,. ~ :1..Tim.s. 1].&3-Jt· . U n£xpojition "Vpon v .. :~t muLl conrcnt O\l~ (Ciuts,·'! Al£0 r.hc k..,,.;.fh: (A r~Hgion \\'~ tnuanot rcgJrd,for rhcyrc:icCt the I . d~\ri~le of the- Apofclcs. AnJ the religion of 1 thc.P~ifts we muU renounce-, b(!c:mfe it i:s1~ot 1 1 ofthe ApoHles tta'h~ng, but ha.djr bcginni~1g I by l~ttlc and l1ttlc long aft~r tht~r times~ Ifthis 1 (OilHllandemcm INtrc \"arr:ry kcpt,vfhich is bid 1 vn thisChutch,. menwould n~t be of f"on'l'lny jtdlgions: '"'lt all would be of one religion, 1clcouing fat\to th~ dochino of the Apofil<s; 1:mrl contcming thcmCclucs "''hhir,.,.,.hich is the ; true rule for reform:~tion flf life, and the right I Y,'JY to actaiuc f31-u:niml. · Lallly,h~nisam!canddircfl:ioll for thofc whi'"h wm be ofno rcJi;gi.on,btcaufc ofthe dr1 ucr~j.tic of opinions &Ol.o•ching tht fame. They B t-:m1fi hauc rc£ourfe w 1he dotl.rinc of the: A– pofitcs~nd ~onttntthcnJ!Ciucs thc:rcwi·th~lo- ~ thi:ng fcg;ndi-Flg new doCtrines, be tl~cy nc:uer ; IQ glorious·. Till I cume. Here- Chri!l: fhew~thhow long tile doclrinc of the Apo!Hcsmufl be held fall: namely, not for aJl1ort tlroc,but tiil his fecond \70tnn~ng to iudgcment. Whereby v"e ltarnC, that it is the dutie ofGods.Chcrd>to prefcrue and maintainc the puritic oftrue rcligioJ!I vtl'lto the ~ndofthe wm·ld.This i-s no final tnatrr:but a mofl: needfull dut'ic cnioyncd vnto vs by tf>e– '"iall c~mmautJdcmcnt_, :1.nd withal! a maner 0f great confcqucnce: for the puritic of rcligiotl i>the found:tion ood :Jurkc of the Church, & the right way to dhettm·tns foulcs to ctcr– l1:1.1llifc,Forthis caufc PaHl cb:uge.thTimotbie, C .a. To k..;ep~ tbc ttue p11ttcrne of~Jr~holefom~ words tfHd focantiiiHein.tiJtJhingJ which. bee had lear– ned. And in regard of this dutic,the Clmr'h is called, Tk< p;!/,rr and gr.•nd of truth. And Chti!l lor •l1is caufc gaue to his Church both P'afiors :~nO Teachers; PaO:ors to inHruC.t i11 rightcouftldfe, for the mai·ntf!Uncc of pn– ritie in rn:lllt1Crs ·: and Teacthe-rs to main– taine the puritic of dc-Clr)ne in foundndfe of i.udgcin~m. Th~t thcu:forc mu!\: admonifil vs, that we ha~e care t10t ond}' tO Jcarnc religiOn j.n our ownc perfons. b-ut alfc c.o conucy the fame to :1.gcs foJiowing,.that t-he pttritie thereof •ll.3)' be prcf<uu:d to t~H: ttoma1ing of Chrift. This dutie efpecia-lly conccrnes the prtaG:hers ofthe Golj,cl,thcy fl1ould tea<h the uutb, <Uld D ~~pfutc errour, and lleat down falfe doChins, whicb poyfon the truth of God.lfin the nigllt fcafon a m3n fct vp a falfe light i1>1 the ha– \!Cil,. all ~he f11ips that arc comming to land at;c in de.1gcr offhip..,,•ra-<1u·. So in Gods Church, ifthe brightli.ght ofpure r~ligion be not kt vp andaduanccd, the foulcsofmcn art €3H into 1hc gnlfc of hell. The W:IOt oLc3re in perfor– ming th"1s '-hnic,is the caufc whyGod fends he– retics and J~ponalies into his Church. Thus came: in the .Apo!bile ofAntichl"i!l, 1, Thcff.2 . ·l"Q.• r I. Bccmifi:m~n lolled 110t thf trmh. And fo no-doubt wil thr Lm·d dealc with vs,if \-"':'C hauc nor c-:tre to mair~taiDt the puritie ofJ\pofioli~al I d~0rinc. · v:26. For he that ouercom– meth andkeepethmy l!ior '<f 'lJrJ; tQ the end,to him llizfl 1 giuepo~ llier ouer nations. 'i7.rdndhejhallrule them ~ith arod of yron, and as the 'Ve!Jellsofa potterjhall theybe broken, zS.Eueuas 'f receif4ed ofm.J F11ther,jo "~Pill I giue him the morning jlarre. 29. Let bim tha~ bath an edre heare llihat theSpiriijaith '»nto the [hurches. , Here is tho conci"Goncfthis Epitlle,which comaintth twoparts: Firll, a promifC,verC26. 2 7· :8. Stcond-ly 7 a conun:lndemem,vcrf. 29. Jn the promife note two things : thepanics te whom it is made; and the bcndlt promifcd. The parti-es to whomc, 11re nuryon~ thatoller– commcth;·\'\'llom Chrifidcfcrib~th by~ proper... t-ic ofhn,erc obedicnn, To ~tpthi4 work.p vn• toth~mdt. · Herr then weh:tue adefcription oftrt~tebedicn,c.Firft,thc forme thereof confiHeth ino6f..,.Hing tl" workp •f Chrift: which wee mufl notvnder!land, of doing them a(cordingto the rigor ofthelaw,.but ofa pmpofc & endea– uourtokecpc thc-m.For this isa priuilcdge be. longing toalf dl:u :rrc in Chrifi, th3t Go41ac– cepttth their W!lsand.ind~auors ofob"cdicnce, for peifcft obedience it fcltc. This wee mull know and hold for truth, for tn~ny home but littleknowledge, and !hercup-o~1arc.driucn to ddpairc:yetthcy m~lil know for their <omJE>rr, that ifthey hauc c~re toget more kno\'vledge, :md make confdr:nce- to obey that whichthcy knowc,thcn theyarc keepers of tbcwor.kcs of Chrifl,,ndlhall haue the reward promifed. Scco!ldly,obodiencc is here dcfnibed by the obicC!·or matter thereof, to wit,tht- work_~s of Chrift: that is, all fucb workes as Chrifl hath ord~ined in his word, :Jnd rhofe wl1erd:lhe is the author by his fpint in his rm:mb~rs. Hereby we learnc: firfl, that he that V..·ill O– bey God in ChrdlleftiS, mull notthinkc his owne 1 thoughts, tpeake his ownc words·,. nor dol! hi5;o'whc deeds; but he nmH thinl<,ij)cake, and doe •hat w\1ieh Chri!l would haue him.Se– condly~·tbac no '.'.'Orkc is,'or canbe accept:lble to Chril\, but that which .is ordained-by bin•. lf<J' coUJplaineth of them that woYid tuch (he feare cf Godby"mms commaHndunt:ilts : fo that vnf. >6. Thtvfr.
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