my mouth Mal. 3. 18. Psal. 1. 15. 4. Affect not a dead and heartless way of worship which tendeth not to convince and waken the ungodly nor to make men serious as those that have to do with God § 9. Direct 8. Let the manner of your worshipping God be suited to the matter that you have in hand Direct 8. Remember that you are speaking either to or of the Eternal God that you are employed about the everlasting salvation of your own or others souls that all is high and holy that you have to do See then that the Manner be answerable hereunto § 10. Direct 9. Offer God nothing as a part of Worship which is a lye much less so gross a lye as Direct 9. to be disproved by the common senses and Reason of all the world God needeth not our Lye unto his glory What worship then do Papists offer him in their Mass who take it for an article of their faith Rom. 3. 7. that there is no Bread or Wine left after the Consecration it being all Transubstantiate into the very Body and Blood of Christ. And when the Certainty of all mens senses is renounced then all certainty of faith and all Religion is renounced for all presuppose the certainty of sense § 11. Direct 10. Worship not God in a manner that is contrary to the true nature and order and Direct 10. operations of a rational soul. I mean not to the corrupted nature of man but to Nature as Rational in it self considered As 1. Let not your meer Will and inclination over-rule your understandings Read Plutarch of Superstition and say not as blind Lovers do I love this but I know not why or as Children that eat unwholsome meat because they love it 2. Let not passion overtop your Reason Worship God with such a zeal as is according to knowledge 3. Let not your Tongues lead your hearts much less over-go them Words may indeed reflect upon the Heart and warm it more but that is but the secondary use the first is to be the expressions of the Heart You must not speak without or against your hearts that is falsly that by so speaking you may better your hearts and make the words true that at first were not true unless it be when your words are but reading-recitations or narratives and not spoken of your selves The Heart was made to lead the tongue and the tongue to express it and not to lead it Therefore speak not to God either the words of a Parrot which you do not understand or the words of a lyar or Hypocrite which express not the meaning or desires or feeling of your hearts but first understand and feel what you should speak and then speak that which you understand and feel § 12. Quest. How then can a prayer be lawful that is read or heard from a Book Answ. There is in Reading the Eye and in Hearing the Ear that is first to affect the Heart and then the Tongue is to perform its office And though it be sudden yet the passage to the Heart is first and the passage from the heart is last and the soul is quick and can quickly thus both Receive and be Affected and express it self And the case is the same in this whether it be from a Book or from the words of another without book For the soul must do the same as quickly in joyning with another that speaketh before us without a book as with it § 13. Direct 11. Understand well how far Christ hath given a Law and Rule for worship to his Direct 11. Church in the holy Scriptures and so far see that you take it as a perfect Rule and swerve not from How far the Scriptureis the Law or Rule of Worship and Discipline and how far not it by adding or diminishing This is a matter of great importance by reason of the danger of erring on either side 1. If you think that the Scripture containeth not any Law or Rule of Worship at all or not so much as indeed it doth you will deny a principal part of the Office of Christ as the King and Teacher of the Church and will accuse his Laws of insufficiency and be tempted to worship him with a humane kind of worship and to think your selves at liberty to worship him according to your own imaginations or change his worship according to the fashion of the Age or the Countrey where you are And on the other side if you think that the Scripture is a Law and Rule of Worship more particular than Christ intended it you will involve your selves and others in endless scruples and controversies and find fault with that which is lawful and a duty because you find it not particularly in the Scriptures And therefore it is exceeding needful to understand how far it is intended to be herein our Law and Rule and how far not To handle this fully would be a Dâ—gression but I shall briefly answer it § 14. 1. No doubt but Christ is the only Universal Head and Law-giver to his Church and that Legislation Isa. 2. 3 1. 10. 42. 4. Mic. 4. 2. Heb. 3. â— 3 5. Heb. 10. 28. Acts 7. 37 38. Acts 3. 23. Psal. 19. 7. Isa. 5. 24. is the first and principal part of Government And therefore if he had made no Laws for his Church he were not the full Governour of it And therefore he that arrogateth this power to himself to be Law-giver to the Church universal as such doth usurp the Kingly Office of Christ and committeth Treason against his Government unless he can prove that Christ hath delegated to him this chief part of his Government which none can do There being no Universal Law-giver to the Church but Christ whether Pope or Council no Law that is made by any meer man can be universally obligatory Therefore seeing the making of all Universal Laws doth belong only to ☜ Christ we may be sure that he hath perfectly done it and hath left nothing out of his Laws that was fit to be there nor nothing at liberty that was fit to be determined and commanded Therefore whatsoever is of equal Use or Consideration to the Universal Church as it is to any one part of iâ— and to all times as it is to any time of the Church should not be made a Law by man to any part of the Church if Christ have not made it a Law to the whole because else they accuse him of being defective in his Laws and because all his subjects are equally dependant on him as their King and Iudge And no man must step into his Throne pretending to amend his work which he hath done amiss or to make up any wants which the chief Law giver should have made up § 15. 2. These Laws of Christ for the Government of his Church are fully contained in the holy Scriptures For so much as is in Nature is there also
â—3 Rom. 8. 9. 1 John 3. 24. John 3. 5 6. Many Romish Priests and others do so without the Ministry of man to preserve deliver translate expound and preach it to the people 5. And those that think it sufficient to sanctifie men without the concourse of the Spirits illumination vivification and inward operation to that end 6. And they that say that no man can be saved by the knowledge belief love and practice of all the substantial parts of Christianity brought to him by Tradition Parents or Preachers who tell him nothing of the Scriptures but deliver him the Doctrines as attested by Miracles and the Spirit without any notice of the Book 7. And those that say that Scripture alone must be made use of as to all the History of Scripture Times and that it is unlawful to make use of any other Historians as Iosephus and such others 8. And they that say no other Books of Divinity but Scripture are useful yea or lawful to be read of Christians or at least in the Church 9. And they that say that the Scriptures are so Divine not only in Matter but in Method and Style as that there is nothing of humane inculpable imperfection or weakness in them 10. And those that say that the Logical Method and the phrase is as perfect as God was able to make them 11. And they that say that all passages in Scripture historically related are Moral Truths And so make the Devils words to Eve of Iob to Christ c. to be all true 12. And they that say that all passages in the Scripture were equally obligatory to all other places and ages as to those that first received them As the kiss of peace the Vails of women washing feet anointing the sick Deaconesses c. 13. And they that make Scripture so perfect a Rule to our belief that nothing is to be taken for certain that cometh to us any other way As natural knowledge or historical 14. And those that think men may not translate the Scripture turn the Psalms into Metre tune them divide the Scripture into Chapters and Verses c. as being derogatory alterations of the perfect Word 15. And those that think it so perfect a particular rule of all the Circumstances Mâ—des Adjuncts and external expressions of and in Gods Worship as that no such may be invented or added by man 1 Cor. 14. 33 40. 26. that is not there prescribed As Time Place Vesture Gesture Utensils Methods Words and many other things mentioned before 16. And those that Jewishly feign a multitude of unproved mysteries to lye in the Letters Orders Numbers and proper Names in Scriptures though I deny not that there is much mysterie which we little observe 17. They that say that the Scripture is all so plain that there is no obscure or difficult passages in them which men are in danger of wresting to their own destruction 18. And they that say that All in the Scripture is so necessary to salvation even the darkest Prophecies Heb. 5. 10 11 12. that they cannot be saved that understand them not all or at least endeavour not studiously and particularly to understand them 19. And they that say that every Book and Text must of necessity to salvation be believed to be Canonical and true 20. And those that say that God hath so preserved the Scripture as that there are no various readings Of which see Lud. Capellus Crit. Saâ—â— and doubtful Texts thereupon and that no written or printed Copies have been corrupted when Dr. Heylin tells us that the Kings Printer printed the seventh Commandment Thou shalt commit adultery All these err in over-doing III. The dangers of the former detracting from the Scripture are these 1. It injureth the Spirit who is the author of the Scriptures 2 It striketh at the foundation of our faith by weakning the Records which are left us to believe And emboldneth men to sin by diminishing the authority of Gods Law And weakneth our Hopes by weakning the promises 3. It shaketh the universal Government of Christ by shaking the anthority or perfection of the Laws by which he governeth 4. It maketh way for humane Usurpations and Traditions as supplements to the holy Scriptures And leaveth men to contrive to amend Gods Word and Worship and make Co-ordinate Laws and Doctrines of their own 5. It hindereth the Conviction and Conversion of sinners and hardneth them in unbelief by questioning or weakning the means that should convince and turn them 6. It is a tempting men to the Cursed adding to Gods Word IV. The dangers of over-doing here are these 1. It leadeth to downright Infidelity For when men find that the Scripture is imperfect or wanting in that which they fansie to be part of its perfection and to be really insufficient e. g. to teach men Physicks Logick Medicine Languages c. they will be apt to say It is not of God because it hath not that which it pretends to have 2. God is made the Author of defects and imperfections 3. The Scripture is exposed to the scorn and confutation of Infidels 4. Papists are assisted in proving its imperfection But I must stop having spoke to this point before in Quest. 35. and partly Quest. 30. 31. 33. more at large Quest. 167. How far do good men now Preach and Pray by the Spirit Answ. 1. NOt by such Inspiration of new matter from God as the Prophets and Apostles had which indited the Scriptures 2. Not so as to exclude the exercise of Reason Memory or Diligence which must be as much and more than about any common things 3. Not so as to exclude the use and need of Scripture Ministry Sermons Books Conference Examples Use or other means and helps But 1. The Spirit indited that Doctrine and Scripture which is our Rule for prayer and for preaching 2. The Spirits Miracles and works in and by the Apostles seal that doctrine to us and confirm Heb. 2. 3 4. 1 Peâ— 1. 2 22. 2 Thess. 1. 13. John 3. 5 6. Rom. 8. 9. Rom. 8. 15 16 26 27. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Nehem. 9. 20. Isa. 11 â— Ezek. 36. 26. 37. 14. Gal. 4. 6. Zech. 12. 10. Ezek. 18. 31. 11. 19. Rom. 7. 6. John 4. 23 24. 7. 38 39. 1 Cor. 2 10 11. 1 Cor. 6. 11 17. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Gal. 5. 5 16 17 18 25. Ephes. 3. 16. 5. 9 18. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 19. our faith in it 3. The Spirit in our faithful Pastors and Teachers teacheth us by them to pray and preach 4. The Spirit by Illumination Quickning and Sanctification giveth us an habitual acquaintance with our sins our wants with the word of precept and promise with God with Christ with Grace with Heaven And it giveth us a Habit of holy Love to God and Goodness and Thankfulness for mercy and faith in Christ and the life to come and desires of perfection and hatred of sin And he
regionibus versabantur quae palatio triouta pendebaâ—t Et si forsitaâ— quisâ—â—aâ— ut moris est duâ— Dei popâ—lum admoâ—cret Pharaonem Nabuchodonosor Holosernum aut aliquem similem nominasâ—â—t Objiciebatâ—r illi quod in personam Râ—gâ—s ita dixissâ—t staâ—im exilio trad batur Hoâ— enim tempore persâ—cutionis genus agebatur hic apâ—rtè alibi occultè ut piorum nomen talibus insidiis inteâ—iret NB. Victor Uticens p. miâ—i 382. Abundance of Pastors were then banished from their Churches and many tormented and Augâ—stine himself dyed with fear saith Victor ib. p. 376. when he had written saiâ—h he two hundred thirty two Books besides innumerable Epistles Homilies Expositions on the Psalms Evangelists c. his children speak well of the wayes or followers of Christ I must confess till I had found the truth of it by experience I was not sensible how Impudent in belying and cruel in abusing the servants of Christ his worldly malicious enemies are I had read oft how early an Enmity was put between the Womans and the Serpents seed and I had read and wondered that the first man that was born into the world did murder his Brother for worshipping God more acceptably than himself because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 John 3. 12. I had read the inference ver 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you But yet I did not so fully understand that wicked men and Devils are so very like and so near of kin till the words of Christ Iohn 8. 44. expounded by visible demonstrations had taught it me Indeed the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 3. 12. that Cain was of that wicked one that is the Devil But Christ saith more plainly Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Here note that cruel murdering and lying are the principal actions of a Devil and that as the Father of these he is the Father of the wicked who are most notoriously addicted to these two courses against the most innocent servants of the Lamb. How just is it that they dwell together hereafter that are here so like in disposition and action even as the Righteous shall dwell with Christ who bore his image and imitated his holy suffering life § 3. I conclude then that if thou wilt never turn to God and a holy life till wicked men give over belying and râ—proaching them thou maist as well say that thou wilt never be reconciled to God till the Devil be first reconciled to him and never love Christ till the Devil love him or bid thee love him or never be a Saint till the Devil be a Saint or will give thee leave and that thou wilt not be saved till the Devil be willing that thou be saved Direction 4. THat thy understanding may be enlightned and thy heart renewed be much and serious Direct 4. in Reading the Word of God and those Books that are fitted tomen in an unconverted state and especially in hearing the plain and searching preaching of the word § 1. There is a heavenly light and power and Majesty in the Word of God which in the serious Reading or hearing of it may pierce the heart and prick it and open it that corruption may go out and grace come in The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Psal. 19. 7 8. Moreover by them it is that we are warned and in keeping of them there is great reward ver 11. The Eunuch was Reading the Scripture when Philip was sent to expound it to him for his conversion Acts 8. The preaching of Peter did prick many thousands to the heart to their conversion Acts 2. 37. The heart of Lydia was opened to attend to the preaching of Paul Acts 16. 14. The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit Heb. 4. 11. These weapons are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 5. Hâ—st thou often read and heard already and yet findest no change upon thy heart Yet read and hear again and again Ministers must not give over preaching when they have laboured without success Why then should you give over hearing or reading As the Husbandman laboureth and looketh to God for rain and for the blessing so must we and so must you Look up to God remember it is his Word in which he calleth you to Repentance and offereth you mercy and treateth with you concerning your everlasting happiness Lament your former negligence and disobedience and beg his blessing on his Word and you shall find it will not be in vain § 2. And the serious Reading of Books which expound and apply the Scriptures suitably to your case may by the blessing of God be effectual to your conversion I have written so many to this use my self that I shall be the shorter on this subject now and desire you to read them or some of them if you have not fitter at hand viz. A Call to the Unconverted A Treatise of Conversion Now or Never Directions for a sound Conversion A Saint or a Bruit A Treatise of Iudgement A Sermon against making light of Christ A Sermon of Christs Dominion Another of his Soveraignty c. Direction 5. F thou wouldst not be destitute of saving Grace let thy Reason be exercised about the Direct 5. matters of thy salvation in some proportion of frequent sober serious Thoughts as thou art convinced the weight of the matter doth require § 1. To have Reason is common to all men even the sleepy and distracted To use Reason is common to 1 Cor. 1â— 5. Pâ—a 4. 4 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 11. 28. The word â—t sâ—lf exciteth Reason and Preachers are by Reason to shame all sin as a thing unreasonâ—ble And the want of such exâ—â—tation by 〈…〉 and plâ—â—n instructing and the persons considering is a great cause of the worlds undoing For those Preachers that lay all the blame on the peoples stupidity or maligâ—â—â—â— I desire them to read a satisfactory answer in Acosta the Jesuite li. 4. c. 2 3 4. Few souls perish comparatively where all the means is used which should be used by their superiours for their salvation If every Parish had holy skilful laborious Pastors that would publickly and privately do their part great things might be expected in the world But saith Acosta Itaque praecipâ—a causa ad Ministros par
Holy Ghost Read Luke 19. 27. Some think it strange that any men should be called Haters of God And I believe you will find it hard to meet with that man that will confess it by himself till converting Grace or Hell constrain him And indeed if God himself had not charged men with that sin and called them by that name we should scarce have found belief or patience when we had endeavoured to convince the world of it Intreat but the worst of men to repent of Hating God and try how they will take it Yet they may read that name in Scripture Rom. 1. 30. Psal. 81. 15. Luke 19. 14. Did not the Iews hate Christ think you when they murdered him and when they hated all his followers for his sake Matth. 10. 22. Mar. 13. 13. And doth not Christ say that they shall be hated for his sake not only of the Jews but also of all Nations and all men Matth. 24. 9. 10. 22. Even by the world Iohn 17. 14. 15 17 18 19 c. And this was a hating both Christ and his Father Iohn 15. 23 24. But you will say It is not possible that any man can hate God I answer How then come the Devils to hate him Yea every ungodly man hateth God Indeed no man hateth him as Good or as Merciful to them But they hate him as Holy and Iust as one that will not let them have the pleasure of sin without damning them as one engaged in justice to cast them into Hell if they dye without conversion and as one that hath made so pure and precise a Law to govern them and convinceth them of sin and calls them to that repentance and Holiness which they hate Why did the world hate Christ himself He tells you John 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie against it that the works thereof are evil John 3. 19. This is the condemnation that Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Nay it is a wonder of blindness that this God-hating world and age should not perceive that they are God-haters while they hate his servants to the death and implacably rage against them and hate his holy wayes and Kingdom and bend all their power and interest in most of the Kingdoms of the world against his interest and his people upon earth While the Devil fighteth his battels against Christ through the world by their hands they will yet confess the Devils malice against God but deny their own as if he used their hands without their hearts Well poor wretched worms instead of denying your enmity to him lament it and know that he also taketh you for his enemies and will prove too hard for you when you have done your worst Read Psal. 2. and tremble and submit This is especially the case of persecutors and open enemies but in their measure also of all that would not have him to reign over them And therefore Christ came to Reconcile us unto God and God to us and it is only the sanctified that are Reconciled to him See Col. 1. 21. Phil. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 25. Rom. 5. 10. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. Mark that Text well § 2. 2. As long as you are unsanctified you are unjustified and unpardoned you are under the guilt of all the sins that ever you committed Every sinful thought word and deed of which the least deserveth Hell is on your score to be answered for by your self And what this signifieth the threatnings of the Law will tell you See Acts 26. 18. Mar. 4. 12. Col. 1. 14. There is no sin forgiven to an impenitent unconverted sinner § 3. 3. And no wonder when the unconverted have no special interest in Christ. The pardon and life that is given by God is given in and with the Son God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5. 10 Rom. 8. 9. 11 12. Till we are members of Christ we have no part in the pardon and salvation purchased by him And ungodly sinners are not his members So that Jesus Christ who is the hope and life of all his own doth leave thee as he found thee and that is not the worst for § 4. 4. It will be far worse with the impenitent rejecters of the grace of Christ than if they had never heard of a Redeemer For it cannot be that God having provided so precious a Remedy for sinful miserable souls should suffer it to be despised and rejected without encreased punishment Was it not enough that you had disobeyed your Great Creator but you must also set light by a most Gracious Redeemer that offered you pardon purchased by his blood if you would but have come to God by him Yea the Saviour that you despised shall be himself your judge and the Grace and Mercy which you set so light by shall be the heaviest aggravation of your sin and misery For how shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. And of how much sorer punishment then the despisers of Moses Law shall they be thought worthy who have trodden under foot the Son of God c. Heb. 10. 29. § 5. 5. The very prayers and sacrifice of the wicked are abominable to God except such as contain their returning from their wickedness So that terror ariseth to you from that which you expect should be your help See Prov. 15. 8. 21. 27. Isa. 1. 13. § 6. 6. Your common Mercies do but increase your sin and misery till you return to God Your carnal hearts turn all to sin Tit. 1. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled § 7. 7. While you are unsanctified you are impotent and dead to any holy acceptable work when you should redeem your time and prepare for eternity and try your states or pray or meditate or do good to others you have no heart to any such spiritual works your minds are byassed against them Rom. 8. 7. And it is not the excusable impotency of such as would do good but cannot but it is the malicious impotency of the wicked the same with that of Devils that cannot do good because they will not and will not because they have blind malicious and ungodly hearts which makes their sin so much the greater Tit. 1. 16. § 8. 8. While you have unsanctified hearts you have at all times the seed and disposition unto every sin And if you commit not the worst it is because some providence restraining the Tempter hindereth you No thanks to you that you do not daily commit Idolatry Blasphemy Theft
clean and delectable and paved with mercies and fortified and secured by Divine protection and where Christ is your Conductor and so many have sped so well before you and the wisest and best in the world are your companions Live then as men that have changed their Master their end their hopes their way and work Religion layeth not men to sleep though it be the only way to Rest. It awakeneth the sleepy soul to higher thoughts and hopes and labours than ever it was well acquainted with before He that is in Christ is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. You never sought that which would pay for all your cost and diligence till now You never were in a way that you might make haste in without repenting of your haste till now How glad should you be that Mercy hath brought you into the right way after the wanderings of such a sinful life And your gladness and thankfulness should now be shewed by your cheerful diligence and zeal As Christ did not raise up Lazarus from the dead to do nothing or live to little purpose though the Scripture giveth us not the history of his life So did he not raise you from the death of sin to live idely or to be unprofitable in the world He that giveth you his Spirit to be a principle of heavenly life within you expecteth that you stir up the gift that he hath given you and live according to that heavenly principle Direction 16. ENgage thy self in the chearful constant use of the means and helps appointed by God Direct 16. for thy confirmation and salvation § 1. He can never expect to attain the end that will not be perswaded to use the means Of your selves you can do nothing God giveth his help by the means which he hath appointed and fitted to your help Of the use of these I shall treat more fully afterwards I am now only to name them to thee that thou maist know what it is that thou hast to do 1. That you must hear or read the Word of God and other good Books which expound it and How Paenitents of old did rise even from a particular sin judge by these words of Pacianus Paâ—â—â—â—â—â— ad Poeâ—â—t Bibl. Pat. To. 3. p. 74. You must not only do that which may be seen of the Priest and praised by the Bishop to weep before the Church to lament a lost or sinful life in a â—ordid garment to fast pray to role on the earth if any invite you to the Bath or such pleasures to refuse to go If any bid you to a Feast to say These things are for the happy I have sinned against God and am in danger to perish for ever What should I do at Banquets who have wronged the Lord Besides these you must take the poor by the hand you must beseech the Widdow lye at the feet of the Presbyters beg of the Church to forgive you and pray for you you must try all means rather than perish apply it I shewed you before The new born Christian doth encline to this as the new born child doth to the breast 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as new born babes that desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Psal. 1. 2 3. The blessed mans delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate day and night § 2. 2. Another means is the publick worshipping of God in communion with his Church and people Besides the benefit of the word there preached the prayers of the Church are effectual for the members and it raiseth the soul to holy joyes to joyn with well ordered Assemblies of the Saints in the Praises of the Almighty The Assemblies of holy worshippers of God are the places of his delight and must be the places of our delight They are most like to the Celestial Society that sound forth the praises of the glorious Iebovah with purest minds and cheerful voice In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 29. 9. In such a Chore what soul will not be rapt up with delight and desire to joyn in the consort and harmony In such a flame of united desires and praises what soul so cold and dull that will not be enflamed and with more than ordinary facility and alacrity fly up to God § 3. 3. Another means is private prayer unto God When God would tell Ananias that Paul was converted he saith of him Behold he prayeth Acts 9. 11. Prayer is the breath of the new creature The Spirit of Adoption given to every child of God is a Spirit of prayer and teacheth them to cry Abba Father and helpeth their infirmities when they know not what to pray as they ought and when words are wanting it as it were intercedeth for them with groans which they cannot express in words Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15 26 27. And God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit in those groans The first workings of grace are in Desires after grace provoking the soul to servent prayer by which more grace is speedily obtained Ask then and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Luke 11. 9. § 4. 4. Another means to be used is Confession of sin not only to God for so every wicked man may do because he knoweth that God is already acquainted with it all and this is no addition to his shame He so little regardeth the eye of God that he is more ashamed when it is known to men But in three Cases Confession must be made also to Man 1. In case you have wronged man and are thus bound to make him satisfaction As if you have robbed him defrauded him slandered him or born false witness against him 2. In case you are Children or Servants that are under the government of Parents or Masters and are called by them to give an acount of your actions You are bound then to give a true account 3. In case you have need of the Counsel or Prayers of others for the setling of your consciences in peace In this case you must so far open your case to them as is necessary to their effectual help for your recovery For if they know not the disease they will be unfit to apply the remedy In these cases it is true that He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. § 5. 5. Another Means to be used is the familiar company and holy converse with humble sincere experienced Christians The Spirit that is in them and breatheth and acteth by them will kindle the like holy flames in you Away with the company of idle prating sensual men that can talk of nothing but their worldly wealth or business or their reputations or their appetites and lusts
As the Athenians that condemned Socrates to death and then lamented it and erected a Braâ—en Statue for his Memorial Acosta saith that he that will be a Pastor to the Indians must not only resist the Devil and the flesh but must resist the custome of men which is grown powerful by time and multitude and must oppose his breast to receive the darts of the envious and malevolent who if they see any thing contrary to their prophane fashion they cry out A Traytor an Hypocrite an Enemy Li. 4. c. 15. p. 404. It seems among Papists and Barbarians the Serpents seed do hiss in the same manner against the good among themselves as they do against us dye Or think whether they will not change their minds when death hath sent them into that world where there is none of these deceits And think whether thou shouldst be moved with that mans words that will shortly change his mind himself and wish he had never spoke such words § 7. 3. Observe well whether their own Profession do not condemn them and whether the very thing that they hate the godly for be not that they are serious in Practising that which these malignants themselves profess as their Religion And are they not then notorious Hypocrites To profess to believe in God and yet scorn at those that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. To profess faith in Christ and hate those that obey him To profess to believe in the Holy Ghost as the Sanctifier and yet hate and scorn his sanctifying work To profess to believe the day of Judgement and everlasting torment of the ungodly and yet to deride those that endeavour to escape it To profess to believe that Heaven is prepared for the Godly and yet scorn at those that make it the chief business of their lives to attain it To profess to take the holy Scriptures for Gods Word and Law and yet to scorn those that obey it To pray after each of the Ten Commandments Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law and yet to hate all those that desire and endeavour to keep them What impudent hypocrisie is joyned with this malignity Mark whether the greatest diligence of the most godly be not justified by the formal profession of those very men that hate and scorn them The difference between them is that the Godly Profess Christianity in good earnest and when they say what they believe they believe as they say But the ungodly customarily and for company take on them to be Christians when they are not and by their own mouths condemn themselves and hate and oppose the serious Practice of that which they say they do themselves believe PART II. The Temptations whereby the Devil hindereth mens Conversion with the proper Remedies against them § 1. THE Most Holy and Righteous Governour of the world hath so restrained Satan and all our enemies and so far given us Free-will that no man can be forced to sin against his will It is not sin if it be not positively or privatively voluntary All our enemies in Hell or Earth cannot make us miserable without our selves nor keep a sinner from true Conversion and Salvation if he do it not himself no nor compell him to one sinful thought or word or deed or omission but by tempting and entising him to be willing All that are Graceless are wilfully Graceless None go to Hell but those that chose the way to Hell and would not be perswaded out of it None miss of Heaven but those that did set so light by it as to prefer the world and sin before it and refused the holy way that leadeth to it And surely man that naturally loveth himself would never take so mad a course if his reason were not laid asleep and his understanding were not wofully deluded And this is the business of the Tempter who doth not drag men to sin by violence but draw and entice them by Temptations I shall therefore take it for the next part of my work to open these Temptations and tell you the Remedies § 2. Tempt 1. The first endeavour of the Tempter is in General to keep the sinner asleep in sin so that Tâ—â—pt 1. â—e shall be as a dead man that hath no use of any of his faculties that hath eyes and seeth not and ears but heareth not and a heart that understandeth not nor feeleth any thing that concerneth his peace The light Ephes 2. 1. Col 2 13. 1 Coâ— 15. 35. 1 Tim. 5. 6. Joeâ— 1. 5. that shineth upon a man asleep is of no use to him His work lyeth undone His friends and wealth and greatest concernments are all forgotten by him as if there were no such things or persons in the world You may say what you will against him or do what you will against him and he can do nothing in his own defence This is the case that the Devil most laboureth to keep the world in even in so dead a sleep that their Reason and their Wills their fear and hope and all their powers shall be of no use to them That when they hear a Preacher or read the Scripture or good Books or see the holy examples of the godly yea when they see the Grave and know where they must shortly lie and know that their souls must stay here but a little while yet they shall hear and see and know all this as men asleep that mind it not as if it concerned not them at all never once soberly Considering and laying it to heart § 3. Direct 1. For the Remedy against this deadly sin 1. Take heed of sleepy opinions or Doctrines Direct 1. and conceits which tend to the Lethargie of Security 2. Sit not still but be up and doing Stirring tends to shake off drowziness 3. Come into the light Live under an awakening Minister and in wakening company that will not sleep with you nor easily let you sleep Agree with them to deal faithfully with you and promise them to take it thankfully 4. And meditate oft on wakening considerations Think whether a sleepy soul beseem one in thy dangerous condition Canst thou sleep with such a load of sin upon thy soul Canst thou sleep under the thundering threatnings of God and the Curse of his Law with so many wounds in thy Conscience and Ulcers in thy soul If thy body were sick or in the case of Iob yea if thou hadst but an aking Tooth it would not let thee sleep And is not the guilt of sin a thing more grievous If Thorns or Toads and Adders were in thy Bed they would keep the waking And how much more odious and dangerous a thing is sin If thy body want but meat or drink or covering it will break 2 Tim. 2. 26. thy sleep And is it nothing for thy soul to be destitute of Christ and Grace A condemned man will be easily kept awake And if thou be unregenerate thou art already condemned
they are sins § 73. Direct 6. And indeed do you not know that it is a sin to love the world better than God Direct 6. and fleshly pleasure better than Gods service and Riches better than grace and holiness and to do more for the body than for the soul and for earth than for Heaven Are you uncertain whether these are sins And do you not feel that they are your sins You cannot pretend ignorance for these But what causeth your Ignorance Is it because you would fain know and cannot Do you read and hear and study and enquire and pray for knowledge and yet cannot know Or is it not because you would not know or think it not worth the pains to get it or because you love your sin And will such wilful ignorance as this excuse you No it doth make your sin the greater It sheweth the greater dominion of sin when it can use thee as the Philistines did Sampson put out thy eyes and make a â—rudge of thee and conquer thy Reason and make thee believe that evil is good and good is evil Now it hath mastered the principal fortress of thy soul when thy understanding is mastered by it He is reconciled indeed to his enemy who taketh him to be a friend Do you not know that God should have your heart and Heaven should have your chiefest care and diligence and that you should make the Word of God your Rule and your delight and meditation day and night If you know not these things it is because you would not know them And it is a miserable case to be given up to a blinded mind Take heed lest at last you commit the horridst sins and do not know them to be sins For such there are that mock at Godliness and persecute Christians and Ministers of Christ and know not that they do ill but think they do God service John 16. 2. If a man will make himself drunk and then kill and steal and abuse his neighbours and say I knew not that I did ill it shall not excuse him This is your case You are drunken with the love of fleshly pleasure and worldly things and these carry you so away that you have neither heart nor time to study the Scriptures and hear and think what God saith to you and then say that you did not know § 74. Tempt 7. But saith the Tempter it cannot be a mortal reigning sin because it is not committed Tempt 7. with the whole heart nor without some strugling and resistance Dost thou not feel the Spirit striving against the flesh And so it is with the Regenerate Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 20 21 22 23. The good which thou dost not do thou wouldst do and the evil which thou dost thou wouldst not do so then it is no more thou that dost it but sin that dwelleth in thee In a sensual unregenerate person there is but one party there is nothing but flesh but thou feelest the combat between the Flesh and the Spirit within thee § 75. Direct 7. This is a snare so subtile and dangerous that you have need of eyes in your head Direct 7. to scape it Understand therefore 1. That as to the two Texts of Scripture much abused by the Tempter they speak not at all of mortal reigning sin but of the unwilling infirmities of such as had subdued all such sin and walked not after the flesh but after the Spirit and whose wills were habitually bent to good and fain would have been perfect and not have been guilty of an idle thought or word or of any imperfection in their holiest service but lived up to all that the Law requireth but this they could not do because the flesh did cast many stops before the will in the performance But this is nothing to the case of one that liveth in gross sin and an ungodly life and hath strivings and convictions and uneffectual wishes to be better and to turn but never doth it This is but sinning against Conscience and resisting the Spirit that would convert you and it maketh you worthy of many stripes as being rebellious against the importunities of Grace Sin may be resisted where it is never conquered It may Reign nevertheless for some contradiction Every one that resisteth the King doth not depose him from his Throne It 's a dangerous deceit to think that every good desire that contradicteth sin doth conquer it and is a sign of saving grace It must be a desire after a state of godliness and an effectual desire too There are degrees of Power some may have a less and limited power and yet be Rulers As the evil Spirits that possessed mens bodies were a Legion in one and What Resistance of sin may be in the ungodly but one in others yet both were possessed So is it here Grace is not without resistance in a holy Soul there is some remnants of corruption in the will it self resisting the good and yet it followeth not that Grace doth not Rule So is it in the sin of the unregenerate No man in this life is so good as he will be in Heaven or so bad as he will be in Hell Therefore none is void of all moral good And the least good will resist evil in its degree as Light doth darkness As in these cases § 76. 1. There is in the unregenerate a remnant of natural knowledge and conscience some discoveries of God and his will there are in his works God hath not left himself without witness See Acts 14. 17. 17. 27. Rom. 1. 19 20. 2. 7 8 9. This Light and Law of Nature governed the Heathens And this in its measure resisteth sin and assisteth conscience § 77. 2. When supernatural extrinsick Revelation in the Scripture is added to the Light and Law of Nature and the ungodly have all the same Law as the best it may do more § 78. 3. Moreover an ungodly man may live under a most powerful Preacher that will never let him alone in his sins and may stir up much fear in him and many good purposes and almost perswade him to be a true Christian and not only to have some uneffectual wishings and strivings against sin but to do many things after the Preacher as Herod did after Iohn and to escape the common pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2. 20. § 79. 4. Some sharp affliction added to the rest may make him seem to others a true penitent when he is stopt in his course of sin as Balaam was by the Angel with a drawn Sword and feeth that he cannot go on but in danger of his life and that God is still meeting him with some cross and hedging up his way with thorns for such mercy he sheweth to some of the ungodly this may not only breed resistance of sin but some reformation When the Babylonians were planted in Samaria they feared not God and he sent Lyons among them and then they feared him and
you if they do not stop you you choose a life of constant close and great temptations Whereas your grace and comfort and salvation might be much promoted by the society of such as are wise and gracious and suitable to your state To have a constant companion to open your heart to and joyn with in prayer and edifying conference and faithfully help you against your sins and yet to be patient with you in your frailties is a mercy which worldlings neither deserve nor value Direct 16. MAke careful choice of the Books which you read Let the Holy Scriptures ever have Direct 10. the preheminence and next them the solid lively heavenly Treatises which best expound and apply the Scriptures and next those the credible Histories especially of the Church and Tractates upon inferiour Sciences and Arts But take heed of the poyson of the Writings of false Teachers which would corrupt your understandings and of vain Romances Play-books and false Stories which may bewitch your fantasies and corrupt your hearts § 1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the Holy Scriptures than in any other Book whatever so it hath more power and fitness to convey the Spirit and make us spiritual by imprinting it self upon our hearts As there is more of God in it so it will acquaint us more with God and bring us nearer him and make the Reader more reverent serious and Divine Let Scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other Books be used as subservient to it The endeavours of the Devil and Papists to keep it from you doth shew that it is most necessary and desirable to you And when they tell you that all Hereticks plead the Scriptures they do but tell you that it is the common Rule or Law of Christians which therefore all are fain to pretend As all Lawyers and wranglers plead the Laws of the Land be their cause never so bad and yet the Laws must not be therefore concealed or cast aside And they do but tell you that in their concealment or dishonouring the Scriptures they are worse than any of those Hereticks When they tell you that the Scriptures are misunderstood and abused and perverted to maintain mens errors they might also desire that the Sun might be obscured because the purblind do mistake and Murderers and Robbers do wickedly by its light And that the earth might be subverted because it bears all evil doers and High-wayes stopt up because men travell in them to do evil And food prohibited because it nourisheth mens diseases And when they have told you truly of a Law or Rule whether made by Pope or Council which bad men cannot misunderstand or break or abuse and misapply than hearken to them and prefer that Law as that which preventeth the need of any judgement § 2. The Writings of Divines are nothing else but a preaching the Gospel to the eye as the voice preacheth it to the ear Vocal preaching hath the preheminence in moving the affections and being diversified according to the state of the Congregations which attend it This way the Milk cometh warmest from the breast But Books have the advantage in many other respects you may read an able Preacher when you have but a mean one to hear Every Congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful Preachers but every single person may read the Books of the most powerful and judicious Preachers may be silenced or banished when Books may be at hand Books may be kept at a smaller charge than Preachers We may choose Books which treat of that very subject which we desire to hear of but we cannot choose what subject the Preacher shall treat of Books we may have at hand every day and hour when we can have Sermons but seldom and at set times If Sermons be forgotten they are gone But a Book we may read over and over till we remember it and if we forget it may again peruse it at our pleasure or at our leisure So that good Books are a very great mercy to the world The Holy Ghost chose the way of writing to preserve his Doctrine and Laws to the Church as knowing how easie and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations in comparison of meer Verbal Tradition which might have made as many Controversies about the very terms as there be memories or persons to be the preservers and reporters Books are if well chosen domestick present constant judicious pertinent yea and powerful Sermons and alwayes of very great use to your salvation but especially when Vocal preaching faileth and Preachers are ignorant ungodly or dull or when then they are persecuted and forbid to preach § 3. You have need of a judicious Teacher at hand to direct you what Books to use or to refuse For among Good Books there are some very good that are sound and lively and some are good but mean and weak and somewhat dull and some are very good in part but have mixtures of error or else of incautelous injudicious expressions fitter to puzzle than edifie the weak I am loth to name any of these later sorts of which abundance have come forth of late But to the young beginner in Religion I may be bold to recommend next to a sound Catechism Mr. Rutherfords Letters Mr. Robert Boltons Works Mr. Perkins Mr. Whateleyes Mr. Ball of Faith Dr. Prestons Dr. Sibbes Mr. Hildershams Mr. Pinkes Sermons Mr. Io. Rogers Mr. Rich. Rogers Mr. Ri. Allen's Mr. Gurnall Mr. Swinnocke Mr. Ios. Simonds And to stablish you against Popery Dr. Challoners Credo Eccles. Cathol Dr. Field of the Church Dr. Whites Way to the Church with the Defence Bishop Ushers Answer to the Jesuite and Chillingworth with Drelincourts Summary And for right Principles about Redemption c. Mr. Trumans Great Propitiation and of Natural and Moral Impotency and Mr. William Fenner of Wilful Impenitency Mr. Hotchkis of Forgiveness of Sin To pass by many other excellent ones that I may not name too many § 4. To a very judicious able Reader who is fit to censure all he reads there is no great danger in the reading the Books of any Seducers It doth but shew him how little and thin a cloak is used to cover a bad causâ— But alas young Souldiers not used to such Wars are startled at a very Sophism or at a terrible threatning of damnation to diffenters which every censorious Sect can use or at every confident triumphant boast or at every thing that hath a fair pretence of truth or godliness Injudicious persons can answer almost no deceiver which they hear and when they cannot answer them they think they must yield as if the fault were not in them but in the cause and as if Christ had no wiser followers or better defenders of his truth than they Mâ—ddle not therefore with poyson till you better know how to use it and may do it with less danger as long
last place in teaching learning and most serious consideration § 3. Two sorts do most dangerously sin against or abuse the Holy Ghost The first is the Prophane who through custom and education can say I believe in the Holy Ghost and say that He sanctifieth them and all the Elect people of God but hate or resist all sanctifying works and motions Deus est principium eâ—â—ectivum in Creatione refectivum in redemptione perfectivum in sanctificatione Ioh. Con. bis comp Theol. l. 4. c. 1. of the Holy Ghost and hate all those that are sanctified by him and make them the objects of their scorn and deride the very name of sanctification or at least the thing The second sort is the Enthusiasts or true Fanaticks who advance extoll and plead for the Spirit Rejectis propheticis Apostolicis scriptis Manichaei novum Evangelium scripserunt ut antecellere communi hominum multitudini semi-d 〈…〉 rentur simularunt Enthusiaâ—mos seu afflatus subâ—â—o in â—urâ—a se in terram objâ—â—â—â—entes c vâ—lut 〈◊〉 dâ—â— tacentes deinde tanquam redeuntes ex specu Trophonio plorantes multa vaticinati sunt Prorsus ut Anabaptistae recens fâ—ceruâ— in seditione Monasteriensi Etsi autem in quibusdam manifesta simulatio fuit tamen aliquibus reipsa à Diabolis surâ—tes immisses esse certum est Carioâ— Chron. l. 3. p. 54. against the Spirit covering their greatest sins against the Holy Ghost by crying up and pretending to the Holy Ghost They plead the Spirit in themselves against the Spirit in their Brethren yea and in almost all the Church They plead the authority of the Spirit in them against the authority of the Spirit in the holy Scriptures and against particular truths of Scripture and against several great and needful Duties which the Spirit hath required in the Word and against the Spirit in their most judicious godly faithful Teachers But can it be the Spirit that speaks against the Spirit Is the Spirit of God against it self Are we not all baptized by One Spirit and not divers or contrary into one body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. But it is no marvel for Satan to be transformed into an Angel of light or his Ministers into the Ministers of Christ and of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their works 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. The Spirit himself therefore hath commanded us that we believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 John 4. 1. Yea the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1. Therefore take heed that you neither Mistake nor abuse the Holy Spirit § 4. 1. The Doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost to be believed is briefly this 1. That the Holy Ghost as given since the Ascension of Christ is his Agent on earth or his Advocate with men called by him the Paraclete Instead of his bodily presence which for a little space he vouchsafed to a few being John 16. 7. â— ascended he sendeth the Holy Spirit as better for them to be his Agent continually to the end and John 15 2â— John 16. 13. Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4 Heb. 2. 3 4. unto all and in all that do believe 2. This Holy Spirit so sent infallibly inspired the holy Apostles and Evangelists first to preach and then to write the Doctrine of Christ contained as indited by him in the Holy Scriptures perfectly imprinting therein the Holy Image of God 3. The same Spirit in them sealed this holy Doctrine and the Testimony of these holy men by many Miracles and wonderful Gifts by which they did actually convince the unbelieving world and plant the Churches 4. The same Spirit having first by the Apostles given a Law or Canon to the Universal Church constituting its Offices and the duty of the Officers and the manner of their entrance Eph. 3 2 3 4 8 13. dâ—tâ— Qualifie and â—ispose men for the stated ordinary Ministerial work which is to Explain and Apâ—â—â—â— â—he â—oresaid Scriptures and directeth those that are to Ordain and Choose them they being not wanting on their part and so he appointeth Pastors to the Church 5. The same Spirit assisteth the Ministers thus sent in their faithful use of the means to Teach and Apply the holy Scriptures according to the necessities of the peoplâ— the weight of the matter and the Majesty of the Word of God 6. The same Spirit doth by this Word heard or read renew and sanctifie the souls of the Elect illuminating their minds opening and quickning their hearts prevailing with changing and Actâ— 26. 18. resolving their wills thus writing Gods Word and imprinting his Image by his Word upon their hearts making it powerful to conquer and cast out their strongest sweetest dearest sins and bringing John 14 16 26 them to the saving knowledge love and obedience of God in Jesus Christ. 7. The same holy Spirit assisteth the sanctified in the exercise of this grace to the increase of it by blessing and concurring with the means appointed by him to that end And helpeth them to use those means perform their duties conquer temptations oppositions and difficulties and so confirmeth and preserveth them to the end 8. The same Spirit helpeth believers in the exercise of grace to feel it and discern the sincerity of it in themselves in that measure as they are meet for and in these seasons when it is fittest for them 9. The same Spirit helpeth them hereupon to conclude that they are justified and reconciled to God and have right to all the benefits of his Covenant 10. Also he assisteth them actually to rejoyce in the discerning of this Conclusion For though Reason of it self may do something in these acts yet so averse is man to all that is holy and so many are the difficulties and hinderances in the way that to the effectual performance the help of the Spirit of God is necessary § 5. By this enumeration of the Spirits operations you may see the errors of many detected and many common Questions answered 1. You may see their blindness that pretend the Spirit within them against Scripture Ministry or the use of Gods appointed means when the same Spirit first indited the Scripture and maketh it the Instrument to illuminate and sanctifie our souls Gods Image is 1. Primarily in Jesus Christ his Son 2. Derivatively by his Spirit imprinted perfectly in the holy Scriptures 3. And by the Scripture or the holy Doctrine of it instrumentally impressed on the soul. So that the Image of God in Christ is the Cause of his Image in his holy Word or Doctrine and his Image in his Word is the Cause of his Image on the heart So a King may have his Image 1. Naturally on his Son who is like his Father 2. Expressively in his Laws which express
his Wisdom Clemency and Justice 3. And effectively on his Subjects and Servants who are by his Laws reduced to a Conformity to his mind As a man may first cut his Arms or Image on his seal and then by that seal imprint it on the wax and though it be perfectly cut on the seal it may be imperfectly printed on the wax so Gods Image is naturally perfect in his Son and Regularly or expressively perfect on the seal of his holy Doctrine and Laws but imperfectly on his subjects according to their reception of it in their several degrees § 6. Therefore it is easie to discern their error that tell men the Light or Spirit within them is their Rule and a perfect Rule yea and that it is thus in all men in the world when Gods Word and experience flatly contradict it telling us that Infidels and enemies of God and all the ungodly are in Darkness and not in the Light and that all that speak not according to this Word the Law and Testimony have No Light in them and therefore no perfect Light to be their Rule Isa. 8. 20. The Ministry is sent to bring them from darkness to Light Therefore they had not a sufficient Light in them before Acts 26. 17 18. Wo to them that put darkness for light and light for darkness Isa. 5. 20. telling the children of darkness and the haters of the Light that they have a perfect Light and Rule within them when God saith They have no Light in them See 1 John 1. 5. 4 6 7 8. He that saith he is in the Light and hateth his brother is in darkness even till now 1 John 2. 9 10 11. The Light within a wicked man is darkness and blindness and therefore not his Rule Matth. 6. 23. Ephes. 5. 8. Even the Light that is in godly men is the knowledge of the Rule and not the Rule it self at all nor ever called so by God Our Rule is perfect our knowledge is imperfect for Paul himself saith We know in part But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away Now we see through a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 12. The Gospel is bid to them that are lost being blinded by Satan 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. § 7. There is an admirable unsearchable concurrence of the Spirit and his appointed means and the will of man in the procreation of the new creature and in all the exercises of grace as there is of Male and Female in natural generation and of the Earth the Sun the Rain the industry of the Gardiner and the seminal vertue of Life and specification in the production of Plants with their flowers and fruits And as wise as it would be to say It is not the Male but the Female or the Female but the Male that generateth or to say It is not the Earth but the Sun or not the Sun but the Rain or not the Rain but the seminal Vertue that causeth Plants with Flowers and Fruits So wise is it to say It is not the Spirit but the Word and Means or it is not the Word and Means but the Spirit or it is not the Reason and Will and industry of man but the Spirit Or if we have not wisdom enough to assign to each cause its proper interest in the effect that therefore we should separate what God hath conjoyned or deny the truth of the causation because we comprehend not the manner and influence this is but to choose to be befooled by Pride rather than confess that God is wiser than we § 8. 2. You may here discern also how the Spirit assureth and comforteth believers and how palpably they err that think the Spirit comforteth or assureth us of our salvation without the use of its Evidencing grace The ten things mentioned § 4. is all that the Spirit doth herein But to expect his Comforts without any measure of discerning his graces which can only rationally prove our right to the blessings of the Promise this is to expect that he should comfort a Rational Creature not as Rational but darkly cause him to rejoyce he knoweth not why and that he should make no use of faith to our comfort For faith resteth understandingly upon the Promise and expecteth the performance of it to those that it is made to and not to others Indeed there is a common encouragement and comfort which all men even the worst may take from the universal conditional Promise and there is much abatement of our fears and troubles that may be fetcht from probabilties and uncertain hopes of our own sincerity and interest in the Promise But to expect any other assurance or comfort from the Spirit without Evidence is but to expect immediate revelations or inspirations to do the work which the Word of promise and faith should do The souls Consent to the Covenant of ☜ Grace and fiducial Acceptance of an offered Christ is justifying saâ—ing faith Every man hath an object in the Promise and offer of the Gospel for this act and therefore may rationally perform it Though all have not hearts to do it This may well be called Faith of adherence and is it self our evidence from which we must conclude that we are true Believers The discerning of this Evidence called by some the Reflex act of faith is no act of faith at all it being no believing of another but the act of Conscience knowing what is in our selves The discerning and concluding that we are the children of God participateth of faith and conscientious knowledge which gave us the premises of such a conclusion § 9. 3. You may hence perceive also how we are said to be sealed by the Spirit Even as a mans Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 9. Ephes. 4 30. seal doth signifie the thing sealed to be his own So the Spirit of holiness in us is Gods seal upon us signifying that we are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. Every one that hath the Spirit is sealed by having it and that is his Evidence which if he discern he may know that he is thus sealed § 10. 4. Hereby also you may see what the earnest and first fruits of the Spirit is The Spirit is 2 Coâ— 1. 22. given to us by God as the earnest of the Glory which he will give us To whomsoever he giveth the Spirit of Faith and Love and Holiness he giveth the seed of life eternal and an inclination thereto which is his earnest of it § 11. 5. Hereby also you may see how the Spirit witnesseth that we are the children of God The word Witness is put here principally for Evidence If any one question our adoption the Witness or Evidence which we must produce to prove it is the Spirit of Iesus sanctifying us and dwelling in us This is the chief part at least of the sense of the Text Rom. 8. 16. Though it is true that the same Spirit witnesseth by 1. Shewing us the
the most odious sins if he can but get them once to have some learned wise or religious defenders And from our tenderness of the persons we easily slide to an indulgent tenderness in censuring the sin it â—elt And good men themselves by these means are dangerously disabled to resist it and prepared to commit i◠§ 25. Direct 12. Take â—eed lest the Devil do either cast you into the sleep of carnal security or 〈…〉 into such doubts and fears and perplexing seruples as shall make holy obedience seem to you an impossâ—â—le â—â— a tiâ—â—sâ—me thing When you are asleep in carelesness he can use you as he list And if Obedienâ—e be made grievous and ungrateful to you your heart will go against it and you will go but like a tired horse no longer than you feel the spur you are half conquered already because you have lost the â—â—ve and pleasure of obedience and you are still in danger lest difficulties should quite tire you and weariness make you yield at last The means by which the Tempter effecteth this must afterward be spoken of and therâ—fore I shall omit it here § 26. By the faithful practice of thâ—se Directions Obedience may become as it were your Nature a â—amâ—liar â—asiâ— and delightful thing and may be like a chearful servant or child that waiteth for your commands and is glad to be imployed by you Your full subjection of your wills to God will be as the health and ease and quietness of your wills You will feel that it is never well or easie with you but when you are obedient and pleasing to your Creators will Your delight will be in the Law of the â—â—rd Psal. 1. 2. It will be sweeter than hony to you and better than thousands of gold and silver And this not for any by respect but as it is the Law of God a Light unto your feet and an inâ—â—lâ—â—ble guide in all your duty You will say with David Psal. 119. 16 24 35 47 70 77 174. I will delighâ— my self in thy Statutâ—s I will not forget thy word Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Câ—â—unsellers Make me to go in the path of thy â—â—mmaâ—dments for therein do I delight And as Psal. 40. 8. I delight to dâ— thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart And O Blessed is the man that â—eareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments Psal. 112. 1. DIRECT VII Continue as the Covenanted Scholars of Christ the Prophet and Teacher of his Gr. Dir. 7. Church to learn of him by his Spirit word and Ministers the farther knowledge of God and the things that tend to your Salvation and this with an honest willing mind in faith humility and diligence in obedience patience and peace § 1. THough I spake before of our Coming to God by Iesus Christ as he is the way to the Father It is meet that we distinctly speak of our Relation and Duty to him as he is our Teacher our Captain and our Master as well as of our improving him as Mediator immediately unto God The necessity of Believers and the office and work of Christ himself doth tell us how much of our Religion doth consist in Learning of him as his Disciples Acts 7. 37. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear This was the voice that came out of the cloud in the holy mount Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hâ—ar ye Him Therefore is the title of Disciples commonly given to Believers And there is a twoâ—old Tâ—â—ching which Christ hath sent his Ministers to perform both mentioned in their Commission Mat. 28. 19 20. The one is so to teach the Nations as to make Disciples of them by perswading them into the School of Christ which containeth the Teaching of faith and Repentance and whatever is necessary to their first admission and to their subjecting themselves to Christ himself as their stated and infallible Guide The other is the Teaching them further to know more of God and to observe all things whatever be commanded them And this last is it we are now to speak of and I shall add some sub-directions for your help How to Learn oâ— Christ. Sâ—ct 2. Directions for Learning of Christ as our Teacher Direct 1. § 2. Direct 1. Remember who it is that is your Teacher that he is the Son of God that knoweth his Fathers will and is the most faithful infallible Pastor of the Church There is neither ignorance nor negligence nor ambition nor decâ—it in him to cause him to conceal the mind of God There is nothing which we need to know which he is not both able and willing to acquaint us with Direct 2. § 3. Direct 2. Remember what it is that he Teacheth you and to what End That it is not how to sin and be damned as the Devil the world and the flesh would teach you nor how to satisfie your lusts or to know or do or attain the trifles of the world But it is how to be renewed to the Image of God and how to do his will and please him and how to be justified at his barr and how to escape everlasting fire and how to attain everlasting joys Consider this well and you will gladly learn of such a Teacher § 4. Direct 3. Let the Book which he himself hath indiâ—ed by his Spirit be the Rule and principal Direct 3. matter of your learning The Holy Scriptures are of Divine inspiration It is them that we must be Judged by and them that we must be Ruled by and therefore them that we must principally learn Mens Books and Teachings are but the means for our Learning this infallible word § 5. Direct 4. Remember that as it is Christs work to Teach it is yours to hear and read and study Direct 4. and pray and practise what you hear Do your part then if you expect the benefit You come not to the School of Christ to be idle Knowledge droppeth not into the sleepy dreamers mouth Dig for it as for Silver and search for it in the Scriptures as for a hidden treasure Meditate in them day and night Leave it to miserable fools to contemn the wisdom of the most high § 6. Direct 5. Fix your eye upon himself as your pattern and study with earnest desire to follow Direct 5. The imitation of Christ. his holy example and to be made conformable to him Not to imitate him in the works which were proper to him as God or as Mediator but in his Holiness which he hath proposed to his disciples for their imitation He knew how effectuall a perfect example would be where a perfect doctrine alone would be less regarded Example bringeth doctrine nearer to our eye and heart It maketh it more observable and telleth us with more powerful application such you must be and
