a great evill be committed in a small matter Hereupon he that but gathered sticks on the Sabaoth with a high hand viz. in contempt of Moses and of God in him was to be stoned to death without mercy The sin is also greater as the temptation or occasion is lesse and therefore the rich man that having many sheep of his own took his poore neighbours lamb to enterteyn his stranger withall was adjudged worthy of death whether we take the words as they seemed to David or as Nathan meant them Likewise the forecasting of evill exceedingly aggrevates it as with him who devised mischeif upon his bed and after set himself in a way to practise it Others are overtaken by sin but such overtake sin So doth it not a litle if men sin that they may sin as it seems many swear that they may swear and as Austin confesseth of himself that being a boy he stole apples and cast them away when he had done He stole that he might steal Lastly sin becomes more sinfull if it have scandall and offence of men or other damage joyned with it Yet even for the least sin if any sin by any being against Gods infinite majestie may be accounted litle if God should presse the same upon the conscience and suffer Sathan to urge it to the full it would be a burthen intollerable and such as neyther the heavens could bear for the angels that sinned were cast from thence nor paradise for Adam for transgression was driven from thence nor the earth for that swallowed up Dathan and Abiram for their sin neyther could any men or angels undergo it without being born down into the bottom of hell by it and there onely it rests as in its proper center Happy are they who in the sense and feeling of the intollerable burthen therof come to Christ by fayth that he may ease them The sin against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven in this world or the world to come is not onely committed by them who have sometimes professed the gospell but by others also though never coming so far but being convinced of the truth thereof do maliciously hate blaspheme and persecute it and therein sin against the work of the Holy Ghost in their own hearts And this Christ insinuates against the Scribes Pharisees who yet never came to professe Christianitie The reason of the 〈◊〉 of this sin is not any deâ—ect eyther in the mercy of God or merâ—â—s of Christ as though the evill in it were greater then the good in them but for that God hath sâ—t those boâ—nds of his grace and mercy that he will never voâ—câ—â—afe fayth and repenâ—â—â—ce to that person who once so despyteth his spirit in that its holy work And considering how oft the Scriptures speak of this sin not onely for warning of persons in themselvs but also for direction â—oâ—ching others so â—inning it is to be feared that the same is more ordinarie where the gospell is preached then the most make account of and that many malitiously haâ—eing and persequuting specially after some singular profession made and forsaken true and conscionable gospellers would do the same by the gospell it self if they were not restreyned by fear of men and shame of the times The Lord oftens punisheth men in the same kinde wherein they have sinned and causeth to be â—eaâ—â—d unto them with the measure wherewith they meat to others Thus he drâ—â—â—ed Phâ—raoâ— in the sea who had formerly drowned the Israelitish infants and served king Aâ—oâ—â—bezek as he had served other kings before And this God doth to make his justice the more conspicuous and that mens punishments may be as glasses wherein their sins may be seen more clearly if not for their repentance yet for the warning of others When I seriously weigh and consider the fearfull greivous punishments which God so good and gratious hath partly exequuted in this life as upon the old world Sodom and Gomorrah Corah and his company and the like and partly threatned as in the end of this life in the soul so in the end of the world both in soul and body and the same for measure intollerable and endles in continuance Lord think I what sin can procure such punishment But when on the contrarie I consider the horrible contempt of God his word even in them to whom it is dayly and diligently offered Lord think I what punishment can be sufficient for such sin What is it then Man is fearfully wicked in sinning and God fearfully just in punishing where by fayth and repentance mercy is not obteyned My flesh trembleth for dread of thee and I fear for thy judgments CHAP. LIII Of Rewards and punishments by men MEN that are able and ready accordingly to reward the vertues of good men and well-deserving do therein not onely give them and God in them their due but doe give others incouragement also to apply themselvs to vertuous courses which finde so good acceptance and reward at mens hands specially at theirs who are of place and abilitie in the world Whereas on the contrarie for such to favour wicked and leaud persons is really to invite and perswade men to evill and litle better then plainly to hyre both them and others to doe naughtily The former in that their approbation and remuneration of goodnes and vertue bear the Image of God who plenteously rewards the well-doers the latter plainly resemble the divell who offered Christ the glorie of the kingdoms of the earth if he would fall down and worship him It is a known and approved saying that by rewards and punishments societies are preserved And of these two though occasion of rewards be more to be desired yet the exequution of punishments is more diligently to be looked unto for the preserving of humayn societies The reason is because whereas vertue as the phylosopher sayd rewards it self or more truely if it be true expects it reward from God vice and vileny on the contrary can be restreyned in the most and worst onely by the fear of punishment Neyther serv humayn laws to make men good but to keep them from such outrages and extreamities of evill as into which otherwise they were in danger to break The speciall use of the law of God it self where by his spirit he puts it not in mens minde and writes it not in their hearts is to restreyn lawlesse persons as murtherers whoremongers and the like how much more of mens There is then a mercifull crueltie when men save by severitie the persons themselvs that are punished and others also the punishment reaching to one or a few and the fear and warning to many There is on the other side a cruell mercy when men by spareing spoyl both the persons offending and others who by their impunity take boldnes to offend This foolish pitty spoyls the cittie if the magistrate use it so doth the
