not my own but his that made me All things shew me that there is a God who must needs be Greater Wiser and Better than all his Creatures and therefore ought to be most Honoured Feared Loved and Obeyed I see multitudes of persons of the same Nature with me and therefore obliged to the same duty to God I see much of Gods work in them which is Good and therefore to be Loved And I see that we are all parts of one World and made to be useful to one another These and many such things the Reason of man may discern in himself and other works of God Q. 6. But I thought the Law of Nature had been every mans natural temper and disposition which inclineth him to action And you make it to be only a notifying sign of duty A. Figuratively some call every Inclination a Law but it 's no such thing that we are speaking of Only a mans natural Inclination among other signs may notifie his duty But I hope you cannot think that a mans vicious Inclination is Gods Law Then you would make Original sin and the work of the Devil to be Gods Law One mans sinful distemper of Soul and another mans bodily distemper the fruit of sin inclineth him to wrath to lust to idleness to sinful sports or drinking or gluttony And these are so far from being Gods Law of Nature that they are the contraries and the Law of Satan in our members rebelling against the Law of God And though the good Inclinations of our common Nature to Justice Peace Temperance be by some called The Law of Nature it is not as they are Inclinations but as from them we may know our duty Q. 7. Hath God any Natural Officers under him in governing man I pray you tell me how far Mans Power is of God A. God hath set up divers sorts of humane Governing Powers under him in the World which all have their place and order assigned them some by Nature as entire some by the Law of Nature since the Fall and some by supernatural Revelation which is not to be here spoken to but afterward Q. 8. Because I have heard some say that God made no Government but men do it by consent for their necessity I pray you shew me what Government God made by Nature and in what order A. 1. Next to Gods own Governing Right which is the first God hath made every man a Governour of himself For God made him with some faculties which must be ruled as the Appetite Senses and Tongue and other bodily members yea and Passions too and with some which must Rule the rest as the Understanding by guidance and the Will by command And this self-governing power is so necessary and Natural that no man can take it from us or forbid us the due exercise of it any more than they can bind us to sin or to self-destruction Q. 9. Which is the next humane Power in order A. 2. The Governing power of the Husband over the Wife whose very nature as well as Original shews that she was made to be Subject though under the Law of Love Q. 10. But is not this by consent rather than by nature A. It is by Consent that a woman is married but when she hath made her self a Wife Nature maketh her a Subject unless madness or disability make the man unmeet for his place Q. 11. Which is the next sort of Natural Government A. 3. The Parents Government of their Children Nature maketh it the duty of Parents to rule and of Children to obey And though some have been so unnatural as to deny this and say that Children owe nothing but reverence and gratitude yet there is no danger of the common prevalency of such a Heresie which the nature of all mankind confuteth save that licentious Youth will take advantage of it to disobey their Parents to please their lusts Q. 12. What is the humane Government which Gods Law of Nature hath instituted to man since his fall and corruption A. 4. That is to be afterward explained But Magistracy or Civil Government is certainly of Natural Institution though it is uncertain how God would have governed Man in such Societies by man if they had not sinned The Law of Nature teacheth man the necessity of Civil Society and of Government therein and therefore obligeth man thereto Q. 13. This seemeth to be but the effect of mens own perceived necessity and so to be but their arbitrary choice A. Their Necessity is Natural and the notice of it is Natural and the desire of Remedy is natural and the fitness of Magistracy to its use is natural Therefore it is the Law of God in Nature that bindeth them to choose and use it And if any Countrey should choose to live without Magistracy they would sin against the Law of Nature and their own good Q. 14. But I have heard that God hath made no Law what Form of Civil Government shall be used but left it to every Countreys choice A. God hath by nature made it necessary that there be Magistracy that is some men in power over Societies to enforce the obedience of Gods own common Laws and to make their subordinate Laws about undetermined mutable matters to that end for the honour of God and the Good of the Society But 1. Whether this Government shall be exercised by one or many 2. And who shall be the Persons Gods Law hath left undetermined to humane Liberty The Form and the Persons are chosen neither by the said persons nor by the People only but by the mutual consent and contract of both 3. And also by this contract the Degree of power and order of the exercise may be Stated and limited But for all that when humane consent hath chosen the persons the essential Power of Governing in Subordination to Gods Laws floweth not from man but immediately from Gods Law of Nature Q. 15. But what if these sorts of Government prove cross to one another and Reason commandeth one thing an Husband another a Parent another and the Magistrate another which must be obeyed A. Each have their proper Work and End which none of the other can forbid Self-Government is the Reasonable management of our own Faculties and actions in obedience to God for our own Salvation And no King or other can take this from us And if they forbid us any necessary duty to God or necessary Means of our Salvation they do it without Authority and are not to be therein obeyed A Husbands power to govern his Wife is for the necessary Ends of their Relation which the King hath no power to forbid A Parents power to rule his Children is for the Necessary Education of them for the welfare of Soul and Body and the King hath no power to forbid it Should he forbid Parents to feed their Children or teach them Gods Laws or to choose for them Orthodox fit Tutors Pastors and Church-Communion where God is lawfully worshipped
and should he command the Children to use the contrary it is all Null and powerless But it belongeth to the Magistrate only though not to destroy any of the three former Governments which are all before his in Nature and Time yet to Govern them all by directing the exercise of them in lawful things to the common good Q. 16. How far doth the Law of Nature assure us of Gods rewards and punishments A. As it assureth us that perfect man owed God perfect Obedience Trust and Love so it certifieth us 1. That this performed must needs be acceptable to God and tend to the felicity of the Subject seeing Gods Love is our Felicity 2. And that sinning against Gods Law deserveth Punishment 3. And that Governing Justice must make such a difference between the obedient and the sinner as the Ends of Government require 4. And seeing that before mans obedience or sin God made mans Soul of a Nature not tending to its own mortality we have cause to expect that mans Rewards and Punishments should be suitable to such immortal Souls For though he can make Bruits immortal and can annihilate mans Soul or any Creature yet we see that he keeps so close to his Natural Establishments that we have no reason to think that he will cross them here and annihilate Souls to shorten their Rewards or Punishments Q. 17. But doth Nature tell us what kind of Rewards and Punishments men have A. The Faculties of the Soul being made in their Nature to know God in our degree to Love him to please him and to rest and rejoice herein and this in the society of wise and good and blessed joyful fellow Creatures whom also our Nature is made to Love it followeth that the Perfection of this Nature in these Inclinations and Actions is that which God did make our Natures for to be obtained by the obeying of his Laws And sin being the Injurious contempt and forsaking of God and the most hurtful malady of the Soul and of Societies and to others it followeth that those that have finally forsaken God be without the happiness of his Love and Glory and under the sence of their sin and his displeasure and that their own sin will be their misery as diseases are to the Body and that the Societies and Persons that by sin they injured or infected will somewhat contribute to their punishment Happiness to the good and Misery to the bad the Light and Law of Nature teacheth man to expect But all that I have taught you is much more surely and fully known by Supernatural Revelation CHAP. VI. Of Supernatural Revelation of Gods Will to Man and of the Holy Scriptures or Bible Q. 1. VVHat do you call Supernatural Revelation A. All that Revelation of Gods mind to man which is made by him extraordinarily above what the common works of Nature do make known Though perhaps God may use in it some Natural second Causes in a way unknown to us Q. 2. How many wayes hath God thus Revealed his will to man A. Many wayes 1. By some Voice and Signs of his presence which we do not well know what Creature he used to it whether Angels or only at present caused that Voice and Glory So he spake to Adam and Eve and the Serpent and to Moses in the Mount and Tabernacle and in the cleft of the Rock Exod. 34. And to Abraham Iacob c. 2. By Angels certainly appearing as sent from God and so he spake to Abraham Isaac Iacob Lot Moses and to very many 3. By Visions and Dreams in their Sleep extraordinary 4. By the Vision of some Signs from Heaven in their waking As Saul Act. 9. saw the Light that cast him down 5. By Visions and Voices in an extasie As Paul saw Paradise and heard unutterable things whether in the Body or out of the Body he knew not And its like in such a rapture Daniel and Iohn had their Revelations 6. By Christs own Voice as he spake to men on Earth and Paul from Heaven 7. By the sight of Christ and Glory as Stephen saw him 8. By immediate Inspiration to the minds of Prophets 9. By these Prophets sent as Messengers to others 10. By certain uncontrolled Miracles 11. By a convincing course of extraordinary works of Gods Providence As when an Angel killed the Armies of Enemies or when they kill'd one another in one night or day c. 12. By extraordinary works of God on the Souls of men As when he suddenly overcometh the strongest vicious habits and customs and maketh multitudes new and holy persons by such improbable but assigned means by which he promised to do it Q. 3. These are all excellent things if we were sure that they were not deceived nor did deceive But how shall we be sure of that A. It s one thing to ask How they themselves were sure that they were not deceived and another thing to ask How we are or others may be sure of it As to the first they were sure as men are of other things which they see hear feel and think I am sure by sense and intellectual Preception that I see the light that I hear feel think c. The Revelation cometh to the person in its own convincing Evidence as Light doth to the Eye Q. 4. They know what they see hear feel but how were they sure that it was of God and not by some deceiving Cause A. 1. God himself gave them the Evidence of this also in the Revelation that it was from him and no deceit But it is no more possible for any of us that never had such a Revelation our selves to know sensibly and formally what it is and how they knew it than it is for a man born blind to know how other men see or what seeing is 2. But moreover they also were sure that it was of God by the proofs by which they make us sure of it And this leads us up to the other question Q. 5. And a question of unspeakable moment it is How we can be sure of such prophetical Revelations delivered to us by others viz That they were not deceived nor deceive us A. It is of exceeding consequence indeed and therefore deserveth to be understandingly considered and handled And here you must first consider the difference of Revelation Some were but made or sent by Prophets to some particular Persons about a personal particular business as to Abraham that he should have a Son that Sodom should be burnt to David that his Son should be his punishment his child die to Hezekiah that he should recover c. These none were bound to know and believe but the persons concerned to whom they were revealed and sent Till they were made publick afterwards But some Revelations were made for whole Countreys and some for all the World and that as Gods Laws or Covenants which Life and Death dependeth on And these must be accordingly made known
a sincere Believer This is all that the Article containeth 5. But while I profess to Believe it is supposed that I hope I do it sincerely and therefore have some hope that I am pardoned 6. But because a Man may sincerely believe and yet doubt of the sincerity and God hath no where said in Scripture that I or you are Sincere Believers or are pardoned therefore to believe this is no Divine Faith save by participation nor is it profest by all that profess the Creed But it is an Effect of two Acts 1. Of our Faith 2. And of the Conscience of our sincerity in Believing It is a Conclusion that all should labour to make sure though it be not the proper sence of the Article Q. 16. Seeing all true Believers are at first justified and pardoned as to the Everlasting punishment doth it not follow that all God's Children have afterward none but temporal chastisement to be forgiven A. 1. I told you that sin is not forgiven even to stated Believers before it is committed and when it is committed the qualifying Condition must be found in us And though our first true Faith and Repentance qualifie us for the Pardon of all Sin past yet when more is committed more is required in us to our Pardon that is that we renew Repentance and Faith as far as Sin is known and that we beg Pardon and forgive others 2. Yet the future punishment is not so much unforgiven to the Faithful as to others before renewed Repentance For they have the main qualification and want but an act for which they are habituated and have God's Spirit to assist them 3. And though Sins unknown which are ordinary infirmities are forgiven without express particular Repentance yet in order of nature the Desert of punishment goeth before the forgiveness The very Law of Nature maketh durable punishment due to durable Souls till the dueness be remitted by forgiveness Q. 17. Is my sin forgiven as long as I believe it not forgiven A. If you believe not that God is a merciful pardoning God and Christ a pardoning Saviour whose Sacrifice and Merits are sufficient and God's Promise of Pardon to the Penitent Believer is true and to be trusted you are not pardoned But if you believe this and consent to Christ's pardoning Covenant you are pardoned though you doubt of your own forgiveness Q. 18. How may I be sure that I am forgiven A. The everlasting punishment is forgiven when you are one that God by his Covenant pardoneth and that is when by true Faith and Repentance you Consent to the Covenant Terms and give up your self to God as your God and Saviour and Sanctifier And when temporal punishments are remitted in Soul or Body experience of their removal may tell you Q. 19. What keepeth up doubts of forgiveness of Sin A. 1. Ignorance of the Terms of the pardoning Covenant 2. And ignorance of our Selves and our own Sincerity 3. Especially renewing our guilt by Sin and being so defective in our Repentance and other Grace as that we cannot be sure of our Sincerity Above all when frequent sinning after Promises make us not credible to our selves Q. 20. But is not the Cure of a doubting Soul to Believe though he find no Evidence in himself and that because he is commanded to believe and so believing will be his Evidence A. Believing is a word that signifieth divers Acts As I told you It is every Mans duty to believe Gods Mercy and Christ's Redemption and Sufficiency and the truth of the conditional Promise and to Accept Pardon as Offered on the Terms of that Promise and then not to cherish doubts of his Sincerity But it is not every Mans duty to Believe that he is sincere or that his Sin is pardoned Else most should be bound to believe an Untruth that it may after become true Presumption destroyeth far more than Despair For an ungodly impenitent Person to believe that he is godly and justified by Christ is to believe himself who is a Lyar and not to believe Christ yea it is to believe himself against Christ who saith the contrary Q. 21. What is the use of this Article of the Forgiveness of Sin A. The Use is exceeding great not to embolden us in sin because it is pardonable nor to delay Repentance and forsaking sin For that were to cast away Pardon by Contempt But 1. to shew us what a merciful God we serve 2. And what a Mercy it is to have a Redeemer and a Pardoning Saviour 3. And what a Comfort to be under a Pardoning Covenant of Grace 4. And it tells us that the review of the sins of our unregenerate State though they must keep us humble should yet be still used to raise our Hearts to joyful thankfulness to God for the Grace of a Redeemer 5. And it should keep us from despair and discouragment in all our weaknesses while we have the Evidence of daily Pardon 6. Yea it should make us hate Sin the more which is against so good a God 7. We may come with reverenâ— boldness to God in Meditation Prayer and Sacraments when we know that Sin is pardoned 8. And we may taste the Sweetness of all our Mercies wheâ— the doubt of our forgiveness doth not embitter them 9. And we may much the easilier bear all Afflictions when the everlasting punishment is forgiven 10. Anâ— we may die when God calls us without horrour wheâ— we believe that we are pardoned through Christ nothing but Sin can hurt or endanger us at Christs Tribunal when that is forgiven and there is no Condemnation to us being in Christ how joyfully may we think of his appearing 11. What Peace of Conscience may we have continually while we can say that â—â— our Sins are forgiven us For as Psal. 32. 1. Anâ— blessed are they whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile CHAP. XXI The Resurrection of the Body Qu. 1. I Have oft wondered why there is nothing iâ— the Creed of the Immortality of the Soul and its state before the Resurrection A. 1. The Article of Christ's Descent tells us that his Soul was among the separated Souls while his Body was in the Grave as he told the Thief that he should be that day with him in Paradise 2. The Resurrection of the Body is a thing not known at all by Nature but only by supernatural Revelation and therefore is an Article of meer belief But the Immortality or future Life of Souls is a point which the Light of Nature revealeth and therefore was taken both by Iews and sober Heathens as a Truth of common Notice Even as the Love of our selves is not expressed in the Ten Commandments but only the Love of God and others because it was a thing presupposed 3. The Immortality of the Soul is included in the Article of the Resurrection of the Body For if
Relations are here included A. That we being Gods Creatures and Redeemed Ones are 1. His Own 2. His Subjects to be Ruled by him 3. His poor Beneficiaries that have all from him and owe him all our Love Q. 8. What do the words signifie that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt A. That besides the Right of Creation God hath a Second Right to us as our Redeemer The deliverance from Egypt was that Typical one that founded the Relation between him and the Common-wealth of Israel But as the Decalogue is the Law of Christ the meaing is I am the Lord thy God who Redeemed thee from sin and misery by Iesus Christ. So that this signifieth the nearest Right and Reason of this Relation between God and Man He giveth us his Law now not only as our Creator but as our Redeemer and as such we must be his willing Subjects and obey him Q. 9. Are all Men Subjects of God's Kingdom A. 1. All are Subjects as to Right and Obligation 2. All that Profess Subjection as profest Consenters 3. And all true hearty Consenters are his sincere Subjects that shall be Saved God the Creator and Redeemer hath the Right of Soveraignty over all the World whether they Consent or not But they shall not have the Blessing of Faithful Subjects without their own true Consent nor of visible Church Members without profest Consent But antecedent Mercies he giveth to all Q. 10. Why is this description of Gods Soveraignty and Mans Subjection and the Ground of it set before the Commandements A. Because 1. Faith must go before Obedience He that will come to God and obey him must Believe that God is God and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. And he that will obey him as our Redeemer must believe that we are Redeemed by Jesus Christ and that he is our Lord and King 2. And Relations go before the Dutyes of Relation And our Consent foundeth the mutual Relation The nature and form of Obedience is To Obey anothers Commanding will because he is our Rightful Governour No Man can Obey him formally whom he taketh not for his Ruler And Subjection or Consent to be Governed is Virtually all Obedience Q. 11. But what if Men never hear of the Redeemer may they not obey Gods Law of Nature A. They may know that they are Sinners and that the sin of an Immortal Soul deserveth endless punishment And they may find by experience that God useth them not as they deserve but giveth many mercies to those that deserve nothing but misery and that he obligeth them to use some means in hope for their recovery and so that he Governeth them by a Law or on terms of Mercy And being under the first Edition of the Law of Grace though they know not the second they ought to keep that Law which they are under and they shall be judged by it Q. 12. How then doth the Christian Church as Christs Kingdom differ from the World without if they be any of his Kingdom too A. As all the World was under that Common Law of Grace which was made for them to Adam and Noe and yet Abraham and his Seed only were chosen out of all the World as a peculiar Holy Nation to God and were under a Law and Covenant of Peculiarity which belonged only unto them so though Christ hath not revoked those common Mercies given to all by the first Edition of the Law of Grace nor left the World ungoverned and lawless yet he hath given to Christians a more excellent Covenant of Peculiarity than he gave the Natural Seed of Abraham and hath elected them out of the World to himself as a chosen Generation a Royal Priestood an Holy Nation a peculiar People to shew forth the Praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Q. 13. It seems then we must take great heed that we make not Christs Kingdom either less or Greater than it is A. To make it Greater than it is by equalling those without with the Church or Church-hypocrites with the sincere doth dishonour Gods Holiness and the wonderful design of Christ in Mans Redemption and the Grace of the Spirit and the Church of God and obscureth the Doctrine of Election and God's peculiar Love and tendeth to the discomfort of the Faithful and even to Infidelity And to make Christ's Kingdom less than it is by deâ—ying the first Edition of the Law of Grace made to â—ll and the common Mercies given to all antecedently â—o their rejection of them doth obscure and wrong â—he Glory of Gods Love to Man and deny his comâ—on Grace and Law and feigneth the World either â—o be under no Law of God or else to be all bound to be perfectly Innocent at the time when they are guilty and either not bound at all to hope and seek for Salvation or else to seek it on the Condition of being Innocent when they know that it is impossible they being already guilty And it maketh the World like the Devils almost shut up in despair and it leaveth them as Guiltless of all sin against Grace and the Law of Grace as if they had none such And it contradicteth the judgment of Abraham the Father of the Faithful who saw Christ's day For he thought that even the wicked City Sodom had had Fifty Persons so Righteous as that God should have spared the rest for their sakes to say nothing of Iob Nineve c. In a word the ungrounded extenuating the Grace oâ— Christ and the Love of God hardeneth Infidels and tempteth Christians to perplexing Thoughts of the Gospel and of the Infinite Goodness of God and maketh it more difficult than indeed it is to see hiâ— Amiableness and consequently to Glorifie and Loâ—â— him as the Essential Love whose Goodness is equaâ— to his Greatness It is Satan as an Angel of Light and Righteousness who pretending the defence of God's special Love to his Elect denyeth his common Mercies to Mandkind to dishonour Gods's Love and strengthen our own Temptations against the Joyfuâ— Love of God Q. 14. Is Government and Subjection all that â—â— here included A. No God's Kingdom is a Paternal Kingdom â—…ling Children by Love that he may make them happy I am the Lord thy God signifieth I am thy greatâ—â— Benefactor thy Father who gave thee all the Gooâ— thou hast and will give to my obedient Children Grace and Glory and all that they can reasonably desire and will protect them from all their Enemies and supply their wants and deliver them from Evil and will be for ever their Sun and Shield their Reward and Joy and better to them than Man in Flesh can now conceive even Love it self CHAP. XXXIV Of the First Commandment Qu. 1. VVHat are the words of the First Commandement A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Exod. 20. 3. Q. 2. What
