saluation And the principall grounds of assurance which are there laid downe may be reduced to three heads The first is this He that hath communion or fellowship with God in Christ may be vndoubtedly assured of his saluation This conclusion is propounded Chap. 1. v. 3 4. Where the Apostle tels the Church that the end of the preaching of the Gospell vnto them was that they might haue fellowship not onely mutually among themselues but also with God the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ. And further that hauing both knowledge assurance of this heauenly communion to be begun in this life and perfected in the life to come their ioy might be full that is they might thence reape matter of true ioy and sound comfort vnto their soules and consciences Now whereas it might be haply demaūded by some beleeuers how they should come to this assurance S. Iohn answeres in this Epistle that the certainty therof may be gathered by foure infallible notes The first is Remission of sinnes For though God be in himselfe most holy and pure and no mortall man being vncleane and polluted by sinne can haue fellowship with him yet God hath shewed his mercy to those that beleeue in him and hath accepted of the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne whereby they are clensed from all their corruptions v. 7. If here it be asked how this pardon and forgiuenes may be knowne It is answered by two signes One is Hūble and heartie Confession of our sins vnto god for so saith the Apostle If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all iniquitie v. 9. The other is the pacified Conscience for being iustified by faith we haue peace with God and If our heart condemne vs not that is if our conscience in respect of sinne doth not accuse vs then haue we boldnesse towards God Chap. 3. v. 21. The second note of fellowship with God is the sanctifying Spirit wherby we are renewed in holines righteousnes Hereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs Chap. 3. v. 24. The third is holinesse and vprightnes of heart and life To this end the Apostle saith If we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenes we lie and doe not truly but if we walke in the light as he is in the light we haue fellowship one with an other c. Chap. 1. 6 7. The fourth is perseuerance in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospel So the same Apostle exhorteth the Church Let therefore abide in you that same doctrine concerning Christ which ye haue heard from the beginning If that which ye haue heard from the beginning remaine in you that is if ye beleeue and obey it you also shall continue in the same and in the father Chap. 2. 24. The second Ground He that is the adopted sonne of God shall vndoubtedly be saued This point the Apostle plainly declareth when he saith Be loued now are we the sonnes of God And we knowe that is we are vndoubtedly assured by faith that when Christ shall appeare in glory we shal be like vnto him for wee shall see him as he is That the latter part of these words is thus to be expounded I gather out of Chap. 2. 28. as also by comparing this text with that of S. Paul where he saith When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie And againe If we be sonnes we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Nowe put the case that the conscience of the beleeuer will not rest in this but desires to be further resolued touching the certaintie of his adoption Then I answer that he must haue recourse vnto the signes wherby a sonne of God may be discerned from a child of the deuill and these are principally three First is truly to beleeue in the name of the sonne of God for those that haue God for their father are made the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And this faith snewes it selfe by obedience For hereby we are sure that we knowe Christ that is that we beleeue in him and apply him with all his benefits vnto our soules If we keepe his commandemēts Nay further He that saies I know him and keepes not his commandements is a liar and the trueth is not in him chap. 2 3 4. The second signe is a heartie desire and earnest in deauour to be cleansed of his corruptions Euery sonne of God that hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as Christ is pure chap. 3. vers 3. The third is the loue of a Christian because he is a Christian for hereby saies the Apostle are the children of God knowne from the children of the deuill because the sonnes of Satan doe hate their brethren as Cain did his brother Abel euen for the good workes which they doe On the other side Gods adopted sonnes may hereby know themselues to be translated from death to life because they loue the brethren Chap. 3. 10 11 12 c. The third Ground They that are assured of the loue of God to them in particular may also be certainly assured of their owne saluation This doctrine follows necessarily vpon the Apostles words chap. 4. v. 9. For those whome God hath loued from all eternitie to them he hath manifested his loue by sending his onely begotten Sonne into the world that they might liue through him eternally But how may a man be assured of Gods speciall loue and fauour The same Apostle answers by two notes The first is the loue of our brethren and that according to Gods commandement wherein it is commanded that he that loues God should loue his brother also 4. 21. And if any man say I loue God and hate his brother he is a liar For how can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene 4. 20. Now that a man deceiue not himselfe in the loue of his brother Saint Iohn giues three rules One that Christian brotherly loue should not be for outward respects or considerations but principally because they are the sonnes of God and members of Christ Euery one that loueth him which did beget that is God the father loueth him also which is begotten of him 5. 1. Another is that it must not be outward in shew onely but inward in the heart Let vs not loue in word or in tongue onely but in deede and in truth 3. 18. Lastly that it be not onely in time of prosperitie but when hee stands in most neede of our loue For whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp the bowels of cōpassiō from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 3. 17. The second note
is a good beginning of true conuersion and repentance I thought saith Dauid I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne And to this is added Selah which is not onely a musicall note but as some thinke a note of obseruation to mooue vs to marke the things that are set downe as beeing of speciall weight and moment And surely this is a matter of great consequence that vpon the very vnfained purpose of confession of sinne God should giue a pardon thereof Take a further proofe of this in the prodigall sonne whome I take not for one that was neuer called or turned to God though some doe so and seeme to haue warrant for their opinionâ— but rather for him that is the Child of God and afterward fals away Now this man beeing brought by some outward crosses and afflictions to see his owne miserie purposeth with himselfe to returne to his father againe and to humble himselfe and confesse his iniquitie and vpoÌ„ this very purpose wheÌ„ he had said I will goe to my father and say vnto him father I haue sinned c. at his returne a farre off his father receiues him as his child againe and after acceptation followes his confession The like is to be seene in Dauid who beeing reprooued by the Prophet Nathan for his sinnes of adulterie and murther presently made confession of them and at the very same time receiued by the prophet sentence of