in this order 1. His Glory 2. His Kingdom 3. Obedience to his Laws II. To make the publick good of the world and the Church our Next End as being the Noblest Means III. To include our own Interest in and under this as the least of all Professing first our own Consent to that which we Desire first for others II. The second Part is according to the Order of Execution and is for Our selves beginning at the Lowest Ascending till the End first Intended be last Attained And it is I. For the support of our Nature by necessary means GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD This being Gods first gift presupposed both to Grace and Gloâ—y GIVE signifieth ouâ— Deâ—endance on God for all US our Charity that we desire relief for our selves and others DAILY or assubstantial BREAD our moderation that we desire not unnecessaries or superfluities THIS DAY the constancy of our dependance and that we desire not or care not too much for the future and promise not our selves long life II. For cleaâ—ing us from the gâ—â—lt of all sin past Repentance and Faith being here presupposed where is 1. The Petition AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS trespasses or sins 2. The Motive from our Qualification for forgiveness AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS Without which God will noâ— forgive us III. For future preservation 1. From the Means LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION that is Though thou maist justly try us yet pity our fraiâ—ty and neither caâ—se nor permit us so be tryed as may tempt us to sin and ruine 2. From the End BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL that is 1. The Evil Oâ—e Satan and his instruments 2. The Evil Thing 1. Sin 2. Misery which are Satans End He that would be saved from Hell and Misery must be saved from sin and he that would be saved from both must be saved from Satan and from Temptation Quest. But where are the Requests for positive Holiness Grace and Heaven Answ. 1. Repentance and Faith aâ—e supposed in the Petitioner 2. What he wanteth is asked in the three Petitions of the first Part that we with others may sanctifie Gods Name and be the subjects of his Kingdom and do his Will c. CHRIST and a State of Grace are Finally in the first Petition Formally in the second and Expressively in the third III. The Conclusion the Reason Terminatioâ— of our Desires in their Ultimate End here Praised Beginning at the Lowest and ascending to the Highest Containing I. What we Praise or the Matter or Interest of God I. His Universal Reign FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM administred variously agreeably to the subjects All owe this absolute obedience who commandest and executest what thou wilt II. His Own Perfections THE POWER both Right and All-sufficiency including his Omnisâ—â—ence and Goodness as well as Omnipoteâ—ce III. His incomprehensible Excellency and Blessedness as he is the Ultimate End of us and all things AND THE GLORY Rom. 11. 36. 1 Cor. 10. 31. II. Whom we Praise GOD in the word THINE In Him the first Efficient Cause of all things we begin His help as the Dirigent Cause we seek and in Him as the final Cause we terminate III. The Duration FOR EVER AND EVER To Eternity And AMEN is the expression of our Conject For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things To him be Glory for ever Ameâ— Rom. 9. 36. So that it is apparent that the Method of the Lords Prayer is Circular partly Analytical and partly Synthetical Beginning with GOD and ending in God Beginning with such Acknowledgements as are prerequisite to Petition and Ending in those Praises which Petition and Grace-bestowed tend to Beginning our Petitions for Gods Interest and the publick Good according to the order of Estimation and Intention till we come to the meer Means and then beginning at the lowest and ascending according to the order of Execution As the blood passing from the greater to the smaller numerous Vessels is there received by the like and repasseth to its fountain Such a circular Method hath Mercy and Duty and consequently our Desires Tit. 2. Some Questions about Prayer answered THe rest of the general Directions about Prayer I think will be best contrived into the resolving of these following Doubts § 1. Quest. 1. Is the Lords Prayer a Directory only or a Form of words to be used by us in Quest. 1. Prayer Answ. 1. It is principally the â—ule to guide our inward desires and outward expressions of them both for the Matter what we must desire and for the Order which we must Desire first and most 2. But this Rule is given in a Form of words most apt to express the said Matter and Order 3. And this form may fitly be used in due season by all and more necessarily by some 4. But it was never intended to be the only words which we must use no more than the Creed is the only words Selden in Eâ—tychii Alexanâ—r Orig. p. 42. 43. sheweth that before Ezra the Jews prayed without Forms and that Ezra and the Elders with him composed them a Form which had eighteen Benedictions and Petitions that is the three first and the three last for the Glorifying God and the rest intermediate for personal and publick benefits And pag. 48. that they might omit none of these but might add others that we must use to express the Doctrine of faith or the Decalogue the only words to express our Duty by § 2. Quest. 2. What need is there of any other words of Prayer if the Lords Prayer be Perfect Quest. 3. Answ. Because it is only a Perfect Summary containing but the general Heads And it is needful to be more particular in our desires For universals exist in particulars And he that only nameth the General and then another and another General doth remember but few of the Particulars He that shall say I have sinned and broken all thy Commandments doth generally confess every sin But it is not true Repentance if it be not Particular for This and That and the other sin at least as to the greater which may be remembred He that shall say I believe all the Word of God or I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may know little what is in the Word of God or what these Generals signifie and therefore our Faith must be more Particular So must Desires after Grace be particular also Otherwise it were enough to ask for mercy in the general If you say that God knoweth what those General words signifie though we do not I answer This is the Papists silly Argument for Latin Prayers God knoweth our Desires without any expressions or prayers at all and he knoweth our wants without our Desires But it followeth not that prayers or desires are unnecessary The exercise of our own Repentance and Desire doth make us persons fit to receive Forgiveness and the Grace desired when the Impenitent and those that desire it not are unfit
when the next sickness cometh to remember that they were unthankful for their last recovery and how falsly they dealt with God in the breaking of their promises Foresee this that you may prevent it Tit. 3. Directions for a Comfortable or Peaceable Death COmfort is not desirable only as it Pleaseth us but also as it strengtheneth us and helpeth us in our greatest duties And when is it more needful than in sickness and the approach of death I shall therefore add such Directions as are necessary to make our departure comfortable or peaceful at the least as well as safe Direct 1. Because I would make this Treatise no longer than I needs must in order to overcome Direct 1. the fears of Death and get a chearful willingness to dye I desire the sick to read over those twenty Considerations and the following Directions which I have laid down in my Book of Self-denyal And when the fears of death are overcome the great impediment of their comfort is removed § 2. Direct 2. Misunderstand not sickness as if it were a greater evil than it is but observe how Direct 2. great a mercy it is that Death hath so suitable a harbinger or fore-runner That God should do so much before he taketh us hence to wean us from the world and make us willing to be gone that the unwilling flesh hath the help of pain and that the senses and appetite languish and decay which did draw the mind to earthly things and that we have so lowd a call and so great a help to true Mr. Vinâ—s Mr. Capell Mr. Holli gâ—orth Mr Aâ—hhâ—ost Mr A bâ—osâ— M 〈…〉 Bâ—raell c. repentance and serious preparation I know to those that have walked very close with God and are alwayes ready a sudden death may be a mercy as we have lately known divers holy Ministers and others that have dyed either after a Sacrament or in the Evening of the Lords Day or in the midst of some holy exercise with so little pain that none about them perecived when they dyed But ordinarily it is a mercy to have the flesh brought down and weakned by painful sickness to help to conquer our natural unwillingness to dye § 3. Direct 3. Remember whose Messenger sickness is and who it is that calleth you to dye It is Direct 3. he that is the Lord of all the world and gave us the Lives which he taketh from us And it is he that must dispose of Angels and Men of Princes and Kingdoms of Heaven and Earth and therefore there is no reason that such Worms as we should desire to be excepted You cannot deny him to be the Disposer of all things without denying him to be God It is he that Loveth us and never meant us harm in any thing that he hath done to us that gave the life of his Son to Redeem us and therefore thinketh not Life too good for us Our sickness and death are sent by the same Love that sent us a Saviour and sent us the powerful Preachers of his Word and sent us his Spirit and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts and knit them to himself in Love which gave us a life of pretious mercies for our souls and bodies and hath promised to give us life eternal And shall we think that he now intendeth us any harm Cannot he turn this also to our good as he hath done many an affliction which we have repined at § 4. Direct 4. Look by faith to your dying buryed risen ascended glorified Lord. Nothing will Direct 4. more powerfully overcome both the poyson and the fears of Death than the believing thoughts of him that hath triumphed over it Is it terrible as it separateth the soul from the body So it did by our Lord who yet overcame it Is it terrible as it layeth the body in the grave So it did by our Saviour though he saw not corruption but quickly rose by the power of his Godhead He dyed to teach us believingly and boldly to submit to death He was buried to teach us not overmuch to fear a grave He rose again to conquer death for us and to assure those that rise to newness of life that they shall be raised at last by his power unto glory and being made partakers of the first resurrection the second death shall have no power over them He liveth as our Head that we might live by him and that he might assure all those that are here risen with him and seek first the things that are above that though in themselves they are dead yet their life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 4 5. What a comfortable word is that John 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also Death could not hold the Lord of life Nor can it hold us against his will who hath the keyes of death and Hell Rev. 1. 18. He loveth every one of his sanctified ones much better than you love an eye or a hand or any other member of your body which you will not lose if you are able to save it When he ascended he left us that message full of comfort for his followers John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God which with these two following I would have written before me on my sick-bed John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there also shall my servant be And Luke 23. 43. Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O what a joyful thought should it be to a Believer to think when he is dying that he is going to his Saviour and that our Lord is risen and gone before us to prepare a place for us and take us in season to himself Iohn 14. 2 3 4. As you believe in God believe thus in Christ and then your hearts will be less troubled Ver. 1. It is not a stranger that we talk of to you but your Head and Saviour that loveth you better than you love your selves whose office it is there to appear continually for you before God and at last to receive your departing souls and into his hand it is that you must then commend them as Stephen did Acts 7. 59. § 5. Direct 5. Choose out some Promises most suitable to your condition and roll them over and over Direct 5. in your mind and feed and live on them by faith A sick man is not usually fit to think of very many things and therefore two or three comfortable promises to be still before his eyes may be the most profitable matter of his thoughts such as those three which I named before If he be most troubled with the greatness of his sin let it be such as these Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world
among them and defile them 7. It is the duty of the several members of the flock if a Brother trespass against them to tell him his faults between them and him and if he hear not to take two or three and if he hear not them to tell the Church 8. It is the Pastors duty to admonish the unruly and call them to Repentance and pray for their Conversion 9. And it is the Pastors duty to declare the obstinately impenitent uncapable of Communion with the Church â—nd to charge him to forbear it and the Church to avoid him 10. It is the peoples duty to avoid such accordingly and have no familiarity with them that they may be ashamed and with such no not to eat 11. It is the Pastors duty to Absolve the Penitent declaring the remission of their sin and re-admitting to the Communion of the Saints 12. It is the peoples duty to re-admit the absolved to their Communion with joy and to take them as Brethren in the Lord. 13. Though every Pastor hath a General power to exercise his office in any part of the Church where he shall be truly called to it yet every Pastor hath a special obligation and consequently a special power to do it over the flock of which he hath received the special charge and oversight 14. The Lords day is separated by Gods appointment for the Churches ordinary holy Communion in Gods Worship under the conduct of these their Guides 15. And it is requisite that the several particular Churches do maintain as much agreement among themselves as their capacity will allow them and keep due Synods and correspondencies to that end Thus much of Gods Worship and Church-order and Government at least is of Divine institution and determined by Scripture and not left to the will or liberty of man Thus far the Form of Government at least is of Divine Right § 21. But on the contrary 1. About Doctrine and Worship the Scripture is no Law in any of these following cases but hath left them undetermined 1. There are many natural Truths which the Scripture meddleth not with As Physicks Metaphysicks Logick c. 2. Scripture telleth not a Minister what particular Text or Subject he shall Preach on this day or that 3. Nor what method his Text or Subject shall be opened and handled in 4. Nor what day of the week besides the Lords day he shall preach nor what hour on the Lords day he shall begin 5. Nor in what particular place the Church shall meet 6. Nor what particular sins we shall most confess nor what personal mercies we shall at this present time first ask nor for what we shall now most copiously give thanks For special occasions must determine all these 7. Nor what particular Chapter we shall now read nor what particular Psalm we shall now sing 8. Nor what particular translation of the Scripture or version of the Psalms we shall now use Nor into what Sections to distribute the Scripture as we do by Chapters and Verses Nor whether the Bible shall be Printed or Written or in what Characters or how bound 9. Nor just by what sign I shall express my consent to the truths or duties which I am called to express consent to besides the Sacraments and ordinary words 10. Nor whether I shall use written Notes to help my memory in Preaching or Preach without 11. Nor whether I shall use a writing or book in prayer or pray without 12. Nor whether I shall use the same words in preaching and prayer or various new expressions 13. Nor what utensils in holy administrations I shall use as a Temple or an ordinary house a Pulpit a font a Table cups cushions and many such which belong to the several parts of Worship 14. Nor in what particular gesture we shall preach or read or hear 15. Nor what particular garments Ministers or people shall wear in time of Worship 16. Nor what natural or artificial helps to our natural faculties Of which I have spoke more fully in my Disput. 5. of Church-Government p. 400. c. we shall use as medicaments for the Voice tunes musical instruments spectacles hour-glasses These and such like are undetermined in Scripture and are left to be determined by humane prudence not as men please but as means in order to the proper end according to the General Laws of Christ. For Scripture is a General Law for all such circumstances but not a particular Law So also for Order and Government Scripture hath not particularly determined 1. What individual persons shall be the Pastors of the Church 2. Or of just how many persons the Congregations shall consist 3. Or how the Pastors shall divide their work where there are many 4. Nor how many every Church shall have 5. Nor what particular people shall be a Pastors special charge 6. Nor what individual persons he shall Baptize receive to Communion admonish or absolve 7. Nor in what words most of these shall be expressed 8. Nor what number of Pastors shall meet in Synods for the communion and agreement of several Churches noâ— how oft nor at what time or place nor what particular order shall be among them in their consultations with many such like § 22. When you thus understand how far Scripture is a Law to you in the Worship of God it will be the greatest Direction to you to keep you both from disobeying God and your Superiours that you may neither pretend obedience to man for your disobedience to God nor pretend obedience to God against your due obedience to your Governours as those will do that think Scripture is a more particular Rule than ever Christ intended it And it will prevent abundance of unnecessary scruples contentions and divisions § 23. Direct 12. Observe well in Scripture the difference between Christs Universal Laws which Direct 12. bind all his Subjects in all times and places and those that are but local personal or alterable Laws What commands of God are not universal noâ— perpetual lest you think that you are bound to all that ever God bound any others to The Universal Laws and unalterable are those which result from the Foundation of the universal and unalierable nature of persons and things and those which God hath supernaturally revealed as suitable constantly to all The particular local or temporary Laws are those which either resulted from a particular or alterable nature of persons and things as mutually related as the Law of nature bound Adams Sons to marry their Sisters which bindeth others against it or those which God supernaturally enacted only for some particular people or person or for a time If you should mistake all the Iewish Laws for universal Laws as to persons or duration into how many errours would it lead you So also if you mistake every personal mandate sent by a Prophet or Apostle to a particular man as obliging all you would make a snare of it Every man is not to abstain
company or outward advantages to his Religion nor avoideth sin for want of a temptation but is Religious though against the stream and innocent when cast unwillingly upon temptations and is Godly where Godliness is accounted singularity hypocrisie faction humour disobedience or heresie and will rather let go the reputation of his honesty than his honesty it self Direct 2. TAke heed of being Religious only in Opinion without Zeal and holy practice or only in Direct 2. Zealous affection without a sound well grounded judgement But see that Iudgement Zeal and practice â—e conjunct § 1. Of the first part of this advice against a bare Opinionative Religion I have spoken already in my Directions for a Sound Conversion To change your Opinions is an easier matter than to change the Heart and Life A holding of the truth will save no man without a Love and practice of the truth This is the meaning of Iames 2. where he speaketh so much of the unprofitableness of a dead uneffectual belief that worketh not by love and commandeth not the soul to practice and obedience To believe that there is a God while you neglect him and disobey him is unlike to please him To believe that there is a Heaven while you neglect it and prefer the world before it will never bring you thither To believe your duty and not to perform it and to believe that sin is evil and yet to live in it is to sin with aggravation and have no excuse and not the way to be accepted or justified with God To be of the same Belief with holy men without the same hearts and conversations will never bring you to the same felicity He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be so far from being accepted for it that he shall be beaten with many stripes To believe that Holiness and Obedience is the best way will never save the disobedient and unholy § 2. And yet if Iudgement be not your Guide the most zealous affections will but precipitate you Scientiâ— quae est 〈…〉 ota à just 〈…〉 caâ—â—iditaâ— poâ—â—us quam sapientia 〈◊〉 est ◠〈◊〉 Of the necessity of Pâ—udence in Religious men â—ead 〈…〉 The unprudenciâ—s of welâ—-meaning men have done as much hurt to the Church sometimeâ— as the persecution of enemies e. g. When Coâ—stantine the Son of Constans was Emperour some busie men would prove from the Orthodoâ— Doctrine of the Trinity That his two Brethren Tibtrius and Heraclius should reign with him saying Si iâ— Trinitate creâ—iâ—â—is â—res etiam 〈…〉 which cost the chief of them a hanging Abbas Urspergens Edit Melancth p. 162. and make you run though quite out of the way like the Horses when they have cast the Coachman or the Riders To ride Post when you are quite out of the way is but laboriously to lose your time and to prepare for further labour The Jews that persecuted Christ and his Apostles had the testimony of Paul himself that they had a zeal of God but not according to knowledge And Paul saith of the deceivers and troublers of the Galathians whom he wisheth even cut off that they did zealously affect them but not well Rom. 10. 2. Gal. 4. 17. And he saith of himself while he persecuted Christians to prison and to death I was zealous towards God as ye are all this day Acts 22. 3 4. Was not the Papists Saint Dominick that stirred up the persecution against the Christians in France and Savoy to the murdering of many thousands of them a very zealous man And are not the Butchers of the inquisition zealous men And were not the Authors of the third Canon of the General Council at the Laterane under Pope Innocent the third very zealous men that decreed that the Pope should depose Temporal Lords and give away their Dominions and absolve their Subjects if they would not exterminate the godly called Hereticks Were not the Papists Powder-Plotters zealous men Hath not zeal caused many of later times to rise up against their lawful Governours and many to persecute the Church of God and depriue the people of their faithful Pastors without compassion on the peoples souls Doth not Christ say of such Zealots The time cometh when whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service John 16. 2. or offereth a service acceptable to God Therefore Paul saith It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good matter Gal. 4. 18. Shewing you that zeal indeed is good if sound judgement be its guide Your first question must be Whether you are in the right way and your second Whether you go apace It is sad to observe what odious actions are committed in all Ages of the world by the instigation of mis-guided zeal And what a shame an imprudent Zealot is to his profession while making himself ridiculous in the eyes of the adversaries he brings his prosession it self into contempt and maketh the ungodly think that the Religious are but a company of transported brain-sick Zealots And thus they are hardened to their perdition How many things doth unadvised affection provoke well-meaning people to that afterwards will be their shame and sorrow § 3. Labour therefore for knowledge and soundness of understanding that you may know truth from falshood good from evil and may walk confidently while you walk safely and that you become not a shame to your profession by a furious prosecution of that which you must afterwards confess to be an error by drawing others to that which you would after wish that you had never known your selves And yet see that all your knowledge have its efficacy upon your heart and life And take every truth as an instrument of God to reveal himself to you or to draw your heart to him and conform you to his holy will Direct 3. LAbour to understand the true Method of Divinity and see Truths in their several degrees Leg. Acost l. 4. c. 21. 22 de fructu catechizandi Et Li. 5. and order that you take not the last for the first nor the lesser for the greater Therefore see that you be well grounded in the Catechism and refuse not to learn some Catechism that is sound and full and keep it in memory while you live § 1. Method or right order exceedingly helpeth understanding memory and practice Truths Opas est imprimis duplici Catechismo Uno compendaâ—io brevi quem memoâ—iter addiscant ubi summa sit eorum omnium quae ad fidem mores Christiano sunt necessaria altero ubeâ—iore ubi eadem amplius dilucidiusque dicantur copiosius confirmentur Ut ille prioâ— discipulis potius hic posterior ipsâ— praeceptoribus usu sit Acosta l. 5. c. 14. p 490. have a dependance on each other The lesser branches spring out of the greater and those out of the stock and root Some duties are but means to other duties or subservient to them and to be measured accordingly And if it be not
all the Essentials of Christianity or else they were not Christians And I must love all that are Christians with that special Love that 's due to the members of Christ though I must superadd such esteem for those that are a little wiser or better than others as they deserve § 7. The fourth pretence for Schism is the Holiness of the party that men adhere to But this must make but a gradual difference in our esteem and love to some Christians above others If really they are most Holy I must Love them most and labour to be as Holy as they But I must not therefore unjustly deny communion or due respect to other Christians that are less holy nor cleave to them as a Sect or divided party whom I esteem most holy For the holiest are most charitable and most against the divisions among Christians and tenderest of their Unity and Peace § 8. The summ of this Direction is 1. Highly value Christian Love and Unity 2. Love those most that are most Holy and be most familiar with them for your own edification and if you have your choice hold local personal communion with the soundest purest and best qualified Church 3. But entertain not hastily any odd opinion of a divided party or if you do hold it as an opinion lay not greater weight on it than there is cause 4. Own the best as best but none as a divided Sect and espouse not their dividing interest 5. Confine not your special Love to a party especially for agreeing in some opinions with you but extend it to all the members of Christ. 6. Deny not local communion when there is occasion for it to any Church that hath the substance of true Worship and forceth you not to sin 7. Love them as true Christians and Churches even when they thus drive you from their communion § 9. It is a most dangerous thing to a young Convert to be ensnared in a Sect It will before you are aware possess you with a feavorish sinful Zeal for the Opinions and interests of that Sect It will make you bold in bitter invectives and censures against those that differ from them It will corrupt your Church-communion and fill your very prayers with partiality and humane passions It will secretly bring malice under the name of Zeal into your minds and words In a word it is a secret but deadly enemy to Christian Love and Peace Let them that are wiser and more Orthodox and Godly than others shew it as the Holy Ghost directeth them James 3. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom But if ye have bitter envying or zeal and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual divelish For where envying and strife is there is confusion or tumult and every evil work But the wisdom that is from above is first Pure then Peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality or wrangling and without hypocrisie And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace Direct 9. TAke heed lest any persecution or wrong from others provoke you to any unwarrantable passions and practices and deprive you of the Charity meekness and innocency of a Christian or make you go beyond your bounds in censuring reviling or resisting your Rulers who are the Officers of God § 1. Persecution and wrongs are called Temptations in Scripture because they try you whether When the Arrian Bishops had made Hâ—nnerychuâ— believe thaâ— the Orthodox turned the appointed disputation into popular clamour and were against the King he forbad them to meet or to baptize or ordain and turned all the samâ— Laws against them which had been made against the Arrians Victor Uâ—ic p. 447 448. you will hold your integrity As many fall in such tryals through the fear of men and the love of the world and their prosperity so when you seem most confirmed against any sinful complyance there is a snare laid for you on the other side to draw you into passions and practices that are unwarrantable Those that are tainted with Pride Uncharitableness and Schism will itch to be persecuting those that comply not with them in their way And yet while they do it they will most cry out against Pride Uncharitableness and Schism themselves This is and hath been and will be too ordinary in the world You may think that Schism should be far from them that seem to do all for Order and Unity But never look to see this generally cured when you have said and done the best you can you must therefore resolve not only to fly from Church division your selves but also to undergo the persecutions or wrongs of Proud or Zealous Church-dividers It is great weakness in you to think such usage strange Do you not know that Enmity is put from the beginning between the womans and the Serpents seed And do you think the name or dead profession of Christianity doth extinguish the 〈◊〉 in the â—erpents seed Do you think to find more kindness from proud ungodly Christians 〈…〉 sine agnitione â—â—â—â—â— Dei atque hinc sine omni bonâ— siâ—e ulla affectione pia c. Et quod etiam qui ex illis 〈…〉 tâ—mpoâ—e possit esse fieri quod Cain fratri suâ— modo non desit occasio Nâ—ander 〈…〉 quâ— habet â—â— Regno Cainico pag. 38 39. than Abâ—â— might have expected from his Brother Cain Do you not know that the Pharisees by then zeal for their 〈◊〉 and Traditions and Ceremonies and the expectation of worldly dignity and rule from the Messiah were more zealous enemies of Christ than the Heathens were And that the caâ—nal members of the Church are oft the greatest persecutors of the spiritual members As then â—e that was born after the flesh did persecute him that was born after the Spirit even so it is 〈…〉 and will be Gal. 4. 29. It is enough for you that you shall have the inheritance when the Sâ—â—s of the Boâ—dwoman shall be cast out It is your taking the ordinary case of the godly for a strange thing that makes you so disturbed and passionate when you suffer And Reason is down when passion is up It is by overwhelming Reason with passion and discontent that oppressiâ—n maketh some wise men 〈◊〉 Ecclâ—s 7. 7. For passion is a short imperfect madness You will think in your pâ—ssion that yoâ— d 〈…〉 welâ— wâ—en you do ill and you will not perceive the force of reason when it is never so plain 〈…〉 against you Remember therefore that the great motive that causeth the Devil to persecute yâ—u 〈…〉 to â—â—rt your bodies but to tempt your souls to impatiency and sin And if it may but be 〈…〉 you as of Job 1. 22. In all this Job
