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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28171	The common principiles of Christian religion clearly proved and singularly improved, or, A practical catechism wherein some of the most concerning-foundations of our faith are solidely laid down, and that doctrine, which is according to godliness, sweetly, yet pungently pressed home and most satisfyingly handled / by that worthy and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Hew Binning ...	Binning, Hugh, 1627-1653.; Gillespie, Patrick, 1617-1675.	1667 (1667)	Wing B2927; ESTC R33213	197,041	290

visions were indeed from the Lord And that they did not frame any imagination in their own hearts and taught it for his Word as many did I say you need no more ask that than ask How shal a man see light or know the Sun-shine light makes it self manifest and all other things it s seen by its own brightnesse even so the holy men of God needed not any mark or sign to know the Spirits voice his revelation needed not the light of any other thing it was light it self he would certainly over power the soul and mind and leave no place of doubting God who cannot be deceived and can deceive no man hath delivered us this Doctrine O with what reverence should we receive it as if we heard the Lord from heaven speak If you ask How you shal be perswaded that the Scriptures are the Word of God his very mind opened to men made legible Truly there are some things cannot be well proved not because they are doubtfull but because they are clear of themselves and beyond all doubt and exception Principles of Arts must not be proved but supposed till you find by triall and experience afterward that they were indeed really true There are no question such characters of Divinity and Majesty imprinted in the very Scriptures themselves that whosoever hath the eyes of his understanding opened though he run he may read them and find God in them What Majesty is in the very simplicity and plainnesse of the Scriptures They do not labour to please mens ears and adorn the matter with the curious garments of words and phrases but represent the very matter it self to the soul as that which in it self is worthy of all acceptation and needs no humane eloquence to commend it Painting doth spoil native beauty external ornamēts would disfigure some things that are of themselves proportioned and lovely therefore the Lord choses a plain and simple style which is foolishnesse to the world but in these swadling cloaths of the Scriptures and this poor Cottage the Child Jesus the Lord of Heaven and Earth is contained There is a jewel of the mysterious wisdom of God and mans eternal blessednesse in the Mineral What glorious and astonishing humility is here What humble and homly Glory and Majesty also He is most high and yet none so lowly What excellent consent and harmony of many writters in such distant times Wonder at it All speak one thing to one purpose to bring men to God to abase all glory and exalt him alone Must it not be one Spirit that hath quickned all these and breathes in them all this one heavenly Song of Glory to God on high and good will towards men Other Writers will reason these things with you to convince you and perswade you and many thinks them more profound and deep for that reason and do despise the basenesse of the Scriptures But to them vvhose eyes are opened the Majesty and authority of God commanding and asserting and testifying to them is more convincing from its own bare assertion then all humane reason Although there be much light in the Scriptures to guide mens vvay to Gods glory and their own happinesse yet certainly it vvill all be too smal purpose if the eyes of our understanding be darkned and blinded If you shal surround a man vvith day-light except he open his eyes he cannot see The Scriptures are a clear Sun of life and righteousnesse but the blind soul compassed vvith that light is nothing the vviser but thinks the lamp of the Word shines not because it sees not it hath its own dungeon vvithin it therefore the Spirit of God must open the eyes of the blind enlighten the eyes of the understanding that a soul may see vvonderfull things in Gods Law Psal. 119. 5. 8. Ioh. 1. 5. The light may shine in the darknesse but the darknesse cannot comprehend it I vvonder not that the most part of men can see no Beauty no Majesty no excellency in the holy Scriptures to allure them because they are natural and have not the spirit of God and so cannot know these things for they are spiritually discerned 2 Cor. 2. 14. c. Therefore as the inspiration of God did conceive this writting at first and preached this Doctrine unto the world so there can no soul understand it or profite by it but by the inspiration of the Almighty Verily there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding saith Iob. When the spirit comes into the soul to engrave the Characters of that Law and truth into the heart which were once engraven on Tables of Stone and not written with Pen and Ink then the spirit of Christ Jesus writes over and transcribes the Doctrine of the Gospel on fleshly Tables of the heart draws the lineaments of that faith and love preached in the word upon the soul then the soul is the Epistle of Christ written not with ink and pen but with the spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3. 