Adopted Sons of God by Grace 2. We are sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise 3. We are renewed by Regeneration 4. We are Justified by his Grace through Faith 5. We are invited by his glorious Promises greater than we can understand Now he that considereth this state of things and hopes for the state of blessings will proceed in duty and love towards the perfection of God never giving out till he partake of the purities of God and his utmost Glories perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord till he obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus In the practice of these spiritual duties there is no difficulty but what is made by the careless lives and actions of outward Christians and by their lazy and unholy Principles So that after the rate such Christians live now it is hard to know how and in what instances and in what degrees our duty ought to excell that of Moses's disciples though a Greater than Moses is here But they that love will do the thing that is good and so understand the Rule of perfection Obedite intelligetis Obey and ye shall know all that is necessary to be known for God shall lead you into all truth and love is the fulfilling of the whole Law We cannot be too careful for ignorant and weak and carnal persons especially for hypocrites because both pretend the one sort really as knowing no better but the other falsely and basely to the shame of Christianity that 1. This so high and spiritual worship inclines the minds of men to scruples and dislikes of all orders and rules in the Church and so because Christians must have but few Rites therefore they will endure none at all or such only as are of their own making We protest utterly against this spirit of men that it is an abuse of Christian Liberty and a cloak of maliciousness in hypocrites and a grievous cheat to all weak and well-meaning Christians 2. That this leads into rebellion against the religious Powers that according to their bounden duties do establish order and decency in all things belonging to the Service of God It is the principal care of the Magistrate to see that God be honourably served in Publick with decency at set times and places with set forms and postures to avoid confusion Now these pretenders to spirituality only do strongly set themselves against the face of Authority under the shew of Conscience This is a very wicked thing most contrary to the meaning of the Spirit and Power of Godliness For God hath ordained Princes to rule and Subjects to obey But these unruly Spirits under a feigned zeal for God's Cause set up their own Cause and set the whole world on fire by their ungodly Rebellions Take heed therefore of this one thing The True Gospel-Spirit minds most of all a True Spiritual Service But if Lawful and Religious Power commands a few innocent Forms to be observed in publick only to avoid Distraction they submit peaceably and still continue to worship God in the Spirit in publick In the Time Appointed by Law In the Place Appointed by Law In the Posture Appointed by Law In the Form Appointed by Law And in private too at any time place and in any form or posture as they themselves shall please What can be done more If men were not unreasonable they would be contented and come in to the Publick Worship and not proudly separate themselves as they do This did not the Jews though they had different opinions otherwise and this do not the Papists though they have several Orders and Perswasions amongst them For all Jews came to the same Temple and all Papists to the same Mass But our Sects are more unfortunately cross and more unhandsomely disobedient to Ecclesiastical and Temporal Authority than all the world besides the more is our misery Learn to be wiser and make it a matter of Conscience to fulfil all Righteousness to take your liberty in God's name in private no body desires to hinder you in the least Have ye not houses to pray in Mat. 3.13 Why despise ye the House of Prayer Shall I praise you for this I praise you not Do not forbear the assembling of your selves together as the custome of too many is to do It is spiritual Pride it is not only rebellious but uncivil and very rude to flock together to unlawful meetings or to stay at home or walk in the fields or streets or be at Ale-houses or Taverns as people unconcerned when better men than you are gathered together in the fear of God and Obedience to the Laws to Pray and Praise God and to hear his Word and to give Alms to the Poor O how decent a thing it is for Brethren to meet together in Unity And how prudent is that Devotion that places all the substance of Religion in the heart and yet uses the circumstances of order to avoid the confusion of wild Extravagancies Certain it is that if every one were left to serve God in his own way there would be no Face of a Church One would be Working or Playing while another was Preaching or Praying ignorant men and women would take upon them to teach and the blind would lead the blind till they both fall into the ditch We have greater cause therefore to bless God for establishing Powers over us without which we should be as herds of Wild Beasts rather than sober men and fall foul of one anothers persons and estates But God is the God of Order not of Confusion and we have no such unmannerly Custome nor ever had the true Churches of God Abhor therefore