Vows The use the obligation VVhether any things be indifferent and such may be Vowed As Marrying c. May we Vow things Indifferent in themselves though not in their circumstances In what Cases we may not Vow VVhat if Rulers command it VVhat if I doubt whether the Matter imposed be lawful Of Vowing with a doubting Conscience Tit. 2. Directions against Perjury and Perfidiousness and for keeping Vows and Oaths The heinousness of Perjury Thirty six Rules about the obligation of a Vow to shew when and how far it is obligatory useful in an age stigmatized with open Perjury Mostly out of Dr. Sanderson VVhat is the Nullity of an Oath Cases in which Vows must not be kept p. 700 How far Rulers may Nullifie a Vow Numb 30. opened Of the Accidental Evil of a Vow Of Scandal Q. Doth an error de persona caused by that person disoblige me ibid. CHAP. VI. Directions to the people concerning their Internal and private duty to their Pastors and their profiting by the Ministerial Office and Gifts p. 714 The Ministerial Office opened in fifteen particulars The Reasons of it The true old Episcopacy Special duties to your own Pastors above others Of the Calling Power and Succession of Pastors The best to be preferred The Order of Minirial Teaching and the Resolution of faith How far Humane faith conduceth to Divine Of Tradition VVhat use to make of your Pastors to p. 724 CHAP. VII Directions for the discovery of Truth among Contenders and how to escape Heresie and deceit Cautions for avoiding deceit in Disputations p. 725 CHAP. VIII Directions for the Union and Communion of Saints and for avoiding unpeaceableness and Schism p. 731 VVherein our Unity consisteth VVhat diversity will be in the Churches VVhat Schism is VVhat Heresie VVhat Apostasie VVho are Schismaticks The degrees and progress of it VVhat Separation is a duty Q. Is any one form of Church Government of Divine appointment May man make new Church Officers The Benefits of Christian Concord to themselves and to Insidels The mischiefs of Schism VVhether Papists or Protestants are Schismaticks The aggravations of Division Two hinderances of our true apprehension of the evil of Schism Direrections against it Of imposing defective Liturgies The Testimonies of antiquity against the bloody and Cruel way of Curing Schism Their Character of Ithacian Prelates CHAP. IX Twenty Directions how to worship God in the Church Assemblies p. 755 CHAP. X. Directions about our Communion with holy souls departed now with Christ. p. 758 CHAP. XI Directions about our Communion with the holy Angels p. 763 The Contents of the Ecclesiastical Cases of Conscience added to the Third Part. Q. 1. HOw to know which is the true Church among all pretenders that a Christians Conscience may be quiet in his Relation and communion p. 771 Q. 2. Whether we must esteem the Church of Rome a true Church And in what sence some Protestant Divines affirm it and some deny it p. 774 Q. 3. Whether we must take the Romish Clergie for a true Ministry p. 775 Q. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist p. 777 Q. 5. Whether we must hold that a Papist may be saved p. 778 Q. 6. Whether those that are in the Church of Rome are bound to separate from it And whether it be lawful to go to their Mass or other worship p. 779 Q. 7. Whether the true calling of the Minister by Ordination or Election be necessary to the essence of the Church ibid Q. 8. Whether sincere faith and Godliness be necessary to the being of the Ministry And whether it be lawful to hear a wicked man or take the Sacrament from him or take him for a Minister p. 780 Q. 9. Whether the people are bound to receive or consent to an ungodly intolerable heretical Pastor yea or one far less fit and worthy than a competitor if the Magistrate command it or the Bishop impose him p. 781 Q. 10. What if the Magistrate command the people to receive one Pastor and the Bishop or Ordainers another which of them must be obeyed p. 787 Q. 11. Whether an uninterrupted succession either of right Ordination or of conveyance by jurisdiction be necessary to the being of the Ministry or of a true Church p. 787 Q. 12. Whether there be or ever was such a thing in the world as one Catholick Church constituted by any head besides or under Christ p. 789 Q 13. Whether there be such a thing as a visible Catholick Church and what it is ibid. Q. 14. What is it that maketh a visible member of the universal Church and who are to be accounted such p. 790 Q. 15. Whether besides the profession of Christianity either testimony or evidence of conversion or practical Godliness be necessary to prove a man a member of the Universal visible Church ibid. Q. 16. What is necessary to a mans reception into membership in a particular Church over and above this foresaid title Whether any other tryals or Covenant or What p. 791 Q. 17. Wherein doth the Ministerial office Essentially consist p. 792 Q. 18. Whether the peoples choice or consent is necessary to the office â—f a Minister in his first work as he is to convert Insidels and Baptize them And whether this be a work of office and what call is necessary to it p. 793 Q. 19. Wherein consisteth the power and nature of Ordination and To whom doth it belong and Is it an act of jurisdiction and Is imposition of hands necessary in it p 794 Q. 20. Is ordination necessary to make a man a Pastor of a particular Church as such and Is he to be made a General Minister and a particular Church-Elder or Pastor at once and at one Ordination p. 795 Q. 21. May a man be oft or twice ordained p. 796 Q. 22. How many ordainers are necessary to the validity of Ordination by Christs Institution Whether one or more p. 798 Q. 23. What if one Bishop Ordain a Minister and three or many or all the rest protest against it and declare him no Minister or degrade him is he to be received as a true Minister or not ibid. Q. 24. Hath a Bishop power by divine right to ordain degrade or govern excommunicate or absolve in another Diocess or Church either by his consent or against it And doth a Minister that officiateth in anothers Church act as a Pastor and their Pastor or as a private man And doth his Ministerial office cease when a man removeth from his flock p. 799 Q. 25. Whether Canons Be Laws and Pastors have a Legislative power p. 800 Q. 26. Whether Church-canons or Pastors directive determinations of matters pertinent to their Office do bind the Conscience and what accidents will disoblige the people you may gather before in the same case about Magistrates Laws in the Political Directions As also by an impartial transferring the case to the precepts of Parents and School-masters to Children without respect to
