when a man knowes not the Law of god writteÌ„ nor the law of nature This ignorance may somewhat lessen the sinne but it excuseth no man because it is naturall and euery man is bound to know the Law Ignorance of the thing the Law requireth is the Ignorance of the fact and that is either with the fault of the doer or without the fault Faultie ignoraÌ„ce is the ignorance of a fact which he might haue preueÌ„ted As wheÌ„ a maÌ„ in his drunkeÌ„nes killeth another in this fact not knowing what de doth he also knoweth not that he hath offended yet because he might haue preuented his drunkennes therfore he is faultie and sinneth Faultlesse ignorance is when a fact is done which could not be either knowne or auoided before hand For example if a man be â—opping a tree and his axe head fall from the helve out of his hand and kills another passing by here is indeede manslaughter but no voluntarie murther because it was a thing that could not be auoided and did not fall out through his default And this ignorance is excusable The second Fountaine of Sinne is the Will from whence arise these three differences of sinnes some are from the will immediately some besides the will and some are mixt partly with the will and partly against the will Sinnes proceeding from the will are properly tearmed voluntarie such as the doer mooued by his own wil commits though he know them to be euill And here the more free the wil is the greater is the sinne for wil added to knowledge makes the sinne the greater Vnder voluntarie sinnes are comprehended all such as proceede from stirred affections as when a man tells a lie for feare or striketh another in anger and the reason is because these offences though they are not done vpon deliberation but arise from the violence of affection yet they doe not exclude Consent Hither also we may referre sinnes committed by compulsion as when a man is forced to denie his religion his offence in deede and in truth is voluntarie though some otherwise think it to be a mixt action For compulsion doth not reach to the will but to the outward man and serues to draw forth a consent and and when consent is yeelded he denies his religion voluntarily for the will cannot be constrained In the next place sinnes beside the will are such as are neither directly from the wil nor against it Of this sort are the first sudden motions vnto sinne conceiued in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight and these are truly sinnes though in respect little sinnes condemned in the last commandement And they are not from the will because they goe without and before consent neither yet are they against the will because then the heart would not take delight in them Here by the way we are to note against the doctrine of the Papists that all sinnes are not voluntarie for whatsoeuer wanteth conformitie to the law of God is sinne whether it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights arise suddenly in the heart of man which are not according to the law of God and haue no consent or approbation of will In like manner wheÌ„ one man kils another thinking that he killeth a wild beast if the same man remembreth afterwards what he hath done and is not grieued for the fact in this case he hath sinned because his not grieuing is offensiue vnto God though the fact were meerely besides his will Mixt sinnes are partly from the will partly against it Of this sort are the workes of the man regenerate which are done partly with his will and partly against his will beeing partly good and partly euill The reason hereof is this There are in man after regeneration two contrarie grounds or beginnings of actions to wit naturall corruption or the inclination of the minde wil and affections to that which is against the Law called the Flesh and a created qualitie of holines wrought in the said faculties by the holy Ghost tearmed the Spirit And these two are not seuered but ioyned and mingled together in all the faculties and powers of the soule Now betweene these there is a continuall combate corruption fighting against grace grace against corruptioÌ„ Hence it is that there beeing euen in one the same wil trarie inclinatioÌ„s there must necessarily flow from the man regenerate contrary actions the flesh in euery action willing that which is euill and the Spirit on the otherside that which is good This Paul confessed and acknowledged vpon his owne experience after his conuersion when he said To will is present with me but I find no meanes perfectly to do that which is good Again I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The third Ground or fountaine of sinne in man is Affection from whence doe proceede two kinds namely sinnes of Infirmitie and sinnes of Presumption Sinnes of Infirmitie are such as proceede from the sudden passions of the minde and the strong affectioÌ„s of the heart as from hatred griefe anger sorrow such like These sinnes are commonly thought to be in all men but the truth is they are properly incident to the regenerate For infirmitie cannot be said properly to be in them in whome sin hath firmitie or strength and where there is no power of grace at all Againe the man that is regenerate sinneth not neither when he would because he is restrained by the grace of God that is in him nor in what manner he would partly because he sinneth not with al his heart the strength of his flesh beeing abated by the Spirit and partly for that beeing fallen he lies not still but recouers himselfe by speedy repentance An euident argument that the sinnes whereinto he falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weaknes and infirmitie Sinnes of PrésumptioÌ„ are such as proceed from pride arrogancy wilfulnes and hautines of mans heart Against these Dauid praieth saying Let not presumptuous sinnes haue dominion ouer me And of them there be three degrees The first is when a man wilfully goeth on in his sinnes vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punnishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuouslly but of malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sin against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of
make a daily supplie by his grace Fourthly Satan seekes by all meanes to ouerthrow our soules continually and in that regard it behooueth vs alwaies and vpon euery occasion to lift vp our hearts to God for his mercifull protection Fiftly the gift of faith must grow and increase in vs day by day And the meanes whereby it groweth and thriueth in vs are the exercises of faith not seldome and rare but daily and continually vsed Now of all the exercises of faith none is more exceilent then Invocation and Thanksgiuing The Second kinde of prayer is set and solemne when a man sets himselfe apart to pray vnto God vsually and feruently or when men come reuerently and solemnely together into the congregation to call vpon the name of the Lord. The word of God appoints no set time for this kind but leaues it to the libertie wisdome and discretion of men And the ground of this Libertie is this There is now no difference betweene time and time in regard of Conscience for performing the worship of God and the duties of religion the Saboth onely excepted but the principall and onely difference is in regard of outward order and conueniencie whereby one time may be thought fitter then an other and that must be discerned by the wisdome of men In the New testament the distinction of daies and houres is taken away Paul was afraid of the Galatians because they made difference of daies times moneths and yeares in respect of holines and religion Gal. 4. By this doctrine we may see what to iudge of the Romane religion touching set times of prayer They prescribe certaine houres which they tearme Canonicall and they distinguish them in this manner The first they call the Matutine before the sunne rising The second the Prime from the first houre of the day to the third The third from thence to the sixt hower The fourth from the sixt to the ninth The fift from the ninth to the twelfth which they call the None The fixt is in the euening about the Sunne-setting The seuenth and last is after the Sunne-setting which they call the Completorie Now in these seauen prescribed howers by the doctrine deliuered I note three notable abuses First in that the Popish Church binds men in Conscience to obserue them vpon paine of mortall sinne Whereas in regarde of Conscience there is no difference of times Secondly they bind the Masse-priest the Deacon Subdeacon and the Beneficed man onely to Canonicall houres whereas those houres differ not from others in regard of performance of Gods worship neither are these men more bound to pray in them then others Thirdly that a man may say and read his Canonicall houres this day for the morrow and in the morning or after dinner for the whole day wherein we may see their grosse superstition IV. Question touching prayer is How their mindes are to be pacified which are troubled by sundry accidents that fall out in their praiers These Accidents are principally three First when they should pray they cannot frame or conceiue a forme of praier as other men doe For remoouing of which trouble let them remember this one thing That the vnfeigned desire of the touched heart is a praier in acceptance before God though knowledge memorie and vtterance to frame and conceiue a forme of prayer in words be waÌ„ting Ps. 10. 17. God heares the desire of the poore that is of humbled persons and them which are in distresse Psal. 145. 19. God will fulfill the desire of them that feare hiâ— he also will heare their cry and will saue them Rom. 8. 26. We know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit of God that is the spirit of adoption maketh requests for vs by grones sighes which cannot be vttered Where we may obserue that the prayer of the Holy Ghost which must needes be an excellent prayer is made by grones which cannot be vttered in words The second Accident is that they finde them selues full of heauines and deadnes of spirit and their minds full of by-thoughts and wandting imaginations This trouble may be remooued vpon this ground that the defects of our prayer shall neuer condemne vs if we be heartily displeased with our selues for the same and by prayer and other good meanes doe struggle and striue against them Rom. 8. 1. There is no coÌ„demnation to them that be in Christ. In which place it is not saide They doe nothing worthy of coÌ„demâ—ation but thus There is no condemnation to them being in Christ though they deserue it neuer so much The third accideÌ„t is that though they pray they receiue not the fruit of their praiers For the remooueall of this distresse we may consider these foure things I. The man that is thus troubled is to examine himselfe whether he hath made his praier to God aright or no For if he pray amisse he may pray long and neuer be heard Our Sauiour would not grant the request of the sonns of Zebedeus because they asked they knew not what Matt. 20. 22. Iam. 4. 3. Ye aske receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might consume it on your lusts Paul prayed three times and had the repulse because he asked things inconuenient for him to receiue therefore answere was made My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12. The man therefore that would make a praier aright must haue respect vnto the matter and forme thereof as also to the disposition of his owne heart If he faile in any of these then God will not heare or if he doth he heares in iustice II. Though men make lawfull praiers vnto God aske things that are to be asked and which God will grant yet God will sometime deserre the accomplishment of their praiers and not giue eare vnto them at the first Dauid prayed night and day and yet was not heard Psalm 22. 2. Againe his eies failed his throat was drie while he waited for his God by prayer Psal. 69. 3. The Angel Gabriel said to Zacharie Luk. 1. 13. Thy prayer is heard Now in all likelihood that prayer of Zacharie was made long before euen in his youth yet it was not granted him till he was olde The Lord deferres the graunt of our requests vpon good reason For hereby he stirreth vp the dulnes of our hearts and quickeneth our faith and hope Againe he makes vs when we enioy the blessings desired to haue them in higher estimation and to be more thankefull vnto him yea in the want thereof to striue the more earnestly with him by praier for them The woman of Canaan was repulsed and called a dogge by our Sauiour Christ not for that he intended to reiect her prayer but to stirre vp her faith to make her more earnest in asking as also more thankefull for the benefit when shee had receiued it III. The Lord vseth to graunt our petitions two manner of waies First by giuing the very thing we aske Secondly by giuing something answerable
