which God much abhorreth as it may appeare by the penaltie that the murtherer shuld without al pity be put to death r. Num. 35.16 Q. Is there no other murther here forbidden then when a man dooth kyll with a weapon or is the cause by anye meanes to take away life A. Yes this Commaundement is expressed in one woorde but yet it extendeth it selfe very largely which will more euidentlye appeare if we consider certaine rules whiche are generallye to be obserued in the law Q. Which are those A. First that the law of God is not as the lawes of Princes that a man can say thought is free but it bindeth as well the inwarde partes of the mind as the outward partes of the body Also where God forbiddeth any thing he commaundeth the contrary Likewise that which wee noted in the seconde Commaundement that where god forbiddeth any one sinne hee forbddeth all other that are of that kind he forbiddeth all things that are accessaries vnto it al things that doe nourishe and breede it and so condemneth both the roote and braunch Q. Shewe then howe men commit murther A. Our Sauiour Christ in the 5. Cha. of Math. dooth affyrme that anger taunting and reproachfull speeches are murder s Mat. 5.21.22 S. Iohn saieth that hee which hateth his brother is a murderer and no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him t. 1. Ioh. 3.15 Then crueltie vnmercifulnesse oppression fighting and quarrelling must needes bee murther Q. Then it appeareth if these and sundry other such like be murder beecause murder is bred and cherished by them that many men bee murtherers which doo not take them selues to bee so A. This Commaundement doth sitte higher vnto men then they suppose For by nature wee bee all murderers And if there were no chaunge by regeneration nor no outwarde penaltie to restraine it woulde breake out and menne in theyr anger furye and hatred would slea one another without pitie Nowe GOD dooth iudge of these as they lye in the heart Q. Doe not these kindes of murthers caste men out of the kingdome of God A. No Murtherer shall haue euerlasting lyfe No mannes prayer canne bee hearde so longe as hee hath a murtherers minde For the Lorde saieth when yee stretch forth your handes I will turne away mine eyes for your handes are full of bloud v. Esai 1.15 The Apostle willeth to lifte vppe pure handes without wrath w. 1. Tim. 2.8 If a manne bee fierce in anger and furye cruell in malyce and hatred boysterous in reuenge and full of reuiling and reproach This man beefore GOD is a ranke murderer with a cruell heart and bloudye handes and his prayer is as acceptable vnto God as if hee should offer a Dogge in sacrifice Q. What are wee then to looke vnto in our repentaunce in this Commaundement A. Wee must seeke to haue all bloudy cruell affections killed in vs as anger hatred desire of reuenge pryde contempte and such like and we must put on and deck our mindes with gentlenesse lowelynesse meekenesse kindenesse and longe suffering for these thinges are here commaunded Q. Proceede vnto the nexte Commaundement Thou shalt not commit adultery A. For the breach of this law GOD did appoynt death x. Deut. 22.22 to declare in what great detestation he hath adulterers It is sette also before thefte beeing worse then it As Solomon dooth make comparison and prooueth that the adulterer is more abhominable then the Theefe y. Pro. 6. And the cause why menne make so small accounte of this sinne is that the adulterer and the adulteresse haue not theyr braynes dashed out Q. There was such punishment appointed in the lawe but many suppose that this rygour is taken away now vnder the Gospell whiche is the tyme of grace A. Those are greatly deceiued for looke howe a man is more to bee blamed which goeth out of the waye in the cleare Sunne at midde daye then hee which goeth by night with a Candle euen so are men more to be punyshed for such foule sinnes in the cleere light of the Gospell then in the time of the law Q. Some thinke it great pitie they should be dealt withal because they may repente and beecome honeste Also Christe willeth to let the tares growe with the Wheate least in plucking vppe the tares the plucke vp the Weate also z. Mat. 13.29.30 A. Some indeede make such reasons but without all reason for so they maye say of Theeues and Murderers It is pyttie they may repent Also when they alleadg that the Tares must be let alone that is not meant of open offendors but of close Hypocrites which are like good men for it is Darnell which Christ speaketh of which is so like wheate that it can hardlye be discerned vntil it shoote forth the eare Q. They do alleadg also that Christ did not condemne the woman to death which was taken in adultery brought before him a. Ioh. 8.3.10 12. A. They doe alleadge it very vnskilfully not considering that Christe came not to take vpon him ciuil power as a iudge to put to death but to preache the Gospel and to call men to