Parasits part nor lies invent But som things much beneath your merits vent Proloquium ad Lectores A Preamble to al Readers THIS sacred work selected from the learned lucubrations of divers deep Divines I presum to present as borowed Feathers from sundry rare Birds having a faculty or facility to abstract and abbreviat Authors that the owners muchless others shal scarse know they are collected from them which hath much steaded me in compiling thes Theological Theories For I am by Profession a Phisition no Prophet nor Prophets Son utterly unfit and unworthy to meddle with such mysterious matters The first Thesis was penned in young yeers but since polished with intent to be published and latly augmented by Mr. Woolnots labors The next is taken mostly from Mr. Plaifers Appello Evangelium The third from Dr. Tailor and Mr. Thorndike The fourth from Mr. Smiths Arrow against Atheists The â—â—fth from Bishop Cowper of Galoway The sixth from Mr. Mede and a German Doctor The seventh from Mr. Baily a Scot. The last from Dr. Hâ—kâ—wâ—s apology In al which I can claim but industry in collecting brevity in compiling perspicuity in penning and fidelity in rendring â—ch Authors intentions leaving the censure of al to the Readers who are chief Carvers or Comptrolers I hav gathered almost al the gleanings of every Thesis or Theorem together which lay seattered in several â—â—elds and brought them into this Barn that every one may the easier thresh out what grain wil serv â—is turn Haply I shal seem somwhat sawcy to put my sickle into other harvests but 't is a time when al Laborers are bid welcom and I plow with others Heifers If any dislike the doctrins as divers wildistast what most Men approv or contrarily let them blame thos whos Eccho I am but if ought be misrelated misprised or malitiously torted let it be laid to my sole charge For I venâ— lale or nothing of mine own nor dare positivly dâ—fine or peremptorily decide any point So if any except against the dogmats or documents let the Authors answer it unles I be found a falsarian which every one may compare whether it â—â— doon fully fairly and faithfully Somâ— hâ—ply wil disgust the first as dissonant to the general received Tenet of Soul-Creation yet is it only alteratratly debated not actualy determined Many may no less snarâ— at the next decried by Presbyterians yet is it defended by divers Zelous Protestants The like virulence wil be spued out against the third as Demetrius the Silversmith at Athens persecuted St. Paul becaus the great Goddess Diana was contemned yet the History only is handled de facto not de jure The two next wil pass current among al Christians but gainsaid by Jews and Infidels who are of no regard The sixth cannot be greatly branded tho not generaly beleeved The penultimat may be traduced by Anabaptists and their adherents who dream of a dry Summer that Christ shal reign gloriously on Earth 1000. yeers before or at the Day of Judgment For the last som wil like som dislike according to their various palats For partiality like mortality reigns over al Mankind which none can cast off no not with a furc so long as we fare in this fleshy fabric yea the soundest sincerest Judâ—ments are so blinded with self conceipt that they cannot possibly see it in themselfs yet discern it palpably in al Men els I am very cautious as others are captious to discuss al points modestly and moderatly rather relating others opinions then mine own resolutions who can be coâ—tent Men shal censure freely if they leav uncharitable despite and displeasure For ther is no ground in reason or Religion why â—ne should be angry with another for dissenting in opinions such ther â—e so many differing fancies and affections as Faces and Complexions If two cannot see with one ey let them not scratch out ech others eys lest both becom blind as Beetles Al are wedded to their own wils and overween their self-worth by nature which is tolerable being indeclinable but to break the bonds of charity is contrary to the common rules of Christianity and damnable Listen how the Catholic Moderator checks al contenders about Articles of Religion and givs good counsil in thes metres Why for Opinions interkil we thus Who 's truth not force but Reason must discus Reason whos chief force in Opinion lies Reason whos fals gloss oft deceivs the wise God doth in peace lov concord unity dwel Hate envy malice consines are to Hel. If then Gods Vision thou desire t' attain Shun strife teen discord scorn and proud disdain My chief comfort in this case is what som censure or condemn others wil confirm or commend but Caesars jacta est alea is the best bulwork of a resolut spirit If any be apt to quarrel he shal fight a Sciomachy with his own shadow and be answered in supine silence for his teen wil be spent on a sensless stock that regards it not nor wil accept his chalenge being supernnited to fight combats So many Sects swarm abroad and al so partial