absolution euen from the Lord himâ—elfe wherein he could not erre The fourth Ground To loue any man because he is a Christian and a child of God is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true loue of God in Christ. Hereby saith S. Iohn we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Loue here is not a cause but onely a signe of gods loue to vs. And our sauiour Christ saith He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Nowe that we be not deceiued in these grounds it must be remembred that these beginnings of grace be they neuer so weak must not be â—littering and fleeting but constant and setled not stopped or staied in the way but such as daily growe and increase and then they are indeed accepted of God And he that can finde these beginnings or any of them truly in himselfe he may assure himselfe thereby that he is the child of God Sect. 5. Hauing thus laid downe the Groundes of comfort I come now to the Way by which the party in distresse may be brought within the compasse of the promise of saluation This way standes in two things in making Triall and in Applying the promise First then Triall must be made whether the person distressed haue in him as yet any of the forenamed grouÌ„ds of grace or not This triall may be made by him that is the comforter in the moouing of certaine Questions to the said person And first let him aske whether he beleeue and repent The distressed partie answers no he cannot repent nor beleeue Then he must further aske whether he desire to beleeue and repent to this he will answer he doth desire it with all his heart in the same sort is he to make triall of the other groundes When a man is in the fitte of tentation he will say resolutely he is sure to be damned Aske him in this fitte of his loue to God he will giue answer he hath none at all but aske him further whether he loue a man because he is a Christian and a child of God then will he say he doth indeed Thus after triall made in this manner some beginnings of faith and repentance will appeare which at the first lay hid For God vseth out of the time of prosperitie by and in distresse and affliction to work his grace The second point followeth After that by triall some of the foresaid beginnings of grace be found out then comes the right Applying of the promise of life euerlasting to the partie distressed And that is done by a kind of reasoning the first part whereof is taken from Gods word the second from the testimonie of the distressed conscience the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner He that hath an vnfainod desire to repent and beleeue hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ. Therefore remission of sins and life euerlasting is thine And here remember that it is most conuenient this Application be made by the Minister of the Gospell who in it must vse his ministeriall authority giuen him of God to pronounce the pardon For in distresse it is as hard a thing to make the conscience yeild to the promise as to make fire and water agree For though men haue signes of grace and mercie in them yet will they not acknowledge it by reason of the extremitie of their distresse In this manner vpon any of the former grounds may the troubled and perplexed soule be assured that mercie belongs to it And this I take to be the onely generall and right way of comforting a distressed conscience Nowe that the promise thus applyed may haue good successe these sixerules must necessarily be obserued I. One is that the comfort which is ministred be alaied with some mixture of the Law that is to say the promise alone must not be applyed but withall mention is to be made of the sinnes of the partie and of the grieuous punishmeÌ„ts due vnto him for the same The reason is because there is much guile in the hart of man in so much as oftentimes it falleth out that men not throughly humbled beeing comforted either too soone or too much doe afterward become the worst of all In this respect not vnlike to the yron which beeing cast into the fire vehemently hot and cooled againe is much more hard then it would haue bin if the heate had bin moderate And hence it is that in the ministring of comfort we must somewhat keepe them downe and bring them on by litle and litle to repentance The sweetenesse of comfort is the greater if it be delaied with some â—artnesse of the Law II. An other rule is this If the distressed partie be much possessed with griefe of himselfe he must not be left alone but alwaies attended with good companie For it is an vsuall practise of the Deuill to take the vantage of the place and time when a man is solitarie and depriued of that helpe which otherwise he might haue in societie with others Thus he tempted Eue when shee was apart from her husband And in this regard Salomon pronounces a woe to him that is alone But herein doth his malice most appeare in that he is alway readiest when a man is in great distresse and withall solitarie then vpon the
they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men and women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds them off and suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must from these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the ende To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they finde no ende of their afflictions but that they doe continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releeue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Now it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prov. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyfull and comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord wil deliuer him out of them all Psal. 37. 73. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauie in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort comparable to those eternall ioyes that God hath prepared for them that loue him This was Pauls meditation who indured the crosse euen to his dying day Our light affliction saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternall waight of glorie And else where he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Rom. 8. 18. Saint Peter tells them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioyce though now for a season they were in heauines through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the Author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God withholdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot separate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde arising of outward afflictions Sect. 3. The Second particular distres is bodily and temporarie Death which consisteth in the separation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helps in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may applie my heart vnto wisdome In which places is remembred a notable dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and before-hand number his daies This is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must endeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to know in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time will come when we all must encounter with this strong powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power and might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these means are the duties of humiliation inuocation and true repentance We must therefore humble our selues before God be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweet certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our mindes may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of new obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequently euen in death to prèuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen before-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happines in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
