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A15824	A modell of divinitie, catechistically composed Wherein is delivered the matter and method of religion, according to the creed, ten Commandements, Lords Prayer, and the Sacraments. By Iohn Yates, Bachelour in Diuinitie, and minister of Gods word in St Andrewes in Norvvich.	Yates, John, d. ca. 1660.; Yates, John, d. ca. 1660. Short and briefe summe of saving knowledge. aut; Richardson, Alexander, of Queen's College, Cambridge.	1622 (1622)	STC 26085; ESTC S103644	253,897	373

that euery part hath best opportunitie to his owne functions so qualified with health arising from proportiō of humors that like a watch kept in good tune it goes right is set to serue the soule and maintaine it selfe But alas they are not now like the first copie from which they were drawne more like the ingrauings of Tombes walked on with foule shooes the very Characters of nature blotted out with originall sin and troden out with daily sinnes The Bookes of our consciences are clasped and sealed vp and the woefull contents are not read by the law they remaine as letters written with the iuyce of Orenges which are onely to be made legible by the fire of Gods wrath when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Behold we were not more like God in our knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse then we are now vnlike our selues in their losse O God how may we prayse our selues to our shame for the better we were we are the worse What is it for the sonnes of prodigall and tainted Auncestors to tell of the Lands and Lordships which were once theirs their fathers Lord whet our desires that we may redeeme our losse in thy Sonne The fault shall be ours if this our very damage proue not beneficiall Q. How did God further deale with man A. He gaue him dominion over all his creatures Psal 8.6 Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the workes of thy hands thou hast put all things vnder his feete Gen. 1.26.28 A shame for him that was to subdue all things to suffer himselfe to be subdued by them become a very lacquey to his vile affections in doing homage to the three great Idols of the world Profit preferment and pleasure Nay should labour to subdue the Lord of his life to become his vassall The Glutton makes God his Cator his belly his God and himselfe the Guest The lascivious wanton makes God his Pandar and himselfe the lover The covetous worldling would haue God his broker and himselfe the vsurer The angry sinner would haue God his hangman or executioner and himselfe the Iudge The Ambitious inquisitor can some-times make God and Religion his stale but honour shall be his God If times serue the credit of the Gospell shall be subordinate vnto his credit and Christ shall be a stirrop to climbe to promotion the word as a trumpet to blazon our owne commendation and the Pulpit a stage or shop to set to view and sale our owne good parts Fie on such service or Lordship as shall make God to serue with sinne Isa 43.24 Amos. 2.13 And the meanest servants thus ride on Horse-backe It s fitter for the Savages of Calecut to place Satan in the throne and God on the foot-stoole then for a Christian to abase himselfe to the creatures and the Creator to himselfe Oh that the Sunne of peace should looke vpon these vncleane heapes or giue light to this brood of darkenesse They are rare hands hearts that are free either from aspersions of bloud or spots of filthinesse What base rule keepes man here below Oh the want on excesse excessiue pride close Atheisme impudent prophanenesse vnmercifull oppression over mercifull connivence to sinne greedie covetousnesse loose prodigalitie symoniacall sacriledge vnbridled luxurie beastly drunkennesse bloody trechery cunning fraud slanderous detraction envious vnderminings secret Idolatries hypocriticall fashionablenesse c. All drencht in prophanenesse and profusenesse and the very earth diepred with our villanies But I forget my felfe seeing my taske is to lay downe a rule and not inveigh against the breach of it Q. Wherein consists mans dominion over the creatures A. In a most free vse of all things for the glory of God his owne necessitie and lawfull pleasure and that without all let or hinderance of any of his actions and therefore if hee offended in them it was his owne fault Gen. 1.29 with Chap. 3.11 Man could not content himselfe in knowing God and all his creatures his curiositie is to know more then ever God made evill of sinne and evill of death How deare this lesson cost vs we know well enough smart with knowing We the sonnes of Eue inherite her saucie appetite and miscarry daily with the presumptuous affectation of forbidden knowledge Oh Lord teach me a sober knowledge and a contented ignorance thou hast revealed more then I can know enough to make me happie Giue me againe the tenure of grace that I may hold what I haue as well in the consistory of conscience as at the common-pleas least whiles I be a civill owner I proue but a spirituall