a twofold relation to God or to Man As he stands in relation to God he beares the name of a Christian that is a member of Christ or a sonne of God whose dutie is to know and to worship God according to his will reuealed in his word As he stands in relation to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Now the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to three distinct kinds of societies For euery man is either a member of a Familie or of the Church or of the Common-wealth And answerably some Questions concerne mā as a member of a familie some as he is a member of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therefore all Questions touching man may be reduced to three generall heads The first whereof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The second touching man as he stands in relation to God The third concerning man as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Familie or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort concerning man simply considered in himselfe as he is a man are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second How he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third How he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen Of these in order CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauor and be saued FOR answer to this Question some Groundes must be laid downe before-hand The first is this That we must consider and remember how and by what meanes God brings any man to saluation For looke how God saueth others so he that would know how to be saued must vse the meanes whereby God saueth them Sect. 1. In the working and effecting of Mans saluation ordinarily there are two special actions of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two works hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward or inward crosse to breake and sub due the stubbornnesse of our nature that it may be made plyable to the will of God This we may see in the example of the Iaylour Act. 16. and of the Iewes that were conuerted at Peters sermon Act. 2. II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Law and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his owne peculiar and proper sinnes whereby he offends God IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with a Legall feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to despaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeede no fruits of grace for a Reprobate may goe thus farre but they are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fifth action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seedes or sparks of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting dispaire Now at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall begins the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combat for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by feruent cōstant earnest inuocatiō for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength and preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and settles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life where vpon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercy followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance wherby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needs be before the light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauor to obey his commaundements by a new obedience And by these degrees doth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is the giuing of the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first grace giuen For looke as by creation God gaue a beeing to man all other creatures and then by his prouidence continued the same beeing which was as it were a second creation so in bringing a man to saluation God giues the first grace for example to beleeue repent then in mercie giues the second to persevere continue in faith and repentance to the end And this if we regard man himselfe is very necessary For as fire without supply of matter wherby it is fedde continued would soone goe out so vnlesse God of his goodnesse should followe his children and by new and daily supplies continue his first grace in thē they would vndoubtedly soone loose the same finally fall away The second Ground for the answere of this Question is taken from some speciall places of Scripture where the same is mooved and resolued The men that were at Peters sermon being touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to an other Men brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iaylor who after that the stubbornnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs what must I doe to be saued to whome they gaue answer Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospel sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christs answers him Keepe
man is ingrafted into Christ and thereby becomes one with Christ and Christ one with him Eph 3. 17. Now whosoeuer is by faith vnited vnto Christ the same is elected called iustified and sanctified The reason is manifest For in a chaine the two extremes are knit togither by the middle linkes and in the order of causes of happinesse and saluation faith hath a middle place and by it hath the child of God assured hold of his election and effectuall vocation and consequently of his glorification in the kingdome of heauen To this purpose saith S. Iohn c. 3. v. 36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And c. 5. v. 24. He that beleeues in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This is the Ground Now for answer to the Question diuerse places of Scripture are to be skanned wherein this case of Conscience is fully answered and resolued Sect. 1. The first place is Rom. 8. 16. And the spirit of God testifieth together with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God In these words are two testimonies of our adoption set downe The first is the Spirit of God dwelling in vs and testifying vnto vs that we are Gods childreÌ„ But some will happily demaund How Gods spirit giues witnesse seeing now there are no reuelations Answ. Extraordinarie reuelations are ceased and yet the holy Ghost in and by the word reuealeth some things vnto men for which cause he is called truly the Spirit of Reuelation Eph. 3. 5. Againe the holy Ghost giues testimonie by applying the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ particularly to the heart of man when the same is generally propounded in the Ministerie of the word And because many are readie presumptuously to say they are the children of God when they are not and that they haue the witnesse of Gods Spirit when in truth they want it therefore we are to put a difference between this carnall conceit and the true testimonie of the Spirit Now there be two things whereby they may be discerned one from the other The first is by the meanes For the true testimonie of the holy ghost is wrought ordinarily by the preaching reading and meditation of the word of God as also by praier and the right vse of the Sacraments But the presumptuous testimonie ariseth in the heart and is framed in the braine out of the vse of these meanes or though in the vse yet with want of the blessing of God concurring with the meanes The second is by the effects and fruits of the Spirit For it stirrs vp the heart to praier and inuocation of the name of God Zach. 12. 10. yea it causeth a man to crie and call earnestly vnto God in the time of distresse with a sense and feeling of his owne miseries and with deepe sighes and groanes which cannot be vttered to craâ—e mercie and grace at his hands as of a louing father Rom. 8. 26. Thus did Moses crie vnto heauen in his heart when he was in distresse at the red sea Exod. 14. 15. And this gift of praier is an vnfallible testimonie of Gods Spirit which cannot stand with carnall presumption The second Testimonie of our Adoption is our Spirit that is our conscience sanctified and renewed by the Holy Ghost And this also is knowne and discerned first by the greefe of the heart for offending God called Godly sorrow 1. Cor. 7. 10. secondly by a resolute purpose of the heart and endeauour of the whole man in all things to obey God thirdly by sauouring the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. that is by doing the workes of the Spirit with ioy and chearefulnesse of heart as in the presence of God and as his children and seruants Now put the case that the testimonie of the Spirit be wanting then I answer that the other testimonie the sanctification of the heart will suffice to assure vs. We knowe it sufficiently to be true and not painted fire if there be heate though there be no flame Put the case againe that the testimonie of the spirit be wanting and our sanctification be vncertaine vnto vs how then may we be assured The answer is that we must theÌ„ haue recourse to the first beginnings and motions of sanctificatioÌ„ which are these First to feele our inward corruptions Secondly to be displeased with our selues for them Thirdly to beginne to hate sinne Fourthly to grieue so oft as we fal and offend God Fiftly to auoid the occasions of sinne Sixtly to endeauour to doe our dutie and to vse good meanes Seuenthly to desire to sinne no more And lastly to pray to God for his grace Where these and the like motions are there is the spirit of God whence they proceed and sanctification is begun One apple is sufficient to manifest the life of the tree and one good and constant motion of grace is sufficient to manifest sanctification Againe it may be demanded what must be done if both be wanting Answ. Men must not dispaire but vse good meanes and in time they shall be assured Sect. 2. The Second place is the 15. Psalme In the first verse whereof this question is propounded namely Who of all the members of the Church shall haue his habitation in heauen The answer is made in the verses following and in the second verse he sets downe three generall notes of the said person One is to walke vprightly in sincerity approuing his heart and life to God the second is to deale iustly in al his doings the third is for speech to speake the truth from the heart without guile or flatterie And because we are easily deceiued in generall sinnes in the 3 4 and 5. verses there are set downe seauen more euident and sensible notes of sinceritie iustice and trueth One is in speech not to take vp or carrie abroad false reports and slanders The second is in our dealings not to doe wrong to our neighbour more then to our selues The third is in our companie to contemne wicked persons worthy to be contemned The fourth is in our estimation we haue of others that is to honour them that feare God The fift is in our words to sweare and not to change that is to make conscience of our word and promise especially if if it be confirmed by oath The sixt is in taking of gaine not to giue money to vsurie that is not to take increase for bare lending but to lend freely to the poore The last is to giue testimonie without briberie or partialitie In the fift verse is added a reason of the answer he that in his indeauour doth al these things shall neuer be mooued that is cut off from the Church as an hypocrite Sect. 3. The third place of Scripture is the first Epistle of Iohn the principall scope wherof is to giue a full resolution to the conscience of man touching the certainty of his