to their principles that if any shal seem to cross their Tenets they are ready to gnash their teeth and stone him with bitter censures or calumnies as the Jews served Stephan which is the dismal destiny of al writers but I hope for better things from the godly For why should Lutherans hate Calvinists or thâ—y Lutherans Presbyterians Cavaliers and Independents or either of them Presbyterians only upon discordance in points of Religion St. Jâ—hn exborted Catechumen Christians Filioliâ— diligite invicem litle Children lov one another for lov is a Christians cognisance or Character and fulfilling of the Law yea the chief Commandment next to lov God abov al in the Gospel unity in opinion is to be wished tho hardly hoped but amity in common conversation should be embraced and charity in Christian profission chetfly practised without which none shal ever enjoy eternal â—liss or beatitud For we have one Creator God the Father one Redeemer God the Son and one Sanctifer God the holy Ghost in which three Persons and one God we al beleev with one Faith one Baptism and one Profession let us not then hate in heart for diversity of opinion If any can cure Peoples spiritual pride or philauty in themselfs carnal affection or partiality toward their Faction and Infernal hatred or prejudicacy against others al three or either he shal be more famous then Apollo Aesoulapius or Hippocrates and hav far mo Patients for the Vertigo Cardialgia and Icteritia a Cephalical Cardiacal and Hepatical malady then al the Emperics Mountebanks or Land skippers in this Land but Iprofes my self no Phisition for such deplored diseases Over-weening expectation is a main Enimy to al writers but factious emulation and previous prejudication much more when men prepostrously devov others works to Vulcan or Stercutins yer they see the Sun Preachers may vent what virulences they list in Pulpit as Authors can at
whol Church 2. Mans Wil without Grace cannot wil good but being inabled by it can after sans farther Grace both wil and perform alone this is the Massiliens or Semipelagians error 3. By or through Gods Grace working on the Wil it can both wil and doo good but not without it nor can continu without farther assisting Grace this is truly orthodox which subjoins Mans Wil to Gods Grace in willing and acting good 4. The Wil by or through Grace working on it cannot but wil and perform good this S. Austin held in heat of arguing against Pelagians and Massiliens who fel too far into the extrem like such as bow a crooked stick back to make it streight as S. Chrysostom compares S. Austin asserted that Grace affords such help to the Predestinat as they were not only unable to persever without it but by means of it could not chus but persever The state of the Question which if rightly put is like an Hebr. 6. 16. Oath to end strife consists about the maner and measure how Grace works on the Wil or with it whether the Wil cooperats as the third Proposition holds or whether it so works that the Wil must needs concur as the fourth avers For explaining wherof Grace meant in the third shal be stiled efficient that in the fourth which works necessarily or infallibly causing the Wil to consent efficacious Which in tru terms is whether Grace be resistible or not If it be so prevalent or Of resisting Grace prepotent as it carries the Wil to obey willingly if that be willing which cannot doo otherwise the fourth is tru But if Grace be only an efficient adjuvant prior Caus and Mans Wil prepared by it a cooperant secund Caus in the work of Conversion which may fail resist or disobey then the third is more authentic To prov it for brevity sake read Acts 5. 32. Acts 7. 5. Rom. 10. 16. 2 Cor. 9. 13. Gal. 3. 1. Gal. 5. 7. 2 Thes 5. 8. Al which places are most plain that one may disobey Gospel Grace Dr. Ward a stif Stickler for effectual Grace defines thus We freely confess that neither operating nor cooperating Grace at Conversion or after doth take off from Mans Wil the power to resist if it wil for resistibility is natural born with us and inseperable from the Wil as a nativ faculty but 't is not questioned simply whether God in the work of Conversion or any other doth mov the Wil resistibly for that 's granted only the maner of resistibility is in controversy wherin we say when God works in the Wil ipsum Velle to wil Grace produceth non resilience which is effected by certain knowledg and prevalence of delight as S. Austin saith Therfore we avow actual resistence to be taken away for that time sith 't is impossible such should stand with effectual Grace for two opposits the Wil to be wrought on by effectual Grace and to resist it at once cannot coexist which were to make the Wil obey and resist at one instant Thes shifâ—s pass current among Partialists but he saith al the Controversy is about the maner or resistibility which indeed is none at al for al grant resistibility or power to resist is not removed by Grace