if you be wise all Fanatick Expressions That all Time all Places are alike so they are but not for publick Offices and that any Postures Gestures or Habits may be used so they may but not in Publick Service God and Man have given us our Liberty in Private only for the Publick we are restrained This is enough to give content to all Parties if Reason would do it for this is decent and comely in the sight of God and Man And thus it becometh us to dispute no more about such matters but to fulfil all Righteousness Spiritual Perfection From what hath been delivered at large I collect these Reasons for Spiritual Worship and Gospel-Perfection Reas I Because the Ritual Worship induced by God is abolished Believe me Ritual Worship abolished John 4.23 the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit Col. 2.16 c. and in truth Let no man deceive you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath
ordinari ut de posteriori nemo sibi polliceretur qui non de priori habet aliqualem certitudinem aliquoties That is He that hath the least security Title or evidence for Heaven here in this Life cannot fail of the enjoyment of his Hopes in the Life to come The certitude of the object and of the subject and of the promise still continuing the Faithful must needs be sure De se de Jure de Re of themselves of their Right and of the state of God And now let any Man tell me what confidence or assurance a Soul can have of Heaven and Happiness more than that which is here described Et erit mihi magnus Apollo Let there be therefore a holy Faith a holy Life a Holy doctrine a holy worship a holy Hope an holy patience a holy experience and there will be a holy confidence in Life and death and to all Eternity Wherefore give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 for if ye do these things ye shall never fall An old MS. reads more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latin much after that sort saying that the Greek he used had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By these exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4.5 c. we are partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust Besides all this giving all diligence to add to our Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledg and to Knowledg Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity For if these things be in us they make us that we shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ Deus facit quod suum est nos quoque quod nostrum est faciamus God hath done his part and we must do ours and then all is done This is to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 and to strive to enter in at the strait Gate Thus he that seeketh findeth he that asketh hath and to him that knocketh is the gate opened 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened c. If a Man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Master's use and prepared unto every good work Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you 2 Tim. 2.21 James 4.8 cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Put off concerning the former conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be ye renew'd in the Spirit of your mind and that ye put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure The CONTENTS Doctrine of Masses Of no Salvation without the Pale of the Church Of lying still in sin Imputed Righteousness Collections Cautions Obstructions Rules Election TITLE IV. Of the abuse of Assurance THe Doctrine of Assurance is of great concernment but hath been strangely handled by the School-Men and Casuists so that we cannot by them know well what to make of it And therefore I have been forced to go quite another way to work as well as I could Mart. Siseng One saith Ex hoc uno Articulo quantumvis minutus à plerisque putari queat universus Papatus dependet From this one Article of Assurance although it may seem inconsiderable the whole Papacy takes his rise Mart. Luth. Another saith Etiamsi nihil praeterea peccatum fuisset in Doctrinâ Pontificiâ quà m quòd docuerunt nos debere vagari fluctuare ambigentes dubios de remissione peccatorum gratia Dei salute nostrâ justas tamen habemus causas cur ab Ecclesiâ infideli nos sejungeremus Although there had been no other cause of offence in the Church of Rome than that they have taught us to wander and toss to and fro in doubts and fears concerning Remission of sins the Grace of God and our own Salvation nevertheless we have just causes to separate from them Every one desires comfort content and happiness here and hereafter and if there be no assurance of any such thing how can a Soul enjoy it self quietly Varro is said to reckon up two hundred eighty and eight opinions concerning Summum Bonum But if it be so uncertain what it is or how to come at it where shall we fix Such scepticks are all out of the way they are become vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart is darkned Without this Assurance fluctuat Socrates Aconitum bibens trepidat Adrianus ad mortis pallorem alii aestuant alii stupent alii ululant sub calamitatibus mortis dolore Dum placide Stephanus c. obdormiunt sub tormentis ut Ignatius optat propera ad bestias ut sit frumentum Domini irridet Laurentius Tyrannum tortorem sub craticulâ Christiani tortoribus fortiores That is without this Assurance Socrates trembles while the Cup of Hellebore