a flipperie way bids him hold him fast by his hand lest he fall which he also puts forth unto him yea wherewith he takes hold of the Childe that so by communicating his strength with him he may stand and not fall The Lord that saith unto his Seek ye my face and gives them a heart to answer Thy face Lord do we seek gives ech of them also when he warns them to stand fast and not to fall away and the like to answer effectually Lord by these thy Commandements thy Seruant is warned to stand fast and to beware lest I fall away as hypocrites do And whensoever God either promiseth unto men or purposeth in himself absolutely an event touching any his good work in or by them he withall both purposes and promises and accordingly affords them both means conuenient and skill and will to use them and therewith an answerable blessing upon them for infallible successe In regard of this grace of perseverance the truly godly haue an advantage above Adam in innocencie He receaved to himself at the first his portion of grace and goodnesse from God being made after his Image and full freedom and power both to use and encrease it But instead thereof he soon mispent and lost all by transgression God therefore as a gracious and wise Father hath prouided better against our misgouernment and made Christ Iesus our Head and Feoffer of trust for our state of grace that he in whom dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily might still furnish and supply us as we have need lest we having all put into our own hands as Adam had should mispend and cast away all as he did And so the same Christ our Lord and Head partly by his mediation and intercession with the Father partly by the continuall supply of his Spirit assisting us in our weaknesses and recovering us in our falls and partly by his Divine power restraining the enemies of our Saluation most faithfully preservs us in the grace of God not suffering the living members of his body to be plucked from it nor the habitation of his holy Spirit wholy and for ever to be possessed by his and his elects enemie Satan The Scriptures speak of mens falling from the grace of God as they do of their receiving it When the Apostles entitle particular Churches or persons Saints sanctified in Christ partakers of the heavenly calling and such as in whom God will perfit the good work begun in them untill the day of Christ as it is meet to speak and judg of them all they do not so judg and speak in respect of the inward truth of the things as certainly being in their hearts which they neither did nor could ordinarily know for God onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men the things of a man no man knoweth save the Spirit of a man which is in him but according to the outward appearance and profession made in word and deed So when they speak of the falling away of particular Churches or persons from God they are to be understood as they mean and mean as they know that is according to the outward appearance and profession which men formerly have made and then do make leaving to God and mens selvs which onely know them the inward and hidden things of the heart which too many causlesly make shew of sometimes deceaving themselvs and sometimes others and sometimes both till the time of revelation of hidden things come And whereas weak Christians might unhappily stumble at the revolt from Faith and holynesse formerly professed by many as if there were not that stablenesse satisfaction and comfort in the Gospel and grace thereof which it promiseth the Lord in great wisdom and mercie removes this stone of offence out of their way by intimating plainly that those Apostates were never truly and throughly made partakers of the Gospels grace from the former profession whereof they had unfaithfully declined Thus the Holy Ghost teacheth that the ground what shew soever it made in which the seed sown was either withered by persecution or choaked by worldly cares or pleasures and which brought not forth fruit to the harvest was never good but either stonie or thornie ground that they whose Faith was overthrown were not vessels to honour but to dishonour nor truly built upon the steadie foundation of God nor of them who had the seal of his Spirit nor were of his known ones that those who fell away and crucified to themselvs the Son of God afresh were but formerly as the earth which drinks in the rain which comes oft upon it and yet brings not forth hearbs but thorns and briers that they who bring in damnable errors and they who follow their pernitious waies both the one and other departing from the holy Commandment delivered unto them and turning the grace of God into wantonnesse were at their best but as dogs though having for a time cast up their stomack and vomited and as Swine washed from their mire and as Iude saith ungodly men of old ordained to that condemnation and crept in to wit into the Churches unawares and to conclude that they which went out from the Apostles and Churches by heresies and profanenesse were not to wit truly and indeed of them before Thus Gods wisdom and mercie provides a shield of Faith against the fierie darts of mens hypocrisie and perfidiousnesse wherewith otherwise the tender hearts of weak Christians might be deeply wounded by Satan CAP. VII Of Religion and the differences and disputations thereabout ONely men of all Earthly Creatures are capable of Religion which is also so naturall unto all men how barbarous soever that rather then any Countrey Citie or Family would want whereon to bestow their devotions they would worship they know not what yea which is more that which they do know not onely to be base and vile as stocks and stones but also hurtfull and evill As then Religion in the generall is naturall and false Religion of corrupt nature so is true and Christian Religion by supernaturall revelation For how can that worship of God please him which is not according to his will And who knoweth Gods will but by revelation of his Spirit But vain men are readie to deem God like themselvs imagining that the things which please them please him as well Herevpon the Heathens have devised to themselvs Gods and Goddesses of Theft Murther and all manner of filthinesse And even Christians in name at least because the Kings and Lords of the Earth account themselvs honoured by their Subjects when they entertain them with pompous shews and pageants of wittie devise are readie fondly to imagine that their wittie specially stately devises and fancies please the Lord himself as they do them and therein denie unto him his two properties of simplicitie in the things and power in appointing them But if we will give God his