and iudgements of men vpon the place written Iudg. 11. And my purpose is not to examine that which others haue brought in way of resolution but briefly to deliuer that which I take to be the truth I answer therefore that Iephte did not offer his Daughter in Sacrifice vpon his vowe but onely dedicated her vnto God after the manner of the Nazarites to the ende of her daies to lead her life apart in a single estate The truth of this answer will appeare by these reasons First in the 37. verse of the chapter the daughter of Iephte craues leaue of her father to goe apart into the mountaines for two moneths space to bewaile her virginitie Where it may be obserued that she went not to deplore the losse of her life but her future estate and condition because shee was vpoÌ„ her fathers vow to liue a perpetuall single life And why surely because as the text saith vers 39. she had not knowne a man it was accounted a curse in Iudea for a woman alwaies to liue vnmarried Secondly in the last verse it is said in our common English translation that the daughters of Israel went yeare by yeare to lament the daughter of Iephte But I take it it may be as well or better translated out of the Hebrue they went to talke or conferre with her and so to comfort her and that this interpretation may not seeme strange the very same word is obserued in this sense Iudg. 5. 11. there shall they talke or conferre of the righteousnesse of the Lord. Now if they went yeare by yeare to comfort her then shee was not put to death Thirdly Iephte is commended by the holy Ghost for the excellencie of his faith Heb. 11. 32. and that out of the same historie Now the commendation of his faith and the vnnaturall murther of his daughter cannot stand together But it will be said that Iephte vowed that whatsoeuer came out of his dores to meete him should be the Lords he would offer it for a burnt offring v. 31. Ans. The words may more truly be read thus or I will offer it in sacrifice And the meaning of the vowe was this That thing which first meeteth me if it be a thing to be sacrificed I will sacrifice it if not I will dedicate it to the Lord. For it seems to consist of two parts wherof the latter is coupled to the former by a discretiue coniunctioÌ„ as the GraÌ„marians speake In this manner the word is els where taken so as it may either way be expounded In the fourth commandement Exod. 20. 10. in our common translation it is read thou and thy sonne and thy daughter but out of the Ebrwe it may be translated either and or or It will be said againe that Iephte rent his cloathes because his daughter mette him when he returned from the victorie Ans. That was in regard of her vowed virginitie which was a curse among the Iewes And besides he had but one daughter and by this meanes of sacrifâ—ing her all hope of posteritie after him was cut off But it seemes that Monasticall vowes of virginitie by this example are lawfull Ans. Indeed the custome of vowing virginitie beganne in those dayes but they thought it not a state of perfection but rather an estate of miserie as may appeare in that he rent his cloaths when she mette him and the daughters of Israel went to comfort her as being now in a woefull and miserable estate Vpon these Reasons I conclude that Iephte did not offer vp his daughter in sacrifice but onely set her apart to liue a single life to the honour and seruice of God And Iephte might knowe euen by the light of nature that it was a finne to vow hâ—… daughters death and a double sinne to kill her IV. Question Whether Monasticall or Monkish vowes binde or no To this the Papists answer affirmatiuely placing the greatest part of their Religion in practise and observance of these vowes That we may know them the better they are in number three The first is the vowe of continency whereby a man renounceth Mariage for euer and voweth vnto God perpetuall virginitie The second of Voluntarie Povertie which is when a man giueth ouer all propertie of his goods and bindes himselfe to liue by begging The third is of Regular obedience when a man resignes himselfe in conscience to be ruled by another and to keepe some deuised order in all actions and duties pertaining to religion Now the Question beeing whether these vowes binde or no I answer in a word they doe not and that for these reasons I. First they are flat against the law of God which I make manifest in the particulars The vowe of perpetuall chastitie is expressely against Gods commandement 1. Cor. 7. 9. If they cannot abstaine let them marry for it is better to marrie then to burne To this text the Papists answer three waies First they say that this place of scripture is onely a diuine permission and not a commandement we reply againe directly that it is a plaine commandement For the intent of the Holy Ghost in that text and in the whole Chapter is to ordaine a necessarie remedie for incontinencie which Paul calls burning and for the auoiding of fornication which brings destructioÌ„ to the soule And for that purpose he speaks not in permitting maÌ„ner but in imperatiue tearmes Let theÌ„ marry Secondly they answer that the words concerne onely incontinent persons that commit fornication We on the other side affirme that they are not only giuen to them that liue incontinently but to all persons which are subiect to burning which burning may be without incontinencie For the better vnderstanding whereof let it be considered that there be three distinct degrees of lust in man The first is when the temptatioÌ„ is first receiued into the mind The secoÌ„d when the same temptation preuaileth though with some resistaÌ„ce trouble of the minde conscience which also though no outward offence as yet follow is a degree of burning The third is wheÌ„ the temptation so far preuaileth that the heart will are overcome and the duties of religion for the time vtterly hindred This is the highest and worst kind of burning And if we consider these degrees well it will easily appeare that there may be burning without incontinent liuing Thirdly they answere that this text speaketh not of persons that are free but of those alone who are bound from Mariage by solemne vow we contrariwise affirme and hold that the words are generall and plainly directed to all persons bound by vowe or otherwise and that appeares by vers â—…5 where he saies I speake not this to tangle you in a snare These words doe shewe that Pauls mind was touching the vow of perpetuall virginitie For he leaues euery man according to Gods ordinance to his owne libertie willing none by vowe to binde himselfe from the vse thereof Now for the vow of Regular