I. I am under no Obligation to inform a Robber or an usurping Persecutor as such But to others I may be obliged to open the Truth II. I may deceive a Patient or Child to profit him when I may not do it to hurt him III. I may deceive such as I am not bound to inform by my silence or my looks or gestures which I suppose he will misunderstand when I may not deceive him by a Lie Q. 10. Is it not all one to deceive one way or another A. No 1. I am not bound to open my Mind to all men What right hath a Thief to know my Goods or Heart or a Persecutor to know where I hide my self 2. But I have before largely shewed you that Lying is so great an evil against common Trust and Society in the World as is not to be used for personal Commodity or Safety 3. And other Signs Looks and gestures being not appointed for the natural and common Indications of the Mind are more left to humane Liberty and Prudence to use for Lawful ends As Christ Luk. 24. made by his motion as if he would have gone further And even by words about Caesars Tribute and other Cases concealed his Mind and oft denyed the Pharisees a resolution of Questions which they put to him Stratagems in a Lawful War are lawful when by actual shews and seemings an Enemy is deceived Q. 11. But the Scriptures mention many Instances of Equivocation and flat Lying in the Egyptian Midwives in Rahab in David and many others without blame and some of them with great commendation and reward Heb. 11 A. 1. It is Gods Law that tells us what 's Sin and Duty when the History oft tells us but what was done and not how far it was well or ill done 2. It is not the Lie that is commended in the Midwives and Rahab but their Faith and Charity 3. That which God pardoneth as he did Polygamy and rash Divorce to Godly men that are upright in the main and specially such as knew it not to be sin is not thereby justified nor will it be so easily pardoned to us who live in the clearer Gospel light Q. 12. But when the Scripture saith that All men are Lyars and sad Experience seemeth to confirm it what credit do we owe to Men and what certainty is there of any History A. History by Writing or Verbal Tradition is of so great use to the World that Satan maketh it a chief part of his work as he is the Deceiver and Enemy of Mankind to corrupt it And false History is a most hainous sin and dangerous Sâ—are by which the great Deceiver keeps up his Kingdom in the World Heathenism Mahometanism Popery Heresie and Malignity and Persecution are all maintained by false Tradition and History Therefore we must not be too hasty or confident in Believing Man And yet denying just Belief will be our sin and great loss Q. 13. How then shall we know what and whom to believe A. 1. We must believe no men that speak against God or his Word For we are sure that God cannot lie And the Scripture is his infallibly Sealed Word 2. We must believe none that speak against the Light of Nature and common Notices of all Mankind for that were to renounce Humanity And the Law of Nature is Gods first Law But it is not the Sentiments of Nature as depraved which is this Law 3. We must believe no men against the common Senses of Mankind exercised on their duely qualified Objects Faith contradicteth not common Sense though it goe above it We are Men before we are Christians and Sense and Reason are presupposed to Faith The Doctrine which saith There is no Bread nor Wine after Consecration in the Sacrament doth give the lie to the Eyes Taste and Feeling and intellectual Perception of all sound men and therefore not to be believed For if Sense be not to be trusted we know not that there is a Church or a Man or a Bible or any thing in the World and so nothing can be believed Whether all sound Senses may be deceived or not God hath given us no surer way of certainty 4. Nothing is to be believed against the certain Interest of all Mankind and tending to their destruction That which would damn Souls or deny their Immortality and future Hope or ruine the Christian World or Nations is not to be believed to be duty or lawfull For Truth is for Good and Faith is for Felicity and no man is bound to such destructive things 5. Nothing is to be believed as absolutely certain which depends on the meer honesty of the Speakers For all men are liable to mistake or lie 6. The more Ignorant malicious unconscionable factious siding any man is the less credible he is And the wiser and nearer to the action any man is and the more conscionable peaceable and impartial he is the more credible he is An Enemy speaking well of a man is so far more credible than a Friend Multitudes as capable and honest are more credible than one 7. As that Certainty which is called Morall as depending on mens Free-will is never absolute but hath many degrees as the witness is more or less credible so there is a Certainty by mens Report Tradition or History which is Physical and wholly infallible As that there is such a place as Rome Paris c. and that the Statutes of the Land were made by such Kings and Parliaments to whom they are ascribed and that there have been such Kings c. For proof of which know 1. That besides the free acts the Will hath some acts as necessary as it is to the Fire to burn viz. To Love our selves and Felicity and more such 2. That when all men of contrary Interest Friends and Foes agree in a matter that hath sensible Evidence it is the Effect of such a Necessitating Cause 3. And there is no Cause in Nature that can make them so agree in a lie Therefore it is a Natural Certainty Look back â—o the sixth Chapter Q. 13. Why is false Witness in Iudgement so great a sin A. Because it containeth in it all these odious Crimes conjunct 1. A deliberate lie 2. The wrongfull hurting of another contrary to the two great Principles of Converse Justice and Love â— It depriveth the World of the benefit of Government and Judicatures 4. It turneth them into the â—â—ague and ruine of the innocent 5. It blaspheâ—eth or dishonoureth God by whose Authority Rulers judge as if he set up Officers to destroy us by false Witness or knew it not or would not reâ—enge Injustice 6. It overthroweth humane Conâ—erse and Safety when Witnesses may destroy whom they please if they can but craftily agree Q. 14. Is there no way to prevent this danger to Mankind A. God can do it If he give wise and righteous Rulers to the World they may do much towards â—t But wicked Rulers use false Witness as
Books which may be read in another place If any say that I speak against that which I want my self I only desire that it may not be those who cast by my Catholick Theologie Methodus Theologiae c. with no other Accusation but because they are too Scholastical Accurate and hard for them I here bewail it as my great sin against God that in the Youth of my Ministry Pride made me often blush with shame for want of Academical Degrees but usually God will not have us bring our own humane honour to his Service but setch honour from him in faithful serving him Fringes and Laces must be last set on when the Garment is made and not be the ground or Stamen of it There have been men that have desired their Sons to learn all the Oriental Tongues and the rare Antiquities and critical applaudâ—d sort of Learning not for its own worth but that they might Preach the Gospel with the advantage of a greater name and honour And this course hath so taken up and formed such Students into the quality of their Studies when their Souls should have been taken up with Faith and Love and Heavenly Desires and Hopes that it hath overthrown the end to which it was intended and rendred such Students unfit for the Sacred Ministry and caused them to turn to other things When others who as Usher Bochart Blondel c. have first taken in a digested Body of saving Truth have after added these Critical Studies at full maturity have become rare Blessings to the Church Let those that think all this digressive or unmeet for the Preface to a Catechism Pardon that which the Worlds Miscarriages and Necessities bespeak If at least Masters of Families by such helps diligently used will keep up Knowledge and Religion in their Houses it is not publick failings in Ministers nor the want of what is desirable in the Assemblies that will root out Religion from the Land But if the faithful prove few they must be content with their Personal Comforts and Rewards there is nothing amiss in the heavenly Society and the World which we are entering into Come Lord Iesus Come quickly Amen Lond. Octob. 3. 1682. The CONTENTS Chap. 1. THE Introduction About Catechizing and Learning pag. 1 Chap. 2. How to know our selves by Nature p. 6 Chap. 3. Of the natural Knowledge of God and Heaven p. 9 Chap. 4. Of Gods Kingdom and Government of Man and Providence p. 13 Chap. 5. Of Gods Law of Nature and Natural Officers p. 19 Chap. 6. Of supernatural Revelation of Gods Will to Man and of the Holy Scriptures p. 27 Chap. 7. Of the Christian Religion what it is and of the Creed p. 27 Chap. 8. Of Believing what it signifieth in the Creed p. 70 Chap. 9. Of the first Article I Believe in God the Father almighty maker of Heaven and Earth p. 82 Chap. 10. Of Gods Almightiness and Creation p. 88 Chap. 11. Of the Person of Jesus Christ the only Son of God p. 92 Chap. 12. How Christ was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Virgin Mary 97 Chap. 13. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried he descended into Hell p. 101 Chap. 14. The third day he rose again from the Dead p. 109 Chap. 15. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father c. p. 113 Chap. 16. From thence he shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead p. 116 Chap. 17. I Believe in the Holy Ghost p. 123 Chap. 18. The holy Catholick Church p. 130 Chap. 19. The Communion of Saints p. 136 Chap. 20. The Forgiveness of Sins p. 144 Chap. 21. The Resurrection of the Body p. 154 Chap. 22. The Life everlasting p. 165 Chap. 23. What is the true Use of the Lords Prayer p. 173 Chap. 24. Our Father which art in Heaven Expounded p. 177 Chap. 25. Hallowed be thy Name p. 182 Chap. 26. Thy Kingdom come p. 198 Chap. 27. Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven p. 209 Chap. 28. Give us this day our daily Bread p. 213 Chap. 29. Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive c. p. 219 Chap. 30. Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evil p. 224 Chap. 31. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen p. 227 Chap. 32. Of the Ten Commmandments in general p. 229 Chap. 33. Of the Preface to the Decalogue p. 233 Chap. 34. Of the first Commandement p. 239 Chap. 35. Of the second Commandement p. 251 Chap. 36. Of the third Commandement p. 262 Chap. 37. Of the fourth Commandement p. 273 Chap. 38. Of the fifth Commandement p. 290 Chap. 39. Of the sixth Commandement p. 314 Chap. 40. Of the seventh Commandement p. 324 Chap. 41. Of the eighth Commandement p. 337 Chap. 42. Of the ninth Commandement p. 353 Chap. 43. Of the tenth Commandement p. 365 Chap. 44. Of the Sacred Ministry Church and Worship p. 380 Chap. 45. Of Baptism p. 392 Chap. 46. Of the Sacrament of Christs sacrificed Body and Blood p. 412 Chap. 47. How to prepare for a safe and Comfortable Death p. 432 Amend these misprintings with your Pens PAge 31. line 21. for the read that p. 58. l. 24. r. maketh p. 95. l. 21. for least r. last p. 99. l. 6. for light r. sight p. 166. l. 3. blot out with Henoch p. 200. l. 10. for were r. where p. 202. l. 8. r. every p. 208. l. 6. blot out for p. 374. l. 31. for any r. my In some places the same things are repeated the occasions being divers and the Author having not strength and time to correct the Copy Books of Mr. Baxter's sold by T. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1. CHristian Directory or Body of Practical Divinity 2. Catholick Theologie in three Parts 1. Pacifying Principles 2. Pacifying Practices 3. Pacifying Disputations fol. 3. Life of Faith in three parts 1. Sermon on Heb. 11. Preached before his Majesty publisht by his Command 2. Instructions for Confirming Believers in the Christian Faith 3. Directions to live by Faith Quarto 4. Disputations of Original Sin Octav. 5. An Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry Quarto 6. Which is the True Church A Defence of Protestantism against Popery 7. An Answer to Mr. Dodwell confuting an Universal Church-Supremacy and defending Dr. Isaac Barrow against it 8. True History of Councels Inlarged and Defended against a Pretended Vindicator of the Primitive Church To which is added Diocesan Churches not yet Discovered in the Primitive times or A Defence of the Answer to Dr. Stillingfleets Allegations out of Antiquity for such Churches THE CATECHIZING OF FAMILIES OR A TEACHER of HOUSHOLDERS How to Teach their Housholds Useful also to School-Masters and Tutors of Youth The Questions are the Learners and the Answers the Teachers CHAP. I. The Introduction Qu. 1. WHat is it which must be Taught and Learned Ans. All
us light and heat by the Sun he upholdeth us by the Earth c. A. The word Immediate sometime signifieth A cause that hath no other cause under it So the Sun is the immediate cause of the emanation of its beams of Light And so God is not alwaies an Immediate Cause that is He hath other causes under him But sometime Immediate signifieth that which is next a thing having nothing between them And so God doth all things Immediately For he is and he acteth as near us as we to our selves and nothing is between him and us He is as near the person and the Effect when he useth Second Causes as when he useth none Q. 6. But is it not a debasing GOD to make his Providence the cause of every motion of a Worm a Bird a Fly and to mind and move such contemptible things and so to mind the thoughts of man A. It is a debasing God to think that he is like a finite Creature absent or insufficient for any of his Creatures That there is not the least thing or motion so small as to be done without him is most certain to him that will consider 1. That Gods very Essence is every where And wherever he is he is himself that is most Powerful Wise and Good And if such a God be as near to every Action as the most immediate Actor is so that in him they all Live and Move and Be how can he be thought to have no hand in it as to Providence or causality 2. And it 's certain that God upholds continually the very Being of every thing that moveth and all the Power by which they move For that which had no Being but from him â—an have none continued but by him That which could not make it self cannot continue it self Should not God by his causality continue their being every Creature would turn to nothing For there can be nothing without a Cause but the first Cause which is GOD. 3. And it is all one to Infiniteness to mind every Creature and motion in the World and to cause and rule the least as it is to cause and rule but one God is as sufficient for all the World even every Fly and Worm as if he had but One to mind Seeing then that he is as present with every Creature as it is with it self and it hath not the least power but what he continually giveth it and cannot move at all but by him and he is as sufficient for All as for One it 's unreasonable to think that the least thing is done without him Is it a dishonour to the Sun that every Eye even of Flies and Ants and Toads and Snakes as well as Men do see by the light of it or that it shineth at once upon every pâ—le of Grass and Atome This is but the certain Effect of Gods Infiniteneâ—s and Perfection Q. 7. How doth God Govern all things A. He Governeth several things according to their several Natures which he hath made Lifeless things by their natural Inclinations and by moving force Things that have sense by their sensitive Inclinations and by their objects and by constraint And Reasonable Creatures by their Principles and by Laws and Moral Rules And all things by his Infinite Power Wisdom and Will as being every one parts of one World which is his Kingdom Especially Man Q. 8. What is Gods Kingdom and why do you call him our King A. I call him our King because 1. He only hath absolute Right Power and Fitness to be our Supream Ruler 2. And he doth actually Rule us as our Soveraign And in this KINGDOM 1. GOD is the Only Supream King and Head 2. Angels or Glorified Spirits and Men are the Subjects 3. All the Bruits and lifeless Creatures are the Furniture and goods and utensils 4. Devils and Rebellious Wicked men are the Enemies to be opposed and overcome Q. 9. How doth GOD govern Man on Earth A. 1. The Power of God our Lord Owner and Mover moveth us and disposeth of us as he doth of all things to the fullfilling of his Will 2. The Wisdom of God our King doth give us sound Doctrine and holy and just Laws with Rewardâ— and Penalties and he will Judge men and execute accordingly 3. And the Love of our Heavenly Father doth furnish us with all necessary blessings help us accept us and prepare us for the Heavenly Kingdom Q. 10. Why is man Ruled by Laws rather than Beasts and other things A. Because man hath Reason and Free-will which maketh them Subjects capable of Laws which Beasts are not Q. 11. What is that Free-will which fits us to be Subjects A. It is a Will made by God able to determine it self by Gods necessary help to choose Good and refuse Evil understood to be such without any necessitating Predetermination by any other CHAP. V. Of Gods Law of Nature and Natural Officers Qu. 1. BY what Laws doth God Govern the World Ans. How he Governeth the Spirits above us whether by any Law besides the immediate Reâ—elation of his Will seen in the face of his Glory or how else is not much known to us because â—t doth not concern us But this lower World of man he Governeth by the Law of Nature and by a Law of Supernatural Revelation given by his Spirit or by Messengers from Heaven Q. 2. What is it that you Call the Law of Nature A. In a large and improper sence some call the â—nclinations and forcing or naturally moving Causes of any Creatures by the name of a Law â—nd so they say that Beasts and Birds are moved by the Law of their Nature and that Stones sink downward and the Fire goeth upward by the Law of Nature But this is no Law in the Proper sence which we are speaking of whatever you Call it Q. 3. What is it then that you Call A Law A. Any Signification of the Will of the Ruler purposely given to the Subject that thereby he may know and be bound to his Duty and know his Reward or Punishment due Or any signification of the Rulers will for the Government of Subjects constituting what shall be Due from them and to them A Rule to live by and the Rule by which we must be judged Q. 4. What then is Gods Law of Nature made for man A. It is the signification of Gods Governing Will by the Nature of man himself and of all other Creatures known to man in which God declareth to man his Duty and his reward or punishment Q. 5. How can a man know Gods Will and our duty by his Nature and by all other Works of God about us A. In some things as surely as by words or writings but in other things more darkly I am sure that my Nature is made to Know and Love Truth and Goodness and to desire and seek my own Felicity My Nature tells me that I was not made by my self and do not live by my Self and therefore that I am