euill spirit could not goe forth to deceiue Ahab vntill the Lord had said vnto him Goe and thou shalt preuaile 1. King 22. 22. Thus the Deuill could not touch the bodie children goods or friends of righteous Iob whilest he was fenced and fortified by the power and prouidence of God But when the Lord in regard of Iobs outward estate had giuen leaue and said Loe all that he hath is in thine hand then did he exercise his power to the vtmost yet so farre onely as he was permitted and no further Iob. 1. 12. The consideration of this first point that Satans power is determined by God will serue to stay the minds of those whose persons houses or friends are molested by him For hereupon it followeth that God who hath the Deuill bound vp as it were in chaines will not suffer his power to be inlarged against his owne children to their destruction and confusion but so farre forth alone as shall be expedient for their good and saluation Againe that God beeing their father in Christ Iesus they may in the time of such affliction haue accesse vnto him call vpon him for the restraint of Satans power and malice and consequently for the deliuerance of them and theirs A second Rule is this Such persons must haue recourse to God in his word in which he promiseth his presence and protection to his children in their greatest dangers And namely that there shall no euill come vnto them neither any plague shall come neere their dwelling because he will giue his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies Againe that he will be a wall of fire round about his people Zach. 2. 5. that he will extend peace ouer his Church like a flood Isa. 66. 12. And that there shal be no sorcery against Iacob nor soothsaying in rael Numb 23. 22. And yet if God sees it to be good for his children to be tried by possessions or witchcraft in this case the promise frees them not For all temporall blessings are promised conditionally so farre forth as they may stand with Gods good will and pleasure and withall may make for the good of his children Howbeit herein lies the comfort that though such calamities befall them yet they shall turne to their good rather then to their hurt This point well considered by the way bewraieth the great presumption of some who are not afraid to say their faith is so strong that the Deuill cannot touch them Thirdly it must be considered that the best seruants of God haue beene in their times molested by the Deuill Christ in his second temptation was carried by the Deuill from the wildernessé to a wing of the Temple of Ierusalem The children of Iob were destroied by the Deuill he himselfe was filled with boâ—ches and sores A certaine woman euen a daughter of Abraham that is one following the faith of Abraham was troubled with a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeares together And the daughter of the woman of Canaan was grieuously vexed with a Deuill Math. 15. 21 22. Fourthly men in this case ought by faith to lay fast hold vpon the promise of life euerlasting and wait the Lords leisure not limiting him in respect of time or meanes of deliuerance This was the practise of Iob Though he kill me yet will I trust in him And of holy Abraham who did not limit God but was content to doe with Isaac what the Lord would and though it was in likelihood a meane to bereaue him of all posteritie yet still he kept himselfe to the promise Lastly men must in this case seeke and sue vnto God by praier either for deliuerance if it may stand with his good will and pleasure or els for patience that they may meekly and patiently beare that particular affliction II. In the molestation and annoyance of houses by spirits two things are to be remembred First men must not consort together and abide there where it is certenly knowne that the Lord hath giuen the Deuill power and libertie least in so doing they tempt the Lord. Our Sauiour Christ did not of his owne priuate motion and will betake himselfe into the wildernes but by the direction of the Holy Ghost Math. 4. 1. Paul in like manner did not of his owne head goe to Ierusalem but vpon the motion of the Spirit Act. 20. 22. In the light of these examples men arc taught not to cast themselues into any places of apparant danger much lesse to frequent those which God hath deliuered vp into the power of Satan And this condemneth the rash and headie conceits of some persons who vpon confidence of their owne strength doe put themselues into needelesse dangers hauing neither extraordinarie calling from God nor any sufficient warrant out of his word If it be asked what men are to doe in this case I answer First that they ought rather to flie to God by praier and to draw neere vnto him in their hearts and he in mercie will draw neere vnto them Secondarily that which we doe in meats and drinkes is also to be done in the houses and places where we dwell And what is that we must sanctifie them to our vse by the word and prayer Noah at Gods commandement went into the Arke abode in it and came out againe and when he came forth of it into the earth afterward it is said of him that he built an Altar gaue thaÌ„ks to God for his deliuerance and praied the Lord to vouch safe him the vse of the earth as he had before Though Abraham had a promise of the land of Canaan to him and his posteritie for euer yet he went not out of his countrey toward it till the Lord commanded him and when he was come thither he built an Altar for the worship and seruice of God The like he did afterward at Bethel And many yeares after did Iacob offer sacrifice vnto God in the same Bethel when he came to dwell there And for this very end in the law by a speciall ordinance the first fruites of the haruest were offered to sanctifie the rest of the corne And so much touching the second distresse CHAP. X. Of the third Speciall Distresse arising of the Tentation of Blasphemie THe third kind of trouble of mind is that which ariseth of the Tentation of Blasphemie which in regard of the vilenes and vglinesse thereof is not amisse tearmed by some the foule Tentation And it is when a man is troubled in his minde with blasphemous cogitations and thoughts directly against the Maiestie of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost As for example to thinke that God is not iust or mercifull that he accepteth mens persons that he hath not knowledge of things that are done here below or at least that de doth not regard them that God cannot doe this or that that he is iniurious to some men and partiall to others c. These
2. Ans. That this field was bought twice First by Abraham and then afterward recouered by Iacob that he might maintaine his fathers possession 3. Answ. That Abrahams name is here put for his posterity as Israels name is otherwhere giuen to his children yea not only to his children but also to his fathers Isaack and Abraham For Exod. 12. 40. it is said The abode of the children of Israel while they dwelt in Egypt was 430. yeares which cannot be true vnlesse the abode of Abraham and Isaack be therein included Now if the name of the successour may be giuen to his auncestors much more may the name of the auncestors be giuen to the posteritie CHAP. IV. Of Religion THe third Question concerning man as he stands in relation to God is touching Religion where it is demanded What is that Religion that is due vnto the true God Answ. The name Religion is not alwaies taken in one and the same sense For sometime it is vsed to signifie the whole bodie of doctrine reuealed in the written word that teacheth and prescribeth whatsoeuer is to be beleeued or practized as necessary to saluation Otherwhiles it is put for the inward vertue of the mind where the same doctirne is beleeued and the duties therein required practised and performed to the Maiestie of God And beeing thus taken it is called by the name of Pietie or Godlinesse in the Scripture And in this second sense I take it in this place Now Religion or Pietie hath two distinct parts The first is knowledge of God the second the worship of God These two are notably described by Dauid in his last will and Testament wherein he commends vnto Salomon his sonne before all other things the care and ioue of Religion and Pietie the summe whereof he reduceth to these heades the knowledge of God and worship of God 1. Chron. 28. 9. And thou Salomon my sonne KNOWE thou the God of thy father and SERVE him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind According to this difference of heades are the Questions concerning religion to be distinguished and these are principally two First how God is to be knowne and then how he is to be worshipped I. Question How God is to be conceiued in our mindes when wee performe any seruice or worship vnto him FOr answer hereunto this ground is first to be laid that we must not neither can possibly knowe or conceiue God as he is in himselfe For God in himselfe is infinite and therefore incomprehensible in regard of vs. But we are to conceiue him so as he hath doth reveale himselfe to vs in his creatures principally in his word The truth herof may appeare in this one example to alleadge no more when Moses desired to see the glory Maiestie of God for a further confirmation and assurance of his calling answer was made him by God that he could not see his face but he should see his back parts as he passed by him The meaning of this answer is that God would manifest his glorie vnto him by his effects by which as by a glympse or imperfect representation he might discern some part of his Maiestie so farre forth as he was able in the infirmitie of flesh and blood to behold the same But the perfect and full sight thereof no creature was euer able to attain vnto it beeing reserued for the life to come when not before they shall see him as he is in himselfe face to face This Ground beeing laid the full answer to the Question I propound in foure rules I. Rule When we are to pray or to worship God we must not conceiue him in the forme of any earthly or heauenly bodily or spirituall creature whatsoeuer for thus not to conceiue him is a degree of conceiuing him aright II. Rule God must be conceiued of vs not by his nature but by his attributes works By his attributes as that he is infinite in mercie iustice goodnes power c. By his works of creation and gouernement of the world of redemption c. Thus the Lord reuealed himselfe to Moses Exod. 6. 