vsurper make me once againe a spirituall owner and then I shall not care if I die a civill begger Q. What followes from hence A. First Gods commandement for the procuration of meate from the Plants to himselfe and the beasts as likewise the dressing of them Gen. 1.29.30 and 2.15 That which was mans store-house was also his work house his pleasure was his taske Earth serued not onely to feed his senses but to exercise his hands happinesse never consisted in doing nothing Idlenesse neither gets nor saues for wee doe ill whiles wee doe nothing and loose whiles wee gaine not Houres haue ever had wings to flie vp to heaven to the author of time to carry newes of our vsage Eue could not long keepe chat with the Serpent but God had notice of it and for such idlenesse turnes her out of Paradise God esteemes much of our times what ever our price be and plagues the losse of a short time with revenge beyond all times God giue me grace to take it by the fore-top that I may make that which is wild and fugitiue tame and pliable to my purposes for heaven Q. What secondly may be gathered A. The bringing of all creatures which could conveniently be brought vnto him as their Lord to see how hee would name them Gen. 2.19 All Arts were engraven vpon the creatures yet none but man could see them for he receiued them both actiuely and passiuely and therfore by Logicke vnderstood their natures and by Grammar gaue them names And so even in this shewed his dominion over them in that he knew how to governe and order them all Q. What in the third place may be observed A. That he was like a Lord placed in the Garden of Eden as in a stately Palace planted of God Eastward with excellent trees and other plants as well for pleasure as for profit and watered with a pleasant river devided into foure heades which was to wash the Garden not like Nilus that makes Aegypt fertile with invndation For that is the raine water that falls a good way off and comes tumbling from the hills and carries with it the soyles of other grounds by the fatnesse and mud whereof that land is made fruitfull but this was to wash away filthinesse and superfluous fatnesse in so excellent a soyle least all should turne blade and nothing corne This Garden was

part of thy life is the least part wherein thou hast liued for all is spent in vaine that helpes not to obtaine thy last end From hence forward recouer and recollect thy selfe before thou goe hence and be no more And if the excellencie of humane Arts exclude all meane and mediocritie thinke no extasie high enough for the obtaining of Diuinitie We must not like sullen lades lie vnder our burdens but reviue our spirits and with a maine and manly courage encounter all doubts and difficulties Q. But how shall we know it A. Psal 34.11 Come children hearken vntome and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Knowledge is easie to him that hath a desire to vnderstand plaine and right if wee seeke after it as worldlings doe gold Pro. 14.6 and 8.9 and 2.4.5 The Mine and Mint of true happinesse is plainely and plentifully chalked out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures Nothing remaineth but that I call vpon you as Chrysostome did of old Heare O ye worldlings get you Bibles Hom. 9. in Epist ad Colof Here lie those glorious heapes which may eternally enrich vs so that if wee goe away with our hands and skirts emptie how worthy shall we be of a miserable want And who shall pitty them that will not pitty themselues Gods whip is the best alones for so lazie and wilfull a need Oh that in these our dayes wee might see those times spoken of in auncient Story wherein the secrets of the Scriptures were knowne familiarly to Taylors Smiths weavers Seamsters Delvers Near-heards c. Theod. de corrig Gracorum affect lib. 5. What a shame is it for vs in England to see daily so many heauenly showers fall beside vs whiles we still like a Gedeons fleece want moysture Where are our worthy Matrones that may be compared with S. Hieromes women Hieron in Psal 133. who contended in good earnest who should learne most Scripture without booke Alas alas most of our schollers like boyes slubber out their Bookes before they learne their lesson Old Origen in num Hom 27. sayd that of all torments to read the Scriptures was the greatest to the damned spirits against that blasphemous Papist that said it was the invention of the Deuill Mart. Pares de trad l. 44. But alas that which they cannot reade without soruple we read too often with neglect and contempt With whom doth the Apostles exhortation take place Coloss 3.16 Let the word of God dwell plenteously in you Let vs then to auoyd further shame like diligent Schollers which repeat their parts to each other to be made more perfect mutually recall ouer the rules of our well-liuing Giue me but one sayth Augustine that loueth and he shall feele what I say but if I speake to a cold Christian he vnderstandeth me not O then to prepare you for this art doe but as you vse to doe in the morning when the