destroying the Kingdom of the Devil and next the purifying his peculiar people and calling home all that are ordained to eternal life § 60. But more particularly he looketh principally at the heart to plant there 1. Holy Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Godlyness or holy devotedness to God and Love to him above all 4. Thankfulness 5. Obedience 6. Humility 7. Heavenly-mindedness 8. Love to others 9. Self-denial and Mortification and contentment 10. Patience And in all these 1. sincerity 2. tenderness of heart 3. â—eal and holy strength and resolution And withal to make us actually serviceable and diligent in our masters work for our own and others salvation § 61. II. Christs order in working is direct and not backward as the Devils is He first revealeth saving truth to the understanding and affecteth the will â—â— shewing the Goodness of the things revealed And these employ the Thoughts and Passions and Senses and the whole body reducing the inferiour faculties to obedience and casting out by degrees those images which had deceived and prepossessed them § 62. The matter which Christ presenteth to the Soul is 1. Certain Truth from the Father of Lights set up against the Prince and Kingdom of darkness ignorance error and deceit 2. Spiritual and everlasting Good even God himself to be seen and Loved and Enjoyed for ever against the Tempters temporal corporal and seeming good Christs Kingdom and work are advanced by Light He is for the promoting of all useful knowledge and therefore for clear and convincing Preaching for reading the Scriptures in a known tongue and meditating in them day and night and for exhorting one another daily which Satan is against § 63. III. The Means by which he worketh against Satan are such as these 1. Sometime he maketh use of the very temper of the body as a preparative and being Lord of all he giveth such a temperature as will be most serviceable to the soul As a sober deliberate meek quiet and patient disposition But sometime he honoureth his Grace by the conquest of such sins as even bodily disposition doth entertain and cherish § 64. 2. Sometimes by his providence he withdraweth the matter of temptations that they shall not be too strong for feeble souls But sometimes his Grace doth make advantage of them all and leave them for the magnifying of its frequent victories § 65. 3. Sometimes he giveth his cause the major vote among the people so that it shall be a matter of dishonourable singularity not to be a professed Christian and somtime but exceeding rarely it is so with the life of Godliness and practice of Christianity also But ordinarily in the most places of the world Custom and the Multitude are against him and his grace is honoured by prevailing against these bands of Satan § 66. 4. He maketh his Ministers his principal Instruments qualifying disposing and calling them to his work and helping them in it and prospering it in their hands § 67. 5. He maketh it the duty of every Christian to do his part to carry on the work and furnisheth them with Love and Compassion and Knowledge and Zeal in their several measures § 68. 6. He giveth a very strict charge to Parents to devote their Children with themselves to God encouraging them with the promise of his accepting and blessing them and commandeth them to teach them the word of God with greatest diligence and to bring them up in the nurture and fear of God § 69. 7. He giveth Princes and Magistrates their power to promote his Kingdom and protect his servants and encourage the good and suppress iniquity and further the obedience of his Laws Though in most of the world they turn his enemies and he carrieth on his work without them and against their cruel persecuting opposition § 70. 8. His Light detecteth the nakedness of the Devils cause and among the Sons of Light it is odious and a common shame And as wisdom is justified of her children so the judgement of holy men condemning sin doth much to keep it under in the world § 71. 9. His providence usually casteth the sinner that he will do good to into the bosome and communion of his holy Church and the familiar company and acquaintance of the Godly who may help him by instruction affection and example § 72. 10. His providence fitteth all conditions to their good but especially helpeth them by seasonable quickning afflictions These are the means which ordinarily he useth But the powerful inward operations of his Spirit give efficacy to them all Tit. 2. Temptations to particular sins with Directions for preservation and Remedy IN Chapter 1. Part 2. I have opened the Temptations which hinder sinners from Conversion to God I shall now proceed to those which draw men to particular sins Here Satans Art is exercised 1. In fitting his baits to his particular use 2. In applying them thereto § 1. Tempt 1. The Devil fitteth his Temptations to the sinners age The same bait is not suitable Tempt 1. to all Children he tempteth to excess of playfullness lying disobedience unwillingness to learn the things that belong to their salvation and a senselesness of the great concernments of their souls He tempteth youth to wantonness rudeness gulosity unruliness and foolish inconsiderateness In the beginning of manhood he tempteth to lust voluptuousness and luxury or if these take not to designs of worldliness and ambition The aged he tempteth to covetousness and unmoveableness in their error and unteachableness and obstinacy in their ignorance and sin Thus every age hath its peculiar snare § 2. Direct 1. The Remedy against this is 1. To be distinctly acquainted with the Temptations of Direct 1. your own age and watch against them with a special heedfullness and fear 2. To know the special duties and advantages of your own age and turn your thoughts wholly unto those Scripture hath various precepts for the various ages study your own part The young have more time to learn their duty and less care and business to divert them Let them therefore be taken up in obedient learning The middle age hath most vigor of body and mind and therefore should do their masters work with the greatest vigor activity and zeal The Aged should have most judgement and experience and acquaintedness with Death and Heaven and therefore should teach the younger both by word and holy life § 3. Tempt 2. The Tempter also fitteth his Temptations to mens several bodily tempers as I Tempt â— shewed § 22. The hot and strong he tempteth to lust The sad and fearful to discouragement and continual self-vexations and to the Fear of Men and Devils Those that have strong appetites to Gluttony and Drunkenness Children and Women and weak-headed people to Pride of Apparel and trifling Complement And masculine wicked-unbelievers to Pride of Honour Parts and Grandeur and to an ambitious seeking of Rule and Greatness The meek and gentle he tempteth to a yieldingness unto the perswasions
can say Matters of endless life or death are not rashly to be ventured on But if it be a thing past dispute in which you have been already convinced and resolved reject the Tempter and tell him that you owe him not so much service as to dispute with him whether you should care for your salvation Else there will be no end till you are betrayed and undone Innocent Eve is deceived when once it comes to a dispute Be not like Balaam that tempted God and would not be satisfied with his answer § 4â— Tempt 10. Also the Tempter overcometh very many by making them presumptuously confident of Tempt 10. their own strength saying Thou art not so weak as not to be able to bear a greater temptation than this Canst thou not gaze on beauty or go among vain and tempting company and yet choose whether thou wilt sin It 's a child indeed that hath no more government of themselves Cannot thy Table thy Cup thy House thy Lands be pleasing and delectable but thou must needs over-love them and turn them to sin § 44 Direct 10. O know thy own weakness the treacherous enemy which thou still carriest about Direct 1â— thee who is ready to open the back-door to the Devil Remember that flesh is on the Tempters â—â—â—â—e and how much it can do with thee before thou art aware Remember what an unsetled wretch thou art and how many a good purpose formerly hath come to nothing and how oft thou hast â—â—â—â—ned by as small a temptation Remember that without the Spirit of Christ thou canst do nothing nor stand against any assault of Satan And that Christ giveth his Spirit and help in his own way and not to those that tempt him to forsake them by thrusting themselves into temptations Shall ever mortall man presume upon his own strength after the falls of an Adam a Noah a Lot a David a Solomon a Hezekiah a Iosiah a Peter and after such ruines of multitudes of professors as our eyes have seen All these things hapned unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition on whom the ends of the world are come Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lâ—â—t he fall 1 Cor. 10. 11 12. § 45. Tempt 11. It is a great project of the Devil and successful with many to draw them to venture Tempt 11. on the sâ—n by shewing them first the effectual Remedy the abundant Mercy of God the sufficient satisfaction made by Christ the full and free and universal promise that these are sufficient to cleanse the soul of any sâ—n therefore you need not fear § 46. Direct 11. But God is just as well as merciful and there are vessels of wrath as well as Direct 11. â—â—m â— vessels of mercy Judge how God will use his mercy and who shall have it by his own word For he knoweth better than you to whom and how far to shew mercy Is the Tempter himself saved for all God is merciful And the Gospel hath far sorer punishment than the Law to the abusers of H 〈…〉 1. 10. grace Christ is the most dreadful Judge to the wicked as well as the tenderest Saviour to his own There is enough in his grace to save the penitent but if you will sin upon presumption that grace will save you you have small reason to think that you are penitent or ever will be without a very merciful change How many can you name that ever were converted and forgiven that lived wilfully in sin because the Remedy was sufficient I doubt not but many such have been recalled but this is not the way to hope It 's a terrible thing to sin deliberately and wilfully because of the greatness of mercy or the sufficiency of the death of Christ No man but the Penitent Convert is saved by Christ and this is clean contrary to penitence and conversion Christ doth not as Mountebanks that wound a man to shew people how quickly their balsoms can cure him or make a man drink a Toad to shew the power of their Antidotes But he cureth the Diseases which he findeth in believers but causeth none § 47. Tempt 12. Also the Tempter telieth the sinner how certain and easie and speedy a remedy he Tempt 12. hath in his own power It is but Râ—penting and all sin is pardoned § 48. Direct 12. 1. Is it in thy power If so the greater is thy sin that sinnest more when thou Direct 12. shouldst repent If it be casâ—e what an unexcusable wretch art thou that wilt not do it but go on 2. But Repentance is the gift of God 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. And is he like to give it to them that wilfully abuse him in expectation of it 3. As easie as it is it is but a few that truly repent and are forgiven in comparison of those that go on and perish 4. The easiest Repentance is so bitter that its far easier to forbear the sin It s better not wound your selves than have the best salve if you were sure of it 5. The Repentance which is caused by meer fears of death and Hell without the power of Heavenly Love to God and holiness is but the Repentance of the damned and never procureth pardon of sin The Devil hath such a Repentance as well as such a faith which will not James 2 19. save him § 49. Tempt 13. Satan also emboldneth the sinner by telling him how many have Repented and sped Tempt 13. well that sinned as bad or worse than this He tells him of Noah and Lot and David and Peter and the Thief on the Cross and Paul a Persecutor yea and Manasseh c. § 50. Direct 13. But consider whether any of those did thus sin because that others had scapt Direct 13. that sinned before them And think of the millions that never repented and are condemned as well as of the few that have repented Is Repentance better than sin Why then will you sin Is sin better than Repentance Why then do you purpose to repent Is it not base ingratitude to offend God wilfully because he hath pardoned many offenders and is ready to forgive the penitent And should a man of reason wilfully make work for his own Repentance and do that which he knoweth he shall wish with grief that he had never done If some have been saved that fell into the Sea or that fell from the top of Steeples or that drunk poyson or were dangerously wounded will you therefore cast your self into the same case in hope of being saved § 51. Tempt 14. The Tempter perswadeth the sinner that it cannot be that God should make so great Direct â— a matter of sin because the thoughts of a mans heart or his words or deeds are matters of no great moment when man himself is so poor a worm and whatever he doth it is no hurt to God Therefore you need not make such a matter of
ever the world had who taught it not only by his words but by his blood by his life and by his death If thou canst not learn it of him thou canst never learn it Love is the greatest commander of Love and the most effectual argument that can insuperably constrain us to it And none ever loved at the measure and rates that Christ hath loved To stand by such a fire is the way for a congealed heart to melt and the coldest affections to grow warm A lively faith still holding Christ the Glass of infinite Love and Goodness before our faces is the greatest Lesson in the Art of Love § 28. 2. Behold God also in his Covenant of Grace which he hath made in Christ. In that you may see sucâ— sâ—râ— such great and wonderful mercies freely given out to a world of sinners and to your selves among the rest as may afford abundant matter for Love and Thankfulness to feed on while you live There you may see how loth God is that sinners should perish How he delighteth in mercy And how great and unspeakable that mercy is There you may sâ—e an Act of Pardon and Oblivion granted upon the reasonable condition of Believing Penitent Acceptance to all mankind The sins that men have been committing many years together their willâ—ul hâ—ynous aggravated sins you may there see pardoned by more aggravated Mercy and the enemies of God reconciled to him and condemned rebels sav'd from Hell and brought into his family and made his sons O what an Image of the Goodness of God is apparent in the tenor of his word and Covenant Hâ—liness and Mercy make up the whole They are exprest in every leaf and line The precepts which seem too strict to sinners are but the perfect Rules of Holiness and Love for the health and happiness of man What Loveliness did David find in the Law it self And so should we if we read it with his eyes and heart It was sweeter to him than hony he loved it above gold Psalm 119. 127 and 97. he crieth out O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day And must not the Law-giver then be much more lovely whose Goodness here appeareth to us Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way Psalm 25. 8. I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes Psalm 119. 47 48. How delightfully then should I love and meditate on the Blessed Author of this holy Law But how can I read the history of Love the strange design of Grace in Christ the mystery which the Angels desirously pry into the pâ—omises of life to lost and miserable sinners and not feel the power of Love transform me Behold with what Love the Father hath Loved us that we shâ—uld be called the sons of God 1 John 3. 1. How doth God shed abroad his Love upon our hearts but by opening to us the superabundance of it in his word and opening our hearts by his spirit to perceive it O when a poor sinner that first had felt the load of sin and the wrath of God shall feelingly read or hear what mercy is rendered to him in the Covenant of Grace and hear Christs messengers tell him from God that All things are now ready and therefore invite him to the heavenly feast and even compel him to come in what melting Love must this affect a sinners heart with When we see the Grant of Life eternal sealed to us by the blood of Christ and a pardoning justifying saving Covenant so freely made and surely confirmed to us by that God whom we had so much offended O what an incentive is here for Love § 29. When I mention the Covenant I imply the Sacraments which are but its appendants or confirming seals and the investing the believer solemnly with its benefits But in these God is pleased to condescend to the most familiar communion with his Church that Love and Thankfulness might want no helps There it is that the Love of God in Christ applyeth it self most closely to particular sinners And the meat or drink will be sweet in the mouth which was not sweet to us on the table at all O how many a Heart hath this affected How many have felt the stirrings of that Love which before they felt not when they have seen Christ crucified before their eyes and have heard the Minister in his name and at his command bid them Take and Eat and Drink commanding them not to refuse their Saviour but Take him and the benefits of his blood as their own assuring them of his good will and readiness to forgive and save them § 30. 3. Behold also the Loveliness of God in his Holy ones who bear his Image and are advanced by his Love and Mercy If you are Christians indeed you are taught of God to Love his servants and to see an excellency in the Saints on earth and make them the people of your delight Psalm 16. 1 2. 1 Thes. 4. 9. And this must needs acquaint you with the greater Amiableness in the most Holy God that made them Holy O how oft have the feeling and heavenly prayers of lively believers excited those affections in me which before I felt not How oft have I been warmed with their Heavenly discourse How amiable is that Holy Heavenly disposition and conversation which appeareth in them Their faith their Love their trust in God their cheerful obedience their hatred of sin their desire of the good of all their meekness and patience how much do these advance them above the ignorant sensual proud malignant and ungodly world How Good then is that God that makes men Good And how little is the Goodness of the best of men compared to his unmeasurable Goodness Whenever your converse with holy men stirs up your Love to them rise by it presently to the God of Saints and let all be turned to him that giveth all to them and you § 31. And as the excellency of the saints so their priviledge and great advancement should shew you the Goodness of God that doth advance them As oft as thou seest a saint how poor and mean in the world soever thou seest a living monument of the abundant kindness of the Lord Thou seest a child of God a member of Christ an heir of Heaven Thou seest one that hath all his sins forgiven him and is snatcht as a brand out of the fire and delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kigdom of Christ Thou seest one for whom Christ hath conquered the powers of Hell and one that is freed from the bondage of the flesh and one that of the Devils slave is made a Priest to offer up the sacrifices of Praise to God Thou seest one that hath the spirit of God within him and one that hath daily intercourse with
me Denyal of our grace may seem to be humility but it tendeth to extinguish Love and Gratitude § 57. But you 'l say I must avoid soul-delusion and Pharisaical ostentation on the other side and few reach assurance how then should we keep up the Love of God Answ. 1. Though I am not come to the point of Trying and Discerning Grace I shall give you this much help in the way because it is so useful to the exercises of Love 1. If you have not Enjoying delighting Love yet try whether you have not Desiring seeking Love Love appeareth as truly in deâ—iâ—â—ng and seeking Good as in delighting in it Poor men shew their Love of the world by Desiring and seeking it as much as rich men do in delighting in it What is it that you most desire and seek 2. Or if this be so weak that you scarce discern it do you not find a mourning and lamenting Love You shew that you loved your money by mourning when you lose it and that you loved your friend by grieving for his death as well as by delighting in him while he lived If you heartily lament it as your greatest unhappiness and loss when you think that God doth cast you off and that you are void of Gracâ— and cannot serve and honour him as you would this shews you are not void of Love 3. If you feel not that you Love him do you feel that you would fain Love him and that you Love to Love him If you do so it is a sign that you do Love him When you do not only desire to find such an Evidence of salvation in you but when you desire Love it self and Love to Love God Had you not rather have a heart to Love him perfectly than to have all the riches in the world Had you not rather live in the Love of God if you could reach it than to live in any earthly pleasure If so be sure he hath your hearts The Will is the Love and the Heart If God have your Will he hath your Heart and Love 4. What hath your Hearts if he have them not Is there any thing that you prefer and seek before him and that you had rather have than him Can you be content without him and let him go in exchange for any earthly pleasure If not it is a sign he hath your Hearts You love him saâ—ingly if you set more by nothing else than by him 5. Do you love his holy Image in his word Do you delight and meditate in his Law Psalm 1. 2. Is it in your hearts Psalm 40. 8. Or do you pray Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies Psalm 119. 36. If you love Gods Image in his word the wisdom and holiness of it you love God 6. Do you love his Image on his Children If you Love them for their heavenly wisdom and holiness you so far Love God He that loveth the Candle for its light doth love the light it self and the sun He that loveth the wise and holy for their wisdom and holiness doth love wisdom and holiness it self The word and the saints being more in the reach of our sensible apprehensions than God himself is we ordinarily feel our Love to them more sensibly than our Love to God when indeed it is God in his word and servants that we love 1 Iohn 3. 14. Psalm 15. 4. 7. Though for want of Assurance you feel not the delights of Love have you not a heart that would delight in it more than in all the riches of the world if you could but get assurance of your interest Would it not comfort you more than any thing if you could be sure he Loveth you and could perfectly Love him and obey him If so it is not for want of Love that you delight not in him but for want of Assurance So that if God have thy heart either in a delighting Love or a seeking and desiring or a lamenting mourning Love he will not despise it or reject it He is â—igh to them that be of a broken heart Psalm 34. 18. A broken and contrite heart is his sacrifice which he will not despise Psalm 51. 17. The good Lord will have mercy on every one that prepareth their hearts to seek him though they do it not according to the preparation of the sanctuary 2 Cor. 30. 18 19. By these Evidences you may discern the sincerity of Love in small degrees and so you may make Love the occasion of more Love by discerning that Goodness of God which is manifested to you in the least § 38. 2. But suppose you cannot yet attain assurance Neglect not to improve that Goodness and Mercy of God which he revealeth to you in the state that you are in Love him but as Infinite Goodness should be loved who so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. Love him as the most blessed merciful God who made you and all things and hath given to the world an universal pardon on condition of their penitent acceptance and offereth them everlasting life and all this purchased by the blood of Christ Love him as one that offereth you reconciliation and intreateth you to be saved and as one that delighteth not in the death of the wicked but rather that they turn and live and as one that would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth though he will save none but the penitent that do acknowledge the truth And when you love him sincerely on these accounts you will have the evidence of his special Love to you § 39. Direct 16. Improve thy sense of natural and friendly love to raise thee to the Love of God Direct 16. When thou seest or feelest what Love a parent hath to children and a Husband to a wife or a Wife to a Husband or faithful friends to one another think then What Love do I owe to God O how inconsiderable is the Loveliness of a child a wife a friend the best of Creatures in comparison of the Loveliness of God Unworthy soul Canst thou love a drop of Goodness in thy friend And canst thou not Love the Ocean of Goodness in thy God Is a spark in the creature more amiable than the fire that kindled it Thou canst Love thy friend for all his blemishes his ignorance his passions and manifold imperfections And canst thou not love thy God who hath none of these nor any thing to discourage or damp thy love Thou lovest and deservedly lovest thy friend because he loveth thee and deals friendly with thee But O how much greater is the Love of God Did ever friend Love thee as he hath loved thee Did ever friend do for thee as he hath done He gave thee thy being thy daily safety and all the mercies of thy life He gave thee his Son his Spirit and his Grace He pardoned thy sins and
acceptance of their work O that we would do that honour and right to true Religion as to shew the world the nature and use of it by living in the cheerful Praises of our God and did not â—each them to blaspheme it by our mis-doings I have said the more of the excellency and benefits of this work because it is one of your best helps to perform it to know the Reasons of it and how much of your Religion and Duty and comfort consisteth in it and the forgetting of this is the common cause that it is so boldly and ordinarily neglected or slubbered over as it is § 23. Direct 2. The keeping of the heart in the admiration and glorifying o◠〈◊〉 according to Direct 2. the forâ—-going Directions is the principal help to the right praising of him with 〈…〉 ps For out of the hearts abundance the mouth will speak And if the Heart do not bear itâ— part no praise is mâ—lâ—dious to God § 24. Direct 3. â—ead much those Scriptures which speak of the praises of God especially the Psalms Direct 3. and furnish your memories with store of those holy expressions of the excellencies of God which he himself hath taught you in his Word None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who teacheth us in the Scriptures to speak divinely of things divine No other diâ—lâ—ct so well becometh the work of praise God that best knoweth himself doth best teach us how to know and praise him Every Christian should have a treasury of these sacred materials in his memory that he may be able at all times in Conference and in Worship to speak of God in the words of God § 25. Direct 4. Be much in singing Psalms of praise and that with the most heart-raising cheerfulness Direct 4. and melody especially in the holy assemblies The melody and the conjunction of many serious holy souls doth â—end much to elevate the heart And where it is done intelligibly reverently in conjunction with a rational spiritual serious Worship the use of Musical Instruments are not to be scrupled or refused any more than the Tunes and Melody of the Vâ—ic◠§ 26. Direct 5. Remember to allow the praises of God their due prâ—portion in all your prayers Direct 5. Use not to shut it out or forget it or cut it short with two or three words in the conclusion The Lords Prayer begins and ends with it and the three first Petitions are for the glorifying the Name of God and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing oâ— his Will by which he is glorified and all this before we ask any thing directly for our selves Use will much help you in the Praise of God § 27. Direct 6. Especially let the Lords Day be principally spent in Praises and Thanksgiving for the Direct 6. work of our Redemption and the benefits thereof This day is separated by God himself to this holy work And if you spend it ordinarily in other Religious duties that subserve not this you spend it not as God requireth you The thankful and praiseful Commemoration of the work of mans Redemption is the special work of the day And the celebrating of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is therefore called the Eucharist was part of these laudatory exercises and used every Lords Day by the Primitive Church It is not only a holy day separated to Gods Worship in general but to this Eucharistical Worship in special above the rest as a day of Praises and Thanksgiving unto God And thus all Christians ordinarily should use it § 28. Direct 7. Let your holy conferâ—â—ce with others be much about the glorious Excellencies Direct 7. Works and Mercies of the Lord in way â—f praise and admiration This is indeed to speak to Edification and as the Oracles of God Eph. 4. 29. that God in all things may be glorified 1 Pet. 4. 11. Psal. 29. 9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 35. 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praises all the day long Psal. 145. 6 11 21. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom My mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Psal. 105. 2 3. Talk ye of all his wondrous works glory ye in his holy name § 29. Direct 8. Speak not of God in a light unreverent or common sort as if you talkt of common Direct 8. things but with all possible seriousness gravity and reverence as if you saw the Majesty of the Lord. A common and a holy manner of speech are contrary That only is holy which is separated to God from common use You speak prophanely in the manner how holy soever the matter be when you speak of God with that careless levity as you use to speak of common things Such speaking of God is dishonourable to him and hurts the hearers more than silence by breeding in them a contempt of God and teaching them to imitate you in sleight conceits and speech of the Almighty Whereas one that speaketh reverently of God as in his presence doth ofttimes more affect the hearers with a reverence of his Majesty with a few words than unreverent Preachers with the most accurate Sermons delivered in a common or affected strain When ever you speak of God let the hearers perceive that your hearts are possessed with his Fear and Love and that you put more difference between God and man than between a King and the smallest Worm so when you talk of death or judgement of Heaven or Hell of holiness or sin or any thing that nearly relates to God do it with that gravity and seriousness as the matter doth require § 30. Direct 9. Speak not so unskilfully and foolishly of God or holy things as may 〈…〉 pt the hearers Direct 9. to turn it into a matter of scorn or laughter Especially understand how your p 〈…〉 are suited to the company that you are in Among those that are more ignorant some weak discourses may be tolerable and profitable For they are most affected with that which is delivered in their own Dialect and Mode but among judicious or captious hearers unskilful persons must be very sparing of their words lest they do hurt while they desire to do good and make Religion sâ—em ridiculous We may rejoyce in the scorns which we undergo for Christ and which are bent against his holy Laws or the substance of our duty But if men are jeered for speaking ridiculously and foolishly of holy things they have little reason to take comfort in any thing of that but their honest meanings and intents Nay they must be humbled for being a dishonour to the name of godliness
But the misery is that few of the ignorant and weak have knowledge and humility enough â—o pâ—rceive their ignorance and weakness but they think they speak as wisely as the best and are offended if their words be not reverenced accordingly As a Minister should study and labour for a skill and ability to preach because it is his work so every Christian should study for skill to discourse with wisdom and meet expressions about holy things because this is his work And as unfit expressions and behaviour in a Minister do cause contempt instead of edifying so do they in discourse § 31. Direct 10. When ever Gods holy Name or Word is blasphemed or used in levity or jeast Direct 10. or a holy life is made a scorn or God is notoriously abused or dishonoured be ready to reprove it with gravity where you can and where you cannot at least let your detestation of it be conveniently manifested Of Prayer I have spoken aâ—terwaâ—d Among those to whom you may freely speak lay open the greatness of their sin Or if you are unable for long or accurate discourse at least tell them who hath said Thou shalt Tom. 2. c. not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain And where your speech is unmeet as to some Superiours or is like to do more harm than good let your departing the room or your looks or rather your tears shew your dislike Directions for the glorifying God in our Lives § 32. Direct 1. Our Lives then glorifie God when they are such as his Excellencies most appear in Direct 1. And that is when they are most Divine or Holy when they are so managed that the world may see that Turâ—issimum est Philosopho secus docere quam viviâ— Paul Scaligâ—r p. 728. it is God that we have chiefly respect unto and that HOLINESS TO THE LORD is written upon all our faculties and affairs So much of GOD as appeareth in our lives so much they are truly venerable and advanced above the rank of fleshly worldly lives God only is the real glory of every person and every thing and every word or action of our lives And the natural conscience of the world which in despight of their Atheism is forced to confess and reverence a Deity will be forced even when they are hated and persecuted to reverence the appearance of God in his holy ones Let it appear therefore 1. That Gods Authority commandeth you above all the powers of the earth and against all the power of fleshly lusts 2. That it is the Glory and Nam illa quae de regno calorum commâ—mâ—rantur à nâ—bâ—â— dâ—que praesentâ—um reâ—um contâ—mpâ—u vel non caâ—â—unt vel non â—aâ—â—le sibi peâ—suadeâ—t cum sâ—rmo factis evertitur Interest of God that you live for and look after principally in the world and not your own carnal interest and glory And that it is his work that you are doing and not your own and his cause and not your own that you are engaged in 3. That it is his Word and Law that is your Rule 4. And the example of his Son that is your pattern 5. And that your hearts and lives are moved and acted in the world by motives fetcht from the Rewards which he hath promised and the punishments which he hath threatned in the world to come 6. And that it is a supernatural powerful principle sent from God into your hearts even the Holy Ghost by which you are inclined and actuated in the tenor of your lives 7. And that your daily converse is with God and that men and other creatures are comparatively nothing to you but are made to stand by while God is preferred and honoured and served by you and that all your business is with him or for him in the world Acâ—staâ—l 4. c. 18. p. 418. § 33. Direct 2. The more of Heaven appeareth in your Lives the more your Lives do glorifie God Worldly and carnal men are conscious that their glory is a vanishing glory and their pleasure but a transitory dream and that all their honour and wealth will shortly leave them in the dust And Direct 2. therefore they are forced in despight of their sensuality to bear some reverence to the life to come And though they have not hearts themselves to deny the pleasures and profits of the world and to spend their dayes in preparing for eternity and in laying up a treasure in Heaven yet they are convinced that those that do so are the best and wisest men and they could wish that they might dye the death of the righteous and that their last end might be like his As Heaven exceedeth Earth even in the reverent acknowledgement of the World though not in their practical esteem and choice so Heavenly Christians have a reverent acknowledgement from them when malice doth not hide their Heavenliness by slanders though they will not be such themselves Let it appear in your lives that really you seek a higher happiness than this world affordeth and that you verily look to live with Christ and that as Honour and Wealth and Pleasure command the lives of the ungodly so the hope of Heaven commandeth yours Let it appear that this is your design and business in the world and that your Hearts and conversation are above and that whatever you do or suffer is for this and not for any lower end and this is a life that God is glorified by § 34. Direct 3. It glorifieth God by shewing the excellency of faith when we contemn the riches Direct 3. and honours of the world and live above the worldlings life accounting that a despicable thing which he accounts his happiness and loseth his soul for As men despise the toyes of children so a believer must take the transitory vanities of this world for matters so inconsiderable as not to be worthy his regard save only as they are the matter of his duty to God or as they relate to him or the life to come Saith Paul 2 Cor. 4. 18. We look not at the things which are seen they are not worth our observing or looking at but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal The world is under a believers feet while his eye is fixed on the coelestial world He travelleth through it to his home and he will be thankful if his way be fair and if he have his daily bread but it is not his home nor doth he make any great matter whether his usage in it be kind or unkind or whether his Inn be well adorned or not He is almost indifferent whether for so short a time he be rich or poor in a high or in a low condition further than as it tendeth to his Masters service Let men see that you
with him and about Pope Ioan and many the like cases where you may read scores of Historians on one side and on the other § 53. 18. Remember that the holiest Saints or Apostles could never please the world nor escape their censures slanders and cruelties no nor Iesus Christ himself And can you think by honest means to please them better than Christ and all his Saints have done You have not the wisdom that Christ had to please men and to avoid offence You have not the perfect innocency and unblameableness that Christ had You cannot heal their sicknesses and infirmities and do that good to them to please and win them as Jesus Christ did You cannot convince them and constrain them to reverence you by manifold miracles as Jesus Christ did Can you imitate such an excellent pattern as is set you by the holy patient charitable unwearied Apostle Paul Acts 20. 1 Cor. 4. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 5. 6. 10. 11. 12. If you cannot how can you please them that would not be pleased by such unimitable works of love and power The more Paul loved some of his hearers the less he was beloved 2 Cor. 12. 15. They used him as an enemy for telling them the truth Gal. 4. 16. Though he became all things to all men he could save but some nor please but some 1 Cor. 9. 22. And what are you that you should better please them § 54. 19. Godliness vertue and honesty it self will not please the world and therefore you cannot Aâ—â—stiâ—â—s having gâ—t the Sâ—â—name oâ— Iâ—st was hatâ—d by the Aâ—â—â—â—iais who decreed to bâ—â—ish him and every one that voted against him being to write down his Name a Clown that could not write came to Aristides to desire him â—o wrâ—te down Aâ—istiâ—â—s name He asked him wheâ—her he knew Aristidis and the man answered no but he would vote against him because his name waâ— Iâ—st Aristides concealing himself fulfilled the mans desire and wrote his own Name in the Roll and gave it hâ—m so â—asily did he bear it to be condemned of the world for being Iust Plutarch iâ— Aristide It was not only Socraâ—s that was thus used saiâ—h Laertius Nam Homerum velut insanientem drachmâ—s quinquaginta mulctarunt Tyâ—â—aeumque mentis impotem dixeâ—â—â—â— â— Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted Maâ—th 23. hâ—pe to please them by that which is not pleasing to them Will men be pleased by that which they hate and by the actions which they think accuse them and condemn them And if you will be Ungodly and Vicious to please them you sell your souls your Conscience and your God to please them God and they are not pleased with the same wayes And which do you think should first be pleased Iâ— you displease him for their favour you will buy it dear § 55. 20. They are not pleased with God himself yea no man doth displease so many and so much as he And can you do mâ—re than God to please them or can you deserve their favour more than he They are daily displeased with his works of providence One would have rain when another would have none One would have the winds to serve his voyage and another would have them in a contrary end One party is displeased because another is pleased and exalted Every enemy would have his cause succeed and the victory to be his Every contender would have all go on his side God must be ruled by them and fit himself to the interest of the most unjust and to the will of the most vicious and do as they would have him and be a servant to their lusts or they will not be pleased with him And his Holy Nature and his Holy Word and Holy Wayes displease them more than his ordinary providence They are displeased that his Word is so precise and strict and that he commandeth them so holy and so strict a life and that he threatneth all the ungodly with damnation He must alter his Laws and make them more loose and fit them to their fleshly interest and lusts and speak as they would have him without any difficulties before they will be pleased with them unless he alter their minds and hearts And how do you think they will be pleased with him at last when he fulfills his threatnings When he killeth them and turneth their bodies to dust and their guilty souls to torment and despair § 56. 21. How can you please men that cannot please themselves Their own desire and choice will please them but a little while Like children they are soon weary of that which they cryed for They must needs have it and when they have it it is naught and cast away They are neither pleased with it nor without it They are like sick persons that long for every meat or drink they think of and when they have it they cannot get it down For the sickness is still within them that causeth their displeasure How many do trouble and torment themselves by their passions and folly from day to day And can you please such self-displeasers § 57. How can you please all others when you cannot please your selves If you are persons fearing God and feel the burden of your sins and have life enough to be sensible of your diseases I dare say there are none in the world so displeasing to you as you are to your selves You carry that about you and feel that within you which displeaseth you more than all the enemies you have in the world Your passions and corruptions your want of Love to God and your strangeness to him and the life to come the daily faultiness of your duties and your lives are your daily burden and displease you most And if you be not able and wise and good enough to please your selves can you be able and wise and good enough to please the world As your sins are nearest to your selves so are your graces and as you know more evil by your selves than others know so you know more good by your selves That little fire will not warm all the room which will not warm the hearth it lyeth on § 58. Direct 10. Remember what a life of unquietness and continual vexation you choose if you place your peace or happiness in the good will or word of man For having shewed you how impossible a â—ask you undertake it must needs follow that the pursuit of it must be a life of torment To engage Viâ— esse in munâ—o Contemâ—â— tâ—mnâ—re disce Abr. Buâ—holtzâ—r your selves in so great cares and be sure to be disappointed To make that your end which you cannot attain To find that you labour in vain and daily meet with displeasure instead of the favour you expected must needs be a very grievous life You are like one that dwelleth on the top of a mountain and yet cannot endure the wind to blow upon him Or like him that dwelleth in a
their opinion or sâ—ct We little consider how great a hand this Pride hath had in our desolations God hath been scattering the proud of all sorts in the imaginations of their own hearts â—â—ke 1. 51. § 88. Direct 7. Look to a humbled Christ to humble you Can you be proud while you believe Direct 7. that your Saviour was cloathed with flesh and lived in meanness and made himself of no reputation and was despised and scorned and spit upon by sinners and shamefully used and nailed as a malefactor to a cross The very incarnation of Christ is a condescension and humiliation enough to pose both â—â—th â—â—4 Mâ—â—â—â—0 men and Angels transcending all belief but such as God himself produceth by his supernatural testimony and spirit And can Pride look a crucified Christ in the face or stand before him Did God take upon him the form of a servant and must thou domineer and have the highest place Had Joâ—â— 1â— â—◠〈◊〉 2 â— 8 9 10. not Christ a place to lay his head on and must thou needst have thy adorned well-furnished rooms Must thou needs brave it out in the most fantastick fashion instead of thy Saviours seamless coat Doth he pray for his murderers And must thou be revenged for a word or petty wrong Is he patiently spit upon and buffeted And art thou ready through proud impatiencie to spit upon or busâ—â—t others Surely he that condemned sin in the flesh condemned no sin more than Pride § 89. Direct 8. Look to the examples of the most eminent saints and you will see they were all Direct 8. most eminent in humility The Apostles before the coming down of the Holy Ghost on them contended which of them should be the greatest which Christ permitted that he might most sharply rebuke it and leave his warning to all his Ministers and Disciples to the end of the world that they 〈◊〉 12. 7. 〈◊〉 44 13. that would be greatest must be the servants of all and that they must by conversion become as little children or never enter into the Kingdom of God But afterward in what humility did these Apostles labour and live and suffer in the world Paul made himself a servant unto all that he might gain the more though he was free from all men 1 Cor. 9. 19. They submitted themselves to all the injuries and affronts of men to be accounted the plagues and troublers of the world and as the scorn 1 Cor. 4. 12 13 14 15. Acts 24. 5. and off-scouring of all things and a gazing stock to Angels and to men And are you better than they If you are you are more humble and not more proud § 90. Direct 9. Look to the holy Angels that condescend to minister for man and think on the blessed Direct 9. souls with God how far they are from being proud And remember if ever thou come to Heaven how far thou wilt he from pride thy self Such a sight as Isaiahs would take doâ—n pride Isa. 6. 1 2 3. I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his train filled the Temple Above it stood the Sâ—raphims Each one had six wings with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet and with two he fled signifying Humility Purity and obedience And one cryed unto another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts His Glory is the fulness of the whole earth So Rev. 4. 8. and vers 10. The Elders fâ—ll down and â—ast down their Crowns before him that sitteth on the Throne Look up to Heaven and you 'l abhor your pride § 91. Direct 10. Look upâ—n the great imperfection of thy grace and duties Should that man be Direct 10. proud that hath so little of the spirit and image of Jesus Christ That believeth no more and feareth God no more And loveth him no more And can no better trust in him nor rest upon his word and love Nor no more delight in him nor in his holy laws and service One would think that the lamentable weakness of any one of all these graces should take down pride and abase you in your own eyes Is he a Christian that doth not even abhor himself when he perceiveth how little he loveth his God and how little all his meditations on the Love and blood of Christ and of the infinite Goodness of God and of the heavenly Glory do kendle the fire and warm his heart Can we observe the darkness of our minds and ignorance of God and strangness to the life to come and the woful weakness of our faith and not be abased to a loathing of our selves Can we choose but even abhor those hearts that can love a friend and love the toys and vanities of this life and yet can love their God no more That take no more pleasure in his name and praise and word and service when they can find pleasure in the accomodations of their flesh Can we choose but loath those hearts that are so averse to God so loth to think of him so loth to pray to him so weary of prayer or holy meditation or any duty and yet so forward to the business and recreations of the flesh Can we feel how coldly and unbelievingly we pray how ignorantly or carnalâ—y we discourse how confusedly and vainly we think and how slothfully we work and how unprofitably we live and yet be proud and not be covered with shame O for a serious Christian to feel how little of God of Christ of Heaven is upon his heart and how little appeareth in any eminent holiness and fruitfullness and heavenliness of life is so humbling a consideration that we have much ado to own our selves and not lie down as utterly desolate Should that soul admit a thought of pride that hath so little Grace as to be uncertain whether he have any at all in sincerity or not That cannot with assurance call God Father or plead his interest in Christ or in the promises nor knoweth not if he dye this hour whether he shall go to Heaven or Hell Should he be proud that is no readier to dye and no more assured of the pardon of sin nor willinger to appear before the Lord If one pained member will make you groan and walk dejectedly though all the rest do feel no pain a soul that hath this universal weakness a weakness that is so sinful and so dangerous hath cause to be continually humbled to the dust § 92. Direct 11. Look upon thy great and manifold sins which dwell in thy heart and have been Direct 11. committed in thy life and there thou wilt see cause for great humiliation If thy body were full of Toads and Serpents and thou couldst see or feel them crawling in thee wouldst thou then be proud Why so many sins are ten thousand fold worse and should make thee far viler in thy own esteem If thou were possessed with Devils and knewest it wouldst
thou be proud Why Devils possessing thy body are not so bad or hurtful to thee as sin in thy soul. The sight of a sin should more take down thy pride than the sight of a Devil Should that man be proud that hath lived as thou hast lived and sinned as thou hast sinned from thy childhood untill now that hath lost so much time and abused so much mercy and neglected so much means and omitted so many duties to God and man and been guilty of so many sinful thoughts and so many false or foolish words and hath broken See my Treatise of Self-ignorance all the Laws of God Should not he be deeply humbled that hath yet so much ignorance error unbelief hypocrisie sensuality worldliness hard-heartedness security uncharitableness lust envy malice impatience and selfishness as is in thee Should not thy very Pride it self be matter of thy great humiliation to think that so odious a sin should yet so much prevail Look thus on thy leprous defiled soul and turn thy very Pride against it self Know thy self and thou canst not be Proud § 93. Direct 12. Look also to the desert of all thy sins even unto Hell it self and try if that will Direct 12. bring thee low Though Pride came from Hell effectively yet Hell objectively may afford thee a remedy against it Think on the worm that never dyeth and the fire that never shall be quenched and consider whether Pride become that soul that hath deserved these Wilt thou be proud in the way to thy damnation Thou mightest better be proud of thy Chains and Rope when thou art going to the Gallows Think whether the miserable souls in Hell are now minding neat and well set attire or seeking for dominion honour or preferment or contending who shall be the greatest or striving for the highest rooms or setting out themselves to the admiration and applause of men or quarrelling with others for undervaluing or dishonouring them Do you think there is any place or matter there for such works of Pride when God abaseth them § 94. Direct 13. Look to the day of Iudgement when all proud thoughts and looks shall be taken Direct 13. down and to the endless misery threatned to the proud Think of that world in which your souls must ere long appear before the Great and Holy God whose Presence will abase the proudest sinner When the Tyrants and Gallants and Wantons of the Earth must with trembling and amazement give up their accounts to the most righteous Judge of all the world then where are their lofty looks and language Then where is their glory and gallantry and proud imperious domineering and their scornful despising the humble lowly ones of Christ Would you then think that this is the same man that lately could scarce be seen or spoken with that looked so big and swaggered it out in wealth and honour Is this he that could not endure a scorn or to be slighted or undervalued or plainly reproved that must needs have the honour and precedency in wit and greatness and command Is this the man that thought he was perfect and had no sin or that his sins were so small as not to need the humiliation renovation and holy diligence of the Saints Is this the woman that spent half the day in dressing up her self and house and furniture for the view of others and must needs be in the newest or the neatest fashion that was wont to walk in an artificial pace with a wandring eye in a wanton garb as if she were too good to tread on the earth Oh then how the case will be altered with such as these Can you believe and consider how you must be judged by God and yet be Proud § 95. Direct 14. Look to the Devils themselves that tempt you to be Proud and see what Pride Direct 14. hath brought them to and remember that a proud man is the Image of the Devil and Pride is the Devils special sin He that envyeth your happiness knoweth by sad experience the way to misery and therefore tempteth you to be proud that you may come by the same Way to the same End that he himself is come to The Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day Jude 6. § 96. Direct 15. Look well upon thy self both body and soul and think whether thou be a person Direct 15. fit for Pride God hath purposely clothed thine immortal soul in the course attire of corruptible flesh and placed it in so poor and ruinous a Cottage that it might be kept from pride yea he made this frail and corruptible body to be a constitutive part of our very persons that in knowing it we may know our selves Some will have a dead mans skull stand by them in their Studies or Chambers as an Antidote against pride But God hath fastned us yet closer to mortality Death dwelleth Fama est fictilibus caenasse Agathoclea Regem Atque abacum Samio saepe onerasse luâ—o Fercula gemmatis cum pokerâ—t aurea vasis Et misceret opes pauperiemque simul Quaerenti causam respondit Rex ego qui sum Sicaniae figulo sum gâ—nitore satus Fortunam reverenter habe quicunque repente Dives ab exili progrediere loco Auson li. Epi. ram in our bowels We are apt to marvel that so noble a soul should be lodged in so mean a body made of the earth to which it must return A Stone is durable and clean but my flesh is corruptible and must turn to lothesome filth and rottenness A Marble Pillar will stand firm and beautiful from age to age but I must perish and consume in darkness The Seats we sit upon the Pillars we lean to the Stones we tread upon will be here when we are turned to dust The house that I build may stand when I am rotten in the Grave A Tree will live when he that planted it is dead Our bodies are of no better materials than the Brutes Our substance is in a continual flux or waste and loseth something every day and if it were not repaired and patched up by daily air and nourishment it would soon be spent and our Oyle consumed If you were chained to a dead carkass which you must still carry about with you it were not a matter so fit to humble you as to be united so nearly to so vile a body of your own We carry a dunghill continually within us Alas how silly a piece is the greatest the strongest and the comeliest of you all What is that flesh which you so much pamper but a skin full of corruption a bag of filth of flegm or choller or such like excrements Iâ— the curiousest Dames had but a sight of the flegm in their heads and bowels the choller about their liver and galls the worms or filâ—h in other parts they would go near to vomit at
thoughts a world of work If God be not in all the thoughts of the ungodly Psal. 10. 4. it is because he is not in his heart He may be nigh their mouths but is far from their reins Jer. 12. 2. Do those men believe themselves or would they be believed by any one that is wise who say they Love God above all and yet neither think of him nor love to think of him but are unwearied in thinking of their wealth and honours and the pleasures of their flesh Consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Psal. 50. 22. § 5. Direct 5. Soundly understand the wonderful mysterie of mans Redemption and know Iesus Direct 5. Christ and you need not want employment for your thoughts For in him are hid all the Treasures of 5. Jesus Christ and all the work of Redemption wisdom and knowledge Col. 2. 3. He is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. If the study of Aristotle Plato Plotinus and their numerous followers and Commentators can find work for the thoughts of men that would know the works of God or would be accounted good Philosophers even for many years together or a great part of their lives what work then may a Christian find for his thoughts in Jesus Christ who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness and sanâ—â—â—â—fication and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1. 19. And therefore in him there is fulness of matter for our meditations As Paul determined to know nothing or make ostentation of no other knowledge but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. So if your thoughts had nothing to work upon many years together but Christ crucified they need not stand still a moment for want of most suitable and delightful matter The mysterie of the Incarnation alone may find you work to search and admire many ages But if thence you proceed to that world of wonderful matter which you may find in his Doctrine Miracles example sufferings temptations victories resurrection ascension and in his Kingly Prophetical and Priestly Offices and in all the benefits which he hath purchased for his stock O what full and pleasant work is here for the daily thoughts of a believer The soul may dwell here with continual delight till it say with Paul Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Therefore daily bow your knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whâ—m the whole family in Heaven and earth is named that he will grant you according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that being rooted and grounded in Love you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3. 14. to 20. § 6. Direct 6. Search the holy Scriptures and acquaint your selves well with the Oracles of God Direct 6. which are able to make you wise unto salvation and you will find abundant matter for your thoughts If you cannot find work enough for your minds among all those heights and depths those excellencies and difficulties it is because you never understood them or never set your hearts to search them What mysterious Doctrines how sublime and heavenly are there for you to meditate on as long as you live What a perfect Law a system of precepts most spiritual and pure What terrible threatnings against offenders are there to be matter of your meditations What wonderful histories of Love and Mercy What holy examples What a treasury of precious promises on which lyeth our hope of life eternal What full and free expressions of grace What a joyful act of pardon and oblivion to penitent believing sinners In a word the character of our inheritance and the Law which we must be governed and judged by is there before us for our daily Meditation David that had much less of it than we saith O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Psal. 119. 97. And God said to Ioshua 1. 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou maist observe to do according to all that is written therein And Moses commanded the Israelites that these words should be in their hearts and that they teach them diligently to their children and talk of them when they sate in their houses and when they walked by the way and when they lay down and when they rose up and to write them on the posts of their houses and on their gates c. that they might be sure to remember them Deut. 6. 7. § 7. Direct 7. Know thy self well as thou art the work of God and in thy self thou wilt find Direct 7. abundant matter for thy meditations There thou hast the natural Image of God to mediate on and 7. Our 〈…〉 as we are Gods wâ—â—k admire even the noble faculties of thy understanding and free will and executive power And thou hâ—st his Moral or Spiritual Image to meditate on if thou be not unregenerate even thy holy Wisdom Will and Power or thy holy Light and Love and Power with promptitude for holy practice and all in the Unity of holy Life And there thou hast his Relative Image to meditate See my Book of the 〈…〉 on even thy being 1. The Lord or Owner 2. The Ruler 3. The Benefactor to the inferiour creatures and their End O the world of mysteries which thou carriest continually about thee in that little room What abundance of wonders are in thy body which is fearfully and wonderfully made And the greater wonders in thy soul Thou art thy self the clearest glass that God is to be seen in under Heaven as thou art a man and a Saint And therefore the worthiest matter for thy own Meditations except that holy Word which is thy Rule and the Holy Church which is but a coalition of many such What a shame is it that almost all men do Live and dye such strangers to themselves as to be utterly unacquainted with the innumerable excellencies and mysteries which God hath laid up in them and yet to let their thoughts run out upon vanities and toyes and complain of their barrenness and want of matter to feed their better Meditations § 8. Direct 8. Be not a stranger to the many sins and wants and weaknesses of thy soul and thou Direct 8. never needest to be empty of matter for