Rom. 10. 15 1â— translate it Age it is the Age of the Church of the Messiah incarnate which is all one 4. Because it was a small part of the world comparatively that heard the Gospel in the Apostles dayes And the far greatest part of the world is without it at this day when yet God our Saviour would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 5. Even where the Gospel hath long continued for the most part there are many still that are in infidelity And so great a work is not left without an appointed suitable means for its performance And if an Office was necessary for it in the first age it is not credible that it is left to private mens charity ever since 6. Especially considedering that private men are to be supposed insufficient 1. Because they are not educated purposely for it but usually for something else 2. Because that they have other Callings to take them up 3. Because they have no special obligation And that which is no mans peculiar work is usually left undone by all II. The peoples Call or Consent is not necessary to a Ministers reception of his Office in General nor for this part of his work in special But only to his Pastoral Relation to themselves 1. It is so in other functions that are exercised by skill The Patients or People make not a man a Physicion or a Lawyer but only choose what Physicion shall be their Physicion and what Lawyer shall be their Counsellor 2. If the peoples Call or Consent be necessary it is either the Infidels or the Churches Not the Infidels to whom he is to preach for 1. He is Authorized to preach to them as the Apostles were before he goeth to them 2. Their Consent is but a Natural-consequent-requisite for the Reception and success of their Teaching but not to the Authority which is pre-requisite 3. Infidels cannot do so much towards the making of a Minister of Christ. 4. Else Christ would have few such Ministers 5. If it be Infidels either all or some If some why those rather than others Or is a man made a Minister by every Infidel auditory that heareth him 2. Nor is it Christian people that must do this much to the making of a General Minister For 1. They have no such Power given for it in Nature or the Word of God 2. They are generally unqualified and unable for such a work 3. They are no where obliged to it nor can fitly leave their Callings for it Much less to get the abilities necessary to judge 4. Which of the people have this power Is it any of them or any Church of private men Or some one more than the rest Neither one nor all can lay any claim to it There is some reason why this Congregation rather than another should choose their own Pastors But there is no Reason nor Scripture that this Congregation choose a Minister to convert the World III. I conclude therefore that the Call of a Minister in General doth consist 1. Dispositively in the due Qualifications and â—nablement of the person 2. And the Necessity of the people with opportunity is a providential part of the Call 3. And the ordainers are the Orderly Electors and determineâ—s of the person that shall receive the power from Christ. 1. For this is part of the power of the Keyes or Church-Government 2. And Paul giveth this direction for exercising of this power to Timothy which sheweth the ordinary way of Calling 2 Tim. 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. Tâ—t 1. 5 6. 2. 2. And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Act. 13. 1 2 3. There were in the Church at Antioch certain Prophets As they ministred to the Lord the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away And they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed In this whether it be to be called an Ordination or rather a Mission there is somewhat Ordinary that it be by men in office and somewhat extraordinary that it be by a special inspiration of the Holy Ghost And Timothy received his Gifts and Office by the Imposition of the hands of Paul and of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man These instances make the case the clearer 1. Because it is certain that all that Governing power which is given by Christ to the Church under the name of the Keyes is given to the Pastors 2. Because there are no other competitors to lay a reasonable claim to it Quest. 19. Wherein consisteth the Power and Nature of Ordination And to whom doth it belong And is it an Act of Iurisdiction And is Imposition of hands necessary in it I. THis is resolved on the by before 1. Ordination performeth two things 1. The designation election or determination of the person who shall receive the Office 2. The Ministerial Investiture of him in that office which is a Ceremonial delivery of Possession As a servant doth deliver possession of a house by delivering him the Key who hath before received the power or Right from the Owner 2. The office delivered by this Election and Investiture is the sacred Ministerial office in General to be after exercised according to particular Calls and opportunities As Christ called the Apostles and the Spirit called the ordinary general Teachers of those times such as Barnabas Silas Silvanus Timothy Epaphroditus Apollo c. And as is before cited 2 Tim. 2. 2. As a man is made in General a Licensed Physicion Lawyer c. 3. This Ordination is Ordinis gratiâ necessary to order and therefore so far necessary as Order is necessary which is Ordinarily when the greater interest of the substantial duty or of the Thing Ordered is not against it As Christ determined the case of Sabbath keeping and not eating the Shew-bread As the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and the end is to be preferred before the separable means so ordination was instituted for order and order for the thing ordered and for the work of the Gospel and the good of souls and not the Gospel and mens souls for that Order Therefore when 1. The death 2. Distance 3. Or malignity of the Ordainers depriveth a man of Ordination these three substitutes may notifie to him the Will of God that he is by him a person called to that office 1. Fitness for the works in Understanding Willingness and Ability 2. The Necessity of souls 3. Opportunity II. The power of ordaining belongeth not 1. To Magistrates 2. Or to private men either single or as the body of a Church but 3. To the Senior Pastors of the Church whether Bishops or Presbyters
was not And so I answer 1. He that seemed Ordained and indeed was not is not Re-ordained when he is after Ordained 2. It is needful therefore to know the Essentials of Ordination from the Integrals and Accidentals 3. He that was truly Ordained before may in some cases receive again the Repetition of the bare words and outward Ceremonies of Ordination as Imposition of hands Where I will 1. Tell you in what Cases 2. Why. 1. In case there wanted sufficient witnesses of his Ordination and so the Church hath not sufficient means of notice or satisfaction that ever he was ordained indeed Or if the witnesses die before the notification Whether the Church should take his word or not in such a case is none of my question but Whether he should submit to the Repetition if they will not 2. Especially in a time and place which I have known when written and sealed Orders are often counterfeited and so the Church called to extraordinary care 3. Or if the Church or Magistrate be guilty of some causeless culpable incredulity and will not believe it was done till they see it done again 4. Or in case that some real or supposed Integral though not essential part was omitted or is by the Church or Magistrate supposed to be omitted And they will not permit or receive the Minister to exercise his office unless he repeat the whole Action again and make up that defect 5. Or if the person himself do think that his ordination was insufficient and cannot exercise his Ministry to the satisfaction of his own Conscience till the defect be repaired 1. In these cases and perhaps such others the outward Action may be repeated 2. The Reasons