more on himself than on them And indeed Childrens or mens obedience to others is but an act of self-government It is a mans self-governing Reason and Will which causeth him to obey another nor can a Child perform any act of proper obedience differing from a Brutes unless by a self-governing act But Parents Government is the next to Self-government and the Government of Husbands Princes and Masters which are by Contract is next to that Every Subject therefore being first a Subject of God and next a self-governour is to obey as a reasonable Creature and to understand what is his duty and what not And because all is our duty which God commandeth but not all that man Commandeth Gods power being Absolute and all mens limited therefore we have nothing to do with the Laws of God but to know them and Love them and obey them But as to mans Commands we must know also that they are not contrary to Gods Laws and that they belong to the Office of the Commander If a Parent or Prince command you to blaspheme God or Worship Idols or deny Christ or renounce Heaven or not to pray c. you must obey God by disobeying him And if a King Command you not to obey your Parents or will choose for you your Wife your Dyet your Physick the words you shall say to God in your secret Prayers c. these are things which belong not to his Office no more than to a Captains to become Judge of the Common-pleas Subjects therefore must judge what they must or must not obey as Rulers must judge what they must or must not Command or else they act not as men Q. 9. But what Confusion will this Cause if every Subject and Child become judge whether their Princes or Parents Commands be lawful Will they not take all for unlawful which their folly or Corrupt wills dislike and so cast off all obedience A. It is not finding inconveniencies in the miserable state of lapsed Mankind that will cure them Were there any avoiding Errour Sin and Confusion by Government some would have found out the way before now But while man is bad he will do accordingly In avoiding these evils we must not run into far greater Are they not Greater if men must not discern who is their lawful Governour but must fight for an Usurper in Power against his Prince or Parents if Commanded by him And if every Child and Subject must renounce God Christ and Heaven that is Commanded and men become Gods and Antigods Q. 10. But is there no remedy against both these Confusions A. Yes the remedies are these 1. Rulers that should have most reason must give us the first remedy by knowing Gods Laws and taking care that they Command and forbid nothing contrary to them and not put on Subjects a necessity of disobeying them 2. Children and Subjects must be instructed also to know the Laws of God that they may not take that for his Law which is not It is not keeping them ignorant of Gods Laws lest they pretend them against the Laws of man that is the way no more than keeping them ignorant that there is a God lest they obey him against man 3. They must be taught betime the difference between the capacity of Children and of men at age and of young unfurnished wits and those that Study and Experience have ripened and they must be taught the duty of self-suspicion humility and submission and that as Learning is necessary to knowing so believing our Teachers with a humane belief is necessary to Learning of them Who can learn that will believe nothing which his Teacher saith But this is not taking him for Infallible nor resolving only to be ruled still by his knowledge but in order to Learn the same Evidence of Truth which our Teachers themselves discern it by 4. They must be taught to know that if they mistake Gods Laws and erroneously pretend them against their Rulers their errour and abuse of the Name of God is their sin and will not excuse their disobedience And therefore they must try well before they disobey 5. All the Churches near them should agree publickly of all the necessary Articles of Divine Faith and Obedience that the authority of their Concord may be some awe to the minds both of Commanders and Obeyers 6. Rulers are not to suspend the executive part of their Government upon every Consciencious errour of the Child or Subject If they will pretend Gods Law for intolerable sin or injury they must nevertheless be restrained by punishment 7. But lastly the Conscience of Subjects duty to God must be tenderly used and encouraged and their mistakes through infirmity must be tolerated in all tolerable cases Some differences and disorders in judgement and practice must be born with by them that would not bring in greater Gentle reasoning and Loving usage must cure as much of the rest as will be cured And our Concord must be placed in the few plain and necessary things The King hath more wit and clemency than to hang all ignorant erroneous faulty