the Love of God we must be content to be shut out from the Love of God § 47. Inst. 9. Thus also the vulgar separate the Mercy and the Iustice of God! As if God knew Instance 9. not better than man to whom his mercy should extend And as if God be not merciful if he will be a righteous Governour and unless he will suffer all the world to spit in his face and blaspheme him and let his enemies go all unpunished § 48. Inst. 10. Thus many separate Threatnings and Promises Fear and Love a perfect Law and a pardonining Instance 10. Gospel As if he that is a man and hath both fear and Love in his nature must not make use of both for God and his salvation and the Law-giver might not fit his Laws to work on both As if Hell may not be feared and Heaven loved at once § 49. Inst. 11. Thus hypocrites separate in conceit their seeming Holiness and devotion to God from Instance 11. duties of Iustice and Charity to men As if they could serve God acceptably and disobey him wilfully Or as if they could love him whom they never saw and not love his Image in his works and children whom they daily see As if they could hate and persecute Christ in his little ones or at least neglect him and yet sincerely love him in himself § 50. Inst. 12. Thus by many Scripture and Tradition Divine faith and humane faith are commonly Instance 12. opposed Because the Papists have set Tradition is a wrong place many cast it away because it fits not that place When mans Tradition and Ministerial Revelation is necessary to make known and bring down Gods Revelation to us And a subservient Tradition is no disparagement to Scripture though a supplemental Tradition be And man must be believed as man though not as God! And he that will not believe man as man shall scarce know what he hath to believe from God § 51. Inst. 13. Thus many separate the sufficiency of the Law and Rule from the usefulness of an Instance 13. Officer Minister and Iudge As if the Law must be imperfect or else need no Execution and no Iudge for execution Or as if the Iudges execution were a supplement or addition to the Law As if the Question Who shall be the Iudge Did argue the Law of insufficiency and the promulgation and execution were not supposed § 52. Inst. 14. Thus also many separate the necessity of a publick Iudge from the lawfulness and Instance 14. necessity of a private judgement or discerning in all the rational subjects As if God and man did govern only Brutes or we could obey a Law and not judge it to be a Law and to be obeyed and not understand the sense of it and what it doth command us As if fools and mad men were the only subjects As if our learning of Christ as his Disciples and meditating day and night in his Law and searching for Wisdom in his Word were a disobeying him as our King As if it were a possible thing for subjects to obey without a private judgement of discretion Or as if there were any repugnancy between my judging what is the Kings Law and his judging whether I am punishable for disobeying it or as if judging our selves contradicted our being judged of God! § 53. Inst. 15. So many separate between the operation of the Word and Spirit the Minister and Instance 15. Christ As if the Spirit did not usually work by the Word and Christ did not preach to us by his Ministers and Embassadors And as if they might despise his Messengers and not be taken for despisers of himself Or might throw away the dish and keep the milk § 54. Inst. 16. Thus many separate the special Love of Saints from the common Love of man as man Instance 16. As if they could not Love a Saint unless they may hate an enemy and despise all others and deny them the Love which is answerable to their Natural Goodness § 55. Inst. 17. Thus many separate Universal or Catholick Union and Communion from particular Instance 17. And some understand no Communion but the Universal and some none but the particular Some say we separate from them as to Catholick Communion if we hold not local particular Communion with them yea if we joyn not with them in every mode As if I could be personally in ten thousand thousand Congregations at once or else did separate from them all Or as if I separated from all mankind if I differed from all men in my visage or complexion Or as if I cannot be absent from many thousand Churches and yet honour them as true Churches of Christ and hold Catholick communion with them in Faith Hope and Love Yea though I durst not joyn with them personally in Worship for fear of some sinful condition which they impose Or as if I need not be a member of any ordered worshipping Congregation because I have a Catholick faith and Love to all the Christians in the world § 56. Inst. 18. Thus are the outward and inward worship separated by many who think that all Instance 18. which the Body performeth is against the due spirituality or that the spirituality is but fansie and contrary to the form or outward part As if the heart and the knee may not fitly bow together nor decency of order concur with Spirit and truth § 57. Inst. 19. Thus many separate faith and obedience Pauls Iustification by faith without the Instance 19. works of the Law from Iames's Iustification by works and not by faith only and Christs Justification by our words Matth. 12. 37. And thus they separate free Grace and Iustification from any necessary condition and from the rewardableness of obedience which the Antients called Merit But of this at large elsewhere § 58. Inst. 20. And many separate Prudence and zeal meekness and resolution the wisdom of the Instance 20. Serpent and the innocency of the Dove yielding to no sin and yet yielding in things lawful maintaining our Christian liberty and yet becoming all things to all men if by any means we may save some These Instances are enow I will add no more § 59. Direct 18. Take heed of falling into factions and parties in Religion be the party great or Direct 18. small high or low in honour or dishonour and take heed lest you be infected with a factious censorious uncharitable hurting zeal For these are much contrary to the interest Will and Spirit of Christ Therefore among all your readings deeply suck in the doctrine of charity and peace and read much Reconciling moderating Authors Such as Drury Hall Davenant Crocius Bergius Martinius Amyraldus Dallaeus Testardus Calixtus Hottonus Junius Paraeus and Burroughs their Irenicons § 60. The reading of such Books extinguisheth the consuming flame of that infernal envious zeal described Iames 3. and kindleth charity and meekness and mellowness and
once got in If it have but tainted your very fantasie or memory as tempting sights will almost unavoidably do it hath there spawned the matter for a swarm of vain and sinful thoughts It is almost impossible to rule the Thoughts without ruling the eye And then the passions are presently tainted and the cittadel of the Heart is taken before you are aware You little know when a lustful look or a covetous look beginneth the game to how sad a period it tendeth Many a horrid adultery and murther and robbery and wickedness hath begun but with a Look A Look hath begun that which hath brought many a thousand to the gallows and many millions to Hell § 9. Direct 9. Keep both eye and mind employed in continual duty and let them not be idle and have Direct 9. leisure to wander upon vanity Idleness and neglect of spiritual and corporal duty is the beginner and the nurse of much sensuality Let your spiritual work and your lawful bodily-labours take up your time and thoughts and command and keep your senses in their services § 10. Direct 10. Beg daily of God the preserving assistance of his Grace and providence Of his inward Direct 10. grace to confirm you and assist you in your resolutions and watch and of his providence and gracious disposals of you and objects to keep the Temptations from before your eyes And when others will run and go on purpose to gaze on vain or tempting shews or to admire like children the vanities of the playful pompous world do you go to God with Davids prayer Psalm 119. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way And imitate him vers 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy word And make every look a passage to thy mind to carry it up to God and pray Psal. 119. 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Observe these with the General Directions fore named PART III. Directions for the Government of the Ear. § 1. Direct 1. IMploy your ears in the dutys which they were made for and to that end understand Direct 1. Gen. 49 2. Exod. 19. 9. Deut. 1. 16. 4. 10 5. 1 25 27. 31. 13. Prov. 1. 8. 19. 20 27. 22. 17. Ec 5. 1. 7. 5. Jam. 1. 19. Isa. 66. 4. 65. 12. 30. 9. Ezek. 12. 2. Mal. 2. 2. Act. 3 23. Lev. ◠1. Deut. 13. 12. those dutys Which are as followeth 1. To be the organe of reception of such communications from others as is necessary for our converse in the world and the dutys of our several relations and vocations 2. To hear the word of God delivered publickly by his appointed Teachers of the Church 3. To hear the counsel of those that privately advize us for our good and the reproofs of those that tell us of our sin and danger 4. To hear the Praises of God set forth by his Church in publick and particular servants in private 5. To hear from our ancestors and the learned in historie what hath been done in the times before us 6. To hear the complaints and petitions of the poor and needy and distressed that we may compassionate them and endeavour their relief 7. To be the passage for grief and hatred to our hearts by the sinful words which we hear unwillingly § 2. Direct 2. Know which are the sins of the ear that you may avoid them And they are such as follow 1. A careless ear which heareth the word of God and the private exhortations of his servants as if it heard them not 2. A sottish sleepy ear that heareth the word of God but as a confused sound and understandeth not nor feeleth what is heard 3. A scornful ear which despiseth the message of God and the reproofs and counsel of men and scorneth to be reproved or taught 4. An obstinate stubborn ear which regardeth not advice or will not yield 5. A prophane and impious Direct 2. ear which loveth to hear oaths and curses and prophane and blasphemous expressions 6. A carnal ear which loveth to hear of fleshly things but savoureth not the words which favour of holiness 7. An airy hypocritical ear which loveth more the musick and melody than the sense and spiritual elevation of the soul to God and regardeth more the numbers and composure and tone than the matter of preaching prayer or other such dutys and serveth God with the ear when the heart is far from him 8. A curious ear which nauseateth the most profitable sermons prayers or discourses if they be not accurately ordered and expressed and sleighteth or loseth the offered benefit for a modal imperfection in the offer or the instrument and casteth away all the gold because a piece or two did catch a little rust And perhaps quarrelleth with the style of the sacred Scriptures as not exact or fine enough for its expectations 9. An itching ear which runs after novelties and a heap of Teachers and liketh something extraordinary better than things necessary 10. A selfish ear which loveth to hear all that tends to the confirmation of its own conceits and to be flattered or smoothed up by others and can endure nothing that is cross to its opinions 11. A proud ear which loveth its own applause and is much pleased with its own praises and hateth all that speak of him with mean undervaluing words 12. A pievish impatient ear which is netled with almost all it heareth and can endure none but silken words which are oyled and sugared and fitted by flattery or the lowest submission to their froward minds and is so hard to be pleased that none but graduates in the art of pleasing can perform it 13. A bold presumptuous ear which will hear false Teachers and deceivers in a proud conceit and confidence of their own abilities to discern what is true and what is false 14. An ungodly ear that can easily hear the reproach of holiness and scorns at the servants and ways of Christ. 15. A neutral indifferent ear that heareth either good or evil without much love or hatred but with a dull and cold indifferencie 16. A dissembling temporizing ear which can complyingly hear one side speak for holiness and the other speak against it and suit it self to the company and discourse it meets with 17. An uncharitable ear which can willingly hear the censures backbitings slanders revilings that are used against others yea against the best 18. An unnatural ear which can easily and willingly hear the dishonour of their parents or other near relations if any carnal interest do but engage them against their honour 19. A rebellious disobedient ear which hearkneth not to the just commands of Magistrates Parents Masters and other Governours but hearkneth with more pleasure to the words of seditious persons that dishonour them 20. A filthy unclean adulterous ear which loveth to hear filthy ribbald speeches
imployment for all thy time Direct 3. which Gods immediate service spareth Yea which somewhat urgeth thee to diligence Otherwise thou wilt lye in bed and say thou hast time to spare or nothing to do You can rise when you have a journey to be gone or a business of pressing necessity to be done Keep your selves under some constant necessity or urgency of business at the least § 14. Direct 4. Take pleasure in your Callings and in the service of God Sluggards themselves Direct 4. can rise to that which they take much pleasure in As to go to a Merriment or Feast or Play or Game or to a good bargain or any thing which they delight in If thou hadst a Delight in thy Calling and in reading the Scripture and praying and doing good thou couldst not lye contentedly in bed but wouldst long to be up and doing as Children to their play The wicked can rise early to do wickedness because their hearts are set upon it They can be drunk or steal or whâ—re or plot â—râ—v 4 16 1 Thess. 5. 6 7. their ambitious and covetous designs when they should sleep And if thy heart were set as much on good as theirs is on evil wouldst not thou be as wakeful and as readily up § 15. Direct 5. Remember the grand importance of the business of your souls which alwayes lyeth Direct 5. on your hands that the greatness of your work may rowze you up What lye slugging in bed when you are so far behind hand in knowledge and grace and assurance of salvation and have so much of the Scripture and other Books to read and understand Hast thou not grace to beg for a needy soul Is not Prayer better work than excess of sleeping Great business in the world can make you rise and why not Greater § 16. Direct 6. Remember that thou must answer in judgement for thy time And what comfort Direct 6. wilt thou have to say I slug'd away so many hours in a morning And what comfort at death when time is gone to review so much cast away in sleep § 17. Direct 7. Remember that God beholdeth thee and is calling thee up to work If thou understoodst Direct 7. his Word and Providence thou wouldst hear him as it were saying as the Marriners to Ionah What meanest thou O sleeper Arise call upon thy God Wilt thou lye sleeping inordinately when God Jonah 1. 6. stands over thee and calls thee up If the King or any great person or friend did but knock at thy door thou wouldst rise presently to wait upon them Why God would speak with thee by his Word or hear thee speak to him by prayer and wilt thou lye still and despise his Call § 18. Direct 8. Remember how many are attending thee while thou sleepest If it be Summer the Direct 8. Sun is up before thee that hath gone so many thousand miles while thou wast asleep It hath given a dayes light to the other half of the world since thou laist down and is come again to light thee to thy work and wilt thou let it shine in vain All the creatures are ready in their places to assist thee and art thou asleep § 19. Direct 9. Consider whether thou wilt allow thy servants to do the like They must be up Direct 9. and at work or you will be offended and tell them that they are no servants for you and that you hire them not to sleep And do you not owe God more service than they owe you Doth God hire you to sleep Is it any lawfuller for you than them to sleep one minute more than is needful to your health No not a minute If you are sicklier than they that 's another matter But see that fulness and idleness cause it not But otherwise your Riches are no excuse to you Will you loyter more than they because you receive more and do less service because you have more pay Or is it your priviledge to be so miserable as to lose that time which poor men save § 20. Direct 10. Remember that your morning hours are the choicest part of all the day for any holy Direct 10. exercise or special employment of the mind The mind is fresh and clear and there is less interruption by worldly business whereas when others are up and about their business you will have interpellations Those that have tryed it can say by experience that the morning hours are the flower of their time for prayer or studies and that early rising is a great part of the art of Redeeming Time § 21. Direct 11. Remember how many are condemning you by their diligence while you are slugging Direct 11. away your time How many holy persons are then at prayer in secret wrestling fervently with God for their salvation or reading and meditating in his word What do they get while you are sleeping The blessed man doth delight in the Law of the Lord and meditate in it day and night and you love your ease and are sleeping day and night Will not all these be witnesses against you So will the diligent in their Callings and so will the worldlings and wicked that rise early to their sin How many thousand are hard at work while you are sleeping Have you not work to do as well as they § 22. Direct 12. Remember that sensuality or flesh-pleasing is the great condemning sin that Direct 12. turns the heart from God And if it be odious in a drunkard or fornicator why is it not so in you Mortifie the flesh and learn to deny it its inordinate desires and your sin is almost cured § 23. Direct 13. For then the executive part is easie when you are willing It is but agreeing Direct 13. with some one to awaken you and a little cold water will wash away your drowsiness if you consent PART VII Directions against sinful Dreams § 1. DReams are neither good nor sinful simply in themselves because they are not rational and voluntary nor in our power But they are often made sinful by some other voluntary Act They may be sinful by participation and consequently And the acts that make them sinful are either such as go before or such as follow after § 2. 1. The antecedent causes are any sinful act which distempereth the body or any sin which inclineth the fantasie and mind thereto or the omission of what was necessary to prevent them 2. The causes which afterwards make them objectively sinful are the ill uses that men make of them As when they take their dreams to be Divine Revelations and trust to them or are affrighted by them as ominous or as prophetical and make them the ground of their actions and seduce themselves by the phantasms of their own brains § 3. Direct 1. Avoid those bodily distempers as much you can which cause sinful dreams especially Direct 1. fulness of dyet A full stomach causeth troublesome
Laert. in Aristip. a man is such are his speeches such his works and such his life Therefore by vain or sinful words you tell men the vanity and corruption of your minds § 4. 3. Mens works have a great dependance on their words Therefore if their deeds be regardable their words are regardable Deeds are stirred up or caused by words Daily experience telleth us the power of speech A speech hath saved a Kingdom and a speech hath lost a Kingdom Great actions depend on them and greater consequents § 5. 4. If the men that we speak to be regardable words are regardable For words are powerful instruments of their good or hurt God useth them by his Ministers for mens conversion and salvation And Satan useth them by his Ministers for mens subversion and damnation How many thousand souls are hurt every day by the words of others Some deceived some puffed up some hardned and some provoked to sinful passions And how many thousand are every day edified by words either instructed admonished quickned or comforted Paul saith The weapons of our warfare are 2 Cor. 10. 4. mighty through God And Pythagoras could say that Tongues cut deeper than swords because they reach even to the soul Tongue sins and duties therefore must needs be great § 6. 5. Our Tongues are the Instruments of our Creators praise purposely given us to speak good of Psal. 66. 2. â—â— 2 135. 3. 148. 13. â—9 2. 100. his Name and to declare his works with rejoycing It is no small part of that service which God expects from man which is performed by the Tongue nor a small part of the end of our Creation The use of all our highest faculties parts and graces are expressively by the Tongue Our Wisdom and Knowledge our Love and Holiness are much lost as to the Honour of God and the good of others if not expressed The tongue is the Lanthorn or Casement of the soul by which it looketh out and shineth unto others Therefore the sin or duty of so noble an instrument are not to be made light of by any that regard the honour of our Maker § 7. 6. Our words have a great reflection and operation upon our own hearts As they come from them so they recoil to them as in prayer and conference we daily observe Therefore for our own good or hurt our words are not to be made light of § 8. 7. Gods Law and Iudgement will best teach you what regard you should have to words Christ telleth you that by your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned Matth. Matth. 12. 32. They who use but few words need not many Laws said Charyllus when he was asked why â—yâ—â—â—â—gus made so few Laws Pâ—â—t Apophâ—hâ—g p. 423. 12. 37. And it is words of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which are the unpardonable sin Jam. 3. 2. If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body v. 6. The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the tongue amongst our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of Hell Jam. 1. 26. If any man among you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain 1 Pet. 3. 10. For he that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Matth. 12. 36. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement The third Commandment telleth us that God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain And Psal. 15. 1 2 3. Speaking the truth in his heart and not backbiting with the tongue is the mark of him that shall abide in Gods Tabernacle and dwell in his holy Hill And the very work of Heaven is said to be the perpetual praising of God Rev. 14. 11. Judge now how God judgeth of your words § 9. 8. And some conjecture may be made by the judgement of all the world Do you not care your selves what men speak of you and to you Do you not care what language your children or servants or neighbours give you Are not words against the King treasonable and capital as well as deeds The wheel of affairs or course of nature is set on fire by words Jam. 3. 6. I may conclude then with Prov. 18. 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and Prov. 21. 23. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble § 10. Direct 2. Understand well and remember the particular duties of the Tongue For the meer Direct 2. restraint of it from evil is not enough And they are these 1. To glorifie God by the magnifying of The Duties of the Tongue his Name To speak of the praises of his Attributes and Works 2. To sing Psalms of Praise to him and delight our souls in the sweet commemoration of his excellencies 3. To give him thanks for the mercies already received and declare to others what he hath done for our souls and bodies for Plato Rectâ— diceâ—e in quatuor scindit 1. Quid dicere oportet 2. Quam multa dicere 3. Ad quos 4. Quando sit dicendum Ea oportet dicere quae sint utilia dicenti auditori Nec nimis multa nec pauciora quam satis est Sâ—ad peccâ—ntes seniores dicendum sit verba illi aetati congrua loquamur sin vero ad juniores dicâ—ndum sit majore autoritate uâ—amur in dicendo Laâ—rt in Plat. his Church and for the world 4. To pray to him for what we want and for our brethren for the Church and for the conversion of his and our enemies 5. To appeal to him and swear by his Name when we are called to it lawfully 6. To make our necessary Covenants and Vows to him and to make open profession of our belief subjection and obedience to him before men 7. To preach his Word or declare it in discourse and to teach those that are committed to our care and edifie the ignorant and erroneous as we have opportunity 8. To defend the truth of God by conference or disputation and consute the false doctrine of deceivers 9. To exhort men to their particular duties and to reprove their particular sins and endeavour to do them good as we are able 10. To confess our own sins to God and man as we have occasion 11. To crave the advice and help of others for our souls and enquire after the will of God and the way to salvation 12. To praise that which is good in others and speak good of all men superiours equals and inferiors so far as there is just ground and cause 13. To bear witness to the truth when we are called
men are never unprovided for wise speech But the mouth of fools bewrayeth their folly Prov. 15. 2. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness Prov. 14. 3. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride but the lips of the wise shall preseve them Prov. 18. 6 7. A fools lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes A fools mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul. But you 'll say To tell us that we should get wisdom is a word soon spoken but not a thing that 's easily or quickly done It 's very true And therefore it 's as true that the tongue is not easily well used and governed for men cannot express the wisdom which they have not unless it be by rote Therefore you must take Solomons counsel Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. My son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee so that thou encline thine ear to wisdom and apply thy heart to understanding yea if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for unstanding If thou seâ—kest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God For the Lord giveth wisdom c. § 44. Direct 6. In the mean time learn to be silent till you have learnt to speak Let not your Direct 6. tongues run before your wits speak not of that which you do not well understand unless as Learners to â—â—m 1 19. Slow to speak slow to wâ—ath Prov. 17. 28. receive instruction Rather of the two speak too little than too much Those that will needs talk of things which they understand not do use either to speak evil of them as Iud. 10. when they are good or to speak evilly of them be they good or bad He that cannot hold his tongue well cannot speak well There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak Eccles. 3. 9. Amos 5. 13. There is a time so evil that the prudent should keep silence At such a time Nihil aequè proderit quam quiescere minimum cum aliis loqui plurimum secum saith Seneca It 's then the best way to be quiet and to say little to others and much to your selves You have two ears and one tongue Hear twice and speak once we oftner repent of speaking then of being silent Few words are quickly answered for To be wary and sparing of your speech doth not only avoid abundance of contention danger and repentance but also procureth you a reputation of wisdom Plutark saith well that Pauca loquentibus paucis legibus opus est There needs but few Laws for them that speak but few words When one said to the Cynick when he was much silent If thou art a wise man thou dost foolishly If thou be a fool thou dost wisely He answered Nemo stultus tacere potest A fool cannot hold his tongue And he that cannot hold his tongue cannot hold his peace Pythagoras his counsel in this agreeth with Christs Aut sile aut affer silentio meliora either be silent or say something that is better than silence It was a wise answer of him that being asked whom covetous Landlords and whom covetous Lawyers hated most did answer to the first Those that eat little and sweat much For they usually live long and so their Leases are not soon expired and to the second Those that speak little and love much For such ☜ seldom make any work for Lawyers Two things are requisite in the matter of your speech that it be somewhat needful to be spoken and that it be a thing which you understand Till then be silent § 45. Direct 7. Take heed of hasty rashness in your speech and use deliberation especially in great Direct 7. or in doubtful things Think before you speak It 's better to try your words before you speak them Noli cito loqui est enim insaniae indicium Bias iâ— Laert. than after A preventing tryal is better than a repenting tryal But if both be omitted God will try them to your greater cost I know in matters that are throughly understood a wise man can speak without any further premeditation than the immediate actuating of the knowledge which he doth express But when there is any fear of mis-understanding or a disability to speak fiâ—ly and safely without fore-thoughts there hasty speaking without deliberation especially in weighty things must be avoided Prov. 29. 20. seest thou a man that is hasty in his words there is more hope of a fool than of him especially take heed in speaking either to God in prayer or in the name of God or as from God in preaching or exhortation or about the holy matters of God in any of thy discourse Eccles. 5. 1 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they do evil that is watch thy self in publick worship and be forwarder to learn of God and to obey him as sensible of thy ignorance and subject to his will than to offer him thy sacrifice as if he stood in need of thee while thou neglectest or rejectest his commands Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few For a dream cometh through multitude of business and a fools voice is known by multitude of words that is Come to God as an obedient learner and a receiver and not as a giver and therefore be readier to hear what he hath to command thee than to pour out many words before him as if he would accept and hear thee for thy babling If loquacity and forwardness to talk many undigested words be a sign of folly among men how much more when thou speakest to God that is in Heaven § 46. Direct 8. Keep a holy government over all your passions as aforesaid and especially try all Direct 8. those words with suspicion which any passion urgeth you to vent For Passion is so apt to blind the judgement that even holy passions themselves must be warily managed and feared as you carry fire among straw or other combustible matter As grievous words stir up anger Prov. 15. 1. so anger causeth grievous words Be not hasty in thy spirit to he angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools Eccles. 7. 9. To govern the tongue when you are in any Passion either Love or fear or grief or anger is like the governing of a Ship in storms and Tempests or the managing of a Horse that is fierce and heated Prov. 14. 16 17. The fool rageth and is confident He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly Prov. 21. 19. It is better to dwell in the
of the world III. If laying the hand on the Book and Kissing it be unlawful for any special matter or manner forbidden more than other significant acts it is for some of the reasons named by you which now I will answer I. Object It savoureth of the Romish superstition Answ. 1. Not at all Prove that if you can 2. Superstition is the feigning of things to be Pleasing or Displeasing to God which are not and using or disusing them accordingly whatever be the Etymologie of the word Superstitum Cultus or supra Statutum c. it is certain that the common use of it among Heathens as Plutark at large and Christians was for an erroneous undue fear of God thinking this or that was displeasing or pleasing to him to be done or to be avoided which was not so but was the conceit of a frightned mistaking mind Therefore to say that God is displeased with this signification of the mind when it is not so nor can be proved is superstition And this is not the solitary instance of Satans introducing superstition under pretense of avoiding superstition 3. The sense of the Law is to be judged of by the Law and by the notorious doctrine and profession of the Law-makers and of the Land which here renounceth the superstitious use of it But I confess I was more afraid that the Papists had too much derogated from the Scripture than given too much to it And they profess that they swear not by a creature Vid. Perer. ubi sup in Gen. 24. 2. Object But Paraeus c. in Gen. 24. 2. saith Non absque superstitione fit cum super crucifixum aut codicem Evangelii digitis impositis juratur ut fit in Papatu Answ. 1. But that same Act which in Papatu is superstitious because of superstitious conceits and ends is not so in all others that have none such 2. It is no new thing to be quick in accusing our adversaries But Paraeus addeth not a syllable of proof And if he had it must have been such as toucht not us or else invalid Object Some good men have scrupled it Answ. 1. Ten thousand to one such have not scrupled it 2. They are not our Gods nor Law 3. The Quakers and the old Anabaptists and they say Origen scrupled yea condemned all swearing or all imposed Oaths And if we avoid all as sin which some good men have scrupled we shall make superstition a great part of our Religion And when on the same grounds we have but practised all as Duty which some good men have taken for Duty we shall quite out-go the Papists He that readeth Beda Boniface and abundance such pious writers will soon see that Godly or Fanatical Religious persons dreams visions strict opinions confident assertions and credulous believing one another with the hope of improving such things against Pagans and Jews for Christianity brought in almost all the Legends and superstitions of the Papists II. Object 2. Our Common-Law Commissions that give authority to examine persons direct it to be Object done super sacramenta sua per sancta Dei evangelia fideliter prestanda And in the form of Administrations in Ecclesiastical Courts the words are Ad sancta Dei Evangelia rite legitime jurati Whether these forms do not infer that in their first use at least persons either swore by the Evangelists or offended in that mode of swearing And our common-Common-Law calls it a Corporal Oath from touching the Book Answ. 1. To know the sense of our present Law it is not necessary that we know the sense of the Answ. first users of the form For the Law is not now the Kings Law that first made it He hath no Law that hath no Government but the Kings Law that now Reigneth and beareth his sense 2. To justifie our obedience to a Law it is not necessary that we prove every phrase in that Law to be fitly expressed 3. But examine it well and try whether it be not also fit and laudable 1. There are three things conjoyned in the Oaths in question 1. A testimony assertory or a promise 2. An Oath 3. An Imprecation The Assertory Testimony here is the first thing intended and the Oath and Imprecation are but as a means to make that Testimony or Promise valid 2. The published Doctrine of England in the 39. Articles the book of Ordination c. is that the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to Salvation as being Gods Law or Rule of our Faith and Life All our Duty to God is there commanded All the promises on which we hope are there contained All the punishments which the perjured or any sinner must feel and should fear are there threatned Therefore 3. The Laying on the hand and Kissing the book is an Action directly related to the Imprecation and not to the Oath but only by consequence as the Imprecation is subservient to the Oath as the Oath is to the Assertion So that this is the plain paraphrase of the whole I do believe that God the Ruler of all the world is the Iudge of secrets which are above mans judgement the searcher of hearts and the hater and avenger of perjury according to this his holy word by which he governeth us And to this God I appeal as to the truth of this my testimony consenting my self to lose all the benefit of his promises to the just and to bear all the punishments here threatned to the Perjured if I lie And what could be said more fitly 1. To own the Protestant doctrine that the Scripture is Gods perfect word that the evil to be feared and the good to be hoped for is all there contained and is all the fulfilling of that word 2. And to put the word in its due subordination to God And our ordinary form of swearing sheweth this So help you God and the Contents of this Book Whether you will call this swearing upon or by the Gospel or call it a corporal Oath or a spiritual Oath is only de nomine and is nothing to the matter thus truly described Sacramentum signifieth the Oath it self and Ad sancta evangelia is a fit phrase or if super sacramenta signifie the two Sacraments of the Gospel it can mean no more than As one that by the reception of the Sacrament doth profess to believe this Gospel to be true I do renounce the benefits of it if I lie And in this sense it hath been some mens custom to receive the Sacrament when they would solemnly swear III. Object Some seem to object against kissing the Book as having the greater appearance of giving Object too much to it or putting some adoration on it and because this Ceremony of kissing is held to be of later date than laying on the hand Answ. The Ceremony signifieth that I love and approve the Gospel and place the hope of my salvation Answ. in it And the publick Doctrine of the Kingdom before cited sheweth as a
2 Sam. 7. 13 Deut. 14 23. Psal. 14â— 1 2. Isa. â—6 8 13. Psal. 86. 9 12. 135. 13. Cant. 1. 3. John 12. 28. of his holy Name and what terrible threatnings he hath denounced against the prophaneners of it and what judgements he hath executed on them Lev. 19. 12. Ye shall not swear by my Name falsly neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. So Lev. 18. 21. And of the Priests it is said Lev. 21. 6. They shall be holy unto their God and not prophane the Name of their God So Lev. 22. 2. v. 31 32. Therefore shall ye keep my commandments and do them I am the Lord Neither shall ye prophane my holy Name but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel I am the Lord which hallow you Deut. 28. 58 59. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law that are written in this Book that thou maist fear this glorious and fearful Name THE LORD THY GOD then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed Great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance Worshipping God and trusting in him is called A walking in his Name and calling upon his Name See Mic. 4. 5. Psal. 99. 6. The place of his publick Worship is called The place where he putteth or recordeth his Name Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 12. 5 11 21. Isa. 29. 23. They shall sanctifie my Name and sanctifie the holy One of Jacob and shall fear the God of Israel Isa. 48. 11. For how should my Name be polluted and I will not give my glory to another God telleth Moses and Moses telleth Aaron when his two Sons were slain I will be sanctified in them that come nigh unto me and before all the people I will be glorified Lev. 10. 3. So Lev. 24. 10 14. A man that in striving with another blasphemed and cursed was stoned to death And in the third Commandment it is terrible enough that God saith The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain § 19. 10. Dost thou not use to say the Lords Prayer and therein Hallowed be thy Name Matth. Luke 11. 2. 6. 9. And wilt thou prophane that Name which thou prayest may be Hallowed Is it Hallowing it to swear by it and use it unreverently and vainly in thy common talk Or will God endure such Hypocrisie as this or regard such Hypocritical prayers § 20. 11. Thy customary swearing is an uncharitable accusation of the hearers as if they were so incredulous that they would not believe a man without an Oath and so prophane that they delight in the prophanation of the Name of God which is the grief of every honest hearer § 21. 12. Thou accusest thy self as a person suspected of lying and not to be believed For among honest men a word is credible without an Oath Therefore if thou were but taken for an honest man thy bare word would be believed And by swearing thou tellest all that hear thee that thou supposest thy self to be taken for a person whose word is not to be believed And what need hast thou to tell this so openly to others if it be so § 22. 13. And by swearing thou declarest the suspicion to be true and that indeed thou art not to be believed so far art thou from making thy sayings more credible by it For he that hath so little conscience and fear of God as to swear prophanely can hardly be thought a person that makes any conscience of a lye For it is the same God that is offended by the one as by the other A swearer warranteth you to suspect him for a lyar § 23. 14. Both swearing and taking Gods Name in vain are the greater sins because you have no stronger a Temptation to them Commonly they bring no honour but shame They bring no sensual pleasure to the senses as gluttony and drunkenness and uncleanness do And usually they are committed without any profit to entice men to them You get not the worth of a penny by your sin so that it is hard to find what draweth you to it or why you do it unless it be to shew God that you fear him not and unless you intend to bid defiance to him and do that which you think will offend him in meer despight So that one would think a very little grace might serve to cure such a fruitless sin And therefore it is a sign of gracelesness § 24. 15. How terribly dost thou draw Gods vengeance upon thy self Cursing thy self is a begging for vengeance Prophane swearing is a prophane contemptuous appeal to the judgement of God And darest thou even in thy sins appeal to the Iudgement of God Dost thou fear it no more To this judgement then thou shalt go But thou wilt quickly have enough of it and find what it was for stubble to appeal to the consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. § 25. Direct 3. Remember Gods presence and keep his fear upon thy heart and remember his judgement Direct 3. to which thou art hastening and keep a tender conscience and a watch upon thy tongue and then thou wilt easily escape such a sin as this Darest thou abuse Gods Name before his face § 26. Direct 4. Write over thy doors or bed where thou maist oft read it the third Commandment or Direct 4. some of these terrible passages of holy Scripture Matth. 5. 34 35 36 37. I say unto you swear not at all neither by Heaven Nor by the Earth Nor by thy Head But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil Jam. 5. 12. Above all things my brethren swear not neither by the Heavens neither by the earth nor any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation or hypocrisie as Dr. Hammond thinks it should be read Zech. 5. 3. Every one that sweareth shall be cut off Jer. 23. 10. Because of swearing the Land mourneth Hos. 4. 2. Think well on such Texts as these § 27. Direct 5. Love God and honour him as God and thou canst not thus despise and abuse his Direct 5. Name Thou wilt reverence and honour the name of that person that thou lovest and reverencest and honourest It is atheism and want of Love to God that makes thee so prophane his Name § 28. Direct 6. Punish thy self after every such Crime with such a voluntary mulct or penalty as Direct 6. may help to quicken thy observation and remembrance If none execute the Law upon thee which is twelve pence an Oath lay more on thy self and give it to the poor Though you are not bound to do justice on your selves you may medicinally help to cure your selves by that which hath a rational aptitude thereto Tit. 3. Special Directions against Lying and Dissembling § 1. THat you may know what Lying
is we must first know what Truth is and what is the What Truth is Use of Speech Truth is considerable 1. As it is in the things known and spoken of 2. As it is in the conception or knowledge of the mind 3. As it is in the expressions of the tongue 1. Truth Vid. Aquin. de Veritat in the things known is nothing but their Reality that indeed they are that which their names import or the mind apprehendeth them to be This is that which is called both Physical and Metaphysical Truth 2. Truth in the conception or knowledge of the mind is nothing else but the agreement or conformity of the knowledge to the thing known To conceive of it truly is to conceive of it as it is Mistake or error is contrary to this Truth 3. Truth as it is in the expressions is indeed a twofold relation 1. The primary relation is of our words or writings to the matter expressed And so Truth of speech is nothing but the agreeableness of our words to the things expressed when we speak of them as they are 2. The secondary relation of our words is to the mind of the Speaker For the natural use of the tongue is to express the mind as well as the matter And thus Truth of Speech is nothing but the agreeableness of our words to our thoughts or judgements Truth as it is the agreement of Thoughts or words to the matter may be called Logical Truth And this is but the common Matter of Moral or Ethical Truth which may be â—ound partly in a Clock or Watch or Weather-cock or a Seamans Chart. The agreement of our words to our minds is the more proper or special matter of Moral Truth The form of it as a Moral Virtue is its agreement to the Law of the God of Truth And as the Terminus entereth the definition of relations so our words have respect to the Mind of the hearer or reader as their proper Terminus their use being to acquaint him 1. With the matter expressed 2. With our minds concerning it Therefore it is necessary to the Logical Truth of speech that it have an aptitude rightly to inform the hearer and to the Ethical Truth that it be intended by the speaker really to inform him and not to deceive him Supposing that it is another that we speak to § 2. You see then that to a Moral Truth all these things are necessary 1. That it be an agreement of the words with the matter expressed as far as we are obliged to know the matter 2. That it be an agreement of the words with the speakers mind or judgement 3. That the expressions have an aptitude to inform the hearer of both the former truths 4. That we really intend them to inform him of the truth so far as we speak it 5. That it be agreeable to the Law of God which is the Rule of duty and discoverer of sin § 3. In some speeches the Truth of our words as agreeing to the Matter and to the Mind is all one viz. when our own conception or judgement of a thing is all that we assert As when we say I think or I believe or I judge that such a thing is so Here it is no whit necessary to the Truth of my words that the Thing be so as I think it to be For I affirm it not to be so but that indeed I think as I say I think But that our words and minds agree is alwayes and inseparably necessary to all Moral Truth § 4. We are not bound to make known all that is true for then no man must keep a secret How far we are bound to speak the truth much less to every man that asketh us Therefore we are not bound to endeavour the Cure of every mans ignorance or error in every matter For we are not bound to talk at all to every man And if I be not bound to make known the truth at all or my mind at all I am not bound to make known all the truth or all that is in my mind No not to all those to whom I am bound to make known part of both If I find a man in an ignorance or error which I am not bound to cure nay possibly it were my sin to cure it as to open the secrets of the Kings Counsels or Armies to his Enemies c. I may and must so fit my speech to that man even about those matters as not to make him know what he should not know either of the matter or of my mind I may either be silent or speak darkly or speak words which he understandeth not through his own imperfection or which I know his weakness will misunderstand But I must speak no falshood to him Also there is a great difference between speaking so as not to cure the ignorance or error of the hearer which I found him in and so speaking as to lead him into some new error I may do the former in many cases in which I may not do the latter And there is great difference between speaking such words as in the common use of men are apt to inform the hearers of the truth though I may know that through some weakness of their own they will misunderstand them and be deceived by them and the speaking of words which in common use of men have another signification than that which I use them to By the former way the hearer sometime is the deceiver of himself and not the speaker when the speaker is not bound to reveal any more to him But by the later way the speaker is the deceiver Also there is great difference to be made between my speaking to one to whom it is my duty to reveal the truth and my speaking to a man to whom I am not bound to reveal it yea from whom my duty to God and my King or Country bind me to conceal it By these grounds and distinctions you may know what a Lye is and may resolve the ordinary doubts that are used to be raised about our speaking truth or falshood As § 5. Quest. 1. Am I bound to speak the Truth to every one that asketh me Answ. You are not Quest. 1. bound to speak at all in every case to every one that asketh you And he that is silent speaketh not the truth § 6. Quest. 2. Am I bound to speak the Truth to every one that I answer to Answ. Your Answer Quest. 2. may sometimes be such as signifieth but a denying to answer or to reveal what is demanded of you § 7. Quest. 3. Am I bound to speak all the Truth when ever I speak part of it Answ. No It is Quest. 3. Gods Word that must tell you when and how much you must reveal to others And if you go as 〈…〉 â—6 63. Maâ— 1â— 61. 15. 5 Luke 23. 9. Jâ—â—n 19 9. â—â—r 8 26 27. far as God alloweth you it followeth not that
Ephes. 5. 18 19. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord giving thanks alwayes for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Psal 119. 172. Psal. 49 3 3â— 28. Christ 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God Sinful omission of good discourse is the cause of sinful commission of vanity Specially when the heart it self is vain For as a man is so is he apt to speak 1 John 4. 5. They are of the world therefore speak they of the world Isa. 32. 6. For the vile person will speak villany and his heart will work iniquity to practise hypocrisie and to utter error against the Lord. § 34. Direct 5. Walk alwayes with God as in his presence and in the awe of his Laws and judgement Direct 5. that conscience may be kept awake and tender You will be restrained from vain talk if you perceive Jer. 8. 6. Prov. 6. 22. Psal. 7â— 12. 105 2. 114. 27. 149. 11. that God is hearing you and if you remember that your tongue is under a Law and that for every idle word men shall give account in the day of judgement Matth. 12. 36 37. and that by your words you shall be justified or condemned If the Law of God were in your hearts Psal. 40. 8. and hidden there Psal. 119. 11. Your heart would be fixed Psal. 57. 7. His word then would be the rejoycing of your heart Psal. 119. 111. and your tongues would then be talking of judgement Psal. 37. 30. A tender conscience will smart more with an idle world than a seared senseless conscience with an Oath or lye or slander For the Fear of God is clean Psal. 19. 9. and by it men depart from evil Proverbs 16. 6. Be thou therefore in the fear of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23. 17. § 34. Direct 6. Avoid idleness if you would avoid idle talk The drones of the Commonwealth Direct 6. that have nothing else to do but visit and complement and prate of other mens matters and that 1 Tim. 5. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 15. can have while to sit whole hours together upon no business are they that are most guilty of idle chat Idle Gentlemen and Beggars and idle gossipping Women and Old men that are void of the fear of God and Children that have no business to do are they that can sit talking away their time to as little purpose as if they had been all the time asleep All idle persons swarm with the Vermine of idle thoughts and words § 36. Direct 7. If you would avoid idle talk avoid idle talkative companions or if you cannot Direct 7. avoid them answer them not but let them talk alone unless it be to reprehend them or turn them to Gaâ—â—ulo non respondeâ—e convitium est more profitable talk For when you hear vanity it will incline you to speak vanity And these ungodly persons speak every one vanity to his neighbour as if their tongues were so their own that no Lord might controll them Psal. 12. 1 2 5 6. The Philosopher could say That which you would not hear do not speak and that which you would not speak do not hear Most are like Parrots that will oftest speak the words which they oftest hear How hard is it to avoid idle talk amongst idle talkers One vain word draws on another and there is no end § 37. Direct 8. Avoid vain works if you would avoid vain words For a man that engageth himself Direct 8. in vain employment doth lose all the words as vain which he useth about that employment What a life then do they live that have an unlawful Calling When their very business and Trade is sin the adjuncts the words about it must be sin and so all their lives are a continued sin I had rather therefore be the basest drudge than one of these men Especially Stage-players should think of this And those that spend whole hours yea half dayes if not nights in gaming and vain or sinful sports what abundance of idle words do they use about them Every cast of the Dice and every Card they play hath an idle word so that a sober man would be aweary and ashamed to hear them § 38. Direct 9. Plunge not your selves into excess of worldly business as some do that undertake more Direct 9. without necessity than they can discharge For such necessitate a variety of thoughts and words And all that are spent in serving them in those their vain employments are vain though the work for the matter of it be not vain § 39. Direct 10. Let not a vicious mind make that seem necessary or convenient which is vain Direct 10. Carnal hearts that are acquainted with no better things think nothing vain that pleaseth their sensual inclinations or which their carnal interest doth require A man-pleaser thinketh Civility obligeth him to observe his unnecessary visits and complements and to answer idle talkers and not sit silent by them noâ— contradict them And so it must be a point of good manners to break the Law of God And as they think it uncivil not to pledge every drinker in his healths so not to answer every twatler in his talk § 40. Direct 11. Take heed of a proud self-conceited mind that thinks too well of your own discourse Direct 11. Gâ—t but Humility and you will rather chooâ—e to hear than to speak But when all your fansies and Prov. 3. 7. 26. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 18. impertinâ—nâ—ies seem some excellent matters to you then you are with child till you are delivered of them and then all must reverence and silently attend your pride and folly or be taken as neglecters of you for disregarding it § 41. Direct 12. Avoid Passion and passionate companions For passion is talkative and will not be Direct 12. châ—â—kt but resisteth the restraint of reason and multiplyeth words which are worse than vain Prov. 14. 17 1â— 18. Eccles 7 8 9 § 42. Direct 13. Take heed of an inordinate jeasting vain For it habituateth the mind to foolish lâ—vity and knows no bounds and breeds idle words as thick as putrified flesh breeds Vermine And it is the greater sin because it is ordinary and with a certain pleasure and pride and glorying in vanity Direct 13. Eccles. 2. 2 Eccles. 7. 6. Epheâ— 5. 4 and sinful levity and folly § 43 Direct 14. Understand particularly what service you have to do for God or men in every company you come in and so fit your words to the present duty and company For those words Direct 14. are vain and inconvenient in one company that are necessary or convenient in another If you be to Prov. 2â— 17. Prov. 1â— 1â—
13 â—0 15. 2 7 31. converse with the ignorant and ungodly turn your discourse into a compassionate way of instruction or exhortation If with men wiser and better than your selves enquire and learn of them and draw that from them which may edifie you § 44. Direct 15. Affect not an unnecessary curiosity of speech but take those for the fittest words Direct 15. which are suited to the Matter and to thy Heart and to the Hearers Otherwise your speech will be You will â—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â— one 〈…〉 tâ—at wâ—â—â—â—e â— gâ—â—â—â—t â—oâ—k â—n a little matter studiedly and affectedly vain And you will glory in that as elegant which is your shame Hypocritical words that come not from the heart are dead and corrupt and are but the Image of true speech as wanting that verity and significancy of the mind which is their life Words are like Laws that are valued by the Authority and Matter and End more than by the curiosity and elegancy or like money that is valued by the Authority Metall and Weight and not by the curiosity of its Sculpture Imagery or matter All that is counterfeit though curious is vain § 45. Direct 16. Suppose you had written down the idle words of a day your own or any other Direct 16. pratlers and read them over all at night Would you not be ashamed of such a Volume of Vanity and Confusion O what a Book it would be that one should thus write from the mouth of idle talkers What a shame would it be to humane nature It would tempt some to question whether man be a reasonable creature or whether all be so at least Remember then that all is recorded by God and Conscience and all this hodgepodge of vanity must be reviewed and answered for § 46. The rest that is necessary for Direction against Idle words you may find Chap. 5. Part 2. in the Government of the Thoughts and in my Book of Self-denyal In a word for I must not commit the fault which I am reproving account not a course of idle talk for a small sin Never suffer so loose and slippery a member as your tongue to be unguarded and never speak that of which you dare not say as Psal. 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be now and alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer § 47. But especially above others these persons should watch against vain words 1. Preachers who Wâ—â— should be most watchful here 1 Tim. 4. 12. â—ob 12. 12. Eccles. 11. 10. are doubly sanctified persons and whose tongues being consecrated to God must not be sacrilegiously alienated to vanity which is worse than sacrilegious alienation of the places or utensils or revenews of the Church Hate it therefore more than these 2. Ancient people whose words should be grave and wise and full of instruction to suppress the levity of youth Childhood and Youth is Vanity but Age should not be so 3. Parents and Masters who should be examples of gravity and stayedness to their families and by their reproofs and chastisements should repress such faults in their inferiors 4. Those that are better qualified thâ—n others with knowledge and utterance to use their tongues to edification Vain speech is a double sin in them 5. Those that are noted for persons of holiness and Religion For it is supposed that they pray and speak much against idle talk and therefore must not themselves be guilty of it If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not â—is tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion iâ— vain Jam. 1. 26. See my Sermon on that Text. 6. Those that are ignorant and need much the edifying speech of others 7. Those that live among wise and holy persons by whom they may be much edified 8. Those that are among twatlers where they know they have more need to watch their tongues than their Purses among Cut-purses 9. Those women especially that are naturally addicted to overmuch talk who therefore should be the more watchful as knowing their disease and danger 10. Both empty and angry persons who carry a continual temptation about them All these should be specially watchful against idle talk And for the Time 1. Specially when they are among those that may receive most hurt by it 2. And when you are going to holy duty or newly come from it c. Tit. 5. Special Directions against filthy ribbald scurrilous Talk § 1. Direct 1. THe chief Direction against this filthy sin is General to get out of a Graceless Direct 1. state and get a heart that â—eareth God and then you dare not be guilty of such impudency God is not so despised by those that fear him § 2. Direct 2. Cease noâ— your holy communion with God in his Worship especially in secret and be not Direct 2. strange to him and seldom with him And then you dare not so pollute those lips that use to speak seriously to God What! talk of lust and filthiness with that tongue that spake but even now to the most Holy God Gods Name and presence will awe you and cleanse you and shew you that his Temple should not be so defiled and that he hath not called you to uncleanness but to Holiness and that a filthy tongue is unsuitable to the holy praise of God But while the rest of your life is nothing but a serving the Devil and the flesh no wonder if râ—baldry seem a fit language for you § 3. Direct 3. Cleanse your hearts of vanity and filthiness and then your tongues will be more clean Direct 3. It is a vain or unchaste heart that makes an unchaste tongue § 4. Direct 4. Remember what a shame it is to open and proclaim that filthiness of thy heart Direct 4. which thou mightst have concealed Christ telleth us how to expound thy words that out of the abundance Luke 6 45. of thy heart thy mouth speaketh And what needest thou tell people that it is the rutting-moon with thee and that lust and filthiness are the inhabitants of thy mind If thou be not so far past all shame as to commit fornication in the open Streets why wilt thou there talk of it § 5. Direct 5. Remember that filthy talk is but the approach to filthy acts It is but thy breaking Direct 5. the shell of modesty that thou maist eat the kernell of the Vomiting Nutt This is the tendency of it whether thou intend it or not Canst thou be offended with him that believeth thou dost that villany in secret which thou talkest of openly or that taketh thee to be preparing thy self for a Whore If the deed be bad thy making a jeast of it cannot be good § 6. Direct 6. Remember that thou bidst defiance to godliness and honesty Corrupt communication Direct 6. grieveth the Spirit of God Ephes. 4. 29 30. Canst thou expect that the Holy
thou deridest men for doing but some part of their duty and discharging but a little of his debt For the holiest man whom thou deridest for doing too much doth less than what he ought to do Thou knowest that the best of men do Love God and serve him less than he deserveth and that the carefullest come short of the perfect keeping of his Laws And yet wilt thou scorn men for doing so much when they know and thou confessest that they do too little could they do all they did but their duty Luk. 17. 10. § 12. 6. Thou scornest men because they will not set up themselves their own wit and will against their maker God hath commanded them to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. and to strive to enter in at the strait gate and day and night to meditate in his Law and Maâ— 7. 13. Psal. 1 2. 1 Thes. 5. 17. to Love him with all their heart and might and to pray continually And thou deridest men for obeying these commands Why what wouldst thou have us do man should we tell God that we are wiser than he and that he shall not have his will but we will have our own and that we know a better way than he hath appointed us and that he is mistaken and would deceive us by his Laws Wouldst thou have men thus to be voluntarily mad and profess themselves open Robels against God § 13. 7. Thou scornest men because they trust him that is Truth and Goodness it self We cannot imagine that he can deceive us by his word or that he maketh any Law for us that is not good or requireth any duty of us that shall be to our hurt or that we shall be losers by And therefore we resolve to obey him as carefully as we can because we are confident that Goodness it self will not Maâ—ignity so blandeth the understanding that it maketh men ascribe all the evil that befalleth them to that which is the only way to happiness every bad success that the Heather Romans had they impâ—red to the Christians saith Paul Diacoâ—us lib 3. when Radagusus the Goth invaded the Romans Pavor infinitus Romam invadit Decâ—amatur à câ—â—ctis se haeâ— ideo perpeti quod neglecta fuerunt magnorum sacra Deorum Magnis querelis ubique agere continuo de repetendis sacrâ—s câ—lebrandisque tractatur â—ere in tota urbe blasphemiae ad nomen Christi tanquam lues aliqua probris ingravantur conduâ—â—nâ—ur Romanis adversus Radagusum duo Pagani duces c. abuse us and Truth it self will not deceive us And is this a matter to be scorned for should not Children trust their Father § 14. 8. Thou deridest men for not sinning against their certain knowledge and experience They know that a Holy life is best though thou dost not They know the Reasonableness of it They know Saith Châ—ysost As those that â—â—n oâ— act in publick Games bâ—sideâ— the 〈…〉 which they h 〈…〉 do mâ—â—â—â— increas◠〈…〉 strength and hâ—alth by preparing their bodys for it So besides the hopes of Heaven it is no small comfort and advantage here in the way which Christians gâ—t by their holy lives the sweetness of it They know the Necessity of it And must they renounce their own understandings must they be ignorant because thou art ignorant and put out their eyes because thou art blind Is it a crime for men to be wiser than thou and that in the matters of God and their salvation They have tryed what a Holy life is and so hast not thou They have tryed what a life of faith and obedience is And must they renounce their own experience Must they that have tasted it say Honey is bitter because thou that never didst taste it saist so Alas what unreasonable men have we to deal with § 15. 9. Thou opposest and scornest men for Loving themselves yea for Loving their souls and taking care of its health and welfare For how can a man truly Love himself and not Love his soul which is himself And how can a man Love his soul and not prefer it before the low concernments of his flesh and not take the greatest care of its greatest everlasting Happiness Can a man truly Love himself and yet damn himself or lose the little time in which he must if ever work out his salvation You will not scorn him that is careful of your Children or your very Cattle you Love them and therefore are careful of them your selves And shall not he that Loveth his soul be careful of it To Love our selves is natural to us as men And how shall he Love his Neighbour that Loveth not himself § 16. 10. Thou scornest men because they Love Heaven above earth and because they are desirous to live for ever with God and all the holy Hosts of Heaven For what is it that these men do so diligently but seek to be saved What do they but seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and labour for the meat that perisheth not Ioh. 6. 27. and lay up their treasure in Heaven Mat. 6. 20. and set their hearts there Mat. 6. 21. and seek the things that are above and have their conversation in Heaven Col. 3. 1 2 3. Phil. 3. 19 20. And if it be so scornful a matter to seek for Heaven sure thou never thinkest of coming to Heaven thy self Unless thou think to come thither by scorning at the seekers of it § 17. 11. Thou deridest men because they are unwilling to be damned and unwilling to do that which they know would damn them or to neglect that without which there is no hope of scaping Hell They believe the threatnings of God and therefore they think no pains too great to escape his wrath They think a Holy Life is both a necessary and an easie way to prevent everlasting torment But if thou think otherwise keep thy opinion till Grace or Hell shall make thee wiser and mock not a man that will not play with his own damnation and leap into Hell as desperately as thy self § 18. 12. Thou deridest men because they will not be the voluntary destroyers of themselves Were it not enough for thee to betray them unto others or to murther any of thy neighbours thy self but thou must with them do it with their own hands and deride them if they will not O cruel Monster that wouldst wish a man to lye in the fire of Hell for evermore and to go thither wilfully of his own accord which is ten thousand times worse than to wish him to cut his own throat Dost thou say God forbid I desire no such thing Why man dost thou do thou knowest not what Doth not he tempt a man to be hanged that tempteth him to kill and steal When the righteous God hath unchangeably determined in his Law that without Holiness none shall Heb. 12. 14. 2 Thes. 1. â— 9 10. 2 Thes.
