things By whom he made the Worlds who was the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1. 2 3. He was more excellent then the Angels then Moses then all the Prophets He was the great Prophet acquainted with his Fathers secrets taught the Doctrine of Eternal Life confirmed the same by his Holy Life his glorious Miracles and sealed it with his bloud Besides God spake by the Apostles and especially after they had received the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven by Christ glorified according to his Promise These made up the Canon of the New Testament 2. They taught Doctrine that for the matter was new For besides the Morals formerly known and other Points revealed in the Old Testament they did declare and write by the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost That Jesus of Nazareth born at Bethlem crucified at Jerusalem was the Son of God was risen again from the dead ascended into Heaven made Universal King and an everlasting Priest makes intercession in Heaven That remission of sinnes and eternal life upon condition of Faith in him as glorified was promised and to be preached to all Nation 〈◊〉 the Jew first and then unto the Gentiles 3. Because these things though not contrary to Reason yet far above Reason were New and tended to the alteration of the former administration of God's Kingdom and many former Laws given by God unto the Fathers and the abolition of Religion that was then established in all Nations therefore it was confirmed by the new and excellent gifts of the Apostles the great and glorious miracles done in the Name of Christ the gifts of the Holy Ghost from Heaven upon such as heard and received this Doctrine by the conversion of Jews and Gentiles and this by mean and contemptible men These were special Works of the Supream and Eternal Providence and such as the like had not been done since the Creation nor ever since the times of those Apostles who could speak in the Languages of all Nations to whom God sent them so as the unlearned might understand them These taught first by word of mouth and then by Writing till the Canon of the New Testament was finished and the Originals of their Writings were kept in the Churches they planted and after composed in one body Thus far God spake to man § 10 by man infallibly inspired both by word of mouth and by Writing He speaks also to man by ordinary men who are not immediatly infallible but onely so far as their Doctrine shall agree with the former Inspirations and Revelations For the Word of God was always in the Church and his Divine Revelations were always the Rule of ordinary Teachers And in matter of Religion they had no Warrant to teach any thing but according to that Rule These ordinary Teachers were Fathers Masters of Families every Neighbour and Brother which had ability and opportunity Amongst the Jews the ordinary Prophets Scribes Lawyers who were learned in the Law of God Priests and Levites But the principal amongst these are the Learned who have taken that charge upon them according to a Lawful Call make it their chief business to whom maintenance by God's institution is due These in the New Testament are called Pastours Teachers Bishops Elders Ministers who take charge of mens souls This distinction of Teachers in the times of the Gospel may be grounded on that Text When Christ ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave gifts to men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Teachers Ephes. 4. 8 11. The extraordinary were Apostles Prophets Evangelists The ordinary were Pastours and Teachers And these later as well as the former were given for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ ver 12. These also may teach the mysteries of God's Kingdom by word and by writing Yet neither their words nor writings were of equal authority with the words and writings of the Prophets and Apostles For the Authority of their Doctrine presupposeth that it is contained in the Holy Scriptures and that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God and that those which they affirm to be the Holy Scriptures are so indeed This gives occasion to examine what force may be in the Tradition of the Church to prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God This cannot be done to purpose except we know 1. What Tradition is 2. What the Church 3. What the Holy Scriptures be as most understand them in this point 1. Tradition in this particular is nothing but a Testimony which as such hath no force in it to prove any thing but that which is borrowed from the party testifying or the thing testified or from some other thing Therefore it is called Argumentum artificiale assumptum because it assumeth force from some other Reason or Argument A Testimony is either Divine or Humane For here I will say nothing of the Testimony of Angels The Divine Testimony is infallibly and necessarily true yet not as a Testimony but as the Testimony of God whose Veracity is such that he cannot dâ—â—ive or be deceived He is true and Truth it self The testimony of man may be and is many times false for he is subject unto Errour and may be deceived because his knowledge is imperfect He may also deceive for want of fidelity and integrity There is no necessary and inseparable Connexion between his testimony and the truth because he himself as testifying and truth are separable This is the reason why testimonies in judgment are confirmed by Oath And for this cause the Doctrine of the Apostles so far as it was new was attested from Heaven 2. The party testifying in this particular is the Church as a Collective Body By Church may be understood either a particular Church or Churches or the Universal made up of all the Particulars This Universal Church is either the present Universal Church or the same considered as successively continued since the time of the Apostles or as including John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles or the Church of all times since the Beginning Again the present Universal Church of any time may be considered either as properly Universal or as representatively such in a general Council 3. The thing testified is that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God And by Holy Scriptures we may understand the whole Body of the Canon and the several Books of the Old and New Testament and the same in such a certain number as to exclude or include the Books called Apocrypha And these may be considered either in the Original Copies or in Transcripts or in Translations or else we may understand the principal matters of the Scripture concerning Faith in Jesus Christ and obedience unto his Commands After this explication given some things are to be observed 1. Concerning the thing testified and to be believed 2. Concerning the
the form of an Art or Science as some use to speak They determine the Subject of it to be Man Quatenus Beatificabilis as capable of Spiritual and Eternal Happiness The Object of it must be Deus quatenus Beatificans God as the Fountain and Cause of Eternal Bliss And the end is to direct the Spiritual Acts and Operations of the Immortal Soul so that by them well regulated and fixed upon their due Object man may tend unto and in the end attain the full fruition of that Eternal Being in whom he shall be for ever blessed According to this determination some reduce the Doctrine of the Scriptures to Truths Promises Duties yet this is imperfect Others make three Heads of this Doctrine 1. The first is the Being and Perfection of God in himself 2. The second the Works of God 3. The third His Commands Yet this as the former proves defective and no ways exact Others tell us that the Scriptures represent God to us 1. As to be known And 2. As to be worshipped And so make the Parts of this Divine Doctrine to be 1. Knowledge 2. The Worship of God And this hath much affinity with that Distribution of Theologie into Faith and Obedience that is the Rule of Faith and Obedience These conceive all things in the Scripture especially conducing to Salvation to be credenda or agenda The things to be believed the Object of Faith the things to be done and performed the Object of Obedience For this they think that they have a sufficient ground in the Mandate and Commission of our Blessed Saviour Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Math. 28. 19 20. And that of the Apostle seems to confirm this Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love 2 Tim. 1. 13. I will not examine these distinctions now but onely say this much That Faith and Obedience or Observancy as some call it according to the intended sense of these two places are onely Duties to be performed by sinful man Redeemed and Called according to the Commands of their God-Redeemer and so do not reach the utmost bounds of this Heavenly Doctrine And even in this respect they refer to Government and belong onely to that One Head and part thereof The Commands and Laws of God Redeemer requiring obedience And Faith it self is but one part of this obedience as it is a Duty So that these things may be some ways true but no ways accurate and perfect And if they may be allowed mine intended method I hope may pass without any harsh censure For I know no reason to the contrary seeing it's evident that the Principal if not the adaequat subject of the Holy Scriptures is the Kingdom and Government of God The Doctrine whereof is methodically contracted in ancient Creeds and Confessions which take in the Agenda or things to be practised as well as the Credenda things to be believed Of these ancient Confessions it may be observed that 1. Though they differ in words and expressions § II as may appear by the several forms thereof some more brief some more large especially in Irenaeus and Tertullian yet they agree in the matter and the principal method 2. That divers of the Ancients inform us that the first Planted Churches received the Forms of Confession though different in some words and expressions yet the same for matter and the general and principal method from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ Christ from God Thus amongst others Tertullian 3. They were received from Christ 1. In that Mandate and Commission to the Apostles Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 2. By Inspiration of the Holy Ghost 4. In those Words we have 1. God the Father Almighty making Heaven and Earth by his Word 2. This Word and Son made flesh redeeming sinful man 3. The Holy Ghost by whom Christ was conceived and anointed the Prophets inspired the Church sanctified unto Eternal Glory For so the Ancients understood it being directed by the Apostles 5. This Form thus understood was 1. A Tradition unwritten and of Divine Authority as taught by Christ and his Apostles before it was written But 2. Being written and more fully explained in the Canon of the New Testament it can be no longer an unwritten Tradition And whosoever reading the New Testament doth not find and that in several places both the matter and method of the ancient Confessions understands little 6. No particular form of Confession considered as a Tradition of the Church since the time of the Apostles can be of equal authority with the Scriptures 7. That which we call the Apostles Creed which we find in the Works of Cyprian and Russinus with an Exposition is no more nor so much the Apostles Creed as some ancient Creeds in form differing from it 8. Those words of our Saviour and his Rule of Doctrine concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost with the three glorious Works of Creation Redemption Sanctification is a divine and wonderful Abridgment of all the Doctrine of the Scripture especially of that which is necessary to Salvation The Confession and Creed of the Patriarchs § III in particular of Enoch was thus God is and he is a Rewarder of them who diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. For they believed That there was one God most glorious and blessed in Himself who by his Wisdome and Power made preserved and governed the World and especially Mankind For to Reward is an act of judgment Judgment presupposeth Laws Laws a Governour a Governour Subjects made and to be governed So that in their ancient Creed we have God considered 1. In Himself 2. As a Governour of the World made by him and especially of Men and Angels and that by Laws and Judgments The obedience to these Laws is to seek God diligently according to the direction of those Laws and the reward of this Obeâ—ience is Eternal Life as the punishment of Disobedience is Eternal Death And after the Fall of Man no man in himself was capable of this Eternal Liâ—â— because all were guilty Therefore they sought this glorious Reward by Châ—iâ—â— to come whom all their Ilastical Sacrifices did typifie as they sought their God by Him The ordinary Analysis of that which we call § IV The Apostles Creed as delivered by more understanding Catechists and Authors of Theological Systems is this God being the Subject of that Confession is considered 1. In himself as God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. As in his Works 1. Of Creation 2. Of Providence Providence preserves and governs all things created especially Man Man made righteous holy happy 1. Falls 2. Is restored He is restored by Redemption and the Application of it The Redeemer for Person is the
