5. It is against the Rule of Charity To do unto others as we would be done unto And this Rule is the best Remedy against it 6. It is the Badge and Cognizance of the Devil 7. It renders us unfit for the performance of holy Duties 8. It lays us open to the envy and hatred of other men 9. Because it impairs the constitution of our natural strength for although it ever levels the dart of mischief against others yet it still wounds it self even the very heart Remedies to keep us from envying the good of others viz. 1. Let us labor for Christian Charity and deck our selves with lowliness of minde that we may banish Pride and Self-love Phil. 2.3 Charity and Humility tempered well together makes an excellent Preservative against this fretting Malady 2. Be well contented with Gods Administration of Temporal Blessings Spiritual and Temporal that we do not any way charge him with folly who is Wisdom it self or with partiality who respecteth no mans person 3. To cast our eyes upon the troubles as well as the comforts our Brethren enjoy that the consideration of the one may with-hold us from grudging at the sight of the other 4. To mark that the Gifts of others are for our benefit as the good of one member of the body serveth for the use of another then we are enemies to our selves to repine at that which others have 5. To pray to God for the obtaining of his Graces where we see them wanting and for the encrease of them where they are obtained and for the continuance of them where they are encreased 6. To love the Graces of God wheresoever we see them yea even in our enemies Godly men may lawfully go to war without the guilt of Murther or breach of this Commandment and that for these Reasons viz. 1. God commands it Deut. 7.2 therefore does allow it as just and lawful for he doth not will things because they are just but they are just because he willeth them 2. As God gave Commandment expresly so the people going forth to Battel were to call upon him for a Blessing and to sanctifie the work by Prayer and in so doing have been heard 1 Chron. 5.19 therefore War and true Religion may well stand together 3. God himself takes order to have a muster taken of all such as are able to bear Arms Numb 1.2 3. Therefore the Anabaptists are not infallible As the godly may lawfully go to War so they must be careful to observe such conditions as make it lawful and allowable As 1. It must be Proclaimed by the chief Magistrate and such as have Authority otherwise it is private Revenge not publike Justice 2. Conditions of Peace are to be offered and such as yield thereto are to be received to mercy Deut. 20.10 11 12 13 14. 3. Keep all lawful Promises even to the Enemy being a sign of an upright heart Joh. 6.22 4. The Ends of our Wars must be Holy and Religious not Tyranny not Vain-glory but to maintain the honor and glory of God to defend the Church and Commonwealth from violence and invasion and to Establish Truth Peace and Concord in our Borders 5. We must not suffer lewd and wicked persons incorrigible and unreformable to remain in the Host of God who may endanger the whole Host and bring the curse of God upon them Deut. 23.9 10. Joh. 7.11 12. 22.20 6. It behoveth us to put our Trust in God alone to depend upon him to pray unto him and to look for safety and help from him Jer. 17.5 7. No man should go to War but with grief of minde and sorrow of heart for though the War be lawful yet when the Enemies are slain in Battel it is a defiling of mens hands and a defacing of Gods Image Gen. 9.6 1 Chron. 22.8 8. The Army is to be ordered in such Military Discipline as that it break not out to endamage or destroy those whom they ought above all to protect and defend He breaks this Commandment 1. That thinks but a thought in his heart tending to the hurt of his Neighbors life 2. That bears malice to another 1 Joh. 3.15 or is given to hastiness Mat. 5.22 3. That useth inward fretting and grudging Jam. 3.14 or is froward of nature hard to please Rom. 1.30 4. That is full of rancor or bitterness Eph. 4.31 or derides and scorns others Gen. 21.9 Gal. 4.29 5. That useth bitterwords and railings Prov. 12.18 or contending by words or deeds Gal. 5.20 6. That is a fighter Jam. 4.1 and hurts or maims his Neighbors body Exod. 21.24 7. That will not forgive an offence Mat. 5.23 or that seeks private Revenge 8. That doth fare well himself but gives not Alms to relieve the Poor Luke 16.19 9. That useth cruelty in punishing Malefactors Deut. 22.26 10. That denies the Servants or Laborers Wages Jam. 5.4 or that holds back the Pledge Ezek. 18.7 11. That sells by divers weights and measures or that removes the Land-mark Prov. 22.28 12. That moves contention and debate Rom. 1.29 or that by his looseness of life occasions others to sin 13. That being a Minister Teacheth erroneously or slackly Jer. 48.10 or that Teacheth not at all 1 Tim. 3.2 or that hinders mens Salvation any way Mat. 23.13 14. That gives his goods upon Usury which is simply to binde a man to return both the Principal and the Encrease