3. And then the soul is manifestly declared to be such when that which is impressed on the heart is expressed in the outward man in walking that it may be read of all men Now the soul having thus received the Image of the Scriptures on it understands the Spirits voice in them and sees the truth and divinity of them The eye must receive some species and likenesse of the object before it see it it must be made like to the object ere it can behold it Intelligens in actu fit ipsum intelligible So the soul must have some inspiration of the holy Ghost before it can believe with the heart the inspyred Scriptures Now for the utility and profit of the Scripture who can speak of it according to its worth Some things may be over-commanded nay all things but this one God speaking in his word to mankind Many Titles are given to humane writings some are called accurate some subtile some ingenious and quick some profound and deep some plain some learned But call them what they please the Scriptures may vindicate to it self these two Titles as its own prerogative Holy and profitable The best speaker in the world in many words cannot want sin The best Writer hath some drosse refuse but here all is holy all is profitable Many Books are to no purpose but to feed and inflame mens lusts many serve for nothing but to spend drive over the time without thought most part are good for nothing but to burden and over-weary the world to put them in a fancy of knowledge which they have not many serve for this only to nourish mens curiosity and vain imaginations and contentions about words and notions but here is a Book profitable all profitable If you do not yet profit by it you can have no pleasure in it it s only ordained for souls profiting not for pelasing your fancy not for matter of curious speculation not for

THE COMMON PRINCIPILES OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION Clearly proved and singularly improved Or a Practical CATECHISM wherein some of the most concerning-foundations of our Faith are solidely laid down And that Doctrine which is according to Godliness sweetly yet pungently pressed home and most satisfyingly handled By that worthy and faithfull Servant of Iesus Christ Mr. Hew Binning late Minister of the Gospel at Goven The 5. Impression carefully corrected amended 1 Tim. 4. 6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ nourished up in the Word of faith and of good Doctrine whereunto thou hast attained Heb. 5. 12. For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Joh. 17. 3. And this is life eternall that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Printed by R. S. Printer to the Town of Glasgow 1666. TO THE READER Christian Reader THe holie and learned Author of this little Book having out-run his years hastned to a maturity before the ordinary season in so much that ripe Summer Fruit was found with him by the first of the Spring for before he had lived twenty five years compleat he had got to be Philologus Philosophus Theologus eximius whereof he gave sutable proofs by his labors having first professed in Philosophy three years with high approbation in the Universitie of Glasgow and thence was translated to the Ministrie of the Gospel in a Congregation adjacent where he laboured in he work of the Gospel near four years leaving an epistle of commendation upon the hearts of his Hearers But as few burning and shining lights have been of long continuance here so he after he had served his own generation by the wil of God and many had rejoiced in his light for a season was quicklie transported to the land of Promise in the 26th year of his age He lived deservedly esteemed beloved and died much lamented by all descerning Christians who knew him And indeed the loss which the Churches of Christ in these parts sustained in his death w●…●…he greater upon a double account First that he was a person fitted with dexteritie to vindicate School divinitie and Practical Theology from the superfluity of vain and fruitless perplexing questions wherewith latter times have corrupted both and 〈◊〉 it upon his spirit in all his way to reduce that native Gospel-simplicitis which in most parts of the world where literature is in esteem and where the Gospel is preached is almost exiled from the School and from the Pulpit a specimen whereof the judicious Reader may find in this little Treatis Besides ●…e was a person of eminent moderation and sobrietie of spirit a rare grace in this generation whose heart was much drawn forth in the study of healing wayes and condeseensions of love among Brethren one who longed for the recovering of the Humanity of Christianity which hath been well near lost in the bitter divisions of these times and the animosities which have followed therupon That which gave the rise to the publishing of this part of his manuscripts was partly the longing of many who knew him after some fruit of his labours for the use of the Church and partly the exceeding great usefulness of the Treatise wherein I am bold to say that some fundamentals of the Christian Religion great Mysteries of Faith are handled with the greatest Gospel-simplicity most dexterious plainness are brought down