14. I AM hath sent me vnto you that is one which hath his beeing in himselfe and of himsefe that giues being to all creatures by creation and continues the same by his prouidence one that giues a beeing and accomplishment to all his mercifull promises When the Lord appeared to Moses he shewed not his face vnto him but passed by him with a voice The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gratious long suffering and plenteous in goodnes and truth In which place the Lord proclaimes his name by his attributes So in the prophecie of Ieremie I am he that shewes mercie iudgement and iustice in the land The same Daniel confesseth in his praier when he saith O Lord God which art great and fearfull keeping couenant and mercie toward thē that loue thee keepe thy commandements And lastly the author to the Hebrewes He that comes to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him III. Rule God must not be conceiued absolutely that is out of the Trinitie but as he subsisieth in the person of the Father Sonne and the Holy Ghost so he must be knowne and conceiued of vs. The auncient rule of the Church is that the vnitie must be worshipped in Trinitie and the Trinitie in Vnitie By this doe the protestant Churches differ from all other assemblies of worshippers The Turke conceiues and worships a God creator of heauen and earth but an abstracted God which is neither Father Sonne nor Holy Ghost The Iew worshippeth God but out of Christ and therefore a feigned and Idol God The Papist in word acknowledgeth and so worshippeth God but indeede makes God an Idol because he worships him not in a true but in a feigned Christ that sits at the right hand of the father in heauen and is also in the hands of euery Masse-priest after the words of cōsecration But the Protestant knowes God as he will be knowen and consequently worships him as he wil be worshipped in Father Sonne and Holy Ghost IV. Rule When we direct our praiers or any worship to any one person we must include the rest in the same worship yea further we must retaine in minde the distinction and order of all the three persons without severing or sundring them for so they are named and propounded in the Scriptures The reason is because as they are not seuered but conioyned in nature so they neither are nor must be seuered but conioyned in worship For example the man that praies to God the Father for the forgiuenes of his sins must aske it of him for the merit of the sonne and by the assurance of the Holy Ghost Againe he that praies for remission of his sinnes to God the Son must pray that he would procure the Father to graunt his pardon and withall assure it by his spirit He
extraordinary man that is qualified with these two gifts may pray not onely against the cause of him that is an enemie to God but against his person Thus Dauid did especially in the 109. Psal. which Psalme is full of terrible curses against his particular enemies and typically against Iudas For he had the spirit of discerning by which he knewe that they were incurable enemies and a pure zeale of the glorie of God which made him breake out into such imprecations So Paul praies Gal. 5. 12. that they might be cut off which troubled the Church c. 2. Tim. 4. 14. he praies directly against the person of Alexander the coppersmith that had don him much wrong The Lord reward him according to his workes Which must not seeme strange for Paul had in that imprecation the Spirit of prophecie and consequently both the spirit of discerning and of pure zeale and therefore he might pray against him as he did But for Ordinarie men such as haue nothing but ordinarie gifts and want the spirit of discerning and haue also a zeale mingled with choler stomack anger and hatred they may vse no extraordinarie praier against the person of any man All that they may doe is to pray that God would restraine their malice hinder their badde practises and turne them to his glorie and the good of his Church Therefore Act. 4. 29. when there had beene a Councell holden at Ierusalem against the Apostles Peter and Iohn in the first beginning of the great persecution of Christians in the primitiue Church it is said that they departed from the assembly and praied together with the rest of the Church in this manner And now O Lord behold their threatnings c. Wherein they praied not against the Councell nor against the men that sate in counsell but against their proceedings courses deuises and threatnings And their practise may be a patterne for ordinary men to follow In Luk. 9. 54. the Disciples asking our Sauiour Christ whether they should call for fire from heauen to destroy his enemies he sharply reprooueth them for their intemperate heate against the Samaritans and tells them that they had not that extraordinarie Spirit to effect such a thing because they were but ordinarie men Ordinarie men therefore may not pray against the persons of Gods enemies The Pope at this day is a professed enemie to Christ and his Gospel yet no man may pray against the person of the Pope but onely against his state kingdome and regiment which is Antichristian whereby he sets himselfe against God and his kingdome Sect. 2. Vpon the answer to this question there followeth an other Sundrie Psalmes of Dauid are Psalmes of imprecation wherin Dauid curseth his enemies fearefully especially in the 109. Psalme now all these psalmes were penned for our vse It may therefore be demanded how we may vse these and such like when we read or sing them Ans. I. We must not vse them as Dauid did namely as praiers against the persons of our enemies but onely as prophecies against the enemies of God wherein the punishment of incurable men that were enemies to God and his truth is foretold For wee haue not as Dauid had an extraordinarie spirit or a pure zeale therefore we cannot pray as he did II. I answer whereas these Imprecations were directed against particular enemies we may vse them in some sort as praiers but how as generall praiers against all the incureable enemies of God not against any particulars among the Iewes Turkes or Papists As therfore as we may vse these Imprecations as praiers so we must vse them without any particular application to the persons of any particular men III. Question What be the particular Circumstances of Prayer Ans. There are chiefly foure I. The voice or speech II. The gesture III. The place where IV. The time when Sect. 1. Concerning the Voice this Question may be mooued Whether a Voice or words are â—o be vsed in prayer or no Ans. Prayer is either Pubâ—cke or Priuate In publike prayer a forme of wordes must alwaies be vsed in a knowne plaine and distinct voice The reasons are these First the Minister is the mouth of the whole Congregation in prayer as he is the mouth of God to the people in preaching Now as the Minister is their mouth to God in prayer so the people must giue their assent and approbation to his prayer by the word Amen But there can be no professed and publique assent without a voice Secondly God is the Creator not onely of the soule of man but also of his bodie and we blesse God not onely with the heart but also with the tongue therefore the whole man must pray in publicke Now in priuate prayer made in priuate and secret places by priuate persons the Voice is profitable but not simply necessarie It is profitable because it stirreth vp the affections of the heart it serueth also to keepe the wandering minde in compasse to expresse the affection and to procure attention of the heart to the prayer Yet it is not simply necessarie For a man is not bound in coâ—â—cience to vse a forme of wordes in all his prayers Moses prayed he spake neuer a word and yet it was a prayer for the Lord saies vnto him Exod. 12. 15. Why criest thou Anna praying in the Temple her lippes did mooue onely her voice was not heard and yet shee is said to pray 1. Sam. 1. 13. Againe the Spirit is said to pray in the Elect with groanes that cannot be vttered and yet the Holy Ghost giues them the name of prayers Rom. 8. Paul biddes vs pray continually which is not to be vnderstood of a continuall vse of a forme of words but of the groanes and sighes of the heart which may be made at all times Out of this Question ariseth another Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set Forme of prayer for some thinke that to doe so is a sinne Ans. It is no sinne but a man may lawfully and with good conscience doe it Reasons First the Psalmes of Dauid were deliuered to the Church to be vsed and read in a set forme of words and yet the most of them are praiers Secondly to conceiue a forme of praier requires gifts of memorie knowledge vtterance and the gifts of grace Now euery child and seruant of God though he haue an honest heart yet hath he not all these gifts and therefore in the want of them may lawfully vse a set forme of prayer as a man that hath a weake backe or a lame legge may leane vpon a crutch It is alleadged that set formes of praier doe limit and binde the Holy Ghost Ans. If we had a perfect measure of grace it were somewhat but the graces of God are weake and small in vs. This is no binding of the Holy Ghost but a helping of the spirit which is weake in vs by a crutch to leane vpon therefore a man may with good conscience