many § 64. Direct 20. Remember that God needeth no sinful means to attain his ends He will not be Direct 20. beholden to the Devil to do his work He would not have forbad it if he would have had you done it He is never at such a loss but he can find right means enough to perform his work by It is a great pâ—â—t of our wisdom which our salvation lieth on to choose and use right means when we are resolved on a right end It 's a horrible injury against God to intitle him to sin and make it seem necessary to his ends and honour Good ends will not justifie evil actions What sin so odiouâ— that hath not had good ends pretended for it Even Christ was murthered as a malefactor 〈…〉 ds at least pretended even to vindicate Gods honour from blasphemy and Caesar from 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—â— and the nation from calamity And his disciples were killed that God might be served by it â—â—d â—â—â—â—â—ent troublers of the world taken away § 65. Tempt 21. He would make us presume because we are Gods children and speciall grace 〈…〉 â—aâ—â—â—â—t be wholy lâ—â—t and we have found that once we had grace therefore we may venture as being safe § 66. Direct 21. But many a thousand shall be damned that once thought they had the truth Direct 21. of Grace It is a hard controversie among learned and godly men whether some in a state of saving grace do not fall from it and perish But it is past controversie that they shall perish that live and dâ—â— impâ—nitently in willful sin To plead truth of grace for encouragement in sin is so much against the nature and use of grace as may make you question the truth of it You can be no suâ—â—r that you have true grace than you are sure that you hate all known sin and desire to be free from it Christ teacheth you how to answer such a horrid temptation Mat. 4. 6 7. Iâ— thâ—â—â—e the Son of God cast thy self down For it is written â—e shall give his Angels charge over thâ—â— Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Son-ship and promises and truth of grace are incongruous arguments to draw you to sin and heynous aggravations of sin so committed § 67. Tempt 22. The Devil â—ft most dangerously imitateth the Holy Ghost and comes in the shape of Tempt 22. â—n Angel of light He will be for knowledge in the Gnosticks for Unity and Government in the Papists for Mortifcation in the Fryars for free-grace and tenderness of our Brethrens Consciences in the Libertiâ—â—s for Peace and Mutual forbearance in the Socinians for Zeal Self-denâ—al and fearfulness of men and pretended revelations and spirituality in the Quakers He will be against heresie schism error disobedience hypocrisie pretendedly in haters and persecutors of holiness and reformation And when he will seem religious he will be superstitious and seem to out-go Christ himself § 68. Direct 22. Kerp close to Christ that you may know his voice from the voice of strangers Direct 22. And get â—oâ—y wisdom to try the spirits and to discern between things that diâ—â—â—â—r Let the whole frame of Truth and Godliness be in your Head and Heart that you may perceive when any would make a breach in any part of it The Devil setteth up no good but in order to some evil Therefore examine whither it tendeth and not only what it is but what use he would have you make of it And love no evil because of any Goâ—d that is pretended for it and dislike or reject no good because of any evil use that is by others made of it And whatever doctrine is brought you try it thus 1. Receive none that is against the certain Nature Attributes and honour of God 2. Nor any that is against the Light or Law of nature 3. Nor any that is against the Scripture 4. Nor any that is against Holiness of heart and life 5. Nor any against Charity and Justice to men 6. Nor any about matters to be ordered by men that is against order nor any against Government and the peace of Church and State 7. Nor any that is against the true Unity Peace and Communion of Saints 8. Nâ—r any that is certainly inconsistent with great and certain truths Thus try the spirits whether they be of God § 69. Tempt 23. The Tempter usually draâ—eth men to one extream under pâ—etense of avoiding another Tempt â—3 causing men to be so fearful of the danger on one side as to take no heed of that on the other sâ—de § 70. Direct 23 Understand all your danger and mark the latitude or extent of Gods commands Direct 23. and watch on every side And you must know in what duties you are in danger of extreames and in what not In thâ—se acts of the soul that are purely rational about your ultimate end you cannot do too much as in knowing God and Loving him and being willing and resolved to please him But passions may possibly go too farr even about God especially fear and grief for they may be such as nature cannot bear without distraction death or hinderance of duty But few are guilty of this But towards the creature passions may easily exceed And in external actions towards God or man there may be excess But especially in point of Iudgement its easie to slide from extream into extream 2. And you must know in every duty you do and every sin which you avoid and every truth you receive what is the contrary or extream to that particular truth or sin or duty and keep it in your eye If you do not thus watch you will râ—â—l like a drunken man from side to side and never walk uprightly with God You will turn from Prodigality to Covetousness from cruel persecution to Libertinism or from Libertinism to persecuting cruelty from hypocritical formality to hypocritical pretended spirituality or from enthusiasms and faction to dead formality But of this I have spoke at large Chap. 5. Part. 2. Dir. to Students § 71. Tempt 24. On the contrary the Tempter usually pleadeth Moderation and Prudence against Tempt 24. a holy life and accurate zealous obedience to God and would make you believe that to be so diligent in duty and sâ—rupulously afraid of sin is to run into an extream and to be righteous over much and to make Religion a vexatious or distracting thing and that its more a do than needs § 72. Direct 24. This I have answered so oft that I shall here say but this that God cannot be Direct 24. too much loved nor Heaven too much valued nor too diligently sought or obeyed nor sin and Hell be too much avoided nor doth any man need to fear doing too much where he is sure when he hath done his best to do too little Hearken what men say of this at death § 73. Tempt 25. The Tempter would perswade us that one sin is necessary to avoid
Clem. Alexand. 2. Poedag 12. understood with a caeteris paribus For its possible some cases of exception may be found Pauls is a high instance that could have wished himself accursed from Christ for the sake of the Jews as judging Gods honour more concerned in all them than in him alone § 15. Direct 12. Prefer a durable good that will extend to posterity before a short and transitory good As to build an Alms-house is a greater work than to give an Alms and to erect a School than to teach a Scholar so to promote the settlement of the Gospel and a faithful Ministry is the greatest of all as tending to the good of many even to their everlasting good This is the preheminence of Good Books before a transient speech that they may be a more durable help and benefit Look before you with a judicious foresight and as you must not do that present Good to a particular person which bringeth greater hurt to many so you must not do that present good to one or many which is like to produce a greater and more lasting hurt Such blind reformers have used the Church as ignorant Physitions use their patients who give them a little present ease and cast them into greater misery and seem to cure them with a dose of opium or the Jesuits powder when they are bringing them into a worse disease than that which they pretend to cure O when shall the poor Church have wiser and foreseeing helpers § 16. Direct 13. Let all that you do for the Churches good be sure to tend to HOLINES and PEACE Direct 13. and do nothing under the name of a good work which hath an enmity to either of these For these are to the Church as Life and Health are to the body and the increase of its wellfare is nothing else but the increase of these What ever they pretend believe none that say they seek the good and wellfare of the Church if they seek not the promoting of Holiness and Peace If they hinder the powerful preaching of the Gospel and the means that tendeth to the saving of souls and the serious spiritual worshiping of God and the unity and peace of all the faithful and if they either divide the faithful into sects and parties or worry all that differ from them and humor them not in their conceits take all these for such benefactors to the Church as the wolf is to the flock and as the plague is to the City or the feavor to the body or the fire in the thatch is to the house The wisdom from above is first PURE then PEACEABLE gentle c. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work â—am 3. 14 15 16 17 18. § 17. Direct 14. If you will do the good which God accepteth do that which he requireth and put Direct 14. not the name of good works upon your sins nor upon unnecessary things of your own invention nor think not that any Good must be accomplished by forbidden means None know what pleaseth God so well as himself Our waies may be right in our own eyes and carnal wisdom may think it hath devised the fittest means to honour God when he may abominate it and say who required this at your hand And if we will do good by sinning we must do it in despite of God who is engaged against our sins and us Rom. 3. 8. God needeth not our lie to his glory If Papists think to find at the last day their foppish ceremonies and superstition and will-worship their touch not taste not handle not to be reckoned to them as Good works or if Jesuites or Enthusiasts think to find their Perjurie Treasons Rebellions or conspiracies numbred with good works or the persecuting of the Preachers and faithful professors of Godliness to be good works how lamentably will they find their expectations disappointed § 18. Direct 15. Keep in the way of your Place and calling and take not other mens works upon Direct 15. you without a call under any pretense of doing good Magistrates must do good in the place and work of Magistrates and Ministers in the place and work of Ministers and private men in their private place and work and not one man step into anothers place and take his work out of his hand and say I can do it better For if you should do it better the disorder will do more harm than you did good by bettering his work One Iudge must not step into anothers Court and Seat and say I will pass more righteous judgement You must not go into another mans School and say I can teach your Scholars better nor into anothers charge or Pulpit and say I can preach better The servant may not rule the Master because he can do it best no more than you may take another mans Wife or House or Lands or Goods because you can use them better than he Do the Good that you are called to § 19. Direct 16. Where God hath prescribed you some particular Good work or way of service you Direct 16. must prefer that before another which is greater in its self This is explicatory or limiting of Dir. 8. The reason is because God knoweth best what is pleasing to him and Obedience is better than Sacrafice You must not neglect the necessary maintenance of Wife and Children under pretense of doing a work of piety or greater good because God hath prescribed you this order of your duty that you begin at home though not to stop there Another Minister may have a greater or more needy flock but yet you must first do good in your own and not step without a call into his charge If God have called you to serve him in a low and mean imployment he will better accept you in that work than if you undertook the work of another mans place to do him greater service § 20. Direct 17. Lose not your resolutions or opportunities of doing good by unnecessary delayes Direct 17. Prov. 3. 27 28. With-hold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it Say not to thy neighbour Goe and come again and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth It 's two to one but delay will take away thine opportunity and raise such unexpected diversions or difficulties as will frustrate thine intent and destroy the work Take thy Time if thou wilt do thy service It is beautiful in its season Direct 18. § 21. Direct 18. Yet present necessity may make a lesser work to be thy duty when the greater may better bear delay As to save a mans
Heaven and audience with God and is dearly beloved by him in Christ. Thou seest in flesh a companion of Angels and one that hath the Divine Nature and must shortly be above the Stars in glory and must be with Christ and must love and magnifie God for ever And is not the amiableness of God apparent in such mercy bestowed upon sinful man And should we not now begin to admire him in his Saints and glorifie him in believers who will câ—me with thousands of his Angels to be glorified and admired in them at the last 2 Thess. 1. 10. O the abundant deliverances preservations provisions encouragements which all his servants receive â—â—â—â— God! Who ever saw the just forsakâ—n even while they think themselves forsaken For the Lâ—rd 〈…〉 h judâ—â—ment and forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved fâ—r ever The Law of his God is in â—â—s heart none of his steps shall slide Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end â—â— that man is peace Psal. 37. 25 28 31 37. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psâ—lm 116. 15. Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints be delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked Light is sowen for the righteous and gladness for the upriâ—ht in heart Psal. 97. 10 11. O love the Lord all his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the prâ—ud doer Psal. 31. 23. § 32. Direct 11. Insist not so much on your desires after vision as to undervalue the lower apprehensions Direct 11. of Faith but love God by the way of Faith as in order to the Love of Intuition We are exceeding â—pt to be over-desirous of sight and to take nothing as an object fit to affect us which sense perceiveth not When we have the surest evidence of the truth of things unseen it hardly satisfieth us unless we may see or feel And hereupon our Love to God is hindered while we think of him as if he were not or take the apprehensions of faith as if they were uncertain and little differed from a dream Yea it proveth the ground of most dangerous temptations to Infidelity it self While we take that knowlâ—dge which we have of God in the way of Faith the Love and Communion which is exercised thereby to be as nothing we are next tempted to think that there is no true knowledge of God and communion with him to be attained And when we have been searching and striving long and find that we can reach no more we are tempted to think that the soul oâ— man is made but as the beasts for present things and is uncapable of those higher things which are revealed in the Gospel and that if there were indeed a life to come and man were made to enjoy his God we should get nearer to him than we are and know him more and love him better But is it nothing O presumptuous soul to see God in a Glass in order to a nearer sight Is it nothing to have the Heavenly Ierusalem described and promised to thee unless thou see it and possess it Wilt thou travel to no place but what thou seest all the way Wouldst thou have no difference betwixt Earth and Heaven What canst thou have more in Heaven than immediate intuition Wouldst thou have no life of tryal in the obedience of faith before the life of fruition and reward Or canst thou think that a life of sight and sense is fit for tryal and preparation to shew who is meet for the rewarding life Unthankful soul Compare thy state with that of bruits Is it nothing for thee to know thy Maker in the Works of his Creation and Providence and in the revelations of grace and the belief of promised immortality unless thou presently see him in his glory When these thy fâ—llow creatures know him not at all Compare thy self now with thy self as heretofore in the dayes of thy ignorance and carnality Hadst thou then any such knowledge of God as thou now undervaluest or any such communion with him as thou now accountest next to none When the Light first shined in thine eyes and thou hadst first experience of the knowledge of God thou thoughtst it something and rejoycedst in the light If then thou couldst have suddenly attainâ—d but to so much as thou hast now attained wouldst thou have called it Nothing Would it not have seemed a greater treasure to thee than to have known both the Indies as thine own O be not unthankful for the little which thou hast received when God might have shut thee out in that darkness which the greatest part of the world lyeth in and have left thee to thy self to have desired no higher knowledge than such as may feed thy fansie and pride and lust Art thou so far drowned in flesh and sense as to take Intellectual apprehensions for dreams unless thy sense may see and feel Wilt thou take thy soul thy self for nothing because thou art not to be seen or felt Shall no Subjects honour and obey their King but they that have seen his Court and him Desire the fullest and the nearest sight the purest and the strongest Love and desire and spare not the liâ—e where all this will be had But take heed of being too hasty with God and unthankful for the mercies of the way Know better the difference betwixt thy travail and thy home And know what is fit for passengers to expect Humbly submit to an obedient waiting in a life of faith And make much of the Testament of Christ till thou be at age to possess the inheritance Thou must live and love and run and fight and conquer and suffer by saith if ever thou wilt come to â—â—â—â— and to possess the Crown § 33. Direct 12. It is a powerful means to kindle the Love of God in a believer to foresee by faith Direct 12. the glory of Heaven and what God will be there to his Saints for ever And thus to behold God in his Read 〈…〉 his Prognostiâ—on Si in â—â—â—â—lis sâ—de 〈…〉 haâ— sâ—â—vatur â—aeâ—editus 〈…〉 quaedam tâ—pida pâ—oserunâ— aliqui putantes eam se percipere in teâ—rena Jerusalem Mille ann's existimant esse deliâ—iarum praemia proprietatâ— recâ—pturâ—â— Qui iâ—â—rrogandi sunt quomodo astruant delicias corporales dum dicatur hanc haereditaâ—em nec corrum â—i posse nec marcesceâ—e Didymâ— Alexand. i. Petr. 1. câ—â—â—â— Millâ—nar GLORY is the use of GRACE Though the manner of knowing him thus by faith be far short of what we there expect yet it is the same God and glory that now we believe which then we must more openly behold And therefore as that Apprehension of Love will unconceivably excel the highest which can be here attained so the fore-thoughts of that doth excell all other arguments and means to affect us here and will raise us as high as means can raise us The greatest
what that Glory is are questions fittest for the beholders and possessors to resolve 46. But if it be no more than the Universal existent frame of Nature Containing all the Creatures of God beheld uno intuitu in the Nature order and use of all the parts it would be an unconceivable felicity to the beholders as being an unconceivable Glorious Demonstation of the Deity 47. It is lawful and a needful duty to labour by the means of such excellencies as we now know which Heaven is resembled to in Scripture to imprint upon our Imaginations themselves such an image of the GLORY of the Heavenly Society CHRIST ANGELS SAINTS and the HEAVENLY PLACE and STATE as shall help our Intellectual apprehensions of the Spiritual Excellencies which transcend imagination And the neglect of Loving God as foreseen in the Demonstration of the Heavenly GLORY doth greatly hinder our Love to him immediately as in himself considered 48. The LORD JESUS CHRIST in his Glorified Created Nature is Crowned with the highest excellency of any particular Creature that he might be the MEDIATOR OF OUR LOVE to God and in him seen by faith we might see the GLORY of the Deity And as in Heaven we shall have spiritual Glorified Bodies as well as Souls so the Glorified Created Nature of Christ will be an Objective Glory fit for our Bodies at least to behold in order to their Glory as the Divine Nature as it pleaseth God in Glory revealed will be to the soul. 49. The exercise of our Love upon God as now appearing to the glorified in the glorious created nature of CHRIST beheld by us by faith is a great part of our present exercise of Divine Love And we extinguish our Love to GOD by beholding so little by faith our glorified Mediator 50. We owe greater Love to ANGELS than to Men because they are Better nearer God and liker to him and more demonstrate his Glory and indeed also Love us better and do more for us than we can do for one another And the neglect of our due Love and Gratitude to Angels and forgetting our relation to them and receivings by them and communion with them and living as if we had little to do with them is a culpable overlooking God as he appeareth in his most noble creatures and is a neglect of our Love to God in them and a great hinderance to our higher more immediate Love Therefore by Faith and Love we should exercise a daily converse with Angels as part of our heavenly conversation Phil. 3. 20 21. Heb. 12. 22. and use our selves to Love God in them Though not to pray to them or give them Divine Worship 51. We must Love the glorified Saints more than the inhabitants of this lower world because they are far better and liker to God and nearer to him and more demonstrate his holiness and glory And our neglect of conversing with them by faith and of Loving them above our selves and things on earth is a neglect of our Love to God in them and a hinderance of our more immediate Love And a Loving Conversation with them by faith would greatly help our higher Love to God 52. Our neglect of Love to the Church on earth and to the Kingdoms and publick Societies of mankind is a sinful neglect of our Love to God in them and a hinderance of our higher Love to him And the true use of such a Publick Love would greatly further our higher Love 53. If those Heathens who laid down their Lives for their Countreys had neither done this for fame nor meerly as esteeming the temporal good of their Countrey above their own temporal good and lives but for the true excellency of Many above One and for Gods greater Interest in them they had done a most noble holy work 54. Our adherence to our carnal selves first and then to our carnal interests and friends and neglecting the Love of the highest excellencies in the servants of God and not Loving men according to the measure of the Image of God on them and their Relation to him is a great neglect of our Love of God in them and a hinderance of our higher immediate Love And to use our selves to Love men as God appeareth in them would much promote our higher Love And so we should Love the best of men above our selves 55. The Loving of our selves sensually preferring our present Life and earthly Pleasure before our higher spiritual felicity in Heaven and our neglecting to Love Holiness and seek it for our selves and then to Love God in our selves is a neglect and hinderance of the Love of God 56. Man hath not lost so much of the knowledge and Love of God as appearing in his Greatness and Wisdom and Natural Goodness in the frame of Nature as he is the Author of the creatures natural goodness as he hath of the knowledge and Love of his Holiness as he is the Holy Ruler Sanctifier and End of souls 57. The sensitive faculty and sensitive Interest are still predominant in a carnal or sensual man And his Reason is voluntarily enslaved to his sense so that even the Intellectual Appetite contrary to its primitive and sound nature Loveth chiefly the sensitive Life and Pleasure 58. It is therefore exceeding hard in this depraved state of nature to Love God or any thing better than our selves because we Love more by Sense than by Reason and Reason is weak and serveth the interest of Sense 59. Yet the same man who is prevalently sensual may know that he hath a rational immortal soul and that Knowledge and Rectitude are the Felicity of this soul and that it is the Knowledge and Love of and Delight in God the highest Good that can make him perpetually happy And therefore as these are apprehended as a means of his own Felicity he may have some kind of Love or Will unto them all 60. The thing therefore that every carnal man would have is an everlasting perfect sensual pleasure And he apprehendeth the state of his souls perfection mostly as consisting in this kind of felicity And even the Knowledge and Love of God which he taketh for part of his felicity is principally apprehended but as a speculative gratifying of the imagination as carnal men now desire knowledge Or if there be a righter notion of God and Holiness to be Loved for themselves even ultimately above our sensual pleasure and our selves yet this is but an uneffectual dreaming Knowledge producing but an answerable lazy wish And it will not here prevail against the stronger Love of sensuality and phantastical pleasure nor against inordinate self-love And it is a sensual Heaven under a spiritual Name which the carnal hope for 61. This carnal man may Love God as a Means to this Felicity so dreamed of as knowing that without him it cannot be had and tasting corporal comforts from him here And he may Love Holiness as it removeth his contrary calamities and as he thinks it is crowned with
Unbelief is one of the Causes of them and the sinfullest Cause § 2. And that the Article of Remission of sin is to be Believed with application to our selves is certain The Article of Remission of sin to be believed applyingly But not with the application of Assurance Perswasion or Belief that we are already pardoned but with an applying Acceptance of an offered pardon and Consent to the Covenant which maketh it ours We believe that Christ hath purchased Remission of sin and made a Conditional Grant of it in his Gospel to all viz. if they will Repent and Believe in him or take him for their Saviour or become Penitent Christians And we consent to do so and to accept it on these terms And we believe that all are actually pardoned that thus consent § 3. By all this you may perceive that those troubled Christians which doubt not of the truth of the Word of God but only of their own sincerity and consequently of their Justification and Salvation do ignorantly complain that they have not faith or that they cannot believe For it is no act of unbelief at all for me to doubt whether my own heart be sincere This is my ignorance of my self but it is not any degree of unbelief For Gods Word doth no where say that I am sincere and therefore I may doubt of this without doubting of Gods Word at all And let all troubled Christians know that they have no more unbelief in them than they have doubting or unbelief of the truth of the Word of God Even that despair it self which hath none of this in it hath no unbelief in it iâ— there be any such I thought it needful thus far to tell you what unbelief is before I come to give you Directions against it And though the meer doubting of our own sincerity be no unbelief at all yet real unbelief of the very truth of the Holy Scriptures is so common and dangerous a sin and some degree of it is latent in the best that I think we can no way so much further the work of Grace as by destroying this The weakness of our faith in the truth of Scriptures and the remnant of our unbelief of it is the principal cause of all the languishings of our Love and Obedience and every Grace and to strengthen faith is to strengthen all What I have â—ullier written in my Saints Rest Part 2. and my Treatise against Infidelity I here suppose § 4. Direct 1. Consider well how much of Religion Nature it self teacheth and Reason without Direct 1. supernatural Revelation must needs confess as that there is another life which man was made for and that he is obliged to the fullest Love and Obedience to God and the rest before laid down 〈…〉 in the world are perpetual visible Evidences in my eyes of the truth of the Holy Scriptures 1 That there should be so Universal and implacable a hatred against the godly in the common sort â—f unrenewed men in all Agâ—â— and Nations of the Earâ—h when thâ—se men deserve so well of them and do them no wrong â—s a visible proof of Adams fall and he 〈◊〉 of a Saviour and a Sanctifier 2 That all those who are seriously Christians should be so far renewed and recovered from the common corruption as their heavenly â—inds and lives and their wonderful difference from other men sheweth this is a visible proof that Christianity is of God 3. That God doth â—o â—lainly shew a particular special Providence in the converting and confirming souls by differencing Grace and work on the soul as the sanctified feel doth shew that indeed the work is his 4. That God doth so plainly grant many of his Servants prayers by special Providences doth prove his owning them and his 〈◊〉 5. That God suffereth his Servants in all times and places ordinarily to suffer so much for his Love and Service from the world and flâ—sh dâ—â—h shew that there is a Judgement and Rewards and Punishments hereafter Or else our highest duty would be our greatest losâ— and thâ—n how should his Government of men be just 6. That the Renewed Nature which maketh men better and therefore is of God doth wholly look at the life to come and lead us to â—t and live upon it this sheweth that such a life there is or else this would be delusory and vain and Goodness it self would be a deceit 7. When it is undenyable that de facto esse the world is not Governed without the Hopes and Fears of another life almost all Nations among the Heathens believing iâ— and shewing by their very worshipping their dead Heroes as Gods that they believed that their soulâ— did live and even the wicked generally being restrained by those hopes and fears in themselves And also that de posse it is not pâ—â—â—â—ible the world should be governed agreeably to mans rational nature without the hopes and fears of another life But men would be wâ—â—se than Beasts and all Villanies would be the allowed practice of the world As every man may feel in himself what he were like to be and do if he had no such restraint And there being no Doctrine or Life comparable to Christianity in their tendency to the life to come All these are visible staâ—ding evidences assisted so much by common sense and reason and still apparent to all that they leave Infidelity without excuse and are ever at hand to help our faith and resist temptations to unbelief 8. And if the world had not had a Beginning according to the Scriptures 1. We should have found Monuments of Antiquity above sâ—x thousand years old 2. Arts and Sciences would have come to more perfection and Printing Guns c. not have been of so late invention 3. And so much of America and other parts of the world would not have been yet uninhabited unplanted or undiscovered Of Aâ—heâ—sm I have spoken before in the Introduction and Nature so clearly revealeth a God that I take it as almost needless to say much of it to sober men in the Introduction And then observe how congruously the doctrine of Christ comes in to help where Nature is at a loss and how exactly it suits with Natural Truths and how clearly it explaineth them and fully containeth so much of them as are necessary to salvation and how suitable and proper a means it is to attain their Ends and how great a testimony the Doctrines of Nature and Grace do give unto each other § 5. Direct 2. Consider that mans End being in the life to come and God being the righteous and Direct 2. merciful Governour of man in order to that End it must needs be that God will give him sufficient means to know his will in order to that end And that the clearest fullest means must needs demonstrate most of the Government and Mercy of God § 6. Direct 3. Consider what full and sad experience the world hath of its pravity and great
