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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08552	The Christian conflict a treatise, shewing the difficulties and duties of this conflict, with the armour, and speciall graces to be exercised by Christian souldiers. Particularly applied to magistrates, ministers, husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants. The case of vsury and depopulation, and the errours of antinomists occasionally also discussed. Preached in the lecture of Kettering in the county of Northampton, and with some enlargement published by Ioseph Bentham, rector of the Church of Broughton in the same county.	Bentham, Joseph, 1594?-1671.	1635 (1635)	STC 1887; ESTC S113626	266,437	390

Ministers who Arelatens 1. Concil Arelatens 2. did take usury according to the divine rule should abstaine from the Communion That if any Clergy man did give his money to usury he being deposed from his office should bee debarred from the Communion That no Clergy man should take usury Carthag 1. because that which is faulty in lay men ought to be condemned in Laodicen Carthag 3. Carth. 4. Cen. 4. cap. 9. Nicen. concil Aurelianens concil Clergy men That it is not lawfull for any in priestly orders to take usury That Clergy men should exercise no kinde of usury That Clarkes should not be usurers In the fift hundred yeare after Christ it was decreed That no Clergy man should take usury Can. 18. If any Clergy man doe take usury he should be thrust out of the Clergy In the sixt hundred yeare after Christ it was decreed That Aurelian Concil Clergy men should not at all lend to usury That a Clergy man should not lend his money to usury either in his owne name or in another mans nor that hee should expect any more then was given and if any did presume to doe otherwise that hee should be degraded In the ninth hundred yeare after Christ it was decreed Cubilones concil That not onely Clergy men should abstaine from filthy gaines and usury but that they should instruct the people committed to them to abstaine from the same That a Clergy man from Moguntin a Deacon and upwards should not lend money to usury That Aquisgranens neither lay Christians nor Clergy men in their owne names or in any others should lend to usury That David describing Parisiens an evangelicall man in the 15. Psalme doth forbid usury in all and our Lord and Master Christ did not give to usury but did with a pious bounty give to the needy man In the twelfth hundred yeare after Christ it was decreed Later●nens concil That manifest Vsurers should not be admitted to the Communion nor to receive Christian buriall if they dyed in this sinne that their offerings should not be taken and whosoever tooke them or buried them hee should be compelled to restore those things hee had taken and be suspended from the execution of his place untill hee had satisfied his Bishop That Vsurers should be constrained with strict punishments to restore their usury money to those they had wronged or their heires or if these be not alive to the poore while they have ability to restore that possessions gotten by usury ought to bee sold and the price to make restitution that so they might be freed from punishment and sinne That if any Clergy man is an usurer he should suffer the losse of his Ecclesiasticall benefice since the name of usury is so abominable to God and men that all Vsurers untill they doe fully satisfie for their usury should be debarred from the Communion their almes should not be taken and their wills should not be of force In the thirteenth hundred yeere after Christ it was decreed Colon. Concil Canon 109. That Vsurers should bee excommunicated every Lords day not admitted to the communion that none should receive almes of them and that they should not have any Christian buriall The Canons of our Church agreed upon in the yeere of our Lord 1603. enjoyne Church-Wardens and sidesmen to present Adultery Whoredome Iucest Drunkennesse Swearing Ribauldry Vsury or any other wickednesse of life that they may be punished with the severity of the lawes and not admitted to the Communion untill they be reformed For Lawes 3. I am not verst in forraine Lawes nor in the civill or Canon lawes and therefore I cannot alledge them of mine owne reading or upon mine owne knowledge for these therfore I depend upon and direct you unto the rhetoricall and religious discourse of the right revered Bishop Iewel against usury on 1 Thess 4. 