Haughton octavo Orders of Chancery octavo Illustrious Bashaw in folio The Bloody Inquisition of Spain Twelves Hughs Abridgment of the Common Law Large quarto â—is Abridgment of all the Acts and Ordâ—nances quarto Several Works of Mr. Murret Minister at Dublin in Ireland with his Life quarto A Catalogue of the Chancellours of England quarto A Scripture Chronology By Mr. Al lâ—n Minister in quarto A Catalogue of most Books vendible in England of Divinity History Law c. quarto Annotations upon Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon By Arthur Jackson Preacher of God's Word at Faiths under Pauls quarto ERRATA PAg. 6. l. 36. artificiale read inartificiale p. 9. l. 30. yet men r. yet if men p. 17. l. 35. unbelief r. belief p. 17. l. 47. which r. what for it r. is in the Margent by is omitted p. 18. l. 18. Legal r. Regal p 32. l. 36. wrap r. rap p. 23. l. 43. delâ— not p. 36. pro. 34. l. 32. knew r know p. 35. l. 31. if r of p. 39. l. 47. in it is written r it is written p. 40. l. 38. elements r element p. 48. l. 17. they have r God hath l. 35. propriety r variety p. 50. l. 17. resign r reign p. 54. l. 15. r. and attain p. 66. l. 19. convinced r charged p. 70. l. 30. wherein passed r wherein God passed p. 70. l. 21. heart r heel p. 91. l. 26 case r cause p. 94. l. 18. r with godly sorrow l. 40. resently r presently p. 96. l. 8. he r God l. 21. in r to p. 103. l. 50. pardoned r pardonable p. 107. l. 10. charge r care p. 106. l. 7. it is omitted p. 111. l. 16. sure r since p. 147. l. 12. twofoldness r twofold use p. 153. l. 3. ought r would accused r accursed p. 156. l. 39. as he omit as p. 160. l. 47. meer r meerly p. 172. l. 36. because he r man may p. 176. l. 32. to r they who p. 177. l. 35. it is omitted l. 37. omit the word not p. 183. l. 43. rise r risen p. 184. l. 32. the word King is omitted p. 189. l. 27. r in some p. 200. l. 9. is the r its the. l. 16. omit they p. 208. l. 40. all r also p. 233. l. 38. new r mens l. 40. r arbitrary power p. 227. l. 3. unprofitable r profitable p. 242. l. 26. Grenaeus r Iraeneus p. 246. l. 30. Cross r Mass. l. 38. r Heb. 9. 26. p. 264. l. 36. if r that p. 276. l. 49. for nothing r something p. 278. l. 45. but r by p. 285. l. 46. conform r confirm p. 297. Pro. 327. l. 38. was made r was not made p. 328. l. 15. omit the word to p. 330. l. ult r c. p. 394. l. 6. external r eternal The First Scheme Howâ—â—â— the 〈◊〉 the Holy Sâ—riptuâ—â— which being the Word of God written signifie the Mind of God concerning His special Government first known unto Himself alone as contrived by His Wisdom decreed by His Will afterwards revealed from God to Man immediately by inspiration mediately by Man infallibly directed in Words Writings of the Old instrument begun by the Prophets finished by the Apostles New instrument begun by the Prophets finished by the Apostles which are of Divine Authority primarily in the first Origina Languages Copies secondarily in the Transcripts Translations as they agree with the Originals no further fallibly in their Words Writings yet infallibly so far as they follow the infallible Scriptures and attain the knowledg thereof by certain ordinary means appointed by 〈◊〉 communicate the knowledge several ways to others whâ— by Reading Hearing Meditation Prayer Power of the Spiâ—â—â— attain a Divine Faith more Largely in the whole Body of the Canon which upon the Testimony of the Church Reasons added is believed to be Divine Briefly as being contracted in many places of the Holy Scriptures particularly in the words of our Saviours doctrine concerning the Father Son Holy Ghost Math. 28. 19. which is the ground for Matter Method of all Orthodox Creeds Confessions Catechisms Theological Systems declareth the Government of God considered in Himself as onely fit to be the Universal Soveraign Absolutely a most perfect Being great one and onely one alone infinite immense incomprehensible omnipresent eternal existing alwayes necessarily the same in his most eminent Acts perfection of acting by His Understanding knowing himself all things at once fully clearly Will willing indeclinably that which is just readily that which is good Power doing all things exactly according to His Understanding Will. Relatively Father Son Holy Ghost Regal Capacity according to an Actual Power being acquired by Creation continued by Preservation of all things was exercised in the ordering of all things for their ends special Government of Angels who 1. Being created holy became subjects of this Kingdom by their dependence upon God voluntary submission 2. Received Laws Were judged and some of them according to their Disobedience and Apostasie condemned to Eternal Death Loyalty and Obedience justified confirmed rewarded Men according to the Order of Creation in the Constitution of God's Soveraignty Mans Subjection Natural from Creation Moral God's Will Man's voluntary Submission Administration giving Laws Moral Positive concerning the Tree of Life Knowledge of Good Evil. judging Adam and in him all his Posterity according to His Obedience whilest he continued innocent and righteous rewarding him with present comfort hope of future glory Sin which was considered In general as disobedience to the Law of God hath many evil consequents In particular a breach of a positive Law and Committed upon a temptation made yieldedâ— Sentenced to a punishment to be inflicted upon the Tempter 〈◊〉 movable Persons 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 by Chrâ—â—â— Transmitted to Posterity by Propâ—â— just 〈◊〉 Redemption and Free-Grace THE DOCTRINE OF The Kingdome of God The First BOOK Chap. I. Shewing the Subject Matter and Method of the ensuing Discourse THE Divine Politicks inform us of the Kingdom of God and of His Power and how it is acquired how exercised both in the Constitution and the Administration of his Government by Laws and Judgments determining both the Temporal and Eternal Rewards and Punishments of Angels and Men according to their Obedience or Disobedience They say little of Angels but much of Men who were first under the Government of Justice and after of Mercy For when Man transgressed the Law given in Creation and made himself liable to the Eternal Displeasure of his Lord and Sovereign the first Government was alter'd and modeâ— anew And thereupon the Laws the Judgments the manner of administration were new and different from the former God acquires a new Power requires a new Obedience and orders Man to Eternal Rewards another way And because these are high Matters great Mysteries glorious Designs and many of them far above the reach of Mans Reason therefore it 's necessary that we have some certain Rules to direct us yet no Direction except from
Heaven will serve the turn God must give it and this he hath done The Rule is at hand even the Holy Scriptures The Method therefore to be observed is 1. To man fest that these Holy Writings are a certain and perfect Rule And 2. To proceed to speak of this Blessed and Glorious Kingdom according to the same And the Lord of all Wisdom Truth and Mercy in Christ direct and assist me and incline mine Heart with all care and humility to follow his Directions AMEN CHAP. II. Concerning the Holy Scriptures THE Holy Scriptures are the Mind of God concerning his special Kingdom expressed in Writing To understand this more fully we must observe 1. The Mind of God concerning this Kingdom 2. The Expression of his Mind 3. The several Ways and Degrees of this Expression First § 1 The Mind of God are his Thoughts and Counsels concerning this Kingdom as known unto himself For the Wisdome of God contrived and model'd this Kingdom before the World was and his Will decreed it For God ordained these things before the World to our glory 1 Cor. 2. 7. These his Thoughts and Counsels at first were known onely to himself and to none other For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of Man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. Therefore before there can be any knowledge of them God must express himself and communicate his Mind unto Angels or Men who alone are capable and fit to receive the knowledge of his Minde made known to them This Expression and Revelation of himself out of himself is called The Word of God The Word of God is § 2 1. A Word 2. The Word of God The nature of a word is to express or represent the mind of the Speaker The end of it is to make it known to another to whom it is spoken For the end of my speech and so of speech in general is to communicate my mind unto others who know it not So the Word of God declares the Mind of God to Angels or Men who know it not God is the Speaker his Mind the thing spoken his speech is that whereby he expresseth and maketh known his Mind By Word I do not understand that Word which was in the Beginning and was with God and was God and by which the World was made Joh. 1. 1 2. For that Word was a clear and full expression of God himself to himself the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person This was the Word in himself But this Word is an expression of some part of his Mind out of himself There be § 3 First several ways Secondly divers degrees of God's Expressions 1. Several ways for he may and doth express himself by his Works and make his Works his Word For the Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his Handy-work Psal. 19. 1. Not onely the Works of Creation but of Providence speak much of Gods glorious perfections as of his Wisdome his Power his Goodness his Justice his Mercy He may express himself by Representations by Angels by an audible Voyce to the outward Senses or by Impression upon the inward and common Sense or by inspiration immediatly unto the immortal Souls of Men. For as God at sundry times so he spake divers ways to the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1. 