the Flesh the World and the Devil from the revenging Justice of God and from everlasting Damnation giving us here a Union with Christ the Pardon of our Sins and Sanctifying Grace and hereafter everlasting heavenly Glory Q. 3. Is there any other Religion besides the Christian Religion A. There be many errours of Men which they call their Religion Q. 4. Is there any True Religion besides Christianity A. There be divers that have some part of the Truth mixt with Error 1. The Heathens acknowledge God and most of his Attributes and Perfections as we do But they have no knowledge of his Will but what meer Nature teacheth them and they worship many Idols if not Devils as an under sort of Gods 2. The Iews own only the Law of Nature and the Old Testament but believe not in Jesus Christ our Redeemer 3. The Sadduces and all Bruitists worship God as the Governour of Man in this World but they believe not a Life to come for Man 4. The Pythagorean Heathens look for no Reward or Punishment after Death but by the passing of the Soul into some other Body on Earth in which iâ— shall be Rewarded or Punished 5. The Mahometans acknowledge One God as we do but they believe not in Jesus Christ as Mans Redeemer but only take him for an excellent Holy Prophet and they Believe in Mahomet a Deceiver as a Prophet greater than he 6. The meer Dâ—ists believe in God but not in Jesus Christ and have only the Natural Knowledge of his Will as other Heathens but worship not Idols as they do Q. 5. Is there but One Christian Religion A. No True Christianity is one certain thing Q. 6. How then are Christians said to be of divers Religions A. Sound Christians hold to Christian Religion alone as Christ did institute it But many others corrupt it some by denying some parts of it while they own the rest and some by adding many corrupting Inventions of Man and making those a part of their Religion as the Papists do Q. 7. Where is the true Christian Religion Doctrinal to be found that we may certainly know which is it indeed A. The Christian Religion containeth I. The Light and Law of Nature and that is common to them with others and is to be found in the Nature of all things as the Significations of Gods Will II. Supernatural Revelation clearing the Law of Nature and giving us the Knowledge of the Redeemer and his Grace And this is contained I. Most fully in the Holy Bible II. Briefly and summarily in the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandments III. Most briefly of all in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper and the Covenant made and sealed by them Q. 8. But are not the Articles of our Church and the Confessions of Churches their Religion A. Only Gods Word is ouâ— Religion as the Divine Rule But our Confessions and Books and Words and Lives shew how we understand it Q. 9. What is the Protestant Religion A. The Religion of Protestants is meer Christianity They are called Protestants but accidentally because they Protest for meer Scripture Christianity against the Corruptions of Popery Q. 10. What sorts of false Religion are there among Christians A. There are more Corruptions of Religion than can easily be named The chief of them are of these following sorts I. Some of them deny some Essential Article of Faith or Practice As the Immortality of the Soul the Godhead or Manhood or Offices of Christ or the Holy Ghost or the Scripture c. II. Some of them pretend new Revelations falsely and set their pretences of the Spirits Inspirations against the sealed Word of God III. Some of them set up an Usurped Power of their own against the Office Authority or sufficiency of the said Sealed Scriptures Pretending that they are Successours to the Apostles in the Power and Office of making Laws for the Universal Church and being the Judges of the sence of Scripture yea and what is to be taken for Gods Word and what not and Judges of all Controversies about it Of these the Papists pretenâ— that the Pope and a General Council are Supreaâ— visible Governours under Christ of all the Christiaâ— World and that none may appeal from them â—… God to Christ to the Scripture or to the Day oâ— Judgment Others pretend to such a Power iâ— every Patriarchal National or Provincial Church And all of them instead of a humble helping guiding Ministry set up a Church Leviathan a silencing Abaddon and Appollyon a destroying Office Setting up their Usurped power above â—â— equal in Effect with Gods Word Q. 11. How come the Scriptures to be Gods Worâ— when the Bishops Cannons are not And to be â—â— far above their Laws A. You must know that God hath two differenâ— sort of Works to do for the Government of hiâ— Church The first is Legislation or giving Neâ— Doctrines and Laws The other is the teachinâ— and guiding the Church by the Explication anâ— Application of these same Laws God is not stiâ— making New Laws for Man but he is still Teaching and Ruling them by his Laws Accordingly God hath had two sort of Ministers One sort for Legislation to Reveal neâ— Doctrines and Laws And such was Moses undeâ— the Old Administration and Christ and his Commissioned Apostles under the New These werâ— Eminent Prophets inspired by God infallibly â—â— record his Laws and God attested their Officâ— and Work by Multitudes of Evident uncontrolled Miracles But the Laws being Sealed the Second sort of Ministers are only to Teach and Apply these same Laws and Doctrines and not to reveal New ones And such were the Priests and Levites under Moses and all the succeeding Ministers and Bishops of the Churches under Christ and the Apostles who are the Foundation on which the Church is built And though all Church Guides may determine of the undetermined Circumstances of Holy things by the General Laws which God hath given therein Yet to arrogate a power of making a new Word of God or a Law that shall suspend our Obedience to his Laws or any Law for the Universal Church whether it be by Pope or Council is treasonable Usurpation of a Government which none but Christ is capable of And as if one King or Council should claim the Civil Soveraignty of all the Earth which is most unknown to them Q. 12. But I pray you tell me how the CREED comes to be of so great Authority seeing I find it not in the Bible A. It is the very Summ and Kernel of the Doctrine of the New Testament and there you may find it all with much more But it is Older than the writting of the New Testament save that two or three words were added since I told you before 1. That Christ himself did make the Nature and Terms of Christianity Commissioning his Apostles to make all Nations his Disciples baptizing them into the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy
so fulfilled A. No That Law condemned none but the Sinner himself and is not fulfilled unless the Person suffer that sinned That Law never said Either the Sinner or another for him shall die Christ was given us by God as above his Law and that he might justly and mercifully forgive sin though he executed not that Law That Law did but make punishment our Due and not Christs but not bind God to inflict it on us when his Wisdom knew a better way It is not that Law as fulfilled that justifieth us but another even the Law of Grace Satisfaction is not the fulfilling of the penal Law Q. 16. Did not Christ fulfill the Commands of the Law for us by his Holiness and perfect Rrighteousness What need was there that he suffer for us A. The Law or Covenant laid on him by his Father was that he should do both and therefore both â—s the performance of that Condition on which God gave us to him to be pardoned and saved by him If he had fulfilled the Commands of the Law by perfect Holiness and Righteousness in our Legal Persons so â—s that God and his Law would have reputed us to have done it by him then indeed being reputed perfect Obeyers we could not have been reputed Sinners that needed suffering or pardon But Christs habitual active and passive Righteousness were all the parts of his One Condition performed by him to be the meritorious Cause of our Justification Q. 17. Why is Christ's Death and Burial named besides his Crucifixion A. Those words have been since added to obviate their Error who thought Christ dyed not on the Cross. Q. 18. What is meant by his descending into Hell A. Those words were not of some Hundred Years in the Creed And since they were put in have been diversly understood There is no more certain nor necessary to be believed but that 1. Christs Soul was and so ours are immortal and remained when separated from the Body 2. And that as death being the separation of Soul and Body was threatned by God as a punishment to both so the Soul of Christ submitted to this penal separation and went to the place of separated Souls as his Body did to the Grave Q. 19. Of what use is this Article to us A. Of great and unspeakable use 1. We leaâ— hence what Sin deserveth shall we play with thaâ— which must have such a Sacrifice 2. We learn hence that a sufficient expiatory Sacrifice is made for sin and therefore that God is reconciled and we need not despair nor are put to makâ— expiation our selves or by any other 3. We learn that Death and the Grave and thâ— state of Separate Souls are Sanctified and Satan conquered as he had the power of Death as Gods Executioner And therefore that we may boldly die iâ— Faith and commit Soul and Body into the hand â—… him that died for them Q. 20. But did not Christ's go to Paradise and câ—â— that be penal A. Yes And so do faithful Souls But the Soâ—â— and Body are a perfect Man and Nature is against Separation And as the Union of Christs Soul aâ—â— glorified Body now in Heaven is a more perfect staâ—â— than that was of his separated Soul so the deprivation of that Union and Perfection was a degree â—â— penalty And therefore it was the extraordinary priviledge of Enoch and Elias not to die CHAP. XIV The Third Day he rose again from the Dead Q. 1. HOw was Christ said to be three dayes in the Grave A. He was there part of the Sixth day all the Seventh and part of the First Q. 2. Is it certain that Christ rose from the Dead the third day A. As certain as any Article of our Faith Angels witnessed it Mary first saw him and spake with him Two Disciples going to Emmaus saw him to whom he opened the Scriptures concerning him Peter and others Fishing saw him and spake and eat with him The Eleven assembled saw him Thomas that would not else believe was called to see the print of the Nails and put his Finger into his pierced side He was seen of above Five hundred Brethren at once He gave the Apostles their Commission and Instructions and his Blessing and ascended Bodily to Heaven in their sight And afterward appeared in Glory to Stephen and Paul But I have before given you the proof of the Gospel and must not repeat it Q. 3. Was it foreknown that Christ would rise A. Yes It was foretold by the Prophets and expresly and often by himself to his Apostles and the Iews and therefore they set a Sealed Stone with a Guard â—â— Souldiers on the Sepulcher to watchit Q. 4. It is a wonder that the Iews thâ—n believed noâ— in him A. The Rulers were now more afraid than before that Christ would by the People be Proclaimed their King and then the Romans destroy their City and Nation for they feared Men more than God And withal they had put him to death on that account aâ— if his making himself a King had been Rebellioâ— against Caesar and King of the Iews was writteâ— as his Crime by Pilate on his Cross and so they were engaged against him as a Rebel though he told them hiâ— Kingdom was not a Worldly one And they seemed to believe that he did all his Miracles by the Devil aâ— a Conjurer and therefore that he was raised by thaâ— Devil which was the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And as for the Common People they deceived them by hiring the Souldiers to say Thaâ— his Disciples stole his Body while they slept Q. But why would Christ appear to none but his Disciples A. We are not fit to give God a Law His works are done in infinite Wisdom But we may see 1. That they who had hardned their Hearts against all his Doctrine and the Miracles of his Life and maliciously put him to Death as a Blasphemer a Conjurer and a Traitor to Caesar were unworthy and unmeet to be the Witnesses of his Resurection And its like it would but have excited their rage to have tryed a new Persecution His Resurrection being the first act of his triumphant Exaltation none were so fit to see him as those that had followed him in his Sufferings Even as wicked Men are not meet as Paul was to be â—rapt up into Paradise and the Third Heavens and hear the unutterable things 2. The Witnesses whom he chose were enow and fit Persons for that Office being to be sent abroad to Proclaim it to the World And God confirmed their Testimony by such abundant Miracles of which you heard before 3. And yet he left not the Infidels without convincing means As he before told them that he would raise in three Dayes the Temple of his Body when they destroyed it so they saw the Earthquake the Sun darkned the Vail of the Temple rent at his Death and their Souldiers saw the Angels that
though Hypocrites are the Church-visible and his professed Subjects 3. Subjects by sincere Heart-consent And so all such are his Subjects as make up the Church-mystical and shall be saved So that the Kingdom of God is a word which is sometime of a larger signification than the Church and sometime in a narrower sence is the same Eph. 1. 23. Christ is Head over all things to the Church Q. 7. What are the Acts of Christs Kingly Government A. Law-making Judging according to that Law and executing that Judgment Q. 8. What Laws hath Christ made and what doth â—e rule by A. First He taketh the Law of Nature now as his own as far as it belongeth to sinful Mankind And 2. He expoundeth the darker passages of that Law And 3. He maketh new Laws proper to the Church â—ince his Incarnation Q. 9. Are there any new Laws of Nature since the Fall A. There are new Obligations and Duties arising from our changed State It was no duty to the Innocent to repent of Sin and seek out for Recovery and â—eg Forgiveness But Nature bindeth Sinners not yet â—nder the final Sentence to all this Q. 10. What new Laws hath Christ made A. Some proper to Church Officers and some â—ommon to all Q. 11. What are his Laws about Church-Officers A. First He chose himself the first chief Officers â—nd he gave them their Commission describing their Work and Office and he Authorized them to gather â—nd form particular Churches and their fixed Officers â—t Pastors and necessary Orders and gave them the â—xtraordinary Conduct and Seal of his Spirit that their determinations might be the infallible significations of his Will and his recorded Law to his Universal Church to the end of the World His Spirit being the Perfecter of his Laws and Government Q. 12. How shall we be sure that his Apostles by the Spirit were Authorized to give Laws to all future Generations A. Because he gave them such Commission to teach Men all that he Commanded 2. And promised them his Spirit to lead them into all Truth and bring all things to their Remembrance and to tell them what to say and do And 3. Because he performed this Promise in sending them that extraordinary measure of the Spirit And 4. They spake as from Christ and in his Name and as by his Spirit And 5. They sealed all by the manifestation of that Spirit in its Holy and Miraculous manifold Operation Q. 13. Have not Bishops and Councils the same Power now A. No To be the Instruments of Divine Legislation and make Laws which God will call His Laws is a special Prophetical Power and Office such aâ— Moses had in making the Iewish Laws which noâ—… had that came after him But when Prophetical Revelation hath made the Law the following Officeâ—… have nothing to do But 1. To preserve that Law 2. And to expound it and apply it and guide thâ— People by it and themselves obey it 3. And to determine undetermined mutable Circumstances As the Iewish Priests and Levites were not to make another Law but to preserve expound and Rule by Moses Law so the ordinary Ministers Bishops or Councils are to do as to the Laws of God sufficiently made by Christ and the Spirit in his Apostles Q. 14. What are the New Laws which he hath made for all A. The Covenant of Grace in the last Edition is his Law by which he obligeth Men to Repent and Believe in him as Incarnate Crucified and Ascended and Interceding and Reigning in Heaven and as one that will Judge the World at the Resurrection As one that pardoneth Sin by his Sacrifice and Merit and Sanctifieth Believers by his Spirit And to believe in God as thus reconciled by Him and in the Holy Ghost as thus given by him And he promiseth Pardon Grace and Glory to all true Believers and threatneth Damnation to impenitent Unbelievers And he commandeth all Believers to devote themselves thus to God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost by a solemn Vow in Baptism and live in the Communion of Saints in his Church and Holy Worship and the frequent Celebration of the Memorial of his Death in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood especially on the first Day of the Week which he hath separated to that Holy Comemoration and Communion by his Resurrection and the sending of his Spirit and by his Apostles And he hath commanded all his Disciples to live in Unity Love and Beneficence taking up the Cross and following him in Holiness and Patience in hope of Everlasting Life Q. 15. But some say that Christ was only a Teacher and not a Law-giver A. His Name is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and all Power in Heaven and Earth is given him and all things put into his Hands the Government is laid on his Shoulders and the Father without him judgeth no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son For this end he died rose and revived that he might be Lord of the Dead and of the Living He is at God's right Hand above aâ—â— Principalities and Powers and every Name being Head over all things to the Church Q. 16. May not this signifie only his Kingdom as â—â— is God or that which he shall have hereafter only at the Resurrection A. 1. It expresly speaketh of his Power as God and Man the Redeemer 2. And he made his Law iâ— this Life though the Chief and Glorious part of hâ—â— Judgment and Execution be hereafter How elsâ— should Men here keep his Law and hereafter â—â— judged according to it He that denieth Christ to be the Lawgiver denied him to be King and he that denieth him to be King denieth him to be Christ and is no Christian. Q. 17. Hath Christ any Vicegerent or Universal Governour under him on Earth A. No It is his Prerogative to be the Universal Governour for no mortal Man is capable of it As no one Monarch is capable of the Civil Government of all the Earth nor was ever so mad as to pretend to it much less is any one capable of being an Universal Church-Teacher Priest and Governour over all the Earth when he cannot so much as know it or send to all or have access into the contending Kingdoms of the World To pretend to this is mad Usurpation Q. 18. But had not Peter the Monarchical Government of all the Church on Earth in his Time A. No He was Governour of none of the Eleven Apostles nor of Paul nor ever exercised any such Government no nor it seems so much as presided at their meeting Act. 15. Q. 19. But is not a General Council the Universal Governour A. No 1. Else the Church would be no Church when there is no General Council for want of its Unifying Government And 2. There indeed never was a general Council of all the Christian World But they were called by the Roman Emperours and were called General as
to know natural good from evil and an Appetite to desire it accordingly But because Natural Good and Evil are to be estimated as they tend to Spiritual and everlasting Good or Evil God giveth us Reason and Faith to Order our desires accordingly And because our Knowledge of this is imperfect when and how far Natural Good or Evil conduceth to Spiritual and Eternal it is still supposed that we make not our selves but God the Judge and so desire Life Health and Food and Natural Supplies with submission to his Will for time and measure they being but means to higher things Q. 4. Why ask we for no more than Bread A. To shew that Corporal things are not our Treasure nor to be desired for any thing but their proper use and to renounce all covetous desires of Superfluity or provision for our inordinate fleshly Lusts. Q. 5. Some say that by Bread is meant Jesus Christ because there is no Petition that mentioneth him A. Every part of the Lord's Prayer includeth Christ It is by him that God is our Father by him that the Holy Name of God is hallowed It is his Kingdom that we pray may come it is his Law or will which we pray may be done It is he that purchaseth our right to the Creature and redeemed Nature It is by him that we must have the forgiveness of Sin and by his Grace that we are delivered from temptations and all Evil c. Q. 6. Why ask we Bread of God as the Giver A. To signifie that we are and have nothing but by his gift and must live in continual dependance on his Will and begging receiving and thanksgiving are our work Q. 7. But do we not get it by our Labour and the gift of Men A. Our Labours are vain without God's Blessing and Men are but God's Messengers to carry us his gifts Q. 8. What need we Labour if God give us all A. God giveth his Blessings to meet Receivers and in the use of his appointed Means He that will not both beg and labour as God requireth him is unmeet to receive his gifts Q. 9. Why do we ask Bread from Day to Day A. To shew that we are not the keepers of our selves or our stock of Provisions but as Children live upon our Fathers daily allowance and continually look to him for all and daily renew our thanks for all and study the daily improvement of his maintenance in our Duties Q. 10. But when a Man hath Riches for many Years what need he ask daily for what he hath A. He hath no assurance of his Life or Wealth an Hour nor of the Blessing of it but by God's gift h Q. 11. Why say we Give us rather than Give me A. To exercise our common Love to one another and renounce that narrow selfishness which consineth Mens regard and desires to themselves And to shew that we come not to God meerly in a single Capacity but as Members of the World as Men and Members of Christ's Body or Church as Christians And that in the Communion Saints as we shew our Charity to one another so we have a part in the Prayers of all Q. 12. May we then pray against Poverty and Sickness and hurt A. Yes as aforesaid so far as they are hurtful to our Natures and thereby to our Souls and the ends of Life Q. 13. Doth not naming Bread before Forgiveness and Grace shew that we must first and most desire it A. We before exprest our highest desire of God's Glory Kingdom and Will and as to our own Interest all the three last Petitions go together and are inseparable but the first is the lowest though it be first in place Nature sustained is the first but it will be but the subject of sin and misery without Pardon and Holiness I told you that the three last Petitions go according to the Order of Execution from the lowest to the highest step God's Kingdom and Righteousness must be first sought in order of Estimation and Intention by all that will attain them Q. 14. But if God give us more than Bread even Plenty for our delight as well as necessaries may we not use it accordingly A. Things are necessary to our well being that are not necessary to our Being We may ask and thankfully use all that by strengthening and comforting Nature tendeth to fit the Spirit for the joyful Service of God and to be helpful to others But we must neither ask nor use any thing for the service of our Lusts or tempting unprofitable pleasure Q. 15. What if God deny us necessaries and a Christian should be put to beg or be famished how then doth God make good his Word that he will give us whatever we ask through Christ and that other things shall be added if we seek first his Kingdom and Righteousness and that Godliness hath the promise of this Life and that to come A. Remember as aforesaid 1. That the things of this Life are promised and given not as our happiness but as Means to better 2. And that we are promised no more than we are fit to receive and use 3. And that God is the highest Judge both how far outward things would help or hinder us and how far we are fit to receive them Therefore if he deny them he certainly knoweth that either we are unmeet for them or they for us Q. 16. When should a Man say He hath enough A. When having God's Grace and favour he hath so much of Corporal things as will best further his Holiness and Salvation and as it pleaseth the Will of God that he should have Q. 17. May not a Man desire God to bless his labours and to be rich A. A Man is bound to labour in a lawful Calling that is able and to desire and beg God's Blessing on it But he must not desire Riches or Plenty for it self or for fleshly Lusts nor be over importunate with God to make him his Steward for others Q. 18. What if God give us Riches or more than we need our selves A. We must believe that he maketh us his Stewards to do all the good with it that we can to all but specially to the Houshold of Faith But to spend no more in sinful Lust and Pleasure than if we were Poor Q. 19. What doth daily Bread oblige us to A. Daily Service and daily Love and thankfulness to God and to mind the end for which it 's given to be alwayes ready at the end of a Day to give up our account and end our journey Q. 20. What is the sin and danger of the love of Riches A. The Love of Money or Riches is but the fruit of the Love of the Flesh whose Lust would never want Provision But it is the Root of a Thousand farther Evils As it shews a wretched Soul that doth not truly believe and trust God for this Life much less for a better but
