it that the Papists opinion were true then a further Question may be mooued Whether spirituall kinred contracted by baptisme can be a iust impediment of marriage betweene the witnesses themselues or their children The Papists in their writings answer that spirituall alliance beeing farre more excellent then carnall is of much more force both to hinder a man from marriage before he marrie and to breake off marriage when it is consummate But this doctrine as the former is not warrantable For first they themselues affirme that this impediment doth not depend vpon the law of nature but vpon the iudgement of the Church But the estate of marriage stands by Gods ordinance who hath giuen libertie of entrance into it to all men that are out of the degrees forbidden in his law without exception and therefore the lawes and constitutions of men cannot preiudice or take away any mans libertie in that behalfe Secondly all beleeuers are brethren and sisters in Christ and therefore are spiritually allied each to other Now if this spirituall alliance be polluted by marriage or maketh marriage vndertaken a meere nullitie then no beleeuer shall marrie in the Lord for Christians by this meanes must neuer match with Christians but with Pagans and Infidells Thirdly this impediment is a superstitious inuention of Popish Canonists onely to increase the Treasurie of their Church by their multitude of dispensations And it seemes that they are either ashamed of it or wearie to beare the imputation thereof For some of their owne Canons are against it which doe allowe Godfathers children to marrie and a man to marrie his godfathers wife And the Coūcell of Trent hath drawn this affinitie into a narrower compasse which before was so farre inlarged allowing the Witnesses themselues to be man and wife not vrging all the three kinds of kinred but onely some degrees of compaternitie III. Question touching Baptisme Whether children of excommunicate persons which are cast out and not holden as members of the Church haue right to Baptisme For better resoluing of this Question the ground of the answer is first to be laide downe and then the answer directly to be made There are two texts of Scripture commonly alleadged concerning the force and vse of Excommunication The first is Matth. 18. the second is 1. Cor. 5. The scope of them both is to shew that the man which is excommunicated is barred from the kingdome of heauen For he is not to be holden a true member of the church but as a Heathen and a Publican and therefore is put out of Gods kingdome and deliuered vp to Satan Of this waight is Excommunication Nowe in Excommunication there are three iudgements to be considered The first of God the second of the Church the third againe of God The first is when God doth hold any obstinate sinner guiltie of his offence and consequently guiltie of condemnation vnlesse he repent This is the first sentence The second is the iudgement of Gods church vpon the offender after that God hath holden him guilty For the iudgement of the church followeth the iudgement of God and doth indeede nothing but pronounce the partie guiltie and subiect to condemnation And the difference betweene them both is onely this That God holds the offender guiltie and the Church declareth him so to be Now the second iudgement is not to be giuen absolutely but with condition of repentance and so farre forth as man can iudge by the fault committed as also by the word which giues direction how to discerne of the impenitencie of the sinner The third and last iudgement is Gods whereby he ratifies and confirmes that in heauen which the Church hath done on earth and this in order followes the second This ground beeing laide downe I come now to the Answer First therefore the parties excommunicate are in some respects no members of Christs bodie and in some respects they are They are not in two regards First in that they are cut off from the companie of beleeuers by lawfull excommunication and so haue no participation with them either in prayer hearing the word or receiuing the Sacraments The reason is for that the action of the Church stands in force God ratifiing that in heauen which the Church doth vpon earth Secondly because by their sinne they haue as much as in them lieth depriued themselues of the effectuall power of Gods spirit which might rule and gouerno them But in other respects they are members as will appeare if we consider the diuers sorts of members Some are members not actually and in present but in the eternall counsell of God and are to be in time when they shall be called Thus was Paul before his conuersion and therfore he saies of himselfe that God had seperated him from his mothers wombe and called him by his grace Gal. 1. 15. Also of himselfe and other beleuers he saies when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne Rom. 5. 10. Some againe are members only in shew and appearance of which sort are hypocrites which seeme by their outward profession to be that they are not indeed wherin they resēble the wooden legge that is cunningly fastened to the body but indeede is no legge nor part of the body wherto it is adioyned A third sort are liuely members which are vnited vnto Christ by faith and haue fellowship with God in him beeing iustified sanctified gouerned and preserued by his spirit and withall doe feele and shew forth the power of the same spirit dwelling in them Of these Paul speaketh Rom. 8. 14. As many as are lead by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God The fourth sort are decaied members which though they belong to Gods election and are plants truly ingrafted into the vine Christ Iesus yet for the present haue not a liuely sense of the power and vertue of the spirit of Christ in them These may fitly be resembled to the legge of a man or some other part that hath the dead palsie which though it remaine for some time without feeling and vncapable of nourishment yet beeing ioyned to the bodie it may by vertue of some strong medicine be recouered and made whole as the other Of this sort are excommunicate persons For in regard of their ingraffing they are true members and can not be quite cut off from the bodie of Christ Ioh. 10. 28. though otherwise they are not holden so to be in a threefold respect One in regard of men because they are excluded from their holy communion with the faithfull by the Churches censure The second in regard of God because that which the Church rightly bindeth on earth is boūd in heauen The third in regard of themselues because for a time they want the power and efficacie of the Spirit vntill they be throughly touched with repentance and beginne as it were to liue againe Now though in these respects they be not esteemed members of the
