for precepts many precepts that binde not all the S t s there are many in the Book of God that doe not binde all the Saints universally There are personall precepts as for the Israelites to steale from Severall sorts of precepts and cozen the Egyptians and for Abraham to sacrifice his son those are not in force As there are personall so there are carnall precepts I speak with reverence that is commands where the holy Ghost speaks in the person of a prophane man as in Ecclesiastes Be not righteous over much The holy Ghost speaks in the language of prophane men and rather shewes the nature of prophane men than what men should doe and there are abundance of such in Job Take heed that we make not lawes of these for all Saints and all ages to binde their consciences And then their are temporall precepts that were meerly ceremoniall in the old Testament and in the new Testament as in Acts 15. the Apostles forbid things strangled and blood this was a temporall command as I could shew at large but this temporall did not binde all in all things because after there was a precept to contradict it as we see the holy Ghost bids to eat whatsoever is set before us and Every creature of God is good if it be sanctified with the word and prayer There is nothing to be refused it is an universall word So what will you make of that salute one another with an holy kisse VVhy follow you not that precept There are precepts of Indulgence that binde not as in Gen. 3. Of every tree in the garden thou shalt eat but of the tree in the middest of the garden eat not Now here was a command for Adam to eat of every other tree as well as not to eat of that but the former is a precept of indulgence and this precept did not binde absolutely so that if he had not eaten of every tree hee had not sinned And so in the matter of divorce the man was to give his wife a bill of divorce this did not binde if a man did take his wife in adulterie and would live with her he did not sin but if he did turne her away he must give her a bill of divorce There are many others you see every example and every precept bindes not To learne how much precept or example make an absolute rule therefore be wonderous warie how you make lawes and rules to binde you Ask godly men this question for I am not able to answer it what precept or example or how much precept and example doth make an absolute rule for all Churches in all ages answer that question and most of our contentions are gone It is not enough to say Sir I goe according to the Scripure the word saith this and this proposition saith so but ask godly men how much precept and example goes to make an absolute necessarie rule for all ages answer that and then thou walkest safely But the want of knowing our Christian liberty undoes thee You take the Book of God as if it were all aphorismes and Theorems and Canons No the Book of God to speak with reverence is like the Common Law of England and there we know sometime what is right by the Judges opinion sometime by paralell cases sometimes by expediency Now you say let such a man bring me Scripture what Scrirpture any line whatsoever and they simple people bring a place or two and make an absolute rule to binde you and all the world Remember the greatest miserie to an honest heart next to an old Testament spirit that is the rise of all is this a misdrawing of rules out of the word of God you take a word and doe not compare it with other Scriptures and see whether it be temporarie and doth absolutely binde but you goe with your book under your arme and think all wise men are out you have Scripture for it beware of that Therefore as I said learne what precept or example or how much goes to make an absolute rule to all the Saints in all ages that they must not break when you understand that you may draw rules So let me speak to the other party Not to binde others with lawes where Christ hath not bound them make not lawes upon the Saints where Christ hath not made any for the Saints are noble spirited men and a noble spirited man had rather doe a hundred things then be bound to one I would doe a hundred things that Christ hath not commanded and leave undone a hundred things that Christ hath not forbidden rather than be tied to one thing by men that Christ hath not commanded I had rather doe a hundred things for edification that Christ hath not determined If you binde the Saints it will make them leave that undone that they should have done The third dutie is abuse not your libertie 3. Not to abuse Christian liberty you are called to liberty saith the Apostle I cannot deny it I must make it known but abuse it not for an occasion to the flesh or as a cloak for maliciousnesse Abuse not your liberty for your own ends to avoid persecution or to get wealth c. Abuse it not by making it larger and broader than God hath made it it is dangerous to add commandments to the law of God that he hath not made and so it is as dangerous to destroy that that God hath made therefore saith David Psal 119. Lord it is time for thee to put to thy hand Dangerous to take away any of Gods lawes for men have destroyed thy law It is safer and better for a man to break the Law of God five hundred times than to take away one law that God hath made to make the way larger and wider than God hath made it As because I said God hath not absolutely bound you to pray twice a day some man may goe home and therefore he will not pray at all thou art a wretched man when lawfulnesse is gone thou wilt doe nothing for edification and expediency Take heed that you may doe that that is for the building up of your own soules and for the edification of your brethren To conclude 4. To hold fast Christian liberty the fourth and last thing is hold fast your liberty let not men take away your liberty be not servants to men If I be the servant of men saith Paul I should not be the servant of Christ and yet he saith I am your servant that is doe not tie me and I will serve you and doe any thing but if you binde a Saint and make lawes where Christ hath not bound him you shall never bring him to it a Christian had rather doe a hundred things that God hath not commanded he can doe it but he is loath to be bound absolutely to one The way to get the Saints to do any thing is not to binde and tie them hand and foot I