1 How he spake to Angels and Man at the first Creation we know not The Expression by Inspiration and immediate Vision is the most perfect and excellent For by that the persons inspired know not onely what the things spoken are but that it is God that speaketh He expresseth himself by Writing as he wrote the Ten Words or Commandements of the Moral Law in two Tables of Stone and at length in process of time caused the whole Body of his Doctrine concerning his Kingdom to be written And hence that Book with all the parts thereof concerning this Kingdom is called the Holy Scriptures which both in regard of the Author the Matter and the Contexture is the most excellent Book and Writing in the World But before I come to speak of them I must observe the several degrees of Gods expression and signification of his Mind to Man The several degrees of God's expression of his Mind § 4 in the matters of this Kingdom are reducible to Two 1. He spake Immediatly unto man 2. Mediatly by man unto Man For God spake unto the Prophets and Apostles before he spake unto others by them The Word of the Lord came to the Prophets before they could signifie and declare it to the people And the Matter and Doctrine of the Scripture was first communicated by Inspiration and Revelation before it could be infallibly communicated unto others either by Word or Writing The holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. For they must first be moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost before that they spake unto any man that which they received immediatly from God Paul received not the Gospel of man neither was he taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 12. And the mystery of Christ was revealed unto the Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Ephes. 3. 5. In this respect it is said that all Scripture that is all the Doctrine of Scripture is given by inspiration of God 1 Tim. 3. 16. Thus God speaks immediatly to man § 5 and secondly mediatly by man to man And this he doth two ways 1. By infallible and extraordinary Teachers 2. By ordinary men not immediatly inspired yet both of these agree in two things 1. That God speaks by both to Man and both speak from God 2. That the matter spoken by both is the same For if the latter and ordinary Teachers do not speak the same things which the former did God did not speak by them And the Doctrine of the former ought to be the Rule of the Doctrine of the latter First he speaks by extraordinary men and these are Prophets and Apostles to whom he did reveal his wisdome not that they should conceal it but that they should declare it to others And these expressed the mind of God two ways 1. By Word 2. By Writing And they were infallibly directed in both to a Word to a Letter For the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost as before And so did write otherwise their Doctrine had not been infallibly true It 's said not onely that the Word but the Scripture all Scripture was given by inspiration of God And now § 6 at length we are come to the Scriptures That the Doctrine and Word of God should be written was no ways necessary in respect of God yet in respect of the frailty and corruption of man the Divine Wisdome thought it expedient if not necessary to express himself by Writing God could have supplyed all
defects of man 's Vnderstanding Memory Vtterance by immediate inspiration and direction as he did at first and will do in Heaven yet he thought good to make use of Writing which was a more certain and ordinary permanent way of continuing and propagating his Truth to many Generations for Writing is a lasting Monument and Record Whether the Word was written or any part of it upon Record before the time of Israels deliverance out of Aegypt we do not certainly know Yet this is certain that God spake unto man from the Beginning For Abel offered a better Sacrifice then Cain by Faith Heb. 11. 4. But where there is no Word there is no Faith And Enoch by Faith pleased God but this could not have been if he had not believed that God is and that he is a Rewarder of such as diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. yet this he could not believe without the Word of God If any should say that he knew all this by the Light of Nature The answer is 1. The Light of Nature is the Light of God 2. That God should reward sinful guilty man with eternal glory could not be known by Reason looking upon the Works of Creation but by Revelation from God himself or the instruction of man according to that Revelation The first Books and Writings of God's Kingdom now extant are those of Moses as the last is the Revelation of John the Divine And this Canon of the Scripture was finished within the space of Two Thousand Years or thereabout and the Authors and Pen-men of them were all the Posterity of Jacob if Luke the Evangelist be not excepted The several parts thereof were written as they were revealed at several times They are the most ancient Writings in the World known unto us They are either Historical or Doctrinal or Prophetical The Historical reacheth the Creation The Prophetical the dissolution of the World and toucheth upon Eternity to succeed They were written in Hebrew and Greek two Languages used in the midst and Center of the then known World That Moses and Malachy and all the rest of the Books should be written in the same Hebrew seems strange For that any Nation should continue their Language the same without alteration at least in the Dialect for so many Generations is not probable though possible Yet it may be God did so order it that it should be published in the Learned not the Vulgar Language of that People For the Learned Greek which is now in use amongst Schollers is the same which was used near Two Thousand Years ago Or it may be that Ezra or some inspired Prophet after the Captivity might gather them into one Body and Volum and turn them into the same Hebrew wherein we enjoy them The Old Testament which is the former part of this Canon was translated into Greek before the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour and made way for the New Testament the second part and for the Gospel to be preached in all Nations The Original Copies are properly and primarily authentical Divines and infallible Transcripts and Translations secondarily and so far as they agree with the Originals and no further That is true of the whole body of the Scripture § 7 which the Divine Apostle affirmed of his Doctrine 1 John 1. 2 3 4. That it was most excellent 1. For the Subject 2. For the certain truth 3. For the end thereof and the great good it tended unto 1. For the subject it was most excellent even the Word of Life and that Eternal Life which was with the Father which was the life and light of men which was made flesh and now is glorified at the right-hand of the Father 2. The truth of it was certain and infallible For 1. It was manifested and manifested unto them the Apostles of that Eternal Word 2. Their apprehension was clear and certain For they had heard that which was manifested They had seen it with their eyes looked upon it and handled it with their hands 3. Their Declaration of it was agreeable to the Manifestation and their knowledge of it For that which they had seen and heard they did declare 〈◊〉 write and nothing else 3. The end was Fellowship with the Apostles themselves and their Fellowship was with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And they wrote these things that the joy of their Disciples might be full In like manner The subject of the Scriptures is the Kingdom of God and that Eternal Word which was with the Father The truth thereof is most certain and infallible in respect of God's Revelation the knowledge of the Prophets and Apostles and their Declaration of it in Word and Writing The end and ultimate effect thereof believed and obeyed is Full Communion with God and Jesus Christ and thereupon Full joy and everlasting glory These Scriptures are sufficient for all ends and purposes God intended them § 8 have their Divine Characters though no man should know or acknowledge them of Divine Authority and unquestionable perspicuous and intelligible in themselves as they came from God and were delivered by men inspired especially in all things generally necessary to salvation For their sufficiency in their times as a Rule of Faith and Life it cannot be doubted of by such as are intelligent and impartial For the Scriptures of the Old Testament in their time were able to save such as believed and obeyed them And aâ—ter the Canon of the New Testament was finished it was able to make men of those times Wise unto Salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ. Yet after the Gospel was revealed the Doctrine of the Old Testament was insufficient to this end The whole body is not onely sufficient but super-abundant For some part or parts of the New Testament though all the other were lost will sufficiently direct us to Eternal Glory For the Divine Character thereof something shall be said hereafter For the Authority and Credit of them that is true of all the whole which the Apostle affirmeth of one principal part concerning the coming of Christ into the World to save sinners That it was a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation For the perspicuity the entrance of his worâ—s give light and giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119. 130. And Timothy of a Child learned them In this extraordinary Communication of God's mind to Man by man § 10 I will pass by his manner of expression at sundry times and in divers manners by the Prophets to the Fathers and take special notice of his speaking to man by man in the fulness of time and in the latter days And I will consider 1. The persons by whom he spake 2. The matter spoken as it was strange and new 3. The confirmation of the Doctrine taught so far as it was new 1. The principal persons were Christ and his Apostles For in these last days saith the Apostle he hath spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath made Heir of all