rest a figure of the most strict spirituall rest from all sinne in thought word and deede required of cuery true beleeuer II. Againe in the Sabboth this was ceremoniall and temporarie that it was a speciall signe betweene God and his people of the blessings that were propounded promised in the Couenant Exod. 31. 13. And these were principally two First it was a signe of their sanctification to teach them that as the Lord had set apart a day of rest so he did and would sanctifie the obseruers thereof vnto himselfe by forgiuing their sinnes and receiuing them into his fauour in and by the Messias to come Secondly it was ordained by God to figure and signifie the euerlasting rest of Gods children in the kingdome of heauen Of this the Prophet Esay speakes when he saith that from moneth to moneth and from Sabboth to Sabboth all flesh shall come to worship before God Esa. 66. 23. And the author to the Hebrewes There remaineth therefore a Sabbatisme or rest to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. III. Furthermore this was temporarie in the Sabboth that it was to be obserued vpon a set day namely the seauenth from the Creation and that with set rites and ceremonies So saith Moses The seauenth day is the Sabboth Deut. 5. 14. Againe On the Sabboth day ye shall offer two lambes of a yeare old without spot and two tenth deales of fine flower for a meate offering mingled with oyle and the drinke offering thereof and the burnt offering of euery Sabboth beside the continuall burnt offering and the drinke offering thereof Numb 28. 9 10. IV. This also was Ceremoniall that it was to be obserued in remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt Remember that thou wast a seruant in the land of Egypt and the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabboth day Deut. 5. 15. Sect. 2. Now as there were some things temporarie and Ceremoniall in the Sabboth so there are some things in it perpetuall Morall and those I take it are three especially First that there should be a day of rest in which man and beast might be refreshed after labour Secondly that this day should be sanctified that is set apart to the worship of God These two first are therefore morall because they are expressely mentioned in the Commandement touching the Sabboth Thirdly that a seauenth day should be sanctified to an holy rest and that this holy rest should be obserued in a seauenth day I say not in this or that seauenth day but in one of the seauen Now that this also is morall it appeares by these reasons First the Sabboth of the seauenth day was instituted and appointed by God in Paradise before the fall of man and the reuealing of Christ yea euen then when there was one condition of all men This is plainly set downe in Gen. 2. as also in the fourth Commandement And vpon this ground it is manifest that a Sabboth of a seauenth day cannot be a Ceremonie simply considering the ordination thereof was in time long before all Ceremonies If it be obiected that it was made a Ceremonie afterward I answer that the reason is naught For Matrimonie was ordained in Paradise and afterward made ceremoniall to signifie the spirituall vnion betweene Christ and his Church and yet Matrimonie is perpetuall and so is a Sabboth of a seauenth day If it be againe alleadged that God did then keepe a seuenth day in his owne person and afterward inioyned it to man by his commandement I answer that the institution of the Sabboth in Paradise consisted of two parts Blessing and Sanctification and the meaning of the Holy Ghost is that God did both blesse it in regard of himselfe because he kept it in his owne person and hallowed it also in regard of man by commanding it to be sanctified and kept in performance of holy duties Secondly the reasons of the fourth Commandement are generall and the equitie of them is perpetuall and they haue this ende to vrge the rest of a seauenth day Let them be considered in particular The first in these wordes Sixe daies shalt thou labour Which some take to be a permission as if God should haue said thus If I permit thee sixe thou shalt allow me a seauenth But they may be also taken for a commandement inioyning labour in the sixe daies first because they are propounded in cōmanding termes secondly because they are an exposition of the curse laid vpon Adam Thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweat of thy face namely in the sixe daies and thirdly because idlenes the spoile of mankind is there forbidden This beeing so there must needes be a seauenth day not onely of rest to ease them that labour in the sixe daies but also of an holy rest that God might be worshipped in it The second reason is taken from Gods example For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth c. That which the Lord himselfe hath done in person the same must man doe by his commandement But the Lord himselfe in sixe daies laboured and rested the seauenth Therefore man must doe the same This reason made by God to the creature must stand in force till he reuerse it which yet he hath not done nor doth If then these reasons doe not onely inforce a rest and an holy rest but a rest on the seauenth day then this lest on the seauenth day is a part of the fourth Commandement and consequently the Church can not alter it from the Sabboth day because they can not alter the substance of that Commandement which is eternall II. Reason The Sabboth day in the new Testament in all likelihood is tied to that which we call the Lords day and that as I take it by Christ himselfe The Reasons thereof are these I. The sabboth day of the new Testament is called the Lord daie Apoc. 1. 10. Now I suppose for in these points still wee must goe by likelyhoods its called the Lords day as the last Supper of Christ is called the Lords Supper for two causes First as God rested the seauenth day after the Creation so Christ hauing ended the worke of the new creation rested on this day from his worke of redemption Secondly as Christ did substitute the last supper in roome of the passeouer so he substituted the first day of the weeke in roome of the Iewes Sabboth to be a day set apart to his owne worship II. The Church of Corinth everie first day of the weeke made a collection for the poore as we may read 1. Cor. 16. 2. and this collection for the poore in the primitiue church followed the Preaching of the word Praier and the Sacraments as a fruite therof Act. 2. 42. For these be Sabboth exercises that went alwaies together in the Apostolicall Church But it will be saide that collecting for the Saints is a matter of
