 8it is the glory of ,god to conceal a thing40#ddb ,but1 as both piety and common sense suggest that this is not to be understood generally of every thing1 we must seek for the proper distinction1 lest we content ourselves with brutish ignorance under the pretext of modesty and sobriety4 ,now1 this distinction is clearly expressed in a few words by ,moses4 8,the secret things10 he says1 8belong unto the ,lord our ,god2 but those things which are revealed belong unto us1 and to our children for ever1 that we may do all the words of this law40#ddc ,for we see how he enforces on the people attention to the doctrine of the law only by the celestial decree1 because it pleased ,god to promulgate it2 and restrains the same people within those limits with this single reason1 that it is not lawful for mortals to intrude into the secrets of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,profane persons1 ,i confess1 suddenly lay hold of something relating to the subject of predestination1 to furnish occasion for objections1 cavils1 reproaches1 and ridicule4 ,but if we are frightened from it by their impudence1 all the principal articles of the faith must be concealed1 for there is scarcely one of them which such persons as these leave unviolated by blasphemy4 ,the refractory mind will discover as much insolence1 on hearing that there are three persons in the ,divine essence1 as on being told1 that when ,god created man1 he foresaw what would happen concerning him4 ,nor will they refrain from derision on being informed1 that little more than five thousand years have elapsed since the creation of the world4 ,they will ask why the power of ,god was so long idle and asleep4 ,nothing can be advanced which they will not endeavour to ridicule4 ,must we1 in order to check these sacrileges1 say nothing of the ,divinity of the ,son and ,spirit1 or pass over in silence the creation of the world8 ,in this instance1 and every other1 the truth of ,god is too powerful to dread the detraction of impious men2 as is strenuously maintained by ,augustine1 in his treatise on the ,perseverance of the ,faithful4 ,we see the false apostles1 with all their defamation and accusation of the true doctrine of ,paul1 could never succeed to make him ashamed of it4 ,their assertion1 that all this discussion is dangerous to pious minds1 because it is inconsistent with exhortations1 shakes their faith1 and disturbs and discourages the heart itself1 is without any foundation4 ,augustine admits1 that he was frequently blamed1 on these accounts1 for preaching predestination too freely2 but he readily and amply refutes them4 ,but as many and various absurdities are crowded upon us here1 we prefer reserving every one to be refuted in its proper place4 ,i only desire this general admission1 that we should neither scrutinize those things which the ,lord has left concealed1 nor neglect those which he has openly exhibited1 lest we be condemned for excessive curiosity on the one hand1 or for ingratitude on the other4 ,for it is judiciously remarked by ,augustine1 that we may safely follow the ,scripture1 which proceeds as with the pace of a mother stooping to the weakness of a child1 that it may not leave our weak capacities behind4 ,but persons who are so cautious or timid1 as to wish predestination to be buried in silence1 lest feeble minds should be disturbed1--with what pretext1 ,i ask1 will they gloss over their arrogance1 which indirectly charges ,god with foolish inadvertency1 as though he foresaw not the danger which they suppose they have had the penetration to discover4 ,whoever1 therefore1 endeavours to raise prejudices against the doctrine of predestination1 openly reproaches ,god1 as though something had inconsiderately escaped from him that is pernicious to the ,church4 ,v4 ,predestination1 by which ,god adopts some to the hope of life1 and adjudges others to eternal death1 no one1 desirous of the credit of piety1 dares absolutely to deny4 ,but it is involved in many cavils1 especially by those who make foreknowledge the cause of it4 ,we maintain1 that both belong to ,god2 but it is preposterous to represent one as dependent on the other4 ,when we attribute foreknowledge to ,god1 we mean that all things have ever been1 and perpetually remain1 before his eyes1 so that to his knowledge nothing is future or past1 but all things are present2 and present in such a manner1 that he does not merely conceive of them from ideas formed in his mind1 as things remembered by us appear present to our minds1 but really beholds and sees them as if actually placed before him4 ,and this foreknowledge extends to the whole world1 and to all the creatures4 ,predestination we call the eternal decree of ,god1 by which he has determined in himself1 what he would have to become of every individual of mankind4 ,for they are not all created with a similar destiny2 but eternal life is fore-ordained for some1 and eternal damnation for others4 ,every man1 therefore1 being created for one or the other of these ends1 we say1 he is predestinated either to life or to death4 ,this ,god has not only testified in particular persons1 but has given a specimen of it in the whole posterity of ,abraham1 which should evidently show the future condition of every nation to depend upon his decision4 8,when the ,most ,high divided the nations1 when he separated the sons of ,adam1 the ,lord's portion was his people2 ,jacob was the lot of his inheritance40#ddd ,the separation is before the eyes of all3 in the person of ,abraham1 as in the dry trunk of a tree1 one people is peculiarly chosen to the rejection of others3 no reason for this appears1 except that ,moses1 to deprive their posterity of all occasion of glorying1 teaches them that their exaltation is wholly from ,god's gratuitous love4 ,he assigns this reason for their deliverance1 that 8he loved their fathers1 and chose their seed after them40#dde ,more fully in another chapter3 8,the ,lord did not set his love upon you1 nor choose you1 because you were more in number than any people2 but because the ,lord loved you40#ddf ,he frequently repeats the same admonition3 8,behold1 the heaven is the ,lord's thy ,god1 the earth also1 with all that therein is4 ,only the ,lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them1 and he chose their seed after them40#ddg ,in another place1 sanctification is enjoined upon them1 because they were chosen to be a peculiar people4#ddh ,and again1 elsewhere1 love is asserted to be the cause of their protection4 ,it is declared by the united voice of the faithful1 8,he hath chosen our inheritance for us1 the excellency of ,jacob1 whom he loved40#ddi ,for the gifts conferred on them by ,god1 they all ascribe to gratuitous love1 not only from a consciousness that these were not obtained by any merit of theirs1 but from a conviction1 that the holy patriarch himself was not endued with such excellence as to acquire the privilege of so great an honour for himself and his posterity4 ,and the more effectually to demolish all pride1 he reproaches them with having deserved no favour1 being 8a stiff-necked and rebellious people40#dej ,the prophets also frequently reproach the ,jews with the unwelcome mention of this election1 because they had shamefully departed from it4 ,let them1 however1 now come forward1 who wish to restrict the election of ,god to the desert of men1 or the merit of works4 ,when they see one nation preferred to all others1--when they hear that ,god had no inducement to be more favourable to a few1 and ignoble1 and even disobedient and obstinate people1--will they quarrel with him because he has chosen to give such an example of mercy8 ,but their obstreperous clamours will not impede his work1 nor will the reproaches they hurl against ,heaven1 injure or affect his justice2 they will rather recoil upon their own heads4 ,to this principle of the gracious covenant1 the ,israelites are also recalled whenever thanks are to be rendered to ,god1 or their hopes are to be raised for futurity4 8,he hath made us1 and not we ourselves10 says the ,psalmist3 8we are his people1 and the sheep of his pasture40#dea ,it is not without reason that the negation is added1 8not we ourselves10 that they may know that of all the benefits they enjoy1 ,god is not only the ,author1 but derived the cause from himself1 there being nothing in them deserving of such great honour4 ,he also enjoins them to be content with the mere good pleasure of ,god1 in these words3 8,o ye seed of ,abraham his servant1 ye children of ,jacob his chosen40 ,and after having recounted the continual benefits bestowed by ,god as fruits of election1 he at length concludes that he had acted with such liberality1 8because he remembered his covenant40#deb ,consistent with this doctrine is the song of the whole ,church3 8,thy right hand1 and thine arm1 and the light of thy countenance1 gave our fathers the land1 because thou hadst a favour unto them40#dec ,it must be observed that where mention is made of the land1 it is a visible symbol of the secret separation1 which comprehends adoption4 ,david1 in another place1 exhorts the people to the same gratitude3 8,blessed is the nation whose ,god is the ,lord2 and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance40#ded ,samuel animates to a good hope3 8,the ,lord will not forsake his people1 for his great name's sake2 because it hath pleased the ,lord to make you his people40#dee ,david1 when his faith is assailed1 thus arms himself for the conflict3 8,blessed is the man whom thou choosest1 and causest to approach unto thee2 he shall dwell in thy courts40#def ,but since the election hidden in ,god has been confirmed by the first deliverance1 as well as by the second and other intermediate blessings1 the word choose is transferred to it in ,isaiah3 8,the ,lord will have mercy on ,jacob1 and will yet choose ,israel20#deg because1 contemplating a future period1 he declares that the collection of the residue of the people1 whom he had appeared to have forsaken1 would be a sign of the stable and sure election1 which had likewise seemed to fail4 ,when he says also1 in another place1 8,i have chosen thee1 and not cast thee away10#deh he commends the continual course of his signal liberality and paternal benevolence4 ,the angel1 in ,zechariah1 speaks more plainly3 8,the ,lord shall choose ,jerusalem again20#dei as though his severe chastisement had been a rejection1 or their exile had been an interruption of election2 which1 nevertheless1 remains inviolable1 though the tokens of it are not always visible4 ,,vi4 ,we must now proceed to a second degree of election1 still more restricted1 or that in which the ,divine grace was displayed in a more special manner1 when of the same race of ,abraham ,god rejected some1 and by nourishing others in the ,church1 proved that he retained them among his children4 ,ishmael at first obtained the same station as his brother ,isaac1 for the spiritual covenant was equally sealed in him by the symbol of circumcision4 ,he is cut off2 afterwards ,esau2 lastly1 an innumerable multitude1 and almost all ,israel4 ,in ,isaac the seed was called2 the same calling continued in ,jacob4 ,god exhibited a similar example in the rejection of ,saul1 which is magnificently celebrated by the ,psalmist3 8,he refused the tabernacle of ,joseph1 and chose not the tribe of ,ephraim1 but chose the tribe of ,judah20#dfj and this the sacred history frequently repeats1 that the wonderful secret of ,divine grace may be more manifest in that change4 ,i grant1 it was by their own crime and guilt that ,ishmael1 ,esau1 and persons of similar characters1 fell from the adoption2 because the condition annexed was1 that they should faithfully keep the covenant of ,god1 which they perfidiously violated4 ,yet it was a peculiar favour of ,god1 that he deigned to prefer them to other nations2 as it is said in the ,psalms3 8,he hath not dealt so with any nation2 and as for his judgments1 they have not known them40#dfa ,but ,i have justly said that here are two degrees to be remarked2 for in the election of the whole nation1 ,god has already shown that in his mere goodness he is bound by no laws1 but is perfectly free1 so that none can require of him an equal distribution of grace1 the inequality of which demonstrates it to be truly gratuitous4 ,therefore ,malachi aggravates the ingratitude of ,israel1 because1 though not only elected out of the whole race of mankind1 but also separated from a sacred family to be a peculiar people1 they perfidiously and impiously despised ,god their most beneficent ,father4 8,was not ,esau ,jacob's brother8 saith the ,lord3 yet ,i loved ,jacob1 and ,i hated ,esau40#dfb ,for ,god takes it for granted1 since both were sons of a holy father1 successors of the covenant1 and branches from a sacred root1 that the children of ,jacob were already laid under more than common obligations by their admission to that honour2 but ,esau the first-born having been rejected1 and their father1 though inferior by birth1 having been made the heir1 he proves them guilty of double ingratitude1 and complains of their violating this twofold claim4 ,,vii4 ,though it is sufficiently clear1 that ,god1 in his secret counsel1 freely chooses whom he will1 and rejects others1 his gratuitous election is but half displayed till we come to particular individuals1 to whom ,god not only offers salvation1 but assigns it in such a manner1 that the certainty of the effect is liable to no suspense or doubt4 ,these are included in that one seed mentioned by ,paul2 for though the adoption was deposited in the hand of ,abraham1 yet many of his posterity being cut off as putrid members1 in order to maintain the efficacy and stability of election1 it is necessary to ascend to the head1 in whom their heavenly ,father has bound his elect to each other1 and united them to himself by an indissoluble bond4 ,thus the adoption of the family of ,abraham displayed the favour of ,god1 which he denied to others2 but in the members of ,christ there is a conspicuous exhibition of the superior efficacy of grace2 because1 being united to their head1 they never fail of salvation4 ,paul1 therefore1 justly reasons from the passage of ,malachi which ,i have just quoted1 that where ,god1 introducing the covenant of eternal life1 invites any people to himself1 there is a peculiar kind of election as to part of them1 so that he does not efficaciously choose all with indiscriminate grace4 ,the declaration1 8,jacob have ,i loved10 respects the whole posterity of the patriarch1 whom the prophet there opposes to the descendants of ,esau4 ,yet this is no objection to our having in the person of one individual a specimen of the election1 which can never fail of attaining its full effect4 ,these1 who truly belong to ,christ1 ,paul correctly observes1 are called 8a remnant20 for experience proves1 that of a great multitude the most part fall away and disappear1 so that often only a small portion remains4 ,that the general election of a people is not always effectual and permanent1 a reason readily presents itself1 because1 when ,god covenants with them1 he does not also give them the spirit of regeneration to enable them to persevere in the covenant to the end2 but the external call1 without the internal efficacy of grace1 which would be sufficient for their preservation1 is a kind of medium between the rejection of all mankind and the election of the small number of believers4 ,the whole nation of ,israel was called 8,god's inheritance10 though many of them were strangers2 but ,god1 having firmly covenanted to be their ,father and ,redeemer1 regards that gratuitous favour rather than the defection of multitudes2 by whom his truth was not violated1 because his preservation of a certain remnant to himself1 made it evident that his calling was without repentance4 ,for ,god's collection of a ,church for himself1 from time to time1 from the children of ,abraham1 rather than from the profane nations1 was in consideration of his covenant1 which1 being violated by the multitude1 he restricted to a few1 to prevent its total failure4 ,lastly1 the general adoption of the seed of ,abraham was a visible representation of a greater blessing1 which ,god conferred on a few out of the multitude4 ,this is the reason that ,paul so carefully distinguishes the descendants of ,abraham according to the flesh1 from his spiritual children called after the example of ,isaac4 ,not that the mere descent from ,abraham was a vain and unprofitable thing1 which could not be asserted without depreciating the covenant2 but because to the latter alone the immutable counsel of ,god1 in which he predestinated whom he would1 was of itself effectual to salvation4 ,but ,i advise my readers to adopt no prejudice on either side1 till it shall appear from adduced passages of ,scripture what sentiments ought to be entertained4 ,in conformity1 therefore1 to the clear doctrine of the ,scripture1 we assert1 that by an eternal and immutable counsel1 ,god has once for all determined1 both whom he would admit to salvation1 and whom he would condemn to destruction4 ,we affirm that this counsel1 as far as concerns the elect1 is founded on his gratuitous mercy1 totally irrespective of human merit2 but that to those whom he devotes to condemnation1 the gate of life is closed by a just and irreprehensible1 but incomprehensible1 judgment4 ,in the elect1 we consider calling as an evidence of election1 and justification as another token of its manifestation1 till they arrive in glory1 which constitutes its completion4 ,as ,god seals his elect by vocation and justification1 so by excluding the reprobate from the knowledge of his name and the sanctification of his ,spirit1 he affords an indication of the judgment that awaits them4 ,here ,i shall pass over many fictions fabricated by foolish men to overthrow predestination4 ,it is unnecessary to refute things which1 as soon as they are advanced1 sufficiently prove their own falsehood4 ,i shall dwell only on those things which are subjects of controversy among the learned1 or which may occasion difficulty to simple minds1 or which impiety speciously pleads in order to stigmatize the ,divine justice4 ,footnote #ddj3 ,rom4 xi4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #dda3 ,prov4 xxv4 #bg4 ,footnote #ddb3 ,prov4 xxv4 #b4 ,footnote #ddc3 ,deut4 xxix4 #bi4 ,footnote #ddd3 ,deut4 xxxii4 #h1 #i4 ,footnote #dde3 ,deut4 iv4 #cg4 ,footnote #ddf3 ,deut4 vii4 #g1 #h4 ,footnote #ddg3 ,deut4 x4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #ddh3 ,deut4 xxiii4 ,footnote #ddi3 ,psalm xlvii4 #d4 ,footnote #dej3 ,deut4 ix4 #f1 #g4 ,footnote #dea3 ,psalm c4 #c4 ,footnote #deb3 ,psalm cv4 #f1 #h4 ,footnote #dec3 ,psalm xliv4 #c4 ,footnote #ded3 ,psalm xxxiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #dee3 #a ,sam4 xii4 #bb4 ,footnote #def3 ,psalm lxv4 #d4 ,footnote #deg3 ,isaiah xiv4 #a4 ,footnote #deh3 ,isaiah xli4 #i4 ,footnote #dei3 ,zech4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #dfj3 ,psalm lxxviii4 #fg1 #fh4 ,footnote #dfa3 ,psalm cxlvii4 #bj4 ,footnote #dfb3 ,mal4 i4 #b1 #c4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,testimonies ,,of ,,scripture ,,in ,,confirmation ,,of ,,this ,,doctrine4 ,all the positions we have advanced are controverted by many1 especially the gratuitous election of believers1 which nevertheless cannot be shaken4 ,it is a notion commonly entertained1 that ,god1 foreseeing what would be the respective merits of every individual1 makes a correspondent distinction between different persons2 that he adopts as his children such as he foreknows will be deserving of his grace1 and devotes to the damnation of death others1 whose dispositions he sees will be inclined to wickedness and impiety4 ,thus they not only obscure election by covering it with the veil of foreknowledge1 but pretend that it originates in another cause4 ,nor is this commonly received notion the opinion of the vulgar only1 for it has had great advocates in all ages2 which ,i candidly confess1 that no one may cherish a confidence of injuring our cause by opposing us with their names4 ,for the truth of ,god on this point is too certain to be shaken1 too clear to be overthrown by the authority of men4 ,others1 neither acquainted with the ,scripture1 nor deserving of any attention1 oppose the sound doctrine with extreme presumption and intolerable effrontery4 ,god's sovereign election of some1 and preterition of others1 they make the subject of formal accusation against him4 ,but if this is the known fact1 what will they gain by quarrelling with ,god8 ,we teach nothing but what experience has proved1 that ,god has always been at liberty to bestow his grace on whom he chooses4 ,i will not inquire how the posterity of ,abraham excelled other nations1 unless it was by that favour1 the cause of which can only be found in ,god4 ,let them answer why they are men1 and not oxen or asses3 when it was in ,god's power to create them dogs1 he formed them after his own image4 ,will they allow the brute animals to expostulate with ,god respecting their condition1 as though the distinction were unjust8 ,their enjoyment of a privilege which they have acquired by no merits1 is certainly no more reasonable than ,god's various distribution of his favours according to the measure of his judgment4 ,if they make a transition to persons where the inequality is more offensive to them1 the example of ,christ at least ought to deter them from carelessly prating concerning this sublime mystery4 ,a mortal man is conceived of the seed of ,david3 to the merit of what virtues will they ascribe his being made1 even in the womb1 the ,head of angels1 the only begotten ,son of ,god1 the ,image and ,glory of the ,father1 the ,light1 ,righteousness1 and ,salvation of the world8 ,it is judiciously remarked by ,augustine1 that there is the brightest example of gratuitous election in the ,head of the ,church himself1 that it may not perplex us in the members2 that he did not become the ,son of ,god by leading a righteous life1 but was gratuitously invested with this high honour1 that he might afterwards render others partakers of the gifts bestowed upon him4 ,if any one inquire1 why others are not all that he was1 or why we are all at such a vast distance from him1--why we are all corrupt1 and he purity itself1--he will betray both folly and impudence4 ,but if they persist in the wish to deprive ,god of the uncontrollable right of choosing and rejecting1 let them also take away what is given to ,christ4 ,now1 it is of importance to attend to what the ,scripture declares respecting every individual4 ,paul's assertion1 that we were 8chosen in ,christ before the foundation of the world10#dfc certainly precludes any consideration of merit in us2 for it is as though he had said1 our heavenly ,father1 finding nothing worthy of his choice in all the posterity of ,adam1 turned his views towards his ,christ1 to choose members from his body whom he would admit to the fellowship of life4 ,let believers1 then1 be satisfied with this reason1 that we were adopted in ,christ to the heavenly inheritance1 because in ourselves we were incapable of such high dignity4 ,he has a similar remark in another place1 where he exhorts the ,colossians to 8give thanks unto the ,father1 who had made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints40#dfd ,if election precedes this grace of ,god1 which makes us meet to obtain the glory of the life to come1 what will ,god find in us to induce him to elect us8 ,another passage from this apostle will still more clearly express my meaning4 8,he hath chosen us10 he says1 8before the foundation of the world1 according to the good pleasure of his will1 that we should be holy1 and without blame before him20#dfe where he opposes the good pleasure of ,god to all our merits whatsoever4 ,,ii4 ,to render the proof more complete1 it will be useful to notice all the clauses of that passage1 which1 taken in connection1 leave no room for doubt4 ,by the appellation of the elect1 or chosen1 he certainly designates believers1 as he soon after declares3 wherefore it is corrupting the term by a shameful fiction to restrict it to the age in which the gospel was published4 ,by saying that they were elected before the creation of the world1 he precludes every consideration of merit4 ,for what could be the reason for discrimination between those who yet had no existence1 and whose condition was afterward to be the same in ,adam8 ,now1 if they are chosen in ,christ1 it follows1 not only that each individual is chosen out of himself1 but also that some are separated from others2 for it is evident1 that all are not members of ,christ4 ,the next clause1 stating them to have been 8chosen that they might be holy10 fully refutes the error which derives election from foreknowledge2 since ,paul1 on the contrary1 declares that all the virtue discovered in men is the effect of election4 ,if any inquiry be made after a superior cause1 ,paul replies1 that ,god thus 8predestinated10 and that it was 8according to the good pleasure of his will40 ,this overturns any means of election which men imagine in themselves2 for all the benefits conferred by ,god for the spiritual life1 he represents as flowing from this one source1 that ,god elected whom he would1 and1 before they were born1 laid up in reserve for them the grace with which he determined to favor them4 ,,iii4 ,wherever this decree of ,god reigns1 there can be no consideration of any works4 ,the antithesis1 indeed1 is not pursued here2 but it must be understood1 as it is amplified by the same writer in another place3 8,who hath called us with a holy calling1 not according to our works1 but according to his own purpose and grace1 which was given us in ,christ ,jesus1 before the world began40#dff ,and we have already shown that the following clause1 8that we should be holy10 removes every difficulty4 ,for say1 ,because he foresaw they would be holy1 therefore he chose them1 and you will invert the order of ,paul4 ,we may safely infer1 then1 ,if he chose us that we should be holy1 his foresight of our future holiness was not the cause of his choice4 ,for these two propositions1 ,that the holiness of believers is the fruit of election1 and1 ,that they attain it by means of works1 are incompatible with each other4 ,nor is there any force in the cavil to which they frequently resort1 that the grace of election was not ,god's reward of antecedent works1 but his gift to future ones4 ,for when it is said1 that believers were elected that they should be holy1 it is fully implied1 that the holiness they were in future to possess had its origin in election4 ,and what consistency would there be in asserting1 that things derived from election were the causes of election8 ,a subsequent clause seems further to confirm what he had said--8according to his good pleasure1 which he purposed in himself40#dfg ,for the assertion1 that ,god purposed in himself1 is equivalent to saying1 that he considered nothing out of himself1 with any view to influence his determination4 ,therefore he immediately subjoins1 that the great and only object of our election is1 8that we should be to the praise of0 ,divine 8grace40 ,certainly the grace of ,god deserves not the sole praise of our election1 unless this election be gratuitous4 ,now1 it could not be gratuitous1 if1 in choosing his people1 ,god himself considered what would be the nature of their respective works4 ,the declaration of ,christ to his disciples1 therefore1 is universally applicable to all believers3 8,ye have not chosen me1 but ,i have chosen you20#dfh which not only excludes past merits1 but signifies that they had nothing in themselves to cause their election1 independently of his preventing mercy4 ,this also is the meaning of that passage of ,paul1 8,who hath first given to him1 and it shall be recompensed unto him again80#dfi ,for his design is to show1 that ,god's goodness altogether anticipates men1 finding nothing in them1 either past or future1 to conciliate his favour towards them4 ,,iv4 ,in the ,epistle to the ,romans1 where he goes to the bottom of this argument1 and pursues it more at length1 he says1 8,they are not all ,israel which are0 born 8of ,israel20#dgj because though all were blessed by hereditary right1 yet the succession did not pass to all alike4 ,this controversy originated in the pride and vain-glorying of the ,jewish people1 who1 claiming for themselves the title of the ,church1 would make the faith of the gospel to depend on their decision2 just as1 in the present day1 the ,papists with this false pretext would substitute themselves in the place of ,god4 ,paul1 though he admits the posterity of ,abraham to be holy in consequence of the covenant1 yet contends that most of them are strangers to it2 and that not only because they degenerate1 from legitimate children becoming spurious ones1 but because the preminence and sovereignty belong to ,god's special election1 which is the sole foundation of the validity of their adoption4 ,if some were established in the hope of salvation by their own piety1 and the rejection of others were owing wholly to their own defection1 ,paul's reference of his readers to the secret election would indeed be weak and absurd4 ,now1 if the will of ,god1 of which no cause appears or must be sought out of himself1 discriminates some from others1 so that the children of ,israel are not all true ,israelites1 it is in vain pretended that the condition of every individual originates with himself4 ,he pursues the subject further under the example of ,jacob and ,esau2 for being both children of ,abraham1 and both enclosed in their mother's womb1 the transfer of the honour of primogeniture to ,jacob was by a preternatural change1 which ,paul1 however1 contends indicated the election of the one and the reprobation of the other4 ,the origin and the cause are inquired1 which the champions of foreknowledge maintain to be exhibited in the virtues and the vices of men4 ,for this is their short and easy doctrine--,that ,god has showed in the person of ,jacob1 that he elects such as are worthy of his grace2 and in the person of ,esau1 that he rejects those whom he foresees to be unworthy4 ,this1 indeed1 they assert with confidence2 but what is the testimony of ,paul8 8,the children being not yet born1 neither having done any good or evil1 that the purpose of ,god according to election might stand1 not of works1 but of him that calleth1 it was said1 ,the elder shall serve the younger2 as it is written1 ,jacob have ,i loved1 but ,esau have ,i hated40#dga ,if this distinction between the brothers was influenced by foreknowledge1 the mention of the time must certainly be unnecessary4 ,on the supposition that ,jacob was elected1 because that honour was acquired by his future virtues1 to what purpose could ,paul remark that he was not yet born8 ,it would not have been so proper to add1 that he had not yet done any good2 for it will be immediately replied1 that nothing is concealed from ,god1 and therefore the piety of ,jacob must have been present before him4 ,if grace be the reward of works1 they ought to have had their just value attributed to them before ,jacob was born1 as much as if he were already grown to maturity4 ,but the apostle proceeds in unravelling the difficulty1 and teaches that the adoption of ,jacob flowed not from works1 but from the calling of ,god4 ,in speaking of works1 he introduces no time1 future or past1 but positively opposes them to the calling of ,god1 intending the establishment of the one1 and the absolute subversion of the other2 as though he had said1 ,we must consider the good pleasure of ,god1 and not the productions of men4 ,lastly1 the very terms1 election and purpose1 certainly exclude from this subject all the causes frequently invented by men1 independently of ,god's secret counsel4 ,v4 ,now1 what pretexts will be urged to obscure these arguments1 by those who attribute to works1 either past or future1 any influence on election8 ,for this is nothing but an evasion of the apostle's argument1 that the distinction between the two brothers depends not on any consideration of works1 but on the mere calling of ,god1 because it was fixed between them when they were not yet born4 ,nor would their subtilty have escaped him1 if there had been any solidity in it2 but well knowing the impossibility of ,god's foreseeing any good in man1 except what he had first determined to bestow by the benefit of his election1 he resorts not to the preposterous order of placing good works before their cause4 ,we have the apostle's authority that the salvation of believers is founded solely on the decision of ,divine election1 and that that favour is not procured by works1 but proceeds from gratuitous calling4 ,we have also a lively exhibition of this truth in a particular example4 ,jacob and ,esau are brothers1 begotten of the same parents1 still enclosed in the same womb1 not yet brought forth into light2 there is in all respects a perfect equality between them2 yet the judgment of ,god concerning them is different4 ,for he takes one1 and rejects the other4 ,the primogeniture was the only thing that gave one a right of priority to the other4 ,but that also is passed by1 and on the younger is bestowed what is refused to the elder4 ,in other instances1 also1 ,god appears always to have treated primogeniture with designed and decided contempt1 to cut off from the flesh all occasion of boasting4 ,he rejects ,ishmael1 and favours ,isaac4 ,he degrades ,manasseh1 and honours ,ephraim4 ,,vi4 ,if it be objected1 that from these inferior and inconsiderable benefits1 it must not be concluded respecting the life to come1 that he who has been raised to the honour of primogeniture is therefore to be considered as adopted to the inheritance of heaven1--for there are many who spare not ,paul1 as though in his citation of ,scripture testimonies he had perverted them from their genuine meaning1--,i answer as before1 that the apostle has neither erred through inadvertency1 nor wilfully perverted testimonies of ,scripture4 ,but he saw1 what they cannot bear to consider1 that ,god intended by an earthly symbol to declare the spiritual election of ,jacob1 which otherwise lay concealed behind his inaccessible tribunal4 ,for unless the primogeniture granted him had reference to the future world1 it was a vain and ridiculous kind of blessing1 which produced him nothing but various afflictions and adversities1 grievous exile1 numerous cares1 and bitter sorrows4 ,discerning1 beyond all doubt1 that ,god's external blessing was an indication of the spiritual and permanent blessing he had prepared for his servant in his kingdom1 ,paul hesitated not to argue from the former in proof of the latter4 ,it must also be remembered1 that to the land of ,canaan was annexed the pledge of the celestial residence2 so that it ought not to be doubted that ,jacob was ingrafted with angels into the body of ,christ1 that he might be a partaker of the same life4 ,while ,esau is rejected1 therefore1 ,jacob is elected1 and distinguished from him by ,god's predestination1 without any difference of merit4 ,if you inquire the cause1 the apostle assigns the following3 8,for he saith to ,moses1 ,i will have mercy on whom ,i will have mercy1 and ,i will have compassion on whom ,i will have compassion40#dgb ,and what is this but a plain declaration of the ,lord1 that he finds no cause in men to induce him to show favour to them1 but derives it solely from his own mercy2 and therefore that the salvation of his people is his work8 ,when ,god fixes your salvation in himself alone1 why will you descend into yourself8 ,when he assigns you his mere mercy1 why will you have recourse to your own merits8 ,when he confines all your attention to his mercy1 why will you divert part of it to the contemplation of your own works8 ,we must therefore come to that more select people1 whom ,paul in another place tells us 8,god foreknew10#dgc not using this word1 according to the fancy of our opponents1 to signify a prospect1 from a place of idle observation1 of things which he has no part in transacting1 but in the sense in which it is frequently used4 ,for certainly1 when ,peter says that ,christ was 8delivered0 to death 8by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god10#dgd he introduces ,god not as a mere spectator1 but as the ,author of our salvation4 ,so the same apostle1 by calling believers1 to whom he writes1 8elect according to the foreknowledge of ,god10#dge properly expresses that secret predestination by which ,god has marked out whom he would as his children4 ,and the word purpose1 which is added as a synonymous term1 and in common speech is always expressive of fixed determination1 undoubtedly implies that ,god1 as the ,author of our salvation1 does not go out of himself4 ,in this sense ,christ is called1 in the same chapter1 the 8,lamb foreknown before the foundation of the world40 ,for what can be more absurd or uninteresting1 than ,god's looking from on high to see from what quarter salvation would come to mankind8 ,the people1 therefore1 whom ,paul describes as 8foreknown10#dgf are no other than a small number scattered among the multitude1 who falsely pretend to be the people of ,god4 ,in another place also1 to repress the boasting of hypocrites assuming before the world the preminence among the godly1 ,paul declares1 8,the ,lord knoweth them that are his40#dgg ,lastly1 by this expression ,paul designates two classes of people1 one consisting of the whole race of ,abraham1 the other separated from it1 reserved under the eyes of ,god1 and concealed from the view of men4 ,and this1 without doubt1 he gathered from ,moses1 who asserts that ,god will be merciful to whom he will be merciful2 though he is speaking of the chosen people1 whose condition was1 to outward appearance1 all alike2 as though he had said1 that the common adoption includes in it peculiar grace towards some1 who resemble a more sacred treasure2 that the common covenant prevents not this small number being exempted from the common lot2 and that1 determined to represent himself as the uncontrolled dispenser and arbiter in this affair1 he positively denies that he will have mercy on one rather than another1 from any other motive than his own pleasure2 because1 when mercy meets a person who seeks it1 though he suffers no repulse1 yet he either anticipates or in some degree obtains for himself that favour1 of which ,god claims to himself all the praise4 ,,vii4 ,now1 let the supreme ,master and ,judge decide the whole matter4 ,beholding in his hearers such extreme obduracy1 that his discourses were scattered among the multitude almost without any effect1 to obviate this offence1 he exclaims1 8,all that the ,father giveth me1 shall come to me4 ,and this is the ,father's will1 that of all which he hath given me1 ,i should lose nothing40#dgh ,observe1 the origin is from the donation of the ,father1 that we are given into the custody and protection of ,christ4 ,here1 perhaps1 some one may argue in a circle1 and object1 that none are considered as the ,father's peculiar people1 but those whose surrender has been voluntary1 arising from faith4 ,but ,christ only insists on this point--that notwithstanding the defections of vast multitudes1 shaking the whole world1 yet the counsel of ,god will be stable and firmer than the heavens1 so that election can never fail4 ,they are said to have been the elect of the ,father1 before he gave them to his only begotten ,son4 ,is it inquired whether this was by nature8 ,no1 he draws those who were strangers1 and so makes them his children4 ,the language of ,christ is too clear to be perplexed by the quibbles of sophistry3 8,no man can come to me1 except the ,father draw him4 ,every man that hath heard and learned of the ,father1 cometh unto me40#dgi ,if all men promiscuously submitted to ,christ1 election would be common3 now1 the fewness of believers discovers a manifest distinction4 ,having asserted his disciples therefore1 who were given to him1 to be the peculiar portion of the ,father1 ,christ a little after adds1 8,i pray not for the world1 but for them which thou hast given me1 for they are thine20#dhj which shows that the whole world does not belong to its ,creator2 only that grace delivers from the curse and wrath of ,god1 and from eternal death1 a few1 who would otherwise perish1 but leaves the world in its destruction1 to which it has been destined4 ,at the same time1 though ,christ introduces himself in his mediatorial capacity1 yet he claims to himself the right of election1 in common with the ,father4 8,i speak not of all10 he says2 8,i know whom ,i have chosen40#dha ,if it be inquired whence he chose them1 he elsewhere answers1 8out of the world10#dhb which he excludes from his prayers1 when he commends his disciples to the ,father4 ,it must be admitted1 that when ,christ asserts his knowledge of whom he has chosen1 it refers to a particular class of mankind1 and that they are distinguished1 not by the nature of their virtues1 but by the decree of ,heaven4 ,whence it follows1 that none attain any excellence by their own ability or industry1 since ,christ represents himself as the author of election4 ,his enumeration of ,judas among the elect1 though he was a devil1 only refers to the apostolical office1 which1 though an illustrious instance of the ,divine favour1 as ,paul so frequently acknowledges in his own person1 yet does not include the hope of eternal salvation4 ,judas1 therefore1 in his unfaithful exercise of the apostleship1 might be worse than a devil2 but of those whom ,christ has once united to his body1 he will never suffer one to perish2 for in securing their salvation1 he will perform what he has promised1 by exerting the power of ,god1 who is greater than all4 ,what he says in another place1 8,those that thou gavest me ,i have kept1 and none of them is lost1 but the son of perdition10 is a mode of expression1 called catachresis1 but the sense is sufficiently plain4 ,the conclusion is1 that ,god creates whom he chooses to be his children by gratuitous adoption2 that the cause of this is wholly in himself2 because he exclusively regards his own secret determination4 ,,viii4 ,but1 it will be said1 ,ambrose1 ,origen1 and ,jerome believed that ,god dispenses his grace among men1 according to his foreknowledge of the good use which every individual will make of it4 ,augustine also was once of the same sentiment2 but when he had made a greater proficiency in scriptural knowledge1 he not only retracted1 but powerfully confuted it4 ,and after his retractation1 rebuking the ,pelagians for persisting in this error1 he says1 8,who but must wonder that this most ingenious sense should escape the apostle8 ,for after proposing what was calculated to excite astonishment respecting those children yet unborn1 he started to himself1 by way of objection1 the following question3 ,what1 then1 is there unrighteousness with ,god8 ,it was the place for him to answer1 that ,god foresaw the merits of each of them2 yet he says nothing of this1 but resorts to the decrees and mercy of ,god40 ,and in another place1 after having discarded all merits antecedent to election1 he says1 8,here undoubtedly falls to the ground the vain reasoning of those who defend the foreknowledge of ,god in opposition to his grace1 and affirm that we were elected before the foundation of the world1 because ,god foreknew that we would be good1 not that he himself would make us good4 ,this is not the language of him who says1 #8,ye have not chosen me1 but ,i have chosen you4'#dhc ,for if he elected us because he foreknew our future good1 he must also have foreknown our choice of him20 and more to the like purpose4 ,this testimony should have weight with those who readily acquiesce in the authority of the fathers4 ,though ,augustine will not allow himself to be disunited from the rest1 but shows by clear testimonies the falsehood of that discordance1 with the odium of which he was loaded by the ,pelagians1 he makes the following quotations from ,ambrose's book on predestination3 8,whom ,christ has mercy on1 him he calls4 ,those who were indevout he could1 if he would1 have made devout4 ,but ,god calls whom he pleases1 and makes whom he will religious40 ,if ,i were inclined to compile a whole volume from ,augustine1 ,i could easily show my readers1 that ,i need no words but his2 but ,i am unwilling to burden them with prolixity4 ,but come1 let us suppose them to be silent2 let us attend to the subject itself4 ,a difficult question was raised--,whether it was a just procedure in ,god to favour with his grace certain particular persons4 ,this ,paul could have decided by a single word1 if he had pleaded the consideration of works4 ,why1 then1 does he not do this1 but rather continue his discourse involved in the same difficulty8 ,why1 but from necessity8 for the ,holy ,spirit1 who spoke by his mouth1 never laboured under the malady of forgetfulness4 ,without any evasion or circumlocution1 therefore1 he answers1 that ,god favours his elect because he will1 and has mercy because he will4 ,for this oracle1 8,i will be gracious to whom ,i will be gracious1 and will show mercy on whom ,i will show mercy10#dhd is equivalent to a declaration1 that ,god is excited to mercy by no other motive than his own will to be merciful4 ,the observation of ,augustine therefore remains true1 8that the grace of ,god does not find men fit to be elected1 but makes them so40 ,,ix4 ,we shall not dwell upon the sophistry of ,thomas ,aquinas1 8that the foreknowledge of merits is not the cause of predestination in regard to the act of him who predestinates2 but that with regard to us1 it may in some sense be so called1 according to the particular consideration of predestination2 as when ,god is said to predestinate glory for man according to merits1 because he decreed to give him grace by which glory is merited40 ,for since the ,lord allows us to contemplate nothing in election but his mere goodness1 the desire of any one to see any thing more is a preposterous disposition4 ,but if we were inclined to a contention of subtilty1 we should be at no loss to refute this petty sophism of ,aquinas4 ,he contends that glory is in a certain sense predestinated for the elect according to their merits1 because ,god predestinates to them the grace by which glory is merited4 ,what if ,i1 on the contrary1 reply1 that predestination to grace is subordinate to election to life1 and attendant upon it8 that grace is predestinated to those to whom the possession of glory has been already assigned2 because it pleases the ,lord to conduct his children from election to justification8 ,for hence it will follow1 that predestination to glory is rather the cause of predestination to grace1 than the contrary4 ,but let us dismiss these controversies2 they are unnecessary with those who think they have wisdom enough in the word of ,god4 ,for it was truly remarked by an ancient ecclesiastical writer1 ,that they who ascribe ,god's election to merits1 are wiser than they ought to be4 ,x4 ,it is objected by some1 that ,god will be inconsistent with himself1 if he invites all men universally to come to him1 and receives only a few elect4 ,thus1 according to them1 the universality of the promises destroys the discrimination of special grace2 and this is the language of some moderate men1 not so much for the sake of suppressing the truth1 as to exclude thorny questions1 and restrain the curiosity of many4 ,the end is laudable1 but the means cannot be approved2 for disingenuous evasion can never be excused2 but with those who use insult and invective1 it is a foul cavil or a shameful error4 ,how the ,scripture reconciles these two facts1 that by external preaching all are called to repentance and faith1 and yet that the spirit of repentance and faith is not given to all1 ,i have elsewhere stated1 and shall soon have occasion partly to repeat4 ,what they assume1 ,i deny1 as being false in two respects4 ,for he who threatens drought to one city while it rains upon another1 and who denounces to another place a famine of doctrine1#dhe lays himself under no positive obligation to call all men alike4 ,and he who1 forbidding ,paul to preach the word in ,asia1 and suffering him not to go into ,bithynia1 calls him into ,macedonia1#dhf demonstrates his right to distribute this treasure to whom he pleases4 ,in ,isaiah1 he still more fully declares his destination of the promises of salvation exclusively for the elect2 for of them only1 and not indiscriminately of all mankind1 he declares that they shall be his disciples4#dhg ,whence it appears1 that when the doctrine of salvation is offered to all for their effectual benefit1 it is a corrupt prostitution of that which is declared to be reserved particularly for the children of the church4 ,at present let this suffice1 that though the voice of the gospel addresses all men generally1 yet the gift of faith is bestowed on few4 ,isaiah assigns the cause1 that 8the arm of the ,lord0 is not 8revealed0 to all4#dhh ,if he had said1 that the gospel is wickedly and perversely despised1 because many obstinately refuse to hear it1 perhaps there would be some colour for this notion of the universal call4 ,the design of the prophet is not to extenuate the guilt of men1 when he states that the source of blindness is ,god's not deigning to reveal his arm to them2 he only suggests that their ears are in vain assailed with external doctrine1 because faith is a peculiar gift4 ,i would wish to be informed by these teachers1 whether men become children of ,god by mere preaching1 or by faith4 ,surely1 when ,john declares that all who believe in ,god's only begotten ,son1 are themselves made the children of ,god1#dhi this is not said of all the hearers of the word in a confused mass1 but a particular rank is assigned to believers1 8which were born1 not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god40#dij ,but they say1 there is a mutual agreement between faith and the word4 ,this is the case wherever there is any faith2 but it is no new thing for the seed to fall among thorns or in stony places2 not only because most men are evidently in actual rebellion against ,god1 but because they are not all endued with eyes and ears4 ,where1 then1 will be the consistency of ,god's calling to himself such as he knows will never come8 ,let ,augustine answer for me3 8,do you wish to dispute with me8 ,rather unite with me in admiration1 and exclaim1 ,o the depth6 ,let us both agree in fear1 lest we perish in error40 ,besides1 if election is1 as ,paul represents it1 the parent of faith1 ,i retort that argument upon them1 that faith cannot be general1 because election is special4 ,for from the connection of causes and effects1 it is easily inferred1 when ,paul says1 8,god hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings1 according as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world20 that therefore these treasures are not common to all1 because ,god has chosen only such as he pleased4 ,this is the reason why1 in another place1 he commends 8the faith of ,god's elect20#dia that none may be supposed to acquire faith by any exertion of their own1 but that ,god may retain the glory of freely illuminating the objects of his previous election4 ,for ,bernard justly observes1 8,friends hear each one for himself when he addresses them1 #8,fear not1 little flock1 for to you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven4' ,who are these8 ,certainly those whom he has foreknown and predestinated to be conformed to the image of his ,son4 ,the great and secret counsel has been revealed4 ,the ,lord knows who are his1 but what was known to ,god is manifested to men4 ,nor does he favour any others with the participation of so great a mystery1 but those particular individuals whom he foreknew1 and predestinated to be his own40 ,a little after he concludes1 8,the mercy of ,god is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him2 from everlasting in predestination1 to everlasting in beatification2 the one knowing no beginning2 the other1 no end40 ,but what necessity is there for citing the testimony of ,bernard1 since we hear from the ,master's own mouth1 that 8no man hath seen the ,father1 save he which is of ,god10#dib which implies1 that all who are not regenerated by ,god1 are stupefied with the splendour of his countenance4 ,faith1 indeed1 is properly connected with election1 provided it occupies the second place4 ,this order is clearly expressed in these words of ,christ3 8,this is the ,father's will1 that of all which he hath given me1 ,i should lose nothing4 ,and this is the will of him that sent me1 that every one which believeth on the ,son1 may have everlasting life40#dic ,if he willed the salvation of all1 he would give them all into the custody of his ,son1 and unite them all to his body by the sacred bond of faith4 ,now1 it is evident1 that faith is the peculiar pledge of his paternal love1 reserved for his adopted children4 ,therefore ,christ says in another place1 8,the sheep follow the shepherd1 for they know his voice2 and a stranger will they not follow1 for they know not the voice of strangers40#did ,whence arises this difference1 but because their ears are divinely penetrated8 ,for no man makes himself a sheep1 but is created such by heavenly grace4 ,hence also the ,lord proves the perpetual certainty and security of our salvation1 because it is kept by the invincible power of ,god4#die ,therefore he concludes that unbelievers are not his sheep1 because they are not of the number of those whom ,god by ,isaiah promised to him for his future disciples4#dif ,moreover1 the testimonies ,i have cited1 being expressive of perseverance1 are so many declarations of the invariable perpetuity of election4 ,,xi4 ,now1 with respect to the reprobate1 whom the apostle introduces in the same place2 as ,jacob1 without any merit yet acquired by good works1 is made an object of grace1 so ,esau1 while yet unpolluted by any crime1 is accounted an object of hatred4#dig ,if we turn our attention to works1 we insult the apostle1 as though he saw not that which is clear to us4 ,now1 that he saw none1 is evident1 because he expressly asserts the one to have been elected and the other rejected while they had not done any good or evil2 in order to prove the foundation of ,divine predestination not to be in works4#dih ,secondly1 when he raises the objection whether ,god is unjust1 he never urges1 what would have been the most absolute and obvious defence of his justice1 that ,god rewarded ,esau according to his wickedness2 but contents himself with a different solution1 that the reprobate are raised up for this purpose1 that the glory of ,god may be displayed by their means4 ,lastly1 he subjoins a concluding observation1 that 8,god hath mercy on whom he will have mercy1 and whom he will he hardeneth40#dii ,you see how he attributes both to the mere will of ,god4 ,if1 therefore1 we can assign no reason why he grants mercy to his people but because such is his pleasure1 neither shall we find any other cause but his will for the reprobation of others4 ,for when ,god is said to harden or show mercy to whom he pleases1 men are taught by this declaration to seek no cause beside his will4 ,footnote #dfc3 ,ephes4 i4 #d4 ,footnote #dfd3 ,col4 i4 #ab4 ,footnote #dfe3 ,ephes4 i4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #dff3 #b ,tim4 i4 #i4 ,footnote #dfg3 ,ephes4 i4 #i4 ,footnote #dfh3 ,john xv4 #af4 ,footnote #dfi3 ,rom4 xi4 #ce4 ,footnote #dgj3 ,rom4 ix4 #f4 ,footnote #dga3 ,rom4 ix4 #aa-ac4 ,footnote #dgb3 ,rom4 ix4 #ae4 ,footnote #dgc3 ,rom4 xi4 #b4 ,footnote #dgd3 ,acts ii4 #bc4 ,footnote #dge3 #a ,pet4 i4 #b4 ,footnote #dgf3 ,rom4 xi4 #b4 ,footnote #dgg3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #dgh3 ,john vi4 #cg1 #ci4 ,footnote #dgi3 ,john vi4 #dd1 #de4 ,footnote #dhj3 ,john xvii4 #i4 ,footnote #dha3 ,john xiii4 #ah4 ,footnote #dhb3 ,john xv4 #ai4 ,footnote #dhc3 ,john xv4 #af4 ,footnote #dhd3 ,exod4 xxxiii4 #ai4 ,footnote #dhe3 ,amos iv4 #g2 viii4 #aa4 ,footnote #dhf3 ,acts xvi4 #f-aj4 ,footnote #dhg3 ,isaiah viii4 #af1 c4 ,footnote #dhh3 ,isaiah liii4 #a4 ,footnote #dhi3 ,john i4 #ab4 ,footnote #dij3 ,john i4 #ac4 ,footnote #dia3 ,titus i4 #a4 ,footnote #dib3 ,john vi4 #df4 ,footnote #dic3 ,john vi4 #ci1 #dj4 ,footnote #did3 ,john x4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #die3 ,john x4 #bi4 ,footnote #dif3 ,john x4 #bf4 ,footnote #dig3 ,rom4 ix4 #ac4 ,footnote #dih3 ,rom4 ix4 #aa4 ,footnote #dii3 ,rom4 ix4 #ah4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,a ,,refutation ,,of ,,the ,,calumnies ,,generally1 ,,but ,,unjustly1 ,,urged ,,against ,,this ,,doctrine4 ,when the human mind hears these things1 its petulance breaks all restraint1 and it discovers as serious and violent agitation as if alarmed by the sound of a martial trumpet4 ,many1 indeed1 as if they wished to avert odium from ,god1 admit election in such a way as to deny that any one is reprobated4 ,but this is puerile and absurd1 because election itself could not exist without being opposed to reprobation4 ,god is said to separate those whom he adopts to salvation4 ,to say that others obtain by chance1 or acquire by their own efforts1 that which election alone confers on a few1 will be worse than absurd4 ,whom ,god passes by1 therefore1 he reprobates1 and from no other cause than his determination to exclude them from the inheritance which he predestines for his children4 ,and the petulance of men is intolerable1 if it refuses to be restrained by the word of ,god1 which treats of his incomprehensible counsel1 adored by angels themselves4 ,but now we have heard that hardening proceeds from the ,divine power and will1 as much as mercy4 ,unlike the persons ,i have mentioned1 ,paul never strives to excuse ,god by false allegations2 he only declares that it is unlawful for a thing formed to quarrel with its maker4#ejj ,now1 how will those1 who admit not that any are reprobated by ,god1 evade this declaration of ,christ3 8,every plant which my heavenly ,father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up80#eja ,upon all whom our heavenly ,father has not deigned to plant as sacred trees in his garden1 they hear destruction plainly denounced4 ,if they deny this to be a sign of reprobation1 there is nothing so clear as to be capable of proof to such persons4 ,but if they cease not their clamour1 let the sobriety of faith be satisfied with this admonition of ,paul1 that there is no cause for quarrelling with ,god1 if1 on the one hand1 willing to show his wrath1 and to make his power known1 he endures1 8with much long-suffering1 the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction20 and on the other1 makes 8known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy1 whom he had afore prepared unto glory40#ejb ,let the reader observe that1 to preclude every pretext for murmurs and censures1 ,paul ascribes supreme dominion to the wrath and power of ,god2 because it is unreasonable for those deep judgments1 which absorb all our faculties1 to be called in question by us4 ,it is a frivolous reply of our adversaries1 that ,god does not wholly reject the objects of his long-suffering1 but remains in suspense towards them1 awaiting the possibility of their repentance2 as though ,paul attributed patience to ,god1 in expectation of the conversion of those whom he asserts to be fitted to destruction4 ,for ,augustine1 in expounding this passage1 where power is connected with patience1 justly observes1 that ,god's power is not permissive1 but influential4 ,they observe1 also1 that it is not said without meaning1 that the vessels of wrath are fitted to destruction1 but that ,god prepared the vessels of mercy2 since by this mode of expression1 he ascribes and challenges to ,god the praise of salvation1 and throws the blame of perdition upon those who by their choice procure it to themselves4 ,but though ,i concede to them1 that ,paul softens the asperity of the former clause by the difference of phraseology1 yet it is not at all consistent to transfer the preparation for destruction to any other than the secret counsel of ,god2 which is also asserted just before in the context1 that 8,god raised up ,pharaoh1 and whom he will he hardeneth40 ,whence it follows1 that the cause of hardening is the secret counsel of ,god4 ,this1 however1 ,i maintain1 which is observed by ,augustine that when ,god turns wolves into sheep1 he renovates them by more powerful grace to conquer their obduracy2 and therefore the obstinate are not converted1 because ,god exerts not that mightier grace1 of which he is not destitute1 if he chose to display it4 ,,ii4 ,these things will amply suffice for persons of piety and modesty1 who remember that they are men4 ,but as these virulent adversaries are not content with one species of opposition1 we will reply to them all as occasion shall require4 ,foolish mortals enter into many contentions with ,god1 as though they could arraign him to plead to their accusations4 ,in the first place they inquire1 by what right the ,lord is angry with his creatures who had not provoked him by any previous offence2 for that to devote to destruction whom he pleases1 is more like the caprice of a tyrant than the lawful sentence of a judge2 that men have reason1 therefore1 to expostulate with ,god1 if they are predestinated to eternal death without any demerit of their own1 merely by his sovereign will4 ,if such thoughts ever enter the minds of pious men1 they will be sufficiently enabled to break their violence by this one consideration1 how exceedingly presumptuous it is only to inquire into the causes of the ,divine will2 which is in fact1 and is justly entitled to be1 the cause of every thing that exists4 ,for if it has any cause1 then there must be something antecedent1 on which it depends2 which it is impious to suppose4 ,for the will of ,god is the highest rule of justice2 so that what he wills must be considered just1 for this very reason1 because he wills it4 ,when it is inquired1 therefore1 why the ,lord did so1 the answer must be1 ,because he would4 ,but if you go further1 and ask why he so determined1 you are in search of something greater and higher than the will of ,god1 which can never be found4 ,let human temerity1 therefore1 desist from seeking that which is not1 lest it should fail of finding that which is4 ,this will be a sufficient restraint to any one disposed to reason with reverence concerning the secrets of his ,god4 ,against the audaciousness of the impious1 who are not afraid openly to rail against ,god1 the ,lord will sufficiently defend himself by his own justice1 without any vindication by us1 when1 depriving their consciences of every subterfuge1 he shall convict them and bind them with a sense of their guilt4 ,yet we espouse not the notion of the ,romish theologians concerning the absolute and arbitrary power of ,god1 which1 on account of its profaneness1 deserves our detestation4 ,we represent not ,god as lawless1 who is a law to himself2 because1 as ,plato says1 laws are necessary to men1 who are the subjects of evil desires2 but the will of ,god is not only pure from every fault1 but the highest standard of perfection1 even the law of all laws4 ,but we deny that he is liable to be called to any account2 we deny also that we are proper judges1 to decide on this cause according to our own apprehension4 ,wherefore1 if we attempt to go beyond what is lawful1 let us be deterred by the ,psalmist1 who tells us1 that ,god will be clear when he is judged by mortal man4#ejc ,,iii4 ,thus ,god is able to check his enemies by silence4 ,but that we may not suffer them to deride his holy name with impunity1 he supplies us from his word with arms against them4 ,therefore1 if any one attack us with such an inquiry as this1 why ,god has from the beginning predestinated some men to death1 who1 not yet being brought into existence1 could not yet deserve the sentence of death1--we will reply by asking them1 in return1 what they suppose ,god owes to man1 if he chooses to judge of him from his own nature4 ,as we are all corrupted by sin1 we must necessarily be odious to ,god1 and that not from tyrannical cruelty1 but in the most equitable estimation of justice4 ,if all whom the ,lord predestinates to death are in their natural condition liable to the sentence of death1 what injustice do they complain of receiving from him8 ,let all the sons of ,adam come forward2 let them all contend and dispute with their ,creator1 because by his eternal providence they were previously to their birth adjudged to endless misery4 ,what murmur will they be able to raise against this vindication1 when ,god1 on the other hand1 shall call them to a review of themselves4 ,if they have all been taken from a corrupt mass1 it is no wonder that they are subject to condemnation4 ,let them not1 therefore1 accuse ,god of injustice1 if his eternal decree has destined them to death1 to which they feel themselves1 whatever be their desire or aversion1 spontaneously led forward by their own nature4 ,hence appears the perverseness of their disposition to murmur1 because they intentionally suppress the cause of condemnation1 which they are constrained to acknowledge in themselves1 hoping to excuse themselves by charging it upon ,god4 ,but though ,i ever so often admit ,god to be the author of it1 which is perfectly correct1 yet this does not abolish the guilt impressed upon their consciences1 and from time to time recurring to their view4 ,,iv4 ,they further object1 ,were they not1 by the decree of ,god1 antecedently predestinated to that corruption which is now stated as the cause of condemnation8 ,when they perish in their corruption1 therefore1 they only suffer the punishment of that misery into which1 in consequence of his predestination1 ,adam fell1 and precipitated his posterity with him4 ,is he not unjust1 therefore1 in treating his creatures with such cruel mockery8 ,i confess1 indeed1 that all the descendants of ,adam fell by the ,divine will into that miserable condition in which they are now involved2 and this is what ,i asserted from the beginning1 that we must always return at last to the sovereign determination of ,god's will1 the cause of which is hidden in himself4 ,but it follows not1 therefore1 that ,god is liable to this reproach4 ,for we will answer them thus in the language of ,paul3 8,o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god8 ,shall the thing formed say to him that formed it1 ,why hast thou made me thus8 ,hath not the potter power over the clay1 of the same lump1 to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour80#ejd ,they will deny this to be in reality any vindication of ,god's justice1 and call it a subterfuge1 such as is commonly resorted to by persons destitute of a sufficient defence4 ,for what appears to be the meaning of this1 but that ,god possesses power1 that cannot be resisted1 of doing any thing whatsoever according to his pleasure8 ,but it is very different4 ,for what stronger reason can be alleged1 than when we are directed to consider who ,god is8 ,how could any injustice be committed by him who is the ,judge of the world8 ,if it is the peculiar property of the nature of ,god to do justice1 then he naturally loves righteousness and hates iniquity4 ,the apostle1 therefore1 has not resorted to sophistry1 as if he were in danger of confutation1 but has shown that the reason of the ,divine justice is too high to be measured by a human standard1 or comprehended by the littleness of the human mind4 ,the apostle1 indeed1 acknowledges that there is a depth in the ,divine judgments sufficient to absorb the minds of all mankind1 if they attempt to penetrate it4 ,but he also teaches how criminal it is to reduce the works of ,god to such a law1 that on failing to discover the reason of them1 we presume to censure them4 ,it is a well known observation of ,solomon1 though few rightly understand it1 that 8the great ,god1 that formed all things1 both rewardeth the fool1 and rewardeth transgressors40#eje ,for he is proclaiming the greatness of ,god1 whose will it is to punish fools and transgressors1 although he favours them not with his ,spirit4 ,and men betray astonishing madness in desiring to comprehend immensity within the limits of their reason4 ,the angels who stood in their integrity1 ,paul calls 8elect20#ejf if their constancy rested on the ,divine pleasure1 the defection of the others argues their being forsaken--a fact for which no other cause can be assigned than the reprobation hidden in the secret counsel of ,god4 ,v4 ,now1 to any follower of ,manes or ,celestius1 a calumniator of ,divine ,providence1 ,i reply with ,paul1 that no account ought to be given of it1 for its greatness far surpasses our understanding4 ,what wonder or absurdity is there in this8 ,would he have the ,divine power so limited1 as to be unable to execute more than his little capacity can comprehend8 ,i say1 with ,augustine1 that the ,lord created those who1 he certainly foreknew1 would fall into destruction1 and that this was actually so because he willed it2 but of his will it belongs not to us to demand the reason1 which we are incapable of comprehending2 nor is it reasonable that the ,divine will should be made the subject of controversy with us1 which1 whenever it is discussed1 is only another name for the highest rule of justice4 ,why1 then1 is any question started concerning injustice1 where justice is evidently conspicuous8 ,nor let us be ashamed to follow the example of ,paul1 and stop the mouths of unreasonable and wicked men in this manner1 repeating the same answer as often as they shall dare to repeat their complaints4 ,who are you1 miserable mortals1 preferring an accusation against ,god1 because he accommodates not the greatness of his works to your ignorance8 as though they were necessarily wrong1 because they are concealed from carnal view4 ,of the immensity of ,god's judgments you have the clearest evidences4 ,you know they are called 8a great deep40 ,now1 examine your contracted intellects1 whether they can comprehend ,god's secret decrees4 ,what advantage or satisfaction do you gain from plunging yourselves1 by your mad researches1 into an abyss that reason itself pronounces will be fatal to you8 ,why are you not at least restrained by some fear of what is contained in the history of ,job and the books of the prophets1 concerning the inconceivable wisdom and terrible power of ,god8 ,if your mind is disturbed1 embrace without reluctance the advice of ,augustine3 8,you1 a man1 expect an answer from me1 who am also a man4 ,let us1 therefore1 both hear him1 who says1 ,o man1 who art thou8 ,faithful ignorance is better than presumptuous knowledge4 ,seek merits2 you will find nothing but punishment4 ,o the depth6 ,peter denies2 the thief believes2 ,o the depth6 ,do you seek a reason8 ,i will tremble at the depth4 ,do you reason8 ,i will wonder4 ,do you dispute8 ,i will believe4 ,i see the depth1 ,i reach not the bottom4 ,paul rested1 because he found admiration4 ,he calls the judgments of ,god unsearchable2 and are you come to scrutinize them8 ,he says1 his ways are past finding out2 and are you come to investigate them80 ,we shall do no good by proceeding any further2 it will not satisfy their petulance2 and the ,lord needs no other defence than what he has employed by his ,spirit1 speaking by the mouth of ,paul2 and we forget to speak well when we cease to speak with ,god4 ,,vi4 ,impiety produces also a second objection1 which directly tends1 not so much to the crimination of ,god1 as to the vindication of the sinner2 though the sinner whom ,god condemns cannot be justified without the disgrace of the ,judge4 ,for this is their profane complaint1 ,why should ,god impute as a fault to man those things which were rendered necessary by his predestination8 ,what should they do8 ,should they resist his decrees8 ,this would be vain1 for it would be impossible4 ,therefore they are not justly punished for those things of which ,god's predestination is the principal cause4 ,here ,i shall refrain from the defence commonly resorted to by ecclesiastical writers1 that the foreknowledge of ,god prevents not man from being considered as a sinner1 since ,god foresees man's evils1 not his own4 ,for then the cavil would not stop here2 it would rather be urged1 that still ,god might1 if he would1 have provided against the evils he foresaw1 and that not having done this1 he created man expressly to this end1 that he might so conduct himself in the world2 but if1 by the ,divine ,providence1 man was created in such a state as afterwards to do whatever he actually does1 he ought not to be charged with guilt for things which he cannot avoid1 and to which the will of ,god constrains him4 ,let us see1 then1 how this difficulty should be solved4 ,in the first place1 the declaration of ,solomon ought to be universally admitted1 that 8the ,lord hath made all things for himself2 yea1 even the wicked for the day of evil40#ejg ,observe2 all things being at ,god's disposal1 and the decision of salvation or death belonging to him1 he orders all things by his counsel and decree in such a manner1 that some men are born devoted from the womb to certain death1 that his name may be glorified in their destruction4 ,if any one pleads1 that no necessity was imposed on them by the providence of ,god1 but rather that they were created by him in such a state in consequence of his foresight of their future depravity1--it will amount to nothing4 ,the old writers used1 indeed1 to adopt this solution1 though not without some degree of hesitation4 ,but the schoolmen satisfy themselves with it1 as though it admitted of no opposition4 ,i will readily grant1 indeed1 that mere foreknowledge lays no necessity on the creatures1 though this is not universally admitted2 for there are some who maintain it to be the actual cause of what comes to pass4 ,but ,valla1 a man otherwise not much versed in theology1 appears to me to have discovered superior acuteness and judiciousness1 by showing that this controversy is unnecessary1 because both life and death are acts of ,god's will1 rather than of his foreknowledge4 ,if ,god simply foresaw the fates of men1 and did not also dispose and fix them by his determination1 there would be room to agitate the question1 whether his providence or foresight rendered them at all necessary4 ,but since he foresees future events only in consequence of his decree1 that they shall happen1 it is useless to contend about foreknowledge1 while it is evident that all things come to pass rather by ordination and decree4 ,,vii4 ,they say it is nowhere declared in express terms1 that ,god decreed ,adam should perish by his defection2 as though the same ,god1 whom the ,scripture represents as doing whatever he pleases1 created the noblest of his creatures without any determinate end4 ,they maintain1 that he was possessed of free choice1 that he might be the author of his own fate1 but that ,god decreed nothing more than to treat him according to his desert4 ,if so weak a scheme as this be received1 what will become of ,god's omnipotence1 by which he governs all things according to his secret counsel1 independently of every person or thing besides8 ,but whether they wish it or dread it1 predestination exhibits itself in ,adam's posterity4 ,for the loss of salvation by the whole race through the guilt of one parent1 was an event that did not happen by nature4 ,what prevents their acknowledging concerning one man1 what they reluctantly grant concerning the whole species8 ,why should they lose their labour in sophistical evasions8 ,the ,scripture proclaims1 that all men were1 in the person of their father1 sentenced to eternal death4 ,this1 not being attributable to nature1 it is evident must have proceeded from the wonderful counsel of ,god4 ,the perplexity and hesitation discovered at trifles by these pious defenders of the justice of ,god1 and their facility in overcoming great difficulties1 are truly absurd4 ,i inquire again1 how it came to pass that the fall of ,adam1 independent of any remedy1 should involve so many nations with their infant children in eternal death1 but because such was the will of ,god4 ,their tongues1 so loquacious on every other point1 must here be struck dumb4 ,it is an awful decree1 ,i confess2 but no one can deny that ,god foreknew the future final fate of man before he created him1 and that he did foreknow it because it was appointed by his own decree4 ,if any one here attacks ,god's foreknowledge1 he rashly and inconsiderately stumbles4 ,for what ground of accusation is there against the heavenly ,judge for not being ignorant of futurity8 ,if there is any just or plausible complaint1 it lies against predestination4 ,nor should it be thought absurd to affirm1 that ,god not only foresaw the fall of the first man1 and the ruin of his posterity in him1 but also arranged all by the determination of his own will4 ,for as it belongs to his wisdom to foreknow every thing future1 so it belongs to his power to rule and govern all things by his hand4 ,and this question also1 as well as others1 is judiciously discussed by ,augustine4 8,we most wholesomely confess1 what we most rightly believe1 that the ,god and ,lord of all things1 who created every thing very good1 and foreknew that evil would arise out of good1 and knew that it was more suitable to his almighty goodness to bring good out of evil than not to suffer evil to exist1 ordained the life of angels and men in such a manner as to exhibit in it1 first1 what free-will was capable of doing1 and afterwards1 what could be effected by the blessings of his grace1 and the sentence of his justice40 ,,viii4 ,here they recur to the distinction between will and permission1 and insist that ,god permits the destruction of the impious1 but does not will it4 ,but what reason shall we assign for his permitting it1 but because it is his will8 ,it is not probable1 however1 that man procured his own destruction by the mere permission1 and without any appointment1 of ,god2 as though ,god had not determined what he would choose to be the condition of the principal of his creatures4 ,i shall not hesitate1 therefore1 to confess plainly with ,augustine1 8that the will of ,god is the necessity of things1 and that what he has willed will necessarily come to pass2 as those things are really about to happen which he has foreseen40 ,now1 if either ,pelagians1 or ,manichans1 or ,anabaptists1 or ,epicureans1 7for we are concerned with these four sects on this argument17 in excuse for themselves and the impious1 plead the necessity with which they are bound by ,god's predestination1--they allege nothing applicable to the case4 ,for if predestination is no other than a dispensation of ,divine justice1--mysterious indeed1 but liable to no blame1--since it is certain they were not unworthy of being predestinated to that fate1 it is equally certain1 that the destruction they incur by predestination is consistent with the strictest justice4 ,besides1 their perdition depends on the ,divine predestination in such a manner1 that the cause and matter of it are found in themselves4 ,for the first man fell because the ,lord had determined it was so expedient4 ,the reason of this determination is unknown to us4 ,yet it is certain that he determined thus1 only because he foresaw it would tend to the just illustration of the glory of his name4 ,whenever you hear the glory of ,god mentioned1 think of his justice4 ,for what deserves praise must be just4 ,man falls1 therefore1 according to the appointment of ,divine ,providence2 but he falls by his own fault4 ,the ,lord had a little before pronounced 8every thing that he had made0 to be 8very good40 ,whence1 then1 comes the depravity of man to revolt from his ,god8 ,lest it should be thought to come from creation1 ,god had approved and commended what had proceeded from himself4 ,by his own wickedness1 therefore1 he corrupted the nature he had received pure from the ,lord1 and by his fall he drew all his posterity with him into destruction4 ,wherefore let us rather contemplate the evident cause of condemnation1 which is nearer to us in the corrupt nature of mankind1 than search after a hidden and altogether incomprehensible one in the predestination of ,god4 ,and we should feel no reluctance to submit our understanding to the infinite wisdom of ,god1 so far as to acquiesce in its many mysteries4 ,to be ignorant of things which it is neither possible nor lawful to know1 is to be learned3 an eagerness to know them1 is a species of madness4 ,,ix4 ,some one perhaps will say1 that ,i have not yet adduced a sufficient answer to that sacrilegious excuse4 ,i confess it is impossible ever wholly to prevent the petulance and murmurs of impiety2 yet ,i think ,i have said what should suffice to remove not only all just ground1 but every plausible pretext1 for objection4 ,the reprobate wish to be thought excusable in sinning1 because they cannot avoid a necessity of sinning2 especially since this necessity is laid upon them by the ordination of ,god4 ,but we deny this to be a just excuse2 because the ordination of ,god1 by which they complain that they are destined to destruction1 is guided by equity1 unknown indeed to us1 but indubitably certain4 ,whence we conclude1 that they sustain no misery that is not inflicted upon them by the most righteous judgment of ,god4 ,in the next place1 we maintain that they act preposterously1 who1 in seeking for the origin of their condemnation1 direct their views to the secret recesses of the ,divine counsel1 and overlook the corruption of nature1 which is its real source4 ,the testimony ,god gives to his creation prevents their imputing it to him4 ,for though1 by the eternal providence of ,god1 man was created to that misery to which he is subject1 yet the ground of it he has derived from himself1 not from ,god2 since he is thus ruined solely in consequence of his having degenerated from the pure creation of ,god to vicious and impure depravity4 ,x4 ,the doctrine of ,god's predestination is calumniated by its adversaries1 as involving a third absurdity4 ,for when we attribute it solely to the determination of the ,divine will1 that those whom ,god admits to be heirs of his kingdom are exempted from the universal destruction1 from this they infer1 that he is a respecter of persons1 which the ,scripture uniformly denies2 that1 therefore1 either the ,scripture is inconsistent with itself1 or in the election of ,god regard is had to merits4 ,in the first place1 the ,scripture denies that ,god is a respecter of persons1 in a different sense from that in which they understand it2 for by the word person1 it signifies not a man1 but those things in a man1 which1 being conspicuous to the eyes1 usually conciliate favour1 honour1 and dignity1 or attract hatred1 contempt1 and disgrace4 ,such are riches1 wealth1 power1 nobility1 magistracy1 country1 elegance of form1 on the one hand2 and on the other hand1 poverty1 necessity1 ignoble birth1 slovenliness1 contempt1 and the like4 ,thus ,peter and ,paul declare that ,god is not a respecter of persons1 because he makes no difference between the ,jew and ,greek1 to reject one and receive the other1 merely on account of his nation4#ejh ,so ,james uses the same language when he means to assert1 that ,god in his judgment pays no regard to riches4#eji ,and ,paul1 in another place1 declares1 that in judging1 ,god has no respect to liberty or bondage4#eaj ,there will1 therefore1 be no contradiction in our affirming1 that according to the good pleasure of his will1 ,god chooses whom he will as his children1 irrespective of all merit1 while he rejects and reprobates others4 ,yet1 for the sake of further satisfaction1 the matter may be explained in the following manner3 ,they ask how it happens1 that of two persons distinguished from each other by no merit1 ,god1 in his election1 leaves one and takes another4 ,i1 on the other hand1 ask them1 whether they suppose him that is taken to possess any thing that can attract the favour of ,god4 ,if they confess that he has not1 as indeed they must1 it will follow1 that ,god looks not at man1 but derives his motive to favour him from his own goodness4 ,god's election of one man1 therefore1 while he rejects another1 proceeds not from any respect of man1 but solely from his own mercy2 which may freely display and exert itself wherever and whenever it pleases4 ,for we have elsewhere seen also that1 from the beginning1 not many noble1 or wise1 or honourable were called1#eaa that ,god might humble the pride of flesh2 so far is his favour from being confined to persons4 ,,xi4 ,wherefore some people falsely and wickedly charge ,god with a violation of equal justice1 because1 in his predestination1 he observes not the same uniform course of proceeding towards all4 ,if he finds all guilty1 they say1 let him punish all alike2 if innocent1 let him withhold the rigour of justice from all4 ,but they deal with him just as if either mercy were forbidden him1 or1 when he chooses to show mercy1 he were constrained wholly to renounce justice4 ,what is it that they require8 ,if all are guilty1 that they shall all suffer the same punishment4 ,we confess the guilt to be common1 but we say1 that some are relieved by ,divine mercy4 ,they say1 ,let it relieve all4 ,but we reply1 ,justice requires that he should likewise show himself to be a just judge in the infliction of punishment4 ,when they object to this1 what is it but attempting to deprive ,god of the opportunity to manifest his mercy1 or to grant it to him1 at least1 on the condition that he wholly abandon his justice8 ,wherefore there is the greatest propriety in these observations of ,augustine3 8,the whole mass of mankind having fallen into condemnation in the first man1 the vessels that are formed from it to honour1 are not vessels of personal righteousness1 but of ,divine mercy2 and the formation of others to dishonour1 is to be attributed1 not to iniquity1 but to the ,divine decree10 c4 ,while ,god rewards those whom he rejects with deserved punishment1 and to those whom he calls1 freely gives undeserved grace1 he is liable to no accusation1 but may be compared to a creditor1 who has power to release one1 and enforce his demands on another4 ,the ,lord1 therefore1 may give grace to whom he will1 because he is merciful1 and yet not give it to all1 because he is a just judge2 may manifest his free grace1 by giving to some what they never deserve1 while1 by not giving to all1 he declares the demerit of all4 ,for when ,paul says1 that 8,god hath concluded all under sin1 that he might have mercy upon all10#eab it must1 at the same time1 be added1 that he is debtor to none2 for no man 8hath first given to him10 to entitle him to demand a recompense4#eac ,,xii4 ,another argument often urged to overthrow predestination is1 that its establishment would destroy all solicitude and exertion for rectitude of conduct4 ,for who can hear1 they say1 that either life or death is appointed for him by ,god's eternal and immutable decree1 without immediately concluding that it is of no importance how he conducts himself2 since no action of his can in any respect either impede or promote the predestination of ,god8 ,thus all will abandon themselves to despair1 and run into every excess to which their licentious propensities may lead them4 ,and truly this objection is not altogether destitute of truth2 for there are many impure persons who bespatter the doctrine of predestination with these vile blasphemies1 and with this pretext elude all admonitions and reproofs3 ,god knows what he has determined to do with us3 if he has decreed our salvation1 he will bring us to it in his own time2 if he has destined us to death1 it will be in vain for us to strive against it4 ,but the ,scripture1 while it inculcates superior awe and reverence of mind in the consideration of so great a mystery1 instructs the godly in a very different conclusion1 and fully refutes the wicked and unreasonable inferences of these persons4 ,for the design of what it contains respecting predestination is1 not that1 being excited to presumption1 we may attempt1 with nefarious temerity1 to scrutinize the inaccessible secrets of ,god1 but rather that1 being humbled and dejected1 we may learn to tremble at his justice and admire his mercy4 ,at this object believers will aim4 ,but the impure cavils of the wicked are justly restrained by ,paul4 ,they profess to go on securely in their vices2 because if they are of the number of the elect1 such conduct will not prevent their being finally brought into life4 ,but ,paul declares the end of our election to be1 that we may lead a holy and blameless life4#ead ,if the object of election be holiness of life1 it should rather awaken and stimulate us to a cheerful practice of it1 than be used as a pretext for slothfulness4 ,but how inconsistent is it to cease from the practice of virtue because election is sufficient to salvation1 while the end proposed in election is our diligent performance of virtuous actions6 ,away1 then1 with such corrupt and sacrilegious perversions of the whole order of election4 ,they carry their blasphemies much further1 by asserting1 that any one who is reprobated by ,god will labour to no purpose if he endeavour to approve himself to him by innocence and integrity of life2 but here they are convicted of a most impudent falsehood4 ,for whence could such exertion originate but from election8 ,whoever are of the number of the reprobate1 being vessels made to dishonour1 cease not to provoke the ,divine wrath against them by continual transgressions1 and to confirm by evident proofs the judgment of ,god already denounced against them2 so that their striving with him in vain is what can never happen4 ,,xiii4 ,this doctrine is maliciously and impudently calumniated by others1 as subversive of all exhortations to piety of life4 ,this formerly brought great odium upon ,augustine1 which he removed by his ,treatise on ,correction and ,grace1 addressed to ,valentine1 the perusal of which will easily satisfy all pious and teachable persons4 ,yet ,i will touch on a few things1 which ,i hope will convince such as are honest and not contentious4 ,how openly and loudly gratuitous election was preached by ,paul1 we have already seen2 was he therefore cold in admonitions and exhortations8 ,let these good zealots compare his vehemence with theirs2 theirs will be found ice itself in comparison with his incredible fervour4 ,and certainly every scruple is removed by this principle1 that 8,god hath not called us to uncleanness but that every one should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour20#eae and again1 that 8we are his workmanship1 created in ,christ ,jesus unto good works1 which ,god hath before ordained1 that we should walk in them40#eaf ,indeed1 a slight acquaintance with ,paul will enable any one to understand1 without tedious arguments1 how easily he reconciles things which they pretend to be repugnant to each other4 ,christ commands men to believe in him4 ,yet his limitation is neither false nor contrary to his command1 when he says1 8,no man can come unto me1 except it were given unto him of my ,father40#eag ,let preaching therefore have its course to bring men to faith1 and by a continual progress to promote their perseverance4 ,nor let the knowledge of predestination be prevented1 that the obedient may not be proud as of any thing of their own1 but may glory in the ,lord4 ,christ had some particular meaning in saying1 8,who hath ears to hear1 let him hear40#eah ,therefore when we exhort and preach1 persons endued with ears readily obey2 and those who are destitute of them exhibit an accomplishment of the ,scripture1 that hearing they hear not4#eai 8,but why 7says ,augustine7 should some have ears1 and others not8 #8,who hath known the mind of the ,lord8'#ebj ,must that which is evident be denied1 because that which is concealed cannot be comprehended80 ,these observations ,i have faithfully borrowed from ,augustine2 but as his words will perhaps have more authority than mine1 ,i will proceed to an exact quotation of them4 8,if1 on hearing this1 some persons become torpid and slothful1 and exchanging labour for lawless desire1 pursue the various objects of concupiscence1 must what is declared concerning the foreknowledge of ,god be therefore accounted false8 ,if ,god foreknew that they would be good1 will they not be so1 in whatever wickedness they now live8 and if he foreknew that they would be wicked1 will they not be so1 in whatever goodness they now appear8 ,are these1 then1 sufficient causes why the truths which are declared concerning the foreknowledge of ,god should be either denied or passed over in silence8 especially when the consequence of silence respecting these would be the adoption of other errors4 ,the reason of concealing the truth 7he says7 is one thing1 and the necessity of declaring it is another4 ,it would be tedious to inquire after all the reasons for passing the truth over in silence2 but this is one of them2 lest those who understand it not should become worse1 while we wish to make those who understand it better informed2 who1 indeed1 are not made wiser by our declaring any such thing1 nor are they rendered worse4 ,but since the truth is of such a nature1 that when we speak of it1 he becomes worse who cannot understand it1 and when we are silent about it1 he who can understand it becomes worse1--what do we think ought to be done8 ,should not the truth rather be spoken1 that he who is capable may understand it1 than buried in silence2 the consequence of which would be1 not only that neither would know it1 but even the more intelligent of the two would become worse1 who1 if he heard and understood it1 would also teach it to many others8 ,and we are unwilling to say what we are authorized to say by the testimony of ,scripture4 ,for we are afraid1 indeed1 lest by speaking we may offend him who cannot understand1 but are not afraid lest in consequence of our silence1 he who is capable of understanding the truth may be deceived by falsehood40 ,and condensing this sentiment afterwards into a smaller compass1 he places it in a still stronger light4 8,wherefore1 if the apostles and the succeeding teachers of the ,church both piously treated of ,god's eternal election1 and held believers under the discipline of a pious life1 what reason have these our opponents1 when silenced by the invincible force of truth1 to suppose themselves right in maintaining that what is spoken of predestination1 although it be true1 ought not to be preached to the people8 ,but it must by all means be preached1 that he who has ears to hear may hear4 ,but who has them1 unless he receives them from him who has promised to bestow them8 ,certainly he who receives not may reject1 provided he who receives1 takes and drinks1 drinks and lives4 ,for as piety must be preached that ,god may be rightly worshipped1 so also must predestination1 that he who has ears to hear of the grace of ,god1 may glory in ,god1 and not in himself40 ,,xiv4 ,and yet1 being peculiarly desirous of edification1 that holy man regulates his mode of teaching the truth1 so that offence may as far as possible be prudently avoided4 ,for he suggests that whatever is asserted with truth may also be delivered in a suitable manner4 ,if any one address the people in such a way as this1 ,if you believe not1 it is because you are by a ,divine decree already destined to destruction1--he not only cherishes slothfulness1 but even encourages wickedness4 ,if any one extend the declaration to the future1 that they who hear will never believe because they are reprobated1--this would be rather imprecation than instruction4 ,such persons1 therefore1 as foolish teachers1 or inauspicious1 ominous prophets1 ,augustine charges to depart from the ,church4 ,in another place1 indeed1 he justly maintains1 8that a man then profits by correction1 when he1 who causes whom he pleases to profit even without correction1 compassionates and assists4 ,but why some in one way1 and some in another8 ,far be it from us to ascribe the choice to the clay instead of the potter40 ,again afterwards3 8,when men are either introduced or restored into the way of righteousness by correction1 who works salvation in their hearts1 but he who gives the increase1 whoever plants and waters8 he whose determination to save is not resisted by any free-will of man4 ,it is beyond all doubt1 therefore1 that the will of ,god1 who has done whatever he has pleased in heaven and in earth1 and who has done even things that are yet future1 cannot possibly be resisted by the will of man1 so as to prevent the execution of his purposes3 since he controls the wills of men according to his pleasure40 ,again3 8,when he designs to bring men to himself1 does he bind them by corporeal bonds8 ,he acts inwardly2 he inwardly seizes their hearts2 he inwardly moves their hearts1 and draws them by their wills1 which he has wrought in them40 ,but he immediately subjoins1 what must by no means be omitted2 8that because we know not who belongs1 or does not belong1 to the number of the predestinated1 it becomes us affectionately to desire the salvation of all4 ,the consequence will be1 that whomsoever we meet we shall endeavour to make him a partaker of peace4 ,but our peace shall rest upon the sons of peace4 ,on our part1 therefore1 salutary and severe reproof1 like a medicine1 must be administered to all1 that they may neither perish themselves nor destroy others2 but it will be the province of ,god to render it useful to them whom he had foreknown and predestinated40 ,footnote #ejj3 ,rom4 ix4 #bj4 ,footnote #eja3 ,matt4 xv4 #ac4 ,footnote #ejb3 ,rom4 ix4 #bb1 #bc4 ,footnote #ejc3 ,psalm li4 #d4 ,footnote #ejd3 ,rom4 v4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #eje3 ,prov4 xxvi4 #aj4 ,footnote #ejf3 #a ,tim4 v4 #ba4 ,footnote #ejg3 ,prov4 xvi4 #d4 ,footnote #ejh3 ,acts x4 #cd4 ,rom4 ii4 #aa4 ,gal4 iii4 #bh4 ,footnote #eji3 ,james ii4 #e4 ,footnote #eaj3 ,col4 iii4 #be4 ,eph4 vi4 #i4 ,footnote #eaa3 #a ,cor4 i4 #bf4 ,footnote #eab3 ,gal4 iii4 #bb4 ,rom4 xi4 #cb4 ,footnote #eac3 ,rom4 xi4 #ce4 ,footnote #ead3 ,ephes4 i4 #d4 ,footnote #eae3 #a ,thess4 iv4 #d1 #g4 ,footnote #eaf3 ,ephes4 ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #eag3 ,john vi4 #fe4 ,footnote #eah3 ,matt4 xiii4 #i4 ,footnote #eai3 ,isaiah vi4 #i4 ,footnote #ebj3 ,rom4 xi4 #cd4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,election ,,confirmed ,,by ,,the ,,divine ,,call4 ,,the ,,destined ,,destruction ,,of ,,the ,,reprobate ,,procured ,,by ,,themselves4 ,but1 in order to a further elucidation of the subject1 it is necessary to treat of the calling of the elect1 and of the blinding and hardening of the impious4 ,on the former ,i have already made a few observations1 with a view to refute the error of those who suppose the generality of the promises to put all mankind on an equality4 ,but the discriminating election of ,god1 which is otherwise concealed within himself1 he manifests only by his calling1 which may therefore with propriety be termed the testification or evidence of it4 8,for whom he did foreknow1 he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his ,son4 ,moreover1 whom he did predestinate1 them he also called2 and whom he called1 them he also justified10 in order to their eventual glorification4#eba ,though by choosing his people1 the ,lord has adopted them as his children1 yet we see that they enter not on the possession of so great a blessing till they are called2 on the other hand1 as soon as they are called1 they immediately enjoy some communication of his election4 ,on this account ,paul calls the ,spirit received by them1 both 8the ,spirit of adoption1 and the seal and earnest of the future inheritance20#ebb because1 by his testimony1 he confirms and seals to their hearts the certainty of their future adoption4 ,for though the preaching of the gospel is a stream from the source of election1 yet1 being common also to the reprobate1 it would of itself be no solid proof of it4 ,for ,god effectually teaches his elect1 to bring them to faith1 as we have already cited from the words of ,christ3 8,he which is of ,god1 he10 and he alone1 8hath seen the ,father40#ebc ,again3 8,i have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me40#ebd ,for he says in another place1 8,no man can come to me1 except the ,father draw him40#ebe ,this passage is judiciously explained by ,augustine in the following words3 8,if1 according to the declaration of truth1 every one that has learned comes1 whosoever comes not1 certainly has not learned4 ,it does not necessarily follow that he who can come actually comes1 unless he has both willed and done it2 but every one that has learned of the ,father1 not only can come1 but also actually comes2 where there is an immediate union of the advantage of possibility1 the inclination of the will1 and the consequent action40 ,in another place he is still clearer3 8,every one that hath heard and learned of the ,father1 cometh unto me4 ,is not this saying1 ,there is no one that hears and learns of the ,father1 and comes not unto me8 ,for if every one that has heard and learned of the ,father comes1 certainly every one that comes not has neither heard nor learned of the ,father2 for if he had heard and learned1 he would come4 ,very remote from carnal observation is this school1 in which men hear and learn of the ,father to come to the ,son40 ,just after he says1 8,this grace1 which is secretly communicated to the hearts of men1 is received by no hard heart2 for the first object of its communication is1 that hardness of heart may be taken away4 ,when the ,father is heard within therefore1 he takes away the heart of stone1 and gives a heart of flesh4 ,for thus he forms children of promise and vessels of mercy whom he has prepared for glory4 ,why1 then1 does he not teach all1 that they may come to ,christ1 but because all whom he teaches1 he teaches in mercy8 but whom he teaches not1 he teaches not in judgment2 for he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy1 and whom he will he hardeneth40 ,those whom ,god has chosen1 therefore1 he designates as his children1 and determines himself to be their ,father4 ,by calling1 he introduces them into his family1 and unites them to himself1 that they may be one4 ,by connecting calling with election1 the ,scripture evidently suggests that nothing is requisite to it but the free mercy of ,god4 ,for if we inquire whom he calls1 and for what reason1 the answer is1 those whom he had elected4 ,but when we come to election1 we see nothing but mercy on every side4 ,and so that observation of ,paul is very applicable here--8,it is not of him that willeth1 nor of him that runneth1 but of ,god that showeth mercy20 but not as it is commonly understood by those who make a distribution between the grace of ,god1 and the will and exertion of man4 ,for they say1 that human desires and endeavours have no efficacy of themselves1 unless they are rendered successful by the grace of ,god2 but maintain that1 with the assistance of his blessing1 these things have also their share in procuring salvation4 ,to refute their cavil1 ,i prefer ,augustine's words to my own4 8,if the apostle only meant that it is not of him that wills1 or of him that runs1 without the assistance of the merciful ,lord1 we may retort the converse proposition1 that it is not of mercy alone without the assistance of willing and running40 ,if this be manifestly impious1 we may be certain that the apostle ascribes every thing to the ,lord's mercy1 and leaves nothing to our wills or exertions4 ,this was the opinion of that holy man4 ,nor is the least regard due to their paltry sophism1 that ,paul would not have expressed himself so1 if we had no exertion or will4 ,for he considered not what was in man2 but seeing some persons attribute salvation partly to human industry1 he simply condemned their error in the former part of the sentence1 and in the latter1 vindicated the claim of ,divine mercy to the whole accomplishment of salvation4 ,and what do the prophets1 but perpetually proclaim the gratuitous calling of ,god8 ,,ii4 ,this point is further demonstrated by the very nature and dispensation of calling1 which consists not in the mere preaching of the word1 but in the accompanying illumination of the ,spirit4 ,to whom ,god offers his word1 we are informed in the prophet3 8,i am sought of them that asked not for me3 ,i am found of them that sought me not3 ,i said1 ,behold me1 behold me1 unto a nation that was not called by my name40#ebf ,and lest the ,jews should suppose that this clemency extended only to the ,gentiles1 he recalls to their remembrance the situation from which he took their father ,abraham1 when he deigned to draw him to himself2 that was from the midst of idolatry1 in which he and all his family were sunk4#ebg ,when he first shines upon the undeserving with the light of his word1 he thereby exhibits a most brilliant specimen of his free goodness4 ,here1 then1 the infinite goodness of ,god is displayed1 but not to the salvation of all2 for heavier judgment awaits the reprobate1 because they reject the testimony of ,divine love4 ,and ,god also1 to manifest his glory1 withdraws from them the efficacious influence of his ,spirit4 ,this internal call1 therefore1 is a pledge of salvation1 which cannot possibly deceive4 ,to this purpose is that passage of ,john--8,hereby we know that he abideth in us1 by the ,spirit which he hath given us40#ebh ,and lest the flesh should glory in having answered at least to his call1 and accepted his free offers1 he affirms that men have no ears to hear1 or eyes to see1 but such as he has formed2 and that he acts in this1 not according to individual gratitude1 but according to his own election4 ,of this fact ,luke gives us an eminent example1 where ,jews and ,gentiles in common heard the preaching of ,paul and ,barnabas4 ,though they were all instructed on that occasion with the same discourse1 it is narrated that 8as many as were ordained to eternal life1 believed40#ebi ,with what face1 then1 can we deny the freeness of calling1 in which election reigns alone1 even to the last8 ,,iii4 ,here two errors are to be avoided4 ,for some suppose man to be a coperator with ,god1 so that the validity of election depends on his consent2 thus1 according to them1 the will of man is superior to the counsel of ,god4 ,as though the ,scripture taught1 that we are only given an ability to believe1 and not faith itself4 ,others1 not thus enervating the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 yet induced by ,i know not what mode of reasoning1 suspend election on that which is subsequent to it2 as though it were doubtful and ineffectual till it is confirmed by faith4 ,that this is its confirmation to us is very clear2 that it is the manifestation of ,god's secret counsel before concealed1 we have already seen2 but all that we are to understand by this1 is that what was before unknown is verified1 and as it were ratified with a seal4 ,but it is contrary to the truth to assert1 that election has no efficacy till after we have embraced the gospel1 and that this circumstance gives it all its energy4 ,the certainty of it1 indeed1 we are to seek here2 for if we attempt to penetrate to the eternal decree of ,god1 we shall be ingulfed in the profound abyss4 ,but when ,god has discovered it to us1 we must ascend to loftier heights1 that the cause may not be lost in the effect4 ,for what can be more absurd and inconsistent1 when the ,scripture teaches that we are illuminated according as ,god has chosen us1 than that our eyes should be so dazzled with the blaze of this light as to refuse to contemplate election8 ,at the same time ,i admit that1 in order to attain an assurance of our salvation1 we ought to begin with the word1 and that with it our confidence ought to be satisfied1 so as to call upon ,god as our ,father4 ,for some persons1 to obtain certainty respecting the counsel of ,god1 8which is nigh unto us1 in our mouth and in our heart10#ecj preposterously wish to soar above the clouds4 ,such temerity1 therefore1 should be restrained by the sobriety of faith1 that we may be satisfied with the testimony of ,god in his external word respecting his secret grace2 only the channel1 which conveys to us such a copious stream to satisfy our thirst1 must not deprive the fountain-head of the honour which belongs to it4 ,,iv4 ,as it is erroneous1 therefore1 to suspend the efficacy of election upon the faith of the gospel1 by which we discover our interest in election1 so we shall observe the best order1 if1 in seeking an assurance of our election1 we confine our attention to those subsequent signs which are certain attestations of it4 ,satan never attacks believers with a more grievous or dangerous temptation1 than when he disquiets them with doubts of their election1 and stimulates to an improper desire of seeking it in a wrong way4 ,i call it seeking in a wrong way1 when miserable man endeavours to force his way into the secret recesses of ,divine wisdom1 and to penetrate even to the highest eternity1 that he may discover what is determined concerning him at the tribunal of ,god4 ,then he precipitates himself to be absorbed in the profound of an unfathomable gulf2 then he entangles himself in numberless and inextricable snares2 then he sinks himself in an abyss of total darkness4 ,for it is right that the folly of the human mind should be thus punished with horrible destruction1 when it attempts by its own ability to rise to the summit of ,divine wisdom4 ,this temptation is the more fatal1 because there is no other to which men in general have a stronger propensity4 ,for there is scarcely a person to be found1 whose mind is not sometimes struck with this thought--,whence can you obtain salvation but from the election of ,god8 ,and what revelation have you received of election8 ,if this has once impressed a man1 it either perpetually excruciates the unhappy being with dreadful torments1 or altogether stupefies him with astonishment4 ,indeed1 ,i should desire no stronger argument to prove how extremely erroneous the conceptions of such persons are respecting predestination1 than experience itself2 since no error can affect the mind1 more pestilent than such as disturbs the conscience1 and destroys its peace and tranquillity towards ,god4 ,therefore1 if we dread shipwreck1 let us anxiously beware of this rock1 on which none ever strike without being destroyed4 ,but though the discussion of predestination may be compared to a dangerous ocean1 yet1 in traversing over it1 the navigation is safe and serene1 and ,i will also add pleasant1 unless any one freely wishes to expose himself to danger4 ,for as those who1 in order to gain an assurance of their election1 examine into the eternal counsel of ,god without the word1 plunge themselves into a fatal abyss1 so they who investigate it in a regular and orderly manner1 as it is contained in the word1 derive from such inquiry the benefit of peculiar consolation4 ,let this1 then1 be our way of inquiry2 to begin and end with the calling of ,god4 ,though this prevents not believers from perceiving1 that the blessings they daily receive from the hand of ,god descend from that secret adoption2 as ,isaiah introduces them1 saying1 8,thou hast done wonderful things2 thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth20#eca for by adoption1 as by a token1 ,god chooses to confirm to us all that we are permitted to know of his counsel4 ,lest this should be thought a weak testimony1 let us consider how much clearness and certainty it affords us4 ,bernard has some pertinent observations on this subject4 ,after speaking of the reprobate1 he says1 8,the counsel of ,god stands1 the sentence of peace stands1 respecting them who fear him1 concealing their faults and rewarding their virtues2 so that to them1 not only good things1 but evil ones also1 coperate for good4 ,who shall lay any thing to the charge of ,god's elect8 ,it is sufficient for me1 for all righteousness1 to possess his favour alone1 against whom alone ,i have sinned4 ,all that he has decreed not to impute to me1 is just as if it had never been40 ,and a little after3 8,o place of true rest1 which ,i might not improperly call a bed-chamber1 in which ,god is viewed1 not as disturbed with anger1 or filled with care1 but where his will is proved to be good1 and acceptable1 and perfect4 ,this view is not terrifying1 but soothing2 it excites no restless curiosity1 but allays it2 it fatigues not the senses1 but tranquillizes them4 ,here true rest is enjoyed4 ,a tranquil ,god tranquillizes all things2 and to behold rest1 is to enjoy repose40 ,v4 ,in the first place1 if we seek the fatherly clemency and propitious heart of ,god1 our eyes must be directed to ,christ1 in whom alone the ,father is well pleased4#ecb ,if we seek salvation1 life1 and the immortality of the heavenly kingdom1 recourse must be had to no other2 for he alone is the ,fountain of life1 the ,anchor of salvation1 and the ,heir of the kingdom of heaven4 ,now1 what is the end of election1 but that1 being adopted as children by our heavenly ,father1 we may by his favour obtain salvation and immortality8 ,consider and investigate it as much as you please1 you will not find its ultimate scope extend beyond this4 ,the persons1 therefore1 whom ,god has adopted as his children1 he is said to have chosen1 not in themselves1 but in ,christ2 because it was impossible for him to love them1 except in him2 or to honour them with the inheritance of his kingdom1 unless previously made partakers of him4 ,but if we are chosen in him1 we shall find no assurance of our election in ourselves2 nor even in ,god the ,father1 considered alone1 abstractedly from the ,son4 ,christ1 therefore1 is the mirror1 in which it behoves us to contemplate our election2 and here we may do it with safety4 ,for as the ,father has determined to unite to the body of his ,son all who are the objects of his eternal choice1 that he may have1 as his children1 all that he recognizes among his members1 we have a testimony sufficiently clear and strong1 that if we have communion with ,christ1 we are written in the book of life4 ,and he gave us this certain communion with himself1 when he testified by the preaching of the gospel1 that he was given to us by the ,father1 to be ours with all his benefits4 ,we are said to put him on1 and to grow up into him1 that we may live because he lives4 ,this doctrine is often repeated4 8,god spared not his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish40#ecc 8,he that believeth on him1 is passed from death unto life40#ecd ,in which sense he calls himself 8,the bread of life1 he that eateth which1 shall live for ever40#ece ,he1 ,i say1 is our witness1 that all who receive him by faith shall be considered as the children of his heavenly ,father4 ,if we desire any thing more than being numbered among the sons and heirs of ,god1 we must rise above ,christ4 ,if this is our highest limit1 what folly do we betray in seeking out of him1 that which we have already obtained in him1 and which can never be found any where else6 ,besides1 as he is the ,father's eternal ,wisdom1 immutable ,truth1 and determined ,counsel1 we have no reason to fear the least variation in the declarations of his word from that will of the ,father1 which is the object of our inquiry2 indeed1 he faithfully reveals it to us1 as it has been from the beginning1 and will ever continue to be4 ,this doctrine ought to have a practical influence on our prayers4 ,for though faith in election animates us to call upon ,god1 yet it would be preposterous to obtrude it upon him when we pray1 or to stipulate this condition--,o ,lord1 if ,i am elected1 hear me2 since it is his pleasure that we should be satisfied with his promises1 and make no further inquiries whether he will be propitious to our prayers4 ,this prudence will extricate us from many snares1 if we know how to make a right use of what has been rightly written2 but we must not inconsiderately apply to various purposes1 what ought to be restricted to the object particularly designed4 ,,vi4 ,for the establishment of our confidence1 there is also another confirmation of election1 which1 we have said1 is connected with our calling4 ,for those whom ,christ illuminates with the knowledge of his name1 and introduces into the bosom of his ,church1 he is said to receive into his charge and protection4 ,and all whom he receives are said to be committed and intrusted to him by the ,father1 to be kept to eternal life4 ,what do we wish for ourselves8 ,christ loudly proclaims that all whose salvation was designed by the ,father1 had been delivered by him into his protection4#ecf ,if1 therefore1 we want to ascertain whether ,god is concerned for our salvation1 let us inquire whether he has committed us to ,christ1 whom he constituted the only ,saviour of all his people4 ,now1 if we doubt whether ,christ has received us into his charge and custody1 he obviates this doubt1 by freely offering himself as our ,shepherd1 and declaring that if we hear his voice1 we shall be numbered among his sheep4 ,we therefore embrace ,christ1 thus kindly offered to us and advancing to meet us2 and he will number us with his sheep1 and preserve us enclosed in his fold4 ,but yet we feel anxiety for our future state2 for as ,paul declares that 8whom he predestinated1 them he also called10#ecg so ,christ informs us that 8many are called1 but few chosen40#ech ,besides1 ,paul himself also1 in another place1 cautions against carelessness1 saying1 8,let him that thinketh he standeth1 take heed lest he fall40#eci ,again3 8,art thou grafted among the people of ,god8 ,be not high-minded1 but fear4 ,god is able to cut thee off again1 and graft in others40#edj ,lastly1 experience itself teaches us that vocation and faith are of little value1 unless accompanied by perseverance1 which is not the lot of all4 ,but ,christ has delivered us from this anxiety1 for these promises undoubtedly belong to the future3 8,all that the ,father giveth me1 shall come to me2 and him that cometh to me1 ,i will in no wise cast out4 ,and this is the ,father's will which hath sent me1 that of all which he hath given me1 ,i should lose nothing1 but should raise it up again at the last day40#eda ,again3 8,my sheep hear my voice1 and ,i know them1 and they follow me4 ,and ,i give unto them eternal life1 and they shall never perish1 neither shall any pluck them out of my hand4 ,my ,father1 which gave them me1 is greater than all2 and none is able to pluck them out of my ,father's hand40#edb ,besides1 when he declares1 8,every plant which my heavenly ,father hath not planted1 shall be rooted up10#edc he fully implies on the contrary1 that those who are rooted in ,god1 can never by any violence be deprived of salvation4 ,with this corresponds that passage of ,john1 8,if they had been of us1 they would no doubt have continued with us40#edd ,hence also that magnificent exultation of ,paul1 in defiance of life and death1 of things present and future2 which must necessarily have been founded in the gift of perseverance4#ede ,nor can it be doubted that he applies this sentiment to all the elect4 ,the same apostle in another place says1 8,he which hath begun a good work in you1 will perform it until the day of ,jesus ,christ40#edf ,this also supported ,david when his faith was failing3 8,thou wilt not forsake the work of thine own hands40#edg ,nor is it to be doubted1 that when ,christ intercedes for all the elect1 he prays for them the same as for ,peter1 that their faith may never fail4 ,hence we conclude1 that they are beyond all danger of falling away1 because the intercessions of the ,son of ,god for their perseverance in piety have not been rejected4 ,what did ,christ intend we should learn from this1 but confidence in our perpetual security1 since we have once been introduced into the number of his people8 ,,vii4 ,but it daily happens1 that they who appeared to belong to ,christ1 fall away from him again1 and sink into ruin4 ,even in that very place1 where he asserts that none perish of those who were given to him by the ,father1 he excepts the son of perdition4 ,this is true2 but it is equally certain1 that such persons never adhered to ,christ with that confidence of heart which1 we say1 gives us an assurance of our election4 8,they went out from us10 says ,john1 8but they were not of us2 for if they had been of us1 they would no doubt have continued with us40#edh ,i dispute not their having similar signs of calling with the elect2 but ,i am far from admitting them to possess that certain assurance of election which ,i enjoin believers to seek from the word of the gospel4 ,wherefore1 let not such examples move us from a tranquil reliance on our ,lord's promise1 where he declares1 that all who receive him by faith were given him by the ,father1 and that since he is their ,guardian and ,shepherd1 not one of them shall perish4 ,of ,judas we shall speak afterwards4 ,paul is dissuading ,christians1 not from all security1 but from supine1 unguarded1 carnal security1 which is attended with pride1 arrogance1 and contempt of others1 extinguishes humility and reverence of ,god1 and produces forgetfulness of favours received4 ,for he is addressing ,gentiles1 teaching them that the ,jews should not be proudly and inhumanly insulted because they had been rejected1 and the ,gentiles substituted in their place4 ,he also inculcates fear2 not such a fear as produces terror and uncertainty1 but such as teaches humble admiration of the grace of ,god1 without any diminution of confidence in it2 as has been elsewhere observed4 ,besides1 he is not addressing individuals1 but distinct parties generally4 ,for as the ,church was divided into two parties1 and emulation gave birth to dissension1 ,paul admonishes the ,gentiles1 that their substitution in the place of the holy and peculiar people ought to be a motive to fear and modesty4 ,there were1 however1 many clamorous people among them1 whose empty boasting it was necessary to restrain4 ,but we have already seen that our hope extends into futurity1 even beyond the grave1 and that nothing is more contrary to its nature than doubts respecting our final destiny4 ,,viii4 ,the declaration of ,christ1 that 8many are called1 and few chosen10 is very improperly understood4 ,for there will be no ambiguity in it1 if we remember what must be clear from the foregoing observations1 that there are two kinds of calling4 ,for there is a universal call1 by which ,god1 in the external preaching of the word1 invites all1 indiscriminately1 to come to him1 even those to whom he intends it as a savour of death1 and an occasion of heavier condemnation4 ,there is also a special call1 with which he1 for the most part1 favours only believers1 when1 by the inward illumination of his ,spirit1 he causes the word preached to sink into their hearts4 ,yet sometimes he also communicates it to those whom he only enlightens for a season1 and afterwards forsakes on account of their ingratitude1 and strikes with greater blindness4 ,now1 the ,lord1 seeing the gospel published far and wide1 held in contempt by the generality of men1 and justly appreciated by few1 gives us a description of ,god1 under the character of a king1 who prepares a solemn feast1 and sends out his messengers in every direction1 to invite a great company1 but can only prevail on very few1 every one alleging impediments to excuse himself2 so that at length he is constrained by their refusal to bring in all who can be found in the streets4 ,thus far1 every one sees1 the parable is to be understood of the external call4 ,he proceeds to inform us1 that ,god acts like a good master of a feast1 walking round the tables1 courteously receiving his guests2 but that if he finds any one not adorned with a nuptial garment1 he suffers not the meanness of such a person to disgrace the festivity of the banquet4 ,i confess1 this part is to be understood of those who enter into the ,church by a profession of faith1 but are not invested with the sanctification of ,christ4 ,such blemishes1 and1 as it were1 cankers of his ,church1 ,god will not always suffer1 but will cast them out of it1 as their turpitude deserves4 ,few1 therefore1 are chosen out of a multitude that are called1 but not with that calling by which we say believers ought to judge of their election4 ,for the former is common also to the wicked2 but the latter is attended with the ,spirit of regeneration1 the earnest and seal of the future inheritance1 which seals our hearts to the day of the ,lord4#edi ,in short1 though hypocrites boast of piety as if they were true worshippers of ,god1 ,christ declares that he will finally cast them out of the place which they unjustly occupy4 ,thus the ,psalmist says1 8,who shall abide in thy tabernacle8 ,he that worketh righteousness1 and speaketh the truth in his heart40#eej ,again3 8,this is the generation of them that seek him1 that seek thy face1 ,o ,jacob40#eea ,and thus the ,spirit exhorts believers to patience1 that they may not be disturbed by ,ishmaelites being united with them in the ,church1 since the mask will at length be torn off1 and they will be cast out with disgrace4 ,,ix4 ,the same reasoning applies to the exception lately cited1 where ,christ says1 that 8none of them is lost1 but the son of perdition40#eeb ,here is1 indeed1 some inaccuracy of expression1 but the meaning is clear4 ,for he was never reckoned among the sheep of ,christ1 as being really such1 but only as he occupied the place of one4 ,when the ,lord declares he was chosen by himself with the other apostles1 it only refers to the ministerial office4 8,have not ,i chosen you twelve10 says he1 8and one of you is a devil80#eec ,that is1 he had chosen him to the office of an apostle4 ,but when he speaks of election to salvation1 he excludes him from the number of the elect3 8,i speak not of you all2 ,i know whom ,i have chosen40#eed ,if any one confound the term election in these passages1 he will miserably embarrass himself2 if he make a proper distinction1 nothing is plainer4 ,it is therefore a very erroneous and pernicious assertion of ,gregory1 that we are only conscious of our calling1 but uncertain of our election2 from which he exhorts all to fear and trembling1 using also this argument1 that though we know what we are to-day1 yet we know not what we may be in future4 ,but the context plainly shows the cause of his error on this point4 ,for as he suspended election on the merit of works1 this furnished abundant reason for discouragement to the minds of men3 he could never establish them1 for want of leading them from themselves to a confidence in the ,divine goodness4 ,hence believers have some perception of what we stated at the beginning1 that predestination1 rightly considered1 neither destroys nor weakens faith1 but rather furnishes its best confirmation4 ,yet ,i will not deny1 that the ,spirit sometimes accommodates his language to the limited extent of our capacity1 as when he says1 8,they shall not be in the assembly of my people1 neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of ,israel40#eee ,as though ,god were beginning to write in the book of life those whom he numbers among his people1 whereas we know from the testimony of ,christ1 that the names of ,god's children have been written in the book of life from the beginning4#eef ,but these expressions only signify the rejection of those who seemed to be the chief among the elect2 as the ,psalmist says1 8,let them be blotted out of the book of the living1 and not be written with the righteous40#eeg ,x4 ,now1 the elect are not gathered into the fold of ,christ by calling1 immediately from their birth1 nor all at the same time1 but according as ,god is pleased to dispense his grace to them4 ,before they are gathered to that chief ,shepherd1 they go astray1 scattered in the common wilderness1 and differing in no respect from others1 except in being protected by the special mercy of ,god from rushing down the precipice of eternal death4 ,if you observe them1 therefore1 you will see the posterity of ,adam partaking of the common corruption of the whole species4 ,that they go not to the most desperate extremes of impiety1 is not owing to any innate goodness of theirs1 but because the eye of ,god watches over them1 and his hand is extended for their preservation4 ,for those who dream of ,i know not what seed of election sown in their hearts from their very birth1 always inclining them to piety and the fear of ,god1 are unsupported by the authority of ,scripture1 and refuted by experience itself4 ,they produce1 indeed1 a few examples to prove that certain elect persons were not entire strangers to religion1 even before they were truly enlightened2 that ,paul lived blameless in his ,pharisaism2#eeh that ,cornelius1 with his alms and prayers1 was accepted of ,god1#eei and if there are any other similar ones4 ,what they say of ,paul1 we admit2 but respecting ,cornelius1 we maintain that they are deceived2 for it is evident1 he was then enlightened and regenerated1 and wanted nothing but a clear revelation of the gospel4 ,but what will they extort from these very few examples8 that the elect have always been endued with the spirit of piety8 ,this is just as if any one1 having proved the integrity of ,aristides1 ,socrates1 ,xenocrates1 ,scipio1 ,curius1 ,camillus1 and other heathens1 should conclude from this1 that all who were left in the darkness of idolatry1 were followers of holiness and virtue4 ,but this is contradicted in many passages of ,scripture4 ,paul's description of the state of the ,ephesians prior to regeneration1 exhibits not a grain of this seed4 8,ye were dead10 he says1 8in trespasses and sins1 wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world1 according to the prince of the power of the air1 the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience2 among whom also we all had our conversation in times past1 in the lusts of our flesh1 fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind1 and were by nature the children of wrath1 even as others40#efj ,again3 8,remember that at that time ye were without hope1 and without ,god in the world40#efa ,again3 8,ye were sometimes darkness1 but now are ye light in the ,lord2 walk as children of light40#efb ,but perhaps they will plead1 that these passages refer to that ignorance of the true ,god1 in which they acknowledge the elect to be involved previously to their calling4 ,though this would be an impudent cavil1 since the apostle's inferences from them are such as these3 8,put away lying2 and let him that stole1 steal no more40#efc ,but what will they reply to other passages8 such as that where1 after declaring to the ,corinthians1 that 8,neither fornicators1 nor idolaters1 nor adulterers1 nor effeminate1 nor abusers of themselves with mankind1 nor thieves1 nor covetous1 nor drunkards1 nor revilers1 nor extortioners1 shall inherit the kingdom of ,god20 he immediately adds1 8,and such were some of you2 but ye are washed1 but ye are sanctified1 but ye are justified in the name of the ,lord ,jesus1 and by the ,spirit of our ,god40#efd ,and another passage1 addressed to the ,romans3 8,as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness1 and to iniquity unto iniquity2 even so now yield your members servants to righteousness4 ,what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed80#efe ,,xi4 ,what kind of seed of election was springing up in them1 who were all their lives contaminated with various pollutions1 and with desperate wickedness wallowed in the most nefarious and execrable of all crimes8 ,if he had intended to speak according to these teachers1 he ought to have shown how much they were obliged to the goodness of ,god1 which had preserved them from falling into such great pollutions4 ,so likewise the persons whom ,peter addressed1 he ought to have exhorted to gratitude on account of the perpetual seed of election4 ,but1 on the contrary1 he admonishes them1 8that the time past may suffice to have wrought the will of the ,gentiles40#eff ,what if we come to particular examples8 ,what principle of righteousness was there in ,rahab the harlot before faith8#efg in ,manasseh1 when ,jerusalem was dyed1 and almost drowned1 with the blood of the prophets8#efh in the thief1 who repented in his dying moments8#efi ,away1 then1 with these arguments1 which men of presumptuous curiosity raise to themselves without regarding the ,scripture4 ,let us rather abide by the declaration of the ,scripture1 that 8all we like sheep have gone astray2 we have turned every one to his own way10#egj that is1 destruction4 ,those whom the ,lord has determined to rescue from this gulf of perdition1 he defers till his appointed season2 before which he only preserves them from falling into unpardonable blasphemy4 ,,xii4 ,as the ,lord1 by his effectual calling of the elect1 completes the salvation to which he predestinated them in his eternal counsel1 so he has his judgments against the reprobate1 by which he executes his counsel respecting them4 ,those1 therefore1 whom he has created to a life of shame and a death of destruction1 that they might be instruments of his wrath1 and examples of his severity1 he causes to reach their appointed end1 sometimes depriving them of the opportunity of hearing the word1 sometimes1 by the preaching of it1 increasing their blindness and stupidity4 ,of the former there are innumerable examples3 let us only select one that is more evident and remarkable than the rest4 ,before the advent of ,christ1 there passed about four thousand years1 in which the ,lord concealed the light of the doctrine of salvation from all the ,gentiles4 ,if it be replied1 that he withheld from them the participation of so great a blessing because he esteemed them unworthy1 their posterity will be found equally unworthy of it4 ,the truth of this1 to say nothing of experience1 is sufficiently attested by ,malachi1 who follows his reproofs of unbelief and gross blasphemies by an immediate prediction of the coming of the ,messiah4 ,why1 then1 is he given to the posterity rather than to their ancestors8 ,he will torment himself in vain1 who seeks for any cause of this beyond the secret and inscrutable counsel of ,god4 ,nor need we be afraid lest any disciple of ,porphyry should be imboldened to calumniate the justice of ,god by our silence in its defence4 ,for while we assert that all deserve to perish1 and it is of ,god's free goodness that any are saved1 enough is said for the illustration of his glory1 so that every subterfuge of ours is altogether unnecessary4 ,the supreme ,lord1 therefore1 by depriving of the communication of his light1 and leaving in darkness1 those whom he has reprobated1 makes way for the accomplishment of his predestination4 ,of the second class1 the ,scriptures contain many examples1 and others present themselves every day4 ,the same sermon is addressed to a hundred persons2 twenty receive it with the obedience of faith2 the others despise1 or ridicule1 or reject1 or condemn it4 ,if it be replied1 that the difference proceeds from their wickedness and perverseness1 this will afford no satisfaction2 because the minds of others would have been influenced by the same wickedness1 but for the correction of ,divine goodness4 ,and thus we shall always be perplexed1 unless we recur to ,paul's question--8,who maketh thee to differ80#ega ,in which he signifies1 that the excellence of some men beyond others1 is not from their own virtue1 but solely from ,divine grace4 ,,xiii4 ,why1 then1 in bestowing grace upon some1 does he pass over others8 ,luke assigns a reason for the former1 that they 8were ordained to eternal life40 ,what conclusion1 then1 shall we draw respecting the latter1 but that they are vessels of wrath to dishonour8 ,wherefore let us not hesitate to say with ,augustine1 8,god could convert to good the will of the wicked1 because he is omnipotent4 ,it is evident that he could4 ,why1 then1 does he not8 ,because he would not4 ,why he would not1 remains with himself40 ,for we ought not to aim at more wisdom than becomes us4 ,that will be much better than adopting the evasion of ,chrysostom1 8that he draws those who are willing1 and who stretch out their hands for his aid20 that the difference may not appear to consist in the decree of ,god1 but wholly in the will of man4 ,but an approach to him is so far from being a mere effort of man1 that even pious persons1 and such as fear ,god1 still stand in need of the peculiar impulse of the ,spirit4 ,lydia1 the seller of purple1 feared ,god1 and yet it was necessary that her heart should be opened1 to attend to1 and profit by1 the doctrine of ,paul4 ,this declaration is not made respecting a single female1 but in order to teach us that every one's advancement in piety is the secret work of the ,spirit4 ,it is a fact not to be doubted1 that ,god sends his word to many whose blindness he determines shall be increased4 ,for with what design does he direct so many commands to be delivered to ,pharaoh8 ,was it from an expectation that his heart would be softened by repeated and frequent messages8 ,before he began1 he knew and foretold the result4 ,he commanded ,moses to go and declare his will to ,pharaoh1 adding at the same time1 8,but ,i will harden his heart1 that he shall not let the people go40#egb ,so1 when he calls forth ,ezekiel1 he apprizes him that he is sending him to a rebellious and obstinate people1 that he may not be alarmed if they refuse to hear him4#egc ,so ,jeremiah foretells that his word will be like fire1 to scatter and destroy the people like stubble4#egd ,but the prophecy of ,isaiah furnishes a still stronger confirmation2 for this is his mission from the ,lord3 8,go and tell this people1 ,hear ye1 indeed1 but understand not1 and see ye1 indeed1 but perceive not4 ,make the heart of this people fat1 and make their ears heavy1 and shut their eyes2 lest they see with their eyes1 and hear with their ears1 and understand with their heart1 and convert1 and be healed40#ege ,observe1 he directs his voice to them1 but it is that they may become more deaf2 he kindles a light1 but it is that they may be made more blind2 he publishes his doctrine1 but it is that they may be more besotted2 he applies a remedy1 but it is that they may not be healed4 ,john1 citing this prophecy1 declares that the ,jews could not believe1 because this curse of ,god was upon them4#egf ,nor can it be disputed1 that to such persons as ,god determines not to enlighten1 he delivers his doctrine involved in enigmatical obscurity1 that its only effect may be to increase their stupidity4 ,for ,christ testifies that he confined to his apostles the explanations of the parables in which he had addressed the multitude2 8because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven1 but to them it is not given40#egg ,what does the ,lord mean1 you will say1 by teaching those by whom he takes care not to be understood8 ,consider whence the fault arises1 and you will cease the inquiry2 for whatever obscurity there is in the word1 yet there is always light enough to convince the consciences of the wicked4 ,,xiv4 ,it remains now to be seen why the ,lord does that which it is evident he does4 ,if it be replied1 that this is done because men have deserved it by their impiety1 wickedness1 and ingratitude1 it will be a just and true observation2 but as we have not yet discovered the reason of this diversity1 why some persist in obduracy while others are inclined to obedience1 the discussion of it will necessarily lead us to the same remark that ,paul has quoted from ,moses concerning ,pharaoh3 8,even for this same purpose have ,i raised thee up1 that ,i might show my power in thee1 and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth40#egh ,that the reprobate obey not the word of ,god1 when made known to them1 is justly imputed to the wickedness and depravity of their hearts1 provided it be at the same time stated1 that they are abandoned to this depravity1 because they have been raised up1 by a just but inscrutable judgment of ,god1 to display his glory in their condemnation4 ,so1 when it is related of the sons of ,eli1 that they listened not to his salutary admonitions1 8because the ,lord would slay them10#egi it is not denied that their obstinacy proceeded from their own wickedness1 but it is plainly implied that though the ,lord was able to soften their hearts1 yet they were left in their obstinacy1 because his immutable decree had predestinated them to destruction4 ,to the same purpose is that passage of ,john1 8,though he had done so many miracles before them1 yet they believed not on him2 that the saying of ,esaias the prophet might be fulfilled1 which he spake1 #8,lord1 who hath believed our report8'0#ehj ,for though he does not acquit the obstinate from the charge of guilt1 yet he satisfies himself with this reason1 that the grace of ,god has no charms for men till the ,holy ,spirit gives them a taste for it4 ,and ,christ cites the prophecy of ,isaiah1 8,they shall be all taught of ,god10#eha with no other design than to show1 that the ,jews are reprobate and strangers to the ,church1 because they are destitute of docility2 and he adduces no other reason for it than that the promise of ,god does not belong to them2 which is confirmed by that passage of ,paul1 where 8,christ crucified1 unto the ,jews a stumbling-block1 and unto the ,greeks foolishness10 is said to be 8unto them which are called1 the power of ,god1 and the wisdom of ,god40#ehb ,for1 after remarking what generally happens whenever the gospel is preached1 that it exasperates some1 and is despised by others1 he represents it as duly appreciated only by 8those who are called40 ,a little before he had mentioned 8them that believe20 not that he had an intention to deny its proper place to the grace of ,god1 which precedes faith1 but he seems to add this second description by way of correction1 in order that those who had received the gospel might ascribe the praise of their faith to the ,divine call4 ,and so1 likewise1 in a subsequent sentence1 he represents them as the objects of ,divine election4 ,when the impious hear these things1 they loudly complain that ,god1 by a wanton exercise of power1 abuses his wretched creatures for the sport of his cruelty4 ,but we1 who know that all men are liable to so many charges at the ,divine tribunal1 that of a thousand questions they would be unable to give a satisfactory answer to one1 confess that the reprobate suffer nothing but what is consistent with the most righteous judgment of ,god4 ,though we cannot comprehend the reason of this1 let us be content with some degree of ignorance where the wisdom of ,god soars into its own sublimity4 ,,xv4 ,but as objections are frequently raised from some passages of ,scripture1 in which ,god seems to deny that the destruction of the wicked is caused by his decree1 but that1 in opposition to his remonstrances1 they voluntarily bring ruin upon themselves1--let us show by a brief explication that they are not at all inconsistent with the foregoing doctrine4 ,a passage is produced from ,ezekiel1 where ,god says1 8,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked1 but that the wicked turn from his way and live40#ehc ,if this is to be extended to all mankind1 why does he not urge many to repentance1 whose minds are more flexible to obedience than those of others1 who grow more and more callous to his daily invitations8 ,among the inhabitants of ,nineveh and ,sodom1 ,christ himself declares that his evangelical preaching and miracles would have brought forth more fruit than in ,judea4 ,how is it1 then1 if ,god will have all men to be saved1 that he opens not the gate of repentance to those miserable men who would be more ready to receive the favour8 ,hence we perceive it to be a violent perversion of the passage1 if the will of ,god1 mentioned by the prophet1 be set in opposition to his eternal counsel1 by which he has distinguished the elect from the reprobate4 ,now1 if we inquire the genuine sense of the prophet1 his only meaning is to inspire the penitent with hopes of pardon4 ,and this is the sum1 that it is beyond a doubt that ,god is ready to pardon sinners immediately on their conversion4 ,therefore he wills not their death1 inasmuch as he wills their repentance4 ,but experience teaches1 that he does not will the repentance of those whom he externally calls1 in such a manner as to affect all their hearts4 ,nor should he on this account be charged with acting deceitfully2 for1 though his external call only renders those who hear without obeying it inexcusable1 yet it is justly esteemed the testimony of ,god's grace1 by which he reconciles men to himself4 ,let us observe1 therefore1 the design of the prophet in saying that ,god has no pleasure in the death of a sinner2 it is to assure the pious of ,god's readiness to pardon them immediately on their repentance1 and to show the impious the aggravation of their sin in rejecting such great compassion and kindness of ,god4 ,repentance1 therefore1 will always be met by ,divine mercy2 but on whom repentance is bestowed1 we are clearly taught by ,ezekiel himself1 as well as by all the prophets and apostles4 ,,xvi4 ,another passage adduced is from ,paul1 where he states that 8,god will have all men to be saved20#ehd which1 though somewhat different from the passage just considered1 yet is very similar to it4 ,i reply1 in the first place1 that it is evident from the context1 how ,god wills the salvation of all2 for ,paul connects these two things together1 that he 8will have all men to be saved1 and to come unto the knowledge of the truth40 ,if it was fixed in the eternal counsel of ,god1 that they should receive the doctrine of salvation1 what is the meaning of that question of ,moses1 8,what nation is there so great1 who hath ,god so nigh unto them as we have80#ehe ,how is it that ,god has deprived many nations of the light of the gospel1 which others enjoyed8 ,how is it that the pure knowledge of the doctrine of piety has never reached some1 and that others have but just heard some obscure rudiments of it8 ,hence it will be easy to discover the design of ,paul4 ,he had enjoined ,timothy to make solemn prayers in the ,church for kings and princes2 but as it might seem somewhat inconsistent to pray to ,god for a class of men almost past hope1--for they were not only strangers to the body of ,christ1 but striving with all their power to ruin his kingdom1--he subjoins1 that 8this is good and acceptable in the sight of ,god1 who will have all men to be saved20 which only imports1 that ,god has not closed the way of salvation against any order of men1 but has diffused his mercy in such a manner that he would have no rank to be destitute of it4 ,the other texts adduced are not declarative of the ,lord's determination respecting all men in his secret counsel3 they only proclaim that pardon is ready for all sinners who sincerely seek it4#ehf ,for if they obstinately insist on its being said that ,god is merciful to all1 ,i will oppose to them1 what is elsewhere asserted1 that 8our ,god is in the heavens2 he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased40#ehg ,this text1 then1 must be explained in a manner consistent with another1 where ,god says1 8,i will be gracious to whom ,i will be gracious1 and ,i will show mercy on whom ,i will show mercy40#ehh ,he who makes a selection of objects for the exercise of his mercy1 does not impart that mercy to all4 ,but as it clearly appears that ,paul is there speaking1 not of individuals1 but orders of men1 ,i shall forbear any further argument4 ,it must be remarked1 however1 that ,paul is not declaring the actual conduct of ,god at all times1 in all places1 and to all persons1 but merely representing him as at liberty to make kings and magistrates at length partakers of the heavenly doctrine1 notwithstanding their present rage against it in consequence of their blindness4 ,there is more apparent plausibility in their objection1 from the declaration of ,peter1 that 8the ,lord is not willing that any should perish1 but that all should come to repentance40#ehi ,but the second clause furnishes an immediate solution of this difficulty2 for the willingness that they should come to repentance must be understood in consistence with the general tenor of ,scripture4 ,conversion is certainly in the power of ,god2 let him be asked1 whether he wills the conversion of all1 when he promises a few individuals to give them 8a heart of flesh10 while he leaves others with 8a heart of stone40#eij ,if he were not ready to receive those who implore his mercy1 there would indeed be no propriety in this address1 8,turn ye unto me1 and ,i will turn unto you20#eia but ,i maintain that no mortal ever approaches ,god without being divinely drawn4 ,but if repentance depended on the will of man1 ,paul would not have said1 8,if ,god peradventure will give them repentance40#eib ,and if ,god1 whose voice exhorts all men to repentance1 did not draw the elect to it by the secret operation of his ,spirit1 ,jeremiah would not have said1 8,turn thou me1 and ,i shall be turned2 for thou art the ,lord my ,god4 ,surely after that ,i was turned1 ,i repented40#eic ,,xvii4 ,if this be correct1 it will be said there can be but little faith in the promises of the gospel1 which1 in declaring the will of ,god1 assert that he wills what is repugnant to his inviolable decree4 ,but this is far from a just conclusion4 ,for if we turn our attention to the effect of the promises of salvation1 we shall find that their universality is not at all inconsistent with the predestination of the reprobate4 ,we know the promises to be effectual to us only when we receive them by faith2 on the contrary1 the annihilation of faith is at once an abolition of the promises4 ,if this is their nature1 we may perceive that there is no discordance between these two things--,god's having appointed from eternity on whom he will bestow his favour and exercise his wrath1 and his proclaiming salvation indiscriminately to all4 ,indeed1 ,i maintain that there is the most perfect harmony between them4 ,for his sole design in thus promising1 is to offer his mercy to all who desire and seek it1 which none do but those whom he has enlightened1 and he enlightens all whom he has predestinated to salvation4 ,these persons experience the certain and unshaken truth of the promises2 so that it cannot be pretended that there is the least contrariety between ,god's eternal election and the testimony of his grace offered to believers4 ,but why does he mention all8 ,it is in order that the consciences of the pious may enjoy the more secure satisfaction1 seeing that there is no difference between sinners1 provided they have faith2 and1 on the other hand1 that the impious may not plead the want of an asylum to flee to from the bondage of sin1 while they ungratefully reject that which is offered to them4 ,when the mercy of ,god is offered to both by the gospel1 it is faith1 that is1 the illumination of ,god1 which distinguishes between the pious and impious2 so that the former experience the efficacy of the gospel1 but the latter derive no benefit from it4 ,now1 this illumination is regulated by ,god's eternal election4 ,the complaint and lamentation of ,christ1 8,o ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1 how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 and ye would not10#eid however they cite it1 affords them no support4 ,i confess1 that ,christ here speaks not merely in his human character1 but that he is upbraiding the ,jews for having in all ages rejected his grace4 ,but we must define the will of ,god which is here intended4 ,it is well known how sedulously ,god laboured to preserve that people to himself1 and with what extreme obstinacy1 from the first to the last1 they refused to be gathered1 being abandoned to their own wandering desires2 but this does not authorize the conclusion1 that the counsel of ,god was frustrated by the wickedness of men4 ,they object1 that nothing is more inconsistent with the nature of ,god than to have two wills4 ,this ,i grant them1 provided it be rightly explained4 ,but why do they not consider the numerous passages1 where1 by the assumption of human affections1 ,god condescends beneath his own majesty8 ,he says1 8,i have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people20#eie early and late endeavouring to bring them to himself4 ,if they are determined to accommodate all this to ,god1 and disregard the figurative mode of expression1 they will give rise to many needless contentions1 which may be settled by this one solution1 that what is peculiar to man is transferred to ,god4 ,the solution1 however1 elsewhere stated by us1 is fully sufficient--that though to our apprehension the will of ,god is manifold and various1 yet he does not in himself will things at variance with each other1 but astonishes our faculties with his various and 8manifold wisdom10 according to the expression of ,paul1 till we shall be enabled to understand1 that he mysteriously wills what now seems contrary to his will4 ,they impertinently object1 that ,god being the ,father of all1 it is unjust for him to disinherit any but such as have previously deserved this punishment by their own guilt4 ,as if the goodness of ,god did not extend even to dogs and swine4 ,but if the question relates to the human race1 let them answer why ,god allied himself to one people as their ,father2 why he gathered even from them but a very small number1 as the flower of them4 ,but their rage for slander prevents these railers from considering that ,god 8maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good10#eif but that the inheritance is reserved for the few1 to whom it shall one day be said1 8,come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world40#eig ,they further object1 that ,god hates nothing he has made2 which though ,i grant them1 the doctrine ,i maintain still remains unshaken1 that the reprobate are hated by ,god1 and that most justly1 because1 being destitute of his ,spirit1 they can do nothing but what is deserving of his curse4 ,they further allege1 that there is no difference between the ,jew and the ,gentile1 and therefore that the grace of ,god is offered indiscriminately to all3 ,i grant it2 only let them admit1 according to the declaration of ,paul1 that ,god calls whom he pleases1 both of the ,jews and of the ,gentiles1#eih so that he is under no obligation to any4 ,in this way also we answer their arguments from another text1 which says1 that 8,god hath concluded them all in unbelief1 that he might have mercy upon all20#eii which imports that he will have the salvation of all who are saved ascribed to his mercy1 though this blessing is not common to all4 ,now1 while many arguments are advanced on both sides1 let our conclusion be to stand astonished with ,paul at so great a mystery1 and amidst the clamour of petulant tongues let us not be ashamed of exclaiming with him1 8,o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god80 ,for1 as ,augustine justly contends1 it is acting a most perverse part1 to set up the measure of human justice as the standard by which to measure the justice of ,god4 ,footnote #eba3 ,rom4 viii4 #bi1 #cj4 ,footnote #ebb3 ,rom viii4 #ae1 #af4 ,ephes4 i4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #ebc3 ,john vi4 #df4 ,footnote #ebd3 ,john xvii4 #f4 ,footnote #ebe3 ,john vi4 #dd4 ,footnote #ebf3 ,isaiah lxv4 #a4 ,footnote #ebg3 ,joshua xxiv4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #ebh3 #a ,john iii4 #bd4 ,footnote #ebi3 ,acts xiii4 #dh4 ,footnote #ecj3 ,deut4 xxx4 #ad4 ,footnote #eca3 ,isaiah xxv4 #a4 ,footnote #ecb3 ,matt4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #ecc3 ,rom4 viii4 #cb4 ,john iii4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #ecd3 ,john v4 #bd4 ,footnote #ece3 ,john vi4 #ce-eh4 ,footnote #ecf3 ,john vi4 #cg1 #ci2 xvii4 #f1 #ab4 ,footnote #ecg3 ,rom4 viii4 #cj4 ,footnote #ech3 ,matt4 xxii4 #ad4 ,footnote #eci3 #a ,cor4 x4 #ab4 ,footnote #edj3 ,rom4 xi4 #ag-bc4 ,footnote #eda3 ,john vi4 #cg1 #ci4 ,footnote #edb3 ,john x4 #bg-bi4 ,footnote #edc3 ,matt4 xv4 #ac4 ,footnote #edd3 #a ,john ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #ede3 ,rom4 viii4 #ce-ci4 ,footnote #edf3 ,phil4 i4 #f4 ,footnote #edg3 ,psalm cxxxviii4 #h4 ,footnote #edh3 #a ,john ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #edi3 ,ephes4 i4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #eej3 ,psalm xv4 #a4 ,footnote #eea3 ,psalm xxiv4 #f4 ,footnote #eeb3 ,john xvii4 #ab4 ,footnote #eec3 ,john vi4 #gj4 ,footnote #eed3 ,john xiii4 #ah4 ,footnote #eee3 ,ezek4 xiii4 #i4 ,footnote #eef3 ,luke x4 #bj4 ,footnote #eeg3 ,psalm lxix4 #bh4 ,footnote #eeh3 ,phil4 iii4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #eei3 ,acts x4 #b4 ,footnote #efj3 ,ephes4 ii4 #a-c4 ,footnote #efa3 ,ephes4 ii4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #efb3 ,ephes4 v4 #h2 iv4 #ah4 ,footnote #efc3 ,ephes4 iv4 #be1 #bh4 ,footnote #efd3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #i-aa4 ,footnote #efe3 ,rom4 vi4 #ai1 #ba4 ,footnote #eff3 #a ,peter iv4 #c4 ,footnote #efg3 ,josh4 ii4 #a1 c4 ,footnote #efh3 #b ,kings xxi4 #af4 ,footnote #efi3 ,luke xxiii4 #dj-db4 ,footnote #egj3 ,isaiah liii4 #f4 ,footnote #ega3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #egb3 ,exod4 iv4 #ba4 ,footnote #egc3 ,ezek4 ii4 #c2 xii4 #b4 ,footnote #egd3 ,jer4 v4 #ad4 ,footnote #ege3 ,isaiah vi4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #egf3 ,john xii4 #ci1 #dj4 ,footnote #egg3 ,matt4 xiii4 #aa4 ,footnote #egh3 ,rom4 ix4 #ag4 ,footnote #egi3 #a ,sam4 ii4 #be4 ,footnote #ehj3 ,john xii4 #cg1 #ch4 ,footnote #eha3 ,john vi4 #de4 ,footnote #ehb3 #a ,cor4 i4 #bc1 #bd4 ,footnote #ehc3 ,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa4 ,footnote #ehd3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #ehe3 ,deut4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #ehf3 ,psalm cxlv4 #i4 ,footnote #ehg3 ,psalm cxv4 #c4 ,footnote #ehh3 ,exod4 xxxiii4 #ai4 ,footnote #ehi3 #b ,peter iii4 #i4 ,footnote #eij3 ,ezek4 xxxvi4 #bf4 ,footnote #eia3 ,zech4 i4 #c4 ,footnote #eib3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #be4 ,footnote #eic3 ,jer4 xxxi4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #eid3 ,matt4 xxiii4 #cg4 ,footnote #eie3 ,isaiah lxv4 #b4 ,footnote #eif3 ,matt4 v4 #dh4 ,footnote #eig3 ,matt4 xxv4 #cd4 ,footnote #eih3 ,rom4 ix4 #bd4 ,footnote #eii3 ,rom4 xi4 #cb4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,final ,,resurrection4 ,though ,christ1 the ,sun of ,righteousness1 after having 8abolished death10 is declared by ,paul to have 8brought life and immortality to light10 shining upon us 8through the gospel10#fjj whence also in believing we are said to have 8passed from death unto life10#fja being 8no more strangers and foreigners1 but fellow-citizens with the saints1 and of the household of ,god10#fjb who 8hath made us sit together in heavenly places0 with his only begotten ,son1#fjc that nothing may be wanting to our complete felicity1--yet1 lest we should find it grievous to be still exercised with a severe warfare1 as though we derived no benefit from the victory gained by ,christ1 we must remember what is stated in another place concerning the nature of hope4 ,for 8since we hope for that we see not10#fjd and1 according to another text1 8faith is the evidence of things not seen20#fje as long as we are confined in the prison of the flesh1 8we are absent from the ,lord40#fjf ,wherefore the same apostle says1 8,ye are dead1 and your life is hid with ,christ in ,god20 and 8when ,christ1 who is our life1 shall appear1 then shall ye also appear with him in glory40#fjg ,this1 then1 is our condition1 8that we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly1 in this present world1 looking for that blessed hope1 and the glorious appearing of the great ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ40#fjh ,here we have need of more than common patience1 lest1 being wearied1 we pursue a retrograde course1 or desert the station assigned us4 ,all that has hitherto been stated1 therefore1 concerning our salvation1 requires minds elevated towards heaven1 that1 according to the suggestion of ,peter1 we may love ,christ1 whom we have not seen1 and1 believing in him1 may 8rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory10 till we receive 8the end of our faith40#fji ,for which reason1 ,paul represents the faith and hope of believers as having respect to 8the hope that is laid up in heaven40#faj ,when we are thus looking towards heaven1 with our eyes fixed upon ,christ1 and nothing detains them on earth from carrying us forward to the promised blessedness1 we realize the fulfilment of that declaration1 8,where your treasure is1 there will your heart be also40#faa ,hence it is1 that faith is so scarce in the world2 because to our sluggishness nothing is more difficult than to ascend through innumerable obstacles1 8pressing toward the mark1 for the prize of the high calling40#fab ,to the accumulation of miseries which generally oppress us1 are added the mockeries of the profane1 with which our simplicity is assailed2 while voluntarily renouncing the allurements of present advantage or pleasure1 we seem to pursue happiness1 which is concealed from our view1 like a shadow that continually eludes our grasp4 ,in a word1 above and below1 before and behind1 we are beset by violent temptations1 which our minds would long ago have been incapable of sustaining1 if they had not been detached from terrestrial things1 and attached to the heavenly life1 which is apparently at a remote distance4 ,he alone1 therefore1 has made a solid proficiency in the gospel who has been accustomed to continual meditation on the blessed resurrection4 ,,ii4 ,the supreme good was a subject of anxious dispute1 and even contention1 among the ancient philosophers2 yet none of them1 except ,plato1 acknowledged the chief good of man to consist in his union with ,god4 ,but of the nature of this union he had not even the smallest idea2 and no wonder1 for he was totally uninformed respecting the sacred bond of it4 ,we know what is the only and perfect happiness even in this earthly pilgrimage2 but it daily inflames our hearts with increasing desires after it1 till we shall be satisfied with its full fruition4 ,therefore ,i have observed that the advantage of ,christ's benefits is solely enjoyed by those who elevate their minds to the resurrection4 ,thus ,paul also sets before believers this object1 towards which he tells us he directs all his own efforts1 forgetting every thing else1 8if by any means he may attain unto it40#fac ,and it behoves us to press forward to the same point with the greater alacrity1 lest1 if this world engross our attention1 we should be grievously punished for our sloth4 ,he therefore characterizes believers by this mark1 8,our conversation is in heaven1 from whence also we look for the ,saviour40#fad ,and that their minds may not flag in this course1 he associates with them all creatures as their companions4 ,for as ruin and deformity are visible on every side1 he tells us that all things in heaven and earth are tending to renovation4 ,for the fall of ,adam having deranged the perfect order of nature1 the bondage to which the creatures have been subjected by the sin of man is grievous and burdensome to them2 not that they are endued with any intelligence1 but because they naturally aspire to the state of perfection from which they have fallen4 ,paul therefore attributes to them groaning and travailing pains1#fae that we who have received the first-fruits of the ,spirit may be ashamed of remaining in our corruption1 and not imitating at least the inanimate elements which bear the punishment of the sin of others4 ,but as a still stronger stimulus to us1 he calls the second advent of ,christ 8our redemption40 ,it is true1 indeed1 that all the parts of our redemption are already completed2 but because 8,christ was once offered to bear the sins of many1 he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation40#faf ,whatever calamities oppress us1 this redemption should support us even till its full consummation4 ,,iii4 ,let the importance of the object sharpen our pursuit4 ,paul justly argues1 that 8if there be no resurrection of the dead10 the whole gospel is vain and fallacious2 for we should be 8of all men the most miserable10 being exposed to the hatred and reproaches of mankind1 8standing in jeopardy every hour10#fag and being even like sheep destined to the slaughter2 and therefore its authority would fall to the ground not in one point only1 but in every thing it contains relating to adoption and the accomplishment of our salvation4 ,to this subject1 the most important of all1 let us give an attention never to be wearied by length of time4 ,with this view ,i have deferred what ,i shall briefly say of it to this place1 that the reader1 after receiving ,christ as the ,author of complete salvation1 may learn to soar higher1 and may know that he is invested with heavenly glory and immortality1 in order that the whole body may be conformed to the ,head2 as in his person the ,holy ,spirit frequently gives an example of the resurrection4 ,it is a thing difficult to be believed1 that bodies1 after having been consumed by corruption1 shall at length1 at the appointed time1 be raised again4 ,therefore1 while many of the philosophers asserted the immortality of the soul1 the resurrection of the body was admitted by few4 ,and though this furnishes no excuse1 yet it admonishes us that this truth is too difficult to command the assent of the human mind4 ,to enable faith to surmount so great an obstacle1 the ,scripture supplies us with two assistances3 one consists in the similitude of ,christ1 the other in the omnipotence of ,god4 ,now1 whenever the resurrection is mentioned1 let us set before us the image of ,christ1 who1 in our nature1 which he assumed1 finished his course in this mortal life in such a manner1 that1 having now obtained immortality1 he is the pledge of future resurrection to us4 ,for in the afflictions that befall us1 8we bear about in the body the dying of the ,lord ,jesus1 that the life also of ,jesus might be made manifest in our body40#fah ,and to separate him from us1 is not lawful1 nor indeed possible1 without rending him asunder4 ,hence the reasoning of ,paul3 8,if there be no resurrection of the dead1 then is ,christ not risen20#fai for he assumes this as an acknowledged principle1 that ,christ neither fell under the power of death1 nor triumphed over it in his resurrection1 for himself as a private individual2 but that all this was a commencement in the ,head of what must be fulfilled in all the members1 according to every one's order and degree4 ,for it would not be right1 indeed1 for them to be in all respects equal to him4 ,it is said in the ,psalms1 8,thou wilt not suffer thine ,holy ,one to see corruption40#fbj ,though a portion of this confidence belongs to us1 according to the measure bestowed upon us1 yet the perfect accomplishment has been seen in ,christ alone1 who had his body restored to him entire1 free from all corruption4 ,now that we may have no doubt of our fellowship with ,christ in his blessed resurrection1 and may be satisfied with this pledge1 ,paul expressly affirms that the design of his session in heaven1 and his advent in the character of ,judge at the last day1 is to 8change our vile body1 that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body40#fba ,in another place also1 he shows that ,god raised his ,son from the dead1 not in order to display a single specimen of his power1 but to exert on believers the same energy of his ,spirit1 whom he therefore calls 8our life0 while he dwells in us1 because he was given for this very purpose1 8to quicken our mortal bodies40#fbb ,i am but briefly glancing at things which would admit of a fuller discussion1 and are deserving of more elegance of style2 but ,i trust the pious reader will find in a small compass sufficient matter for the edification of his faith4 ,christ1 therefore1 rose again1 that we might be the companions of his future life4 ,he was raised by the ,father1 inasmuch as he was the ,head of the church1 from which he does not suffer him to be separated4 ,he was raised by the power of the ,spirit1 who is given to us also for the purpose of quickening us4 ,in a word1 he was raised that he might be 8the resurrection and the life40 ,but as we have observed that this mirror exhibits to us a lively image of our resurrection1 so it will furnish a firm foundation for our minds to rest upon1 provided we are not wearied or disturbed by the long delay2 because it is not ours to measure the moments of time by our own inclination1 but to wait patiently for ,god's establishment of his kingdom in his own appointed time4 ,to this purpose is the expression of ,paul1 8,christ the first-fruits1 afterward they that are ,christ's at his coming40#fbc ,but that no doubt might be entertained of the resurrection of ,christ1 on which the resurrection of us all is founded1 we see in how many and various ways he has caused it to be attested to us4 ,scorners will ridicule the history narrated by the evangelists1 as a childish mockery4 ,for what weight1 they ask1 is there in the message brought by some women in a fright1 and afterwards confirmed by the disciples half dead with fear8 ,why does not ,christ rather set up the splendid trophies of his victory in the midst of the temple and the public places8 ,why does he not make a formidable entrance into the presence of ,pilate8 ,why does he not prove himself to be again alive1 to the priests and all the inhabitants of ,jerusalem8 ,profane men will scarcely believe the persons selected by him to be competent witnesses4 ,i reply1 notwithstanding the contemptible weakness evident in these beginnings1 yet all this was conducted by the admirable providence of ,god1 that they who were lately dispirited with fear1 were hurried away to the sepulchre1 partly by love to ,christ and pious zeal1 partly by their own unbelief1 not only to be eye-witnesses of the fact1 but to hear from the angels the same as they saw with their eyes4 ,how can we suspect the authority of those who considered what they heard from the women 8as idle tales10 till they had the fact clearly before them8#fbd ,as to the people at large1 and the governor himself1 it is no wonder that after the ample conviction they had1 they were denied a sight of ,christ1 or any other proofs4 ,the sepulchre is sealed1 a watch is set1 the body is not found on the third day4 ,the soldiers1 corrupted by bribes1 circulate a rumour that he was stolen away by his disciples2#fbe as if they had power to collect a strong force1 or were furnished with arms1 or were even accustomed to such a daring exploit4 ,but if the soldiers had not courage enough to repulse them1 why did they not pursue them1 that with the assistance of the people they might seize some of them8 ,the truth is1 therefore1 that ,pilate by his zeal attested the resurrection of ,christ2 and the guards who were placed at the sepulchre1 either by their silence or by their falsehood1 were in reality so many heralds to publish the same fact4 ,in the mean time1 the voice of the angels loudly proclaimed1 8,he is not here1 but is risen40#fbf ,their celestial splendour evidently showed them to be angels1 and not men4 ,after this1 if there was any doubt still remaining1 it was removed by ,christ himself4 ,more than once1 his disciples saw1 and even felt and handled him2 and their unbelief has eminently contributed to the confirmation of our faith4 ,he discoursed among them concerning the mysteries of the kingdom of ,god1 and at length they saw him ascend to heaven4#fbg ,nor was this spectacle exhibited only to the eleven apostles1 but 8he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once40#fbh ,by the mission of the ,holy ,spirit he gave an undeniable proof1 not only of his life1 but also of his sovereign dominion2 according to his prediction1 8,it is expedient for you that ,i go away2 for if ,i go not away1 the ,comforter will not come unto you2 but if ,i depart1 ,i will send him unto you40#fbi ,paul1 in his way to ,damascus1 was not prostrated to the ground by the influence of a dead man1 but felt that the person whom he was opposing was armed with supreme power4 ,he appeared to ,stephen for another reason--to overcome the fear of death by an assurance of life4#fcj ,to refuse credit to testimonies so numerous and authentic1 is not diffidence1 but perverse and unreasonable obstinacy4 ,,iv4 ,the remark we have made1 that in proving the resurrection1 our minds should be directed to the infinite power of ,god1 is briefly suggested in these words of ,paul3 8,who shall change our vile body1 that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body1 according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself40#fca ,it would therefore be extremely unreasonable here1 to consider what could possibly happen in the ordinary course of nature1 when the object proposed to us is an inestimable miracle1 the magnitude of which absorbs all our faculties4 ,yet ,paul adduces an example from nature to reprove the folly of those who deny the resurrection4 8,thou fool10 says he1 8that which thou sowest is not quickened1 except it die40#fcb ,he tells us that seed sown displays an image of the resurrection1 because the corn is reproduced from putrefaction4 ,nor would it be a thing so difficult to believe1 if we paid proper attention to the miracles which present themselves to our view in all parts of the world4 ,but let us remember1 that no man will be truly persuaded of the future resurrection1 but he who is filled with admiration1 and ascribes to the power of ,god the glory that is due to it4 ,transported with this confidence1 ,isaiah exclaims1 8,thy dead men shall live2 together with my dead body shall they arise2 awake and sing1 ye that dwell in dust40#fcc ,surrounded by desperate circumstances1 he has recourse to ,god1 the ,author of life1 unto whom1 as the ,psalmist says1 8belong the issues from death40#fcd ,even reduced to a state resembling a dead carcass more than a living man1 yet relying on the power of ,god1 just as if he were in perfect health1 ,job looks forward without any doubts to that day4 8,i know10 says he1 8that my ,redeemer liveth1 and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth10 there to display his power2 8and though after my skin1 worms destroy this body1 yet in my flesh shall ,i see ,god2 whom ,i shall see for myself1 and not another40#fce ,for though some persons employ great subtilty to pervert these texts1 as if they ought not to be understood of the resurrection1 they nevertheless confirm what they wish to destroy2 since holy men1 in the midst of calamities1 seek consolation from no other quarter than from the similitude of the resurrection2 which more fully appears from a passage in ,ezekiel4#fcf ,for when the ,jews rejected the promise of their restoration1 and objected1 that there was no more probability of a way being opened for their return1 than of the dead coming forth from their sepulchres1 a vision is presented to the prophet1 of a field full of dry bones1 and ,god commands them to receive flesh and nerves4 ,though this figure is intended to inspire the people with a hope of restoration1 he borrows the argument for it from the resurrection2 as it is to us also the principal model of all the deliverances which believers experience in this world4 ,so ,christ1 after having declared that the voice of the gospel communicates life1 in consequence of its rejection by the ,jews1 immediately adds1 8,marvel not at this2 for the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice1 and shall come forth40#fcg ,after the example of ,paul1 therefore1 let us even now triumphantly exult in the midst of our conflicts1 that he who has promised us a life to come 8is able to keep that which we have committed to him20 and thus let us glory that 8there is laid up for us a crown of righteousness1 which the righteous ,judge shall give us40#fch ,the consequence of this will be1 that all the troubles we suffer will point us to the life to come1 8seeing it is a righteous thing with ,god10 and agreeable to his nature1 8to recompense tribulation to them that trouble us1 and to us who are0 unjustly 8troubled1 rest1 when the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed1 with his mighty angels1 in flaming fire40#fci ,but we must remember what immediately follows1 that 8he shall come to be glorified in his saints1 and to be admired in all them that believe10 because they believe the gospel4 ,v4 ,now1 though the minds of men ought to be continually occupied with the study of this subject1 yet as if they expressly intended to abolish all remembrance of the resurrection1 they have called death the end of all things1 and the destruction of man4 ,for ,solomon certainly speaks according to a common and received opinion1 when he says1 8,a living dog is better than a dead lion40#fdj ,and again3 8,who knows whether the spirit of man goeth upward1 and the spirit of the beast goeth downward80#fda ,this brutish stupidity has infected all ages of the world1 and even forced its way into the ,church2 for the ,sadducees had the audacity publicly to profess1 that there is no resurrection1 and that souls are mortal4 ,but that none might be excused by this gross ignorance1 the very instinct of nature has always set before the eyes of unbelievers an image of the resurrection4 ,for what is the sacred and inviolable custom of interring the dead1 but a pledge of another life8 ,nor can it be objected that this originated in error2 for the rites of sepulture were always observed among the holy fathers2 and it pleased ,god that the same custom should be retained among the ,gentiles1 that their torpor might be roused by the image of the resurrection thereby set before them4 ,though this ceremony produced no good effects upon them1 yet it will be useful to us1 if we wisely consider its tendency2 for it is no slight refutation of unbelief1 that all united in professing a thing that none of them believed4 ,but ,satan has not only stupefied men's minds1 to make them bury the memory of the resurrection together with the bodies of the dead1 but has endeavoured to corrupt this point of doctrine by various fictions1 with an ultimate view to its total subversion4 ,not to mention that he began to oppose it in the days of ,paul1 not long after arose the ,millenarians1 who limited the reign of ,christ to a thousand years4 ,their fiction is too puerile to require or deserve refutation4 ,nor does the ,revelation1 which they quote in favour of their error1 afford them any support2 for the term of a thousand years1 there mentioned1#fdb refers not to the eternal blessedness of the ,church1 but to the various agitations which awaited the ,church in its militant state upon earth4 ,but the whole ,scripture proclaims that there will be no end of the happiness of the elect1 or the punishment of the reprobate4 ,now1 all those things which are invisible to our eyes1 or far above the comprehension of our minds1 must either be believed on the authority of the oracles of ,god1 or entirely rejected4 ,those who assign the children of ,god a thousand years to enjoy the inheritance of the future life1 little think what dishonour they cast on ,christ and his kingdom4 ,for if they are not invested with immortality1 neither is ,christ himself1 into the likeness of whose glory they will be transformed1 received up into immortal glory4 ,if their happiness will have any end1 it follows that the kingdom of ,christ1 on the stability of which it rests1 is temporary4 ,lastly1 either these persons are extremely ignorant of all ,divine things1 or they are striving1 with malignant perverseness1 to overturn all the grace of ,god and power of ,christ2 and these can never be perfectly fulfilled till sin is abolished1 and death swallowed up1 and eternal life completely established4 ,but the folly of being afraid that too much cruelty is attributed to ,god1 if the reprobate are doomed to eternal punishment1 is even evident to the blind4 ,will the ,lord do any injury by refusing the enjoyment of his kingdom to persons whose ingratitude shall have rendered them unworthy of it8 ,but their sins are temporary4 ,this ,i grant2 but the majesty of ,god1 as well as his justice1 which their sins have violated1 is eternal4 ,their iniquity1 therefore1 is justly remembered4 ,then the punishment is alleged to be excessive1 being disproportioned to the crime4 ,but this is intolerable blasphemy1 when the majesty of ,god is so little valued1 when the contempt of it is considered of no more consequence than the destruction of one soul4 ,but let us pass by these triflers2 lest1 contrary to what we have before said1 we should appear to consider their reveries as worthy of refutation4 ,,vi4 ,beside these wild notions1 the perverse curiosity of man has introduced two others4 ,some have supposed that the whole man dies1 and that souls are raised again together with bodies2 others1 admitting the immortality of souls1 suppose they will be clothed with new bodies1 and thereby deny the resurrection of the flesh4 ,as ,i have touched on the former of these notions in the creation of man1 it will be sufficient again to apprize my readers1 that it is a brutish error1 to represent the spirit1 formed after the image of ,god1 as a fleeting breath which animates the body only during this perishable life1 and to annihilate the temple of the ,holy ,spirit2 in short1 to despoil that part of us in which ,divinity is eminently displayed1 and the characters of immortality are conspicuous1 of this property2 so that the condition of the body must be better and more excellent than that of the soul4 ,very different is the doctrine of ,scripture1 which compares the body to a habitation1 from which we depart at death2 because it estimates us by that part of our nature which constitutes the distinction between us and the brutes4 ,thus ,peter1 when near his death1 says1 8,shortly ,i must put off this my tabernacle40#fdc ,and ,paul1 speaking of believers1 having said that 8if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved1 we have a building in the heavens10 adds that 8whilst we are at home in the body1 we are absent from the ,lord1 and willing rather to be absent from the body1 and to be present with the ,lord40#fdd ,unless our souls survive our bodies1 what is it that is present with ,god when separated from the body8 ,but the apostle removes all doubt when he says that we are 8come to the spirits of just men made perfect40#fde ,by which expression he means1 that we are associated with the holy fathers1 who1 though dead1 still maintain the same piety with us1 so that we cannot be members of ,christ without being united with them4 ,if souls separated from bodies did not retain their existence so as to be capable of glory and felicity1 ,christ would not have said to the thief1 8,to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise40#fdf ,supported by such undeniable testimonies1 let us not hesitate1 after the example of ,christ1 when we die1 to commend our spirits to ,god2 or1 like ,stephen1 to resign them to the care of ,christ1 who is justly called the faithful 8,shepherd and ,bishop of souls40 ,over-curious inquiry respecting their intermediate state is neither lawful nor useful4 ,many persons exceedingly perplex themselves by discussing what place they occupy1 and whether they already enjoy the glory of heaven1 or not4 ,but it is folly and presumption to push our inquiries on unknown things beyond what ,god permits us to know4 ,the ,scripture declares that ,christ is present with them1 and receives them into paradise1 where they enjoy consolation1 and that the souls of the reprobate endure the torments which they have deserved2 but it proceeds no further4 ,now1 what teacher or doctor shall discover to us that which ,god has concealed8 ,the question respecting place is equally senseless and futile2 because we know that the soul has no dimensions like the body4 ,the blessed assemblage of holy spirits being called the bosom of ,abraham1 teaches us that it is enough for us1 at the close of this pilgrimage1 to be received by the common ,father of believers1 and to participate with him in the fruit of his faith4 ,in the mean while1 as the ,scripture uniformly commands us to look forward with eager expectation to the coming of ,christ1 and defers the crown of glory which awaits us till that period1 let us be content within these limits which ,god prescribes to us--that the souls of pious men1 after finishing their laborious warfare1 depart into a state of blessed rest1 where they wait with joy and pleasure for the fruition of the promised glory2 and so1 that all things remain in suspense till ,christ appears as the ,redeemer4 ,and there is no doubt that the condition of the reprobate is the same as ,jude assigns to the devils1 who are confined and bound in chains till they are brought forth to the punishment to which they are doomed4 ,,vii4 ,equally monstrous is the error of those who imagine that souls will not resume the bodies which at present belong to them1 but will be furnished with others altogether different4 ,it was the very futile reasoning of the ,manichans1 that it is absurd to expect that the flesh which is so impure will ever rise again4 ,as if there were no impurity attached to the souls1 which they nevertheless encouraged to entertain hopes of a heavenly life4 ,it was therefore just as if they had maintained1 that any thing infected with the contagion of sin is incapable of being purified by the power of ,god2 for that reverie1 that the flesh was created by the devil1 and therefore naturally impure1 ,i at present forbear to notice2 and only observe1 that whatever we have in us now unworthy of heaven1 will not hinder the resurrection4 ,in the first place1 when ,paul exhorts believers to 8cleanse0 themselves 8from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit10#fdg thence follows the judgment he elsewhere denounces1 8that every one0 shall 8receive the things done in his body1 according to that he hath done1 whether it be good or bad20#fdh with which agrees another passage1 8that the life also of ,jesus might be made manifest in our body40#fdi ,wherefore in another place1 he prays to ,god that the whole person may 8be preserved blameless unto the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ10 even the 8body10 as well as the 8soul and spirit40#fej ,and no wonder2 for that those bodies which ,god has dedicated as temples for himself1 should sink into corruption1 without any hope of resurrection1 would be absurd in the extreme4 ,what is to be concluded from their being members of ,christ8#fea from ,god's enjoining every part of them to be sanctified to himself1 requiring their tongues to celebrate his name1 their hands to be lifted up with purity to him1#feb and their bodies altogether to be presented to him as 8living sacrifices80#fec ,this part of our nature therefore being dignified with such illustrious honour by the heavenly ,judge1 what madness is betrayed by a mortal man1 in asserting it to be reduced to ashes without any hope of restoration6 ,and ,paul1 when he gives us this exhortation1 8,glorify ,god in your body1 and in your spirit1 which are ,god's10#fed certainly does not countenance consigning to eternal corruption that which he asserts to be consecrated to ,god4 ,nor is there any point more clearly established in ,scripture1 than the resurrection of our present bodies4 8,this corruptible10 says ,paul1 8must put on incorruption1 and this mortal must put on immortality40#fee ,if new bodies were to be formed by ,god1 what would become of this change of quality8 ,if it had been said1 that we must be renewed1 the ambiguity of the expression might have given occasion for cavil3 now1 when he particularly designates the bodies that surround us1 and promises that they shall be 8raised in incorruption10 it is a sufficient denial of the formation of new ones4 8,he could not indeed10 says ,tertullian1 8have spoken more expressly1 unless he had held his own skin in his hand40 ,nor will any cavil evade the declaration of ,isaiah1 cited by the apostle1 respecting ,christ as the future ,judge of the world3 8,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord1 every knee shall bow to me20#fef for he plainly declares to the persons addressed by him1 that they shall be obliged to give an account of their lives2 which would not be reasonable1 if new bodies were to be placed at the tribunal4 ,there is no obscurity in the language of ,daniel3 8,many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake1 some to everlasting life1 and some to shame and everlasting contempt40#feg ,for ,god does not collect fresh materials from the four elements for the fabrication of men1 but calls the dead out of their sepulchres4 ,and this the plainest reason dictates4 ,for if death1 which originated in the fall of man1 be adventitious1 and not necessary to our nature1 the restoration effected by ,christ belongs to the same body which was thus rendered mortal4 ,from the ridicule of the ,athenians1 when ,paul asserted the resurrection1 it is easy to infer the nature of his doctrine2 and that ridicule is of no small weight for the confirmation of our faith4 ,the injunction of ,christ also is worthy of attention3 8,fear not them which kill the body1 but are not able to kill the soul2 but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell40#feh ,for there would be no reason for this fear1 if the body which we now carry about were not liable to punishment4 ,another of ,christ's declarations is equally plain3 8,the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice1 and shall come forth1 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life1 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation40#fei ,shall we say that souls rest in graves1 and will there hear the voice of ,christ1 and not rather that bodies at his command will return to the vigour they had lost8 ,besides1 if we are to receive new bodies1 where will be the conformity between the ,head and members8 ,christ rose2 was it by making himself a new body8 ,no1 but according to his prediction1 8,destroy this temple1 and in three days ,i will raise it up40#ffj ,the mortal body which he before possessed1 he again assumed4 ,for it would have conduced but little to our benefit1 if there had been a substitution of a new body1 and an annihilation of that which had been offered as an atoning sacrifice4 ,we must1 therefore1 maintain the connection stated by the apostle--that we shall rise1 because ,christ has risen2#ffa for nothing is more improbable1 than that our body1 in which 8we bear about the dying of the ,lord ,jesus10#ffb should be deprived of a resurrection similar to his4 ,there was an illustrious example of this immediately on ,christ's resurrection1 when 8the graves were opened1 and many bodies of the saints which slept arose40#ffc ,for it cannot be denied1 that this was a prelude1 or rather an earnest1 of the final resurrection1 which we expect2 such as was exhibited before in ,enoch and ,elias1 whom ,tertullian speaks of as 8the candidates of the resurrection10 because they were taken into the immediate care of ,god1 with an entire exemption from corruption in body and soul4 ,,viii4 ,i am ashamed of consuming so many words on so clear a subject2 but my readers will cheerfully unite with me in submitting