onely for the Loan Ezek 18.18 Thou seest how many ways a man may be Guilty hereof and how in each degree How Thoughts of Hatred may prevail so far T' ensnare the Heart to be a Murtheree How stern and austere Looks which strangely fly Like Arrows shot speak Murther in the Eye And how the Tongue that sharp-edg'd member may The harmless Innocent untimely slay How that Injustice and Revenge both give A mortal Wound Then let thy Brother live The Seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit Adultery IN this Commandment God forbiddeth all Vices repugnant to Chastity and such as are of near affinity unto them likewise their causes occasions effects antecedents consequents And on the contrary he commandeth all things tending to the preservation of Chastity We are here commanded to behave our selves rightly in the principal outward comfort that belongs to our Neighbor which is his Wife Thus under one kinde of Uncleanness all kindes of it are forbidden for being commanded to live in temperance chastity and soberness we are to keep our Bodies holy and pure as Temples of the Holy Ghost So that the Sin here forbidden is not onely the act of Adultery but whatsoever is any way against chastity or soberness either in deed word or thought directly or indirectly as a means of sinning Mat. 5.28 where to commit Adultery signifieth as much as to do any thing what way soever whereby the chastity of our selves or our Neighbors may be stained Chastity is the purity of Soul and Body as much as belongeth to generation the Minde is chaste when it
marrieth more wives then one at once That for the avoiding of Fornication marrieth not 1 Cor. 7.2 or that puts away his wife for other causes then for Fornication Mat. 19.9 9. That loves his Pleasure more then God 2 Tim. 3.4 and takes care to fulfil the lusts of the flesh Rom 13.14 10. That maintains and frequents Stews Deut. 23.17 That is given to Drunkenness and surfetting Eph. 5.18 or to wine sleep and ease Prov. 20.13 You that do pamper up your flesh and make The Creature serve but for your base Lusts sake You that do feed your Hearts with thoughts that swell With boiling Lusts that scorch and burn like Hell You that for Objects gaze and in your Eyes Offer your Hearts an Harlots Sacrifice You that from your sulphureous Throats belch out Discourse that poisons all the Air about You shall not enter Heaven for you Adore With Christ's members the Carcase of a Whore The Eighth Commandment Thou shalt not Steal TO Steal is properly to convey away any thing closely from another Gen. 31.20 Thou shalt not Steal that is Thou shalt not covet nor attempt by guile to convey thy Neighbors goods unto thee therefore defend preserve encrease them and give thy Neighbor his own Under this Name of Theft are comprehended all other Vices of the like nature and quality and all other which prove the occasions of this sin among which Idleness is not the least which is a lazy dejecture of the whole man from the laudable Exercises of Vertue whence proceed Protraction Remission Negligence Improvidence Indevotion Sluggishness Pusillanimity Irresolution Desperation Misprision Omission and Theft Now the best Remedy against this Body-starving and Soul-famishing sin of Idleness and Sloth is Devotion being a ready Performance of all the Duties God requireth of us The Sum of this Commandment requireth the Tryal of our Love and Faithfulness which we ought to bear our Neighbor in his goods wherein we are commanded to use our own Right To help the Necessity of others To be content with that which we have To labor with our hands that which is honest To do to all men as we would they should do unto us and by diligent pains-taking to get our own livings in that estate of life to which it shall please God to call us And every Duty is to be seasoned with the Fear of God for it is not sufficient to perform general Duties of Christianity unless also we be conscionable in the particular Duties of our several Callings The private Vocations of a Family and Functions appertaining thereto are such as Christians are called unto by God and in the exercising whereof they may and must imploy some part of their time for private Callings in a Family are sufficient Callings and therefore weak consciences may not think That if they have no publike Calling they have no Calling at all God useth to give his Blessing to men diligent in their Calling So blessed he Jacobs faithful Service to his Uncle Laban Gen. 31.4 Josephs faithfulness to Potipher Gen. 39.2 Moses and David were keeping their Fathers Sheep when God appeared to the one Exod. 3.1 2. and sent for the other 1 Sam. 10.11 to appoint the one a Prince over his People and to anoint the other King over Israel So Elisha was plowing when anointed a Prophet 1 Kings 19.19 And while the Shepherds were watching their Sheep there was the joyful news brought them of the birth of the Savior of the World Thus private Callings are blessed by the Lord and our diligence therein is a special means to prevent this sin here forbidden