man is ingrafted into Christ and thereby becomes one with Christ and Christ one with him Eph 3. 17. Now whosoeuer is by faith vnited vnto Christ the same is elected called iustified and sanctified The reason is manifest For in a chaine the two extremes are knit togither by the middle linkes and in the order of causes of happinesse and saluation faith hath a middle place and by it hath the child of God assured hold of his election and effectuall vocation and consequently of his glorification in the kingdome of heauen To this purpose saith S. Iohn c. 3. v. 36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And c. 5. v. 24. He that beleeues in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This is the Ground Now for answer to the Question diuerse places of Scripture are to be skanned wherein this case of Conscience is fully answered and resolued Sect. 1. The first place is Rom. 8. 16. And the spirit of God testifieth together with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God In these words are two testimonies of our adoption set downe The first is the Spirit of God dwelling in vs and testifying vnto vs that we are Gods childreÌ„ But some will happily demaund How Gods spirit giues witnesse seeing now there are no reuelations Answ. Extraordinarie reuelations are ceased and yet the holy Ghost in and by the word reuealeth some things vnto men for which cause he is called truly the Spirit of Reuelation Eph. 3. 5. Againe the holy Ghost giues testimonie by applying the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ particularly to the heart of man when the same is generally propounded in the Ministerie of the word And because many are readie presumptuously to say they are the children of God when they are not and that they haue the witnesse of Gods Spirit when in truth they want it therefore we are to put a difference between this carnall conceit and the true testimonie of the Spirit Now there be two things whereby they may be discerned one from the other The first is by the meanes For the true testimonie of the holy ghost is wrought ordinarily by the preaching reading and meditation of the word of God as also by praier and the right vse of the Sacraments But the presumptuous testimonie ariseth in the heart and is framed in the braine out of the vse of these meanes or though in the vse yet with want of the blessing of God concurring with the meanes The second is by the effects and fruits of the Spirit For it stirrs vp the heart to praier and inuocation of the name of God Zach. 12. 10. yea it causeth a man to crie and call earnestly vnto God in the time of distresse with a sense and feeling of his owne miseries and with deepe sighes and groanes which cannot be vttered to craâ—e mercie and grace at his hands as of a louing father Rom. 8. 26. Thus did Moses crie vnto heauen in his heart when he was in distresse at the red sea Exod. 14. 15. And this gift of praier is an vnfallible testimonie of Gods Spirit which cannot stand with carnall presumption The second Testimonie of our Adoption is our Spirit that is our conscience sanctified and renewed by the Holy Ghost And this also is knowne and discerned first by the greefe of the heart for offending God called Godly sorrow 1. Cor. 7. 10. secondly by a resolute purpose of the heart and endeauour of the whole man in all things to obey God thirdly by sauouring the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. that is by doing the workes of the Spirit with ioy and chearefulnesse of heart as in the presence of God and as his children and seruants Now put the case that the testimonie of the Spirit be wanting then I answer that the other testimonie the sanctification of the heart will suffice to assure vs. We knowe it sufficiently to be true and not painted fire if there be heate though there be no flame Put the case againe that the testimonie of the spirit be wanting and our sanctification be vncertaine vnto vs how then may we be assured The answer is that we must theÌ„ haue recourse to the first beginnings and motions of sanctificatioÌ„ which are these First to feele our inward corruptions Secondly to be displeased with our selues for them Thirdly to beginne to hate sinne Fourthly to grieue so oft as we fal and offend God Fiftly to auoid the occasions of sinne Sixtly to endeauour to doe our dutie and to vse good meanes Seuenthly to desire to sinne no more And lastly to pray to God for his grace Where these and the like motions are there is the spirit of God whence they proceed and sanctification is begun One apple is sufficient to manifest the life of the tree and one good and constant motion of grace is sufficient to manifest sanctification Againe it may be demanded what must be done if both be wanting Answ. Men must not dispaire but vse good meanes and in time they shall be assured Sect. 2. The Second place is the 15. Psalme In the first verse whereof this question is propounded namely Who of all the members of the Church shall haue his habitation in heauen The answer is made in the verses following and in the second verse he sets downe three generall notes of the said person One is to walke vprightly in sincerity approuing his heart and life to God the second is to deale iustly in al his doings the third is for speech to speake the truth from the heart without guile or flatterie And because we are easily deceiued in generall sinnes in the 3 4 and 5. verses there are set downe seauen more euident and sensible notes of sinceritie iustice and trueth One is in speech not to take vp or carrie abroad false reports and slanders The second is in our dealings not to doe wrong to our neighbour more then to our selues The third is in our companie to contemne wicked persons worthy to be contemned The fourth is in our estimation we haue of others that is to honour them that feare God The fift is in our words to sweare and not to change that is to make conscience of our word and promise especially if if it be confirmed by oath The sixt is in taking of gaine not to giue money to vsurie that is not to take increase for bare lending but to lend freely to the poore The last is to giue testimonie without briberie or partialitie In the fift verse is added a reason of the answer he that in his indeauour doth al these things shall neuer be mooued that is cut off from the Church as an hypocrite Sect. 3. The third place of Scripture is the first Epistle of Iohn the principall scope wherof is to giue a full resolution to the conscience of man touching the certainty of his
