continue man but to wayt for his Redemption To what end was it to redeeme man but to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life And how could man so do if God had not wrought this worke of Religion in him Neither is God onely a Creator of man and Religion in man to his owne glory but a louing Father to man in suffering him by this Religion to worke out his owne saluation which is the second finall cause thereof as the holy Ghost sets it downe in the Philippians where a Christian is commanded to worke out his saluation in feare and trembling And the Apostle to Titus Titus 1.2 makes eternall life the end of all Religion and godlinesse and in this is declared the wonderfull loue of God to man notwithstanding his disobedience in his fall What man buyes any cattell but either to droyle them out or fat them for the Shambles but this God bought man from death to life yea himselfe was ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter Isai 35.7 that he might saue man What Master when he hath hired a seruant bids him imploy his time and labour to his owne vse But this God doth so to man and bids him if he want stocke to set vp withall to come vnto him and he will furnish him What Land-lord when the Rent-day comes bids his Tenant lay out his Rent for his owne best profit But this God the Land-lord of the World whē man brings him his Rent which is his Worship in a religious life bids him improue it for his owne good and makes his owne saluation the scope and end of all his labour And is it no lesse then saluation that a man aymes at in being Religious Was there euer any man that had a slaue that ran away from him and subiected himselfe to his deadly enemy that would not onely spare him punishment but make him a free-man Yet behold man that sold himselfe as a slaue to the Deuill is made a Free-denizen of Heauen Was there euer any Souldier that rose vp in mutinie that did not onely escape Martiall Law but was sent home to inherit the Generals owne Land Yet behold man that did not onely rise himselfe but drew the whole Regiment of Iesus Christ mankind into mutiny he is sent to inherit the Kingdome of heauen Christs owne inheritance Was there euer any King that when his subiect was conuicted of high Treason would not onely spare his life but make him one of his Priuy Chamber or Bed-chamber where hee should be neerest to his Person Yet behold when man had risen in rebellion against God he is not onely pardoned his Treason but is receiued into Gods Chamber of Presence in this world which is the Church and shall hereafter be made a Priuy Chamber-man of heauen Why then is it to no end to be Religious when he shall not onely thereby promote the glory of his Creator but purchase to himselfe an eternall Mansion in that new Ierusalem The effects of Religion Obedience Sanctitie and Wisedome Neither is this Religion which proceeds from so excellent causes without the like effects amongst which these three may be noted Obedience Sanctity and Wisedome Obedience is either actiue or passiue For actiue obedience God in his Couenant declared to his Children by his Prophet Ezekiel promiseth first to worke Religion in thē A new heart will I giue you and a new Spirit will I put within you and what followes vpon this Then saith the Lord you shall walke in my statutes Ezek. 36.26 and you shall keepe my Iudgements and doe them But this practicall obedience must be generall such as is inioyned by God in the Prophesie of Ieremiah Iere. 11.4 that they should obey his voice and do the words of his Couenant according to all that he had commanded them And God threatens his people in Leuiticus that if they would not doe all his Commandements then he would appoint ouer them terror consumption and the like Cursed is he that doth not abide in all c. Leuit. 26.14 15 16. It is farther required that this obedience should bee constant thereupon our Sauiour grounds his promise That hee that endureth to the end Mat. 24.13 the same shall be saued And it is the condition that Christ propounds to his Disciples in the Gospel of Saint Iohn Ioh. 8.31 If ye continue in my Word thē are ye my Disciples indeed Passiue obedience is to suffer with patience all the afflictions that befall a man for Paul hath giuen euerie Christian his doome where he saies 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Iesus Christ shall suffer persecution And therefore Christ exhorts his Disciples to possesse their soules in patience Luk. 21.19 of which Dauid is a singular example in suffering the curse of Shimei when he saies 2. Sam. 16.10 11 12. Let him curse because the Lord hath said vnto him Curse and makes an excuse for Shimei by way of extenuating his fault since his owne sonne that came forth of his bowels sought his life and in conclusion casts himselfe vpon the Lord It may be saith he the Lord will looke vpon my affliction Neither is it enough to suffer calamity but to be humbled vnder Gods hand in time of distresse which is the admonition of Iames Be afflicted and mourne Iam. 4.9 10. and weepe humble your selues in the sight of the Lord. The next effect of Religion is Sanctity the speech