repentaunce and therefore when one prayed him to commaund his brother to deuide the land he answered Mā who made me a Iudge or a deuider b. Lu. 12.13.14 Q. Come then vnto the wordes of the Commaundement Doe yee thinke there is here any thing condemned but the outward acte of fornication adulterie incest or such abhominations A. Our Sauiour Christ saith that hee which looketh vppon a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adulterie in his hearte Also this must needs bee confessed that all things which do nourish and breede vncleane lusts are condemned here as sōges of ribaldry filthy and light communication enticing apparell gluttony drunkennesse vncleane and vnchaste lookes daunsing and such like Q. The Scripture doth mention that dauncing was vsed and alowed A. The scripture doth not shew that euer anye holye man or woman did vse this wanton kinde of daunsing of men and women together whereby their inward lustes are stirred vp and increased There was an other kind of daunsing which was alowed Q. What is here then commanded to the seruants of God A. All chastitie and purenesse both of bodye and minde sobernes in meate drinke and apparell with such like Men must also take heede to their eies least they come to haue eies full of adulterie by viewinge the beautie of women Q. It followeth in the Commaundements Thou shalt not steale How far doth this extend A. It extendeth thus farre firste that a man shall not wrong his neighbour in his goodes by taking ought from him or hurting him in the thinges he possesseth Then on the contrary part he is commaunded to be carefull for the wealth and prosperitie of his neighbour Q. Shewe then the particulars in which men offend in the first part A. Men doe not onely commit these when they laye violence
of the good things which they inioye is made commone while euerye one doeth know he possesseth them not for his owne priuate commoditie alone but for the benefit of all other This thinge is cleerelye to bee discerned in the members of the bodye For the eye alone doth possesse the sight and yet it dooth see for the whole body Q. Doe yee take it to bee an infallible proofe that a man is indued with the spirite of God and is a true member of the Church when he dooth loue the godly A. It is a perfect proofe Hereby wee knowe that wee be translated out of darkenesse into light if wee loue the brethren d. 1. Ioh. 3.14 It is also a perfect argument that a man is not of that fellowshippe and bodye when he doth hate and stomacke them so that he cannot brooke them For if he were of them hee shoulde loue them although he but heare of them Q. Are all the true Children of the Church Saintes while they be in this life or is the Church called the Communion of saints because they shal be Saints in the life to come A. All that shal be saued are sanctified in this life For except a man be regenerate or borne againe hee shall not enter into the kingdom of heauen e. Iohn 3.3 For this cause the scriptures both in the old and new Testament do call the children of God Saintes euen while they be here in earth f. Psal 16.3 Pilip 1.1 And euery one which maketh account to be of that number must behaue himselfe as a Sainte and doe the thinges which become Saintes g. Ephe. 5.3 Q. What say yee then vnto those which hold stifly that none are Saintes while they liue A. They doe deny an article of our faith and that very grosly Q. But they doe it of humilitie because they dare not presume to take thē selues to be Saintes A. If it be humilitie to denye the fayth they may then be commended But let them not because themselues be vnholy denye the graces of God in others This is no humilitie when they mock at the faith and when in disdaine they reproch men on this wise you be holy men you be Saints They say they be christians why because they can say their Creede and yet they flatly deny that which they professe Q. While men liue here amonge men must they not fashion them selues like vnto other men A. Wee must consider our highe calling and walke woorthy of it h. Ephe. 4.1.2 Wee must haue no felloweshippe with the vnfruitefull woorkes of darkenesse i. Ephe. 5.11 hauing fellowshippe with GOD and with his Sonne Iesus Christ k. 1. Ioh. 1.3 and being called to be saints l. Rom. 1.7 we must keepe our selues vnspotted of the world m. Iam. 1.27 We are commaunded to seperate our selues and to come out from among the wicked n. 2. Co. 6.17 because there can be no felowship betweene light and darknes Q. Wherfore is there ioyned vnto this article the forgiuenesse of sinnes A. Because there is no pardon but vnto those which bee of the Church For as there is no condemnation to those whiche are in Christe o. Rom. 8.1 beecause they be so in him that they be members of his body and called Christ p. 1. Cor. 12.12 God cannot be angry with Christ nor condemne him and therefore he cannot condemne them So contrariwise there is