against the ordinance and commands of God! How scornfully will they spurn at these reproofs and exhortations How obstinately will they refuse to submit to their unquestionable duty And how hardly are they brought to confess the most notorious sins Or to confess that it is their duty to confess them Though they would easily believe that it is the duty of another and would exhort another to do that which they themselves refuse The Physick seemeth so loathsom to them which Christ hath prescribed them that they hate him that bringeth it and will die and be damned before they will take it but perhaps will turn again and all to rent you unless where they are restrained by the secular arm But if you proceed to reject them for their obstinate impenitencie in heynous sin from the visible communion of the Church you shall then see yet more how contrary Pride is to the church-Church-order and Government ordained by Christ. How bitterly will they hate those that put them to such necessary disgrace How will they storm and rage and turn their fury against the Church as if Christs remedy were the greatest injury to them in the world You may read their Character in the second Psalm Therefore Christ calleth men to come as little Children into his school or else they will be unteachable and incorrigible Mat. 18. 3. § 51. Sign 9. A Proud man hath an Heretical disposition even when he cryeth out against Hereticks Sign 9. He is apt to look most after matters of dispute and contention in Religion Obscure prophecies Gods decrees controversies which trouble the Church more than edifie circumstances ceremonies forms outwards orders and words And for his opinion in these he must be somebody § 52. Sign 10. A Proud man is unsatisfied with his standing in communion with the Church of Sign 10. Christ and is either ambitiously aspiring to a dominion over it or is inclined to a separation from it They are too good to stand on even ground with their brethren If they may be Teachers or Rulers they can approve the constitution of the Church But otherwise it is too bad for them to have communion with They must be of some more refined or elevated society They are not content to come out and be separate from the infidel and idolatrous world but they must also come out and be separate from the Churches of Christ consisting of men that make a credible profession of faith and godliness They think it not enough to forbear sin themselves and to have no fellowship with the works of darkness but reprove them nor to separate from men as they separate from Christ but they will also separate from Isa. 65. 5. Math. 11. 19. Math. 9. 11. Math. 15. 2 3. them in their duty and odiously aggravate every imperfection and fill the Church with clamors and contentions and break it into fractions by their schisms and this not for any true reformation or edifying of the body for how can division edifie it but to tell the world that they account themselves more holy than the Church Thus Christ himself was quarrelled with as unholy by the Pharisees for eating with publicans and sinners And his disciples for not washing before meat and observing the traditions of the Elders and for rubbing out corn to eat on the sabbath day And they that will not be strict in their conformity to Christ will be righteous overmuch and stricter than Christ would have them be where Pride commandeth it They will be of the strictest party and opinions and make opinions and parties that are stricter than Gods commands and run into errors and schisms that they may be singular from the general communion of the Church and will be of a lesser than Christs little flock Signs of Pride in common converse § 53. Sign 1. Pride causeth subjects to be too quick in censuring the actions of their Governors Sign 1. and too impatient of what they suffer from them and apt to murmur at them and rebel against them It makes inferiors think themselves competent judges of those commands and actions of their superiors the Reasons of which they never heard nor can be fit to judge of unless they were of their council It makes them forget all the benefits of Government and mind only the burdens and suffering part and say as Corah Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy every one Numb 16. 3. of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk verse 13. 14. and hony to kill us in the wilderness except thou make thy self alltogether a Prince over us Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men Proud men are impatient and aggravate their disappointments and think they have reason and justice on their side § 54. Sign 2. A Proud man is more disposed to command than to obey and cannot serve God contententedly Sign 2. in a mean and low condition He is never a good subject or servant or child for subjection seems a slavery to him He thinks it a baseness to be governed by another He hath a Reason of his own which still contradicteth the Reason of his Rulers and a will of his own that must needs be fulfilled and cannot submit or yield to Government He is still ready to step out of his rank and prepare for suffering by disorder that he may tast the sweetness of present liberty As if your horse or cattle should break out from you to be free and famish in the winter when snow depriveth them of grass Whereas the humble know it is much easier to obey than Govern and that the valleys are the most fruitful grounds and that it is the Cedars and mountain trees that are blown down and not the shrubs And that a low condition affordeth not only more safety but more quietness and leasure to converse with God And that it is a mercy that others may be employed in his preservation and keeping the walls and watching the house while he may follow his work in quietness and peace And therefore willingly payeth honour and tribute to whom it is due § 55. Sign 3. If a Proud man be a Ruler he is apt to be lifted up in mind and to despise his inferiors Sign 3. as if they were not men or he were more He is apt to disdain the counsels of the wise and to scorn admonition from the ministers of Christ and to hate every Michea that prophesieth not good of him and to value none but flatterers and discountenance faithful dealers and not endure to hear of his faults He is apt to fall out with the power of Godliness and the Gospel of Christ as that which seemeth to cross his interest and to forget his own subjection to God and the danger of his subjects He is
approved of by Christ who neglected all this to Redeem the Time for the good of her soul by sitting at his feet to hear his Word she chose the better part which shall not be taken from her Remember I pray you that One thing is necessary I hope I may have leave to tell you that if by you or your servants God and your souls and prayer and reading the Scriptures and the profitable labours of an honest Calling be all or any of them neglected while you or they are neatifying this room or washing out that little spot or setting strait Abundance of little things that have all their conveniences have all their inconvenices also and take up our time and sâ— would sâ—â—â—â— out greater things â—â— they be not caâ—â— aside themselves and would become great sins by such a consumption of our Time Luke 10. 42. the other wrinckle or are taken up with foeminine trifling proud curiosities this is a preferring of dust before Gold of the least before the greatest things And to say that decency is commendable is no excuse for neglecting God your souls or families or leaving undone any one greater work which you or your servants might have been doing that while I say any work that is greater all things considered O that you and your families would but live as those that see how fast Death cometh how fast Time goeth and what you have to do and what your unready souls yet want This is all that I desire of you And then I warrant you it would save you many a precious hour and cut short your works of curiosity and deliver you from your slavery to Pride and the esteem of vain Time-wasters § 54. Th. 5. Another Time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings gluttony and tipling Thief 5. which being of the same litter I set together I speak not against moderate seasonable and charitable Conâ—â—â—â—a quae dicunâ—ur â—um siâ—t commesâ—â—tionâ— modestia 〈…〉 mihi 〈…〉 sum inuâ—â—le ratus vocare vâ—cari c. Iâ—â—â—â— Feasts But alas in this luxurious sensual age how commonly do men sit two hours at a Feast and spend two more in attending it before and after and not improving the Time in any pious or profitable discourse yea the Rich spend an hour ordinarily in a common Meal while every Meal is a Feast indeed and they fare as their predecessor Luke 16. deliciously or sumptuously every day Happy are the poor that are free also from this temptation You spend not so much Time in the daily addresses of your souls to God and reading his Word and taking an account of the affairs of conscience and preparing for death as you do in stuffing your guts perhaps at one Meal And in Taverns and Ale-houses among their pots how much Time is wasted by Rich and poor O remember while you are eating and drinking what a corruptible piece of flesh you are feeding and serving and how quickly those mouths will be filled with dust and that a soul that is posting so fast unto eternity should find no Time to spare for vanity And that you have important work enough to do which if performed will afford you a sweeter and a longer Feast § 55. Th. 6. Another Time-wasting sin is idle Talk What abundance of precious Time doth Thief 6. this consume Hearken to most mens discourse when they are sitting together or working together or travelling together and you shall hear how little of it is any better than silence and if not better it is worse So full are those persons of Vanity who are empty even to silence of any thing that is good that they can find and feed a discourse of nothing many hours and days together and as they think with such foecundity and floridness of style as deserveth acceptance if not applause I have marvelled oft at some wordy Preachers with how little matter they can handsomly fill up an hour But one would wonder more to hear people fill up not an hour but a great part of their day and of their lives and that without any study at all and without any holy and substantial Subject with words which if you should write them all down and peruse them you would find that the sum and conclusion of them is nothing How self-applaudingly and pleasingly they can ex tempore talk idly and of nothing a great part of their lives I have heard many of them marvel at a poor unlearned Christian that can pray ex tempore many hours together in very good order and well-composed words But are they not more to be marvelled at that can very handsomly talk of nothing ten times as long with greater copiousness and without repetitions and that ex tempore when they have not that variety of great commanding Subjects to be the matter of their speech I tell you when Time must be reviewed the consumption of so much in idle talk will appear to have been no such venial sin as empty careless sinners now imagine § 56. Th. 7. Another Thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your Time is Vain and sinful Thief 7. company Among whom a spiritual Physicion that goeth to cure them or a holy person that is full and resolute to bear down vain discourse I confess may well employ his Time when he is cast upon it or called to it But to dwell with such or choose them as our familiars or causlesly or for complacency keep among them will unavoidably lose abundance of your time If you would do good they will hinder you If you will speak of good they will divert you or reproach you or wrangle and cavil with you or some way or other stop your mouths They will by a stream of vain discourse either bear down and carry you on with them or fill your ears and interrupt and hinder the very thoughts of your minds by which you desire to profit your selves when they will not let you be profitable to others § 57. Th. 8. Another notorious Time-wasting Thief is needless inordinate sports and games which Thief 8. are commonly stigmatized by the offenders themselves with the infamous name of PASTIMES Laertius saith of Solon that Thâ—spini tragedias agere docere prohibuit inuâ—â—lem eas falsiloquentiam vocaâ—â—â—â— and masked with the deceitful title of Recreations such as are Cards and Dice and Stage-plays and Dancings and Revellings and excesses in the most lawful sports especially in Hunting and Hawking and Bowling c. whether all these are lawful or unlawful in themselves is nothing to the present question but I am sure that the precious hours which they take up might have been improved to the saving of many a thousand souls that by the loss of Time are now undone and past recovery except malicious enemies of Godliness I scarce know a wretcheder sort of people on the earth and more to be lamented than those fleshly persons who through the love of sensual
Chastity and Order so it is a matter of great convenience in a Commonwealth that Sots and Swaggerers and Phreneticks and Ideots and proud and wanton lustful persons should be openly distinguished from others As in a plague-time the doors of infected houses are marked with a Lord have mercy on us And the wisest Magistrate knew not how to have accomplished this himself by a Law as the wretches themselves do by their voluntary choice For if it were not voluntary it would be no distinguishing badge of their profession Now for any honest civil people to joyn with them and take up their livery and the habit of their Order is to profess themselves such as they and so to encourage and approve them or else to confound the proud and humble the vain and sober the wanton and the chaste and destroy the benefit of distinction By this you may see that it is not so much the bare fashion it self that is to be regarded as the signification and the consequents of it The same fashion when used by sober persons to better signification and consequents may be lawful which otherwise is unlawful Therefore those fashions that can hardly ever be supposed to have a good signification and consequents are hardly ever to be supposed lawful Note also that any one of the foresaid evils maketh a fashion evil but it must be all the requisites concurrent that must prove your fashions good or lawful § 14. Quest. 4. Is it not sometime lawful to follow the fashions Answ. It is alwayes lawful to Quest. 4. follow the sober fashions of sober people but it is not lawful to follow the vain immodest ill-signifying fashions of the riotous proud and wanton sort unless it be in such cases of Necessitie as David was in when he behaved himself like a mad-man or as Paul when he told them that he was a Pharisee Acts 23. 6. to escape in a persecution or from Thieves or enemies 2. Or unless for a time it prove as conducible to the good of others as Paul's circumcising Timothy was or his becoming all things to all men that he might win some But to follow ill signifying fashions unneâ—essarily or for carnal Phil. 3. 10. Rom. 12. 2. Ephes. 5. 11. ends to avoid the disesteem or evil speeches of carnal persons or to seem to be as fine as they this is undoubtedly a sin § 15. Direct 6. Be sure to avoid excess of costliness in your apparell Remember that you must Direct 6. answer for all your estates And one day it will prove more comfortable to find on your accounts So much a year laid out in clothing the naked than So much a year in bravery or curiosity for your selves or your children Costly apparel devoureth that which would go far in supplying the necessities of the poor § 16. Direct 7. Be sure you waste not your pretious time in needless curiosity of dressing I Direct 7. cannot easily tell you how great a sin and horrible a sign of folly and misery it is in those Gallants that spend whole hours yea most part of the morning in dressing and neatifying themselves before they appear to the sight of others so that some of them can scarce do any thing else before dinner time but dress themselves The morning hours that are fittest for prayer and reading the Word of God are thus consumed They spend not a quarter so much time in the serious searching and adorning of their souls nor in any holy service of God but God and family and soul and all is thus neglected § 17. Direct 8. Next to the usefulness of your apparel for your bodies and labours let your Rule be Direct 8. to imitate the common sort of the grave and sober persons of your own rank Not here and there one that in other things are sober who themselves follow the fashions of the proud and vain but the ordinary fashion of grave and sober persons For thus you will avoid both the levity of the proud and the needless singularity of others § 18. Direct 9. Regard more the hurt that your fashion may do than the offence or obloquy of Direct 9. any For proud persons to say you are sordid or not fine enough and talk of your course attire is no great disgrace to you nor no great hurt But it is a greater disgrace to be esteemed Proud It signifieth an empty childish mind to be desirous to be thought fine It is not only Pride but the Pride of a fool distinct from the Pride of those that have but manly wit And you ought not thus to disgrace your selves as to wear the badge of Pride and folly no more than an honest woman should wear the badge and attire of a Whore Moreover mean apparel is no great temptation to your selves or others to any sin But proud and curious apparel doth signifie and stir up a lustful or proud disposition in your selves and it tempteth those of the same sex to envy and to imitate you and those of the other sex to lust or wantonness You spread the Devils Nets even in the Churches and open Streets and Meetings to catch deluded silly souls You should rather serve Christ with your apparel by expressing humility self-denyal chastity and sobriety to draw others to imitate you in good than to serve the Devil and pride and lust by it by drawing men to imitate you in evil § 19. Direct 10. Remember what a Body it is that you so carefully and curiously adorn Well is it Direct 10. called by the Apostle a vile body Phil. 3. 21. What a silly lothesome lump of dirt is it What a thing would the Pox or Leprosie or almost any sickness make it appear to be What lothesome excrements within are covered by all that bravery without Think what it is made of and what is within it and what it will turn to How long it must lye rotting in a darksome grave more lothesome than the common dirt and then must turn to common earth And is Purple and Silk Luke 19. 19. and a curious dress beseeming that body that must shortly have but a Winding sheet and must lye thus in the grave and it s to be feared the soul for this pride lye in Hell Luke 16. 23 25. Is all this cost and curiosity comely for one that knoweth that he is returning to the dust § 20. Direct 11. Remember that you have sinful souls that have continual cause of humiliation Direct 11. and that have need of more care and adorning than your bodies And therefore your apparel should express your humiliation and shew that you take more care for the soul. How vile should that sinner be in his own eyes who knoweth what he hath done against God What mercy he hath sinned against What a God he hath offended What a Saviour he hath slighted What a Spirit of Grace he hath resisted and what a Glory he hath undervalued and neglected He 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
held to such a course of life as may be most effectual to destroy and change those habits And some that are upright at the heart and in the main and most momentous things are guilty but of some actual faults and of these some more seldom and some more frequent And if you do not prudently diversifie your rebukes according to their faults you will but harden them and miss of your ends For there is a family-justice that must not be overthrown unless you will overthrow your families as there is a more publick justice necessary to the publick good § 12. Direct 4. Be a good Husband to your Wife and a good Father to your Children and a good Direct 4. Master to your Servants and let Love have Dominion in all your Government that your inferiours may easily find that it is their interest to obey you For interest and self-love are the natural rulers of the world And it is the most effectual way to procure obedience or any good to make men perceive that it is for their own good and to engage self-love for you that they may see that the benefit is like to be their own If you do them no good but are sour and uncourteous and close-handed to them few will be ruled by you § 13. Direct 5. If you would be skilful in Governing others learn first exactly to command your Direct 5. selves Can you ever expect to have others more at your will and government than your selves Is he fit to rule his family in the fear of God and a holy life who is unholy and feareth not God himself Or is he fit to keep them from passion or drunkenness or gluttony or lust or any way of sensuality that cannot keep himself from it Will not inferiours despise such reproofs which are by your selves contradicted in your lives You know this is true of Wicked Preachers and is it not as true of other Governours § 14. III. Gen. Direct You must be Holy Persons if you would be Holy Governours of your families Mens actions follow the bent of their Dispositions They will do as they are An enemy of God will not govern a family for God Nor an enemy of Holiness nor a stranger to it set up a holy order in his house and in a holy manner manage his affairs I know it is cheaper and easier to the flesh to call others to mortification and holiness of life than to bring our selves to it But yet when it is not a bare command or wish that is necessary but a course of holy and industrious Government unholy persons though some of them may go far have not the ends and principles which such a work requireth § 15. Direct 1. To this end be sure that your own souls be entirely subjected unto God and that you Direct 1. more accurately obey his Laws than you expect any inferiour should obey your commands If you daâ—e disobey God why should they fear disobeying you Can you more sâ—verely revenge disobedience or more bountifully reward obedience than God can do Are you Greater and Better than God himself is § 16. Direct 2. Be sure that you lay up your treasure in Heaven and make the enjoyment of God in Direct 2. Glory to be the ultimate commanding end both of the affairs and government of your family and all things else with which you are entrusted Devote your selves and all to God and do all for him Do all as passengers to another world whose business on earth is but to provide for Heaven and promote their everlasting interest If thus you are separated unto God you are sanctified And then you will separate all that you have to his use and service and this with his acceptance will sanctifie all § 17. Direct 3. Maintain Gods authority in your family more carefully than your own Your own Direct 3. is but for his More sharply rebuke or correct them that wrong and dishonour God than those that wrong and dishonour your selves Remember Elies sad example Make not a small matter of any of the sins especially the Great sins of your children or servants It is an odious thing to slight Gods cause and put up all with It is not well done when you are fiercely passionate for the loss of some small commodity of your own Gods honour must be greatest in your family and his service must have the preheminence of yours and sin against him must be the most intolerable offence § 18. Direct 4. Let spiritual Love to your family be predominant and let your care be greatest for Direct 4. the saving of their souls and your compassion greatest in their spiritual miseries Be first careful to provide them a portion in Heaven and to save them from whatsoever would deprive them of it And never prefer the transitory pelf of earth before their everlasting riches Never be so cumbered about many things as to forget that one thing is necessary but choose for your selves and them the Luk. 10. 4â— better part § 19. Direct 5. Let your family neither be kept in idleness and flesh-pleasing nor yet overwhelmed Direct 5. with such a multitude of business as shall take up and distract their minds diverting and unfitting them for holy things Where God layeth on you a necessity of excessive labours it must patiently and chearfully be undergone but when you draw them unnecessarily on your selves for the Love of Riches you do but become the Tempters and Tormentors of your selves and others forgetting 1 Tim. 6. 1â— the terrible examples of them that have this way fallen off from Christ and pierced themselves through with many sorrows § 20. Direct 6. As much as is possible settle a constant order of all your businesses that every ordinary Direct 6. work may know its time and confusion may not shut out Godliness It is a great assistance in every Calling to do all in a set and constant order It maketh it easie It removeth impediments and promoteth success Distraction in your business causeth a distraction of your minds in holy duty Some Callings I know can hardly be cast into any order and method but others may if prudence and diligence be used Gods service will thus be better done and your work will be better done to the ease of your servants and quiet of your own minds Foresight and skillfullness would save you abundance of labour and vexation CHAP. V. Special Motives to perswade men to the Holy Governing of their Families IF it were but well understood what Benefits come by the holy Governing of Familes and what mischiefs come by its neglect there would few persons that walk the streets among us appear so odious as those careless ungodly Governours that know not or mind not a duty of such exceeding weight While we lie all as overwhelmed with the calamitous fruits of this neglect I think meet to try if with some the cause may be removed by awakening ignorant sluggish
of each other than you would be if they were your own Fall out no more with your wife for her faults than you do with your self for your own faults and than you would do if hers had been your own This will allow you such an anger and displeasure against a fault as tendeth to heal it but not such as tendeth but to fester and vex the diseased part This will turn anger into compassion and speedy tender diligence for the cure 5. Agree together before hand that when one is in the diseased angry fit the other shall silently and gently bear till it be past and you are come to your selves again Be not angry both at once When the fire is kindled quench it with gentle words and carriage and do not cast on Oyle or fuel by answering provokingly and sharply or by multiplying words and by answering wrath with wrath But remember that now the work that you are called to is to mollifie and not to exasperate to help and not to hurt to cure another rather than to right your self As if another fall and hurt him your business is to help him up and not to tread upon him 6. Look before you and remember that you must live together untill death and must be the companions of each others fortunes and the comforts of each others lives and then you will see how absurd it is for you to disagree and vex each other Anger is the principle of revenge and falling out doth tend to separation Therefore those that must not revenge should not give way to anger and those that know they must not part should not fall out 7. As far as you are able avoid all occasions of wrath and falling out about the matters of your Families some by their slothfulness bring themselves into want and then being unable to bear it they contract a discontented pievish habit and in their impatiency they wrangle and disquiet one another some plunge themselves into a multitude of business and have to do with so many things and persons that one or other is still offending them and then they are impatient with one another some have neither skill nor diligence to manage their businesses aright and so things fall cross and go out of order and then their impatiency turneth it self against each other Avoid these occasions if you would avoid the sin And see that you be not unfurnished of Patience to bear that which cannot be avoided 8. If you cannot quickly quench your passion yet at least refrain your tongues speak not reproachful or provoking words Talking it out hotly doth blow the fire and encrease the flame Be but silent and you will the sooner return to your serenity and peace Foul words tend to more displeasure As Socrates said when his Wife first railed at him and next threw a vessel of foul Water upon him I thought when I heard the thunder there would come rain so you may portend worse following when foul unseemly words begin If you cannot easily allay your wrath you may hold your tongues if you are truly willing 9. Let the sober party condescend to speak fair and to intreat the other unless it be with a person so insolent as will be the worse Usually a few sober grave admonitions will prove as water to the boyling pot say to your angry Wife or Husband You know this should not be betwixt us Love must allay it and it must be repented of God doth not approve it it and we shall not approve it when his heat is over This frame of mind is contrary to a praying frame and this language contrary to a praying language we must pray together anon let us do nothing contrary to prayer now sweet water and bitter come not from one spring c. Some calm and condescending words of Reason may stop the torrent and revive the Reason which Passion had overcome 10. Confess your fault to one another when passion hath prevailed against you and ask forgiveness of each other and joyn in prayer to God for pardon and this will lay a greater engagement on you the next time to forbear You will sure be ashamed to do that which you have so confessed and asked forgiveness for of God and man If you will but practice these ten Directions your conjugal and family peace may be preserved § 10. Direct 6. A principal duty between husband and wife is with special care and skill and Direct 6. diligence to help each other in the knowledge and worship and obedience of God in order to their salvation Because this is a duty in which you are the greatest helps and blessings to each other if you perform it I shall 1. Endeavour to quicken you to make Conscience of it and then 2. Direct you how to do it § 11. I. Consider 1. How little it can stand with Rational Love to neglect the souls of one another I suppose you believe that you have immortal souls and an endless life of joy or misery to live And then you cannot choose but know that your great concernment and business is to make sure provision for those souls and for the endless life Therefore if your Love do not help one another in this which is your main concernment it is little worth and of little use Every thing in this world is valuable as it is useful A useless or unprofitable Love is a worthless Love It is a trifling or a childish or a beastly Love which helpeth you but in trifling childish or beastly things Do you love your Wife and yet will leave her in the power of Satan or will not help to save her soul What! Love her and yet let her go to hell and rather let her be damned than you will be at the pains to endeavour her salvation If she were but in bodily pain or misery and you refused to do your part to succour her she would take it but for cold unprofitable love though you were never so kind to her in complements and trifles The Devil himself maketh shew of such a love as that He can vouchsafe men pleasures and wealth and honour so he may but see the perdition of their souls And if your love to your wife or husband do tend to no greater matters than the pleasures of this life while the soul is left to perish in sin bethink your selves seriously how little more kindness you shew them than the Devil doth O can you see the danger of one that you love so dearly and do no more to save them from it Can you think of the damnation of so dear a friend and not do all that you are able to prevent it would you be separated from them in the World that you are going to would you not live with them in Heaven for ever Never say you love them if you will not labour for their salvation If ever they come to Hell or if ever you see them there both they and you will then confess
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