of man is too good for them For if those be holden as Traytors to an earthly Prince and are most deseruedly adiudged to death that reuile his person and denie his lawfull authoritie then they that call into question the Godhead are much more worthie to be esteemed traytors to God and consequently to beare the iust punishment of their rebellion death it selfe For this cause I doe not meane to dispute the question whether there be a God or no and thereby minister occasion of doubting and deliberation in that which is the onely maine Ground and pillar of Christian religion But rather my purpose is in shewing that there is a God to remooue or at least to help an inward corruption of the soule that is great and dangerous whereby the heart and conscience by nature denieth God and his prouidence The wound in the bodie that plucks out the heart is the most dangerous wound that can be and that opinion that takes away the Godhead doth in effect rend and plucke out the very heart of the soule This Caueat premised I come now to the point in hand to shew that there is a God And for our better knowledge and assurance of this truth we are to remember thus much that God hath giuen vnto man a threefold light the one of nature the other of grace and the third of glorie And by these as by so many degrees of knowledge the minde beeing inlightened by God receiueth direction in the truth of the Godhead both for this present life and for that which is to come 〈◊〉 If it be demaunded in what order God hath reveiled this light vnto man I answer that the light of nature serues to giue a beginning and preparation to this knowledge the light of grace ministers the ground and giues further proofe and euidence and the light of glory yeelds perfectioÌ„ of assurance making that perfectly and fully knowne which by the former degrees was but weakly and imperfectly comprehended Of these three in order Sect. 1. The light of nature is that light which the view and consideration of the creatures both in generall and particular affordeth vnto man From the light of nature there are fiue distinct arguments to prooue that there is a God the consideration whereof will not be vnprofitable even to him that is best setled in this point I. The first is taken from the creation and frame of the great body of the world and the things therein contained Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are knowne by the Creation of the world beeing considered in his workes And out of this excellent frame of the world the truth of the Godhead may be sundry waies prooued and maintained First I would aske this question This goodly frame of the world had it a beginning or no beginning Let either part or both be taken Let it first be said it had no beginning but is eternall as the Atheist holdeth Then I reason thus If it had no beginning the world it selfe is God and all the creatures that are therein from the greatest and highest to the least and basest yea euery droppe of water in the sea and euery corne of sand by the sea shore are Gods The reason is because according to this opinion they haue their being of themselues without beginning and that which is a substance of it selfe hath no beginning is very God Againe if the world had no beginning then it hath also no ending For that which is without beginning is without ending Now all things in the world are lyable to corruption and consequently are subiect to an ende For whatsoeuer is corruptible the same is finite therfore the world had a beginning Now if it had a beginning then I demand how it was made did it make it selfe or was it made of nothing If it be affirmed that it made it selfe then the world was before it was If it be said it came from nothing that also cannot be For nothing brings forth nothing and that which is nothing in it selfe cannot bring forth something therefore it is absurd in reason to say that nothing brought forth this world And hereupon it must needes remaine for a truth that there was some substance eternall and Almightie that framed this goodly Creature the World besides it selfe If a man comes into a large forrest and beholds therein goodly faire buildings and sundrie kinds of hearbs and trees and birds and beasts and no man he will presently reason thus with himselfe these buildings are the workemanship of some man they were not from all eternity they did not reare themselues neither did the hearbs the trees the birds or the beasts build them but of necessitie they must haue some first â—ounder which is man In like manner when we consider this world so goodly a creature to behold though we see not the maker thereof yet we cannot say that either it made it selfe or that the things therein contained made it but that the Creator of it was some vncreated substance most wise most cunning and euerlasting and that is God Secondly from this frame of the world and the consideration therof I reason thus In the world there are foure sorts and kindes of creatures The first bare and naked substances that haue neither life sense nor reason in them as the sunne the moone the starres The second that haue substance and life but no sense nor reason as plants trees and hearbs The third that haue no reason but both substance life sense and power to mooue themselues as the beasts of the land and fishes of the sea The fourth are such as haue all namely substance life sense and reason as men Now these foure sorts of creatures excell one another in properties and degrees For the first of them which are meere substances doe serue those that haue life as the trees and the plants The trees the plantes serue the creatures that haue sense life as the beastes and the fishes The beastes and the fishes serue man that hath substance life sense and reason And amongst them all we see that those which haue more gifts are serued of those which haue lesse as the sunne and moone serue the plantes the plantes and hearbes serue the beasts and the beasts serue man and that creature that hath most giftes is serued of all Man therefore excelling all these must haue something to honour and serue which must be more excellent then the other creatures yea then himselfe and that is a substance vncreate most holy most wise eternall infinite and this is God Thirdly all particular creatures whether in heauen or in earth are referred to their certaine particular and peculiar endes wherein euery one of them euen the basest and meanest is imployed and which they doe all accomplish in their kind And this is a plaine proofe that there is one that excelleth in wisedome prouidence and power that created all these to such
