we shall declare by instance it being a thing not only usefull in it self but also necessary for to understand those many texts where sometimes love sometimes faith sometimes hope sometimes obedience or the like are singly set downe as comprehensive of all duty and perfection beside and not constantly any one grace alone After that I shall give farther evidence thereof by producing some places of Scripture cleerly setting out their conjunction and harmony When the threats due to sin or the breach of the law are by any in such sort resented as to cause him to have recourse unto the remedies laid downe in the Gospel or else when the enjoyments and promises by the Gospel it self set for t do of themselves invite then is the first putting forth of appetite to attend these objects as good called by the name of hope After which the rational faculty comes to be set on work for the entertainment or contrivance of the means which being apprehended as feasable doth then become the object of our faith and so of our reasonable appetite called will For although the sensitive appetite as more general and as next unto life or individual being do readily at first attend every thing as its object that is presented under the Classis of hope or fear yet when understanding hath had leisure to work the reasonable will prosecutes no farther in attainment or avoidance of these objects of hope or fear then as the consideration of those mediums lying between them and us makes these objects by their neerness of approach to us to be afterwards in a second measure hopeful or formidable In which consideration hope and faith doe alwayes accompany one another and although hope as more general do inchoat in order to the end namely the enjoyment of bliss and avoidance of torment yet faith in order to the means to wit our laying hold on Christ doth so instantly follow that some have believed these graces to come together Which may be true in relation to that one divine spirit which entring at the same time was the cause to both but yet it hinders not but that this spirit might produce its effects in their natural order as before shewed It being aterwards true indeed that these graces are mutually encreased and strengthened by each other the hope and beliefe or beliefe and hope of the end by its valew exciting the beliefe and hope or hope and beliefe of these means that are tending thereunto Which means coming hereupon to be more constantly and fully pursued hope or beliefe to be therefore accepted grows by degrees in each one into stronger hope and beliefe that he is accepted Which beliefe or strong faith of Gods acceptance and love to us doth againe increase on-ward in our love to him Unto which onely hapy estate being by these blessed degrees once come then doth hope and faith become silenced and swallowed up by this most high and compleat grace of love for we now live no longer by desire but fruition But because in this life and whilst we carry this treasure in earthen Vessels we cannot arrive at any perfection much less at any degree of continuance and perseverance in this happy enjoyment of God by love we are therefore as elsewhere noted to cherish in our selves all those means whereby our faith and hope may be kept in or restored unto their pitch and vigour so that notwithstanding our many relapses we may be still reintegrated again to a state of love In which regard we are next to consider of that which is the general grace of supply and sustentation to all the rest namely the grace of obedience For from the efficacy of this grace it is that hope and faith gather their joynt and mutual strength even from conscience of our continual actings and endeavours in performance of the commands and direâ—â—ions of God For these things must follow as necessary consequents of one another First to obey out of fear to displease and hope to kept favour and then farther still to obey even as we believe our obedience accepted and available And lastly obedience will still increase it self with that increase of grace it brings and as it hath perfected our first feeble hope to strength of faith so will it accompany our state of highest perfection even our state of love For then shall our readiness in execution of Gods commands be doubled because being united to him by this affection we shall not onely do his will as his but as our owne too So that when faith shall fail obedience shall not being a grace so proper and necessary to each Creature that it cannot in order to its subordinate relation be truly such without it And this not only in the will but also in act so far as lyeth in its power For although none wil deny the omniscience of God Almighty so far as to doubt his inspection into the most inward thoughts and inclination of his Creature even to the discerning that proportion of faith and love which is in their hearts yet it being the most naturaâ— for justice to proceed in rewards and punishments especially such as outward according to overt acts we shall still finde God himself recompencing those that were endowed with strongest measure of these graces proportionable to that publike estimate thereof which they in their life times by more remarable obedience did make apparent as our Saviours obedience to the death of the Cross and Abrahams in the death of his son and divers others examples in holy Writ do declare As for the duties of prayer preaching almes sacraments c. they are the several objects and expressions of our obedience through perseverance in which Christian precepts as outwardly administred in Christs kingdome the Church Gods inward