Understandings and Charity to be both exceeding low § 7. Quest. 7. Must we alwayes pray according to the Method of the Lords Prayer and is it a sin Quest. 7. to do otherwise Answ. 1. The Lords Prayer is first a Rule for your Desires And it is a sin if your Desires follow not that Method If you do not begin in your Desires with God as your Ultimate End and if you first Desire not his Glory and then the flourishing of his Kingdom and then the Obeying of his Laws and herein the publick welfare of the world before and above your particular benefit And it is a sin if you desire not your Daily Bread or necessary support of Nature as a lower mercy in order to your higher spiritual mercies and if you desire not pardon of sin as a means to your future sanctity duty and felicity and if you desire not these as a means to the glory of God and take not his Praises as the highest part of your Prayers But for the Expressing of these Desires particular occasions may warrant you oft-times to begin in another order As when you pray for the sick or pray for directions or a blessing before a Sermon or some particular work you may begin and end with the subject that is before you as the prayers of holy men in all ages have done 2. You must distinguish also as between Desires and Expressions so between an Universal and a Particular Prayer The one containeth all the parts of prayer and the other is but about some one subject or part or but some few This last being but one or few particular Petitions cannot possibly be uttered in the Method of an Universal Prayer which hath all the parts There is no one Petition in the Lords Prayer but may be made a prayer it self and then it cannot have the other Petitions as parts 3. And you must distinguish between the even and ordinary case of a Christian and his extraordinary case when some special reason affection or accident calleth him to look most to some one particular In his even and ordinary case every universal prayer should be expressed in the Method of the Lords Prayer But in cases of special reason and inducement it may be otherwise § 8. Quest. 8. Must we pray alwayes when the Spirit moveth us and only then or as Reason guideeth Quest. 8. us Answ. There are two sorts of the Spirits motions The one is by extraordinary inspiration or impulse as he moved the Prophets and Apostles to reveal new Laws or precepts or events or to do some actions without respect to any other command than the Inspiration it self This Christians are not now to expect because experience telleth us that it is ceased or if any should pretend to it as not yet ceased in the prediction of events and direction in some things otherwise indifferent yet it is most certain that it is ceased as to Legislation For the spirit it self hath already given us those Laws which he hath declared to be perfect and unchangeable till the end of the world The other sort of the spirits working is not to make new Laws or Duties but to Guide and quicken us in the doing of that which is our Duty before by the Laws already made And these are the motions that all true Christians must now expect By which you may see that the Spirit and Reason are not to be here dis-joyned much less opposed As Reason sufficeth not without the spirit being dark and asleep so the spirit worketh not on the Will but by the Reason He moveth not a man as a beast or stone to do a thing he knoweth not why but by illumination giveth him the soundest Reason for the doing of it And Duty is first Duty before we do it And when by our own sin we forfeit the special motions or help of the spirit duty doth not thereby cease to be duty nor our omission to be sin If the spirit of God teach you to discern the meetest season for prayer by considering your affairs and when you are most free this is not to be denyed to be the work of the spirit because it is rational as phanatick enthusiasts imagine And if you are moved to pray in a crowd of business or at any time when Reason can prove that it is not your duty but your sin the same Reason proveth that it was not the spirit of God that moved you to it For the spirit in the heart is not contrary to the spirit in the Scripture Set upon the duty which the spirit in the Scripture commandeth you and then you may be sure that you obey the spirit otherwise you disobey it Yea if your hearts be cold prayer is a likelyer means to warm them than the omission of it To ask whether you may pray while your hearts are cold and backward is as to ask whether you may labour or come to the fire before you are warm Gods spirit is liker to help you in Duty than in the neglect of it § 9. Quest. 9. May a man pray that hath no Desire at all of the Grace which he prayeth for Quest. 9. Answ. No because it is no prayer but Dissembling and dissembling is no duty He that asketh for that which he would not have doth lye to God in his hypocrisie But if a man have but cold and common desires though they reach not to that which will prove them evidences of true grace he may pray and express those desires which he hath § 10. Quest. 10. May a man pray that doubteth of his interest in God and dare not call him Father Quest. 10. as his Child Answ. 1. There is a common Interest in God which all mankind have as he is Good to all and as Psal. 42. 9. 22. 1. â—on 2. 4. Jâ—r 31. 9. Luk. 15. 12 17 19. Mal. 2. 10. his mercy through Christ is offered to all And thus those that are not regenâ—rate are his Children by Creation and by participation of his mercy And they may both call him Father and pray to himself though yet they are unregenerate 2. God hath an interest in you when you have no special interest in him Therefore his command must be obeyed which bids you pray 3. Groundless doubts will not disoblige you from your duty else men might free themselves from almost all their obedience § 11. Quest. 11. May a wicked or unregenerate man pray and is he accepted Or is not his prayer Quest. 11. abominable to God Answ. 1. A wicked man as a wicked man can pray no how but wickedly that is he asketh only Act. 15. 17. 1â— 27. 8. 22. Isa. 55. 6. Psal. 14. 4. for things unlawful to be asked or for lawful things to unlawful ends and this is still abominable to God 2. A wicked man may have in him some good that proceedeth from common grace and this he may be obliged to exercise and so by prayer
consenteth to the Covenant may boldly come and signifie his Consent and receive the sealed Covenant of God For Consent is your preparation or the necessary condition of your Right If you Consent not you refuse all the mercy of the Covenant And dare you live in such a state Suppose a Pardon be offered to a condemned Thief but so that if he after cast it in the dirt or turn Traytor he shall dye a sorer death will he rather choose to dye than take it and say I am afraid I shall abuse it To refuse Gods Covenant is certain death but to Consent is your preparation and your life § 25. Quest. 7. But what if Superiours compell such a Christian to communicate or else they will excommunicate Quest. 7. and imprison him What then should he choose Answ. If he could do it without his own souls hurt he should obey them supposing that it is nothing but that which in it self is good that they command him But they have their power to 2 Cor. 13. 10. Matth. 10. 28. edification and not to destruction and he must value his soul above his body and therefore it is past question that it is a smaller hurt to be excommunicated and lye and dye in Prison than to cast his soul into despair by doing that which he thinketh is a grievous sin and would be his damnation But all means must be used to cure the mistake of his own understanding § 26. Quest. 8. Is not the case of an Hypocrite that knoweth not himself to be an hypocrite and of Quest. 8. a sincere Christian that knoweth not himself to be sincere all one as to communicating when both are equally in doubt Answ. No For Being and Seeing are things that must be distinguished The one hath grace in Being though he see it not and therefore hath a Right to the blessings of the Covenant and therefore at once remaineth obliged both to Discern his Title and to Come and take it And therefore if he come doubtingly his sin is not that he Receiveth but in the Manner of receiving that he doth it doubtingly And therefore it will be a greater sin not to receive at all unless in the last mentioned case wherein the consequents are like to be worse to him But the other hath no true Repentance or Faith or Love in Being and therefore hath no Right to the blessings of the Covenant and therefore at present is obliged to discern that he is graceless and to Repent of it and it is not his sin that he doubteth of his title but that he demandeth and taketh what he hath no title to And therefore it is a greater sin in him to Take it than to delay in order to his recovery and preparation Yea even in point of Comfort there is some disparity For though the true Christian hath far greater terrors than hypocrites when he taketh himself to be an unworthy Receiver as being more sensible and regardful of the weight of the matter yet usually in the midst of all his fears there are some secret testimonies in his heart of the Love of God which are a Cordial of hope that keep him from sinking into despair and have more life and power in them than all the hypocrites false perswasions of his own sincerity § 27. Quest. 9. Wherein lyeth the sin of an hypocrite and ungodly person if he do receive Quest. 9. Answ. His sin is 1. In lying and hypocrisie in that he professeth to Repent unfeignedly of his sin and to be resolved for a holy life and to Believe in Christ and to Accept him on his Covenant-terms and to give up himself to God as his Father his Saviour and his Sanctifier and to forsake the flesh the world and the Devil when indeed he never did any of this but secretly abhorreth it at his heart and will not be perswaded to it And so all this profession and his very Covenanting it self and his Receiving as it is a professing-Covenanting-sign is nothing but a very lye And what it is to lye to the Holy Chost the case of Ananias and Sapphira telleth us 2. It is usurpation to come and lay claim to those Benefits which he hath no title to 3. It is a prophanation of these holy mysteries to be thus Commandment 2. 3. Lev. 10. 2 3. used and it is a taking of Gods Name in vain who is a jealous God and will be sanctified of all that draw near unto him 4. And it is a wrong to the Church of God and the Communion of Saints and the honour of the Christian Religion that such ungodly hypocrites intrude as members As it is to the Kings Army when the enemies spies creep in amongst them or to his Marriage-feast to have a guest in rags Matth. 22. 11 12. Object But it is no Lye because they think they say true in their profession Answ. That is through their sinful negligence and self-deceit And he is a lyar that speaks a falshood which he may and ought to know to be a falshood though he do not know it There is a Lyar in Rashness and Negligence as well as of set purpose § 28. Quest. 10. Doth all unworthy receiving make a man lyable to damnation Or what unworthiness Quest. 10. is it that is so threatned 1 Cor. 11. 28 29. Answ. There are three sorts of unworthiness or unfitness and three sorts of judgement answerably to be feared 1. There is the utter unworthiness of an Infidel or Impenitent ungodly hypocrite And damnation to Hell fire is the punishment that such must expect if conversion prevent it not 2. There is an unworthiness through some great and scandalous crime which a regenerate person falleth into and this should stop him from the Sacrament for a time till he have repented and cast away his sin And if he come before he rise from his fall by a particular Repentance as the Corinthians that sinned in the very use of the Sacrament it self they may expect some notable Vid. Synod Doâ—â—draâ— suffrag Theol. Brittan in Artic 5. temporal judgement at the present and if Repentance did not prevent it they might fear eternal punishment 3. There is that measure of unworthiness which consisteth in the ordinary infirmities of a Saint and this should not at all deterr them from the Sacrament because it is accompanied with a greater worthiness yea though their weakness appear in the time and manner of their Receiving But yet ordinary corrections may follow these ordinary infirmities The grosser abuse of the Sacrament it self I joyn under the second rank Quest. 11. What is the particular preparation needful to a fit Communicant Quest. 11. Answ. This bringeth me up to the next Direction § 29. Direct 5. Let your Preparation to this Sacrament consist of these particulars following Direct 5. 1. In your duty with your own consciences and hearts 2. In your duty towards God 3. And in your duty towards your neighbour
juris remaining still the same if a Parish omit for divers years to choose any Constable or Church-warden yet the next time they do choose one according to Law the Law doth authorize him nevertheless though there was an interruption or vacancy so long And so in Corporations unless the Law or Charter say the contrary so is it in the present case 1. It is the established Law of Christ which describeth the office determineth of the degree and kind of power and Granteth or Conveyeth it when the person is determined of by the Electors and Ordainers though by Ordination the Delivery and Admission is regularly to be solemnized which actions are of just so much necessity as that Law hath made them and no more 2. And if there were never so long an interruption or vacancy he that afterward entereth lawfully so as to want nothing which the Law of Christ hath made necessary to the Being of the office doth receive his power nevertheless immediatly from the Law of Christ. And Bellarmine himself saith that it is not necessary to the people and to the validity of Sacraments and offices to them to know that their Pastors be truly called or ordained And if it be not necessary to the validity of Sacraments it is not necessary to the validity of Ordination And W. Iohnson confesseth to me that Consecration is not absolutely necessary See my Disput. with him of the successive Vâ—sibility of the Church p. 336. ad esse officii to the Pope himself no nor any one sort of Electors in his Election p. 333. And in his Repl. Term. Expl. pag. 45. he saith Neither Papal nor Episcopal jurisdiction as all the Learned know depends of Episcopal or Papal ordination nor was there ever interruptions of successions in Episcopal jurisdiction in any see for want of that alone that is necessary for consecrating others validly and not for jurisdiction over them You see then how little sincerity is in these mens disputations when they would perswade you to reject your lawful Pastors as no true Ministers of Christ for want of their Ordination or Succession § 11. Direct 4. Though the Sacraments and other ministerial offices are valid when a Minister is qualified Direct 4. in his abilities and call but with so much as is essential to the office though he be defective in degree of parts and faithfulness and have personal faults which prove his own destruction yet so great is the difference between a holy heavenly learned judicious experienced skilful zealous laborious faithful Minister and an ignorant ungodly idle unskilful one and so highly should every wise man value the best means and advantages to his eternal happiness that he should use all lawful means in his power to enjoy and live under 〈…〉 8. P 〈…〉 Domâ—ni is a peccatore Praepo 〈…〉 separate sâ— debâ—â— Wâ—iâ—â— Gâ—otius 〈…〉 Imâ—â—â—â— p. 230. â—iting saith Jubentur eâ—im singulâ— multo magâ—s universi â—avere prophetas faâ—soâ— alâ—â—num Pastorâ—m 〈…〉 ar qui dissâ—â—â—â— faâ—iunt â—â—fâ—â— sâ—â— câ—nt a doâ—â—â—â—inam 2. Imperatur â—â—delibus familiarem eorum consuâ—tudinem declinare qui Fratres c. 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 16. 17. Joh. 10. 2 Tim. 3 6. 2 Thes. 3. 6 14. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. such an able godly powerful ministry though he part with his worldly wealth and pleasure to attain it I know no evil must be done for the attainment of the greatest helps For we cannot expect that God should bless a sinful course or that our sin should tend to the saving of our souls And I know God can bless the weakest means when they are such as he appointeth us to use and can teach us by Angels when he denyeth us the help of men But Scripture reason and experience telleth us that ordinarily he worketh morally by means and fitteth the means to the work which he will do by them And as he doth not use to light men by a cold or stone but by a Candle nor by a rotten post or Glow-worm so much as by a Torch or Luminary so he doth not use to work as much by an ignorant drunken idle person who despiseth the God the Heaven the Christ the Spirit the Grace the sacred Word which he Preacheth and vilifieth both his own and other mens souls as he doth by an able and compassionate Minister And the soul is of so much more worth than the Body and Eternal things than temporal that a little commodity to the soul in order to the securing of our salvation must be preferreâ— before a great deal of worldly riches He that knoweth what his soul hiâ— Sâ—viour and Heaven is worth will not easily sit down contented under such a dark and dull and stâ—rving Minister 〈…〉 feeleth he can but little profit by if better may be had on lawful terms Hâ— that feeleth no difference between the Ministry of these two sorts of men it is because he is a stranger to the work of the Gospel on the soul And if the Gospel in its truth or worth or use be â—id it is â—id to them that â—re lost the †Saâ—a 〈…〉 r their own worldly advantages saith Dr. Haâ—moâ—d Dan. 1. 12 13. Ezâ—k 4. 12 15. Read c. 3. Aâ—osta 〈◊〉 rebuking the nâ—gligence of their Priâ—sts that taught the Indians the Catechism idly and without explication or callâ—ng them to account about the sensâ— and then laid all the fault on the blockishness of the people when Tota 〈…〉 ratio â—rat umbâ—atilis 〈…〉 iâ—qâ—it si hominâ—s iâ—â—câ—iâ— aâ—â—riâ—â—o discendi percupidi tales praeceptores 〈…〉 liud quem ut duplo 〈…〉 a biâ—rarâ—r Olim in symbolo addiscendo intelligendo mysteriisque 〈…〉 noscendis viri ingeâ—o praestaâ—tes â—â—â—â—eratura celebrâ—s diu in catechumâ—norum ordine tenebantur cum Ecclesiastica disciplina vigeret Neque ante ad fideâ— Sacramentum admittâ— bantur quam multas ab Episâ—opo de sâ—mbolo conciones audissent diu multum cum Caâ—echista contu issâ—nt post quas omnes cuâ—aâ— medâ—â—aâ—ionâ—â— magnum erat si recta sentirent consentanea responderent c. And he addeth pag. 360 Equidem sic opinioâ— neque ab ea opinione avelli unquam potero quin peâ—â—imo praeceptori omnes esse auditores â—ebetes creâ—â—m A bad Teacher hatâ— a wayâ—s bad Schollars Even in the Roman Church how little their authority can do against prophaneness and negligence the same Aâ—osta sheweth l. 6. c. 2. p. 519. Cum in provinciali Concilio Lim nsi ab omnibus Peruenâ—bus Episcopis caeterisque gravibus viris ad ea viâ—ia emendanda multum operae studii collatum sit atque edita extent egregia decreta de reformatione permulâ—a nihil tamen amplius perfectum est quam si ab otiosis nautis de republica moderanda consultatum esset â—oâ—isiâ— Moâ—â—â—â— Ep. 3. mentioneth iâ— as the errour of a new sprung sâ—ct that heynous sinners even so continuing mâ—y be Priests And Ep. 73. it 's said No
to make further enquiry and so when the soul is come so far as to see the same truths by supernatural Grace in the supernatural revelation of the Holy Scriptures then they become more effectual and saâ—ing which before were known but preparatorily And so the same Truths are then both the objects of Knowledge and of faith § 20. 4. Having acquainted you with mans ultimate End and Happiness in the life to come the 4. To know that Christ faith Repentance and obedience is the way to it next thing to be taught you by the Ministers of Christ is that Christ as our Saviour and faith and repentance and sincere obedience to be performed by us through his grace is the way to Heaven or the means by which we must attain this end Though the Knowledge of the Preachers wisdom piety and credibility remove some impediments which would make the receiving of this the more difficult to you yet you are not to take it barely on his word as a point of humane faith but you are to call for his proof of it that you may see better reasons than his affirmations for the entertainment of it § 21. 5. The proof that he will give you is in these two Propositions 1. Gods Revelations are all 5. To know that this is True because God hath revealed it or it is his Word true 2. This is one of Gods Revelations This is an argument Whatsoever God saith is true But this God saith Therefore this is true The first Proposition you â—re not to take upon the trust of his word but to learn of him as a Teacher to know it in its proper Evidence For it is the formal object of your faith The veracity of God is first known to you by the same Evidence and means as you know that there is a God And then it is by the force of this that you believe the particular truths which are the material object of faith 2. And the second Proposition that God hath revealed this is orderly to be first proved and so received upon its proper evidence and not taken meerly upon your Teachers word Yet if you do believe him by a humane faith as a man that is likely to know what he saith and this in order to a Divine faith it will not hinder but help your Divine faith and salvation and is indeed no more than is your duty § 22. Here not 1. That primarily these two Great Principles of faith God is True and this is Gods revelation are not themselves Credenda the Material objects of Divine faith but of Knowledge ☞ 2. That yet the result of both is de fide matter of faith 3. And the same principles are secondarily de fide as it is that there is a God For though they are first to be known by natural evidence yet when the Scripture is opened to us we shall find them there revealed And so the same thing may be the object both of knowledge and of faith 4. And Faith it self is a sort of Knowledge For though humane faith have that uncertainty in its premises for the most part as forbiddeth us to say properly I know this to be true because such a man said it Yet Divine faith hath that certainty which may make it an excellent sort of Knowledge as I have proved copiously elsewhere In believing man we argue thus Whatsoever so wise and honest a man saith is credible that is most ☞ likely to be true But this he saith Therefore c. But in believing God we argue thus Whatever God saith is credible that is as infallible truth But this God saith Therefore c. So that the word Credible signifieth not the same thing in the two arguments nor is Divine Faith and Humane faith the same § 23. 6. The next thing that the Preacher hath to teach you is the proof of the foresaid Minor 6. To knâ—w that the Gospel is his Word Proposition for the Major was proved in the proof of a Deity And that is thus The Gospel which Christ and his Apostles first Preached and is now delivered in the Sacred Scriptures is the Word or infallible revelation of God But this doctrine that Christ with faith and Repentance and obedience on our parts are the way to life Eternal is the Gospel which Christ and his Apostles first Preached c. Therefore it is the Word of God For the Minor you need not take your Teachers word if you can read for you may see it in the Books of which more anon But the Major is that which all men will desire to be assured of that the Gospel is Gods word And for that though a Belief of your Teacher is a help and good preparatory yet you are not there to stop but to use him as a Teacher to shew you the Truth of it in the proofs else you must take any thing for Gods Word which your Teacher affirmeth to be such And the proof which he will give you must be some Divine attestation which may be shewed to those whom we would convince § 24. 7. This Divine attestation which he is next to shew you hath many parts that it may be 7. The Divine attestation of the Gospel compleat and satisfactory 1. Gods antecedent Testimony 2. His inherent or impressed testimony 3. His adherent concomitant Testimony 4. His subsequent Testimony 1. Gods Antecedent Testimony by which he attesteth the Gospel is the train of Promises Prophesies Types and the preparing Ministry of Iohn which all foretold Christ and were fulfilled in him 2. Gods impressed ☞ testimony is that Image and superscription of God in his Governing-wisdom Holiness and Love which is unimmitably engraven on the Gospel as an Image upon a seal which is thereby made the Instrument to imprint the same on other things Thus as the Sun the Gospel shineth and proveth it self by its proper light 3. The conâ—omitant attestation of God is that of multitudes of certain uncontrouled miracles done by Christ and his Apostles which proved the approving hand of God and oblige all rational creatures to believe a testimony so confirmed to them Among these Christs own Resurrection and Ascension and the Gifts of his Apostles are the chief 4. The subsequent attestation of God is the power and efficacy of the Gospel in calling and sanctifying unto Christ a peculiar people zealous of good works and directing and confirming them against all temptations and torments to the end Producing that same Image of God on the souls of his Elect which is more perfectly engraven on the word it self making such changes and gathering such a people unto God as no other doctrine ever did And all these four attestations are but one even the Holy Spirit ☞ who is become the great witness of Christ and his Gospel in the World viz. 1. The spirit of Prophesie is the antecedent attestation 2. The Holy Image which the spirit hath Printed on the Gospel it self
upon Justification c. which I have seen de nomine and neither of them seemed to take notice of it Be sure as soon as you peruse the terms of your question to sift this throughly and dispute verbal controversies but as verbal and not as real and material We have real differences enow we need not make them seem more by such a blind or heedless manner of Disputing § 22. Direct 11. Suffer not a rambling mind in study nor a rambling talker in Disputes to interrupt Direct 11. your orderly procedure and divert you from your argument before you bring it to the natural issue Both deceiving Sophisters and giddy headed praters will be violent to start another game and spoil the chase of the point before you But hold them to it or take them to be unworthy to be disputed with and let them go except it be where the weakness of the Auditors requireth you to follow them in their Wild-goose Chase. You do but lose time in such rambling studies or disputes § 23. Direct 12. Be caâ—telous of admitting false suppositions or at least of admitting any inference Direct 12. that dependeth upon them In some cases a supposition of that which is false may be made while it no way tends to infer the truth of it But nothing must be built upon that falshood as intimating it to be a truth False suppositions cunningly and secretly workt into arguments are very ordinary instruments of deceit § 24. Direct 13. Plead not uncertainties against certainties But make certain points the measure Direct 13. to try the uncertain by Reduce not things proved and sure to those that are doubtful and justly controverted But reduce points disputable to those that are past doubt § 25. Direct 14. Plead not the darker Texts of Scripture against those that are more plain Direct 14. and clear nor a few texts against many that are as plain For that which is interpreted against the most plain and frequent expressions of the same Scripture is certainly mis-interpreted § 26. Direct 15. Take not obscure Prophecies for Precepts The obscurity is enough to make Direct 15. you cautelous how you venture your self in the Practice of that which you understand not But if there were no obscurity yet Prophecies are no warrant to you to fulfill them no though they be for the Churches good Predictions tell you but de eventu what will come to pass but warrant not you to bring it to pass Gods Prophesies are oft-times fulfilled by the wickedest men and the wickedest means As by the Jews in killing Christ and Pharaoh in refusing to let Israel go and Iehu in punishing the house of Ahab Yet many self-conceited persons think that they can fetch that out of the Revelations or the Prophecies of Daniel that will justifie very horrid crimes while they use wicked means to fulfil Gods Prophecies § 27. Direct 16. Be very cautelous in what cases you take mens practice or example to be instead of Direct 16. precept in the sacred Scriptures In one case a Practice or example is obligatory to us as a Precept and that is when God doth give men a commission to establish the form or orders of his Church and Worship as he did to Moses and to the Apostles and promiseth them his Spirit to lead them into all truth in the matters which he employeth them in here God is engaged to keep them from miscarrying for if they should his work would be ill done his Church would be ill constituted and framed and his servants unavoidably deceived The Apostles were authorized to constitute Church officers and orders for continuance and the Scripture which is written for a great part historically acquaints us what they did as well as what they said and wrote in the building of the Church in obedience to their commission at least in declaring to the World what Christ had first appointed And thus if their practice were not obligatory to us their words also might be avoided by the same pretenses And on this ground at least the Lords day is easily proved to be of Divine appointment and obligation Only we must see that we carefully distinguish between both the Words and Practices of the Apostles which were upon a particular and temporary occasion and obligation from those that were upon an universal or permanent ground § 28. Direct 17. Be very cautelous what Conclusions you raise from any meer works of Providence Direct 17. For the bold and blind exposition of these hath lead abundance into most heynous sins No providence is instead of a Law to us But sometimes and oft-times providence changeth the Matter of our duty and so occasioneth the change of our obligations As when the husband dyeth the Wise is disobliged c. But men of worldly dispositions do so over-value worldly things that from them they venture to take the measure of Gods Love and hatred and of the causes which he approveth or disapproveth in the World And the wisdom of God doth seem on purpose to cause such wonderful unexpected mutations in the affairs of men as shall shame the principles or spirits of these men and manifest their giddiness and mutability to their confusion One year they say This is sure the cause of God or else be would never own as he doth Another year they say If this had been Gods cause he would never have so disowned it Just as the Barbarians judged of Paul when the Viper seized on his hand And thus God is judged by them to own or disown by his prospering or afflicting more than by his Word § 29. Direct 18. In controversies which much depend on the sincerity or experience of Godly men take Direct 18. heed that you affect not singularity and depart not from the common sense of the Godly For the workings of Gods spirit are better judged of by the ordinary tenour of them than by some real or supposed case that is extraordinary § 30. Direct 19. In Controversies which most depend on the testimony of Antiquity depart not from Direct 19. the judgement of the ancients They that stood within View of the dayes of the Apostles could better tell what they did and what a condition they left the Churches in than we can do To appeal to the Ancients in every cause even in those where the later Christians do excell them is but to be fools in reverence of our fore-fathers wisdom But in points of History or any thing in which they had the advantage of their posterity their testimony is to be preferred § 31. Direct 20. In Controversies which depend on the Experience of particular Christians or of the Direct 20. Church regard most the judgement of the most experienced and prefer the judgement of the later ages of the Church before the judgement of less experienced ages except the Apostolical age that had the greater help of the spirit An ancient experienced Christian or Divine is
Orbs besides what Scripture saith even reason will strongly perswade any rational man 1. When we consider that Sea and Land and Air and all places of this lower baser part of the world are replenished with inhabitants suitable to their natures And therefore that the incomparably more great and excellent Orbs and Regions should all be uninhabited is irrational to imagine 2. And as we see the Rational Creatures are made to govern the Brutes in this inferiour world so reason telleth us it is improbable that the higher Reason of the inhabitants of the higher Regions should have no hand in the government of man And yet God hath further condescended to satisfie us herein by some unquestionable apparitions of good Angels and many more of evil spirits which puâ—s the matter past all doubt that there are inhabitants of the unseen world And when we know that such there are it maketh it the more easie to us to believe that such we may be either numbered with the happy or unhappy Spirits considering the affinity which there is between the nature of our souls and them To conquer senseless Saducism is a good step to the conquest of irreligiousness He that is well perswaded that there are Angels and Spirits is much better prepared than a Sadducee to bâ—lieve the immortality of the soul And because the infinite distance between God and man is apt to make the thoughts of our approaching his Glory either dubious or very terrible the remembrance of those myriads of blessed Spirits that dwell now in the presence of that glory doth much embolden and confirm our thoughts As he that would be afraid whether he should have access to and acceptance with the King would be much encouraged if he saw a multituâ—e as mean as himself or not much unlike him to be familiar attendants on him I must confess such is my own weakness that I find a frequent need of remembring the holy Hosts of Saints and Angels that are with God to embolden my soul and make the thoughts of Heaven more familiar and sweet by abating my strangeness â—mazedness and fears And thus far to make them the Media that I say not the Mediators of my thoughts in their approaches to the Most High and Holy God Though the remembrance of Christ the true Mediator is my chief encouragement Especially when we consider how servently those holy Spirits do love every holy person upon earth and so that all those that dwell with God are dearer friends to us than our Fathers or Mothers here on earth are as is briefly proved before this will embolden us yet much more § 18. Direct 5. Make use of the thoughts of the Angelical Hosts when you would see the Glory and Direct 5. Majesty of Christ If you think it a small matter that he is the Head of the Church on earth a handful of people contemned by the Satanical party of the world yet think what it is to be Head over all things far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come that is Gave him a power dignity and name greater than any power dignity or name of men or Angels and hath put all things under his feet Ephes. 1. 21 22 23. Being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they Of him it is said Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 4 6. Read the whole Chapter Our Head is the Lord of all these Hosts § 19. Direct 6. Make use of the remembrance of the glorious Angels to acquaint you with the dignity Direct 6. of humane nature and the special dignity of the servants of God and so to raise up your hearts in Magna dignitas fidelium animarum ut unaquaeque habeat ab ortu nativitatis in custodiam sui Angelum depuâ—atum imo plures Hitro Luke 20. 36. thankfulness to your Creator and Redeemer who hath thus advanced you 1. What a dignity is it that thâ—se holy Angels should be all Ministring Spirits sâ—nt for our good that they should love us and concern themselves so much for us as to rejoyce in Heaven at our conversion Lord What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Psal. 8. 4. 5. 2. But yet it is a higher declaration of our dignity that we should in Heaven be equal with them and so be numbered iâ—to their society and joyn with them everlastingly in the praise of our Creator 3. And it is yet a greater honour to us that our Natures are assumed into union of person with the Son of God and sâ— advanced above the Angels For he took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Nâ—r hath he put the world to come in subjection to the Angels Heb. 2. 5 16. This is the Lords doing and it is wonderous in our eyes § 20. Direct 7. When you would admire the works of God and his government look specially to the Direct 7. Angels part If God would be glorified in his works then especially in the most glorious parts If he take delight to work by Instruments and to communicate such excellency and honour to them as may conduce to the honour of the principal cause we must not overlook their excellency and honour unless we will deny God the honour which is due to him As he that will see the excellent workmanship of a Watch or any other Engine must not overlook the chiefest parts nor their operation on the rest So he that will see the excellent order of the works and Government of God must not over-look the Angels nor their Offices in the Government and preservation of the inferiour creatures so far as God hath revealed it unto us We spoil the Musick if we leave out these strings It is a great part of the glory of the works of God that all the parts in Heaven and Earth are so admirably conjoyned and joynted as they are and each in their places contribute to the beauty and harmony of the whole § 21. Direct 8. When you would be apprehensive of the excellency of Love and Humility and exact Direct 8. obedience tâ— the will of God look up to the Angels and see the lustre of all these vertues as they shine Heb. 1. 14. Psal. 103. 20 21 in them How perfectly do they Love God and all his Saints Even the weakest and meanest of the members of Christ With what humility do they condescend to minister for the heirs of salvation How readily and perfectly do they obey their Maker Though our chiefest pattern is Christ himself who came nearer to us and appeared in flesh to give us the example of all such duties yet under him the