Law of Iesus Christ. 1. The Law of Nature is not abrogate though the terms of Life and Death are not the same as under the Law of Innocency 2. The Law of Moses to the Iews as such never bound all other Nations nor now bindeth us but is dead and done away 2 Cor. 3. 7 9 10 11. Rom. 2. 12. 14 15. 3. 19. 7. 1 2 3. Heb. 7. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 21. But seeing it was God that was the Author of that Law and by it expresly told the Iews what the Law of Nature is we are all bound still to take those two Tables to be God's own Transcript of his Law of Nature and so are by consequence bound by them still If God give a Law to some one Man as that which belongs to the Nature of all Men though it bind us not as a Law to that Man it binds as Gods exposition of the Law of Nature when notified to us 3. As the Law of Christ it binds all Christians Q. 2. How are the Ten Commandements the Law of Christ A. 1. Nature it self and lapsed Mankind is delivered up to Christ as Redeemer to be used in the Government of his Kingdom And so the Law of Nature is become his Law 2. It was Christ as God-Redeemer that gave the Law to Moses and as it is a Transcript of the Common Law of Nature he doth not revoke it but suppose it 3. Christ hath repeated and owned the Matter of it in the Gospel and made it his Command to his Disciples Q. 3. Is there nothing in the Ten Commandements proper to the Israelites A. Yes 1. The Preface Hear O Israel And that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage 2. The stating the Seventh Day for the Sabath and the strict Ceremonial Rest commanded as part of the Sanctifying of it Q. 4. How doth Christ and his Apostles contract all the Law into that of Love A. God who as Absolute Lord Owneth moveth and disposeth of all doth as Soveraign Ruler give us Laws and excute them and as Love and Benefactor giveth us all and is the most Amiable Object and End of all So that as to Love and Give is more than to Command so to be Loved is more than as a Commander to be Obeyed But ever includeth it though it be eminently in its Nature above it So that 1. Objectively Love to God our Selves and Others in that measure that it is exercised Wisely is Obedience Emenently and somewhat higher 2. And Love as the Principle in Man is the most powerful Cause of Obedience supposing the Reverence of Authority and the fear of punishment but is somewhat more Excellent than they A Parents Love to a Child makes him more constant and full in all that he can do for him than the Commands of a King alone would do In that measure that you Love God you will heartily and delightfully do all your duty to him and so far as you love Parents or Neighbours you will gladly promote their Honour Safety Chastity Estates Rights and all that 's theirs and hate all that is against their good And as Parents will feed their Children though no fear of punishment should move them so we shall be above the great necessity of the fear of punishment so far as God and Goodness is our delight Q. 5. How should one know the meaning and extent of the Commandements A. The words do plainly signifie the Sence And according to the reasonable use of Words Gods Laws being perfect must be thus expounded 1. The commanding of Duty includeth the forbidding of the contrary 2. Under General Commands and Prohibitions the kinds and particulars are included which the General word extendeth to 3. When one Particular sin is forbidden or duty Commanded all the Branches of it and all of the same kind and reason are Forbidden or Commanded 4. Where the End is commanded or forbidden it is implyed that so are the true Means as such 5. Every Commandement extendeth to the whole Man to our Bodyes and all the Members and to the Soul and all its Faculties respectively 6. Commands bind us not to be alwayes doing the thing Commanded Dutyes be not at all times duty But Prohibitions bind us at all times from every sin when it is indeed a sin 7. Every Command implyeth some reward or benefit to the Obedient and every sin of Omission or Commission is supposed to deserve punishment though it be not named 8. Every Command supposeth the thing Commanded to be no Natural impossibility as to see Spirits or into the Heart of the Earth to know that which is not intelligible c. But it doth not suppose us to be Morally or Holily disposed to keep it or to be able to change our Corrupt Natures without God's Grace 9. So every Command supposeth us to have that Natural freedom of Will which is a self-determining Power not necessitated or forced to sin by any But not to have a Will that is free from Vicious inclinations Nor from under God's disposing power 10. The breach of the same Laws may have several sorts of punishment By Parents by Masters by Magistrates by the Church On Body on Name on Soul in this Life by God and finally heavier punishment in the Life to come 11. The sins here forbidden are not unpardonable but by Christs Merits Sacrifice and Intercession are forgiven to all true penitent converted Believers CHAP. XXXIII Of the Preface to the Decalogue Qu. 1. VVHat are the Parts of the Decalogue A. I. The Constitution of the Kingdom of God over Men described And II. The Administration or Governing Laws of his Kingdom Q. 2. What words express the Constitution of God's Kingdom A. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of bondage Q. 3. What is the Constitution here expressed A. 1. GOD the Soveraign 2. Man the Subject 3. The work of God which was the next Foundation or reason of the mutual Relation between God and Man as here intended Q. 4. What is included in the first part of God's Soveraignty A. 1. That there is a God and but One God in this special Sence 2. That the God of Israel is this One true God who maketh these Laws 3. That we must all obey him Q. 5. What is GOD what doth that word here mean A. This was largely opened in the beginning Briefly to be GOD is to be a Spirit Infinite in Being in Vital Power Knowledge and Goodness of whom as the efficient Cause and through whom as the Governour and to whom as the End are all things else related to us as our Creator and as our Absolute Owner Our Supream Ruler and our greatest Benefactor Friend and Father Q. 6. What words mention Man as the Subject of the Kingdom A. Hear O Israel and Thy God that brought Thee c. Q. 7. What
speaking â—… him should be customary and dead and like thâ— Thoughts and talk of Common things and in some degree of Taking of Gods Name in vain CHAP. XXXVII Of the Fourth Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the fourth Commandement A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six daies shalt thou Labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughâ—er thy Man-Servant nor thy Maid-Servant nor thy Cattel nor thy Stranger that is within thy Gates For in six daies the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them â—s and rested the seventh day Wherefore â—he Lord blessed the Sabbath day and â—allowed it Q. 2. Why doth Deut. 5. repeat it in so different Words A. Because the words are but for the sence and â—hey being kept in the Ark as written in Stone and safe from alteration Moses in Deut. 5. gave them the sence and added some of his own explication And nothing is altered to obscure the sence Q. 3. Which day is it which was called the Sabbath in this Commandement A. The seventh commonly called from the Heathen Custom Saturday Q. 4. Why was that day made the Sabbath A. God having made the world in six daies space seeing all Good and very Good rested in his own complacency and appointed the seventh day every week to be separated as Holy to worship and praise him the Great Creator as his Glorious perfections shine forth in his works Q. 5. What is meant by Gods resting from his work A. Not that he had been at any labour or weaâ—iness therein but 1. That he finished the Creation 2. That he was pleased in it as Good 3. And that he would have it be a day of holy pleasant Rest to man Q. 6. What is meant by keeping Holy the Sabbath day A. Separating it to the Holy Worship and praise of the Creator and Resting to that end from unnecessary bodily labour Q. 7. What doth the word Remember signifie A. First it is an awakening Caveat to bid us take special care that we break not this Commandement 2. And then that we must prepare before it comes to avoid the things that would hinder us in the duty and to be fit for it's performance Q. 8. Why is Remember put before this more than before the rest of the Commandements A. Because 1. Being but of Positive institution and not naturally known to man as other duties are they had need of a positive excitation and Remembrance And 2. It is of great importance to the constant and acceptable worship and the avoiding of impediments to keep close to the due Time which God hath appointed for it And to violate it tendeth to Atheistical ungodliness Q. 9. Why is it called The Sabbath of the Lord thy God A. Because 1. God did institute and separate it 2. And it is separated to the honour and Worship of God Q. 10. When and how did God institute and separate it A. Fundamentally by his own Resting from the work of Creation But immediately by his declaring to Adam his Will for the sanctifying of that day which is expressed Gen. 2. 3. Q. 11. Some think that the Sabbath was not instituted till man had sinned and Christ was promised and so God Rested in Christ A. When the text adjoineth it close to the Creation and giveth that only as the reason of it that God ended his works which he had made and rested from them this is humane corrupting presumption Q. 12. But some think the Sabbath was first instituted in the Wilderness when they were forbid to gather Manna A. It is not there mentioned as newly instituted and it is mentioned Gen. 2. 2 3. and then instituted with the reason of it And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he rested from all his works which God created and made And the same reason is repeated in the Fourth Commandement Q. 13. Is this Commandement of the Law of Nature as are the rest A. It was more of the Law of Nature to Adam than to us his nature knowing otherwise than ours both when God ended his works and how beautiful they were before the Curse It is now of the Law of Nature that is known by Natural light without other Revelation 1. That God should be worshipped 2. That Societies should assemble to do it together 3. That some set Time should be separated statedly to that use 4. That it should be done with the whole heart without worldly diversions or distractions But I know nothing in Nature alone from whence a man can prove that 1. It must be either just one day in seven 2. Or just what day of the seven it must be 3. Nor just what degree of Rest is necessary Though reason may discern that one day in seven is a very convenient proportion Q. 14. Are the words Six dayes shalt thou labour c. a Command or onely a License A. They are not only a License but a Command to man to live in an ordinary calling or Lawful course of Labour according to each ones ability and place and diligently to exercise it and not spend time in Idleness And the ordinary time is here assigned thereto Q. 15. Then how can it be lawful to spend any of the week-dayes in Religious Exercises any more than to spend any part of the Sabbath day in Labour A. All Labours are to be done as the Service of God and as a means to holy and Everlasting ends and therefore it is implyed still that God be sought and remembred and honoured in all As our Eating and drinking is our duty but to be done to the Glory of God and therefore with the seeking of his blessing and returning him our thanks Q. 16. But is it lawful then to separate whole dayes either weekly or monthly or yearly to Religious Exercises when God hath commanded us to labour on them A. As Gods command of Resting on the Sabbath is but the Stating of the Ordinary Time supposing an exception of extraordinary Cases as in time of War of Fire of dispersing Plagues of hot Persecution c. As Circumcision was omitted in the Wilderness forty years so this Command to Labour six dayes doth state our ordinary time but with supposed exception of extraordinary occasions for dayes of Humiliation and Thanksgiving And all Gods Commands suppose that when two dutyes meet together and cannot both be then done the greater must ever be preferred And therefore saving the Life of a Man or a Beast yea feeding and watering beasts labouring in Temple Service c. were to be preferred before the Rest of the Sabbath And so when our necessity or profit make Religions exercises more to oâ—r good and so a greater duty as Lectures Fasts c. we must preferre them to our ordinary Labour For as the Sabbath was made
more on himself than on them And indeed Childrens or mens obedience to others is but an act of self-government It is a mans self-governing Reason and Will which causeth him to obey another nor can a Child perform any act of proper obedience differing from a Brutes unless by a self-governing act But Parents Government is the next to Self-government and the Government of Husbands Princes and Masters which are by Contract is next to that Every Subject therefore being first a Subject of God and next a self-governour is to obey as a reasonable Creature and to understand what is his duty and what not And because all is our duty which God commandeth but not all that man Commandeth Gods power being Absolute and all mens limited therefore we have nothing to do with the Laws of God but to know them and Love them and obey them But as to mans Commands we must know also that they are not contrary to Gods Laws and that they belong to the Office of the Commander If a Parent or Prince command you to blaspheme God or Worship Idols or deny Christ or renounce Heaven or not to pray c. you must obey God by disobeying him And if a King Command you not to obey your Parents or will choose for you your Wife your Dyet your Physick the words you shall say to God in your secret Prayers c. these are things which belong not to his Office no more than to a Captains to become Judge of the Common-pleas Subjects therefore must judge what they must or must not obey as Rulers must judge what they must or must not Command or else they act not as men Q. 9. But what Confusion will this Cause if every Subject and Child become judge whether their Princes or Parents Commands be lawful Will they not take all for unlawful which their folly or Corrupt wills dislike and so cast off all obedience A. It is not finding inconveniencies in the miserable state of lapsed Mankind that will cure them Were there any avoiding Errour Sin and Confusion by Government some would have found out the way before now But while man is bad he will do accordingly In avoiding these evils we must not run into far greater Are they not Greater if men must not discern who is their lawful Governour but must fight for an Usurper in Power against his Prince or Parents if Commanded by him And if every Child and Subject must renounce God Christ and Heaven that is Commanded and men become Gods and Antigods Q. 10. But is there no remedy against both these Confusions A. Yes the remedies are these 1. Rulers that should have most reason must give us the first remedy by knowing Gods Laws and taking care that they Command and forbid nothing contrary to them and not put on Subjects a necessity of disobeying them 2. Children and Subjects must be instructed also to know the Laws of God that they may not take that for his Law which is not It is not keeping them ignorant of Gods Laws lest they pretend them against the Laws of man that is the way no more than keeping them ignorant that there is a God lest they obey him against man 3. They must be taught betime the difference between the capacity of Children and of men at age and of young unfurnished wits and those that Study and Experience have ripened and they must be taught the duty of self-suspicion humility and submission and that as Learning is necessary to knowing so believing our Teachers with a humane belief is necessary to Learning of them Who can learn that will believe nothing which his Teacher saith But this is not taking him for Infallible nor resolving only to be ruled still by his knowledge but in order to Learn the same Evidence of Truth which our Teachers themselves discern it by 4. They must be taught to know that if they mistake Gods Laws and erroneously pretend them against their Rulers their errour and abuse of the Name of God is their sin and will not excuse their disobedience And therefore they must try well before they disobey 5. All the Churches near them should agree publickly of all the necessary Articles of Divine Faith and Obedience that the authority of their Concord may be some awe to the minds both of Commanders and Obeyers 6. Rulers are not to suspend the executive part of their Government upon every Consciencious errour of the Child or Subject If they will pretend Gods Law for intolerable sin or injury they must nevertheless be restrained by punishment 7. But lastly the Conscience of Subjects duty to God must be tenderly used and encouraged and their mistakes through infirmity must be tolerated in all tolerable cases Some differences and disorders in judgement and practice must be born with by them that would not bring in greater Gentle reasoning and Loving usage must cure as much of the rest as will be cured And our Concord must be placed in the few plain and necessary things The King hath more wit and clemency than to hang all ignorant erroneous faulty Subjects or else he would have none left to Govern And if Pastors have not more wit and clemency than to excommunicate all such they will be no Pastors as having no flocks But hainous is their sin that can tolerate multitudes of the ignorant and ungodly in their Communion who will but be for their power and wealth and can tolerate none of the Wise and Conscionable if they do but differ from them in tolerable cases or dislike them Yet there goeth more to make a tolerable Christian and Church-member than a tolerable Subject And consent to the Relation is necessary to both Q. 11. What duty doth the Word Honour contain and Command A. 1. The first and chief act of Honouring them is to acknowledge their Relation to God as his appointed Officers and the Authority which God hath given them that they may be obeyed reverently and God in them 2. The next is to take all their Laws and Commands which God hath authorized them to make to be the Rule of our duty in subordination to Gods Laws and so far to obey them for Conscience sake believing it a sin to resist or disobey them 3. Another is to maintain them honourably so far as we are able and they need Though parents provide for Children in youth Children must maintain Parents if they need it when they come to age And so must People their Princes and Pastors and pay Tribute to whom it is due 4. Also they ought to speak reverently to them and honourably of them and not use any unjust dishonouring Thoughts Words or Deeds against them specially which would disable them for Government 5. Lastly they ought to do their best to defend them against injuries Q. 12. But seeing Parents are named and not Princes must we defend our Parents against our King if he be their Enemy A. If their Cause be
just we must defend them by all lawful means that is by Prayer to God by Argument by Petition to the King and by helping their Flight or hiding them And if a King would ravish or murder your Mother or Wife you may hold his hands while they escape as you may do if he would kill himself in Drunkenness or Passion But you may not on such private accounts raise a War against him because War is a publick action and under the Judgment of the publick Governour of the Common-wealth and not under the Judgment of your Parents or any private person Q. 13. But if the King Command me one thing and my Parents another which of them must I prefer in my obedience A. Each of them have their proper Office in which they must be preferred and obeyed Your Mother must be obeyed before the King in telling you when to Suck or Eat Your Parents must be obeyed before the King in matters proper to Family-Government as what daily Food you shall eat and what daily work for them you shall do and what Wife to choose c. But the King is to be obeyed before your Parents in all matters belonging to National Government Q. 14. But what if it be about Religious acts as what Pastor I shall choose What Church I shall joyn with how I shall spend the Lords day c. Must I prefer the King or my Parents in my Obedience A. While you are in your Minority and understand not the Kings Laws you must obey your Parents and if they command you any thing contrary to the Kings Commands they must be answerable for it as the Case shall prove some Commands about your Religion belong to your Parents and some to the King and they are accordingly to be obeyed It is not the Kings Office but your Parents to Catechize you to teach you to Read and Pray to choose your School-master or Tutor In these therefore your Parents are first to be obeyed And it is your Parents office to choose where you shall dwell and consequently to what Pastor you shall commit the conduct of your Soul And also how in the Family and in Private you shall spend the Lords day But the determination of all those publick Circumstances which are needful to be imposed on all Christians in the Land belongs not to your Parents but to the Supream Power Q. 15. But what if the King and the Bishops or Pastors differ about matters of Religion to be believed or done which of them must I obey A. If it be in things belonging to the Kings determination as what Translation shall be used in all the Churches when Synods shall meet who shall have the Tythes Glebe and Temples what National Fasts or Thanksgivings shall be kept and such like you must obey the King But if it be in things proper to the Pastoral Office as who shall be judged Capable of Raptisme or of the Lords Supper and Church-Communion Who shall be admonished â—xcommunicated or absolved by the Pastors what â—ext the Minister shall Preach on and on what â—ubject in what Method and in what Words what â—e shall say to troubled Consciences or to the sick â—r to others what words he shall use in Exhorâ—ation Prayer or Thanksgiving all these being part â—f the Pastors work you are to obey him in them all â—ut neither Prince nor Pastor have power against God Q. 16. But what if the Bishops or Pastors be diâ—â—ded which of them must we obey A. 1. Those that obey Gods Laws 2. Those â—hat impose the safest course where the matter on â—ne side is no sin when on the other we fear it is â— All other things being equal those that are most â—â—animous and concordant with the universality of Christians and the Primitive Church And our own Pastors rather than others And the Godly and â—minently wise before the ignorant and ungodâ—â— Q. 17. But what if the Bishop or Pastor who is â—â—er us differ from most in the Nation And if the National Bishops and Ministry differ from most other â—rreign Churches as England from France Spain â—â—aly Germany Moscovy the Greeks Armenians â—â—assines A. The things in which the difference is supposed must not be thus confounded either they are necessary points of Faith or Practice to all Christians in order to Salvation 2. Or else they are controverted Opinions not so necessary 3. Or else they are matters of local occasional mutable practice 1. As to the first All true Christians are agreed in all things necessary to our Common Salvation â—… any oppose these and draw men from the Church on that account he is a Heretick In this case Godâ— Law must be known to us all to which we must stick whoever gainsay it 2. In the second case of disputable less necessary Opinions we must suspend our judgements tiâ—… evidence determine them But judge them most probably to be in the right who are in those matter discerned commonly to have greatest skill and sincerity But the Ignorant cannot subscribe to any oâ— them in the dark 3. In the third case as what Time and Placâ—… we shall meet at what Subject we shall hear whaâ—… Catechism-questions we shall answer when we shaâ—… Communicate and with what individual Persons iâ—… what words the Assembly shall pray and praise Godâ—… c. we are to obey our own Pastors and noâ—… Strangers As every Wife is to be governed by heâ—… own Husband and every Child by his own Parentâ—… and every Servant by his own Master I scarce thinâ—… our Papists Monarchical or Aristocratical woulâ—… have an universal Husband Parent or Master or â—… Council of Husbands Parents or Masters of all thâ—… World or all the Kingdom set up for such acts â—… these Q. 18. But is there no Command to Parents Prinâ—… and Pastors for their duty as well as to Chilâ—…n and Subjects for theirs A. The Commandements written on stone were â—…cessarily brief and the duty of Rulers is here imâ—…yed and included Q. 19. What is the duty of Parents for their â—…ldren A. 1. To take due care of their Lives Health and â—…cessary Maintenance 2. To teach them when â—…ey are capable to know God and his Word his Doâ—…ine Laws Promises and Penalties to know â—…emselves their Souls their Relation to God their â—…ty to him their Original pravity and guilt and â—…nger To know Jesus Christ his Person Life â—…octrine Death Resurrection Ascension Glory â—…ngdom Intercession and Judgment To know â—…e Holy Ghost as sent by Christ to indite and â—…l the Scripture qualifie the Apostles and Evanâ—…lists to deliver infallibly Christs Commands and â—…ord them to all after Ages and accordingly setâ—… the Churches to confirm their Ministry by Miâ—…les and to sanctifie all true Christians to the end â—… the world To know the use of the ordinary â—…nistry and of the Communion of Saints To know â—… Covenant of Grace and the Grace of Pardon â—…option and Sanctification which we