Testimony of the Church First § 11 Concerning the thing testified 1. Every Christian born and continuing in the Church by his Birth Baptism Education in the Church is bound to believe that the Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and Obedience is Divine and from God 2. That none such having the use of Reason ought to rest upon mere tradition but ought to seek a better and higher Reason 3. None is bound to believe by a divine and infallible Faith necessary to Salvation that all and every Book and part of the Scripture is immediatly and infallibly divine further then he hath some certain reason so to do 4. That the Original Transcripts and Translations of the Scriptures agree in the principal Doctrine necessary to Salvation though in other respects they may differ For the most wise and merciful Providence hath so ordered it that there is found no Transcript or Translation wherein there is not so much as would direct a man unto Salvation though there be many mistakes and errours in them 5. That many have been converted by the bare instruction of one single Teacher without the Scriptures Yet the matter of that instruction was in the Scriptures No man can believe without the Word of God taught yet many may believe without the Word of God written 6. That the Doctrine of the Old Testament was sufficient to save such as lived before the Incarnation but not after the Revelation and Preaching of the Gospel Secondly § 12 Concerning Tradition and the testimony of the Church 1. That the testimony of the Church as a Testimony can satisfie no man If the Church indeed were infallible and I knew it to be so then I were bound to believe it 2. The testimony of the Church Universal since the Apostles times is but humane and fallible and inferiour to the testimony of any one man immediatly inspired 3. No man living since the Gospel was preached to all Nations and the Church extended to the ends of the Earth can resolve his Faith into the testimony of the Universal Church The reason is because the Church as universal never gave nor he immediatly receive any such testimony Much less is it possible in these present times for any one man or particular Church to have any distinct knowledge of any unanimous testimony of the Universal Church continued up to the Apostles times For if there were any such testimony it must be known either by Histories of Credit decrees of Councels Writings of particular men or Bibles translated into the Languages of those Nations where the Gospel hath been preached and Churches planted Yet all the Histories Canons Writings of Christians except very few now extant have no Authors but such as lived within the bounds of the Roman Empire Though we must confess that within those Bounds the Redeemer and Canonical Writers were born the work of Redemption accomplished the Gospel revealed and the Canon of the New Testament finished 4. It being granted that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God and of Divine Authority it follows that the Testimony of the New Testament confirming the Old and the predictions of the Old Testament related in the New to be exactly fulfilled are of greater Authority and Credit then the Testimony of the Universall Church 5. The Testimony of the Universall Church including Christ and his Apostles with the Prophets is infallible but not as the Testimony of the Church distinct from Christ and his Apostles 6. The Testimony of the Universall Church if we knew it could not be a sufficient ground of a Divine but onely an human morall fallible faith which Devils and wicked men may have and that by nature without Supernaturall grace 7. The Testimony of the Church so far as it may be had is a good introduction and also a rational motive to receive the Scriptures as the Word of God Yet this is not as a Testimony nor merely as Universall in some respect nor as ancient and consisting with it self for Antiquity Universality and Consent may agree to a false tradition of Idolatry yet it 's more worthy of credit then other Testimonies First In respect of the Persons testifying The best qualified men in the World and such as did manifest by their profession Practice Sufferings that they had much of God in them Secondly and principally in respect of the matter of the Scriptures testified to be Divine For 1. It 's excellent and such as cannot be found in any other Writings in the World There is nothing rational or good which tends to make a man better or more happy to be found in any Heathen or Mahumetan Books which is not found in It and far more excellent then can be read in theirs and the same pure without mixture of any such Errours Absurdities Abominations as their writings are polluted with 2. The eternall rules of Wisdom and Justice according to which the World is and ever hath bin governed by a Supreme Providence are recorded in these Volums 3. In this book we read more Truths and the same more clear concerning the Eternall Deity the nature and imployment of Angels the nature operations and qualities of the immortall Soul than in any book in the World 4. The Doctrine therein contained hath had and still hath such excellent effects upon the souls of men both to convert and comfort them as never any other had And this is the more wonderfull if we consider the Successe of the Gospel For the Doctine thereof though contrary to flesh and blood to the errours of the Jews the Religion of all Nations yet was diffused and that by a few mean and contemptible men in the eye of the World into all Nations and this in the midst of cruel and bloody persecutions against all the opposition which the Devils of Hell the greatest Schollers the profoundest States-Men the most Cunning Priests the greatest and most Powerfull Rulers both of Jewes and Gentiles could make 5. The most certain clear particular praedictions of future Contingents fulfilled so exactly many years after they were publiquely declared by word and writing do much and very much argue these Divine Writings to be from Heaven 6. There is an admirable Harmony and Consent of all parts though the Authors thereof lived in several times and at so great a distance that there passed near 2000 years between Moses and John the Divine and Evangelist and near 1500 between Moses and Malachy They all agree in the Principall Subject the Principal Scope and the meanes conducing thereunto 7. I never did Seriously meditate upon and digest any part of it so as to understand the Scope and Method but I did admire the excellency of it and the more I understood it the more I admired it And I am perswaded that if we clearly understood the parts thereof we might easiâ—y discoâ—er the Divine Characters and plainly distinguish them from all other writings Yet none
of these are of any great force to such as are ignorant of them and know them onely upon the Tradition of others Neither is Universall Tradition the ordinary way whereby men are Converted For most who do believe to salvation hear onely one or a few teachers and the same not immediatly infallible and inspired and by their Doctrine contained in these Scriptures and the power of the Spirit attain to a Divine and saving faith For faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God preached immediatly unto them For so the place is to be understood Rom. 10. 17. And no man can prove that the immediate Proposer of saving truth should be infallible but that the Doctrine taught be infallibly true No rationall man can rationally reject any Doctrine much lesse this except he have some reason for it but there can be no reason of any moment ever alleaged against this Doctrine or any particular thereof rightly understood It seemes strange to me that any Christians especially such as do confesse the holy Scriptures in themselves to be Divine should make a question whether they can be believed to be the word of God any other wayes but by the Tradition of the Church It is indeed some advantage to the Bishop of Rome and his Associates and Vassals to make men believe that their faith and belief of the Divinity of the Scriptures depends upon the Tradition of the Church in their Sense For when all is well examined they understand by Church themselves and their own present Church Yet they cannot well agree amongst themselves what this present Church should be Whether the Pope in his Chair alone as the Visible head or he with a general Council Yet this Church is no wayes universall except so far as she professeth the universall faith as some of their Cardinalls have observed Neither is she any more infallible then other Churches be Yet men will believe that she is the Universall Church infallible and the onely infallible expounder and proposer of the Scriptures and can detain them and Seal them up in an unknown Language so as that the Vulgar shall neither read them nor hear them in a Language understood by them she will have some advantage For by this meanes the people are kept in ignorance and unity and so their unwritten Traditions Doctrines and Practises so directly contrary to expresse Scripture shall not be question'd but received by an implicit Faith This argument of Tradition well examined cannot advantage them of Rome nay it 's a Plain Disadvantage For their Tradition doth prove a Chimera and Some Protestant writers ascribe too much unto it and also speak too loosly and at random of it in this point especially But to return unto those ordinary teachers § XIII and especially the Ministers of the New-Testament Let us examine 1. How they acquire their knowledge 2. How they Communicate it to others 3. How the People must receive it Communicated 4. What God hath promised to do if both Minister and People perform their duty 1. They acquire their knowledge by such meanes which God hath given and ordained for that end They do not receive it by immediate inspiration as the holy Prophets and Apostles did God gives them naturall parts and endowments in the giving of them being and some of them from their Mothers womb are designed for this work But let their naturall parts and endowments be never so excellent yet they must at first be taught and instructed both in the Arts and Languages especially the originalls and after some foundation is layd they may much improve themselves by the Learned works of others their own industry Prayer and Gods blessing Lexicons Concordances Translations are great helps for the attayning the knowledge of the Originall tongues Expositions Commentaries Systems Treatises do conduce much for the understanding the matter of the Scriptures God hath done much for us in this kind but our neglect is great and many have not the benefit of good education and direction at the first And there is a great disparity between Ministers of the higher and lower forms yet no man is fit for this calling who is not furnished with so much knowledge and such a measure of utterance as to be able to declare to others the whole Counsell of God and â—each them all things necessary to Salvation Yet many will take upon them to teach before they have well Learned and will be Masters before they have bin Scollers And the most insufficient will pretend the Spirit to cloak their ignorance After these ordinary teachers have once stored up a treasure they consecrate themselves to Christ and engage to make it their work to do him service in this kind Being rightly qualified § XIV sent and called they begin to teach others and take the charge upon them yet so as that they may be probationers and assistants at the first They instruct others either by Learned Books or treatises of piety or by word of mouth and that severall wayes as by Catechisms Expositions Sermons and other ways The first work is to Catechize the Ignorant and teach them the first principles of the Gospel To this purpose they have our Saviours Creed of faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Commandements of the Moral Law contracted into the Love of God and our Neighbour The Lord's Prayer as we use to call it and the Doctrine of the Sacraments And these few understand yet the ignorant and unlearned and Children should know and that not onely the words but the true and Genuine sense according to their Capacity This though the foundation is too much neglected By Expositions they acquaint the people with the occasion Scope Method and Meaning of severall parts and portions of the Scripture By Sermons they explain and apply some Text of Scripture proposing out of the same some Divine axiom which once unâ—olded and made plain they apply by way of Instruction in the truth Confutation of errour Reproof of the guilty Consolation of the dejected stirring up to duty by exhortation restrayning from sin by Dehortation Their Doctrine should be the Pure word of God made plain dispensed wisely delivered out of an heart sincerely desiring and intending the Salvation of the People and ought to be confirmed by the Teacher's example and the Principall matter must be the Mysteries of Gods Kingdom § XV This is the duty of Teachers which performed by them God exâ—pects also certain Performances from the Persons taught which neglected the word of God cannot enter into the immortal-soul so as to work effectually and be manifested to be the Word of God indeed For 1. The heart of man must be prepared and that 1. With an high conceit of the Doctrine of the Scriptures taught that it is the word of God revealed from Heaven out of great love and mercy to man that it highly and very much concerns him upon the knowledge and observance whereof depends his eternal estate in the
