5. They were offended at him because of his bitter and fhameful Crofs and fufferings; and herein lay the heighth, and depth of that offence for which the World and worldly Church look at Christ. For the Ecclefiaftical Power condemned him as a deceiver, and blafphemer, and they alfo prevailed with the fecular Power to condemn him as a Seditious Perfon, an Enemy to Cæfar, and a Rebel; and fo after all the works of God which he had done, and works of God which he taught, they at laft crucified him between two Thieves by the common confent of all the People, and deftroyed the Son of God, as if he had been the Son of Perdition: And in all this bitter fuffering no Body afforded him the leaft pitty or compaffion, but the common People mocked him, and faid, he faved others but cannot fave himself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the Crofs.

And this ufage Chrift complains of to his Father, Pfalm. 22, 6. where he faith, that he by his Cries had no deliverance, which yet Others who had trufted in God obtained, but (faith he) I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and defpifed of the People; all they that fee me laugh me to fcorn; they Shout out the lip, they shake the head, Jaying, he trufted in God, that he would deliver bim, let him deliver him if he delight in him. And Ifaiah faith, that by reason of this ftrange fuffering of Chrift, many were astonished at him, his vifage was marr'd more than any man's, and his face more than the Sons of men; and through this fuffering of Chrift, all the World were fo extreamly offended, that Chrift crucified was to the Fems a ftumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness.

And thus was and is the World and worldly Church offended at the true Chrift, whom the Scriptures hold forth. Indeed the falfe Church have fancied to themfelves fuch a Chrift as flesh and blood can like of well enough, a Christ, fashioned after the mind and will, and Wisdom,

Wisdom, and Prudence, and Righteousness of man, and fuch a Chrift they extol and magnifie, to wit for their own worldly advantage fake, as the Papifts have fancied the poor Virgin his Mother, who kept Jofephs Houfe, and provided his diet, and laid her Hands to the performance of his ordinary household affairs, to be a gallant Lady, and have clothed her in Silk, and Sattin, and rich attire; and fuch a Mother of Chrift they do highly esteem; whereas the poor Virgin, the true believer, who lived in the plain and laborious imployment of a Family, they would even fcorn to regard fuch an one: No more will the carnal Church regard or value the true Christ in his mean condition and marred Világe.

And thus much for their Offence at Chrift himself. 2. The World and Worldly Church are offended at Chrift's true Word:

Becaufe Chrift under the New Teftament, hath given forth a New Word, which is the Word of the Gofpel; and this alfo they are offended at, in many regards; as,

1. Because it is the word of Faith; the word of Faith, and not of Sense; the Word of Faith, and not of Works. For this Word of Faith is wholly a fpiritual Word, and hath nothing in it that is fuitable to flesh and blood; Nothing in it, that pleafeth the Fancy, or Reafon, or Understanding of man; it hath nothing in it wherein a natural or carnal heart can take pleafure, but is throughout a Word of Faith,

2. They are offended at the New word of the New Teftament, because it exalts Chrift alone, & in him the Power of God, the Wisdom and Righteoufnefs of God, the Things of God; and cries down all the Things of the World in which men truft and delight, and all the common Religion and Righteoufnefs of the World, and makes Chrift all in all, and God in Chrift, and all other things nothing. So Paul 1 Cor. 1, preached to them

1

that

that did believe, Chrift the Power of God, and Chrift the Wisdom of God, and nothing elfe.

3. They are offended at this Word, because it cannoɛ be learned as humane Arts and Sciences can, to wit by the teaching of Man, together with their own pains and endeavours, but only by the teaching of God and his Spirit, as it is written, they (that is, the true Children of the fpiritual Church) fhall be all taught of God; be therefore that hath beard and learned of my Father, cometh to me. All my divinity, (faid Luther) confifteth in this, that I believe that Chrift only is the Lord touching whom the Scriptures fpeak, and neither my Grammar nor Hebrew tongue taught me this, but it is the work of the holy Spirit.