Sunne riseth in his strength open the dores and windowes of your hearts to partake of this comfortable brightnesse Let the beames of the glorious truth of Gods word shine cleerely open your eyes and endeuour to be illustrated by it It is not credible how much good Art and precepts may auaile vs. Wee cannot but speed well if wee begin well and proceed orderly A false methode is the bane of all hopefull indeuours We shall finde it in spirituall matters as in our estates small helpes with good thrift enrich vs when great patrimonies loose themselues in the neglect It is wonderfull to see what some can doe with the helpe of a little engine in lifting vp that weight alone which many helping hands by their cleare strength might endeuour in vaine I know grace is not tyed either to number or meanes yet vsually worketh by a common course of Art and precepts Onely this must be our care that wee mint not Gods worship in our owne deceitfull braines Q. What is Religion A. Religion is an Art or rather a doctrine to liue well Art is in the frame of the creature and may be learned by observation And so was Diuinitie by creation the very imprese of God but now by corruption both the Art and the frame are spoyled and as he that comes from a bright candle into a darke roome is so much more blinded as his light was greater and as the purest yvory turneth with the fire into the deepest black so man being fallen from God is so much the worse by how much hee was made more worthy in himselfe Teknee from Teknaomai because Art is euer to be seene in his owne fabricke facture or fashioning Man therefore hauing blurred blemished and blotted out his Art and excellencie is left to the teaching of Gods spirit to learne that by diuine instruction which he cannot by humane observation 1 Tim. 6.3 Paul calls the lesson a doctrine and Dauid prayes often in his Psalmes that the Lord would open his eyes teach him his statutes and bring him into the way he knowes not by nature Psal 119.18.33 The manifolde wisedome of God distinguished by proper subiects and broken as it were vpon them by creation gouernment and obedience from hence by irradiation or shining is acted and dispersed vpon the glasse of the vnderstanding as light vpon the eye and there receiued and vnderstood is againe from the mind reflected vpon others by word and then it is doctrine or discipline or writing and then we call it a booke or Bible and from hence may be obserued our teaching by Scripture doctrine discipline Art science and inspiration Hos 8.12 Heb. 1.1 Prov. 8.10 2. Tim. 3.16 c. God hath written spoken and inspired men to doe both and yet in all this a meere stranger to the iudgements thoughts affections speeches and actions of the most So that beside all this God must inlighten and inliuen our hearts or else there will neither be Art nor heart nor part to thinke vpon him It is safe no where to complaine of nature but where grace is and where that is once had and affected It will readily ascribe both inward and outward teaching to God Our rule may be called Scripture as it is written doctrine as it is taught discipline as it is learned Art as it is framed in vs againe science as it is knowne of vs and because none of these are now to be had by the irradiation of nature it pleaseth God of his infinite loue that wee should haue them by the inspiration of grace There are three things saith Bernard which God properly challengeth vnto himselfe from all co-workers men and Angels viz. pradestination creation and inspiration The husbandman may plant prune digge and dresse his Vine but raine vpon it he cannot if hee would water it yet must it be with Gods water Hee may draw from the fountaine but God must drowne it he may ducere rivum but it is God that must implore fontem Yea when he hath planted and watered he cannot giue clusters to the branches forme

Life consisting in the moysture of ayre is to be nourished not in the spirit of fire Animall spirits if they were not generated of the vitall and daily restored by them they might liue by their fiery nature as well as starres Let this then be granted that all elementarie soules are either the formall spirits of the ayre or fire and then starres hauing the one and not the other may liue without nourishment The influences of the Starres are as vitall as the animall spirits in man and both comfort and beget life c. Againe their motion shewes they liue for nothing is moued from place to place without it If God and Moses may be heard Phylosophers shall easily haue their mouthes stopped Scripture euery where testifieth of the motion of the Starres Which must either be by counsell or nature or violence or fortune Not by counsell for their motion is regular and alwayes the same and this were sufficient to proue the cause next vnder God to be naturall But the opinion is they are moued by the externall force of Angels as a wheele by a dog or a Crane by walking men I reade indeed that the Angels are ministring spirits for the good of the elect but no where