Now as there is a stealing of things so there is a stealing of persons Mens Daughters or Wives or Children Thus Sechem stole Jacobs daughter Dinah and the Philistims Sampsons wife and Jacobs Sons their Brother Joseph and sold him into Egypt This is more hainous then the stealing of goods and is ennumerated amongst other most horrible sins 1 Tim. 1.10 Exod. 21.16 Hence then it is most manifest That the Anabaptists in standing for a community of all things take away the very subject of this Commandment which is a propriety of worldly goods for if there be no Meum and Tuum there can be no stealing and so this Law should be superfluous Touching the community objected in the Apostles times Acts 2. it was not general for in Antioch they had still several Possessions and the Apostles Exhortation to the Christians at Corinth 1 Cor. 16.1 2 Cor. 8. intimateth That they had their severals likewise And for those that entred into this communion at Jerusalem it was voluntary as may be gathered Acts 5. neither had they all things so common as that they reserved not still something proper In this Commandment are two parts viz. 1. The forbidding of Theft and therein all evil Trades and Deceits whereby we hunt after other mens goods 2. That we labor to defend and help forward the profits and commodities of our Neighbor and so help the necessity of others The three grand provocations to the commission of this sin viz. 1. Covetousness which is an inordinate desire a kinde of bad motion whereby the Devil inticeth us unlawfully to withhold our own goods and unjustly to covet other mens 2. Prodigality moving Bankrupts to use unlawful means for other mens goods 3. Idleness the Mother of Poverty the occasion of Theft Eph. 4.28 There are two kindes of Theft viz. 1. Vulgar or common Theft whereby a mans goods is secretly and fraudulently taken from him without his knowledge contrary to his will This sin of Theft may be committed by a Wife against her Husband when she privily without his knowledge conveys any thing from him or consents to dispossess him of it especially to purloin it neither can all that may be justly and truly said for her Right in the common goods defend her from the guilt thereof Children likewise may be guilty thereof against their Parents for Rachel having privily taken away though her Fathers Idols the Scripture saith that she stole them Gen. 31.19 And all such as counsel and encourage children to steal away their Parents goods are accessary to Theft no pretence whatsoever being any sufficient warrant for children to defraud their Parents it being better for them to be deprived of their Parents goods then to enjoy them by the least deceit yea they are worse then other Thieves being more dearly accounted of and more freely trusted and a very ill Example to Servants in a Family and Subjects in a Commonwealth beside the custom may in time bring them to commit Theft against other persons also 2. When any fraudulently circumventeth his Neighbor in any Contract or Business whatsoever whereby he suffereth damage Again Theft is fourfold viz. 1. Common as when the goods of any private man is stoln from him 2. Sacriledge when things dedicated to the Service of God are taken away 3. When the Prince the Exchequer or any common Treasure is robbed called Peculatus
THE HOLY ARBOR CONTAINING A Body of Divinity Or the Sum and Substance OF Christian Religion Collected from many Orthodox Laborers in the LORDS VINEYARD For the Benefit and Delight of such as Thirst after RIGHTEOUSNESS First Methodically and Plainly Treated of Then Annalized and Applied at large By John Godolphin J.C.D. VVherein also are fully Resolved the Questions of whatsoever Points of Moment have been or are now Controverted in DIVINITY Together with a large and full Alphabetical Table of such Matters as are therein contained or occasionally handled Either by way of Exposition Controversie or Reconciliation LONDON Printed by John Field for Edmund Paxton neer Doctors Commons And William Royhould at the Sign of the Vnicorn in S. Pauls Church-yard neer the West-end 1651. The Curtain drawn OR The Front-Door of this HOLY ARBOR Unlock'd and laid wide open A Laughing Horizon a smiling Skie The rightside-Prospect of the Lefthand-eye First lights thee Reader to discover more Then Janus could had he four eyes before Though Lynceus wore a pair of eyes behinde Without this Spectacle he 'd be but blinde Here Wisdom's Monarch in his Marble chair By his acuteness can divide a hair Of the profoundest Notions and contain The world within the nutshel of his Brain Whose tow'ring Eagle-eye can never want The strength or cunning of the Elephant On this hand stands a Gospel-Prophet such As doth not care for Circumcising much Thy Praedial Fruits The world I hear him say But one Nights lodging by not in the way To heaven is The other side holds out A studious Artist musing he no doubt Is sounding What the depth of Humane things And findes them all but well-tun'd Fiddle-strings These hold forth Knowledge to the life then