6. where he saith that no good man ever used it all that feare Gods judgements abhorre it He saith it is filthy gaine a worke of darkenesse a monster in nature a plague of the world and the misery of the people Hee saith it is not of God nor sound amongst Gods children He saith it comes from the divell that it is theft and murder That there was never any religion nor sect nor state nor degree nor profession of men but have disliked it and that all lawes civill canon temporall and naturall condemne it Yet this I know that Linwood in his Constitutions about tithes alloweth not tithe of use-money because of goods onely Linw. Const it lib. 3. de decimis lawfully gotten and this I know that as our Canons so our Acts of Parliament are directly against usury The Statutes in the 20. yeare of King Henery the third in the third yeare of King Henery the seventh were made against usury A Statute in the eleventh yeare of King Henery the seventh forbiddeth to take loane of money any thing more besides or above the money lent by way of contract or covenant for the time of the same loane saving lawfull penalties for non-payment of the same money lent A Statute made in the thirty seventh yeare of King Henery the eight saith That usury is a thing unlawfull that divers Acts have beene made in this Realme for the avoiding and punishing of it Yet they thought it expedient to tolerate 10 in the 100. And least some should thinke that this tolleration was an approbation The Parliament assembled in the fift and sixt yeares of King Edward the sixt say That the Act of King Henery the eight which permitted 10 in the 100 was not meant or intended for the maintenance and allowance of usury but rather made and intended against all sorts of usury as a thing unlawfull as by the title and preamble of the said Act it doth appeare But for as much as usury is by the the Word of God utterly prohibited as a vice most odious and detestable as in divers places of the holy Scriptures it is evident to bee seene which though no godly teaching and perswasions can sinke into the hearts of divers greedy uncharitable and covetous persons of this Realme nor yet by any terrible threatnings of Gods wrath and vengeance which hangeth justly over this Realme for the great and open usury therin daily used and practised they will forsake such filthy gaine and lucr● c. for reformation they prohibited not onely the 10 in the 100 but also any thing above the principall lent upon paine of forfeiture of the money lent and the interest imprisonment of the body and fine and ransome at the Kings will and pleasure Although this law was repealed and that of King Henery the eight for 10 in the 100 revived in the thirteenth yeare of Queene Elizabeth and continued Parliament after Parliament Yet in the said Act for 10 in the 100 they say for as much as all usury being forbidden by the law of God is sinne and

warrantable Hurtfull because sinfull to the petitioner Needlesse if in heaven Vnprofitable if in hell Impossible to doe good wheresoever therefore not of faith and utterly unlawfull 3. The desperate living capable of some earthly corporall temporall favours but of no heavenly spirituall or eternall grace we may not pray for any such in their behalfe but onely for those other whereof they are capable thus Moses for Pharaoh the Prophet for Ieroboam 1 King 13. 6. Moses was so farre from praying for that he prayed against the cursed conspiratours Numb 16. 15. The Lord forbids Samuel to mourne for Saul 1 Sam. 16. 1. David prayes against the wicked Psal 5. 10. 59. 5. And Saint Iohn telleth us there are sinners for whom we should not pray 1 Ioh. 5. 16. But it being Gods prerogative to know who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. and although they doe oppose God may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and to recover themselves c. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. Take wee heed that we pray not against no not wicked men 1. Pray we may against the cause of a wicked man not his person he being a brother 2. Pray we may against the plots of private enemies against us not against themselves 2 Sam. 15. 31. 3. Pray we may and must against the whole body of Satan Iudg. 5. 31. Psal 129. 5. 4. Pray we may against some notorious member of Satan namely 1. If not as our but Gods enemies shunning carnall desire of revenge 2. If they are knowne to be incurable 3. We aiming at Gods glory that it may shine his children bee bettered not simply wishing the destruction of the person 5. Pray we may against them conditionally namely rather that they may perish then any longer reproach God by malice and hinder the salvation of many But to returne and proceed Pray we for Kings Princes and all such who are in authority 1 Tim. 2. 