Subjects and God was King and so continues to this day and shall be King to everlasting But before I shew how the Subjection of the Creature and the Dominion of the Creatour did arise from the Work of Creation something must be said of the Works of God in general and in particular of Creation The Works of God in general § II are the Acts of God whereby he produceth some Effects out of himself wherein he manifests his Perfections These are ascribed to his Active Power in respect whereof he is said to be Almighty These Works and this working whereby God in some sort issues out of himself presuppose the Essence and the Immanent Acts of the Deity upon it self and are the effects of God the Father Son and Holy Spirit and so may be considered In Respect of the Essence Father Son and Holy Ghost This working in respect of the Essence by some is called his efficiency and is well described to be That whereby God worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will Ephes. 1. 11. This text observed before with reference to the Essence may be resumed and handled with respect unto Gods Works which may be considered 1. As prepared in himself 2. As produced out of him and standing in their own proper Being Before their actuall existence they were virtually in the understanding will and working-Power of God The Counsel of his understanding had contrived and disposed them his will had decreed them his power was ready to produce and effect them according to the Counsel of his understanding and the determination of his Will This informs us that every work of God Presupposeth his Vnderstanding Will. Power The Understanding § III or Counsel of God is that whereby he contrived the manner how and the order according to which all things were to be done and effected This Counsel presupposeth his absolute and perfect knowledge not onely of himself but of all things virtually in his Almighty power And it is often called in Scripture his Wisdom and is conceived by us as an act of Practicall Knowledge It is not Counsel as Counsel implies any defect or imperfection as in man it doth That Counsel of man which most clearly sees the end and the meanes and order of them conducing effectually to the end doth most resemble it though it come far short of it The object of this Counsel is not properly God but the Works of God and these not as done but to be done or in doing It appears and manifests it self in all the works of God and especially in those of the Government of Men and Angels in which it is so profound and wonderfull that though we knew something of it yet the bottome we can never sound So that exclamation of the Apostle implies Oh the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. 33. That God by wisdom made the World and orders all his works the Scripture teacheth in many places The Psalmist after his serious meditation and contemplation both of the Works of Creation and Providence breaks out into these words Oh Lord How manifold are thy works In wisdom thou hast made them all Psal 104. 25. And it is so far above the Wisdom of man as his Works are above the works of Man This is the reason why when he beheld his works of Creation he saw that they were very good and beautifull He saw no defect or imperfection in them because they were made and effected in perfect wisdom And this is true of all his works and as then so now he may look upon his works and keep his Sabbath when he hath finished them which sinfull man cannot do And here is the proper place to say something of the Idea of all things For there are no first Samplars and Patterns of all things but in the counsel of God For the World and all Creatures were distinctly contrived by the wisdom of God before they did exist The whole frame and System of the World thus considered is called by some Mundus Idealis And the severall Creatures and things thus conceived are said to be Rationes rerum in Menâ—â— Cognitione Dei the Creatures and things contrived and known before they were effected or produced which were not properly God but things and Creatures modl'd and known of God Therefore said Occam that Ideae were Creaturae a Deo cognitae And these may be conceived either Antecedently or Consequently to the decree of his will There is a famous question held affirmatively by some An dantur in Deo rationes boni mali aeternae indispensabiles And as it is affirmed it 's opposed to another question maintained affirmatively by others Whether things be good only because God wills them and not because good in themselves This controversy Bradwardine toucheth upon and seemes to determine it by a distinction For he informs us that some things are morally good or evil antecedently to the will of God Some consequently Some partly antecedently partly consequently Yet this doth not satisfie because the Will of God may be considered either as an attribute with the perfection and integrity thereof or as a decree or as a Law Now 1. No quality disposition habit or act of Man or Angel can be morally good or evil antecedently to the will of God and the perfection thereof as it is an Attribute 2. Nothing can be morally good or evil antecedently to the decretive and legislative will of God except it have some intrinsecal conformity to the Rectitude to the will of God as an attribute neither can it rationally be conceived so to be 3. Nothing can be morally good or evil so as to be immediately Praemiable or Punishable antecedently to the Legislative will of God For the obligation to punishment and right to reward â—ollow immediately upon the Will of God consiâ—ered as observed or violated and expressed in the promises or threats of the Law By this the judicious reader will be able to judge of the controversy But â—intend not to trouble him with these Speculations Let this suffice us firmely to believe that God is necessarily just and though he freely determins commands and effects all things yet all his Decrees Commands and Works are necessarily just and there is no iniquity in him The will of God is that § IV whereby he determins all things according to his Counsel By will in this place is meant an act of Gods will in respect to things out of himself yet so that it presupposeth the will of God as an Attribute And this act is called a Decree And here is the proper place to speak of Decrees in generall which in the Scriptures are called the thoughts and also the purposes of God That there are Decrees is evident out of the word but how they are made of God we know not the manner is unsearchable This is certain They are all
and secured in his blessed estate as the holy Angels are and the Saints shall be in glory What his happinesse should have been and when consummate if he had Persevered we do not certainly and distinctly know The hour of Temptation seems to have been the hour of Triall and it 's very Probable that if in that conflict he had proved stedfast and Victorious he and his might have been blessed for ever But Man being in honor abode not § III and being tempted sin'd and aspiring higher and seeking by doing that which God had forbidden to attain the higher pitch of glory was devesâ—ed of his Honour and depriv'd of his happy estate And here Divines take occasion to speak of sin in generall And though I might have entered upon this subject when I spake of the fall and condemnation of many of the Angels yet because the Scripture speaks most of the sin of man therefore I will follow their example and practise and 1. Speak of sin in generall 2. Of the particular Sin of Adam The generall nature of sin is disobedience to the just command of a Superiour and because disobedience is opposed to obedience therefore it will not be amisse to enquire a little into the nature of obedience Obedience is not of Physicall but morall and politicall consideration For it presupposeth an intelligent and free agent and the same subject to the Power and bound by the Laws of a Superiour for where there is no Superiour Power there can be no Law and where there is no Law there can be no obedience or disobedience Whether the immediate subject of obedience be acts or habits was formerly determined in some manner but here you must observe that intelligent and free acts inclinations habits especially Acts are the subject immediat and proper of obedience and the proper and first subject of it is the will and heart the acts whereof are intelligent and free and no other acts else This is the reason why God so much requires the heart and will not accept any the greatest offerings and services if performed without the heart To this obedience 't is necessarily required that the will freely subject it self to the power of the superiour and exactly conforme unto his will and command in all inclinations and motions so far as it is bound in which respect the will must be no will in it self In this particular whereof we speak the subject is man who is an intelligent and free agent The superiour is God according to the power acquired in Creation The rule of obedience is the Law both Positive and morall and his obedience is a conformity both in subjection and acting according to the will and command of God The Principal subject of this obedience as an adjunct and cause of it as an effect is the Will and heart of man which is the proper seat of Integrity and Perversnesse For other Acts are so far good or bad as they depend on the Will and are so called extrinseca dominatione and by Participating their qualification from the Will As it is in this particular obedience required of Adam at the first so it is in all the other acts of obedience performed to God Sin in generall is opposed to this obedience § IV and is a disobedience to the Laws of God not of Man or any other superiour in strict sense Otherwise in a large sense the Laws of men may be the lawes of God and their power his Power and it 's Gods law and will that they should obey their Laws and submit to their Power For as the Wisdome of God is the first rule so the will of God expressed in his law is the first binding law That sin is a disobedience unto a Law and the Law of God the Apostle informs us in these words Sin is the transgression or rather disobedience to the Law of God 1 John 3. 4. For so the Apostle is to be understood as appeares by the context This Sin is so unbeseeming that nature and place of men and Angels wherein God created them as nothing more and so staines them that when they see themselves they loath and abhor themselves so as they cannot endure to look upon themselves It 's the basest thing in the world and most pernicious unto him that is once guilty of it It 's a Deviation from the best rule of divine Wisdom and a disagreement with the most just and holy God It 's a contempt or at least a neglect of the eternall power of this glorious King It makes our own imaginations and the suggestions of the Devil our rules and our own lusts our Masters as though we were not subject unto God It deprives us of eternall light and is the perpetuall fuel of Hell-fire and the desert thereof is very dreadfull For these reasons God hates it forbids it threatens it gave both men and Angels at the first power against it and for it not repented of pardoned he casts both men and Angels out of his presence into utter darknesse and torments them with eternall fire Yet all Sinnes are not equall § V as the punishments deserved are some lesse some greater And here I might enlarge and discover the severall sorts the aggravations the Consequents of Sin in generall 1. For the kinds and distinctions they are many For we hold that some sins are against the Law some against the Gospel some against God some against man Some of omission some of Commission c. And these distinctions may be tolerable in some sense 2. The degrees and aggravations are very many and might be observed out of Scripture and reduced into method as is done by the Learned and most judicious Doctor Chappel in his Method of Preaching The Crucifying of Christ the Lord of glory was an heynous crime yet some who had an hand in it were ignorant For so our Saviour prayes Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23. 