be Perswaded to become One of the Three Let fall thine eye one glance and thou shalt see The Church her Motto or Epitomy The staming Bush not burnt the Church indeed Is heart-whole though her Members ever bleed Truth 's Emblem in her HOLY ARBOR stands The Light of Sun and Scripture in her hands Tramp'ling on all the Harnesse of War ' Yond Archimedes reach a Virgin-star She lives lives chaste and from pollution free Maugre Romes Murder and Adultery The world her Pedestral in flames because It will no Loyalist be unto her Laws Idolater Iew Turk Insidel turn Any thing rather then a Martyr burn Hence flames the World indeed whose Fate that read Shall finde her in her ashes buried ' Cause from her Non-age to her riper youth Thence to her dotage she despis'd the Truth When Shilo's Scepter now breaks forth the Skies High time the Saints all pray Let God arise Thence downward cast thy fight exactly there Observe and then tell me if ever were More true Devotion in a Womans breast Then to the life is there by her express'd See how she prostrates all her self o' th ground As if she meant the Earth should down resound To sad Souls below what a Savior they Lost by their worship to a god of clay Her breast kisses the dust her heart the Skies Faith is compounded most of wings and eyes A Lowring Horizon a dismal Skie The leftside-Prospect of the Righthand-eye Hell-black night all over enough to fright An Eagle blinde or blinde men to their sight Ravens Batts Owls Shrich-owls what not that can Paint the Darkness of an unknowing man A Man-monster whose hollow head may pass For like but not so wise as Balaams Ass Claws that can wound corrode and scratch the best Yet hath not wit to feather his own nest That when his Claws are blunt rather then fail He can make use of the Scorpions tayl Scarce a Creature who when his tongue is loose Doth staulk and hiss and gaggle like a Goose That knows no more then Tom then he no more Whose brain leaks all out at his nose before Swear by his vast estate who onely can That sure he was intended for a Man He 's now become so to both Sexes knit An Epidemical Hermophrodite Old Superstitions blear-eyed Mother Schism's Error 's Heresie's Foster-brother A Demi-Signpost guilt or an empty Cask A Woodcocks brain that 's troubled with the Lask A man would think him something that were made For money to draw Custom to the Trade Of Ginns and Roadnets Scan this and great chance If all together spel not Ignorance Convey thine eye a little lower see The ghastly Draught of Hell's Epitomy Disgorging Error Heaven doth engage A branded sword lest it infect this Page Her twilights both are vayl'd she cannot see She 's so besmeard with foul Hypocrisie A pair of Spectacles in this hand goes For eyes which better would become her nose In that a Mole though Blinde can undermine Deep-laid Foundation then look well to thine She 's snar'd she that so much Liberty taught T'others is now her self in Engines caught May the snare prove strong may 't ne e be broken Till her mouth be stopt or her eyes be open Lastly Observe a Superstitious Ape Cas'd in a Fryars Frock without a Cape Which when his Zeal grows cold serves as a Charm To re-inflame 't and keep his Worship warm If this new Father were but at the Court Of Rome doubtless 't would make most exe'lent sport Are there not many such why not an Ape Like him as well as he i' th others shape Reader this Holy Arbor's door th' hast seen Wide op'n Be serious now and enter in The Holy Arbour Contayning the whole Body of Divinity or A Cluster of Spirituall Grapes gathered from the Vines of certaine Moderne Orthodox Laborers in the Lords Viniard Pressd For the Spirituall delight and benefit of all such as thirst after Righteousness By Jo Godolphin I. C.D Exumat Deus Ema nuoll Ad te Domine Ad te mi Jesu â— dissipentur inimici Printed by John Feild for Edmund Paxton neere Doctors Commons and William TO THE TRULY HONORABLE THE POOR in SPIRIT Right Humble THe mighty Nazarites Riddle Out of the Eater came Meat and out of the Strong came Sweetness Judg. 14.14 was the second Course served in at his Marriage-Feast which by way of Allusion may not unaptly be applied to you Came not the Spirit of God upon you at the Conquest of that devouring Lyon in the fierce Assaults of his ingenious Temptations At your return from which Spiritual Combat began you not to feed on the Peace of Good Consciences when the Word of the Lord became as Honey in your mouthes Is not this a Riddle to the Vncircumcised of the World In Congratulation of which no common Victory is this Address no less properly then humbly prostrated to you onely as the most faithful Guardians of this Holy Arbor whose unfenced Ambulage when spiced at your approach by the fragrancy of your Innocency craves the Subterfuge of your Prayers As for those extravagant Weeds which grow so far beside the Alley of your Conversation they are left to the Euroclydons of the Air But for the Errata's onely of the
