in any such exercise of religion for the end and purpose of pleasing God and getting grace from him with respect of conscience to him as esteeming that he must and will have it so or else the service shall not be well-pleasing and acceptable to him this is a part of worship or of divine Service For example a man brought an Ox or a Ramme a Lamb or such like thing and presented it to the Priest he did offer it unto God and that directly with intention of exercising obedience and faith to God Likewise this Offering was to be made by a certain person in a certain place at a certain time with certain Garments and Rites So all those observations became parts of this worship for in these also the intention of the doer was directly carried to God hoping and purposing by them to please God and exercise faith and obedience and other graces as well and as much as by the very offering it self and accounting the service not to be acceptable to God without them The things commanded here are of two sorts 1. For the performance of divine service 2. For the preservation and continuance thereof For the right performance of divine worship some things are to be looked unto for the substance and circumstances of it For the substance of worship also some things are required for the Matter of it Manner of it For the Matter some things are required for 1. The Object of the service 2. The Subject of it that is the kindes and parts of it For the Object two things are required 1. That it be to the true God alone 2. For the parts that they be such as are prescribe and appointed by the true God For the Object it must be only the true God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the maker of Heaven and Earth the Sonne of God our blessed Saviour and Mediatour the blessed Spirit our sanctifier which God hath manifested himself to us in the Scriptures to him and him only must we tender our worship which is so essential to worship that it cannot be true unlesse it be appropriated unto him according to the words of the Law repeated by our Saviour saying Thou shalt bown down to the Lord thy God and him alone that exclusive and confining particle our Saviour addeth by way of interpretation Shalt thou serve or worship for so that word which in the original is Thou shalt serve Christ rendereth Thou shalt worship And great cause that he alone should be worshipped who alone is worthy of worship Seeing this worship is a solemn acknowledgement of his Deity we testifie that we esteem him the onely true God upon whom we depend and to whom we give our selves as servants Secondly This true God must be the object of our worship purely and by a clear work of the understanding conceived of in his Attributes and Properties not represented to the eye or any way pictured forth or imagined under any visible or sensible form or representation because there is no possibility of resembling him to the life by any similitude that any man or creature can invent or frame yea all resemblances fall so farre short of his perfection that it will prove an imbasing of our conceits concerning him to attempt any such resemblance and therefore Deut. 4. 2. is expresse telling Israel that they heard a voice alone in the time that God came amongst them to deliver the Law and saw no manner of Image or likenesse and therefore they ought not to corrupt themselves by making any Image or Representation God is not a body but a Spirit and Essence a Spirit whose being is every way above all that all creatures can attain and reach to proportionably to the excellency thereof by the most deep contemplation of their minde And therefore also the Prophets do cry out against the picturing of God or worshipping him under any such form or picture saying Whereunto will ye liken me What similitude will ye make of me Isa. 48. 18. The way to cure this evil 1. Purge your hearts more and more from carnal affections Psalm 17. 15. Matth. 5. 8. 2. Beg the assistance of the holy Ghost to raise your apprehensions of the Divine Essence 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. The Spirit gives us light and makes it powerfull to change the heart 3. Be much in the study of the Scriptures they are the image of Christ and he is the image of God 2 Cor. 3. 18. 4. 4. 4. Be obedient to divine institutions God knows what worship is best for himself Col. 2. 23 Obedience to Gods will keeps up the repute of his Essence See 2 Sam. 6. 6. Nihil adeo offendit hominum mentes ac simplicitas Divinorum operum Tertul. 5. Consider your experiences of grace Exod. 15. 11. Mic. 7. 17. Luk. 1. 46. 6. Often view God in his stupendious works Psal. 104 observe the bounding of the Sea the hanging of the earth upon nothing Iob 26. 7. the beauty and motion of the heavens the order of all the creatures Hosea 2. latter end See Psal. 40. 18. 7. When you make use of sensitive things to increase your knowledge of God you must proceed by way of negation and argument and not by representation See Isa. 45. 15. 8. Labour to get a more perfect and clear notion of God follow on to know the Lord Hos. 6. 3. Heaven consists much in the vision of God For the parts of worship it is required that they be all prescribed unto us by the written word of God that he may not have cause to except against us saying Who required these things at your hands For seeing we do them to him we must from him know whether they will be acceptable unto him yea or no. His own will is the right rule of his own worship what is not conformable to the rule cannot be true worship Wherefore the Lord chargeth Israel that they should not adde any thing to the thing by him prescribed but keep themselves strictly to his appointment doing alone that very thing which he required without swerving to the right hand or to the left Deut. 4. 2. Iosh. 1. 7. Prov. 30. 2. If God had left us without a patern in the wayes of his worship we should have wandered in incertainties the Heathens by the light of nature knew that there was a God and that he was to be worshipped yet they did but grope after him because they wanted a rule of worship Humane inventions in matters of worship have been brought in 1. By Satan he knows 1. That they take away the glory of worship that only is excellent which it plenum sui 2. That they take away the Majesty and Authority of it God shews no such Majesty any where as in his Ordinances but in heaven Revel 4. 2. 3. That they take away the power of Ordinances Matth. 15. 6. all the power of Ordinances consists in Gods presence in them
free gathering of Churches I would wish such to weigh well what M. Baxter hath in his Christian Concord pag. 34. to 4â— For the judgement of divers Reformed Divines holding the Pope to be Antichrist see Vigniers Preface to that excellent Book of his entituled Theatre De L'Antichrist and M. Prinns Canterburian Doom p. 277 278 279. if that be true which I heard from the Professour of Divinity in the University out of the Pulpit Bellarmine saith That since that Doctrine prevailed amongst us that the Pope was Antichrist that they have been of the losing hand I wonder then why some of our Divines should speak and write so warily that way I might adde divers things to that I speak there of the Iesuites and Monks The Dominicans come nearer us then the Fraciscans Friar Francis is highly commended by the Papists for three notable acts First For gathering Worms out of the way Secondly For calling all manner of beasts as Worms and Asses his Brethren Thirdly For taking lice off beggars and putting them on himself yea into his own bosom See Lewis Owens running Register his unmasking of all Popish Monks and Iesuites and also his Speculum Jesuiticum In the seventh Book I speak of Our Union with Christ and the special Benefits by him Adoption John 1. 12. Iustification Act. 13. 38 39. Sanctification 1 Thess. 4. 1. Col. 2. 13. Rom. 12. 9. to the end 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6 7. Gal. 5. 22 23 24. Ephes. 6. 14. to 19. Philippians 4. 4. to the 9. In the eighth of the Ordinances where I shew the need of them for the ablest Christians here and maintain the several Ordinances For that of Baptism Why should the Priviledge of Infants under the Gospel be straighter then it was under the Law Or actual Faith be more required in all that are to be baptized then it was in those that were to be circumcised when Cirlumcision as well as our Baptism was a Sacrament of Admission into the Church and a Sign and Seal of the righteousnesse of Faith Rom. 4. 11. In the ninth Book I speak of the Decalogue where I acknowledge I have received much help from a Manuscript of M. Wheatleys for the four first Commandments and of M. Bals for the first See M. Caudries second part of the Sabbath In the last I treat of Glorification Mat. 25. 46. 2 Cor. 5. 10. See an excellent Sermon of Master Thomas Goodwins of this Argument stiled The Happinesse of the Saints in Glory on Rom. 8. 18. I have not only gone over the several Heads of Positive Divinity but I have likewise handled many if not most of the chief Controversies betwixt Us and the Papists the Arminians Socinians and also discussed several things about Church-Government to make it more full and generally usefull to settle men in the main Truths It is reported of David Paraeus That his labour was bestowed in polishing the body of Christian Doctrine collected by Zachary Ursine and that he desired not to die till he had finished that task but when he had concluded it he joyfully uttered these words Now Lord suffer thy servant to depart in peace because I have done that which I desired I have cause to bless God as for that good esteem which my other Labours have generally found amongst both learned and pious Christians so for enabling me to accomplish this great work Some may perhaps blame me for gleaning some notions from such as I hear as well as from the Authors I reade To that I might say Habes confitentem sed non reum I know no such guilt in it if I do make use sometimes of some special Observations I hear from the Pulpit though I hear often the same things from several persons Some hold that a mans Sermon is no longer his own when he hath preached it and I think the ears as well as the eyes are senses of Discipline Besides many Divines and some Rabbies though I had but harsh language from one Divine have acknowledged themselves beholding to me for my Labours therefore I hope none will grudge if I do likewise benefit my self and also others by my Collections in that kinde I pray God to guide us all in the truth and to preserve us from Apostasie in these declining dayes Thy hearty Well-willer EDWARD LEIGH Imprimatur Iune 15th 1653 EDMUND CALAMY PROLEGOMENA Hebrews VI. I. THe Apostle chides the Hebrews in the former Chapter for their ignorance and uncapablenesse of Divine Mysteries from vers 11. to the end He tels them they were dull of hearing and that their ignorance was affected they might for their time and means have been teachers and yet now they must be taught and which is strange the very principles of the word of God Here in the beginning of this Chapter he earnestly exhorts them to increase both in knowledge and obedience Leaving The Apostle alludes to men running a race they leave one place and go on forward we must leave the principles of Religion that is not stick there but passe on to a greater perfection The Apostle hath reference to the Schools of the Iews where he was trained up there were two sorts of Schollers 1. Punies or petties 2. Proficients Perfectists Six Principles are named as so many Heads and Common-places of the ancient Catechism not but that there were many other necessary principles yet they might be reduced to these 1. Two main duties that is 1. The Doctrine of Repentance from dead works that every man is dead in sinne by nature and therefore had need to repent 2. The Doctrine of Faith in God in his Nature as manifested in the Word and revealed in Christ. 2. Two means 1. The Doctrine of Baptisms by which in the Plural Number he means both the Sacraments and also the inward Baptism of Christ and that outward Baptism of Iohn that is to say of the Minister though some referre it to the set times of Baptism 2. The Imposition or laying on of hands that is by a Trope or borrowed speech the Ministery of the Church upon the which hands were laid not the Sacrament of Confirmation as à Laâ—ide expounds it So Cartwright in his Harmony See M. Gillespies Miscel. cap. 3. pag. 47 48. and M. Cartw. Rejoynd p. 278. 3. Two Benefits Resurrection of the dead that the same numerical body shall arise again that it dies not with the body and eternal judgement so called metonymically because in that Judgement sentence shall be given concerning their eternal state either in weal or woe Vide Grot. in Matth. 26. 45. Not laying again the foundations Three things are required in a foundation 1. That it be the first thing in the building 2. That it bear up all the other parts of the building 3. That it be firm and immoveable Simply and absolutely in respect of all times persons and things Christ only is the foundation upon which the spiritual building of the Church is