34. Yet others did it maliciously and contrary to the clear light of their Conscience and concerning these the supreme Judge is sollicited and desired to add iniquity unto their iniquity Psal. 69. 27. And there is a sin against the Holy-Ghost which according to the rules of Gods eternall justice renders the partyes sinning incapable of remission Such is the Blaspemy against the Holy-Ghost Math. 12. 31. and the Apostacy of Christians having once received the knowledge of the truth Heb. 10. 26 27. Paul was a Blasphemer a Persecutour and injurious yet he sinned ignorantly and in unbelief and upon his repentance obtayned mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13 16. The knowing Servant neglects to do his Masters will so doth the ignorant Servant too yet the sin of the former is greater then the sin of the latter and their punishment must be commensurable to their sin Luke 12. 47 48. These places I observe to let you understand and put you in mind 1. That sin is not in the outward act properly and immediately for
the Heart Yet many Blasphemyes are against the first precept And there is blasphemy against God Christ the Holy Ghost against the works and words of God against the 〈◊〉 against his institutions Rabshakeh's blasphemous words seem to be Atheisticall as denying the very being or at least the universal providence government and power of God It was a speciall kind of Blasphemy of the Phaâ—â—ses when they ascribed that miracle which Christ did by the finger of God and power of the Holy Ghost to the Prince of Devils Mat. 12. 24. There was in iâ— a complication of sins to be referred to severall heads All false Teachers all â—sapnâ— wresâ— or falsly translate Scriptures have great affinity with swearers For as Peâ—jured persons make God so far as in them lyes a false witnesse so do these and do not â—ear to make God the authour of their abominable errours and deny the truths contained in his Word They will not receive that for the Word of God which he hath testified from Heaven and they will make that his word which is false or was never testified by him Whatsoever hath affiniâ—y with a false or vain Oath so far and in that respect it 's here prohibited And because swearing being one part of Gods Worship and sometimes by a 〈◊〉 is taken for the Worship of God in general as Esay 45. 23. 65. 16. Psal. 63. 11. Jer. 5. 7. 12. 16. Therefore all undue performance of any part of Gods worship is here prohibited Upon this ground to read the Scriptures preach hear discourse oâ— the Word of God and not with respect which is due to the Word of God must needs be guilty To Pray sing Psalmes give thanks or praise God to administer or receive the Sacraments unworthily and in such a manner as shall not be agreeable to the excellency of these â—ivine institutions wherein we draw near to God and God to us must needs be an offence And many do offend often in this particular by ignorance negâ—igence want of due consideration and the prophane and irreveâ—ent dispoâ—â—tion of the heart either before we enter upon these divine services or in the time of performance or immediately when they are finished Theâ—e are the causes why these blessed ordinances make very light impressions or none at all upon our Souls or if these impressions are lively they be soone razed out again We should remember that in these acts of worship we have to deal with God and converse with him as he with us and we approach his Eternal Throne And how much wil it dishonour him and derogate from his glory to be so prophane irreverent heedlesse in his very presence And if we duly consider we shall easily perceive how heynous the offence will be in these performances to suffer our minds to rove and wander and to leave our hearts behind us or come before him and approach his Throne onely with our lips or worship him with base prophane and indisposed Souls There be some who by the outward carriage posâ—ures and gesâ—ures oâ— their body pretend an high degreee of â—everence zeale devotion humility in the service of God and yet their 〈◊〉 are prophane corrupt and unholy and this is a kind of grosse hypocrisie contrary to this Commandement It 's a matter of Lamentation to all Gods Children that when they sincerely intend and seriously endeavour to performe their Religious service to their God in a due and holy manner yet cannot so fix their thoughts continue their heavenly disposition and raise and increase their devotion but find their minds ready to wander and be distracted and their devotion to be interrupted or abated and in that respect acknowleâ—ge their desects in their best performances and sue for pardon earnestly desiring that state of glory wherein they shall be free from all distractions and worship their God with greater perfections When we look upon the greatest part of Christians and take notice of their carriage in the Worship of God not onely in private but in pâ—blique their outward Prophanenesse and irreverence speak aloud the inward prophane irreverent and base disposition of their Souls Yet though hereby God is dishonour'd and his worship polluted they are senslesse of any such sin even when the Judgments of God lye heavy upon them for this sin We have an evident example hereof in the Corinthians who for their unworthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Eucharist were so severely punisht 1 Cor. 11. 30. Thus you have heard what sins are here prohibited expresly or implicitly § XI The dutyes commanded are easily understood by the law of contrariety And for the better knowledge of them we must consider that God doth require and command us not onely to worship him alone and with that kind of worship he hath instituted but to perform his instituted worship in an holy and reverent manner And this due manner of Worship is the thing here commanded So that as God is the object so his Worship is the subject of this Reverence devotion holinesse here required And the first thing commanded is swearing truly and in such a manner as that God may be honoured and that the partyes swearing may be innocent And God in these words doth not command us to swear for that belongs unto the first precept but to swear truâ—y justly and in an holy manner For God foreseeing that the condition of man would be such as that many times an Oath would be not onely convenient but in some respect necessary he thought it fit to regulate the same And therefore did command us 1. To swear by his name not by creatures or false Gods 2. Because in judgments leagues and contracts it was to be solemnly used with some Rite and ceremony he therefore appoints to be a part of his Worship and that not onely to men but Angels 3. Because it would not prove to be of no force and effect if not taken in due manner in this Commandement he therefore prescribes the manner and binds to observe it Not to repeat the Dictinction of Oaths § XII into publick private judicial extrajudicial voluntary imposed I will onely resume that of Assertory and promissory whether negative or affirmative In an Assertory Oath it 's required 1. That the matter confirmed by it be certain in it self and certainly known to the party swearing For if truth and certain knowledge be required in our ordinary speech and conference with others when we affirm or deny any thing much more is it required in an Oath 2. The matter must be of that weight and importance as to be worthy of so high and divine confirmation For God is not to be solemnly invoked and attested in triâ—les and matters of small moment 3. It must be such as may be juâ—â—ly doubted of and that there is a kind of necessity of an Oath for confirmation both because it is of special concernment to determin it and take away the doubt and also there is no
gracious disposition that he admits all his Subjects at any time even the meanest to come before him pour out their Supplications and reveal their Hearts unto him and as He is able so He is willing to accept their persons and their prayers take special notice of their desires yea of their cryes sighs groans and writes them in the Book of His Eternal Memory that in due time He may satisfie their Desires Things desired are the matter of our Desires and our Desires of our Prayers Yet Desires are not Prayers but when they are by us presented unto Him The first definition of Prayer is easie to be understood in all parts thereof excepting that of Praying In the Name of Christ. For the better understanding whereof we must have recourse unto our Saviour's words unto His Disciples a little before He dyed and offered Himself The words are these Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name He will give it you Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name Joh. 16. 23 24. Where 1. A new Direction is given them how they should pray They must not onely pray and pray unto His Father but pray unto Him In His Name 2. A Promise that if they pray thus they shall certainly be heard What they ask thus the Father will give them 3. Hitherunto they had not thus prayed in His Name though they had often prayed according to His Direction and Pattern given them The Fathers and Saints of old had prayed virtually and implicitly according to their implicit Faith in Christ to come in His Name but not in this manner Thus to pray presupposeth 1. Christ risen from the Dead ascended into Heaven confirmed the Universal and Eternal Priest Intercessour and Advocate 2. The Father sitting in the Throne of Grace atoned and propitiated in the Blood of Christ. 