are 1. Because this is not a being twice ordained For the word Ordination signifieth a Moral action and not a Physical only As the word Marriage doth c. And it essentially includeth the new Dedication and Designation to the Sacred office by a kind of Covenant between the Dedicated person and Christ to whom he is consecrated and devoted And the external words are but a part and a part only as significant of the action of the mind Now the oft expressing of the same mental dedication doth not make it to be as many distinct dedications For 1. If the Liturgy or the persons words were tautological or at the Ordination should say the same thing often over and over or for confirmation should say often that which else might be said but once this doth not make it an often or multiplyed Ordination It was but one Love which Peter expressed when Christ made him say thrice that he Loved him nor was it a threefold Ordination which Christ used when he said thrice to him Feed my Lambs and Sheep 2. And if thrice saying it that hour make it not three Ordinations neither will thrice saying it at more hours dayes or months or years distance in some Cases For the Time maketh not the Ordinations to be many It is but one Moral Action But the common errour ariseth from the custom of calling the outward action alone by the name of the whole moral Action which is ordinarily done to the like deceit in the case of the Baptismal Covenant and the Lords Supper 3. The common judgement and custome of the World confirmeth what I say If persons that are marryed should for want of witness or due solemnity be forced to say and do the outward action all over again it is by no wise man taken in the proper moral full sense for a second Marriage but for one marriage twice uttered And if you should in witness bearing be put to your Oath and the Magistrate that was absent should say Reach him the Book again I did not hear him swear The doing it twice is not Morally two witnessings noâ— Oaths but one only twice Physically uttered If you Bind your Son Apprentice or if you make any Indentures or Contract and the Writings being lost or faulty you write and sign and seal them all again this is not morally another Contract but the same done better or again recorded And so it is plainly in this case 4. But Re-ordination morally and properly so called is unlawful For 1. It is or implyeth a lyâ— viz. that we were not truly Dedicated and Separated to this office before 2. It is a Sacrilegious renunciation of our former dedication to God whereas the Ministerial dedication and Covenant is for Life and not for a tryal which is the meaning of the Indelible Character which is a perpetual Relation and obligation 3. It is a taking the Name of God in vain thus to do and undoe and do again and to promise and renounce and promise again and to pretend to receive a power which we had before 4. It tendeth to great confusions in the Church As to make the people doubt of their Baptism or all the Ministerial Administrations of such as are re-ordained while they acted by the first Ordination 5. It hath ever been condemned in the Churches of Christ as the Canons called the Apostles and the Churches constant practice testifie 5. Though the bare Repetition of the outward Action and words be not Re-ordination yet he that on any of the forementioned occasions is put to repeat the said words and actions is obliged so to do it as that it may not seem to be a Re-ordination and so be a scandal to the Church Or if it outwardly seem so by the action he is bound to declare that it is no such thing for the counterpoising that appearance of evil 6. When the Ordainers or the common estimation of the Church do take the Repetition of the words and Action for a Re-ordination though the Receiver so intend it not yet it may become unlawful to him by this accident because he scandalizeth and hardeneth the erroneous by doing or receiving that which is Interpretative Re-ordination 7. Especially when the Ordainers shall require this Repetition on notoriously wicked grounds and so put that sense on the action by their own doctrines and demands As for instance 1. If Hereticks should as the Arrians say that we are no Ministers because we are not of their Heresie or Ordained by such as they 2. If the Pope or any proud Papal Usurpers shall say You are no Ministers of Christ except we ordain you And so do it to establish a trayterous usurped Regiment in the Church It is not lawful to serve such an usurpation As if Cardinals or Arch-bishops should say none are true Ministers but those that we Ordain Or Councils or Synods of Bishops or Presbyters should say None are true Ministers but those that we Ordain Or if one Presbyter or one Bishop without Authority would thus make himself master of the rest or of other Churches and say You are no Ministers unless I Ordain you we may not promote such Tyranny and Usurpation 3. If Magistrates would usurp the power of the Keys in Ecclesiastical Ordination and say that
best preserve the Churches peace But if the true nature of Pastoral or Ecclesiastical Government were well understood it would put an end to all these Controversies Which may be mostly gathered from what is said before To which I will add this little following Quest. Wherein consisteth the true nature of Pastoral Church Government Answ. 1. NOt in any use of the sword or corporal â—orce 2. Not in a power to contradict Gods word 3. Not in a power co-ordinate with Christs to do his proper work or that which hath the same grounds reasons and nature 4. Not in an unquestionable Empire to command things which none must presume to examine or judge of by a discerning judgement whether they be forbidden by God or not 5. Not now in making a new word of God or new Articles of faith or new universal Laws for the whole Church 6. Not in any thing which derogates from the true power of Magistrates or Parents or Masters But 1. It is a Ministerial power of a Messenger or Servant who hath a commission to deliver his 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. Masters commands and exhortations 2. As it is over the Laity or flocks it is a power in the sacred Assemblies to Teach the people by 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Mat. 28. 19 20. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 5. office and to be their Priests or Guides in holy Worship 3. And to Rule the Worship-actions for the time length method and orderly performance of them 3. As to particular persons it is the power of the Church Keys which is 1. To judge who is meet to be by Baptism taken in to the Church 2. To reprove exhort and instruct those that by vice or ignorance in order to Repentance or Knowledge or confirmation do need the Pastoral help 3. To judge who is to be forbidden Church-communion as impenitent or at â—east with whom that Church must be forbidden to communicate 4. To judge who is meet for Absolution as a penitent 5. To deliver men personally a sealed pardon from Christ in his two Sacraments 6. To visit the sick and comfort the sad and resolve the doubting and help the poor This is the true Church Government which is like a Philosophers or Schoolmasters in his School among volunteers supposing them to have no power of the rod or violence but only to take in or put out of their Schools And what â—eed is there of an Universal Patriarchal or National Head to do any of this work which is but the Government of a personal Teacher and Conductor and which worketh only on the Conscience 4. But besides this there is a necessity of Agreeing in the right management of this work which needeth no new Head but only the Consultations of the several Bishops or Pastors and the Magistrates civil rule or extrinsick Episcopacy as Constantine called it 5. And besides this there is need to Ordain Pastors and Bishops in the Church And this is not done by any sorce neither but 1. By Judging what men are fit 2. By perswading the people to consent and receive them and 3. By Investing them by a Delivery of possession by Imposition of hands Now for all this there needs no humane species of Bishops or Churches to be made 6. Besides this there is need of some oversight of these Pastors and Ministers and fixed Bishops when they are made and of some General care of Pastors and people if they decline to Heresies errours vices or lukewarmness But for this 1. When Magistrates have done their part 2. And neighbour Ministers to one another 3. And the consociated Bishops to the particular ones 4. And unfixed Ministers have done their part in the places where occasionally they come If moreover any General Pastors or Arch-bishops are necessary to rebuke direct and perswade the Bishops or their flocks by messengers Epistles or in presence no doubt but God hath appointed such as the successours of the Apostles Evangelists and other General Ministers of those first times But if no such thing be appointed by Christ we may be sure it is not necessary nor best If it were but considered that the Ruling power in the Church is so inseparable from the Teaching power that it is exercised by Teaching and only by Gods word either generally or personally applyed and that upon none but those that willingly and by consent receive it it would quiet the world about these matters And O that once Magistrates would take the Sword wholly to themselves and leave Church power to work only by its proper strength and virtue and then all things would fall into joynt again Though the Ithacians would be displeased Quest. 58. Whether any part of the proper Pastoral or Episcopal power may be given or deputed to a Lay man or to one of any other office or the proper work may be performed by such Answ. 1. SUch Extrinsical or Circumstantial or Accidental actions as are afore-mentioned may be done by deputies or others As calling the Church together summoning offenders recording actions c. 2. The proper Episcopal or Pastoral work or office cannot be deputed in whole or part any other way than by Communication which is by Ordination or making another to be of the same office For if it may be done by a Lay man or one that is not of the same order and office then it is not to be called any proper part of the Pastoral or Episcopal office If a Lay man may Baptize or administer the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood or may ordain or excommunicate ecclesiastically or Absolve meerly because a Bishop authorizeth or biddeth him Then 1. What need Christ have made an office work of it and persons be Devoted and Consecrated to it 2. And why may not the peoples election and the Kings Commission serve to enable a Lay man to do it For if Commanding only be proper to the Bishop or Pastor and executing be common to Lay men it 's certain that the King may Command all Bishops and Pastors to do their office work And therefore he may command a Lay man to do that which a Bishop may command him to do 3. And is it not a contradiction to say that a man is a Lay man or of another Order who is Authorized by a Bishop to do a Bishops work or office When as the office it self is nothing as is oft said but an Obligation and Authority to do the work If therefore a Bishop authorize and oblige any other man to do the proper work of a Bishop or Pastor to ordain to baptize to give the Sacrament of the Eucharist to Excommunicate to absolve c. he thereby maketh that man a Bishop or a Pastor whatever he call him Obj. But doth not a Bishop preach per alios to all his Diocess and give them the Sacraments per alios c Answ. Let not the phrase be made the Controversie instead of the Matter Those other persons are either
Real opposed to a nullity so it is now to be further considered 2. The doubt lyeth either of the sufficiency of his Call or of somewhat that is supposed to destroy it by contradiction or redundancy 1. Whether he want any thing of absolute necessity to the office who is called in the Church of Rome or 2. Whether there be any thing in his office or entrance which nullifieth or invalidateth that which else would be sufficient For the first doubt it is not agreed on among Papists or Protestants what is of necessity to the Being of the office Some think real Godliness in the person is necessary but most think not some think that Visible that is seeming professed Godliness not disproved by mortal sin is necessary and some think not some think the peoples Election is necessary and that ordination is but ad bene esse and some think ordination necessary ad esse and Election ad bene esse or not at all And some think Both necessary ad esse and some Neither Some think the Election of the people is necessary and some think only their Consent is necessary though after Election by others Some think it must be the Consent of all the flock or neer all And some only of the Major part And some of the Better part though the Minor Some think the Ordination of a Diocesane Bishop necessary ad esse and some not Some think the Truth of the Ordainers Calling or power to be necessary to the validity of his Ordination and some not some think the number of two or three or more Ordainers to be necessary and some not some think it necessary to the validity of the Ministry that it come down from the Apostles by an uninterrupted succession of truly Ordained Bishops and some think not some few think that the Magistrates command or licence is necessary and only it and most deny both Iohnson alias Terret the Papist in his Disputation against me maintaineth that Consecration is not necessary ad esse nor any one way of Election by these or those but only the Churches reception upon such an Election as may give them notice and which may be different according to different times places and other circumstances In the midst of these confusions What is to be held I have opened the Case as fully and plainly as I can in my 2 Disput. of Ch. Gov. about Ordination to which I must refer the Reader Only here briefly touching upon the sum 1. There are some personal qualifications necessary to the being of the office of which anon and Eph. 4. 6 9 8 9 10 11. Mat. 28. 11 2â— Tit. 1. 5. Act. 20. 28. Act. 14. 23. 1 Pet. 5. 