to this trouble1 that no room may be left for men of perverse and presumptuous minds to deceive the unwary4 ,the unsteady spirits ,i am now opposing1 bring forward a figment of their own brains1 that at the resurrection there will be a creation of new bodies4 ,what reason can induce them to adopt this sentiment1 but a seeming incredibility1 in their apprehension1 that a body long consumed by corruption can ever return to its pristine state8 ,unbelief1 therefore1 is the only source of this opinion4 ,in the ,scripture1 on the contrary1 we are uniformly exhorted by the ,spirit of ,god to hope for the resurrection of our body4 ,for this reason1 baptism is spoken of by ,paul as a seal of our future resurrection2#ffd and we are as clearly invited to this confidence by the sacred ,supper1 when we receive into our mouths the symbols of spiritual grace4 ,and certainly the exhortation of ,paul1 to 8yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto ,god10#ffe would lose all its force1 if unaccompanied by what he afterwards subjoins3 8,he that raised up ,christ from the dead1 shall also quicken your mortal bodies40#fff ,for what would it avail to devote our feet1 hands1 eyes1 and tongues to the service of ,god1 if they were not to participate the benefit and reward8 ,this is clearly confirmed by the following passage of ,paul3 8,the body is not for fornication1 but for the ,lord2 and the ,lord for the body4 ,and ,god hath both raised up the ,lord1 and will also raise up us by his own power40#ffg ,the following passages are still plainer--that our bodies are the 8temples of the ,holy ,ghost10 and 8members of ,christ40#ffh ,in the mean time1 we see how he connects the resurrection with chastity and holiness2 and so he just after extends the price of redemption to our bodies4 ,now1 it would be extremely unreasonable that the body of ,paul1 in which he 8bore the marks of the ,lord ,jesus10#ffi and in which he eminently glorified ,christ1 should be deprived of the reward of the crown4 ,hence also that exultation3 8,we look for the ,saviour from heaven1 who shall change our vile body1 that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body40#fgj ,and if it be true1 8that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of ,god10#fga there can be no reason for prohibiting this entrance to the bodies1 which ,god trains under the banner of the cross1 and honours with the glory of victory4 ,therefore no doubt has ever been entertained by the saints1 whether they should hope to be companions of ,christ hereafter2 who transfers to his own person all the afflictions with which we are tried1 to teach us that they are conducting us to life4 ,and ,god also established the holy fathers under the law in this faith by an external ceremony4 ,for to what purpose was the rite of sepulture1 as we have already seen1 but to instruct them that another life was prepared for the interred bodies8 ,the same was suggested by the spices and other symbols of immortality1 which1 like the sacrifices under the law1 assisted the obscurity of direct instruction4 ,nor did this custom arise from superstition2 for we find the ,holy ,spirit as diligent in mentioning the sepultures1 as in insisting on the principal mysteries of faith4 ,and ,christ commends this as no mean office2#fgb certainly for no other reason1 but because it raises our eyes from the view of the grave1 which corrupts and dissolves all things1 to the spectacle of future renovation4 ,besides the very careful observance of this ceremony1 which is commended in the fathers1 sufficiently proves it to have been an excellent and valuable assistance to faith4 ,nor would ,abraham have discovered such solicitous concern about the sepulchre of his wife1 if he had not been actuated by motives of religion1 and the prospect of more than worldly advantage2 that by adorning her dead body with the emblems of the resurrection1 he might confirm his own faith1 and that of his family4#fgc ,there is yet a clearer proof of this in the example of ,jacob2 who1 to testify to his posterity that the hope of the promised land did not forsake his heart even in death1 commands his bones to be reconveyed thither4#fgd ,if he was to be furnished with a new body1 would not this have been a ridiculous command concerning dust that was soon to be annihilated8 ,wherefore1 if the authority of the ,scripture has any weight with us1 no clearer or stronger proof of any doctrine can possibly be desired4 ,even children understand this to be the meaning of the term 8resurrection20 for we never apply this term to any instance of original creation2 nor would it be consistent with that declaration of ,christ1 8,of all which the ,father hath given me1 ,i shall lose nothing1 but will raise it up again at the last day40#fge ,the same is implied in the word 8sleeping10 which is only applicable to the body4 ,hence the appellation of cemetery1 or sleeping-place1 given to places of burial4 ,it remains for me to touch a little on the manner of the resurrection4 ,and ,i shall but just hint at it2 because ,paul1 by calling it a mystery1 exhorts us to sobriety1 and forbids all licentiousness of subtle and extravagant speculation4 ,in the first place1 let it be remembered1 as we have observed1 that we shall rise again with the same bodies we have now1 as to the substance1 but that the quality will be different2 just as the very body of ,christ which had been offered as a sacrifice was raised again1 but with such new and superior qualities1 as though it had been altogether different4 ,paul represents this by some familiar examples4 ,for as the flesh of man and of brutes is the same in substance1 but not in quality2 as the matter of all the stars is the same1 but they differ in glory2 so1 though we shall retain the substance of our body1 he tells us there will be a change1 which will render its condition far more excellent4#fgf ,the 8corruptible0 body1 therefore1 will neither perish nor vanish1 in order to our resurrection2 but having laid aside corruption1 will 8put on incorruption40#fgg ,god1 having all the elements subject to his control1 will find no difficulty in commanding the earth1 the water1 and the fire1 to restore whatever they appear to have consumed4 ,this is declared in figurative language by ,isaiah3 8,behold1 the ,lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity2 the earth also shall disclose her blood1 and shall no more cover her slain40#fgh ,but we must remark the difference between those who shall have been already dead1 and those whom that day shall find alive4 8,we shall not all sleep10 says ,paul1 8but we shall all be changed20#fgi that is1 there will be no necessity for any distance of time to intervene between death and the commencement of the next life2 for 8in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye1 the trumpet shall sound1 and the dead shall be raised incorruptible10 and the living transformed by a sudden change into the same glory4 ,so in another ,epistle he comforts believers who were to die1 that those 8which are alive and remain unto the coming of the ,lord1 shall not prevent them which are asleep10 but that 8the dead in ,christ shall rise first40#fhj ,if it be objected that the apostle says1 8,it is appointed unto men once to die10#fha the answer is easy1--that where the state of the nature is changed1 it is a species of death1 and may without impropriety be so called2 and therefore there is a perfect consistence between these things1 that all will be removed by death when they put off the mortal body1 but that a separation of the body and soul will not be necessary1 where there will be an instantaneous change4 ,,ix4 ,but here arises a question of greater difficulty4 ,how can the resurrection1 which is a peculiar benefit of ,christ1 be common to the impious and the subjects of the ,divine curse8 ,we know that in ,adam all were sentenced to death2#fhb ,christ comes as 8the resurrection and the life20#fhc but was it to bestow life promiscuously on all mankind8 ,but what would be more improbable1 than that they should attain1 in their obstinate blindness1 what the pious worshippers of ,god recover by faith alone8 ,yet it remains certain1 that one will be a resurrection to judgment1 the other to life2 and that ,christ will come to 8separate the sheep from the goats40#fhd ,i reply1 we ought not to think that so very strange1 which we see exemplified in our daily experience4 ,we know that in ,adam we lost the inheritance of the whole world1 and have no more right to the enjoyment of common aliments1 than to the fruit of the tree of life4 ,how is it1 then1 that ,god not only 8maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good10#fhe but that1 for the accommodations of the present life1 his inestimable liberality is diffused in the most copious abundance8 ,hence we see1 that things which properly belong to ,christ and his members1 are also extended to the impious2 not to become their legitimate possession1 but to render them more inexcusable4 ,thus impious men frequently experience ,god's beneficence in remarkable instances1 which sometimes exceed all the blessings of the pious1 but which1 nevertheless1 are the means of aggravating their condemnation4 ,if it be objected1 that the resurrection is improperly compared with fleeting and terrestrial advantages1 ,i reply again1 that when men were first alienated from ,god1 the ,fountain of life1 they deserved the ruin of the devil1 to be altogether destroyed2 yet the wonderful counsel of ,god devised a middle state1 that without life they might live in death4 ,it ought not to be thought more unreasonable1 if the impious are raised from the dead1 in order to be dragged to the tribunal of ,christ1 whom they now refuse to hear as their ,master and ,teacher4 ,for it would be a slight punishment to be destroyed by death1 if they were not to be brought before the ,judge whose infinite and endless vengeance they have incurred1 to receive the punishments due to their rebellion4 ,but though we must maintain what we have asserted1 and what is asserted by ,paul in his celebrated confession before ,felix1 8that there shall be a resurrection of the dead1 both of the just and unjust10#fhf yet the ,scripture more commonly exhibits the resurrection to the children of ,god alone1 in connection with the glory of heaven2 because1 strictly speaking1 ,christ will come1 not for the destruction of the world1 but for purposes of salvation4 ,this is the reason that the ,creed mentions only the life of blessedness4 ,x4 ,but1 as the prophecy of 8death being swallowed up in victory10 shall then1 and not till then1 be fully accomplished1--let us always reflect on eternal felicity as the end of the resurrection2 of the excellence of which1 if every thing were said that could be expressed by all the tongues of men1 yet the smallest part of it would scarcely be mentioned4 ,for though we are plainly informed1 that the kingdom of ,god is full of light1 joy1 felicity1 and glory1 yet all that is mentioned remains far above our comprehension1 and enveloped1 as it were1 in enigmatical obscurity1 till the arrival of that day1 when he shall exhibit his glory to us face to face4 8,now are we the sons of ,god1 7says ,john17 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be2 but we know1 that when he shall appear1 we shall be like him2 for we shall see him as he is40#fhg ,wherefore the prophets1 because they could not describe that spiritual blessedness by any terms expressive of its sublime nature1 generally represented it under corporeal images4 ,yet1 as any intimation of that happiness must kindle in us a fervour of desire1 let us chiefly dwell on this reflection--,if ,god1 as an inexhaustible fountain1 contains within himself a plenitude of all blessings1 nothing beyond him can ever be desired by those who aspire to the supreme good1 and a perfection of happiness4 ,this we are taught in various passages of ,scripture4 8,abraham10 says ,god1 8,i am thy exceeding great reward40#fhh ,with this ,david agrees3 8,the ,lord is the portion of mine inheritance2 the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places40#fhi ,again3 8,i will behold thy face2 ,i shall be satisfied40#fij ,peter declares1 that believers are called1 8that they might be partakers of the ,divine nature40#fia ,how will this be8 ,because 8he shall be glorified in his saints1 and admired in all them that believe40#fib ,if the ,lord will make the elect partakers of his glory1 strength1 and righteousness1 and will even bestow himself upon them to be enjoyed1 and1 what is better than this1 to be in some sense united to them1--let us remember1 that in this favour every kind of felicity is comprised4 ,and after we have made considerable progress in this meditation1 we may still acknowledge the conceptions of our minds to be extremely low1 in comparison with the sublimity of this mystery4 ,sobriety1 therefore1 is the more necessary for us on this subject1 lest1 forgetful of our slender capacity1 we presumptuously soar to too high an elevation1 and are overwhelmed with the blaze of celestial glory4 ,we perceive1 likewise1 how we are actuated by an inordinate desire of knowing more than is right2 which gives rise to a variety of questions1 both frivolous and pernicious4 ,i call those frivolous1 from which no advantage can possibly be derived4 ,but those of the second class are worse1 involving persons1 who indulge them1 in injurious speculations1 and therefore ,i call them pernicious4 ,what is taught in the ,scriptures1 we ought to receive without any controversy2 that as ,god1 in the various distribution of his gifts to the saints in this world1 does not equally enlighten them all1 so in heaven1 where ,god will crown those gifts1 there will be an inequality in the degrees of their glory4 ,the language of ,paul is not indiscriminately applicable to all--8,ye are our glory and joy at our ,lord's coming20#fic nor ,christ's address to his apostles--8,ye shall sit judging the twelve tribes of ,israel40#fid ,but ,paul1 who knew that according as ,god enriches the saints with spiritual gifts on earth1 so he adorns them with glory in heaven1 doubts not that there is in reserve for him a peculiar crown in proportion to his labours4 ,and ,christ commends to his apostles the dignity of the office with which they were invested1 by assuring them that the reward of it was laid up in heaven4#fie ,thus also ,daniel3 8,they that be wise1 shall shine as the brightness of the firmament2 and they that turn many to righteousness1 as the stars1 for ever and ever40#fif ,and an attentive consideration of the ,scriptures will convince us1 that they not only promise eternal life generally to believers1 but also a special reward to each individual4 ,whence that expression of ,paul--8,the ,lord reward him according to his works40#fig ,it is also confirmed by the promise of ,christ that his disciples should receive a hundred-fold more in eternal life4#fih ,in a word1 as ,christ begins the glory of his body by a manifold variety of gifts in this world1 and enlarges it by degrees1 in the same manner he will also perfect it in heaven4 ,,xi4 ,as all the pious will receive this with one consent1 because it is sufficiently attested in the word of ,god1 so1 on the other hand1 dismissing abstruse questions1 which they know to be obstructions to them1 they will not transgress the limits prescribed to them4 ,for myself1 ,i not only refrain as an individual from the unnecessary investigation of useless questions1 but think it my duty to be cautious1 lest ,i encourage the vanity of others by answering them4 ,men1 thirsting after useless knowledge1 inquire what will be the distance between the prophets and apostles1 and between the apostles and martyrs2 and how many degrees of difference there will be between those who have married and those who have lived and died in celibacy2 in short1 they leave not a corner of heaven unexplored4 ,the next object of their inquiry is1 what end will be answered by the restoration of the world2 since the children of ,god will want nothing of all its vast and incomparable abundance1 but will be like the angels of ,god1 whose freedom from all animal necessities is the symbol of eternal blessedness4 ,i reply1 there will be such great pleasantness in the very prospect1 and such exquisite sweetness in the mere knowledge1 without any use of it1 that this felicity will far exceed all the accommodations afforded us in the present state4 ,let us suppose ourselves placed in some region the most opulent in the world1 and furnished with every pleasure2 who would not sometimes be prevented by disease from making use of the bounties of ,god8 who would not often have his enjoyment of them interrupted by the consequences of intemperance8 ,hence it follows1 that calm and serene enjoyment1 pure from every vice and free from all defect1 although there should be no use of a corruptible life1 is the perfection of happiness4 ,others go further1 and inquire1 whether dross and all impurities in metals are not removed from that restoration1 and incompatible with such a state4 ,though ,i in some measure grant this1 ,i expect1 with ,paul1 a reparation of all the evils caused by sin1 for which he represents the creatures as groaning and travailing4 ,they proceed further still1 and inquire1 what better state awaits the human race1 when the blessing of posterity shall no longer be enjoyed4 ,the solution of this question also is easy4 ,the splendid commendations of it in the ,scriptures relate to that progressive increase1 by which ,god is continually carrying forward the system of nature to its consummation4 ,but as the unwary are easily caught by such temptations1 and are afterwards drawn further into the labyrinth1 till1 at length1 every one being pleased with his own opinion1 there is no end to disputes1--the best and shortest rule for our conduct1 is to content ourselves with 8seeing through a glass darkly10 till we shall 8see face to face40#fii ,for very few persons are concerned about the way that leads to heaven1 but all are anxious to know1 before the time1 what passes there4 ,men in general are slow1 and reluctant to engage in the conflict1 and yet portray to themselves imaginary triumphs4 ,,xii4 ,now1 as no description can equal the severity of the ,divine vengeance on the reprobate1 their anguish and torment are figuratively represented to us under corporeal images2 as1 darkness1 weeping1 and gnashing of teeth1 unextinguishable fire1 a worm incessantly gnawing the heart4#gjj ,for there can be no doubt but that1 by such modes of expression1 the ,holy ,spirit intended to confound all our faculties with horror2 as when it is said1 that 8,tophet is ordained of old2 the pile thereof is fire and much wood3 the breath of the ,lord1 like a stream of brimstone1 doth kindle it40#gja ,as these representations should assist us in forming some conception of the wretched condition of the wicked1 so they ought principally to fix our attention on the calamity of being alienated from the presence of ,god2 and in addition to this1 experiencing such hostility from the ,divine majesty as to be unable to escape from its continual pursuit4 ,for1 in the first place1 his indignation is like a most violent flame1 which devours and consumes all that it touches4 ,in the next place1 all the creatures so subserve the execution of his judgment1 that those to whom the ,lord will thus manifest his wrath1 will find the heaven1 the earth1 and the sea1 the animals1 and all that exists1 inflamed1 as it were1 with dire indignation against them1 and all armed for their destruction4 ,it is no trivial threatening1 therefore1 denounced by the apostle1 that unbelievers 8shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the ,lord1 and from the glory of his power40#gjb ,and when the prophets excite terror by corporeal figures1 though they advance nothing hyperbolical for our dull understandings1 yet they mingle preludes of the future judgment with the sun1 the moon1 and the whole fabric of the world4 ,wherefore miserable consciences find no repose1 but are harassed and agitated with a dreadful tempest1 feel themselves torn asunder by an angry ,god1 and1 transfixed and penetrated by mortal stings1 are terrified at the thunderbolts of ,god1 and broken by the weight of his hand2 so that to sink into any gulfs and abysses would be more tolerable than to stand for a moment in these terrors4 ,how great and severe1 then1 is the punishment1 to endure the never ceasing effects of his wrath6 ,on which subject there is a memorable passage in the ninetieth psalm2 that though by his countenance he scatters all mortals1 and turns them to destruction1 yet he encourages his servants in proportion to their timidity in this world1 to excite them1 though under the burden of the cross1 to press forward1 till he shall be all in all4 ,footnote #fjj3 #b ,tim4 i4 #aj4 ,footnote #fja3 ,john v4 #bd4 ,footnote #fjb3 ,ephes4 ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #fjc3 ,ephes4 ii4 #f4 ,footnote #fjd3 ,rom4 viii4 #bd4 ,footnote #fje3 ,heb4 xi4 #a4 ,footnote #fjf3 #b ,cor4 v4 #f4 ,footnote #fjg3 ,col4 iii4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #fjh3 ,titus ii4 #ab1 #ac4 ,footnote #fji3 #a ,peter i4 #h1 #i4 ,footnote #faj3 ,col4 i4 #e4 ,footnote #faa3 ,matt4 vi4 #ba4 ,footnote #fab3 ,phil4 iii4 #ad4 ,footnote #fac3 ,phil4 iii4 #h-aa4 ,footnote #fad3 ,phil4 iii4 #bj4 ,footnote #fae3 ,rom4 viii4 #ai-bc4 ,footnote #faf3 ,heb4 ix4 #bh4 ,footnote #fag3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ac1 c4 ,footnote #fah3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #fai3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ac4 ,footnote #fbj3 ,psalm xvi4 #aj4 ,footnote #fba3 ,phil4 iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #fbb3 ,col4 iii4 #d4 ,rom4 viii4 #aa4 ,footnote #fbc3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #bc4 ,footnote #fbd3 ,luke xxiv4 #aa4 ,footnote #fbe3 ,matt4 xxvii4 #ff2 xxviii4 #aa1 c4 ,footnote #fbf3 ,luke xxiv4 #d-f4 ,matt4 xxviii4 #c-f4 ,footnote #fbg3 ,acts i4 #c1 #i4 ,footnote #fbh3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #f4 ,footnote #fbi3 ,john xvi4 #g4 ,footnote #fcj3 ,acts vii4 #ee4 ,footnote #fca3 ,phil4 iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #fcb3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #cf4 ,footnote #fcc3 ,isaiah xxvi4 #ai4 ,footnote #fcd3 ,psalm lxviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #fce3 ,job xix4 #be1 #bg4 ,footnote #fcf3 ,ezek4 xxxvii4 #a-ad4 ,footnote #fcg3 ,john v4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #fch3 #b ,tim4 i4 #ab2 iv4 #h4 ,footnote #fci3 #b ,thess4 i4 #f-h1 #aj4 ,footnote #fdj3 ,eccl4 ix4 #d4 ,footnote #fda3 ,eccl4 iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #fdb3 ,rev4 xx4 #d4 ,footnote #fdc3 #b ,peter i4 #ad4 ,footnote #fdd3 #b ,cor4 v4 #a1 #h4 ,footnote #fde3 ,heb4 xii4 #bc4 ,footnote #fdf3 ,luke xxiii4 #dc4 ,footnote #fdg3 #b ,cor4 vii4 #a4 ,footnote #fdh3 #b ,cor4 v4 #aj4 ,footnote #fdi3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #fej3 #a ,thess4 v4 #bc4 ,footnote #fea3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ae4 ,footnote #feb3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #fec3 ,rom4 xii4 #a4 ,footnote #fed3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #bj4 ,footnote #fee3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ed4 ,footnote #fef3 ,rom4 xiv4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #feg3 ,dan4 xii4 #b4 ,footnote #feh3 ,matt4 x4 #bh4 ,footnote #fei3 ,john v4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #ffj3 ,john ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #ffa3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ab1 c4 ,footnote #ffb3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #ffc3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #eb4 ,footnote #ffd3 ,col4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #ffe3 ,rom4 vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #fff3 ,rom4 viii4 #aa4 ,footnote #ffg3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #ffh3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ae1 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #ffi3 ,gal4 vi4 #ag4 ,footnote #fgj3 ,phil4 iii4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #fga3 ,acts xiv4 #bb4 ,footnote #fgb3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #aj1 #ab4 ,footnote #fgc3 ,gen xxiii4 #c-ai4 ,footnote #fgd3 ,gen4 xlvii4 #cj4 ,footnote #fge3 ,john vi4 #ci1 #dj4 ,footnote #fgf3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ci-da4 ,footnote #fgg3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ec4 ,footnote #fgh3 ,isaiah xxvi4 #ba4 ,footnote #fgi3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ea1 #eb4 ,footnote #fhj3 #a ,thess4 iv4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #fha3 ,heb4 ix4 #bg4 ,footnote #fhb3 ,rom4 v4 #ab4 ,footnote #fhc3 ,john xi4 #be4 ,footnote #fhd3 ,matt4 xxv4 #cb4 ,footnote #fhe3 ,matt4 v4 #de4 ,footnote #fhf3 ,acts xxiv4 #ae4 ,footnote #fhg3 #a ,john iii4 #b4 ,footnote #fhh3 ,gen4 xv4 #a4 ,footnote #fhi3 ,psalm xvi4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #fij3 ,psalm xvii4 #ae4 ,footnote #fia3 #b ,peter i4 #d4 ,footnote #fib3 #b ,thess4 i4 #aj4 ,footnote #fic3 #a ,thess4 ii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #fid3 ,matt4 xix4 #bi4 ,footnote #fie3 ,matt4 v4 #ab4 ,footnote #fif3 ,dan4 xii4 #c4 ,footnote #fig3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #ad4 ,footnote #fih3 ,matt4 xix4 #bi4 ,footnote #fii3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #gjj3 ,matt4 iii4 #ab2 viii4 #ab2 xxii4 #ac4 ,mark ix4 #dc1 #dd4 ,isaiah lxvi4 #bd4 ,footnote #gja3 ,isaiah xxx4 #cc4 ,footnote #gjb3 #b ,thess4 i4 #i4 ,,book ,,iv4 ,,on ,,the ,,external ,,means ,,or ,,aids ,,by ,,which ,,god ,,calls ,,us ,,into ,,communion ,,with ,,christ1 ,,and ,,retains ,,us ,,in ,,it4 ,,argument4 ,three parts of the ,apostles' ,creed1 respecting ,god the ,creator1 ,redeemer1 and ,sanctifier1 have been explained in the former books4 ,this last book is an exposition of what remains1 relating to the ,holy ,catholic ,church1 and the ,communion of ,saints4 ,the chapters contained in it may be conveniently arranged in three grand divisions3-- ,i4 ,the ,church4 ,,ii4 ,the ,sacraments4 ,,iii4 ,civil ,government4 ,the ,first ,division1 extending to the end of the thirteenth chapter1 contains many particulars1 which1 however1 may all be referred to four principal heads3-- ,i4 ,the marks of the ,church1 or the criteria by which it may be distinguished2 since we must cultivate union with it--,chap4 ,i4 ,,ii4 ,,ii4 ,the government of the church--,chap4 ,,iii4-,,vii4 #a4 ,the order of government in the church--,chap4 ,,iii4 #b4 ,the form practised by the ancient ,christians--,chap4 ,,iv4 #c4 ,the nature of the present ecclesiastical government under the ,papacy--,chap4 ,v4 ,the primacy of the ,pope--,chap4 ,,vi4 ,and the degrees of his advancement to this tyrannical power--,chap4 ,,vii4 ,,iii4 ,the power of the church--,chap4 ,,viii4-,,xi4 #a4 ,relating to articles of faith1--which resides either in the respective bishops--,chap4 ,,viii4--or in the church at large1 represented in councils--,chap4 ,,ix4 #b4 ,in making laws--,chap4 ,x4 #c4 ,in ecclesiastical jurisdiction--,chap4 ,,xi4 ,,iv4 ,the discipline of the ,church--,chap4 ,,xii4 ,,xiii4 #a4 ,the principal use of it--,chap4 ,,xii4 #b4 ,the abuse of it--,chap4 ,,xiii4 ,the ,second ,division1 relating to the sacraments1 contains three parts4 ,i4 ,the sacraments in general--,chap4 ,,xiv4 ,,ii4 ,each sacrament in particular--,chap4 ,,xv4-,,xviii4 #a4 ,baptism--,chap4 ,,xv4 ,distinct discussion of ,pdobaptism--,chap4 ,,xvi4 #b4 ,the ,lord's ,supper--,chap4 ,,xvii4--and its profanation--,chap4 ,,xviii4 ,,iii4 ,the five other ceremonies1 falsely called sacraments--,chap4 ,,xix4 ,the ,third ,division regards civil government4 ,i4 ,this government in general4 ,,ii4 ,its respective branches4 #a4 ,the magistrates4 #b4 ,the laws4 #c4 ,the people4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,true ,,church1 ,,and ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,our ,,union ,,with ,,her1 ,,being ,,the ,,mother ,,of ,,all ,,the ,,pious4 ,that by the faith of the gospel ,christ becomes ours1 and we become partakers of the salvation procured by him1 and of eternal happiness1 has been explained in the preceding ,book4 ,but as our ignorance and slothfulness1 and1 ,i may add1 the vanity of our minds1 require external aids1 in order to the production of faith in our hearts1 and its increase and progressive advance even to its completion1 ,god has provided such aids in compassion to our infirmity2 and that the preaching of the gospel might be maintained1 he has deposited this treasure with the ,church4 ,he has appointed pastors and teachers1 that his people might be taught by their lips2 he has invested them with authority2 in short1 he has omitted nothing that could contribute to a holy unity of faith1 and to the establishment of good order4#gjc ,first of all1 he has instituted ,sacraments1 which we know by experience to be means of the greatest utility for the nourishment and support of our faith4 ,for as1 during our confinement in the prison of our flesh1 we have not yet attained to the state of angels1 ,god has1 in his wonderful providence1 accommodated himself to our capacity1 by prescribing a way in which we might approach him1 notwithstanding our immense distance from him4 ,wherefore the order of instruction requires us now to treat of the ,church and its government1 orders1 and power2 secondly1 of the ,sacraments2 and lastly1 of ,civil ,government2 and at the same time to call off the pious readers from the abuses of the ,papacy1 by which ,satan has corrupted every thing that ,god had appointed to be instrumental to our salvation4 ,i shall begin with the ,church1 in whose bosom it is ,god's will that all his children should be collected1 not only to be nourished by her assistance and ministry during their infancy and childhood1 but also to be governed by her maternal care1 till they attain a mature age1 and at length reach the end of their faith4 ,for it is not lawful to 8put asunder0 those things 8which ,god hath joined together20#gjd that the ,church is the mother of all those who have him for their ,father2 and that not only under the law1 but since the coming of ,christ also1 according to the testimony of the apostle1 who declares the new and heavenly ,jerusalem to be 8the mother of us all40#gje ,,ii4 ,that article of the ,creed1 in which we profess to believe ,,the ,,church1 refers not only to the visible ,church of which we are now speaking1 but likewise to all the elect of ,god1 including the dead as well as the living4 ,the word ,,believe is used1 because it is often impossible to discover any difference between the children of ,god and the ungodly2 between his peculiar flock and wild beasts4 ,the particle ,,in1 interpolated by many1 is not supported by any probable reason4 ,i confess that it is generally adopted at present1 and is not destitute of the suffrage of antiquity1 being found in the ,nicene ,creed1 as it is transmitted to us in ecclesiastical history4 ,yet it is evident from the writings of the fathers1 that it was anciently admitted without controversy to say1 8,i believe the ,church10 not 8in the ,church40 ,for not only is this word not used by ,augustine and the ancient writer of the work 8,on the ,exposition of the ,creed10 which passes under the name of ,cyprian1 but they particularly remark that there would be an impropriety in the expression1 if this preposition were inserted2 and they confirm their opinion by no trivial reason4 ,for we declare that we believe in ,god because our mind depends upon him as true1 and our confidence rests in him4 ,but this would not be applicable to the ,church1 any more than to 8the remission of sins10 or the 8resurrection of the body40 ,therefore1 though ,i am averse to contentions about words1 yet ,i would rather adopt a proper phraseology adapted to express the subject than affect forms of expression by which the subject would be unnecessarily involved in obscurity4 ,the design of this clause is to teach us1 that though the devil moves every engine to destroy the grace of ,christ1 and all the enemies of ,god exert the most furious violence in the same attempt1 yet his grace cannot possibly be extinguished1 nor can his blood be rendered barren1 so as not to produce some fruit4 ,here we must regard both the secret election of ,god1 and his internal vocation2 because he alone 8knoweth them that are his20 and keeps them enclosed under his 8seal10 to use the expression of ,paul2#gjf except that they bear his impression1 by which they may be distinguished from the reprobate4 ,but because a small and contemptible number is concealed among a vast multitude1 and a few grains of wheat are covered with a heap of chaff1 we must leave to ,god alone the knowledge of his ,church whose foundation is his secret election4 ,nor is it sufficient to include in our thoughts and minds the whole multitude of the elect1 unless we conceive of such a unity of the ,church1 into which we know ourselves to be truly ingrafted4 ,for unless we are united with all the other members under ,christ our ,head1 we can have no hope of the future inheritance4 ,therefore the ,church is called ,,catholic1 or universal2 because there could not be two or three churches1 without ,christ being divided1 which is impossible4 ,but all the elect of ,god are so connected with each other in ,christ1 that as they depend upon one head1 so they grow up together as into one body1 compacted together like members of the same body2 being made truly one1 as living by one faith1 hope1 and charity1 through the same ,divine ,spirit1 being called not only to the same inheritance of eternal life1 but also to a participation of one ,god and ,christ4 ,therefore1 though the melancholy desolation which surrounds us1 seems to proclaim that there is nothing left of the ,church1 let us remember that the death of ,christ is fruitful1 and that ,god wonderfully preserves his ,church as it were in hiding-places2 according to what he said to ,elijah3 8,i have reserved to myself seven thousand men1 who have not bowed the knee to ,baal40#gjg ,,iii4 ,this article of the creed1 however1 relates in some measure to the external ,church1 that every one of us may maintain a brotherly agreement with all the children of ,god1 may pay due deference to the authority of the ,church1 and1 in a word1 may conduct himself as one of the flock4 ,therefore we add ,,the ,,communion ,,of ,,saints--a clause which1 though generally omitted by the ancients1 ought not to be neglected1 because it excellently expresses the character of the ,church2 as though it had been said that the saints are united in the fellowship of ,christ on this condition1 that whatever benefits ,god confers upon them1 they should mutually communicate to each other4 ,this destroys not the diversity of grace1 for we know that the gifts of the ,spirit are variously distributed2 nor does it disturb the order of civil polity1 which secures to every individual the exclusive enjoyment of his property1 as it is necessary for the preservation of the peace of society that men should have peculiar and distinct possessions4 ,but the community asserted is such as ,luke describes1 that 8the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul20#gjh and ,paul1 when he exhorts the ,ephesians to be 8one body1 and one spirit1 even as they were called in one hope40#gji ,nor is it possible1 if they are truly persuaded that ,god is a common ,father to them all1 and ,christ their common ,head1 but that1 being united in brotherly affection1 they should mutually communicate their advantages to each other4 ,now1 it highly concerns us to know what benefit we receive from this4 ,for we believe the ,church1 in order to have a certain assurance that we are members of it4 ,for thus our salvation rests on firm and solid foundations1 so that it cannot fall into ruin1 though the whole fabric of the world should be dissolved4 ,first1 it is founded on the election of ,god1 and can be liable to no variation or failure1 but with the subversion of his eternal providence4 ,in the next place1 it is united with the stability of ,christ1 who will no more suffer his faithful people to be severed from him1 than his members to be torn in pieces4 ,besides1 we are certain1 as long as we continue in the bosom of the ,church1 that we shall remain in possession of the truth4 ,lastly1 we understand these promises to belong to us3 8,in mount ,zion shall be deliverance40#gaj ,god is in the midst of her2 she shall not be moved48#gaa ,such is the effect of union with the ,church1 that it retains us in the fellowship of ,god4 ,the very word communion likewise contains abundant consolation2 for while it is certain that whatever the ,lord confers upon his members and ours belong to us1 our hope is confirmed by all the benefits which they enjoy4 ,but in order to embrace the unity of the ,church in this manner1 it is unnecessary1 as we have observed1 to see the ,church with our eyes1 or feel it with our hands2 on the contrary1 from its being an object of faith1 we are taught that it is no less to be considered as existing1 when it escapes our observation1 than if it were evident to our eyes4 ,nor is our faith the worse1 because it acknowledges the ,church which we do not fully comprehend2 for we are not commanded here to distinguish the reprobate from the elect1 which is not our province1 but that of ,god alone2 we are only required to be assured in our minds1 that all those who1 by the mercy of ,god the ,father1 through the efficacious influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 have attained to the participation of ,christ1 are separated as the peculiar possession and portion of ,god2 and that being numbered among them1 we are partakers of such great grace4 ,,iv4 ,but as our present design is to treat of the visible ,church1 we may learn even from the title of mother1 how useful and even necessary it is for us to know her2 since there is no other way of entrance into life1 unless we are conceived by her1 born of her1 nourished at her breast1 and continually preserved under her care and government till we are divested of this mortal flesh1 and 8become like the angels40#gab ,for our infirmity will not admit of our dismission from her school2 we must continue under her instruction and discipline to the end of our lives4 ,it is also to be remarked1 that out of her bosom there can be no hope of remission of sins1 or any salvation1 according to the testimony of ,joel and ,isaiah2#gac which is confirmed by ,ezekiel1#gad when he denounces that those whom ,god excludes from the heavenly life1 shall not be enrolled among his people4 ,so1 on the contrary1 those who devote themselves to the service of ,god1 are said to inscribe their names among the citizens of ,jerusalem4 ,for which reason the ,psalmist says1 8,remember me1 ,o ,lord1 with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people3 ,o visit me with thy salvation2 that ,i may see the good of thy chosen2 that ,i may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation2 that ,i may glory with thine inheritance40#gae ,in these words the paternal favour of ,god1 and the peculiar testimony of the spiritual life1 are restricted to his flock1 to teach us that it is always fatally dangerous to be separated from the ,church4 ,v4 ,but let us proceed to state what belongs to this subject4 ,paul writes1 that ,christ1 8that he might fill all things1 gave some apostles1 and some prophets1 and some evangelists1 and some pastors and teachers2 for the perfecting of the saints1 for the work of the ministry1 for the edifying of the body of ,christ3 till we all come in the unity of the faith1 and of the knowledge of the ,son of ,god1 unto a perfect man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ40#gaf ,we see that though ,god could easily make his people perfect in a single moment1 yet it was not his will that they should grow to mature age1 but under the education of the ,church4 ,we see the means expressed2 the preaching of the heavenly doctrine is assigned to the pastors4 ,we see that all are placed under the same regulation1 in order that they may submit themselves with gentleness and docility of mind to be governed by the pastors who are appointed for this purpose4 ,isaiah had long before described the kingdom of ,christ by this character3 8,my ,spirit that is upon thee1 and my words which ,i have put in thy mouth1 shall not depart out of thy mouth1 nor out of the mouth of thy seed1 nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed1 from henceforth and for ever40#gag ,hence it follows1 that all who reject the spiritual food for their souls1 which is extended to them by the hands of the ,church1 deserve to perish with hunger and want4 ,it is ,god who inspires us with faith1 but it is through the instrumentality of the gospel1 according to the declaration of ,paul1 8that faith cometh by hearing40#gah ,so also the power to save resides in ,god1 but1 as the same apostle testifies in another place1 he displays it in the preaching of the gospel4 ,with this design1 in former ages he commanded solemn assemblies to be held in the sanctuary1 that the doctrine taught by the mouth of the priest might maintain the unity of the faith2 and the design of those magnificent titles1 where the temple is called ,god's 8rest10 his 8sanctuary10 and 8dwelling-place10 where he is said to 8dwell between the cherubim10#gai was no other than to promote the esteem1 love1 reverence1 and dignity of the heavenly doctrine2 which the view of a mortal and despised man would otherwise greatly diminish4 ,that we may know1 therefore1 that we have an inestimable treasure communicated to us from earthen vessels1#gbj ,god himself comes forward1 and as he is the ,author of this arrangement1 so he will be acknowledged as present in his institution4 ,therefore1 after having forbidden his people to devote themselves to auguries1 divinations1 magical arts1 necromancy1 and other superstitions1 he adds1 that he will give them what ought to be sufficient for every purpose1 namely1 that he will never leave them without prophets4 ,now1 as he did not refer his ancient people to angels1 but raised up earthly teachers1 who truly discharged the office of angels1 so1 in the present day1 he is pleased to teach us by the instrumentality of men4 ,and as formerly he was not content with the written law1 but appointed the priests as interpreters1 at whose lips the people might inquire its true meaning1 so1 in the present day1 he not only requires us to be attentive to reading1 but has appointed teachers for our assistance4 ,this is attended with a twofold advantage4 ,for on the one hand1 it is a good proof of our obedience when we listen to his ministers1 just as if he were addressing us himself2 and on the other1 he has provided for our infirmity1 by choosing to address us through the medium of human interpreters1 that he may sweetly allure us to him1 rather than to drive us away from him by his thunders4 ,and the propriety of this familiar manner of teaching1 is evident to all the pious1 from the terror with which the majesty of ,god justly alarms them4 ,those who consider the authority of the doctrine as weakened by the meanness of the men who are called to teach it1 betray their ingratitude2 because among so many excellent gifts with which ,god has adorned mankind1 it is a peculiar privilege1 that he deigns to consecrate men's lips and tongues to his service1 that his voice may be heard in them4 ,let us not therefore1 on our parts1 be reluctant to receive and obey the doctrine of salvation proposed to us at his express command2 for though the power of ,god is not confined to external means1 yet he has confined us to the ordinary manner of teaching1 the fanatical rejecters of which necessarily involve themselves in many fatal snares4 ,many are urged by pride1 or disdain1 or envy1 to persuade themselves that they can profit sufficiently by reading and meditating in private1 and so to despise public assemblies1 and consider preaching as unnecessary4 ,but since they do all in their power to dissolve and break asunder the bond of unity1 which ought to be preserved inviolable1 not one of them escapes the just punishment of this impious breach1 but they all involve themselves in pestilent errors and pernicious reveries4 ,wherefore1 in order that the pure simplicity of faith may flourish among us1 let us not be reluctant to use this exercise of piety1 which the ,divine institution has shown to be necessary1 and which ,god so repeatedly commends to us4 ,there has never been found1 among the most extravagant of mortals1 one insolent enough to say that we ought to shut our ears against ,god2 but the prophets and pious teachers1 in all ages1 have had a difficult contest with the wicked1 whose arrogance can never submit to be taught by the lips and ministry of men4 ,now1 this is no other than effacing the image of ,god1 which is discovered to us in the doctrine4 ,for the faithful under the former dispensation were directed to seek the face of ,god in the sanctuary2#gba and this is so frequently repeated in the law1 for no other reason1 but because the doctrine of the law and the exhortations of the prophets exhibited to them a lively image of ,god2 as ,paul declares that his preaching displayed 8the glory of ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ40#gbb ,and in so much the greater detestation ought we to hold those apostates1 who make it their study to cause divisions in churches1 as if they would drive away the sheep from the fold1 and throw them into the jaws of wolves4 ,but let us remember what we have quoted from ,paul--that the ,church can only be edified by the preaching of this word1 and that the saints have no common bond of union to hold them together1 any longer than1 while learning and profiting with one accord1 they observe the order which ,god has prescribed for the ,church4 ,it was principally for this end1 as ,i have already stated1 that the faithful under the law were commanded to resort to the sanctuary2 because ,moses not only celebrates it as the residence of ,god1 but likewise declares it to be the place where ,god has fixed the record of his name2#gbc which without the doctrine of piety1 he plainly suggests1 would be of no use4 ,and it is undoubtedly for the same reason that ,david complains1 with great bitterness of soul1 of being prevented from access to the tabernacle by the tyrannical cruelty of his enemies4#gbd ,to many persons perhaps this appears to be a puerile lamentation1 because it could be but a very trivial loss1 and not a privation of much satisfaction to be absent from the court of the temple1 provided he were in the possession of other pleasures4 ,but by this one trouble1 anxiety1 and sorrow1 he complains that he is grieved1 tormented1 and almost consumed2 because nothing is more valued by believers than this assistance1 by which ,god gradually raises his people from one degree of elevation to another4 ,for it is also to be remarked1 that ,god always manifested himself to the holy fathers1 in the mirror of his doctrine1 in such a manner that their knowledge of him was spiritual4 ,hence the temple was not only called his face1 but in order to guard against all superstition1 was also designated as his footstool4#gbe ,and this is that happy conjunction in the unity of the faith spoken of by ,paul1 when all1 from the highest to the lowest1 are aspiring towards the head4 ,all the temples which the ,gentiles erected to ,god with any other design1 were nothing but a profanation of his worship--a crime which1 though not to an equal extent1 was also frequently committed by the ,jews4 ,stephen reproaches them for it in the language of ,isaiah3 8,the ,most ,high dwelleth not in temples made with hands2 as saith the prophet1 ,heaven is my throne1 and earth is my footstool10#gbf because ,god alone sanctifies temples by his word1 that they may be legitimately used for his worship4 ,and if we presumptuously attempt any thing without his command1 the evil beginning is immediately succeeded by further inventions1 which multiply the mischief without end4 ,xerxes1 however1 acted with great indiscretion1 when1 at the advice of the magi1 he burned or demolished all the temples of ,greece1 from an opinion of the absurdity that gods1 to whom all space ought to be left perfectly free1 should be enclosed within walls and roofs4 ,as if it were not in the power of ,god to descend in any way to us1 and yet at the same time not to make any change of place1 or to confine us to earthly means1 but rather to use them as vehicles to elevate us towards his celestial glory1 which fills all things with its immensity1 as well as transcends the heavens in its sublimity4 ,,vi4 ,now1 as the present age has witnessed a violent dispute respecting the efficacy of the ministry1 some exaggerating its dignity beyond measure1 and others contending that it is a criminal transfer to mortal man of what properly belongs to the ,holy ,spirit1 to suppose that ministers and teachers penetrate the mind and heart1 so as to correct the blindness of the one1 and the hardness of the other1--we must proceed to a decision of this controversy4 ,the arguments advanced on both sides may be easily reconciled by a careful observation of the passages1 in which ,god1 the ,author of preaching1 connecting his ,spirit with it1 promises that it shall be followed with success2 or those in which1 separating himself from all external aids1 he attributes the commencement of faith1 as well as its subsequent progress1 entirely and exclusively to himself4 ,the office of the second ,elias1 according to ,malachi1 was to illuminate the minds and to 8turn the hearts of the fathers to the children10 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just4#gbg ,christ declares that he sent his disciples1 that they 8should bring forth fruit0#gbh from their labours4 ,what that fruit was1 is briefly defined by ,peter1 when he says that we are 8born again1 not of corruptible seed1 but of incorruptible40#gbi ,therefore ,paul glories that he had 8begotten0 the ,corinthians 8through the gospel10 and that they were 8the seal of his apostleship20#gcj and even that he was 8not a minister of the letter10 merely striking the ear with a vocal sound1 but that the energy of the ,spirit had been given to him to render his doctrine efficacious4#gca ,in the same sense1 he affirms1 in another ,epistle1 that his 8gospel came not in word only1 but also in power40#gcb ,he declares also to the ,galatians1 that they 8received the ,spirit by the hearing of faith40#gcc ,in short1 there are several places1 in which he not only represents himself as a 8labourer together with ,god10#gcd but even attributes to himself the office of communicating salvation4 ,he certainly never advanced all these things1 in order to arrogate to himself the least praise independent of ,god1 as he briefly states in other passages3 8,our entrance in unto you was not in vain40#gce 8,i labour1 striving according to his working1 which worketh in me mightily40#gcf 8,he that wrought effectually in ,peter to the apostleship of the circumcision1 the same was mighty in me toward the ,gentiles40#gcg ,besides1 it is evident1 from other places1 that he leaves ministers possessed of nothing1 considered in themselves3 8,neither is he that planteth any thing1 neither he that watereth2 but ,god that giveth the increase40#gch ,again3 8,i laboured more abundantly than they all2 yet not ,i1 but the grace of ,god which was with me40#gci ,and it is certainly necessary to bear in memory those passages1 in which ,god ascribes to himself the illumination of the mind and renovation of the heart1 and thereby declares it to be sacrilege for man to arrogate to himself any share in either4 ,yet every one who attends with docility of mind to the ministers whom ,god has appointed1 will learn from the beneficial effect1 that this mode of teaching has not in vain been pleasing to ,god1 and that this yoke of modesty has not without reason been imposed upon believers4 ,,vii4 ,from what has been said1 ,i conceive it must now be evident what judgment we ought to form respecting the ,church1 which is visible to our eyes1 and falls under our knowledge4 ,for we have remarked that the word ,church is used in the sacred ,scriptures in two senses4 ,sometimes1 when they mention the ,church1 they intend that which is really such in the sight of ,god1 into which none are received but those who by adoption and grace are the children of ,god1 and by the sanctification of the ,spirit are the true members of ,christ4 ,and then it comprehends not only the saints at any one time resident on earth1 but all the elect who have lived from the beginning of the world4 ,but the word ,church is frequently used in the ,scriptures to designate the whole multitude1 dispersed all over the world1 who profess to worship one ,god and ,jesus ,christ1 who are initiated into his faith by baptism1 who testify their unity in true doctrine and charity by a participation of the sacred supper1 who consent to the word of the ,lord1 and preserve the ministry which ,christ has instituted for the purpose of preaching it4 ,in this ,church are included many hypocrites1 who have nothing of ,christ but the name and appearance2 many persons ambitious1 avaricious1 envious1 slanderous1 and dissolute in their lives1 who are tolerated for a time1 either because they cannot be convicted by a legitimate process1 or because discipline is not always maintained with sufficient vigour4 ,as it is necessary1 therefore1 to believe that ,church1 which is invisible to us1 and known to ,god alone1 so this ,church1 which is visible to men1 we are commanded to honour1 and to maintain communion with it4 ,,viii4 ,as far1 therefore1 as was important for us to know it1 the ,lord has described it by certain marks and characters4 ,it is the peculiar prerogative of ,god himself to 8know them that are his10#gdj as we have already stated from ,paul4 ,and to guard against human presumption ever going to such an extreme1 the experience of every day teaches us how very far his secret judgments transcend all our apprehensions4 ,for those who seemed the most abandoned1 and were generally considered past all hope1 are recalled by his goodness into the right way2 while some1 who seemed to stand better than others1 fall into perdition4 8,according to the secret predestination of ,god10 therefore1 as ,augustine observes1 8there are many sheep without the pale of the ,church1 and many wolves within40 ,for he knows and seals those who know not either him or themselves4 ,of those who externally bear his seal1 his eyes alone can discern who are unfeignedly holy1 and will persevere to the end2 which is the completion of salvation4 ,on the other hand1 as he saw it to be in some measure requisite that we should know who ought to be considered as his children1 he has in this respect accommodated himself to our capacity4 ,and as it was not necessary that on this point we should have an assurance of faith1 he has substituted in its place a judgment of charity1 according to which we ought to acknowledge as members of the ,church all those who by a confession of faith1 an exemplary life1 and a participation of the sacraments1 profess the same ,god and ,christ with ourselves4 ,but the knowledge of the body itself being more necessary to our salvation1 he has distinguished it by more clear and certain characters4 ,,ix4 ,hence the visible ,church rises conspicuous to our view4 ,for wherever we find the word of ,god purely preached and heard1 and the sacraments administered according to the institution of ,christ1 there1 it is not to be doubted1 is a ,church of ,god2 for his promise can never deceive--8where two or three are gathered together in my name1 there am ,i in the midst of them40#gda ,but1 that we may have a clear understanding of the whole of this subject1 let us proceed by the following steps3 ,that the universal ,church is the whole multitude1 collected from all nations1 who1 though dispersed in countries widely distant from each other1 nevertheless consent to the same truth of ,divine doctrine1 and are united by the bond of the same religion2 that in this universal ,church are comprehended particular churches1 distributed according to human necessity in various towns and villages2 and that each of these respectively is justly distinguished by the name and authority of a church2 and that individuals1 who1 on a profession of piety1 are enrolled among ,churches of the same description1 though they are really strangers to any particular ,church1 do nevertheless in some respect belong to it1 till they are expelled from it by a public decision4 ,there is some difference1 however1 in the mode of judging respecting private persons and churches4 ,for it may happen1 in the case of persons whom we think altogether unworthy of the society of the pious1 that1 on account of the common consent of the ,church1 by which they are tolerated in the body of ,christ1 we may be obliged to treat them as brethren1 and to class them in the number of believers4 ,in our private opinion we approve not of such persons as members of the ,church1 but we leave them the station they hold among the people of ,god1 till it be taken away from them by legitimate authority4 ,but respecting the congregation itself1 we must form a different judgment4 ,if they possess and honour the ministry of the word1 and the administration of the sacraments1 they are1 without all doubt1 entitled to be considered as a ,church2 because it is certain that the word and sacraments cannot be unattended with some good effects4 ,in this manner1 we preserve the unity of the universal ,church1 which diabolical spirits have always been endeavouring to destroy2 and at the same time without interfering with the authority of those legitimate assemblies1 which local convenience has distributed in different places4 ,x4 ,we have stated that the marks by which the ,church is to be distinguished1 are1 the preaching of the word and the administration of the sacraments4 ,for these can nowhere exist without bringing forth fruit1 and being prospered with the blessing of ,god4 ,i assert not that wherever the word is preached1 the good effects of it immediately appear2 but that it is never received so as to obtain a permanent establishment1 without displaying some efficacy4 ,however this may be1 where the word is heard with reverence1 and the sacraments are not neglected1 there we discover1 while that is the case1 an appearance of the ,church1 which is liable to no suspicion of uncertainty1 of which no one can safely despise the authority1 or reject the admonitions1 or resist the counsels1 or slight the censures1 much less separate from it and break up its unity4 ,for so highly does the ,lord esteem the communion of his ,church1 that he considers every one as a traitor and apostate from religion1 who perversely withdraws himself from any ,christian society which preserves the true ministry of the word and sacraments4 ,he commends the authority of the ,church1 in such a manner as to account every violation of it an infringement of his own4 ,for it is not a trivial circumstance1 that the ,church is called 8the house of ,god1 the pillar and ground of truth40#gdb ,for in these words ,paul signifies that in order to keep the truth of ,god from being lost in the world1 the ,church is its faithful guardian2 because it has been the will of ,god1 by the ministry of the ,church1 to preserve the pure preaching of his word1 and to manifest himself as our affectionate ,father1 while he nourishes us with spiritual food1 and provides all things conducive to our salvation4 ,nor is it small praise1 that the ,church is chosen and separated by ,christ to be his spouse1 8not having spot or wrinkle10#gdc to be 8his body1 the fulness of him that filleth all in all40#gdd ,hence it follows1 that a departure from the ,church is a renunciation of ,god and ,christ4 ,and such a criminal dissension is so much the more to be avoided1 because1 while we endeavour1 as far as lies in our power1 to destroy the truth of ,god1 we deserve to be crushed with the most powerful thunders of his wrath4 ,nor is it possible to imagine a more atrocious crime1 than that sacrilegious perfidy1 which violates the conjugal relation that the only begotten ,son of ,god has condescended to form with us4 ,,xi4 ,let us1 therefore1 diligently retain those characters impressed upon our minds1 and estimate them according to the judgment of ,god4 ,for there is nothing that ,satan labours more to accomplish1 than to remove and destroy one or both of them2 at one time to efface and obliterate these marks1 and so to take away all true and genuine distinction of the ,church2 at another to inspire us with contempt of them1 and so to drive us out of the ,church by an open separation4 ,by his subtlety it has happened1 that in some ages the pure preaching of the word has altogether disappeared2 and in the present day he is labouring with the same malignity to overturn the ministry2 which1 however1 ,christ has ordained in his ,church1 so that if it were taken away1 the edification of the ,church would be quite at an end4 ,how dangerous1 then1 how fatal is the temptation1 when it even enters into the heart of a man to withdraw himself from that congregation1 in which he discovers those signs and characters which the ,lord has deemed sufficiently descriptive of his ,church6 ,we see1 however1 that great caution requires to be observed on both sides4 ,for1 to prevent imposture from deceiving us1 under the name of the ,church1 every congregation assuming this name should be brought to that proof1 like gold to the touchstone4 ,if it have the order prescribed by the ,lord in the word and sacraments1 it will not deceive us2 we may securely render to it the honour due to all churches4 ,on the contrary1 if it pretend to the name of a ,church1 without the word and sacraments1 we ought to beware of such delusive pretensions1 with as much caution as1 in the other case1 we should use in avoiding presumption and pride4 ,,xii4 ,when we affirm the pure ministry of the word1 and pure order in the celebration of the sacraments1 to be a sufficient pledge and earnest1 that we may safely embrace the society in which both these are found1 as a true ,church1 we carry the observation to this point1 that such a society should never be rejected as long as it continues in those things1 although in other respects it may be chargeable with many faults4 ,it is possible1 moreover1 that some fault may insinuate itself into the preaching of the doctrine1 or the administration of the sacraments1 which ought not to alienate us from its communion4 ,for all the articles of true doctrine are not of the same description4 ,some are so necessary to be known1 that they ought to be universally received as fixed and indubitable principles1 as the peculiar maxims of religion2 such as1 that there is one ,god2 that ,christ is ,god and the ,son of ,god2 that our salvation depends on the mercy of ,god2 and the like4 ,there are others1 which are controverted among the churches1 yet without destroying the unity of the faith4 ,for why should there be a division on this point1 if one church be of opinion1 that souls1 at their departure from their bodies1 are immediately removed to heaven2 and another church venture to determine nothing respecting their local situation1 but be nevertheless firmly convinced1 that they live to the ,lord2 and if this diversity of sentiment on both sides be free from all fondness for contention and obstinacy of assertion8 ,the language of the apostle is1 8,let us therefore1 as many as be perfect1 be thus minded2 and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded1 ,god shall reveal even this unto you40#gde ,does not this sufficiently show1 that a diversity of opinion respecting these nonessential points ought not to be a cause of discord among ,christians8 ,it is of importance1 indeed1 that we should agree in every thing2 but as there is no person who is not enveloped with some cloud of ignorance1 either we must allow of no church at all1 or we must forgive mistakes in those things1 of which persons may be ignorant1 without violating the essence of religion1 or incurring the loss of salvation4 ,here ,i would not be understood to plead for any errors1 even the smallest1 or to recommend their being encouraged by connivance or flattery4 ,but ,i maintain1 that we ought not1 on account of every trivial difference of sentiment1 to abandon the ,church1 which retains the saving and pure doctrine that insures the preservation of piety1 and supports the use of the sacraments instituted by our ,lord4 ,in the mean time1 if we endeavour to correct what we disapprove1 we are acting in this case according to our duty4 ,and to this we are encouraged by the direction of ,paul3 8,if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by1 let the first hold his peace40#gdf ,from which it appears1 that every member of the ,church is required to exert himself for the general edification1 according to the measure of his grace1 provided he do it decently and in order2 that is to say1 that we should neither forsake the communion of the ,church1 nor1 by continuing in it1 disturb its peace and well regulated discipline4 ,,xiii4 ,but in bearing with imperfections of life1 we ought to carry our indulgence a great deal further4 ,for this is a point in which we are very liable to err1 and here ,satan lies in wait to deceive us with no common devices4 ,for there have always been persons1 who1 from a false notion of perfect sanctity1 as if they were already become disembodied spirits1 despised the society of all men in whom they could discover any remains of human infirmity4 ,such1 in ancient times1 were the ,cathari1 and also the ,donatists1 who approached to the same folly4 ,such1 in the present day1 are some of the ,anabaptists1 who would be thought to have made advances in piety beyond all others4 ,there are others who err1 more from an inconsiderate zeal for righteousness1 than from this unreasonable pride4 ,for when they perceive1 that among those to whom the gospel is preached1 its doctrine is not followed by correspondent effects in the life1 they immediately pronounce1 that there no church exists4 ,this is1 indeed1 a very just ground of offence1 and one for which we furnish more than sufficient occasion in the present unhappy age2 nor is it possible to excuse our abominable inactivity1 which the ,lord will not suffer to escape with impunity1 and which he has already begun to chastise with heavy scourges4 ,woe to us1 therefore1 who1 by the dissolute licentiousness of our crimes1 cause weak consciences to be wounded on our account6 ,but1 on the other hand1 the error of the persons of whom we now speak1 consists in not knowing how to fix any limits to their offence4 ,for where our ,lord requires the exercise of mercy1 they entirely neglect it1 and indulge themselves in immoderate severity4 ,supposing it impossible for the ,church to exist1 where there is not a perfect purity and integrity of life1 through a hatred of crimes they depart from the true ,church1 while they imagine themselves to be only withdrawing from the factions of the wicked4 ,they allege1 that the ,church of ,christ is holy4 ,but that they may also understand1 that it is composed of good and bad men mingled together1 let them hear that parable from the lips of ,christ1 where it is compared to a net1 in which fishes of all kinds are collected1 and no separation is made till they are exposed on the shore4#gdg ,let them hear another parable1 comparing the ,church to a field1 which1 after having been sown with good seed1 is1 by the craft of an enemy1 corrupted with tares1 from which it is never cleared till the harvest is brought into the barn4#gdh ,lastly1 let them hear another comparison of the ,church to a threshing-floor1 in which the wheat is collected in such a manner1 that it lies concealed under the chaff1 till1 after being carefully purged1 by winnowing and sifting1 it is at length laid up in the garner4#gdi ,but if our ,lord declares1 that the ,church is to labour under this evil1 and to be encumbered with a mixture of wicked men1 even till the day of judgment1 it is vain to seek for a ,church free from every spot4 ,,xiv4 ,but they exclaim1 that it is an intolerable thing that the pestilence of crimes so generally prevails4 ,i grant it would be happy if the fact were otherwise2 but in reply1 ,i would present them with the judgment of the apostle4 ,among the ,corinthians1 more than a few had gone astray1 and the infection had seized almost the whole society2 there was not only one species of sin1 but many2 and they were not trivial faults1 but dreadful crimes2 and there was not only a corruption of morals1 but also of doctrine4 ,in this case1 what is the conduct of the holy apostle1 the organ of the heavenly ,spirit1 by whose testimony the ,church stands or falls8 ,does he seek to separate from them8 ,does he reject them from the kingdom of ,christ8 ,does he strike them with the thunderbolt of the severest anathema8 ,he not only does none of these things1 but1 on the contrary1 acknowledges and speaks of them as a ,church of ,christ and a society of saints4 ,if there remained a church among the ,corinthians1 where contentions1 factions1 and emulations were raging2 where cupidity1 disputes1 and litigations were prevailing2 where a crime held in execration even among the ,gentiles1 was publicly sanctioned2 where the name of ,paul1 whom they ought to have revered as their father1 was insolently defamed2 where some ridiculed the doctrine of the resurrection1 with the subversion of which the whole gospel would be annihilated2 where the graces of ,god were made subservient to ambition1 instead of charity2 where many things were conducted without decency and order2#gej and if there still remained a ,church1 because the ministry of the word and sacraments was not rejected--who can refuse the name of a ,church to those who cannot be charged with a tenth part of those crimes8 ,and those who display such violence and severity against the ,churches of the present age1 ,i ask1 how would they have conducted themselves towards the ,galatians1 who almost entirely deserted the gospel1 but among whom1 nevertheless1 the same apostle found ,churches8#gea ,,xv4 ,they object that ,paul bitterly reproves the ,corinthians for admitting an atrocious offender into their company1 and follows this reproof with a general declaration1 that with a man of scandalous life it is not lawful even to eat4#geb ,here they exclaim1 ,if it be not lawful to eat common bread with him1 how can it be lawful to unite with him in eating the bread of the ,lord8 ,i confess it is a great disgrace1 if persons of immoral lives occupy places among the children of ,god2 and if the sacred body of ,christ be prostituted to them1 the disgrace is vastly increased4 ,and1 indeed1 if ,churches be well regulated1 they will not suffer persons of abandoned characters among them1 nor will they promiscuously admit the worthy and the unworthy to that sacred supper4 ,but because the pastors are not always so diligent in watching over them1 and sometimes exercise more indulgence than they ought1 or are prevented from exerting the severity they would wish1 it happens that even those who are openly wicked are not always expelled from the society of the saints4 ,this ,i acknowledge to be a fault1 nor have ,i any inclination to extenuate it1 since ,paul sharply reproves it in the ,corinthians4 ,but though the ,church may be deficient in its duty1 it does not therefore follow that it is the place of every individual to pass judgment of separation for himself4 ,i admit that it is the duty of a pious man to withdraw himself from all private intimacy with the wicked1 and not to involve himself in any voluntary connection with them4 ,but it is one thing to avoid familiar intercourse with the wicked2 and another thing1 from hatred of them1 to renounce the communion of the ,church4 ,and persons who deem it sacrilege to participate with them the bread of the ,lord1 are in this respect far more rigid than ,paul4 ,for when he exhorts us to a pure and holy participation of it1 he requires not one to examine another1 or every one to examine the whole ,church1 but each individual to prove himself4 ,if it were unlawful to communicate with an unworthy person1 ,paul would certainly have enjoined us to look around us1 to see whether there were not some one in the multitude by whose impurity we might be contaminated4 ,but as he only requires every one to examine himself1 he shows that it is not the least injury to us if some unworthy persons intrude themselves with us4 ,and this is fully implied in what he afterwards subjoins3 8,he that eateth and drinketh unworthily1 eateth and drinketh judgment to himself40#gec ,he says1 not to others1 but to himself1 and with sufficient reason4 ,for it ought not to be left to the judgment of every individual who ought to be admitted into the ,church1 and who ought to be expelled from it4 ,this authority belongs to the whole ,church1 and cannot be exercised without legitimate order1 as will be stated more at large hereafter4 ,it would be unjust1 therefore1 that any individual should be contaminated with the unworthiness of another1 whose approach it is neither in his power nor his duty to prevent4 ,,xvi4 ,but though this temptation sometimes arises even to good men1 from an inconsiderate zeal for righteousness1 yet we shall generally find that excessive severity is more owing to pride and haughtiness1 and a false opinion which persons entertain of their own superior sanctity1 than to true holiness1 and a real concern for its interests4 ,those1 therefore1 who are most daring in promoting a separation from the ,church1 and act1 as it were1 as standard-bearers in the revolt1 have in general no other motive than to make an ostentatious display of their own superior excellence1 and their contempt of all others4 ,augustine correctly and judiciously observes--8,whereas the pious rule and method of ecclesiastical discipline ought principally to regard the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace1 which the apostle enjoined to be preserved by mutual forbearance1 and which not being preserved1 the medicinal punishment is evinced to be not only superfluous1 but even pernicious1 and therefore to be no longer medicinal2 those wicked children1 who1 not from a hatred of the iniquities of others1 but from a fondness for their own contentions1 earnestly endeavour to draw the simple and uninformed multitude wholly after them1 by entangling them with boasting of their own characters1 or at least to divide them2 those persons1 ,i say1 inflated with pride1 infuriated with obstinacy1 insidious in the circulation of calumnies1 and turbulent in raising seditions1 conceal themselves under the mask of a rigid severity1 lest they should be proved to be destitute of the truth2 and those things which in the ,holy ,scriptures are commanded to be done with great moderation1 and without violating the sincerity of love1 or breaking the unity of peace1 for the correction of the faults of our brethren1 they pervert to the sacrilege of schism1 and an occasion of separation from the ,church40 ,to pious and peaceable persons he gives this advice3 that they should correct in mercy whatever they can2 that what they cannot1 they should patiently bear1 and affectionately lament1 till ,god either reform and correct it1 or1 at the harvest1 root up the tares and sift out the chaff4 ,all pious persons should study to fortify themselves with these counsels1 lest1 while they consider themselves as valiant and strenuous defenders of righteousness1 they depart from the kingdom of heaven1 which is the only kingdom of righteousness4 ,for since it is the will of ,god that the communion of his ,church should be maintained in this external society1 those who1 from an aversion to wicked men1 destroy the token of that society1 enter on a course in which they are in great danger of falling from the communion of saints4 ,let them consider1 in the first place1 that in a great multitude there are many who escape their observation1 who1 nevertheless1 are truly holy and innocent in the sight of ,god4 ,secondly1 let them consider1 that of those who appear subject to moral maladies1 there are many who by no means please or flatter themselves in their vices1 but are oftentimes aroused1 with a serious fear of ,god1 to aspire to greater integrity4 ,thirdly1 let them consider that judgment ought not to be pronounced upon a man from a single act1 since the holiest persons have sometimes most grievous falls4 ,fourthly1 let them consider1 that the ministry of the word1 and the participation of the sacraments1 have too much influence in preserving the unity of the ,church1 to admit of its being destroyed by the guilt of a few impious men4 ,lastly1 let them consider1 that in forming an estimate of the ,church1 the judgment of ,god is of more weight than that of man4 ,,xvii4 ,when they allege that there must be some reason why the ,church is said to be holy1 it is necessary to examine the holiness in which it excels2 lest by refusing to admit the existence of a ,church without absolute and sinless perfection1 we should leave no ,church in the world4 ,it is true1 that1 as ,paul tells us1 8,christ loved the ,church1 and gave himself for it1 that he might sanctify and cleanse it1 by the washing of water by the word1 that he might present it to himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot1 or wrinkle1 or any such thing40#ged ,it is nevertheless equally true1 that the ,lord works from day to day in smoothing its wrinkles1 and purging away its spots2 whence it follows1 that its holiness is not yet perfect4 ,the ,church1 therefore1 is so far holy1 that it is daily improving1 but has not yet arrived at perfection2 that it is daily advancing1 but has not yet reached the mark of holiness2 as in another part of this work will be more fully explained4 ,the predictions of the prophets1 therefore1 that 8,jerusalem shall be holy1 and there shall no strangers pass through her any more10 and that the way of ,god shall be a 8way of holiness1 over which the unclean shall not pass10#gee are not to be understood as if there were no blemish remaining in any of the members of the ,church2 but because they aspire with all their souls towards perfect holiness and purity1 the goodness of ,god attributes to them that sanctity to which they have not yet fully attained4 ,and though such evidences of sanctification are oftentimes rarely to be found among men1 yet it must be maintained1 that1 from the foundation of the world1 there has never been a period in which ,god had not his ,church in it2 and that1 to the consummation of all things1 there never will be a time in which he will not have his ,church4 ,for although1 in the very beginning of time1 the whole human race was corrupted and defiled by the sin of ,adam2 yet1 from this polluted mass1 ,god always sanctifies some vessels to honour1 so that there is no age which has not experienced his mercy4 ,this he has testified by certain promises1 such as the following3 8,i have made a covenant with my chosen3 ,i have sworn unto ,david1 my servant1 ,thy seed will ,i establish for ever1 and build up thy throne to all generations40#gef ,again3 8,the ,lord hath chosen ,zion2 he hath desired it for his habitation4 ,this is my rest for ever40#geg ,again3 8,thus saith the ,lord1 which giveth the sun for a light by day1 and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night3 ,if those ordinances depart from before me1 saith the ,lord1 then the seed of ,israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever40#geh ,,xviii4 ,of this truth ,christ himself1 the apostles1 and almost all the prophets1 have given us an example4 ,dreadful are those descriptions in which ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 ,joel1 ,habakkuk1 and others1 deplore the disorders of the ,church of ,jerusalem4 ,there was such general and extreme corruption in the people1 in the magistrates1 and in the priests1 that ,isaiah does not hesitate to compare ,jerusalem to ,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,religion was partly despised1 partly corrupted4 ,their manners were generally disgraced by thefts1 robberies1 treacheries1 murders1 and similar crimes4 ,nevertheless1 the prophets on this account neither raised themselves new churches1 nor built new altars for the oblation of separate sacrifices2 but whatever were the characters of the people1 yet because they considered that ,god had deposited his word among that nation1 and instituted the ceremonies in which he was there worshipped1 they lifted up pure hands to him even in the congregation of the impious4 ,if they had thought that they contracted any contagion from these services1 surely they would have suffered a hundred deaths rather than have permitted themselves to be dragged to them4 ,there was nothing therefore to prevent their departure from them1 but the desire of preserving the unity of the ,church4 ,but if the holy prophets were restrained by a sense of duty from forsaking the ,church on account of the numerous and enormous crimes which were practised1 not by a few individuals1 but almost by the whole nation1--it is extreme arrogance in us1 if we presume immediately to withdraw from the communion of a ,church where the conduct of all the members is not compatible either with our judgment1 or even with the ,christian profession4 ,,xix4 ,now1 what kind of an age was that of ,christ and his apostles8 ,yet the desperate impiety of the ,pharisees1 and the dissolute lives every where led by the people1 could not prevent them from using the same sacrifices1 and assembling in the same temple with others1 for the public exercises of religion4 ,how did this happen1 but from a knowledge that the society of the wicked could not contaminate those who with pure consciences united with them in the same solemnities8 ,if any one pay no deference to the prophets and apostles1 let him at least acquiesce in the authority of ,christ4 ,cyprian has excellently remarked1 8,although tares1 or impure vessels1 are found in the ,church1 yet this is not a reason why we should withdraw from it4 ,it only behoves us to labour that we may be the wheat1 and to use our utmost endeavours and exertions1 that we may be vessels of gold or of silver4 ,but to break in pieces the vessels of earth belongs to the ,lord alone1 to whom a rod of iron is also given4 ,nor let any one arrogate to himself what is exclusively the province of the ,son of ,god1 by pretending to fan the floor1 clear away the chaff1 and separate all the tares by the judgment of man4 ,this is proud obstinacy and sacrilegious presumption1 originating in a corrupt frenzy40 ,let these two points1 then1 be considered as decided2 first1 that he who voluntarily deserts the external communion of the ,church where the word of ,god is preached1 and the sacraments are administered1 is without any excuse2 secondly1 that the faults either of few persons or of many1 form no obstacles to a due profession of our faith in the use of the ceremonies instituted by ,god2 because the pious conscience is not wounded by the unworthiness of any other individual1 whether he be a pastor or a private person2 nor are the mysteries less pure and salutary to a holy and upright man1 because they are received at the same time by the impure4 ,,xx4 ,their severity and haughtiness go to still greater lengths4 ,acknowledging no church but such as is pure from the smallest blemishes1 they are even angry with honest teachers1 because1 by exhorting believers to progressive improvements1 they teach them to groan under the burden of sins1 and to seek for pardon all their lifetime4 ,for hereby1 they pretend1 the people are drawn away from perfection4 ,i confess1 that in urging men to perfection1 we ought to labour with unremitting ardour and diligence2 but to inspire their minds with a persuasion that they have already attained it1 while they are yet in the pursuit of it1 ,i maintain to be a diabolical invention4 ,therefore1 in the ,creed1 the communion of saints is immediately followed by the forgiveness of sins1 which can only be obtained by the citizens and members of the ,church1 as we read in the prophet4#gei ,the heavenly ,jerusalem1 therefore1 ought first to be built1 in which this favour of ,god may be enjoyed1 that whoever shall enter it1 their iniquity shall be blotted out4 ,now1 ,i affirm that this ought first to be built2 not that there can ever be any ,church without remission of sins1 but because ,god has not promised to impart his mercy1 except in the communion of saints4 ,our first entrance1 therefore1 into the ,church and kingdom of ,god1 is the remission of sins1 without which we have no covenant or union with ,god4 ,for thus he speaks by the prophet3 8,in that day will ,i make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field1 and with the fowls of heaven1 and with the creeping things of the ground2 and ,i will break the bow and the sword1 and the battle out of the earth1 and will make them to lie down safely4 ,and ,i will betroth thee unto me for ever2 yea1 ,i will betroth thee unto me in righteousness1 and in judgment1 and in loving-kindness1 and in mercies40#gfj ,we see how ,god reconciles us to himself by his mercy4 ,so in another place1 where he foretells the restoration of the people whom he had scattered in his wrath1 he says1 8,i will cleanse them from all their iniquity1 whereby they have sinned against me40#gfa ,wherefore it is by the sign of ablution1 that we are initiated into the society of his ,church2 by which we are taught that there is no admittance for us into the family of ,god1 unless our pollution be first taken away by his goodness4 ,,xxi4 ,nor does ,god only once receive and adopt us into his ,church by the remission of sins2 he likewise preserves and keeps us in it by the same mercy4 ,for to what purpose would it be1 if we obtained a pardon which would afterwards be of no use8 ,and that the mercy of the ,lord would be vain and delusive1 if it were only granted for once1 all pious persons can testify to themselves2 for every one of them is all his lifetime conscious of many infirmities1 which need the ,divine mercy4 ,and surely it is not without reason1 that ,god particularly promises this grace to the members of his family1 and commands the same message of reconciliation to be daily addressed to them4 ,as we carry about with us the relics of sin1 therefore1 as long as we live1 we shall scarcely continue in the ,church for a single moment1 unless we are sustained by the constant grace of the ,lord in forgiving our sins4 ,but the ,lord has called his people to eternal salvation2 they ought1 therefore1 to believe that his grace is always ready to pardon their sins4 ,wherefore it ought to be held as a certain conclusion1 that from the ,divine liberality1 by the intervention of the merit of ,christ1 through the sanctification of the ,spirit1 pardon of sins has been1 and is daily1 bestowed upon us1 who have been admitted and ingrafted into the body of the ,church4 ,,xxii4 ,it was to dispense this blessing to us1 that the keys were given to the ,church4#gfb ,for1 when ,christ gave commandment to his apostles1 and conferred on them the power of remitting sins1#gfc it was not with an intention that they should merely absolve from their sins those who were converted from impiety to the ,christian faith1 but rather that they should continually exercise this office among the faithful4 ,this is taught by ,paul1 when he says1 that the message of reconciliation was committed to the ministers of the ,church1 that in the name of ,christ they might daily exhort the people to be reconciled to ,god4#gfd ,in the communion of saints1 therefore1 sins are continually remitted to us by the ministry of the ,church1 when the presbyters or bishops1 to whom this office is committed1 confirm pious consciences1 by the promises of the gospel1 in the hope of pardon and remission2 and that as well publicly as privately1 according as necessity requires4 ,for there are many persons who1 on account of their infirmity1 stand in need of separate and private consolation4 ,and ,paul tells us that he 8taught10 not only publicly1 but also 8from house to house1 testifying repentance toward ,god1 and faith toward our ,lord ,jesus ,christ20#gfe and admonished every individual separately respecting the doctrine of salvation4 ,here are three things1 therefore1 worthy of our observation4 ,first1 that whatever holiness may distinguish the children of ,god1 yet such is their condition as long as they inhabit a mortal body1 that they cannot stand before ,god without remission of sins4 ,secondly1 that this benefit belongs to the ,church2 so that we cannot enjoy it unless we continue in its communion4 ,thirdly1 that it is dispensed to us by the ministers and pastors of the ,church1 either in the preaching of the gospel1 or in the administration of the sacraments2 and that this is the principal exercise of the power of the keys1 which the ,lord has conferred on the society of believers4 ,let every one of us1 therefore1 consider it as his duty1 not to seek remission of sins any where but where the ,lord has placed it4 ,of public reconciliation1 which is a branch of discipline1 we shall speak in its proper place4 ,,xxiii4 ,but as those fanatic spirits1 of whom ,i spoke1 endeavour to rob the ,church of this sole anchor of salvation1 our consciences ought to be still more strongly fortified against such a pestilent opinion4 ,the ,novatians disturbed the ancient ,churches with this tenet2 but the present age also has witnessed some of the ,anabaptists1 who resemble the ,novatians by falling into the same follies4 ,for they imagine that by baptism the people of ,god are regenerated to a pure and angelic life1 which cannot be contaminated by any impurities of the flesh4 ,and if any one be guilty of sin after baptism1 they leave him no prospect of escaping the inexorable judgment of ,god4 ,in short1 they encourage no hope of pardon in any one who sins after having received the grace of ,god2 because they acknowledge no other remission of sins than that by which we are first regenerated4 ,now1 though there is no falsehood more clearly refuted in the ,scripture than this1 yet because its advocates find persons to submit to their impositions1 as ,novatus formerly had numerous followers1 let us briefly show how very pernicious their error is both to themselves and to others4 ,in the first place1 when the saints obey the command of the ,lord by a daily repetition of this prayer1 8forgive us our debts10#gff they certainly confess themselves to be sinners4 ,nor do they pray in vain1 for our ,lord has not enjoined the use of any petitions1 but such as he designed to grant4 ,and after he had declared that the whole prayer would be heard by the ,father1 he confirmed this absolution by a special promise4 ,what do we want more8 ,the ,lord requires from the saints a confession of sins1 and that daily as long as they live1 and he promises them pardon4 ,what presumption is it either to assert that they are exempt from sin1 or1 if they have fallen1 to exclude them from all grace6 ,to whom does he enjoin us to grant forgiveness seventy times seven times8 ,is it not to our brethren8 ,and what was the design of this injunction1 but that we might imitate his clemency8 ,he pardons1 therefore1 not once or twice1 but as often as the sinner is alarmed with a sense of his sins1 and sighs for mercy4 ,,xxiv4 ,but to begin from the infancy of the ,church3 the patriarchs had been circumcised1 admitted to the privileges of the covenant1 and without doubt instructed in justice and integrity by the care of their father1 when they conspired to murder their brother4 ,this was a crime to be abominated even by the most desperate and abandoned robbers4 ,at length1 softened by the admonitions of ,judah1 they sold him for a slave4 ,this also was an intolerable cruelty4 ,simon and ,levi1 in a spirit of nefarious revenge1 condemned even by the judgment of their father1 murdered the inhabitants of ,sichem4 ,reuben was guilty of execrable incest with his father's concubine4 ,judah1 with an intention of indulging a libidinous passion1 violated the law of nature by a criminal connection with his son's wife4 ,yet they are so far from being expunged out of the number of the chosen people1 that1 on the contrary1 they are constituted the heads of the nation4#gfg ,what shall we say of ,david8 ,though he was the official guardian of justice1 how scandalously did he prepare the way for the gratification of a blind passion1 by the effusion of innocent blood6 ,he had already been regenerated1 and among the regenerate had been distinguished by the peculiar commendations of the ,lord2 yet he perpetrated a crime even among heathens regarded with horror1 and yet he obtained mercy4#gfh ,and not to dwell any longer on particular examples1 the numerous promises which the law and the prophets contain1 of ,divine mercy towards the ,israelites1 are so many proofs of the manifestation of ,god's placability to the offences of his people4 ,for what does ,moses promise to the people in case of their return to the ,lord1 after having fallen into idolatry8 8,then the ,lord thy ,god will turn thy captivity1 and have compassion upon thee1 and will return and gather thee from all the nations1 whither the ,lord thy ,god hath scattered thee4 ,if any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven1 from thence will the ,lord thy ,god gather thee40#gfi ,,xxv4 ,but ,i am unwilling to commence an enumeration which would have no end4 ,for the prophets are full of such promises1 which offer mercy to the people1 though covered with innumerable crimes4 ,what sin is worse than rebellion8 ,it is described as a divorce between ,god and the ,church3 yet this is overcome by the goodness of ,god4 ,hear his language by the mouth of ,jeremiah3 8,if a man put away his wife1 and she go from him1 and become another man's1 shall he return unto her again8 ,shall not that land be greatly polluted8 ,but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers1 and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness4 ,yet return again to me1 thou backsliding ,israel1 saith the ,lord1 and ,i will not cause mine anger to fall upon you2 for ,i am merciful1 saith the ,lord1 and will not keep anger for ever40#ggj ,and surely there cannot possibly be any other disposition in him who affirms1 that he 8hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked1 but that the wicked turn from his way and live40#gga ,therefore1 when ,solomon dedicated the temple1 he appointed it also for this purpose1 that prayers1 offered to obtain pardon of sins1 might there be heard and answered4 ,his words are1 8,if they sin against thee1 7for there is no man that sinneth not17 and thou be angry with them1 and deliver them to the enemy1 so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy1 far or near2 yet if they shall bethink themselves1 and repent in the land whither they were carried captives1 and repent and make supplication unto thee in the land of those that carried them captives1 saying1 ,we have sinned1 and have done perversely1 we have committed wickedness2 and pray unto thee toward the land which thou gavest unto their fathers1 the city which thou hast chosen1 and the house which ,i have built for thy name2 then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven1 and forgive thy people that have sinned against thee1 and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee40#ggb ,nor was it without cause that in the law the ,lord ordained daily sacrifices for sins2 for unless he had foreseen that his people would be subject to the maladies of daily sins1 he would never have appointed these remedies4#ggc ,,xxvi4 ,now1 ,i ask whether1 by the advent of ,christ1 in whom the fulness of grace was displayed1 believers have been deprived of this benefit1 so that they can no longer presume to supplicate for the pardon of their sins2 so that if they offend against the ,lord1 they can obtain no mercy4 ,what would this be but to affirm1 that ,christ came for the destruction of his people1 and not for their salvation2 if the loving-kindness of ,god1 in the pardon of sins1 which was continually ready to be exercised to the saints under the ,old ,testament1 be maintained to be now entirely withdrawn8 ,but if we give any credit to the ,scriptures1 which proclaim that in ,christ the grace and philanthropy of ,god have at length been fully manifested1 that his mercy has been abundantly diffused1 and reconciliation between ,god and man accomplished1#ggd we ought not to doubt that the clemency of our heavenly ,father is displayed to us in greater abundance1 rather than restricted or diminished4 ,examples to prove this are not wanting4 ,peter1 who had been warned that he who would not confess the name of ,christ before men would be denied by him before angels1 denied him three times in one night1 and accompanied the denial with execrations2 yet he was not refused pardon4#gge ,those of the ,thessalonians who led disorderly lives1 are reprehended by the apostle1 in order to be invited to repentance4#ggf ,nor does ,peter drive ,simon ,magus himself to despair2 but rather directs him to cherish a favourable hope1 when he persuades him to pray for forgiveness4#ggg ,,xxvii4 ,what are we to say of cases in which the most enormous sins have sometimes seized whole ,churches8 ,from this situation ,paul rather mercifully reclaimed them1 than abandoned them to the curse4 ,the defection of the ,galatians was no trivial offence4#ggh ,the ,corinthians were still less excusable1 their crimes being more numerous and equally enormous4#ggi ,yet neither are excluded from the mercy of the ,lord3 on the contrary1 the very persons who had gone beyond all others in impurity1 unchastity1 and fornication1 are expressly invited to repentance4 ,for the covenant of the ,lord will ever remain eternal and inviolable1 which he has made with ,christ1 the antitype of ,solomon1 and with all his members1 in these words3 8,if his children forsake my law1 and walk not in my judgments2 if they break my statutes1 and keep not my commandments2 then will ,i visit their transgression with the rod1 and their iniquity with stripes4 ,nevertheless my loving-kindness will ,i not utterly take from him40#ghj ,finally1 the order of the ,creed teaches us that pardon of sins ever continues in the ,church of ,christ1 because1 after having mentioned the ,church1 it immediately adds the forgiveness of sins4 ,,xxviii4 ,some persons1 who are a little more judicious1 perceiving the notion of ,novatus to be so explicitly contradicted by the ,scripture1 do not represent every sin as unpardonable1 but only voluntary transgression1 into which a person may have fallen with the full exercise of his knowledge and will4 ,these persons admit of no pardon for any sins1 but such as may have been the mere errors of ignorance4 ,but as the ,lord1 in the law1 commanded some sacrifices to be offered to expiate the voluntary sins of believers1 and others to atone for sins of ignorance1 what extreme presumption is it to deny that there is any pardon for voluntary transgression6 ,i maintain1 that there is nothing more evident1 than that the one sacrifice of ,christ is available for the remission of the voluntary sins of the saints1 since the ,lord has testified the same by the legal victims1 as by so many types4 ,besides1 who can plead ignorance as an excuse for ,david1 who was evidently so well acquainted with the law8 ,did not ,david know that adultery and murder were great crimes1 which he daily punished in others8 ,did the patriarchs consider fratricide as lawful8 ,had the ,corinthians learned so little that they could imagine impurity1 incontinence1 fornication1 animosities1 and contentions1 to be pleasing to ,god8 ,could ,peter1 who had been so carefully warned1 be ignorant how great a crime it was to abjure his ,master8 ,let us not1 therefore1 by our cruelty1 shut the gate of mercy which ,god has so liberally opened4 ,,xxix4 ,i am fully aware that the old writers have explained those sins1 which are daily forgiven to believers1 to be the smaller faults1 which are inadvertently committed through the infirmity of the flesh2 but solemn repentance1 which was then required for greater offences1 they thought1 was no more to be repeated than baptism4 ,this sentiment is not to be understood as indicating their design1 either to drive into despair such persons as had relapsed after their first repentance1 or to extenuate those errors1 as if they were small in the sight of ,god4 ,for they knew that the saints frequently stagger through unbelief2 that they sometimes utter unnecessary oaths2 that they occasionally swell into anger1 and even break out into open reproaches2 and that they are likewise chargeable with other faults1 which the ,lord holds in the greatest abomination4 ,they expressed themselves in this manner1 to distinguish between private offences and those public crimes which were attended with great scandal in the ,church4 ,but the difficulty1 which they made1 of forgiving those who had committed any thing deserving of ecclesiastical censure1 did not arise from an opinion that it was difficult for them to obtain pardon from the ,lord2 they only intended by this severity to deter others from rashly running into crimes1 which would justly be followed by their exclusion from the communion of the ,church4 ,the word of the ,lord1 however1 which ought to be our only rule in this case1 certainly prescribes greater moderation4 ,for it teaches1 that the rigour of discipline ought not to be carried to such an extent1 as to overwhelm with sorrow the person whose benefit we are required to regard as its principal object2 as we have before shown more at large4 ,footnote #gjc3 ,ephes4 iv4 #aa-af4 ,footnote #gjd3 ,mark x4 #i4 ,footnote #gje3 ,gal4 iv4 #bf4 ,footnote #gjf3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #gjg3 ,rom4 xi4 #d4 #a ,kings xix4 #ah4 ,footnote #gjh3 ,acts iv4 #cb4 ,footnote #gji3 ,ephes4 iv4 #d4 ,footnote #gaj3 ,joel ii4 #cb4 ,obad4 #ag4 ,footnote #gaa3 ,psalm xlvi4 #e4 ,footnote #gab3 ,matt4 xxii4 #cj4 ,footnote #gac3 ,isaiah xxxvii4 #ce4 ,joel ii4 #cb4 ,footnote #gad3 ,ezek4 xiii4 #i4 ,footnote #gae3 ,psalm cvi4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #gaf3 ,ephes4 iv4 #aj-ac4 ,footnote #gag3 ,isaiah lix4 #ba4 ,footnote #gah3 ,rom4 x4 #ag4 ,footnote #gai3 ,psalm cxxxii4 #ad2 lxxx4 #a4 ,footnote #gbj3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #gba3 ,psalm cv4 #d4 ,footnote #gbb3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #gbc3 ,exod4 xx4 #bd4 ,footnote #gbd3 ,psalm lxxxiv4 ,footnote #gbe3 ,psalm cxxxii4 #g4 xcix4 #e4 ,footnote #gbf3 ,acts vii4 #dh1 #di4 ,footnote #gbg3 ,mal4 iv4 #f4 ,footnote #gbh3 ,john xv4 #af4 ,footnote #gbi3 #a ,peter i4 #bc4 ,footnote #gcj3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #ae4 ix4 #b4 ,footnote #gca3 #b ,cor4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote #gcb3 #a ,thess4 i4 #e4 ,footnote #gcc3 ,gal4 iii4 #b4 ,footnote #gcd3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #i2 xv4 #aj4 #b ,cor4 vi4 #a4 ,footnote #gce3 #a ,thess4 ii4 #a4 ,footnote #gcf3 ,col4 i4 #bi4 ,footnote #gcg3 ,gal4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #gch3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #g4 ,footnote #gci3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #aj4 ,footnote #gdj3 #b ,tim4 ii4 #ai4 ,footnote #gda3 ,matt4 xviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #gdb3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #gdc3 ,eph4 v4 #bg4 ,footnote #gdd3 ,eph4 i4 #bc4 ,footnote #gde3 ,phil4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #gdf3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #cj4 ,footnote #gdg3 ,matt4 xiii4 #dg4 ,footnote #gdh3 ,matt4 xiii4 #bd4 ,footnote #gdi3 ,matt4 iii4 #ab4 ,footnote #gej3 #a ,cor4 i4 #aa2 iii4 #c2 v4 #a2 vi4 #g2 ix4 #a2 xiv4 #bf1 #dj2 xv4 #ab4 ,footnote #gea3 ,gal4 i4 #f2 iii4 #a2 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #geb3 #a ,cor4 v4 #b1 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #gec3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #ged3 ,ephes4 v4 #be-bg4 ,footnote #gee3 ,joel iii4 #ag4 ,isaiah xxxv4 #h4 ,footnote #gef3 ,psalm lxxxix4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #geg3 ,psalm cxxxii4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #geh3 ,jer4 xxxi4 #ce1 #cf4 ,footnote #gei3 ,isaiah xxxiii4 #bd4 ,footnote #gfj3 ,hos4 ii4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #gfa3 ,jerem4 xxxiii4 #h4 ,footnote #gfb3 ,matt4 xvi4 #ai2 xviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #gfc3 ,john xx4 #bc4 ,footnote #gfd3 #b ,cor4 v4 #ah-bj4 ,footnote #gfe3 ,acts xx4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #gff3 ,matt4 vi4 #ab4 ,footnote #gfg3 ,gen4 xxxvii4 #ah1 #bh2 xxxiv4 #be2 xxxv4 #bb2 xxxviii4 #af4 ,footnote #gfh3 #b ,sam4 xi4 #d1 #ae2 xii4 #ac4 ,footnote #gfi3 ,deut4 xxx4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #ggj3 ,jer4 iii4 #a1 #b1 #ab4 ,footnote #gga3 ,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa4 ,footnote #ggb3 #a ,kings viii4 #df-ej4 ,footnote #ggc3 ,numb4 xxviii4 #c4 ,footnote #ggd3 #b ,tim4 i4 #i1 #aj4 ,tit4 ii4 #aa2 iii4 #d-g4 ,footnote #gge3 ,matt4 x4 #cc4 ,mark viii4 #ch4 ,matt4 xxvi4 #fi1 c4 ,footnote #ggf3 #b ,thess4 iii4 #f1 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #ggg3 ,acts viii4 #bb4 ,footnote #ggh3 ,gal4 i4 #f2 iii4 #a2 iv4 #i4 ,footnote #ggi3 #a ,cor4 i4 #aa1 #ab2 v4 #a4 #b ,cor4 xii4 #ba4 ,footnote #ghj3 ,psalm lxxxix4 #cj-cc4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,true ,,and ,,false ,,church ,,compared4 ,we have already stated the importance which we ought to attach to the ministry of the word and sacraments1 and the extent to which our reverence for it ought to be carried1 so as to account it a perpetual mark and characteristic of the ,church4 ,that is to say1 that wherever that exists entire and uncorrupted1 no errors and irregularities of conduct form a sufficient reason for refusing the name of a ,church4 ,in the next place1 that the ministry itself is not so far vitiated by smaller errors1 as to be considered on that account less legitimate4 ,it has further been shown1 that the errors which are entitled to this forgiveness are those by which the grand doctrine of religion is not injured1 which do not suppress the points in which all believers ought to agree as articles of faith1 and which1 in regard to the sacraments1 neither abolish nor subvert the legitimate institution of their ,author4 ,but as soon as falsehood has made a breach in the fundamentals of religion1 and the system of necessary doctrine is subverted1 and the use of the sacraments fails1 the certain consequence is the ruin of the ,church1 as there is an end of a man's life when his throat is cut1 or his heart is mortally wounded4 ,and this is evident from the language of ,paul1 when he declares the ,church to be 8built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets1 ,jesus ,christ himself being the chief corner-stone40#gha ,if the foundation of the ,church be the doctrine of the prophets and apostles1 which enjoins believers to place their salvation in ,christ alone1 how can the edifice stand any longer1 when that doctrine is taken away8 ,the ,church1 therefore1 must of necessity fall1 where that system of religion is subverted which alone is able to sustain it4 ,besides1 if the true ,church be 8the pillar and ground of truth10#ghb that certainly can be no ,church where delusion and falsehood have usurped the dominion4 ,,ii4 ,as this is the state of things under the ,papacy1 it is easy to judge how much of the ,church remains there4 ,instead of the ministry of the word1 there reigns a corrupt government1 composed of falsehoods1 by which the pure light is suppressed or extinguished4 ,an execrable sacrilege has been substituted for the supper of the ,lord4 ,the worship of ,god is deformed by a multifarious and intolerable mass of superstitions4 ,the doctrine1 without which ,christianity cannot exist1 has been entirely forgotten or exploded4 ,the public assemblies have become schools of idolatry and impiety4 ,in withdrawing ourselves1 therefore1 from the pernicious participation of so many enormities1 there is no danger of separating ourselves from the ,church of ,christ4 ,the communion of the ,church was not instituted as a bond to confine us in idolatry1 impiety1 ignorance of ,god1 and other evils2 but rather as a mean to preserve us in the fear of ,god1 and obedience of the truth4 ,i know that the ,papists give us the most magnificent commendations of their ,church1 to make us believe that there is no other in the world2 and then1 as if they had gained their point1 they conclude all who dare to withdraw themselves from that ,church which they describe1 to be schismatics1 and pronounce all to be heretics who venture to open their mouths in opposition to its doctrine4 ,but by what reasons do they prove theirs to be the true ,church8 ,they allege from ancient records what formerly occurred in ,italy1 in ,france1 in ,spain2 that they are descended from those holy men1 who by sound doctrine founded and raised the ,churches in these countries1 and confirmed their doctrine and the edification of the ,church by their blood2 and that the ,church1 thus consecrated among them1 both by spiritual gifts1 and by the blood of martyrs1 has been preserved by a perpetual succession of bishops1 that it might never be lost4 ,they allege the importance attached to this succession by ,irenus1 ,tertullian1 ,origen1 ,augustine1 and others4 ,to those who are willing to attend me in a brief examination of these allegations1 ,i will clearly show that they are frivolous1 and manifestly ridiculous4 ,i would likewise exhort those who advance them1 to pay a serious attention to the subject1 if ,i thought my arguments could produce any effect upon them2 but as their sole object is to promote their own interest by every method in their power1 without any regard to truth1 ,i shall content myself with making a few observations1 with which good men1 and inquirers after truth1 may be able to answer their cavils4 ,in the first place1 ,i ask them1 why they allege nothing respecting ,africa1 and ,egypt1 and all ,asia4 ,it is because1 in all those countries1 there has been a failure of this sacred succession of bishops1 by virtue of which they boast that the ,church has been preserved among them4 ,they come to this point1 therefore1 that they have the true ,church1 because from its commencement it has never been destitute of bishops1 for that some have been succeeded by others in an uninterrupted series4 ,but what if ,i oppose them with the example of ,greece8 ,i ask them again1 therefore1 why they assert that the ,church has been lost among the ,greeks1 among whom there has never been any interruption of that succession of bishops1 which they consider as the sole guard and preservative of the ,church8 ,they call the ,greeks schismatics4 ,for what reason8 ,because1 it is pretended1 they have lost their privilege by revolting from the ,apostolical see4 ,but do not they much more deserve to lose it1 who have revolted from ,christ himself8 ,it follows1 therefore1 that their plea of uninterrupted succession is a vain pretence1 unless the truth of ,christ1 which was transmitted from the fathers1 be permanently retained pure and uncorrupted by their posterity4 ,,iii4 ,the pretensions of the ,romanists1 therefore1 in the present day1 are no other than those which appear to have been formerly set up by the ,jews1 when they were reproved by the prophets of the ,lord for blindness1 impiety1 and idolatry4 ,for as the ,jews boasted of the temple1 the ceremonies1 and the priesthood1 in which things they firmly believed the ,church to consist2 so1 instead of the ,church1 the ,papists produce certain external forms1 which are often at a great distance from the ,church1 and are not at all necessary to its existence4 ,wherefore we need no other argument to refute them1 than that which was urged by ,jeremiah against that foolish confidence of the ,jews3 8,trust ye not in lying words1 saying1 ,the temple of the ,lord1 the temple of the ,lord1 the temple of the ,lord1 are these40#ghc ,for the ,lord acknowledges no place as his temple1 where his word is not heard and devoutly observed4 ,so1 though the glory of ,god resided between the cherubim in the sanctuary1 and he had promised his people that he would make it his permanent seat1 yet when the priests had corrupted his worship by perverse superstitions1 he departed1 and left the place without any sanctity4 ,if that temple which appeared to be consecrated to the perpetual residence of ,god1 could be forsaken and desecrated by him1 there can be no reason for their pretending that ,god is so attached to persons or places1 or confined to external observances1 as to be constrained to remain among those who have nothing but the name and appearance of the ,church4 ,and this is the argument which is maintained by ,paul in the ,epistle to the ,romans1 from the ninth chapter to the twelfth4 ,for it had violently disturbed weak consciences1 to observe that1 while the ,jews appeared to be the people of ,god1 they not only rejected1 but also persecuted1 the doctrine of the gospel4 ,therefore1 after having discussed that doctrine1 he removes this difficulty2 and denies the claim of those ,jews1 who were enemies of the truth1 to be considered as the ,church1 though in other respects they wanted nothing that could be requisite to its external form4 ,and the only reason for this denial was1 because they did not receive ,christ4 ,he speaks rather more explicitly in the ,epistle to the ,galatians1#ghd where1 in a comparison between ,ishmael and ,isaac1 he represents many as occupying a place in the ,church1 who have no right to the inheritance1 because they are not the children of a free mother4 ,hence he proceeds to a contrast of the two ,jerusalems1 because as the law was given on ,mount ,sinai1 but the gospel came forth from ,jerusalem1 so many who have been born and educated in bondage1 confidently boast of being the children of ,god and of the ,church1 and though they are themselves a spurious offspring1 look down with contempt on his genuine and legitimate children4 ,but as for us1 on the contrary1 who have once heard it proclaimed from heaven1 8,cast out the bondwoman and her son10 let us confide in this inviolable decree1 and resolutely despise their ridiculous pretensions4 ,for if they pride themselves on an external profession1 ,ishmael also was circumcised4 ,if they depend on antiquity1 he was the first born4 ,yet we see that he was rejected4 ,if the cause of this be inquired1 ,paul tells us that none are accounted children but those who are born of the pure and legitimate seed of the word4#ghe ,according to this reason1 the ,lord declares that he is not confined to impious priests1 because he had made a covenant with their father ,levi to be his angel or messenger4#ghf ,he even retorts on them their false boasting1 with which they were accustomed to oppose the prophets1 that the dignity of the priesthood ought to be held in peculiar estimation4 ,this he readily admits1 and argues with them on this ground1 because he was prepared to observe the covenant1 whereas they failed of discharging the correspondent obligations1 and therefore deserved to be rejected4 ,see1 then1 what such succession is worth1 unless it be connected with a continual imitation and conformity4 ,without this1 the descendants1 who are convicted of a departure from their predecessors1 must immediately be deprived of all honour2 unless1 indeed1 because ,caiaphas was the successor of many pious priests1 and there had been an uninterrupted series even from ,aaron to him1 that execrable assembly be deemed worthy to be called the ,church4 ,but it would not be tolerated even in earthly governments1 that the tyranny of ,caligula1 ,nero1 ,heliogabalus1 and others1 should be called the true state of the republic1 because they succeeded the ,bruti1 the ,scipios1 and the ,camilli4 ,but in regard to the government of the ,church1 nothing can be more frivolous than to place the succession in the persons1 to the neglect of the doctrine4 ,and nothing was further from the intentions of the holy doctors1 whose authority they falsely obtrude upon us1 than to prove that ,churches existed by a kind of hereditary right1 wherever there has been a constant succession of bishops4 ,but as it was beyond all doubt that1 from the beginning even down to their times1 no change had taken place in the doctrine1 they assumed1 what would suffice for the confutation of all new errors1 that they were repugnant to the doctrine which had been constantly and unanimously maintained even from the days of the apostles4 ,they will gain nothing1 therefore1 by persisting to disguise themselves under the name of the ,church4 ,the ,church we regard with becoming reverence2 but when they come to the definition1 they are miserably embarrassed1 for they substitute an execrable harlot in the place of the holy spouse of ,christ4 ,that we may not be deceived by such a substitution1 beside other admonitions1 let us remember this of ,augustine2 for1 speaking of the ,church1 he says1 8,it is sometimes obscured and beclouded by a multitude of scandals2 sometimes it appears quiet and unmolested in a season of tranquillity1 and is sometimes disturbed and overwhelmed with the waves of tribulations and temptations40 ,he produces examples1 that those who were its firmest pillars1 have either undauntedly suffered banishment on account of the faith1 or secluded themselves from all society4 ,,iv4 ,in the same manner1 the ,romanists in the present day harass us1 and terrify ignorant persons with the name of the ,church1 though there are no greater enemies to ,christ than themselves4 ,although they may pretend therefore to the temple1 the priesthood1 and other similar forms1 this vain glitter1 which dazzles the eyes of the simple1 ought by no means to induce us to admit the existence of a ,church1 where we cannot discover the word of ,god4 ,for this is the perpetual mark by which our ,lord has characterized his people3 8,every one that is of the truth heareth my voice40#ghg ,and1 8,i am the good ,shepherd1 and know my sheep1 and am known of mine40 8,my sheep hear my voice1 and ,i know them1 and they follow me40 ,he had just before said1 8,the sheep follow their shepherd2 for they know his voice2 and a stranger will they not follow1 but will flee from him1 for they know not the voice of strangers40#ghh ,why1 then1 do we wilfully run into error in forming a judgment of the ,church1 since ,christ has designated it by an unequivocal character1 that wherever it is discovered1 it infallibly assures us of the existence of a ,church1 and wherever it is wanting1 there is no real evidence of a ,church left4 ,for ,paul declares the ,church to be founded1 not upon the opinions of men1 not upon the priesthood1 but upon the 8doctrine of the apostles and prophets40#ghi ,and ,jerusalem is to be distinguished from ,babylon1 the ,church of ,christ from the synagogue of ,satan1 by this difference1 by which ,christ has discriminated them from each other3 8,he that is of ,god1 heareth ,god's words2 ye therefore hear them not1 because ye are not of ,god40#gij ,in fine1 as the ,church is the kingdom of ,christ1 and he reigns only by his word1 can any person doubt the falsehood of those pretensions1 which represent the kingdom of ,christ as destitute of his sceptre1 that is1 of his holy word8 ,v4 ,with respect to the charge which they bring against us of heresy and schism1 because we preach a different doctrine from theirs1 and submit not to their laws1 and hold separate assemblies for prayers1 for baptism1 for the administration of the ,lord's supper1 and other sacred exercises1 it is indeed a most heavy accusation1 but such as by no means requires a long or laborious defence4 ,the appellations of heretics and schismatics are applied to persons who cause dissension1 and destroy the communion of the ,church4 ,now1 this communion is preserved by two bonds--agreement in sound doctrine1 and brotherly love4 ,between heretics and schismatics1 therefore1 ,augustine makes the following distinction--that the former corrupt the purity of the faith by false doctrines1 and that the latter break the bond of affection1 sometimes even while they retain the same faith4 ,but it is also to be remarked1 that this union of affection is dependent on the unity of faith1 as its foundation1 end1 and rule4 ,let us remember1 therefore1 that1 whenever the unity of the ,church is enjoined upon us in the ,scripture1 it is required1 that1 while our minds hold the same doctrines in ,christ1 our wills should likewise be united in mutual benevolence in ,christ4 ,therefore1 ,paul1 when he exhorts us to it1 assumes as a foundation1 that there is 8one ,lord1 one faith1 and one baptism40#gia ,and when he inculcates our being 8like-minded1 and having the same love1 being of one accord1 of one mind10#gib he immediately adds1 that this should be in ,christ1 or according to ,christ2 signifying that all union which is formed without the word of the ,lord1 is a faction of the impious1 and not an association of believers4 ,,vi4 ,cyprian1 also1 after the example of ,paul1 deduces the origin of all ecclesiastical concord from the supreme bishopric of ,christ4 ,he afterwards subjoins1 8,there is but one ,church1 which is widely extended into a multitude by the offspring of its fertility2 just as there are many rays of the sun1 but the light is one2 and a tree has many branches1 but only one trunk1 fixed on a firm root4 ,and when many rivers issue from one source1 though by its exuberant abundance the stream is multiplied into numerous currents1 yet the unity of the fountain still remains4 ,separate a ray from the body of the sun1 and its unity sustains no division4 ,break off a branch from a tree1 and the broken branch can never bud4 ,cut off a river from the source1 and it immediately dries up4 ,so the ,church1 overspread with the light of the ,lord1 is extended over the whole world3 yet it is one and the same light which is universally diffused40 ,no representation could be more elegant to express that inseparable connection which subsists between all the members of ,christ4 ,we see how he continually recalls us to the fountain-head4 ,therefore he pronounces the origin of heresies and schisms to be1 that men neither return to the source of truth1 nor seek the ,head1 nor attend to the doctrine of the heavenly ,master4 ,now1 let the ,romanists exclaim that we are heretics1 because we have withdrawn from their church2 while the sole cause of our secession has been1 that theirs cannot possibly be the pure profession of the truth4 ,i say nothing of their having expelled us with anathemas and execrations4 ,but this reason is more than sufficient for our exculpation1 unless they are determined to pronounce sentence of schism also against the apostles1 with whom we have but one common cause4 ,christ1 ,i say1 foretold to his apostles1 that for his name's sake they should be cast out of the synagogues4#gic ,now1 those synagogues1 of which he spoke1 were then accounted legitimate ,churches4 ,since it is evident1 then1 that we have been cast out1 and we are prepared to prove that this has been done for the name of ,christ1 it is necessary to inquire into the cause1 before any thing be determined respecting us1 either on one side or the other4 ,but this point ,i readily relinquish to them4 ,it is sufficient for me that it was necessary for us to withdraw from them1 in order to approach to ,christ4 ,,vii4 ,but it will be still more evident1 in what estimation we ought to hold all the ,churches who have submitted to the tyranny of the ,roman pontiff1 if we compare them with the ancient ,church of ,israel1 as delineated by the prophets4 ,there was a true ,church among the ,jews and the ,israelites1 while they continued to observe the laws of the covenant2 because they then obtained from the favour of ,god those things which constitute a ,church4 ,they had the doctrine of truth in the law2 the ministry of it was committed to the priests and prophets2 they were initiated into the ,church by the sign of circumcision2 and were exercised in other sacraments for the confirmation of their faith4 ,there is no doubt that the commendations1 with which the ,lord has honoured his ,church1 truly belonged to their society4 ,but after they deserted the law of the ,lord1 and fell into idolatry and superstition1 they partly lost this privilege4 ,for who would dare to refuse the title of a ,church to those among whom ,god deposited the preaching of his word1 and the observance of his mysteries8 ,on the other hand1 who would dare to give the appellation of a ,church1 without any exception1 to that society1 where the word of ,god is openly and fearlessly trampled under foot2 where its ministry1 the principal sinew1 and even the soul of the ,church1 is discontinued8 ,,viii4 ,what1 then1 it will be said1 was there no particle of a ,church left among the ,jews from the moment of their defection to idolatry8 ,the answer is easy4 ,in the first place1 ,i observe1 that in this defection there were several degrees4 ,nor will we maintain the fall of ,judah1 and that of ,israel1 to have been exactly the same1 at the time when they both began to depart from the pure worship of ,god4 ,when ,jeroboam made the calves1 in opposition to the express prohibition of ,god1 and dedicated a place which it was not lawful to use for the oblation of sacrifices1 in this case religion was totally corrupted4 ,the ,jews polluted themselves with practical impieties and superstitions1 before they made any unlawful changes in the external forms of religion4 ,for though they generally adopted many corrupt ceremonies in the time of ,rehoboam1 yet as the doctrine of the law1 and the priesthood1 and the rites which ,god had instituted1 were still preserved at ,jerusalem1 believers had in that kingdom a tolerable form of a ,church4 ,among the ,israelites1 there was no reformation down to the reign of ,ahab1 and in his time there was an alteration for the worse4 ,of the succeeding kings1 even to the subversion of the kingdom1 some resembled ,ahab1 and others1 who would be a little better1 followed the example of ,jeroboam2 but all1 without exception1 were impious idolaters4 ,in ,judah there were various changes2 some kings corrupted the worship of ,god with false and groundless superstitions1 and others restored religion from its abuses2 till1 at length1 the priests themselves polluted the temple of ,god with idolatrous and abominable rites4 ,,ix4 ,now1 however the ,papists may extenuate their vices1 let them deny1 if they can1 that the state of religion is as corrupt and depraved among them1 as it was in the kingdom of ,israel1 in the time of ,jeroboam4 ,but they practise a grosser idolatry1 and their doctrine is equally1 if not more1 impure4 ,god is my witness1 and all men who are endued with moderate judgment1 and the fact itself declares1 that in this ,i am guilty of no exaggeration4 ,now1 when they try to drive us into the communion of their ,church1 they require two things of us--first1 that we should communicate in all their prayers1 sacraments1 and ceremonies2 secondly1 that whatever honour1 power1 and jurisdiction1 ,christ has conferred upon his ,church1 we should attribute the same to theirs4 ,with respect to the first point1 ,i confess that the prophets who were at ,jerusalem1 when the state of affairs there was very corrupt1 neither offered up sacrifices apart from others1 nor held separate assemblies for prayer4 ,for they had the express command of ,god1 that they were to assemble in the temple of ,solomon2 and they knew that the ,levitical priests1 because they had been ordained by the ,lord as ministers of the sacrifices1 and had not been deposed1 however unworthy they might be of such honour1 still retained the lawful possession of that place4 ,but1 what is the principal point of the whole controversy1 they were not constrained to join in any superstitious worship2 on the contrary1 they engaged in no service that was not of ,divine institution4 ,but what resemblance is there to this among the ,papists8 ,we can scarcely assemble with them on a single occasion1 without polluting ourselves with open idolatry4 ,the principal bond of their communion is certainly the mass1 which we abominate as the greatest sacrilege4 ,whether we are right or wrong in this1 will be seen in another place4 ,it is sufficient1 at present1 to show that1 in this respect1 our case is different from that of the prophets1 who1 though they were present at the sacrifices of impious persons1 were never compelled to use1 or to witness1 any ceremonies but those which ,god had instituted4 ,and if we wish to have an example entirely similar1 we must take it from the kingdom of ,israel4 ,according to the regulations of ,jeroboam1 circumcision continued1 sacrifices were offered1 the law was regarded as sacred1 the people invoked the same ,god whom their fathers had worshipped2 yet1 on account of novel ceremonies invented in opposition to the ,divine prohibitions1 ,god disapproved and condemned all that was done there4 ,show me a single prophet1 or any pious man1 who even once worshipped or offered sacrifice at ,bethel4 ,they knew that they could not do it without contaminating themselves with sacrilege4 ,we have established this point1 therefore1 that the attachment of pious persons to the communion of the ,church1 ought not to be carried to such an extent1 as to oblige them to remain in it1 if it degenerated into profane and impure rites4 ,x4 ,but against their second requisition1 we contend upon still stronger ground4 ,for if the ,church be held in such consideration that we are required to revere its judgment1 to obey its authority1 to receive its admonitions1 to fall under its censures1 and scrupulously and uniformly to adhere to its communion1 we cannot allow their claim to the character of the ,church1 without necessarily obliging ourselves to subjection and obedience4 ,yet we readily concede to them what the prophets conceded to the ,jews and ,israelites of their time1 when things among them were in a similar1 or even in a better state4 ,but we see how they frequently exclaim1 that their assemblies were iniquitous meetings1#gid a concurrence in which were as criminal as a renunciation of ,god4 ,and certainly1 if those assemblies were ,churches1 it follows that ,elijah1 ,micaiah1 and others in ,israel1 were strangers to the ,church of ,god2 and the same would be true of ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 ,hosea1 and others of that description in ,judah1 whom the false prophets1 priests1 and people of their day1 hated and execrated as if they had been worse than any heathens4 ,if such assemblies were ,churches1 then the ,church is not the pillar of truth1 but a foundation of falsehood1 not the sanctuary of the living ,god1 but a receptacle of idols4 ,they found themselves under a necessity1 therefore1 of withdrawing from all connection with those assemblies1 which were nothing but a conspiracy against ,god4 ,for the same reason1 if any one acknowledges the assemblies of the present day1 which are contaminated with idolatry1 superstition1 and false doctrine1 as true ,churches1 in full communion with which a ,christian man ought to continue1 and in whose doctrine he ought to coincide1 this will be a great error4 ,for if they be ,churches1 they possess the power of the keys2 but the keys are inseparably connected with the word1 which is exploded from among them4 ,again1 if they be ,churches1 that promise of ,christ must be applicable to them--8,whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven1 and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven40#gie ,on the contrary1 all who sincerely profess themselves to be the servants of ,christ1 they expel from their communion4 ,either1 therefore1 the promise of ,christ must be vain1 or in this respect they are not ,churches4 ,lastly1 instead of the ministry of the word1 they have schools of impiety1 and a gulf of every species of errors4 ,either1 therefore1 in this respect they are not ,churches1 or no mark will be left to distinguish the legitimate assemblies of believers from the conventions of ,turks4 ,,xi4 ,nevertheless1 as in former times the ,jews continued in possession of some peculiar privileges of the ,church1 so we refuse not to acknowledge1 among the ,papists of the present day1 those vestiges of the ,church which it has pleased the ,lord should remain among them after its removal4 ,when ,god had once made his covenant with the ,jews1 it continued among them1 rather because it was supported by its own stability in opposition to their impiety1 than in consequence of their observance of it4 ,such1 therefore1 was the certainty and constancy of the ,divine goodness1 the covenant of the ,lord remained among them2 his faithfulness could not be obliterated by their perfidy2 nor could circumcision be so profaned by their impure hands1 but that it was always the true sign and sacrament of his covenant4 ,hence the children that were born to them1 ,god calls his own1#gif though they could not have belonged to him but by a special benediction4 ,so after he had deposited his covenant in ,france1 ,italy1 ,germany1 ,spain1 and ,england1 when those countries were oppressed by the tyranny of ,antichrist1 still1 in order that the covenant might remain inviolable1 as a testimony of that covenant1 he preserved baptism among them1 which1 being consecrated by his lips1 retains its virtue in opposition to all the impiety of men4 ,he also1 by his providence1 caused other vestiges of the ,church to remain1 that it might not be entirely lost4 ,and as buildings are frequently demolished in such a manner as to leave the foundations and ruins remaining1 so the ,lord has not suffered ,antichrist either to subvert his ,church from the foundation1 or to level it with the ground2 though1 to punish the ingratitude of men who despised his word1 he has permitted a dreadful concussion and dilapidation to be made2 yet1 amidst this devastation1 he has been pleased to preserve the edifice from being entirely destroyed4 ,,xii4 ,while we refuse1 therefore1 to allow to the ,papists the title of the ,church1 without any qualification or restriction1 we do not deny that there are ,churches among them4 ,we only contend for the true and legitimate constitution of the ,church1 which requires not only a communion in the sacraments1 which are the signs of a ,christian profession1 but above all1 an agreement in doctrine4 ,daniel and ,paul had predicted that ,antichrist would sit in the temple of ,god4#gig ,the head of that cursed and abominable kingdom1 in the ,western ,church1 we affirm to be the ,pope4 ,when his seat is placed in the temple of ,god1 it suggests1 that his kingdom will be such1 that he will not abolish the name of ,christ1 or the ,church4 ,hence it appears1 that we by no means deny that ,churches may exist1 even under his tyranny2 but he has profaned them by sacrilegious impiety1 afflicted them by cruel despotism1 corrupted and almost terminated their existence by false and pernicious doctrines1 like poisonous potions2 in such ,churches1 ,christ lies half buried1 the gospel is suppressed1 piety exterminated1 and the worship of ,god almost abolished2 in a word1 they are altogether in such a state of confusion1 that they exhibit a picture of ,babylon1 rather than of the holy city of ,god4 ,to conclude1 ,i affirm that they are ,churches1 inasmuch as ,god has wonderfully preserved among them a remnant of his people1 though miserably dispersed and dejected1 and as there still remain some marks of the ,church1 especially those1 the efficacy of which neither the craft of the devil nor the malice of men can ever destroy4 ,but1 on the other hand1 because those marks1 which we ought chiefly to regard in this controversy1 are obliterated1 ,i affirm1 that the form of the legitimate ,church is not to be found either in any one of their congregations1 or in the body at large4 ,footnote #gha3 ,ephes4 ii4 #bj4 ,footnote #ghb3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ghc3 ,jer4 vii4 #d4 ,footnote #ghd3 ,gal4 iv4 ,footnote #ghe3 ,rom4 ix4 #f-h4 ,footnote #ghf3 ,mal4 ii4 #a-i4 ,footnote #ghg3 ,john xviii4 #cg4 ,footnote #ghh3 ,john x4 #d1 #e1 #ad1 #bg4 ,footnote #ghi3 ,ephes4 ii4 #bj4 ,footnote #gij3 ,john viii4 #dg4 ,footnote #gia3 ,ephes4 iv4 #e4 ,footnote #gib3 ,phil4 ii4 #b1 #e4 ,footnote #gic3 ,john xvi4 #b4 ,footnote #gid3 ,isaiah i4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #gie3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #gif3 ,ezek4 xiv4 #bj4 ,footnote #gig3 ,dan4 ix4 #bg4 #b ,thess4 ii4 #c1 #d4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,teachers ,,and ,,ministers ,,of ,,the ,,church2 ,,their ,,election ,,and ,,office4 ,we must now treat of the order which it has been the ,lord's will to appoint for the government of his ,church4 ,for although he alone ought to rule and reign in the ,church1 and to have all preminence in it1 and this government ought to be exercised and administered solely by his word1--yet1 as he dwells not among us by a visible presence1 so as to make an audible declaration of his will to us1 we have stated1 that for this purpose he uses the ministry of men whom he employs as his delegates1 not to transfer his right and honour to them1 but only that he may himself do his work by their lips2 just as an artificer makes use of an instrument in the performance of his work4 ,some observations which ,i have made already1 are necessary to be repeated here4 ,it is true that he might do this either by himself1 without any means or instruments1 or even by angels2 but there are many reasons why he prefers making use of men4 ,for1 in the first place1 by this method he declares his kindness towards us1 since he chooses from among men those who are to be his ambassadors to the world1 to be the interpreters of his secret will1 and even to act as his personal representatives4 ,and thus he affords an actual proof1 that when he so frequently calls us his temples1 it is not an unmeaning appellation1 since he gives answers to men1 even from the mouths of men1 as from a sanctuary4 ,in the second place1 this is a most excellent and beneficial method to train us to humility1 since he accustoms us to obey his word1 though it is preached to us by men like ourselves1 and sometimes even of inferior rank4 ,if he were himself to speak from heaven1 there would be no wonder if his sacred oracles were instantly received with reverence1 by the ears and hearts of all mankind4 ,for who would not be awed by his present power8 who would not fall prostrate at the first view of infinite ,majesty8 who would not be confounded by that overpowering splendour8 ,but when a contemptible mortal1 who had just emerged from the dust1 addresses us in the name of ,god1 we give the best evidence of our piety and reverence towards ,god himself1 if we readily submit to be instructed by his minister1 who possesses no personal superiority to ourselves4 ,for this reason1 also1 he has deposited the treasure of his heavenly wisdom in frail and earthen vessels1#gih in order to afford a better proof of the estimation in which we hold it4 ,besides1 nothing was more adapted to promote brotherly love1 than a mutual connection of men by this bond1 while one is constituted the pastor to teach all the rest1 and they who are commanded to be disciples1 receive one common doctrine from the same mouth4 ,for if each person were sufficient for himself1 and had no need of the assistance of another1 such is the pride of human nature1 every one would despise others1 and would also be despised by them4 ,the ,lord1 therefore1 has connected his ,church together1 by that which he foresaw would be the strongest bond for the preservation of their union1 when he committed the doctrine of eternal life and salvation to men1 that by their hands it might be communicated to others4 ,paul had this in view when he wrote to the ,ephesians1 8,there is one body1 and one ,spirit1 even as ye are called in one hope of your calling2 one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism1 one ,god and ,father of all1 who is above all1 and through all1 and in you all4 ,but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,wherefore he saith1 ,when he ascended up on high1 he led captivity captive1 and gave gifts unto men4 7,now that he ascended1 what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth8 ,he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens1 that he might fill all things47 ,and he gave some1 apostles2 and some1 prophets2 and some1 evangelists2 and some1 pastors and teachers2 for the perfecting of the saints1 for the work of the ministry1 for the edifying of the body of ,christ2 till we all come in the unity of the faith1 and of the knowledge of the ,son of ,god1 unto a perfect man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ2 that we henceforth be no more children1 tossed to and fro1 and carried about with every wind of doctrine1 by the sleight of men1 and cunning craftiness1 whereby they lie in wait to deceive2 but1 speaking the truth in love1 may grow up into him in all things1 which is the head1 even ,christ2 from whom the whole body fitly joined together1 and compacted by that which every joint supplieth1 according to the effectual working in the measure of every part1 maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love40#gii ,,ii4 ,in this passage he shows that the ministry of men1 which ,god employs in his government of the ,church1 is the principal bond which holds believers together in one body4 ,he also indicates that the ,church cannot be preserved in perfect safety1 unless it be supported by these means which ,god has been pleased to appoint for its preservation4 ,christ1 he says1 8ascended up far above all heavens1 that he might fill all things40#hjj ,and this is the way in which he does it4 ,by means of his ministers1 to whom he has committed this office1 and on whom he has bestowed grace to discharge it1 he dispenses and distributes his gifts to the ,church1 and even affords some manifestation of his own presence1 by exerting the power of his ,spirit in this his institution1 that it may not be vain or ineffectual4 ,thus is the restoration of the saints effected2 thus is the body of ,christ edified2 thus we grow up unto him who is our ,head in all things1 and are united with each other2 thus we are all brought to the unity of ,christ2 if prophecy flourishes among us1 if we receive the apostles1 if we despise not the doctrine which is delivered to us4 ,whoever1 therefore1 either aims to abolish or undervalue this order1 of which we are treating1 and this species of government1 attempts to disorganize the ,church1 or rather to subvert and destroy it altogether4 ,for neither the light and heat of the sun1 nor any meat and drink1 are so necessary to the nourishment and sustenance of the present life1 as the apostolical and pastoral office is to the preservation of the ,church in the world4 ,,iii4 ,therefore ,i have already remarked1 that ,god has frequently commended its dignity to us by every possible encomium1 in order that we might hold it in the highest estimation and value1 as more excellent than every thing else4 ,that he confers a peculiar favour upon men by raising up teachers for them1 he fully signifies1 when he commands the prophet to exclaim1 8,how beautiful are the feet of him that publisheth peace20#hja and when he calls the apostles 8the light of the world10 and 8the salt of the earth40#hjb ,nor could that office be more splendidly distinguished than when he said to them1 8,he that heareth you1 heareth me40#hjc ,but there is no passage more remarkable than that in ,paul's ,second ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 where he professedly discusses this question4 ,he contends1 that there is nothing more excellent or glorious than the ministry of the gospel in the ,church1 inasmuch as it is the ministration of the ,spirit1 and of righteousness1 and of eternal life4#hjd ,the tendency of these and similar passages1 is to preserve that mode of governing the ,church by its ministers1 which the ,lord appointed to be of perpetual continuance1 from sinking into disesteem1 and1 at length1 falling into disuse through mere contempt4 ,and how exceedingly necessary it is1 he has not only declared in words1 but shown by examples4 ,when he was pleased to illuminate ,cornelius more fully with the light of his truth1 he despatched an angel from heaven to send ,peter to him4 ,when he designs to call ,paul to the knowledge of himself1 and to introduce him into the ,church1 he does not address him with his own voice1 but sends him to a man to receive the doctrine of salvation1 and the sanctification of baptism4 ,if it was not without sufficient reason1 that an angel1 who is the messenger of ,god1 refrains from announcing the ,divine will himself1 and directs a man to be sent for in order to declare it1--and that ,christ1 the sole ,teacher of believers1 committed ,paul to the instruction of a man1 the same ,paul whom he had determined to elevate into the third heaven1 and to favour with a miraculous revelation of things unspeakable1--who can now dare to despise that ministry1 or to neglect it as unnecessary1 the utility and necessity of which ,god has been pleased to evince by such examples8 ,,iv4 ,those who preside over the government of the ,church1 according to the institution of ,christ1 are named by ,paul1 first1 8apostles20 secondly1 8prophets20 thirdly1 8evangelists20 fourthly1 8pastors20 lastly1 8teachers40#hje ,of these1 only the two last sustain an ordinary office in the ,church3 the others were such as the ,lord raised up at the commencement of his kingdom1 and such as he still raises up on particular occasions1 when required by the necessity of the times4 ,the nature of the apostolic office is manifest from this command3 8,go preach the gospel to every creature40#hjf ,no certain limits are prescribed1 but the whole world is assigned to them1 to be reduced to obedience to ,christ2 that by disseminating the gospel wherever they could1 they might erect his kingdom in all nations4 ,therefore ,paul1 when he wished to prove his apostleship1 declares1 not merely that he had gained some one city for ,christ1 but that he had propagated the gospel far and wide1 and that he had not built upon the foundation of others1 but had planted ,churches where the name of the ,lord had never been heard before4 ,the 8apostles10 therefore1 were missionaries1 who were to reduce the world from their revolt to true obedience to ,god1 and to establish his kingdom universally by the preaching of the gospel4 ,or1 if you please1 they were the first architects of the ,church1 appointed to lay its foundations all over the world4 ,paul gives the appellation of 8prophets10 not to all interpreters of the ,divine will1 but only to those who were honoured with some special revelation4 ,of these1 either there are none in our day1 or they are less conspicuous4 ,by 8evangelists10 ,i understand those who were inferior to the apostles in dignity1 but next to them in office1 and who performed similar functions4 ,such were ,luke1 ,timothy1 ,titus1 and others of that description2 and perhaps also the seventy disciples1 whom ,christ ordained to occupy the second station from the apostles4#hjg ,according to this interpretation1 which appears to me perfectly consistent with the language and meaning of the apostle1 those three offices were not instituted to be of perpetual continuance in the ,church1 but only for that age when ,churches were to be raised where none had existed before1 or were at least to be conducted from ,moses to ,christ4 ,though ,i do not deny1 that1 even since that period1 ,god has sometimes raised up apostles or evangelists in their stead1 as he has done in our own time4 ,for there was a necessity for such persons to recover the ,church from the defection of ,antichrist4 ,nevertheless1 ,i call this an extraordinary office1 because it has no place in well-constituted ,churches4 ,next follow 8pastors0 and 8teachers10 who are always indispensable to the ,church4 ,the difference between them ,i apprehend to be this--that teachers have no official concern with the discipline1 or the administration of the sacraments1 or with admonitions and exhortations1 but only with the interpretation of the ,scripture1 that pure and sound doctrine may be retained among believers2 whereas the pastoral office includes all these things4 ,v4 ,we have now ascertained what offices were appointed to continue for a time in the government of the ,church1 and what were instituted to be of perpetual duration4 ,if we connect the evangelists with the apostles1 as sustaining the same office1 we shall then have two offices of each description1 corresponding to each other4 ,for our pastors bear the same resemblance to the apostles1 as our teachers do to the ancient prophets4 ,the office of the prophets was more excellent1 on account of the special gift of revelation1 by which they were distinguished2 but the office of teachers is executed in a similar manner1 and has precisely the same end4 ,so those twelve individuals1 whom the ,lord chose to promulgate the first proclamation of his gospel to the world1 preceded all others in order and dignity4 ,for although1 according to the meaning and etymology of the word1 all the ministers of the ,church may be called apostles1 because they are all sent by the ,lord1 and are his messengers1 yet1 as it was of great importance to have a certain knowledge of the mission of persons who were to announce a thing new and unheard before1 it was necessary that those twelve1 together with ,paul1 who was afterwards added to their number1 should be distinguished beyond all others by a peculiar title4 ,paul himself1 indeed1 gives this name to 8,andronicus and ,junia1 who10 he says1 8are of note among the apostles20#hjh but when he means to speak with strict propriety1 he never applies that name except to those of the first order that we have mentioned4 ,and this is the common usage of the ,scripture4 ,but the province of pastors is the same as that of the apostles1 except that they preside over particular ,churches respectively committed to each of them4 ,of the nature of their functions let us now proceed to a more distinct statement4 ,,vi4 ,our ,lord1 when he sent forth his apostles1 commissioned them1 as we have just remarked1 to preach the gospel1 and to baptize all believers for the remission of sins4#hji ,he had already commanded them to distribute the sacred symbols of his body and blood according to his own example4#haj ,behold the sacred1 inviolable1 and perpetual law imposed upon those who call themselves successors of the apostles2 it commands them to preach the gospel1 and to administer the sacraments4 ,hence we conclude1 that those who neglect both these duties have no just pretensions to the character of apostles4 ,but what shall we say of pastors8 ,paul speaks not only of himself1 but of all who bear that office1 when he says1 8,let a man so account of us1 as of the ministers of ,christ1 and stewards of the mysteries of ,god40#haa ,again3 8,a bishop must hold fast the faithful word as he hath been taught1 that he may be able1 by sound doctrine1 both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers40#hab ,from these and similar passages1 which frequently occur1 we may infer that the preaching of the gospel1 and the administration of the sacraments1 constitute the two principal parts of the pastoral office4 ,now1 the business of teaching is not confined to public discourses1 but extends also to private admonitions4 ,thus ,paul calls upon the ,ephesians to witness the truth of his declaration1 8,i have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you1 but have showed you1 and have taught you publicly1 and from house to house1 testifying both to the ,jews1 and also to the ,greeks1 repentance toward ,god1 and faith toward our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,and a little after3 8,i ceased not to warn every one1 night and day1 with tears40#hac ,but it is no part of my present design1 to enumerate all the excellences of a good pastor1 but only to show what is implied in the profession of those who call themselves pastors2 namely1 that they preside over the ,church in that station1 not that they may enjoy a respectable sinecure1 but to instruct the people in true piety by the doctrine of ,christ1 to administer the holy mysteries1 to maintain and exercise proper discipline4 ,for the ,lord denounces to all those who have been stationed as watchmen in the ,church1 that if any one perish in ignorance through their negligence1 he will require the blood of such a person at their hands4#had ,what ,paul says of himself1 belongs to them all3 8,woe is unto me1 if ,i preach not the gospel10 because 8a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me40#hae ,lastly1 what the apostles did for the whole world1 that every individual pastor ought to do for his flock to which he is appointed4 ,,vii4 ,while we assign to them all respectively their distinct ,churches1 yet we do not deny that a pastor1 who is connected with one ,church1 may assist others1 either when any disputes arise1 which may require his presence1 or when his advice is asked upon any difficult subject4 ,but because1 in order to preserve the peace of the ,church1 there is a necessity for such a regulation as shall clearly define to every one what duty he has to do1 lest they should all fall into disorder1 run hither and thither in uncertainty without any call1 and all resort to one place2 and lest those who feel more solicitude for their personal accommodation than for the edification of the ,church1 should1 without any cause but their own caprice1 leave the ,churches destitute1--this distribution ought as far as possible to be generally observed1 that every one may be content with his own limits1 and not invade the province of another4 ,nor is this an invention of men1 but an institution of ,god himself4 ,for we read that ,paul and ,barnabas 8ordained elders in the respective ,churches of ,lystra1 ,iconium1 and ,antioch20#haf and ,paul himself directed ,titus to 8ordain elders in every city40#hag ,so in other passages he mentions 8the bishops at ,philippi10#hah and ,archippus1 the bishop of the ,colossians4#hai ,and a remarkable speech of his is preserved by ,luke1 addressed to 8the elders of the ,church of ,ephesus40#hbj ,whoever1 therefore1 has undertaken the government and charge of one ,church1 let him know that he is bound to this law of the ,divine call2 not that he is fixed to his station so as never to be permitted to leave it in a regular and orderly manner1 if the public benefit should require it2 but he who has been called to one place1 ought never to think either of departing from his situation1 or relinquishing the office altogether1 from any motive of personal convenience or advantage4 ,but if it be expedient that he should remove to another station1 he ought not to attempt this on his own private opinion1 but to be guided by public authority4 ,,viii4 ,in calling those who preside over ,churches by the appellations of bishops1 elders1 pastors1 and ministers1 without any distinction1 ,i have followed the usage of the ,scripture1 which applies all these terms to express the same meaning4 ,for to all who discharge the ministry of the word1 it gives the title of 8bishops40 ,so when ,paul enjoins ,titus to 8ordain elders in every city10 he immediately adds1 8,for a bishop must be blameless40#hba ,so in another ,epistle he salutes more bishops than one in one ,church4#hbb ,and in the ,acts he is declared to have sent for the elders of the ,church of ,ephesus1 whom1 in his address to them1 he calls 8bishops40#hbc ,here it must be observed1 that we have enumerated only those offices which consist in the ministry of the word2 nor does ,paul mention any other in the fourth chapter of the ,epistle to the ,ephesians1 which we have quoted4 ,but in the ,epistle to the ,romans1 and the ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 he enumerates others1 as 8powers10 8gifts of healing10 8interpretation of tongues10 8governments10 8care of the poor40#hbd ,those functions which were merely temporary1 ,i omit1 as foreign to our present subject4 ,but there are two which perpetually remain--8government10 and 8the care of the poor40 8,governors0 ,i apprehend to have been persons of advanced years1 selected from the people1 to unite with the bishops in giving admonitions and exercising discipline4 ,for no other interpretation can be given of that injunction1 8,he that ruleth1 let him do it with diligence40#hbe ,therefore1 from the beginning1 every ,church has had its senate or council1 composed of pious1 grave1 and holy men1 who were invested with that jurisdiction in the correction of vices1 of which we shall soon treat4 ,now1 that this regulation was not of a single age1 experience itself demonstrates4 ,this office of government is necessary1 therefore1 in every age4 ,,ix4 ,the care of the poor was committed to the 8deacons40 ,the ,epistle to the ,romans1 however1 mentions two functions of this kind4 8,he that giveth10 says the apostle1 8let him do it with simplicity3 he that showeth mercy1 with cheerfulness40#hbf ,now1 as it is certain that he there speaks of the public offices of the ,church1 it follows that there were two distinct orders of deacons4 ,unless my judgment deceive me1 the former clause refers to the deacons who administered the alms2 and the other to those who devoted themselves to the care of poor and sick persons2 such as the widows mentioned by ,paul to ,timothy4#hbg ,for women could execute no other public office1 than by devoting themselves to the service of the poor4 ,if we admit this1--and it ought to be fully admitted1--there will be two classes of deacons1 of whom one will serve the ,church in dispensing the property given to the poor1 the other in taking care of the poor themselves4--,though the word itself 77 is of more extensive signification1 yet the ,scripture particularly gives the title of 8deacons0 to those whom the ,church has appointed to dispense the alms and take care of the poor1 and constituted stewards1 as it were1 of the common treasury of the poor2 and whose origin1 institution1 and office1 are described in the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,for 8when there arose a murmuring of the ,grecians against the ,hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration10#hbh the apostles pleaded their inability to discharge both offices1 of the ministry of the word and the service of tables1 and said to the multitude1 8,wherefore1 brethren1 look ye out among you seven men of honest report1 full of the ,holy ,ghost and wisdom1 whom we may appoint over this business40 ,see what were the characters of the deacons in the apostolic ,church1 and what ought to be the characters of ours1 in conformity to the primitive example4 ,x4 ,now1 as 8all things0 in the ,church are required to 8be done decently and in order10#hbi there is nothing in which this ought to be more diligently observed1 than the constitution of its government2 because there would be more danger from disorder in this case than in any other4 ,therefore1 that restless and turbulent persons may not presumptuously intrude themselves into the office of teaching or of governing1 it is expressly provided1 that no one shall assume a public office in the ,church without a call4 ,in order1 therefore1 that any one may be accounted a true minister of the ,church1 it is necessary1 in the first place1 that he be regularly called to it1 and1 in the second place1 that he answer his call2 that is1 by undertaking and executing the office assigned to him4 ,this may frequently be observed in ,paul2 who1 when he wishes to prove his apostleship1 almost always alleges his call1 together with his fidelity in the execution of the office4 ,if so eminent a minister of ,christ dare not arrogate to himself an authority to require his being heard in the ,church1 but in consequence of his appointment to it by a ,divine commission1 and his faithful discharge of the duty assigned him1--what extreme impudence must it be1 if any man1 destitute of both these characters1 should claim such an honour for himself6 ,but having already spoken of the necessity of discharging the office1 let us now confine ourselves to the call4 ,,xi4 ,now1 the discussion of this subject includes four branches3 what are the qualifications of ministers2 in what manner they are to be chosen2 by whom they ought to be appointed2 and with what rite or ceremony they are to be introduced into their office4 ,i speak of the external and solemn call1 which belongs to the public order of the ,church2 passing over that secret call1 of which every minister is conscious to himself before ,god1 but which is not known to the ,church4 ,this secret call1 however1 is the honest testimony of our heart1 that we accept the office offered to us1 not from ambition or avarice1 or any other unlawful motive1 but from a sincere fear of ,god1 and an ardent zeal for the edification of the ,church4 ,this1 as ,i have hinted1 is indispensable to every one of us1 if we would approve our ministry in the sight of ,god4 ,in the view of the ,church1 however1 he who enters on his office with an evil conscience1 is nevertheless duly called1 provided his iniquity be not discovered4 ,it is even common to speak of private persons as called to the ministry1 who appear to be adapted and qualified for the discharge of its duties2 because learning1 connected with piety and other endowments of a good pastor1 constitutes a kind of preparation for it4 ,for those whom the ,lord has destined to so important an office1 he first furnishes with those talents which are requisite to its execution1 that they may not enter upon it empty and unprepared4 ,hence ,paul1 in his ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 when he intended to treat of the offices themselves1 first enumerated the gifts which ought to be possessed by the persons who sustain those offices4#hcj ,but as this is the first of the four points which ,i have proposed1 let us now proceed to it4 ,,xii4 ,the qualifications of those who ought to be chosen bishops1 are stated at large by ,paul in two passages4#hca ,the sum of all he says is1 that none are to be chosen but men of sound doctrine and a holy life1 not chargeable with any fault that may destroy their authority1 or disgrace their ministry4 ,the same rule is laid down for the deacons and governors4 ,constant care is required1 that they be not unequal to the burden imposed upon them1 or1 in other words1 that they be endowed with those talents which are necessary to the discharge of their duty4 ,so1 when ,christ was about to send forth his apostles1 he furnished them with such means and powers as were indispensable to their success4#hcb ,and ,paul1 after having delineated the character of a good and genuine bishop1 admonishes ,timothy not to contaminate himself by the appointment of any one of a different description4#hcc ,the question relating to the manner in which they are to be chosen1 ,i refer not to the form of election1 but to the religious awe which ought to be observed in it4 ,hence the fasting and prayer1 which ,luke states to have been practised by the faithful at the ordination of elders4#hcd ,for knowing themselves to be engaged in a business of the highest importance1 they dared not attempt any thing but with the greatest reverence and solicitude4 ,and above all things1 they were earnest in prayers and supplications to ,god for the spirit of wisdom and discretion4 ,,xiii4 ,the third inquiry we proposed was1 by whom ministers are to be chosen4 ,now1 for this no certain rule can be gathered from the appointment of the apostles1 which was a case somewhat different from the common call of other ministers4 ,for as theirs was an extraordinary office1 it was necessary1 in order to render it conspicuous by some eminent character1 that they who were to sustain it should be called and appointed by the mouth of the ,lord himself4 ,the apostles1 therefore1 entered upon their work1 not in consequence of any human election1 but empowered by the sole command of ,god and of ,christ4 ,hence1 when they wish to substitute another in the place of ,judas1 they refrain from a certain appointment of any one1 but nominate two1 that the ,lord may declare by lot which of them he wills to be his successor4#hce ,in the same sense must be understood the declaration of ,paul1 that he had been created 8an apostle1 not of men1 neither by man1 but by ,jesus ,christ1 and ,god the ,father40#hcf ,the first clause1 not of men1 was applicable to him in common with all pious ministers of the word2 for no man can lawfully exercise this ministry without having been called by ,god4 ,the other clause was special and peculiar to himself4 ,when he glories in this1 therefore1 he not only claims what belongs to a true and lawful pastor1 but likewise brings forward an evidence of his apostleship4 ,for whereas there were1 among the ,galatians1 some who1 from an eagerness to diminish his authority1 represented him as a common disciple deputed by the primary apostles1--in order to vindicate the dignity of his preaching1 against which he knew these artifices were directed1 he found it necessary to show that he was not inferior to the other apostles in any respect4 ,wherefore he affirms1 that he had not been elected by the judgment of men1 like some ordinary bishop1 but by the mouth and clear revelation of the ,lord himself4 ,,xiv4 ,but that the election and appointment of bishops by men is necessary to constitute a legitimate call to the office1 no sober person will deny1 while there are so many testimonies of ,scripture to establish it4 ,nor is it contradicted by that declaration of ,paul1 that he was 8an apostle1 not of men1 nor by man10#hcg since he is not speaking in that passage of the ordinary election of ministers1 but claiming to himself what was the special privilege of the apostles4 ,the immediate designation of ,paul1 by the ,lord himself1 to this peculiar privilege1 was nevertheless accompanied with the form of an ecclesiastical call1 for ,luke states1 that 8,as they ministered to the ,lord1 and fasted1 the ,holy ,ghost said1 ,separate me ,barnabas and ,saul for the work whereunto ,i have called them40#hch ,what end could be answered by this separation and imposition of hands after the ,holy ,spirit had testified their election1 unless it was the preservation of the order of the ,church in designating ministers by men8 ,god could not sanction that order1 therefore1 by a more illustrious example than when1 after having declared that he had constituted ,paul the apostle of the ,gentiles1 he nevertheless directed him to be designated by the ,church4 ,the same may be observed in the election of ,matthias4#hci ,for the apostolic office being of such high importance that they could not venture to fill up their number by the choice of any one person from their own judgment1 they appointed two1 one of whom was to be chosen by lot2 that so the election might obtain a positive sanction from ,heaven1 and yet that the order of the ,church might not be altogether neglected4 ,,xv4 ,here it is inquired1 whether a minister ought to be chosen by the whole ,church1 or only by the other ministers and the elders who preside over the discipline1 or whether he may be appointed by the authority of an individual4 ,those who attribute this right to any one man1 quote what ,paul says to ,titus3 8,for this cause ,i left thee in ,crete1 that thou shouldst ordain elders in every city20#hdj and to ,timothy3 8,lay hands suddenly on no man40#hda ,but they are exceedingly mistaken1 if they suppose that either ,timothy at ,ephesus1 or ,titus in ,crete1 exercised a sovereign power to regulate every thing according to his own pleasure4 ,for they presided over the people1 only to lead them by good and salutary counsels1 not to act alone to the exclusion of all others4 ,but that this may not be thought to be an invention of mine1 ,i will prove it by a similar example4 ,for ,luke relates1 that elders were ordained in the ,churches by ,paul and ,barnabas1 but at the same time he distinctly marks the manner in which this was done1--namely1 by the suffrages or votes of the people2 for this is the meaning of the term he there employs-- 4#hdb ,those two apostles1 therefore1 ordained them2 but the whole multitude1 according to the custom observed in elections among the ,greeks1 declared by the elevation of their hands who was the object of their choice4 ,so the ,roman historians frequently speak of the consul1 who held the assemblies1 as appointing the new magistrates1 for no other reason but because he received the suffrages and presided at the election4 ,surely it is not credible that ,paul granted to ,timothy and ,titus more power than he assumed to himself2 but we see that he was accustomed to ordain bishops according to the suffrages of the people4 ,the above passages1 therefore1 ought to be understood in the same manner1 to guard against all infringement of the common right and liberty of the ,church4 ,it is a good remark1 therefore1 of ,cyprian1 when he contends1 8that it proceeds from ,divine authority1 that a priest should be elected publicly in the presence of all the people1 and that he should be approved as a worthy and fit person by the public judgment and testimony40 ,in the case of the ,levitical priests1 we find it was commanded by the ,lord1 that they should be brought forward in the view of the people before their consecration4 ,nor was ,matthias added to the number of the apostles1 nor were the seven deacons appointed1 without the presence and approbation of the people4--8,these examples10 says ,cyprian1 8show that the ordination of a priest ought not to be performed but with the knowledge and concurrence of the people1 in order that the election which shall have been examined by the testimony of all1 may be just and legitimate40 ,we find1 therefore1 that it is a legitimate ministry according to the word of ,god1 when those who appear suitable persons are appointed with the consent and approbation of the people2 but that other pastors ought to preside over the election1 to guard the multitude from falling into any improprieties1 through inconstancy1 intrigue1 or confusion4 ,,xvi4 ,there remains the ,form of ordination1 which is the last point that we have mentioned relative to the call of ministers4 ,now1 it appears that when the apostles introduced any one into the ministry1 they used no other ceremony than imposition of hands4 ,this rite1 ,i believe1 descended from the custom of the ,hebrews1 who1 when they wished to bless and consecrate any thing1 presented it to ,god by imposition of hands4 ,thus1 when ,jacob blessed ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 he laid his hands upon their heads4#hdc ,this custom was followed by our ,lord1 when he prayed over infants4#hdd ,it was with the same design1 ,i apprehend1 that the ,jews were directed in the law to lay their hands upon their sacrifices4 ,wherefore the imposition of the hands of the apostles was an indication that they offered to ,god the person whom they introduced into the ministry4 ,they used the same ceremony over those on whom they conferred the visible gifts of the ,spirit4 ,but1 be that as it may1 this was the solemn rite invariably practised1 whenever any one was called to the ministry of the ,church4 ,thus they ordained pastors and teachers1 and thus they ordained deacons4 ,now1 though there is no express precept for the imposition of hands1 yet since we find it to have been constantly used by the apostles1 such a punctual observance of it by them ought to have the force of a precept with us4 ,and certainly this ceremony is highly useful both to recommend to the people the dignity of the ministry1 and to admonish the person ordained that he is no longer his own master1 but devoted to the service of ,god and the ,church4 ,besides1 it will not be an unmeaning sign1 if it be restored to its true origin4 ,for if the ,spirit of ,god institutes nothing in the ,church in vain1 we shall perceive that this ceremony1 which proceeded from him1 is not without its use1 provided it be not perverted by a superstitious abuse4 ,finally1 it is to be remarked1 that the imposition of hands on the ministers was not the act of the whole multitude1 but was confined to the pastors4 ,it is not certain whether this ceremony was1 in all cases1 performed by more pastors than one1 or whether it was ever the act of a single pastor4 ,the former appears to have been the fact in the case of the seven deacons1 of ,paul and ,barnabas1 and some few others4#hde ,but ,paul speaks of himself as having laid hands upon ,timothy1 without any mention of many others having united with him4 8,i put thee in remembrance1 that thou stir up the gift of ,god which is in thee1 by the putting on of my hands40#hdf ,his expression1 in the other ,epistle1 of 8the laying on of the hands of the presbytery10#hdg ,i apprehend not to signify a company of elders1 but to denote the ordination itself2 as if he had said1 ,take care that the grace which thou receivedst by the laying on of hands1 when ,i ordained thee a presbyter1 be not in vain4 ,footnote #gih3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #gii3 ,eph4 iv4 #d-af4 ,footnote #hjj3 ,eph4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #hja3 ,isaiah lii4 #g4 ,footnote #hjb3 ,matt4 v4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #hjc3 ,luke x4 #af4 ,footnote #hjd3 #b ,cor4 iii4 #f1 c4 ,footnote #hje3 ,eph4 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #hjf3 ,mark xvi4 #ae4 ,footnote #hjg3 ,luke x4 #a4 ,footnote #hjh3 ,rom4 xvi4 #g4 ,footnote #hji3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,footnote #haj3 ,luke xxii4 #ai4 ,footnote #haa3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #a4 ,footnote #hab3 ,titus i4 #g1 #i4 ,footnote #hac3 ,acts xx4 #bj1 #ba1 #ca4 ,footnote #had3 ,ezek4 iii4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #hae3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #haf3 ,acts xiv4 #ba1 #bc4 ,footnote #hag3 ,titus i4 #e4 ,footnote #hah3 ,phil4 i4 #a4 ,footnote #hai3 ,col4 iv4 #ag4 ,footnote #hbj3 ,acts xx4 #ag1 c4 ,footnote #hba3 ,titus i4 #e1 #g4 ,footnote #hbb3 ,phil4 i4 #a4 ,footnote #hbc3 ,acts xx4 #ag1 #bh1 4 ,footnote #hbd3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #bh1 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #hbe3 ,rom4 xii4 #h4 ,footnote #hbf3 ,rom4 xii4 #h1 1 1 1 4 ,footnote #hbg3 #a ,tim4 v4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #hbh3 ,acts vi4 #a-c4 ,footnote #hbi3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #dj4 ,footnote #hcj3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #g1 c4 ,footnote #hca3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #a1 c4 ,titus i4 #g1 c4 ,footnote #hcb3 ,luke xxi4 #ae2 xxiv4 #di4 ,acts i4 #h4 ,footnote #hcc3 #a ,tim4 v4 #bb4 ,footnote #hcd3 ,acts xiv4 #bc4 ,footnote #hce3 ,acts i4 #bc4 ,footnote #hcf3 ,gal4 i4 #a4 ,footnote #hcg3 ,gal4 i4 #a4 ,footnote #hch3 ,acts xiii4 #b4 ,footnote #hci3 ,acts i4 #bc4 ,footnote #hdj3 ,titus i4 #e4 ,footnote #hda3 #a ,tim4 v4 #bb4 ,footnote #hdb3 ,acts xiv4 #bc4 ,footnote #hdc3 ,gen4 xlviii4 #ad4 ,footnote #hdd3 ,matt4 xix4 #ae4 ,footnote #hde3 ,acts vi4 #f2 xiii4 #c4 ,footnote #hdf3 #b ,tim4 i4 #f4 ,footnote #hdg3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #ad4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,the ,,ancient ,,church1 ,,and ,,the ,,mode ,,of ,,government ,,practised ,,before ,,the ,,papacy4 ,hitherto we have treated of the mode of government in the ,church1 as it has been delivered to us by the pure word of ,god1 and of the offices in it1 as they were instituted by ,christ4 ,now1 that all these things may be more clearly and familiarly displayed1 and more deeply impressed upon our minds1 it will be useful to examine what was the form of the ancient ,church1 in these particulars4 ,it will place before our eyes an actual exemplification of the ,divine institution4 ,for though the bishops of those times published many canons1 in which they seemed to express more than had been expressed in the ,holy ,scriptures1 yet they were so cautious in framing their whole economy according to the sole standard of the word of ,god1 that in this respect scarcely any thing can be detected among them inconsistent with that word4 ,but though there might be something to be regretted in their regulations1 yet because they directed their sincere and zealous efforts to preserve the institution of ,god1 without deviating from it to any considerable extent1 it will be highly useful in this place to give a brief sketch of what their practice was4 ,as we have stated that there are three kinds of ministers recommended to us in the ,scripture1 so the ancient ,church divided all the ministers it had into three orders4 ,for from the order of presbyters1 they chose some for pastors and teachers2 the others presided over the discipline and corrections4 ,to the deacons was committed the care of the poor and the distribution of the alms4 ,readers and ,acolytes were not names of certain offices1 but young men1 to whom they also gave the name of clergy1 whom they accustomed from their youth to certain exercises in the service of the ,church1 that they might better understand to what they were destined1 and might enter upon their office better prepared for it in due time2 as ,i shall soon show more at large4 ,therefore ,jerome1 after having mentioned five orders of the ,church1 enumerates bishops1 presbyters1 deacons1 the faithful1 or believers at large1 and catechumens1 or persons who had not yet been baptized1 but had applied for instruction in the ,christian faith4 ,thus he assigns no particular place to the rest of the clergy and the monks4 ,,ii4 ,all those to whom the office of teaching was assigned1 were denominated presbyters4 ,to guard against dissension1 the general consequence of equality1 the presbyters in each city chose one of their own number1 whom they distinguished by the title of bishop4 ,the bishop1 however1 was not so superior to the rest in honour and dignity1 as to have any dominion over his colleagues2 but the functions performed by a consul in the senate1 such as1 to propose things for consideration1 to collect the votes1 to preside over the rest in the exercise of advice1 admonition1 and exhortation1 to regulate all the proceedings by his authority1 and to carry into execution whatever had been decreed by the general voice2--such were the functions exercised by the bishop in the assembly of the presbyters4 ,and that this arrangement was introduced by human agreement1 on account of the necessity of the times1 is acknowledged by the ancient writers themselves4 ,thus ,jerome1 on the ,epistle to ,titus1 says1 8,a presbyter is the same as a bishop4 ,and before dissensions in religion were produced by the instigation of the devil1 and one said1 ,i am of ,paul1 and another1 ,i am of ,cephas1 the ,churches were governed by a common council of presbyters4 ,afterwards1 in order to destroy the seeds of dissensions1 the whole charge was committed to one4 ,therefore1 as the presbyters know that according to the custom of the ,church they are subject to the bishop who presides over them1 so let the bishops know that their superiority to the presbyters is more from custom than from the appointment of the ,lord1 and they ought to unite together in the government of the ,church40 ,in another place1 he shows the antiquity of this institution2 for he says1 that at ,alexandria1 even from ,mark the ,evangelist to ,heraclas and ,dionysius1 the presbyters always chose one of their body to preside over them1 whom they called their bishop4 ,every city1 therefore1 had its college of presbyters1 who were pastors and teachers4 ,for they all executed the duties of teaching1 exhorting1 and correcting1 among the people1 as ,paul enjoins bishops to do2#hdh and in order to leave successors behind them1 they laboured in training young men1 who had enlisted themselves in the sacred warfare4 ,to every city was assigned a certain district1 which received presbyters from it1 and was reckoned as a part of that ,church4 ,every assembly1 as ,i have stated1 for the sole purpose of preserving order and peace1 was under the direction of one bishop1 who1 while he had the precedence of all others in dignity1 was himself subject to the assembly of the brethren4 ,if the territory placed under his episcopate was too extensive to admit of his discharging all the duties of a bishop in every part of it1 presbyters were appointed in certain stations1 to act as his deputies in things of minor importance4 ,these were called chorepiscopi1 or country bishops1 because in the country they represented the bishop4 ,,iii4 ,but with respect to the office of which we are now treating1 the bishops and presbyters were equally required to employ themselves in the dispensation of the word and sacraments4 ,for at ,alexandria only1 because ,arius had disturbed the ,church there1 it was ordained that no presbyter should preach to the people2 as is asserted by ,socrates in the ninth book of his ,tripartite ,history1 with which ,jerome hesitates not to express his dissatisfaction4 ,it would certainly have been regarded as a prodigy1 if any man had claimed the character of a bishop1 who had not shown himself really such in his conduct4 ,such was the strictness of those times1 that all ministers were constrained to discharge the duties which the ,lord requires of them4 ,i refer not to the custom of one age only2 for even in the time of ,gregory1 when the ,church was almost extinct1 or at least had considerably degenerated from its ancient purity1 it would not have been permitted for any bishop to abstain from preaching4 ,gregory somewhere says1 8,a priest dies1 if his sound be not heard2#hdi for he provokes the wrath of the invisible ,judge against him1 if he go without the sound of preaching40 ,and in another place3 8,when ,paul declares that he is #8pure from the blood of all1'#hej by this declaration1 we1 who are called priests1 are convicted1 confounded1 and declared to be guilty1 who to all our own crimes add the deaths of others2 for we are chargeable with slaying all those whom we daily behold advancing to death1 while we are indifferent and silent40 ,he calls himself and others silent1 because they were less assiduous in their work than they ought to be4 ,since he spares not those who performed half of their duty1 what is it probable he would have done1 if any one had neglected it altogether8 ,it was therefore long maintained in the ,church1 that the principal office of a bishop was to feed the people with the word of ,god1 or to edify the ,church both in public and private with sound doctrine4 ,,iv4 ,the establishment of one archbishop over all the bishops of each province1 and the appointment of patriarchs at the ,council of ,nice1 with rank and dignity superior to the archbishops1 were regulations for the preservation of discipline4 ,in this disquisition1 however1 what was of the least frequent use cannot be wholly omitted4 ,the principal reason1 therefore1 for the institution of these orders was1 that if any thing should take place in any ,church which could not be settled by a few persons1 it might be referred to a provincial synod4 ,if the magnitude or difficulty of the case required a further discussion1 the patriarchs were called to unite with the synods2 and from them there could be no appeal but to a general council4 ,this constitution of government some called a hierarchy--a name1 in my opinion1 improper1 and certainly not used in the ,scriptures4 ,for it has been the design of the ,holy ,spirit1 in every thing relating to the government of the ,church1 to guard against any dreams of principality or dominion4 ,but if we look at the thing1 without regarding the term1 we shall find that the ancient bishops had no intention of contriving a form of government for the ,church1 different from that which ,god has prescribed in his word4 ,v4 ,nor was the situation of deacons at that time at all different from what it had been under the apostles4 ,for they received the daily contributions of believers and the annual revenues of the ,church1 to apply them to their proper uses1 that is1 to distribute part to the ministers1 and part for the support of the poor2 subject1 however1 to the authority of the bishop1 to whom they also rendered an account of their administration every year4 ,for when the canons invariably represent the bishop as the dispenser of all the benefactions of the ,church1 it is not to be understood as if he executed that charge himself1 but because it belonged to him to give directions to the deacon1 who were to be entirely supported from the funds of the ,church1 to whom the remainder was to be distributed1 and in what proportion to each person2 and because he had the superintendence over the deacon1 to examine whether he faithfully discharged his office4 ,thus the canons1 ascribed to the apostles1 contain the following injunction3 8,we ordain that the bishop do have the property of the ,church in his own power4 ,for if the souls of men1 which are of superior value1 have been intrusted to him1 there is far greater propriety in his taking charge of the pecuniary concerns2 so that all things may be distributed to the poor by his authority through the presbyters and deacons1 and that they may be administered with reverence1 and all concern40 ,and in the ,council of ,antioch it was decreed1 that those bishops should be censured who managed the pecuniary concerns of the ,church without the concurrence of the presbyters and deacons4 ,but it is unnecessary to argue this point any further1 since it is evident from many epistles of ,gregory1 that even in his time1 when the administration of the ,church was in other respects become very corrupt1 yet this custom was still retained1 that the deacons were the stewards for the relief of the poor1 under the authority of the bishop4 ,it is probable that subdeacons were at first attached to the deacons1 to assist them in transacting the business of the poor2 but this distinction was soon lost4 ,archdeacons were first erected when the extent of the property required a new and more accurate mode of administration2 though ,jerome states that there were such offices even in his time4 ,in their hands was placed the amount of the annual revenues1 of the possessions1 and of the household furniture1 and the management of the daily contributions4 ,whence ,gregory denounces to the archdeacon of ,thessalonica1 that he would be held guilty1 if any of the property of the ,church should be lost by him1 either through negligence or fraud4 ,their appointment to read the gospel1 and to exhort the people to pray1 and their admission to the administration of the cup in the sacred supper1 were intended to dignify their office1 that they might discharge it with the more piety1 in consequence of being admonished by such ceremonies1 that they were not executing some profane stewardship1 but that their function was spiritual and dedicated to ,god4 ,,vi4 ,hence it is easy to judge what use was made of the property of the ,church1 and in what manner it was dispensed4 ,we often find it stated1 both in the decrees of the councils1 and by the ancient writers1 that whatever the ,church possessed1 whether in lands or in money1 was the patrimony of the poor4 ,the bishops and deacons1 therefore1 are continually reminded that they are not managing their own treasures1 but those destined to supply the necessity of the poor1 which if they unfaithfully withhold or embezzle1 they will be guilty of murder4 ,hence they are admonished to distribute this property to the parties entitled to it1 with the greatest caution and reverence1 as in the sight of ,god1 and without respect of persons4 ,hence also the solemn protestations of ,chrysostom1 ,ambrose1 ,augustine1 and other bishops1 assuring the people of their integrity4 ,now1 since it is perfectly equitable1 and sanctioned by the law of the ,lord1 that those who are employed in the service of the ,church should be maintained at the public expense of the ,church1--and even in that age some presbyters consecrated their patrimonies to ,god1 and reduced themselves to voluntary poverty1--the distribution was such1 that neither were the ministers left without support1 nor were the poor neglected4 ,yet1 at the same time1 care was taken that the ministers themselves1 who ought to set an example of frugality to others1 should not have enough to be abused to the purposes of splendour or delicacy1 but only what would suffice to supply their necessities4 8,for10 says ,jerome1 8those of the clergy who are able to maintain themselves from their own patrimony1 if they take what belongs to the poor1 are guilty of sacrilege1 and by such an abuse1 they eat and drink judgment to themselves40 ,,vii4 ,at first the administration was free and voluntary1 the bishops and deacons acting with spontaneous fidelity1 and integrity of conscience and innocence of life supplying the place of laws4 ,afterwards1 when the cupidity or corrupt dispositions of some gave birth to evil examples1 in order to correct these abuses1 canons were made1 which divided the revenues of the ,church into four parts1 assigning the first to the clergy1 the second to the poor1 the third to the reparation of ,churches and other buildings1 the fourth to poor strangers4 ,for1 though other canons assign this last part to the bishop1 this forms no variation from the division which ,i have mentioned4 ,for the intention was1 that it should be appropriated to him1 neither for his own exclusive consumption1 nor for lavish or arbitrary distribution1 but to enable him to support the hospitality which ,paul requires of persons in that office4#hea ,and so it is explained by ,gelasius and ,gregory4 ,for ,gelasius adduces no other reason why the bishop should claim any thing for himself1 than to enable him to communicate to captives and strangers4 ,and ,gregory is still more explicit4 ,he says1 8,it is the custom of the apostolic see1 at the ordination of a bishop1 to command him that all the revenue received by him be divided into four portions2 namely1 one for the bishop and his family1 for the support of hospitality and entertainment2 the second for the clergy2 the third for the poor2 the fourth for the reparation of ,churches40 ,it was unlawful for the bishop1 therefore1 to take for his own use any thing more than was sufficient for moderate and frugal sustenance and clothing4 ,if any one began to transgress the due limits1 either in luxury1 or in ostentation and pomp1 he was immediately admonished by his colleagues2 and if he would not comply with the admonition1 he was deposed from his office4 ,,viii4 ,the portion which they applied to ornament the sacred edifices1 at first was very small2 and even after the ,church was become a little more wealthy1 they did not exceed moderation in this respect3 whatever money was so employed1 still continued to be held in reserve for