2. 1. That they may have Gods gracious favour and needfull protection from all evill 2. That they may have his good guidance and divine direction in all their waies 3. That they may abound in knowledge prudence wisedome and discretion to know how to goe in and out before their people to understand how to judge them and to discerne betweene good and bad 1 King 3. 7 8. 9. 4. That they may be furnished and fitted to doe judgement and justice Deut. 1. 13. Psal 2. 10. 72. 1. Give the King thy judgements O God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings Sonne 5. That they may have fortitude courage and upright severity to punish transgressours with fit penalties Psal 101. 8. Pro. 20 8. 6. That they may have temperance and not be given too much to pleasures nor to profits Deut. 17. 17. Pro. 31. 4. for these two have perverted many 1 King 12. 10. 7. That they may have disereet elemency to rule and reigne over their people as their head doing them good and behaving themselves humbly towards them 8. That they may be carefull of their subjects good ruling over them for God as deputies under another King and therefore according to the will of God that great King commanding good forbidding evill being carefull not onely of their bodies and estates Gen. 41. 49. but also and especially of their soules and salvation And therefore that they would 1. Pray to God for their subjects 2 Sam. 14. 17. 1 Chron. 29. 18. 2. As also exhort provoke and stirre them up to religion and pious performances Iosh 3 2 6 8 11. 9. That they may be zealous for Gods glory truth and word such who feare God practising it themselves and seeing that it be practised in their Courts and Countries For as well the knowledge as the practice of a righteous life is the speciall gift of God and therefore to be begged of and prayed for from him Likewise the knowledge and the practice of civill justice is a singular gift of God by prayer therefore to be obtained And all Christian people are bound to pray for their Princes and Governours that God would give them the fore-named kinds of judgement and righteousnesse celestiall and civill Psal 7● 1. For justice is so necessary in Governours supreame and subordinate that S. Augustine saith Iustice being August lib. 4. cap. 4. de Civit. Dei. removed what are kingdomes save great robberies A certaine Pirate being taken answered Alexander the great elegantly and truly For when the King had asked the man wherefore he was so noysome to the seas He with a bold stontnesse answered and why are you so dangerous to the world But because I do it with a little ship am called a theefe because you with a great fleet are called an Emperour And S. Ambrose Ambros de paradiso cap. 3. makes this equivalent to all other vertues saying Where wisdome is there oftentimes is malice Where fortitude there oft times is anger Where temperance there is envy Where upright dealing or justice is there are all vertues The reasons to inforce people thus to pray in the behalfe of Motives their Kings Princes and others in authority are of great variety and validity plentifull and prevalent many and of great moment 1. Thus to do is the prescript and command of our good A praecept● and gracious God our supreme and soveraigne Lord Jer. 29. 7. Seeke the peace of Babylon and pray unto the Lord for it 1 Tim. 2. 1. Pray for Kings and all in authority c. 2. Thus doing we imitate the pious practises of Gods holy Ab exemplo ones whom we ought to follow as they followed Christ We all saith Tertullian pray alwaies for all Emperours that they Tertul. Apol. cap. 30. p. 60 1. may have a long life a quiet government a safe family strong armies a faithfull counsell an honest people a quiet countrey and whatsoever are desired of men and Caesar Yet were Emperours in those times tyrannicall persecutours How unlike are the unchristian tenets and diabolicall damnable practises of our adversaries the Papists to these of the ancient Fathers and the Primitive Christians Heare one of them speake Ioannes Marian. de Rege Reganstat cap. 6. pag. 33 34. Mariana in a booke of his dedicated to Philip the third King of Spaine printed by authority He commends the fact of Iames Clement a Dominican Frier killing Henry the third King of France calling it a renowned constancy of heart a memorable noble act againe the King being slaine he raised to himselfe an excellent name againe speaking of the weaknesse of his body he saith a greater power did strengthen his forces and courage Before he saith that the Monk was resolved by their Divines with whom he consulted that a tyrant may lawfully be destroyed And he himselfe saith in the same Chapter that if Princes oppresse the common-wealth if they are intolerable with vices and filthinesse they may not onely lawfully but also with praise and honour be destroyed Excellently