the Question only is of actual resistence or maner of not resisting wherin none is so silly to say that when the Wil yeelds actualy to Grace ther is then any renitence sith contingence is not when things are in Esse but before they were so whether they might not possibly be otherwise that is resist when it did obey so the debat lies in resistibility before the act of good or evil not in it for a Regenerat may sin resistibly not in the very moment of willing it but becaus he could hav resisted yer he willed it So a Convert obeyeth Grace or willeth his conversion resistibly becaus yer he willed it he could hav resisted els why doth S. Paul so seriously exhort not to resist the Spirit Sin may be resisted but not after consent so may Grace but not when the Wil haâ—h embraced it for to be actualy received and then resistible cannot cohere Howbeit if non-resistence be granted 't is dubâ—ous what the caus is and wherin it consists whether in effectual Grace or effectual Wil for what is said of the one may be verified of the other sith when it obeys 't is impossible it should wil to resist but it may before Nor can any tel by the very act of obeying which is caus of non-resisting for put either to remov resistence 't is surely gon by consenting and it seems Wil is â—hâ— proper caus which ends resistence 1. Becaus effectual Grace is nâ—men sine re which cannot determ in the Wil without destroying it whos nature is to determin it self 2. Becaus to resist or not are special acts of the Wil as to convert repent beleev belongs to Man who converts repents beleevs for God promiseth only to circumcise Deut. 30. 6. the heart and Man is bid to circumcise his own heart so Deâ—t 10. 16. God promiseth to put a new Spirit into Man and Men are injoined Jer. 4. 4. Ezek. 11. 1â— to make them a new heart and Spirit both being evangelical So the promiss implies or supposes an impotence in us to doo supernatural acts tendering Gods power assistance and operation to incourage us but the Precept imports som power in us under his assisting Grace to indeavor or doo somwhat toward thos acts which appeer to be ours becaus they savour of our imperfections Hence we stil accuse our selfs complaining on the weaknes of Faith Lord I beleev help my unbelief coldnes of lov pride of heart yet God givs Faith Lov Humility who is al perfect Why then doo we not rather magnify his Goodnes and Graces if he doth al then ingratly disgrace them as being impotent or imperfect sav only becaus we hav impaired or made them defectiv by being wanting to Grace Let sweet Bernard a magnifier of Grace end this point Grace so operats with Free-wil as it only prevents in the first act and accompanies in the rest but is so far preventing as it even cooperats with Grace yet so that what is begun by Grace alone is perfected by both alike so they work jointly not severaly together not by turns in particular degrees not partly Grace partly Free-wil but ech jontly performs the whol Free-wil doth al and Grace al but as the whol is wrought in the Wil so is it wholy doon by Grace Thus he which is the tâ—u state of the whol debate This wil better appear by consistence of Grace and Free-wil in Mans four estates 1. Of Nature sound 2. Of Nature lapsed 3. Of Nature renewed 4. Of Nature glorified which shâ—l be particularly agitated together with the order of a sinners Conversion Man at Creation had to wil or nil naturaly by supernatural Grace to wil more fully which took not away
as he makes unable to beleev 4. It oppugns Gods truth and sincerity who is a God of truth without any fraud or falshood See Deut. 32. 4. 1 Sam. 15. 9. John 14. 6. Rom. 3. 4. God lovs thos that are tru of heart and hates Hypocrits with his heart but absolut Reprobation makes him a Lier and Dissembler sith he openly injoins such to repent and beleev whom he secretly intends shal not so doo S. Peter saith Repent and be baptized every one and ye shal receiv the gift of the holy Ghost for to you and Acts 2. 38 39. your Children is the promiss made He makes the Precept and Promiss of equal extent both universal for the one is a motiv of obedience to the other Every one even Reprobats is perswaded he is under the gracious offer of eternal life or els would not strive so much to leav som bosom sins or doo hard duties but by this Tenet most of thos to whom God offers Grace and Glory shal attain neither as Piscator pronounceth Zanchy saith Every one caled ought to think he is elected els he accuseth God of lying So saith Bucer A Man must beleev he is predestinat or els makes God to mock when he caleth Thus they seem sollicitous that others shal not make God a mocker yet they doo it most of al. For if a Creditor resolvs to let his Debtor rot in prison yet shal profer promiss yea and swear to remit al the debt upon certain conditions which he bars him to fulfil would we not reput him a rank deluder or dissembler 'T is easy to apply it Al divine comminations are as Caveats to avoid the evil threatned but if Mens perdition be peremptorily predecreed it cannot possibly be prevented which is plain delusion yea his passionat wishes that al wil repent and be saved are colorable collusions See Deut. 5. 