God 2. Epicurism scoffing at Divinity 3. Heresie depraving and corrupting Divinity VI. The Excellency of Divine Knowledge or the study of Divinity appeareth in these particulars 1. In the subject Matter of it which is Divine either in its own Nature as God and Christ Psal. 70. 7. Ioh. 5. 46. or in relation to him as the Scripture Sacraments It is called The wisdom of God Prov. 2. 10. 3. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. and That wisdom which is from above Jam. 3. 17. If to know the nature of an Herb or the Sun and Stars be excellent how much more to know the Nature of God Aristotle held it a great matter to know but a little concerning the first mover and Intelligences Paul desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. that is he professed no other knowledge Si Christum discis satis est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si cetera discis In this Mystery of Christ God is revealed in the highest and most glorious way 2 Cor. 4. 6. there is more wisdom holinesse power justice discovered in the Mystery of the Gospel then was known before to men and Angels Christ is the summe of all divine revealed truths Luk. 24. 27. Acts 10. 43. Here is the onely knowledge which is necessary to make the man of God perfect Col. 2. 3. The Metaphysicks handle not things properly divinely revealed but that which the Philosophers by the light of nature judged to be Divine 2. In the End The principal and main end of Divinity is the glory of God that is the Celebration or setting forth of Gods infinite Excellency the secondary end is mans blessednesse Iohn 17. 3. 3. In the Certainty of it Gods Word is said to be sure and like Gold seven times refined there is no drosse of falshood in it The Academicks thought every thing so uncertain that they doubted of all things 4. In the Cause of it These truths are such as cannot be known but by Gods revealing them to us All Scripture was given by Divine Inspiration Flesh and bloud hath nor revealed this unto thee a humane light is enough to know other things 5. In the Holinesse of it Psal. 19. 5. By them thy servant is fore-warned 1 Tim. 3. 15. The word of God is able to make us wise to Salvation and to furnish to every good work Christ makes this a cause of the errour and wickednesse in mans life that they do not read and understand the Scriptures 6. In the Delight and Sweetnesse of it Iob 23. 12. preferred the Word of God before his food David before thousands of Gold and Silver before the honey and the honey-comb Psal. 19. 10. 119. 103. and when he ceaseth to compare he beginneth to admire Wanderfull are thy Testimonies Archimedes took great delight in the Mathematicks Augustine refused to take delight in Tullies Hortensius because the name of Jesus Christ was not there Nomen Iesu non erat ibi He saiâ—â— in his Confessions Sacrae Scripturae tuae sunt sanctae deliciae meae 7. In the Excellency of the Students of it 1. The Saints of God in the Old Testament the Patriarks and Prophets 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. 2. The Saints of God in the New Testament Matth. 11. 25. Col. 1. 27. 3. It is the study of the Angels and Saints of God sn heaven 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 10. 1. The natural knowledge and enquiry of the Angels could never have discovered to them the Mystery of Christ in the Gospel 2. They know it by the Church that is saith Oecumenius by the several dispensations of God to his people under the Gospel 8. In that the Devil and Hereticks oppose it The Papists would not have the Bible translated nor Divine Service performed in the vulgar tongue CHAP. II. Of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures TWo things are to be considered in Divinity First The Rule of it the Scripture or Word of God Secondly The Matter of Parts of it concerning God and man Principium essendi in Divinity is God the first Essence Principium cognoscendi the Scripture by which we know God and all things concerning him I shall handle both these principles but begin with the Scripture as many Systematical Writers do IT is necessary that the true Religion have a rule whereby it may be squared else there could be no certainty in it but there would be as many Religions as men It appears by the light of nature the Heathen had known rules for their Rites Ceremonies and Services the Turks have their Alcoran the Iews their Talmud the Papists their Decretals every Art hath its Rule neither can any thing be a Duty which hath not a Rule There are three general Characters whereby we may know any Word to be the Word of God and a Religion to be the true Religion 1. That which doth most set forth the glory of God 2. That which doth direct us to a rule which is a perfect rule of holinesse toward God and righteousnesse toward man 3. That which shews a way sutable to Gods glory and mens necessity to reconcile us to God The word of God sets forth Gods glory in all the perfections and is a compleat rule of holinesse to God and righteousnesse to men All the wisdom of the world cannot shew what is more sutable to the glory of God and the nature of man to reconcile God and men then for him that is God and man to do it God revealed himself divers wayes to the Fathers Heb. 1. 1. The manner of revealing Gods will is three-fold according to our three instruments of conceiving viz. Understanding Phantasie and Senses to the understanding God revealed his Will by engraving it in the heart with his own finger Ier. 31. 33. by Divine inspiration 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Chron. 15. 1. Heb. 8. 11. Iohn 14. 26. and by intellectual Visions Numb 11. 5. to the phantasie God revealed his Will by imaginary Visions to Prophets awake and by dreams to Prophets asleep Gen. 40. 8. 41. 8 9. Acts 16. 10. 10. 3. Numb 14. 4. to the Senses God revealed his Will and that either by Vision to the Eye or lively Voice to the Ear Gen. 3. 9. 4. 6. 15. 4 5. Exod. 20. 1 2. 3. 1 2 3. 33. 17. And lastly by writing This Revelation was sometimes immediate by God himself after an unspeakable manner or by means viz. Angels Urim and Thummim Prophets Christ himself and his Apostles The written Word for the Matter contained in it is called The word of God Rom. 9 6 for the manner of Record The Scripture John 10. 35. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 6. or Scriptures Matth. 22. 29. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 16. By an Antonomasie or an excellency of phrase as the most worthy writings that ever saw the light sometimes with an
not only the delineation and constitution of things created but also the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Gospel long since propounded to the Jews and so propounded as they could not but hear because it was published openly to all the whole world by the mystery of the holy Apostles out of the predictions of the Prophets Paul interprets the comparison propounded by the Prophet and teacheth That as certainly as the lines of heaven run forth into all the earth so certainly in these last times the Doctrine of the Gospel came forth into all the earth by the Apostles preaching and therefore the Apostle did not rashly change the word of the Prophet because the Hebrew Text in the Prophet was corrupt but purposely in stead of delineation the Apostle put in sonus having respect to the present accomplishment of the promise whereby God had fore-told that all the Gentiles should be converted to the communion of the Gospel and to this end he did foreshew that he would give unto them Preachers Coton urgeth two other places to shew that the Hebrew Text is corrupted Mat. 2. 23. and Mat. 27. Object Mat. 2. 23. He shall be called a Nazarene is no where found though the Evangelist say that it is written therefore it followeth saith he that the Hebrew original which we have is imperfect Answ. Saint Ierom saith That this place was objected to him above a hundred times and that he hath as often answered it viz. That if the Hebrew be imperfect having no such passage then is also that of the Septuagint and the Vulgar so that the Objection is not against the Hebrew but against the Scripture in what language soever it be Maldonat after he had well weighed divers opinions holds that of Ieroms for the most sure which is to draw Nazarene from Netzer a branch Isa. 11. 1. Iunius in his Parallels Piscator Dr Taylor Mr Dod go the same way Chrysostom and Theophylact because they cannot undo this knot cut it thus saying that many of the Books of the Prophets are lost Bucer thinketh that place Iud. 15. 5. is here noted Samson being a Redeemer as he was a figure of Christ and the Book of the Iudges was composed by divers Prophets Calvin Marlorat Beza Scultetus and Mr Perkins seem to encline to this opinion The last large Annotations mention both these Interpretations but adhere rather to the former Object The second place urged by Coton to prove the corruption of the Hebrew is Matth. 27. 9. The Evangelist cites Ieremiah for that which is to be found only in Zachary Answ. Iunius in his Parallels and Dr Taylor on the temptation bring six answers to reconcile these places 1. Some say it joyns together both one place in Ieremiah Chap. 18. 1 2 3. and that of Zachary but there is little or no agreement between them 2. Some say that it is not in Ieremiahs writings which are Canonical but in some Apocryphal Writings of Ieremiah which the Jews had and which Chrysostom confesseth he saw wherein these words were but it is not likely that the holy Evangelist would leave a Canonical Text and cite an Apocryphal or give such credit to it or seek to build our faith upon it and by our rule that Book should be Canonical which is cited by Christ or his Apostles 3. Some say that Matthew forgat and for Zaechary put down Ieremiah so Augustine and Erasmus but with more forgetfulnesse for holy men wrote as they were moved by Gods Spirit 4. Some think it the errour of heedless Writers who might easily so erre but all the oldest Copies and the most Ancient Fathers have the name of Ieremiah 5. Some say that Zachariah being instructed and trained up with Ieremiah did deliver it by tradition from Ieremiah and so Ieremiah spake it by Zachariah which might be true because it is said in the Text As was spoken by Ieremiah not written But sixthly the most compendious and likely way of reconciling is this that Zachariah and Ieremiah was the same man having two names which was very usual among the Jews as Salomon was called Iedidiah Iehoiachim Ieconias and Coniah Simon Peter Cephas and Bariona Matthew Levi. So far Iunius and D. Taylor See M. Robert Baily on Zach. 3. 1. p. 11. and last large Annotat. The best of the Popish Writers cannot deny but that the name Ieremiah the Prophet is put for Zachary either through the negligence of the Scribes or else it was inserted into the Text out of the Margent the Evangelist saying no more But that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet as both Iansenius and Maldonat◠in loc do confesse Chamier distinguisheth of a two fold depravation one of Interpretation herein we excuse not nor defend the Jews Second of the letter herein they are to be patroniz'd against the Papists who thorow their sides strike at the very Scriptures and labour to overthrow their Authority The Hebrew Edition then notwithstanding these and such like frivolous Objections is sincere and uncorrupt and if any errors crept in through negligence or ignorance of the Pen-men which copied out the Books yet Bellarmine himself granteth they are of no great moment In matters pertaining to faith and manners saith he there is nothing wanting in the integrity of the Scriptures Vide Capel Critica Sac. l. 6. c. 2. Haud negare ausim temporum injuria descriptorum incuria errata quaedam sphalmata in textum Hebraeum irrepsisse Amama Antibarb Bibl. lib. 1. c. 1. What reasons can the Jesuites alledge why the Hebrew and the Greek which kept their integrity four hundred years together after Christ amidst as bitter Enemies as ever they had as troublesome and tempestuous times as ever were since should after in time of lesse danger and greater quiet lose not their beauty only but their chastity also And we marvel that the Jesuites are not afraid to suffer this blot to fall upon their Popish government which boasteth and saith It is the pillar of truth and yet hath had no better care to preserve the truth Objections of the Papists against the Purity of the Greek Text in the New Testament Object They instance in Rom. 12. 11. to be corrupt the Greek hath serving the time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for serving the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ. Many of the ancient Greek Copies and Scholiasts have also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Salmeron the Jesuite confesseth Serving the Lord and it appeareth in the Syriack Translation and who seeth not that it might rather be an oversight of the writer taking one word for another rather then a fault in the Text and the cause of the mistake saith Beza was the short writing of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was taken by some for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas they should have taken it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we should admit the other reading we
when ye become men ye must put away these childish things Blow at the Root p. 82 83. The expresse testimonies of Scripture forbidding even Angels to adde any thing to those things which are commanded by the Lord do prove the perfection of the Scripture Deut. 4. 5 12. and 12. 32. and 30. 10. and 5. 12 13 14. and 28. 58. Ioshua 1. 7 8. Prov. 30. 5. wherefore the Apostle commands That no man presume above that which is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. Divers reasons may be drawn from this last place to prove the perfection of the Scripture 1. The Apostle teacheth That the Scriptures are able to make a man wise to salvation therefore there needeth no further counsel nor direction thereunto but out of the Scriptures 2. The Scriptures are able to make the man of God that is the Minister of the Word perfect and compleat unto every work of his Ministery whether it be by teaching true Doctrine or confuting false by exhorting and putting forward to that which is good or dehorting from that which is evil Paul would not have us think that all and every writing viz. of Plato Aristotle is divinely inspired for in ver 15. he not only useth the plural number calling them the holy writings thereby to note the word of God and not one sentence or Book but all the sentences and Books of the Scripture and also useth the Article which hath force of an universal note therefore the Greek words the whole Scripture signifieth the whole altogether and not every part severally in this place 2. No one part of holy Scripture is able to make the Minister perfect therefore it must needs be understood of the whole body of holy Scripture wherein this sufficiency is to be found The Ancient Fathers and other Divines have from this place proved the perfection and sufficiency of the Scripture in all things necessary to salvation We do not reason thus as the Papists charge us it is profitable therefore it is sufficient but because 1. The Scripture is profitable for all these ends viz. to teach sound Doctrine to refute false opinions to instruct in holy life and correct ill manners therefore it is sufficient or it is profitable to all those functions of the Ministery that a Minister of the Church may be perfect therefore much more for the people Argumentum non nititur unica illa voce utilis sed toto sententiae complexu Chamierus Hitherto of the perfection of the Scripture absolutely considered now follows the sufficiency thereof in opposition to unwritten traditions or verities as the Papists speak D Davenant premiseth these things for the better understanding of the sufficiency of the Scripture 1. We speak of the state of the Church saith he in which God hath ceased to speak to men by the Prophets or Apostles divinely inspired and to lay open new Revelations to his Church 2. We grant that the Apostles living and preaching and the Canon of the New Testament being not yet sealed their Gospel delivered Viva Voce was no lesse a rule of Faith and Worship then the writings of Moses and the Prophets 3. We do not reject all the traditions of the Church for we embrace certain Historical and Ceremonial ones but we deny that opinions of faith or precepts of worship can be confirmed by unwritten traditions 4. We call that an opinion of Faith to speak properly and strictly when a Proposition is revealed by God which exceeds the capacity of nature and is propounded to be believed as necessary to be known to Salvation Fundamentall opinions are those which by a usuall and proper name are called Articles of Faith 5. What is not in respect of the Matter an Article of Faith may be a Proposition to be believed with a Theological Faith if you look to the manner of revealing as that the Sun is a great light the Moon a lesse Gen. 1. 