violent though they be ready to devoure one another and ready to set the Kingdom nation on fire and say we will have our way and you shall not have yours yet marke it they both agree in this all these contentions they come from the same principle I speake not of every particular man but of the generality of both wayes it comes from an old Testament spirit in the one and in the other And though they be contrary as light and darknes point blank enemies yet as I have sometimes seen two rivers run contrary wayes that have sprung from the same head and hill so the one and the other if I mistake not of the great controversies at this time it comes from an old Testament spirit in the one as well as in the other What is an old Testament spirit I speake not to make the breach wider Old Testament spirit what but desire that it may be healed therfore I say that you may take notice of it take heed of it an old Testament spirit is this that there is in both a disposition to make a curious externall peice of government as curious nay say they why not more curious than Moses made in the Old I say in externall things And out of this principle every one will have his brat and straine and squeeze the Scripture one this way and another that and make fine peices that will never stand Only with this difference that the one side that in this are the honester of the two they endlessely make lawes and ties for their own consciences and the other party they make lawes and ties upon the consciences of others The one party is alway scrupulous 1. Such as make laws to tie themselves And why should not the Lord be more honourable than the servant and Moses that was a servant was faithful in the house of God and he made a curious peice even to a snuff to aloope to an ilet hole and there must certainly be a curious peice if we could see it Not knowing that Gods purpose is to make his worship glorious in spiritualls and so they goe on a long and search the Scripture to every jot and tittle squeese blood out of it and so tie knots and will not stoop an ace to their bretheren for a Kingdome Thus they binde themselves as the silk-worme or the spider with their own web And when they have made lawes they lay such a stresse on them that if they misse in a nick they conclude there is no Church nor no Common-wealth c. I could give divers instances as in that of dipping over head and eares because the word bapto signifies over head and eares sometimes and because the preposition em signifies to go into from that they binde all the Saints all the world over to goe into rivers so that if a man be not dipped but only sprinkled because of the preposition em that makes a nullitie of the Church that it is no Church and so consequently there shall be no Church at all so from prepositions and particles they make rules that Christ hath not tied them to I speak not to disparage the least tittle of the Scripture for Heaven and earth shall passe before one jot or tittle of it shall passe But take this too it is not every tittle or affix nor every preposition nor every example nor every precept that can make an absolute rule to binde all the Saints all the world over therefore though there be no preposition nor no tittle in the word but there is use for it yet it is not to be put to that use that every thing there must binde all the Saints in all the world that is a mistake The other sort of people have the same principle also 2. Such as make laws to binde others they would have a curious externall peice in the new Testament but with this difference that they would not be so scrupulous to themselves for many of them walk large broad enough but their fingers itch to make lawes and ties to binde the consciences of others and so they look upon the old Testament and see that a compleat peice how the Passeover was prescribed how they must take the lamb and at what age and how long they must keep it and when they must kill it and what posture they must use and what sauce they must have they see it a curious peice and they look on the new Testament though they speak not so as if Christ had left it very darke and short and briefe And indeed to speak the truth if the designe of Christ had been to make a curious externall peice under the new Testament as under the old they did think right no man could disprove them but Christ of purpose left things briefe as I shewed before How moderately and spairingly and covertly the Lord mentions Ordinances in the new Testament now they concluding that the worship of God in the new Testament must be more glorious than in the old and in outward things there upon they make Canons and eech it out and in so doing they make such ties upon indifferent things and things that Christ hath not determined to the Saints that though the things be otherwise good in themselves yet they have this evill one of the greatest in any Church in the world they bring the glorious sonnes of Sion under the New-Testament back againe to the Old So it hath been alway