it is a Contradiction The same would be both perfect and imperfect Perfect because he is of himself Eternally without a cause and so dependent upon none And yet Imperfect because he hath but a Part of that Being that is said to be perfect For many are more than One and all make up the absolute perfect being and One of them is but a Part of all And to be a Part is to be Imperfect However many subordinate Created Spirits may unfitly be called Gods there can be but one uncreated God in the first and proper sence Q. 8. How know you that God is Eternal without Beginning A. Because else there was a time when there was Nothing if there were a time when there was no God And then there never would have been any thing For nothing can make nothing Q. 9. But how can man conceive of an Eternal uncaused Being A. That such a GOD there is is the most certain easie Truth and that he hath all the Perfection before described But neither Man nor Angel can know him Comprehensively Q. 10. What mean you by his Infiniteness A. That his Being and Perfection have no limits or measure but incomprehensibly comprehend all Place and Beings Q. 11. What is this GOD to us A. He is our Maker and therefore our absolute Owner our Supream Ruler and our Chief Benefactor and Ultimate End Q. 12. And how stand we related to him what duty do we owe him and what may we expect from him A. We are his Creatures and all that we are and have is of him we are his Subjects made with Life Reason and Free-will to be ruled by him He is the Infinite Good and Love it self Therefore we owe him perfect Resignation perfect Obedience and perfect Complacency and Love All that we are and all that we have and all that we can doe is due to him in the way of our Obedience to pay which is our own Rectitude and Felicity as it is our Duty But all this you must much better learn from his Word than Nature alone can teach it you Though Mans Nature and the frame of Nature about us so fully proveth what I have said as leaveth all the Ungodly without excuse CHAP. IV. Of Gods Kingdom and Government of Man and Providence Q. 1. I Perceive that nothing more concerneth us than to know GOD and our Relation and Duty to him and what hope we have from him Therefore I pray you open it to me more fully And first tell me Where God is A. GOD being Infinite is not confined in any Place but all Place and things are in GOD and he is absent from none but as near to every thing as it is to it self Q. 2. Why then do you say that he is in Heaven if he be as much on Earth and every where A. GOD is not more or less in one place than another in his Being but he is apparent and known to us by his Working and so we say He is in Heaven as he there Worketh and Shineth forth to the most blessed Creatures in Heavenly Glory As we say the Sun is where it shineth Or to use a more apt Comparison the Soul of Man is indivisibly in the whole Body but it doth not Work in all parts alike it understandeth not in the Foot but in the Head it Seeth not Heareth not Tasteth not and smelleth not in the Fingers or lower parts but in the Eye the Ear and other Senses in the Head and therefore when we talk to a man it is his Soul that we talk to and not his Flesh and yet we look him in the Face not as if the Soul were no where but in the Face or Head but because it only worketh and appeareth there by those Senses and that Understanding which we Converse with Even so we look up to Heaven when we speak to God not as if he were no where else but because Heaven is the place of his glorious Appearing and Operation and as the Head and Face of the World where all true Glory and Felicity is and from whence it descendeth to this Earth as the Beams of the Sun do from its glorious Center Q. 3. You begin to make me think that GOD is the SOUL of the WORLD and that we must conceive of him in the World as we do of the Soul of Man in his Body A. You cannot better Conceive of GOD so you will but take in the points of Difference which are very great for no Creature known to us doth resemble God without vast Difference The Differences are such as these First The Soul is part of the Man but God is not a part of the World or of Being For to be a part is to be less than the whole and so to be Imperfect Secondly We cannot say that the Soul is any where out of the Body but the World is Finite and God is Infinite and therefore God is not Confined to the World 3. The Soul ruleth not a Body that hath a distinct Understanding and Free Will of its own to receive its Laws and therefore ruleth it not by proper Law but by despotical Motion But God ruleth men that have Understanding and Free Will of their own to know and receive his Laws and therefore he ruleth them partly by a Law 4. The Soul doth not use another Soul under it to rule the Body but GOD maketh use of Superiour Spirits to move and rule things and Persons below them so that there is great difference between Gods ruling the World and the Souls ruling the Body But yet there is great likeness also 1. God is as near every part of the World as the Soul is near the Body 2. God is as truely and fully the Cause of all the Actions and Changes of the World except sin which Free Will left to it self committeth as the Soul is the Cause of the Actions and Changes of the Body 3. The Body is no more lifeless without the Soul than the World would be without God Yea God giveth all its Being to the World and without him it would be nothing and in this he further differeth from the Soul which giveth not material being to the Body So that you may well conceive of GOD as the SOUL of the World so you will but put in that he is far more Q. 4. Is it not below God to concern himself with these lower things Doth he not leave them to those that are under him A. It is below God to be unconcerned about any part even the least of his own works Men are narrow Creatures and can be but in one place at once and therefore must do that by others which they cannot do themselves at least without trouble But God is infinite and present with all Creatures and as nothing is in being without him so nothing can move without him Q. 5. By this you make God to do all things Immediately whereas we see he works by means and second causes He giveth
to all Q. 6. I perceive then that before we further enquire of the Certainty I should first ask you of the Matter what things they be that God hath supernaturally revealed to man especially for us all A. The particular Revelations to and about particular mens matters are many of them recorded to us for our notice But there may be thousands more in the World that we know not nor are concerned to know What Revelation God ever made to any persons throughout the World as what should befall them when they should die what Wars or Plagues or Famine should come c. little do we know But what is recorded by God we know 2. But as for his Laws and Promises which we are all concerned to know I shall now but name and afterward open what God hath Revealed I. He revealed to Adam besides the Law of Nature which was perfecter and clearer to him than it is now to us a trying Prohibiton to eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge adding the Penalty of death to restrain him II. He judged him after his Fall to some degree of Punishment but declared his pardoning Mercy and promised Victory to and by the Womans Seed in the War which they now engaged in with Satan the Serpent and his seed And he instituted Sacrificing to typifie the Means III. He renewed this Covenant with Noah after the Flood IV. He made a special Promise to Abraham to be the God of his Seed as a Peculiar people chosen to him out of all the World and that all Nations should be blessed in his seed And he instituted the Sacramant of Circumcision to be the Seal and Symbole V. When his Seed were multiplyed in Egypt he brought them out and in performance of this Promise made them a Holy Common-wealth as their Soveraign and gave them at large a Law and Sub-governours which as Political was proper to the people VI. In the fulness of time God sent his Son to reconcile man to God to reveal his Love and Will most fully and to make and Seal the Covenant of Grace in its last and best Edition and as King to Rule and Judge the Redeemed and Sanctifie Justifie and Glorifie the Faithful These are the publick Laws and Covenants Supernaturally revealed Q. 7. Is it equally necessary to us to believe every word in the Bible or is every word equally certain to us A. All Truths are Truths which is to be equally True in themselves And so if by certainty you mean nothing but infallible Truth every Truth is so certain and all Gods words are True But if by certain you mean that which is so evident to us that we may our selves be fully certain of the Truth so the parts of Gods word have different degrees of Certainty We suppose false Translations and false Printings are none of Gods Word Nor the Words of Satan or fallible men recited in the Bible save only the historical Assertion that such words were spoken by them But that which is Gods Word indeed is none of it so far void of proof but that we may come to a certainty that it 's true And if we had equal evidence that every word is Gods Word we should have equal Evidence that all is true For that God cannot Lie is the foundation Truth of all our certainty But God did not Reveal every Truth in the Bible with equal evidencing attestation from Heaven Some of them much more concern us than others and therefore were more fully sealed and attested Q. 8. How are we sure of the Law that was given to Adam and that he sinned as is written and had after a pardoning Law A. 1. The Law of Nature given him is yet Gods common Law to the World saving the strictness of it as a Condition of Life 2. The fall of Man hath too full proof in all the pravity of Mankind from the Birth 3. The Pardoning Act is evident in the Execution God giveth all Men Mercy contrary to their deserts and useth none in the utmost rigour 4. The notorious Enmity between Christ and Satan and their Seeds through all Ages and Places of the World doth prove the Sentence and the Law of Grace 5. The universal Curse or Punishment on Mankind sheweth somewhat of the Cause 6. The Tradition of Sacrificing was so universally received over all the World as confirmeth to us that God delivered it to Adam as a Symbol and a Type of the Grace then promised 7. But our fullest proof of all that History is that which after proved the Word that revealed it to us Q. 9. How are we certain that the Law of Moses was God's Law A. 1. By a Course of wonderful Miracles wrought to prepare them to receive it and to attest it The Ten marvellous Plagues of Egypt the Passage through the Red Sea the opening of the Rock to give them Water feeding them with Manna raining twice Quails upon them the sight of the flaming Mount with the terrible concomitants The sight of the Pillar of Fire by Night and Cloud by Day which conducted them The sight of the Cloud and Symbol of God's presence at the Door of the Tabernacle the miraculous Destruction of the Rebellious even by the opening of the Earth and the performance of God's Promises to them All these were full proofs that it was of God 2. But we have yet fuller proof in Christs latter Testimony which confirmeth all this to us Q. 10. These were full Proofs to those that saw them But are we certain that the Records of them in the Scripture are true A. 1. Consider that they were written by Moses to that very People who are said to see them And if one should now write to us English-men that God brought us out of another Land by Ten such publick Miracles as the Frogs the Flies the Lice the Darkness the Waters turned Blood the Death of their Cattel and of all their first Born that he opened the Sea and brought us through it on Foot that he opened Rocks fed us with Manna rained Quails for a Months food spake from a flaming Mount and opened the Earth to swallow up Rebells c. when we know all this to be false would not all Men deride and abhorr the Reporter Would any of us receive a Law and that of such operous numerous costly Services by the Motive of such a report as this 2. Consider that this Law so delivered was on this ground entertained and unchangeably kept by them from Generation to Generation it being taken for an heinous Crime to alter it in one word 3. Consider that Practised Sacramental Symbols from the first Day were so uninterruptedly kept as was a fuller proof of the Fact than the bare Writings 1. All their Males from the Promise to Abraham were constantly Circumcised save in the Wilderness Travels and are to this Day 2. From the very Night that the First-Born were kill'd in Egypt
of Miracles IV. The consequent Testimony of the Spirit to and by the Apostles Miracles and Gifts But there is yet that behind which to us is of the greatest moment and that is V. The Sanctifying Testimony of the Holy Spirit in all true Christians in all Ages and Places oâ— the Earth Here you must remember 1. That the common experience of the World assureth us that Mans Nature is greatly vitiated inclined to known eviâ— for some inferiour good and averse to the greatest good by the prevalency of the lesser hardly brought to necessary knowledge and more hardly to the Love Delight and Practice of that which is certainly the best And that hence the World is kept in confusion and misery by Sin 2. Experience assureth us that there is no hope of any great Cure of this by the common helps of Nature and humane Reason For it is that Reason that is diseased and blinded and therefore unapt to cure it self as an Inâ—ant or Fool is to teach himself And as Philosophers are a small part of the World for few will be at the cost of getting such knowledge so they are wofully Dark themselves in the greatest things and of a Multitude of Sects contradicting one another and few of them have Hearts and Lives that are answerable to that which they teach others and the wisest confess that they must expect few Approvers much less Followers And every Man 's own experience tells him how hard it is to Inform the Iudgment about Holy things and to conform the Will to them and to Reform the life to a Holy and Heavenly State 3. The Multitude of Temptations makes this the more difficult and so doth the nature of a vicious habit and the privation of a good one the self-defending and propagating Nature of Sin and the experience of the World tells us how wicked the World is and how little the Labours of the wisest Philosophers Divines or Princes do to reform it and to make Man better And especially how hard it is to get a Heavenly mind and joy and conversation And all this being sure it is as sure that the Renovation of Souls is a great work well beseeming God 4. And it must be added that this is the most necessary work for us and the most excellent Paul tells us but what Reason tells us in that 1 Cor. 13. how much Holy Love which is the Divine Nature and real Sanctity excelleth all Knowledge Gifts and Miracles This is the Souls health and well-being No man can be miserable so far as he is Good and Holy And no Man can choose but be miserable that is not so Many shall lye in Hell that cast out Devils and wrought Miracles in Christ's Name but none that love God and are Holy Christ wrought Miracles but in order to work Holiness as St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 14. tells them that strange Languages are below Edifying plainness His work as a Saviour is to destroy the works of the Devil Holiness is incomparably better than the Gift of working Miracles This being considered further think 1. That All true Christians are Saints Hypocrites have but the Name and Image No one soundly and practically believeth in Christ and consenteth to his Covenant but he is renewed by the Holy Ghost 2. Consider how great and excellent a Work this is to set a Mans Hope and Heart on Heaven to live by Faith on an unseen World to place our chiefest Love and Pleasure on God Holiness and Heaven to mortifie fleshly Lusts and be above the power of the Love of the World and Natural Life to love others as our selves in the measure that God appeareth in them to love our Enemies and to make it the work of our Lives to do the most good we can in the World to bring every true Believeâ— to this in all Ages and Countreys which neither Princes nor Perswafion alone can do this is above all Miracles And this is a standing Witness which every true Christian hath in himself 3. And note alâ—o that it is by the foresaid Gospel or sealed Word of Christ that all this is wroughâ— on all true Christians And the Divine effect proveth a Divine Cause God would never bless a Lie to be the greatest means of the Holiness Reformation and Happiness of the World And were not the Cause fitted to it it would never produce such Effects Q. 28. Is this it that is called The witness of the Spirit in us A. Besides all the foresaid Witnessings of the Spirit without us the Spirit within us 1. Causeth us to understand and believe the Scripture 2. Maketh it powerful to Sanctifie us 3. And therein giveth us a connaturality and special Love to it and sense of its inherent Divine Excellency which is writing it in our Hearts 4. And causeth us to live by it 5. And confuteth the Objections made against it 6. And causeth us to fetch our comfort from it in a Word Imprinteth the Image of it on us and this is the inward Witness Q. 29. But when we see so much Ignorance Wickedness Confusion and Cruelty Pride Lust and Worldliness among Christians and how they live in malicious tearing one another how can we know that their Goodness is any proof of the truth of Christianity A. I told you Hypocrites have but the Name and Picture and Art of Christianity If Custom Prosperity Laws or Carnal Interest bring the World into the visible Church and make Men say They believe when they do not is Christianity to be judged of by Dissemblers and Enemies Mark any that are serious Believers and you will find them all seriously Sober Just and Godly And though weak Believers have but weak Grace and many Failings they are sincerely though imperfectly such as I have described And though the Blind malignant Enemies can see no Excellency in a Saint he that hath either known Faith and Holiness in himself or hath but impartially observed Mankind will see that Christians indeed are quite another sort of Men than the Unbelievers and that Christ maketh Men such as he teacheth them to be and the Sanctifying Spirit is the sure Witness of Christ dwelling in all true Christians Rom. 8. 9. as Christ's Agent and Advocate witnessing that he is True and that we are his Interceding from Christ to us by communicating his Grace and in us toward Christ by Holy Love and Desires And is God's Name and Mark on us and our Pledge Earnest and First-Fruits of Life eternal and though we were in doubt of old Historical Proofs Yet I. The Old Testament fulfilled in the New II. The Divine Impress discernible on the Gospel III. And the most excellent Effect of Sanctification on all true Believers are Evidences of the truth of Christianity and the Scriptures which all true Christians have still at hand Q. 30. But there are things in the Scripture of exceeding difficulty to believe Especially that God should become Man A. 1. It
is folly to be stalled at the Believing of any thing which we once are sure that God revealeth considering how unmeet our shallow Wit is to judge of the things of infinite Wisdom to us unseen 2. To Holy illuminated prepared Souls Belief is not so hard It 's Blindness and Vice that make it difficult 3. God did not become Man by any Change of his Godhead nor by confining his Essence to the Manhood of Christ But 1. By taking the humane Nature into a special Aptitude for hiâ— Operations 2. And so Relating it neerly to himself 3. And Operating peculiarly in and on it as he doth not on any other Creature And when all are agreed that God is essentially every where and is as near us as we are our selves and more the Cause of all good which we do than we our selves are it will be harder to shew that he is not Hypostatically united to every Man than that he is so to Christ Though the foresaid Aptitude of Christ's humane Nature and the Relation and Operation of the Divine indeed make that vast difference If God can so peculiarly Operate in and by our humane Nature where lyeth the Incredibility Q. 31. But it is so transcendently above all the Works of Nature that such condescension of God is hard to be believed A. Great Works best beseem the Infinite God Is not the make of the whole World as wonderful and yet certain Gods Love and Goodness must have wonderful products as well as his Power But is it not very congruous to Nature and Reason that God should have Mercy on lapsed man And that he should restore depraved humane Nature And that he should do this great work like his Greatness and Goodness and above Mans shallow reach And that Polluted Souls should not have immediate access to the most Holy but by a Holy Mediator And that Mankind should have one Universal Head and Monarch in our own Nature And that when even Heathens are conscious of the great need of some Divine revelations besides the light of Nature and therefore consult their Oracles and Augurs that God should give us a certain Menssenger from Heaven to teach us necessary Truth Many such Congruities I have opened in the Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 2. Ch. 5. The Summ of all that is said is This I. If any History in the world be sure the History of the Gospel is sure II. And if the History be sure the Doctrine must needs be sure III. The continued Evidences 1. In the Holiness of the Doctrine And 2. In the Holiness of all true serious Believers are a standing proof of both as the Miracles were to all the beholders who did not Blaspheme the Holy Ghost Q. 32. But how comes it to be so hard then to the most to become serious Believers and Godly when the Evidence is so clear A. A Blind Dead Worldly Fleshly Heart doth undispose them and they will not Consider such things nor use the means Yea they so wilfully sin against Knowledge and Conscience and will not obey that which they know that they forfeit further Grace I will name you briefly many things which every Mans Natural Reason might know and ask you whether you ever knew any Unbeliever that was not false to this Light of Nature 1. Doth not Sence and Reason tell men how vile a thing that Flesh is which they preferr before their Souls 2. Doth it not certifie them that they must die and so that Fleshly Pleasure is short 3. Doth it not tell them of the Vanity and Vexation of this World 4. And that greatest Prosperity is usually parted with with greatest sorrow 5. Doth it not tell them that Mans Nature can hardly choose but fear what will follow after Death 6. Doth it not tell them that there is a God that made them and Ruleth all 7. And that he is infinitely Great and Wise and Good and therefore should be Obeyed Loved and Trusted above all 8. And that their Lives and Souls and all are his and at his will 9. And that Man hath Faculties which can mind a God and a Life to come which Bruits have not and that God doth not make such Natures in vain 10. Doth not experience tell them that humane Nature seeth a vast difference between Moral Good and Evil and that all Government Laws and Converse shew it And no Man would be counted false and bad 11. And that Good Men are the Blessing of the World and Bad Men the Plagues 12. And that there is a Conscience in Man that condemneth Sin and approveth Goodness 13. And that most Men when they dye cry out against that which Worldly Fleshly Men preferr and wish that they had lived the Life of Saints and might die their death Are not these easily knowable to all And yet all the ungodly live as if they believed none of this And can you wonder if all such Men understand not or believe not the Heavenly things have no experience of the Sanctifying Work and Witness of the Holy Spirit and have no delight in God and Goodness no strength against Sin and Temptations no Trust in God in their necessity no suitableness to the Gospel nor the heavenly Glory But as they lived in sin do die in a stupid or despairing state of Soul CHAP. VII Of the Christian Religion what it is and of the Creed Q. 1. NOw you have laid so good a Foundation by shewing me the certain Truth of the Gospel I would better know what Christianity is and what it is to be a true Christian A. First I must tell you what Religion is iâ— general and then what the Christian Religion is Religion is a Word that signifieth either that which is without us the Rule of our Religion or thaâ— which is within us our conformity to that Rule The Doctrinal Regulating Religion is the Signification of Gods will concerning Mans Duty to God and his Hopes from God The inward Religion of our Souls is our Conformity to this revealed regulating Will of God even our absolute resignation to God as being his own our absolute subjection to him aâ— our absolute Sovereign Ruler and our prevailinâ— chief Love to him as our chief Benefactor and aâ— Love and Goodness it self Thus Religion is ouâ— Duty to God and Hope from God Q. 2. Now what is the Christian Religion A. The Christian Religion as Doctrinal is The Revelation of Gods will concerning his Kingdoâ— as our Redeemer or the Redeeming and savinâ— sinful miserable Man by Jesus Christ. And the Christian Religion as it is in us is Thâ— true Conformity of our Understanding Will anâ— Practice to this Doctrine or The true Belief oâ— the Mind the Thankful Love and Consent of thâ— Will and the sincere Obedience of our Lives to God as our Reconciled Father in Christ and to Jesus Christ as our Saviour and to the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier to deliver us from the guilt and power of Sin from