no notice of others necessities of such complained the Church of the Jews in her captivity Lam. 1.12 These bewray too much self-love 2. Such as who though they take notice yet are not at all moved to any compassion of such the Prophet Amos complaineth Amos 6.6 These discover too great senslesness and plain inhumanity 3. Such who though they be moved yet perform not this duty because they think it an idle frivolous thing nothing available and profitable of such Job speaks Job 21.15 These manifest too much distrust in God and plain Atheism They are not to be prayed for whom we know our prayers cannot help These are 1. All such as are dead for their estate is unchangeable 2. They which sin against the Holy Ghost 3. They concerning whom God hath given an express command and charge to the contrary and who are expresly and apparently rejected of God for who pray for such gainsay the revealed will of God Thus we read not that Samuel prayed for Saul after the Lord expresly forbade him 2 Sam. 16.1 and thus the Lord forbade Jeremiah to pray for the people Jer. 7.16 Motives to publike prayer 1. The more publike prayer is the more honorable and acceptable it is to God because it is an honor to him even when one faithfully prays unto him and that it is the more acceptable his promise shews Matth. 18.28 2. It is more powerful thus to prevent a Judgement or rather to remove it the Prophet assembles all the people together to pray Joel 2.16 17. So did the King of Niniveh Jonah 3.8 3. It is a sign of communion an outward sign whereby we manifest our selves to be of the chosen and called flock of Christ 4. It is an especial means of mutual edification for thereby we mutually stir up the zeal and enflame the affection of one another 5. The neglect of it is a note of prophaneness from which blame Seperatists and Schismaticks though they would seem very Religious cannot well acquit themselves they are not of Davids minde who mourned when he could not come into the house of Prayer Psal 48.1 c. These would too untimely seperate the Tares from the Wheat before the Harvest Prayer in a Family is very necessary because 1. A Family hath need of peculiar blessings beside the common which in the Church are prayed for yea and hath received many for which peculiar thanks is to be given 2. A true Christians house if Gods worship a principal part whereof is Prayer be there from time to time performed is made Gods Church which is a great honor unto a Family Rom. 16.5 Phil. 4. 3. By prayer a Christian brings Gods blessing into his house for where God is called upon there is he present to bestow his blessings as he blessed Obed-Edom and all his houshold while the Ark was in his house 2 Sam. 6.11 It is very needful that secret prayer be added both to publike prayer at Church and private prayer in a Family and that for these Reasons 1. Hereby we may more freely pour out our whole hearts to God and make known our minde 2. This kinde of prayer affordeth the truest tryal of the uprightness of a mans heart for a man may a long time continue to pray in the Church and in a Family and his prayer be meer formal even onely for companies sake 3. This argueth great familiarity with God 4. It bringeth greatest comfort to a mans heart and they which content themselves with Church and Family-prayers have very just cause to suspect themselves 5. Such Wives Children Servants and other inferiors as live in any house under prophane Governors that will not have prayers in their Families may by this kinde of prayer make supply thereof unto their own souls for none can hinder secret prayer The difference betwixt praying wishing viz. 1. Wishes are sudden and inconsiderate straightway ceasing Prayer is with deliberation and giveth not over without speeding of the thing desired 2. Wishes are without respect of the means and care of right or wrong in attaining the thing wished for Prayer is with submission to the lawful use of the means and care of prevailing by right onely 3. Wishes are for the most part of things worldly Prayer is chiefly for things Spiritual and heavenly one onely Petition of six in the Lords Prayer being for things Temporal 4. Wishes are sometimes for things Spiritual and heavenly but very unconstant as Balaams wish Let me dye the death of the righteous but Prayer persevereth like Jacob wrestling with God Reasons to enforce us to the practice of this duty of prayer 1. Prayer is one of the most principal parts of Gods worship for herein we acknowledge him to be the Giver of all good things the Searcher and knower of all hearts and hereby we testifie the Faith Hope and Confidence we have in God it is called The calves of our lips Hosea 14.2 because it is a Sacrifice well-pleasing to God 2. By prayer we do obtain and also continue and preserve unto our selves every good grace and blessing of God specially such as concern eternal life for God promiseth his Spirit to them that ask it by prayer Luke 11.13 3. The true gift and Spirit of prayer is a pledge of the Spirit of Adoption and therefore the Spirit of prayer is called the Spirit of Grace Zech. 1.3 4. By