from the beginning Popes practise for wee see the Popes heretofore they alway looked on the new Testament as a lame thing short and dark therefore they made Canon upon Canon and Article upon Article every Pope made Canons and lawes and decretalls till they were endlesse to determine things that are undetermined that are left to the wisdom of the Saints in their riper age all a long an old Testament spirit that they might make a curious outward peice And so the Bishops Bishops practise they looked on the new Testament as dark and lame and they would take it and digest it into a method and make other bookes instead of a new Testament that a man might be a protestant and never see the Bible and a man might be a good Catholik and never see the Bible So they made the thirtie-nine Articles and decrees and Canons to eech out the new Testament and the minister must say this with a loud voyce and that with a low voyce and now he must sit and now he must stand and hee must read one lesson here and another there and here he must read the first and there the second Service and if he were rich he must weare long clothes and if he were poore he must weare short What an abominable thing is it to tie the sonnes of God that are not babies now under tutors with paltrie things when the Spirit of God in the least Saint is better able to determine than all the Bishops
Apostle bids them doe all things decently and in order They had before in prophesâ—ing spoken three or foure at once so they missed of the end the Church was not edified Secondly they made the gifts of some vaine they justled and put out one another So when you in the worship of God or any thing that God hath not determined doe so as that you attaine the end and when things suit that one is not justled out and undervalued by another then it is done orderly So this is the sence there are many things that are lawfull but are not expedient That is many lawfull things if I doe them at such a time I shall doe them disorderly As it is lawfull for you to speake but if you speake while I am a preaching it is disorderly for we shall not attaine the end of preaching you will put me out and make but a squabling so put these foure generall rules together you understand the doctrine that all things that are lawfull are not expedient If I were not desirous to make an end of this I could prove the doctrine though it need not much proofe by scripture and by parallelling it with other things with naturall things As in the Civill law many things are lawfull that are not convenient it is lawful for me to keep my child barer in apparrell than my servant but it is not convenient It is lawfull to keep my servant better than my wife but it is not convenient It is lawfull for a man to sleepe all day and to work all night I meane by the lawes of England but it is not convenient There are abundance of things that are lawfull for the saints that are no way expedient for them to doe But I passe that and hasten to the use and application briefely a word at this time Use To eye what is expedient and leave the rest for another time From this that hath been said learne this use which is the Third doctrine but for brevitie I make it the use or the application Of all that this being so that every thing that is lawfull is not expedient then it is the dutie of Christians to eye and observe not only I had almost said not so much but certainly not only to eye what is lawfull but in all their waies to looke what is expedient that is to see that it be orderly convenient laudable lovely of good report else though it be lawfull meddle not with it Therefore you shall see that the Apostle in all these questions from the seaventh Chapter to the middle of the eleaventh as you have many questions and in all or most of those the Apostle diverts the question They aske him if it were lawfull to marrie and being married if it were lawfull to put away their wives and if it were lawfull to eat meat offered to Idoles The Apostle doth not punctually answer to one of them whether it were lawfull or no but shewes what was convenient As if he should have said in all these and whatsoever else eye what is convenient and expedient as much and sometimes more than what is lawfull Reproofe of those that only regard what is lawfull Therefore this being so this points out clearly a generall fault among you That there are many professors among us this is the rule of their walking they only eye what is lawfull and what is unlawfull they goe about and trouble every minister and make endlesse questions Is this lawful and is that is it lawfull to play at Tables and at Cards and to weare long haire and naked breasts I will not dispute the lawfullnesse but I pray thee eye if it be seemly and of good report among the Saints whether it be convenient whether it advance any bodies good eye this There is a profession among you and a multitude of professors this is their religion they put their wayes under the new Testament in eye only what is absolutely lawfull or unlawfull good or evill and their questions are is it lawfull to doe this and that Sir They will goe as neare hell as one saith as the halter will reach as farr as they have law thy will goe to the brink of the pit as far as it is lawful though it may be they offend others and harden others that they will not come into God and breake the peace betweene them and their brethren and yet care not it is no matter is it not lawfull O wretched unhappie people that eye only the rule of lawfullnes and unlawfullnes What shall I say to them I have three words to say 1. It is a signe of an hypocrite First I say to such people that usually it