in Gods booke that they turne the wheeles of heaven And againe the light being common to good and bad the good Angels should minister daily as well for reprobates as Gods elect But to still all cackling in this cause let the Text cleare it selfe Gen. 1.14.15.16.17.18 That which God saw to be good answers Gods intention in his motion to his end Therefore the Starres had so much by their creation that they were able to devide giue light rule dayes and nights the which they were vnable to doe without motion God therefore gaue them a power to moue that they might obtaine these ends which if they should assume from any other then God would argue the imperfection of his owne worke It may well be thought they receiue this life in their centers as other things doe in the circumference For being round heat and spirit will most vnite themselues within as in a silver spoone turne the hollow side to the fire and it will be very hot But in plaine bodies heat is receiued in a cleane contrary fashion as in Andyrons where they be round are very cold but where they be plaine they be very hot and will burne soone Starres therefore are round like globes that heat may the better center in them and make them the more actiue and liuely in their motion Why they should neither ascend nor descend is their equall temper with the place where they stay Why they moue round is the actiue spirit and soule that will not suffer them to rest It is said of the Sunne Psal 19.4.5.6 that God hath set him a tabernacle or proper place out of which he cannot goe and yet he comes out of the chambers thereof and in the strength of his motiue spirit reioyceth to runne his race not tumble it as some dreame for running a brest in the fire hee pusheth and shoueth it from him that nothing can be hid from his heat light His circuit is from one end of heaven to another and by his quicke dispatch euery day either drawes a little nearer or goes a little farther off not that at any time he comes nearer the earth but by fleeting a little his chambers he comes sometime in the yeere to dwell more directly over our heads then other He devids night and day euery 24. houres with vs and by running from one point to another the whole yeere And it is as naturall to the Sunne to runne a circuit euery day as another in a whole yeere not that he is pulled contrary wayes by two diverse orbes but that which he doth euery day in part that hee doth wholly and completely in a yeare Now the part and the whole may agree in the same motion and euery dayes race is but a part of the whole yeeres course which the Sunne may as truely keepe in the whole as in the parts and that without all contrary motions But seeing euery man will fancie his owne fiction I leaue this without all further prosecution Q. How many sort of Starres haue we A. Two The greater and the lesser not for quantitie of bodie but qualitie of light for the originall word Meoroth is Makers of light Luminaries shiners And so the Sunne and Moone are greatest as giuing to the earth the greatest quantitie of light How great the Starres are is a coniecture and guesse at the iust proportion of any one yet they are very bigge and it is evident that the Sunne is bigger then the earth by the Eclipses and because it enlightneth more then halfe the earth at once Gen. 1.16 Q. What are the greater A. The Sunne and the Moone These two cast downe the greatest light vpon the face of the earth Genesis 1.16 Psal 104.19 Q. What is the Creation of the Sunne A. Whereby he made it to rule the day c. And it is called the greater light because it darkens all Starres by his shining yea and casts light in the face of them all hence the Moone which hath such a changeable light receiues her splendor from the Sunne according to that face which is opposite to the body of the Sunne for the one halfe of it is ever illuminated and illustrated by the same and in receiuing and casting downe that light seemes to haue spots in her face Gen. 1.16 Psal 19.5.6 Q What is the creation of the Moone A. Whereby it was made to rule the night Gen. 1.16 Yet shee hath the assistence of the Starres for her selfe is often absent in the night Q. What are the lesser lights A. The Starres Gen. 1.16 These carry downe a lesser quantitie of light yet if it were not for them our nights would be palpable darkenesse which is the greatest enemy to the eye for it is a comfortable thing to see the light Eccl. 11.7 Q. When were all these made A. In the fourth day euening and morning succeeding as before in the compasse of 24. houres Gen. 1.19 Q. What is the creation of things with a compound life A. Whereby they were made not onely with a growing and mouing life but also with sense externall and internall the one serving as glasse windowes for the other The first sense which is most necessary is our feeling and is dispersed through the whole body excepting the bones and sinewes Bones are the sustentacles of our bodies and therefore would be painfull to vs if they were tender of feeling The sinewes they are the organs and instruments and carry in them the sensitiue spirits and man is most ticklish where his skin is thinnest With the tips of the fingers Physitians feele their patients as being most sensible of the pulses motion The tangible obiects are heat cold drought and moysture principally secondarily the qualities that hence arise Tast is next

