not with eie seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God Eph. 6.6 Not with seruice to the eie as men pleasers Answering againe when they are reprehended Tit. 2.9 Let seruants be subiect to their masters and please them in all thinges not answering againe Deceitfulnesse and wasting their Masters goods Titus 2. 10. Neither pikers but that they shewe all good faithfulnesse To flee from the power of their superiour Gen. 16.6 Then Sarah dealt roughly with her wherfore shee fled froÌ„ her To resist the lawful authoritie of their Superiours 1. Pet. 2.20 To obey them in things vnlawfullâ— Act. 4. 19. To extoll themselues aboue their betters this is the sinne of Antichrist 2. Thess. 2.3 4. Which man of sinne exalteth himselfe against all that is called God Lastly the freedome of the Papists whereby they free children from the gouernment of their parents and subiects from the authoritie of their Princes so that they make it lawefull for them to pretende and procure their death 1. Sam. 26.8,9 Then said Abishai to Dauid God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day now therefore I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare to the earth and I will not smite him againe And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed and bee guiltlesse III. Ingratitude and want of a louing affection towards Parentes Matth. 15.5,6 But ye say whosoeuer shall say to father or mother By the gift that is offered by me thou maiest haue profit though he honour not his father or mother shall be free 1. Tim. 5.4 Secondly we offend against our equalls in preferring our selues before them in talking or in sitting downe Matth. 20.20 Then came vnto him the mother of Zebedeus children with her sonnes worshipping him and desiring a certaine thing of him 21. And he said What wouldest thou And shee said to him Graunt that these my two sonnes may sit the one at thy right hand and the other at thy left hand in thy kingdome 24. And when the other ten heard this they disdained at the two brethren Thirdly toward our inferiours I. Through negligeÌ„ce in gouerning them and prouiding for their good estate Hagg. 1.4 Is it time for your selues to dwel in your fieled houses and this house to lie wast Dan. 3.28 This condemneth those mothers which put forth their children to be nursed hauing both sufficient strength and store of milke themselues to nurse them 1. Tim. 5.10 If shee haue nourished her children II. By too much gentlenes and lenitie in correcting theÌ„ 1. King 1.5 Then Adonijah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe saying I will be king 6. And his father would not displease him from his childhood to say Why hast thou done so 1. Sam. 2. 22. So Eli was very old heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel and howe they lay with the women that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation 23. And he said vnto them Why doe ye such things for of all this people I heare euill reports of you 24. Do no more my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare namely that ye make the Lords people to trespasse 25. Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them III. By ouermuch crueltie and threatnings Eph. 6.4 And ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath 9. And ye masters doe the same things vnto them putting away threatnings Fourthly and lastly a man offendeth against himselfe when through his naughtie behauiour he doth obscure and almost extinguish those gifts which God hath giuen him Math. 25.2 16. Or contrarilie when he is too wise in his owne conceit Rom. 12.3 For I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me to eâ—ery one that is among you that no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand CHAP. 25. Concerning the sixt commandement THou shalt not kill The Resolution Kill The part is here set for the whole by a Synecdoche for killing signifieth any kind of endamaging the person of our neighbour The equitie of this commandement appeareth by this that man was created after the likenesse of God Gen. 9.6 He that sheddeth mans blood by man shal his blood be shed for in the image of God hath he made man Againe all men are the same flesh Esay 58.7 When thou seest the naked couer him and hide not thy face from thine owne flesh Neither ought we to be ignorant of this also that it is vnlawful for any priuate person not called to that dutie to kill another but a publike officer may that is if he be warranted by a calling So did Moses Exod. 2. 12. And he looked round about and when he saw no man he slue the Egyptian and hid him in the sand Act. 7.25 For he supposed his brethreÌ„ would haue vnderstood that God by his hand should giue them deliuerance And Phinehas Nomb. 25. 8. And he followed the man of Israel into the tent and thrust them both through to wit the man of Israel and the woman through her bellie so the plague ceased from the children of Israel 31. Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them therefore I haue not consumed the childreÌ„ in my iealousie And Elijah 1. King 18.40 And Eliiah said vnto them Take the Prophets of Baal let not a man of them escape and they tooke them and Elijah brought them to the brooke of Kishon slue them there And souldiers in battels waged vpon iust causes 2. Chro. 20.15 Feare ye not neither be afraid of this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods The negatiue part Thou shalt neither hurt nor hinder either thine owne or thy neighbours life The sinnes then that are referred to this part are such as are committed against our neighbour or our selues Against our neighbour are these following I. In heart as â— Hatred against him 1. Ioh. 3.15 Who so hateth his brother is a manslayer 2. Vnaduised anger Matth. 5.22 I say vnto you whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly is in danger of iudgement 3. Enuie Rom. 1.29 Full of anger murther contention 4. Grudges Iam. 3.14 If ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts reioice not 5. Want of compassion and sorrowe at our neighbours calamities Amos 6.5,6 They sing to the sound of the Viole c. but no man is sâ—rry for the affliction of Ioseph 6. Frowardnes when we will not be reconciled to our neighbour Rom. 1.30 Such as can neuer be appeased vnmercifull 7. Desire of reuenge Psal. 5.6 The Lord will abhorre the bloody man and deceitfull II. In wordes 1. Bitternes in speaking Prou. 12. 18. There is that speaketh wordes like the prickinges of a sword but the tongue of wise men is health 2. Reproches and railing which is a casting of a mans
to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much I. To knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde II. To beleeue him to bee my God III. From mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuils haue but a more speciall knowledge wherby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may bee gathered hence First of all if we are bound to beleeue in God then we are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeleefe whereby we distrust God to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the child that had a dumme spirit Lord saith he I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And Dauid Why art thou cast downe my soule and wâ—y art thou so diâ—quieted in me wait on God And that which our Sauiour Christ saide once to Peter men should daiely speake to themselues O thou of littlâ— faith why hast thou doubted But some may say wherein standes our vnbeleefe Answere It standes in two thinges I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God that is in giuing too litle or no affiance to him or in putting affiance in the creature For the first few men will abide to be told of their distrust in God but indeede it is a common and riâ—e corruption and though they soothe themselues neuer so yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe Goe through all places it shall be found that scarse one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing What is the cause that they can doe so Alas alas if there be any faith it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lord of the house Againe if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to he could finde in his heart to wish for an other and if he had two worlds he would be casting for the third if it might be compassed the reason hereof is because men haue not learned to make God their portion and to stay their affections on him which if they could doe a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough Indeede these and such like persons will in no wise â—eelde that they doe distrust the Lord vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience with a sense and feeling of their sinnes and be throughly humbled for the same but the truth is that distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother-sinne the ground of all other sinnes and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall And for the second part of vnbeleefe which is an affiance in the creatures read the whole booke of God and we shall finde it a common and vsuall sinne in all sorts of men some putting their trust in riches some in strength some in pleasures some placing their felicitie in one sinne some in an other When King Asa was sicke he put his whole trust in the Phisitians and not in the Lord. And in our daies the common practise is when crosses and calamities fall then there is trotting out to that wise man to this cunning woman to this sorcerer to that wizzard that is from God to the deuill and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe and confidence in vaine creatures let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will In a word there is no man in the world be he called or not called if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe he shall finde his heart almost filled with manifold doubtings and distrustings whereby he shall feele himselfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God Therefore the dutie of euery man is that will truly say that hâ— beleeues in God to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe nor feele none more pitifull is their case For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe Secondly considering that we professe our selues to beleeue in God we must euery one of vs learne to know God As Paul saith How can they beleeue in him of whome they haâ—e not heard and how can they heare without a preacher therefore none can beleeue in God but he must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright Let this be remembred of young and old It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a praier that will make a man a good beleeuer but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as he hath reuealed himselfe partly in his word and partly in his creatures Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stand togither Therefore it standes men in hande to labour and take paines to get knoweledge in religion that knowing God aright they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him and truely make confession of their faith Thirdly because wee beleeue in God therefore another dutie is to denie our selues vtterly and to become nothing in our selues Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children if wee would beleeue The begger depends not on the releefe of others till hee finde nothing at home and till our hearts bee purged of selfe-loue and pride wee cannot depend on the fauour and goodnesse of God Therefore hee that would trust in God must first of all be abased and confounded in himselfe and in regard of himselfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God Fourthly in that wee beleeue in God and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him we are taught that euery man must committe his bodie his soule goods life yea all that he hath into the handes of God and to his custodie So Paul saith I am not ashamed of my sufferings for I knowe whome I haue beleeued and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day A worthie saying for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lord it was his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof But what mooues him to trust God surely his perswasion whereby he knewe that God would keepe it And Peter saith Let them that suffer according to the will of God committe their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour Looke as one friende laieth downe a thing to be kept of another so must a man giue that he hath to the