of Paul to the Thessalonians Thes 4.1 3 5 6. is this when we beseech you brethren that as ye haue receiued from vs how ye ought to walke that is in the way of Religion and please God so you would abound more and more for this is the will of God euen your sanctification And this sanctifying consists either in the forbearing sinne to which purpose the Apostle in the same place instanceth in two euils from which they should abstaine namely the lust and concupiscence or vncleannesse and fraud or deceit or else it consists in the practice of holinesse to which end God would haue the children of Israel to weare frindges on their garments Num. 15.41 that they might remember and do all his Commandements and be holy vnto God And Peter setteth God as a Patterne of holinesse exhorting them as obedient children to be holy in all manner of conuersation 1. Pet. 1.14.15 as he that called them is holy and indeed this holinesse is a maruellous effect whereby is wrought such a secret alteratiō in a true Conuert as that none knowes how it comes to passe but his owne soule within him which yet himselfe is not able to expresse neither would any one take him to be the same man he was before Is it not a strange thing to find a man that for twentie thirty forty yeeres together hath swoom in abundance of all earthly things hath denied himselfe no manner of pleasure that is to bee
binding to faith and obedience a binding to faith in all that is declared in Gods Word and obedience to all that is commanded by Gods Word the binding from is from all errour and heresie in point of doctrine contrary to Gods Word and from all impiety in course of life forbidden by Gods Word And this latter deriuation of the word religion seemes to make it more full for as in the word reluctation which signifies a strife or strugling there is an opposition implyed so this aduerbe re in religion doth seeme to intimate an auersenesse in the nature of man to what hee is required vnto by the Word of God Whereupon consequently followes a third tye or binding which is to repentaÌ„ce for the pronenesse of mans nature to euery thing contrary to Gods will and the wicked actions hee cannot chuse but fall into out of that naturall and depraued inclination Caluin in 23. cap. Iob. Iobus adijcit se non ab ea recessisse eo significaâ— homines semper pruâ—itis quodam deflectendi à recta via sollicitari To which purpose Caluin in his coment vpon the 23. Chapter of Iob out of Iob's resolution to walke in the way of God adding these words that he had not gone out of the same hath this obseruation that there is a certaine kind of itching desire in euery man to swerue and decline from that certaine way and therefore he had neede to be kept in with this hedge of Religion There are three words amongst others which the Grecians haue giuen to signifie Religion the one signifies right or true worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not enough to haue knowledge nor to beleeue in God though these are neuer seuered from Religion but there must be a worship and this worship must not be euerie worship but a true worship Another of these words signifies the worship of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that in this name of Religion is included a worship but not the worship of man or any other creature but the worship of God The third word is thought to take its deriuatioÌ„ from the name of the Thracians Vers 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is vsed by the Apostle in the first Chapter of Iames his Epistle But because the perfectest knowledge man can haue of any thing is from the causes thereof therefore it will not be amisse for the vnderstanding of the nature of Religion to inquire into the causes of it more at large som of which are shortly coÌ„tained in the words before Amongst causes God the efficient cause of Religion the efficient cause takes the first place as well does this efficient of Religion deserue it which was truly the first yea before the first thing in the World God was before all things Psal 19.2 so that the efficient cause and worker of true Religion either in a publike estate or priuate mans heart is no other then God himselfe God is the worker of all grace Iam. 1.17 all good giftes proceede from aboue And Saint Paul one of the master-workemen in this plantation of Religion hath these words in his Epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12.4 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit There are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersities of operations but it is the same God that worketh all in all In Ezekiel God first vndertakes to clense them of their false religion but leaues them not there for then they were neuer the neerer but in the next words saith Ezek. 36.27 A new heart will I giue you and also a new Spirit will I put within you and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes so that God takes to himselfe the worke of framing them to true Religion and the whole Scripture is very full of proofes to this purpose There was a worthy man who out of his obseruation vpon these words of our Sauiour