beleeues because the father beleeues It is obiected again that infants are born in originall sinne and therefore cannot be borne holy and sanctified Answ. Euery beleeuing parent sustaines a double person First as he is a man descending of Adam by corrupted seede and thus beeing himselfe corrupted and vncleane his children also are corrupt and impure Secondly as he is a holy and beleeuing man ingraffed by faith into Christ the second Adam And thus by his faith comes his child to be in the couenant and partaker of the benefits and priuiledges thereof and by the same faith he beeing a beleeuer the guilt of originall corruption which is in the Infant new borne is not imputed vnto him to condemnation And for these causes the Sacrament of Baptisme is not absolutely and precisely necessarie to saluation but so and in that sort as hath bin declared Against this Doctrine it is obiected that Christ saith to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost he can not enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 5. To this obiection sundrie answers are giuen First if the place be vnderstood of Baptisme then the wordes may carrie one of these two senses First that our Sauiour directs this speech principally against Nicodemus who was a timerous professour and remained ignorant and had long neglected his baptisme Secondly that the kingdome of heauen is here put not for euerlasting happines but to signifie the visible estate of the church of the new Testament and then the meaning is No man can be admitted into the Church and made a visible member thereof but by the water of baptisme neither can any man be made a liuely member of Christ Iesus but by the spirit that is by regeneration which alone makes the partie that is entred into the Church by baptisme to be a liuing mēber of the bodie of Christ. Secondly others answer that this place is to be vnderstood not of Baptisme but simply of regeneration and that Christ alludes to the sayings of the Prophets which speake of cleane water and expounds the same in this sort Thou Nicodemus art by profession a Pharisie and vsest many outward washings but know this withall that vnlesse thou be washed inwardly by cleane water that is be regenerated and renewed by the holy Ghost thou canst not enter into Gods kingdome Lastly it is answered that the necessitie of saluation lies not in both but onely in the new birth by the holy Ghost as if Christ should say Except ye be regenerate borne a new of the spirit which as cleane water purgeth and clenseth you from your sinnes ye cannot be saued The Vse By this doctrine touching the necessitie of Baptisme are iustly challenged two sorts of men The first is the Popish sort who build the absolute necessitie of Baptisme vpon false and vnstable grounds For they teach in their writings that all men are borne in sinne and corruption and vnlesse they be clensed from it they can neuer be saued Now Baptisme they say is appointed by God as the onely remedie and sole meanes whereby they may be purged from sinne and come to saluation And this they snew by a comparison of Baptisme with the brazen Serpent which as it was the only remedie for the cure of those which were stinged by serpents so is this Sacrament the onely meanes set apart by God to keepe them that are partakers thereof from the sting of death and eternall destruction But the answer is plaine out of the former doctrine That though all men be conceiued and borne in sinne and cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen except they be clensed yet baptisme is not of absolute necessitie for this purpose For it is not appointed by God as the onely remedie of this euill but onely to be a signe and signification of the purging and clensing of sinne by the blood of Christ. Now those that are within the couenant may haue their sinnes remitted by the mercie of God and that according to the forme of the couenāt though they receiue not the signe thereof so be it they doe not wilfully contemne or neglect the same when it may be had Againe the serpent lifted vp by Moses in it selfe and by it owne vertue was a bare signe and was no remedie to cure the diseased Israelites but they were cured by their faith in the word of Gods promise annexed vnto the signe according to which Dauid saith He sent his word and healed them Psal. 107. 20. And to the same effect Augustine saith That the cure and health of the Israelites came not from the Serpent but from Gods commandement obeyed and his promise beleeued And so is Baptisme a remedie and no otherwise The second is the common ignorant sort of people who thinke that an Infant dying without baptisme dies without christendome and that it cannot possibly be a christian vnlesse it be baptised This their opinion is very erronious For by it they make baptisme the seale of the couenant to be as necessarie as the couenant it selfe Whereas on the contrarie baptisme is not simply and absolutely necessarie so as the partie dying without it can not be saued but onely in part as it serues to distinguish the true church from the false to be a necessarie signe of our admission and entrance into the church yea to confirme our faith in the promise of God Neither is baptisme of force to make a Christian but onely to signifie and declare a man to be a Christian by beeing within the couenant of grace II. Question Whether witnesses which we commonly call Godfathers and Godmothers be necessarie To this there are giuen two answers First that the vse of Godfathers and Godmothers is not simply necessarie to the Sacrament of Baptisme For first it seemes that of auncient times the parents of Children which were Heathen and newly conuerted to Christian Religion were either ignorant and could not or carelesse and would not bring vp their children agreeably to the word of God and the Religion which they newly professed And hence it was thought meet that some persons of good knowledge and life should be called to witnes the Baptisme promise their care for the childrens education But now Parents amongst vs beeing better taught and qualified the other is not of such necessitie Secōdly Christ hath instituted and ordained in his word all things fitte conuenient and necessary vnto lawfull Baptisme amongst all which he hath not any where expressely prescribed the vse of Sureties Thirdly the whole congregation assembled together at the administration of this Sacrament doe present the childe to the Lord and are witnesses that the childe is admitted into the Church and is externally in the Couenant And therefore I take it to be a fault when the Congregation doth depart before the child be baptized Fourthly that which is required of them to promise and performe may ye must and ought to be performed of the parents of the baptized who
THE WHOLE TREATISE OF THE CASES OF CONSCIENCE DISTINGVISHED INTO THREE Bookes The first whereof is revised and corrected in sundrie places and the other two annexed Taught and deliuered by M. W. Perkins in his Holy-day Lectures carefully examined by his owne briefes and now published together for the common good by T. Pickering Batchelour of Diuinitie Whereunto is adioyned a twofold Table one of the Heads and Number of the Questions propounded and resolued another of the principall Texts of Scripture vvhich are either explaned or vindicated from corrupt interpretation Rom. 14. 23. VVhatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA ALMA MATER CANTABRIGIA PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1606. And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD Lord Dennie Baron of Waltham c. RIght Honourable There is no one Doctrine reuealed in the Word of God or dispensed by the Prophets and Apostles of greater vse and coÌ„sequence in the life of man then is that which prescribeth a Forme of releeuing and rectifying the Conscience The benefit which from hence issueth vnto the Church of God is vnspeakable For first it serveth to discouer the cure of the dangerousest sore that can be the wound of the Spirit Which how great a crosse it is the Wise man reporteth out of true experience when he saith that the Spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded Spirit who can beare it And his meaning is that no outward griefe can fall into the nature of man which will not be with patience indured to the vtmost so long as the minde is not troubled or dismaied But when once the Spirit is touched and the heart which beeing well apaied is the very fountaine of peace to the whole man smitten with feare of the wrath of God for sinne the griefe is so great the burden so intolerable that it will not by any outward meanes be eased or asswaged Secondly it giueth for all particular Cases speciall and sound direction whether man be to walke with God in the immediate performance of the duties of his Seruice or to conuerse with man according to the state and condition of his life in the Familie Church or Common-wealth The want of which direction of what force it is to turne the actions of men which are good in themselues to sinnes in regard of the agents S. Paul affirmeth in that generall Conclusion Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Wherein he would teach vs that whatsoeuer is done or vndertaken by men in this life whether it concerne the knowledge and worship of God or any particular dutie to be performed by vertue of their Callings for the common good whereof they haue not sufficient warrant and assurance in Conscience grounded vpon the Word that it is to be done or not to be done to them it is a sinne Thirdly it is of all other Doctrines beeing rightly vsed the most comfortable For it is not founded in the opinions and variable conceits of men neither doth it consist of Conclusions and Positions which are onely probable and coniecturall for the Conscience of the doubting or distressed partie can not be established and rectified by theÌ„ but it resteth vpon most sufficient and certaine Grounds collected and drawne out of the very Word of God which as it is mightie in operation pearcing the heart and discerning the thoughts and intents thereof so is it alone auaileable and effectuall to pacifie the minde and to giue full satisfaction to the Conscience And as the benefit is great so the want of this Doctrine together with the true manner of applying the same is and hath beene the cause of many and great inconueniences For euen of those that feare God and haue receiued to beleeue there be many who in the time of their distresses when they haue considered the waight and desert of their sinnes and withall apprehended the wrath of God due vnto them haue beene brought vnto hard exigents mourning and wayling and crying out as if God had forsaken them vntill they haue beene releeued by the Spirit of Christ in the meditation of the word promise of God But those especially who haue not beene instructed in the knowledge of the truth nor acquainted with the course of Gods dealing with his distressed children by reason of ignorance and blindnes in matters of Religion and pietie when the Lord hath let loose the cord of their Consciences and set before their eyes both the number of their sinnes committed and the iust anger of God purchased thereby what haue they done surely despairing of the mercie of God and their owne saluation they haue either growne to phrensie and madnes or els sorted vnto themselues fearefull ends some by hanging some by drowning others by embruing their hands in their owne blood And if not in regard of griefe and trouble of minde yet for want of better resolution in particular cases within the compasse of their generall or personall callings though otherwise men indued with some measure of knowledge and obedience they haue either abused or els quite relinquished and forsaken their callings and thereby become scandalous and offensiue vnto others Now then as by these and sundrie other Instances of proofe the matter it selfe appeares to be of great waight and importaÌ„ce so it is most meete that the best and fittest course should be taken in the teaching and inforcing of the same In which regard we haue iust cause to challenge the Popish Church who in their Case-writings haue erred both in the substance and circumstances of this Doctrine as shall appeare in the sequele First because the dutie of releeuing the Conscience is by them commended to the sacrificing Priest which though according to their owne Canons he should be a man of knowledge and free from imputation of wickednes yet oft times it falls out that he is either vnlearned or els wicked and lewd of conuersation and consequently vnfit for such a purpose Secondly they teach that their Preists appointed to be comforters and releeuers of the distressed are made by Christ himselfe iudges of the Cases of conscience hauing in their owne hands a iudicarie poâ—…er and authoritie truly and properly to binde or to loose to remitte or to retaine sinnes to open or to shut the kingdome of heauen Whereas the Scripture vttereth a contrarie voice that Christ onely hath the keyes of Dauid which properly and truly openeth and no man shutteth and properly and truly shutteth and no man openeth And the Ministers of God are not called to be absolute Iudges of the ConscieÌ„ce but onely Messengers and Embassadoâ—rs of reconciliation wherevpon it followeth that they cannot be the authors and giâ—ers of remission of sinnes but onely the Ministers and Dispensers of the same Thirdly the Papists in their writings haue scattered here and there sundrie false