practise the corruption of their owne hearts Thus much of the parts of Gods prouidence now follow the kinds thereof Gods prouidence is either generall or speciall Generall is that which extends it selfe to the whole world and all things indifferently euen to the deuills themselues By this prouidence God continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature in the creation and he preserues the life substance and the beeing of all and euery creature in his kinde The eâ—peciall prouidence is that which God sheweth exerciseth towards his Church and â—hosen people in gathering and guiding them and in preseruing them by his mightie power against the gates of hell And therfore Gods Church here vpon earth is called the kingdome of grace in which he shewes not onely a generall power ouer his creatures but withall the speciall operation of his spirit in bowing and bending the hearts of men to his will Thus much concerning the doctrine of Gods prouidence Now followes the duties First seeing there is a prouidence of God ouer euery thing that is we are hereby taught to take good heede of the transgression of the least of Gods commandements If men were perswaded that the Prince had an eye euery where doubtlesse many subiects in England would walke more obediently to the lawes of the land then they doe and durst in no wise worke such villanies as are daily practised Well howsoeuer it is with earthly princes yet this all-seeing-presence is least wanting in God he hath an eye euery where wheresoeuer thou art there God beholdeth thee as Dauid saith God looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God Therefore except thou be brutish and past shame take heede of sinne If men had but a sparke of grace the consideration of this would make them loath the practise of any euill worke Eliah saith to Ahab As the Lord God of Israel liueth before whome I stand there shall be neither dewe nor raine these three yeares Where the Prophet confirmeth his speach with an oath saying As the Lord of hosts liueth it shal be so And least Ahab should think he made no conscience what he said he addeth this clause that he stood in the presence of God As if he should say howsoeuer thou thinkest of me yet as it stands me in hand so doe I make conscience of my word for I stand in the presence of God and therefore know it as the Lord liueth there shall be no raine now dew these three yeares So Cornelius hauing an eye to Gods prouidence doth mooue himselfe and all his houshold to a solemne hearing of the word of God deliuered by the mouth of Peter saying that they were all present before God to heare all things commanded of him As these men had regard to Gods prouidence so we likewise must behaue our selues reuerently making conscience of our behauiour both in words and works because wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of God Secondly if there be a prouidence of God ouer euery thing then we must learne contentation of mind in euery estate yea in aduersitie vnder the crosse when all goes against vs we must be content because Gods prouidence hath so appointed So Dauid in the greatest of his griefes was dumbe and spake nothing his reason was because thou Lord didst it And when Shemei cursed Dauid Abisha would haue had the king to haue giuen him leaue to haue slaine him but Dauid would not suffer it but said He curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so In whose example we may see a patterne of quietnesse of minde When a crosse commeth it is a hard thing to bee patient but we must drawe our selues thereunto by consideration of Gods especial prouidence Thirdly when outward meanes of preseruation in this life doe abound as health wealth honour riches peace and pleasure then we must remember to be thankefull because these things alwaies come by the prouidence of God Thus Iob was thankfull both in prosperitie and aduersitie The Lord saith he gaue and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Indeede to bee patient in euery estate and thankefull to God is a very harde matter yet will it be more easie if we learne in all thinges that befall vs in this life neuer to seuer the consideration of the things that come to passe from Gods prouidence For as the bodie and the soule of man though we see only the bodie are alwaies togither as long as a man liueth so is Gods prouidence ioyned with the thing done wherefore as we looke on the thing done so we must also in it labour to see and acknowledge the good pleasure appointment of God As for example a mans house is set on fire and all his goods consumed this very sight would make him at his wits end but now as he beholds this euent with one eie so with the other eie he must at that very instant looke vpon Gods blessed prouidence When a man beholds and feels the losse of his friendes he cannot but greiue thereat vnlesse he be more senselesse then stocke or stone yet that he may not be ouerwhelmed with griefe he must euer with one eie looke at the pleasure of God herein This practise wil be an especiall meanes to stay the rage of any headstrong affection â—r all our afflictions In the world the maner of men is if healthâ— wealth and ease abound to thinke all is well but if crosâ—es come as losse of friendes losse of goods then men crie out as beeing straught of their wittes the reason is because they looke onely at the outward meanes and tie Gods prouidence to them not beeing able to see any goodnesse or prouidence of God out of ordinarie meanes Againe when a man is stored with riches honour wealth and prosperitie he must not barely looke on them but behold withal Gods goodnes and blessing in them for if that be wanting all the riches in the world are nothing Likewise in receiuing thy meate and drinke thou must looke further into the blessing of God vpon it which if it be away thy meate and thy drink can no more nourish thee then the stone in the wall And the same must wee do in euery busiâ—es of our callings which if men could learne to practise they would not so much trust to the meanes as honour wealth fauour c. but rather to God himselfe The Lord by the prophet Habaccuc reprooueth the Chaldeans for offering sacrifiâ—es vnto their nets which sinne they committed because they looked onely vpon outward things and like blind moles had no power to see further into them and to behold the worke of God in all their proceedings And this is the very cause why we are vnthankefull for Gods benefits for though we beholde the bare creatures yet are
to them that are Christs Now then let vs all lay these things to our hearts and extoll the vnspeakable goodnesse of God that hath aduanced vs to the dignitie of kings priests prophets before him and hath giuen vs his spirit vnto vs to inable vs to be so indeede Now follow the duties which are to be learned hence And first whereas all Christians receiue annointing from the holy one Christ Iesus to become prophets in a sort we must doe our endeauours that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs and for that cause we must search the Scriptures euen as hunters seeke for the game and as men seeke for gold in the very mines of the earth There is nothing more vnbeseeming a man then grosse ignorance a Christian. Therefore the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes reprooues them that whereas for the time they ought to haue bin teachers they had need againe to be taught the first principles of the word of God Againe that portion of knowledge which we haue receiued of God is further to be applied to the benefit and good of others this is that most pretious baulme that on our parts should neuer be wanting to the heads of men And here euery man that is set ouer others must remember within the compasse of his calling and charge to instruct those that be vnder him so far forth as possibly he can Gouernours of families must teach their children and seruants and their whole houshold the doctrine of true religion that they may know the true God and walke in all his waies in doing righteousnes iudgement If housholders would make conscience of this their dutie and in some sort and measure prepare their families against they come to the publike congregation the ministers of the Gospel with greater comfort and farre morâ— ease should performe their dutie and see farre more fruit of their ministerie then now they doe But whereas they neglect their dutie falsly perswading themselues that it doth not belong to them at all to instruct others it is the cause of ignorance both in townes and families in masters themselues in seruants and children and all Lastly by this we are admonished to take all occasions that possibly can be offered mutually to edifie each other in knowledge saying among our selues as it was foretolde of these times Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies and we will walke in his paths and withall wee should confirme each others as Christ saith to Peter When thou art conuerted confirme thy brethren and be readie at all times to render an account of our faith and religion euen before our enemies when we are iustly called so to do Secondly because we are set apart in Christ to become spirituall priests vnto God we must therefore offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable vnto him and they be in number seuen The first is an affiance whereby we rest vpon God as Dauid saith Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lord. The second is wholly to subiect our selues to the ministerie of the Gospel that we may be changed and conuerted by it as Paul saith That he ministreth the Gospel to the Gentiles that the offering vp of them might be acceptable beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost The third is all manner of praiers and supplications made vnto God Let my prayer saith Dauid be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of mine hands as an euening sacrifice The fourth is praising and thanksgiuing vnto God Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruit of the lippes which confesse his name And in the Reuelation the golden vials full of odours are the praiers of the Saints The fifth is the reliefe of our poore brethren according to our abilitie as Paul saith I was euen filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that which came from you an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice pleasant and acceptable to God The sixth is the deniall of our selues with a contrite and broken heart The seuenth is to resigne our selues bodies and soules wholly to the seruice of God Set your selues saith Paul to God as they that are aliue from the dead and your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God In which wordes he alludes to the manner of the olde Testament when a man offred any sacrifice for himselfe he brought the beast into the temple or tabernacle and set it before the altar in token that he did resigne it vnto God and so we for our parts must not giue our bodies soules to become the instruments of sinne and satan but we must haue them alwaies in readâ—nesse freely presenting them vnto God that he may haue the whole disposition of them according to his good pleasure to the honour and glorie of his name Againe in the whole burnt offering all was consumed and turned to smoke no man hauing benefite of it to signifie that wee must giue our selues not in part but wholly to the seruice of God euen to death if neede be If this be so miserable is the practise of such that giue vp their bodies and soules to liue in licentious wantonnesse in the pleasures of their beastly sinnes in idlenes For they offer themselues a sacrifice not to God but to the deuill Thirdly considering we are annointed to be spirituall kings euen in this life we must walke worthie so great a calling That this may be so first of all such as are gouernours set ouer others must rule not according to their wills and pleasures but in the Lord withall doing homage to their head and king Christ Iesus himselfe Secondly we must euery one of vs rule and beare sway euen as kings ouer our owne thoughts wills affections ouer-mastering them as much as we possibly can by Gods word and spirit withall maintaining and proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures the deuill and the world And truly he which can beare rule ouer his owne heart is a right king indeede and hauing receiued some measure of grace to raigne ouer himselfe in this life he shall raigne for euer with Christ in the life to come As for such as are carried away with the swinge of their corruptions hauing blindnes and ignorance to raigne in their minds rebellion in their wils and affections loosenes in their whole liues they may carrie the outward forme and shew of Christians as long as they will but indeede they are no spirituall kings but very bondmen the strong man Satan keepes as yet the hold of their hearts and as Lord and king holds vp his scepter there Lastly seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that euer was and that for our sakes he must be sweete and sauourie vnto vs and all other things must be as vnsauorie drosse and