kingdome of grace in our hearts is made to have its efficacy and growth And as for the Theological vertues of meekness humility patience gentleness long-suffering c. they may all be comprehended under the aforesaid grace of obedience serving as necessary qualifications to the stating thereof as shall in their due place be declared From all which as the simplicity of the Gospel may plainly appear so will it be farther manifest how by this coincidence of Christian graces sum'd up in love and obedience or in love alone or obedience alone as presuming they cannot be one without another that men now under Christ the second Adam are come as before noted to be stated in a capacity of Innocence upon almost as easie tearms as under the first and how we are again brought to be more resembling his condition while implicite obedience is our perfection now as it was to him then To the farther confirmation whereof we might also add the coincidence of the sins opposite to these graces as contrarily tending to diminution of Gods glory and humane good Even declaring how infidelity and uncharitableness are ever accompanied with and heightned from the sin of obedience But I shal now
beneficial actions the chief are Kings for these in their several Dominions are as under him fountains of power so of honor also For they in Gods stead are the onely able and authorized Judges of the reality and generallity of publike benefits insomuch as if receivers should be sole Judges they as parties would but regard their own satisfactions onely and call that publike which was but private benefit For these are subject both to flatter and mistake but he having the publike in his peculiar trust and looking on all with like interest can as the representative whole or common Sensory best and most impartially judge of common utilities and to him onely it must therefore belong to confer honor and the marks thereof for else while ambitious and proud persons were seeking and arrogating as they like true honor would not be and while people did through continual strife and slaughter of one another set up such as should be still undertaking their greater benefit they should lose as in the Fable their bone for a shadow We must therefore as before said reckon honor as it is in the subjects or people but as Bullion of no use to them nor to those that have it and that the value of it must be according to the coynage of that Prince whose image and authority it bears Hence we may observe that in Republikes and where Monarchies are not setled honors are not neither For there is onely applause estimation or the like momentany and uncertain shadows because with them honoring and honored are the same in degree honor signifying pre-excellence must needs be to none when it is equal to all or at least equally divided amongst so many And then how shall they confer on others what they have not themselves And as upon this ground honor can be onely in Monarchy so must it also follow from what hath hitherto been spoken that it must therein also flow from him to the people and not from the people to him as some would construe that maxime That honor is in the honoring and not in the honored For since as before noted the honorable or beneficial act must precede the honor or thanks thereof as the cause must precede the effect even so the honorable person which must again precede as the cause of that act must also much more precede and be the cause of the honor that follows thereupon And in this respect the subjects or people are so far from being originals of honor that they can therein at most but carry the force of an Eccho in the return and report of that voice or rate of honor which must come from above to wit from God or such as from him have benefits to give As for example when all the people said God save King Solomon as they could not be understood thereby radically and primarily to confer the Office and power it self so neither to be fountains and originals of the honor then given but the power and pleasure of David testified by the presence of his own servants and other attestations of his approbation and assent must be looked upon as efficient causes of this honor and the people but as subservient and instrumental therein Even as also that honor which Mordecai received by being brought on horse back through the street of the City was originally to be ascribed to Abasuerus that had commanded it to be so done to the man whom the King would honor and in testimony that this honor was derived from and authorized by him the fountain of honor and that the people were but to be the reporters and publishers thereof had also commanded him to be attended with some of his own royal retinue and some ensigns of honor and estate proper to himself And as thus the honorable must precede the honoring in time so must they in dignity too as the cause doth the effect For although as to the present act wherein the cause and the effect stand as relatives they are alike in time and constitute equally one another as all Relatives do so that one cannot as to that relation be set or substracted without establishment or overthrow of the other yet if we measure excellency by that power vertue and force whereby any act is maintained between two relatives we may well in that regard account the Agent before the Patient even because he was first and more eminent in the action by which the relation was effected as the father is before and more excellent then the son although as to the relation it self he was not a father till he had a son So in Monarchy although there cannot be a King till there be