beautified existence 46. The rude and incompleat existence of things was in that masse which in the beginning was created without forme void and involved in darknesse which is called Earth Waters the Deepe 47. It is said to be without forme not because it had no forme but because it neither had beauty and ornament nor a compleat act of those formes which were afterwards to proceed out of it 48. In the constitution of the compleat existence of things two things are chiefly to be respected Namely the manner and order 49. The manner of constitution containes foure things 1. The command of God producing every thing Let be or let this or that be done wherein the power of God shines forth that by his only word or will he did all things Psal. 33. 9. Psal. 115. 3. 2. His approbation acknowledging the same thingh brought forth as good God saw that it was good Hence the goodnesse of Cod shines forth that he produced all things to a good end and use Psal. 19. 2. 3. His ordination assigning to every thing his use Let it be to this or that end Hence the wisdome of God shines forth whereby he hath assigned severall uses to every thing in a most fit way Ier. 10. 12. 51. 15. He made the Earth by his power he stablished the habitable World by his wisdome and stretched out the Heavens by his prudence 4. The establishing of a Law and order perpetually to be observed in that thing which is also joyned with ordination Hence the constancy of God shineth forth that he would have all Creatures to observe their order not for some dayes or yeares but to the end of the world 50. These former are not severally expressed in some kind of things because their imperfection depends upon the perfection of other things yet in common reason they doe equally agree to all 51. The order of constitution was thus In the first day after the bringing forth of the highest Heavens the Angells and the uâ—…shapen Masse the subtilest part of that Masse being called forth upward there was made light that is shining fire 52. On the second day Of that part which in subtilty came neerest to the former there was made Aire 53. On the third day the parts of the Masse were so distributed that the Waters being gathered in their chaâ—…nels of that part which was for the greatest the Séa was by it selfe and the Earth appeared adorned with Herbs and Trees 54. On the fourth day The Luminaries of Heaven were made to give light upon the Earth 55. On the fifth day Fishes and Birds that dwell in the aire and water were brought forth 56. On the sixth day were brought forth all Terrestriall living Creatures first the brutish Creatures and then afterward man and so the Heavens and Earth were perfected and all the Hosts of them 57. In this order the wisdome power and goodnesse of God doth greatly shine forth 58. His wisdome 1. In that the simple elements were first created before things elementary or concrete and compounded 2. In that among simple things the more perfect were made first which come neerest to the nature of God 3. In that those things were first created which only have being then those which beside being have also life then those that beside being and life have also sence then last of all those things which beside being life and fence have also reason 4. In that in simple things there was a progresse from things more perfect to things lesse perfect but incompound things from things lesse perfect to things more perfect from plants to men 59. The power of God shined forth in that he first created the Plants Herbs and Trees before the Sunne and Stars which are wont to be causes in their producing 60. The goodnesse of God shined forth in that he created dwellings before inhabitants food before living Creatures those things which should be usefull for man before man himselfe 61. Man as he was the last of the Creatures so was he the Compendium abridgement of all Creatures both immedatly and mediatly perfect partaking the nature of the one in his soule and of the other in his body 62. He was the end of the Creatures mediatly perfect and so in Gods-intention respected in them and above them 63. Hence he is said to be created in another manner then the other Creatures for they were brought forth by a word only let there be light let there be a firmament But man was brought forth as it were with greater counsell and deliberation Let us make man Gen. 1. 26. 64. For the body was first prepared and afterward the soule was inspired Gen. 2. 7. The body of Elementary matter but the soule was produced of no matter being before but immediatly by the power of God 65. The Excellency of man was placed chiefly in this that he bore the Image of God 66. Three things are required to make an Image 1. That it be like 2. That it be expresse and framed to imitate another thing as an exemplar or copy 3. That that likenesse be either in its specifiall nature or most noble perfection 67. Hence it is that in the inferior Creatures the Image of God is not properly found but only a shadow and footstep of it 68. But in man the proper reason of an Image is found yet not perfect which is only in the Son of God Col. 1. 