whersoeuer was thunder or earthquakes seditions or tumults or any disquietnesse or trouble Christians were accused as the authors thereof Such enemies haue they had in all ages and in these our daies the same is practised and will bee to the worldes ende Nowe when the first witnesses could not agree among theÌ„selues then two other false witnesses came forth which auouched that Christ said I will destroy this temple made with hands within three daies will build another made without handes Indeede Christ said some such wordes for saith he Destroy this temple and within three daies I will build it vp againe But he spake this of the temple of his bodie whereas they malitiously did interpret him to haue spoken of the temple in Ierusalem And againe they change the wordes for Christ said Destroy this temple c. but these witnesses affirme he said I will destroy this temple made with hands c. And thus they change both words and meaning and therefore the Holy Ghost calleth them false witnesses By this we must be aduertised to take heed howe we report mens wordes for if wee change the meaning though in part we retaine the wordes we may soone become slanderers and false witnesses and as this dutie must be performed towards all men so especially towards the ministers of the Gospel and the neglect of this dutie procureth many slaunders to theÌ„ in this our Church whereof indeede the reâ—orters are the cause and not the ministers themselues Now at this false accusation Christ was silent so as Caiphas asked him why he answered nothing Herein we are to consider many things I. why Christ was silent The causes be two first he was to shewe himselfe a patterne of true humilitie patience therfore euen then would he be silent wheÌ„ he was most falsely accused of his aduersaries Secondly he is silent that standing before the iudge to be condemned the sentence might proceed against him and hee might suffer the death appointed which was due vnto vs and so become our redeemer And in Christs example we must note that it is a speciall dutie to knowe when to speake and when to be silent The ordering of the tongue is a rare gift and few attaine vnto it Some will peraduenture aske what rule wee haue to direct vs herein Ans. The general rule for the ordering of the tongne is the lawe of God We are commanded to seeke the glorie of God in the first table and in the second the good of our neighbour when thy speech therefore will serue either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbor then thou must speake if it serue for neither then bee silent Againe if thy silence bee either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbour then be silent if it wil not then speake And because it is hard for a man to knowe when his speech or silence will serue for these two ends therfore we must praie vnto God that hee will teach and direct vs herein as Dauid doth Set a watch saith he O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes and againe Open thou my lipps O Lord and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise Thus much for the false witnesses produced Now followeth the third point which is the adiuring of Christ for Caiphas the high priest charged him to tel him whether he were the Christ the sonne of God or no. To adiure a man is to charge and command him in the name of God to declare a trueth not onely because God is witnesse thereof but also because he is a iudge to reuenge if he speake not the trueth Thus Paul adiured the Thessalonians charging them in the Lord that his epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the Saints And the like doth Caiphas to Christ. And heaâ—e is a thing to be wondred at Caiphas the high priest adiureth him in the name of God who is very God euen the Sonne of God And this shewes what a small account hee made of the name of God for hee did it onely to get aduantage on Christs wordes and so do many nowe adaies who for a little profit or gaine make a matter of nothing to abuse the name of God a thousand waies Christ beeing thus adiured though silent before yet nowe in reuerence to Gods maiestieâ— answered and said first Thou hast said it and in Saint Marke I am he In this answer appeares the wonderful prouidence of god For though Caiphas take hence the occasion of condemning Christ yet hath he withall drawne from him a most excellent confession that he is the Sonne of God our alone Sauiour And by this meanes he proceeds to shut heauen against himselfe and to open the same for vs. Thus we haue ended the first inditement of Christ before Caiphas Nowe followeth the second which was before Pontius Pilate in the common hall at Ierusalem The historie of it is set downe at large in all the Euangelists In this second inditemeÌ„t of Christ that we may referre euery matter to his place we are to obserue foure things I the accusation of Christ before Pilate II. his examination III. Pilates pollicie to saue Christ. IV. Pilats absoluing of him and then the condemnation of Christ in both courts Ecclesiasticall and ciuill of these in order In Christs accusation we must consider many points The first is who were his accusers namely the high Priest the Scribes and Pharisies and Elders of the people and the common people all these conspired togither to accuse him The cause that mooued the Pharises and Elders of the people hereunto is noted by Saint Matthew who saith of enuie they deliuered him Enuie is nothing but a sadnesse in a mans heart at the prosperitie of his better And it raigned in the Scribes and Pharises and the occasion was this Christ had taught most heauenly doctrine and confirmed the same by most wonderfull miracles and did greatly exceede them all and was in more account among the people and for this cause the Scribes and Pharises high Priests repined and grudged at him Now their example serues to admonish vs to take heede of this sinne as beeing the mother of many mischiefes And we must rather follow the example of Moses who when Iosua desired him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie answered Enuiest thou for my sake yea I would to God all the lords people were prophets And we must be of the same minde with Iohn Baptist who hearing by his disciples that the people left him and followed Christ said his ioy was fulfilled for Christ must increase and he must decrease And so we must be glad and content when we see the prosperitie of our neighbours any way Now the cause why the common people ioyne with them was because the chiefe Priests and the Scribes Elders had perswaded them to a bad conceit of Christ. Hence it appeares that it is most requisite for any people
suffered V. the excellencie of his passion For the first the person that suffered was Christ the iust as Peter saith Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust and againe Christ Iesus the iust saith S. Iohn is the reconciliation for our sinnes And in his execution we shall haue manifest declarations of his righteousnes and iustice consisting in two most worthie points First when he was vpon the crosse and the souldiours were nailing his handes and feete thereunto and racking his bodie most cruelly he praied Father forgiue them they know not what they do These souldiers were by al likelihood the very same that apprehended him and brought him before Caiphas and from thence to Pontius Pilate and there platted a crowne of thornes and set it on his head buffeted him and spitefully intreated him as we haue heard and yet Christ speakes no worde of reuenge vnto them but with all patience in the very extremitie of their malice and iniurie he praieth vnto his father to forgiue them Hence wee are taught that when iniuries are done vnto vs we ought to abstaine from all affection of reuenge and not so much as manifest the same either in word or deede It is indeede a hard lesson to learne and practise but it is our parts to indeauour to do it and not onely so but to be readie for euil to doe good yea euen at that instant when other men are doing vs wrong euen then I say wee must be readie if it be possible to doe them good When as Christs enemies were practising against him all the treacherie they could euen then he performeth the worke of a Mediatour and praieth for them vnto his father and seeketh their saluation Againe whereas Christ praieth thus Father forgiue them we gather that the most principall thing of all that man ought to seeke after in this life is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Some thinke that happines consisteth in honour some in wealth some in pleasure some in this some in that but indeed the thing which we should most labour for is reconciliation with God in Christ that wee may haue the free remission of all our sinnes Yea this is blessednes it selfe as Dauid saith Blessed is he whose iniquitie is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Here then beholde the madnesse of the men of this worlde that either seeke for this blessing in the last place or not at all The second testimonie of Christs righteousnesse giuen in the middest of his passion was that he behelde his mother standing by and commended her to the custodie of Iohn his disciple whereby he gaue an example of most holy obedience vnto the fifth commandement which prescribeth honour vnto father and mother And this his fact sheweth that the obseruing of this commandement standeth not in outward shew and reuerence onely but in a godly recompence in procuring vnto parents all the good we can both concerning this and a better life It often falls out that children be as it were Cains to father and mother some raile on them some fight with them others see them pine away and sterue and not releeue them But all dutiful children must here learne that as their parents haue done many duties vnto them and brought them vp so they againe must in all reuerence performe obedience vnto them both in word and deede and when occasion is offered releeue them yea in all they can doe good vnto them Againe in this we may see what a wretched state is that which the Church of Rome calleth the state of perfection namely to liue apart from the companie of men in fasting and praying all the daies of a mans life for hereby the bond of nature is broken and a man can not do the dutie vnto his parents which Gods lawe requireth and Christ here himselfe practiseth nor the duties of a member of Christ which are to be done to the whole Church and to the rest of the members thereof The place where Christ suffered is called Caluarie or Golgotha that is the place of dead mens skulles without the walles of Ierusalem Concerning the reason of this name men bee of diuers opinions Some say it was so called because Adam was buried there and that his skull beeing there found gaue the name to the place And this is the verie opinion of some ancient diuines that Christ was there crucified where Adam was buried but because it hath no certaine grounde I leaue it as vncertaine Others thinke it was called Caluarie because the Iewes were wont to carrie out the bones of the dead men and there to heape them togither as in times past the manner was in the vauts of sundrie Churches in this land And some others thinke it was called Golgotha or Caluarie because theeues and murtherers and malefactours were there executed stoned burned whereby it came to passe that many skulls and bones of dead men were found there The time when Christ was executed was at the Iewes passeouer when not onely the Iewes but also many Proselytes of many countries and nations were assembled and therefore this execution was not in a priuate corner but openly in the viewe of the world For as he was a Sauiour not to the Iewes onely but also the Gentiles so it was very requisite that his death should bee publike before all men both Iewes and Gentiles As for the houre of the day in which he suffered there is some difficultie in the Euangelists for S. Iohn saith that he was condemned about the sixt houre of the day and Saint Marke saith he was crucified the third houre Hence it may be demaunded howe both these can stand togither Ans. Howesoeuer the Iewes naturall daie beganne at euening yet the artiâ—ificiall daie beganne at sunne-rising and ended at sunne-setting and it was diuided two waies First into twelue partes called twelue houres whether the daies were longer or shorter Secondly into foure partes or quarters and euery part contained three houres as from the first houre to the third was one part called morning from the third houre to the sixt another part called the sixt houre from the sixt houre to the ninth the third part called the ninth houre and from the ninth houre to the twelfth the fourth part called euening Nowe when Saint Iohn saith Christ was condemned about the sixt houre it must be vnderstood of the second quarter of the daie called the sixt houre and whereas Saint Marke saith he was crucified the third houre of the day hee speakes of the lesser houres twelue whereof made the whole day and thus they both agree for the third houre of the day and the beginning of the second quarter followe each other immediately Againe it may be answered that Christ was condemned at sixe of the clocke after the Romane account which begins the day at midnight and crucified at three which is nine of the clocke in the morning with vs after the Iewes account