inconsistent with Christianity or the Essentials of the Ministry we may well presume of many of them they would not receive it Therefore as an error which consequentially contradicteth some essential article of faith nullifieth not his Christianity who first and fastest holdeth the faith and would cast away the error if he saw the contradiction as Davenant Morton and Hall have shewed Epist. Conciliat So is it to be said as to practical error in the present case They are their grievous errors and sins but for ought I see do not nullifie their office to the Church As a Mass-Priest he is no Minister of Christ As an Anabaptist is not as a Rebaptizer nor a Separatist as a Separater nor an Antinomian or any erroneous person as a Preacher of that error But as a Christian Pastor ordained to preach the Gospel baptize administer the Lords Supper pray praise God guide the Church he may be The same answer serveth to the Objection as it extendeth to the erroneous Doctrines which they preach which are but by Consequence against the Essentials of Religion 2. But it is a greater doubt Whether any power of the Ministry can be conveyed by Antichrist or from him And whether God will own any of Antichrists administrations Therefore seeing they profess themselves to have no office but what they receive from the Pope and Christ disowning his usurpation the same man cannot be the Minister of Christ and Antichrist as the same man cannot be an officer in the Kings Army and his Enemies But this will have the same solution as the former If this Antichrist were the open professed enemy to Christ then all this were true Because their corrupt additions would not by dark consequences but so directly contain the denyal of Christianity or the true Ministry that it were not possible to hold both But as our Divines commonly note Antichrist is to sit in the Temple of God and the Popes Treason is under pretence of the greatest service and friendship to Christ makeing himself his Vicar General without his Commission So that they that receive power from him do think him to be Christs Vicar indeed and so renounce not Christ but profess their first and chief relation to be to him and dependance on him and that they would have nothing to do with the Pope if they knew him to be against Christ. And some of them write that the Power or Office is immediately from Christ and that the Pope Ordainers and Electors do but design the person that shall receive it Because else they know not what to say of the Election and Consecration of the Pope himself who hath no superiour And the Spanish Bishops in the Council of Trent held so close to this that the rest were fain to leave it undetermined so that it is no part of their Religion but a doubtful opinion Whether the power of Bishops be derived from the Pope though they be Governed by him But as to the other the case seemeth like this If a subject in Ireland usurp the Lieutenancy and tell all the people that he hath the Kings Commission to be his Lieutenant and command all to submit to him and receive their places from him and obey him And the King declareth him a Traytor antecedently only by the description of his Laws and maketh it the duty of the subjects to renounce him Those now that know the Kings will and yet adhere to the Usurper though they know that the King is against it are Traytors with him But those from whom he keepeth the knowledge of the Laws and who for want of full information believe him to be really the Kings Lieutenant and specially living where all believe it but yet would renounce him if they knew that he had not the Kings Commission These are the Kings subjects though in ignorance they obey an Usurper And on this account it is that A. Bishop Usher concluded that An ignorant Papist might be saved but the Learned hardly But when the Learned through the disadvantages of their Education are under the same ignorance being Learned but on one side to their greater seduction the case may be the same The same man therefore may receive an Office from Christ who yet ignorantly submitteth to the Pope and receiveth corrupt additions from him But suppose I be mistaken in all this yet to come to the second Question II. Whether Baptism and Ordination given by them be Nullities I answer no on a further account 1. Because that the Ministry which is a nullity to the receiver that is God will punish him Matâ—h 7. 23 24 2â— as an Usurper may yet perform those Ministerial Acts which are no Nullities to the Church Else Phil. 1. 15 16 17. how confused a case would all Churches be in For it is hard ever to know whether Ministers have all things essential to their Office Suppose a man be ignorant or an Heretick against some essential Mark 9. 40. Article of faith or suppose that he feigned Orders of Ordination when he had none or that he was ordained by such as really had no power to do it or suppose he pretended the consent of the majority of the people when really the greater part were for another If all thâ—s be unknown his Baptizing and other administrations are not thereby made Nullities to the Church though they be sins in him The Reason is because that the Church shall not suffer nor lose her right for another mans sin When the fault is not theirs the loss and punishment shall not be theirs He that is found in possession of the place performeth valid administration to them that know not his usurpation and are not guilty of it Otherwise we should never have done Re-baptizing nor know easily when we receive any valid administrations while we are so disagreed about the Necessaries of the Office and Call and when it is so hard in all things to judge of the Call of all other men 2. And as the Papists say that a private man or woman may baptize in extremity so many Learned Protestants think that though a private mans Baptism be a sin yet it is no nullity though he were known to be no Minister And what is said of Baptism to avoid tediousness you may suppose said of Ordination which will carry the first case far as to the Validity of the Ministry received by Papists Ordination as well as of Baptism and Visible Christianity received by them For my part God used Parsons Book of Resolution corrected so much to my good and I have known so many eminent Christians and some Ministers converted by it that I am glad that I hear none make a controversie of it whether the conversion faith or Love to God be valid which we receive by the Books or means of any Papist Quest. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist IT is one question Whether he be Antichrist and another Whether it be necessary
expectat cuique ad resipiscendum non ista sufficiunt infatuatum se juxta Domini sententiam nullo unquam sale saliri posse demonstrat I will not English it lest those take encouragement by it who are bent to the other extream 7. Yet it will be a great offence if any censorious self-conceited person shall on this pretence set up his judgement of mens parts to the contempt of Authority or to the vilifying of worthy men and especially if he thereby make a stir and Schism in the Church instead of seeking his own edification 8. Yea if a Minister be weaker yea and colder and worse than another yet if his Ministry be competently fitted to edification he that cannot leave him and go to a better without apparent hurt to the Church and the souls of others by division or exasperating Rulers or breaking family ☜ order or violating Relation duties must take himself to be at present denyed the greater helps that others have and may trust God in the use of those weaker means to accept and bless him because he is in the station where he hath set him This case therefore must be Resolved by a prudent comparing of the Good or Hurt which is like to follow and of the accidents or circumstances whence that must be discerned Quest. 10. What if the Magistrate command the people to receive one Pastor and the Bishops or Ordainers another which of them must be obeyed 1. THe Magistrate and not the Bishop or people unless under him hath the power and disposal See more of this after of the Circumstantials or Accidents of the Church I mean of the Temple the Pulpit the Tythes c. And he is to determine what Ministers are fit either for his own Countenance or Toleration and what not In these therefore he is to be obeyed before the Bishops or others 2. If a Pope or Prelate of a foreign Church or any that hath no lawful Jurisdiction or Government over the Church that wanteth a Pastor shall command them to receive one their command is null and to be contemned 3. Neither Magistrate nor Bishop as is said may deny the Church or people any Liberty which God in Nature or Christ in the Gospel hath setled on them as to the Reception of their proper Pastors 4. No Bishop but only the Magistrate can compell by the Sword the obedience of his commands 5. If one of them command the reception of a worthy person and the other of an intolerable one the former must prevail because of obedience to Christ and care of our souls 6. But if the persons be equal or both fit the Magistrate is to be obeyed if he be peremptory in his commands and decide the case in order to the peace or protection of the Church both because it is a lawful thing and because else he will permit no other 7. And the rather because the Magistrates Power is more past controversie than Whether any Bishop Pastor or Synod can any further than by counsel and perswasion oblige the People to receive a Pastor Quest. 11. Whether an uninterrupted Succession either of right Ordination or of Conveyance by Iurisdiction be necessary to the Being of the Ministry or of a true Church THe Papists have hitherto insisted on the necessity of successive right Ordination But Voâ—tius de desperata Causa Papatus hath in this so handled them and confuted Iansenius as hath indeed shewed the desperateness of that Cause And they perceive that the Papacy it self cannot be upheld by that way and therefore Iohnson alias Terret in his Rejoynder against me now concludeth that it is not for want of a successive Consecration that they condemn the Church of England but for want of true Iurisdiction because other Bishops had title to the places whilest they were put in And that successive Consecration which we take to include Ordination is not necessary to the being of Ministry or Church And it is most certain to any man acquainted in Church History that their Popes have had a succession of neither Their way of Election hath been frequently changed sometimes being by the people sometimes by the Clergy sometimes by the Emperours and lastly by the Cardinals alone Ordination they have sometime wanted and a Lay-man been chosen And oft the Ordination hath been by such as had no power according to their own Laws And frequent intercisions have been made sometime by many years vacancy when they had no Church and so there was none on Earth if the Pope be the Constitutive Head for want of a Pope sometime by long Schisms when of two or three Popes no one could be known to have more right than the other nor did they otherwise carry it than by power at last Sometimes by the utter incapacity of the possessors some being Lay-men some Hereticks and Infidels so judged by Councils at Rome Constance Basil and Eugenius the fourth continued after he was so censured and condemned and deposed by the General Council I have proved all this at large elsewhere And he that will not be cheated with a bare sound of words but will ask them whether by a succession of Iurisdiction they mean Efficient Conveying Iurisdiction in the Causers of his Call or Received Iurisdiction in the Office received will find that they do but hide their desperate Cause in Confusion and an insignificant noise For they maintain that none on earth have an Efficient Iurisdiction in making Popes For the former Pope doth not make his successor And both Electors Ordainers and Consecrators yea and the people Receiving they hold to be subjects of the Pope when made and therefore make him not by Jurisdiction giving him the power Therefore Iohnson tells me that Christ only and not man doth give the power and they must needs hold that men have nothing to do but design the person Recipient by Election and Reception and to Invest him ceremonially in the possession So that no Efficient Iurisdiction is here used at all by man And for Received Iurisdiction 1. No one questioneth but when that Office is received which is Essentially Governing he that receiveth it receiveth a Governing power or else he did not receive the Office If the question be only whether the Office of a Bishop be an Office of Iurisdiction or contain essentially a Governing power they make no question of this themselves So that the noise of Successive Jurisdiction is vanished into nothing 2. And with them that deny any Jurisdiction to belong to Presbyters this will be nothing as to their case who have nothing but Orders to receive They have nothing of sense left them to say but this That though the Efficient Iurisdiction which maketh Popes be only in Christ because no men are their Superiours yet Bishops and Presbyters who have Superiours cannot receive their power but by an Efficient Power of man which must come down by uninterrupted succession Answ. 1. And so if ever the Papal Office have an
Rom. 10. 15 1â— translate it Age it is the Age of the Church of the Messiah incarnate which is all one 4. Because it was a small part of the world comparatively that heard the Gospel in the Apostles dayes And the far greatest part of the world is without it at this day when yet God our Saviour would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 5. Even where the Gospel hath long continued for the most part there are many still that are in infidelity And so great a work is not left without an appointed suitable means for its performance And if an Office was necessary for it in the first age it is not credible that it is left to private mens charity ever since 6. Especially considedering that private men are to be supposed insufficient 1. Because they are not educated purposely for it but usually for something else 2. Because that they have other Callings to take them up 3. Because they have no special obligation And that which is no mans peculiar work is usually left undone by all II. The peoples Call or Consent is not necessary to a Ministers reception of his Office in General nor for this part of his work in special But only to his Pastoral Relation to themselves 1. It is so in other functions that are exercised by skill The Patients or People make not a man a Physicion or a Lawyer but only choose what Physicion shall be their Physicion and what Lawyer shall be their Counsellor 2. If the peoples Call or Consent be necessary it is either the Infidels or the Churches Not the Infidels to whom he is to preach for 1. He is Authorized to preach to them as the Apostles were before he goeth to them 2. Their Consent is but a Natural-consequent-requisite for the Reception and success of their Teaching but not to the Authority which is pre-requisite 3. Infidels cannot do so much towards the making of a Minister of Christ. 4. Else Christ would have few such Ministers 5. If it be Infidels either all or some If some why those rather than others Or is a man made a Minister by every Infidel auditory that heareth him 2. Nor is it Christian people that must do this much to the making of a General Minister For 1. They have no such Power given for it in Nature or the Word of God 2. They are generally unqualified and unable for such a work 3. They are no where obliged to it nor can fitly leave their Callings for it Much less to get the abilities necessary to judge 4. Which of the people have this power Is it any of them or any Church of private men Or some one more than the rest Neither one nor all can lay any claim to it There is some reason why this Congregation rather than another should choose their own Pastors But there is no Reason nor Scripture that this Congregation choose a Minister to convert the World III. I conclude therefore that the Call of a Minister in General doth consist 1. Dispositively in the due Qualifications and â—nablement of the person 2. And the Necessity of the people with opportunity is a providential part of the Call 3. And the ordainers are the Orderly Electors and determineâ—s of the person that shall receive the power from Christ. 1. For this is part of the power of the Keyes or Church-Government 2. And Paul giveth this direction for exercising of this power to Timothy which sheweth the ordinary way of Calling 2 Tim. 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. Tâ—t 1. 5 6. 2. 2. And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Act. 13. 1 2 3. There were in the Church at Antioch certain Prophets As they ministred to the Lord the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away And they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed In this whether it be to be called an Ordination or rather a Mission there is somewhat Ordinary that it be by men in office and somewhat extraordinary that it be by a special inspiration of the Holy Ghost And Timothy received his Gifts and Office by the Imposition of the hands of Paul and of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man These instances make the case the clearer 1. Because it is certain that all that Governing power which is given by Christ to the Church under the name of the Keyes is given to the Pastors 2. Because there are no other competitors to lay a reasonable claim to it Quest. 19. Wherein consisteth the Power and Nature of Ordination And to whom doth it belong And is it an Act of Iurisdiction And is Imposition of hands necessary in it I. THis is resolved on the by before 1. Ordination performeth two things 1. The designation election or determination of the person who shall receive the Office 2. The Ministerial Investiture of him in that office which is a Ceremonial delivery of Possession As a servant doth deliver possession of a house by delivering him the Key who hath before received the power or Right from the Owner 2. The office delivered by this Election and Investiture is the sacred Ministerial office in General to be after exercised according to particular Calls and opportunities As Christ called the Apostles and the Spirit called the ordinary general Teachers of those times such as Barnabas Silas Silvanus Timothy Epaphroditus Apollo c. And as is before cited 2 Tim. 2. 2. As a man is made in General a Licensed Physicion Lawyer c. 3. This Ordination is Ordinis gratiâ necessary to order and therefore so far necessary as Order is necessary which is Ordinarily when the greater interest of the substantial duty or of the Thing Ordered is not against it As Christ determined the case of Sabbath keeping and not eating the Shew-bread As the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and the end is to be preferred before the separable means so ordination was instituted for order and order for the thing ordered and for the work of the Gospel and the good of souls and not the Gospel and mens souls for that Order Therefore when 1. The death 2. Distance 3. Or malignity of the Ordainers depriveth a man of Ordination these three substitutes may notifie to him the Will of God that he is by him a person called to that office 1. Fitness for the works in Understanding Willingness and Ability 2. The Necessity of souls 3. Opportunity II. The power of ordaining belongeth not 1. To Magistrates 2. Or to private men either single or as the body of a Church but 3. To the Senior Pastors of the Church whether Bishops or Presbyters
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
Disciple to some other Pastor 1. THat Timothy was still Pauls Son in point of Learning and his Disciple and so that under Apostles the same persons might be stated in both relations at once seemeth evident in Scripture 2. But the same that is a Pastor is not at once a meer Lay-man 3. That men in the same Office may so differ in Age Experience and degrees of knowledge as that young Pastors may and often ought many years to continue not only in occasional reception of their help but also in an ordinary stated way of receiving it and so be Related to them as their ordinary Teachers by such gradual advantages is past all doubt And that all Juniors and Novices owe a certain reverence and audience and some obedience to the elder and wiser 4. But this is not to be a Disciple to him as in lower Order or Office but as of lower Gifts and Grace 5. It is lawful and very good for the Church that some Ordained persons continue long as Pupils to their Tutors in Schools or Academies e. g. to learn the holy Languages if they have them not c. But this is a relation left to voluntary Contractors 6. In the antient Churches the particular Churches had one Bishop and some Presbyters and Deacons usually of much lower parts who lived all together single or chaste in the Bishops or Church-house which was as a Colledge where he daily edified them by Doctrine and Example 7. The Controversie about different Orders by Divine Institution belongeth not to me here to meddle with But as to the Natural and Acquired Imparity of age and gifts and the unspeakable benefit to the Juniors and the Churches that it is desirable that there were such a way of their education and edification I take to be discernable to any that is impartial and judicious Ambrose was at once a Teacher and a Learner Beda Eccl. Hist. mentioneth one in England that was at once a Pastor and a Disciple And in Scotland some that became Bishops were still to be under the Government of the Abbot of their Monasteries according to their first devotion though the Abbot was but a Presbyter 8. Whether a setled private Church-member may not at once continue his very formal Relation to the Pastor of that Church and yet be of the same Order with him in another Church as their Pastor at the same time As he may in case of necessity continue his Apprentiship or civil service is a case that I will not determine But he that denyeth it must prove his opinion or affirmation of its unlawfulness by sufficient evidence from Scripure or Nature which is hard Quest. 31. Who hath the power of making Church Canons THis is sufficiently resolved before 1. The Magistrate only hath the power of making such Canons or Laws for Church matters as shall be enforced by the Sword 2. Every Pastor hath power to make Canons for his own Congregation that is to determine what hour and at what place they shall meet what Translation of Scripture or Version of Psalms shall be used in his Church what Chapter shall be read what Psalm shall be sung c. Except the Magistrate contradict him and determine it otherwise in such points as are not proper to the Ministerial Office 3. Councils or Assemblies of Pastors have the power of making such Canons for many Churches as shall be Laws to the people and Agreements to themselves 4. None have power to make Church Laws or Canons about any thing save 1. To put Gods own Laws in execution 2. To determine to that end of such Circumstances as God hath left undetermined in his Word 5. Canon-making under pretence of Order and Concord hath done a great deal of mischief to the Churches whilest Clergy men have grown up from Agreements to Tyrannical Usurpations and Impositions and from Concord about needful Accidents of Worship to frame new Worship Ordinances and to force them on all others but especially 1. By encroaching on the power of Kings and telling them that they are bound in Conscience to put all their Canons into execution by force 2. And by laying the Union of the Churches and the Communion of Christians upon things needless and doubtful yea and at last on many sinful things whereby the Churches have been most effectually divided and the Christian world set together by the Ears and Schisms yea and Wars have been raised And these maladies cannot possibly be healed till the tormenting tearing Engines be broken and cast away and the Voluminous Canons of numerous Councils which themselves also are matter of undeterminable Controversie be turned into the primitive simplicity and a few necessary things made the terms of Concord Doubtless if every Pastor were left wholly to himself for the ordering of Worship Circumstances and Accidents in his own Church without any Common Canons save the Scriptures and the Laws of the Land there would have been much less division than that is which these numerous Canons of all the Councils obtruded on the Church have made Quest. 32. Doth Baptism as such enter the Baptized into the Universal Church or into a particular Church or both And is Baptism the Particular-Church Covenant as such Answ. 1. BAptism as such doth enter us into the Universal Church and into it alone and is no particular Church-Covenant but the solemnizing of the great Christian Covenant of Grace between God and a believer and his seed For 1. There is not essentially any mention of a particular Church in it 2. A man may be baptized by a general unfixed Minister who is not the Pastor of any particular Church And he may be baptized in solitude where there is no particular Church The Eunuch Mat. 28 19 20. Act. 8. was not baptized into any particular Church 3. Baptism doth but make us Christians But a man may be a Christian who is no member of any particular Church 4. Otherwise Baptism should oblige us necessarily to a man and be a Covenant between the Baptized and the Pastor and Church into which he is baptized But it is only our Covenant with Christ. 5. We may frequently change our particular Church relation without being baptized again But we never change our relation to the Church which we are baptized into unless by Apostasie 2. Yet the same person at the same time that he is baptized may be entred into the universal Church and into a particular And ordinarily it ought to be so where it can be had 3. And the Covenant which we make in baptism with Christ doth oblige us to obey him and consequently to use his instituted means and so to hear his Ministers and hold due Communion with his Churches 4. But this doth no more enter us into a particular Church than into a particular family For we as well oblige our selves to obey him in family relations as in Church relations 5. When the baptized therefore is at once entered into the universal and particular
because it was but by Accident a duty and now interpreted a heinous sin But in case that the Life of any man lay on it or that the scandal on Religion for my denying Civil honour to the Prince would be greater and of more perillous consequence than the scandal of seeming Idolatry I would perform that Civil honour which I did before and which God enjoyneth me to perform to my Prince But I would avoid the scandal by open protesting seasonably against the Idolatry Quest. 116. Is it unlawful to use the Badge or Symbol of any Error or Sect in the Worship of God Answ. 1. IT is unlawful to use it formally as such 2. But not materially when 1. There are just and weighty reasons for it 2. And I Every Sect of erring Christians accordingly useth to err in worship and have some badge and symbol of their Sect and error may disown the error For 1. All Sects and Erroneous persons may turn holy words and duties into symbols of their errors 2. All Christians in the world being imperfect do sometime err in matter or manner in their worship And he that will materially avoid all the badges or symbols of their errors shall have no communion with any Church or Christian. 3. As we must do our best so to avoid all their errors that we choose them not and make them not formally our own practice as tautologies vain repetitions disorders unfit phrases c. We must our selves when we are the speakers do as much better as we can So we must not therefore separate from them that do use them nor deny them our Communion when they use them Else we must separate from all others and all others from us 4. But when we are present with them our minds must disown all the faults of the holiest prayer in the world which we joyn in We may be bound to stay with them and joyn in all that 's good and warrantable and yet as we go along to disown in our minds all that we know to be amiss Quest. 117. Are all Indifferent things made unlawful to us which shall be abused to Idolatrous Worship Answ. YOu must distinguish 1. Of the symbols of Idolatry before spoken of and other by-abuses 2. Oâ— an abuse done in former ages or remote Countreys and in our own age and Countrey 3. Of the Reasons inviting us to use them whether necessary or not 1. The Case of Symbols or Badges is not here spoken of but other abuses 2. An abuse committed in the age and place we live in or any other which will be the scandal embolden others to the like may not be complyed in without so great reason as will notably preponderate the evil consequents 3. But yet in many cases such abused Indifferent things may after be lawfully used by believers For instance 1. Names may be things indifferent abused to Idolatry and yet lawfully used by us As the name God Deus Lord Holy Just Good Temple Altar Sacrifice Priest Heaven Sun Moon Iupiter Saturn and a hundred such I mean these Letters and Syllables in these languages That these names are all in themselves indifferent appeareth in that they are neither Naturally necessary nor by Gods Institution but arbiâ—rary signs of humane invention and choice For we may easily and lawfully make new words to signifie all the same things that these do And that they are abused to Idolatry is notoriously known And that yet they are lawfully used the practice of all Christians English and Latin even the most scrupulous themselves doth judge 2. And the use of Temples these individuals which have been used to Idolatry is lawful 3. So also of Bells Pulpits Cups Tables and Fonts and other Utensils 4. The Bible it self as it is this individual Book rather than another is a thing indifferent Yet it may be read in after it hath been abused to Idolatry 5. If the King would give not only the Garments but the Money Lands Lordships Houses which have been Consecrated or otherwise abused to Idolatry to any poor people or most of the scrupulous they would think it lawful to receive and use them yea it s lawful to dedicate the same Lands and Money afterwards to holy uses and to maintain Religious Worship 6. Otherwise it were in the power of any Idolater when ever he pleased to deprive all the Christian world of their Christian liberty and to make nothing indifferent to us seeing they can abuse them all 7. Yea almost nothing is then already indifferent there being few things that some person in some time and place hath not abused to Idolatry 8. If the question be only of all Individual things abused to Idolatry the decision now given will hold good But if it be also of all species of such things it will be a dishonour to a mans reason to make a question of it Quest. 118. May we use the names of Week dayes which Idolatry honoured their Idols with as Sunday Munday Saturday and the rest And so the Moneths Answ. 1. IT were to be wished that the custome were changed 1. Because the names have been so grosly abused 2. And we have no need of them 3. And as the Papists say Our Monuments Temple-names and other Relicts among you prove ours to be the old Religion and keep possession for us till it be restored So the Heathens say to all the Christians Your very names of your dayes and moneths prove our Religion to be elder than yours and keep possession for us till it be restored 2. It is meet that we wisely do our duty toward the reformation of this abuse 3. But yet long custome and sound doctrine hath so far taken away the scandal and ill effects that rather than be an offence to any by seeming singularity it is as lawful still to use these names as it was to Luke to use the names of Castor and Pollux Iupiter and Mercury historically 4. In such cases the true solution of the question must be by weighing accidents and foreseen consequents together wisely and impartially And he that can foresee which way is likely to do most good or hurt may satisfactorily know his duty Quest. 119. Is it lawful to pray secretly when we come first into the Church especially when the Church is otherwise employed Answ. 1. THis is a thing which God hath given us no particular Law about but the General Laws must regulate us Let all be done decently in order and to edification 2. Our great and principal business in coming to the Church assembly is to joyn with them in the publick Worship And this is it that accordingly as our great business we must intend and do 3. In a place where superstition makes ignorant people think it a matter of necessity so to begin with secret prayer when the Church is otherwise employed the use of it is the more scandalous as encouraging them in their error 4. It is the best way to come before the publick worship begin