Subjects or else he would have none left to Govern And if Pastors have not more wit and clemency than to excommunicate all such they will be no Pastors as having no flocks But hainous is their sin that can tolerate multitudes of the ignorant and ungodly in their Communion who will but be for their power and wealth and can tolerate none of the Wise and Conscionable if they do but differ from them in tolerable cases or dislike them Yet there goeth more to make a tolerable Christian and Church-member than a tolerable Subject And consent to the Relation is necessary to both Q. 11. What duty doth the Word Honour contain and Command A. 1. The first and chief act of Honouring them is to acknowledge their Relation to God as his appointed Officers and the Authority which God hath given them that they may be obeyed reverently and God in them 2. The next is to take all their Laws and Commands which God hath authorized them to make to be the Rule of our duty in subordination to Gods Laws and so far to obey them for Conscience sake believing it a sin to resist or disobey them 3. Another is to maintain them honourably so far as we are able and they need Though parents provide for Children in youth Children must maintain Parents if they need it when they come to age And so must People their Princes and Pastors and pay Tribute to whom it is due 4. Also they ought to speak reverently to them and honourably of them and not use any unjust dishonouring Thoughts Words or Deeds against them specially which would disable them for Government 5. Lastly they ought to do their best to defend them against injuries Q. 12. But seeing Parents are named and not Princes must we defend our Parents against our King if he be their Enemy A. If their Cause be
us light and heat by the Sun he upholdeth us by the Earth c. A. The word Immediate sometime signifieth A cause that hath no other cause under it So the Sun is the immediate cause of the emanation of its beams of Light And so God is not alwaies an Immediate Cause that is He hath other causes under him But sometime Immediate signifieth that which is next a thing having nothing between them And so God doth all things Immediately For he is and he acteth as near us as we to our selves and nothing is between him and us He is as near the person and the Effect when he useth Second Causes as when he useth none Q. 6. But is it not a debasing GOD to make his Providence the cause of every motion of a Worm a Bird a Fly and to mind and move such contemptible things and so to mind the thoughts of man A. It is a debasing God to think that he is like a finite Creature absent or insufficient for any of his Creatures That there is not the least thing or motion so small as to be done without him is most certain to him that will consider 1. That Gods very Essence is every where And wherever he is he is himself that is most Powerful Wise and Good And if such a God be as near to every Action as the most immediate Actor is so that in him they all Live and Move and Be how can he be thought to have no hand in it as to Providence or causality 2. And it 's certain that God upholds continually the very Being of every thing that moveth and all the Power by which they move For that which had no Being but from him â—an have none continued but by him That which could not make it self cannot continue it self Should not God by his causality continue their being every Creature would turn to nothing For there can be nothing without a Cause but the first Cause which is GOD. 3. And it is all one to Infiniteness to mind every Creature and motion in the World and to cause and rule the least as it is to cause and rule but one God is as sufficient for all the World even every Fly and Worm as if he had but One to mind Seeing then that he is as present with every Creature as it is with it self and it hath not the least power but what he continually giveth it and cannot move at all but by him and he is as sufficient for All as for One it 's unreasonable to think that the least thing is done without him Is it a dishonour to the Sun that every Eye even of Flies and Ants and Toads and Snakes as well as Men do see by the light of it or that it shineth at once upon every pâ—le of Grass and Atome This is but the certain Effect of Gods Infiniteneâ—s and Perfection Q. 7. How doth God Govern all things A. He Governeth several things according to their several Natures which he hath made Lifeless things by their natural Inclinations and by moving force Things that have sense by their sensitive Inclinations and by their objects and by constraint And Reasonable Creatures by their Principles and by Laws and Moral Rules And all things by his Infinite Power Wisdom and Will as being every one parts of one World which is his Kingdom Especially Man Q. 8. What is Gods Kingdom and why do you call