reliev its Father Faith in time of need whereupon the Apostle saith of the Faithfull that if they had hope onely in this life they were of all men the most miserable For what availeth it a man in miserie to beleev eternall life if he had not hope in time to obtain it and therewith freedom and redemption from distresse But we have therefore comfort in beleeving because we have hope of enjoying in due time Love is the affection of union in regard of the loving and of well-wishing in regard of the Creature loved And Divine love is the affection of union with God in his grace and glorie in which mans happinesse consists and with the Creature according unto God Faith is the root and Love the sap spreading forth it self for the fruits of good works throughout all the branches of our lives Faith the beginning and love the end of our conversation By faith we live the life of the Son of God and receav all good from him by Love we are moved and perswaded to use what we have to the good of men and prayse of God And whereas Faith makes a man some great thing richer then the richest and Lord of the whole World Love makes him a Servant unto all men in humbling and applying himself unto them in all lawfull things for their good Now albeit Love have these two prerogatives First that it perswades most effectually and immediately to the use and imployment of all the good things which we have receaved from God to the benefit of others and secondly that whereas Faith and Hope are determined formally in this life and ended in sight in the life to come Love abideth there also and that in these two respects the Apostle ascribes an excellencie and chiefnesse to Love above the other Yet herein Faith hath his singular preheminence that whereas by Love we and what we are become Gods and mens for God by Faith not onely all other things but even God himself becomes ours for all-sufficient good unto us as he saith I am thy God all sufficient By it the will and Word of God is ours for our instruction and direction his righteousnesse ours for our justification his Spirit for our sanctification his power for our protection and his glory for our happinesse in the fruition thereof This Faith in Christ is a gift supernaturall not onely in regard of nature corrupted but even created which therefore is not so properly repaired in men by grace as are some other vertues but after a sort new built from the ground as directing to that attribute in God primarily for its object whereof Adam in innocencie had no need which is mercie through Christ against the miserie of sin and punishment Vnto this Faith most precious promises are made and most excellent things affirmed of it And that not onely for the excellencie of the grace in it self which yet is great and greatly honoureth God in his truth which it beleeveth in his power as able and love as willing to bestow all good things upon us but specially for an attractive and applying facultie which it hath above other vertues to make God ours and all Creatures with him according unto God as is aforesaid To beleev in Christ is to receav him and the promises touching him And hereupon it is said of that cloud of witnesses that by faith they quenched the violence of fire stopped the mouths of Lyons put to flight the armies of alients c. The reason whereof seems to be for that as by justifying Faith they applyed the righteousnesse of God to salvation so by the Faith of myracles they apprehended and applyed the infinite power of God to the producing of those supernaturall effects The strength of true Christian Faith the Divel knows to his cost as that by which he the Prince with his whole Armie the World hath been so often foyled and overcome For being by Faith perswaded that in doing or suffering according to the will of God we please him and are under his protection and blessing we stedfastly persevere in well-doing and patiently endure all things for his names sake whereupon he specially in the day of their distresse assaults the Faith of the godly that that might fail as knowing that if the root of Faith be shaken loose the fruit of good works will wither Faith therefore must as a welcome passenger be well carried and conveied through the Sea of temptations in the Vessell of a good conscience that it suffers not shipwrack by the leaks of an evill directed by the chart of Gods Word and promises rightly understood that it run not a wrong course and having ever in a readinesse the sure and stedfast Anchour of Hope against a stresse and continually gathering into the out-spread sails of a heart enlarged by prayer and meditation the sweet and prosperous gusts of Gods holy Spirit to drive it to the desired Haven This Faith if it be not grounded upon Gods Word is fancie if it receav not the same Word in everie part but where it lists it is sawsinesse if it work not as well yea more in an afflicted state as in a prosperous it is nothing but fleshly presumption if it be not fruitfull in all good works as we have opportunitie and are able it is dead and will in the end like the Faith of the Divels affoard onely matter of trembling Lastly it must be firm and not ambiguous or going by peradventures els it is not faith but opinion Yet are we not here to imagine an Idea of faith free in this infirmitie of our flesh from doubting The tree may stand and grow also though shaken and bended with the wind so may Faith hold its both standing and life notwithstanding such doubtings as the flesh ever lusting against the Spirit mingleth with it Against which weaknesse and imperfection of our Faith we have this firm comfort that we are not saved for no nor by the perfection of the instrument which Faith is but of the object Christ which it apprehendeth and so may with a true though palsie hand of faith receav and keep both Christ and all his benefits This weaknesse and disease of Faith we must not commend as Papists do nor nourish like secure persons but cure with all diligence by the holy and diligent use of the Ministrations sanctified of God and given by Christ for the perfiting of the Saints and edifying of the body till we attain in the unitie of faith and acknowledgment of the Son of God unto a perfit man according to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Also we must nourish Faith by frequent meditations of Gods love and promises in Christ and of the gracious effects of them and must as the Prophet and Apostle teach us live by it both doing in faith and assurance of acceptance at Gods hands what we do not onely in