his keeper and said Into thy handes O Lord do I commend my spirit Nowe our Sauiour Christ being in the like distresse both by reason of the Iewes who euery way sought his final destruction confusion especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vpon him doth make choice of Dauids words and apply them to himselfe in his distresse And by his example was are taught not onely to reade the generall history of the bible but also to obserue the things commanded and forbidden and to apply the same vnto our selues and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer thus the prophet Dauid saith God! How can this be for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him True indeede but as I take it Dauids meaning is that he read the booke of the lawe and found generall precepts and commandements giuen to Kings and Princes that they should keepe all the ordinances and commandements of God which he beeing a King applyes particularly to his owne person and thereupon saith In the volume of the booke it is written of me c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time and in these daies the Church of God doeth sing the same with the same spirit that Dauid did and doth apply their seueral estates and conditions Nowe in that Christ commends his soule into the handes of his father hee doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint but willingly and by his own practise he doth teach vs to do the like namly to giue vp our own soules into the hands of god because this dutie is of some difficultie we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vs to the better doing of it The first is to consider that God the father of Christ is the creatour of our soules and therefore he is called the father of spirits And if he be a creatour of them then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them For sure it is that God will preserue his owne workemanship Who is or can be so carefull for the ornament preseruation of any worke as the craftes-master and shall not God be more carefull then man Wherefore S. Peter exhorteth vs to committe our soules vnto God as vnto a faithfull creatour The second motiue is this wee must looke to be resolued in our consciences that â—od the father of Christ is our father euery man for himselfe must labour to haue the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes and that the corruption of his soule bee washed away in the blood of Christ that he may say I am iustified sanctified and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the handes of God This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay down his soule into the handes of God because he is his father The third motiue or preparatiue is a continuall experience obseruation of Gods loue and fauour towards vs in keeping and preseruing him as appeares by Dauids example Into thy hands saith he I commit my soule for thou hast redeemed me O thou God of trueth The time when we are specially to commend our soules into the hand of God is first of all the time of any affliction or danger This was the time wheÌ„ Dauid commended his soule into the hands of God in the Psalme before named We knowe that in any common danger or perill as the sacking of a citty or burning of an house if a man haue any pretious iewell therein he will first fetch that out and make choise of a faithfull friende to whose custodie he will commit the same euen so in coÌ„mon perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the handes of God who is a faithfull creatour Another more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie is the houre of death as here Christ doth and Steuen who when the Iewes stoned him to death called on God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times so most especially in the houre of death becaâ—se the danger is great by reason that Satan will then chiefely assault vs and the guilt of sinne will especially then wound the conscience Lastly at al times we must commit our soules into Gods handes for though we be not alwaies in afflictioâ— yet we are alwaies in great danger and when a man lieth downe to rest he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no and when he ariseth he knoweth not whether hee shall lie downe againe Yea at this very houre we knowe not what will befall the next And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie When Dauid was in great danger of his life and his owne people would haue stoned him because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken it is said hee comforted himselfe in the Lord his God And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent for the which cause saith he I suffer those things but I am not ashamed for I knowe whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keâ—pe that which I haue committed vnto him againâ—t that day This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand and therefore he saith In all my sufferings I am not ashamed where we see that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand it will make him bold euen at the point of death And this must be a motiue to cause euery man daily and hourely to lay downe his soule into the handes of God although by the course of nature he may liue twentie or fourtie yeares longer But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable yet few there be that practise the same Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition if they haue cattel sheep or oxen they prouide keepers to tend them but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will This shewes the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world that haue more care for their cattell then for their owne soules but as Christ hath taught vs by his example so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hand of God Againe in that Christ layes downe his owne soule and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the hands of the father we further learne three things The first that the soule of man doth not vanish away as the soules of beasts and other creatures there is gâ—eat difference
friends and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth when Iohn Baptist was borne they came and reioyced with them The third fruit of the spirit is peace Of this Paul speaketh most excellently saying If it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men It is nothing els but concord which must be kept in an holy manner with all men both good and badde so farre forth as can be Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the Gospel saith The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard with the kidde c. Where note that in the kingdome of Christ when a man is called into the state of grace howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe as a leopard as a lyon or as a beare yet he shall then lay away his cruell nature and become gentle liue peaceably with all men Now for the practising of this peace there are three duties especially to be learned and performed I. rather then peace should be broken a man must yeeld of his own right When Publicans came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute he had a lawfull excuse for how soeuer he liued in low estate among them yet he was the right heire to the kingdome and therefore was free neuerthelesse he stoode not on his priuiledge but calleth Peter saying Least we offend them goe to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that cōmeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence take it and giue it to them for thee and me Here we see that our Sauiour Christ rather then he would breake the common peace yeelds of his owne right and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him Secondly when any man shall sinne either in word or indeede specially if it be vpon infirmitie we must auoid bitter inuectiues and mildly tell him of his fault and in all meeknes and loue labour for his amendment So Paul teacheth vs saying If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion restore such an one with the spirit of meeknes considering thy selfe least thou be also tempted c. Beare ye one an others burden Thirdly euery man within the compasse of his calling must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variāce This is a speciall dutie of godlines and christianitie and therefore our Sauiour Christ doth highly commend such and pronounceth this blessing vpon them that they shall be called the children of God The fourth fruit of the spirit is long suffering and it standeth in two points I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it II. beeing angrie doth yet moderate the same and stay the hotnesse of that affection For the first to bridle anger it is a speciall worke of the holy Ghost the meanes to attaine vnto it are these I. not to take notice of the iniuries wrongs done vnto vs if they be not of great moment but to let them passe as not knowing them Salomon saith It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger Now how is that done it is added in the next words It is the glorie of a man to passe by infirmitie that is when a man shall ouershoote himselfe either in word or in deede to let it passe either wholly or till a time conuenient as though we knew not of it The second way to deferre and bridle anger is when a man hath iniuried vs either in word or deede to thinke with our selues that we haue iniuried other in the same manner and for this cause Salomon saith Giue not thine heart to all the words that men speake least thou heare thy seruant cursing thee for oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others A man must not listen to euery mans words at all times but he is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like as it is said With what measure yee mete it shall be measured to you againe This is a thing which fewe consider Euill men desire good report and would haue all men speake well of them whereas they can speake well of none but indeede they must beginne to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them Thirdly a man must consider how God dealeth with him For so often as he sinneth he prouoketh God to cast him away and to confound him eternally yet the Lord is mercifull and long suffering Euen so when men doe offend and iniurie vs we must doe as God doth not be angrie but fight against our affections endeauouring to become patient and long suffering as God is with vs. The second propertie of long suffering is to keepe the affection of anger in moderation and compasse It is not alwaies a sinne to be angrie and therefore it is said of Christ in whome was no blemish of sinne that he was angrie yet we must looke that our anger be moderate not continuing ouerlong as Paul saith Let not the sunne goe downe vpon your wrath The fifth fruit of the spirit is gentlenes whereby a man behaueth and sheweth himselfe friendly and courteous to euery man as Paul saith to Titus Put them in remembrance that they speake euill of no man that they be no fighters but soft shewing all meekenes vnto all men whether they be good or bad This gentlenes standeth in these points I. to speake to euery man friendly and louingly II. to salute friendly and courteously III. to be readie vpon euery occasion to giue reuerence and honour to euery man in his place It is made a question of some whether a man is to salute and speake vnto them that are knowne to be leud and wicked men but here we see what our dutie is in that we are taught to be courteous to all men both good and bad yet so as we approoue not of their sinnes as for that which S. Iohn saith of false prophets receiue them not neither bid them God speede it is to be vnderstood of giuing an outward approbation to false teachers The sixt fruit is goodnes which is when a man is readie to doe good and become seruiceable in his calling to all men at all times vpon all occasions This was to be seene in that holy man Iob he saith that he was eyes to the blind and feete to the lame a father vnto the poore and when he knew not the cause he sought it out And S. Paul shewed this fruit most notably after his conuersion for he saith that he was made all things to all men that he might saue some He was content to vndergoe any thing for the good of any man And as we haue heard the godly are trees of righteousnes bearing fruit not for themselues but for others and therefore Paul in the epistle to the Galatians giueth this rule Doe seruice one to another in
haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abâ—a that isâ— father And Rom. 8.26 Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request And Zach. 12.10 the holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace and deprecatioâ—s or praiers Well then the man that would pray must haue Gods spirit to be his schoole-master to teach him to pray with grones and sighes of the heart for the words make not the prayer but the grones and desires of his heart and a man praies for no more then he desires with the heart and he which desires nothing praies not at all but spends lip-labour The second worke of the spirit is to assure vs in our consciences that we are in the state of grace reconciled to God Rom. 8.16 The spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God And this inward certificate of the spirit in all exercises of inuocation is very necessarie for he which wants this assurance if he be secure and benummed in his sinnes will not and if he be touched in conscience for them for his life dare not cal God father Also this confutes the opinion of the Church of Rome which teacheth that man is to doubt whether he be adopted or no. For how can a man truly call God father when he doubts whether he be the child of God or no It is a miserable kind of praying to cal God father and withall to doubt whether he be a father Indeede it is true that doubts will often arise but it is our dutie to striue against them and not to yeeld to them Yea but say they to be certaine of Gods mercy is presumption I answer if it be presumption it is an holy presumption because God hath bidden vs to call him father Our Father 1. The meaning THus much of the argument of relation now let vs proceedeâ— It is further said Our father And he is so tearmed because he is the father of Christ by nature and in him the father of euery beleeuer yea of the whole bodie of the Church Quest. Whether may it be lawfull for vs in praier to say not our father but my father Ans. A Christian may in priuate praier say My father This is warranted by the example of our Sauiour Matth. 26. â—9 O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And Math. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Thomas praied My Lord and my God And Paul I giue thanks to my God c. And Gods promise is Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me my father The meaning of Christ is not to binde vs to these words but to teach vs that in our praiers we must not haue regard to our selues onely but also to our brethren and therefore when we pray for them in our priuate praiers as for our selues we put in practise the true meaning of these words 2. The vses When we pray wee must not make request onely for our selues and our owne good but for others also as the church and people of God perswading our selues that we also are partakers of their praiers and for the better cleering of this point let vs search who they are for whome wee are to pray Of men there be two sorts some liuingâ— some dead Of these two kinds the liuing are to be praied for and there is no praying for the dead A man that is dead knowes what shall bee his estate eternally if he died a wicked person that is an vnrepentant sinner his state shall bee according in eternall torment if he died hauing repented of his sinnes then hee shall rest with God in his kingdome Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are they which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Gal. 6.10 While wee haue time let vs doe good to all men Where wee may note that there is a time namely after death when we cannot doe good to others Again of the liuing some are our enemies some our friends Our friends are they which are of the same religion affection and disposition Foes are either priuate or publike Publike foes are either enemies to our countrie as tyrants traitors c. or enemies to our religion as Iewes Turkes Papists Infidels Atheists Now towards all these how ought a man to behaue himselfe in praier Ans. He is to pray for them all Matth. 5.44 Pray for them which hurt you and persecute you 1. Tim. 2.1 I exhort that praiers intercessions c. be made for all men for kings c. Yet wheÌ„ Paul gaue this commandement we read not that there were any Christian kings but all Infidels And the Iewes are commanded to pray for Babylon where they were captiue Ierem. 29.7 And seeke the prosperitie of the cittie whither I haue caused you to be carried captiue and pray vnto the Lord for it Question How and in what manner are wee to pray for our enemies Ans. We are to praie against their â—innes counsels enterprises but not against their persons Thus praied Dauid against Achitophel 2. Sam. 15.31 Lord I pray thee bring the counsell of Achitophel to foolishnesse And thus did the Apostles pray against their persecutors Act. 4.29 O Lord behold their threatnings and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speake thy word Question Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies in which he prayeth for their vtter confusion as Psal. 59. 109. c. The like is done by Paul Gal. 5.1 2. Tim. 4.14 and Peter Act. 8. 20. though afterwards he mitigates his execration But how could they doe it Ans. 1. They were indued with an extraordinarie measure of Gods spirit and hereby they were inabled to discerne of their enemies and certainly to iudge that their wickednes and malice was incurable and that they should neuer repent And the like praiers did the Primitiue church coÌ„ceiue against Iulian the Apostata because they perceiued him to be a malitious desperate enemie 2. Secondly they were indued with a pure zeale and not carried with desire of reuenge against their enemies intending nothing els but the glorie of God Nowe for vs it is good that wee should suspect our zeale because sinister affections as hatred enuie emulation desire of reuenge will easily mingle themselues therewith Question How farre forth may we vse those Psalmes in which Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies Ans. They are to bee read and song with these caueats I. We are to vse those imprecations indefinitely against the enemies of God and his Church for we may perswade our selues that alwaies there be some such obstinate enemies but we must not applie them particularly 2. Secondly we must vse them as Augustine saith as certaine propheticall sentences of the holy Ghost pronouncing the last sentence of destruction vpon final and impenitent sinners which oppose themselues against Gods kingdome 3. They may be vsed against our spirituall
Christs wine seller shall fall into a swowne and not feele any refreshing there Yet the beleeuer is not to be dismayd if he feele not alwaies comfort presently after the Sacrament A sicke man feeles no comfort or nourishment when he eateth meate and yet it preserueth his life So the weake christian though he feele himselfe not nourished at the Sacrament by Christs bodie and blood yet he shall see in time that his soule shall be preserued thereby vnto euerlasting life Furthermore when a christian feeleth no comfort by the Sacrament let him then humble himselfe before the Lord more heartily then euer before confessing his sinnes and praying for increase of grace and then he shall feele the fruit of the Sacrament XLIX The third worke is a relieuing of the poore brethren in Christ proceeding of a brotherly kindnes towards them This is a speciall worke not to be done to all men alike as Saint Paul saith Doe good to all men but especially to them of the houshold of faith Directions for this matter are the faithfull of Hierusalem Who were all in one place and had all things common namely in vse And they sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euery one had neede Also the brethren at Corinth in their extreame pouertie relieued the churches of Macedonia liberally not onely according to their power but also straining theÌ„selues beyond their power Yea this reliefe must goe further euen to the bestowing of a mans life if neede so require as Saint Iohn saith Hereby we haue perceiued loue that he laid downe his life for vs therefore we ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren L. The fourth worke is true praier and Saint Luke setteth out the faithfull the children of God by this description That they call on the name of the lord As on the contrarie it is said of the wicked That they call not vpon God The true Christian calleth on the Lord in truth For the spirit of adoption which is the spirit of prayer is his Schoolemaster to teach him to doe it In praier he is thus disposed first before he praieth he is stricken with some feare and reuerence in regard of Gods maiestie for he considereth that praier is a familiar talking with God Secondly he is inwardly touched with a liuely feeling of his owne wants but especially he is vexed and grieued at his owne sinne and rebellion and this sense of his miserie is as a spurre to quicken his benummed heart Thirdly he humbleth himselfe before his God and laieth open his heart before the Lord shewing a feruent and longing desire to obtaine those things of which he findeth an extreame want in himselfe as the Prophet Dauid did whose desire was like the yawning of the drie ground and this proceedeth from the spirit of God which stirreth vp groanings in the heart which a man oftentimes for his life cannot expresse Fourthly when he maketh his request he doubteth not but by faith he beleeueth that God will grant his requests which he maketh according to his word The ground of his perswasion is double the first is Christ Iesus by whose merits as he hath obtained remission of sinnes so he looketh to obtaine all things else The other ground is the comfortable promises of God which he hath made that he will heare them who truely call vpon him Fiftly he praieth not for a brunt or two but he continueth in praier And although God seeme not to heare him at the first yet hee patiently waiteth on the Lord and still calleth vpon him LI. The fift worke is to walke in some lawefull calling with painefulnesse and vprightnesse so that in performing all the duties of it a man may keepe a good conscience before God and men Thus Dauid determined to walke in the gouernment of his house and kingdome I will doe wisely saith he in the perfect way till thou commest to me I will walke in the vprightnesse of mine heart in the middest of mine house I will set no wicked thing before mine eies I hate the work of them that fall away it shall not cleaue vnto me This sinceritie of Dauids behauiour in his calling made him bolde to offer himselfe to be tried not onely by men but much more by the Lord God himselfe and to bee punished accordingly Iudge me O Lord saith he for I haue walked in mine innocencie Prooue me O Lord and trie me examine my reines and mine heart So vpright and cleere was he in all his doings LII Thus much of faith and the benefits that come by faith Nowe followeth the spirituall exercise of a Christian in his manifold temptations which are in this life inseparable companions of grace The reason is because the deuil hateth Christ with a deadly hatred and sheweth this hatred in a continual persecution of his members as Saint Iohn saith the dragon was wroth with the woman and went and made warre with the remnant of her seede which kept the commandements of god and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now therfore as soone as Christ Iesus beginneth to shewe any token of his loue to any man the deuil contrariwise sheweth forth his enmitie and stirs vp his fellow champions the flesh and the world to warre against him for his confusion And furthermore the Lord in great wisdome permits temptations to the last ende of a Christian man life to trie his faith to purge him of sinne to humble him and to make him depend of his Maiestie to quicken and reuiue the graces of his spirit which otherwise would be dead and decay LIII The temptations of a Christian are specially sixe The first is when inwardly in his heart he is drawn away and intised by his owne concupiscence vnto any sinne The Christians exercise in temptation is a fight and battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit And this fighting standeth in foure things First the flesh stirs vp euil thoughts and desires as a burning furnace continually sendeth vp smoake and sparkes of fire and it eggeth a man forward to euil words and deeds according to that of S. Marke For from within euen from the heart of a man proceede euill thouâ—hts adulteries fornications murders thefâ—s couetousnesse wickednesse deceit vnâ—leannes a wicked eye backbiting pride foolishnesse II. The flesh hindereth and choketh the good motions and desires of the heart as Paul saith I see another law in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde and leading me captiue to the lawe of sinne which is in my members Againe the same flesh mingleth euery good motion and desire with some corruptions so that the godly mislike the best thing they doe Esay saith of his owne and the peoples righteousnesse that it is but a menstruous cloute The praiers of the Saints must be
the ende in faith and a true confession of Christ ioyned with a manifest care to liue a godly life and a desire to glorifie him For this gift is bestowed vpon all the elect as the Lord promiseth by Ieremie I will put my feare into their hearts that they may not depart from me And when they shall come to the end of their liues they shall be receiued into the heauenly glorie vntill such time as their bodies also beeing raised vp they may take full possession of eternall life Thus we see that it is very certaine that those which are elected to eternall life are also predestinate to vse those meanes by which as by certaine steps and staires they climbe into that heauenly dwelling place And therefore that we were predestinate to these meanes namely Faith Iustification and good workes because we were elected to eternall life according to the purpose and grace of God Wherefore by this meanes the doctrine also of the Pelagians is confuted as touching predestination to life by our faith and workes which God foresaw we should doe Whereas on the contrarie therefore God did predestinate vs to faith and good workes because he did choose vs to eternall life For the Apostle saith not I obtained mercie because I was faithfull or because I should be faithfull but that I might be faithfull Neither saith he that we are elected in Christ because we should be holy and without blame but that we might be holy and without blame Neither doth he say that we were created in Christ because we did or should doe good works but we were created to good works which God prepared that we might walke in them Lastly he saith not that the grace of Christ appeared because we were to liue soberly iustly and godly but that it therefore appeared that we denying all vngodlines and the lusts of this world might liue soberly iustly and godly iâ— this present world We see therefore that by this doctrine that wicked opinion is ouerthrowne which teacheth that we doe preuent the grace of God by our merits which God foresaw And on the contrarie here we see how foully the bellygods of this world are deceiued which reason thus if we be predestinate to eternall life and our predestination be certaine and vnchangeable what neede wee endeauour our selues beleeue or doe good workes for howsoeuer it fall out and howesoeuer the elect doe liue vndoubtedly they cannot perish because they are predestinate to eternall life Alas poore wretches they see not that they seuer those things that are to be conioyned namely the ende and the meanes of the ende that they breake the chaine which in no wise either can or must be loosed whilst that they seuer their calling iustification yea and Faith too good workes from predestination and glorification As though God did glorifie them whome he did predestinate before he called and iustified