to be believed Either you have not done your best or else you are not under a necessity And your urgency being your own fault seeing you should subdue it God still obligeth you both to subdue your Vice and to obey your Parents 3. But if there should be any one that hath such an incredible necessity of marriage he is to procure some others to sollicite his Parents for their consent and if he cannot obtain it some say it is his duty to marry without it I should rather say that it is minus malum the lesser evil and that having cast himself into some necessity of sinning it is still his duty to avoid both and to choose neither but it is the smaller sin to choose to disobey his Parents rather than to live in the flames of lust and the filth of unchastity And some Divines say that in such a case a Son should appeal to the Magistrate as a superior authority above the Father But others think 1. That this leaveth it as difficult to resolve what he shall do if the Magistrate also consent not And 2. That it doth but resolve one difficulty by a greater it being very doubtful whether in Domestick cases the authority of the Parent or the Magistrate be the greater § 11. 3. The same answer serveth as to the third Question when Parents forbid you to marry the persons that you are most fond of For such fondness whether you call it Lust or Love as will not stoop to reason and your Parents wills is inordinate and sinful And therefore the thing that God bindeth you to is by his appointed means to subdue it and to obey But if you cannot the accidents and probable consequents must tell you which is the lesser evil § 12. Quest. But what if the Child have promised marriage and the Parents be against it Answ. If Quest. the Child was under the Parents Government and short of years of discretion also the promise is void for want of capacity And if the child was at age yet the promise was a sinful promise as to the promising act and also as to the thing promised during the Parents dissent If the actus promittendâ— only had been sinful the promise making the promise might nevertheless oblige unless it were null as well as sinful But the materia promissa being sinful the matter promised to marry while Parents do dissent such a child is bound to forbear the fullfilling of that promise till the Parents do consent or die And yet he is bound from marrying any other unless he be disobliged by the person that he made the promise to because he knoweth not but his Parents may consent hereafter And whenever they consent or die the promise then is obligatory and must be performed § 13. The 3. Chap. of Num. enableth Parents to disoblige a Daughter that is in their house from a Vow made to God so be it they disallow it at the first hearing Hence there are two doubts arise 1. Whether this power extend not to the disobliging of a promise or contract of Matrimony 2. Whether it extend not to a Son as well as a Daughter And most expositors are for the affirmative of both cases But I have shewed before that it is upon uncertain grounds 1. It is uncertain whether God who would thus give up his own right in case of Vowing will also give away the right of others without their consent in case of Promises or Contracts And 2. It is uncertain whether this be not an indulgence only of the weaker sex seeing many words in the Text seem plainly to intimate so much And it is dangerous upon our own presumptions to stretch Gods Laws to every thing we imagine there is the same reason for Seeing our imaginations may so easily be deceived and God could have exprest such particulars if he would And therefore when there is not clear ground for our inferences in the Text it is but to say Thus and thus God should have said when we cannot say Thus he hath said We must not make Laws under pretense of â—xpounding them whatsoever God commandeth thee take heed that thou do it thou shalt â—â—â—â— nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Deut. 12. 32. § 14. Quest. If the Question therefore be not of the sinfullness but the nullity of such Promises of Quest. children because of the dissent of Parents for my part I am not able to prove any such nullity It is said that They are not sui juris their own and therefore their promises are null But if they have attained Object to years and use of discretion they are naturally so far sui juris as to be capable of disposing even of Answ. their souls and therefore of their fidelity They can oblige themselves to God or man Though they are not so far sui juris as to be ungoverned For so no child no Subject no Man is sui juris seeing all are under the Government of God And yet if a man promise to do a thing sinful it is not a nullity but a sin not no promise but a sinful promise A nullity is when the Actus promittendi is Reputativè nullus vel non actus And when no Promise is made then none can be broken § 15. Quest. But if the Question be only how far such Promises must be kept I answer by summing Quest. up what I have said 1. If the child had not the use of Reason the want of Natural â—apacity proveth the Promise null Here ignorantis non est consensus 2. If he was at age and use of Reason then 1. If the Promising act only was sinful as before I said of Vows the Promise must be both repented of and kept It must be repented of because it was a sin It must be kept because it was a real Promise and the matter lawful 2. If the Promising act was not only a sin but a nullity by any other reason then it is no obligation 3. If not only the Promising act be sin but also the matter Promised as is marrying without Parents consent then it must be repented of and not performed till it become lawful Because an oath or promise cannot bind a man to violate the Laws of God § 16. Quest. But what if the parties be actually Married without the Parents consent Must they live Quest. together or be separated Answ. 1. If Marriage be consummated per carnalem concubitum by the carnal knowledge of each other I see no reason to imagine that Parents can dissolve it or prohibit their cohabitation For the Marriage for ought I ever saw is not proved a nullity but only a sin and their concubitus is not fornication And Parents cannot forbid Husband and Wife to live together And in Marriage they do really though sinfully forsake Father and Mother and cleave to each other and so are now from under their Government though not disobliged from all obedience 2. But if
advantages for a better life No care and caution can be too great in a matter of so great importance § 46. Direct 6. Let no carnal motives perswade you to joyn your self to an ungodly person but let Direct 6. the holy fear of God be preferred in your choice before all worldly excellency whatsoever Marry not a Swine for a Golden trough nor an ugly soul for a comely body Consider 1. You will else give cause of great suspicion that you are your selves Ungodly For they that know truly the misery of an unrenewed soul and the excellency of the Image of God can never be indifferent whether they be joyned to the Godly or the Ungodly To prefer things temporal before things spiritual habitually and in the predominant acts of heart and life is the certain Character of a graceless soul And he that in so near a case doth deliberately prefer Riches or Comliness in another before the image and fear of God doth give a very dangerous sign of such a graceless heart and will If you set more by Beauty or Riches than by Godliness you have the surest mark that you are ungodly If you do not sâ—t more by them how come you deliberately to prefer them How could you do a thing that detecteth your ungodliness and condemneth you more clearly And do you not shew that you either believe not the word of God or else that you love him not and regard not his interest Otherwise you would take his friends as your friends and his enemies as your enemies Tell me would you marry an enemy of your own before any change and reconciliation I am confident you would not And can you so easily marry an enemy of God If you know not that all the ungodly and unsanctified are his enemies you know not or believe not the word of God which telleth you that the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can â—e so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 7 8. 2. If you fear God your selves your chief end in marriage will be to have one that will be a helper to your soul and further you in the way to Heaven But if you marry with a person that is ungodly either you have no such end or else you may easily know you have no wiselyer chosen the means than if you had chosen water to kindle the fire or a bed of snow to keep you warm Will an ignorant or ungodly person assist you in prayer and holy watchfulness and stir you up to the Love of God and a heavenly mind And can you so willingly lose all the spiritual benefit which you should principally desire and intend 3. Nay instead of a Helper you will have a continual hinderer when you should go to prayer you will have one to pull you back or to fill your minds with diversions or disquietments when you should keep close to God in holy meditations you will have one to cast in worldly thoughts or trouble your minds with vanity or vexation When you should discourse of God and heavenly things you will have one to stifle such discourse and fill your ears with idle impertinent or worldly talk And one such a hinderance so neer you in your bosome will be worse than a thousand further off As an ungodly heart which is next of all to us is our greatest hinderance so an ungodly husband or wife which is next to that is worse to us than many ungodly neighbours And if you think that you can well enough overcome such hinderances and your heart is so good that no such clogs can keep it down you do but shew that you have a proud unhumbled heart that is prepared for a fall If you know your selves and the badness of your hearts you will know that you have no need of hinderances in any holy work and that all the helps in the world are little enough and too little to keep your souls in the Love of God 4. And such an ungodly companion will be to you a continual temptation to sin Instead of stirring you up to good you will have one to stir you up to evil to passion or discontent or covetousness or pride or revenge or sensuality And can you not sin enough without such a tempter 5. And what a continual grief will it be to you if you are believers to have a child of the Devil in your bosome and to think how far you must be separated at death and in what torments those must lye for ever that are so dear unto you now 6. Yea such companions will be uncapable of the principal part of your Love You may love them as Husbands or Wives but you cannot love them as Saints and members of Christ. And how great a want this will be in your Love those know that know what this holy Love is § 47. Quest. But how can I tell who are Godly when there is so much hypocrisie in the world Quest. Answ. At least you may know who is Ungodly if it be palpably discovered I take not a barren knowledge for ungodliness nor a nimble tongue for Godliness Judge of them by their Love such as a mans Love is such is the Man If they Love the word and servants and worship of God and Love a holy life and hate the contrary you may close with such though their knowledge be small and their parts be weak But if they have no Love to these but had rather live a common careless carnal life you may well avoid them as ungodly § 48. Quest. But if ungodly persons may marry why may not I marry with one that is ungodly Quest. Answ. Though Dogs and Swine may joyn in Generating it followeth not men or women may joyn with them Pardon the comparison while Christ calleth the wicked Dogs and Swine Mat. 7. 6. it doth but shew the badness of your consequence Unbelievers may marry and yet we may not marry with unbelievers 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16. Be ye not unequally yoaked together with unbelievers For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. § 49. Quest. But I make no doubt but they may be converted God can call them when he will If Quest. there be but Love they will easily be won to be of the mind as those they Love are Answ. 1. Then it seems because you Love an ungodly person you will be easily turned to be ungodly If so you are not much better already If Love will not draw you to their mind to be ungodly why should you think Love
children speaking of them when thou â—ittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up and thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thy house and upon your Gates that your dayes may be multiplyed and the dayes of your children The like words are in Deut. 6. 6 7 8. where it is said And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children So Deut. 4. 9. Teach them thy sons and thy sons sons Here there is one part of Family Duty viz. Teaching children the Laws of God as plainly commanded as words can express it Arg. 2. From these texts which commend this Gen. 18. 18 19. All the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him for I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord and it was not only a command at his death what they should do when he was dead For 1. It cannot be imagined that so holy a man should neglect a Duty all his life time and perform it but at death and be commended for that 2. He might then have great cause to question the efficacy 3. As God commandeth a diligent inculcating precepts on Children so no doubt it 's a practice answerable to such precepts that is here commended And it is not bare teaching but commanding that is here mentioned to shew that it must be an improvement of Authority as well as of knowledge and elocution So 2 Tim. 3. 15. Of a child Timothy knew the Scripture by the teaching of his Parents as appeareth 2 Tim. 1. 5. Arg. 3. Eph. 6. 4. Bring them up in the nurture and admontion of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated nurture signifieth both Instruction and Correction shewing that Parents must use both Doctrine and Authority or force with their Children for the Matters of the Lord and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated admonition signifieth such Instruction as putteth Doctrine into the mind and chargeth it on them and fully storeth their minds therewith And it also signifieth chiding and sometimes correction And it 's to be noted that Children must be brought up in this The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying carefully to nourish importeth that as you feed them with milk and bodily food so you must as carefully and constantly feed and nourish them with the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is called the nurture and admonition of the Lord because the Lord commandeth it and because it is the Doctrine concerning the Lord and the Doctrine of his teaching and the Doctrine that leadeth to him Arg. 4. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way where he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Arg. 5. From all those places that charge Children to hearken to the instructions of their Parents Prov. 1. 8. My Son hear the Instruction of thy Father and forsake not the law of thy Mother Prov. 6. 20. is the like and 3. 22. with many the like Yea the Son that is stubborn and rebellious against the Instruction and Correction of a Father or Mother in Gluttony Drunkenness c. was to be brought forth to the Magistrate and stoned to death Deut. 21. 18 19 20. Now all the Scriptures that require Children to â—ear their Parents do imply that the Parents must teach their Children for there is no hearing and learning without teaching But lest you say that Parents and Children are not the whole family though they may be and in Abrahams case before mentioned the whole houshold is mentioned the next shall speak to other relations Arg. 6. 1 Pet. 3. 7. Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them your wives according to knowledge and Eph. 5. 25 26. Love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it And this plainly implies that this knowledge must be used for the Instruction and sanctification of the Wife 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. Women must keep silence in the Church for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are to be under obedience as also saith the Law If they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at home Which shews that at home their Husbands must teach them Arg. 7. Col. 3. 22 23 24 25. Eph. 6. 5 6 7 8. Servants must be obedient unto their Masters as unto Christ and serve them as serving the Lord Christ and therefore Ministers must command in Christ. Arg. 8. A fortiori fellow Christians must exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin much more must the Rulers of families do so to Wives Children and Servants 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any speak it must be as the Oracles of God much more to our own Families Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another and much more must a man do this to Wife Children and Servants than to those more remote Arg. 9. Those that are to be chosen Deacons or Bishops must be such as Rule their own Children and their own houshold well 1 Tim. 3. 4 12. Now mark 1. That this is one of those Christian virtues which they were to have before they were made Officers therefore other Christians must have and perform it as well as they 2. It is a Religious Holy Governing such as a Minister is to exercise over his flock that is here mentioned which is in the things of God and salvation or else the comparison or argument would not suit ver 5. For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he rule the Church of God But of this more before I would say more on this point but that I think it is so clear in Scripture as to make it needless I pass therefore to the next Prop. 3. Family Discipline is part of Gods solemn Worship or Service appointed in his Word This is Prop. 3. not called Worship in so near a sense as some of the rest but more remotely yet so it may well be called in that 1. It is an Authoritative Act done by commission from God 2 Upon such as disobey him and as such 3. And to his Glory yea and it should be done with as great solemnity and reverence as other parts of worship The Acts of this discipline are first denying the ungodly entrance into the family 2. Correcting 3. Or casting out those that are in I shall be but brief on these 1. The first you have 2 Ioh. 10. If there come any to you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds 2. The Duty of correcting either by corporal sensible punishment or by withdrawing some benefit is so commonly required in Scripture especially towards Children that
also is your Authority Your Authority over your Wife is but such as is necessary to the order of your Family the safe and prudent management of your affairs and your comfortable cohabitation The power of love and complicated interest must do more than Magisterial commands Your authority over your Children is much greater But yet only such as conjunct with Love is needful to their good education and felicity Your authority over your servants is to be measured by your contract with them in these Countreys where there are no slaves in order to your Service and the honour of God In other matters or to other ends you have no Authority over them For the maintaining of this your Authority observe these following Subdirections § 3. Direct 1. Lâ—t your family understand that your Authority is of God who is the God of Order Direct 1. and that in obedience to him they are obliged to obey you There is no power but of God And there is none that the intelligent Creature can so much reverence as that which is of God All bonds are easily broken and cast away by the soul at least if not by the body which are not perceived to be Divine An illightned Conscience will say to ambitious usurpers God I know and his Son Jesus I know but who are ye § 4. Direct 2. The more of God appeareth upon you in your knowledge and holiness and unblameableness Direct 2. of life the greater will your Authority be in the eyes of all your inferiours that fear God Sin will make you contemptible and vile And Holiness being the Image of God will make you Honourable In the eyes of the faithful a vile person is contemned but they honour them that fear the Lord. Psal. 15. 4 Righteousness exalteth a Nation and a person but sin is a reproach to any people Prov. 14. 34. Those that honour God he will honour and those that dâ—spise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30. They that give up themselves to vile affections and conversations Rom. 1. 26. will seem vile when they have made themselves so Eli's Sons made themselves vile by their sin 1 Sam. 3. 13. I know men should discern and honour a person placed in Authority by God though they are morally and naturally vile But this is so hard that it is seldom well done And God is so severe against Proud offenders that he usually punisheth them by making them vile in the eyes of others at least when they are dead and men dare freely speak of them their names will rot Prov. 10. 7. The instances of the greatest Emperours in the World both Persian Roman and Turkish do tell us that if by whordom drunkenness gluttony pride and especially persecution they will make themselves vile God will permit them by uncovering their nakedness to become the shame and scorn of men And shall a wicked Master of a family think to maintain his authority over others while he rebelleth against the authority of God § 5. Direct 3. Shew not your natural weakness by passions or imprudent words or deeds For if Direct 3. they think contemptuously of your persons a little thing will draw them further to despise your words There is naturally in man so high an esteem of Reason that men are hardly perswaded that they should rebel against Reason to be governed for orders sake by folly They are very apt to think that rightest Reason should bear rule And therefore any silly weak expressions or any inordinate passions or any imprudent actions are very apt to make you contemptible in your inferiours eyes § 6. Direct 4. Lose not your Authority by a neglect of using it If you suffer Children and Servants Direct 4. but a little while to have the head and to have and say and do what they will your Government will be but a name or image A moderate course between a Lordly rigour and a soft subjection or neglect of exercising the power of your place will best preserve you from your inferiours contempt § 7. Direct 5. Lâ—se not your authority by too much familiarity If you make your children and servants your playfellows or equals and talk to them and suffer them to talk to you as your companions they will quickly grow upon you and hold their custom and though another may govern them they will scarce ever endure to be governed by you but will scorn to be subject where they have once been as equal § 8. 11. Gen. Direct Labour for Prudence and Skillfullness in Governing He that undertaketh Of skill in governing to be a Master of a family undertaketh to be their Governour And it is no small sin or folly to undertake such a place as you are utterly unfit for when it is a matter of so great importance You could discern this in a case that 's not your own as if a man undertake to be a Schoolmaster that cannot read or write or to be a Physicion who knoweth neither diseases nor their remedies or to be a Pilot that cannot tell how to do a Pilots work And why cannot you much more discern it in your own case § 9. Direct 1. To get the skill of holy governing it is needful that you be well studied in the Direct 1. word of God Therefore God commandeth Kings themselves that they read in the Law of God all the days of their lives Deut. 17. 18 19. and that it depart not out of their mouths but that they meditate in it day and night Josh. 1. 8. And all Parents must be able to teach it their children and talk of it both at home and abroad lying down and rising up Deut. 6. 6 7. 11. 18 19. All Government of men is but subservient to the Government of God to promote obedience to his Laws And it is necessary that we understand the Laws which all Laws and precepts must give place to and subserve § 10. Direct 2. Understand well the different tempers of your inferiors and deal with them as they Direct 2. are and as they can bear and not with all alike Some are more intelligent and some more dull Some are of tender and some of hardened impudent dispositions Some will be best wrought upon by love and gentleness and some have need of sharpness and severity Prudence must fit your dealings to their dispositions § 11. Direct 3. You must much difference between their different faults and accordingly suit your reprehensions Direct 3. Those must be most severely rebuked that have most willfulness and those that are â—aulty in matters of greatest weight Some faults are so much through meer disability and unavoidable â—railty of the flesh that there is but little of the will appearing in them These must be more gently handled as deserving more compassion than reproof Some are habituate vices and the whole nature is more desperately depraved than in others These must have more than a particular correction They must be
strait or penurious therefore she will dispose of it without his consent this is thievery disobedience and injustice Quest. But as the case standeth with us in England hath the Wife a joint propriety or not Quest. 1. Answ. Three wayes at least she may have a propriety 1. By a reserve of what was her own before which however some question it may in some cases be done in their agreement at marriage 2. By the Law of the Land 3. By the Husbands consent or donation What the Law of the Land saith in this case I leave to the Lawyers But it seemeth to me that his words at Marriage with all my worldly goods I thee endow do signifie his consent to make her a joynt-proprietor And his consent is sufficient to the collation of a title to that which was his own Unless any can prove that Law or custome doth otherwise expound the words as an empty formality and that at the contract this was or should be known to her to be the sense And the Laws allowing the wife the third part upon death or separation doth intimate a joynt-propriety before Quest. 2. If the Husband live upon unlawful gain as cheating stealing robbing by the high-way c. Quest. 2. is not the wife guilty as a joynt proprietor in retaining such ill-gotten goods if she know it And is she bound to accuse her Husband or to restore such goods Answ. Her duty is first to admonish her husband of his sin and danger and endeavour his repentance in the mean time disclaiming all consent and reception of the goods And if she cannot prevail for his Repentance Restitution and Reformation she hath a double duty to perform the one is to help them to their goods whom he hath injured and robbed by prudent and just means The other is to prevent his robbing of others for the time to come But how these must be done is the great difficulty 1. If she foresee or may do that either by her husbands displeasure or by the cruel revenge of the injured party the hurt of discovering the fraud or robbery will be greater than the good then I think that she is not bound to discover it But by some secret indirect way to help the owner to his own if it may be done without a greater hurt 2. To prevent his sin and other mens future suffering by him she seemeth to me to be bound to reveal her husbands sinful purposes to the Magistrate if she can no other way prevail with him to forbear My reasons are Because the keeping of Gods Law and the Law of the Land and the publick order and good and the preventing of our Neighbours hurt by Robbery or fraud and so the interest of honesty and right is of greater importance than any duty to her Husband or preservation of her own peace which seemeth to be against it But then I must suppose that she liveth under a Magistrate who will take but a just revenge For if she know the Laws and Magistrate to be so unjust as to punish a fault with death which deserveth it not she is not to tell such a Magistrate but to preserve her Neighbours safety by some other way of intimation If any one think that a Wife may in no case accuse a husband to the hazzard of his life or estate let them 1. Remember what God obliged Parents to do against the lives of incorrigible Children Deut. 21. 2. And that the honour of God and the lives of our Neighbours should be preferred before the life of one offender and their estates before his estate alone 3. And that the light of Reason telleth us that a Wife is to reveal a Treason against the King which is plotted by a Husband and therefore also the robbing of the Kings Treasury or deceiving him in any matter of great concernment And therefore in due proportion the Laws and common good and our Neighbours welfare are to be preserved by us though against the nearest relation Only all due tenderness of the life and reputation of the Husband is to be preserved in the manner of proceedings as far as will stand with the interest of justice and the common good Quest. 3. May the Wife go hear Sermons when the Husband forbiddeth her Quest. 3. Answ. There are some Sermons which must not be heard There are some Sermons which may be heard and must when no greater matter doth divert us And there are some Sermons which must be heard whoever shall forbid it Those which must not be heard are such as are Heretical ordinarily and such as are superfluous and at such times when greater duties call us another way Those which may be heard are either occasional Sermons or such Lectures as are neither of Necessity to our selves nor yet to the owning of God and his publick Worship One that liveth where there are daily or hourly Sermons may hear them as oft as suiteth with their condition and their other duties But in this case the Command of a Husband with the inconveniences that will follow disobeying him may make it a duty to forbear But that we do sometimes publickly owne Gods Worship and Church-Ordinances and receive Ministerial teaching for our Edification is of double necessity that we dâ—ny not God and that we betray not or desert not our own souls And this is especially necessary ordinarily on the Lords Dayes which are appointed for these necessary uses And here the Husband hath no power to forbid the Wife nor should she formally obey his prohibition But yet as affirmatives bind not ad semper and no duty is a duty at every season so it is possible that on the Lords Day it may extraordinarily become a duty to forbear Sermons or Sacraments or other publick Worship As when any greater duty calleth us away As to quench a fire and to save mens lives and to save our Countrey from an enemy in a time of War and to save our own lives if we knew the assembly would be assaulted or to preserve our liberty for greater service Christ â—et us to learn the meaning of this Lesson I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice In such a case also a mischief may be avoided even from a Husband by the omission of a duty at that time when it would be no duty for this is but a transposition of it But this is but an act of prudent self-preservation and not an act of formal obedience Quest. 4. If a Woman have a Husband so incorrigible in Vice as that by long tryal she findeth that Quest. 4. speaking against it maketh him worse and causeth him to abuse her is she bound to continue her disswasion or to fâ—rbear Answ. That is not here a duty which is not a means to do some good And that is no means which we know before hand is like iâ— not certain to do no good or to do more harm We must not by weariness laziness or â—ensoriousness take a case to
the injured man may put away an adulterous Wife in a regular way if he please but withal that he may continue the Relation if he please So that his continued Consent shall suffice to continue it a lawful Relation and exercise and his Will on the contrary shall suffice to dissolve the Relation and disoblige him Saving the publick order Quest. 8. But is not the injured party at all obliged to separate but left free Quest. 8. Answ. Considering the thing simply in it self he is wholly free to do as he please But for all that Accidents or Circumstances may make it one mans duty to divorce and anothers duty to continue the Relation according as it is like to do more good or hurt Sometimes it may be a duty to expose the sin to publick shame for the prevention of it in others and also to deliver ones self from a calamity And sometimes there may be so great repentance and hope of better effects by forgiving that it may be a duty to forgive And prudence must lay one thing with another to discern on which side the duty lyeth Quest. 9. Is it only the priviledge of the Man that he may put away an adulterous Wife or also of Quest. 9. the Woman to depart from an adulterous Husband The reason of the doubt is because Christ mentioneth the mans power only Matth. 5. 19. Answ. 1. The reason why Christ speaketh only of the mans case is because he was occasioned only to restrain the vicious custome of mens causeless putting away their Wives having no occasion to restrain Women from leaving their Husbands Men having the Rule did abuse it to the Womens injury which Christ forbiddeth And as it is an act of power it concerneth the man alone But as it is an act of Liberty it seemeth to me to be supposed that the Woman hath the same freedom Seeing the Covenant is violated to her wrong And the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. doth make the Case of the Man and of the Woman to be equal in the point of Infidelity and desertion I confess that it is unsafe extending the sense of Scripture beyond the importance of the words upon pretence of a parity of reason as many of the Perjured do by Levit. 30. in case of Vows Lest mans deceitful wit should make a Law to it self as Divine upon pretence of interpreting Gods Laws But yet when the plain Text doth speak but of one case that is of Mens putting away their Wives he that will thence gather an exclusion of the Womans liberty doth seem by addition to be the corrupter of the Law And where the Context plainly sheweth a Parity of reason and that reason is made the ground of the determination in the Text there it is safe to expound the Law extensively accordingly Surely the Covenant of Marriage hath its Conditions on both parts and some of those Conditions are necessary to the very being of the Obligations though others are but needful to the well-being of the parties in that state And therefore though Putting away be only the part of the Husband as being the Ruler and usually the Owner of the habitation yet Departing may be the Liberty of the Wife And I know no reason to blame those Countreys whose Laws allow the Wife to Sue out a divorce as well as the Husband Quest. 10. May the Husband put away the Wife without the Magistrate or the Wife depart from Quest. 10. the Husband without a publick legal divorce or license Answ. Where the Laws of the Land do take care for the prevention of injuries and make any determination in the case not contrary to the Law of God there it is a Christians duty to obey those Laws Therefore if you live under a Law which forbiddeth any Putting away or Departing without publick sentence or allowance you may not do it privately upon your own will For the Civil Governours are to provide against the private injuries of any of the Subjects And if persons might put away or depart at pleasure it would introduce both injury and much wickedness into the world But where the Laws of men do leave persons to their liberty in this case they need then to look no further than to the Laws of God alone But usually the sentence of the Civil power is necessary only in case of appeal or complaint of the party injured and a separation may be made without such a publick divorce so that each party may make use of the Magistrate to right themselves if wronged As if the Adultery be not openly known and the injuring party desire rather to be put away privily than publickly as Ioseph purposed to do by Mary I see not but it is lawful so to do in case that the Law or the necessity of making the offender an Example require not the contrary nor scandal or other accidents forbid it not See Grotius's learned Notes on Matth. 5. 31 32. and on Matth. 19. and 1 Cor. 7. about these questions Quest. 11. Is not the case of Sodomy or Buggery a ground for warrantable divorce as well as Quest. 11. Adultery Answ. Yes and seemeth to be included in the very word it self in the Text Matth. 5. 31 32. which signifieth uncleanness or at least is fully implyed in the reason of it See Grotius ibid. also of this Quest. 12. What if both parties commit Adultery may either of them put away the other or Quest. 12. depart or rather must they forgive each other Answ. If they do it both at once they do both forfeit the liberty of seeking any compensation for the injury because the injury is equal however some would give the advantage to the man But if one commit Adultery first and the other after Then either the last offender knew of the first or not If not then it seemeth all one as if it had been done at once But if yea then they did it either on a supposition of the dissolution of the matrimonial obligation as being loosed from the first Adulterer or else upon a purpose of continuing in the first relation In the later case it is still all one as if it had been done by them at once and it is a forfeiture of any satisfaction But in the former case though the last adulterer did sin yet being before set at liberty it doth not renew the Matrimonial obligation But yet if the first offendor desire the continuance of it and the return of the first-injured party shame and conscience of their own sin will much rebuke them if they plead that injury for continuance of the separation Quest. 13. But what if one do purposely commit adultery to be separated from the other Quest. 13. Answ. It is in the others power and choice whether to be divorced and depart or not as they find the good or evil consequents preponderate Quest. 14. Doth not Infidelity dissolve the Relation or obligation seeing there is no communion Quest.
