accounts will experimentally find that this is not the way to diminish but to increase an estate This Azariah the chief Priest told King Hezekiah was the cause of that surplusage of plenty which God bestowed upon the Jews 2 Chron. 31. The King had commanded all the people to pay justly all their Tythes and Offerings which had been fraudulently withheld to the Priests and Levites for their incouragement in the Law of the Lord beginning the Practice with his own example paying all his dues to the Church verse 3 4. And as soon as this commandment came abroad the people brought in all their Tythes and Oblations as they fell due in abundance the first-fruits of corn of wine and oyl and hony and all the increase of the field the tythe of oxen and sheep and the tythe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God the tythe of all things brought they in abundantly and laid them heaps by heaps verse 5 6. And when Hezekiah and the Princes came and saw the heaps and thereby understood the vast increase the People had received which yielded such abundance of Dues to the Priests he blessed God for it and asked Azariah concerning the cause of this mighty surplusage verse 8 9. And Azariah the chief Priest answered him and said Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord we have had enough to eat and have left plenty for the Lord hath blessed his people and that which is left is this great store That is since out of their Fruits which are the Gift of God they have faithfully paid their Dues to God he has so increased their store that our share comes to so much we know not how to dispose of it but have left all these heaps thou seest after we and our Families have eaten and are satisfied verse 10. Quest. I see it teaches us both in Duty and prudence to give willingly and cheerfully the Poors Dole and the Priests Dues but doth it not also teach us how to injoy and spend the rest which remains to our selves Ans. Yes for coming from the free Bounty of God we must injoy it with a thankful and cheerful heart not with murmuring envy or discontent like Men that are proner to spy faults than to own favours and are never pleased Besides since it is God's gift we must take care that God be honoured by it and never dishonour him or abuse our selves by spending it upon vice or vanity but own his Gift in a temperate and sober use of it Yea I add in a charitable use too For these Fruits God gives to us not as Proprietors but Stewards to distribute abroad to the necessities of others after we have served our selves So that not only temperance and thankful hearts but Alms and Charity also are necessary to hallow our enjoyments Give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11. 41. Quest. Is it God also that gives us Children Ans. Yes Children or the Fruit of the Womb are a reward and heritage that cometh of the Lord that is he disposes of them to whom he pleases as a Parent doth of his Estate Psalm 127. 3. And therefore as we must rest satisfied whilst we have none because it is God that withholds them so must we trust in God when we have many of them believing that since as our Saviour saith the life is more than meat he that sent Mouths will send Meat and that as they were at first his Gift they will be still his Care and that he who provides for the Ravens will much more provide for them Luke 12. 24. Quest. Is it the same Providence of God that makes us thrive in our Trades and gives a prosperous success to us in any business Ans. Yes the horse is provided against the day of Battel but safety is of the Lord Prov. 21. 31. Though a man's heart deviseth his way that is Men hammer out a project yet the Lord directeth his steps that is God determines the event and orders such an issue as perhaps he never intended Prov. 16. 9. Men may contrive and pursue methods but God still must give events The way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps that is to fix and determine them on any final issues Jer. 10. 23. Quest. Must not this teach us whensoever we begin any business or set upon any attempts to recommend them first to God by Prayers or Pious Ejaculations and to place our chiefest confidence in his Blessing Ans. Yes In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3. 6. commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established that is shall take effect Prov. 16. 3. And I think there is little question to be made but that Men miscarry far oftner than otherwise they would in their designs and business because they trust too much to their own care and skill and human aids and seek no more to God to ingage the furtherance of his good Providence Quest. Must Men seek thus to God even in things wherein they are best skilled themselves and when they are confident they take the surest methods Ans. Yes for the surest means without a good Providence will not secure the issues The race as Solomon observed is not always to the swift nor the battel to the strong nor favour to men of skill Eccles. 9. 11. So that when Men are in the wisest courses or most probable preparations they have need still to look up to God who must consummate all by his assistance Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3. 