29. Ps 81. 11. Isai 48. 18. So are his mournful expostulations See Isai 5. 3. Jer. 2. 31 32. Ezek. 33. 11. Yea his melting commiserations wil al seem but as Absolons feast Joabs congee Judas kiss or the Crocodiles and Hyaenas tears for in al he saith one thing and means another Nay the whol ministry is meer mockery without tru meaning For God seems thus to speak by his Ministers O Reprobats once dearly loved in your Father Adam now implacably hated by mine own irrevocable decree and sealed up under invincible sin to damnation repent and beleev in my Son if you wil be saved I would not hav you dy nor any to perish but al com to repentance If your sins be red as Scarlet I wil make them whit as Wool I hav cried and caled that you might be converted I hav long waited and knock'd at the dore of your Hearts for entrance O that you had a Heart to fear me and keep my Commandments that it might go wel with you for ever Can God speak thus if he decrees they shal not beleev or repent or be saved without deep dissimulation Or why doth he delude them to use the means in vain 'T is said God willeth or wisheth their salvation seriously A Defens yet not absolutly but on condition if they repent and beleev Ergo tho they perish God is sincere This shift fals too short God wil hav al saved conditionaly if they beleev and repent as S. Austin saith He would hav al Answer saved if they selfs wil for if he would absolutly who can hinder his irresistible Wil 'T is tru that a conditional promiss may be serious so wel as an absolut but then the condition must be possible in his power to whom 't is made and the performance according to the promisers Wil or liking els it cannot be candid or current For to offer a courtesy under impossible condition is frivolous or fucatious as if one should offer mony to a blind Man on condition he wil tel what coin 't is which is al one as to deny an alms nay in som sort wors sith 't is a denial with delusion and derision or a meer mockery The case is the same in the pretended decree of Reprobation 3. 'T is contrary to the use and end of Gods good gifts 3. Reason both of Nature as Creation Preservation Health Strength Wisdom and of Grace which are means either to purchas salvation as Christs coming to be a sacrifice on the Cross or Acts 14 16 17. to apply it as the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments Gods long suffering the inlightning of Mens understandings with many mo for God bestows the gifts of Nature to incourage Acts 17. 26. 27. and inable Men to serv him and sav their own Souls as S. Paul shews Prosper saith Every Creature is made or ordained specialy that Mankind might by sight of them and tast of so many blessings be drawn to lov and serv God So he confers the gifts of Grace to the same end For Christ cam into the John 3. 17. John 12. 47. World not to be a rock of Offens at which most Men should stumble or fal but to shed his blood for the salvation of al even thos who for their wilful infidelity and impenitence are not saved Christ saith the Son of Man cam to seek and sav what Luke 19 10. was lost Ergo to sav every particular S. Peter saith God having Acts 3. 26. raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you and turn every one from his iniquity Ergo the end of his coming was to sav al and every Man so wel thos that reject as thos that receiv him Yea the Ministry of the Word is appointed for the same use as an Instrument to convey the Spirit of regeneration unto al that liv under it See Isai 59. 21. 2 Cor. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. Titus 2. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Prosper saith Al such as say that al to whom the Gospel is preached even thos that obey it not are not caled to Grace they utter untruth which he provs by Isai 5. 2. Mat. 23 37. John 5. 34 40. Touching the end of Sacraments see Marc 1. 4. Acts 2. 38. Rom. 6. 3. Gal. 3. 27. Eph. 5. 26. Titus 3. 5. To the same end is Gods patience and long suffering exercised among Men to work out their repentance and salvation See Rom. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Wher both Apostles declare that God forbears Sinners even such as despise the riches of his Goodnes purposly that they may repent and be saved becaus he would hav none perish Gods other gifts knowledg faith fortitud repentance temperance humility chastity are bestowed on Men that they may attain life eternal for Reprobats are indued with many of them See Mat. 13. 20. Heb. 6. 4. Heb. 10. 26 29. 2 Pet. 2. 20. Al which Graces are not given to abuse them or to doo others good and not themselfs but that they may obtain salvation Som Scriptures seem to oppose this as wher 't is said God reveled