Subjects because as they stand in the relation of governour and governed one must constitute another yet because even in that very act of Government the Monarch or King must as the Agent precede both in time and dignity any vertue or worth that can come from the subjects he must be accounted original of the power thereto belonging and not they who can be onely passive and that at most in proportion answerable to the power of him that rules For if his power and force therein be never so little yet cannot they in their relation of obedience exceed it whereas they may very often be defective in the ability of their performance of what he doth command Whereupon as the command must precede the execution so must the Commander precede the commanded both in time and dignity even so far as to be the constitutive and efficient cause thereof that is as to the whole relation although in the single and separate acts they may stand reciprocally and equally constituted Nay although in respect of each single act honor may be said to be in the honoring first as the ball projected for the rebound sake must as to that rebound proceed from the place it was thrown against before it can come to the projectors self yet because this rebound took beginning from the ability and intention of the projector even as the honorable act did at first from the honored person we must therefore confess the honored to be the original of the honor thence arising and not they that are passive For so far as the peoples honor shall proceed without or beyond consideration of approved desert so far it is flattery and not honor And therefore upon the same reason that the Creator may be said to precede the Creature even in that very work of Creation although he were not as to that relation Creator till there were a Creature and as again the Father doth precede in time and dignity the son even in reference to that very constitution of sonship although he were not a Father till he had a son so for conclusion the Monarch and Governor is so far from receiving his essential honor and power from the subjects and governed as he may on the otherside be accounted constitutive of them even in that very relation and must
Kings as Supreum or unto others as sent of him As thus in many matters of Charity divine direction was usefull so to the particular direction of our Christian faith on which as a ground-work our Charity was to be built this direction was much more necessary For since none could come to God except he first know that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him so the stating our faith standing necessary as to the stating our obedience we we may see cause for the frequent commendation and injunctions thereof in the New Testament where it is expresly said that without it t is impossible to please God that is without confidence of his being and of his rewards and punishments following our good or bad actions we shall not be zealous of good works or duties of Charity And having so far shewed what the ground of Religion should be we will next shew what it usually is both in ground and practice CHAP. II. Of Religion as commonly received BEfore the knowledge of good and evil entred into man Nature was his religion and what was by her law done was also thereby justified But being once possessed with the apprehension of this discovery all our thoughts and actions were so involved herein that nothing we said or did could escape censure on one side or other and so consequently for well or ill doing we could not but expect reward or punishment But because on the one hand the natural pride and arrogancy of each man was ready to put a greater rate and desert upon his intents and doings then he saw them rewarded with in this life and on the other side knowing the great and many faults that had escaped him or others not at all espied by men or by law so throughly punished as he thought their gift required the two main guides of our nature hope and fear led on our expectations to a future reckoning in such a sort that where the souls immortallity and our resurrection are not by special revelation manifested men are yet generally found believing thereof the craft of persons in authority many times helping on and biassing these Superstitions of inferiours to sociable advantages or self respects Now the wayes men take for the obtaining of this future reward or a voiding the like punishment is their religion And then religion having its ground from conscience and each mans conscience following the light of his understanding in judging good and bad and their degree from the diversity of understanding followeth the diversity of religions which as they had their first rise and fashion from their several Authours so each one yeilds himself a Disciple as he findes his hopes or the fears of his owne conscience therewith satisfied Therefore now concluding mens religion and conscience to be according to their understanding and their understandings being not onely differing but altogether imperfect it is impossible that any Religion should be true but what is from God himself received But then again because truth doth not move by being but by being apparent and because there is no way for this apparency till it be made conceivable to my understanding will it not follow that therein also we must be subject to much difference uncertainty So that men generally acknowledging a deity that no religion can be true but what shal be from him received they do by means of this fallible guide so usually mistake in their choice For knowledg in this kinde is not innate but acquired for