15. Hebr. 1. 3. But imperfect not with a privative we but negative imperfection 69. This Image then is a conformity of man according to his measure to the highest perfection of God 70. All this Image was naturall to man but in a different respect for it was partly the very nature of man partly it flowed from the principles and perfection of nature and partly it was due to nature in a certaine manner 71. The Image of God in man was partly inward partly outward The inward was the perfection of body and soule 72. The perfection of the body is that whereby it was absolutely fitted for comlinesse and use agreeable to Gods Will. Gen. 2. 25. Rom. 6. 13. 73. The perfection of the soule was that whereby it was of an immortall nature not only in those faculties by which it was a free principle of its own actions in understanding and will but also being adorned with gifts whereby man was made able and fit to live well namely with wisdom holinesse and righteousnes Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. 74. The Externall perfection of man was his Dominion over other Creatures whereby he might use them freely to Gods Glory and his own necessity Genes 1. 26. and 2. 19. 20. 75. Hence the tilling of the Earth and getting of food out of the Plants of the Earth was committed to him Gen. 2. 25. 76. Hence was the comming of the Creatures to him as to their Lord and names by him put on them as by their Lord. Gen 2. 19. 77. Hence he was placed in the Garden of Eden
internall good things of the body as of health and long life Deut. 28. 21. 27. 35. 1 Cor. 11. 30. Mat. 9. 2. 3. Hence is mortality as touching the state and neerest power to Death 4. For this mortality is a dissolving or loosing of that band wherewith the soule was joyned with the body 5. The outward beginning of this Death in matter of losse is the losse of outward good things whereby this life was either beautified or sustained 6. Of the first kinde is 1. Losse of dominion over the Creatures â—…he which after the Fall did put offor the greatest part that subjection towards man to which they were made and became his deadly enemies unlesse they be brought into order by the speciall providence of God Iob 5. 22. 23. Be not afraid of the beasts of the Earth For thou shalt be in covenant with the stones of the Field and the beasts of the Field shall be at peace with thee Hos. 2. 18. I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the Field 2. That ignominy which hee is subject to both living and dead Deut. 28. 20. 37. 7. Of the latter kinde is poverty or the losse of those things which pertaine to food raiment and possessions Deut. 28. 17. 18. 8. The beginning of this Death in matter of sence is also inward or outward 9. Inward is in wearinesse Gen. 3. 19. Paine and diseases Deut. 28. 35. 10. Outward is in all those calamities to which the life of man it outwardly subject Deut. 28. 25. 48. 11. The moderation that appeared in this corporall punishment is touching inward and outward things 12. Touching inward things In that man hath yet space and commodity of life granted to him by the goodnesse of God Gen. 3. 6. 13. Touching outward things in that he hath certaine remainders of dominion over the Creatures Gen. 9. 2. Let the feare of you and the dread of you be upon all the beasts of the Earth c. So that although man by his sinne fell from all right which he had before of using the Creatures to his benefiâ—… yeâ—… by grant and divine indulgence hee may use them and in that hâ—… sins not that lie doth simply use them althoug he sinne in the manner of using because so long as life is granted and prolonged to him with the same there is together granted the use of those things which are necessarily required unto life and in a sort they are due to him Hence it is that although the Creatures were subject to vanity and a curse for the sin of man Gen. 3. 17. 18. Rom. 8. 20. 22. yet they are preserved in that estate that they may supply the necessities of mans life CHAPTER XVI Of the Consummation of Death 1. THE Consummation of Death is the highest degree of the punishment appointed and to endure for ever As touching the degree it is said to be infinite 2. But it is infinite only in respect of the losse and privation because it is the loosing of an infinit good not in respect of sence or positive affliction yet it may be said to be positively infinite in respect of the thing afflicting but not in respect of the manner of afflicting 3. Hence it is that there are certaine degrees in this punishment according to the variety of degrees which are found in sins Luke 12 47 48. He shall be beaten with many stripes he shall beaten with few stripes 4. As touching the continuance this punishment is said to be eternall or never to be ended Marc. 9. 44. 46. 