5 6. There is very much indeed lies in wise management every purpose as Solomon says being established by counsel Prov. 20. 18. But when wise managers shew a Religious dependance and trust in God too that is the way to assure the event He that handles a matter wisely shall find good but if together with that he trust in the Lord more than his own skill happy is he Prov. 16. 20. Quest. But if the event depends thus on God till we see what way he will take we cannot be sure of it And must not this teach us not to be too positive but modest in these expectations and promise the desired issue to our selves still with this reserve if God sees it fit for us Ans. Yes for man's goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way that is foresee the event of it since God oftentimes over-rules their motions to ends far distant from their thoughts Prov. 20. 24. And this as it will keep us from being too confident of gaining any good things will preserve us also from desponding under the apparent danger of any bad ones since when they are
appropriated to it without that separate Honour and visible Reverence which is due to them is to unhallow and prophane him which he says in Ezekiel the Priests did when they put no difference between the holy and prophane Ezek. 22. 26. Our great and matchless Creator must have a distinguishing respect and honour visibly paid him in our outward behaviour And when in Gifts and Presents some would shew visible neglect and dishonour of him he complained they did not treat him as a Great and Dreadful King adding that herein their undutifulness might evidently appear because they durst not go so to pay respect to any Temporal Governour or Superiour Mal. 1. 8 13 14. But though this hatred of External irreverence be one thing implied in it yet is it but the outside of God's Holiness And therefore no Man must ever think to content him by Ceremonious Formalities as being extreme nice and scrupulously careful about the Place the Garb the Posture or other decent Dress or circumstance of his Worship and Service except at the same time he shun all sin and wickedness which affront him most of all and bear the directest opposition to his Holiness As this without the other is Spiritual ill Breeding and Clownish Rusticity so is the other without it mere Form and Complement and an empty unprofitable Ceremony Quest. If this Holy God is so irreconcileably set against sin sure he can never be the Author of it Ans. No let no Man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither doth he tempt or incite any man to it James 1. 13. The Devil tempts us who is called the Tempter in the Scriptures Matth. 4. 3. And wicked men who are his Instruments And our own Lusts most of all when they draw us away and intice us to evil as S. James says James 1. 14. But as for the most Holy God the concern he has about our sins is in no wise to decree or help them on but only to forbid and punish them He has no pleasure in wickedness or as the Septuagint translate it he doth not will it Psal. 5. 4. Quest. But doth not God himself say That he had hardned Pharaoh's heart and the heart of his servants Exod. 10. 1. and Chap. 14. 4 17. and is it not also said that he moved David to number Israel and Judah 2 Sam. 24. 1. Ans. Yes but God did these not by way of positive influence and efficiency as a concurrent cause but only by withdrawing his Grace and leaving Men to be hardned by their own Lusts and by evil Spirits And thus of Pharaoh 't is said that he hardned his own heart Exod. 8. 15 32. and of David that Satan moved him to number the people 1 Chron. 21. 1. Quest. But doth not his withdrawing of his Grace show a willingness to have sin take place and that although he is loth to do it himself yet he is free Men should be hardned by others Ans. No 't is only when he is put to it as a Wise and upright Judge in way of Justice For he never withdraws his Grace and thereby leaves Men to their own Lusts and malignant Spirits till they have first made a forfeiture of it by reiterated repulses and affronts or some high provocations Thus in the Story of Pharaoh in Exodus except what is said Chap. 7 13. he bardned Pharaoh's heart which as the Learned note may as well be rendred Pharaoh's heart was hardned as the same word is rendred verse 22. God is not said thus to harden Pharaoh's heart and send all his plagues upon his heart chap. 9. 12 14. till Pharaoh had several times wickedly disobeyed and wilfully hardned his own heart chap. 8. 15 32. And when 't is said that God moved David to number the people 't is added that their sins had provoked him to Anger which made him give him up to it 2 Sam. 24. 1. God's Grace and Holy Spirit is always repulsed and driven away before he recals it from Men and thereby gives them up to an evil Lust or an infernal Spirit to harden and work in them Quest. What say you when God threatens Men with Spiritual Blindness that they shall look on without seeing and hear without understanding Isaiah 6. 9. Which Judgment S. Paul testifies was befallen the unbelieving Jews Rom. 11. 7 25. As our Lord himself also noted Matth. 13. 