This is eternall life to know the father reconciled in his sonne Retire thy selfe daily into some secret place of meditation and prayer such as Cornelius his leaddes Dauids closet c. and thou shalt finde with Iacob the sweete vision of Angels climbing vp and downe this sacred ladder which stands betwixt heauen and earth at the top of it is the father the whole length of it is in the sonne and the spirit doth firmely fasten vs thereunto that so we may be transported vnto blisse Q. What is here to be obserued A. The names in Scripture that expresse this mystery as Elohim and Adonai Gen. 1.1 Mal. 1.6 Both which words being plurall are ioyned with words of the singular number to shew the vnitie of the persons both in essence and action It is not for euery proflygate professor that liues as he list to be dealing with this divinitie These pearles are not for swine who will laugh at such congruitie as makes one of three and three of one but hee that findes and feeles the conioyned working of the Trinitie will adore it in vnitie ascribing to father sonne and holy Ghost equall authoritie and power in all their workes This as well as the whole rule of well-liuing belongs to the sealed fountaine the spouse of Christ A doctrine not fit to be preached in Gath Askelon to vncircumcised and prophane hearts that will turne euery good thing to their owne destruction The Lord that hath the teaching of all hearts make vs ready for this transcendent learning Q. What secondly is to be obserued A. That the subsistences or persons being the same essence are God and one God Ioh. 1.1 1. Ioh. 5.7 Cut but the hayre from the eye brow saith Augustine and how disfigured will the face looke there is but a small thing taken from the body but a greater matter from the beautie so in these honourable wayes of wisedome wee may not derogate the least iot of Deitie or dignitie from any person Q. What in the third place A. That whatsoeuer Attribute is giuen to the essence may so farre forth be giuen to the subsistences as euery person is infinite eternall incomprehensible c. Exod. 23.20 with 1. Cor. 10.9 Christ hath the same name and authoritie with his Father Ioh. 1.1.2 and 14.1 and 21.17 Phil. 2.6 Heb. 1.3.1 Ioh. 5.20 Rev. 1.11 In all these places the essentiall Attributes of the divine nature are giuen to Christ So likewise to the Spirit Psal 139. Act. 5.3.4 1. Cor. 3.16 Iob 33.4 2 Cor. 13.13 Mat. 18.19 O that we had but in vs the internall principles of faith to rest vpon these three worthies infinitely great and gracious This I am sure as a spring or oyle to the wheeles of our Soules would make them goe smoothly and currantly Make all other yokes light and easie Vndoubtedly the Pipe of Faith would here draw in so much sweete ayre from the precious promises of life that thereby wee should be able to renue our strength and with chearefull spirits lift vp the wing as the Eagle runne and not be weary walke and not faint What shall idle Guls with a Pipe of Tobacco or Cup of Sacke silly smoakie helpes giue life againe to their dull and deadly Spirits And shall not the Saints and servants of three so infinite exhilerate and cheare their hearts with the feeling of their new life so mercifully begun by the father powerfully dispenced by the sonne and perfectly finished by the spirit Where were all this grace if it were not stronger then any Ellebore to evacuate the minde of all feares and griefes It is for nature to be subiect to extremities that is eyther too dull in want or wanton in fruition but grace like a good temper is not sensible of alteration O then that euery easie occasion of pleasure profit or preferment should interrupt vs in these religious intentions and draw vs to gaze like children which if a bird doe but flie in their way cast their eye from their Booke Nay what a shame is it to thinke how hardly we are drawne to learne or listen to this lesson As a beare to the stake as a slaue to the mill or a dullard to the Schoole are wee brought to these studies Q. What in the fourth place A. That all the three persons are God of themselues for an absolute first cannot no not in order be the second or third of any other but a first in all The Sonne because he hath his person from the Father is a second person but not a second God Deut. 6.4 1. Tim. 2.5 1 Ioh. 5.7 All those places that proue God to be one exclude all derivation of essence for one cannot bee multiplied without number Heb. 1.3 The sonne is the image of the person not the essence it were an absurditie to say Christ is the image of himselfe but apt and proper the expresse image of his Father For tho he be no other thing from his Father yet another