is the signe of an hypocrit though it be not a certaine signe it is a very shrewd one it is a signe of a hollow heart that was never right to God that eyes only what is lawfull to doe it and unlawfull to avoid it it is a signe of a base heart that will do no more than needs must Why It is a signe that there is no love to God he will doe so much as God flatly commands and avoid that that God forbids or else he knowes he shall be damned but a heart full of love will alway be asking what is pleasing and seemly A drudg or servant in the house hates her master and had as live be hanged as to serve him if shee knew how but shee must but a wife that loves her husband dearely will shee doe every thing that shee may shee may goe to bed and lie til noone if she will he will not be angrie with her and though her husband bid her doe nothing yet shee will studie what is lovely and decent and comely pleasing and will not he take it kindly when he comes home O there is no love in thee a thousand to one but thou hast an hypocriticall heart for if there were love to God thou wouldest never stand so much upon lawfull and unlawfull as what is decent and comely c. hypocrites will goe as neare hell as they can that is their designe and the readie way thither is to goe to lawfull things only and not things expedient Well Secondly 2. It is a signe of an old Testament spirrit if it be not the signe of an hypocrit for I canoÌ„t say certainly it is yet it is a signe of an old Testament spirit divers of you rightly understand not that word it sounds harsh to you if you be strangers I wonder not at it but if you be those that continually heare me open the old Testament how our fathers were saved by the same Christ and by the same Covenant that we are c. I wonder that you should stumble for as you understand the book of God in reading it you coÌ„pare one thing with another so you must understand mens preaching comparing one Sermon with another Now when I say an old Testament spirit I mean not another
have occasion to mention all these sorts of people therefore they are pleased because every one hopes to get the other to his faction As if he be a Presbyterian it is nutts to him to heare any thing spoken against the Independents and if he be an Independent to heare the Presbyterians spoken against so I feare you are pleased because you are in faction and every one is glad to have the Preacher side with his faction This pleaseth corruption but doth the soule no good Others on the other side are offended exceedingly at what hath been said why so 2. Some offended because their party is spoken against because hearing any thing spoken of that patty they are of whatsoever it is by way of illustration to cleare and follow and hunt out this principle they take it hainously why so because religion I must tell you is all in faction among us therefore though you your selves acknowledge that there are some godly men that are Independents and some godly men that are Presbyterians yet it is so in faction that if a Preacher raile against Presbytery he is an excellent Preacher and on the other side if he be bitter against Independents he is a rare man and so you goe along in faction that no man living is able to doe your soules good I bewaile it and it will be your misery you in this City of all places in Christendome excepting none are miserable people Here is a populous place and abundance of Preachers and abundance of itching eares and greasie hearts as the Psalmist saith and you will not be tyed by the Magistrates to your Parishes and I desire not that but you will not be tied by the Ministers to suffer the word of exhortation but you make a trade of wandering from Minister to Minister to try their eares and as soone as you have heard a word that crosseth your corruption and your fancy you are gone As if a poore soldier should come with a wounded arme or a broken legg and desire a Chirurgeon to put on a plaister and when hee feeles it smart away he goes from that Chirurgeon to another and so to a third a fourth So you are miserable souls without Gods mercy like to perish for ever you have hearts as fat as brawne as fat as grease as some translate it VVhat is that Our work is upon your hearts we are Gods hammers the word is called so by Ieremiah Now take a greasie thing and put it under a hammer and it will slip on one side and on another and you can never strike it justly So you if there be any thing that crosses your humour it is a hard saying and away you goe and were it not for your own meserie it were no great losse Therefore let me tell you it is a principle that I am an enemie to wheresoever it is and it is that I have bin hunting out and let every one take his share to open it and labour to finde it out for his good I would begine with my selfe and I professe before you that there is no principle that hath mislead my soule to my greife as this principle Let me take my share and you yours and suffer not your hearts to be above the word of God and to run wild when any thing comes to do you good but suffer the word of exhortation for your good That is one thing Secondly this is another thing in all that I have said and I have spoken much concerning this I have not in all this woe to me if I should sought to innervate 2. nothing commanded by God weekned or weaken any jot or tittle of any absolute command of God concerning any good commanded or any evil forbidden Think not therefore as I said before here is a latitude Paul hath broken downe the hedge and wee may doe what we list No in all things that God hath determined I have carried it so that I would not have the good omitted that he hath