the poor1 if any pressing necessity should occur4 ,thus1 when famine prevailed in the province of ,jerusalem1 and there was no other way of relieving their wants1 ,cyril sold the vessels and vestments1 and expended the produce in purchasing sustenance for the poor4 ,in like manner1 when vast numbers of the ,persians were almost perishing with hunger1 ,acatius1 bishop of ,amida1 after having convoked his clergy1 and made that celebrated speech1 8,our ,god has no need of dishes or cups1 because he neither eats nor drinks10 melted down the vessels1 and converted them into money1 to redeem the wretched1 and buy food for them4 ,jerome also1 while he inveighs against the excessive splendour of the temples1 makes honourable mention of ,exuperius1 at that time bishop of ,thoulouse1 who administered the emblem of our ,lord's body in a wicker basket1 and the emblem of his blood in a glass1 but suffered no poor person to endure hunger4 ,the same that ,i have just said of ,acatius1 ,ambrose relates of himself2 for when he was censured by the ,arians for having broken up the sacred vessels to pay the ransom of some captives1 he made the following most excellent defence3 8,he who sent forth the apostles without gold1 gathered ,churches together likewise without gold4 ,the ,church has gold1 not to keep1 but to expend1 and to furnish relief in necessities4 ,what need is there to keep that which is of no service8 ,do not we know how much gold and silver the ,assyrians plundered from the temple of the ,lord8 ,is it not better that it should be melted down by the priest for the sustenance of the poor1 if other resources are wanting1 than that it should be carried away by a sacrilegious enemy8 ,will not the ,lord say1 ,wherefore hast thou suffered so many poor to die with hunger1 and at the same time hadst gold1 with which thou mightest have supplied them with food8 ,why have so many been carried away into captivity1 and never been redeemed8 ,why have so many been slain by the enemy8 ,it would have been better to preserve the vessels of living beings1 than those of metals4 ,to these questions you could make no answer4 ,for what would you say8 ,i was afraid that the temple of ,god would be destitute of ornament4 ,god would reply1 ,the sacraments require no gold1 nor is gold any recommendation of that which is not purchased with gold4 ,the ornament of the sacraments is the redemption of captives40 ,in short1 we see that it was very true which was observed by the same writer in another place1 8that whatever the ,church possessed at that time1 was appropriated to the relief of the necessitous10 and 8that all that a bishop had1 belonged to the poor40 ,,ix4 ,these1 which we have enumerated1 were the offices of the ancient ,church4 ,others1 which are mentioned by ecclesiastical historians1 were rather exercises and preparations1 than certain offices4 ,for to form a seminary1 which should provide the ,church with future ministers1 those holy men took under their charge1 protection1 and discipline1 such youths as1 with the consent and sanction of their parents1 enlisted themselves in the spiritual warfare2 and so they educated them from an early age1 that they might not enter on the discharge of their office ignorant and unprepared4 ,all who were trained in this manner1 were called by the general name of clergy4 ,i could wish1 indeed1 that some other more appropriate name had been given them2 for this appellation originated in error1 or at least in some improper views2 for ,peter calls the whole ,church the clergy1 that is1 the inheritance of the ,lord4#heb ,the institution itself1 however1 was pious and eminently beneficial2 that those who wished to consecrate themselves and their labours to the ,church1 should be educated under the care of the bishop2 that no one might minister in the ,church but one who had received sufficient previous instruction1 who from his early youth had imbibed sound doctrine1 who from a strict discipline had acquired a certain habitual gravity1 and more than common sanctity of life1 who had been abstracted from secular occupations1 and accustomed to spiritual cares and studies4 ,now1 as young soldiers by counterfeit battles are trained to real and serious warfare1 so the clergy were prepared by certain probationary exercises1 before they were actually promoted to offices4 ,at first they were charged with the care of opening and shutting the temples1 and they were called ostiarii1 or door-keepers4 ,afterwards they were called acoluthi1 or followers1 waiting upon the bishop in domestic services1 and accompanying him on all occasions1 at first in a way of honour1 and afterwards to prevent all suspicion2 moreover1 that by degrees they might become known to the people1 and might acquire some consideration among them1 and at the same time that they might learn to bear the presence of all1 and have courage to speak before them1 that after being made presbyters1 when they should come to preach1 they might not be confounded with shame1 therefore they were appointed to read the ,scriptures from the pulpit4 ,in this manner they were promoted by degrees1 that they might approve their diligence in the respective exercises1 till they were made subdeacons4 ,i only contend1 that these were rather preparations for pupils1 than functions reckoned among the real offices of the ,church4 ,x4 ,we have said1 that the first point in the election of ministers related to the qualifications of the persons to be chosen1 and the second to the religious reverence with which the business ought to be conducted4 ,in both these points1 the ancient ,church followed the direction of ,paul and the examples of the apostles4 ,for it was their custom to assemble for the election of pastors with the greatest reverence and solemn invocation of the name of ,god4 ,they had likewise a form of examination1 in which they tried the life and doctrine of the candidates by that standard of ,paul4 ,only they ran into the error of immoderate severity1 from a wish to require in a bishop more than ,paul requires1 and especially1 in process of time1 by enjoining celibacy4 ,in other things their practice was in conformity with the description of ,paul4#hec ,in the third point which we have mentioned1 namely1 by whom ministers ought to be chosen1 they did not always observe the same order4 ,in the primitive times there was no one admitted among the number of the clergy1 without the consent of all the people2 so that ,cyprian makes a laboured defence of his having appointed one ,aurelius a reader1 without consulting the ,church1 because he departed in this instance from the general custom1 though not without reason4 ,he begins in the following manner3 8,in appointing the clergy1 my very dear brethren1 we are accustomed first to consult you1 and to weigh the morals and merits of every one of them in the general assembly40 ,but as there was not much danger in these inferior exercises1 because they were admitted to a long probation1 and not to a high office1 the consent of the people ceased to be asked4 ,afterwards1 in the other offices also1 except the episcopate1 the people generally left the judgment and choice to the bishop and presbyters1 so that they determined who were capable and deserving2 except when new presbyters were appointed to the parishes1 for then it was necessary to have the express consent of the body of the people at each place4 ,nor is it any wonder that the people were not very solicitous for the preservation of their right in this case4 ,for no one was made a subdeacon1 who had not been tried for a considerable time as one of the clergy1 under the severe discipline which was then practised4 ,after he had been tried in that station1 he was constituted a deacon2 in which if he conducted himself with fidelity1 he obtained the rank of a presbyter4 ,thus no one was promoted who had not really undergone an examination for many years1 under the eyes of the people4 ,and there were many canons for the punishment of their faults2 so that the ,church could not be troubled with wicked presbyters or deacons1 unless it neglected the remedies within its reach4 ,the election of presbyters1 however1 always required the consent of the inhabitants of the place2 which is testified by the first canon1 which is attributed to ,anacletus4 ,and all ordinations took place at stated times of the year1 that no one might be introduced clandestinely1 without the consent of the faithful1 or be promoted with too much facility1 without any attestation to his character4 ,,xi4 ,the right of voting in the election of bishops was retained by the people for a long time1 that no one might be obtruded who was not acceptable to all4 ,the ,council of ,antioch therefore decreed1 that no bishop should be appointed without the consent of the people1 which ,leo the ,first expressly confirms4 ,hence the following injunctions3 8,let him be chosen who shall be called for by the clergy and people1 or at least by the majority of them40 ,again3 8,let him who is to preside over all1 be chosen by all40 ,for he who is appointed without having been previously known and examined1 must of necessity be intruded by force4 ,again3 8,let him be elected who shall have been chosen by the clergy and desired by the people2 and let him be consecrated by the bishops of that province1 with the authority of the metropolitan40 ,so careful were the holy fathers that this liberty of the people should not by any means be infringed1 that when the general council1 assembled at ,constantinople1 appointed ,nectarius1 they would not do it without the approbation of all the clergy and people2 as is evident from their epistle to the ,council of ,rome4 ,wherefore1 when any bishop appointed his successor1 the appointment was not confirmed but by the suffrages of all the people4 ,of such a circumstance we have not only an example1 but the particular form in ,augustine's nomination of ,eradius4 ,and ,theodoret1 when he states that ,peter was nominated by ,athanasius as his successor1 immediately adds1 that this was confirmed by the clergy1 and ratified by the acclamations of the magistracy1 the nobility1 and all the people4 ,,xii4 ,i confess that there was the greatest propriety in the decree of the ,council of ,laodicea1 that the election should not be left to the populace4 ,for it scarcely ever happens that so many heads concur in one opinion for the settlement of any business2 and almost every case verifies the observation1 that the uncertain vulgar are divided by contrary inclinations4 ,but to this danger was applied an excellent remedy4 ,for in the first place1 the clergy alone made their choice1 and presented the person they had chosen to the magistracy1 or to the senate and governors4 ,they deliberated on the election1 and if it appeared to them a proper one1 confirmed it1 or otherwise chose another person whom they preferred4 ,then the business was referred to the multitude1 who1 though they were not bound to concur in these previous opinions1 yet were less likely to be thrown into disorder4 ,or if the business commenced with the multitude1 this method was adopted in order to discover who was the principal object of their wishes2 and after hearing the wishes of the people1 the clergy proceeded to the election4 ,thus the clergy were neither at liberty to elect whom they pleased1 nor under a necessity of complying with the foolish desires of the people4 ,this order is stated by ,leo in another place1 when he says1 8,it is requisite to have the votes of the citizens1 the testimonies of the people1 the authority of the governors1 and the election of the clergy40 ,again3 8,let there be the testimony of the governors1 the subscription of the clergy1 the consent of the senate and people4 ,reason permits it not to be done in any other way40 ,nor is there any other meaning in that decree of the ,council of ,laodicea1 than that the clergy and governors should not suffer themselves to be carried away by the inconsiderate multitude1 but by their prudence and gravity should check1 on every necessary occasion1 the folly and violence of popular desires4 ,,xiii4 ,this mode of election was still practised in the time of ,gregory1 and it is probable that it continued long after4 ,there are many of his epistles which furnish sufficient evidence of this fact4 ,for in every case relating to the creation of a new bishop in any place1 he was accustomed to write to the clergy1 the senate1 and the people2 and sometimes to the duke1 according to the constitution of the government in the place to which he was writing4 ,and if1 on account of disturbances or dissensions in any ,church1 he confides the superintendence of the election to some neighbouring bishop1 yet he invariably requires a solemn decree confirmed by the subscriptions of all4 ,even when one ,constantius was created bishop of ,milan1 and on account of the incursions of the barbarians1 many of the ,milanese had retired to ,genoa1 he thought the election would not be legitimate1 unless they also were called together1 and gave their united consent4 ,and what is more1 it was within the last five hundred years that ,pope ,nicholas made this decree respecting the election of the ,roman pontiff2 that the cardinals should take the lead1 that in the next place they should unite with them the rest of the clergy1 and lastly that the election should be confirmed by the consent of the people4 ,and at the conclusion he recites that decree of ,leo1 which ,i have just quoted1 and commands it to be observed in future4 ,if the cabals of the wicked should go to such a length as to constrain the clergy to quit the city in order to make a proper election1 still he ordains that some of the people should be present at the same time4 ,the consent of the emperor1 as far as ,i can discover1 was required only in two ,churches1 at ,rome and at ,constantinople1 because they were the two capitals of the empire4 ,for when ,ambrose was sent to ,milan with authority from ,valentinian to preside at the election of a new bishop1 that was an extraordinary measure1 in consequence of the grievous factions which raged among the citizens4 ,at ,rome the authority of the emperor had anciently so much influence in the creation of a bishop1 that ,gregory speaks of himself as having been appointed to the government of the ,church by the sole command of the emperor1 notwithstanding he had been formally chosen by the people4 ,but the custom was1 that when any one had been chosen by the senate1 clergy1 and people1 it was immediately reported to the emperor1 that he might either ratify the election by his approbation1 or rescind it by his negative4 ,nor is there any thing repugnant to this custom in the decrees collected by ,gratian2 which only say1 that it is by no means to be suffered that a king should supersede all canonical election by appointing a bishop at his own pleasure1 and that the metropolitans ought not to consecrate any one who shall thus have been promoted by the violence of power4 ,for it is one thing to spoil the ,church of its right1 by transferring the whole to the caprice of an individual1 and another to give a king or an emperor the honour of confirming a legitimate election by his authority4 ,,xiv4 ,it remains for us to state1 by what ceremony the ministers of the ancient ,church1 after their election1 were initiated into their office4 ,this the ,latins have called ordination or consecration4 ,the ,greeks have called it 1 extension or elevation of hands1 and sometimes 1 imposition of hands2 though the former word properly signifies that kind of election in which the suffrages are declared by the lifting up of the hands4 ,there is a decree of the ,council of ,nice1 that the metropolitan should meet with all the bishops of the province1 to ordain him who shall have been elected2 but that if any of them be prevented by the length of the journey1 by sickness1 or by any other necessary cause1 at least three should meet1 and those who are absent should testify their consent by letters4 ,and when this canon from disuse had grown obsolete1 it was renewed in various councils4 ,now1 the reason why all1 or at least as many as had no sufficient excuse1 were commanded to be present1 was that there might be a more solemn examination into the learning and morals of the person to be ordained2 for the business was not completed without examination4 ,and it appears from the epistles of ,cyprian1 that in the beginning the bishops were not invited after the election1 but used to be present at the election1 and that for the purpose of acting as moderators1 that nothing turbulent might take place among the multitude4 ,for after having said that the people have the power either to choose the worthy for priests1 or to reject the unworthy1 he adds1 8,wherefore it is to be carefully held and observed as a ,divine and apostolical tradition1 7which is observed among us1 and in almost all the provinces17 that for the due performance of ordinations1 all the neighbouring bishops of the same province should meet with the people over whom a bishop is to be ordained1 and that the bishop should be chosen in the presence of the people40 ,but because such an assembly was sometimes very slowly collected1 and there was danger that such a delay might be abused by some for the purposes of intrigue1 it was deemed sufficient1 if they assembled after the election was made1 and upon due examination consecrated the person who had been chosen4 ,,xv4 ,this was the universal practice1 without any exception4 ,by degrees a different custom was introduced1 and the persons elected went to the metropolitan city to seek ordination4 ,this change arose from ambition and a corruption of the ancient institution1 rather than from any good reason4 ,and not long after1 when the authority of the see of ,rome had increased1 another custom obtained1 which was still worse2 almost all the bishops of ,italy went to ,rome to be consecrated4 ,this may be seen by the epistles of ,gregory4 ,only a few cities1 which did not so easily yield1 preserved their ancient right2 of which there is an example recorded by him in the case of ,milan4 ,perhaps the metropolitan cities were the only ones that retained their privilege4 ,for almost all the provincial bishops used to assemble in the metropolitan city to consecrate their archbishop4 ,the ceremony was imposition of hands4 ,for ,i read of no other ceremony practised1 except that in the public assembly the bishops had some dress to distinguish them from the rest of the presbyters4 ,presbyters and deacons also were ordained solely by imposition of hands4 ,but every bishop ordained his own presbyters1 in conjunction with the assembly of the other presbyters of his diocese4 ,now1 though they all united in the same act1 yet because the bishop took the lead1 and the ceremony was performed under his direction1 therefore it was called his ordination4 ,wherefore it is often remarked by the ancient writers1 that a presbyter differs from a bishop in no other respect1 than that he does not possess the power of ordination4 ,footnote #hdh3 ,titus i4 #i4 ,footnote #hdi3 ,exod4 xxxviii4 #ce4 ,footnote #hej3 ,acts xx4 #bf4 ,footnote #hea3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #heb3 #a ,peter v4 #c4 ,footnote #hec3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #b-g4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,ancient ,,form ,,of ,,government ,,entirely ,,subverted ,,by ,,the ,,papal ,,tyranny4 ,now1 it is proper to exhibit the system of ecclesiastical government at present maintained by the see of ,rome1 and all its dependencies1 with a full view of that hierarchy which is perpetually in their mouths1 and to compare it with the description we have given of the primitive and ancient ,church4 ,this comparison will show what kind of a ,church there is among those who fiercely arrogate this exclusive title1 in order to oppress1 or rather to overwhelm us4 ,now1 it is best to begin with the vocation1 that we may see who and what kind of men are called to the ministry1 and how they are introduced to it4 ,we shall then consider how faithfully they discharge their duty4 ,we shall give the first place to the bishops2 and ,i wish it might be to their honour to hold the first rank in this disquisition4 ,but the subject itself will not permit me to touch on this argument ever so slightly1 without involving their deepest disgrace4 ,i shall remember1 however1 the nature of the work in which ,i am now engaged1 and shall not suffer my discourse1 which ought to be confined to simple doctrine1 to exceed its proper bounds4 ,but let some one of those who have not lost all shame1 answer me2 ,what kind of bishops are now generally chosen8 ,to examine into their learning1 is too obsolete2 and if any regard be paid to it1 they choose some lawyer1 who understands pleading in a court1 better than preaching in a ,church4 ,it is evident1 that for a hundred years1 scarcely one in a hundred that has been chosen1 had any knowledge of the ,holy ,scripture4 ,i say nothing of the preceding ages2 not that they were much better1 but because our business is only with the present ,church4 ,if we inquire into their morals1 we shall find that there have been few or none who would not have been judged unworthy by the ancient canons4 ,he who has not been a drunkard1 has been a fornicator2 and he who has been free from both these vices1 has been either a gambler or a hunter1 or dissolute in some part of his life4 ,for the old canons exclude a man from the episcopal office for smaller vices than these4 ,but the greatest absurdity of all is1 that even boys1 scarcely ten years of age1 have by the permission of the pope been made bishops4 ,and to such lengths of impudence and stupidity have they proceeded1 as not to be afraid of that extreme and monstrous enormity1 which is altogether repugnant to the common sense of nature4 ,hence it appears how solemn and conscientious must have been their elections1 which were marked with such extreme negligence4 ,,ii4 ,all the right of the people to choose has been entirely taken away4 ,their suffrages1 assent1 subscriptions1 and every thing of this kind1 have disappeared4 ,all the power is transferred to the canons4 ,they confer the bishopric on whom they please1 and then produce him before the people1 but to be adored1 not to be examined4 ,leo1 on the contrary1 exclaims that no reason permits this1 and pronounces it to be a violent imposition4 ,when ,cyprian declares it to be of ,divine right1 that an election should not be made without the consent of the people1 he shows that a different method is repugnant to the word of ,god4 ,the decrees of various councils most severely prohibit it to be done in any other way1 and if it be done1 command it to be void4 ,if these things be true1 there is now no canonical election remaining in all the ,papacy1 either according to ,divine or ecclesiastical right4 ,now1 though there were no other evil1 how will they be able to excuse themselves for having thus deprived the ,church of her right8 ,but they say1 the corruption of the times required1 that as the people and magistrates1 in the choice of bishops1 were rather carried away by antipathies and partialities than governed by an honest and correct judgment1 the decision of this business should be intrusted to a few4 ,let it be admitted that this was an extreme remedy for a disease under desperate circumstances4 ,yet as the medicine has been found more injurious than the disease itself1 why is there no remedy provided against this new malady8 ,they reply1 ,the canons themselves have been particularly directed what course they ought to pursue in an election4 ,but do we doubt1 that the people formerly understood themselves to be bound by the most sacred laws1 when they saw the word of ,god proposed as their rule1 whenever they assembled for the election of a bishop8 ,for that one declaration of ,god1 in which he describes the true character of a bishop1 ought to have more weight than millions of canons4 ,yet1 corrupted by a most sinful disposition1 they paid no regard to law or equity4 ,so in the present day1 though there are the best written laws1 yet they remain buried in paper4 ,at the same time1 it has been the general practice1 and1 as if it were founded in reason1 has obtained the general approbation1 that drunkards1 fornicators1 and gamblers1 have been promoted to this honour4 ,i do not say enough4 ,bishoprics are the rewards of adulterers and panders4 ,for when they are given to hunters and fowlers1 the business must be considered as well managed4 ,to attempt any excuse of such flagitious proceedings is abominable4 ,the people1 ,i say1 had a most excellent canon1 in the direction of the word of ,god1 that 8a bishop must be blameless1 apt to teach1 no striker10 c4#hed ,why1 then1 was the right of election transferred from the people to the canons8 ,they reply1 ,because the word of ,god was not attended to1 amidst the tumults and factions of the people4 ,and why should it not now be again transferred from them1 who not only violate all laws1 but1 casting off all shame1 mingle and confound heaven and earth together1 by their lust1 avarice1 and ambition8 ,,iii4 ,but it is a false pretence when they say1 that the present practice was introduced as a remedy4 ,we read that in the early times1 cities were frequently thrown into confusion at the election of their bishops2 yet no one ever dared to think of depriving the citizens of their right4 ,for they had other ways1 either of guarding against these evils1 or of correcting them when they occurred4 ,but ,i will state the real truth of the case4 ,when the people began to be negligent about choosing1 and1 considering this care as less suitable to themselves1 left it to the presbyters1 the latter abused this occasion to usurp a tyrannical power1 which they afterwards confirmed to themselves by new canons4 ,their form of ordination is no other than a mere mockery4 ,for the appearance of examination which they display in it1 is so frivolous and jejune1 that it is even destitute of all plausibility4 ,the power of nominating bishops1 therefore1 which some princes have obtained by stipulation with the ,roman pontiff1 has caused no new injury to the ,church1 because the election has only been taken from the canons1 who had seized1 or rather stolen1 it without any just claim4 ,it is certainly a most disgraceful example1 that courtiers are made bishops1 and sent from the court to seize upon the ,churches2 and it ought to be the concern of all pious princes to refrain from such an abuse4 ,for it is an impious robbery of the ,church1 whenever a bishop is imposed upon any people1 who have not desired1 or at least freely approved of him4 ,but the disorderly custom which has long prevailed in the ,churches1 has given occasion to princes to assume the presentation of bishops to themselves4 ,for they would rather have this at their own disposal1 than in the hands of those who had no more right to it1 and by whom it was not less abused4 ,,iv4 ,this is the goodly calling1 in consequence of which bishops boast of being successors of the apostles4 ,the power of creating presbyters1 they say1 belongs exclusively to them4 ,but this is a gross corruption of the ancient institution2 for by their ordination they create1 not presbyters to rule and feed the people1 but priests to offer sacrifice4 ,so when they consecrate deacons1 they have nothing to do with their true and proper office1 but only ordain them to certain ceremonies about the chalice and patine4 ,in the ,council of ,chalcedon1 on the contrary1 it was decreed1 that there should be no absolute ordinations1 that is1 without some place being at the same time assigned to the persons ordained1 where they were to exercise their office4 ,this decree was highly useful1 for two reasons--first1 that the ,churches might not be burdened with an unnecessary charge1 and the money which ought to be distributed to the poor consumed upon idle men2 secondly1 that the persons ordained might consider themselves not as promoted to an honour1 but as intrusted with an office to the discharge of which they were bound by a solemn engagement4 ,but the ,romish doctors1 who think their belly ought to be all their care1 even in matters of religion1 first explain the requisite title to consist in an income sufficient for their support1 whether arising from their own patrimony or from a benefice4 ,therefore1 when they ordain a deacon or a presbyter1 without giving themselves any concern where he is to officiate1 they readily admit him1 if he be only rich enough to maintain himself4 ,but who can admit this1 that the title which the decree of the council requires is a competent annual income8 ,and because the more recent canons condemned the bishops to maintain those whom they had ordained without a sufficient title1 in order to prevent their too great facility in the admission of candidates1 they have even contrived a way to evade this penalty4 ,for the person ordained mentions any title whatever1 and promises that he will be content with it4 ,by this engagement he is debarred from an action for maintenance4 ,i say nothing of a thousand frauds practised in this business2 as when some falsely exhibit empty titles of benefices1 from which they could not derive five pence a year2 others1 under a secret stipulation1 borrow benefices which they promise to return immediately1 but which1 in many instances1 are never returned2 and other similar mysteries4 ,v4 ,but even though these grosser abuses were removed1 is it not always absurd to ordain a presbyter without assigning him any station8 ,for they ordain no one1 but to offer sacrifice4 ,now1 the legitimate ordination of a presbyter consists in a call to the government of the ,church1 and that of a deacon to the collection of the alms4 ,they adorn their procedure1 indeed1 with many pompous ceremonies1 that its appearance may gain the veneration of the simple2 but with judicious persons1 what can be gained by those appearances unaccompanied by any solidity or truth8 ,for they use ceremonies either derived from ,judaism1 or invented among themselves1 from which it would be better to refrain4 ,but as to any real examination1 the consent of the people1 and other necessary things1 they are not mentioned4 ,the shadow they retain of these things1 ,i consider not worthy of notice4 ,by shadow1 ,i mean those ridiculous gesticulations1 used as a dull and foolish imitation of antiquity4 ,the bishops have their vicars1 to inquire before an ordination1 into the learning of the candidates4 ,but in what manner8 ,they interrogate them1 whether they can read their masses2 whether they know how to decline some common noun that may occur in reading1 or to conjugate a verb1 or to tell the meaning of a word2 for it is not necessary for them to know how to give the sense of a verse4 ,and yet none are rejected from the priesthood1 who are deficient even in these puerile elements1 provided they bring some present or recommendation to favour4 ,in the same spirit it is1 that when the persons to be ordained present themselves at the altar1 some one inquires three times1 in a language not understood1 whether they are worthy of that honour4 ,one 7who never saw them before1 but1 that no part of the process might be wanting1 acts his part in the farce7 answers1 ,they are worthy4 ,what accusation is there against these venerable fathers1 but that by sporting with such manifest sacrileges they are guilty of unblushing mockery of ,god and men8 ,but because they have been long in possession of it1 they suppose it is now become right4 ,for whoever ventures to open his mouth against these glaring and atrocious enormities1 they hurry him away to execution1 as if he had committed a capital crime4 ,would they do this if they believed that there was any ,god8 ,,vi4 ,now1 how much better do they conduct themselves in the collation of benefices8--a thing formerly connected with ordination1 but now entirely separated from it4 ,the ways in which this business is managed1 are various4 ,for the bishops are not the only persons who confer benefices1 and in those the collation of which is ascribed to them1 they do not always possess the full power1 but while they retain the name of the collation for the sake of honour1 the presentation belongs to others4 ,besides these1 there are nominations from the colleges1 resignations either absolute or made for the sake of exchange1 commendatory rescripts1 preventions1 and the like4 ,but they all conduct themselves in such a manner1 that no one can reproach another for any thing4 ,i maintain that scarcely one benefice in a hundred1 in all the ,papacy1 is at present conferred without simony1 according to the definition which the ancients gave of that crime4 ,i do not say that they all purchase with ready money2 but show me one in twenty who obtains a benefice without any indirect recommendation4 ,some are promoted by relationship1 others by alliance1 others by the influence of parents1 others gain favour by their services4 ,in short1 the end for which sacerdotal offices are conferred1 is not to provide for the ,churches1 but for the persons to whom they are given4 ,and therefore they call them benefices1 a name by which they sufficiently declare that they view them in no other light than as donatives of princes1 by which they either conciliate the favour of their soldiers1 or reward their services4 ,i forbear to remark that these rewards are conferred upon barbers1 cooks1 muleteers1 and other dregs of the people4 ,and1 in the present day1 scarcely any litigations make more noise in the courts of justice than those respecting benefices2 so that they may be considered as a mere prey thrown out for dogs to hunt after4 ,is it tolerable even to hear the name of pastors given to men who have forced themselves into the possession of a ,church1 as into an enemy's farm2 who have obtained it by a legal process2 who have purchased it with money2 who have gained it by dishonourable services2 who1 while infants just beginning to lisp1 succeeded to it as an inheritance transmitted by their uncles and cousins1 and sometimes even by fathers to their illegitimate children8 ,,vii4 ,would the licentiousness of the people1 however corrupt and lawless1 ever have proceeded to such a length8 ,but it is still more monstrous that one man--,i say nothing of his qualifications1 only a man not capable of governing himself--should preside over the government of five or six ,churches4 ,we may now see1 in the courts of princes1 young men who hold one archbishopric1 two bishoprics1 and three abbeys4 ,it is a common thing for canons to be loaded with five1 six1 or seven benefices1 of which they take not the least care1 except in receiving the revenues4 ,i will not object that this is every where condemned by the word of ,god1 which has long ceased to have the least weight with them4 ,i will not object that various councils have made many very severe decrees against such disorder2 for these also1 whenever they please1 they fearlessly treat with contempt4 ,but ,i maintain1 that both these things are execrable enormities1 utterly repugnant to ,god1 to nature1 and to the government of the ,church--that one robber should engross several ,churches at once1 and that the name of pastor should be given to one who could not be present with his flock1 even if he would2 and yet1 such is their impudence1 they cover these abominable impurities with the name of the ,church1 in order to exempt them from all censure4 ,and1 moreover1 that inviolable succession1 to the merit of which they boast that the ,church owes its perpetual preservation1 is included in these iniquities4 ,,viii4 ,now1 let us see how faithfully they exercise their office1 which is the second mark by which we are to judge of a legitimate pastor4 ,of the priests whom they create1 some are monks1 others are called seculars4 ,the former of these classes was unknown to the ancient ,church1 and to hold such a place in the ,church was so incompatible with the monastic profession1 that anciently1 when any one was chosen from a monastery to be one of the clergy1 he ceased to be a monk4 ,and even ,gregory1 in whose time there was much corruption1 yet suffered not this confusion to take place4 ,for he enjoined1 that they who became abbots should be divested of their clerical character2 for that no one could be a monk and a clergyman at the same time1 because the one would be an impediment to the other4 ,now1 if ,i inquire how that man can duly discharge his office1 whom the canons declare to be unfit for it1 what answer will they make8 ,i suppose they will cite those abortive decrees of ,innocent and ,boniface1 by which monks are admitted to the honour and authority of the priesthood1 so that they may still remain in their monasteries4 ,but what reason is there1 that any illiterate ass1 as soon as he has once occupied the see of ,rome1 should by one diminutive word overturn all the usages of antiquity8 ,but of this we shall say more hereafter4 ,suffice it at present to remark1 that during the purer times of the ,church1 it was deemed a great absurdity for a monk to hold the office of a priest4 ,for ,jerome denies that he performed the office of a priest while he lived among the monks2 but represents himself as one of the people who ought to be governed by the priests4 ,but if we grant them this point1 how do they execute their office8 ,there are some of the mendicants1 and a few of the others1 who preach4 ,all the rest of the monks either chant or mutter over masses in their cloisters1 as if it were the design of ,jesus ,christ that presbyters should be appointed for this purpose1 or as if the nature of their office admitted of it4 ,while the ,scripture clearly testifies that it is the duty of a presbyter to govern his own ,church1#hee is it not an impious profanation to transfer to another object1 or rather to make a total change in1 ,god's sacred institution8 ,for when they are ordained monks1 they are expressly forbidden to do things which the ,lord enjoins upon all presbyters4 ,this direction is given to them3 ,let a monk be content in his cloister1 and not presume to administer the sacraments1 or to execute any other branch of public duty4 ,let them deny1 if they can1 that it is a glaring mockery of ,god1 to create a presbyter in order that he may refrain from discharging his true and genuine office1 and to give a man the name1 who cannot possess the thing4 ,,ix4 ,i proceed to the seculars2 of whom some are called beneficiaries1 that is1 they have benefices by which they are maintained2 others hire themselves to labour by the day1 in saying mass or singing1 and live on the wages which they gain from these employments4 ,benefices are either attended with cure of souls1 as bishoprics and parishes2 or they are the stipends of delicate men1 who gain a livelihood by chanting1 as prebends1 canonries1 dignities1 chaplainships1 and the like4 ,but in the confusion which has been introduced1 abbeys and priories are conferred not only on secular priests1 but also on boys1 by privilege1 that is1 by common and ordinary custom4 ,as to the mercenaries1 who seek their daily sustenance1 how could they act otherwise than they do1 that is1 to offer themselves to hire in a mean and shameful manner2 especially among such a vast multitude as now swarms in the world8 ,therefore1 when they are ashamed of open begging1 or think they should gain but little by that practice1 they run about like hungry dogs1 and by their importunity1 as by barking1 extort from reluctant hands some morsels to put into their mouths4 ,here if ,i should endeavour to describe what a great disgrace it is to the ,church1 that the office and dignity of the presbytery has been so degraded1 there would be no end4 ,my readers1 therefore1 have no reason to expect from me a long discourse1 corresponding to such a flagitious enormity4 ,i only assert1 in few words1 that if it be the duty of a presbyter1 as the word of ,god prescribes1 and the ancient canons require1 to feed the ,church and administer the spiritual kingdom of ,christ1#hef all those priests who have no work or wages1 except in making merchandise of masses1 not only fail of executing their office1 but have no legitimate office to execute4 ,for there is no place assigned to them to teach2 they have no people to govern4 ,in short1 nothing remains to them but the altar upon which to offer up ,christ in sacrifice2 and this is not sacrificing to ,god1 but to demons1 as we shall see in another place4 ,x4 ,here ,i touch not on the external vices1 but only on the intestine evil which is deeply rooted in their institution1 and cannot be separated from it4 ,i shall add a remark1 which will sound harshly in their ears1 but because it is true1 it must be expressed--that canons1 deans1 chaplains1 provosts1 and all who are supported by sinecures1 are to be considered in the same light4 ,for what service can they perform for the ,church8 ,they have discarded the preaching of the word1 the superintendence of discipline1 and the administration of the sacraments1 as employments attended with too much labour and trouble4 ,what have they remaining1 then1 to boast of as true presbyters8 ,they have chanting and the pomp of ceremonies4 ,but what is all this to the purpose8 ,if they plead custom1 usage1 prescription of long continuance1 ,i will confront them with the decision of ,christ1 where he has given us a description of true presbyters1 and what qualifications ought to be possessed by those who wish to be considered as such4 ,if they cannot bear so hard a law as to submit themselves to the rule of ,christ1 let them at least allow this cause to be decided by the authority of the primitive ,church4 ,but their condition will not be at all better1 if we judge of their state by the ancient canons4 ,those who have degenerated into canons1 ought to be presbyters1 as they were in former times1 to govern the ,church in common with the bishop1 and to be his colleagues in the pastoral office4 ,these chapter dignities1 as they call them1 have nothing to do with the government of the ,church2 much less have the chaplainships1 and the other dregs of similar offices4 ,in what estimation1 then1 shall we hold them all8 ,it is certain that the word of ,christ and the practice of the ancient ,church agree in excluding them from the honour of the presbytery4 ,they contend1 however1 that they are presbyters2 but the mask must be torn off4 ,then we shall find1 that their whole profession is most foreign and remote from the office of presbyters1 which is described to us by the apostles1 and which was required in the primitive ,church4 ,all such orders1 therefore1 by whatever titles they may be distinguished1 since they are of modern invention1 or at least are not supported by the institution of ,god1 or the ancient usage of the ,church1 ought to have no place in a description of the spiritual government1 which the ,church has received1 consecrated by the mouth of the ,lord himself4 ,or1 if they wish me to use plainer language1 since chaplains1 canons1 deans1 provosts1 and other idlers of this description1 do not even with their little fingers touch a particle of that duty which is necessarily required in presbyters1 it is not to be endured that they should falsely usurp the honour1 and thus violate the sacred institution of ,jesus ,christ4 ,,xi4 ,there remain the bishops and the rectors of parishes1 who would afford me great pleasure if they exerted themselves to support their office4 ,for we would readily admit to them1 that they have a pious and honourable office1 provided they discharged it4 ,but when they wish to be considered as pastors1 notwithstanding they desert the churches committed to them1 and transfer the care of them to others1 they act just as if the office of a pastor consisted in doing nothing4 ,if a usurer1 who never stirred his foot out of the city1 should profess himself a ploughman or vinedresser1--if a soldier1 who had spent all his time in the camp and in the field of battle1 and had never seen a court of justice or books1 should offer himself as a lawyer1--who could endure such gross absurdities8 ,but these men act in a manner still more absurd1 who wish to be accounted and called legitimate pastors of the ,church1 and yet are not willing to be so in reality4 ,for how few of them are there1 who execute the government of their ,churches even in appearance6 ,many of them all their lifetime devour the revenues of ,churches1 which they never approach even to look at them4 ,others either go themselves1 or send an agent once every year1 that nothing may be lost by farming them out4 ,when this abuse first intruded itself1 they who wished to enjoy this kind of vacation from duty1 exempted themselves by special privileges4 ,now1 it is a rare case for any one to reside in his own ,church2 for they consider their ,churches as no other than farms1 over which they place their vicars1 as bailiffs or stewards4 ,but it is repugnant to common sense1 that a man should be pastor of a flock1 who never saw one of the sheep4 ,,xii4 ,it appears that some seeds of this evil had sprung up in the time of ,gregory1 and that the rectors of ,churches began to be negligent in preaching and teaching2 for he heavily complains of it in the following passages3 8,the world is full of priests2 but yet there are few labourers found in the harvest2 because we undertake the sacerdotal office1 but perform not the work of the office40 ,again3 8,because they have no bowels of charity1 they wish to be considered as lords2 they do not acknowledge themselves to be fathers4 ,they change the place of humility into an aggrandizement of dominion40 ,again3 8,but1 ,o ye pastors1 what are we doing1 who receive the wages and are not labourers8 ,we have fallen into extraneous employments2 we undertake one thing1 and perform another4 ,we relinquish the office of preaching2 and it is our misfortune1 ,i conceive1 that we are called bishops1 since we hold a title of honour1 but not of virtue40 ,since he uses such severity of language against those who were only chargeable with a want of sufficient assiduity1 or diligence1 in their office1 what would he have said1 if he had seen scarcely any1 or very few of the bishops1 and among the rest hardly one in a hundred1 ascend a pulpit once in their lives8 ,for things are come to such a pitch of frenzy1 that it is generally esteemed beneath the dignity of a bishop to deliver a sermon to a congregation4 ,in the time of ,bernard there had been some declension2 but we see how sharply he reproves and inveighs against the whole body of the clergy1 who1 it is probable1 however1 were far less corrupt in that age than they are in the present4 ,,xiii4 ,now1 if any one will closely observe and strictly examine this whole form of ecclesiastical government1 which exists at the present day under the ,papacy1 he will find it a nest of the most lawless and ferocious banditti in the world4 ,every thing in it is clearly so dissimilar and repugnant to the institution of ,christ1 so degenerated from the ancient regulations and usages of the ,church1 so at variance with nature and reason1 that no greater injury can be done to ,christ1 than by pleading his name in defence of such a disorderly government4 ,we 7they say7 are the pillars of the ,church1 the prelates of religion1 the vicars of ,christ1 the heads of the faithful1 because we have succeeded to the power and authority of the apostles4 ,they are perpetually vaunting of these fooleries1 as if they were talking to blocks of wood2 but whenever they repeat these boasts1 ,i will ask them in return1 what they have in common with the apostles4 ,for the question is not respecting any hereditary honour1 which may be given to men while they are asleep1 but of the office of preaching1 which they so carefully avoid4 ,so1 when we assert that their kingdom is the tyranny of ,antichrist1 they immediately reply1 that it is that venerable hierarchy1 which has been so often commended by great and holy men4 ,as though the holy fathers1 when they praised the ecclesiastical hierarchy1 or spiritual government1 as it had been delivered to them by the hands of the apostles1 ever dreamed of this chaos of deformity and desolation1 where the bishops for the most part are illiterate asses1 unacquainted with the first and plainest rudiments of the faith1 or1 in some instances1 are children just out of leading-strings2 and if any be more learned1--which1 however1 is a rare case1--they consider a bishopric to be nothing but a title of splendour and magnificence2 where the rectors of ,churches think no more of feeding the flock1 than a shoemaker does of ploughing2 where all things are confounded with a dispersion worse than that of ,babel1 so that there can no longer be seen any clear vestige of the administration practised in the time of the fathers4 ,,xiv4 ,what if we proceed to inquire into their manners8 8,where is that light of the world10 which ,christ requires8 where that 8salt of the earth80#heg where that sanctity1 which might serve as a perpetual example to others8 ,there is no class of men in the present day more infamous for profusion1 delicacy1 luxury1 and profligacy of every kind2 no class of men contains more apt or expert masters of every species of imposture1 fraud1 treachery1 and perfidy2 nowhere can be found equal cunning or audacity in the commission of crime4 ,i say nothing of their pride1 haughtiness1 rapacity1 and cruelty2 ,i say nothing of the abandoned licentiousness of every part of their lives2--enormities which the world is so wearied with bearing1 that there is no room for the least apprehension lest ,i should be charged with excessive exaggeration4 ,one thing ,i assert1 which it is not in their power to deny--that there is scarcely one of the bishops1 and not one in a hundred of the parochial clergy1 who1 if sentence were to be passed upon his conduct according to the ancient canons1 would not be excommunicated1 or1 at the very least1 deposed from his office4 ,that ancient discipline1 which required a more accurate investigation to be made into the conduct of the clergy1 has so long been obsolete1 that ,i may be considered as making an incredible assertion2 but such is the fact4 ,now1 let all1 who fight under the standards and auspices of the ,roman see1 go and boast of their sacerdotal order4 ,it is evident that the order which they have is not derived from ,christ1 from his apostles1 from the fathers1 or from the ancient ,church4 ,,xv4 ,now1 let the deacons come forward1 with that most sacred distribution which they have of the property of the ,church4 ,they do not at present1 however1 create their deacons for any such purpose2 for they enjoin them nothing but to serve at the altar1 to say or chant the gospel1 and do ,i know not what trifles4 ,nothing of the alms1 nothing of the care of the poor1 nothing of the whole function which they executed in primitive times4 ,i speak of the institution itself4 ,for if we advert to the fact1 it is now become no office at all1 but only a step towards the priesthood4 ,in one circumstance1 those who act the part of a deacon at the mass1 exhibit a useless and frivolous resemblance of antiquity1 in receiving the offerings before the consecration4 ,now1 it was the ancient custom1 that before the communion of the supper1 the faithful kissed each other1 and then offered their alms at the altar2 thus they expressed their charity1 first by a sign1 and then by active beneficence4 ,the deacon1 who was steward for the poor1 received what was given1 in order to distribute it4 ,of the alms given at present1 no more reaches the poor than if they were thrown into the sea4 ,this false appearance of deaconship1 therefore1 is a mockery of the ,church4 ,it contains nothing resembling the apostolic institution1 or the ancient usage4 ,even the distribution of the property they have turned into another channel2 and have ordered it in such a way1 that it is impossible to imagine any thing more disorderly4 ,for as robbers1 after having murdered some ill-fated travellers1 divide the plunder among themselves1 so these men1 after having extinguished the light of ,god's word1 and1 as it were1 cut the throat of the ,church1 have concluded that whatever had been dedicated to sacred uses1 was abandoned to plunder and rapine4 ,they have therefore made a division of it1 and every one has seized as large a share as he could4 ,,xvi4 ,here1 all the ancient usages which we have described1 have not only been disturbed1 but entirely expunged and abolished ,the principal part of this plunder was seized by the bishops and the presbyters of cities1 who1 being enriched by it1 were converted into canons4 ,that the partition was made in confusion is evident from the contentions which prevail among them1 even to this day1 about their respective limits4 ,but1 however it may be managed1 they have taken care that not a penny of all the property of the ,church should reach the poor1 who were at least entitled to half of it4 ,for the canons expressly allot them one fourth part1 and assign another fourth part to the bishops1 to be laid out in hospitality and other offices of charity4 ,i say nothing of what the clergy ought to do with their portion1 and to what use they ought to apply it4 ,the residue1 which is appropriated to the reparation of temples1 edifices1 and other expenses1 it has been sufficiently shown1 ought to be at the service of the poor in time of necessity4 ,if they had a single spark of the fear of ,god in their hearts1 could they bear this reflection of conscience1 that every thing they eat1 and drink1 and wear1 is the fruit of robbery1 and even of sacrilege8 ,but though they are little affected with the judgment of ,god1 they should at least consider that those1 whom they wish to persuade into a belief of their possession of such an excellent and well regulated system in their ,church as they are accustomed to boast1 are men endued with sense and reason4 ,let them answer me1 in a word1 whether deaconship be a license for theft and robbery8 ,if they deny this1 they will also be obliged to confess1 that they have no such office left2 seeing that among them the whole administration of the revenues of the ,church has been openly perverted into a system of sacrilegious depredation4 ,,xvii4 ,but here they advance a most plausible plea4 ,they allege that the dignity of the ,church is becomingly sustained by this magnificence4 ,and such is the impudence of some of their faction1 that they dare to boast in express terms1 that this princely state of the priesthood constitutes the only fulfilment of those predictions in which the ancient prophets describe the splendour of the kingdom of ,christ4 ,it is not in vain1 they say1 that ,god has made the following promises to his ,church3 8,the kings of ,tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents2 the kings of ,sheba and ,seba shall offer gifts4 ,yea1 all kings shall fall down before him40#heh 8,awake1 awake2 put on thy strength1 ,o ,zion2 put on thy beautiful garments1 ,o ,jerusalem40#hei 8,all they from ,sheba shall come2 they shall bring gold and incense2 and they shall show forth the praises of the ,lord4 ,all the flocks of ,kedar shall be gathered together unto thee40#hfj ,if ,i should dwell long on a refutation of this presumption1 ,i fear ,i should expose myself to the charge of folly4 ,therefore ,i am not inclined to spend my words in vain4 ,but ,i ask1 if any ,jew were to abuse these passages in the same manner1 what reply would they make to him8 ,there is no doubt but they would reprove his stupidity1 in transferring to the flesh and the world things which are spiritually spoken of the spiritual kingdom of the ,messiah4 ,for we know that1 under the image of earthly things1 the prophets have represented to us the heavenly glory of ,god1 which ought to shine in the ,church4 ,for of those external blessings which their words express1 the ,church never had less abundance than in the days of the apostles2 and yet it is acknowledged by all that the kingdom of ,christ1 then flourished in its greatest vigour4 ,what1 then1 it will be asked1 is the meaning of these passages8 ,i reply1 that every thing precious1 high1 and excellent1 ought to be in subjection to the ,lord4 ,in regard to the express declaration1 that kings shall submit their sceptres to ,christ1 cast their crowns at his feet1 and consecrate their wealth to the ,church1 when 7they will say7 was it more truly and fully exemplified1 than when ,theodosius1 casting off the purple robes1 and relinquishing the ensigns of imperial majesty1 submitted himself1 like one of the common people1 to do solemn penance before ,god and the ,church8 than when he and other such pious princes devoted their cares and exertions to the preservation of pure doctrine in the ,church1 and to the support and protection of sound teachers8 ,but how far the priests of that age were from rioting in superfluous riches1 a single expression of the ,council of ,aquileia1 at which ,ambrose presided1 sufficiently declares4 8,poverty is honourable in the priests of the ,lord40 ,it is true that the bishops at that time had some wealth1 which they might have employed to display the honour of the ,church1 if they had considered them as the ,church's real ornaments4 ,but knowing that there was nothing more inconsistent with the office of pastors1 than to display and to pride themselves on the luxury of their tables1 the splendour of their apparel1 a large retinue1 and magnificent palaces1 they followed and maintained the humility and modesty1 and even the poverty which ,christ has consecrated in all his ministers4 ,,xviii4 ,but not to dwell too long on this point1 let us again collect into a brief summary1 how very much the present dispensation1 or rather dissipation1 of the property of the ,church1 differs from that true office of deacons1 which the word of ,god commends to us1 and which the ancient ,church observed4 ,that portion which is employed in the ornaments of temples1 ,i assert1 is grossly misapplied1 if it be not regulated by that moderation which the nature of sacred things requires1 and which the apostles and holy fathers have prescribed both by precept and by examples4 ,but what is there seen like this1 in the temples at the present day8 ,whatever is conformable1 ,i do not say to that primitive frugality1 but to any honourable mediocrity1 is rejected4 ,nothing pleases1 but what savours of the profusion and corruption of the present times4 ,at the same time they are so far from feeling any just concern for the living temples1 that they would suffer thousands of the poor to perish with hunger1 rather than convert the smallest chalice or silver pitcher into money1 to relieve their wants4 ,and1 not of myself to pronounce any thing more severe1 ,i would only request my pious readers to indulge this one reflection4 ,if it could happen that ,exuperius1--that bishop of ,toulouse whom we have mentioned1--if ,acacius1 if ,ambrose1 or any other such1--should be raised from the dead1 what would they say8 ,in such extreme necessity of the poor1 they surely would not approve of the riches of the ,church being applied to another use1 and that an unnecessary one4 ,i forbear to remark1 that these purposes for which they are employed1 even if there were no poor1 are in many respects injurious1 but of no utility whatever4 ,but ,i will not appeal to the authority of men4 ,the property has been dedicated to ,christ1 and therefore ought to be dispensed according to his will4 ,it will be useless for them to allege1 that this portion has been employed for ,christ1 which they have squandered in a manner inconsistent with his command4 ,to confess the truth1 however1 there is not much of the ordinary revenue of the ,church lost in these expenses4 ,for there are no bishoprics so opulent1 no abbeys so rich1 in short1 no benefices so numerous or ample1 as to satisfy the voraciousness of the priests4 ,wishing to spare themselves1 therefore1 they induce the people1 from superstitious motives1 to take what ought to be bestowed upon the poor1 and apply it to the building of temples1 the erection of statues1 the purchase of chalices and shrines for relics1 and the provision of costly vestments4 ,this is the gulf which swallows up all the daily alms4 ,,xix4 ,of the revenue which they derive from lands and possessions1 what can ,i say more than ,i have already said1 and which is evident to the observation of all men8 ,we see with what fidelity the principal portion is disposed of by those who are called bishops and abbots4 ,what folly is it to seek here for any ecclesiastical order6 ,was it reasonable that they1 whose life ought to be an eminent example of frugality1 modesty1 temperance1 and humility1 should emulate the pomp of princes1 in the number of their attendants1 the splendour of their palaces1 the elegance of their apparel1 and the luxury of their tables8 ,and how very inconsistent it was with the office of those whom the eternal and inviolable decree of ,god forbids to be greedy of filthy lucre1#hfa and commands to be content with simple fare1 not only to lay their hands upon towns and castles1 but to seize on the largest provinces1 and even to assume the reins of empire6 ,if they despise the word of ,god1 what reply will they make to those ancient decrees of councils1 by which it is ordained that a bishop shall have a small house near the ,church1 a frugal table1 and humble furniture8 ,what will they say to that sentence of the ,council of ,aquileia1 which declares poverty to be honourable in the priests of the ,lord8 ,for the direction given by ,jerome to ,nepotian1 that poor persons and strangers1 and ,christ among them1 should be familiar guests at his table1 they will perhaps reject as too austere4 ,but they will be ashamed to contradict what he immediately subjoins--8that it is the glory of a bishop to provide for the poor1 and the disgrace of all priests to seek to enrich themselves40 ,yet they cannot receive this1 but they must all condemn themselves to ignominy4 ,but it is not necessary to pursue them with any further severity at present1 as it was only my intention to show1 that the legitimate office of deacon has long been entirely abolished among them1 to prevent their continuing to pride themselves on this title1 for the purpose of recommending their ,church4 ,and this design1 ,i think1 ,i have fully accomplished4 ,footnote #hed3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #b-g4 ,footnote #hee3 ,acts xx4 #bh4 ,footnote #hef3 #a ,cor4 iv4 #a4 ,footnote #heg3 ,matt4 v4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #heh3 ,psalm lxxii4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #hei3 ,isaiah iii4 #a4 ,footnote #hfj3 ,isaiah lx4 #f1 #g4 ,footnote #hfa3 ,titus i4 #g4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,primacy ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,see4 ,hitherto we have treated of those ecclesiastical orders which existed in the government of the ancient ,church1 but which afterwards1 in process of time1 being corrupted and gradually more and more perverted1 now in the ,papal ,church merely retain their names1 while in reality they are nothing but masks4 ,and this we have done1 that by the comparison the pious reader might judge what sort of a ,church the ,romanists have1 for the sake of which they represent us as guilty of schism1 because we have separated from it4 ,but the head and summit of the whole establishment1 that is1 the primacy of the ,roman see1 by which they endeavour to prove that the ,catholic ,church is exclusively theirs1 we have not yet touched on2 because it originated neither in the institution of ,christ nor in the usage of the ancient ,church1 as did the other offices1 which we have shown were handed down from antiquity1 but since1 through the corruption of the times1 have degenerated1 and even assumed altogether a new form4 ,and yet they endeavour to persuade the world1 that the principal and almost only bond of the unity of the ,church is adherence to the see of ,rome1 and perseverance in obedience to it4 ,this is the foundation on which they principally rest1 when they wish to deny us all claim to the ,church1 and to arrogate it to themselves2 that they retain the head1 on which the unity of the ,church depends1 and without which it must be torn asunder and crumble to pieces4 ,for their notion is1 that the ,church is like a mutilated and headless body1 unless it be subject to the ,roman see as its head4 ,therefore1 when they dispute respecting their hierarchy1 they always commence with this axiom1 that the ,roman pontiff1 as the vicar of ,christ1 who is ,head of the ,church1 presides over the universal ,church in his stead1 and that the ,church cannot be well constituted1 unless that see holds the primacy above all others4 ,wherefore it is necessary to discuss this subject also1 that nothing belonging to the good government of the ,church may be omitted4 ,,ii4 ,let the question1 therefore1 be stated thus3 ,whether it be necessary to the true system of what they call the hierarchy or government of the ,church1 that one see should have the preminence above all the rest in dignity and power1 so as to be the head of the whole body4 ,now1 we subject the ,church to very unreasonable laws1 if we impose this necessity upon it without the word of ,god4 ,therefore1 if our adversaries wish to gain their cause1 it is necessary for them1 in the first place1 to show that this economy was instituted by ,christ4 ,for this purpose they allege the high-priesthood ordained in the law1 and the supreme jurisdiction of the high-priest which ,god appointed at ,jerusalem4 ,but it is easy to give an answer to this1 or1 indeed1 various answers1 if they would not be satisfied with one4 ,in the first place1 there is no reason for extending to the whole world what was useful in a single nation2 on the contrary1 the case of a single nation and that of the whole world are widely different4 ,because the ,jews were surrounded on all sides with idolaters1 ,god1 in order to prevent their being distracted by a variety of religions1 fixed the seat of his worship in the centre of the country1 and there he set over them one principal priest1 to whom they were all to be subject1 for the better preservation of unity among them4 ,now1 when the true religion has been diffused over the whole world1 who does not perceive it to be utterly absurd to assign the government of the east and west to one man8 ,it is just as if it were contended1 that the whole world ought to be governed by one magistrate1 because there is only one in a small district4 ,but there is another reason why this ought not to be made a precedent for imitation4 ,every one knows that the ,jewish high-priest was a type of ,christ3 now that the priesthood has been transferred1 that right must also be transferred4 ,to whom1 then1 is it transferred8 ,certainly not to the pope1 as he impudently presumes to boast1 when he assumes this title to himself2 but to ,christ1 who exercises that office alone without vicar or successor1 and resigns the honour to no other4 ,for this priesthood1 which was prefigured in the law1 consists not only in preaching or doctrine1 but in the propitiation of ,god1 which ,christ effected in his death1 and in that intercession which he is now making with the ,father4 ,,iii4 ,there is no reason1 therefore1 why they should confine us to this example1 as if it were a law perpetually binding1 whereas we see it was only of temporary duration4 ,from the ,new ,testament they have nothing to adduce in support of their opinion1 but that it was said to one1 8,thou art ,peter2 and upon this rock ,i will build my ,church40#hfb ,again3 8,peter1 lovest thou me8 ,feed my sheep40#hfc ,but to render these proofs substantial1 it is necessary for them first to show that he who is commanded to feed the flock of ,christ1 is invested with authority over all ,churches1 and that binding and loosing are no other than governing the whole world4 ,but as ,peter had received the command from the ,lord to feed the ,church1 so he exhorts all other presbyters to do the same4#hfd ,hence it is easy to infer1 that this charge of ,christ conferred nothing peculiar upon ,peter beyond others1 or that ,peter communicated equally to others the right which he had received4 ,but1 not to dispute to no purpose1 we have in another place1 from the mouth of ,christ himself1 a clear explanation of what he intends by binding and loosing1 namely1 8remitting and retaining sins40#hfe ,the manner of binding and loosing is shown by the whole tenor of ,scripture1 and particularly by ,paul1 when he says that the ministers of the gospel have received a commission to reconcile men to ,god1#hff and that they have authority to inflict punishment on those who shall reject this favour4#hfg ,,iv4 ,how grossly they pervert those passages which make mention of binding and loosing1 ,i have hinted before1 and shall hereafter have to state more at large4 ,at present it is worth while to see what they can extract from that celebrated answer of ,christ to ,peter4 ,he promised him 8the keys of the kingdom of heaven40 ,he said1 8,whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth1 shall be bound in heaven40#hfh ,if we can agree respecting the word keys1 and the manner of binding1 all dispute will immediately cease4 ,for the pope himself will readily relinquish the charge committed to the apostles1 which1 being full of labour and trouble1 would deprive him of his pleasures without yielding him any profit4 ,since it is the doctrine of the gospel that opens heaven to us1 it is beautifully expressed by the metaphorical appellation of keys4--,there is no other way in which men are bound and loosed1 than when some are reconciled to ,god by faith1 and others are more firmly bound by their unbelief4 ,if the pope assumed nothing but this to himself1 ,i am persuaded there is no man who would either envy him or contend with him4--,but this succession being laborious1 and by no means lucrative1 and1 therefore1 not at all satisfactory to the pope1 hence arises a controversy on the meaning of ,christ's promise to ,peter4 ,therefore ,i infer from the subject itself1 that it only denotes the dignity of the apostolic office1 which cannot be separated from the burden of it4 ,for if the definition which ,i have given be admitted1--and it cannot without the greatest effrontery be rejected1--then here is nothing given to ,peter that was not also common to his colleagues2 because otherwise there would not only be a personal injury done to them1 but the majesty of the doctrine would be diminished4 ,this our adversaries strenuously oppose4 ,but what does it avail them to strike upon this rock8 ,for they can never prove1 but that as the preaching of the same gospel was enjoined upon all the apostles1 so they were all equally armed with the power of binding and loosing4 ,they allege that ,christ1 when he promised to give the keys to ,peter1 constituted him head of the universal ,church4 ,but what he there promised to one1 he in another passage confers upon all the rest together1 and delivers it1 as it were1 into their hands4#hfi ,if the same power1 which had been promised to one1 was granted to all1 in what respect is he superior to his colleagues8 ,his preminence1 they say1 consists in this--that he receives separately by himself1 as well as in common with them1 that which is only given to the others in common4 ,what if ,i reply1 with ,cyprian and ,augustine1 that ,christ did this1 not to prefer one man before others1 but to display the unity of the ,church8 ,for this is the language of ,cyprian3 8,that in the person of one man ,god gave the keys to them all1 to signify the unity of them all2 that1 therefore1 the rest were1 the same as ,peter1 endued with an equal participation both of honour and of power2 but that ,christ commences with one1 to show that the ,church is one40 ,augustine says1 8,if there had not been in ,peter a mysterious representation of the ,church1 the ,lord would not have said to him1 ,i will give thee the keys2 for if this was said to ,peter alone1 the ,church possesses them not2 but if the ,church has the keys1 ,peter1 when he received them1 must have represented the whole ,church40 ,and in another place3 8,when a question was put to them all1 ,peter alone answers1 ,thou art the ,christ2 and to him ,christ says1 ,i will give thee the keys1 as if the power of binding and loosing had been conferred upon him alone2 whereas he made that answer on behalf of all1 and received this power in common with all1 as sustaining the character of unity4 ,he is mentioned1 therefore1 one for all1 because there is unity in all40 ,v4 ,but this declaration1 8,thou art ,peter1 and upon this rock ,i will build my ,church10#hgj they say1 is no where to be found addressed to any other4 ,as if in this passage ,christ affirmed any thing respecting ,peter1 different from what ,paul1 and even ,peter himself1 asserts1 respecting all ,christians4 ,for ,paul makes 8,christ the chief corner-stone10 upon which they are built who 8grow unto a holy temple in the ,lord40#hga ,and ,peter enjoins us to be 8as lively stones10 who1 being founded on that 8corner-stone1 elect and precious10#hgb are by this connection at once united to our ,god and to each other4 ,this belongs to ,peter1 they say1 above the rest1 because it is expressly attributed to him in particular4 ,i readily allow ,peter the honour of being placed among the first in the structure of the ,church1 or1 if they insist upon it1 the very first of all the faithful2 but ,i will not permit them to infer from this that he possessed a primacy over the rest4 ,for what kind of reasoning is this3 he excels the rest in ardour of zeal1 in doctrine1 in magnanimity2 therefore he possesses authority over them8 ,as though we might not with greater plausibility conclude that ,andrew was superior to ,peter1 because he preceded him in time1 and introduced him to ,christ2#hgc but this ,i pass over4 ,i am willing that ,peter should have the precedence1 but there is a great difference between the honour of preceding others1 and authority over them4 ,we see that the apostles generally paid this deference to ,peter1 that he used to speak first in their assembly1 and took the lead in proposing1 exhorting1 and admonishing2 but we read not a word of his power4 ,,vi4 ,we are not yet1 however1 come to that question2 ,i only mean at present to show1 that they have no solid argument1 when they wish to erect an empire over the universal church upon no other foundation than the name of ,peter4 ,for those antiquated fooleries with which they endeavoured at first to impose on the world1 are not worthy of a relation1 much less of a refutation--that the ,church was founded on ,peter1 because it is said1 8,upon this rock ,i will build my ,church40#hgd ,they allege in their defence1 that it has been so explained by some of the fathers4 ,but when this is contradicted by the whole tenor of ,scripture1 what avails it to set up their authority in opposition to ,god8 ,and why do we dispute about the meaning of those words1 as though they were ambiguous or obscure8 whereas nothing can be expressed with greater clearness or precision4 ,peter1 in his own name and that of his brethren1 had confessed that ,christ was 8the ,son of ,god40#hge ,upon this rock ,christ builds his ,church1 because it is the only foundation1 as ,paul says1 8other0 than which 8can no man lay40#hgf ,nor do ,i reject the authority of the fathers in this case1 from a want of testimonies in their writings to support what ,i maintain1 if ,i were inclined to adduce them4 ,but as ,i have observed1 ,i am unwilling to be unnecessarily tedious to my readers in arguing so clear a subject2 especially as it has been long ago discussed with sufficient copiousness and care by other writers on our side of the question4 ,,vii4 ,yet1 in fact1 we can obtain no better decision of this point than from the ,scripture itself1 if we compare all the places where it shows what office and power ,peter held among the apostles1 how he conducted himself1 and in what manner he was received by them4 ,on an examination of the whole1 we shall only find that he was one of the twelve1 equal to the rest1 their companion1 not their master4 ,he proposes to the assembly indeed1 if there be any thing to be done1 and delivers his opinion on what is necessary to be done2 but he hears the observations of others1 and not only gives them the opportunity of speaking their sentiments1 but leaves them to decide1 and when they have determined1 he follows and obeys4#hgg ,when he writes to pastors1 he does not command them with authority like a superior2 but makes them his colleagues1 and exhorts them with a courteousness which is usual among equals4#hgh ,when he is accused for having associated with the ,gentiles1 though this is an unjust accusation1 yet he answers it1 and vindicates himself4#hgi ,commanded by his colleagues to go with ,john to ,samaria1 he refuses not4#hhj ,the apostles1 by sending him1 declared that they did not consider him as their superior4 ,by his compliance and undertaking the commission intrusted to him1 he confessed that he was a colleague with them1 but had no authority over them4 ,if none of these facts had remained upon record1 yet the ,epistle to the ,galatians might alone easily remove every doubt2 where ,paul devotes nearly two whole chapters to the sole purpose of showing that he was equal to ,peter in the dignity of the apostleship4 ,hence he relates that he went to ,peter1 not to profess subjection to him1 but to testify to all the harmony of their doctrine2 and that ,peter required no such thing as submission1 but gave him the right hand of fellowship1 that they might labour together in the vineyard of the ,lord2 that no less grace had been conferred upon him among the ,gentiles1 than upon ,peter among the ,jews2 and lastly1 that when ,peter acted with some degree of unfaithfulness1 he was reproved by him1 and stood corrected by the reproof4#hha ,all these things fully prove1 either that there was an equality between ,paul and ,peter1 or at least that ,peter had no more power over the rest than they had over him4 ,and this1 as ,i have already observed1 is the professed object of ,paul--to prevent his being considered as inferior in his apostolic character to ,peter or ,john1 who were his colleagues1 not his masters4 ,,viii4 ,but though ,i grant them what they require respecting ,peter1 by admitting that he was the chief of the apostles1 and superior in dignity to all the others1 yet there is no reason why they should convert a particular instance into a universal rule1 and make what was done but once a perpetual precedent2 for the cases are widely different4 ,there was one chief among the apostles2 doubtless because they were few in number4 ,if there be one president over twelve men1 will it therefore follow that there ought to be but one president over a hundred thousand men8 ,that twelve should have one among them to preside over the rest1 is no wonder4 ,for this is consistent with nature1 and the common sense of mankind requires1 that in every assembly1 even though they are all equal in power1 yet there should be one to act as moderator1 by whom the others should be regulated4 ,there is no court1 council1 parliament1 or assembly of any description1 which has not its president or chairman4 ,so there would be no absurdity1 if we acknowledged that the apostles gave this preminence to ,peter4 ,but that which obtains among a small company is not immediately to be applied to the whole world1 to the government of which no one man is sufficient4 ,but the whole economy of nature1 they say1 teaches us1 that there ought to be one supreme head over all4 ,and in proof of this they adduce the example of cranes and bees1 which always choose for themselves one leader1 and no more4 ,i admit the examples which they produce2 but do bees collect together from all parts of the world to choose one king8 ,each king is content with his own hive4 ,so1 among cranes1 every flock has its own leader4 ,what will they prove from this1 but that every ,church ought to have its own bishop8 ,next they call us to consider examples from civil governments4 ,they quote an observation from ,homer1 that it is not good to have many governors1 with similar passages of other profane writers in commendation of monarchy4 ,the answer is easy2 for monarchy is not praised by ,ulysses in ,homer1 or by any others1 from an opinion that one king ought to govern the whole world4 ,their meaning is1 that one kingdom does not admit of two kings1 and that no prince can bear a partner in his throne4 ,,ix4 ,but supposing it to be1 as they contend1 good and useful that the whole world should be comprehended in one monarchy1 which1 however1 is a monstrous absurdity2 but if this were admitted1 ,i should not1 therefore1 grant the same system to be applicable to the government of the ,church4 ,for the ,church has ,christ for its sole ,head1 under whose sovereignty we are all united together1 according to that order and form of government which he himself has prescribed4 ,they offer a gross insult to ,christ1 therefore1 when they assign the preminence over the universal ,church to one man1 under the pretence that it may not be destitute of a head4 ,for 8,christ is the head2 from whom the whole body1 fitly joined together1 and compacted by that which every joint supplieth1 according to the effectual working in the measure of every part1 maketh increase of the body40#hhb ,we see how he places all men1 without exception1 in the body1 reserving to ,christ alone the honour and name of head4 ,we see how he assigns to all the members respectively a certain measure1 and a determinate and limited function2 so that the perfection of grace1 as well as the supreme power of government1 resides in ,christ alone4 ,i am aware of their usual cavil in evasion of this argument--that ,christ is properly styled the sole ,head1 because he alone governs by his own authority and in his own name1 but that this is no reason why there may not be under him another ministerial head1 as their phrase is1 to act as his vicegerent on earth4 ,but they gain nothing by this cavil1 except they first prove that this ministry was ordained by ,christ4 ,for the apostle teaches1 that all the subordinate ministration is distributed among the members1 but that the power proceeds from that one heavenly ,head4#hhc ,or1 if they wish me to speak in plainer terms1 since the ,scripture declares ,christ to be the ,head1 and ascribes this honour to him alone1 it ought not to be transferred to any other1 except to one whom ,christ himself has appointed his representative4 ,but such an appointment is not only nowhere to be found1 but may be abundantly refuted by various passages4 ,x4 ,paul gives us a lively description of the church on various occasions1 but without making any mention of its having one head upon earth4 ,on the contrary1 from the description which he gives1 we may rather infer that such a notion is foreign from the institution of ,christ4 ,christ1 at his ascension1 withdrew from us his visible presence2 nevertheless 8he ascended that he might fill all things40#hhd ,he is still1 therefore1 present1 and will always continue present with the ,church4 ,with a view to show us the manner in which he manifests himself1 ,paul calls our attention to the offices which he employs4 ,there is 8one ,lord10 he says1 8in you all4 ,but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,and he gave some1 apostles2 and some1 evangelists2 and some1 pastors and teachers40#hhe ,why does he not say1 that he has appointed one to preside over all as his vicegerent8 ,for his subject absolutely required it1 and it ought by no means to have been omitted1 if it had been true4 8,christ10 he says1 8is present with us40 ,how8 8,by the ministry of men whom he has appointed to the government of the ,church40 ,why not rather1 8,by the ministerial head1 to whom he has delegated his authority80 ,he mentions a unity2 but it is in ,god1 and in the faith of ,christ4 ,he attributes nothing to men but a common ministry1 and to every individual his particular share4 ,in that commendation of unity1 after having said1 8,there is one body1 one ,spirit1 one hope of your calling1 one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism10#hhf why has he not likewise immediately added1 8one supreme pontiff to preserve the ,church in unity80 ,for if it had been true1 nothing could have been more proper4 ,let that passage be duly considered4 ,there is no doubt that he intends there a representation of the sacred and spiritual government of the ,church1 which has since received the name of hierarchy4 ,monarchy among ministers1 or the government of one over all the rest1 he not only does not mention1 but indicates that there is no such thing4 ,there is no doubt also that he meant to express the nature of the union1 by which the faithful are connected with ,christ their ,head4 ,now1 he not only makes no mention of any ministerial head1 but attributes to every one of the members a particular operation1 according to the measure of grace distributed to each4 ,nor is there any foundation for their far-fetched argument from a comparison of the heavenly and earthly hierarchy2 for1 in judging of the former1 it is not safe to go beyond the discoveries of the ,scripture1 and in constituting the latter1 it is not right to follow any other model than that which the ,lord himself has delineated in his word4 ,,xi4 ,now1 though ,i should make them another concession1 which they will never obtain from judicious persons1 that the primacy of the ,church was established in ,peter1 and to be continued by a perpetual succession1 how will they prove that its seat was fixed at ,rome1 so that whoever is bishop of that city must preside over the whole world8 ,by what right do they restrict to one place this dignity1 which was conferred without the mention of any place8 ,peter1 they say1 lived and died at ,rome4 ,what shall we say of ,christ himself8 ,was it not at ,jerusalem that he exercised the office of a bishop while he lived1 and fulfilled the priestly office by his death8 ,the ,prince of pastors1 the supreme ,bishop1 the ,head of the ,church1 could not obtain this honour for the place where he lived and died2 how then could ,peter1 who was far inferior to him8 ,are not these follies worse than puerile8 ,christ gave the honour of primacy to ,peter2 ,peter settled at ,rome2 therefore he fixed the seat of the primacy in that city4 ,for the same reason the ancient ,israelites ought to have fixed the seat of their primacy in the desert1 because it was there that ,moses1 their chief teacher1 and the prince of their prophets1 exercised his ministry1 and died4 ,,xii4 ,let us see how wretchedly they reason4 ,peter1 they say1 had the preminence among the apostles4 ,therefore1 the ,church in which he settled ought to have this privilege4 ,but where was he first stationed8 ,they reply1 at ,antioch4 ,then ,i infer that the ,church of ,antioch is justly entitled to the primacy4 ,they confess that it was originally the first1 but allege that ,peter1 on his removal from it1 transferred the honour which was attached to him to ,rome4 ,for there is an epistle of ,pope ,marcellus to the presbyters of ,antioch1 in which he says1 8,the see of ,peter was at first among you1 but at the command of the ,lord was afterwards removed to this city40 ,so the ,church of ,antioch1 which was originally the first1 has given place to the see of ,rome4 ,but ,i ask1 ,by what oracle did that wise pope know that the ,lord had commanded this8 ,for if this cause is to be decided on the footing of right1 it is necessary for them to answer1 whether this privilege be personal1 or real1 or mixed4 ,it must be one of these4 ,if they affirm it to be personal1 then it has nothing to do with the place4 ,if they allege it to be real1 then when it has once been given to a place1 it cannot be taken away from it by the death or removal of the person4 ,it remains1 therefore1 for them to declare it to be mixed2 and then it will not be sufficiently simple to consider the place1 unless there be an agreement also with respect to the person4 ,let them choose which they will1 ,i shall immediately conclude1 and will easily prove1 that the assumption of the primacy by the see of ,rome is without any foundation4 ,,xiii4 ,let us suppose the case1 however1 that the primacy was1 as they pretend1 transferred from ,antioch to ,rome4 ,why did not ,antioch retain the second place8 ,for1 if ,rome has the preminence of all other sees1 because ,peter presided there till the close of his life1 to what city shall the second place be assigned1 but to that which was his first see8 ,how came ,alexandria1 then1 to have the precedence of ,antioch8 ,is it reasonable that the ,church of a mere disciple should be superior to the see of ,peter8 ,if honour be due to every ,church according to the dignity of its founder1 what shall we say of the other ,churches8 ,paul mentions three apostles1 8who seemed to be pillars1 ,james1 ,peter1 and ,john40#hhg ,if the first place be given to the see of ,rome1 in honour of ,peter1 are not the second and third places due to ,ephesus and ,jerusalem1 the sees of ,john and ,james8 ,but among the patriarchates1 ,jerusalem had the last place2 ,ephesus could not be allowed even the farthest corner4 ,other ,churches also1 as well those which were founded by ,paul1 as those over which the other apostles presided1 were left without any distinction4 ,the see of ,mark1 who was only one of the disciples1 obtained the honour4 ,either let them confess that this was a preposterous arrangement1 or let them concede to us1 that it is not a perpetual rule1 that every ,church should be entitled to the degree of honour which was enjoyed by its founder4 ,,xiv4 ,all that they say of the settlement of ,peter in the ,church of ,rome appears to me of very questionable authority4 ,the statement of ,eusebius1 that he presided there twenty-five years1 may be refuted without any difficulty4 ,for it appears1 from the first and second chapter to the ,galatians1 that about twenty years after the death of ,christ1 he was at ,jerusalem1 and that from thence he went to ,antioch1 where he remained for some time1 but it is not certain how long4 ,gregory says seven years1 and ,eusebius twenty-five4 ,but from the death of ,christ to the end of the reign of ,nero1 under whom they affirm ,peter to have been slain1 there were only thirty-seven years4 ,for our ,lord suffered in the eighteenth year of the reign of ,tiberius4 ,if we deduct twenty years1 during which1 according to the testimony of ,paul1 ,peter dwelt at ,jerusalem1 there will remain only seventeen years1 which must now be divided between those two bishoprics4 ,if he continued long at ,antioch1 he could not have resided at ,rome1 except for a very short time4 ,this point is susceptible of still clearer proof4 ,paul wrote his ,epistle to the ,romans on a journey when he was going to ,jerusalem1#hhh where he was seized1 and from whence he was sent to ,rome4 ,it is probable1 therefore1 that this ,epistle was written four years before his arrival at ,rome4 ,yet it contains no mention of ,peter2 which ought on no account to have been omitted1 if he had presided over that ,church4 ,and in the conclusion1 where he recites a long catalogue of pious persons to whom he sends his salutations1 where1 in short1 he enumerates all that were known to him1 he still says not a word of ,peter4#hhi ,it is unnecessary to use any long or laboured arguments with persons of sound judgment2 for the case itself1 and the whole argument of the ,epistle proclaims1 that if ,peter had been at ,rome1 he ought not to have been omitted4 ,,xv4 ,paul was afterwards brought as a prisoner to ,rome4 ,luke says that he was received by the brethren1 but says nothing of ,peter4#hij ,from that city ,paul wrote to several ,churches4 ,in some of these epistles he introduces salutations1 in the names of certain brethren who were with him2 but they contain not a single word implying that ,peter was there at that time4 ,who will think it credible that1 if he had been there1 ,paul could have passed him over in total silence8 ,moreover1 in his ,epistle to the ,philippians1 after having said that he had no one who discovered such sincere concern respecting the work of the ,lord as ,timothy1 he complains that 8all seek their own40#hia ,and to ,timothy himself he makes yet a heavier complaint3 8,at my first answer no man stood with me1 but all men forsook me40#hib ,where was ,peter then8 ,for if they say that he was at ,rome1 how deep is the ignominy which ,paul fixes upon him1 that he was a deserter of the gospel8 ,for he is speaking of the faithful1 because he adds his prayer1 8that it may not be laid to their charge40 ,how long1 then1 and at what time1 did ,peter hold that see8 ,it will be said1 it is the uniform opinion of ancient writers1 that he governed that ,church till his death4 ,but those writers themselves are not agreed who was his successor4 ,some say it was ,linus2 and others1 ,clement4 ,they likewise relate many absurd and fabulous stories respecting the disputation held between him and ,simon ,magus4 ,and ,augustine1 when treating of superstitions1 acknowledges that the custom1 which obtained at ,rome1 of not fasting on the day on which ,peter gained the victory over ,simon ,magus1 arose from an opinion entertained without any sufficient authority4 ,in the last place1 the transactions of that age are so perplexed by a variety of representations1 that we must not give implicit credit to every thing that is recorded4 ,yet1 in consequence of this agreement of the ancient writers1 ,i will not dispute his having died at ,rome2 but that he was bishop there1 and especially for any considerable time1 is what ,i cannot be persuaded to believe4 ,nor am ,i anxious respecting this point1 because ,paul testifies that the apostleship of ,peter particularly belonged to the ,jews1 and that his own was directed to us4 ,to add our confirmation1 therefore1 to the compact which they established between themselves1 or rather to admit the validity of the ordinance of the ,holy ,spirit1 it becomes us rather to look up to the apostleship of ,paul than to that of ,peter4 ,for their different provinces were allotted to them by the ,holy ,spirit1 who sent ,peter to the ,jews1 and ,paul to us4 ,the ,romanists1 therefore1 may seek for their primacy elsewhere1 but not in the word of ,god1 which affords not the least foundation for it4 ,,xvi4 ,let us now proceed to show1 that our adversaries have no more reason for boasting of the authority of the ancient ,church than of the testimony of the word of ,god4 ,for when they bring forward this principle1 that the unity of the ,church cannot be preserved1 unless it have one supreme head upon earth1 to whom all the members should be subject1 and that1 therefore1 the ,lord gave the primacy to ,peter1 and afterwards by right of succession1 to the see of ,rome1 that it might remain there to the end of time1--they also assert that this has been the usage from the beginning4 ,now1 as they grossly pervert various testimonies1 ,i would first make this preliminary remark4 ,i do not deny that the ancient writers uniformly give great honour to the ,roman ,church1 and speak of it in respectful terms4 ,this ,i consider as arising principally from three causes4 ,in the first place1 that opinion which1 ,i know not how1 had been received1 that it had been founded and settled by the ministry of ,peter1 operated very powerfully to gain it credit and authority1 and1 therefore1 among the ,western churches it was called the ,apostolic ,see4 ,in the second place1 because it was the capital of the empire2 and on this account it is probable that it contained men superior in learning and prudence1 skill and experience1 to those of any other place2 due regard was paid to this circumstance1 that the glory of the city and other far more excellent gifts of ,god might not appear to be undervalued4 ,in the third place1 while the ,eastern and ,greek ,churches1 and even those in ,africa1 were agitated by numerous dissensions of opinion among themselves1 the ,church of ,rome was more peaceable and less disturbed4 ,hence it happened1 that pious and holy bishops1 on being expelled from their sees1 frequently resorted thither1 as to an asylum or port of safety4 ,for as the people of ,europe have less subtlety and activity of mind than the inhabitants of ,asia and ,africa1 so they are not so volatile or desirous of novelty4 ,it considerably increased the authority of the ,church of ,rome1 therefore1 that in those uncertain times it was not so much agitated as the other ,churches1 and was more tenacious of the doctrine which it had once received than all the rest1 as we shall presently show more at large4 ,on account of these three causes1 ,i say1 it was held in more than common respect1 and received many honourable testimonies from ancient writers4 ,,xvii4 ,but when our adversaries wish to make this a reason for ascribing to that ,church the primacy and sovereign power over other ,churches1 they run1 as ,i have already observed1 into a gross error4 ,to make this the more evident1 ,i will first briefly show what the ancient writers thought respecting this unity1 on which our opponents so urgently insist4 ,jerome1 writing to ,nepotian1 after having enumerated many examples of unity1 at length descends to the hierarchy of the ,church4 8,every ,church10 he says1 8has its distinct bishop1 archpresbyter1 and archdeacon1 and all the order of the ,church depends upon its governors40 ,this is the language of a ,roman priest1 recommending unity in the order of the ,church4 ,why does he not mention that all ,churches are connected together under one head1 as by a common bond8 ,nothing would have been more in favour of his argument2 nor can it be pretended that he omitted it for want of recollection2 he would most readily have mentioned it1 if the fact had permitted him4 ,it is beyond all doubt1 therefore1 that he saw this to be the true kind of unity1 which is most excellently described by ,cyprian in the following passage3 8,there is only one bishopric1 of which every bishop holds an integral part2 and there is but one ,church1 which is widely extended into a multitude by the offspring of its fertility4 ,as the sun has many rays1 but only one light2 as a tree has many branches1 but only one trunk1 fixed on a firm root2 and as many rivers issue from one spring1 and notwithstanding the number of the streams in which its overflowing abundance is diffused1 yet the unity of the source remains the same2--so also the ,church1 illuminated with the light of the ,lord1 extends its rays over the whole earth1 yet it is one and the same light which is universally diffused1 nor is the unity of the body destroyed4 ,it stretches its branches1 it pours out its ample streams1 all over the world2 yet there is but one root1 and one source40 ,again3 8,the spouse of ,christ cannot be corrupted2 she acknowledges one ,master1 and preserves her fidelity to him inviolate40 ,we see how he attributes the universal bishopric1 which comprehends the whole ,church1 to ,christ alone1 and says that integral portions of it are confided to all those who discharge the episcopal office under this head4 ,where is the primacy of the see of ,rome1 if the universal bishopric be vested in ,christ alone1 and every bishop hold an integral portion of it8 ,my object1 in these quotations1 has been1 to convince the reader1 by the way1 that this principle1 which the ,romanists assume as an admitted and indubitable maxim1 namely1 that the unity of the ,church requires the supremacy of some earthly head1 was altogether unknown to the ancients4 ,footnote #hfb3 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,footnote #hfc3 ,john xxi4 #af4 ,footnote #hfd3 #a ,peter v4 #b4 ,footnote #hfe3 ,john xx4 #bc4 ,footnote #hff3 #b ,cor4 v4 #ah4 ,footnote #hfg3 #b ,cor4 x4 #f4 ,footnote #hfh3 ,matt4 xvi4 #ai4 ,footnote #hfi3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ah4 ,john xx4 #bc4 ,footnote #hgj3 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,footnote #hga3 ,eph4 ii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,footnote #hgb3 #a ,peter ii4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #hgc3 ,john i4 #dj-db4 ,footnote #hgd3 ,matt4 xvi4 #ah4 ,footnote #hge3 ,matt4 xvi4 #af4 ,footnote #hgf3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #aa4 ,footnote #hgg3 ,acts xv4 #f-bi4 ,footnote #hgh3 #a ,peter v4 #a4 ,footnote #hgi3 ,acts xi4 #b1 c4 ,footnote #hhj3 ,acts viii4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #hha3 ,gal4 i4 #b4 ,footnote #hhb3 ,eph4 iv4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #hhc3 ,eph4 i4 #bb2 iv4 #ae2 v4 #bc4 ,col4 i4 #ah2 ii4 #aj4 ,footnote #hhd3 ,eph4 iv4 #aj4 ,footnote #hhe3 ,eph4 iv4 #e-g1 #aa4 ,footnote #hhf3 ,eph4 iv4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #hhg3 ,gal4 ii4 #i4 ,footnote #hhh3 ,rom4 xv4 #be4 ,footnote #hhi3 ,rom4 xvi4 ,footnote #hij3 ,acts xxviii4 #ae4 ,footnote #hia3 ,phil4 ii4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #hib3 #b ,tim4 iv4 #af4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,rise ,,and ,,progress ,,of ,,the ,,papal ,,power ,,to ,,its ,,present ,,eminence1 ,,attended ,,with ,,the ,,loss ,,of ,,liberty ,,to ,,the ,,church1 ,,and ,,the ,,ruin ,,of ,,all ,,moderation4 ,in support of the antiquity of the primacy of the see of ,rome1 there is nothing to be found anterior to the decree of the ,council of ,nice1 by which the bishop of ,rome is allotted the first place among the patriarchs1 and is directed to superintend the neighbouring ,churches4 ,when the council makes a distinction between him and the other patriarchs1 so as to assign to all their respective limits1 it clearly does not constitute him the head of them all1 but only makes him one of the principal4 ,vitus and ,vincentius attended the council on the behalf of ,julius1 who at that time presided over the ,church of ,rome4 ,they were seated in the fourth place4 ,if ,julius had been acknowledged as the head of the ,church1 would his representatives have been degraded to the fourth seat8 ,would ,athanasius have presided in a general council1 where the form of the hierarchical system ought most particularly to have been observed8 ,in the council of ,ephesus1 it appears that ,celestine1 who was then bishop of ,rome1 made use of a disingenuous artifice to secure the dignity of his see4 ,for when he sent his legates thither1 he requested ,cyril1 patriarch of ,alexandria1 who was otherwise to preside1 to act on his behalf4 ,for what purpose could this request be made1 but that his name might1 at any rate1 occupy the first place8 ,for his legates sat in a lower station1 were asked their sentiments among others1 and subscribed in their order2 at the same time the patriarch of ,alexandria united ,celestine's name with his own4 ,what shall ,i say of the second ,council of ,ephesus1 where1 though the legates of ,leo were present1 yet ,dioscorus1 patriarch of ,alexandria1 presided as in his own right8 ,they will object1 that this was not an orthodox council1 because it condemned ,flavianus1 a holy man1 bishop of ,constantinople1 and acquitted ,eutyches1 and sanctioned his heresy4 ,but when the council was assembled1 and the bishops took their respective seats1 it is certain that the legates of the ,roman ,church were present among the others1 as in a holy and legitimate council4 ,yet they contended not for the first place1 but yielded it to another1 which they would not have done if they had considered it as belonging to them4 ,for the bishops of ,rome have never been ashamed of raising the greatest contentions for their dignity1 and they have not hesitated1 on this account alone1 to harass and agitate the ,church with various and pernicious controversies4 ,but because ,leo saw that it would be too presumptuous a demand to require the first place for his legates1 therefore he waived it4 ,,ii4 ,next follows the ,council of ,chalcedon1 in which1 by the permission of the emperor1 the legates of the ,roman ,church occupied the first place4 ,but ,leo himself confessed that this was an extraordinary privilege4 ,for when he requested it from ,marcian the emperor1 and ,pulcheria the empress1 he did not pretend it to be his right1 but only alleged1 in support of his claim1 that the ,eastern bishops who presided in the ,council of ,ephesus had thrown every thing into confusion1 and abused their power4 ,since it was necessary1 therefore1 to have a discreet moderator1 and it was improbable that those who had once been so unsteady and disorderly would be fit for the office1 he requested that1 on account of the misconduct and incompetence of the others1 the task of presiding should be transferred to him4 ,that which is sought as a special privilege and an exception to a common custom1 certainly does not arise from a general rule4 ,where the only pretext is1 that it was necessary to have a new president1 because the former ones had violated their duty1 it is evident that this had not been the case before1 and it ought not to be perpetual1 but was merely done in the contemplation of present danger4 ,the bishop of ,rome1 therefore1 had the first place in the ,council of ,chalcedon1 not because it was the right of his see1 but because the council was in want of a discreet and suitable president1 in consequence of those to whom that honour belonged having excluded themselves from it by their own intemperance and violence4 ,and what ,i say was proved1 in fact1 by ,leo's successor4 ,for when he sent his legates to the fifth ,council of ,constantinople1 which was held a considerable time after1 he contended not for the first seat1 but without any difficulty suffered it to be taken by ,menna1 patriarch of ,constantinople4 ,so in the ,council of ,carthage1 at which ,augustine was present1 the place of president was filled by ,aurelius1 archbishop of that city1 and not by the legates of the ,roman see1 though the express object of their attendance was to support the authority of the ,roman pontiff4 ,and1 moreover1 there was a general council held in ,italy1 at which the bishop of ,rome was not present4 ,this was the ,council of ,aquileia1 at which ,ambrose presided1 who was then in high credit with the emperor4 ,there was no mention made of the bishop of ,rome4 ,we see1 therefore1 that the dignity of ,ambrose caused the see of ,milan at that time to have the precedence above that of ,rome4 ,,iii4 ,with respect to the title of primacy1 and other titles of pride1 of which the pope now strangely boasts1 it is not difficult to judge when and in what manner they were introduced4 ,cyprian1 bishop of ,carthage1 makes frequent mention of ,cornelius1 who was bishop of ,rome4 ,he distinguishes him by no other appellation than that of brother1 or fellow bishop1 or colleague4 ,but when he writes to ,stephen1 the successor of ,cornelius1 he not only treats him as equal to himself and others1 but even addresses him with considerable severity1 charging him at one time with arrogance1 and at another with ignorance4 ,since the time of ,cyprian1 we know what was the decision of the whole ,african ,church on this subject4 ,for the ,council of ,carthage prohibited that any one should be called 8the prince of priests10 or 8the first bishop10 but only 8the bishop of the first see40 ,but any one who examines the more ancient records1 will find that at that time the bishop of ,rome was content with the common appellation of brother4 ,it is certain that as long as the ,church retained its true and uncorrupted form1 all those names of pride1 which in succeeding times have been insolently usurped by the ,roman see1 were altogether unknown3 nothing was heard of a supreme pontiff or a sole head of the ,church upon earth4 ,and if the bishop of ,rome had been presumptuous enough to make any such assumption1 there were judicious men who would immediately have repressed his folly4 ,jerome1 being a ,roman presbyter1 was not reluctant to assert the dignity of his ,church as far as matter of fact and the state of the times admitted2 yet we see how he also reduces it to an equality with others4 8,if it be a question of authority10 he says1 8the world is greater than a city4 ,why do you allege to me the custom of a single city8 ,why do you set up a few instances1 which have given rise to pride1 against the laws of the ,church8 ,wherever there is a bishop1 whether at ,rome1 at ,eugubium1 at ,constantinople1 or at ,rhegium1 he is of the same dignity and of the same priesthood4 ,the power of riches1 or the abasement of poverty1 makes no bishop superior or inferior to another40 ,,iv4 ,respecting the title of universal bishop1 the first contention arose in the time of ,gregory1 and was occasioned by the ambition of ,john1 bishop of ,constantinople4 ,for he wanted to make himself universal bishop--an attempt which had never been made by any one before4 ,in that controversy ,gregory does not plead against this as the assumption of a right which belonged to himself1 but resolutely protests against it altogether1 as a profane and sacrilegious application1 and even as the forerunner of ,antichrist4 ,he says1 8,if he who is called universal falls1 the foundation of the whole ,church sinks at once40 ,in another place3 8,it is a most melancholy thing to hear with any patience1 that our brother and companion in the episcopal office should look down with contempt on all others1 and be called sole bishop4 ,but what does this pride of his indicate1 but that the times of ,antichrist are already at hand8 ,for indeed he imitates him1 who1 despising the society of angels1 endeavoured to usurp supreme power to himself40 ,in another place1 writing to ,eulogius1 bishop of ,alexandria1 and ,anastasius1 bishop of ,antioch1 he says1 8,none of my predecessors would ever use this profane word4 ,for if one patriarch be called universal1 the name of patriarch is taken away from all the rest4 ,but far be it from any ,christian heart to wish to arrogate to himself any thing that would in the least degree diminish the honour of his brethren4 ,to consent to that execrable term is no other than to destroy the faith4 ,our obligation to preserve the unity of the faith is one thing1 and to repress the haughtiness of pride is another4 ,but ,i confidently assert1 that whoever calls himself universal bishop1 or desires to be so called1 in such aggrandizement is the precursor of ,antichrist1 because he proudly sets up himself above all others40 ,again1 to ,anastasius1 bishop of ,antioch3 8,i have said that the bishop of ,constantinople can have no peace with us1 unless he would correct the haughtiness of that superstitious and proud title which has been invented by the first apostate2 and to say nothing of the injury done to your dignity1 if one bishop be called universal1 when he falls1 the whole ,church sinks at once40 ,but his assertion that this honour was offered to ,leo in the ,council of ,chalcedon has not the least appearance of truth4 ,for there is not a word of this in the acts of that council4 ,and ,leo himself1 who in many of his epistles censures the decree passed there in favour of the see of ,constantinople1 would certainly not have passed over this argument1 which would have been the most plausible of all1 if that honour had really been offered to him1 and he had refused it2 and1 having otherwise an immoderate thirst for honour1 he would not readily have omitted a circumstance so much to his praise4 ,gregory was mistaken1 therefore1 in supposing that title to have been given to the see of ,rome by the ,council of ,chalcedon4 ,i forbear to remark how ridiculous it is for him to assert that the holy council conferred such a title1 which he at the same time declares was profane1 execrable1 abominable1 proud1 and sacrilegious1 and even invented by the devil1 and published by the herald of ,antichrist4 ,and yet he adds that his predecessor refused it1 lest1 by the dignity given to one individual1 all other bishops should be deprived of the honour due to them4 ,in another place he says1 8,no one has ever wished to be called by such a name2 no one has arrogated to himself this presumptuous title2 lest1 by assuming to himself the exclusive dignity of supreme bishop1 he might seem to deny the episcopal honour to all his brethren40 ,v4 ,i come now to the jurisdiction which the ,roman pontiff asserts that he indisputably holds over all churches4 ,i know what violent contentions there were in ancient times on this subject4 ,for there has never been a period when the ,roman see did not aspire to some authority over other ,churches4 ,and it will not be unsuitable to the present occasion to investigate the means by which it gradually rose to some power4 ,i am not yet speaking of that unbounded empire which it has more recently usurped2 that ,i shall defer to its proper place4 ,but here it will be necessary to point out in a few words in what manner and by what methods it formerly exalted itself1 so as to assume any jurisdiction over other ,churches4 ,when the ,eastern ,churches were disturbed and divided by the factions of the ,arians1 in the reign of ,constantius and ,constans1 sons of ,constantine the ,great1 and ,athanasius1 the principal defender of the orthodox faith1 was driven from his see1 that calamity constrained him to go to ,rome1 in order that1 by the authority of the ,roman see1 he might in some degree repress the rage of his enemies1 and confirm the faithful1 who were in extreme distress4 ,he was honourably received by ,julius1 then bishop of ,rome1 and prevailed on the bishops of the ,west to undertake the defence of his cause4 ,thus the pious in the ,eastern ,churches1 finding themselves in great want of foreign aid1 and seeing that their principal succour was to be obtained from the ,church of ,rome1 readily ascribed to it all the authority that they possibly could4 ,but all this amounted to nothing more than that communion with it was held in high estimation1 and it was accounted ignominious to be excommunicated from it4 ,this dignity was afterwards considerably augmented by men of wicked and abandoned lives2 for to escape the punishments which they deserved1 they resorted thither as to a common asylum4 ,therefore1 if a priest was condemned by his bishop1 or a bishop by the synod of his province1 they immediately appealed to ,rome4 ,and the bishops of ,rome received such appeals with culpable eagerness1 considering it as a kind of extraordinary power to interfere in the concerns of distant ,churches4 ,thus when ,eutyches was condemned by ,flavianus1 patriarch of ,constantinople1 he complained to ,leo that he had been treated with injustice4 ,leo1 without any delay1 but with equal temerity and expedition1 undertook the patronage of a bad cause1 issued bitter invectives against ,flavianus1 as if he had condemned an innocent man without hearing his defence1 and by this ambitious conduct he for some time afforded considerable support to the impiety of ,eutyches4 ,it appears that similar circumstances frequently happened in ,africa4 ,for as soon as any wicked man was convicted before the ordinary tribunal1 he flew to ,rome1 and brought various false accusations against his superiors2 and the see of ,rome was always ready to interpose4 ,this presumption constrained the ,african bishops to pass a decree that no one should appeal beyond the sea on pain of excommunication4 ,,vi4 ,but however this might be1 let us examine what jurisdiction or power the ,roman see then possessed4 ,now1 ecclesiastical power consists in these four things--the ordination of bishops1 the calling of councils1 the hearing of appeals1 or jurisdiction1 and corrective admonitions1 or censures4 ,all the ancient councils command bishops to be ordained by their own metropolitans2 and they never direct the bishop of ,rome to be called to this office except in his own province4 ,by degrees1 however1 a custom was introduced for all the bishops of ,italy to go to ,rome to be consecrated1 except the metropolitans1 who did not suffer themselves to be subjected to this bondage4 ,but when any metropolitan was to be ordained1 the bishop of ,rome sent one of his priests to assist at the ceremony1 but not to preside4 ,there is an example of this in an epistle of ,gregory1 respecting the consecration of ,constantius1 archbishop of ,milan1 after the death of ,laurentius4 ,i do not suppose1 however1 that this was a very ancient practice4 ,it is probable that at first they sent legates to each other1 from a principle of respect and affection1 to witness the ordination1 and testify their mutual communion2 and that what was originally voluntary1 was afterwards considered as necessary4 ,however this may be1 it is evident that in ancient times the bishop of ,rome did not possess the power of consecrating bishops1 except in his own province1 that is1 in the ,churches dependent upon his see2 as is declared by one of the canons of the ,council of ,nice4 ,consecration was followed by the sending of a synodical epistle2 and in this the bishop of ,rome had no superiority over others4 ,it was the custom of the patriarchs1 immediately after their consecration1 to make a solemn declaration of their faith in a written communication to their brethren1 professing their adherence to the doctrine of the holy and orthodox councils4 ,thus1 by making a confession of their faith1 they mutually approved themselves to each other4 ,if the bishop of ,rome had received such a confession from others1 and not given it to other bishops in his turn1 this would have been an instance of acknowledged superiority2 but1 as he was under the same obligation to give it as to require it1 and was subject to the common law1 it was certainly a token of equality1 and not of dominion4 ,we have examples of this in the epistles of ,gregory to ,anastasius and ,cyriacus of ,constantinople1 and to all the patriarchs together4 ,,vii4 ,next follow admonitions or censures1 which1 as the bishops of ,rome formerly employed them towards others1 they also received from others in their turn4 ,irenus1 bishop of ,lyons1 sharply reproved ,victor1 bishop of ,rome1 for having raised a pernicious dissension in the ,church on subjects of no importance4 ,victor submitted to the reproof without any opposition4 ,it was a liberty at that time commonly used by the holy bishops to exercise the privilege of brethren towards the bishop of ,rome1 by admonishing and reproving him whenever he committed any fault4 ,he1 in like manner1 when occasion required1 admonished others of their duty1 and reproved them for their faults4 ,for ,cyprian1 when he exhorts ,stephen1 bishop of ,rome1 to admonish the bishops of ,france1 argues not from any superior authority1 but from the common rights which priests enjoy among each other4 ,if ,stephen had then possessed any authority over ,france1 would not ,cyprian have said1 ,you should chastise them1 because they are subject to you8 ,but he expresses himself in a very different manner4 8,this fraternal union10 says he1 8by which we are connected together1 requires us to administer to each other mutual admonition40 ,and we see with what severity of language1 though otherwise a man of a mild disposition1 he censures even ,stephen himself1 when he considered him assuming too much consequence4 ,in this respect1 also1 there is yet no appearance of the bishop of ,rome having been invested with any jurisdiction over those who were not of his province4 ,,viii4 ,with respect to the calling of councils1 it was the duty of every metropolitan1 at stated seasons1 to summon a provincial synod4 ,there the bishop of ,rome had no authority4 ,but a universal council could only be called by the emperor4 ,for if any one of the bishops had attempted this1 not only he would not have been obeyed by those who were out of his province1 but such an attempt would have led to immediate confusion4 ,therefore the emperor sent a summons to attend to all of them alike4 ,socrates1 indeed1 in his ,ecclesiastical ,history1 states that ,julius1 bishop of ,rome1 expostulated with the ,eastern bishops1 for not having invited him to the ,council of ,antioch2 whereas the canons had forbidden that any thing should be decreed without the knowledge of the bishop of ,rome4 ,but who does not see that this is to be understood of those decrees which bind the universal ,church8 ,now1 it is no wonder if there was so much respect paid to the antiquity and eminence of the city1 and to the dignity of the see1 as to determine that no general decree respecting religion should be passed in the absence of the bishop of ,rome1 unless he refused to be present4 ,but what is this towards dominion over the whole ,church8 ,for we do not deny that the bishop of ,rome was one of the principal1 but we will not admit1 what the ,romanists now contend1 that he had the authority over all4 ,,ix4 ,there remains the fourth kind of ecclesiastical power1 which consists in appeals4 ,it is evident that he possesses supreme authority1 to whose tribunal appeals are made4 ,many often appealed to the bishop of ,rome2 and he also attempted to assume the cognizance of causes2 but he always became an object of derision whenever he exceeded his proper limits4 ,i shall say nothing of the ,east1 or of ,greece2 but it appears that the bishops of ,france strenuously resisted him1 when he discovered an inclination to usurp authority over them4 ,in ,africa1 this subject occasioned a long controversy4 ,for when the ,council of ,milevum1 at which ,augustine was present1 had denounced excommunication against all who should appeal beyond the sea1 the bishop of ,rome endeavoured to get this decree rescinded4 ,he sent legates to state that this privilege had been given to him by the ,council of ,nice4 ,the legates produced certain acts which they alleged to be the acts of the ,council of ,nice1 and which they had brought from the archives of their ,church4 ,they were resisted by the ,africans1 who denied that the bishop of ,rome ought to be credited in his own cause4 ,they therefore determined to send to ,constantinople1 and other cities of ,greece1 to obtain copies liable to less suspicion4 ,it was found that these copies contained no such passages as the ,roman legates had pretended4 ,so the decree was confirmed1 which had taken the supreme cognizance of appeals from the bishop of ,rome4 ,this transaction discovered the scandalous impudence of the ,roman pontiff4 ,for when he had fraudulently substituted the council of ,sardis for that of ,nice1 he was disgracefully detected in a manifest falsehood4 ,but still greater wickedness and effrontery were betrayed by those who added to the acts of the council a forged epistle1 in which a bishop of ,carthage condemns the arrogance of his predecessor1 ,aurelius1 for having dared to withdraw himself from obedience to the apostolic see1 presents the submission of himself and his ,church1 and humbly supplicates for pardon4 ,these are the glorious monuments of antiquity upon which the majesty of the ,roman see is founded2 while1 under the pretext of antiquity1 they advance such puerile falsehoods1 as require not the least penetration to detect4 8,aurelius10 says this famous epistle1 8elated with diabolical audacity and obstinacy1 was a rebel against ,christ and ,st4 ,peter1 and therefore deserved to be anathematized40 ,but what said ,augustine8 ,what said all the fathers who were present at the ,council of ,milevum8 ,but what necessity is there for spending many words to refute that stupid fabrication1 which even the ,romanists themselves1 if they have any modesty left1 cannot look at without being exceedingly ashamed8 ,so ,gratian1 the compiler of the decretal1--whether from wickedness or ignorance ,i know not1--after having recited that canon1 that those who appealed beyond the sea should be excommunicated1 adds this exception1 unless they appeal to the see of ,rome4 ,what can be done with such men1 who are so destitute of common sense as to make that one case an exception to a law1 to guard against which every one sees that the law was made8 ,for the council1 in condemning appeals beyond the sea1 only prohibited any one from appealing to ,rome2 and this admirable expositor excepts ,rome from the general prohibition6 ,x4 ,but to put an end at once to this question1 a single transaction1 related by ,augustine1 will be sufficient to show what kind of jurisdiction was anciently possessed by the bishop of ,rome4 ,donatus1 bishop of ,cas ,nigr1 had accused ,ccilianus1 bishop of ,carthage4 ,the accused was condemned without a hearing2 for1 knowing that the bishops had conspired against him1 he would not appear4 ,the matter was then brought before the ,emperor ,constantine4 ,with a view to have the cause decided by an ecclesiastical judgment1 he referred the cognizance of it to ,melchiades1 bishop of ,rome1 with whom he associated some other bishops from ,italy1 ,france1 and ,spain4 ,if it was part of the ordinary jurisdiction of the see of ,rome to hear an appeal in an ecclesiastical cause1 why did ,melchiades suffer any colleagues to be appointed with him at the pleasure of the ,emperor8 and1 moreover1 why did he himself undertake the business rather at the command of the ,emperor than from his own authority8 ,but let us hear what took place afterwards4 ,ccilianus was victorious4 ,donatus of ,cas ,nigr was convicted of calumny4 ,he appealed4 ,constantine referred the appeal to the bishop of ,arles4 ,he sat in judgment on the decision of the bishop of ,rome4 ,if the ,roman see possessed the supreme jurisdiction1 subject to no appeal1 how did ,melchiades submit to such an insult1 as for the bishop of ,arles to be preferred before him8 ,and who was the ,emperor that did this8 ,it was ,constantine the ,great1 of whom they boast that he not only devoted all his attention1 but employed almost all the power of his empire1 to exalt the dignity of their see4 ,we see1 then1 how very far the bishop of ,rome was at that time from that supreme dominion which he pretends to have been given him by ,christ over all ,churches1 and which he falsely boasts of having exercised in all ages with the consent of the whole world4 ,,xi4 ,i know what numerous epistles1 and rescripts1 and edicts1 there are1 in which the pontiffs have confidently advanced the most extravagant claims respecting this power4 ,but it is also known to every person1 possessed of the least sense or learning1 that most things contained in them are so extremely absurd1 that it is easy to discover at the first glance from what source they have proceeded4 ,for what man of sound judgment1 and in his sober senses1 can suppose that ,anacletus was the author of that curious interpretation1 which ,gratian quotes under his name--that ,cephas means a head8 ,there are many such fooleries collected together by ,gratian without any judgment1 which the ,romanists in the present day employ against us in defence of their see2 and such phantoms with which they used to delude the ignorant in the darkest times1 they still persist in bringing forward amidst all the light of the present age4 ,but ,i have no intention to devote much labour to the refutation of such things1 which manifestly refute themselves by their extreme absurdity4 ,i confess that there are also genuine epistles of the ancient pontiffs1 in which they extol the majesty of their see by the most magnificent titles4 ,such are some epistles of ,leo2 who1 though he was a man of learning and eloquence1 had likewise an immoderate thirst for glory and dominion2 but whether the ,churches at that time gave credit to his testimony when he thus exalted himself1 is a subject of inquiry4 ,now1 it appears that many were offended at his ambition1 and resisted his claims4 ,in one epistle he deputes the bishop of ,thessalonica to act as his representative in ,greece and other adjacent countries2 in another he delegates the bishop of ,arles1 or some other bishop1 to be his vicar in ,france4 ,so he appoints ,hormisdas1 bishop of ,seville1 his vicar in ,spain4 ,but in all cases he mentions1 by way of exception1 that he makes such appointments on condition that they shall in no respect infringe the ancient privileges of the metropolitans4 ,but ,leo himself declares this to be one of their privileges1 that if any difficulty should arise1 the metropolitan was to be consulted in the first place4 ,these delegations1 therefore1 were accompanied with this condition--that there was to be no interference with any bishop in his ordinary jurisdiction1 with any metropolitan in hearing appeals1 or with any provincial synod in the regulation of the ,churches4 ,now1 what was this but to abstain from all jurisdiction1 and only to interpose for the settlement of disputes1 as far as was consistent with the law and nature of ecclesiastical communion8 ,,xii4 ,in the time of ,gregory1 this ancient custom had already undergone a considerable change4 ,for when the empire was convulsed and torn asunder1 when ,france and ,spain were afflicted with repeated and numerous wars and distresses1 ,illyricum laid waste1 ,italy harassed1 and ,africa almost ruined with incessant calamities1--in order to preserve the unity of the faith amidst such a violent convulsion of civil affairs1 or at least to prevent its total destruction1 all the bishops round about connected themselves more closely with the bishop of ,rome4 ,the consequence was1 that the power as well as the dignity of that see was greatly increased4 ,i am not much concerned1 however1 respecting the methods by which this was effected4 ,it is at least evident1 that it was greater at that period than in the preceding ages4 ,and even then it was very far from an unlimited dominion1 for one man to govern all others according to his own pleasure4 ,but the see of ,rome was held in such reverence1 that its authority would repress and correct the refractory and obstinate1 who could not be confined to their duty by the other bishops4 ,for ,gregory embraces every opportunity of protesting1 that he as faithfully maintained the rights of others1 as he required them to maintain his4 8,nor under the influence of ambition10 says he1 8do ,i withhold from any one that which is his right2 but ,i desire to honour my brethren in all things40--,there is not a sentence in his writings which contains a prouder boast of the majesty of his primacy than the following3 8,i know no bishop who is not subject to the apostolic see1 when he is found in fault40 ,but he immediately adds1 8,where there is no fault to require subjection1 all are equal by right of humility40 ,he attributes to himself the authority to correct those who have transgressed2 if all do their duty1 he places himself on an equality with them4 ,but he assumed this authority to himself1 and they who were willing consented to it1 while others1 who disapproved of it1 were at liberty to oppose it with impunity2 and this1 it is notorious1 was the conduct of the majority4 ,besides1 it is to be remarked1 that he is there speaking of the primate of ,constantinople1 who had been condemned by a provincial synod1 and had disregarded the united judgment of the assembly4 ,his colleagues complained to the emperor of his obstinacy4 ,the emperor appointed ,gregory to decide the cause4 ,we see1 then1 that he made no attempt to interfere with the ordinary jurisdiction2 and that the very thing which he does for the assistance of others1 he does only at the command of the emperor4 ,,xiii4 ,this1 therefore1 was all the power which was then possessed by the bishop of ,rome1--to oppose rebellious and refractory persons1 in cases which required some extraordinary remedy1 and that in order to assist1 not to hinder1 other bishops4 ,therefore he assumes to himself no more power over others than he grants to all others over himself1 when he professes that he is ready to be reproved by all1 and to be corrected by all4 ,so in another epistle he commands the bishop of ,aquileia to come to ,rome to plead his cause in a controversy which had arisen between him and his neighbours1 respecting an article of faith2 nevertheless he gives this command1 not from his own authority1 but in consequence of the mandate of the emperor4 ,nor does he announce himself as the sole judge1 but promises to assemble a synod to judge of the whole affair4 ,but though there was still such moderation1 that the power of the ,roman see had its certain limits1 which it was not permitted to exceed1 and the bishop of ,rome himself no more presided over others than he was subject to them1 yet it appears how very displeasing this situation was to ,gregory4 ,for he frequently complains1 that under the name of being a bishop1 he was forced back to the world1 and that he was more involved in secular cares than ever he had been while he was a layman2 so that in that honour he was oppressed with the tumult of worldly business4 ,in another passage he says1 8,such a vast burden of occupations presses me down1 that my mind is incapacitated for any elevation towards things above4 ,i am tossed about with numerous causes1 like so many waves2 and after my former seasons of retirement and tranquillity1 ,i am disquieted with the tempests of a tumultuous life2 so that ,i may truly say1 ,i am come into the depth of the sea1 and the tempest has drowned me40 ,judge1 then1 what he would have said1 if he had fallen upon these times4 ,if he did not fulfil the office of a pastor1 yet he was employed in it4 ,he refrained from all interference in the civil government1 and acknowledged himself to be subject to the emperor in common with others4 ,he never intruded into the care of other ,churches1 except when he was constrained by necessity4 ,and yet he considered himself to be in a labyrinth1 because he could not wholly devote himself to the exclusive duties of a bishop4 ,,xiv4 ,the bishop of ,constantinople1 as we have already stated1 was at that time engaged in a contest with the bishop of ,rome1 respecting the primacy4 ,for after the seat of the empire was fixed at ,constantinople1 the majesty of the government seemed to require that ,church to be the next in dignity to the ,church of ,rome4 ,and indeed at the beginning nothing contributed more to establish the primacy in the ,church of ,rome than the circumstance of that city being then the capital of the empire4 ,gratian recites a rescript under the name of ,pope ,lucinus1 in which he says that the distinction of cities appointed to be the residence of metropolitans and primates1 was regulated by no other rule than the nature of the civil government previously established in them4 ,there is another similar rescript1 also1 under the name of ,pope ,clement1 in which he says1 that patriarchs had been appointed in those cities which had anciently been the stations of arch-flamens4 ,this statement1 though erroneous1 approaches to the truth4 ,for it is certain1 that in order to make as little change as possible1 the provinces were divided according to the existing state of things1 and that primates and metropolitans were placed in those cities which had precedence of the rest in dignity and power4 ,therefore1 in the ,council of ,turin1 it was decreed1 that those which were the chief cities of the respective provinces in the civil government1 should be the principal sees of bishops2 and that if the honour of the civil government should happen to be transferred from one city to another1 the seat of the metropolitan should be removed to the same place4 ,but ,innocent1 the ,roman pontiff1 seeing the ancient dignity of his city beginning to decline1 after the translation of the seat of the empire to ,constantinople1 and trembling for the honour of his see1 enacted a contrary law2 in which he denies the necessity of a change of the ecclesiastical capitals1 in consequence of a change of the imperial capitals4 ,but the authority of a council ought to be preferred to the sentence of an individual1 and we may justly suspect ,innocent himself in his own cause4 ,he proves by his decree1 however1 that the original regulation had been for the seats of metropolitans to be disposed according to the civil rank of the respective cities4 ,,xv4 ,according to this ancient ordinance1 it was decreed in the first ,council of ,constantinople1 that the bishop of that city should have the next rank and dignity to the bishop of ,rome1 because that was a new ,rome4 ,but when a similar decree was passed long after in the ,council of ,chalcedon1 ,leo strenuously opposed it4 ,and he not only took the liberty of pouring contempt on what had been decided by upwards of six hundred bishops1 but likewise heavily reproached them with having taken from other sees the honour which they had ventured to confer on the ,church of ,constantinople4 ,now1 what could incite him to disturb the world for so insignificant a cause1 but mere ambition8 ,he says1 that what had once been determined by the ,council of ,nice1 ought to have been maintained inviolable4 ,as if the ,christian faith were endangered by the preference of one ,church to another1 or as if the patriarchates had been distributed by the ,council of ,nice with any other view than the preservation of external order4 ,now1 we know that external order admits1 and even requires1 various changes1 according to the various circumstances of different periods4 ,it is a futile pretence1 therefore1 of ,leo1 that the honour1 which the authority of the ,nicene council had given to the see of ,alexandria1 ought not to be conferred on that of ,constantinople4 ,for common sense dictates1 that this was such a decree as might be abolished according to the state of the times4 ,and besides1 the repeal met with no opposition from the bishops of the ,east1 who were most interested in the matter4 ,proterius1 who had been appointed bishop of ,alexandria instead of ,dioscorus1 was present2 as were other patriarchs1 whose dignity was lessened by this measure4 ,it was for them to oppose it1 and not ,leo1 who retained his original station unaltered4 ,when they all suffered it to pass without any objection1 and even assented to it1 and the bishop of ,rome was the only one who resisted it1 it is easy to judge by what motive he was influenced4 ,he foresaw1 what actually came to pass not long after1 that as the glory of ,rome was declining1 ,constantinople would not be content with the second place1 but would contend for the primacy4 ,yet all his clamour was unavailing2 the decree of the council was confirmed4 ,therefore his successors1 seeing themselves vanquished1 peaceably refrained from such obstinacy2 for they decreed that he should be accounted the second patriarch4 ,,xvi4 ,but a little while after1 ,john1 who presided over the ,church of ,constantinople while ,gregory was bishop of ,rome1 had the arrogance to assume the title of universal patriarch4 ,gregory1 not afraid of defending his see in a good cause1 resolutely opposed this assumption4 ,and certainly it betrayed intolerable pride and folly in ,john to wish to make the limits of his bishopric the same with those of the empire4 ,now1 ,gregory did not claim to himself what he denied to another2 but execrated the title1 by whomsoever it might be usurped1 as wicked and impious4 ,in one of his epistles he expresses his displeasure with ,eulogius1 bishop of ,alexandria1 for having complimented him with such a title4 8,behold10 says he1 8in the preface of the epistle which you have directed to myself1 who have forbidden it1 you have taken care to introduce that appellation of pride1 by calling me universal pope4 ,which ,i entreat that your holiness will not do any more2 because all that you give to another beyond what is reasonable1 is deducted from yourself4 ,i consider nothing an honour to me1 by which ,i see the honour of my brethren diminished4 ,for my honour is the honour of the universal ,church1 and the perfect vigour of my brethren4 ,if your holiness calls me universal pope1 this is denying that you have any share in that which is wholly attributed to me40 ,gregory's was a good and honourable cause2 but ,john1 being supported by the favour of ,mauritius the emperor1 could not be diverted from his purpose2 and ,cyriacus1 his successor1 was equally inflexible4 ,,xvii4 ,at length ,phocas1 who ascended the throne after the murder of ,mauritius1 being more favourable to the ,romans1--for what reason ,i know not1 unless because he had been crowned at ,rome without any difficulty1--granted to ,boniface the ,third what ,gregory had never demanded1--that ,rome should be the head of all ,churches4 ,thus the controversy was decided4 ,yet this grant of the emperor could not have been so much to the advantage of the see of ,rome1 if it had not been followed by other things4 ,for ,greece and all ,asia soon after separated from its communion4 ,france reverenced it only so far as not to carry its obedience beyond its inclinations2 nor was it reduced to entire subjection1 till ,pepin had usurped the crown4 ,for after ,zachary1 the ,roman pontiff1 had assisted ,pepin in the commission of treason and robbery1 in deposing his lawful sovereign1 and taking possession of the throne1 he was rewarded by having the see of ,rome invested with jurisdiction over the ,gallican ,churches4 ,as robbers are accustomed to divide their common booty1 so those worthy persons concerted together1 that ,pepin should have the temporal and civil sovereignty after the deposition of the rightful monarch1 and that ,zachary should be made the head over all bishops1 and enjoy the spiritual power4 ,at first this was feeble1 as is generally the case with new establishments2 but it was afterwards confirmed by the authority of ,charlemagne1 and almost from a similar cause2 for he also was indebted to the ,roman pontiff1 for his exertions in raising him to the dignity of emperor4 ,now1 though it is probable that the ,churches1 before that time1 had in general been greatly disfigured1 it is evident that in ,france and ,germany the ancient form of the ,church was then entirely obliterated4 ,the archives of the parliament of ,paris still contain brief registers of those times1 which1 in relating ecclesiastical events1 make frequent mention of the treaties both of ,pepin and ,charlemagne with the ,roman pontiff2 from which it may be concluded that an alteration was then made in the ancient state of the ,church4 ,,xviii4 ,from that time1 as things daily became worse and worse1 the tyranny of the ,roman see was gradually established and increased1 and that partly through the ignorance1 and partly through the indolence1 of the bishops4 ,for while the ,roman pontiff was usurping every thing to himself1 and proceeding from one assumption to another1 without any limits1 in defiance of law and justice1 the bishops did not exert themselves with the zeal which became them to repress his cupidity1 and where there was no want of inclination1 they were destitute of real learning and knowledge1 so that they were not at all equal to such an important undertaking4 ,we see1 therefore1 what a horrible profanation of every thing sacred1 and what a total disorganization of the ,church there was at ,rome in the days of ,bernard4 ,he complains that the ambitious1 the avaricious1 the simoniacal1 the sacrilegious1 the adulterous1 the incestuous1 and all who were chargeable with the most atrocious crimes1 from every part of the world1 resorted to ,rome1 in order to procure or to retain ecclesiastical honours by the apostolical authority2 and that fraud1 circumvention1 and violence1 were generally practised4 ,he says1 that the judicial process which was then pursued was execrable1 and not only unbecoming of the ,church1 but disgraceful to any civil court4 ,he exclaims1 that the ,church is full of ambitious men1 and that there is not one who is any more afraid of perpetrating the most flagitious crimes1 than robbers in their den when they are distributing the plunder which they have seized on the highway4 8,few10 he says1 8regard the mouth of the legislator2 they all look at his hands1 and that not without cause1 for those hands transact all that is done by the pope4 ,what a business it is1 that they are bought with the spoils of the ,church1 who say to you1 ,well done1 well done6 ,the life of the poor is sown in the streets of the rich2 silver glitters in the mire2 people run to it from all parts2 it is borne away1 not by the poorest1 but by the strongest1 or perhaps by him who runs fastest4 ,this custom1 or rather this mortal corruption1 commenced not with you2 ,i wish it may end with you4 ,in these circumstances you1 a pastor1 are proceeding1 covered with abundant and costly attire4 ,if ,i might dare to use the expression1 these are rather the pastors of devils than of sheep4 ,did ,peter act in this manner8 ,was ,paul guilty of such trifling8 ,your court has been accustomed to receive men good1 more than to make them so4 ,for the wicked are not improved in it1 but the good are corrupted40 ,the abuses of appeals which he relates1 no pious person can read without the greatest horror4 ,at length1 respecting the insatiable cupidity of the see of ,rome in the usurpation of jurisdiction1 he concludes in the following manner3 8,i speak the murmur and common complaint of the ,churches4 ,they exclaim that they are divided and dismembered4 ,there are few or none of them who do not either bewail or dread this plague4 ,do you inquire what plague8 ,abbots are torn away from their bishops1 bishops from their archbishops4 ,it is wonderful if this can be excused4 ,by such conduct you prove that you have a plenitude of power1 but not of justice4 ,you act thus because you can1 but the question is whether you ought4 ,you are appointed to preserve to all their respective honour and rank1 and not to envy them40 ,these few passages ,i have thought proper to recite1 out of a great many1 partly that the readers may see how sadly the ,church had then declined1 and partly that they may know into what sorrow and lamentation all good men were plunged by this calamity4 ,,xix4 ,but though we should grant to the ,roman pontiff in the present day the same eminence and extent of jurisdiction which this see possessed in the middle ages1 as in the times of ,leo and ,gregory1 what is that to the ,papacy in its present state8 ,i am not yet referring to the temporal and secular power1 which we shall afterwards examine in its proper place2 but the spiritual government itself of which they boast1 what resemblance has it to the condition of those times8 ,for the ,romanists designate the pope no otherwise than as the supreme head of the ,church on earth1 and universal bishop of the whole world4 ,and the pontiffs themselves1 when they speak of their authority1 pronounce with great superciliousness1 that they have the power to command1 and that to others is only left the necessity to obey2 that all their decrees are to be received as if they were confirmed by the voice of ,st4 ,peter2 that for want of their presence1 provincial synods have no authority2 that they have the power to ordain priests and deacons for all the ,churches1 and to summon to their see those who have been elsewhere ordained4 ,in the ,decretal of ,gratian there are innumerable pretensions of this kind1 which ,i forbear to recite1 lest ,i should be too tedious to my readers4 ,but the sum of them all comes to this2 that the ,roman pontiff alone has the supreme cognizance of all ecclesiastical causes1 whether in judging and determining doctrines1 in enacting laws1 in regulating discipline1 or in exercising jurisdiction4 ,it would also be tedious and superfluous to enumerate the privileges which they assume to themselves in reservations1 as they call them4 ,but what is the most intolerable of all1 they leave no judgment on earth to curb or restrain their cupidity1 if they abuse such unlimited power4 8,it cannot be lawful10 they say1 8for any one to reject the judgment of this see1 on account of the primacy of the ,roman ,church40 ,again3 8,the judge shall not be judged1 either by the emperor or by kings1 or by all the clergy1 or by the people40 ,this is arrogance beyond all bounds1 for one man to constitute himself judge of all1 and to refuse to submit to the judgment of any4 ,but what if he exercise tyranny over the people of ,god1 if he divide and desolate the kingdom of ,christ1 if he disturb and overturn the whole ,church1 if he pervert the pastoral office into a system of robbery8 ,even though he should go to the greatest extremes of profligacy and mischief1 he denies that he is at all accountable for his conduct4 ,for these are the very words of the pontiffs3 8,god has been pleased to decide the causes of other men by the judgment of men1 but the prelate of this see he has1 without all question1 reserved to his own judgment40 ,again1 8,the actions of our subjects are judged by us2 but ours by ,god alone40 ,,xx4 ,and that such edicts might have the more weight1 they have falsely substituted the names of ancient pontiffs1 as if things had been so regulated from the beginning2 whereas it is very certain1 that every thing1 which attributes to the ,roman pontiff more than we have stated to have been given him by the ancient councils1 is a novel and recent fabrication4 ,they have even gone to such a pitch of impudence as to publish a rescript1 under the name of ,anastasius1 patriarch of ,constantinople1 which declares that it had been ordained by the ancient canons1 that nothing should be done even in the remotest provinces1 without being first reported to the ,roman see4 ,beside the notorious falsehood of this1 what man will think it credible1 that such a eulogium of the ,roman see proceeded from the adversary and rival of its honour and dignity8 ,but it was necessary that these ,antichrists should be carried to such an extreme of madness and blindness1 that their iniquity may be evident to all men of sound understanding1 who only choose to open their eyes4 ,but the ,decretal ,epistles1 complied by ,gregory the ,ninth1 as well as the ,constitutions of ,clement the ,fifth1 and the ,decrees of ,martin1 still more openly and expressly betray1 in every page1 the inhuman ferocity and tyranny of barbarous kings4 ,but these are the oracles from which the ,romanists wish their ,papacy to be appreciated4 ,hence proceeded those famous axioms1 which at the present day are universally received by them as oracles3 ,that the pope cannot err2 that the pope is superior to all councils2 that the pope is the universal bishop of all ,churches1 and supreme head of the ,church upon earth4 ,i pass over the far greater absurdities1 which foolish canonists maintain in their schools2 which1 however1 the ,roman theologians not only assent to1 but even applaud1 in order to flatter their idol4 ,,xxi4 ,i shall not treat them with all the severity which they deserve4 ,to this consummate insolence1 another person would oppose the declaration of ,cyprian among the bishops at the ,council of ,carthage1 of which he was president3 8,no one of us calls himself bishop of bishops1 or1 by tyrannical fear1 constrains his colleagues to the necessity of obeying him40 ,he would object what was decreed at ,carthage some time after1 8,that no one should be called prince of priests1 or first bishop40 ,he would collect many testimonies from histories1 many canons of councils1 and various passages from the writings of the fathers1 by which the ,roman pontiff would be reduced to the rank of other bishops4 ,i pass over these things1 however1 that ,i may not appear to lay too much stress upon them4 ,but let the most able advocates of the ,roman see answer me1 with what face they can dare to defend the title of universal bishop1 which they find to have been so often anathematized by ,gregory4 ,if the testimony of ,gregory be entitled to any credit1 they cannot make their pontiff universal bishop without thereby declaring him to be ,antichrist4 ,nor was the title of head any more in use at that time2 for in one of his epistles he says1 8,peter is the principal member in the body2 ,john1 ,andrew1 and ,james1 were heads of particular people4 ,yet they are all members of the ,church under one head4 ,even the saints before the law1 the saints under the law1 the saints under grace1 are all placed among the members1 and no one ever wished himself to be called universal40 ,the arrogant pretensions of the pontiff to the power of commanding are very inconsistent with an observation made by ,gregory in another passage4 ,for when ,eulogius1 bishop of ,alexandria1 had represented himself as commanded by him1 he replies in the following manner3--8,i beseech you1 let me not hear the word command mentioned again2 for ,i know what ,i am1 and what you are4 ,in station1 you are my brethren2 in holiness1 you are my fathers4 ,therefore ,i gave no command1 but intended to suggest to you such things as appeared to be useful40 ,by extending his jurisdiction1 as he does1 without any limits1 the pope does a grievous and atrocious injury1 not only to other bishops1 but to all other ,churches1 which he distracts and divides by such conduct1 in order to establish his own see upon their ruins4 ,but when he exempts himself from all the judgments of others1 and determines to reign in such a tyrannical manner as to have no law but his own pleasure1 this is certainly so unbecoming1 and foreign from the order of the ,church1 that it is altogether intolerable1 and incapable of any defence4 ,for it is utterly repugnant1 not only to every sentiment of piety1 but even of humanity4 ,,xxii4 ,but that ,i may not be obliged to pursue and discuss every particular point1 ,i again appeal to those of my contemporaries1 who would be considered as the most able and faithful advocates of the ,roman see1 whether they are not ashamed to defend the present state of the ,papacy1 which is evidently a hundred times more corrupt than it was in the times of ,gregory and ,bernard1 but which even then so exceedingly displeased those holy men4 ,gregory every where complains1 that he was excessively distracted with occupations unsuitable to his office2 that under the name of being a bishop1 he was carried back to the world2 that he was involved in secular cares1 to a greater extent than he could remember to have been while he was a layman2 that he was oppressed with the tumult of worldly business1 so that his mind was incapacitated for any elevation towards things above2 that he was tossed about with numerous causes like so many waves1 and disquieted with the tempests of a tumultuous life1 so that he might justly say1 8,i am come into the depth of the sea40 ,amidst these worldly avocations1 however1 he could still instruct the people by public preaching1 give private admonition and reproof to those who required it1 regulate his ,church1 give advice to his colleagues1 and exhort them to their duty2 beside these things1 he had some time left for writing2 yet he deplores his calamity1 in being plunged into the depth of the sea4 ,if the administration of that age was a sea1 what must be said of the ,papacy in its present state8 ,for what resemblance is there between them8 ,here we find no sermons preached1 no attention to discipline1 no concern for the ,churches1 no spiritual function performed2 in a word1 nothing but the world4 ,yet this labyrinth is praised1 as though nothing could be found better constituted1 or better administered4 ,what complaints are poured out by ,bernard1 what lamentations does he utter1 when he beholds the vices of his times8 ,what would he say1 then1 if he could behold this our iron1 or1 if possible1 worse than iron age8 ,what impudence is it1 not only pertinaciously to defend as sacred and ,divine what all the holy fathers have reprobated with one voice1 but also to abuse their testimony in vindication of the ,papacy1 which it is evident was utterly unknown to them6 ,in the time of ,bernard1 however1 ,i confess the corruption was so great that there was no great difference between that age and the present2 but those who adduce any plea for the existing state of things from the time of ,leo1 ,gregory1 and others in that middle period1 must be destitute of all shame4 ,this conduct resembles that of any one1 who1 to vindicate the monarchy of the ,roman emperors1 should commend the ancient state of the ,roman government2 which would be no other than borrowing the praises of liberty to adorn a system of tyranny4 ,,xxiii4 ,lastly1 though all these things were conceded to them1 they would be called to a new controversy1 when we deny that there exists at ,rome a ,church in which such privileges can reside1 or a bishop capable of exercising these dignified prerogatives4 ,supposing1 therefore1 all these things to be true1 which1 however1 we have already refuted1--that1 by the voice of ,christ1 ,peter had been constituted head of the universal ,church2 that the honour vested in him he had committed to the ,roman see2 that this had been established by the authority of the ancient ,church1 and confirmed by long usage2 that all men1 with one consent1 had invariably acknowledged the supreme power of the ,roman pontiff2 that he had been the judge in all causes and of all men1 and had been subject to the judgment of none2--though they should have all these concessions1 and any more that they wished1 yet ,i reply in one word1 that none of them would be of any avail1 unless there be at ,rome a ,church and a bishop4 ,they must of necessity allow1 that ,rome cannot be the mother of ,churches1 unless it be itself a ,church1 and that he cannot be the prince of bishops1 who is not a bishop himself4 ,do they wish1 then1 to make ,rome the apostolic see8 ,let them show me a true and legitimate apostleship4 ,do they wish to have the supreme pontiff8 ,let them show me a bishop4 ,but where will they show us any form or appearance of a ,church8 ,they mention it1 indeed1 and have it frequently in their mouths4 ,but the ,church is known by certain marks1 and a bishopric is a name of office4 ,i am not now speaking of the people1 but of the government itself1 which ought always to appear in the ,church4 ,where is the ministry1 such as ,christ's institution requires8 ,let us remember what has already been said of the office of presbyters and bishops4 ,if we bring the office of cardinals to that rule1 we shall confess that they have no resemblance to presbyters4 ,and ,i should wish to know what resemblance the pontiff himself bears to a bishop4 ,the first duty of the episcopal office is to instruct the people from the word of ,god2 the second duty1 closely connected with the first1 is to administer the sacraments2 the third is to admonish1 exhort1 and reprove those who offend1 and to regulate the people by holy discipline4 ,which of these duties does he perform8 ,which of them does he even pretend to perform8 ,let them tell me1 then1 upon what principle they require him to be considered as a bishop1 who never1 even in appearance1 with his little finger touches the least portion of the duty4 ,,xxiv4 ,the case of a bishop is different from that of a king1 who still retains the honour and title of a king1 though he execute none of the royal functions4 ,but in judging of a bishop1 regard is to be paid to the commission of ,christ1 which ought always to continue in force in the ,church4 ,let the ,romanists1 therefore1 furnish me with a solution of this difficulty4 ,i deny that their pontiff is the chief of bishops1 because he is not a bishop himself4 ,now1 they must prove this second member of my position to be false1 if they will obtain the victory in the first4 ,but what must be the conclusion1 if he not only has no characteristic of a bishop1 but every thing contrary to it8 ,but here where shall ,i begin8 with his doctrine1 or his conduct8 ,what shall ,i say8 ,what shall ,i omit8 ,where shall ,i stop8 ,i will make this assertion--that as the world is at present filled with so many corrupt and impious doctrines1 loaded with such various kinds of superstitions1 blinded with such numerous errors1 and immerged in such profound idolatry1--there is not one of these evils which has not originated from the see of ,rome1 or at least been confirmed by it4 ,nor is there any other cause for the violent rage of the pontiffs against the revived doctrine of the gospel1 and for their exertion of all their power to crush it1 and their instigation of all kings and princes to persecute it1 but that they see that their whole kingdom will decline and fall to the ground1 where the primitive gospel of ,christ shall be received4 ,leo was cruel2 ,clement was sanguinary2 ,paul is ferocious4 ,but it is not so much that nature has impelled them to impugn the truth1 as that this was the only way to defend their power4 ,as they cannot be safe1 therefore1 without ruining ,christ1 they labour in this cause as if it were in the defence of their religion1 their habitations1 their lives4 ,what1 then1 shall we consider that as the apostolic see1 where we behold nothing but a horrible apostasy8 ,shall he be regarded as the vicar of ,christ1 who1 by his furious exertions in persecuting the gospel1 unequivocally declares himself to be ,antichrist8 ,shall he be deemed ,peter's successor1 who rages with fire and sword to demolish all that ,peter built8 ,shall we acknowledge him to be head of the ,church1 who1 after severing the ,church from ,christ1 its only true ,head1 divides and tears it in pieces8 ,though it be admitted that ,rome was once the mother of all ,churches1 yet from the time when it began to be the seat of ,antichrist1 it has ceased to be what it was before4 ,,xxv4 ,some persons think us too severe and censorious1 when we call the ,roman pontiff ,antichrist4 ,but those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against ,paul himself1 after whom we speak1 and whose language we adopt4 ,and lest any one should object1 that we improperly pervert to the ,roman pontiff those words of ,paul1 which belong to a different subject1 ,i shall briefly show that they are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the ,papacy4 ,paul says1 that ,antichrist 8sitteth in the temple of ,god40#hic ,in another place1 also1 the ,holy ,spirit1 describing his image in the person of ,antiochus1 declares that his kingdom will consist in 8speaking great words10 or blasphemies1 8against the ,most ,high40#hid ,hence we conclude1 that it is rather a tyranny over the souls of men1 than over their bodies1 which is erected in opposition to the spiritual kingdom of ,christ4 ,and in the next place1 that this tyranny is one which does not abolish the name of ,christ or of his ,church1 but rather abuses the authority of ,christ1 and conceals itself under the character of the ,church1 as under a mask4 ,now1 though all the heresies and schisms which have existed from the beginning belong to the kingdom of ,antichrist1 yet when ,paul predicts an approaching apostasy1 he signifies by this description that that seat of abomination shall then be erected1 when a universal defection shall have seized the ,church1 notwithstanding many members1 dispersed in different places1 persevere in the unity of the faith4 ,but when he adds1 that even in his days 8the mystery of iniquity0 did 8already work0#hie in secret what it was afterwards to effect in a more public manner1 he gives us to understand that this calamity was neither to be introduced by one man1 nor to terminate with one man4 ,now1 when he designates ,antichrist by this character1--that he would rob ,god of his honour in order to assume it to himself1--this is the principal indication which we ought to follow in our inquiries after ,antichrist1 especially where such pride proceeds to a public desolation of the ,church4 ,as it is evident therefore that the ,roman pontiff has impudently transferred to himself some of the peculiar and exclusive prerogatives of ,god and ,christ1 it cannot be doubted that he is the captain and leader of this impious and abominable kingdom4 ,,xxvi4 ,now1 let the ,romanists go and object antiquity against us2 as if1 in such a subversion of every thing1 the honour of the see could remain1 where no see exists4 ,eusebius relates that ,god1 in order to make way for his vengeance1 removed the ,church from ,jerusalem to ,pella4 ,what we are informed did happen once1 may have happened oftener4 ,therefore to attach the honour of the primacy to any particular place1 so that he who is in fact the most inveterate enemy of ,christ1 the greatest adversary of the gospel1 the desolater and destroyer of the ,church1 the most cruel murderer and butcher of all the saints1 must nevertheless be accounted the vicar of ,christ1 the successor of ,peter1 the chief prelate of the ,church1 merely because he occupies what was anciently the first see1 is a thing extremely ridiculous and absurd4 ,i forbear to remark the immense difference between the pope's chancery1 and a well regulated administration of the ,church2 though this one thing is sufficient to remove every difficulty on this subject4 ,for no man in his sound senses will include the episcopal office in lead and in bulls1 much less in that school of frauds and chicaneries1 in which the pope's spiritual government consists4 ,it has justly been remarked1 therefore1 that the ,roman ,church which is boasted of1 has long ago been converted into a secular court1 which is all that is now to be seen at ,rome4 ,nor am ,i here accusing the vices of individuals1 but proving that the ,papacy itself is diametrically opposite to the legitimate order of the ,church4 ,,xxvii4 ,but if we proceed to persons1 it is well known what kind of men we shall find sustaining the character of vicars of ,christ4 ,julius1 and ,leo1 and ,clement1 and ,paul1 will be pillars of the ,christian faith1 and the principal oracles of religion1 who never knew any thing of ,christ1 except what they had learned in the school of ,lucian4 ,but why do ,i enumerate three or four pontiffs1 as though it were doubtful what kind of religion the pontiffs and the whole college of cardinals have professed long ago1 and profess in the present day8 ,for of the secret theology which prevails among them1 the first article is1 that there is no ,god2 the second1 that all that is written and preached concerning ,jesus ,christ is falsehood and imposture2 the third1 that the doctrine of a future life1 and that of the final resurrection1 are mere fables4 ,this opinion1 ,i confess1 is not entertained by all1 and is expressed by few of them2 yet it long ago began to be the ordinary religion of the pontiffs4 ,though this is notorious to all who are acquainted with ,rome1 yet the ,roman theologians persist in boasting that the possibility of error in the pope has been prevented by the privilege of ,christ1 because he said to ,peter1 8,i have prayed for thee1 that thy faith fail not40#hif ,what can they gain by such impudent mockery1 except it be to convince the whole world of their having arrived at such an extreme of presumption1 that they neither fear ,god nor regard men8 ,,xxviii4 ,but let us suppose the impiety of those pontiffs1 whom ,i have mentioned1 to be concealed1 because they have not published it by sermons or by writings1 but only betrayed it in their chambers and at their tables1 or at least within the walls of their palaces4 ,but if they wish to establish this privilege to which they pretend1 they must expunge from the number of the pontiffs ,john the ,twenty-second1 who publicly maintained that souls are mortal1 and that they perish together with the bodies till the day of resurrection4 ,and to show that the whole see1 with its principal pillars1 was then entirely overturned1 not one of the cardinals resisted this capital error2 but the university of ,paris urged the king of ,france to compel the pope to a retraction4 ,the king interdicted his subjects from all communion with him1 unless he should speedily repent2 and he caused this to be proclaimed1 in the usual manner1 by a herald4 ,compelled by necessity1 the pontiff abjured his error4 ,this example renders it unnecessary for me to dispute any longer against the assertion of our adversaries1 that the see of ,rome and its pontiffs cannot err respecting the faith1 because ,christ said to ,peter1 8,i have prayed for thee1 that thy faith fail not40 ,john certainly fell from the true faith in so disgraceful a manner1 that he might furnish to posterity a signal proof1 that those who succeed ,peter in his bishopric are not all ,peters4 ,the argument itself1 however1 is too puerile to need any answer4 ,for if they are determined to apply to ,peter's successors every thing that was said to ,peter1 it will follow that they are all ,satans1 because the ,lord also said to ,peter1 8,get thee behind me1 ,satan2 thou art an offence unto me40#hig ,it will be as easy for us to retort this passage against them1 as it is for them to object the other against us4 ,,xxix4 ,but it affords me no pleasure to contend with them in such fooleries1 and therefore ,i return from the digression4 ,to confine ,christ1 and the ,holy ,spirit1 and the ,church1 to one particular place1 so that whoever presides there1 even though he be a devil1 must1 nevertheless1 be deemed the vicar of ,christ1 and the head of the ,church1 because that place was formerly the see of ,peter1 ,i maintain to be not only impious and dishonourable to ,christ1 but altogether absurd and repugnant to common sense4 ,the ,roman pontiffs for a long time have either been totally indifferent to religion1 or have shown themselves its greatest enemies4 ,they are no more made the vicars of ,christ1 therefore1 by the see which they occupy1 than an idol is to be taken for ,god1 because it is placed in his temple4 ,now1 if a judgment is to be formed on their conduct1 let the pontiffs answer for themselves in what part of it they can at all be recognized as bishops4 ,in the first place1 the mode of life generally pursued at ,rome1 not only without any opposition from them1 but with their connivance1 and even tacit approbation1 is altogether disgraceful to bishops1 whose duty it is to restrain the licentiousness of the people by a rigid discipline4 ,i will not1 however1 be so severe against them as to charge them with the faults of other persons4 ,but while both themselves and their families1 with almost the whole college of cardinals1 and the whole host of their clergy1 are so abandoned to all kinds of debauchery1 impurity1 and obscenity1 and to every species of enormity and crime1 that they resemble monsters rather than men1 they prove themselves to have no just claim to the character of bishops4 ,they need not be afraid1 however1 that ,i shall proceed to a further disclosure of their turpitude4 ,for it is unpleasant to meddle with such abominable pollution1 and it is necessary to spare chaste ears4 ,besides1 ,i conceive1 ,i have more than sufficiently proved what ,i intended1 that even if ,rome had anciently been the head of all ,churches1 yet at the present day she is not worthy of being accounted one of the smallest toes of the ,church's feet4 ,,xxx4 ,with respect to the cardinals1 as they are called1 ,i know not how it has come to pass that they have so suddenly risen to such high dignity4 ,in the time of ,gregory1 this title was exclusively applied to bishops2 for whenever he mentions cardinals1 he speaks of them not only as belonging to the ,church of ,rome1 but to any other ,churches2 so that1 in short1 a cardinal priest is no other than a bishop4 ,i find no such title at all in the writers of any preceding age2 and at that time1 ,i observe1 they were far inferior to bishops1 to whom they are now so far superior4 ,this passage of ,augustine is well known3 8,though1 according to the titles of honour which have long been used in the ,church1 a bishop is superior to a presbyter1 yet ,augustine is in many things inferior to ,jerome40 ,he clearly makes not the least distinction between a presbyter of the ,roman ,church and those of other ,churches1 but places them all alike below the bishops4 ,and this order was so long observed1 that in the ,council of ,carthage1 when two legates attended from the ,roman see1 one a bishop1 the other a presbyter1 the presbyter was obliged to take the lowest seat4 ,but not to go too far into antiquity for examples1 we have the acts of a council held under ,gregory at ,rome1 at which the presbyters sat in the lowest place1 and subscribed separately2 and the deacons were not allowed to subscribe at all4 ,and1 indeed1 the priests had no other office at that time1 than to attend and assist the bishop in the ministry of the word and the administration of the sacraments4 ,now1 their condition is so changed1 that they are become the cousins of kings and emperors4 ,and there is no doubt but they rose by degrees1 together with their head1 till they reached their present high dignity4 ,this also ,i have thought proper to suggest by the way in a few words1 that the reader may more fully understand1 that the ,roman see1 in its present circumstances1 is widely different from its ancient state1 under the pretext of which it is now maintained and defended4 ,but whatever they may have been in former times1 since they have now no true and legitimate office in the ,church1 and only retain a mere name and useless mask of one1 and since every thing belonging to them is quite contrary to it1 it was necessary that what ,gregory often forebodes should actually befall them3 8,i say it with tears1 ,i denounce it with groans1 that since the sacerdotal order is fallen within1 it will not long be able to stand without40 ,or rather it was necessary that what ,malachi declares of similar characters should be fulfilled in them3 8,ye are departed out of the way2 ye have caused many to stumble at the law2 ye have corrupted the covenant of ,levi1 saith the ,lord of hosts4 ,therefore have ,i also made you contemptible and base before all the people40#hih ,i now leave it to all pious persons to consider the nature of the lofty fabric of the ,roman hierarchy1 to which the ,papists1 with nefarious impudence1 and without any hesitation1 sacrifice even the word of ,god itself1 which ought to have been held venerable and sacred by heaven and earth1 by men and angels4 ,footnote #hic3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #hid3 ,dan4 vii4 #be4 ,footnote #hie3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #g4 ,footnote #hif3 ,luke xxii4 #cb4 ,footnote #hig3 ,matt4 xvi4 #bc4 ,footnote #hih3 ,mal4 ii4 #h1 #i4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,respecting ,,articles ,,of ,,faith1 ,,and ,,its ,,licentious ,,perversion1 ,,under ,,the ,,papacy1 ,,to ,,the ,,corruption ,,of ,,all ,,purity ,,of ,,doctrine4 ,the next subject is the power of the ,church1 which is to be considered as residing1 partly in the respective bishops1 partly in councils1 and those either provincial or general4 ,i speak only of the spiritual power which belongs to the ,church4 ,now1 it consists either in doctrine1 in legislation1 or jurisdiction4 ,the subject of doctrine contains two parts--the authority to establish doctrines1 and the explication of them4 ,before we enter on the particular discussion of each of these points1 we would apprize the pious readers1 that whatever is asserted respecting the power of the ,church1 they should be mindful to refer to the end for which ,paul declares it to have been given1 namely1 8to edification1 and not to destruction20#hii and all who make a legitimate use of it1 consider themselves as nothing more than 8servants of ,christ10#ijj and the people's 8servants for ,jesus' sake40#ija ,now1 the only way to edify the ,church is1 for the ministers themselves to study to preserve to ,jesus ,christ his rightful authority1 which can no longer be secure than while he is left in possession of what he has received from the ,father1 that is1 to be the sole ,master in the ,church4#ijb ,for of him alone1 and of no other1 is it said1 8,hear ye him40#ijc ,the power of the ,church1 therefore1 is not to be depreciated1 yet it must be circumscribed by certain limits1 that it may not be extended in every direction1 according to the caprice of men4 ,it will1 therefore1 be highly useful to observe how it is described by the prophets and apostles4 ,for if we simply grant to men the power which they may be pleased to assume1 it must be obvious to every one1 what a door will be opened for tyranny1 which ought never to be seen in the ,church of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,here1 therefore1 it is necessary to remember1 that whatever authority and dignity is attributed by the ,holy ,spirit1 in the ,scripture1 either to the priests and prophets under the law1 or to the apostles and their successors1 it is all given1 not in a strict sense to the persons themselves1 but to the ministry over which they were appointed1 or1 to speak more correctly1 to the word1 the ministration of which was committed to them4 ,for if we examine them all in succession1 we shall not find that they were invested with any authority to teach or to answer inquiries1 but in the name and word of the ,lord4 ,for when they were called to their office1 it was at the same time enjoined that they should bring forward nothing of themselves1 but should speak from the mouth of the ,lord4 ,nor did he send them forth in public to address the people1 before he had instructed them what they should say1 that they might speak nothing beside his word4 ,moses himself1 the prince of all the prophets1 was to be heard above all others2 but he was first furnished with his commission1 that he might not be able to announce any thing except from the ,lord4 ,therefore the people1 when they received his doctrine1 were said to 8believe the ,lord and his servant ,moses40#ijd ,the authority of the priests also1 that it might not fall into contempt1 was confirmed by the severest punishments4#ije ,but1 on the other hand1 the ,lord shows on what condition they were to be heard1 when he says1 8,my covenant was with ,levi4 ,the law of truth was in his mouth40 ,and just afterwards1 8,the priest's lips should keep knowledge1 and they should seek the law at his mouth2 for he is the messenger of the ,lord of hosts40#ijf ,therefore1 if a priest would be heard1 it was necessary for him to prove himself the messenger of ,god1 by faithfully communicating the commands which he had received from his master2 and where attention to the priests is enjoined1 it is expressly stated1 that 8they shall teach the sentence of the law0#ijg of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the power of the prophets is fully and beautifully described in ,ezekiel4 8,son of man10 says the ,lord1 8,i have made thee a watchman unto the house of ,israel2 therefore hear the word at my mouth1 and give them warning from me40#ijh ,when he is commanded to hear from the mouth of the ,lord1 is he not prohibited to invent any thing of himself8 ,and what is it to give warning from the ,lord1 but1 to speak in such a manner as to be able to declare with confidence that the message he has brought is not his own1 but the ,lord's8 ,the ,lord expresses the same thing in other words in the prophecy of ,jeremiah3 8,the prophet that hath a dream1 let him tell a dream2 and he that hath my word1 let him speak my word faithfully40#iji ,he clearly delivers a law for them all2 its import is1 that he permits no one to teach more than he has been commanded2 and he afterwards gives the appellation of 8chaff0 to every thing that has not proceeded from himself alone4 ,not one of the prophets opened his mouth1 therefore1 without having first received the words from the ,lord4 ,hence their frequent use of these expressions3 8,the word of the ,lord10 8,the burden of the ,lord10 8,thus saith the ,lord10 8,the mouth of the ,lord hath spoken20 and this was highly necessary2 for ,isaiah exclaimed1 8,i am a man of unclean lips20#iaj and ,jeremiah said1 8,behold1 ,i cannot speak1 for ,i am a child40#iaa ,what could proceed from the pollution of the one1 and the folly of the other1 but impure and foolish speeches1 if they had spoken their own words8 ,but their lips were holy and pure1 when they began to be the organs of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,while the prophets were bound by this law to deliver nothing but what they had received1 they were likewise adorned with eminent power and splendid titles4 ,for when the ,lord declares1 8,see1 ,i have this day set thee over the nations1 and over the kingdoms1 to root out1 and to pull down1 and to destroy1 and to throw down1 and to build1 and to plant10 he at the same time assigns the reason--8,behold1 ,i have put my words in thy mouth40#iab ,,iv4 ,if we advert to the apostles1 they are certainly honoured with many extraordinary characters4 ,it is said that they are 8the light of the world10 and 8the salt of the earth20#iac that 8he that heareth0 them 8heareth ,christ20#iad that 8whatsoever0 they 8shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven1 and whatsoever0 they 8shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven40#iae ,but their very name shows what degree of liberty they were allowed in their office2 that if they were apostles1 they were not to declaim according to their own pleasure1 but to deliver with strict fidelity the commands of him who had sent them4 ,and the language of ,christ is sufficiently clear1 in which he has defined their message by the following commission3 8,go ye1 and teach all nations whatsoever ,i have commanded you40#iaf ,he had even received and imposed on himself the same law1 in order that no one might refuse to submit to it4 8,my doctrine10 says he1 8is not mine1 but his that sent me40#iag ,he who was always the eternal and only counsellor of the ,father1 and was constituted by the ,father the ,lord and ,master of all1 yet because he sustained the office of a teacher1 prescribed1 by his own example1 the rule which all ministers ought to follow in their teaching4 ,the power of the ,church1 therefore1 is not unlimited1 but subject to the word of the ,lord1 and1 as it were1 included in it4 ,v4 ,but whereas it has been a principle received in the ,church from the beginning1 and ought to be admitted in the present day1 that the servants of ,god should teach nothing which they have not learned from him1 yet they have had different modes of receiving instruction from him1 according to the variety of different periods2 and the present mode differs from those which have preceded it4 ,in the first place1 if the assertion of ,christ be true1 that 8no man knoweth the ,father except the ,son1 and he to whomsoever the ,son will reveal him10#iah it must always have been necessary for those who would arrive at the knowledge of ,god1 to be directed by that eternal wisdom4 ,for how could they have comprehended the mysteries of ,god1 or how could they have declared them1 except by the teaching of him1 to whom alone the secrets of the ,father are intimately known8 ,the saints in former ages1 therefore1 had no other knowledge of ,god than what they obtained by beholding him in the ,son1 as in a mirror4 ,by this observation ,i mean that ,god never manifested himself to man in any other way than by his ,son1 his only wisdom1 light1 and truth4 ,from this fountain ,adam1 ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 and others1 drew all the knowledge which they possessed of heavenly doctrine2 from this fountain the prophets themselves drew all the celestial oracles which they spoke and wrote4 ,but this wisdom has not always manifested itself in the same way4 ,with the patriarchs ,god employed secret revelations2 for the confirmation of which1 however1 he at the same time added such signs that they could not entertain the least doubt that it was ,god who spake to them4 ,what the patriarchs had received1 they transmitted from hand to hand to their posterity2 for the ,lord had committed it to them on the express condition that they should so propagate it4 ,succeeding generations1 from the testimony of ,god in their hearts1 knew that what they heard was from heaven1 and not from the earth4 ,,vi4 ,but when it pleased ,god to raise up a more visible form of a church1 it was his will that his word should be committed to writing1 in order that the priests might derive from it whatever they would communicate to the people1 and that all the doctrine which should be delivered might be examined by that rule4 ,therefore1 after the promulgation of the law1 when the priests were commanded to teach 8out of the mouth of the ,lord10 the meaning is1 that they should teach nothing extraneous1 or different from that system of doctrine which the ,lord had comprised in the law2 it was not lawful for them to add to it or to diminish from it4 ,afterwards followed the prophets1 by whom ,god published new oracles1 which were to be added to the law2 yet they were not so new but that they proceeded from the law1 and bore a relation to it4 ,for in regard to doctrine1 the prophets were merely interpreters of the law1 and added nothing to it except prophecies of things to come4 ,except these1 they brought forward nothing but pure explication of the law4 ,but because it pleased ,god that there should be a more evident and copious doctrine1 for the better satisfaction of weak consciences1 he directed the prophecies also to be committed to writing1 and to be accounted a part of his word4 ,to these likewise were added the histories1 which were the productions of the prophets1 but composed under the dictation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,i class the ,psalms with the prophecies1 because what we attribute to the prophecies is common to the ,psalms4 ,that whole body of ,scripture1 therefore1 consisting of the ,law1 the ,prophets1 the ,psalms1 and the ,histories1 was the word of ,god to the ancient ,church2 and to this standard the priests and teachers1 even to the coming of ,christ1 were bound to conform their doctrine2 nor was it lawful for them to deviate either to the right hand or to the left1 because their office was wholly confined within these limits1 that they should answer the people from the mouth of ,god4 ,and this may be inferred from that remarkable passage of ,malachi1 where he commands the ,jews to remember the law1 and to be attentive to it1 even till the publication of the gospel4#iai ,for in that injunction he drives them off from all adventitious doctrines1 and prohibits even the smallest deviation from the path which ,moses had faithfully showed them4 ,and it is for this reason that ,david so magnifies the excellence of the law1 and recounts so many of its praises2 to prevent the ,jews from desiring any addition to it1 since it contained every thing necessary for them to know4 ,,vii4 ,but when1 at length1 the ,wisdom of ,god was manifested in the flesh1 it openly declared to us all that the human mind is capable of comprehending1 or ought to think1 concerning the heavenly ,father4 ,now1 therefore1 since ,christ1 the ,sun of ,righteousness1 has shone upon us1 we enjoy the full splendour of ,divine truth1 resembling the brightness of noonday1 whereas the light enjoyed before was a kind of twilight4 ,for certainly the apostle intended to state no unimportant fact when he said1 that 8,god1 who1 at sundry times1 and in divers manners1 spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets1 hath in these last days spoken unto us by his ,son20#ibj for he here suggests1 and even plainly declares1 that ,god will not in future1 as in ages past1 speak from time to time by one and another1 that he will not add prophecies to prophecies1 or revelations to revelations1 but that he has completed all the branches of instruction in his ,son1 so that this is the last and eternal testimony that we shall have from him2 for which reason this whole period of the ,new ,testament1 from the appearance of ,christ to us in the first promulgation of his gospel1 even to the day of judgment1 is designated as 8the last time10 8the last times10 8the last days20 in order that1 being content with the perfection of the doctrine of ,christ1 we may learn neither to invent any thing new or beyond it ourselves1 nor to receive any such thing from the invention of others4 ,it is not without cause1 therefore1 that the ,father has given us his ,son by a peculiar privilege1 and appointed him to be our teacher1 commanding attention to be paid to him1 and not to any mere man4 ,he has recommended his tuition to us in few words1 when he says1 8,hear ye him20#iba but there is more weight and energy in them than is commonly imagined2 for they call us away from all the instructions of men1 and place us before him alone2 they command us to learn from him alone all the doctrine of salvation1 to depend upon him1 to adhere to him1 in short1 as the words express1 to listen solely to his voice4 ,and1 indeed1 what ought now to be either expected or desired from man1 when the ,word of ,life himself has familiarly presented himself before us8 ,it is rather necessary that the mouths of all men should be shut1 since he has once spoken1 in whom it has pleased the heavenly ,father that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge should be hidden1#ibb and has spoken in a manner becoming the wisdom of ,god1 in which there is no imperfection1 and the ,messiah1 who was expected to reveal all things2#ibc that is1 has spoken in such a manner as to leave nothing to be said by others after him4 ,,viii4 ,let us lay down this1 then1 as an undoubted axiom1 that nothing ought to be admitted in the ,church as the word of ,god1 but what is contained first in the law and the prophets1 and secondly in the writings of the apostles1 and that there is no other method of teaching aright in the ,church than according to the direction and standard of that word4 ,hence we conclude1 also1 that the apostles were allowed no more discretion than the prophets before them--namely1 to expound the ancient ,scripture1 and to show that the things delivered in it were accomplished in ,christ2 but this they were only to do from the ,lord1 that is to say1 under the guidance and dictation of the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,for ,christ limited their mission by this condition1 when he ordered them to go and teach1 not the fabrications of their own presumption1 but whatsoever he had commanded them4#ibd ,and nothing could be more explicit than what he said on another occasion3 8,be not ye called ,rabbi2 for one is your ,master1 even ,christ40#ibe ,to fix this more deeply in their minds1 he repeats it twice in the same place4 ,and because their weakness was such that they were unable to comprehend the things which they had heard and learned from the lips of their ,master1 the ,spirit of truth was promised to them1 to lead them into the true understanding of all things4#ibf ,for that restriction is to be attentively remarked1 which assigns to the ,holy ,spirit the office of suggesting to their minds all that ,christ had before taught them with his mouth4 ,,ix4 ,therefore ,peter1 who had been fully taught by his ,master how far his office extended1 represents nothing as left for himself or others1 but to dispense the doctrine committed to them by ,god4 8,if any man speak10 says he1 8let him speak as the oracles of ,god20#ibg that is1 not with hesitation or uncertainty1 like persons conscious of no sufficient authority1 but with the noble confidence which becomes a servant of ,god furnished with his certain commission4 ,what is this but rejecting all the inventions of the human mind1 from whatever head they may proceed1 in order that the pure word of ,god may be taught and learned in the ,church of believers8 ,what is this but removing all the decrees1 or rather inventions of men1 whatever be their station1 that the ordinances of ,god alone may be observed8 ,these are the spiritual 8weapons1 mighty through ,god to the pulling down of strong-holds10 by which the faithful soldiers of ,god 8cast down imaginations1 