2. some only to the well-being 2. The efficient conveying cause of Power or office is Gods will signified in his own established Law in which he determineth that such persons so called shall receive from him such Power and be obliged to such office-administrations 3. Any Providence of God which infallibly or satisfactorily notifieth to the Church who these persons are that receive such Power from God doth oblige them to submit to them as so impowred 4. Gods ordinary established way of Regular designation of the person is by the Churches consent and the Senior Pastors ordination 5. By these Actions they are not the proper Donors or efficients of the Power or office given but the Consent of the people and the Ordination do determine of the Recipient and so are Regularly causa fine qua non of his Reception And the Ordination is moreover a solemn Investiture in the office as when a servant is sent by delivering a Key to deliver possession of an House by his Masters consent to him that had before the owners Grant And so it ceremoniously entereth him into visible possession Like the solemnizing of Marriage or the listing of a Souldier c. 6. The peoples Consent before or after is not only by Institution but naturally necessary that a man become a Pastor to those persons for no man can Learn obey c. without consent But it is not of necessity to the Being of the Ministry in General or in the first instant A man without it may be authorized as a Minister to go Preach the Gospel for Conversion and Baptize and gather Churches though not to be their stated Pastor 7. When death distance corruption heresie or malignity of Pastors within reach maketh it impossible to have Ordination Gods choice of the person may be notified without it as by 1. Emiâ—ent Qualifications 2. The peoples real necessities 3. And the removal of Impedimensâ— and a concurrence of inviting opportunities and advantages 4. And sometimes the peoples desire 5. And sometimes the Magistrates commission or consent which though not absolutely necessary in themselves yet may serve to design the person and invest him when the ordinary way faileth which is all that is left to Man to do to the conveyance of the power The case being thus stated as to what is necessary to give the power or office we may next enquire whether any Papists Priest have such Power by such means And 1. We have sufficient reason to judge that many of them have all the personal qualifications which are essentially necessary 2. Many among them have the consent of a sober Christian people of which more anon And Mr. Iacob who was against Bishops and their Ordination proveth at large that by Election or Consent of the people alone a man may be a true Pastor either without such Ordination or notwithstanding both the vanity and error of it 3. Many of them have Ordination by able and sober Bishops if that also be necessary 4. In that Ordination they are invested in all that is essential to the Pastoral Office So that I see not that their Calling is a Nullity through defect of any thing of absolute necessity to its being and validity though it be many wayes irregular and sinful II. We are next therefore to enquire whether any Contradicting additions make null that which else would be no nullity And this is the great difficulty For as we accuse not their Religion for having too little but too much so this is our chief doubt about their Ministry And. 1. It is doubted as to the office it self whether a Mass-Priest be a true Minister as having another work to do even to make his Maker and to give Christs real flesh with his hands to the people and to preach the unsound Doctrines of their Church And these seem to be essential parts of his function The case is very bad and sad But that which I said about the Heresies or Errors which may consist with Christianity when they overthrow it but by an undiscerned consequence must be here also considered The prime part of their office is that as to the essentials which Christ ordained This they receive and to this they sew a filthy rag of mans devising But if they knew this to be
clean and delectable and paved with mercies and fortified and secured by Divine protection and where Christ is your Conductor and so many have sped so well before you and the wisest and best in the world are your companions Live then as men that have changed their Master their end their hopes their way and work Religion layeth not men to sleep though it be the only way to Rest. It awakeneth the sleepy soul to higher thoughts and hopes and labours than ever it was well acquainted with before He that is in Christ is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. You never sought that which would pay for all your cost and diligence till now You never were in a way that you might make haste in without repenting of your haste till now How glad should you be that Mercy hath brought you into the right way after the wanderings of such a sinful life And your gladness and thankfulness should now be shewed by your cheerful diligence and zeal As Christ did not raise up Lazarus from the dead to do nothing or live to little purpose though the Scripture giveth us not the history of his life So did he not raise you from the death of sin to live idely or to be unprofitable in the world He that giveth you his Spirit to be a principle of heavenly life within you expecteth that you stir up the gift that he hath given you and live according to that heavenly principle Direction 16. ENgage thy self in the chearful constant use of the means and helps appointed by God Direct 16. for thy confirmation and salvation § 1. He can never expect to attain the end that will not be perswaded to use the means Of your selves you can do nothing God giveth his help by the means which he hath appointed and fitted to your help Of the use of these I shall treat more fully afterwards I am now only to name them to thee that thou maist know what it is that thou hast to do 1. That you must hear or read the Word of God and other good Books which expound it and How Paenitents of old did rise even from a particular sin judge by these words of Pacianus Paâ—â—â—â—â—â— ad Poeâ—â—t Bibl. Pat. To. 3. p. 74. You must not only do that which may be seen of the Priest and praised by the Bishop to weep before the Church to lament a lost or sinful life in a â—ordid garment to fast pray to role on the earth if any invite you to the Bath or such pleasures to refuse to go If any bid you to a Feast to say These things are for the happy I have sinned against God and am in danger to perish for ever What should I do at Banquets who have wronged the Lord Besides these you must take the poor by the hand you must beseech the Widdow lye at the feet of the Presbyters beg of the Church to forgive you and pray for you you must try all means rather than perish apply it I shewed you before The new born Christian doth encline to this as the new born child doth to the breast 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as new born babes that desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Psal. 1. 2 3. The blessed mans delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate day and night § 2. 2. Another means is the publick worshipping of God in communion with his Church and people Besides the benefit of the word there preached the prayers of the Church are effectual for the members and it raiseth the soul to holy joyes to joyn with well ordered Assemblies of the Saints in the Praises of the Almighty The Assemblies of holy worshippers of God are the places of his delight and must be the places of our delight They are most like to the Celestial Society that sound forth the praises of the glorious Iebovah with purest minds and cheerful voice In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 29. 