commanded or the evil done that he hath forbidden For I know what the Spirit faith in the close of the booke of the Revelations He that adds to this booke God shall add to him all the plagues that are written in this booke and he that puts to any thing God shall put his name out of the booke of life and I know that he that breaks the least commandment and teacheth men so to doe shall be least in the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 5. Therefore I have not in all this sought to weaken any one tittle or thing absolutely determined 3. Not to abuse this doctrine to strife Thirdly and lastly the maine aime of all was peace therefore I would admonish you all of being like the Spider to draw poyson out of the sweetest flowers If wee studie to make peace thou pickest occasion of more warre to jangle and wrangle more woe to thee for if Christ say Blessed are the peace makers than Cursed are the peace breakers Those that any way give just occasion to break the peace of Gods people And I am affraide notwithstanding all that hath been said there are some among us that I may say of them as David saith of some in his time when I speak of peace they prepare for warre So when we speak of peace and use means to reconcile the Saints they pick occasion of jangling and wrangling This is but to cleare the way So now I proceed to that that remaines which consists in two things The one is to point out breifly some hindrances in the way of the Saints that must be remooved or else wee shall never walk according to this rule Seconly to shew some few meanes as we call them externall meanes that God hath directed me to how to come to square our hearts and lives according to this rule But before I come to that there are two objections in the way which I shall answer breifly The first is this Object you will say Sir for all you say you ayme at peace and you endeavour peace yet notwithstanding me thinks you seem to innervate the word of God you seem to make a great deale of the word of God unprofitable for if we must not make an absolute rule of every thing here what doe we with it There will be a great deale void for you told us that every example no not every precept doth not make an absolute rule to binde the Saints so it seemes there will be a great deale void and what shall wee doe with it To answer that briefly I deny that there is any thing in this blessed booke that is unprofitable Answ 1 Nothing in the Scripture but is of use but I deny this also that every thing in the new-New-Testament is profitable to make a rule of I will shew you two places of Scripture the first is in Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning But not every thing a rule that we
Gospel-libertie In the Extensions Limitations of it Wherein is laid down an exact way to end the present dissentions and to preserve future peace among the SAINTS VVhereunto is added good newes from HEAVEN TO The Worst of SINNERS on Earth The former in nine Sermons on 1 Cor. 10.23 All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expedient The latter in three Sermons on LUKE 2.10 Feare not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people By WALTER CRADOCK Late Preacher at All-Hallows Great in LONDON James 2.12 So speake yee and so doe as they that shall be judged by the law of Libertie LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons 1648. AN EPISTOLAR PREFACE Touching Things indifferent The Morall Law Expediency THE Author absent intrusted the elegancy of printing with that Artist But bequeathed the Pre-epistling to a Brother-Elder let him be accountable for his Artifice I of the Subject-matter Epistolar Commendations of Authors of Bookes as it were to their faces before all the world is more common with most then commendable with candid ingenious modest men on either side The Pulpit having made the Author more famous and in a more expedient way than my pen can imitate and this his booke sufficiently speaking for its self I shall only preface as I can amidst these trouble of times and mine own businesse something sutable to the Contents of the Booke The Title tels you it is GOSPEL-LIBERTY meaning new-NEW-TESTAMENT LIBERTY For that the Author seemes to intend attend throughout his discourse The Contents or Table leades you to the things where hee gives you the just dimensions of his sence therein And as often as he is not pleased to be expresse and punctuall hee leaves you hints and generalls whereby to abound in your own sense But beware how ye apply lest ye mis-apply Ministers in nothing are more in danger in their whole Ministery then in their managing of the Doctrine of Christian liberty And people are most in danger in the application thereof For as the Doctrine is Case-divinity to me the most comprehensive and curious especially in the bringing of it down to the infinite of particulars so mens consciences in these most Gospel-abusing times are exceedingly complexioned to licentiousness So that wee may sadly sigh forth this strange paradox In medio consist it vitium that is In the use of middle indifferent things is committed most vice For in these things Professors also generally offend Things expresly forbidden or commanded are too grosse and ignominious for a face that is but modestated by profession But in things indifferent there appearing a character of lawfulnesse stampt upon them professors grow too resolute and peremptory in their use to deliberate what when how much c. is convenient or expedient And thus they precipitate themselves into licentiousnesse in these offence-giving and offence-taking times to the occasioning of many to spew up that rligion they had