and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of ,god1 and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of ,christ40#ibh ,this is the extent of the power with which the pastors of the ,church1 by whatever name they may be distinguished1 ought to be invested2--that by the word of ,god they may venture to do all things with confidence2 may constrain all the strength1 glory1 wisdom1 and pride of the world to obey and submit to his majesty2 supported by his power1 may govern all mankind1 from the highest to the lowest2 may build up the house of ,christ1 and subvert the house of ,satan2 may feed the sheep1 and drive away the wolves2 may instruct and exhort the docile2 may reprove1 rebuke1 and restrain the rebellious and obstinate2 may bind and loose2 may discharge their lightnings and thunders1 if necessary2 but all in the word of ,god4 ,between the apostles and their successors1 however1 there is1 as ,i have stated1 this difference--that the apostles were the certain and authentic amanuenses of the ,holy ,spirit1 and therefore their writings are to be received as the oracles of ,god2 but succeeding ministers have no other office than to teach what is revealed and recorded in the sacred ,scriptures4 ,we conclude1 then1 that it is not now left to faithful ministers to frame any new doctrine1 but that it behoves them simply to adhere to the doctrine to which ,god has made all subject1 without any exception4 ,in making this observation1 my design is to show1 not only what is lawful to individuals1 but also to the universal ,church4 ,with respect to particular persons1 ,paul had certainly been appointed by the ,lord an apostle to the ,corinthians2 yet he denies that he had any dominion over their faith4#ibi ,who can now dare to arrogate to himself a dominion which ,paul testifies did not belong to him8 ,if he had sanctioned such a license of teaching1 that whatever the pastor delivered1 he might require1 as a matter of right1 that the same should be implicitly believed1 he would never have recommended to the same ,corinthians such a regulation as this3 8,let the prophets speak two or three1 and let the other judge4 ,if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by1 let the first hold his peace40#icj ,for here he exempted none1 but made the authority of every one subject to the control of the word of ,god4 ,but the case of the universal ,church1 it will be said1 is different4 ,i reply--,paul has obviated this objection in another place1 when he says that 8faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing1 by the word of ,god40#ica ,but if it be the word of ,god alone upon which faith is suspended1 towards which it looks1 and on which it relies1 ,i ask what is there left for the word of the whole world8 ,here it will be impossible for any man to hesitate who has really known what faith is4 ,for it ought to rest on such firm ground as to stand invincible and undismayed in opposition to ,satan1 to all the machinations of hell1 and to all the assaults of the world4 ,this stability we shall find in the word of ,god alone4 ,besides the reason which we are here required to consider is of universal application--that ,god denies to man the right of promulgating any new article of faith1 in order that he alone may be our ,master in spiritual doctrine1 as he alone is true beyond all possibility of deceiving or being deceived4 ,this reason is no less applicable to the whole ,church than to every individual believer4 ,x4 ,but if this power1 which we have shown to belong to the ,church1 be compared with that which has now for some ages past been claimed over the people of ,god by the spiritual tyrants who have falsely called themselves bishops and prelates of religion1 there will be no more resemblance than there is between ,christ and ,belial4 ,it is not my intention here to expose the shameful methods in which they have exercised their tyranny3 ,i shall only state the doctrine1 which they defend in the present age1 not only by their writings1 but also by fire and sword4 ,as they take it for granted that a universal council is the true representative of the ,church1 having assumed this principle1 they at once determine1 as beyond all doubt1 that such councils are under the immediate direction of the ,holy ,spirit1 and therefore cannot err4 ,now1 as they themselves influence the councils1 and even constitute them1 the fact is1 that they assume to themselves all that they contend for as belonging to the councils4 ,they wish our faith1 therefore1 to stand or fall at their pleasure1 that whatever they may have determined on one side or the other1 may be implicitly received by our minds as fully decided2 so that if they approve of any thing1 we must approve of the same without any hesitation2 and if they condemn any thing1 we must unite in the condemnation of it4 ,at the same time1 according to their own caprice1 and in contempt of the word of ,god1 they fabricate doctrines which1 for no other reason than this1 they require to be believed4 ,for they acknowledge no man as a ,christian1 who does not fully assent to all their dogmas1 affirmative as well as negative1 if not with an explicit1 at least with an implicit faith1 because they pretend that the ,church has authority to make new articles of faith4 ,,xi4 ,first1 let us hear by what arguments they prove this authority to have been given to the ,church2 and then we shall see how far their allegations respecting the ,church contribute to support their cause4 ,the ,church1 they say1 has excellent promises1 that she is never to be forsaken by ,christ1 her spouse1 but will be led by his ,spirit into all truth4#icb ,but of the promises which they are accustomed to allege1 many are given no less to each believer in particular1 than collectively to the whole ,church4 ,for though the ,lord was addressing the twelve apostles when he said1 8,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world20#icc and 8,i will pray the ,father1 and he shall give you another comforter1 even the ,spirit of truth20#icd he made these promises not only to the apostles considered as a body1 but to every one of the number1 and even to the other disciples whom he had already received1 or who were afterwards to be added to them4 ,now1 when they interpret these promises1 replete with peculiar consolation1 in such a sense as if they were given to no individual ,christian1 but only to the whole ,church collectively1 what is this but depriving all ,christians of the confidence with which such promises ought to animate them8 ,here ,i do not deny that the whole society of believers1 being adorned with a manifold variety of gifts1 possesses a more ample and precious treasure of heavenly wisdom1 than each particular individual2 nor do ,i intend that these things are spoken of believers in common1 as if they were all equally endued with the spirit of understanding and doctrine2 but we must not allow the adversaries of ,christ1 in defence of a bad cause1 to wrest the ,scripture to a sense which it was not intended to convey4 ,leaving this remark1 ,i freely acknowledge that the ,lord is continually present with his servants1 and that he guides them by his ,spirit2 that this is not a spirit of error1 ignorance1 falsehood1 or darkness1 but 8the spirit of wisdom1 and revelation1 and truth10 from whom they may certainly learn 8the things that are given to0 them 8of ,god10 or1 in other words1 8may know what is the hope of his calling1 and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints40#ice ,but as it is nothing more than the first fruits1 a kind of foretaste of that ,spirit that is enjoyed by believers in the present state1 even by those of them who are favoured with more excellent graces than others1 there remains nothing for them1 but that1 conscious of their imbecility1 they solicitously confine themselves within the limits of the word of ,god2 lest1 if they proceed far by their own sense1 they should wander from the right way1 in consequence of being not yet fully enlightened by that ,spirit1 by whose teaching alone truth is distinguished from falsehood4 ,for all confess with ,paul1 that they have not yet attained the mark2 therefore they rather press on towards daily improvement1 than boast of perfection4#icf ,,xii4 ,but they will object1 that whatever is partially attributed to every one of the saints1 completely and perfectly belongs to the whole ,church4 ,notwithstanding the plausibility of this position1 yet ,i deny it to be true4 ,i admit that ,god distributes the gifts of his ,spirit by measure to every member of his ,church1 in such a manner that nothing necessary is wanting to the whole body1 when those gifts are bestowed in common4 ,but the riches of the ,church are always such as to be very far from that consummate perfection boasted by our adversaries4 ,yet the ,church is not left destitute in any respect1 but that it always has what is sufficient2 for the ,lord knows what its necessity requires4 ,but to restrain it within the bounds of humility and pious modesty1 he bestows no more than he sees to be expedient4 ,here1 ,i know1 they are accustomed to object1 that the ,church has been 8cleansed by the washing of water by the word1 that he might present it to himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot1 or wrinkle1 or any such thing1 but that it should be holy and without blemish20#icg and that for this reason it is called 8the pillar and ground of the truth40#ich ,but the former of these passages rather indicates what ,christ is daily performing in his ,church1 than any thing that he has already accomplished4 ,for if he is daily sanctifying1 purifying1 polishing1 and cleansing his people1 it must be evident that they still have some spots and wrinkles1 and that something is still wanting to their sanctification4 ,how vain and visionary is it to imagine the ,church already perfectly holy and immaculate1 while all its members are the subjects of corruption and impurity6 ,it is true that the ,church is sanctified by ,christ1 but it is only the commencement of their sanctification that is seen in the present state2 the end and perfect completion of it will be when ,christ1 the ,holy of ,holies1 shall fill it truly and entirely with his holiness4 ,it is likewise true that its spots and wrinkles are effaced1 but in such a manner that they are in a daily course of obliteration1 till ,christ at his coming shall entirely efface all that remains4 ,for1 unless we admit this1 we must of necessity assert1 with the ,pelagians1 that the righteousness of believers is perfect in the present life1 and with the ,cathari and ,donatists1 must allow no infirmity in the ,church4 ,the other passage1 as we have already seen1 has a meaning totally different from what they pretend4 ,for after ,paul had instructed ,timothy in the true nature of the office of a bishop1 he says1 8,these things ,i write unto thee1 that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of ,god20 and to enforce his conscientious attention to this object1 he adds1 that the ,church itself is 8the pillar and ground of the truth40#ici ,now1 what is the meaning of this expression1 but that the truth of ,god is preserved in the ,church1 and that by the ministry of preaching8 ,as in another place he states1 that ,christ 8gave some apostles1 and some prophets1 and some evangelists1 and some pastors and teachers1 that we be no more carried about with every wind of doctrine10 or deluded by men1 but that1 being enlightened with the true knowledge of the ,son of ,god1 we may 8all come into the unity of the faith40#idj ,the preservation of the truth1 therefore1 from being extinguished in the world1 is in consequence of the ,church being its faithful guardian1 by whose efforts and ministry it is maintained4 ,but if this guardianship consists in the ministry of the prophets and apostles1 it follows that it wholly depends on the faithful preservation of the purity of the word of ,god4 ,,xiii4 ,and that the readers may better understand upon what point this question principally turns1 ,i will briefly state what our adversaries require1 and wherein we oppose them4 ,when they assert that the ,church cannot err1 their meaning is1 as they themselves explain it1 that as it is governed by the ,spirit of ,god1 it may safely proceed without the word2 that whithersoever it goes1 it can neither think nor speak any thing that is not true2 and1 therefore1 that if it determine any thing beyond or beside the ,divine word1 the same is to be considered in no other light than as a certain oracle of ,god4 ,if we grant the first point1 that the ,church cannot err in things essential to salvation1 our meaning is1 that its security from error is owing to its renouncing all its own wisdom1 and submitting itself to the ,holy ,spirit1 to be taught by means of the word of ,god4 ,this1 then1 is the difference between us4 ,they ascribe to the ,church an authority independent of the word2 we maintain it to be annexed to the word1 and inseparable from it4 ,and what is there surprising that the spouse and disciple of ,christ is subject to her ,lord and ,master1 so as to be assiduously and sedulously awaiting his commands and instructions8 ,for it is the order of a well regulated family1 for the wife to obey the command of the husband2 it is the order of a well disciplined school1 that nothing be heard there but the instructions of the master4 ,wherefore let not the ,church be wise of itself1 nor think any thing of itself1 but let it fix the boundary of its wisdom where ,christ has made an end of speaking4 ,in this manner it will distrust all the inventions of its own reason2 but in those things in which it is supported by the word of ,god1 it will not waver with any distrust or hesitation1 but will rest upon it with strong certainty and unshaken constancy4 ,thus confiding in the amplitude of the promises it has received1 it will have an excellent support for its faith1 so that it cannot doubt that the ,holy ,spirit1 the best guide in the right way1 is always present with it2 but1 at the same time1 it will remember what advantage the ,lord intends should be received from his ,spirit4 8,the ,spirit10 says he1 8whom ,i will send from the ,father1 will guide you into all truth40 ,but how will this be done8 ,christ says1 8,he shall bring all things to your remembrance1 whatsoever ,i have said unto you40#ida ,he announces1 therefore1 that nothing more is to be expected from his ,spirit1 than that he will enlighten our minds to discover the truth of his doctrine4 ,wherefore it is very judiciously observed by ,chrysostom1 that 8many boast of the ,holy ,spirit2 but in those who speak from themselves this is a false pretence4 ,as ,christ testified that he spake not of himself1 because he spake from the law and the prophets1 so1 if1 under the name of the ,spirit1 any thing be obtruded that is not contained in the gospel1 let us not believe it4 ,for as ,christ is the accomplishment of the law and the prophets1 so is the ,spirit1 of the gospel40 ,these are the words of ,chrysostom4 ,now1 it is easy to infer how great is the error of our adversaries1 who boast of the ,holy ,spirit for no other purpose than to recommend1 under his name1 doctrines strange and inconsistent with the word of ,god1 whereas it is his determination to be connected with the word by an indissoluble bond2 and this was declared by ,christ when he promised him to his ,church4 ,and so he is1 in point of fact4 ,the sobriety which the ,lord has once prescribed to his ,church1 he will have to be perpetually observed2 and he has forbidden the ,church to add any thing to his word1 or to diminish any thing from it4 ,this is the inviolable decree of ,god and of the ,holy ,spirit1 which our adversaries endeavour to abrogate1 when they pretend that the ,church is governed by the ,spirit without the word4 ,,xiv4 ,here1 again1 they cavil1 that it was necessary for the ,church to add some things to the writings of the apostles1 or at least for the apostles themselves afterwards to supply in their discourses what they had not so explicitly delivered in their writings1 because ,christ declared to them1 8,i have yet many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now20#idb and that these are the ordinances which have been received by usage and custom without the ,scripture4 ,but what effrontery is here betrayed6 ,i confess that the disciples were ignorant1 and not very docile1 when the ,lord made this declaration to them2 but they were not so stupid1 when they committed their doctrine to writing1 as to render it necessary for them afterwards to supply in their discourses what they had from ignorance omitted in their writings4 ,but if1 when they published their writings1 they had already been led by the ,spirit into all truth1 what hindered them from comprising and leaving on record in those writings a perfect system of evangelical doctrine8 ,let us grant our opponents1 however1 what they ask3 only let them enumerate those things which required to be revealed1 and are not contained in the apostolical writings4 ,if they dare to attempt this1 ,i will reply in the words of ,augustine1 8,where the ,lord has been silent1 which of us can say1 ,these things or those are intended2 and if he dare to say so1 how will he prove it80 ,but why do ,i contend a point that is unnecessary8 ,for even children know that the apostolic writings1 which these men represent as incomplete and essentially deficient1 contain the fruit of that revelation which the ,lord then promised them4 ,,xv4 ,what1 say they1 did not ,christ place the doctrines and decrees of the ,church beyond all controversy1 when he commanded him who should dare to contradict it1 to be regarded 8as a heathen man and a publican80#idc ,in the first place1 ,christ in that text makes no mention of doctrine1 but only asserts the authority of the ,church in pronouncing censures for the correction of vices1 in order that its judgment may not be opposed by any who are admonished or reproved4 ,but leaving this remark1 it is astonishing1 that they have no more modesty than to presume to boast of that passage4 ,for what will they extort from it1 but that it is unlawful to despise the consent of the ,church1 which never consents to any thing except the truth of the word of ,god8 ,the ,church is to be heard1 they say4 ,who denies it8 ,for it pronounces nothing but from the word of the ,lord4 ,if they require any thing further1 let them know that these words of ,christ afford them no support4 ,nor ought it to be esteemed too contentious in me to insist so strenuously on this point--,that it is not lawful for the ,church to invent any new doctrine1 or to teach and deliver1 as of ,divine authority1 any thing more than the ,lord has revealed in his word4 ,all persons of sound judgment perceive how exceedingly dangerous it would be if so much power were once granted to any man4 ,for they see how wide a door is opened to the scoffs and cavils of the impious1 if we assert that the decisions of men are to be received by ,christians as articles of faith4 ,it is also to be remarked1 that ,christ spoke according to the established order of his own time1 and gave this name to the ,sanhedrim1 that his disciples might learn afterwards to reverence the solemn assemblies of the ,church4 ,and thus1 on the principle of our adversaries1 every city and village would have an equal liberty to frame new articles of faith4 ,,xvi4 ,the examples which they allege are nothing to the purpose4 ,they say that the baptism of infants arose1 not so much from any express command of ,scripture1 as from the decree of the ,church4 ,it would be a most miserable asylum1 if1 in defence of infant baptism1 we were compelled to have recourse to the mere authority of the ,church2 but it will be shown in another place1 that the fact is very different4 ,so when they object1 that the ,scriptures nowhere affirm what was pronounced in the ,council of ,nice1 that the ,son is of the same substance with the ,father1 they do great injury to the fathers of that council1 as if they had presumptuously condemned ,arius for having refused to subscribe to their language1 while he professed all the doctrine which is contained in the writings of the prophets and apostles4 ,the word consubstantial1 717 ,i confess1 is not to be found in the ,scripture2 but while1 on the one hand1 it is so often affirmed that there is but one ,god1 and1 on the other1 ,christ is so frequently called the true and eternal ,god1 one with the ,father1 what have the ,nicene fathers done1 but simply expressed the natural sense of the ,scripture1 in declaring the ,father and the ,son to be of one and the same substance8 ,and ,theodoret the historian states1 that ,constantine the emperor opened that council with the following preliminary address3 8,in disputes on ,divine subjects1 we are to adhere to the doctrine of the ,holy ,spirit2 the books of the evangelists and apostles1 with the oracles of the prophets1 fully reveal to us the will of ,god4 ,wherefore1 laying aside all discord1 let us take the decision of all questions in debate from the words of the ,spirit40 ,there was no one at that time who opposed these holy admonitions4 ,no one objected1 that the ,church might add something of its own1 that the ,spirit had not revealed every thing to the apostles1 or1 at least1 that they had not transmitted the whole to posterity in writing1 or any thing of the like nature4 ,if what our adversaries contend for be true1 in the first place1 ,constantine acted unjustly in depriving the ,church of its power2 and in the next place1 when none of the bishops rose to vindicate that power1 their silence was not to be excused from treachery1 for on that occasion they must have betrayed the rights of the ,church4 ,but from the statement of ,theodoret1 that they readily received what was said by the emperor1 it is evident that this novel dogma of our adversaries was at that time altogether unknown4 ,footnote #hii3 #b ,cor4 x4 #h2 xiii4 #aj4 ,footnote #ijj3 ,phil4 i4 #a4 ,footnote #ija3 #b ,cor4 iv4 #e4 ,footnote #ijb3 ,matt4 xxiii4 #h4 ,footnote #ijc3 ,matt4 xvii4 #e4 ,footnote #ijd3 ,exod4 xiv4 #ca4 ,footnote #ije3 ,deut4 xvii4 #h-ab4 ,footnote #ijf3 ,mal4 ii4 #d-g4 ,footnote #ijg3 ,deut4 xvii4 #aa4 ,footnote #ijh3 ,ezek4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #iji3 ,jer4 xxiii4 #bh4 ,footnote #iaj3 ,isaiah vi4 #e4 ,footnote #iaa3 ,jer4 i4 #f4 ,footnote #iab3 ,jer4 i4 #i1 #aj4 ,footnote #iac3 ,matt4 v4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #iad3 ,luke x4 #af4 ,footnote #iae3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #iaf3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #iag3 ,john vii4 #af4 ,footnote #iah3 ,matt4 xi4 #bg4 ,footnote #iai3 ,mal4 iv4 #d4 ,footnote #ibj3 ,heb4 i4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #iba3 ,matt4 xvii4 #e4 ,footnote #ibb3 ,col4 i4 #ai2 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #ibc3 ,john iv4 #be4 ,footnote #ibd3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #ibe3 ,matt4 xxiii4 #h1 #aj4 ,footnote #ibf3 ,john xiv4 #bf2 xvi4 #ac4 ,footnote #ibg3 #a ,peter iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #ibh3 #b ,cor4 x4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #ibi3 #b ,cor4 i4 #bd4 ,footnote #icj3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #bi1 #cj4 ,footnote #ica3 ,rom4 x4 #ag4 ,footnote #icb3 ,john xvi4 #ac4 ,footnote #icc3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #icd3 ,john xiv4 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #ice3 ,ephes4 i4 #ag1 #ah4 ,john xiv4 #ag4 #a ,cor4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #icf3 ,phil4 iii4 #ab-ad4 ,footnote #icg3 ,ephes4 v4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #ich3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ici3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #idj3 ,ephes4 iv4 #aa1 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #ida3 ,john xiv4 #bf2 xv4 #bf2 xvi4 #ac4 ,footnote #idb3 ,john xvi4 #ab4 ,footnote #idc3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ag4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,councils2 ,,their ,,authority4 ,though ,i should concede to our adversaries all the claims which they set up on behalf of the ,church1 yet this would effect but little towards the attainment of their object4 ,for whatever is said respecting the ,church1 they immediately transfer to the councils1 which they consider as representing the ,church2 and it may further be affirmed1 that their violent contentions for the power of the ,church1 are with no other view than to ascribe all that they can extort1 to the ,roman pontiff and his satellites4 ,before ,i enter on the discussion of this question1 it is necessary for me to premise two brief observations4 ,first1 if in this chapter ,i am rather severe on our opponents1 it is not that ,i would show the ancient councils less honour than they deserve4 ,i venerate them from my heart1 and wish them to receive from all men the honour to which they are entitled2 but here some limits must be observed1 that we may derogate nothing from ,christ4 ,now1 it is the prerogative of ,christ to preside over all councils1 and to have no mortal man associated with him in that dignity4 ,but ,i maintain1 that he really presides only where he governs the whole assembly by his word and ,spirit4 ,secondly1 when ,i attribute to the councils less than our adversaries require1 ,i am not induced to do this from any fear that the councils would favour their cause and oppose ours4 ,for as we are sufficiently armed by the word of the ,lord1 and need not seek any further assistance for the complete establishment of our doctrine1 and the total subversion of ,popery1 so1 on the other hand1 if it were necessary1 the ancient councils would furnish us in a great measure with sufficient arguments for both these objects4 ,,ii4 ,let us now come to the subject itself4 ,if it be inquired what is the authority of councils according to the ,scriptures1 there is no promise more ample or explicit than this declaration of ,christ3 8,where two or three are gathered together in my name1 there am ,i in the midst of them40#idd ,but this belongs no less to every particular congregation than to a general council4 ,the main stress of the question1 however1 does not lie in this1 but in the annexed condition1--that ,christ will be in the midst of a council1 then1 and then only1 when it is assembled in his name4 ,wherefore1 though our adversaries mention councils of bishops a thousand times1 they will gain but little ground2 nor will they prevail upon us to believe what they pretend1--that such councils are directed by the ,holy ,spirit1--till it shall have been proved1 that they are assembled in the name of ,christ4 ,for it is equally as possible for impious and unfaithful bishops to conspire against ,christ1 as for pious and upright bishops to assemble together in his name4 ,of this we have ample proof in numerous decrees which have been issued by such councils2 as will be seen in the course of this discussion4 ,at present ,i only reply in one word1 that the promise of ,christ is exclusively restricted to those who 8are gathered together in his name40 ,let us1 therefore1 define wherein this consists4 ,i deny that they are assembled in the name of ,christ1 who1 rejecting the command of ,god1 which prohibits any diminution of his word1 or the smallest addition to it1#ide determine every thing according to their own pleasure2 who1 not content with the oracles of the ,scripture1 which constitute the only rule of perfect wisdom1 invent something new out of their own heads4 ,since ,christ has not promised to be present in all councils1 but has added a particular mark to discriminate true and legitimate councils from others1 it certainly behoves us by no means to neglect this distinction4 ,this was the covenant which ,god anciently made with the ,levitical priests1 that they should teach their people from his mouth2#idf he always required the same of the prophets2 and we see that a similar law was imposed upon the apostles4 ,those who violate this covenant1 ,god neither dignifies with the honour of the priesthood1 nor invests with any authority4 ,let our adversaries solve this difficulty1 if they wish me to submit my faith to the decrees of men1 independently of the word of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,for their supposition1 that no truth remains in the ,church1 unless it be found among the pastors1 and that the ,church itself stands1 no longer than it appears in general councils1 is very far from having been always correct1 if the prophets have left us any authentic records of their times4 ,in the days of ,isaiah1 there was a ,church at ,jerusalem1 which ,god had not yet forsaken3 nevertheless he speaks of the priests in the following manner3 8,his watchmen are blind2 they are all ignorant2 they are all dumb dogs1 they cannot bark2 sleeping1 lying down1 loving to slumber3 they are shepherds that cannot understand3 they all look to their own way1 every one for his gain1 from his quarter40#idg--;,hosea speaks in a similar manner3 8,the watchman of ,ephraim was with my ,god2 but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways1 and hatred in the house of his ,god40#idh ,by thus ironically connecting them with ,god1 he shows that their priesthood was a vain pretence4 ,the ,church continued also to the time of ,jeremiah4 ,let us hear what he says of the pastors4 8,from the prophet even unto the priest1 every one dealeth falsely40#idi ,again3 8the prophets prophesy lies in my name2 ,i sent them not1 neither have ,i commanded them40#iej ,and to avoid too much prolixity in reciting his words1 ,i would recommend my readers to peruse the whole of the twenty-third and fortieth chapters4 ,nor were the same persons treated with less severity by ,ezekiel3 8,there is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof1 like a roaring lion ravening the prey2 they have devoured souls2 they have taken the treasure and precious things2 they have made her many widows in the midst thereof4 ,her priests have violated my law1 and have profaned mine holy things2 they have put no difference between the holy and profane4 ,her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar1 seeing vanity1 and divining lies unto them1 saying1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god1 when the ,lord hath not spoken40#iea ,similar complaints abound in all the prophets1 so that there is nothing of more frequent recurrence4 ,,iv4 ,but it will be said1 though such may have been the case among the ,jews1 our age is exempt from so great a calamity4 ,i sincerely wish that it were so2 but the ,holy ,spirit has denounced that the event would be very different4 ,the language of ,peter is clear3 8,there were false prophets also among the people1 even as there shall be false teachers among you1 who privily shall bring in damnable heresies40#ieb ,observe how he declares that danger will arise1 not from the common people1 but from those who will assume to themselves the name of pastors and teachers4 ,besides1 how often is it predicted by ,christ and his apostles1 that the greatest dangers would be brought upon the ,church by its pastors6#iec ,paul expressly denounces that ,antichrist will 8sit in the temple of ,god20#ied by which he signifies1 that the dreadful calamity of which he speaks1 will arise from the very persons who will sit as pastors in the ,church4 ,and in another place1 he shows that the commencement of the mischief was then near at hand4 ,for addressing the bishops of the ,church of ,ephesus1 he says1 8,i know this1 that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you1 not sparing the flock2 also of your own selves shall men arise1 speaking perverse things1 to draw away disciples after them40#iee ,if the pastors could so degenerate in a very short space of time1 what enormous corruption might be introduced among them in a long series of years6 ,and not to occupy much room with an enumeration1 we are taught by the examples of almost all ages1 that neither is the truth always maintained in the bosom of the pastors1 nor the safety of the ,church dependent on their stability4 ,they ought1 indeed1 to be the guardians and defenders of the peace and safety of the ,church1 for the preservation of which they are appointed2 but it is one thing to perform a duty which we owe1 and another1 to owe a duty which we do not perform4 ,v4 ,let no person conclude from what ,i have said1 that ,i am inclined on all occasions1 and without any discrimination1 to weaken the authority of pastors1 and bring it into contempt4 ,i only mean to suggest the necessity of discriminating between some pastors and others1 that we may not immediately consider persons as pastors because they bear that title4 ,but the pope and all his bishops1 for no other reason but because they are called pastors1 casting off all obedience to the word of ,god1 disturb and confound every thing at their own pleasure2 while they labour to persuade us that it is impossible for them to be destitute of the light of truth1 that the ,spirit of ,god perpetually resides in them1 and that with them the ,church lives and dies4 ,as though the ,lord had now no judgments1 to inflict upon the world1 in the present day1 the same kind of punishment1 with which he once visited the ingratitude of his ancient people2#ief namely1 to smite the pastors with astonishment1 madness1 and blindness4 ,and such is their extreme stupidity1 they are not aware that they are acting the same part which was acted by those who resisted the word of the ,lord in ancient times4 ,for thus the enemies of ,jeremiah fortified themselves in opposition to the truth3 8,come1 and let us devise devices against ,jeremiah2 for the law shall not perish from the priest1 nor counsel from the wise1 nor the word from the prophet40#ieg ,,vi4 ,hence it is easy to reply to another plea in behalf of general councils4 ,that a true ,church existed among the ,jews in the time of the prophets1 cannot be denied4 ,but if a general council of the priests had been convened1 what appearance of a ,church would such a council have displayed8 ,we hear what ,god denounces1 not against two or three of them1 but against the whole body3 8,the priests shall be astonished1 and the prophets shall wonder40#ieh ,again3 8,the law shall perish from the priest1 and counsel from the ancients40#iei ,again3 8,night shall be unto you1 that ye shall not have a vision2 and it shall be dark unto you1 that ye shall not divine2 and the sun shall go down over the prophets1 and the day shall be dark over them40#ifj ,now1 if these priests and prophets had all been collected together1 what spirit would have presided in their assembly8 ,this is remarkably exemplified in the council convoked by ,ahab4 ,four hundred prophets were present4 ,but because they were assembled with no other intention than to flatter that impious monarch1 ,satan was sent by the ,lord to be a lying spirit in all their mouths4#ifa ,there the truth was rejected with one consent2 ,micaiah was condemned as a heretic1 beaten1 and cast into prison4 ,jeremiah received the same treatment1 and other prophets experienced similar injustice4 ,,vii4 ,but one example1 which is more memorable than the rest1 may suffice as a specimen of all4 ,in the council which the chief priests and ,pharisees convened at ,jerusalem against ,christ1 what was there wanting in point of external form8 ,for if there had then been no ,church at ,jerusalem1 ,christ would never have united in their sacrifices and other ceremonies4 ,a solemn summons was issued2 the high priest presided2 all the priests attended2 yet there ,christ was condemned1 and his doctrine rejected4 ,this act proves that the ,church was not contained in that council4 ,but1 it will be said1 there is no danger of such a circumstance happening to us4 ,who has assured us of this8 ,for to be too confident in a matter of such great importance1 is culpable stupidity4 ,but while the ,spirit has expressly predicted1 by the mouth of ,paul1 that there shall come an apostasy1 which cannot take place without the pastors being the first to revolt from ,god1#ifb why do we wilfully shut our eyes to our own ruin8 ,wherefore it is by no means to be conceded1 that the ,church consists in the assembly of the pastors1 respecting whom ,god has nowhere promised that they should always be good1 but1 on the contrary1 has denounced that they would sometimes be wicked4 ,now1 when he warns us of a danger1 his design is to make us more cautious4 ,,viii4 ,what1 then1 it will be said1 shall the decisions of councils have no authority8 ,yes1 certainly2 for ,i am not contending that all councils ought to be condemned1 or that all their acts ought to be rescinded and cancelled at once4 ,still ,i shall be told1 that ,i degrade their authority1 so as to leave it to the option of every individual to receive or reject whatever a council shall have determined4 ,by no means2 but whenever a decree of any council is brought forward1 ,i would wish1 first1 that a diligent inquiry should be made1 at what time1 for what cause1 and with what design it was held1 and what kind of persons were present2 secondly1 that the subject discussed in it should be examined by the standard of the ,scripture2 and this in such a manner that the determination should have its weight1 and be considered as a precedent or case formerly decided1 but that it should not preclude the examination which ,i have mentioned4 ,i sincerely wish that every person would observe the method recommended by ,augustine in his third book against ,maximinus4 ,for1 with a view to silence the contentions of that heretic respecting the decrees of councils1 he says1 8,i ought not to object to you the ,council of ,nice1 nor ought you to object to me the ,council of ,ariminum1 to preclude each other's judgment by a previous decision4 ,i am not bound by the authority of the latter1 nor you by that of the former4 ,let cause contend with cause1 and argument with argument1 on the ground of scriptural authorities1 which exclusively belong to neither party1 but are common to both40 ,the consequence of such a mode of proceeding would be1 that councils would retain all the majesty which is due to them1 while at the same time the ,scripture would hold the preminence1 so that every thing would be subject to its standard4 ,upon this principle1 those ancient councils1 such as the ,council of ,nice1 of ,constantinople1 the first of ,ephesus1 that of ,chalcedon1 and others like them1 which were held for the condemnation of errors1 we cheerfully receive and reverence as sacred1 as far as respects the articles of faith which they have defended2 for they contain nothing but the pure and natural interpretation of the ,scripture1 which the holy fathers1 with spiritual prudence1 applied to the discomfiture of the enemies of religion who arose in those days4 ,in some of the succeeding councils1 likewise1 we discover a true zeal for piety1 and evident proofs of sense1 learning1 and prudence4 ,but as the progress of the world is generally from worse to worse1 it is easy to see1 from the more recent councils1 how much the ,church has gradually degenerated from the purity of that golden age4 ,even in these more corrupt ages1 ,i doubt not1 the councils have been partly composed of some bishops of a better character2 but the same observation may be applied to their acts1 which was formerly made in a way of complaint against the decrees of the ,roman senate1 by the senators themselves4 ,where opinions prevail according to their number1 and not according to the weight of argument by which they are supported1 the better part of the assembly must of necessity be frequently overcome by the majority4 ,and councils have certainly issued many impious decrees4 ,it is unnecessary here to produce particular examples1 as well because this would carry us to too great a length1 as because it has already been done by others with a diligence which scarcely admits of any addition4 ,,ix4 ,now1 what need is there to enumerate the repugnances between councils and councils1 and how decrees passed by one have been rescinded by another8 ,here it must not be alleged1 that where there is such variance between two councils1 one or the other is not legitimate4 ,for how shall we determine this8 ,the only way ,i know1 is to ascertain from the ,scriptures that its decrees are not orthodox2 for there is no other certain rule of decision4 ,it is now about nine hundred years ago1 that the ,council of ,constantinople1 assembled under the emperor ,leo1 decreed that all images placed in churches should be thrown down and broken in pieces4 ,soon after1 the ,council of ,nice1 which the empress ,irene convened in opposition to the former1 decreed that they should be restored4 ,which of these two shall we acknowledge as a legitimate council8 ,this character has generally been attributed to the latter1 which gave images a place in the ,churches4 ,but ,augustine declares that this cannot be done without imminent danger of idolatry4 ,epiphanius1 a more ancient writer1 expresses himself in terms of much greater severity2 he says that it is abominable wickedness for images to be seen in the temples of ,christians4 ,would the fathers who speak in this manner approve of that council1 if they were now living8 ,but if the accounts of historians be true1 and credit be given to the acts themselves1 that council not only admitted of images1 but determined that they were to be worshipped4 ,now1 it is evident that such a decree must have originated from ,satan4 ,what shall we say to their perversions and mutilations of the ,scripture1 which demonstrate that they held it all in contempt1 as ,i have already proved8 ,we shall never be able to discriminate between the numerous councils1 which dissent from and contradict each other1 unless we examine them all by the word of ,god1 which is the universal standard for men and angels4 ,on this ground1 we reject the second ,council of ,ephesus1 and receive the ,council of ,chalcedon1 because the latter council condemned the impiety of ,eutyches1 which the former had sanctioned4 ,this judgment of the ,council of ,chalcedon was formed from the ,scriptures by holy men1 whom we imitate in forming our judgment1 as the word of ,god which enlightened them continues to give light to us4 ,now1 let the ,romanists go and boast1 as they are accustomed to do1 that the ,holy ,spirit is inseparably attached to their councils4 ,x4 ,even in the earliest and purest councils1 however1 there is something to complain of--either that the bishops who composed them1 though men of learning and prudence1 being perplexed with the subjects immediately before them1 did not extend their views to many other things2 or that while they were occupied with more weighty and serious concerns1 things of inferior moment escaped their notice2 or merely that1 being men1 they were liable to ignorance and error2 or that they were sometimes hurried into precipitancy by the violence of their passions4 ,of the truth of the last observation1 which seems the severest of all1 there is a remarkable example in the ,council of ,nice2 the dignity of which has been universally and justly held in the highest veneration4 ,for though the principal article of our faith was endangered1 and they had to contend with ,arius1 the enemy of it1 who was there in readiness for the contest1--though it was of the greatest importance that harmony should be maintained among those who came with a design to confute the error of ,arius1--notwithstanding that1 careless of such great dangers1 forgetful of gravity1 modesty1 and every thing like good manners1 dropping the controversy between them1 as if they had assembled with an express view to the gratification of ,arius1 they began to counteract themselves with intestine dissensions1 and to direct against each other the pen which ought to have been employed against ,arius4 ,the foulest accusations were heard1 defamatory libels were circulated1 and there would have been no end of the contentions till they had murdered one another1 if it had not been for the interference of the emperor ,constantine1 who protested that a scrutiny into their lives was a thing beyond his cognizance1 and repressed this intemperate conduct with praise rather than with censure4 ,in how many instances is it probable that errors were committed by other succeeding councils8 ,nor does this require any long proof2 for whoever peruses their acts1 will discover many infirmities1 not to mention any thing worse4 ,,xi4 ,and ,leo1 the ,roman pontiff1 hesitates not to bring a charge of ambition and inconsiderate temerity against the ,council of ,chalcedon1 which he at the same time acknowledges to have been orthodox in points of doctrine4 ,he does not deny it to have been a legitimate council1 but he unequivocally asserts that it was possible for it to err4 ,it may be thought1 perhaps1 that ,i betray a want of judgment in taking pains to point out such errors2 since our adversaries confess that councils might err in things not essential to salvation4 ,this labour1 however1 is not unnecessary4 ,for though they find themselves obliged to confess this in words1 yet when they obtrude upon us the decision of every council on every subject1 without any discrimination1 as an oracle of the ,holy ,spirit1 they require of us1 in fact1 more than they had first assumed4 ,what is the language of such conduct1 but that councils cannot err1 or that1 if they do err1 it is unlawful for us to discover the truth1 or to refuse assent to errors8 ,and ,i intend to draw no other conclusion from these facts1 than that the ,holy ,spirit governed pious and ,christian councils in such a manner1 as at the same time to permit them to betray something of human infirmity1 that we might not place too much confidence in men4 ,this sentiment is far more favourable than that of ,gregory of ,nazianzum1 8that he never saw a good end of any council40 ,for he who affirms that all without exception terminated ill1 leaves them but little authority4 ,it is unnecessary here to take distinct notice of provincial councils1 since it is easy to judge from the general councils1 what authority they ought to possess in framing articles of faith1 and receiving whatever kind of doctrine they pleased4 ,,xii4 ,but our ,romanists1 when they find all the supports of reason fail them in the defence of their cause1 have recourse to that last and wretched subterfuge--,that although the persons themselves betray the greatest stupidity in their understandings and pleas1 and act from the most iniquitous motives and designs1 still the word of ,god remains1 which commands us to obey our governors4#ifc ,but what if ,i deny that such persons are our governors8 ,for they ought not to arrogate to themselves more than belonged to ,joshua1 who was a prophet of the ,lord and an excellent pastor4 ,now1 let us hear with what language he was inaugurated into his office by the ,lord3 8,this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth2 but thou shalt meditate therein day and night3 turn not from it to the right hand or to the left1 that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest40#ifd ,we shall consider them as our spiritual governors1 therefore1 who deviate not from the word of ,god1 either to the right hand or to the left4 ,if the doctrine of all pastors ought to be received without any hesitation1 why have we such frequent and earnest admonitions from the mouth of the ,lord himself1 not to listen to the speeches of false prophets8 8,hearken not10 says he by ,jeremiah1 8unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you2 they make you vain2 they speak a vision of their own hearts1 and not out of the mouth of the ,lord40#ife ,again3 8,beware of false prophets1 which come to you in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly they are ravening wolves40#iff ,the exhortation given us by ,john would also have been useless3 8,try the spirits1 whether they are of ,god20#ifg though from this examination the very angels are not exempted1 much less ,satan with all his falsehoods4 ,how are we to understand this caution of our ,lord8 8,if the blind lead the blind1 both shall fall into the ditch40#ifh ,does it not sufficiently declare1 that it is of the highest importance what kind of pastors are heard1 and that they are not all entitled to the same attention8 ,wherefore there is no reason why they should overawe us with their titles1 to make us partakers of their blindness1 while we see1 on the contrary1 that the ,lord has taken peculiar care to deter us from suffering ourselves to be seduced by the error of other men1 under whatever mask or name it may be concealed4 ,for if the answer of ,christ be true1 all blind guides1 whether they are denominated priests1 prelates1 or pontiffs1 can do nothing but precipitate their followers into the same ruin with themselves4 ,impressed1 therefore1 by these warnings1 both of precepts and of examples1 no names of pastors1 bishops1 or councils1 which are as capable of being falsely claimed as rightly assumed1 ought ever to prevent us from examining all the spirits by the rule of the ,divine word1 in order to 8try whether they are of ,god40 ,,xiii4 ,having proved that the ,church has received no power to frame any new doctrine1 let us now speak of the power which our opponents attribute to it in the interpretation of the ,scripture4 ,we have not the least objection to admit1 that if a controversy arise respecting any doctrine1 there is no better or more certain remedy than to assemble a council of true bishops1 in which the controverted doctrine may be discussed4 ,for such a decision1 formed by the common consent of the pastors of the ,churches1 after an invocation of the ,spirit of ,christ1 will have far greater weight1 than if every one of them separately were to maintain it in preaching to his people1 or if it were the result of a private conference between a few individuals4 ,besides1 when bishops are collected in one assembly1 they deliberate together with greater advantage on what they ought to teach1 and the manner in which their instructions should be conveyed1 so as to guard against offence arising from diversity4 ,in the third place1 ,paul prescribes this method of determining respecting doctrines4 ,for while he attributes to every distinct ,church a power 8to judge10#ifi he shows what ought to be the order of proceeding in more important cases2 namely1 that the ,churches should undertake the common cognizance of them4 ,and so the dictate of piety itself teaches us1 that if any one disturb the ,church with a new doctrine1 and the matter be carried so far as to cause danger of a more grievous dissension1 the ,churches should first assemble1 should examine the question proposed to them1 and after a sufficient discussion of it1 should announce a decision taken from the ,scriptures1 which would put an end to all doubt among the people1 and shut the mouths of refractory and ambitious persons1 so as to check their further presumption4 ,thus1 when ,arius arose1 the ,council of ,nice was assembled1 and by its authority defeated the pernicious attempts of that impious man1 restored peace to the ,churches which he had disturbed1 and asserted the eternal deity of ,christ in opposition to his sacrilegious dogma4 ,some time after1 when ,eunomius and ,macedonius raised new contentions1 their frenzy was opposed with a similar remedy by the ,council of ,constantinople4 ,the impiety of ,nestorius was condemned in the first ,council of ,ephesus4 ,in short1 this has been the ordinary method of the ,church from the beginning1 for the preservation of unity1 whenever ,satan has begun to make any attempt against it4 ,but let it be remembered1 that neither every age1 nor every place1 can produce an ,athanasius1 a ,basil1 a ,cyril1 and other such champions of the true doctrine1 as the ,lord raised up at those periods4 ,let it also be recollected what happened at the second ,council of ,ephesus1 in which the heresy of ,eutyches prevailed4 ,flavianus1 a bishop of irreproachable memory1 was banished1 together with other pious men1 and many similar enormities were committed1 because it was ,dioscorus1 a factious and ill-disposed man1 and not the ,spirit of the ,lord1 that presided in that council4 ,but that council1 it will be said1 was not the ,church4 ,i admit it3 for ,i am firmly persuaded of this1 that the truth is not extinct in the ,church1 though it may be oppressed by one council1 but that it is wonderfully preserved by the ,lord1 to arise and triumph again in his own time4 ,but ,i deny it to be an invariable rule1 that every interpretation which may have been approved by a council is the true and certain sense of the ,scripture4 ,,xiv4 ,but the ,romanists have a further design in maintaining that councils possess the power of interpreting the ,scripture1 and that without appeal4 ,for it is a false pretence1 when every thing that has been determined in councils is called an interpretation of the ,scripture4 ,of purgatory1 the intercession of saints1 auricular confession1 and similar fooleries1 the ,scriptures contain not a single syllable4 ,but1 because all these things have been sanctioned by the authority of councils1 or1 to speak more correctly1 have been admitted into the general belief and practice1 therefore every one of them is to be taken for an interpretation of ,scripture4 ,and not only so2 but if a council determine in direct opposition to the ,scripture1 it will still be called an interpretation of it4 ,christ commands all to drink of the cup which he presents to them in the sacred supper4#igj ,the ,council of ,constance prohibited it to be given to the laity1 and determined that none but the priest should drink of it4 ,yet this1 which is so diametrically repugnant to the institution of ,christ1 they wish us to receive as an interpretation of it4 ,paul calls 8forbidding to marry0 a 8doctrine of devils20#iga and the ,holy ,spirit1 in another place1 pronounces that 8marriage is honourable in all1 and the bed undefiled40#igb ,the prohibition1 which they have since denounced1 of the marriage of priests1 they wish us to consider as the true and natural interpretation of the ,scriptures1 though nothing can be imagined more repugnant to it4 ,if any one dare to open his mouth to the contrary1 he is condemned as a heretic1 because the determination of the ,church is without appeal1 and the truth of its interpretation cannot be doubted without impiety4 ,what further requires to be urged against such consummate effrontery8 ,the mere exhibition of it is a sufficient refutation4 ,their pretensions to confirm the ,scripture by the authority of the ,church1 ,i purposely pass over4 ,to subject the oracles of ,god to the authority of men1 so as to make their validity dependent on human approbation1 is a blasphemy unworthy of being mentioned2 beside which1 ,i have touched on this subject already4 ,i will only ask them one question3 ,if the authority of the ,scripture be founded on the approbation of the ,church1 what decree of any council can they allege to this point8 ,i believe1 none at all4 ,why1 then1 did ,arius suffer himself to be vanquished at ,nice by testimonies adduced from the ,gospel of ,john8 ,according to the argument of our opponents1 he was at liberty to reject them1 as not having yet received the approbation of any general council4 ,they allege an ancient catalogue1 which is called the ,canon of ,scripture1 and which they say proceeded from the decision of the ,church4 ,i ask them again1 in what council that canon was composed4 ,to this they can make no reply4 ,yet ,i would wish to be further informed1 what kind of a canon they suppose it to be4 ,for ,i see that the ancient writers were not fully agreed respecting it4 ,and if any weight be attached to the testimony of ,jerome1 the two books of the ,maccabees1 the history of ,tobit1 ,ecclesiasticus1 and other books1 will be considered as apocryphal2 to which our opponents will by no means consent4 ,footnote #idd3 ,matt4 xviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #ide3 ,deut4 iv4 #b4 ,rev4 xxii4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #idf3 ,mal4 ii4 #e-g4 ,footnote #idg3 ,isaiah lvi4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #idh3 ,hosea ix4 #h4 ,footnote #idi3 ,jer4 vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #iej3 ,jer4 xiv4 #ad4 ,footnote #iea3 ,ezek4 xxii4 #be1 #bf1 #bh4 ,footnote #ieb3 #b ,peter ii4 #a4 ,footnote #iec3 ,matt4 xxiv4 #aa1 #bd4 ,footnote #ied3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #d4 ,footnote #iee3 ,acts xx4 #bi1 #cj4 ,footnote #ief3 ,zech4 xii4 #d4 ,footnote #ieg3 ,jer4 xviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #ieh3 ,jer4 iv4 #i4 ,footnote #iei3 ,ezek4 vii4 #bf4 ,footnote #ifj3 ,micah iii4 #f4 ,footnote #ifa3 #a ,kings xxii4 #f1 #bb1 #bd1 #bg4 ,footnote #ifb3 #b ,thess4 ii4 #c4 #a ,tim4 iv4 #a4 ,footnote #ifc3 ,heb4 xiii4 #ag4 ,footnote #ifd3 ,joshua i4 #g1 #h4 ,footnote #ife3 ,jer4 xxiii4 #af4 ,footnote #iff3 ,matt4 vii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ifg3 #a ,john iv4 #a4 ,footnote #ifh3 ,matt4 xv4 #ad4 ,footnote #ifi3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #bi4 ,footnote #igj3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #bg4 ,footnote #iga3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #a1 #c4 ,footnote #igb3 ,heb4 xiii4 #d4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,legislation1 ,,in ,,which ,,the ,,pope ,,and ,,his ,,adherents ,,have ,,most ,,cruelly ,,tyrannized ,,over ,,the ,,minds1 ,,and ,,tortured ,,the ,,bodies1 ,,of ,,men4 ,we now proceed to the second branch of the power of the ,church1 which the ,romanists represent as consisting in legislation--a source from which have issued innumerable human traditions1 the most pestilent and fatal to wretched souls4 ,for they have made no more scruple than the scribes and ,pharisees to 8lay on other men's shoulders burdens which they themselves would not touch with one of their fingers40#igc ,i have shown in another place the extreme cruelty of their injunctions concerning auricular confession4 ,none of their other laws discover such enormous violence2 but those which appear the most tolerable of them all1 are tyrannically oppressive to the conscience4 ,i forbear to remark how they adulterate the worship of ,god1 and despoil ,god himself1 who is the sole ,legislator1 of the right which belongs to him4 ,this power is now to be examined--whether the ,church has authority to make laws which shall bind the consciences of men4 ,this question has nothing to do with political order2 the only objects of our present attention are1 that ,god may be rightly worshipped according to the rule he has prescribed1 and that our spiritual liberty which relates to ,god may be preserved entire4 ,whatever edicts have been issued by men respecting the worship of ,god1 independently of his word1 it has been customary to call human traditions4 ,against such laws we contend1 and not against the holy and useful constitutions of the ,church1 which contribute to the preservation of discipline1 or integrity1 or peace4 ,the object for which we contend1 is1 to restrain that overgrown and barbarous empire1 which is usurped over men's souls by those who wish to be accounted the pastors of the ,church1 but who in reality are its most savage butchers4 ,for they say that the laws which they make are spiritual1 pertaining to the soul1 and they affirm them to be necessary to eternal life4 ,thus1 as ,i have lately hinted1 the kingdom of ,christ is invaded2 thus the liberty given by him to the consciences of believers is altogether subverted and destroyed4 ,i forbear to remark at present with what great impiety they enforce the observance of their laws1 while they teach men to seek the pardon of their sins and righteousness and salvation from it1 and while they make the whole of religion and piety to consist in it4 ,i only contend for this one point1 that no necessity ought to be imposed upon consciences in things in which they have been set at liberty by ,christ2 and without this liberty1 as ,i have before observed1 they can have no peace with ,god4 ,they must acknowledge ,christ their ,deliverer as their only ,king1 and must be governed by one law of liberty1 even the sacred word of the gospel1 if they wish to retain the grace which they have once obtained in ,christ2 they must submit to no slavery2 they must be fettered by no bonds4 ,,ii4 ,these sapient legislators1 indeed1 pretend that their constitutions are laws of liberty1 an easy yoke1 a light burden4 ,but who does not see that these are gross falsehoods8 ,the hardship of their laws is not at all felt by themselves1 who have rejected the fear of ,god1 and securely and boldly disregard all laws1 human and divine4 ,but persons who are impressed with any concern for their salvation1 are far from considering themselves at liberty as long as they are entangled in these snares4 ,we see what great caution ,paul used in this respect1 to avoid 8casting a snare upon0 men in a single instance2#igd and that not without cause2 for he saw what a deep wound would be made in their consciences1 by the imposition of any necessity upon them in those things in which the ,lord had left them at liberty4 ,on the contrary1 it is scarcely possible to enumerate the constitutions1 which these men have most rigorously enforced with the denunciation of eternal death1 and which they require to be most minutely observed as necessary to salvation4 ,among these1 there are many exceedingly difficult to be fulfilled2 but when they are all collected together in one body1 so immense is the accumulation1 the observance of the whole is utterly impracticable4 ,how1 then1 can it be possible for those who are loaded with such a vast weight of difficulty1 not to be perplexed and tortured with extreme anxiety and terror8 ,my design at present1 then1 is1 to oppose constitutions of this kind1 which tend to bind souls internally before ,god1 and to fill them with scruples1 as if they enjoined things necessary to salvation4 ,,iii4 ,the generality of men1 therefore1 are embarrassed with this question1 for want of distinguishing with sufficient exactness between the outward judgment of men and the court of conscience4 ,the difficulty is increased by the injunction of ,paul1 that the magistrate is to be obeyed1 8not only for wrath1 but also for conscience' sake20#ige whence it follows1 that consciences are bound by political laws4 ,if this were the case1 all that we said in the last chapter1 and are about to say in this1 on the subject of spiritual government1 would fall to the ground4 ,to solve this difficulty1 it is first of all necessary to understand what is conscience4 ,the definition may be derived from the etymology of the word4 ,science1 or knowledge1 is the apprehension which men have of things in their mind and understanding4 ,so1 when they have an apprehension of the judgment of ,god1 as a witness that suffers them not to conceal their sins1 but forces them as criminals before the tribunal of the judge1 this apprehension is called conscience4 ,for it is something between ,god and man1 which permits not a man to suppress what he knows within himself1 but pursues him till it brings him to a sense of his guilt4 ,this is what ,paul means1 when he speaks of men's 8conscience also bearing witness1 and their thoughts the mean while accusing1 or else excusing1 one another0#igf before ,god4 ,a simple knowledge might remain in man1 as it were1 in a state of concealment4 ,therefore this sentiment1 which places men before the tribunal of ,god1 is like a keeper appointed over man to watch and observe all his secrets1 that nothing may remain buried in darkness4 ,hence that old proverb1 that conscience is equal to a thousand witnesses4 ,for the same reason1 ,peter speaks of 8the answer of a good conscience towards ,god10#igg to denote our tranquillity of mind1 when1 persuaded of the grace of ,christ1 we present ourselves before ,god without fear4 ,and the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews speaks of persons 8having no more conscience of sins10#igh to signify their being liberated1 or absolved1 so as to feel no more remorse or compunction for sin4 ,,iv4 ,therefore1 as works have respect to man1 so the conscience is referred to ,god4 ,a good conscience is no other than an internal purity of heart4 ,in this sense ,paul says that 8the end of the commandment is charity1 out of a pure heart1 and of a good conscience1 and of faith unfeigned40#igi ,in a subsequent part of the same chapter1 he shows how widely it differs from simple knowledge1 when he says1 that 8some having put away a good conscience1 concerning faith have made shipwreck40#ihj ,for in these words he implies that it is a lively zeal for the worship of ,god1 and a sincere desire and endeavour to live a pious and holy life4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 it is likewise extended to men1 as when ,luke states ,paul to have made this declaration--8,i exercise myself1 to have always a conscience void of offence toward ,god and toward men40#iha ,the apostle expressed himself in this manner1 because the benefits proceeding from a good conscience do reach even to man4 ,but strictly speaking1 the conscience has respect to ,god alone1 as ,i have already observed4 ,hence it is1 that a law is said to bind the conscience1 which simply binds a man without any observation or consideration of other men4 ,for example1 ,god not only commands the heart to be preserved chaste and pure from every libidinous desire1 but prohibits all obscenity of language and external lasciviousness4 ,my conscience is bound to observe this law1 even though not another man existed in the world4 ,the person1 therefore1 who commits any breach of chastity1 not only sins by setting a bad example to his brethren1 but brings his conscience into a state of guilt before ,god4 ,the case of things1 in themselves indifferent1 stands not on the same ground2 for we ought to abstain from whatever is likely to give offence1 but with a free conscience4 ,thus ,paul speaks of meat consecrated to idols3 8,if any man say unto you1 ,this is offered in sacrifice to idols1 eat not for his sake1 and for conscience' sake4 ,conscience1 ,i say1 not thine own1 but of the other40#ihb ,a faithful man1 who1 after previous admonition1 should eat such meat1 would be guilty of sin4 ,but though such abstinence is enjoined on him by ,god as necessary on account of his brother1 he still retains his liberty of conscience4 ,we see how this law1 while it binds the external act1 leaves the conscience free4 ,v4 ,let us now return to human laws4 ,if they are designed to introduce any scruple into our minds1 as though the observance of them were essentially necessary1 we assert1 that they are unreasonable impositions on the conscience4 ,for our consciences have to do1 not with men1 but with ,god alone4 ,and this is the meaning of the well known distinction1 maintained in the schools1 between a human tribunal and the court of conscience4 ,when the whole world was enveloped in the thickest shades of ignorance1 this little spark of light still remained unextinguished1 so that they acknowledged the conscience of man to be superior to all human judgments4 ,it is true that what they confessed in one word1 they afterwards overturned in fact2 yet it was the will of ,god that even at that time there should remain some testimony in favour of ,christian liberty1 to rescue the conscience from the tyranny of men4 ,but we have not yet solved the difficulty which arises from the language of ,paul4 ,for if princes are to be obeyed1 8not only for wrath1 but also for conscience' sake10#ihc it seems to follow1 that the laws of princes have dominion over the conscience4 ,if this be true1 the same must be affirmed of the laws of the ,church4 ,i reply1 ,in the first place1 it is necessary to distinguish between the genus and the species4 ,for the conscience is not affected by every particular law2 yet we are bound by the general command of ,god1 which establishes the authority of magistrates4 ,and this is the hinge upon which ,paul's argument turns1 that magistrates are to be honoured because they are 8ordained of ,god40#ihd ,at the same time he is far from insinuating that the laws enacted by them have any thing to do with the internal government of the soul2 for he every where extols the service of ,god and the spiritual rule of a holy life1 above all the statutes and decrees of men4 ,a second consideration worthy of notice1 which is a consequence of the first1 is1 that human laws1--,i mean such as are good and just1 whether enacted by magistrates or by the ,church1--though they are necessary to be observed1 are not on this account binding on the conscience2 because all the necessity of observing them has reference to the general object of laws1 but does not consist in the particular things which are commanded4 ,there is an immense distance between laws of this description1 and those which prescribe any new form for the worship of ,god1 and impose a necessity in things that were left free and indifferent4 ,,vi4 ,such are the ,ecclesiastical ,constitutions1 as they are now called1 in the ,papacy1 which are obtruded as necessary to the true worship of ,god2 and as they are innumerable1 they are so many bonds to entrap and insnare souls4 ,though we have touched on them a little in the exposition of the law1 yet as this is a more suitable place to discuss them at large1 ,i shall now endeavour to collect a summary of the whole1 in the best order ,i can4 ,and as we have already said what appeared sufficient respecting the tyrannical power1 which the false bishops arrogate to themselves1 of teaching whatever doctrines they please1 ,i shall at present pass over all that subject1 and confine myself to a discussion of the power which they say they have1 to make laws4 ,our false bishops1 therefore1 burden men's consciences with new laws under this pretext--that the ,lord has constituted them spiritual legislators1 by committing to them the government of the ,church4 ,wherefore they contend1 that all the commands and ordinances ought of necessity to be observed by all ,christian people1 and that whoever violates them is guilty of double disobedience1 because he is a rebel both against ,god and the ,church4 ,certainly1 if they were true bishops1 ,i would allow them some authority of this kind2 not all that they demand1 but all that is requisite to the maintenance of good order in the ,church4 ,but as they bear no resemblance of the character to which they pretend1 the least they can possibly assume is more than their right4 ,yet as this has been already proved1 let us admit the supposition at present1 that whatever power true bishops are entitled to1 belongs to them4 ,still ,i deny that they are therefore appointed as legislators over believers1 with power to prescribe a rule of life according to their own pleasure1 or to constrain the people committed to them to submit to their decrees4 ,by this observation ,i mean1 that they have no authority to enjoin upon the observance of the ,church any thing that they may have invented themselves1 independently of the word of ,god4 ,as this power was unknown to the apostles1 and was so frequently interdicted to the ministers of the ,church by the mouth of the ,lord1 ,i wonder how they have dared to usurp it1 and still dare to maintain it contrary to the example of the apostles1 and in defiance of the express prohibition of ,god4 ,,vii4 ,every thing pertaining to the perfect rule of a holy life1 the ,lord has comprehended in his law1 so that there remains nothing for men to add to that summary4 ,and he has done this1 first1 that1 since all rectitude of life consists in the conformity of all our actions to his will1 as their standard1 we might consider him as the sole ,master and ,director of our conduct2 and secondly1 to show that he requires of us nothing more than obedience4 ,for this reason1 ,james says1 8,he that judgeth his brother1 judgeth the law2 but if thou judge the law1 thou art not a doer of the law1 but a judge4 ,there is one lawgiver1 who is able to save and to destroy40#ihe ,we hear that ,god asserts this as his peculiar and exclusive prerogative2 to govern us by the empire and laws of his word4 ,and the same sentiment had before been expressed by ,isaiah1 though in terms not quite so explicit3 8,the ,lord is our ,judge1 the ,lord is our ,lawgiver1 the ,lord is our ,king1 he will save us40#ihf ,both passages imply1 that he who has authority over the soul1 is the ,arbiter of life and death2 and ,james even clearly expresses it4 ,no man can assume this to himself4 ,it follows therefore1 that ,god ought to be acknowledged as the only ,king of souls1 who alone has power to save and to destroy1 or1 in the language of ,isaiah1 as the ,king1 ,judge1 ,legislator1 and ,saviour4 ,wherefore ,peter1 when he admonishes pastors of their duty1 exhorts them 8to feed the flock1 not as being lords over ,god's heritage10#ihg or the company of believers4 ,if we duly consider this point1 that it is not lawful to transfer to man that which ,god appropriates solely to himself1 we shall understand that this cuts off all the power which is claimed by those who wish to exalt themselves to command any thing in the ,church1 unsanctioned by the word of ,god4 ,,viii4 ,now1 as the whole argument rests here1 that1 if ,god is the sole legislator1 it is not lawful for men to assume this honour to themselves1--we ought also to bear in mind the two reasons which we have stated1 why ,god asserts this exclusively to himself4 ,the first is1 that his will may be received as the perfect rule of all righteousness and holiness1 and so that an acquaintance with it may be all the knowledge necessary to a good life4 ,the second is1 that with respect to the mode of worshipping him aright1 he may exercise the sole empire over our souls1 to whom we are under the strongest obligation to obey his authority and await his commands4 ,when these two reasons are kept in view1 it will be easy to judge what constitutions of men are contrary to the word of ,god4 ,now1 of this description are all those which are pretended to belong to the true worship of ,god1 and to be obligatory on men's consciences as necessary to be observed4 ,let us remember1 therefore1 that all human laws are to be weighed in this balance1 if we would have a certain and infallible test4 ,the first of these reasons is urged by ,paul in his ,epistle to the ,colossians1 in opposition to the false apostles1 who endeavoured to oppress the ,churches with fresh burdens4 ,in a similar argument1 in the ,epistle to the ,galatians1 he insists more on the second reason4 ,in the ,epistle to the ,colossians1 he contends that the doctrine of the true worship of ,god is not to be sought from men1 because the ,lord has faithfully and fully instructed us how we ought to worship him4 ,to prove this1 in the first chapter he states that all the wisdom by which the man of ,god is made perfect in ,christ is contained in the gospel4 ,in the beginning of the second chapter1 he declares that 8in ,christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge20 from which he concludes that believers should 8beware lest any man spoil them through philosophy and vain deceit1 after the tradition of men40 ,at the end of the chapter1 he still more confidently condemns all 8will worship20#ihh this includes all those fictitious services which men either invent for themselves or receive from others1 together with all the precepts by which they presume to regulate the worship of ,god4 ,thus we have ascertained the impiety of all those constitutions1 in the observance of which the worship of ,god is pretended to consist4 ,the passages in the ,epistle to the ,galatians1 in which he argues that snares ought not to be imposed on consciences1 which are subject to the government of ,god alone1 are too plain to be mistaken2 especially in the fifth chapter4#ihi ,it will therefore be sufficient to have mentioned them4 ,,ix4 ,but as the whole of this subject will be better elucidated by examples1 before ,i proceed any further1 it will be useful to apply this doctrine to our own times4 ,we affirm that the ,ecclesiastical ,constitutions1 with which the pope and his satellites oppress the ,church1 are pernicious and impious2 our adversaries assert them to be holy and useful4 ,now1 they are of two classes3 some regard rites and ceremonies1 others have more relation to discipline4 ,is there just cause1 then1 to induce us to reject both8 ,there certainly is juster cause than we would desire4 ,in the first place1 do not the authors of them explicitly declare that the very essence of the worship of ,god consists in them8 ,to what end do they refer their ceremonies1 but that ,god may be worshipped through them8 ,and this arises not from the mere error of the uninformed multitude1 but from the approbation of those who sustain the office of teachers4 ,i am not yet referring to the gross abominations by which they have attempted to overturn all piety2 but they would never pretend a failure in any one of the most insignificant traditions to be such an atrocious crime1 unless they made the worship of ,god subject to their inventions4 ,wherein are we guilty of any offence1 then1 if we cannot bear in our day what was declared to be intolerable by ,paul3 namely1 that the legitimate mode of worshipping ,god should be regulated by the will of men2 especially when they enjoin a worship 8after the rudiments of the world10 which ,paul asserts to be 8not after ,christ40#iij ,it is well known also1 with what rigorous necessity they bind men's consciences to observe every thing that they command4 ,in our opposition to this1 we unite in a common cause with ,paul1 who would by no means allow the consciences of believers to be subjected to the bondage of men4#iia ,x4 ,moreover1 this worst of consequences ensues2 that when men have begun to place religion in such vain figments1 that perversion is immediately followed by another execrable corruption1 with which ,christ reproached the ,pharisees4 8,ye have made the commandment of ,god of none effect by your tradition40#iib ,i will not combat our modern legislators with my own words2 ,i will grant them the victory1 if they can vindicate themselves from this accusation of ,christ4 ,but how can they vindicate themselves1 while they esteem it infinitely more criminal1 to have omitted auricular confession at a stated time of the year1 than to have lived a most iniquitous life for a whole year together2 to have infected the tongue with the least taste of animal food on a ,friday1 than to have polluted the whole body by committing fornication every day2 to have put a hand to any honest labour on a day consecrated to any pretended saint1 than to have continually employed all the members in the most flagitious actions2 for a priest to be connected in one lawful marriage1 than to be defiled with a thousand adulteries2 to have failed of performing one vow of pilgrimage1 than to violate every other promise2 not to have lavished any thing on the enormous1 superfluous1 and useless magnificence of ,churches1 than to have failed of relieving the most pressing necessities of the poor2 to have passed by an idol without some token of honour1 than to have insulted all the men in the world2 not to have muttered over1 at certain seasons1 a multitude of words without any meaning1 than to have never offered a genuine prayer from the heart8 ,what is it for men to make the commandment of ,god of none effect by their traditions1 if this be not8 ,when coldly and carelessly recommending the observance of the commandments of ,god1 they insist on an exact obedience to their own1 with as much zeal and anxiety as if the whole essence of piety consisted in them2 when avenging the violation of the ,divine law with slight penalties of satisfactions1 they punish the smallest transgression of one of their decrees with nothing less than imprisonment1 banishment1 fire1 or sword2 when less severe and inexorable against the despisers of ,god1 they persecute the despisers of themselves with implacable hatred even to death2 and when they instruct all those whom they hold in the chains of ignorance in such a manner1 that they would feel less concern at seeing the subversion of the whole law of ,god1 than the violation of the smallest tittle of the commands of the ,church8 ,in the first place1 here is a grievous error1 that on account of things of no importance in themselves1 and left free by ,god1 one man despises1 condemns1 and rejects another4 ,now1 as if this were not bad enough1 8the beggarly elements of the world10#iic as ,paul calls them1 are esteemed of more force than the celestial oracles of ,god4 ,he who is absolved in adultery1 is condemned in meat2 he who is allowed a harlot1 is interdicted from a wife4 ,this is the fruit of that prevaricating obedience1 which recedes from ,god in proportion as it inclines to men4 ,,xi4 ,there are also two other faults1 far from small ones1 which we charge on these ,constitutions4 ,the first is1 that they prescribe for the most part useless1 and sometimes even foolish observances4 ,the second is1 that pious consciences are oppressed with the immense number of them1 and being carried back to a species of ,judaism1 are so occupied with shadows as to be prevented from coming to ,christ4 ,when ,i call these observances useless and foolish1 ,i know this will not be admitted by the wisdom of the flesh1 which is so pleased with them1 as to consider the ,church altogether deformed where they are abolished4 ,but these are the things which ,paul describes as 8having a show of wisdom in will-worship1 and humility1 and neglecting of the body2 not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh40#iid ,this is certainly a most salutary admonition1 which ought never to be forgotten by us4 ,human traditions1 he says1 deceive under a show of wisdom4 ,is it inquired whence they have this appearance8 ,i reply1 that being contrived by man1 the human mind recognizes them as its own1 and recognizing them1 embraces them with greater pleasure than it would any thing of the greatest excellence1 but less agreeable to its vanity4 ,a further recommendation of them is1 that as they keep the minds of men depressed to the ground under their yoke1 they appear well adapted to promote humility4 ,lastly1 they are regarded as the expedients of prudence1 from their supposed tendency to restrain corporeal indulgence1 and to subdue sensuality by the rigour of abstinence4 ,but what does ,paul say to these things8 ,does he strip off such disguises1 that the simple may not be deluded by false pretences8 ,satisfied that he had said enough to refute them1 when he had called them 8the commandments and doctrines of men10#iie he passes over all these things as undeserving of any particular refutation4 ,and knowing that all services of human invention are condemned in the ,church1 and ought to excite the suspicion of believers in proportion to the pleasure they afford to the minds of men2 knowing that false appearance of external humility to be at such an immense distance from true humility1 that it might be easily distinguished from it2 knowing that discipline to be entitled to no other consideration than as a mere exercise of the body1--he intended these very things1 by which the traditions of men are recommended to the ignorant1 to serve as their refutation with believers4 ,,xii4 ,so1 at the present day1 not only the unlearned vulgar1 but those who are most inflated with worldly wisdom1 are universally and wonderfully captivated with the pomp of ceremonies4 ,hypocrites and silly women think it impossible to imagine any thing more beautiful or excellent4 ,but those who examine more minutely1 and judge with more accuracy1 according to the rule of piety1 respecting the real value of those numerous ceremonies1 perceive1 in the first place1 that they are frivolous1 because they have no utility2 and in the next place1 that they are delusive1 because they deceive the eyes of the spectators with empty pomp4 ,i speak of those ceremonies under which1 the ,roman doctors contend1 are concealed great mysteries1 but which1 on examination1 we find to be mere mockeries4 ,and it is not to be wondered at1 that the authors and advocates of them have fallen into such folly as to delude both themselves and others with contemptible absurdities2 because they have taken their model in some things from the reveries of the heathen1 and in others1 without any judgment1 have imitated the ancient rites of the ,mosaic law1 which were no more applicable to us than the sacrifices of animals and other similar ceremonies4 ,indeed1 if there were no argument besides1 yet no man in his senses would expect any thing good from such a heterogeneous compound4 ,and the fact itself plainly demonstrates1 that numerous ceremonies have no other use than to stupefy the people1 instead of instructing them4 ,so hypocrites attach great importance to those novel canons1 which overturn discipline rather than preserve it2 for on a more accurate investigation1 they will be found a mere shadow of discipline1 without any reality4 ,,xiii4 ,now1 to proceed to the other fault which ,i have mentioned1 who does not see that traditions1 by the continual accumulation of one upon another1 have grown to such an immense number1 that they are altogether intolerable to the ,christian ,church8 ,hence it is1 that the ceremonies discover a kind of ,judaism1 and other observances inflict grievous tortures on pious souls4 ,augustine complained that1 in his time1 the commands of ,god were neglected1 and every thing was so full of presumption1 that a person was more severely censured for having touched the ground with his bare feet within eight days of his baptism1 than for having drowned his senses in intoxication4 ,he complained that the ,church1 which the mercy of ,god intended to place in a state of liberty1 was so grievously oppressed1 that the condition of the ,jews was more tolerable4 ,if that holy man had lived in our day1 with what lamentations would he have deplored the present state of bondage8 ,for the number of ordinances is ten times greater1 and every tittle is enforced with a hundred times more rigour1 than in his time4 ,such is the general consequence1 when these corrupt legislators have seized the dominion1 they make no end of commands and prohibitions1 till they arrive at such an extreme that obedience is scarcely if at all practicable4 ,this is finely expressed by ,paul1 when he says1 8,if ye be dead from the rudiments of the world1 why1 as though living in the world1 are ye subject to ordinances8 ,eat not1 taste not1 handle not40#iif ,the word 1 signifying both to eat and to handle1 requires here to be understood in the former sense1 to avoid an unnecessary repetition4 ,here1 then1 he most beautifully describes the progress of the false apostles4 ,they begin with superstition1 forbidding to eat not only a large quantity1 but even a little2 when they have carried this point1 they next forbid to taste2 and after this is submitted to them1 they pronounce it unlawful even to touch with a finger4 ,,xiv4 ,in the present age1 we justly censure this tyranny in human constitutions1 which astonishingly torments miserable consciences with innumerable edicts1 and the extreme rigour with which they are enforced4 ,the canons relating to discipline have been already considered4 ,what shall ,i say of the ceremonies1 which have half buried ,christ1 and caused us to return to ,jewish figures8 8,christ our ,lord10 says ,augustine1 8has connected together the society of the new people with sacraments1 very few in number1 most excellent in signification1 and very easy to observe40 ,the immense distance of this simplicity from the multitude and variety of rites in which we see the ,church now involved1 can hardly be stated in terms sufficiently strong4 ,i know with what artifice some ingenious men apologize for this corruption4 ,they say1 that there are great numbers among us as ignorant as there were among the ,israelites2 that for their sakes such discipline was instituted1 which those who are stronger1 though they do not find it necessary1 ought not to neglect1 when they perceive it to be useful to their weak brethren4 ,i reply1 that we are not ignorant of what is due from every ,christian to the infirmity of his brethren2 but1 on the other hand1 we reply1 that this is not the way to benefit the weak1 by oppressing them with heavy loads of ceremonies4 ,it was not without cause that the ,lord has made this difference between his ancient people and us2 that he chose to instruct them1 like children1 with emblems and figures1 but has been pleased to teach us in a more simple manner1 without such a large external apparatus4 ,as 8a child10 says ,paul1 8is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father10#iig so the ,jews were under the instruction and government of the law4 ,but we resemble adults1 who1 having left a state of tuition and guardianship1 have no need of puerile discipline4 ,surely the ,lord foresaw what sort of common people there would be in his ,church1 and in what manner they would require to be governed4 ,yet he made the difference we have mentioned between us and the ,jews4 ,it is a foolish way1 therefore1 to pretend to benefit the ignorant by reviving ,judaism1 which has been abrogated by ,christ4 ,this diversity1 between the people under the old dispensation and the new1 was signified by ,christ1 when he said to the woman of ,samaria1 8,the hour cometh1 and now is1 when the true worshippers shall worship the ,father in spirit and in truth40#iih ,this1 indeed1 had always been the case2 but the new worshippers differ from the ancient in this respect1 that under ,moses the spiritual adoration of ,god was concealed1 and in some degree embarrassed with many ceremonies1 which being now abolished1 he is worshipped with greater simplicity4 ,wherefore those who confound this difference1 subvert the order instituted and established by ,christ4 ,shall no ceremonies1 then1 it will be asked1 be given to the ignorant1 to assist their weakness8 ,i say no such thing2 for ,i think some assistance of this kind very useful to them4 ,i only contend that such means should be employed as would tend to make known ,christ1 not to conceal him4 ,god has1 therefore1 given us few ceremonies1 and those by no means laborious1 to exhibit ,christ to us as present2 the ,jews had a greater number1 to represent him as absent4 ,he was then absent1 ,i say1 not as to his power1 but with respect to the manner of representing him4 ,therefore1 to observe proper bounds1 it is necessary to retain that paucity in number1 that facility in observance1 that dignity in signification1 which consists in simplicity4 ,that this has not been done1 it is scarcely necessary to mention4 ,the fact is visible to all4 ,,xv4 ,here ,i forbear to remark the pernicious opinions with which the minds of men are impressed1 that these ceremonies of human invention are sacrifices by which ,god is justly appeased1 by which sins are expiated1 by which righteousness and salvation are procured4 ,it will be denied that things intrinsically good are corrupted by such adventitious errors1 since equal guilt of this kind may be incurred in the performance of works commanded by ,god4 ,but it is more intolerable to attribute so much honour to works presumptuously devised by the will of men1 as to believe them to be meritorious of eternal life4 ,for works commanded by ,god obtain a reward1 because the ,legislator himself accepts them as acts of obedience4 ,they derive their value1 therefore1 not from their own dignity or intrinsic merit1 but from ,god's estimation of our obedience to him4 ,i speak here of that perfection of works which ,god commands1 but which men never attain4 ,for the works of the law which we perform1 are only accepted through the gratuitous goodness of ,god1 our obedience in them being weak and imperfect4 ,but as we are not here discussing the value of works independent of ,christ1 let us drop this question4 ,with regard to the present argument1 ,i again repeat1 that whatever value is attributed to works1 they derive from the consideration of the obedience1 which is alone regarded by ,god1 as he declares by the prophet3 8,i commanded not concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices1 but this thing ,i commanded1 saying1 ,obey my voice40#iii ,of works of human device1 he speaks in another place4 8,wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread80#ajjj ,again3 8,in vain do they worship me by the precepts of men40#ajja ,our adversaries1 therefore1 can never excuse themselves for suffering the unhappy people to seek in those external fooleries a righteousness to present before ,god1 and to support them at the heavenly tribunal4 ,besides1 is it not a fault deserving of severe reprehension1 that they exhibit ceremonies not understood1 like the scenery of a stage or a magical incantation8 ,for it is certain that all ceremonies are corrupt and pernicious1 unless they direct men to ,christ4 ,now1 the ceremonies practised in the ,papacy have no connection with doctrine3 they confine men to mere signs1 destitute of all signification4 ,lastly1 so ingenious is cupidity1 it is evident that many of them have been invented by avaricious priests1 merely as contrivances for the extortion of money4 ,but whatever be their origin1 they are all so prostituted to the acquisition of gain1 that it is necessary to abolish the principal part of them1 if we wish to prevent a profane and sacrilegious traffic from being carried on in the ,church4 ,,xvi4 ,though ,i may be considered as not delivering a doctrine of perpetual application respecting human constitutions1 because the preceding observations have been wholly directed to the present age1 yet nothing has been advanced which would not be useful in all ages4 ,for wherever this superstition intrudes1 that men are determined to worship ,god with their own inventions1 all the laws made for this purpose presently degenerate into such gross abuses as we have described4 ,it is a curse which ,god denounces1 not against any particular age1 but against all ages1 that he will strike with blindness and stupidity all those who worship him with the doctrines of men4#ajjb ,the invariable effect of this blindness is1 that no absurdity is too great to be embraced by persons who1 in contempt of so many warnings from ,god1 wilfully entangle themselves in such fatal snares4 ,but if1 irrespective of peculiar circumstances1 any one wish to have a simple statement1 what are the human traditions of all ages1 which ought to be rejected and reprobated by the ,church and all pious persons1 the direction we have already given is clear and certain--that they are all laws made by men without the word of ,god1 for the purpose1 either of prescribing any method for the worship of ,god1 or of laying the conscience under a religious obligation1 as if they enjoined things necessary to salvation4 ,if either or both of these be accompanied with other faults1 such as1 that the ceremonies1 by their multitude1 obscure the simplicity of the gospel2 that they tend to no edification1 but are useless and ridiculous occupations rather than real exercises of piety2 that they are employed for the sordid purposes of dishonest gain2 that they are too difficult to be observed2 that they are polluted with impious superstitions2--these things will further assist us in discovering the vast evil which they contain4 ,,xvii4 ,i hear the answer which they make--that their traditions are not from themselves1 but from ,god2 for that the ,church is directed by the ,holy ,spirit1 so that it cannot err2 and that they are in possession of his authority4 ,when this point is gained1 it immediately follows1 that their traditions are the revelations of the ,holy ,spirit1 which cannot be despised without impiety and contempt of ,god4 ,that they may not appear to attempt any thing without high authorities1 they wish it to be believed that the greatest part of their observances have descended from the apostles2 and they contend that one example sufficiently shows what was the conduct of the apostles in other cases2 when1 being assembled together in a council1 they determined and announced to all ,gentiles1 that they should 8abstain from meats offered to idols1 and from blood1 and from things strangled40#ajjc ,we have already exposed the falsehood of their pretensions in arrogating to themselves the title of the ,church4 ,with regard to the present argument1 if1 stripping off all false disguises1 we confine our attention to what ought to be our chief concern1 and involves our highest interests1 namely1 what kind of a ,church ,christ requires1 in order that we may conform ourselves to its standard1--it will be sufficiently evident to us1 that the name of the ,church does not belong to those who overleap all the limits of the word of ,god1 and exercise an unbounded license of enacting new laws4 ,for does not that law1 which was once given to the ,church1 remain forever in force8 8,what thing soever ,i command you1 observe to do it3 thou shalt not add thereto1 nor diminish from it40#ajjd ,and again3 8,add not thou unto his words1 lest he reprove thee1 and thou be found a liar40#ajje ,since they cannot deny these things to have been spoken to the ,church1 do they not declare the rebellion of the ,church1 when they pretend that1 notwithstanding such prohibitions1 it has dared to mingle additions of its own with the doctrine of ,god8 ,far be it from us1 however1 to countenance their falsehoods1 by which they do so great an injury to the ,church2 let us know that the assumption of the name of the ,church is a false pretence in all who are so carried away by the violence of human presumption1 as to disregard all the restraints of the word of ,god1 and to introduce a torrent of their own inventions4 ,there is nothing involved1 nothing intricate1 nothing ambiguous in these words1 by which the whole ,church is forbidden to add any thing to the word1 or to diminish any thing from it1 in any question relating to the worship of ,god and his salutary precepts4 ,but it will be alleged1 that this was spoken exclusively of the law1 which has been succeeded by the prophecies and the whole dispensation of the gospel4 ,this ,i certainly admit1 and at the same time assert1 that these were accomplishments of the law1 rather than additions to it1 or retrenchments of it4 ,but if the ,lord suffered no enlargement or diminution of the ministry of ,moses1 notwithstanding it was enveloped in such great obscurity1 till he dispensed a clearer doctrine by his servants the prophets1 and finally by his beloved ,son1--why do not we consider ourselves far more severely prohibited from making any addition to the law1 the prophets1 the psalms1 and the gospel8 ,no change has taken place in the ,lord1 who long ago declared that nothing was so highly offensive to him1 as to attempt to worship him with the inventions of men4 ,hence those striking declarations in the prophets1 which ought to be continually sounding in our ears3 8,i spake not unto your fathers1 nor commanded them in the day that ,i brought them out of the land of ,egypt1 concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices2 but this thing commanded ,i them1 saying1 ,obey my voice1 and ,i will be your ,god1 and ye shall be my people3 and walk ye in all the ways that ,i have commanded you40#ajjf ,again3 8,i earnestly protested unto your fathers1 saying1 ,obey my voice40#ajjg ,there are many other similar passages1 but the most remarkable of all is the following3 8,hath the ,lord10 says ,samuel1 8as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices1 as in obeying the voice of the ,lord8 ,behold1 to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams4 ,for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft1 and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry40#ajjh ,therefore1 whatever human inventions relating to the worship of ,god1 may be defended by the authority of the ,church1 since it is impossible to vindicate them from impiety1 it is easy to infer that the imputation of them to the ,church has no foundation in truth4 ,,xviii4 ,for this reason we freely censure that tyranny of human traditions1 which is imposed upon the world under the name of the ,church4 ,nor do we hold the ,church in contempt1 as our adversaries1 in order to render us obnoxious1 falsely assert4 ,we allow it the praise of obedience1 than which no higher praise can be given4 ,on the contrary1 they are themselves the most outrageous violators of the ,church1 which they represent as guilty of rebellion against the ,lord1 when they pretend that it has gone beyond what was permitted by the word of ,god2 to say nothing of the combination of impudence and wickedness discovered in their incessant vociferations respecting the authority of the ,church1 while they take no notice of the command of the ,lord1 or of the obedience due from the ,church to that command4 ,but if we desire1 as we ought1 to agree with the ,church1 it will be best for us to observe and remember what commands are given by the ,lord1 equally to us and to the whole ,church1 that we may all obey him with one consent4 ,for there is no doubt that we shall fully agree with the ,church1 if we show ourselves in all things obedient to the ,lord4 ,now1 to attribute to the apostles the origin of the traditions which have hitherto oppressed the ,church1 is a mere imposture2 for the whole tendency of the doctrine of the apostles was1 that men's consciences should not be burdened with new observances1 or the worship of ,god contaminated with human inventions4 ,besides1 if there be any credit due to ancient histories and records1 the apostles not only never knew1 but never even heard of that which is ascribed to them4 ,nor let it be pretended1 that the greatest part of their ,constitutions were received in use and commonly practised1 which were never committed to writing2 namely1 those things which1 during the life of ,christ1 they were not able to understand1 but which after his ascension1 they learned from the revelation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the meaning of that passage we have already examined4 ,with respect to the present subject1 we may observe1 they make themselves truly ridiculous by maintaining that those great mysteries1 which were so long unknown to the apostles1 consisted partly of ,jewish or heathen ceremonies1 of which the former had long before been promulgated among the ,jews1 and the latter among the heathen1 and partly of foolish gesticulations and unmeaning rites1 which stupid priests1 who scarcely know how to walk or speak1 perform with the greatest exactness1 and which even infants and fools counterfeit so well1 that it might be thought there were no more suitable ministers of such solemnities4 ,if there were no histories1 yet men of sound judgment would conclude from the thing itself1 that such a vast multitude of rites and observances did not break into the ,church all on a sudden1 but that they must have been introduced by degrees4 ,for when those holy bishops1 who were the immediate successors of the apostles1 had made some appointments relating to order and discipline1 they were followed by a series of others1 who had too little consideration1 and too much curiosity and cupidity1 of whom every one in succession vied with his predecessors1 from a foolish emulation to excel them in the invention of new observances4 ,and because there was danger that their inventions1 by which they desired to obtain the praises of posterity1 might in a short time be disused1 they were the more rigid in enforcing the observance of them4 ,this foolish and perverse imitation has been the source of most of those rites which the ,romanists urge upon us as apostolic4 ,and this is also attested by various histories4 ,,xix4 ,to avoid too much prolixity in composing a catalogue of them all1 we shall content ourselves with one example4 ,in the administration of the ,lord's supper1 the apostles used great simplicity4 ,their immediate successors1 to adorn the dignity of the mystery1 added some forms which were not to be altogether condemned4 ,afterwards followed those foolish imitators1 who1 by adding various fragments from time to time1 at length formed those vestments of the priests1 those ornaments of the altar1 those gesticulations1 and all that apparatus of useless things1 which we see in the mass4 ,but they object that it was an ancient opinion1 that whatever was done with the common consent of the universal ,church1 had originated from the apostles4 ,in proof of this1 they cite the testimony of ,augustine4 ,i shall give them no other answer than in the words of ,augustine himself4 8,those things which are observed throughout the world10 says he1 8we may understand to have been ordained1 either by the apostles themselves1 or by general councils1 whose authority is very useful in the ,church2 as that the sufferings1 resurrection1 and ascension of our ,lord1 and the descent of the ,holy ,spirit1 are celebrated by solemn anniversaries2 and if there be any thing else of a similar kind observed by the universal ,church wherever it has extended itself40 ,when he enumerates so few examples1 who does not see that he intended to attribute to authors worthy of credit and reverence the observances which were then in use1 and none but those simple1 rare1 and sober ones1 which are useful in preserving the order of the ,church8 ,but how distant is this passage from the conclusion the ,roman doctors would extort from it1 that there is not the most insignificant ceremony among them which ought not to be considered as resting on the authority of the apostles6 ,,xx4 ,not to be too tedious1 ,i will produce only one example4 ,if any one inquire whence they have their holy water1 they immediately answer1 ,from the apostles4 ,as if the histories did not attribute this invention to a bishop of ,rome1 who1 if he had taken counsel of the apostles1 would certainly never have contaminated baptism by a strange and unseasonable symbol4 ,though it does not appear to me probable that the origin of that consecration was so ancient as those histories state4 ,for the observation of ,augustine1 that some ,churches in his time rejected the custom of washing the feet as a solemn imitation of ,christ1 lest that ceremony might be supposed to have any reference to baptism1 implies that there was no other kind of washing then practised which bore any resemblance to baptism4 ,be this as it may1 ,i shall never admit it to have been a dictate of the spirit of the apostles1 that baptism should be recalled to the memory by a daily ablution1 which would be little else than a repetition of it4 ,it is of no consequence that ,augustine elsewhere ascribes other things also to the apostles2 for as he has nothing but conjectures1 no conclusion ought to be drawn from them on such an important subject4 ,lastly1 though we should even grant1 that those things which he mentions had been transmitted from the time of the apostles1 yet there is a wide difference between instituting some pious exercise which believers may use with a free conscience1 or if they find not profitable1 may abstain from the use of it1 and making laws to entangle their consciences with bondage4 ,but whoever was their author1 since we see that they have fallen into so great an abuse1 nothing prevents our abolishing them without any disrespect to him2 because they were never instituted in order to be perpetual and unalterable4 ,,xxi4 ,nor does the cause of our adversaries derive much advantage from their attempt to excuse their own tyranny1 by alleging the example of the apostles4 ,the apostles1 they say1 and elders of the primitive ,church1 passed a decree without the command of ,christ1 enjoining all the ,gentiles to 8abstain from meats offered to idols1 and from blood1 and from things strangled40#ajji ,if this was lawful for them1 why may it not be lawful for their successors1 whenever circumstances require1 to imitate their conduct8 ,i sincerely wish they would imitate them in other things as well as in this4 ,for ,i deny that the apostles1 on that occasion1 instituted or decreed any thing new1 as it is easy to prove by a sufficient reason4 ,for when ,peter had declared in that assembly1 that to 8put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples0 would be to 8tempt ,god10#ajaj he would have contradicted his own opinion1 if he had afterwards consented to the imposition of any yoke4 ,yet there was a yoke imposed1 if the apostles decreed1 from their own authority1 that the ,gentiles should be prohibited 8from meats offered to idols1 and from blood1 and from things strangled40 ,there still remains some difficulty1 that nevertheless they seem to prohibit them4 ,but this will be easily solved1 if we more closely examine the meaning of the decree itself2 of which the first point in order and principal in importance is1 that the ,gentiles were to be left in possession of their liberty1 and not to be disturbed or troubled about the observance of the law4 ,so far it is completely in our favour4 ,the exception which immediately follows is not a new law made by the apostles1 but the ,divine and eternal command for the preservation of charity inviolate2 nor does it diminish a tittle of that liberty3 it only admonishes the ,gentiles how they ought to accommodate themselves to their brethren1 to avoid offending them by an abuse of their liberty4 ,the second point1 therefore1 is1 that the ,gentiles were to use a harmless liberty1 and without offence to their brethren4 ,if it be still objected1 that they prescribe a certain direction1 ,i reply1 that as far as was expedient for that period1 they point out and specify the things in which the ,gentiles were liable to give offence to their brethren1 that they might refrain from them2 yet they add nothing new of their own to the eternal law of ,god1 by which offences against our brethren are prohibited4 ,,xxii4 ,as if any faithful pastors1 who preside over churches not yet well regulated1 were to recommend all their people not to eat meat openly on ,fridays1 or to labour publicly on festivals1 or the like1 till their weaker neighbours should be more established4 ,for though1 setting aside superstition1 these things are in themselves indifferent1 yet when they are attended with offences to brethren1 they cannot be performed without sin2 and the times are such that believers could not do these things in the presence of their weak brethren1 without most grievously wounding their consciences4 ,who but a caviller would say that in this instance they made a new law1 whereas it would evidently appear that their sole object was to guard against offences which are most expressly forbidden by the ,lord8 ,no more can it be said of the apostles1 who had no other design in removing the occasion of offences1 than to urge the ,divine law respecting the avoidance of offence3 as though they had said1 ,it is the command of the ,lord that you hurt not your weak brother2 you cannot eat meats offered to idols1 or blood1 or things strangled1 without your weak brethren being offended2 therefore1 we command you by the word of the ,lord not to eat with offence4 ,and that such was the intention of the apostles1 ,paul himself is an unexceptionable witness1 who1 certainly in consistence with their sentence1 writes in the following manner3 8,as concerning the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols1 we know that an idol is nothing4 ,howbeit1 there is not in every man that knowledge2 for some with conscience of the idol1 eat it as a thing offered unto an idol2 and their conscience1 being weak1 is defiled4 ,take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak40#ajaa ,he who shall have duly considered these things1 will not afterwards be deceived by the fallacy of those who attempt to justify their tyranny by the example of the apostles1 as if they had begun to infringe the liberty of the ,church by their decree4 ,but that they may not be able to avoid confirming this solution by their own confession1 let them tell me by what right they have dared to abrogate that decree4 ,they can only reply1 ,because there was no more danger from those offences and dissensions which the apostles intended to guard against1 and they knew that a law was to be judged of by the end for which it was made4 ,as this law1 therefore1 is admitted to have been made from a consideration of charity1 there is nothing prescribed in it any further than charity is concerned4 ,when they confess that the transgression of this law is no other than a violation of charity1 do they not thereby acknowledge that it is not a novel addition to the law of ,god1 but a genuine and simple application of it to the times and manners for which it was designed8 ,,xxiii4 ,but it is contended1 that though the ecclesiastical laws should in a hundred instances be unjust and injurious to us1 yet they ought all to be obeyed without any exception2 for that the point here is not that we should consent to errors1 but that we1 who are subjects1 should fulfil even the severe commands of our governors1 which we are not at liberty to reject4 ,but here likewise the ,lord most happily interposes with the truth of his word1 delivers us from such bondage1 and establishes us in the liberty which he has procured for us by his sacred blood1 the benefit of which he has repeatedly confirmed by his word4 ,for the question here is not1 as they fallaciously pretend1 merely whether we shall endure some grievous oppression in our bodies2 but whether our consciences shall be deprived of their liberty1 that is1 of the benefit of the blood of ,christ1 and shall be tormented with a wretched bondage4 ,let us1 however1 pass over this also1 as if it were matter of little importance4 ,but do we think it a matter of little importance to deprive the ,lord of his kingdom1 which he claims to himself1 in such a peremptory manner8 ,and it is taken away from him whenever he is worshipped with laws of human invention1 whereas he requires himself to be honored as the sole legislator of his own worship4 ,and that no one may suppose it to be a thing of trivial importance1 let us hear in what estimation it is held by the ,lord4 8,forasmuch10 he says1 8as this people draw near me with their mouth1 but their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men2 therefore1 behold1 ,i will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people1 even a marvellous work and a wonder2 for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish1 and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid40#ajab ,again3 8,in vain do they worship me1 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men40#ajac ,when the children of ,israel polluted themselves by various idolatries1 the cause of all the evil is attributed to the impure mixture which they made by devising new modes of worship in violation of the commands of ,god4 ,therefore1 the sacred history relates that the strangers who had been transplanted by the king of ,assyria from ,babylon to inhabit ,samaria1 were torn in pieces and devoured by wild beasts1 8because they knew not the statutes or ordinances of the ,god of the land40 ,though they had committed no fault in the ceremonies1 yet vain pomp would not have been approved by ,god2 but he did not fail to punish the violation of his worship1 when men introduced new inventions inconsistent with his word4 ,hence it is afterwards stated1 that being terrified with that punishment1 they adopted rites prescribed in the law2 yet because they did not yet worship the true ,god aright1 it is twice repeated that 8they feared the ,lord10 and1 at the same time1 that 8they feared not the ,lord40#ajad ,whence we conclude1 that part of the reverence which is paid to him consists in our worshipping him in a simple adherence to his commands1 without the admixture of any inventions of our own4 ,hence the frequent commendations of pious kings1 that they 8walked in all his commandments1 and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left40#ajae ,i go still further3 though in some services of human invention there appears no manifest impiety1 yet as soon as ever men have departed from the command of ,god1 it is severely condemned by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the altar of ,ahaz1 the model of which was brought from ,damascus1 might seem to be an addition to the ornaments of the temple1 because his design was to offer sacrifices upon it to ,god alone1 with a view to perform these services in a more splendid manner than upon the ancient and original altar2 yet we see how the ,holy ,spirit detests such audacity1 for no other reason than because all the inventions of men in the worship of ,god are impure corruptions4#ajaf ,and the more clearly the will of ,god is revealed to us1 the more inexcusable is our presumption in making any such attempt4 ,wherefore the guilt of ,manasseh is justly aggravated by the circumstance of his having 8built0 new 8altars in the house of the ,lord1 of which the ,lord said1 ,in ,jerusalem will ,i put my name20#ajag because such conduct was like an avowed rejection of the authority of ,god4 ,,xxiv4 ,many persons wonder why the ,lord so severely threatens that he would 8do a marvellous work among the people10 whose 8fear toward him0 was 8taught by the precepts of men10 and pronounces that he is 8worshipped in vain0 by 8the commandments of men40 ,but if such persons would consider what it is to follow the word of ,god alone in matters of religion1 that is1 of heavenly wisdom1 they would immediately perceive it to be for no trivial reason that the ,lord abominates such corrupt services1 which are rendered to him according to the caprice of the human mind4 ,for1 though persons who obey such laws for the worship of ,god1 have a certain appearance of humility in this their obedience1 yet they are very far from being humble before ,god1 to whom they prescribe the same laws which they observe themselves4 ,this is the reason why ,paul requires us to be so particularly cautious against being deceived by the traditions of men1 and will-worship1 that is1 voluntary worship1 invented by men1 without the word of ,god4#ajah ,and so indeed it is1 that our own wisdom1 and that of all other men1 must become folly in our esteem1 that we may allow ,god alone to be truly wise4 ,this is very far from being the case with those who study to render themselves acceptable to him by petty observances of human contrivance1 and obtrude upon him1 in opposition to his commands1 a hypocritical obedience1 which in reality is rendered to men4 ,this was the conduct of men in former ages2 the same has happened within our own remembrance1 and still happens in those places where the authority of the creature is more regarded than that of the ,creator2 where religion1 if religion it deserves to be called1 is polluted with more numerous and senseless superstitions than ever disgraced the worship of paganism4 ,for what could proceed from the minds of men but things carnal1 foolish1 and truly expressive of their authors8 ,,xxv4 ,when the advocates of superstition allege1 that ,samuel sacrificed in ,ramah1 that there this was done without the direction of the law1 yet it was acceptable to ,god1#ajai the answer is easy--that this was not the erection of a second altar1 in opposition to one already erected1 and appointed by the ,divine command to supersede every other2 but as there had yet been no fixed place assigned for the ark of the covenant1 he appointed the town which he inhabited for the oblation of sacrifices1 as the most convenient place4 ,it certainly was not the intention of the holy prophet to make any innovation in religious worship1 in which ,god had so strictly forbidden any thing to be added or diminished4 ,the example of ,manoah ,i consider as an extraordinary and singular case4 ,though a private man1 he offered a sacrifice to ,god1 yet not without the ,divine approbation2 because he did it not from the hasty impulse of his own mind1 but in consequence of the secret inspiration of ,heaven4#ajbj ,but of the ,lord's utter abomination of all the contrivances of mortals in his worship1 we have a memorable example in another person1 not inferior to ,manoah--,i mean ,gideon1 whose ephod produced fatal consequences1 not only to himself and his family1 but to all the people4#ajba ,in short1 every additional invention by which men pretend to serve ,god is nothing but a pollution of true holiness4 ,,xxvi4 ,why1 then1 it is inquired1 was it the will of ,christ that men should submit to those intolerable burdens which were imposed upon them by the scribes and ,pharisees8#ajbb ,i ask1 on the other hand1 ,why did ,christ1 in another place1 direct men to 8beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees and of the ,sadducees80#ajbc by leaven1 according to the interpretation given us by the evangelist1 intending every doctrine of their own that they mixed with the pure word of ,god4 ,what can we wish for plainer1 than when he commands us to avoid and beware of all their doctrine8 ,hence it is very evident to us1 that in the other passage our ,lord did not intend that the consciences of his disciples should be harassed with the traditions of the ,pharisees2 and the words themselves1 if they are not perverted1 convey no such meaning4 ,for1 being about to deliver a severe invective against the conduct of the ,pharisees1 our ,lord only prefaced it by instructing his hearers1 that though they would see nothing in their lives worthy of imitation1 yet they should continue to practise those things which were taught by them in their discourses1 when they were sitting in the chair of ,moses1 that is to say1 when they were expounding the law4 ,his only design1 therefore1 was to guard the people against being induced to despise the doctrine by the bad examples of those who taught it4 ,but1 as some persons are never affected by arguments1 but always require authority1 ,i will subjoin the words of ,augustine1 who gives exactly the same interpretation3 8,the ,lord's fold has pastors1 some faithful1 some hirelings4 ,those who are faithful are true shepherds2 yet hear how the hirelings also are necessary4 ,for many in the ,church1 pursuing worldly advantages1 preach ,christ1 and the voice of ,christ is heard through them2 and the sheep follow not the hireling1 but the ,shepherd by means of the hireling4 ,hear how the hirelings are pointed out by the ,lord himself4 ,he says1 ,the scribes and ,pharisees sit in ,moses' chair2 what they say1 do2 but what they do1 imitate not4 ,is not this equivalent to saying1 ,hear the voice of the ,shepherd through the hirelings2 for1 sitting in the chair of ,moses1 they teach the law of ,god2 therefore1 ,god teaches by them2 but if they choose to teach any thing of their own1 neither attend to it1 nor practise it80 ,,xxvii4 ,but1 as many ignorant persons1 when they hear that the consciences of men ought not to be bound by human traditions1 and that it is in vain to worship ,god by such services1 immediately conclude the same rule to be applicable to all the laws which regulate the order of the ,church1 we must also refute their error4 ,it is easy1 indeed1 to be deceived in this point1 because it does not immediately appear1 at the first glance1 what a difference there is between the one and the other2 but ,i will place the whole subject in such a clear light1 in a few words1 that no one may be misled by the resemblance4 ,in the first place1 let us consider that if1 in every society of men1 we see the necessity of some polity in order to preserve the common peace1 and to maintain concord2 if in the transaction of business there is always some order1 which the interest of public virtue1 and even of humanity itself1 forbids to be rejected2 the same ought particularly to be observed in ,churches1 which are best supported by a well-ordered regulation of all their affairs and which without concord are no ,churches at all4 ,wherefore1 if we would make a proper provision for the safety of the ,church1 we ought to pay the strictest attention to the injunction of ,paul1 that 8all things be done decently and in order40#ajbd ,but as there is such great diversity in the manners of men1 so great a variety in their minds1 and so much contrariety in their judgments and inclinations1 no polity will be sufficiently steady unless it be established by certain laws2 nor can any order be preserved without some settled form4 ,the laws1 therefore1 which promote this end1 we are so far from condemning1 that1 we contend1 their abolition would be followed by a disruption of the bands of union1 and the total disorganization and dispersion of the ,churches4 ,for it is impossible to attain what ,paul requires1 that 8all things be done decently and in order10 unless order and decorum be supported by additional regulations4 ,but in regard to such regulations1 care must always be taken1 that they be not considered necessary to salvation1 and so imposing a religious obligation on the conscience1 or applied to the worship of ,god1 and so represented as essential to piety4 ,,xxviii4 ,we have an excellent and most certain mark1 therefore1 which distinguishes those impious constitutions1 by which it has been stated that true religion is obscured and men's consciences subverted1 and the legitimate regulations of the ,church1 which are always directed to one of these two ends1 or to both together2 that1 in the holy assembly of believers1 all things may be conducted with suitable decorum and dignity1 that the community may be kept in order by the firm bonds of courtesy and moderation4 ,for when it is once understood that a law is made for the sake of public order1 this removes the superstition embraced by them who place the worship of ,god in human inventions4 ,moreover1 when it is known that it only refers to matters of common practice1 this overturns all that false notion of obligation and necessity1 which filled men's consciences with great terror1 when traditions were thought necessary to salvation4 ,for here nothing is required but the maintenance of charity among us by the common intercourse of friendly offices4 ,but it is proper to describe more fully what is comprehended under the decorum and the order which ,paul recommends4 ,the end of decorum is1 partly1 that while ceremonies are employed to conciliate veneration to sacred things1 we may be excited to piety by such aids2 partly that the modesty and gravity1 which ought to be discovered in all virtuous actions1 may be most of all conspicuous in the ,church4 ,in order1 the first point is1 that those who preside should be acquainted with the rule and law of good government1 and that the people who are governed should be accustomed to an obedience to ,god and to just discipline2 the second is1 that when the ,church is in a well regulated state1 care should be taken to preserve its peace and tranquillity4 ,,xxix4 ,we shall not call that decorum1 therefore1 which is merely a frivolous spectacle1 yielding an unprofitable gratification2 such as we see exemplified in the theatrical apparatus employed by the ,papists in their services1 where nothing is to be seen but a useless appearance of elegance and splendour1 without any advantage4 ,but we shall esteem that as decorum1 which shall be so adapted to inspire a reverence of holy mysteries as to be calculated for an exercise of piety2 or which at least shall contribute an ornament corresponding to the act2 and that not without some beneficial tendency1 but that believers may be admonished with what modesty1 fear1 and reverence1 they ought to engage in sacred services4 ,now1 that ceremonies may be exercises of piety1 it is necessary that they should lead us directly to ,christ4 ,in like manner1 we do not place order in those nugatory pomps which have nothing but a vain appearance of splendour1 but in that well regulated polity1 which excludes all confusion1 incivility1 obstinacy1 clamours1 and dissensions4 ,of the first kind1 examples are furnished by ,paul2 as that profane banquets should not be connected with the sacred supper of the ,lord2 that women should not appear in public without being veiled2#ajbe and many others in common use among us2 such as1 that we pray with bended knees and with our heads uncovered2 that we administer the sacraments of the ,lord1 not in a slovenly manner1 but with due decorum2 that we observe some decent order in the burial of the dead2 and other things of a similar nature4 ,of the second sort are the hours appointed for public prayers1 sermons1 and sacraments2 quietness and silence under sermons2 the singing of hymns2 the places appointed for these services1 and the days fixed for the celebration of the ,lord's supper2#ajbf the prohibition of ,paul1 that women should not teach in the ,church1 and the like2 but especially the regulations for the preservation of discipline1 as catechizing1 ecclesiastical censures1 excommunication1 fastings1 and every thing else that can be referred to the same class4 ,thus all the constitutions of the ,church which we receive as holy and useful1 may be classed under two heads2 some refer to rites and ceremonies1 others to discipline and peace4 ,,xxx4 ,but1 because there is danger here1 on the one hand1 that the false bishops may seize a pretext to excuse their impious and tyrannical laws1 and1 on the other1 that there may be some persons who1 from an excessive fear of falling into the evils we have mentioned1 will reject all ecclesiastical laws1 however holy and useful they may be1--it is necessary to protest1 that ,i approve of no human constitutions1 except such as are founded on the authority of ,god1 and deduced from the ,scripture1 so that they may be considered as altogether ,divine4 ,let us take1 as an example1 the kneeling practised during solemn prayers4 ,the question is1 whether it be a human tradition1 which every one is at liberty to reject or neglect4 ,i answer that it is at once both human and ,divine4 ,it is of ,god1 as it forms a branch of that decorum which is recommended to our attention and observance by the apostle2 it is of men1 as it particularly designates that which had in general been rather hinted than clearly expressed4 ,from this single example1 it is easy to judge what opinion ought to be entertained of all the rest4 ,because the ,lord1 in his holy oracles1 has faithfully comprehended and plainly declared to us the whole nature of true righteousness1 and all the parts of ,divine worship1 with whatever is necessary to salvation1--in these things he is to be regarded as our only ,master4 ,because1 in external discipline and ceremonies1 he has not been pleased to give us minute directions what we ought to do in every particular case1 foreseeing that this would depend on the different circumstances of different periods1 and knowing that one form would not be adapted to all ages1--here we must have recourse to the general rules which he has given1 that to them may be conformed all the regulations which shall be necessary to the decorum and order of the ,church4 ,lastly1 as he has delivered no express injunctions on this subject1 because these things are not necessary to salvation1 and ought to be applied to the edification of the ,church1 with a variety suitable to the manners of each age and nation1 therefore1 as the benefit of the ,church shall require1 it will be right to change and abolish former regulations1 and to institute new ones4 ,i grant1 indeed1 that we ought not to resort to innovation rashly or frequently1 or for trivial causes4 ,but charity will best decide what will injure or edify1 and if we submit to the dictates of charity1 all will be well4 ,,xxxi4 ,now1 such regulations as have been made upon this principle and for this end1 it is the duty of ,christian people to observe1 with a free conscience1 indeed1 and without any superstition1 yet with a pious and ready inclination2 they must not treat them with contempt or carelessness1 much less violate them1 in an open manner1 through pride and obstinacy4 ,it will be asked1 ,what kind of liberty of conscience can be retained amidst so much attention and caution8 ,i reply1 ,it will very well be supported1 when we consider1 that these are not fixed and perpetual laws by which we are bound1 but external aids for human infirmity1 which though we do not need1 yet we all use1 because we are under obligations to each other to cherish mutual charity between us4 ,this may be observed in the examples already mentioned4 ,what6 does religion consist in a woman's veil1 so that it would be criminal for her to walk out with her face uncovered8 ,is the solemn decree respecting her silence such as cannot be violated without a capital offence8 ,is there any mystery in kneeling1 or in the interment of a dead body1 which cannot be omitted without sin8 ,certainly not2 for if a woman1 in the assistance of a neighbour1 finds a necessity for such haste as allows her no time to cover her head1 she commits no offence in running to the place with her head uncovered4 ,and it is sometimes as proper for her to speak1 as at other times to be silent4 ,and he who from disease is unable to kneel1 is quite at liberty to pray standing4 ,lastly1 it is better to bury a dead body in proper season1 even without a shroud1 than1 for want of persons to carry it to burial1 to suffer it to putrefy without interment4 ,nevertheless1 in these things1 the customs and laws of the country we inhabit1 the dictates of modesty1 and even humanity itself1 will direct us what to do1 and what to avoid2 and if an error be incurred through inadvertence or forgetfulness1 no crime is committed2 but if through contempt1 such perverseness deserves to be reprobated4 ,so it is of little importance what days and hours are appointed1 what is the form of the places1 what psalms are sung on the respective days4 ,but it is proper that there should be certain days and stated hours1 and a place capable of receiving all the people1 if any regard be paid to the preservation of peace4 ,for what a source of contentions would be produced by the confusion of these things1 if every man were permitted to change1 at his pleasure1 what relates to the general order1 for it would never happen that the same thing would be agreeable to all1 if things were undetermined and left to the choice of every individual4 ,if any one object1 and resolve to be wiser on this subject than is necessary1 let him examine by what reason he can justify his obstinacy to the ,lord4 ,we ought1 however1 to be satisfied with the declaration of ,paul1 8,if any man seem to be contentious1 we have no such custom1 nor the ,churches of ,god40#ajbg ,,xxxii4 ,now1 it is necessary to exert the greatest diligence to prevent the intrusion of any error which may corrupt or obscure this pure use of ecclesiastical regulations4 ,this end will be secured1 if all the forms1 whatever they may be1 carry the appearance of manifest utility1 if very few are admitted1 and principally if they are accompanied with the instructions of a faithful pastor1 to shut the door against all corrupt opinions4 ,the consequence of this knowledge is1 that every person will retain his liberty in all these things1 and yet will voluntarily impose some restraint upon his liberty1 so far as the decorum we have mentioned1 or the dictates of charity1 shall require4 ,in the next place1 it will be necessary1 that1 without any superstition1 we should attend to the observance of these things ourselves1 and not too rigidly exact it from others2 that we should not esteem the worship of ,god to be improved by the multitude of ceremonies2 and that one ,church should not despise another on account of a variety of external discipline4 ,lastly1 establishing no perpetual law of this kind for ourselves1 we ought to refer the use and end of all such observances to the edification of the ,church1 according to the exigence of which we should be content not only with the change of some particular observance1 but with the abolition of any that have hitherto been in use among us4 ,for that the abrogation of some ceremonies1 not otherwise inconsistent with piety or decorum1 may become expedient from the circumstances of particular periods1 the present age exhibits an actual proof4 ,for such has been the blindness and ignorance of former times1 ,churches have heretofore adhered to ceremonies with such corrupt sentiments and such obstinate zeal1 that it is scarcely possible for them to be sufficiently purified from monstrous superstitions without the abolition of many ceremonies1 for the original institution of which1 perhaps1 there was some cause1 and which are not in themselves remarkable for any impiety4 ,footnote #igc3 ,matt4 xxiii4 #d4 ,luke xi4 #df4 ,footnote #igd3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ce4 ,footnote #ige3 ,rom4 xiii4 #e4 ,footnote #igf3 ,rom4 ii4 #ae4 ,footnote #igg3 #a ,peter iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #igh3 ,heb4 x4 #b4 ,footnote #igi3 #a ,tim4 i4 #e4 ,footnote #ihj3 #a ,tim4 i4 #ai4 ,footnote #iha3 ,acts xxiv4 #af4 ,footnote #ihb3 #a ,cor4 x4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #ihc3 ,rom4 xiii4 #e4 ,footnote #ihd3 ,rom4 xiii4 #a4 ,footnote #ihe3 ,james iv4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #ihf3 ,isaiah xxxiii4 #bb4 ,footnote #ihg3 #a ,peter v4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #ihh3 ,col4 i4 #bg1 #bh2 ii4 #c1 #h1 #bc4 ,footnote #ihi3 ,gal4 v4 #a-ah4 ,footnote #iij3 ,col4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #iia3 ,gal4 v4 #a4 ,footnote #iib3 ,matt4 xv4 #f4 ,footnote #iic3 ,gal4 iv4 #i4 ,col4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #iid3 ,col4 ii4 #bc4 ,footnote #iie3 ,col4 ii4 #bb4 ,footnote #iif3 ,col4 ii4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #iig3 ,gal4 iv4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #iih3 ,john iv4 #bc4 ,footnote #iii3 ,jer4 vii4 #bb1 #bc4 ,footnote #ajjj3 ,isaiah lv4 #b4 ,footnote #ajja3 ,isaiah xxix4 #ac4 ,matt4 xv4 #g-i4 ,footnote #ajjb3 ,isaiah xxix4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #ajjc3 ,acts xv4 #bh1 #bi4 ,footnote #ajjd3 ,deut4 xii4 #cb4 ,footnote #ajje3 ,prov4 xxx4 ,footnote #ajjf3 ,jer4 vii4 #bb1 #bc4 ,footnote #ajjg3 ,jer4 xi4 #g4 ,footnote #ajjh3 #a ,sam4 xv4 #bb1 #bc4 ,footnote #ajji3 ,acts xv4 #bi4 ,footnote #ajaj3 ,acts xv4 #aj4 ,footnote #ajaa3 #a ,cor4 viii4 #d1 #g1 #i4 ,footnote #ajab3 ,isaiah xxix4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #ajac3 ,matt4 xv4 #i4 ,footnote #ajad3 #b ,kings xvii4 #bd-cd4 ,footnote #ajae3 #b ,kings xxii4 #b4 #b ,chron4 xvii4 #d1 et alibi4 ,footnote #ajaf3 #b ,kings xvi4 #aj1 c4 ,footnote #ajag3 #b ,kings xxi4 #d4 ,footnote #ajah3 ,col4 ii4 #d1 #h1 #ah1 #bc4 ,footnote #ajai3 #a ,sam4 vii4 #ag4 ,footnote #ajbj3 ,judges xiii4 #ai4 ,footnote #ajba3 ,judges viii4 #bg4 ,footnote #ajbb3 ,matt4 xxiii4 #c4 ,footnote #ajbc3 ,matt4 xvi4 #f4 ,footnote #ajbd3 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #dj4 ,footnote #ajbe3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #e2 xiv4 #cd4 ,footnote #ajbf3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bj-bb4 ,footnote #ajbg3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #af4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,jurisdiction ,,of ,,the ,,church1 ,,and ,,its ,,abuse ,,under ,,the ,,papacy4 ,we come now to the third branch of the power of the ,church1 and that which is the principal one in a well regulated state1 which we have said consists in jurisdiction4 ,the whole jurisdiction of the ,church relates to the discipline of manners1 of which we are about to treat4 ,for as no city or town can exist without a magistracy and civil polity1 so the ,church of ,god1 as ,i have already stated1 but am now obliged to repeat1 stands in need of a certain spiritual polity2 which1 however1 is entirely distinct from civil polity1 and is so far from obstructing or weakening it1 that1 on the contrary1 it highly conduces to its assistance and advancement4 ,this power of jurisdiction1 therefore1 will1 in short1 be no other than an order instituted for the preservation of the spiritual polity4 ,for this end1 there were from the beginning judiciaries appointed in the ,churches1 to take cognizance of manners1 to pass censures on vices1 and to preside over the use of the keys in excommunication4 ,this order ,paul designates in his ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 when he mentions 8governments20#ajbh and to the ,romans1 when he says1 8,he that ruleth10 let him do it 8with diligence40#ajbi ,he is not speaking of magistrates or civil governors1 for there were at this time no ,christian magistrates1 but of those who were associated with the pastor in the spiritual government of the ,church4 ,in the ,first ,epistle to ,timothy1 also1 he mentions two kinds of presbyters or elders1 some 8who labour in the word and doctrine10 others who have nothing to do with preaching the word1 and yet 8rule well40#ajcj ,by the latter class1 there can be no doubt that he intends those who were appointed to the cognizance of manners1 and to the whole exercise of the keys4 ,for this power1 of which we now speak1 entirely depends on the keys1 which ,christ has conferred upon the ,church in the eighteenth chapter of ,matthew1 where he commands that those who shall have despised private admonitions shall be severely admonished in the name of the whole ,church2 and that if they persist in their obstinacy1 they are to be excluded from the society of believers4#ajca ,now1 these admonitions and corrections cannot take place without an examination of the cause2 hence the necessity of some judicature and order4 ,wherefore1 unless we would nullify the promise of the keys1 and entirely abolish excommunication1 solemn admonitions1 and every thing of a similar kind1 it is necessary to allow the ,church some jurisdiction4 ,let it be observed1 that the passage to which we have referred1 relates not to the general authority of the doctrine to be preached by the apostles1 as in the sixteenth chapter of ,mathew and the twentieth chapter of ,john2 but that the power of the sanhedrim is for the future transferred to the ,church of ,christ4 ,till that time1 the ,jews had their own method of government1 which1 as far as regards the pure institution1 ,jesus ,christ established in his ,church1 and that with a severe sanction4 ,for this was absolutely necessary1 because the judgment of an ignoble and despised ,church might otherwise be treated with contempt by presumptuous and proud men4 ,and that the readers may not be embarrassed by the circumstance of ,christ having used the same words to express different things1 it will be useful to solve this difficulty4 ,there are two places which speak of binding and loosing4 ,one is in the sixteenth chapter of ,matthew1 where ,christ1 after having promised ,peter that he would 8give0 him 8the keys of the kingdom of heaven10#ajcb immediately adds1 8,whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth1 shall be bound in heaven2 and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth1 shall be loosed in heaven40 ,in these words he means precisely the same as he intends in other language recorded by ,john1 when1 being about to send forth his disciples to preach1 after having 8breathed on them10 he said1 8,whose soever sins ye remit1 they are remitted unto them2 and whose soever sins ye retain1 they are retained40#ajcc ,i shall offer an interpretation of this passage1 without any subtlety1 violence1 or perversion1 but natural1 suitable1 and obvious4 ,this command respecting the remission and retention of sins1 and the promise made to ,peter respecting binding and loosing1 ought to be wholly referred to the ministry of the word1 which when our ,lord committed to the apostles1 he at the same time invested them with the power of binding and loosing4 ,for what is the sum of the gospel1 but that1 being all slaves of sin and death1 we are loosed and delivered by the redemption which is in ,christ ,jesus1 and that those who never receive or acknowledge ,christ as their ,deliverer and ,redeemer1 are condemned and sentenced to eternal chains8 ,when the ,lord delivered this embassy to his apostles1 to be conveyed to all nations1 in order to evince it to be his1 and to have proceeded from him1 he honoured it with this remarkable testimony1 and that for the particular confirmation both of the apostles themselves1 and of all those to whom it was to be announced4 ,it was of importance1 that the apostles should have a strong and constant assurance of their preaching2 which they were not only to undertake and execute amidst immense labours1 cares1 troubles1 and dangers1 but were at length to seal with their blood4 ,that they might know this ministry not to be vain or ineffectual1 but full of power and energy1 it was of importance for them1 in circumstances of such great anxiety1 difficulty1 and danger1 to be persuaded that they were employed in the work of ,god2 amidst all the hostility and opposition of the whole world1 to know that ,god was on their side2 and though ,christ1 the ,author of their doctrine1 was not present to their view on earth1 to be certain that he was in heaven to confirm the truth of the doctrine which he had delivered to them4 ,on the other hand1 also1 it was necessary that the most unequivocal testimony should be given to their hearers1 that the doctrine of the gospel was not the word of the apostles1 but of ,god himself2 not a voice issuing from the earth1 but descended from heaven4 ,for these things1 the remission of sins1 the promise of eternal life1 and the message of salvation1 cannot be in the power of man4 ,therefore ,christ has testified that1 in the preaching of the gospel1 nothing belonged to the apostles1 except the ministration of it2 that it was he himself who spoke and promised every thing by the instrumentality of their mouths2 and1 consequently1 that the remission of sins which they preached was the true promise of ,god1 and that the condemnation which they denounced was the certain judgment of ,god4 ,now1 this testification has been given to all ages1 and remains unaltered1 to certify and assure us all1 that the word of the gospel1 by whomsoever it may happen to be preached1 is the very sentence of ,god himself1 promulgated from his heavenly tribunal1 recorded in the book of life1 ratified1 confirmed1 and fixed in heaven4 ,thus we see1 that the power of the keys1 in these passages1 is no other than the preaching of the gospel1 and that1 considered with regard to men1 it is not so much authoritative as ministerial2 for1 strictly speaking1 ,christ has not given this power to men1 but to his word1 of which he has appointed men to be the ministers4 ,,ii4 ,the other passage1 which we have mentioned1 relative to the power of binding and loosing1 is in the eighteenth chapter of ,matthew1 where ,christ says1 8,if any brother neglect to hear the ,church1 let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,whatsoever ye shall bind on earth1 shall be bound in heaven2 and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth1 shall be loosed in heaven40#ajcd ,this passage is not altogether similar to the first1 but is to be understood in a manner somewhat different2 though ,i do not conceive the difference to be so great1 but that there is a considerable affinity between them4 ,in the first place1 they are both alike in this respect1 that each contains a general declaration1 the same power of always binding and loosing1--that is1 by the word of ,god1--the same command1 the same promise4 ,but they differ in this1 that the former passage peculiarly relates to the preaching of the gospel1 which is performed by the ministers of the word2 the latter relates to the discipline1 which is committed to the ,church4 ,the ,church binds him whom it excommunicates2 not that it consigns him to perpetual ruin and despair1 but because it condemns his life and manners1 and already warns him of his final condemnation1 unless he repent4 ,the ,church looses him whom it receives into its communion2 because it makes him1 as it were1 a partaker of the unity which it has in ,christ ,jesus4 ,that no man1 therefore1 may contemn the judgment of the ,church1 or consider it as of little consequence that he is condemned by the voice of believers1 the ,lord testifies that such judgment of believers is no other than the promulgation of his sentence1 and that what they do on earth shall be ratified in heaven4 ,for they have the word of ,god1 by which they condemn the perverse2 they have the same word1 by which they receive penitents into favour2 and they cannot err or dissent from the judgment of ,god1 because they judge only by the ,divine law1 which is not an uncertain or earthly opinion1 but the holy will and heavenly oracle of ,god4 ,from these two passages1 which ,i think ,i have familiarly and correctly1 as well as concisely1 explained1 these unreasonable men1 without any judgment1 under the influence of misguided zeal1 endeavour to establish1 sometimes auricular confession1 sometimes excommunication1 sometimes jurisdiction1 sometimes the right of legislation1 and sometimes indulgences4 ,the former passage they allege to support the primacy of the ,roman see4 ,they are so expert in fitting their keys to any locks and doors they please1 that it should seem as if they had followed the business of locksmiths all their lifetime4 ,,iii4 ,the opinion entertained by some persons1 that these things were only temporary1 while all civil magistrates were strangers to the profession of ,christianity1 is a mistake for want of considering the great distinction1 and the nature of the difference1 between the ecclesiastical and civil power4 ,for the ,church has no power of the sword to punish or to coerce1 no authority to compel1 no prisons1 fines1 or other punishments1 like those inflicted by the civil magistrate4 ,besides1 the object of this power is1 not that he who has transgressed may be punished against his will but that he may profess his repentance by a voluntary submission to chastisement4 ,the difference therefore is very great2 because the ,church does not assume to itself what belongs to the magistrate1 nor can the magistrate execute that which is executed by the ,church4 ,this will be better understood by an example4 ,is any man intoxicated8 ,in a well regulated city he will be punished by imprisonment4 ,has he committed fornication8 ,he will receive the same or a severer punishment4 ,with this1 the laws1 the magistrate1 and the civil judgment1 will all be satisfied2 though it may happen that he will give no sign of repentance1 but will rather murmur and repine against his punishment4 ,will the ,church stop here8 ,such persons cannot be admitted to the sacred supper without doing an injury to ,christ and to his holy institution4 ,and reason requires1 that he who has offended the ,church with an evil example1 should remove1 by a solemn declaration of repentance1 the offence which he has excited4 ,the argument adduced by those who espouse a contrary opinion1 is of no force4 ,they say1 that ,christ assigned this office to the ,church1 when there was no magistrate to execute it4 ,but it frequently happens that the magistrate is too negligent1 and sometimes that he even deserves to be chastised himself2 which was the case with the emperor ,theodosius4 ,besides1 the same argument might be extended to the whole ministry of the word4 ,now1 then1 according to them1 pastors must no longer censure notorious crimes2 they must cease to chide1 to reprove1 to rebuke2 for there are ,christian magistrates1 whose duty it is to correct such offences by the civil sword4 ,but as it is the duty of the magistrate1 by punishment and corporeal coercion1 to purge the ,church from offences1 so it behoves the minister of the word1 on his part1 to relieve the magistrate by preventing the multiplication of offenders4 ,their respective operations ought to be so connected as to be an assistance1 and not an obstruction to each other4 ,,iv4 ,and1 indeed1 whoever will closely examine the words of ,christ1 will easily perceive that they describe the stated and perpetual order1 and not any temporary regulation1 of the ,church4 ,for it is unreasonable for us to bring an accusation before a magistrate1 against those who refuse to submit to our admonitions2 yet this would be necessary if the magistrate succeeded to this office of the ,church4 ,what shall we say of this promise1 8,verily ,i say unto thee1 whatsoever ye shall bind on earth1 shall be bound in heaven80 ,was it only for one1 or for a few years8 ,besides1 ,christ here instituted nothing new1 but followed the custom always observed in the ancient ,church of his own nation2 thereby signifying1 that the spiritual jurisdiction1 which had been exercised from the beginning1 was indispensable to the ,church4 ,and this has been confirmed by the consent of all ages4 ,for when emperors and magistrates began to assume the profession of ,christianity1 the spiritual jurisdiction was not in consequence abolished1 but only regulated in such a manner as neither to derogate from the civil power1 nor to be confounded with it4 ,and that justly2 for a pious magistrate will not wish to exempt himself from the common subjection of the children of ,god1 which in no small degree consists in submitting to the ,church1 when it judges by the word of ,god3 so very far is it from being his duty to abolish such a judicature4 8,for what is more honourable10 says ,ambrose1 8than for the emperor to be called the son of the ,church8 ,for a good emperor is within the ,church1 not above the ,church40 ,wherefore those who1 to exalt the magistrate1 despoil the ,church of this power1 not only pervert the language of ,christ by a false interpretation1 but pass a most severe censure on all the holy bishops who have lived since the time of the apostles1 for having usurped to themselves1 under a false pretext1 the honour and dignity which belonged to the magistrate4 ,v4 ,but1 on the other hand1 it is also worth while to examine what was the true and ancient use of the jurisdiction of the ,church1 and what a great abuse of it has been introduced2 that we may know what ought to be abrogated1 and what ought to be restored from antiquity1 if we would overturn the reign of ,antichrist1 and restablish the true kingdom of ,christ4 ,in the first place1 the object to be secured is the prevention of offences1 or the abolition of any that may have arisen4 ,in the use of it1 two things require to be considered2 first1 that this spiritual power be entirely separated from the power of the sword2 secondly1 that it be administered1 not at the pleasure of one man1 but by a legitimate assembly4 ,both these things were observed in the purer ages of the ,church4 ,for the holy bishops never exercised their authority by fines1 imprisonments1 or other civil punishments2 but1 as became them1 employed nothing but the word of the ,lord4 ,for the severest vengeance1 the ultimate punishment of the ,church1 is excommunication1 which is never resorted to without absolute necessity4 ,now1 excommunication requires no external force1 but is content with the power of the word of ,god4 ,in short1 the jurisdiction of the primitive ,church was no other than a practical exposition of the description which ,paul gives of the spiritual authority of pastors4 ,this power he represents as conferred for the purpose of 8casting down imaginations1 and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of ,god1 and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of ,christ2 and having in readiness to revenge all disobedience40#ajce ,as this is accomplished by the preaching of the doctrine of ,christ1 so to preserve that doctrine from falling into contempt1 they who profess themselves of the household of faith ought to be judged by what that doctrine contains4 ,that cannot be done1 except the ministry be accompanied with the power to take cognizance of those who are to be privately admonished1 or more severely censured1 and also to exclude from the communion of the ,supper those who cannot be admitted without a profanation of such a solemn sacrament4 ,wherefore when he denies1 in another place1 that we have any right 8to judge them that are without10#ajcf he makes the children of the church subject to the censures by which their faults are chastised1 and implies the existence at that time of judicatures from which none of the believers were exempt4 ,,vi4 ,this power1 as we have stated1 was not in the hands of one man1 for him to act according to his own pleasure1 but resided in the assembly of the elders1 which was in the ,church what a senate is in a city4 ,cyprian1 when he mentions by whom it was exercised in his time1 generally unites all the clergy with the bishop2 but in other passages he also shows1 that the clergy presided in such a manner1 that the people were not excluded from this cognizance4 ,for he expresses himself in these words3 8,from the commencement of my episcopate1 ,i have determined to do nothing without the counsel of the clergy and the consent of the people40 ,but the common and usual custom was for the jurisdiction of the ,church to be exercised by the council of the presbyters2 of whom1 as ,i have observed1 there were two classes2 for some were ordained to the office of teaching1 others were only censors of manners4 ,this institution gradually degenerated from its original establishment2 so that1 in the time of ,ambrose1 the judicial administration of the ,church was wholly in the hands of the clergy2 of which he complains in the following language3 8,the ancient synagogue1 and afterwards the ,church1 had elders1 without whose advice nothing was done4 ,i know not by what negligence this practice has been discontinued1 except from the indolence of the doctors1 or rather from their pride1 while they wish none but themselves1 to be seen40 ,we perceive how indignant was that holy man1 that there had been some declension from a better state of things1 though they still retained an order that was at least tolerable4 ,what would he say now1 if he were to see the present deformed ruins1 which exhibit scarcely a vestige of the ancient edifice6 ,what a complaint would he make6 ,first1 in opposition to law and justice1 that which had been given to the ,church1 the bishop usurped entirely to himself4 ,this resembles the conduct of a consul or president1 expelling the senate1 and seizing the sole administration of a government4 ,but as the bishop is superior to other persons in honour1 so the assembly or congregation possesses more authority than one individual4 ,it was a gross outrage1 therefore1 for one man to transfer to himself all the power of the community1 and thereby to open a door to licentious tyranny1 to deprive the ,church of its rights1 and to suppress and abolish an assembly appointed by the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,,vii4 ,but as one evil always produces another1 bishops1 disdaining this charge as unworthy of their attention1 have delegated it to others4 ,hence the creation of officials1 to discharge that duty4 ,i say nothing1 at present1 of the characters of the persons2 ,i only assert1 that they differ in no respect from civil judges2 yet they still call it a spiritual jurisdiction1 where all the contention is about secular affairs4 ,though there were no other evil1 what effrontery must they have1 to call a court full of litigation the judicature of the ,church6 ,but1 it is alleged1 it employs admonitions1 and pronounces excommunication4 ,is it thus that they trifle with ,god8 ,does a poor man owe a sum of money8 ,he is cited4 ,if he appear1 he is condemned2 after the condemnation1 if he do not pay1 he is admonished3 after the second admonition1 they proceed to excommunication4 ,if he do not appear to the citation1 he is admonished to be forthcoming3 if he delay1 he is admonished a second time1 and soon after is excommunicated4 ,i ask1 ,what is there in this that bears any resemblance to the institution of ,christ1 the ancient usage1 or the order of the ,church8 ,it is further alleged1 that this court also corrects vices4 ,i reply1 that acts of fornication1 lasciviousness1 and drunkenness1 and similar enormities1 they not only tolerate1 but sanction and encourage1 by a kind of tacit approbation1 and that not only in the people1 but even in the clergy themselves4 ,among multitudes of offenders1 they only summon a few1 either to avoid too flagrant an appearance of connivance1 or for the purpose of extorting money4 ,i say nothing of the robbery1 the rapine1 the peculation1 the sacrilege1 connected with this office4 ,i say nothing of the characters of most of the persons selected to discharge it4 ,it is more than sufficient for us1 that while the ,romanists boast of their spiritual jurisdiction1 it is easy to show that nothing is more contrary to the order appointed by ,christ1 and that it has no more resemblance to the ancient practice1 than darkness has to light4 ,,viii4 ,though we have not said all that might be adduced for this purpose1 and what we have said has been condensed within a small compass1 yet ,i trust we have so refuted our adversaries1 as to leave no room for any one to doubt that the spiritual power arrogated by the pope and all his hierarchy1 is a tyrannical usurpation1 chargeable with impious opposition to the word of ,god1 and injustice to his people4 ,under the term spiritual power1 ,i include their audacity in fabricating new doctrines1 by which they have seduced the unhappy people from the native purity of the word of ,god1 the iniquitous traditions by which they have insnared them1 and the pretended ecclesiastical jurisdiction which they exercise by their suffragans1 vicars1 penitentiaries1 and officials4 ,for if we allow ,christ any kingdom among us1 all this kind of domination must immediately fall to the ground4 ,the power of the sword1 which they also claim1 as that is not exercised over consciences1 but operates on property1 is irrelevant to our present subject2 though in this also it is worth while to remark1 that they are always consistent with themselves1 and are at the greatest possible distance from the character they would be thought to sustain1 as pastors of the ,church4 ,here ,i am not censuring the particular vices of individuals1 but the general wickedness and common pest of the whole order1 which they would consider as degraded1 if it were not distinguished by wealth and lofty titles4 ,if we consult the authority of ,christ on this subject1 there is no doubt that he intended to exclude the ministers of his word from civil dominion and secular sovereignty1 when he said1 8,the kings of the ,gentiles exercise dominion over them2 but it shall not be so among you40#ajcg ,for by these words he signifies1 not only that the office of a pastor is distinct from the office of a prince1 but that they are so different1 that they can never be properly united in one man4 ,for though ,moses held both these offices at once1 it may be observed1 first1 that this was the result of a special miracle2 secondly1 that it was only a temporary arrangement1 till things should be better regulated4 ,but1 as soon as ,god prescribed a certain form of government1 ,moses was left in possession of the civil administration1 and was commanded to resign the priesthood to his brother2 and that for a very sufficient reason2 for it is beyond the ability of nature for one man to be capable of sustaining the burden of both4 ,and this has been carefully observed in the ,church in all ages4 ,for as long as any real appearance of a ,church remained1 not one of the bishops ever thought of usurping the power of the sword2 so that it was a common proverb in the time of ,ambrose1 8,that emperors rather coveted the priesthood1 than priests the empire20 for as he afterwards observes1 it was the firm and universal opinion1 8,that palaces belonged to emperors1 and churches to priests40 ,,ix4 ,but since a method has been contrived for bishops to retain the title1 honour1 and emoluments of their office without any burden or solicitude1 that they might not be left entirely without occupation1 the power of the sword has been given to them1 or rather they have usurped it to themselves4 ,with what plea will they defend such impudence8 ,was it for bishops to perplex themselves with judicial proceedings1 to assume the government of cities and provinces1 and to undertake various other occupations so incompatible with their office1 which alone would furnish them so much labour and employment1 that even if they were entirely and assiduously devoted to it1 without the least distraction of other avocations1 they would scarcely be able to discharge its functions8 ,but they have the hardihood to boast1 that this causes the ,church of ,christ to flourish with a glory suitable to its dignity1 and at the same time that they are not too much distracted from the duties of their vocation4 ,with respect to the first point1 if it be a becoming ornament of the sacred office1 for those who sustain it to be elevated to a degree of power formidable to the greatest monarchs1 they have reason to expostulate with ,christ1 by whom their honour has been so grievously wounded4 ,for in their opinion1 at least1 what could have been said more disgraceful than the following language8 8,the kings of the ,gentiles exercise dominion over them2 but it shall not be so among you40#ajch ,nor has he prescribed a severer law to his servants than he first imposed upon himself4 8,man10 says he1 8who made me a judge or a divider over you80#ajci ,we see he plainly refuses to act the part of a judge1 which he would not have done1 had it been a thing consistent with his office4 ,will not his servants allow themselves to be reduced to that rank1 to which their ,lord voluntarily submitted himself8 ,with respect to the second point1 ,i wish they could as easily prove it by experience as make the assertion4 ,but since the apostles thought it not right for them 8to leave the word of ,god1 and serve tables10#ajdj this must confound those who are reluctant to admit1 that it is not in the power of the same man to be at the same time a good bishop and a good prince4 ,for if they1 who by the extent of the gifts with which they were endued1 were enabled to sustain far more numerous and weighty cares than any men who have lived since their time1 after all confessed themselves incapable of attending to the word of ,god and the service of tables without fainting under the burden1 how should it be possible for these men1 who are by no means to be compared to the apostles1 so vastly to surpass them in industry8 ,the very attempt has betrayed the most consummate effrontery and presumptuous confidence4 ,yet we see it has been done2 with what success1 is obvious2 the unavoidable consequence has been the desertion of their own functions1 and intrusion into those which belonged to others4 ,x4 ,it has1 without doubt1 been from small beginnings1 that they have gradually risen to such eminence4 ,for it was not possible for them to make so great an advance at one step4 ,but sometimes by fraudulent and secret artifices1 they exalted themselves in a clandestine manner1 so that no one perceived the encroachment till it had been effected3 sometimes1 when opportunity offered1 by terrifying and menacing princes1 they extorted from them some augmentation of their power2 sometimes1 when they saw princes inclined to favour them1 they abused their foolish and inconsiderate pliability4 ,in early times1 if any controversy arose1 the believers1 in order to avoid the necessity of litigation1 used to refer it to the decision of their bishop1 of whose integrity they were fully satisfied4 ,the ancient bishops were frequently embarrassed with such arbitrations1 which exceedingly displeased them1 as ,augustine somewhere declares2 but to save the parties from lawsuits1 they reluctantly undertook this troublesome business4 ,from voluntary arbitrations1 which were entirely different from the processes of civil courts1 their successors have erected an ordinary jurisdiction4 ,in a subsequent period1 when cities and countries were oppressed with various distresses1 they had recourse to the patronage of their bishops1 that they might be protected by their influence2 succeeding bishops1 by wonderful artifice1 of protectors have made themselves lords4 ,nor can it be denied1 that the principal acquisitions they have made1 have been effected by faction and violence4 ,the princes1 who voluntarily invested the bishops with jurisdiction1 were actuated to this by various motives4 ,but though their indulgence may have exhibited some appearance of piety1 yet their preposterous liberality was by no means adapted to promote the benefit of the ,church1 the ancient and genuine discipline of which they thereby corrupted1 or rather1 to say the truth1 utterly annihilated4 ,but those bishops who have abused such kindness of princes to their own profit1 have sufficiently evinced1 by this one specimen1 that they were in reality no bishops at all4 ,for if they had possessed a particle of the apostolic spirit1 they would unquestionably have answered1 in the language of ,paul1 that 8the weapons of our warfare are not carnal1 but0#ajda spiritual4 ,instead of this1 hurried away with a blind cupidity1 they have ruined themselves1 and their successors1 and the ,church4 ,,xi4 ,at length the ,roman pontiff1 not content with small provinces1 first laid his hand upon kingdoms1 and then seized upon the empire4 ,and to assign some plausible pretext for retaining a possession acquired by mere robbery1 he sometimes boasts that he holds it by ,divine right1 sometimes pretends the donation from ,constantine1 and sometimes pleads some other title4 ,in the first place1 ,i answer with ,bernard1 that supposing he could vindicate his claim by any other reason1 yet he cannot establish it by any apostolic right4 8,for ,peter could not give what he never possessed2 but he left his successors1 what he did possess1 the care of the churches4 ,but as the ,lord and ,master said of himself1 that he was not constituted a judge between two persons1 the servant and disciple ought not to think it any disgrace not to be judge of all men40 ,bernard is speaking here of civil judgments1 for he adds1 addressing the pope1 8,therefore your power is over sins1 and not over possessions1 since it is for the former1 and not for the latter1 that you have received the keys of the kingdom of heaven4 ,for which appears to you the superior dignity1 to remit sins1 or to divide lands8 ,there is no comparison4 ,these low and earthly things are subject to the judgment of kings and princes of the earth4 ,why do you invade the province of others80 ,again2 8,you are made a superior4 ,for what purpose8 ,not to exercise dominion1 ,i apprehend4 ,however highly we think of ourselves1 therefore1 let us remember that we are appointed to a ministry not invested with a sovereignty4 ,learn that you want no sceptre1 but a pruning-knife1 to cultivate the ,lord's vineyard40 ,again3 8,it is plain that sovereignty is forbidden to the apostles4 ,go then1 if you dare1 and sustaining the office of a temporal sovereign1 usurp the name of an apostle1 or filling an apostolical office1 usurp a temporal sovereignty40 ,and immediately after3 8,this is the apostolic form3 they are forbidden to exercise any dominion2 they are commanded to minister and serve40 ,though all these observations of ,bernard are evidently consistent with the truth1 and even though the true state of the case must be obvious to all without any thing being said1 yet the ,roman pontiff was not ashamed1 at the ,council of ,arles1 to decree1 that the supreme power of both swords belonged to him by ,divine right4 ,,xii4 ,with respect to the donation of ,constantine1 persons who have only a moderate acquaintance with the histories of those times1 need no information how fabulous1 and even ridiculous1 this is4 ,but to leave the histories1 ,gregory1 who lived above four hundred years after1 is alone a competent and very sufficient witness of this fact4 ,for1 wherever he speaks of the emperor1 he gives him the title of ,most ,serene ,lord1 and calls himself his unworthy servant4 ,in one place he says1 8,let not our lord1 from his earthly power1 be too ready to treat priests with disdain2 but with excellent consideration1 for the sake of him whose servants they are1 let him rule over them in such a manner1 as at the same time to pay them due reverence40 ,we see how1 in the common subjection1 he wished to be considered as one of the people2 for he is there pleading1 not another person's cause1 but his own4 ,in another place he says1 8,i trust in ,almighty ,god1 that he will grant a long life to our pious lords1 and will govern us under your hand according to his mercy40 ,i have not quoted these passages with any design to discuss at large this question of the donation of ,constantine1 but merely to show my readers1 by the way1 what a puerile falsehood it is of the ,romanists1 to attempt to claim a temporal sovereignty for their pontiff4 ,and so much the more contemptible is the impudence of ,augustine ,steuchus1 the pope's librarian1 who has had the effrontery to prostitute his labours to serve his master in such a desperate cause4 ,laurentius ,valla had amply refuted that fable1 which was no difficulty to a man of learning and an acute reasoner2 yet1 like a man little conversant in ecclesiastical affairs1 he had not said all that would have corroborated the argument4 ,steuchus sallies forth1 and scatters the most disgusting trash to obscure the clear light4 ,but1 in fact1 he pleads the cause of his master with no more force than if some facetious wit1 ironically professing the same object1 were in reality supporting the opposite side of the question4 ,but this cause is well worthy of such advocates as the pope hires to defend it2 and equally worthy are those mercenary scribblers of being disappointed in their hopes of gain1 as was the case with ,eugubinus4 ,,xiii4 ,but if any one inquire the time when this fictitious empire began to arise1 there have not yet elapsed five hundred years since the pontiffs were still in subjection to the emperors1 and no pontiff was created without the authority of the emperor4 ,the first occasion of innovation in this order was given to ,gregory ,,vii4 by the emperor ,henry1 the fourth of that name1 a man of rash and unsteady disposition1 of no judgment1 great audacity1 and dissolute life4 ,for when he had all the bishoprics of ,germany in his court1 either exposed to sale1 or to be distributed as a booty1 ,hildebrand1 who had been offended with him1 seized a plausible pretext to avenge himself4 ,because he appeared to advocate a good and pious cause1 he was assisted by the favour of many2 and ,henry1 on the other hand1 had rendered himself odious to the generality of princes1 by the insolence of his government4 ,at length ,hildebrand1 who assumed the name of ,gregory ,,vii41 being a man of no piety or integrity1 betrayed the wickedness of his heart2 in consequence of which many1 who had concurred with him1 afterwards deserted him4 ,he so far succeeded1 however1 as to enable his successors not only to cast off the imperial yoke with impunity1 but even to oblige the emperors to submit to them4 ,after that time there were many emperors1 more like ,henry than like ,julius ,csar1 whom there was no difficulty in overcoming while they were sitting at home in indolence and unconcern1 when there was the greatest necessity for every vigorous and legitimate exertion to repress the cupidity of the pontiffs4 ,thus we see with what plausibility they have represented this admirable donation of ,constantine1 by which the pope pretends himself to have been invested with the sovereignty of the ,western empire4 ,,xiv4 ,from that period the pontiffs have never ceased encroaching on the jurisdictions1 and seizing on the territories1 of others1 sometimes employing fraud1 sometimes treachery1 and sometimes open war2 even the city of ,rome itself1 which till then was free1 about a hundred and thirty years ago was compelled to submit to their dominion2 in short1 they proceeded to make continual advances1 till they attained the power which they at present possess1 and for the retention or augmentation of which1 they have now1 for the space of two hundred years1 7for they had begun before they usurped the government of the city17 so disturbed and distracted the ,christian world1 that they have brought it to the brink of ruin4 ,in the time of ,gregory the ,first1 when the guardians of the ecclesiastical property seized for themselves the lands which belonged to the ,church1 and1 according to the custom of princes1 set up their titles and armorial bearings on them in token of their claim1 ,gregory assembled a provincial council of bishops1 in which he severely inveighed against that profane custom1 and asked whether they would not excommunicate any ecclesiastic who should attempt the seizure of property by the inscription of a title1 or even any bishop who should direct such a thing to be done1 or if done without his direction1 should not punish it4 ,they all pronounced that every such offender should be excommunicated4 ,but if claiming a field by the inscription of a title1 be a crime deserving of excommunication in a priest1--when for two whole centuries the pontiffs have been meditating nothing but wars1 effusion of blood1 slaughter of armies1 storming and pillaging cities1 the destruction of nations1 the devastation of kingdoms1 for the sole purpose of seizing the dominions of others1--what excommunications can be sufficient for the punishment of such examples8 ,it is clear beyond all doubt1 that the glory of ,christ is the object furthest from their pursuit4 ,for if they voluntarily resign all the secular power which they possess1 no danger will result to the glory of ,god1 to sound doctrine1 or to the safety of the ,church2 but they are infatuated1 and stimulated by the mere lust of dominion2 and consider nothing as safe1 unless1 as the prophet says1 8they rule with force and with cruelty40#ajdb ,,xv4 ,with jurisdiction is connected the immunity which the ,roman ecclesiastics arrogate to themselves4 ,for they consider it a degradation for them to appear before a civil judge in personal causes1 and they imagine the liberty and dignity of the ,church to consist in their exemption from the common judicature and laws4 ,but the ancient bishops1 who in other respects were the most rigid assertors of the rights of the ,church1 esteemed it no injury to themselves1 or to their order1 to be subject to lay judges in civil causes4 ,the pious emperors also1 without any opposition1 always summoned the clergy before their tribunals1 whenever necessity required it4 ,for this is the language of ,constantine1 in his epistle to the bishops of ,nicomedia3 8,if any bishop excite any disturbance by his indiscretion1 his presumption shall be restrained by the authority of the minister of ,god1 that is1 by mine40 ,and ,valentinian says1 8,good bishops never traduce the power of the emperor1 but sincerely observe the commands of ,god1 the sovereign ,king1 and obey our laws40 ,at that time this principle was universally admitted1 without any controversy4 ,ecclesiastical causes were referred to the judgment of the bishop4 ,as for example1 if any ecclesiastic had committed no crime against the laws1 but was only charged with offending against the canons1 he was not summoned to the common tribunal1 but was judged by the bishop4 ,in like manner1 if a question was agitated respecting an article of faith1 or any other subject properly belonging to the ,church1 to the ,church the cognizance of it was committed4 ,in this sense is to be understood what ,ambrose writes to the emperor ,valentinian3 8,your father1 of august memory1 not only answered verbally1 but also ordained by edicts1 that1 in a cause relating to faith1 he ought to judge1 who is not disqualified by office or dignity40 ,again3 8,if we regard the ,scriptures or ancient examples1 who will deny that in a cause of faith1--,i say1 in a cause of faith1--it is customary for bishops to judge of ,christian emperors1 and not emperors of bishops80 ,again3 8,i would have come to your consistory1 sire1 if either the bishops or the people would have suffered me to go2 but they say1 that a cause of faith ought to be discussed in the ,church1 in the presence of the people40 ,he contended that a spiritual cause--that is1 a cause affecting religion--ought not to be carried into a civil court1 where secular controversies are agitated2 and his constancy in this respect has been universally and justly applauded4 ,yet1 notwithstanding the goodness of his cause1 he went no further than to declare1 that if the emperor proceeded to employ force1 he would submit4 ,he says1 8,i will not voluntarily desert the station committed to me3 in case of compulsion1 ,i know not how to resist1 for our arms are prayers and tears40 ,let us observe the singular combination of moderation and prudence with magnanimity and confidence in this holy man4 ,justina1 the mother of the emperor1 because she could not induce him to join the ,arians1 endeavoured to deprive him of his bishopric4 ,and she would have succeeded in her attempts1 if1 in compliance with the summons1 he had gone to the palace of the emperor to plead his cause4 ,therefore he denied the emperor to be a competent judge of so important a controversy2 and this was necessary both from the circumstances of that time1 and from the invariable nature of the subject itself4 ,for he was of opinion1 that it was his duty to suffer death rather than1 by his consent1 to permit such an example to be transmitted to posterity2 and yet in case of violence being employed1 he cherished not a thought of resistance4 ,for he denied it to be compatible with the character of a bishop to defend the faith and privileges of the ,church by arms2 but in other cases he showed himself ready to do whatever the emperor would command4 8,if he demands tribute10 says he1 8we do not refuse it2 the lands of the ,church pay tribute4 ,if he demands the lands1 he has power to take them2 none of us will oppose him40 ,gregory also speaks in a similar manner4 8,i am not ignorant10 he says1 8of the mind of our most serene lord1 that he is not in the habit of interfering in sacerdotal causes1 lest he should in any respect be burdened with our sins40 ,he does not entirely exclude the emperor from judging priests1 but observes that there are certain causes which he ought to leave to the decision of the ,church4 ,,xvi4 ,and even in this exception1 the sole object of these holy men was to prevent the tyrannical violence and caprice of princes less favourable to religion from obstructing the ,church in the discharge of its duty4 ,for they did not disapprove of the occasional interposition of princes in ecclesiastical affairs1 provided they would exert their authority for the preservation of the order of the ,church1 and not for the disturbance of it2 for the establishment of discipline1 and not for its relaxation4 ,for as the ,church neither possesses1 nor ought to desire1 the power to constrain1--,i speak of civil coercion1--it is the part of pious kings and princes to support religion by laws1 edicts1 and judicial sentences4 ,for this reason1 when the emperor ,mauritius commanded certain bishops to receive their neighbouring colleagues1 who had been expelled from their sees by the barbarians1 ,gregory confirmed this command1 and exhorted them to obey it4 ,and when he himself was admonished by the same emperor to be reconciled to ,john1 the bishop of ,constantinople1 he did1 indeed1 assign a reason why he ought not to be blamed1 yet he boasted no immunity exempting him from the imperial authority1 but on the contrary promised compliance as far as should be consistent with a good conscience2 and at the same time acknowledged that ,mauritius acted in a manner becoming a religious prince in giving such commands to the bishops4 ,footnote #ajbh3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #bh4 ,footnote #ajbi3 ,rom4 xii4 #h4 ,footnote #ajcj3 #a ,tim4 v4 #ag4 ,footnote #ajca3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ae-ah4 ,footnote #ajcb3 ,matt4 xvi4 #ai4 ,footnote #ajcc3 ,john xx4 #bb1 #bc4 ,footnote #ajcd3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #ajce3 #b ,cor4 x4 #e1 #f4 ,footnote #ajcf3 #a ,cor4 v4 #ab4 ,footnote #ajcg3 ,matt4 xx4 #be1 #bf4 ,luke xxii4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #ajch3 ,matt4 xx4 #be1 #bf4 ,luke xxii4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #ajci3 ,luke xii4 #ad4 ,footnote #ajdj3 ,acts vi4 #b4 ,footnote #ajda3 #b ,cor4 x4 #d4 ,footnote #ajdb3 ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #d4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,the ,,discipline ,,of ,,the ,,church2 ,,its ,,principal ,,use ,,in ,,censures ,,and ,,excommunication4 ,the discipline of the ,church1 the discussion of which ,i have deferred to this place1 must be despatched in a few words1 that we may proceed to the remaining subjects4 ,now1 the discipline depends chiefly on the power of the keys1 and the spiritual jurisdiction4 ,to make this more easily understood1 let us divide the ,church into two principal orders--the clergy and the people4 ,i use the word clergy as the common1 though improper1 appellation of those who execute the public ministry in the ,church4 ,we shall1 first1 speak of the common discipline to which all ought to be subject2 and in the next place we shall proceed to the clergy1 who1 beside this common discipline1 have a discipline peculiar to themselves4 ,but as some have such a hatred of discipline1 as to abhor the very name1 they should attend to the following consideration3 ,that if no society1 and even no house1 though containing only a small family1 can be preserved in a proper state without discipline1 this is far more necessary in the ,church1 the state of which ought to be the most orderly of all4 ,as the saving doctrine of ,christ is the soul of the ,church1 so discipline forms the ligaments which connect the members together1 and keep each in its proper place4 ,whoever1 therefore1 either desire the abolition of all discipline1 or obstruct its restoration1 whether they act from design or inadvertency1 they certainly promote the entire dissolution of the ,church4 ,for what will be the consequence1 if every man be at liberty to follow his own inclinations8 ,but such would be the case1 unless the preaching of the doctrine were accompanied with private admonitions1 reproofs1 and other means to enforce the doctrine1 and prevent it from being altogether ineffectual4 ,discipline1 therefore1 serves as a bridle to curb and restrain the refractory1 who resist the doctrine of ,christ2 or as a spur to stimulate the inactive2 and sometimes as a father's rod1 with which those who have grievously fallen may be chastised in mercy1 and with the gentleness of the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,now1 when we see the approach of certain beginnings of a dreadful desolation in the ,church1 since there is no solicitude or means to keep the people in obedience to our ,lord1 necessity itself proclaims the want of a remedy2 and this is the only remedy which has been commanded by ,christ1 or which has ever been adopted among believers4 ,,ii4 ,the first foundation of discipline consists in the use of private admonitions2 that is to say1 that if any one be guilty of a voluntary omission of duty1 or conduct himself in an insolent manner1 or discover a want of virtue in his life1 or commit any act deserving of reprehension1 he should suffer himself to be admonished2 and that every one should study to admonish his brother1 whenever occasion shall require2 but that pastors and presbyters1 beyond all others1 should be vigilant in the discharge of this duty1 being called by their office1 not only to preach to the congregation1 but also to admonish and exhort in private houses1 if in any instances their public instructions may not have been sufficiently efficacious2 as ,paul inculcates1 when he says1 that he 8taught publicly and from house to house10 and protests himself to be 8pure from the blood of all men10 having 8ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears40#ajdc ,for the doctrine then obtains its full authority1 and produces its due effect1 when the minister not only declares to all the people together what is their duty to ,christ1 but has the right and means of enforcing it upon them whom he observes to be inattentive1 or not obedient to the doctrine4 ,if any one either obstinately reject such admonitions1 or manifest his contempt of them by persisting in his misconduct2 after he shall have been admonished a second time in the presence of witnesses1 ,christ directs him to be summoned before the tribunal of the ,church1 that is1 the assembly of the elders1 and there to be more severely admonished by the public authority1 that if he reverence the ,church1 he may submit and obey2 but if this do not overcome him1 and he still persevere in his iniquity1 our ,lord then commands him1 as a despiser of the ,church1 to be excluded from the society of believers4#ajdd ,,iii4 ,but as ,jesus ,christ in this passage is speaking only of private faults1 it is necessary to make this distinction--that some sins are private1 and others public or notorious4 ,with respect to the former1 ,christ says to every private individual1 8,tell him his fault between thee and him alone40#ajde ,with respect to those which are notorious1 ,paul says to ,timothy1 8,them that sin rebuke before all1 that others also may fear40#ajdf ,for ,christ has before said1 8,if thy brother shall trespass against thee20 which no person who is not contentious can understand in any other sense1 than if our ,lord had said1 8,if any one sin against thee1 and thou alone know it1 without any other persons being acquainted with it40 ,but the direction given by the apostle to ,timothy1 to rebuke publicly those whose transgressions were public1 he himself exemplified in his conduct to ,peter4 ,for when ,peter committed a public offence1 he did not admonish him in private1 but brought him forward before all the ,church4#ajdg ,the legitimate course1 then1 will be1--in correcting secret faults1 to adopt the different steps directed by ,christ2 and in the case of those which are notorious1 to proceed at once to the solemn correction of the ,church1 especially if they be attended with public offence4 ,,iv4 ,it is also necessary to make another distinction between different sins2 some are smaller delinquencies1 others are flagitious or enormous crimes4 ,for the correction of atrocious crimes1 it is not sufficient to employ admonition or reproof2 recourse must be had to a severer remedy2 as ,paul shows1 when he does not content himself with censuring the incestuous ,corinthian1 but pronounces sentence of excommunication immediately on being certified of his crime4 ,now1 then1 we begin to have a clearer perception how the spiritual jurisdiction of the ,church1 which corrects sins according to the word of the ,lord1 is a most excellent preservative of health1 foundation of order1 and bond of unity4 ,therefore when the ,church excludes from its society all who are known to be guilty of adultery1 fornication1 theft1 robbery1 sedition1 perjury1 false witness1 and other similar crimes1 together with obstinate persons1 who1 after having been admonished even of smaller faults1 contemn ,god and his judgment1--it usurps no unreasonable authority1 but only exercises the jurisdiction which ,god has given it4 ,and that no one may despise this judgment of the ,church1 or consider it as of little importance that he is condemned by the voice of the faithful1 ,god has testified that it is no other than a declaration of his sentence1 and that what they do on earth shall be ratified in heaven4 ,for they have the word of the ,lord1 to condemn the perverse2 they have the word1 to receive the penitent into favour4 ,persons who believe that the ,church could not subsist without this bond of discipline1 are mistaken in their opinion1 unless we could safely dispense with that remedy which the ,lord foresaw would be necessary for us2 and how very necessary it is1 will be better discovered from its various use4 ,v4 ,now1 there are three ends proposed by the ,church in those corrections1 and in excommunication4 ,the first is1 that those who lead scandalous and flagitious lives1 may not1 to the dishonour of ,god1 be numbered among ,christians2 as if his holy ,church were a conspiracy of wicked and abandoned men4 ,for as the ,church is the body of ,christ1 it cannot be contaminated with such foul and putrid members without some ignominy being reflected upon the ,head4 ,that nothing may exist in the ,church1 therefore1 from which any disgrace may be thrown upon his venerable name1 it is necessary to expel from his family all those from whose turpitude infamy would redound to the profession of ,christianity4 ,here it is also necessary to have particular regard to the ,lord's supper1 that it may not be profaned by a promiscuous administration4 ,for it is certain that he who is intrusted with the dispensation of it1 if he knowingly and intentionally admit an unworthy person1 whom he might justly reject1 is as guilty of sacrilege as if he were to give the ,lord's body to dogs4 ,wherefore1 ,chrysostom severely inveighs against priests1 who1 from a fear of the great and the powerful1 did not dare to reject any persons who presented themselves4 8,blood10 says he1 8shall be required at your hands4 ,if you fear man1 he will deride you2 if you fear ,god1 you will also be honoured among men4 ,let us not be afraid of sceptres1 or diadems1 or imperial robes2 we have here a great power4 ,as for myself1 ,i will rather give up my body to death1 and suffer my blood to be shed1 than ,i will be partaker of this pollution40 ,to guard this most sacred mystery1 therefore1 from being reproached1 there is need of great discretion in the administration of it1 and this requires the jurisdiction of the ,church4 ,the second end is1 that the good may not be corrupted1 as is often the case1 by constant association with the wicked4 ,for1 such is our propensity to error1 nothing is more easy than for evil examples to seduce us from rectitude of conduct4 ,this use of discipline was remarked by the apostle1 when he directed the ,corinthians to expel from their society a person who had been guilty of incest4 8,a little leaven10 says he1 8leaveneth the whole lump40#ajdh ,and the apostle perceived such great danger from this quarter1 that he even interdicted believers from all social intercourse with the wicked4 8,i have written unto you1 not to keep company1 if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator1 or covetous1 or an idolater1 or a railer1 or a drunkard1 or an extortioner2 with such a one1 no1 not to eat40#ajdi ,the third end is1 that those who are censured or excommunicated1 confounded with the shame of their turpitude1 may be led to repentance4 ,thus it is even conducive to their own benefit for their iniquity to be punished1 that the stroke of the rod may arouse to a confession of their guilt1 those who would only be rendered more obstinate by indulgence4 ,the apostle intends the same when he says1 8,if any man obey not our word1 note that man1 and have no company with him1 that he may be ashamed40#ajej ,again1 when he says of the incestuous ,corinthian1 8,i have judged to deliver such a one unto ,satan1 that the spirit may be saved in the day of the ,lord20#ajea that is1 as ,i understand it1 that he had consigned him to a temporal condemnation1 that the spirit might be eternally saved4 ,he therefore calls it delivering to ,satan1 because the devil is without the ,church1 as ,christ is in the ,church4 ,for the opinion of some persons1 that it relates to a certain torment of the body in the present life1 inflicted by the agency of ,satan1 appears to me extremely doubtful4 ,,vi4 ,having stated these ends1 it remains for us to examine how the ,church exercises this branch of discipline1 which consists in jurisdiction4 ,in the first place1 let us keep in view the distinction before mentioned1 that some sins are public1 and others private1 or more concealed4 ,public sins are those which are not only known to one or two witnesses1 but are committed openly1 and to the scandal of the whole ,church4 ,by private sins1 ,i mean1 not such as are entirely unknown to men1 like those of hypocrites1--for these never come under the cognizance of the ,church1--but those of an intermediate class1 which are not without the knowledge of some witnesses1 and yet are not public4 ,the first sort requires not the adoption of the gradual measures enumerated by ,christ2 but it is the duty of the ,church1 on the occurrence of any notorious scandal1 immediately to summon the offender1 and to punish him in proportion to his crime4 ,sins of the second class1 according to the rule of ,christ1 are not to be brought before the ,church1 unless they are attended with contumacy1 in rejecting private admonition4 ,when they are submitted to the cognizance of the ,church1 then attention is to be paid to the other distinction1 between smaller delinquencies and more atrocious crimes4 ,for slighter offences require not the exertion of extreme severity2 it is sufficient to administer verbal castigation1 and that with paternal gentleness1 not calculated to exasperate or confound the offender1 but to bring him to himself1 that his correction may be an occasion of joy rather than of sorrow4 ,but it is proper that flagitious crimes should receive severer punishment2 for it is not enough for him who has grievously offended the ,church by the bad example of an atrocious crime1 merely to receive verbal castigation2 he ought to be deprived of the communion of the ,lord's supper for a time1 till he shall have given satisfactory evidence of repentance4 ,for ,paul not only employs verbal reproof against the ,corinthian transgressor1 but excludes him from the ,church1 and blames the ,corinthians for having tolerated him so long4 ,this order was retained in the ancient and purer ,church1 while any legitimate government continued4 ,for if any one had perpetrated a crime which was productive of offence1 he was commanded1 in the first place1 to abstain from the ,lord's supper1 and1 in the next place1 to humble himself before ,god1 and to testify his repentance before the ,church4 ,there were1 likewise1 certain solemn rites which it was customary to enjoin upon those who had fallen1 as signs of their repentance4 ,when the sinner had performed these for the satisfaction of the ,church1 he was then1 by imposition of hands1 readmitted to the communion4 ,this readmission is frequently called peace by ,cyprian1 who briefly describes the ceremony4 8,they do penance10 he says1 8for a sufficient time2 then they come to confession1 and by the imposition of the hands of the bishop and clergy1 are restored to the privilege of communion40 ,but though the bishop and clergy presided in the reconciliation of offenders1 yet they required the consent of the people2 as ,cyprian elsewhere states4 ,,vii4 ,from this discipline none were exempted2 so that princes and plebeians yielded the same submission to it2 and that with the greatest propriety1 since it is evidently the discipline of ,christ1 to whom it is reasonable that all the sceptres and diadems of kings should be subject4 ,thus ,theodosius1 when ,ambrose excluded him from the privilege of communion1 on account of a massacre perpetrated at ,thessalonica1 laid aside the ensigns of royalty with which he was invested1 publicly in the ,church bewailed his sin1 which the deceitful suggestions of others had tempted him to commit1 and implored pardon with groans and tears4 ,for great kings ought not to think it any dishonour to prostrate themselves as suppliants before ,christ the ,king of kings1 nor ought they to be displeased at being judged by the ,church4 ,as they hear scarcely any thing in their courts but mere flatteries1 it is the more highly necessary for them to receive correction from the ,lord by the mouth of his ministers2 they ought even to wish not to be spared by the pastors1 that they may be spared by the ,lord4 ,i forbear to mention here by whom this jurisdiction is to be exercised1 having spoken of this in another place4 ,i will only add1 that the legitimate process in excommunicating an offender1 which is pointed out by ,paul1 requires it to be done1 not by the elders alone1 but with the knowledge and approbation of the ,church3 in such a manner1 however1 that the multitude of the people may not direct the proceeding1 but may watch over it as witnesses and guardians1 that nothing may be done by a few persons from any improper motive4 ,beside the invocation of the name of ,god1 the whole of the proceeding ought to be conducted with a gravity declarative of the presence of ,christ1 that there may be no doubt of his presiding over the sentence4 ,,viii4 ,but it ought not to be forgotten1 that the severity becoming the ,church must be tempered with a spirit of gentleness4 ,for there is constant need of the greatest caution1 according to the injunction of ,paul respecting a person who may have been censured1 8lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow20#ajeb for thus a remedy would become a poison4 ,but the rule of moderation may be better deduced from the end intended to be accomplished2 for as the design of excommunication is1 that the sinner may be brought to repentance1 and evil examples taken away1 to prevent the name of ,christ from being blasphemed and other persons being tempted to imitation1--if we keep these things in view1 it will be easy to judge how far severity ought to proceed1 and where it ought to stop4 ,therefore1 when the sinner gives the ,church a testimony of his repentance1 and by this testimony1 as far as in him lies1 obliterates the offence1 he is by no means to be pressed any further2 and if he be pressed any further1 the rigour is carried beyond its proper limits4 ,in this respect1 it is impossible to excuse the excessive austerity of the ancients1 which was utterly at variance with the directions of the ,lord1 and led to the most dangerous consequences4 ,for when they sentenced an offender to solemn repentance1 and exclusion from the holy communion1 sometimes for three1 sometimes for four1 sometimes for seven years1 and sometimes for the remainder of life1--what other consequence could result from it1 but either great hypocrisy or extreme despair8 ,in like manner1 when any one had fallen a second time1 the refusal to admit him to a second repentance1 and his exclusion from the ,church to the end of his life1 was neither useful nor reasonable4 ,whoever considers the subject with sound judgment1 therefore1 will discover their want of prudence in this instance4 ,but ,i would rather reprobate the general custom1 than accuse all those who practised it2 among whom it is certain that some were not satisfied1 but they complied with it because it was not in their power to effect a reformation4 ,cyprian declares that it was not from his own choice that he was so rigorous4 8,our patience10 he says1 8and kindness and tenderness1 is ready for all who come4 ,i wish all to return into the ,church3 ,i wish all our fellow-soldiers to be assembled in the camp of ,christ1 and all our brethren to be received into the house of ,god our ,father4 ,i forgive every thing2 ,i conceal much2 from a zealous wish to collect all the brotherhood together1 even the sins committed against ,god ,i examine not with rigid severity2 and am scarcely free from fault myself1 in forgiving faults more easily than ,i ought4 ,with ready and entire affection ,i embrace those who return with penitence1 confessing their sin with humble and sincere satisfaction40 ,chrysostom is rather more severe2 yet he expresses himself thus3 8,if ,god is so kind1 why is his priest determined to be so austere80 ,we know1 likewise1 what kindness ,augustine exercised towards the ,donatists1 so that he hesitated not to receive into the bishoprics those who renounced their error2 and that immediately after their repentance4 ,but because a contrary system had prevailed1 they were obliged to relinquish their own judgment1 in order to follow the established custom4 ,,ix4 ,now1 as it is required of the whole body of the ,church1 in chastising any one who has fallen1 to manifest such gentleness and clemency as not to proceed to the extremity of rigour1 but rather1 according to the injunction of ,paul1 to 8confirm their love toward him10#ajec so it is the duty of every individual to moderate himself to the like tenderness and clemency4 ,such as are expelled from the ,church1 therefore1 it is not for us to expunge from the number of the elect1 or to despair of them as already lost4 ,it is proper to consider them as strangers to the ,church1 and consequently from ,christ1 but this only as long as they remain in a state of exclusion4 ,and even then1 if they exhibit more appearance of obstinacy than of humility1 still let us leave them to the judgment of ,god1 hoping better things of them for the future than we discover at present1 and not ceasing to pray to ,god on their behalf4 ,and to comprehend all in a word1 let us not condemn to eternal death the person himself1 who is in the hand and power of ,god alone1 but let us content ourselves with judging of the nature of his works according to the law of the ,lord4 ,while we follow this rule1 we rather adhere to the judgment of ,god than pronounce our own4 ,let us not arrogate to ourselves any greater latitude of judging1 unless we would limit the power and prescribe laws to the mercy of ,god2 for1 whenever it seems good to him1 the worst of men are changed into the best1 strangers are introduced1 and foreigners are admitted into the ,church4 ,and this the ,lord does1 to frustrate the opinion and repress the presumption of men1 which would usurp the most unwarrantable liberty of judging1 if it were left without any restraint4 ,x4 ,when ,christ promises that what his ministers bind on earth shall be bound in heaven1 he limits the power of binding to the censure of the ,church2 by which those who are excommunicated are not cast into eternal ruin and condemnation1 but1 by hearing their life and conduct condemned1 are also certified of their final condemnation1 unless they repent4 ,for excommunication differs from anathema2 the latter1 which ought to be very rarely or never resorted to1 precluding all pardon1 execrates a person1 and devotes him to eternal perdition2 whereas excommunication rather censures and punishes his conduct4 ,and though it does1 at the same time1 punish the person1 yet it is in such a manner1 that1 by warning him of his future condemnation1 it recalls him to salvation4 ,if he obey1 the ,church is ready to re-admit him to its friendship1 and to restore him to its communion4 ,therefore1 though the discipline of the ,church admits not of our friendly association and familiar intercourse with excommunicated persons1 yet we ought to exert all the means in our power to promote their reformation1 and their return to the society and communion of the ,church2 as we are taught by the apostle1 who says1 8,yet count him not as an enemy1 but admonish him as a brother40#ajed ,unless this tenderness be observed by the individual members1 as well as by the ,church collectively1 our discipline will be in danger of speedily degenerating into cruelty4 ,,xi4 ,it is also particularly requisite to the moderation of discipline1 as ,augustine observes in disputing with the ,donatists1 that private persons1 if they see faults corrected with too little diligence by the council of elders1 should not on that account immediately withdraw from the ,church2 and that the pastors themselves1 if they cannot succeed according to the wishes of their hearts in reforming every thing that needs correction1 should not1 in consequence of this1 desert the ministry1 or disturb the whole ,church with unaccustomed asperity4 ,for there is much truth in his observation1 that 8whoever either corrects what he can by reproof2 or what he cannot correct1 excludes1 without breaking the bond of peace2 or what he cannot exclude1 without breaking the bond of peace1 censures with moderation and bears with firmness2 he is free from the curse1 and chargeable with no blame40 ,in another passage he assigns the reason2 because 8all the pious order and method of ecclesiastical discipline ought constantly to regard the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace2 which the apostle commands to be kept by mutual forbearance2 and without the preservation of which1 the medicine of chastisement is not only superfluous1 but even becomes pernicious1 and consequently is no longer a medicine40 ,again3 8,he who attentively considers these things neither neglects severity of discipline for the preservation of unity1 nor breaks the bond of fellowship by an intemperance of correction40 ,he acknowledges indeed that it is not only the duty of the pastors to endeavour to purify the ,church from every fault1 but that it is likewise incumbent on every individual to exert all his influence for the same purpose2 and he fully admits1 that a person who neglects to admonish1 reprove1 and correct the wicked1 though he neither favours them nor unites in their sins1 is nevertheless culpable in the sight of the ,lord2 but that he who sustains such an office as to have power to exclude them from a participation of the sacraments1 and does it not1 is chargeable1 in that case1 not with the guilt of another1 but with a sin of his own2 he only recommends it to be done with the prudence required by our ,lord1 8lest while0 they 8gather up the tares10 they 8root up also the wheat with them40#ajee ,hence he concludes with ,cyprian1 8,let a man1 therefore1 in mercy correct what he can2 what he cannot1 let him patiently bear and affectionately lament40 ,,xii4 ,these remarks of ,augustine were made in consequence of the rigour of the ,donatists1 who1 seeing vices in the ,church1 which the bishops condemned by verbal reproofs1 but did not punish with excommunication1 which they thought not adapted to produce any good effects1 inveighed in a most outrageous manner against the bishops1 as betrayers of discipline1 and by an impious schism separated themselves from the flock of ,christ4 ,the same conduct is pursued in the present day by the ,anabaptists1 who1 acknowledging no congregation to belong to ,christ1 unless it be1 in all respects1 conspicuous for angelic perfection1 under the pretext of zeal1 destroy all edification4 8,such persons10 says ,augustine1 8not actuated by hatred against the iniquity of others1 but stimulated by fondness for their own disputes1 desire either wholly to pervert1 or at least to divide the weak multitude by insnaring them with their boastful pretensions2 inflated with pride1 infuriated with obstinacy1 insidious with calumnies1 turbulent with seditions1 that their destitution of the light of truth may not be detected1 they conceal themselves under the covert of a rigorous severity2 and those things which the ,scripture commands to be done for the correction of the faults of our brethren1 without violating the sincerity of love1 or disturbing the unity of peace1 but with the moderation of a remedial process1 they abuse1 to an occasion of dissension and to the sacrilege of schism4 ,thus ,satan transforms himself into an angel of light1 when from just severity he takes occasion to persuade men to inhuman cruelty1 with no other object than to corrupt and break the bond of peace and unity2 by the preservation of which among ,christians1 all his power to injure them is weakened1 his insidious snares are broken1 and his schemes for their ruin come to nothing40 ,,xiii4 ,there is one thing which this father particularly recommends--that if the contagion of any sin has infected a whole people1 there is a necessity for the severity and mercy which are combined in strict discipline4 8,for schemes of separation10 he says1 8are pernicious and sacrilegious1 because they proceed from pride and impiety1 and disturb the good who are weak1 more than they correct the wicked who are bold40 ,and what he here prescribes to others1 he faithfully followed himself4 ,for writing to ,aurelius1 bishop of ,carthage1 he complained that drunkenness1 which is so severely condemned in the ,scripture1 prevailed with impunity in ,africa1 and persuaded him to endeavour to remedy it by calling a provincial council4 ,he immediately adds1 8,i believe these things are suppressed not by harshness1 severity1 or imperiousness1 but by teaching rather than commanding1 by admonitions rather than by menaces4 ,for this is the conduct to be pursued with a multitude of offenders2 but severity is to be exercised against the sins of a few40 ,yet he does not mean that bishops should connive or be silent1 because they cannot inflict severe punishments for public crimes1 as he afterwards explains2 but he means that the correction should be tempered with such moderation1 as to be salutary rather than injurious to the body4 ,and therefore he at length concludes in the following manner3 8,wherefore1 also1 that command of the apostle1 to put away the wicked1#ajef ought by no means to be neglected1 when it can be done without danger of disturbing the peace2 for in this case alone did he intend that it should be enforced2 and we are also to observe his other injunction1 to forbear one another in love1 endeavouring to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace40#ajeg ,,xiv4 ,the remaining part of discipline1 which is not strictly included in the power of the keys1 consists in this--that the pastors1 according to the necessity of the times1 should exhort the people either to fastings or solemn supplications1 or to other exercises of humility1 repentance1 and faith1 of which the word of ,god prescribes neither the time1 the extent1 nor the form1 but leaves all this to the judgment of the ,church4 ,the observation of these things1 also1 which are highly useful1 was always practised by the ancient ,church from the days of the apostles2 though the apostles themselves were not the first authors of them1 but derived the example from the law and the prophets4 ,for there we find1 that whenever any important business occurred1 the people were assembled1 supplications commanded1 and fasting enjoined4 ,the apostles1 therefore1 followed what was not new to the people of ,god1 and what they foresaw would be useful4 ,the same reasoning is applicable to other exercises by which the people may be excited to duty1 or preserved in obedience4 ,examples abound in the sacred history1 which it is unnecessary to enumerate4 ,the conclusion to be deduced from the whole is1 that whenever a controversy arises respecting religion1 which requires to be decided by a council or ecclesiastical judgment2 whenever a minister is to be chosen2 in short1 whenever any thing of difficulty or great importance is transacting2 and also when any tokens of the ,divine wrath are discovered1 such as famine1 pestilence1 or war2--it is a pious custom1 and beneficial in all ages1 for the pastors to exhort the people to public fasts and extraordinary prayers4 ,if the testimonies which may be adduced from the ,old ,testament be rejected1 as inapplicable to the ,christian church1 it is evident that the apostles practised the same4 ,respecting prayers1 however1 ,i suppose scarcely a person will be found disposed to raise any dispute4 ,therefore let us say something of fasting2 because many1 for want of knowing its usefulness1 undervalue its necessity1 and some reject it as altogether superfluous2 while1 on the other hand1 where the use of it is not well understood1 it easily degenerates into superstition4 ,,xv4 ,holy and legitimate fasting is directed to three ends4 ,for we practise it1 either as a restraint on the flesh1 to preserve it from licentiousness1 or as a preparation for prayers and pious meditations1 or as a testimony of our humiliation in the presence of ,god1 when we are desirous of confessing our guilt before him4 ,the first is not often contemplated in public fasting1 because all men have not the same constitution or health of body2 therefore it is rather more applicable to private fasting4 ,the second end is common to both1 such preparation for prayer being necessary to the whole ,church1 as well as to every one of the faithful in particular4 ,the same may be said of the third4 ,for it will sometimes happen that ,god will afflict a whole nation with war1 pestilence1 or some other calamity2 under such a common scourge1 it behoves all the people to make a confession of their guilt4 ,when the hand of the ,lord chastises an individual1 he ought to make a similar confession1 either alone or with his family4 ,it is true that this acknowledgment lies principally in the disposition of the heart2 but when the heart is affected as it ought to be1 it can scarcely avoid breaking out into the external expression1 and most especially when it promotes the general edification2 in order that all1 by a public confession of their sin1 may unitedly acknowledge the justice of ,god1 and may mutually animate each other by the influence of example4 ,,xvi4 ,wherefore fasting1 as it is a sign of humiliation1 is of more frequent use in public1 than among individuals in private2 though it is common to both1 as we have already observed4 ,with regard to the discipline1 therefore1 of which we are now treating1 whenever supplications are to be presented to ,god on any important occasion1 it would be right to enjoin the union of fasting with prayer4 ,thus when the believers at ,antioch 8laid their hands on ,paul and ,barnabas10 the better to recommend their very important ministry to ,god1 they 8fasted0 as well as 8prayed40#ajeh ,so also when ,paul and ,barnabas afterwards 8ordained elders in every ,church10 they used to 8pray with fasting40#ajei ,in this kind of fasting1 their only object was1 that they might be more lively and unembarrassed in prayer4 ,and we find by experience1 that after a full meal1 the mind does not aspire towards ,god so as to be able to enter on prayer1 and to continue in it with seriousness and ardour of affection4 ,so we are to understand what ,luke says of ,anna1 that she 8served ,god with fastings and prayers40#ajfj ,for he does not place the worship of ,god in fasting1 but signifies that by such means that holy woman habituated herself to a constancy in prayer4 ,such was the fasting of ,nehemiah1 when he prayed to ,god with more than common fervour for the deliverance of his people4#ajfa ,for this cause ,paul declares it to be expedient for believers to practise a temporary abstinence from lawful enjoyments1 that they may be more at liberty to 8give themselves to fasting and prayer40#ajfb ,for by connecting fasting with prayer as an assistance to it1 he signifies that fasting is of no importance in itself1 any further than as it is directed to this end4 ,besides1 from the direction which he gives in that place to husbands and wives1 to 8render to0 each other 8due benevolence10 it is clear that he is not speaking of daily prayers1 but of such as require peculiar earnestness of attention4 ,,xvii4 ,in like manner1 when war1 pestilence1 or famine begins to rage1 or when any other calamity appears to threaten a country and people1 then also it is the duty of pastors to exhort the ,church to fasting1 that with humble supplications they may deprecate the wrath of the ,lord2 for when he causes danger to appear1 he announces himself as prepared and armed for vengeance4 ,therefore1 as it was anciently the custom for criminals to appear with long beards1 dishevelled hair1 and mourning apparel1 in order to excite the pity of the judge2 so when we stand as criminals before the tribunal of ,god1 it is conducive to his glory and the general edification1 as well as expedient and salutary for ourselves1 to deprecate his severity by external demonstrations of sorrow4 ,that this was customary among the people of ,israel1 it is easy to infer from the language of ,joel2 for when he commands to 8blow the trumpet1 sanctify a fast1 and call a solemn assembly10#ajfc and proceeds to give other directions1 he speaks as of things commonly practised4 ,he had just before said that inquisition was made respecting the crimes of the people1 had announced that the day of the ,lord was at hand1 and had cited them1 as criminals1 to appear and answer for themselves2 afterwards1 he warns them to have recourse to sackcloth and ashes1 to weeping and fasting1 that is1 to prostrate themselves before the ,lord with external demonstrations of humility4 ,sackcloth and ashes1 perhaps1 were more suitable to those times2 but there is no doubt that assembling1 and weeping1 and fastings1 and similar acts1 are equally proper for us in the present age1 whenever the state of our affairs requires them4 ,for as it is a holy exercise1 adapted both to humble men and to confess their humility1 why should it be less used by us than by the ancients in similar necessities8 ,we read that fasting in token of sorrow was not only practised by the ,israelitish ,church1 which was formed and regulated by the word of ,god1 but also by the inhabitants of ,nineveh1 who had no instruction except the preaching of ,jonah4#ajfd ,what cause1 then1 is there1 why we should not practise the same8 ,but1 it will be said1 it is an external ceremony1 which1 with all the rest1 terminated in ,christ4 ,i reply1 that even at this day it is1 as it always has been1 a most excellent assistance and useful admonition to believers to stimulate them1 and guard them against further provocations of ,god by their carelessness and inattention1 when they are chastised by his scourges4 ,therefore1 when ,christ excuses his apostles for not fasting1 he does not say that fasting is abolished1 but appoints it for seasons of calamity1 and connects it with sorrow4 8,the days will come10 says he1 8when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them40#ajfe ,,xviii4 ,that there may be no mistake respecting the term1 let us define what fasting is4 ,for we do not understand it to denote mere temperance and abstinence in eating and drinking1 but something more4 ,the life of believers1 indeed1 ought to be so regulated by frugality and sobriety1 as to exhibit1 as far as possible1 the appearance of a perpetual fast4 ,but beside this1 there is another temporary fast1 when we retrench any thing from our customary mode of living1 either for a day or for any certain time1 and prescribe to ourselves a more than commonly rigid and severe abstinence in food4 ,this restriction consists in three things1--in time1 in quality1 and in quantity of food4 ,by time1 ,i mean that we should perform1 while fasting1 those exercises on account of which fasts are instituted4 ,as1 for example1 if any one fast for solemn prayer1 he should not break his fast till he has attended to it4 ,the quality consists in an entire abstinence from dainties1 and contentment with simpler and humbler fare1 that our appetite may not be stimulated by delicacies4 ,the rule of quantity is1 that we eat more sparingly and slightly than usual1 only for necessity1 and not for pleasure4 ,,xix4 ,but it is necessary for us1 above all things1 to be particularly on our guard against the approaches of superstition1 which has heretofore been a source of great injury to the ,church4 ,for it were far better that fasting should be entirely disused1 than that the practice should be diligently observed1 and at the same time corrupted with false and pernicious opinions1 into which the world is continually falling1 unless it be prevented by the greatest fidelity and prudence of the pastors4 ,the first caution necessary1 and which they should be constantly urging1 is that suggested by ,joel3 8,rend your heart1 and not your garments20#ajff that is1 they should admonish the people1 that ,god sets no value on fasting1 unless it be accompanied with a correspondent disposition of heart1 a real displeasure against sin1 sincere self-abhorrence1 true humiliation1 and unfeigned grief arising from a fear of ,god2 and that fasting is of no use on any other account than as an additional and subordinate assistance to these things4 ,for nothing is more abominable to ,god1 than when men attempt to impose upon him by the presentation of signs and external appearances instead of purity of heart4 ,therefore he severely reprobates this hypocrisy in the ,jews1 who imagined they had satisfied ,god merely by having fasted1 while they cherished impious and impure thoughts in their hearts4 8,is it such a fast1 saith the ,lord1 that ,i have chosen80#ajfg ,the fasting of hypocrites1 therefore1 is not only superfluous and useless fatigue1 but the greatest abomination4 ,allied to this is another evil1 which requires the most vigilant caution1 lest it be considered as a meritorious act1 or a species of divine service4 ,for as it is a thing indifferent in itself1 and possesses no other value than it derives from those ends to which it ought to be directed1 it is most pernicious superstition to confound it with works commanded by ,god1 and necessary in themselves1 without reference to any ulterior object4 ,such was formerly the folly of the ,manichans1 in the refutation of whom ,augustine most clearly shows1 that fasting is to be held in no other estimation than on account of those ends which ,i here mention1 and that it receives no approbation from ,god1 unless it be practised for their sake4 ,the third error is not so impious1 indeed1 yet it is pregnant with danger1 to enforce it with extreme rigour as one of the principal duties1 and to extol it with extravagant encomiums1 so that men imagine themselves to have performed a work of peculiar excellence when they have fasted4 ,in this respect1 ,i dare not wholly excuse the ancient fathers from having sown some seeds of superstition1 and given occasion to the tyranny which afterwards arose4 ,their writings contain some sound and judicious sentiments on the subject of fasting2 but they also contain extravagant praises1 which elevate it to a rank among the principal virtues4 ,,xx4 ,and the superstitious observance of ,lent had at that time generally prevailed1 because the common people considered themselves as performing an eminent act of obedience to ,god1 and the pastors commended it as a holy imitation of ,christ2 whereas it is plain that ,christ fasted1 not to set an example to others1 but in order that by such an introduction to the preaching of the gospel1 he might prove the doctrine not to be a human invention1 but a revelation from heaven4 ,and it is surprising that men of acute discernment could ever entertain such a gross error1 which is disproved by such numerous and satisfactory arguments4 ,for ,christ did not fast often1 which it was necessary for him to do1 if he intended to establish a law for anniversary fasts1 but only once1 while he was preparing to enter on the promulgation of the gospel4 ,nor did he fast in the manner of men1 as it behoved him to do1 if he intended to stimulate men to an imitation of him3 on the contrary1 he exhibited an example calculated to attract the admiration of all1 rather than to excite them to a desire of emulating his example4 ,in short1 there was no other reason for his fasting than for that of ,moses1 when he received the law from the hand of the ,lord4 ,for as that miracle was exhibited in ,moses1 to establish the authority of the law1 it was necessary that it should not be omitted in ,christ1 lest the gospel should seem to be inferior to the law4 ,but from that time1 it never entered into any man's mind to introduce such a form of fasting among the people of ,israel1 under the pretext of imitating ,moses2 nor was it followed by any of the holy prophets and fathers1 notwithstanding their inclination and zeal for all pious exercises4 ,for the account of ,elijah1 that he lived forty days without meat and drink1 was only intended to teach the people that he was raised up to be the restorer of the law1 from which almost all ,israel had departed4 ,it was nothing but a vain and superstitious affectation1 therefore1 to dignify the fasting of ,lent with the title and pretext of an imitation of ,christ4 ,in the manner of fasting1 however1 there was at that time a great diversity1 as ,cassiodorus relates from ,socrates1 in the ninth book of his history4 8,for the ,romans10 he says1 8had no more than three weeks2 but during these there was a continual fast1 except on the ,sunday and ,saturday4 ,the ,illyrians and ,greeks had six weeks1 and others had seven2 but they fasted at intervals4 ,nor did they differ less as to the nature of their food4 ,some made use of nothing but bread and water2 others added vegetables to fish2 some did not abstain from fowl2 others made no distinction at all between any kinds of food40 ,this diversity is also mentioned by ,augustine1 in his second epistle to ,januarius4 ,,xxi4 ,the times which followed were still worse2 to the preposterous zeal of the multitude was added the ignorance and stupidity of the bishops1 with their lust of dominion and tyrannical rigour4 ,impious laws were enacted to bind men's consciences with fatal chains4 ,the eating of animal food was interdicted1 as though it would contaminate them4 ,sacrilegious opinions were added one after another1 till they arrived at an ocean of errors4 ,and that no corruption might be omitted1 they have begun to trifle with ,god by the most ridiculous pretensions to abstinence4 ,for in the midst of all the most exquisite delicacies1 they seek the praise of fasting2 no dainties are then sufficient2 they never have food in greater plenty1 or variety1 or deliciousness4 ,such splendid provision they call fasting1 and imagine it to be the legitimate service of ,god4 ,i say nothing of the base gluttony practised at that season1 more than at any other time1 by those who wish to pass for the greatest saints4 ,in short they esteem it the highest worship of ,god to abstain from animal food1 and with this exception1 to indulge themselves in every kind of dainties4 ,on the other hand1 to taste the least morsel of bacon or salted meat and brown bread1 they deem an act of the vilest impiety1 and deserving of worse than death4 ,jerome relates1 that there were some persons1 even in his time1 who trifled with ,god by such fooleries2 who1 to avoid making use of oil1 procured the most delicate kinds of food to be brought from every country2 and who1 to do violence to nature1 abstained from drinking water1 but procured delicious and costly liquors to be made for them1 which they drank1 not from a cup1 but from a shell4 ,what was then the vice of a few1 is now become common among all wealthy persons2 they fast for no other purpose than to feast with more than common sumptuousness and delicacy4 ,but ,i have no inclination to waste many words on a thing so notorious4 ,i only assert1 that neither in their fastings1 nor in any other parts of their discipline1 have the ,papists any thing so correct1 sincere1 or well regulated1 as to have the least occasion to pride themselves upon any thing being left among them worthy of praise4 ,,xxii4 ,there remains the second part of the discipline of the ,church1 which particularly relates to the clergy4 ,it is contained in the canons which the ancient bishops imposed on themselves and their order2 such as these3 ,that no ecclesiastic should employ his time in hunting1 gambling1 or feasting2 that no one should engage in usury or commerce2 that no one should be present at dissolute dances2 and other similar injunctions4 ,penalties were likewise annexed1 to confirm the authority of the canons1 and to prevent their being violated with impunity4 ,for this end1 to every bishop was committed the government of his clergy1 to rule them according to the canons1 and to oblige them to do their duty4 ,for this purpose were instituted annual visitations and synods1 that if any one were negligent in his duty1 he might be admonished1 and that any one who committed a fault might be corrected according to his offence4 ,the bishops also had their provincial councils1 once every year1 and anciently even twice a year1 by which they were judged1 if they had committed any breach of their duty4 ,for if a bishop was too severe or violent against his clergy1 there was a right of appeal to the provincial councils1 even though there was only a single complainant4 ,the severest punishment was the deposition of the offender from his office1 and his exclusion for a time from the communion4 ,and because this was a perpetual regulation1 they never used to dissolve a provincial council without appointing a time and place for the next4 ,for1 to summon a universal council1 was the exclusive prerogative of the emperor1 as all the ancient records testify4 ,as long as this severity continued1 the clergy required nothing more from the people than they exemplified in their own conduct4 ,indeed1 they were far more severe to themselves than to the laity2 and it is reasonable that the people should be ruled with a milder and less rigid discipline2 and that the clergy should inflict heavier censures1 and exercise far less indulgence to themselves than to other persons4 ,how all this has become obsolete1 it is unnecessary to relate1 when nothing can be imagined more licentious and dissolute than this order of men in the present day2 and their profligacy has gone to such a length1 that the whole world is exclaiming against them4 ,that all antiquity may not appear to have been entirely forgotten by them1 ,i confess1 they deceive the eyes of the simple with certain shadows1 but these bear no more resemblance to the ancient usages1 than the mimicry of an ape to the rational and considerate conduct of men4 ,there is a remarkable passage in ,xenophon1 where he states how shamefully the ,persians had degenerated from the virtues of their ancestors1 and1 from an austere course of life1 had sunk into delicacy and effeminacy1 but that1 to conceal their shame1 they sedulously observed the ancient forms4 ,for whereas1 in the time of ,cyrus1 sobriety and temperance were carried so far1 that it was unnecessary1 and was even considered as a disgrace for any one to blow his nose1 their posterity continued scrupulously to refrain from this act2 but to absorb the mucus1 and retain the fetid humours produced by their gluttony1 even till they almost putrefied1 was held quite allowable4 ,so1 according to the ancient rule1 it was unlawful to bring cups to the table2 but they had no objection to drink wine till they were obliged to be carried away drunk4 ,it had been an established custom to eat only one meal a day2 these good successors had not abolished this custom1 but they had continued their banquets from noon to midnight4 ,because their ancient law enjoined men to finish their day's journey fasting1 it continued to be a permanent custom among them2 but they were at liberty1 and it was the general practice1 for the sake of avoiding fatigue1 to contract the journey to two hours4 ,whenever the ,papists bring forward their degenerate rules1 for the purpose of showing their resemblance to the holy fathers1 this example will sufficiently expose their ridiculous imitation1 of which no painter could draw a more striking likeness4 ,,xxiii4 ,in one instance1 they are too rigorous and inflexible1 that is1 in not permitting priests to marry4 ,with what impunity fornication rages among them1 it is unnecessary to remark2 imboldened by their polluted celibacy1 they have become hardened to every crime4 ,yet this prohibition clearly shows how pestilent are all their traditions2 since it has not only deprived the ,church of upright and able pastors1 but has formed a horrible gulf of enormities1 and precipitated many souls into the abyss of despair4 ,the interdiction of marriage to priests was certainly an act of impious tyranny1 not only contrary to the word of ,god1 but at variance with every principle of justice4 ,in the first place1 it was on no account lawful for men to prohibit that which the ,lord had left free4 ,secondly1 that ,god had expressly provided in his word that this liberty should not be infringed1 is too clear to require much proof4 ,i say nothing of the direction1 repeatedly given by ,paul1 that a bishop should be 8the husband of one wife20#ajfh but what could be expressed with greater force1 than where he announces a revelation from the ,holy ,spirit1 8that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith1 forbidding to marry10 and represents these not only as impostors1 but as disseminating 8doctrines of devils40#ajfi ,this1 therefore1 was a prophecy1 a sacred oracle of the ,holy ,spirit1 by which he intended from the beginning to forearm the ,church against dangers--that the prohibition of marriage is a doctrine of devils4 ,but our adversaries imagine themselves to have admirably evaded this charge1 when they misapply it to ,montanus1 the ,tatianists1 ,encratites1 and other ancient heretics4 ,it refers1 say they1 to those who have condemned marriage altogether2 we by no means condemn it2 we merely prohibit it to the clergy1 from an opinion that it is not proper for them4 ,as if1 though this prophecy had once been accomplished in those ancient heretics1 it might not also be applicable to them2 or as if this puerile cavil1 that they do not prohibit marriage1 because they do not prohibit it to all1 were deserving of the least attention4 ,this is just as if a tyrant should contend that there can be no injustice in a law1 the injustice of which only oppresses one part of a nation4 ,,xxiv4 ,they object1 that there ought to be some mark to distinguish the clergy from the laity4 ,as though the ,lord did not foresee what are the true ornaments in which priests ought to excel4 ,by this plea1 they charge the apostle with disturbing the order and violating the decorum of the ,church1 who1 in delineating the perfect model of a good bishop1 among the other virtues which he required in him1 dared to mention marriage4 ,i know that they interpret this to mean1 that no one is chosen a bishop who shall have had a second wife4 ,and ,i grant that this interpretation is not new2 but that it is erroneous1 is evident from the context itself2 because he immediately after prescribes what characters the wives of bishops and deacons ought to possess4 ,paul places marriage among the virtues of a bishop2 these men teach that it is a vice not to be tolerated in the clergy2 and not content with this general censure1 they call it carnal pollution and impurity1 which is the language of ,syricius1 one of the pontiffs1 recited in their canons4 ,let every man reflect from what source these things can have proceeded4 ,christ has been pleased to put such honour upon marriage1 as to make it an image of his sacred union with the ,church4 ,what could be said more1 in commendation of the dignity of marriage8 ,with what face can that be called impure and polluted1 which exhibits a similitude of the spiritual grace of ,christ8 ,,xxv4 ,now1 though their prohibition is so clearly repugnant to the word of ,god1 yet they find something in the ,scriptures to urge in its defence4 ,the ,levitical priests1 whenever it came to their turn to minister at the altar1 were required not to cohabit with their wives1 that they might be pure and immaculate to perform the sacrifices2 it would therefore be exceedingly unbecoming for our sacraments1 which are far more excellent and of daily recurrence1 to be administered by married men4 ,as though the evangelical ministry and the ,levitical priesthood were one and the same office4 ,on the contrary1 the ,levitical priests were antitypes1 representing ,christ1 who1 as the ,mediator between ,god and man1 was to reconcile the ,father to us by his perfect purity4 ,now1 as it was impossible for sinners to exhibit in every respect a type of his sanctity1 yet in order to display some faint shadows of it1 they were commanded to purify themselves in a manner beyond what is common among men1 whenever they approached the sanctuary2 because on those occasions they properly represented ,christ1 in appearing at the tabernacle1 which was a type of the heavenly tribunal1 as mediators to reconcile the people to ,god4 ,as the pastors of the ,church now sustain no such office1 the comparison is nothing to the purpose4 ,wherefore the apostle1 without any exception1 confidently pronounces1 that 8marriage is honourable in all2 but whoremongers and adulterers ,god will judge40#ajgj ,and the apostles themselves have proved by their own example that marriage is not unbecoming the sanctity of any office1 however excellent2 for ,paul testifies that they not only retained their wives1 but took them about with them4#ajga ,,xxvi4 ,it has also betrayed egregious impudence1 to insist on this appearance of chastity as a necessary thing1 to the great disgrace of the ancient ,church1 which abounded with such peculiar ,divine knowledge1 but was still more eminent for sanctity4 ,for if they pay no regard to the apostles1 whom they often have the hardihood to treat with contempt1 what will they say of all the ancient fathers1 who1 it is certain1 not only tolerated marriage in bishops1 but likewise approved of it8 ,it would follow that they must have practised a foul profanation of sacred things1 since1 according to the notion we are opposing1 they did not celebrate the mysteries of the ,lord with the requisite purity4 ,the injunction of celibacy was agitated in the council of ,nice2 for there are never wanting little minds1 absorbed in superstition1 who endeavour to make themselves admired by the invention of some novelty4 ,but what was the decision8 ,the council coincided in the opinion of ,paphnutius1 who pronounced that 8a man's cohabitation with his own wife is chastity40 ,therefore marriage continued to be held sacred among them1 nor was it esteemed any disgrace to them1 or considered as casting any blemish on the ministry4 ,,xxvii4 ,afterwards followed times distinguished by a too superstitious admiration of celibacy4 ,hence those frequent and extravagant encomiums on virginity1 with which scarcely any other virtue was in general deemed worthy to be compared4 ,and though marriage was not condemned as impure1 yet its dignity was so diminished1 and its sanctity obscured1 that he who did not refrain from it was not considered as aspiring to perfection with sufficient fortitude of mind4 ,hence those canons1 which prohibited the contraction of marriage by those who had already entered on the office of priests2 and succeeding ones1 which prohibited the admission to that office of any but those who had never been married1 or who had abjured all cohabitation with their wives4 ,because these things seemed to add respectability to the priesthood1 they were received1 ,i confess1 even in early times1 with great applause4 ,but our adversaries object antiquity against us4 ,i answer1 ,in the first place1 in the days of the apostles1 and for several ages after1 the bishops were at liberty to marry2 and the apostles themselves1 as well as other pastors of the highest reputation who succeeded them1 made use of this liberty without any difficulty4 ,the example of the primitive ,church we ought to hold in higher estimation than to deem that unlawful or unbecoming which was then received and practised with approbation4 ,secondly2 even that age1 which1 from a superstitious attachment to virginity1 began to be more unfavourable to marriage1 did not impose the law of celibacy upon the priests as if it were absolutely necessary1 but because they preferred celibacy to marriage4 ,lastly2 this law did not require the compulsion of continence in those who were not able to keep it2 for while the severest punishments were denounced on priests who were guilty of fornication1 those who married were merely dismissed from their office4 ,,xxviii4 ,therefore1 whenever the advocates of this modern tyranny attempt to defend their celibacy with the pretext of antiquity1 we shall not fail to reply1 that they ought to restore the ancient chastity in their priests1 to remove all adulterers and fornicators1 not to suffer those1 whom they forbid the virtuous and chaste society of a wife1 to abandon themselves with impunity to every kind of debauchery1 to revive the obsolete discipline by which all indecencies may be repressed1 to deliver the ,church from this flagitious turpitude1 by which it has been so long deformed4 ,when they shall have granted this1 it will still be necessary to admonish them not to impose that as necessary1 which1 being free in itself1 depends on the convenience of the ,church4 ,yet ,i have not made these observations from an opinion that we ought on any condition to admit those canons which impose the obligation of celibacy on the clergy1 but to enable the more judicious to perceive the effrontery of our adversaries in alleging the authority of antiquity to bring disgrace on holy marriage in priests4 ,with respect to the fathers1 whose writings are extant1 with the exception of ,jerome1 they have not so malignantly detracted from the virtue of marriage1 when they have been expressing their own sentiments4 ,we shall content ourselves with one testimony of ,chrysostom1 because he1 who was a principal admirer of virginity1 cannot be supposed to have been more lavish than others in commendation of marriage4 ,he says1 8,the first degree of chastity is pure virginity2 the second is faithful marriage4 ,therefore the second species of virginity is the chaste love of matrimony40 ,footnote #ajdc3 ,acts xx4 #bj1 #bf1 #ca4 ,footnote #ajdd3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ae-ag4 ,footnote #ajde3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ajdf3 #a ,tim4 v4 #bj4 ,footnote #ajdg3 ,gal4 ii4 #aa1 #ad4 ,footnote #ajdh3 #a ,cor4 v4 #f4 ,footnote #ajdi3 #a ,cor4 v4 #aa4 ,footnote #ajej3 #b ,thess4 iii4 #ad4 ,footnote #ajea3 #a ,cor4 v4 #c1 #e4 ,footnote #ajeb3 #b ,cor4 ii4 #g4 ,footnote #ajec3 #b ,cor4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #ajed3 #b ,thess4 iii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ajee3 ,matt4 xiii4 #bi4 ,footnote #ajef3 #a ,cor4 v4 #ac4 ,footnote #ajeg3 ,eph4 iv4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #ajeh3 ,acts xiii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #ajei3 ,acts xiv4 #bc4 ,footnote #ajfj3 ,luke ii4 #cg4 ,footnote #ajfa3 ,neh4 i4 #d4 ,footnote #ajfb3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #e4 ,footnote #ajfc3 ,joel ii4 #ae4 ,footnote #ajfd3 ,jonah iii4 #e4 ,footnote #ajfe3 ,matt4 ix4 #ae4 ,luke v4 #cd1 #ce4 ,footnote #ajff3 ,joel ii4 #ac4 ,footnote #ajfg3 ,isaiah lviii4 #e4 ,footnote #ajfh3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #b4 ,titus i4 #f4 ,footnote #ajfi3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #a1 #c4 ,footnote #ajgj3 ,heb4 xiii4 #d4 ,footnote #ajga3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #e4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,vows3 ,,the ,,misery ,,of ,,rashly ,,making ,,them4 ,it is a thing truly to be deplored1 that the ,church1 after its liberty had been purchased by the inestimable price of the blood of ,christ1 should have been so oppressed with a cruel tyranny1 and almost overwhelmed with an immense mass of traditions2 but the general frenzy of individuals shows that it has not been without the justest cause1 that ,god has permitted so much to be done by ,satan and his ministers4 ,for it was not sufficient for them to neglect the command of ,christ1 and to endure every burden imposed on them by false teachers1 unless they respectively added some of their own1 and so sunk themselves deeper in pits of their own digging4 ,this was the consequence of their rivalling each other in the contrivance of vows to add a stronger and stricter obligation to the common bonds4 ,as we have shown that the service of ,god was corrupted by the audacity of those who domineered over the ,church under the title of pastors1 insnaring unhappy consciences with their unjust laws2 it will not be irrelevant here to expose a kindred evil1 in order to show that men1 in the depravity of their hearts1 have opposed every possible obstacle to those means by which they ought to have been conducted to ,god4 ,now1 to make it more evident that vows have been productive of the most serious mischiefs1 it is necessary to remind the readers of the principles already stated4 ,in the first place1 we have shown that every thing necessary to the regulation of a pious and holy life is comprehended in the law4 ,we have also shown1 that the ,lord1 in order to call us off more effectually from the contrivance of new works1 has included all the praise of righteousness in simple obedience to his will4 ,if these things be true1 the conclusion is obvious1 that all the services which we invent for the purpose of gaining the favour of ,god1 are not at all acceptable to him1 whatever pleasure they may afford to ourselves2 and1 in fact1 the ,lord himself1 in various places1 not only openly rejects them1 but declares them to be objects of his utter abomination4 ,hence arises a doubt respecting vows which are made without the authority of the express word of ,god1 in what light they are to be considered2 whether they may be rightly made by ,christian men1 and how far they are obligatory upon them4 ,for what is styled a promise among men1 in reference to ,god is called a vow4 ,now1 we promise to men either such things as we think will be agreeable to them1 or such as we owe them on the ground of duty4 ,there is need1 therefore1 of far greater care respecting vows1 which are addressed to ,god himself1 towards whom we ought to act with the utmost seriousness4 ,but here superstition has prevailed1 in all ages1 to a wonderful degree1 so that1 without judgment or discretion1 men have precipitately vowed to ,god whatever was uppermost in their minds1 or even on their lips4 ,hence those fooleries1 and even monstrous absurdities of vows1 by which the heathen insolently trifled with their gods4 ,and ,i sincerely wish that ,christians had not imitated them in such audacity4 ,this ought never to have been the case2 but we see1 that for several ages nothing has been more common than this presumption2 amidst the general contempt of the law of ,god1 people have been all inflamed with a mad passion for vowing whatever had delighted them in their dreams4 ,i have no wish to proceed to an odious exaggeration1 or a particular enumeration of the enormity and varieties of this offence2 but ,i have thought it proper to make these remarks by the way1 to show that we are not instituting an unnecessary discussion1 when we treat of vows4 ,,ii4 ,if we would avoid any error in judging what vows are legitimate1 and what are preposterous1 it is necessary to consider three things--first1 to whom vows are to be addressed2 secondly1 who we are that make vows2 lastly1 with what intention vows are made4 ,the first consideration calls us to reflect1 that we have to do with ,god2 who takes such pleasure in our obedience1 that he pronounces a curse on all acts of will-worship1 however specious and splendid they may be in the eyes of men4 ,if ,god abominates all voluntary services invented by us without his command1 it follows1 that nothing can be acceptable to him1 except what is approved by his word4 ,let us not1 therefore1 assume to ourselves such a great liberty1 as to presume to vow to ,god any thing that has no testimony of his approbation4 ,for the maxim of ,paul1 that 8whatsoever is not of faith is sin10#ajgb while it extends to every action1 is without doubt principally applicable when a man addresses his thoughts directly to ,god4 ,paul is there arguing respecting the difference of meats2 and if we err and fall even in things of the least moment1 where we are not enlightened by the certainty of faith1 how much greater modesty is requisite when we are undertaking a business of the greatest importance6 ,for nothing ought to be of greater importance to us than the duties of religion4 ,let this1 then1 be our first rule in regard to vows--never to attempt vowing any thing without a previous conviction of conscience1 that we are attempting nothing rashly4 ,and our conscience will be secure from all danger of rashness1 when it shall have ,god for its guide1 dictating1 as it were1 by his word1 what it is proper or useless to do4 ,,iii4 ,the second consideration which we have mentioned1 calls us to measure our strength1 to contemplate our calling1 and not to neglect the liberty which ,god has conferred on us4 ,for he who vows what is not in his power1 or is repugnant to his calling1 is chargeable with rashness2 and he who despises the favour of ,god1 by which he is constituted lord of all things1 is guilty of ingratitude4 ,by this remark1 ,i do not intend that we have any thing in our power1 so as to enable us to promise it to ,god in a reliance on our own strength4 ,for1 with the strictest regard to truth1 it was decreed in the council of ,arausium1 that nothing is rightly vowed to ,god but what we have received from his hand1 seeing that all the things which are presented to him are merely gifts which he has imparted4 ,but as some things are given to us by the goodness of ,god1 and other things are denied to us by his justice1 let every man follow the admonition of ,paul1 and consider the measure of grace which he has received4#ajgc ,my only meaning here1 therefore1 is1 that vows ought to be regulated by that measure which the ,lord prescribes to us1 by what he has given us2 lest1 by attempting more than he permits1 we precipitate ourselves into danger1 by arrogating too much to ourselves4 ,luke gives us an example in those assassins who vowed 8that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed ,paul30#ajgd even though the design itself had not been criminal1 yet it would have betrayed intolerable rashness1 to make a man's life and death subject to their power4 ,so ,jephthah suffered the punishment of his folly1 when1 in the fervour of precipitation1 he made an inconsiderate vow4#ajge ,in vows of this class1 distinguished by mad presumption1 that of celibacy holds the preminence4 ,priests1 monks1 and nuns1 forgetting their infirmity1 think themselves capable of celibacy4 ,but by what revelation have they been taught that they shall preserve their chastity all their lifetime1 to the end of which their vow reaches8 ,they hear the declaration of ,god concerning the universal condition of man2 8,it is not good for man to be alone40#ajgf ,they understand1 and ,i wish they did not feel1 that sin remaining in us is attended with the most powerful stimulants4 ,with what confidence can they dare to reject that general calling for their whole life-time1 whereas the gift of continence is frequently bestowed for a certain time1 as opportunity requires8 ,in such obstinacy let them not expect ,god to assist them1 but rather let them remember what is written3 8,thou shalt not tempt the ,lord thy ,god40#ajgg ,now1 it is tempting ,god1 to strive against the nature which he has implanted in us1 and to despise the gifts which he presents1 as though they were not at all suitable for us4 ,and they not only do this1 but even marriage itself1 which ,god has deemed it no degradation of his majesty to institute1 which he has pronounced to be 8honourable in all10 which our ,lord ,jesus ,christ sanctified with his presence1 which he deigned to dignify with his first miracle1 they are not ashamed to stigmatize as pollution1 for the mere purpose of extolling celibacy1 however it may be spent1 with the most extravagant encomiums4 ,as though they did not exhibit a striking proof in their own lives1 that celibacy is one thing1 and that virginity is another2 and yet they have the consummate impudence to call such a life angelic4 ,this is certainly doing a great injury to the angels of ,god1 to whom they compare persons guilty of fornication1 adultery1 and other crimes far more atrocious and impure4 ,and there is not the least need of arguments1 when they are clearly convicted by the fact itself4 ,for it is very evident what dreadful punishments the ,lord generally inflicts on such arrogance1 self-confidence1 and contempt of his gifts4 ,modesty forbids me to animadvert on those things which are more secret1 of which too much is already known4 ,that we are not at liberty to vow any thing which may hinder us from serving ,god in our vocation1 is beyond all controversy2 as if a father of a family should vow that he will desert his wife and children1 to undertake some other charge2 or as if a person qualified to fill the office of magistrate1 on being chosen to it1 should vow that he would remain in a private station4 ,but the observation we have made1 that our liberty ought not to be despised1 has some difficulty1 which requires a further explication4 ,now1 the meaning may be briefly explained in the following manner3 ,as ,god has constituted us lords of all things1 and has placed them in subjection to us1 in order that we might use them all for our accommodation1 we have no reason to hope that we should perform a service acceptable to ,god1 by making ourselves slaves to external things1 which ought to be subservient to our assistance4 ,i say this1 because some persons consider themselves entitled to the praise of humility1 if they entangle themselves with many observances1 from which the ,lord1 for the best of reasons1 intended we should be exempt4 ,therefore1 if we would escape this danger1 let us always remember1 that we are never to depart from that economy which the ,lord has instituted in the ,christian ,church4 ,,iv4 ,i proceed now to the third consideration which ,i mentioned2 that it is of great importance with what intention a vow is made1 if we wish it to be approved by ,god4 ,for as the ,lord regards the heart1 and not the external appearance1 it happens that the same action1 performed with different designs1 is sometimes acceptable to him1 and sometimes highly displeasing4 ,if any one vow abstinence from wine1 as if there were any holiness in such abstinence1 he is chargeable with superstition2 if this be done for any other end which is not improper1 no one can disapprove of it4 ,now1 as far as ,i am able to judge1 there are four ends to which our vows may be rightly directed4 ,for the sake of further elucidation1 ,i refer two of them to the time past1 and the other two to the future4 ,to the time past belong those vows by which we either testify our gratitude to ,god for benefits received1 or1 in order to deprecate his wrath1 inflict punishment on ourselves for sins that we have committed4 ,the former may be called vows of thanksgiving2 the latter1 vows of penitence4 ,of the former we have an example in ,jacob1 who vowed to give to ,god the tenth of all he should acquire1 if the ,lord would bring him again from his exile to his father's house in peace4#ajgh ,we have other examples of the same kind in the ancient peace-offerings1 which used to be vowed by pious kings and generals1 entering on just wars1 to be offered in case they should obtain the victory2 or by persons labouring under more than common difficulty1 in case the ,lord would deliver them4 ,thus we are to understand all those places in the ,psalms which speak of vows4#ajgi ,vows of this kind may also be now used among us1 whenever ,god delivers us from any great calamity1 from a severe disease1 or from any other danger4 ,for on such occasions1 it is not inconsistent with the duty of a pious man to consecrate to ,god some oblation that he has vowed1 merely as a solemn token of grateful acknowledgment1 that he may not appear unthankful for his goodness4 ,the nature of the second species of vows will sufficiently appear from only one familiar example4 ,if a person has fallen into any crime through the vice of intemperance1 nothing prevents him from correcting that vice by a temporary renunciation of all delicacies1 and enforcing this abstinence by a vow1 to lay himself under the stronger obligation4 ,yet ,i impose no perpetual law on those who have been guilty of such an offence2 ,i only point out what they are at liberty to do1 if they think that such a vow would be useful to them4 ,i consider a vow of this kind1 therefore1 as lawful1 but1 at the same time1 as left to the free choice of every individual4 ,v4 ,vows which regard the future1 as ,i have observed1 have for their object1 partly to render us more cautious of danger1 partly to stimulate us to the performance of duty4 ,for example2 a person perceives himself to be so prone to a certain vice1 that1 in something not otherwise evil1 he cannot restrain himself from falling into sin2 he will commit no absurdity1 if he should deny himself the use of that thing for a season by a vow4 ,if any one be convinced that this or the other ornament of dress is dangerous to him1 and yet feel excessive desire for it1 he cannot do better than restrain himself by imposing a necessity of abstinence1 in order to free himself from all hesitation4 ,so1 if any one be forgetful or negligent of the necessary duties of piety1 why may he not arouse his memory1 and shake off his negligence by the imposition of a vow8 ,in both cases1 ,i confess1 there is an appearance of pupilage2 but1 considered as helps of infirmity1 such vows may be used with advantage by the inexperienced and imperfect4 ,vows1 therefore1 which respect one of these ends1 especially those relating to external things1 we shall affirm to be lawful1 if they be supported by the approbation of ,god1 if they be suitable to our calling1 and if they be limited by the ability of grace which ,god has given us4 ,,vi4 ,it will not now be difficult to conclude what ideas ought to be entertained of vows universally4 ,there is one vow common to all believers1 which is made in baptism1 and confirmed and established by us in the profession of our faith in the ,catechism1 and in the reception of the ,lord's supper4 ,for the sacraments resemble covenants1 or instruments of agreement1 by which ,god conveys his mercy to us1 and in it eternal life2 and we1 on the other hand1 promise him obedience4 ,now1 the form1 or at least the sum of the vow is1 that1 renouncing ,satan1 we devote ourselves to the service of ,god1 to obey his holy commands1 and not to follow the corrupt inclinations of the flesh4 ,this vow being sanctioned by the ,scripture1 and even required of all the children of ,god1 it ought not to be doubted that it is holy and useful4 ,it is no objection to this1 that no man in the present life performs the perfect obedience which ,god requires of us2 for as this stipulation is included in the covenant of grace1 which contains both remission of sins and the spirit of sanctification1 the promise which we then make is connected with1 and presupposes our supplication for mercy1 and our solicitation for assistance4 ,in judging of particular vows1 it is necessary to remember the three rules which we have given1 which will enable us to form a correct estimate of the nature of every vow4 ,yet ,i would not be thought to carry my recommendation1 even of those vows which ,i maintain to be holy1 so far as to wish their daily use4 ,for though ,i venture to determine nothing respecting the number or time1 yet1 if any person would follow my advice1 he will make none but such as are sober1 and of short duration4 ,for if any one often recur to the making of many vows1 all religion will be injured by their frequency1 and there will be great danger of falling into superstition4 ,if any one bind himself by a perpetual vow1 he will not discharge it without great trouble and difficulty2 or1 wearied by its long continuance1 he will at length violate it altogether4 ,,vii4 ,now1 it is evident what great superstition has for some ages prevailed in the world on this subject4 ,one person vowed that he would drink no wine2 as though abstinence from wine were a service in itself acceptable to ,god4 ,another obliged himself to fast2 another to abstain from meat on certain days1 which he had falsely imagined to possess some peculiar sanctity beyond others4 ,there were some vows far more puerile1 though not made by children4 ,for it was esteemed great wisdom to vow pilgrimages to places of more than common holiness1 and to perform the journey either on foot1 or with the body half naked1 that the merit might be augmented by the fatigue4 ,these1 and similar vows1 with an incredible rage for which the world has long been inflamed1 examined according to the rules which we have laid down1 will not only be found to be vain and nugatory1 but replete with manifest impiety4 ,for whatever may be the judgment of the flesh1 ,god holds nothing in greater abomination than services of human invention4 ,the following pernicious and execrable opinions are also entertained2 hypocrites1 when they have performed these fooleries1 suppose themselves to have attained a high degree of righteousness2 they place the whole substance of piety in external observances2 and they despise all who discover less concern about these things than themselves4 ,,viii4 ,to enumerate all the particular kinds of vows1 would answer no good purpose4 ,but1 because monastic vows are held in very high veneration1 as they seemed to be sanctioned by the public authority of the ,church1 it is proper to make a few brief remarks respecting them4 ,in the first place1 that no one may defend monachism1 as it exists in the present day1 under the pretence of ancient and long-continued prescription1 it must be observed1 that the mode of life in monasteries1 in ancient times1 was very different from what it is now4 ,they were the retreats of those who wished to habituate themselves to the greatest austerity and patience2 for the discipline attributed to the ,lacedmonians1 under the laws of ,lycurgus1 was equalled1 and even considerably exceeded in rigour1 by that which was then practised among the monks4 ,they slept on the ground without any beds or couches2 they drank nothing but water2 their food consisted entirely of bread1 herbs1 and roots2 their principal dainties were oil1 pease1 and beans4 ,they abstained from all delicacy of victuals and ornaments of the body4 ,these things might be thought incredible1 if they were not attested by persons who saw and experienced them1 ,gregory of ,nazianzum1 ,basil1 and ,chrysostom4 ,but it was by such probationary discipline that they prepared themselves for higher offices4 ,for that the monastic colleges were at that time the seminaries1 from which the ,church was furnished with ministers1 is sufficiently evident from the examples of those whom we have mentioned1 who were all educated in monasteries1 and from that situation were called to the episcopal office1 as well as of many other great and excellent men of their age4 ,and ,augustine shows that the same custom of supplying ministers for the ,church from the monasteries continued in his time2 for the monks of the ,island of ,capraria are addressed by him in the following manner3 8,we exhort you in the ,lord1 brethren1 that you keep your purpose1 and persevere to the end2 and that1 if at any time your mother the ,church shall have need of your labour1 you neither undertake the charge with eager pride1 nor refuse it with flattering indolence2 but that you obey ,god with gentleness of heart2 not preferring your leisure to the necessities of the ,church1 whom1 if no good men had been disposed to assist in the production of her children1 you cannot discover how you could yourselves have been born40 ,he here speaks of the ministry1 which is the means of the regeneration of believers4 ,again1 in an epistle to ,aurelius1 he says3 8,it causes an occasion of falling to themselves1 and a most injurious indignity to the ecclesiastical order1 if the deserters of monasteries are chosen to clerical offices2 while of those who remain in the monastery1 we are accustomed to promote to such offices only the best and most approved4 ,unless1 perhaps1 as the common people say1 ,a bad dancer is a good musician1 so it should be jocularly said of us1 ,a bad monk will be a good minister4 ,it is too much to be lamented1 if we stimulate monks to such ruinous pride1 and think the clergy deserving of such heavy disgrace2 whereas1 sometimes even a good monk will hardly make a good priest1 if he has sufficient continence1 and yet is deficient in necessary learning40 ,from these passages it appears that pious men were accustomed to prepare themselves1 by monastic discipline1 for the government of the ,church1 that they might be the better qualified to undertake such an important office4 ,not that all monks attained this end2 or even aimed at it2 for they were in general illiterate men1 but those who were qualified were selected4 ,,ix4 ,but ,augustine has given us a portraiture of the ancient monachism1 principally in two places2 in his treatise ,on the ,manners of the ,catholic ,church1 in which he defends the sanctity of that profession against the calumnies of the ,manichans2 and in another book1 ,on the ,labour of ,monks1 in which he inveighs against some degenerate monks1 who had begun to corrupt that order4 ,the different things which he states1 ,i shall here collect in a brief summary1 using1 as far as possible1 his own words4 8,despising the allurements of this world1 united in a common life of the strictest chastity and holiness1 they spend their time together1 living in prayers1 in readings1 and in conferences1 neither inflated with pride1 nor turbulent with obstinacy1 nor pale with envy4 ,no one possesses any thing of his own2 no one is burdensome to another4 ,by the labour of their hands1 they procure those things which are sufficient to support the body1 without hindering the mind from devotion to ,god4 ,their work they deliver to those who are called ,deans4 ,these ,deans dispose of every thing with great care1 and render an account to one1 whom they call ,father4 ,most holy in their manners1 preminent in divine learning1 and excelling in every virtue1 these ,fathers1 without any pride1 consult the welfare of those whom they call children1 commanding them with great authority1 and obeyed by them with great cheerfulness4 ,at the close of the day1 while yet fasting1 every one comes forth from his cell1 and they all assemble to hear the ,father2 and each of these ,fathers is surrounded by at least three thousand men10 7he is speaking chiefly of ,egypt and the ,east27 8there they take some bodily refreshment1 as much as is sufficient for life and health2 every one restraining his appetite that he may make but a sparing use even of the provisions placed before him1 which are in small quantities1 and of the plainest description4 ,that they not only abstain from animal food and from wine1 in order to repress libidinous desires1 but from such things as stimulate the appetite with greater power1 in proportion to the opinion entertained by some persons of their purity2 under which pretence a vile longing after exquisite meats1 with the exception of animal food1 is wont to be ridiculously and shamefully defended4 ,whatever remains beyond their necessary food1 7and the surplus is considerable1 both from the diligence of their hands1 and from the abstemiousness of their meals17 is distributed to the poor1 with greater care than if it had been earned by those who distribute it4 ,for they are not anxious to have an abundance of these things1 but all their concern is1 that none of their abundance may remain with them40 ,afterwards1 having mentioned their austerity1 of which he had seen examples at ,milan and other places1 he says1 8,in these circumstances1 no one is urged to austerities which he is unable to bear2 there is no imposition on any one1 of that which he refuses2 nor is he condemned by the rest1 because he confesses himself too weak to imitate them2 for they remember the high commendations given of charity2 they remember that to the pure1 all things are pure4#ajhj ,therefore all their industry is exerted1 not in rejecting certain kinds of food as polluted1 but in subduing concupiscence and preserving the love of the brethren4 ,they remember that it is said1 ,meats for the belly1 and the belly for meats2 but ,god shall destroy both it and them4#ajha ,yet many strong persons abstain on account of the weak4 ,many have a different reason for doing it2 they are fond of living on meaner and less sumptuous food4 ,these persons1 therefore1 who are abstemious when in perfect health1 if a state of indisposition requires1 partake1 without any fear1 when they are sick4 ,many drink no wine2 but this is not from an apprehension of being defiled with it2 for they most humanely cause it to be given to those who are languid1 and cannot obtain health of body without it2 and some1 who foolishly refuse it1 they admonish1 with brotherly affection1 to beware lest their vain superstition debilitate them rather than promote their holiness4 ,thus they diligently exercise themselves in piety3 but they know that the exercise of the body extends only to a short time4 ,charity is principally observed2 to charity the food1 the conversation1 the apparel1 the countenance1 are subservient4 ,they all assemble and combine into one charity2 to violate this1 is accounted unlawful1 and a sin against ,god2 if any one resist charity1 he is expelled and shunned2 if any one offend against it1 he is not suffered to remain a single day40 ,as ,augustine appears1 in these passages1 to have exhibited a portraiture of the true character of ancient monachism1 ,i have thought proper1 notwithstanding their length1 to insert them here2 for ,i saw that1 however ,i might study brevity1 yet ,i should go into still greater length1 if ,i were to collect the same things from different authors4 ,x4 ,my design here is not to pursue the whole argument1 but merely to point out1 by the way1 the characters of the monks who belonged to the ancient ,church1 and the nature of the monastic profession at that period1 that the judicious readers may be able1 from a comparison1 to judge of the effrontery of those who plead antiquity in support of the monachism of the present day4 ,when ,augustine gives us a description of holy and legitimate monachism1 he excludes from it all rigid exaction or imposition of those things which the ,lord in his word has left free4 ,but there is nothing at the present day more severely enforced4 ,for they consider it a crime1 never to be expiated1 for any one to deviate in the minutest particular from the rules prescribed in the colour or shape of their apparel1 the kind of food1 or other frivolous and uninteresting ceremonies4 ,augustine strenuously contends1 that it is not lawful for monks to live in idleness at the expense of others4 ,he denies that there was such an example to be found in his time in any well regulated monastery4 ,the present monks place the principal part of their sanctity in idleness4 ,for if they were divested of idleness1 what would become of that contemplative life1 in which they boast of excelling other men1 and of making near approaches to the life of angels8 ,in fine1 ,augustine requires a monachism which would be no other than an exercise and assistance in the duties of piety1 which are enjoined on all ,christians4 ,what6 when he represents charity as the principal and almost only rule of it1 can we suppose him to be commending a conspiracy1 by which a few men are closely united to each other1 and separated from the whole body of the ,church8 ,on the contrary1 he would have them to enlighten others by their example1 in order to the preservation of the unity of the ,church4 ,in both these respects1 the nature of modern monachism is so different1 that it is scarcely possible to find any thing more dissimilar or opposite4 ,for1 not content with that piety1 to the study of which ,jesus ,christ commands his servants constantly to devote themselves1 our present monks imagine ,i know not what new kind of piety1 in the meditation of which they are become more perfect than all others4 ,,xi4 ,if they deny this1 ,i would wish them to inform me why they dignify their order alone with the title of perfection1 and deny this character to all the callings appointed by ,god4 ,i am not unacquainted with their sophistical solution1 that it is so called1 not as containing perfection in it1 but because it is the best calculated of all callings for the attainment of perfection4 ,when they wish to elevate themselves in the estimation of the people1 to entrap inexperienced and ignorant youths1 to assert their privileges1 to extol their own dignity to the degradation of others1 they boast of being in a state of perfection4 ,when they are so closely pressed1 that they cannot defend such empty arrogance1 they have recourse to this subterfuge--that they have not yet attained perfection1 but that they are in a condition more favourable than any others for aspiring towards it4 ,in the mean time they retain the admiration of the people1 as though the monastic life1 and that alone1 were angelic1 perfect1 and purified from every blemish4 ,under this pretext they carry on a most lucrative traffic2 but their moderation lies buried in a few books4 ,who does not see that this is an intolerable mockery8 ,but let us argue the case as if they really attributed no higher honour to their profession1 than to call it a state adapted to the attainment of perfection4 ,still1 by giving it this designation1 they distinguish it1 as by a peculiar mark1 from all other modes of life4 ,and who can bear that such honour should be transferred to an institution1 which has never received from ,god even a single syllable of approbation1 and that such indignity should be cast on all the other callings of ,god1 which have not only been enjoined1 but adorned with signal commendations by his most holy word8 ,and what an outrageous insult is offered to ,god1 when a mere human invention is preferred beyond all the kinds of life which he has appointed and celebrated by his own testimony6 ,,xii4 ,now1 let them charge me with a calumny in what ,i have already alleged1 that they are not content with the rule which ,god has prescribed to his servants4 ,though ,i were silent on the subject1 they furnish more than sufficient ground for their own accusation2 for they openly teach that they take upon themselves a greater burden than ,christ laid upon his disciples1 because they promise to keep the evangelical counsels1 which inculcate the love of our enemies1 and prohibit the desire of revenge and profane swearing1 and which1 they say1 are not binding on ,christians at large4 ,what antiquity will they plead here8 ,this notion never entered into the mind of one of the ancients4 ,they all1 with one consent1 declare that there was not a syllable uttered by ,christ which we are not bound to obey2 and without any hesitation they uniformly and expressly represent the passages in question as commands1 which these sagacious interpreters pretend to have been delivered by ,christ merely as counsels4 ,but as we have already shown that this is a most pestilent error1 it may suffice to have briefly remarked here1 that the monachism which exists at present1 is founded on the opinion1 which justly deserves to be execrated by all believers1 that some rule of life may be imagined more perfect than the common one given by ,god to all the ,church4 ,whatever superstructure is raised on this foundation1 cannot but be abominable4 ,,xiii4 ,but they adduce another argument in proof of their perfection1 which they consider as most conclusive2 our ,lord said to the young man who inquired what was the perfection of righteousness1 8,if thou wilt be perfect1 go and sell that thou hast1 and give to the poor40#ajhb ,whether they do this1 ,i shall not now dispute2 let us at present put the case that they do4 ,they boast1 therefore1 that they have been made perfect by forsaking all that they have4 ,if the whole of perfection consist in this1 what does ,paul mean1 when he says1 8,though ,i bestow all my goods to feed the poor1 and have not charity1 ,i am nothing80#ajhc ,what kind of perfection is that which is reduced to nothing by the absence of charity8 ,here they will be obliged to answer1 that though this is the principal1 yet it is not the only work of perfection4 ,but here also they are contradicted by ,paul1 who hesitates not to make 8charity10 without any such renunciation1 8the bond of perfection40#ajhd ,if it is certain1 that there is no discordance between the ,master and the disciple1--and ,paul explicitly denies the perfection of a man to consist in the renunciation of his property1 and1 on the other hand1 asserts that it may exist without that relinquishment1--it is necessary to examine in what sense we are to understand the declaration of ,christ1 8,if thou wilt be perfect1 go and sell that thou hast40 ,now1 there will be no obscurity in the sense1 if we consider1 what ought always to be considered in all the discourses of ,christ1 to whom the words are addressed4 ,a young man inquires1 8,what good thing shall ,i do1 that ,i may inherit eternal life80#ajhe ,as the question related to works1 ,christ refers him to the law2 and that justly2 for1 considered in itself1 it is the way of eternal life1 and is not otherwise insufficient to conduct us to salvation1 than in consequence of our depravity4 ,by this answer ,christ declared1 that he taught no other system of life than that which had anciently been delivered in the law of ,god4 ,thus he at the same time gave a testimony to the divine law as the doctrine of perfect righteousness1 and precluded all calumnies1 that he might not appear1 by inculcating a new rule of life1 to incite the people to a departure from the law4 ,the young man1 not indeed from badness of heart1 but infected with vain confidence1 replies respecting the precepts of the law1 8,all these things have ,i kept from my youth up40#ajhf ,it is certain beyond all doubt1 that he was at an immense distance from that which he boasted of having attained2 and had his boast been true1 he would have wanted nothing necessary to complete perfection4 ,for it has been already proved that the law contains in itself a perfect righteousness2 and it appears from this passage that the observance of it is called the entrance into eternal life4 ,to teach him how little proficiency he had made in that righteousness1 which he too confidently replied that he had fulfilled1 it was necessary to investigate and expose a vice which lay concealed in his heart4 ,he abounded in riches1 and his heart was fixed on them4 ,because he was not sensible of this secret wound1 therefore1 ,christ probes it4 8,go10 says he1 8sell all that thou hast40 ,if he had been so good an observer of the law as he imagined1 he would not have gone away sorrowful on hearing this answer4 ,for he who loves ,god with all his heart1 not only esteems as worthless whatever is inconsistent with his love1 but also abominates it as pernicious4 ,therefore1 when ,christ commands a rich and avaricious man to relinquish all his wealth1 it is just the same as if he commanded an ambitious man to renounce all his honours1 a voluptuous man to abandon all his delicacies1 and an unchaste man to forsake all the instruments of temptation4 ,thus consciences1 which receive no impression from general admonitions1 require to be recalled to a particular sense of their own guilt4 ,it is in vain1 therefore1 to extend this particular argument to a general maxim1 as though ,christ placed all the perfection of man in the renunciation of his possessions1 whereas he only meant by this direction to drive this young man1 who betrayed such excessive self-complacency1 into a sense of his malady1 that he might perceive himself to be still very far from the perfect obedience of the law1 to which he arrogantly and falsely pretended4 ,i confess that this passage was misunderstood by some of the fathers1 and that their misconstruction gave rise to an affectation of voluntary poverty2 so that they were supposed to be the only happy persons1 who renounced all earthly things1 and devoted themselves entirely to ,christ4 ,but ,i trust that the explication which ,i have given will be satisfactory to all good and peaceable persons1 so as to leave them in no doubt of the true meaning of ,christ4 ,,xiv4 ,nothing1 however1 was further from the intention of the fathers1 than to establish such a perfection as has since been fabricated by these hooded sophisters1 which goes to set up two kinds of ,christianity4 ,for no one had then given birth to that sacrilegious dogma1 which compares the monastic profession to baptism1 and even openly asserts it to be a species of second baptism4 ,who can doubt that the fathers would have sincerely abhorred such blasphemy8 ,as to the concluding observation of ,augustine1 respecting the ancient monks1 that they devoted themselves wholly to charity1 what need is there for a word to be said to demonstrate it to be altogether inapplicable to this modern profession8 ,the fact itself declares1 that all who retire into monasteries separate themselves from the ,church4 ,for do they not separate themselves from the legitimate society of believers1 by taking to themselves a peculiar ministry and a private administration of the sacraments8 ,what is a disruption of the communion of the ,church1 if this be not8 ,and to pursue the comparison which ,i have commenced1 and to conclude it at once1 what resemblance have they in this respect to the monks of ancient times8 ,though they lived in a state of seclusion from other men1 they had no separate ,church2 they received the sacraments with others2 they attended the solemn assemblies to hear preaching1 and to unite in prayers with the company of believers2 and there they formed a part of the people4 ,in erecting a private altar for themselves1 what have the present monks done1 but broken the bond of unity8 ,for they have excommunicated themselves from the general body of the ,church1 and have shown contempt of the ordinary ministry1 by which it has pleased ,god that peace and charity should be preserved among his servants4 ,all the present monasteries1 therefore1 ,i maintain to be so many conventicles of schismatics1 who disturb the order of the ,church1 and have been cut off from the legitimate society of believers4 ,and to place this division beyond all doubt1 they have assumed various names of sects2 and have not been ashamed to glory in that which ,paul execrates beyond all possibility of exaggeration4 ,unless we suppose that ,christ was divided by the ,corinthians1 when every one boasted of his particular teacher2#ajhg and that it is now no derogation from the honour of ,christ1 when1 instead of the name of ,christians1 some are called ,benedictines1 others ,franciscans1 others ,dominicans2 and when they haughtily assume these titles to themselves as the badges of their religious profession1 from an affectation of being distinguished from the general body of ,christians4 ,,xv4 ,the differences which ,i have stated1 between the ancient monks and those of the present age1 relate not to manners1 but to the profession itself4 ,let it1 therefore1 be remembered by the readers1 that ,i have spoken of monachism rather than of monks1 and have censured those faults which are not merely chargeable on the lives of a few1 but which are inseparable from the life itself4 ,the great dissimilarity of their manners can hardly require a particular representation4 ,it is obvious1 that there is no order of men more polluted with all the turpitude of vice2 none more disgraced by factions1 animosities1 cabals1 and intrigues4 ,in some few convents1 indeed1 they live in chastity2 if chastity it must be called1 where concupiscence is so far restrained as not to be publicly infamous2 but it is scarcely possible to find one convent in ten1 which is not rather a brothel than a sanctuary of chastity4 ,what frugality is there in their food8 ,they are exactly like so many swine fattening in a sty4 ,but lest they should complain that ,i handle them too roughly1 ,i proceed no further2 though in the few particulars upon which ,i have touched1 whoever knows the matter of fact will acknowledge that ,i have confined myself to the simple truth4 ,augustine1 at a time when1 according to his own testimony1 monks were so eminent for the strictest chastity1 yet complains that there were many vagabonds among them1 who1 by wicked arts and impostures1 extorted money from the unwary1 who exercised a scandalous traffic by carrying about the relics of martyrs1 and even sold the bones of any dead men as the bones of martyrs1 and who brought disgrace on the order by a great number of similar crimes4 ,as he declares that he had seen no better men than those who had been improved in monasteries1 so he complains that he had seen no worse men than those who had been corrupted in monasteries4 ,what would he say1 at the present day1 to see almost all monasteries1 not only filled1 but overflowing1 with so many and such desperate vices8 ,i say nothing but what is notorious to every person2 though this censure is not applicable to all without any exception4 ,for as the rule and discipline of holy living has never been so well established in monasteries1 but that there were always some drones very different from the rest1 so ,i do not say that the monks of the present day have so far degenerated from that holy antiquity1 that there are not still some good men among their body2 but they are few1 dispersed and concealed among a vast multitude of the wicked and abandoned2 and they are not only held in contempt1 but insulted and molested1 and sometimes even treated with cruelty by the rest2 who1 according to a proverb of the ,milesians1 think that no good man ought to be suffered to remain among them4 ,,xvi4 ,by this comparison of ancient and modern monachism ,i trust ,i have succeeded in my design of evincing the fallacy of the plea1 which the present men of the hood allege in defence of their profession1 from the example of the primitive ,church2 as they differ from the early monks just as apes do from men4 ,at the same time1 ,i admit that even in the ancient system which ,augustine commends1 there is something which ,i cannot altogether approve4 ,i grant1 they discovered no superstition in the external exercises of a too rigid discipline2 but ,i maintain that they were not free from excessive affectation and misguided zeal4 ,it seemed a good thing to forsake their property in order to exempt themselves from all earthly solicitude2 but ,god sets a higher value on pious exertions for the government of a family1 when a holy father of a family1 free from all avarice1 ambition1 and other corrupt passions1 devotes himself to this object1 that he may serve ,god in a particular calling4 ,it is a beautiful thing to live the life of a philosopher in retirement1 at a distance from the society of men2 but it is not the part of ,christian charity for a man to act as if he hated all mankind1 withdrawing to the solitude of a desert1 and abandoning the principal duties which the ,lord has commanded4 ,though we should grant that there was no other evil in this profession1 yet certainly this was not a small one1 that it introduced a useless and pernicious example into the ,church4 ,,xvii4 ,let us now examine the nature of the vows by which monks in the present day are initiated into this celebrated order4 ,in the first place1 their design is to institute a new service1 in order to merit the favour of ,god2 therefore ,i conclude1 from the principles already established1 that whatever they vow is an abomination in the sight of ,god4 ,secondly1 without any regard to the calling of ,god1 and without any approbation from him1 they invent for themselves a new mode of life1 in conformity with their own inclinations2 therefore ,i maintain it to be a rash and unlawful attempt1 because their consciences have nothing to rest upon before ,god1 and 8whatsoever is not of faith1 is sin40#ajhh ,thirdly1 they bind themselves to many corrupt and impious services1 comprehended in the monachism of the present day2 therefore ,i contend1 that they are not consecrated to ,god1 but to the devil4 ,for why was it lawful for the prophet to say of the ,israelites1 that 8they sacrificed unto devils1 not to ,god10#ajhi only because they had corrupted the true worship of ,god with profane ceremonies2 and why shall it not be lawful for us to say the same of the monks1 whose assumption of the hood is accompanied with the yoke of a thousand impious superstitions8 ,now1 what is the nature of their vows8 ,they promise to ,god to maintain perpetual virginity1 as if they had previously stipulated with him that he should exempt them from the necessity of marriage4 ,they have no room to plead1 that they make this vow merely in a reliance on the grace of ,god2 for as he declares that it is not given to all men1#ajij we have no right to entertain a confidence that we shall receive the special gift4 ,let those who possess it use it3 if they experience disquietude from the stimulations of passion1 let them have recourse to his aid by whom alone they can be strengthened to resist4 ,if they are unsuccessful1 let them not despise the remedy which is offered to them4 ,for those who are denied the gift of continence1 are undoubtedly called to marriage by the voice of ,god4 ,by continence ,i mean1 not a mere abstinence of the body from fornication1 but an unpolluted chastity of mind4 ,for ,paul enjoins the avoidance not only of external impurity1 but also of the internal burning of libidinous desire4#ajia ,it has been a custom1 they say1 from time immemorial1 for persons who intended to devote themselves entirely to the ,lord1 to bind themselves by a vow of continence4 ,i confess that this custom was practised in the early ages2 but ,i cannot admit those ages to have been so free from every fault1 that whatever was done then must be received as a rule4 ,and it was only by degrees that in process of time things were carried to such an extreme of rigour that no one1 after having made the vow1 was permitted to recall it4 ,this is evident from ,cyprian4 8,if virgins have faithfully dedicated themselves to ,god1 let them persevere in modesty and chastity without any disguise4 ,thus1 being firm and constant1 they may expect the reward of virginity4 ,but if they will not1 or cannot persevere1 it is better for them to be married1 than with their pleasure to fall into the fire40 ,with what reproaches would they now hesitate to stigmatize a person who would wish to introduce such a reasonable limitation of the vow of continence8 ,they have widely departed1 therefore1 from the ancient custom1 in refusing to admit the least moderation or relaxation1 if any one be found incapable of performing the vow2 and not only so1 but they are not ashamed to pronounce that he commits a greater sin1 if he remedies his intemperance by taking a wife1 than if he contaminates his body and soul with fornication4 ,,xviii4 ,but they still pursue the argument1 and endeavour to show that vows of this kind were in use in the times of the apostles2 because ,paul says that widows who1 after having been received into the public service of the church1 married1 had 8cast off their first faith40#ajib ,i do not deny that widows who dedicated themselves and their services to the ,church1 thereby entered into a tacit obligation never to marry again2 not because they placed any religion in such abstinence1 as began to be the case afterwards2 but because they could not discharge that office without being at their own disposal1 free from the restraint of marriage4 ,but if1 after having pledged their faith1 they contemplated a second marriage1 what was this but renouncing the calling of ,god8 ,it is no wonder1 therefore1 if he says that with such desires 8they wax wanton against ,christ40 ,afterwards1 by way of amplification1 he subjoins1 that they failed of performing what they had promised to the ,church1 so that they even violated and annulled their first faith pledged in baptism2 which includes an engagement from every one to fulfil the duties of his calling4 ,unless it be thought better to understand the meaning to be1 that having1 as it were1 lost all shame1 they would thenceforward have no longer any regard for virtue1 but would abandon themselves to every kind of profligacy1 and in a licentious and dissolute life exhibit the greatest contrariety to the character of ,christian women--an interpretation which ,i much approve4 ,we reply1 therefore1 that those widows1 who were then received into the service of the ,church1 imposed on themselves the condition of perpetual widowhood2 if they afterwards married1 we easily understand their situation to have been as ,paul states1 that1 casting off shame1 they betrayed an insolence unbecoming ,christian women2 and that thus they not only sinned in breaking their faith pledged to the ,church1 but in departing from the common obligations of pious females4 ,but first1 ,i deny that they engaged to remain in a state of widowhood for any other reason than because marriage would be altogether incompatible with the office which they undertook2 or that they bound themselves to widowhood at all1 except as far as the necessity of their vocation should require4 ,secondly1 ,i do not admit that their profession was so binding1 but that even then it was better for them to marry than to be inflamed with concupiscence1 or to be guilty of any impurity of conduct4 ,thirdly1 ,i observe that ,paul prescribes that age which is generally beyond all danger1 forbidding any to be received under threescore years old2 and especially when he directs that the choice shall be limited to those who have been content with one marriage1 and have thus already given proof of their continence4 ,and we condemn the vow of celibacy for no other reason1 but because it is unjustly considered as a service acceptable to ,god1 and is rashly made by those who have not the power to keep it4 ,,xix4 ,but how was it possible to apply this passage of ,paul to nuns8 ,for widows were appointed deaconesses1 not to charm ,god by songs or unintelligible murmurs1 and to spend the rest of their time in idleness2 but to serve the poor on behalf of the whole ,church1 and to employ themselves with all attention1 earnestness1 and diligence1 in the duties of charity4 ,they made a vow of widowhood1 not with a view of performing any service to ,god in abstaining from marriage1 but merely that they might be more at liberty for the discharge of their office4 ,lastly1 they made this vow1 not in their youth1 nor in the flower of their age1 to learn afterwards1 by late experience1 over what a precipice they had thrown themselves2 but1 when they appeared to have passed all danger1 they made a vow equally consistent with safety and with piety4 ,but1 not to urge the two former considerations1 it is sufficient to observe1 that it was not allowable for women to be admitted to make vows of continence before the age of sixty years2 since the apostle says1 8,let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old40 8,i will that the younger women marry and bear children40#ajic ,the subsequent admission of this vow at the age of forty-eight years1 then forty years1 and then thirty1 can by no means be excused2 and it is still more intolerable that unhappy girls1 before they are old enough to be capable of knowing or having any experience of themselves1 should be inveigled by fraud and compelled by threats to entangle themselves in those execrable snares4 ,i shall not stay to oppose the other two vows1 made by monks and nuns1 of poverty and obedience4 ,i will only observe1 that beside the many superstitions with which1 under existing circumstances1 they are interwoven1 they appear to be framed for the purpose of mocking both ,god and men4 ,but that we may not seem too severe in agitating every particular point1 we shall content ourselves with the general repetition already given4 ,,xx4 ,the nature of those vows which are legitimate and acceptable to ,god1 ,i think1 has been sufficiently declared4 ,yet as timid and inexperienced consciences1 even after they are dissatisfied with a vow1 and convinced of its impropriety1 nevertheless feel doubts respecting the obligation1 and are grievously distressed1 on the one hand1 from a dread of violating their promise to ,god1 and1 on the other1 from a fear of incurring greater guilt by observing it1 it is necessary here to offer them some assistance to enable them to extricate themselves from this difficulty4 ,now1 to remove every scruple at once1 ,i remark1 that all vows1 not legitimate or rightly made1 as they are of no value with ,god1 so they ought to have no force with us4 ,for if in human contracts no promises are obligatory upon us1 but those to which the party with whom we contract wishes to bind us1 it is absurd to consider ourselves constrained to the performance of those things which ,god never requires of us2 especially as our works cannot be good unless they please ,god1 and are accompanied with the testimony of our conscience that he accepts them4 ,for this remains a fixed principle1 that 8whatsoever is not of faith1 is sin20#ajid by which ,paul intends1 that whatever work is undertaken with doubts1 is consequently sinful1 because all good works spring from faith1 by which we are assured of their acceptance with ,god4 ,therefore1 if it be not lawful for a ,christian man to attempt any thing without this assurance1 and if any one through ignorance has made a rash vow1 and afterwards discovered his error1 why should he not desist from the performance of it8 since vows inconsiderately made1 not only are not binding1 but ought of necessity to be cancelled2 and1 also1 as they are not only of no value in the sight of ,god1 but are an abomination to him1 as we have already demonstrated4 ,it is useless to argue any longer on a subject which does not require it4 ,this one argument appears to me sufficient to tranquillize pious consciences1 and to liberate them from every scruple--,that all works not proceeding from a pure source1 and directed to a legitimate end1 are rejected by ,god1 and rejected in such a manner that he forbids our continuance1 as much as our commencement1 of them4 ,hence we may conclude1 that vows which have originated in error and superstition1 are of no value with ,god1 and ought to be relinquished by us4 ,,xxi4 ,this solution will furnish an answer to the calumnies of the wicked1 in defence of those who leave monachism for some honourable way of life4 ,they are heavily accused of breach of faith and perjury2 having broken1 as it is commonly supposed1 the indissoluble bond which held them to ,god and the ,church4 ,but ,i maintain that there is no bond1 where that which man confirms is abrogated by ,god4 ,besides1 though we should grant that they were bound while they were involved in error and ignorance of ,god1--now1 since they have been enlightened with the knowledge of the truth1 ,i maintain that the grace of ,christ has delivered them from the obligation4 ,for if the cross of ,christ possesses such efficacy as to deliver us from the curse1 under which we were held by the law of ,god1 how much more1 then1 shall it extricate us from other bonds1 which are nothing but delusive snares of ,satan6 ,whomsoever1 therefore1 ,christ illuminates with the light of his gospel1 there is no doubt that he liberates them from all the snares in which they had entangled themselves by superstition4 ,though they are not at a loss for another defence1 if they are not qualified to live in celibacy4 ,for if an impossible vow be the ruin of souls1 which it is the will of the ,lord to save and not to destroy1--it follows that it is not right to persevere in it4 ,but the impossibility of an observance of the vow of continence by those who are not endued with a special gift1 we have already shown1 and without my saying a word1 experience itself declares2 for it is notorious what extreme impurity prevails in almost all monasteries2 and if any of them appear more virtuous and modest than the rest1 it does not follow that they are really more chaste1 because they conceal the vice of unchastity4 ,thus ,god inflicts awful punishments on the audacity of men1 when1 forgetting their weakness1 they covet1 in opposition to nature1 that which is denied them1 and1 despising the remedies which ,god had put into their hands1 indulge a contumacious and obstinate presumption that they are able to overcome the vice of incontinence4 ,for what shall we call it but contumacy1 when any one who is admonished that he stands in need of marriage1 and that it has been given to him by the ,lord as a remedy1 not only contemns it1 but binds himself by an oath to persevere in that contempt8 ,footnote #ajgb3 ,rom4 xiv4 #bc4 ,footnote #ajgc3 ,rom4 xii4 #c4 #a ,cor4 xii4 #aa4 ,footnote #ajgd3 ,acts xxiii4 #ab4 ,footnote #ajge3 ,judges xi4 #cj-dj4 ,footnote #ajgf3 ,gen4 ii4 #ah4 ,footnote #ajgg3 ,deut4 vi4 #af4 ,matt4 iv4 #g4 ,footnote #ajgh3 ,gen4 xxviii4 #bj-bb4 ,footnote #ajgi3 ,psalm xxii4 #be2 lvi4 #ab2 cxvi4 #ad1 #ah4 ,footnote #ajhj3 ,titus i4 #ae4 ,footnote #ajha3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #ajhb3 ,matt4 xix4 #ba4 ,footnote #ajhc3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #c4 ,footnote #ajhd3 ,col4 iii4 #ad4 ,footnote #ajhe3 ,matt4 xix4 #af4 ,footnote #ajhf3 ,matt4 xix4 #bj4 ,footnote #ajhg3 #a ,cor4 i4 #ab1 #ac2 iii4 #d4 ,footnote #ajhh3 ,rom4 xiv4 #bc4 ,footnote #ajhi3 ,deut4 xxxii4 #ag4 ,footnote #ajij3 ,matt4 xix4 #aa4 ,footnote #ajia3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #i4 ,footnote #ajib3 #a ,tim4 v4 #ab4 ,footnote #ajic3 #a ,tim4 v4 #i1 #ad4 ,footnote #ajid3 ,rom4 xiv4 #bc4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,sacraments4 ,connected with the preaching of the gospel1 another assistance and support for our faith is presented to us in the sacraments2 on the subject of which it is highly important to lay down some certain doctrine1 that we may learn for what end they were instituted1 and how they ought to be used4 ,in the first place1 it is necessary to consider what a sacrament is4 ,now1 ,i think it will be a simple and appropriate definition1 if we say that it is an outward sign1 by which the ,lord seals in our consciences the promises of his good-will towards us1 to support the weakness of our faith2 and we on our part testify our piety towards him1 in his presence and that of angels1 as well as before men4 ,it may1 however1 be more briefly defined1 in other words1 by calling it a testimony of the grace of ,god towards us1 confirmed by an outward sign1 with a reciprocal attestation of our piety towards him4 ,whichever of these definitions be chosen1 it conveys exactly the same meaning as that of ,augustine1 which states a sacrament to be 8a visible sign of a sacred thing10 or 8a visible form of invisible grace20 but it expresses the thing itself with more clearness and precision2 for as his conciseness leaves some obscurity1 by which many inexperienced persons may be misled1 ,i have endeavoured to render the subject plainer by more words1 that no room might be left for any doubt4 ,,ii4 ,the reason why the ancient fathers used this word in such a sense is very evident4 ,for whenever the author of the old common version of the ,new ,testament wanted to render the ,greek word 1 mystery1 into ,latin1 especially where it related to ,divine things1 he used the word sacramentum1 8sacrament40 ,thus1 in the ,epistle to the ,ephesians1 8,having made known unto us the mystery of his will40#ajie ,again3 8,if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of ,god which is given me to you-ward2 how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery40#ajif ,in the ,epistle to the ,colossians3 8,the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations1 but now is made manifest to his saints2 to whom ,god would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery40#ajig ,again1 to ,timothy3 8,great is the mystery of godliness2 ,god was manifest in the flesh40#ajih ,in all these places1 where the word mystery is used1 the author of that version has rendered it sacrament4 ,he would not say arcanum1 or secret1 lest he should appear to degrade the majesty of the subject4 ,therefore he has used the word sacrament for a sacred or ,divine secret4 ,in this signification it frequently occurs in the writings of the fathers4 ,and it is well known1 that baptism and the ,lord's supper1 which the ,latins denominate sacraments1 are called mysteries by the ,greeks2 a synonymous use of the terms1 which removes every doubt4 ,and hence the word sacrament came to be applied to those signs which contained a representation of sublime and spiritual things2 which is also remarked by ,augustine1 who says1 8,it would be tedious to dispute respecting the diversity of signs1 which1 when they pertain to ,divine things1 are called sacraments40 ,,iii4 ,now1 from the definition which we have established1 we see that there is never any sacrament without an antecedent promise of ,god1 to which it is subjoined as an appendix1 in order to confirm and seal the promise itself1 and to certify and ratify it to us2 which means ,god foresees to be necessary1 in the first place on account of our ignorance and dulness1 and in the next place on account of our weakness2 and yet1 strictly speaking1 not so much for the confirmation of his sacred word1 as for our establishment in the faith of it4 ,for the truth of ,god is sufficiently solid and certain in itself1 and can receive no better confirmation from any other quarter than from itself2 but our faith being slender and weak1 unless it be supported on every side1 and sustained by every assistance1 immediately shakes1 fluctuates1 totters1 and falls4 ,and as we are corporeal1 always creeping on the ground1 cleaving to terrestrial and carnal objects1 and incapable of understanding or conceiving of any thing of a spiritual nature1 our merciful ,lord1 in his infinite indulgence1 accommodates himself to our capacity1 condescending to lead us to himself even by these earthly elements1 and in the flesh itself to present to us a mirror of spiritual blessings4 8,for if we were incorporeal10 as ,chrysostom says1 8he would have given us these things pure and incorporeal4 ,now because we have souls enclosed in bodies1 he gives us spiritual things under visible emblems2 not because there are such qualities in the nature of the things presented to us in the sacraments1 but because they have been designated by ,god to this signification40 ,,iv4 ,this is what is commonly said1 that a sacrament consists of the word and the outward sign4 ,for we ought to understand the word1 not of a murmur uttered without any meaning or faith1 a mere whisper like a magical incantation1 supposed to possess the power of consecrating the elements1 but of the gospel preached1 which instructs us in the signification of the visible sign4 ,that which is commonly practised under the tyranny of the pope1 therefore1 involves a gross profanation of the mysteries2 for they have thought it sufficient for the priest to mutter over the form of consecration1 while the people are gazing in ignorance4 ,indeed1 they have taken effectual care that it should be all unintelligible to the people2 for they have pronounced the consecration in ,latin1 before illiterate men2 and have at length carried superstition to such a pitch1 as to consider it not rightly performed1 unless it be done in a hoarse murmur1 which few could hear4 ,but ,augustine speaks in a very different manner of the sacramental word4 8,let the word10 says he1 8be added to the element1 and it will become a sacrament4 ,for whence does the water derive such great virtue1 as at once to touch the body and purify the heart1 except from the word8 not because it is spoken1 but because it is believed4 ,for in the word itself the transient sound is one thing1 the permanent virtue is another4 #8,this is the word of faith which we preach1'#ajii says the apostle4 ,whence it is said of the ,gentiles1 in the ,acts of the ,apostles1 that #8,god purifies their hearts by faith4'#aajj ,and the apostle ,peter says1 #8,baptism doth also now save us1 7not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a good conscience towards ,god47'#aaja #8,this is the word of faith which we preach1' by which baptism is consecrated to endue it with a purifying virtue40 ,we see how he makes the preaching of the word necessary to the production of faith4 ,and we need not labour much to prove this1 because it is very plain what ,christ did1 what he commanded us to do1 what the apostles followed1 and what the purer ,church observed4 ,even from the beginning of the world1 whenever ,god gave the holy fathers any sign1 it is well known to have been inseparably connected with some doctrine1 without which our senses would only be astonished with the mere view of it4 ,therefore1 when we hear mention made of the sacramental word1 let us understand it of the promise1 which1 being audibly and intelligibly preached by the minister1 instructs the people in the meaning and tendency of the sign4 ,v4 ,nor ought any attention to be paid to some1 who endeavour to oppose this by a dilemma which discovers more subtlety than solidity4 ,they say1 ,either we know that the word of ,god which precedes the sacrament is the true will of ,god1 or we do not know it4 ,if we know it1 then we learn nothing new from the sacrament which follows4 ,if we do not know it1 neither shall we learn it from the sacrament1 the virtue of which lies entirely in the word4 ,let it be concisely replied1 that the seals appended to charters1 patents1 and other public instruments1 are nothing1 taken by themselves2 because they would be appended to no purpose1 if the parchment had nothing written upon it2 and yet they nevertheless confirm and authenticate what is written on the instruments to which they are annexed4 ,nor can it be objected that this similitude has been recently invented by us2 for it has been used by ,paul himself1 who calls circumcision a seal1#aajb 1 in a passage where he is professedly contending that circumcision did not constitute the righteousness of ,abraham1 but was a seal of that covenant1 in the faith of which he had already been justified4 ,and what is there that ought to give any man much offence1 if we teach that the promise is sealed by the sacraments1 while it is evident that among the promises themselves one is confirmed by another8 ,for in proportion to its superior clearness1 it is the better calculated for the support of faith4 ,now1 the sacraments bring us the clearest promises1 and have this peculiarity beyond the word1 that they give us a lively representation of them1 as in a picture4 ,nor ought we to regard the objection1 frequently urged1 from the distinction between sacraments and seals of civil instruments1 that while they both consist of the carnal elements of this world1 the former cannot be fit to seal the promises of ,god1 which are spiritual and eternal1 as the latter are accustomed to be appended to seal the edicts of princes relative to frail and transitory things4 ,for the believer1 when the sacraments are placed before his eyes1 does not confine himself to that carnal spectacle2 but by those steps of analogy which ,i have indicated1 rises in pious contemplation to the sublime mysteries which are concealed under the sacramental symbols4 ,,vi4 ,and since the ,lord calls his promises covenants1 and the sacraments seals of covenants1 we may draw a similitude from the covenants of men4 ,the ancients1 in confirmation of their engagements1 were accustomed to kill a sow4 ,but what would have been the slaughter of a sow1 if it had not been accompanied1 and even preceded1 by some words8 ,for sows were often slaughtered without any latent or sublime mystery4 ,what is the contact of one man's right hand with that of another1 since hands are not unfrequently joined in hostility8 ,but when words of friendship and compact have preceded1 the obligations of covenants are confirmed by such signs1 notwithstanding they have been previously conceived1 proposed1 and determined in words4 ,sacraments1 therefore1 are exercises1 which increase and strengthen our faith in the word of ,god2 and because we are corporeal1 they are exhibited under corporeal symbols1 to instruct us according to our dull capacities1 and to lead us by the hand as so many young children4 ,for this reason ,augustine calls a sacrament 8a visible word20 because it represents the promises of ,god portrayed as in a picture1 and places before our eyes an image of them1 in which every lineament is strikingly expressed4 ,other similitudes may also be adduced for the better elucidation of the nature of sacraments2 as if we call them pillars of our faith2 for as an edifice rests on its foundation1 and yet1 from the addition of pillars placed under it1 receives an increase of stability1 so faith rests on the word of ,god as its foundation2 but when the sacraments are added to it as pillars1 they bring with them an accession of strength4 ,or if we call them mirrors1 in which we may contemplate the riches of grace which ,god imparts to us2 for in the sacraments1 as we have already observed1 he manifests himself to us as far as our dulness is capable of knowing him1 and testifies his benevolence and love towards us more expressly than he does by his word4 ,,vii4 ,nor is there any force in their reasoning1 when they contend that the sacraments are not testimonies of the grace of ,god1 because they are often administered to the wicked1 who yet do not1 in consequence of this1 experience ,god to be more propitious to them1 but rather procure to themselves more grievous condemnation4 ,for1 by the same argument1 neither would the gospel be a testimony of the grace of ,god1 because it is heard by many who despise it1 nor even ,christ himself1 who was seen and known by multitudes1 of whom very few received him4 ,a similar observation may be applied to royal edicts2 for great numbers of people despise and deride that seal of authentication1 notwithstanding they know that it proceeded from the monarch to confirm his will2 some utterly disregard it1 as a thing not relating to them2 others even hold it in execration2 so that a survey of the correspondence of the two cases ought to produce greater approbation of the similitude which ,i have before used4 ,therefore it is certain that the ,lord offers us his mercy1 and a pledge of his grace1 both in his holy word and in the sacraments2 but it is not apprehended except by those who receive the word and sacraments with a certain faith2 as the ,father has offered and presented ,christ to all for salvation1 but he is not known and received by all4 ,augustine1 intending to express this sentiment1 somewhere says1 that the efficacy of the word is displayed in the sacrament1 8not because it is spoken1 but because it is believed40 ,therefore ,paul1 when he is addressing believers1 speaks of the sacraments so as to include in them the communion of ,christ2 as when he says1 8,as many of you as have been baptized into ,christ1 have put on ,christ40#aajc ,again3 8,by one ,spirit are we all baptized into one body40#aajd ,but when he speaks of the improper use of the sacraments1 he attributes no more to them than to vain and useless figures2 by which he signifies that1 however impious persons and hypocrites1 by their perversion of the sacraments1 may destroy or obscure the effect of ,divine grace in them1 yet that1 notwithstanding this1 whenever and wherever ,god pleases1 they afford a true testimony of the communion of ,christ1 and the ,spirit of ,god himself exhibits and performs the very thing which they promise4 ,we conclude1 therefore1 that sacraments are truly called testimonies of the grace of ,god1 and are1 as it were1 seals of the benevolence he bears to us1 which1 by confirming it to our minds1 sustain1 cherish1 strengthen1 and increase our faith4 ,the reasons which some are in the habit of objecting against this sentiment are exceedingly weak and frivolous4 ,they allege1 that if our faith be good1 it cannot be made better2 for that there is no real faith except that which rests on the mercy of ,god1 without any wavering1 instability1 or distraction4 ,it would have been better for such persons to pray1 with the apostles1 that the ,lord would increase their faith1#aaje than confidently to boast of such a perfection of faith1 as no one of the sons of men ever yet attained1 or ever will attain1 in this life4 ,let them answer what kind of faith they suppose him to have possessed1 who said1 8,lord1 ,i believe2 help thou mine unbelief40#aajf ,for even that1 though yet only in its commencement1 was a good faith1 and capable of being improved by the removal of unbelief4 ,but there is no argument which more fully refutes them than their own conscience2 for if they confess themselves sinners1 which1 whatever they may wish1 they cannot deny1 they must be obliged to impute it to the imperfection of their faith4 ,,viii4 ,but they say1 ,philip answered the eunuch1 that he might be baptized 8if0 he 8believed with all0 his 8heart40#aajg ,and what room1 they ask1 is there here for the confirmation of baptism1 where faith fills the whole heart8 ,on the other hand1 ,i ask them1 whether they do not feel a large part of their heart destitute of faith1 and whether they do not daily know some fresh increase of it4 ,a heathen gloried that he grew old in learning4 ,we ,christians are miserable indeed if we grow old in making no improvement1 whose faith ought to be advancing from one stage to another till its attainment of perfect manhood4 8,to believe with all the heart10 therefore1 in this passage1 is not to believe ,christ in a perfect manner1 but only signifies embracing him with sincerity of soul and firmness of mind2 not to be filled with him1 but to hunger1 thirst1 and sigh after him with ardent affection4 ,it is the custom of the ,scriptures to say that any thing is done with the whole heart which is done with sincerity of mind1 as in these and other passages3 8,with my whole heart have ,i sought thee20 8,i will praise the ,lord with my whole heart40#aajh ,on the contrary1 when it rebukes the fraudulent and deceitful1 it reproaches them with 8a double heart40#aaji ,our adversaries further allege1 that if faith be increased by the sacraments1 the ,holy ,spirit must have been given in vain1 whose work and influence it is to commence1 to confirm1 and to consummate faith4 ,i confess that faith is the peculiar and entire work of the ,holy ,spirit1 by whose illumination we know ,god and the treasures of his goodness1 and without whose light our mind is too blind to be capable of any sight1 and too stupid to be capable of the least relish of spiritual things4 ,but instead of one favour of ,god1 which they mention1 we acknowledge three4 ,for1 first1 the ,lord teaches and instructs us by his word2 secondly1 he confirms us by his sacraments2 lastly1 he illuminates our minds by the light of his ,holy ,spirit1 and opens an entrance into our hearts for the word and sacraments2 which otherwise would only strike the ears and present themselves to the eyes1 without producing the least effect upon the mind4 ,,ix4 ,with respect to the confirmation and increase of faith1 therefore1 ,i wish the reader to be apprized1 and ,i conceive ,i have already expressed1 in language too plain to be misunderstood1 that ,i assign this office to the sacraments2 not from an opinion of their possessing a perpetual inherent virtue1 efficacious of itself to the advancement or confirmation of faith2 but because they have been instituted by the ,lord for the express purpose of promoting its establishment and augmentation4 ,but they only perform their office aright when they are accompanied by the ,spirit1 that internal ,teacher1 by whose energy alone our hearts are penetrated1 our affections are moved1 and an entrance is opened for the sacraments into our souls4 ,if he be absent1 the sacraments can produce no more effect upon our minds than the splendour of the sun on blind eyes1 or the sound of a voice on deaf ears4 ,i make such a distinction and distribution1 therefore1 between the ,spirit and the sacraments1 that ,i consider all the energy of operation as belonging to the ,spirit1 and the sacraments as mere instruments1 which1 without his agency1 are vain and useless1 but which1 when he acts and exerts his power in the heart1 are fraught with surprising efficacy4 ,now1 it is evident how1 according to this opinion1 the faith of a pious mind is confirmed by the sacraments2 namely1 as the eyes see by the light of the sun1 and the ears hear by the sound of a voice3 the light would have no effect upon the eyes1 unless they had a natural faculty capable of being enlightened2 and it would be in vain for the ears to be struck with any sound1 if they had not been naturally formed for hearing4 ,but if it be true1 as we ought at once to conclude1 that what the visive faculty is in our eyes towards our beholding the light1 and the faculty of hearing is in our ears towards our perception of sound1 such is the work of the ,holy ,spirit in our hearts for the formation1 support1 preservation1 and establishment of our faith2 then these two consequences immediately follow--that the sacraments are attended with no benefit without the influence of the ,holy ,spirit2 and that1 in hearts already instructed by that ,teacher1 they still subserve the confirmation and increase of faith4 ,there is only this difference1 that our eyes and ears are naturally endued with the faculties of seeing and hearing1 but ,christ accomplishes this in our hearts by special and preternatural grace4 ,x4 ,this reasoning will also serve for a solution of the objections with which some persons are greatly disturbed2 that if we attribute to creatures either the increase or confirmation of faith1 we derogate from the ,spirit of ,god1 whom we ought to acknowledge as its sole ,author4 ,for we do not1 at the same time1 deny him the praise of its confirmation and increase2 but we assert that the way in which he increases and confirms our faith is by preparing our minds1 by his inward illumination1 to receive that confirmation which is proposed in the sacraments4 ,if the way in which this has been expressed be too obscure1 it shall be elucidated by the following similitude4 ,if you intend to persuade a person to do a certain act1 you will consider all the reasons calculated to draw him over to your opinion1 and to constrain him to submit to your advice4 ,but you will make no impression upon him1 unless he possess a perspicuous and acute judgment1 to be able to determine what force there is in your reasons2 unless his mind also be docile1 and prepared to listen to instruction2 and lastly1 unless he have conceived such an opinion of your fidelity and prudence as may prepossess him in favour of your sentiments4 ,for there are many obstinate spirits1 never to be moved by any reasons2 and where a person's fidelity is suspected1 and his authority despised1 little effect will be produced1 even with those who are disposed to learn4 ,on the contrary1 let all these things be present1 and they will insure the acquiescence of the person advised1 in those counsels which he would otherwise have derided4 ,this work also the ,spirit effects within us4 ,lest the word should assail our ears in vain1--lest the sacraments should in vain strike our eyes1--he shows us that it is ,god who addresses us in them2 he softens the hardness of our hearts1 and forms them to that obedience which is due to the word of the ,lord2 in fine1 he conveys those external words and sacraments from the ears into the soul4 ,our faith is confirmed1 therefore1 both by the word and by the sacraments1 when they place before our eyes the good-will of our heavenly ,father towards us1 in the knowledge of which all the firmness of our faith consists1 and by which its strength is augmented2 the ,spirit confirms it1 when he makes this confirmation effectual by engraving it on our minds4 ,in the mean time1 the ,father of lights cannot be prohibited from illuminating our minds by means of the lustre of the sacraments1 as he enlightens our bodily eyes with the rays of the sun4 ,,xi4 ,that there is this property in the external word1 our ,lord has shown in a parable1 by calling it 8seed40#aaaj ,for as seed1 if it fall on a desert and neglected spot of ground1 will die without producing any crop1 but if it be cast upon a well manured and cultivated field1 it brings forth its fruit with an abundant increase1--so the word of ,god1 if it fall upon some stiff neck1 will be as unproductive as seed dropped upon the sea-shore2 but if it light upon a soul cultivated by the agency of the heavenly ,spirit1 it will be abundantly fruitful4 ,now1 if the word be justly compared to seed1--as we say that from seed1 corn grows1 increases1 and comes to maturity1--why may we not say that faith derives its commencement1 increase1 and perfection1 from the word of ,god8 ,paul1 in different places1 excellently expresses both these things4 ,for1 with a view to recall to the recollection of the ,corinthians with what efficacy ,god had attended his labours1 he glories in having the ministry of the ,spirit1 as if there were an indissoluble connection between his preaching and the power of the ,holy ,spirit operating to the illumination of their minds1 and the excitement of their hearts4#aaaa ,but in another place1 with a view to apprize them how far the power of the word of ,god extends1 merely as preached by man1 he compares ministers to husbandmen2 who1 when they have employed their labour and industry in cultivating the ground1 have nothing more that they can do4 ,but what would ploughing1 and sowing1 and watering1 avail1 unless heavenly goodness caused the seed to vegetate8 ,therefore he concludes1 8,neither is he that planteth any thing1 neither he that watereth2 but ,god1 that giveth the increase40#aaab ,the apostles1 then1 in their preaching1 exerted the power of the ,spirit1 as far as ,god made use of the instruments appointed by himself for the exhibition of his spiritual grace4 ,but we must always keep in view this distinction1 that we may remember how far the power of man extends1 and what is exclusively the work of ,god4 ,,xii4 ,now1 it is so true that the sacraments are confirmations of our faith1 that sometimes1 when the ,lord intends to take away the confidence of those things which had been promised in the sacraments1 he removes the sacraments themselves4 ,when he deprived ,adam of the gift of immortality1 he expelled him from the garden of ,eden1 saying1 8,lest he put forth his hand1 and take also of the tree of life1 and eat1 and live for ever40#aaac ,what can be the meaning of this language8 ,could the fruit restore to ,adam the incorruption from which he had now fallen8 ,certainly not4 ,but it was the same as if the ,lord had said1 ,lest he should cherish a vain confidence1 if he retain the symbol of my promise1 let him be deprived of that which might give him some hope of immortality4 ,for the same reason1 when the apostle exhorts the ,ephesians to 8remember that0 they 8were without ,christ1 being aliens from the commonwealth of ,israel1 and strangers from the covenant of promise1 having no hope1 and without ,god in the world10 he states that they were not partakers of circumcision2#aaad thereby signifying that not having received the sign of the promise1 they were excluded from the promise itself4 ,to the other objection which they make1 that the glory of ,god is transferred to creatures to whom so much power is attributed1 and thereby sustains a proportionate diminution1 it is easy to answer1 that we place no power in creatures2 we only maintain that ,god uses such means and instruments as he sees will be suitable1 in order that all things may be subservient to his glory1 as he is the ,lord and ,ruler of all4 ,therefore1 as by bread and other aliments he feeds our bodies1 as by the sun he enlightens the world1 as by fire he produces warmth1--yet bread1 the sun1 and fire1 are nothing but instruments by which he dispenses his blessings to us1--so he nourishes our faith in a spiritual manner by the sacraments1 which are instituted for the purpose of placing his promises before our eyes for our contemplation1 and of serving us as pledges of them4 ,and as we ought not to place any confidence in the other creatures1 which1 by the liberality and beneficence of ,god1 have been destined to our uses1 and by whose instrumentality he communicates to us the bounties of his goodness1 nor to admire and celebrate them as the causes of our enjoyments1--so neither ought our confidence to rest in the sacraments1 or the glory of ,god to be transferred to them2 but1 forsaking all other things1 both our faith and confession ought to rise to him1 the ,author of the sacraments and of every other blessing4 ,,xiii4 ,the argument which some persons adduce from the very name of sacrament is destitute of any force2--though the word sacrament has various significations in authors of the first authority1 yet it has but one which has any agreement or connection with signs or standards1 7signa27 that is1 when it denotes the solemn oath taken by a soldier to his commander when he enters on a military life4 ,for as by the military oath new soldiers bind themselves to their commander1 and assume the military profession1 so by our signs we profess ,christ to be our ,leader1 and declare that we fight under his banners4 ,they add similitudes for the further elucidation of their opinion4 ,as the dress of the ,romans1 who wore gowns1 distinguished them from the ,greeks1 who wore cloaks2 as the different orders among the ,romans were distinguished from each other by their respective badges1 the senatorial order from the equestrian by purple habits and round shoes1 and the equestrian from the plebeian by a ring2 as ,french and ,english ships of war are known by flags of different colours1 the ,french flags being white and the ,english red2 so we have our signs or badges to distinguish us from unbelievers4 ,but from the observations already made1 it is evident that the ancient fathers1 who gave our signs the name of sacraments1 were not at all guided by the previous use of this word in ,latin writers2 but that they gave it a new sense for their own convenience1 simply denoting sacred signs4 ,and if we wish to carry our researches any further1 it may be found that they transferred this name to the signification now given1 on the same principle of analogy which induced them to transfer the word faith to the sense in which it is now used4 ,for as faith properly signifies truth in the fulfilment of promises1 yet they have applied it to the assurance or certain persuasion which a person has of the truth itself2 so1 as a sacrament is an oath by which a soldier binds himself to his leader1 they have applied it to the sign by which the leader receives soldiers into his army4 ,for by the sacraments the ,lord promises that he will be our ,god1 and that we shall be his people4 ,but we pass over such subtleties1 as ,i think ,i have proved by sufficient arguments that the ancients had no other view1 in their application of the word sacrament1 than to signify that the ceremonies to which they applied it were signs of holy and spiritual things4 ,we admit the comparison deduced from external badges1 but we cannot bear that the last and least use of the sacraments should be represented as their principal and even sole object4 ,the first object of them is1 to assist our faith towards ,god2 the second1 to testify our confession before men4 ,the similitudes which have been mentioned are applicable to this secondary design1 but the primary one ought never to be forgotten2 for otherwise1 as we have seen1 these mysteries would cease to interest us1 unless they were aids of our faith1 and appendices of doctrine1 destined to the same use and end4 ,,xiv4 ,on the other hand1 we require to be apprized1 that as these persons weaken the force of the sacraments1 and entirely subvert their use1 so there are others of a contrary party1 who attribute to the sacraments ,i know not what latent virtues1 which are nowhere represented as communicated to them by the word of ,god4 ,by this error the simple and inexperienced are dangerously deceived1 being taught to seek the gifts of ,god where they can never be found1 and being gradually drawn away from ,god to embrace mere vanity instead of his truth4 ,for the sophistical schools have maintained1 with one consent1 that the sacraments of the new law1 or those now used in the ,christian ,church1 justify and confer grace1 provided we do not obstruct their operation by any mortal sin4 ,it is impossible to express the pestilent and fatal nature of this opinion1 and especially as it has prevailed over a large part of the world1 to the great detriment of the ,church1 for many ages past4 ,indeed1 it is evidently diabolical2 for by promising justification without faith1 it precipitates souls into destruction3 in the next place1 by representing the sacraments as the cause of justification1 it envelops the minds of men1 naturally too much inclined to the earth1 in gross superstition1 leading them to rest in the exhibition of a corporeal object rather than in ,god himself4 ,of these two evils ,i wish we had not had such ample experience as to supersede the necessity of much proof4 ,what is a sacrament1 taken without faith1 but the most certain ruin of the ,church8 ,for as nothing is to be expected from it1 but in consequence of the promise1 which denotes ,god's wrath against unbelievers as much as it offers his grace to believers1--the person who supposes that the sacraments confer any more upon him than that which is offered by the word of ,god1 and which he receives by a true faith1 is greatly deceived4 ,hence also it may be concluded1 that confidence of salvation does not depend on the participation of the sacraments1 as though that constituted our justification1 which we know to be placed in ,christ alone1 and to be communicated to us no less by the preaching of the gospel than by the sealing of the sacraments1 and that it may be completely enjoyed without this participation4 ,so true is the observation1 which has also been made by ,augustine1 that invisible sanctification may exist without the visible sign1 and1 on the contrary1 that the visible sign may be used without real sanctification4 ,for1 as he also writes in another place1 8,men put on ,christ1 sometimes by the reception of a sacrament1 sometimes by sanctification of life40 ,the first case may be common to the good and the bad2 the second is peculiar to believers4 ,,xv4 ,hence that distinction1 if it be well understood1 which is frequently stated by ,augustine1 between a sacrament and the matter of a sacrament4 ,for his meaning is1 not only that a sacrament contains a figure1 and some truth signified by that figure1 but that their connection is not such as to render them inseparable from each other2 and even when they are united1 the thing signified ought always to be distinguished from the sign1 that what belongs to the one may not be transferred to the other4 ,he speaks of their separation1 when he observes1 that 8the sacraments produce the effect which they represent1 in the elect alone40 ,again1 when he is speaking of the ,jews3 8,though the sacraments were common to all1 the grace which is the power of the sacrament was not common2 so now1 also1 the washing of regeneration is common to all2 but the grace itself1 by which the members of ,christ are regenerated with their ,head1 is not common to all40 ,again1 in another place1 speaking of the ,lord's supper3 8,we also in the present day receive visible meat2 but the sacrament is one thing1 and the power of the sacrament is another4 ,how is it that many receive of the altar and die1 and die in consequence of receiving8 ,for the morsel of bread given by the ,lord to ,judas was poison2 not because ,judas received an evil thing1 but because1 being a wicked man1 he received a good thing in a sinful manner40 ,a little after3 8,the sacrament of this thing1 that is1 of the unity of the body and blood of ,christ1 is prepared on the table of the ,lord1 in some places daily1 in other places on appointed days1 at stated intervals of time2 and is thence received1 by some to life1 by others to destruction4 ,but the thing signified by this sacrament is received1 not to destruction1 but to life1 by every one who partakes of it40 ,he had just before said1 8,he shall not die1 who eats2 ,i refer not to the visible sacrament1 but to the power of the sacrament2 who eats internally1 not externally2 he who eats in his heart1 not he who presses with his teeth40 ,in all these passages we find it maintained1 that a sacrament is separated from the truth signified in it1 by the unworthiness of a person who receives it amiss1 so that there is nothing left in it but a vain and useless figure4 ,in order to enjoy the thing signified together with the sign1 and not a mere sign destitute of the truth it was intended to convey1 it is necessary to apprehend by faith the word which is contained in it4 ,thus1 in proportion to the communion we have with ,christ by means of the sacraments1 will be the advantage which we shall derive from them4 ,,xvi4 ,if this be obscure in consequence of its brevity1 ,i will explain it more at large4 ,i affirm that ,christ is the matter1 or substance1 of all the sacraments2 since they have all their solidity in him1 and promise nothing out of him4 ,so much more intolerable is the error of ,peter ,lombard1 who expressly makes them causes of righteousness and salvation1 of which they are parts4 ,leaving all causes1 therefore1 of human invention1 we ought to adhere to this one cause4 ,as far as we are assisted by their instrumentality1 to nourish1 confirm1 and increase our faith in ,christ1 to obtain a more perfect possession of him and an enjoyment of his riches1 so far they are efficacious to us2 and this is the case when we receive by true faith that which is offered in them4 ,do the impious1 then1 it will be said1 by their ingratitude1 frustrate the ordinance of ,god1 and cause it to come to nothing8 ,i reply1 that what ,i have said is not to be understood as implying1 that the virtue and truth of a sacrament depends on the condition or choice of him who receives it4 ,for what ,god has instituted continues unshaken1 and retains its nature1 however men may vary2 but as it is one thing to offer1 and another to receive1 there is no incongruity in maintaining1 that a symbol1 consecrated by the word of the ,lord1 is in reality what it is declared to be1 and preserves its virtue1 and yet that it confers no benefit on a wicked and impious person4 ,but ,augustine happily solves this question in a few words3 he says1 8,if thou receive it carnally1 still it ceases not to be spiritual2 but it is not so to thee40 ,and1 as in the passages already cited1 this father shows that the symbol used in a sacrament is of no value1 if it be separated from the truth signified by it1 so1 on the other hand1 he states that it is necessary to distinguish them1 even where they are united1 lest our attention be confined too much to the external sign4 8,as to follow the letter10 says he1 8and to take the signs instead of the things signified1 betrays servile weakness1 so it is the part of unsteadiness and error to interpret the signs in such a manner as to derive no advantage from them40 ,he mentions two faults1 against which it is necessary to guard4 ,one is1 when we take the signs as if they were given in vain1 and disparaging or diminishing their secret significations by our perverse misconstruction1 exclude ourselves from the advantage which we ought to derive from them4 ,the other is1 when1 not elevating our minds beyond the visible sign1 we transfer to the sacraments the praise of those benefits1 which are only conferred upon us by ,christ alone1 and that by the agency of the ,holy ,spirit1 who makes us partakers of ,christ himself1 by the instrumentality of the external signs which invite us to ,christ1 but which cannot be perverted to any other use1 without a shameful subversion of all their utility4 ,,xvii4 ,wherefore let us abide by this conclusion1 that the office of the sacraments is precisely the same as that of the word of ,god2 which is to offer and present ,christ to us1 and in him the treasures of his heavenly grace2 but they confer no advantage or profit without being received by faith2 just as wine1 or oil1 or any other liquor1 though it be poured plentifully on a vessel1 yet will it overflow and be lost1 unless the mouth of the vessel be open2 and the vessel itself1 though wet on the outside1 will remain dry and empty within4 ,it is also necessary to guard against being drawn into an error allied to this1 from reading the extravagant language used by the fathers with a view to exalt the dignity of the sacraments2 lest we should suppose there is some secret power annexed and attached to the sacraments1 so that they communicate the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 just as wine is given in the cup2 whereas the only office assigned to them by ,god1 is to testify and confirm his benevolence towards us2 nor do they impart any benefit1 unless they are accompanied by the ,holy ,spirit to open our minds and hearts1 and render us capable of receiving this testimony3 and here1 also1 several distinct favours of ,god are eminently displayed4 ,for the sacraments1 as we have before hinted1 fulfil to us1 on the part of ,god1 the same office as messengers of joyful intelligence1 or earnests for the confirmation of covenants on the part of men2 they communicate no grace from themselves1 but announce and show1 and1 as earnests and pledges1 ratify1 the things which are given to us by the goodness of ,god4 ,the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the sacraments do not promiscuously impart to all1 but whom ,god1 by a peculiar privilege1 confers upon his servants1 is he who brings with him the graces of ,god1 who gives the sacraments admission into our hearts1 and causes them to bring forth fruit in us4 ,now1 though we do not deny that ,god himself accompanies his institution by the very present power of his ,spirit1 that the administration of the sacraments which he has ordained may not be vain and unfruitful1 yet we assert the necessity of a separate consideration and contemplation of the internal grace of the ,spirit1 as it is distinguished from the external ministry4 ,whatever ,god promises and adumbrates in signs1 therefore1 he really performs2 and the signs are not without their effect1 to prove the veracity and fidelity of their ,author4 ,the only question here is1 whether ,god works by a proper and intrinsic power1 as it is expressed1 or resigns the office to external symbols4 ,now1 we contend1 that whatever instruments he employs1 this derogates nothing from his supreme operation4 ,when this doctrine is maintained respecting the sacraments1 their dignity is sufficiently announced1 their use plainly signified1 their utility abundantly declared1 and a proper moderation is preserved in all these particulars1 so that nothing is attributed1 which ought not to be attributed to them1 and nothing that belongs to them is denied2 while there is no admission of that figment1 which places the cause of justification and the power of the ,spirit in the sacramental elements1 as in so many vehicles2 and that peculiar power which has been omitted by others is clearly expressed4 ,here1 also1 it must be remarked1 that ,god accomplishes within1 that which the minister represents and testifies by the external act2 that we may not attribute to a mortal man what ,god challenges exclusively to himself4 ,augustine has judiciously suggested the same sentiment4 8,how10 says he1 8do ,moses and ,god both sanctify8 ,not ,moses instead of ,god4 ,moses does it with visible signs1 by his ministry4 ,god does it with invisible grace1 by his ,holy ,spirit4 ,here also lies all the efficacy of visible sacraments4 ,for what avail those visible sacraments without that sanctification of invisible grace80 ,,xviii4 ,the term sacrament1 as we have hitherto treated of its nature1 comprehends generally all the signs which ,god has ever given to men1 to certify and assure them of the truth of his promises4 ,these he has been pleased to place in natural things1 and sometimes to exhibit in miracles4 ,examples of the former kind are such as these3 when he gave ,adam and ,eve the tree of life1 as a pledge of immortality1 which they might assure themselves of enjoying as long as they should eat of the fruit of that tree2#aaae and when he 8set0 his 8bow in the cloud10 as a token to ,noah and his posterity1 that there should 8no more be a flood to destroy the earth40#aaaf ,these ,adam and ,noah had as sacraments4 ,not that the tree would actually communicate immortality to them1 which it could not give to itself2 or that the rainbow1 which is merely a refraction of the rays of the sun on the opposite clouds1 would have any efficacy in restraining the waters2 but because they had a mark impressed upon them by the word of ,god1 constituting them signs and seals of his covenants4 ,the tree and the rainbow both existed before1 but when they were inscribed with the word of ,god1 they were endued with a new form1 so that they began to be something that they were not before4 ,and that no one may suppose this to be spoken in vain1 the bow itself continues to be a witness to us in the present age1 of that covenant which ,god made with ,noah3 whenever we behold it1 we read this promise of ,god in it1 that he would never more destroy the earth with a flood4 ,therefore1 if any smatterer in philosophy1 with a view to ridicule the simplicity of our faith1 contend that such a variety of colours is the natural result of the refraction of the solar rays on an opposite cloud1 we must immediately acknowledge it1 but we may smile at his stupidity in not acknowledging ,god as the ,lord and ,governor of nature1 who uses all the elements according to his will for the promotion of his own glory4 ,and if he had impressed similar characters on the sun1 on the stars1 on the earth1 and on stones1 they would all have been sacraments to us4 ,why is not silver of as much value before it is coined1 as it is after1 since the metal is the very same8 ,the reason is1 that it has nothing added to its natural state2 stamped with a public impression1 it becomes money1 and receives a new valuation4 ,and shall not ,god be able to mark his creatures with his word1 that they may become sacraments1 though before they were mere elements8 ,examples of the second kind were exhibited1 when ,god showed ,abraham 8a smoking furnace and a burning lamp20#aaag when he watered the fleece with dew while the earth remained dry1 and afterwards bedewed the earth without wetting the fleece1 to promise victory to ,gideon2#aaah when 8he brought the shadow ten degrees backward in the dial10#aaai to promise recovery to ,hezekiah4 ,as these things were done to support and establish the weakness of their faith1 they also were sacraments4 ,,xix4 ,but our present design is to treat particularly of those sacraments which the ,lord has appointed to be ordinarily used in his ,church1 to keep his worshippers and servants in one faith and in the confession of the same4 8,for10 to use the language of ,augustine1 8men cannot be united in any profession of religion1 whether true or false1 unless they are connected by some communion of visible signs or sacraments40 ,our most merciful ,father1 therefore1 foreseeing this necessity1 did1 from the beginning1 institute for his servants certain exercises of piety1 which ,satan afterwards depraved and corrupted in a variety of ways1 transferring them to impious and idolatrous worship4 ,hence those initiations of the heathen into their mysteries1 and the rest of their degenerate rites1 which1 though fraught with error and superstition1 at the same time furnish an evidence that such external signs are indispensable to a profession of religion4 ,but as they were neither founded on the word of ,god1 nor referred to that truth which ought to be the object of all religious emblems1 they are unworthy of notice1 where mention is made of the sacred symbols which have been instituted by ,god1 and which have never been perverted from their original principle1 which constitutes them aids of true piety4 ,now1 they consist not of mere signs1 like the rainbow and the tree of life1 but in ceremonies2 or1 rather1 the signs which are here given are ceremonies4 ,and1 as we have before observed1 as they are testimonies of grace and salvation on the part of the ,lord1 so on our part they are badges of our profession1 by which we publicly devote ourselves to ,god1 and swear obedience and fidelity to him4 ,chrysostom1 therefore1 somewhere properly calls them compacts1 by which ,god covenants with us1 and we bind ourselves to purity and sanctity of life2 because a mutual stipulation is made in them between ,god and us4 ,for as the ,lord promises to obliterate and efface all the guilt and punishment that we have incurred by sin1 and reconciles us to himself in his only begotten ,son1 so we1 on our parts1 by this profession1 bind ourselves to him1 to serve him in piety and innocence of life2 so that such sacraments may justly be described as ceremonies by which ,god is pleased to exercise his people1 in the first place1 to nourish1 excite1 and confirm faith in their hearts2 and in the next place1 to testify their religion before men4 ,,xx4 ,and even the sacraments have been different according to the varieties of different periods1 and corresponding to the dispensation by which it has pleased the ,lord to manifest himself in different ways to mankind4 ,for to ,abraham and his posterity circumcision was commanded2 to which the law of ,moses afterwards added ablutions1 sacrifices1 and other rites4 ,these were the sacraments of the ,jews till the coming of ,christ2 which was followed by the abrogation of these1 and the institution of two others1 which are now used in the ,christian ,church2 namely1 baptism and the supper of the ,lord4 ,i speak of those which were instituted for the use of the whole ,church2 for as to the imposition of hands1 by which the ministers of the ,church are introduced into their office1 while ,i make no objection to its being called a sacrament1 ,i do not class it among the ordinary sacraments4 ,what opinion ought to be entertained respecting those which are commonly reputed the five other sacraments1 we shall see in a subsequent chapter4 ,those ancient sacrifices1 however1 referred to the same object towards which ours are now directed1 their design being to point and lead to ,christ1 or rather1 as images1 to represent and make him known4 ,for as we have already shown that they are seals to confirm the promises of ,god1 and it is very certain that no promise of ,god was ever offered to man except in ,christ1--in order to teach us any thing respecting the promises of ,god1 they must of necessity make a discovery of ,christ4 ,this was the design of that heavenly pattern of the tabernacle and model of the legal worship1 which was exhibited to ,moses in the mount4 ,there is only one difference between those sacraments and ours3 they prefigured ,christ as promised and still expected2 ours represent him as already come and manifested4 ,,xxi4 ,all these things will be considerably elucidated by a particular detail4 ,in the first place1 circumcision was a sign to the ,jews to teach them that whatever is produced from human seed--that is1 the whole nature of man--is corrupt1 and requires to be pruned3 it was likewise a testification and memorial to confirm them in the promise given to ,abraham respecting the blessed seed1 in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed1 and from whom their own blessing was also to be expected4#aabj ,now1 that blessed seed1 as ,paul informs us1 was ,christ1 on whom alone they relied for recovering that which they had lost in ,adam4 ,wherefore circumcision was the same to them as ,paul declares it to have been to ,abraham1 even 8a seal of the righteousness of faith20#aaba that is1 a seal for the further assurance that their faith1 with which they expected that seed1 would be imputed by ,god to them for righteousness4 ,but the comparison between circumcision and baptism we shall have more suitable occasion for pursuing in another place4 ,ablutions and purifications placed before their eyes their uncleanness and pollution1 by which they were naturally contaminated1 and promised another ablution1 by which they would be purified from all their defilement2 and this ablution was ,christ1 washed in whose blood we bring his purity into the presence of ,god to cover all our impurities4#aabb ,their sacrifices accused and convicted them of their iniquity1 and1 at the same time1 taught the necessity of some satisfaction to be made to the ,divine justice1 and that1 therefore1 there would come a great ,high ,priest1 a ,mediator between ,god and men1 who was to satisfy the justice of ,god by the effusion of blood and the oblation of a sacrifice1 which would be sufficient to obtain the remission of sins4 ,this great ,high ,priest was ,christ2 he shed his own blood1 and was himself the victim2 was obedient to his ,father even unto death1 and by his obedience obliterated the disobedience of man1 which had provoked the indignation of ,god4#aabc ,,xxii4 ,our two sacraments present us with a clearer exhibition of ,christ1 in proportion to the nearer view of him which men have enjoyed since he was really manifested by the ,father in the manner in which he had been promised4 ,for baptism testifies to us our purgation and ablution2 the eucharistic supper testifies our redemption4 ,water is a figure of ablution1 and blood of satisfaction4 ,these things are both found in ,christ1 who1 as ,john says1 8came by water and blood20#aabd that is1 to purify and redeem4 ,of this the ,spirit of ,god is a witness2 or1 rather1 8there are three that bear witness1 the ,spirit1 the ,water1 and the ,blood40#aabe ,in the water and the blood we have a testimony of purgation and redemption2 and the ,spirit1 as the principal witness1 confirms and secures our reception and belief of this testimony4 ,this sublime mystery was strikingly exhibited on the cross1 when blood and water issued from ,christ's sacred side2 which1 on this account1 ,augustine has justly called 8the fountain of our sacraments20 of which we are yet to treat more at large4 ,and there is no doubt1 if we compare one time with another1 but that the more abundant grace of the ,spirit is also here displayed4 ,for that belongs to the glory of the kingdom of ,christ2 as we gather from various places1 and especially from the seventh chapter of ,john4 ,in this sense we must understand that passage where ,paul1 speaking of the legal institutions1 says1 8which are a shadow of things to come1 but the body is of ,christ40#aabf ,his design in this declaration is1 not to deny the efficacy of those testimonies of grace1 in which ,god was formerly pleased to attest his veracity to the fathers1 as he does to us now in baptism and the sacred supper1 but to represent the comparative superiority of what has been given to us1 that no one might wonder at the ceremonies of the law having been abolished at the advent of ,christ4 ,,xxiii4 ,i will just observe by the way1 that the doctrine of the schools1 which asserts such a wide difference between the sacraments of the old and new law1 as though the former merely prefigured the grace of ,god1 and the latter actually communicated it1 ought to be altogether exploded4 ,for the apostle speaks in a manner equally as honourable of the former as of the latter1 when he states that the fathers1 in the time of ,moses1 8did all eat the same spiritual meat0#aabg with us1 and explains that meat to be ,christ4 ,who will dare to call that an empty sign1 which exhibited to the ,jews the real communion of ,christ8 ,and the state of the case1 which the apostle is there discussing1 is clearly in favour of our argument4 ,for1 that no man might dare to despise the judgment of ,god1 in a reliance on a speculative knowledge of ,christ1 and the mere name of ,christianity1 with its external signs1 he exhibits the examples of ,divine severity displayed among the ,jews1 to teach us that the same punishments which they suffered await us1 if we indulge in the same sins4 ,now1 that the comparison might be pertinent1 it was necessary to show that there was no inequality between us and them in those privileges of which he forbids us to indulge unfounded boasts4 ,first1 therefore1 he shows them to have been equal to us in the sacraments1 and leaves not a particle of superiority capable of exciting in our minds the least hope of impunity4 ,nor is it right to attribute to our baptism any thing more than he attributes to circumcision1 when he calls it 8a seal of the righteousness of faith40#aabh ,whatever is presented to us in the present day in our sacraments1 was anciently received by the ,jews in theirs--even ,christ and his spiritual riches4 ,whatever power our sacraments have1 they also experienced the same in theirs3 they were seals of the ,divine benevolence to them1 confirming their hope of eternal salvation4 ,if the advocates of the opinion which we are opposing had been skilful interpreters of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 they would not have been so deceived2 but when they read there that sins were not expiated by the legal ceremonies1 and that the ancient shadows had no power to confer righteousness1--neglecting the comparison intended to be drawn1 and confining their attention to this single consideration1 that the law in itself was unprofitable to its observers1 they have simply concluded that the figures were destitute of any truth4 ,but the design of the apostle was to represent the ceremonial law as of no value till it was referred to ,christ1 on whom alone depended all its efficacy4 ,,xxiv4 ,but they will allege what ,paul says of the 8circumcision in the letter10#aabi that it is in no estimation with ,god2 that it confers no advantage2 that it is in vain2 for such a representation they conceive to degrade it far below baptism4 ,but this is not true2 for all that he says of circumcision might justly be affirmed of baptism4 ,and it is actually asserted2 first by ,paul himself1 where he shows that ,god regards not the external ablution by which we enter on the profession of religion1 unless the heart be purified within1 and persevere in piety to the end2 and1 secondly1 by ,peter1 when he declares the truth of baptism to consist1 not in 8the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a good conscience40#aacj ,it will be objected1 that ,paul seems in another place utterly to despise 8the circumcision made with hands10 when he compares it with 8the circumcision of ,christ40#aaca ,i reply1 that that passage derogates nothing from its dignity4 ,paul is there disputing against those who required it as still necessary1 after it had been abrogated4 ,he therefore admonishes believers to leave the ancient shadows1 and adhere to the truth4 ,these teachers1 he says1 urge you to be circumcised in your bodies4 ,but you have been spiritually circumcised both in body and soul3 you have the substance itself1 therefore1 which is better than the shadow4 ,some one might object to this1 that the figure was not to be despised in consequence of their having the substance2 for that the fathers under the ,old ,testament had experienced the circumcision of the heart1 and the putting off of the old man1 of which the apostle was speaking1 and yet that external circumcision had not been unnecessary or useless to them4 ,he anticipates and supersedes this objection1 by immediately adding1 that the ,colossians had been 8buried with ,christ in baptism20 by which he signifies that baptism is to ,christians what circumcision was to the ancient believers1 and consequently that circumcision cannot be imposed upon ,christians without injury to baptism4 ,,xxv4 ,but our objectors proceed to allege1 that a still stronger argument in their favour arises from what follows1 which ,i have lately quoted1--that all the ,jewish ceremonies were 8a shadow of things to come1 but the body is of ,christ20#aacb and that the strongest argument of all is what is contained in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 that the blood of beasts did not reach the conscience1 that 8the law0 had 8a shadow of good things to come1 and not the very image of the things1 and that the worshippers could never attain perfection from the ,mosaic ceremonies40#aacc ,i repeat what ,i have already suggested1 that ,paul called the ceremonies shadows1 not as if they had nothing solid in them1 but because their accomplishment had been deferred till the manifestation of ,christ4 ,in the next place1 ,i remark that this is to be understood1 not of the efficacy of the ceremonies1 but rather of the mode of representation4 ,for till ,christ was manifested in the flesh1 all the signs prefigured him as absent2 however1 he displayed his power1 and consequently himself1 as present in the hearts of believers4 ,but the principal thing to be observed is1 that in all these places ,paul is not speaking of the subject1 considered simply in itself1 but with reference to those against whom he is contending4 ,as he was combating the false apostles1 who maintained piety to consist in the ceremonies alone1 without any regard to ,christ1--nothing more was necessary for their confutation1 than to discuss what value ceremonies possess of themselves4 ,this also was the object pursued by the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,let us remember1 therefore1 that the question here does not respect ceremonies1 taken in their true and natural signification1 but as distorted by a false and perverse interpretation2 the controversy is not about the legitimate use1 but the superstitious abuse of them4 ,what wonder1 then1 is it1 if ceremonies1 separated from ,christ1 are divested of all their virtue8 ,for all signs are reduced to nothing1 when the thing signified is taken away4 ,so when ,christ was addressing those who supposed the manna to have been mere food for the body1 he accommodated his discourse to their gross notion1 and said that he would give them better food1 to nourish their souls with the hope of immortality4#aacd ,if a clearer solution be required1 all that has been said may be comprised in these three observations3 first1 that all the ceremonies of the law of ,moses1 unless they were directed to ,christ1 were vain and useless2 secondly1 that they had reference to ,christ1 so that when he was manifested in the flesh1 they received their accomplishment2 lastly1 that it was necessary for them to be abolished at his advent1 as a shadow vanishes in the clear light of the sun4 ,but as ,i defer the more extended discussion of this subject to the chapter in which ,i intend to compare baptism with circumcision1 ,i touch the more briefly upon it here4 ,,xxvi4 ,it is possible that these miserable sophists have been led into this error by the extravagant encomiums on the sacraments which are found in the writings of the fathers2 as when ,augustine says1 that 8the sacraments of the old law only promised the ,saviour1 but ours give salvation40 ,not observing that these and other similar forms of expression were hyperbolical1 they1 also1 on their part1 have promulgated their hyperbolical dogmas1 but in a sense altogether foreign from the writings of the fathers4 ,for the meaning of ,augustine in that passage was the same as in another1 where he says1 8,the sacraments of the ,mosaic law announced ,christ as afterwards to come2 ours announce him as already come40 ,again3 8,they were promises of things to be fulfilled2 these are signs of things accomplished20 as if he had said1 that the old sacraments prefigured ,christ while he was yet expected1 but that ours exhibit him as present1 since he has already come4 ,besides1 he speaks of the mode of representation1 as he also shows in another place1 where he says1 8,the law and the prophets had sacraments announcing something future2 but what they celebrated as about to come1 the sacraments of our time announce as already come40 ,his sentiments respecting their truth and efficacy he declares in several places2 as when he says1 8,the sacraments of the ,jews were different from ours in the signs2 in the thing signified1 they were equal2 different in visible form1 equal in spiritual efficacy40 ,again3 8,in different signs1 the same faith2 in different signs1 just as in different words2 because words change their sounds in different times1 and words are no other than signs4 ,the fathers drank the same spiritual drink as we2 though their corporeal drink was different4 ,see1 then1 the signs have been varied without any change in the faith4 ,to them the ,rock was ,christ2 to us1 that which is placed on the altar is ,christ4 ,and as a great sacrament1 they drank the water flowing from the ,rock2 what we drink1 believers know4 ,if we consider the visible form1 there was a difference2 if we regard the intelligible signification1 they drank the same spiritual drink40 ,in another place3 8,in the mystery their meat and drink were the same as ours2 but the same in signification1 not in form2 because the very same ,christ was prefigured to them in the ,rock1 and has been manifested to us in the flesh40 ,yet in this respect1 also1 we admit that there is some difference between their sacraments and ours4 ,for both testify that the paternal benevolence of ,god is offered to us in ,christ1 together with the graces of the ,holy ,spirit2 but ours testify it in a more clear and evident manner4 ,in both there is an exhibition of ,christ1 but the exhibition of him in ours is richer and fuller1 corresponding to the difference between the ,old ,testament and the ,new1 of which we have already treated4 ,and this is what was intended by ,augustine1 whom ,i quote more frequently than any other1 as the best and most faithful writer of antiquity1 when he states1 that after the revelation of ,christ1 sacraments were instituted1 8fewer in number1 more noble in signification1 and more excellent in efficacy40 ,it is right1 also1 just to apprize the readers1 that all the jargon of the sophists respecting the work wrought 7opus operatum7 is not only false1 but repugnant to the nature of the sacraments2 which ,god has instituted1 in order that believers1 being poor and destitute of every good1 may come to them simply confessing their wants1 and imploring him to supply them4 ,consequently1 in receiving the sacraments1 they perform nothing at all meritorious1 and the action itself being1 as far as they are concerned1 merely passive1 no work can be attributed to them in it4 ,footnote #ajie3 ,eph4 i4 #i4 ,footnote #ajif3 ,eph4 iii4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #ajig3 ,col4 i4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #ajih3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #af4 ,footnote #ajii3 ,rom4 x4 #h4 ,footnote #aajj3 ,acts xv4 #i4 ,footnote #aaja3 #a ,peter iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #aajb3 ,rom4 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #aajc3 ,gal4 iii4 #bg4 ,footnote #aajd3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #ac4 ,footnote #aaje3 ,luke xvii4 #e4 ,footnote #aajf3 ,mark ix4 #bd4 ,footnote #aajg3 ,acts viii4 #cg4 ,footnote #aajh3 ,psalm cxix4 #aj2 cxi4 #a2 cxxxviii4 #a4 ,footnote #aaji3 ,psalm xii4 #b4 ,footnote #aaaj3 ,matt4 xiii4 #c-bc4 ,like viii4 #e-ae4 ,footnote #aaaa3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #d4 #b ,cor4 iii4 #f1 #h4 ,footnote #aaab3 #a ,cor4 iii4 #g4 ,footnote #aaac3 ,gen4 iii4 #bb4 ,footnote #aaad3 ,eph4 ii4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #aaae3 ,gen4 ii4 #i1 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #aaaf3 ,gen4 ix4 #ab-ag4 ,footnote #aaag3 ,gen4 xv4 #ag4 ,footnote #aaah3 ,judges vi4 #cg-dj4 ,footnote #aaai3 #b ,kings xx4 #aa4 ,footnote #aabj3 ,gen4 xii4 #c2 xxii4 #ah4 ,gal4 iii4 #af4 ,footnote #aaba3 ,rom4 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #aabb3 ,heb4 ix4 #aj-ad4 #a ,john i4 #g4 ,rev4 i4 #e4 ,footnote #aabc3 ,heb4 iv4 #ad2 ix4 #aa2 x4 #a-d4 ,phil4 ii4 #h4 ,rom4 v4 #ai4 ,footnote #aabd3 #a ,john v4 #h4 ,footnote #aabe3 #a ,john v4 #h4 ,footnote #aabf3 ,col4 ii4 #ag4 ,footnote #aabg3 #a ,cor4 x4 #c4 ,footnote #aabh3 ,rom4 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #aabi3 ,rom4 ii4 #be-bi4 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ai4 ,gal4 vi4 #ae4 ,footnote #aacj3 #a ,pet4 iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #aaca3 ,col4 ii4 #aa4 ,footnote #aacb3 ,col4 ii4 #ag4 ,footnote #aacc3 ,heb4 ix4 #i2 x4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #aacd3 ,john vi4 #bg4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,baptism4 ,baptism is a sign of initiation1 by which we are admitted into the society of the ,church1 in order that1 being incorporated into ,christ1 we may be numbered among the children of ,god4 ,now1 it has been given to us by ,god for these ends1 which ,i have shown to be common to all sacraments3 first1 to promote our faith towards him2 secondly1 to testify our confession before men4 ,we shall treat of both these ends of its institution in order4 ,to begin with the first3 from baptism our faith derives three advantages1 which require to be distinctly considered4 ,the first is1 that it is proposed to us by the ,lord1 as a symbol and token of our purification2 or1 to express my meaning more fully1 it resembles a legal instrument properly attested1 by which he assures us that all our sins are cancelled1 effaced1 and obliterated1 so that they will never appear in his sight1 or come into his remembrance1 or be imputed to us4 ,for he commands all who believe to be baptized for the remission of their sins4 ,therefore those who have imagined that baptism is nothing more than a mark or sign by which we profess our religion before men1 as soldiers wear the insignia of their sovereign as a mark of their profession1 have not considered that which was the principal thing in baptism2 which is1 that we ought to receive it with this promise1 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved40#aace ,,ii4 ,in this sense we are to understand what is said by ,paul1 that ,christ sanctifies and cleanses the ,church 8with the washing of water by the word20#aacf and in another place1 that 8according to his mercy he saved us1 by the washing of regeneration1 and renewing of the ,holy ,ghost20#aacg and by ,peter1 that 8baptism doth save us40#aach ,for it was not the intention of ,paul to signify that our ablution and salvation are completed by the water1 or that water contains in itself the virtue to purify1 regenerate1 and renew2 nor did ,peter mean that it was the cause of salvation1 but only that the knowledge and assurance of it is received in this sacrament2 which is sufficiently evident from the words they have used4 ,for ,paul connects together the 8word of life0 and 8the baptism of water20 as if he had said that our ablution and sanctification are announced to us by the gospel1 and by baptism this message is confirmed4 ,and ,peter1 after having said that 8baptism doth save us10 immediately adds that it is 8not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a good conscience towards ,god10 which proceeds from faith4 ,but1 on the contrary1 baptism promises us no other purification than by the sprinkling of the blood of ,christ2 which is emblematically represented by water1 on account of its resemblance to washing and cleansing4 ,who1 then1 can pretend that we are cleansed by that water1 which clearly testifies the blood of ,christ to be our true and only ablution8 ,so that1 to refute the error of those who refer all to the virtue of the water1 no better argument could be found1 than in the signification of baptism itself1 which abstracts us1 as well from that visible element which is placed before our eyes1 as from all other means of salvation1 that it may fix our minds on ,christ alone4 ,,iii4 ,nor must it be supposed that baptism is administered only for the time past1 so that for sins into which we fall after baptism it would be necessary to seek other new remedies of expiation in ,i know not what other sacraments1 as if the virtue of baptism were become obsolete4 ,in consequence of this error1 it happened1 in former ages1 that some persons would not be baptized except at the close of their life1 and almost in the moment of their death1 that so they might obtain pardon for their whole life--a preposterous caution1 which is frequently censured in the writings of the ancient bishops4 ,but we ought to conclude1 that at whatever time we are baptized1 we are washed and purified for the whole of life4 ,whenever we have fallen1 therefore1 we must recur to the remembrance of baptism1 and arm our minds with the consideration of it1 that we may be always certified and assured of the remission of our sins4 ,for though1 when it has been once administered1 it appears to be past1 yet it is not abolished by subsequent sins4 ,for the purity of ,christ is offered to us in it2 and that always retains its virtue1 is never overcome by any blemishes1 but purifies and obliterates all our defilements4 ,now1 from this doctrine we ought not to take a license for the commission of future sins2 for it is very far from inculcating such presumption2 it is only delivered to those who1 when they have sinned1 groan under the fatigue and oppression of their transgressions2 in order to afford them some relief and consolation1 and to preserve them from sinking into confusion and despair4 ,thus ,paul says1 that ,christ was 8set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sins that are past40#aaci ,he does not deny that we have a constant and perpetual remission of sins in ,christ1 but signifies that he has been given by the ,father only to miserable sinners1 who sigh for the physician to heal the wounds of a guilty conscience4 ,to such the mercy of ,god is offered2 while those who1 from a remission of punishment1 seek to derive an occasion and license for sinning1 do nothing but draw down upon themselves the wrath and vengeance of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,i know the common opinion is1 that remission of sins1 which at our first regeneration we receive by baptism alone1 is afterwards obtained by repentance and the benefit of the keys4 ,but the advocates of this opinion have fallen into an error1 for want of considering that the power of the keys1 of which they speak1 is so dependent on baptism that it cannot by any means be separated from it4 ,it is true1 that the sinner receives remission by the ministry of the ,church2 but not without the preaching of the gospel4 ,now1 what is the nature of that preaching8 ,that we are cleansed from our sins by the blood of ,christ4 ,what sign and testimony of that ablution is there1 except baptism8 ,we see1 then1 how this absolution is referred to baptism4 ,this error has produced the imaginary sacrament of penance2 on which ,i have touched a little already1 and shall finish what remains in its proper place4 ,now1 it is no wonder if men1 whose groveling minds were inordinately attached to external things1 have betrayed that corrupt propensity1 by a discontent with the pure institution of ,god1 and an introduction of new expedients invented by themselves2 as if baptism itself were not a sacrament of repentance2 but if repentance be enjoined upon us as long as we live1 the virtue of baptism ought to be extended to the same period4 ,wherefore it is evident that the pious1 whenever1 in any part of their lives1 they are distressed with a consciousness of their sins1 may justly have recourse to the remembrance of baptism1 in order to confirm themselves in the confidence of their interest in that one perpetual ablution which is enjoyed in the blood of ,christ4 ,v4 ,baptism is also attended with another advantage3 it shows us our mortification in ,christ1 and our new life in him4 ,for1 as the apostle says1 8,so many of us as were baptized into ,jesus ,christ1 were baptized into his death3 therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death1 that we should walk in newness of life40#aadj ,in this passage he does not merely exhort us to an imitation of ,christ1 as if he had said1 that we are admonished by baptism1 that after the example of his death we should die to sin1 and that after the example of his resurrection we should rise to righteousness2 but he goes considerably further1 and teaches us1 that by baptism ,christ has made us partakers of his death1 in order that we may be ingrafted into it4 ,and as the scion derives substance and nourishment from the root on which it is ingrafted1 so they1 who receive baptism with the faith with which they ought to receive it1 truly experience the efficacy of ,christ's death in the mortification of the flesh1 and also the energy of his resurrection in the vivification of the spirit4 ,hence he deduces matter of exhortation1 that1 if we are ,christians1 we ought to be 8dead unto sin1 but alive unto ,god40#aada ,he uses the same argument in another place2 that we 8are circumcised1 putting off the body of the sins of the flesh10 after we have been 8buried with0 ,christ 8in baptism40#aadb ,and in this sense1 in the passage already quoted1 he calls it 8the washing of regeneration and renewing40#aadc ,thus we are promised1 first1 the gratuitous remission of sins1 and imputation of righteousness2 and1 secondly1 the grace of the ,holy ,spirit to reform us to newness of life4 ,,vi4 ,the last advantage which our faith receives from baptism1 is the certain testimony it affords us1 that we are not only ingrafted into the life and death of ,christ1 but are so united as to be partakers of all his benefits4 ,for this reason he dedicated and sanctified baptism in his own body1 that he might have it in common with us1 as a most firm bond of the union and society which he has condescended to form with us2 so that ,paul proves from it1 that we are the children of ,god1 because we have put on ,christ in baptism4#aadd ,thus we see that the accomplishment of baptism is in ,christ2 whom1 on this account1 we call the proper object of baptism4 ,therefore it is no wonder if the apostles baptized in his name1#aade though they had also been commanded to baptize in the name of the ,father and of the ,spirit4#aadf ,for all the gifts of ,god1 which are presented in baptism1 are found in ,christ alone4 ,yet it cannot be but that he who baptizes into ,christ1 equally invokes the name of the ,father and of the ,spirit4 ,for we have purification in his blood1 because our merciful ,father1 in his incomparable goodness1 being pleased to receive us to his mercy1 has appointed this ,mediator between us1 to conciliate his favour to us4 ,but we receive regeneration from his death and resurrection1 when we are endued with a new and spiritual nature by the sanctification of the ,spirit4 ,of our purification and regeneration1 therefore1 we obtain1 and distinctly perceive1 the cause in the ,father1 the matter in the ,son1 and the efficacy in the ,spirit4 ,thus ,john first1 and the apostles afterwards1 baptized 8with the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins20#aadg by repentance1 intending regeneration1 and by remission of sins1 ablution4 ,,vii4 ,hence also it