I am the way the truth and the life brought in Christ speaking to the Christian soule in this manner August in tract 22. Ambulare vis Ego sum via Falli non vis Ego sum veritas Mori non vis Ego sum vita haec dicit Saluator tuâ—â— Non est quò eas nisi ad me non est quaÌ„ eas nisi per me and answering himself Wilt thou walke saith Christ I am the way Wilt thou not be deluded I am the truth Wilt thou not die I am the life This saith the learned Man is the speech of our Sauiour to this silly soule Thou hast not whither to goe but to me nor any way to come to me but by me so that if we will walke in the way of Religion we must walk with Christ for he is the way if wee will not bee seduced by errour which is contrarie to Religion we must be directed by him for he is the truth if wee will liue religiously here and gloriously hereafter we must liue by him and in him and he in vs for hee is the life The same Author sayes in another place Ipsum donum Dei Spiritus cum Patre Filio aequè incoÌ„mutabile colere tenere nos conuenit Wee ought to imbrace the gift of the Spirit of God equally dispensed and vnchangeable from the Father and the Son Another reuerend Father sayes in his Comment vpon the first Chap. of Amos vpon these words God Ierom super primum cap. Amos Deus versatur in vera religione non in Jsrael vrbibus or the Lord will roare from Sion and vtter his voyce from Ierusalem God is conuersant saies he in true Religion professed in Ierusalem not in the Cities of Israel So that from both these may be gathered that as Religion is the gift of God yea of the whole Trinitie so where Religion is God is where he is not there is no true Religion and from that that doth precede the conclusion will easily arise that God is the efficient cause of religion Neither is he only the efficient God the only efficient cause but the onely efficient cause Man is a meere patient No not so much as a patient for all matter is held to haue an aptitude or an appetite or at least a possibilitie to receiue a forme But such is the indisposition of mans depraued nature that it hath no capacity nay it hath a contrary affection to the receiuing of the forme of Religion which God puts vpon him The Apostle Paul to the Romanes saith Rom. 8.7 that the wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the word is very expresse and signifies the best thoughts and affections the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians saith that all men by nature are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 And in the second to the
its owne power one and the same thing and is attributed to an intelligent or reasonable nature for the great glory of God who shortly analising or opening this definition b Liberum arbitrium est potentia non habitus vel actus quae potentia est genus libera differentia quia potentia omnis est accidens subiectum liberi arbitrij est intelligens natura obiectum liberi arbitrij est ex his quae ad finem conducunt Siquidem liberum arbitrium non versatur circa finem sed media electio est proprius actus liberi arbitrij sayes that Free-will is a power not a habit or act and after he hath assigned power to be the genus or materiall cause and an intelligent nature to be the subiect of it and the meanes conuersant about the end not the end it selfe to be obiect of it concludes at last that Election is the proper act of Free-will where besides that he brings in a description for a definition he seemes to mâ—kâ— that which before he said to be neither habit nor act but a meere power to be actiue in Election But admit him that a bare power is the materiall cause or the genus of Free-will yet there is a learned Father will soone make it appeare that this power is none of mans for saith he * August in exâ—ositione 12. Cap. Euang. Johannis Ne existâ—numus fidem nostram esse in libero arbitrio vt diuino non aegeat â—d intorio audiamus Euangelistam dicentem Dedit eis potesâ—atâ—m Filios Dei fieri speaking of Free-will let vs heare the Euangelist saying God gaue them power to bee made the sonnes of God So that this power spoken of is the gift and Grace of God And admit the Papist thus much that man doth coöperate with the Spirit as Protestant Diuines hold a regenerate man doth yet this is no argument to proue Free-will because a man may coöperate without power of Election to the contrary Neither yet is man to depend altogether vpon this inward worke of God The Word the instrumental cause of Religion for he hath appointed his Word as an instrument of this blessed effect of Religion and this Word is a plentifull Store-house of all instruments of Religion The instruments of a souldier are his armes Let the spirituall Souldier go to Paul one of the chiefe Officers in that Armory and hee will furnish him from head to toe Eph. 6. Chap. 14 15 16 17. verses with the Helmet of Saluation the Brestplate of Righteousnesse the Girdle of Verity the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit and the Shooes of the preparation of the Gospell The instruments of a scholler are his bookes Let the Scholler in Gods Schoole or Vniuersity resort to this Library of the Word and