9. In such a Chore what soul will not be rapt up with delight and desire to joyn in the consort and harmony In such a flame of united desires and praises what soul so cold and dull that will not be enflamed and with more than ordinary facility and alacrity fly up to God § 3. 3. Another means is private prayer unto God When God would tell Ananias that Paul was converted he saith of him Behold he prayeth Acts 9. 11. Prayer is the breath of the new creature The Spirit of Adoption given to every child of God is a Spirit of prayer and teacheth them to cry Abba Father and helpeth their infirmities when they know not what to pray as they ought and when words are wanting it as it were intercedeth for them with groans which they cannot express in words Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15 26 27. And God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit in those groans The first workings of grace are in Desires after grace provoking the soul to servent prayer by which more grace is speedily obtained Ask then and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Luke 11. 9. § 4. 4. Another means to be used is Confession of sin not only to God for so every wicked man may do because he knoweth that God is already acquainted with it all and this is no addition to his shame He so little regardeth the eye of God that he is more ashamed when it is known to men But in three Cases Confession must be made also to Man 1. In case you have wronged man and are thus bound to make him satisfaction As if you have robbed him defrauded him slandered him or born false witness against him 2. In case you are Children or Servants that are under the government of Parents or Masters and are called by them to give an acount of your actions You are bound then to give a true account 3. In case you have need of the Counsel or Prayers of others for the setling of your consciences in peace In this case you must so far open your case to them as is necessary to their effectual help for your recovery For if they know not the disease they will be unfit to apply the remedy In these cases it is true that He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. § 5. 5. Another Means to be used is the familiar company and holy converse with humble sincere experienced Christians The Spirit that is in them and breatheth and acteth by them will kindle the like holy flames in you Away with the company of idle prating sensual men that can talk of nothing but their worldly wealth or business or their reputations or their appetites and lusts
more of my observation of which these times have given us too much proof Profane and formal Enemies on the one hand and ignorant self-conceited wranglers on the other hand who think they are champions for the truth when they are venting their passions and fond opinions are the two Thieves between whom the Church hath suffered from the beginning to this day The first are the Persecutors and the other the Dividers and disturbers of the Church Mark what the Holy Ghost saith in this case 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strife and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men Phil. 2. 14 15. Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5 6. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife raylings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds c. So 1 Tim. 1. 4 5. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which Minister Questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned § 6. Yet I must here profess that if any falsehearted worldly hypocrite that resolveth to be on the saving side and to hold all to be lawful that seemeth necessary to his safety or preferments shall take any encouragement from what I have here said to debauch his conscience and sell his soul and then call all those furious zealots that will not be as false to God as he let that man know that I have given him no cloak for so odious a sin nor will he find a cover for it at the barr of God though he may delude his conscience and bear it out by his carnal advantages before the world Direct 13. KNow that true Godliness is the Best Life upon Earth and the only may to perfect Direct 13. Happiness Still apprehend it therefore and Use it as the best and with great diligence â—â—sist those Temptations which would make it seem to you a confounding grievous or unpleasant thing § 1. There are all things concurrent in a Holy life to make it the most delectable life on earth to a rational purified mind that is not captivated to the flesh and liveth not on Air or Dung The Object of it is the Eternal God himself the Infallible Truth the only satisfactory Good and all these condescending and appearing to us in the mysterious but suitable glass of a Mediator Redeeming Reconciling teaching governing sanctifying justifying and glorifying all that are his own The End of it is the pleasing and glorifying of our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier and the everlasting happiness of our selves and others The Rule of it is the infallible Revelation of God delivered to the Church by his Prophets and his Son and his Apostles and comprized in the Holy Scriptures and sealed by the Miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did indite them The work of Godliness is a living unto God and preparing for everlasting life by foreseeing foretasting seeking and rejoycing in that endless Happiness which we shall have with God and by walking after the Spirit and avoiding the filthiness delusions and vexations of the world and the flesh The nature of man is not capable of a more noble profitable and delectable life than this which God hath called us to by his Son And if we did but rightly know it we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight Be sure therefore to conceive of Godliness as it is and not as it is mis-represented by the Devil and the ungodly Read what I have written of this in my A Saint or a Brute § 2. As long as a man conceiveth of Religion as it is even the most sweet and delectable life so long he will follow it willingly and with his heart and despise the temptations and avocations of flâ—shly gain and pleasure He will be sincere as not being only drawn by other men or outward advantages nor frightned into it by a passion of fearfulness but loving Religion for it self and for its excellent ends And then he will be chearful in all the duties and under all the sufferings and difficulties of it And he will be most likely to persevere unto the end We cannot expect that the Heart or Will should be any more for God and Godliness than the Understanding practically apprehendeth them as Good Nay we must alwayes perceive in them a transcendent Goodness above all that is to be found in a worldly life Or else the appearing Goodness of the Creature will divert us and carry away our minds We may see in the very Brutes what a power apprehension hath upon their actions If your Horse be but going to his home or pasture how freely will he go through thick and thin but if he go unwillingly his travell is troublesome and slow and you have much ado to get him on It will be so with you in your way to Heaven § 2. It is therefore the principal design of the Devil to hide the Goodness and Pleasantness of Religion from you and to make it appear to you as a terrible or tedious life By this means it is that he keeps men from it and by this means he is still endeavouring to draw you back again and frustrate your good beginnings and your hopes If he can thus mis-represent Religion to your understandings he will suddenly alienate your wills and corrupt your lives and make you turn to the world again and seek for pleasure somewhere else and only take up with some heartless lip-service to keep up some deceitful hope of being saved And the means which Satan useth to these ends are such as these § 3. 