is very certain that the ministry of ,john was precisely the same as that which was afterwards committed to the apostles4 ,for their baptism was not different1 though it was administered by different hands2 but the sameness of their doctrine shows their baptism to have been the same4 ,john and the apostles agreed in the same doctrine2 both baptized to repentance1 both to remission of sins2 both baptized in the name of ,christ1 from whom repentance and remission of sins proceed4 ,john said of ,christ1 8,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world20#aadh thus acknowledging and declaring him to be the sacrifice acceptable to the ,father1 the procurer of righteousness1 and the author of salvation4 ,what could the apostles add to this confession8 ,wherefore let no one be disturbed by the attempts of the ancient writers to distinguish and separate one baptism from the other2 for their authority ought not to have weight enough to shake our confidence in the ,scripture4 ,for who will attend to ,chrysostom1 who denies that remission of sins was included in the baptism of ,john1 rather than to ,luke1 who1 on the contrary1 affirms that 8,john came preaching the baptism of repentance1 for the remission of sins80#aadi ,nor must we admit that subtlety of ,augustine1 8that in the baptism of ,john sins were remitted in hope1 but in the baptism of ,christ they were remitted in fact40 ,for as the evangelist clearly testifies that ,john1 in his baptism1 promised the remission of sins1 why should we diminish this commendation1 when no necessity constrains us to it8 ,but if any difference be sought for in the word of ,god1 the only difference that will be found is1 that ,john baptized in the name of him who was to come1 the apostles in the name of him who had already manifested himself4 ,,viii4 ,the more abundant effusion of the graces of the ,spirit1 after the resurrection of ,christ1 contributes nothing to establish a diversity of baptisms4 ,for the baptism administered by the apostles1 during his life on earth1 was called his2 yet it was attended with no greater abundance of the ,spirit than the baptism of ,john4 ,and even after his ascension1 the ,samaritans1 even though they had been baptized in the name of ,jesus1 received no other gifts of the ,spirit than those which were common to all believers1 till ,peter and ,john were sent to lay their hands upon them4#aaej ,i suppose that the fathers were misled into an opinion1 that the baptism of ,john was merely a preparation for that of ,christ1#aaea entirely from an apprehension that some persons1 who had previously received the baptism of ,john1 were baptized again by ,paul4 ,but that they were mistaken in this point1 shall be very clearly shown in the proper place4 ,what is the meaning1 then1 of the declaration of ,john1 that he 8baptized with water10 but that ,christ would come to 8baptize with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire80#aaeb ,this may be explained in few words2 for he did not mean to distinguish between one baptism and the other1 but was comparing himself with the person of ,christ2 that he was a minister of water1 but that ,christ was the giver of the ,holy ,spirit1 and would display this power by a visible miracle1 on that day when he would send down the ,holy ,spirit upon the apostles in the form of fiery tongues4#aaec ,what could the apostles boast beyond this8 ,what more can they pretend to1 who baptize in the present day8 ,for they are merely ministers of the outward sign1 and ,christ is the author of the inward grace2 as the same ancient writers invariably teach1 and especially ,augustine1 whose principal argument against the ,donatists is1 that whatever be the character of the person who administers baptism1 yet ,christ alone presides in it4 ,,ix4 ,these things1 which we have stated respecting mortification and ablution1 were adumbrated in the people of ,israel1 whom1 on this account1 the apostle declares to have been 8baptized in the cloud and in the sea40#aaed ,mortification was figuratively represented1 when the ,lord1 delivering them from the power and cruel servitude of ,pharaoh1 made a way for them through the ,red ,sea1 and drowned ,pharaoh himself1 and the ,egyptians1 their enemies1 who pursued1 and almost overtook them4 ,for in this manner1 in baptism1 he promises1 and gives us a sign to assure us1 that we are extricated and delivered by his power from the captivity of ,egypt1 that is1 from the servitude of sin2 that our ,pharaoh1 that is1 the devil1 is drowned1 though still he ceases not to harass and fatigue us4 ,but as the ,egyptians did not remain sunk to the bottom of the sea1 but1 being cast upon the shore1 still terrified the ,israelites with the dreadful sight1 though they were not able to injure them1 so this enemy of ours still threatens1 displays his arms1 and makes himself felt1 but cannot overcome4 ,in the cloud there was an emblem of ablution4 ,for as the ,lord there covered them with a cloud1 affording them refreshment1 that they might not faint and be consumed by the overpowering heat of the sun1 so1 in baptism1 we acknowledge ourselves to be covered and protected by the blood of ,christ1 that the severity of ,god1 which is indeed an intolerable flame1 may not fall upon us4 ,though this mystery was then obscured1 and known only to few persons1 yet1 as there is no other way of obtaining salvation but by those two blessings of grace1 the ,lord1 having adopted the ancient fathers as his heirs1 was pleased to bestow upon them tokens of both4 ,x4 ,now1 we may clearly perceive the falsehood of the notion which some have long ago disseminated1 and which others persist in maintaining1--that by baptism we are delivered and exempted from original sin1 and from the corruption which has descended from ,adam to all his posterity1 and are restored to the same righteousness and purity of nature which ,adam would have obtained if he had continued in the integrity in which he was first created4 ,for teachers of this kind have never understood the nature of original sin1 or original righteousness1 or the grace of baptism4 ,now1 we have already proved that original sin is the pravity and corruption of our nature1 which first renders us obnoxious to the wrath of ,god1 and then produces in us those works which the ,scripture calls 8works of the flesh40#aaee ,therefore these two things are to be distinctly observed3 first1 that our nature being so entirely depraved and vitiated1 we are1 on account of this very corruption1 considered as convicted and justly condemned in the sight of ,god1 to whom nothing is acceptable but righteousness1 innocence1 and purity4 ,and therefore even infants themselves bring their own condemnation into the world with them1 who1 though they have not yet produced the fruits of their iniquity1 yet have the seed of it within them2 even their whole nature is1 as it were1 a seed of sin1 and therefore cannot but be odious and abominable to ,god4 ,by baptism1 believers are certified that this condemnation is removed from them2 since1 as we said1 the ,lord promises us by this sign1 that a full and entire remission is granted both of the guilt which is to be imputed to us1 and of the punishment to be inflicted on account of that guilt2 they also receive righteousness1 such as the people of ,god may obtain in this life2 that is1 only by imputation1 because the ,lord1 in his mercy1 accepts them as righteous and innocent4 ,,xi4 ,the other thing to be remarked is1 that this depravity never ceases in us1 but is perpetually producing new fruits--those works of the flesh which we have already described1 like the emission of flame and sparks from a heated furnace1 or like the streams of water from an unfailing spring4 ,for concupiscence never dies1 nor is altogether extinguished in men1 till by death they are delivered from the body of death1 and entirely divested of themselves4 ,baptism1 indeed1 promises us the submersion of our ,pharaoh1 and the mortification of sin2 yet not so that it no longer exists1 or gives us no further trouble2 but only that it may never overcome us4 ,for as long as we live immured in this prison of the body1 the relics of sin will dwell in us2 but if we hold fast by faith the promise which ,god has given us in baptism1 they shall not domineer or reign over us4 ,but let no one deceive himself1 let no one flatter himself in his guilt1 when he hears that sin always dwells in us4 ,these things are not said in order that those who are already too prone to do evil may securely sleep in their sins1 but only that those who are tempted by their corrupt propensities may not faint and sink into despondency2 but that they may rather reflect that they are yet in the way1 and may consider themselves as having made some progress1 when they experience their corruptions diminishing from day to day1 till they shall attain the mark at which they are aiming1 even the final destruction of their depravity1 which will be accomplished at the close of this mortal life4 ,in the mean time1 let them not cease to fight manfully1 to animate themselves to constant advances1 and to press forward to complete victory4 ,for it ought to give additional impulse to their exertions1 to see that1 after they have been striving so long1 so much still remains for them to do4 ,we conclude1 therefore1 that we are baptized into the mortification of the flesh1 which commences in us at baptism1 which we pursue from day to day1 and which will be perfected when we shall pass out of this life to the ,lord4 ,,xii4 ,here we say nothing different from what is most clearly stated by ,paul in the sixth and seventh chapters of the ,epistle to the ,romans4 ,for after he had argued respecting gratuitous righteousness1--because some impious men concluded from that doctrine that they might live according to their own corrupt inclinations1 as we are not accepted by ,god for the merit of our works1 he adds1 that all who are clothed with the righteousness of ,christ are also regenerated by his ,spirit1 and that of this regeneration we have an earnest in baptism4 ,hence he exhorts believers not to suffer sin to reign in their members4 ,because he knew that there always remains some infirmity in them1 that they might not be dejected on account of it1 he adds for their consolation1 that they are not under the law4 ,on the other hand1 as it might seem to encourage licentiousness in ,christians1 to say that they were not under the yoke of the law1 he discusses the nature of that abrogation1 and shows what is the use of the law--a question which he had already determined4 ,the sum of all that he says is1 that we are delivered from the rigour of the law to adhere to ,christ2 and that the office of the law is to convince us of our depravity1 and lead us to a confession of our impotence and misery4 ,now1 because the depravity of our nature is not so easily discovered in a profane man who indulges his corrupt passions without any fear of ,god1 he gives an example in a regenerate man1 that is1 in himself4 ,he says1 therefore1 that he has a perpetual conflict with the relics of his corruption1 and that he is bound with a miserable servitude1 which prevents his entire consecration of himself to an obedience of the ,divine law2 so that he is constrained to exclaim1 8,o wretched man that ,i am6 ,who shall deliver me from the body of this death80 ,if the children of ,god are captives detained in prison as long as they live1 they cannot but feel great anxiety from reflection on their danger1 unless there be something to obviate this fear4 ,for this purpose1 therefore1 he has added a consolation1 that 8there is now no condemnation to them which are in ,christ ,jesus20#aaef by which he teaches1 that those whom the ,lord has once received into his favour1 incorporated into the communion of his ,christ1 and introduced by baptism into the society of his ,church1 notwithstanding they are surrounded and assaulted with sin1 and even carry sin about within them1 yet while they persevere in the faith of ,christ1 are absolved from guilt and condemnation4 ,if this be the simple and genuine meaning of ,paul1 there is no reason why we should be considered as promulgating a new or strange doctrine4 ,,xiii4 ,baptism also serves for our confession before men4 ,for it is a mark by which we openly profess our desire to be numbered among the people of ,god1 by which we testify our agreement with all ,christians in the worship of one ,god1 and in one religion1 and by which we make a public declaration of our faith2 that the praises of ,god may not only be breathed in the secret aspirations of our hearts1 but may also be loudly proclaimed by our tongues1 and by all the members of our body1 in the different modes in which they are capable of expressing them4 ,for thus all that we have is devoted1 as it ought to be1 to the glory of ,god1 to which every thing ought to be subservient1 and by our example others are incited to the same pursuit4 ,it was with this view that ,paul inquired of the ,corinthians1 whether they had not been baptized in the name of ,christ2 signifying that1 in having been baptized in his name1 they had dedicated themselves to him1 had avowed him as their ,lord and ,master1 and had bound themselves by a solemn obligation before men2 so that they could never again confess any other except him1 unless they intended to renounce the confession which they had made at their baptism4 ,,xiv4 ,now1 as we have stated what was the design of our ,lord in the institution of baptism1 it is easy to judge in what manner we ought to use and receive it4 ,for as it is given for the support1 consolation1 and confirmation of our faith1 it requires to be received as from the hand of the ,author himself3 we ought to consider it as beyond all doubt1 that it is he who speaks to us by this sign2 that it is he who purifies and cleanses us1 and obliterates the remembrance of our sins2 that it is he who makes us partakers of his death1 who demolishes the kingdom of ,satan1 who weakens the power of our corrupt propensities1 who even makes us one with himself1 that1 being clothed with him1 we may be reckoned children of ,god2 and that he as truly and certainly performs these things internally on our souls1 as we see that our bodies are externally washed1 immersed1 and enclosed in water4 ,for this analogy or similitude is a most certain rule of sacraments2 that in corporeal things we contemplate spiritual things1 just as if they were placed before our eyes1 as it has pleased ,god to represent them to us by such figures3 not that such blessings are bound or enclosed in the sacrament1 or that it has the power to impart them to us2 but only because it is a sign by which the ,lord testifies his will1 that he is determined to give us all these things3 nor does it merely feed our eyes with a bare prospect of the symbols1 but conducts us at the same time to the thing signified1 and efficaciously accomplishes that which it represents4 ,,xv4 ,we may see this exemplified in ,cornelius the centurion1 who1 after having received the remission of his sins and the visible graces of the ,holy ,spirit1 was baptized2 not with a view to obtain by baptism a more ample remission of sins1 but a stronger exercise of faith1 and an increase of confidence from that pledge4#aaeg ,perhaps it may be objected1 8,why1 then1 did ,ananias say to ,paul1 #8,arise1 and be baptized1 and wash away thy sins1'#aaeh if sins are not washed away by the efficacy of baptism itself80 ,i answer1 ,we are said to receive or obtain that which our faith apprehends1 as presented to us by the ,lord1 whether at the time that he first declares it to us1 or when1 by any subsequent testimony1 he affords us a more certain confirmation of it4 ,ananias1 therefore1 only intended to say to ,paul1 8,that thou mayest be assured that thy sins are forgiven1 be baptized4 ,for in baptism the ,lord promises remission of sins2 receive this and be secure40 ,it is not my design1 however1 to diminish the efficacy of baptism2 but the substance and truth accompanies the sign1 as ,god works by external means4 ,nevertheless1 from this sacrament1 as from all others1 we obtain nothing except what we receive by faith4 ,if faith be wanting1 it will be a testimony of our ingratitude1 to render us guilty before ,god1 because we have not believed the promise given in the sacrament2 but as baptism is a sign of our confession1 we ought to testify by it1 that our confidence is in the mercy of ,god1 and our purity in the remission of sins1 which is obtained for us by ,jesus ,christ2 and that we enter into the ,church of ,god in order to live in the same harmony of faith and charity1 of one mind with all the faithful4 ,this is what ,paul meant when he said1 that 8by one ,spirit we are all baptized into one body40#aaei ,,xvi4 ,now1 if it be true1 as we have stated1 that a sacrament is to be considered as received1 not so much from the hand of him by whom it is administered1 as from the hand of ,god himself1 from whom1 without doubt1 it proceeded1 we may conclude that it is not capable of any addition or diminution from the dignity of the person by whose hand it is delivered4 ,and as1 among men1 if a letter be sent1 provided the hand and seal of the writer be known1 it is of very little importance who and what the carrier of it may be1 so it ought to be sufficient for us to know the hand and seal of our ,lord in his sacraments1 by whatever messenger they may be conveyed4 ,this fully refutes the error of the ,donatists1 who measured the virtue and value of the sacrament by the worthiness of the minister4 ,such1 in the present day1 are our ,anabaptists1 who positively deny that we are rightly baptized1 because we were baptized by impious and idolatrous ministers in the kingdom of the pope1 and therefore violently urge us to be baptized again2 against whose follies we shall be fortified with an argument of sufficient strength1 if we consider that we are baptized not in the name of any man1 but in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,spirit1 and consequently that it is not the baptism of man1 but of ,god1 by whomsoever it is administered4 ,though those who baptized us were chargeable with the grossest ignorance or contempt of ,god and of all religion1 yet they did not baptize us into the fellowship of their own ignorance or sacrilege1 but into the faith of ,jesus ,christ2 because they invoked1 not their own name1 but the name of ,god1 and baptized in no other name but his4 ,now1 if it was the baptism of ,god1 it certainly contained the promise of remission of sins1 mortification of the flesh1 spiritual vivification1 and participation of ,christ4 ,thus it was no injury to the ,jews to have been circumcised by impure and apostate priests2 nor was the sign on that account useless1 so as to render it necessary to be repeated1 but it was sufficient to recur to the genuine original4 ,they object1 that baptism ought to be celebrated in the congregation of the godly2 but this does not prove that it loses all its value in consequence of being partially wrong4 ,for when we teach what ought to be done to preserve baptism pure and free from every blemish1 we do not abolish the institution of ,god1 however idolaters corrupt it4 ,for when circumcision was anciently corrupted with many superstitions1 yet it ceased not to be considered as a sign of grace2 nor1 when ,hezekiah and ,josiah assembled together out of all ,israel those who had revolted from ,god1 did they call any of them to a second circumcision4 ,,xvii4 ,when they ask us what faith we had for many years after our baptism1 in order to show that our baptism was vain1 since baptism is not sanctified to us except by the word of promise received in faith1--to this inquiry we answer1 that being blind and unbelieving for a long time1 we did not embrace the promise which had been given us in baptism1 yet that the promise itself1 as it was from ,god1 always remained steady1 firm1 and true4 ,though all men were false and perfidious1 yet ,god ceases not to be true2 though all men were lost1 yet ,christ remains a ,saviour4 ,we confess1 therefore1 that during that time we received no advantage whatever from baptism1 because we totally neglected the promise offered to us in it1 without which baptism is nothing4 ,now1 since1 by the grace of ,god1 we have begun to repent1 we accuse our blindness and hardness of heart for our long ingratitude to his great goodness2 yet we believe that the promise itself never expired1 but1 on the contrary1 we reason in the following manner3--,by baptism ,god promises remission of sins1 and will certainly fulfil the promise to all believers3 that promise was offered to us in baptism2 let us1 therefore1 embrace it by faith3 it was long dormant by reason of our unbelief2 now1 then1 let us receive it by faith4 ,wherefore1 when ,god exhorts the ,jewish people to repentance1 he does not command them1 who had been circumcised1 as we have remarked1 by impious and sacrilegious hands1 and who had lived for some time immersed in the same impiety1 to be circumcised again3 he only urges conversion of heart4 ,for however the covenant had been violated by them1 yet the symbol of the covenant1 according to the institution of the ,lord1 always remained firm and inviolable4 ,on the sole condition of repentance1 therefore1 they were restored to the covenant which ,god had once made with them in circumcision2 even though they had received it by the hands of the unfaithful priests1 and had themselves done all that was in their power to corrupt it and render it ineffectual4 ,,xviii4 ,but they conceive themselves to be armed with an invincible argument1 when they allege that ,paul rebaptized some who had previously been baptized with the baptism of ,john4#aafj ,for if1 by our own confession1 the baptism of ,john was in all respects the same as ours is now1--as these persons who had first been erroneously instructed1 after having been taught the right faith1 were rebaptized into it1 so that baptism1 which was unaccompanied with the true doctrine1 should be considered as nothing1 and we ought to be baptized afresh into the true religion1 which we have now first imbibed4 ,it is supposed by some1 that they had received their first baptism from a pretended and corrupt imitator of ,john1 who had rather baptized them into a vain superstition than into the truth4 ,this conjecture they seem to derive from the confession of those persons that they were entirely ignorant of the ,holy ,spirit--an ignorance in which it is concluded ,john would not have suffered his disciples to remain4 ,but it is not probable that ,jews1 even though they had never been baptized at all1 would have been destitute of all knowledge of the ,holy ,spirit1 who is celebrated in so many testimonies of ,scripture4 ,the answer1 therefore1 which they gave1 8,we have not so much as heard whether there be any ,holy ,ghost10 is to be understood as equivalent to a declaration that they had never heard whether the graces of the ,spirit1 respecting which ,paul inquired1 were given to the disciples of ,christ4 ,for myself1 ,i grant that the baptism they had received was the true baptism of ,john1 and the very same with the baptism of ,christ2 but ,i deny that they were baptized again4 ,what is the meaning of these words1 8,they were baptized in the name of the ,lord ,jesus80 ,some explain it to be1 that they were only instructed by ,paul in the pure doctrine2 but ,i prefer understanding it1 in a more simple manner1 of the baptism of the ,holy ,spirit2 that is1 of the visible graces of the ,spirit given by imposition of hands4 ,it is not uncommon in the ,scripture to designate those graces by the appellation of baptism2 as on the day of ,pentecost1 the apostles are said to have remembered the words of the ,lord respecting the baptism of the ,spirit and of fire4 ,and ,peter declared that he remembered the same1 when he saw those graces poured out on ,cornelius and his family and relatives4 ,nor is this interpretation inconsistent with what is stated afterwards1 that 8,when ,paul had laid his hands upon them1 the ,holy ,ghost came on them40 ,for ,luke does not relate two different things1 but follows a mode of narration familiar to the ,hebrews1 who first propose a subject generally1 and then unfold it more in detail4 ,this is obvious from the very connection of the words2 for he says1 8,when they heard this1 they were baptized in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,and when ,paul had laid his hands on them1 the ,holy ,ghost came on them40 ,the latter clause describes the kind of baptism intended in the former4 ,if ignorance vitiate a first baptism1 so that it requires to be corrected by a second1 the first persons who ought to have been rebaptized were the apostles themselves1 who for three years after their baptism had scarcely any knowledge of the least particle of pure doctrine4 ,and among us1 what rivers would be sufficient for the repetition of ablutions as numerous as the errors which are daily corrected in us by the mercy of the ,lord6 ,,xix4 ,the virtue1 dignity1 utility1 and end of this mystery1 have now1 if ,i mistake not1 been sufficiently explained4 ,with respect to the external symbol1 ,i sincerely wish that the genuine institution of ,christ had the influence it ought to have1 to repress the audacity of man4 ,for1 as though it were a contemptible thing to be baptized in water1 according to the precept of ,christ1 men have invented a benediction1 or rather incantation1 to pollute the true consecration of the water4 ,they afterwards added a wax taper with chrism2 exorcism seemed to open the gate to baptism4 ,now1 though ,i am not ignorant of the ancient origin of this adventitious medley1 yet it is lawful for me and for all believers to reject every thing that men have presumed to add to the institution of ,christ4 ,now1 ,satan1 seeing that from the very first introduction of the gospel1 his impostures had been easily received by the foolish credulity of the world1 proceeded to grosser illusions2 hence spittle1 salt1 and other fooleries1 which were publicly introduced with an unlimited license1 to the reproach of baptism4 ,from these experiments we may learn that there is nothing holier1 or better1 or safer1 than to content ourselves with the authority of ,christ alone4 ,how much better was it1 therefore1 omitting all theatrical pomps which dazzle the eyes and stupefy the minds of the simple1 whenever any one was to be baptized1 that he should be presented to the congregation of believers1 and be offered to ,god in the presence and with the prayers of the whole ,church2 that the confession of faith1 in which the catechumen was to be instructed1 should be recited2 that the promises which are included in baptism should be declared2 that the catechumen should be baptized in the name of the ,father1 of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost2 and lastly1 that he should be dismissed with prayers and thanksgivings6 ,thus nothing material would be omitted2 and that one ceremony1 which was instituted by ,god1 would shine with the greatest lustre1 unencumbered with any extraneous corruptions4 ,but whether the person who is baptized be wholly immersed1 and whether thrice or once1 or whether water be only poured or sprinkled upon him1 is of no importance2 ,churches ought to be left at liberty1 in this respect1 to act according to the difference of countries4 ,the very word baptize1 however1 signifies to immerse2 and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient ,church4 ,,xx4 ,it is also necessary to state1 that it is not right for private persons to take upon themselves the administration of baptism2 for this1 as well as the administration of the ,lord's supper1 is a part of the public ministry of the ,church4 ,christ never commanded women1 or men in general1 to baptize2 he gave this charge to those whom he had appointed to be apostles4 ,and when he enjoined his disciples1 in the celebration of the supper1 to do as they had seen done by him when he executed the office of a legitimate dispenser1 he intended1 without doubt1 that they should imitate his example4 ,the custom1 which has been received and practised for many ages past1 and almost from the primitive times of the ,church1 for baptism to be performed by laymen1 in cases where death was apprehended1 and no minister was present in time1 it appears to me impossible to defend by any good reason4 ,indeed1 the ancients themselves1 who either observed or tolerated this custom1 were not certain whether it was right or not4 ,augustine betrays this uncertainty1 when he says1 8,and if a layman1 compelled by necessity1 has given baptism1 ,i know not whether any one may piously affirm that it ought to be repeated4 ,for if it be done without the constraint of necessity1 it is a usurpation of an office which belongs to another2 but if necessity obliges1 it is either no offence1 or a venial one40 ,respecting women1 it was decreed without any exception1 in the ,council of ,carthage1 that they should not presume to baptize at all1 on pain of excommunication4 ,but it is alleged1 there is danger1 lest a child1 who is sick and dies without baptism1 should be deprived of the grace of regeneration4 ,this ,i can by no means admit4 ,god pronounces that he adopts our infants as his children1 before they are born1 when he promises that he will be a ,god to us1 and to our seed after us4 ,this promise includes their salvation4 ,nor will any dare to offer such an insult to ,god as to deny the sufficiency of his promise to insure its own accomplishment4 ,the mischievous consequences of that ill-stated notion1 that baptism is necessary to salvation1 are overlooked by persons in general1 and therefore they are less cautious2 for the reception of an opinion1 that all who happen to die without baptism are lost1 makes our condition worse than that of the ancient people1 as though the grace of ,god were more restricted now than it was under the law2 it leads to the conclusion that ,christ came not to fulfil the promises1 but to abolish them2 since the promise1 which at that time was of itself sufficiently efficacious to insure salvation before the eighth day1 would have no validity now without the assistance of the sign4 ,,xxi4 ,what was the custom of the ,church before ,augustine was born1 may be collected from the ancient fathers4 ,in the first place1 ,tertullian says1 8,that it is not permitted for a woman to speak in the ,church1 neither to teach1 nor to baptize1 nor to offer1 that she may not claim to herself the functions of any office belonging to men1 and especially to priests40 ,the same thing is fully attested by ,epiphanius1 when he censures ,marcion for having given women liberty to baptize4 ,i am aware of the answer made to this by persons of opposite sentiments--that there is a great difference between a common usage1 and an extraordinary remedy employed in cases of urgent necessity2 but when ,epiphanius pronounces it to be a mockery1 without making any exception1 to give women liberty to baptize1 it is sufficiently evident that he condemns this corruption1 and considers it inexcusable by any pretext whatever2 nor does he add any limitation1 in his third book1 where he observes that this liberty was not granted even to the holy mother of ,christ4 ,,xxii4 ,the example of ,zipporah is alleged1 but is not applicable to the case4 ,because the angel of ,god was appeased after she had taken a stone and circumcised her son1#aafa it is unreasonable to infer that her action was approved by ,god4 ,on the same principle it might be maintained1 that ,god was pleased with the worship established by the nations who were transplanted from ,assyria to ,samaria4 ,but there are other powerful reasons to prove the absurdity of setting up the conduct of that foolish woman as a pattern for imitation4 ,if ,i should allege1 that this was a single act1 which ought not to be considered as a general example1 and especially as we nowhere find any special command that the rite of circumcision was to be performed by the priests1 the case of circumcision is different from that of baptism2 and this would be sufficient to refute the advocates of its administration by women4 ,for the words of ,christ are plain3 8,go ye1 therefore1 and teach all nations1 baptizing them40#aafb ,since he constitutes the same persons preachers of the gospel and administrators of baptism1 8and no man10 according to the testimony of the apostle1 8taketh this honour upon himself1 but he that is called of ,god1 as was ,aaron10#aafc whoever baptizes without a legitimate call1 intrudes into another person's office4 ,even in the minutest things1 as in meat and drink1 whatever we do with a doubtful conscience1 ,paul expressly declares to be sin4#aafd ,female baptism1 therefore1 being an open violation of the rule delivered by ,christ1 is a still greater sin2 for we know that it is impious to dissever things which ,god has united4 ,but all this ,i pass over2 and would only request my readers to consider that nothing was further from the design of ,zipporah1 than to perform a service to ,god4 ,for seeing her son to be in danger1 she fretted and murmured1 and indignantly cast the foreskin on the ground1 reproaching her husband in such a manner as to betray anger against ,god4 ,in short1 it is plain that all this proceeded from violence of temper1 because she was displeased with ,god and her husband that she was constrained to shed the blood of her son4 ,besides1 if she had conducted herself with propriety in all other respects1 yet it was an act of inexcusable presumption for her to circumcise her son in the presence of her husband1 and that husband not a private man1 but ,moses1 the principal prophet of ,god1 who was never succeeded by a greater in ,israel2 which was no more lawful for her to do1 than it is for women now to baptize in the presence of a bishop4 ,but this controversy will easily be decided by the establishment of this principle--that infants are not excluded from the kingdom of heaven1 who happen to die before they have had the privilege of baptism4 ,but we have seen that it is no small injustice to the covenant of ,god1 if we do not rely upon it as sufficient of itself1 since its fulfilment depends not on baptism1 or on any thing adventitious4 ,the sacrament is afterwards added as a seal1 not to give efficacy to the promise of ,god1 as if it wanted validity in itself1 but only to confirm it to us4 ,whence it follows1 that the children of believers are not baptized1 that they may thereby be made the children of ,god1 as if they had before been strangers to the ,church2 but1 on the contrary1 they are received into the ,church by a solemn sign1 because they already belonged to the body of ,christ by virtue of the promise4 ,if the omission of the sign1 therefore1 be not occasioned by indolence1 or contempt1 or negligence1 we are safe from all danger4 ,it is far more consistent with piety to show this reverence to the institution of ,god1 not to receive the sacraments from any other hands than those to which the ,lord has committed them4 ,when it is impossible to receive them from the ,church1 the grace of ,god is not so attached to them1 but that we may obtain it by faith from the word of the ,lord4 ,footnote #aace3 ,mark xvi4 #af4 ,footnote #aacf3 ,eph4 v4 #bf4 ,footnote #aacg3 ,titus iii4 #e4 ,footnote #aach3 #a ,peter iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #aaci3 ,rom4 iii4 #be4 ,footnote #aadj3 ,rom4 vi4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #aada3 ,rom4 vi4 #aa4 ,footnote #aadb3 ,col4 ii4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #aadc3 ,titus iii4 #f4 ,footnote #aadd3 ,gal4 iii4 #bf1 #bg4 ,footnote #aade3 ,acts viii4 #af4 ,footnote #aadf3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,footnote #aadg3 ,matt4 iii4 #f1 #aa4 ,luke iii4 #c4 ,john iii4 #bc2 iv4 #a4 ,acts ii4 #ch1 #da4 ,footnote #aadh3 ,john i4 #bi4 ,footnote #aadi3 ,luke iii4 #c4 ,footnote #aaej3 ,acts viii4 #ad-ag4 ,footnote #aaea3 ,acts xix4 #c-e4 ,footnote #aaeb3 ,matt4 iii4 #aa4 ,footnote #aaec3 ,acts ii4 #c4 ,footnote #aaed3 #a ,cor4 x4 #b4 ,footnote #aaee3 ,gal4 v4 #ai4 ,footnote #aaef3 ,rom4 viii4 #a4 ,footnote #aaeg3 ,acts x4 #dd-dh4 ,footnote #aaeh3 ,acts xxii4 #af4 ,footnote #aaei3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #ac4 ,footnote #aafj3 ,acts xix4 #a-f4 ,footnote #aafa3 ,exod4 iv4 #be4 ,footnote #aafb3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,footnote #aafc3 ,heb4 v4 #d4 ,footnote #aafd3 ,rom4 xiv4 #bc4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,p,,dobaptism ,,perfectly ,,consistent ,,with ,,the ,,institution ,,of ,,christ ,,and ,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,the ,,sign4 ,as some turbulent spirits in the present age have raised fierce disputes1 which still continue to agitate the ,church1 on the subject of infant baptism1 ,i cannot refrain from adding some observations with a view to repress their violence4 ,if any one should think this chapter extended to an immoderate length1 ,i would request him to consider1 that purity of doctrine in a capital point1 and the peace of the ,church1 ought to be of too much importance in our estimation for us to feel any thing tedious which may conduce to the restoration of both4 ,i shall also study to make this discussion of as much use as possible to a further elucidation of the mystery of baptism4 ,they attack infant baptism with an argument which carries with it an appearance of great plausibility1 asserting that it is not founded on any institution of ,christ1 but was first introduced by the presumption and corrupt curiosity of man1 and afterwards received with foolish and inconsiderate facility4 ,for a sacrament rests on no authority1 unless it stands on the certain foundation of the word of ,god4 ,but what if1 on a full examination of the subject1 it shall appear that this is a false and groundless calumny on the holy ordinance of the ,lord8 ,let us1 therefore1 inquire into its first origin4 ,and if it shall be found to have been a mere invention of human presumption1 we ought to renounce it1 and regulate the true observance of baptism solely by the will of ,god4 ,but if it shall be proved to be sanctioned by his undoubted authority1 it behoves us to beware lest1 by opposing the holy institutions of ,god1 we offer an insult to their ,author himself4 ,,ii4 ,in the first place1 it is a principle sufficiently known1 and acknowledged by all believers1 that the right consideration of sacramental signs consists not merely in the external ceremonies1 but that it chiefly depends on the promise and the spiritual mysteries which the ,lord has appointed those ceremonies to represent4 ,whoever1 therefore1 wishes to be fully informed of the meaning of baptism1 and what baptism is1 must not fix his attention on the element and the outward spectacle1 but must rather elevate his thoughts to the promises of ,god which are offered to us in it1 and to those internal and spiritual things which it represents to us4 ,he who discovers these things1 has attained the solid truth and all the substance of baptism1 and thence he will also learn the reason and use of the external sprinkling4 ,on the other hand1 he who contemptuously disregards these things1 and confines his attention entirely to the visible ceremony1 will understand neither the force nor propriety of baptism1 nor even the meaning or use of the water4 ,this sentiment is established by testimonies of ,scripture too numerous and clear to leave the least necessity for pursuing it any further at present4 ,it remains1 therefore1 that from the promises given in baptism1 we endeavour to deduce its nature and meaning4 ,the ,scripture shows1 that the first thing represented in it1 is the remission and purgation of sins1 which we obtain in the blood of ,christ2 and the second the mortification of the flesh1 which consists in the participation of his death1 by which believers are regenerated to newness of life1 and so into communion with him4 ,this is the sum to which we may refer every thing delivered in the ,scriptures concerning baptism1 except that it is also a sign by which we testify our religion before men4 ,,iii4 ,as the people of ,god1 before the institution of baptism1 had circumcision instead of it1 let us examine the similarity and difference between these two signs1 in order to discover how far we may argue from one to the other4 ,when the ,lord gave ,abraham the command of circumcision1 he prefaced it by saying1 8,i will be a ,god unto thee1 and to thy seed after thee20 at the same time declaring himself to be 8,almighty10 having an abundance of all things at his disposal1 that ,abraham might expect to find his hand the source of every blessing4#aafe ,these words contain the promise of eternal life1 according to the interpretation of ,christ1 who deduces from this declaration an argument to evince the immortality and resurrection of believers4 8,for ,god10 says he1 8is not the ,god of the dead1 but of the living40#aaff ,wherefore also ,paul1 in showing the ,ephesians from what misery the ,lord had delivered them1 concludes1 from their not having been admitted to the covenant of circumcision1 that 8at that time0 they 8were without ,christ1 strangers from the covenants of promise1 having no hope and without ,god20#aafg all these things being comprehended in that covenant4 ,but the first access to ,god1 the first entrance into immortal life1 is the remission of sins4 ,whence it follows that this promise corresponds with the promise of baptism respecting our purgation4 ,the ,lord afterwards stipulated with ,abraham1 that he should walk before him in sincerity and purity of heart3 this belongs to mortification1 or regeneration4 ,and to preclude any doubt that circumcision is a sign of mortification1 ,moses more expressly declares it in another place1 when he exhorts the ,israelites to circumcise their hearts1 because the ,lord had chosen them for himself above all the nations of the earth4 ,as ,god1 when he adopts the posterity of ,abraham to be his people1 commands them to be circumcised1 so ,moses pronounces it to be necessary to circumcise the heart1 thereby declaring the true signification of that carnal circumcision4#aafh ,then1 that no one might attempt this in his own strength1 he teaches that it is the work of ,divine grace4#aafi ,all these things are so often inculcated by the prophets1 that there is no need to collect here the numerous testimonies which every where present themselves4 ,we have ascertained1 therefore1 that a spiritual promise1 the very same which is given to us in baptism1 was given to the fathers in circumcision2 which represented to them the remission of sins and the mortification of the flesh4 ,moreover1 as we have shown that ,christ1 in whom both these things are obtained1 is the foundation of baptism1 the same must be evident of circumcision4 ,for he was promised to ,abraham1 and in him the blessing of all nations2 and the sign of circumcision was added in confirmation of this grace4 ,,iv4 ,there is now no difficulty in discovering what similarity or what difference there is between these two signs4 ,the promise1 in which we have stated the virtue of the signs to consist1 is the same in both2 including the paternal favour of ,god1 remission of sins1 and eternal life4 ,in the next place1 the thing signified also is one and the same1 namely1 regeneration4 ,the foundation1 on which the accomplishment of these things rests1 is the same in both4 ,wherefore there is no difference in the internal mystery1 by which all the force and peculiar nature of sacraments must be determined4 ,all the difference lies in the external ceremony1 which is the smallest portion of it2 whereas the principal part depends on the promise and the thing signified4 ,we may conclude1 therefore1 that whatever belongs to circumcision1 except the difference of the visible ceremony1 belongs also to baptism4 ,to this inference and comparison we are led by the apostle's rule1 which directs us to examine every interpretation of ,scripture by the proportion of faith4#aagj ,and1 indeed1 the truth on this subject is obvious to the slightest observation4 ,for as circumcision was a pledge to the ,jews1 by which they were assured of their adoption as the people and family of ,god1 and on their parts professed their entire subjection to him1 and therefore was their first entrance into the ,church1 so now we are initiated into the ,church of ,god by baptism1 are numbered among his people1 and profess to devote ourselves to his service4 ,hence it is evident1 beyond all controversy1 that baptism has succeeded in the place of circumcision4 ,v4 ,now1 if it be inquired1 whether baptism may rightly be administered to infants1 shall we not pronounce it an excess of folly1 and even madness1 in any one who resolves to dwell entirely on the element of water and the external observance1 and cannot bear to direct his thoughts to the spiritual mystery2 a due consideration of which will prove1 beyond all doubt1 that baptism is justly administered to infants1 as that to which they are fully entitled8 ,for the ,lord1 in former ages1 did not favour them with circumcision without making them partakers of all those things which were then signified by circumcision4 ,otherwise1 he must have deluded his people with mere impostures1 if he deceived them by fallacious symbols2 which it is dreadful even to hear4 ,for he expressly pronounces that the circumcision of a little infant should serve as a seal for the confirmation of the covenant4 ,but if the covenant remains firm and unmoved1 it belongs to the children of ,christians now1 as much as it did to the infants of the ,jews under the ,old ,testament4 ,but if they are partakers of the thing signified1 why shall they be excluded from the sign8 ,if they obtain the truth1 why shall they be debarred from the figure8 ,though the external sign in the sacrament is so connected with the word1 as not to be separated from it1 yet if it be distinguished1 which shall we esteem of the greater importance8 ,certainly1 when we see that the sign is subservient to the word1 we shall pronounce it to be inferior to it1 and assign it the subordinate place4 ,while the word of baptism1 then1 is directed to infants1 why shall the sign1 which is an appendix to the word1 be prohibited to them8 ,this one reason1 if there were no others1 would be abundantly sufficient for the refutation of all opposers4 ,the objection that there was a particular day fixed for circumcision1 is a mere evasion4 ,we admit that we are not now bound to certain days1 like the ,jews2 but when the ,lord1 though he prescribes no particular day1 yet declares it to be his pleasure that infants shall be received into his covenant by a solemn rite1 what do we want more8 ,,vi4 ,the ,scripture1 however1 still affords a more certain knowledge of the truth4 ,for it is most evident that the covenant which the ,lord once made with ,abraham continues as much in force with ,christians in the present day1 as it did formerly with the ,jews2 and consequently that that word is no less applicable to ,christians than it was to the ,jews4 ,unless we suppose that ,christ by his advent diminished or curtailed the grace of the ,father2 which is execrable blasphemy4 ,wherefore the children of the ,jews1 because they were made heirs of that covenant1 and distinguished from the children of the impious1 were called a holy seed2 and for the same reason1 the children of ,christians1 even when only one of the parents is pious1 are accounted holy1 and according to the testimony of the apostle1 differ from the impure seed of idolaters4 ,now1 as the ,lord1 immediately after having made the covenant with ,abraham1 commanded it to be sealed in infants by an external sacrament1 what cause will ,christians assign why they should not also at this day testify and seal the same in their children8 ,nor let it be objected1 that the ,lord commanded not his covenant to be confirmed by any other symbol than that of circumcision1 which has long ago been abolished4 ,for it is easy to reply1 that during the time of the ,old ,testament he appointed circumcision for the confirmation of his covenant2 but that since the abrogation of circumcision1 there always remains the same reason for confirming it1 which we have in common with the ,jews4 ,it is necessary1 therefore1 to be careful in observing what we have in common with them1 and what they had different from us4 ,the covenant is common1 the reason for confirming it is common4 ,only the mode of confirmation is different2 for to them it was confirmed by circumcision1 which among us has been succeeded by baptism4 ,otherwise1 if the testimony by which the ,jews were assured of the salvation of their seed be taken away from us1 the effect of the advent of ,christ has been to render the grace of ,god more obscure and less attested to us than it was to the ,jews4 ,if this cannot be affirmed without great dishonour to ,christ1 by whom the infinite goodness of ,god has been diffused over the earth1 and manifested to men in a more conspicuous and liberal manner than at any former period1 we must be obliged to confess1 that at least it ought not to be more concealed or less attested than under the obscure shadows of the law4 ,,vii4 ,wherefore the ,lord ,jesus1 to exhibit a specimen from which the world might understand that he was come to extend rather than to limit the mercy of the ,father1 kindly received the infants that were presented to him1 and embraced them in his arms1 chiding his disciples who endeavoured to forbid their approach to him1 because they would keep those1 of whom was the kingdom of heaven1 at a distance from him who is the only way of entrance into it4 ,but some will object1 ,what resemblance does this embrace of ,christ bear to baptism8 for he is not said to have baptized them1 but to have received them1 taken them in his arms1 and blessed them2 therefore1 if we desire to imitate his example1 let us assist infants with our prayers1 but let us not baptize them4 ,but it is necessary to consider the conduct of ,christ with more attention than it receives from persons of this class4 ,for it is not to be passed over as a thing of little importance1 that ,christ commanded infants to be brought to him1 and added1 as a reason for this command1 8,for of such is the kingdom of heaven20 and afterwards gave a practical testimony of his will1 when1 embracing them in his arms1 he commended them to his ,father by his prayers and benedictions4 ,if it be reasonable for infants to be brought to ,christ1 why is it not allowable to admit them to baptism1 the symbol of our communion and fellowship with ,christ8 ,if of them is the kingdom of heaven1 why shall they be denied the sign1 which opens1 as it were1 an entrance into the ,church1 that1 being received into it1 they may be enrolled among the heirs of the heavenly kingdom8 ,how unjust shall we be1 if we drive away from ,christ those whom he invites to him2 if we deprive them of the gifts with which he adorns them2 if we exclude those whom he freely admits6 ,but if we examine how far what ,christ did on that occasion differs from baptism1 how much greater importance shall we attach to baptism1 by which we testify that infants are included in the covenant of ,god1 than to the reception1 the embrace1 the imposition of hands1 and the prayers by which ,jesus ,christ himself acknowledged them as his1 and declared them to be sanctified by him6 ,the other cavils by which our opponents endeavour to elude the force of this passage1 only betray their ignorance4 ,for they argue that as ,christ said1 8,suffer little children to come10 they must have been grown to such an age and stature as to be capable of walking4 ,but they are called by the evangelists 2 and 1 two words used by the ,greeks to signify little infants hanging on the breast4 ,the word 8come10 therefore1 is merely used to denote 8access40 ,to such evasions are persons obliged to have recourse1 who resist the truth4 ,nor is there any more solidity in the objection1 that the kingdom of heaven is not said to belong to infants1 but to those who resemble them1 because the expression is1 not of them1 but 8of such is the kingdom of heaven40 ,for if this be admitted1 what kind of reason would it be that ,christ assigns1 with a view to show that infants in age ought not to be prevented from approaching him1 when he says1 8,suffer little children to come unto me80 ,nothing can be plainer than that he intends those who are in a state of real infancy4 ,and to prevent this from being thought unreasonable1 he adds1 8,of such is the kingdom of heaven40 ,and if infants be necessarily comprehended1 it is beyond all doubt that the word 8such0 designates both infants themselves and those who resemble them4#aaga ,,viii4 ,now1 every one must perceive1 that the baptism of infants1 which is so strongly supported by the authority of ,scripture1 is very far from being an invention of men4 ,nor is there much plausibility in the objection1 that it is nowhere stated that even a single infant was baptized by the hands of the apostles4 ,for though no such circumstance is expressly mentioned by the evangelists1 yet1 on the other hand1 as they are never excluded when mention happens to be made of the baptism of any family1 who can rationally conclude from this1 that they were not baptized8 ,if there were any force in such arguments1 women might as well be interdicted from the ,lord's supper1 because we have no account of their having been admitted to it in the days of the apostles4 ,but in this we are content with the rule of faith4 ,for when we consider the design of the institution of the ,lord's supper1 the conclusion is easy respecting the persons who ought to be admitted to a participation of it4 ,we observe the same rule also in the case of baptism4 ,for when we consider the end of its institution1 we evidently perceive that it belongs to infants as well as to adults4 ,therefore they cannot be deprived of it without a manifest evasion of the will of the ,divine ,author4 ,what they circulate among the uninformed multitude1 that after the resurrection of ,christ1 a long series of years passed1 in which infant baptism was unknown1 is shamefully contrary to truth2 for there is no ancient writer who does not refer its origin1 as a matter of certainty1 to the age of the apostles4 ,,ix4 ,it remains for us briefly to show what advantage results from this ceremony1 both to believers who present their children to the ,church to be baptized1 and to the infants themselves who are washed in the holy water2 to guard it from being despised as useless or unimportant4 ,but if any man takes it into his head to ridicule infant baptism on this pretext1 he holds the command of circumcision1 which was given by the ,lord1 in equal contempt4 ,for what will they allege to impugn the baptism of infants1 which may not be retorted against circumcision8 ,thus the ,lord avenges the arrogance of those1 who forthwith condemn what their carnal sense does not comprehend4 ,but ,god furnishes us with other weapons to repel their folly2 nor does this sacred ordinance of his appointment1 which we experience to be a source of peculiar support and consolation to our faith1 deserve to be called unnecessary4 ,for this sign of ,god1 communicated to a child1 like the impress of a seal1 ratifies and confirms the promise given to the pious parent1 declaring that the ,lord will be a ,god1 not only to him1 but also to his seed1 and that he is determined to exercise his goodness and grace1 not only towards him1 but towards his posterity even to a thousand generations4 ,the manifestation here given of the mercy of ,god1 in the first place1 furnishes the most abundant matter for the celebration of his glory2 and in the second place1 fills pious breasts with more than common joy1 by which they are excited to a more ardent return of affection to such an indulgent ,father1 in whom they discover such care of their posterity on their account4 ,nor shall ,i regard an objection1 if it should be urged1 that the mere promise of ,god ought to be sufficient to assure us of the salvation of our children2 since ,god1 who knows our weakness1 and has been pleased in this instance to indulge it1 has decided otherwise4 ,let those1 therefore1 who embrace the promise of ,god that he will perpetuate his mercy to their offspring1 consider it their duty to present them to the ,church to be signed with the symbol of mercy1 and thereby to animate their minds to stronger confidence1 when they actually see the covenant of the ,lord engraven on the bodies of their children4 ,the children also receive some advantage from their baptism1 their ingrafting into the body of the ,church being a more peculiar recommendation of them to the other members2 and afterwards1 when they grow to years of maturity1 it operates upon them as a powerful stimulus to a serious attention to the worship of ,god1 by whom they were accepted as his children by the solemn symbol of adoption1 before they were capable of knowing him as their ,father4 ,finally1 we ought to be alarmed by the vengeance which ,god threatens to inflict1 if any one disdains to mark his son with the symbol of the covenant2 for the contempt of that symbol involves the rejection and abjuration of the grace which it presents4 ,x4 ,let us now discuss the arguments with which some violent disputants continue to impugn this holy institution of ,god4 ,in the first place1 finding themselves very hardly pressed and exceedingly embarrassed by the similarity of baptism and circumcision1 they labour to establish a considerable difference between these two signs1 that one may appear to have nothing in common with the other4 ,for they affirm1 first1 that different things are signified2 secondly1 that the covenant is entirely different2 and thirdly1 that the children are mentioned in a different manner4 ,but when they endeavour to prove the first point1 they allege that circumcision was a figure of mortification1 and not of baptism2 which we most readily grant1 for it is an excellent argument in our favour4 ,we urge no other proof of our sentiment1 than that baptism and circumcision are equally signs of mortification4 ,hence we conclude1 that baptism was introduced in the place of circumcision1 and represents to us the very same thing which that formerly did to the ,jews4 ,in asserting a difference of the covenant1 with what presumption and absurdity do they corrupt the ,scripture1 and that not in a single passage1 but without leaving any part of it secure from their perversions4 ,for they represent the carnality of the ,jews to be such1 as to give them a greater resemblance to brutes than to rational beings2 contending that the covenant made with them was limited to a temporary life1 and that the promises given to them were all confined to present and corporeal enjoyments4 ,if this notion be admitted1 what remains but to consider the ,jewish people as pampered for a season by the ,divine bounty1 7like a herd of swine1 fattened in a sty17 to perish at length in eternal ruin8 ,for whenever we adduce circumcision and the promises annexed to it1 they reply1 that circumcision was a literal sign1 and that the promises connected with it were all carnal4 ,,xi4 ,certainly1 if circumcision was a literal sign1 the same opinion must be formed of baptism2 for the apostle makes one no more spiritual than the other4 ,he says to the ,colossians1 8,in ,christ ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands1 in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh20 and this he calls 8the circumcision of ,christ40 ,in explication of this sentiment1 he adds1 that they were 8buried with ,christ in baptism40#aagb ,what is the meaning of this language1 but that the accomplishment and truth of baptism is the same with the accomplishment and truth of circumcision1 since they both represent the same thing8 ,for his design is to show that baptism was to ,christians the same that circumcision had before been to the ,jews4 ,but as we have now clearly evinced that the promises of these two signs1 and the mysteries represented by them1 are precisely the same1 we shall insist no longer on this point at present4 ,i will only recommend believers to consider1 whether that sign ought to be accounted earthly and literal1 which contains nothing but what is spiritual and heavenly4 ,but to guard the simple against their fallacies1 we shall briefly reply by the way to one objection1 by which they endeavour to support this shameful misrepresentation4 ,it is very certain that the principal promises of the covenant1 which ,god made with the ,israelites under the ,old ,testament1 were spiritual1 and had reference to eternal life2 and that they were also understood by the fathers1 as they ought to be1 in a spiritual sense1 and inspired them with confident hopes of the life to come1 towards which they aspired with all the powers of their souls4 ,at the same time1 we are far from denying that he testified his benevolence to them by terrestrial and carnal advantages1 by which we also maintain that their hopes of spiritual promises were confirmed4 ,thus1 when he promised eternal blessedness to his servant ,abraham1 he added1 in order to set a manifest token of his favour before his eyes1 another promise respecting the possession of the land of ,canaan4 ,in this manner we ought to understand all the terrestrial promises which were given to the ,jewish nation2 so that the spiritual promise may always be considered as a source and foundation1 to which the others may be referred4 ,but having treated these points more at large in discussing the difference of the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 ,i touch the more slightly upon them here4 ,,xii4 ,in the mention of the children they find this variety2 that under the ,old ,testament1 those were called the children of ,abraham1 who derived their natural descent from him2 but that now this appellation is given to those who imitate his faith2 and that1 therefore1 that carnal infancy1 which was ingrafted into the fellowship of the ,church by circumcision1 prefigured those spiritual infants of the ,new ,testament1 who by the word of ,god are regenerated to an immortal life4 ,in this language we discover1 indeed1 a small spark of truth2 but it is a great error of these persons1 that while they lay hold of whatever first comes to their hands1 when they ought to pursue it much further1 and to compare many things together1 they pertinaciously insist on a single word2 hence it necessarily happens that they are often deceived1 because they acquire no solid knowledge of any thing4 ,we confess that the natural seed of ,abraham did for a time hold the place of those spiritual children which are incorporated with him by faith4 ,for we are called his children1 notwithstanding there is no natural relationship between him and us4 ,but if they understand1 as they certainly do1 that no spiritual blessing was ever promised by ,god to the carnal seed of ,abraham1 they are greatly deceived4 ,it behoves us to aim at a more correct sentiment1 to which we are directed by the certain guidance of the ,scripture4 ,the ,lord1 therefore1 promised to ,abraham1 that he should have a ,seed1 in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed1 and accompanied this promise with an assurance that he would be a ,god to him1 and to his seed4 ,all those1 who by faith receive ,christ1 the ,author of the blessing1 are heirs of this promise1 and are therefore denominated 8children of ,abraham40 ,,xiii4 ,though1 after the resurrection of ,christ1 the boundaries of the kingdom of ,god began to be extended far and wide into all nations1 without any distinction1 that1 according to the declaration of ,christ1 believers might be collected 8from the east1 and from the west1 and from the north1 and from the south10 to 8sit down with ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob10#aagc in the glory of heaven1 yet he had embraced the ,jews with this great mercy for many ages before2 and because he had passed by all others1 and selected this one nation1 to be for a season the exclusive objects of his grace1 he called them his 8peculiar treasure0 and 8special people40#aagd ,in attestation of this beneficence1 the ,lord gave them circumcision1 which was a sign to teach the ,jews that he would be their defence and salvation2 and the knowledge of this inspired their hearts with the hope of eternal life4 ,for what can be wanting to them whom ,god has taken into his charge8 ,wherefore the apostle1 with a view to prove that the ,gentiles are children of ,abraham as well as the ,jews1 expresses himself in the following manner3 8,faith was reckoned to ,abraham for righteousness in uncircumcision4 ,and he received the sign of circumcision1 a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised2 that he might be the father of all them that believe1 though they be not circumcised2 that righteousness might be imputed unto them also2 and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only1 but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father ,abraham1 which he had being yet uncircumcised40#aage ,do not we see that equal dignity is attributed to ,jews and ,gentiles8 ,for during the time fixed by the decree of ,god1 ,abraham was the father of circumcision4 ,when the 8middle wall of partition between0 them was 8broken down10#aagf as the apostle says in another place1 to give the ,gentiles an entrance into the kingdom of ,god1 he became also their father1 and that without the sign of circumcision2 for instead of circumcision1 they have baptism4 ,the express intimation1 that ,abraham was not a father to them who were of the circumcision only1 was introduced by the apostle1 to repress the vain confidence of some who neglected all concern about piety1 and prided themselves in mere ceremonies4 ,in the same manner1 we may now refute the vanity of those who in baptism never carry their thoughts beyond the water4 ,,xiv4 ,but in objection to this1 another passage is adduced from the same apostle1 in which he states1 8that they which are the children of the flesh0 are not 8the children of ,abraham10 but that only 8the children of the promise are counted for the seed40#aagg ,for this passage seems to imply1 that carnal descent from ,abraham is nothing1 though we attribute some importance to it4 ,but it is requisite to pay more particular attention to the subject which the apostle is here discussing4 ,for in order to show to the ,jews1 that the goodness of ,god was not confined to the seed of ,abraham1 and even that carnal descent from him was of no value in itself1 he alleges1 in proof of it1 the cases of ,ishmael and ,esau2 who1 notwithstanding they were the true offspring of ,abraham according to the flesh1 were rejected as if they had been strangers1 and the blessing remained with ,isaac and ,jacob4 ,hence follows what he afterwards affirms--that salvation depends on the mercy of ,god1 which he imparts to whom he pleases2 but that the ,jews have no reason for satisfaction1 or glorying in the name of the covenant1 unless they observe the law of the covenant2 that is1 obey the ,divine word4 ,yet1 after having demolished their vain confidence in their descent1 knowing1 on the other hand1 that the covenant which ,god had once made with the posterity of ,abraham could by no means be invalidated1 he argues1 that the natural descendants are not to be deprived of their dignity2 by virtue of which he shows that the ,jews were the first and natural heirs of the gospel1 only that they had been rejected as unworthy1 on account of their ingratitude1 yet that the heavenly benediction had not entirely departed from their nation4 ,for which reason1 though they were rebels and violators of the covenant1 yet he calls them holy2 such high honours does he give to the holy generation1 which ,god honoured with his sacred covenant2 but he considers us1 in comparison with them1 as the posthumous1 and even abortive children of ,abraham1 and that not by nature1 but by adoption2 as if a branch broken off from its native tree were ingrafted on another stock4 ,that they might not be defrauded of their prerogative1 therefore1 it was necessary for the gospel to be first announced to them2 for they are1 as it were1 the first-born in the family of ,god4 ,wherefore this honour was to be given to them1 till they rejected the offer of it1 and by their ingratitude caused it to be transferred to the ,gentiles4 ,nor1 whatever be the obstinacy with which they persist in opposing the gospel1 ought they1 on that account1 to be despised by us1 if we consider that1 for the sake of the promise1 the blessing of ,god still remains among them2 as the apostle clearly testifies that it will never entirely depart from them2 8for the gifts and calling of ,god are without repentance40#aagh ,,xv4 ,see1 now1 the importance and the estimate to be formed of the promise given to the posterity of ,abraham4 ,therefore1 though we have no doubt that the distinction of the heirs of the kingdom from those who have no share in it1 is the free act of the sovereign election of ,god1 yet1 at the same time1 we perceive that he has been pleased to display his mercy in a peculiar manner on the seed of ,abraham1 and to testify and seal it by circumcision4 ,the same reason is applicable to the ,christian ,church4 ,for as ,paul1 in that passage1 argues that the children of the ,jews were sanctified by their parents1 so1 in another place1#aagi he teaches that the children of ,christians derive the same sanctification from their parents2 whence it is inferred1 that they who1 on the contrary1 are condemned as impure1 are deservedly separated from others4 ,now1 who can doubt the falsehood of the consequence attempted to be established1 that the infants who were circumcised in former ages1 only prefigured those who are infants in a spiritual sense1 being regenerated by the word of ,god8 ,paul does not reason in this manner1 when he says1 8that ,jesus ,christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of ,god1 to confirm the promises made unto the fathers20#aahj as if he had said1 ,since the covenant made with ,abraham relates to his seed1 ,jesus ,christ1 in order to execute and discharge the promise once pledged by the ,father1 came to save the people of the ,jews4 ,we see how1 even after the resurrection of ,christ1 ,paul understands that the promise of the covenant is to be fulfilled1 not only in an allegorical sense1 but1 according to the literal import of the words1 to the natural seed of ,abraham4 ,to the same effect is the declaration of ,peter to the ,jews1 8,the promise is unto you and to your children10#aaha and the appellation under which he addresses them1 8,ye are the children of the covenant10#aahb and if children1 then heirs4 ,a similar sentiment is conveyed in another passage of the apostle1 which we have already quoted1 where he represents the circumcision performed on infants as a testimony of the communion which they have with ,christ4#aahc ,and1 on the contrary principle1 what will become of that promise1 by which the ,lord1 in the second precept of his law1 declares to his servants1 that he will be merciful to their seed1 even to a thousand generations8#aahd ,shall we here have recourse to allegories8 ,that would be a frivolous evasion4 ,shall we say that this promise is cancelled8 ,that would be subversive of the law1 which1 on the contrary1 ,christ came to establish1 as a rule1 for a holy life4 ,it ought to be admitted1 therefore1 beyond all controversy1 that ,god is so kind and liberal to his servants1 as1 for their sakes1 to appoint even the children who shall descend from them to be enrolled among his people4 ,,xvi4 ,the other differences which they endeavour to establish between baptism and circumcision1 are not only ridiculous1 and destitute of every appearance of reason1 but are even repugnant to each other4 ,for after they have affirmed that baptism belongs to the first day of the spiritual conflict1 but circumcision to the eighth1 when the mortification is already completed1--immediately forgetting this1 they change their story1 and call circumcision a sign of the mortification of the flesh1 and baptism a symbol of a burial1 to which none are to be consigned but those who are already dead4 ,where can we find another instance of such levity of self-contradiction8 ,for1 according to the first proposition1 baptism ought to precede circumcision2 according to the second1 it ought to follow it4 ,yet it is not a new thing for the minds of men to run into such inconsistencies1 when they prefer their own dreams to the unerring word of ,god4 ,we say1 therefore1 that the first of these differences is a mere dream4 ,if they wished to allegorize on the eighth day1 yet there was no propriety in this manner of doing it4 ,it would have been much better to follow the ancients1 and refer the number of the day either to the resurrection of ,christ1 which took place on the eighth day1 and on which we know that newness of life depends2 or to the whole course of the present life1 which ought to be a course of progressive mortification1 till1 at the termination of life1 the mortification also should be completed4 ,it is probable1 however1 that ,god deferred circumcision to the eighth day on account of the tenderness of young infants1 whose lives might be endangered by the performance of that rite immediately on their birth4 ,nor is there much more solidity in the second position1 that1 after being dead1 we are buried by baptism2 since the ,scripture expressly teaches1 that 8we are buried by baptism into death10#aahe in order to our entrance on a course of mortification1 and continuance in it from that time forward6 ,nor is there any more propriety in the objection1 that1 if it be necessary to conform baptism to circumcision1 women ought not to be baptized4 ,for if it be evident1 that the sign of circumcision testified the sanctification of the seed of ,israel1 there can be no doubt that it was given equally for the sanctification of males and females4 ,and though only the males were circumcised1 they alone being capable of it1 the females were in a certain sense partakers of their circumcision4 ,dismissing such follies1 therefore1 let us never forget the similarity of baptism and circumcision1 between which we discover a complete agreement in the internal mystery1 the promises1 the use1 and the efficacy4 ,,xvii4 ,they consider themselves as advancing a most powerful argument for excluding infants from baptism1 when they allege1 that by reason of their age they are not yet capable of understanding the mystery signified in it2 that is1 spiritual regeneration1 which cannot take place in early infancy4 ,therefore they conclude1 they are to be considered in no other view than as children of ,adam1 till they have attained an age which admits of a second birth4 ,but all these things are uniformly contradicted by the truth of ,god4 ,for if they must be left among the children of ,adam1 they are left in death2 for in ,adam we can only die4 ,on the contrary1 ,christ commands them to be brought to him4 ,why8 ,because he is life4 ,to give them life1 therefore1 he makes them partakers of himself2 while these men1 by driving them away from him1 adjudge them to death4 ,for if they pretend that infants do not perish1 even though they are considered as children of ,adam1 their error is abundantly refuted by the testimony of ,scripture4 ,for when it pronounces that 8in ,adam all die10#aahf it follows that there remains no hope of life but in ,christ4 ,in order to become heirs of life1 therefore1 it is necessary for us to be partakers of him4 ,so1 when it is said1 in other places1 that we are 8by nature the children of wrath10#aahg and 8conceived in sin10#aahh with which condemnation is always connected1 it follows1 that we must depart from our own nature1 to have any admission to the kingdom of ,god4 ,and what can be more explicit than this declaration1 8that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god80#aahi ,let every thing of our own1 therefore1 be destroyed1 which will not be effected without regeneration1 and then we shall see this possession of the kingdom4 ,lastly1 if ,christ speaks the truth1 when he declares himself to be 8life10#aaij it is necessary for us to be ingrafted into him1 that we may be rescued from the bondage of death4 ,but how1 it is inquired1 are infants regenerated1 who have no knowledge either of good or evil8 ,we reply1 that the work of ,god is not yet without existence1 because it is not observed or understood by us4 ,now1 it is certain that some infants are saved2 and that they are previously regenerated by the ,lord1 is beyond all doubt4 ,for if they are born in a state of corruption1 it is necessary for them to be purified before they are admitted into the kingdom of ,god1 into which 8there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth40#aaia ,if they are born sinners1 as both ,david and ,paul affirm1 either they must remain unacceptable and hateful to ,god1 or it is necessary for them to be justified4 ,and what do we require more1 when the ,judge himself declares that there is no entrance into the heavenly life1 except for those who are born again8#aaib ,and1 to silence all objectors1 by sanctifying ,john the ,baptist in his mother's womb1 he exhibited an example of what he was able to do for others4 ,nor can they gain any advantage by their frivolous evasion1 that this was only a single case1 which does not justify the conclusion that the ,lord generally acts in this manner with infants4 ,for we use no such argument4 ,we only mean to show1 that they unjustly confine the power of ,god within those narrow limits to which it does not suffer itself to be restricted4 ,their other subterfuge is equally weak4 ,they allege that1 according to the usage of the ,scripture1 the phrase from the womb denotes from childhood4 ,but it is easy to see that1 in the declaration of the angel to ,zacharias1 it was used in a different sense1 and that ,john was to be filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 even before he was born4#aaic ,let us not attempt1 therefore1 to impose laws upon ,god1 whose power has sustained no diminution1 but who is able to sanctify whom he pleases1 as he sanctified this child4 ,,xviii4 ,and for this reason1 ,christ was sanctified from his earliest infancy1 that he might sanctify in himself all his elect1 of every age1 without any difference4 ,for as1 in order to obliterate the guilt of the transgression which had been perpetrated in our flesh1 he assumed to himself that very flesh1 that he might perform a perfect obedience in it1 on our account1 and in our stead1 so he was conceived of the ,holy ,spirit1 that1 having the whole body which he assumed1 fully endued with the sanctity of the ,spirit1 he might communicate the same to us4 ,if ,christ exhibits a perfect exemplar of all the graces which ,god bestows upon his children1 he will also furnish us with a proof1 that the age of infancy is not altogether incompatible with sanctification4 ,but1 however this may be1 we consider it as clear1 beyond all controversy1 that not one of the elect is called out of the present life1 without having been previously regenerated and sanctified by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,their objection1 that the ,holy ,spirit1 in the ,scriptures1 acknowledges no regeneration1 except from 8the incorruptible seed10 that is1 8the word of ,god10#aaid is a misinterpretation of that passage of ,peter1 which merely comprehends believers who had been taught by the preaching of the gospel4 ,to such persons1 indeed1 we grant that the word of the ,lord is the only seed of spiritual regeneration2 but we deny that it ought to be concluded from this1 that infants cannot be regenerated by the power of ,god1 which is as easy to him as it is wonderful and mysterious to us4 ,besides1 it would not be safe to affirm1 that the ,lord cannot reveal himself in any way so as to make himself known to them4 ,,xix4 ,but our opponents say1 8,faith cometh by hearing10#aaie of which they have not yet acquired the use1 and they cannot be capable of knowing ,god2 for ,moses declares them to 8have no knowledge between good and evil40#aaif ,but they do not consider1 that when the apostle makes hearing the source of faith1 he only describes the ordinary economy and dispensation of the ,lord1 which he generally observes in the calling of his people2 but does not prescribe a perpetual rule for him1 precluding his employment of any other method2 which he has certainly employed in the calling of many1 to whom he has given the true knowledge of himself in an internal manner1 by the illumination of his ,spirit1 without the intervention of any preaching4 ,but as they think it would be such a great absurdity for any knowledge of ,god to be given to infants1 to whom ,moses denies the knowledge of good and evil1 ,i would beg them to inform me1 what danger can result from our affirming that they already receive some portion of that grace1 of which they will ere long enjoy the full abundance4 ,for if the plenitude of life consists in the perfect knowledge of ,god1--when some of them1 whom death removes from the present state in their earliest infancy1 pass into eternal life1 they are certainly admitted to the immediate contemplation of the presence of ,god4 ,as the ,lord1 therefore1 will illuminate them with the full splendour of his countenance in heaven1 why may he not also1 if such be his pleasure1 irradiate them with some faint rays of it in the present life2 especially if he does not deliver them from all ignorance before he liberates them from the prison of the body8 ,not that ,i would hastily affirm them to be endued with the same faith which we experience in ourselves1 or at all to possess a similar knowledge of faith1 which ,i would prefer leaving in suspense2 my design is only to check their foolish arrogance1 who presumptuously assert or deny whatever they please4 ,,xx4 ,to strengthen their cause still further1 our opponents proceed to allege1 that baptism is a sacrament of repentance and faith2 and that1 therefore1 as neither of these can be exercised in infancy1 infants ought not to be admitted to a participation of baptism1 the signification of which would thereby be rendered vain4 ,but these arguments are directed against ,god1 more than against us4 ,for it is very evident1 from many testimonies of ,scripture1 that circumcision also was a sign of repentance1 and ,paul calls it 8a seal of the righteousness of faith40#aaig ,let the reason1 then1 be demanded of ,god himself1 why he commanded it to be impressed on the bodies of infants4 ,for1 as baptism and circumcision both stand on the same ground1 they can attribute nothing to the latter which they must not also grant to the former4 ,if they recur to their favourite subterfuge1 that the age of infancy then prefigured spiritual infants1 it has been already answered4 ,we say1 therefore1 that since ,god formerly communicated to infants the rite of circumcision1 which was a sacrament of repentance and faith1 it appears to be no absurdity for them now to be admitted to a participation of baptism2 unless these men wish to offer a direct insult to the institution of ,god4 ,but in this1 as well as in all the proceedings of ,god1 his wisdom and righteousness are sufficiently conspicuous to repress the opposition and detraction of the impious4 ,for though infants1 at the time of their circumcision1 did not understand the meaning of that sign1 they were nevertheless truly circumcised into the mortification of their corrupt and polluted nature1 which they were to pursue in mature years4 ,in short1 this objection may be answered without any difficulty1 by saying that they are baptized into future repentance and faith2 for though these graces have not yet been formed in them1 the seeds of both are nevertheless implanted in their hearts by the secret operation of the ,spirit4 ,this answer at once overturns every argument they urge against us1 derived from the signification of baptism2 as when they allege the designation given it by ,paul1 where he calls it 8the washing of regeneration and renewing20#aaih whence they argue that it ought to be given only to such as are capable of being regenerated and renewed4 ,but we may reply1 on the other hand1 neither was circumcision1 which was a sign of regeneration1 to be given to any but such as were already regenerated2 and this1 in their apprehension1 will be to condemn the ordinance of ,god4 ,therefore1 as we have suggested several times before1 whatever arguments tend equally to invalidate circumcision1 can have no force in the controversy against baptism4 ,nor can they escape from any difficulty1 by saying1 that whatever clearly rests on the authority of ,god1 we ought to consider as fixed and determined1 though we can discover no reason for it2 but that this reverence is not due to infant baptism1 or to other similar things1 which are not enjoined upon us by the express word of ,god2 for they will always be held fast by this dilemma4 ,either the command of ,god1 respecting the circumcision of infants1 was legitimate and liable to no objections1 or it was deserving of censure4 ,if there was no absurdity in that command1 neither can any absurdity be detected in the practice of infant baptism4 ,,xxi4 ,the charge of absurdity1 with which they endeavour to stigmatize it1 we thus refute3 ,if any of those who are the objects of divine election1 after having received the sign of regeneration1 depart out of this life before they have attained years of discretion1 the ,lord renovates them by the power of his ,spirit1 incomprehensible to us1 in such a manner as he alone foresees will be necessary4 ,if they happen to live to an age at which they are capable of being instructed in the true signification of baptism1 they will hence be the more inflamed to the pursuit of that renovation1 with the token of which they find themselves to have been favoured in their earliest infancy1 that it might be the object of their constant attention all their lifetime4 ,in the same sense must be understood what ,paul states in two places1 that we are 8buried with ,christ by baptism40#aaii ,for he does not mean that he who is to be baptized1 must previously be buried with ,christ1 but simply declares the doctrine which is contained in baptism1 and that to persons already baptized2 so that it would be unreasonable to argue from those passages1 that such burial with ,christ must precede baptism4 ,in this manner ,moses and the prophets reminded the people what was the meaning of circumcision1 though they had received that rite when they were infants4 ,to the same effect is what ,paul writes to the ,galatians1 that 8as many as have been baptized into ,christ1 have put on ,christ40#abjj ,for what purpose8 ,why1 that they might thenceforward live to ,christ1 who had never lived to him before4 ,and though in adults a knowledge of the mystery ought to precede the reception of the sign1 yet a different rule is to be applied to infants1 as we shall presently show4 ,nor can any other conclusion be drawn from that passage of ,peter1 which they consider as decisive in their favour--that baptism is 8not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a good conscience toward ,god1 by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ40#abja ,they contend that this passage leaves not the least room for the baptism of infants1 who are not capable of that in which the truth of baptism is here stated to consist4 ,but they frequently fall into this error1 of maintaining that the thing signified should always precede the sign4 ,for the truth of circumcision also consisted in the same answer of a good conscience2 but if it ought of necessity to precede it1 infants would never have been circumcised by the command of ,god4 ,but by showing us that the answer of a good conscience is comprehended in the truth of circumcision1 and at the same time commanding infants to be circumcised1 he sufficiently indicates that it is administered with a view to something future4 ,wherefore1 all the present efficacy to be required in the baptism of infants1 is to ratify and confirm the covenant made with them by the ,lord4 ,the remaining signification of this sacrament will follow afterwards1 at the time foreseen and appointed by the ,lord4 ,,xxii4 ,it must now1 ,i think1 be evident to every person1 that all arguments of this kind are mere perversions of ,scripture4 ,those which remain1 and are nearly allied to these1 we shall run over in a cursory manner4 ,they object1 that baptism is given for the remission of sins3 this we admit1 and it is completely in favour of our opinion4 ,for being born sinners1 we need pardon and remission even from our birth4 ,now1 as the ,lord does not exclude infants from the hope of mercy1 but rather assures them of it1 why shall we refuse them the sign1 which is so far inferior to the thing signified8 ,wherefore1 the argument which they urge against us1 we retort upon themselves2 infants are favoured with remission of sins1--therefore they ought not to be deprived of the sign4 ,they also adduce that passage where the ,lord is said to 8cleanse the ,church with the washing of water by the word40#abjb ,but no text could be quoted more conclusive against their error2 it furnishes an obvious confirmation of our sentiment4 ,if it be the will of ,christ that the ablution1 with which he cleanses his ,church1 be testified by baptism1 it appears unreasonable that its testimony should be wanting in infants1 who are justly considered as part of the ,church1 since they are called heirs of the kingdom of heaven4 ,for ,paul speaks of the whole ,church1 when he describes it as cleansed with the washing of water4 ,and1 on the same principle1 from that passage where he says that we are all baptized into the body of ,christ1#abjc we conclude that infants1 whom he numbers among his members1 ought to be baptized1 that they may not be separated from his body4 ,see with what violence1 and with what variety of weapons1 they attack the bulwarks of our faith6 ,,xxiii4 ,they proceed1 in the next place1 to the practice of the apostolic age1 in which no one is found to have been admitted to baptism without a previous profession of faith and repentance4 ,for in answer to those who 8were pricked in their heart1 and said1 ,what shall we do8 ,peter said unto them10 first1 8repent10 and then 8be baptized for the remission of sins40#abjd ,in like manner ,philip1 when the eunuch requested to be baptized1 replied1 8,if thou believest with all thine heart1 thou mayest40#abje ,hence they think themselves justified in concluding1 that baptism ought never to be administered to any person without being preceded by faith and repentance4 ,but if we adopt this reasoning1 the first of these passages1 which makes no mention of faith1 will evince the sufficiency of repentance alone3 the second1 where repentance is not required1 will prove that faith alone is sufficient4 ,i suppose they will reply that one passage is elucidated by the other1 and that therefore they ought to be connected together4 ,i also contend that other places ought to be consulted1 which may contribute to the solution of this difficulty4 ,for there are many passages of ,scripture1 the sense of which depends on the circumstances connected with them4 ,this is exemplified in the cases now under consideration4 ,for the persons addressed by ,peter and ,philip were of an age capable of exercising repentance and faith4 ,we strenuously deny that such persons ought to be baptized1 without a knowledge of their repentance and faith1 as far1 at least1 as they are capable of being ascertained by the judgment of men4 ,but that infants ought to be ranked in a different class1 is sufficiently evident2 for1 under the former dispensation1 if any person connected himself with the ,israelites in religious communion1 it was necessary for him to be taught the covenant of the ,lord1 and instructed in the law1 before he received circumcision1 because he was an alien by birth1 not one of the ,israelitish people1 with whom the covenant1 which was confirmed by circumcision1 had been made4 ,,xxiv4 ,so the ,lord himself1 when he adopts ,abraham1 does not begin with circumcision1 concealing for a time what was intended by that sign2 but he first announces the covenant which he designs to make with him1 and then1 after he has received that promise in faith1 makes him a partaker of that sacrament4 ,why does the sacrament follow faith in the case of ,abraham1 and in ,isaac1 his son1 precede all exercise of understanding8 ,because it is reasonable that a person1 who at an adult age is admitted to the fellowship of a covenant1 to which he had hitherto been a stranger1 should first learn the conditions of it2 but this is not necessary in the case of an infant1 who1 by hereditary right1 according to the form of the promise1 is already included in the covenant from its very birth4 ,or1 to express it with greater clearness and brevity1 if the children of believers1 without the aid of understanding1 are partakers of the covenant1 there is no reason why they should be excluded from the sign because they are not capable of expressing their consent to the stipulation of the covenant4 ,this is evidently the reason why ,god sometimes declares the children descended from the ,israelites to be born to himself2#abjf for he undoubtedly considers as his children1 the children of those to whose seed he has promised to be a ,father4 ,but he who is an unbeliever1 descended from impious parents1 is accounted an alien from the communion of the covenant1 till he be united to ,god by faith4 ,it is no wonder1 therefore1 if he be not a partaker of the sign1 the signification of which in him would be delusive and vain4 ,in this sense ,paul tells the ,ephesians1 that as long as they were immersed in idolatry1 they were 8strangers from the covenant40#abjg ,the whole of the subject1 if ,i mistake not1 may be clearly and summarily stated in the following position2 that persons of adult age1 who embrace the ,christian religion1 having been hitherto aliens from the covenant1 are not to receive the sign of baptism without the intervention of faith and repentance1 which alone can give them an admission to the fellowship of the covenant2 but that the infant children of ,christian parents1 being admitted by ,god to the inheritance of the covenant as soon as they are born1 are also to be admitted to baptism4 ,to this must be referred what is related by the evangelists1 that the people 8were baptized of ,john1 confessing their sins0#abjh--;an example which we think ought to be followed in the present day4 ,for if a ,turk or heathen were to offer himself to baptism1 we would not hastily admit him to that sacrament1 without his having first made a confession to the satisfaction of the ,church4 ,,xxv4 ,moreover1 they adduce the language of ,christ1 which is recorded by ,john1 and which they suppose to represent a present regeneration as requisite to baptism2 8,except a man be born of water and the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god40#abji ,see1 they say1 how baptism is called regeneration by the mouth of the ,lord4 ,when it is evident1 then1 that infants are utterly incapable of regeneration1 on what pretence do we admit them to baptism1 to which regeneration is indispensably necessary8 ,in the first place1 they are deceived in supposing that this passage refers to baptism1 because it mentions water4 ,for1 after ,christ had declared to ,nicodemus the corruption of nature1 and shown him the necessity of being born again1--because ,nicodemus was dreaming of a second corporeal birth1 he here indicates the manner in which ,god regenerates us1 namely1 by water and by the ,spirit2 as if he had said1 by the ,spirit who1 in the ablution and purification of the souls of believers1 performs the office of water4 ,i therefore understand by 8water and the ,spirit10 simply1 the ,spirit who is water4 ,nor is this a novel mode of expression2 for it perfectly corresponds with that declaration of ,john the ,baptist1 8,he that cometh after me shall baptize with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire40#abaj ,as to baptize with the ,holy ,spirit and with fire1 therefore1 is to confer the ,holy ,spirit1 who1 in regeneration1 has the office and nature of fire1 so to be born of water and of the ,spirit is no other than to receive that influence of the ,spirit1 which does in the soul what water does on the body4 ,i know that others give a different interpretation1 but ,i have no doubt that this is the genuine sense2 because the intention of ,christ is simply to teach that all must be divested of their own nature1 who aspire to the kingdom of heaven4 ,however1 if we were desirous of imitating their cavils1 it would be easy for us1 granting what they require1 to retort upon them1 that baptism is prior to faith and repentance1 because1 in the words of ,christ1 water is mentioned before the ,spirit4 ,it is certain that this phrase denotes spiritual gifts2 and1 if these follow baptism1 ,i have established what ,i wish4 ,but1 leaving all subterfuges1 let us adhere to the simple interpretation which ,i have proposed--that no one1 till he is renewed by living water1 that is1 by the ,spirit1 can enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,,xxvi4 ,it is further evident that their notion ought to be exploded1 because it adjudges all unbaptized persons to eternal death4 ,let us suppose their tenet to be admitted1 and baptism to be administered to adults alone2 what will they say will become of a youth who is rightly instructed in the first principles of piety1 if he desires to be baptized1 but1 contrary to the expectation of all around1 happens to be snatched away by sudden death8 ,the ,lord's promise is clear3 8,whosoever believeth on the ,son1 shall not come into condemnation20 but 8is passed from death unto life40#abaa ,we are nowhere informed of his having condemned one who had yet not been baptized4 ,by this ,i would not be understood as implying that baptism may be despised with impunity2 for1 so far from attempting to excuse such contempt1 ,i affirm it to be a violation of the covenant of the ,lord2 ,i only mean to evince that it is not so necessary1 as that a person1 who is deprived of the opportunity of embracing it1 must immediately be considered as lost4 ,but if we assent to their notion1 we shall condemn all1 without exception1 whom any circumstance whatever prevents from being baptized1 whatever faith they may otherwise have1 even that faith by which ,christ himself is enjoyed4 ,moreover1 they sentence all infants to eternal death1 by denying them baptism1 which1 according to their own confession1 is necessary to salvation4 ,let them see1 now1 how well they agree with the language of ,christ1 which adjudges the kingdom of heaven to little children4 ,but though we should grant them every thing they contend for relative to the sense of this passage1 still they will gain no advantage from it1 unless they first overturn the doctrine which we have already established respecting the regeneration of infants4 ,,xxvii4 ,but the strongest argument of all in favour of their opinion1 they boast1 is contained in the original institution of baptism1 which they quote from the last chapter of ,matthew1 where ,christ1 sending forth his disciples to all nations1 gave them a commission1 first to teach1 and then to baptize4 8,go ye therefore and teach all nations1 baptizing them in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost2 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you40#abab ,then1 from the last chapter of ,mark1 they add1 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved40#abac ,what more do we require1 say they1 when the language of our ,lord clearly expresses that teaching ought to precede baptism1 and represents baptism as subsequent to faith8 ,of this order1 an example was furnished even by the ,lord ,jesus himself who was not baptized till he was 8about thirty years of age40#abad ,in what various ways do they embarrass themselves1 and betray their ignorance6 ,for it is a mistake1 worse than childish1 to consider that commission as the original institution of baptism1 which ,christ had commanded his apostles to administer from the commencement of his preaching4 ,they have no reason to contend1 therefore1 that the law and rule of baptism ought to be derived from those two passages1 as if they contained the first institution of it4 ,though we should indulge them by admitting this error1 yet what force is there in their reasoning8 ,indeed1 if we wanted to evade the force of their arguments1 we need not have recourse to any little subterfuge2 a most ample field presents itself before us4 ,for while they so violently insist on the order of the words1 as to argue1 that1 when it is said1 8,go teach and baptize10 and 8he that believeth and is baptized10 the meaning is1 that preaching ought to precede baptism1 and that faith ought to precede the reception of baptism1--why may not we1 on the other hand1 reply1 that baptizing ought to precede teaching the observance of those things which ,christ has commanded1 because it is said1 8,baptize1 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you40 ,we have remarked the same thing on the declaration of ,christ1 which has just been quoted1 respecting the regeneration of water and of the ,spirit2 for if it be understood according to their interpretation1 it will appear from that passage that baptism is prior to regeneration1 because it is mentioned first3 ,christ teaches that we must be born again1 not of the ,spirit and of water1 but of water and of the ,spirit4 ,,xxviii4 ,their invincible bulwark1 in which they place such great confidence1 seems already somewhat shaken2 but as the truth may be sufficiently defended by simplicity1 ,i have no inclination to escape with such sophistical and trivial arguments2 they shall therefore have a solid reply4 ,the principal command which ,christ here gives to his apostles1 is to preach the gospel1 to which he subjoins the administration of baptism as an appendage4 ,besides1 he says nothing of baptism1 any otherwise than as its administration is subordinate to the office of teaching4 ,for ,christ sends his apostles to promulgate the gospel to all the nations of the world1 that by the doctrine of salvation they may collect1 from every land1 men who before were lost1 and introduce them into his kingdom4 ,but what men1 or men of what description8 ,it is certain that there is no mention of any1 but those who are capable of receiving instruction4 ,he afterwards adds1 that such persons1 when they have been instructed1 are to be baptized1 and subjoins a promise3 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved40 ,is there even a single syllable in the whole discourse respecting infants8 ,what kind of argumentation1 then1 is that with which they assail us8 ,persons of adult age are to be instructed1 in order that they may believe before they are to be baptized2 therefore it is unlawful to administer baptism to infants4 ,it will be impossible for them1 with all their ingenuity1 to prove any thing from this passage1 except that the gospel is first to be preached to those who are capable of hearing it1 before they are baptized2 for it relates to no others4 ,let them raise an obstacle from this1 if they can1 to exclude infants from baptism4 ,,xxix4 ,but to render their fallacies still more palpable1 ,i will show the absurdity of them by a very plain similitude4 ,the apostle says1 8that if any would not work1 neither should he eat40#abae ,now1 if any man should pretend to infer from this1 that infants ought to be deprived of food1 would he not deserve universal contempt8 ,why so8 ,because it would be a perverse application to all men1 indiscriminately1 of what was spoken of men of a certain class and a certain age4 ,nor is there any greater propriety in their reasoning in the present case4 ,for what every one sees to belong exclusively to persons of adult age1 they apply to infants1 in order to make them subject to a rule1 which was only prescribed for persons of riper years4 ,the example of ,christ is far from affording any support to their cause4 ,he was not baptized till he was 8about thirty years of age40 ,that is true indeed2 but the reason is obvious2 because he then intended to lay a solid foundation for baptism by his preaching1 or rather to establish that which had a little before been laid by ,john4 ,intending1 therefore1 to institute baptism in his doctrine1 in order to conciliate the greater authority to his institution1 he sanctified it in his own body1 and that at the point of time which he knew to be most proper1 namely1 when he was about to commence his ministry4 ,in short1 they can prove nothing else from this circumstance1 except that baptism derived its origin and commencement from the preaching of the gospel4 ,if they approve of fixing the thirtieth year1 why do they not observe it1 but admit every one to baptism as soon as he is1 in their judgment1 sufficiently qualified for it8 ,and even ,servetus1 one of their leaders1 though he pertinaciously insisted on this age1 yet began to boast of being a prophet himself when he had only attained his twenty-first year4 ,as though it ought to be tolerated for a man to arrogate the office of a teacher in the ,church before he is a member of it4 ,,xxx4 ,at length they object1 that there is no more reason why infants should be admitted to baptism than to the ,lord's supper1 which1 however1 is not administered to them4 ,as though the ,scriptures did not make a considerable difference between the two cases in every respect4 ,infant communion was practised1 indeed1 in the ancient ,church1 as appears from ,cyprian and ,augustine2 but the custom has very properly been discontinued4 ,for if we consider the nature and property of baptism1 we find it to be an entrance or initiation into the ,church1 by which we are enrolled among the people of ,god--a sign of our spiritual regeneration1 by which we are born again as the children of ,god2 whereas1 on the contrary1 the supper is appointed for those of riper years1 who1 having passed the tender state of infancy1 are capable of bearing solid meat4 ,this difference is very evidently marked in the ,scripture2 in which1 as far as relates to baptism1 the ,lord makes no distinction of age1 whereas he does not present the supper to the participation of all alike1 but only to those who are capable of discerning the body and blood of the ,lord1 of examining their own consciences1 of showing forth the ,lord's death1 and considering the power of it4 ,do we wish for any thing plainer than what the apostle inculcates in the following exhortation8 8,let a man examine himself1 and so let him eat of that bread1 and drink of that cup40#abaf ,it must1 therefore1 be preceded by examination1 which would in vain be expected from infants4 ,again3 8,he that eateth and drinketh unworthily1 eateth and drinketh damnation to himself1 not discerning the ,lord's body40#abag ,if no persons can be worthy partakers of it1 except those who can truly distinguish the holiness of the body of ,christ1 why should we give to our tender infants poison instead of salutary food8 ,what is that precept of the ,lord1 8,this do in remembrance of me80#abah ,what is the inference which the apostle deduces from it8 8,as often as ye eat this bread1 and drink this cup1 ye do show the ,lord's death till he come40#abai ,what remembrance1 ,i ask1 shall we require from infants of that event1 of which they have never attained any knowledge8 ,what preaching of the cross of ,christ1 the virtue and benefit of which their minds are not yet capable of comprehending8 ,not one of these things is prescribed in baptism4 ,between these two signs1 therefore1 there is a considerable difference2 such as we observe1 also1 between similar signs under the ,old ,testament4 ,circumcision1 which is known to correspond to our baptism1 was destined for infants4 ,the passover1 which has now been succeeded by the sacred supper1 did not admit guests of all descriptions promiscuously1 but was rightly eaten only by those who were of sufficient age to be able to inquire into its signification4 ,if our opponents had a grain of sound sense1 would they shut their eyes against a thing so clear and obvious8 ,,xxxi4 ,though ,i am sorry to burden my readers with such an accumulation of reveries1 yet it will be worth while to refute the specious arguments adduced in this controversy by ,servetus1 one of the most eminent of the ,anabaptists1 and even the chief glory of that sect4 #a4 ,he pretends that the symbols appointed by ,christ1 as they are perfect1 require also those who receive them to be perfect1 or persons capable of perfection4 ,but the answer is easy--that the perfection of baptism reaches even unto death1 and cannot with propriety be restricted to one instant of time4 ,i observe1 also1 that it is foolish to expect a man on the first day to attain perfection1 towards which baptism invites us to proceed1 by continual advances1 as long as we live4 #b4 ,he objects1 that the symbols of ,christ were instituted as memorials1 that every one may remember that he has been buried with ,christ4 ,i answer1 that what he has framed from his own head requires no refutation2 and that he applies to baptism what the language of ,paul shows to be peculiar to the sacred supper1 namely1 that every one should examine himself2 but that nothing like this is any where said of baptism2 from which we conclude1 that though1 by reason of their age1 infants are not capable of examination1 it is nevertheless right to baptize them4 #c4 ,he adduces the declaration of ,christ1 that 8he that believeth not the ,son shall not see life1 but the wrath of ,god abideth on him20#abbj and concludes that infants1 who are incapable of believing1 remain in their condemnation4 ,i answer1 that in this passage ,christ is not speaking of the general guilt in which all the descendants of ,adam are involved1 but only threatening the despisers of the gospel1 who proudly and obstinately reject the grace which is offered to them2 and this has nothing to do with infants4 ,i likewise oppose a contrary argument2 all those whom ,christ blesses are exempted from the curse of ,adam and the wrath of ,god2 and as it is known that infants were blessed by him1 it follows that they are exempted from death4 ,he falsely alleges1 as a passage of ,scripture1 that 8whosoever is born of the ,spirit heareth the voice of the ,spirit20 which1 though we were to admit as a genuine text1 yet he could infer nothing more from it1 than that believers are formed to obedience as the ,spirit operates within them4 ,but that which is affirmed of a certain number1 it is wrong to apply equally to all4 #d4 ,he objects1 that because 8that is first which is natural10#abba we ought to wait the proper time for baptism1 which is spiritual4 ,now1 though ,i grant that all the descendants of ,adam1 being carnal1 bring their condemnation into the world with them1 yet ,i deny that this is any impediment to the communication of a remedy1 as soon as ever ,god is pleased to impart it4 ,for ,servetus can show no ,divine appointment1 that many years shall elapse before the newness of spiritual life can begin2 for according to the testimony of ,paul1 though the infant children of believers are in a ruined condition by nature1 yet they are sanctified by supernatural grace4#abbb #e4 ,he next produces an allegory1 that when ,david went up to the fortress of ,zion1 he took with him neither the blind nor the lame1 but hardy soldiers4#abbc ,and what if ,i oppose him with a parable1 in which ,god invites the blind and the lame to the celestial feast8#abbd how will he extricate himself from this difficulty8 ,i ask1 also1 whether the blind and the lame had not previously served as soldiers with ,david4 ,but it is useless to insist longer on this argument1 which the readers will discover from the sacred history to be founded on mere falsehood4 #f4 ,then follows another allegory1 that the apostles were 8fishers of men10#abbe not of infants4 ,i ask1 what is the meaning of that declaration of ,christ1 that 8the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net1 that was cast into the sea1 and gathered of every kind80#abbf ,but as ,i am not fond of allegorical trifling1 ,i answer1 that when the apostles were appointed to the office of teaching1 they were not forbidden to baptize infants4 ,i would further wish to be informed1 since the evangelist uses the word 1 7a word which comprehends all the human race1 without any exception17 why infants should be denied to be 1 7human beings47 #g4 ,he pretends1 that as spiritual things belong to spiritual persons1#abbg infants who are not spiritual are not fit subjects of baptism4 ,but here it is evident that he is guilty of a gross perversion of that passage of ,paul1 the subject of which relates to doctrine4 ,when the ,corinthians discovered too much complacency in a vain subtlety1 the apostle reproved their stupidity1 because they still required to be taught the first principles of ,christian doctrine4 ,who can infer from this1 that baptism ought to be denied to infants1 whom1 though they are born of the flesh1 yet ,god consecrates to himself by gratuitous adoption8 #h4 ,he objects1 that if they are new men1 they ought to be fed with spiritual food4 ,the answer is easy--that they are admitted into the flock of ,christ by baptism1 and that the symbol of that adoption is sufficient for them1 till they grow to an age capable of bearing solid food2 and that it is therefore necessary to wait for the time of that examination1 which ,god expressly requires in the sacred supper4 #i4 ,he next objects1 that ,christ invites all his people to the sacred supper4 ,i answer1 it is sufficiently clear that he admits none but such as are already prepared to celebrate the remembrance of his death4 ,whence it follows1 that infants1 whom he condescended to take into his arms1 remain in a distinct and peculiar class1 till they grow to riper years1 and yet that they are not strangers to the ,church4 ,to this he objects1 that it is a monstrous thing for a person that is born1 not to eat4 ,i reply1 that the external participation of the supper is not the only way in which souls are fed2 and therefore that ,christ is food to infants1 notwithstanding they abstain from the sign2 but that the case of baptism is different1 by which alone they are admitted into the ,church4 ,he further objects1 that 8a faithful and wise servant1 whom his lord hath made ruler over his household1 giveth them meat in due season40#abbh ,this ,i readily grant2 but by what authority will he determine the time of baptism for us1 so as to prove that it is not administered to infants at a proper time8 #aj4 ,he likewise adduces the command of ,christ to his apostles1 to hasten to the harvest1 while the fields are whitening4#abbi ,the sole design of ,christ on that occasion was to stimulate the apostles1 that1 seeing the present fruit of their labours1 they might exert themselves in their ministry with the greater cheerfulness4 ,who can infer from this that the time of harvest is the only time proper for baptism8 #aa4 ,his next argument is1 that in the primitive ,church ,christians and disciples were the same persons4#abcj ,but here we see that he injudiciously reasons from a part to the whole4 ,the appellation of disciples was given to persons of adult age1 who had been already instructed1 and had made a profession of ,christianity2 just as the ,jews under the law were the disciples of ,moses2 yet no one can justly infer from this1 that infants were strangers1 ,god having declared them to be part of his family4 #ab4 ,moreover he alleges1 that all ,christians are brethren1 but that we treat infants as not of that number1 as long as we exclude them from the ,lord's supper4 ,but ,i return to that principle1 that none are heirs of the kingdom of heaven1 except those who are members of ,christ2 and that the embrace with which he honoured infants was a true pledge of the adoption1 by which they are united with adults1 and that their temporary abstinence from the supper does not prevent them from belonging to the body of the ,church4 ,the thief who was converted on the cross was a brother of believers1 though he never partook of the ,lord's supper at all4 #ac4 ,he proceeds to assert1 that no person becomes our brother but by the spirit of adoption communicated 8by the hearing of faith40#abca ,i reply1 that he is constantly reverting to the same false reasoning1 by a preposterous application to infants of that which is spoken exclusively of adults4 ,paul is there showing that the ordinary method which ,god uses in calling his elect1 and bringing them to the faith1 is to raise them up faithful teachers1 by whose labours and instructions he extends his assistance to them4 ,but who will dare to impose a law to prevent his ingrafting infants into ,christ by some other secret method8 #ad4 ,he objects1 that ,cornelius was baptized after he had received the ,holy ,ghost4#abcb ,but the absurdity of attempting to extract a general rule from this one example1 is evident from the cases of the eunuch and the ,samaritans1#abcc in whom the ,lord observed a different order1 for their baptism preceded their reception of the gifts of the ,spirit4 #ae4 ,his next argument is worse than absurd2 he says1 that by regeneration we are made gods2#abcd but that they are gods to whom the word of ,god comes1#abce which is not applicable to infants4 ,the ascription of deity to believers is one of his reveries1 which it is irrelevant to our present subject to discuss2 but to pervert that quotation from the ,psalms to a sense so remote from its genuine meaning1 betrays the most monstrous impudence4 ,christ says that the appellation of gods is given by the prophet to kings and magistrates1 because they sustain an office of ,divine appointment4 ,but that which is directed to certain individuals respecting the particular charge of governors1 this dexterous interpreter applies to the doctrine of the gospel1 in order to exclude infants from the ,church4 #af4 ,he objects1 again1 that infants cannot be accounted new creatures1 because they are not begotten by the word4 ,i must again repeat1 what ,i have so often remarked1 that the doctrine of the gospel is the incorruptible seed1 to regenerate those who are capable of understanding it2 but that where1 by reason of age1 there is not yet any capacity of learning1 ,god has his different degrees of regenerating those whom he has adopted4 #ag4 ,then he returns to his allegories1 and alleges that sheep and goats were not offered in sacrifice immediately after they were brought forth4#abcf ,if ,i approved of the application of figures to this subject1 ,i might easily retort1 that all the first born immediately on their birth are consecrated to the ,lord1#abcg and that a lamb was to be sacrificed in its first year2 whence it should follow1 that it is not at all necessary to wait for many years1 but that our children ought to be dedicated to ,god in their earliest infancy4 #ah4 ,he further contends1 that none can come to ,christ but those who have been prepared by ,john2 as though the office of ,john had not been a temporary one4 ,but to pass over this2 the children whom ,christ took up in his arms and blessed1 had certainly no such preparation4 ,wherefore let him depart with his false principle4 #ai4 ,at length he calls in the assistance of ,trismegistus and the ,sibyls1 to show that sacred ablutions are not suitable to any but adults4 ,see what honourable sentiments he entertains respecting the baptism of ,christ1 which he would conform to the profane rites of the heathen1 that its administration might be regulated by the pleasure of ,trismegistus4 ,but we have more reverence for the authority of ,god1 who has been pleased to consecrate infants to himself1 and to initiate them by a sacred sign1 the meaning of which they were too young to be able to understand4 ,nor do we esteem it lawful to borrow from the ablutions of the heathen any thing that may introduce into our baptism the least change of that eternal and inviolable law which ,god has established respecting circumcision4 #bj4 ,in the last place1 he argues1 that if it be lawful to baptize infants without understanding1 baptism may be1 in mimicry and jest1 administered by boys in play4 ,but he must contest this subject with ,god1 by whose command circumcision was performed upon infants1 before they had attained any understanding4 ,was it a ludicrous ceremony1 then1 or a fit subject for the sports of children1 that they could overturn the sacred institution of ,god8 ,but it is no wonder that these reprobate spirits1 as if transported with frenzy1 bring forward the most enormous absurdities in defence of their errors2 for such delusion is the just judgment of ,god upon their pride and obstinacy4 ,and ,i trust ,i have clearly shown the futility of all the arguments with which ,servetus has endeavoured to assist the cause of his ,anabaptist brethren4 ,,xxxii4 ,no doubt1 ,i conceive1 can now remain in the mind of any sober man1 that those who raise controversies and contentions on the subject of infant baptism are presumptuous disturbers of the ,church of ,christ4 ,but it is worth while to notice the object which ,satan aims at promoting by so much subtlety2 which is1 to deprive us of the peculiar benefit of confidence and spiritual joy1 which is to be derived from this source1 and in the same degree also to diminish the glory of the ,divine goodness4 ,for how delightful is it to pious minds1 not only to have verbal assurances1 but even ocular proof1 of their standing so high in the favour of their heavenly ,father1 that their posterity are also the objects of his care6 ,for here we see how he sustains the character of a most provident ,father to us1 since he discontinues not his solicitude for us even after our death1 but regards and provides for our children4 ,ought we not1 then1 after the example of ,david1 to exult in praise and thanksgiving to ,god with our whole heart1 that his name may be glorified by such an expression of his goodness8 ,this is evidently the reason why ,satan makes such great exertions in opposition to infant baptism2 that the removal of this testimony of the grace of ,god may cause the promise which it exhibits before our eyes gradually to disappear1 and at length to be forgotten4 ,the consequence of this would be1 an impious ingratitude to the mercy of ,god1 and negligence of the instruction of our children in the principles of piety4 ,for it is no small stimulus to our education of them in the serious fear of ,god1 and the observance of his law1 to reflect1 that they are considered and acknowledged by him as his children as soon as they are born4 ,wherefore1 unless we are obstinately determined to obscure the goodness of ,god1 let us present to him our children1 to whom he assigns a place in his family1 that is1 among the members of his ,church4 ,footnote #aafe3 ,gen4 xvii4 #a-ad4 ,footnote #aaff3 ,matt4 xxii4 #cb4 ,luke xx4 #cg1 #ch4 ,footnote #aafg3 ,ephes4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #aafh3 ,deut4 x4 #af4 ,footnote #aafi3 ,deut4 xxx4 #f4 ,footnote #aagj3 ,rom4 xii4 #c1 #f4 ,footnote #aaga3 ,matt4 xix #ac-ae4 ,mark x #ac-af4 ,luke xviii4 #ae-ag4 ,footnote #aagb3 ,col4 ii4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #aagc3 ,matt4 viii4 #aa4 ,luke xiii4 #bi4 ,footnote #aagd3 ,exod4 xix4 #e4 ,deut4 vii4 #f4 ,footnote #aage3 ,rom4 iv4 #i-ab4 ,footnote #aagf3 ,eph4 ii4 #ad4 ,footnote #aagg3 ,rom4 ix4 #g1 #h4 ,footnote #aagh3 ,rom4 xi4 #bi4 ,footnote #aagi3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ad4 ,footnote #aahj3 ,rom4 xv4 #h4 ,footnote #aaha3 ,acts ii4 #ci4 ,footnote #aahb3 ,acts iii4 #be4 ,footnote #aahc3 ,eph4 i4 #aa1 #ab4 ,footnote #aahd3 ,exod4 xx4 #f4 ,footnote #aahe3 ,rom4 vi4 #d4 ,footnote #aahf3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #bb4 ,footnote #aahg3 ,eph4 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #aahh3 ,psalm li4 #e4 ,footnote #aahi3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ej4 ,footnote #aaij3 ,john xi4 #be2 xiv4 #f4 ,footnote #aaia3 ,rev4 xxi4 #bg4 ,footnote #aaib3 ,john iii4 #c1 #e4 ,footnote #aaic3 ,luke i4 #ae4 ,footnote #aaid3 #a ,peter i4 #bc4 ,footnote #aaie3 ,rom4 x4 #ag4 ,footnote #aaif3 ,deut4 i4 #ci4 ,footnote #aaig3 ,jer4 iv4 #d4 ,rom4 iv4 #aa4 ,footnote #aaih3 ,titus iii4 #e4 ,footnote #aaii3 ,rom4 vi4 #d4 ,col4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #abjj3 ,gal4 iii4 #bg4 ,footnote #abja3 #a ,peter iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #abjb3 ,ephes4 v4 #bf4 ,footnote #abjc3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #ac4 ,footnote #abjd3 ,acts ii4 #cg1 #ch4 ,footnote #abje3 ,acts viii4 #cg4 ,footnote #abjf3 ,ezek4 xvi4 #bj2 xxiii4 #cg4 ,footnote #abjg3 ,eph4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #abjh3 ,matt4 iii4 #f4 ,footnote #abji3 ,john iii4 #e4 ,footnote #abaj3 ,matt4 iii4 #aa4 ,footnote #abaa3 ,john iii4 #ah2 v4 #bd4 ,footnote #abab3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #abac3 ,mark xvi4 #af4 ,footnote #abad3 ,luke iii4 #bc4 ,footnote #abae3 #b ,thess4 iii4 #aj4 ,footnote #abaf3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bh4 ,footnote #abag3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bi4 ,footnote #abah3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bd1 #be4 ,footnote #abai3 #a ,cor xi4 #bf4 ,footnote #abbj3 ,john iii4 #cf4 ,footnote #abba3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #df4 ,footnote #abbb3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ad4 ,footnote #abbc3 #b ,sam4 v4 #f-h4 ,footnote #abbd3 ,luke xiv4 #ba4 ,footnote #abbe3 ,matt4 iv4 #ai4 ,footnote #abbf3 ,matt4 xiii4 #dg4 ,footnote #abbg3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #ac4 ,footnote #abbh3 ,matt4 xxiv4 #de4 ,footnote #abbi3 ,john iv4 #ce-ch4 ,footnote #abcj3 ,acts xi4 #bf4 ,footnote #abca3 ,gal4 iii4 #b4 ,footnote #abcb3 ,acts x4 #dd-dh4 ,footnote #abcc3 ,acts viii4 #af1 #ag1 #bf1 c4 ,footnote #abcd3 #b ,peter i4 #d4 ,footnote #abce3 ,john x4 #ce4 ,psalm lxxxii4 #f4 ,footnote #abcf3 ,exod4 xii4 #e4 ,footnote #abcg3 ,exod4 xiii4 #ab4 ,numb4 viii4 #ag4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,lord',s ,,supper ,,and ,,its ,,advantages4 ,after ,god has once received us into his family1 and not only so as to admit us among his servants1 but to number us with his children1--in order to fulfil the part of a most excellent father1 solicitous for his offspring1 he also undertakes to sustain and nourish us as long as we live2 and not content with this1 he has been pleased to give us a pledge1 as a further assurance of this never-ceasing liberality4 ,for this purpose1 therefore1 by the hand of his only begotten ,son1 he has favoured his ,church with another sacrament1 a spiritual banquet1 in which ,christ testifies himself to be the bread of life1 to feed our souls for a true and blessed immortality4 ,now1 as the knowledge of so great a mystery is highly necessary1 and on account of its importance1 requires an accurate explication2 and1 on the other hand1 as ,satan1 in order to deprive the ,church of this inestimable treasure1 long ago endeavoured1 first by mists1 and afterwards by thicker shades1 to obscure its lustre1 and then raised disputes and contentions to alienate the minds of the simple from a relish for this sacred food1 and in our time also has attempted the same artifice2 after having exhibited a summary of what relates to the subject1 adapted to the capacity of the unlearned1 ,i will disentangle it from those sophistries with which ,satan has been labouring to deceive the world4 ,in the first place1 the signs are bread and wine1 which represent to us the invisible nourishment which we receive from the body and blood of ,christ4 ,for as in baptism ,god regenerates us1 incorporates us into the society of his ,church1 and makes us his children by adoption1 so we have said1 that he acts towards us the part of a provident father of a family1 in constantly supplying us with food1 to sustain and preserve us in that life to which he has begotten us by his word4 ,now1 the only food of our souls is ,christ2 and to him1 therefore1 our heavenly ,father invites us1 that being refreshed by a participation of him1 we may gain fresh vigour from day to day1 till we arrive at the heavenly immortality4 ,and because this mystery of the secret union of ,christ with believers is incomprehensible by nature1 he exhibits a figure and image of it in visible signs1 peculiarly adapted to our feeble capacity2 and1 as it were1 by giving tokens and pledges1 renders it equally as certain to us as if we beheld it with our eyes2 for the dullest minds understand this very familiar similitude1 that our souls are nourished by ,christ1 just as the life of the body is supported by bread and wine4 ,we see1 then1 for what end this mystical benediction is designed2 namely1 to assure us that the body of the ,lord was once offered as a sacrifice for us1 so that we may now feed upon it1 and1 feeding on it1 may experience within us the efficacy of that one sacrifice2 and that his blood was once shed for us1 so that it is our perpetual drink4 ,and this is the import of the words of the promise annexed to it3 8,take1 eat2 this is my body1 which is given for you40 ,the body1 therefore1 which was once offered for our salvation1 we are commanded to take and eat2 that seeing ourselves made partakers of it1 we may certainly conclude1 that the virtue of that life-giving death will be efficacious within us4 ,hence1 also1 he calls the cup 8the new testament10 or rather covenant1 in his blood4#abch ,for the covenant which he once ratified with his blood1 he in some measure renews1 or rather continues1 as far as relates to the confirmation of our faith1 whenever he presents us that sacred blood to drink4 ,,ii4 ,from this sacrament pious souls may derive the benefit of considerable satisfaction and confidence2 because it affords us a testimony that we are incorporated into one body with ,christ1 so that whatever is his1 we are at liberty to call ours4 ,the consequence of this is1 that we venture to assure ourselves of our interest in eternal life1 of which he is the heir1 and that the kingdom of heaven1 into which he has already entered1 can no more be lost by us than by him2 and1 on the other hand1 that we cannot be condemned by our sins1 from the guilt of which he absolved us1 when he wished them to be imputed to himself1 as if they were his own4 ,this is the wonderful exchange which1 in his infinite goodness1 he has made with us4 ,submitting to our poverty1 he has transferred to us his riches2 assuming our weakness1 he has strengthened us by his power2 accepting our mortality1 he has conferred on us his immortality2 taking on himself the load of iniquity with which we were oppressed1 he has clothed us with his righteousness2 descending to the earth1 he has prepared a way for our ascending to heaven2 becoming with us the ,son of man1 he has made us1 with himself1 the sons of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,of all these things we have such a complete attestation in this sacrament1 that we may confidently consider them as truly exhibited to us1 as if ,christ himself were presented to our eyes1 and touched by our hands4 ,for there can be no falsehood or illusion in this word1 8,take1 eat1 drink2 this is my body which is given for you2 this is my blood which is shed for the remission of sins40 ,by commanding us to take1 he signifies that he is ours2 by commanding us to eat and drink1 he signifies that he is become one substance with us4 ,in saying that his body is given for us1 and his blood shed for us1 he shows that both are not so much his as ours1 because he assumed and laid down both1 not for his own advantage1 but for our salvation4 ,and it ought to be carefully observed1 that the principal and almost entire energy of the sacrament lies in these words1 8which is given for you20 8which is shed for you20 for otherwise it would avail us but little1 that the body and blood of the ,lord are distributed to us now1 if they had not been once delivered for our redemption and salvation4 ,therefore they are represented to us by bread and wine1 to teach us that they are not only ours1 but are destined for the support of our spiritual life4 ,this is what we have already suggested--that by the corporeal objects which are presented in the sacrament1 we are conducted1 by a kind of analogy1 to those which are spiritual4 ,so1 when bread is given to us as a symbol of the body of ,christ1 we ought immediately to conceive of this comparison1 that1 as bread nourishes1 sustains1 and preserves the life of the body1 so the body of ,christ is the only food to animate and support the life of the soul4 ,when we see wine presented as a symbol of his blood1 we ought to think of the uses of wine to the human body1 that we may contemplate the same advantages conferred upon us in a spiritual manner by the blood of ,christ2 which are these--that it nourishes1 refreshes1 strengthens1 and exhilarates4 ,for if we duly consider the benefits resulting to us from the oblation of his sacred body1 and the effusion of his blood1 we shall clearly perceive that these properties of bread and wine1 according to this analogy1 are most justly attributed to those symbols1 as administered to us in the ,lord's supper4 ,,iv4 ,the principal object of the sacrament1 therefore1 is not to present us the body of ,christ1 simply1 and without any ulterior consideration1 but rather to seal and confirm that promise1 where he declares that his 8flesh is meat indeed1 and0 his 8blood drink indeed10 by which we are nourished to eternal life2 where he affirms that he is 8the bread of life10 and that 8he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever20#abci to seal and confirm that promise1 ,i say2 and1 in order to do this1 it sends us to the cross of ,christ1 where the promise has been fully verified1 and entirely accomplished4 ,for we never rightly and advantageously feed on ,christ1 except as crucified1 and when we have a lively apprehension of the efficacy of his death4 ,and1 indeed1 when ,christ called himself 8the bread of life10 he did not use that appellation on account of the sacrament1 as some persons erroneously imagine1 but because he had been given to us as such by the ,father1 and showed himself to be such1 when1 becoming a partaker of our human mortality1 he made us partakers of his ,divine immortality2 when1 offering himself a sacrifice1 he sustained our curse1 to fill us with his blessing2 when1 by his death1 he destroyed and swallowed up death2 when1 in his resurrection1 this corruptible flesh of ours1 which he had assumed1 was raised up by him1 in a state of incorruption and glory4 ,v4 ,it remains for all this to be applied to us2 which is done in the first place by the gospel1 but in a more illustrious manner by the sacred supper1 in which ,christ offers himself to us with all his benefits1 and we receive him by faith4 ,the sacrament1 therefore1 does not first constitute ,christ the bread of life2 but1 by recalling to our remembrance that he has been made the bread of life1 upon which we may constantly feed1 and by giving us a taste and relish for that bread1 it causes us to experience the support which it is adapted to afford4 ,for it assures us1 in the first place1 that whatever ,christ has done or suffered1 was for the purpose of giving life to us2 and1 in the next place1 that this life will never end4 ,for as ,christ would never have been the bread of life to us1 if he had not been born1 and died1 and risen again for us1 so now he would by no means continue so1 if the efficacy and benefit of his nativity1 death1 and resurrection1 were not permanent and immortal4 ,all this ,christ has beautifully expressed in these words3 8,the bread that ,i will give is my flesh1 which ,i will give for the life of the world20#abdj in which he clearly signifies1 that his body would be as bread to us1 for the spiritual life of the soul1 because it was to be exposed to death for our salvation2 and that it is given to us to feed upon it1 when he makes us partakers of it by faith4 ,he gave it once1 therefore1 to be made bread1 when he surrendered it to be crucified for the redemption of the world2 he gives it daily1 when1 by the word of the gospel1 he presents it to us1 that we may partake of it as crucified2 when he confirms that presentation by the sacred mystery of the supper2 when he accomplishes within that which he signifies without4 ,here it behoves us to guard against two errors2 that1 on the one hand1 we may not1 by undervaluing the signs1 disjoin them from the mysteries with which they are connected2 nor1 on the other hand1 by extolling them beyond measure1 obscure the glory of the mysteries themselves4 ,that ,christ is the bread of life1 by which believers are nourished to eternal salvation1 there is no man1 not entirely destitute of religion1 who hesitates to acknowledge2 but all are not equally agreed respecting the manner of partaking of him4 ,for there are some who define in a word1 that to eat the flesh of ,christ1 and to drink his blood1 is no other than to believe in ,christ himself4 ,but ,i conceive that1 in that remarkable discourse1 in which ,christ recommends us to feed upon his body1 he intended to teach us something more striking and sublime2 namely1 that we are quickened by a real participation of him1 which he designates by the terms of eating and drinking1 that no person might suppose the life which we receive from him to consist in simple knowledge4 ,for as it is not seeing1 but eating bread1 that administers nourishment to the body1 so it is necessary for the soul to have a true and complete participation of ,christ1 that by his power it may be quickened to spiritual life4 ,at the same time1 we confess that there is no other eating than by faith1 as it is impossible to imagine any other2 but the difference between me and the persons whose sentiment ,i am opposing1 is this2 they consider eating to be the very same as believing2 ,i say1 that in believing we eat the flesh of ,christ1 because he is actually made ours by faith1 and that this eating is the fruit and effect of faith2 or1 to express it more plainly1 they consider the eating to be faith itself2 but ,i apprehend it to be rather a consequence of faith4 ,the difference is small in words1 but in the thing itself it is considerable4 ,for though the apostle teaches that 8,christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith10#abda yet no one will explain this inhabitation to be faith itself4 ,every one must perceive that the apostle intended to express a peculiar advantage arising from faith1 of which the residence of ,christ in the hearts of believers is one of the effects4 ,in the same manner1 when the ,lord called himself 8the bread of life10#abdb he intended not only to teach that salvation is laid up for us in the faith of his death and resurrection1 but also that1 by our real participation of him1 his life is transferred to us1 and becomes ours2 just as bread1 when it is taken for food1 communicates vigour to the body4 ,,vi4 ,when ,augustine1 whom they bring forward as their advocate1 said that we eat the body of ,christ by believing in him1 it was with no other meaning than to show that this eating is not of a corporeal nature1 but solely by faith4 ,this ,i admit2 but at the same time ,i add1 that we embrace ,christ by faith1 not as appearing at a distance1 but as uniting himself with us1 to become our head1 and to make us his members4 ,i do not altogether disapprove1 however1 such a mode of expression1 but if they mean to define what it is to eat the flesh of ,christ1 ,i deny this to be a complete explanation4 ,otherwise1 ,i see that ,augustine has frequently used this phrase2 as when he says1 8,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man1 ye have no life in you2#abdc this is a figure which enjoins a participation of the sufferings of our ,lord1 and a sweet and useful recollection in the memory1 that his flesh was wounded and crucified for us30 and again1 when he says1 8,that the three thousand1 who were converted by the preaching of ,peter1#abdd drank the blood of ,christ by believing in him1 which they had shed in persecuting him40 ,but in many other passages he highly celebrates that beneficial consequence of faith1 and states our souls to be as much refreshed by the communion of the body of ,christ1 as our bodies are by the bread which we eat4 ,and the very same idea is conveyed by ,chrysostom1 when he says1 8,that ,christ makes us his body1 not only by faith1 but also in reality40 ,for he does not mean that this benefit is obtained any otherwise than by faith2 he only intends to preclude a supposition from being entertained by any one1 that this faith is nothing more than a speculative apprehension4 ,i say nothing at present of those who maintain the ,lord's supper to be a mere mark of external profession1 because ,i think ,i have sufficiently refuted their error1 when treating of the sacraments in general4 ,only let it be observed1 that when ,christ says1 8,this cup is the new testament1 or covenant1 in my blood10#abde this is the expression of a promise calculated for the confirmation of faith2 whence it follows1 that unless we direct our views to ,god1 and embrace what he offers us1 we never properly celebrate the sacred supper4 ,,vii4 ,nor am ,i satisfied with those persons1 who1 after having acknowledged that we have some communion with ,christ1 when they mean to describe it1 represent us merely as partakers of his ,spirit1 but make no mention of his flesh and blood2 as though there were no meaning in these and other similar expressions3 8,that his flesh is meat indeed2 that his blood is drink indeed2 that except we eat his flesh1 and drink his blood1 we have no life in us40 ,wherefore1 if it be evident that the full communion of ,christ goes beyond their too confined description of it1 ,i will endeavour to state1 in few words1 how far it extends1 before ,i speak of the contrary error of carrying it to excess4 ,for ,i shall have a longer controversy with the hyperbolical doctors1 who1 while in their folly they imagine an absurd and extravagant way of eating the flesh of ,christ1 and drinking his blood1 deprive him of his real body1 and metamorphose him into a mere phantom2 if1 however1 it be possible1 in any words1 to unfold so great a mystery1 which ,i find myself incapable of properly comprehending1 even in my mind2 and this ,i am ready to acknowledge1 that no person may measure the sublimity of the subject by my inadequate representation of it4 ,on the contrary1 ,i exhort my readers not to confine their thoughts within such narrow and insufficient limits1 but to endeavour to rise much higher than ,i am able to conduct them2 for as to myself1 whenever ,i handle this subject1 after having endeavoured to say every thing1 ,i am conscious of having said but very little1 in comparison of its excellence4 ,and though the conceptions of the mind can far exceed the expressions of the tongue1 yet1 with the magnitude of the subject1 the mind itself is oppressed and overwhelmed4 ,nothing remains for me1 therefore1 but to break forth in admiration of that mystery1 which the mind is unable clearly to understand1 or the tongue to express4 ,i will nevertheless state the substance of my opinion1 which1 as ,i have no doubt of its truth1 ,i trust will also be received with approbation by godly minds4 ,,viii4 ,in the first place1 we learn from the ,scriptures1 that ,christ was from the beginning that life-giving ,word of the ,father1 the fountain and origin of life1 from which all things have ever derived their existence4 ,therefore ,john in one place calls him 8,the ,word of life10 and in another says1 that 8in him was life20#abdf signifying1 that even then he diffused his energy over all the creatures1 and endued them with life and breath4 ,yet the same apostle immediately adds1 that 8the life was manifested0 then1 and not before1 when the ,son of ,god1 by assuming our flesh1 rendered himself visible to the eyes1 and palpable to the hands of men4 ,for though he diffused his influence over all the creatures before that period1 yet1 because man was alienated from ,god by sin1 had lost the participation of life1 and saw nothing on every side but impending death1 it was necessary to his recovery of any hope of immortality1 that he should be received into the communion of that word4 ,for what slender hopes shall we form1 if we hear that the ,word of ,god contains in himself all the plenitude of life1 while we are at an infinite distance from him1 and1 withersoever we turn our eyes1 see nothing but death presenting itself on every side8 ,but since he who is the fountain of life has taken up his residence in our flesh1 he remains no longer concealed at a distance from us1 but openly exhibits himself to our participation4 ,he also makes the very flesh in which he resides the means of giving life to us1 that1 by a participation of it1 we may be nourished to immortality4 8,i am the living bread10 says he1 8which came down from heaven4 ,and the bread that ,i will give is my flesh1 which ,i will give for the life of the world40#abdg ,in these words1 he shows1 not only that he is life1 as he is the eternal ,word who descended from heaven to us1 but that in descending he imparted that power to the flesh which he assumed1 in order that it might communicate life to us4 ,hence follow these declarations3 8,that his flesh is meat indeed1 and that his blood is drink indeed20#abdh meat and drink by which believers are nourished to eternal life4 ,here1 then1 we enjoy peculiar consolation1 that we find life in our own flesh4 ,for in this manner we not only have an easy access to it1 but it freely discovers and offers itself to our acceptance2 we have only to open our hearts to its reception1 and we shall obtain it4 ,,ix4 ,now1 though the power of giving life to us is not an essential attribute of the body of ,christ1 which1 in its original condition1 was subject to mortality1 and now lives by an immortality not its own1 yet it is justly represented as the source of life1 because it is endued with a plenitude of life to communicate to us4 ,in this ,i agree with ,cyril1 in understanding that declaration of ,christ1 8,as the ,father hath life in himself1 so hath he given to the ,son to have life in himself40#abdi ,for in this passage1 he is not speaking of the attributes which he possessed with the ,father from the beginning1 but of the gifts with which he was adorned in the flesh in which he appeared2 therefore he showed that the fulness of life dwelt in his humanity1 that whoever partook of his flesh and blood might1 at the same time1 enjoy a participation of life4 ,for1 as the water of a fountain is sometimes drunk1 sometimes drawn1 and sometimes conveyed in furrows for the irrigation of lands1 yet the fountain does not derive such an abundance for so many uses from itself1 but from the spring which is perpetually flowing to furnish it with fresh supplies1 so the flesh of ,christ is like a rich and inexhaustible fountain1 which receives the life flowing from the ,divinity1 and conveys it to us4 ,now1 who does not see that a participation of the body and blood of ,christ is necessary to all who aspire to heavenly life8 ,this is implied in those passages of the apostle1 that the ,church is the body of ,christ1 and his fulness2#abej that he is 8the head1 from whom the whole body1 joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth1 maketh increase of the body20#abea that our bodies are 8the members of ,christ20#abeb things which we know can no otherwise be effected than by his entire union both of body and spirit with us4 ,but that most intimate fellowship1 by which we are united with his flesh1 the apostle has illustrated in a still more striking representation1 when he says1 8,we are members of his body1 of his flesh1 and of his bones40#abec ,at length1 to declare the subject to be above all description1 he concludes his discourse by exclaiming1 8,this is a great mystery40#abed ,it would be extreme stupidity1 therefore1 to acknowledge no communion of believers with the body and blood of the ,lord1 which the apostle declares to be so great1 that he would rather admire than express it4 ,x4 ,we conclude1 that our souls are fed by the flesh and blood of ,christ1 just as our corporeal life is preserved and sustained by bread and wine4 ,for otherwise there would be no suitableness in the analogy of the sign1 if our souls did not find their food in ,christ2 which cannot be the case unless ,christ truly becomes one with us1 and refreshes us by the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood4 ,though it appears incredible for the flesh of ,christ1 from such an immense local distance1 to reach us1 so as to become our food1 we should remember how much the secret power of the ,holy ,spirit transcends all our senses1 and what folly it is to apply any measure of ours to his immensity4 ,let our faith receive1 therefore1 what our understanding is not able to comprehend1 that the ,spirit really unites things which are separated by local distance4 ,now1 that holy participation of his flesh and blood1 by which ,christ communicates his life to us1 just as if he actually penetrated every part of our frame1 in the sacred supper he also testifies and seals2 and that not by the exhibition of a vain or ineffectual sign1 but by the exertion of the energy of his ,spirit1 by which he accomplishes that which he promises4 ,and the thing signified he exhibits and offers to all who come to that spiritual banquet2 though it is advantageously enjoyed by believers alone1 who receive such great goodness with true faith and gratitude of mind4 ,for which reason the apostle said1 8,the cup of blessing which we bless1 is it not the communion of the blood of ,christ8 ,the bread which we break1 is it not the communion of the body of ,christ80#abee ,nor is there any cause to object1 that it is a figurative expression1 by which the name of the thing signified is given to the sign4 ,i grant1 indeed1 that the breaking of the bread is symbolical1 and not the substance itself3 yet1 this being admitted1 from the exhibition of the symbol we may justly infer the exhibition of the substance2 for1 unless any one would call ,god a deceiver1 he can never presume to affirm that he sets before us an empty sign4 ,therefore1 if1 by the breaking of the bread1 the ,lord truly represents the participation of his body1 it ought not to be doubted that he truly presents and communicates it4 ,and it must always be a rule with believers1 whenever they see the signs instituted by the ,lord1 to assure and persuade themselves that they are also accompanied with the truth of the thing signified4 ,for to what end would the ,lord deliver into our hands the symbol of his body1 except to assure us of a real participation of it8 ,if it be true that the visible sign is given to us to seal the donation of the invisible substance1 we ought to entertain a confident assurance1 that in receiving the symbol of his body1 we at the same time truly receive the body itself4 ,,xi4 ,in harmony1 therefore1 with the doctrine which has always been received in the ,church1 and which is maintained in the present day by all who hold right sentiments1 ,i say1 that the sacred mystery of the supper consists of two parts3 the corporeal signs1 which1 being placed before our eyes1 represent to us invisible things in a manner adapted to the weakness of our capacities2 and the spiritual truth1 which is at the same time typified and exhibited by those symbols4 ,when ,i intend to give a familiar view of this truth1 ,i am accustomed to state three particulars which it includes3 the signification2 the matter1 or substance1 which depends on the signification2 and the virtue1 or effect1 which follows from both4 ,the signification consists in the promises which are interwoven with the sign4 ,what ,i call the matter or substance1 is ,christ1 with his death and resurrection4 ,by the effect1 ,i mean redemption1 righteousness1 sanctification1 eternal life1 and all the other benefits which ,christ confers upon us4 ,now1 though all these things are connected with faith1 yet ,i leave no room for this cavil2 as though1 when ,i say that ,christ is received by faith1 ,i intended that he is received merely in the understanding and imagination2 for the promises present him to us1 not that we may rest in mere contemplation and simple knowledge1 but that we may enjoy a real participation of him4 ,and1 in fact1 ,i see not how any man can attain a solid confidence that he has redemption and righteousness in the cross of ,christ1 and life in his death1 unless he first has a real communion with ,christ himself2 for those blessings would never be imparted to us1 if ,christ did not first make himself ours4 ,i say1 therefore1 that in the mystery of the supper1 under the symbols of bread and wine1 ,christ is truly exhibited to us1 even his body and blood1 in which he has fulfilled all obedience to procure our justification4 ,and the design of this exhibition is1 first1 that we may be united into one body with him1 and1 secondly1 that being made partakers of his substance1 we may experience his power in the communication of all blessings4 ,,xii4 ,i now proceed to the hyperbolical additions which superstition has made to this sacrament4 ,for here ,satan has exerted amazing subtlety to withdraw the minds of men from heaven1 and involve them in a preposterous error1 by persuading them that ,christ is attached to the element of bread4 ,in the first place1 we must be careful not to dream of such a presence of ,christ in the sacrament as the ingenuity of the ,romanists has invented2 as if the body of ,christ were exhibited1 by a local presence1 to be felt by the hand1 bruised by the teeth1 and swallowed by the throat4 ,for this was the form of recantation which ,pope ,nicolas directed to ,berengarius as a declaration of his repentance2 the language of which is so monstrous1 that the scholiast exclaims1 that there is danger1 unless the readers be very prudent and cautious1 of their imbibing from it a worse heresy than that of ,berengarius2 and ,peter ,lombard1 though he takes great pains to defend it from the charge of absurdity1 yet rather inclines to a different opinion4 ,for1 as we have not the least doubt that ,christ's body is finite1 according to the invariable condition of a human body1 and is contained in heaven1 where it was once received1 till it shall return to judgment1 so we esteem it utterly unlawful to bring it back under these corruptible elements1 or to imagine it to be present every where4 ,nor is there any need of this1 in order to our enjoying the participation of it2 since the ,lord by his ,spirit gives us the privilege of being united with himself in body1 soul1 and spirit4 ,the bond of this union1 therefore1 is the ,spirit of ,christ1 by whom we are conjoined1 and who is1 as it were1 the channel by which all that ,christ himself is and has is conveyed to us4 ,for1 if we behold the sun darting his rays and transmitting his substance1 as it were1 in them1 to generate1 nourish1 and mature the roots of the earth1 why should the irradiation of the ,spirit of ,christ be less effectual to convey to us the communication of his body and blood8 ,wherefore1 the ,scripture1 when it speaks of our participation of ,christ1 attributes all the power of it to the ,spirit4 ,one passage shall suffice instead of many4 ,in the eighth chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans1 ,paul represents ,christ as dwelling in us no otherwise than by his ,spirit4#abef ,by this representation1 the apostle does not destroy that communion of the body and blood of ,christ of which we are now treating1 but teaches that it is solely owing to the agency of the ,spirit that we possess ,christ with all his benefits1 and have him dwelling within us4 ,,xiii4 ,deterred by a horror of such barbarous impiety1 the schoolmen have expressed themselves in more modest language1 yet they only trifle with equal fallacy and greater subtlety4 ,they admit that ,christ is not contained in the bread and wine in a local or corporeal manner2 but they afterwards invent a manner which they neither understand themselves nor can explain to others2 which1 however1 amounts to this1 that ,christ is to be sought1 as they express it1 in the form of bread4 ,when they say that the substance of bread is transmuted into ,christ1 do they not attach his substance to the whiteness1 which they pretend is all that remains of the bread8 ,but1 they say1 he is so contained in the sacrament1 that he remains in heaven1 and we maintain no other presence than that of habitude4 ,but whatever words they employ to gloss over their notions1 they all terminate in this1 that1 by the consecration1 that which was before bread becomes ,christ1 so that the substance of ,christ is concealed under the colour of bread4 ,this they are not ashamed to express in plain terms2 for ,lombard says1 8,that the body of ,christ1 which is visible in itself1 is hidden and concealed1 after the consecration1 under the form of bread40 ,thus the figure of the bread is nothing but a veil1 which prevents the flesh from being seen4 ,nor is there any need of many conjectures1 to discover what snares they intended to lay in these words1 which the thing itself plainly evinces4 ,for it is evident in what profound superstition not only the people in general1 but even the principal men1 have now for several ages been involved1 and are involved1 at the present day1 in the ,papal churches4 ,true faith1 which is the sole medium of our union and communion with ,christ1 being an object of little solicitude to them1 provided they have that carnal presence which they have fabricated without any authority from the ,divine word1 they consider him as sufficiently present with them4 ,the consequence of this ingenious subtlety1 therefore1 we find to be this1 that bread has been taken for ,god4 ,,xiv4 ,hence proceeded that pretended transubstantiation1 for which they now contend with more earnestness than for all the other articles of their faith4 ,for the first inventors of the local presence were unable to explain how the body of ,christ could be mixed with the substance of the bread1 without being immediately embarrassed by many absurdities4 ,therefore they found it necessary to have recourse to this fiction1 that the bread is transmuted into the body of ,christ2 not that his body is properly made of the bread1 but that ,christ annihilates the substance of the bread1 and conceals himself under its form4 ,it is astonishing that they could fall into such ignorance1 and even stupidity1 as to promulgate such a monstrous notion1 in direct opposition to the ,scripture and to the doctrine of the primitive ,church4 ,i confess1 indeed1 that some of the ancient writers sometimes used the word conversion1 not with a view to destroy the substance of the external signs1 but to signify that the bread dedicated to that sacrament is unlike common bread1 and different from what it was before4 ,but they all constantly and expressly declare1 that the sacred supper consists of two parts1 earthly and heavenly2 and the earthly part they explain1 without the least hesitation1 to be bread and wine4 ,whatever the ,romanists may pretend1 it is very clear that the authority of the ancients1 which they frequently presume to oppose to the plain word of ,god1 affords them no assistance in the support of this dogma2 and1 indeed1 it is comparatively but of recent invention1 for it was not only unknown to those better times1 when the doctrine of religion still flourished in its purity1 but even when that purity had already been much corrupted4 ,there is not one of the ancient writers who does not acknowledge in express terms that the consecrated symbols of the supper are bread and wine2 though1 as we have observed1 they sometimes distinguish them with various titles1 to celebrate the dignity of the mystery4 ,for when they say1 that a secret conversion takes place in the consecration1 so that they are something different from bread and wine1 ,i have already stated their meaning to be1 not that the bread and wine are annihilated1 but that they are to be considered in a different light from common aliments1 which are merely designed for the nourishment of the body2 because1 in those elements1 we are presented with the spiritual meat and drink of the soul4 ,in this we also coincide4 ,but1 say our opponents1 if there be a conversion1 one thing must be changed into another4 ,if they mean that something is made what it was not before1 ,i agree with them4 ,if they wish to apply this to their absurd notion1 let them tell me what change they think takes place in baptism4 ,for in that also the fathers state a wonderful conversion1 when they say1 that from the corruptible element proceeds a spiritual ablution of the soul1 yet not one of them denies that it retains the substance of water4 ,but there is no such declaration1 they say1 respecting baptism as there is respecting the supper3 8,this is my body40 ,as though the question related to those words1 which have a meaning obvious enough1 and not rather to the conversion or change spoken of1 which ought to signify no more in the supper than in baptism4 ,let them cease their verbal subtleties1 therefore1 which only betray their own absurdity4 ,indeed1 there would be no consistency in the signification1 if the external sign were not a living image of the truth which is represented in it4 ,by the external sign1 ,christ intended to declare that his flesh is meat4 ,if he were to set before us a mere spectre of bread1 and not real bread1 where would be the analogy or similitude1 which ought to lead us from the visible emblem to the invisible substance8 ,for1 to preserve the correspondence complete1 the signification would extend no further than that we should be fed with an appearance of the flesh of ,christ4 ,as in baptism1 if there were nothing but an appearance of water to deceive our eyes1 we should have no certain pledge of our ablution2 and such an illusive representation we should find a source of painful uncertainty4 ,the nature of the sacrament1 therefore1 is subverted1 unless the earthly sign correspond in its signification to the heavenly substance2 and1 consequently1 we lose the truth of this mystery1 unless the true body of ,christ be represented by real bread4 ,i repeat it again2 since the sacred supper is nothing but a visible attestation of the promise1 that ,christ is 8the bread of life which cometh down from heaven10#abeg it requires the use of visible and material bread to represent that which is spiritual2 unless we are determined that the means which ,god kindly affords to support our weakness shall be altogether unavailing to us4 ,with what reason could ,paul conclude that 8we1 being many1 are one bread1 for we are all partakers of that one bread10#abeh if there were nothing but a mere phantom of bread1 and not the true and real substance of it8 ,,xv4 ,they would never have been so shamefully deluded by the fallacies of ,satan1 if they had not been previously fascinated with this error--that the body of ,christ contained in the bread was received in a corporeal manner into the mouth1 and actually swallowed4 ,the cause of such a stupid notion was1 that they considered the consecration as a kind of magical incantation4 ,but they were unacquainted with this principle1 that the bread is a sacrament only to those to whom the word is addressed2 as the water of baptism is not changed in itself1 but on the annexation of the promise1 begins to be to us that which it was not before4 ,this will be further elucidated by the example of a similar sacrament4 ,the water which flowed from the rock in the wilderness1 was to the fathers a token and sign of the same thing which is represented to us by the wine in the sacred supper2 for ,paul says1 8,they did drink the same spiritual drink40#abei ,but the same water served also for their flocks and herds4 ,hence it is easily inferred1 that when earthly elements are applied to a spiritual use1 no other change takes place in them than with regard to men1 to whom they become seals of the promises4 ,besides1 since the design of ,god is1 as ,i have often repeated1 by suitable vehicles to elevate us to himself1 this object is impiously frustrated by the obstinacy of those who invite us to ,christ indeed1 but invisibly concealed under the form of bread4 ,it is not possible for the human mind to overcome the immensity of local distance1 and to penetrate to ,christ in the highest heavens4 ,what nature denied them1 they attempted to correct by a remedy yet more pernicious1 that while remaining on the earth1 they might attain a proximity to ,christ without any need of ascending to heaven4 ,this is all the necessity which constrained them to metamorphose the body of ,christ4 ,in the time of ,bernard1 though a harsh mode of expression had been adopted1 still transubstantiation was yet unknown2 and in all preceding ages it was a common similitude1 in the mouths of all1 that in this sacrament the body and blood of ,christ were spiritually united with the bread and wine4 ,they argue respecting the terms1 in their own apprehension1 with great acuteness1 but without adducing any thing applicable to the present subject4 ,the rod of ,moses1 they say1 though it took the form of a serpent1 still retained its original name1 and was called a rod4#abfj ,so they think it equally probable1 that though the bread be changed into another substance1 yet it may by a catachresis1 without any violation of propriety1 be denominated according to its visible appearance4 ,but what similitude or connection can they discover between that illustrious miracle and their fictitious illusion1 which no eye on earth witnesses8 ,the magicians had practised their sorceries1 so that the ,egyptians believed them to possess a ,divine power to effect changes in the creatures above the order of nature4 ,moses confronted them1 and defeating all their enchantments1 showed the invincible power of ,god to be on his side2 because his one rod swallowed up all the rest4 ,but that being a transmutation visible to the eye1 makes nothing to the present argument1 as we have already observed2 and the rod soon after visibly returned to its original form4 ,moreover1 it is not known whether that was in reality a temporary transmutation of substance or not4 ,the allusion to the rods of the magicians deserves also to be observed2 for ,moses says1 that 8,aaron's rod swallowed up their rods30 he would not call them serpents1 lest he might appear to imply a transmutation which did not exist2 for those impostors had done nothing but dazzle the eyes of the spectators4 ,what resemblance has this to the following and other similar expressions3 8,the bread which we break20#abfa 8,as often as ye eat this bread20#abfb 8,they continued in breaking of bread80#abfc ,it is certain that their eyes were only deceived by the incantations of the magicians4 ,there is greater uncertainty with respect to ,moses1 by whose hand it was no more difficult for ,god to make a rod into a serpent1 and afterwards to make the serpent into a rod again1 than to invest angels with material bodies1 and soon after to disembody them again4 ,if the nature of this sacrament were the same1 or bore any affinity to the case we have mentioned1 our opponents would have some colour for their solution4 ,we must1 therefore1 consider it as a fixed principle1 that the flesh of ,christ is not truly promised to us for food in the sacred supper1 unless the true substance of the external symbol corresponds to it4 ,and as one error gives birth to another1 a passage of ,jeremiah is so stupidly perverted1 in order to prove transubstantiation1 that ,i am ashamed to recite it4 ,the prophet complains that wood was put into his bread2#abfd signifying that his enemies by their cruelty had taken away all the relish of his food2 as ,david in a similar figure utters the following complaint3 8,they gave me also gall for my meat1 and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink40#abfe ,these disputants explain it as an allegory1 that the body of ,christ was affixed to the wood of the cross2 and this1 they say1 was the opinion of some of the fathers4 ,i reply1 we ought rather to pardon their ignorance1 and bury their disgrace in oblivion1 than to add the effrontery of constraining them continually to combat the genuine meaning of the prophet4 ,,xvi4 ,others1 who perceive it to be impossible to destroy the analogy of the sign and the thing signified1 without subverting the truth of the mystery1 acknowledge that the bread in the sacred supper is the true substance of that earthly and corruptible element1 and undergoes no change in itself2 but they maintain that it has the body of ,christ included under it4 ,if they explained their meaning to be1 that when the bread is presented in the sacrament1 it is attended with an exhibition of the body of ,christ1 because the truth represented is inseparable from its sign1 ,i should make little objection2 but as1 by placing the body itself in the bread1 they attribute ubiquity to it1 which is incompatible with its nature1 and by stating it to be under the bread1 represent it as lying concealed in it2 it is necessary to unmask such subtleties3 not that it is my intention to enter on a professed examination of the whole of this subject at present2 ,i shall only lay the foundations of the discussion1 which will follow in its proper place4 ,they maintain the body of ,christ1 therefore1 to be invisible and infinite1 that it may be concealed under the bread2 because they suppose it to be impossible for them to partake of him1 any otherwise than by his descending into the bread2 but they know nothing of that descent of which we have spoken1 by which he elevates us to himself4 ,they bring forward every plausible pretext that they can2 but when they have said all1 it is evident that they are contending for a local presence of ,christ4 ,and what is the reason of it8 ,it is because they cannot conceive of any other participation of his flesh and blood1 except what would consist in local conjunction and contact1 or in some gross enclosure4 ,,xvii4 ,and to defend with obstinacy the error which they have once embraced1 some of them hesitate not to affirm that the body of ,christ never had any other dimensions than the whole extent of heaven and earth4 ,his birth as an infant1 his growth to maturity1 his extension on the cross1 his incarceration in the sepulchre1--all this1 they say1 took place in consequence of a kind of dispensation1 that he might as a man accomplish every thing necessary to our salvation4 ,his appearance in the same corporeal form after his resurrection1 his ascension to heaven1 his subsequent appearances to ,stephen and to ,paul1--all this also resulted from a similar dispensation1 that he might manifest himself to the view of man as appointed ,king in heaven4 ,now1 what is this but to raise ,marcion from the dead8 ,for if such were the condition of ,christ's body1 every one must perceive it to have been a mere phantom or visionary form1 without any real substance4 ,some plead1 with a little more subtlety1 that the body of ,christ1 which is given in the sacrament1 is glorious and immortal1 and that therefore it involves no absurdity1 if it be contained under the sacrament in various places1 or in no place1 or without any form4 ,but ,i ask what kind of body did ,jesus ,christ give to his disciples1 the night before he suffered8 ,do not the words imply1 that he gave them the same mortal body which was just about to be betrayed8 ,they reply1 that he had already manifested his glory in the eyes of three of his disciples1 on the mount4 ,that is true2 but his design was1 in that splendour1 to give them a transient glimpse of his immortality4 ,they will not find there a twofold body1 but the very same which ,christ was accustomed to carry about with him1 adorned with unusual glory1 from which it speedily returned to its natural condition4 ,when he distributed his body at the institution of the sacred supper1 the hour was approaching1 in which1 8stricken and smitten of ,god10 he was to lie down like a leper 8without form or comeliness30#abff he was then far from intending to display the glory of his resurrection4 ,what a door does this open to the error of ,marcion1 if the body of ,christ appeared in one place mortal and mean1 and in another was received as immortal and glorious8 ,on their principle1 however1 this happens every day2 for they are constrained to confess that the body of ,christ is visible in itself1 while at the same time they say that it is invisibly concealed under the symbol of bread4 ,and yet the promulgators of such monstrous absurdities are so far from being ashamed of their disgrace1 that they stigmatize us with unprovoked and enormous calumnies1 because we refuse to subscribe to them4 ,,xviii4 ,if they are determined to fasten the body and blood of the ,lord to the bread and wine1 one must of necessity be severed from the other4 ,for as the bread is presented separately from the cup1 the body1 being united to the bread1 must consequently be divided from the blood contained in the cup4 ,for when they affirm that the body is in the bread1 and the blood in the cup1 while the bread and the wine are at some distance from each other1 no sophistry will enable them to evade this conclusion--that the body is separated from the blood4 ,their usual pretence1 that the blood is in the body1 and the body in the blood1 by what they call concomitance1 is perfectly frivolous1 while the symbols in which they are contained are so divided4 ,but if we elevate our views and thoughts towards heaven1 to seek ,christ there in the glory of his kingdom1 as the symbols invite us to him entire1 under the symbol of bread we shall eat his body1 under the symbol of wine we shall distinctly drink his blood1 so that we shall thus enjoy him entire4 ,for though he has removed his flesh from us1 and in his body is ascended to heaven1 yet he sits at the ,father's right hand1 that is1 he reigns in the power1 and majesty1 and glory of the ,father4 ,this kingdom is neither limited to any local space1 nor circumscribed by any dimensions2 ,christ exerts his power wherever he pleases in heaven and earth1 exhibits himself present in his energetic influence1 is constantly with his people1 inspiring his life into them1 lives in them1 sustains them1 strengthens and invigorates them1 just as if he were corporeally present2 in short1 he feeds them with his own body1 of which he gives them a participation by the influence of his ,spirit4 ,this is the way in which the body and blood of ,christ are exhibited to us in the sacrament4 ,,xix4 ,it is necessary for us to establish such a presence of ,christ in the sacred supper1 as neither1 on the one hand1 to fasten him to the element of bread1 or to enclose him in it1 or in any way to circumscribe him1 which would derogate from his celestial glory2 nor1 on the other hand1 to deprive him of his corporeal dimensions1 or to represent his body as in different places at once1 or to assign it an immensity diffused through heaven and earth1 which would be clearly inconsistent with the reality of his human nature4 ,let us never suffer ourselves to be driven from these two exceptions2 that nothing be maintained derogatory to ,christ's celestial glory2 which is the case when he is represented as brought under the corruptible elements of this world1 or fastened to any earthly objects2 and that nothing be attributed to his body incompatible with the human nature2 which is the case when it is represented as infinite1 or is said to be in more places than one at the same time4 ,these absurdities being disclaimed1 ,i readily admit whatever may serve to express the true and substantial communication of the body and blood of the ,lord1 which is given to believers under the sacred symbols of the supper2 and to express it in a manner implying not a mere reception of it in the imagination or apprehension of their mind1 but a real enjoyment of it as the food of eternal life4 ,nor can any cause be assigned1 why this opinion is so odious to the world1 and the minds of multitudes are so unjustly prejudiced against any defence of it1 but that they have been awfully infatuated with the delusions of ,satan4 ,it is certain that the doctrine we advance is in all respects in perfect harmony with the ,scriptures2 it contains nothing absurd1 ambiguous1 or obscure2 it is not at all inimical to true piety1 or solid edification2 in short1 it includes nothing that can offend1 except that for several ages1 while the ignorance and barbarism of the sophists prevailed over the ,church1 this very clear light and obvious truth was shamefully suppressed4 ,yet1 as1 in the present age also1 ,satan is making the most powerful exertions to oppose it1 and is employing turbulent spirits to endeavour to blacken it by every possible calumny and reproach1 it is necessary to be the more diligent in asserting and defending it4 ,,xx4 ,now1 before we proceed any further1 it is requisite to discuss the institution itself2 because the most plausible objection of our adversaries is1 that we depart from the words of ,christ4 ,to exonerate ourselves from the false charge which they bring against us1 it is highly proper1 therefore1 to begin with an exposition of the words4 ,the account given by three of the evangelists1 and by ,paul1 informs us1 that 8,jesus took bread1 and gave thanks1 and blessed it1 and brake it1 and gave it to the disciples1 and said1 ,take1 eat2 this is my body1 which is given or broken for you4 ,and he took the cup1 and said1 ,this cup is my blood of the new testament1 or the new testament in my blood1 which is shed for you1 and for many1 for the remission of sins40#abfg ,the advocates of transubstantiation contend that the pronoun this denotes the appearance of the bread1 because the consecration is made by the whole of the sentence1 and there is no visible substance1 according to them1 which can be indicated by it4 ,but if they are guided by a scrupulous attention to the words1 because ,christ declared that which he gave into the hands of his disciples to be his body1 nothing can be more at variance with a just interpretation of them1 than the notion that what before was bread had now become the body of ,christ4 ,for it was that which ,christ took into his hands to deliver to his disciples1 that he asserts to be his body2 but he took 8bread40 ,who does not perceive1 then1 that that to which this pronoun referred was bread still8 and therefore nothing would be more absurd than to transfer to a mere appearance or visionary form that which was spoken of real bread4 ,others1 when they explain the word is to denote transubstantiation1 have recourse to an interpretation still more violently perverted and unnatural4 ,they have not the least colour1 therefore1 for a pretence that they are influenced by a scrupulous reverence for the words of ,christ4 ,for to use the word is to signify a transmutation into another substance1 is a thing never heard of1 in any country or in any language4 ,those who acknowledge the continuance of bread in the supper1 and affirm that it is accompanied with the real body of ,christ1 differ considerably among themselves4 ,those of them who express themselves more modestly1 though they strenuously insist on the literal meaning of these words1 8,this is my body10 yet afterwards depart from their literal precision1 and explain them to import that the body of ,christ is with the bread1 in the bread1 and under the bread4 ,of the opinion maintained by them1 we have already spoken1 and shall soon have occasion to take further notice2 at present ,i am only arguing respecting the words1 by which they consider themselves bound1 so that they cannot admit the bread to be called his body1 because it is a sign of it4 ,but if they object to every trope1 and insist on taking the words in a sense strictly literal1 why do they forsake the language of ,christ1 and adopt a phraseology of their own so very dissimilar8 ,for there is a wide difference between these two assertions1 that 8the bread is the body10 and that 8the body is with the bread40 ,but because they perceived the impossibility of supporting this simple proposition1 8that the bread is the body10 they have endeavoured to escape from their embarrassment by those evasions4 ,others1 more daring1 hesitate not to assert1 that1 in strict propriety of speech1 the bread is the body2 and thereby prove themselves to be advocates for a truly literal interpretation4 ,if it be objected1 that then the bread is ,christ1 and ,christ is ,god1 they will deny this1 because it is not expressed in the words of ,christ4 ,but they will gain nothing by their denial of it1 for it is universally admitted that the whole person of ,christ is offered to us in the sacrament4 ,now1 it would be intolerable blasphemy to affirm of a frail and corruptible element1 without any figure1 that it is ,christ4 ,i ask them whether these two propositions are equivalent to each other--,christ is the ,son of ,god1 and ,bread is the body of ,christ4 ,if they confess them to be different1--a confession which1 if they hesitated1 it would be easy to extort from them1--let them say wherein the difference consists4 ,i suppose they will adduce no other point of difference1 than that the bread is called the body in a sacramental sense4 ,whence it follows1 that the words of ,christ are not subject to any common rule1 and ought not to be examined on the principles of grammar4 ,i would likewise inquire of the inflexible champions of a literal interpretation1 whether the words attributed to ,christ1 by ,luke and ,paul1 8,this cup is the new testament in my blood10 do not express the same idea as the former clause1 in which the bread is called his body4 ,surely the same reverence ought to be shown to one part of the sacrament as to the other2 and because brevity is obscure1 the sense is elucidated by a fuller statement4 ,whenever1 therefore1 they shall argue1 from that one word1 that the bread is the body of ,christ1 ,i shall adduce the interpretation furnished by the fuller account1 that it is the testament in his body4 ,for shall we seek for an expositor of greater fidelity or accuracy than ,paul and ,luke8 ,nor is it my design to diminish in the smallest degree that participation of the body of ,christ1 which ,i have acknowledged is enjoyed2 my only object is1 to silence that foolish obstinacy which displays itself in violent contentions about words4 ,from the authority of ,paul and ,luke1 ,i understand the bread to be the body of ,christ1 because it is the covenant in his body4 ,if they resist this1 their contention is not with me1 but with the ,spirit of ,god4 ,notwithstanding they profess to be influenced by such reverence for the words of ,christ1 that they dare not understand an explicit declaration of his in a figurative sense1 yet this pretext is not sufficient to justify their pertinacious rejection of all the reasons which we allege to the contrary4 ,at the same time1 as ,i have already suggested1 it is necessary to understand what is meant by 8the testament in the body and blood of ,christ20 because we should derive no benefit from the covenant ratified by the sacrifice of his death1 if it were not followed by that secret communication by which we become one with him4 ,,xxi4 ,it remains for us1 therefore1 to acknowledge that1 on account of the affinity which the things signified have with their symbols1 the name of the substance has been given to the sign1 in a figurative sense indeed1 but by a most apt analogy4 ,i forbear to introduce any thing of allegories and parables1 lest any one should accuse me of having recourse to subterfuges1 and travelling out of the present subject4 ,i observe that this is a metonymical form of expression1 which is commonly used in the ,scripture in reference to sacraments4 ,for in no other sense is it possible to understand such passages as these2 when of circumcision it is said1 8,this is my covenant20#abfh of the paschal lamb1 8,it is the ,lord's passover20#abfi of the legal sacrifices1 that they were expiations1 or atonements2#abgj of the rock1 from which the water issued in the desert1 8,that ,rock was ,christ40#abga ,and not only is the name of something superior transferred to that which is inferior1 but1 on the contrary1 the name of the visible sign is likewise given to the thing signified2 as when ,god is said to have appeared to ,moses in the bush1#abgb when the ark of the covenant is called ,god1#abgc and the ,holy ,spirit1 a dove4#abgd ,for1 though there is an essential difference between the symbol and the thing signified1 the former being corporeal1 terrestrial1 and visible1 and the latter spiritual1 celestial1 and invisible1 yet1 as the symbol is not a vain and useless memorial1 a mere adumbration of the thing which it has been consecrated to represent1 but also a true and real exhibition of it1 why may not the name of that which it signifies be justly applied to it8 ,if symbols invented by man1 which are rather emblems of things absent1 than tokens of things present1 of which also they very frequently give a delusive representation1 are1 nevertheless1 sometimes distinguished by the names of the things which they signify1 there is far greater reason why the symbols instituted by ,god should borrow the names of those things of which they always exhibit a correct and faithful representation1 and by the truth of which they are always accompanied4 ,so great1 therefore1 is the similitude and affinity of the one to the other1 that there is nothing at all unnatural in such a mutual interchange of appellations4 ,let our adversaries cease1 then1 to assail us with their ridiculous wit1 by calling us ,tropologists1 because we explain the sacramental phraseology according to the common usage of the ,scripture4 ,for as there is a great similarity in many respects between the various sacraments1 so this metonymical transfer of names is common to them all4 ,as the apostle1 therefore1 states1 that 8the ,rock0 from which flowed 8spiritual drink0 for the ,israelites1 8was ,christ10#abge because it was a visible symbol1 under which 8that spiritual drink0 was received1 though not in a manner discernible by the corporeal eye1 so bread is now called the body of ,christ1 because it is the symbol under which the ,lord truly offers us his body to eat4 ,and that no one may despise this as a novel sentiment1 we shall show that the same was entertained by ,augustine4 ,he says1 8,if the sacraments had not some similitude to those things of which they are sacraments1 they would be no sacraments at all4 ,on account of this similitude1 they frequently take the names even of the things which they represent4 ,therefore1 as the sacrament of the body of ,christ is in some sense that body itself1 and the sacrament of the blood of ,christ1 is that blood itself1 so the sacrament of faith is called faith40 ,his works contain many similar passages1 which it would be useless to collect1 as this one is sufficient2 only the reader ought to be apprized that this holy father repeats and confirms the same observation in an epistle to ,euodius4 ,it is a frivolous subterfuge to plead1 that when ,augustine speaks of metonymical expressions1 as frequently and commonly used respecting the sacraments1 he makes no mention of the ,lord's supper2 for1 if this were admitted1 we could no longer reason from the genus to the species1 or from the whole to a part2 it would not be a good argument to say1 that every animal is endued with the power of motion1 therefore oxen and horses are endued with the power of motion4 ,all further dispute on this point1 however1 is precluded by the language of the same writer on another occasion--8that ,christ did not hesitate to call it his body1 when he gave it as the sign of his body40 ,again3 8,it was wonderful patience in ,christ1 to admit ,judas to the feast1 in which he instituted and gave to his disciples the emblem of his body and of his blood40 ,,xxii4 ,but if some obstinate man1 shutting his eyes against every other consideration1 should insist on this single expression1 8,this is my body10 as though it made a distinction between the supper and all other sacraments1 the answer is easy4 ,they allege that the verb substantive is too emphatical to admit of any figure4 ,if we grant this1 the verb substantive is also used by ,paul1 where he says1 8,the bread which we break1 is it not the communion of the body of ,christ80#abgf ,but the communion of the body is something different from the body itself4 ,in almost all cases of sacraments1 we find the same word used--8,this is my covenant40 8,it is the ,lord's passover40#abgg ,and to mention no more1 when ,paul says1 8,that ,rock was ,christ10#abgh why do they consider the verb substantive less emphatical in that passage than in the speech of ,christ8 ,let them also explain the force of the verb substantive in that place where ,john says1 8,the ,holy ,ghost was not yet1 because that ,jesus was not yet glorified40#abgi ,for if they obstinately adhere to their rule1 they will destroy the eternal existence of the ,spirit1 as if it commenced at the ascension of ,christ4 ,let them answer1 in the last place1 what is the meaning of ,paul1 when he calls baptism 8the washing of regeneration1 and renewing10#abhj though it is evidently useless to many4 ,but nothing is more conclusive against them than that passage where ,paul says1 that the ,church is ,christ4 ,for having drawn a similitude from the human body1 he adds1 8,so also is ,christ20#abha by which he means not the only begotten ,son of ,god1 in himself1 but in his members4 ,i think ,i have so far succeeded1 that all men of sense and integrity must be disgusted with the foul calumnies of our adversaries1 when they charge us with giving no credit to the words of ,christ1 which we receive with as much submission as themselves1 and consider with greater reverence4 ,indeed1 their supine negligence is a proof that it is a subject of little concern to them1 what was the will or meaning of ,christ1 provided they can use him as a shield to defend their obstinacy2 as our diligence in inquiring into ,christ's true meaning is a sufficient proof of our high regard to his authority4 ,they maliciously represent1 that human reason prevents us from believing what ,christ himself has declared with his sacred mouth2 but how unjustly they stigmatize us with this reproach1 ,i have explained1 in a great measure1 already1 and shall presently make still more evident4 ,nothing prevents us1 therefore1 from believing ,christ when he speaks1 and immediately acquiescing in every word he utters4 ,the only question is1 whether it be criminal to inquire into his genuine meaning4 ,,xxiii4 ,to show themselves men of letters1 these good doctors prohibit even the least departure from the literal signification4 ,i reply1 ,when the ,scripture calls ,god 8a man of war10 because this language would be too harsh1 unless it be explained in a figurative sense1 ,i hesitate not to consider it as a comparison borrowed from men4 ,and indeed it was upon no other pretext that the ancient ,anthropomorphites molested the orthodox fathers1 than by laying hold of such expressions as these3 8,the eyes of the ,lord behold2 ,it entereth into the ears of the ,lord2 ,his hand is stretched out2 ,the earth is his footstool20 and accusing them of depriving ,god of his body1 which the ,scripture ascribes to him4 ,if this