3. The party praying believing all this acknowledging His own unworthiness and desiring His Prayers Thanksgiving and Praise to be accepted for Christ's Merit and relying wholly upon the Intercession of Him who is our Righteous Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our sins And whosoever shall now pray and not in this manner though he do it in His words yet not in His Name he doth not pray aright neither can he pray effectually so as to be heard To understand the Nature and Qualities of Prayer more distinctly § II we must consider the many Prayers of God's Saints upon Record in Scripture and especially that most excellent Form which our Saviour taught His Disciples as being the sum of all Prayers and a Rule for time to come till time shall be no more and our Petitions shall be turned into Thanksgiving and our Prayers into Praises This Prayer though followed and used by the Apostles they could not pray and offer in His Name in the foresaid manner before their Lord was glorifyed In this Form which is not a Prayer as taught His Disciples nor as related in the Scriptures nor as learned by us but as made and tendred unto God in the behalf of our selves and others we may with others observe 1. The Preface 2. The Body and matter of the Prayer 3. The conclusion and all of the Essence of Prayer In the Preface we are informed 1. Who must pray 2. For whom 3. To whom Prayer must be made 4. The qualities of Prayer implyed or more briefly By whom For whom To whom In what manner Prayer must be made 1. Who must pray The parties bound unto this Duty are all men living The Command of the Moral Law requiring it obligeth universally All men have need to pray because all men always in all things even for the continuance of Being do wholly depend upon the Supream Soveraign The very Heathens though they worshipped false Gods did acknowledge some Superiour Power did account Prayer one part of Worship and a means to propitiate their supposed Deities to obtain their favour protection and all their good success in their great Enterprises And if we may believe Tertullian these in their Souls in Extremities would invocate one Supream God He 's a cursed Atheist that will not pray a prophane Wretch who neglects to pray an Idolater that prays not to the true God no Christian that will not pray in the Name of Christ an Hypocrite who prays not sincerely with his heart a cold Christian that prays not fervently a miserable man that knows not how to pray and pray effectually The Partyes for whom we must pray § III are 1. Our selves for besides our own necessityes wants and miseries our total and perpetual dependence on God requires it And this will be our condition till the time of Glory Our whole life in the flesh is a time of Praying 2. We must pray for others so farr as they are capable of our prayers For we are taught to say not onely My Father but Our Father And because all men are our Neighbours and we must love our Neighbours as our selves we must pray for them whom we most love as we pray for our selves Our prayers must enlarge according to our charity and must take in all not onely Friends and Acquaintance but Strangers and Enemies So our Saviour taught us to pray for them who despightfully use us And because all Mankind are but one Body and we Members of the same so we can exclude no man as man and flesh and blood as we be This Neighbour is publick private ecclesiasticall civill In the first place we must pray for publick Neighbours whole Nations and States and especially for our own dear Country and the People subject to the same supreme power that we are Amongst these we must remember our Governours supreme and subordinate upon whom our safety and peace under God do much depend The spirituall publick Neighbour to be commended to God chiefly is the universall Church militant and more particularly that particular Church whereof we are a part and in the same above others the Ministers of the Gospel Our private Neighbours are not onely strangers and Enemies as before but such as are joyned unto us by Vicinity of place Family Kinred Alliance near Acquaintance Friends by intimate love These must be thought upon in our prayers But most of all must we put God in mind of his dearest Saints and especially such as are in greatest miseries persecutions trials for the Gospel's sake We must not forget to supplicate and petition for the Conversion of Pagans Mahumetans unbelieving Jewes Yet in all this we must observe that some are in that happy condition that they need not out prayers some in that desperate condition of sin and misery that our prayers can do them no good Neither are they capable of any benefit to be received by them The party to whom our Prayers must be presented § IV is to God And in this particular we consider how we ought to conceive of God and what Titles we should give him in our addresses to him
Armour of God use the strength God hath given us take all opportunity to do good avoid the causes and occasions of sin not presume upon our own power humbly rely upon God be patient and continue fighting defend our selves and resist the Enemy unto Death and if we be sometimes worsted and wounded presently renew our Repentance and Faith return unto the Fight again with greater Care and stronger Resolutions make no Truce with the Enemy give him no respight never faint nor intermit the War till Sin be fully and finally subdued in us The words of this Petition do seem to imply that God doth lead us sometimes into temptation and the expression seems strange For God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth He any man Jam. 1. 13. Therefore we must understand the words so As 1. In no wise to think that God doth or can move or induce any man to sin for this cannot any ways stand with His purest Holiness nor with His most Holy Law 2. Yet because nothing can be done or come to pass without His Divine Providence either effecting or permitting or ordering therefore God may be said to lead into temptation because He either permits us to be tempted and neither restrains the Tempter nor prevents the Temptation For if a Sparrow fall not to the ground much less is Man tempted without His Will and Providence 3. God doth put a Man in such a condition as wherein He shall be tempted and the condition it self is such as no ways in it self tends unto sin yet through Man's Negligence or Corruption may be a great occasion of Temptation And so He may be said to tempt per accidens An estate of Peace and Wealth is good yet such is the subtilty of Sathan and the corruption of Man that few in that condition but are tempted and overcome 4. God may be said to lead us into temptation when He for some just canses denies us deliverance from and out of the same For desertions denial of assistance strength and a competent Superiour Degree of both are many times just Juâ—gments of God 5. God many times brings his own Children into an estate of Temptation on purpose to try their Faith and excellent Vertues and so gives them a glorious Victory Yet we must know that God necessitates no Man to sin and if in temptation we be overcome it 's not His but our own fault The last Petition is § XVI Deliver us from evil Some understand this as a branch of the former Petition as indeed it may be in some sense For suppose it to be meant of the evil of afflictions yet even these are called Trials and Temptations Jam. 1. 2. and Satan from these takes occasion and sometimes advantage from them to tempt us Job's afflictions as from Sathan were temptations Some understand by that word Evil Sathan that great Enemy and terrible Adversary Some say that that Evil is the evil of Sin as though we should say unto our Heavenly Father Though thou suffer us to be tempted yet deliver us from the evil of temptation which is Sin Yet the evil of Affliction Tribulation Persecution and the Misery of this life is not in it self sin though Satan and wicked men may seek by these to draw us to sin And whether they be punishments according to the fifth Petition for former sins or chastisements and corrections for future Reformation or Trials of our Faith and Patience yet we must pray that God would sanctifie us in them sanctifie them unto us and wholly and for ever deliver us from them seeing God hath promised to wipe away all tears and make all things new For they are not good in themselves though He by His Wisdom turn them to our good But we cannot be fully happy till wholly freed from them After the Preface and the Body of the Prayer wherein our Saviour teacheth us by whom for whom to whom in what manner for what things we must pray and give thanks follows the Conclusion in these words For thine is the Kingdom Power and Glory Concerning these words § XVII divers things are to be noted 1. That as Grotius and divers others have observed they are not found in the most ancient Greek Copies in Matthew as they are not mentioned in Luke 2. Yet they are found in the Arabick Syriack and Vulgar Latine Translations whereupon He conceives those Translations to be made after the Liturgies of the Churches were brought unto a certain Form 3. Some understand these words so as to contain certain Reasons whereupon we ought to press our Petitions before the Throne of Grace and so move Him to give them For His is the Kingdom which they desire to come His Power alone which can effect these things and the granting of them tends unto and will end in His Glory We may observe in the Prayers of the Scripture that God's Saints did urge and press their Petitions upon God'â— Mercy His Justice His Power and Glory His place of Universal Judge His Promise and Covenant the Justice of their Cause the Iniquity and Cruelty of their Enemies their misery and sad condition their joy and comfort which would follow upon their Deliverance their Relation to Him His former Favours and such like And with these they added Solemn Vows of Reformation Praise and Thanksgiving 4. They may be understood as a Doxologie with which the Apostles and the Church did use to conclude their Prayers And hereof we have many Examples especially in the New Testament and in ancient Liturgies following the Scriptures And as the Preface and the words thereof spoken unto God with humble Aâ—oration is a fit Salutation of our Heavenly Father upon our entrance into His Preâ—ence by it to make way for our Prayers so a Doxologie is a very fit Valediction when we have ended our Prayers and depart as it were from His Presence 5. This Doxologie doth agree in general with others in the Scripture but it 's not to distinct and particular as many of them be which offer and ascribe praiâ—e and glory unto God either in the Name of or by Christ as Ephes. 3. 21. or unto Christ 1 Tim. 6. 16. or to God and the Lamb Christ Jesus Revel 5. 13. That Doxologie Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. was very agreeable to the Scriptures very ancient the Epitome of all other Doxologies and so a Doxologie that it was a Confession of our Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost This seems to be essential to Prayer and to be either implyed or expressed in every Prayer The word Amen is the Epitome of the Prayer summing up the whole and praying it oveâ— again and repeating our desires jointly in one word and in publike Prayers it 's to be uttered by the people by way of answer not onely to signifie the former act of praying all again in one word but also their consent 1 Cor. 14. 16. And it may be