1. He will do his worst to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and difficulties and bring How Satan would make Religion seem to be a câ—nfounding unpâ—â—aâ—an thing â— By difficulties you to a loss and to make Religion seem to you a confounding and not a satisfying thing This is one of his most dangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners Difficulties and Passions are the things which he makes use of to confound you and put you out of a regular cheerful seeking of salvation When you read the Scriptures he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you read or hear He will shew you seeming contradictions and tell you that you will never be able to understand these things He will cast in thoughts of Unbelief and Blasphemy and cause you if he can to â—owl them in your
§ 21. I beseech thee now that readest these Lines be so true to God be so ingenuous be so much a friend to the comfort of thy soul and so much love a life of pleasure as to set thy self for the time to come to a more conscionable performance of this noble work and steep thy thoughts in the abundant mercies of thy God and express them more in all thy speech to God and man Say as David Psal. 116. 16 17. O Lord truly I am thy servant thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord. Psal. 30. 1 2 3 4 11 12. I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Psal. 69. 30. I will praise the name of God with a Song and magnifie him with thanksgiving This also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe Psal. 92. 1 2. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and to sing unto thy Name O Most High To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements Psal. 140. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy Name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Remember that you are commanded in every thing to give thanks 1 Thess. 5. 18. When God is scant in mercy to thee then be thou scant in thankfulness to him and not when the Devil and a forgetful or unbelieving or discontented heart would hide his greatest mercies from thee It is just with God to give up that person to sadness of heart and to uncomfortable self-tormenting melancholly that will not be perswaded by the greatness and multitude of mercies to be frequent in the sweet returns of Thanks DIRECT XV. Let thy very heart be set to GLORIFIE GOD thy Creator Redeemer Gr. Dir. 15. and Sanctifier both with the Estimation of thy Mind the Praises of thy Mouth To Glorifie God and the Holiness of thy Life § 1. THe GLORIFYING of GOD being the End of man and the whole Creation must be the highest duty of our lives and therefore deserveth our distinct consideration 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. That God in all things may be glorified through Iesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen I shall therefore first shew you what it is to glorifie God and then give Directions how to do it § 2. To glorifie God is not to add to his essential perfections or felicity or real glory The Heb. â— 3. Act. 7. â—â— Rom. 3 â—â— Rev. 21 11 23. Jude 24. 1 Peâ— 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 18. glory of God is a word that is taken in these various senses 1. Sometime it signifieth the essential transcendent Excellencies of God in himself considered So Rom. 6. 4. Psal. 19. 2. 2. Sometime it signifieth that glory which the Angels and Saints behold in Heaven What this is a soul in flesh cannot formally conceive or comprehend It seemeth not to be the Essence of God because that is every where and so is not that glory Or if any think that his Essence is that glory and is every where alike and that the creatures capacity is all the difference betwixt Heaven and Earth he seems confuted in that the glory of Heaven will be seen by the glorified Body it self which its thought cannot see the Essence of God Whether then that Glory be the Essence of God or any immediate Emanation from his Excellency as the beams and light that are sent forth by the Sun or a created glory for the felicity of his Servants we shall know when with the blessed we enjoy it 3. Sometime it is taken for the appearance of Gods perfections in his creatures either natural or free agents as discerned by man and for his Honour in the esteem of man Iohn 11. 4. 40. 1 Cor. 11. 7. 2 Cor. 4. 15. Phil. 1. 11. 2. 11. Isa. 35. 2. 40. 5 c. And so to glorifie God is 1. Objectively to represent his Excellencies or Glory 2. Mentally to conceive of them 3. And Verbally to declare them I shall therefore distinctly Direct you 1. How to glorifie God in your Minds 2. By your Tongues 3. By your Lives Directions for Glorifying God with the Heart § 3. Direct 1. Abhor all Blasphemous representations and thoughts of God and think not of him Direct 1. lamely unequally or diminutively nor as under any corporeal shape nor think not to comprehend I egâ— Gassâ—â—ci Oration iâ— augâ—â—aâ— in Institut Asâ—â—oâ—om him but reverently admire him Conceive of him as Incomprehensible and Infinite And if Satan would tempt thee to think meanly of any thing in God or to think highly of one of his Perfections and meanly of another abhor such temptations And think of his Power Knowledge and Goodness equally as the Infinite perfections of God § 4. Direct 2. Behold his glory in the glory of his works of Nature and of Grace and see him in Direct 2. all as the soul the Glory the All of the whole Creation What a Power is that which made and preserveth all the world What a Wisdom is that which set in joynt the Universal frame of Heaven and Earth and keepeth all things in their Order How good is he that made all good and gave the creatures all their goodness both natural and spiritual by Creation and Renewing grace Thus The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19. 1. His glory covereth the Heavens and the earth is full of his praise Hab. 3. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth Psal. 29. 3. Psal. 145. § 5. Direct 3. Behold him in the Person Miracles Resurrection Dominion and Glory of his blessed Direct 3. Son Who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person upholding all things by the word of his power and having by himself purged our sins sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high being made better than the Angels c. Heb. 1. 3 4. By him it is that glory is given to God in the Church Eph. 3. 21. God hath highly exalted him and given him