in distresse of minde may be comforted 1. What is Distresse of minde 88 2. What is the generall Remedie of all distresses 90 CHAP. VIII Of the first Speciall distresse arising of a Diuine Tentation What is the Remedie thereof 110 CHAP. IX Of the second speciall Distresse arising from outward Afflictions 1. How the Trouble of minde arising of Afflictions may be remedied 118 2. How the minde of the partie distressed may be staied wheÌ„ the Lord deferres deliueraÌ„ce 129 What is a man to doâ— that findès no ende of this afflictions till death 136 3. How may a man be able to indure with comfort the pangs of Death 138 How may a man in this life haue a true taste of eternall happinesse 141 How a man may truly discerne whether the Ioy of the Spirit be in him yea or no 144 4. How the minds of such persons are to be staied as are possessed by the Deuill or feare possession 152 5. What they may doe whose houses are haunted and molested by wicked Spirits 158 CHAP. X. Of the third speciall Distresse arising of the Tentation of Blasphemies What is the true Remedie of this Tentation 162 CHAP. XI Of the fourth Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne sinnes 1. How the violent distresse of minde arising from our owne sinnes is to be cured 171 2. How the moderate distresse arising of the same cause is to be remedied 178 CHAP. XII Of the fift speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne bodie Quest. 1. How the bodie should trouble or annoy the minde 188 2. What is the nature and worke of Melancholy 191 3. Whether there be any difference betweene the trouble of Conscience and Melancholy 194 4. What is the way to cure Melancholy 195 5. How the minde troubled by strange alterations incident vnto the bodie may be cured 197 The Second Booke CHAP. I. Of the Order of the Questions CHAP. II. Of the Godhead Quest. 1. Whether there be a God 202 2. Whether Iesus the sonne of Marâ—e be the Son of God 219 CHAP. III. Of the Scriptures Whether the Scriptures be the true word of God 223 CHAP. IV. Of Religion and the knowledge of God Quest. 1. What is that Religion that is due vnto the true God 251 2. How God is to be conceiued in our mindes when we worship him 252 CHAP. V. Of the Inward worship of God Quest. How God is to be worshipped and serued 256 CHAP. VI. Of the Outward worship of God and first of Praier Quest. 1. How may a man make a lawfull and acceptable Praier 263 2. Whether a man may lawfully make Imprecations 270 3. What be the particular circumstances of Praier 275 1. The voice Whether a voice or words are to be vsed in praier 275 Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set formâ— of Praier 277 2. The Gesture What kinde of Gesture is to be vsed in prayer 278 3. The place In what place must we pray 279 4. The time What are the times in which men are to make praiers vnto God 282 4. How their mindes may be pacified which are troubled with sundrie accidents in their prayers 285 CHAP. VII Of the hearing of the Word preached Quest. 1. How any man may profitably heare the Word 290 2. How they are to be comforted who after long hearing profit little or nothing at all 298 CHAP. VIII Of the Sacraments in generall Quest. Whether Sacraments ministred by Heretikes Idolaters and vnsufficient Ministers be Sacraments or no 302 CHAP. IX Of Baptisme Quest. 1. Whether Baptisme be necessary to saluation 307 2. Whether Godfathers and Godmothers be necessary 315 What duty they are to performe to the party baptized 319 Whether children baptized come to be of spirituall kindred with the whole Church by reason of their Godfathers and Godmothers 320 Whether if Spirituall kindred be contracted by Baptisme it can be a â—â—st impediment of Mariage c. 322 3. Whether children of excommunicate persons haue right to Baptisme 324 Whether children borne in fornication haue right to Baptisme 329 4. How men of yeares may make a right vse of their Baptisme 330 5. Whether a man falling into sinne after Baptisme may haue any benefite of his Baptisme 335 CHAP. X. Of the Lords Supper Quest. 1. How farre forth men haue libertie to vse or not to vse the Lords Supper 336 2. How a man may rightly vse it to his comfort and saluation 339 In Preparation What if after preparation he find himselfe vnworthy 341 Whether a man should come fasting to the Supper or no 342 Whether persons that be in sure of Law may come 343 In Receiuing What if a man after often receiuing doubteth whether he hath faith or no 346 What is to be done in case of hardnes of heart at the instant of Receiuing 348 After Receiuing What is he to doe that after receiuing findes no comfort CHAP. XI Of Adoration Quest. 1. To what things is Adoration due and in what manner 351 Whether Adoration be due to wicked Spirits 354 What Adoration is due to good Angels 356 to liuing men ibid. to Saints departed 357 to Images ibid. CHAP. XII Of Confession before the Adversarie Quest. 1. Whether Confession of faith be necessarie and when 358 2. Whether it be lawfull for a man being vrged to goe to Idoll-seruice and heare Masse so as he keepe his heart to God! 363 3. Whether any man specially a Minister may with good Conscience flie in persecution 367 And if he may flie when 373 Whether a man that is imprisoned may breake prison 377 CHAP. XIII Of an Oath Quest. 1. What is an Oath 379 Whether an Oath taken by creatures be a true Oath and to be kept 380 Whether an Oath by false Gods be a true Oathe 381 How can God sweare by himselfe seeing none can witnesse vnto him 382 2. How an Oathe is to be taken in a good and godly manner Whether in the Forme of an Oath a man may not sweare directly by creatures and indirectly by God 388 3. How farre forth doth an Oath bind and is to be kept 390 Whether a man is bound to keepe an Oath taken by false Gods 391 Whether a man is bound to keepe that Oathe vpon taking whereof there ensueth damage 392 Whether an Oath extorted by fraud bindeth 393 Whether a Compulsory Oath bindeth 393 4. When an Oath doth bind and when not 394 When doth a man commit Periurie 397 Whether the breach of a Locall Statute wherevnto a man is bound by corporall Oath be periurie 398 Whether it be lawful to exact an Oath of him that will forsweare himselfe 399 CHAP. XIV Of Vowes Quest. 1. What a Vowe is 400 2. Whether a Vowe in the New Testament be any part of Gods worship 401 3. When a vow made bindeth and when not 405 Whether Iephte vpon his vowe did offer his daughter in Sacrifice 408 4. Whether Monasticall vowes doe binde or no 411 CHAP. XV. Of Fasting Quest. 1. What is a Religious
be dissolued and be with Christ. Touching this spirituall ioy and comfort in the holy Ghost these Questions of Conscience are mooued I. First how may we in this life haue and nourish in our hearts a true tast of eternall happinesse and of the ioyes of the world to come Ans. First by a serious consideration of the euills that doe hinder or preiudice our happines and they are principally foure One is the Miserie of our liues in respect of sinne and the consequents thereof For there is no man in the world be he neuer so righteous that can truly say of himselfe I am cleane from my sinne Prov. 20. 9. Yea â—uen the regenerate that haue receiued grace to beleeue to turne vnto God and to liue according to the Spirit doe finde by experience corruption rebellion in their minds wills and affections which daily affordeth matter of sinning against God and on the otherside hindreth and quencheth all the good motions of the Spirit that are in them Againe such is the irreconciliable malice of Satan that he takes vantage of mans corruption and neglectes no time or opportunitie to intrappethâ— children of God in the snares of his temptations And hence it is that man by reason of his owne corruption and the wicked suggestions of the Deuill is at continuall strife with himselfe hath daily occasion of sorrow worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling wading as it were euen while he liueth in a sea of many miseries The second euill is the Vanitie of all things that are in the world For whether we consider the world it selfe or the things therein contained done or suffered there is nothing so sure and steadie whereunto man hauing attained can possibly rest fully satisfied and contented or which in the ende will not prooue to be most vaine vanitie And the truth hereof appeareth in the experience of Salomon himselfe who beeing king ouer Israel wanted neither authoritie nor abilitie and opportunitie to take knowledge and triall of all worldly things in all estates and conditions And hauing euen of set purpose carefully and earnestly searched into them all at length he concludes that the issue of all was vnprofitable vanitie and vexation oâ— minde as we may read in his Ecclesiastes The third euill is the Changeable condition of our life in this world whereby it comes to passe that we are alway in a fleeting and transitorie state For we are as Saint Peter speaketh but strangers and Pilgrimes that wander to and fro in the earth as in a strange countrey and still are making forward to our owne home We haue here no abiding citie The houses wherein we dwell are but Innes in which we sojourne for a time yea the bodies which we haue are but â—ents and â—abernacles alway readie to be shifted and our selues to be translated into another place Fourthly by remembring that Christ our Head beeing now in heauen and we his members vpon the earth during our life we are in presence separated from our Head and consequently from that happie and glorious fellowship which we shall inioy with him and all the Saints our fellow-members in the kingdome of heauen This S. Paul noteth when he saith Whilst we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord and thereupon himselfe desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Hauing thus entred into the due consideration of the aforesaid euills we must in the second place exercise our selues in the frequent meditation of the blessed estate of Gods chosen in the kingdome of glorie who beeing translated out of this life into the bosome of Abraham are fully and perfectly freed from sinne from Satan from vanitie and miserie haue all teares wiped from their eyes doe behold the face of God are made like vnto Christ in holines and honour and doe with him inherit the kingdome prepared for them from the foundations of the world In the third place hauing throughly considered of these things we must Compare the estate of this present life in the respects before-â—amed with the estate of that which is to come in the kingdome of heauen and laying them in a paralell together we shall sinde the one infinitely farre to excell the other