perswation be rooted or rivited that both salvation and damnation depends on absolut Decree Ministers may be fit instruments for Politic States to deter People from enormous Offenses but can do no spiritual good nor draw one Soul to God 'T is said the Defenders of this Doctrin are pure pious Men which open no gap to loos life but others pervert the truth to their own damnation So the Epicures in defens of their dogmat that the cheif Good consisted in carnal pleasure said most of their Sects were honest Men but Tully tels them that this proceds rather from their courteous disposition then curiosity of Opinion therfore the force of honesty prevailed more with them then the folly of pleasure which they pleaded for Another Apology is made That though they teach absolut Election and Reprobation yet design not who is elected or rejected but exhort Men to work out their salvation and get assurance of it by good works wherby they excite or encourage not stifle or curb holy honest duties Indeed they doo so But the ignorance of a Mans particular state alters not the case for if I know the Decree is absolut both wais why should I be sollicitous of either sith it can doo no good nor hurt nor can this knowledg at best be infallible in this vally of frailty but is obscured with many clouds of incertity in the point of undoubted perseverance 5. 'T is a Doctrin ful of despair both to them that stand and 5 Reason thos that fal to Men out of tentation and in it But the Gospel of glad tidings is a sweet store-hous of comfort in our worst condition under al changes as S. Paul saith Thes things Rom. 15. 4. are writ that by patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might hav hope Now absolut Reprobation procures tentation for sith ther be many mo Reprobats then Elect the Devil can easily perswade one he is one of the most rather then fewest or at least that al his labor is lost sith the Decree is irrefragable and irrevocable Bucer saith To doubt whether we be predestinat or no is the head of every tentation for he that doubts cannot confide he is caled or justified So every Man must presume he is elected To what end then is S. Pauls exhortation Work out your salvation with fear and trembling 't is a Gorgons head to affright or amaze the Tempteds fancy that the strongest arguments of consolation applied with the best art cannot avail Gods lov to Mankind Christs death for al the caling of sinners without exception of persons and al other motivs are easily eluded by this Opinion Suppose a Minister and tempted Soul talking thus Tempted Wo is me I am a cast away utterly rejected from A Dialog Grace and Glory Minister Be not danted poor afflicted Soul God hath not cast thee off he hates nothing which he hath made but lovs al Men and thee among the rest Temp. God hates none as his Creatures but many as sinners and lovs al Men with a general lov affording his outward temporal blessings only but not his special lov of eternal life which he shews to a very few his chosen ones wherof I am none Min. Yes he lovs al so as to desire their eternal good who would hav al to be saved and none to perish nor thee in particular Temp. Al is taken for al sorts or calings of Men high low rich poor bound free som of al which shal be saved but not al Individuals of thos ranks nor me in particular or if he wils in his Word to sav al yet by his secreâ— Wil he decrees millions to be damned wherof I am one Min. Nay but Christ cam to seek and sav what was lost and is a propitiation for the sins of the whol World Ergo for thy sins to sav thee Temp. The word World implies a World of Elect wherof I am none not al Mankind yet if he died for al it was only dignitate pretii by the worth of his ransom not voluntate propositi by the intention of his redemption that al should be saved Min. God made a universal Covenant with Man in the Mediators blood intending it to be shed for al and promises to sav every one that beleevs excluding none except they refuse Temp. God purposed his Son should dy for al profering and promising remission of â—ins to every one but on condition if they wil repent and beleev which he decrees that far the greatest part shal not doo Min. God means truly that al who are caled shal repent and beleev that they may be saved being caled by the preaching of the Word to knowledg of the Truth Temp. God hath a duple Cal an outer by the Word preached in Mens ears an inward by irresistible working of his Spirit in the heart which he vouchsaâ—s to a few secret ones only wherof I am none Thus no sound solace can accru by this Tenet The sole solid grounds of comfort to a dejected Soul are Gods lov to Mankind Christs death for al and the new Covenant of Grace which three he that applies wisely may easily releas or reliev the Tempted But such as hold absolut Reprobation â—oc Com. p. 526 cannot doo it Melancthon saith The universal promiss of Grace and Salvation is a Christians sole Bulwark