prayer we have Spiritual communion and familiarity with God for in preaching of the word God speaks to us and in prayer we speak to God and the more we pray the nearer and greater fellowship we have with him 5. It is specially commanded of God as a special means to obtain all blessings 1 Thess 5.17 6. The gracious Promises God hath made unto effectual prayer may allure us to pray Mat. 7.7 7. Consider the efficacy power and force of prayer Jam. 5.16 8. The excellency thereof and the priviledge we have by it to have free liberty to come to God 9. The profit of prayer for it hath the promise of this life and of the life to come Rom. 10.12 10. The necessity thereof for without it we shew our selves destitute of Grace and so in the state of condemnation Jam. 4.2 Motives to prayer repeated 1. Gods express charge and command David obeyed it Psal 27.8 and indeed this of it self were fully sufficient without any other motives 2. Gods worship Prayer being the most principal especial and proper part thereof 3. The honor of God for he is not by any thing more honored then by Prayer by which we do acknowledge him to be 1. Every where present and in every place to hear his children 2. To be the Fountain of all Blessings therefore we give the praise thereof to God 3. To be a God full of pity and compassion which maketh us to lay open our griefs distresses to him 4. To be an Almighty God able to give whatsoever we desire 5. To be a bountiful God who giveth to all liberally
is free or at least freed from fleshly concupiscence the Body is chaste when it putteth not into execution the concupiscences of the flesh 1 Thess 4.3 4 5. 1 Cor. 7.34 Marriage is the main help to keep our bodies chaste Now Marriage is a lawful and indissoluble conjunction of one man and one woman justified by God that we might know him to detest all impure lust That also we might therein chastely serve the Lord and that especially it might be a means whereby mankinde might be multiplied and God gather thence afterwards unto himself a Church Lastly that it might be a Society and fellowship of Labors Cares and Prayers The Breach hereof is the foul sin of Adultery which beside the fearful exclusion without Repentance from the Kingdom of Heaven occasions jealousie the frenzy of the Soul which is a grief of minde arising from hence That another is judged to enjoy that which we desire to have wholly and properly as our own and none besides us to possess any part with us Or it is an affection proceeding from fear to have that communicated to another which we challenge and covet to retain as peculiar and proper to our selves alone Beside this unhappy sin of Adultery that venomous sin is the poyson of Marriages whereby the estimation of Parents the reputation of Children and the honor of whole Families stand in hazard to be forfeited for as God is the Author of Marriage so he is the Revenger of the breach thereof But shame keeps some from those unclean practices and grosser acts of filthiness who yet inwardly boil in speculative Wantonness and Adulteries of the heart Ask thy Conscience whether thou art one of them if so remember That no Adulterer shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and repent yea the Fornicator and every unclean person is also thence excluded all Vices contrary to Chastity or of any affinity with them being here forbidden in forbidding Adultery for by one Special the rest that are of near affinity with that are understood and and where the Cause is forbidden there also is the Effect and so the contrary Now the end and scope of this Commandment is the Preservation of Chastity and Wedlock In this Commandment are two parts viz. 1. God forbiddeth Adultery and therein not onely the too familiar company of man with woman out of marriage but also all kinde of filthiness by which man may be defiled all affections of concupiscence and whatsoever stirreth up unto lust and nourisheth it 2. He commandeth Chastity In this Commandment are prohibited 1. The lust of the heart or the evil concupiscence of the flesh Mat. 5.28 Col. 3.5 2. Burning in the flesh which is an inward fervency of lust whereby the godly motions of the heart are hindred over-whelmed and as it were with contrary fire burnt up 1 Cor. 7.9 3. Strange pleasures about generation prohibited in the Word of God the which are many viz. 1. With Beasts Lev. 18.23 2. With the Devil as Witches do by their confession for why may not a Spirit as well have society with a Witch as to eat meat 3. With one and the same Sex Lev. 18.22 This is a sin which they commit whom God hath given over to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.26 27. It was the sin of Sodom Gen. 19. where it was so common that to this day it is termed Sodomy 4. With such as be within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity prohibited Lev. 18.6 5. With unmarried persons This sin is called Fornication Deut. 22.28 29. 1 Cor. 10.8 6. With those whereof one is married or at least betrothed This is Adultery Deut. 22.22 3 4. 