be releeued pietie and deuotion more practised the kingdome of Sinne Satan and Antichrist weakened and impayred and the contrarie kingdome of Christ Iesus more and more established What the Author Contriuer of the Discourse ensuing hath done in this behalfe it is euident by the whole course of his writings that he hath left behinde him all which as they doe openly shew vnto the world howe great a measure of knowledge and vnderstanding with other endowments both of nature and grace the Lord had inriched him withall so they doe carrie with them the sweet sauour of pietie and sanctification wherwith he approoued his heart vnto God and his life vnto men Wherein also vpon occasion he hath propounded and explained sundry notable rules of direction and resolution of the Conscience as wil appeare to the view of the learned well-advised Reader To let passe all the rest this present Treatise giueth very sufficient testimonie of his knowledge and dexteritie in that kinde which could not be attained vnto without great paines much obseruation and long experience A labour which commendeth it selfe to the Church of God in two respects principally One because his grounds and principles are drawne either directly or by iust consequence out of the written Word and so are of greater force to convince the conscience and to giue satisfaction to the mind either doubting or distressed The other for that it is deliuered with such perspicuitie and disposed in such order and Methode as fitteth best for the vnderstanding and memory of any whosoeuer shall peruse it Now this whole Treatise of the Questiōs I haue made bold to present vnto your Lordsh and to publish abroad vnder your protection First because God who vouchsafeth speciall fauour to them that honour him hath adorned your estate with Honour your person inwardly with many rich graces of his Spirit and outwardly with the profession and practise of true Religion a thing directly confirmed by your vnfained loue of the truth and continuall fauours to the Teachers of the same the Ministers and Dispensers of the Gospel Secondly because as the Author of these Cases was himselfe in many respects bound vnto your Hon. while he liued so his wife and children for his sake haue receiued much kindnes at your hands since his death a manifest proofe of the truth synceritie of your affection towards him in the Lord. And in the last place it was my desire by setting them forth vnder your name to giue some testimonie of dutie to your Hon. presuming that as you loued the Author so you will be pleased to patronize the Worke and fauourably to interpret of the paines and good intention of the publisher And thus crauing pardon for my boldnes I humbly take my leaue and commend your Lordsh to the grace fauour of God in Christ. From Emanuel Colledge in Cambr. Novemb. 20. 1606. Your Hon. in all dutie to be commanded Tho. Pickering To the godly and well-affected Reader whosoeuer I Doe now at the length offer vnto thy view Christian Reader the whole Treatise of Case-divinitie so farre as the Author proceeded in the deliuerie thereof before his death If thou hast bin longer held in expectation thereof then either thy selfe desiredst or was meete I must intreat thy fauourable interpretation of my forbearance partly in regard of many priuate distractions and sundrie occurrents wherewith I was detained from this dutie and partly also in respect of my desire to publish it in such sort to thy contentment that it might afterward require no further filing or forbishing by secondarie Corrections Wherein notwithstanding mine endeauour to the contrarie my hope hath beene in part preiudiced by reason of some faults escaped in the Printing through want of carefull attendance on the Presse in my necessarie absence The principall I haue noted in a Table before the first Booke and the other of lesser moment I commend to thy priuate pardon Touching the Treatise it selfe I haue dealt as faithfully as I could keeping close to the Preachers owne wordes without any materiall addition detraction or amplification His Methode remaines the same in the bodie of the discourse not admitting the least alteration Onely it was thought conuenient to distinguish it into Bookes according to the severall distinct parts the Bookes into Chapters the Chapters that were most capable of diuision into Sections and my meaning therein was to helpe the memorie of the Reader and to avoid tediousnes the daughter of longsome discourses Now if in the perusing thou either find any thing amisse or thy selfe haply not fully satisfied in particular then remember what is the Lot of learned mens workes which are Scripta posthuma wherof these latter times haue yeelded many examples to be left after a sort naked and imperfect when the Authors themselues are gone who might haue brought them to perfection Consider againe that in regard of the weight of this worthy Argument it were much better kindely thankfully to accept and inioy these labours howsoeuer imparted then by their suppressing to be wholly depriued of such a benefite And withall rest with me in hope that as himselfe hath first traced the way and walked by the bankes of this maine Sea so others vpon this occasion will be incouraged to attempt the like course or at least to enlarge this worke by addition of more particulars Meane while not doubting of thy Christian acceptance of my paines for thy good I commend them to thy loue thy selfe vnto God and the word of his grace Eman. Coll. Novemb. 20. 1606. Thine in Christ Iesus Tho. P. A TABLE OF THE Summe or Contents of the whole Treatise both for Heades and Number of the Questions The first Booke The Preface touching the ground and order of the Treatise Pag. 1. CHAP. I. Of Confession and the degrees of Goodnesse CHAP. II. Of the nature and differences of Sinne. CHAP. III. Of the subiection and power of Conscience CHAP. IV. Of the distinction of Questions or Cases CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man simply considered viz. What a man must doe that he may come into Gods fauour and be saued 50 Concerning Humiliation 1. What if a man humbling himselfe cannot call to minde all or the most of his sinnes 56 2. What the man must doe who finds himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit c. 57 3. Whether he that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for the offence of God by his sinne doth truly humble himselfe 58 Concerning Faith 1. How a man may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto himselfe 60 2. When doth a man beginne to beleeue in Christ 61 Concerning New-Obedience 1. How may a man frame his life to liue in New-Obedience 65 2. How may a man doe a good worke 67 CHAP. VI. Of the Second maine Question viz. How a man may be in Conscience assured of his owne saluation CHAP. VII Of the Third maine Question viz. How a man beeing
127 7 18 21  19 166. 184  1 27  30 74  16 75  28 130. 124  26 286. 277 1 20 204 11 15 95 12 3 480 13 12 417  10 ibid. 14 15 450  23 46  vlt. 70 16 26 95  5 541 13 14 581 1. Cor.   2 15 619 3 18 291 5  324 6 7 30  18 494 7 9 412  27 413  30 530 8 vlt. 69 9 27 427 11 26 340. 337 13 5 496 15 31 389 2. Cor.   1 23 384. 4 17 362 7 9 99 Galat.   3 26 82 4 10 449 5 1 414  12 272 Ephes.   4 26 510 5 18 553  29 419 6 18 282 5 16 479 Philip.   1 10 531 4 8 634. 481  12 531  5 497 Coloss.   1 26 95 2 16 414 3 16 296 1. Thess.   4 11 481 5 17 282  20 294  23 186 2. Thessal   7 8 227 1. Tim.   1 1 19 2 4 94  15 362 4 8 404  5 544  22 32 5 12 420  24 33  19 622  21 389  23 537 6 8 564  9 524  17 18 19 615 2. Tim.   2 19 85 4 14 273 Titus   1 15 544 Hebr.   3 11 383 5 7 288 12 11 126 Iames.   1 15 38  19 291 〈◊〉 2 362  10 64  1 624 5 16 5 1. Peter   2 1 292 3 15 360 2. Peter   1 10 86 1. Iohn   3 2 81  14 9 5 11 15 79. 289 Apocal.   19 10 355 21 6 98 THE FIRST BOOKE of the Cases of Conscience concerning Man simply considered in himselfe without relation to an other The Preface declaring the Ground and Order of the Treatise following Isaiah 50. 