soules the beauty of old men the Schoolemaster of young men the teacher of the continent which adorneth every age and sex as with a diadem 6. Herby the Saints of God have been and are better enabled to all holy and heavenly pious practises and divine duties Matth. 17. 21. by fasting and prayer 2 Cor. 7. 6. Saint Chrysostome Hom. 15. in Matth. therefore calls it the mother of all good workes the mistresse of modesty and all other vertues the helper of prayer because prayer without fasting is slender and weake for that prayer is strong which is made with an humble spirit and a contrite heart but he cannot have a lowly spirit and a broken heart who eates and drinkes and enjoyes his pleasures whereas fasting adds fervous and force gives wings unto and nourisheth prayer Our Homilies excellently make three ends of fasting The chastising of the flesh To testifie our humble submission and That the spirit may be more servent in prayer 7. Hereby we may be encouraged against Satans execrable exploits and encounters this being a meanes to extirpate and expell the Divell Matth. 17. 21. Vpon which place Saint Hom. 58. i● Matth. Chrysostome saith He who prayeth fasting hath two wings by which in flying he is carryed over the windes for he neither doth sle●pily gaspe neither doth he deferre neither is he dull or slow in prayer which things many indure but he is more burning then fire above the earth and therefore is made a terrible enemy to the divell The same holy Father calleth fasting our armour and weapons against our adversaries saying They who goe to battaile Hom. 13. in Marke doe diligently furnish themselves before hand he seeth that he hath his helmet if he hath his sword if he hath his speare if he hath his arrowes if his horse be refreshed and that he may fight before hand he makes ready his armour your weapons Serm de uno legislatore Tom. 1. are fastings Againe he saith It is better to ●ast the fast of affection than of hunger The fast of love is better than of necessity Our Saviour saith of Divels this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting Prayer and fasting do put to fl●ght the Divels and shall they not overthrow churlish Barbarians The same Father in a Sermon of fasting alledging the same Serm. 2. de ●ejunio Scripture saith Fasting ought not to be terrible to you for it is ordained against the nature of Divels So that if any be possessed with an uncleane spirit and shall behold the countenance of fasting if he were an unmoveable stone he shall be quickened But if thou addest to it the sister of fasting that is if he shall behold its companion prayer with it therefore Christ saith this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting Since therefore it doth weaken and repell the enemy of our salvation and smite feare of such terrour in our enemies where fasting hath beene affected the difficulties of cruelty are released the bonds of captivity are loosed the rights of liberty are restored wholly Since therefore fasting doth resist our adversaries will reject the yokes of bondage and restore the security of freedome wilt thou heare what a safety how great a succour is brought forth to mankind by fasting And since abstinence hath beene a necessary buckler to us before the conflict to resist our wilfull sensualities much more must we desire the helpe of fasting in our fight it selfe to our victory 2 Sam. 11. 12 26. Dan. 9. 3. Esther 4. 16. Mar. 9. 29. Luke 2. 37. Acts 10. 13. 13. 3. 14. 23. This duty of fasting therefore being although not an essentiall property of prayer yet often necessarily to be joyned with and accompany the same as a prime and principall means to protect and safeguard our selves against the asperate assaults and sharpe attempts of our assiduous adversaries and audacious enemies and to propugne and prostrate the fierce and furious fraud and force of Satan and his assistants We therefore fellow Christian souldiers ought to our other pious performances to add and conjoyne this of fasting 1. I do not meane that naturall or physicall fast which is for healths sake and therefore often prescribed by learned Physitians for the recovery and continuing of bodily health 2. Nor that civill abstinence whereby men forbeare meats and drinks the better to accommodate themselves to accomplish some worke of waight or businesse of speciall importance more seriously setting and more firmely hereby fastening their minds to prosecute and effect with greater earnestnesse and forwardnesse the businesse intended 1 Sam. 14. 