to the meanest capacitie and vulgar understanding with abundant evidence of a great height and reach of usefull knowledge in the Author Who had he lived to have perfected the explication of the grounds of Religion in this manner as he intended in his opening the Catechisme unto his particular Congregation he had been upon this single account famous in the Churches of Christ But now by this imperfect opus post humum thou are left to judge ex ungue leonem The Authors Method was his peculiar gift who being no stranger to the Rules of Art knew well how to make his method subserve the matter which he handled for though he tell not alwayes that his discourse hath so many parts thou mayst not think it wants method it being maximum artis celare artem that the same spirit which enabled him to conceive communicate to others these sweet mysteries of Salvation may help thee with profite to read and peruse them is the desire of him who is Thine in the service of the Gospel PATRICK GILLESPIE THE CONTENTS SERMON I. Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him c. 1 Cor. 10 31. Of the chief End of Man THe Fundamentals of Religion necessary to be pondered and imprinted into the soul. Page 1. Our chief end first to be considered p. 2 God is independent and self-sufficient but the most perfect of the Creatures are from another as their first cause and for another as their last end p. 3 Self-seeking in Creatures monsterous p. 4 What self-seeking in God is ibid. Man is in a peculiar way for God p. 5 Sin hath exautorated Man ibid. What it is to glorifie God and how Gods glorifying of us and our glorifying of him differs p. 6 7 How proper it is for man to praise God p. 8 Whether we can alwayes have an express particular thought of God and his glory in every action p. 9 Man is come short of all he was created for ibid. Glorifying of God the end of Mans second Creation p. 10 We are to consider for what purpose we were made p. 11 Believing the most compendious way of glorifying God ib. p. 12. SERMON II. Psal. 73. 24 25. c. 1 Joh. 1. 3. Joh. 17. 21 22. Union and Communion with God the principall end and great design of the Gospel GODS glory and mans happiness inseparably linked together p. 13 Mans dignity above the rest of the creatures p. 14 A twofold Union betwixt God and Adam whence communion with him flowed p. 14 15 The Fall hath broken off Communion with him by dissolving the Union p. 16 Christ the repairer of the breach betwixt God and man p. 17 18. There is neither full seeing of God nor full enjoying of him here p. 19 The Union of a believing soul with God is a great depth p. 20 Love an uniting and transforming thing ibid. Christ's Union with the Father is the foundation of our Union with God and among ourselves not simply that Union of Essence between the Father and the Son but the Union of God with Christ as Mediator p. 21 How should an Union and Communion with God draw forth our souls in desires after such a blessedness p. 22 The enjoyment of God the scope and design which few drive ibid. He who ingages

creature that are among the rest of the creatures meet all in man as their Center for this purpose that he may return with them all to the glorious Fountain from whence they issued thus we stand next God and in the middle between God and other creatures This I say was the condition of our creation we had our being immediatly from God as the beginning of all and we were to have our happiness and well-being by returning immediatly to God as the end of all But sin coming in between God and us hath displaced us so that we cannot now stand next God without the intervention of a Mediator we cannot stand between God and the creatures to offer up their praise to him but there is one Mediator between God and man that offers up both mans praises and the creatures songs which meet in man Now seeing God hath made all things for himself and especially man for his own glory that he may shew forth in him the glory and excellency of his power goodness holiness justice and mercy It is not only most reasonable that man should do all things that he doth to the glory of God but it is even the beauty and perfection of a man the greatest accession that can be to his being to glorifie God by that being We are not our own therefore we ought not to live to our selves but to God whose we are But you may ask what is it to glorifie God Doth our goodness extend to him Or is it an advantage to the Almighty that we are righteous No indeed and herein is the vast difference between Gods glorifying of us and sanctifying of us and our glorifying and sanctifying of him God calls things that are not and makes them to be but we can do no more but call things that are and that far below what they are Gods glorifying is creative ours only declarative He makes us such we do no more but declare Him to be such this then is the proper work that man is created for to be a witness of Gods glory to give testimony to the appearances and out-breakings of it in the wayes of power and justice and mercy and truth Other creatures are called to glorifie God but it is rather a Proclamation to dull and senseless men and a provocation of them to their duty As Christ said to the Pharisees If these children hold their peace the stones would cry out So