true goodnes He who gets this generall grace to have his heart indeed and seriously bent upon the course of piety towards God and innocency towards men the Lord wil not so far suffer to erre in his way as to misse of heauen in the end notwithstanding his particular aberrations of humayn frailty which God will cover under the veyl of his rich mercy by the persons sincere fayth and generall repentance CHAP. XXV Of Means MEans are so called of the middle place which they hold betweene the efficient and finall causes serving the one for the furthering and atcheiving of the other And so all creatures whether persons or things come under this account in respect of him from whom and for whom all things are God is able without meanes to doe whatsoever work of power he doth or can doe by them and the reason is playne for that he both creates and provides the meanes and also giues the blessing upon them by which they are avayleable Neyther if we minde it hath the Lord ever done greater workes then those which the hand of his power hath wrought eyther immediately or by meanes very weake and feeble which being improved by Gods omnipotency haue produced wonderfull effects Thus God and froggs could plague Pharaoh and all Egipt So can the H. Ghost and simple preaching make men wise unto salvation God often useth meanes verie weake and base not because he wants better but partly for his owne glory as first for the glorie of his goodnes that being so mightie and excellent in majestie he will vouchsafe to imploy them and secondly of his greatnes in bringing to passe what he will by them as he tould Gedeon the people were too many for him to saue Israel by when men make wars they geâ—t the powerfullest helps they can therein bewraying their owne weaknes whereas God on the contrary wanting no mans help oft times makes choyse of weake meanes as needing none Partly the Lord doth this for the means themselvs that they which God so farr honours specially for good to men should not be despised and partly for others that none should be overmuch affected with or to them To trust to means is Idolatry to abuse them want of wisdom or of conscience or both to neglect them eyther desperatenes when a man is without hope of good by them or presumptuous tempting of God when he expects good without them or sloath when he will not trouble himself with them With all which unthankfulnes to the Lord is joyned who provides them as helps against our infirmities and therewith profane sawcines also if with the contempt of the means which we have we long after such as we have not as did the Israelites in the wildernes in loathing manna and lusting after flesh and the Iewes in despiseing Christs miracles upon earth and desiring to see a signe from heaven of him We must then as one sayth mingle our owne sweate with faith to make a sweete odour withall to God For though his power be not bound to means yet his will bindes us to such as he in mercie affoardeth partly as helps of our fayth which need such glasses wherein to see Gods helping hand and partly to exercise our obedience and partly to stir up our diligence And this we must do the rayther for that when God purposeth good to or by a man eyther he commonly provides him means accordingly which when opportunity servs he expecteth he should use in good conscience for atteyning to the good unto which they as it were lead him which to neglect is to disobey a kynde of reall calling from God In the carefull use of naturall means we shew most wisdom and that we are not like beasts without understanding and of supernaturall means prayer and the like the most grace and that we are not as men which know not God A man must be sure in his most carefull use of means alwayes to bear in mynde the end for which he useth them that he be not like the messenger who so myndes his way as he forgets his errand To sever the means and end to which they lead ordinately is vanity in all courses in divine matters mere madnes He that sinning without repentance looks to escape hell separates the end from the means He that without fayth and obedience lookes for heauen separates the means from the end which he aymes at Both would pervert Gods word and work of providence CHAP. XXVI Of Labour and Idlenes GOD who would have our first father even in innocency and being Lord of the whole world to labour though without payne or wearisomnes in dressing the Garden and when he had sinned to eat his bread with the sweat of his brows would haue none of his sinfull posteritie lead their life in Idlenes no nor without exerciseing themselvs diligently in some lawfull calling or other I say diligently For as poore men play for recreation now and then so do rich men work But that sufficeth not For God who hath in the naturall body appointed unto every member its office and function which it is constantly to exercise would have no member in any societie or body of men ordinarily unimployed Neyther doth that man how great or rich soever keep a good conscience before God who makes labour but an accessorie and not a principall and that which takes up his ordinarie tyme. Man is borne to sore labour in body or minde as the spark to fly upward In heauen is onely rest without labour in hell restles payn and torment and as sin makes the earth which is between both liker to hell then heauen so God for sin hath given to the sons of man soar travail to afflict them upon earth And that in most wise and gratious providence considering the mischiefs that come by idlenes as The weakning of the endowments of nature whereas labour brings strength to the body and vigour to the mynde yea the consumption of grace as rust consumes the iron for want of using yea whereas idlenes brings bodily poverty like an armed man it brings not onely spirituall povertie in graces with it but withall a legion of vices like so many armed divels puffing up the flesh with pride and makeing the heart Sathans anvile who is commonly least idle when men are most whereon to forge a thowsand vanities and sinfull lusts as having a fit opportunity to perswade men to doe evill when he findes them doing nothing that so they who will not sweat in earth eyther with the labour of the hand or heart though king Alphonsus sayd that God and nature had given kings hands as well as other men might sweat in hell and that if they will not bear their part in the payns of men they might partake in the payns of the Divils Whereas on the contrary if we doe that which is good and well done though with labour and