16. that Rachel was beautifull Leah blear-eyed The Papists do not cease to accuse the Scripture of imperfection and insufficiency as not containing all things necessary to salvation The Councel of Trent Sess. 4. decret 1. saith That the Truth and Discipline is contained in libris scriptis sine scripto traditionibus The Papists generally divide the word of God into the word written and traditions They affirm that there are many things belonging to Christian faith which are neither contained in the Scriptures openly nor secretly This opinion is maintained by the Papists but it was not first invented by them The Jewish Fathers did use the traditions of the Elders and it hath been said of old Mark 75. Matth. 5. 21. for their errors and superstitions yea at length they affirmed that God gave to Moses in Mount Sinai the Scripture and the Cabala or a double Law the one written the other unwritten The Tridentin Fathers Sâ—s 4. do command Traditions to be received with the same reverend affection and piety with which we imbrace the Scripture and because one Bishop in the Councel of Trent refused this he was excluded In the mean space they explain not what those Traditions are which must be so regarded none of them would ever give us a List and Catalogue of those Ordinances which are to be defended by the authority of unwritten Traditions not of the Word committed to writing onely they affirm in general whatsoever they teach or do which is not in the Scripture that it is to be put into the number of Traditions unwritten The cause of it self is manifest That at their pleasure they might thrust what they would upon the Church under the name of Traditions Vide Whitak de Script contro Quaest. 6. c. 5. See also Moulins Buckler of Faith p. 51. Lindan the Papist was not ashamed to say That it had been better for the Church if there had been no Scripture at all but onely Traditions For saith he we may do well enough with Traditions though we had no Scripture but could not do well enough with Scripture though we had no Traditions Baldwin saith a Testament may be either Scriptum or Nuncupativum set down in writing or uttered by word of mouth But a Nuncupative Testament or Will made by word of mouth without writing must be proved by solemn witnesses The solemn witnesses of Christs Testament are the Prophets and Apostles Let Papists if they can prove by them that part of the Testament of Christ is unwritten Any indifferent Reader will conceive that the Scriptures make most for them who stand most for their Authority and perfection as all the reformed Divines do not only affirming but also confirming that the Scripture is not only a most perfect but the onely infallible rule of faith Titus 1. 2. Rom. 3. 4. God cannot lie and Let God be true and every man a lier that is subject to errour and falshood Every Article of Divine Faith must have a certain and
Scripture of the New Testament and therefore the whole body of Scriptures which the Christians now have shall be Light Secondly That place Psal. 119. 130. doth not speak of the Precepts alone Of thy words by which is signified the whole Scripture in Psal. 19. David speaketh of the word of God in general which he adorneth with many Titles The Law or Doctrine of the Lord The Testimony of the Lord The Statutes of the Lord The Precepts of the Lord The Fear of the Lord It is so called Metonymically because it teacheth us the Fear and Reverence of the Lord he saith this Doctrine is perfect converts the soul and makes wise the simple therefore he understands the whole Scripture the teacher of true and perfect wisdom 2. It is called a light because it hath light in it self and because it illightneth others unless they be quite blinde or willingly turn away their eyes from this light Thirdly If the Commandments be easie the rest of the Scriptures is likewise as the Prophets and historical Books being but Commentaries and Expositions of the Decalogue That evasion of the Papists will not serve their turns That the Scripture is a Light in it self but not Quoad nos as if the Scripture were a light under a Bushell for that the Scipture is Light effectivè as well as formaliter appears by the addition Giving understanding to the simple It was a smart answer which a witty and learned Minister of the Reformed Church of Paris gave to a Lady of suspected Chastity and now revolted when she pretended the hardnesse of the Scripture why said he Madam what can be more plain then Thou shalt not commit Adultery The Scriptures and Reasons answered which the Papists bring for the obscurity of the Scripture Object 2 Pet 3. 16. Peter saith there That in the Epistles of Paul there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned aend unstable wrest as they doe also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Answ. First Peter restraineth the difficulty of Pauls writings to that point himself then wrote of touching the end of the world therefore it is unreasonable that for one hard point in the Epistles the people should be debarred the reading of all the rest Secondly Even in that point he affirmeth That some things only are hard and not all Thirdly The understanding of the Scriptures dependeth not principally on the sharpnesse of mens wits for their learning but on the Spirit of God which is given to the simple that humbly seek it by Prayer therefore though the whole Scripture were hard to be understood yet that is no good cause to bereave the people of God from reading of his Word Fourthly Peter assigning the true cause of errour and abuse of the Scripture to be the unstability and unleardnesse of such as deal with them cannot thereby be understood to speak that of the body of the Church and of the people Laurentius in his Book intituled S. Apostolus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est explicatio locorum difficilium in Epistolis Paulinis reckons up fourty hard places in Pauls Epistles Rom. 1. 19 20 28. and 2. 12 13 14 15. and 4 5. and 5 6 12 13 14 15 20. and 7. 9 14 and 8. 3 4 19 20 21 22. and 9. 3 11 12 13 18. and 11. 25 26. 1 Cor. 2. 15. 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. 1 Cor. 4. 9. and 5. 11. and 6. 2 3. 1 Cor. 7. 1 7 10 11 12 13 14 15. 1 Cor. 11. 7 10. and 15. 29 51. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. and 3. 6 15 16. Galat. 1. 8. and 2. 14. and 3. 10. 1 Thess. 4. 15 16 17. 1 Tim. 1. 9. Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and 10. 26. They say the Scriptures are difficult also in the manner of writing as well as in the matter for which they alledge Psal. 119. 18. the Eunuch and Luk. 24. 45. also the divers expositions of old and new Writers The first place is directly against them for teaching that it is the gift of Gods holy Spirit obtained by Prayer to understand the Scripture the Spirit through Prayer being as well obtained by the simple as learned sort yea rather by them then the others it followeth that the reading of them belongeth to the simple as well as unto the learned The like answer serveth for the place of Luk. 24 45. for by that abuse of the place they may wring the reading of the Scriptures from all men even Ministers of the Word commanded to attend the reading of them since they of whom they say that they understood not the Scriptures were Ministers of the Word and that in the highest and most excellent degree of Ministery in the world which was the Apostleship The cause of want of understanding then was this the Spirit of God was not given because Christ was not glorified which can have now no place Besides that in saying they understood not the Scriptures concerning the suffering and glory of Christ it must needs be understood comparatively that they did not clearly particularly and sufficiently know them For that place Act 8. it is to be understood comparatively viz. That a man faithfull and already gained to the truth as this Eunuch was cannot understand the Scriptures by the bare reading of them so well and throughly as when he hath one to expound them The Lord which helped the endeavour of the Eunuch searching the Scriptures by sending of Philip will nâ—ver suffer those which seek him in careful reading of his Word to go away ashamed without finding that which they seek for in directing unto him some lawful and sufficient Ministery to instruct him by The Mystery of the Gospel then indeed fulfilled remained notwithstanding unpublished to the world by the Apostles which is now by their preaching and writings laid open and made more manifest The Eunuch which professed that he could not understand the Scripture without an Interpreter did notwithstanding busie himself in reading of it The multitude of Commentaries was not so necessary because the Scripture might have been understood without them although they deserve singular respect amongst all those that are desirous to understand the Scripture who write learned and elaborate Expositions on the Scripture That was a witty speech of Maldonates on Luk. 2. 34. Nescio an facilior hiâ— locus fuâ—sset si nemo eum exposuisset sed fecit multitudo varietas interpretationis ut difficilis videretur Secondly These Commentaries are publisht that the Scriptures may better and more easily be understood Thirdly The Papists confesse that the Articles of the Apostles Creed being necessary for all are easie Yet there are many Commentaries of the Ancients upon the Creed as Russinus Augustine Cyril Chrysostome Chrysologus and of Papists also Some Scriptures are hard for the matter which they handle as are the Books of Daniel Ezekiel Zachary or throng of much matter
indeed it was in some respect a false notion for they conceived them to be a certain kinde of petty Gods and did perform worship unto them the evil angels beguiling them and if there be evil angels there must needs be likewise good The Angels are diversly called in Scripture Spirits Psal. 104. 4. to express their nature and Angels to express their Office as Messengers sent from God They are called Sons of God Job 1. 6. 38 7. Yea Elohim Gods Psal. 8. Cherubims Gen. 3. 24. Ezek. 10. 1. from the form they appeared in viz. like youths Caph is a particle of similitude and Rabiah signifies a young man in Chaldee witness R. David But Ludov. de Dien in his Animadversions upon Mr. Medes Clavis Apocalyptica saith Hoc est puerile frivolum Seraphim Isa. 6. 2. Burning quasi accensi ardore justitiae divinae they execute those things which God commands when he sits in the Throne of his justice and according to it judgeth mankinde Not from their burning love toward God as some imagine Watchmen or the watchfull ones Dan. 4. 10. 13. being in heaven as a watch-tower and keeping the world Starres of the morning Job 38. 7. from their brightness of nature A flaming fire Psal. 104. 4. because God useth their help to destroy the wicked In the New Testament they are called Principalities for their excellency of nature and estate and Powers for their wonderfull force Reasons why God made Angels The will and power of God therefore they are because God saw it fit to make them yet two reasons may be rendred of this work 1. God saw it â—it to raise up our thoughts from meaner to more excellent creatures till we came to him First things say some were made which had no life then living things without fense as plants and trees then sensible then reasonable 2. It was convenient that every part and place of the world should be fill'd with inhabitants fit for the same as the air with birds the earth with beasts and men the sea with fishes and the heavens which we behold with stars and the highest Heavens with Angels God is the maker of Angels These glorious Creatures which shall have no end had a beginning as well as the silliest beast bird or fish and they are equally beholding nay more because they have received more excellent endowments unto God for their Being with the silliest worm And though Moses mentions not in particular either the act of creating them or the time yet St Paul saith that By him were all things made visible and invisible and it is evident by discourse of reason that the Angels were made by God That is too bold an assertion of Mr. Hobbes his in his Leviathan part 3. c. 34 Concerning the creation of Angels there is nothing delivered in the Scriptures See more there What can be meant but the Angels by Thrones and the words following Col. 1. 16. Vide Grotium in loc For either they must be made by God or some other maker or else they must be eternal for whatsoever is not made by some maker cannot be made at all and whatsoever is not at all made is eternal Now if the Angels were eternal then were they equal with God in self-being they might be called self-subsisting essences and so should be equal with God standing in no more need of him then he of them owing no more service homage and praise to him then he oweth to them and so they were Gods as well as he and then we should have multitude of Gods not only one God and so should not God be the first and best Essence there being so many others beside him as Good and Omniscient as he wherefore they must be made by some Maker because they cannot be Eternal and if made then either by themselves or some other thing besides themselves not by themselves because that implies an absolute contradiction and if by some other thing then by a better or worse thing not by a more mean for the lesse perfect cannot give being to a more perfect thing for then it should communicate more to the effect then it hath in it self any way which is impossible that any efficient cause should do not by any better thing then themselves for excepting the Divine Majesty which is the first and best there is no better thing then the Angels save the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ which could not be the Maker of them because they were created some thousands of years before the humanity was formed in the Virgins womb or united to the second person in Trinity We are not able to conceive of their Essence they are simple incorporeal Spiritual substances therefore incorruptible An Angel is a Spiritual created compleat substance indued with an understanding and will and excellent power of working An Angel is a substance 1. Spiritual that is void of all corporeal and sensible matter whence in Scripture Angels are called Spirits Psal. 104. 4. Heb. 1. 14. Therefore the bodies in which either good or evil Angels appeared were not natural to them but only assumed for a time and laid by when they pleased as a man doth his garments not substantial but aerial bodies they were not Essentially or personally but only locally united to them so that the body was moved but not quickned by them The Hebrew Greek and Latine words for Spirit signifie breath there is no more subtill being that we are acquainted with then breath being condensed by the cold indeed it may be seen The Angels good and bad are Spirits because 1. They are immaterial and incorporeal 2. Invisible 1 Tim. 1. 16. That was a foolish fancy of the disciples Luke 24. 37. If Christ had been a Spirit he could not have been seen 3. Impalpable Luke 24. 37. compared with vers 39. 4. Incorruptible and immortal they end not of themselves and no creature can destroy them God alone hath immortality 1 Tim. 6. 16. Origine in himself so as to communicate it to others 5. They are intellectual beings all understanding 6. Their spirituality appears in the subtilty of their moving It is a question whether they do transire ab extremo ad extremum without going through the middle parts yet they â—ove like lightening 7. In respect of their strength and power there is a great deal oâ—â—orce in a natural spirit extracted Isa. 31. 3. 2. Created By which name he is distinguished from the Creator who is an infinite Spirit Iohn 4. 24. Nihil de Deo creaturis univocè dicitur 3. Compleat By which an Angel is distinguished from the reasonable soul of man which also is a spiritual substance but incompleat because it is the essential part of man 4. Indued with 1. An understanding by which an Angel knoweth God and his works 2. A will by which he desireth or refuseth the things understood 3. An excellent power of working by which he effects what the