made them your equals Remember that they have immortal souls and are equally capable of salvation with your selves And therefore you have no power to do any thing which shall hinder their salvation No pretence of your business necessity commodity or power can warrant you to hold them so hard to work as not to allow them due time and seasons for that which God hath made their duty 2. Remember that God is their absolute Owner and that you have none but a derived and limited Propriety in them They can be no further yours than you have Gods consent who is the Lord of them and you And therefore Gods Interest in them and by them must be served first 3. Remember that they and you are equally under the Government and Laws of God And therefore all Gods Laws must be first obeyed by them and you have no power to command them to omit any duty which God commandeth them nor to commit any sin which God forbiddeth them Nor can you without Rebellion or Impiety expect that your work or commands should be preferred before Gods 4. Remember that God is their Reconciled tender Father and if they be as good doth Love them as well as you And therefore you must use the meanest of them no otherwise than beseemeth the Beloved of God to be used and no otherwise than may stand with the due signification of your Love to God by Loving those that are his 5. Remember that they are the Redeemed ones of Christ and that he hath not sold you his title to them As he bought their souls at a price unvaluable so he hath given the purchase of his blood to be absolutely at your disposal Therefore so use them as to preserve Christs right and interest in them Direct 2. Remember that you are Christs Trustees or the Guardians of their souls and that the Direct 2. greater your power is over them the greater your charge is of them and your duty for them As you owe more to a Child than to a Day Labourer or a hired Servant because being more your own he is more entrusted to your care so also by the same reason you owe more to a slave because he is more your own And power and obligation go together As Abraham was to Circumcise all his servants that were bought with money and the fourth Commandment requireth Masters to see that all within their gates observe the Sabbath day so must you exercise both your Power and Love to bring them to the Knowledge and faith of Christ and to the just obedience of Gods commands Those therefore that keep their Negro's and slaves from hearing Gods word and from becoming Christians because by the Law they shall then be either made free or they shall lose part of their service do openly profess Rebellion against God and contempt of Christ the Redeemer of souls and a contempt of the souls of men and indeed they declare that their worldly profit is their treasure and their God If this come to the hands of any of our Natives in Barbado's or other Islands or Plantations who are said to be commonly guilty of this most heinous sin yea and to live upon it I intreat them further to consider as followeth 1. How cursed a crime is it to equal Men and Beasts Is not this your practice Do you not buy them and use them meerly to the same end as you do your horses to labour for your commodity as if they were baser than you and made to serve you 2. Do you not see how you reproach and condemn your selves while you vilifie them as Savages and barbarous wretches Did they ever do any thing more savage than to use not only mens bodies as beasts but their souls as if they were made for nothing but to actuate their bodies in your worldly drudgery Did the veriest Cannibals ever do any thing more cruel or odious than to sell so many souls to the Devil for a little worldly gain Did ever the cursedst miscreants on earth do any thing more rebellious and contrary to the will of the most merciful God than to keep those souls from Christ and holiness and Heaven for a little money who were made and redeemed for the same ends and at the same pretious price as yours Did your poor slaves ever commit such villanies as these Is not he the basest wretch and the most barbarous savage who committeth the greatest and most inhumane wickedness And are theirs comparable to these of yours 3. Doth not the very example of such cruelty besides your keeping them from Christianity directly tend to reach them and all others to hate Christianity as if it taught men to be so much worse than Dâ—gs and Tygers 4. Do you not mark how God hath followed you with Plagues and may not Conscience tell you that it is for your inhumanity to the souls and bodies of so many Remember the late fire at the Bridge in Barbado's Remember the drowning of your Governour and Ships at Sea and the many judgements that have overtaken you and at the present the terrible mortality that is among you 5. Will not the example and warning of neigbour Countreys rise up in judgement against you and condemn you You cannot but hear how odious the Spanish name is made and thereby alas the Christian name also among the West Indians for their most inhumane Cruelties in Hispaniola Iamaica Cuba Peru Mexico and other places which is described by Iosep. a Costa a Jesuite of their own And though I know that their cruelty who murdered millions exceedeth yours who kill not mens bodies yet yours is of the same kind in the merchandize which you make with the Devil for their souls whilst you that should help them with all your power do hinder them from the means of their salvation And on the contrary what an honour is it to those of New England that they take not so much as the Natives Soyl from them but by purchase that they enslave none of them nor use them cruelly but shew them mercy and are at a great deal of care and cost and labour for their salvation O how much difference between holy Master Eliot's life and yours His who hath laboured so many years to save them and hath translated the whole Bible into their language with other Books and those good mens in London who are a Corporation for the furtherance of his work and theirs that have contributed so largely towards it And yours that sell mens souls for your commodity 6. And what comfort are you like to have at last in that money that is purchased at such a price Will not your money and you perish together will you not have worse than Gebezi's Leprofie with it yea worse than Achan's death by Stoning and as bad as Iudas his hanging himself unless repentance shall prevent it Do you not remember the terrible words in Jude 11. Woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain
more to hinder them from the same priviledge than what is of Necessity § 14. Direct 14. At Supper spend the time as is aforesaid at Dinner Alwayes remembring Direct 14. that though it be a day of Thansgiving it is not a day of gluttony and that you must not use too full a dyet lest it make you heavy and drowsie and unfit for holy duty § 15. Direct 15. After Supper examine your Children and Servants what they have learnt all Direct 15. day and sing a Psalm of praise and conclude with prayer and thanksgiving § 16. Direct 16. If there be time after both you and they may in secret review the duties Direct 16. and mercies and failings of the day and recommend your selves by Prayer into the bands of God for the night following and to betake your selves to your rest § 17. Direct 17. And to shut up all let your last thoughts be holy in the thankful sense of Direct 17. the mercy you have received and the goodness of God revealed by our Mediator and comfortably trusting your souls and bodies into his hands and longing for your nearer approach unto his Glory and the beholding and full enjoying of him for ever § 18. I have briefly named this order of duties for the memory of those that have opportunity to observe it But if any mans place and condition deny him opportunity for some of these he must do what he can but see that carnal negligence cause not his omission And now I appeal to Reason Conscience and Experience whether this employment be not more suitable to the principles ends and hopes of a Christian than idleness or vain talk or Cards or Dice or Dancing or Ale-house haunting or worldly business or discourse And whether this would not exceedingly conduce to the increase of Knowledge Holiness and Honesty And whether there be ever a worldling or voluptuous sensualist of them all that had not rather be found thus at death or look back when Time is past and gone upon the Lords days thus spent than as the idle fleshly and ungodly spend them CHAP. XIX Directions for profitable Hearing the Word Preached OMitting those Directions which concern the external modes of Worship for the Reasons mentioned Tom. 2. and known to all that know me and the time and place I live in I shall give you such Directions about the personal internal management of your duty as I think most necessary to your Edification And seeing that your Duty and benefit lyeth in these four General points 1. That you hear with understanding 2. That you Remember what you hear 3. That you be duly affected with it 4. And that you sincerely practise it I shall more particularly Direct you in order to all these ends and duties Tit. 1. Directions for the Understanding the Word which you hear § 1. Direct 1. REad and meditate on the holy Scriptures much in private and then you will be Direct 1. the better able to understand what is Preached on it in publick and to try the doctrine whether it be of God Whereas if you are unacquainted with the Scriptures all that is treated of or alledged from it will be so strange to you that you will be but little edified by it Psal. 1. 2. Psal. 119. Deut. 6. 11 12. § 2. Direct 2. Live under the clearest distinct convincing teaching that possibly you can procure Direct 2. There is an unspeakable difference as to the edification of the hearers between a judicious clear distinct and skilful Preacher and one that is ignorant confused general dry and only scrapeth together a Cento or mingle-mangle of some undigested sayings to fill up the hour with If in Philosophy Physicks Grammar Law and every Art and Science there be so great a difference between one Teacher and another it must needs be so in Divinity also Ignorant Teachers that understand not what they say themselves are unlike to make you men of understanding as Erroneous Teachers are unlike to make you Orthodox and Sound § 3. Direct 3. Come not to hear with a careless heart as if you were to hear a matter that little Direct 3. concerned you but come with a sense of the unspeakable weight necessity and consequence of the holy word which you are to bear and when you understand how much you are concerned in it and truly Love it as the word of Life it will greatly help your Understanding of every particular truth That which a man Loveth not and perceiveth no necessity of he will hear with so little regard and heed that it will make no considerable impression on his mind But a good understanding of the Excellency and Necessity exciting Love and â—â—rioâ—s attention would make the particulars easie to be understood when else you will be like â—â— stopt oâ— narrow mouthed bottle that keepeth out that which you desire to put in I know that understanding must go before affections But yet the understanding of the concernments and worth of your own souls must first procure such a serious care of your salvation and a general regard to the word of God as is needful to your further understanding of the particular instructions which you shall after hear § 4. Direct 4. Suffer not vain thoughts or drowsie negligence to hinder your attention If you mark Direct 4. not what is taught you how should you understand and learn set your selves to it as for your Prâ—â— 4. 1 20 ◠〈…〉 7. 24. lives Be as earnest and diligent in attending and learning as you would have the Preacher be in Teaching If a drowsie careless Preacher be bad a drowsie careless hearer is not good Saith Mâ—ses Dâ—ut 32. 46. Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day Neâ— 1 6. 1â— Psal. 130. 2. Prov. 28. 9. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life You would have God attentive to your pâ—ayers in your distresses and why will you not then be attentive to his words when the prayers of him are abominable to God that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law â—â—ik 19. 48. All the people were very attentive to hear Christ. Neh. 8. 3. when Ezra read the Law from morning till mid day the ears of all the people were attentive to it when Paul continued his Lords day exercise Act 16. 14. Act. 10. 9. and speech untill midnight one young man that full asleep did fall down dead as a warning to them that will sleep when they should hear the message of Christ. Therefore you are excused that day from worldly business that you may attend oâ— the Lord with out distraction 1 Cor. 7. 35. Lydia's attending to the words of Paul accompanied the opening of her heart and her Conversion Act. 16. 14. § 5. Direct 5. Mark specially the design and drift and principal doctrine of the Sermon Both because Direct 5. that is the chief thing
discerned 2 Cor. 2. 14. And Enmity is an ill Expositor It will be quarrelling with all and making faults in the word which findeth so many faults in you It will hate that word which cometh to deprive you of your most sweet and dearly beloved sin Or if you have such a carnal mind and enmity believe it not no more than a partial and wicked enemy should be believed against God himself who better understandeth what he hath written than any of his foolish enemies Direct 7. § 8. Direct 7. Compare one place of Scripture with another and expound the darkest by the help of the plainnest and the fewer expressions by the more frequent and ordinary and the doubtfuller points by those which are most certain and not on the contrary § 9. Direct 8. Presume not on the strength of your own understanding but humbly pray to God Direct 8. for light and before and after you read the Scripture pray earnestly that the Spirit which did indite it 1 Cor 2. 10 12 12 8 9 10. may expound it to you and keep you from unbelief and error and lead you into the truth § 10. Direct 9. Read some of the best Annotations or Expositors who being better acquainted with Direct 9. the phrase of the Scripture than your selves may help to clear your understanding When Philip asked the Eunuch that read Isa. 53. Understandest thou what thou readest he said How can I except sâ—me man should guide me Acts 8. 30 31. Make use of your Guides if you would not â—â—â—◠§ 11. Direct 10. When you are stalled by any difficulty which overmatcheth you note it down and Direct 10. prâ—pâ—und it to your Pastor and crave his help or if the Minister of the place be ignorant and unable gâ— tâ— sâ—me one that God hath furnished for such work And if after all some things remain still dark and difficult remember your imperfection and wait on God for further light and thankfully make use of all the rest of the Scripture which is plain And do not think as the Papists that men must forbear reading it for fear of erring no more than that men must forbear eating for fear of poyson or than Subjects must be kept ignorant of the Laws of the King for fear of misunderstanding or abusing them CHAP. XXI Directions for Reading other Books BEcause God hath made the excellent holy Writings of his servants the singular blessing of Xenophâ—n pri 〈…〉 omnium qâ—ae dâ—eâ—â—â—â—tuâ— â—â—â—â—s excâ—pta iâ—â—â—blâ—um 〈…〉 Laâ—â—â—â— X 〈…〉 ph this Land and Age and many a one may have a good Book even any day or hour of the Week that cannot at all have a good Preacher I advise all Gods servants to be thankful for so great a mercy and to make use of it and be much in Reading For Reading with most doth more conduce to Knowledge than Hearing doth because you may choose what subjects and the excellentest Treatises you please and may be often at it and may peruse again and again what you forget and may take time as you go to fix it on your mind And with very many it doth more than Hearing also to move the Heart though Hearing of it self in this hath the advantage Because lively Books may be easilier had than lively Preachers Especially these sorts of men should be much in Reading 1. Masters of families that have more souls to care for than their own 2. People that live where there is no Preaching or as bad or worse than none 3. Poor people and servants and children that are forced on many Lords Dayes to stay at home whilst others have the opportunity to hear 4. And vacant persons that have more leisure than others have To all these but especially Masters of families I shall here give a few Directions § 1. Direct 1. I presuppose that you keep the Devils Books out of your hands and house I mean Direct 2. Cards and idle Tales and Play-books and Romances or Love-books and false bewitching stories and the seducing Books of all false Teachers and the railing or scorning Books which the men of several Sects and Factions write against each other on purpose to teach men to hate one another and banish Love For where these are suffered to corrupt the mind all grave and useful writings are forestalled And it is a wonder to see how powerfully these poyson the minds of children and many other empty heads Also Books that are written by the Sons of Corah to breed distalâ—es and discontents in the minds of the people against their Governours both Magistrates and Ministers For there is something in the best Rulers for the tongues of seditious men to fasten on and to aggravate in the peoples ears and there is something even in godly people which tempteth them too easily to take fire and be distempered before they are aware And they foresee not the evil to which it tendeth § 2. Direct 2. When you read to your family or others let it be seasonably and gravely when silence and attendance encourage you to expect success and not when children are crying or talking or servants husâ—ing to disturb you Distraction is worst in the greatest businesses Direct 3. § 3. Direct 3. Choose such Books as are most suitable to your state or to those you read to It Saâ—tâ— Aâ—â—stâ—ppus a Lacâ—t As they are not the healthfullest that eat most so are they nâ—â— the learnedst that read most but they that read that which is most necessary and profitable is worse than unprofitable to read Books for comforting troubled minds to those that are blockishly secure and have hardned obstinate unhumbled hearts It is as bad as to give Medicines or Plaisters contrary to the Patients need and such as cherish the disease So is it to read Books of too high a style or subject to dull and ignorant hearers We use to say That which is one mans meat is another mans poyson It is not enough that the matter be good but it must be agreeable to the case for which it is used § 4. Direct 4. To a common family begin with those Books which at once inform the judgement about the Fundamentals and awaken the affections to entertain them and improve them Such as are Treatises of Regeneration Conversion or Repentance To which purpose I have written my self the Call to the Unconverted the Treatise of Conversion Directions for a sâ—und Conversion a Treatise of Iudgement a Sermon against making light of Christ True Christianity a Sermon of Repentance Now or Never A Saint or a Bruit with others which I mention not as equalling them with others but as those which I am more accountable for On this subject these are very excellent Mr. R. Allen's Works Mr. Whatelâ—y on the New Birth Mr. Swinnock of Regeneration Mr. W. Pinks's five Sermons most of Mr. Th. Hookers Sermons Mr. Io. Rogers Doctrine of Faith Mr. Dents Plain mans Path-way to Heaven most of
And it is no true Repentance when you say I am sorry that I have sinned but you know not or remember not Wherein you have sinned nor what your sin is and so repent not indeed of any one sin at all And so it is no true Desire that reacheth not to the particular necessary Graces which we must desire Though I know some few very quick comprehensive minds can in in a moment think of many particulars when they use but General words And I know that some smaller less necessary things may be generally past over and greater matters in a time of haste or when we besides those Generals do also use particular requests § 3. Quest. 3. Is it lawful to pray in a set form of words Quest. 3. Answ. Nothing but very great ignorance can make you really doubt of it Hath God any where forbid it You will say That it s enough that he hath not commanded it I answer That in general he See Selden â—bi supra proving that the Jeâ—s had a form of prayer since Ezra's time I herefore it was in Christs time Yet he and his Apostles joyned with them and never contradicted or blamed them for forms hath commanded it to all whose edification it tendeth to when he commandeth you that all be done to edification But he hath given no particular command nor prohibition No more he hath not commanded you to pray in English French or Latin nor to sing Psalms in this Tune or that nor after this or that Version or Translation nor to preach in this Method particularly or that nor alwayes to preach upon a Text nor to use written Notes nor to compose a form of words and learn them anâ— preach them after they are composed with a hundred such like which are undoubtedly lawful yea and needful to some though not to others If you make up all your prayer of Scripture sentences this is to pray in a form of prescribed words and yet as lawful and fit as any of your own The Pâ—alms are most of them forms of Prayer or Praise which the Spirit of God indited for the use of the Church and of particular persons It would be easie to fill many Pages with larger reasonings and answers to all the fallacious Objections that are brought against this But I will not so far weary the Reader and my self § 4. Quest. 4. But are those forms lawful which are prescribed by others and not by God Quest. 4. Answ. Yea Or else it would be unlawful for a Child or Scholar to use a form prescribed by his Parents or Master And to think that a thing lawful doth presently become unlawful because a Parent Master Pastor or Prince doth prescribe it or command it is a conceit that I will not wrong my Reader so far as to suppose him guilty of Indeed if an Usurper that hath no Authority over us in such matters do prescribe it we are not bound to formal Obedience that is to do it therefore because he commandeth it But yet I may be bound to it on some other accounts And though his command do not bind me yet it maketh not the thing it self unlawful § 5. Quest. 5. But is it lawful to pray ex tempore without a premeditated form of words Quest. 5. Answ. No Christian of competent understanding doubteth of it We must premeditate on our waâ—ts and sins and the graces and mercies we desire and the God we speak to and we must be able to express these things without any lothsome and unfit expressions But whether the words are fore-contrived or not is a thing that God hath no more bound you to by any Law than whether the speaker or hearers shall use Sermon Notes or whether your Bibles shall be written or in Print § 6. Quest. 6. If both wayes be lawful which is better Quest. 6. Answ. If you are to joyn with others in the Church that is better to you which the Pastor then useth For it is his Office and not yours to word the prayers which he puts up to God And if he choâ—se a form whether it be as most agreeable to his parts or to his people or for concord with other Churches or for obedience to Governours or to avoid some greater inconvenience you must joyn with him or not joyn there at all But if it be in private where you are the speaker your Three oâ— four of these Cases as to Church-prayers are laâ—geâ—er answered afterward Tom. 3. Part 2. Socâ—ates alius Couâ— deorum precaâ—iones invoâ—ationâ—sque conscâ—ipsiâ— Laâ—rt â—â— Socâ—ate self you must take that way that is most to your own edification and to others it you have Auditors joyning with you One man is so unused to prayer being ignorantly bred or of such unready memory or expression that he cannot remember the tenth part so much of his particular wants without the help of a form as with it nor can he express it so affectingly for himself or others nay perhaps not in tolerable words And a form to such a man may be a duty as to a dim-sighted man to read by spectacles or to an unready Preacher to use prepared words and Notes And another man may have need of no such helps Nay when he is habituated in the understanding and feeling of his sins and wants and hath a tongue that is used to express his mind even in these matters with readiness and facility it will greatly hinder the fervor of such a mans affections to tye himself to premeditated words To say the contrary is to speak against the common sense and experience of such speakers and their hearers And let them that yet deride this as uncertain and inconsiderate praying but mark themselves whether they cannot if they be hungry beg for bread or ask help of their Physicion or Lawyer or Landlord or any other as well without a learned or studied form as with it Who knoweth not that its true which the New Philosopher saith Cartes de Passion part 1. art 44. Et cum inter loquendum solum cogitamus de sensu illiâ—s rei quam dicere volumus id facit ut moveamus linguam labra celerius melius quam si cogitaremus ea movere omnibus modis requisitis ad prâ—ferenda eadem verba Quia habitus quem acquisivimus cum disceremus loqui c. Turning the thoughts too solicitously from the matter to the words doth not only mortifie the prayers of many and turn them into a dead form but also maketh them more dry and barren even as to the words themselves The heavy charge and bitter scornful words which have been too common in this age against praying without a set form by some and against praying with a Book or form by others is so dishonourable a symptome or diagnostick of the Churches sickness as must needs be matter of shame and sorrow to the sounder understanding part For it cannot be denyed but it proveth mens
he hath in the most dangerous disease which is not desperate For when it is certain that there is no hope without them if they do no good they do no harm So must we try the saving of a poor soul while there is life and any hope For if once death end their time and hopes it will be then too late and they will be out of our reach and help for ever To those that sickness findeth in so sad a case I shall give here but a few brief Directions because I have done it more at large in the first Tome and first Chapter whither I refer them § 5. Direct 1. Set speedily and seriously to the Iudging of your selves as those that are going to Direct 1. be judged of God And do it in the manner following 1. Do it willingly and resolvedly as knowing For Examination that it is now no time to remain uncertain of your everlasting state if you can possibly get acquainted with it Is it not time for a man to know himself whether he be a sanctifiâ—d believer or not when he is just going to appear before his maker and there be judged as he is found 2. Do it impartially as one that is not willing to find himself deceived as soon as death hath acquainted him with the truth O take heed as you love your souls of being foolishly tender of your selves and resolving for fear of being troubled at your misery to believe that you are safe whether it be true or false This is the way that thousands are undone by Thinking that you are sanctified will neither prove you so nor make you so no more than thinking that you are well will prove or make you well And what good will it do you to think you are pardoned and shall be saved for a few days longer and then to find too late in Hell that you were mistaken Is the ease of so short a deceit worth all the pain and loss that it will cost you Alas poor soul God knoweth it is not needlesly to affright thee that we desire to convince thee of thy misery We do not cruelly insult over thee or desire to torment thee But we pity thee in so sad a case To see an unsanctified person ready to pass into another world and to be doomed unto endless misery and will not know it till he is there Our principal reason of opening your danger is because it is necessary to your escaping it If soul diseases were like bodily diseases which may sometimes be cured without the patients knowing them and the danger of them we would never trouble you at such a time as this But it will not be so done You must understand your danger if you will be saved from it Therefore be impartial with your self if you are wise and be truly willing to know the worst 3. In Iudging your selves proceed by the same Rule or Law that God will judge you by that is by the word of God revealed in the Gospel For your work now is not to steal a little short-lived quiet to your Consciences but to know how God will judge your souls and whether he will doom you to endless joy or misery And how can you know this but by that Law or Rule that God will judge you by And certainly God will judge you by the same Law or Rule by which he Governed you or which he gave you to Live by in the world It will go never the better or worse there with any man for his good or bad conceits of himself if they were his mistakes But just what God hath said in his word that he will do with any man that will he do with him in the day of judgement All shall be justified whom the Gospel justifieth and all shall be condemned that it condemneth and therefore judge your self by it By what signes you may know an unsanctified man I have told you before Tom. 1. Chap. 1. Dir. 8. And by what signes true grace may be known I told you before in Preparation for the Sacrament 4. If you cannot satifie your self about your own condition advise with some Godly able Minister or other Christian that is best acquainted with you that knoweth how you have lived towards God and man or at least open all your heart and life to him that he may know it And if he tell you that he feareth you are yet unsanctified you have the more reason to fear the worst But then be sure that he be not a carnal ungodly worldly man himself For they that flatter and deceive themselves are not unlike to do so by others Such blind deceivers will dawb over all and bid you never trouble your self but even comfort you as they comfort themselves and bid you believe that all is well and it will be well or will make you believe that some forced confession and unsound Repentance will serve instead of true Conversion But a man that is going to the bar of God should be loth to be deceived by himself or others § 6. Direct 2. If by a due examination you find your self unsanctified bethink you seriously of your Direct 2. case both what you have done and what a condition you are in till you are truly humbled and willing of For Humiliation and Repentance any conditions that God shall offer you for your deliverance Consider how foolishly you have done how rebelliously how unthankfully to forsake your God and forget your souls and lose all your time and abuse all Gods mercies and leave undone the work that you were made and preserved and redeemed for Alas did you never know till now that you must dye and that you had all your time to make preparation for an endless life which followeth death Were you never warned by Minister or friend Were you never told of the necessity of a holy heavenly life and of a regenerate sanctified state till now O what could you have done more unwisely or wickedly than to cast away a life that eternal life so much depended on and to refuse your Saviour and his grace and mercies till your last extremity Is this the time to look after a new birth and to begin your life when you are at the end of it O what have you done to delay so great a work till now And now if you die before you are regenerate you are lost for ever O humble your souls before the Lord Lament your folly and presently condemn your selves before him and make out to Him for mercy while there is hope Direct 3. § 7. Direct 3. When you are humbled for your sin and misery and willing of mercy upon any terms For Faith in Christ. believe that yet your case is not Remediless but that Iesus Christ hath given himself to God a sacrifice for your sins and is so sure and allsufficient a Saviour that yet nothing can hinder you from pardon and salvation but your own impenitence and unbelief
bound at all to keep my oath in his sense if my own sense was according to the common use of the words Prop. 7. Though I may not lye to a robber or tyrant that unjustly imposeth promises or oaths upon me yet if he put an oath or promise on me which is good and lawful in the proper usual sense of the words though bad in his sense which is contrary to the plain words whether I may take this to save my liberty or life I leave to the consideration of the judicious that which may be said against it is that Oaths must not be used indirectly and dissemblingly that which may be said for it is 1. That I have no obligation to fit my words to his personal private sense 2. That I deceive him not but only permit him to deceive himself as long as it is he and not I that misuseth the words 3. That I am to have chief respect to the publick sense and it is not his sense but mine that is the publick sense 4. That the saving of a mans life or liberty is cause enough for the taking a lawful oath Prop. 8. In case I misunderstood the imposed Oath through my own default I am bound to keep it in both senses my own and the imposers if both be consistent and lawful to be done For I am bound to it in my own sense because it was formally my oath or Vow which I intended And I am bound to it in his sense because I have in Justice made the thing his due As if the King command me to Vow that I will serve him in wars against the Turk And I misunderstand him as if he meant only to serve him in wars against the Turk And I misunderstand him as if he meant only to serve him with my purse And so I make a Vow with this intent to expend part of my estate to maintain that War whereas the true sense was that I should serve him with my Person In this case I see not but I am bound to both Indeed if it were a promise that obliged me only to the King then I am obliged no further and no longer than he will For he can remit his own right But if by a Vow I become obliged directly to God himself as a party then no man can remit his right and I must perform my Vow as made to him § 27. Rule 13. If any impose an ambiguous oath and refuse to explain it and require you only to Rule 13. swear in those words and leave you to your own sense Dr. Sanderson thinketh that an honest man Sand. p. 193. Caâ— 4â— should suspect some fraud in such an oath and not take it at all till all parties are agreed of the sense pag. 193 194. And I think he should not take it at all unless there be some other cause that maketh it his duty But if a Lawful Magistrate command it or the interest of the Church or State require it I see not but he may take it on condition that in the plain and proper sense of the words the oath be lawful and that he openly profess to take it only in that sense § 28. Rule 14. If any power should impose an Oath or Vow or promise which in the proper usual sense Rule 14. were downright impious or blaspheamous or sinful and yet bid me take it in what sense I pleased though I could take it in such a sense as might make it no real consent to the impiety yet it would be impious in the sense of the would and of such heynous consequence as will make it to be unlawful As if I must subscribe or say or swear those words There is no God or Scripture is untrue though it 's easie to use these or any words in a good sense if I may put what sense I will upon them yet the publick sense of them is Blaspheamy and I may not publickly blaspheam on pretence of a private right sence and intention § 29. Rule 15. If the Oath imposed be true in the strict and prâ—per sense yet if that sense be not Rule 15. vulgarly known nor sufficiently manifest to be the imposers sense and if the words are false or blaspheamous in the vulgar sense of those that I have to do with and that must observe and make use of my example I must not take such an oath without leave to make my sense as publick as my oath As if I were commanded to swear that God hath no fore-knowledge no knowledge no will c. It were easie to prove that these terms are spoken primarily of man and that they are attributed to God but analogically or metaphorically and that God hath no such humane acts formaliter but eminenter and that forma dat nomen and so that strictly it is not knowledge and will in the primary proper notion that God hath at all but something infinitely higher for which man hath no other name But though thus the words are true and justifiable in the strictest proper sense yet are they unlawful because they are blaspheamy in the vulgar sense And he that speaks to the Vulgar is supposed to speak with the Vulgar Unless he as publickly explain them § 30. Rule 16. If the supream power should impose an oath or promise which in the ordinary obvious Rule 16. sense were sinful and an inferiour officer would bid me take it in what sense I pleased I might not therefore take it because that such an officer hath no power to interpret it himself much less to allow me to take it in a private sense But if the Law giver that Imposeth it bid me take it in what sense I will and give me leave to make my sense as publick as my oath I may take it if the words be but dubious and not apparently false or sinful so there be no reason against it aliunde as from ill consequents c. § 31. Rule 17. If any man will say in such a case when he thinketh that the imposers sense is bad I Rule 17. take not the same Oath or Engagement which is imposed but another in the same words and I suppose not inferiour officers authorized to admit any interpretation but I look at them only as men that can actually execute or not execute the Laws upon me and so I take a Vow of my own according to my own sense though in their words as a means of my avoiding their severities As this is a collusion in a very high and tender business so that person if the publick sense of the oath be sinful must make his professed sense as publick as his Oath or promise It being no small thing to do that which in the publick sense is impious and so to be an example of perfidiousness to many § 32. Rule 18. Though an Oath imposed by an Usurper or by violence is not to be taken in formal obedience Rule 18. nor at all unless
in all lawful things I cannot disoblige my self by my own Vows § 44. Yet here are very great difficulties in this case which causeth difference among the learnedst Sanderson p. 72 73. Dico ordinarie quia fortassis possunt darâ— casus in quibus juramentum quod videtur alicui lâ—gi communiâ—â—â—â—is aut vocatiâ—nâ—s adversari eâ—si non debuâ—rit suscipâ— susceptum tamen potest obligare Ut e. g. in lege poenali disjunctiva See the instances which he addeth Ioseph took an Oath of the Israelites to carry his bones out of Aegypt Gen. 50. 25. What if Pharaoh forbid them Are they acquit The Spies swore to Rhahab Iosh. 2. 12 18. Had they been quit if the Rulers had acquit them pious Casuists 1. If a Governour have before hand made a Law for that which I vow against it is supposed by many that my Vow is not to be kept the thing being not against the Law of God Because the first obligation holdeth 2. Yet some think that Magistrates Poenal Laws binding but aut ad obedientiam aut ad poenam to obedience or punishment I am therefore obliged in indifferent things to bear his penalty and to keep my Vow 3. But if I first make an Absolute Vow in a thing indifferent as to drink no Wine or to wear no Silks c. and the Magistrate afterwards command it me some think I am bound to keep my Vow because though I must obey the Magistrate in all things lawful yet my Vow hath made this particular thing to be to me unlawful before the Magistrate made it a duty 4. Though others think that even in this case the general obligation to obey my superiours preventeth my obliging my self to any particular which they may forbid in case I had not vowed it or against any particular which they may command 5. Others distinguish of things lawful or indifferent and say that some of them are such as become accidentally so useful or needful to the common good the end of Government that it is fit the Magistrate make a Law for it and the breaking of that Law will be so hurtful that my Vow cannot bind me to it as being now no indifferent thing But other indifferent things they say belong not to the Magistrate to determine of as what I shall eat or drink whether I shall marry or not what Trade I shall be of how each Artificer Tradesman or Professor of Arts and Sciences shall do the business of his profession c. And here the Magistrate they think cannot bind them against their Vows because their power of themselves in such private cases is greater than his power over them in those cases All these I leave as so many Questions unfit for me to resolve in the midst of the contentions of the Learned The great Reasons that move on both sides you may easily discern 1. Those that think an Oath in lawful things obligeth not contrary to the Magistrates antecedent or subsequent command are moved by this reason that else subjects and children might by their Vows exempt themselves from obedience and null Gods command of obeying our superiours 2. Those that think a Vow is obligatory against a Magistrates command are moved by this reason because else say they a Magistrate may at his pleasure dispense with all Vows except in things commanded before by God For he may come after and cross our Vows by his commands which against the Popes pretensions Protestants have denyed to be in the power of any mortal man And God say they hath the first right which none can take away I must not be forward in determining where Rulers are concerned only to those that may and must determine it I add these further materials to be considered of § 45. 1. It is most necessary to the decision of this case to understand how far the Inferiour that voweth was sui juris and had the power of himself when he made the Vow as to the making of it and how far he is sui juris as to the act which he hath vowed and to that end to know in a case where there is some power over his act both in his superiour and in himself whether his own power or his superiours as to that act be the greater 2. It is therefore needful to distinguish much between those acts that are of Private use and signification only and those that antecedently to the Rulers command are of publick use and nature or such as the Ruler is as much concerned in as the inferiour 3. It is needful to understand the true intent and sense of the command of our superiour whether Read of this at large Amesii Cas. Câ—â—s l. 5. c. 25. Qu. 4. it be really his intent to bind inferiours to break their Vows or whether they intend only to bind those that are not so entangled and pre-engaged by a Vow with a tacite exception of those that are And what is most just must be presumed unless the contrary be plain 4. It must be discerned whether the commands of superiours intend any further penalty than that which is affixed in their Laws As in our Poenal Laws about using Bow and Arrows and about fishing hunting c. whether it be intended that the offender be guilty of damnation or only that the threatned temporal penalty do satisfie the Law And whether God bind us to any further penalty than the superiour intendeth 5. The End of the Laws of men must be distinguished from the words And a great difference must be put between those forbidden acts that do no further harm than barely to cross the Letter of the Law or Will of a Superiour and those that cross the just end of the Command or Law and that either more or less as it is more or less hurtful to others or against the common good For then the matter will become sinful in it self 6. Whether Perjury or the unwilling violation of humane Laws be the greater sin and which in a doubtful case should be most feared and avoided it is easie to discern § 46. Rule 27. A Vow may be consequently made Null or Void 1. By cessation of the matter or Rule 27. any thing essential to it of which before § 13. or by a Dispensation or dissolution of it by God to whom we are obliged No doubt it is in Gods power to disoblige a man from his Vow But how he ever doth such a thing is all the doubt extraordinary revelations being ceased there is this way yet ordinary viz. by bringing the matter which I vowed to do under some prohibition of a General Law by the Changes of his Providence § 47. Rule 28. As to the power of man to dispense with Oaths and Vows there is a great and most Rule 28. remarkable difference between those Oaths and Vows where Man is the only party that we are primarily bound to and God is only appealed to as witness or judge as to the keeping of
future What Understanding Will or Power arâ— formally in God How he knoweth future contingents with a hundred such like Then remember that you make use of this rule and say with Mâ—ses Dâ—uâ— 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things that are revealed unto us and to our children for ever that we may do all the words of his Law There are many rare profound discoveries much gloryâ—d of by the Masters of several Sects of which you may know the sentence of the Holy Ghost by that instance Col. 2. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a vâ—luntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into thâ—se things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind Reverently withdraw from things that are unrevealed and dispute them not § 17. Direct 6. Be a careful and accurate though not a vain Distinguisher and suffer not ambiguity Direct 6. and confusion to decâ—ive you Suspect every word in your Question and anatomize it and agree ☜ upon the sense of all your common terms before you dispute with any adversary It is not only in Sâ—e my Preface bâ—fore the second Part of the Saiâ—â—s Rest. Edit 3. c. A man of judgement shall hear ignoâ—â—nâ— mâ—n dâ—ffer and know that â—hâ— mean one thing and yet â—â—â—â—y themselves will never agree L. Bacoâ— Ess. 3. many words but in one word or syllable that so much ambiguity and confusion may be contained as may make a long dispute to be but a vain and ridiculous wrangling Is it not a ridiculous business to hear men dispute many hours about the Cur credis and Into what faith is to be resolved and in the end come to understand that by Cur one of them speaks of the Principium or Causa Veritatis and the other of the Principium patâ—factionis or the Evidentia Veritatis or some other cause And when one speaks of the Resolution of his faith as into the formal Object and another into the subservient testimony or means or into the proofs of Divine attestation or many other causes Or to hear men dispute Whether Christ dyed for all when by for one man meaneth for the benefit of all and another means in the place or stead of all or for the sins of all as the procuring cause c. Yet here is but a syllable to contain this confusion What a tedious thing it is to read long disputes between many Papists and Protestants about Justification while by Iustification one meaneth one thing and another meaneth quite another thing He that cannot force every word to make a plain confession of its proper signification that the Thing intended may be truly discerned in the Word he will but deceive himself and others with a wordy insignificant dispute § 18. Direct 7. Therefore be specially suspicious of Metaphors as being all but ambiguities till an Direct 7. explication hath fixed or determined the sense It is a noisome thing to hear some dispute upon an unexplained ☜ Metaphorical word when neither of them have enucleated the sense and when there are proper words enow § 19. Direct 8. Take special notice of what kind of beings your enquiry or disputation is and let Direct 8. all your terms be adapted and interpreted according to the kinds of beings you dispute of As if you ☜ be enquiring into the nature of any Grace as Faith Repentance Obedience c. remember that it is in genere moris a moral act And therefore the terms are not to be understood as if you disputed about meer Physical acts which are considered but in genere entis For that Object which must essentiate one Moral act containeth many Physical particles which will make up many Physical acts As I â—ave shewed in my Dispute of Saving Faith wiâ—h Dr. Barlow and of Iustification If you take such a man for your King your Commander your Master your Physicion c. if you should at the Barr when you are questioned for unfaithfulness dispute upon the word take whether it be an act of the phantasie or sense or intellect or will c. would you not be justly laught at So when you askt What act Faith or Repentance is which contain many particular Physical acts When you dispute of Divinity Policy Law Warr c. you must not use the same terms in the same sense as when you dispute of Physicks or Metaphysicks § 20. Direct 9. Be sure in all your disputes that you still keep distinguished before your eyes the Direct 9. Order of Being and the Order of Knowing that the questions de esse lying undetermined in your way ☜ do not frustrate all your dispute about the question de cognoscere As in the question Whether a man should do such or such a thing when he thinketh that it is Gods Command How far Conscience must be obeyed It must first be determined de esse whether indeed the thing be commanded or lawful or not Before the case can be determined about the obligation that followeth my apprehension For what ever my Conscience or Opinion say of it the Thing either is Lawful or it is not If it be Lawful or a duty the case is soon decided But if it be not Lawful the error of my Conscience altereth not Gods Law nor will it make it lawful unto me I am bound first to know and then to do what God revealeth and commandeth and this I shall be bound to what ever I imagine to the contrary and to lay by the error which is against it § 21. Direct 10. Be sure when you first enter upon an enquiry or dispute that you well discover how Direct 10. much of the controversie is verbal de nomine and â—ow much is material de re And that you suffer not ☜ your adversary to go on upon a false supposition that the Controversie is de re when it is but de Non ex verbis reâ— sed ex rebus verba esse inquirenda ait Mysoâ— in Laert. p. 70. Basil Edit nomine The difference between names and things is so wide that you would think no reasonable man should confound them And yet so heedless in this point are ordinary disputers that it is a usual thing to make a great deal of stir about a controversie before they discern whether it be de nomine or de râ— Many a hot and long dispute I have heard which was managed as about the very heart of some material cause as about mans Power to do good or about the sufficiency of Grace or about Iustification c. when the whole contest between the Disputers was only or principally It is a noble work that Mr. Le Blanck of Sedan is about to this purpose stating more exâ—ctly than hath yet been done all the Controversies between us and the Papists which how excellently he is like to perform I easily conjecture by the Disputes of his
withdrew from the accusation as tending to their own confusion And Severus saith Certe Ithacium nihil pensi nihil sancti habuisse definio fuit enim audax loquax impudens sumptuosus ventri gulae plurimum impertiens Hic stultitiae eo usque processerat ut omnes etiam sanctos viros quibus aut studium inerat lectionis aut propositum erat certare jejuniis tanquam Priscilliani socios discipulos in erimen arcesseret Ausus etiam Miser est Martino Episcopo viro plane Apostolis conferendo palam objectare haeresis infamiam quia non desinebat inâ—repare Ithacium ut ab accusatione desisteret And when the Leaders were put to death the Heresie increased more and honoured Priscillian as a Martyr and reproached the Orthodox as wicked persecuters And the end was that the Church was filled by it with divisions and manifold mischiefs and all the most godly made the common scorn Inter haec plebs Dei optimus quisque probro atque ludibrio habebatur They are the last words of Severus's History And changing the names are calculated for another Meridian and for later years CHAP. IX How to behave our selves in the publick Assemblies and the worship there performed and after them See my Treaâ— of the Lords day and my Cure of Church-Div I Have purposely given such particular Directions in Tom. 2. on this subject and written so many Books about it and said so much also in the Cases of Conscience that I shall here only cast in a few common Directions lest the Reader think I make a bawk Direct 1. Let your preparations in secret and in your family on the beginning of the Direct 1. Lords dayes be such as conduce to fit you for the publick Worship Run not to Church as ungodly Eccl. 5. 1 2 3 4. people do with a carnal heart that never sought God before you went nor considered what you go about As if all your Religion were to make up the number of the auditors and you 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Prov. 1. 20. to the end thought God must not be worshipped and obeyed at home but only in the Church God may in mercy meet with an unprepared heart and open his eyes and heart and save him But he hath made no promise of it to any such He that goeth to Worship that God at Church whom he forgetteth and despiseth in his heart and house may expect to be despised by him O consider what it is for a sinner that must shortly die to go with the servants of God to worship him to pray for his salvation and to hear what God hath to say to him by his Minister for the life of his immortal soul Direct 2. Enter not into the holy Assembly either superstitiously or unreverently Not as if Direct 2. the bending of the knee and mumbling over a few words with a careless ignorant mind and spending an hour there as carelesly would save your souls Nor yet as if the Relation which the worship the worshippers and the dedicated Place have unto God deserved not a special honour and regard Though God be ever with us every where yet every Time and Place and person and business is not equally Related to God And Holiness is no unfit attribution for that Company or that Place which is Related to God though but by the lawful separation and dedication of man To be uncovered in those Countreys where uncovering signifieth Reverence is very well becoming a reverent soul except when the danger of cold forbids it It is an unhappy effect of our Contentions that many that seem most reverent and holy in their high regard of holy things do yet carry themselves with more unreverent deportment than those that themselves account prophane God is the God of Soul and Body and must be worshipped by both And while they are united the actions of one are helpful to the other as well as due and decent Direct 3. If you can come at the beginning that you may shew your attendance upon God and Direct 3. your esteem of all his worship Especially in our Assemblies where so great a part of the duty as Confession Praises Reading the Scriptures are all at the beginning And it is meet that you thereby shew that you prefer publick worship before private and that needless businesses keep you not away Direct 4. If you are free and can do it lawfully choose the most able holy Teacher that you can Direct 4. have and be not indifferent whom you hear For O how great is the difference and how bad are our hearts and how great our necessity of the clearest doctrine and the Livelyest helps Nor be you indifferent what manner of people you joyn with nor what manner of worship is there performed But in all choose the Best when you are free But where you are not free or can have no better refuse not to make use of weaker Teachers or to communicate with faulty Congregations in a defective faulty manner of worship so be it you are not compelled to sin And think not that all the faults of the Prayers or Communicants are imputed to all that joyn with them in that worship For then we should joyn with none in all the World Direct 5. When the Minister is weak be the more watchful against prejudice and sluggishness of Direct 5. heart lest you lose all Mark that Word of God which he readeth to you and reverence and Love and lay up that It was the Law Read and meditated on which David saith the Godly do delight Psal. 1. 2 3. Psal. 12. 6 7. 19. 7 8 9. in The sacred Scriptures are not so obscure and useless as the Papists do pretend but convert the soul and are able to make us wise unto salvation Christ went ordinarily to the Synagogues where even bad men did read Moses and the Prophets every Sabbath day There are thousands that cannot Read themselves who must come to the Assembly to hear that word read which they cannot read or hear at home Every sentence of Scripture hath a divine excellency and therefore had we nothing but the Reading of it and that by a bad man a holy soul may profit by it Direct 6. Mind not so much the case of others present as your selves And think not so much how Direct 6. bad such and such a one is and unworthy to be there as how bad you are your selves and unworthy of communion with the people of the Lord and what a mercy it is that you have admittance and are not cast out from those holy opportunities Direct 7. Take heed of a pievish quarrelsome humour that disposeth you to carp at all that 's said Direct 7. and done and to find fault with every mode and circumstance and to affect a causless singularity as thinking that your own wayes and words and orders are far more excellent than other mens Think ill of nothing out of
intercision as I have proved it hath had as to lawful Popes the whole Catholick Church is nullified and it is impossible to give it a new being but by a new Pope But the best is that by their Doctrine indeed they need not to plead for an uninterrupted succession either of Popes Bishops or Presbyters but that they think it a useful cheat to perplex all that are not their subjects For if the Papacy were extinct an hundred years Christ is still alive And seeing it is no matter ad esse who be the Electors or Consecrators so it be but made known conveniently to the people and Men only Elect and Receive the person and Christ only giveth the power by his stated Law what hindereth after the longest extinction or intercision but that some body or some sort of persons may choose a Pope again and so Christ make him Pope And thus the Catholick Church may dye and live again by a new Creation many times over And when the Pope hath a Resurrection after the longest intercision so may all the Bishops and Priests in the world because a new Pope can make new Bishops and new Bishops can make new Priests And where then is there any shew of necessity of an uninterrupted succession of any of them All that will follow is that the particular Churches dye till a Resurrection And so doth the whole Church on earth every time the Pope dyeth till another be made if he be the Constitutive Head 2. But as they say that Christ only Efficiently giveth the Power to the Pope so say we to the Bishops or Pastors of the Church For there is no act of Christs Collation to be proved but the Scripture Law or Grant And if that standing Law give Power to the Pope when men have but designed the Person the same Law will do the same to Bishops or Pastors For it establisheth their Office in the same sort Or rather in truth there is no word that giveth power to any such Officer as an Universal Head or Pope but the Law for the Pastoral Office is uncontrovertible And what the Spanish Bishops at Trent thought of the Divine Right of the Bishops Office I need not mention I shall therefore thus truly resolve the question 1. In all Ordinations and Elections man doth but first choose the Recipient person 2. And Ceremoniously and Ministerially Invest him in the Possession when God hath given him the power But the efficient Collation or Grant of the Power is done only by Christ by the Instrumentality of his Law or Institution As when the King by a Charter saith Whoever the City shall choose shall be their Mayor and have such and such power and be Invested in it by the Recorder or Steward Here the person elected receiveth all his Power from the King by his Charter which is a standing Efficient conveying it to the Capable Chosen person and not from the Choosers or Recorder only the last is as a servant to deliver possession So is it in this case 2. The regular way of entrance appointed by Christ to make a person capable is the said Election and Ordination And for order sake where that may be had the unordained are not to be received as Pastors 3. If any get Possession by false pretended Ordination or Mission and be Received by the Church I have before told you that he is a Pastor as to the Churches use and benefit though not to his own And so the Church is not extinct by every fraudulent usurpation or mistake and so not by want of a true Ordination or Mission 4. If the way of regular Ordination fail God may otherwise by the Churches necessity and the notorious aptitude of the person notifie his will to the Church what person they shall receive As if a Lay-man were cast on the Indian shoar and converted thousands who could have no Ordination And upon the peoples Reception or Consent that man will be a true Pastor And seeing the Papists in the conclusion as Iohnson ubi supra are fain to cast all their cause on the Churches Reception of the Pope they cannot deny reasonably but ad esse the Churches reception may serve also for another Officer And indeed much better than for a Pope For 1. The Universal Church is so great that no man can know when the Greater part Receiveth him and when not except in some notorious declarations 2. And it is now known that the far greater part of the Universal Church the Greeks Armenians Abassines Copties Protestants c. do not receive the Roman Head 3. And when one part of Europe received one Pope and another part another Pope for above fourty years together who could tell which of the parties was to be accounted the Church It was not then known nor it is not known yet to this day And no Papist can prove it who affirmeth it As a Church e. g. Constantinople may be gathered or oriri de novo where there is none before so may it be restored where it is extinct And possibly a Lay-man as Frumentius and Edesiâ—s in the Indies may be the instrument of mens conversion And if so they may by consent become their Pastors when regular Ordination cannot be had I have said more of this in my Disputations of Church-Government Disp. 2. The truth is this pretence of a Necessity of uninterrupted successive Ordination Mission or Jurisdictional Collation ad esse to the being of Ministry or Church is but a cheat of men that have an interest of their own which requireth such a plea when they may easily know that it would overthrow themselves Quest. 12. Whether there be or ever was such a thing in the world as one Catholick Church Constituted by any Head besides or under Christ THe greatest and first controversie between us and the Papists is not What man or Politick person is the Head of the whole Visible Church But Whether there be any such Head at all eiPersonal or Collective Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical under Christ of his appointment or allowance Or any such thing as a Catholick Church so Headed or Constituted Which they affirm and we deny That neither Pope nor General Council is such a Head I have proved so fully in my Key for Catholicks and other Books that I will not here stay to make repetition of it That the Pope is no such Head we may take for granted 1. Because they bring no proof of it whatever they vainly pretendâ—â— 2. Because our Divines have copiously disproved it to whom I refer you 3. Because the Universal Church never received such a Head as I have proved against Iohnson 4. And whether it be the Pope their Bishop of Calcedon ubi sup Sancta Clara System â—id say is not de fide That a Council is no such Head I have largely proved as aforesaid Part 2. Key for Cath. And 1. The use of it being but for Concord proveth it 2. Most Papists confess it
exercise and to a fixed Charge as thou hast now a Call to the Office in general 9. Yet every Bishop or Pastor by his Relation to the Church Universal and to mankind and the interest of Christ is bound not only as a Christian but as a Pastor to do his best for the common good and not to cast wholly out of his care a particular Church because another hath the oversight of it Therefore if an Heretick get in or the Church fall to Heresie or any pernicious error or sin the neighbour Pastors are bound both by the Law of Nature and their Office to interpose their Counsel as Ministers of Christ and to prefer the substance before pretended order and to feek to recover the peoples souls though it be against their proper Pastors will And in such a case of necessity they may ordain degrade excommunicate and absolve in anothers charge as if it were a vacuity 10. Moreover it is one thing to excommunicate a man out of a particular Church and another thing for many associated Churches or Neighbours to renounce Communion with him The special 1 Cor. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Thess. 3. 6 14. Pastors of particular Churches having the Government of those Churches are the special Governing Judges who shall or shall not have Communion as a member in their Churches But the neighbour-Pastors of other Churches have the power of Judging with whom they and their own flocks will or will 2 John 10. Rev. 2. 14 15 2â— not hold Communion As e. g. Athanasius may as Governour of his flock declare any Arrian-member excommunicate and require his flock to have no Communion with him And all the neighbour Pastors though they excommunicate not the same man as his special Governours yet may declare to all their flocks that if that man come among them they will have no Communion with him and that at distance they renounce that distant Communion which is proper to Christians one with another and take him for none of the Church of Christ. Quest. 25. Whether Canons be Laws And Pastors have a Legislative Power ALL men are not agreed what a Law is that is what is to be taken for the proper sense of that Word Some will have the name confined to such Common Laws as are stated durable Rules for the subjects actions And some will extend it also to personal temporary verbal Precepts and Mandates such as Parents and Masters use daily to the children and servants of their families And of the first sort some will confine the name Laws to those acts of Soveraignty which are about the common matters of the Kingdom or which no interiour Officer may make And others will extend it to those Orders which by the Soveraigns Charter a Corporation or Colledge or School may make for the subregulation of their particular societies and affairs I have declared my own opinion de nomine fully elsewhere 1. That the definition of a Law in the proper general sense is To be A sign or signification of the Reason and Will of the Rector as such to his subjects as such instituting or antecedently determining what shall be Due from them and to them Jus efficiendo Regularly making Right 2. That these Laws are many more wayes diversified and distinguished from the efficient sign subjects matter end c. than is meet for us here to enumerate It is sufficient now to say 1. That stated Regulating Laws as distinct from temporary Mandates and Proclamations 2. And Laws for Kingdoms and other Common-wealthy in regard of Laws for Persons Schools Families c. 3. And Laws made by the Supream Power as distinct from those made by the derived authority of Colleges Corporations c. called By-Laws or Orders For I will here say nothing of Parents and Pastors whose Authority is directly or immediately from the efficiency of Nature in one and Divine Institution in the other and not derived efficiently from the Magistrate or any man 4. That Laws about great substantial matters distinct from those about little and mutable circumstances c. I say the first sort as distinct from the second are Laws so called by Excellency above other Laws But that the rest are univocally to be called Laws according to the best definition of the Law in Genere But if any man will speak otherwise let him remember that it is yet but lis de nomine and that he may use his liberty and I will use mine Now to the Question 1. Canons made by Virtue of the Pastoral Office and Gods General Laws in Nature or Scripture for regulating it are a sort of Laws to the subjects or flocks of those Pastors 2. Canons made by the Votes of the Laity of the Church or private part of that society as private are no Laws at all but Agreements Because they are not acts of any Governing power 3. Canons made by Civil Rulers about the circumstantials of the Church belonging to their Office as orderers of such things are Laws and may be urged by moderate and meet civil or corporal penalties and no otherwise 4. Canons made by Princes or inferiour Magistrates are no Laws purely and formally Ecclesiastical which are essentially Acts of Pastoral power But only Materially Ecclesiastical and formally Magistratical 5. No Church Officers as such much less the people can make Laws with a Co-active or Coâ—rcive sanction that is to be enforced by their Authority with the Sword or any corporal penalty mulct or force This being the sole priviledge of Secular Powers Civil or Oâ—conomical or Scholastick 6. There is no obligation ariseth to the subject for particular obedience of any Law which is evidently against the Laws of God in Nature or holy Scripture 7. They are no Laws which Pastors make to people out of their power As the Popes c. 8. There is no power on earth under Christ that hath Authority to make Universal Laws to bind the whole Church on all the earth or all mankind Because there is no Universal Soveraign Civil or Spiritual Personal or Collective 9. Therefore it is no Schism but Loyalty to Christ to renounce or separate from such a society of ☜ Usurpation nor no disobedience or rebellion to deny them obedience 10. Pastors may and must be obeyed in things Lawful as Magistrates if the King make them Magistrates Though I think it unmeet for them to accept a Magistracy with the Sword except in case of some rare necessity 11. Is Pope Patriarchs or Pastors shall usurp any of the Kings Authority Loyalty to Christ and him and the Love of the Church and State oblige us to take part with Christ and the King against such Usurpation but only by lawful means in the compass of our proper place and Calling 12. The Canons made by the Councils of many Churches have a double nature As they are made for the people and the subjects of the Pastors they are a sort of Laws That is They oblige by the derived