endes and hath power to bring them thereunto and who is this but God II. The second sort of arguments drawn from the light of nature are taken from the preseruation and gouernment of the world created and these are touched by the Holy Ghost when he saith that God left not himself without witnesse in that in his prouidence he did good and gaue raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with ioy and gladnesse The particulars drawne from the gouernment of the world are these First our food whereby we are nourished is in it selfe a dead foode void of life and yet it serues to maintain and preserue life wheras in reason it is more fit to choke and stuffe our bodies then to feede them Secondly our garments which we weare are in themselues cold and voide of heate and yet they haue this vse to preserue heate and to sustaine life in the extremitie of cold Therefore there must needes be an omnipotent and diuine power that giues vnto them both such a vertue to feed and preserue the life and health of man Thirdly the raine falling and the sunne shining vpon one the same plot of grouÌ„d causeth it to bring forth in his season a hundred seuerall kindes of hearbes and plants wherof euery one hath a seuerall and distinct â—â—ower colour forme and sauour whence comes this Not from the raine for it hath no life in it selfe and besides it is in it selfe all one nor from the sunne or the earth for these also in their kind are all one hauing in them no such power wherby they should be the authors of life therefore the differences of plants in one ground may convince our iudgements and teach vs thus much that there is a diuine and heauenly power aboue and beside the power of these creatures Fourthly take an example of the bird and the egge The bird brings forth the egge the egge againe brings forth the bird This egge considered in it selfe hath in it neither life nor soule and the bird can giue it neither for all that the bird can doe is to giue it heat and no more Within the shell of this egge is made a goodly creature which wheÌ„ it comes to some perfection it breakes the shell In the shell broken we shall see the nibbe the wing the legge and all the parts and members of a bird Now let this be considered that the egge brought not forth this goodly creature nor yet the henne For the egge had no such power or vertue in it selfe and the hen gaue but her heat neither did man doe it for that which was done was within the egge and within the shell It therfore was some other wonderfull power and wisedome that made it and brought it forth that surpasseth the power of a creature Again consider the generation of the silk-worme one of the least of the creatures and from it we haue a notable demonstration of a divine providence This little worme at the first is but a small seede like vnto linseed The same small seed breeds it and brings it forth The worme brought forth and growing to some bignesse at length weaues the silke hauing woven the silke it winds it selfe within it as it were in a shell there hauing lodged for a time it conceiues a creature of another forme which being within a short space pâ—rfited breakes the shell and comes forth a flie The same flie like a dutifull creature brings forth the seed againe and so continues the kind thereof from yeare to yeare Here let it be remembred that the flie hauing once brought forth the seede leaues it and dies immediately and yet the seede it selfe though exposed to wind and weather and vtterly neglected of man or any creature at a certaine time within few moneths becomes a worm WheÌ„ce should al this proceede but from a creator infinitely powerfull and wise who by his admirable power and prouidence dispenseth life beeing and propagation euen to the least things in their particular sorts and kinds III. The third sort of Arguments from thâ— light of nature are taken from the soule of man This soule is endued with excellent gifts of vnderstanding and reason The vnderstanding hath in it from the beginning certaine principles whereby it knowes and discernes good and bad things to be done and things to be left vndone Now man cannot haue this gift to discerne between good and euill of or from himselfe but it must needes proceede from another cause which is power wisedome and vnderstanding it selfe and that is God Againe the conscience another gift of the soule of man hath in it two principall actions testimony and iudgement by both which the trueth in hand is evidently confirmed Touching the testimonie of conscience let it be demaunded of the Atheist whereof doth conscience beare witnesse he cannot denie but of all his particular actions I aske then against whome or with whome doth it giue testimony the aÌ„swer wil easily be made by the heart of any man that it is with or against himselfe Furthermore to whome is it a witnes Neither to men nor to angels for it is vnpossible that any man or angel should either heare the voice of coÌ„scieÌ„ce or receiue the testimonie thereof or yet discerne what is in the heart of man Hereupon it followes that there is a substance most wise most powerfull most holy that sees and knowes all things to whome conscience beares record and that is God himselfe And touching the iudgement of conscience let a man commit any trespasse or offence though it be done in secret and concealed from the knowledge of any person liuing yet Conscience that knoweth it will accuse him terrifie him cite him before God and giue him no rest What or where is the reason man knowes not the trespasse committed and if there be no God whome shall he feare and yet he feares This also necessarily prooueth that there is a iust and mightie God that will take vengeance vpon him for his sinne IV. The fourth argument from nature is this There is a ground or principle written in euery mans heart in the world none excepted that there is a God Reasons for proofe hereof may be these First the Gentiles worshipping Idoles made of stocks and stones doe acknowledge herein thus much that there is something whereunto honour and seruice is due For man by nature is proud and will neuer yeeld to bow the knee of his bodie before a stocke or a stone to adore it vnlesse he thinke and acknowledge that there is in them a diuine power better then himselfe Secondly the oath that is taken for Confirmation commonly tearmed the assertorie oath is vsed in all countries And it is for the most part generally taken to be a lawfull meanes of confirming a mans word when it is bound by the oath taken Iacob and Laban beeing to make a couenant Iacob sweares by the true God Laban by his false gods and by that both were bound to