person Hence wee learne how to expound that speech very God of very God that is the subsistence of the sonne is verily and truly from the subsistence of the father The person begetts not the essence for to beget and be begotten are relatiues yet the essence is absolute But Ioh 5.26 It is giuen to Christ to haue life in himselfe If life then essence c. I answere Christ speakes of life in the text by way of dispensation as he was the Messias and so it is explained ver 27. He hath giuen him authoritie to execute Iudgement because he is the sonne of man The very text makes this common to both persons to haue life in themselues which is the property of the God-head and yet Christ hauing life in himselfe as God hath the same giuen him as Mediator and sonne of man but you will say so he had power to giue himselfe life and therefore the fathers giuing respects his person as well as his office I answere it is true for as the sonne of man receiues subsistence from the sonne of God so the sonne of God receiues subsistence from his father Now working is according to subsisting therefore the life of grace spoken of verse 25. is wrought by the humane nature of Christ as it is sustained by his person and his person being from the father worketh the same life from him so then it is giuen to the sonne in regard of his manner of subsisting to bee the dispenser and disposer of the life of grace whereof the father is the beginner c. But as God he quickeneth whom he will v. 21. and that as he hath life in himselfe Life will and vnderstanding are Attributes of the essence and so simply one in them all Here may the sicke finde a Physitian the broken a balme of Gilead the fearefull a shelter the flyer a refuge and the breath-lesse spirit a blessed rest The sonne of God hath wedded to himselfe our humanitie without all possibilitie of devorce the

wrought in mans fall yea and from all eternitie for Gods act began before mans And this is safely to be done by our anatomie or resolution of Gods composition in this worke First God did it by his law and speciall government of man Secondly as he did it so had he power to doe it and such a power as neither Devils nor men are able to resist Man might resist the law Math. 23.37 but not the power by which the law worketh for man not the law shall suffer for the irruption and breach of it The law will be sure one way or another to make his part good with the most masterlesse monsters Thirdly as God did it and could doe it so he decreed it to be done and omnipotencie and efficiencie are but two executours no composors of Gods decree and therefore it shall stand infallible in the greatest contingencie It was possible for man to fall or not to fall and his act was contingent so true that it might haue beene false yet the decree was as certaine before as after the event seeing all things are present to God when they are absent to vs. Fourthly as he decreed it so it was done by counsell Ephe. 1.11 both in the scope and plot God had an end in mans fall neitheir was it otherwise executed then himselfe had plotted it The Devils and our first parents together with the Serpent time and place could never haue so met together except God had set it downe so will I haue it acted even to euery circumstance Fiftly It seemed good to his wisedome so to haue it done and no otherwise Pharaoh deales wisely by sinning Exod. 1.10 but God is wise in decreeing how Pharaoh shall sinne Sixtly that which is done by the wisedome of God is good and iust Hence sinne opposite to all good and the enemie of iustice was both good iust not in it selfe but as God decreed it to be a meanes of his glory which it is not by his owne nature for God is clishonoured by it but by accident as God can bring light out of darkenesse good out of evill and life out of death Therefore as God did it it was no sinne euery cause is to be examined by his manner of working Man sinnes by counsell and God by counsell orders it so to be done and in doing workes as much as he willed Lastly as it was good and iust so God willed it but as simply evill he willed it not but did hate the being of it Psal 5.4 Will is the highest step we must stand vpon and thus may we goe downeward by the same staires we came vp God did will nothing but that which was good and iust and so it seemed good to his wisedome by counsell to decree it and by his power to effect it CHAPTER XVIII The effects of the first Sinne. Question VVHat are the effects of Adams transgression Answere Blame and then guilt and punishment Man was blame-worthy for eating against the expresse commandement of his God then was he made guiltie of all the debt and danger that the law contained and by punishment to suffer or satisfie whatsoeuer the law could challenge at our hands Rom. 5.12 One man sinnes there is the blame by it entrance is giuen to death there is our guilt that we haue so intangled our selues in the snares of sinne and death and it runnes over all there is the punishment Q. What is blame A. Gods iust censure