in this combat of tentation let us not therfore leav Christ and seek for an Election out of the Word Again As 't is needful to know that the promiss of Salvation is free so 't is necessary to take notice that 't is universal against som dangerous doctrins of Predestination This he thought to be the only tru Balsam to cure a wounded Soul for thes three Gods Lov Christs Death the universal Promiss are directly contradictory to the tentation which cannot stand with an absolut antecedent Wil Intention or Decree to cast off the greatest part of Maâ—kind of meer free pleasure as if it were his sport or delight what ever quirks or quiddities are vented or invented to sully or shadow it If two contradictories cannot be tru he that proveth the truth of one disproveth the untruth of the other as he that confirms this Proposition God wil hav al to be saved beleev repent and be redeemed to be tru makes it â—leer to every understanding that the contradictory God wil hav most Men to be absolutly and inevitably damned is flatly fals and so raiseth or relieveth a tempted Soul from distress For demonstrat to a Man who fears himself to be an absolut Reprobat that ther is no such but every one that repents and beleevs shal be saved therfore his fear is fancy and doubt a dream then you driv out one nail with another and expel the terrible tentation This is the pure Nepenthe of a sick sorowful Soul and Alexanders sword to dissolv the Gordian knot Now the maintainers of absolut Reprobation cannot use it against the Replies of the tempted becaus ther is a plain
then the Sun are shadowed with death Thos Ears inured to heavenly Harmony are filled with scofs and scorns Thos Lips that spake as never Man did are wet with Gal and Vineger Thos hands which swaied Heavens Scepter cary the Reed of reproch and are fastned to the Tree Thos Feet to which al powers of Hel were a Foot-stool are nailed to the Foot-stool of the Cross That whol Body conceived by the holy Ghost is scourged wounded mangled yet al this but the outside of his sufferings but the innner part or Soul of his pains is so far beyond thos sensitiv torments as the Soul surpasseth the Body or Gods wrath Mans malice What the infinit sins of innumerable Men committed against an infinit Majesty deserved in infinit durance al this he in a short space of his Passion suffred or susteined which made him cry My God my God why doost thou forsake me he was affrighted with terrors perplexed with griefs distraught with both It was not so much for millions of Men to despair as for him to fear yet never was any so afraid of Hel as he of his Fathers wrath for our sins and in our steads Thus his Incarnation Nativity Birth place Life Death Burial Resurrection Ascention sitting at Gods right hand with many mo circumstanees of Judas treason and reward the Jews rejecting him and crucifying among Theefs were al divinely foretold of the Messias to com and directly fulfilled in or by Christ to whom only they fitly and fully agree For he is the Womans Seed which should break the Serpents head and in whom al Nations of the Earth shal be blessed The other testimonies touching the time and truth of Messias coming that he shal be of Davids linage born of a pure Virgin perfect God and Man yea a Spiritual eternal King no Temporal or Terrestrial make up a cloud of witnesses to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ is the only tru forepromised Messiah to whom be rendred al Glory Honor Prais and Power for ever Al which might be infinitly inlarged but for brevity omitted Supplementum Pietatis In the Practise of Piety THe Souls Soliquy at end of the Practis of Piety in contemplation Conclusion of Christs Passion shal shape a Catastrophe to thes divine Meditations What hast thou doon sweet Saviour to be betraied by Judas sold to the Jews and led bound as a Lamb to the slaughter What evil didst thou commit to be openly arraigned falsly accused and unjustly condemned what was thy offens or whom didst thou ever wrong to be so pitifully scourged with whips crowned with thorns scoffed with flouts buffeted with fists and beaten with stafs Lord what didst thou deserv to hav thy face spit on thy hands and feet nailed thy self lifted up on a cursed Tree to be crucified with Theefs to drink Gal and Vineger yea to hav thy innocent heart pierced with a spear and pretious blood spilt before thy blessed Mothers eys sweet Saviour how much wast thou afflicted to endure al this when I am so affrighted or amazed but to think of it which made thee cry as if God had forsaken thee being al for Mans sake forsaken of God I inquire for thy offens but can finde none no not any guile in thy mouth thy Enemies are chalenged and none dare rebuke thee of sin the Officers sent to apprehend thee testify That never Man spak like thee thy suborned Accusers agree not in their witnes the Judg publicly cleered thy Innocence his wife warned him by a dream that thou was 't a