14 15. Ans. Not that he instils into them any errors or pushes and precipitates them on to any wicked act without opening their Eyes But only that he leaves them to their own violent and blind prejudices which will neither let them hear nor see any thing that makes against them and withdraws clear means of knowledge after they have long slighted and abused them as our Saviour did from the blinded Jews therefore as he says speaking to them in Paxables because seeing they saw not and hearing they heard not that is they would not be made to see and hear by plain Speeches Matth. 13. 13. This infliction of Spiritual blindness S. Paul in the case of the Romans calls giving up to a reprobate sense Rom. 1. 28. Whereto God then gave them up when they of themselves having already gone far in wickedness contracting it he justly left them to it Whilst they knew God they gave him no due glory and acknowledgment and thereupon he gaue them over to a reprobate mind verse 21 28. Their reprobate sense verse 28. was the woful consequent of their own foul lusts and precontracted foolishness noted verse 21 23 25 26. God did not leave them till they had first by false worship and filthy practices not only deserted but driven him and his enlightening Spirit away from them Quest. But what say you to Ahab's case did not God himself deceive him Ans. No but only left him to be deceived by a wicked Spirit and that not till Ahab had sold himself to work wickedness and thereby most justly deserved to be deserted by him The wicked Spirits though they have will enough to hurt us yet are held in Chains and Fetters and are not let loose or in power to work their wills till they have God's Licence And therefore when the good Angels from their several earthly charges return back to God to make their reports some wicked ones as 't is represented in the Story of Job still croud in among them to gain Commissions either for trial or punishment and see who will be delivered into their hands Thus Satan did when he obtained power against Job for a trial of his patience Job 1. 6. And thus on another set day when God publickly decreed the fall of Ahab an evil Spirit presents himself and voluntarily offers to be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets to encourage him to his fall at Ramoth Gilead in deserved punishment of his wickedness And God not only foretels that Ahab would hear him but bids him
crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell. Quest. What did Christ suffer Answ. Besides his previous Sufferings particularly in the Garden where the wrath of God was strongly represented and Hell let loose upon him under which 't is said he was exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 37 38. and thrown into an Agony wherein he sweat great drops of Blood Luke 22. 44. Besides these previous Sufferings I say he suffered also after his Apprehension all manner of rudeness from the inraged Rabble and Soldiery who mocked him spit upon him buffeted and scourged him bound his Head about with a wreath of sharp Thorns which every where like Darts pierced his tender flesh and at last nail'd his Hands and Feet to a Cross a most acute and lingring Death and to make that most ignominious Suffering more ignominious still hung him in the midst between two Thieves Quest. Who were the Executioners of all these Cruelties Answ. The Jewish Rulers and People went as far in it as they could But because the Romans who had conquer'd them had not left among them as they say any Power and Authority to put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. they drew in Pontius Pilate the Roman Governour to sentence his Crucifixion against his Conscience Quest. Did not Pilate believe Christ to deserve all this Answ. No he knew they had delivered him for envy and malice Matt. 27. 18. He declared he was a just person Matt. 27. 24. and that upon examination he found no fault at all in him Luk. 23. 4 14. No nor yet Herod when he sent him to be judged by him v. 15. But because by their importunity a tumult was made he yielded to pass sentence against him for his own quiet Matt. 27. 24. and to content the people whom he durst not offend Mar. 15. 15. Luk. 23. 23 24. Quest. What need had he to fear them that such an abject fear should betray him into so unjust and vile an Action Answ He had incensed them and made himself obnoxious to be articled against by his former violences being a man very Cruel and Tyrannical for which on the complaint of the Samaritan Jews he was presently after removed as Josephus reports And in this case they terrified him moreover by threatning to accuse him to his jealous Governour Tiberius Caesar as no friend to him for letting Christ go who called himself a King which they said was speaking against Caesar Joh. 19. 12. Quest. Christ did testify indeed before Pilate that he was a King and that for this end he came into the World that he should bear witness of this Truth Joh. 18. 37. And did not this give Caesar just cause to be afraid of him Answ. No because as he declared his Kingdom was not of this World neither should his Servants fight for him as the Subjects of worldly Princes do for them Joh. 18. 