pardon Nullum peccatum est veniale dum placet sicut nullum mortale si verè displicet August Ambrosius saith All mortal sins are made venial by repentance Object Mat. 5. 22. There are two punishments lesse then hell fire Therefore all sins are not mortal Answ. That which our Saviour speaketh here of three several punishments is spoken by allusion to the proceeding in the Civil Courts in Iudaea and all that can be gathered from thence is but this That as there are differences of sins so there shall be of punishments hereafter 2. Maldonate the Jesuite ingeniously confesseth that by councel and judgement the eternal death of the soul is understood yet with this difference that a lesse degree of torment in hell is understood by the word Judgement then Councel and a lesse by Councel then by hell fire Object Mat. 5. 26. 7. 5. Luke 6. 41. 1 Cor. 3. 12. Some sins there are compared to very light things as hay stubble a mote a farthing Answ. 1. Some sins in comparison of others may be said to be light as a mote is little to a beam a farthing to a pound yet no sinne committed against God may be simply termed light or little Zech. 1. 5. being committed against an infinite God and having cost an infinite price 2. A mote if it be not taken out of the eye hindereth the sight so the least sinne hindereth grace and is sufficient to damn the soul. 3. Christ by the farthing Matth. 5. understands the last paiment of debt not sinne and the Apostle light and vain Doctrine by hay and stubble Purgatory is to cleanse men from their lesser sins but precious Doctrines or good works are there tried by fire Object James 1. 15. Sin When it is perfected brings forth death therefore not every sin not sin in every degree Answ. The Apostle there sets forth the method and order how sin comes to the height the word he useth for sin is of the feminine gender speaking of the conception and production of sin he saith Sin when it is finisht brings forth death actually the least sin merits death or the Apostle shews when death appears to us most not in its conception and production but when it is finisht Object Mat. 12. 36. He saith not we shall be condemned for every idle word but only that we shall be called to answer for it Answ. The same phrase is used concerning all kinde of sins yea those that are greatest and most grievous Object There is a mortal sin 1 Iohn 5. 16. therefore a venial sin Answ. He speaks of a mortal sinne not by nature or by merit but by event the event of which shall certainly be death and the person out of all hope of pardon Vide Bezam Of all words sin hath no diminutive not in any tongue known to us commonly only the Spaniard hath his Peccadillo a petty sin Dr Clark Sinnes considered in reference to the object are all great so Peccata sunt aequalia 2. The least sin that ever was committed had in it the whole nature of sin it is tam peccatum as truly sin as the greatest CHAP. VIII Of the Cause of Sinne. SIn properly is nothing formally subsisting or existing for then God should be the author of it but it is an ataxy or absence of goodnesse and uprightnesse in the thing that subsisteth Psal. 5. 4. 1 Iohn 2. 16. 1 Iohn 1. 5. Hab. 1. 13. Iob 34. 10. The Church of Rome slanders the Protestants and saith that they maintain God to be the cause of sin but we hold that the Devil and mans corrupt will are the cause of it Sin in man at first came from Satan Iohn 3. 8. 8. 44. Iohn 6. 17. Matth. 16. 23. the cause of sinne now man is fallen is from our selves Matth. 15. 19. God hath no hand in the acting and approving of sinne Rom. 3. 5. 9. 14. He is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity with approbation He is the wise permitter powerful disposer and eternal avenger of it God cannot sin or cause others to sin 1. Because his will is most holy and pure and the rule of perfection Isa. 6. He is holy in his Nature Actions he hath so confirmed his Angels in holinesse that they cannot sin 2. To sinne is to turn away from the chiefest and last end therefore he cannot sinne 3. God threatens sinners in his word and punisheth them therefore he allows it not 4. All deservedly hate the Manichees Marcionites and Libertines who would make that sacred and dreadful Majesty the cause of their detestable enormities therefore Bellarmine doth wickedly in imputing to Protestant Divines that which they detest with the greatest loathing That is a great Question in Divinity An Deus author peccati ex reformatorum placitis statuatur Four several kinds of power though not in yet over sinne may be ascribed to God a permissive desertive restrictive and disposing power First A permissive power else it could not be he may permit what he is not bound to hinder Secondly A desertive power it would not be if he withdrew not his grace sinne needs no efficient cause no more then darknesse Causa deficiens in moralibus efficiens Thirdly A restraining power there may be an act of restraining grace on the Devil Fourthly A disposing power whereby he disposeth and ordereth sinne to some excellent and good end his glory When God doth dispose or order the sin of any man 1. He doth not infuse this evil but use it 2. He useth it not as an evil or sin but as an instrument 3. He would not use it to such an end but that he is able to raise more good by it and to counterpoise all the evil in the action 4. God did not infuse malice into Iosephs brethren but made use of it rather to a sale then a murder he sent him before to save much people alive Gen. 45. 8. In the beginning of sin Gods will is exercised First By way of inhibition in giving a Law against it Secondly By way of permission leaying a lawlesse man to a lawlesse way In the progresse of sin God either hinders or over-rules it in the end he either punisheth or pardoneth it And all this without sin or the least blemish of sin For in the beginning of sin he sheweth his Wisdome In the progresse he sheweth his Power In the end he maketh manifest both his Justice and his Mercy Mr Wischart on the Lords Prayer Petit. 3. Those places Acts 2. 23. 2 Sam. 1. 43. besides a permission do expresse an active providence he is said to harden and deceive Gods permission is not otiosa but efficax permissio 1. God permits sin 2. Cooperates to the act as natural 3. Decreed it 4. As a just Judge he denieth grace 5. As the supream Judge he useth all these as instruments of his glory Papists and Arminians allow God no other power about sin but what is
room For the punishment of it see Iob 15 34. Fire shall devour the tabernacles of bribery meaning that God will not fail by some or other means to bring destruction upon those families that shall thus augment their estates For others 1. It doth make all that are rich bold to sin because they hope to bear it out 2. It makes rich men also bold to do wrong 3. It grieveth the heart and spirit of the innocent that is in low estate and makes him call to God to be his avenger 4. It overthroweth the throne Prov. 29. 5. It brings publick desolation It is lawfull to pacifie an angry foe with a gift so did Iacob but to hire and corrupt a Judge with a gift is unlawfull He cannot lawfully take therefore neither thou lawfully give seeing these two are mutual causes and effects and therefore can hardly be separated in their guiltinesse Cambises caused a bribing Judge to be flaid quick and laid his skin in his chair of judgement that all Judges which should give judgement afterward should sit in the same skin CHAP. XVI Of Carnal Confidence Covetousnesse Cruelty Cursing CARNAL CONFIDENCE COnfidence in generall is that affection of the soul whereby it rests it self in the expectation of any good from any thing Therefore carnal confidence is a vice whereby the heart of man rests it self in the looking for any good of any kinde from any thing but God alone He is carnally confident which promiseth himself any thing desirable as health deliverance out of trouble long life because he hath such or such outward means which he thinks are able to bring forth such safety unto him The Scripture cals it Making flesh our arm A man is said to make that his arm which he thinks himself strong and safe if he have and so he is said to make riches a strong tower in the same sense Men are prone to this sin of false confidence David trusted in his strong hill Asa in the Physicians The Israelites in Egypt for chariots and horses 1 Sam. 17. 45 46 47. Luke 12. 19. The grounds of it are 1. Ignorance of God whose strength and greatnesse together with his grace and goodnesse the minde apprehends not Psal. 9. 10. 2. Ignorance of these earthly things their weaknesse mutability and disability to help and comfort Isa. 28. 15. the Prophet brings in the leud men of his time flattering themselves and soothing up their own hearts with fair words and promising all safety to their own souls in derision and despight of all his threats If a plague come through the land it should not touch them by vanity and falshood they meant wealthy friends and outward support which the Prophet here cals by this name ironically This is a great evil 1. It is a denying of God Iob 3. 28. Trust is only due to him such a one sets up another God Ion. 2. 8. A covetous man is therefore called an idolater Ephes. 5. 5. and covetousnesse idolatry Col. 3. 5. 2. It is the ground of all our miscarriage in practice 1 Iohn 5. 3 4 5. The world is a great hinderance to our keeping the Commandments 3. It is the ground of all disquiet if you would live a happy life seek a fit object for your trust Psal. 30. 6 7. Psal. 112. 7. Expect all good things from God alone Abraham looked for a childe from God when nature failed him This confidence in God is shewed 1. By preferring his favour above all things 2. By making his name our refuge in all troubles 3. By using all good means and only good to get any good thing and that without carking and vexation 4. By comforting our selves in him when all means fail us 1 Sam. 30. 6. Signes of false confidence 1. The inordinate desire of any earthly thing What a man desires more then he should that he looks for some good by 2. Immoderate joy when he hath gotten it He that findes great joy in any thing doth therefore joy in it because he thinks he shall be better for it 3. Impatience in the absence of it Iob 13. 24 25. 4. To grow bold to do evil and carelesse of doing good in respect thereof The cure of carnal confidence 1. Consider how pernicious this vice is it withdraws the heart from the Lord Ier. 17. 5. and brings his curse on the soul and body 2. It makes one unable to use well that which he hath 3. Consider the weaknesse and uncertainty of all outward things 4. Meditate on those places Psal. 62. 10. 146. 3. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Covetousnesse Is an insatiable desire of having or an inordinate love of money Avarus quasi avidus aeris Isidor It lies in the heart but is reckoned by the Apostle among outward grosse sins because it is consummate by outward fordidnesse It is taken two wayes 1. For detaining or taking other mens goods in an unlawfull way and so it is opposed to justice Or 2. For an inordinate desire to get and hold though God call for it and it opposeth liberality The desire is inordinate 1. For the measure of it when it is vehement and strong seeing wealth is a thing of a base and contemptible nature not worthy any earnestnesse of desire 2. For the quantity of the object the summe of wealth desired if he suffer his desires to be carried after more then that which is sufficient for the providing of meat drink and cloth for himself and his in a comfortable sort affecting an overplus The proper end of riches is comfortable maintenance 3. For the end of ones desiring when it is to serve and set up himself and is not to fit himself to do God service and to profit mankinde Laban and Nabal whose names Anagramatize each other are examples of avarice It is a great and dangerous sin Isa. 57. 7. Hab. 2. 9. Col. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 8. 3. Prov. 15. 27. Ier. 22. 17. The same Prophet complains of the people in his time that From the least of them to the greatest of them they were all of them coveting covetousnesse as the words are that is given unto it did yeeld their hearts to a desire of gain which complaint also he renews ch 8. 18. and in both places alleadgeth it as a cause of great sins Ezek. 32. 31. The Lord so hates it that the godly should not company with such 1 Cor. 5. 11. In the body when the spleen swels all other parts decay and consume so when the heart swels with desire of riches all the graces of God consume and fade away When all other sins wax old this waxeth young in thee Reasons 1. From the causes of it 1. Ignorance of the goodnesse mercy power and excellency of God and of the faithfulnesse profitablenesse desirablenesse of things heavenly and spiritual He knows not God nor the worth of the graces of Gods Spirit nor the excellency of his heavenly Kingdome who is glewed unto these earthly