more mercy from Christ than there is faith in Christ. 14. No man could ever be saved without Believing in God as a merciful pardoning saving God though many have been saved who knew not the person of Christ determinately For he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him who is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him 12 Ps. 145. 9. 〈…〉 4. 10. Rom. 10. 20. 13 Act. 4. 12. Joh. 14. 6. 14 Heb. 11. 6. Act. 10. 35. 2 Thes. 1. 11 12. Jâ—r 10. 25. 〈…〉 10. 12 13 1â— 15. 15. All Nations on Earth that have not the Gospel are obliged by God to the use of certain means 15 Act. 14. 17. 17. 27 28 29 30. Rom. 1. 19 20 21 22. 2. 4 7 10 14 15 16 27. Isa. 55. 6 7. and improvement of certain mercies in order or tendency to their Salvation And it is their sin if they use them not 16. God hath appointed no means in vain which men must either not use or use despairingly But his Command to use any means for any end containeth though not an explicite promise yet great and comfortable encouragement to use that means in hope 17. Therefore the world is now in comparison of the Catholick Church much like what it was before Christs incarnation in comparison of the Jews Church who yet had many wayes great 16 Jonah 4. 2. 3. 10. Act. 10. 35. Mal. 3. 14. Isa. 45. 19. Deut. 32. 47. Mal. 1. 10. Prov. 1. 22 23 24. Gâ—n 4. 7. Rom. 3. Rom. 2. advantage though God was not the God of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles who had a Law written in their hearts and an accusing or excusing Conscience 18. Those over-doing Divines who pretend to be certain that all the World are damned that are not Christians do add to Gods word and are great agents for Satan to tempt men to Infidelity and â—o Athâ—ism it self and to disswade mankind from discerning the Infinite goodness of God and occasion many to deny the Immortality of the soul rather than they will believe that five parts in six of the world now and almost all before Christs incarnation have Immortal souls purposely created in thâ—m to be damned without any propounded means and possibility-natural of râ—tnedy And as I know they will pour out their bitter censure on these lines which I could avoid if I regarded it more than truth so with what measure they mete it shall be measured to them and others will dâ—mn them as confidently as they damn almost all the world And I will be bold to censure that they are UNDOERS of the Church by OVER DOING See more in my Vindication of Gods Goodness Quest. 158. Should not Christians take up with Scripture wisdom only without studying Philosophy and other Heathens humane Learning Answ. I Have already proved the usefulness of common knowledge called Humane Learning by twenty Reasons in my book called The Unreasonableness of Infidelity pag. 163. part 2. sect 23. Prov. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Psal. 92. 5 6. 104. 24 25. 113. 5 6. 107. 8 15 21. Psal. 66. 3. 4. Psal. 111. 2 3 4 5 6. 145. 7 8 9 10 11 17 18 19. Act. 2. 6 7 8 9. 21. 40. 24. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 2 4 9 13 14 19 26 27. Rev. 9. 11. 14. 16. 5. 9. Psal. 19. 1 2 3. 94. 10. 139. 6. Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4. 8. 9 10 12. 1 Cor. 15. 34. Prov. 19. 2. Job 32. 8. 38. 36. Yet I refer the Reader to my Treat of Knowledge which sheweth the Vanâ—ty of pretended Learning to which I refer the Reader And only say now 1. Grace presupposeth Nature We are men in order of nature at least before we are Saints and Reason is before supernatural Revelation 2. Common knowledge therefore is subservient unto faith We must know the Creator and his works And the Redeemer restoreth us to the due knowledge of the Creator Humane Learning in the sense in question is also Divine God is the Author of the light of nature as well as of grace We have more than Heathens but must not therefore have less and cast away the good that is common to them and us Else we must not have souls bodies reason health time meat drink cloaths c. because Heathens have them Gods works are honourable sought out of all them that have pleasure therein And physical Philosophy is nothing but the knowledge of Gods works 3. And the knowledge of Languages is necessary both for humane converse and for the understanding of the Scriptures themselves The Scriptures contain not a Greek and Hebrew Grammar to understand the language in which they are written but suppose us otherwise taught those tongues that we may interpret them 4. The use of the Gospel is not to teach us all things needful to be known but to teach us on supposition of our common knowledge how to advance higher to supernatural saving knowledge â—aith Love and practice Scripture telleth us not how to build a house to plow sow weave or make our works of art Every one that learneth his Countrey tongue of his Parents hath humane Learning of the same sort with the learning of Greek and Hebrew He that learneth not to read cannot read the Bible And he that understandeth it not in the Original tongues must trust other mens words that have Humane Learning or else remain a stranger to it But though none but proud fools will deny the need of that humane Learning which improveth Col. 2. 8 9 23. 1 Cor. 2. 1 4 5 6 13. 3. 19. 2 Cor. â— 12. â—ob 28. 28. Prov. 1. 7. 9. 10. Joh. 17. 3. Gal. 4. 9. Eph. 3. 10. 1 Joh. 2. 13 14. Col. 1. 9 27 28. Eph. 6. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 11. Col. 3. 16. nature and is subservient to our knowledge of supernatural Revelations yet well doth Paul admonish us to take heed that none deceive us by vain Philosophy and faith that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God and that the knowledge of Christ Crucified is the true Christian Philosophy or Wisdom For indeed the dark Philosophers groping after the knowledge of God did frequently stumble and did introduce abundance of Logical and Physical vanities uncertainties and â—alsities under the name of Philosophy by meer niceties and high pretendings seeking for the glory of wisdom to themselves when as it is one thing to know Gods works and God in them and another thing to compose a systeme of Physicks and Metaphysicks containing abundance of errours and confusion and jumbling a few certainties with a great many uncertainties and untruths and every sect pulling down what others asserted and all of them disproving the methods and assertions of others and none proving their
12. 12. Col. 4. 15. people that make the Church 2. That God may be acceptably Worshipped in all places when it is our duty 3. That the ancient Churches and Christians in times of persecutions ordinarily met in secret against the Rulers wills and their meetings were called Conventicles and slandered which occasioned Pliny's examination and the right he did them 4. That no Minister must forsake and give over his work while there is need and he can do it Mat. 18. 20. 1 Cor. 9. 10. 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. Act. 4. 19. See Dr. Hammoâ—d in ioc 1 Tim. 2. 8. Act. 8. 4. 1 Joh. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. Hâ—b 10. 25. 5. That where there are many thousands of ignorant and ungodly persons and the publick Ministers either through their paucity proportioned to the people or their disability or unwillingness or negligence or all are insufficient for all that publick and private Ministerial work which God hath appointed for the instruction perswasion and salvation of such necessitous souls there is need of more Ministerial help 6. That in cases of real not counterfeit necessity they that are hindered from exercising their Ministerial Office publickly should do it privately if they have true Ordination and the call of the peoples necessity desire and of opportunity so be it they do it in that peaceable orderly and quiet manner as may truly promote the interest of Religion and detract not from the lawful publick Ministry and work 7. That they that are forbidden to Worship God publickly unless they will commit some certain See much of this case handled before Q. 109. and Q. 110. sin are so prohibited as that they ought not to do it on such terms 8. That the private meetings which are held on these forementioned terms in such cases of necessity are not to be forsaken though prohibited Though still the honour of the Magistrate is to be preserved and obedience given him in all Lawful things And such Meetings are not sinful nor dishonourable to the assemblers For as Tertullian and Dr. Heylin after him saith Cum pii cum boni cocunt non factio dicenda est sâ—d curia When pious and good people meet especially as aforesaid it is not to be called a faction but a Court. Thus far I think we all agree And that the Church of England is really of this mind is certain 1. In that they did Congregate in private themselves in the time of Cromwells Usurpation towards the end when he began to restrain the use of the Common Prayer 2. In that they wrote for it see Dr. Hide of the Churcâ— in the beginning 3. Because both in the reign of former Princes since the Reformation and to this day many laborious conforming Ministers have still used to repeat their Sermons in their Houses where many of the people came to hear them 4. Because the Liturgie alloweth private Baptism and restraineth not any number from being present nor the Minister from instructing them in the use of Baptism which is the sum of Christianity 5. Because the Liturgie commandeth the visitation of the sick and alloweth the Minister there to pray and instruct the person according to his own ability about Repentance faith in Christ and preparation for death and the life to come and forbiddeth not the friends and neighbours of the sick to be present 6. Because the Liturgie and Canons allow private Communion with the sick lame or aged that cannot come to the assembly where the nature of that holy work is to be opened and the Eucharistical work to be performed And some must be present and the number not limited 7. And as these are express testimonies that all private meetings are not disallowed by the Church of England so there are other instances of such natural necessity as they are not to be supposed to be against As 1. For a Captain to Pray and read Scripture or good Books and sing Psalms with his Souldiers and with Marriners at Sea when they have no Minister 2. There are many thousands and hundred thousands in England that some live so far from Church and some are so weak that they can seldome go and some Churches have not room for a quarter of the Parish and none of the thousands now meant can read and so neither can help themselves nor have a Minister that will do it And thousands that when they have heard a Sermon cannot remember it but lose it presently If these that cannot Read or Remember nor teach their own families nor go to Church do take their Families many of them to some one Neighbours house where the Sermon is repeated or the Bible or Liturgie read methinks the Church should not be against it But it must be still remembred that 1. Rulers that are Infidels Papists Hereticks or persecutors that restrain Church-meetings to the injury of mens souls must be distinguisht from pious Princes that only restrain Hereticks and real Schismaticks for the Churches good 2. And that times of Heresie and Schism may make private meetings more dangerous than quiet times And so even the Scottish Church forbad private meetings in the Separatists dayes of late And when they do more hurt than good and are justly forbidden no doubt in that case it is a duty to obey and to forbear them as is aforesaid Quest. 173. What particular Directions for Order of Studies and Books should be observed by young Students § 1. BEcause disorder is so great a disadvantage to young Students and because many have importuned me to name them some few of the best Books because they have no Time to read nor money to buy many I shall here answer these two demands § 2. I. The Order of their studies is such as respecteth their whole lives or such as respecteth every Day It is the first which I now intend § 3. Direct 1. The knowledge of so much of Theologie as is necessary to your own Duty and Salvation is the first thing which you are to learn when you have learnt to speak Children have souls to save and their Reason is given them to use for their Creators service and their salvation 1. They can never begin to Learn that too soon which they were made and Redeemed to Learn and which their whole lives must be employed in practising And that which absolute Necessity requireth and without which there is no salvation 3. And that which must tell a man the only ultimate end which he must intend in all the moral actions of his life For the right Intention of our end is antecedent to all right use of means And till this be done a man hath not well begun to Live nor to use his Reason nor hath he any other work for his Reason till this be first done He liveth but in a continual sin that doth not make God and the publick good and his salvation his end Therefore they that would not have Children begin with Divinity would have them
uncertain searchable and unsearchable revealed and unrevealed And lay the first as your foundation yea rather keep the knowledge of them as your Science of Physick by it self and let no obscurity in the rest cause you to question certain things nor ever be so perverse as to try things known by things unknown and to argue à minùs notis Lay no stress on small or doubtful things § 13. Direct 9. Metaphysicks as now taken is a mixture of Organical and Real Knowledge And part of it belongeth to Logick the Organical part and the rest is Theologie and Pneumatologie and the highest parts of Ontologie or Real Science § 14. Direct 10. In studying Philosophy 1. See that you neither neglect any helps of those that have gone before you under pretence of taking nothing upon trust and of studying the naked Things themselves For if every man must begin all a new as if he had been the first Philosopher knowledge will make but small proficiency 2. Nor yet stick not in the bare Belief of any Author whatsoever but study all things in their naked natures and proper evidences though by the helps that are afforded you by others For it is not science but humane belief else whoever you take it from § 15. Direct 10. So certain are the numerous errours of Philosophers so uncertain a multitude of their assertions so various their sects and so easie is it for any to pull down much which the rest have built and so hard to set up any comely structure that others in like manner may not cast down that I cannot perswade you to fall in with any one sort or sect who yet have published their sentiments to the World The Platonists made very noble attempts in their enquiries after spiritual beings But they run into many unproved fanaticisms and into divers errours and want the desirable helps of true method The wit of Aristotle was wonderful for subtility and solidity His knowledge vast His method oft accurate But many precarious yea erroneous conceptions and assertions are so placed by him as to have a troubling and corrupting influence into all the rest The Epicureans or Democratists were still and justly the contempt of all the sober sects And our late Somatists that follow them yea and Gassendus and many that call themselves Cartesians yea Cartesius himself much more Berigardus Regius and Hobbes do give so much more to meer Matter and Motion than is truly due and know or say so much too little of Spirits Active Natures Vital Powers which are the true principles of motion that they differ as much from true Philosophers as a Carkass or a Clock from a living man The Stoicks had noble Ethical principles and they and the Platonists with the Cynicks were of the best lives But their writings are most lost and little of their Physicks fully known to us and that also hath its errours Patricius is but a Platonist so taken with the nature of Light as insisting on that in Phanatical terms to leave out a great deal more that must be conjoyned Telesius doth the like by Heat and Cold Heaven and Earth and among many observable things hath much that is unsound and of ill consequence Campanella hath improved him and hath many hints of better Principles especially in his Primalities than all the rest But he phanatically runs them up into so many unproved and vain yea and mistaken superstructures as that no true Body of Physicks can be gathered out of all his works The attempt that pious Commenius hath made in his small Manual hath much that is of worth but far short of accurateness The Hermetical Philosophers have no true method of Philosophy among them And to make their three or five Principles to be so many Elements or simple bodies constituting all compounds and form up a systeme of Philosophy on their suppositions will be but to trifle and not to satisfie judicious minds especially considering how defective their Philosophy is made by their omissions Lullius and his followers fit not their Method to the true order of the Matter Scaliger Scheggius Wendeline and Sennertus especially in his Hypomnemata were great men and have many excellent things But too much of Aristotles goeth for currant with them My worthy Learned and truly pious friend Mr. Sam. Gott in his new Book on Gen. 1. hath many excellent notions and much that is scarce elsewhere to be met with But the tedious paragraphs the defect of method and several unproveable particulars make it like all humane works imperfect Therefore if I must direct you according to my judgement I must advise you 1. To suppose that Philosophers are all still in very great darkness and there is much confusion defectiveness errour and division and uncertainty among them 2. Therefore addict not your selves absolutely to any Sect of them 3. Let your first studies of them all leave room for the changing of your judgement and do not too hastily fix on any of their sentiments as sure till you have heard what others say and with ripened understandings have deeply and long studied the Things themselves 4. Choose out so much of the Certainties and Useful parts of Physicks as you can reach to and make them know their places in subserviency to your holy principles and ends and rather be well content with so much than to lose too much time in a vain fatigation of your brains for more I have made some attempt to draw out so much especially de Mundo de Homine in my Methodus The logiae though I expect it should no more satisfie others than any of theirs have satisfied me § 16. Direct 11. When you have well stated your Ontologie or Real Science then review your Logick and Organical part of Metaphysicks and see Verba rebus aptentue Fetch then your words and Organical notions from the Nature of the Things Abundance are confounded by taking up Logical Notions first which are unsuitable to true Physical beings § 17. Direct 12. Somewhat of Ethicks may be well learnt of Philosophers but it 's nothing to the Scriptures Christian Ethicks § 18. Direct 13. Somewhat of artificial Rhetorick and Oratory should be known But the Oratory which is most natural from the evidence of things well managed by a good understanding and elocution which hath least of appearing art or affectation is ever the most effectual and of best esteem § 19. Direct 14. The doctrine o◠Politicks especially of the Nature of Government and Laws in General is of great use to all that will ever understand the Nature of Gods Government and Laws that is of Religion Though there be no necessity of knowing the Government and Laws of the Land or of other Countreys and further than is necessary to our obedience or our outward concernments yet so much of Government and Laws as Nature and Scripture make common to all particular forms and Countreys must be known by him that will understand Morality or Divinity or
the authority which he committed to their trust § 86. 3. The Christian Religion bindeth subjects to obedience upon sorer penalties than Magistrates can inflict even upon pain of Gods displeasure and everlasting damnation Rom. 13. 2 3. And how great a help this is to Government it is so easie to discern that the simpler sort of Atheists do perswade themselves that Kings devised Religion to keep people in obedience with the fears of Hell Take away the fears of the life to come and the punishment of God in Hell upon the wicked and the world will be turned into worse than a den of Serpents and wild beasts adulteries and murders and poysoning Kings and all abomination will be freely committed which wit or power can think to cover or bear out Who will trust that man that believeth not that God doth judge and punish § 87. 4. The Christian Religion doth encourage obedience and peace with the Promise of the Reward of endless happiness caeteris paribus Heaven is more than any Prince can give If that will not move men there is no greater thing to move them Atheism and Infidelity have no such motives § 88. 5. Christianity teacheth subjects to obey not only good Rulers but bad ones even Heathens themselves and not to resist when we cannot obey Whereas among Heathens Princes ruled no longer than they pleased the Souldiers or the people so that Lampridius marvelled that Heliogabalus was no sooner butchered but suffered to reign three years Mirum fortasse cuipiam videatur Constantine venerabilis quod haec clades quam retuli loco principum fuerit quidem propè trienio ita ut nemo inventus Cicero saith that every Good man was in his heart or as much as in him lay one that killed Caesar. fuerit qui istum à gubernaculis Romonanae majestatis abduceret cum Neroni Vitellio Caligulae caeterisque hujusmâ—di nunquam tyranniceda defuerit § 89. 6. Christianity and Godliness do not only restrain the outward acts but rule the very hearts and lay a charge upon the thoughts which the power of Princes cannot reach It forbiddeth to curse the King in our bed-chamber or to have a thought or desire of evil against him It quencheth the first sparks of disloyalty and disorder And the rule of the outward man followeth the ordering of the heart And therefore Atheism which leaveth the Heart free and open to all desires and designes of rebellion doth kindle that fire in the minds of men which Government cannot quench It corrupteth the fountain It breaketh the spring that should set all a going It poisoneth the heart of Common-wealths § 90. 7. Christianity and Godliness teach men Patience that it may not seem strange to them to bear the Cross and suffer injuries from high and low And therefore that Impatience which is 1 Pet. 4. 12. the beginning of all rebellion being repressed it stayeth the distemper from going any further § 91. 8. Christianity teacheth men self-denyal as a great part of their religion And when selfishness Luk. 14. 29 33. is mortified there is nothing left to be a principle of Rebellion against God or our superiors Selfishness is the very predominant principle of the ungodly It is only for themselves that they obey when they do obey No wonder therefore if the Author of Leviathan allow men to do any thing when the saving of themselves requireth it And so many selfish persons as there be in a Kingdom so many several Interests are first sought which for the most part stand cross to the Interests of others The Godly have all one common center They unite in God and therefore may be kept in concord For Gods will is a thing that may be fulfilled by all as well as one But the selfish and ungodly are every one his own Center and have no common center to unite in their interests being ordinarily cross and inconsistent § 92. 9. Christianity teacheth men by most effectual arguments so set light by the Riches and honours of the world and not to strive for superiority but to mind higher things and lay up our Ungebantur Reges non pet dominum sed qui caeteris crudeliores existerent paulo post ab unctoribus non pro veri examinatione trucidabantur aliis electis trucioribuâ— Gildas de exc Brit. treasure in a better world and to condescend to men of low degree It forbiddeth men to exalt themselves lest they be brought low and commandeth them to humble themselves that God may exalt them And he that knoweth not that Pride and Covetousness are the great disquieters of the world and the cause of contentions and the ruine of States knoweth nothing of these matters Therefore if it were but by the great urging of humility and heavenly mindedness and the strict condemning of Ambition and Earthly-mindedness Christianity and Godliness must needs be the greatest preservers of Government and of order peace and quietness in the World § 93. 10. Christianity teacheth men to live in the Love of God and man It maketh Love the very heart and life and sum and end of all other duties of Religion Faith it self is but the bellows to kindle in us the sacred flames of Love Love is the end of the Gospel and the fulfilling of the Law To Love all Saints with a special Love even with a pure heart and fervently and to Love all men heartily with a common love To love our Neighbour as our selves and to Love our very enemies this is the life which Christ requireth upon the penalty of damnation And if Love thus prevail what should disturb the Government peace or order of the world § 94. 11. Christianity teacheth men to be exact in Justice distributive and commutative and to do to others as we would they should do to us And where this is followed Kings and States will have little to molest them when Gens sine justitiâ est sine remige navis in undâ § 95. 12. Christianity teacheth men to do good to all men as far as we are able and to abound in good works as that for which we are Redeemed and new made And if men will set themselves wholly to do good and be hurtful and injurious to none how easie will it be to govern such § 96. 13. Christianity teacheth men to forbear and to forgive as ever they will be forgiven of Rom. 14 15. 1. God and the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves but one another to their edification Not to be censorious harsh or cruel nor to place the Kingdom of Gal. 6. 1 2 3 4. Jam â—3 15 16 17. Titus 3. 2. God in meats and drinks and dayes but in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost To bear one anothers burdens and to restore them with the Spirit of meekness that are overtaken in a fault and to be peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good
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
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
worth no nor to get the true worth against his will or with scandal But if it be only to get a true worth of your commodity when he is willing but would be offended if his ignorance in some point were cured you may so far make use of his ignorance to a lawful end as is said before in the case of concealing faults § 14. Quest. 13. May I strive to get before another to get a good bargain which he desireth Quest. 13. Answ. Yes if you do it not out of a greedy mind nor to the injury of one that is poorer than your self You should rather further the supply of your neighbours greater needs Otherwise speed and industry in your Calling is no fault nor yet the crossing of a covetous mans desires You are not bound to let every man have what he would have § 15. Quest. 14. May I buy a thing out of anothers hand or hire a servant which another is about Quest. 14. or is treating with Or may I call a Chapman from another to buy of me Answ. There are some cases in which you may not do it and some in which you may You may not do it out of greedy covetousness nor to the injury of the poor nor when the other hath gone so far in the bargain that it cannot be honestly broken For then you injure the third person and tempt the other to a sin nor may you do it so as to disturb that due and Civil order which should be among moderate men in trading And it is a great matter how the thing is accounted of by the custome of the Countrey or Market where you bargain For where it is of ill report and accounted as unjust the scandal should make you avoid such a course But yet in some cases it is lawful and in some a needful duty It is lawful when none of the foresaid reasons or any such other are against it It is a duty when Charity to the poor or oppressed doth require it As e. g. a poor man must needs sell his Land his Horse his Corn or Goods A Covetous oppressor offereth him less than it is worth The poor man must take his offer if he can get no more The oppressor saith that it is injustice for any one to take his bargain out of his hand or offer money till he have done In this case it may be a duty to offer the poor man the worth of his commodity and save him from the oppressor A covetous man offereth a Servant or Labourer less than their service or labour is worth and will accuse you if you interrupt his bargain and would offer his Servant more In this case it may be your duty to help the servant to a better Master A Chapman is ready to be cheated by an unconscionable Tradesman to give much more for a commodity than its worth Charity may oblige you in such a case to offer it him cheaper In a word if you do it for your own gain in a greedy manner it is a sin But if you do it when it is not scandalous or injurious or do it in charity for anothers good it is lawful and sometime a duty § 16. Quest. 15. May I dispraise anothers commodity to draw the buyer to my own Quest. 15. Answ. This case is sufficiently answered in the former 1. You may not use any false dispraise 2. Nor a true one out of Covetousness nor in a scandalous manner 3. But you may help to save another from a Cheater by opening the deceit in charity to him § 17. Quest. 16. What should I do in doubtful cases where I am uncertain whether the thing be just or not Quest. 16. Answ. Causeless perplexing melancholy scruples which would stop a man in the course of his duty are not to be indulged But in rational doubts first use your utmost diligence as much as the nature of the cause requireth to be resolved and if yet you doubt be sure to go the safer way and to avoid sin rather than loss and to keep your consciences in peace § 18. Quest. 17. If the buyer lose the commodity between the bargain and the payment as if he buy Quest. 17. your Horse and he dye before payment or presently after what should the seller do to his relief Answ. If it were by the sellers fault or by any fault in the Horse which he concealed he isto make the buyer full satisfaction If it were casually only rigorous Justice will allow him nothing And therefore if it be either to a man that is Rich enough to bear it without any great sense of the loss or in a case where in common custome the buyer alwayes standeth to the loss meer justice will make him no amends But if it be where custome maketh some abatement judged a duty or where the person is so poor as to be pinched by the loss that common humanity which all good men use in bargaining which tempereth Justice with Charity will teach men to bear their part of the loss because they must do as they would be done by § 19. Quest. 18. If the thing bought and sold prove afterward of much more worth than was by either Quest. 18. party understood as in buying of Amber-chryse and Iewels it oft falleth out is the buyer bound to give the seller more than was bargained for Answ. Yes if it was the sellers meer ignorance and insufficiency in that business which caused him so to undersell it As if an ignorant Countrey-man sell a Jewel or Amber-chryse who knoweth not what it is a moderate satisfaction should be made him But if it was the sellers trade in which he is to be supposed sufficient and if it be taken for granted before hand that both buyer and seller will stand to the bargain what ever it prove and that the seller would have abated nothing if it had proved less worth than the price then the buyer may enjoy his gain Much more if he run any notable hazard for it as Merchants use to do § 20. Quest. 19. What if the title of the thing sold prove bad which was before unknown Quest. 19. Answ. If the seller either knew it was bad or through his notable negligence was ignorant of it or did not fully acquaint the buyer with so much of the uncertainty and danger as he knew or if it was any way his fault that the buyer was deceived and not the buyers fault he is bound to make him proportionable satisfaction As also in case that by Law or bargain he be bound to warrant the title to the buyer But not in case that it be their explicite or implicite agreement that the buyer stand to the hazard and the seller hath done his duty to make him know what 's doubtful § 21. Quest. 20. What if a change of Powers or Laws do overthrow the title almost as soon as it is Quest. 20. sold as it oft falls out about