was at his mouth Adrian quakes at the ghastly countenance of Death others rage and take on like mad Men others are amazed and confounded others howl and roar under their calamities and pangs of death while Stephen and the Martyrs fall asleep peaceably under their tormentors hands As Ignatius who hasted and longed to be ground by the teeth of wild Beasts that he might be good Bread for God Laurence derides the Tyrant and hang-man upon the gridiron and undauntedly bids them turn him and rost t'other side So were the Christians more couragious than their Tormentors Most deplorable was the despair of John de Cunis the Florentine Physician Qui in extremis constitutus ita misere expiravit Mox sciam an Anima sit immortalis That is he being at the point of Death did thus breath out his last breath I shall shortly know whether my Soul be immortal Likewise he whosoever he was that uttered such words as these O Animula blandula tremula vagula In quas Regiones c. O poor Soul of mine whither art thou bound all alone naked and frighted c. Or he that said Dubius vixi dubius morior quò vadam nescio I have lived doubtfully and I die doubtful and I know not what shall become of me Bellarmine reports of an Advocate Bell. de Art Mor. who in his last hour being exhorted to repent and believe with a constant mind spake thus to God Ego Domine concupivi alloqui Te non pro me sed pro Conjuge meâ Liberis meis ego enim propero ad Inferos neque est ut aliquid pro me agas That is Lord I have a great desire to speak with thee at this time not for my self but for
are so by generation to their Parents The one must be rightly chosen the other rightly begotten The one may be disfranchized and lose their right of Tenure the other may be disinherited and lose their right of succession By Marriage is not only the generation of the World in the kingdoms of Men but the Regeneration of the Church in the kingdom of God By carnal Marriage there is a just off-spring to be the Sons of Men. By Spiritual Marriage there is a just off-spring to be the Sons of God Devil an Enemy to Marriage For this cause the Devil being a King of the kingdom of Darkness is the greatest promoter of the works of Darkness of which Incestuous and Adulterous lusts are not the least The Devil therefore is and ever hath been and ever will be a very great enemy to Marriage because that tends to a lawful generation towards a holy Seed to increase the kingdom of God but the contrary tends to an unlawful brood towards a prophane Seed to increase the kingdom of the Devil The Devil is the Father of ill begotten Children of Lies God is the Father of right begotten Children of Truth Great Commands under the Law against Uncleanness and promiscuous Conjunctions of the Body much more purity is required under the Gospel both of Soul and Body SECT II. Excellent Civil Laws for Marriage In Civil kingdoms great care hath been taken for the honour and preservation of Marriages and that for many rare ends and mighty reasons of State but more especially amongst the Romans who gave great encouragements thereunto and priviledges to fruitful procreations denying many honours and benefits to haters of or abstainers from lawful marriage To this end they made most excellent Laws in veneration of this honourable state and in detestation of all Incestuous and Spurious broods whereby they counted their noble Roman blood to be defiled and their old Heroick spirits debased That Sacred bond they generally kept inviolable and those that dared to break it by Divorce preventing death were counted infamous in the highest degree as Tully that great man who is upbraided and that deservedly for putting away the Companion of his youth his Wife with whom he had grown old and superinducing another into her place Such an Example of him and one or two more had not been seen in the Commonwealth of Rome for many Ages before or after To the great shame of such as make it a common practice and farther to vilifie the Sacred ordinance and Institution of God himself In order to just Marriage and as a Solemn preparation thereunto Espousals fair Espousals ought to precede which are no more than the mention and serious resolution of future Marriage 1. The original of Marriage in respect of the Institution thereof Originals of Marriage Gen. 2.22 c. Math. 19.5 is Jure divino 2. The original of Marriage in respect of the Instinct of Corporal conjunction is Jure Naturali L. 1. Sect. 3. ff de Inst Jure 3. The original of Marriage in respect of the Consent of Wills is as other Contracts are Ex Jure Civili L. 5. ff eod 4. The original of Marriage in respect of the Solemnities thereof and Prohibitions of degrees are Ex Jure Civili Inst de Nuptiis SECT III. Marriage as the Emperour Justinian defines it Definitions of Marriage Is the conjunction of a Man and a Woman containing an inseparable acquaintance and familiarity of the whole life of them both Sect. 1. Inst 12. Marriage as the Lawyer modestly defines it L. 1. ff de Eitu Nupt. Is the Conjunction of a Male and a Female The Company of the whole life the Communication of Divine and Human Rights In which are many things remarkable As 1. First Marriage is a Conjunction but for the honour of it of minds and affections rather than of Bodies Siquidem Nuptias non concubitus facit sed Consensus For says the Law modestly It is Consent not Copulation that makes Marriages 2. Secondly Marriage is of Male and Female because between more than two at one and the same time it cannot be Gen. 3. Math. 22. 