manifested himselfe vnto vs in and through the glasse of the word and Sacraments and by the spectacles of his creatures But the time will come when the skales of our eies shall be washed off and they shall be made as cleare as cristall when the imperfection and weaknes of our vnderstanding shall be cleane remooued and then we shall be inabled to see God clearely and fully face to face Thus the first Question is answered that there is a God II. Question Whether Iesus the sonne of Mary be the sonne of God and Redeemer of the world BY propounding this Question as in the former I meane not to make a doubt touching the godhead of Christ which is one of the principall groundes of our religion but to take away or at least preuent an inward corruption of the heart in thē that are weake in knowledge whereby they may be brought sometimes to make doubt and question of the diuinitie of Christ and therefore haue neede to be resolued in the truth hereof Now for the proofe of this point that Christ is God I will lay downe these grounds I. The summe substance of the Bible is to conclude that Iesus the sonne of Mary is the sonne of God and the Redeemer of mankinde and it may be concluded in this syllogisme He that shall come of the seede of Abraham and Dauid and in time shall be borne of a Virgin that shall preach the gladtidings of the Gospell satisfie the law offer vp an oblation of himselfe for the sinnes of them that beleeue ouercome death by his death and resurrection ascend into heauen and in fulnesse of time come againe to iudge both the quicke and the dead is the true Messias and Sauiour of the world But Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Marie is he in whome alone all these things shall come to passe Therfore he onely is the true Messias and Sauiour of the world The proposition or first part of the argument is laid downe in the old Testament the assumption or second part in the New The conclusion is the question in hand the scope and drift of them both II. Ground In Daniel 9. 24. it was prophecied that after the time of 70. weekes that is 490. yeares the Messias should be exhibited By which prophecie it is manifest that the Messias is alreadie come into the world For from that time till now there are at the least 2000. yeares as may plainly be seene by humane histories and by the motions and course of the heauens It is also plaine from hence that hauing bene exhibited and come in the flesh he hath made satisfaction by his death to the wrath of God for sinne Hence it followes that he is the very true Messias and Redeemer of the world because from that time there was neuer any to whome this title and the forenamed properties might so truly agree as to this Iesus the sonne of Dauid III. Ground Iesus the sonne of Mary did teach professe and dispute that he was God that he and his father were one and he tooke vnto himselfe the honour of God Ioh. 7. and 8. An evident argument that he was so as he professed and preached himselfe to be For neuer any creature chalenged to himselfe the honour of God falsly but was discouered and confounded Adam for affecting and aspiring to it was cast out of Paradise And Herod for it died miserably Act. 12. And diuers Popes are recorded in Ecclesiasticall stories to haue taken this honour vnto themselues and there was neuer any sort of men in the world that had more fearfull iudgments vpon them then they But Christ chalenged this to himselfe and prospered and God did most seuerely reuenge his death both vpon Herod and Pilate as also vpon the Iewes and Emperours of Rome that persecuted the Church IV. Ground Christ while he was on earth before he ascended into heauen promised his Disciples to send his spirit vnto them so to assist them that they should be able to do greater works then himselfe did Ioh. 14. 12. c. Now whē Christ was ascended the euent was strange and yet fully answerable to his promise For the disciples were but fewe twelue in number and all vnlearned and yet they preached in the name of Christ and by bare preaching without humane eloquence and the giftes of nature conuerted many nations yea the whole world And though themselues were but weake men and preached things absurd to the corrupt reason of man yet they wonne many soules to God and conuerted the world V. Ground is borrowed from the testimony of the Heathen who haue recorded in their writings the very samethings touching Christ which are reuealed in the scriptures Iosephus a Iew and an enemie to Christ in his eight booke of antiquities Chap. 4. speakes the same things of Christ that Mathew doth that he was a most worthy man that he wrought many miracles and that he rose from the dead Others affirme that he was crucified vnder Pilate in the time of Tiberius and that Tiberius would haue put him in the number of his gods Againe heathen writers report that at his death vnder the raigne of Tiberius all the oracles of the world ceased and the great god Pan as they say then died CHAP. III. Of the Scriptures The second maine question is touching the truth of scripture Whether the scriptures be the true word of God THe answere is that they are And the grounds of this assertion may be reduced to sixe heades Sect. 1. The first is taken from the causes namely the author and writers of the scriptures Touching the Author the scripture referreth it selfe vnto God Therfore he alone is the true and vndoubted author thereof and none but he The sufficiencie of this consequence stands vpon these grounds First if god were not the author of scriptures there would be no one booke in the earth so fabulous and so full of errour as it which to say is blasphemy For it speakes such things as neuer any could speake but God Secondly if it were not the booke of God then all Gods will should be hidden and God should neuer yet haue reuealed his will to man Thirdly if it had not beene the word of God the falshood therof would haue beene detected long agone For there hath beene nothing falsly said of God at any time which he himselfe hath not at some time or other opened and reuealed Euen as he did detect and discouer the falshood of the false prophet Hanan◠Ier. 28. 16. and Gods heauie hand no doubt would long since haue beene vpon the Ministers and preachers of this word if they had vniustly and wrongfully fathered it vpon him Againe for the writers and penmen of scripture Moses the Prophets and Apostles in their writings doe not set forth their own glory nobility or vertues but all with one consent haue acknowledged directly and plainely their owne errors and faults yea such faults as may be disgracefull to