just Man and he should doo no injustice to thee the Centurion confessed thee of a truth to be the Son of God the Theef hanging with thee justified thee to hav doon nothing amiss What then Lord is the caus of thy cruel ignominy passion and death 'T is I am the caus of thy sorows my sins of thy shame my iniquities of al thy sufferings I committed the fault and thou art plagued I guilty and thou punished I deserved death and thou crucified O the depth of Gods lov and unmeasurable measure of his Mercy the wicked transgressed and the just apprehended the guilty escaped and Innocent arraigned the Malefactor acquited and Harmless condemned the Servant did the sin and Master bore the stroke I committed the crime and thou hangedst on the Cross O Son of God who can condignly express thy lov commend thy pity or extol thy prais I was proud and thou humbled I obstinat and thou obedient I ate the forbidden fruit and thou hangedst on the cursed Tree I plaid the Glutton and thou fastedst I tasted the sweetnes of the Garden and thou drankest the biternes of Gal fond Eve smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled and died Now gracious Lord sith thou hast indured al this for my sake what shal I retribut for al thy benefits I ow already for my Creation more then I am able to pay being bound with al my powers to lov and adore thee If I ow my whol self for creating me of nothing what shal I render for giving thy self to redeem me at so deer a ransom when I was wors then nothing Surely Lord if I cannot pay such thanks as I ow for who can pay thee who givest thy Graces without respect of merit or regard of measure 't is the abundance of thy Blessings which make me a Bankrupt being so far unable to pay the principal as I cannot satisfy any part of the interest For Lord thou knowest since the loss of thy Image by our first Parents fal that I cannot lov thee with al my might and mind as I should therfore as thou first didst cast thy lov on me being a Child of wrath and lump of the lost World so now I beseech thee shed abroad thy Grace through al my faculties and affections that though I can never pay such merit of lov as thou meritest yet I may repay in such maner as thou deignest to accept in Mercy that in truth of heart I may lov my neighbour for thy sake and thee abov al for thâ—ne own sake Let nothing be pleasant to me which doth not pleas thee suffer me not to be a cast away whom thy pretious blood hath bought Let me never forget the ineffable benefit of my redemption whitout which it had bin better never to be then to hav any being Sith then thou hast vouchsafed thy holy Spirits assistance suffer me Heavenly Father who art Father of Spirits by thy Sons mediation to speak a few words in the ears of my Lord. If thou despisest me for my iniquities as I deserv yet shew Mercy for thy Sons merits who suffered so much for me Behold the mysterie of his Incarnation and remit the misery of my transgression so oft as his wounds appeer in thy sight let my sins be hid from thy presence so oft as the rednes of his blood glisters in thy eys let my sin be blotted out of thy Book The lust of my
Martyr actualy and arbitrarily who gladly gav his life to preach or publish him for the tru promised Messiah 21. John his best beloved Apostle Evangelist Analogical Martyr who suffred cruel torments and was exiled being ready to lay down his life 22. Innocents of Bethleem Juda who in deed not desire were slain by Herod the great in Christs stead tho not for his sake Thes are al the fixd Fests but his Resurrection is sanctified weekly in lieu of the seventh day Sabbath and yeerly too at Easter his Ascention 40. dais after Which are al except the holy Ghosts decent at Pentecost and Trinity seven dais after consecrat to the three Persons in Deity The last with som Appendices are Movables and three of them Easter Pentecost or Whitsunday Trinity celebrat on the Lords day Al the rest which relish of superstition invention and exaltation of the Cross the blessed Virgins pretended sinless Conception and supposed Assumption al Souls in Purgatory beside Tho. Becket a Pseudo Martyr and many mo of like bran we utterly reject renounce or repudiat What harm then in al this sith it tends soly to sanctity Yes say Malignants becaus Papists ordained prescribed and pro phaned them Indeed they abused not appointed them being instituted before by the primitiv Church as is plentifully proved but such as they superstitiously superadded are abrogated and abandoned Yet what if Papist ordeined al shal we receiv or retain none If they go on their heels shal we walk on our heads If they profes one God in three Persons shal we beleev three Gods in one Person Let pious institutions be embraced but al impious abuses or Ordinances exiled and extermined In sum I prescribe no Fests to be sanctified nor find fault Sumâ—ary with their suppression but only assert the lawful Religious use of them freely agnizing that the