there he shall finde such Philosophy as is beyond all other Writers in that kinde such History as makes all other Historians that meddle with the same subiect for point of truth liers and for Antiquity nouices such profound Prophesies verified by the performance of euery the least tittle as make all other prophesies appeare fables such Diuine Poetry as makes all other Poets seeme bunglers being compared with the sweete Singer of Israel and the Wise Preacher such elegancy that if you looke into Esay you shall find such a lofty stile as is in no other booke but the Scripture If you looke into the other Prophets you shall find such hidden Rethoricke as is no where to be found but in holy Writ if you looke into our Blessed Sauiours speeches you shall find such Metaphors and Parables and Wise sayings as confounded all that rose vp to speake against him and amazed all that heard him if you looke into S. Pauls Apologeticall Orations you shall find the famous Orator Tertullus put to silence Act. 24.10 and ashâ—med to pleade any more against him and Felix afterward trembling at what hee spake But last of all in his holy Word you shall find such Diuinity as whosoeuer vndertakes to set forth the excellency of it shall giue it a blemish and when man hath beaten his braine to the vttermost he must breake forth onely into admiration and say Oh the height the depth and the bredth of this vnsearchable Mystery of Diuinitie The Instruments of a builder are his tooles and here in this Word the Christian builder shall find a Masons hammer to rough how the hard heart of man and a two-edged sword more exâ—â—llent for that purpose then any Saw to cut asunder the stony heart of man and a Square to leuell and shape a man to some fitnesse for this spirituall building There are two maine Pillers of Religion vpon which if it be firmely settled it cannot sinke and that is a well-grounded faith and a well-ordered life And how to establish Religion vpon these two that Famous Caluine will teach a man For the first in his Comment vpon the twelfth Psalme where he askes the question whether or no at any time there do steale into a mans minde any doubt of beleeuing in the promises of God which if there do then he directs him how to fence himselfe against such a temptation Let him presently sayes he Cal. in Com. 12. Psalm Quoties de fide promissionum Dei obrepit aliqua dubitatio statim hunc clipeum opponere conuenit sermones Dei esse puros Cal. in Com. 23. Cap. Iob Discamus bene rectè vtuendi rationem quam Deus nobis probat hanc esse vt pedes pâ—namus in via quam non ipsi instituimus sed ipse nobis verbo suo commonstrauit take this into his hand for a shield or buckler that all the words of God are pure And for the second how to frame a mans life in his Comment vpon the 23. Chap. of Iob he giues this instruction Let a man learne this to be the course which God doth allow of liuing well and vprightly namely to set his feete in a way not such a one as he shall propose to himselfe but such a one as God shall shew vnto him out of his Word neither doth God vse this instrumentall cause of the Word in working Religion in a man as though hee needed it for he was as well able after the fall of man to haue made him perfectly good againe as he was before but God saw this the fittest way and some reason may be giuen to the apprehension of man to perswade him so much As that first man might take notice of the grieuousnesse and greatnesse of his sinne in his fall which had plunged him into such misery as he knew no way how to get out of it except God had found a meanes for him how to escape which peraduenture had God restored him to his former integritie would not haue taken so deepe an impression in him as now it doth when he is faine to labour and take paines in the meanes and especially the Word of God
sprinkled And who would not be a Papist to haue this benediction of Holy water And the like benediction is there of the Bread Nay such is their horrible blasphemy as that they hold the wax Candles to be inlightned with the light of Gods heauenly Benediction as they call it and kindled at the fire of his most sweet clarity and who would not be a Papist to partake of this light Farther some of their Prayers for the dead are these We commend vnto thee O Lord the soules of thy Seruants that being dead they may liue with thee for euer and what sinnes they haue fallen into through the frailtie of their worldly conuersation doe thou wipe them away by the Pardon of thy most mercifull goodnesse Another is this God which art the giuer of Pardon and louer of mans saluation we implore thy Clemency that those Brothers and Sisters of our Congregations which are gone out of this world may come to the societie of thy euerlasting blessing by the intercession of the blessed Mary for euer a Virgin of Michael the Archangel and of all the Saints A third is this Make good we beseech thee O omnipotent and mercifull God that the soules of our Brethren and Sisters of our Congregations for whom we offer vp to thee this sacrifice of Praise being expiated by vertue of this Sacrament from all their sinnes may receiue the