them yea and before they can beleeue and shewe their quicke and liuely faith by workes Contrariwise let vs learne what our dutie is If any be elect to eternall life they also are predestinate to the meanes by which they come vnto it And wee beleeue as wee are bound to doe that wee are predestinate to eternall life and therefore we must also beleeue that we haue beene elected to faith and good workes that by them as by certaine steps wee might bee brought to eternall life And therefore so farre must we be from neglecting Faith and the meanes of good works of a holy life that contrariwise it is rather our dutie to keep Faith in a good conscience and to be conuersant in good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them And because we can neither attaine to the ende nor the meanes that bring vs therevnto of our selues Therfore it is our part to craue them at Gods hands by praier that hee would giue vs faith and a care to doe good workes and increase them in vs. Neither must we onely aske them but also certainely trust that wee shall obtaine them for Christ his cause For if for all them which are predestinated to eternall life God hath prepared faith by which they may beleeue and good workes to walke in therefore if we beleeue as by Gods commandement we are bound that we are in Christ elected to eternall glorie wee must also be perswaded that before we depart hence hee wil giue vs true repentance encrease true faith inflame vs with loue lastly that hee will minister vnto vs aboundantly all things in Christ to obtaine the ende Yea this confidence also and praier it is one effect of predestination by which wee get the rest Therefore this doctrine we must hold that predestination to eternall life doth not take away the meanes of obtaining it but rather establish them And therfore both these principles are true namely that the elect to life cannot perish and vnlesse a man beleeue in Christ and perseuere vnto the ende in this faith working by loue he shall perish The reason is because in predestination the means the end of it are so ioyned togither that the one can not be seuered from the other Wherefore whosoeuer holdeth not the meanes vnto the ende amongest which faith is one it is manifest that he was neuer predestinate and therefore must needes perish as on the contrarie he which holdeth faith must needes be saued So the truth of these propositions is euident He which beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternal life contrariwise he which beleeueth not in the sonne the anger of God remaineth vpon him because as a constant faith is a signe of election so obstinate infidelitie is a token of reprobation FINIS Bradfords answer to Careles Careles I Am troubled with feare that my sinnes are not pardoned Bradford They are for God hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue For such an one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede Trin-vni Deo gloria A DIRECTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGVE according to Gods word Printed by Iohn Legate Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the reader CHristian Reader lamentable and feâ—â—efull is the abuse of the tongue among all sortes degrees of men euerâ— where Hence daily arise manifold sinnes against God and â—nnuâ—erable scandals and grieuances to our brethren It would make a mans heart to bleede to heare and consider howe Swearing Blaspheming Cursed speaking Raâ—ling Backbiting Slandering Chiding Quarrelling CoÌ„tending Iesting Mocking Flattering Lying Dissembling Vaine and idle talking ouerflow in all placeâ— so as men which feare God had better bee any where then in the companie of most men Well thou art thou a man which hast made little conscience of thy speech and talke repent seriously of this sinne and amend thy life least for the abusing of thy tongue thou crie with Diues in hell Send
suffereth for his sinne It is true indeede there bee other causes of the wantes of the bodie and of sickenesse beside sinne and though they be not knowne to vs yet they are knowne to the Lord. Hereupon Christ when he sawe a certaine blind man and was demaunded what was the cause of the blindnesse answered neither hath this man sinned nor his pareÌ„ts but that the work of God should be shewed on him Yet wee for our parts who are to goe not by the secret but by the reuealed will of God must make this vse of our sickenes that it is sent vnto vs for our sinnes When Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie he saieth bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and when he had healed the man by the poole of Bethesda that had bin sicke thirtie eight yeares he bids him sinne no more least a worst thing happen vnto him giuing them both to vnderstand that their sickenesse came by reason of their sinnes And thus should euery sicke man resolue himselfe Nowe when wee haue proceeded thus farre and haue as it were laid our finger vpon the right and proper cause of our sicknes three things concerning our sinnes must bee performed of vs in sickenesse First we must make a new examination of our heartes and liues and say as the Israelites said in affliction Let vs search and â—ry our waies and turne againe to the Lord. Secondly we must make a newe confession to God of our new and particular sinnes as God sends new corrections and chastisements When Dauid had the hand of God verie heauie vpon him for his sinnes so as his verie bones and moisture consumed within him he made confession of them vnto God and thereupon obtained his pardon and was healed The third thing is to make newe praier and more earnest the euer before with sighes and grones of the spirit and that for pardon of the same sins and for reconciliation with God in Christ. In the exercise of these three duties standes the renouation of our faith and repentance whereby they are increased quickened and reuiued And the more sickenesse preuailes and takes place in the bodie the more should we bee carefull to put them in vre that spirituall life might increase as temporall life is decaied When King Ezechias lay sicke as he thought vpon his death-bed hee wept as for some other causes so also for his sinnes and withall he praied God to cast them behind his backe Dauid made certaine Psalmes when he was sicke or at the least vpon the occasion of his sickenes as namely the 6. the 32. the 38. the 39 c. they all are psalmes of repentance in which we may see howe in distresse of bodie and minde he renewed his faith and repentance heartely bewailing his sinnes and intreating the Lord for the pardon of them Manasses one that fell from God and gaue himselfe to many horrible sinnes when hee was taken captiue and imprisoned in Babylon he praied to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his kingdome and then Manasses knewe that the Lord was God Nowe looke what Manasses did in this tribulation the same thing must wee doe in the time of our bodily sickenesse Here I haue occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age euen among such as haue long liued in the bosome of the Church that is this Men nowe a daies are so farre from renuing their faith and repentance that when they lie sicke and are drawing toward death they must bee Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance as if they had beene but of late receiued into the Church Whosoeuer will but as occasion is offered visit the sicke shall finde this to bee true which I say What a shame is this that when a man hath spent his life and daies in the Church for the space of twentie or thirtie or fourtie yeares he should at the verie ende of all and not before begin to inquire what faith and what repentance is and howe his soule might bee saued This one sinne argues the great securitie of this age and the great contempt of God and his worde Well let all men hereafter in time to come be warned to take heede of this exceeding negligence in matters of saluation and to vse all good meanes before hand that they may be able in sicknesse and in the time of death to put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance Nowe if so be it fall out that the sicke partie cannot of himselfe renewe his owne faith and repentance he must seeke the helpe of others When the man that was sicke of the dead palsie could not goe to Christ himselfe hee got others to beare him in his bed and when they could not come nere for the multitude they vncouered the roofe of the house and let the bed downe before Christ euen so when sicke men can not alone by themselues do the good duties to which they are bound they must borrowe helpe from their fellowe members who are partly by their counsel to put to their helping hand and partly by their praiers to present them vnto God and to bring them into the presence of God And touching helpe in this case sundrie duties are to bee performed Saint Iames sets down foure two wherof concerne the sicke patient and other two such as be helpers The first dutie of the sicke man is to send for helpe where two circumstances must be considered who must be sent for and when For the first Saint Iames saith Is any sicke among you let him call for the elders of the Church Whereby are meant not onely Apostles and all ministers of the gospell but others also as I take it which were men ancient for yeares indued with the spirit of vnderstanding and praier and had withall the gift of working miracles and of healing the sicke For in the primitiue Church this gift was for a time so plentifully bestowed on them that beleeued in Christ that souldiers cast out deuills and parents wrought miracles on their children Hence we may learne that howesoeuer it be the dutie of the ministers of the word principally to visit and comfort the sicke yet is it not their dutie alone for it belongs to them also which haue knowledge of Gods worde the gift of praier Exhort one another saith the holy Ghost while it is called to daie And againe Admonish them that are disordered and comfort those that are weake And indeede in equitie it should be the duty of euerie Christian man to comfort his brother in sickenesse Here wee must needes take knowledge of the common fault of men and women when they come to visit their neighbours and friends they can not speake a work of instruction and
when hee had confirmed this by testimonie of Scripturâ— he added This is my faith in which I will die and God will destroy them that teach otherwise This done he shooke hands with all and said Farewell my brethren and deare friends It were easie to quote more examples but these few may be in stead of many and the summe of all that godly men speake is this Some inlightened with a propheticall spirit foretell things to come as the Patriarkes Iacob and Ioseph did and there haue bin some which by name haue testified who should verie shortly come after them and who should remaine aliue and what should be their condition some haue shewed a wonderfull memorie of things past as of their former life and of the benefits of God and no doubt it was giuen them to stirre vp holy affections and thanksgiuing to God some againe rightly iudging of the change of their present estate for a better doe reioyce exceedingly that they must be translated from earth to paradise as Babylas Martyr of Antioch when his head was to be chopped off Returne saith he O my soule vnto thy rest because the Lord hath blessed thee because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eies from teares and my foote from falling I shall walke before thee Iehoua in the land of the liuing And some others speake of the vanitie of this life of the imagination of the sorrowes of death of the beginnings of eternall life of the comfort of the holy Ghost which they feele of their departure vnto Christ. Quest. What must we thinke if in the time of death such speeches be wanting and in the stead thereof idle talke be vsed Ans. Wee must consider the kind of sicknes whereof men die whether it be more easie or violent for violent sicknes is vsually accompanied with frensies and with vnseemely motions and gestures which wee are to take in good part euen in this regard because we our selues may be in the like case Thus much of the first dutie which is to die in faith the second is to die in obedience otherwise our death cannot bee aceeptable to God because wee seeme to come vnto God of feare and constraint as slaues to a master not of loue as children to a father Nowe to die in obedience is when a man willing and readie and desirous to goe out of this worlde whensoeuer God shall call him and that without murmuring or repining at what time where and wheÌ„ it shall please god Whether we liue or die saith Paul we do it not to our selues but vnto God and therefore mans dutie is to bee obedient to God in death as in life Christ is our example in this case who in his agonie praied Father let this cup passe from me yet with a submission not my will but thy will be done teaching vs in the very pangs of death to resigne our selues to the good pleasure of God When the prophet told king Ezechiah of death presently without all manner of grudging or repining he addressed himselfe to praier We are commanded to present our selues vnto God as free-will offerings without any limitation of time and therefore as well in death as in life I conclude then that we are to make as much conscience in performing obedience to God in suffering death as we do of any coÌ„scieÌ„ce in the course of our liues The third