of finne Gen. 1.14 Because thou hast done this thou and all thine are accursed The blame is laid vpon our selues and it was a peece of Adams wretchednesse to cast it vpon his good God Gen. 3.12 Wee haue brought vpon our selues the scorne and scourge of all our sinnes Q. What is the guilt A. Whereby they are tyed to vnder goe the punishment Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Blame respecteth vice as prayse vertue and guilt iustice as libertie mercie By the first sinne is evill and naught by the second a debt Wee properly owe nothing to God but loue and dutie yet by forfaiture for non payment of the principall we runne into further arrerages with God and so are bound to a double discharge first of the principall secondly of the forfaiture It is a strange opinion to thinke if wee satisfie for the forfaiture wee are freed from the principall The law is still in force and except Christ pay both for vs we shall never come by a full discharge He suffered to satisfie the forfaiture and obeyed to pay for the principall Our debts are now growne infinite and onely he that is infinite can discharge them We might of our selues haue payed the principal but now like Bank-rupts we haue for ever dis inabled our selues and are not able to pay a penie in the pound for our release God hath a bill a bond or a booke wherein all our debts stand to be seene and must remaine vncancelled and vncrost till all be payed O good God draw the red lines of thy Christs-Crosse yea and the white lines too of his most holy life over the blacke lines yea the best lines of thine owne debt booke Thou seest better then our owne consciences euery peccant act of ours in thought word or deed oh let all our billes and Items in thy booke be cleared crossed and cancelled by the precious bloud of thine owne sonne and our Saviour and suretie He alone is able to expunge cover nullifie abolish wholly to take away the guilt of our defilement and the gall of our punishment In him wee know that thou our Creator wilt pardon all our sinnes debts bearing action against vs or obliging vs to any penaltie Yet not euery hypocrite or profligate professor that liues as he list must looke for this loue Faith is no Pandar to sinne it will make vs both see the vlcer and the washing of it Neither will it leaue vpon vs the slander of Solifidians but will tell the cleansed that he is to goe away and sinne no more It will never bid him drinke and take Tobacco sinne and beleeue get a pardon of the old and a licence for the new It will teach him to turne over a new leafe and learne a better lesson First to see his owne misery secondly the mercy of God thirdly how both will restraine him from all licentious libertie Q. What then is the punishment A. The iust anger of God vpon all that sinne Rom. 2.5.8.9 Heb. 10.31 with Chap. 11.29 Isa 33.14 Q. What Attributes doe here put forth themselues A. His holinesse and that both in his Iustice and Mercie Rom. 2.4.5 It shall well appeare that God will not winke at sinne or giue vnto it the least allowance 1. King 20.42 Ahabs life is to goe for Benadabs this is but a shadow of Gods holinesse If men must wash away bloud with bloud then assuredly God will wash his hands in innocencie and by punishing of sinne free

will haue it but it must be expounded as it was spoken And the same mouth must be both the maker and interpreter that is the holy Ghost No man knowes Grammar but by Grammar neither can wee see the Sunne without the Sunne so no man can expound Scripture but by Scripture There is the same Art both in the composition and resolution as there is the same way in going backward and forward Scriptures rightly vnderstood in our actions are as the heart in the body for conveying life to all the parts or as a dram of Muske perfuming the whole box of oyntment This is that godlinesse which breedeth an heedfulnesse in all our wayes and actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae parit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Q. How are they to be considered as translated A. Howbeit the Scriptures as they be translated be not so authenticall and canonicall as the originalls yet ought they to be read publickely and privately of all and to bee receiued as the word of God Onely this must be the care of the learned that as much as lies in them they labour that the apographicall translations or transscriptions answere the autographicall and primary originals And if there be any mis-taking they must ever be reformed by the fountaines themselues The Hebrewes and Greekes drinke both of the well-head pure translations of the Streames the Latines in their authenticall Ierome of the very puddles Well may I say of Trent fathers as that Chian servant of his Master which sold his wine and dranke the lees whiles they had good they sought for that which was nought c. Q. But how shall the ignorant in the originals doe in this case A. They must referre themselues to their faithfull and learned Pastours whom God shall stirre vp for the