blessing of thy euerlasting light And who would not be a Papist to haue these Prayers said for him after his death if they were effectuall The Heathen since they could not be so religious to God as the light of Nature informed them they ought to be framed to themselues gods of men that since they could not or would not bee like God they would make gods like themselues And thus Saturne and Iupiter and diuers other men being famous vpon earth for some extraordinary qualities or exploytes were called gods after their deaths Seneca obserues that amongst Heathen men that worshipped Iupiter one will haue him to be winged another will haue him to beare hornes another accuses him of Adultery another complaines that hee is cruell towards the gods In all which sayes the Authour they intend nothing but to take away the shame of sinning from men who beleeued such gods as these and conceiued it no shame for them to do as their gods did And hereby appeareth the truth of the Worship of God declared in his Word in that it opposeth sinne and the reason why Idolatry and false religion draw away so many is because they either giue a liberty to sinne or a Pardon of sinne vpon easie conditions but these men which are thus seduced are of another mind then Dauid was who hid the Word of God in his heart that hee might not sinne He found no safety so long as he continued in sinne nor any meanes to auoid sinne but the Word of God which is the Touchstone to trie all metals of Religion If a man doubt of the doctrine of Religion let him bring it to this Touchstone and he shall soone discerne whether it be currant or no If he bring his life and actions to this Touch-stone he shall quickly know whether they be good or no If he bring his faith and repentance to this Touchstone it will quickly shew whether they be sound or no If hee bring his honesty and iustice to this Touch-stone he shall easily discouer whether they be counterfeit or no. It is the speciall care of euery good Schoolemaster to see that his Schollers performe all their exercises truly so this Schoolemaster the Word which vndertakes to teach the Worship of God directs to the true Worship of God And this truth is not onely required in the outward practice of Religion but in the heart and inward soule of a man Behold Psal 51.6 thou requirest truth in the inward parts saith the Psalme and it is the complaint of God in Isaiah Isai 29.13 That the people drew neere vnto him with their mouthes and with their lips did honour him but had remoued their hearts farre from him A man may be a great Scholler well read in all controuersies able to distinguish betweene true Religion and false opinions well grounded and of good vnderstanding in the doctrine and discipline of Religion orthodoxall in point of faith a carefull obseruer of diuine worship a iust dealer amongst men ciuill in his course of life well reported of for hospitalitie diligent in all his affaires true in all his Words and of a faire demeanor in all his actions and yet if this inward vprightnesse to God and man for conscience sake of Gods Commandement be wanting to this man hee may be wanting of true Religion Ioshua 24.14 For Ioshua requires the people to feare the Lord and serue him but how In sincerity and truth And Samuel commands them not onely to serue the Lord but it must be done in truth and with all their hearts Religion then appeares from the efficient cause thereof to bee the worke of God from the materiall cause to bee worship The finall causes of Religion the glory of God and mans saluation Nihil sit frustrà and from the formall cause to be true and onely and properly applied to God But the Naturall Philosopher could reach so farre as to apprehend that nothing could be made in vaine and therefore if in that inferiour workmanship of God in the framing of all the creatures was expressed a rare Art and in this worke there was intended an end then certainely much more in the framing a man after Gods owne Image Man must beleeue an end yea a more speciall end by how much the effect is of a more excellent nature There are two finall causes of Gods Workes the one communicated to man with all other creatures which is the last the vttermost and chiefest end the other onely for mans sake the former of these ends is the glory of God to which end he made all that is made and doth dispose of all things that are done to which purpose are the words in the Reuelation Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things c. If God had not made the world to our apprehension he had lost the glory of his power if he had not made man perfect he had lost the glory of his goodnesse if man had not fallen though God was not the Author thereof he had lost the glory of his Iustice if he had not redeemed man hee had lost the glory of his Mercy if he had not continued man he had lost the glory of his Prouidence and if he had not beene the worker of Religion in man he had lost all his glory vpon Earth For to what end was it to make a world if man had not bene placed as a Gouernour ouer it To what end was it to make man perfect but to trie his obedience To what end was it to