taken down For men now a dayes will not rightly understand the bounds of things indifferent they cannot beare the weight of the morall Law under its proper notion which states what things are necessary by prohibition or injunction and so do not drink in kindly the Doctrine of Expediency but are at a losse in the application of it at every turning goe out of their way A little of each of these three is all I have to say to the tractable Reader in this Epistle 1. THINGS INDIFFERENT chrysost some call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Things that partake of nether extream so as to be diffenced thereby in relation to morall good or evill but are in that respect as they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all alike neither good nor evill The meaning is That these things considered in themselves Arist Rhet. though physically they differ in their essence and kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in their naturall qualities yet morally I say still considered in themselves as in relation to good or evill manners they carry no difference upon them But if morally they be transformed into any such difference it is not as they are entia or talia that is as they are things or such things but as they are considered and used Indifferency in simple termes or things is thus distinguished God and graces as physically and essentially so morally are absolutely and positively and peremptorily good So that we cannot change their natures we cannot as such abuse them * So the great Philosopher of vertue proving thereby that happines consists in vertue On the contrary Satan as Satan and sin as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a swerving from the rule of restitude are morally all together evill So that wee I say we cannot change their natures we cannot as they are such well use them But for meat and drinke mirth or mourning recreation sleeping wakeing severall wayes of Arts tradings with infinite more they all are morally indifferent Arist c. They are morally in themselves neither good nor evill but as they are used Meat used to surfeiting or wantonnesse drinke to drunkennesse or raginst cloaths to pride Arts to deceive trading to covetousnesse c. become evill Indifferency in complex expressions or compounded actions consisting of severall acts or actings is thus distinguished Those exppessions or actions which are clearly or by evident consequence commanded or forbidden those are necessarily either good or evill morally Those which are neither so commanded or forbidden are indifferent The Apostle to keep us from failing about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things indifferent calls us to a consideration of things as they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differenced Phil. 1.10 That yee approve the things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ Sincerity is put in the midale as the heart in the middle of the body to minister Spirits and life to the other two As if the Apostle should say as ye wil approve your selves to be sincere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tryed at the beames of the word Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light or splendor of the Sun and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discerne or judge as young Eagles or Chap mens cemmodities at the light of the Sun and found right able to endure the divine light and not discovered of any wittingly concealed deceit so ye must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Try and discern 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things or actions or expressions as they differ either from indifferency by reason of circumstances in the use or from mediocrity of goodnesse by eminent qualities as they may be improved And so saith the Apostle ye may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither stumbling nor causing to stumble ◠Compare 1 Cor. 10.32 same word neither taking nor giving offence * Under this notion of indifferency there is couched a liberty in the use of such things that beare that character A liberty either
Therefore this makes my heart to bleed Presbytery Independency I am not ashamed nor afraid to tell you my serious thoughts concerning these two wayes if you will call them PRESBYTERY and INDEPENDENCY For that of Independency as I never saw nor was apprehensive what harme it could do to overthrow the Parliament or to destroy the Kingdome as men say Wee must have but one Religion and hang them and draw them and banish them as I am not sensible of these feares so on the other side if you call that Presbytery that godly men call so when a godly Church appeales to godly Ministers to determine that which they cannot determine themselves I cannot see but in some cases and some times and some Churches such a thing may be convenient and expedient and if that were all in Presbytery I would never speak against it I say take Presbytery as godly men expresse it not as ignorant men take it for they mean tyranny I see no such great danger in that that Presbytery will be a thing to destroy us but there may be some things in it convenient but I professe before God and the world my greatest feare and griefe and trouble is that from Presbytery and Independency between the one and the other they are both in a way to make the Saints under the new Testament the glorious sonnes of Sion all babies and to tie little knots querks upon their own souls and the souls of others to bring them to the old Testament againe Where Christ hath bound us let us be bound but where he hath made us free let us doe all to the glory of God and for expediencie