extraordinary man that is qualified with these two gifts may pray not onely against the cause of him that is an enemie to God but against his person Thus Dauid did especially in the 109. Psal. which Psalme is full of terrible curses against his particular enemies and typically against Iudas For he had the spirit of discerning by which he knewe that they were incurable enemies and a pure zeale of the glorie of God which made him breake out into such imprecations So Paul praies Gal. 5. 12. that they might be cut off which troubled the Church c. 2. Tim. 4. 14. he praies directly against the person of Alexander the coppersmith that had don him much wrong The Lord reward him according to his workes Which must not seeme strange for Paul had in that imprecation the Spirit of prophecie and consequently both the spirit of discerning and of pure zeale and therefore he might pray against him as he did But for Ordinarie men such as haue nothing but ordinarie gifts and want the spirit of discerning and haue also a zeale mingled with choler stomack anger and hatred they may vse no extraordinarie praier against the person of any man All that they may doe is to pray that God would restraine their malice hinder their badde practises and turne them to his glorie and the good of his Church Therefore Act. 4. 29. when there had beene a Councell holden at Ierusalem against the Apostles Peter and Iohn in the first beginning of the great persecution of Christians in the primitiue Church it is said that they departed from the assembly and praied together with the rest of the Church in this manner And now O Lord behold their threatnings c. Wherein they praied not against the Councell nor against the men that sate in counsell but against their proceedings courses deuises and threatnings And their practise may be a patterne for ordinary men to follow In Luk. 9. 54. the Disciples asking our Sauiour Christ whether they should call for fire from heauen to destroy his enemies he sharply reprooueth them for their intemperate heate against the Samaritans and tells them that they had not that extraordinarie Spirit to effect such a thing because they were but ordinarie men Ordinarie men therefore may not pray against the persons of Gods enemies The Pope at this day is a professed enemie to Christ and his Gospel yet no man may pray against the person of the Pope but onely against his state kingdome and regiment which is Antichristian whereby he sets himselfe against God and his kingdome Sect. 2. Vpon the answer to this question there followeth an other Sundrie Psalmes of Dauid are Psalmes of imprecation wherin Dauid curseth his enemies fearefully especially in the 109. Psalme now all these psalmes were penned for our vse It may therefore be demanded how we may vse these and such like when we read or sing them Ans. I. We must not vse them as Dauid did namely as praiers against the persons of our enemies but onely as prophecies against the enemies of God wherein the punishment of incurable men that were enemies to God and his truth is foretold For wee haue not as Dauid had an extraordinarie spirit or a pure zeale therefore we cannot pray as he did II. I answer whereas these Imprecations were directed against particular enemies we may vse them in some sort as praiers but how as generall praiers against all the incureable enemies of God not against any particulars among the Iewes Turkes or Papists As therfore as we may vse these Imprecations as praiers so we must vse them without any particular application to the persons of any particular men III. Question What be the particular Circumstances of Prayer Ans. There are chiefly foure I. The voice or speech II. The gesture III. The place where IV. The time when Sect. 1. Concerning the Voice this Question may be mooued Whether a Voice or words are â—o be vsed in prayer or no Ans. Prayer is either Pubâ—cke or Priuate In publike prayer a forme of wordes must alwaies be vsed in a knowne plaine and distinct voice The reasons are these First the Minister is the mouth of the whole Congregation in prayer as he is the mouth of God to the people in preaching Now as the Minister is their mouth to God in prayer so the people must giue their assent and approbation to his prayer by the word Amen But there can be no professed and publique assent without a voice Secondly God is the Creator not onely of the soule of man but also of his bodie and we blesse God not onely with the heart but also with the tongue therefore the whole man must pray in publicke Now in priuate prayer made in priuate and secret places by priuate persons the Voice is profitable but not simply necessarie It is profitable because it stirreth vp the affections of the heart it serueth also to keepe the wandering minde in compasse to expresse the affection and to procure attention of the heart to the prayer Yet it is not simply necessarie For a man is not bound in coâ—â—cience to vse a forme of wordes in all his prayers Moses prayed he spake neuer a word and yet it was a prayer for the Lord saies vnto him Exod. 12. 15. Why criest thou Anna praying in the Temple her lippes did mooue onely her voice was not heard and yet shee is said to pray 1. Sam. 1. 13. Againe the Spirit is said to pray in the Elect with groanes that cannot be vttered and yet the Holy Ghost giues them the name of prayers Rom. 8. Paul biddes vs pray continually which is not to be vnderstood of a continuall vse of a forme of words but of the groanes and sighes of the heart which may be made at all times Out of this Question ariseth another Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set Forme of prayer for some thinke that to doe so is a sinne Ans. It is no sinne but a man may lawfully and with good conscience doe it Reasons First the Psalmes of Dauid were deliuered to the Church to be vsed and read in a set forme of words and yet the most of them are praiers Secondly to conceiue a forme of praier requires gifts of memorie knowledge vtterance and the gifts of grace Now euery child and seruant of God though he haue an honest heart yet hath he not all these gifts and therefore in the want of them may lawfully vse a set forme of prayer as a man that hath a weake backe or a lame legge may leane vpon a crutch It is alleadged that set formes of praier doe limit and binde the Holy Ghost Ans. If we had a perfect measure of grace it were somewhat but the graces of God are weake and small in vs. This is no binding of the Holy Ghost but a helping of the spirit which is weake in vs by a crutch to leane vpon therefore a man may with good conscience