faithfull teaching of his people And the Spirit of God which dwelleth in those that are his will inable them to discerne even in translations betweene truth and falshood so that if any errour should be if they attend the meanes ordained of God they shall not want information Luk. 1.4 if they confider how things are written from point to point they shall come to a certaintie of Scripture Psal 102.18 Q. Had the Church beside these extraordinary teachers no other A. Yes there were also ordinary teachers that euery congregation might be supplied with able men to instruct them and these were to depend vpon the extraordinary and so farre to be heard as they agreed with their words or writings Exod. 4.15.16 Moses receiues from God and Aaron from Moses c. In all points of Religion we must depend vpon God in prayers if he powre not vpon vs we cannot powre out vnto him Zach. 12.10 Q. How was the Church in a people A. First in the peculiar people of Israel secondly among all people The Church did grow from a domesticall societie to a nationall and from a nation to all nations I haue seene great Ryvers which at their first rising out of some hilles side might be covered with a Bushell which after many miles fill a very broad channell and drawing neere to the Sea doe even make a little Sea in their own bankes so the Church had but a small beginning which is now growne Catholicke over all the world Grace is compared to the wind Ioh. 3.8 which at the first rising is as a little vapour from the cranies of the earth and passing forward about the earth the further it goeth the more blustering and violent it waxeth So ought the Church and euery member of it to be daily increasing and thriuing in grace It was the Devils devise to bring that slaunder vpon carely holinesse A yong Saint an old Devill I beleeue that sometimes yong Devils may turne old Saints never the contrary for true Saints in youth will proue Angels in age Let vs therefore striue to be ever good and thinke with our selues surely if wee be not best at last wee may iustly feare wee were never good at all Psal 1.3 Ezek. 47.3.4.5 Q. What was this people of Israel A. A peculiar people whom the Lord chose to himselfe of whom Christ was to come according to the flesh and because he was yet to come they had both the Mossias promised them and by many types and ceremonies shadowed out vnto them Deut. 7.6.7.8 Rom. 3.1.2 and 9.4.5 O if God in these things set his loue vpon them how loues hee vs to whom the very graces themselues haue appeared Tit. 2.11 Q. What were the Congregations called A. Synagogues Although God would haue all his people sacrifice in one place yet would he haue praying and preaching in euery Towne Citie and mother townes had many Synagogues Abel is called a mother Citie 2 Sam. 20.19 And so the Church of the Gentiles had many mother churches out of which did spring many daughters Religion propagating from the greater Cities to the lesser townes and villages Act. 13.15 And here might wee trace the Separatists to Iordan by their babes and bottles in running away from their mother Q. Who were the extraordinary Governours A. Prophets of whom some did write the bookes of the old Testament in the Hebrew tongue which are in number thirtie nine all which by our Sauiour Christ are devided into the law and the Prophets Math. 11.13 22.40 or may be devided into Priestly Princely and Propheticall bokes in regard of Christ which is the subiect of them all or according to the most vsuall distribution first the bookes of the law written by Moses and they are fiue Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomie Secondly the foure first Prophets as Ioshua Iudges and Ruth two bookes of Samuel and two bookes of the Kings and the foure latter Prophets to wit the three great Prophets Isa Ier Ezek and the twelue lesser which for brevitie they comprehend all in one booke Hos Ioel Amos Obed Ion Mic Nah Hab Zeph Hag Zech Mal Thirdly the nine others they call Cetubhim or writings by an excellencie and they are Iob Psalmes Prov Eccl Can Dan Chron 2. Ezra 2. Hester Our Sauiour Christ Luk. 24.44 makes a tripartite division of the old Testament into Law Prophets and Psalmes and makes himselfe the subiect of them all The law was Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall And all were types of Christ The Morall which is for instruction did prefigure Christ as our Prophet the Ceremoniall which was for expiation did shadow him as our Priest the Iudiciall which was for Government as King The Prophets that foretold Christ were some of them Kings Governours some Priests and some purely Prophets The Psalmes are mixed of all three full of prayers prophecies and scepters c. There is a latter distribution obserued by Interpreters and that is quadripartite as into bookes Legall Historicall Poeticall and Propheticall The Legall are the fiue bookes of Moses Historicall the twelue following to Iob. Poeticall the six following from the beginning of Iob to Esay Propheticall the three great Prophets