and edification Therefore strive not about strawes whether wee shall appeale to other people when we cannot doe things of our selves A ridiculous thing to tie the S t s where Christ hath not tied them but go to the root the principle of both in the generality tends as strongly the one as the other to make babies of the Saints What a shamefull strange ridiculous thing would it be if a Doctor or Batchelor of Divinity should come from Oxford with gray-haires and a learned man and you should make him a little coate and put him on a sachell and give him a horne-Horne-book or A B C and put a festraw in his hand and turne him to schoole What a great disparagement would it be would it not be ridiculous and intolerably foolish So God will be served in the new Testament in Spirit and Christ now hath made the Saints free in abundance of things and for us to make little knick-knacks little lawes to tie the Saints hand and foot and to binde them faster than ever they were under Moses To tell the Saints in the new Testament here you must put out your hand and here that they cannot sanctifie a Sabbath or make a Sermon but they must be told when they must sit and when they must stand and what they must doe this is the misery this this this makes the hearts of Christians to bleed There is something in Presbytery that might be expedient and somewhat in Independency and it would easily be decided but this is the plague we would bring the sons of Sion in the new Testament to be babies I foresee this and point it out for you to take notice of that old Testament spirit that wee may not make lawes upon our selves where God hath not made lawes on us therefore pray to the Lord to end that and then neither of the other will hurt you That is the second Use Only there might be an objection whether it be not lawfull for the Magistrates or the Churches or the Ministers to make lawes to tie their subjects or members in things that Christ hath not absolutely determined But concerning that I mean to handle the objection more fully when I shall speake concerning expediency therefore I shall leave it till then And to hasten over this Doctrine briefly I come to the last Use Use 3 Exhortation to duties As the former Use was to point out the mistakes so this points out the duties to which I am to exhort you that this being so that there is such a libertie and latitude yet not a universall latitude that therfore you would learne these foure things that I shall exhort you to First that every one would endeavor to understand and be acquainted with your Christian libertie 1. To understand our Christian libertie under the new Testament to studie it O! say not here is an example or a precept or a command and I know not what as many are readie to say beware what you bind your conscience with studie your Christian libertie be not as the horse and mule without understanding labour to know what Christ commands that if you doe it not you sin and to know what Christ hath left as expedient for you to doe or not to doe according to edification that is the way to peace But you will say this is dangerous Object this will make us all libertines it is dangerous for people to know their libertie For then they would be giddie and loose prophane When I was a child I have many times heard that if a horse knew his strength no body could rule him Answer Knowledge of Christian liberty not dangerous So if we were horses mules without understanding if we were not men and women in growen age under the new Testament having the Spirit of God the knowing of our libertie would doe us hurt but you shall see that Paul and he was wise alway in all places he was as carefull to lay downe their libertie as to reprove those that abuse their libertie as in all those places in the Corinthians he tells them what was expedient but if you marrie you sin not and so for meat offered to Idols though it might be inexpedient yet an Idol is nothing So sensuall men that have not the Spirit if they pervert and abuse their liberty yet wee must not be wiser than the holy Ghost and Paul and keep the liberty of the Saints from them but acquaint them with it Besides we must indeavour to understand our libertie in the new Testament because that for want of knowing their libertie under the new Testament Not knowing our Christian liberty keeps us under aspirit of bondage the generality of the Saints are kept under the spirit of bondage there is a spirit of bondage nourished inevitably you cannot avoide it as â—ong as you are ignorant of your libertie under the new Testament As how I will tell you there is a spirit of bondage that is continuall guilt on your consciences continuall feare in you How comes it Guilt in the the S t s whence Marke it most of the guilt and feares of the Saints is ordinarily not from the doing of ill but from the misdoing of good that is they apprehend themselves bound to such a dutie and God calls them