by decisive Iudicial â—entence Nor any Universal Civil Monarch of the world 2. The publick Governing Decisive judgement obliging others belongeth to publick persons or Officers Eph. 4. 7 13 14 15 16. of God and not to any private man 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. 17. 3. The publick decision of Doubts or Controversies about Faith it self or the true sense of Gods Word and Laws as obliging the whole Church on Earth to believe that decision or not gainsay it Acts 15. See my Key for Catholicks because of the Infallibility or Governing authority of the Deciders belongeth to none but Jesus Christ Because as is said he hath made no Universal Governour nor Infallible Expositor It belongeth to the Law-giver only to make such an Universally obliging Exposition of his own Laws 4. True Bishops or Pastors in their own particular Churches are Authorized Teachers and Guides in Expounding the Laws and Word of Christ And the people are bound as Learners to reverence their Teaching and not contradict it without true cause yea and to believe them fide humanâ in things pertinent to their Office For oportet discentem credere 5. No such Pastors are to be Absolutely believed nor in any case of notorious Error or Heresie where the Word of God is discerned to be against them 6. For all the people as Reasonable creatures have a judgement of private discerning to judge what they must Receive as Truth and to discern their own duty by the help of the Word of God and of their Teachers 7. The same power of Governing-Iudgement Lawful Synods have over their several flocks as a Pastor over his own but with greater advantage 8. The power of Judging in many Consociate Churches who is to be taken into Communion as Orthodox and who to be refused by those Churches as Hereticks in specie that is what Doctrine they will judge sound or unsound as it is Iudicium discernendi belongeth to every one of the Council â—ingly As it is a Iudgement obliging themselves by Contract and not of Governing each other it is in the Contracters and Consenters And for peace and order usually in the Major Vote But with the Limitations before expressed 9. Every true Christian believeth all the Essentials of Christianity with a Divine faith and not by a meer humane belief of his Teachers though by their Help and Teaching his faith is generated and confirmed and preserved Therefore no essential Article of Christianity is left to any obliging decision of any Church but only to a subservient obliging Teaching As whether there be a God a Christ a Heaven a Hell an Immortality of souls whether God be to be believed loved feared obeyed before man Whether the Scripture be Gods Word and true Whether those that contradict it are to be believed therein Whether Pastors Assemblies publick Worship Baptism Sacrament of the Lords Supper be Divine institutions And the same I may say of any known Word of God No mortals may judge in partem utramliâ—et but the Pastors are only Authorized Teachers and helpers of the peoples faith And so they be partly to one another 10. If the Pope or his Council were the Infallible or the Governing Expositors of all Gods Laws and Scriptures 1. God would have enabled them to do it by an Universal Commentary which all men should be obliged to believe or at least not to contradict For there is no Authority and Obligation given to men yea to so many successively to do that for the needful decision of Controversies which they never have Ability given them to do For that were to oblige them to things impossible 2. And the Pope and his Council would be the most treacherous miscreants on earth that in so many hundred years would never write such an Infallible nor Governing Commentary to end the differences of the Christian world Indeed they have judged with others against Arrius that Christ is true God and one with the Father in substance c. But if they had said the contrary must we have taken it for Gods truth or have believed them 11. To judge who for Heresie or Seandal shall be punished by the Sword belongeth to none but the Magistrate in his own dominions As to judge who shall have Communion or be excommunicated from the Church belongeth as aforesaid to the Pastors And the said Magistrate hath first as a man his own Iudgement of discerning what is Heresie and who of his subjects are guilty of it in order to his publick Governing Judgement 12. The Civil Supream Ruler may Antecedently exercise this Judgement of Discerning by the Teaching of their proper Teachers in order to his consequent sentences on offenders And so in his Laws may tell the subjects what Doctrines and practices he will either Tolerate or punish And thus may the Church Pastors do in their Canons to their several flocks in relation to Communion or non-communion 13. He that will condemn particular persons as Hereticks or offenders must allow them to speak for themselves and hear the proofs and give them that which justice requireth c. And if the Pope can do so at the Antipodes and in all the world either per se or per alium without giveing that other his essential claimed power let him prove it by better experience than we have had 14. As the prime and sole-universal Legislation belongeth to Jesus Christ so the final Judgement universal and particular belongeth to him which only will end all Controversies and from which there is no appeal Quest. 29. Whether a Parents power over his Children or a Pastor or many Pastors or Bishops over the same Children as parts of their flock be greater or more obliging in matters of Religion and publick Worship THis being toucht on somewhere else I only now say 1. That if the case were my own I would 1. Labour to know their different Powers as to the matter commanded and obey each in that which is proper to his place 2. If I were young and ignorant Natural necessity and natural obligation together would give my Parents with whom I lived such an advantage above the Minister whom I seldome see or understand as would determine the case de eventu and much de jure 3. If my Parents commanded me to hear a Teacher who is against Ceremonies or certain Forms and to hear none that are for them natural necessity here also ordinarily would make it my duty first to hear and obey my Parents And in many other cases till I came to understand the greater power of the Pastors in their own place and work 4. But when I come to Church or know that the judgement of all Concordant Godly Pastors condemneth such a thing as damnable Heresie or Sin which any Father commandeth me to receive and profess I would more believe and follow the Judgement of the Pastors and Churches Quest. 30. May an Office Teacher or Pastor be at once in a stated Relation of a Pastor and a
Covenant of Grace When a man Receiveth the Lords Supper unworthily in scorn in drunkenness or impenitency much more without any right as Infidels he doth eat and drink damnation or judgement to himself and maketh his sin greater Therefore he that gets a Child Baptized unworthily and without right doth not therefore infallibly procure his salvation 7. Because the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7. 14. Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy and the Scripture giveth this priviledge to the Children of the faithful above others whereas the contrary opinion levelleth them with the seed of Infidels and Heathens as if these had right to salvation by meer Baptism as well as the others 8. Because else it would be the greatest act of Charity in the world to send Souldiers to catch up all Heathens and Infidels Children and Baptize them which no Christians ever yet thought their duty Yea it would be too strong a temptation to them to kill them when they had done that they might be all undoubtedly saved Obj. But that were to do evil that good might come by it Answ. But God is not to be so dishonoured as to be supposed to make such Laws as shall forbid men the greatest good in the World and then to tempt them by the greatness of the benefit to take it to be no evil As if he said If Souldiers would go take up a million of Heathens Children and Baptize them it will put them into an undoubted state of salvation But yet I forbid them doing it And if they presently kill them lest they sin after they shall undoubtedly be saved but yet I forbid them doing it I need not aggravate this temptation to them that know the power of the Law of nature which is the Law of Love and good works and how God that is most Good is pleased in our doing good Though he tryed Abraham's obedience once as if he should have killed his Son yet he stopt him before the execution And doth he ordinarily exercise mens obedience by forbidding them to save the souls of others when it is easily in their power Especially when with the adult the greatest labour and powerfullest Preaching is frequently so frustrate that not one of many is converted by it 9. Because else God should deal with unaccountable disparity with Infants and the Adult in the same ordinance of Baptism It is certain that all Adult persons Baptised if they dyed immediately should not be saved Even none that had no right to the Covenant and to Baptism such as Infidels Heathens Impenitent persons Hypocrites that have not true Repentance and faith And why should Baptism save an Infant without title any more than the Adult without title I still suppose that some Infants have no title and that now I speak of them alone Obj. But the Church giveth them all right by Receiving them Answ. This is to be farther examined anon If you mean a particular Church perhaps they are Baptized into none such Baptism as such is a Reception only into the Universal Church as in Eunuchs case Act. 8. appeareth If you mean the Universal Church it may be but one single ignorant man in an Infidel Countrey that Baptizeth And he is not the Universal Church Yea perhaps is not a lawfully called Minister of that Church However this is but to say that Baptism giveth Right to Baptism For this Receiving is nothing but Baptizing But there must be a Right to this Reception if baptism be a distinguishing Ordinance and all the world have not right to it Christ saith Matth. 28. 19. Disciple me all Nations baptizing them They must be initially made Disciples first by Consent and then be Invested in the visible state of Christianity by Baptism 10. If the Children of Heathens have right to baptism and salvation thereby it is either 1. As they are men and all have right or 2. Because the parents give them right 3. Or because remote ancestors give them right 4. Or because the universal Church gives them right 5. Or because a particular Church giveth them right 6. Or because the Sponsors give them right 7. Or the Magistrate 8. Or the Baptizer But it is none of all these as shall anon be proved II. But as to the second question I answer 1. It will help us to understand the case the better if we prepare the way by opening the case of the Adult because in Scripture times they were the most famous subjects of Baptism And it is certain of such 1. That every one outwardly Baptized is not in a state of salvation That no hypocrite that is not a true penitent believer is in such a state 2. That every true penitent believer is before God in a state of salvation as soon as he is such And before the Church as soon as he is baptized 3. That we are not to use the word Baptism as a Physical term only but as a moral Theological term Because words as in Law physick c. are to be understood according to the art or science in which they are treated of And Baptism taken Theologically doth as Essentially include the Wills consent or Heart-Covenanting with God as Matrimony includeth marriage consent and as a man containeth the soul as well as the body And thus it is certain that all truly Baptized persons are in a state of salvation that is All that sincerely consent to the Baptismal Covenant when they profess consent by Baptism but not hypocrites 4. And in this sense all the Ancient Pastors of the Churches did concur that Baptism did wash away all sin and put the baptized into a present right to life eternal as he that examineth their Writings will perceive not the outward washing and words alone but when the inward and outward parts concur or when by true faith and repentance the Receiver hath right to the Covenant of God 5. In this sense it is no unfit language to imitate the Fathers and to say that the truly baptized are in a state of Justification adoption and salvation unless when mens misunderstanding maketh it unsaâ—e 6. The sober Papists themselves say the same thing and when they have said that even ex opere operato Baptism saveth they add that it is only the meet Receiver that is the penitent believer and no other of the adult So that hitherto there is no difference 2. Now let us by this try the case of Infants concerning which there are all these several opinions among Divines 1. Some think that all Infants baptized or not are saved from Hell and positive punishment but are not brought to Heaven as being not capable of such joyes 2. Some think that all Infants dying such are saved as others are by actual felicity in Heaven though in a lower degree Both these sorts suppose that Christs death saveth all that reject 〈…〉 not and that Infants reject it not 3. Some think that all unbaptized Infants do suffer the poenam damni and are shut out
us for holding that the meer natural progeny of believers are saved as such did well understand our doctrine they would perceive that in this we differ not from the understanding sort among them or at least that their accusations run upon a mistake I told you before that there are three things distinctly to be considered in the title of Infants to baptism and salvation 1. By what right the Parent covenanteth for his child 2. What right the child hath to baptism 3. What right he hath to the benefits of the Covenant sealed and delivered in baptism To the first two things concur to the title of the Parent to Covenant in the name of his child One is his Natural Interest in him The child being his own is at his dispose The other is Gods gracious will and consent that it shall be so that the Parents Will shall be as the childs for his good till he come at age to have a Will of his own To the second The childs right to baptism is not meerly his Natural or his Birth relation from such Parents but it is in two degrees as followeth 1. He hath a Virtual Right on condition of his Parents faith the Reason is because that a believers consent and self-dedication to God déth Virtually contain in it a dedication with himself of all that is his And it is a contradiction to say that a a man truly dedicateth himself to God and not all that he hath and that he truly consenteth to the Covenant for himself and not for his child if he understand that God will accept it 2. His Actual title-condition is his Parents or Owners Actual Consent to enter him into Gods Covenant and his Actual mental dedication of his child to God which is his title before God and the Profession of it is his title before the Church So that it is not a meer Physical but a Moral title-condition which an Infant hath to baptism that is His Parents Consent to dedicate him to God 3. And to the third His title-condition to the Benefits of baptism hath two degrees 1. That he be really dedicated to God by the heart-consent of his Parent as aforesaid And 2. That his Parent express this by the solemn engaging him to God in baptism The first being necessary as a Means sine quo non and the second being necessary as a Duty without which he sinneth when its possible and as a Means coram Ecclesia to the priviledges of the Visible Church The sum of all is that our meer natural interest in our children is not their title-condition to baptism or to salvation but only that presupposed state which enableth us by Gods Consent to Covenant for them But their title-condition to baptism and salvation is our Covenanting for them or Voluntary dedicating them to God which we do 1. Virtually when we dedicate our selves and all that we have or shall have 2. Actually when our Hearts consent particularly for them and Actually devote them to God before Baptism 3. Sacramentally when we express this in our solemn baptismal covenanting and dedication Consider exactly of this again And if you loath distinguishing confess ingenuously that you loath the truth or the necessary means of knowing it Quest. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors Patrimi or God-fathers as we call them And is it lawful to make use of them Answ. I. TO the first question All men have not the same thoughts either of their Original or of their present use 1. Some think that they were Sponsors or Sureties for the Parents rather than the child at first And that when many in times of Persecution Heresie and Apostasie did baptize their children this month or year and the next month or year apostatize and deny Christ themselves that the Sponsors were only credible Christians witnessing that they believed that the Parents were credible firm believers and not like to apostatize 2. Others think that they were undertakers that if the Parents did apostatize or dye they would see to the Christian Education of the child themselves 3. Others think that they did both these together which is my opinion viz. That they witnessed the probability of the parents fidelity But promised that if they should either apostatize or dye they would see that the children were piously educated 4. Others think that they were absolute undertakers that the children should be piously educated whether the Parents dyed or apostatized or not So that they went joint-undertakers with the Parents in their life time 5. And I have lately met with some that maintain that the God-fathers and God-mothers become Proprietors and Adopt the child and take him for their own and that this is the sense of the Church of England But I believe them not for these reasons 1. There is no such word in the Liturgie Doctrine or Canons of the Church of England And that is not to be feigned and fathered on them which they never said 2. It would be against the Law of Nature to force all Parents to give the sole propriety or joynt-propriety in their children to others Nature hath given the propriety to themselves and we cannot rob them of it 3. It would be heinously injurious to the children of Noble and Learned persons if they must be forced to give them up to the propriety and education of others even of such as perhaps are lower and more unfit for it than themselves 4. It would be more heinously injurious to all God-fathers and God-mothers who must all make other mens children their own and therefore must use them as their own 5. It would keep most children unbaptized Because if it were once understood that they must take them as their own few would be Sponsors to the children of the poor for fear of keeping them and few but the Ignorant that know not what they do would be Sponsors for any because of the greatness of the charge and their aversness to adopt the children of others 6. It would make great confusion in the State while all men were bound to exchange children with another 7. I never knew one man or woman that was a God-father or God-mother on such terms nor that took the child to be their own And if such a one should be found among ten thousand that is no rule to discern the judgement of the Church by 8. And in Confirmation the God-father and God-mother is expresly said to be for this use to be Witnesses that the Party is Confirmed 9. And in the Priests speech to the Adult that come for baptism in the Office of baptism of those of riper years it is the persons themselves that are to promise and covenant for themselves and the God-fathers and God-mothers are only called these your Witnesses And if they be but Witnesses to the adult its like they are not Adopters of Infants II. Those that doubt of the Lawfulness of using Sponsors for their children do it on these two accounts 1. As supposing
it unlawful to make so promiscuous an Adoption of children or of choosing another to be a Covenanter for the child instead of the Parent to whom it belongeth or to commit their children to anothers either propriety or education or formal promise of that which belongeth to education when they never mean to perform it nor can do 2. Because they take it for an Adding to the Ordinance of God a thing which Scripture never mentioneth To which I answer 1. I grant it unlawful to suppose another to be the Parent or proprietor that is not Or to suppose him to have that power and interest in your child which he hath not Oâ— to desire him to undertake what he cannot perform and which neither he nor you intend he shall perform I grant that you are not bound to alienate the propriety of your children nor to take in another to be joint-proprietors nor to put out your children to the God-fathers education So that if you will misunderstand the Use of Sponsors then indeed you will make them unlawful to be so used But if you take them but as the antient Churches did for such as do attest the Parents fidelity in their perswasion and do promise first to mind you of your duty and next to take care of the childrens pious education if you dye I know no reason you have to scruple this much Yea more it is in your own power to agree with the God-fathers that they shall represent your own persons and speak and promise what they do as your deputies only in your names And what have you against this Suppose you were sick lame imprisoned or banished would you not have your child baptized And how should that be done but by your deputing another to represent you in entring him into Covenant with God Object But when the Church-men mean another thing this is but to juggle with the world Answ. How can you prove that the authority that made or imposed the Liturgie meant any other thing And other individuals are not the Masters of your sense 2. Yea and if the Imposers had meant ill in a thing that may be done well you may discharge your conscience by doing it well and making a sufficient profession of your better sense 2. And then it will be no sinful addition to Gods Ordinance to determine of a lawful circumstance which he hath left to humane prudence As to choose a meet Deputy Witness or Sponsor who promiseth nothing but what is meet Quest. 40. On whose account or right is it that the Infant hath title to Baptism and its benefits Is it on the Parents Ancestors Sponsors the Churches the Ministers the Magistrates or his own Answ. THe titles are very various that are pretended Let us examine them all I. I cannot think that a Magistrates Command to baptize an Infant giveth him right 1. Because there is no proof of the validity of such a title 2. Because the Magistrate can command no such thing if it be against Gods Word as this is which would level the case of the seed of Heathens and believers And I know but few of that opinion II. I do not think that the Minister as such giveth title to the Infant For 1. He is no proprietor 2. He can shew no such power or grant from God 3. He must baptize none but those that antecedently have right 4. Else he also might levell all and take in Heathens children with believers 5. Nor is this pretended to by many that I know of III. I cannot think that it is a particular Church that must give this Right or perform the condition of it For 1. Baptism as is aforesaid as such doth only make a Christian and a member of the Universal Church and not of any particular Church And 2. The Church is not the proprietor of the child 3. No Scripture Commission can be shewed for such a power Where hath God said All that any particular Church will receive shall have right to baptism 4. By what act must the Church give this right If by baptizing him the question is of his antecedent right If by willing that he be baptized 1. If they will that one be baptized that hath no right to it their will is sinful and therefore unfit to give him right 2. And the baptizing Minister hath more power than a thousand or ten thousand private men to judge who is to be baptized 5. Else a Church might save all Heathens children that they can but baptize and so levell Infidels and Christians seed 6. It is not the Church in general but some one person that must educate the child Therefore the Church cannot so much as promise for its education The Church hath nothing to do with those that are without but only with her own And Heathens children are not her own nor exposed to her occupation IV. I believe not that it is the Universal Church that giveth the Infant title to baptism For 1. He that giveth title to the Covenant and baptism doth it as a performer of the Moral Condition of that title But God hath no where made the Churches faith to be the condition of baptism or salvation either â—o Infidels or their seed 2. Because the Universal Church is a body that cannot be consulted with to give their Vote and Consent Nor have they any Deputies to do it by For there is no Universal Visible Governour And if you will pretend every Priest to be commissioned to act and judge in the name of the Universal Church you will want proof and that 's before confuted 3. If all have right that the Universal Church offereth up to God or any Minister or Bishop be counted its Deputy or Agent to that end it is in the power of that Minister as is said to levell all and to baptize and save all which is contrary to the Word of God V. I believe that God-fathers as such being no Adopters or Proprietors are not the performers of the condition of salvation for the Infant nor give him right to be baptized 1. Because he is not their Own and therefore their will or act cannot go for his Because there is no Word of God for it that all shall be baptized or saved that any Christians will be Sponsors for Gods Church blessings be not tyed â—o such inventions that were not in being when Gods Laws were made Where â—here is no promise or word there is no faith 3. No Sponsors are so much as lawful as is shewed before who are not Owners or their Deputies or meer secondary subservient parties who suppose the principal Covenanting party 4. And as to the Infants salvation the Sponsors may too oft be ignorant Infidels and Hypocrites themselves that have no true faith for themselves and therefore not enough to save another 5. And it were strange if God should make no promise to a wicked Parent for his own child and yet should promise to save by baptism all that some wicked
as much as they can whether by Synods or other meet wayes of correspondency And though this be not a distinct Government it is a distinct mode of Governing Object But that there be Pastors with fixed Churches or Assemblies is not of the Law of Nature Answ. 1. Hath Christ no Law but the Law of Nature Wherein then differ the Christian Religion and the Heathenish 2. Suppose but Christ to be Christ and man to be what he is and Nature it self will tell us that this is the fittest way for ordering the Worship of God For Nature saith God must be solemnly and ordinarily worshipped and that qualified persons should be the official Guides in the performance And that people who need such conduct and private oversight besides should where they live have their own stated Overseers Object But particular Congregations are not de primaria intentione divina For if the whole world could joyn together in the publick Worship of God no doubt that would be properly a Church But particular Congregations are only accidental in reference to Gods intention of having a Church because of the Impossibility of all mens joyning together for Ordinances c. Answ. 1. The question with me is not whether they be of primary Intention but whether stated Churches headed with their proper Bishops or Pastors be not of Gods institution in the Scripture 2. This Objection confirmeth it and not denyeth it For 1. It confesseth that there is a necessity of joyning for Gods Worship 2. And an Impossibility that all the world should so joyn 3. But if the whole world could so joyn it would be properly a Church So that it confesseth that to be a society joyned for Gods publick Worship is to be properly a Church And we confess all this If all the world could be one family they might have one Master or one Kingdom they might have one King But when it is confessed that 1. A Natural Impossibility of an Universal Assembly necessitateth more particular assemblies 2. And that Christ hath instituted such actually in his Word what more can a considerate man require 3. I do not understand this distinction de primaria intentione divina and accidental c. The Primary Intention is properly of the Ultimate End only And no man thinketh that a Law de mediis of the means is no Law or that God hath made no Laws de mediis For Christ as a Mediator is a Means But suppose it be limited to the Matter of Church Laws If this be the meaning of it that it is not the principal means but a subordinate means or that it is not instituted only propter finem ultimum no more than propter se but also in order to a higher thing as its immediate end we make no question of that Assemblies are not only that there may be assemblies but for the Worship and Offices there performed And those for Man And all for God But what or all this Hath God made no Laws for subordinate means No Christian denyeth it Therefore the Learned and Judicious Disputer of this point declareth himself for what I say when he saith I engage not in the Controversie Whether a particular Congregation be the first political Dr. Stillingflects Iâ—en p. 154 so p. 170. By Church here I mean not a particular Congregation c. So h gâ—anteth that 1 the Universal Church 2. Particular Congregations are of Divine Institution one ex intentione primaria and the other as he calls it accidentally but yet of Natural necessity Church or no It sufficeth for my purpose that there are other Churches besides The thing in question is Whether there be no other Church but such particular Congregations Where it seemeth granted that such particular Churches are of Divine institution And for other Churches I shall say more anon In the mean time note that the question is but de nomine here whether the Name Church be fit for other societiâ—s and not de re But lest any should grow to the boldness to deny that Christ hath instituted Christian stated Societies consisting of Pastors and flocks associate for personal Communion in publick Worship and holy living which is my detinition of a particular Church as not so confined to one assembly but that it may be in divers and yet not consisting of divers such distinct stated assemblies with their distinct Pastors nor of such as can have no personal communion but only by Delegates I prove it thus from the Word of God 1. The Apostles were commissioned by Christ to deliver his commands to all the Churches and settle them according to his will Iohn 20. 21. Matth. 28. 19 20 c. 2. These commissioned persons had the promise of an infallible Spirit for the due performance of their work Iohn 16. 13 14 15. 15. 26. 14. 26. Matth. 28. 20. 3. These Apostles where ever the success of the Gospel prepared them materials did settle Christian stated societies consisting of Pastors or Elders with their flocks associated for personal communion in publick worship and holy living These setled Churches they gave orders to for their direction and preservation and reformation These they took the chief care of themselves and exhorted their Elders to fidelity in their work They gave command that none should forsake such assemblies and they so fully describe them as that they cannot easily be misunderstood All this is proved Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Rom. 16. 1. 1 Cor. 11. 18 20. 22 26. 1 Cor. 14. 4 5 12 19 23 28 33 34. Col. 4. 16. Acts 11. 26. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Acts 14. 27. 15. 3. to omit many more Here are proofs enow that such particular Churches were de facto setled by the Apostles Heb. 10. 25. Forsake not the assembling of your selves together So Iames 2. 2. they are called Synagogues 2. It is confessed that there is a natural necessity of such stated Churches or Assemblies supposing but the Institution of the Worship it self which is there performed And if so then we may say that the Law of Nature it self doth partly require them 1. It is of the Law of Nature that God be publickly worshipped as most Expositors of the fourth Commandment do confess 2. It is of the Law of Nature that the people be taught to know God and their duty by such as are able and fit to teach them 3. The Law of Nature requireth that man being a sociable creature and conjunction working strongest affections we should use our sociableness in the greatest matters and by conjunction help the zeal of our prayers and praises of God 4. Gods institution of publick Preaching Prayer and Praise are scarce denyed by any Christians 5. None of these can be publickly done but by assembling 6. No Assembly can suffice for these without a Minister of Christ Because it is only his Office to be the ordinary Teacher and to go before the people in prayer and praise and to administer the
best preserve the Churches peace But if the true nature of Pastoral or Ecclesiastical Government were well understood it would put an end to all these Controversies Which may be mostly gathered from what is said before To which I will add this little following Quest. Wherein consisteth the true nature of Pastoral Church Government Answ. 1. NOt in any use of the sword or corporal â—orce 2. Not in a power to contradict Gods word 3. Not in a power co-ordinate with Christs to do his proper work or that which hath the same grounds reasons and nature 4. Not in an unquestionable Empire to command things which none must presume to examine or judge of by a discerning judgement whether they be forbidden by God or not 5. Not now in making a new word of God or new Articles of faith or new universal Laws for the whole Church 6. Not in any thing which derogates from the true power of Magistrates or Parents or Masters But 1. It is a Ministerial power of a Messenger or Servant who hath a commission to deliver his 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. Masters commands and exhortations 2. As it is over the Laity or flocks it is a power in the sacred Assemblies to Teach the people by 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Mat. 28. 19 20. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 5. office and to be their Priests or Guides in holy Worship 3. And to Rule the Worship-actions for the time length method and orderly performance of them 3. As to particular persons it is the power of the Church Keys which is 1. To judge who is meet to be by Baptism taken in to the Church 2. To reprove exhort and instruct those that by vice or ignorance in order to Repentance or Knowledge or confirmation do need the Pastoral help 3. To judge who is to be forbidden Church-communion as impenitent or at â—east with whom that Church must be forbidden to communicate 4. To judge who is meet for Absolution as a penitent 5. To deliver men personally a sealed pardon from Christ in his two Sacraments 6. To visit the sick and comfort the sad and resolve the doubting and help the poor This is the true Church Government which is like a Philosophers or Schoolmasters in his School among volunteers supposing them to have no power of the rod or violence but only to take in or put out of their Schools And what â—eed is there of an Universal Patriarchal or National Head to do any of this work which is but the Government of a personal Teacher and Conductor and which worketh only on the Conscience 4. But besides this there is a necessity of Agreeing in the right management of this work which needeth no new Head but only the Consultations of the several Bishops or Pastors and the Magistrates civil rule or extrinsick Episcopacy as Constantine called it 5. And besides this there is need to Ordain Pastors and Bishops in the Church And this is not done by any sorce neither but 1. By Judging what men are fit 2. By perswading the people to consent and receive them and 3. By Investing them by a Delivery of possession by Imposition of hands Now for all this there needs no humane species of Bishops or Churches to be made 6. Besides this there is need of some oversight of these Pastors and Ministers and fixed Bishops when they are made and of some General care of Pastors and people if they decline to Heresies errours vices or lukewarmness But for this 1. When Magistrates have done their part 2. And neighbour Ministers to one another 3. And the consociated Bishops to the particular ones 4. And unfixed Ministers have done their part in the places where occasionally they come If moreover any General Pastors or Arch-bishops are necessary to rebuke direct and perswade the Bishops or their flocks by messengers Epistles or in presence no doubt but God hath appointed such as the successours of the Apostles Evangelists and other General Ministers of those first times But if no such thing be appointed by Christ we may be sure it is not necessary nor best If it were but considered that the Ruling power in the Church is so inseparable from the Teaching power that it is exercised by Teaching and only by Gods word either generally or personally applyed and that upon none but those that willingly and by consent receive it it would quiet the world about these matters And O that once Magistrates would take the Sword wholly to themselves and leave Church power to work only by its proper strength and virtue and then all things would fall into joynt again Though the Ithacians would be displeased Quest. 58. Whether any part of the proper Pastoral or Episcopal power may be given or deputed to a Lay man or to one of any other office or the proper work may be performed by such Answ. 1. SUch Extrinsical or Circumstantial or Accidental actions as are afore-mentioned may be done by deputies or others As calling the Church together summoning offenders recording actions c. 2. The proper Episcopal or Pastoral work or office cannot be deputed in whole or part any other way than by Communication which is by Ordination or making another to be of the same office For if it may be done by a Lay man or one that is not of the same order and office then it is not to be called any proper part of the Pastoral or Episcopal office If a Lay man may Baptize or administer the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood or may ordain or excommunicate ecclesiastically or Absolve meerly because a Bishop authorizeth or biddeth him Then 1. What need Christ have made an office work of it and persons be Devoted and Consecrated to it 2. And why may not the peoples election and the Kings Commission serve to enable a Lay man to do it For if Commanding only be proper to the Bishop or Pastor and executing be common to Lay men it 's certain that the King may Command all Bishops and Pastors to do their office work And therefore he may command a Lay man to do that which a Bishop may command him to do 3. And is it not a contradiction to say that a man is a Lay man or of another Order who is Authorized by a Bishop to do a Bishops work or office When as the office it self is nothing as is oft said but an Obligation and Authority to do the work If therefore a Bishop authorize and oblige any other man to do the proper work of a Bishop or Pastor to ordain to baptize to give the Sacrament of the Eucharist to Excommunicate to absolve c. he thereby maketh that man a Bishop or a Pastor whatever he call him Obj. But doth not a Bishop preach per alios to all his Diocess and give them the Sacraments per alios c Answ. Let not the phrase be made the Controversie instead of the Matter Those other persons are either
to its capacity therefore a Believers child is supposed to be Virtually not actually dedicated to God in his own dedication or Covenant as soon as his child hath a being 3. Being thus Virtually and Implicitly first dedicated he is after Actually and regularly dedicated in Baptism and Sacramentally receiveth the badge of the Church And this maketh him a visible member or Christian to which the two first were but introductory as Conception is to humane Nativity Object 2. But the seed of Believers as such are in the Covenant and therefore Church-members Answ. The word Covenant here is ambiguous Either it signifieth Gods Law of Grace or prescribed terms for salvation with his immediate offer of the benefits to accepters called the single Covenant of God or it signifieth this with mans Consent called the Mutual Covenant where both parties Covenant In the former sense the Covenant only offereth Church-membership but maketh no man a Church-member till Consent It is but Gods conditional promise If thou believe thou shalt be saved c. If thou give up thy self and children to me I will be your God and you shall be my people But it is only the Mutual Covenant that maketh a Christian or Church-member Object The promise is to us and our children as ours Answ. That is that you and your children dedicated to God shall be received into Covenant â—â—t not otherwise Believing is not only bare Assenting but Consenting to the Covenant and delivering up your selves to Christ And if you do not consent that your child shall be in the Covenant and deliver him to God also you cannot expect acceptance of him against your wills nor indeed are you to be taken for true believers your selves if you dedicate not your selves to him and all that are in your power Object This offer or Conditional Covenant belongeth also to Infidels Answ. The offer is to them but they accept it not But every believer accepteth it for himself and his or devoteth to God himself and his children when he shall have them And by that virtual dedication or Consent his children are Virtually in the Mutual Covenant And Actually upon actual Consent and dedication Object But it is Profession and not Baptism that makes a visible member Answ. That 's answered before It is profession by Baptism For Baptism is that peculiar act of profession which God hath chosen to this use when a person is absolutely devoted resigned and engaged to God in a solemn Sacrament this is our regular initiating profession And it is but an irregular Embrio of a profession which goeth before baptism ordinarily Prop. 3. The time of Infant membership in which we stand in Covenant by our Parents Consent cannot be determined by duration but by the insufficiency of Reason through immaturity of age or continuing ideots to choose for ones self Prop. 4. It is not necessary that the doctrine of the Lords Supper be taught Catechumens before Baptism nor was it usual with the antients so to do though it may very well be done Prop. 5. It is needful that the nature of the Lords Supper be taught all the baptized before they receive it As was opened before else they must do they know not what Prop. 6. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seal not another but the same Covenant that baptism sealeth yet are there some further truths therein expressed and some more particular exercises of faith in Christs Sacrifice and coming c. and of Hope and Love and Gratitude c. requisite Therefore the same qualifications which will serve for Baptism Justification and Adoption and Salvation are not enough for the right use of Church communion in the Lords Supper the one being the Sacrament of initiation and our new birth the other of our Confirmation Exercise and Growth in Grace 7. Whether persons be baptized in Infancy or at age if they do not before understand these higher mysteries they must stay from the exercise of them till they understand them And so with most there must be a space of time between their Baptism and fuller Communion 8. But the same that we say of the Lords Supper must be said of other parts of Worship Singing Psalms Praise Thanksgiving c. men must learn them before they can practise them And usually these as Eucharistical acts concur with the Lords Supper 9. Whether you will call men in this state Church-members of a middle rank and order between the Baptized and the Communicants is but a lis de nomine a verbal Controversie It is granted that such a middle sort of men there are in the Church 10. It is to be maintained that these are in a state of salvation even before they thus communicate And that they are not kept away for want of a stated Relation-title but of an immediate capacity as is aforesaid 11. There is no necessity but upon such unfitness that there should be one dayes time between baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper nor is it desirable For if the baptized understand those mysteries the first day they may communicate in them 12. Therefore as men are prepared some may suddenly communicate and some stay longer 13. When persons are at age if Pastors Parents and themselves be not grosly negligent they may and ought to learn these things in a very little time so that they need not be setled in a lower Learning state for any considerable time unless their own negligence be the cause 14. And in order to their Learning they have right to be Spectators and Auditors at the Eucharist and not to be driven away with the Catechumens as if they had no right to be there For it is a thing best taught by the practice to beholders 15. But if any shall by scandal or gross neglect of piety and not only by Ignorance give cause of questioning their title and suspending their possession of those sacred priviledges these are to be reckoned in another rank even among those whose title to Church-membership it self becometh controverted and must undergo a tryal in the Church And this much I think may serve to resolve this considerable question Quest. 71. Whether a Form of Prayer be lawful Answ. I Have said so much of this and some following questions in many Books already that to avoid repetition I shall say very little here The question must be out of question with all Christians I. Because the Scripture it self hath many forms of prayer which therefore cannot be unlawful Object They were lawful then but not now Answ. He that saith so must prove where God hath since forbidden them Which can never be Object They may lawfully be read in Scripture for instruction but not used as prayers Answ. They were used as prayers then and are never since forbidden Yea Iohn and Christ did teach their Disciples to pray and Christ thus prefaceth his form When ye pray say II. All things must be done to Edification But to use a form of prayer is
Traditions 2. And used long and frequent prayers But if indeed they had no such forms then long and frequent extemporate prayers are not so great a sign of the Spirits gifts as is imagined when such Pharisees abounded in them But there is little probability but that they used both wayes 3. That Christ did not separate from the Synagogues for such prayers sake 4. Yea that we never read that Christ medled in the Controversie it being then no Controversie nor that he once reproved such forms or Reading them or ever called the Jews to repent of them If you say His general reproof of Traditions was enough I answer 1. Even Traditions he reproved not as such but as set before or against the Commands of God 2. He named many of their particular Traditions and Corruptions Matth. 15. 23 c. and yet never named this 3. His being usually present at their Assemblies and so joyning with them in their Worship would be such an appearance of his approbation as would make it needful to express his disallowance of it if indeed he thought it sinful So that who ever impartially considereth all this that he joyned with them that he particularly reproved other corruptions and that he never said any thing at all against forms or reading prayers that is recorded will sure be moderate in his judgement of such indifferent things if he know what moderation is Quest. 77. Is it lawful to Pray in the Church without a prescribed or premeditated form of Words Answ. THere are so few sober and serious Christians that ever made a doubt of this that I will not bestow many words to prove it 1. That which is not forbidden is lawful But Church-prayer without a premeditated or prescribed form of words is not forbidden by God Therefore as to Gods Laws it is not unlawful 2. To express holy desires understandingly orderly seriously and in apt expressions is lawfull praying But all this may be done without a set form of words Therefore to pray without a set form of words may be lawful 3. The Consent of the Universal Church and the experience of godly men are arguments so strong as are not to be made light of 4. To which Scripture instances may be added Quest. 78. Whether are set Forms of Words or free praying without them the better way And what are the Commodities and Incommodities of each way Answ. I Will first answer the later question because the former dependeth on it I. The Commodities of a set form of words and the discommodities of free-praying are these following 1. In a time of dangerous Heresie which hath infected the Pastors a set form of prescribed words tendeth to keep the Church and the consciences of the joyners from such infection offence and guilt 2. When Ministers are so weak as to dishonour Gods Worship by their unapt and slovenly and unsound expressions prescribed or set forms which are well composed are some preservative and cure When free praying leaveth the Church under this inconvenience 3. When Ministers by faction passion or corrupt interests are apt to put theseâ—ices into their prayers to the injury of others and of the Cause and Church of God free praying cherisheth this or giveth it opportunity which set forms do restrain 4. Concordant set forms do serve for the exactest Concord in the Churches that all at once may speak the same things 5. They are needful to some weak Ministers that cannot do so well without them 6. They somewhat prevent the laying of the reputation of Religious Worship upon the Ministers abilities when in free praying the honour and comfort varieth with the various degrees of Pastoral abilities In one place it is excellently well done in another but drily and coldly and meanly In another erroneously unedifyingly if not dishonourably tending to the contempt of holy things Whereas in the way of set Liturgies though the ablest at that time doth no better yet the weakest doth for words as well and all alike 7. And if proud weak men have not the composing and imposing of it all know that words drawn up by study upon sober premeditation and consultation have a greater advantage to be exact and apt then those that were never thought on till we are speaking them 8. The very fear of doing amiss disturbeth some unready men and maketh them do all the â—est the worse 9. The Auditors know before hand whether that which they are to joyn in be sound or unsound having time to try it 10. And they can more readily put in their consent to what is spoken and make the prayers their own when they know before hand what it is than they can do when they know not before they hear it It being hard to the duller sort of hearers to concur with an Understanding and Consent as quick as the speakers words are Not but that this may be done but not without great difficulty in the duller sort 11. And it tendeth to avoid the pride and self-deceit of many who think they are good Christians and have the Spirit of Grace and Supplication because by learning and use they can speak many hours in variety of expressions in prayer which is a dangerous mistake II. The Commodities of Free extemporate prayers and the discommodity of prescribed or set forms are these following 1. It becometh an advantage to some Proud men who think themselves wiser than all the rest to obtâ—ude their Compositions that none may be thought wise enough or fit to speak to God but in their words And so introduce Church-tyranny 2. It may become a hinderance to able worthy Ministers that can do better 3. It may become a dividing snare to the Churches that cannot all Agree and Consent in such humane impositions 4. It may become an advantage to Hereticks when they can but get into power as the Arrians of old to corrupt all the Churches and publick Worship And thus the Papists have corrupted the Churches by the Mass. 5. It may become an engine or occasion of persecution and silencing all those Ministers that cannot consent in such impositions 6. It may become a means of depraving the Ministry and bringing them to a common idleness and ignorance if other things alike concur For when men perceive that no greater abilities are used and required they will commonly labour for and get no greater and so will be unable to pray without their forms of words 7. And by this means Christian Religion may decay and grow into contempt For though it be desirable that its own worth should keep up its reputation and success yet it never hitherto was so kept up without the assistance of Gods eminent gifts and graces in his Ministers But where ever there hath been a learned able holy zealous diligent Ministry Religion usually hath flourished And where ever there hath been an ignorant vicious cold idle negligent and reproached Ministry Religion usually hath dyed and been reproached And we have now no reason to look for
a Lent as he in twenty years Sure I am I know many such on both sides Some that eat but a small meal a day and never drink Wine at all and others that drink Wine daily and eat of many dishes at a meal and that to the full and of the sweetest as Fish Fruits c. yet rail at the former for not fasting as they do So delusory are the outward appearances and so â—alse the pretensions of the carnal sort 4. The antient Lent consisted first of one day Good-fryday alone and after that of three dayes and then of six and at last it came up to fourty Of which read Dallaeus ubi supra at large 5. None can question the lawfulness of an obedient keeping of such a Civil Lent fast as our Statutes command for the vending of Fish and for the breed of Cattle so be it no bodily necessity oâ— greater duty be against it 6. It is not unlawful for those that cannot totally fast yet to use more abstinence and a more mortifying sort of dyet than ordinary for the exercises of repentance and mortification in due time 7. If Authority shall appoint such a mortifying abstemious course upon lawful or tolerable grounds and ends I will obey them if they peremptorily require it when my health or some greater duty forbiddeth it not 8. As for the Commanding such an Abstinence as in Lent not in Imitation but bare Commemoration of Christs forty dayes fast I would not command it if it were in my power But being peremptorily commanded I cannot prove it unlawful to obey with the fore-mentioned exceptions 9. It was antiently held a crime to fast on the Lords dayes even in Lent And I take that day to be separated by Christ and the Holy Ghost for a Church Festival or day of Thanksgiving Therefore I will not keep it as a fast though I were commanded unless in such an extraordinary necessity as aforesaid OF Pilgrimages Saints Relicts and Shrines Temples of their Miracles of Pray 〈…〉 to Angels to Saints for the Dead of Purgatory of the Popes Pardons Indulgences Dispensations of the Power of true Pastors to forgive sins with a multitude of such cases which are commonly handled in our Controversal Writers against the Papists I must thither refer the Reader for a Solution because the handling of all such particular Cases would swell my Book to a magnitude beyond my intention and make this part unfuitable to the rest Quest. 102. May we continue in a Church where some one Ordinance of Christ is wanting as Discipline Prayer Preaching or Sacraments though we have all the rest Answ. DIstinguish 1. Of Ordinances 2. Of a stated want and a temporary want 3. Of one that may have better and one that cannot 1. Teaching Prayer and Praise are Ordinances of such necessity that Church Assemblies have not their proper use without them 2. The Lords Supper is of a secondary need and must be used when 〈…〉 but a Church-Assembly may attain its ends sometimes without it in a good degree 3. Discipline is implicitly exercised when none but the Baptized are Communicants and when professed Christians voluntarily assemble and the preaching of the Word doth distinguish the precious from the vile Much more when notorious scandalous sinners are by the Laws kept from the Sacrament As our Rubrick and Canons do require 4. But for the fuller explicite and exacter exercise of discipline it is very desirable for the well being of the Churches but it is but a stronger fence or hedge and preservative of Sacred Order And both the being of a Church and the profitable use of holy assemblies may subsist without it As in Helvetia and other Countreys it is found I conclude then 1. That he that consideratis considerandis is a free man should choose that place Acts 28. ult 11. 26. 20. 7 20 c. 1 Cor. 14. Acts 2. 42. 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Heb. 10. 25 26 Col 4. 16. Acts 13 27. 15 2â— â— Theâ—s 5 27. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 c. where he hath the fullest opportunities of worshipping God and edifying his soul. 2. He is not to be accounted a free-man that cannot remove without a greater hurt than the good either to the Church or Countrey or to his family his neighbours or himself 3. Without Teaching Prayer and Divine Praises we are not to reckon that we have proper Church-Assemblies and Communion 4. We must do all that is in our power to procure the right use of Sacraments and Discipline 5. When we cannot procure it it is lawful and a duty to joyn in those Assemblies that are without it and rather to enjoy the rest than none Few Churches have the Lords Supper above once a moneth which in the Primitive Church was used every Lords day and ofter And yet they meet on other dayes 6. It is possible that Preaching Prayer and Praise may be so excellently performed in some Churches that want both Discipline and the Lords Supper and all so coldly and ignorantly managed in another Church that hath all the Ordinances that mens souls may much more flourish and prosper under the former than the later 7. If forbearing or wanting some Ordinances for a time be but in order to a probable procurement Matth. 26. 31. Acts 8. 1. of them we may the better forbear 8. The time is not to be judged of only by the length but by the probability of success For sometime Gods Providence and the disturbances of the times or the craft of men in power may keep men so long in the dark that a long expectation or waiting may become our duty Quest. 103. Must the Pastors remove from one Church to another when ever the Magistrate commandeth us though the Bishops contradict it and the Church consent not to dismiss us And so of other Cases of disagreement Answ. 1. AS in mans soul the Intellectual Guidance the Will and the executive power do concur so in Church Cases of this nature the Potestative Government of the Magistrate the Directive Guidance of the senior Pastors and the Attractive Love of the people who are the chief inferiour final Cause should all concur And when they do not it is confusion And when Gods order is broken which commandeth their concurrence it is hard to know what to do in such a division which God alloweth not As it is to know whether I should take part with the Heart against the Head or with the Head against the Stomach and Liver on supposition of cross inclinations or interests when as Nature supposeth either a concord of inclination and interests or else the ruine sickness or death of the person And the Cure must be by reconciling them rather than by knowing which to side with against the rest But seeing we must suppose such diseases frequently to happen they that cannot cure them must know how to behave themselves and to do their own duty For my
paribus by an unnecessary thing to occasion divisions in the Churches But where one part judgeth Church Musick unlawful for another part to use it would occasion divisions in the Churches and drive away the other part Therefore I would wish Church-musick to be no where set up but where the Congregation can accord in the use of it or at least where they will not divide thereupon 2. And I think it unlawful to use such streins of Musick as are Light or as the Congregation cannot easily be brought to understand Much more on purpose to commit the whole work of singing to the Choristers and exclude the Congregation I am not willing to joyn in such a Church where I shall be shut out of this noble work of praise 3. But plain intelligible Church-musick which occasioneth not divisions but the Church agreeth in for my part I never doubted to be lawful For 1. God set it up long after Moses Ceremonial Law by David Solomon c. 2. It is not an instituted Ceremony meerly but a natural help to the minds alacrity And it is a 1 Sam. 18. 6. 1 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 5. 13. 7. 6. 23. 13. 34. 22. Psal. 98. 99. 149. 150. duty and not a sin to use the helps of nature and Lawful art though to institute Sacraments c. of our own As it is lawful to use the comfortable helps of spectacles in reading the Bible so is it of Musick to exhilerate the soul towards God 3. Jesus Christ joyned with the Jews that used it and never spake a word against it 4. No Scripture forbiddeth it therefore it is not unlawful 5. Nothing can be against it that I know of but what is said against Tunes and Melody of Voice For whereas they say that it is a humane invention so are our Tunes and Metre and Versions Yea it is not a humane invention As the last Psalm and many other shew which call us to praise the Lord with instruments of musick And whereas it is said to be a carnal kind of pleasure they may say as much of a Melodious harmonious confort of Voices which is more excellent Musick than any Instruments And whereas some say that they find it do them harm so others say of melodious singing But as wise men say they find it do them good And why should the experience of some prejudiced self-conceited person or of a half-man that knoweth not what melody is be set against the experience of all others and deprive them of all such helps and mercies as these people say they find no benefit by And as some deride Church-musick by many scornful names so others do by singing as some Congregations neer me testifie who these many years have forsaken it and will not endure it but their Pastor is fain to unite them by the constant and total omission of singing Psalms It is a great wrong that some do to ignorant Christians by putting such whimseyes and scruples into their heads which as soon as they enter turn that to a scorn and snare and trouble which might be a real help and comfort to them as well as it is to others Quest. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath and so to be called and kept and that of Divine institution And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated c. Answ. ALL the Cases about the Lords day except those practical directions for keeping it in the Oeconomical part of this Book I have put into a peculiar Treatise on that subject by it self and therefore shall here pass them over referring the Reader to them in that discourse Quest. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes and observe them Answ. THis also I have spoke to in the foresaid Treatise and in my Disput. of Church-Govern and Cer. Briefly 1. It is not lawful to appoint another weekly sabbath or day wholly separated to the Commemoration of our redemption For that is to mend pretendedly the institutions of God Yea and to contradict him who hath judged one day only in seven to be the fittest weekly proportion 2. As part of some dayes may be weekly used in holy assemblies so may whole days on just extraordinary occasions of prayer preaching humiliation and thanksgiving 3. The holy doctrine lives and sufferings of the Martyrâ— and other holy men hath been so great a mercy to the Church that for any thing I know it is lawful to keep anniversary Thanksgivings in remembrance of them and to encourage the weak and prâ—voke them to constancy and imitation 4. But to dedicate dayes or Temples to them in any higher sence as the Heathens and Idolaters did to their Hero's is unlawful or any way to intimate an attribution of Divinity to them by word or Worship 5. And they that live among such Idolaters must take heed of giving them scandalous encouragement 6. And they that scrupulously fear such sin more than there is cause should not be forced to sin against their Consciences 7. But yet no Christians should causelesly refuse that which is lawful nor to joyn with the Churches in holy exercises on the dayes of thankful commemoration of the Apostles and Martyrs and excellent instruments in the Church Much less peâ—ulantly to work and set open Shops to the offence of others But rather to perswade all to imitate the holy lives of those Saints to whom they give such honours Quest. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us Answ. 1. FOr all thoughts words affections and actions of Divine faith and obedience supposing still Gods Law of Nature For it is no Believing God to believe what he never revealed nor no Trusting God to trust that he will certainly give us that which he never either directly nor indirectly promised Nor no obeying God to do that which he never commanded 2. The Contents will best shew the Extent Whatever is Revealed promised and commanded in it for that it is a perfect Rule For certainly it is perfect in its kind and to its proper use 3. It is a perfect Rule for all that is of Universal Moral necessity That is Whatever it is necessary that 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. â— 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. Joh. â— 3â— Act. 1â— 2. 11. Joh. 19. 24 28 36 37. man believe think or do in all ages and places of the World this is of Divine obligation Whatever the World is Universally bound to that is All men in it it is certain that Gods Law in Nature or Scripture or both bindeth them to it For the World hath no Universal King or Lawgiver but God 4. Gods own Laws in Nature and Scripture are a perfect Rule for all the duties of the understanding thoughts affections passions immediately to be exercised on God himself For no one else is a discerner or judge of such matters 5. It perfectly containeth all the Essential and Integral parts of the Christian Religion so
that nothing is of it self and directly any part of the Christian Religion which is not there 6. It instituteth those Sacraments perfectly which are the seals of Gods Covenant with man and the delivery of the benefits and which are the Badges or Symbols of the Disciples and Religion of Christ in the World 7. It determineth what Faith Prayer and obedience shall be his appointed means and Conditions of Justification Adoption and Salvation And so what shall be Professed and Preached in his name to the World 8. It is a perfect Instrument of donation or Conveyance of our Right to Christ and of Pardon and Justification and Adoption and the Holy Spirits assistances and of Glory As it is Gods Covenant promise or deed of gift 9. It instituteth certain Ministers as his own Church officers and perfectly describeth their office as instituted by him 10. It instituteth the form of his Church Universal which is called his body And also of Particular holy societies for his Worship And prescribeth them certain Duties as the Common Worship there to be performed 11. It determineth of a weekly day even the first to be separated for and used in this holy Worship 12. It is a perfect General Rule for the Regulating of those things which it doth not command or forbid in particular As that all be done wisely to edification in charity peace concord season order c. 13. It giveth to Magistrates Pastors Parents and other Superiours all that power by which they are authorized to oblige us under God â—o any undetermined particulars 14. It is the perfect Rule of Christs Judging Rewarding and punishing at last according to which he will proceed 15. It is the only Law that is made by Primitive Power 16. And the only Law that is made by Inâ—allâ—ble wisdom 17. And the only Law which is faultless and hath no thing in it that will do the subject any harm 18. And the only Law which is from Absolute Power the Rule of all other Laws and from which Psal. 12. 6. 19. 7 8 9 10. Psal. 119. there is finally no appeal Thus far the holy Scripture with the Law of nature is our perfect Rule But not in any of the following respects 1. It is no particular revelation or perfect Rule of natural Sciences as Physicks Metaphysicks c. 2. It is no Rule for the Arts for Medicine Musick Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy Grammar Râ—eâ—orick Logick nor for the Mechanicks as Navigation Architecture and all the Trades and occupations of men no not Husbandry by which we have our food 3. It is no particular Rule for all the muâ—able subordinate duties of any societies It will not serve instead of all the Statutes of this and all other Lands nor tell us when the Terms shall begin and end nor what work every Parent and Master shall set his Children and Servants in his family c. 4. It is no full Rule in particular for all those Political principles which are the ground of humane Laws As whether each Republick be Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical What person or of what Family shall Reign Who shall be his Officers and Judges and how diversified so of his Treasury Munition Coin c. 5. It is no Rule of Propriety in particular by which every man may know which is his own Land or house or goods or Cattle 6. It is no particular Rule for our natural actions what meat we shall eat what Cloaths we shall wear So of our rest labour c. 7. It is no particular Law or Rule for any of all those Actions and Circumstances about Religion or Gods own Ordinances which he hath only commanded in general and left in specie or particular to be determined by man according to his General Laws But of these next Quest. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture are lawful or unlawful Answ. 1. THese following are unlawful 1. To feign any new Article of faith or doctrine any Deut. 12. 32. Rev. 2â— 18. Col. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. 16 17. Mat. 15. 3 8 9. Gal. 1. 8 9. Jer. 5. 12. Jer. 14. 14. 23 25 26 32. Ezek. 13 9 19. 22. 28. Zeâ—h 13. 2 3 4 5 6. precept promise threatning prophesie or revelation and falsly to father it upon God and say that it is of him or his special Word 2. To say that either that is written in the Bible which is not or that any thing is the sense of a Text which is not and so that any thing is a sin or a duty by Scripture which is not Or to father Apocryphal Books or Texts or words upon the spirit of Christ. 3. To make any Law for the Church universal or as obligatory to all Christians which is to usurp the soveraignty of Christ For which treasonable Usurpation it is that Protestants call the Pope Antichrist 4. To add new parts to the Christian Religion 5. To make any Law which it did properly belong to the Universal Soveraign to have made if it should have been made at all Or which implyeth an accusation of ignorance oversight errour or omission in Christ and the holy Scriptures 6. To make new Laws for mens inward Heart-duties towards God 7. To make new Sacraments for the fealing of Christs Covenant and Collation of his benefits therein contained and to be the publick Tesserae Badges or Symbols of Christians and Christianity in the World 8. To feign new Conditions of the Covenant of God and necessary means of our Justification Adoption and salvation 9. To alter Christs instituted Church-Ministry or add any that are supra-ordinate co-ordinate or derogatory to their office or that stand on the like pretended ground and for equal ends 10. To make new spiritual societies or Church-forms which shall be either supra-ordinate co-ordinate Gal. 2. 5. or derogatory to the Forms of Christs Institution 11. Any impositions upon the Churches be the thing never so lawful which is made by a pretended Act. 15. 28 24 25. 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 5 12 26. 2 Cor. 12. 19. Eph. 4. 12 16 1 Tim. 1 4. power not derived from God and the Redeemer 12. Any thing that is contrary to the Churches good and Edification to justice charity piety order unity or peace 13. Any unnecessary burden imposed on the Consciences of Christians especially as necessary either to their salvation communion liberty or peace 14. And the exercise of any power pretended to be either Primitive and underived or Infallible or Impeccable or Absolute 15. In general any thing that is contrary to the Authority matter form obligation honour or ends of the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture 16. Any thing which setteth up those Judaical Laws and Ceremonies which Christ hath abrogated in that form and respect in which he abrogated them 17. Where there is a doubt among sober Conscionable Christians lest in obeying man they should sin against