36. so that he would take nothing from the Emperor nor pretend to thwart him or resist his just Power But his Kingdom was in relation to another World a Spiritual Kingdom set up in men's Hearts and administred by the expectation of future Rewards and Punishments leaving Princes still to govern as they did in all the Affairs of this life And this did not intrench any thing upon the Prerogatives of the present Powers whom he left all in the same Authority and their Subjects under the same Duty as he found them As Pilate plainly perceiv'd by Christ's Answer wherewith he was satisfied and pronounced him innocent upon it Quest. These Sufferings of Christ you mention were most barbarous and horrible things But amidst all these bodily Tortures had he not ease within and great support of inward spiritual Comforts as he afforded the Martyrs and Confessors afterwards in theirs Answ. No the Horrours of his Mind were beyond the Anguish of his Body as if he were design'd to suffer the extremity of what Nature could bear His Soul was troubled Joh. 12. 27. very heavy Mat. 26. 37. Sore amazed Mark 14. 33. Exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 38. and in such an Agony as I noted at the apprehension of the Divine Wrath he was conflicting with as put a most unwonted force upon Nature and made him sweat as it were great drops of Blood Luk. 22. 44. Under all which he was so over-born with the Burden that he needed an Angel to be sent to strengthen him v. 43. Quest. Could Christ have avoided these Sufferings if he would Answ. Yes he could have had Legions of Angels for his Rescue Matt. 26. 53. But for our sakes he voluntarily submitted to them I have power to lay down my life and to take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Joh. 10. 18. Quest. And was God consenting to them Answ. Yes they came about not only by his Permission but by his Counsel and Determination He did no ways excite the Jews to this abominable Act but left them to their own envy and malice which were more than enough to push them forward But when they of themselves were wicked enough to do it he by his infinite Wisdom accomplishes what his Son and he had before agreed viz. the working our Redemption by it He suffered according to what was determined Luk. 22. 22. He was delivered to them by the determinate Counsel and Foreknowledge of God Acts 2. 23. Herod and Pontius Pilate did only what his Hand and Counsel had determined before to be done Act. 4. 28. And he was a Lamb fore-ordain'd to be slain before the foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. His death and his exaltation therefore to be a Mediatory King and our Redeemer was a Bargain driven and a Matter concerted long before betwixt him and his heavenly Father My Father hath appointed the word is covenanted to me a Kingdom that is in the everlasting agreement between God and him it was promised as the Reward of his undertaking Luk. 22. 29. And on this account his Servants are said to be given to him as a Retribution He gave himself for them that is to purchase them Tit. 2. 14. Thine they were says he to his Father and thou gavest them me that is on this consideration Joh. 17. 4 6. Quest. But since the things he endured were the absolute perfection of shame and sorrow why should Christ submit or God bring Christ to that end was it to punish his own sins Answ. No he did no sin 1 Pet. 2. 22. He was tempted in all points of Natural Infirmities as we are but yet without sin Heb. 4. 15. Quest. For whose sins was it then for all death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23 Answ. For ours for we had sinned and were all to die but he comes by the Allowance of God and bears our iniquity by dying in our place God laid on him the iniquities of us all Isa. 53. 6. He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.
any Church locks up her Publick Prayers and Offices in an unknown Tongue good People must seek out another where they may offer up the same Services in a Language their Spirits can joyn in and Worship as the Scripture requires to Edification 1 Cor. 14. 26. We must not separate as I said from a sound Church only because it seems less edifying But we must separate when there is no Devotion but what is directly contrary to Edification Quest. If we may not separate where there are such real Faults in a Church then much less for the dislike of received Customs Rites and Usages when confessedly as you said in indifferent matters Answ. Most certainly To rend the Body and make disturbance for light things shews an ill Member in all Societies Not to yield to an innocent Custom as I noted before from St. Paul shews a man to be no lover of peace but a lover of contention 1 Cor. 11. 