due in Religion we hust have him both for the Object and Appointer of our worship The Apostate Israelites of old and Antichristians since are said to have worshiped Divels not for that they did at least ordinarily direct their worship unto Divels but for that at least more commonly they followed their suggestions in the devised manner of worshiping though even the true God As in directing our worship unto him alone we honour and acknowledg his Majestie and Fatherhood as being our Father in heaven so in receaving it from him as the onely Institutor we honour and acknowledg both his love in providing and his wisdom in contriving and his authoritie in commanding the manner of his service and means of our salvation thereby This Religion is the means of Gods worship and withall of mans happinesse which two main ends God in great wisdom and mercie hath joyned togither inseperably that the desire of the latter might provoke to conscience of the former and the exercise of the former effectually promote and further the obtaining of the latter And this being the onely way to happinesse ought to be common to all men rude and skilfull base and honourable high and low And so all Chistians are one in Christ and Christ one in and unto them For though the terrene and worldly state of the persons who are Christians be verie different yet is their Spirituall estate of Christianitie all one There is one Lord Christ through whom and one Faith by which they are justified and that equally one Spirit by which they are sanctified though in different degrees One calling of God begun and perfited by the same Gospel and Ordinances thereof No mans highnesse of worldly estate can set him above the lowest part of it or them nor anyes mean-nesse keep him down from flying as high a pitch of Christianitie as any other An afflicted outward state stands in need of Religion to sustain it a prosperous to perfit it in eternall happinesse besides the moderating of it in the mean while And seeing our Religion is to God alone and onely the manifestation of it to men we ought to be alike grounded in it and resolved of it and zealous for it whether we enioy the fauour of the times or the contrarie All things requisite for the performance of Religious exercises are not parts of Religion but some are of naturall necessitie others for civill order and comlinesse The former need neither be taught nor commanded being imposed by absolute necessitie which is the strongest Law and most pressing Master that may be The other are such as without which all exercises of Religion would be confused and unorderly and like the Chaos which God made in the beginning void and without form and whose face darknesse covered For these the generall rules of the Word with common sence and discretion are sufficient Notwithstanding though things be not therefore comely and orderly because they are done of custom or commanded by authoritie but are therefore both used and commanded lawfully because they are comely and orderly yet if either custom commend or authoritie command things that are such indeed wise godly and peaceable men should hold themselvs even therefore the more bound unto them Religion is the best thing and the corruption of it the worst neither hath greater mischief and villanie ever been found amongst men Iewes Gentiles or Christians then that which hath marched under the Flag of Religion either intended by the seduced or pretended by Hypocrites The Iews in zeal of God such as it was persecuted Christ himself to the death and Saul in a kind of zeal of the Law was no lesse then a blasphemer persecuter and oppressor Pompey the Roman having erected that arcem omnium turpitudinum would not call it the stage or stews as it was but the Temple of Venus And what shall we think of the Spaniards Romish zeal who by their own Bishops relation in his first instance of Spanish cruelty hanged upon one Gallows thirteen innocent Indian women in honour of Christ and of his twelue Apostles But God is not pleased with good intentions exercised in evill actions much lesse either pleased or deceaved with the vizzards of impietie and inhumanitie But as he will repay unto the wicked according to their evill works of all kinds so will he render double vengeance unto them who under the liverie of Religion seek countenance for impietie and wickednesse A man hath in truth so much Religion as he hath between the Lord and himself in secret and no more what shews soever he makes before men and makes sound proof of his Religion both before God and men so far as he is forward and readie to everie good work especially to the works of mercie towards them that need Pure Religion and undefiled before God the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction and to keep a mans self unspotted from the World There are many civill Hypocrites who if they converse honestly and kindly with men presume of great acceptance from God though they have little care to know his will in his Word and lesse to observe his Precepts and Ordinances of Worship There are also Religious Hypocrites not a few who because of a certain zeal which they have for and in the duties of the first Table repute themselvs highly in Gods favour though they be far from that innocencie towards men specially from that goodnesse and love indeed which the Lord hath inseperably joyned with a truly-Religious disposition Such persons vainly imagine God to be like unto the most great men who if their followers be obsequious to them in their persons and zealous for them in the things which more immediately concern their honours and profits do highly esteem of them though their dealings with others specially meaner men be far from honest or good But God is not partiall as men are nor regards that Church and Chamber Religion towards him which is not accompanied in the House and Streets with loving kindnesse and mercie and all goodnesse towards men Such are also stuffed with selflove in their verie service of God and do but flatter him for their own advantage For if they love not and that in truth and deed their brother whom they see how can they love God whom they see not Besides they sacrilegiously divide the two Tables of the Law one from another making the two great Commandments which Christ saith are like one to another to be unlike in effect In these Pharisaism lives and Faith is dead who as they shame Christianitie and Christ in it what in them lyes so shall their recompence from him be answerable at that day when everie man shall receav honour or shame according to the works specially of mercie and goodnesse that way which he hath done or not done in the flesh The common saying As good never a whit as never the better