24. Acts 23. 14. 3. Nor a constrained fast when mens for bearance of food is from a forcible compulsion they would eat but either want meat or appetite Mat. 15. 32. 2 Cor. 11. 27. 4. Nor that Christian sobriety whereby men use the good creatures of God soberly and temperately not so often nor so plentifully as is usuall 1 Cor. 9. 27. Which is pious praise-worthy and profitable for the poore the common-wealth the health of our bodies the good of our soules This deading and diminishing fleshly and filthy lusts bridling and battering down unruly affections and fitting and framing the mind to holy and heavenly duties 5. Nor that spirituall fast whereby we abstaine from sinne Isa 58. 6. This abstinence and freedome from filthinesse and vice as to have our eyes fast from wantonnesse and vanity our eares from fables fraud and flatterie our tongues from wicked words and all evill speaking our hands from godlesse works and gracelesse actions our soules from sinfull thoughts and vaine imaginations ought to be constantly continued in the whole course of our lives 6. Not that miraculous fast whereby Moses Eliah and Deut. 9. 9. 1 King 19. ● Matth. 4. 1. our Saviour Christ abstained from all manner of fustenance for many dayes together without being at all hungry For this fact of our Saviour is not for our imitation we may not presume to do miraculous workes and acts because our Saviour did such Christ was baptized so ought we Christ confuted Satan with the Scripture so ought we Christ lasted so ought we But as we do not therefore desire to be baptized in Iordan as we do not desire to be placed on the pinacle of the Temple to resist Satan so neither in all circumstances Hom. 48. in Mat. must we imagine in our fasting to imitate our Saviour Christ Thus S. Chrysostome saith Our Saviour doth not say his fast is to be imitated although he might have propounded those forty dayes But learne of me because I am meeke and lowly in hea●t Neither doe those Papists who presse so much their ungrounded fasts consisting in an abstinence from certaine kinds of meates prohibited by the Romane Church as our learned * Pag. 68. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ●●llict the soule with abstinence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●asting nothing at all Bishop White Although they glut

children 1 Tim 5. 14. 3. Principally in piety in things concerning a better life 1 Cor. 7. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 2. winning and woing them to the obedience of the Word as by seasonable and pious perswasions so by your chaste and godly conversations 4. As also in matters of thrist in ordering and taking care for houshold affaires thus did Sarah Geneses 18. 6. thus the Apostle adviseth 1 Tim. 5. 14. and therefore commands wives to keepe at home Titus 2. 5 6. to bee like snailes carrying their house on their heads For this the good women is commended and by this described Pro. 31. 11. The heart of her husband doth trust in her so that hee never doubts of her chastity secrecy or care in looking to her family Hee shall have no need of spoile for shee will furnish and fill his house with things needfull and delightsome so that hee shall want no necessaries for which hee needeth to rob or spoyle shee will doe him good For shee is constant in her love to him in youth age prosperity adversity sickenesse and health and will do him what good shee can in his body soule goods and estate shee providing such food which may nourish him shee stirring him up to serve God shee saving his goods as much as is possible shee not lowring on him with her lookes shee not crossing him in her words shee not vexing him by her deeds If shee know any thing please or profit him shee going about it speedily If shee perceive ought to offend him shee carefully avoiding it SECT 6. Servants in theirs reverencing their masters perswading them to good obeying of them how and motives to the particulars SErvants be you continually carefull conscionably in your proper and peculiar places to serve the Lord Christ Col. 3. 14. and to war this good warfare 1. Reverencing and respecting honouring and highly esteeming of your masters whether they bee poore or rich good or bad Thus did Iakobs servants Gen. 33. 6 7. Naamant servants 2 King 5. 3 13. Ahashuerus his servants Ester 3. 2. and this is the will and command of our good and gratious God Gen. 16. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 1. Mal. 1. 6. 