nothing but condemnation to all that be not in him because there is no pardon or forgiuenes of sinnes but in him Q. Can there bee no saluation but in the forgiuenes of sinnes A. Our blessednesse is onely in the couering of our sinnes and pardon of our iniquities q. Psal 32.1 Without this there is nothing but miserie beecause God dooth so abhorre sinne For there is no fowle Toad so loathsom vnto vs nor the most stinking caryon is not so abhorred of vs as the sinner is loathsome and abhominable vnto God there can no vncleane thing stande beefore him but hee must needes remoue it away with detestatiō and curse Q. Doe yee deny the satisfaction for sinnes Q. Those which holde that men must make satisfaction for their sinnes doe denye this Article of our fayth For these two things be quite contrary to make satisfaction and to haue pardon If a man should say vnto his debtor yee owe me suche a sum of money I will forgiue it but ye shal work so many dayes and earne it out this were ridiculous The Papists therfore which affirme that they beeleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes and yet teach that Christe hath taken awaye Originall sinne and for actuall sinne menne muste make satisfaction are not onelye ridiculous but also ranke Heretikes because they deny so great an article of the fayth concerning whiche the Scripture saieth the bloud of Iesus Christe his Sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne r. 1. Iohn 1.7 Q. What is required in vs to obtaine pardon A. True repentaunce which consisteth in the mortification of sinne and puttinge on true holinesse For the penitent sinner who onely shall be saued hath a wounded and bleeding heart for his sinnes and doth hate the filthinesse of them and the graces of the spirite to replenish him with vertues are as a most precious oyle to refreshe his wearie soule Q. Dooth not a man beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes aright vnlesse hee knowe his sinnes be forgiuen A. To beeleeue that there is pardon for sinne is little but for a man to haue assurance that his sinnes are forgiuen that is the thing Q. Yee speake of a matter which seemeth to bee farre beyonde a mannes reache for to hope that his sinnes are forgiuen hee maye but to knowe it for certainetie that seemeth vnpossible Q. A man which hath true and vnfaigned repentaunce dooth know for certeintie that he hath it and then he must needes knowe also for certeintie that hee is forgiuen vnlesse hee will doubt of the trueth of God A manne whiche hath not repentaunce or but an haulting repentaunce hath but a doubting opinion that hee is forgiuen which is not agreeinge to the nature of fayth It is no meruaile though they wauer and bee vncertain whether sinnes be forgiuen them which haue no repentaunce For they may be sure they are not He therfore which wold be glad to be pardoned let him beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes Q. Howe shal a man knowe when he hath true repentaunce A. Hee cannot but knowe when hee hath it by the woorking of Gods spirite in renewing his heart For if he feele his hearte chaunged and the lusts of sinne killed in him so that hee dooth hate euill and shunne it and loue and delyght in that which is good then hee hath repentaunce Q. There is no man so renued but that hee doth abide in some sinnes and therfore may seeme not to haue repented A. I confesse repentaunce is not in full perfection in anye nor yet so greate but that
binde Abraham it bindeth others if the law did bind the young man to sell all and to giue to the poore it bindeth all others A. This is conteined in the lawe that a man shall loue the Lorde with all his hart and all his strength and therefore the lawe doth binde him to doe whatsoeuer God doth commaund him whether it bee a generall precept or a particuler precept only to him as these former were If God shoulde giue the same commandement to any whiche hee gaue to Abraham to the Israelites or that Christ gaue to the rich man he is bound by the law to obey God therein Because the Lorde is to lay what particuler commandement he will vpon any man Q. Then the law may seeme to cōtein things contrary in it Because God doth forbid to kill or to steale A. There is no shew of things cōtrary in the law if we cōsider how generally we are bound by the same to obey God what soueraigne authoritie god hath to cōmaund For thereby we shall see that although the thinges cōmanded be such as be not in the law yet our obedience vnto god in the law bindeth vs to performe the same God hath forbidden to kil or to steale therfore when he cōmanded Abrahā to kill his sonne and that Israelites to rob the Egyptiās these things were not in the law but yet the obedience vnto them was in the lawe A man is most straightly bounde by the preceptes of the Lawe to heare the doctrine of the Gospell preached and to giue credit vnto it but yet it dooth not