3. Thirdly Marriage is a Consent because the Wife is the Companion of life and for life and Matrimony is the foundation of all Society and by the Civil Law admits no Separation of the Bed undefiled stante Matrimonio while the Marriage is in hope 4. Fourthly Marriage is the Communication of divine and humane Right because God is the Author of Marriage and both the married Couple ought to be of the same religion and devotion to the same God and partakers of the benefits of the same Laws Quia Mariti uxor fortunam Domicilium forum sequitur ejus hominibus decoratur ejus genere nobilitatur privilegiis personalibus gaudet nisi post mariti mortem viro inferioris conditionis nubat Because the Wife follows the fortune family and jurisdiction of her husband is adorned by his Honours ennobled by his Stock rejoyceth in his personal priviledges except after the death of her husband she marries with a husband of inferior quality Effects of Marriage So from just marriages proceed a just Father and Mother to distinguish from a natural Father and Mother So from just marriages proceed just Children to distinguish them from natural Children uncertain and vulgarly derived from the people they know not from whom So Inheritances of honours and estates descend lineally to a direct Issue of true Parents lawfully begotten and to their heirs for ever SECT IV. Who may lawfully marry 1. They that married by the Roman Law must be Citizens and Quirites of Rome not Slaves nor Latins nor Deportati nor Strangers as Cleopatra was to Mark Antony and Titus to Berenice both Egyptians matches very ill resented by the State Nor might the Nobles intermix with the Plebeians by the Law of the twelve Tables 2. They must be ripe of age and fit for Generation 3. They must be free to consent and in their right minds not fools nor mad men and a Matrimony caused by just fear or force was none at all 4. They must not marry without the consent of their Parents first had and obtained as long as they are under their power 5. Amongst Christians they must be promulgated and blessed by the Church 6. Lastly they must be confined within the limits of lawful Degrees of Consanguinity and Affinity to prevent incestuous and nefarious mixtures For this purpose the Jews and Romans and other civiliz'd Nations had respect to Tables of Consanguinity and Affinity for the regulation of wandring and the prohibition of too near approaching lusts Members of Christs Church Just generations of men All the Members of Christ's Church and Kingdom are sprung from Adam and Eve that were married by God The Generations of Men have broken and intangled their lives by excursions from lawful beds stopping the never to be interrupted courses of Blood and letting
excitatum à mortuis ac proptereà verum esse quae Dei nomine sive praecipiendo sive promittendo nobis attulit Interim verum est iis qui à vitiis purgati sunt Deum condonare vetera crimina idque propter Christum qui id nobis obtinuit Neque enim Deus tenebatur ea condonare Nisi autem Deus nobis condonasset peccata non daret nobis donum illud Summum quod in hac vitâ hominibus contingere potest Spiritum nimirum Sanctum Id enim paterni amoris quidem summi certum est Testimonium Huc tendere quae dicit Paulus hunc ejus esse sensum tum ex vi vocum tum ex serie sermonis apertum nos in Annotatis nostris facturos confidimus Interim oro eos qui dubitant legant Graecos Chrysostomum OEcumenicum Theophylactum aut Latinos etiam Ambrosium Hieronymum reperient eos id sensisse quod dico Quid verò mirum est si Deus pro justitiâ suâ approbat eam Justitiam quam ipse in nobis fecit quae propterea Justitia Dei dicitur quaeque legalem illam omnem ex viribus humanis profectam multis modis superat Non enim potest non amare quod suum est Nec cum Deus ita per se ad se conversos spectat eos spectat ut peccatores quomodo scilicet ea vox in Scripturis sumitur sed ut à peccatis purgatos liberatos Et inde oritur laeta illa pax conscientiae quia talibus Deus ut jam diximus propter Christum promisit priorum criminum indulgentiam Neque verò directè apud Paulum opponuntur accusare justificare sicut neque directè opposita sunt que sequuntur damnare eos pro eis precari Sed fit haec oppositio per consequentiam quandam Isti qui nos apud humana Tribunalia accusant homines sunt miseri cum Deus sit is qui nos Justos videat ut justos amet Damnamur ad poenas sed à quibus nempe à Mortalibus At Christus immortalis is est qui perpetuo causam nostram Deo Patri commendat Tribunal Christi est Tribunal Dei Ibi ex quibus rebus simus judicandi dixit Christus Matth. 