a man to professe a Religion by working it first in his heart If the order in Israel be objected it may be answered First that the Land was holy as no Land now is that one Nation seperated from all other Nations to be the Lords peculiar people as no Nation now is the Kings types and figures of Christ as no Kings now are and Secondly That none were in truth compelled to the Israelitish Church and Religion but being of it whether Israelites or Proselites were to be cut off from the Lords people and destroyed out of Land for presumptuous sins or working iniquitie or for not serving God with all their heart and might Kings by this course would come short of the number of Subjects in whose multitude their honour stands and unto Churches few or none could possibly be added If it be further objected that men may be by the Magistrate constrained to the outward acts of justice honestie and the like though destitute altogether of the inward vertues It may be answered that these serv properly and immediately to preserv civill societies of which Magistrates are properly Kings and Lords and so do obtain their proper ends if the verie outward things be done though never so unwillingly But of Religious actions the proper end is not civill societie nor is attainable but by Faith and devotion in the heart of the doers Lastly To that of the Father that many who at first serv God by compulsion come after to serv him freely and willingly I answer that neither good intents nor events which are casuall can justifie unreasonable violence and withall that by this course of compulsion many become Atheists Hypocrites and Familists and being at first constrained to practise against conscience loose all conscience afterwards Bags and vessels overstrained break and will never after hold any thing Yet do I not denie all compulsion to the hearing of Gods Word as the means to work Religion and common to all of all sorts good and bad much lesse excuse civill disobedience palliated with Religious shews and pretences or condemne convenient restraint of publike Idolatry so as this rule of reason holds its place viz. that the bond between Magistrate and Subject is essentially civill but Religious accidentally onely though eminently For conclusion of this matter Let the godly Magistrate consider that as there is no Church-state and profession so truly Christian and good in which too many may not be found carried in their persons with a Spirit plainly Antichristian so there is hardly any Sect so Antichristian or evill otherwise in Church profession in which there are not divers truly though weakly led with the Spirit of Christ in their persons and so true members of his mysticall body With whom to deal rigorously for some few aberrations of ignorance or infirmitie were more to please Christs enemie in the oppressing of the person then Christ in so repressing his failing in some particulars specially if they be not fundamentall As then the Christian Magistrate hath his power of Magistracie from God which his Christianitie servs to sanctifie and direct so undoubtedly he is to use it for God and his honour that in his true worship in which he is specially honoured and against the contrarie yet with these two cautions First That as the greater sins of other kinds do not so violate and dissolv the marriage-bond as adulterie doth by reason of its direct opposition thereagainst so neither do Idolatry or Heresie how great sins soever in themselvs so outlaw a Subject civily as do Seditions Murthers Adulteries and the like directly violating and disturbing civill societies The second is That no authoritie of man may bring into or uphold in the Church either Doctrine or Ordinance of Religion or person which last is not lightly to be regarded seeing the other two serv for it unto which the Lord in his Word hath not first given testimonie of approbation for that use seeing Magistrates are not Governers against nor besides but under God in their Dominions CAP. VIII Of the holy Scriptures THe Holy Scriptures are that Divine Instrument and means by which we are taught to beleev what we ought touching God and our selvs and all creatures and how to please God in all things unto eternall Life I speak of beleeving things seeing Faith comes by hearing for els we know things touching God by that which we see feel and discern in and by his works We are led to the knowledg of God in his Power Wisdom Goodnesse Iustice and Mercie by his Works both without and within us And whensoever God either doth or suffers a thing to be done though not so much as insinuated formerly in his Word we then know it to be his will that such a thing should be as certainly as if he had expresly revealed it before in the Scriptures I speak of pleasing God in all things First because entire obedience so far as humain frailtie will permit is the immediate end and use of the Word of God and the way and means to Salvation Secondly to meet with that dangerous presumption of doing that which is necessarie to Salvation as many use to speak though with affected ignorance of and apparent disobedience to many of Gods Commandments Who knoweth with how little God can and doth save many being faithfull in learning what they can and in observing what they know Though much more be necessarie to such as have means to know more And thirdly because it is no childe-like but a bastardly disposition to take care for serving God no further though alas all be little enough for that then to be sure of the Fathers inheritance The heart of a man is then assured before God and hath a warrant from Heaven against eternall confusion when he can say with good conscience that he hath respect to all Gods Commandments God would have his will written that is his Word to become Scripture partly for more certaintie of truth to men and to preserv it the better from being corrupted as all make account that things set down in black and white as they speak are most firm partly for accord and unitie of Churches and Christians in the same truth who if they differ so much notwithstanding they use the same rule what would they do if their rules were different or uncertain and partly for more communitie seeing Books and Writings may easily both be dispersed whither the voyce of Teachers cannot come and also be read in private by Christians when they are apart from their Teachers Neither all things which the Prophets of God wrote were written by Divine inspiration but some of them humainly as their humain affaires common to them with other men required Neither was all wherein they were divinely inspired brought into the publike treasurie of the Church or made part of the Canonicall Scriptures which we call the Bible no more then all which they spake was spoken by the Spirit