follow that the Gospel and faith are therfore conteined in the law Q. Proceede vnto the wordes of the lawe which is the firste Commaundement A. I am the Lorde thy God whiche brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other Gods before my face Q. Wherefore are these words put in that he brought them out of the land of Aegypt A. In deliuering them out of Aegipt with so mightie a hand with signes wonders and a stretched out arme hee declared himselfe to be the only true God in heauen and earth p. Deut. 4.39 and also to be the God of Abraham Isaake and Iacob For this cause they are forbydden to haue anye other Gods Q. Doe those then performe al obedience required in this precept which doe verelye thinke in their heart that there is but one only God which made all A. There is a farre deeper matter required then so for he doth not say thou shalt thinke there is none other but thou shalt haue none other Q. Howe canne menne thinke there is but one and yet haue other A. When they giue awaye that to other thinges which dooth onely beelonge vnto GOD. As namelye when a man giueth his heart to any thing hee maketh it his GOD. The heart is to be giuen vnto God and therefore he complaineth that the people did draw neere him with their mouth and honour him with their lyppes but their heart was farre from him q. Esai 29.13 that he was neere in their mouth but farre from their raines r. Iere. 12.2 Q. Declare then by particulars howe men breake this Commaundemente and departe from the true God A. When they giue away the inward affections of the minde As for example the man which setteth his care to seeke ryches more then hee seeketh God and dooth rest and stay vppon them as the maintayners of his life maketh money his God because his heart goeth after it Hee which delighteth and ioyeth with greater pleasure in worldly and fleshly lustes then hee dooth in the holy doctrin of God like an outlaw followeth his own appetites to fill himselfe with them little caring for the other where GOD is to bee sought maketh his belly and the verye Deuill his GOD for where his loue is sette there is his God Q. It seemeth hard that any should be thought to worship and honour the Deuil for God A. It will not seeme harde if we consider the doctrine of Gods word which as it tearmeth Couetousnesse Idolatrie s. Ephe. 5.5 Col. 3.5 because the couetous worldly man setteth money in that place of his hearte where hee shoulde set God and so maketh it an Idol or a false GOD and saieth that some make their belly their GOD. So also it tearmeth the Deuill the GOD of the world t. 2. Cor. 4. ◠Q. Howe canne hee bee GOD vnto those which in theyr heart defie him A. They are foolishlye blinded for so longe as they loue that which hee loueth and shewe obedience vnto his will and performe his lustes although they suppose and saye that GOD is theyr father yet Christ saith ye are of your father the deuil v. Iohn 8.44 Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuil w. 1. Ioh. 3.8 Q. Are there anye other wayes by which men breake this law A. Some praye to Saintes and Aungelles and so giue that vnto them which belongeth vnto God some feare men more then GOD when they will rather sinne against God then offend men They saye they cannot beare the displeasure of men whether God bee pleased or displeased they weigh not and so men are lifted vp and god is sette at naught contrarye to that which Christe commaundeth Feare not those which kill the body and haue no power to kill the soule but feare him which is able to destroy both bodye and soule in hell x. Mat. 10.28 Some seeke helpe of Witches and Coniurours when theyr bodyes their Children and cattel are hurt which is to seeke at the deuil Q. What must a man do when hee repenteth in this Commaundement or how shal he know which way to walke in obedience vnto it A. He must set his studie and delight in the word of God there to seeke God and to giue him his heart y. Pro. 2.10 by drawing it from the loue of earthly thinges and by cuttinge downe pride For a man shal knowe howe much he loueth and delighteth in God by his zeale and loue to the word of God For that which a man loueth best that dooth hee most seeke after and his minde thinketh most vpon it And therefore it is moste certaine that those dull men which haue no zeale nor loue vnto the word haue giuē their hart away and do worship the world and the prince thereof Q. What say ye to the second Commaundement A. In the second Commandement we are forbidden the sinne of Idolatrie which is both the making of Images the worshipping of them Q. He forbiddeth to make anye Image or similitude of thinges in heauen or earth or in the sea Is it therefore against this Commaundement to make the picture of a man or of a flower or such like A. It is not vnlawful to make the picture of a man to resemble a man nor of any other creature which we see But to make the picture of any