him our King A. I call him our King because 1. He only hath absolute Right Power and Fitness to be our Supream Ruler 2. And he doth actually Rule us as our Soveraign And in this KINGDOM 1. GOD is the Only Supream King and Head 2. Angels or Glorified Spirits and Men are the Subjects 3. All the Bruits and lifeless Creatures are the Furniture and goods and utensils 4. Devils and Rebellious Wicked men are the Enemies to be opposed and overcome Q. 9. How doth GOD govern Man on Earth A. 1. The Power of God our Lord Owner and Mover moveth us and disposeth of us as he doth of all things to the fullfilling of his Will 2. The Wisdom of God our King doth give us sound Doctrine and holy and just Laws with Rewardâ— and Penalties and he will Judge men and execute accordingly 3. And the Love of our Heavenly Father doth furnish us with all necessary blessings help us accept us and prepare us for the Heavenly Kingdom Q. 10. Why is man Ruled by Laws rather than Beasts and other things A. Because man hath Reason and Free-will which maketh them Subjects capable of Laws which Beasts are not Q. 11. What is that Free-will which fits us to be Subjects A. It is a Will made by God able to determine it self by Gods necessary help to choose Good and refuse Evil understood to be such without any necessitating Predetermination by any other CHAP. V. Of Gods Law of Nature and Natural Officers Qu. 1. BY what Laws doth God Govern the World Ans. How he Governeth the Spirits above us whether by any Law besides the immediate Reâ—elation of his Will seen in the face of his Glory or how else is not much known to us because â—t doth not concern us But this lower World of man he Governeth by the Law of Nature and by a Law of Supernatural Revelation given by his Spirit or by Messengers from Heaven Q. 2. What is it that you Call the Law of Nature A. In a large and improper sence some call the â—nclinations and forcing or naturally moving Causes of any Creatures by the name of a Law â—nd so they say that Beasts and Birds are moved by the Law of their Nature and that Stones sink downward and the Fire goeth upward by the Law of Nature But this is no Law in the Proper sence which we are speaking of whatever you Call it Q. 3. What is it then that you Call A Law A. Any Signification of the Will of the Ruler purposely given to the Subject that thereby he may know and be bound to his Duty and know his Reward or Punishment due Or any signification of the Rulers will for the Government of Subjects constituting what shall be Due from them and to them A Rule to live by and the Rule by which we must be judged Q. 4. What then is Gods Law of Nature made for man A. It is the signification of Gods Governing Will by the Nature of man himself and of all other Creatures known to man in which God declareth to man his Duty and his reward or punishment Q. 5. How can a man know Gods Will and our duty by his Nature and by all other Works of God about us A. In some things as surely as by words or writings but in other things more darkly I am sure that my Nature is made to Know and Love Truth and Goodness and to desire and seek my own Felicity My Nature tells me that I was not made by my self and do not live by my Self and therefore that I am
and should he command the Children to use the contrary it is all Null and powerless But it belongeth to the Magistrate only though not to destroy any of the three former Governments which are all before his in Nature and Time yet to Govern them all by directing the exercise of them in lawful things to the common good Q. 16. How far doth the Law of Nature assure us of Gods rewards and punishments A. As it assureth us that perfect man owed God perfect Obedience Trust and Love so it certifieth us 1. That this performed must needs be acceptable to God and tend to the felicity of the Subject seeing Gods Love is our Felicity 2. And that sinning against Gods Law deserveth Punishment 3. And that Governing Justice must make such a difference between the obedient and the sinner as the Ends of Government require 4. And seeing that before mans obedience or sin God made mans Soul of a Nature not tending to its own mortality we have cause to expect that mans Rewards and Punishments should be suitable to such immortal Souls For though he can make Bruits immortal and can annihilate mans Soul or any Creature yet we see that he keeps so close to his Natural Establishments that we have no reason to think that he will cross them here and annihilate Souls to shorten their Rewards or Punishments Q. 17. But doth Nature tell us what kind of Rewards and Punishments men have A. The Faculties of the Soul being made in their Nature to know God in our degree to Love him to please him and to rest and rejoice herein and this in the society of wise and good and blessed joyful fellow Creatures whom also our