may the Lord turn himself from stupid and senseless men to the stones and woods and seas and sun and moon and exhort them to mans duty the more to provoke and stirre up our dulness and to make us consider that it is a greater wonder that man whom God hath made so glorious can so little express Gods glory then if stupid and senseless creatures should break out in singing and praising of his Majesty The creatures are the books wherein the lines of the song of Gods praises are written and man is made a creature capable to read them and to tune that long They are appointed to bring in Brick to our hand and God has fashioned us for this imployment to make such a building of it We are the mouth of the creation but ere God want praises when our mouth is dumb and our ears deaf God will open the mouths of ashes of Babes and Sucklings and in them perfyte praises Psal. 8. 1. 2 Epictetus said well Si Luscinia essem canerem ut Luscinia cum autem homo sim quod agam Laudebo Deum nec unquam cessabo Is I were a Lark I would sing as a Lark but seeing I am a man what should I do but praise God without ceasing It is as proper to us to praise God as for a bird to chaunt All beasts have their own sounds and voices peculiar to their own nature this is the naturall sound of a man Now as you would think it monstruous to hear a melodious bird croping as a Raven so it is no less monstruous and degenerate to hear the most part of the discourses of men savouring nothing of God If we had known that innocent estate of man O how would we think he had fallen from heaven We would imagine that we were thrust down from heaven where we heard the melodious songs of Angels into hell to hear the howlings of damned spirits This then is that we are bound unto by the bond of our Creation this is our proper office and station God once set us into when he assigned every creature it s own use and exercise this was our portion and O the noblest of all because nearest the Kings own person to acknowledge in our hearts inwardly and to express in our words and actions outwardly what a one he is according as he hath revealed himself in his word and works It 's great honour to a creature to have the meanest imployment in the Court of this great King But O what is it to be set over all the Kings house and over all his Kingdom But then what is that in respect of this to be next to the King to wait on his own person so to speak therefore the godly man is described as a waiting maid or servant Psal. 123 2. Well then without more discourse upon it without multiplying of it into particular branches to glorifie God is in our souls to conceive of him and meditate on his Name till they receive the impression and stamp of all the letters of his glorious Name and then to express this in our words and actions in commending of him and obeying of him Our soul should be as wax to express the Seal of his glorious Attributes of justice power goodness holiness and mercy and as the Water that receives the beams of the Sun reflects them back again so should our spirits receive the sweet warming beams of his love and glorious excellency and then reflect them towards his Majesty with the desires and affections of our souls All our thoughts of him all our affections towards him should have the stamp of singularity such as may declare there is none like him none besides him our love our meditation our acknowledgement should have this character on their front There is none beside thee Thou art and none else And then a soul should by the cords of affection to him and admiration of him be bound to serve him Creation puts on the obligation to glorifie him in our body and spirits which are his but affection only puts that to exercise All other bonds leaves our natures at liberty but this constrains 2 Cor. 5. 13. it binds on all bonds it tyes on us all divine obligations Then a soul will glorifie God when love so unites it to God and makes it one spirit with him that his glory becomes its honour and becomes the principle of all our inward affections and outward actions It is not alwayes possible to have an expresse particular thought of God and his glory in every action and

will not wait on their concurrence You see now strange things done you wonder at them how we are brought down from our excellency how our land is laid desolat by strangers how many instrumēts of the Lords work are laid aside how he lifts up a rod of indignation against us and is like to overturn even the foundations of our land All these were not in our mind before but they were in his mind from eternity and therefore he is now working it Believe then that there is not a circumstance of all business not one joynt or jot of it but is even as it was framed and carved out of old his present works are according to an ancient pattern vvhich he carries in his mind all the measures and degrees of your affliction all the ounces and grain-weights of your cup vvere all weighed in the scales of his Eternall Counsell the instruments the time the manner all that is in it If he change instruments that was in his mind if he change dispensations that was in his mind also And seeing you know by the Scriptures that a blessed end is appointed for the godly that all things work for their good that all is subservient to the Churches welfare seeing I say you know his purpose is such as the Scriptures speaks then believe his performance shal be exact accordingly nothing dificient no joynt no sinew in all his vvork of providence no line in all his book volume of the creature but it was written in that ancient book of his eternal counsel first fashioned in that Ps. 39. 