An Expo(ttion of the Epifole ~ Mu[culttt carrieth it to this fenf., That becaufe Pall/ did not think them all Sennou godly, tlfat Hieretore he doth ufe a more wary expreflion~; not faymg, ~hefaah xvm. tbat.u iltyou, but the fmth that u amoug)'OIIo Others, That t.he Apo!tlemtended, v-v--..1 only·~n outward 'profeilloc ol fanh, common to carnal Chn!hans; becaufe many wicked men may be (as it is certainde f,tt1o they are, though de jure they lh9uld not) in the Church, yet fo as !\ill it may be faid, apud Ecctrjiam eflfides, it is a-, mongfi them. But beftdes the former Interpreiation given, and that if he lhould mean outwa<d profeflion of faith, by Faith here, fuch a profeilion is like to have been in all and every one. Beftdes, I Anfwer, I. If you confult his !\yle in other Epiltles, he fpeaks of all and'every one of other Ghutchts as having true Grace, as of the Phtlippitms, EvmM Jt u mut for me (faith be~ to thillk of every 011e o(;·o11, Chap.r.7. And it is not meerly an ou~ward·profeffion of Faith he fp.eaks of there, but a petfwafton of a good work of fa.tth,whwh,_God would fulfil to the day ofChri!\. So a~ver. 6.Bti11g co1tjidmto( this ve>:Y £hi1fg.,tf;at he which bath brgmt agoodwork wt/1 perfft1 it; (and nhen follows) evm '!S it ts meet for me to think of yotl all. In 2 Thef!.r. 3· there IS\ yet a more dilhnC{11hrafe to; tbts pur– pofe, We are 6otmd (faith he) to lbmtk God alway-, jor yo11,:Brethrett~ a.s.it is mett, becauje thatyourgracegroweth txcudi"!,ly; afld<t:/Jf ch,,~</0: (l,a.;,,.:., ,;,_ vp.ov) Of every one ofyou all ab01mdeth. 2 . 11> Mtlfftl/flr hi~s. C~incifm fl10uld have place hw;e;yet there may be this account given of IOe\Vll,riar.ion uf his !\yle to the Church of the Ephrjians, That in a fpecial manner Pmll had it revealed to him by the Spirit of Prophecy, of this Church of Ephe(tes, that many,or fome of them at Jea!\i, lhould 'prove unfoimd in the faith, and (o ufeth here a more wary and indefinite phrafe. For look into Al1.2o. 29. in a Speech he made to the Elders of Epheftts, he .faith plainly. I k11vwthis, thatafttrmydeparture, therejhalt mter iT~dmoil$yo·ttgrievotts Wobues,notJpariug thefiock: a((oofyourow11Jetves jhall mm arije, jj;eaki11g perverfe thir1gs, to draw away 'lJifciples after them, And ~. If any would make ufe of this his Interpreta~ion, that therefore the rule for receiving men into Churches, .is~ n0t put upon a judgment of their Holinefs; but ounvard profeflion only. Th'en>let us fee fuch a profeflion of faith in any,fuch as is mentioned here, that hirth love to all the Saints joyned with it, and I affirm they ought to be received. Buc w.hen men are enemies to the Saints,and do make them the men of their batted, thea let them profefs what they will, there is not that Faith which the Apo!\les gave lignsof,for to judge of others by. When men do difcover a Spirit contradictory to the power of Religion,of fuch, or in the like cafes, I may fay ~s Joh11,1 .foh.l.17.How dwellstbe love of God ill him? Truly, fays John, I know not. le is to me, fays be, a contradiction which I know not how to believe; nor would all the charity in John( the beloved Difciple)his heart, have relieved him. Neither was the te!\imony the Apo!\le gives here of thefe Ephejians, and in the fore-cited places, of thofe he writ to, a judgment of meer charity, (fuch as ufeth to be pleaded for) founded upon an outward profelllon,and H!' gratiaru; a knowing nothing to the contrary. For as C,:;lvi11 well obferves upon this place, :~~~;:;~~:~~A~ l1J that begives thanks thus folem11/y afore Godfor their Faith, it was 1101 a/;are moris "." "C< te~imony of cbariiJ, 6f!t of judgmf1Jt. Paidgives thanks here for what was po· ;,~~~rJ~de~, liuve, namely, thm Faah m Chn!\, and love to all the Saints. Such was the )udg· q"d de ;u;, ment the Apo!\les gave of men, and fo grounded. b~bebat Paulus. ~::;~;:';a~m [A1zi Love tmtoall the Saints.] r;oJ,zO.tt!lr. To StJi1Jts.] You fee he mentionetb not love to God, and why? for if there be a love to all S•ints, as Saints, (as if it be to all, it is to them as Saints) they mu(\ needs be fuppofed to love God alfo; as the Apo!\le faith, 1 Job. )·I· He that loveth h1m tbtll begilt, loveth him alfo that is begot/m of him. As on the con· trary, the fame "fob" had faid in the Chapter afore,vtr.2o, If a mall fay he loves God, m;d billet/; his Brother,(that is,any Saint) he u a t~t~r: for he that loveth 11ot his Brother, whom he bathfeen, how can heloveGod wbom he htJth 110tfeen 1 That is, if men do not love them in whom they fee the image of God, certainly they love not God himfclf, whom they fee not; as on the contrary alfo, If they ~o love that image, cenainly they love God. If mens eyes cannot endure the light of a Candle, I will never beheve they would enclurc the light of the Sun. Again,
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