48. Where their Worme dieth not and their fire never goeth out 5. Now it is eternall 1. Because of the eternall abiding of the offence 2. Because of the unchangeablenesse of the condition which that degree of punishment doth follow 3. Because of the want of satisfaction 6. Hence it is that the incorruptibility of the damned is their immortality in death and to death 7. The consummation of spirituall death in matter of losse is a totall and finall forsaking whereby a man is separated wholy from the face presence and favour of God Matth. 7. 23. Depart from me And 25. 41. Gâ—… yee cursed 2. Thess. 1. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction being driven from the Face of the Lord and the glory of his Power 8. Hence followes the greatest and eternall hardning in evill and despaire of good Luc. 16 26. 9. The consummation of spirituall Death in matter of sence is fulnesse of bondage whereby he is altogether delivered into the power of the Devill Matth. 25. 41. 10. Hence is fulnesse of terrors of conscience and fulnesse of sinne for the damned doe sin and will fin for ever although neither the same sins which were in this life as Theft Murder Adultery nor altogether of the same condition with them which they committed alive For they offend chiefly in hatred envy indignation and such like affections which the sharpenesse of punishment gives occasion to Also these sins after death have not the same respect of desert which they have in this life because then there is neither any possibility to avoyd sin neither is there place for threatning and increase of punishment by them 11. Hence it is that sins themselves in the damned have more respect of punishment but in those that live they have more respect of offence 12. Terror of conscience is as it were a worme perpetually gnawing Mar. 9. 44. Esay 66. 24. 13. The Consummation of corporall Death together with spirituall is first by separation of the soule from the body 1. Cor. 15. 42. 43. To which that change of some is answerable which is like death 1. Cor. 15. 51. 52. 1. Thess. 4. 15. 16. Secondly by casting the soule and body into Hell or that place which God hath prepared for the extreame torments of sins Rev. 21. 8. 14. Hence are paines and greatest vexations both of soule and body Luc. 16. 23. 15. Hence are Lamentation Howlings Gâ—…ashing of Teeth and such like effects of greatest vexation Luc. 13. 28. 16. But of the place of Hell and manner of torture nature of outward things which pertaine thereunto because they are not necessary for us to know the Scripture hath not pronounced any thing distinctly of them CHAPTER XVII Of the Propagation of Sinne. Thus much of the transgression Now it followes to treat of the propagation of it 1. THis propagation is that whereby the whole posterity of man decending from Adam in a naturall manner is made partaker of the same condition with him Iob 14. 5. Psal. 51. 7 Rom. 5. 44. Eph. 2. 3. This is come to passe by Gods just ordination The equity whereof appeareth in some measure among men 1. In naturall right whereby inbred qualities are derived from that which begetteth to that which is begotten 2. In hereditary right whereby the burdens of parents are transferd upon their children 3. In the right of like for like whereby the rejection of good and suffering
of the Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe that is of thine own braine or judgement for although that particle to thyselfe doth sometimes either abound or hath another force yet here the most accurate brevity of these Commandements doth exclude redundancy and it is manifest that the vanity of mans cogitations is excluded by other places of Scripture pertaining to the same thing As Amos 5. 26. Which yee made to your selves Numb 15. 39. That yee follow not after your own heart and your own eyes which when yee follow yee goe a whoring 12. The same is also declared by that universality of the prohibition which is explained in the Commandement by a distribution of the things which are in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Waters under the Earth 13. For none beside God himselfe can either understand what will be acceptable to him or can ad that vertue to any worship whereby it may be made effectuall and profitable for us neither can there be any thing honorable to God which comes not from him as the author of it neither finally doe we read that such a power was at any time given to any man by God to ordaine any worship at his own pleasure Matthew 15. 9. In vaine doe thy worship me â—…eaching for doctrines the precepts of men 14. Hence implicitly and by interpretation of God himselfe we make him our God and give the honour due to God to him whose authority or ordinances we subject our selves unto in religious worship 15. In this respect also men are sometime said to worship the Devill when they observe those worships which the Devill brought in 1. Cor. 10. 20. Levit. 17. 7. Deut. 32. 17. 16. But we must observe that worship which God hath appointed with the same religion as we receive his word or will or call upon his name Deut. 6. 