those times concluded the contrarie against him according to the doctrine that hath beene deliuered The Vse I. By this doctrine they are iustly to be blamed who would haue their children rebaptized which were before baptized by Popish priests because the Sacrament though administred by a Papist if he stand in the roome of a true Pastour keep the forme thereof is a true Sacrament II. Others by this doctrine come to be reprooued that refuse to receiue the Sacraments at the hands of vnpreaching ministers For though the minister be vnsufficiēt preach not yet if he be called by the Church he hath the place of a lawfull Pastour his administration is warrantable and the Sacrament by him administred a true Sacrament If it be said that then the true Sacraments may be out of the true church as in the church of Rome at this day because Hereticks and such like Ministers are not of the church I answer that there is in the church of Rome the hidden church of God and the Sacraments are there vsed not for the Romish church but for the hidden church which is in the midst of Papacie like as the lanterne beareth light not for it selfe but for the passengers yet hence it followeth not that we should communicate with Idolaters Hereticks and wicked persons And so much of the Administration of the Sacraments in generall I come now to the Particular Sacraments CHAP. IX Of Baptisme THe first Sacrament in order is Baptisme And the Questions touching it I reduce to fiue heads I. Question Whether Baptisme be necessarie to saluation or no For answer to this Question we must rightly distinguish of necessitie A thing is said to be necessarie two manner of waies either absolutely and simply or in part Absolutely necessarie is that which is in all respects necessarie and the contrarie whereof is vtterly vnnecessarie Necessarie in part is that which in some respects or vpon certaine causes and considerations is necessarie This distinction premised I answer Sect. 1. First that Baptisme is necessarie the second way in part and respectiuely that is in diuers and sundrie regards I. As the lawfull vse thereof is a note whereby the true church of God is discerned and distinguished from the false church Not that the church of God cannot be a church without this Sacrament For it may want Baptisme for a time and yet remaine a true church as well as the church of the Iewes in auncient times wanted circumcision for the space of fourtie yeares Iosh. 5. 6. and yet ceased not to be a true church and loued of God II. As it serueth for necessarie vses and purposes to men of yeares that are to be baptized as first to testifie vnto the church and themselues that they are receiued into the bodie of Christ which is the companie and societie of the faithfull Secondly to testifie their obedience to Gods commandement their subiection to his ordinance appointed by him for their good Thirdly to be a necessarie proppe to vphold their weaknesse a seale to confirme their faith in the couenant of grace and an instrument to conuey Christ vnto them with all his benefits III. It is necessarie to Infants as it serueth to enter and admit them into the visible Church and withall to signifie their interest in the couenant of grace and consequently their right and title to Life euerlasting Sect. 2. Secondly I answere that Baptisme is not absolutely or simply necessary so as the partie that dies without it remaines in the state of damnation and cannot be saued My reasons are these I. Baptisme is appointed by God to be no more but a seale annexed vnto and depending vpon the couenant therefore we must put a difference betweene it and the couenant The Couenant of grace and our beeing in Christ is absolutely necessarie for no man woman or childe can be saued vnlesse they haue God for their God But the signe thereof is not For looke as to the essence of a bargaine the consent and agreement of the parties alone is of meere necessitie required and this beeing yelded the bargaine is a bargen though it be neither sealed subscribed nor confirmed by witnesses so likewise a man may be saued if he be within the couenant of grace though he haue not receiued the seale and signe thereof the Sacrament of Baptisme II. The bare want or priuation of Baptisme when it cannot be had is pardonable doth not condemne the partie vn-baptized The thiefe vpon the crosse was saued though he was neuer baptized Luk. 23. And sundrie Martyrs in former times who were Gods deare children and died for the maintenance of his truth though they wanted the outward and visible baptisme yet by Gods mercy they were not destitute of the inward and consequently were not condemned but saued And so many children vnder the law died before the eight day vncircumcised Yea when any among them were weake and could not indure to haue the foreskinne of their flesh cutte in probability their circumcision was deferred and some of them died in the meane time which neuerthelesse being borne of beleeuing parents were vndoubtedly saved according to the promise of God made to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seede For as Christ saith of the Sabaoth so may we say of Circumcision It was made for man and not man for it And it were a iudgement both rash and vncharitable to thinke that all the males of the children of Israel that died before circumcision were condemned Yet on the other side the wilfull contempt and carelesse neglect of this ordinance when it may conueniently be administred and receiued is deadly and damnable And to them that are guilty of this sinne is the threat of God iustly denounced Gen. 17. 14. Euen that person shall be cut off from his people III. The grace and mercy of God is free and not tied or bound to the outward elements Ioh. 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth that is God giues grace and vouchsafeth fauour to whome where and when it pleaseth him And hence it is that they whome he would not haue perish but come to eternall life shall be saued though they be not partakers of this Sacrament IV. Infants borne of beleeuing parents are holy before baptisme and baptisme is but a seale of that holinesse 1. Cor. 7. 14. The children of beleeuing parents are holy Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruits be holy so is the whole tumpe and if the root be holy so are the branches Yea to them belongs the kingdome of heauen as well as to others Christ saith Suffer litle children c. for to them belongeth the kingdome of heauen Mark 10. 14. It is alleaged that those which are sanctified haue faith which infants haue not Ans. God saith I will be thy God and the God of thy head By vertue of this promise the parent layes hold on the couenant for himselfe and for his child and the childe