wherein men make a will of God which is not and so a God willing which is not or els in an act of worship in it self though neither professed nor judged such by him that performs it Such mens actions reprove both their intention in heart and profession in word and can not be excused by either from Idolatrous This sin in Gods people is usually compared by the Holy Ghost to the whoredom of a Wife and Gods anger at it to the Husbands jealousie in that case And as Adulterie most directly impeacheth the mariage bond and so procures the Bill of Divorce so doth Idolatry the Churches Covenant with the Lord and provokes to sequestration from him Yet herein two rules must be held The former that not onely speciall Idolatry but even all or any other wickednesse with profane obstinacie adjoyned separates from God Secondly that all sin whatsoever is founded upon a kind of Idolatry In sins of omission we acknowledg not God for our God as we ought in doing what he commands In sins of commission we make some other thing our God as our riches if we trust to them as to God or our belly if for it we do what God forbids the doing of CAP. XII Of Heresie and Schism IT is an ancient and receaved saying that Heresie ariseth from want of Faith and Schism from want of Love which also hath its truth being rightly understood Yet if we mark we shall find the Scriptures to speak something otherwise of both the one and other then men commonly understand We usually call obstinate Errour in the foundation Heresie but the Scriptures many times seem rather to place it in the peruersnesse of the will and affections whether the matter be great or small then in the errour of the judgment the word also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying any election or choise of will which a man makes or Sect which he followeth whether good or bad whether in matters of greater or smaller moment Besides men are oftens accounted Heretiques with greater sin through want of charitie in the Iudges then in the judged through defect of Faith Of old some have been branded for Heretiques for holding Antipodes others for holding the originall of the Soul by traduction others for thinking that Marie the Mother of Christ had other Children by her Husband Ioseph the first being a certain truth and the second a Philosophicall doubt and the third though an errour yet neither against foundation nor post of the Scriptures building As there are certain Elements and foundations of the Oracles of God and of Christian Faith which must first be layed and upon which other truths are to be built so must not the foundation be confounded with the wals or roof nor errours lightly be made fundamentall or unavoidably damnable Yea who can say with how little and unperfit Faith in Christ both for degree and parts God both can and doth save the sincere in heart Whose Salvation depends not upon the perfection of the Instrument Faith but of the Object Christ. As on the contrarie there are some vulgar and common errours though lesse severely censured which are apparently damnable as by name for a man to beleev and expect mercie from God and salvation by Christ though going on in affected ignorance of or prophane disobedience to Gods Commandments And for Schism The Scriptures note it as sometimes made from the Church but most commonly in it From it by the ten Trybes sequestring themselvs from Iudah and Ierusalem the onely place where the Lord had promised to dwell by his solemn Church presence and after Christ by certain of the Hebrews forsaking the assemblies of the Christians The former was from the onely true instituted and ministeriall Church in the World which was then one individuall and not many as now and that by Idolatry The latter from all Christian Churches and persons by totall defection from Christ himself The other Schisms mentioned were made in the Church either through the carnall lusts bearing two great sway of envie strife and uncharitablenesse whilst the stronger despised the weaker and the weaker judged the stronger or by Heresie and prophanenesse of manners of which the Apostles Peter Iude and Iohn speak That which is commonly called Schism ariseth if it be affected from the conceipt of Faith and want of Love but may fall out upon simple errour of judgment or scrupulositie of conscience By occasion whereof a person may seqester himself eyther in or from some particular Church in some inferior courses of religion from them towards whom he yet bears much more true and hearty Christian affection then the most of them do who unite with them therein And if onely an uncharitable heart make an uncharitable person before God and a proud heart a proud person then he who upon due examination and certain knowledg of his heart findes and feels the same truly disposed to union with all Christians so far as possibly he can see it lawfull though through errour or frailtie he may step aside into some by-path that way yet hath that person a Supersedeas from the Lord in his bosom securing him from being attached for a schismaticall person and so found in the Court of Heaven what blame soever he may bear from men upon Earth or correction from God for his failing upon infirmitie therein No man can endure to be withdrawn from nor easily dissented from by another in his way of Religion in which above all other things he makes account that he himself draws nearest unto God Therefore to do this causlesly for not the seperation but the cause makes the Schismatick though out of errour or scrupulositie is evill more to do it out of wantonnesse of mind or lust to contend or affectation of singularitie most of all to do it out of proud contempt or cruell revenge against others CAP. XIII Of Truth and Falshood TRuth is either naturall or morall Naturall Truth stands first in the conveniencie and agreement of the notions of the mind with the thing conceaved and secondly of the means of manifesting it especially speech with the thing to be manifested Morall Truth stands in the conveniencie and agreement of a person with himself namely of his heart with his tongue and speech The same consideration is to be had of Truths contrarie in its kind which is Falshood Whereupon also it comes that a man may sin and speak falsly not onely in speaking that which he knows or may know to be false for what end soever he speak it yea though it be that he may not deceav but also in speaking that which is true in it self if he know it not that he might or so as he may deceav by it All truth by whomsoever spoken is of God and of his Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth in some its manner and degree of working Whereupon it followeth that nothing true in right reason and sound Phylosophy