Messengers continually time after time to teach us his Laws to call them to remembrance often and by them to reprove our sins exhort us to obedience and repentance and daily to set life and death before us So unwilling he is to punish so willing to reward And the use we are to make of all the punishments recorded in Scripture both as threatned and executed we may learn from the Apostle For what he saith of the judgments executed upon Israel is true not only of all the rest written in Scripture but of all those which we ourselves both hear of and see and of those we read of in other Histories They all happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. God by them speaks unto us in this manner Avoyd such sins and you shall escape such punishments But if you will sin as they did ye shall suffer as they did And we upon whom the ends of the World are come should be more carefull to avoid sin because as we have more examples to warn us So if we sin our guilt will be the greater and our punishment the heavier And though these punishments be a reason yet they are not the principall why we should take heed of disobedience For a wicked man may fear to sin because he fears to suffer But such is the love of God of goodnesse justice virtue in the regenerate that they hate sin because it 's so base and unjust in it self and so offensive to their Heavenly Father CHAP. XXI Some Rewards tendred by God before the Vniversall Judgment as taking out Stony Hearts Writing his Laws in them c. THe Scriptures many times speak of rewards before Punishments § I especially in such places as describe the finall Doom yet here I have changed the order and that for severall reasons and have first declared the punishments and now proceed to the rewards And in this place I take Reward for any mercy and blessing of God which follows by Divine ordination according to promise upon the performance of any duty required by the Laws of God-Redeemer And as the proper and formall object of punishment is disobedience to the Law of Redemption So reward looks at obedience performed according to that Law and the subject immediately capable thereof is the penitent believer Yet no man by obedience faith repentance can merit any thing at God's hands For all rewards given to sinfull man are merited by Christ and onely upon his merit and Gods promise the obedient derive their right unto them God cannot be bound to reward either man or Angel though innocent and perfectly obedient except by promise he bind himself How then can he any other way be bound to sinfull man So that it 's hence Consequent that though man perform his duty yet the reward is free These rewards are either Temporall or Spirituall For as you heard before Godlinesse hath the promises that is the rewards promised of this life and that which is to come whether they be deliverances or blessings We may understand by the holy Scriptures that God did not onely promise but gave unto his obedient Children in all times even Temporall rewards and not onely blessed them with earthly blessings and upon their prayers delivered them out of afflictions and their enemyes hand but also upon their repentance either removed or diverted by way of prevention Temporal judgments And because these are many and may be easily understood by the promises I passe them by forbearing all further mention of them in this place either as they are proper to single persons or to Societies For so Cityes civil have their proper blessings if they be just and well ordered as safety peace plenty prosperity victory over their enemyes and help and comfort from their confederates and allyes Neither will I enlarge my discourse with a debate whether heathens and others out of the Church may not obtaine from God temporal rewards for their moral Virtues That God doth blesse them Temporally for their justice and other deeds virtuous in that low degree is evident Neither will I enquire how far Ahab and other unregenerate persons by their humiliations and repentance such as they are may prevail with God to avert or put off judgments It 's very certain he is mightily inclined to mercy and will encourage the lest degree of goodnesse in any Person He prevents us with many blessings and doth many things even to the great sinners which he was in no wise bound unto He is willing that sinfull man should love him and live for he takes no pâ—easurâ— in our ruine and misery for that 's his strange work and not so suitable to his gracious disposition Rewards spirituall are the principall § II and to these I proceed whether they be proper to single persons or societies and Churches There be some indeed which a society as such may enjoy for a society doth add unto our happinesse both on earth and in heaven If a Church as a Church shall be obedient her reward no doubt will be Gods speciall protection the continuance of the meanes of conversion and confirmation plenteous store of the gifts of the Spirit and other speciall favours To know these we must consider the promises God hath made to the Church as a Church and especially a Church obedient The principall whereof may be observed in his promises to the seven Churches of Asia For there is hardly any Church that is not fearfully degenerate but may be found in the same condition and case with some of them Yet because most of the rewards there promised are such as single persons regenerate may enjoy I therefore single out some of the principall of them Before I can enter upon particulars § III because it 's properly a reward that follows upon duty performed I must shew what is necessarily required and to be presupposed before the performance of any spirituall duty For there is some mercy wherein God must of necessity prevent us before we can serve and obey him so as to be capable of a spirituall reward God made men and so Angels at the first righteous and holy before they could do any acts of righteousnesse And when God at the first promised Christ and commanded men to repent and believe in him in that very promise was included a promise of the meanes of conversion without which man could never have believed so as to have benefit by Christ. It 's true that man by a demerit antecedent may lose these as the first Apostate Gentiles and afterwards the unbelieving Jew caused God to take these from them But no man by any duty prayer or such meanes can merit them no nor obtaine them For God in these mercyes must prevenâ— man because without them it 's not possible for any especially such as have wholly lost them to perform any spirituall duty in this case God must needs say I
Punishment The Learned and profound Bradwardine understands it so that the former of unjust makes a man just and holy the latter renders him of miserable happy The one takes away sin to come the other the punishment of sin past The former is Sanctification as we understand it The latter is Justification properly Here it 's remarkable that He makes both the one and the other to be Remission contrary to the Doctrine of Trent yet to speak properly there is no remission of sin as sin but of the guilt and punishment of sin Before this Chapter be concluded § X three Questions are briefly to be examined 1 Whether God at the first Justifycation or in remission of particular sins after the first Justifycation doth totally remit and justifie at once or sometimes nay often in part 2 Whether there be two parts of Justification the first whereof is remission of sin the second the imputation of Christ's Righteousness 3 Whether good Works be a condition of Justification continued and of final Absolution QVEST. I. FOr this we have the Example of David who after his first justifycation contracts the guilt of two heynous sins Adultery and Murder The Prophet Nathan is sent by God to reprove him and charge him with them Upon this through the mercy of God and the Spirit renewing him he confesseth repenteth prayeth Nathan returns from God declareth the Sentence of Absolution and saith Thou shalt not die Yet withall le ts him know that the Child should die the Sword should not depart from his house his Concubines should be defiled in the sight of the Sun and all Israel And all these things came to pass the event was answerable 2 Sam. 10. 11 12 13 14. where many things are remarkable As 1. That a Regenerate Man though not as Regenerate yet Regenerate may sin grievously and so as to deserve Death and if Death be due to sinne Eternal Death yet in such a person removeable and not onely so but removable in that manner as it is in no unregenerate man For whilest there is Habitual Faith and Repentance though for the time dormant and not acting the Covenant of Grace is not totally violated because the Condition of it is Repentance and Faith both which were in David though through negligence grievous sins divine desertion for a time were laid asleep or stupifyed For onely a total Apostasie and a final Desertion takes these away wholly neither of which can be affirmed and proved of David whom God did not regenerate again but renew and stir up This the Author of Censura Censurae doth confess and further saith That he lost not Spiritum Regenerantem sed obsignantem For the vigour of the Spirit both as sanctifying and sealing was abated and little or none for the time 3 God saith Thy sin is forgiven thee Thou shalt not die Yet he must suffer and for these very sins which are said to be forgiven which doth teach us that The Obligation to Punishment was not wholly taken away but in part onely yet in the principal part The Remission therefore at that time was not total but partial yet it was Remission and Justification 3 In the same kind he sinned he was punished He sinned in Adultery and the Sword By Adultery and the Sword he is punished This is a fair Warning to God's Regenerate Saints To watch and pray and beware of grieving that good Spirit wherewith they are sealed till the Day of Redemption 4 He suffers all this in His Children in the Child begotten and conceived in Adultery in Ammon and Tamar in Absolon and his Concubines This proves clearly that Parents and Children the Head of the Family and the Family are considered by God as one Person in Law and that in Punishments QVEST. II. §. XI Whether there be two Parts of Justification Remission and Imputation of Christ's Righteousness FOr Answer whereunto it may be 1 Remembred what I have said formerly against Imputation of Christs active Righteousness separated or abstracted for Reward from the Passive The Reasons against this Opinion seem to me strong yet when I find the force of them dissolved I shall abate of my confidence 2 If we examine the Doctrine of the Apostle Paul and other Scriptures we shall find if I very much mistake not that Remission and Imputation of Righteousness are taken for the same We read that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness Rom. 4. 3. Now to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace but oâ— Debt But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifyeth the Ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Vers. 4 5. Even as David describeth also the blessedness of the Man to whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works saying Blessed is the Man whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Vers. 6 7 8. And therefore it was imputed to him for Righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the Dead Vers. 22 23 24. Here many things are very observable 1 Abraham believed that is as the Chaldie Paraphrast turns it In the word of Johovah in that word which being with God in the beginning was God by which the World was made and who was made flesh and to whom the Lord said Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool 2 It was reckoned to him for Righteousness that is his Faith or in that he believed in that Eternal Word Christ Jesus to be incarnate The plain meaning whereof is that he judged him believing in Christ to be righteous by Christ. 3 To him that worketh that is to him that so worketh or obeyeth as not to disobey nor sin at all the Reward of Righteousness is adjudged to him as righteous perfectly as of Debt by the Law of Works not of Grace by the Law of Redemption 4 God justifieth the Ungodly or the Sinner and the Guilty Person not as such but believing on him that justifieth the guilty yet as Penitent and Believing 5 This Imputation of Righteousness is the forgiveness of sin for to have Faith counted or imputed for Righteousness is explained by David to have sin forgiven covered not imputed 6 The estate of the Party justified even in this life is blessed and very happy Blessed is he whose sin is forgiven c. 7 That the Party to whom Righteousness is imputed is he that believeth on him that raised up Christ from the Dead not he that believeth that Christ performed perfect obedience active to the Law in his Person For though he perfectly obeyed the Law as without which he could not have offered himself an unâ—potted Sacrifice for us yet He did it not that that active personal Righteousness should be imputed to us Though God in His