Nature is made to Love it followeth that the Perfection of this Nature in these Inclinations and Actions is that which God did make our Natures for to be obtained by the obeying of his Laws And sin being the Injurious contempt and forsaking of God and the most hurtful malady of the Soul and of Societies and to others it followeth that those that have finally forsaken God be without the happiness of his Love and Glory and under the sence of their sin and his displeasure and that their own sin will be their misery as diseases are to the Body and that the Societies and Persons that by sin they injured or infected will somewhat contribute to their punishment Happiness to the good and Misery to the bad the Light and Law of Nature teacheth man to expect But all that I have taught you is much more surely and fully known by Supernatural Revelation CHAP. VI. Of Supernatural Revelation of Gods Will to Man and of the Holy Scriptures or Bible Q. 1. VVHat do you call Supernatural Revelation A. All that Revelation of Gods mind to man which is made by him extraordinarily above what the common works of Nature do make known Though perhaps God may use in it some Natural second Causes in a way unknown to us Q. 2. How many wayes hath God thus Revealed his will to man A. Many wayes 1. By some Voice and Signs of his presence which we do not well know what Creature he used to it whether Angels or only at present caused that Voice and Glory So he spake to Adam and Eve and the Serpent and to Moses in the Mount and Tabernacle and in the cleft of the Rock Exod. 34. And to Abraham Iacob c. 2. By Angels certainly appearing as sent from God and so he spake to Abraham Isaac Iacob Lot Moses and to very many 3. By Visions and Dreams in their Sleep extraordinary 4. By the Vision of some Signs from Heaven in their waking As Saul Act. 9. saw the Light that cast him down 5. By Visions and Voices in an extasie As Paul saw Paradise and heard unutterable things whether in the Body or out of the Body he knew not And its like in such a rapture Daniel and Iohn had their Revelations 6. By Christs own Voice as he spake to men on Earth and Paul from Heaven 7. By the sight of Christ and Glory as Stephen saw him 8. By immediate Inspiration to the minds of Prophets 9. By these Prophets sent as Messengers to others 10. By certain uncontrolled Miracles 11. By a convincing course of extraordinary works of Gods Providence As when an Angel killed the Armies of Enemies or when they kill'd one another in one night or day c. 12. By extraordinary works of God on the Souls of men As when he suddenly overcometh the strongest vicious habits and customs and maketh multitudes new and holy persons by such improbable but assigned means by which he promised to do it Q. 3. These are all excellent things if we were sure that they were not deceived nor did deceive But how shall we be sure of that A. It s one thing to ask How they themselves were sure that they were not deceived and another thing to ask How we are or others may be sure of it As to the first they were sure as men are of other things which they see hear feel and think I am sure by sense and intellectual Preception that I see the light that I hear feel think c. The Revelation cometh to the person in its own convincing Evidence as Light doth to the Eye Q. 4. They know what they see hear feel but how were they sure that it was of God and not by some deceiving Cause A. 1. God himself gave them the Evidence of this also in the Revelation that it was from him and no deceit But it is no more possible for any of us that never had such a Revelation our selves to know sensibly and formally what it is and how they knew it than it is for a man born blind to know how other men see or what seeing is 2. But moreover they also were sure that it was of God by the proofs by which they make us sure of it And this leads us up to the other question Q. 5. And a question of unspeakable moment it is How we can be sure of such prophetical Revelations delivered to us by others viz That they were not deceived nor deceive us A. It is of exceeding consequence indeed and therefore deserveth to be understandingly considered and handled And here you must first consider the difference of Revelation Some were but made or sent by Prophets to some particular Persons about a personal particular business as to Abraham that he should have a Son that Sodom should be burnt to David that his Son should be his punishment his child die to Hezekiah that he should recover c. These none were bound to know and believe but the persons concerned to whom they were revealed and sent Till they were made publick afterwards But some Revelations were made for whole Countreys and some for all the World and that as Gods Laws or Covenants which Life and Death dependeth on And these must be accordingly made known