to diuers occasions as the hand remains the same whether closed into a fist or extended abroad or bended this or that way as occasion servs Of all enemies this vertue hath none greater then pride which deprives men able otherwise of much and fools of all use of discretion as making them either rash by which they do not or so presumptuous in themselvs as they wil not restrain and humble their understanding to due consideration of circumstances of conveniencie in the ordering whereof discretion stands And hence it is that proud persons above others fall into many things uncomely and inconvenient On the contrarie God guides the humble in this way of discretion amongst others Lastly as the discerning of Spirits is one of the gifts of Gods Spirit so are we by prayer to beg at his hands this grace that we may be enabled to discern both of persons and things which differ so far as concerns us in our places without which we go but by peradventures and may do more harm then good even when we both mean well and do the thing which is good in it self if unseasonably CAP. XVIII Of Experience ONely God is not taught by experience to whose knowledg all things are present at all times and before all times But there is no Creature so perfit in wisdom and knowledg but may learn something for time present and to come by times past The day following saith one is Shcoller to that which went before And the vertue saith another which Nature denies experience brings to wise men So as though it be the Mistresse of fools who will learn no wisdom but that which is beaten into them with rods through a torn skin yet are the wisest taught many things by it and so become of commendable admirable as Antigonus being asked who was the best Captain in his time answered Pirrhus if he grew old And even experience teacheth that there are many particulars and those tending both to our naturall and spirituall state which neither our own wit art studie or conscience nor the information counsell or example of others can teach us which yet we learn by this dull Mistresse Experience This if it be ripe and but ioyned with any indifferent capacitie and diligence to compare together events past and present occurrances will affoard better help for direction in doubtfull cases then any other ordinarie rules as a man can better in the dark finde the way to which he hath been used then another that never went it can do by the best instructions and directions that can be given him And it seems to have been one end why God gave our great grand-fathers in the first Age of the World so long life that by experience and observation they might learn the skill and art of sundry courses specially of the Starres the knowledg whereof otherwise without myracle would hardly if at all have been attained to I conclude upon the premises that men of experience with which wit and sometimes authoritie without wit is still at jar are not lightly to be gainsaid or neglected in their facultie seeing experience is gotten by sense which easily ers not in its proper object whereas the discourse of reason is verie subject to swarv in inferring and concluding of things Yet hath this plodding guide experience this danger in it that it leads men on in the beaten way to which it hath been used without due consideration of such variable circumstances as fall in and make cases past and present though alike in generall nature yet in particular applycation and consideration verie unlike of which differences wit and art make men more able to discern Though all knowledg be good in it self as tending to perfect the understanding yet the getting of it is not alwayes good as when it is gotten by experience of punishment specially of sin as our first Parents got the knowledg of evill both wayes to their and our cost in eating the forbidden fruit A man may buy Gold so may he experimentall knowledg too dear Salomon seeking by experience to try the delights of all things under Heaven being too bold in wading in that stream that he might know the depth of it fell in and without Gods speciall helping hand had been drowned therein for ever Wofull then is the experience which is gotten by sin and miserie our own or other mens either like that of Hexophilus the Physition that butchered six hundred men that he might search into mans bodily nature destroying man that he might know him The Servants of God are sometimes so pressed with the sense of present temptations as that their speciall comfort ariseth from the recourse they have to the experience of the dayes of old and yeers of antiquitie considering that God casts not off for ever nor forgets to be favourable to his any more So some in age and under temptations have receaved more comfort from their former experience though of a weaker measure of grace in their Childhood then they could of a greater in their riper yeers CAP. XIX Of Examples THe rules in some Sciences especially speculative and for truth onely are grounded upon examples and gathered by wise observation and induction of particulars but so are not Divine and Morall rules Neither is any thing to be reputed good and just in it self and so exemplarie to us because such and such men have done it but they have done it if doing their dutie therein because it is good just and lawfull and so are unto us examples of Faith patience mercie and the like as they in their particular courses expressed these and the like vertues and not otherwise Onely he that can do nothing but good is our absolute example in things which concern us Particular facts commended in Holy Scripture are generall examples and binde to imitation when either the same thing is els-where commanded in generall or where either the ground or drift or equitte of the thing in generall And thus the verie both myraculous and meritorious works of Christ though in their particular nature causes and ends inimitable are so far forth our examples and to be followed by us as the Holy vertues of Faith patience and obedience towards God and of love and compassion towards men shine forth in them Morall examples serv first for confirmation and commendation unto others of the truth and goodnesse contained in precepts and are therefore called by some the pledges of rules Secondly for direction in particulars agreeable unto precepts but not expressed in them Thirdly to till men on in obedience active or passive for even lazie travellers will hold out with good companie which beat the path before them And this help examples specially affoard by taking away the excuse of frailtie that we are readie to make against the obedience which yet we confesse and are convinced that we ow. Now the presidents and examples of godly men as