4. The Lord God hath giuen me a tongue of the learned that I should know to minister a word in due time to him that is wearie IN that part of the Prophecie which goes before the holy Ghost setteth downe and foretelleth the Calling of the Gentiles which was to beginne at the death of Christ and from thence to continue vnto this day and so consequently to the ende of the world In the former verses of this Chapter there is mention made of the reiection of the Iewes I meane not a generall but a particular rejection namely then when they were in affliction in the daies of Isaiah Now in this and so in all other Prophecies of the like kind which intreat of this point Christ himselfe is brought in speaking in his owne person and the words of this Chapter from the beginning to this present verse and the rest that follow are the words of Christ the Mediatour In the verses going before he disputes the case of their rejection and and the summe of the whole disputation is that either he or they themselues were the causes thereof but he was not the cause therfore they themselues by their sinnes The reason whereby he prooues that they themselues were the cause is framed in this sort You Iewes caÌ„not bring any writing or bill of diuorce to shew that I rejected you therfore I appeale euen to your owne consciences whether you haue not brought this iudgement vpon your selues by your iniquities vers 1. On the other side the reasoÌ„ why God was not the cause is because he for his part called them in great mercie and ioue but when he called they would not obey ver 2. Now in the ende of the second verse is contained an answer to a secret reply that some obstinate Iewe might make after this manner God hath not nowe the like power in sauing and deliuering vs as he hath had in formâ—r times therefore we cannot hope or expect any deliuerance from him and howe then shall we doe in the meane while To this the Lord himselfe makes answer ver 2 3 4. that his hand is not shortned nor his power lessened in regard of greater workes much lesse in respect of their deliuerance and though the present affliction which they indured was great and tedious yet they were not to be ouermuch dismayed in themselues but rather to be comforted because God had giuen him the tongue of the learned to minister a word in season to the wearie and distressed and consequently that he had power to case and refresh that their wearines and affliction In this text then there is set downe one principal dutie of Christs propheticall office by allusion to the practises of the Prophets in the old Testament especially those which belonged to the schooles of Elias and Elizeus who are here tearmed the learned And out of the words thereof one speciall point of instruction may be gathered namely That there is a certaine knowledge or doctrine reuealed in the word of God whereby the consciences of the weake may be rectified and pacified I gather it thus It was one speciall dutie of Christs propheticall office to giue comfort to the consciences of those that were distressed as the Prophet here recordeth Now as Christ had this power to execute and performe such a dutie so he hath committed the dispensation therof to the Ministers of the Gospel For we may not thinke that Christ in his owne person ministred and spake words of comfort to the wearie in the times of the Prophets because he was not then exhibited in our nature and yet he did then speake but how in the persons of the Prophets So likewise because Christ now in the new Testament speaks not vnto the afflicted in his owne proper person it remaineth therfore that he performes this great worke in the Ministerie of Pastours and Teachers vpon earth to whom he hath giuen knowledge and other gifts to this ende and purpose There must needes therefore be a certen and infallible doctrine propounded and taught in the Scriptures whereby the consciences of men distressed may be quieted and releeued And this doctrine is not attained vnto by extraordinarie reuelation but must be drawne out of the written word of God The point therfore to be handled is What this doctrine should be It is not a matter easie and at hand but full of labour and difficultie yea very large like vnto the maine sea I will onely as it were walke by the banks of it and propound the heads of doctrine that thereby I may at least occasion others to consider handle the same more at large That I may proceede in order First I am to lay downe certaine Grounds or Preambles which may giue light and direction to the things that follow and in the next place I will propound and answer the maine and principall Questions of Conscience CHAP. I. Of the two first Grounds of Cases Confession and the degrees of Goodnes THe Grounds or Preambles are especially foure The first touching Confession The second touching the degrees of
this sinne but God in mercie accepted a generall repeÌ„tance for the same And the like is the case of all the Elect in regard of their secret hidden faults for vnles God should accept of a general repentance for vnknown sinns few or none at all should be saued And herein doth the endles mercy of god notably appeare that he vouchsafeth to accept of our repeÌ„tance wheÌ„ we repent though not in particular as we ought to doe Neuertheles this must not incorage or imbolden any man to liue in his sinnes without turning vnto God For vnlesse we repent in particular of all the sinâ— we know not only our knowne offences but euen our secret sinnes shall coÌ„demne vs. Many sinnes are committed by men which afterwards in processe of time are quite forgotten Others are coÌ„mitted which notwithstaÌ„ding are not knowne whether they be sins or no. And in doing the best duties we can we offend often yet when we offend we perceiue it not all these in the regenerate through the mercy of God are sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ in respect of particular repentance The third kind of sinnes of Toleration are certaine particular facts of men not approved of in Scripture and yet remitted in respect of punishment Such was the fact of Zipporah in circumcising her child in presence of her husband he beeing able to haue done it himselfe and shee hauing no calling to doe that which she did For though the hand of God was against him yet was he not sick as some would excuse the matter neither is there any such thing in the text but it is rather to be thought that she her selfe circumcised her sonne in hast to preuent her husband for the deede was done in some indignation and shee cast the foreskin at his feete And yet because this fact was some manner of obedience in that the thing was done which God required though not in the maÌ„ner that he required God accepted the same staied his hand froÌ„ killing Moses Thus god accepted of Ahabs humility thogh it were in hypocrisie because it was a shew of obedience and for that deferred a temporall punishmeÌ„t til the daies of his posteritie God sent Lyons to destroy the Assyrians that dwelt in Samaria for their Idolatrie yet so soonâ— as they had learned to feare the Lord after the maÌ„ner of the god of Israel though they mingled the same with their own Idolatric God for that halfe obedience suffered theÌ„ to dwel in peace Sect. 6. The Sixt distinction of Sinnes may be this Some are sinnes against God some against men This distinction is grounded vpon a place in Samuel If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall plead for him Sinnes against God are such as are directly and immediately committed against the maiestie of God Such are Atheisme Idolatrie Blasphemie Periurie Profanation of the Sabboth all the breaches of the first Table Sinnes against men are iniuries hurts losses and damages whereby our neighbour is in his dignitie life chastitie wealth good name or any other way iustly offended or by vs hindred And such actions must be considered two waies First as they are iniuries and hurts done vnto our neighbour and fecondly as they are anomies or breaches of Gods law forbidding vs to doe them and in this second respect they are called sinnes because sinne is properly