why else are not Children and innocents as well as men of riper capacity by priviledge of birth and species without more ado instructed Why is that long stay made until by natural course the sences and organs of the body receiving their due growth and perfection the understanding together therewith arrive also at a sufficient capacity for the same reason to work by So that then the priority and worth of divine truths being not able of themselves to enter our capacities otherwise then as let in by the senses or else made familiar by such things as formerly were so as types parables similitudes and the like it comes to pass that according to the several prepossessions of men and their several fashions in entertaining them our several beliefes and opinions do arise And although we are seldome able to remember those sensible inductions out of which they grew yet from such they must needs at first grow inasmuch as had they come in without mixture they would like truths have remained to all men the same and alike whereas now their variety shews the variety of their entertainment and admittance And therefore although naturally as men and for satisfaction of our hope and fears sake we generally adhere to one sort of Religion or another yet when we come to entertain the kindes we stand not onely disabled in our Election but for the most part use no Election at all depending rather on chance then choice For what one is there of a thousand that ever doubts of or alters the religion he was brought up in For do we not Scholly and Catechise our Children in the same opinion with our selves do we not carry and send them with directions for beliefe and attention unto such Churches and Preachers where we are sure the truth and benefit of this and the falsehood and dangers of all others shall be exemplified to the height What probability then that he should prefer an opinion unknown at least alwayes discommended before one he doth know and hears alwaies praised Whereupon we shall finde preoccupation of judgement of such force that whether they be Christian Jew Mahumetan Heathen or a distinct Sect under any of these generals yet all of them to resolute to their owne side that they will embrace Martyrdom rather then a recantation Not that all in any kinde will do so for all men stand differenced between perfect Atheism and height of belief but where such tenderness of conscience and disposition is met withall as can be subdued to entertain Myrterdome on one side the same party would also have entertained it on another had education and other fore-stalling arguments been applyed unto him And even as in Christianity it self and the sects thereof we may find both Martyrs and Renegates as strength of belief leades them so in other religions also upon tryal these kindes have been apparent For as the Magitians feigned Miracles found greater belief with the Egyptians then the true ones of Moses so a false information having nothing to contradict it or education having forestalled our judgements prevailes as true with us and the contradictory thereof as false For all men thinking it reasonable that the proof of divine authority should be evinced by something more then humane and that supernatural truths otherwaies not conceiveable by sense and so demonstrable should be ascertained and illustrated by such as were it made the founders of all Religions pretend miracles as thinking their endeavours
of Patience Humility c. will be found the chief drift of the Gospel if not the only Precepts that private persons can of their own judgements relye upon they proceeding from the same Precept of Love and Charity These teaching us how with Charity to suffer from others as the orher doth how to be inwardly affected in my actings towards them For as Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning so was it done that we through Patience and comfort of the Scriptures that is through the Precepts and Examples thereof therein set down as practised and the comfort and reward thereof thence also arising might have hope and encouragement to the performance of the like duties that through the grace and goodness of the God of patience and consolation we may be hereby enabled to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus And so be not only actively charitable whilst in things in our power each one shall not seek to please himself but his neighbour but also the same example will teach us to be passively charitable too by our readiness to submit to authority the only way to the peace and unity of the Church that therein with one mind and one mouth we may glorifie God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. However I cannot tell whether from these lights I have given sufficient reason or no for casting off revenge and disobedience and entertainment of patience and humility yet sure I am that I can by mine own good experience say that as I become every day a more true Disciple of my Saviour even by willingly taking up my cross and following him and that as I do more and more consider that slander persecution and all worldly afflictions when suffered for or in a good conscience which may be best known by the corruption and wickedness of the persecutors are not only testimonies of Christianity in order to his predictions that way given but also of Gods more especial and fatherly favour that chasteneth every son whom he loveth So do I more and more encrease every day in true comfort Even from the assurance I thereby gather of Gods protection and care of me and that in a far higher and more setled degree then any revenge by my self