7. With man and wife They abuse their liberty if they know each other so long as the woman is in her flowers Ezek. 22.10 Lev. 18.19 Ezek. 16.8 or using Marriage-bed intemperately thereby committing Adultery even with his wife 8. Nocturnal Pollutions which arise of immoderate dyet or unchaste cogitations going before in the day Deut. 23.10 Onans sin Gen. 38.8 was not much unlike these 9. Effeminate wantonness whereby occasions are sought to stir up lust Gal. 5.19 4. To appoint some light or Sheet-punishment for Adultery such as that Romish Synagogue doth For it is nothing else but to open a gap for other lewd persons to run into the like impiety Occasions of lust prohibited in this Commandment are these viz. 1. Eyes full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 2. Idleness This occasioned Davids sin with Bathsheba 2 Sam. 11.2 3. Riotous and lascivious Attire 1 Tim. 2.9 Isa 3.16 unto 23. 4. Fulness of bread and meat which provoke lust Ezek. 16.49 Luke 16.19 Rom. 13.13 5. Corrupt dishonest and unseemly talk 1 Cor. 13.33 Such are vain Love-Songs Ballads Interludes and Amorous Books 6. Lascivious Representations of Love-matters in Plays and Comedies Eph. 5.3 4. 7. Undecent and unseemly Pictures 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil 8. Lascivious Dancing of man and woman together Mark 6.22 9. Company with effeminate persons and unlawful Divorces All the sorts of lust repugnant to this Commandment may be referred to these several kindes 1. Those that are contrary to Nature and of the devil recited Rom. 1. as confounding both kindes and Sexes and unnatural abusage of Sexes 2. Those which proceed from our corrupt Nature As 1. Incest that most abominable crime of unnatural lust 2. Double Adultery when both persons are married persons 3. Simple Adultery when the one party is a married person 4. Simple Fornication when they are both unmarried 3. Corrupt Inclinations from which though good men are not wholly exempt yet do they not so yield unto them as to take delight in them but they take all occasions whereby they may withstand them and the grace of Resistance is humbly desired of them Adultery consisteth 1. In consent and minde alone As to lust after things 1. Belonging to the body as excess of Apparel Meat or Drink as may stir up to lust and idleness 2. In the minde it self 2. Beyond consent when action follows Adultery is either 1. Contrary to Nature which is either 1. Confusion of kindes as filthiness with Beasts 2. Confusion 1. Of Sexes as man with man woman with woman 2. Of Blood which is Incest 2. According to Nature and is either Fornication when both persons are single unmarried or unbetrothed Adultery when one of them is married or at least betrothed Incest is in the degrees 1. Of Consanguinity which is 1. In a Right Line as Son with Mother and so upwards 2. In a Collateral Line as Brother with Sister 3. In an Overthwart Line as Son with Aunt and so upwards 2. Of Affinity There is the same prohibition of this as of Consanguinity so it may be called an indirect confusion of Blood as for a man to marry his Wifes Sister The several kindes of Adultery viz. 1. Of the Heart Mat. 5.28 This never suffers a man to serve the Lord with a pure conscience 2. Of the Eyes
fleshliness and in case of fleshly motions to pray heartily against them 2. To abstain from the company of women in private or alone or in the dark 3. If notwithstanding those means thou canst not contain but art troubled with fleshly motions then fly to Gods Ordinance of Marriage 1 Cor. 7.1 For the word is express that No Fornicator or unclean person shall enter into the kingdom of heaven 1 Cor. 6. Special Preservatives for married persons against this sin 1. To dwell together the one not separate from the other 2. So to carry themselves towards one another as those whose bodies are not in their own power but mutually in one anothers power and to follow the Apostles Rule 1 Cor. 7.3 3. To contain at times of extraordinary devotion by mutual consent 4. When women love to be at home governing the house as the vertuous wife is described Prov. 30. 5. When the man esteemeth best of his own wife above all other women covering her infirmities by love and the wife doth likewise of her husband for such mutual fervent love is a singular preservative from the strange woman Prov. 5.18 For the government of the eyes to avoid Adultery there be two special Rules viz. 1. We must open and shut our eyes in obedience to God Prov 4.24 25. 