against God and therefore by sinnes against man we are to vnderstand iniuries losses or damages done vnto them In this sense must that place in Matthew be expounded If thy brother sinne against thee c. Sect. 7. The seauenth Difference of sinnes is noted by S. Paul where he saith Euery sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but he that commits fornication sinneth against his owne bodie In which place it is implyed that some sinnes are without the bodie some against mans owne bodie Sinnes without the bodie are such sinnes as a man committeth his bodie beeing the instrument of the sinne but not the thing abused Such are Murther Theft Drunkennesse for in the committing of these sinnes the bodie is but a helper and onely a remote instrumentall cause and the thing abused is without the bodie For example in drunkennes the thing abused by the drunkard is wine or strong drinke in theft another mans goods in murther the instrument whereby the fact is committed The bodie indeede conferres his helpe to these things but the iniurie is directed to the creatures of God to the bodie and goods of our neighbour And such are all sinnes adulterie onely excepted Sinnes against the bodie are those in which it selfe is not onely the instrument but the thing abused also Such a sinne is Adulterie onely and those that are of that kind properly against the bodie first because the bodie of the sinner is both a furthering cause of the sinne and also that thing which he abuseth against his owne selfe Secondly by this offence he doth not onely hinder but loose the right power and propertie of his bodie in that be makes it the member of an harlot And lastly though other sinnes in their kind doe bring a shame and dishonour vpon the bodie yet there is none that sitteth so nigh or leaueth a blot so deepely imprinted in it as doth the sinne of vncleannes Sect. 8. The eight distinction of sinnes is grounded vpon Pauls exhortation to Timothie Communicate not with other mens sinnes Sinnes are either Other mens sinnes or CommunicatioÌ„ with other mens sins This distinction is the rather to be knowne and remembred because it serues to extenuate or aggrauate sins committed Communication with sinne is done sundry waies First by counsell thus Caâ—phas sinned when he gaue counsel to put Christ to death Secondly by commandement so Dauid sinned in the murther of Vrias Thirdly by consent or assistance Rom. 1. 31. thus Saul sinned in keeping the garments of them that â—â—oned Steuen Act. 22. 20. 7. 58. Fourthly by prouocation thus they sinne that prouokâ— others to sinne and hereof Paul speaketh when he saith Fathers must not prouoke their children to wrath Eph. 6. 4. Fiftly by negligence or silence This is the sinne of the Minister when men are called to reprooue sinne and doe not Sixtly by flatterie when men sooth vp others in sinne Seauenthly by winking at sinnes or passing them ouer by slight reproofe Eph. 5. 11. Thus Eli sinned in rebuking his sonnes and thereby brought a temporall iudgement vpon himselfe and his familie 1. Sam. 2. chap. and 4. Eightly by participation Eph. 5. 7. thus they doe sinne that are receiuers of the eues Ninthely by defending another man in his sinne for he that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. Sect. 9. The Ninth distinction followeth Some mens sinnes saith Paul are open before hand some follow after Which place by some is
Afflictions serue to humble men in their soules before God The young vnthrift in the Gospel called the Prodigall childe while his portion lasted he spent liberally and was grieued for nothing but when he came to be pinched with hunger and that through his owne follie then he humbled himselfe before his father returned home vnto him Dauid saith of himselfe that in his prosperiâ—te be thought he should neuer be mooued because the Lord of his goodnesse had made his mountaine to stand strong but saith he thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled then cried I vnto the Lord. III. They serue to worke Amendment of life No chastising saith the Author to the Hebrewes for the present seemeth to be ioyous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised that is afflictions and chastisments that seaze vpon Gods children doe leaue after them amendment of life as the needle passeth thorough the cloath and leaueth the threed behinde it When we are iudged saith the Apostle we are nurtered of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world And Dauid confesseth Psal. 119. It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the vine that it may bring forth more and better fruit IIII. They cause men to denie themselues and to relie wholly on the mercie of God Thus Paul receiued the sentence of death in himselfe that he should not trust in himselfe but in God that raiseth the dead V. The fift is Invocation For afflictions make vs to crie heartily and feruently vnto God to bring our selues into his presence and there to abase our selues before him Thus the Lord said of the olde Israelites that when he slew them then they returned sought him earely Psal. 78. 34. And els where he saith of his children that in their affliction they will seeke him diligently VI. The sixth is Patience Affliction bringeth forth patience patience experience c. As if he should say because the loue of God is shed in our hearts therefore in afflictions we are patient Now whilst we patiently heare the crosse we haue experience of the mercie and loue of God towards vs and hauing once in some notable deliuerance tried and tasted the mercie of God we doe by hope as it were promise to our selues the saide fauour and mercie for time to come VII The last fruit is Obedience This the holy Ghost teacheth to haue beene the fruit of the suffering of Christ when he saith Though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered In the next place Afflictions are good in regard of their qualitie and condition which is that they are tokens and pledges of our adoption when we make the best vse of them If ye indure chastening saith the holy Ghost God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes that is he comes to you in the crosse not as a iudge and reuenger but as a kind and louing father and the crosse imposed is as it were his fatherly hand wherewith the chastiseth vs and therefore Iob praiseth God for his affliction saying God hath giuen and God hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. The fifth Ground of comfort is that the partie distressed hath partners in the crosse For first he hath Christ to be his partner because he hath fellowship with him in that he is afflicted and is willing to obey God therein Paul accounteth it happines to knowe the fellowship of Christs afflictions and to be made conformable vnto his death Phil. 3. 10. And Saint Peter exhorteth beleeuers to reioyce in as much as they are partakers of Christes sufferings 1. Pet. 4. 13. Secondly if the partie afflicted repent Christ communicateth with him in al his crosses accounts them as his owne The Apostle in this regard would haue no man thinke it strange no not when he is in the fierie triall but rather to reioyce because he is partaker of Christs sufferings 1. Pet. 4. 12. And Christ saith to Saul persecuting his Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Thirdly he that is afflicted hath other seruants of God partakers with him in all his afflictions The Apostle Peter wisheth the Church of God to resist Sathan by faith knowing saith he that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brothren that are in the world 1. Pet. 5. 