formerly taken could afford Nor can I or any man else that considers these usuages of God with a well measured judgement but thereby find advantage to arise even in this worlds consideration also It faring no otherewise with men in the behalf of their Reputation and Honour then in consideration of worldly estate and fortune For as he that will always be living at the height of his fortune will be so much the nearer to poverty by how much he is more expensive and in the sight of envy and yet have no more true inward content then others even so such as live in the height of reputation must be subject to the same diminutions and hazard for when those faults which really all men must more or less have or those which meer envy shall discover shall be divulged to the world he cannot then but be rendred both to other men so much the more ill by how much he hath formerly been held more good and to himself hereby so much more miserable by how much he deemed himself before more happy Whereas he that is really good cannot but be always in a thriving and prosperous condition although that steady course of vertue and honesty which he walks in may through difference of the common practise of the World as making God and his Neighbours good his aym and not Covetousness or Vain-Glory make him to differ from the rest of the World in his Deportments and so for a time displease For a time I say For as men can never wholly banish truth so this mans innocence and integrity cannot but by degrees appear at which time the very height of former calumny will redound to his encrease of reputation And all men being ready to take occasions for extolling their own abilities in matters of extraordinary discovery they will from hence take occasion the more to set forth and admire this mans Merits or Innocence even for that others have heretofore so much leaned to the contrary Which Commendations again growing to this party by continual encrease and degrees and those deserved must thereby render him also in point of reputation both continually prosperous and likewise steady therein But if it fall out otherwise and that Gods love to us above the rest of the world shall be made farther appear by their unjust and oppressive usage of us in matters of our estates or by the dislike and rejection of our communion by such as are riotous or factious as we have hereby fresh comfort in our selves in respect of our Christian Faith and Assurance in order to Gods promises made that way so may we also reap true inward content even in point of Heroick Resolution and Prudence out of the consideration that this their mislike of our cause or carriage arose not from any well grounded estimate of justice or vertue Vulgar justice being many times nothing else but the effect of Bribery Importunity Friendship or the knotting together of some party for the preferring some such mans cause as hath insinuated himself into most favour The which cannot be expected from him that hath his confidence so much in God and the goodness of his cause that he cannot he dare not distrust providence so far as not to resolve on and prefer a noble suffering before an ignoble prevention And so again in point of civil behaviour and in that reputation which is to be expected from mens sociable deportments so little regard is usually had to the general and publike benefit of society that the Commendations of Breeding Comity Urbanity or the like are often times but the flattering compliances and endearments of some sorts or orders of the subjects one towards another whose usual issue is in a Faction And the ordinary way of winning worldly friendship and esteem is either by open applauding each others abilities and courses or else by such profession and insinuation of our services and affections towards them as to give occasion upon all opportunities even out of self-regard to commend their friends and their abilities as esteeming themselves commended in these that so much own and approve them Whereas he that is truly conscientious of Gods Service and his Neighbours so farre as to place them above Popular shews dares not undertake this kind of serving himself by his neighbors ruine but will watch all seasonable opportunities to perform the office of a true friend by expression of such deeds and Councels as shall advance other mens benefit in the first place and his own honor amongst them in the second By which means as I shall really do the part of a true Commonwealths-man and Christian so shall I never want the true comfort thereof as
faith is of a more spiritual allay then that former Covenant of works so is their promises of a higher nature also Insomuch as we shall not find any where in the Gospel that there is warrant given to make these things the object of our aims or hopes as to the Jews was usually done but rather to the contrary Whereupon we may say that however a Church or particular members may as additional blessings to the righteousness of the kingdom of God expect these blessings to follow yet have they no such particular right as for gain sake onely to dispossess the greatest infidel And much less can particular Christians under colour of distinctions by themselves made have right against one another and so make God the Author of Peace to be the Author of Confusion and Civil war And as the Scriptures and their meaning are thus difficult and subject to misinterpretation in regard of the temporal promises made in the Old-Testament so are the more spiritual promises of the Gospel and New-Testament for want of due regard to alteration of times and difference of persons made the occasions