25.34 35. Paulo omnibus qui adventum Christi amarunt reddetur corona Justitiae nempe quia praeclarum certamen certarunt cursum perfecerunt fidem servarunt 2 Tim. 4.7 Novatiana causa huic non pertinet neque enim dicimus post Baptismum lapsis omnibus praeclusam à Deo veniam aut reditum ad Ecclesiam Hinc autem gloria omnis Justitiae quae in Christianis reperitur ad Deum Christum redit Fides enim Dei Donum per Christum non ex operibus sed ex vocante Et hoc est Justitiae semen fructus autem omnis censetur in semine Quà m facilis autem hîc sit reconciliatio si absint tricae Scholasticae alienus à pace animus ostendit Bucerus in Psalmum 2. Mr. Thornd l. 2. p. 248. I must here presume that this sense of the imputation of Christ's merits and therefore this intent of his death is meerly imaginary And the supposition whereupon it proceeds to wit that one Mans doings or sufferings may be personally and immediately imputed to another Mans account is utterly unreasonable And therefore must and do say That as it is sufficient so it is true that the sufferings of Christ are imputed unto us in the nature of a meritorious cause moving God to grant Mankind those terms of Reconcilement which the Gospel importeth Mr. Faringd 2. Vol. S. 20 p. 811. As the Philosophers agree there was a Chief-good and Happiness which Man might attain to but could not agree what it was so it hath fallen out with Christians They all consent that there is mercy with God that we may be saved They make remission of sins an Article of their Creed But then they rest not here but to the covering of their sins require a garment of Righteousness of their own thred and spinning to the blotting out of their sins some bloud and some virtue of their own and to the purging them out some infused habit of inherent Righteousness And so by their interpretations and additions and Glosses they leave this Article in a cloud than which the day it self is not clearer As Astronomers when a new Star appeareth in their Hemisphere dispute and altercate till that Star go out and remove it self out of their sight So have we disputed and talked Justification and remission of sins almost out of sight For there is nothing more plain and even without rub or difficulty nothing more open to the eye and yet nothing at which the quickest apprehensions have been more dazled It hath been the fault of Christians when the Truth lay in their way Justification to pass it by or leap over it and to follow some fancies and imaginations of their own Nor was this Doctrine only blemished by those monsters of Men who sate down and consulted and do deliberately give sentence against the Truth but received some blot and stain from their hands who were the stoutest Champions for it Who though they saw the Truth and did acknowledg it yet let that fall from their Pews which posterity after took up to obscure this Doctrine and would not rest content with that which is as much as we can desire and more than we can deserve remission of sins Hence it was that we were taught in the Schools That Justification is a change from a state of unrighteousness to a state of Righteousness That as in every motion there is a leaving of one Term to acquire another so in Justification there is expulsion of sin and infusion of Grace Which is most true in the concrete but not in the abstract in the justified Person but not in Justification which is an act of God alone From hence these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those unsavoury and undigested conclusions of the Church of Rome that to justifie a Sinner is not to pronounce but to make him just That the Formal cause of Justification is Inherent sanctity that our Righteousness before God consisteth not only in Remission of sins that we may redeem our sins as well as Christ we from temporal as he from eternal pain And then this Petition must run thus Forgive us our Trespasses that is make us so just that we may need no forgiveness Forgive us the breach of the law because we have kept the Law forgive us our sins for our good works Forgive me my intemperance for my often fasting my incontinency for my zeal my oppression for my alms my murther for the Abby and Hospital which I built my fraud my malice my oppression for the many Sermons I have heard A conceit which I fear findeth more room and friendly entertainment in those hearts which are soon hot at the very mention of Popery and Merit In
another but to outward Mortification of the Body by Austerities of Fasting hard Lodging Pilgrimages Whippings and such Penances or to the Vertue of Crosses Holy-water Reliques of Saints Indulgences and Pardons by Bulls Masses Dirges Prayers of Saints Merits of their own or others and such like That by these God is perfectly reconciled and as often as they commit sin which they take no care to kill in their hearts they shall be forgiven by the Repetition of their former Penances and Carnal Services and so they run out their course of Life in Jewish and Heathenish Ordinances without regard to the Evangelical Spirit or Power of Godliness The vanity and folly of these men will quickly appear to all those that seriously read the New Testament Superstition 3. Others are alwaies upon Scruples and Doubts every thing troubles their Consciences and is called Superstition though it be harmless and commanded only for Order and Decency It is Superstition to lay the stress of Religion upon Outward Rites and Ceremonies and neglect the weightier Matters Justice and Judgment It is Superstition to make nothing at all of any Rites or Ceremonies and lay the stress of Religion in abhorring them utterly As if those outward things did either hallow or defile the Soul as if Salvation or Damnation depended upon the using or not using them The Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof consisteth not in Circumcision nor Uncircumcision in Eating or not Eating in Observation of Daies or not Observation of Daies in using of Ceremonies or not using them And therefore Negative Superstition is equal to Positive both alike