be warie of making lawes for hereafter for there are few things that are expedient but may sometime or other be lawfull therefore what is expedient now to doe beware how you make it a standing law to binde men to it Nay in Civill things there is no law of the Land in an extraordinary case but if they make it an ordinarie rule a standing law it will be inconvenient So in spirituall things about six score yeares agoe in the reformation it was a great thing to come out so far as they did but the Surplice and the Crosse and kneeling at the Sacrament stayed still and the States men did well it was good that they did so much because they then could not have them all off meaning in the next age when things were setled to remoove them but they made a law and it was a point of good policie yet when that law was made there arose another King that knew not Joseph another Generation came and made the Surplice and the Crosse the ruine of good people to drive them to New-England and to imprison them Therefore it is good to be wary in making of standing lawes 5. To beware how they impose things on the consciences of the Saints Fiftly Magistrates Churches must be warie how they impose these things upon the consciences of men as necessarie things they may decide them to be expedient and so perswade them to obey but if they come to impose them as necessary as that the Surplice signifies innocency and the Crosse mortification when they impose them Jure Divino it is not right 6. Not to use rigour in determining Lastly beware of severity and rigour in determining those things that God hath not determined for in those things a poore Saint though they determine them yet if he have no measure of light he cannot in conscience do it but he is condemned by his conscience And if he use all his light and reverence the Magistrate and use all the Ordinances of God yet in some cases God gives him not light to doe it Now to goe with fire and fagot with banishment and imprisonment as they did under Episcopacie there was more rigour used for not wearing the Surplice than if a Minister had been drunk twenty times in a yeare they imposed these things with severity yet come to them and ask what good was in them the Bishops would say they were but indifferent things and yet they would punish the want of them more than the breach of the Commandments of God therefore beware of that So to that objection that this would breed confusion if every man should determine them you have foure answers I wil add one more and I shall go no farther at this time and that is if you will avoid confusion herein and follow this truth You know I have shewed you certaine rules by which you should goe to avoide confusion and they are as Land marks or as booyes in the water to guide you As for instance here is a thing that God hath not determined then cast about Is it decent is it convenient is it expedient doth it doe others or my self good Or will it trouble my conscience and make Religion evill spoken of Cast about by these rules and every one that hath tryed them shall walk safely without danger Therefore make use of those rules But it may be you will say those rules will not reach every case therefore I shall be at a stand Therefore to them I will add three or foure more and so conclude at this time You have had foure already Expediency that is one measure then decency and conveniency then commendableness or laudableness lastly Orderlinesse 5. Rule Examples of the old Saints And if those rules will not fit look on the examples of the old Saints in the book of God and putting the case alike or else it is a dangerous rule you are not in all things to follow the example of Christ himself hee did many things that are not for your example though wee may not make an absolute rule of every example yet they may be good patterns when the case is alike if we cannot judge whether this be expedient doe as the Saints of old did As for instance Paul in Act. 20. when he was taking his leave of his friends he bowed his knees and prayed on the place and called on the Lord as they parted I think not that this is an absolute rule that the Saints in all places are tyed to that they sin without they pray when they part but if you have time and other circumstances then it is commendable and safe to follow his example So to gather money for the maintenance of the poore of the Church it is a necessary dutie that God requires but when to doe it or how put the case the same according as you have opportunitie you should do well to doe it on the First-day of the week but it is not an absolute rule So if a stranger that is a Christian come to travell through the country Paul bids bring them on their way I think not that a man absolutely sins if he doe not bring a stranger on his way but put the case alike and it is safe and commendable to follow the Saints and so in a hundred things And this will help you out when you have no other light 6. To look to the custome of the Saints and Churches Secondly let me add to this a strange rule you will think it so if I cannot make it out that is this you must take notice of the customes of the Saints and of the Churches of God If you cannot finde by example and judge what is convenient and expedient and honourable in the old Saints goe to the custome of the Churches and the Saints that now are look what is the practise of the generation of the Saints and when there is no other light that will help you Custome in civill things it is the strongest law of England and in morrall things it is strong God saith a blackmore may be washed white sooner than they that are accustomed to doe evill will leave it But in this in spirituall things Custome the weakest rule in spirituall things custome is the weakest rule the customes of the Churches and of the Saints is the dimmest light yet in many cases we leave you to the customes of the Churches when there is no other light to go forward with and a Saint he may guide and steere his course well by it Therefore you shall see in Psal 73. David reasons the case why am I whipped every morning I have washed my hands in vaine and it is in vaine to be a Saint He corrects himself if I should say so besides my own foolishnesse I should condemne the Generation of the Saints God deales so with them So I remember a word between a Minister and a Gentleman the Minister disputing with the Gentleman Of