of much abuse and disquiet also through mens hasty and partial interpretations of all things as relating to their particulars and to their own benefits onely To avoid which we are to observe a difference of persons and to know that whereas our Saviour usually addressed his speech to his Disciples as those he chiefly intended to teach because they should teach others so many of those speeches concerned them as present Teachers and Guides chiefly and not their successors as that place fear not little flock c. and the directions following it sell what ye have and give Alms c. Some again concerned their successors and not them as those places before mentioned of taking the swords and making friendship with Mammon Some things again concerned both them and their successors as the power of the keys whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and the power of Mission and Instruction as he that heareth you heareth me c. thereby making a necessary difference between such as should teach and govern and such as should learn and obey Which distinction hath been of late so little considered of in the world or rather so preposterously practiced that those that should be by their places obeyed as Governors and Teachers are now made the only objects of Discipline and Instruction For there is not the meanest Subject or Artisan but are daring to censure and direct both Prince and Priest in performance of their duties as if these Texts Do all things without murmuring and disputing c. and obey them that have the guide over you c. had been purposely spoken to Kings and Preachers that thereby they might learn submission and attention to their Subjects and and Auditors Some things were spoken that concerned other Christians also but themselves in the first place as whosoever will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross and follow me c. And lastly some things are generally set down as concerning all men as the Doctrines of Faith Love Humility Patience Obedience c. although men may differently be concerned in the outward exercise of them as heretofore related As concerning such Promises and Precepts as had different regard to Christians through alteration of times we shall finde some that concerned the primitive Believers and not those that followed in the latter age as in those glorious signes promised to accompany Believers to cast out devils to speak with tongues to heal the sick c. The which and other miraculous assistances and ways of inspiration and illumination heretofore promised and granted to such as should ask in Christs name and had but Faith to the quantity of a grain of Mustard-seed some in these latter times have been vainly boasting of whilst others have as disconsolately expected and for want of them been ready to think they must want Faith also Not rightly weighing how necessary these miraculous signes and wonders were to be then shown for the honoring Christs name from above which was as yet had in so little repute here below Insomuch as for that very cause we shall finde the gift of miracles granted to him that cast out devils in his name who for ought we finde pretended neither to follow nor at all to believe on him Nay to shew these extraordinary endowments were not sure signes of Faith we shall finde our Saviour condemning them that had them But when his name should be the most glorious of any and his Church should have attained that degree of strength and learning as to be able to provide for its own safety and illumination in an ordinary way then came the time again when upon the contrary reason these endowments to private persons ceasing we are to construe some admonitions as chiefly proper to Christians in the last times and to happen when his service shall be an honor as are these Admonitions to beware of pretenders to new lights such as shall say Lo here is Christ and loe there is Christ c. And having hitherto so largely endeavoured to prove our Assertions out of the Texts of the holy Scriptures and having done it with such strength of evidence as to me seemeth of value to convince any that hath real and firm belief that they are truely proceeding from God or that rather there is indeed any God at all it seems lastly necessary for conviction of both these sorts of men that is open Athiests and such secret ones that confessing a God and the Authority of Scripture the better to serve their own turns thereby do yet in their works deny him to say something for conviction of Deity and the daily exercise of divine Providence amongst us The which shall serve by way of addition to our first enterprize therein at the beginning of this work which for haste to other things was but cursorily there handled CHAP. XIV Of Athiesm AS the Nature of all kinde of vertue is to be operative so by the degree and extent of operation is the proportion and extent of the vertue to be measured For neither to do by help is so powerful as to act alone nor to do one or few things as many or all Again as extent of ability is best measured by extent of operation in the objects it undertakes so is the proportion of vigor by distance in execution even as that loadstone that can attract at greatest distance is best and that fire that can heat or burn farthest of is so also And as potency and vigour are to be thus measured by distance between Agent and Patient so much more when that distance shall be so encreased as the presence of the Agent shall not sensibly appear as to the present work but a weak or unlike thing having of it self no effectualness thereunto shâ—â—l by its power be made the Author of his proper