state or such as sit at stern hav lawful human power to annul or abrogat them and to restore or reestablish them with other Adiaphoral Ordinaces except Articles of Faith wherin we must obey God and not Man so far am I from taxing or traducing our Superiors actions that I doo and wil obey them in al indifferent things either Religious or Civil which doo not trench on a good conscience Yet if they wil be pleased to redintegrat the public Liturgy and principal Festivals which stand ratified by several Acts of Parlement unrepealed they shal make glad millions of good hearts in this Common-wealth which greatly griev at this interruption rather then abolition or suppression of them On whos behalfs sith 't is no Mony-matter nor can any way prejudice the State this poor Distich may humbly be presented Gratum Opus Angligenis si restituatur ut olim Publica forma Precum Festaque sacra foret If Common-Praier Book could as of old be had And sacred Fests English hearts would be glad Let incomparable Bishop Andrews words concerning the In a Sermon on John 8. 50. chief Soveraign Queen of Festivals close up the Catastrophe Ther is no day so properly Christs as that of his Birth which by comparing it with others wil appeer For the Passion day is not so truly or peculiarly his becaus two Theefs suffred with him at the same time place and maner nor Resurrection day sith many mo rose then too and went into the holy City appeering unto many nor Ascention day for that Enoch and Elias ascended bodily long before him much less the Circumcision day which was common to al the Jews Male-Children but the Birth day of a pure Virgin by power of the holy Ghost is soly his without Felow none ever so born none born such God and Man in one Person Therfore as no Fest els 't is attended as Christ he-self was with an Apostolic retinu of twelv Holy days Thus this sweet singer of England or golden mouthd Chrysostom descants The final result rests on two questions 1. Positiv whether Upâ—â—or it be lawful for Gods Church and al obedient Members to set apart or sanctify one day of 365. in a yeer for the memory of our Saviours manifestation in the flesh as the Jews did the Altars dedication and our State the deliverance of that Devilish Powder-plot which no sober Christian can deny 2. Comparativ whether it be superstition thankfully to celebrat one day annaly with public worship in remembrance of Mans redemption or rather wilfully to scorn slander prophane and contemn it If thes two be laid in the scales of unbiassed impartial judgment the pious veneration wil far preponderat the impious irrision in al good Mens eys Shal we set apart or sanctify divers dais of Thanksgiving and Humiliation for Temporal benefits of Victories or other occasions and cannot be content to afford to allow one for the greatest Spiritual blessing of our eternal Redemption from the power of sin and slavery of Satan began by his blessed birth and finishd by his bitter death and burial with other consequent glorious works of Exaltation viz. his Resurrection Ascention and continual intercession at his Fathers right hand in Heaven God shield us from such guilt wherto thes two Heroics may be aptly applied Absit tale nefas pudet haec opprobâ—â—a nobis Aut dici potuisse aut non potuisse refelli Far be such crime 't is shame should be imputed Thes scandals to us or could not be refuted For shâ—me then let Pulpits ring no more of such rediculous reasons prealleged not worth a Fig which if a young Sophister should urge in Schools he were worthy to be hissed out as being unwoâ—thy to be answered Dr. Hammond a deep Divine from whos learned lucubrations I hav pickd som precited materials as he and al writers borow from others in his Resolution to certain modern Quaeres wherof this concerning Christmas and other Fests is the last answers sixten addle interrogatories of his Antagonist in this point which he that lists may peruse but to requite his pains proposeth three pithy Quaeres at end of that Treatise wherto three mo shal be superadded 1. Whether the Church Catholic or any particular specialy 〈◊〉 nâ—â—rest the Apostles age hath sufficient power to make one or mo daiâ— sacrâ—d and let apart fâ—om servil works to Gods service in memory of som eminent mercy conferred on his People to be yeerly celebrated with tru piety which shal bind al dutiful Children to obey and observ them 2. Whether the annal Fest of Christs Birth being both lawful 2 Qâ—aere and laudable in the right religious use weeding out al abuses ordained by the Catholic Church may justly be abolished or abandoned by any Church or State much less privat Persons without regard to the universal sith it hath so long continued sans comptrole or contradiction by any 3. Whether it be a good ground in Conscience or Common 3 Qâ—â—â— e. reason to cancel or cashire so pious a constitution under a fucatious color of causless superstition becaus som pedissequent dais hav bin rudely