16. Nay if any man would shew himself a Catholick Christian he must not only readily comply with the indifferent Rites and Usages of his own Church which has Authority over him but as he has occasion to pass by them or converse among them with the Usages of other Churches or Christians tho' very different from his own so long as there is no sin in them a Catholick Christian must have a Catholick Spirit and be ready to shew he owns all other Christians 'till they are regularly cast out of Christ's Church for Brethren and fellow-members and never stick out from exercising with them the common Christianity whereby all Christians serve and honour Christ by reason of the particular Rites in any Church or Place which are no offence to him Quest. If we may not lawfully separate from a Church whose Constitution has some Faults yea some great ones as were among the Churches in the Apostles times I suppose we may much less separate when the Church it self in its constitution is faultless meerly for the ill and scandalous Lives of its Members Answ. Most certainly And accordingly St. Paul is most severe against the Schisms at Corinth tho' in the same Church he complains of the horrible prophaneness of many among them who came drunk to the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 21. and of the Wraths Envyings Strifes Back-bitings Swellings Tumults unrepented Uncleanness Laciviousness and Fornication for which he feared God would humble him when he came among them 2 Cor. 12. 20 21. The Church of God in all times under the Ancient Patriarchs and afterwards in the Nation of the Jews was a mixt Society of good and bad livers And in Christianity it is compared to a Net that catches Fish of every kind and to a Field sown with Tares as well as Wheat and wherein both must grow together till the Great and General Harvest 'T is always its misfortune here together with some true Saints to have some Hypocritical Professors So that were we to separate from a good Church for this Cause we must separate from all Churches and could hold Communion with no Church on Earth And therefore men must never think of leaving a good Church because it happens to have some corrupt People or scandalous Ministers From the Sins we must separate which give the scandal but unite and adhere to the Church which condemns them the good must not desert it because the bad will not obey and be ruled by it Quest. But what if it doth not use the Rod of Discipline to correct them Answ. We are not to separate notwithstanding as the Apostles told the Churches where the Sins were too strong And the Sinners too numerous for Discipline or the Pastors too remiss in using it Thus the Pastors were at Corinth who instead of mourning over the incestuous Person were rather puff'd up with him 1 Cor. 5. 2. And yet for all this St. Paul would not bear to hear of any tendenoies towards Schism among them 1 Cor. 3. 3. Thus also it was at Pergamus where several were infected with the scandalous Doctrines of the Nicolaitans Rev. 2. 15. and at Thyatira where the followers of Jezabel the False Prophetess were suffer'd to go on in their Spiritual Fornication and Sacrificing to Idols v. 20. And in other Churches which either out of necessity or neglect relaxed the reins of Discipline and tolerated scandalous Persons in the Apostles own times But yet no plea for separation would ever be admitted by them on this pretence In these cases the Church must answer for the neglect of its power and scandalous Sinners for the scandals they give but as for any private Christians whilst they neither help on their scandals nor imitate them their Consciences are not defiled with them Besides the growth of Schism has been one of the greatest weakners of Discipline one Congregation admitting and harbouring men when another rejects them And therefore to pretend want of Discipline for separation is not only a most dis-ingenuous thing but the way to bring Discipline which they complain of as too little already to be none at all Quest. By what you have discoursed on this Point I perceive we are never Guilty of Schism in separating from any Church when we have just cause But that all breaking off from any Part of Christ's Body is Schismatical which is Causeless Answ. Yes And so is all Driving others into Separation by imposing sinful Terms as the Condition of their Communion And then which is the last thing I shall note concerning it Schism from any Churches is most compleat when we do not only separate from their Religious Assemblies and Divine Offices but withal deny them to be Members of Christ's Body or Parts of the Catholick Church This is the Highest step in Separation and leaves not the least Ground for Church-Communion For 't is only the Members of Christ's Body that must Communicate under him their Head in the proper Offices of Christianity and the Communion of Saints profess'd in the Creed is only within the compass of the Catholick Church So that if we cut off any Societies from being Members of Christ and a true Church we must have no more Communion with them than if they were profest Heathens And this was the Sacrilegious Breach of the Donatists and Novatians the Consummation of whose Schism was their confining the Catholick Church to their own Party and allowing no Church no Sacraments or Promise of Salvation but among themselves Quest. There remains yet one instance of the Communion of the Primitive Christians mentioned by St. Luke viz. Continuing in the Apostles Fellowship Act. 2. 42. I pray you what is meant by that Answ. Owning their Authority and continuing under their Government They were appointed by Christ as his Deputies to Govern his Church and therefore adhering to them as the Delegates of Christ is call'd living in their Fellowship Quest. But how can we live in their Fellowship and adhere to their Government now they are dead Answ. By adhering to and