manhood from the stain of sin wherewith those are polluted which are begotten by carnal generation though the holy Ghost could as easily have sanctified the substance of a man as of a woman to frame of it the humane nature of Christ. 2. To shew the greatnesse of his love to man by transcending the course of nature for his restitution and that the making of the second Adam might no lesse commend the power of God then the making of the first for it is no more beyond the power of nature to produce a man of a Virgin then to frame a man of the dust of the earth This is a great mystery God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. The second person did assume humane nature to it so as these two make one person Iohn 1. 14. Rom. 1. 3. The second person I say for it is not proper to say that the Divine nature was made flesh but the second person though the second person have the Divine nature in him and is God For though God was made flesh yet it was not the Divine nature in all the persons that was incarnated but the very person of the Son subsisting in the Godhead The Schoolmen have divers curious questions 1. Whether it was convenient for God to be incarnate 2. Whether it was necessary for the repairing of mankinde that the Word should be Incarnate 3. Whether God should have been Incarnate if man had not sinned Aquinas part 3. quaest 1. Artic. 1 2 3. That Christ should have come although man had not sinned will scarce be made good The Scripture acknowledgeth no other cause of Christs coming in the flesh but to save sinners and redeem them who are under the Law and so subject to the curse Matth. 1. 21. 9. 13. 18. 11. Gal. 4. 5. Christ was born of a Virgin but such a one as was espoused to a man Luke 1. 27. and that for these reasons 1. To avoid the infamy and suspition of immodesty 2. That her Virginity might be the better evidenced viz. He bearing witnesse to whom it specially belonged to understand how things were and who was most worthy to be beleeved in that matter 3. That she might have a most intimate helper in bearing all other cares and troubles 4. To represent our spiritual conjunction with Christ for we are espoused to him and yet we ought to be virgins cleansed from all pollution both of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. see 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 14. 4. The place where Christ was born was Bethlehem which signifies a house of bread the best place for the Bread of life and in Ephratah a most fruitfull place In the year 3967. say some others say it is uncertain in what year In the 42 year of Augustus his reign For the moneth there is great difference also Epiphanius thinketh he was born in the 6th of Ianuary Beroldus at the middle of September Clemens Alexandrinus at the Spring-time Others at the 25th of December Scaliger objects that the winter time was not fit for a Master of a Family to undertake so long a journey with his wife to be taxed also that Shepherds are not wont in the night time to watch their flocks at that time of the year Vossius de Natali Iesu Christi Dr Drake in his Chronology gives probable grounds why Christ was not born in December but rather about August or September God of purpose concealed the time of Christs birth as he did the body of Moses as well foreseeing how it would have been abused to superstition had it been exactly known Interpreters indeed render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vigilare or excubare but it may be better translated sub dio agere It properly notes to live in the fields as the original of the word shews which agrees to the day-time as well as to the night In England saith Vossius we have travelled both before and after the Nativity of Christ. For the day of our Saviours Nativity it is not certain this was the day which we celebrate Some learned Divines gather from the computation of the time when the Angel saluted our Lords Mother being the sixth moneth Luke 1. 26. that this cannot be the day though 't is true the tradition is ancient Scultetus thus concludes the fourteenth Chapter of his Delit. Evang. Tacâ—nte Scriptura taccamus nos Christum servatorem in tempore natum adoremus et si in quo temporis puncto natus sit ignoramus A late Writer saith that opinion of the Romans is true which held that Christ was born on the 25 day of December and undertakes to demonstrate it As for the day saith scaliger Unius Dei est non hominis deâ—inire This Jesus of Nazareth perfect God and man is that Messiah promised of old What ever was said of the Messiah was accomplished by him and him alone The first Christians beleeved in him Luke 1. 68. Christ much instructed his Disciples in this great truth Luke 24. 25 26 27 44 verses The Apostles proved this great doctrine Acts 18. 24 27. 26. 22 23. 28. 23. Arguments that prove this Jesus to be the Messiah All the times of exhibiting the Messiah delivered in the old Testament are expired Acts 13. 32. See 1 Pet. 1. 10. The old Testament speaks of a twofold coming of Christ in a state of humility and glory The Jewish Rabbins could not reconcile these two the Talmudists distinguished of a twofold Messiah Ben-Israel or Ben-Ephraim and Ben-David The Prophets speak not of several persons but of several states of one person See Ezck. 37. 24. Gen 49. 10. The power of ruling and authority of judging is departed from Iudah and hath been a long time Therefore Shiloh the Messiah is come Hag. 26 7. 9. The outward glory of the first Temple was greater all the vessels of the first Temple were beaten gold Dan. 5. 2 3. of the second brasse but Christ honoured the second Temple by his own Presence Doctrine and Miraâ—les 〈…〉 Jews confesse that there were five things in which the latter Temple was inâ—â—â—â—â—ur to the former First Heavenly fire came down visibly on their Sacrifices They had the Ark of the Covenant The Cloud a witnesse of the Divine presence Urim and Thummim And lastly a succession of Prophets which the latter Temple wanted Rain in loc de lib. Apoc. tom 2. Praelect 134 135. Dan. 9. 24 26. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression That is The time that the Jews were to live in their own land and enjoy their own worship after their return out of Captivity We are wont to apply the seventh number to daies that a perfect week should comprehend seven full daies So Dan. 10. 2. Levit. 23. 15. The Prophecy cannot â—e understood in this common and usual manner so Seventy weeks rise but to Four hundred and ninety daies within
and obeying his voice cannot be without faith yet he may walk in darknes as in that place of Isaiah before quoted 2. The soul which hath the faith of adherence and wants that of evidence is in a justified condition many things have a reall being that have no visible appearing to us If one could not be justified but by faith of assurance then if one lose his assurance he loseth his justification 3. When faith of adherence hath attain'd to faith of assurance yet many times the assurance is lost Psal. 32. beg Psal. 51. 12. Christ on the Crosse had faith of adherence My God my God not clearnesse of evidence 4. When the soul hath lost the faith of evidence it cannot lose the faith of adherence the fire may be so smothered in ashes that there is no light yet it alwayes hath heat if there be fire Iob 15. 30. Psal. 44. 17. 5. The faith of adherence alwayes abiding and bringing the soul to heaven that soul though it want assurance is bound to praise God if thou wouldst be more thankfull for the faith of adherence the Lord would bring in strong consolation 6. Faith of adherence will certainly end in faith of evidence if thy soul have chosen Christ and thou wait for him thou shalt at last meet with him Faith layeth hold on the promise as being true affiance or hope expects the thing promised as being good B. Down of Justif. l. 6. c. 4. We beleeve things past present and to come but hope for things to come only We beleeve both promises and threatnings both rewards and punishments in the order set by God but hope onely for things desirable Robins Ess. Observ. 10. The end and great priviledge of faith is to bring us to everlasting life Heb. 11. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 9. Iohn 20. 31. Reasons 1. By faith we are made Sons Children 1 Iohn 3. 2. and so may expect a childes portion Faith makes us sons 1. In a juridical sense Iohn 1. 12. 2. In a moral and real sense 1 Pet. 1. 3. Secondly These are the terms of the eternal Covenant between God and Christ Iohn 3. 16. 6. 40. Heb. 9. 15. Thirdly It is the mother of obedience the way to be made happy is to be made holy Fourthly Faith begins the life which is perfected in glory 1 Iohn 5. 12. it anticipates heaven Rom. 5. 2. 8. 11. We should act faith in order to everlasting life First Accept Christ in the offers of the Gospel Acts 16. 32. Mark 16. 16. Col. 1. 21. Secondly Beleeve the great promises of heaven Heb. 11. 6. Consider 1. The riches of Gods mercy he will give like himself an infinite and eternal reward 2 Cor. 4. 17. 2. The sufficient merits of Christ Rom. 8. 32. Thirdly Get your own title confirmed 1 Tim. 6. 20. Fourthly Often renew your hope by serious and distinct thoughts Heb. 11. 1. Col. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 20. Fifthly Earnestly desire and long after a full accomplishment Rom. 8. 23. Faith is wrought by the Word Rom. 10. 14 15 17. Ephes. 1. 13. Acts 2. 41 47. 15. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 23. but besides the outward preaching there must be the Spirit within Intimus magister as Augustine cals him The word is but a moral cause or instrumenr whereby the Spirit worketh not necessarily but at pleasure 1 Cor. 3. 5. Faith is called the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. the work of God Iohn 6. 29. See Iohn 6. 44. Ephes. 1. 19 20. The Word can do nothing without the Spirit the Spirit can work without means as in children and those that cannot hear God convinceth a man of his sinne and misery and need of mercy Iohn 16. 9 10 11. Rom. 3. 20. and then shews him that there is mercy and salvation to be had in Christ that he is a mighty Saviour able to free him from all evil and that he is tendred to him in the Gospel Isa. 55. 1 2. Matth. 11. 28. Iohn 6. 37. Iohn 7. 37. Act. 3. 26 38 39. discovers the infinite love of Christ his excellencies and the benefits we shall enjoy by him The Anabaptists say That faith is given not by means of the Word but by illumination and immediate working of the Spirit The Arminians say that preaching of the Word is able to beget faith in a man and to turn him unto God without the inward working and teaching of the holy Ghost usually the Word and Spirit go together 2 Cor. 6. 1. The preaching of the Gospel is called the rod of his power Psal. 110. 2. Some pretend above others to magnifie the Spirit and to be all for the Spirit yet vilifie the Word which is the means whereby to obtain the Spirit Cornelius and them that were with him received the Spirit by the Word Acts 10. 44. 1 Thess. 5. 19 20. Gal. 3. 2. The Ministery of the Gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit Manasseh his conversion 2 Chron 33. 11 12. was wrought by means of affliction setting home upon his conscience that word of God mentioned in the verse immediately preceding Affliction doth not convert without the Word either going before or accompanying it Psal. 94 12 36. Iob 9. 10 11. Faith is an excellent grace 2 Pet. 1. 1. It is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. The gift of God the work of God by an excellency Iohn 6. 29. an effect of Gods almighty power Ephes. 1. 19. A sign of Gods electing love Acts 13. 48. called the faith of Gods elect Tit. 1. 1. Justifying saving faith First It is the only condition of the Covenant of grace and life Beleeve and thou shalt be saved Secondly The grace that matcheth us to Christ Ephes. 3. 17. Christ is the great remedium and faith the great medium Thirdly It brings us to near relation with God Iohn 1. 12. Fourthly It is the instrument of Justification Rom. 3. 22 25 26 28. Rom. 5. 1. by it the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed Rom. 4. 3 4 5 16 22 24. and our sins discharged Acts 13. 38. Fifthly It is the grace which pleadeth with God and challengeth him of his word Gen. 32. 12. in which thou hast caused me to trust and gives God in Christ all the glory in the great work of salvation by a Mediator 1. Faith quickens the soul Gal. 2. 20. 2. Sanctifies it Acts 15. 9. by it we conquer sinne Rom. 8. 17. 15. 1. the devil Eph. 6. 16. the world 1 Iohn 5. 4. 3. By it we obtain what ever good we stand in need of and God hath promised Be it unto thee according to thy faith 4. It carries away the good of all Ordinances in the Supper by it we have communion with God the Word profited not because not mixed with faith 5. It comforts in all troubles Hab. 2. 4. in desertions when God hides his face Isa. 8. 15. Iob 13. 13. By faith we stand by faith we live by faith we
