Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v1

to the E P H E S I A N S. 7 written to and fo for him to intend this as on Epifile general, os he infcribed that ~ to theCorimhs to be, which he infcribes not only to the Cori1lthimJS, but adds, Sam. I With a!J that ill every.plact ca!J OIJ thetwme of Jejtts Chrif/our Lord. But~ he not prefixing the Arucle, and alfo the companng tlus wuh that to the ColofjimJS, doth carry it rather that he lhould mean only another. Eptthet, or qualification he dignifies the fame Ephejimts Wtth, fuperadded to that of Samts, and fo his i;tent to be (as in that to theColoJliuns) To the S11mts mtd Faithful th,& are at Ephejies; though, as I faid, to be received and made ufe of by all Saints to the end of the World: . . . . "" &i 11 ts J thus he ordmanly lhles thofe 10 the Churches he wmes to : as the Romans, Chap. r. 7• thofe atJerttfalem, Rom, I 5· z, ) · the Corimhians,. both I Cor. I. z. and alfoz Cor. I. r. A T!!le not to be appropnated to the Chnlhans of thofe firfl times, but common to all that are faved in all after times alfo, as Eph. 4• n. the very naming which, dalheth Morality and Formal ProfeiJ;ort out of Countenance, as light cloth a Glow-worm, as importing a more Divine workmonlhip created, and fome iingula.r thing (as Chrifl's Word is) even ho– linefs in truth, as Paul dtgmfies It 10 thts Eptltle, and ts the ufual appellation of the new Teflament; and we lhould keep up the name that the xeality of true Re– ligion be not ]owned (as it is) by avoiding this Title, which in thefe times is out of ufe ; but 'tis becaufe true hohnefs Js out of falh10n, They are not only called Saints which are in Heaven, but that are on Earth, Pfal. I6. I. fo thefe, whileflliving in Ephefus. At EphefU5 J Of all the Cities of theGmtilu, the mofl generally difTolute and protufe, who banilhedHermodorM, a man of iingular modefly and temperance, meerly for his vertue; making this Law when they did ir? Ltt 110 E hefiifler– matt 6e frugal and temperate among us: Let no one man excel atJother tn vertue; m~clorum(zli•r if he do, let him hegone from ~mo11g U5. . Yet out of thefe, doth God malie '"l"i! mode– Saints : f~ free is Grace, not Callmg accordmg to Works. ~:Jl,~ffi~7. c;;~ mo,dixtmnt, ~p:td nos, fmgi fit, ntm~ unll! ex(tl!at, 'Vtl .fi t:tctU~er;t, abtat: fl!!o. nomint dignos fMiffe qlii @rangulaur.t.vr Ci-:;ts fim f.phefia.. oospran 14 nciavit Hcracbtus &n s Tufonl!fmCtcero: ( .tEJiusRod.ig, Antlq./.4. C. 2$· t:r Si.cab,l. 14 , Again, At Ephe[M, although he faies not, To the Chtsrch ufEphe[M, Saints: aselfewhere, To the Chttrch of Cori11th, Sr1i11ts, I Cor. 1,2. yet he intends it; for the Saints at EphefMwere now a fettled Church when this was written. At firfl indeed at Ephe(m there were but a few, about twelve, called Dilciples, that knew nothing ofthe way ofthe Worlhip ofthe New Teflament, nor fo much as of the Holy Ghofl, .A£fs r 9· I . whom our Apofile laies hands upon, and gathers in– to a body a Church, for fo Chap,2o.x7. they are called, and after that it was that this Epiflle was written to them, who therefore, Chap. 2. of this Epifl. 22, are faid to6e 6uitt togetherfor a11 ha6itatio11 of God through the Spirit a little Tem– ple ( beiides that general univerfal Temple, whereof he faies ( verj: zo, 2 r.) that they were a part in another confideration) as the word [ Alfo J in the 22 Verfe implies, in his writing to the Churches he takesnoticeofnootherbur Saints, for of ji1cb living Stones only lhould this Temple confifi; fo the Corin– thians, 1 Cor.I. 2. Tothe Ghtlrch that is at Corinth, Saints. Yea, I Cor, '4· B· To a!Jthe Churcpu.uf the Saints. That was the. Primitive language, for that was the confluunon of Churches then. He fates not to all the S•ints in Churches, but Ch~rc~~s of the.Saims, as we fay Colledges of Schollars, Houfe of Peers. The Pnmlt!ve confiuutton acknowledged no other Members, and he fpeaks not of the Univerfal Catholick Church,but particular Churches. They generally, when they had a f':'fficient number of Converts in a pla~e, put them in- Etc!tp.,,;,. to a Church fiate, for he fates (;;hurches, and yet fpeaks Catholtckly or Umver- tmiontfidtt" fa~ly of them; All the.Cht~rches, for .of fuch did all then by the Apoflles dire- ;;;::;;;:if, thon~ coniift, ~rom wh1ch rule thefe tunes, how have they fwerv'd, not only m impios& ;,;,. prachce, bur m Judgement? But let us take heed left whilft we make the d,tos, """ .. Church II_lOre Catholick, and take in all that will profefs Chrift, we leave out;;;,;";:~~:[:Hofy whtch is a nei:eflary Attribute to Church. Be0armi1J hath even in this •dmlfJ.s r.xd•· pomt a Speech which made me wonder to hear from him, ' The Church ( faies dmt. Bell./.9, he) 'in her intention gathers only true Believers, and if lhc knew who were ~.' ,E:.'·MII• wicked

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=