16. Then lastly his will is irresistible his Counsell shal stand who can turn him from his purpose and who can hinder him from performance therefore he attains his end in the highest and most superlative degree of certainty and infallibility Himself will not change his own purpose for why should he do it if he change to the better then it reflects on his wisdom if he change to the worse it reflects both on his wisdom and godlinesse certainly he can see no cause why he should change it But as himself cannot change so none can hinder his performance for what power think you shal it be that may attempt that Is it the power of men of strong men of high men of any men No sure for their breath is in their nostrils they have no power but as he breaths in them if he keep in his breath as it were they perish all nations are as nothing before him and what power hath nothing Is it Devils may do it No for they cannot though they would he chains them he limits them Is it good Angels They are powerfull indeed but they neither can nor will resist his will Let 〈◊〉 be the whole University of the Creation suppose all their scattered force and vertue conjoyned in one yet it is all but finite it amounts to no more if you would eternally adde unto it But all victory resistance of this kind must be by a superior power or at least by an equal therefore we may conclude that there i●… no impediment or let that can be put in his way nothing can obstruct his purpose if all the world shoul●… conspire as one man to obstruct the performance o●… any of his promises and purposes they do but rage i●… vain like dogs barking at the Moon they shal be s●… far from attaining their purpose that his Majesty sha●… disabuse them so to speak to his own purpose h●… shal apply them quite contrary to their own mind t●… work out the counsel of his mind Here is the absolute King only worth the name of a King Lord whom all things in Heaven and Earth obeyes at the first nodd and beckning to them Hills Seas Mountains Rivers Sun Moon Clouds Men Beasts Angels and Devils all of them are acted moved and inclined according to his pleasure all of them are about his work indeed as the result of all in the end shal make it appear are servants at his command going where he bids go and comming where he bids come led by an invisible hand though in the mean time they knew it not but thinks they are about their own businesse applauds themselves for a time in it ducunt volentem fata notentem trahunt Godly men who knows his Will and loves it are led by it willingly for they yeeld themselves up to his disposall but wicked men who have contrary Wills of their own they can gain no more by resisting but to be drawn along with it Now to what purpose is all this spoken of Gods Decrees and purposes which he hath called a secret belonging to himself If his works judgements be a great depth and unsearchable sure his decrees are far more unsearchable For it is the secret and hidden purpose of God which is the very depth of his way judgement But to what purpose is it all I say Not to enquire curiously into the particulars of them but to profit by them The Scripture holds out to us the unchangeablenesse freedom extent holinesse and wisdom of them for our advantage and if this advantage be not reaped we know them in vain Not to burden your memory with many particulars we should labour to draw forth both instruction and consolation out of them Instruction I say in two things especially to submit with reverence respect to his Majesty in all his works and wayes to trust in him who knows all his workss will not change his mind There is nothing wherein I know Christians more deficent than in this point of submission which I take to be one of the chiefest sweetest though hardest duties of a Christian. It is hardly to be found among men a through complyance of the soul to what his soul desires a real subjection of our spirits to his good will and pleasure There is nothing so much blessed in Scripture as waiting on him as yeelding to him to be disposed upon Blessed are all they that wait on him Pride is the greatest opposite and he opposes himself most to that for it is in it self most derogatory to the highnesse and Majesty of God which is his very glory Therefore submission is most acceptable to him when the soul yeelds it self and its will to him he condescends far more to it he cannot be an enemy to such a soul submission to his Majesties pleasure is the very bowing down of the soul willingly to any thing he doth or commands what ever yoke he puts on of duty or suffering to take it on willingly without answering again which is the great sin condemned in servants to put the mouth in the dust to keep silence because he doth it I was dumb with silence I opened not my mouth because thou didst it their is submission indeed silence of mind mouth a restraint put upon the spirit to think nothing grudgingly of him for any thing he doth It is