you should perform your trust or would discharge you of it If it be some great and unexpected dangers which you think upon good grounds the Parent would acquit you from if he were living you fulfill your trust if you avoid them and do that which would have been his will if he had known it Otherwise you must perform your promise though it be to your loss and suffering Quest. 16. But what if it was only a trust imposed by his desire and will without my acceptance or promise Quest. 16. to perform it Answ. You must do as you would be done by and as the common good and the Laws of love and friendship do require Therefore the quality of the person and your obligations to him and especially the comparing of the consequent good and evil together must decide the case Quest. 17. What if the surviving kindred of the Orphane be nearer to him than I am and they censure Quest. 17. me and calumniate me as injurious to the Orphane may I not ease my self of the trust and cast it upon them Answ. In this case also the measure of your suffering must first be compared with the measure of the Orphanes good And then your Conscience must tell you whether you verily think the Parent who entrusted you would discharge you if he were alive and knew the case If he would though you promised it is to be supposed that it was not the meaning of his desire or your promise to incur such sufferings And if you believe that he would not discharge you if he were alive then if you promised you must perform But if you promised not you must go no farther than the Law of love requireth Quest. 18. What is a Minister of Christ to do if a penitent person confess secretly some heynous or Quest. 18. capital crime to him as Adultery theft robbery murder Must it be concealed or not Answ. 1. If a purpose of sinning be antecedently confessed it is unlawful to farther the crime or give opportunity to it by a concealment But it must be so far opened as is necessary for the prevention of anothers wrong or the persons sin Especially if it be Treason against the King or Kingdom or any thing against the common good 2. When the punishment of the offender is apparently necessary to the good of others especially to right the King or Countrey and to preserve them from danger by the offender or any other it is a duty to open a past fault that is confessed and to bring the offender to punishment rather than injure the innocent by their impunity 3. When Restitution is necessary to a person injured you may not by concealment hinder such Restitution but must procure it to your power where it may be had 4. It is unlawful to promise universal secresie absolutely to any penitent But you must tell him before he confesseth If your crime be such as that opening it is necessary to the preservation or righting of King or Countrey or your Neighbour or to my own safety I shall not conceal it That so men may know how far to trust you 5. Yet in some rare cases as the preservation of our Parents King or Countrey it may be a duty to promise and perform concealment when there is no hurt like to follow but the loss or hazard of our own lives or liberties or estates And consequently if no hurt be like to follow but some private loss of another which I cannot prevent without a greater hurt 6. If a man ignorant of the Law and of his own danger have rashly made a promise of secresie and yet be in doubt he should open the case in hypothesi only to some honest able Lawyer enquiring if such a case should be what the Law requireth of the Pastor or what danger he is in if he conceal it that he may be able farther to judge of the case 7. He that made no promise of secresie virtual or actual may caeteris paribus bring the offender to shame or punishment rather than fall into the like himself for the concealment 8. He that rashly promised universal secresie must compare the penitents danger and his own and consider whose suffering is like to be more to the publick detriment all things considered and that must be first avoided 9. He that findeth it his duty to reveal the crime to save himself must yet let the penitent have notice of it that he may flye and escape unless as aforesaid when the Interest of the King or Countrey or others doth more require his punishment 10. But when there is no such necessity of the offenders punishment for the prevention of the hurt or wrong of others nor any great danger by concealment to the Minister himself I think that the Crime though it were capital should be concealed My reasons are 1. Because though every man be bound to do his best to prevent sin yet every man is not bound to bring offenders to punishment He that is no Magistrate nor hath a special call so to do may be in many cases not obliged to it 2. It is commonly concluded that in most cases a capital offender is not bound to bring himself to punishment And that which you could not know but by his free Confession and is confest to you only on your promise of concealment seemeth to me to put you under no other obligation to bring him to punishment than he is under himself 3. Christs words and practice in dismissing the Woman taken in Aduâ—tery sheweth that it is not alwayes a duty for one that is no Magistrate to prosecute a capital offender but that sometime his repentance and life may be preferred 4. And Magistrates pardons sheweth the same 5. Otherwise no sinner would have the benefit of a Counsellor to open his troubled Conscience to For if it be a duty to detect a great crime in order to a great punishment why not a less also in order to a less punishment And who would confess when it is to bring themselves to punishment 11. In those Countries where the Laws allow Pastors to conceal all crimes that penitents freely confess it is left to the Pastors judgement to conceal all that he discerneth may be concealed without the greater injury of others or of the King or Common-wealth 12. There is a knowledge of the faults of others by Common â—ame especially many years after the committing which doth not oblige the hearers to prosecute the offender And yet a crime publickly known is more necessarily to be punished lest impunity embolden others to the like than an unknown crime revealed in Confession Tit. 2. Directions about Trusts and Secrets Direct 1. BE not rash in receiving secrets or any other trusts But first consider what you are thereby Direct 1. obliged to and what difficulties may arise in the performance and foresee all the consequents as far as is possible before you undertake the trust that you cast not
Arabick and sending it to Indostan and Persia. And what excellent labour hath good Mr. Iohn Eliots with some few assistants bestowed these twenty years and more in New England where now he hath translated and Printed the whole Scriptures in their Americane tongue with a Catechism and Call to the Unconverted by the help of a press maintained from hence 2. The attempt of Restoring the Christian Churches to their primitive purity and Unity according to mens several opportunities is a most excellent and desirable work which though the ignorance and wickedness of many and the implacableness and bloodiness of the carnal proud domineering part and the too great alienation of some others from them do make it so difficult as to be next to desperate at the present yet is not to be cast off as desperate indeed For great things have been done by wise and valiant attempts Princes might do very much to this if they were both wise and willing And who knoweth but an age may come that may be so happy The means and method I would willingly describe but that this is no fit place or time 3. The planting of a learned able holy concordant Ministry in a particular Kingdom and setling the primitive Discipline thereby is a work also which those Princes may very much promote whose hearts are set upon it and who set up no contrary interest against it But because these lines are never like to be known to Princes unless by way of accusation it is private mens works which we must speak to 4. It is a very good work to procure and maintain a worthy Minister in any of the most ignorant Parishes in these Kingdoms of which alas how many are there where the skilful preaching of the Gospel is now wanting or to maintain an assistant in populous Parishes where one is not able to do the work or by other just means to promote this service 5. It is a very good work to set up Free-Schools in populous and in ignorant places especially in Wales that all may be taught to read and some may be prepared for the Universities 6. It is an excellent work to â—ull out some of the choicest wits among the poorer sort in the Countrey Schools who otherwise would wither for want of culture and to maintain them for Learning in order to the Ministry with some able godly Tutor in the University or some Countrey Minister who is fit and vacant enough thereunto 7. It is an excellent work to give among poor ignorant people Bibles and Catechisms and some plain and godly Books which are most fitted to their use But it were more excellent to leave a setled revenew for this use naming the Books and choosing meet Trustees that so the Rent might every year furnish a several Parish which would in short time be a very extensive benefit and go through many Countries 8. It is a very good work to set poor mens children Apprentices to honest religious Masters where they may at once get the blessing to their souls of a godly education and to their bodies of an honest way of maintenance 9. It will not be unacceptable to God to relieve some of the persons or poor children of those very many hundred faithful Ministers of Christ who are now silenced and destitute of maintenance many having nothing at all but what charity sendeth them to maintain themselves and desolate families who were wont to exercise charity to the bodies and souls of others Read Matth. 25. Gal. 6. 5 6 7 8. 10. It is a good work of them who give stocks of money or yearly rents to be lent for five or six or seven years to young Tradesmen at their setting up upon good security choosing good Trustees who may choose the fittest persons And if it be a rent it will still increase the stock and if any should break the loss of it may be born 11. It would be a very good work for Landlords to improve their interest with their Tenants to further at once their bodily comfort and salvation To hire them by some abatement at their Rent dayes to learn Catechisms and read the Scripture and good Books in their families and give the Pastor an account of their proficience Whether the Law will enable them to bind them to any such thing in their Leases I cannot tell 12. And the present work of Charity for every one is to relieve the most needy which are next at hand To know what poor families are in greatest want and to help them as we are able and to provoke the rich to do that which we cannot do our selves and to beg for others And still to make use of bodily relief to further the good of their souls by seconding all with spiritual advice and help Quest. 4. In what order are works of Charity to be done And whom must we prefer when we are Quest. 4. unable to accommodate all Answ. 1. The most publick works must be preferred before private 2. Works for the soul caeteris paribus before works for the body And yet bodily benefits in order of time must oft go first as preparations to the other 3. Greatest necessities caeteris paribus must be supplyed before lesser The saving of anothers life must be preferred before your own less necessary comforts 4. Your own and families wants must caeteris paribus be supplyed before strangers even before some that you must love better Because God hath in point of provision and maintenance given you a nearer charge of your selves and families than of others 5. Nature also obligeth you to prefer your kindred before strangers if there be a parity as to other reasons 6. And caeteris paribus a good man must be preferred before a bad 7. And yet that charity which is like to tend to the good of the soul as well as of the body is to be preferred And in that case oft-times a bad man is to be preferred when a greater good is like to be the effect 8. A friend caeteris paribus is to be preferred before an enemy But not when the Good is like to be greater which will follow the relieving of an enemy Many other rules might be given but they are laid down already Tom. 1. Cap. where I treat of Good Works whither I refer you Quest. 5. Should I give in my life time or at my death Quest. 5. Answ. According as it is like to do most good But none should needlesly delay Both is best Quest. 6. Should one devote or set by a certain part of daily incomes Quest. 6. Quest. 7. What proportion is a man bound to give to the poor Quest. 7. Answ. These two Questions having answered in a Letter to Mr. Thomas Gouge now printed and the Book being not in many hands I will here recite that Letter as it is published Most Dear and very much Honoured Brother EVen the Philosopher hath taught me so to esteem you who said that He is likest
thy meditations And though these thoughts be not the sweetest 8. 〈…〉 and wants yet thy own folly hath made them necessary If thou be dangerously sick or but painfully sore thou canst scarce forget it If poverty afflict thee with pinching wants thy Thoughts are taken up with cares and trouble day and night If another wrong thee thou canst easily think on it And hast thou so often wronged thy God and Saviour and so unkindly vilified his mercy and so unthankfully set light by saving Grace and so presumptuously and securely ventured on his wrath and yet dost thou find a scarcity of matter for thy meditations Hast thou all the sins of thy youth and ignorance to think on and all the sins of thy rashness and sensuality and of thy negligence and sloth and of thy worldliness and selfishness ambition and pride thy passions and thy omissions and all thy sinful thoughts and words and yet art thou scanted of matter for thy thoughts Dost thou carry about thee such a body of death so much selfishness pride worldliness and carnality so much ignorance unbelief averseness to God and backwardness to all that is spiritual and holy so much passion and readiness to sin and yet dost thou not find enough to think on Look over the sins of all thy life see them Thus Evil may be made the object and occasion of good It is good to meditate on evil to hate it and avoid it Keep acquaintanâ—â— with Conscience and read over its Books and it will furnish your thoughts with humbling matter in all their aggravations as they have been committed against knowledge or means and helps against mercies and judgements and thy own vows or promises in prosperity and under affliction it self in secret and with others in thy general and particular calling and in all thy relations in every place and time and condition that thou hast lived in thy sins against God directly and thy injuries or neglects of man sins against holy duties and sins in holy duties in prayer hearing reading Sacraments meditation conference reproofs and receiving of reproofs from others thy negligent preparations for death and judgement the strangeness of thy soul to God and Heaven Is not here work enough for thy Meditations certainly if thou think so it is because thy heart never felt the bitterness of sin nor was ever yet acquainted with true Repentance but the time is yet to come that Light must shew thee what sin is and what thou art and what thou hast done and how full thy heart is of the Serpents brood and that thy sin must find thee out Dost thou not know that thy sins are as the Sands of the Shore or as the hairs upon thy head for number and that every sin hath deadly poyson in it and malignant enmity to God and holiness and yet are they not enough to keep thy Thoughts from being idle Judge by their language whether it be so with penitents Psal. 51. 2 3. Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Psal. 40. 12. For innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Psal. 119. 57. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies True Repentance is thus described Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your own iniquities and for your abominations Yea Gods forgiving and forgetting your sins must not make you forget them Ezek. 16. 60 61 62 63. I will establish to thee an everlasting Covenant Then thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed And I will establish my Covenant with thee That thou maist remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God of Hosts § 9. Direct 9. Be not a stranger to the methods and subtleties and diligence of Satan in his Temptations Direct 9. to undo thy soul and thou wilt find matter enough to keep thy thoughts from idleness He is 9. Satans Temptations thinking how to deceive thee and destroy thee and doth it not concern thee to think how to defeat him and escape and save thy self If the hare run not as fast as the dog he is like to dye for it O that thy eyes were but opened to see the snares that are laid for thee in thy nature in thy temperature and passions in thy interests thy relations thy friends and acquaintance and ordinary company in thy businesses and possessions thy house and goods and lands and cattel and tenants and servants and all that thou tradest with or hast to do with in thine apparel and recreations in thy meat and drink and sleep and ease in prosperity and adversity in mens good thoughts or bad thoughts of thee in their praise and in their dispraise in their benefits and their wrongs their favour and in their falling out in their pleasing or displeasing thee in thy thinking and in thy speaking and in every thing that thou hast to do with Didst thou but see all these temptations and also see to what they tend and whither they would bring thee thou wouldst find matter to cure the idleness or impertinencies of thy thoughts § 10. Direct 10. The world and every creature in it which thou daily seest and which revealeth to Direct 10. thee the great Creator might be enough to keep thy Thoughts from idleness If Sun and Moon and Stars if Heaven and Earth and all therein be not enough to employ thy thoughts let thy idleness have some excuse I know thou wilt say that it is upon some of these things that thou dost employ them Yea but dost thou not first destroy and mortifie and make nonsense of that on which thou meditatest Dost thou not first separate it from God who is the life and glory and end and meaning of every creature Thou killest it and turnest out the soul and thinkest only on the Corps or on the Creature made another thing as food for thy sensual desires As the Kite thinketh on the Birds and Chickens to devour them to satisfie her greedy appetite Thus you can think of all Gods works so far as they accommodate your flesh But the World is Gods book which he set man at first to read and every Creature is a Letter or Syllable or Word or Sentence more or less declaring the name and will of God There you may behold his wonderful Almightiness his unsearchable Wisdom his unmeasurable Goodness mercy and compassions and his singular regard of the sons of men Though the ungodly proud and carnal wits do but play with and study the shape and comeliness and order
of the Letters Syllables and Words without understanding the sense and end yet those that with holy and illuminated minds come thither to behold the footsteps of the Great and Wise and bountiful Creator may find not only matter to employ but to profit and delight their thoughts They may be rapt up by the things that are seen into the Sacred admirations reverence Love and praise of the glorious Maker of all who is unseen And thus to the sanctified all things will be sanctified and the study of common things will be to them Divine and Holy § 11. Direct 11. Be not a stranger to or neglectful disregarder of the wonders of providence in Direct 11. Gods administrations in the world and thou wilt find store of matter for thy thoughts The dreadfulness 11. Providence about the World of Iudgements the delightfulness of mercies the mysteriousness of all will be matter of daily search and admiration to thee Think of the strange preservations of the Church of a people hated by all the world how such a flock of Lambs is kept in safety among so many ravenous Wolves Think of Gods sharp afflictions of his offending people of his severe consuming judgements exercised sometimes upon the wicked when he means to set up here and there a monument of his justice for the warning of presumptuous sinners Go see how the wicked are deceived by befooling pleasures Prov. 1. 52. and how the prosperity of fools destroyeth them how they flourish to day as a green Bay-tree â—â—â—â—â—7 or as the flower of the field and then go into the Sanctuary and see their end how to morrow they are cut down and withered and the place of their abode doth know them no more Go see how God delighteth to abase the proud and to scatter them in the imagination of their hearts to put down the mighty from their seats and to exalt them of low degree to fill the hungry with good things and to send the Rich empty away Luk. 1. 51 52 53. How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Dan. 4. 3. He ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will vers 26. 32. For wisdom and might are his and he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding Dan. 2. 20 21 22. He revealeth the deep and secret things he knoweth what is in darkness and the light dwelleth with him The Lord is known Psâ—â— 1â—5 â—â— Sâ—e Pâ—â—â—â— 1â—4 1â—5 1â—6 107. 122. 124 135. 136. 145. 1â—7 1â—8 14â— by the judgements which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hand Psal. 9. 16. Mâ—rk how the upright are afflicted daily and how the feet of violence trample on them and yet how they rejoyce and adhere to that God who doth afflict them and pitty and pray for their miserable persecutors and oppressors and how all things do work together for their good Rom. 8. 28. Wonderful are all the works of God sought out of them that have pleasure therein Psal. 111. 2. The Histories of former ages and the observation of the present may shew thee a world of matter for thy thoughts § 12. Direct 12. Understand all the lineaments and beauty of Gods Image upon a holy soul the Direct 12. excellency and use of every Grace and the harmony of all and thou wilt have store of profitable matter 12. Gods Image for thy thoughts Know the nature of every Grace and the place and order of it and the office use and exercise of it and the means and motives the opposites dangers and preservatives of it Know it as Gods Image and see and Love thy Maker and Redeemer and Regenerator in it Know how God loveth it and how useful it is to our serving and honouring him in the world and how deformed and vile a thing the soul is that is without it Know well what Faith is what wisdom and prudence are what Repentance and humility and mortification are what Hope and fear and desire and obedience and meekness and temperance and sobriety and chastity and contentation and justice and self-denyal are especially know the nature and force of Love to God and to his servants and to neighbours and to enemies Know what a holy resignation and devotedness to God is and what is watchfulness diligence zeal fortitude and perseverance patience submission and peace Know what the worth and use the helps and hinderances of all these are and then your Thoughts will not be idle § 13. Direct 13. If thou be not a stranger to the spirit of grace or a neglecter of his daily motions Direct 13. and perswasions and operations on thy heart the attendance and improvement of them will keep thy thoughts 13. The daily moâ—ions of the spirit from rusty idleness and a vagrant course It is not a small matter to be daily entertaining so noble a guest and daily observing the offers and motions of so great a benefactor and daily receiving the gifts of so bountiful a Lord and daily accepting his necessary helps and daily obeying the saving precepts of so great and beneficent a God! If you know how insufficient you are without him to will or to do to perform or to think or purpose any good and that all your sufficiency is of him If you knew that it is the great skill and diligence requisite in all that will Sail successfully to the desired Phil. 2. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 9. Land of Rest to know the Winds of the Spirits helps and to set all your Sails to the right improvement of them and to bestir you while such gales continue you would find greater work than wandering for your thoughts § 14. Direct 14. Be not ignorant or neglective of that frame and course of holy duty to God and Direct 14. man in which all your lives should be employed and you cannot want matter to employ your thoughts 14. All our Duty to God and Man upon Your pulse and breath and natural motions will hold on whether you think of them or not But so will not moral holy motion for that must be rational and voluntary You have all the powers of soul and body to exercise either upon God or for God You must know him fear him love him obey him trust him worship him pray to him praise him give thanks to him bewail your sins and hear his Word and reverently use his Name and Day And is not the understanding and learning how to do all this and the seasonable serious practice of it all sufficient to keep the Thoughts from idleness O what a deal of work doth a serious Christian find for his thoughts about some one of these about praying aright or hearing or receiving the Sacrament
he shall serve me He that worketh Deceit shall not dwell within my House He that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight Prov. 3. 33. The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the wicked but he blesseth the Habitation of the Iust. LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons at the Sign of the Princes-Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1673. To all that fear God in the Burrough and Parish of Kederminster in Worcestershire Dear Friends YOU are the Only People that ever I took a special Pastoral Charge of And Gods blessing and your Obedience to his Word do make the remembrance of my Labours and Converse with you to be sweet It was neither by Your Will or Mine that we have been this twelve years separated nor that we yet continue so I thank our most Gracious God who maugre all the Serpents Malice hath Inwardly and Outwardly so well provided for you above most others as that I hope you will be no losers by any thing which hath yet befallen you That I have hitherto survived so many of my departed Friends both with you and elsewhere after all that you have known is my own wonder as well as yours And what I have been doing in this time of our separation I have formerly told you in part by some other Writings and now tell you more by this which was written about five or six years ago though it found not passage into the world till now I live not yet Idle But whether this be the way of my chiefest service to the Church of God in my present case some distant Censurers have questioned If it be not my Ignorance of my duty and of what will be most useful to others is the cause and not my Love of Ease or my obeying Man rather than God I judge that my chief duty which I think is likest to do most good I am glad that once more before I dye I have opportunity to speak to you at this distance and to perswade you to and Direct you in that Family Holiness and Righteousness which hath been so much of your Comfort and Honour and will be so while you faithfully continue it O how happy a state is it to have God dwell in your Families by his Love and Blessing and Rule them by his Word and Spirit and Protect them by his Power and Delight in them and they in Him as his Churches preparing for the Coelestial Delights O how much of the Interest of true Religion must be kept up in the world by the Holiness and Diligence of Christian Families How happy a supply doth it afford where there are sad defects in the Teaching Holiness and Discipline of the Churches O that the Rulers of Families who are silenced by no others did not silence themselves from that Instructing and Prayer which is their work I should be sorry that this Directory is so Voluminous that few of you can buy it but that more Ends than One in such works must be intended If any of you which God forbid shall shew by an ungodly life that you have forgotten the Doctrine which was taught you or if more yet shall traduce the Doctrine of your once unworthy Teacher Posterity shall here see what it was in this Record which may remain and preach when I am yet more silenced in the dust The Lord whom we have served though with lamentable defects and in whom though alas too weakly we have trusted preserve us in the Life of Faith Hope and Love in Sincerity Zeal and patient Constancy to the Glorious Life where we hope to behold in Perfect Love without the fear of death or separation our most Blessed Head and God for ever Amen Totteridge near Barnet Feb. 10. 1671 2. Your Servant in Willingness Richard Baxter A Christian Directory TOM II. Christian Oeconomicks CHAP. I. Directions about Marriage for Choice and Contract AS the Persons of Christians in their privatest capacities are Holy as being Dedicated and separated unto God so also must their Families be HOLINESS TO THE LORD must be as it were written on their Doors and on their Relations their Possessions and Affairs To which it is requisite 1. That there be a Holy Constitution of their Families 2. And a holy Government of them and discharge of the several duties of the Members of the Family To the right constituting of a Family belongeth 1. The right contracting of Marriage and 2. The right choice and contract betwixt Masters and their Servants For the first § 2. Direct 1. Take heed that neither lust nor rashness do thrust you into a marryed condition before Direct 1. you see such Reasons to invite you to it as may assure you of the Call and approbation of God For 1. It is God that you must serve in your Marryed state and therefore it is meet that you take his counsel before you rush upon it For he knoweth best himself what belongeth to his service 2. And it is God that you must still depend upon for the blessing and comforts of your relation And therefore there is very great reason that you take his advice and consent as the chief things requisite to the match If the Consent of Parents be necessary much more is the Consent of God § 3. Quest. But how shall a man know whether God call him to Marriage or consent unto it Hath Quest. he not here left all men to their liberties as in a thing indifferent Answ. God hath not made any Universal Law commanding or forbidding Marriage but in this Answ. Whether Marriage be indifferent regard hath left it indifferent to mankind yet not allowing all to marry for undoubtedly to some it is unlawful But he hath by other General Laws or Rules directed men to know in what cases it is lawful and in what cases it is a sin As every man is bound to choose that condition in which he may serve God with the best advantages and which tendeth most to his spiritual welfare and increase in Holiness Now there is nothing in Marriage it self which maketh it commonly inconsistent with these benefits and the fulfilling of these Laws And therefore it is said that He that Marrieth doth well that is he doth that which of it self is not unlawful and which to some is the 1 Cor 7. 7 3◠most eligible state of life But there is something in a single life which maketh it especially to Preachers and persecuted Christians to be more usually the most advantagious state of life to these Ends of Christianity And therefore it is said that He that marrieth not doth better And yet to individual persons it is hard to imagine how it can choose but be either a duty or a sin at least except in some unusual cases For it is a thing of so great moment as to the ordering of our hearts and lives that it is hard to imagine that it should ever be indifferent as a means to our main end but