dutie is to render vp our soules into the handes of God as the most faithfull keeper of all This is the last dutie of a Christian and it is prescribed vnto vs in the example of Christ vpon the crosse who in the very pangs of death when the dissolution of bodie and soule drew on said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and so gaue vp the ghost The like was done by Steuen who when he was stoned to death said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And Dauid in his life time being in danger of death vsed the very same words that Christ vttered Thus we see what be the duties which we are to performe in the very paÌ„gs of death that we may come to eternall life Some man will happily say if this be all to die in faith and obedience and to surrender our soules into Gods haÌ„d we will not greatly care for any preparation before hand nor trouble our selues much about the right manner of dying well for we doubt not but that when death shall come we shall be able to perform all the former duties with ease Ans. Let no man deceiue himselfe by any false perswasion thinking with himselfe that the practise of the foresaid duties is a matter of ease for ordinarily they are not neither can they be performed in death vnles there bee much preparation in the life before Hee that will die in faith must first of all liue by faith and there is but one example in all the bible of a man dying in faith that liued without faith namely the theife vpon the crosse The seruants of God that are endued with great measure of grace doe very hardly beleeue in the time of affliction Indeede when Iob was afflicted he said Though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him yet afterward his faith being ouercast with a cloud he saith that God was become his enemie and that he had set him as a marke to shoot at and sundry times his faith was oppressed with doubting and distrust How then shall they that neuer liued by faith nor inured themselues to beleeue bee able in the pang of death to rest vpon the mercie of God Againe hee that would die in obedience must first of all lead his life in obedience he that hath liued in disobedience can not willingly and in obedience appeare before the iudge when he is cited by death the sergeant of the Lord he dies indeede but that is vpon necesâ—itie because hee must yeelde to the order and course of nature as other creatures do Thirdly he that would surrender his soule into the hands of God must be resolued of two things the one is that God can the other is that God will receiue his soule into heauen and there preserue it till the last iudgement And none can be resolued of this except he haue the spirit of God to certifie his conscience that hee is redeemed iustified sanctified by Christ and shall be glorified He that is not thus perswaded dare not render vp and present his soule vnto God When Dauid said Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit what was the reason of this boldnesse in him surely nothing els but the perswasion of faith as the next words import for thou hast redeemed mee O Lord God of trueth And thus it is manifest that no man ordinarily can performe these duties dying that hath not performed them liuing This beeing so I doe againe renewe my former exhortation beseeching you that ye would practise the duties of preparatioÌ„ in the course of your liues leading
them daily in faith and obedience and from time to time commending our soules into the hand of God casting all our works vpon his prouidence They which haue done this haue made most happie blessed ends Enoch by faith walked walked with God as one that was alwaies in his presence leading an vpright and godly life and the Lord tookeâ— him away that hee should not see death And this which befell Enoch shall after a sort befall them also that liue in faith and obedience because death shall bee no death but a sleepe vnto them and no enemie but a friende to bodie and soule On the contrarie let vs consider the wretched and miserable endes of them that haue spent their daies in their sinnes without keeping faith and good conscience The people of the olde worlde were drowned in the floode the filthie Sodomites and Gomorrheans were destroyed with fire from heauen Dathan and Abiram with the companie of Core swallowed vp of the earth Core himself as it seemes by the text beeing burnt with fire wicked Saul and Achitophel and Iudas destroy themselues Herod is eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost Iulian the Apostata smitten with a dart in the fielde died casting vp his blood into the aire and blaspheming the name of Christ. Arius the hereticke died vpon the stoole scouring foorth his verie entralls And this veriâ— age affoards store of like examples Hofâ—meister a great Papist as he was going to the councill of Ralisbone to dispute against the defenders of the gospell was suddenly in his iourney preuented by the hand of God and miserably died with horrible roaring and crying out in the vniuersity of Louaine Guarlacus a learned Papist falling sicke when he perceiued no way with him but death he sel into a miserable agony and perturbation of spirit crying out of his sinsâ— howe miserably he had liued and that he was not able to abide the iudgement of God and so casting out wordes of miserable desperation said his sinnes were greater then they could be pardoned and in that desperation ended his daies Iacobus Latromus of the same Vniuersitie of Louaine after that hee had beene at Bruxels and there thinking to doe a great act against Luther and his fellowes made an oration before the Emperour so foolishly and ridiculously that he was laughed to scorne almost of the whole court then returning from thence to Louaine againe in his publike lecture hee fell into open madnesse vttering such words of desperation and blasphemous impietie that other diuines which were present were faine to carrie him away as he was rauing to shut him into a close chamber From that time to his verie last breath hee had neuer any thing else in his mouth but that he was damned reiected of god and that there was no hope of saluation for him because that wittingly and against his knowledge he withstood the maniest truth of Gods word Crescentius the Popes Legate and vicegerent in the Council of Trent was â—itting all the daie long vntill darke night in writing of letters to the Pope after his labour when night was come thinking to refresh himselfe he began to rise and at his rising behold there appeared to him a mightie blacke dogge of an huge bignesse his eies flaming with fire and his eares hanging low down wel neere to the ground which began to enter in and straight to come towards him so to couch vnder the boord The Cardinall not a little amased at the sight thereof somewhat recouering himselfe called to his seruants which were in the outward chamber next by to bring in a candle and to seek for the dogge But when the dogge could not bee found there nor in any other chamber about the Cardinall thereupon stricken with a sudden conceit of minde immediately fell into such a sickenes whereof his Phisitians which he had about him could not with all their industrie and cunning cure him and thereupon he died Steuen Gardiner when a certaine bishop came vnto him and put him in minde of Peter denying his master answered again that he had denied with Peter but neuer repented with Peter so to vse M. Foxes words stinkingly vnrepentantly died More examples might be added but these shall suffice Againe that wee may bee further induced to the practise of these duties let vs call to minde the vncertaintie of our daies though we now liue yet who can say that hee shall bee aliue the next daieâ— or the next houre No man hath a lease of his life Nowe marke as death leaues a man so shall the last iudgement find him and therfore if death take him away vnprepared eternal damnation followes without recouerie If a theife bee brought from prison either to the barre to be arraigned before the iudge or to the place of exequâ—tion he will bewaile his misdeameanour past and promise all reformation of life so be it he might be deliuered though he be the most arrant theefe that euer was In this case we are as fellons or theeues for we are euery day going to the barre of Gods iudgement there is no stay nor standing in the way euen as the shippe in the sea continues on his course day and night whether the marriners be sleeping or waking therefore let vs all prepare our selues and amend our liues betime that in death we may make a blessed ende Ministers of the Gospel doe daily call for the performance of this dutie but where almost shall we finde the practise and obedience of it in mens liues and conuersations Alas alas to lend our eares for the space of an houre to heare the will of God is common but to giue heart and hand to doe the same is rare And the reason hereof is at hand we are all most grieuous sinners and euery sinner in the tearmes of Scripture is a foole and a principall part of this follie is to care for the things of this world and to neglect the kingdome of heauen to prouide for the bodie and not for the soule to cast and forecast how we may liue in wealth and honour and ease and not to vse the last forecast to die well This folly our Sauiour Christ noted in the rich man that was carefull to inlarge his barnes but had no care at all for his ende or for the saluation of his soule Such an one was Achitophel who as the Scripture tearmes him was as the very oracle of God for counsell beeing a man of great wisdome and forecast in the matters of the common-wealth and in his owne priuate worldly affaires and yet for all this he had not so much as common sense and reason to consider how he might die the death of the righteous and come to life euerlasting And this follie the holy Ghost hath noted in him For the text saith when he saw that his counsell was despised he sadled his asse and arose and went home into his citie
made and kept or not kept so farreforth as in conscience they may stand or not stand with our libertie purchased by Christ. III. The vowe must bee made with consent of superiours if wee bee vnder gouernment Thus among the Iewes the vowe of a daughter might not stand vnlesse the consent of Parents came thereunto IV. It must bee in the power abilitie of the maker thereof to doe or not to doe A vowe made of a thing impossible is no vowe V. It must be agreeable to the calling of him that maketh it that is both to his generall calling as he is a Christian and to that particular calling whereein he liueth If it be against either one or both it is vnlawfull VI. It must bee made with deliberation Rash vowes be not lawfull though the things vowed may be done lawefully VII The ende must be good which is to preserue and exercise the gifts of faith prayer repentance obedience and other vertues of the minde as also to testifie our thankefulnesse vnto God for blessings receiued These are the principall rules that must be obserued in making of vowes and herewithall must be remembred that vowes made on this manner are by themselues no part of Gods worship but onely helpes and furtherances thereunto and thus are we to esteeme of all the vowes of the newe Testament And 〈◊〉 much of speciall vowes and of our consent herein The dissent or difference The points of difference betweene vs touching vowes are especially three I. The Church of Rome teacheth that in the new Testament we are as much bound to make vowes as was the Church of the Iewes and that euen in externall exercises We say no considering the ceremoniall law is now abolished and we haue onely two ceremonies by commaundement to be obserued Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Againe we are not so much bound to make or keepe vowes as the Iewes were because they had a commandement so to doe and we haue none at all But they alleadge to the contrarie the Prophet Esai chap. 19.20 who speaking of the time of the Gospel saith The Egyptians shall know the Lord and shall vowe vnto him and keepe it I answer two waies first that the Prophet in this place expresseth and signifieth the spirituall worshippe of the new Testament by ceremoniall worshippe then vsed as he doth also in the last chapter where he calleth the ministers of the new testament Priests and Levites Secondly we grant the Church of the new Testament makes vowes vnto God but they are of morall and euangelicall duties which must not be left vndone and if vowing will indeede further them it is not to be neglected And therefore so oft as we come to the Lords Table we in heart renew the vowe and promise of obedience And though vowes be made of things and actions indifferent yet are they not any parts of Gods worship which is the point to be prooued Againe they alleadge Psal. 75.11 Vowe vnto God and performe it And they say that this commaundement bindes all men Answ. That commaundement first bindes the Iewes to the making of ceremoniall vowes Againe Dauid here speakes of the vowing of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God and so he expoundes himselfe Psal. 56. 