to that Empire as the Subscriptions yet shew 3. And there never can be an Universal Council It were madness and wickedness to attempt it To send for the Aged Bishops from all Nations of the Christian World when none is Empowered to determine Whither or When even from the Countreys of Turks and other Infidels or Princes in War with one another that will not permit them And what room shall hold them and what one Language can they all speak And how few will live to return home with the Decrees And will not the Countrey were they meet by nearness have more Voices than all the rest And what is all this to do To condemn Christ as not having made Laws sufficient for the Universal part of Government but leave such a burden on uncapable Men And to tell the Church that Christian Religion is a mutable growing thing and can never be known to attain its ripeness but by new Laws must be made still bigger and another thing Q. 20. But the Bishops of the World may meet by their Delegates A. Those Delegates must come from the same Countreys and distance And how shall the whole World know that they are truly chosen And that all the Choosers have trusted them with their Judgments Consciences and Salvation and will stand to what they do Q. 21. But if the Universal Church be divided into Patriarchates and chief Seats those can Govern the whole Church when there is no General Council even by their Communicatory Letters A. 1. And who shall divide the World into those chief Seats and determine which shall be chief in all the Kingdoms of Infidels and Christian Kings in the World And which shall be Chief when they differ among themselves How many Patriarchs shall there be and where There were never Twelve Pretenders to succeed the Twelve Apostles The Roman Empire had three First and Five after within it self But that was by Humane institution and over one Empire and that 's now down and those Five Seats have many Hundred Years been separated and condemning one another so far are they from being One Unifying Aristocracy to Govern all the World And if they were so then Europe is Schismatical that now differs from the Major Vote of those Patriarchs Q. 22. But did not the Apostles as one Colledge Govern the whole Church A. 1. I proved to you before that the Holy Ghost was given the Apostles to perfect Universal Ligislation as Christs Agent and Advocate and that in this they have no Successors 2. And it was easie for them to exercise Acts of Judicial Determination over such as were among them and near them when the Church was small 3. And yet we read not that ever they did this in a General Council or by the Authority of a Major Vote For that meeting in Act. 15. was no General Council and the Elders and Brethren joyned with them that belonged to Ierusalem and they were all by the same Spirit of the same mind and none Dissenters Every single Apostle had the Spirit of Infallibility for his proper work And they had an Indefinite charge of the whole Church and in their several circuits exercised it Paul could by the Spirit deliver a Law of Christ to the World without taking it from the other Apostles Gal. 2. The Apostles were foundation Stones but Christ only was the Head Corner-stone They never set up a Judicial Government of all the Churches under themselves as a constitutive Unifying Aristocracy by whose major Vote all must be Governed When they had finished the work of Universal Legislation and settled Doctrine and Order for which they stayed together at Ierusalem they dispersed themselves over the World and we never find that they Judicially governed the Churches either in Synods or by Letters by a major Vote but settled Guides in ever Church as God by Moses did Priests and Levites that had no Legislative Power Q. 23. But hath not Christ his Subordinate Official Governours A. Yes Magistrates by the Sword and Pastors by the Word and Keyes These are Rulers in their several Circuits as all the Judges and Justices and Shoolmasters of England are under the King But he that should say that all these Judges and Justices are one Sovereign Aristocracy to make Laws and Judge by them by Vote as one Person political though many Natural would give them part of the Supream power and not only the Official All the Pastors in the World Guide all the Churches in the World by parts and in their several Provinces and not as One Politick Person Q. 24. But how is the Universal Church visible if it have no Visible Unifying Head and Government under Christ A. It is Visible 1. In that the Members and their Profession are visible 2. And Christ's Laws are visible by which he ruleth them 3. And their particular Pastors are visible in their places 4. And Christ was visible on Earth and is now visible in his Court in Heaven and will visibly Judge the World e're long And God hath made the Church no further Visible nor can Man do it Q. 25. But should not the whole Church be One A. It is one It is one Body of Christ having one God and one Head or Lord one Faith one Baptism one Spirit one Hope of Glory Q. 26. But should they not do all that they do in Unity and Concord A. Yes as far as they are capable Not by feigning a new Universal Legislative Power in Man or making an Universal Head under Christ but by agreeing all in the Faith and Laws that Christ hath left us And Synods may well be used to maintain such Union as far as capacity reacheth and the case requireth But an Universal Synod and a partial or National a Governing Synod and a Synod for Concord of Governours differ as much as doth a Monarch or Governing Senate over all the World and a Dyet or an Assembly of Christian Princes met for mutual help and concord in the conjunction of their strength and Councils Q. 27. What is the Pastoral Power of the Church Keyes A. It is the Power of making Christians by the Preaching of the Gospel and Receiving them so made into Communion of Christ and his Church by Baptism and feeding and guiding them by the same Word and communicating the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood in his Name declaring Pardon and Life to the Penitent and the contrary to the Impenitent and applying this to the particular Persons of their own charge on just occasion and so being the stated Judges who shall by them be received to Church Communion or be rejected and this as a presage of Christ's future Judgment Q. 28. But have not Pastors or Bishops a power of constraint by the Sword that is by Corporal punishments or mulcts A. No That is proper to Magistrates Parents and Masters in their several places Christ hath forbidden it to Pastors Luke 22. and appointed them another kind of work Q.
is Worldly and Sensual and Idolatrous so it leadeth a Man from God Holiness Heaven yea and from common honesty to all Iniquity A Worldling and lover of Riches is false to his own Soul to God and Man and never to be much trusted CHAP. XXIX And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us Or as we forgive our Debtors Qu. 1. WHy is this made the fifth Petition or the second of the second part A. Because it is for the second thing we Personally need Our Lives and Natural being supposed we next need Deliverance from the Guilt and Punishment which we have contracted Else to be Men will be worse to us than to be Toads or Serpents Q. 2. What doth this Petition imply A. 1. That we are all Sinners and have deserved punishment and are already fallen under some degree of it 2. That God hath given us a Saviour who died for our Sins and is our Ransom and Advocate with the Father And 3. That God is a gracious pardoning God and dealeth not with us on the terms of rigorous Justice according to the Law of Innocency But hath brought us under the Redeemers Covenant of Grace which giveth Pardon to all penitent Believers So that sin is both pardonable and conditionally pardoned to us all Q. 3. What then are the presupposed things which we pray not for A. 1. We pray not that God may be Good and Love it self or a merciful God for this is presupposed 2. We pray not that he would send a Saviour into the World to fulfill all Righteousness and die for Sin and that his Merit and Sacrifice may procure a Conditional Universal Pardon and Gift of Life viz. to all that will repent and believe For all this is done already Q. 4. Is it to the Father only or also to the Son thaâ— we pray for Pardon A. To the Father primarily and to the Son as Glorified for now the Father without him judgeth no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son Ioh. 5. 22. But when Christ made this Prayer he was not yet Glorified nor in full possession of his Power e Q. 5. What Sin is it whose forgiveness we pray for A. All sin upon the Conditions of pardon made by Christ that is for the pardon of all Sin to true penitent Believers Therefore we pray not for any pardon of the final non-performance of the condition that is to finally impenitent Unbelievers Q. 6. Sin cannot hurt God what need then is there of forgiveness A. It can wrong him by breaking his Laws and rejecting his moral government though it hurt him not And he will right himself Q. 6. What is forgiving Sin A. It is by tender Mercy on the account of Christ's Merits Satisfaction and Intercession to forgive the guilt of Sin as it maketh us the due subjects of punishment and to forgive the punishment of sin as due by that guilt and the Law of God so as not to inflict it on us Q. 7. What punishment doth God forgive A. Not all For the first Sentence of Corporal punishment and death is inflicted But he forgiveth the Everlasting punishment to all true Believers and so much of the temporal both Corporal and Spiritual as his Grace doth fit us to receive the pardon of and so he turneth Temporal correcting punishments to our good Q. 8. Doth he not pardon all Sin at once at our Conversion A. Yes All that is past for no other is sin But not by a perfect Pardon Q. 9. Why must we pray for Pardon then every day A. 1. Because the Pardon of old Sins is but begun and not fully perfect till all the punishment be ceased And that is not till all sin and unholiness and all the evil effects of sin be ceased No nor till the Day of Resurrection and Judgment have overcome the last Enemy Death and finally Justified us 2. Because we daily renew our sins by omission and commission and though the foundation of our Pardon be laid in our Regeneration that it may be actual and full for following sins we must have renewed Repentance Faith and Prayer Q. 10. God is not changeable to forgive to day what he forgave not yester day What then is his forgiving Sin A. The unchangeable God changeth the Case of Man And 1. By his Law of Grace forgiveth penitent Believers who were unpardoned in their impenitence and unbelief And 2. By his Executive Providence he taketh off and preventeth punishments both of Sense and Loss and so forgiveth Q. 11. How can we pray for pardon to others when we know not whether they be penitent Believers capable of Pardon A. 1. We pray as Members of Christ's Body for our selves and all that are his Members that is penitent Believers 2. For others we pray that God would give them Faith Repentance and Forgiveness As Christ prayed Father forgiv them for they know not what they do that is Qualifie them for Pardon and then pardon them Or give them Repentance and Forgiveness Q. 12. Why say we as we forgive them that trespass against us A. To signifie that we have this necessary qualification for forgiveness God will not forgive us fully till we can forgive others And to signifie our Obligation to forgive And as an Argument to God to forgive us when he hath given us Hearts to forgive others But not as the Measure of God's forgiving us For he forgiveth us more freely and fully than we can forgive others Q. 13. Are we bound absolutely to forgive all Men A. No But as they are capable of it 1 We have no power to forgive wrongs against God 2. Nor against our Superiours or other Men or the Common-wealth or Church further than God Authoriâ—eth any Man by Office 3. A Magistrate must forgive sins as to Corporal punishment no further than God alloweth him and as will stand with the true design of Government and the common good And a Pastor no further than will stand with the good of the Church And a Father no further than will stand with the good of the Family And so of others 4. An Enemy that remaineth such and is wicked must be forgiven by private Men so far as that we must desire and endeavour their good and seek no revenge But not so far as to be trusted as a familiar or bosom Friend 5. A Friend that offended and returneth to his Fidelity must be forgiven and trusted as a Friend according to the Evidence of his Repentance and Sincerity and no further The rest about forgiveness is opened in the Exposition of that Article in the Creed The forgiveness of â—â—ns Still remembring that all forgiveness is by God's Mercy through Christs Merits Sacrifice and Intercession CHAP. XXX And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. Qu. 1. WHy is this made the Sixth Petition A. Because it is the next in order to the attainment of our
the Sun is as much as to say If this be not true then I have no Faith Truth Honesty there is no Temple Altar Fire Sun or let me be taken for one that denyeth that I have any Faith that there is any Sun Fire c. or it is as true as that this is Fire Sun c. so to Swear by God is to say It is as true as that there is a God or as God liveth c. or If I Lye take me for one that denyeth God to be God and consequently it is an Appeal to him as the Avenger so By the Life of Pharaoh was As true as Pharaoh liveth or else take me for one that denyeth the life of Pharaoh So that there is somewhat of an Imprecation or Self-reproach as the penalty of a Lye in every Oath but more dreadfully of Divine Revenge when we Swear by God and of Idolatry when men Swear by an Idol as if it were a God Q. 6. Which be the chief wayes of taking Gods Name in vain A. 1. Fathering on him false Doctrine Revelations or Laws saying as false Prophets God sent me and Thus saith the Lord when it is false saying This Doctrine or this Prophecy Gods Spirit revealed to me when it is not so therefore all Christians must be very fearful of false Revelations and Prophecies and see that they believe not every Spirit nor pretend to Revelations and to take heed of taking the Suggestions of Satan or their crazed melancholy Fancies for the Revelations of God 2. So also Gathering false Doctrines out of Scripture by false Expositions and fathering these on God And therefore all men should in dark and doubtful cases rather suspend their judgments till they have overcome their doubts by solid Evidence than rashly to conclude and confidently and fiercely dispute for Errour It 's a great prophanation to father Lies on God who is the Hater of them when Lying is the Devils work and character 3. The same I may say of a rash and false Interpretation of Gods Providences 4. And also of fathering false Laws on God and saying that he either commandeth or forbiddeth what he doth not To make Sins and Duties which God never made and say he made them is to father falshood on him and corrupt his Government 5. Another way is by false Worship 1. If men say that God commanded such Worship which he commanded not it is the sin last mentioned 2. If they worship him with their own Inventions without his Command Particular or General they prophane his Name by offering him that which is unholy common and unclean 6. Another way is by false pretending that God gave them that Authority which he never gave them Like counterfeiting a Commission from the King â—…f Princes should pretend that God gave them Authority to oppose his Truth to persecute Godliness â—…njustly to silence faithful Ministers of Christ to â—…aise unnecessary Warres to oppress the Innocent This were a heinous taking of God's Name in vain â—…f Priests shall pretend that God gave them Authority to make themselves Pastors of the Flocks that are unwilling of them without a just Call or to make Laws for any that are not rightfully their Subjects and to impose their Dictates Words and Forms and unnecessary Inventions as Conditions of Ministration or Communion without true right and to make themselves the Rule of other mens words and actions by usurpation this is all taking Gods Name in vain And so it is if they Preach false Doctrine in his Name and if they pronounce false Excommunications and Absolutions and justifie the wicked and condemn reproach and slander the Just and brand unjustly the Servants of Christ as Hypocrites Schismaticks or Hereticks and this as by Ministerial Power from Christ especially if they silence Christs Ministers impose Wolves or incompetent men scatter the Flocks and suppress serious Godliness and all this in the Name of Christ. Much more if any pretend as the Pope or his pretended general Councils to be Christs Vicar General or Head or Supream unifying Governour over all the Church on Earth and to make Lawes for the whole Church Or if they corrupt Gods Worship with imposed Superstitions Falshoods or Prophanations and say God hath Authorized them to do this It is hainous Prophaning God's Name by a Lie such doing brought up the Proverb In nomine Domini incipit omne malum When all their Abuses began with In the Name of God Amen And they that make new Church-forms which God made not either Papal Universal Aristocracy Patriarchal and such like and either pretend that God made them or gave them or such other power to make them must prove what they say lest they prophane Gods Name by falshood But the highest Prophanation is when they preâ—end that God hath made them Absolute Governours and set them so far above his own Laws and Judgment and himself as that whatever they say is the Word of God or the Sence of the Scripture though never so falsly must be taken for such by all and whatever they command or forbid they must be obeyed though Gods Word command or forbid the contrary And that God hath given power to Popes or Councils to forbid men the Worship which God commandeth yea to Interdict whole Kingdoms and excommunicate and depose Kings and that from these as a Supream Power no man must appeal to the Scripture or to God and his final Judgment This is by prophane Lying to use God's Name to the destroying of Souls the Church and the Laws and Government of God himself 7. Another way of taking God's Name in vain is by Heresies that is embodying in separated Parties or Churches against the Church and Truth of God for the propagating of some dangerous false Doctrine which they father on God and so militate in his Name against his Church If men as aforesaid do but promote false Doctrine in the Church without Separation it is bad But to gather an Army against the Truth and Church and feign Christ to be the Leader of it is worse 8. Another way is by Perjury appealing to God or abusing his name as the Witness and owner of a Lye 9. Another way is by false Vows made to God himself When men either Vow to God to do that which he abhorreth or hath forbidden Or when they Vow that which is good with a false deceitful Heart and as Ananias and Sapphira with false reserves or when they Vow and pay not but wilfully break the Vows which they have made The breach of Covenants between Princes or between them and Subjects or between Husband and Wife confirmed by appeal to God is a dreadful sin But the violation of the great Baptismal Vow in which we are all solemnly devoted and obliged to God is one of the hainousest sins in the World When it is not about a lesser duty but even our Oath of Allegiance to God by solemn Vow taking him for our God our Saviour and