absolutely subjected to God will obey none against him whatever it cost them as Dan. 3. 6. Heb. 11. Luk. 14. 26 33. Matth. 5. 10 11 12. therefore it hath proved the occasion of bloody persecutions in the Churches by which professed Christians draw the guilt of Christian blood upon themselves 12. And hereby it hath dolefully hindered the Gospel while the persecutors have silenced many worthy Conscionable Preachers of it 13. And by this it hath quenched Charity in the hearts of both sides and taught the sufferers and the afflicters to be equally bitter in censuring if not Rom. 14 15. detesting one another 14. And the Infidels seeing these dissensions and bitter passions among Christians deride and scorn and hate them all 15. Yea such causes as these in the Latine and Greek Churches have engaged not only Emperours and Princes against their own subjects so that Chronicles and Books of Martyrs perpetuate their dishonour as Pilate's name is in the Creed but also have set them in bloody Wars among themselves These have been the fruits and this is the tendency of usurping Christs prerogative over his Religion and Worship in his Church And the greatness of the sin appeareth in these aggravations 1. It is a mark of pitiful Ignorance and Pride when dust shall thus like Nebuchadnezzar exalt it self against God to its certain infamy and abasement 2. It sheweth that men little know themselves that think themselves fit to be the makers of a Religion for so many others And that they have base thoughts of all other men while they think them unfit to Worship God any other way than that of their making And think that they will all so far deny God as to take up a Religion that 's made by man 3. It shews that they are much void of Love to others that can thus use them on so small occasion 4. And it sheweth how little true sense or reverence of Christian Religion they have themselves who can thus debase it and equal their own inventions with it 5. And it leaveth men utterly unexcusable that will not take warning by so many hundred years experiences of most of the Churches through the World Even when we see the yet continued divisions of the Eastern and Western Churches and all about a humane Religion in the parts most contended about When they read of the Rivers of Blood that have been shed in Piedmont France Germany Belgia Poland Ireland and the flames in England and many other Nations and all for the humane parts of mens Religion He that will yet go on and take no warning may go read the 18th and 19th of the Revelation and see what Joy will be in Heaven and Earth when God shall do Justice upon such But remember that I speak all this of no other than those expresly here described Quest. 135. What are the mischiefs of mens error on the other extream who pretend that Scripture is a Rule where it is not and deny the foresaid lawful things on pretence that Scripture is a perfect Rule say some for all things Answ. 1. THey fill their own minds with a multitude of causeless scruples which on their principles can never be resolved and so will give themselves no rest 2. They make themselves a Religion of their own and superstition is their daily devotion which being erroneous will not hang together but is full of contradictions in it self and which being humane and bad can never give true stability to the soul. 3. Hereby they spend their dayes much in melancholy troubles and unsetled distracting doubts and fears instead of the Joyes of solid faith and hope and love 4. And if they escape this their Religion is contentious wrangling censorious and factious and their zeal flyeth out against those that differ from their peculiar superstitions and conceits 5. And hereupon they are usually mutable and unfetled in their Religion This year for one and the next for another because there is no Certainty in their own inventions and conceits 6. And hereupon they still fall into manifold parties because each man maketh a Religion to himself by his mis-interpretation of Gods Word So that there is no end of their divisions 7. And they do a great deal of hurt in the Church by putting the same distracting and dividing conceits into the heads of others And young Christians and Women and ignorant well meaning people that are not able to know who is in the right do often turn to that party which they think most strict and godly though it be such as our Quakers And the very good conceit of the people whom they take it from doth settle so strong a prejudice in their mind as no argument or evidence scarcely can work out And so Education Converse and humane estimation breedeth a succession of dividers and troublers of the Churches 8. They sin against God by calling good evil and light darkness and honouring superstition which is the work of Satan with holy names Isa. 5. 20 21. 9. They sin by adding to the Word of God while they say of abundance of Lawful things This is unlawful and that is against the Word of God and pretend that their Touch not taste not handle Col. 2. 22 23. not is in the Scriptures For while they make it a Rule for every Circumstance in particular they must squeeze and force and wrest it to find out all those Circumstances in it which were never there and so by false expositions make the Scriptures another thing 10. And how great a sin is it to Father Satans works on God and to say that all these and these things are forbidden or commanded in the Scripture and so to belye the Lord and the Word of Truth 11. It engageth all Subjects against their Rulers Laws and Government and involveth them in the sin of denying them just obedience while all the Statute Book must be found in the Scriptures or else condemned as unlawful 12. It maintaineth disobedience in Churches and causeth Schisms and Confusions unavoidably For they that will neither obey the Pastors nor joyn with the Churches till they can shew Scriptures particularly for every Translation Method Metre Tune and all that 's done must joyn with no Churches in the world 13. It bringeth Rebellion and Confusion into families while Children and Servants must learn no Catechism hear no Minister give no account observe no hours of prayer nay nor do no work but what there is a particular Scripture for 14. It sets men on Enthusiastical expectations and irrational scandalous worshipping of God while all men must avoid all those Methods Phrases Books Helps which are not expresly or particularly in Scripture and men must noâ— use their own Inventions or prudence in the right ordering of the works of Religion 15. It destroyeth Christian Love and Concord while men are taught to censure all others that use any thing in Gods Worship which is not particularly in Scripture and so to censure
was an Ecclesiastical Usurper quoad personam that had no true Call to a Lawful Office shall after have a Call or if any thing fall out which shall make it our duty to Consent and Call him then the impediment from his Usurpation is removed 3. It is not lawful though the Civil Magistrate command us to swear obedience even in licitis honestis to such an Usurper whose Office it self is unlawful or forbidden by Christ as he is such an Officer No Protestant thinketh it lawful to swear obedience to the Pope as Pope nor do any that take Lay-Elders to be an unlawful Office think it lawful to swear obedience to them as such 4. If one that is in an unlawful Ecclesiastical Office be also at once in another that is lawful we may swear obedience to him in respect of the Lawful Office So it is Lawful to swear obedience to the Pope in Italy as a Temporal Prince in his own Dominions And to a Cardinal as Richelieu Mazarine Ximenes c. as the Kings Minister exercising a power derived from him So it is lawful for a Tenant where Law and Custome requireth it to swear fidelity to a Lay Elder as his Landlord or Temporal Lord and Master And so the old Non-conformists who thought the English Prelacy an unlawful Office yet maintained that it is Lawful to take the Oath of Canonical obedience because they thought it was imposed by the King and Laws and that we swear to them not as Officers claiming a Divine Right in the Spiritual Government but as Ordinaries or Officers made by the King to exercise so much of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under him as he can delegate according to the Oath of Supremacy in which we all acknowledge the King to be Supream in all Ecclesiastical Causes that is Not the Supream Pastor Bishop or Spiritual Key-bearer or Ruler but the Supream Civil Ruler of the Church who hath the power of the Sword and of determining all things extrinsick to the Pastoral Office and so of the Coercive Government of all Pastors and Churches as well as of other Subjects And if Prelacy were proved never so unlawful no doubt but by the Kings Command we may swear or perform formal obedience to a Prelate as he is the Kings Officer Of the Non-conformists judgement in this read Bradshaw against Canne c. 5. But in such a case no Oath to Inferiours is lawful without the Consent of the Soveraign power or at least against his will 6. Though it be a duty for the flock to obey every Presbyter yet if they would make all the people swear obedience to them all wise and conscionable Christians should dissent from the introduction of such a custome and deny such Oaths as far as lawfully they may that is 1. If the King be against it we must refuse it 2. If he be neutral or meerly passive in it we must refuse unless some apparent necessity for the Churches good require it 1. Because it favoureth of Pride in such Presbyters 2. Because it is a new Custome in the Church and contrary to the antient practice 3. It is not only without any authority given them by Christ that they exact such Oaths but Mat. 22. 4 10. Luke 22. 27 c. Mark 9. 35. 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. 1 Cor. 9. 19. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 5. also contrary to the great humility lowliness and condescension in which he describeth his Ministers who must be Great by being the servants of all 4. And it tendeth to corrupt the Clergy for the future 5. And such new impositions give just reason to Princes and to the People to suspect that the Presbyters are aspiring after some inordinate exaltation or have some ill project for the advancement of themselves 7. But yet if it be not only their own ambition which imposeth it but either the King and Laws command it or necessity require it for the avoidance of a greater evil it may be Lawful and a duty to take an Oath of Obedience to a Lawful Presbyter or Bishop Because 1. It is a ☜ duty to Obey them 2. And it is not forbidden us by Christ to promise or swear to do our duty even when they may sin in demanding such an Oath 8. If an Office be Lawful in the essential parts and yet have unlawful integrals or adjuncts or be abused in exercise it will not by such additions or abuses be made unlawful to swear Obedience to the Officer as such 9. If one Presbyter or Bishop would make another Presbyter or Bishop to swear obedience to him without authority the Case is the same as of the Usurpers before mentioned Quest. 154. Must all our preaching be upon a Text of Scripture Answ. 1. IN many Cases it may be lawful to preach without a Text to make Sacred Orations Act◠2 3. like Greg. Nazianzenes and Homilies like Macarius's Ephrem Syrus's and many other antients and like our own Church-Homilies 2. But ordinarily it is the fittest way to preach upon a Text of Scripture 1. Because it is our Luke 4. 18. very Office to Teach the people the Scripture The Prophets brought a new word or message from God but the Priests did but keep interpret and teach the Law already received And we are not Mal. 2. 7. successors of the inspired Prophets but as the Priests were Teachers of Gods received Word And this practice will help the people to understand our Office 2. And it will preserve the due esteem and reverence of the Holy Scriptures which the contrary practice may diminish Quest. 155. Is not the Law of Moses abrogated and the whole Old Testament out of date and therefore not to be Read publickly and preached on Answ. 1. THe Covenant of Innocency is ceased cessante subditorum capacitate as a Covenant or promise And so are the Positive Laws proper to Adam in that state and to many particular persons since 2. The Covenant mixt of Grace and Works proper to the Jews with all the Jewish Law as such was never made to us or to the rest of the world and to the Jews it is ceased by the coming and perfecter Laws and Covenant of Christ. 3. The Prophecies and Types of Christ and the Promises made to Adam Abraham and others of his Coming in the flesh are all fulfilled and therefore not useful to all the ends of their first making And the many Prophecies of particular things and persons past and gone are accomplished 4. But the Law of Nature is still Christs Law And that Law is much expounded to us in the Old Testament And if God once for another use did say This is the Law of Nature the truth of these words as a Divine Doctrine and Exposition of the Law of Nature is still the same 5. The Covenant of Grace made with Adam and Noah for all mankind is still in force as to the great benefits and main condition that is as to pardon given by it
Father Word and Spirit are undivided But yet some things are more eminently attributed to one person in the Trinity and some to another 2. By the Law and Covenant of Innocency the Creator eminently ruled Omnipotently And the Joh. 5. 22 25. Prov. 1. 20 21 c. Son Ruled eminently sapientially initially under the Covenant of promise or grace from Adam till his Incarnation and the descent of the Holy Ghost and more fully and perfectly afterward by the Holy Ghost And the Holy Ghost ever since doth Rule in the Saints as the Paraclete Advocate or Agent of Christ and Christ by him eminently by holy Love which is yet but initially But the same Holy Ghost by perfect Love shall perfectly Rule in Glory for ever even as the spirit of the Father and the Son We have already the Initial Kingdom of Love by the spirit and shall have the perfect Kingdom in Heaven And besides the initial and the perfect there is no other Nor is the perfect Kingdom to be expected before the day of judgement or our removal unto Heaven For our Kingdom is not of this World And they that sell all and follow Christ do make the exchange for Mat. 5. 11 12. Luk. 18. 22 23. Mat. 10. 41 32. Luk. 6. 23. 16. 20. 1 Cor. 12. 2 3. 5. 1 3 8. Mat. 18. 10. 1 Thes. 4. 17 18. Mar. 12. 25. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 13. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Heb. 10. 34. 12. 23. Col. 1. 5. Phil. 3. 20. 21. a Reward in Heaven And they that suffer persecution for his sake must rejoice because their reward in Heaven is great And they that relieve a prophet or righteous man for the sake of Christ and that lose any thing for him shall have indeed an hundred fold in value in this life but in the world to come eternal life We shall be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord And those are the words with which we must comfort one another and not Jewishly with the hopes of an earthly Kingdom And yet we look for a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness according to his promise But who shall be the inhabitants and how that Heaven and Earth shall diffâ—r and what we shall then have to do with Earth Whether to be Overseers of that Righteous Earth and so to judge or Rule the World as the Angels are now over us in this World are things which yet I understand not Quest. 162. May we not look for Miracles hereafter Answ. THe answer to Quest. 160. may serve to this 1. God may work Miracles if he please Lâ—ke 23. 8. and hath not told us that he never will 2. But he hath not promised us that he will and therefore we cannot believe such a promise not expect them as a certain thing Nor may any pray for the gift of miracles 3. But if there be any probability of them it will be to those that are converting Infidel Nations when they may be partly of such use as they were at first 4. Yet it is certain that sometimes God still worketh Miracles But arbitrarily and rarely which may not put any individual person in expectation of them Object Is not the promise the same to us as to the Apostles and primitive Christians if we could but believe as they did Answ. 1. The promise to be believed goeth before the faith that believeth it and not that faith before the promise 2. The promise of the Holy Ghost was for perpetuity to sanctifie all believers 1 Cor. 1â— 2â— 29. Heb. 2. 3 4. John 1â— 41. But the promise of that special gift of Miracles was for a time because it was for a special use that is to be a standing seal to the truth of the Gospel which all after ages may be convinced of in point of fact and so may still have the use and benefit of And providence ceasing Miracles thus expoundeth the promise And if Miracles must be common to all persons and ages they would be as no Miracles And we have seen those that most confidently believed they should work them all fail But I have written so largely of this point in a set Disputation in my Treatise called The Unreasonableness of Infidelity fully proving those first Miracles satisfactory and obligatory to all following ages that I must thither now refer the Reader Quest. 163. Is the Scripture to be tryed by the Spirit or the Spirit by the Scripture and which of them is to be preferred Answ. I Put the question thus confusedly for the sake of those that use to do so to shew them how to get out of their own Confusion You must distinguish 1. Between the Spirit in it self considered and the Scripture in it self 2. Between the several operations of the Spirit 3. Between the several persons that have the Spirit And so you must conclude 1. That the Spirit in it self is infinitely more excellent than the Scripture For the Spirit is God and the Scripture is but the work of God 2. The operation of the Spirit in the Apostles was more excellent than the operation of the same Spirit now in us As producing more excellent effects and more infallible 3. Therefore the holy Scriptures which were the infallible dictates of the Spirit in the Apostles 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 6. John 18. 37. 8. 47. are more perfect than any of our apprehensions which come by the same Spirit which we have not in so great a measure 4. Therefore we must not try the Scriptures by our most spiritual apprehensions but our apprehensions Acts 17. 11 12. Matth. 5. 18. Rom. 16. 26. by the Scriptures that is we must prefer the Spirits inspiring the Apostles to indite the Scripture before the Spirits illuminating of us to understand them or before any present inspirations the former being the more perfect Because Christ gave the Apostles the Spirit to deliver us infallibly Matth. 28. 20. Luke 10. 16. his own Commands and â—o indite a Rule for following ages But he giveth us the Spirit but to understand and use that Rule aright 5. This trying the Spirit by the Scriptures is not a setting of the Scripture above the Spirit it Rev. 2. 2. Jude 17. a Pet. 3. â— Ephes. 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. Ephes. 2. 20. self but is only a trying the Spirit by the Spirit that is the Spirits operations in our selves and his Revelations to any pretenders now by the Spirits operations in the Apostles and by their Revelations recorded for our use For they and not we are called Foundations of the Church Quest. 164. How is a pretended Prophet or Revelation to be tryed Answ. 1. IF it be contrary to the Scripture it is to be rejected as a deceit Acts 17. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4 John 10. 35. John 19. 24 28 36 37. 2. If it be the same thing which is
of his conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had had his conversation in the world and not in fleshly wisdom 2 Cor. 1. 12. And this was Davids comfort 2 Sam. 22. 22 23 24. For I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God For all his judgements were before me and as for his Statutes I did not depart from them I was also upright before him and have kept my self from mine iniquity Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright Yea peace is too little exceeding joy is the portion and most beseeming condition of the upright Psal. 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 33. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Psal. 64. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart The Spirit that sanctifieth them will comfort them 4. As the Upright so their upright life and duties are specially delightful and acceptable to God Prov. 15. 8. The prayer of the upright is his delight Psal. 15. 2. Therefore God blesseth their duties to them and they are comforted and strengthened by experience of success Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity Mic. 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly 5. No carnal policies no worldly might no help of friends nor any other humane means doth put a man in so safe a state as Uprightness of heart and life To walk uprightly is to walk surely because such walk with God and in his way and under his favour and his promise And if God be not sufficient security for us there is none Psal. 140. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Prov. 11. 3 6. The integrity of the upright shall guide them but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness 6. Lastly The failings and weaknesses of the Upright are pardoned and therefore they shall certainly be saved Rom. 7. 24 25. 8. 1. The upright may say in all their weaknesses as Solomon 1 Chron. 29. 17. I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness As for me in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things God will do good to them that are good and to them that are upright in their hearts Psal. 125. 4. The Upright love him Cant. 1. 4. and are loved by him No good thing will he withhold from them Psal. 84. 11. The way to right comforting the mind of man is to shew to him his uprightness Job 33. 23. And who so walketh uprightly shall be saved Prov. 28. 18. For the high way of the upright is to depart from evil and he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul Prov. 16. 17. I conclude with Psal. 37. 37. Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace § 4. II. The true Rules of an Upright life are these that follow Psal. 73. 25. 63. 3. 1 Cor. 4 3 4. Phil. 3. 8 9 18 19. Psal. 4. 7 8. Luke 12. 4. Mat. 6. 1 2 3. 1. He that will walk uprightly must be absolutely devoted and subjected unto God He must have a God and the true God and but one God not notionally only but in sincerity and reality He must have a God whose word shall be an absolute Law to him A God that shall command himself his time his estate and all that he hath or that he can do A God whose will must be his will and may do with him what he please and who is more to him than all the world whose Love will satisfie him as better than life and whose approbation is his sufficient encouragement and reward Luke 14. 26 27 33 34. Luke 18. 22. Mat. 6. 19 20. 1 John 2. 15. Phil. 3. 18 21. 2. His Hope must be set upon Heaven as the only felicity of his soul He must look for his Reward and the End of all his labours and patience in another world and not with the Hypocrite dream of a felicity that is made up first of worldly things and then of Heaven when he can keep the world no longer He that cannot that doth not in heart quit all the world for a heavenly treasure and venture his all upon the Promise of better things hereafter and forsaking all take Christ and everlasting happiness for his portion cannot be upright in heart or life 3. He must have an Infallible Teacher which is only Christ and the encouragement of pardoning John 12. 16. Joh. 15. 1 c. grace when he faileth that he sink not by despair And therefore he must live by faith on a Mediator And he must have the fixed principle of a Nature renewed by the Spirit of John 3. 5 6. Rom. 8. 8 9. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 8. 20. 1 Thess. 5. 12. Isa. 33. 22. James 4 12. Heb. 8. 10 16. Neh. 9. 13 14. Psal. 19. 7. 119. 1 2 3. Christ. 4. He that will walk uprightly must have a certain just infallible Rule and must hold to that and try all by it And this is only the Word of God The teachings of Men must be valued as helps to understand this Word and the judgements of our Teachers and those that are wiser than our selves must be of great authority with us in subordination to the Scripture But neither the Learned nor the Godly nor the Great must be our Rule in co-ordination with the Word of God 5. He that will walk uprightly must have both a solid and a large understanding to know things truly as they are and to see all particulars which must be taken notice of in all the cases which he must determine and all the actions which his integrity is concerned in 1. There is no walking uprightly Prov. 1. 5. 10. 23. 17. 27. 3. 4. Psal. 111. 10. Ephes. 1. 18. Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 9. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 14 15 20. Luke 24. 45. Mat. 15. 16. Ephes. 5. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 7. Prov. 8. 5. John 12. 40. 2 Pet. 2. 12. Rom. 3. 11. Mat. 13. 19 23 Isa. 52. 13. Hos. 14. 9. Prov. 14. 15 18. 18. 15. 22. 3. 8. 12. Ephes. 5. 15. Psalm 101. 2. in the dark Zeal will cause you to go apace but not at all to go Right if Judgement guide it not Erroneous zeal will make
non esse penes Regeâ— sed aut penes Ordines aut certe penes id corpus quod Rex juncti constituunt ut Bodinus Suarezius Victoria aliique abunde demonstratunt Certum summum Imperium totum aliquid imperare non posse ideo tantum quod alter veteâ— aut intercedat plane sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this or that or the other thing or not Nor whether it shall be exercised thus or thus by standing Courts or temporary Judges c. 3. Nor hath he named the person or family that shall rule § 6. Prop. 5. Though these in the constitution are determined of by explicite or implicite contract or consent between the Ruler and the Community yet by none of these three can the people be truly and properly said to Give the Ruler his Power of Government Not by the first or last for both those do but determine who shall be the Recipient of that power whether one or more and who individually Not the second for that is but a limiting or bounding or regulating the Governing power that it be not exercised to their hurt The bounding and regulating of their power is not the Giving them power The People having the strength cannot be ruled against their concordant wills And therefore if they contract with their Governours that they will be Ruled thus and thus or not at all this is not to Give them power Yet Propriety they have and there they may be Givers So that this Bounding or Regulating and Choosing the form and Persons and giving of their propriety is all that they have to do And the choosing of the Family or person is not at all a Giving the Power They are but sine quibus non to that They do but open the door to let in the Governour They do but name the family or man to whom God and not they shall Give the power As when God hath already determined what authority the Husband shall have over the Wife the Wife by choosing him to be her Husband giveth him not his power but only chooseth the man to whom God giveth it by his standing Law Though about the disposing of her estate she may limit him by pre-contracts But if she contract against his Goâ—ernment it is acontradiction and null Nor if he abuse his power doth it at all fall into her hands If the King by Charter give power to a Corporation to choose their Mayor or other Officer they do but nominate the persons that shall receive it but it is the Kings Charter and not they that give him the power If a Souldier voluntarily list himself under the Kings General or other Commanders he doth but choose the man that shall command him but it is the Kings Commission that giveth him the power to command those that voluntarily so list themselves And if the authority be abused or forfeited it is not into the Souldiers hands but into the Kings § 7. Prop. 6. The Constituting-Consent or Contract of Ancestors obligeth all their posterity if Prop. 6. they will have any of the protection or other benefit of Government to stand to the constitution Else Governments should be so unsetled and mutable as to be uncapable of their proper End § 8. Prop. 7. God hath neither in nature or Scripture estated this Power of Government in whole or Prop. 7. in part upon the people of a meer Community much less on Subjects whether Noble or Ignoble So foolish and bad â—s the 〈◊〉 tâ—o 〈…〉 man shâ—uâ—d not endanger himself for his Countrey because wisdom is not to be cast away for the commodity of fools Laert. in Aristip. But a wise man must be wise for others and not only for himself Learned or unlearned the part of the Community or the whole body Real or Representative The people as such have not this Power either to Use or to Give But the absolute Soveraign of all the world doth communicate the Soveraign power in every Kingdom or other sort of Common-wealth from himself Immediately I say Immediately not without the Mediation of an Instrument signifying his will for the Law of Nature and Scripture are his Instrument and the Charter of Authority nor yet so Immediately as without any kind of medium for the Consent and Nomination of the Community before expressed may be Conditio sine qua non so far as aforesaid But it is so Immediately from God as that there is no immediate Recipient to receive the power first from God and convey it to the Soveraign § 9. Prop. 8. The Natural power of individual persons over themselves is tota specie different from Prop. 8. this Political or Civil Power And it is not the Individuals resignation of this Natural power of selfdisposal It was one of the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables Vendendi filium patri potestas esâ—o But this Law rather giveth the Father that power than declareth it to be naturally in him Nature alloweth him no other selling of him than what is for his Child 's own good unto one or more which is the efficient Cause of Soveraignty or Civil Power § 10. Prop. 9. If you take the word Law properly for the expression of a Rulers Will obliging Prop. 9. the Governed or making their duty and not improperly for meer Contracts between the Soveraign and the people then it is clear in the definition it self that neither Subjects nor the Community as such have any Legislative power Neither Nature nor Scripture hath given the people a Power of making Laws either by themselves or with the Soveraign Either the sole power or a part of it But the very Nature of Government requireth that the whole Legislative power that is the power of making Governing Laws belong to the summa Majestas or Soveraign alone Unless when the summa potestas is in many hands you compare the partakers among themselves and call one Party the Soveraign as having more of the Soveraignty than the rest For those that are no Governours at all cannot perform the chief act of Government which is the making of Governing-Laws But the people are no Governours at all either as a Community or as Subjects So that you may easily perceive that all the Arguments for a natural Democracy are built upon false suppositions and where ever the People have any part in the Soveraignty it is by the after-Constitution and not by Nature And that Kings receive not their Power from the peoples gift who never had it themselves to use or give but from God alone § 11. Prop. 10. Though God have not made an Universal determination for any one sort of Government against the rest whether Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy because that is best for one people which may be worse for others yet ordinarily Monarchy is accounted better than Aristocracy and Aristocracy better than Democracy So much briefly of the Original of Power § 12. Object 1. But saith worthy Mr. Richard Hooker
Eccl. Pol. l. 1. § 10. p. 21. That which Object 1. So p. 23. The same error of the Original of Power hath Acosta l. 2. c. 5. p. â—08 with many other â—esuites and Papists we spake of the power of Government must here be applyed to the power of making Laws whereby to govern which power God hath over all and by the Natural Law whereto he hath made all subject the lawful power of making Laws to command whole politick societies of men belongeth so properly to the same entire societies that for any Prince or Potentate of what kind soever upon earth to exercise the same of himself and not either by express Commission immediately and personally received from God or else by Authority derived at first from their Consent upon whose persons they impose Laws it is no better than meer Tyranny Laws they are not therefore which publick approbation hath not made so Answ. Because the Authority of this famous Divine is with his Party so great I shall adventure to Answ. say something lest his words do the more harm but not by confident opposition but humble proposal and submission of my judgement to superiours and wiser men as being conscious of my own inferiority and infirmity I take all this to be an assertion no where by him proved and by me elsewhere disproved fully Laws are the Effects and signs of the Rulers Will and instruments of Government Legislation is the first part of Government And if the whole Body are naturally Governours the Pares imperans and pars subdita are confounded If the most Absolute Monarch can make Bishop Audâ—â—ws iâ— Tortar Tortâ— p. 385 Acuius homo non distinguit inter Formam atque Authoritatem regiminis Forma de hominibus esse potest de coeâ—o semper est authoritas An Rex sit supra Leges Vid. Seb. Fox lib 2. de Iâ—stit Reg. no Laws then disobeying them were no fault It is enough that their Power be derived from God immediately though the persons be chosen by men Their Authority is not derived from the peoples consent but from God by their consent as a bare condition sine qua non What if a Community say all to their elected King We take not our selves to have any Governing power to give or use but we only choose you or your family to that Office which God hath instituted who in that Institution giveth you the power upon our choice Can any man prove that such a King hath no power but is a Tyrant because the people disclaim the Giving of the Power When indeed they do their duty Remember that in all this we speak not of the Government of this or that particular Kingdom but of Kingdoms and other Commonwealths indefinitely Object 2. But saith he Lib. 8. p. 192. Unto me it seemeth almost out of doubt and controversie Object 2. that every independent multitude before any certain form of regiment established hath under God Supream Authority full Dominion over it self Answ. If by Dominion were meant Propriety every Individual hath it But for Governing Power Answ. it seemeth as clear to me that your independent multitude hath no Civil Power of Government at all but only a Power to choose them Governours While they have no Governours they have no Governing Power for that maketh a Governour § 14. Object 3. Ibid. A man who is Lord of himself may be made anothers servant c. Object 3. Answ. 1. He may hire out himself to Labour for another because he hath so far the power of Answ. himself and his Labour is his own which he may sell for wages But in a family that the Master be the Governour to see Gods Laws obeyed by his servants is of Divine appointment and this Governing power the servant giveth not to his Master but only maketh himself the object of it 2. The power that nature giveth a man over himself is tota specie distinct from Civil Government as Dr. Hammond hath well shewed against I. G. An Individual person hath not that power of his own Dion Cass. saith that when Eâ—phates the Philosopher would kill himself Veniam dederat ei Adrianus citra ignominiam infamiam ut cicutam tum propter senectutem tum etiam propter gravem morbum bibere posset In vita Adriani life as the King hath He may not put himself to death for that which the King may put him to death for 3. If this were true that every individual by self-resignation might give a King his power over him yet a posse ad esse non valet consequentia And that it is not so is proved in that God the Universal Soveraign hath prevented them by determining himself of his own Officers and giving them their power in the same Charter by which he enableth the people to choose them Therefore it is no better reasoning than to say If all the persons in London subjected themselves to the Lord Mayor he would thereby receive his power from them when the King hath prevented that already by giving him the power himself in his Charter and leaving only the choice of the person to them and that under the direction of the Rules which he hath given them § 15. Object 4. But saith he pag. 193. l. 8. In Kingdoms of this quality as this we live Object 4. in the Highest Governour hath indeed universal dominion but with dependency upon that whole entire body over the several parts whereof he hath dominion so that it standeth for an axiome in this â—ase The King is major singulis universis minor Answ. If you had included Himself its certain that he cannot be Greater than the whole because he Answ. cannot be greater than himself But seeing you speak of the whole in contradistinction from him I answer That indeed in genere causae finalis the Soveraign is Universis Minor that is The whole Kingdom is naturally more worth than One and their felicity a greater good or else the bonum publicum or salus populi could not be the End of Government But this is nothing to our case For we are speaking of Governing power as a means to this end And so in genere causae efficientis the Soveraign yea and his lowest Officer hath more Authority or Ius Regendi than all the people as such for they all as such have none at all Even as the Church is of more worth than the Pastor and yet the Pastor alone hath more Authority to administer the Sacraments and to Govern the people than all the flock hath For they have none either to use or give what ever some say to the contrary but Against the peoples being the Givers of Power by conjoyning all their own in one in Church or State see Mr. D. Cawdry's Review of Mr. Hookers Survey p. 154 c. only choose him to whom God will give it § 16. Object 5. Saith the Reverend Author lib. 8. p. 194. Neither
The word obligation being Metaphorical must in controversie be explained by its proper Answ. terms The Law doth first constituere debitum obedientiâ— propter inobedientiam debitum poenâ— Here then you must distinguish 1. Between Obligation in foro conscientiâ— and in foro humano 2. Between an obligation ad poenam by that Law of man and an obligation ad patiendum by another Divine Law And so the answer is this 1. If the Higher Powers e. g. forbid the Apostles to preach upon pain of death or scourging the dueness both of the obedience and the penalty is really null in point of Conscience however in foro humano they are both due that is so falsly reputed in that Court Therefore the Apostles are bound to preach notwithstanding the prohibition and so far as God alloweth they may resist the penalty that is by flying For properly there is neither debitum obedientiae nec poenae 2. But then God himself obligeth them not to resist the higher powers Rom. 13. 1 2 3. and in their patience to possess their souls So that from this command of God there is a true obligation ad patiendum to patient suffering and non-resistance though from the Law of man against their preaching there was no true obligation aut ad obedientiam aut ad poenam This is the true resolution of this Sophism § 65. Direct 34. It is one of the most needful duties to Governours for those that have a call and Direct 34. opportunity as their Pastors to tell them wisely and submissively of those sins which are the greatest enemies Vetus est verumque dictum Miser est Imperator cui vera reticentur Grotius de Imp. p. 245. Principi consâ—ile non dulciora sed optima is one of Soloâ—s Sentences in Laâ—rt de Solon Therefore it is a horrid villany of the Jâ—suites which is expressed in Secret Instruct. in Arcanis Iesuit pag. 5 6 7 8 11. to indulge great men and Pri 〈…〉 es in those opinions and sins which please them and to be on that side that their Liberty requireth to keep their favour to the Society So Maffaeius l. 3. c. 11. in vita ipsiuâ— Loyolae Alexand. Severus so greatly hated flatterers that Lampridius saith Siquis caput flexisset aut blandius aliquid dixisseâ— uti adulator vel abjiciebatur si loci ejus qualitas pateretur vel ridebatur ingenti cachinno si ejus dignitas graviori subjacere non posset injuriae Venit ad Attilam past victoriam Marullus poeta ejus temporis egregius compositumque in adulationâ—m carmen recitavit In quo ubi Attila per interpretem cognovit se Deum divina sâ—irpe ortum vanissime praedicari aspernatus sacrilâ—gae adulationis impudentiam cum autore â—armen exuri jusserat A qua severitate subinde temperavit ne scriptores caeteri a laudibus ipsius celebrandis terrerentur Callimach Exp. in Attila p. 353. to their souls and not the smallest enemies to their Government and the publick peace All Christians will confess that sin is the only forfeiture of Gods protection and the cause of his displeasure and consequently the only danger to the soul and the greatest enemy to the Land And that the sins of Rulers whether personal or in their Government have a far more dangerous influence upon the publick state than the sins of other men Yea the very sins which upon true repentance may be pardoned as to the everlasting punishment may yet be unpardoned as to the publick ruine of a state As the sad instance of Manasseh sheweth 2 Kings 23. 26. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal 2 Kings 24. 3 4. Surely at the Commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh according to all that he did and also for the innocent blood that he shed for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood which the Lord would not pardon And yet this was after Iosiah had Reformed So Solomons sin did cause the renting of the ten Tribes from his Sons Kingdom Yea the bearing with the High Places was a provoking sin in Kings that otherwise were upright Therefore sin being the fire in the Thatch the quenching of it must needs be an act of duty and fidelity to Governours And those that tempt them to it or sooth and flatter them in it are the greatest enemies they have But yet it is not every man that must reprove a Governour but those that have a Call and Opportunity nor must it be done by them imperiously or reproachfully or publickly to their dishonour but privately humbly and with love honour reverence and submissiveness § 66. Object But great men have great Spirits and are impatient of reproof and I am not bound Object to that which will do no good but ruine me Answ. 1. It is an abuse of your Superiours to censure them to be so proud and bruitish as not to Answ. consider that they are the subjects of God and have souls to save or lose as well as others Will you judge so hardly of them before tryal as if they were far worse and foolisher than the poor and take this abuse of them to be an excuse for your other sin No doubt there are good Rulers in the world that will say to Christs Ministers as the Prince Elector Palatine did to Pitisâ—us charging him to tell Mâ—lâ—h Adam in vit Barth Pitisci him plainly of his faults when he chose him to be the Pastor â—nlicus 2. How know you before hand what success your words will have Hath the Word of God well managed no power yea to make even bad men good Can you love your Rulers and yet give up their souls in despair and all for fear of suffering by them 3. What if you do suffer in the doing of your duty Have you not learned to serve God upon such terms as those Or do you think it will prove it to be no duty because it will bring suffering on you These reasons favour not of faith § 67. Direct 35. Think not that it is unlawful to obey in every thing which is unlawfully commanded Direct 35. It may in many cases be the subjects duty to obey the Magistrate who sinfully commandeth him For all the Magistrates sins in commanding do not enter into the matter or substance of the thing commanded If a Prince command me to do the greatest duty in an ill design to some selfish end it is his sin so to command but yet that command must be obeyed to better ends Nay the matter of the command may be sinful in the Commander and not in the obeyer If I be commanded without any just reason to hunt a feather it is his sin that causelesly commandeth me so to lose my time and yet it may be my
sin to disobey it while the thing is lawful Else servants and children must prove all to be needful as well as lawful which is commanded them before they must obey Or the command may at the same time be evil by accident and the obedience good by accident and per se very good accidents consequence or effects may belong to our Obedience when the accidents of the command it self are evil I could give you abundance of instances of these things § 68. Direct 36. Yet is not all to be obeyed that is evil but by accident nor all to be disobeyed Direct 36. that is so but the accidents must be compared and if the obedience will do more good than harm we must obey if it will evidently do more harm than good we must not do it Most of the sins in the world are evil by accident only and not in the simple act denuded of its accidents circumstances or It was one of the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables Justa imperia sunto iisque cives modesâ—e ac sine recusatione parento consequents You may not sell poyson to him that you know would poyson himself with it though to sâ—ll poyson of it self be lawful Though it be lawful simply to lend a Sword yet not to a Traytor that you know would kill the King with it no nor to one that would kill his Father his neighbour or himself A command would not excuse such an act from sin He wâ—â— slain by David that killed Saul at his own command and if he had but lent him his Sword to do it it had been his sin Yet some evil accidents may be weighed down by greater evils which would evidently follow upon the not doing of the thing commanded § 69. Direct 37. In the question whether Humane Laws bind Conscience the doubt is not of that nature Direct 37. as to have necessary influence upon your practice For all agree that they bind the subject to obedience and that Gods Law bindeth us to obey them And if Gods Law bind us to obey mans Law and so to disobey them be materially a sin against Gods Law this is as much as is needful to resolve you in respect of practice No doubt mans Law hath no primitive obliging power at all but a Derivative from God and under him And what is it to bind the Conscience an improper Speech but to bind the person to judge it his duty conscire and so to do it And no doubt but he is bound to judge it his duty that is immediately by Humane Law and remotely by Divine Law and so the contrary to be a sin prâ—ximatâ—ly against man and ultimately against God This is plain and the rest is but logomachy § 70. Direct 38. The question is much harder whether the violation of every Humane Penal Law be Direct 38. a sin against God though a man submit to the penalty And the desert of every sin is death Mr. Rich. Hoâ—kers last Book unhappily ended before he gave us the full reason of his judgement in Eccl. Pol. l. 8. p. 2â—4 this case these being his last words Howbeit too rigorous it were that the breach of every Humane Law should be a deadly sin A mean there is between those extremities if so be we can find it out Amesius hath diligently discust it and many others The reason for the affirmative is because God bindeth us to obey all the lawful commands of our Governours And suffering the penalty is not obeying the penalty being not the primary intention of the Law-giver but the Duty and the penalâ—y only to enforce the duty And though the suffering of it satisfie man it satisfieth not God whose Law we break by disobeying Those that are for the Negative say that God binding us but to obey the Magistrate and his Law binding but aut ad obedientiam an t ad poenam I fulfill his will if I either do or suffer If I obey not I please him by satisfying for my disobedience And it is none of his will that my choosing the penalty should be my sin or damnation To this it is replyed that the Law bindeth ad poenam but on supposition of disobedience And that disobedience is forbidden of God And the penalty satisfieth not God though it satisfie man The other rejoyn that it satisfieth God in that it satisfieth man because Gods Law is but to give force to mans according to the nature of it If this hold then no disobedience at all is a sin in him that suffereth the penalty In so hard a case because more distinction is necessary to the explication than most Readers are willing to be troubled with I shall now give you but this brief decision On second thoughts this case is fullier opened afterward There are some penalties which fulfil the Magistrates own will as much as obedience which indeed have more of the nature of a Commutation than of Penalty As he that watcheth not or mendeth not the High-wayes shall pay so much to hire another to do it He that shooteth not so oft in a year shall pay so much He that eateth flesh in Lent shall pay so much to the poor He that repaireth not his Hedges shall pay so much and so in most amercements and divers Penal Laws in which we have reason to judge that the penalty satisfieth the Law-giver fully and that he leaveth it to our choice In these cases I think we need not afflict our selves with the conscience or fear of sinning against God But there are other Penal Laws in which the penalty is not desired for it self and is supposed to be but an imperfect satisfaction to the Law-givers will and that he doth not freely leave us to our choice but had rather we obeyed than suffered only he imposeth no greater a penalty either because there is no greater in his power or some inconvenience prohibiteth In this case I should fear my disobedience were a sin though I suffered the penalty Still supposing it an act that he had Power to command me § 71. Direct 39. Take heed of the perâ—icious design of those Atheistical Politicians that would make Direct 39. the world believe that all that is excellent among men is at enmity with Monarchy yea and Government it self And take heed on the other side that the most excellent things be not turned against it by abuse Here I have two dangers to advertise you to beware The first is of some Machiavellian pernicious principles and the second of some erroneous unchristian practices § 72. I. For the first there are two sorts of Atheistical Politicians guilty of them The first sort are some Atheistical flatterers that to engage Monarchs against all that is good would make them believe that all that is good is against them and their interest By which means while their design is to steal the help of Princes to cast out all that is good from the world they are most
peace It is passion and pride and selfishness that doth this and not Religion Therefore let these and not Religion be restrained But if they will resolve to suffer none to live in peace but those that in every punctilio are all of one opinion they must have but one subject that is sincere in his Religion Euâ—apius saith of his Master Chrysâ—nthius that when Iulian had made him Primarium Pontificem totius illius ditionis in munere tamen suo non mâ—rose ac superbè se gessit junioribus urgendo haud gravis sicut plerique omnes in unum consenâ—ientes calidâ— ferventerque faciundum censebant neque Christianis molestus admodum quippe tanta erat morum in eo lenitas atque simplicitas ut per Lydiam prâ—pemodum ignorata fuerit sacrorum in pristinum restitutio Eo factum est ut cum priora aliter cecidissent nihil innovatum neque mutatio insignis accepta videretur sed praeter expectationem cuncta placide sopirentur Moderation in a Heathen was his benefit for no two will be in every thing of the same apprehension no more than of the same complexion and all the rest must be worldly hypocrites that while they are heartily true to no Religion will profess themselves of any Religion which will serve their present turns And these nominal Christians will be ready to betray their Rulers or do any mischief which their carnal interest requireth § 83. Obj. 5. What witness need we more than their own accusations of one another For the Papists Object 5. hâ—w many volumes have the Protestants written against them as enemies to all Civil Government alledging Vestra doctrina est nisi princeps vobis ex animo sit quâ—ntumvis legitimus haeres sit Regno excludi alium eligi posse Posse dixi immo oportâ—re Haec Clementina vestra fuit B. Andrews of the Papists Tort. Tort. p. 327. So p. 381 382. If others do but stand on their guard to keep their lives and Families from the bloody rage of their enemies seeking to put whole Towns and Provinces of them to the sword against all Law and Reason and to disturb the Kingdoms in the minority of the right Governours Or if they defend their ancient and Christian liberties covenanted and agreed on by those Princes to whom they first submitted themselves and ever since confirmed and allowed by the Kings thâ—t have succeeded If in either of these two cases the Godly require their right and offer no wrong impugn not their Princes but only save their own lives you cry Rebellious hereticks rebellious Calvinists furie phrensie mutinie and I know not what You may pursue depose and murder Princes when the Bishop of Rome biddeth you and that without breach of Duty Law or Conscience to God or man as you vaunt though neither life nor limbs of yours be touched We may not so much as beseech Princes that we may be used like subjects not like slaves like men not like beasts that we may be convented by Laws before Judges not murthered in corners by inquisitors We may not so much as hide our heads nor pull our necks out of the greedy jaws of that Romish Wolf but the foam of your unclean mouth is ready to call us by all the names you can devise So far Bilson even the Decrees of their General Councils as Later sub Innoc. 3. Can. 3. And for the Protestants they are as deeply charged by the Papists as you may see in The Image of both Churches and Philanax Anglicus and abundance more For Calvin and the Presbyterians and Puritans let the Prelates tell you how peaceable they are And the Papists and Puritans say that the Prelatists are of the same mind and only for their own ends pretend to greater loyalty than others There are no two among them more famous for defending Government than Hooker and Bilson And what Hooker saith for Popular power his first and eighth Books abundantly testifie And even B. Bilson himself defendeth the French and Germane Protestants Wars and you may judge of his loyal doctrine by these words Pag. 520. Of Christian subjection If a Prince should go about to subject his Kingdom to a forraign Realm or change the form of the Common-wealth from Impery to Tyranny or neglect the Laws established by common consent of Prince and people to excute his own pleasure In these and other cases which might be named if the Nobles and Commons joyn together to defend their ancient and accustomed liberty regiment and Laws they may not well be counted Rebels Answ. 1. If it be clear that Christianity as to its Principles is more for Love and Concord and Answ. Subjection than any other ratinoal doctrine in the world then if any sect of Christians shall indeed be found to contradict these principles so far they contradict Christianity And will you blame Religion because men contradict it or blame Christs doctrine because men disobey it Indeed every sect that hath something of its own to make it a sect besides Christian Religion which maketh men meer Christians may easily be guilty of such errour as will corrupt the Christian Religion And as a sect they have a divided interest which may tempt them to dividing principles But none more condemn such divisions than Christ. 2. And indeed though a Christian as such is a credible witness yet a sect or faction as such doth use to possess men with such an envious calumniating disposition that they are little to be believed when they accuse each other This factious zeal is not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish and therefore where this is no wonder if there be strife and false accusing and confusion and every evil work But as these are no competent witnesses so whether or no they are favoured by Christ you may judge if you will read but those three Chapters Matth. 5. Rom. 12. Iam. 3. I may say here as B. Bilson in the place which is accused pag. 521. IT IS EASIE FOR A RUNNING AND RANGING HEAD TO SIT AT HOME IN HIS CHAMBER AND CALL MEN REBELS HIMSELF BEING THE RANKEST 3. For the Papists I can justifie them from your accusation so far as they are Christians but as they are Papists let him justifie them that can Indeed Usurpation of Government is the very essence of Popery for which all other Christians blame them And therefore there is small reason that Christianity should be accused for them 4. And for the Protestants both Episcopal and Disciplinarians the sober and moderate of them speak of one another in no such language as you pretend For the Episcopal I know of none but railing Papists that accuse them universally of any doctrines of Rebellion And for the Practices of some particular men it is not to be alledged against their doctrine Do you think that Queen Elizabeth to whom B. Bilsons Book was Dedicated or K. Charles to whom Mr. Hookers Book was Dedicated took either of
matters Conscire The knowledge of our selves our duties our faults our fears our hopes our diseases c. 2. Or more limitedly and narrowly The knowledge of our selves and our own matters in relation to Gods Law and Iudgement Iudicium hominis de seipso prout subjicitur judicio Dei as Amesius defineth it 2. Conscience is taken 1. Sometime for the Act of self-knowing 2. Sometime for the Habit 3. Sometime for the Faculty that is for the Intellect it self as it is a faculty of self-knowing In all these senses it is taken properly 2. And sometimes it is used by custome improperly for the Person himself that doth Conscire or for his Will another faculty 3 The Conscience may be said to be bound 1. Subjectively as the subjectum quod or the faculty obliged 2. Or Objectively as Conscire the Act of Conscience is the thing ad quod to which we are obliged And upon these necessary distinctions I thus answer to the first question Prop. 1 The Act or the Habit of Conscience are not capable of being the subject obliged no more than any other act or duty The Act or duty is not bound but the man to the act or duty 2. The Faculty or Iudgement is not capable of being the Object or Materia ad quam the thing to which we are bound A man is not bound to be a man or to have an Intellect but is made such 3. The Faculty of Conscience that is the Intellect is not capable of being the immediate or nearest subjectum quod or subject obliged The reason is Because the Intellect of it self is not a free-working faculty but acteth necessarily per modum naturae further than it is under the Empire of the Will And therefore Intellectual and Moral habits are by all men distinguished 4. All Legal or Moral Obligation falleth directly upon the Will only and so upon the Person as a Voluntary agent So that it is proper to say The Will is bound and The Person is bound 5 Improperly and remotely it may be said The Intellect or faculty of Conscience is bound or the tongue or hand or foot is bound as the Man is bound to use them 6. Though it be not proper to say that the Conscience is bound it is proper to say that the Man is bound to the Act and Habit of Conscience or to the exercise of the faculty 7. The common meaning of the phrase that we are bound in conscience oâ— that conscience is bound is that we are bound to a thing by God or by a Divine obligation and that it is a fin against God to violate it So that Divines use here to take the word Conscience in the narrower Theological sense as respect to Gods Law and Iudgement doth enter the definition of it 8. Taking Conscience in this narrower sense To ask Whether mans Law as Mans do bind us in Conscience Having spoken of this Controversie in my Life of Faith as an easie thing in which I thought we were really agreed while we seemed to differ which I called A pitiful Case some Bâ—ethren who say nothing against the truth of what I said are offended at me as speaking too confidently and calling that so easie which Bishop Saâ—derâ—oa and so many others did make a greater matter of I retract the words if they â—e unsuittable either to the matter or the Readers But as to the matter and the truth of the words I desire the Reader but to consider how easie a case Mr. P. maketh of it Eccl. Pol. and how heinous a matter he maketh of our supposed dissent And if after all this it shall appear that the Non-conformists do not at all differ from Hooker Bilson and the generality of the Conformists in this point let him that is willing to be represented as odious and intolerable to Rulâ—rs and to mankind for that in which we do not differ proceed to backbite me for saying that it is a pitiful case and pretending that we are agreed is all one as to ask Whether Man be God 9. And taking Conscience in the large or General sense to ask whether Mans Laws bind us in Conscience subjectively is to ask whether they bind the Understanding to know our duty to man And the tenour of them will shew that While they bind us to an outward Act or from an outward Act it is the man that they bind to or from that act and that is as he is a Rational Voluntary Agent so that a humane obligation is laid upon the Man on the Will and on the Intellect by humane Laws 10. And humane Laws while they bind us to or from an outward Act do thereby bind us as Rational-free agents knowingly to choose or refuse those acts Nor can a Law which is a Moral Instrument any otherwise bind the hand foot or tongue but by first binding us to choose or refuse it knowingly that is conscientiously so that a humane bond is certainly laid on the mind soul or conscience taken in the larger sense 11. Taking Conscience in the stricter sense as including essentially a relation to Gods obligation the full sense of the question plainly is but this Whether it be a sin against God to break the Laws of man And thus plain men might easily understand it And to this it must be answered that it is in two respects a sin against God to break such Laws or Commands as Rulers are authorized by God to make 1. Because God commandeth us to obey our Rulers Therefore he that so obeyeth them not sinneth against a Law of God God obligeth us in General to obey them in all things which they are authorized by him to command But their Law determineth of the particular matter Therefore God obligeth us in Conscience of his Law to obey them in that particular 2. Because by making them his Officers by his Commission he hath given them a certain beam of Authority which is Divine as derived from God Therefore they can command us by a power derived from God Therefore to disobey is to sin against a power derived from God And thus the General case is very plain and easie How man sinneth against God in disobeying the Laws of man and consequently how in a tolerable sense of that phrase it may be said that mans Laws do or do not bind the conscience or rather bind us in point of Conscience or by a Divine obligation Man is not God and therefore as man of himself can lay no Divine obligation on us But Man being Gods Officer 1. His own Law layeth on us an obligation derivatively Divine For it is no Law which hath no obligation and it is no authoritative obligation which is not derived from God 2. And Gods own Law bindeth us to obey mans Laws Quest. 2. BUt is it a sin to break every Penal Law of man Answ. 1. You must remember that Mans Law is essentially the signification of mans Will And therefore obligeth no further than it
truly signifieth the Rulers Will. 2. That it is the Act of a Power derived from God and therefore no further bindeth than it is the exercise of such a power 3. That it is given 1. Finally for Gods glory and pleasure and for the Common Good comprehending the Honour of the Ruler and the welfare of the society ruled And therefore obligeth not when it is 1. Against God 2. Or against the Common Good 2. And it is subordinate to Gods It is not Mr. Humphâ—â—y alone that hath written that Laws bind not in conscience to obedience which are against the Publick Good The greatest Casuists say the same excepting the case of scandal He that would see this in them may choose but these two special Authors Bapt. Fragos de Regimine Reipublicae Greg. Sayrus in his Clavis Regia and in them he shall find enow more câ—â—ed Though I think some further Cautions would make it more satisfactory own Laws in Nature and Scripture and therefore obligeth not to sin or to the violation of Gods Law 4. You must note that Laws are made for the Government of Societies as such universally and so are fitted to the Common Case for the Common Good And it is not possible but that a Law which prescribeth a duty which by accident is so to the most should meet with some particular subject to whom the case is so circumstantiated as that the same act would be to him a sin And to the same man it may be ordinarily a duty and in an extraordinary case a sin Thence it is that in some cases as Lent Fasts Marriages c. Rulers oft authorize some persons to grant dispensations in certain cases And hence it is said that Necessity hath no Law Hereupon I conclude as followeth 1. It is no sin to break a Law which is no Law as being against God or not authorized by him as of a Usurper c. See R. Hooker Conclus Lib 8. 2. It is no Law so far as it is no signification of the true Will of the Ruler what ever the words be Therefore so far it is no sin to break it 3. The Will of the Ruler is to be judged of not only by the Words but by the Ends of Government and by the Rules of Humanity 4. It being not possible that the Ruler in his Laws can foresee and name all exceptions which may occur it is to be supposed that it is his Will that the Nature of the thing shall be the notifier of his Will when it cometh to pass And that if he were present and this case fell out before him which the sense and end of the Law extendeth not to he would say This is an excepted Case 5. There is therefore a wide difference between a General Law and a personal particular Mandate As of a Parent to a Child or a Master to a Servant For this latter fully notifieth the Will of the Ruler in that very case and to that very person And therefore it cannot be said that here is any exception or that it is not his Will But in an Universal or General Law it is to be supposed that some particular excepted Cases will fall out extraordinarily though they cannot be named And that in those Cases the Rulers will dispenseth with it 6. Sometimes also the Ruler doth by the meer neglect of pressing or executing his own Laws permit them to grow obsolete and out of use And sometimes he forbeareth the execution of them for some time or to some sort of persons And by so doing doth notifie that it was not his Will that â—t such a time and in such cases they should oblige I say not that all remissness of execution is such a sign But sometimes it is And the very word of the Law-giver may notifie his dispensation or suspending will As for instance Upon the burning of London there were many Laws about coming to Parish Churches and relief of the poor of the Parish and the like that the people became uncapable of obeying And it was to be supposed that the Rulers will would have been to to have excepted such Cases if foreseen and that they did dispense with them when they fell out 7. Sometimes also the penalty of violating a Law is some such Mulct or service which the Ruler intendeth as a Commutation for the duty so that he freely leaveth it to the choice of the subject which he will choose And then it is no sin to pay the Mulct and omit the Action because it crosseth not the Law-givers will 8. Sometimes also the Law may command this principally for some mens sake which so little concerns others that it should not extend to them at all were it not lest the Liberty of them should be an impediment to the obedience of others and consequently of the common good In which case if those persons so little concerned do but omit the action secretly so as to be no scandal or publick hurt it seemeth that they have the implicite Consent of the Rulers 9. Sometimes particular duties are commanded with this express exception Unless they have just and reasonable impediment As for coming every Lords Day to Church c. which seemeth to imply that though in cases where the publick good is concerned the person himself shall not be Judge nor at all as to the penalty yet that in actions of an indifferent nature in themselves this exception is still supposed to be implyed Unless we have just and reasonable impediments of which in private Cases as to the Crime we may judge 10. I need not mention the common natural exceptions As that Laws bind not to a thing when it becometh naturally impossible or cessante materia vel capacitate subjecti obligati c. 11. Laws may change their sense in part by the change of the Law-giver For the Law is not formally to us his Law that is dead and was once our Ruler but his that is alive and is now our Ruler If Henry the eighth make a Law about the outward acts of Religion as for coming to Church c. and this remain unrepealed in King Edwards Queen Maries Queen Elizabeths King Iames his dayes c. even till now As we are not to think that the Law-givers had the same sense and will so neither that the Law hath the same sense and obligation For if the general words be capable of several senses we must not take it as binding to us in the sense it was made in but in the sense of of our present Law-givers or Rulers because it is their Law 12. Therefore if a Law had a special Reason for it at the first making as the Law for using Bows and Arrows that Reason ceasing we are to suppose the Will of the Law-giver to remit the obligation if he urge not the execution and renew not the Law 13. By these plain principles many particular difficulties may be easily resolved which cannot be foreseen and named e.