canon of interpretation be admitted1 all the light of faith will be overwhelmed in the crudest barbarism4 ,for what monstrous absurdities will not fanatics be able to elicit from the ,scripture1 if they are permitted to allege every detached and ill-understood word and syllable in confirmation of their notions8 ,the objection which they urge1 from the improbability that ,christ1 when he was preparing peculiar consolation for his disciples in seasons of adversity1 should express himself in enigmatical or obscure language1 is completely in our favour4 ,for if it had not been understood by the apostles1 that the bread was called his body in a figurative sense1 because it was a symbol of his body1 they would undoubtedly have been disturbed about so monstrous a declaration4 ,almost at the same moment1 ,john states that they were embarrassed and perplexed with every minute difficulty4 ,they who debated among themselves how ,christ was to go to the ,father1 and were at a loss to know how he would depart from this world2 who could understand nothing that was said of a heavenly ,father1 because they had not seen him2 how could they have been so ready to believe any thing so entirely repugnant to every dictate of reason1 as that ,christ was sitting at the table before their eyes1 and yet was invisibly enclosed in the bread8 ,by eating the bread without any hesitation1 they testified their consent1 and hence it appears that they understood the words of ,christ in the same sense that we do1 considering that it is common in all sacraments for the name of the sign to be transferred to the thing signified4 ,to the disciples1 therefore1 it was1 as it is to us1 a certain and clear consolation1 involved in no enigma2 nor is there any other cause to be assigned why some reject our interpretation1 except that the devil has blinded them by his delusions1 in consequence of which they imagine enigmatical obscurities1 where a beautiful figure furnishes such an obvious and natural meaning4 ,besides1 if we rigidly adhere to the letter1 what ,christ said of the bread would be inconsistent with what he said of the cup4 ,he calls the bread his body1 he calls the wine his blood3 either this must be a vain repetition1 or a distinction which separates the body from the blood4 ,it might be said of the cup1 ,this is my body1 as truly as of the bread2 and the converse of this proposition would be equally correct1 that the bread is his blood4 ,if they reply1 that we ought to consider for what end or use the symbols were instituted1--this ,i acknowledge2 but it is impossible to free their error from this absurd consequence1 that the bread is the blood1 and the wine the body4 ,now ,i am at a loss how to understand them1 when they admit the bread and the body to be different things1 and yet assert that the bread is properly and without any figure called the body2 as if any one should say that a garment is different from a man1 and yet that it is properly called a man4 ,at the same time1 as if their victory consisted in obstinacy and calumny1 they charge us with accusing ,christ of falsehood1 if we inquire into the true meaning of his words4 ,now it will be easy for the readers to judge how unjustly we are treated by these syllable-hunters1 when they persuade the simple to believe that we derogate from the authority due to the words of ,christ1 which we have proved to be outrageously perverted and confounded by them1 but to be faithfully and accurately explained by us4 ,,xxiv4 ,but the infamy of this falsehood cannot be entirely effaced1 without repelling another calumny2 for they accuse us of being so devoted to human reason1 as to limit the power of ,god by the order of nature1 and to allow him no more than our own understanding teaches us to ascribe to him4 ,against such iniquitous aspersions ,i appeal to the doctrine which ,i have maintained2 which will sufficiently evince that ,i am far from measuring this mystery by the capacity of human reason1 or subjecting it to the laws of nature4 ,is it from natural philosophy that we have learned that ,christ feeds our souls with his flesh from heaven1 just as our bodies are nourished with bread and wine8 ,whence is it that flesh has the power of giving life to our souls8 ,every one will pronounce it not to be from nature4 ,no more will it accord with human reason that the flesh of ,christ descends to us to become nourishment to us4 ,in short1 whoever shall understand our doctrine1 will be enraptured with admiration of the secret power of ,god4 ,but these good zealots contrive a miracle1 without which ,god himself1 with all his power1 disappears from their view4 ,i would again request of my readers a diligent consideration of the nature and tendency of our doctrine1 whether it depends on human reason1 or on the wings of faith rises above the world and ascends to heaven4 ,we say that ,christ descends to us both by the external symbol and by his ,spirit1 that he may truly vivify our souls with the substance of his flesh and blood4 ,he who perceives not that many miracles are comprehended in these few words1 is more than stupid2 for there is nothing more preternatural than for souls to derive spiritual and heavenly life from the flesh1 which had its origin from the earth1 and was subject to death2 nothing is more incredible than for things separated from each other by all the distance of heaven and earth1 notwithstanding that immense local distance1 to be not only connected1 but united1 so that our souls receive nourishment from the flesh of ,christ4 ,let these fanatics1 then1 no longer attempt to render us odious by such a foul calumny1 as though we1 in any respect1 limited the infinite power of ,god2 which is either a most stupid mistake1 or an impudent falsehood4 ,for the question here respects not what ,god could do1 but what he has chosen to do4 ,we affirm that what pleased him1 came to pass4 ,it pleased him for ,christ to become in all respects like his brethren1 sin excepted4#abhb ,what is the nature of our body8 ,has it not its proper and certain dimensions8 is it not contained in some particular place1 and capable of being felt and seen8 ,and why1 say they1 may not ,god cause the same flesh to occupy many different places1 to be contained in no particular place1 and to have no form or dimensions8 ,but how can they be so senseless as to require the power of ,god to cause a body to be a body1 and not to be a body1 at the same time8 ,it is like demanding of him to cause light to be at once both light and darkness4 ,but he wills light to be light1 darkness to be darkness1 and flesh to be flesh4 ,whenever it shall be his pleasure1 indeed1 he will turn darkness into light1 and light into darkness2 but to require that light and darkness shall no longer be different1 is to aim at perverting the order of ,divine wisdom4 ,therefore body must be body1 spirit must be spirit1 every thing must be subject to that law1 and retain that condition1 which was fixed by ,god at its creation4 ,and the condition of a body is such1 that it must occupy one particular place1 and have its proper form and dimensions4 ,in this condition did ,christ assume a body1 to which1 as ,augustine observes1 8he gave incorruption and glory1 but without depriving it of its nature and reality40 ,the testimony of the ,scripture is clear--that he ascended to heaven1 whence he will come again1 in like manner as he was seen to ascend4#abhc ,,xxv4 ,they reply1 that they have the word in which the will of ,god is clearly revealed2 that is1 if they be allowed to banish from the ,church the gift of interpretation which elucidates the word4 ,i confess that they have the word and quote the letter of ,scripture2 but just as did the ,anthropomorphites in past ages1 who represented ,god to be corporeal2 just as did ,marcion and the ,manichans1 who attributed to ,christ a celestial or visionary body4 ,for they quoted these texts3 8,the first man is of the earth1 earthy2 the second man is the ,lord from heaven40#abhd 8,christ made himself of no reputation1 and took upon him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of man40#abhe ,these groveling souls imagine that ,god can have no power1 unless the whole order of nature be reversed by the monster which they have fabricated in their own brains2 but this is an attempt to circumscribe ,god1 and to measure his power by the fancies of men4 ,for from what word have they learned that the body of ,christ is visible in heaven1 and yet is on earth1 concealed in an invisible manner under innumerable pieces of bread8 ,they will say that necessity requires this1 in order to the body of ,christ being given in the supper4 ,the truth is1 that when they had determined to conclude1 from the language of ,christ1 that his body was eaten in a carnal manner1 carried away with this prejudice1 they found it necessary to invent that subtlety1 which the whole tenor of the ,scripture contradicts4 ,that we derogate any thing from the power of ,god1 is so far from being true1 that our doctrine peculiarly tends to magnify it4 ,but as they never cease to accuse us of defrauding ,god of his due honour1 by a rejection of every thing which natural reason finds it difficult to believe1 though promised by the mouth of ,christ himself1 ,i repeat the answer which ,i have lately given1 that we consult not natural reason respecting the mysteries of faith1 but that1 with the placid docility and gentleness of spirit recommended by ,james1#abhf we receive the doctrine which comes down from heaven4 ,yet1 in a point in which they run into a pernicious error1 ,i admit that we pursue a useful moderation4 ,on hearing the words of ,christ1 8,this is my body10 they imagine a miracle the most distant from his intention4 ,this notion gives birth to prodigious absurdities2 but1 having already embarrassed themselves by their foolish precipitation1 they plunge themselves into the abyss of the ,divine omnipotence1 in order to extinguish the light of truth4 ,hence the haughty presumption1 with which they profess to have no wish to know how ,christ is concealed under the bread1 being content with that declaration1 8,this is my body40 ,we1 on the contrary1 with equal obedience and care1 endeavour to ascertain the true meaning of this passage1 as we do of all others2 nor do we1 with preposterous eagerness1 temerity1 and indiscretion1 seize the first thought which presents itself to our minds1 but after diligent meditation we embrace that sense which the ,spirit of ,god suggests2 established in which1 we look down with contempt on every opposition made to it by the wisdom of this world2 we even impose restraints on our own minds1 that they may not dare to utter a word of cavil1 and keep them humble to prevent their murmuring against the authority of ,god4 ,hence has proceeded that exposition of the words of ,christ1 which all1 who are but moderately versed in the ,scripture1 know to be agreeable to its invariable usage respecting sacraments4 ,nor do we esteem it unlawful1 in a difficult case1 after the example of the holy virgin1 to inquire how it can be4#abhg ,,xxvi4 ,but as nothing will be more effectual to confirm the faith of true believers1 than a knowledge that the doctrine which we have advanced is drawn from the pure word of ,god1 and rests upon its authority1 ,i will demonstrate this with all possible brevity4 ,it is not from ,aristotle1 but from the ,holy ,spirit1 that we have learned that the body of ,christ1 since its resurrection1 is limited1 and received into heaven till the last day4 ,i am fully aware that our adversaries contemptuously elude the passages which are adduced for this purpose4#abhh ,whenever ,christ speaks of his approaching departure from the world1 they reply that this departure was nothing more than a change of his mortal state4 ,but if this were correct1 ,christ would not substitute the ,holy ,spirit to supply the defect of his absence1 as they express it1 since the ,spirit does not succeed to his place1 nor does ,christ himself descend again from the glory of heaven to assume the condition of this mortal life4 ,the advent of the ,spirit1 and the ascension of ,christ1 are clearly opposed to each other2 and1 therefore1 it is impossible for ,christ to dwell with us1 according to his flesh1 in the same manner in which he sends his ,spirit4 ,besides1 he expressly declares that he shall not always be with his disciples in the world4#abhi ,this declaration also they think they have completely explained away1 by saying that ,christ merely intended that he should not always be poor and mean1 and exposed to the necessities of this transitory life4 ,but they are evidently contradicted by the context1 which relates1 not to his poverty1 or indigence1 or any of the miseries of this life1 but to his reception of respect and honour4 ,the unction performed by the woman displeased the disciples1 because they thought it an unnecessary and useless expense1 bordering on luxury2 and1 therefore1 they wished that the value of the ointment1 which they considered as improperly lavished1 had been distributed to the poor4 ,christ said1 that he should not always be present to receive such honour4 ,augustine has given the same explanation of this passage1 in the following explicit language3--8,when ,christ said1 ,me ye have not always with you1 he spoke of the presence of his body4 ,for according to his majesty1 his providence1 and his ineffable and invisible grace1 is accomplished what he said on another occasion--,lo1 ,i am with you always1 even to the end of the world2 but1 with respect to the body1 which the ,word assumed1 which was born of the virgin1 which was apprehended by the ,jews1 which was affixed to the tree1 which was taken down from the cross1 which was wrapped in linen clothes1 which was laid in the sepulchre1 which was manifested at the resurrection1 this declaration is fulfilled--,me ye have not always with you4 ,why8 ,because in his corporeal presence he conversed with his disciples for forty days1 and while they were attending him1 seen1 but not followed by them1 he ascended to heaven4 ,he is not here2 for he sits at the right hand of the ,father3 and yet he is here2 for he has not withdrawn the presence of his majesty3 otherwise1 according to the presence of his majesty1 we have ,christ always with us2 but1 with respect to his corporeal presence1 he said with truth1 ,me ye have not always with you4 ,for the ,church had his bodily presence for a few days2 now it retains him by faith1 but does not behold him with corporeal eyes40 ,here let us briefly remark1 this father represents ,christ as present with us in three respects--in his majesty1 his providence1 and his ineffable grace2 under the last of which ,i comprehend the wonderful communion of his body and blood2 only we must understand this to be effected by the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 and not by a fictitious enclosure of his body under the bread4 ,for our ,lord has declared that he has flesh and bones1 capable of being felt and seen2 and to go away and to ascend import not a mere appearance of ascent and departure1 but an actual performance of that which the words express4 ,shall we1 then1 it will be said by some1 assign to ,christ a particular district of heaven8 ,i reply1 with ,augustine1 that this question is too curious1 and altogether unnecessary2 provided we believe that he is in heaven1 that is enough4 ,,xxvii4 ,does not the term ascension1 which is so frequently repeated1 signify a removal from one place to another8 ,this they deny1 because they consider his exaltation as only denoting the majesty of his empire4 ,but ,i ask1 ,what was the manner of his ascent8 ,was he not carried up on high in the view of his disciples8 ,do not the evangelists expressly state that he was received up into heaven8#abij ,these acute sophists reply that he was concealed from their sight by an interposing cloud1 to teach believers that thenceforward he would not be visible in the world4 ,as though1 to produce a belief of his invisible presence1 he ought not rather to have vanished in a moment1 or to have been enveloped in the cloud without moving from where he stood4 ,but as he was carried up into the air1 and1 by the interposition of a cloud between him and his disciples1 showed that he was no longer to be sought for on earth1 we confidently conclude that his residence is now in heaven4 ,this also is affirmed by ,paul1 who teaches us to expect him from thence4#abia ,for this reason the angels admonished the disciples--8,why stand ye gazing up into heaven8 ,this same ,jesus1 which is taken up from you into heaven1 shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven40#abib ,here also the adversaries of sound doctrine have recourse to what they think an ingenious evasion--that he will then become visible who has never departed from the world1 but remained invisible with his people4 ,as though the angels1 in that address1 insinuated a twofold presence1 and did not simply make the disciples ocular witnesses of his ascension1 with a view to preclude every doubt2 just as if they had said1 ,received up into heaven in your sight1 he has taken possession of the celestial empire2 it remains for you to wait with patience till he shall come again as the judge of the world2 for he is now entered into heaven1 not to occupy it alone1 but to assemble you and all the godly to enjoy it with him4 ,,xxviii4 ,as the advocates of this spurious doctrine are not ashamed to defend it by the suffrages of the fathers1 and particularly of ,augustine1 ,i will briefly expose the disingenuousness of this attempt4 ,their testimonies having been collected by learned and pious writers1 ,i have no inclination to go over the same ground2 any one who wishes may consult their writings4 ,nor even from ,augustine shall ,i adduce every passage which would serve the argument2 but shall content myself with showing1 by a few extracts1 that he is1 beyond all doubt1 perfectly in harmony with us4 ,in order to deprive us of him1 our adversaries allege that1 in various parts of his works1 he states the flesh and blood of ,christ1 even the victim once offered on the cross1 to be dispensed in the sacred supper2 but this is altogether frivolous2 since he also calls the consecrated symbols either 8the eucharist10 or 8the sacrament of ,christ's body and blood40 ,but in what sense he uses the words flesh and blood1 it is unnecessary to make any long or circuitous inquiry2 for he explains himself by saying1 8that sacraments take their names from the similitude of those things which they signify1 and1 therefore1 in some sense1 the sacrament of the body is the body40 ,with this corresponds another well known passage3 8,the ,lord hesitated not to say1 ,this is my body1 when he delivered the sign of it40 ,they object again1 that ,augustine expressly says1 that the body of ,christ falls to the earth1 and enters into the mouth4 ,i reply1 that he says this in the same sense in which he affirms it to be consumed2 because he connects both these things together4 ,nor does any objection arise from his saying1 that when the mystery is finished1 the bread is consumed2 because he had just before said1 8,as these things are known to man1 being done by man1 they may have honour as holy things1 but not as miracles40 ,and to the same effect is another expression1 which our adversaries1 without sufficient consideration1 represent as in their favour2 that1 8when ,christ presented the mystical bread to his disciples1 he1 in a certain sense1 held himself in his own hands40 ,for1 by introducing this qualifying phrase in a certain sense1 he sufficiently declares that the body of ,christ was not truly or really enclosed in the bread4 ,nor ought this to be thought strange1 for in another place he expressly maintains1 8,that if bodies be deprived of their local spaces1 they will be nowhere1 and consequently will cease to have any existence40 ,it is a poor cavil1 to say that this passage does not relate to the sacred supper1 in which ,god exerts a special power2 because the question had been agitated respecting the body of ,christ1 and this holy father1 professedly answering it1 says1 8,christ has given immortality to his body1 but has not deprived it of its nature4 ,in a corporeal form1 therefore1 he is not to be considered as universally diffused2 for we must beware of asserting his ,divinity in such a way as to destroy the truth of his body4 ,it does not follow1 that1 because ,god is every where1 all that is in him is every where also40 ,the reason is immediately added--8,for one person is ,god and man1 and both constitute one ,christ2 as ,god1 he is every where2 as man1 he is in heaven40 ,what stupidity would it have betrayed not to except the mystery of the supper1 a thing so serious and important1 if it contained any thing inconsistent with the doctrine he was maintaining6 ,yet1 if any one will attentively read what follows1 he will find1 that under that general doctrine1 the ,lord's supper is also comprehended4 ,he says1 that ,christ1 who is1 in one person1 the only begotten ,son of ,god and the ,son of man1 is every where present as ,god2 that1 as ,god1 he resides in the temple of ,god1 that is1 in the ,church2 and yet that he occupies some particular place in heaven1 according to the dimensions of a real body4 ,to unite ,christ with his ,church1 we see he does not bring down his body from heaven2 which he certainly would have done1 if that body could not become our food without being enclosed under the bread4 ,in another place1 describing how ,christ is now possessed by believers1 he says1 8,you have him by the sign of the cross1 by the sacrament of baptism1 by the food and drink of the altar40 ,whether he is correct in placing a superstitious ceremony among the symbols of ,christ's presence1 ,i am not now discussing2 but in comparing the presence of the flesh to the sign of the cross1 he sufficiently shows that he does not imagine ,christ to have two bodies1 one visibly seated in heaven1 and the other invisibly concealed under the bread4 ,if any further explication be necessary1 it is soon after added1 8,that we always have ,christ1 according to the presence of his majesty2 but that1 according to the presence of his flesh1 it is rightly said1 ,me ye have not always40 ,our adversaries reply1 that it is also observed1 at the same time1 8that according to his ineffable and invisible grace1 his declaration is fulfilled--,lo1 ,i am with you always1 even to the end of the world40 ,but this is nothing in their favour1 because1 after all1 it is restricted to that majesty which is always opposed to the body1 and his flesh is expressly distinguished from his power and grace4 ,in another passage of this author1 we find the same antithesis1 or contrast1 8that ,christ left his disciples in his corporeal presence1 that he might be with them by his spiritual presence20 which clearly distinguishes the substance of the flesh from the power of the ,spirit1 which conjoins us with ,christ1 notwithstanding we are widely separated from him by local distance4 ,he frequently uses the same mode of expression1 as when he says1 8,christ will come again1 in his corporeal presence1 to judge the living and the dead1 according to the rule of faith and sound doctrine4 ,for in his spiritual presence1 he was to come to his disciples1 and to be with his whole ,church on earth1 to the end of time4 ,this discourse1 therefore1 was addressed to the believers1 whom he had already begun to keep with his corporeal presence1 and whom he was about to leave by his corporeal absence1 that with the ,father he might keep them by his spiritual presence40 ,to explain corporeal to mean visible1 is mere trifling2 for he opposes the body of ,christ to his ,divine power2 and by adding1 8that with the ,father he might keep them10 clearly expresses that the ,saviour communicates his grace to us from heaven by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,xxix4 ,as they place so much confidence in this subterfuge of an invisible presence1 let us see how far it serves their cause4 ,in the first place1 they cannot produce a single syllable from the ,scriptures to prove that ,christ is invisible2 but they take for granted1 what no man of sound judgment will concede to them1 that the body of ,christ cannot be given in the supper1 without being concealed under the form of bread4 ,now1 so far is this from being an admitted axiom1 that it is the very point in dispute between them and us4 ,and while they talk in this way1 they are constrained to attribute to ,christ a double body1 because1 upon their principle1 he is visible in heaven1 and at the same time1 by a special dispensation1 is invisible in the sacred supper4 ,whether this is correct or not1 it is easy to judge from various passages of ,scripture1 and particularly from the testimony of ,peter2 who says of ,christ1 that 8the heavens must receive him1 until the times of restitution of all things40#abic ,these men maintain that he is in all places1 but without any form4 ,they object that it is unreasonable to subject the nature of a glorified body to the laws of common nature4 ,but this objection leads to the extravagant notion of ,servetus1 which justly deserves the detestation of all believers1 that the body of ,christ1 after his ascension1 was absorbed in his ,divinity4 ,i will not assert1 that they hold this opinion2 but if it be considered as one of the attributes of the glorified body1 to fill all places in an invisible manner1 it is evident that the corporeal substance must be destroyed1 and no difference will be left between the ,divinity and the humanity4 ,besides1 if the body of ,christ be multiform and variable1 so as to appear in one place1 and to be invisible in another1 what becomes of the nature of a body which consists in having its proper dimensions8 and where is its unity8 ,with far greater propriety ,tertullian argues1 that the body of ,christ was a true and natural body1 because the emblem of it is presented to us in the mystery of the supper1 as a pledge and assurance of spiritual life4 ,and1 indeed1 it was of his glorified body1 that ,christ said1 8,handle me1 and see2 for a spirit hath not flesh and bones1 as ye see me have40#abid ,we see how the truth of his body is proved by the lips of ,christ himself1 because it can be felt and seen2 deprive it of these qualities1 and it will cease to be a body4 ,they are always recurring to their subterfuge of the dispensation which they have invented4 ,but it is our duty to receive what ,christ absolutely declares1 in such a manner1 as to admit1 without any exception1 whatever he is pleased to affirm4 ,he proved that he was not a phantom1 because he was visible in his flesh4 ,if that be taken away which he asserts to belong to the nature of his body1 will it not be necessary to frame a new definition of a body8 ,now1 with all their sophistry1 they can extract nothing to support their imaginary dispensation from that passage of ,paul1 where he says1 that 8,from heaven we look for the ,saviour1 who shall change our vile body1 that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body40#abie ,for we cannot hope for a conformity to ,christ in those qualities which they attribute to him1 which would make all our bodies invisible and infinite2 nor will they find a man foolish enough to be persuaded to believe so great an absurdity4 ,let them1 then1 no longer ascribe to the glorified body of ,christ the property of being in many places at once1 or of being contained within no particular space4 ,in short1 let them either deny the resurrection of the flesh1 or admit that ,christ1 though clothed with celestial glory1 has not divested himself of his flesh2 for he will make us1 in our flesh1 partakers of the same glory1 as we shall enjoy a resurrection similar to his4 ,for what is there more clearly stated in any part of the ,scripture1 than that as ,christ really assumed our flesh when he was born of the virgin1 and suffered in our flesh to atone for our sins1 so he resumed the same flesh1 at his resurrection1 and carried it up into heaven8 ,for all the hope that we have of our resurrection and ascension to heaven1 is founded on the resurrection and ascension of ,christ2 who1 as ,tertullian says1 8has taken the pledge of our resurrection into heaven with him40 ,now1 how weak and faint would this hope be1 if the real flesh of ,christ had not truly risen from the dead1 and entered into the kingdom of heaven6 ,but it is essential to a real body1 to have its particular form and dimensions1 and to be contained within some certain space4 ,let us hear no more1 then1 of this ridiculous notion1 which fastens the minds of men1 and ,christ himself1 to the bread4 ,for what is the use of this invisible presence concealed under the bread1 but to lead those who desire to be united to ,christ1 to confine their attention to that symbol8 ,but the ,lord intended to withdraw1 not only our eyes1 but all our senses1 from the earth1 when he forbade the woman to touch him1 because he was not yet ascended to his ,father4#abif ,when he saw ,mary1 with pious affection and reverence1 hastening to kiss his feet1 there was no reason for his disapprobation and prohibition of such an act1 before his ascension to heaven1 except that heaven was the only place where he chose to be sought4 ,it is objected1 that he was afterwards seen by ,stephen2#abig but the answer is easy2 for1 in order to this1 no change of place was necessary to ,christ1 who could impart to the eyes of his servant a supernatural perspicacity1 capable of penetrating into heaven4 ,the same observation is applicable to his appearance to ,paul4#abih ,they allege that ,christ came out of the sepulchre1 while the sepulchre remained closed1 and entered into the room where his disciples were assembled1 while the doors continued shut2 but this contributes no support to their error4 ,for as the water was like a solid pavement1 forming a road for ,christ when he walked on the lake1 so it is no wonder if the hardness of the stone gave way1 to make him a passage2 though it is more probable that the stone removed at his command1 and after his departure returned to its place4 ,and to enter while the doors remained shut1 does not imply his penetrating through the solid matter1 but his opening an entrance for himself by his ,divine power1 so that1 in a miraculous manner1 he instantaneously stood in the midst of his disciples1 though the doors were shut4 ,what they adduce from ,luke1 that 8he vanished out of the sight0 of his two disciples1 with whom he had walked to ,emmaus1#abii is of no service to their cause1 but is in favour of ours2 for1 according to the testimony of the same evangelist1 when he joined these disciples1 he assumed no new appearance in order to conceal himself2 but 8their eyes were holden1 that they should not know him40#acjj ,our adversaries1 however1 not only transform ,christ1 to keep him in the world1 but they represent him as unlike himself1 and altogether different on earth from what he is in heaven4 ,by such extravagances1 in short1 they turn the body of ,christ into a spirit1 though not by positive assertion1 yet by direct implication2 and not content with this1 they attribute to it qualities utterly incompatible with each other2 whence it follows1 of necessity1 that he must have two bodies4 ,,xxx4 ,though we should grant them what they contend for1 respecting its invisible presence1 still this would be no proof of its infinity1 without which it will be a vain attempt to enclose ,christ under the bread4 ,unless the body of ,christ be capable of being every where at once1 without any limitation of place1 it will not be credible that it is concealed under the bread in the sacred supper4 ,it was this necessity which caused them to introduce their monstrous notion of its ubiquity4 ,but it has been shown1 by clear and strong testimonies of ,scripture1 that the body of ,christ was1 like other human bodies1 circumscribed by certain dimensions2 and its ascension to heaven made it evident that it was not in all places1 but that it left one place1 when it removed to another4 ,nor is the promise1 8,i am with you always1 even unto the end of the world10#acja to be applied1 as they suppose it should be1 to his body4 ,in the first place1 on this supposition1 there will be no such perpetual connection1 unless ,christ dwells in us in a corporeal manner1 without the use of the sacramental supper2 and therefore they have no sufficient cause for contending so fiercely respecting the words of ,christ1 in order to enclose ,christ under the bread4 ,in the next place1 the context evinces1 that ,christ there has not the most distant reference to his flesh1 but promises his disciples invincible aid to sustain and defend them against all the assaults of ,satan and the world4 ,for having assigned them a difficult province1 to encourage them to undertake it without hesitation1 and to discharge it with undaunted resolution1 he supports them with the assurance of his presence2 as though he had said1 they should never want his aid1 which nothing could overcome4 ,unless these men wished to involve every thing in confusion1 ought they not to distinguish the nature of this presence8 ,it is evident that some persons would rather incur the greatest disgrace by betraying their ignorance1 than relinquish even the least particle of their error4 ,i speak not of the ,romanists1 whose doctrine is more tolerable1 or at least more modest2 but some are so carried away with the heat of contention1 as to affirm that1 on account of the union of the two natures in ,christ1 wherever his ,divinity is1 his flesh1 which cannot be separated from it1 is there also2 as if that union had mingled the two natures so as to form some intermediate kind of being1 which is neither ,god nor man4 ,this notion was maintained by ,eutyches1 and since his time by ,servetus4 ,but it is clearly ascertained from the ,scriptures1 that in the one person of ,christ the two natures are united in such a manner1 that each retains its peculiar properties undiminished4 ,that ,eutyches was justly condemned as a heretic1 our adversaries will not deny2 it is surprising that they overlook the cause of his condemnation1 which was1 that by taking away the difference between the two natures1 and insisting on the unity of the person1 he made the ,divinity human1 and deified the humanity4 ,what absurdity1 therefore1 is it to mingle heaven and earth together1 rather than not to draw the body down from the celestial sanctuary6 ,they endeavour to justify themselves by adducing these texts3 8,no man hath ascended up to heaven1 but he that came down from heaven1 even the ,son of man1 which is in heaven20 and1 8,the only begotten ,son1 which is in the bosom of the ,father1 he hath declared him40#acjb ,but it argues the same stupidity to disregard the communication of properties1 a term which was with good reason adopted by the holy fathers in the early ages4 ,when ,paul says that 8,the ,lord of glory0 was 8crucified10#acjc he certainly does not intend that ,christ suffered any thing in his ,divinity1 but that the same person1 who suffered as an abject and despised man1 was also1 as ,god1 the ,lord of glory4 ,in the same sense1 the ,son of man was in heaven2 because the same ,christ1 who1 according to the flesh1 dwelt on earth as the ,son of man1 as ,god1 was always in heaven4 ,for this reason1 in the same passage1 he represents himself as having descended from heaven1 according to his ,divinity2 not that his ,divinity quitted heaven to confine itself in the prison of the body2 but because1 though it filled all space1 yet it dwelt corporeally1 or naturally1 and in a certain ineffable manner1 in the humanity4 ,it is a distinction common in the schools1 and which ,i am not ashamed to repeat1 that though ,christ is every where entire1 yet all that is in him is not every where4 ,and ,i sincerely wish that the schoolmen themselves had duly considered the meaning of this observation2 for then we should never have heard of their stupid notion of the corporeal presence of ,christ in the sacrament4 ,therefore1 our ,mediator1 as he is every where entire1 is always near to his people2 and in the sacred supper exhibits himself present in a peculiar manner1 yet not with all that belongs to him2 because1 as we have stated1 his body has been received into heaven1 and remains there till he shall come to judgment4 ,,xxxi4 ,they are exceedingly deceived1 who cannot conceive of any presence of the flesh of ,christ in the supper1 except it be attached to the bread4 ,for on this principle they leave nothing to the secret operation of the ,spirit1 which unites us to ,christ4 ,they suppose ,christ not to be present1 unless he descends to us2 as though we cannot equally enjoy his presence1 if he elevates us to himself4 ,the only question between us1 therefore1 respects the manner of this presence2 because they place ,christ in the bread1 and we think it unlawful for us to bring him down from heaven4 ,let the readers judge on which side the truth lies4 ,only let us hear no more of that calumny1 that ,christ is excluded from the sacrament1 unless he be concealed under the bread4 ,for as this is a heavenly mystery1 there is no necessity to bring ,christ down to the earth1 in order to be united to us4 ,,xxxii4 ,if any one inquire of me respecting the manner1 ,i shall not be ashamed to acknowledge1 that it is a mystery too sublime for me to be able to express1 or even to comprehend2 and1 to be still more explicit1 ,i rather experience it1 than understand it4 ,here1 therefore1 without any controversy1 ,i embrace the truth of ,god1 on which ,i can safely rely4 ,he pronounces his flesh to be the food1 and his blood the drink1 of my soul4 ,i offer him my soul1 to be nourished with such aliment4 ,in his sacred supper1 he commands me1 under the symbols of bread and wine1 to take1 and eat1 and drink1 his body and blood4 ,i doubt not that he truly presents1 and that ,i receive them4 ,only ,i reject the absurdities which appear to be either degrading to his majesty1 or inconsistent with the reality of his human nature1 and are at the same time repugnant to the word of ,god1 which informs us that ,christ has been received into the glory of the celestial kingdom1 where he is exalted above every condition of the world1 and which is equally careful to attribute to his human nature the properties of real humanity4 ,nor ought this to seem incredible or unreasonable1 because1 as the kingdom of ,christ is wholly spiritual1 so his communications with his ,church are not at all to be regulated by the order of the present world2 or1 to use the words of ,augustine1 8,this mystery1 as well as others1 is celebrated by man1 but in a ,divine manner2 it is administered on earth1 but in a heavenly manner40 ,the presence of ,christ's body1 ,i say1 is such as the nature of the sacrament requires2 where we affirm that it appears with so much virtue and efficacy1 as not only to afford our minds an undoubted confidence of eternal life1 but also to give us an assurance of the resurrection and immortality of our bodies4 ,for they are vivified by his immortal flesh1 and in some degree participate his immortality4 ,those who go beyond this in their hyperbolical representations1 merely obscure the simple and obvious truth by such intricacies4 ,if any person be not yet satisfied1 ,i would request him to consider1 that we are now treating of a sacrament1 every part of which ought to be referred to faith4 ,now1 we feed our faith by this participation of the body of ,christ which we have mentioned1 as fully as they do1 who bring him down from heaven4 ,at the same time1 ,i candidly confess1 that ,i reject that mixture of the flesh of ,christ with our souls1 or that transfusion of it into us1 which they teach2 because it is sufficient for us that ,christ inspires life into our souls from the substance of his flesh1 and even infuses his own life into us1 though his flesh never actually enters into us4 ,i may also remark1 that the analogy of faith1 to which ,paul directs us to conform every interpretation of the ,scripture1 is in this case1 beyond all doubt1 eminently in our favour4 ,let the adversaries of so clear a truth examine by what rule of faith they regulate themselves4 8,he that confesseth not that ,jesus ,christ is come in the flesh1 is not of ,god40#acjd ,such persons1 though they may conceal it1 or may not observe it1 do1 in effect1 deny the reality of his flesh4 ,,xxxiii4 ,the same judgment is to be formed of our participation1 which they suppose not to be enjoyed at all1 unless the flesh of ,christ be swallowed in the bread4 ,but we do no small injury to the ,holy ,spirit1 unless we believe that our communion with the flesh and blood of ,christ is the effect of his incomprehensible influence4 ,even if the virtue of this mystery1 such as we have represented it1 and as it was understood by the ancient ,church1 had received the consideration justly due to it1 for four hundred years past1 there would have been quite enough to satisfy us1 and the door would have been shut against many pernicious errors1 which have kindled dreadful dissensions1 by which the ,church has been miserably agitated in the present1 as well as past ages4 ,but sophistical men insist on a hyperbolical kind of presence1 which is never taught in the ,scripture2 and they contend as eagerly for this foolish and absurd imagination1 as if the whole of religion consisted in the enclosure of ,christ in the bread4 ,it principally concerns us to know how the body of ,christ1 which was once delivered for us1 is made ours1 and how we are made partakers of his blood which was shed2 for the entire possession of ,christ crucified consists in an enjoyment of all his benefits4 ,now1 leaving these things1 which are of such great importance1 and even neglecting and forgetting them1 these sophists take no pleasure but in this thorny question2 how the body of ,christ is concealed under the bread1 or under the form of the bread4 ,they falsely pretend that all that we teach respecting a spiritual participation1 is contrary to what they call the true and real participation2 because we regard nothing but the manner1 which1 in their opinion1 is corporeal1 as they enclose ,christ in the bread1 but in ours is spiritual1 because the secret influence of the ,spirit is the bond which unites us to ,christ4 ,nor is there any more truth in their other objection1 that we attend to nothing but the fruit or effect which believers experience from feeding on the flesh of ,christ4 ,for we have already said1 that ,christ himself is the matter or substance of the sacred supper1 and that it is in consequence of this1 that we are absolved from our sins by the sacrifice of his death1 are washed in his blood1 and by his resurrection are raised to the hope of the heavenly life4 ,but the foolish imagination1 of which ,lombard was the author1 has perverted their minds1 while they have supposed the sacrament to consist in eating the flesh of ,christ4 ,for these are his words3 8,the sacrament1 without the thing1 consists in the forms of bread and wine2 the sacrament and the thing are the flesh and blood of ,christ2 the thing1 without the sacrament1 is his mystical flesh40 ,again1 a little after3 8,the thing signified and contained is the proper flesh of ,christ2 the thing signified and not contained1 is his mystical body40 ,with his distinction between the flesh of ,christ1 and the power which it has to nourish1 ,i fully agree2 but his notion1 of what is a sacrament1 and as contained under the bread1 is an error not to be endured4 ,hence proceeded a false idea of sacramental eating1 because they supposed the body of ,christ to be eaten by impious and profane persons1 notwithstanding they were strangers to him4 ,but the flesh of ,christ itself1 in the mystery of the supper1 is as much a spiritual thing1 as our eternal salvation4 ,whence we conclude1 that persons who are destitute of the ,spirit of ,christ1 can no more eat the flesh of ,christ1 than drink wine which has no taste4 ,it is certainly offering an insult1 and doing violence to ,christ1 to attribute to him a body all feeble and dead1 which is promiscuously distributed to unbelievers2 and it is expressly contradicted by his own words3 8,he that eateth my flesh1 and drinketh my blood1 dwelleth in me1 and ,i in him40#acje ,they reply1 that the discourse from which this text is quoted does not treat of sacramental eating2 and this ,i concede to them2 only let them not be perpetually striking on the same rock1 that the flesh of ,christ may be eaten without any benefit4 ,but ,i would wish them to inform me how long they retain it after they have eaten it4 ,here ,i believe they will find it impossible to escape4 ,but they object1 that the truth of the promises of ,god can sustain no diminution or failure from the ingratitude of men4 ,this ,i admit2 and ,i also maintain1 that the virtue of this mystery remains unimpaired1 notwithstanding wicked men exert their utmost efforts to destroy it4 ,it is one thing1 however1 for the body of ,christ to be offered1 and another for it to be received4 ,christ presents this spiritual meat and spiritual drink to all2 some receive them with avidity1 others fastidiously reject them2 shall their rejection cause the meat and drink to lose their nature8 ,they will plead1 that their sentiment is supported by this similitude--that the flesh of ,christ1 though it be not relished by unbelievers1 nevertheless still continues to be flesh4 ,but ,i deny that it can ever be eaten without the taste of faith2 or1 if the language of ,augustine be preferred1 ,i deny that men carry away from the sacrament any more than they collect in the vessel of faith4 ,thus1 nothing is taken from the sacrament1 but its truth and efficacy remain unimpaired1 notwithstanding the wicked depart empty from its external participation4 ,if our adversaries object again1 that it derogates from these words1 8,this is my body10 if the wicked receive corruptible bread1 and nothing more1 the answer is easy--,that ,god will have his veracity discovered1 not in the reception itself1 but in the constancy of his goodness1 since he is ready to impart to the unworthy1 and even liberally offers to them1 that which they reject4 ,and this is the perfection of the sacrament1 which the whole world cannot violate1 that the flesh and blood of ,christ are as truly given to the unworthy1 as to the elect and faithful people of ,god2 but it is likewise true1 that as rain1 falling upon a hard rock1 runs off from it without penetrating into the stone1 thus the wicked1 by their obduracy1 repel the grace of ,god1 so that it does not enter into their hearts4 ,besides1 a reception of ,christ1 without faith1 is as great an absurdity1 as for seed to germinate in the fire4 ,their inquiry1 how ,christ came for condemnation to some1 unless they receive him unworthily1 is a groundless cavil2 for we nowhere read that the perdition of man is owing to an unworthy reception of ,christ1 but rather to a rejection of him4 ,nor can they derive any assistance from the parable in which ,christ speaks of some seed springing up among thorns1 and being afterwards choked and destroyed2 for he is there showing what value belongs to that temporary faith1 which our adversaries suppose to be unnecessary to a participation of the flesh and blood of ,christ1 placing ,judas1 in this respect1 on an equality with ,peter4 ,their error is rather refuted by another part of the same parable1 in which ,christ speaks of some seed as having fallen by the way-side1 and some on stony ground1 neither of which took any root4#acjf ,whence it follows1 that the obduracy of unbelievers is such an obstacle1 that ,christ does not reach them4 ,whoever desires our salvation to be promoted by this mystery1 will find nothing more proper than that believers1 conducted to the fountain should derive life from the ,son of ,god4 ,but the dignity of it is sufficiently magnified1 when we remember1 that it is a medium by which we are incorporated into ,christ2 or by which1 after our incorporation into him1 the connection is more and more strengthened1 till he perfectly unites us with himself1 in the heavenly life4 ,they object1 that ,paul ought not to have made unbelievers 8guilty of the body and blood of the ,lord10#acjg unless they had been partakers of them4 ,but ,i answer1 that they are not condemned for having eaten and drunk his body and blood1 but only for having profaned the mystery1 by trampling under foot the pledge of our holy union with ,god1 which ought to have been received by them with reverence4 ,,xxxiv4 ,now1 because ,augustine is the principal among the ancient fathers who has asserted this point of doctrine1 that the sacraments sustain no diminution1 and that the grace which they represent is not frustrated by the unbelief or wickedness of men1 it will be useful to adduce his own words1 which will clearly prove that those who expose the body of ,christ to be eaten by dogs1#acjh are chargeable with an injudicious and culpable perversion of his meaning1 in applying it to the present argument4 ,sacramental eating1 according to them1 is that by which the wicked receive the body and blood of ,christ without any influence of his ,spirit1 or any effect of his grace4 ,augustine1 on the contrary1 carefully examining these words1 8,whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life10#acji says1 8,this is the virtue of the sacrament1 not the mere visible sacrament2 and that internally1 not externally2 he who eats with his heart1 and not with his teeth20 from which he concludes that the sacrament of the union which we have with the body and blood of ,christ1 is presented in the sacred supper1 to some to life1 to others to perdition2 but that the thing signified by the sacrament is only given to life to all who partake of it1 and in no case to perdition4 ,to preclude any cavil here1 that the thing signified is not the body1 but the grace of the ,spirit1 which may be separated from the body1 he obviates such misrepresentations by the use of the contrasted epithets of visible and invisible2 for the body of ,christ cannot be comprehended under the former4 ,hence it follows1 that unbelievers receive nothing but the visible symbol4 ,and1 for the more complete removal of every doubt1 after having said that this bread requires the hunger of the inner man1 he adds1 8,moses1 and ,aaron1 and ,phinehas1 and many others who ate the manna1 were acceptable to ,god4 ,why8 ,because they spiritually understood the visible food1 they spiritually hungered1 they spiritually ate1 that they might be spiritually satisfied4 ,for we also1 in the present day1 have received visible food2 but the sacrament is one thing1 and the virtue of the sacrament is another40 ,a little after he says1 8,therefore he who abides not in ,christ1 and in whom ,christ does not abide1 spiritually neither eats his flesh nor drinks his blood1 though he may carnally and visibly press the sign of the body and blood with his teeth40 ,here1 again1 we find the visible sign opposed to the spiritual eating2 which contradicts that error1 that the invisible body of ,christ is really eaten sacramentally1 though it be not eaten spiritually4 ,we are informed also that nothing is granted to the profane and impure1 beyond the visible reception of the sign4 ,hence that well known observation of his1 that the other disciples ate the bread which was the ,lord1 but that ,judas merely ate the ,lord's bread2 by which he clearly excludes unbelievers from the participation of the body and blood4 ,and to the same purpose is what he says in another place3 8,why do you wonder if the bread of ,christ was given to ,judas to enslave him to the devil1 when you see1 on the other hand1 that the messenger of ,satan was given to ,paul to make him perfect in ,christ80#acaj ,he says1 indeed1 in another place1 8,that the sacramental bread was the body of ,christ to those to whom ,paul said1 ,he that eateth and drinketh unworthily1 eateth and drinketh judgment to himself2#acaa and that they could not1 therefore1 be affirmed to have received nothing1 because they had received amiss40 ,but his meaning is more fully explained in another passage4 ,for professedly undertaking to describe how the body of ,christ is eaten by the wicked and profligate1 who confess the ,christian faith with their lips while they deny it in their actions1 and that in opposition to the opinion of some who supposed them to eat not only the sacramental symbol1 but the substance itself1 he says1 8,they must not be considered as eating the body of ,christ1 because they are not to be numbered among the members of ,christ4 ,for1 to mention nothing else1 they cannot1 at the same time1 be the members of ,christ and the members of a harlot4 ,and where the ,lord himself says1 ,he that eateth my flesh1 and drinketh my blood1 dwelleth in me1 and ,i in him2#acab he shows what it is to eat his body1 not merely in a sacramental way1 but in truth2 for this is to dwell in ,christ1 that ,christ may dwell in us4 ,this is the same as if he had said1 ,whoever dwelleth not in me1 and in whom ,i dwell not1 let him not say or think he eateth my body or drinketh my blood40 ,let the readers consider the opposition here stated between eating merely in a sacramental way1 and in truth1 and there will remain no doubt respecting his meaning4 ,he confirms the same with equal perspicuity in the following passage3 8,prepare not your jaws1 but your heart2 it is for this that the supper is enjoined4 ,behold1 we believe in ,christ when we receive him by faith2 in receiving him1 we know what we think2 we take a bit of bread1 and our hearts are satisfied4 ,we are fed1 therefore1 not by what we see1 but by what we believe40 ,here1 also1 what the wicked partake of he restricts to the visible sign1 and pronounces that ,christ is only received by faith4 ,so1 in another place1 he expressly remarks that the good and the wicked partake of the elements in common1 and excludes the latter from the true participation of the body of ,christ4 ,for1 if they had enjoyed the substance itself1 he would not have been entirely silent on that which would have strengthened his argument4 ,in another place also1 treating of the eating1 and the benefit of it1 he concludes thus3 8,then will the body and blood of ,christ be life to every one1 if that which is visibly received in the sacrament1 be1 in the truth which is signified1 spiritually eaten and spiritually drunk40 ,let those1 therefore1 who1 in order to agree with ,augustine1 make unbelievers partakers of the flesh and blood of ,christ1 exhibit to us the body of ,christ in a visible manner1 since he pronounces the whole truth of the sacrament to be spiritual4 ,and the evident conclusion from his language is1 that the sacramental eating is nothing more than eating the visible and external sign1 when unbelief precludes the entrance of the substance4 ,if the body of ,christ could be eaten truly1 without being eaten spiritually1 what could be the meaning of ,augustine1 when he said1 8,you are not to eat this body which you see1 and to drink the blood which will be shed by those who shall crucify me4 ,i have appointed a sacrament for you2 spiritually understood1 it shall vivify you40 ,he certainly did not mean to deny that the same body which ,christ offered in sacrifice is exhibited in the supper2 but he designates the mode of participating in it--that though it has been received into celestial glory1 it inspires us with life by the secret influence of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,i acknowledge that he frequently speaks of the body of ,christ as eaten by unbelievers1 but he explains his meaning by adding that it is done sacramentally2 and1 in another place1 he describes the spiritual eating as not consisting in a corporeal swallowing of the grace of ,god4 ,and that my adversaries may not charge me with a wish to overwhelm them by an accumulation of passages1 ,i would request them to inform me how they can evade that one declaration of his1 where he says1 8that the sacraments realize what they represent in the elect alone40 ,surely they will not dare to deny that the bread represents the body of ,christ4 ,hence it follows1 that the reprobate are excluded from the participation of it4 ,the following passage of ,cyril also shows him to have been of the same opinion3 8,as when any one pours melted wax upon other wax1 the whole will be mingled together into one mass1 so it is necessary to any person's reception of the body and blood of ,christ1 for him to be united with ,christ1 so that ,christ may be found in him1 and he in ,christ40 ,these words1 ,i think1 sufficiently prove1 that those who eat the body of ,christ merely in a sacramental way are deprived of the true and real participation of it1 as the body itself cannot be separated from its efficacious power2 and yet that this is no impeachment of the truth of the promises of ,god1 who still continues to send us rain from heaven1 though rocks and stones imbibe none of the moisture4 ,,xxxv4 ,this knowledge will also easily dissuade us from the carnal adoration which has been introduced into the sacrament by the perverse temerity of some1 who reasoned in this manner3 ,if the body be there1 consequently the soul and the ,divinity are there together with the body1 for they cannot be separated from it2 therefore ,christ ought to be adored there4 ,in the first place1 what will they do1 if we refuse to admit what they call concomitance8 ,for1 however they may urge the absurdity of separating the soul and the ,divinity from the body1 what man in his senses can be persuaded that the body of ,christ is ,christ8 ,they consider it1 indeed1 as fully demonstrated by their arguments4 ,but as ,christ speaks distinctly of his body and blood1 without specifying the nature of the presence1 how can they establish what they wish by that which is itself doubtful8 ,what then8 ,if their consciences happen to be exercised with any peculiar affliction1 will they not1 with all their syllogisms1 be confounded and overwhelmed2 when they shall perceive themselves to be destitute of the certain word of ,god1 which furnishes the only support for our souls when they are called to give an account1 and without which they sink in a moment2 when they shall reflect that the doctrine and examples of the apostles are against them1 and that they are themselves the sole authors of their error8 ,to such reflections will be added other sentiments of compunction1 and those by no means inconsiderable4 ,what6 was it a thing of no consequence to adore ,god in this form1 without any such thing being enjoined upon us8 ,in a case where the true worship of ,god was concerned1 ought that to have been so lightly undertaken1 which not a word in the ,scripture could be found to sanction8 ,but if1 with becoming humility1 they had kept all their thoughts in subjection to the word of ,god1 they would certainly have listened to what ,christ said1 8,take1 eat1 drink10 and would have obeyed this command1 which enjoins the sacrament to be taken1 not to be adored4 ,those who1 as the ,lord has commanded1 receive it without adoration1 are assured that they do not deviate from the ,divine command2 and such an assurance is the best satisfaction we can have in any thing in which we engage4 ,they have the example of the apostles1 of whom we read1 not that they prostrated themselves in adoration1 but that1 as they were sitting at the table1 they took1 and did eat4 ,they have the practice of the apostolic ,church1 in which ,luke states that the communion of believers consisted1 not in adoration1 but in 8the breaking of bread40#acac ,they have the apostolic doctrine with which ,paul instructed the ,church of the ,corinthians1 accompanying it with this declaration3 8,i have received of the ,lord that which also ,i delivered unto you40#acad ,,xxxvi4 ,all these things lead the pious reader to consider how unsafe it is1 in matters of such importance1 to leave the pure word of ,god for the reveries of our own brains4 ,the remarks which have already been made1 ought to relieve our minds from every difficulty on this subject4 ,for1 in order to a due reception of ,christ in the sacrament1 it is necessary for pious souls to be elevated to heaven4 ,if it be the design of the sacrament to assist the mind of man1 which is otherwise weak1 that it may be enabled to rise to discover the sublimity of spiritual mysteries1--those who confine themselves to the external sign1 wander from the right way of seeking ,christ4 ,what1 then1 shall we deny it to be a superstitious worship1 when men prostrate themselves before a piece of bread1 to adore ,christ in it8 ,there is no doubt that the ,council of ,nice intended to guard against this evil1 when it prohibited ,christians from having their attention humbly fixed on the visible signs4 ,and this was the only reason for that custom in the ancient ,church1 that1 before the consecration1 one of the deacons should1 with an audible voice1 admonish the people to have their hearts above4 ,the ,scripture itself1 also1 in addition to the particular account which it gives us of the ascension of ,christ1 by which he removed his corporeal presence from the view and society of men1 in order to divest us of every carnal idea respecting him1 whenever it mentions him1 calls us to lift our minds upwards1 and to seek for him seated 8at the right hand of ,god40#acae ,according to this rule1 it was our duty to adore him spiritually in the glory of heaven1 rather than to invent such a dangerous kind of adoration1 involving such gross and carnal conceptions of ,god4 ,wherefore1 those who have invented the adoration of the sacrament1 have not only dreamed it of themselves1 without the sanction of the ,scripture1 in which not the least mention of it can be found1 though1 if it had been agreeable to ,god1 it would not have been omitted2 but even in direct opposition to the ,scripture1 forsaking the living ,god1 they have fabricated a new deity1 according to their own wayward inclinations4 ,for what is idolatry1 if it be not to worship the gifts instead of the giver himself8 ,in which they have fallen into a double sin2 for the honour has been taken away from ,god1 to be transferred to the creature2 and ,god himself has also been dishonoured by the pollution and profanation of his gift1 when his holy sacrament has been made an execrable idol4 ,let us1 on the contrary1 lest we fall into the same danger1 fix our ears1 our eyes1 our minds1 and our tongues1 entirely on the sacred doctrine of ,god4 ,for that is the school of the ,holy ,spirit1 the best of all teachers2 whose instructions require nothing to be added from any other quarter1 and omit nothing of which we ought not to be willing to remain in ignorance4 ,,xxxvii4 ,now1 as superstition1 when it has once gone beyond the proper limits1 proceeds in sinning without end1 they have wandered still further2 they have invented ceremonies altogether incompatible with the institution of the sacred supper1 for the sole purpose of giving divine honours to the sign4 ,when we remonstrate with them1 they reply1 that they pay this veneration to ,christ4 ,in the first place1 if this were done in the supper1 ,i would still say that that is the only legitimate adoration1 which terminates not in the sign1 but is directed to ,christ enthroned in heaven4 ,now1 what pretence have they for alleging that they worship ,christ in the bread1 when they have no promise of such a thing8 ,they consecrate their host1 as they call it1 to carry it about in procession1 to display it in pomp1 and to exhibit it in a box1 to be seen1 adored1 and invoked by the people4 ,i inquire how they consider it to be rightly consecrated4 ,they immediately adduce these words3 8,this is my body40 ,i object1 that it was said at the same time4 8,take and eat40 ,and ,i have sufficient reason for this2 for when a promise is annexed to a precept1 it is so included in the precept1 that1 separated from it1 it ceases to be a promise at all4 ,this shall be further elucidated by a similar example4 ,the ,lord gave a command1 when he said1 8,call upon me20 he added a promise1 8,i will deliver thee40#acaf ,if any one should invoke ,peter or ,paul1 and boast of this promise1 will not his conduct be universally condemned8 ,and wherein would this differ from the conduct of those who suppress the command to eat1 and lay hold of the mutilated promise1 8,this is my body10 in order to misapply it to ceremonies foreign from the institution of ,christ8 ,let us remember1 then1 that this promise is given to those who observe the commandment connected with it1 but that they are entirely unsupported by the word of ,god1 who transfer the sacrament to any other usage4 ,we have already shown how the mystery of the supper promotes our faith before ,god4 ,but as ,god here not only recalls to our remembrance the vast exuberance of his goodness1 but delivers it1 as it were1 into our hands1 as we have already declared1 and excites us to acknowledge it1 so he also admonishes us not to be ungrateful for such a profusion of beneficence1 but1 on the contrary1 to magnify it with the praises it deserves1 and to celebrate it with thanksgivings4 ,therefore1 when he gave the institution of this sacrament to the apostles1 he said to them1 8,this do in remembrance of me20#acag which ,paul explains to be 8showing the ,lord's death20#acah that is1 publicly1 and all together1 as with one mouth1 to confess that all our confidence of life and salvation rests on the death of the ,lord2 that we may glorify him by our confession1 and by our example may exhort others to give him the same glory4 ,here1 again1 we see the object to which the sacrament tends1 which is1 to exercise us in a remembrance of the death of ,christ4 ,for the command which we have received1 to 8show the ,lord's death till he come0 to judgment1 is no other than to declare1 by the confession of our lips1 what our faith has acknowledged in the sacrament1 that the death of ,christ is our life4 ,this is the second use of the sacrament1 which relates to external confession4 ,,xxxviii4 ,in the third place1 the ,lord intended it to serve us as an exhortation1 and no other could be better adapted to animate and influence us in the most powerful manner to purity and sanctity of life1 as well as to charity1 peace1 and concord4 ,for there the ,lord communicates his body to us in such a manner that he becomes completely one with us1 and we become one with him4 ,now1 as he has only one body1 of which he makes us all partakers1 it follows1 of necessity1 that1 by such participation1 we also are all made one body2 and this union is represented by the bread which is exhibited in the sacrament4 ,for as it is composed of many grains1 mixed together in such a manner that one cannot be separated or distinguished from another1--in the same manner we ought1 likewise1 to be connected and united together1 by such an agreement of minds1 as to admit of no dissension or division between us4 ,this ,i prefer expressing in the language of ,paul3 8,the cup of blessing which we bless1 is it not the communion of the blood of ,christ8 ,the bread which we break1 is it not the communion of the body of ,christ8 ,for we1 being many1 are one bread and one body2 for we are all partakers of that one bread40#acai ,we have derived considerable benefit from the sacrament1 if this thought be impressed and engraven upon our minds1 that it is impossible for us to wound1 despise1 reject1 injure1 or in any way to offend one of our brethren1 but we1 at the same time1 wound1 despise1 reject1 injure1 and offend ,christ in him2 that we have no discord with our brethren without being1 at the same time1 at variance with ,christ2 that we cannot love ,christ without loving him in our brethren2 that such care as we take of our own body1 we ought to exercise the same care of our brethren1 who are members of our body2 that as no part of our body can be in any pain without every other part feeling correspondent sensations1 so we ought not to suffer our brother to be afflicted with any calamity without our sympathizing in the same4 ,wherefore1 it is not without reason that ,augustine so frequently calls this sacrament 8the bond of charity40 ,for what more powerful stimulus could be employed to excite mutual charity among us1 than when ,christ1 giving himself to us1 not only invites us by his example mutually to devote ourselves to the promotion of one another's welfare1 but also1 by making himself common to all1 makes us all to be one with himself8 ,,xxxix4 ,this furnishes the best confirmation of what ,i have stated before1 that there is no true administration of the sacrament without the word4 ,for whatever advantage accrues to us from the sacred supper requires the word2 whether we are to be confirmed in faith1 exercised in confession1 or excited to duty1 there is need of preaching4 ,nothing more preposterous1 therefore1 can be done with respect to the supper1 than to convert it into a mute action1 as we have seen done under the tyranny of the pope4 ,for they have maintained that all the validity of the consecration depends on the intention of the priests1 as if it had nothing to do with the people1 to whom the mystery ought principally to be explained4 ,they fell into this error1 for want of observing that those promises on which the consecration rests1 are not directed to the elements themselves1 but to the persons who receive them4 ,christ does not address the bread1 to command it to become his body2 but enjoins his disciples to eat1 and promises them the communication of his body and blood4 ,nor does ,paul teach any other order than that the promises should be offered to believers1 together with the bread and the cup4 ,and this is the truth4 ,we are not to imagine any magical incantation1 or think it sufficient to have muttered over the words1 as if they were heard by the elements2 but we are to understand those words1 by which the elements are consecrated1 to be a lively preaching1 which edifies the hearers1 which penetrates their minds1 which is deeply impressed upon their hearts1 which exerts its efficacy in the accomplishment of that which it promises4 ,these considerations clearly show that the reservation of the sacrament1 insisted upon by many persons1 for the purpose of extraordinary distribution to the sick1 is perfectly useless4 ,for either they will receive it without any recital of the institution of ,christ1 or the minister will accompany the sign with a true explication of the mystery4 ,if nothing be said1 it is an abuse and corruption4 ,if the promises are repeated and the mystery declared1 that those who are about to receive it may communicate with advantage1 we have no reason to doubt that this is the true consecration4 ,what end will be answered1 then1 by the former consecration1 which1 having been pronounced when the sick persons were not present1 is of no avail to them8 ,but it will be alleged1 that those who adopt this practice have the example of the ancient ,church in their favour4 ,this ,i confess2 but in a matter of such great importance1 and in which any error must be highly dangerous1 there is nothing so safe as to follow the truth itself4 ,,xl4 ,now1 as we perceive this sacred bread of the ,lord's supper to be spiritual food1 grateful and delicious as well as salutary to the sincere worshippers of ,god1 who1 in the participation of it1 experience ,christ to be their life1 whom it stimulates to thanksgiving1 whom it exhorts to mutual charity among themselves2 so1 on the contrary1 it is changed into a most noxious poison to all whose faith it does not nourish and confirm1 and whom it does not excite to thanksgiving and charity4 ,for as corporeal food1 when it offends a diseased stomach1 becoming itself corrupted1 is found rather noxious than nutritious1 so this spiritual food1 when it meets with a soul polluted by iniquity1 only precipitates it into a more dreadful ruin2 not1 indeed1 from any fault in the food1 but because 8unto them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure10#acbj however it may be otherwise sanctified by the blessing of the ,lord4 ,for1 as ,paul says1 8,he that eateth and drinketh unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the ,lord1 and eateth and drinketh judgment to himself1 not discerning the ,lord's body40#acba ,persons of this description1 who1 without one particle of faith1 or the least feeling of charity1 intrude themselves1 like so many swine1 to seize the supper of the ,lord1 have no discernment of the ,lord's body4 ,for1 as they do not believe that body to be their life1 they treat it with the utmost dishonour they are capable of casting upon it1 robbing it of its dignity1 and receiving it in such a manner as to pollute and profane it4 ,and as1 amidst their dissension and alienation from their brethren1 they presume to mingle the sacred symbol of ,christ's body with their discords1 it is not owing to them that the body of ,christ is not divided1 and every member severed from the rest4 ,therefore they are justly represented as guilty of the body and blood of the ,lord1 which they so shamefully pollute with their sacrilegious impiety4 ,by this unworthy eating they receive their own condemnation4 ,for though they have no faith fixed on ,christ1 yet in their reception of the sacrament they profess that there is no salvation for them any where except in him1 and renounce every other dependence4 ,wherefore they are their own accusers2 they give testimony against themselves2 they seal their own condemnation4 ,moreover1 while divided and distracted from their brethren1 that is1 from the members of ,christ1 they have no part in ,christ1 yet they testify that the only way of salvation is to participate of ,christ1 and to be united to him4 ,for this reason1 ,paul gave the following injunction3 8,let a man examine himself1 and so let him eat of that bread1 and drink of that cup20#acbb by which1 ,i apprehend1 he meant that every man should retire into himself1 and consider whether1 with sincere confidence of heart1 he relies on the salvation procured by ,christ2 whether he acknowledges it by the confession of his mouth2 whether he aspires after an imitation of ,christ in the pursuit of integrity and holiness2 whether1 after the example of ,christ1 he is ready to devote himself to his brethren1 and to communicate himself to them with whom he has a common interest in ,christ2 whether1 as he himself is acknowledged by ,christ1 he in like manner considers all his brethren as members of his body2 whether he desires to cherish1 preserve1 and assist them as his own members4 ,not that these duties of faith and charity can now be perfect in us2 but because this is the point which we ought to feel the most ardent desires and exert the most strenuous efforts to attain1 that our faith may be more and more increased1 and our charity strengthened from day to day4 ,,xli4 ,in general1 when they have intended to prepare persons for this worthy participation of the sacrament1 they have dreadfully harassed and tortured miserable consciences1 and yet have not mentioned a single thing which the case required4 ,they have said that those 8eat worthily10 who are in a state of grace4 ,to be in a state of grace1 they have explained to consist in being pure and cleansed from all sin--a doctrine which would exclude all the men who now live1 or ever have lived upon earth1 from the benefit of this sacrament4 ,for if it be necessary for us to derive our worthiness from ourselves1 we are undone2 nothing awaits us but ruin1 confusion1 and despair4 ,though we strive with all our powers1 we shall gain nothing1 at last1 but a discovery that we are most unworthy1 after having laboured to the utmost to find some worthiness4 ,to heal this wound1 they have contrived a method of attaining worthiness2 which is1 that having1 as far as we can1 examined our consciences1 and required from ourselves an account of all our actions1 we should purge ourselves from our unworthiness by contrition1 confession1 and satisfaction2 but what kind of purgation this is1 we have already stated in a place more suitable to the discussion of it4 ,as far as relates to the present subject1 ,i observe that these consolations are too poor and unsubstantial for consciences disturbed1 distressed1 dejected1 and overwhelmed with a sense of their sins4 ,for if the ,lord1 by his express interdiction1 admits none to a participation of the supper1 but those who are righteous and innocent1 it requires no little care in any individual to attain an assurance of his possession of that righteousness1 which he finds to be required by ,god4 ,now1 what ground of assurance have we1 that ,god is satisfied with persons who have done what they could8 ,and even if this were the case1 when shall any man be found who can venture to declare that he has done all that he could8 ,thus1 while no certain assurance of our worthiness can be obtained1 the entrance to the sacrament will always remain closed by that dreadful interdiction1 which denounces that 8he that eateth and drinketh unworthily1 eateth and drinketh judgment to himself40 ,,xlii4 ,now1 it is easy to judge what kind of doctrine this is which prevails in the ,papacy1 and from what author it has proceeded2 which by its extreme austerity deprives and robs miserable sinners1 who are already afflicted with trepidation and sorrow1 of the consolation of this sacrament1 in which all the comforts of the gospel were set before them4 ,it was certainly impossible for the devil to take a more compendious method of ruining men1 than by infatuating them in such a manner as to deprive them of all taste and relish for such food which their heavenly and most merciful ,father had intended for their nourishment4 ,that we may not precipitate ourselves into this abyss1 therefore1 let us remember that this sacred banquet is medicine to the sick1 comfort to the sinner1 alms to the poor2 but that it would confer no advantage on the healthy1 the righteous1 and the rich1 if any such could be found4 ,for as ,christ is given to us in it for food1 we understand1 that without him we pine1 starve1 and faint1 as the body loses its vigour from want of sustenance4 ,moreover1 as he is given to us for life1 we understand that without him we are utterly dead in ourselves4 ,wherefore the best and only worthiness that we can present to ,god1 is to offer him our vileness and unworthiness1 that he may make us worthy of his mercy2 to despair in ourselves1 that we may find consolation in him2 to humble ourselves1 that we may be exalted by him2 to accuse ourselves1 that we may be justified by him2 likewise to aspire to that unity which he enjoins upon us in his supper2 and as he makes us all to be one in himself1 so it should be our desire that we may all have one mind1 one heart1 and one tongue4 ,if we have these things well considered and digested in our minds1 though we may be disturbed1 we shall never be subverted by such reflections as this3 ,needy and destitute of every good1 defiled with the pollution of sin1 and half dead1 how could we worthily eat the ,lord's body8 ,we shall rather consider1 that we come as paupers to the liberal ,benefactor1 as patients to the ,physician1 as sinners to the ,author of righteousness1 as persons dead to the fountain of life2 that the worthiness which is required by ,god consists principally in faith1 which attributes every thing to ,christ1 and places no dependence on ourselves1 and1 secondly1 in charity1 even that charity which it is enough for us to present to ,god in an imperfect state1 that he may increase and improve it2 for we cannot produce it in a state of perfection4 ,others1 who have agreed with us that the worthiness which is enjoined consists in faith and charity1 have nevertheless fallen into a considerable error respecting the degree of that worthiness1 requiring a perfection of faith to which nothing can ever approach1 and a charity equal to that which ,christ has manifested toward us4 ,but by this requisition they exclude all men from access to this sacred supper1 as much as the persons to whom we adverted before4 ,for if their opinion were admitted1 no person could receive it1 but unworthily2 since all1 without a single exception1 would be convinced of their imperfection4 ,and surely it must betray extreme ignorance1 not to say stupidity1 to require in the reception of the sacrament1 that perfection which would render the sacrament unnecessary and useless2 for it was not instituted for the perfect1 but for the imperfect and feeble1 to awaken1 excite1 stimulate1 and exercise their graces of faith and charity1 and to correct the defects of both4 ,,xliii4 ,with respect to the external ceremonial1 whether believers take the bread in their hands or not2 whether they divide it between them1 or every individual eat that which is given to him2 whether they return the cup into the hand of the deacon1 or deliver it to the person who is next2 whether the bread be leavened or unleavened2 whether the wine be red or white2 is not of the least importance4 ,these things are indifferent1 and left to the liberty of the ,church4 ,it is certain1 however1 that the custom of the ancient ,church was1 that every one should take the bread into his hand4 ,and ,christ said 8,divide it among yourselves40#acbc ,history informs us1 that leavened and common bread was used before the time of ,alexander1 bishop of ,rome1 who was the first advocate for unleavened bread2 but for what reason ,i know not1 unless it was to dazzle the eyes of the people with admiration of a new spectacle1 rather than to instruct their minds in pure religion4 ,i appeal to all who feel the least concern for piety1 whether they do not clearly perceive1 how much more conspicuously the glory of ,god appears in this use of the sacrament1 and how much greater abundance of spiritual consolation and delight believers enjoy in it1 than in those insignificant and theatrical fooleries which only tend to deceive the minds of the gazing multitude4 ,this they call keeping the people in religion1 when they lead them into any thing they please1 under the stupefaction and infatuation of superstition4 ,if any one be inclined to defend such inventions by the plea of antiquity1 ,i am equally aware how early chrism and exorcism were used in baptism1 and how soon after the age of the apostles1 corruptions were introduced into the ,lord's supper2 but this is the confidence of human presumption1 which can never restrain itself from trifling with the mysteries of ,god4 ,but let us remember1 that ,god holds the obedience of his word in such high estimation1 that it is the standard by which he appoints us to judge even his angels and the whole world4 ,now1 leaving all this mass of ceremonies1 let us remark1 that the ,lord's supper might be most properly administered1 if it were set before the ,church very frequently1 and at least once in every week in the following manner3 ,the service should commence with public prayer2 in the next place1 a sermon should be delivered2 then1 the bread and wine being placed upon the table1 the minister should recite the institution of the supper1 should declare the promises which are left to us in it1 and1 at the same time1 should excommunicate all those who are excluded from it by the prohibition of the ,lord2 after this1 prayer should be offered1 that with the same benignity with which our ,lord has given us this sacred food1 he would also teach and enable us to receive it in faith and gratitude of heart1 and that1 as of ourselves we are not worthy1 he would1 in his mercy1 make us worthy of such a feast4 ,then either some psalms should be sung1 or a portion of ,scripture should be read1 and believers1 in a becoming order1 should participate of the sacred banquet1 the ministers breaking the bread and distributing it1 and presenting the cup1 to the people2 after the conclusion of the supper1 an exhortation should be given to sincere faith1 and a confession of the same2 to charity1 and a deportment worthy of ,christians4 ,finally1 thanksgivings should be rendered1 and praises sung1 to ,god2 and to close the whole1 the ,church should be dismissed in peace4 ,,xliv4 ,the observations which we have already made respecting the sacrament1 abundantly show that it was not instituted for the purpose of being received once in a year1 and that in a careless and formal manner1 as is now the general practice2 but in order to be frequently celebrated by all ,christians1 that they might often call to mind the sufferings of ,christ2 the recollection of which would sustain and strengthen their faith1 would incite them to sing praises to ,god1 and to confess and celebrate his goodness1 and would also cherish in their hearts1 and promote the mutual exercise of that charity1 the bond of which they would see in the unity of the body of ,christ4 ,for whenever we communicate in the symbol of the ,lord's body1 it is like the interchange of a mutual pledge1 by which we reciprocally bind ourselves to all the duties of charity1 that no one among us will do any thing by which he may injure his brother1 or will omit any thing by which he can assist him1 when necessity requires and opportunity admits4 ,that such was the practice of the apostolic ,church1 is mentioned by ,luke1 when he says that believers 8continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship1 and in breaking of bread1 and in prayers40#acbd ,the invariable custom1 therefore1 was1 that no assembly of the ,church should be held without the word being preached1 prayers being offered1 the ,lord's supper administered1 and alms given4 ,that this was the order established among the ,corinthians1 may be fairly concluded from the ,epistles of ,paul2 and it is well known to have been followed for many ages after4 ,for hence those ancient canons1 which are attributed to ,anacletus and ,calixtus1 8that1 after the consecration is finished1 all shall communicate1 on pain of expulsion from the ,church40 ,and the ancient canons which are ascribed to the apostles1 say1 8that those who continue not to the end1 and receive not the sacrament1 ought to be corrected as disturbers of the ,church40 ,in the ,council of ,antioch1 also1 it was decreed1 that those who enter into the ,church1 hear the sermon1 and retire from the communion1 be excluded from the ,church till they shall have corrected this fault4 ,and though in the first ,council of ,toledo1 this decree was either mitigated1 or at least enacted in a milder form1 yet there also it was ordained1 that those who shall be found never to communicate after having heard the sermon1 be admonished2 and that1 if they obey not the first admonition1 they be excommunicated4 ,,xlv4 ,these decrees were evidently passed by the holy fathers with a view to retain and perpetuate the frequent celebration of the communion1 which had been transmitted by the apostles themselves1 and which they perceived to be highly beneficial to believers1 but by negligence to be gradually falling into general disuse4 ,augustine testifies respecting the age in which he lived1 when he says1 8,the sacrament of this thing1 that is1 of the unity of the body of our ,lord1 is prepared on the table of the ,lord1 in some places daily1 in other places on appointed days1 at stated intervals of time2 and is thence received by some to life1 by others to destruction40 ,and in his first epistle to ,januarius3 8,some receive the body and blood of the ,lord every day1 and others receive them on certain days2 in some ,churches1 not a day passes without the administration of the sacrament2 in others1 it is administered only on ,saturday and ,sunday2 and in others only on ,sunday40 ,but the people in general1 being1 as we have observed1 sometimes too remiss1 the holy fathers stimulated them with severe reproofs1 that they might not appear to connive at such negligence4 ,of this we have an example in a homily of ,chrysostom1 on the ,epistle to the ,ephesians3 8,to him who dishonoured the feast1 it is not said1 ,wherefore didst thou sit down8 but1 ,how camest thou in hither8#acbe ,whoever is present here1 and is not a partaker of the mysteries1 is wicked and impudent4 ,i appeal to you1 if any one be invited to a feast1 and come1 wash his hands1 sit down1 and apparently make every preparation for partaking of it1 and after all taste nothing1--will he not offer an insult both to the feast and to him who has provided it8 ,so you1 who appear among them who1 by prayer prepare themselves to receive the sacred food1 who by the very circumstance of not departing1 confess yourself to be one of their number1 and after all do not participate with them1 would it not have been better for you not to have made your appearance among them8 ,you will tell me you are unworthy4 ,neither then were you worthy of the communion of prayer1 which is a preparation for the reception of the holy mystery40 ,,xlvi4 ,augustine and ,ambrose unite in condemning the practice which in their time had already been adopted in the ,eastern ,churches1 for the people to attend as spectators of the celebration of the sacrament1 and not to partake of it4 ,and that custom1 which enjoins believers to communicate only once a year1 is unquestionably an invention of the devil1 whoever were the persons by whom it was introduced4 ,it is said that ,zepherinus1 bishop of ,rome1 was the author of that decree2 which there is not the least reason for believing to have been such as is now represented4 ,it is probable that the regulation which he made was not ill calculated for the interest of the ,church under the circumstances of those times4 ,for there is no doubt that the sacred supper was then set before the faithful whenever they assembled for worship2 nor is there any more doubt that the principal part of them used to communicate2 but as it would scarcely ever happen that all could communicate together1 and it was necessary that those who were mixed with unbelievers and idolaters1 should testify their faith by some external sign1--that holy man1 for the sake of order and discipline1 appointed that day for all the ,christians at ,rome to make a public confession of their faith by a participation of the ,lord's supper4 ,the regulation of ,zepherinus was good in itself1 but was grossly perverted by his successors1 when they made a certain law that there should be one communion in a year2 the consequence of which has been1 that almost all men1 when they have communicated once1 resign themselves to lethargic repose1 as if they had fairly excused themselves for all the rest of the year4 ,a very different practice ought to have been pursued4 ,at least once in every week the table of the ,lord ought to have been spread before each congregation of ,christians1 and the promises to have been declared for their spiritual nourishment2 no person ought to have been compelled to partake1 but all ought to have been exhorted and stimulated1 and those who were negligent1 to have been reproved4 ,then all1 like persons famished1 would have assembled in crowds to such a banquet4 ,i have sufficient reason for complaining that it was the artifice of the devil that introduced this custom1 which1 by prescribing one day in a year1 renders men slothful and careless all the rest of the time4 ,we see that this abuse had already begun to prevail in the time of ,chrysostom1 but we see at the same time how greatly it displeased him4 ,for in the place which ,i have just quoted1 he severely complains of a great inequality in this matter1 that oftentimes people would not come to the sacrament all the rest of the year1 notwithstanding they were prepared1 but that they would come at ,easter even without preparation4 ,then he exclaims1 8,o custom6 ,o presumption6 ,in vain1 then1 is the daily oblation2 in vain do we stand at the altar4 ,there is no one to partake with us40 ,so far is such a practice from being sanctioned by the authority of ,chrysostom4 ,,xlvii4 ,from the same source proceeded another regulation1 which has robbed or deprived the principal part of the people of ,god of one half of the sacred supper2 ,i mean the symbol of the blood1 which has been interdicted to the laity and the profane1--for by these titles they distinguish the ,lord's heritage1--and has become the peculiar privilege of the few who have received ecclesiastical unction and tonsure4 ,the ordinance of the eternal ,god is1 8,drink ye all of it20 which man has repealed and abrogated by a new and contrary law1 ordaining that all shall not drink of it4 ,and these legislators1 that they may not appear to resist their ,god without reason1 plead the dangers which might result if this sacred cup were indiscriminately presented to all2 as though those dangers had not been foreseen and considered by the eternal wisdom of ,god4 ,in the next place1 they argue with great subtlety1 that one is sufficient for both4 ,for1 if it be the body1 they say1 it is the whole of ,christ1 who cannot now be separated from his body4 ,the body1 therefore1 contains the blood4 ,see how human reason is at variance with ,god1 when it has once been left to its own vagaries4 ,exhibiting the bread1 our ,lord says1 8,this is my body20 exhibiting the cup1 he says1 8,this is my blood40 ,the audacity of human reason contradicts this1 and affirms that the bread is the blood1 and that the wine is the body2 as if the ,lord had distinguished his body from his blood1 both by words and by signs1 without any cause1 and as if it had ever been heard that the body or blood of ,christ was called ,god and man4 ,certainly1 if he had intended to designate his whole person1 he might have said1 8,it is ,i10 as the ,scripture tells us he did on other occasions2 and not1 8,this is my body2 this is my blood40 ,but1 with a view to aid the weakness of our faith1 he exhibits the bread and the cup separately1 to teach us that he is sufficient for drink as well as for food4 ,now1 let one of these parts be taken away1 and we shall find only half of our nourishment in him4 ,though it were true1 then1 as they pretend1 that the blood is in the bread1 and the body in the cup1 yet they defraud the souls of believers of that confirmation which ,christ has delivered as necessary for them4 ,therefore1 leaving their subtleties1 let us hold fast the benefit which arises from the double pledge which ,christ has ordained4 ,,xlviii4 ,i am aware of the cavils advanced on this subject by the ministers of ,satan1 who are accustomed to treat the ,scripture with contempt4 ,in the first place1 they plead1 that a simple act affords no sufficient ground from which to deduce a rule of perpetual obligation on the observance of the ,church4 ,but it is false to call it a simple act2 for ,christ not only gave the cup to his apostles1 but also commanded them to do the same in time to come4 ,for it is the language of command1 8,drink ye all of it40 ,and ,paul mentions its having been practised in such a way as fully implies its being a positive ordinance4 ,the second subterfuge is1 that ,christ admitted none but the apostles to a participation of this supper1 whom he had already chosen and admitted into the order of sacrificing priests4 ,but ,i would wish them to give me answers to five questions1 from which they will not be able to escape1 but their misrepresentations will be easily refuted4 ,first2 ,by what oracle have they obtained this solution1 so inconsistent with the word of ,god8 ,the ,scripture mentions twelve who sat down with ,jesus2 but it does not obscure the dignity of ,christ so as to call them sacrificing priests--a name which ,i shall notice in the proper place4 ,though he then gave the sacrament to the twelve1 yet he commanded that they should do the same2 that is1 that they should distribute it among them in a similar manner4 ,secondly2 why1 in that purer period1 for almost a thousand years after the apostles1 were all1 without exception1 admitted to the participation of both symbols8 ,was the ancient ,church ignorant what guests ,christ had admitted to his supper8 ,any hesitation or evasion would betray the most consummate impudence4 ,ecclesiastical histories and works of the fathers are still extant1 which furnish clear testimonies of this fact4 ,tertullian says1 8,the flesh is fed with the body and blood of ,christ1 that the soul may be nourished by ,god40 ,ambrose said to ,theodosius1 8,with such hands how will you receive the sacred body of the ,lord8 ,with what audacity will you drink his sacred blood80 ,jerome says1 8,the priests consecrate the eucharist and distribute the ,lord's blood to the people40 ,chrysostom says1 8,it is not as it was under the ancient law1 when the priest ate one part1 and the people another2 but to all is presented one body and one cup4 ,every thing in the eucharist is common to the priest and to the people40 ,and the same is attested in various places by ,augustine4 ,,xlix4 ,but why do ,i dispute about a thing that is so evident8 ,let any one read all the ,greek and ,latin fathers1 and he will find them abound with such testimonies4 ,nor did this custom fall into disuse while a particle of purity remained in the ,church4 ,gregory1 who may be justly called the last bishop of ,rome1 shows that it was observed in his time4 ,he says1 8,you have now learned what the blood of the ,lamb is1 not by hearing1 but by drinking4 ,his blood is drunk by the faithful40 ,and it even continued for four hundred years after his death1 notwithstanding the universal degeneracy which had taken place4 ,nor was it considered merely as a custom1 but as an inviolable law4 ,for the ,divine institution was then reverenced1 and no doubt was entertained of the criminality of separating things which the ,lord had united4 ,for ,gelasius1 bishop of ,rome1 speaks in the following manner3 8,we have understood that some1 only receiving the ,lord's body1 abstain from the cup2 who1 as they appear to be enslaved by an unaccountable superstition1 should1 without doubt1 either receive the sacrament entire1 or entirely abstain from it4 ,for no division of this mystery can be made without great sacrilege40 ,attention was paid to those reasons of ,cyprian1 which surely ought to be sufficient to influence a ,christian mind4 ,he says1 8,how do we teach or stimulate them to shed their blood in the confession of ,christ1 if we refuse his blood to them who are about to engage in the conflict8 ,or how do we prepare them for the cup of martyrdom1 if we do not first admit them1 by the right of communion1 to drink the cup of the ,lord in the ,church80 ,the canonists restrict the decree of ,gelasius to the priests1 but this is too puerile a cavil to need any refutation4 ,l4 ,thirdly2 ,why did ,christ1 when he presented the bread1 simply say1 8,take1 eat20 but when he presented the cup1 8,drink ye all of it20 as if he expressly intended to guard against the subtlety of ,satan8 ,fourthly2 ,if1 as our adversaries pretend1 our ,lord admitted to his supper none but sacrificing priests1 what man can be found so presumptuous as to invite to a participation of it strangers whom the ,lord has excluded8 and to a participation of that gift1 over which they could have no power1 without any command from him who alone could give it8 ,and with what confidence do they now take upon them to distribute to the people the symbol of the body of ,christ1 if they have neither the command nor example of the ,lord8 ,fifthly2 ,did ,paul affirm what was false1 when he said to the ,corinthians1 8,i have received of the ,lord that which also ,i delivered to you80#acbf ,for he afterwards declares what he had delivered1 which was1 that all1 without any distinction1 should communicate in both symbols4 ,if ,paul had 8received of the ,lord10 that all were to be admitted without any distinction1 let them consider from whom they have received1 who exclude almost all the people of ,god2 for they cannot now pretend their doctrine to have originated from ,god1 with whom is 8not yea and nay40#acbg ,and yet they dare to shelter such abominations under the name of the ,church1 and to defend them under that pretext2 as if the ,church could consist of those antichrists1 who so easily trample under foot1 mutilate1 and abolish the doctrine and institutions of ,christ2 or as if the apostolic ,church1 in which true religion displayed all its influence1 were not the true ,church4 ,footnote #abch3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #bf1 #bh4 ,mark xiv4 #bb1 #bd4 ,luke xxii4 #ai1 #bj4 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bd1 #be4 ,footnote #abci3 ,john vi4 #ce1 #ee-eh4 ,footnote #abdj3 ,john vi4 #ea4 ,footnote #abda3 ,eph4 iii4 #ag4 ,footnote #abdb3 ,john vi4 #ce4 ,footnote #abdc3 ,john vi4 #ec4 ,footnote #abdd3 ,acts ii4 #da4 ,footnote #abde3 ,luke xxii4 #bj4 ,footnote #abdf3 #a ,john i4 #a-d4 ,footnote #abdg3 ,john vi4 #ea4 ,footnote #abdh3 ,john vi4 #ee4 ,footnote #abdi3 ,john v4 #bf4 ,footnote #abej3 ,eph4 i4 #bc4 ,footnote #abea3 ,eph4 iv4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #abeb3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ae4 ,footnote #abec3 ,eph4 v4 #cj4 ,footnote #abed3 ,eph4 v4 #cb4 ,footnote #abee3 #a ,cor4 x4 #af4 ,footnote #abef3 ,rom4 viii4 #i1 #aa4 ,footnote #abeg3 ,john vi4 #ce1 #ej4 ,footnote #abeh3 #a ,cor4 x4 #ag4 ,footnote #abei3 #a ,cor4 x4 #d4 ,footnote #abfj3 ,exod4 iv4 #b-d2 vii4 #aj1 #ab4 ,footnote #abfa3 #a ,cor4 x4 #af4 ,footnote #abfb3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bf4 ,footnote #abfc3 ,acts ii4 #db4 ,footnote #abfd3 ,jer4 xi4 #ai1 7according to the ,vulgate and ,septuagint47 ,footnote #abfe3 ,psalm lxix4 #ba4 ,footnote #abff3 ,isaiah liii4 #b1 #d4 ,footnote #abfg3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #bf-bh4 ,mark xiv4 #bb-bd4 ,luke xxii4 #ai1 #bj4 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bc-be4 ,footnote #abfh3 ,gen4 xvii4 #aj4 ,footnote #abfi3 ,exod4 xii4 #aa4 ,footnote #abgj3 ,exod4 et ,lev4 passim4 ,footnote #abga3 #a ,cor4 x4 #d4 ,footnote #abgb3 ,exod4 iii4 #b4 ,footnote #abgc3 ,psalm lxxxiv4 #g2 xlii4 #b4 ,footnote #abgd3 ,matt4 iii4 #af4 ,footnote #abge3 #a ,cor4 x4 #d4 ,footnote #abgf3 #a ,cor4 x4 #af4 ,footnote #abgg3 ,gen4 xvii4 #aj4 ,exod4 xii4 #aa4 ,footnote #abgh3 #a ,cor4 x4 #d4 ,footnote #abgi3 ,john vii4 #ci4 ,footnote #abhj3 ,titus iii4 #b4 ,footnote #abha3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #ab4 ,footnote #abhb3 ,heb4 ii4 #ad2 iv4 #ae4 ,footnote #abhc3 ,acts i4 #aa4 ,footnote #abhd3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #dg4 ,footnote #abhe3 ,phil4 ii4 #g4 ,footnote #abhf3 ,james i4 #ba4 ,footnote #abhg3 ,luke i4 #cd4 ,footnote #abhh3 ,john xiv4 #b1 #c1 #bh4 ,footnote #abhi3 ,matt4 xxvi4 #aa4 ,footnote #abij3 ,mark xvi4 #ai4 ,luke xxiv4 #ea4 ,acts i4 #i4 ,footnote #abia3 ,phil4 iii4 #bj4 ,footnote #abib3 ,acts i4 #aa4 ,footnote #abic3 ,acts iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #abid3 ,luke xxiv4 #ci4 ,footnote #abie3 ,phil4 iii4 #bj1 #ba4 ,footnote #abif3 ,john xx4 #ag4 ,footnote #abig3 ,acts vii4 #ee4 ,footnote #abih3 ,acts xxii4 #ah4 #a ,cor4 xv4 #h4 ,footnote #abii3 ,luke xxiv4 #ca4 ,footnote #acjj3 ,luke xxiv4 #af4 ,footnote #acja3 ,matt4 xxviii4 #bj4 ,footnote #acjb3 ,john iii4 #ac2 i4 #ah4 ,footnote #acjc3 #a ,cor4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #acjd3 #a ,john iv4 #c4 ,footnote #acje3 ,john vi4 #ef4 ,footnote #acjf3 ,matt4 xiii4 #d-g4 ,footnote #acjg3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bg4 ,footnote #acjh3 ,matt4 vii4 #f4 ,footnote #acji3 ,john vi4 #ed4 ,footnote #acaj3 #b ,cor4 xii4 #g4 ,footnote #acaa3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bi4 ,footnote #acab3 ,john vi4 #ef4 ,footnote #acac3 ,acts ii4 #db4 ,footnote #acad3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bc4 ,footnote #acae3 ,col4 iii4 #a4 ,footnote #acaf3 ,psalm l4 #ae4 ,footnote #acag3 ,luke xxii4 #aj4 ,footnote #acah3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bf4 ,footnote #acai3 #a ,cor4 x4 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #acbj3 ,titus i4 #ae4 ,footnote #acba3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bg1 #bi4 ,footnote #acbb3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bh4 ,footnote #acbc3 ,luke xxii4 #ag4 ,footnote #acbd3 ,acts ii4 #db4 ,footnote #acbe3 ,matt4 xxii4 #ab4 ,footnote #acbf3 #a ,cor4 xi4 #bc4 ,footnote #acbg3 #b ,cor4 i4 #ah4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,papal ,,mass ,,not ,,only ,a ,,sacrilegious ,,profanation ,,of ,,the ,,lord',s ,,supper1 ,,but ,a ,,total ,,annihilation ,,of ,,it4 ,with these1 and similar inventions1 ,satan has endeavoured to obscure1 corrupt1 and adulterate the sacred supper of ,christ1 that1 at least1 its purity might not be preserved in the ,church4 ,but the perfection of the dreadful abomination was his establishment of a sign1 by which it might be not only obscured and perverted1 but altogether obliterated and abolished1 so as to disappear from the view1 and to depart from the remembrance of men4 ,i refer to that most pestilent error with which he has blinded almost the whole world1 persuading it to believe that the mass is a sacrifice and oblation to procure the remission of sins4 ,how this dogma was at first understood by the sounder schoolmen1 who did not fall into all the absurdities of their successors1 ,i shall not stay to inquire1 but shall take leave of them and their thorny subtleties2 which1 however they may be defended by subterfuges and cavils1 ought to be rejected by all good men1 because they merely serve to obscure the lustre of the sacred supper4 ,leaving them1 therefore1 ,i wish the readers to understand that ,i am now combating that opinion with which the ,roman antichrist and his agents have infected the whole world2 namely1 that the mass is an act by which the priest who offers ,christ1 and others who participate in the oblation1 merit the favour of ,god2 or that it is an expiatory victim by which they reconcile ,god to them4 ,nor has this been merely an opinion generally received by the multitude2 but the act itself is so ordered1 as to be a kind of expiation1 to make satisfaction to ,god for the sins of the living and the dead4 ,this is fully expressed also in the words which they use2 nor can any thing else be concluded from its daily observance4 ,i know how deeply this pest has stricken its roots1 what a plausible appearance of goodness it assumes1 how it shelters itself under the name of ,christ1 and how multitudes believe the whole substance of faith to be comprehended under the single word mass4 ,but when it shall have been most clearly demonstrated by the word of ,god1 that this mass1 however it may be varnished and adorned1 offers the greatest insult to ,christ1 suppresses and conceals his cross1 consigns his death to oblivion1 deprives us of the benefit resulting from it1 and invalidates and destroys the sacrament which was left as a memorial of that death1--will there be any roots too deep for this most powerful axe--,i mean the word of ,god--to cut in pieces and eradicate8 ,will there be any varnish too specious for this light to detect the evil which lurks behind it8 ,,ii4 ,let us proceed1 therefore1 to establish what we have asserted2 in the first place1 that the mass offers an intolerable blasphemy and insult to ,christ4 ,for he was constituted by his ,father a priest and a high-priest1 not for a limited time1 like those who are recorded to have been consecrated priests under the ,old ,testament1 who1 having a mortal life1 could not have an immortal priesthood2 wherefore1 there was need of successors1 from time to time1 to fill the places of those who died2 but ,christ1 who is immortal1 requires no vicar to be substituted in his place4 ,therefore he was designated by the ,father as 8a priest for ever1 after the order of ,melchisedec20 that he might for ever execute a permanent priesthood4 ,this mystery had long before been prefigured in ,melchisedec1 whom the ,scripture has introduced once as 8the priest of the ,most ,high ,god10 but never mentions him afterwards1 as if there had been no end to his life4 ,from this resemblance ,christ is called a priest after his order4#acbh ,now1 those who sacrifice every day must necessarily appoint priests to conduct the oblations1 and those priests must be substituted in the room of ,christ1 as his successors and vicars4 ,by this substitution they not only despoil ,christ of his due honour1 and rob him of the prerogative of an eternal priesthood1 but endeavour to degrade him from the right hand of the ,father1 where he cannot sit in the enjoyment of immortality1 unless he also remain an eternal priest4 ,nor let them plead that their sacrificing priests are not substituted in the place of ,christ1 as though he were dead1 but are merely assistants in his eternal priesthood1 which does not1 on this account1 cease to remain2 for the language of the apostle is too precise for them to avail themselves of such an evasion2 when he says that 8they truly were many priests1 because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death40#acbi ,christ1 therefore1 whose continuance is not prevented by death1 is only one1 and needs no companions4 ,yet they have the effrontery to arm themselves with the example of ,melchisedec in defence of their impiety4 ,for1 because he is said to have 8brought forth bread and wine10 they conclude this to have been a prefiguration of their mass1 as though the resemblance between him and ,christ consisted in the oblation of bread and wine2 which is too unsubstantial and frivolous to need any refutation4 ,melchisedec gave bread and wine to ,abraham and his companions1 to refresh them when they were fatigued on their return from battle4 ,what has this to do with a sacrifice8 ,moses praises the humanity and liberality of the pious king2 these men presumptuously fabricate a mystery1 of which the ,scripture makes no mention4 ,yet they varnish their error with another pretext1 because the historian immediately afterwards says1 8,and he was the priest of the ,most ,high ,god40 ,i answer1 that they misapply to the bread and wine what the apostle refers to the benediction1 8,for this ,melchisedec1 priest of the ,most ,high ,god1 met ,abraham and blessed him20 from which the same apostle1 than whom it is unnecessary to seek for a better expositor1 argues his superior dignity2 8for without all contradiction1 the less is blessed of the better40#accj ,but1 if the offering of ,melchisedec had been a figure of the sacrifice of the mass1 is it credible that the apostle1 who discusses all the minutest circumstances1 would have forgotten a thing of such high importance8 ,it will be in vain for them1 with all their sophistry1 to attempt to overturn the argument which the apostle himself adduces1 that the right and dignity of priesthood ceases among mortal men1 because ,christ1 who is immortal1 is the alone and perpetual priest4 ,,iii4 ,a second property of the mass we have stated to be1 that it suppresses and conceals the cross and passion of ,christ4 ,it is beyond all contradiction1 that the cross of ,christ is subverted as soon as ever an altar is erected2 for if ,christ offered up himself a sacrifice on the cross1 to sanctify us for ever1 and to obtain eternal redemption for us1 the virtue and efficacy of that sacrifice must certainly continue without any end4#acca ,otherwise1 we should have no more honourable ideas of ,christ1 than of the animal victims which were sacrificed under the law1 the oblations of which are proved to have been weak and inefficacious1 by the circumstance of their frequent repetition4 ,wherefore1 it must be acknowledged1 either that the sacrifice which ,christ accomplished on the cross wanted the virtue of eternal purification1 or that ,christ has offered up one perfect sacrifice1 once for all ages4 ,this is what the apostle says that this great high-priest1 even ,christ1 8now once in the end of the world1 hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself40 ,again3 8,by the will of ,god we are sanctified1 through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ1 once for all40 ,again3 8,that by one offering ,christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified40 ,to which he subjoins this remarkable observation3 8,that where remission of iniquities is1 there is no more offering for sin40#accb ,this was likewise signified by the last words of ,christ1 when1 with his expiring breath he said1 8,it is finished40#accc ,we are accustomed to consider the last words of dying persons as oracular4 ,christ1 at the moment of his death1 declared that by his own sacrifice every thing necessary to our salvation had been accomplished and finished4 ,to such a sacrifice1 the perfection of which he so explicitly declares1 shall it be lawful for us to make innumerable additions every day1 as though it were imperfect8 ,while ,god's most holy word not only affirms1 but proclaims and protests1 that this sacrifice was once perfect1 and that its virtue is eternal1--do not they who require another sacrifice charge this with imperfection and inefficacy8 ,but what is the tendency of the mass1 which admits of a hundred thousand sacrifices being offered every day1 except it be to obscure and suppress the passion of ,christ1 by which he offered himself as the alone sacrifice to the ,father8 ,who1 that is not blind1 does not see that such an opposition to the clear and manifest truth must have arisen from the audacity of ,satan8 ,i am aware of the fallacies with which that father of falsehood is accustomed to varnish over this fraud2 as1 that these are not various or different sacrifices1 but only a repetition of that one sacrifice4 ,but such illusions are easily dissipated4 ,for1 through the whole argument1 the apostle is contending1 not only that there are no other sacrifices1 but that that one sacrifice was offered once1 and is never to be repeated4 ,the more artful sophisters have recourse to a deeper subterfuge2 that the mass is not a repetition of that sacrifice1 but an application of it4 ,this sophistry also may be confuted1 without any more difficulty than the former4 ,for ,christ once offered up himself1 not that his sacrifice might be daily ratified by new oblations1 but that the benefit of it might be communicated to us by the preaching of the gospel1 and the administration of the sacred supper4 ,thus ,paul says that 8,christ our passover is sacrificed for us10 and commands us to feast on him4#accd ,this1 ,i say1 is the way in which the sacrifice of the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is rightly applied to us1 when it is communicated to us for our enjoyment1 and we receive it with true faith4 ,,iv4 ,but it is worth while to hear on what other foundation they rest the sacrifice of the mass4 ,they apply to this purpose the prophecy of ,malachi1 in which the ,lord promises1 that 8from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same1 incense shall be offered unto0 his 8name1 and a pure offering40#acce ,as though it were a new or unusual thing for the prophets1 when they speak of the calling of the ,gentiles1 to designate the spiritual worship of ,god1 to which they exhort them1 by the external ceremonies of the law2 in order to show1 in a more familiar manner1 to the men of their own times1 that the ,gentiles were to be introduced to a participation of the true religion2 as it is their invariable practice1 on all occasions1 to describe the realities which have been exhibited in the gospel1 under the types and figures of the dispensation under which they lived4 ,thus1 conversion to the ,lord they express by going up to ,jerusalem2 adoration of ,god1 by oblations of various gifts2 the more extensive knowledge to be bestowed on believers1 in the kingdom of ,christ1 by dreams and visions4#accf ,the prophecy which they adduce1 therefore1 is similar to another prediction of ,isaiah1 where he foretells the erection of three altars1 in ,assyria1 ,egypt1 and ,judea4#accg ,i ask the ,romanists1 first1 whether they do not admit this prediction to have been accomplished in the kingdom of ,christ2 secondly1 where are these altars1 or when were they ever erected2 thirdly1 whether they think that those two kingdoms were destined to have their respective temples1 like that at ,jerusalem4 ,a due consideration of these things1 ,i think1 will induce them to acknowledge1 that the prophet1 under types adapted to his own time1 was predicting the spiritual worship of ,god1 which was to be propagated all over the world4 ,this is our solution of the passage which they adduce from ,malachi2 but as examples of this mode of expression are of such frequent occurrence1 ,i shall not employ myself in a further enumeration of them4 ,here1 also1 they are miserably deceived1 in acknowledging no sacrifice but that of the mass2 whereas1 believers do in reality now sacrifice to the ,lord1 and offer a pure oblation1 of which we shall presently treat4 ,v4 ,i now proceed to the third view of the mass1 under which ,i am to show how it obliterates and expunges from the memory of mankind the true and alone death of ,jesus ,christ4 ,for as among men the confirmation of a testament depends on the death of the testator1 so also our ,lord1 by his death1 has confirmed the testament in which he has given us remission of sins1 and everlasting righteousness4 ,those who dare to attempt any variation or innovation in this testament1 thereby deny his death1 and represent it as of no value4 ,now1 what is the mass1 but a new and totally different testament8 ,for does not every separate mass promise a new remission of sins1 and a new acquisition of righteousness2 so that there are now as many testaments as masses8 ,let ,christ1 therefore1 come again1 and by another death ratify this new testament1 or rather1 by innumerable deaths1 confirm these innumerable testaments of masses4 ,have ,i not truly said1 then1 at the beginning1 that the true and alone death of ,christ is obliterated and consigned to oblivion by the masses8 ,and is not the direct tendency of the mass1 to cause ,christ1 if it were possible1 to be put to death again8 8,for where a testament is10 says the apostle1 8there must also1 of necessity1 be the death of the testator40#acch ,the mass pretends to exhibit a new testament of ,christ2 therefore it requires his death4 ,moreover the victim which is offered must1 of necessity1 be slain and immolated4 ,if ,christ be sacrificed in every mass1 he must be cruelly murdered in a thousand separate places at once4 ,this is not my argument2 it is the reasoning of the apostle3 8,it was not necessary that he should offer himself often2 for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world40#acci ,in reply to this1 ,i confess1 they are ready to charge us with calumny2 alleging that we impute to them sentiments which they never have held1 nor ever can hold4 ,we know1 indeed1 that the life and death of ,christ are not in their power2 and whether they intend to murder him1 we do not inquire2 we only mean to show the absurdities which follow from their impious and abominable doctrine1 and this we have proved from the mouth of the apostle4 ,they may reply a hundred times1 if they please1 that this sacrifice is without blood2 but ,i shall deny that sacrifices can change their nature1 at the caprice of men2 for thus the sacred and inviolable institution of ,god would fall to the ground4 ,hence it follows1 that this principle of the apostle can never be shaken1 that 8without shedding of blood is no remission40#acdj ,,vi4 ,we are now to treat of the fourth property of the mass1 which is1 to prevent us from perceiving and reflecting on the death of ,christ1 and thereby to deprive us of the benefit resulting from it4 ,for who can consider himself as redeemed by the death of ,christ1 when he sees a new redemption in the mass8 ,who can be assured that his sins are remitted1 when he sees another remission8 ,it is not a sufficient answer1 to say1 that we obtain remission of sins in the mass1 only because it has been already procured by the death of ,christ4 ,for this is no other than pretending that ,christ has redeemed us in order that we may redeem ourselves4 ,for this is the doctrine which has been disseminated by the ministers of ,satan1 and which they now defend by clamours1 and fire1 and sword2 that when we offer up ,christ to his ,father1 in the sacrifice of the mass1 we1 by that act of oblation1 obtain remission of sins1 and become partakers of the passion of ,christ4 ,what remains1 then1 to the passion of ,christ1 but to be an example of redemption1 by which we may learn to be our own redeemers8 ,christ himself1 when he seals the assurance of pardon in the sacred supper1 does not command his disciples to rest in this act1 but refers them to the sacrifice of his death2 signifying that the supper is a monument1 or memorial1 appointed to teach us that the expiatory victim by which ,god was to be appeased ought to be offered but once4 ,nor is it sufficient to know that ,christ is the sole victim1 unless we also know that there is only one oblation1 so that our faith may be fixed upon his cross4 ,,vii4 ,i come now to the concluding observation2 that the sacred supper1 in which our ,lord had left us the memorial of his passion impressed and engraven1 has1 by the erection of the mass1 been removed1 abolished1 and destroyed4 ,for the supper itself is a gift of ,god1 which ought to be received with thanksgiving4 ,the sacrifice of the mass is pretended to be a price given to ,god1 and received by him as a satisfaction4 ,as far as giving differs from receiving1 so far does the sacrifice of the mass differ from the sacrament of the supper4 ,and this is the most miserable ingratitude of man1 that where the profusion of the ,divine goodness ought to have been acknowledged with thanksgivings1 there he makes ,god his debtor4 ,the sacrament promised1 that by the death of ,christ we are not only restored to life1 but are perpetually vivified1 because every part of our salvation was then accomplished4 ,the sacrifice of the mass proclaims a very different doctrine2 that it is necessary for ,christ to be sacrificed every day1 in order to be of any advantage to us4 ,the supper ought to be distributed in the public congregation of the ,church1 to instruct us in the communion by which we are all connected together in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the sacrifice of the mass dissolves and destroys this communion4 ,for the reception of this error rendered it necessary that there should be priests to sacrifice for the people2 and the supper1 as if it had been resigned to them1 ceased to be administered to the ,church of believers1 according to the commandment of the ,lord4 ,a way was opened for the admission of private masses1 which represented a kind of excommunication1 rather than that communion which had been instituted by our ,lord1 when the mass-priest separates himself from the whole congregation of believers1 to devour his sacrifice alone4 ,that no person may be deceived1 ,i call it a private mass1 wherever there is no participation of the ,lord's supper among believers1 whatever number of persons may be present as spectators of it4 ,,viii4 ,with respect to the word mass itself1 ,i have never been able certainly to determine whence it originated2 only ,i think it may probably have been derived from the oblations which used to be made at the sacrament4 ,hence the ancient fathers generally use it in the plural number4 ,but to forbear all controversy respecting the term1 ,i say that private masses are diametrically repugnant to the institution of ,christ1 and are consequently an impious profanation of the sacred supper4 ,for what has the ,lord commanded us8 ,is it not to take and divide it among us8#acda ,what observance of the command does ,paul inculcate8 ,is it not the breaking of the bread1 which is the communion of the body of ,christ8#acdb ,when one man takes it1 therefore1 without any distribution1 what resemblance does this bear to the command8 ,but it is alleged1 that this one man does it in the name of the whole ,church4 ,i ask1 by what authority8 ,is not this an open mockery of ,god1 when one person does separately1 by himself1 that which ought not to have been done but among many8 ,the words of ,christ1 and of ,paul1 are sufficiently clear to authorize the conclusion1 that wherever there is no breaking of the bread for common distribution among believers1 there is not the supper of the ,lord1 but a false and preposterous imitation of it4 ,but a false imitation is a corruption2 and the corruption of so great a mystery cannot take place without impiety4 ,private masses1 therefore1 are an impious abuse4 ,and as one abuse in religion soon produces another1 after the introduction of this custom of offering without communicating1 they began by degrees to have innumerable masses in all the corners of the temples1 and thus to divide the people from each other1 who ought to have united in one assembly1 to celebrate the mystery of their union4 ,now1 let the ,romanists deny1 if they can1 that they are guilty of idolatry in exhibiting bread in their masses1 to be worshipped instead of ,christ4 ,in vain do they boast of those promises of the presence of ,christ2 for however they may be understood1 they certainly were not given in order that impure and profane men1 whenever they please1 and for whatever improper use1 may transmute bread into the body of ,christ2 but in order that believers1 religiously observing the command of ,christ1 in celebrating the supper1 may enjoy a true participation of him in it4 ,,ix4 ,in the purer times of the ,church1 this corruption was unknown4 ,for1 however the more impudent of our adversaries endeavour to misrepresent this matter1 yet it is beyond all doubt that all antiquity is against them1 as we have already evinced in other points1 and may be more fully determined by a diligent perusal of the ancient fathers4 ,but before ,i conclude this subject1 ,i will ask our advocates for masses1 since they know that 8the ,lord hath0 not 8as great delight in sacrifices1 as in obeying the voice of the ,lord10 and that 8to obey is better than sacrifice10#acdc how they can believe this kind of sacrificing to be acceptable to ,god1 for which they have no command1 and which they do not find to be sanctioned by a single syllable of the ,scripture4 ,moreover1 since they hear the apostle say1 that 8no man taketh0 the name and 8honour0 of the priesthood 8unto himself1 but he that is called of ,god1 as was ,aaron10 and that even 8,christ glorified not himself to be made a high-priest10 but obeyed the call of his ,father2#acdd either they must prove ,god to be the author and institutor of their priesthood1 or they must confess the honour not to be of ,god1 into which they have presumptuously and wickedly obtruded themselves1 without any call4 ,but they cannot produce a tittle which affords the least support to their priesthood4 ,what1 then1 will become of their sacrifices1 since no sacrifices can be offered without a priest8 ,x4 ,if any one should bring forward mutilated passages1 extracted from different parts of the writings of the fathers1 and contend1 on their authority1 that the sacrifice which is offered in the supper ought to be understood in a different manner from the representation we have given of it1 he shall receive the following brief reply3 ,if the question relate to an approbation of this notion of a sacrifice which the ,papists have invented in the mass1 the ancient fathers are very far from countenancing such a sacrilege4 ,they do1 indeed1 use the word sacrifice1 but they at the same time fully declare1 that they mean nothing more than the commemoration of that true and only sacrifice which ,christ1 whom they invariably speak of as our only ,priest1 completed on the cross4 ,augustine says1 8,the ,hebrews1 in the animal victims which they offered to ,god1 celebrated the prophecy of the future victim which ,christ has since offered2 ,christians1 by the holy oblation and participation of the body of ,christ1 celebrate the remembrance of the sacrifice which is already completed40 ,here he evidently inculcates the same sentiment that is expressed more at large in the ,treatise1 on ,faith1 which has been attributed to him1 though it is doubtful who was the author1 addressed to ,peter the ,deacon2 in which we find the following passage3 8,hold this most firmly1 and admit not the least doubt1 that the only begotten ,son of ,god himself1 being made flesh for us1 hath offered himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to ,god for a sweet-smelling savour2 to whom1 with the ,father and the ,holy ,spirit1 animals were sacrificed in the time of the ,old ,testament2 and to whom now1 with the ,father and the ,holy ,spirit1 7with whom he has one and the same ,divinity17 the holy ,church1 throughout the world1 ceases not to offer the sacrifice of bread and wine4 ,for in those carnal victims there was a prefiguration of the flesh of ,christ1 which he himself was to offer for our sins1 and of his blood1 which he was to shed for the remission of our sins4 ,but in the present sacrifice1 there is a thanksgiving and commemoration of the flesh of ,christ1 which he has offered1 and of his blood1 which he has shed for us40 ,hence ,augustine himself1 in various passages1 explains it to be nothing more than a sacrifice of praise4 ,and it is a remark often found in his writings1 that the ,lord's supper is called a sacrifice1 for no other reason than because it is a memorial1 image1 and attestation1 of that singular1 true1 and only sacrifice1 by which ,christ has redeemed us4 ,there is also a remarkable passage in his ,treatise on the ,trinity1 where1 after having treated of the only sacrifice1 he thus concludes3 8,in a sacrifice1 four things are to be considered--to whom it is offered1 by whom it is offered1 what is offered1 and for whom it is offered4 ,the alone and true ,mediator1 by a sacrifice of peace1 reconciling us to ,god1 remains one with him to whom he has offered it2 makes them for whom he has offered it one in himself2 is the one who alone has offered it2 and is himself the oblation which he has offered40 ,chrysostom also speaks to the same purpose4 ,and they ascribe the honour of the priesthood so exclusively to ,christ1 that ,augustine declares1 that if any one should set up a bishop as an intercessor between ,god and man1 it would be the language of ,antichrist4 ,,xi4 ,yet we do not deny that the oblation of ,christ is there exhibited to us in such a manner1 that the view of his cross is almost placed before our eyes2 as the apostle says1 that by the preaching of the cross to the ,galatians1 8,christ had been evidently set forth before their eyes1 crucified among them40#acde ,but as ,i perceive that those ancient fathers misapplied this memorial to a purpose inconsistent with the institution of the ,lord1 because the supper1 as celebrated by them1 represented ,i know not what appearance of a reiterated1 or at least renewed oblation1 the safest way for pious minds will be to acquiesce in the pure and simple ordinance of the ,lord1 whose supper this sacrament is called1 because it ought to be regulated by his sole authority4 ,finding them to have retained orthodox and pious sentiments of this whole mystery1 and not detecting them of having intended the least derogation from the one and alone sacrifice of ,christ1 ,i dare not condemn them for impiety2 yet ,i think it impossible to exculpate them from having committed some error in the external form4 ,for they imitated the ,jewish mode of sacrificing1 more than ,christ had commanded1 or the nature of the gospel admitted4 ,the censure which they have deserved1 therefore1 is for this preposterous conformity to the ,old ,testament2 that1 not content with the simple and genuine institution of ,christ1 they have symbolized too much with the shadows of the law4 ,,xii4 ,if any person will attentively examine1 he will observe this distinction clearly marked by the word of the ,lord1 between the ,mosaic sacrifices and our eucharist2 that though those sacrifices represented to the ,jewish people the same efficacy of the death of ,christ which is now exhibited to us in the ,lord's supper1 yet the mode of representation was different4 ,for the ,jewish priests were commanded to prefigure the sacrifice which was to be accomplished by ,christ2 a victim was presented in the place of ,christ himself2 there was an altar on which it was to be immolated2 in short1 every thing was conducted in such a manner as to set before the eyes of the people a representation of the sacrifice which was to be offered to ,god as an atonement for sins4 ,but since that sacrifice has been accomplished1 the ,lord has prescribed to us a different method1 in order to communicate to believers the benefit of the sacrifice which has been offered to him by his ,son4 ,therefore he has given us a table at which we are to feast1 not an altar upon which any victim is to be offered3 he has not consecrated priests to offer sacrifices1 but ministers to distribute the sacred banquet4 ,in proportion to the superior sublimity and sanctity of the mystery1 with the greater care and reverence it ought to be treated4 ,the safest course1 therefore1 is to relinquish all the presumption of human reason1 and to adhere strictly to what the ,scripture enjoins4 ,and surely1 if we consider that it is the supper of the ,lord1 and not of men1 there is no cause why we should suffer ourselves to be moved a hair's breadth from the scriptural rule by any authority of men or prescription of years4 ,therefore1 when the apostle was desirous of purifying it from all the faults which had already crept into the ,church at ,corinth1 he adopted the best and readiest method1 by recalling it to the one original institution1 which he shows ought to be regarded as its perpetual rule4 ,,xiii4 ,that no wrangler may take occasion to oppose us from the terms sacrifice and priest1 ,i will briefly state what ,i have meant by these terms all through this argument4 ,some extend the word sacrifice to all religions ceremonies and actions2 but for this ,i see no reason4 ,we know that1 by the constant usage of the ,scripture1 the word sacrifice is applied to what the ,greeks call sometimes 1 sometimes 1 and sometimes 1 which1 taken generally1 comprehends whatever is offered to ,god4 ,wherefore it is necessary for us to make a distinction1 but such a distinction as may be consistent with the sacrifices of the ,mosaic law2 under the shadows of which the ,lord designed to represent to his people all the truth of spiritual sacrifices4 ,though there were various kinds of them1 yet they may all be referred to two classes4 ,for either they were oblations made for sin in a way of satisfaction1 by which guilt was expiated before ,god1 or they were symbols of ,divine worship and attestations of devotion4 ,this second class comprehended three kinds of sacrifices3 some were offered in a way of supplication1 to implore the favour of ,god2 some in a way of thanksgiving1 to testify the gratitude of the mind for benefits received2 and some as simple expressions of piety1 to renew the confirmation of the covenant3 to this class belonged burnt-offerings and drink-offerings1 first-fruits and peace-offerings4 ,therefore let us also divide sacrifices into two kinds1 and for the sake of distinction call one the sacrifice of worship and piety1 because it consists in the veneration and service of ,god1 which he demands and receives from believers2 or it may be called1 if you prefer it1 the sacrifice of thanksgiving2 for it is presented to ,god by none but persons who1 loaded with his immense benefits1 devote themselves and all their actions to him in return4 ,the other may be called the sacrifice of propitiation or expiation4 ,a sacrifice of expiation is that which is offered to appease the wrath of ,god1 to satisfy his justice1 and thereby to purify and cleanse from sins1 that the sinner1 delivered from the defilement of iniquity1 and restored to the purity of righteousness1 may be re-admitted to the favour of ,god4 ,this was the designation1 under the law1 of those victims which were offered for the expiation of sins2 not that they were sufficient to effect the restoration of the favour of ,god1 or the obliteration of iniquity1 but because they prefigured that true sacrifice which at length was actually accomplished by ,christ alone2 by him alone1 because it could be made by no other2 and once for all1 because the virtue and efficacy of that one sacrifice is eternal2 as ,christ himself declared1 when he said1 8,it is finished20#acdf that is to say1 whatever was necessary to reconcile us to the ,father1 and to obtain remission of sins1 righteousness1 and salvation1 was all effected and completed by that one oblation of himself1 which was so perfect as to leave no room for any other sacrifice afterwards4 ,,xiv4 ,wherefore1 ,i conclude1 that it is a most criminal insult1 and intolerable blasphemy1 both against ,christ himself1 and against the sacrifice which he completed on our behalf by his death upon the cross1 for any man to repeat any oblation with a view to procure the pardon of sins1 propitiate ,god1 and obtain righteousness4 ,but what is the object of the mass1 except it be that by the merit of a new oblation we may be made partakers of the passion of ,christ8 ,and that there might be no limits to their folly1 they have not been satisfied with affirming it to be a common sacrifice offered equally for the whole ,church1 without adding1 that it was in their power to make a peculiar application of it to any individual they chose1 or rather to every one who was willing to purchase such a commodity with ready money4 ,though they could not reach the price of ,judas1 yet1 to exemplify some characteristic of their author1 they have retained the resemblance of number4 ,judas sold ,jesus for thirty pieces of silver2 these men1 as far as in them lies1 sell him1 in ,french money1 for thirty pieces of copper2 ,judas sold him but once2 they sell him as often as they meet with a purchaser4 ,in this sense1 we deny that they are priests2 that they can intercede with ,god on behalf of the people by such an oblation2 that they can appease the wrath of ,god1 or obtain the remission of sins4 ,for ,christ is the sole ,priest and ,high-,priest of the ,new ,testament1 to whom all the ancient priesthoods have been transferred1 and in whom they are all terminated and closed4 ,and even if the ,scripture had made no mention of the eternal priesthood of ,christ1 yet as ,god1 since the abrogation of the former priesthoods1 has instituted no other1 the argument of the apostle is irrefragable1 that 8no man taketh this honour unto himself1 but he that is called of ,god40#acdg ,with what effrontery1 then1 do these sacrilegious mortals1 who boast of being the executioners of ,christ1 dare to call themselves priests of the living ,god6 ,,xv4 ,there is a beautiful passage in ,plato1 in which he treats of the ancient expiations among the heathen1 and ridicules the foolish confidence of wicked and profligate men1 who thought that such disguises would conceal their crimes from the view of their gods1 and1 as if they had made a compromise with their gods1 indulged themselves in their vices with the greater security4 ,this passage almost seems as if it had been written with a view to the missal expiation as it is now practised in the world4 ,to defraud and circumvent another person1 every one knows to be unlawful4 ,to injure widows1 to plunder orphans1 to harass the poor1 to obtain the property of others by wicked arts1 to seize any one's fortune by perjuries and frauds1 to oppress a neighbour with violence and tyrannical terror1 are universally acknowledged to be enormous crimes4 ,how1 then1 do so many persons dare to commit all these sins1 as if they might perpetrate them with impunity8 ,if we duly consider1 we shall find that they derive fresh encouragement from no other cause than the confidence which they feel that they shall be able to satisfy ,god by the sacrifice of the mass1 as a complete discharge of all their obligations to him1 or at least that it affords them an easy mode of compromising with him4 ,plato afterwards goes on to ridicule the gross stupidity of those who expect by such expiations to be delivered from the punishments which they would otherwise have to suffer in hell4 ,and what is the design of the obits1 or anniversary obsequies1 and the greater part of the masses1 but that those who all their lifetime have been the most cruel of tyrants1 the most rapacious of robbers1 or abandoned to every enormity1 as if redeemed with this price1 may escape the fire of purgatory8 ,,xvi4 ,under the other kind of sacrifices1 which we have called the sacrifice of thanksgiving1 are included all the offices of charity1 which when we perform to our brethren1 we honour the ,lord himself in his members2 and likewise all our prayers1 praises1 thanksgivings1 and every thing that we do in the service of ,god2 all which are dependent on a greater sacrifice1 by which we are consecrated in soul and body as holy temples to the ,lord4 ,it is not enough for our external actions to be employed in his service3 it is necessary that first ourselves1 and then all our works1 be consecrated and dedicated to him2 that whatever belongs to us may conduce to his glory1 and discover a zeal for its advancement4 ,this kind of sacrifice has no tendency to appease the wrath of ,god1 to procure remission of sins1 or to obtain righteousness3 its sole object is to magnify and exalt the glory of ,god4 ,for it cannot be acceptable and pleasing to ,god1 except from the hands of those whom he has already favoured with the remission of their sins1 reconciled to himself1 and absolved from guilt2 and it is so necessary to the ,church as to be altogether indispensable4 ,therefore it will continue to be offered for ever1 as long as the people of ,god shall exist2 as we have already seen from the prophet4 ,for so far are we from wishing to abolish it1 that in that sense we are pleased to understand the following prediction3 8,from the rising of the sun1 even unto the going down of the same1 my name shall be great among the ,gentiles2 and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name1 and a pure offering2 for my name shall be great among the heathen1 saith the ,lord of hosts40#acdh ,so ,paul enjoins us to 8present0 our 8bodies1 a living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto ,god10 which is our 8reasonable service40#acdi ,he has expressed himself with the strictest propriety1 by adding that this is our reasonable service2 for he intended a spiritual kind of ,divine worship1 which he tacitly opposed to the carnal sacrifices of the ,mosaic law4 ,so 8to do good1 and to communicate10 are called 8sacrifices with which ,god is well pleased40#acej ,so the liberality of the ,philippians in supplying the wants of ,paul was 8an odour of a sweet smell1 a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to ,god40#acea ,so all the good works of believers are spiritual sacrifices4 ,,xvii4 ,why do ,i multiply quotations8 ,this form of expression is perpetually occurring in the ,scriptures4 ,and even while the people were kept under the external discipline of the law1 it was sufficiently declared by the prophets that those carnal sacrifices contained a reality and truth which is common to the ,christian ,church1 as well as to the nation of the ,jews4 ,for this reason ,david prayed1 8,let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense2 and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice40#aceb ,and ,hosea called thanksgivings 8the calves of our lips10#acec which ,david calls 8offering thanksgiving0 and 8offering praise40#aced ,in imitation of the ,psalmist1 the apostle himself says1 8,let us offer the sacrifice of praise to ,god continually20 and by way of explanation adds1 8that is1 the fruit of our lips10 confessing or giving 8thanks to his name40#acee ,this kind of sacrifice is indispensable in the supper of the ,lord1 in which1 while we commemorate and declare his death1 and give thanks1 we do no other than offer the sacrifice of praise4 ,from this sacrificial employment1 all ,christians are called 8a royal priesthood20#acef because1 as the apostle says1 8,by ,christ we offer the sacrifice of praise to ,god1 that is1 the fruit of our lips1 giving thanks to his name40 ,for we do not appear in the presence of ,god with our oblations without an intercessor2 ,christ is the ,mediator1 by whom we offer ourselves and all that we have to the ,father4 ,he is our ,high ,priest1 who1 having entered into the celestial sanctuary1 opens the way of access for us4 ,he is our altar1 upon which we place our oblations1 that whatever we venture to do1 we may attempt in him4 ,in a word1 it is he that 8hath made us kings and priests unto ,god40#aceg ,,xviii4 ,what remains1 then1 but for the blind to see1 the deaf to hear1 and even children to understand1 this abomination of the mass8 which1 being presented in a vessel of gold1 has so inebriated and stupefied all the kings and people of the earth1 from the highest to the lowest1 that1 more senseless than the brutes themselves1 they have placed the whole of their salvation in this fatal gulf4 ,surely ,satan never employed a more powerful engine to assail and conquer the kingdom of ,christ4 ,this is the ,helen1 for which the enemies of the truth in the present day contend with cruelty1 rage1 and fury2 a ,helen1 indeed1 with which they so pollute themselves with spiritual fornication1 which is the most execrable of all4 ,here ,i touch not1 even with my little finger1 the gross abuses which they might pretend to be profanations of the purity of their holy mass2 what a scandalous traffic they carry on1 what sordid gains they make by their masses1 with what enormous rapacity they gratify their avarice4 ,i only point out1 and that in few and plain words1 the true nature of the most sanctimonious sanctity of the mass1 on account of which it has attracted so much admiration and veneration for so many ages4 ,for an illustration of such great mysteries proportioned to their dignity1 would require a larger treatise2 and ,i am unwilling to introduce those disgusting corruptions which are universally notorious2 that all men may understand that the mass1 considered in its choicest and most estimable purity1 without any of its appendages1 from the beginning to the end1 is full of every species of impiety1 blasphemy1 idolatry1 and sacrilege4 ,,xix4 ,the readers may now see1 collected into a brief summary1 almost every thing that ,i have thought important to be known respecting these two sacraments2 the use of which has been enjoined on the ,christian ,church from the commencement of the ,new ,testament until the end of time2 that is to say1 baptism1 to be a kind of entrance into the ,church1 and an initiatory profession of faith2 and the ,lord's supper1 to be a continual nourishment1 with which ,christ spiritually feeds his family of believers4 ,wherefore1 as there is but 8one ,god1 one ,christ1 one faith10 one ,church1 the body of ,christ1 so there is only 8one baptism0 and that is never repeated2 but the supper is frequently distributed1 that those who have once been admitted into the ,church1 may understand that they are continually nourished by ,christ4 ,beside these two1 as no other sacrament has been instituted by ,god1 so no other ought to be acknowledged by the ,church of believers4 ,for that it is not left to the will of man to institute new sacraments1 will be easily understood if we remember what has already been very plainly stated--that sacraments are appointed by ,god for the purpose of instructing us respecting some promise of his1 and assuring us of his good-will towards us2 and if we also consider1 that no one has been the counsellor of ,god1 capable of affording us any certainty respecting his will1#aceh or furnishing us any assurance of his disposition towards us1 what he chooses to give or to deny us4 ,hence it follows1 that no one can institute a sign to be a testimony respecting any determination or promise of his2 he alone can furnish us a testimony respecting himself by giving a sign4 ,i will express myself in terms more concise1 and perhaps more homely1 but more explicit--that there can be no sacrament unaccompanied with a promise of salvation4 ,all mankind1 collected in one assembly1 can promise us nothing respecting our salvation4 ,therefore they can never institute or establish a sacrament4 ,,xx4 ,let the ,christian ,church1 therefore1 be content with these two1 and not only neither admit nor acknowledge any other at present1 but neither desire nor expect any other to the end of the world4 ,for as the ,jews1 beside the ordinary sacraments given to them1 had also several others1 differing according to the varying circumstances of different periods1 such as the manna1 the water issuing from the rock1 the brazen serpent1 and the like1 they were admonished by this variation not to rest in such figures1 which were of short duration1 but to expect from ,god something better1 which should undergo no change and come to no end4 ,but our case is very different3 to us ,christ has been revealed1 8in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge10#acei in such abundance and profusion1 that to hope or desire any new accession to these treasures would really be to displease ,god1 and provoke his wrath against us4 ,we must hunger after ,christ1 we must seek1 contemplate1 and learn him alone1 till the dawning of that great day1 when our ,lord will fully manifest the glory of his kingdom1 and reveal himself to us1 so that 8we shall see him as he is40#acfj ,and for this reason1 the dispensation under which we live is designated in the ,scriptures as 8the last time10 8these last times10 8the last days10#acfa that no one may deceive himself with a vain expectation of any new doctrine or revelation4 ,for 8,god1 who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets1 hath1 in these last days1 spoken unto us by his ,son10#acfb who alone is able to 8reveal the ,father10#acfc and who1 indeed1 8hath declared him0#acfd fully1 as far as is necessary for our happiness1 while 8now we see0 him 8through a glass darkly40#acfe ,as men are not left at liberty to institute new sacraments in the ,church of ,god1 so it were to be wished that as little as possible of human invention should be mixed with those which have been instituted by ,god4 ,for as wine is diluted and lost by an infusion of water1 and as a whole mass of meal contracts acidity from a sprinkling of leaven1 so the purity of ,divine mysteries is only polluted when man makes any addition of his own4 ,and yet we see1 as the sacraments are observed in the present day1 how very far they have degenerated from their original purity4 ,there is every where an excess of pageantries1 ceremonies1 and gesticulations2 but no consideration or mention of the word of ,god1 without which even the sacraments themselves cease to be sacraments4 ,and the very ceremonies which have been instituted by ,god are not to be discerned among such a multitude of others1 by which they are overwhelmed4 ,in baptism1 how little is seen of that which ought to be the only conspicuous object--,i mean baptism itself8 ,and the ,lord's supper has been completely buried since it has been transformed into the mass2 except that it is exhibited once a year1 but in a partial and mutilated form4 ,footnote #acbh3 ,gen4 xiv4 #ah4 ,psalm cx4 #d4 ,heb4 v4 #e1 #f1 #aj2 vii4 #ag1 #ba1 #bc1 #bd2 ix4 #aa2 x4 #ba4 ,footnote #acbi3 ,heb4 vii4 #bc4 ,footnote #accj3 ,heb4 vii4 #a1 #g4 ,footnote #acca3 ,heb4 vii4 #bg2 x4 #aj1 #ad2 ix4 #ab4 ,footnote #accb3 ,heb4 ix4 #bf2 x4 #aj2 xiv4 #ah4 ,footnote #accc3 ,john xix4 #cj4 ,footnote #accd3 #a ,cor4 v4 #g1 #h4 ,footnote #acce3 ,mal4 i4 #aa4 ,footnote #accf3 ,isaiah xix4 #bc4 ,joel ii4 #bh4 ,footnote #accg3 ,isaiah xix4 #ai1 #bc4 ,footnote #acch3 ,heb4 ix4 #af4 ,footnote #acci3 ,heb4 ix4 #bc1 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #acdj3 ,heb4 ix4 #bb4 ,footnote #acda3 ,luke xxii4 #ag4 ,footnote #acdb3 #a ,cor4 x4 #af4 ,footnote #acdc3 #a ,sam4 xv4 #bb4 ,footnote #acdd3 ,heb4 v4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #acde3 ,gal4 iii4 #a4 ,footnote #acdf3 ,john xix4 #cj4 ,footnote #acdg3 ,heb4 v4 #d4 ,footnote #acdh3 ,mal4 i4 #aa4 ,footnote #acdi3 ,rom4 xii4 #a4 ,footnote #acej3 ,heb4 xiii4 #af4 ,footnote #acea3 ,phil4 iv4 #ah4 ,footnote #aceb3 ,psalm cxli4 #b4 ,footnote #acec3 ,hosea xiv4 #b4 ,footnote #aced3 ,psalm l4 #ad1 #bc4 ,footnote #acee3 ,heb4 xiii4 #ae4 ,footnote #acef3 #a ,peter ii4 #i4 ,footnote #aceg3 ,rev4 i4 #f4 ,footnote #aceh3 ,isaiah xl4 #ad4 ,rom4 xi4 #cd4 ,footnote #acei3 ,col4 ii4 #c4 ,footnote #acfj3 #a ,john iii4 #b4 ,footnote #acfa3 #a ,john ii4 #ah4 #a ,peter i4 #bj4 ,acts ii4 #ag4 ,footnote #acfb3 ,heb4 i4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #acfc3 ,luke x4 #bb4 ,footnote #acfd3 ,john i4 #ah4 ,footnote #acfe3 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ab4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,five ,,other ,,ceremonies1 ,,falsely ,,called ,,sacraments1 ,,proved ,,not ,,to ,,be ,,sacraments2 ,,their ,,nature ,,explained4 ,the preceding discussion respecting the sacraments might satisfy persons of docile and sober minds1 that they ought not to carry their curiosity any further1 or without the sanction of the word of ,god1 to receive any other sacraments beside those two which they know to have been instituted by the ,lord4 ,but as the opinion of seven sacraments has been so generally admitted in the common conversation of mankind1 and pervaded the controversies of the schools1 and the sermons of the pulpit1--as it has gathered strength from its antiquity1 and still keeps its hold on the minds of men1--,i have thought ,i should perform a useful service by entering into a closer and distinct examination of the five ceremonies1 which are commonly numbered among the true and genuine sacraments of the ,lord1 by clearing away every fallacy1 and exhibiting to the view of plain ,christians the real nature of those ceremonies1 and how falsely they have hitherto been considered as sacraments4 ,here1 in the first place1 ,i wish to declare to all believers1 that ,i am not induced to enter on this controversy respecting the term1 by the least desire of contention1 but that ,i am urged by important reasons to resist the abuse of it4 ,i am aware that ,christians have power over names as well as things1 and may therefore apply words to things at their own pleasure1 provided they retain a pious meaning1 even though there be some impropriety of expression4 ,all this ,i admit1 though it would be better for words to be subject to things1 than for things to be subject to words4 ,the case of the term sacrament1 however1 is different4 ,for those who maintain seven sacraments1 give them all the same definition--that they are visible forms of invisible grace2 they make them all alike vessels of the ,holy ,spirit1 instruments of communicating righteousness1 causes of obtaining grace4 ,and the ,master of the ,sentences1 ,lombard1 denies that the sacraments of the ,mosaic law are properly designated by this appellation2 because they did not communicate that which they prefigured4 ,is it to be endured1 that those symbols1 which the ,lord consecrated with his own mouth1 and which he adorned with excellent promises1 should not be acknowledged as sacraments2 and1 at the same time1 that this honour should be transferred to those rites which are merely inventions of men1 or1 at least1 are observed without any express command of ,god8 ,either1 therefore1 let them change their definition1 or abstain from this abuse of the term1 which afterwards generates false and absurd opinions4 ,extreme unction1 they say1 is a figure and cause of invisible grace1 because it is a sacrament4 ,if we ought by no means to admit their inference from the term1 it certainly behoves us to lose no time in resisting their application of the term itself1 that we may not be chargeable with giving any occasion to such an error4 ,again3 to prove that ceremony to be a sacrament1 they allege this reason--that it consists of the external sign and the word of ,god4 ,if we find neither command nor promise respecting it1 can we do otherwise than oppose it8 ,,ii4 ,now1 it appears that we are not debating about the word1 but raising a necessary and useful controversy respecting the thing itself4 ,we must strenuously maintain1 therefore1 what we have already established by irrefragable argument that the power to institute sacraments belongs to ,god alone2 for a sacrament ought to exhibit the certain promise of ,god1 for the assurance and consolation of the consciences of believers2 which could never receive such assurance and consolation from man4 ,a sacrament ought to be a testimony to us of the good-will of ,god towards us--a testimony which no man or angel can ever give1 as none has been 8his counsellor40 ,it is he alone1 therefore1 who1 with legitimate authority1 testifies to us concerning himself by means of his word4 ,a sacrament is a seal by which the testament or promise of ,god is sealed4 ,but it could not be sealed by corporeal things and the elements of this world1 unless they were marked out and appointed for this purpose by the power of ,god4 ,therefore man cannot institute a sacrament2 because it is not in human power to cause such great and ,divine mysteries to be concealed under such mean symbols4 8,the word of ,god must precede10 as is excellently remarked by ,augustine1 8in order to make a sacrament to be a sacrament40 ,moreover1 if we would avoid falling into many absurdities1 it is requisite to preserve some distinction between a sacrament and other ceremonies4 ,the apostles prayed on bended knees2 shall we1 therefore1 never kneel without making it a sacrament8 ,the early ,christians are said to have turned their faces towards the east when they prayed2 shall looking towards the east1 then1 be regarded as a sacrament8 ,paul says1 8,i will that men pray every where1 lifting up holy hands10#acff and the prayers of the saints appear to have been often made with uplifted hands2 shall elevation of hands also be made a sacrament8 ,on this principle all the gestures of the saints would become sacraments4 ,i would not insist on these things1 however1 if they were not connected with those greater inconveniences4 ,,iii4 ,if they wish to press us with the authority of the ancient ,church1 ,i assert that this is a groundless pretence4 ,for the number of seven sacraments can nowhere be found in the ecclesiastical writers1 nor is it clear when it was introduced4 ,i grant1 indeed1 that the fathers sometimes make too free a use of the word sacrament2 but they use it indifferently to signify all ceremonies and external rites1 and all exercises of piety4 ,but1 when they speak of those signs which we ought to regard as testimonies of the grace of ,god1 they are content with these two1 baptism and the eucharist4 ,that this may not be supposed to be a false allegation1 ,i shall here cite a few testimonies from ,augustine4 ,to ,januarius he says1 8,first1 ,i wish you to know what is the principal point of this controversy--that our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 as he says in the gospel1 has laid upon us an easy yoke and a light burden4 ,and1 therefore1 he has linked together the society of the ,christian ,church by sacraments1 very few in number1 most easy to observe1 and excellent in signification4 ,such are baptism1 consecrated in the name of the ,trinity1 and the communion of the body and blood of the ,lord1 and if there be any other enjoined in the canonical ,scriptures40 ,again1 in his treatise ,on the ,christian ,doctrine3 8,since the resurrection of our ,lord1 our ,lord himself1 and the practice of his apostles1 instead of many signs1 have given us few1 and those most easy in performance1 most excellent in signification1 and most pure in observance2 such are baptism1 and the celebration of the body and blood of the ,lord40 ,why does he make no mention here of the sacred or septenary number8 ,is it probable that he would have omitted it1 if it had then been instituted in the ,church2 especially as1 in other cases1 he was more curious in the observation of numbers than was at all necessary8 ,and1 when he names baptism and the ,lord's supper1 and is silent respecting any others1 does he not sufficiently indicate1 that these two mysteries possess superior and peculiar dignity1 and that all other ceremonies occupy an inferior station8 ,wherefore ,i affirm that these advocates for seven sacraments are not only unsupported by the word of the ,lord1 but also by the consent of the ancient ,church1 however they may boast of such consent4 ,let us now proceed to the particular ceremonies4 ,,confirmation4 ,,iv4 ,it was an ancient custom in the ,church for the children of ,christians1 after they were come to years of discretion1 to be presented to the bishop in order to fulfil that duty which was required of adults who offered themselves to baptism4 ,for such persons were placed among the catechumens1 till1 being duly instructed in the mysteries of ,christianity1 they were enabled to make a confession of their faith before the bishop and all the people4 ,therefore those who had been baptized in their infancy1 because they had not then made such a confession of faith before the ,church1 at the close of childhood1 or the commencement of adolescence1 were again presented by their parents1 and were examined by the bishop according to the form of the catechism which was then in common use4 ,that this exercise1 which deserved to be regarded as sacred and solemn1 might have the greater dignity and reverence1 they also practised the ceremony of imposition of hands4 ,thus the youth1 after having given satisfaction respecting his faith1 was dismissed with a solemn benediction4 ,this custom is frequently mentioned by the ancient writers4 ,leo1 the pope1 says1 8,if any one be converted from heresy1 let him not be baptized again2 but let the influence of the ,spirit1 which he wanted among the heretics1 be communicated to him by the imposition of the hands of the bishop40 ,here our adversaries will exclaim that any ceremony1 by which the ,holy ,spirit is conferred1 is properly denominated a sacrament4 ,but the meaning of ,leo in these words is sufficiently unfolded by himself in another place3 8,whoever is baptized among heretics1 let him not be rebaptized2 but let him be confirmed by imposition of hands with invocation of the ,holy ,spirit2 because he has received the mere form of baptism1 without the sanctification40 ,it is also mentioned by ,jerome against the ,luciferians4 ,and though ,i confess that ,jerome is not altogether correct in stating it to have been a custom of the apostles1 yet he is very far from the absurdities now maintained by the ,romanists2 and he even corrects that very statement by adding1 that this benediction was committed wholly to the bishops1 8rather in honour of the priesthood than from necessity imposed by any law40 ,such imposition of hands1 therefore1 as is simply connected with benediction1 ,i highly approve1 and wish it were now restored to its primitive use1 uncorrupted by superstition4 ,v4 ,succeeding times have almost obliterated that ancient practice1 and introduced ,i know not what counterfeit confirmation as a sacrament of ,god4 ,they have pretended that the virtue of confirmation is to give the ,holy ,spirit for the augmentation of grace1 who in baptism is given for innocence2 to strengthen for warfare those who in baptism had been regenerated to life4 ,this confirmation is performed by unction and the following form of words3 8,i sign thee with the sign of the cross1 and confirm thee with the chrism of salvation1 in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,spirit40 ,all this sounds very beautifully and pleasantly4 ,but where is the word of ,god which promises the presence of the ,holy ,spirit in this ceremony8 ,they cannot allege a single iota4 ,how1 then1 will they assure us that their chrism is the vessel of the ,holy ,spirit8 ,we see oil1 a thick and viscid liquid1 and we see nothing besides4 ,augustine says1 8,let the word be added to the element1 and it will become a sacrament40 ,let the ,romanists produce this word1 if they wish us to contemplate in the oil any thing beyond the oil itself4 ,if they acknowledged themselves ministers of the sacraments1 as they ought to do1 there would be no need of any further contention4 ,the first law of a minister is to undertake nothing without a command4 ,now1 let them produce any command for this service1 and ,i will not add another word on the subject4 ,if they have no command1 they can have no excuse for such sacrilegious audacity4 ,on the same principle1 our ,lord interrogated the ,pharisees3 8,the baptism of ,john1 whence was it8 from heaven or of men80#acfg ,if they had answered1 ,from men1 he would have extorted a confession that it was vain and frivolous2 if1 ,from heaven1 they would be constrained to admit the doctrine of ,john4 ,to avoid too great an injury to ,john1 therefore1 they did not dare to confess it was from men4 ,so1 if confirmation be 8of men10 it is evinced to be vain and frivolous2 if they wish to persuade us that it is from heaven1 let them prove it4 ,,vi4 ,they defend themselves1 indeed1 by the example of the apostles1 whom they consider as having done nothing without sufficient reason4 ,this consideration is correct2 nor would they receive any reprehension from us1 if they showed themselves imitators of the apostles4 ,but what was the practice of the apostles8 ,luke relates1 that 8when the apostles1 which were at ,jerusalem1 heard that ,samaria had received the word of ,god1 they sent unto them ,peter and ,john2 who1 when they were come down1 prayed for them1 that they might receive the ,holy ,ghost2 for as yet he was fallen upon none of them2 only they were baptized in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,then laid they their hands on them1 and they received the ,holy ,ghost40#acfh ,and this imposition of hands is mentioned by the sacred historian on several occasions4 ,i perceive what the apostles did--that they faithfully executed their ministry4 ,it was the ,lord's will1 that those visible and wonderful graces of the ,holy ,spirit1 which he then poured out upon his people1 should be administered and distributed by his apostles with imposition of hands4 ,now1 ,i do not conceive that the imposition of hands concealed any higher mystery1 but am of opinion that this ceremony was employed by them as an external expression of their commending1 and1 as it were1 presenting to ,god1 the person upon whom they laid their hands4 ,if the ministry which was then executed by the apostles were still continued in the ,church1 imposition of hands ought also to be still observed2 but since such grace is no longer conferred1 of what use is the imposition of hands8 ,it is true that the people of ,god still enjoy the presence of the ,holy ,spirit1 whose guidance and direction are indispensable to the existence of the ,church4 ,for we have the eternal promise1 which can never fail1 and in which ,christ has said1 8,if any man thirst1 let him come unto me1 and drink living water40#acfi ,but those miraculous powers and manifest operations1 which were distributed by imposition of hands1 have ceased2 and it was right that they should continue but for a time4 ,for it was necessary that the first preaching of the gospel1 and the kingdom of ,christ1 at its commencement1 should be illustrated and magnified by miracles never seen or heard before3 the subsequent cessation of which does not argue the ,lord's desertion of his ,church1 but is equivalent to a declaration from him that the magnificence of his reign and the dignity of his word had been sufficiently manifested4 ,in what respect1 then1 will these impostors affirm that they imitate the apostles8 ,they should have effected1 by imposition of hands1 that the evident power of the ,spirit might immediately show itself4 ,this they do not practise4 ,why1 then1 do they boast that they are countenanced by the imposition of hands1 which we find was used by the apostles1 but for a totally different purpose4 ,,vii4 ,this is just as reasonable as it would be for any one to affirm the afflation1 with which the ,lord breathed upon his disciples1 to be a sacrament by which the ,holy ,spirit is conferred4#acgj ,but though the ,lord did this once1 he has never directed it to be done by us4 ,in the same manner1 the apostles practised imposition of hands during that period in which the ,lord was pleased to dispense the visible graces of the ,holy ,spirit in compliance with their prayers2 not in order that persons in succeeding times might counterfeit a vain and useless sign1 as a mere piece of mimicry destitute of any reality4 ,besides1 even if they could prove themselves to imitate the apostles in the imposition of hands1 in which they have nothing similar to the apostles1 except this preposterous mimicry1 whence do they derive their oil1 which they call the oil of salvation8 ,who has taught them to seek salvation in oil8 ,who has taught them to attribute to it the property of imparting spiritual strength8 ,is it ,paul1 who calls us off from the elements of this world1 and severely condemns an attachment to such observances8#acga ,on the contrary1 ,i fearlessly pronounce1 not of myself1 but from the ,lord1 that those who call oil the oil of salvation1 abjure the salvation which is in ,christ1 reject ,christ1 and have no part in the kingdom of ,god4 ,for oil is for the belly1 and the belly for oil2 the ,lord shall destroy both2 all these weak elements 8which perish with the using10#acgb have no connection with the kingdom of ,god1 which is spiritual1 and shall never perish4 ,what1 then1 it will be said1 do you apply the same rule to the water with which we are baptized1 and to the bread and wine used in the ,lord's supper8 ,i answer1 that in sacraments of ,divine appointment1 two things are to be regarded--the substance of the corporeal symbol which is proposed to us1 and the character impressed upon it by the word of ,god1 in which consists all its virtue4 ,therefore1 as the bread1 and wine1 and water1 which are presented to our view in the sacraments1 retain their natural substance1 that observation of ,paul is always applicable3 8,meats for the belly1 and the belly for meats2 but ,god shall destroy both it and them20#acgc for they pass and vanish away with the fashion of this world4 ,but as they are sanctified by the word of ,god to be sacraments1 they do not confine us to the flesh1 but impart to us true and spiritual instruction4 ,,viii4 ,let us examine still more narrowly how many monsters are fostered by this oil4 ,the dispensers of it say1 that the ,holy ,spirit is given1 in baptism for innocence1 in confirmation for an augmentation of grace2 that in baptism we are regenerated to life1 and that by confirmation we are armed for warfare2 and they have so far lost all shame1 as to deny that baptism can be rightly performed without confirmation4 ,what corruption6 ,are we not1 then1 8in baptism buried with ,christ1 planted together in the likeness of his death10 that we may be 8also in the likeness of his resurrection80 ,now this fellowship with the death and life of ,christ1 ,paul explains to consist in the mortification of the flesh1 and the vivification of the ,spirit2 8that our old man is crucified with him1 that we should walk in newness of life40#acgd ,what is it to be armed for the spiritual warfare1 if this be not8 ,if they deemed it of no importance to trample under foot the word of ,god1 why did they not at least reverence the ,church1 to which they wish to appear so uniformly obsequious8 ,but what can be produced more severe against this doctrine of theirs1 than the following decree of the ,council of ,milevum8 8,whoever asserts that baptism is only given for the remission of sins1 and not for assistance of future grace1 let him be accursed40 ,when ,luke1 in a passage which we have already cited1 speaks of some as having been 8baptized in the name of the ,lord ,jesus10#acge who had not received the ,holy ,ghost1 he does not absolutely deny that any gift of the ,spirit had been imparted to those persons who had believed in ,christ with the heart1 and had confessed him with the mouth2 he intends that gift of the ,spirit which communicated his manifest powers and visible graces4 ,so the apostles are said to have received the ,holy ,spirit on the day of ,pentecost2 though ,christ had long before declared to them1 8,it is not ye that speak1 but the ,spirit of your ,father1 which speaketh in you40#acgf ,let all who are of ,god1 here observe the malicious and pestilent artifice of ,satan4 ,that which was truly given in baptism1 he falsely asserts to be given in his confirmation1 with the crafty design of seducing us unawares from baptism4 ,who can doubt1 now1 that this is the doctrine of ,satan1 which severs from baptism the promises which belong to that sacrament1 and transfers them to something else8 ,it is now discovered on what kind of a foundation this famous unction rests4 ,the word of ,god is1 that 8as many as have been baptized into ,christ1 have put on ,christ10#acgg with his gifts4 ,the word of these anointers is1 ,that we have received no promise in baptism to arm us for the spiritual warfare4 ,the word of ,god is the voice of truth2 consequently the word of the anointers must be the voice of falsehood4 ,i can1 therefore1 give a more correct definition of this confirmation than they have yet given of it2 namely1 that it is a manifest insult against baptism1 obscuring and even abolishing its use2 that it is a deceitful promise of the devil1 seducing us from the truth of ,god2 or1 if the following be preferred1 that it is oil polluted with the falsehood of the devil1 to darken and deceive the minds of the simple4 ,,ix4 ,they further assert that all believers after baptism ought to receive the ,holy ,spirit by imposition of hands1 that they may be found complete ,christians2 for that no one can be altogether a ,christian who is never anointed with episcopal confirmation4 ,these are their own words4 ,but ,i thought that all things relating to ,christianity had been comprehended and declared in the ,scriptures4 ,now1 it seems1 the true form of religion is to be sought and learned from some other quarter4 ,the wisdom of ,god1 therefore1 celestial truth1 all the doctrine of ,christ1 only begins to make ,christians2 oil completes them4 ,such a sentiment condemns all the apostles1 and a number of martyrs who1 it is certain1 had never received this unction4 ,for the holy chrism1 the perfusion of which would complete their ,christianity1 or rather make them ,christians from being no ,christians at all1 had not then been manufactured4 ,but these chrismatics abundantly confute themselves1 without my saying a word4 ,for how small a part of their people do they anoint after baptism8 ,why1 then1 do they suffer such semi-,christians in their own community1 from an imperfection which they might easily remedy8 ,why do they1 with such supine negligence1 suffer them to omit that which cannot be omitted without great criminality8 ,why do they not more rigidly insist upon a thing so necessary and indispensable to salvation1 unless any one be prevented by sudden death8 ,surely while they suffer it to be so easily despised1 they tacitly confess it not to be of so much importance as they pretend it to be4 ,x4 ,in the last place1 they determine that this sacred unction ought to be held in greater reverence than baptism2 because it is only dispensed by the hands of the greatest prelates1 whereas baptism is commonly administered by all priests4 ,must they not be considered as evidently mad1 who discover such fondness for their own inventions1 that1 in comparison with them1 they presume to undervalue the sacred institutions of ,god8 ,sacrilegious mouth1 dost thou dare to place an unction1 which is only defiled with thy fetid breath1 and enchanted by the muttering of a few words1 on a level with the sacrament of ,christ1 and to compare it with water sanctified by the word of ,god8 ,but this would not satisfy thy presumption2 thou hast even given it the preference6 ,these are the responses of the ,holy ,see2 they are the oracles of the apostolic tripod4 ,but some of them have begun to moderate this infatuation1 which even in their opinion was carried beyond all due limits4 ,confirmation is to be regarded1 they say1 with greater reverence than baptism2 not1 perhaps1 for the greater virtue and advantage that it confers1 but because it is dispensed by persons of superior dignity1 and is applied to the nobler part of the body1 that is1 the forehead2 or because it contributes a greater augmentation of virtues1 though baptism is more available to remission4 ,but in the first reason1 do they not betray themselves to be ,donatists1 who estimate the virtue of the sacrament by the dignity or worthiness of the minister8 ,i will grant1 however1 that confirmation be considered as more excellent from the dignity of episcopal hands4 ,but if any one inquire of them how such a prerogative has been conferred on bishops1 what reason will they assign but their own pleasure8 ,they allege1 that the apostles alone exercised that right1 being the sole dispensers of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,are bishops the only apostles2 or are they apostles at all8 ,let us1 however1 grant that also2 why do they not on the same principle contend that none but bishops ought to touch the sacrament of the blood in the ,lord's supper2 which they refuse to the laity1 because the ,lord1 as they say1 only gave it to the apostles8 ,if our ,lord gave it to the apostles alone1 why do they not infer1 ,therefore it ought now to be given to bishops alone8 ,but in this case they make the apostles simple presbyters2 now1 they are hurried away with an extravagant notion suddenly to create them bishops4 ,lastly1 ,ananias was not an apostle2 yet to him ,paul was sent1 that he might receive his sight1 be baptized1 and be filled with the ,holy ,ghost4#acgh ,i will add one question more3 ,if this was the peculiar office of bishops by a ,divine right1 why have they dared to transfer it to common presbyters1 as we read in one of the epistles of ,gregory8 ,,xi4 ,how frivolous and foolish is the second reason1 ,that they call their confirmation more excellent than the baptism instituted by ,god1 because in confirmation the forehead is anointed with oil1 and in baptism the crown of the head2 as though baptism were performed with oil1 and not with water6 ,i appeal to all believers1 whether these deceivers do not direct all their efforts to this one object2 to corrupt the purity of the sacraments by the leaven of their false doctrine4 ,i have already remarked1 in another part of this book1 that in the sacraments it is scarcely possible to discern that which is of ,divine institution among the multiplicity of human inventions4 ,if any one did not give credit to that observation of mine1 let him now at least believe his own masters4 ,by their passing over the water without the least notice1 it appears that the only thing to which they attribute much importance in baptism1 is their own oil4 ,we1 therefore1 on the contrary1 affirm1 that in baptism the forehead also is laved with water4 ,in comparison with this1 we esteem all their oil perfectly worthless1 whether in baptism or in confirmation4 ,if any one allege that it is sold for more1 this accession of price would only corrupt the good1 if it contained any2 an imposture of the foulest kind can never be legalized by robbery4 ,in the third reason1 they expose their impiety1 when they pretend that a greater augmentation of virtues is conferred in confirmation than in baptism4 ,the apostles1 by imposition of hands1 dispensed the visible graces of the ,spirit4 ,in what respect does their unction appear to be productive of any advantage8 ,let us leave these moderators1 therefore1 who cover one sacrilege with a number of others4 ,it is a ,gordian knot1 which it is better to cut asunder than to spend much labour to untie4 ,,xii4 ,now1 when they find themselves stripped of the word of ,god1 and of every probable argument1 they resort to their usual pretext1 that it is a very ancient usage1 and confirmed by the consent of many ages4 ,though this allegation were true1 it would not at all serve their cause4 ,a sacrament is not from earth1 but from heaven2 not of men1 but of ,god alone4 ,if they wish their confirmation to be regarded as a sacrament1 they must prove ,god to be the ,author of it4 ,but why do they allege antiquity1 seeing that the ancient fathers1 whenever they mean to express themselves with strict propriety1 nowhere enumerate more than two sacraments8 ,if it were necessary to fortify our faith by the authority of men1 we have an impregnable fortress1 that those ceremonies1 which our adversaries falsely pretend to be sacraments1 were never acknowledged as sacraments by the ancients4 ,the fathers speak of imposition of hands2 but do they call it a sacrament8 ,augustine explicitly affirms that it is no other than prayer4 ,here let them not oppose me with their foolish distinctions1 that ,augustine applied this remark to imposition of hands1 not as practised in confirmation1 but as used for the purpose of healing1 or of reconciliation4 ,the book is extant1 and is in many hands4 ,if ,i pervert the passage to any meaning different from that of ,augustine himself1 ,i am content to submit to their severest censure and contempt4 ,for he is speaking of schismatics1 who returned to the unity of the ,church2 and denies that they have any need of the reiteration of baptism1 for that imposition of hands was sufficient1 in order that1 by the bond of peace1 the ,lord might give them his ,holy ,spirit4 ,and as it might appear unreasonable to repeat imposition of hands rather than baptism1 he shows the difference4 8,for what10 he says1 8is imposition of hands1 but prayer over a man80 ,and that this was his meaning1 is evident from another passage1 where he says1 8,we lay hands upon reclaimed heretics1 for the union of charity1 which is the principal gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 and without which whatever else may be holy in man is unavailing to salvation40 ,,xiii4 ,i sincerely wish that we retained the custom1 which ,i have stated was practised among the ancients before this abortive image of a sacrament made its appearance4 ,for it was not such a confirmation as the ,romanists pretend1 which cannot be mentioned without injury to baptism2 but a catechetical exercise1 in which children or youths used to deliver an account of their faith in the presence of the ,church4 ,now1 it would be the best mode of catechetical instruction1 if a formulary were written for this purpose1 containing and stating1 in a familiar manner1 all the articles of our religion1 in which the universal ,church of believers ought to agree1 without any controversy3 a boy of ten years of age might present himself to make a confession of his faith2 he might be questioned on all the articles1 and might give suitable answers3 if he were ignorant of any1 or did not fully understand them1 he should be taught4 ,thus the ,church would witness his profession of the only true and pure faith1 in which all the community of believers unanimously worship the one ,god4 ,if this discipline were observed in the present day1 it would certainly sharpen the inactivity of some parents1 who carelessly neglect the instruction of their children as a thing in which they have no concern1 but which1 in that case1 they could not omit without public disgrace2 there would be more harmony of faith among ,christian people1 nor would many betray such great ignorance and want of information2 some would not be so easily carried away with novel and strange tenets2 in short1 all would have a regular acquaintance with ,christian doctrine4 ,,penance4 ,,xiv4 ,in the next place1 they add penance2 of which they treat in such a confused and disorderly manner1 that the consciences of men can deduce no certain or solid conclusion respecting their doctrine4 ,in another part of this treatise1 we have stated at large what we learn from the ,scriptures respecting repentance1 and likewise what is inculcated on that subject by the ,romanists4 ,our present business is only to inquire briefly into the reasons of those persons who promulgated the opinion which has prevailed for a long period in the churches and in the schools1 that penance is a sacrament4 ,in the first place1 ,i will make a few remarks on the practice of the ancient ,church1 the pretence of which they have abused for the introduction and establishment of their foolish invention4 ,the order observed by the ancients in public penitence was1 that persons who had completed the satisfactions enjoined upon them1 were reconciled to the ,church by solemn imposition of hands4 ,this was a sign of absolution1 to encourage the sinner himself with an assurance of pardon before ,god1 and to admonish the ,church that they ought to obliterate the memory of his offence1 and kindly to receive him into favour4 ,this ,cyprian often calls 8giving peace40 ,to increase the importance of this act1 and give it a greater recommendation among the people1 it was ordained that it should always be done by the authority of a bishop4 ,hence that decree of the second ,council of ,carthage3 8,let no presbyter be permitted to reconcile a penitent publicly at the mass40 ,and another decree of the ,council of ,arausium3 8,let those who1 during the period of their penitence1 depart out of this life1 be admitted to the communion without the reconciliatory imposition of hands4 ,if they recover from their illness1 let them complete the period of their penitence1 and then let them receive from the bishop the reconciliatory imposition of hands40 ,also the decree of the third ,council of ,carthage3 8,let not a presbyter reconcile a penitent without the authority of the bishop40 ,the design of all these decrees was1 to prevent the severity which they wished to preserve in this matter from falling into disuse4 ,therefore they committed it to the cognizance of the bishop1 who was likely to be more circumspect in conducting the examination4 ,but ,cyprian states that it was not the bishop alone who laid hands on the penitent1 but that all the clergy also united in this act4 ,these are his words3 8,they do penance for a proper time1 and then they come to the communion1 and are restored to the right of communion by the imposition of the hands of the bishop and clergy40 ,afterwards1 in process of time1 the custom was corrupted1 so that they used this ceremony in private absolutions1 without any public expression of penitence4 ,hence that distinction in ,gratian1 between public and private reconciliation4 ,i consider that ancient custom1 which is mentioned by ,cyprian1 to have been holy and useful to the ,church1 and could wish it were revived in the present day4 ,this more recent one1 though ,i venture not to condemn or censure it with severity1 yet ,i consider less necessary4 ,we see1 however1 that imposition of hands on repentance is a ceremony of human1 not of ,divine institution1 and is to be placed among indifferent things and external exercises1 such as are not to be despised1 but ought to hold a station far below the sacraments1 which are enjoined upon us by the word of ,god4 ,,xv4 ,now1 the ,romish theologians and schoolmen1 who are in the habit of corrupting every thing by misinterpretation1 take very great pains here to discover a sacrament1 but to no purpose4 ,nor ought this to be wondered at1 for they seek it where it is not to be found4 ,when they have done their best1 they leave the subject perplexed1 doubtful1 uncertain1 and confounded with a variety of opinions4 ,they say1 then1 that external penitence is a sacrament1 and if it be so1 that it ought to be considered as a sign of internal penitence1 that is1 of contrition of heart1 which is the substance of the sacrament2 or that both together constitute the sacrament1 not two sacraments1 but one complete one2 but that external penitence is merely the sacrament2 while that which is internal is both the sacrament and the substance of the sacrament2 and remission of sins is the substance only1 and not the sacrament4 ,let those who bear in mind the definition of a sacrament which we have already given1 apply it to the examination of this pretended sacrament1 and they will find that it is not an external ceremony instituted by ,god for the confirmation of our faith4 ,if they plead that my definition is not a law which they are bound to obey1 let them hear ,augustine1 whom they profess to regard with the greatest reverence4 ,he says1 8,visible sacraments are instituted for carnal persons1 that by the steps of the sacraments they may be led from those things which are visible to the eye1 to those which are intelligible to the mind40 ,what resemblance to this do they themselves see1 or are they able to point out to others1 in that which they call the sacrament of penance8 ,the same writer says in another place1 8,it is therefore called a sacrament1 because one thing is seen1 another is understood in it4 ,that which is seen has corporeal form2 that which is understood has spiritual fruit40 ,these things are not at all applicable to the sacrament of penance1 which they have invented1 in which there is no corporeal form to represent any spiritual fruit4 ,,xvi4 ,and to vanquish these champions on their own ground1 if any sacrament be sought for here1 would it not be far more plausible to say that the sacrament consists in the absolution of the priest1 rather than in penitence1 either internal or external8 ,for it would be easy to say1 that this is a ceremony appointed for the confirmation of our faith in the remission of sins1 and has what they call the promise of the keys3 8,whatsoever ye shall bind on earth1 shall be bound in heaven2 and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth1 shall be loosed in heaven40#acgi ,but some would have objected1 that many who are absolved by priests1 derive no such benefits from their absolution2 whereas1 upon their principle1 the sacraments of the new law actually accomplish that which they represent4 ,to this it might be replied1 that1 as in the eucharist there is a twofold eating1--sacramental1 which is equally common to the good and the wicked2 and spiritual1 which is peculiar to the good--why might they not also imagine the reception of a twofold absolution8 ,yet ,i have never yet been able to comprehend what they intended by that principle of theirs1 respecting the efficacious virtue of the sacraments of the new law2 which we have proved to be altogether at variance with the truth of ,god1 when we professedly discussed that subject4 ,here ,i only mean to show that this difficulty is no objection to their calling sacerdotal absolution a sacrament4 ,for they might answer1 in the language of ,augustine1 8,that sanctification is sometimes without the visible sacrament1 and that the visible sacrament is sometimes unaccompanied by internal sanctification40 ,again3 8,that the sacraments effect that which they represent in the elect alone40 ,again3 8,that some persons put on ,christ as far as the reception of the sacrament1 and others even to sanctification20 that the former is equally the case with the good and evil2 and the latter with none but the good4 ,surely they have betrayed more than the weakness of children1 and shown themselves blind to the broad day1 who1 in the midst of such difficulty and perplexity1 have not discovered a thing so plain and obvious to every one4 ,,xvii4 ,yet let them not flatter themselves1 for in whatever part they place their sacrament1 ,i deny that it ought to be considered as a sacrament at all2 