Now when God teacheth us his word Himfelf, we have another understanding of it than other men who hear and read the fame outward words, and yet want that inward Teaching; for then have we the fpiritual meaning of the Word, and the very mind of Chrift in it, which others want, that are not fo taught; and this offends the carnal Chriftians grievoufly, that the fpiritual Chriftians have another knowledge and understanding of the Word than they; whereupon they thus break out, what (fay they) are you the only men who have the word of God, and is all wifdom and knowledge comprehended in your breafts? and do you know more of the Mystery of Chrift than the grave and learned men who have ftudied the Scriptures all their life? and will you with your pretended teaching overthrow that Orthodox fenfe of the Scriptures that we have had fo many years? and thus they are greatly offended.

4. They are offended at this word, because it difcovers the wickedness of the world and worldly Church at a very high rate. The world doth not feem the thoufand part fo wicked any where, as it doth where the Gofpel comes. For where this clear light of God

fhines,

fhines, and the word comes in any degree of truth and Power, there not only the wickednefs of the world appears out of measure wicked, but alfo the Religion, and Righteoufnefs, and Works, and Duties of the carnal Chriftians, are manifefted to be grofs hypocrifie, and the deceivableness of unrighteoufness, and wholly contrary to Chrift, the righteoufnefs of God, and fo nothing else but a more plaufible way to Death and Hell.

Where the Word of Chrift, or the Gospel of God comes in Power, there many who before feemed very godly and Religious People, and very good Chriftians, and very quiet and peaceable men, do prefently become full of wrath, and rage, and curfed enmity against it, and call it Error, and Herefie, and Blafphemy, and fo do no less than fpit in the very face of the Truth and Gospel of Chrift, which he hath manifefted above all his name: And no man could ever have imagined they had been fuch Children of the Devil, before the word came.

And thus by the coming of the Word in the spiritual Senfe and Doctrine of it, many that did once feem to be Chrift's Friends, are manifefted to be his utter Enemies. And this alfo was foretold by Simeon, Luke 2. Where he faith, that by the coming of Chrift in his word, the thoughts of many hearts fhall be revealed, and then that unbelief and enmity against Christ, that before lay hid, is difcovered and brought forth by the Preaching of the Word, as we have feen heretofore, and still fee by daily experience; and for this Caufe also they are offended.

5. They are offended at the true Word, because every where fo few entertain it, and embrace it: As when Chrift himself preached, there were very few in all Judea and Jerufalem that entertained his Doctrine; and though fometimes many thronged to hear him,

yer

yet at another time they were fo offended at his Doctrine, that they all forfook him; fo that Chrift faid to the twelve, John. 6. Will ye alfo go away?

Now this makes many to be offended at the true Word, that when it comes to any Town or People, the far greater part fhould reject it, and fpeak evil of it; and they for the most part, the greatest, wifeft, and learnedft men, and that only a few poor and contemptible People should receive it; this alfo exceedingly offends.

6. And lastly, they are offended, because the true Word of Chrift, where it comes in any evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, brings Troubles, Tumults, Stirs, and Uproars in the World, according to that of Chrift, Mat. 10, 34. I came not to fend peace but a fword; for I am come to fet a man at variance against his Father, and the Daughter against her Mother, and the Daughterin-law against her Mother-in-law. For the true word of Chrift, is fuch a fword as cuts in funder all Natural and Civil Relations, and takes away the Peace of any Place where it comes in Power. Chrift faith alfo, Luke 12, 49. I am come to fend fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled? This fire that Chrift fends in the word, in the miniftration of the Spirit, of which the Lord faith by the Prophet, is not my word as five? and this word comes to burn up all the corrupt Manners, Fashions, Customs, yea all the Lufts and Sins of the World, and all the Antichriftian Doctrine, and form of worship in the outward Church. And when this fire begins to burn any where, prefently all the People are in an uproar, and lay all their heads, and ufe all their hands together to quench it.

So that where-ever the true Word comes, the Heathen rage, and the People imagine a vain thing; the Kings of the earth fet themselves, and the Rulers take councel together against it, and fay: Let us break these bonds in funder, and caft away thefe cords from us, which no flesh and blood,

especially