12. My vowes are vpon me I will offer praises vnto God and this vow indeede concerneth all men because it respects a morall dutie which is to set forth the praise of God II. Point of difference They also hold that vowes made euen of things not commanded as meates drinkes attire c. are parts of Gods worship yea that they tende to a state of perfection in that the keeping of them brings man to an higher estate then the keeping of the law can doe We flatly say no holding that lawfull vowes be certaine staies and proppes of Gods worship and not the worship it selfe For Paul saith plainely 1. Tim. 4.8 Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable for much Againe as Gods kingdome is so must his worship be and Gods kingdome standeth not in outward things as in eating drinking and such like actions and therefore his worship standeth not in outward things III. Point of difference They maintaine such vowes to be made as are not agreeable to the rules before named and herein also we are to dissent from them The first and principall is the vowe of continencie whereby a man promiseth to God to keepe chastitie alwaies in single life that is out of the estate of wedlocke This kinde of vow is flatte against the word of God and therefore vnlawfull For Paul saith 1. Corinth 7.9 If they can not containe let them marrie 1. Tim. 4.1 It is a doctrine of deuills to forbidde to marrie Hebr. 13.4 Marriage is honourable among all and the bedde vndefiled Againe this vow is not in the power of himselfe that voweth for continencie is the gift of God who giueth not it vnto all but to whome he will and when he will and as long as he will They alleadge that in the want of continencie fasting and praier obtaine it Answ. It is not so Gods gifts be of two sorts some are common to all beleeuers as the gift of faith repentance and the feare of God c. others are peculiar to some onely as the gift of continencie 1. Corinth 7.7 I would that all men were as I my selfe am but euery man hath his proper gift of God one this way an other that way Now if we fast and pray for the increase of the common gifts of God as faith repentance and all such as are needefull to saluation we may obtaine them in some measure but the like can not be said of particular gifts The child of God may pray for health or wealth and not obtaine either of them in this world because it is not the will of God to vouchsafe these blessings to all men and Paul praied three times to be deliuered from a temptation and yet obtained not his suite And so may we likewise pray for chastitie in single estate and yet neuer obtaine it because it may be it is the will of God to saue vs without it This vowe therefore we abhorre as a thing that hath heretofore and doth still bring forth innumerable abhominations in the world Yet here marke in what manner we doe it First of all though we mislike the vow yet we like and commend single life Marriage indeede is better in two respects first because God hath ordained it to be a remedie of continencie to all such persons as can not containe secondly because it is the seminarie both of Church and common-wealth and it bringeth forth a seede of God for the inlarging of his kingdome Yet single life in them that haue the gift of continencie is in some respects to be preferred First because it brings libertie in persecution Thus Paul saith 1. Corin. 7.26 I suppose it to be good for the present necessitie for a man so to be Secondly because it
it selfe can make any man to merit But where may wee finde these workes not in the person of any meere man or angel nor in all men and angels but onely in the person of Christ God and man whose workes are not onely answerable to the perfection of the lawe but goe farre beyond the same For first the obedience of his life considered alone by it selfe was answerable euen to the rigour of the lawe and therefore the sufferings of his death and passion were more then the lawe could require at his hand considering it requireth no punishment of him that is a doer of all things contained therein Secondly the very rigour of the lawe requireth obedience onely of them that are meere men but the obedience of Christ was the obedience of a person that was both God and man Thirdly the lawe requires personall obedience that is that euery man fulfill the law for himselfe and it speakes of no more Christ obeyed the law for himselfe not because hee did by his obedience merit his owne glorie but because he was to be a perfect and pure high priest not onely in nature but also in life and as he was a creature he was to be conformable to the lawe Nowe the obedience which Christ performed was not for himselfe alone but it serueth also for all the elect considering it was the obedience of God as Paul signified when he said feede the Church of God which he purchased with his blood it was sufficient for many thousand worlds by reason the lawe requireth no obedience of him that is God this obedience therefore may truely be tearmed a worke of supererrogation This one wee acknowledge and beside this we dare acknowledge none And thus farre we agree with the Church of Rome in the doctrine of the estate of perfection and further wee dare not goe The difference The Papists hold as the writings of the learned among them teach that a man beeing in the state of grace may not onely keep all the commandements of the lawe and thereby deserue his owne saluation but also goe beyonde the lawe and doe workes of supererrogation which the lawe requireth not as to performe the vowe of single life and the vow of regular obedience c. And by this meanes they say men deserue a greater degree of glorie then the lawe can affoard Of perfection they make two kinds one they call necessarie perfection which is the fulfilling of the lawe in euery commandement whereby eternall life is deserued The second is profitable perfection when men doe not onely such things as the law requires but ouer and besides they make certain vowes and performe certaine other duties which the law inioynes not for the doing whereof they shall bee rewarded with a greater measure of glory then the lawe designeth This they make plaine by comparison Two souldiers fight in the fielde vnder one and the same captaine the one onely keepes his standing and thereby deserues his paie the other in keeping of his place doth also winne the enemies standard or doe some other notable exploit now this man besides his pay deserues some greater reward And thus say they it is with all true Catholikes in the state of grace they that keep the law shall haue life eternall but they that doe more then the lawe as workes of supererrogation shall be crowned with greater glorie This is their doctrine But we on the contrarie teach that albeit we are to striue to a perfection as much as we can yet no man can fulfill the lawe of God in this life much lesse doe workes of supererrogation for the confirmation whereof these reasons may be vsed I. In the morall lawe two things are commanded First the loue of God and mā Secondly the manner of this loue nowe the manner of louing God is to loue him with all our heart and strength Luk. 10.27 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy thought c. As Bernard said The measure of louing god is to loue him without measure and that is to loue him with the greatest perfection of loue that can befall a creature Hence it followes that in louing God no man can possibly doe more then the lawe requireth and therfore the performance of all vowes whatsoeuer all like duties comes short of the intention or scope of the law II Reason The compasse of the law is large comprehendeth in it more then the minde of man can at the first conceiue for euery commandement hath two parts the negatiue and the affirmatiue In the negatiue is forbidden not onely the capitall sinne named as murther theft adulterie c. but all sinns of the same kinde with all occasions and prouocations thereto And in the affirmatiue is commanded not onely the contrarie vertues as the loue of God and the loue of our neigbours honour life chastitie goods good name but the vse of all helpes and meanes whereby the saide vertues may bee preserued furthered and practised Thus hath our Sauiour Christ himselfe expounded the lawe Math. 5.6 vpon this plaine ground I conclude that all duties pertaining to life and manners come within the list of some morall commandement And that the Papists making their works of supererrogation meanes to further the loue of God and man must needes bring them vnder the compasse of the lawe Vnder which if they be they cannot possibly goe beyonde the same Reason III. Luk. 17.10 When ye haue done all those things that are commanded vs we are vnprofitable seruāts we haue done that which was our duty to do The Papists answer that we are vnprofitable to God but not to our selues but this shift of theirs is beside the very intent of the place For a seruant in doing his duty is vnprofitable euen to himselfe and doth not so much as deserue thanks at his masters hand as Christ saith v 9◠Doeth he thanke that seruant Secondly they answer that we are vnprofitable seruants in doing things commanded yet when we doe things prescribed in the way of counsell we may profit our selues and merit thereby But this aunswere doeth not stand with reason For things commanded in that they are commaunded are more excellent then things left to our libertie because the will and commandement of God giues excellencie and goodnesse vnto them Againe counsells are thought to bee harder then the commandements of the lawe and if men cannot profit themselues by obedience of morall precepts which are more easie much lesse shall they be able to profit themselues by counsels which are of greater difficultie Reason IV. If it be not in the abilitie and power of man to keepe the lawe then much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue all the lawe requireth but no man is able to fulfill the lawe and therefore no man is able to supererrogate Here the papists denie the proposition for say they
though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Nowe as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the morall lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists 1. Isay 56.4 The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keep his sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth him will hee giue a place and name better then the sonnes and daughters Nowe say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vowe of chastitie and hereupon hee is saide to deserue a greater measure of glorie Answ. If the wordes bee well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lords sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God and to obey the commandemēts of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mark 16.12 Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of the text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie do willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more liberty without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9.21 Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This yong man beeing in likelihood a strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question importeth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart And hereupon the wordes alleadged are a commandement of triall not common to all but especially to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpon the mountaine which I shall shew thee Gen. 12.2 IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7.8 Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marrie and this he speakes by permission not by commandement v. 26. Answ. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9.15,17,18 Paul preached the gospell freely and that was more then he was bound to doe and for so doing hee had a reward Answ. It was generally in Pauls libertie to preach the gospel freely or not to doe it but in Corinth vpon special circumstances he was bound in conscience to preach it freely as he did by reason of the false teachers who would otherwise haue taken occasion to disgrace his ministery and haue hindred the glorie of God Now it was Pauls dutie by all means to preuent the hinderances of the gospel and the glory of god and if he had not so done he had abused his liberty v. 18. Therefore he did no more in that case then the lawe it selfe required For an action indifferent or an action in our libertie ceaseth to bee in our libertie and becomes morall in the case of offence What is more free and indifferent then to eate flesh yet in the case of offence Paul said he would not eate flesh as long as the world stood 1. Cor. 8.13 The XIV point Of the worshipping of Saints specially of Inuocation Our consent Conclus I. The true Saints of God as Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and such like are to be worshipped and honoured and that three waies I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth that all nations shall call her blessed Luk. 1.48 When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ he saith this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world Mark 14.9 This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses Aaron Phineas and the rest that are commended Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1.13 And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meeknes repentance the feare of God and all good vertues wherein they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shew vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worship The highest they call Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worship they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the body to them being in heauen in inuocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbaths and festiuall