in the Covenant Ier. 31. Heb. 8. The holy Ghost seldom names it without some high expression Psal. 51. Ephes. 1. Remission of sins and of which This Remission is both free and full Isa. 1. 43. Ezek. 25. 18 22. Heb. 8. 12. Manasseh Salomon Paul Mary Magdalen were great sinners yet pardoned God doth of his own free grace and mercy forgive us our sins Psal. 51. 1. Rom. 3. 24. Eph. 1. 7. 1 Ioh. 2. 12. The word remitting or forgiving implies that sinne is a debt or offence as Christ cals it in his form of Prayer God is said to forgive when he takes away the guilt and frees us from condemnation Isa. 44. 22. Secondly The inward cause in God which moves him to it is his grace for God might have left all mankinde under the power of their sins as he hath done the Devils Thirdly The outward meritorious cause is the bloud of Christ. Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews largely shews that it was the bloud of Christ typified by the Sacrifices that purgeth us from our sins by Christs merits Gods grace is obtained Fourthly The instrumental cause is faith Rom. 3. 25. 5. 1. not considered as a work but as an act of the soul receiving and applying Christ to us not going out to him as love doth for then it were a work Fifthly The immediate effect of it is Sanctification and the healing of our nature Rom. 8. 1. to be cleansed or washed from sin implies both the taking away the guilt of it and giving power against our corruptions For these six thousand years God hath been multiplying pardons and yet free grace is not tired and grown weary Our sins are covered Psal. 32. 1. as a loathsom sore cast into the Sea Micah 7. 19. as Pharaoh and the Aegyptians blotted out as a debt in a book Isa. 44. 22. Psal. 55. 1. Object We have forgivenesse of sins upon a price therefore we are not freely forgiven Answ. Forgivenesse of sins and Christs Satisfaction may well consist whatsoever it cost Christ it costs us nothing 1. It was infinite grace that God should ever intend to pardon a wretched sinner Ephes. 1. 6. 2. That he should give his Son for this and that this sinner should be pardoned and not another Object God will not forgive except we repent and beleeve Acts 2. 19. 10. 42. Answ. God promiseth forgivenesse to such only as repent and beleeve but they have forgivenesse meerly from the grace of God not from the worthinesse of their beleeving or repenting Hos. 14. 4 2. These graces are freely given them To you it is given to beleeve and God hath given repentance to the Gentiles To whom it appertains to remit sins The power of remitting sins belongs only to God I even I blot out thy transgressions Isa. 43. 25. that is true in the Gospel though not well applied Who can forgive sins but God only because it is an offence against him that you may know who hath power saith Christ to forgive sins I say unto thee Walk he only by his own power can forgive it who by his own power can remove any judgement the effect of sinne Ministers are said to remit sins Iohn 21. 23. but that is because they have a special Office to apply the promises of pardon to broken hearts See Luk 24 47. Acts 13. 38. The Ministery of Reconciliation is committed to them as to the Embassadours of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. An confessio auricularis sit necessaria ad remissionem peccatorum Whether auricular confession be necessary to the remission of sins The Church of Rome will have it necessary for every one to confesse unto a Priest all his deadly sins And such indeed are all whatsoever without the mercy of God in Christ Rom. 6. ult Gal. 3. 10. which by diligent examination he can finde out together with the severall circumstances whereby they are aggravated Nothing will suffice to procure one that is baptized remission of sins without this Confession either in re or in voto as Bellarmine doth expound it This is no small task which they impose upon the people of Christ Quid molestius quid onerosius saith Bellarmine therefore sure they had need to have good warrant for it especially being so peremptory as to Anathematize all which shall refuse to subscribe unto them No general Councel untill that of Laterane under Innocent the third about twelve hundred years after Christ decreed a necessity of auricular confession Erasmus ad Act. 19. affirmeth that it was not ordained by God nor yet practised in the ancient Church after Christ. The hinge of the Question is not concerning confession of sins in general unto a Minister but of particular sins neither whether we may but whether we ought necessarily purpose a manifestation of every known mortal sin and the grievous circumstances thereof or otherwise stand hopelesse of all remission of our sins B. Mort. Appeal l 13. c. 12. S. 1. There is no ground in Scripture for it but much against it in that the Scripture in many places sheweth it sufficient except in some cases to confesse unto God only Besides such Confession as Papists require viz. a particular enumeration of all mortal sins with their several aggravating circumstances is not possible and therfore not of divine Institution Cardinal Cajetane on Iam. 5. acknowledgeth Non agi de Sacramentali confessione That confession Matth. 3. 6. 1. Was not made of every one apart of every particular fault they had committed and secretly in St Iohns ear 2. The Greek word signifieth confession of known faults and overthroweth the recital of secret sins which ear-confession requireth 3. It is contrary to the nature of the meeting which was publick 4. To the nature of a Sacrament administred which being publick required a publick confession of mans corruption 5. This was but once and before baptism and not as the Papists have it here and before the Lords Supper Cartw. in loc The apprehension of the pardon of sin will sweeten every condition 1. Sicknesse Mat. 9. 2. 2. Reproach 2 Cor. 1. 12. 3. Imprisonment Rom. 8. 34. 4. It will comfort one in the remainders of corruption Rom. 8. 1. 5. Deadly dangers The Angel of God saith Paul stood by me this night whose I am and whom I serve 6. It will support us at the day of Judgement Act. 3. 19. Reasons 1. Because sin in the guilt of it doth imbitter every condition even death it self 1 Cor. 15. 26. then one looks upon every crosse coming from God as an avenger Ierem. 30. 14. and upon mercies as given him to fat him to destruction Secondly This makes a man look upon every affliction as coming from a Fathers hand when he can look on sinne as pardoned Heb. 12. 9. there is an ira paterna Thirdly Remission of sins gives him boldnesse at the throne of grace Ephes. 3. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 21. How to know whether
together with Herbs Plants Trees and so all Images of them are blamed 3. The Waters under the Earth are named and thereby are signified all manner of Fishes The waters are said to be under the earth because God made the earth hollow that there the waters might be contained Psal. 104. 6. And God particularly nameth all these places besides which there is no other place that we might fully conceive that his meaning is to forbid all manner of Images of all things whatsoever whether of God of creatures of what sort and kinde soever The Gentiles abused the Images of most of all these Rom. 1. 23. This is the first part of the Prohibition the second is Thou shalt not bow down nor serve them that is to any such Image Quibus verbis omnem omnino cultum quocunque modo Idolis tribuatur prohibet Scultet To bow down notes the outward gesture of the body used of men to shew reverence and is used to denote all manner of reverent behaviours which either nature hath ordained or custom of Countreys authorized to expresse respect and regard of things as worthy of honour and account Vox Hebraea gestum honoris indicem significat Grot. in Exod. 20. To do service noteth all manner of actions to be accompanied with such reverent gestures the former is a circumstance of service the later the substance of it So no manner of account is to be shewed to pictures neither by any outward gesture of body nor by any kinde of service at all Zanchy de Decalogoc 14. doth otherwise distinguish between these two words Hitherto the Prohibition the confirmation is taken from the Lords interest I am the Lord thy God 2. From one Attribute of his jealousie See Exod. 34. 14. Jealousie is that property of a husband or wife whereby they cannot endure that the yoke-fellow should give either their affections or body to others beside themselves Consortis impatiens ut mariti Grotius It noteth the holinesse of Gods nature that cannot away to have that service which is due to him communicated to Images or to any other thing with or besides himself it is love joyned with anger sith God cannot away with this we should not practise it 3. There is an argument from Gods effects of visiting the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Visiting is twofold 1. In love and favour Luke 1. 58. 2. In displeasure to punish as here Punishing is the laying of misery upon any one that hath done a fault proportionable unto his fault The object of this punishment are the children of them that hate God even to the third and fourth generation as in the Babylonish transportation Et nati natorum qui nascentur ab illis For a man may live to see his posterity to the fourth generation Iob 42. 16. and so see himself punished in them So Aquinas 1a 2ae Quaest. 87. Artic. 8. Kellet Miscel. lib. 1. cap. 7. and others Some say the wrath of God descends from fathers to children onely in case the children imitate and write after their fathers copy supposing these words In them that hate me to relate to the children But this is expresly against the words of the text and the examples of the thing God afflicts good children of evil parents for their fathers sins and the words are plain and determinate God visits the sins of the fathers in tertiam quartam generationem eorum qui oderunt me of them of those fathers that hate me Doctor Taylor on Exod. 20. 5. par 1. The cause moving to punish is the sins of the Fathers Now God punisheth the sins of the Fathers on the children by giving up the children to follow or exceed their Parents in sinning that so he may bring upon them a more full vengeance to shew his detestation of his Fathers sins Seeing no man would have his posterity to be plagued himself must not sin in breaking the former prohibition They hate the Lord which do not worship him as he hath commanded them but after their own fantasies and after the traditions of men God in no other Commandment but the second threatens to punish the sins of Fathers upon the children because superstitious worshippers of all men are strengthned by the tradition of their Fathers O our Fathers did thus and thus Shall we be wiser then our fore-fathers M. Burrh on Hos. A second effect of God is shewing mercy that is doing good and helping out of evil and the object of this to thousands the promise is opposed to the commination but is of larger extent Rabbi Salomon hence observes that the goodnesse of God doth as much exceed his severity as fifty exceed one viz. because his severity is restrained to four generations but his goodnesse is extended to thousands two thousands at the least Non mille sed multa millia ita ostenditur quanto largior sit Deus in benefaciendo quam in puniendo Grot. in Exod. 20. Of them that love him and keep his Commandments Not that pretend to love him indeed and shew their love by obedience to his revealed will There is a great difference between keeping Gods Commandments and fulfilling his Commandment Keeping noteth a truth fulfilling a perfection This Christ only had but the truth every Christian must have The scope end and summe of this Commandment is to order us in the solemn worship of God called Heb. 9. 1. Ordinances of divine service and usually termed religious exercises For the constituting of a solemn worship of God three things are required 1. That it be done with immediate reference to God and that himself or something in his stead be made the object thereof and so therein we draw near to him and he to us 2. That it tend in the doers intention directly and of it self to the honouring of God and pleasing him and getting of grace from him by exercising of some or all the vertues required in the first Commandment 3. That there be a separating of our selves from all other businesses to be wholly and altogether imployed about such acts in which the difference between common and solemn worship doth seem to stand Worship consists in three things 1. There must be a right knowledge and high apprehension of God the person to be worshipt 2. A reflexion of this knowledge 3. An abasement of the creature under the reflexion of this knowledge Revel 5. Christ is represented as sitting on a Throne The people of God are there brought in as compassing him about they have high apprehensions of the person of Christ his glory and holinesse 2. They reflect these excellencies 3. They abase themselves fall on their faces vers ult Every religious exercise or ordinance of divine service hath usually divers particular acts that be as parts of the whole and in the orderly uniting of which the whole is accomplished And whatsoever is done
so absolute a Soveraign that when he hath manifested his good pleasure all should be husht and ended and therefore after that he which will fume and take on doth offer indignity to God and neglect his due subjection to that Soveraign Prince of his life whom he ought above all things to regard And so much for the abuse of those holy things which are intermingled with our common affairs Now it follows to speak of the dishonour done to God in disordering of our common actions so far as they touch himself and the things by which he hath manifested himself to us Now these are 1. Inward 2. Outward Inward in regard of Gods Works or our own In regard of Gods works first by ascribing them wholly and principally to other causes without taking any notice of him at least any diligent notice As for example First To Fortune or Chance good or bad if a man go and finde a thing of price to his enriching or so have any other sudden and unexpected benefit coming unto him this he doth in his minde ascribe to good luck and saith that he had great good fortune Contrarily if he go on the way and there lose something of value and price he storms and saith he had bad luck or if any occurrent fals out that disappoints his present hopes he in his minde looks no higher but thinks it ill luck as the Priests of the Philistines told the Princes that if the Kine did not carry the Ark directly towards the way of Bethshemesh then all the misery which had befaln them by Mice and Emerods was but some chance that had befaln them Again men impute Gods works sometimes to the course of nature so as to thrust out him the Authour of Nature or else to tie him to any inferiour cause in nature Thus the Atheist saies it comes by nature that some years are unseasonable and some again seasonable Nature is Gods instrument being nothing else but that common course which he hath established in things if men therefore would from nature ascend higher to the Authour Maker Ordainer of nature which hath by his great wisdome established that course herein they would not sin for God doth work things according to his own determination by usual and natural means most commonly but to be so intentive to nature as to have no thought or but weak few and slender thoughts of God this is a grievous profaning of his Name A third thing which men do impute Gods works to to his dishonour is their friends and foes their benefactors out of good will and their malicious adversaries out of their uncharitableness as the Israelites looked to Assur not to God in whose hand Assur was as a rod and contrarily being succoured by their well-willers they ascribed all to their policy wisdome and friendship Lastly Men ascribe things to their own wisdome care industry pains courage thinking within themselves that their hand hath gotten much that their sword hath saved them as