calling off mens attentions from the main power of Godliness by ingaging them over-much about the use or disuse of small inconsiderable things 1 Cor. 7.19 Consider well these Scriptures Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandements of God The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another for meat destroy not the work of God Rom. 14.2 c One believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateh for God hath received him One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks Luke 17.21 The Kingdom of God is within you But the sober Christian that neither places the Substance of Religion in External Ordinances nor yet is Superstitiously Anti-ceremonial but thinks himself obliged to have a due regard to the Commands of lawful Authority in adiaphorous things and to preferr the Peace and Unity of the Church of Christ and the Observation of the Royal Law of Charity before the satisfaction of any private Interest of himself or any other And so he will be aware of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many run into by banishing away all the solemnity of External Worship under the notion of Ceremonies out of the World To conclude Unless there be a due and timely regard had to the Injunctions and Orders of lawful Authority in indifferent things for Order and Decency and Unity in the Church it may easily be foreseen that the Reformed Part of Christendom will at last be brought to confusion by crumbling so long into infinite Sects and Factions till it come to utter ruin 4. Natural Complexion for Divine Grace Some mistake the Vices of their Natural Complexion for Supernatural and Divine Graces As stupid Melancholy for Christian Mortification Turbulent and fiery Zeal for the Vigour of the Spirit Whereas Sadness Joy Zeal and Love are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those harmless Passions or at least of a middle Nature neither good nor bad in themselves but which as they are circumstantiated with their several Adjuncts may indifferently become either Vertues or Vices There is a true Divine Zeal of Sorrow Joy Love Anger c. which is no Corybantick Extasie of Bacchanals but a sober calm and regular Heat of Passion guided and managed by Light and Prudence and is carried out principally neither for indifferent Rites and Opinions nor against them but for those things that are essentially good and fundamental to Religion alwaies acknowledging a due obedience to that Power Civil or Ecclesiastical which God hath set over us There was amongst the Jews a certain Right called Jus Zelotarum whereby private Persons by extraordinary impulse from God might do some extraordinary Acts of Peace or Warr to reward Vertue or Punish Vice which God under that Dispensation did permit As when Elias called for fire from Heaven upon the Captains and their Companies and Elisha slew the Children that called him bald Pate by Bears As when Phinehas slew Zimri and Cozbi and the Maccabes raised War against the Enemies of the Jews and Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple And these men were never questioned by the Magistrates for it So that it was a kind of Legal or Regular thing yet so as in some cases of doubt they might be accountable to the Sanedrim and approved or punished as they saw cause for what they did But it is not so now nor may any such private Persons under the Dispensation of the Gospel take upon them to call fire from Heaven as the zealous Disciples would have done if they could or would have Christ to have done because they could not For Christ rebuketh them for it and tells them they know not what Spirit they are of So may not private Persons now presume they are called of God to reform publick Abuses in Church or State against the consent of Princes by making Vows or Covenants among themselves to take up Arms contrary to Laws or justifie any unwarrantable proceedings by their Zeal for God's Cause or to set Christ upon his Throne as they speak God needs no man's help to promote his ends by doing unjust things for him To speak wickedly for God or talk deceitfully for him or to do any Evil that Good may come thereof This is to mock God as one mocketh his Neighbour or to glorifie God by our Lyes as if God were a man that he should be mocked as if God were such a one as themselves and could do nothing without our help These are Dogmata Reipublicae noxia amongst many others Cavete Principes Rhetoricating
Kingdom of God's Church neither God nor his People can fail of either And to my poor and weak apprehension there is a great deal of blithe and resemblance in the features of this Feudal Government and that of the Church of God which is all God knows I contend for in the case And if I be not allowed it I am where I was and the Dissenters where they were before And therefore no cause of falling out at all for they have their opinion and I have mine and God bless us all there is no harm done all this while The Longobardian Kings had this Soveraignty above all others that they were the sole owners and proprietaries of all the Lands and left the profits to their Subjects And why should not Kings who come nearest to God for power and are gods have their just Rights But if this be thought hard for Mortal gods and Kings to have these Quasi-prerogatives of God who can deny the Real Prerogatives of the Most High God and Immortal King