in regard of true ioy and comfort And this will make vs though liuing in the world yet to vse it as if we vsed it not to haue our conversation in heauen to thinke with Paul that to be loosed and be with Christ is best of all for vs to haue a true and liuely tast of the ioyes of the world to come and accordingly with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to looke for a citie that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God II. Secondly it is demanded how a man may truly discerne whether this ioy of the Spirit be in him yea or no For answer hereunto it is to be remembred that there are sundrie properties wherby it differeth from carnall ioy And these are principally fiue First this ioy is brought forth as it were of sorrow for sinne and for the want of Christ. Ye shal sorrow saith our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples meaning for his departure but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy These words are not onely meant of his Disciples but of all beleeuers who vpon consideration of their sinnes and the spirituall want of Christ Iesus doe mourn and lament For not onely they but all true beleeuers are there opposed vnto the World Againe blessed are they that mourne that is being touched with causes of exceeding griefe doe withall mourn for their sinnes for they shal be comforted On the other side carnal ioy as it hath his beginning from the flesh ariseth of things pleasing thereunto so it ends in sorrow and heauinesse In the end reioycing is turned into mourning saith Solomon And Woe â—e to you that now laugh for ye shall weepe Secondly the ioy of the Spirit is a fruit of righteousnes that is it issueth and floweth from Christ knowne and beleeued to be made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and full redemption For from hence followes peace of conscience and from peace comes ioy in the Holy Ghost Contrariwise the ioy of the flesh ariseth only from the sudden feeling of some worldly delight and therfore cannot bring any sound peace vnto the conscience of the man possessed of it Thirdly spirituall ioy is founded in the holy vse of the Word Sacraments and Praier and in the practise of Christian duties of mercie â—oue iustice c. The other is not so For the world conceiueth a ioy besides the word oâ—â— of the exercises of inuocation and repentance which stands in the practise of crueltie malice oppression iniustice and all manner of impietie And hence it is that hauing speÌ„t their daies in such matter of reioycing at length in a momeÌ„t they go down to hell Fourthly heauenly ioy is so fixed
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
of God Againe they must let them goe as they come they are not to striue against them for the more they labour to resist them the more shall they be intangled with them The second thing to be vsed in way of remedy for the staying of the mind in this tentation is that though it should be graunted that the foresaid euill and blasphemous thoughts are our sinnes yet we are to remember that they may through the mercie and goodnesse of God be pardoned if they be heartily and vnfeinedly repented of yea further that neither they nor any other sins except that against the Holy Ghost doe condemne him that praieth against them is heartily sorrie for them It was Pauls complaint Rom. 7. 19. That he did not the good which he would doe speaking of the inward indeauour of his heart and againe that he did the euill which he would not meaning in respect of the corruption of his nature Now vpon this that he indeauoured to doe that which was agreable to the will of God that he loathed and detested the contrarie and stroue against his corruptions how did he comfort himselfe Marke the wordes following v. 20. If I doe that I would not that is to say if against my generall purpose I sinne against God if I be sorrie for it if I be displeased with my selfe because I can not obey God in that perfectiō I desire It is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me Frō this example of Paul I gather that if any man haue in his minde euill thoughts and doeth as Paul did grieue because he therby offendeth God if he doe abhorre them and pray against them he shall not be condemned for them they shall neuer be laid to his charge The partie then that is troubled with with these thoughts may vpō these grounds stay his minde and comfort himselfe For if he shall not be condemned for them then let him not feare them aboue measure The third point to be remembred is that the partie must not be alone For this Tentation beginnes and is confirmed and increased by solitarinesse and the parties thus distressed loue to be apart by themselues from the societie of others And for that cause in case they be lyable to this distresse they must vse to converse with such company as may afford them matter of speech and conference meete for them and may exercise their mindes with heauenly meditations in the word and singing of Psalmes and such like fitte and conuenient recreations Our first parent Eue was tempted by Satan when shee was apart from Adam and our Sauiour Christ when he was alone out of companie and societie then did the Deuill most malitiously assault him with strong and powerfull tentations in the wildernes The fourth point to be remembred of the partie troubled is that he must as heartily and earnestly repent him of those his euill thoughts as of euill wordes and deedes For the truth is because men are loose-minded and haue no more care of their thoughts then commonly they haue therefore the Lord iustly suffers the Deuill to plague and torment them by conuaying into their hearts most vile and damnable cogitations Furthermore the said partie must labour to be renued in the spirit of his minde that is to haue his minde inlightened by the spirit whereby he may know and vnderstand the will of God in his word After repentance for euill thoughts there must follow watchfulnesse and a carefull circumspection ouer all his waies but principally he must haue an eye vnto his heart the fountaine of all Keepe thine heart with all diligence saith Salomon that is aboue all things see that thou countergard thy thoughts desires motions and affections That the heart of a man may be guarded two rules are to be obserued First that the word of God dwell plentifully in it by daily meditation of the commandements promises and threatnings reuealed in the same It is noted by Dauid as a propertie of a blessed man that he exerciseth himselfe in meditatiō of the Law of God day and night Psal. 1. By this meanes the heart will be clensed and purged from vncleane and polluted motions and so guided directed that it swarue not from God This rule is of speciall vse For therefore doe men hatch and breed euill thoughts in their hearts because they are not taken vp with holy meditations and hence it is that the heart of man is made euen a pray vnto the Deuill because the word of God is not lodged therein Excellent was the practise of Dauid in this case who kept the word of God in his heart that he might not sinne against him The second Rule of the keeping of the heart is to establish our thoughts by counsell It is the wise mans aduise in so many words Prov. 20. 18. wherein he would teach vs that it is the propertie of a worldly wise man in matters of waight not to trust to his owne wit but to follow the direction and counsell of wise and skilfull men And if this be a sound course in matters of the world much more ought it to be taken in the maine matters of religion and conscience concerning the heart and soule of man And therefore by the lawe of proportion it giues vs direction not once to thinke or conceiue so much as a thought but vpon aduice and direction taken at God and his word Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my delight and my counsellers And what benefit had he by taking such a course surely by the word of God which was his continuall meditation he gat vnderstanding he became wiser then the auncient it made him to hate all the waies of falshood it kept him from declining from God either to the right hand or to the left The same rule must be practised of vs in the vse of our senses our speeches and actions and then shall the heart be kept cleane and free from these temptations And seeing this temptation is so daungerous and fearefull as hath beene said doth often befall men our dutie is to make conscience of practising the foresaid rules continually And thus much concerning the third kinde of distresse of Conscience CHAP. XI Of the fourth Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne sinnes THE Fourth Distresse of minde is that which ariseth from a mans owne sinnes or rather from some one speciall sinne committed And this kind of Tentation is twofold For either it is more violent and lesse common or lesse violent and more common Sect. 1. The violent Distresse of minde shewes it selfe by feares and terrours of the Conscience by doubtings of the mercie of God by lamentable and fearefull complaints made to others Now Question is mooued Howe this violent distresse of minde arising from our owne sinnes is to be cured Answ. That it may be cured by the blessing of God three things must be done First that particular sinne must be known
for the Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them throughout and preserue their whole spirit soule and bodie Of which place amongst many this exposition may be giuen The Apostle speaking of men regenerate and sanctified makes three parts in them bodie soule and spirit and by spirit we are to vnderstand not the conscience but the gift of regeneration and sanctification which is the whole man bodie and soule opposed to the flesh which in a naturall man is called the olde man Rom. 7. And the praier which Paul makes in the behalfe of the Thessalonians teacheth vs in effect thus much that though corruption remaine in the regenerate after regeneration yet in respect of diuine acceptation he is accounted as righteous and so continueth his sinne by the mercie of God in Christ not beeing imputed to him to condemnation And so much for that point Now these Grounds of comfort and others of the like nature may serue to sustaine and vphold the hearts of the children of God when they shall be pressed and troubled in consideration of their estate in this life which cannot till death be fully freed from much weakenes and manifold imperfections CHAP. XII Of the fift Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne bodie THe fift and last kind of Temptation or Trouble of minde ariseth from a mans owne bodie Before I enter to speake thereof one Question in the meane time must be answered namely How the bodie beeing an earthly substance should trouble or annoie the minde considering that the minde is not bodily out spirituall for nothing can worke aboue it owne power and it is against reason that that which is bodily should either alter or trouble a spirit For answer hereunto these things must be considered Sect. 1. First of all the actions of man though they be sundrie yet they all proceede from one onely fountaine and common cause the soule and are done by the power thereof The bodie of it selfe is not an agent in any worke but as it were a dead instrument in and by which the soule produceth all actions and workes Secondly though all