must here reâ—…ve and the Glory which we shall receive hereafter at Death and at the General Resurrection Aâ—… the great dutyes of Faith and Repentance of Obdience and Love to God and Man and renouncâ—… the Lusts of the flesh the world and the Devil whâ—… must be done by all that will be Glorified by aâ—… with Jesus Christ. This is the Catechism which Parents must teâ—… their Children Q. 20. Alas it will be a hard and long work â—… teach Children all this or Servants either that â—… at age A. All this is but the plain meaning of the Crâ—… and ten Commandements which the Church reâ—…reth all to learn And no more than in their Bâ—…tism the Parents should and the Godfathers do â—…lemnly Promise to see them taught It is these thiâ—… for which God hath given them life and time and â—…son and on which their present safety and comfâ—… and their Everlasting Life dependeth And will yâ—… set them seven years Apprentice to a Trade â—… set them Seven and Seven to Schools and Univâ—…sities and Innes of Court where study must be thâ—… daily business And will you think it too much teach them the sence of the Creeds Lords Prâ—…er and ten Commandements needful to far greâ—…er and better ends Q. 21. In what manner must Parents teach thâ—… Children A. 1. Very plainly by familiar talk 2. Geâ—…ly and Lovingly to win them and not discourâ—… them 3. Beginning with the History and the â—…ctrine which they are most capable to receive 4. Very frequently that it be not neglected or forgotten Deut. 6. 11. 5. Yet a little at a time that they be not overwhelmed 6. Praising them when they do well 7. Doing all with such holy reverence that they may perceive it is the Work of God and not a Common matter 8. Teaching them by an answerable Life Q. 22. What else besides Teaching is the Parents duty A. 3. To use all just means to make Religion pleasant to them and win their Hearts to Love it And therefore to tell them the Author the Excelâ—…ency the certainty and profit of it here and hereâ—…fter 4. To possess them with necessary Fear of God of Death of Hell and of Sin 5. To make â—… great difference between the good and the bad â—…ewarding good Children and Correcting the bad â—…isobedient and stubborn 6. To choose safe and â—…odly School-masters for them if they teach them â—…ot all themselves 7. To keep them out of ill Comâ—…ny and from Temptations especially to know â—…heir Vices and watch against all occasions of their â—… 8. To choose meet Trades or Callings for them â—…d faithful Masters ever preferring the welfare â—…f their Souls before their Bodies 9. To choose â—…eet Husbands or Wives for them if they are to â—…e marryed 10. To settle them under a faithful â—…astor in the real Communion of Saints And all this with constant serious diligence praying to God for his Grace and Blessing O how happy were the Church and World if Parents would faithfully do all this needful certain Duty and not perfidiously and cruelly break the Promise they made in Baptism and by negligence worldliness and ungodliness betray the Souls of their own Children to Sin and Satan The happiness or misery of Families Churches Cities Kingdoms and of the World lyeth most eminently on Parents hands Q. 23. What is the duty of Children to their Parents in special A. To Honour their Judgment and Authority to be Thankful to them for their Being Love and Education To Love them Dearly To learn of them willingly and diligently To obey them faithfully and to requite them as they are able and what is included in the General duty of Subjects opened before Q. 24. What if the Father be a Papist and thâ— Mother a Protestant and one commandeth the Chilâ— to read one book and go to one Church and the othâ—â— another which must be obeyed A. Either the Child is of age and understanding to try and Judge which of them is contrary to Godâ— Law or not If he be he must obey God first and therefore not obey any thing that is contrary tâ— his Law But if not then he is one that will not puâ— such questions nor do what he doth out of Conscience to God but perform meer humane Obediencâ— to man And if his Ignorance of Gods Law bâ— through his own negligence it will not excuse hâ— Sin if he mistake But if it be from natural incapacity he is ruled like a Bruit and no doubt the Father is the Chief Governour of the house â—â—d will and must be obeyed before the Mother when obedience to God doth not forbid it which this Child understandeth not Q. 25. What if Children be rebellious in wickedness as Drunkenness Stealing c. must the Parents cause them to be put to death as Moses Law Commanded or what must they do with them A. Moses Law had some special Severities and was peculiar to that Nation and is abrogate whether the Common good and safety require the death of such a Son or any the Supream Power is judge and not the Parents Nor is it meet though some think otherwise that Parents have the Power of putting to death their Children For the Common-wealth which is better than the Family is concerned in all the Subjects lives And experience proveth it that were this granted Whores Beggars and raging passionate Persons would be Common Murderers of their Children But if the Magistrate would appoint one house of Correction in every County for Children that will not be ruled by Parents where they may be kept â—n labour till they are humbled and subdued it would â—e an excellent work Q. 26. But what shall such sorrowfull Parents â—o A. First use all means by Wisdom Love and Paâ—ience while there is hope And next if they are â—ast their Correction send them to the House of â—orrection And lastly disinherit them or deny them â—l maintenance for their lust Q. 27. Is it a duty to disinherit an incorrigible wicked Son or to deny such filial maintenance and Portions A. Supposing it to be in the Fathers power it is a duty to leave them no more than will maintain their lives in temperance For all men are Gods Stewards and must be accountable for all that he doth trust them with And they ought not to give it to be the fewel of Lust and Sin when they have reason to believe that it will be so used That were to give Gods Mercies to the Devil to be turn'd against him Nor are Parents bound to give those Children the necessary maintenance for their lives and health or any thing at all who by obstinate rebellion utterly forfeit it Nature is not so strong a bond but that some sin may dissolve it and forfeit Life it self and therefore forfeit fatherly maintenance The rebellion and ingratitude of an incorrigible Child is far more hainous than a Neighbours injuries And though Moses Law and its rigors be ceased
to its good and safety Q. 8. What if a Prince think that the death 〈◊〉 an Innocent man is accidentally necessary to the sâ—…ty of himself or the Common-wealth through other 〈◊〉 fault may he not kill him A. No he is a Murderer if he kill the Innoceâ—â— or any whose fault deserveth not death should 〈◊〉 permit killing on such pretences no mens lives woâ—… be safe In Factions there be other wayes of â—…medy and such wicked means do but hasten 〈◊〉 increase the evil which men would so prevent Q. 9. May not Parents have power to kill bad â—â—â—ldren A. No I have given you the reason under the 〈◊〉 Commandement Q. 10. May not a man kill another in the necesâ—â—â—y defence of his own Life A. In some cases he may and in some not He â—…y in case it be his equal or inferiour as to pubâ—â—â— usefulness and he have no other means being â—…ulted by him to save his Life from him But 〈◊〉 may not 1. If by flight or other just means he 〈◊〉 save his own Life 2. Nor if it be his King 〈◊〉 Father or any publick Person whose death â—…uld be a greater loss to the Common-wealth than 〈◊〉 own Q. 11. How prove you that A. Because the Light of Nature tells us that seeâ—… Good and Evil are the objects of our Willing 〈◊〉 Nilling therefore the Greatest Good should still 〈◊〉 preferred and the greatest evil be most avoidâ—… and that the Good or Hurt of the Commonâ—â—alth is far greater than of a single private perâ—… Q. 12. But doth not Nature teach every Creature preserve its life and rather than die to kill anoâ—… A. The Nature of man is to be Rational and â—…ve bruitish Nature and to choose by Reason â—…gh against sensitive inclination Why else â—â—t Martyrs choose to dye rather than to sin and â—â—ldiers choose their own death before their Captains or their Kings in which God and reason juâ—fie them Q. 13. But by this Rule an Army should kill thâ— General rather than to be killed or betrayed to deâ—â— by him because all their lives are better than one man A. If they be but some part of an Army aâ— the Generals life be more useful to the rest and 〈◊〉 their King and Countrey and the publick good thâ—… all theirs they should rather dye as the Thebâ—… Legion did But if the General be a Traytor to 〈◊〉 King and Countrey and would destroy all or pâ—… of the Army to the publick loss and danger iâ—… no Murder if they kill him when they have no oâ—… way to save their Lives Q. 14. How many sorts of Murder are there 〈◊〉 which are the worst A. I. One of the worst is Persecution Killâ—… men because they are good or because they 〈◊〉 not break Gods Lawes And lower degrees of Pâ—…secution by Banishment Imprisonment Mulâ—… participate of guilt against this Command II. A second sort of hainous Murder is by 〈◊〉 sacres and unlawful Wars In which multitudes 〈◊〉 murdered and that studiously and with greatest 〈◊〉 dustry and Countreys ruined and undone The mâ—â—titude of hainous Crimes that are contained in 〈◊〉 unlawful Warre are hardly known but by sad â—â—perience III. Another sort of hainous Murder is when 〈◊〉 rents kill their own Children or Children their 〈◊〉 rents IV. Another is when Princes destroy their own Subjects whom by Office they are bound to protect or Subjects their Princes whom they are bound to obey and defend and honour V. Another sort of hainous Murder is when it is committed on pretence of Justice by Perjured Witnesses false Accusers or false Iudges or Magistrates As Naboth was murdered by Iezebel and Ahab and Christ by the Iews upon false accusations of Blasphemy and Treason For in this case the Murder is fathered on God and on Iustice which most abhorre it and the best things which should preserve the peace of the Innocent are used to the worst ends even to destroy them And a man hath no defence for himself as he may have against Murtherers or open Enemies and he is destroyed by those that are bound to defend him And the most devilish wicked Perjured men are made the Masters of mens Lives and may conquer Subjects by perverting Law VI. One of the most hainous crimes is soul-murder which is done by all that draw or drive men into sin or from their duty to God and the care of their Salvation either by seducing false Opinions opposing necessary Truth and Duty or by scorns or threats But none here sin so grievously as wicked Rulers and wicked Teachers and Pastors of the Churches Others kill Souls by one and one but these by hundreds and thousands And therefore it is the Devils main endeavour through the World to get Rulers and Teachers on his side and turn the Word and Sword against him that did ordain them All the Idolatrous World that know not Christ are kept under the Power of the Devil principally by wicked Rulers and Teachers And so is the Infidel and Mahometan World When the Turks had once conquered the Eastern Empire how quickly did those famous Churches and large Nations forsake Christ and turn to the grossest of Deceivers O how many millions of Souls have been since hereby destroyed And what wicked deceitful and contentious Teachers have done to the murdering of Souls alas the whole Christian World is witness Some by Heresie and some by Proud Tyranny and some by malignant opposition to the serious practice of that holy Law of God which they preach and some by Ignorance and some by slothful treacherous negligence and some by Church-divisions by their Snares or contentiousness Such as Paul speaks of Phil. 1. 15 16. 2. 3. And some in envy malign and hinder the preaching of the Gospel by such as they distast 1 Thes. 2. 16. VII But of all Soul Murder it is one of the greatest which is done by wicked Parents on their own Children who breed them up in Ignorance Wickedness and profane neglect if not hatred and scorn of serious Holiness And teach them malignant principles or hinder them from the necessary means of their Salvation That by Example teach them to Swear and lie and be drunken or profane For Parents to be the cruel damners of their own Children and this when in false hypocrisie they Vowed them in baptism to God and promised their godly education is odious cruelty and perfidiousness VIII And it is yet a more hainous Sin to be a Murderer of ones own Soul as every ungodly and impenitent sinner is For Nature teacheth all men to Love themselves and to be unwilling of their own destruction And no wonder that such are unmerciful to the Souls of Wives Children and Servants who will damn themselves and that for nothing and that after all the importunities of God and man to hinder them Q. 15. When may a man be accounted a Soul-selfmurderer seeing every man hath some sin A. Every sin as
Savages are who are taught by nature to set bounds to lust And besides all this the very Lust it self thus increased by lawless liberty would so corrupt mens Minds and Fantasies and Affections into a sordid beastly Sensuality that it would utterly indispose them to all spiritual and heavenly yea and manly employments of Heart and Life men will grow sottish and stupid unfit to consider of Heavenly things and uncapable of Holy pleasures Q. 5. But if these evil consequents be all then a man that can moderately use Fornication so as shall avoid these evils sinneth not A. Sin is the breach of Gods Law These mischiefs that would follow lawless lust shew you that God made this Law for the welfare of Mankind But Gods own Wisdom and Will is the Original reason of his Law and must satisfie all the World But were there none but this forementioned to avoid the Worlds confusion and ruine it was needful that God set a Law to Lust And when this is done for the Common good it is not lest to man to break Gods Law whenever he thinks he can avoid the consequents and secure the end of the Law For if men be left to such liberty as to judge when they may keep Gods Law and when they may break it lust will alwayes find a reason to excuse it and the Law will be in vain The World needed a regulating Law and Gods Law must not be broken Q. 6. Which are the most hainous sorts of filthyness A. Some of them are scarce to be named among Christians 1. Sodomy 2. Copulation with Bruits 3. Incest sinning thus with near kindred 4. Rapes or forcing Women But the commonest sorts are Adultery Fornication self-Pollution and the filthiness of the thoughts and affections and the words and actions which partake of the Pollution Q. 7. Why is Adultery so great a sin A. Besides the foresaid evils that are Common to it and Fornication it is a perfidious violation of the Marriage Covenant and destroyes the conjugal Love of Husband and Wife and confoundeth Progeny and as is aforesaid corrupteth Family order and humane Education Q. 8. Why may not a man have many Wives now as the Jews had A. As Christ saith of Putting away From the beginning it was not so but it was permitted for the hardness of their Hearts that their Seed might be multiplyed in which they placed their chief prosperity And that we may not think worse of them than they were as God hath taught the very Bruits to use Copulation no ofter than is necessary to Generation so it is probable by many passages of Scripture that it was so ordinarily then with men and consequently that they that had many Wives used them not so often as now too many do one and did not multiply Wives so much for Lust as for Progeny Q. 9. But is no ofter use of Husband and Wife lawful than for Generation A. Yes in Case of necessitating Lust But such a measure of Lust is to be accounted inordinate either as sin or a disease and not to be causlesly indulged though this remedy be allowed it Q. 10. But why may not many Wives be permitted now as well as then A. 1. No man can either dispense with Gods Laws or forgive sin against them but God himself If he forbear men in a sin that doth not justifie it 2. If a few men and many Women were cast upon a Wilderness or sent to plant it by Procreation the case were liker the Israelites where the Men were ofter kill'd by Wars and Gods Judgments than the Women But with us there is no pretence for the like Polygamy but it would confound and disquiet Families If one should make a difficult case of it whether a Prince that hath a Barren Wife may not take another for the safety of a Kingdom when it is in notorious danger of falling into the hands of a destroyer as Adams own Sons and Daughters lawfully marryed each other because there were no others in the World this would be no excuse where no such publick notorious necessity can be pleaded Q. 11. Why must marriage be a publick act A. Because else Adultery and unlawful Separations cannot be known nor punished but Confusion will come in Q. 12. But is it not Adultery that is committed against secret Marriage which was never published or legally Solemnized A. Yes Secret consent makes a Marriage before God though not before the World and the violation of it is Adultery before God Q. 13. May not a man put away his Wife or depart from her if she seek his death or if she prove utterly intolerable A. While he is Governour he hath divers other Remedies first to be tryed A Bedlam must be used as a Bedlam And no doubt but if he have just cause to fear poysoning or other sort of Murder he may secure his life against a Wife as well as against an Enemy Christ excepted not that case because Nature supposeth such Exceptions Q. 14. But if utter unsuitableness make their Cohabitation an insuperable temptation or intolerable misery may they not part by consent for their own good seeing it is their mutual good which is the end of Marriage A. 1. The publick good is a higher end of all mens worldly Interests and Actions than their own And when the Example would encourage unlawful Separators they must not seek their own ease to the publick detriment 2. And if it be their own sinfull distempers which maketh them unsuitable God bindeth them to amend and not to part And if they neglect not his Grace he will help them to do what he commandeth And it 's in his way and not their own by the Cure of their sin and not by indulging it that they must be healed But as the Apostle saith in another Case if the faulty Person depart and the other cannot help it a Brother or Sister is not left in Bondage but may stay till the allay of the Distemper incline them to return Q. 15. What is inward heart Fornication or Uncleanness A. 1. Inordinate filthy thoughts are some degree 2. Inordinate desires are a higher degree 3. Inordinate contrivance and consent are yet a higher And when such thoughts and desires become the ordinary Inhabitants of the Soul and pollute it when they lie down and when they rise and shut out holy and sober thoughts and become a filthy habit in the Mind then the degree is so great as that an unclean Devil hath got great advantage if not a kind of possession of the Imagination and the Soul Q. 16. Which way are the other senses guilty of this sin A. 1. When an ungoverned Eye is suffered to fetch in lustfull thoughts and desires into the mind 2. Much more when to such immodest or unchasâ—e Looks there is added immodest Actions and dalliance unfit to be named 3. And when fleshly Appetite and Ease do bring in fewel to unchaste incliâ—ations 4. And
that canâ—… be done they must marry whether their Parents â—… or not For man hath no Power to forbid what â—…d Commandeth Q. 25. Is that Marriage void which is without â—… consent of Parents and must such be separate as â—…lterers A. Some Marriage as aforesaid is Lawful without their consent some is sinfull but yet not Null nor to be dissolved which is the most usual Case Because all at age do choose for themselves even in the matters of Salvation And though they oughâ— to be ruled by Parents yet when they are not theiâ— own act bindeth them But if the incapacity of the persons make it null that 's another Case Q. 26. How shall men be sure what degrees arâ— prohibited and what is Incest when Moses Law iâ— abrogated and the Law of Nature is dark and doubtful in it and Christ saith little of it A. Those passages in Moses Law which are bâ—… Gods Explication of a dark Law of Nature do stâ—… tell us how God once expounded it and consequeâ—ly how far it doth extend though Moses Law â—… such be abrogated 2. The Laws about such restraint of Marriagâ—… are Laws of Order And therefore bind when â—… der is necessary for the thing ordered but not whâ—… it destroyeth the good of the thing ordered whiâ—… is its End Therefore Incest is unlawfull out of â—… cases of Necessity but to Adams Sons and Daugâ—ters it was a Duty And all the Children of Noâ—… three Sons must needs marry either their own Bâ—… ther 's and Sisters or the Children of their Fathâ—… Brethren which moved Loâ—s Daughters to do wâ—… they did 3. In these matters of Order some Laws of â—… Land must be obeyed though they restrain â—… more than the Laws of God Q. 27. Is Marriage in every forbidden degree â—… be dissolved A. Not if it be a degree only forbidden by Mâ—… Laws Or if it were in such foresaid cases of absolute necessity But that which God doth absolutely forbid must not be continued but dissolved as the Case of Herod and him 1 Cor. 5. tells us CHAP. XLI Of the Eighth Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the Eighth Commandement A. Thou shalt not Steal Q. 2. What is the Stealing here forbidden A. All injurious getting or keeping that which is â—others Q. 3. When is it injurious A. When it is done without right And that is â—hen it is done without the Owners Consent or by â—… fraudulent or forcible getting his consent and withâ—ut just Authority from a superiour power who may â—arrant it Q. 4. What Power may allow one to take that which â—… anothers A. 1. God who is the only Absolute Owner of â—… did allow the Israelites to take the Egyptians â—nd Canaanites goods and so may do by whom he â—ill 2. And a Magistrate may take away the goods â—f a Delinquent who forfeiteth them And may take â—…m an unwilling Subject such Tribute as is his due â—… as much of his 〈◊〉 as the Law alloweth him to take for the necessary defence of the Common-wealth and may force him to pay his debts And a Father may take from his Child who is but a conditional Subproprietor what he seeth meet Q. 5. But what if it be so small a matter as will be no loss to him Is it sinful Theft to take it A. Yes if there be none of his Consent nor any Law to warrant you it is Theft how small soever the thing be But if the common sence of Mankind suppose that men would consent if they knew it or if the Law of God or the just Law of Man enable you to take it it is no Theft And so God allowed the Israelites to pluck the Ears of Corn or eat Fruit as they pass'd through a Vineyard in hunger so be it that they carryed none away And a man may gather a Leaf or an Herb for Medicine in another Mans Ground because Humanity supposeth that the Owner will not be against it Q. 6. But what if he can spare it and I am in great necessity and it be his duty to relieve me and he refuseth A. You are not allowed to be your own Carver The common good must be preferred before youâ— own And if every one shall be judge when theiâ— Necessity alloweth them to take from another thâ— Property and Right of all men will be vain and the common Order and Peace be overthrown And whilâ— you may either beg or seek to the Parish or Magistrate for Relief there is no place for a just Plea oâ—… your Necessity Q. 7. But should a man rather die by Famine than take from another that is bound to give and will not A. If his taking will by encouraging Thieves do the Common-wealth more hurt than his Life will do good he is bound rather to die than Steal But I dare not say that it is so where all these following Conditions concurre 1. If it be so small a thing as is meerly to save Life as God allowed the foresaid taking of Fruit and Corn. 2. If you have first tryed all other Means as Begging or seeking to the Magistrate 3. If by the Secresie or by the Effect it be no hurt to the Common-wealth but good As for instance If to save life one take an Apple from a Tree of him that is unwilling or eat Pease or Corn in the Field If Children have Parents that would famish them If a company in a Ship should lose all their Provision save one mans and he have enough for them all and would give them none I think the Law of Nature alloweth them to take as much as will save their Lives against his will If David the Lords Anointed and his six hundred men want Bread they think they may take it from a churlish Nabal If an Army which is necessary to save the Kingdom from a foreign Enemy should want Money and Food and none would give it them it seemeth unnatural to say that they should all famish and lose the Kingdom rather than take Free Quarter or things absolutely necessary from the unwilling The Common-wealths right in every Subjects Estate is greater than his own as the Common good is better than his But these rare Cases are no excuse for the unjust taking of the least that is anothers without his consent Q. 8. But may not a Child or Servant take that Meat or Drink which is but meet if the Parents and Masters be unwilling A. No unless as aforesaid meerly to save Life If Children have hard Parents they must patiently bear it If Servants have hard Masters they may leave them or seek Remedy of the Magistrate for that which they are unable to bear But the World must not be taught to invade other mens Property and be Judges of it themselves Q. 9. But what if he owe me a debt and will not pay me or keep unjust possession of my goods may I not take my own by stealth or force if I be able A.