do it And so sweet is Revenge to their furious nature as the damning of men is to the Devil that Revenged they will be though they lose their souls by it And the impotency and baseness of their spirits is such that they say Flesh and blood is unable to bear it § 11. 10. Another cause of murder is a wicked impatience with neer relations and a hatred of those that should be most dearly loved Thus many men and women have murdered their Wives and Husbands when either Adulterous Lust hath given up their hearts to another or a cross impatient discontented mind hath made them seem intollerable burdens to each other And then the Devil that destroyed their love and brought them thus far will be their teacher in the rest and shew them how to ease themselves till he hath led them to the Gallows and to Hell How necessary is it to keep in the way of duty and abhor and suppress the beginnings of sin § 12. 11. And sometimes Covetousness hath caused Murder when one man desireth another mans estate Thus Ahab came by Naboth's Vineyards to his cost And many a one desireth the death of another whose estate must fall to him at the others death Thus many a Child in heart is guilty of the murder of his Parents though he actually commit it not Yea a secret gladness when they are dead doth shew the guilt of some such desire◠while they were living And the very abatement of such moderate mourning as natural affection should procure because the estate is thereby come to them as the heirs doth shew that such are far from innocent Many a Iudas for Covetousness hath betrayed another Many a false witness for Covetousness hath sold anothers life Many a Thief for Covetousness hath taken away anothers life to get his money And many a Covetous Landlord hath longed for his Tenants death and been glad to hear of it And many a Covetous Souldier hath made a trade of killing men for Money So true is it that the Love of money is the root of all evil and therefore is one cause of this § 13. 12. And Ambition is too common a Cause of Murder among the great ones of the World How many have dispatched others out of the World because they stood in the way of their advancement For a long time together it was the ordinary way of Rising and dying to the Roman and Greek Emperours for one to procure the murder of the Emperour that he might usurp his Seat and then to be so murdered by another himself And every Souldier that looked for preferment by the change was ready to be an instrument in the fact And thus hath even the Roman seat of his Mock Holiness for a long time and oft received its Successours by the poison or other murdering of the possessours of the desired place And alas how many thousand hath that See devoured to defend its Universal Empire under the name of the spiritual Headship of the Church How many unlawful Wars have they raised or cherished even against Christian Emperours and Kings How many thousands have been Massacred How many Assassinate as Hen. 3. and Hen. 4. of France Besides those that fires and Inquisitions have consumed And all these have been the flames of Pride Yea when their fellow-Sectaries in Munster and in England the Anabaptists and Seekers have catcht some of their proud disease it hath workt in the same way of blood and cruelty § 14. 2. But besides these twelves great sins which are the nearest cause of Murder there are many more which are yet greater and deeper in nature which are the Roots of all especially these 1. The first cause is the want of true Belief of the Word of God and the judgement and punishment to come and the want of the Knowledge of God himself Atheism and Infidelity 2. Hence cometh the want of the true Fear of God and subjection to his holy Laws 3. The predominance of selfishness in all the unsanctified is the radical inclination to murder and all the injustice that is committed 4. And the want of Charity or Loving our Neighbour as our selves doth bring men neer to the execution and leaveth little inward restraint § 15. By all this you may see how this sin must be prevented and let not any man think it a needless work Thousands have been guilty of murder that once thought themselves as far from it as you 1. The soul must be possessed with the Knowledge of God and the true Belief of his Word and judgement 2. Hereby it must be possessed of the Fear of God and subjection to him 3. And the Love of God must mortifie the power of selfishness 4. And also much possess us with a true Love to our neighbours yea and enemies for his sake 5. And the twelve fore-mentioned causes of murder will thus be destroyed at the Root § 16. II. And some further help it will be to understand the Greatness of this sin Consider therefore 1. It is an unlawful destroying not only a Creature of God but one of his noblest Creatures upon earth Even one that beareth at least the natural Image of God Gen. 9. 5 6. And surely your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of man at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man Yea God will not only have the beast slain that killeth a man but also forbiddeth there the eating of blood v. 4. that man might not be accustomed to cruelty 2. It is the opening a door to confusion and all calamity in the World For if one man may kill another without the sentence of the Magistrate another may kill him and the world will be like Mastiffs or mad Dogs turned all loose on one another kill that kill can 3. If it be a wicked man that is killed it is the sending of a soul to Hell and cutting off his time of Repentance and his hopes If it be a Godly man it is a depriving of the World of the blessing of a profitable member and all that are about him of the benefits of his goodness and God of the service which he was here to have performed These are enough to infer the dreadful consequents to the Murderer which are such as these III. 1. It is a sin which bringeth so great a guilt that if it be repented of and pardoned yet Conscience very hardly doth ever attain to peace and quietness in this World And if it be unpardoned it is enough to make a man his own Executioner and tormenter 2. It is a sin that seldome scapeth vengeance in this life If the Law of the Land take not away their lives as God appointeth Gen. 9. 6. God useth to follow them with his extraordinary Plagues and causeth their sin
vindication of your right may violate Charity and Peace and inflame his passion and kindle your own and hurt both your souls and draw you into other sins and cost you dearer than your right was worth Whereas your patience and yieldingness and submission and readiness to serve another and to let go your own for Peace and Charity may shame him or melt him and prevent contention and keep your own and the publick peace and may shew the excellency of your Holy Religion and win mens souls to the Love of it that they may be saved Therefore instead of exacting or vindicating your utmost right set light by your corporal sufferings and wrongs and study and labour with all your power to excel in Charity and to do good to all and to stoop to any service to another and humble your selves and exercise patience and give and lend according to your abilities and pretend no◠justice against the great duties of Charity and Patience So that here is forbidden both violent and legal revenge for our Corporal abuses when the Law of Charity or Patience is against it But this disobligeth not Magistrates to do Justice or men to seek it in any of the Cases mentioned in the seven first Propositions § 25. Quest. 3. Am I bound to forgive another if he ask me not forgiveness The reason of the Quest. 3. question is because Christ saith Luke 17. 3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Answ. In the resolving of this while some have barely affirmed and others denyed for want of distinguishing they have said worse than nothing It is necessary that we distinguish 1. Between the forgiving of an enemy and of a stranger and of a neighbour and of a brother as such 2. Between the several penalties to be remitted as well as revenges to be forborn And so briefly the case must be thus resolved Prop. 1. An Enemy a stranger and a neighbour as such must be forgiven in the cases before asserted though they ask not forgiveness nor say I repent For 1. Many other Scriptures absolutely require it 2. And forgiving them as such is but the continuing them in our common charity as men or neighbours that is our not endeavouring to ruine them or do them any hurt and our hearty desiring and endeavouring their good according to their capacities or ours And thus far we must forgive them Prop. 2. A Brother must be also thus far forgiven though he say not I repent that is we must Love him as a man and wish and endeavour his good to our power Prop. 3. A Brother as a Brother is not to be so forgiven as to be restored to our estimation and affection and usage of him as a Brother either in spiritual account or intimate special Love and familiarity as long as he is Impenitent in his gross offences and that is till he turn again and say I repent A Natural Brother is still to be Loved as a Natural Brother For that kind of Love dependeth not on his honesty or repentance But 1. A Brother in a Religious sense 2. Or a bosome familiar friend are both unfit for to be received in these capacities till they are penitent for gross offences Therefore the Church is not to pardon the Impenitent in point of Communion nor particular Christians to pardon them in their esteem and carriage Nor am I bound to take an unfit person to be my bosome friend to know my secrets Therefore if either of these offend I must not forgive them that is by forgiveness continue them in the respect and usuage of this brotherhood till they Repent And this first especially is the Brother mentioned in the Text. § 26. Quest. 4. Is it lawful to sue a Brother at Law The reason of the question is from the Quest. 4. words of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 7. There is utterly a fault among you because ye go to Law one with another Why do you not rather take wrong Why do you not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded Answ. 1. Distinguish betwixt going to Law before Heathens or other enemies to the Christian Religion and before Christian Magistrates 2. Between going to Law in malice for revenge and going meerly to seek my right or to seek the suppression and reformation of sin 3. Between going to Law when you are bound to forgive and when you are not 4. And between going to Law in haste and needlesly and going to Law as the last remedy in case of necessity when other means fail 5. And between going to Law when the hurt is like to be greater than the benefit and going to Law when it is likely to do good There is a great deal of difference between these cases § 27. Prop. 1. Christians must rather suffer wrong than go to Law before the enemies of Religion when it is like to harden them and to bring Christianity into contempt Prop. 2. It is not lawful to make Law and Justice the means of private unlawful revenge nor to vent our malice nor to oppress the innocent Prop. 3. When ever I am bound to forgive the trespass wrong or debt then it is unlawful to seek my own at Law For that is not forgiving Prop. 4. There are many other remedies which must first be tryed ordinarily before we go to Law As 1. To rebuke our neighbour for his wrong and privately to desire necessary reparations 2. To take two or three to admonish him or to refer the matter to Arbitrators or in some cases to a lott And if any make Law their first remedy needlesly while the other means should first be used it is a sin Prop. 5. It is not lawful to go to Law-sutes when prudence may discern that the hurt which may come by it will be greater than the benefit either by hardning the person or disturbing our selves or scandalizing others against Religion or drawing any to wayes of unpeaceableness and revenge c. The foreseen consequents may over-rule the case § 28. But on the other side Prop. 1. It is lawful to make use of Christian Judicatories so it be done in a lawful manner yea and in some cases of the Judicatories of Infidels Prop. 2. The suppressing of sin and the defending of the innocent and righting of the wronged being the duty of Governours it is lawful to seek these benefits at their hands Prop. 3. In cases where I am not obliged to forgive as I have shewed before some such there be I may justly make use of Governours as the Ordinance of God Prop. 4. The order and season is when I have tryed other means in vain When perswasion or arbitration will do no good or cannot be used with hope of success Prop. 5. And the great condition to prove it lawful is
Son and Holy Ghost when they have in Baptism vowed themselves unto his service Of all men on earth these men will have least to say for their sin or against their condemnation § 22. 12. Lastly Remember that Christ taketh all that is done by persecutors against his servants for his cause to be done as to himself and will accordingly in judgement charge it on them So speaketh he to Saul Acts 9. 5 6. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I am Iesus whom thou persecutest And Matth. 25. 41. to 46. Even to them that did not â—eed and clothe and visit and relieve them he saith Verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me What then will he say to them that impoverished and imprisoned them Remember that it is Christ reputatively whom thou dost hate deride and persecute § 23. Direct 3. If you world escape the guilt of persecution the cause and interest of Christ in the Direct 3. world must be truly understood He that knoweth not that Holiness is Christs end and Scripture is his Word and Law and that the Preachers of the Gospel are his messengers and that preaching is his appointed means and that sanctified believers are his members and the whole number of them are his mystical body and all that profess to be such are his visible body or Kingdom in the world and that sin is the thing which he came to destroy and the Devil the world and the flesh are the enemies which he causeth us to conquer I say He that knoweth not this doth not know what Christianity or Godliness is and therefore may easily persecute it in his ignorance If you know not or believe not that serious Godliness in heart and life and serious preaching and discipline to promote it are Christs great cause and interest in the world you may fight against him in the dark whilst ignorantly you call your selves his followers If the Devil can but make you think that Ignorance is as good as Knowledge and Pharisaical formality and hypocritical shews are as good as spiritual worship and rational service of God and that seeming and lip-service is as good as seriousness in Religion and that the strict and serious obeying of God and living as we profess according to the principles of our Religion is but hypocrisie pride or faction that is that all are hypocrites who will not be hypocrites but seriously Religious I say if Satan can bring you once to such erroneous malignant thoughts as these no wonder if he make you persecutors O value the great blessing of a sound understanding For if Error blind you either impious error or factious error there is no wickedness so great but you may promote it and nothing so good and holy but you may persecute it and think all the while that you are doing well John 16. 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service What Prophet so great or Saint so holy that did not suffer by such hands Yea Christ himself was persecuted as a sinner that never sinned § 24. Direct 4. And if you would escape the guilt of persecution the cause and interest of Christ Direct 4. must be highest in your esteem and preferred before all worldly carnal interests of your own Otherwise the Devil will be still perswading you that your own interest requireth you to suppress the interest of Christ For the truth is the Gospel of Christ is quite against the interest of carnality and concupiscence It doth condemn ambition covetousness and lust It forbiddeth those sins on pain of damnation which the proud and covetous and sensual love and will not part with And therefore it is no more wonder to have a proud man or a covetous man or a lustful voluptuous man to be a persecutor than for a Dog to fly in his face who takes his bone from him If you love your pride and lust and pleasures better than the Gospel and a holy life no marvel if you be persecutors For these will not well agree together And though sometimes the providence of God may so contrive things that an ambitious hypocrite may think that his worldly interest requireth him to seem religious and promote the preaching and practice of godliness this is but seldome and usually not long For he cannot choose but quickly find that Christ is no Patron of his sin and that Holiness is contrary to his worldly lusts Therefore if you cannot value the Cause of Godliness above your lusts and carnal interests I cannot tell you how to avoid the guilt of persecution nor the wrath and vengeance of Almighty God § 25. Direct 5. Yea though you do prefer Christs interest in the main You must carefully take Direct 5. beed of stepping into any forbidden way and espousing any interest of your own or others which is contrary to the Laws or interest of Christ. Otherwise in the defence or prosecution of your cause you will be carryed into a seeming Necessity of persecuting before you are aware This hath been the ruine of multitudes of great ones in the world When Ahab had set himself in a way of sin the Prophet 1 Kings 22. 8 27. 1 King 13. 2 4. must reprove him and then he hateth and persecuteth the Prophet because he prophesied not good of him but evil When Ieroboam thought that his interest required him to set up Calves at Dan and Bethel and to make Priests for them of the baâ—est of the people the Prophet must speak against his sin and then he stretcheth out his hand against him and saith Lay hold on him If Asa sin and 2 Chron. 16. 10. the Prophet tell him of it his rage may proceed to imprison his reprover If Amaziah sin with the Idolaters the Prophet must reprove him and he will silence him or smite him And silenced he is 2 Chron. 15. 16. and what must follow 2 Chron. 15 16. The King said to him Art thou made of the Kings counsel forbear why shouldst thou be smitten This seemeth to be gentle dealing Then the Prophet forbore and said I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkned to my counsel It Pilate do but hear If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars friend he thinketh John 19. 12. it his interest to crucifie Christ As Herod thought it his interest to kill him and therefore to kill so many other Infâ—nts when he heard of the birth of a King of the Jews Because of an Herodias Matth. 2. 16 17 18. Matth. 14. 6 7 8 9. Mar. 6. 19. 21 22. Acts 12. 2 3 4. and the honour of his word Herod will not stick to behead Iohn Baptist And another Herod will kill Iames with the Sword and imprison Peter because he seeth that it pleaseth
preservation of the family in peace If children cry or fight or chide or make any fowle or troublesome work the mother will not therefore turn them out of doors or use them like strangers but remember that it is her place and duty to bear with that weakness which she cannot cure The proud impatience of the Pastors hath frequently brought them into the guilt of persecution to the alienating of the peoples hearts and the distraction and division of the Churches when poor distempered persons are offended with them and it may be revile them and call them seducers or antichristian or superstitious or what their pride and passion shall suggest or if some weak ones raise up some erroneous opinions alas many Pastors have no more wit or grace or pity than presently to be rough with them and revile them again and seek to right themselves by wayes of force and club down every errour and contention when they should overcome them by evidence of truth and by meekness patience and love Though there be place also for severity with turbulent implacable impenitent hereticks § 55. Direct 33. Time of learning and overcoming their mistakes must be allowed to those that are Direct 33. mis-informed We must not turn those of the lower forms out of Christs School because they learn not as much as those of the higher forms in a few weeks or years The Holy Ghost teacheth those who for the time might have been Teachers of others and yet had need to be taught the first Principles Heb. 5. 11 12. He doth not turn them out of the Church for their non-proficiency And where there is ignorance there will be errour § 56. Direct 34. Some inconveniences must be expected and tolerated and no perfect Order or Concord Direct 34. expected here on earth It is not good reasoning to say If we suffer these men they will cause this or that disorder or inconvenience But you must also consider whither you must drive it if you suffer them not and what will be the consequents He that will follow his Conscience to a prison will likely follow it to death And if nothing but death or prison or banishment can restrain them from what they take to be their duty it must be considered how many must be so used and whether if they were truly faulty they deserve so much and if they do yet whether the evils of the Toleration or of the Punishment are like to be the greater Peace and Concord will never be perfect till Knowledge and Holiness be perfect § 57. Direct 35. You may go further in restraining than in constraining in forbidding men to Direct 35. preach against approved doctrines or practices of the Church than in forcing them to preach for them or to subscribe or speak their approbation or assent If they be not points or practices of great necessity a man may be sit for the Ministry and Church-communion who meddleth not with them but Preacheth the wholsome truths of the Gospel and lets them alone And because no duty is at all times a duty a sober mans judgement will allow him to be silent at many an errour when he dare not subscribe to or approve the least But if here any proud and cruel Pastors shall come in with their lessâ—â— selfish incommodities and say If they do not approve of what we say and do they will secretly foment a faction against us I should answer them that as good men will foment no faction so if such Proud impatient turbulent men will endure none that subscribe not to all their opinions or differ from them in a circumstance or a Ceremony they shall raise a greater faction if they 'l call it so against themselves and make the people look on them as tyrants and not as Pastors and they shall see in the end when they have bought their wit by dear experience that they have but torn the Church in pieces by preventing divisions by carnal means and that they have lost themselves by being over zealous for themselves and that DOCTRINE and LOVE are the instruments of a wise Shepheard that loveth the flock and understands his work § 58. Direct 36. Distinguish between the making of new Laws or articles of belief and the punishing Direct 36. of men for the Laws already made And think not that we must have new Laws or Canons every time the old ones are broken or that any Law can be made which can keep it self from being broken Perversness in this errour hath brought the Church to the misery which it endureth God hath made an Universal Law sufficient for the Universal Church in matters of faith and holy practice leaving it to men to determine of necessary circumstances which were unfit for an universal Law And if the sufficiency of Gods Law were acknowledged in mens practices the Churches would have had more peace But when particular Countreys have their particular Volumes of Articles Consessions Liturgies and I know not what else to be subscribed to and none must Preach that will not say or write or swear that he believeth all this to be true and good and nothing in it to be against the Word of God this Engine wracks the limbs of the Churches all to pieces And then what 's the pretense for this epidemical calamity Why no better than this Every Heretick will subscribe to the Scriptures and take it in his own sense And what followeth Must we needs therefore have new Laws which Hereticks will not subscribe to or which they cannot break It is the Commendation of Gods Law as fit to be the means of Unity that all are so easily agreed to it in terms and therefore would agree in the sense if they understood it But they will not do so by the Laws of men All or many Hereticks in the primitive times would profess assent to the Churches Creed no doubt in a corrupt and private sense But the Churches did not therefore make new Creeds till above 300 years after Christ they began to put in some particular words to obviate Hereticks which Hilary complained of as the Cause of all their divisions And what if Hereticks will subscribe to all you bid them and take it in their own corrupted sense Must you therefore be still making new Laws and Articles till you meet with some which they cannot mis-understand or dare not thus abuse What if men will mis-interpret and break the Laws of the Land Must they be made new till none can mis-expound or violate them Sure there is a wiser way than this Gods word containeth in sufficient expressions all that is necessary to be subscribed to Require none therefore to subscribe to any more in matters of faith or holy practice But if you think any Articles need a special interpretation let the Church give her sense of those Articles and if any man Preach against that sense and corrupt the Word of God which he hath subscribed let his fault be
Parent in this respect cannot oblige him to his hurt For if he will quit the benefit he may be freed when he will from his obligation and may refuse to stand to the Covenant if he dislike it If he will give up his lease he may be disobliged from the Rent and service § 3. In all this you may perceive that no man can oblige another against God or his salvation And therefore a Parent cannot oblige a child to sin nor to forbear hearing or reading the Word of God or praying or any thing necessary to his salvation Nor can he oblige him to hear a Heretical Pastor nor to marry an Infidel or wicked Wife c. § 4. And here also you may perceive on what grounds it is that God hath appointed Parents to oblige their children in the Covenant of Baptism to be the servants of God and to live in holiness all their dayes § 5. And hence it is apparent that no Parents can oblige their children to be miserable or to any such condition which is worse than to have no being § 6. Also that when Parents do as commonly they do profess to oblige their children as Benefactors for their good the obligation is then to be interpreted accordingly And the child is then obliged to nothing which is really his hurt Yea all the Propriety and Government of Parents cannot authorize them to oblige the child to his hurt but in order to some greater good either to the Parents themselves or to the Common-wealth or others At least that which the Parents apprehend to be a greater good But if they err through ignorance or partiality and bind the child to a greater hurt for their lesser good as to pay 200 l. to save them from paying 100 l. whether their injury and sin do excuse the child from being obliged to any more than the proportion of the benefit required I leave undetermined § 7. Quest. 2. But what if the Parents disagree and one of them will oblige the child and the other Quest. 2. will not Answ. 1. If it be an act of the Parents as meer Proprietors for their own good either of them may oblige him in a just degree because they have severally a propriety 2. If it be an act of Government as if they oblige him to do this or that act of service at their command in his minority the Father may oblige him against the Mothers consent because he is the chief Ruler but not the Mother against the Fathers will though she may without it § 8. Quest. 3. Is a man obliged by a contract which he made in ignorance or mistake of the Quest. 3. matter Answ. I have answered this before in the case of Marriage Part. 3. Chap. 1. I add here 1. We Must distinguish between culpable and inculpable error 2. Between an error about the principal matter and about some smaller accidents or circumstances 3. Between a case where the Law of the Land or the common good interposeth and where it doth not 1. If it be your own fault that you are mistaken you are not wholly freed from the obligation But if it was your gross fault by negligence or vice you are not at all freed But if it were but such a frailty as almost all men are lyable to so that none but a person of extraordinary virtue or diligence could have avoided the mistake then equity will proportionably make you an abatement or free you from the obligation So far as you were obliged to understand the matter so far you are obliged by the contract especially when another is a loser by your error 2. An inculpable error about the circumstances or smaller parts will not free you from an obligation in the principal matter But an inculpable error in the essentials will 3. Except when the Law of the Land or the common good doth otherwise over-rule the case For then you may be obliged by that accident In divers cases the Rulers may judge it necessary that the effect of the contract shall depend upon the bare words or writings or actions lest false pretences of misunderstanding should exempt deceitful persons from their obligations and nothing should be a security to contractors And then mens private commodity must give place to the Law and to the publick good 4. Natural infirmities must be numbered with faults though they be not moral vices as to the contracting of an obligation if they be in a person capable of contracting As if you have some special defect of memory or ignorance of the matter which you are about Another who is no way faulty by over-reaching you must not be a loser by your weakness For he that cometh to the market or contracteth with another who knoweth not his infirmity is to be supposed to understand what he doth unless the contrary be manifest You should not meddle with matters which you understand not Or if you do you must be content to be a loser by your weakness 5. Yet in such cases another that hath gained by the bargain may be obliged by the Laws of equity and charity to remit the gain and not to take advantage of your weakness But he may so far hold you to it as to secure himself from loss except in cases where you become the object of his Charity and not of Commutative Justice only § 9. Quest. 4. Is a drunken man or a man in a transporting passion or a melancholy person obliged by Quest. 4. a contract made in such a case Answ. Remember still that we are speaking only of Contracts about matters of profit or worldly interest and not of marriage or any of another nature And the Question as it concerneth a man in Drunkenness or Passion is answered as the former about culpable error And as it concerneth a melancholy man it is to be answered as the former question in the case of natural infirmity But if the melancholy be so great as to make him uncapable of bargaining he is to be esteemed in the same condition as an Ideot or one in deliration or distraction § 10. Quest. 5. But may another hold a man to it who in drunkenness or passion maketh an ill bargain Quest. 5. or giveth or playeth away his money and repenteth when he is sober Answ. He may ordinarily take the money from the loser or him that casteth it thus away But he may not keep it for himself But if the loser be poor he should give it to his Wife or Children whom he robbeth by his sin If not he should either give it to the Magistrate or Overseer for the poor or give it to the poor himself The reason of this determination is Because the loser hath parted with his propriety and can lay no further claim to the thing But yet the gainer can have no right from anothers crime If it were from an injury he might so far as is necessary to reparations But from a crime he cannot For his
loss is to be estimated as a mulct or penalty and to be disposed of as such mulcts as are laid on Swearers and Drunkards are Only the person by his voluntary bargain hath made the other party instead of the Magistrate and authorized him in ordinary cases to dispose of the gain for the poor or publick good § 11. Quest. 6. Am I obliged by the words or writings which usually express a Covenant without any Quest. 6. Covenanting or self-obliging intention in me when I speak or write them Answ. Either you utter or write those words with a purpose to make another believe that you intend a Covenant or at least by culpable negligence in such a manner as he is bound so to understand you or justified for so understanding you or else you so use the words as in the manner sufficiently to signifie that you intend no Covenant or self-obligation In the former case you bind your self as above said Because another man is not to be a loser nor you a gainer or a saver by your own fraud or gross negligence But in the later case you are not bound Because an intent of self-obliging is the internal efficient of the obligation and a signification of such an intent is the external efficient without which it cannot be If you read over the words of a bond or repeat them only in a Narrative or ludicrously â—â— if a Scrâ—vener write a form of obligation of himself to a boy for a Copy or to a Scholar for a president these do not induce any obligation in Conscience nor make you a debtor to another Thus also the case of the Intent of the Baptizer or Baptized or parents is to be determined § 12. Quest. 7. May a true man promise money to a robber for the saving of his life or of a greater Quest. 7. sum or more precious commodity Answ. Yes in case of necessity when his life or estate cannot better be preserved And so taxes may be paid to an Enemy in arms or to a plundering Souldier supposing that it do no other hurt which is greater than the good Any man may part with a lesser good to preserve a greater And it is no more voluntary or imputable to our wills than the casting of our goods into the Sea to save the vessel and our lives § 13. Quest. 8. May I give money to a Iudge or Iustice or Court-officer to hire him to do me justice Quest. 8. or to keep him from dâ—ing me wrong or to avoid persecution Answ. You may not in case your cause be bad give any thing to procure injustice against another no nor speak a word for it nor desire it This I take as presupposed You may not give money to procure justice when the Law of the Land forbiddeth it and when it will do more hurt accidentally to others than good to you when it will harden men in the sin of bribery and cause them to expect the like from others But except it be when some such Accidental greater hurt doth make it evil it is as lawful as to hire a thief not to kill me when you cannot have your right by other means you may part with a smaller matter for a greater § 14. Quest. 9. But if I make such a contract may the other lawfully take it of me Quest. 9. Answ. No for it is now supposed that it is unlawful on his part § 15. Quest. 10. But if under necessity or force I promise money to a Robber or a Iudge or Officer Quest. 10. am I bound to perform it when necessity is over Answ. You have lost your own propriety by your Covenant and therefore must not retain it But he can acquire no right by his sin and therefore some say that in point of Justice you are not bound to give it him but to give it to the Magistrate for the poor But yet Prudence may tell you of other reasons à fine to give it the man himself though Iustice bind you not to it As in case that else he may be revenged and do you some greater hurt or some greater hurt is any other way like to be the consequent which it is lawful by money to prevent But many think that you are bound to deliver the money to the Thief or officer himself because it is a lawful thing to do it though he have no just title to it and because it was your meaning or the signification of your words in your Covenant with him And if it were not lawful to do it it could not be lawful to promise to do it otherwise your promise is a lye To this those of the other opinion say that as a man who is discharged of his promise by him that it was made to is not to be accounted false if he perform it not so is it as to the Thief or Officer in question because he having no right is to you as the other that hath quit his right And this answer indeed will prove that it is not strict injustice not to pay the money promised but it will not prove that it is not a lye to make such a promise with an intent of not-performing it or that it is not a lye to make it with an intent of performing it and not to do it when you may Though here a Jesuite will tell you that you may say the words of a promise with an equivocation or mental reservation to a Thief or persecuting Magistrate Of which see more in the Chapters of Lying Vowes and Perjury 〈…〉 am therefore of Opinion that your promise must be sincerely made and according to the true intent of it you must offer the money to the Thief or Officer except in case the Magistrate forbid you or some greater reason lye against it which you foresaw not when you made the promise But the offender is undoubtedly obliged not to take the money § 16. The same determination holdeth as to all contracts and promises made to such persons who by injurious force constrained us to make them There is on us an obligation to Veracity though none to them in point of Justice because they have no proper right nor may they lawfully take our payment or service promised them And in case that the publick good unexpectedly cross our performance we must not perform it Such like is the case of Conquerours and those that upon conquest become their vassals or subjects upon unrighteous terms But still remember that if it be not only a Covenant with man but a Vow to God which maketh him a party the case is altered and we remain obliged § 17. Quest. 11. But may I promise the Thief or Bribe-taker to conceal his fault and am I obliged to Quest. 11. the performance of such a promise Answ. This is a promise of omitting that which else would be a duty It is ordinarily a duty to reveal a Thief and bribe-taker that he may be punished But affirmatives bind
man is bound to punish himself As when the Law against Swearing Cursing or the like doth give the poor a certain mulct which is the penalty He ought to give that money himself And in cases where it is a necessary cure to himself And in any case where the publick good requireth it As if a Magistrate offend whom none else will punish or who is the Judge in his own cause he should so far punish himself as is necessary to the suppression of sin and to the preserving of the honour of the Laws As I have heard of a Justice that swore twenty Oaths and paid his twenty shillings for it 2. A man may be bound in such a Divine Vengeance or Judgement as seeketh after his particular sin to offer himself to be a sacrifice to Justice to stop the Judgement As Ionah and Achan did 3. A man may be bound to confess his guilt and offer himself to Justice to save the innocent who is falsly accused and condemned for his crime 4. But in ordinary cases a man is not bound to be his own publick accuser or executioner Quest. 10. May a Witness voluntarily speak that truth which he knoweth will further an unrighteous Quest. 10. cause and be made use of to oppress the innocent Answ. He may never do it as a confederate in that intention Nor may he do it when he knoweth that it will tend to such an event though threatned or commanded except when some weightier accident doth preponderate for the doing it As the avoiding of a greater hurt to others than it will bring on the oppressed c. Quest. 11. May a witness conceal some part of the truth Quest. 11. Answ. Not when he sweaâ—â—â—â—h to deliver the whole truth Nor when a good cause is like to suffer or a bad cause to be furâ—â—â—â—ered by the concealment Nor when he is under any other obligation to reveal the whole Quest. 12. Must a Iudge and Iury proceed secundum allegata probata according to evidence and Quest. 12. proof when they know the witness to be false and the truth to be contrary to the testimony but are not able to evince it Answ. Distinguish between the Negative and the Positive part of the Verdict or Sentence In the Negative they must go according to the evidence and testimonies unless the Law of the Land leave the case to their private knowledge As for example They must not sentence a Thief or Murderer to be punished upon their secret unproved knowledge They must not adjudge either Moneys or Lands to the true Owner from another without sufficient evidence and proof They must forbear doing Iustice because they are not called to it nor enabled But Positively they may do no Injustice upon any evidence or witness against their own knowledge of the truth As they may not upon known false witness give away any mans Lands or Money or condemn the innocent But must in such a case renounce the Office The Judge must come off the Bench and the Jury protest that they will not meddle or give any Verdict what ever come of it Because God and the Law of Nature prohibit their injustice Object It is the Law that doth it and not we Answ. It is the Law and you And the Law cannot justifie your agency in any unrighteous sentenâ—e The case is plain and past dispute Tit. 2. Directions against Contentious Suits False Witnessing and Oppressive Iudgements § 1. Direct 1. THe first Cure for all these sins is to know the intrinsick evil of them Good Direct 1. thoughts of sin are its life and strength When it is well known it will be hated and when it is hated it is so far cured § 2. I. The Evil of Contentious and unjust Law-Suits 1. Such contentious Suits do shew the power of selfishness in the sinner How much self-interest is inordinately esteemed 2. They shew the excessive love of the world How much men over-value the things which they contend for 3. They shew mens want of Love to their neighbours How little they regard another mans interest in comparison of their own 4. They shew how little such mens care for the publick good which is maintained by the concord and love of neighbours 5. Such contentions are powerful Engines of the Devil to destroy all Christian Love on both sides and to stir up mutual enmity and wrath and so to involve men in a course of sin by further uncharitableness and injuries both in heart and word and deed 6. Poor men are hereby robbed of their necessary maintenance and their innocent families subjected to distress 7. Unconscionable Lawyers and Court-Officers who live upon the peoples sins are hereby maintained encouraged and kept up 8. Laws and Courts of Justice are perverted to do men wrong which were made to right them 9. And the offender declareth how little sense he hath of the authority or Love of God and how little sense of the grace of our Redeemer And how far he is from being himself forgiven through the blood of Christ who can no better forgive another § 3. II. The Evil of False Witness 1. By False Witness the innocent are injured Robbery and Murder are committed under pretence of truth and justice 2. The Name of God is horribly abused by the crying sin of Perjury of which before 3 The Presence and Justice of God are contemned When sinners dare in his sight and hearing appeal to his Tribunal in the attesting of a lye 4. Vengeance is begged or consented to by the sinner who bringeth Gods curse upon himself and as it were desireth God to plague or damn him if he lye 5. Satan the Prince of malice and injustice and the Father of lyes and murders and oppression is hereby gratified and eminently served 6. God himself is openly injured who is the Father and Patron of the innocent and the cause of every righteous prson is more the cause of God than of man 7. All Government is frustrated and Laws abused and all mens security for their reputations or estates or lives is overthrown by false witnesses And consequently humane converse is made undesirable and unsafe What good can Law or right or innocency or the honesty of the Judge do any man where false-witnesses combine against him What security hath the most innocent or worthy person for his fame or liberty or estate or life if false witnesses conspire to defame him or destroy him And then how shall men endure to converse with one another Either the innocent must seek out a Wilderness and flye from the face of men as we do from Lyons and Tygers or else Peace will be worse than War For in War a ma 〈…〉 ay fight for his life but against false witnesses he hath no defence But God is the avenger of the innocent and above most other sins doth seldome suffer this to go unpunished even in this present world but often beginneth their Hell on Earth to such perjured
true pleasure as his life and labours are successful in doing good I know that the Conscience of honest endeavours may afford solid comfort to a willing though unsuccessful man and well-doing may be pleasant though it prove not a doing good to others But it is a double yea a multiplyed comfort to be successful It is much if an honest unsuccessful man a Preacher a Physicion c. can keep up so much peace as to support him under the grief of his unsuccessfulness But to see our honest labours prosper and many to be the better for them is the pleasantest life that man can here hope for 7. Good works are a comfortable evidence that faith is sincere and that the heart dissembleth not with God When as a faith that will not prevail for works of Charity is dead and uneffectual and the image o◠carkass of faith indeed and such as God will not accept Iam. 2. 8. We have received so much our selves from God as doubleth our obligation to do good to others Obedience and Gratitude do both require it 9. We are not sufficient for our selves but need others as well as they need us And therefore as we expect to receive from others we must accordingly do to them If the eye will not see for the body nor the hand work for the body nor the feet go for it the body will not afford them nutriment and they shall receive as they do 10. Good works are much to the honour of Religion and consequently of God and much tend to mens conviction conversion and salvation Most men will judge of the doctrine by the fruits Mat. 5. 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 11. Consider how abundantly they are commanded and commended in the word of God Christ himself hath given us the pattern of his own life which from his first moral actions to his last was nothing but doing good and bearing evil He made Love the fulfilling of his Law and the works of Love the genuine fruits of Christianity and an acceptable sacrifice to God Gal. 6. 10. As we have opportunity let us do good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith Heb. 13. 16. To do good and communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou constantly affirm that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works These things are good and profitable to men Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Tit. 2. 14. To purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Act. 20. 35. So labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Iesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive Ephes. 4. 28. Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth You see poor labourers are not excepted from the command of helping others In so much that the first Church sold all their possessions and had all things common not to teach levelling and condemn propriety but to shew all after them that Christian Love should use all to relieve their brethren as themselves 12. Consider that God will in a special manner judge us at the last day according to our works and especially our works of Charity As in Matth. 25. Christ hath purposely and plainly shewed and so doth many another text of Scripture These are the Motives to works of Love Quest. 2. What is a good work even such as God hath promised to reward Quest. 2. Answ. 1. The matter must be lawful and not a sin 2. It must tend to a good effect for the benefit of man and the honour of God 3. It must have a good end even the pleasing and Glory of God and the good of our selves and others 4. It must come from a right principle even from the Love of God and of man for his sake 5. It must be pure and unmixed If any sin be mixt with it it is sinful so as to need a pardon And if sin be predominant in it it is so far sinful as to be unacceptable to God in respect to the person and is turned into sin it self 6. It must be in season or else it may sometimes be mixt with sin and sometimes be evil it self and no good work 7. It must be comparatively good as well as simply It must not be a lesser good instead of a greater or to put off a greater As to be praying when we should be quenching a fire or saving a mans life 8. It must be good in a convenient degree Some degrees are necessary to the Moral being of a good work and some to the well being God must be loved and worshipped as God and Heaven sought as Heaven and mens souls and lives must be highly prized and seriously preserved some sluggish doing of good is but undoing it 9. It must be done in confidence of the merits of Christ and presented to God as by his hands who is our Mediator and Intercessour with the Father Quest. 3. What works of Charity should one choose in these times who would improve his masters talents Quest. 3. to his most comfortable account Answ. The diversity of mens abilities and opportunities make that to be best for one man which is 〈◊〉 the Pre 〈…〉 e to my 〈…〉 ok called 〈◊〉 Crucifying 〈…〉 he world impossible to another But I shall name some that are in themselves most beneficial to mankind that every man may choose the best which he can reach to 1. The most eminent work of Charity is the promoting of the Conversion of the Heathen and Infidel parts of the world To this Princes and men of power and wealth might contribute much if they were willing especially in those Countreys in which they have commerce and send Embassadours They might procure the choicest Scholars to go over with their Embassadours and learn the languages and set themselves to this service according to opportunity Or they might erect a Colledge for the training up of Students purposely for that work in which they might maintain some Natives procured from the several Infidel Countreys as two or three Persians as many Indians of Indostan as many Tartarians Chinenses Siamites c. which might possibly be obtained and these should teach students their Countrey languages But till the Christian world be so happy as to have such Princes something may be done by Volunteers of lower place and power As Mr. Wheelock did in translating the New Testament and Mr. Pococke by the Honourable Mr. Robert Boile's procurement and charge in translating Grotius de Verit. Christ. Relig. into
Sword in their own hands and not have put it into the Clergies hands to fulfill their wills by For 1. By this means the Clergy had escaped the odium of usurpation and domineering by which atheistical Politicians would make Religion odious to Magistrates for their sakes 2. And by this means greater unity had been preserved in the Church while one faction is not armed with the Sword to tread down the rest For if Divines contend only by dint of Argument when they have talkt themselves and others aweary they will have done But when they go to it with dint of Sword it so ill becometh them that it seldom doth good but the party often that trusteth least to their Reason must destroy the other and make their cause good by Iron arguments 3. And then the Romish Clergy had not been armed against Princes to the terrible concussions of the Christian world which Histories at large relate if Princes had not first lent them the Sword which they turned against them 4. And then Church Discipline would have been better understood and have been more effectual which is corrupted and turned to another thing and so cast out when the Sword is used instead of the Keys under pretence of making it effectual None but Consenters are capable of Church-communion No man can be a Christian nor Godly nor saved against his will And therefore Consenters and Volunteers only are capable of Church-discipline As a Sword will not make a Sermon effectual no more will it make Discipline effectual which is but the management of Gods Word to work upon the conscience So far as men are to be driven by the Sword to the use of means or restrained from offering injury to Religion the Magistrate himself is fittest to do it It is noted by Historians as the dishonour of Cyrill of Alexandria though a famous Bishop that he was the first Bishop that like a Magistrate used the Sword there and used violence against Hereticks and dissenters 5. Above all abuse not the name of Religion for the resistance of your lawful Governours Religion must be defended and propagated by no irreligious means It is easie before you are aware to catch the feavor of such a passionate zeal as Iames and Iohn had when they would have had fire from Heaven to consume the refusers and resisters of the Gospel And then you will think that any thing almost is lawful which doth but seem necessary to the prosperity of Religion But no means but those of Gods allowance do use to prosper or bring home that which men expect They may seem to do wonders for a while but they come to nothing in the latter end and spoil the work and leave all worse than it was before § 101. Direct 40. Take heed of mistaking the nature of that Liberty of the people which is truly Direct 40. valuable and desirable and of contending for an undesirable Liberty in its stead It is desirable to have 1 Pet. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Gal. 4. 26. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Liberty to do good and to possess our own and enjoy Gods mercies and live in peace But it is not desirable to have Liberty to sin and abuse one another and hinder the Gospel and contemn our Governours Some mistake Liberty for Government it self and think it is the peoples Liberty to be Governours And some mistake Liberty for an exemption from Government and think they are most free when they are most ungoverned and may do what their list But this is a misery and not a mercy and therefore was never purchased for us by Christ. Many desire servitude and calamity under the name of liberty Optima est Reipublicae forma saith Seneca ubi nulla Libertas deest nisi licentia pereundi As Mr. R. Hooker saith Lib. 8. p. 195. I am not of opinion that simply in Kings the Most but the Best limited power is best both for them and the people The Most limited is that which may deal in fewest things the best that which in dealing is tyed to the soundest perfectest and most indifferent Rule which Rule is the Law I mean not only the Law of Nature and of God but the National Law consonant thereunto Happier that people whose Law is their King in the greatest things than that whose King is himself their Law Yet no doubt but the Law-givers are as such above the Law as an Authoritative instrument of Government but under it as a man is under the obligation of his own Consent and Word It ruleth subjects in the former sense It bindeth the summam Potestatem in the later § 102. Direct 41. When you have done all that you can in just obedience look for your reward Direct 41. from God alone Let it satisfie you that he knoweth and approveth your sincerity You make it a holy work if you do it to please God and you will be fixed and constant if you take Heaven for your Reward which is enough and will not fail you But you make it but a selfish carnal work if you do it only to please your Governours or get preferment or escape some hurt which they may do you and are subject only in flattery or for fear of wrath and not for conscience sake And such obedience is uncertain and unconstant For when you fail of your hopes or think Rulers deal unjustly or unthankfully with you your subjection will be turned into passionate desires of revenge Remember still the example of your Saviour who suffered death as an enemy to Caesar when he had never failed of his duty so much as in one thought or word And are you better than your Lord and Master If God be All to you and you have laid up all your hopes in Heaven it is then but little of your concernment further than God is concerned in it whether Rulers do use you well or ill and whether they interpret your actions rightly or what they take you for or how they call you But it is your concernment that God account you Loyal and will judge you so and justifie you from mens accusations of disloyalty and reward you with more than man can give you Nothing is well done especially of so high a nature as this which is not done for God and Heaven and which the Crown of Glory is not the motive to I have purposely been the larger on this subject because the times in which we live require it both for the setling of some and for the confuting the false accusations of others who would perswade the world that our doctrine is not what it is when through the sinful practices of some the way of truth is evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. Tit. 2. A fuller resolution of the Cases 1. Whether the Laws of men do bind the Conscience 2. Especially smaller and Penal Laws THe word Conscience signifieth either 1. In general according to the notation of the word The knowledge of our own
proved and let him be admonished and censured as it deserves Censured I say not for not subscribing more than Scripture but for corrupting the Scriptures to which he hath subscribed or breaking Gods Laws which he promised to observe § 59. Direct 37. The Good of men and not their ruine must be intended in all the Discipline Direct 37. of the Church Or the good of the Church when we have but little hope of theirs If this were done it would easily be perceived that persecution is an unlikely means to do good by § 60. Direct 38. Neither unlimited Liberty in matters of Religion must be allowed nor unnecessary Direct 38. force and rigour used but Tolerable differences and parties must be tolerated and intolerable ones by the wisest means supprest And to this end by the Counsel of the most prudent peaceable Divines the Tollerable and the Intollerable must be statedly distinguished And those that are only Tolerated must be under a Law for their Toleration prescribing them their terms of good behaviour and those that are Approved must moreover have the Countenance and Maintenance of the Magistrate And if this were done 1. The advantage of the said Encouragement from Governours 2. With the regulation of the the toleration and the Magistrates careful Government of the Tolerated would prevent both persecution and most of the divisions and calamities of the Church Thus did the ancient Christian Emperours and Bishops And was their experience nothing The Novatians as good and Orthodox men were allowed their own Churches and Bishops even in Constantinople at the Emperours nose Especially if it be made the work of some Justices 1. To judge of persons to be tolerated and grant them Patents 2. And to over-rule them and punish them when they deserve it No other way would avoid so many inconveniences § 61. Direct 39. The things intolerable are these two 1. Not the believing but the Direct 39. preaching and propagating of principles contrary to the essentials of Godliness or Christianity or Government Iustice Charity or Peace 2. The turbulent unpeaceable management of those opinions which in themselves are tollerable If any would Preach against the Articles of the Creed the Petitions of the Lords Prayer or any of the Ten Commandments he is not to be suffered And if any that is Orthodox do in their separated meetings make it their business to revile at others and destroy mens Charity or to stir men up to rebellion or sedition or contempt of Magistracy none of this should be endured § 62. As for those Libertines that under the name of Liberty of Conscience do plead for a liberty of such vitious practices and in order thereto would prove that the Magistrate hath nothing to do in matters of Religion I have Preached and wrote so much against them whilest that Errour raigned and I find it so unseasonable now the constitution of things looks another way that I will not weary my self and the Reader with so unnecessary a task as to confute them Only I shall say that Rom. 13. telleth us that Rulers are a terrour to them that do evil and that Hereticks and turbulent firebrands do evil therefore Rulers should be a terrour to them And that if all things are to be done to the Glory of God and his interest is to be set highest in the World then Magistrates and Government are for the same end And if no action which we do is of so base a nature as ultimately to be terminated in the concernments of the flesh much less is Government so vile a thing when Rulers are in Scripture called Gods as being the Officers of God § 63. Direct 40. Remember Death and live together as men that are neer dying and must live Direct 40. together in another world The foolish expectation of prosperity and long life is it which setteth men together by the ears When Ridley and Hooper were both in Prison and preparing for the flames their contentions were soon ended and Ridley repented of his persecuting way If the persecutors and persecuted were shut up together in one house that hath the Plague in the time of this lamentable Contagion it 's two to one but they would be reconciled When men see that they are going into another World it takes off the edge of their bitterness and violence and the apprehensions of the righteous judgement of God doth awe them into a patience and forbearance with each other Can you persecute that man on Earth with whom you look to dwell in Heaven But to restrain a man from damning souls by Heresie or turbulencie or any such course my Conscience would not forbid it me if I were dying § 64. Direct 41. Let the Proud themselves who will regard no higher motives remember how Direct 41. fame and History will represent them to posterity when they are dead There is no man that desireth his name should stink and be odious to future Generations There is nothing that an ambitious man desireth more than a great surviving name And will you knowingly and wilfully then expose it to perpetual contempt and hatred Read over what History you please and find out the name of one Persecutor if you can that is not now a word of ignominy and doth not rott as God hath threatened If you say that it is only in the esteem of such as I or the persecuted party neither your opinion shall be judge nor mine but the opinion and language of Historians and of the wisest men who are the masters of fame Certainly that report of Holy Scripture and History which hath prevailed will still prevail And while there are Wise and Good and Merciful men in the World the Names and Manners of the Foolish and Wicked and Cruel will be odious as they continue at this day § 65. I have wrote these Directions to discharge my duty for those that are willing to escape the guilt of so desperate a sin But not with any expectation at all that it should do much good with any considerable number of persecutors For they will not read such things as these And God seldom giveth professed Christians over to this sin till they have very grievously blinded their minds and hardened their hearts and by malignity and obstinacy are prepared for his 2 Tim. 3. 11 12. Mat 5. 11 12. Luk. 14. 26 33. sorest judgements And I know that whoever will live Godly in Christ Iesus It is not said Who professeth to believe in Christ Iesus but to live Godly shall suffer persecution and that the Cross must still be the passage to the Crown CHAP. XII Directions against Scandal as given § 1. SCandal being a murdering of souls is a violation of the general Law of Charity and of the sixth Commandment in particular In handling this subject I shall 1. Shew you what is true scandal given to another 2. What things go under the Name of Scandal which are not it but are falsly so