2. We must look to Gods Glory make our eyes not the weapons of any sin but the instruments of Gods Worship and Service This we shall do if we imploy them thus viz. 1. In beholding Gods creatures in heaven and earth and in them we may see Gods Glory Wisdom Mercy Power and Providence and thence glorifie God 2. In beholding Gods Judgments very wisely and narrowly that therein we may see his Justice Wrath for sin and so be humbled and terrified from sin 3. In beholding of the Elements of Gods Sacraments especially the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper which be visible words wherein we may see our Savior Christ as it were crucified before our eyes 4. In using them as instruments of Invocation by lifting them up to heaven to testifie the lifting up of our hearts to God This use of the eyes Nature teacheth us for whereas other creatures have but four Muscles in their eyes whereby their eyes are turned round about Man hath a fifth Muscle whereby his eye is turned upward toward heaven The Vertues of this Commandment viz. 1. Chastity which is a vertue preserving the minde and body from uncleanness agreeing with the Will of God and avoiding all lusts forbidden by God all unlawful companies and inordinate copulation and all the desires occasions causes and effects either in single life or in wedlock This is one of the chiefest vertues that makes preserves the Image of God 2. Modesty or shamefac'dness which is a vertue abhorring all filthiness joyned with a grief shame and sadness either for some former uncleanness or for fear of falling into any hereafter and having a purpose and desire to fly not onely uncleanness it self but also the occasions and tokens and signs of uncleanness This vertue is required unto chastity as a furtherance and cause and also as an effect consequent and sign thereof 3. Temperance which is a vertue observing the mean agreeable to Nature Honesty Mediocrity and order of persons places and times according to the Law of God and Rule of Nature in things concerning the body as in meat drink recreations and apparel This vertue is required unto chastity as a cause without which we cannot be chaste There is a twofold Chastity viz. 1. Of the single life which is with all carefulness and fasting and prayer to keep their mindes and affections and bodies in holiness 2. In Marriage when the pure and holy use of wedlock is observed Heb. 13.4 Rules for the Preservation of Chastity viz. 1. The minde must be filled with godly meditations and the Word of God must dwell plenteously in our hearts that there may be no room for these wicked desires to enter 2. We must often give our selves to the spiritual exercises of Faith Repentance and New Obedience as publike and private Prayer often meditating hearing and reading Gods Word and the like 3. We must use Sobriety in Recreations Company Meat Drink and Apparel for ungodly lusts are kindled fed and nourished by too much pampering of the body 4. We must alway be doing some good thing either in our general calling of a Christian or in our particular calling for Satan takes advantage by our idleness 5. Men and women must not privately converse together without warrant so to do either from their general or particular Calling for this is the main occasion of Temptations Remember what the Apostle saith Evil conversings corrupt good maners 1 Cor. 15.33 6. Reject not Marriage which was instituted by God for these Reasons viz. 1. The means of multiplying Mankinde 2. The gathering of the Church 3. The Image and Resemblance between God and the Church 4. That loose and wandring lusts might be avoided 5. That there might be a Society and Fellowship of Labors and Prayers That Marriage may be a lawful conjunction and this sin thereby avoided these things are required 1. That Matrimony be contracted by consent of both parties 2. That there be adjoyned also the consent of such others as are required 3. That honest Conditions be observed 4. That there be no Errors committed in the persons 5. That it be contracted between such persons as are not forbidden by the Law of God as between whom the degrees of Consanguinity may be no hindrance To preserve purity and chastity in Wedlock these Cautions are profitable viz. 1. Contracts must be in the Lord and with the faithful onely Mal. 2.11 2. Both parties must separate themselves in the time of the womans disease and at appointed Fasts Ezek. 18.6 1 Cor. 7.5 3. Wedlock must be used rather to suppress then to satisfie the corrupt concupiscence of the flesh and especially to enlarge the Church of God 4. It must be used with Prayer and Thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4.3 4. He breaks this Commandment 1. That thinks an unchaste thought tending to Adultery or any sin of that kinde 2. That looks on a woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 or that useth wantonness 1 Cor. 6.9 3. That commits Incest Lev. 18.22 or Sodomy 1 Cor. 6.9 or fornication or adultery 4. That useth Marriage-bed intemperately or lieth with a menstruous woman Ezek. 18.6 5. That is given to idleness wears wanton Attire 1 Tim. 2.9 or useth provocations to lust Gal. 5.9 6. That useth light talk and reading of Love-books 1 Cor. 15.35 that frequents lascivious places Eph. 5.3 that delights in wanton Pictures 1 Thess 5.23 that useth the mixt Dancing of men and women Mark 6.22 or keeps company with light and suspected persons Prov. 7.22 7. That makes Marriages of yong children or neglects to dispose his children in marriage in convenient time 1 Cor. 7.36 or that punisheth Adultery with small punishments 8. That