the actions of man come from the soule yet the most of them are such as be performed by the bodie and the parts thereof and by the spirits that are seated in the bodie as by instruments Indeede some actions of the soule and minde are done without the helpe of the bodie but I say that the most of them are wrought by the bodie and spirits therein contained And yet notwithstanding the Spirits in thēselues are no agents at all but the onely agent in any worke is the soule it selfe For example the vsing of the outward senses as of sight hearing tasting touching smelling as also of the inward as imagination memorie c. all this is done by the braine and the parts of the braine as proper instruments All affections both good and bad come from the soule but yet they are done and acted in and by meanes of the heart and vitall spirits So also the powers of life and nourishment proceede from the soule and yet they are done and wrought by the liuer and other inward parts as instruments whereby the soule nourisheth the bodie In a word there is no naturall action in man but for the effecting thereof the parts of the bodie are vsed as it were the hands and instruments of the soule and all this comes by reason of the vnion of the bodie with the soule whereby they make one person Hence it followeth that when the bodie is troubled the soule is also troubled Now the bodie affecteth and hurteth the soule and minde not by taking away or diminishing any part thereof for the soule is indivisible Nor by depriuing it of any power or facultie giuen it of God for as the soule it selfe and the parts thereof so also all the faculties of the same remaine whole and entire without abating or diminishing But by corrupting the action of the minde or more properly by corrupting the next instrument whereby the minde worketh and consequently the action it selfe This may be conceiued by a comparison A skilfull artificer in any science hauing an vnfit toole to worke withall though his skill be good and his abilitie sufficient yet his instrument wherewith he worketh being bad the worke which he doth must needes be an imperfect worke Howbeit the toole takes not away the skill of his workemanship nor his power of working onely it hinders him from shewing his skill and doing that well which otherwise he should and could doe well In like manner the bodie beeing corrupted hinders the worke of the soule not by taking away the worke of the soule or the abilitie of working but by making it to bring forth a corrupt worke because the instrument which it vseth is corrupt and faultie And thus we must conceiue of all the annoyances of the soule by the bodie The Temptation followeth The bodie causeth the trouble of minde two waies either by Melancholie or by some strange alterations in the parts of the bodie which oftentimes befall men in what sort we shall see afterwards For troubles of minde thus caused are more common and as noysome as the most of the former Sect. 2. Touching that which comes by Melancholy sundrie things are to be considered for our instruction and for the Remedie of that euill 1. And first of all if it be asked what Melancholy is I answer it is a kinde of earthie and blacke blood specially in the splene corrupted and distempered which when the splene is stopt conuaies it selfe to the heart and the braine and there partly by his corrupt substance and contagious qualitie and partly by corrupt spirits annoyeth both heart and braine beeing the seates and instruments of reason and affections 2. The second is what are the effects and operations of Melancholie Ans. They are strange and often fearefull There is no humour yea nothing in mans bodie that hath so straunge effects as this humour hath beeing once distempeted An auncient Diuine calls it the Deuills bait because the Deuill beeing well acquainted with the complexion and temperature of man by Gods iust permission conueies himselfe into this humour and worketh strange conceits It is recorded in Scripture that when the Lord tooke his good Spirit from Saul wherby he did carrie himselfe well in the gouernment of his people and an euill Spirit came vpon him he was in so fearfull a case that he would haue slaine him that was next vnto him how so surely because God in iustice withdrew his spirit from him and suffered Satan to enter into the humour of choler or melancholie or both and by this meanes caused him to offer violence to Dauid Now the effects therof in particular are of two sorts The first is in the braine and head For this humour being corrupted it sends vp noysome fumes as cloudes or mists which doe corrupt the imagination and makes the instrument of reason unfit for vnderstanding and
also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we
the Sabboth is to begin in the euening because in the first of Gen. it is saide fixe seuerall times the euening and the morning made the first day and so the second and third c. Ans. First in that text when it is said the euening and the morning made such such daies by the euening is vnderstood the night and by the morning the day and the euening was the end of the day and the morning the end of the night This exposition is auncient and yet in Scripture we find not one place where the euening is put for the night Secondly I answer that the collection from that place is of no force For thus the reason must needs be framed That which God did in appointing of daies the same must we doe in vsing of them But God in appointing of daies began the day at the euening Ergo c. The consequent is false For the case is otherwise in the constitution of time then it is in the vse of time constituted and there is not the same reason of things in doing as there is of the same things in beeing and vse Thirdly this did not bind the Iewes For they in all likelyhood began their Sabboths in the morning Indeede their solemne feasts as the Passeover and such like beganne and were kept from euening to morning as we may read Levit. 23. 5. But their ordinarie Sabboth was kept from morning to morning Whence it is that Saint Matthew calls the dawning of the first day of the weeke the ende of the Sabboth of the Iewes Matth. 28. 1. and there is nothing I take it that can be brought to the contrarie It is obiected that Moses saith Leuit. 23. 32. From euen to euen shall ye celebrate your Sabboth Ans. The words must be vnderstood of the feast of reconciliation beeing the tenth day of the seuenth moneth which was solemnized and kept from euen to euen And it is called a Sabboth because it was by speciall commandement appointed to be kept as the Sabboth day and that in two respects First because it was to be kept holy by the Iewes in humbling themselues and offering Sacrifices vers 27. Secondly because vpon that day it was not lawful to doe any seruile worke vpon paine of death vers 25. 30. Againe it is alleadged that Ioseph of Arimathea could not embaulme Christ by reason that the Sabboth was at hand and this was the euening I answer that the Iewes Sabboth there ment concurred with the day of their passeouer and hence it was that their Sabboth beganne in the euening By this that hath beene said the answer to the third Question is plaine to wit that in the new Testament the Sabboth is to begin at the morning and so to continue to the next morning and not as some suppose to begin at the euen and continue till the next euen And thus much touching the speciall Questions of Gods worshippe as also generally concerning those that belong to Man as he stands in relation to God The ende of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Cases of Conscience concerning Man as he stands in relation to man CHAP. I. Of the Nature and Differences of Vertue and the Order of the Questions THVS farre we are proceeded in the handling of two sorts of Questions whereof some doe concerne man as he is considered apart by himselfe without respect vnto another some againe concerne man as he stands in the first relation namely to God Now we come by order to speake of the third and last head of Cases propounded by the Conscience of man as he stands in the second relation to man And vnder this Head are comprehended all those Questions of Conscience that are incident to the liues of men and which doe belong vnto man as he is a member of some Societie whether it be the Familie the Church or the Common-wealth For the better and more orderly proceeding in this Discourse some conuenient Subiect or Matter is to be propounded whereunto all the Questions that followe may fitly be reduced Now of all other the most conuenient Subiect in this kind is Vertue and therefore according the differences of Vertue we will distinguish the Questions into three seuerall sorts But before we proceede to particulars it shall not be amisse to speake somewhat generally of Vertue so farre forth as the knowledge thereof may giue light to the things that follow Touching Vertue two things are briefly to be remembred first what it is and then what be the distinct kindes thereof Vertue is a gift of the Spirit of God and a part of regeneration whereby a man is made apt to liue well I call it first a gift of the Spirit of God because in whomesoeuer it is whether in Christians or in Heathen men it hath the nature of a gift that floweth immediately from the spirit of God And this I put in the first place to confute the receiued errour of the wisest Heathen Philosophers which call Vertue an habite of the minde obtained and confirmed by custome vse and practise Secondly I call it such a gift as is also a part of regeneration and this is added for two causes First that we may put a differēce between Christian and Heathen vertues For howbeit the same vertues in kind and name are and may be found both in them that professe Christ and those also that are ignorant of the true God yet they are in them after a diuers manner For in Heathen men they are the gifts of God but not parts of regeneration and new birth but in those that be true Christians they are indeede not onely the gifts of Gods spirit but also essentiall parts of regeneration That we may the better yet conceiue this difference we must vnderstand that the grace of God in man is two-fold restraining and renewing Restraining is that which bridleth and restraineth the corruption of mens hearts from breaking forth into outward actions for the common good that Societies may be preserued and one man may liue orderly with another Renewing grace is that which doth not onely restraine the corruption but also mortifieth sinne and renewes the heart daily more more The former of these is incidēt to Heathen men the Vertues which they haue serue onely to represse the act of sinne in their outward actions but in Christians they are graces of God not onely bridling and restraining the affections but renewing the heart and mortifyin all corruption And though those vertues of the Heathen be graces of God yet they are but generall and common to all whereas the vertues of Christians are speciall graces of the spirit sanctifying and renewing the minde will and affections For example chastitie in Ioseph was a grace of Gods spirit renewing his heart but chastitie in Xeuoerates was a common grace seruing onely to curbe and restraine the corruption of his heart And the like may be saide of the iustice of Abraham a Christian and of Aristides a