the King of Assur boasted what great matters he had done and Nebuchadnezzar boasted that it was great Babel which he had built Now when any of these things fortune nature our friends our foes our selves are so thrust betwixt God and us that we see not God because of our fond doating on these either feigned or subordinate causes here God is exceedingly dishonoured Another way of dishonouring God in his works is by perverting them to evil and vile purposes and ends 1. By hardening our selves in our sins from his long-suffering patience and forbearance as Solomon saith most men do because sentence against sinners is not speedily executed therefore are they fully bent upon mischief and as the Apostle chargeth them Rom. 2. to heap up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath by turning Gods grace thus into wantonness 2. When men charge Gods actions with unjustice and so either deny or blemish his providence especially in case of crosses befalling them so taking occasion to murmure and be impatient as Iob was by fits and as it is often seen in good men but most of all in bad as they said Where is the God of judgement When men take occasion from any of Gods works to repine against or entertain hard conceits of him this is a grievous sin and a dishonouring of him in his works 3. When men grow proud of his benefits thinking highly of themselves because of those good things he hath undeservedly bestowed upon them and are lifted up as if they had not received them for God gives his mercies to better purposes then to swell the heart as some man because he hath wealth thinks himself better then all that have less thinks that he may be dispensed with in sins that he should not be called upon to such and such duties and contemns others in comparison of himself So did Nebuchadnezzar abuse Gods advancement of him to be lifted up yea Davids heart was somewhat lifted up and be grew secure and therefore proud and Uzziah also for this is a disease marvellous hard to escape which is the true cause why the Lord is fain to be narrow-handed toward his servants in regard of these things because he would not have this pernicious disease to grow upon them and sees that out of abundance it would come forth such is their weaknesse The last abuse of Gods works is by hardening our hearts against them and a wilful refusing to be brought unto that amendment which we might if we would see plainly that he intends as Pharaoh hardened his heart against the wonderful works done by Moses and the wicked Pharisees hardened their hearts against all Christs miracles then which what greater despight can we offer to God to resolve we will not go though he leade and though he drive us or that we will go on though he hold us back with a kinde of violence And these be the principal waieâ— of dishonouring God in his works 2. We dishonour him in our works by mis-intending them either to ends lawful in excessivenesse or to unlawful ends as for example when men labour in their calling onely or chiefly to be rich when men do eat onely to fill the belly most of all if men do these for wrong ends as to do a work in ones calling to anger another or the like for herein we do sinfully pervert the order that should be observed and cast our eyes from him upon whom they should alwaies be fixed as Iehu in exalting of justice in Ahabs family aimed at nothing but the lifting up of himself and establishing the Kingdome to his own house This is a living to ones self and a serving of ones self whereas we ought no longer to live to our selves but to him which hath redeemed us The common sin of mankinde and that which doth stain and defile all the Moralities of unsanctified men causing that those things of theirs are abominable before God which to men carry the most glorious appearances
sensibus It may be questioned how far the Magistrate may use compulsory power for suppressing of Heresies and grosse errors 1. He must use no violent course till care be had of an information Tit. 3. 10. 2. In things indifferent and matters of lesse moment Christian toleration takes place Rom. 15. 14. Ephes. 4. 2. so far as it may stand with faith salva fidei compage Aug. 3. A grosse error kept secret comes not under the Magistrates cognizance Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur saith the Civil Law while it is kept in 4. Errors according to their different nature and degree meet with different punishments Ezra 7. 26. 5. Blasphemies Idolatry and grosse Heresies are to be put in the same rank with grosse breaches of the second Table because it is to be supposed they sin against the light of their consciences Tit. 3. 9 11. that therefore they are not punisht for their consciences but for going against their consciences Baals Prophets were slain 1 King 18. 18. See Exod. 21. 20. Levit. 24. 10. Magistrates ought not to plant or propagate Religion by Arms. The cruelty of the Spaniards upon the Indians is abhorred by all True Religion should be planted by true Doctrine Instruction Example but it may be defended by Arms. Mariana the Jesuite saith Princeps nihil statuat de Religione But the publick Magistrates chief care should be concerning God and the things of God Iob 31. 26 27 28. Ezra 7. 25 26 27. It is prophesied of the New Testament Isa. 44. 28. Isa. 49. 23. that Magistrates shall be nursing Fathers to the Church God promiseth Zac. 13. 2. to cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the Land See ver 3 4. They are Shepherds Isa. 44. 29. Fathers of their Country the Lords Servants Rom. 13. 3. Pollutions in Doctrine and Worship make way for the destruction of a State and the ruine of the Governours thereof Ezra 7. 23. Magistrates are Officers under Christ the Mediator therefore as Christs Officers they must not onely do his work but aim at his end They must serve God not onely as men but as Magistrates The connivance and toleration of Magistrates in things of Religion hath brought in the greatest judgements and cruellest persecutions The Christian Emperours connived at the Arrian Heresie and when they got head they more cruelly persecuted the Orthodox Christians then the Pagans or Turks Iulianus haereticis libertatem perditionis permisit Aug. in Epist. That is now stiled liberty of conscience The insurrection of the Arminians in the Netherlands and of the Anabaptists in Germany is sufficiently known Object This is to make the Magistrates judgement a rule in matters of Religion and will subject us to a continual change Answ. There is a threefold judgement in matters of Religion 1. Propheticum 2. Politicum a Magistrate must know how God will be worshipt 3. Privatae discretionis as a man must believe for himself so he must know for himself Object 2. This is to teach men to persecute the Saints Answ. Persecution is suffering for righteousnesse sake not for poysoning mens souls The Magistrate is not to determine matters of faith there is one rule for him and the people To the Law and to the Testimony Isa. 8. 20. But he ought to see that the rules of the Gospel be observed 1. None are to preach but Prophets 2. The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14. 32. So much for Superiours authority The Superiours without Authority follow and their inferiours Which are either in Gifts Age. Duties of Inferiours are 1. To acknowledge their gift and reverence them for the same 2. To imitate them Duties of Superiours They must use their gifts for the good of others Rom. 15. 1. Thus much for Superiours and Inferiours in Gifts those in Age follow Duties of younger persons to those that are ancient 1. To conceive reverently of them and to carry our selves respectively toward them Levit. 19. 32. Duties of elder persons are To give a good example Tit. 2. 2. and by a wise and grave carriage to procure reverence to themselves The duty of Equals Is to live together sociably and comfortably not to exalt themselves above their fellows but in giving honour to go one before another Rom. 12. 10. CHAP. VII The sixth Commandment THou shalt not kill or Thou shalt do no murder THis Commandment respects the person of our neighbour requiring us to procure his welfare and safety both in soul and body and to avoid all kinde of cruelty and unmercifulnesse We are forbidden to do any violence injury or wrong to the body and life of our neighbour and commanded to defend maintain and cherish the same Knewstubs Lect. 6. on Exod. 20. See more there It enjoyns all such common duties as appertain to our selves and our neighbours in regard of their and our person The substance is Thou shalt by all good means procure and by no ill means hinder thine own or thy neighbours personal safety There is no lawful taking away of life but in these three cases 1. Of enemies to ones Countrey in a just warre by souldiers appointed to that end 2. By the Magistrate 3. By a private man in his own true and just defence This Commandment is set next to the former for two reasons 1. Because the Lord having in that established degrees amongst men and humane societies nothing is more necessary for the continuance and safeguard of humane societies then that the life of man be preserved 2. Because murder commonly comes from the breach of the fifth Commandment Cains murder came from a desire of superiority because he thought himself not so greatly favoured of God as Abel so Esau so Iosephs brethren And it is set before the other four because the greatest hurt and wrong that can be done to a man is touching his life Iob 2. 4. death taking away a mans being simply which other wrongs do not This Commandment and the rest following are all negatives and the Lord beginning here with the greatest trespasse that one man can possibly commit against another even murder proceedeth by degrees downward from a great offence to a lesser till he come to the least desire that is in mans heart to covet any thing that belongs to our neighbour and forbiddeth them all He forbids here the killing of a man not of a beast or plant as the Manichees understood it Vide August de civit Dei l. 1. c. 20. 21. and that appears from the Hebrew word for Ratsach agrees to man alone whereas Charag is used generally Our neighbour is the object of the second Table whose life is provided for all the interpretations of this Law are referred to man only yea it seems to be a repetition of the Law given Gen. 9. 6. This word sometimes comprehends all the causes and occasions of murder and all ill will conceiv'd against the
l. 3. p. 237 The Creation of it a special work of God l. 3. p. 237 238. It s circular motion refuted l. 3. p. 237. m. l. 3. p. 241. m Earthquake Earthquake the cause of it l. 3. p. 236. m. It is general or particular ibid. Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes why so called its Author l. â— p. 36 The summe of it and the best Interpreters of it ibid. Election Election what the word signifies l. 3. p. 219 It is described ibid. And the description explained l. 3. p. 219 220 What the object of it l. 3. p. 220 Neither foreseen faith nor foreseen works the cause of it l. 3. p. 221 All are not Elected l. 3. p. 121 122 123 There is an Election of persons l. 3. p. 222 Element what and the number of the Elements l. 3 p. 237 238 Elephant his magnitude and understanding l. 3. p. 266 Empty no vacuum or meer empty place l. 3. p. 253 l. 4. p. 357 Epicure confuted l. 3. p. 296 300 Epistles Epistles why so called l. 1. p. 43 How they are divided and who best expounds them l. 1. p. 44 46 In what order they were written l. 1. p. 46 47 Ephesians who best expound it l. 1. p. 48 Erasmus commended l. 1. p. 113. m. 116. m Errour l. 4. p. 358 359 Esther Esther why so called and by whom written l. 1. p. 34 Who are the best Expositors of it ibid. Eternity The world not Eternal l. 2. p. 226 227. l. 3. p. 225 God is Eternal l. 2. p. 147 148 149 What Eternity is l. 2. p. 147 Evangelists Evangelists who l. 1. p 44 The harmony and difference between them l. 2 p. 4â— Evil. Evil what it is l. 8. p. 651 What deliverance from Evil means l. 8. p. 652 Excommunication what it is and its parts l. 6. p. 467 Exodus Exodus why the second Book of Moses is so called l. 1. p. 31 Contains a history of above a hundred years l. 1. p. 31 The best Expositors of it ibid. Expositors of Scripture who are the best among the Jews Fathers Papists Protestants l. 1. p. 112 113 Ezekiel Ezekiel what it signifies l. 1. p. 38 When he prophesied ibid. The best Expositors of it ibid. Ezra Ezra who the Author of it l. 1. p. 33 The best Expositor of it l. 1. p. 3â— F Faculty FAculty what l. 7. p. 540 Three reasonable Faculties in man ibid. Faith Faith what it is l. 7. p. 502 503 How taken in the New Testament l. 7. p. 499 500 Three things in it l. 7. p. 500 Its object and acts ibid. It s subject l. 7. p. 501 502 The degrees of faith l. 7. p. 503 Faith of Adherence and Assurance l. 7. p. 504 505 Its end is everlasting life l. 7. p. 505 How it is wrought ibid. How it differs from hope ibid. It is an excellent grace l. 7. p. 506 Whether Infants have Faith and whether it be in the glorified Saints l. 7. p. 506 507 Whether justifying Faith be commanded in the Decalogue whether it or repentance precede l. 7. p. 507 Christians should endeavour to live by faith and what it is to live by it l. 7. p. 507 508 Motives to get Faith and helps to it l. 7. p. 509 Whether Faith alone doth justifie l. 7. p. 503 528 529 Fruits of Faith l. 8. p. 744 745 746 747 Faithfull God is Faithfull l. 2. p. 184 185 What Faithfulnesse is l. 2. p. 185 186 Ministers must be Faithfull in their calling l. 6. p. 460 Fall of man l. 4. p. 303 304 Familists Familists rest wholly in an immediate private spirit l. 1. p. 16 Confuted l. 7. p. 539 Fasting What religious Fasting is l. 8. p. 735 736 What we must abstain from l. 8. p. 73 The ends and means of a religious Fast l. 8. p. 736 737 The usual time of a Fast and for Fasting l. 8. p. 737 The Popish Fasting condemned l. 8. p. 738 Fathers Fathers what they were l. 1. p. 112 113 Some of them commended l. 1. p. 112. to 116 Fear Fear what it is the kindes of Fear the measure of it l. 7. p. 571 How it is taken its object and effects l. 7. p. 571 572 Christs great Fear l. 5. p. 429 Feasting Holy Feasting the nature of it and helps to it l. 8. p. 739 Fire l. 3. p. 240 Fisheâ— a great work of God l. 3. p. 261 262 Flattery Flattery l. 4. p. 359 Flight what it is l. 7. p. 561 Forgiveness Forgiveness of sins what l. 7. p. 519 Every one of Christs subjects hath his sins forgiven l. 7. p. 519 The Forgivenesse of sins is free and full l. 7. p. 519 520 God only forgives sins l. 7. p. 520 What is the meaning of the fifth Petition of the Lords Prayer l. 8. p. 647 648 649 650 Auricular confession not necessary to Forgivenesse of sins l. 7. p. 520 521 Fowls their nature and use l. 3. p. 263. 264 Free-will l. 7. p. 495. to 500 Frost what it is l. 3. p. 247 G GAlatians who best expound it l. 1. p. 48 Genesis Why the first Book of Moses is so called l. 1. p. 31 Contains a History of above two thousand years ibid. The best Expositors of it ib. Why the Jews might not reade in the beginning of Genesis the beginning and end of Ezekiel nor in Canticles ibid. The first Chapter of it divided l. 3. p. 231 232 233 Gentiles Gentiles many predictions of their conversion l. 1. p. 10 Some of them give testimony to sundry passages in the Scripture l. 1. p. 15 Ghost The holy Ghost is God l. 2. p. 21â— Glory Glory what it is in God and its several acceptions l. 2. p. 194 195 The difference between praise honour and glory l. 2. p. 195 Gloria whence derived ibid. How Gods Glory is manifested l. 2. p. 196 A double Glory in things l. 2. p. 197 Consectaries from Gods Glory l. 2. p. 198 199 Glorious God is Glorious l. 2. p. 194 195 196 197 198 Gluttony l. 4. p. 359 360 God How he is called in several languages l. 2. p. 121 That there is a God l. 2. p. 121. to 128 The knowledge of God is necessary profitable difficult l. 2. p. 121 122 We know God three wayes l. 2. p. 122 There is a three-fold knowledge of God ibid. What God is l. 2. p. 132 133 How the word God is taken in Scripture l. 2. p. 133 The several name of God l. 2. p. 133 His Attributes whâ—â— they be ibid How they diâ—â—â—â— from Properties and what rules are to be observed in attributing them to God l. 2. p. 134 How his Attributes are divided l. 2. p. 135 Good God is Good the chiefest good l. 2. p. 172 173 Goodnesse Goodnesso what it is and what in God l. 2. p. 172 The Properties of his Goodnesse and the difference between his Goodness and that in the creature l. 2. p. 173 174 Gospel Gospel was written by many and