of Kings Are not all things his whether we will or no And hath he not given them in use and profit to the Sons of Men And is not Blessedness his and hath he not given it in use and profit to his Faithful ones It must belong to God to be the sole Owner and Governour of all things in Heaven and Earth And if Kings be the sole owners and Governours under God of things on Earth they are the more like unto God and the more able to be gracious Benefactors If the Saints hold of God by the best Tenure of Free Grace then it can be no disparagement for Vassals to hold of their Lords by the same Title What is better than Faith and Love to God or Man and he that fails of these to his Soveraign is not worthy to have or hold any Benefit by him If a Tenure be not of Grace but absolute it is not thank-worthy to any Man for none can have the praise of it but our selves that are independent from all Men and so we trust to our selves and care for no Man and serve and love our selves and give Laws to our selves and there is something to boast of But if it be of Grace it is thank-worthy and another hath the praise because we depend upon another which is wiser and mightier than our selves and this is safest for us and therefore we trust not to our selves but to another and serve not love not our selves for what we have but another and receive Laws to our selves and there is nothing to boast of This state must needs be the safest way to create humility and thankfulness by ascribing all Soveraignty to God and all Subjection to our selves To have all from God and to hold all from him that God may have all the glory to own and rule all and we all the safety and benefit under him that God may be all in all who because he hath given us Christ hath with him also freely given us all things SECT XIX This state must needs be the surest way because Grace given can never fail on the givers part who liveth for ever unless the Title of Faith and love for Grace received do fail on our part which must be very great unkindness to God and to our selves in neglecting so great Salvation A Lord gives his Fee to his Vassal and his heirs for ever and accordingly it passes till there comes a forfeiture on the Vassal's part for Desertion of the Militia or other disobedience or an Apertura Feudi for want of Heirs If any of these happen still the Grace of the Lord is never less than it was before but the ungraciousness of the Vassal is much more in case of such a refusal So the Lord of all Lords gives his Grace unto all the Faithful and accordingly it passes unless there be a forfeiture for infidelity or refusal or laying down the Militia And if any of these happen the Grace of God is never less than it was before but the ungraciousness of his Creatures is much the more in case of such infidelity and refusal SECT XX. How can this be made out otherwise to convince the understanding of the Justice or Mercy of God in the Business of our Damnation or Salvation If we say It is a decree to receive and hold some in his Grace and favour for ever Absolute Election and Reprobation and to reject and keep down others in his wrath and displeasure for evermore Then farewell all Reason or Religion in this kind I will not think a thought more nor speak a word nor write a syllable more of this matter If this be the Faith and the Grace of God which I must have and hold by Fate if I be elected thereto whether I will or no and if this be the Infidelity and wrath of God which I must have and hold by Fate if I be reprobated whether I will or no then I have done for ever thinking or speaking or writing of this Subject more But stay If I must be silent for ever hereafter give such a Loser leave to speak his last words for we use not to deny that liberty to the greatest Malefactors before they die Was there ever such a Grace or Pardon given by God or Man that he to whom it is given should both take it and keep it for his justification whether he will or no Indeed there is and that justly to a malefactor such a curse or sentence of Wrath denounced that he must undergo whether he will or not But for his Pardon it cannot be A force upon a Slave patient not upon a free Agent Was there ever such a Grace given by God or Man as to make the Receiver Gracious and to keep him so for his Sanctification whether he will or no Was there ever such a Curse of God or Man as for no cause to make the patient sinful before he was and when he was and to keep him so for his Condemnation whether he will or no Is such a Grace a wise Grace for God or Man to bestow Is such an Anger a wise Anger for God or Man to inflict Should not Princes do all things wisely And must not God do all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and is not he most wise And can he deny himself that he should not act wisely as well as justly and mercifully And can we conceive such Actings of God to be his Absolute Prerogative contrary to his Absolute Wisedom and Goodness meerly to have his own Will and Pleasure upon us though it be to the Everlasting destruction of his poor Creatures Can we imagine that God should select infallibly Vessels of Mercy fitted from all Eternity to shew the glory of his Grace and to select Vessels of misery from all Eternity fitted to destruction to shew the glory of his Justice It had been better the most of Men upon whom this Destiny hath seized never to have been