9. Thus much generally of Afflictions and of Comfort in them It were a long and tedious worke to set all downe in particular together with their proper and distinct Comforts therefore I will passe them ouer and speake only of three kinds of Afflictions with their Remedies Sect. 2. The first is the Deferring of deliuerance a great afflictioÌ„ if it be considered And touching it I propound one Question namely How the minde of the partie distressed may be staied when as the Lord deferres deliuerance For the answer hereof three especiall points are to be considered I. First that God hath in his wisdome set downe certen and unchangeable times for the accomplishment and issue of all things that are Ther is a time appointed to euery thing vnder the sunne Eccl. 3. 1 The speech of Salomon is generall and the meaning of it is this Whatsoeuer there is in the world either done or suffered or enioyed by man whether it be of the number of naturall things or of those which are voluntarily vndertaken or necessarily endured God hath in his prouidence sorted vnto them a set time and season whereof dependeth the successe of them all And this time himselfe most freely ordereth and ruleth at his owne good pleasure which as no maÌ„ can hinder or stay so is it not in the power of any to hasten or preueÌ„t This point the Holy Ghost in Scripture prooueth by two instances of the threatnings and promises of God which himselfe accomplisheth at some certaine and vnchangeable times When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impietie and wickednes the Lord appointed a certaine space of 120. yeares for their repentance and conuersion at the very ende and tearme whereof he brought the flood vpon them and not before For if we compare the particular circumstances of time noted in the 7. of Genesis with that which S. Peter writeth 1. Pet. 3. 20. ee shall find that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Againe God threatned by Ieremie that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue and serue the king of Babel 70. yeares Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as euer those yeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to Ieremies prophecie exactly setteth it downe when he saith The same night was Belshazzarking of the
church yet the truth is they are not wholly cut off from the societie of the faithfull For the seede of faith remaineth in them and that knits the bond of coniunction with Christ though the sense thereof be lost vntill they repent In this case the partie excommunicate is as a free man in bonds who vntill he get out of prison hath no vse of his freedome and yet continues a free man still though he remaine in prison So also the childrē of God may still be the children of God though excluded from the cōgregation of the church for some offences From this that hath beene said ariseth the Answer to the Question propounded namely that the children of such persons as are excommunicated are notwithstāding their excommunication to be baptised because they are indeede and in the iudgement of charitie true members of the bodie of Christ though in some other regards they are not in present holden so to be Yet further besides the former grounds consider these reasons First children of parents that are professed members of the church though cut off for a time vpon some offence committed haue right to baptisme because it is not in the power of man to cut them off from Christ though they be excommunicated Secondly the personall sinne of the parent may not keepe the blessing from the child and therefore not depriue him of participation of the ordinance of God Thirdly we must alway put a difference betweene them which doe not make separation from the church and yet are grieuous offenders and open Apostataes that ioyne themselues with the enemies of the Church to the ruine and ouerthrow of the truth of the Gospel Fourthly we must put a difference betweene those that haue giuen vp their names to Christ though fallen grieuously and Turks and Infidels that are forth of the Couenant and neuer belonged to the Church Lastly if the mercie of God inlarge it selfe to thousands yea to infinite generations why should man be so hard hearted as to make question whether such Infants belong to the Couenant and consequently keepe them from the Sacrament of Baptisme Out of this Question ariseth a second Whether children borne in fornication haue right to baptisme Ans. They are not to be kept from it For the wickednes of the parent ought not to preiudice the child in things that belong to his saluation Yet in this case some Cautions are carefully to be obscrued as first that the parent hold the true faith and religion secondly that he be by the Minister exhorted to a true humiliation of himselfe and to earnest repentance for his sinne committed and that before the child be baptized Thirdly that their be some appointed to answere for the Infant besides the parents and to make solemne promise openly to the Church that it shall be carefully brought vp and instructed in the faith And the same is to be obserued and practized before the baptizing of the children of parents excommunicate IV. Question How men are to make a right vse of their baptisme when they become to yeares The not obseruing hereof is the cause of many sinnes and corruptions in the liues of men It is commonly holden a great fault in ciuill matters for a man not to keepe his couenants Much more is it a hainous sinne before God not to keepe the promises and pay the vowes made vnto him For answere therefore to the Question wee must first take this for a ground That baptisme both for signification force vse and fruit continues not for a moment of time but for the whole course of a mans life It doth not respect onely the time past or present but that which is to come yea that whole time that a man hath to spend from the very act of his baptisme to his death Againe baptisme is the true Sacrament of Repentance for remission of sinnes which being once receiued remaineth a perpetuall testimonie and pledge of the everlasting couenant of God and of the continuall washing away of sinne in the blood of Christ. This Ground premised I come to the vse of baptisme which is two fold The First is that it serues to be a token and pledge of Gods fauour towards vs and that principally three waies First in that it sealeth and confirmeth to vs the free pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes Thus Cornelius was baptized of Peter after he had heard the Gospell preached and receiued the Holy Ghost that it might be vnto him a pledge of the remission of his sinnes Act. 10. 48. And in like manner doth Peter exhort the conuerted Iewes to repent them of their sins to receiue the Sacramēt of Baptisme as a seale and pledge of Gods mercie in the forgiuenes thereof by Christ Act. 2. 38. In regard of this vse baptisme is of great force to releeue the hart in distresse For when any childe of God feeles himselfe loden with the burden of his sinnes the consideration and remembrance hereof that God hath pardoned them all and giuen him a speciall and certaine pledge of his pardon in baptisme will serue to stay and support his soule Yea though his sinnes were of force to make a separation betweene God and him Yet remembring that his name is written in the Couenant of God and that he hath by Gods mercie receiued the seale of the Couenant he shall not neede to be much dismaied When Satan tempteth him to doubt of his owne estate in regard of his corruptions even then let him haue recourse to his baptisme and thinke of the earnest and pledge of Gods fauour which he hath receiued Let him draw out his euidences signed with the seale of Gods couenant made vnto him in Iesus Christ and that shall be sufficient to stoppe the mouth of Satan and to repell his temptations Secondly Baptisme is as a pledge of the vertue of Christs death Doe you not know saies Paul that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Rom. 6. 