Not without the Magistrate who is the Preserver of common Order and Peace when your taking it would break that Order and such liberty would encourage Robbery If you take it you sin not against his Right but you sin against the greater Right and Peace of the Common-wealth Q. 10. But what if I owe him as much as he oweth me may I not stop it and refuse to pay him A. Yes if the Law and common good allow it but not else For you must rather lose your Right than hurt the Common-wealth by breaking the Law which keeps its Peace Q. 11. What if I win it by Gaming or a Wager when he consented to run the hazard A. Such Gaming as is used in a covetous desire of getting from another without giving him any thing valuable for it is sinfull in the winner and the loser And anothers covetous sinfull consent to stand to the hazard maketh it not lawful for you to take it You forfeit it on both sides and the Magistrate may do well to take it from you both But if a moderate wager be laid only to be a penalty to the loser for being Confident in some untruth it 's just to take his wager as a penalty and give it to the Poor But the just Law of Exchanging rights by contract is to take nothing that is anothers without giving him for it that which is worth it Q. 12. Is it lawful to trye Masteries for a prize or wager As running of Men or Horses Cock-fights Fencing Wrestling contending in Arts c A. It is not lawful to do it 1. Out of Coveteousness desiring to get another mans money though to his loss and grief 2. Nor by Cruelty as hazarding mens lives by overstriving in running wrestling fencing c. But if it be used as a manly Recreation and no more laid on the wager than is meet to be spent on a Recreation and may be justly spared without Coveteousness or hurting another I know not but it may be lawfully done Q. 13. What are the rules to avoid sinful injury in buying and selling A. 1. That you give the true worth that is the Market-price for what you buy and desire not to have it cheaper unless it be of a rich man that abateth you the price in kindness or Charity or one that having bought it Cheaper can afford to sell accordingly And that you neither ask nor desire more than the said true worth for what you sell unless it be somewhat that you would not otherwise part with which is worth more to some one man than to others or one that in liberality will give you more 2. That you do as you would be done by if you were in the same circumstances with the other supposing your own desires just 3. That you work not on the ignorance or necessities of another to get more or take less than the worth 4. And therefore that you deceive him not by hiding the fault of what you sell nor by any false words or wiles 5. That if a man be overseen you hold him not to his bargain to his loss if you can release it without a greater loss Yet that you stand to your own word to him if he will not discharge you More I omit Q. 14. Is it lawful to take Usury or gain for Money lent A. The great difference of mens judgments about Usury should make all the more Cautelous to venture on none that is truly doubtful I shall give my Judgment in some Conclusions 1. It is evident that Usury of other things as well as of Money was forbidden the Iews Deut. 23. 19 20. Lev. 25. 36 37. Exod. 22. 25. And by Usury is meant any thing more than was lent taken for the use of it 2. It is manifest the word Nesheck fignifying biting Usury that it is unmerciful hurting another that is here meant 3. It is manifest that it was to the Poor that this manner of lending was not to be used And that only to a Brother or Israclite who also might not be bought as a forced Servant But to a Stranger it was lawful 4. The Israelites then used no Merchandize or Buying and Selling for gain They lived on Flocks Herds and Vineyards and Figtrees So that it is only taking usury of any thing that was lent to the needy when Charity bound them to relieve them by lending that is here meant 5. To exact the Principal or thing lent was as truly forbidden when the Poor could not pay it And so it was to deny to give him freely in his need 6. All this plainly sheweth that this supposeth a case in which one is bound to use Mercy to another in want and that it is meer unmercifulness that is here forbidden 7. The Law described the sin and the Prophets when they speak against Usury do but name it making no new Law but supposing it described in the Law before 8. The Law of Moses as such bound not the rest of the World nor bindeth Christians now 2 Cor. 3. 9. Therefore there is no Usury forbidden but what is against the Law of Nature or the Supernatural Revelation of Christ 10. The Law of Nature and of Christ forbid all Unjustice and Uncharitableness and therefore all Usury which is against Iustice or Charity Every man must in Trading lending and giving keep the two Grand precepts Do as you would justly be done by and Love your Neighbours as your selves 11. To take more for the Use than the use of the Money Horse Goods or any thing was really worth to the User is injustice And to take either Use or Principal when it will do more hurt to him that payeth it than it is like to do good to our selves or any other to whom we are more obliged is contrary to Charity And so it is Not to Give where we are obliged to give 12. Merchandize or Trading by buying and selling for gain is real Usury They that lay out Money on goods and sell them for more than they gave for them do take use or increase for their Money of the buyer which was forbidden the Israeliets to Poor Brethren And it is all one to make a Poor man pay one Shilling in the Pound for the use of the Money to buy Cloth with as to make him pay one Shilling more than was paid for the cloth And if a Draper be bound to lend a Poor man money to buy Cloth without use he is as much bound to sell him Cloth without gain 13. Merchandize or Trading for gain is not unlawful being used without injustice and uncharitableness 14. Every one that hath Money is not bound to lend it at all And not to lend it at all is as much against the good of some borrowers as to lend it and take but what the use of it was worth to them 15. No more must be taken for Use than the User had real Profit by it unless it be when the Rich are willing to pay
Will of God which is our Law It is not another Substance that Grace maketh in us but another Order And all sin is nothing but the contrary Disorder And that manâ— Words be the true and just Expression of his Mind is a great part of the Order of his Words withouâ— which it were better Man were speechless And 2. You must consider that God hath mad man a sociable Creature and each one a part of thâ— World which is One Kingdom of God the Universal King And that each part is more for the whâ—â— than for it self because the common welfare of thâ— whole is better than of any part as being a highâ— End of Government and more illustriously shewiâ— the Glory of God And 3. You must consider that because God only knoweth the Heart there can be no Society and Conversation but by Words and other Signs And that without mutual Trust there can be no Society of Love Concord or mutual Help But utter distrust is a Virtual Warre There can be no Prince and Subjects no Husband and Wife no Pastor and Flocks without some trust And Trustiness is Truth-telling So far as a Man is taken for a Lyer he is not believed or trusted 4. You must consider that if God should leave it to mans discretion in what cases to Lie and in what not and did not absolutely forbid it Selfishness Interest and Folly would scarce leave any credibility or trustiness in Mankind For how can I know whether your Iudgment now bid you not Lye for some reason that I know not 5. So that you see that Leave to Lie when we think it harmless would be but to pluck up a flood-gate of all deceit untrustiness and utter confusion which would shame and confound and ruine Societies and the World And then it 's easie to know that it is better that any mans Commodity or Life miscarry which yet was scarce ever done meerly for want of a Lye than that the World should be thus disordered and Confounded As men sick of the Plague must be shut up rather than go about to insect the City and some Houses must be blown up rather than the fire not be stopt And as Souldiers burn Suburbs to save a City c. so no mans private good must be pretended for the Corruption and Misery of the World 6. And Remember that Lying is the Devils Character and Work and so the work and Character of his Servants And Truth is the effect of Gods Perfection and his Veracity so necessary to Mankind that without it we could have no full assurance of the future blessedness which he hath promised If God could Lye our hopes were all shaken for we should be still uncertain whether his Word be true And Gods Laws and his Image must signifie his perfection Q. 5. Wherein doth the Truth of words consist A. In a threefold respect 1. In a suitable significancy of the Matter 2. In an agreeable significancy of the Mind of the Speaker 3. And both these as suited to the Information of the hearer Q. 6. What is false-speaking A. 1. That which is so disagreeable to the Matter as to represent it falsly 2. That which is so disagreeable to the Speakers Mind as to represent it falsly to another 3. That which speaketh the Matter and Mind aptly as to themselves and other hearers but so as the present hearer who we know takes the Words in another sence will by our design be deceived by them Q. 7. Is all false speaking Lying or what is â— Lye A. Lying properly signifieth a culpable speaking â—â— falshood And it hath divers degrees of culpability When falshood is spoken without the speakers fault it is not morally to be called a Lie Though improperly the Hebrews called any thing a Lye which would deceive those that trust in it and so all men and Creatures though blameless are Lyars to such as overtrust them Q. 8. Which are the divers degrees of Lying or Culpable false speaking A. 1. One is privative When men falsly represent things by Diminutive Expressions Things may be falsly represented by defective as well as by Excessive speeches He that speaks of God and Heaven and Holiness faintly as Good saith a graminatical truth But if he speak not of them as Best or Excellent it is Morally a false Expression through defect He that saith Coldly To Murder to be Perjured to Silence Christs Ministers unjustly is not well as Eli said of his Sons Wickedness or only saith I cannot justifie it or It 's hard to justifie it saith a Grammatical Truth but a Moral falshood by the extenuating words as if he would perswade the hearer to think it some small or doubtful matter and so to be impenitent 2. He that speaketh falsly through rashness heedlesness neglect of just Information or any ignorance which is Culpable is guilty of some degree of Lying But he that knowingly speaketh falsly is a Lyar in a higher degree 3. He that by Culpable forgetfulness speaks falsly is to be blamed But he that Remembreth and Studieth it much more 4. He that lyeth in a small matter which seemeth not to hurt but perhaps to profit the Hearer is to be blamed But he that lyeth in great matters and to the great hurt of others much more 5. He that speaketh either contrary to his Mind or contrary to the Matter culpably lyeth But he that speaketh both contrary to his Mind and the Matter lyeth worse 6. He that by Equivocation useth unapt and unsuitable expressions to deceive him that will misunderstand them is to be blamed But he that will stand openly bold-faced in a Lie much more 7. It is sin to speak Untruths of our own which we might avoid But it 's much worse to father them on God or the Holy Scripture 8. It is sin by falshood to deceive one but much more to deceive multitudes even whole Assemblies or Countreys 9. It is sin in a private man to Lie to another about small things But much more hainous for a Ruler or a Preacher to deceive multitudes even in matters of Salvation 10. It is a sin rashly to drop a falshood But much greater to write Books or dispute for it and justifie it 11. It is a sin to Lie from a good intent But much more out of envy malice or malignity 12. It is a sin to lie in private Talk But much more to lie to a Magistrate or Judge who hath power to Examine us 13. It is a sin to assert an Untruth as aforesaid But much greater to swear it or offer it to God in our Profession or Vows Q. 9. Is all Deceiving of another a sin A. No There is great difference 1. Between deceiving one that I am bound to inform and one that I am not bound to inform 2. And between deceiving one to his benefit or harmlesly and to his hurt and injury 3. And between deceiving him by just means and by unjust forbidden means
Fervency because of the unâ—peakable importance of the Matter and the deadâ—ess and hardness of mens Hearts 6. With Frequency in season and out of season because of mens aptness to lose what they have heard and received and their need still to be carried on 7. With Constancy to the end that grace may be preserved and increased by degrees 8. With seemly and decent Expressions because of captious Cavilling hearers and the Holiness of the work 9. With Concord with all the Church of Christ as preaching the same Faith and Hope 10. By the Example of Holy practice doing what we perswade them to do and excelling them in Love and Holiness and Patience and Victory over the Flesh and World and winning them not by Force but by Light and Love Q. 6. What is it that all this is to bring mâ—â— to A. 1. To make men understand and believe what God is to them what Christ is what Grace and Glory are as is aforesaid in the Christian Faith 2. To winne mens Hearts to the Love of these from the Love of sinful fleshly Pleasure and to fiâ— their Wills in a resolved Choice 3. To engage them in the obedient Practice oâ— what they Love and Choose and help them to overcome all Temptations to the contrary Q. 7. Why will God have all this and the rest whicâ— is for the Church to be an Office Work of chosen sepâ—rated consecrated Persons A. 1. It is certain that all men are not fit for iâ— Alas too few The Mysteries of Godliness are deeâ— and great The Chains of Sinners are strong and God useth to work according to the suitableness of means Great abilities are requisite to all this And God would not have his cause and work dishonoured by his Ministers unfitness Alas unfit men have been the Churches great Calamity and Reproach 2. God would have his work Effectually done and therefore by men that are wholly devoted to it Were they never so able if they have avocations and do it by the Halves dividing their Labours between it and the World this will not answer the Necessity and the End Even a Paul must do it publickly and from House to House night and day with Tears Act. 20. 20 28. It must be done in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Timothy must meditate on these things and give himself wholly to them 1 Tim. 4. 15. Paul was separated to the Gospel of God Rom. 1. And Ministers are Stewards of his Mysteries to give the Children their Meat in season 3. It is much for the Comfort of the Faithful to know that it is by Gods own ordained Officer that his Message of Invitation and his Sealed Covenant Pardon and Gift of Christ and Grace are delivered to them 4. The very being of an Ordered Church requireth a Guiding official part It is no Rules Society without a Ruler No School without a Teacher Men must know to whom to go for Instruction The Law was to be sought from the mouth of the Priest as the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2. 7. Read Act. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. Eph. 4. 14 15 16. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. Luk. 12. 42 43. 5. The safety and preservation of the Truth requireth the Ministerial Office As the Laws of England would never be preserved without Lawyers and Jugdes by the common People so the Scriptures and the Faith Sacraments and Worship would never have been brought down to us as they are without a stated Ministry whose Interest Office and Work it is continually to use them See 1 Tim. 5. 20. Eph. 4. 14. Rom. 16. 16 17. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Heb. 13. 7 9 17. None have leisure to do this great work as it must be done but those that by Office are wholly separated thereto Will you leave it to Magistrates or to the People who if they were able have other work to do Deny the Office and you destroy the Church and Work Q. 8. How are men called and separated to the Sacred Ministry A. There are many things concurr thereto The first Ministers were called immediately by Christ himself and extraordinarily qualified But ever since all these things must concur 1. A Common Obligation on all men to do their best in their places to propagate the Gospel and Church and to save mens Souls is presupposed as a preparatory antecedent 2. There must he necessary qualifying Abilities 1. Natural Wit and Capacity 2. Acquired improvement and so much Knowledge as must be exercised in the Office 3. If Apt to Teach and Able signified no more than to Read what is prescribed by others a Child Fool or an Infidel were Apt and Able Ability for competent Utterance and Exercise 4. And to his Acceptance with God and his own Salvation saving Faith and Holiness is necessary If you would know the necessary degrees of ability it is so much without which the necessary acts of the Office cannot be done 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to teach others also 3. The approving Judgment of other Senior Ministers is ordinarily necessary For men are not to be the only Judges themselves where the publick interest is concerned And the Investing Ordination of such is the orderly Solemnizing of their entrance and delivery of Christs Commission and is that to the General Office of the Ministry which Baptism is to Christianity and Solemn Matrimony to Marriage or Coronation to a King This is not done by the Election of the People It is not their Work to choose Ministers to the General Office or men to call the World 4. To make a man the Pastor of a particular Church or Flock the consent both of the Man and of the Flock is necessary and to the well being also the Consent of the Neighbour Pastors and to Peace and Liberty the Princes This is an Ordination or Relation which may be often renewed and changed but the Ordination to the General Office is to be but once To license a Physician and to choose him for my Physician are divers things And so it is here Q. 9. What Laws or Canons have Pastors power to make for the Church A. 1. None to the Universal Church for that hath no Ruler or Law-maker or Judge but Christ man being utterly uncapable of it 2. None which shall Cross the Laws of Christ in Nature or Scriptures 3. None which are of the same kind and use with Christs own universal Laws and no more needful to one Place or Age than to all For this will accuse Christ as if he had been defective in his own Legislation when more must be added of the same kind 4. Taking the Word Laws strictly Pastors as such have no Legislative power But taking it laxly for Mandates or Directions given by just Power such as a Parent or Tutor hath they may make such Laws as these 1.
the reason of it still remaineth as directive to us When thousands of good people want food and we cannot give all it 's a sin to prefer an incorrigible wicked Son before them Q. 28. But God may change them when the Parents are dead A. It is supposed that the Parents have tryed to the utmost of their Power And Parents cannot judge of what unlikelihoods God may bring to pass when they are dead If God change them God will provide for them If Parents have any hope they may leave somewhat in trusty hands to give them when they see them Changed If not such may work for themselves Q. 29. But what if a Son be not deboist but Civil But be of a Corrupt understanding inclined to ill Opinions and averse to serious Piety and like to use his Estate to the hurt of the Church or Common-wealth What shall Parents do by such A. The publick Interest is to be preferred before a Sons If Parents have good hopes that such a Son may do more good than harm with his Estate they must trust him as far as Reason requireth rather than to trust a Stranger But if they have reason to believe that he will do more harm than good with it they should settle it in trust to do all that good which he should do and not leave it to do hurt if it be in their Power Allowing him necessary maintenance Q. 30. Should not Parents leave all their Estates to their Children Or what proporion must they give them A. Nature makes Children so near their Parents that no doubt they must be specially careful of their Corporal and Spiritual welfare above others And the Israelites being tyed to keep their Possessions in their Families and Line were under an extraordinary obligation in this matter But to all Christians the Interest of God and the Common good is the Chief and to be preferred They that all Sold their possessions and laid down the Money at the Apostles feer did not scruple alienating them from their Heirs In this case Children are to be considered 1. As meer Receivers of their own due 2. Or as their Parents Trustees for doing good If they be like to prove faithful their Parents should rather trust them than others with their Estates to do good when they are gone But if not they should secure a due proportion for good Works And however all men should in their Life do all the good that regularly they can do For who can expect that his Son should do that good with his Estate which he had not a Heart to do himself And who would not rather secure a reward to himself than to his Son Q. 31. Do you disallow of the Common Course which is to give all that men can get to their Children save some small droppings now and then to the Poor A. I take it to be the effect of that SELFISHNESS which is the grand Enemy to the Love of God and Man A carnal Selfish man doth live to his Flesh and Carnal Self for which he gathers all that he can get And when he must needs dye and can no longer enjoy it he takes his Children to be as parts of himself and what they have he thinks he almost hath himself And so out of meer Self-love doth Love them and enrich them But a Holy person thinks all is Gods and that it is best used which is best improved to his Will and Kingdom But Alas what have Selfish carnal worldlings to account for When the best they can say of the use of Gods talents is that they pampered the flesh with as much as it craved and the rest they gave their Children to make them rich that their Flesh also might be pampered and their lust might want no fewel or provision nor their Souls want temptation Hundreds or Thousands given to Daughters and Lands purchased for their Sons and now and then a Farthing or a Penny given to the Poor And though the Hypocrites take on them to believe Christ that it 's harder for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God than for a Camel to go through a Needle 's eye yet they live as if nothing were the desire and business of their lives but to make their own and their Childrens Salvation by Riches thus next to impossible Q. 32. Is it well as is usual to give the eldest Son all the Inheritance A. Nature and Scripture tell us of some preeminence of the eldest This Birthright Iacob thought worth the buying of Esau Christ is called the First-born of every Creature because the first-born have the preeminence of Rule Wealth and Honour And the heavenly Society are called The general Assembly of the first-born whose Names are enrolled in Heaven Heb. 12. Because they are in Honour and Power above others But yet 1. The Younger also are Sons and must have their part And it pleased God to leave on record how oft he hath preferred the Younger Even an Abel before Cain a Seth before his Seniors a Sem before Iaphet and Cham Isaac before Ishmael Iacob before Esau David and Solomon before their Elder Brethren 2. But to the faithful though Nature be not disregarded yet Grace teacheth us what to prefer And Christ and his members are dearer to us than our Sons or natural members In cases where we must deny our selves for Christ and the publick good we may also deny our natural Kindred For they are not nearer to us than our selves And if an eldest Son be wicked or unprofitable a believing Parent should give him the less and more to a younger yea to a Stranger that will do more service to God and his Countrey and not prefer a fleshly difference and priviledge before a Spiritual and his Masters Service Q. 33. What is the Duty of Husbands to their Wives A. To love them as themselves and live with them in conjugal Chastity as Guides and Helpers and provide for them and the Family to endeavour to cure their infirmities and passions and patiently bear what is not cured to preserve their honour and authority over inferiours and help them in the education of their Children and comfort them in all their sufferings Q. 34. What is the duty of Wives to their Husbands A. To live with them in true Love and Conjugal Chastity and Fidelity to help them in the Education of Children and governing Servants and in worldly affairs To learn of them and obey them To provoke them to dutyes of Piety and Charity and to bear with their infirmities and Comfort and Help them in their Sufferings And both must live as the Heirs of Heaven in preparation for the Life to come Q. 35. What is the duty of Masters to their Servants A. To employ them suitably not unmercifully in profitable labour and not in sin or vanity To allow them their due wages and maintenance keeping them neither in hurtful Want nor in Idleness or sinful fulness To