17 18. 12. 25. 28. 13. 18. 28. 14. 17. The meanes which God hath ordained in this kind some of them doe properly and immediatly make to the exercising and furthering of Faith Hope and Charity as publique and solemne preaching of the word celebration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and prayer And some of them are meanes for the right performance of those former as the combination of the faithfull into certaine Congregations or Churches Election Ordination and Ministration of Ministers ordained by God together with the care of Ecclesiasticall Discipline 18. Those former are most properly the instituted worship of God yet the rest are also worship not only in that generall respect as all things are said to be acts of worship and religion which doe any way flow from or are guided by religion but also in their speciall nature because the adequate end and use of them is that God may be rightly worshipped 19. All these therefore both in generall and in speciall ought to be observed of us as they aré appointed by God for God must be worshipped by us with his own worship totally and solely nothing must here be added taken away or changed Deut. 12. 32. 20. That is a very empty distinction whereby some goe about to excuse their additions That only addition corrupting and not addition conserving is forbidden because every addition as well as detraction is expresly opposed to observation or conservation of the commands of God as being a corruption Deut. 12. 32. 21. Of like stampe also is that evasion whereby they say there is forbidden only addition of essentialls and not of accidentalls for first although there be accidents or certaine adjuncts of worship yet there is no worship to be simply called accidentall because it hath in it the very essence of worship Secondly as the least commands of God even to Iotaes and Titles are religiously to be observed Mat. 5. 18. 19. So additions which seeme very small are by the same reason to be rejected Thirdly Moses doth seale up even those lawes of the place of Divine worship of the manner of abstinence from blood and the like which must needs be referred to accidentall worship if any such be with this very caution of not adding or taking away Deut. 12. 32. 22. This observation is in a speciall manner called obedience because by it we doe that which seemes right in the eyes of the Lord although some other may seem righter in our eyes Deut. 12. 25. 28. 23. There is opposed unto this instituted worship as unlawfull that will-worship which is devised by men Mat. 15. 9. Col. 2. 23. 24. The sin which is committed in will-worship is by a generall name called superstition 25. Superstition is that whereby undue worship is yielded to God 26. For in superstition God is alwayes the object and the end in some measure but the worship it selfe iâ—… unlawfull 27. It is called undue worship either in respect of the manner or measure or in respect of the matter and substance of the worship In the former manner the Pharises offended about the Sabboth when they urged the observation of it as touching the outward rest above the manner and measure appointed by God And they also offended in the latter manner in observing and urging their own traditions Marc. 7. 8. 28. Hence superstition is called an excesse of religion not in respect of the formall power of religion because so none can be too religious but in respect unto the acts and meanes of religion 29. This excesse is not only in those positive exercises which consists in the use of things but also in abstinence from the use of some things as from meats which are accounted uncleane and unlawfull and the like 30. Yet every abstinence even from things lawfull although they be counted unlawfull is not superstition to speake properly unlesse there be some speciall worship and honour intended to God by that abstinence 31. This indue worship is either properly opposed to that worship wherein instituted worship is directly put forth and exercised that is in hearing the word celebration of the Sacraments and prayer or to that which respects the meanes of it 32. Unto the hearing of the word is opposed first A teaching by images devised by men Deut. 4. 15. 16. Is. 40. 18. 41. 29. Ierem. 10. 8. 15. Heb. 2. 18. Secondly a vanting of traditions as they are propounded as rules of religion Mat. 7. 8. 33. Religious teaching by Images is condemned first because they are not sanctified by God to that end secondly because they can neither represent to us God himselfe nor the perfections of God thirdly because they debase the soule and turne away the attention from spirituall contemplation of the Will of God fourthly because if they be once admitted into the exercises of worship the worship it selfe by the perversnesse of mans wit at least in part will be transferred to them as it is declared in those words of the Commandement Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them 34. Of like kind with Images are all those