3. For they that beleeue are by baptisme conformed to Christ their head because they are by it buried together with him into his death vers 4. This point is of excellent vse in our liues For it teacheth a man when his owne corruption mooueth him to sinne and he is now euen in the Combate the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit even then to call to memorie his baptisme wherein it pleased God to seale vnto him the mortificatiō of his sinne by the power of Christs death and consequently to pray earnestly vnto him for the continuance of the same power in his his heart for the continuall crucifiing of the old man and the vtter destroying of the body of sinne Rom. 6. 6. Thirdly baptisme is a pledge vnto vs of the Life of Christ of our Fellowship with him therein For looke as he beeing dead in the graue raised himselfe to life by his owne power euen so and more then so being now
of these Caueats the same is not taken in truth but in fraud and deceit Popish teachers affirme that in some cases they may sweare in a doubtfull meaning And this they practise in time of daunger when beeing conuented before the Magistrate and examined they answer Yea in word and conceiue a negation or No in their mindes A practise most impious and flat against this excellent Rule of the Prophet that a man should sweare in truth iudgement iustice The Second Rule is That the forme in which the oath is propounded must be a plaine simple and direct forme wherein God is directly called to witnesse For his worship is directly to be giuen to him and therefore the oath also beeing an Inuocation of his name and a part of his worship is directly to be made That the meaning of this Rule may the better appeare one Question is to be answered Whether in the Forme of an oath a man may not sweare directly by creatures and indirectly by God Most of the Popish sort and some Protestants hold that he may But the truth is otherwise I say vnto you saies our Sauiour sweare not at all neither by heauen nor by the earth nor by thy head c. Matth. 5. 34. In which words he forbids all indirect oathes whereby men sweare directly by creatures and indirectly by God for so did the Pharisies Againe if a man might sweare by creatures and conceale the name of God it would diminish his Maiestie and authoritie and much deceit might be vsed for the swearer might say that he sware not but only vsed an obtestation Against this it is obiected I. That Ioseph sware by the life of Pharaoh Gen. 42. 25. therefore it may seeme that oathes by creatures are not vnlawfull Ans. First it may be said that Ioseph sinned in so swearing for therein he imitated the Egyptians who sware by the life of their King Secondly it may be answered that Ioseph doth onely make an asseueration and not an oath Obiect II. The Church in the Canticles takes an oath by the Creatures Cant. 2. 7. I charge you daughters of Ierusalem by the roes and by the hinds of the field c. Ans. It is no oath but an obtestation wherby the Church calls the creatures to witnesse her earnest affection to Christ. The like is made by Moses Deâ—â— 30. 19. when he saith I call heauen and earth to record against you this day And by Paul in his charge to Timothie 1. Tim. 5. 21. I charge thee before the elect Angels In which and the like speeches there is no swearing but a kind of citation or summoning of the Creatures as witnesses And there is great difference betweene an oath and an obtestation In the Obtestation there is no more but a calling of the creature to giue testimonie the matter beeing already apparent and manifest But in an Oath where the matter is not so manifest God is made not onely a witnesse but also a iudge and reuenger Obiect III. Saint Paul sweares by his reioycing in Christ 1. Cor. 15. 31. which reioycing was a created passion or a creature Ans. That was also an obtestation or a word of auouchment and asseueration and not an oath For it is all one as if he had said thus My sorrowes and afflictions which I indure for Christ would testifie if they could speak that as certenly as I reioyce in Christ so certenly I die daily Obiect IV. Abigail sware to Dauid by the creature As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth 1. Sam. 25. 26. Ans. The former part of her speech may be called an oath but the latter is onely an obtestation or earnest auouchment ioyned with an oath Now although it be in no sort lawfull to sweare by creatures yet when a man sweareth directly by God he may name the creatures in way and forme of an oath specially if he make them as his pawnes and pledges set before God that he may in iustice be reuenged vpon him in them if he lieth and sweareth not a truth Sect. 3. III. Question How farre-forth doth an Oath binde and is to be kept The answere to this Question is large and therefore for orders sake I distinguish it into two parts and first I will shew when an oath bindes secondly when it bindeth not For the first An Oathe taken of things certaine lawfull and possible is to be kept yea and bindes alwaies though it bee tendred even to our enemies To this purpose God hath giueÌ„ special CommandemeÌ„nt in sundry places Numbers 30. 3. Whosoeuer sweareth an oath to bind his soule by a bond he shall not break his word but shall doe according to all that proceeds out of his mouth Mat. 5. 33. Thou shalt not forswear thy selfe but shalt performe thine oathes vnto the Lord Exod 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine that is lightly and rashly But Gods name is taken in vain when an oathe made of things lawfull and possible is not kept Dauid at the humble request of Shimei who had before cursed him pardons his fault for the time sweares to him that he should not die 2. Sam. 19. 23. Dauid made conscience of this oathe knowing himselfe to be bound thereby and therefore till his death he kept it onely hee charged Solomon not to count him innocent 1. King 2. 9. Now for the better clearing of the answer we are to consider four particular cases touching this point I. Case What if a man take an oath by false Gods whether is he bound to keepe it yea or no Ans. He is and the reasons are these First from the like There was a question among the Scribes and Pharises Matt. 23. 16. whether a man swearing by the creature were a debter or no The Pharisees taught that if a man sware by creatures the oathe did not binde But Christ vers 20. affirmeth that he that sweares by the Temple or by the Altar or by heauen sweares by God indirectly so takes an oathe though not a lawfull oath and thereupon remaines bound and is a debter now by propotion he that sweares by false Gods sweares by God indirectly because the false God is in the opinion of him that sweares a true God and so his oath bindeth and is to be kept Secondly Abraham accepts the oathe that Abimelech tendreth vnto him in the name of a false God Gen. 21. 23 So doth Iacob accept of the oathe made vnto him by Laban Gen. 31. 53. which they would not haue done if their oathes had not beene sufficient bondes to binde them to obseruation and performance It will be said He that admits of an oathe by an Idoll doth communicate in the sinne of him that sweareth Ans. In case of necessitie a man may admitte of such an oath without sinne A poore man beeing in extreame want borroweth of an vsurer vpon interest It is sinne to the vsurer to take it but it is not so in the