regula fidei Chamierus The Scripture is therefore called canonical because it prescribes a rule of our faith and life Phil. 3. 16. Gal. 6. 16. Tertullianus appellat Scripturam regulam veritatis Augustinus de doctrina Christiana l. 2. c. 8. ait in Scripturis inveniri omnia quae continenâ— fidem moresque vivendi Advers Helvid cap. 9. Sacra Scripturae regula credendi certissima tutissimaque est Bellarm. de verbo Dei l 1. c. 2. k Hoc primum credimus cum credimuâ— quod nihil ultra credere debemus See Mr. Anthony Burâ—â—â— on Mark 1. 2 3. Deut. 5. 29. Isa. 8. 20. l Verba Scripturae non sunâ— legenda sed vivenda Doctrinae saâ—itas servatur confirmando verum refellendo â—alsum vitae sanctimionia fugiendo malum saciendo bonum Satis habet Scriptura quo veritatem doceat errorent redarguat iniquitatem corrigat instituat ad justiciam Nec haecâ—â—tiliter praestat solummodo quae sophistarum cavillatio sed etiam sufficienter nempe ut perfectus â—it homo c. Rainoldus m Deut. 17. 18. Isa. 8. 20. Luke 16. 29. Acts 24. 14. Christians shall be judged by that hereafter Iohn 12. 48. 2 Thess. 1. 8. n Iudaei docenâ— exhoc loco teâ—eri regem sua maâ—â— sibi legem describere etiamsi alià s cum privatus esset descripâ—isset Chamierus Regula fidei est quasi causa exemplaris fidei quam videlicet fides in omnibus sequi cui se conformare debet Formale objectum â—idei est Causa objectiva fidei seu est principium propter quod fotmaliter principaliter credimus Baron contra Turnebul Nos discamus ex verbo non tantum sapere sed etiam loqui Be â—â—â—â— Epist. 7. David Psa. 119 desires that all his counsels thoughts manners actions might be directed according to Gods word The Scriptures contain 1. A necessary doctrine viz. Of the Law and Gospel Mat. 22 37. Iohn 13. 16. without which we cannot be saved Rom. 7. 7. It is 2. Necessary in respect of the efficient cause Of the Form Matth. 22. 29. 4. The end Iohn 20. 31. o Writing doth a larger good to a greater number and for a longer time then speaking Psal. 102 19. vox audita perit litera scripta manet To shew how much a more faithful keeper record is then report those few miracles of our Saviour which were written are preserved and believed those infinitely more that were not written are all lost and vanished out of the memory of men p Among the Turks Polygamy is lawful Theft was permitted among the Spartans q Literae sacrae dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripturae ut non solùm à saecularihus proâ—anis litâ—ris sed etiam a quibuscunque quae de sacris rebus agunt discernaâ—tur r Mahomet said his doctrine came from God but the blasphemy and villany therein contained sheweth it came from Satan whereas the purity and perfection of the doctrine contained in the Scripture sheweth that it is from above Mahomet puts in some ingredients of the flesh gives them liberty to revenge themselves and to have as many wives as they would There is in the Precepts of Philosophers little condemning of fornication and of the desire of revenge Dr Featleys Preface to Newmans Concordance s The General view of the holy Scriptuâ—es Notatur verecunda casta scripturâ— loquutio ex genere per Synecdochen designantis specialem congressum sic 1 Cor. 7. 1. Non est bonum tangere Gen. 6. 2. ingredi ad filias hominum Quo major est spurcities eorum qui ex sacris scripturae loquendi formulis ansam arripiunt sermonis impuri Cartw. in Harm Evang. in Matth. 1. 18. Quidam Hebraeorum linguam Hebraeam linguam sanctam dici putant eò quod nulla propria vocabula in ea inveniantur quibus pudenda utriusque sexus Egestio aliaque obsâ—â—na significantur Paulus Fagius Annotat. in Deut. 25. 11. t Sancta sanctè Mr Gregory in his preface to observations upon some passages of Scriture u Luke 16. 29. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 19. and 119. Augustinus affirmat omniaquae continâ—â—t fidem mores in illis inveniri quae apertè posita sunt in scriptura Chrysostomus manifesta itidem in divinis Scripturis esse perhibet quaecunque necessaria Tertullianus adorat Scripturae plenitudinem Et vae denunciat Hermogeni si quid iis quae scripta sunt vel detraâ—â—t vel adiiciat Rainoldus 1 Thesi. Deut. 4. 2. and 12. 32. De Scripturae plenitudine perfectione quâ—â— sentiat Maldonatus vide ad Joan. 7. 4. De Scripturae integritate vide Estium ad Galat. 3. 10. See Bishop Ushers Body of Divinity p. 18 19. 20 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. John 15. 15. Acts 20. 27. Beâ—e habet ut iis quae sunt Scripta contentus siâ— Hilary In every age there was revealed that which was sufficient to salvation and yet now no more then is sufficient the Word it self is not now but the revelation only is more perfect The Old Testament was sufficient for the Jews but both the New and Old make but one compleat body for the Church now Singâ—li libri sâ—â—t sufficientes sufficientia pâ—rtium ad quam ordinatio sunt â—â—â—â—â—â—rò sâ—ripâ—urâ— est sufficiens essentiali sufficientia per â—i bros singulos suâ—â— Iun. Animad â—â— Bellarm Conâ—râ—â— Pâ—tmae câ—piâ—â— quarto The scriptures are a perfect rule for matters of Faith but not a perfect register for matters of fact Mr Geree Whitakerus de Script c. sexto quaest 6. Stapleton and Serrarius are more wary then some other Papists We are abused say they when we are said to hold that the Scriture is not perfect for say they a thing is said to be imperfect not when it wants any perfection but when it wants a perfection due as a man is not imperfect if he have not an Angels perfection because this is not due unto him they say it is not a perfection due to the Scriptures to teach us every thing necessary to salvation Perinde sunt ea quae ex scripturis coll guntur atque ea quae scribuntur G. eg Naziaâ—zen l. 5. Theol. Mat. 28. 29. Catholici in perfectione Scripturae Papistae in imperfectione totius causae id est omnium controversiarum de Religione proram puppim constituunt Chamierus Tom. 1. de Canonâ— lib. 8. cap. 1. 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 Mat. 8. 11. Luk. 19. 9. Gal. 3. 7 8 29. Rom. 4. 15 16. Some Papists say the Scripâ—uâ—es are not imperfect because they send us to the Church which is he perfect Rule and therefore they are perfect implicitè though not explicitè but so I might say every rustick were a perfect Rule of Faith because he can shew me the Pope who is the infallible Judge If the Scripture send to the Church to learn that which is not in the Scripture by this sending she confesseth her imperfection See Moulins Buckler of Faith pag. 45. Joh. 1. 18.
be noâ— your utmost end he will not be your chiefest good Hoc desideriâ— câ—lendus est Deus ut sui cultus ipsi â—it merces Augustine See 2 Kings 10. 31. A constant heedlesness in duties is a great signe of an hypocrite It is not enough to worship God but we must seek him in worship Ps. 22. 26. which notes an exact care in serving him See M. Mautoâ— on Jam. 1. 21. Doct 1. 2. Examination of our estate is as necessary as our puâ—ging from sinne and the excitation of our affections 2 Cor. 13. 5. In the Priesthood under the Law there was to be a consecration as well as an offering Mal. 3. 3 4. Heb. 9. 14. The main care must be to get the person reconciled to God Those that discern not their interest in Christ if they had it and have lost it by returning to folly 1 Pet. 3. 7. are not to come reeking from their sins and so rush into Gods presence Isa. 1. 15. Neither are they wholly to decline Worship and restrain Prayer 1. There must be a serious acknowledgement of their sins with shame and sorrow Psal. 51. 3. Numb 2. 14. John 1. 2. 2. They must earnestly sue out the former grace and pardon Psal. 25. 6. 51. 12. Those who never had assurance must know 1. That it is comfortable in our approaches to God the Apostle hath taught us to begin our supplications with our Father Heb. â—0 21 22. 1 Tim. 2. 10. 2. Some believers have lesse peace that they may have more grace 3. When we cannot reflect upon our actual interest the direct and duâ—â—ful acts of Faith must be more solemnly put forth 1. Disclaim more earnestly your own personal righteousness Dan. 9. 18. 2. You must adhere to God in Christ more closely cast your selves upon God with hope Psal. 22. 18. 3. It is safe to say I am my beloveds though we cannot apply Christ to our selves Psal. 119. 94. Have high thoughts of the work aforehand 1 Chron. 29. 2. take the fiâ—test opportunity of doing duties Christ is present in the Ordinances Rev. 1. 18. 1. As a Speaker Heb. 12. 25. 2. That he may delight himself in the graces of his people Cant. 8. 1. 3. To execute judgement as well as shew mercy 2. The Angels are there present 1 Cor. 11. 10. as your Guardians Dan. 4. 13. and to delight in your graces Cant. 5. 2. 3. The Devil is present Matth. 13. 1. To draw you to evil 1 Sam. 2. 22. 2. To hinder you in whatever is good Zach. 3. 1. 3. Comes to steal away the Word out of your hearts Matth. 13. 19. 4. To aceuse you Rev. 12. 12. Zach. 3. 1 2. 5. As an Executioner expecting a commission from Christ to lay hold on thee John 13. 27. Iephta must not offer her himself but some Priest to whom he must bring her and he not in any place but upon the Altar of God In vovendo suit stultus in reddendo impius Hieron * Take a great deal of heed to your own hearts in the duty least your thoughts vanish Eccles. 5. 3. Salomon compares the vanity of mens thoughts in services to dreams where the thoughts are incoherent 2. Observe in duties the approaches or withdrawings of God from your souls See Matth. 15. 10. 24. 15. 2. 3. chapter of Revel We must 1. Practise the good resolutions taken up in the service keep it evermore in the hearts of thy servants 2. After every duty we must be humbled for our rashnesse before God as Iacob Gen. 28. 16. * There must be a faith 1. That his duties shall be accepted Gen. 4. 7. 2. In the general rewards of religion Gen. 4. 8. 3. In the Messiah to come Reasons 1. Because faith discernâ— by a clear light and apprehension keeps God in the eye Faith is conversant about God the object of worship Heb. 11. 6 27. and discerns the worth of his service and represents more of priviledge then burden Psal. 19. 10. 73. 28. 2. It receives a mighty aid and supply from the Spirit of God Rom. 8. 26. 3. It works by a mighty principle love Gal. 5. 4. It fils the soul with a sweet apprehension of Gods love love will carry one to a duty that is against the bent of nature Gen. 34. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 4. Faith discourseth and pleads in the soul with strong reasonings 1. From the mercies of God 1. Special Gal. 2 20. 2. Common 1 Tim. 1. 16 17. 2. From the Promises 1. Of assistance 2 Cor. 12. 10. Phil. 4. 10. 2. Acceptance 2 Cor. 8. 11. faith shews the Mediatour Ephes. 3. 1 2. Revel 8. 3 4. 3. Oâ— reward 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 4. It sees assistance in the power of God acceptance in the grace of God reward in the bounty of God Psal. 2. 11. Worship is therefore called fear as we may see by comparing Deut. 6. 13. Isa. 29. 13. with Matth. 4. 11. 15. 9. God hath his name in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from fear and the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both fear and religion Heb. 5. 7. See Chap. 12. 28 29. Abraham Gen. 18. 27. Elijah 1 King 18. 42. the four and twenty Elders Revel 4. 16. Christ himself Matth. 26. 33. were reverent in their acts of worship For publick prayer kneeling and standing are mentioned 1 King 8. 54. The Publican stood Luk. 18. 13. in preaching the eyes of the hearers should be fastened on the Preacher Luk. 4. 20. See Neh. 8. 3. at the Sacrament our eyes should observe the Elements as visible Sermons Exod. 23. 8. Christ read the Scripture standing Luk. 4. 16. by that he taught how he honoured the Word of God the same thing is affirmed of the people Nehem. 8. 5. For that cause that we may shew our respect to the Word of God we are bare saith M. Cartw in his Harmon when the Scripture Text is read Master Hildersam hath the like on Joh. 4. Constantine the Great used to shew much reverence and attention to the word of God preached so that many times he would stand up all the Sermon while and when some of his Courtiers told him that it would tend to his disparagement he answered that it was in the service of the great God who is no respecter of persons See Crak Epist. Dedic to his Defence of Constantine Profanenesse is the sin of despising and contemning the true worship of God setting light by it accounting it as a thing not at all profitable and therefore not at all doing it They call not on the name of God saith the Psalmist This was the sin of the Priests themselves Mal. 1. 7 12. There is 1. A virtual or habitual intention when one keeps a purpose to intend 2. Actual The causes of actual roving and the distractions of the thoughts in service are 1. Want of love to God and holy things affection and attention go together Psal. 1. 2.