must either be a very great help or hinderance But yet if there be any persons whose case may be so equally poised with accidents on both sides that to the most judicious man it is not discernible whether a single or married state of life is like to conduce more to their personal Holiness or publick usefulness or the good of others to such persons Marriage in the individual circumstantiated act is a thing indifferent § 4. By these conditions following you may know what persons have a Call from God to marry and Who are called to marry who have not his call or approbation 1. If there be the peremptory will or command of Parents to Children that are under their power and Government and no greater matter on the contrary to hinder it the command of Parents signifieth the command of God But if Parents do but perswade and not command though their desires must not be causlesly refused yet a smaller impediment may preponderate than in case of a peremptory command 2. They are called to marry who have not the gift of Continence and cannot by the use of lawful means attain it and have no impediment which maketh it unlawful to them to marry 1 Cor. 7. 9. But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn But here the divers degrees of the urgent and the hindering causes must be compared and the weightiest must prevail For some that have very strong lusts may yet have stronger impediments And though they cannot keep that chastity in their Thoughts as they desire yet in such a case they must abstain And there is no man but may keep his body in chastity if he will do his part Yea and Thoughts themselves may be commonly and for the most part kept pure and wanton imaginations quickly checkt if men be Godly and will do what they can But on the other side there are Unmarried men are the best friends the best masters the best servants but not always the best subjects For they are light to run away and therefore ventrous c. Iâ— â—aâ—oâ— Essay 8. some that have a more tamable measure of Concupiscence and yet have no considerable hinderance whose duty it may be to Marry as the most certain and successful means against that small degree as long as there is nothing to forbid it 3. Another cause that warranteth Marriage is when upon a wise casting up of all accounts it is apparently most probable that in a married state one may be most serviceable to God and the publick good that there will be in it greater helps and fewer hinderances to the great ends of our lives the glorifying of God and the saving of our selves and others And whereas it must be expected that every condition should be more helpful to us in one respect and hinder us more in another respect and that in one we have most helps for a contemplative life and in another we are better furnished for an Active serviceable life the great skill therefore in the discerning of of our duties lyeth in the prudent pondering and comparing of the commodities and discommodities without the seduction of fantasie lust or passion and in a true discerning which side it is that hath the greatest weight § 5. Here it must be carefully observed 1. That the two first Reasons for Marriage Concupiscence Observations and the will of Parents or any such like have their strength but in subordination to the third the final cause or interest of God and our salvation And that this last Reason from the end is of it self sufficient without any of the other but none of the other are sufficient without this If it be clear that in a married state you have better advantages for the service of God and doing good to others and saving your own souls than you can have in a single state of life then it is undoubtedly your duty to marry For our obligation to seek our ultimate end is the most constant indispensable obligation Though Parents command it not though you have no corporal necessity yet it is a duty if it certainly make most for your ultimate end 2. But yet observe also that no pretence of your ultimate end it self will warrant you to marry when any other accident hath first made it a thing unlawful while that accident continueth For we must not do evil that good may come by it Our salvation is not furthered by sin And though we saw a probability that we might do more good to others if we did but commit such a sin to accomplish it yet it is not to be done For our lives and mercies being all in the hand of God and the successes and acceptance of all our endeavours depending wholly upon him it can never be a rational way to attain them by willful offending him by our sin It is a likely means to publick good for able and good men to be Magistrates or Ministers And yet he that would lye or be perjured or commit any known sin that he may be a Magistrate or that he may Preach the Gospel might better expect a curse on himself and his endeavours than Gods acceptance or his blessing and success so he that would sin to change his state for the better would find that he changed it for the worse or if it do good to others he may expect no good but ruine to himself if repentance prevent it not 3. Observe also that if the question be only which state of life it is married or single which best conduceth to this ultimate end than any one of the subordinate Reasons will prove that we have a call if there be not greater Reasons on the contrary side As in case you have no corporal necessity the will of Parents alone may oblige you if there be no greater thing against it or if Parents oblige you not yet corporal necessity alone may do it or if neither of these invite you yet a clear probability of the attaining of such an estate or opportunity as may make you more fit to relieve many others or be serviceable to the Church or the blessing of Children who may be devoted to God may warrant your Marriage if no greater reasons lye against it For when the Scales are equal any one of these may turn them § 6. By this also you may perceive who they be that have no Call to marry and to whom it is a Who may not marry sin As 1. No man hath a Call to marry who laying all the commodities and discommodities together may clearly discern that a married state is like to be a greater hinderance of his salvation or to his serving or honouring God in the world and so to disadvantage him as to his ultimate end Quest. But what if Parents do command it or will set against me if I disobey Quest. Answ. Parents have no authority to command you any thing against God or your salvation
example of Angels is also to be observed and with pleasure to be imitated And ask the enemies of Holiness who urge you with the examples of the Great and Learned whether they are wiser than all the Angels of God § 22. Direct 9. When you are tempted to desire any inordinate communion with Angels as visibly appearing Direct 9. or affecting your senses or to give them any part of the Office or honour of Iesus Christ then think how suitable that Office is to your safety and benefit which God hath assigned them and how much Timet Angelâ—s adoraâ—i ab humana natura quam videt in Deo sublimaâ—am Grâ—â—â—â— they themselves abhorr aspiring or usurpation of the Office or honour of their Lord And consider how much more suitable to your benefit this spiritual ministration of the Angels is than if they appeared to us in bodily shapes In this spiritual communion they act according to their spiritual nature without deceit And they serve us without any terrible appearances and without any danger of drawing us to sensitive gross apprehensions of them or entising us to an unmeet adhesion to them or honouring of them whereas if they appeared to us in visible shapes we might easily be affrighted confounded and left in doubt whether they were good Angels indeed or not It is our communion with God himself that is our Happiness And communion with Angels or Saints is desirable but in order unto this That kind of communion with Angels therefore is the best which most advanceth us to communion with God And that reception of his mercy by instruments is best which least endangereth our inordinate adhesion to the Instruments and our neglect of God We know not so well as God what way is best and safest for us As it is dangerous desiring to mend his Word by any fancies of our own which we suppose more fit so it is dangerous to desire to amend his Government and Providence and Order and to think that another way than that which in nature he hath stated and appointed is more to our benefit It is dangerous wishing God to go out of his way and to deal with us and conduct us in by-wayes of our own in which we are our selves unskilled and of which we little know the issue § 23. Direct 10. When you are apt to be terrified with the fear of Devils think then of the guard Direct 10. of Angels and how much greater strength is for you than against you Though God be our only fundamental security and our chiefest confidence must be in him yet experience telleth us how apt we are to look to instruments and to be affected as second causes do appear to make for us or against us Therefore when appearing dangers terrifie us appearing or secondary helps should be observed to comfort and encourage us § 24. Direct 11. Labour to answer the great and holy Love of Angels with such great and holy Love Direct 11. to them as may help you against your unwillingness to dye and make you long for the company of them Simus devoti simus grati tantis custodibus redamemus â—os quantum possumus quantum debâ—mus effectuose c. Bernâ—â—d Vae nobis si quando provocati Sancti Angeli peccatis negligentiis indignos nos judicaverint praesentia visitatione sua c. Cavenda est nobis eorum offensa in his maxime eâ—ercendum quibus eos novimus obâ—ectari Haec autem placent eis quae in nobis invenire delectat ut est â—obrietas castitas c. Inquovis angulo reverentiam exhibe Angelo ne audeas illo praesente quod me vidente non auderes Bernard whom you so much Love And when death seemeth terrible to you because the world to come seems strange remember that you are going to the society of those Angels that rejoyced in your conversion and ministred for you here on earth and are ready to convoy your souls to Christ. Though the thoughts of God and our blessed Mediator should be the only final object to attract our Love and make us long to be in Heaven yet under Christ the Love and company of Saints and Angels must be thought on to further our desire and delight For even in Heaven God will not so be All to us as to use no creature for our comfort Otherwise the glorified humanity of Christ would be no means of our comfort there And the heavenly Ierusalem would not then have been set out to us by its created excellencies as it is Rev. 21. 22. Nor would it be any comfort to us in the Kingdom of God that we shall be with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Luke 13. 28. Matth. 8. 11. § 25. Direct 12. Pray for the protection and help of Angels as part of the benefits procured for the Direct 12. Saints by Christ and be thankful for it as a Priviledge of believers excelling all the dignities of the ungodly And walk with a reverence of their presence especially in the worshipping of God It is not fit such a mercy should be undervalued or unthankfully received Nor that so ordinary a means of our preservation should be over-looked and not be sought of God by prayer But the way to keep the Love of Angels is to keep up the Love of God And the way to please them is to please him For His will is theirs § 26. Direct 13. In all the Worship you perform to God remember that you joyn with the Angels of Direct 13. Heaven and bear your part to make up the Consort Do it therefore with that holiness and reverence and affection as remembring not only to whom you speak but also what companions you have And let there not be too great a discord either in your hearts or praises O think with what lively joyful minds they praise their glorious Creator and how unwearied they are in their most blessed work And labour to be like them in Love and Praise that you may come to be equal with them in their Glory Luke 20. 36. CASES OF CONSCIENCE ABOUT Matters Ecclesiastical VVich are not before handled By RICHARD BAXTER LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons at the Sign of the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1673. READER I Have something to say to thee of the number of these Cases somewhat of the Order and somewhat of the manner of handling and resolving them I. That they are so Many is because there are really so many difficulties which all men are not able to resolve That they are no more is partly because I could not remember then any more that were necessarily to be handled and I was not willing to increase so great a Book with things unnecessary II. As to the Order I have some Reasons for the order of most of them which would be too tedious to open to you But some of them are placed out of order because 1. I could not remember them in due
place 2. And great haste allowed me not Time to transpose them If you say that in such a work I should take time I answer You are no competent judges unless you knew me and the rest of my work and the likelyhood that my time will be but short They that had rather take my Writings with such defects which are the effects of haste than have none of them may use them and the rest are free to despise them and neglect them Two or three Questions about the Scripture I would have put nearer the beginning if I could have time But seeing I cannot it 's easie for you to transpose them in the reading III. The resolution of these Cases so much avoideth all the extreams that I look they should be displeasing to all that vast number of Christians who involve themselves in the opinions and interests of their several sects as such and that hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons But there will be still a certain number of truly Catholick impartial Readers whose favourable acceptance I confidently prognosticate and who being out of the dust and noise and passions of contending sides and parties and their interests will see a self-evidencing Light in those solutions which are put off here briefly without the pomp of formal argumentation or perswading Oratory The eternal Light reveal himself to us by Christ who is the Light of the World and by the Illumination of the spirit and word of Light that we may walk in the Light as the Children of Light till we come to the World of Glorious Everlasting Light And what other defect soever our knowledge have if any man hath knowledge enough to kindle in him the Love of God the same is known of Him and therefore is Beloved by Him and shall be Blessed with and in Him for ever 1 Cor. 8. 1 2 3. CASES OF CONSCIENCE ABOUT Matters Ecclesiastical Quest. 1. How to know which is the true Church among all pretenders that a Christians Conscience may be quiet in his Relation and Communion I HAVE written so much of this already in four Books viz. one called The Safe Religion another called A Key for Catholicks another called The Visibility of the Church another called A true Catholick and the Catholick Church described that I shall say now but a little and yet enough to an impartial considerate Reader The terms must first be opened 1. By a Church is meant a Society of Christians as such And it is sometimes taken Narrowly for the Body or Members as distinct from the Head as the word Kingdom is taken for the Subjects only as distinct from the King And sometimes more fully and properly for the whole Political Society as constituted of its Head and Body or the Pars Imperans pars Subdita 2. The word Church thus taken signifieth sometime the Universal Church called Catholick which consisteth of Christ and his Body Politick or Mystical And sometime some Part only of the Universal Church And so it is taken either for a subordinate Political Part or for a Community or a Part considered as Consociate but not Political or as many particular Political Churches Agreeing and holding Concord and Communion without any Comon Head save the Universal Head 3. Such Political Churches are either of Divine Constitution and Policy or only of Humane 2. By Christians I mean such as Profess the Essentials of the Christian Religion For we speak of the Church as Visible 3. By True may be meant either Reality of Essence opposite to that which is not really a 1 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Cor. 12 12. Eph. 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6 15. 1 Cor. 12. 27. Eph. 4. 4 5. Matth. 28. 19 20. Church in this univocal acception or else Sound and Orthodox in the Integrals as opposite to erroneous and defiled with much enormity And now I thus decide that question Prop. 1. The True Catholick Church consisteth of Christ the Heâ—d and all Christians as his Body or the Members As the Kingdom consisteth of the King and his Subjects Prop. 2. As all the sincere Heart-Covenanters make up the Church as regenerate and mystical or invisible so that all that are Christened that is Baptized and profess Consent to all the Essentials of the Baptismal Covenant not having Apostatized nor being by lawful Power Excommunicated are Christians and make up the Church as Visible Prop. 3. Therefore there is but One Universal Church because it containeth all Christians and so Ephes. 4 4 5. 1 Cor. 1â— 12. Mark 16 16. Rom 14. 1 6 7. 15. 1 3 4 leaveth out none to be the matter of another Prop. 4. It is not Ignorance or Error about the meer Integrals of Christianity which maketh them no Christians who hold the Essentials that is the Baptismal Covenant Prop. 5. That the Baptismal Covenant might be rightly understood and professed the Churches have still used the Creed as the explication of the Covenant in point of faith and taken it for 1 Cor. 15 1 2 c. the Symbol of the Christian Belief And no further profession of faith was or is to be required as Matth. 28. 19 20. necessary to the Being of Christianity Prop. 6. If proud Usurpers or Censurers take on them to excommunicate or unchristian or unchurch others without authority and cause this maketh them not to be no Christians or no Churches Rom. 14. 3 4. John that are so used Prop. 7. Therefore to know which is the true Catholick or Universal Church is but to know who Rom. 6 1 2 c. are Baptized-Professing-Christians Prop. 8. The Reformed Churches the Lutherans the Abassines the Copties the Syrians the Armenians Ephes. 4. 4. 5. the Jacobites the Georgians the Maronites the Greeks the Moscovites and the Romanists do all receive Baptism in all its visible Essentials and profess all the Essentials of the Christian Religion though not with the same Integrity Prop. 9. He that denyeth any one essential part in it self is so a Heretick as to be no Christian nor true member of the Church if it be justly proved or notorious that is none ought to take him Tit. 3. â—â— 3 John for a Visible Christian who know the proof of his denying that essential part of Christianity or to whom it is notorious Prop. 10. He that holdeth the Essentials primarily and with them holdeth some error which by James 3 â— Phi. 3. 15 16. Heb. 5. 1 2. unseen consequence subverteth some Essential point but holdeth the Essentials so much faster that he would forsake his error if he saw the inconsistence is a Christian notwithstanding And if the name Heretick be applicable to him it is but in such a sense as is consistent with Christianity Prop. 11. He that is judged a Heretick and no Christian justly by others must be lawfully T it 3. 10. Matth. 18. 15. cited and heard plead his Cause and be judged upon sufficient proof and not
Do you believe that both the Hearts and Lives of Kings and all their affairs are in the hand of God If not you are Atheists If you do then do you not think that God is fitter than you to dispose of them He that believeth will not make haste Deliverance from persecutions must be prayed and waited for and not snatcht by violence as a hungry dog will snatch the meat out of his masters hands and bite his fingers Do you believe that all shall work together for good to them that Love God Rom. 8. 28. And do you believe that the godly are more than Conquerours when they are killed all day and counted as sheep unto the slaughter v. 32 33 34 35. And do you believe that it is cause of exceeding joy when for the sake of righteousness you are hated and persecuted and all manner of evil is falsly spoken of you Matth. 5. 10 11 12. If you do not you believe not Christ If you do will you strive by sinful means against your own good and happiness and joy Will you desire to conquer when you may be more than Conquerours Certainly the use of sinful means doth come from secret unbelief and diffidence Learn to Trust God and you will easily be subject to your Governours § 34. Direct 11. Look not for too great matters in the world Take it but for that Wilderness Direct 11. which is the way to the promised land of rest And then you will not count it strange to meet with hard usage and sufferings from almost all 1 Pet. 4. 12 13. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you as if some strange thing happened to you but rejoyce in that ye are Phil. 3. 7 8 11 12. partakers of the sufferings of Christ. Are you content with God and Heaven for your portion If not how are you Christians If you are you have small temptation to rebell or use unlawful means for earthly priviledges Paul saith he took pleasure in persecutions 2 Cor. 12. 10. Learn you to do so and you will easily bear them § 35. Direct 12. Abhor the popular spirit of envy which maketh the poor for the most part think odiously Direct 12. of the Rich and their superiours because they have that which they had rather have themselves I Univers Histor. p. 140. Dicas Imperatorem Orbâ—s Eâ—â—ctetum Neronem Mâ—ncipium irrisum esse summo fastigâ—o cum serviret dignus imperaret indignus nullumque esse malum quin aliqua boni gutta condiatur have long observed it that the poor labouring people are very apt to speak of the Rich as sober men speak of drunkards As if their very estates and dignity and greatness were a vice And it is very much to flatter their own Conscience and delude themselves with ungrounded hopes of Heaven When they have not the spirit of Regeneration and holiness to witness their title to eternal life they think their Poverty will serve the turn And they will ordinarily say that they hope God will not punish them in another world because they have had their part in this But they will easily believe that almost all Rich and Great men go to Hell And when they read Luke 16. of the Rich man and Lazarus they think they are the Lazarus'es and read it as if God would save men meerly for being poor and damn men for being Great and Rich when yet they would themselves be as Rich and Great if they knew how to attain it They think that they are the maintainers of the Common-wealth and the Rich are the Caterpillars of it that live upon their labours like drones in the hive or mice and vermine that eat the honey which the poor labouring Bees have long been gathering For they are unacquainted with the Labours and cares of their Governours and sensible only of their own This envyous spirit exceedingly disposeth the poor to discontents and tumults and rebellions but it is not of God Iam. 3. 15 16 17. § 36. Direct 13. Keep not company with envious murmurers at Government for their words fret Direct 13. like a canker and their sin is of an infecting kind What a multitude were drawn into the Rebellion Numb 16. of Corah who no doubt were provoked by the leaders discontented words It seemeth they were for Popularity Numb 16. 3 13 14. Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the Wilderness except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men What confidence and what fair pretenses are here so probable and plausible to the people that it is no wonder that multitudes were carryed to rebellion by it Though God disowned them by a dreadful judgement and shewed whom he had chosen to be the Governours of his people § 37. Direct 14. Keep humble and take heed of Pride The humble is ready to obey and yield Direct 14. and not only to be subject to Magistrates but to all men even voluntarily to be subject to them that cannot constrain them 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be all of you subject one to another It is no hard matter for a twig to bow and for a humble soul to yield and obey another in any thing that is lawful But the Proud take subjection for vassalage and obedience for slavery and say Who is Lord over us Psal. 12. 6 7. Prov. 16. 18. 29. 23. Our tongues are our own what Lord shall controll us will we be made slaves to such and such Only from Pride cometh contention Prov. 13. 10. By causing impatience it causeth disobedience and sedition § 38. Direct 15. Meddle not uncalled with the matters of superiours and take not upon you to censure Direct 15. their actions whom you have neither ability fitness or authority to censure How commonly will every tradesman and labourer at his work be censuring the Counsels and Government of the King and speaking of things which they never had means sufficiently to understand Unless you had been upon the place and heard all the debates and consultations and understood all the circumstances and reasons of the business how can you imagine that at so great a distance you are competent judges Fear God and judge not that you be not judged If busie-bodies and medlers with other mens Maâ— 7. 1 2 3 matters among equals are condemned 2 Thes. 3. 11. 1 Tim. 5. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 15. much more when they meddle and that censoriously with the matters of their Governours If you would please God know and keep your places as Souldiers in an Army which is their comly order and their strength § 39. Direct 16.
Consider the great temptations of the Rich and great and pity them that stand Direct 16. in so dangerous a station instead of murmuring at them or envying their greatness You little know what you should be your selves if you were in their places and the world and the flesh had so great a stroke at you as they have at them He that can swim in a calmer water may be carryed down a violent stream It is harder for that bird to fly that hath many pound weights tyed to keep her down than that which hath but a straw to carry to her nest It is harder mounting Heaven-wards with Lordships and Kingdoms than with your less impediments Why do you not pity them that stand on the top of barren mountains in the stroke of every storm and wind when you dwell in the quiet fruitful vales Do you envy them that must go to Heaven as a Camel through a needles eye if ever they come there And are you discontented that you are not in their conâ—â—tion will you rebel and fight to make your salvation as difficult as theirs Are you so unthankful to God for your safer station that you murmur at it and long to be in the more dangerous place § 40. Direct 17. Pray constantly and heartily for the spiritual and corporal welfare of your Governours Direct 17. And you have reason to believe that God who hath commanded you to put up such prayers will not suffer them to be wholly lost but will answer them some way to the benefit of them that perform the duty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. And the very performance of it will do us much good of it self For it will keep the heart well disposed to our Governours and keep out all sinful desires of their hurt or controll them and cast them out if they come in Prayer is the exercise of Love and good desires And exercise increaseth and confirmeth habits If any ill wishes against your Governours should stâ—al into your minds the next time you pray for them conscience will accuse you of hypocrisie and either the sinful desires will corrupt or end your Prayers or else your prayers will cast out those ill desires Certainly the faithful fervent prayers of the Righteous do prevail much with God And things would go better than they do in the world if we prayed for Rulers as heartily as we ought § 41. Obj. For all the prayers of the Church five parts of six of the World are yet Idolaters Heathens Object Infidels and Mahometans And for all the prayers of the Reformed Churches most of the Christian part of the world are drowned in Popery or gross ignorance and superstition and the poor Greek Churches have Mahometane or tyrannical Governours and carnal proud usurping Prelates domineer over the Roman Church and there are but three Protestant Kings on the whole earth And among the Israelites themselves who had Priests and Prophets to pray for their Princes a good King was so rare that when you have named five or six over Judah and never a one after the division over Israel you scarce know where to find the rest What good then do your Prayers for Kings and Magistrates Answ. 1. As I said before they keep the hearts of subjects in an obedient holy frame 2. Were Answ. it not for prayers those few good ones would be fewer or worse than they are and the bad ones might be worse or at least do more hurt to the Church than they now do 3. It is not to be expected that all should be granted in kind that believers pray for For then not only Kings but all the world should be converted and saved For we should pray for every one But God who knoweth best how to distribute his mercies and to honour himself and refine his Church by the malice and persecution of his enemies will make his peoples prayers a means of that measure of good which he will do for Rulers and by them in the world And that 's enough to encourage us to pray 4. And indeed if when Proud ungodly worldlings have sold their souls by wicked means to climb up into places of power and command and domineer over others the Prayers of the faithful should Obj. Si id jâ—ris obâ—ineat status religionis eâ—â—t instabilis Mutato regis animo religio muta bitur presently convert and save them all because they are Governours this would seem to charge God with respect of persons and defect of Justice and would drown the world in wickedness treasons bloodshed and confusion by encouraging men by flatteries or treacheries or murders to usurp such places in which they may both gratifie their lusts and after save their souls while the godly are obliged to pray them into Heaven It is no such hearing of prayers for Governours which God hath promised 5. And yet I must observe that most Christians are so cold and formal in their Prayers for the Rulers of the world and of the Church that we have great reason to impute the unhappiness Resp. Unicum hic solatium in Divina est providentia Omnium animos Deus in potestate sua habet sed speciali quodam modo Cor Regis in manu Domini Deus per bonos per malos Reges opus suum operatur Interdum tranquillitas interdum tempestas ecclesiae utilior Nempe si pius est qui imperat si diligens lector sacrae scripturae si assiduus in precibus si Ecclesiae Catholicae reverens si peritos attente audiens multum per illum proficit veritas Sin distorto est corrupto judicio pejus id ipsi cedit quam ecclesiae Nam ipsum grave manet judicium Regis ecclesiae qui ecclesiam inultam non sinet Grotius de Impeâ— p. 210. Joh. 18. 36. of Governours very much to their neglect Almost all men are taken up so much with their own concernments that they put off the publick concernments of the world and of the Church and State with a few customary heartless words and understand not the meaning of the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer and the Reason of their precedency or put them not up with that feeling as they do the other three If we could once observe that the generality of Christians were more earnest and importunate with God for the Hallowing of his name through all the world and the coming of his Kingdom and the obeying of his will in Earth as it is in Heaven and the Conversion of the Kings and Kingdoms of the world than for any of their personal concernments I should take it for a better prognostick of the happiness of Kings and Kingdoms than any that hath yet appeared in our dayes And those that are taken up with the expectations of Christs visible reign on earth would find it a more lawful and comfortable way to promote his Government thus by his own appointed officers than to rebell against Kings and seek