first1 because it is not accompanied with any special promise of ,god1 which is the only foundation of a sacrament2 secondly1 because all the ceremony exhibited here is the mere invention of men2 whereas it has been already ascertained that sacramental ceremonies cannot be instituted1 except by ,god himself4 ,all that they have fabricated1 therefore1 respecting the sacrament of penance1 is nothing but falsehood and imposture4 ,this counterfeit sacrament they have adorned with a suitable title1 calling it 8a second plank after a shipwreck20 for that1 if any one by sin has soiled the garment of innocence received in baptism1 he may purify it by penance4 ,but this1 they say1 is the language of ,jerome4 ,whose language soever it may be1 it cannot be exculpated from manifest impiety1 if it be explained according to their notion of it4 ,as if baptism were effaced by sin1 and ought not rather to be recalled to the memory of the sinner whenever he thinks of remission of sins1 that it may serve to comfort his mind1 inspire him with courage1 and confirm his confidence of obtaining the remission of sins1 which was promised to him in baptism4 ,but that which ,jerome has expressed with some degree of harshness and impropriety1 that baptism1 from which those who deserve to be excommunicated from the ,church have fallen away1 is repaired by penitence1 these admirable expositors apply to their impiety4 ,we shall speak with the greatest propriety1 therefore1 if we call baptism the sacrament of penitence2 since it is given for a confirmation of grace1 and seal of confidence1 to those who meditate repentance4 ,and this must not be considered as an invention of ours1 for1 beside its conformity to the language of ,scripture1 it appears to have been generally received in the ancient ,church as an indubitable axiom4 ,for in the treatise on ,faith addressed to ,peter1 which is attributed to ,augustine1 it is called 8the sacrament of faith and repentance40 ,and why do we resort to uncertain testimonies8 ,nothing can be required more explicit than what is recited by the evangelists1 that 8,john did preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins40#achj ,,extreme ,,unction4 ,,xviii4 ,the third counterfeit sacrament is extreme unction2 which is never performed but by a priest1 and that in the last moments of life1 with oil consecrated by a bishop1 and the following form of words3 8,by this holy unction1 and by his most tender mercy1 may ,god pardon thee whatever sin thou hast committed by sight1 by hearing1 by smell1 by taste1 and by touch40 ,they pretend that it has two virtues--remission of sins1 and relief from bodily disease1 if that be expedient1 or otherwise the salvation of the soul4 ,they say that the institution of it is established by ,james1 who says1 8,is any sick among you8 let him call for the elders of the ,church2 and let them pray over him1 anointing him with oil in the name of the ,lord2 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick1 and the ,lord shall raise him up2 and if he have committed sins1 they shall be forgiven him40#acha ,this unction of theirs is of the same kind as we have already proved their imposition of hands to be3 it is a mere hypocritical farce1 by which1 without any reason1 and without any advantage1 they affect to mimic the apostles4 ,it is related by ,mark1 that the apostles1 at their first mission1 according to the command which they had received from the ,lord1 raised the dead1 ejected demons1 cleansed lepers1 healed the sick1 and that in the cure of the sick they made use of oil4 8,they anointed with oil10 he says1 8many that were sick1 and healed them40#achb ,james had this in view when he directed the elders of the ,church to be sent for to anoint the sick4 ,that such ceremonies concealed no higher mystery1 will easily be concluded by any attentive observers of the great liberty used by our ,lord and his apostles in external things4 ,when our ,lord was about to restore sight to a blind man1 he made clay of dust and spittle2 some he healed with a touch1 others with a word4 ,in the same manner1 the apostles cured some maladies with a mere word1 others with a touch1 others with unction4 ,but it may be alleged that it is probable that this unction1 like the other methods1 was not employed without reason4 ,this ,i confess2 not1 however1 that they used it as an instrument of cure1 but merely as a sign1 to instruct the ignorance of the simple whence such virtue proceeded1 that they might not ascribe the praise of it to the apostles4 ,now1 it is very common in the ,scriptures for the ,holy ,spirit and his gifts to be signified by oil4 ,but that grace of healing has disappeared1 like all the other miraculous powers1 which the ,lord was pleased to exhibit for a time1 that he might render the preaching of the gospel1 which was then new1 the object of admiration for ever4 ,even though we should fully grant1 therefore1 that unction was a sacrament of the powers which were administered by the instrumentality of the apostles1 it has nothing to do with us1 to whom the administration of those powers has not been committed4 ,,xix4 ,and what greater reason have they to make a sacrament of this unction than of all the other signs or symbols which are mentioned in the ,scriptures8 ,why do not they appoint some pool of ,siloam1 in which the sick may bathe themselves at certain seasons8#achc ,that1 they say1 would be a vain attempt4 ,surely not more in vain than unction4 ,why do they not 8fall upon and embrace0 the dead1 because ,paul resuscitated a deceased young man by such means8#achd ,why is not clay1 composed of spittle and dust1 converted into a sacrament8 ,all the others1 they say1 were single examples1 but the use of unction is commanded by ,james4 ,i reply1 that ,james was speaking in reference to that period in which this benediction of ,god was still enjoyed by the ,church4 ,they affirm1 indeed1 that there is even now the same virtue in their unction2 but we find it to be otherwise by experience4 ,let no one now wonder how they have so confidently deluded souls1 whom they know to be stupid and blind when deprived of the word of ,god1 which is their life and light1 since they are not at all ashamed to attempt to deceive the living and observing senses of the body4 ,they make themselves ridiculous1 therefore1 when they boast that they are endued with the gift of healing4 ,the ,lord is undoubtedly present with his people to assist them in all ages2 and1 whenever it is necessary1 he heals their diseases as much as he did in ancient times2 but he does not display those visible powers1 or dispense miracles by the hands of apostles2 because that gift was only of temporary duration1 and was soon lost1 in some measure1 by the ingratitude of men4 ,,xx4 ,as the apostles1 therefore1 had sufficient cause for using the symbol of oil as an evident testimony that the gift of healing1 which had been committed to them1 was not a power of their own1 but of the ,holy ,spirit1 so1 on the other hand1 they do a great injury to the ,holy ,spirit who represent a fetid oil1 destitute of all efficacy1 as his power4 ,this is just as if any one were to affirm1 that all oil is the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 because it is called by that name in the ,scripture2 or that every dove is the ,holy ,spirit1 because he appeared under that form4 ,but let them look to these things4 ,for us1 it is sufficient1 at present1 that we see beyond all doubt that their unction is not a sacrament1 being a ceremony which is neither of ,god's institution1 nor accompanied with any promise from him4 ,for when we require these two things in a sacrament1 that it be a ceremony instituted by ,god1 and that it have some promise of ,god1 we at the same time require that the ceremony be enjoined upon us1 and that the promise have reference to us4 ,for no one contends that circumcision is now a sacrament of the ,christian ,church1 notwithstanding it was instituted by ,god1 and had a promise annexed to it2 because it is not enjoined upon us1 nor is the promise which was subjoined to it given to us on that condition4 ,that the promise which they presumptuously boast of in their unction is not given to us1 we have clearly proved1 and they themselves declare by experience4 ,the ceremony ought not to have been used1 except by those who were endued with the gift of healing2 and not by these butchers1 who are more capable of killing and murdering than of healing4 ,,xxi4 ,even if they had established1 what they are very far from having established1 that the injunction of ,james respecting unction is applicable to the present age1 still they would have made but little progress in defending their unction with which they have hitherto besmeared us4 ,james directs that all sick persons be anointed2 these men bedaub with their unguent not sick persons1 but half-dead corpses1 when their souls are at the point of departing from them4 ,if in their sacrament they have a present medicine1 by which they can either alleviate the anguish of disease1 or at least communicate some consolation to the soul1 they are cruel never to apply the remedy in time4 ,james directs1 that the sick person be anointed by the elders of the ,church2 these men admit no anointer but a priest4 ,their explanation that the term elders denotes priests1 and the plural number is used for the sake of dignity1 is frivolous in the extreme2 as though the ,churches in that age abounded with priests1 to be able to march in a long procession1 carrying their box of consecrated oil4 ,when ,james simply commands that sick persons be anointed1 he appears to me to intend no other unction than of common oil2 nor is any other mentioned in the narrative of ,mark4 ,these men deign to use no oil which has not been consecrated by the bishop2 that is1 warmed with his breath1 enchanted by his muttering1 and nine times saluted by him on bended knees2 three times1 ,hail1 holy oil2 three times1 ,hail1 holy chrism2 three times1 ,hail1 holy balm4 ,from whom have they derived such incantations8 ,james says1 that when the elders shall have prayed over the sick person1 anointing him with oil1 if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him2 that1 being absolved from guilt1 he may obtain relief from pain2 not meaning that sins are effaced by unction1 but that the prayers of the believers1 by which the afflicted brother shall have been commended to ,god1 shall not be in vain4 ,these men impiously pretend1 that sins are remitted by their holy1 or1 to speak more properly1 abominable unction4 ,see what lengths they will go1 when they shall be allowed to abuse that passage of ,james by their absurd interpretation4 ,and we need not labour any longer in the proof2 even their own histories relieve us from this difficulty4 ,for they relate1 that ,pope ,innocent1 who presided over the ,church of ,rome in the time of ,augustine1 decreed that not only elders1 but also all ,christians1 should use oil1 in case of illness1 for the purpose of anointing themselves or their friends4 ,,ecclesiastical ,,orders4 ,,xxii4 ,the fourth place in their catalogue is occupied by the sacrament of orders2 but this is so fertile that it is the parent of seven little sacraments which arise out of it4 ,now1 it is truly ridiculous for them to affirm1 that there are seven sacraments1 and when they proceed to specify them1 to enumerate thirteen4 ,nor can they plead1 that the seven sacraments of orders are only one sacrament1 because they all belong to one priesthood1 and form1 as it were1 so many steps to it4 ,for1 as it appears that in all of them there are different ceremonies1 and they themselves say that there are different graces1 no person can doubt that1 if their principles be admitted1 they ought to be called seven sacraments4 ,and why do we controvert it as a doubtful thing1 when they themselves plainly and distinctly declare that there are seven8 ,in the first place1 we will briefly suggest by the way what numerous and great absurdities they obtrude upon us1 when they wish us to receive their orders as sacraments2 and then we will inquire1 whether the ceremony which the churches use in ordaining ministers ought to be called a sacrament at all4 ,they mention seven ecclesiastical orders or degrees1 which they dignify with the name of sacrament4 ,they are--beadles1 readers1 exorcists1 acolothists1 subdeacons1 deacons1 priests4 ,and they are seven1 it is said1 on account of the sevenfold grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 with which those who are promoted to them ought to be endued2 but it is increased1 and more abundantly communicated to them1 in their promotion4 ,now1 the number itself is consecrated by a perverse interpretation of the ,scripture2 because they think they have read in ,isaiah of seven virtues of the ,holy ,spirit2 though1 in truth1 that prophet mentions only six1 and had no intention of enumerating them all in that passage2 for in other passages of ,scripture1 he is called 8the ,spirit of life1 of holiness1 and of adoption10 as he is there called 8the ,spirit of wisdom and understanding1 the ,spirit of counsel and might1 the ,spirit of knowledge1 and of the fear of the ,lord40#ache ,other persons of greater subtlety limit not the orders to seven1 but extend them to nine1 in resemblance1 they say1 of the church triumphant4 ,and they are not agreed among themselves2 for some represent the clerical tonsure to be the first order of all1 and the episcopate the last3 others exclude the tonsure1 and place the archiepiscopal office among the orders4 ,isidore distinguishes them in a different way2 for he makes psalmists and readers two separate orders1 appointing the former to the chantings1 and the latter to the reading of the ,scriptures1 for the instruction of the people4 ,and this distinction is observed in the canons4 ,in such a diversity1 what do they wish us to pursue or to avoid8 ,shall we say that there are seven orders8 ,so teaches the master of the sentences1 ,lombard2 but the most illuminated doctors determine otherwise2 and these doctors differ among themselves4 ,moreover1 the most sacred canons call us another way4 ,this is the harmony exhibited by men1 when they discuss ,divine subjects without the word of ,god4 ,,xxiii4 ,but this surpasses all folly1 that in every one of their orders they make ,christ a colleague with them4 ,first1 they say1 he executed the office of beadle1 when he made a whip of small cords1 and drove all the buyers and sellers out of the temple4 ,he showed himself to be a beadle1 when he said1 8,i am the door40 ,he assumed the place of a reader1 when he read a passage of ,isaiah in the synagogue4 ,he discharged the function of an exorcist1 when1 applying spittle to the ears and tongue of a man who was deaf and dumb1 he restored his hearing and speech4 ,he declared himself to be an acolothist in these words3 8,he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness40 ,he discharged the duty of a subdeacon1 when he girded himself with a towel1 and washed the feet of his disciples4 ,he sustained the character of a deacon1 when he distributed his body and blood in the supper4 ,he acted the part of a priest1 when he offered himself on the cross a sacrifice to the ,father4 ,it is impossible to hear these things without laughing1 so that ,i wonder they were written without laughing2 at least1 if those who wrote them were men4 ,but the most remarkable of all is1 the subtlety with which they reason on the word acolothist1 which they call ceroferarius1 a taper-bearer2 a term of magic1 ,i suppose1 certainly unknown in any nation or language2 whereas the ,greek word 1 acolothist1 simply signifies a follower or attendant4 ,but ,i should justly incur ridicule myself1 if ,i were to dwell on a serious refutation of such things1 they are so frivolous and ludicrous4 ,,xxiv4 ,to prevent them1 however1 from continuing their impositions on silly women1 it is necessary1 as we proceed1 to expose their vanity4 ,they create with great pomp and solemnity their readers1 psalmists1 beadles1 acolothists1 to discharge those offices in which they employ either boys1 or at least those whom they call laymen4 ,for who1 in most cases1 lights the wax tapers1 who pours wine and water out of the flagon1 but a boy1 or some mean layman1 who gets his livelihood by it8 ,do not the same persons chant8 ,do they not open and shut the doors of the churches8 ,for who ever saw in their temples an acolothist or beadle performing his office8 ,on the contrary1 he who1 when a boy1 discharged the duty of an acolothist1 as soon as he is admitted into that order1 ceases to be what he begins to be called2 so that it should seem to be their deliberate intention to discard the office when they assume the title4 ,we see what need they have to be consecrated by sacraments1 and to receive the ,holy ,spirit2 it is1 that they may do nothing4 ,if they allege1 that this arises from the perverseness of the present age1 that men desert and neglect their official duties1 let them at the same time confess1 that their holy orders1 which they so wonderfully extol1 are of no use or benefit to the ,church in the present day1 and that their whole ,church is filled with a curse1 since it permits boys and laymen to handle the tapers and flagons1 which none are worthy of touching except those who have been consecrated as acolothists2 and since it leaves boys to chant those services1 which ought never to be heard but from a consecrated mouth4 ,but for what purpose do they consecrate their exorcists8 ,i know that the ,jews had their exorcists2 but ,i find that they derived their name from the exorcisms which they practised4 ,respecting these counterfeit exorcists1 who ever heard of their exhibiting one specimen of their profession8 ,it is pretended that they are invested with power to lay hands upon maniacs1 demoniacs1 and catechumens2 but they cannot persuade the demons that they are endued with such power2 not only because the demons do not submit to their commands1 but because they even exercise dominion over them4 ,for scarcely one in ten can be found among them who is not influenced by an evil spirit4 ,whatever ridiculous pretensions they may set up respecting their contemptible orders1 are the mere compositions of ignorance and falsehood4 ,of the ancient acolothists1 beadles1 and readers1 we have spoken already1 when we discussed the order of the ,church4 ,our present design is only to combat that novel invention of a sevenfold sacrament in ecclesiastical orders2 on which not a syllable is any where to be found1 except among those sapient theologues1 the ,sorbonists and ,canonists4 ,,xxv4 ,let us now examine the ceremonies which they employ4 ,in the first place1 all whom they enrol in their army they initiate into the rank of clergy by a common sign4 ,they shave them on the crown of the head1 that the crown may denote regal dignity2 because ecclesiastics ought to be kings1 to rule themselves and others1 according to the language in which ,peter addresses them3 8,ye are a chosen generation1 a royal priesthood1 a holy nation1 a peculiar people40 ,but it was sacrilege for them to arrogate exclusively to themselves that which is attributed to the whole ,church1 and proudly to glory in the title which they had stolen from the believers4 ,peter addresses the whole ,church2 they misapply his words to a few shavelings1 as if they were the only holy persons1 as if they alone had been redeemed by the blood of ,christ1 as if they alone had been made by him kings and priests unto ,god4 ,they proceed to assign other reasons2 that the top of their head is laid bare1 to show that their mind is free to the ,lord1 and can with open face contemplate the glory of ,god2 or to indicate that the faults of their mouth and eyes ought to be cut off4 ,or the tonsure of the crown signifies the relinquishment and renunciation of temporal things2 and the hair left round the crown denotes the relics of property which are reserved for their sustenance4 ,every thing is symbolical2 because1 with respect to them1 the veil of the temple has not yet been rent asunder4 ,therefore1 having persuaded themselves that they have completely discharged their duties1 when they have represented such things by their shaven crown1 they1 in reality1 fulfil none of them4 ,how long will they impose upon us with such deceptions and falsehoods8 ,ecclesiastics1 by shaving off a few hairs1 signify that they have relinquished an abundance of temporal possessions1 to be at liberty to contemplate the glory of ,god1 and that they have mortified the inordinate propensities of their ears and eyes2 but there is no class of men more rapacious1 ignorant1 or libidinous4 ,why do they not make an actual exhibition of sanctity1 rather than counterfeit the appearance of it by false and delusive symbols8 ,,xxvi4 ,when they say that their clerical tonsure derives its origin and reason from the ,nazarites1 what is this but declaring that their mysteries have sprung from ,jewish ceremonies1 or1 rather1 are mere ,judaism8 ,but when they add1 that ,priscilla1 ,aquila1 and ,paul himself1 after having made a vow1 shaved their heads in order to purify themselves1 they betray their gross ignorance4 ,for this is nowhere said of ,priscilla2 and there is some uncertainty even respecting ,aquila2 for that tonsure may as well be referred to ,paul as to ,aquila4#achf ,but not to leave them what they require1 that they have an example of this tonsure in ,paul1 it ought to be observed by the plain reader1 that ,paul never shaved his head with a view to any sanctity1 but merely to accommodate himself to the weakness of his brethren4 ,i am accustomed to call vows of this kind vows of charity1 and not of piety2 that is to say1 they were not made for any purpose of religion1 or as acts of service to ,god1 but in order to bear the ignorance of weak brethren2 as the apostle himself says3 8,unto the ,jews ,i became as a ,jew1 that ,i might gain the ,jews40#achg ,therefore he did this act1 and that once1 and for a short period1 that he might accommodate himself to the ,jews4 ,when these men desire1 without any cause1 to imitate the purifications of the ,nazarites1 what is this but raising up a new ,judaism by a culpable affectation of emulating that which is abolished8 ,the same superstition dictated that decretal epistle which prohibits ecclesiastics1 according to the apostle1 to let their hair grow1 but enjoins them to shave in a circular form2 as though the apostle1 when he mentioned what is becoming to all men1 were concerned about the circular tonsure of the clergy4 ,hence the readers may form some opinion of the importance and dignity of other succeeding mysteries1 to which there is such an introduction4 ,,xxvii4 ,the true origin of the clerical tonsure is very evident from the testimony of ,augustine4 ,as1 in that age1 no persons suffered their hair to grow long1 but such as were effeminate1 and affected an elegance and delicacy not sufficiently manly1 it was thought that it would be a bad example to permit this custom in the clergy4 ,they were1 therefore1 commanded to shave their heads1 that they might exhibit no appearance of effeminate ornament4 ,the tonsure then became so common1 that some monks1 to display their superior sanctity by something remarkable and distinguished from others1 left their hair to grow very long4 ,afterwards1 when the custom of wearing long hair was revived1 and several nations were converted to ,christianity1 who had always been accustomed to wear their hair1 as ,france1 ,germany1 and ,england1 it is probable that ecclesiastics every where shaved their heads1 that they might not appear to be fond of the ornament of hair4 ,at length1 in a more corrupt age1 when all the ancient institutions were either perverted or degenerated into superstition1 because they saw no reason in the clerical tonsure 7for they had retained nothing but a foolish imitation of their predecessors17 they had recourse to a mystery1 which they now superstitiously obtrude upon us as a proof of their sacrament4 ,beadles1 at their consecration1 receive the keys of the ,church1 as a sign that the custody of it is committed to them4 ,readers are presented with the ,holy ,bible4 ,to exorcists are given the forms of exorcisms to be used over catechumens and maniacs4 ,acolothists receive their tapers and flagons4 ,these are the ceremonies which1 if we believe them1 contain such secret virtue as to be1 not only signs and tokens1 but even causes1 of an invisible grace4 ,for1 according to their definition1 all this is assumed when they insist on their being numbered among the sacraments4 ,but1 to conclude in a few words1 ,i maintain it to be absurd for canonists and scholastic theologues to give the title of sacraments to these1 which they themselves call lesser orders2 since1 even according to their own confession1 they were unknown to the primitive ,church1 and were invented many years after4 ,but1 as sacraments contain some promises of ,god1 they cannot be instituted by men or angels1 but by ,god alone1 whose prerogative it is to give the promise4 ,,xxviii4 ,there remain three orders1 which they call greater orders2 of which sub-deaconry1 they say1 was transferred to this class after the number of the lesser orders began to increase4 ,as they think that they have a testimony for these from the word of ,god1 they peculiarly denominate them1 for the sake of honour1 holy orders4 ,but we must now examine how perversely they abuse the ,divine appointments of ,god in their own vindication4 ,we will begin with the order of presbyters1 or priests4 ,for by these two names they signify one thing2 and these are the appellations which they apply to those whose office1 they say1 it is1 to offer the sacrifice of the body and blood of ,christ upon the altar1 to say prayers and to pronounce benedictions on the gifts of ,god4 ,therefore1 at their ordination1 they receive a chalice1 with the patine and host1 as symbols of the power committed to them to offer expiatory sacrifices to ,god2 and their hands are anointed with oil1 as a symbol to show that they are invested with power to consecrate4 ,the ceremonies we shall notice hereafter4 ,of the thing itself1 ,i affirm1 that it is so far from having a syllable of the ,divine word to support it1 that it was impossible for them to have introduced a viler corruption of the order instituted by ,god4 ,in the first place1 it ought to be taken for granted1 as we have shown in the preceding chapter1 on the ,papal ,mass1 that great injury is done to ,christ by all those who call themselves priests to offer sacrifices of expiation4 ,he was constituted and consecrated by the ,father1 with an oath1 a priest after the order of ,melchisedec1 without end1 and without a successor4 ,he once offered a sacrifice of eternal expiation and reconciliation2 and now1 having entered into the sanctuary of heaven1 intercedes for us4 ,in him we are all priests2 but it is only to offer to ,god praises and thanksgivings1 in short1 ourselves and all that belongs to us4 ,it was his province alone1 by his oblation1 to appease ,god and expiate sins4 ,when these men usurp that office to themselves1 what follows1 but that their priesthood is chargeable with impiety and sacrilege8 ,they certainly betray the greatest effrontery when they dare to dignify it with the title of a sacrament4 ,the imposition of hands1 which is used at the introduction of the true presbyters and ministers of the ,church into their office1 ,i have no objection to consider as a sacrament2 for1 in the first place1 that ceremony is taken from the ,scripture1 and1 in the next place1 it is declared by ,paul to be not unnecessary or useless1 but a faithful symbol of spiritual grace4#achh ,i have not enumerated it as the third among the sacraments1 because it is not ordinary or common to all believers1 but a special rite for a particular office4 ,the ascription of this honour to the ,christian ministry1 however1 furnishes no reason for the pride of ,romish priests2 for ,christ has commanded the ordination of ministers to dispense his gospel and his mysteries1 not the inauguration of priests to offer sacrifices4 ,he has commissioned them to preach the gospel and to feed his flock1 and not to immolate victims4 ,he has promised them the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 not in order to effect an expiation for sins1 but rightly to sustain and conduct the government of the ,church4 ,,xxix4 ,there is an excellent correspondence between the ceremonies and the thing itself4 ,our ,lord1 when he sent forth his disciples to preach the gospel1 8breathed upon them20#achi by that symbol representing the power of the ,holy ,spirit which he imparted to them4 ,these sapient theologues retain the breathing1 and1 as if they disgorged the ,holy ,spirit from their throats1 they mutter over the priests whom they ordain1 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost4 ,thus they leave nothing that they do not preposterously counterfeit1 ,i do not say like comedians1 whose gesticulations are not without art and meaning1 but like apes1 who imitate every thing without any taste or design4 ,we observe1 they say1 the example of our ,lord4 ,but our ,lord did many things which he never intended to be examples to us4 ,he said to his disciples1 8,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost40 ,he said to ,lazarus1 8,lazarus1 ,come forth40#acij ,he said to the paralytic1 8,arise and walk40#acia ,why do not they say the same to all deceased persons and paralytics8 ,when he breathed upon his apostles1 and filled them with the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 he exhibited a specimen of his ,divine power4 ,if they attempt to do the same1 they emulate ,god1 and1 as it were1 challenge him to contend with them2 but they are very far from producing a similar effect1 and the foolish mimicry is a mere mockery of ,christ4 ,they have the effrontery1 indeed1 to dare to assert1 that they confer the ,holy ,ghost2 but how far this is true is shown by experience1 which proves1 that those who are consecrated priests1 from being horses become asses1 and are changed from fools to madmen4 ,nor do ,i contend with them on this account2 ,i only condemn the ceremony itself1 which ought not to be made a precedent1 since it was used by ,christ as a special sign of a particular miracle2 so far is their pretence of imitating him from justifying their conduct4 ,,xxx4 ,but from whom have they received the unction8 ,their answer is1 that they have received it from the sons of ,aaron1 from whom also their order derived its origin4 ,thus they always prefer defending themselves by improper examples1 to confessing that which they practise without just reason to be their own invention2 but at the same time1 they do not consider that1 in professing themselves successors of the sons of ,aaron1 they do an injury to the priesthood of ,christ2 which was the only thing adumbrated and prefigured by all the ancient priesthoods4 ,in him1 therefore1 they were all accomplished and concluded2 in him they ceased1 as we have more than once already stated1 and the ,epistle to the ,hebrews declares without the help of any comment4 ,but1 if they are so highly delighted with the ,mosaic ceremonies1 why do they not take oxen1 and calves1 and lambs1 and offer them as sacrifices8 ,they have1 indeed1 a great part of the ancient tabernacle1 and of all the ,jewish worship2 but their religion is still deficient in that they do not sacrifice animal victims4 ,who does not see that this custom of anointing is far more pernicious than circumcision2 especially when it is attended with superstition and a pharisaical opinion of the merit of the act8 ,the ,jews placed a confidence of righteousness in circumcision2 in unction these men place spiritual graces4 ,therefore1 while they desire to be imitators of the ,levites1 they become apostates from ,christ1 and renounce the office of pastors4 ,,xxxi4 ,this is their consecrated oil1 which1 it is pretended1 impresses a character never to be effaced2 as though oil could not be cleansed away with dust and salt1 or1 if it be more adhesive1 with soap4 ,but this character1 they say1 is spiritual4 ,what connection has oil with the soul8 ,have they forgotten an observation1 which they often quote to us from ,augustine--,that1 if the word be separated from the water1 it will be nothing but water1 and that it is the word which makes it a sacrament8 ,what word will they show in their unction8 ,will they produce the command which was given to ,moses to anoint the sons of ,aaron8 ,but in that case there was also a command given respecting the coat1 the ephod1 the mitre1 the holy crown1 with which ,aaron was to be adorned2 and respecting the coats1 girdles1 and mitres1 with which his sons were to be invested4 ,it was commanded to kill a bullock1 to burn his fat1 to cut one ram asunder and burn it1 to sanctify their ears and garments with the blood of another ram2 and numerous other observances1 which ,i wonder how it is that they have entirely omitted1 and taken only the anointing oil4 ,but if they are fond of being sprinkled1 why are they sprinkled with oil rather than with blood8 ,they attempt1 indeed1 a most ingenious thing2 to frame one religion out of a number of fragments collected together from ,christianity1 ,judaism1 and ,paganism4 ,their unction1 therefore1 is quite fetid1 for want of the salt1 the word of ,god4 ,there remains imposition of hands1 which ,i confess to be a sacrament in true and legitimate ordinations1 but ,i deny that it has any place in this farce1 in which they neither obey the command of ,christ1 nor regard the end to which the promise ought to lead us4 ,if they wish the sign not to be refused to them1 they must apply it to the very object to which it was dedicated4 ,,xxxii4 ,respecting the order of deacons1 also1 ,i should have no controversy with them1 if that office were restored to its primitive purity1 as it existed under the apostles1 and in the purer times of the ,church4 ,but what resemblance to it is to be found among those whom the ,romanists pretend to be deacons8 ,i speak not of the persons1 lest they should complain that it is unjust to estimate their doctrine by the faults of individuals2 but ,i contend that1 taking their deacons exactly as their doctrine describes them to us1 it is absurd to fetch any testimony in their favour from the examples of those who were appointed deacons by the apostolic ,church4 ,they say that it belongs to their deacons to assist the priests1 to minister in every thing that is done in the sacraments1 as in baptism1 in chrism1 to pour the wine into the chalice1 to place the bread in the patine2 to lay and dispose the oblations upon the altar1 to prepare and cover the table of the ,lord1 to bear the cross1 to read and chant the gospel and epistle to the people4 ,is there in all this a single word of the true duty of deacons8 ,now1 let us hear how they are inaugurated4 ,on the deacon who is ordained the bishop alone lays his hand2 on his left shoulder he places a stole1 to teach him that he has taken upon him the light yoke of the ,lord1 to subject to the fear of ,god every thing belonging to the left side4 ,he gives him the text of the gospel1 that he may know himself to be a herald of it4 ,and what have these things to do with deacons8 ,it is no better than if any one pretended to ordain apostles1 while he only appointed them to burn incense1 to adorn the images1 to trim the lamps1 to sweep the ,churches1 to catch mice1 and to drive out dogs4 ,who could suffer such persons to be called apostles1 and to be compared with the apostles of ,christ8 ,let them never again falsely represent those as deacons1 whom they merely appoint to act a part in their farcical exhibitions4 ,the very name which they bear sufficiently declares the nature of their office4 ,for they call them ,levites1 and wish to deduce their origin from the sons of ,levi4 ,this ,i have no objection to their doing1 provided they drop their pretensions to ,christianity4 ,,xxxiii4 ,of what use is it to say any thing respecting sub-deacons8 ,in ancient times they actually had the care of the poor4 ,the ,romanists attribute to them ,i know not what nugatory functions2 as to bring the chalice and patine1 the flagon with water1 and the towel to the altar1 to pour out water for washing the hands of the priests1 and similar services4 ,when they speak of the sub-deacons receiving and bringing oblations1 they mean those which they devour as consecrated to their use4 ,with this office the ceremony of their initiation perfectly corresponds3 they receive from the bishop the patine and chalice1 from the archdeacon the flagon with water1 the manual1 and similar trumpery4 ,they require us to confess the ,holy ,ghost to be contained in these fooleries4 ,what pious person can bear to admit this8 ,but to come to an end1 we may draw the same conclusion respecting them as respecting the rest2 nor is it necessary to repeat any more of what we have already stated4 ,this will be sufficient for persons of modest and docile minds1 to whom this book is addressed2 that there is no sacrament of ,god1 which does not exhibit a ceremony annexed to a promise1 or rather which does not present a promise in a ceremony4 ,in this case not a syllable is to be found of any certain promise2 and1 therefore1 it is in vain to seek for a ceremony to confirm the promise4 ,and of all the ceremonies which they use1 not one appears to have been instituted by ,god2 therefore there can be no sacrament4 ,,matrimony4 ,,xxxiv4 ,the last of their sacraments is matrimony1 which all confess to have been instituted by ,god1 but which no one1 till the time of ,gregory1 ever discovered to have been enjoined as a sacrament4 ,and what man1 in his sober senses1 would ever have taken it into his head8 ,it is alleged to be a good and holy ordinance of ,god2 and so agriculture1 architecture1 shoemaking1 and many other things1 are legitimate ordinances of ,god1 and yet they are not sacraments4 ,for it is required in a sacrament1 not only that it be a work of ,god1 but that it be an external ceremony appointed by ,god for the confirmation of a promise4 ,that there is nothing of this kind in matrimony even children can judge4 ,but1 they say1 it is a sign of a sacred thing1 that is1 of the spiritual union of ,christ with the ,church4 ,if by the word sign1 they mean a symbol presented to us by ,god to support our faith1 they are very far from the truth4 ,if by a sign they merely understand that which is adduced as a similitude1 ,i will show how acutely they reason4 ,paul says1 8,one star differeth from another star in glory3 so also is the resurrection of the dead40#acib ,here is one sacrament4 ,christ says1 8,the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed40 ,here is another4 ,again3 8,the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven40#acic ,here is a third4 ,isaiah says1 8,behold1 the ,lord shall feed his flock like a shepherd40#acid ,here is a fourth4 ,again3 8,the ,lord shall go forth as a mighty man40#acie ,here is a fifth4 ,and what end will there be8 ,upon this principle1 every thing will be a sacrament2 as many parables and similitudes as there are in the ,scripture1 there will be so many sacraments4 ,even theft will be a sacrament2 because it is written1 8,the day of the ,lord cometh as a thief40#acif ,who can bear the foolish babblings of these sophists8 ,i confess indeed1 that1 whenever we see a vine1 it is very desirable to recall to remembrance the language of ,christ3 8,i am the vine1 ye are the branches1 and my ,father is the husbandman40#acig ,whenever we meet a shepherd with his flock1 it is good for us to remember another declaration of our ,lord3 8,i am the good shepherd3 the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep40#acih ,but if any one should class such similitudes among the sacraments1 it would argue a want of mental sanity4 ,,xxxv4 ,they obtrude upon us the language of ,paul1 in which1 they say1 he expressly calls matrimony a sacrament4 8,he that loveth his wife1 loveth himself4 ,for no man ever yet hated his own flesh2 but nourisheth and cherisheth it1 even as the ,lord the ,church2 for we are members of his body1 of his flesh1 and his bones2 for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother1 and shall be joined unto his wife1 and they two shall be one flesh4 ,this is a great mystery 7or sacrament1 as the word is rendered in the ,vulgate27 but ,i speak concerning ,christ and the ,church40#acii ,but to treat the ,scriptures in this manner1 is to confound heaven and earth together4 ,to show to husbands what peculiar affection they ought to bear to their wives1 ,paul proposes ,christ to them as an example4 ,for as he has poured forth all the treasures of his kindness upon the ,church1 which he had espoused to himself1 so the apostle would have every man to evince a similar affection towards his wife4 ,it follows1 8,he that loveth his wife1 loveth himself2 even as the ,lord the ,church40 ,now1 to declare how ,christ has loved the ,church1 even as himself1 and how he has made himself one with the ,church his spouse1 ,paul applies to him what ,moses relates ,adam to have spoken of himself4 ,for when ,eve was brought into his presence1 knowing her to have been formed out of his side1 he said1 8,this is bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh40#adjj ,paul testifies that all this has been spiritually fulfilled in ,christ and us1 when he says1 8,we are members of his body1 of his flesh1 and of his bones10 and consequently 8one flesh0 with him4 ,at length he concludes with an exclamation1 8,this is a great mystery20 and1 that no one might be deceived by an ambiguity of language1 he expressly states1 that he intends not the conjugal union of man and woman1 but the spiritual marriage of ,christ and his ,church3 8,i speak concerning ,christ and the ,church40 ,and1 indeed1 it is a great mystery that ,christ has suffered a rib to be taken from him1 of which we might be formed3 that is to say1 though he was strong1 he voluntarily became weak1 that we might be strengthened with his might2 so that now we 8live1 yet not0 we1 8but ,christ liveth in0 us4#adja ,,xxxvi4 ,they have been deceived by the word sacrament in the ,vulgate version4 ,but was it reasonable that the whole ,church should suffer the punishment of their ignorance8 ,paul has used the word 1 mystery--a word which the translator might have retained1 mysterium being not unfamiliar to ,latin ears1 or he might have rendered it arcanum1 secret2 he preferred1 however1 to use the word sacramentum1 sacrament1 but in the same sense in which ,paul has used the ,greek word 1 mystery4 ,now1 let them go and clamorously rail against the critical knowledge of languages1 through ignorance of which they have so long been most shamefully deceived in a thing so easy and obvious to every one4 ,but why do they so strenuously insist on the word sacrament in this one passage1 and pass it over in so many others without the least notice8 ,for that translator has used it twice in the ,first ,epistle to ,timothy1#adjb and in another place in this ,epistle to the ,ephesians1#adjc and in every other case where the word mystery occurs4 ,let this oversight1 however1 be forgiven them2 liars ought1 at least1 to have good memories4 ,for1 after having dignified matrimony with the title of a sacrament1 what brainless versatility is it for them to stigmatize it with the characters of impurity1 pollution1 and carnal defilement6 ,what an absurdity is it to exclude priests from a sacrament6 ,if they deny that they are interdicted from the sacrament1 but only from the conjugal intercourse1 ,i shall not be satisfied with this evasion4 ,for they inculcate that the conjugal intercourse itself is part of the sacrament1 and that it represents the union which we have with ,christ in conformity of nature2 because it is by that intercourse that a husband and wife become one flesh4 ,here some of them have found two sacraments2 one1 of ,god and the soul1 in the man and woman when betrothed2 the other1 of ,christ and the ,church1 in the husband and wife4 ,the conjugal intercourse1 upon their principles1 however1 is a sacrament1 from which no ,christian ought to be prohibited2 unless the sacraments of ,christians are so incompatible1 that they cannot consist together4 ,there is also another absurdity in their doctrine4 ,they affirm that the grace of the ,holy ,spirit is conferred in every sacrament2 they acknowledge that the conjugal intercourse is a sacrament2 yet they deny that the ,holy ,spirit is ever present in that intercourse4 ,,xxxvii4 ,and1 not to deceive the ,church in one thing only1 what a long series of errors1 falsehoods1 frauds1 and iniquities1 have they joined to that false principle6 ,it may truly be affirmed that1 when they made matrimony into a sacrament1 they only sought a den of all abominations4 ,for1 when they had once established this notion1 they assumed to themselves the cognizance of matrimonial causes2 for matrimony was a spiritual thing1 and not to be meddled with before lay judges4 ,then they made laws for the confirmation of their tyranny2 and some of them manifestly impious towards ,god1 and others most unjust towards men4 ,such as1 that marriages contracted between young persons subject to the authority of parents1 without the consent of their parents1 remain valid and permanent2 that no marriages be lawful between persons related1 even to the seventh degree2 and that1 if any such be contracted1 they be dissolved1 7and the degrees themselves they state in opposition to the laws of all nations1 and to the institution of ,moses1 so that what they call the fourth degree is1 in reality1 the seventh27 that it be unlawful for a man1 who has repudiated his wife for adultery1 to marry another2 that spiritual relatives be not united in marriage2 that no marriages be celebrated from ,septuagesima1 or the third ,sunday before ,lent1 to the octaves of ,easter1 or eight days after that festival2 for three weeks before the nativity of ,john the ,baptist1 or ,midsummer-day1 instead of which three weeks they now substitute the ,whitsun week1 and the two weeks which precede it2 or from ,advent to the ,epiphany2 and innumerable other regulations1 which it would be tedious to enumerate4 ,we must now quit their corruptions1 in which we have been detained longer than ,i could wish3 but ,i think ,i have gained some advantage by stripping these asses1 in some measure1 of the lion's skin1 and so far unmasking their principles1 and exposing them to the world in their true colours4 ,footnote #acff3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #h4 ,footnote #acfg3 ,matt4 xxi4 #be4 ,footnote #acfh3 ,acts viii4 #ad-ag4 ,footnote #acfi3 ,john vii4 #cg1 #ch4 ,footnote #acgj3 ,john xx4 #bb4 ,footnote #acga3 ,gal4 iv4 #i4 ,col4 ii4 #bj4 ,footnote #acgb3 ,col4 ii4 #bb4 ,footnote #acgc3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #acgd3 ,rom4 vi4 #d-f4 ,footnote #acge3 ,acts viii4 #af4 xix4 #e4 ,footnote #acgf3 ,acts ii4 #d1 c4 ,matt4 x4 #bj4 ,footnote #acgg3 ,gal4 iii4 #bg4 ,footnote #acgh3 ,acts ix4 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #acgi3 ,matt4 xviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #achj3 ,matt4 iii4 #a-f4 ,luke iii4 #c4 ,footnote #acha3 ,james v4 #ad1 #ae4 ,footnote #achb3 ,mark vi4 #ac4 ,footnote #achc3 ,john ix4 #g4 ,footnote #achd3 ,acts xx4 #aj4 ,footnote #ache3 ,ezek4 i4 #bj4 ,rom4 i4 #d2 viii4 #ae4 ,isaiah xi4 #b1 #c4 ,footnote #achf3 ,acts xviii4 #ah4 ,footnote #achg3 #a ,cor4 ix4 #bj4 ,footnote #achh3 #a ,tim4 iv4 #ad4 ,footnote #achi3 ,john xx4 #bb4 ,footnote #acij3 ,john xi4 #dc4 ,footnote #acia3 ,matt4 ix4 #e4 ,john v4 #h4 ,footnote #acib3 #a ,cor4 xv4 #da1 #db4 ,footnote #acic3 ,matt4 xiii4 #ca1 #cc4 ,footnote #acid3 ,isaiah xl4 #aj1 #aa4 ,footnote #acie3 ,isaiah xlii4 #ac4 ,footnote #acif3 #a ,thess4 v4 #b4 ,footnote #acig3 ,john xv4 #a1 #e4 ,footnote #acih3 ,john x4 #aa4 ,footnote #acii3 ,ephes4 v4 #bh-cb4 ,footnote #adjj3 ,gen4 ii4 #bc4 ,footnote #adja3 ,gal4 ii4 #bj4 ,footnote #adjb3 #a ,tim4 iii4 #i1 #af4 ,footnote #adjc3 ,ephes4 iii4 #i4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,on ,,civil ,,government4 ,having already stated that man is the subject of two kinds of government1 and having sufficiently discussed that which is situated in the soul1 or the inner man1 and relates to eternal life1--we are1 in this chapter1 to say something of the other kind1 which relates to civil justice1 and the regulation of the external conduct4 ,for1 though the nature of this argument seems to have no connection with the spiritual doctrine of faith which ,i have undertaken to discuss1 the sequel will show that ,i have sufficient reason for connecting them together1 and1 indeed1 that necessity obliges me to it2 especially since1 on the one hand1 infatuated and barbarous men madly endeavour to subvert this ordinance established by ,god2 and1 on the other hand1 the flatterers of princes1 extolling their power beyond all just bounds1 hesitate not to oppose it to the authority of ,god himself4 ,unless both these errors be resisted1 the purity of the faith will be destroyed4 ,besides1 it is of no small importance for us to know what benevolent provision ,god has made for mankind in this instance1 that we may be stimulated by a greater degree of pious zeal to testify our gratitude4 ,in the first place1 before we enter on the subject itself1 it is necessary for us to recur to the distinction which we have already established1 lest we fall into an error very common in the world1 and injudiciously confound together these two things1 the nature of which is altogether different4 ,for some men1 when they hear that the gospel promises a liberty which acknowledges no king or magistrate among men1 but submits to ,christ alone1 think they can enjoy no advantage of their liberty1 while they see any power exalted above them4 ,they imagine1 therefore1 that nothing will prosper1 unless the whole world be modelled in a new form1 without any tribunals1 or laws1 or magistrates1 or any thing of a similar kind1 which they consider injurious to their liberty4 ,but he who knows how to distinguish between the body and the soul1 between this present transitory life and the future eternal one1 will find no difficulty in understanding1 that the spiritual kingdom of ,christ and civil government are things very different and remote from each other4 ,since it is a ,jewish folly1 therefore1 to seek and include the kingdom of ,christ under the elements of this world1 let us1 on the contrary1 considering what the ,scripture clearly inculcates1 that the benefit which is received from the grace of ,christ is spiritual2 let us1 ,i say1 remember to confine within its proper limits all this liberty which is promised and offered to us in him4 ,for why is it that the same apostle1 who1 in one place1 exhorts to 8stand fast in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free1 and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage10#adjd in another1 enjoins servants to 8care not for0 their servile condition2#adje except that spiritual liberty may very well consist with civil servitude8 ,in this sense we are likewise to understand him in these passages3 8,there is neither ,jew nor ,greek1 there is neither bond nor free1 there is neither male nor female40#adjf ,again3 8,there is neither ,greek nor ,jew1 circumcision nor uncircumcision1 ,barbarian1 ,scythian1 bond nor free3 but ,christ is all1 and in all20#adjg in which he signifies1 that it is of no importance1 what is our condition among men1 or under the laws of what nation we live1 as the kingdom of ,christ consists not in these things4 ,,ii4 ,yet this distinction does not lead us to consider the whole system of civil government as a polluted thing1 which has nothing to do with ,christian men4 ,some fanatics1 who are pleased with nothing but liberty1 or rather licentiousness without any restraint1 do indeed boast and vociferate1 ,that since we are dead with ,christ to the elements of this world1 and1 being translated into the kingdom of ,god1 sit among the celestials1 it is a degradation to us1 and far beneath our dignity1 to be occupied with those secular and impure cares which relate to things altogether uninteresting to a ,christian man4 ,of what use1 they ask1 are laws without judgments and tribunals8 ,but what have judgments to do with a ,christian man8 ,and if it be unlawful to kill1 of what use are laws and judgments to us8 ,but as we have just suggested that this kind of government is distinct from that spiritual and internal reign of ,christ1 so it ought to be known that they are in no respect at variance with each other4 ,for that spiritual reign1 even now upon earth1 commences within us some preludes of the heavenly kingdom1 and in this mortal and transitory life affords us some prelibations of immortal and incorruptible blessedness2 but this civil government is designed1 as long as we live in this world1 to cherish and support the external worship of ,god1 to preserve the pure doctrine of religion1 to defend the constitution of the ,church1 to regulate our lives in a manner requisite for the society of men1 to form our manners to civil justice1 to promote our concord with each other1 and to establish general peace and tranquillity2 all which ,i confess to be superfluous1 if the kingdom of ,god1 as it now exists in us1 extinguishes the present life4 ,but if it is the will of ,god1 that while we are aspiring towards our true country1 we be pilgrims on the earth1 and if such aids are necessary to our pilgrimage1 they who take them from man deprive him of his human nature4 ,they plead that there should be so much perfection in the ,church of ,god1 that its order would suffice to supply the place of all laws2 but they foolishly imagine a perfection which can never be found in any community of men4 ,for since the insolence of the wicked is so great1 and their iniquity so obstinate that it can scarcely be restrained by all the severity of the laws1 what may we expect they would do1 if they found themselves at liberty to perpetrate crimes with impunity1 whose outrages even the arm of power cannot altogether prevent8 ,,iii4 ,but for speaking of the exercise of civil polity1 there will be another place more suitable4 ,at present we only wish it to be understood1 that to entertain a thought of its extermination1 is inhuman barbarism2 it is equally as necessary to mankind as bread and water1 light and air1 and far more excellent4 ,for it not only tends to secure the accommodations arising from all these things1 that men may breathe1 eat1 drink1 and be sustained in life1 though it comprehends all these things while it causes them to live together1 yet1 ,i say1 this is not its only tendency2 its objects also are1 that idolatry1 sacrileges against the name of ,god1 blasphemies against his truth1 and other offences against religion1 may not openly appear and be disseminated among the people2 that the public tranquillity may not be disturbed2 that every person may enjoy his property without molestation2 that men may transact their business together without fraud or injustice2 that integrity and modesty may be cultivated among them2 in short1 that there may be a public form of religion among ,christians1 and that humanity may be maintained among men4 ,nor let any one think it strange that ,i now refer to human polity the charge of the due maintenance of religion1 which ,i may appear to have placed beyond the jurisdiction of men4 ,for ,i do not allow men to make laws respecting religion and the worship of ,god now1 any more than ,i did before2 though ,i approve of civil government1 which provides that the true religion which is contained in the law of ,god1 be not violated1 and polluted by public blasphemies1 with impunity4 ,but the perspicuity of order will assist the readers to attain a clearer understanding of what sentiments ought to be entertained respecting the whole system of civil administration1 if we enter on a discussion of each branch of it4 ,these are three3 ,the magistrate1 who is the guardian and conservator of the laws3 ,the laws1 according to which he governs3 ,the people1 who are governed by the laws1 and obey the magistrate4 ,let us1 therefore1 examine1 first1 the function of a magistrate1 whether it be a legitimate calling and approved by ,god1 the nature of the duty1 and the extent of the power2 secondly1 by what laws ,christian government ought to be regulated2 and lastly1 what advantage the people derive from the laws1 and what obedience they owe to the magistrate4 ,,iv4 ,the ,lord has not only testified that the function of magistrates has his approbation and acceptance1 but has eminently commended it to us1 by dignifying it with the most honourable titles4 ,we will mention a few of them4 ,when all who sustain the magistracy are called 8gods10#adjh it ought not to be considered as an appellation of trivial importance2 for it implies1 that they have their command from ,god1 that they are invested with his authority1 and are altogether his representatives1 and act as his vicegerents4 ,this is not an invention of mine1 but the interpretation of ,christ1 who says1 8,if he called them gods1 unto whom the word of ,god came1 and the ,scripture cannot be broken40#adji ,what is the meaning of this1 but that their commission has been given to them by ,god1 to serve him in their office1 and1 as ,moses and ,jehoshaphat said to the judges whom they appointed1 to 8judge not for man1 but for the ,lord80#adaj ,to the same purpose is the declaration of the wisdom of ,god by the mouth of ,solomon3 8,by me kings reign1 and princes decree justice4 ,by me princes rule1 and nobles1 even all the judges of the earth40#adaa ,this is just as if it had been affirmed1 that the authority possessed by kings and other governors over all things upon earth is not a consequence of the perverseness of men1 but of the providence and holy ordinance of ,god1 who has been pleased to regulate human affairs in this manner2 forasmuch as he is present1 and also presides among them1 in making laws and in executing equitable judgments4 ,this is clearly taught by ,paul1 when he enumerates governments 7 7#adab among the gifts of ,god1 which1 being variously distributed according to the diversity of grace1 ought to be employed by the servants of ,christ to the edification of the ,church4 ,for though in that place he is properly speaking of the council of elders1 who were appointed in the primitive ,church to preside over the regulation of the public discipline1 the same office which in writing to the ,corinthians he calls 1 8governments10#adac yet1 as we see that civil government tends to promote the same object1 there is no doubt that he recommends to his every kind of just authority4 ,but he does this in a manner much more explicit1 where he enters on a full discussion of that subject4 ,for he says1 8,there is no power but of ,god2 the powers that be are ordained of ,god4 ,rulers are ministers of ,god1 revengers to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil4 ,do that which is good1 and thou shalt have praise of the same40#adad ,this is corroborated by the examples of holy men2 of whom some have been kings1 as ,david1 ,josiah1 ,hezekiah2 some have been viceroys1 as ,joseph and ,daniel2 some have held civil offices in a commonwealth1 as ,moses1 ,joshua1 and the ,judges2 whose functions ,god declared to be approved by him4 ,wherefore no doubt ought now to be entertained by any person that civil magistracy is a calling not only holy and legitimate1 but far the most sacred and honourable in human life4 ,v4 ,those who would wish to introduce anarchy1 reply1 that though1 in ancient times1 kings and judges presided over a rude people1 that servile kind of government is now quite incompatible with the perfection which accompanies the gospel of ,christ4 ,here they betray not only their ignorance1 but their diabolical pride1 in boasting of perfection1 of which not the smallest particle can be discovered in them4 ,but whatever their characters may be1 they are easily refuted4 ,for1 when ,david exhorts kings and judges to kiss the ,son of ,god1#adae he does not command them to abdicate their authority and retire to private life1 but to submit to ,christ the power with which they are invested1 that he alone may have the preminence over all4 ,in like manner ,isaiah1 when he predicts that 8kings shall be nursing-fathers and queens nursing-mothers0 to the ,church1#adaf does not depose them from their thrones2 but rather establishes them by an honourable title1 as patrons and protectors of the pious worshippers of ,god2 for that prophecy relates to the advent of ,christ4 ,i purposely omit numerous testimonies1 which often occur1 and especially in the ,psalms1 in which the rights of all governors are asserted4 ,but the most remarkable of all is that passage where ,paul1 admonishing ,timothy that in the public congregation1 8supplications1 prayers1 intercessions1 and giving of thanks1 be made for kings and for all that are in authority10 assigns as a reason1 8that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty20#adag language in which he recommends the state of the ,church to their patronage and defence4 ,,vi4 ,this consideration ought continually to occupy the magistrates themselves1 since it is calculated to furnish them with a powerful stimulus1 by which they may be excited to their duty1 and to afford them peculiar consolation1 by which the difficulties of their office1 which certainly are many and arduous1 may be alleviated4 ,for what an ardent pursuit of integrity1 prudence1 clemency1 moderation1 and innocence ought they to prescribe to themselves1 who are conscious of having been constituted ministers of the ,divine justice6 ,with what confidence will they admit iniquity to their tribunal1 which they understand to be the throne of the living ,god8 ,with what audacity will they pronounce an unjust sentence with that mouth which they know to be the destined organ of ,divine truth8 ,with what conscience will they subscribe to impious decrees with that hand which they know to be appointed to register the edicts of ,god8 ,in short1 if they remember that they are the vicegerents of ,god1 it behoves them to watch with all care1 earnestness1 and diligence1 that in their administration they may exhibit to men an image1 as it were1 of the providence1 care1 goodness1 benevolence1 and justice of ,god4 ,and they must constantly bear this in mind1 that if in all cases 8he be cursed that doeth the work of the ,lord deceitfully10#adah a far heavier curse awaits those who act fraudulently in a righteous calling4 ,therefore1 when ,moses and ,jehoshaphat wished to exhort their judges to the discharge of their duty1 they had nothing to suggest more efficacious than the principle which we have already mentioned4 ,moses says1 8,judge righteously between every man and his brother1 and the stranger that is with him4 ,for the judgment is ,god's40#adai ,jehoshaphat says1 8,take heed what ye do2 for ye judge not for man1 but for the ,lord1 who is with you in the judgment4 ,wherefore now let the fear of the ,lord be upon you3 take heed and do it2 for there is no iniquity with the ,lord our ,god40#adbj ,and in another place it is said1 8,god standeth in the congregation of the mighty3 he judgeth among the gods20#adba that they may be animated to their duty1 when they understand that they are delegated by ,god1 to whom they must one day render an account of their administration4 ,and this admonition is entitled to have considerable weight with them2 for if they fail in their duty1 they not only injure men by criminally distressing them1 but even offend ,god by polluting his sacred judgments4 ,on the other hand1 it opens a source of peculiar consolation to them to reflect1 that they are not employed in profane things1 or occupations unsuitable to a servant of ,god1 but in a most sacred function1 inasmuch as they execute a ,divine commission4 ,,vii4 ,those who are not restrained by so many testimonies of ,scripture1 but still dare to stigmatize this sacred ministry as a thing incompatible with religion and ,christian piety1 do they not offer an insult to ,god himself1 who cannot but be involved in the reproach cast upon his ministry8 ,and in fact they do not reject magistrates1 but they reject ,god1 8that he should not reign over them40#adbb ,for if this was truly asserted by the ,lord respecting the people of ,israel1 because they refused the government of ,samuel1 why shall it not now be affirmed with equal truth of those who take the liberty to outrage all the authorities which ,god has instituted8 ,but they object that our ,lord said to his disciples1 8,the kings of the ,gentiles exercise lordship over them3 but ye shall not be so2 but he that is greatest among you1 let him be as the younger2 and he that is chief1 as he that doth serve30#adbc and they contend that these words prohibit the exercise of royalty1 or any other authority1 by any ,christians4 ,admirable expositors6 ,a contention had arisen among the disciples 8which of them should be accounted the greatest40 ,to repress this vain ambition1 our ,lord taught them that their ministry was not like temporal kingdoms1 in which one person has the preminence over all others4 ,now1 what dishonour does this comparison cast upon regal dignity8 ,what does it prove at all1 except that the regal office is not the apostolic ministry8 ,moreover1 though there are various forms of magistracy1 yet there is no difference in this respect1 but we ought to receive them all as ordinances of ,god4 ,for ,paul comprehends them all together1 when he says1 that 8there is no power but of ,god20 and that which was furthest from giving general satisfaction1 is recommended to us in a remarkable manner beyond all others2 namely1 the government of one man2 which1 as it is attended with the common servitude of all1 except the single individual to whose will all others are subjected1 has never been so highly approved by heroic and noble minds4 ,but the ,scripture1 on the contrary1 to correct these unjust sentiments1 expressly affirms1 that it is by the providence of ,divine wisdom that kings reign1 and particularly commands us to 8honour the king40#adbd ,,viii4 ,and for private men1 who have no authority to deliberate on the regulation of any public affairs1 it would surely be a vain occupation to dispute which would be the best form of government in the place where they live4 ,besides1 this could not be simply determined1 as an abstract question1 without great impropriety1 since the principle to guide the decision must depend on circumstances4 ,and even if we compare the different forms together1 without their circumstances1 their advantages are so nearly equal1 that it will not be easy to discover of which the utility preponderates4 ,the forms of civil government are considered to be of three kinds3 ,monarchy1 which is the dominion of one person1 whether called a king1 or a duke1 or any other title2 ,aristocracy1 or the dominion of the principal persons of a nation2 and ,democracy1 or popular government1 in which the power resides in the people at large4 ,it is true that the transition is easy from monarchy to despotism2 it is not much more difficult from aristocracy to oligarchy1 or the faction of a few2 but it is most easy of all from democracy to sedition4 ,indeed1 if these three forms of government1 which are stated by philosophers1 be considered in themselves1 ,i shall by no means deny1 that either aristocracy1 or a mixture of aristocracy and democracy1 far excels all others2 and that indeed not of itself1 but because it very rarely happens that kings regulate themselves so that their will is never at variance with justice and rectitude2 or1 in the next place1 that they are endued with such penetration and prudence1 as in all cases to discover what is best4 ,the vice or imperfection of men therefore renders it safer and more tolerable for the government to be in the hands of many1 that they may afford each other mutual assistance and admonition1 and that if any one arrogate to himself more than is right1 the many may act as censors and masters to restrain his ambition4 ,this has always been proved by experience1 and the ,lord confirmed it by his authority1 when he established a government of this kind among the people of ,israel1 with a view to preserve them in the most desirable condition1 till he exhibited in ,david a type of ,christ4 ,and as ,i readily acknowledge that no kind of government is more happy than this1 where liberty is regulated with becoming moderation1 and properly established on a durable basis1 so also ,i consider those as the most happy people1 who are permitted to enjoy such a condition2 and if they exert their strenuous and constant efforts for its preservation and retention1 ,i admit that they act in perfect consistence with their duty4 ,and to this object the magistrates likewise ought to apply their greatest diligence1 that they suffer not the liberty1 of which they are constituted guardians1 to be in any respect diminished1 much less to be violated3 if they are inactive and unconcerned about this1 they are perfidious to their office1 and traitors to their country4 ,but if those1 to whom the will of ,god has assigned another form of government1 transfer this to themselves so as to be tempted to desire a revolution1 the very thought will be not only foolish and useless1 but altogether criminal4 ,if we limit not our views to one city1 but look round and take a comprehensive survey of the whole world1 or at least extend our observations to distant lands1 we shall certainly find it to be a wise arrangement of ,divine ,providence that various countries are governed by different forms of civil polity2 for they are admirably held together with a certain inequality1 as the elements are combined in very unequal proportions4 ,all these remarks1 however1 will be unnecessary to those who are satisfied with the will of the ,lord4 ,for if it be his pleasure to appoint kings over kingdoms1 and senators or other magistrates over free cities1 it is our duty to be obedient to any governors whom ,god has established over the places in which we reside4 ,,ix4 ,here it is necessary to state in a brief manner the nature of the office of magistracy1 as described in the word of ,god1 and wherein it consists4 ,if the ,scripture did not teach that this office extends to both tables of the law1 we might learn it from heathen writers2 for not one of them has treated of the office of magistrates1 of legislation1 and civil government1 without beginning with religion and ,divine worship4 ,and thus they have all confessed that no government can be happily constituted1 unless its first object1 be the promotion of piety1 and that all laws are preposterous which neglect the claims of ,god1 and merely provide for the interests of men4 ,therefore1 as religion holds the first place among all the philosophers1 and as this has always been regarded by the universal consent of all nations1 ,christian princes and magistrates ought to be ashamed of their indolence1 if they do not make it the object of their most serious care4 ,we have already shown that this duty is particularly enjoined upon them by ,god2 for it is reasonable that they should employ their utmost efforts in asserting and defending the honour of him1 whose vicegerents they are1 and by whose favour they govern4 ,and the principal commendations given in the ,scripture to the good kings are for having restored the worship of ,god when it had been corrupted or abolished1 or for having devoted their attention to religion1 that it might flourish in purity and safety under their reigns4 ,on the contrary1 the sacred history represents it as one of the evils arising from anarchy1 or a want of good government1 that when 8there was no king in ,israel1 every man did that which was right in his own eyes40#adbe ,these things evince the folly of those who would wish magistrates to neglect all thoughts of ,god1 and to confine themselves entirely to the administration of justice among men2 as though ,god appointed governors in his name to decide secular controversies1 and disregarded that which is of far greater importance--the pure worship of himself according to the rule of his law4 ,but a rage for universal innovation1 and a desire to escape with impunity1 instigate men of turbulent spirits to wish that all the avengers of violated piety were removed out of the world4 ,with respect to the second table1 ,jeremiah admonishes kings in the following manner3 8,execute ye judgment and righteousness1 and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor2 and do no wrong1 do no violence to the stranger1 the fatherless1 nor the widow1 neither shed innocent blood40#adbf ,to the same purpose is the exhortation in the eighty-second psalm3 8,defend the poor and fatherless3 do justice to the afflicted and needy3 deliver the poor and needy3 rid them out of the hand of the wicked40#adbg ,and ,moses 8charged the judges0 whom he appointed to supply his place1 saying1 8,hear the causes between your brethren1 and judge righteously between every man and his brother1 and the stranger that is with him3 ye shall not respect persons in judgment2 but ye shall hear the small as well as the great2 ye shall not be afraid of the face of man2 for the judgment is ,god's40#adbh ,i forbear to remark the directions given by him in another place respecting their future kings3 8,he shall not multiply horses to himself2 neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold2 his heart shall not be lifted up above his brethren2 he shall read in the law all the days of his life20#adbi also that judges show no partiality1 nor take bribes1 with similar injunctions1 which abound in the ,scriptures2 because1 in describing the office of magistrates in this treatise1 my design is not so much to instruct magistrates themselves1 as to show to others what magistrates are1 and for what end ,god has appointed them4 ,we see1 therefore1 that they are constituted the protectors and vindicators of the public innocence1 modesty1 probity1 and tranquillity1 whose sole object it ought to be to promote the common peace and security of all4 ,of these virtues1 ,david declares that he will be an example1 when he shall be exalted to the royal throne4 8,i will set no wicked thing before mine eyes4 ,i will not know a wicked person4 ,whoso privily slandereth his neighbour1 him will ,i cut off3 him that hath a high look and a proud heart will ,i not suffer4 ,mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land1 that they may dwell with me3 he that walketh in a perfect way1 he shall serve me40#adcj ,but as they cannot do this1 unless they defend good men from the injuries of the wicked1 and aid the oppressed by their relief and protection1 they are likewise armed with power for the suppression of crimes1 and the severe punishment of malefactors1 whose wickedness disturbs the public peace4 ,for experience fully verifies the observation of ,solon3 8,that all states are supported by reward and punishment2 and that when these two things are removed1 all the discipline of human societies is broken and destroyed40 ,for the minds of many lose their regard for equity and justice1 unless virtue be rewarded with due honour2 nor can the violence of the wicked be restrained1 unless crimes are followed by severe punishments4 ,and these two parts are included in the injunction of the prophet to kings and other governors1 to 8execute judgment and righteousness40#adca ,righteousness means the care1 patronage1 defence1 vindication1 and liberation of the innocent3 judgment imports the repression of the audacity1 the coercion of the violence1 and the punishment of the crimes1 of the impious4 ,x4 ,but here1 it seems1 arises an important and difficult question4 ,if by the law of ,god all ,christians are forbidden to kill1#adcb and the prophet predicts respecting the ,church1 that 8they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain1 saith the ,lord10#adcc how can it be compatible with piety for magistrates to shed blood8 ,but if we understand1 that in the infliction of punishments1 the magistrate does not act at all from himself1 but merely executes the judgments of ,god1 we shall not be embarrassed with this scruple4 ,the law of the ,lord commands1 8,thou shalt not kill20 but that homicide may not go unpunished1 the legislator himself puts the sword into the hands of his ministers1 to be used against all homicides4#adcd ,to hurt and to destroy are incompatible with the character of the godly2 but to avenge the afflictions of the righteous at the command of ,god1 is neither to hurt nor to destroy4 ,therefore it is easy to conclude that in this respect magistrates are not subject to the common law2 by which1 though the ,lord binds the hands of men1 he does not bind his own justice1 which he exercises by the hands of magistrates4 ,so1 when a prince forbids all his subjects to strike or wound any one1 he does not prohibit his officers from executing that justice which is particularly committed to them4 ,i sincerely wish that this consideration were constantly in our recollection1 that nothing is done here by the temerity of men1 but every thing by the authority of ,god1 who commands it1 and under whose guidance we never err from the right way4 ,for we can find no valid objection to the infliction of public vengeance1 unless the justice of ,god be restrained from the punishment of crimes4 ,but if it be unlawful for us to impose restraints upon him1 why do we calumniate his ministers8 ,paul says of the magistrate1 that 8,he beareth not the sword in vain2 for he is the minister of ,god1 a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil40#adce ,therefore1 if princes and other governors know that nothing will be more acceptable to ,god than their obedience1 and if they desire to approve their piety1 justice1 and integrity before ,god1 let them devote themselves to this duty4 ,this motive influenced ,moses1 when1 knowing himself to be destined to become the liberator of his people by the power of the ,lord1 8he slew the ,egyptian20#adcf and when he punished the idolatry of the people by the slaughter of three thousand men in one day4#adcg ,the same motive actuated ,david1 when1 at the close of his life1 he commanded his son ,solomon to put to death ,joab and ,shimei4#adch ,hence1 also1 it is enumerated among the virtues of a king1 to 8destroy all the wicked of the land1 that he may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the ,lord40#adci ,the same topic furnishes the eulogium given to ,solomon3 8,thou lovest righteousness1 and hatest wickedness40#addj ,how did the meek and placid disposition of ,moses burn with such cruelty1 that1 after having his hands imbrued in the blood of his brethren1 he continued to go through the camp till three thousand were slain8 ,how did ,david1 who discovered such humanity all his lifetime1 in his last moments bequeath such a cruel injunction to his son respecting ,joab8 8,let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace20 and respecting ,shimei3 8,his hoar head bring down to the grave with blood40 ,both ,moses and ,david1 in executing the vengeance committed to them by ,god1 by this severity sanctified their hands1 which would have been defiled by lenity4 ,solomon says1 8,it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness2 for the throne is established by righteousness40#adda ,again3 8,a king that sitteth in the throne of judgment1 scattereth away all evil with his eyes40#addb ,again3 8,a wise king scattereth the wicked1 and bringeth the wheel over them40#addc ,again3 8,take away the dross from the silver1 and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer4 ,take away the wicked from before the king1 and his throne shall be established in righteousness40#addd ,again3 8,he that justifieth the wicked1 and he that condemneth the just1 even they both are an abomination to the ,lord40#adde ,again3 8,an evil man seeketh only rebellion2 therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him40#addf ,again3 8,he that saith unto the wicked1 ,thou art righteous2 him shall the people curse1 nations shall abhor him40#addg ,now1 if it be true justice for them to pursue the wicked with a drawn sword1 let them sheathe the sword1 and keep their hands from shedding blood1 while the swords of desperadoes are drenched in murders2 and they will be so far from acquiring the praise of goodness and justice by this forbearance1 that they will involve themselves in the deepest impiety4 ,there ought not1 however1 to be any excessive or unreasonable severity1 nor ought any cause to be given for considering the tribunal as a gibbet prepared for all who are accused4 ,for ,i am not an advocate for unnecessary cruelty1 nor can ,i conceive the possibility of an equitable sentence being pronounced without mercy2 of which ,solomon affirms1 that 8mercy and truth preserve the king2 and his throne is upholden by mercy40#addh ,yet it behoves the magistrate to be on his guard against both these errors2 that he do not1 by excessive severity1 wound rather than heal2 or1 through a superstitious affectation of clemency1 fall into a mistaken humanity1 which is the worst kind of cruelty1 by indulging a weak and ill-judged lenity1 to the detriment of multitudes4 ,for it is a remark not without foundation1 that was anciently applied to the government of ,nerva1 that it is bad to live under a prince who permits nothing1 but much worse to live under one who permits every thing4 ,,xi4 ,now1 as it is sometimes necessary for kings and nations to take up arms for the infliction of such public vengeance1 the same reason will lead us to infer the lawfulness of wars which are undertaken for this end4 ,for if they have been intrusted with power to preserve the tranquillity of their own territories1 to suppress the seditious tumults of disturbers1 to succour the victims of oppression1 and to punish crimes1--can they exert this power for a better purpose1 than to repel the violence of him who disturbs both the private repose of individuals and the general tranquillity of the nation2 who excites insurrections1 and perpetrates acts of oppression1 cruelty1 and every species of crime8 ,if they ought to be the guardians and defenders of the laws1 it is incumbent upon them to defeat the efforts of all by whose injustice the discipline of the laws is corrupted4 ,and if they justly punish those robbers1 whose injuries have only extended to a few persons1 shall they suffer a whole district to be plundered and devastated with impunity8 ,for there is no difference1 whether he1 who in a hostile manner invades1 disturbs1 and plunders the territory of another to which he has no right1 be a king1 or one of the meanest of mankind3 all persons of this description are equally to be considered as robbers1 and ought to be punished as such4 ,it is the dictate both of natural equity1 and of the nature of the office1 therefore1 that princes are armed1 not only to restrain the crimes of private individuals by judicial punishments1 but also to defend the territories committed to their charge by going to war against any hostile aggression2 and the ,holy ,spirit1 in many passages of ,scripture1 declares such wars to be lawful4 ,,xii4 ,if it be objected that the ,new ,testament contains no precept or example1 which proves war to be lawful to ,christians1 ,i answer1 first1 that the reason for waging war which existed in ancient times1 is equally valid in the present age2 and that1 on the contrary1 there is no cause to prevent princes from defending their subjects4 ,secondly1 that no express declaration on this subject is to be expected in the writings of the apostles1 whose design was1 not to organize civil governments1 but to describe the spiritual kingdom of ,christ4 ,lastly1 that in those very writings it is implied by the way1 that no change has been made in this respect by the coming of ,christ4 8,for10 to use the words of ,augustine1 8if ,christian discipline condemned all wars1 the soldiers who inquired respecting their salvation ought rather to have been directed to cast away their arms1 and entirely to renounce the military profession2 whereas the advice given them was1 #8,do violence to no man1 neither accuse any falsely2 and be content with your wages4'#addi ,an injunction to be content with their wages was certainly not a prohibition of the military life40 ,but here all magistrates ought to be very cautious1 that they follow not in any respect the impulse of their passions4 ,on the contrary1 if punishments are to be inflicted1 they ought not to be precipitated with anger1 exasperated with hatred1 or inflamed with implacable severity3 they ought1 as ,augustine says1 8to commiserate our common nature even in him whom they punish for his crime40 ,or1 if arms are to be resorted to against an enemy1 that is1 an armed robber1 they ought not to seize a trivial occasion1 nor even to take it when presented1 unless they are driven to it by extreme necessity4 ,for1 if it be our duty to exceed what was required by that heathen writer who maintained that the evident object of war ought to be the restoration of peace1 certainly we ought to make every other attempt before we have recourse to the decision of arms4 ,in short1 in both cases they must not suffer themselves to be carried away by any private motive1 but be wholly guided by public spirit2 otherwise they grossly abuse their power1 which is given them1 not for their own particular advantage1 but for the benefit and service of others4 ,moreover1 on this right of war depends the lawfulness of garrisons1 alliances1 and other civil munitions4 ,by garrisons1 ,i mean soldiers who are stationed in towns to defend the boundaries of a country4 ,by alliances1 ,i mean confederations which are made between neighbouring princes1 that1 if any disturbance arise in their territories1 they will render each other mutual assistance1 and will unite their forces together for the common resistance of the common enemies of mankind4 ,by civil munitions1 ,i mean all the provisions which are employed in the art of war4 ,,xiii4 ,in the last place1 ,i think it necessary to add1 that tributes and taxes are the legitimate revenues of princes2 which1 indeed1 they ought principally to employ in sustaining the public expenses of their office1 but which they may likewise use for the support of their domestic splendour1 which is closely connected with the dignity of the government that they hold4 ,thus we see that ,david1 ,jehoshaphat1 ,hezekiah1 ,josiah1 and other pious kings1 and likewise ,joseph and ,daniel1 without any violation of piety1 on account of the office which they filled1 lived at the public expense2 and we read in ,ezekiel of a very ample portion of land being assigned to the kings2#adej in which passage1 though the prophet is describing the spiritual kingdom of ,christ1 yet he borrows the model of it from the legitimate kingdoms of men4 ,on the other hand1 princes themselves ought to remember1 that their finances are not so much private incomes1 as the revenues of the whole people1 according to the testimony of ,paul1#adea and therefore cannot be lavished or dilapidated without manifest injustice2 or1 rather1 that they are to be considered as the blood of the people1 not to spare which is the most inhuman cruelty2 and their various imposts and tributes ought to be regarded merely as aids of the public necessity1 to burden the people with which1 without cause1 would be tyrannical rapacity4 ,these things give no encouragement to princes to indulge profusion and luxury2 and certainly there is no need to add fuel to their passions1 which of themselves are more than sufficiently inflamed2 but1 as it is of very great importance1 that whatever they undertake they attempt it with a pure conscience before ,god1 it is necessary1 in order to their avoiding vain confidence and contempt of ,god1 that they be taught how far their rights extend4 ,nor is this doctrine useless to private persons1 who learn from it not to pronounce rash and insolent censures on the expenses of princes1 notwithstanding they exceed the limits of common life4 ,,xiv4 ,from the magistracy1 we next proceed to the laws1 which are the strong nerves of civil polity1 or1 according to an appellation which ,cicero has borrowed from ,plato1 the souls of states1 without which magistracy cannot subsist1 as1 on the other hand1 without magistrates laws are of no force4 ,no observation1 therefore1 can be more correct than this1 that the law is a silent magistrate1 and a magistrate a speaking law4 ,though ,i have promised to show by what laws a ,christian state ought to be regulated1 it will not be reasonable for any person to expect a long discussion respecting the best kind of laws2 which is a subject of immense extent1 and foreign from our present object4 ,i will briefly remark1 however1 by the way1 what laws it may piously use before ,god1 and be rightly governed by among men4 ,and even this ,i would have preferred passing over in silence1 if ,i did not know that it is a point on which many persons run into dangerous errors4 ,for some deny that a state is well constituted1 which neglects the polity of ,moses1 and is governed by the common laws of nations4 ,the dangerous and seditious nature of this opinion ,i leave to the examination of others2 it will be sufficient for me to have evinced it to be false and foolish4 ,now1 it is necessary to observe that common distinction1 which distributes all the laws of ,god promulgated by ,moses into moral1 ceremonial1 and judicial2 and these different kinds of laws are to be distinctly examined1 that we may ascertain what belongs to us1 and what does not4 ,nor let any one be embarrassed by this scruple1 that even the ceremonial and judicial precepts are included in the moral4 ,for the ancients1 who first made this distinction1 were not ignorant that these two kinds of precepts related to the conduct of moral agents2 yet1 as they might be changed and abrogated without affecting the morality of actions1 therefore they did not call them moral precepts4 ,they particularly applied this appellation to those precepts without which there can be no real purity of morals1 nor any permanent rule of a holy life4 ,,xv4 ,the moral law1 therefore1 with which ,i shall begin1 being comprised in two leading articles1 of which one simply commands us to worship ,god with pure faith and piety1 and the other enjoins us to embrace men with sincere love1--this law1 ,i say1 is the true and eternal rule of righteousness1 prescribed to men of all ages and nations1 who wish to conform their lives to the will of ,god4 ,for this is his eternal and immutable will1 that he himself be worshipped by us all1 and that we mutually love one another4 ,the ceremonial law was the pupilage of the ,jews1 with which it pleased the ,lord to exercise that people during a state resembling childhood1 till that 8fulness of the time0 should come1#adeb when he would fully manifest his wisdom to the world1 and would exhibit the reality of those things which were then adumbrated in figures4 ,the judicial law1 given to them as a political constitution1 taught them certain rules of equity and justice1 by which they might conduct themselves in a harmless and peaceable manner towards each other4 ,and as that exercise of ceremonies properly related to the doctrine of piety1 inasmuch as it kept the ,jewish ,church in the worship and service of ,god1 which is the first article of the moral law1 and yet was distinct from piety itself1 so these judicial regulations1 though they had no other end than the preservation of that love1 which is enjoined in the eternal law of ,god1 yet had something which distinguished them from that precept itself4 ,as the ceremonies1 therefore1 might be abrogated without any violation or injury of piety1 so the precepts and duties of love remain of perpetual obligation1 notwithstanding the abolition of all these judicial ordinances4 ,if this be true1 certainly all nations are left at liberty to enact such laws as they shall find to be respectively expedient for them2 provided they be framed according to that perpetual rule of love1 so that1 though they vary in form1 they may have the same end4 ,for those barbarous and savage laws which rewarded theft and permitted promiscuous concubinage1 with others still more vile1 execrable1 and absurd1 ,i am very far from thinking ought to be considered as laws2 since they are not only violations of all righteousness1 but outrages against humanity itself4 ,,xvi4 ,what ,i have said will be more clearly understood1 if in all laws we properly consider these two things--the constitution of the law and its equity1 on the reason of which the constitution itself is founded and rests4 ,equity1 being natural1 is the same to all mankind2 and consequently all laws1 on every subject1 ought to have the same equity for their end4 ,particular enactments and regulations1 being connected with circumstances1 and partly dependent upon them1 may be different in different cases without any impropriety1 provided they are all equally directed to the same object of equity4 ,now1 as it is certain that the law of ,god1 which we call the moral law1 is no other than a declaration of natural law1 and of that conscience which has been engraven by ,god on the minds of men1 the whole rule of this equity1 of which we now speak1 is prescribed in it4 ,this equity1 therefore1 must alone be the scope1 and rule1 and end1 of all laws4 ,whatever laws shall be framed according to that rule1 directed to that object1 and limited to that end1 there is no reason why we should censure them1 however they may differ from the ,jewish law or from each other4 ,the law of ,god forbids theft4 ,what punishment was enacted for thieves1 among the ,jews1 may be seen in the book of ,exodus4#adec ,the most ancient laws of other nations punished theft by requiring a compensation of double the value4 ,subsequent laws made a distinction between open and secret theft4 ,some proceeded to banishment1 some to flagellation1 and some to the punishment of death4 ,false witness was punished1 among the ,jews1 with the same punishment as such testimony would have caused to be inflicted on the person against whom it was given2#aded in some countries it was punished with infamy1 in others with hanging1 in others with crucifixion4 ,all laws agree in punishing murder with death1 though in several different forms4 ,the punishments of adulterers in different countries have been attended with different degrees of severity4 ,yet we see how1 amidst this diversity1 they are all directed to the same end4 ,for they all agree in denouncing punishment against those crimes which are condemned by the eternal law of ,god2 such as murders1 thefts1 adulteries1 false testimonies1 though there is not a uniformity in the mode of punishment2 and1 indeed1 this is neither necessary1 nor even expedient4 ,one country1 if it did not inflict the most exemplary vengeance upon murderers1 would soon be ruined by murders and robberies4 ,one age requires the severity of punishments to be increased4 ,if a country be disturbed by any civil commotion1 the evils which generally arise from it must be corrected by new edicts4 ,in time of war all humanity would be forgotten amidst the din of arms1 if men were not awed by more than a common dread of punishment4 ,during famine and pestilence1 unless greater severity be employed1 every thing will fall into ruin4 ,one nation is more prone than others to some particular vice1 unless it be most rigidly restrained4 ,what malignity and envy against the public good will be betrayed by him who shall take offence at such diversity1 which is best adapted to secure the observance of the law of ,god8 ,for the objection made by some1 that it is an insult to the law of ,god given by ,moses1 when it is abrogated1 and other laws are preferred to it1 is without any foundation2 for neither are other laws preferred to it1 when they are more approved1 not on a simple comparison1 but on account of the circumstances of time1 place1 and nation2 nor do we abrogate that which was never given to us4 ,for the ,lord gave not that law by the hand of ,moses to be promulgated among all nations1 and to be universally binding2 but after having taken the ,jewish nation into his special charge1 patronage1 and protection1 he was pleased to become1 in a peculiar manner1 their legislator1 and1 as became a wise legislator1 in all the laws which he gave them1 he had a special regard to their peculiar circumstances4 ,,xvii4 ,it now remains for us1 as we proposed1 in the last place1 to examine what advantage the common society of ,christians derives from laws1 judgments1 and magistrates2 with which is connected another question--what honour private persons ought to render to magistrates1 and how far their obedience ought to extend4 ,many persons suppose the office of magistracy to be of no use among ,christians1 for that they cannot1 consistently with piety1 apply for their assistance1 because they are forbidden to have recourse to revenge or litigation4 ,but as ,paul1 on the contrary1 clearly testifies that the magistrate is 8the minister of ,god to us for good10#adee we understand from this that he is divinely appointed1 in order that we may be defended by his power and protection against the malice and injuries of wicked men1 and may lead peaceable and secure lives4 ,but if it be in vain that he is given to us by the ,lord for our protection1 unless it be lawful for us to avail ourselves of such an advantage1 it clearly follows that we may appeal to him1 and apply for his aid1 without any violation of piety4 ,but here ,i have to do with two sorts of persons2 for there are multitudes inflamed with such a rage for litigation1 that they never have peace in themselves1 unless they are in contention with others2 and they commence their lawsuits with a mortal bitterness of animosities1 and with an infuriated cupidity of revenge and injury1 and pursue them with an implacable obstinacy1 even to the ruin of their adversary4 ,at the same time1 that they may not be thought to do any thing wrong1 they defend this perverseness under the pretext of seeking justice4 ,but1 though it is allowable for a man to endeavour to obtain justice from his neighbour by a judicial process1 he is not therefore at liberty to hate him1 or to cherish a desire to hurt him1 or to persecute him without mercy4 ,,xviii4 ,let such persons1 therefore1 understand1 that judicial processes are lawful to those who use them rightly2 and that the right use1 both for the plaintiff and for the defendant1 is this3 ,first1 if the plaintiff1 being injured either in his person or in his property1 has recourse to the protection of the magistrate1 states his complaint1 makes a just and equitable claim1 but without any desire of injury or revenge1 without any asperity or hatred1 without any ardour for contention1 but rather prepared to waive his right1 and to sustain some disadvantage1 than to cherish enmity against his adversary4 ,secondly1 if the defendant1 being summoned1 appears on the day appointed1 and defends his cause by the best arguments in his power1 without any bitterness1 but with the simple desire of maintaining his just right4 ,on the contrary1 when their minds are filled with malevolence1 corrupted with envy1 incensed with wrath1 stimulated with revenge1 or inflamed with the fervour of contention1 so as to diminish their charity1 all the proceedings of the justest cause are inevitably wicked4 ,for it ought to be an established maxim with all ,christians1 that however just a cause may be1 no lawsuit can ever be carried on in a proper manner by any man1 who does not feel as much benevolence and affection towards his adversary1 as if the business in dispute had already been settled and terminated by an amicable adjustment4 ,some1 perhaps1 will object1 that such moderation in lawsuits is far from being ever practised1 and that if one instance of it were to be found1 it would be regarded as a prodigy4 ,i confess1 indeed1 that1 in the corruption of these times1 the example of an upright litigator is very rare2 but the thing itself ceases not to be good and pure1 if it be not defiled by an adventitious evil4 ,but when we hear that the assistance of the magistrate is a holy gift of ,god1 it behoves us to use the more assiduous caution that it be not contaminated by our guilt4 ,,xix4 ,those who positively condemn all controversies at law1 ought to understand that they thereby reject a holy ordinance of ,god1 and a gift of the number of those which may be 8pure to the pure20 unless they mean to charge ,paul with a crime1 who repelled the calumnies of his accusers1 exposing their subtlety and malice2 who1 before his judges1 asserted his right to the privileges of a ,roman citizen2 and who1 when he found it necessary1 appealed from an unjust governor to the tribunal of ,csar4 ,it is no objection to this that all ,christians are forbidden the desire of revenge1 which we also wish to banish to the greatest distance from all ,christian judicatures4 ,for1 in a civil cause1 no man proceeds in the right way1 who does not1 with innocent simplicity1 commit his cause to the judge as to a public guardian1 without the least thought of a mutual retaliation of evil1 which is the passion of revenge4 ,and in any more important or criminal action we require the accuser to be one who goes into the court1 influenced by no desire of revenge1 affected by no resentment of private injury1 and having no other motive than to resist the attempts of a mischievous man1 that he may not injure the public4 ,but if a vindictive spirit be excluded1 no offence is committed against that precept by which revenge is forbidden to ,christians4 ,it may probably be objected1 that they are not only forbidden to desire revenge1 but are also commanded to wait for the hand of the ,lord1 who promises that he will assist and revenge the afflicted and oppressed1 and therefore that those who seek the interference of the magistrate on behalf of themselves or others1 anticipate all that vengeance of the celestial protector4 ,but this is very far from the truth4 ,for the vengeance of the magistrate is to be considered1 not as the vengeance of man1 but of ,god1 which1 according to the testimony of ,paul1 he exercises by the ministry of men for our good4 ,,xx4 ,nor do we any more oppose the prohibition and injunction of ,christ1 8,resist not evil2 but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him the other also2 and if any man will sue thee at the law1 and take away1 thy coat1 let him have thy cloak also40#adef ,in this passage1 indeed1 he requires the minds of his servants to be so far from cherishing a desire of retaliation1 as rather to suffer the repetition of an injury against themselves than to wish to revenge it2 nor do we dissuade them from this patience4 ,for it truly behoves ,christians to be a people1 as it were1 formed to bear injuries and reproaches1 exposed to the iniquity1 impostures1 and ridicule of the worst of mankind2 and not only so1 but they ought to be patient under all these evils2 that is to say1 so calm and composed in their minds1 that1 after having suffered one affliction1 they may prepare themselves for another1 expecting nothing all their lifetime but to bear a perpetual cross4 ,at the same time1 they are required to bless and pray for them from whom they receive curses1 to do good to them from whom they experience injuries1#adeg and to aim at that which constitutes their only victory1 to 8overcome evil with good40#adeh ,with this disposition they will not demand 8an eye for an eye1 and a tooth for a tooth10 as the ,pharisees taught their disciples to desire revenge2 but1 as we are instructed by ,christ1 they will suffer injuries in their persons and property in such a manner as to be ready to forgive them as soon as they are committed4#adei ,yet this equanimity and moderation will be no obstacle1 but that1 without any breach of friendship towards their enemies1 they may avail themselves of the assistance of the magistrate for the preservation of their property2 or1 from zeal for the public good1 may bring a pestilent offender to justice1 though they know he can only be punished with death4 ,for it is very correctly explained by ,augustine1 that the end of all these precepts is1 8that a just and pious man should be ready to bear with patience the wickedness of those whom he desires to become good2 rather in order that the number of the good may increase1 not that with similar wickedness he may himself join the number of the evil2 and in the next place1 that they relate to the internal affection of the heart more than to the external actions2 in order that in the secrecy of our minds we may feel patience and benevolence1 but in our outward conduct may do that which we see tends to the advantage of those to whom we ought to feel benevolent affections40 ,,xxi4 ,the objection which is frequently alleged1 that lawsuits are universally condemned by ,paul1 has no foundation in truth4#adfj ,it may be easily understood from his words1 that in the ,church of the ,corinthians there was an immoderate rage for litigation1 so that they exposed the gospel of ,christ1 and all the religion which they professed1 to the cavils and reproaches of the impious4 ,the first thing which ,paul reprehended in them was1 that the intemperance of their dissensions brought the gospel into discredit among unbelievers4 ,and the next thing was1 that they had such altercations among them1 brethren with brethren2 for they were so far from bearing an injury1 that they coveted each other's property1 and molested and injured one another without any provocation4 ,it was against that rage for litigation1 therefore1 that he inveighed1 and not absolutely against all controversies4 ,but he pronounces it to be altogether a vice or a weakness1 that they did not suffer the injury or loss of their property rather than to proceed to contentions for the preservation of it3 when they were so disturbed or exasperated at every loss or injury1 that they had recourse to lawsuits on the most trivial occasions1 he argues that this proved their minds to be too irritable1 and not sufficiently patient4 ,it is certainly incumbent on ,christians1 in all cases1 to prefer a concession of their right to an entrance on a lawsuit2 from which they can scarcely come out without a mind exasperated and inflamed with enmity to their brother4 ,but when one sees that1 without any breach of charity1 he may defend his property1 the loss of which would be a serious injury to him2 if he do it1 he commits no offence against that sentence of ,paul4 ,in a word1 as we have observed at the beginning1 charity will give every one the best counsel2 for1 whatever litigations are undertaken without charity1 or are carried to a degree inconsistent with it1 we conclude them1 beyond all controversy1 to be unjust and wicked4 ,,xxii4 ,the first duty of subjects towards their magistrates is to entertain the most honourable sentiments of their function1 which they know to be a jurisdiction delegated to them from ,god1 and on that account to esteem and reverence them as ,god's ministers and vicegerents4 ,for there are some persons to be found1 who show themselves very obedient to their magistrates1 and have not the least wish that there were no magistrates for them to obey1 because they know them to be so necessary to the public good2 but who1 nevertheless1 consider the magistrates themselves as no other than necessary evils4 ,but something more than this is required of us by ,peter1 when he commands us to 8honour the king20#adfa and by ,solomon1 when he says1 8,fear thou the ,lord and the king20#adfb for ,peter1 under the term honour1 comprehends a sincere and candid esteem2 and ,solomon1 by connecting the king with the ,lord1 attributes to him a kind of sacred veneration and dignity4 ,it is also a remarkable commendation of magistrates which is given by ,paul1 when he says1 that we 8must needs be subject1 not only for wrath1 but also for conscience sake20#adfc by which he means1 that subjects ought to be induced to submit to princes and governors1 not merely from a dread of their power1 as persons are accustomed to yield to an armed enemy1 who they know will immediately take vengeance upon them if they resist2 but because the obedience which is rendered to princes and magistrates is rendered to ,god1 from whom they have received their authority4 ,i am not speaking of the persons1 as if the mask of dignity ought to palliate or excuse folly1 ignorance1 or cruelty1 and conduct the most nefarious and flagitious1 and so to acquire for vices the praise due to virtues2 but ,i affirm that the station itself is worthy of honour and reverence2 so that1 whoever our governors are1 they ought to possess our esteem and veneration on account of the office which they fill4 ,,xxiii4 ,hence follows another duty1 that1 with minds disposed to honour and reverence magistrates1 subjects approve their obedience to them1 in submitting to their edicts1 in paying taxes1 in discharging public duties1 and bearing burdens which relate to the common defence1 and in fulfilling all their other commands4 ,paul says to the ,romans1 8,let every soul be subject unto the higher powers4 ,whosoever resisteth the power1 resisteth the ordinance of ,god40#adfd ,he writes to ,titus1 8,put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers1 to obey magistrates1 to be ready to every good work40#adfe ,peter exhorts1 8,submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the ,lord's sake2 whether it be to the king1 as supreme2 or unto governors1 as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers1 and for the praise of them that do well40#adff ,moreover1 that subjects may testify that theirs is not a hypocritical but a sincere and cordial submission1 ,paul teaches1 that they ought to pray to ,god for the safety and prosperity of those under whose government they live4 8,i exhort10 he says1 8that supplications1 prayers1 intercessions1 and giving of thanks1 be made for all men2 for kings1 and for all that are in authority2 that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty40#adfg ,here let no man deceive himself4 ,for as it is impossible to resist the magistrate without1 at the same time1 resisting ,god himself2 though an unarmed magistrate may seem to be despised with impunity1 yet ,god is armed to inflict exemplary vengeance on the contempt offered to himself4 ,under this obedience ,i also include the moderation which private persons ought to prescribe to themselves in relation to public affairs1 that they do not1 without being called upon1 intermeddle with affairs of state1 or rashly intrude themselves into the office of magistrates1 or undertake any thing of a public nature4 ,if there be any thing in the public administration which requires to be corrected1 let them not raise any tumults1 or take the business into their own hands1 which ought to be all bound in this respect1 but let them refer it to the cognizance of the magistrate1 who is alone authorized to regulate the concerns of the public4 ,i mean1 that they ought to attempt nothing without being commanded2 for when they have the command of a governor1 then they also are invested with public authority4 ,for1 as we are accustomed to call the counsellors of a prince his eyes and ears1 so they may not unaptly be called his hands whom he has commissioned to execute his commands4 ,,xxiv4 ,now1 as we have hitherto described a magistrate who truly answers to his title2 who is the father of his country1 and1 as the poet calls him1 the pastor of his people1 the guardian of peace1 the protector of justice1 the avenger of innocence2 he would justly be deemed insane who disapproved of such a government4 ,but1 as it has happened1 in almost all ages1 that some princes1 regardless of every thing to which they ought to have directed their attention and provision1 give themselves up to their pleasures in indolent exemption from every care2 others1 absorbed in their own interest1 expose to sale all laws1 privileges1 rights1 and judgments2 others plunder the public of wealth1 which they afterwards lavish in mad prodigality2 others commit flagrant outrages1 pillaging houses1 violating virgins and matrons1 and murdering infants2 many persons cannot be persuaded that such ought to be acknowledged as princes1 whom1 as far as possible1 they ought to obey4 ,for in such enormities1 and actions so completely incompatible1 not only with the office of a magistrate1 but with the duty of every man1 they discover no appearance of the image of ,god1 which ought to be conspicuous in a magistrate2 while they perceive no vestige of that minister of ,god who is 8not a terror to good works1 but to the evil10 who is sent 8for the punishment of evil-doers1 and for the praise of them that do well20 nor recognize that governor1 whose dignity and authority the ,scripture recommends to us4 ,and certainly the minds of men have always been naturally disposed to hate and execrate tyrants as much as to love and reverence legitimate kings4 ,,xxv4 ,but1 if we direct our attention to the word of ,god1 it will carry us much further2 even to submit to the government1 not only of those princes who discharge their duty to us with becoming integrity and fidelity1 but of all who possess the sovereignty1 even though they perform none of the duties of their function4 ,for1 though the ,lord testifies that the magistrate is an eminent gift of his liberality to preserve the safety of men1 and prescribes to magistrates themselves the extent of their duty1 yet he at the same time declares1 that whatever be their characters1 they have their government only from him2 that those who govern for the public good are true specimens and mirrors of his beneficence2 and that those who rule in an unjust and tyrannical manner are raised up by him to punish the iniquity of the people2 that all equally possess that sacred majesty with which he has invested legitimate authority4 ,i will not proceed any further till ,i have subjoined a few testimonies in proof of this point4 ,it is unnecessary1 however1 to labour much to evince an impious king to be a judgment of ,god's wrath upon the world1 as ,i have no expectation that any one will deny it3 and in this we say no more of a king than of any other robber who plunders our property2 or adulterer who violates our bed2 or assassin who attempts to murder us2 since the ,scripture enumerates all these calamities among the curses inflicted by ,god4 ,but let us rather insist on the proof of that which the minds of men do not so easily admit2 that a man of the worst character1 and most undeserving of all honour1 who holds the sovereign power1 really possesses that eminent and ,divine authority1 which the ,lord has given by his word to the ministers of his justice and judgment2 and1 therefore1 that he ought to be regarded by his subjects1 as far as pertains to public obedience1 with the same reverence and esteem which they would show to the best of kings1 if such a one were granted to them4 ,,xxvi4 ,in the first place1 ,i request my readers to observe and consider with attention1 what is so frequently and justly mentioned in the ,scriptures1--the providence and peculiar dispensation of ,god in distributing kingdoms and appointing whom he pleases to be kings4 ,daniel says1 8,god changeth the times and the seasons3 he removeth kings and setteth up kings40#adfh ,again3 8,that the living may know that the ,most ,high ruleth in the kingdom of men1 and giveth it to whomsoever he will40#adfi ,passages of this kind abound throughout the ,scriptures1 but particularly in this prophecy4 ,now1 the character of ,nebuchadnezzar1 who conquered ,jerusalem1 is sufficiently known1 that he was an invader and depopulator of the territories of others4 ,yet by the mouth of ,ezekiel the ,lord declares that he had given him the land of ,egypt1 as a reward for the service which he had performed in devastating ,tyre4#adgj ,and ,daniel said to him1 8,thou1 ,o king1 art a king of kings2 for the ,god of heaven hath given thee a kingdom1 power1 and strength1 and glory2 and wheresoever the children of men dwell1 the beasts of the field1 and the fowls of the heaven1 hath he given into thine hand1 and hath made thee ruler over all40#adga ,again3 to his grandson ,belshazzar ,daniel said1 8,the most high ,god gave ,nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom1 and majesty1 and glory1 and honour2 and for the majesty that he gave him1 all people1 nations1 and languages1 trembled and feared before him40#adgb ,when we hear that ,nebuchadnezzar was placed on the throne by ,god1 let us1 at the same time1 call to mind the celestial edicts which command us to fear and honour the king2 and we shall not hesitate to regard the most iniquitous tyrant with the honour due to the station in which the ,lord has deigned to place him4 ,when ,samuel denounced to the children of ,israel what treatment they would receive from their kings1 he said1 8,this will be the manner#adgc of the king that shall reign over you2 he will take your sons and appoint them for himself1 for his chariots1 and to be his horsemen1 and to ear his ground1 and to reap his harvest1 and to make his instruments of war4 ,and he will take your daughters to be confectionaries1 and to be cooks1 and to be bakers4 ,and he will take your fields1 and your vineyards1 and your oliveyards1 even the best of them1 and give them to his servants4 ,and he will take the tenth of your seed1 and of your vineyards1 and give to his officers and to his servants4 ,and he will take your men-servants1 and your maid-servants1 and your goodliest young men1 and your asses1 and put them to his work4 ,he will take the tenth of your sheep2 and ye shall be his servants40#adgd ,certainly the kings would not do all this by 8right10 for they were excellently instructed by the law to observe all moderation2 but it was called a 8right0 with respect to the people who were bound to obey1 and were not at liberty to resist it4 ,it was just as if ,samuel had said1 ,the cupidity of your kings will proceed to all these outrages1 which it will not be your province to restrain2 nothing will remain for you1 but to receive their commands and to obey them4 ,,xxvii4 ,but the most remarkable and memorable passage of all is in the ,prophecy of ,jeremiah1 which1 though it is rather long1 ,i shall readily quote1 because it most clearly decides the whole question3 8,i have made the earth1 the man and the beast that are upon the ground1 by my great power and by my outstretched arm1 and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me4 ,and now ,i have given all these lands into the hand of ,nebuchadnezzar1 the king of ,babylon1 my servant4 ,and all nations shall serve him1 and his son1 and his son's son1 until the very time of his land come4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same king of ,babylon1 that nation will ,i punish with the sword1 and with the famine1 and with the pestilence4 ,therefore serve the king of ,babylon and live40#adge ,we see what great obedience and honour the ,lord required to be rendered to that pestilent and cruel tyrant1 for no other reason than because he possessed the kingdom2 and it was by the heavenly decree that he was seated on the throne of the kingdom1 and exalted to that regal majesty1 which it was not lawful to violate4 ,if we have this constantly present to our eyes and impressed upon our hearts1 that the most iniquitous kings are placed on their thrones by the same decree by which the authority of all kings is established1 those seditious thoughts will never enter our minds1 that a king is to be treated according to his merits1 and that it is not reasonable for us to be subject to a king who does not on his part perform towards us those duties which his office requires4 ,,xxviii4 ,in vain will any one object that this was a special command given to the ,israelites4 ,for we must observe the reason upon which the ,lord founds it4 ,he says1 8,i have given these lands to ,nebuchadnezzar2 therefore serve him and live40 ,to whomsoever1 therefore1 a kingdom shall evidently be given1 we have no room to doubt that subjection is due to him4 ,and as soon as he exalts any person to royal dignity1 he gives us a declaration of his pleasure that he shall reign4 ,the ,scripture contains general testimonies on this subject4 ,solomon says1 8,for the transgression of a land1 many are the princes thereof40#adgf ,job says1 8,he looseth the bonds of kings10 or divests them of their power2 8and girdeth their loins with a girdle10#adgg or restores them to their former dignity4 ,this being admitted1 nothing remains for us but to serve and live4 ,the prophet ,jeremiah likewise records another command of the ,lord to his people3 8,seek the peace of the city whither ,i have caused you to be carried away captives1 and pray unto the ,lord for it2 for in the peace of it ye shall have peace40#adgh ,here1 we see1 the ,israelites1 after having been stripped of all their property1 torn from their habitations1 driven into exile1 and forced into a miserable servitude1 were commanded to pray for the prosperity of their conqueror2 not in the same manner in which we are all commanded to pray for our persecutors2 but that his kingdom might be preserved in safety and tranquillity1 and that they might live in prosperity under him4 ,thus ,david1 after having been already designated as king by the ordination of ,god1 and anointed with his holy oil1 though he was unjustly persecuted by ,saul1 without having given him any cause of offence1 nevertheless accounted the person of his pursuer sacred1 because the ,lord had consecrated it by the royal dignity4 8,and he said1 ,the ,lord forbid that ,i should do this thing unto my master1 the ,lord's anointed1 to stretch forth mine hand against him1 seeing he is the anointed of the ,lord40 ,again3 8,mine eye spared thee2 and ,i said1 ,i will not put forth mine hand against my lord2 for he is the ,lord's anointed40#adgi ,again3 8,who can stretch forth his hand against the ,lord's anointed1 and be guiltless8 ,as the ,lord liveth1 the ,lord shall smite him2 or his day shall come to die1 or he shall descend into battle1 and perish4 ,the ,lord forbid that ,i should stretch forth mine hand against the ,lord's anointed40#adhj ,,xxix4 ,finally1 we owe these sentiments of affection and reverence to all our rulers1 whatever their characters may be2 which ,i the more frequently repeat1 that we may learn not to scrutinize the persons themselves1 but may be satisfied with knowing that they are invested by the will of the ,lord with that function1 upon which he has impressed an inviolable majesty4 ,but it will be said1 that rulers owe mutual duties to their subjects4 ,that ,i have already confessed4 ,but he who infers from this that obedience ought to be rendered to none but just rulers1 is a very bad reasoner4 ,for husbands owe mutual duties to their wives1 and parents to their children4 ,now1 if husbands and parents violate their obligations2 if parents conduct themselves with discouraging severity and fastidious moroseness towards their children1 whom they are forbidden to provoke to wrath2#adha if husbands despise and vex their wives1 whom they are commanded to love and to spare as the weaker vessels2#adhb does it follow that children should be less obedient to their parents1 or wives to their husbands8 ,they are still subject1 even to those who are wicked and unkind4 ,as it is incumbent on all1 not to inquire into the duties of one another1 but to confine their attention respectively to their own1 this consideration ought particularly to be regarded by those who are subject to the authority of others4 ,wherefore1 if we are inhumanly harassed by a cruel prince2 if we are rapaciously plundered by an avaricious or luxurious one2 if we are neglected by an indolent one2 or if we are persecuted1 on account of piety1 by an impious and sacrilegious one1--let us first call to mind our transgressions against ,god1 which he undoubtedly chastises by these scourges4 ,thus our impatience will be restrained by humility4 ,let us1 in the next place1 consider that it is not our province to remedy these evils2 and that nothing remains for us1 but to implore the aid of the ,lord1 in whose hand are the hearts of kings and the revolutions of kingdoms4 ,it is 8,god0 who 8standeth in the congregation of the mighty10 and 8judgeth among the gods20#adhc whose presence shall confound and crush all kings and judges of the earth who shall not have kissed his ,son2#adhd 8that decree unrighteous decrees1 to turn aside the needy from judgment1 and to take away the right from the poor1 that widows may be their prey1 and that they may rob the fatherless40#adhe ,,xxx4 ,and here is displayed his wonderful goodness1 and power1 and providence2 for sometimes he raises up some of his servants as public avengers1 and arms them with his commission to punish unrighteous domination1 and to deliver from their distressing calamities a people who have been unjustly oppressed3 sometimes he accomplishes this end by the fury of men who meditate and attempt something altogether different4 ,thus he liberated the people of ,israel from the tyranny of ,pharaoh by ,moses2 from the oppression of ,chusan by ,othniel2 and from other yokes by other kings and judges4 ,thus he subdued the pride of ,tyre by the ,egyptians2 the insolence of the ,egyptians by the ,assyrians2 the haughtiness of the ,assyrians by the ,chaldeans2 the confidence of ,babylon by the ,medes and ,persians1 after ,cyrus had subjugated the ,medes4 ,the ingratitude of the kings of ,israel and ,judah1 and their impious rebellion1 notwithstanding his numerous favours1 he repressed and punished1 sometimes by the ,assyrians1 sometimes by the ,babylonians4 ,these were all the executioners of his vengeance1 but not all in the same manner4 ,the former1 when they were called forth to the performance of such acts by a legitimate commission from ,god1 in taking arms against kings1 were not chargeable with the least violation of that majesty with which kings are invested by the ordination of ,god2 but1 being armed with authority from ,heaven1 they punished an inferior power by a superior one1 as it is lawful for kings to punish their inferior officers4 ,the latter1 though they were guided by the hand of ,god in such directions as he pleased1 and performed his work without being conscious of it1 nevertheless contemplated in their hearts nothing but evil4 ,,xxxi4 ,but whatever opinion be formed of the acts of men1 yet the ,lord equally executed his work by them1 when he broke the sanguinary sceptres of insolent kings1 and overturned tyrannical governments4 ,let princes hear and fear4 ,but1 in the mean while1 it behoves us to use the greatest caution1 that we do not despise or violate that authority of magistrates1 which is entitled to the greatest veneration1 which ,god has established by the most solemn commands1 even though it reside in those who are most unworthy of it1 and who1 as far as in them lies1 pollute it by their iniquity4 ,for though the correction of tyrannical domination is the vengeance of ,god1 we are not1 therefore1 to conclude that it is committed to us1 who have received no other command than to obey and suffer4 ,this observation ,i always apply to private persons4 ,for if there be1 in the present day1 any magistrates appointed for the protection of the people and the moderation of the power of kings1 such as were1 in ancient times1 the ,ephori1 who were a check upon the kings among the ,lacedmonians1 or the popular tribunes upon the consuls among the ,romans1 or the ,demarchi upon the senate among the ,athenians2 or with power such as perhaps is now possessed by the three estates in every kingdom when they are assembled2 ,i am so far from prohibiting them1 in the discharge of their duty1 to oppose the violence or cruelty of kings1 that ,i affirm1 that if they connive at kings in their oppression of their people1 such forbearance involves the most nefarious perfidy1 because they fraudulently betray the liberty of the people1 of which they know that they have been appointed protectors by the ordination of ,god4 ,,xxxii4 ,but in the obedience which we have shown to be due to the authority of governors1 it is always necessary to make one exception1 and that is entitled to our first attention1--that it do not seduce us from obedience to him1 to whose will the desires of all kings ought to be subject1 to whose decrees all their commands ought to yield1 to whose majesty all their sceptres ought to submit4 ,and1 indeed1 how preposterous it would be for us1 with a view to satisfy men1 to incur the displeasure of him on whose account we yield obedience to men6 ,the ,lord1 therefore1 is the ,king of kings2 who1 when he has opened his sacred mouth1 is to be heard alone1 above all1 for all1 and before all2 in the next place1 we are subject to those men who preside over us2 but no otherwise than in him4 ,if they command any thing against him1 it ought not to have the least attention2 nor1 in this case1 ought we to pay any regard to all that dignity attached to magistrates2 to which no injury is done when it is subjected to the unrivalled and supreme power of ,god4 ,on this principle ,daniel denied that he had committed any crime against the king in disobeying his impious decree2#adhf because the king had exceeded the limits of his office1 and had not only done an injury to men1 but1 by raising his arm against ,god1 had degraded his own authority4 ,on the other hand1 the ,israelites are condemned for having been too submissive to the impious edict of their king4 ,for when ,jeroboam had made his golden calves1 in compliance with his will1 they deserted the temple of ,god and revolted to new superstitions4 ,their posterity conformed to the decrees of their idolatrous kings with the same facility4 ,the prophet severely condemns them for having 8willingly walked after the commandment30#adhg so far is any praise from being due to the pretext of humility1 with which courtly flatterers excuse themselves and deceive the unwary1 when they deny that it is lawful for them to refuse compliance with any command of their kings2 as if ,god had resigned his right to mortal men when he made them rulers of mankind2 or as if earthly power were diminished by being subordinated to its author1 before whom even the principalities of heaven tremble with awe4 ,i know what great and present danger awaits this constancy1 for kings cannot bear to be disregarded without the greatest indignation2 and 8the wrath of a king10 says ,solomon1 8is as messengers of death40#adhh ,but since this edict has been proclaimed by that celestial herald1 ,peter1 8,we ought to obey ,god rather than men10#adhi--let us console ourselves with this thought1 that we truly perform the obedience which ,god requires of us1 when we suffer any thing rather than deviate from piety4 ,and that our hearts may not fail us1 ,paul stimulates us with another consideration--that ,christ has redeemed us at the immense price which our redemption cost him1 that we may not be submissive to the corrupt desires of men1 much less be slaves to their impiety4#adij ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,institutes4 ,footnote #adjd3 ,gal4 v4 #a4 ,footnote #adje3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ba4 ,footnote #adjf3 ,gal4 iii4 #bh4 ,footnote #adjg3 ,col4 iii4 #aa4 ,footnote #adjh3 ,psalm lxxxii4 #a1 #f4 ,footnote #adji3 ,john x4 #ce4 ,footnote #adaj3 ,deut4 i4 #af1 #ag4 #b ,chron4 xix4 #f4 ,footnote #adaa3 ,prov4 viii4 #ae1 #af4 ,footnote #adab3 ,rom4 xii4 #h4 ,footnote #adac3 #a ,cor4 xii4 #bh4 ,footnote #adad3 ,rom4 xiii4 #a1 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #adae3 ,psalm ii4 #aj-ab4 ,footnote #adaf3 ,isaiah xlix4 #bc4 ,footnote #adag3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #adah3 ,jer4 xlviii4 #aj4 ,footnote #adai3 ,deut4 i4 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #adbj3 #b ,chron4 xix4 #f1 #g4 ,footnote #adba3 ,psalm lxxxii4 #a4 ,footnote #adbb3 #a ,sam4 viii4 #g4 ,footnote #adbc3 ,luke xxii4 #be1 #bf4 ,footnote #adbd3 ,rom4 xiii4 #a1 c4 ,prov4 viii4 #ae4 #a ,pet4 ii4 #ac1 #ad1 #ag4 ,footnote #adbe3 ,judges xxi4 #be4 ,footnote #adbf3 ,jer4 xxii4 #c4 ,footnote #adbg3 ,psalm lxxxii4 #c1 #d4 ,footnote #adbh3 ,deut4 i4 #af1 #ag4 ,footnote #adbi3 ,deut4 xvii4 #af1 #ag1 #ai1 #bj4 ,footnote #adcj3 ,psalm ci4 #c-f4 ,footnote #adca3 ,jer4 xxii4 #c4 ,footnote #adcb3 ,exod4 xx4 #ac4 ,footnote #adcc3 ,isaiah xi4 #i2 lxv4 #be4 ,footnote #adcd3 ,gen4 ix4 #f4 ,exod4 xxi4 #ab4 ,footnote #adce3 ,rom4 xiii4 #d4 ,footnote #adcf3 ,exod4 ii4 #ab4 ,footnote #adcg3 ,exod4 xxxii4 #bf-bh4 ,footnote #adch3 #a ,kings ii4 #e-i4 ,footnote #adci3 ,psalm ci4 #h4 ,footnote #addj3 ,psalm xlv4 #g4 ,footnote #adda3 ,prov4 xvi4 #ab4 ,footnote #addb3 ,prov4 xx4 #h4 ,footnote #addc3 ,prov4 xx4 #bf4 ,footnote #addd3 ,prov4 xxv4 #d1 #e4 ,footnote #adde3 ,prov4 xvii4 #ae4 ,footnote #addf3 ,prov4 xvii4 #aa4 ,footnote #addg3 ,prov4 xxiv4 #bd4 ,footnote #addh3 ,prov4 xx4 #bh4 ,footnote #addi3 ,luke iii4 #ad4 ,footnote #adej3 ,ezek4 xlviii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,footnote #adea3 ,rom4 xiii4 #f4 ,footnote #adeb3 ,gal4 iii4 #bd2 iv4 #d4 ,footnote #adec3 ,exod4 xxii4 #a1 c4 ,footnote #aded3 ,deut4 xix4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #adee3 ,rom4 xiii4 #d4 ,footnote #adef3 ,matt4 v4 #ci1 #dj4 ,footnote #adeg3 ,matt4 v4 #dd4 ,footnote #adeh3 ,rom xii4 #ba4 ,footnote #adei3 ,matt4 v4 #ch-dj4 ,footnote #adfj3 #a ,cor4 vi4 #a-h4 ,footnote #adfa3 #a ,peter ii4 #ag4 ,footnote #adfb3 ,prov4 xxiv4 #ba4 ,footnote #adfc3 ,rom4 xiii4 #e4 ,footnote #adfd3 ,rom4 xiii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #adfe3 ,titus iii4 #a4 ,footnote #adff3 #a ,peter ii4 #ac1 #ad4 ,footnote #adfg3 #a ,tim4 ii4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #adfh3 ,dan4 ii4 #ba4 ,footnote #adfi3 ,dan4 iv4 #ag4 ,footnote #adgj3 ,ezek4 xxix4 #ah-bj4 ,footnote #adga3 ,dan4 ii4 #cg1 #ch4 ,footnote #adgb3 ,dan4 v4 #ah1 #ai4 ,footnote #adgc3 ,in the ,latin translation1 it is jus1 right4 ,footnote #adgd3 #a ,sam4 viii4 #aa-ag4 ,footnote #adge3 ,jer4 xxvii4 #e-i1 #ab4 ,footnote #adgf3 ,prov4 xxviii4 #b4 ,footnote #adgg3 ,job xii4 #ah4 ,footnote #adgh3 ,jer4 xxix4 #g4 ,footnote #adgi3 #a ,sam4 xxiv4 #f1 #aa4 ,footnote #adhj3 #a ,sam4 xxvi4 #i-aa4 ,footnote #adha3 ,ephes4 vi4 #a4 ,col4 iii4 #ba4 ,footnote #adhb3 ,ephes4 v4 #be4 #a ,pet4 iii4 #g4 ,footnote #adhc3 ,psalm lxxxii4 #a4 ,footnote #adhd3 ,psalm ii4 #aj-ab4 ,footnote #adhe3 ,isaiah x4 #a1 #b4 ,footnote #adhf3 ,dan4 vi4 #bb4 ,footnote #adhg3 ,hos4 v4 #aa4 ,footnote #adhh3 ,prov4 xvi4 #ad4 ,footnote #adhi3 ,acts v4 #bi4 ,footnote #adij3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #bc4 ,,index ,,of ,,the ,,principal ,,matters4 ,the first number indicates the ,book2 the second1 the ,chapter4 ,adam's fall1 the cause of the curse inflicted on all mankind1 and of their degeneracy from their primitive condition1 ii4 #a4 ,angels1 their creation1 nature1 names1 and offices1 i4 #ad4 ,articles of faith1 power of the ,church relating to them1 iv4 #h1 #i4 ,ascension of ,christ1 i4 #ae4 ,baptism1 a sacrament2 its institution1 nature1 administration1 and uses1 iv4 #ae4 ---- of infants perfectly consistent with the institution of ,christ and the nature of the sign1 iv4 #af4 ,celibacy of priests1 iv4 #ab4 ---- of monks and nuns1 iv4 #ac4 ,christ proved to be ,god1 i4 #ac4 ---- necessity of his becoming man in order to fulfil the office of a mediator1 ii4 #ab4 ---- his assumption of real humanity1 ii4 #ac4 ---- the union of the two natures constituting his one person1 ii4 #ad4 ---- the only ,redeemer of lost man1 ii4 #f4 ---- the consideration of his three offices1 prophetical1 regal1 and sacerdotal1 necessary to our knowing the end of his mission from the ,father1 and the benefits he confers on us1 ii4 #ae4 ---- his death1 resurrection1 and ascension to heaven1 to accomplish our salvation1 ii4 #af4 ---- truly and properly said to have merited the grace of ,god and salvation for us1 ii4 #ag4 ---- imperfectly revealed to the ,jews under the law1 ii4 #g1 #i4 ---- clearly revealed only in the gospel1 ii4 #i4 ,christian liberty1 its nature and advantages1 iii4 #ai4 ,christian life1 scriptural arguments and exhortations to it1 iii4 #f4 ------ summary of it1 iii4 #g4 ,church1 the necessity of our union with the true ,church1 iv4 #a4 ---- true and false compared and distinguished1 iv4 #b4 ---- teachers and ministers of the ,church1 their election and office1 iv4 #c4 ---- power of the1 relating to articles of faith1 iv4 #h1 #i4 ---- -------- in making laws1 iv4 #aj4 ---- -------- in jurisdiction1 iv4 #aa4 ---- discipline of the2 censures and excommunication1 iv4 #ab4 ---- state of the ancient1 and the mode of government practised before the ,papacy1 iv4 #d4 ---- ancient form of its government entirely subverted by the ,papal tyranny1 iv4 #e4 ,confession1 auricular1 iii4 #d4 ---- true1 iii4 #d4 ,confirmation1 ,papal1 iv4 #ai4 ,conscience1 its nature and obligations1 iii4 #ai4 ,councils1 their authority1 iv4 #i4 ,creation1 of the world--of angels2 this clearly distinguishes the true ,god from all fictitious deities1 i4 #ad4 ,cross1 bearing of1 a branch of self-denial1 iii4 #h4 ,death of ,christ1 ii4 #ae4 ,depravity1 human1 total1 ii4 #c4 ,descent of ,christ into hell1 ii4 #af4 ,devils1 their existence1 power1 subtlety1 malignity1 i4 #ad4 ,discipline of the ,church1 iv4 #ab4 ,election1 eternal1 or ,god's predestination of some to salvation1 and of others to destruction1 iii4 #ba4 ---- ---- testimonies of ,scripture in confirmation of this doctrine1 iii4 #bb4 ---- ---- a refutation of the calumnies generally but unjustly urged against this doctrine1 iii4 #bc4 ---- ---- confirmed by the divine call1 iii4 #bd4 ,excommunication1 iv4 #ab4 ,extreme unction1 iv4 #ai4 ,faith defined1 and its properties described1 iii4 #b4 ----1 justification by faith1 iii4 #aa4 ----1 prayer its principal exercise1 iii4 #bj4 ,fanaticism of discarding the ,scripture1 under the pretence of resorting to immediate revelations1 subversive of every principle of piety1 i4 #i4 ,fasting1 its use and abuse1 iv4 #ab4 ,free-will lost by the fall2 man in his present state miserably enslaved1 ii4 #b4 ---- a refutation of the objections commonly urged in support of free-will1 ii4 #e4 ,god truly known only from the ,scriptures1 i4 #f4 ---- what kind of being ,god is2 exclusively opposed in the ,scripture to all the heathen deities1 i4 #aj4 ---- contradistinguished from idols as the sole and supreme object of worship1 i4 #ab4 ---- ascription of a visible form to1 unlawful1 and all idolatry a defection from the true1 i4 #aa4 ---- the creator of the universe1 i4 #ad4 ---- his preservation and support of the world by his power1 and his government of every part of it by his providence1 i4 #af4 ---- the proper use and advantages of this doctrine1 i4 #ag4 ---- his operations in the hearts of men1 ii4 #d4 ---- his use of the agency of the wicked1 without the least stain of his perfect purity1 i4 #ah4 ---- one ,divine essence containing three persons1 i4 #ac4 ,gospel and law compared and distinguished1 ii4 #i1 #aj1 #aa4 ,government of the ,church1 iv4 #c1 #d1 #e4 ---- civil2 its nature1 dignity1 and advantages1 iv4 #bj4 ,holy ,spirit proved to be ,god1 i4 #ac4 ---- his testimony requisite to the confirmation of the ,scripture1 and the establishment of its authority1 i4 #g4 ---- his secret and special operation necessary to our enjoyment of ,christ and all his benefits2 this operation the foundation of faith1 newness of life1 and all holy exercises1 iii4 #a4 ---- the sin against1 iii4 #c4 ,humility of believers1 iii4 #ab4 ,idolatry a defection from the true ,god2 all worship of images idolatry1 i4 #a4 ,image of ,god in man1 i4 #ae4 ,imposition of hands1 iv4 #ae4 ,indulgences and pardons1 iii4 #e4 ,intercession of saints1 iii4 #bj4 ,judgment1 last1 iii4 #be4 ,jurisdiction of the ,church1 iv4 #aa4 ,justification by faith2 the name and thing defined1 iii4 #aa4 ---- a consideration of the ,divine tribunal necessary to a serious conviction of gratuitous1 iii4 #ab4 ---- things necessary to be observed in gratuitous1 iii4 #ac4 ---- commencement and continual progress of1 iii4 #ad4 ---- boasting of the merit of works equally subversive of ,god's glory in gratuitous1 and of the certainty of salvation1 iii4 #ae4 ---- a refutation of the injurious calumnies of the ,papists against the doctrine here maintained1 iii4 #af4 ---- by works1 the promise of a reward no argument for1 iii4 #ag4 ,kingdom of ,christ1 ii4 #ae4 ,knowledge of ,christ1 imperfect under the law1 ii4 #g1 #i4 ---- clearly unfolded under the gospel1 ii4 #i4 ---- of ,god connected with the knowledge of ourselves1 i4 #a4 ---- nature and tendency of it1 i4 #b4 ---- naturally implanted in the human mind1 i4 #c4 ---- extinguished or corrupted1 partly by ignorance1 partly by wickedness1 i4 #d4 ---- conspicuous in the formation and government of the work1 i4 #e4 ---- effectually attained only from the ,scripture1 i4 #f4 ,law of ,moses2 its office1 use1 and end1 ii4 #g4 ,laws given to the ,jews2 moral1 ceremonial1 and judicial1 iv4 #bj4 ,law1 moral1 an exposition of1 ii4 #h4 ,law and gospel1 compared and distinguished1 ii4 #i1 #aj1 #aa4 ,laws1 ecclesiastical1 iv4 #aj4 ---- civil and political1 iv4 #bj4 ,liberty1 ,christian1 iii4 #ai4 ,life1 ,christian1 iii4 #f1 #g1 #h4 ---- present1 and its supports1 right use of1 iii4 #aj4 ---- future1 meditation on1 iii4 #i4 ,lord's prayer1 exposition of1 iii4 #bj4 ,lord's supper1 its institution1 nature1 and advantages1 iii4 #ag4 ---- not only profaned1 but annihilated by the ,papal mass1 iii4 #ah4 ,man1 his state at his creation1 the faculties of his soul1 the ,divine image1 free-will1 and the original purity of his nature1 i4 #ae4 ---- in his present state1 despoiled of freedom of will1 and subjected to a miserable slavery1 ii4 #b4 ---- every thing that proceeds from his corrupt nature worthy of condemnation1 ii4 #c4 ---- his mind naturally furnished with the knowledge of ,god1 i4 #c4 ---- the knowledge of ,god in the human mind extinguished or corrupted by ignorance and wickedness1 i4 #d4 ,magistracy1 iv4 #bj4 ,marriage1 ii4 #h4 ,matrimony1 falsely called a sacrament1 iv4 #ai4 ,mass1 the ,papal1 not only a sacrilegious profanation of the ,lord's supper1 but a total annihilation of it1 iv4 #ah4 ,mediator4 ,see ,christ1 ii4 #ad4 ,merit of ,christ1 ii4 #ag4 ---- of works disproved1 iii4 #ae1 #ah4 ,monks1 iv4 #ac4 ,neighbour1 love of our1 ii4 #h4 ,nuns1 iv4 #ac4 ,oaths1 ii4 #h4 ,offences given and taken2 what to be avoided1 iii4 #ai4 ,orders1 ecclesiastical1 no sacrament1 iv4 #ai4 ,original sin1 the doctrine of1 ii4 #a4 ,pdobaptism4 ,see ,baptism1 iv4 #af4 ,papacy1 its entire subversion of the ancient form of ecclesiastical government1 iv4 #e4 ---- its rise and progress to its present eminence attended with the loss of liberty to the ,church1 and the ruin of all moderation1 iv4 #g4 ---- its licentious perversion of the power of the ,church respecting articles of faith1 to the corruption of all purity of doctrine1 iv4 #h4 ---- its sophistry and jargon concerning repentance utterly inconsistent with the gospel1 iii4 #d4 ---- its corrupt tenets respecting indulgences and purgatory1 iii4 #e4 ---- its assumption of the power of legislation1 tyranny over men's minds1 and tortures of their bodies1 iv4 #aj4 ---- its abuse of the jurisdiction of the ,church1 iv4 #aa4 ---- its corrupt discipline1 censures1 and excommunications1 iv4 #ab4 ---- its unscriptural vows1 iv4 #ac4 ---- its sacrilegious mass an annihilation of the ,lord's supper1 iv4 #ah4 ---- its five ceremonies falsely called sacraments1 proved not to be sacraments1 iv4 #ai4 ---- its characteristics of a false ,church1 iv4 #b4 ,penance no sacrament1 iv4 #ai4 ,prayer1 the principal exercise of faith1 and the medium of our daily reception of ,divine blessings1 iii4 #bj4 ,predestination4 ,see ,election1 iii4 #ba-bd4 ,priesthood of ,christ1 ii4 #ae4 ,promises of the law and gospel1 harmony between them1 iii4 #ag4 ,prophetical office of ,christ1 ii4 #ae4 ,providence of ,god governs the world1 i4 #af4 ---- proper application and utility of this doctrine1 i4 #ag4 ---- contracts no impurity from its control and use of the agency of the wicked1 i4 #ah4 ,purgatory exposed and disproved1 iii4 #e4 ,reason furnishes proofs to establish the authority of the ,scripture1 i4 #h4 ,redemption necessary in consequence of the fall1 ii4 #a1 #f4 ---- to be sought only in ,christ1 ii4 #f4 ---- accomplished by the death1 resurrection1 and ascension of ,christ1 ii4 #af4 ,regeneration1 iii4 #c4 ,repentance1 true1 always accompanies true faith2 its origin1 nature1 and effects1 iii4 #c4 ---- comprises mortification of the flesh and vivification of the spirit1 iii4 #f-aj4 ---- the sophistry and jargon of the schools on this subject very remote from the purity of the gospel1 iii4 #d4 ,reprobates1 the destruction of1 procured by themselves1 iii4 #bd4 ,resurrection of ,christ1 ii4 #af4 ---- final1 iii4 #be4 ,reward promised1 no proof of justification by works1 iii4 #ah4 ,roman ,see1 primacy of1 iv4 #f4 ,sabbath1 ii4 #h4 ,sacraments in general1 iv4 #ad4 ---- in particular1 iv4 #ae1 #af4 ---- ceremonies falsely so called1 iv4 #ai4 ,sacrifices1 legal1 ii4 #g4 ---- none propitiatory under the gospel since that of ,christ1 iv4 #ah4 ,saints1 invocation and intercession of1 iii4 #bj4 ,salvation for lost man to be sought only in ,christ1 ii4 #f4 ---- procured by ,christ1 ii4 #af4 ,satisfactions exposed1 iii4 #d4 ,schismatics1 iv4 #a4 ,scripture1 the guidance and teaching of it necessary to lead to the knowledge of ,god1 i4 #f4 ---- the testimony of the ,spirit requisite to its confirmation and establishment of its authority1 i4 #g4 ---- the dependence of its authority on the judgment of the ,church an impious fiction1 i4 #g4 ---- rational proofs to establish its authority1 i4 #h4 ---- rejection of it1 under the pretence of resorting to immediate revelations subversive of every principle of piety1 i4 #i4 ---- exclusively opposes the true ,god to all the heathen deities1 i4 #aj4 ---- clearly distinguishes the true ,god from all fictitious ones1 in the creation of the universe1 i4 #ad4 ---- teaches the unity of ,god1 and the existence of three persons in the ,divine essence1 i4 #ac4 ,temptation1 iii4 #bj4 ,testament1 ,old1 ii4 #g4 ,testament1 ,new1 ii4 #i4 ---- similarity of the ,old and ,new1 ii4 #aj4 ---- difference of the ,old and ,new1 ii4 #aa4 ---- harmony between the promises of the ,old and ,new1 iii4 #ag4 ---- sacraments of the ,old and ,new1 iv4 #ad4 ,traditions1 human1 iv4 #aj4 ,transubstantiation exposed1 iv4 #aj4 ,vocation confirms election1 iii4 #bd4 ,vows2 the misery of rashly making them1 iv4 #ac4 ,wicked1 the agency of1 controlled and used by ,god1 i4 #ah4 ,works merit no favour from ,god1 iii4 #ae4 ,world created by ,god1 i4 #ad4 ---- preserved by his power1 and governed by his providence1 i4 #af4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the quotations from different ,authors1 chiefly the fathers1 which occur in this work1 are not in general referred to in the margin2 such references having been considered of no use1 except to persons who will probably be furnished with the original1 in which they are all inserted4 ,,the ,,end ,,scripture ,,index ,,to ,,calvin',s ,,institutes4 ,,arranged ,,and ,,presented ,,by ,s4 ,t4 ,,livermore1 ,,to ,,the ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,publication4 ,,university ,,of ,,rochester1 ,,mdccclii4 ,,genesis4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #b #a #acj #b #a #aci #c #a #abc #bj #a #bjc #bf #a #agd #bg #a #agc #bh #a #afi ii #a #a #aec #g #a #aga #g #a #agg #g #a #ddd #i #af #ag #b #dfi #ag #a #die #ah #b #dce #bc #b #fca #bc #a #dbg iii #e #a #bdb #i #ab #a #efd #ae #a #dcb #ae #a #afe #ae #b #df #ag-ai #a #cib #ai #bc #a #aga #bc #b #dfb #bc #a #fca iv #d #b #aj #g #a #cja #h #ad #a #cib #aj #a #die #ac #a #ecg vi #c #a #cib #c #e #b #c #e #a #bef #f #a #bjh #ad-ba #a #cib vii #aa #a #cib viii #ac #a #cib #ba #a #bef #ba #b #c #ba #a #bei ix #b #a #afi #f #b #fdc #ab-ag #b #dfi #bd #be #a #cic xii #a #a #cic #b #c #b #eb #c #a #dbi #c #b #dga #aj-ae #a #cic xii #ag #a #cde xiii #g-aa #a #cic #af #b #eb xiv #ab #ac #a #cic #ah #b #ehf xv #a #a #djg #a #b #bae #b #a #cid #e #b #eb #f #b #df #ag #b #dfi xvi #a-ae #a #cid #i #a #aef xvii #a-ad #b #die #g #a #cia #g #a #cdg #aj #b #edf #aj #b #edg xviii #b #a #aee #ah #a #dbi #bc #b #if #bg #a #dh xx #a #b #a #cic #c #a #cde #c #g #a #baj xxi #b #c #a #cid #aj-ad #a #cid #bd #a #bec #be-cj #a #cic xxii #a #ab #a #fcb #b #a #cid #h #a #ahf #af-ah #b #eb #ah #a #dbi #ah #b #dga xxiii #c-i #b #bab xxiv #g #a #aef #g #ab #a #afa #bg #eb #a #afa xxvi #a #g #a #bid #d #a #dbi #bj #a #bid #ba #a #bid #ca #a #cec #cd #a #bid xxvi #ce #a #bid xxvii #ch #ci #a #eei #da-de #a #cie xxviii #e #a #cid #ab #a #afa #bj-bb #b #dcf xxix #bj #bc #a #cie #be #bg #a #cie xxx #a #a #cie #b #a #aia xxxi #ac #ad #a #cec #af #a #cec #ag #a #cec #ai #a #ajd #be #cf #a #cie #dj #da #a #cie #ec #a #cec xxxii #a #bh #a #aee #aj #b #id #aj #b #aji #bi #cj #a #abf xxxiii #a #cie xxxiv #ai #a #cie #be #b #bdd xxxv #ai #bb #a #cie #bb #b #bdd xxxviii #ac-ah #a #cie #af #b #bdd xlii #a #cif xliii #ad #a #bhb #ad #b #aga xlv #g #h #a #bjc xlvii #i #a #cif #cj #a #cig #cj #b #bab xlviii #ad #b #bga #af #a #aef #af #b #ajg xlix #e #a #hd #aj #a #he #ah #a #cig l #bj #a #bjc #be #a #cig ,,exodus4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page ii #b #edf #ab #b #fdd iii #b #b #edf #f #a #cda #f #a #cib #ad #a #adb #ba #a #bjb iv #b-d #b #eci #aa #a #aca #ba #b #aib #ba #a #bad #ba #a #bha #be #b #dib vi #g #a #cia vii #a #a #abd #c #a #bha #aj #ab #b #eci viii #ae #a #bac xi #c #a #bhb xii #e #b #ebc #aa #b #edf #aa #b #edg xiii #ab #b #ebc xiv #ai #a #aef #ca #b #cdj xvi #g #a #he #ac #a #aij xvii #ae #a #abe xix #e #b #ejc #f #a #cad #af #a #hd xx #f #a #cib #f #b #ejf #ac #b #fdc #bd #b #bbg xxi #ab #b #fdc #ac #a #ahi #ag #a #cfj xxii #a #b #fdi #aa #a #cea xxiii #a #g #a #cfi #d #e #a #cgg #ab #a #ceg #ac #a #cej #bj #a #aef xxiv #ah #a #hd xxv #ag #ah #a #ii #dj #a #cac xxviii #b #ajj xxxi #b-aa #a #bdg #ac #ad #a #cee #af #ag #a #cee xxxii #a #a #aje #d #a #ce #d-f #a #ajf #bf-bh #b #fdd #cb #b #abj xxxiii #aa #a #ii #ai #b #aei #ai #a #ffc #ai #b #aif #bj #a #ii xxxiv #f #a #ie #bi #a #hd xxxv #cj-ce #a #bdg xxxviii #ce #b #bge xl #cd #a #hd ,,leviticus4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page xi #b #edj #dd #a #cdj xiv #b #a #efd xvi #ba #a #egj xviii #e #a #dhj #e #b #ac #e #a #cca #e #b #cf xix #b #a #fae #ab #a #cdi #af #a #cfi #ah #a #cgg xx #f #a #he xxvi #ab #a #cij #ab #a #cia #bj #b #acj #bc #bd #a #bjd #bf #b #aca #cf #a #bac #cf #a #bhc ,,numbers4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page viii #ag #b #ebc xi #i #a #hd #ah #b #aci #ca #a #aij #cc #b #aci xii #a #a #hd xiii #bb #a #ced xiv #ah #a #cde #dc #a #bid xvi #bd #a #hd xx #aa #a #hd xxiii #aj #a #cig #ai #a #bji #d xxviii #c #b #bde ,,deuteronomy ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #af #ag #b #fcf #af #ag #b #fch #af #ag #b #fdb #ci #b #eji ii #cj #a #bad #cj #a #bhj #cj #a #bha iv #b #b #cee #e #f #i #a #ccb #f #b #i #g #b #aie #aa #a #ii #ae #a #ih #ag #a #cdd #cg #b #ade v #ad #ae #a #ceg vi #e #b #fe #ac #a #cej #af #b #dce #be #b #dj vii #f #a #cdj #f #b #ejc #g #h #b #ade #i #b #ch #ab #ac #b #cd viii #c #b #aca #c #a #aia ix #f #g #b #adf x #ab #ac #a #cgc #ad #a #dae #ad #ae #b #ade #af #b #dif #af #a #bia xi #bb #a #cgc #bf #b #cd xii #e #b #ebc #bh #cb #b #ccb xiii #ac #b #ebc xiv #b #a #cdj xvii #h #ab #b #cdj #aa #b #cda #af #ag #b #fdb #ah #a #hg #ai #bj #b #fdb xviii #aj-ab #a #fjf xix #e #a #baf #ah #ai #b #fdi #ai #ba #b #ci xxi #ah #ba #a #cfa xxiii #b #ade xxiv #ac #b #dj xxvi #ah #a #cdj xxvii #bf #a #fgg #bf #b #ac #bf #b #dc xxviii #a #a #bjd #a #a #bic xxix #c #d #a #bea #ai #bj #b #ci #bi #a #aig #bi #b #adc xxx #a #ha #c #d #b #bdd #f #b #dif #aa-ad #a #cig #ab #ad #a #aif #ad #b #aha #ae #b #cd #ae #ai #a #cae xxxii #h #i #a #dae #h #i #a #ade #ae #a #fcc #ae #a #hf #ag #b #ddi #df #dg #a #cbd xxxiii #c #a #cib #bi #a #cia ,,joshua4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #g #h #b #cf ii #a #b #aij v #ac #a #aee vii #ai #a #cej x #ac #a #ahe xxiv #b #a #aje #b #c #b #ahj ,,judges4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page ii #a #a #aef vi #aa #a #aee #aa #a #aef #cd #a #bdh #cg-dj #b #dfi viii #bg #b #chh ix #bj #b #id xi #cj-dj #b #dce xiii #c #a #aef #c #bb #a #aee #ai #b #chh #bb #a #dh #bb #bc #a #abe xv #ad #a #bdh xvi #bh #b #ie xxi #be #b #fda ,,ruth4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page iii #ac #a #cec #a4 ,,samuel4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #ac #b #aai ii #i #a #dja #f #b #adj #aj #a #cjh #be #a #bae #be #b #aic #cd #a #bac vi #i #a #aic vii #c #b #ech #ag #b #chh viii #g #b #fci #aa-ag #b #feh x #f #bf #a #bdi xi #f #a #bhc xii #bb #b #adf xiv #de #b #cej xv #aa #b #if #aa #a #bjh #bb #a #eib #bb #bc #b #cha #bc #a #eie #bi #a #bjh #bi #a #bji #cj #a #ecg xvi #ac #a #bdi #ad #a #bha #ad #a #bad #ad #a #afd xviii #aj #a #afd #ai #a #bha xix #ai #a #bha xxiv #f #aa #b #ffj xxvi #i-aa #b #ffj #ab #a #bac #bc #b #di #b ,,samuel4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page v #f-h #b #eba #ad #a #eic #bg #bh #b #ic #bg #b #ib x #ab #a #bje xi #d #ae #b #bdd xii #ab #a #bab #ac #a #egj #ac #b #bdd #ac #ad #a #eia #ac-af #a #ecg #ah #a #eie xvi #aj #a #bac #aj #a #bjc #aj #bb #a #bag #bb #a #bab xvii #g #ad #a #bjb #ad #a #bhc xx #bj #ba #b #ci xxiv #a #a #afe #aj #a #ecg #a ,,kings4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #ba #a #feb ii #e-i #b #fdd viii #bc #b #ch #bg #b #abd #df-ej #b #bde #ef #a #bgj xi #ac #a #cjh #bc #a #bjh #ca #a #bac #ci #a #cjh xii #aj #a #bhc #aj-ae #a #bjb #ae #a #cah #bj #a #bag xv #d #a #cjh xviii #aj #a #cec #ag #a #ch #db #b #gh xix #ac #a #dh #ad #ah #a #cd #ah #b #bbc xxi #bg #a #eei xxii #f #b #ceh #f #aa-bc #b #ce #bj #a #afd #bj-bc #a #bab #bb #a #bjb #bb #bd #b #ceh #bg #b #ceh #b ,,kings4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page v #ag-ai #a #ebc vi #ae-ag #a #afj #ag #a #aef #ca #a #cej viii #ai #a #cjh x #g-aj #a #bah xii #ac-af #a #ecg xvi #aj #b #chg xvii #bd-cd #b #chg xix #d #b #id xx #a #e #a #bjh #b #a #ecg #c #b #hg #c #b #ai #aa #b #dgj #aa #a #ahe xxi #d #b #chg #af #b #aij xxii #b #b #chg #h #a #hg #a ,,chronicles4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page xxi #a #a #afe #b ,,chron4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page x #ae #a #bah xvii #d #b #chg xix #f #g #b #fch ,,ezra4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page xxxiii #ad #ae #b #di ,,nehemiah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #d #b #dbb #e #b #ch ix #ad #a #cee ,,job4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #bgi #a #fgb #f #a #afd #f #a #afg #ab #a #bjb #ba #a #bab #ba #a #bjc #ba #a #bae ii #a #a #afd #a #a #afg iv #f #a #fhj #ag #a #cag #ag #bj #a #fgf #ah #b #dc #ai #a #agb v #ag #a #eib ix #b #a #cag #b #c #a #fgh #bj #a #fhj x #ae #b #af xii #ah #b #fei #bj #bd #a #bhj #bd #a #bdi xiii #ae #a #djb #ae #a #eaa xiv #d #a #bbf #d #a #fhj #e #a #aic #ag #a #ehi xv #ad #a #cag #ae #b #dc #ae #af #a #fgf #af #a #fhj xix #be #a #dja #be #bg #b #bje xxi #ac #a #djj xxv #d #a #cag #d #f #a #fhj #e #b #dc xxvi #ad #a #aig xxviii #ba #bh #a #aig #bh #a #eaf xli #aa #b #f ,,psalms4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #b #dd #b #a #cbd ii #a #a #ddh #h #a #daf #i #a #deb #i #a #bc #aj-ac #b #ffa #aj-ac #b #fcg #ab #a #cjh iii #e #a #ebg v #c #b #ij #g #a #eac #g #b #hh vi #a #a #eic vii #f #b #if #h #b #dh #aa #a #bji viii #b #a #ahf #b #d #a #ei ix #aj #a #ebj x #aa #a #ee xii #b #b #dei #f #a #eje xiv #a #a #ee #a-c #b #c xv #a #b #ahg #a #b #a #fae #a #b #b #dj xvi #b #a #cge #b #c #a #fbd #e #a #djg #e #f #b #bae #aj #b #bjb xvii #a #c #b #dh #ae #b #bae #ae #a #cii xviii #a #b #aac #ba #bc #b #dh #bd #b #dh #bg #a #fha #cj #b #eje xix #a #a #gd #a #a #egh #a #c #a #eh #g #a #ic #g #h #a #cbd #ab #a #egf #ab #a #egh #ab #b #cf xx #c #b #ajj #i #a #cji xxii #e #b #ajh #be #b #dcg xxiii #d #a #eaa #d #a #eah #d #a #fhh #d #a #bjg #e #b #ajh #f #a #bgf xxiv #c #d #a #fae #f #b #ahh xxv #a #b #hj #g #a #eea #g #ah #b #he #aj #a #dif #aj #aa #b #cf xxvi #a #d #b #dh #i-aa #b #dh xxvii #a #c #a #bjg #aj #b #aba #ad #a #ejh xxviii #h #a #cjh #h #i #a #caj xxx #e #a #dja #f #g #a #fca xxxi #e #b #aji #ae #a #bjg #bb #a #ejg xxxii #a #b #b #dd #ab #a #ehi #e #a #egj #f #b #hc #f #b #aji xxxiii #f #a #acb #f #ac #a #ahc #ab #a #eah #ab #b #adf #ab #a #cia #ah #b #abe #bb #b #ij xxxiv #e #f #b #aji #g #b #aje #g #a #aef #g #a #aeg #ad #a #edj #ae #b #hg #ae #b #gi #ae #b #abe #ae #af #a #aia #ba #a #cig #bb #a #cii xxxvi #a #b #c #a #a #ee #e #a #dif #f #a #aif #i #a #bej xxvii #g #a #ebg #bi #a #djg xxxviii #a #a #eic xxxix #e-g #a #cih #i #a #bjc #ab #a #cih #ac #b #ig xl #c #b #aab #e #a #aie #g #h #a #dei #aj #aa #a #dif #ab #a #ff xli #d #b #ia xlii #b #b #edf #d #a #efi #e #a #ejg xliv #c #b #adf #bj #b #aaj #bb #b #aaj xlv #g #a #dej #g #b #fdd #aj #a #bi xlvi #a #b #a #ebg #e #b #bbc xlvii #d #b #ade xlviii #aj #b #abe xlix #f #a #djj l #ad #bc #b #eii #ae #b #ia #ae #b #ib #ae #b #aaa #ae #b #ega #ae #b #aab li #a #a #egj #d #a #ffc #d #b #aff #d #a #bae #e #a #eea #e #a #bbf #e #b #ejh #e #b #hf #aj #a #beg #aj #a #bei #aj #a #bga #ae #b #aab #ag #b #ih lii #h #a #cii lv #bb #a #bja #bb #bc #a #djj lvi #i #b #ij #ab #b #dcg lix #aj #a #bgf lx #ab #b #ace lxii #h #b #hj #i #a #bfa lxiii #c #a #eah #c #b #di lxv #a #b #aae #b #b #ib #d #b #adg lxviii #ah #a #abg #bj #b #bje lxix #b #ad #a #egf #d #a #dfj #ba #b #edj #bh #b #ahh #bh #a #dja lxxii #h #a #daf #aj #aa #b #big lxxiii #b #a #cii #b #a #fde #af #ag #a #cii #bf #a #djg lxxiv #i #a #ddf lxxv #f #g #a #aij lxxvii #g #i #aj #a #ejg #aa #a #eba lxxviii #h #a #bif #cf #cg #a #eei #di #a #afd #fg #fh #b #adg #fh #gj #ga #a #cjh lxxix #ac #a #fbi #fg #fh #b #adg lxxx #a #b #bbe #a #a #cda #c #a #eag #d #b #ih #ag #a #cji lxxxii #a #b #fch #a #b #ffa #a #f #a #fcf #c #d #a #fdb #f #a #ada #f #a #dbe #f #b #ebc #f #a #aee lxxxiv #b #bbg #b #a #djg #g #b #edf lxxxvi #b #b #hg #aa #a #bgb lxxxviii #ae #a #egf #af #a #eif lxxxix #c #d #b #bci #cj-cc #b #bdf #cj-cc #a #eic #ce-cg #a #ddh xc #d #a #ecc #g-i #a #eif xci #a #a #bja #c-f #a #bjg #aa #b #aje #aa #ab #a #aee #ab #a #aeh #ab #a #bja #ae #b #ic xcii #f #a #ff #ab #a #cii xciii #e #a #gj xciv #aa #a #bef #aa #b #c #ab #ac #a #eif xcv #g #a #did #h #a #bif xcvii #g #a #adj #aj #aa #a #cih xcix #a #a #cda #e #b #bbg #cd #a #bef c #c #b #adf #c #a #bfh ci #c-b #b #fdb #h #b #fdd cii #ag #b #aab #be #a #adj #be-bh #a #cih ciii #ag #a #cih #ag #a #gd #bj #b #abh #bj #a #aec civ #b #a #eh #c #d #a #aij #ae #a #fdf #bg-cj #a #ahc cv #d #b #bbg #f #h #b #adf #be #a #bad #be #a #bha cvi #c #b #dd #d #e #b #bbd #cj #ca #b #dj #ca #b #da #ci #b #if #df #a #bhc #dg #b #aab cvii #b #ie #af #a #dfc #be #bi #a #aij #dj #a #bac #dj #a #bdi #dc #a #fd cx #a #a #ddh #d #b #ehf #d #a #djh #d #a #dec #d #a #cae #f #a #deb cxi #a #b #dei #b #a #bag #aj #a #eaf #aj #a #bfe #aj #b #i cxii #a #b #dd #f #a #cii #i #aj #a #cih cxiii #a #ajf #a #ajg #e #f #a #ahi #g #a #fd cxv #c #a #bae #c #b #aif #c #a #baa #c #a #ahe #h #a #aja cxvi #a #b #aac #c #a #egf #g #a #ejg #ab #b #aab #ad #ah #b #dcg #ae #a #cig #ae #a #dja cxvii #b #a #dif cxviii #f #a #bjg #ah #a #eib #be #bf #a #cji cxix #a #bei #a #b #dd #aj #b #dei #ah #a #beb #cd #a #bef #cd #a #bei #cc-dj #a #bif #cf #a #bgj #da #a #ebj #dc #a #ejh #ga #a #eib #gf #b #id #gf #gg #a #fhf #aje #a #cbd #aab #a #bif #acc #a #bgb #adf #a #ebj #adg #a #ebj cxxvii #c #a #aia cxxx #c #a #fgf #c #b #di #d #b #bc #d #a #ece cxxxi #a #b #a #fbh cxxxii #g #b #bbg #aa #a #dbi #aa #a #dcb #ac #ad #b #bci #ad #b #bbe cxxxiii #c #a #djg cxxxv #ae #a #ajj cxxxvi #be #a #aia cxxxviii #a #b #dei #b #a #dif #h #b #ahf cxl #ac #a #cii cxli #b #b #eii #b #b #id cxlii #e #a #djg #g #b #aji cxliii #b #b #af #b #b #di #b #b #he #b #a #fgg #b #a #cag #c #d #a #egf #e #a #eba cxliv #a #fe #ae #a #cia cxlv #a #if #f #a #fe #h #i #a #eai #i #b #aif #i #a #fc #ah #b #ic #ah #b #gi #ai #b #hj #ai #b #ib cxlvii #i #a #ahi #aj #a #bdb #bj #b #adg ,,proverbs4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #g #a #eaf #g #b #i ii #bb #a #djg iii #aa #a #eib #aa #ab #a #fcd viii #ae #b #fci #ae #af #b #fcf #bb #a #ddd ix #aj #b #i #aj #a #eaf x #g #a #dja #ab #a #eih #ab #a #eia xii #ad #b #ea #bh #b #di xiii #ac #b #ea xiv #ba #b #dd #bf #b #ai xv #h #b #aj xvi #a #a #bif #a #a #ahi #b #a #fhj #d #b #afi #f #a #eia #f #a #eih #i #a #aii #ab #b #fdd #ad #b #ffc #cc #a #aij xvii #aa #b #fdd #ae #b #fdd xviii #aj #b #ib #aj #a #acj xix #ag #b #eg xx #g #b #di #g #a #cdg #h #b #fdd #i #a #fhe #ab #a #bhc #bd #a #ahi #bf #b #fdd #bh #b #fde xxi #a #a #bac #a #a #bhc #b #a #fhj xxii #bh #a #bi xxiv #ba #b #fed #bd #b #fdd xxv #b #b #adc #d #e #b #fdd #ba #a #cgg #bg #b #adb xxvi #aj #b #afg xxvii #ae #b #fdd xxviii #b #b #fei #ad #a #eac xxix #ac #a #aij #ah #a #bc xxx #a #chj #d #a #ddc #e #a #eje #bj #a #egi ,,eccl4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page iii #ai #a #ebh #ba #b #bjf vii #bj #a #cag #bj #b #aj #bi #a #cjd #bi #a #bca ix #a #a #fhg #a #b #a #ebh #d #b #bjf #e #f #a #ajf #g #a #aga ,,isaiah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #c #a #bf #ab #b #af #ac #ad #b #bef #ac-af #b #i #ae #b #hd #af #ag #a #edj #ah #a #ehi #ai #bj #a #bic iii #a #a #aia #a #b #big #h #a #ddh iv #b #b #af v #h #b #fi #bf #a #bac #bf #a #bha vi #a #a #adj #b #a #dh #b #a #ajj #e #b #cda #f #a #abg #i #b #agf #i #a #acb #i #a #ee #i #aj #b #aib vii #b #a #ejh #d #a #ejh #ad #a #cji #ah #a #bha viii #ab #ac #a #cb #ad #a #abg #ad #a #adj #af #b #afj #ag #a #ecc ix #f #a #abd #f #a #ddf #f #a #fhg #f #a #dhb x #a #b #b #ffa #e #a #bac #f #a #bad #ae #a #bha xi #b #b #acg #b #a #bfd #b #a #dej #b #c #b #fba #d #a #bc #i #b #fdc #aj #a #abi xii #a #a #eic xiv #a #b #adg #bg #a #baj xvii #bd #b #abd xix #ah #a #cdi #ai #b #ehi #bc #bd #b #ehi #be #a #bac xxiv #bc #a #dh xxv #a #b #ahc #h #a #fdd #i #a #adc #i #a #abf xxvi #a #a #bja #ai #b #bjd #ai #ba #a #djc #ba #b #bac xxviii #af #a #abi xxix #ac #b #cgh #ac #b #hd #ac #ad #b #chf #ac #ad #b #aaf #ad #b #cgi #ad #a #bac xxx #af #a #ebg #cb #b #bah xxxiii #ad #ae #a #fgf #ad #ae #b #dj #bb #a #cia #bb #a #deb #bb #b #cga #bd #b #bda xxxv #h #b #bci #aj #a #fae xxxvii #af #a #cda #ce #a #dha #ce #b #bbd #cf #a #aef xxxviii #a #e #a #bjh #b #a #ecg #ag #a #ehi #bj #b #aab xxxix #f #a #hf #g #a #cde #ac #ad #b #cgi xl #a #c #a #ece #b #a #eie #h #a #cij #aj #aa #b #fcj #ad #b #fjj #ah #a #ih #ba #a #aja #ba #a #aej #bi-ca #a #bdb xli #g #bi #a #ih #i #b #adg xlii #a #a #dff #a #a #dcf #h #a #abe #i #a #hg #aj #b #aab #ac #b #fcj xliii #aj #a #hj #aa #be #a #ege #be #a #ehe #be #a #abh #bh #a #eic xliv #c #a #dhg #c #a #bdb #c #a #ebi #f #a #ada #i-bj #a #aja #bb #a #ehi xlv #a #a #hf #g #a #baf #g #a #bjd #bc #a #adj #bc #a #abg #bc-be #a #fhd #be #b #af xlvi #e #a #ih xlvii #f #a #eic xlviii #aj #a #eic #af #a #acj xlix #ae #a #aba #bc #b #fcg li #a #a #bfa #f #a #cih #bc #b #fcg lii #g #b #bfa liii #a #b #afa #a #a #ha #b #d #b #edb #d #a #dbb #d #a #dff #e #a #cad #e #a #dei #e #a #dfe #e #a #dhj #e #f #a #ehf #f #a #eij #f #a #fhj #f #b #aij #f #a #dfa #f #a #eij #g #a #deh #h #a #dhj #aj #a #dfj #aa #a #feh #ab #a #dfj liv #g #h #a #dja #ac #a #did #ac #a #hj lv #a #a #bdb #a #a #dhg #a #b #be #b #b #af #b #b #cgh #c #a #did #c #a #caj #d #a #ddf #f #g #a #eec lvi #a #a #eec #b #a #ced #g #b #aae #aj #aa #b #cef #ae #a #fha lviii #e #b #dbe #f #a #eci #g #a #fbd #ac #ad #a #cef lix #a #b #a #fgc #ae #af #b #g #ag #a #ffe #bj #a #eec #bj #a #eed #ba #a #gi #ba #b #bbe #ba #a #ia lx #a #a #bfa #f #g #b #big #af #a #bdb lxi #a #a #eec #a #a #efc #a #b #a #ddg #a-c #a #fhb #c #b #ag lxiii #aj #a #acb #af #b #ajg #af #b #aba #ag #a #eed #ag #a #bhj lxiv #f #a #eae #e-i #b #he lxv #a #b #ahj #b #b #aih #af #a #cdi #bd #b #ib #be #b #fdc lxvi #a #b #abd #a #b #aaf #b #a #fha #bb #a #djc #bc #a #cef #bd #b #bah #bd #a #bjc ,,jeremiah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #f #b #cda #i #aj #b #cda #bc #a #bha #be #a #bab ii #ac #a #bd #bh #b #ajd iii #a #b #ab #b #bde #a #a #bic #a #b #a #cde iv #a #a #bic #a #c #d #a #eci #b #ab #b #id #d #a #eci #d #a #bia #d #b #eaj #i #b #ceh #i #a #ce v #c #b #aj #c #a #big #g #a #cdi #ad #b #aib vi #ac #b #cef vii #d #b #bej #e-g #b #cd #ac #ad #a #bie #bb #bc #b #cgh #bb #bc #b #cha #bg #a #bie #bh #a #bie #bi #a #bie ix #bc #bd #a #fhd #bd #a #acj #bd #a #if x #b #a #ahf #h #a #ajb #aa #a #ada #bc #a #ahi #bd #be #a #eic xi #g #b #cha #g #h #b #hd #aa #b #hd #aa #a #eeh #ac #b #ajd #ai #b #edj xii #af #a #cde xiv #g #b #he #ad #b #cef xv #a #b #aje xvii #a #a #ehi #e #a #bdb #i #a #bfa #i #b #c #ba #bb #a #ced #bg #a #ced xviii #ah #b #ceg #ah #a #ce xxii #c #b #fdb #c #b #fdc xxiii #e #f #a #caj #f #a #abe #f #a #feh #af #b #cfb #bh #b #cda xxiv #g #a #bea xxv #aa #ab #a #hf #bi #a #eie xxvii #e-i #b #fei #ab #b #fei xxix #g #b #fei xxxi #aa #ah #a #bfe #ah #ai #a #bia #ah #ai #b #aif #ca #a #daa #ca-cd #a #ehi #cb #a #bic #cc #cd #b #aca #cc #a #cdj #ce #cf #b #bci xxxii #af #b #if #ah #a #cde #bc #a #bie #ci #a #bgj xxxiii #h #b #aca #af #a #abe #af #a #feh xlii #b #i #b #id xlviii #aj #b #fch l #bj #a #ehi ,,lamenta4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page iii #h #b #ih #cg #a #bjd #ch #a #bjd iv #bj #a #cji ,,ezekiel4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #bj #b #fba ii #c #b #aib iii #ag #b #cda #ag #ah #b #bfe vii #bf #b #ceh #bf #a #bac xi #ai #a #bgj #ai #bj #a #bgc #ai #bj #a #bhh xii #b #b #aib #ac #a #bha xiii #i #b #ahh #i #b #bbd xiv #i #a #bad #ad #b #ajf #bj #b #beh xvi #bj #b #ead xvii #bj #a #bha xviii #b #a #cdf #d #a #cca #bj #a #cde #bj #a #chj #bj #a #ehh #ba #a #eeh #ba #bb #a #egh #bd #b #aa #bd-bh #a #ehi #ca #a #eci xx #ab #a #ced #ab #a #cee #dc #dd #a #fhd xxii #h #a #ced #be #bf #b #cef #bh #b #cef xxiii #cg #b #ead #ch #a #ced xxviii #aj #a #dja xxix #c #d #a #bjh #ah-bj #b #feg xxxi #ah #a #dja xxxiii #h #b #bda #aa #b #bde #aa #b #aid xxxiv #d #b #djh #bc-be #a #caj xxxvi #bb #a #fgi #be #a #dhg #bf #a #bia #bf #b #aif #bf #bg #a #bfg #bg #a #bgc #cb #b #bc xxxvii #a-ad #b #bje #ah #a #djc #bd #bf #b #caj xlviii #ba #bb #b #fdg #ce #a #abe ,,daniel4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page ii #ba #b #feg #cd #a #bc #cg #ch #b #feg iv #ag #b #feg #bg #a #eia #bg #a #eih v #ah #ai #b #feh vi #bb #b #ffb vii #aj #a #aeg #aj #a #aee #be #b #cce viii #af #a #aeg ix #e #a #egj #ah #b #id #ah #ai #b #hd #bj #b #he #ba #a #aeg #bd #a #ddg #bd #a #dec #bf #a #cad #bg #b #beh x #ac #bj #a #aef #ac #ba #a #aeg xii #a #a #aeg #a #a #aef #a #b #a #djd #b #b #baj #c #b #baf ,,hosea4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #b #a #caj ii #b #a #cde #ah #ai #b #bda #ai #bc #b #g iii #e #a #eac #e #a #caj #ab #a #ehi v #aa #b #ffc #ae #a #bih vi #a #a #ecf vii #h #a #eig viii #d #a #bag ix #h #b #cef xii #e #a #abf xiii #aa #a #eij #ab #a #ehi xiv #b #a #eij #b #b #aab #d #b #h #d #b #eii ,,joel4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page ii #ab #a #eej #ab #a #bia #ac #b #dbd #ac #a #edi #ae #b #dbc #bh #b #ehi #bh #a #ddg #bh #a #dhf #bh-cb #a #acg #cb #b #bbd #cb #b #bbc #cb #b #ib #cb #a #acj iii #ag #b #bci ,,amos4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #b #a #cda iii #f #a #bjd #f #a #baf iv #g #b #afj #i #a #aij v #ad #a #bic vi #a #b #fi viii #aa #b #afj ix #aa #a #caj ,,obadiah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #ag #b #bbc ,,jonah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #d #a #aij ii #i #b #aab iii #d #aj #a #bjh #e #b #dbc #e #a #ecg ,,micah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page ii #ac #a #caj iii #f #b #ceh v #b #a #ddc vii #i #a #eic #ai #a #ehi ,,habakkuk4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #ab #a #cia ii #d #b #ab #ab #a #cia #ah #a #ajb #ah #a #fi #bj #a #cda #bj #a #fi #bj #a #ig iii #b #a #eic #ac #a #cji ,,zephaniah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #d #e #a #cdi iii #aa #ab #a #fha ,,haggai4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #f-aa #a #aij #aa-ad #b #i ,,zechariah4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #c #b #aif #c #a #aia #c #a #bib ii #h #a #bja #ab #b #adg iii #i #aj #a #fhg ix #i #a #caj #i #a #dhb #aa #a #dfd xii #d #b #ceg xiii #i #b #ia xiv #i #a #aae ,,malachi4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #b #c #b #adh #f #a #eaf #f #a #cdj #aa #b #ehh #aa #b #eih ii #a-i #b #bea #d-g #b #cda #e-g #b #cee #h #i #b #cci iii #a #a #abf #a #a #aei #ag #b #ff iv #b #a #chj #b #a #ffd #d #b #cdd #e #a #che #f #b #bbh ,,matthew4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #a #dbi #e #a #ded #af #a #dcd #ba #a #dcd iii #a-f #b #fag #b #a #eeb #b #a #ech #b #c #a #ece #f #a #eff #f #aa #b #eae #f #aa #b #dha #aa #b #dhb #ab #b #bah #ab #b #bce #ae #a #deh #af #a #ii #af #b #edf #ag #a #fcj #ag #b #ahc #ag #a #ebb iv #d #b #aca #f #a #aeh #g #b #dce #aj #a #aad #aa #a #aef #ag #a #ece #ai #b #eba v #c #e #g #b #dd #d #a #fcf #aj #a #fcd #ab #b #baf #ab #b #ea #ab #ad #b #if #ac #ad #b #bfa #ac #ad #b #bie #ac #ad #b #cdb #af #b #cb #ag #ah #a #cbe #ai #a #cgi #bb #a #cfc #bb #a #ccd #bc #bd #a #egb #be #a #fjh #bh #a #ccd #cd #a #cea #ch-dj #b #fec #ci #dj #b #feb #dd #a #fbe #dd #b #fec #dd #de #a #cgg #de #b #if #de #b #bad #df #a #cgg #dh #b #aih vi #f #b #aad #g #b #aad #i #b #aai #ab #b #bdc #ab #a #fjj #ba #b #bjj #ba #b #ef #bc #a #eae #bf #a #ahc vii #f #b #eff #g #b #ia #aa #b #aba #ab #a #cge #ae #b #cfb viii #d #a #efd #aj #a #ejc #aa #a #djd #aa #b #ejc #ab #b #bah #be #a #eaj #bi #a #afg ix #b #a #ejc #b #b #hf #b #a #eig #b #a #egd #e #b #bfb #f #a #abh #ab #a #dbb #ac #b #g #ac #a #eec #ac #a #fhb #ae #b #dbd #ae #a #eej #bi #a #ehc #bi #a #ecd #cd #a #eeg #ce #a #chb x #e #f #a #daf #h #a #abi #ah #a #efe #bj #b #fji #bh #b #baj #bh #a #agc #bi #a #ahc #bi #a #ahi #bi #cj #a #bja #cj #a #ahd #cc #b #bdf xi #e #a #eec #aj #a #eeb #aa #a #che #ba #a #eea #be #a #ebd #bg #b #cdb #bh #a #fhb #bh #a #efc #bh #bi #b #fa #bi #b #cb xii #bd #a #eeg #bi #a #afa #ca #a #eef #ca #a #acb #ca #cb #a #eee #ca #cb #a #eef #cb #a #fjg #dc #a #aff #dc-de #a #afb xiii #c-bc #b #dfa #d-g #b #efe #i #b #agf #aa #b #aic #af #a #cha #af #a #daa #bd #b #bce #be #bh #a #afc #bi #b #dai #ca #cc #b #fcj #dg #b #eba #dg #b #bce xv #d-f #a #cfa #f #b #cgc #g-i #b #cgh #h #i #b #aaf #i #b #chf #ac #a #ejb #ac #a #bgb #ac #b #ahe #ac #b #afd #ad #b #ga #ad #b #cfb #bd #a #daf xvi #f #b #chi #af #b #cje #ag #a #bej #ag #a #ebd #ag #a #dhh #ah #b #cjd #ah #ai #b #cjb #ai #a #egb #ai #b #bdb #ai #b #cif #bc #b #ccg #bd #a #fbi #bg #b #ej #bg #b #cb xvii #e #a #ddg #e #b #acf #e #b #cdd #e #b #cdj #e #a #ebb #e #a #fcj #aa #a #dae xviii #aj #a #aef #aj #a #aeh #aa #a #dbb #ae #b #dab #ae-ag #b #dab #ae-ah #b #cie #ag #b #ceb #ag #ah #b #cig #ah #a #egd #ah #a #egb #ah #b #fae #ah #b #cdb #ah #b #beg #ah #b #bdb #ah #b #cjc #ah #b #cdb #ah #a #ehj #bj #b #aaf #bj #b #cee #bj #b #bca xix #aa #a #cfd #aa #b #ddi #ab #a #cfe #ac-ae #b #ddi #ae #b #bga #af #b #ddd #ag #b #fj #ag #a #abi #ag #a #adb #ah #ai #a #cgd #bj #b #dde #ba #b #ddd #be #bf #a #cah #bi #b #baf xx #a #b #ec #be #bf #b #djc #be #bf #b #djd #bh #a #deh xxi #i #a #caa #bb #b #hh #be #b #fjf xxii #ab #b #ehj #ac #b #bah #ad #b #ahe #cj #b #bbd #cj #a #age #cj #a #aeh #cb #a #cdj #cb #b #die #cb-cd #a #cib #cg-dj #a #cch xxiii #c #b #chh #d #b #cff #h #aj #b #cde #h #b #cdj #i #b #abb #ab #a #fha #bc #a #cgd #cg #b #aig xxiv #aa #bd #b #cef #ad #a #efe #bd #a #bh #cj #a #dgc #cf #a #aeh #de #b #ebb xxv #ba #bi #b #be #bc #a #bgd #bi #a #bgd #ca #a #aeh #ca #a #dgc #cb #b #bad #cd #b #aih #cd #b #ed #cd #b #eb #cd-cf #b #ea #dj #b #eg #da #a #afg #da #a #afb xxvi #c #d #a #ce #aa #b #eec #aj #ab #b #bab #bf #bh #b #ebf #bf-bh #b #edd #bg #b #cfd #bh #a #dgi #bh #a #dji #ci #a #dfh #eb #b #baa #ec #a #aeg #fi #b #bdf xxvii #c #d #a #ecg #ab #ad #b #dei #ah #bc #a #dfj #bd #a #dfj #df #a #dfe #df #a #dfh #ea #a #cbf #eb #a #djd #ff #b #bjc xxviii #c-f #b #bjc #e #a #aef #aa #b #bjc #ah #b #bf #ai #b #dhj #ai #b #bfd #ai #b #dib #ai #bj #b #cde #ai #bj #b #eaf #ai #bj #b #cdb #bj #a #cc #bj #b #cdh #bj #b #efj #bj #b #bca #bj #a #dga ,,mark4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #d #a #eeb #ae #a #eeb ii #e #a #ejc iii #ae #a #abi #bh #bi #a #eee #bi #a #acb vi #ac #b #fag viii #ch #b #bdf ix #bd #b #dei #dc #dd #b #bah x #i #b #ba #ac-af #b #dii #cj #b #ed xi #ba #a #afj #bd #b #hh xiii #cb #a #dcg xiv #bb #bd #b #ebf #bb #bd #c #edd xv #bh #a #dfj xvi #i #a #afb #ae #b #bfb #af #b #dgg #af #b #eaf #ai #b #eed #bj #a #bg ,,luke4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #f #b #da #ae #b #eji #ai #bf #a #aeg #cb #a #ddb #cd #b #eeb #ce #a #ddj #dc #a #dci #ed #a #chh #gb #a #chh #gb #a #dbc #gd #b #ca #ge #b #ca #gg #a #fgc #gi #a #dbc ii #cd #a #ci #cg #b #dbb #eb #b #dcf iii #c #a #eeb #c #b #dha #c #b #fag #ad #b #fdf #af #a #dhg #af #a #dhi #bc #b #eag #ch #a #dbf iv #aj #a #aeh #ah #a #eec #ah #a #efc v #ad #a #efd #cd #b #dbd #ce #b #dbd vi #bc #b #ea #bd #be #b #fi vii #bi #a #feb #ce #a #feb #ci #a #eii viii #e-ae #b #dfa #cj #a #afb #dg #a #eia ix #bj #a #dej #bc #b #bh #bf #a #aeh x #a #b #bfc #af #b #bfa #af #b #cdb #ah #a #aff #bj #b #ahh #bb #b #fja #bb #a #dij #bd #a #cha #bd #a #daa #bg #a #cch #bg #a #cgc #cj #a #cjd xi #b #b #aai #ba #a #aff #ba #a #afa #ci-da #a #eii #df #b #cff xii #d #e #a #agc #aj #a #acb #aj #a #eee #ad #b #djd xiii #bi #b #ejc xiv #aa #a #fha #ba #b #eba xv #g #a #aef #aj #a #aeh #aa #b #abb xvi #b #a #fdi #i #b #ef #ae #a #feb #ae #a #fgg #af #a #cbf #af #a #daj #af #a #dad #bb #a #aef #bb #a #aeh #bb #a #agc xviii #c #d #a #fbe #e #b #dei #i #b #ae #aj #b #bc #aj #b #ad #ad #a #efd #bj #ba #a #dej xviii #aa #b #aad #ac #a #fhb #ac #a #egg #ad #a #eig #ad #a #fec #ad #a #fha #ae-ag #b #dii xix #ag #a #bgd #bf #a #bgd xx #cg #ch #b #die #cg-dj #a #cib xxi #ae #b #bfh #bh #a #fdd xxii #aj #b #egb #ag #b #eib #ag #b #egh #ai #b #bfd #ai #bj #b #ebf #ai #bj #b #edd #bj #b #ecj #be #b #djc #be #bf #b #fci #be #bf #b #djd #bf #b #djc #dc #a #aef #dd #a #fcf #fb #a #eig xxiii #b #e #a #ch #dj #b #aij #dc #b #bjh #df #a #aga xxiv #aa #b #bjc #af #b #eei #bf #b #eg #bf #a #dhb #bg #a #id #ca #b #eei #ci #b #eeh #ci #a #dcg #dd #a #fji #de #a #ebe #df #a #dbc #df #dg #a #eeb #dg #a #dbc #ea #b #eed ,,john4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #a #aba #a #ad #a #abg #b #a #abd #d #a #agf #d #a #bej #d #a #cjg #e #a #bdd #i #a #dbb #ab #a #cjg #ab #b #be #ab #b #afa #ab #ac #a #dhh #ab #ad #b #aba #ac #a #bej #ac #b #afa #ad #a #dce #af #a #dej #ag #a #cbg #ah #a #cha #ah #a #acd #ah #b #efa #ah #b #fja #bc #a #che #bi #a #chd #bi #a #dcg #bi #a #ehf #bi #a #deh #bi #b #dha #bi #a #dgi #dj-db #b #cjd #ea #a #chb #ea #a #afa ii #ai #a #dci #ai #b #baj #bd #a #ejb #be #a #ejb iii #c #e #b #ejh #e #b #eae #e #f #a #bbh #f #a #bfj #ac #a #dcg #ac #b #efa #ad #a #dbc #ae #af #b #ahd #af #a #deg #af #a #dbb #af #a #dhb #af #a #dgg #af #b #ag #ah #b #eaf #bc #b #dha #bg #a #dej #cc #a #dig #cd #a #dbi #cd #a #dej #cf #b #ebj iv #a #b #dha #ad #a #dhg #bb #a #fi #bb #a #ge #bb #a #cjg #bc #b #cgg #bc #b #aaf #bd #a #add #be #b #cde #be #a #ddf #ce-ch #b #ebb #db #a #dic #ej-ec #a #dic v #h #b #fbf #ag #a 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#di #d #a #fgh #e #a #fgi #g #a #fbb #g #a #bhf #g #b #aia #ae #b #bbh v #a #b #bdf #a #b #bcf #b #aa #b #bcf #c #e #b #dad #e #a #ebg #f #aa #b #dad #g #h #b #ehh #ab #b #bcf #ab #b #djj #ac #b #dba vi #a-h #b #fec #g #b #bcf #i-aa #a #eha #i-aa #b #aij #aa #b #h #aa #a #dhe #ac #b #fjh #ac #b #dda #ac #ad #b #baa #ae #b #ecc #ae #b #baa #ae #bj #b #bji #ai #b #ca #ai #a #aca #ai #bj #b #baa #bj #a #dhj vii #e #b #dbc #e #f #a #deb #b #g #i #a #cfe #i #b #ddi #i #cd #a #cff #ad #b #eje #ad #b #eba #ai #b #dgd #ba #b #fcd #bc #b #ffc #bc #b #gc #bi-ca #a #fdh #cj #ca #a #fde #ce #b #cfg viii #d #g #b #che #e #f #a #abh #e #f #a #deb #f #a #dch #i #b #che #i #b #ga ix #b #ae #a #b #ccf #b #b #bbh #e #b #dcj #ab #b #ae #af #ag #b #bfe #ai #bj #b #ga #bj #b #fbd #bb #b #ga x #a-aa #a #chh #b #b #dhb #c #b #dgc #d #b #edg #d #b #eci #d #b #edf #aa #ab #a #eab #ab #b #ahe #ab #a #ecj #ac #b #acd #af #b #eib #af #b #ecd #af #b #edj #af #b #edg #af #ag #b #egc #ag #b #ech #bc #bd #b #gb #be #bi #b #ga #bh #bi #b #gf #bh #bi #b #cfi #ca #b #abi #cb #b #ga xi #e #b #cia #g #a #agf #af #b #cic #bj-bb #b #cia #bc #b #egj #bc #b #ehd #bc #be #b #edd #bd #be #b #eai #bf #b #egb #bf #b #edj #bf #b #eai #bg #b #eff #bg #bi #b #egd #bh #b #ege #bh #b #eai #bh #bi #b #bcg #bi #b #eai #bi #b #efg #ca #a #eea #cb #a #eie #cb #a #fcc xii #c #a #bej #d #h #a #aca #f #a #bfh #f #a #bgb #g #b #bfh #aj-ca #a #dih #aa #a #acc #aa #b #dce #ab #b #ca #ab #b #edh #ac #b #eac #ac #b #dhg #ac #b #deh #bh #b #cie #bh #b #bff #bh #b #fcf xiii #b #a #dih #b #ac #b #eh #c #b #ddd #d-h #a #fbc #e #a #cgf #i #ab #a #eji #ab #b #fja #ab #b #bag xiv #ae #b #aag #ae #b #hb #ae #af #b #aah #ag #b #aah #bf #b #bcf #bi #b #cfc #bi #cj #b #cdf #cj #b #bcd #cc #a #ci #cd #b #cia #dj #b #bcf #dj #b #bfg #dj #b #aac #dj #b #cij #dj #a #ceg xv #a #dga #c #a #deh #c #ag #a #bf #f #cf #b #bjd #h #b #eei #aj #a #bge #aj #b #bbi #ab #b #baa #ab #b #bcf #ac #b #bjb #ac #b #bja #ac #ad #a #dca #ad #ag #a #dgj #ai #b #ed #ai #a #fdd #bb #b #ejh #bb #a #bbg #bc #b #bjc #bd #a #adf #bd #bh #a #dea #bd #bh #a #dch #bh #a #cef #bh #b #abg #ci-da #b #bac #da #db #b #fcj #de #a #agf #de #a #dhf #de #dg #a #dbf #df #b #eba #dg #a #dcj #dg #a #dcd #dg #b #eea #ej #b #ejh #ea #a #dgd #ea #eb #b #bac #ec #b #bac #ed #b #bji xvi #g #a #bjg #b ,,corinth4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #a #bia #c #b #abb #f #a #fje #ab #b #di #ah #b #ehd #bj #b #ii #bj #a #ebb #bj #a #chb #ba #a #ebg #bb #a #dhg #bc #a #agc #bc #a #cej #bd #b #cdf ii #f #a #egc #g #b #daf #h #b #dag #ae #af #a #ci #af #a #bhi iii #e #a #bef #e #a #bfg #e #a #bei #f #a #daa #f #a #dhh #f #b #bfa #f #b #bbh #f #h #b #dfb #f #h #a #ic #g #a #cai #ad #a #ebd #ad-af #a #ejd #ag #a #cae #ag #a #bdj #ah #a #agf #ah #a #eda #ah #a #eaj #ah #a #agh iv #d #a #afa #d #a #bad #d #a #aff #d #a #bgh #d #f #a #chb #e #b #cdj #f #a #dij #f #b #bbg #g #b #bfj #g #b #bbe #h-aj #b #bh #h #i #a #fcf #aj #b #eh #aj #b #bjb #aj #b #bji #aj #b #baa #ac #a #ebe v #a #h #b #bjh #d #a #fdc #d #aj #a #agb #f #b #aii #f #a #fdb #f #h #a #agc #aj #b #ej #aj #b #bji #aj #a #abg #ah #b #cjb #ah #a #eai #ah #a #fjf #ah #ai #b #ab #ah-bj #b #bdb #ah #ai #a #fed #ai #a #dbc #ai #ba #a #dgh #ai #ba #a #ehe #ai #ba #a #ffa #ai #ba #a #fgc #bj #a #ehi #ba #a #fgd #ba #a #deh #ba #a #dfj #ba #a #ehf #ba #a #fjb #ba #a #fed #ba #a #fei vi #a #b #bbi #h #a #fce #af #a #aca vii #a #a #agb #a #a #chc #a #a #bif #a #b #bji #a #b #cb #aj #a #edj #aj #a #efb #aa #a #edi #aa #a #edg ix #f #b #eg #g #b #cb x #d #b #dje #d #e #b #e #f #b #djj #f #b #cjb #h #b #cdj xi #ad #a #bh xii #a #a #aed #g #b #efg #g #a #afe #g #i #a #efd #h #i #a #acf #i #a #bgf #ba #b #bdf #ba #a #eeb xiii #d #a #dfi #d #a #dcj #e #a #ebi #aj #b #cdj #ad #a #dhf ,,galatians4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #b #bfi #b #b #cjf #f #b #bdf #f #b #bcf ii #c #b #ga #c-e #b #gb #h #b #bbi #i #b #caj #aa #ad #b #dab #af #b #ce #ag #a #ci #bj #a #fai #bj #b #fca #ba #a #dhj iii #a #a #ajd #a #b #bcf #a #b #eid #a #a #bdf #b #b #bbi #b #b #ebd #b #b #ebc #f #b #da #h #a #feb #aj #a #cag #aj #b #ac #aj #a #cbe #aj #ab #a #fga #aj-ac #a #dee #aa #a #ffg #aa #ab #a #ffi #ac #a #cbf #ac #a #dgi #ac #a #ehf #ac #a #ffd #ac #b #fd #ac #ad #a #dfa #af #a #cjg #af #a #dcb #af #b #dga #ag #a #fgb #ah #a #ffb #ah #a #ffi #ai #a #aeh #ai #a #bij #ai #a #cae #ba #bb #a #fga #bb #a #dcg #bb #a #dcd #bb #a #efg #bb #b #agd #bc-be #a #did #bd #a #cad #bd #a #cbb #bd #a #daj #bd #b #fdj #bf #bg #b #dhj #bg #b #fji #bg #b #eab #bg #b #deh #bg #a #dhg #bg #a #dhe #bh #b #fcd #bh #b #agc iv #b #bej #a #a #daj #a #b #b #cgg #a-c #a #dag #d #a #dae #d #a #dbh #d #a #dbi #d #a #dcc #d #a #ffd #d #a #ffh #d #b #fdh #d #e #a #cbf #d #e #a #deh #d #e #a #dha #e #f #a #ddj #f #a #ejj #f #a #fhh #f #b #abb #h #a #ef #h #a #aad #i #b #bdf #i #b #cgd #i #b #fjh #aj #aa #a #ceh #aa #b #bcf #ad #a #cge #ad #a #djf #bb #a #dac #bf #b #bba #cj #b #eb v #a #b #fcd #a #b #cgc #a #d #b #gc #a-d #b #fd #a-ah #b #cgb #e #a #ecc #e #b #cg #f #a #fgb #ac #b #ga #ad #a #cge #ag #a #cag #ai #b #dhc #ai #b #d #ai #b #bbi vi #a #djf #i #b #bc #aj #b #abc #aj #a #fbd #ad #a #dfb #ae #b #dgd #ag #b #bab #ag #b #eh ,,ephesians4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #c-e #b #be #d #b #fc #d #b #age #d #a #dbd #d #e #a #deg #d #e #b #aea #e #f #a #fec #e-g #b #ag #f #a #fhe #f #a #ebb #f #a #dgh #i #b #aec #i #b #ded #ac #b #ag #ac #a #ebf #ac #a #dhh #ac #a #chc #ac #ad #a #chg #ac #ad #a #dhg #ac #ad #b #ahg #ac #ad #b #agh #ad #a #djd #ag #a #beb #ag #ah #b #cdh #ah #a #ejf #bj-bb #a #dgb #bj #bb #a #dea #ba #a #aee #bb #a #dbe #bb #b #cjg #bc #b #ecc #bc #b #abc #bc #b #bcb #bc #a #dea ii #a-c #b #ahi #b #a #aff #b #a #afa #b #a #bgh #c #a #bcb #c #a #bbg iii #ab #a #ejf #ab #a #fhh #ae #a #ddc #ag #b #ebi #ag #a #cge #ah #a #ejd #ah #ai #b #ai #ah #ai #a #dbd iv #b #c #b #dba #d #b #bbc #d #e #b #cjh #d-af #b #bfj #e #a #acb #e #b #bec #e-g #aa #b #cjh #g #a #dhf #g #a #dea #h #a #abg #h #a #dgc #aj #a #dga #aj #b #cjh #aj-ac #b #bbe #aa #b #bfb #aa #ac #b #cej #aa-af #b #bba #ad #b #cej #ae #a #dhg #ae #a #dhd #ae #af #a #dbi #ae #af #b #cjg #ae #af #b #ecc #ag #ah #a #bcj #ag #ah #a #bfa #ah #b #ahi #bj #a #fag #bj #ba #a #did #bb #a #bfj #bc #a #fai #bc #bd #a #eda #bc #a #bfj #bc #a #bcj #bd #a #agf #be #bh #b #aij #bg #a #afe #cj #a #bib v #b #a #dec #b #a #dha #f #a #eag #h #b #ahi #h #b #ca #ad #a #cje #bc #b #cjg #be #b #ffj #be-bg #b #bch #bf #b #dgg #bf #a #edc #bf #b #eac #bf #bg #b #cdi #bg #b #bcb #bh-cb #b #fcj #cj #a #dhg #cj #a #dbj #cj #cb #a #dbh #cj #cb #b #ecc vi #a #b #ffj #a #a #cfa #i #b #agc #aj #a #bib #ab #a #afa #ab #a #bjc #af #ah #b #ij #ah #b #hc #ah #b #aja #ai #b #aja ,,philippians4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #b #cdj #a #b #bff #a #b #bfe #d #a #bef #f #a #bfg #f #b #ea #f #b #ahe #ae #af #a #ch #bj #a #fdc #bj #a #ecc #bi #a #dha #bi #b #h ii #b #e #b #bec #d #a #fbb #f #a #abh #f #g #a #adc #g #b #eea #g #h #a #dcj #g #h #a #deh #h #b #dgb #h #aj #a #dch #i #a #dhb #i #aj #a #daf #i-aa #a #dea #aj #a #fjh #aj #a #adc #aa #a #eab #ab #b #ea #ab #a #bif #ac #a #ffe #ac #a #bei #ac #a #bge #ac #a #bgb #ac #a #bfg #ag #a #die #bj #b #caa #ba #b #caa #ba #a #ch iii #e #f #b #ahi #h #i #a #fff #h-aa #b #bjj #aj #a #fcj #aj #a #dfi #aj #aa #b #eh #aj #aa #b #bi #ab-ad #b #cdi #ac #ad #b #ad #ad #bj #b #bjj #ae #a #dib #ae #b #bcc #bj #b #eed #bj #ba #b #bab #bj #ba #b #eeh #ba #b #bjd #ba #b #bjb iv #e #f #b #abe #f #b #aac #aa #ab #b #fi #ab #a #fdi #ah #b #eih #ef #b #abe ,,colossians4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #d #e #a #chg #d #e #b #ec #e #a #chc #e #b #bjj #i #a #bef #i #a #beg #ab #b #aea #ac #b #bf #ad #a #dhj #ad #b #be #ae #a #dcf #ae #a #dbg #ae #a #dbb #ae #a #caa #ae-ah #a #dda #af #a #aee #af #a #aei #af #ah #a #dbg #ah #b #cjg #ai #b #cde #ai #bj #a #dgg #bj #b #be #bj #a #ehg #bj #a #aei #ba #a #dee #ba #b #be #ba #b #g #bb #a #dee #bd #a #fjd #be #a #fje #bf #a #ejd #bf #a #dag #bf #bg #b #ded #bg #bh #b #cgb #bi #b #bbi ii #b #a #ejd #c #a #dbc #c #a #ddg #c #a #ejc #c #a #ffd #c #a #daj #c #b #fja #c #b #cde #c #h #b #cgb #d #h #b #chh #h #b #cgc #h #b #cgd #i #a #fee #aj #a #dbf #aj #b #cjg #aa #ab #b #ejb #aa #ab #b #dhj #aa #ag #b #dgd #ab #b #baa #ab #b #eab #ac #ad #a #cbg #ad #a #dhj #ad #ae #a #dfa #af #ag #a #cef #af #ag #a #ceh #ag #a #djh #ag #a #cbf #ag #b #dgb #ah #bc #b #chh #ai #a #ddf #bj #b #cgf #bj #b #fjh #ba #b #cgf #bb #b #fjh #bb #b #cge #bc #b #cgb #bc #b #cgd iii #a #b #egj #a #b #ca #a #b #a #dgj #c #d #b #aii #c #e #a #dfb #d #b #bjb #e #a #dgj #f #a #eag #aj #a #agf #aj #a #eda #aa #a #daf #aa #b #fcd #ad #b #eh #ad #b #ddd #af #b #aag #bj #a #cf #ba #b #ffj #bd #b #eb #be #b #agc iv #ag #b #bfe v #ai #a #id #a ,,thessalon4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #e #b #bbi ii #a #b #bbi #ah #a #bjg #ai #bj #b #baf iii #ab #a #bij #ac #b #ej iv #c #g #b #ca #c #g #b #fc #d #g #b #age #ae #af #b #bac #af #a #aeg #af #ag #a #dgc #af #ag #a #dgd v #b #b #fcj #i #b #ca #ag #ah #b #aac #ai #b #bif #ai #a #id #bc #b #bji #b ,,thessalon4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #e-g #b #eg #f #g #a #fde #f #h #b #bje #i #b #bah #aj #b #bae #aj #b #bje #aa #a #bib #aa #a #ebe ii #c #b #ceh #c #d #b #beh #d #b #cef #d #g #b #cce #h #b #abg #i #a #bh #i #aa #a #afd #aj #aa #a #bh #aj-ab #a #bad #aa #ab #a #bha #ac #a #dhh #ad #a #chg iii #f #aa #b #bdf #i #a #ejc #aj #b #eah #ab #b #bdf #ac #b #bc #ad #b #bad #ae #b #bah #a ,,timothy4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #e #a #bij #e #a #cgc #e #ai #a #ejc #e #ai #b #cfh #e #ai #b #ge #i #aj #a #cbb #ac #a #eeg #ae #a #dbd #ag #a #adc ii #a #b #b #fee #a #b #b #fcg #a #e #b #aja #d #b #aie #e #b #ii #e #a #dbj #e #f #a #dhj #f #a #dfa #f #a #eij #h #b #fjd #h #b #bji #h #b #abd #h #b #aae iii #a #b #bfh #b #b #dbi #b #c #b #bgg #b-g #b #bhj #b-g #b #bhg #i #a #ejc #ad #ae #b #cej #ae #b #bcb #ae #b #bdh #ae #b #cdi #af #b #ded #af #a #abg iv #a #b #ceh #a #c #b #cfd #a #c #b #dbi #a #f #a #ejc #e #b #fg #e #b #aab #f #a #did #f #a #chb #h #b #acj #h #a #chc #aj #a #fce #aj #a #bd #ac #a #ib #ad #b #bgb #ad #b #fbf #af #a #chb v #i #b #dea #i #b #bff #aj #b #bff #ab #b #dej #ad #b #dea #ag #b #cei #ag #b #cie #bj #b #dab #ba #a #aeh #ba #a #afd #ba #b #afg #bb #b #bfh #bb #b #bgj vi #af #a #dij #af #a #gd #af #a #baf #ag-ai #b #ef #bj #a #ejc #ba #a #ejc #b ,,timothy4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #a #chc #f #b #bgb #i #b #f #i #b #ca #i #b #aeb #i #a #dbd #i #aj #b #bdf #aj #b #aii #aj #a #chb #ab #a #ebj #ab #b #bje #ad #a #ebd ii #aj #a #fjd #aa #ab #b #bi #ac #a #ee #ac #b #aba #ai #a #cd #ai #b #bbb #ai #b #bcj #ai #b #aef #bj #b #bh #be #b #aif #be #a #eed #bf #a #afe #bf #a #eed iii #g #a #dic #h #a #ejc #af #ag #a #ib #ag #b #cb iv #a #a #dgd #h #b #ee #h #b #bje #ad #b #baf #af #b #caa ,,titus4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #a #ejb #a #b #afa #e #b #bfe #e #b #bgj #e #b #bgd #e #g #b #bff #f #b #dbi #g #b #bii #g #b #bfh #g #i #b #bfd #i #b #bgd #ac #a #ejc #ae #b #fh #ae #b #dda #ae #b #egd ii #aa #b #bdf #aa-ac #b #ca #aa-ad #a #fba #ab-ac #b #aii #ac #a #fdd iii #a #b #fee #b #b #edh #d #a #dbc #d #e #a #cjc #d #e #b #g #d-g #b #bdf #e #b #eaa #e #b #dgh #f #b #dhj #g #b #bf #g #b #g #i #a #dbd ,,hebrews4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #b #b #cdd #a #b #b #fja #a #b #a #ddf #a #b #c #a #cha #b #c #a #abb #c #a #bea #c #a #abh #c #a #ahh #d #a #aeh #f #a #aei #f #aj #a #adj #f #aj #a #abg #aj #a #ade #ad #b #aje ii #c #a #ecb #c #d #a #bg #g #a #ach #i #a #dfb #i #a #ade #aj #aa #a #dca #ad #a #dca #ad #b #cej #ad #a #ffd #ad #ae #a #dfb #ad #af #a #dbi #ae #a #dff #af #a #dcb #af #a #aeh #ag #a #dbi iii #ad #a #ejf iv #i #a #cee #ad #b #dgb #ae #a #dfg #ae #a #dbi #ae #a #dbf #ae #a #dbj #ae #b #eej #af #a #dgc #af #b #ii #af #b #ij v #a #a #dbc #d #b #eig #d #b #dib #d #e #b #eic #e #b #ehf #f #aj #b #ehf #g #a #dfe #h #a #fcj vi #d #a #ejj #d #a #eee #d-f #a #eee #d-f #a #eeg #aj #b #eg #ac #a #cej #af #a #cej #af #a #cec vii #a #g #b #ehg #ab #a #efd #ab #ag #a #djh #ag #ba #b #ehf #ai #a #djh #ai #a #dji #bj #ba #b #djh #bb #a #dji #bc #b #ehf #bc #a #djh #bd #a #djh #bd #b #ehf #bg #b #ehg viii #e #a #cac ix #i #b #dge #aj-ad #b #dgb #aa #b #dgb #aa #b #ehf #ab #ac #a #dgi #ab #bf #b #ehg #ac #ad #a #dji #ad #b #ca #ad #a #dfa #ad #ae #a #dgi #ae #a #cbh #af #bb #b #eij #bb #a #dgi #bc #b #eij #bd #a #dgc #be #b #eij #bf #a #dgi #bg #a #dgd #bg #b #bac #bh #a #dgi #bh #b #bja x #a #a #djh #a #b #b #dge #a-d #b #dgb #a #d #a #dji #b #b #ge #b #b #cfh #c-ad #a #cbh #aj #ad #b #ehg #ad #a #fjc #bj #b #ajj #ba #b #ehf #bf #a #eeh #bf #bg #a #eee #bi #b #ca #bi #a #eee #cf #a #ebg #cf #a #ecc #ch #b #ef xi #a #a #ecj #a #b #aii #b #b #ff #c #a #eh #c #a #gj #c #a #ahb #f #b #f #f #b #abe #f #a #ffg #g #a #eai #i #a #cif #ac #b #ca xii #c #a #edh #e-aa #a #eib #h #a #fcd #i #a #agc #ah #a #dac #bb #a #aeh #bc #a #aeh #bc #b #bjh xiii #d #b #dcj #h #a #chh #ad #b #cfe #ae #b #aac #ae #b #eii #af #b #bd #af #b #eih #af #a #fbd #af #a #eih #ag #b #cfb #ag #a #agc xiv #ah #b #ehg ,,james4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #e #f #b #hi #ab #b #dd #ac #ad #b #ace #ae #a #ede #ag #a #beb #ag #a #abc #ba #b #eeb ii #e #b #agc #aj #b #aa #aj #aa #b #fb #ad #b #de #ad #a #ejc #ai #a #ejj #ba-bc #b #df #ba #bd #b #dd iv #c #b #hd #f #a #bdb #h #a #edi #aa #ab #b #cga v #ab #a #ceb #ac #b #hc #ad #ae #b #fag #ae #b #hi #af #a #eff #af #a #ega #af #b #aaj #ag #ah #b #ajh #a ,,peter4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #b #b #aef #b #b #h #b #a #dhe #c #e #a #dfi #e #b #ec #e #ba #a #ecc #g #a #fcb #i #b #ed #h #i #b #bjj #i #bb #a #agc #aj-ab #a #cha #aa #a #abb #aa #a #ace #ab #a #aei #ab #a #daa #ae #b #ca #af #a #fae #ah #ai #a #dhj #ah #ai #b #gc #bj #b #fja #ba #a #dij #ba #a #dfi #bb #a #big #bc #b #eji #bc #b #bbh #bc #a #egh #bc-be #a #cij ii #d #e #b #cjd #h #a #ci #i #b #eii #i #a #cad #i #a #fhe #aa #a #agc #aa #b #ca #ac #ad #b #fci #ac #ad #b #fee #ag #b #fci #ag #b #fed #bd #a #ehe #bd #a #ehf #bd #a #dhj #bd #a #eij #bd #a #dfa #be #a #agb iii #g #b #ffj #ah #a #dcj #ai #a #dfd #ba #b #dgh #ba #b #ge #ba #b #eab #ba #b #dgd #ba #b #def #ba #b #cfh #ba #b #dgh iv #c #b #bh #c #b #aij #h #a #eia #h #a #eih #aa #b #cde #ad #a #fce #ag #a #eie v #a #b #cje #b #b #cjb #b #c #b #cga #c #b #bgi #e #a #fhj #g #a #bja #h #a #afe #h #a #afa #i #a #afa #b ,,peter4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #d #b #bae #d #a #ffa #d #b #ebc #e #a #bif #aj #b #bi #ac #ad #a #agb #ad #b #bjg #ai #a #ib ii #a #b #cef #d #a #afd #d #a #afg #ai #a #bdj #bb #a #ch iii #d #h #a #ecc #i #b #aif #af #a #ch #a ,,john4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #a #a #dcg #a #a #ddc #a-d #b #eca #g #a #fjb #g #b #dgb #g #a #dgi #i #a #egj #i #b #hf #aj #b #acb ii #a #b #aja #a #b #ii #a #b #a #ehf #b #a #dgg #ab #a #dha #ab #a #ehf #ah #b #fja #ai #a #eeg #ai #b #ahe #ai #b #ahf #bj #a #dhg #bc #a #cab iii #a #b #aba #b #b #bae #b #a #ffa #b #a #ejd #b #b #fja #b #a #chc #h #b #cb #h #a #ci #h #i #b #bh #i #a #big #i #a #bgd #aj #b #ca #aj #a #aff #ae #a #cfc #af #a #dcg #bj #a #egg #bb #b #hd #bb #b #hg #bd #b #bf #bd #a #dhh #bd #a #ebi #bd #b #ahj iv #a #b #aba #a #b #cfb #c #b #efc #aj #a #dgg #aj #b #h #aj #ai #b #ca #aa #b #ca #ac #a #dhh #ah #a #eaf #ai #a #def v #d #a #eaa #d #a #bae #d #ah #a #big #g #h #a #dhe #h #b #dgb #ab #b #e #ab #b #bf #ad #b #ha #ae #b #aci #bj #a #adf #bj #a #abh ,,jude4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page #f #a #afd #f #a #aff #i #a #afg #i #a #aeg #bj #b #hb ,,revelations4 ,chapter4 ,verse4 ,vol ,page i #e #b #dgb #f #a #dec #f #b #eii v #ac #a #fjh vii #ad #a #fjc #ag #a #fdd xiv #ac #a #fab xix #aj #a #aad #aj #a #aei xx #d #b #bjf xxi #bg #b #ejh xxii #h #i #a #aei #h #i #a #aad #ah #b #cee #ai #b #cee ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74 ,footnotes have been moved to follow the chapters in which they are referenced4