2. Pressing and perswading your masters to things honest and necessary pious and praise-worthy 1 Sam. 28. 23. 2 Sam. 19. 5. 24. 3. 2 King 5. 13. 3. Serving and obeying them in all things Col. 3. 22. namely which are lawfull Gen. 39. 7. which are possible Gen. 24. 7 8. which are profitable 1 Chron. 11. 17. and proportionable to your abilities Exod. 5. 7. or in a word in all things wherein you are to be subject and ought to obey Impious injunctions of masters ma● not 1 Sam. 22. 17. impossible need not to be obeyed serve therfore you Christian servants your masters 1. Whether they be good and gracious 1 Tim. 6. 1 2. for as such masters are more worthy of reverence respect submission and service so are you more obliged to be obsequious and officious unto them not only by their charitable and Christian usage of you but also by the Lords precise precept 1 Tim. 6. 2. 2. Or bad cruell crosse and unconscionable 1 Pet. 2. 18. the ordination of God and not the worthinesse of your masters being the prim● and primary fountaine and foundation of this your service and office And do you serve and obey them 1. With all diligence Thus did Iakob serve Laban with all his power Gen. 31. 6 18 40 41. and thus should all doe service Pro. 31. 15 18. and with all carefullnesse Thus did Abrahams servant obey him Gen. 24. 33. 18. 7. Thus the Centurions servant Mat. 8. 9. And thus ought all to serve their masters Ps 123. 2. Rom. 12. 11. not being slothfull in businesse 1. For thus doing you shall enrich your masters Prov. 10. 4. 2. You shall be profitable and advantagious unto them Pro 14. 23. 3. Which you ought to bee you being wholly your masters 4. And by so doing your masters although cursedly covetous and miserable muck-wormes will be loath and unwilling to forgoe you being gainefull and thrifty 1 Kings 2. 40. Acts 16. 19. 5. Neither can you your selves be loosers in so doing Pro. 13. 4. 6. Whereas on the contrary by corrupt and cursed idlenesse sloth and negligence servants 1. Become brethren to those who are great wasters Pro. 18. 9. 2. They make themselves to suffer penury Pro. 13. 4. 19. 15. 3. They are ever kept lowe Pro. 12. 24. their course of life being as an hedge of thornes slow and hard they being pricked and stayed with feares and griefes as with thornes and briars Pro. 15. 19. 4. They occasion also unto their masters continuall griefe and vexation like tart viniger to the teeth and smothering smoake unto the eyes Pro. 10. 26. Secondly with all fealty and fidelity Truly and faithfully doing service Thus did Abraham servant obey his masters repast giving place to faithfullnesse Gen. 24. 33. so Luk. 17. 7 8. Thus did David serve Saul 1 Sam. 22. 14. 26. 8 9 10. 11. Thus di● Ioab serve David 2 Sam. 12. 27 28. Daniel the King Dan. 6. 4 and thus should all you obey your masters Num. 12. 7. Ephes 6. 5. Titus 2. 10. 1. Abhorring and avoiding all fawning flattery and direfull dissimulation 2. Shunning and eschewing all loathsome lying and diabolicall deceitfull dealing 2 Sam. 16. 1 2 3. 19. 26 27. 2 King 5. 22. 3. Not being wicked wasters of your masters substance Mat. 24. 40. Luk. 16. 1. 4. Nor theevish and untrusty pilferers and purloyners from your masters Titus 2. 10. 1. Such unfaithfull servants being of their father the divel Ioh. 8. 44. 2. Being worse then high-way robbers cheating and cousening those who confidently commit their substance into their hands 3. And taking the ready roade and trac'd way to blast their other substance begger their posterity such goods of fraud wanting a blessing to thrive unto posterity and damne their owne soules Object Perhaps the subtill serpent and your cursed corrupt nature sollicites and perswades you to proceed in such pestilent and pestiferous pilfering courses by such like serpentine seducements and supplanting sophistications as these following 1. None knoweth of or is privie unto your fraudulent and guilefull cursed conveyances of your masters wealth into your owne purses for you may sell of your masters goods and reserve part to your selves they nor any else taking notice thereof 2. You may take these and those things which may well be spared there being water enough in the sea your masters having so great abundance may well part with such triviall and trifling matters without any great detriment or dammage if any at all unto them 3. And although they being but light matters the losse of them ●eing so little as not to be missed in such abundance damnifieth little or nothing your rich masters yet they much advantage and profit you who want abundance 4. Besides such and such things are but trifles and of no