a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth and that every tongue should confess that Iesus is Christ to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Pray therefore that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory may give you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the acknowledgement of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in the coelestials fâ—r above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1. 17 c. The Father hath glorified his name in his Son Iohn 12. 28. 13. 31 32. 14. 13. 17. 1. § 6. Direct 4. Behold God as the End of the whole Creation and intend him as the End of all the Direct 4. actions of thy life You honour him not as God if you practically esteem him not as your ultimate end even the Pleasing of his will and the honouring him in the world If any thing else be made your chiefest end you honour it before him and make a God of it § 7. Direct 5. Answer all his blessed attributes with suitable affections as I have directed in my Direct 5. Treatise of the Knowledge of God and here briefly Dir. 4. and his Relations to us with the duty which they command subjection Love c. as I have opened in the foregoing Directions We glorifie him in our hearts when the Image of his Attributes is there received § 8. Direct 6. Behold him by faith as allways present with you And then every Attribute will Direct 6. the more affect you and you will not admit dishonourable thoughts of him Pray to him as if you saw him and you will speak to him with reverence Speak of him as if you saw him and you dare not take his name in vain nor talk of God with a common frame of mind nor in a common manner as of common things By faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him that is invisible Heb. 11. 27. God is contemned by them that think they are behind his back § 9. Direct 7. Think of him as in Heaven where he is revealed in Glory to the blessed and magnified Direct 7. by their high everlasting Praise Nothing so much helpeth us to Glorifie God in our minds as by faith to behold him where he is most Glorious The very reading over the description of the Glory of the New Ierusalem Rev. 21. 22. will much affect a believing mind with a sense of the Gloriousness of God Suppose with Stephen we saw Heaven opened and the ancient of daies the Great Jehovah Gloriously illustrating the City of God and Jesus in Glory at his right hand and the innumerable army of Glorifyed Spirits before his throne Praysing and magnifying him with the highest admirations and joyfullest acclamations that creatures are capable of would it not raise us to some of the same admirations The soul that by faith is much above doth most Glorifie God as being neerest to his Glory § 10. Direct 8. Foresee by faith the coming of Christ and the day of the universal Iudgement when Direct 8. Christ shall come in flaming fire with thousands of his holy Angels to be Glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that do believe 2 Thes. 1. 10. § 11. Direct 9. Abhor all Doctrines which blaspheam or dishonour the name of God and would Direct 9. blemish and hide the Glory of his Majesty I give you this rule for your own preservation and not in imitation of uncharitable firebrands and dividers of the Church to exercise your pride and imperious humour in condemning all men to whose opinions you can maliciously affix a blasphemous consequence which either followeth but in your own imagination or is not acknowledged but hated by those on whom you do affix it Let it suffice you to detest false doctrines without detesting the persons that you imagine guilty of them who profess to believe the contrary truth as stedfastly as you your selves § 12. Direct 10. Take heed of sinking into flesh and earth and being diverted by things sensible from Direct 10. the daily contemplation of the Glory of God If your belly become your God and you mind earthly things and are set upon the honours or profits or pleasures of the world when your conversation should be in Heaven you will be glorying in your shame when you should be admiring the Glory of your Maker Phil. 3. 18 19 20. and you will have so much to do on earth that you will find no leisure because you have no hearts to look up seriously to God Directions for Glorifying God with our tongues in his Praises § 13. Direct 1. Conceive of this duty of Praising God according to its superlative excellencies as being Direct 11. the highest service that the tongue of men or Angels can perform To Bless or Praise or Magnifie How great a duty Praising God is God is not to make him Greater or better or happier than he is but to declare and extol his Greatness Goodness and felicity And that your hearts may be inflamed to this excellent work I will here shew you how great and necessary how high and acceptable a work it is § 14. 1. It is the giving to God his chiefest due A speaking of him as he is And when we have Christianus est homo dicens faciâ—â—â—â—â—â—grata diabolo oâ—nans 〈…〉 am Dâ—â— â—â—â—â—oris vitae à salutis suae Bâ—choâ—â—â—â— spoken the highest how far fall we short of the due expression of his glorious perfections O how great Praise doth that Allmightiness deserve which created and conserveth all the world and over-ruleth all the sons of men and is able to do whatsoever he will Great is the Lord and Greatly to be praised and his Greatness is unsearchable One Generation shall praise his works to another and declare his mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts and I will declare thy Greatness Psalm 145. 3 4 5. What Praise doth that knowledge deserve which extendeth to all things that are or were or ever shall be and that wisdom which ordereth all the world He knoweth every thought of man
driving faithful reproof and admonition almost out of the world because men are so proud that they will not bear it Hence it is that others hear oftner of mens faults than they do themselves and that backbiting is grown the common fashion because proud sinners drive away reprovers by their impatience and displeasure Husbands and Wives yea Servants with their Masters are so far out of love with just reproof that they can hardly bear it He must be exceeding skilful in smoothing and oyling every word and making it more like to a commendation or flattery than a reproof that will escape their indignation § 73. Sign 22. When a proud man is justly reproved he studieth presently to deny or extenuate Sign 22. his fault to shew you that he is more tender of his honour than of his honesty It is a hard thing to bring him to a free confession and to thank you for your love and faithfulness and to resolve upon more watchfulness for the time to come When the humble soul is readier to believe that he is faulty than that he is innocent and to say more against himself than you shall say if truly This one sign may tell you how commonly pride reigneth in the world How few are they among many that are heartily thankful for a just and necessary reproof Mark them whether the first word they speak in answer to you be not either a denyal or an excuse or an upbraiding you with something that they think you faulty in or else a passionate proud repulse bidding you meddle with your selves § 74. Sign 23. Pride maketh men talkative and more desirous to speak than to hear and to teach Sign 23. than to be taught because such think highly of their own understandings and think others have Inter Benedicti signa Humilitatis in regula est Ut pauca verba etiam rationalia loquatur non câ—amosa voce Taciturnitas usque ad interrogationâ—m sed haeâ— semper intelligenda sunt salvo amâ—re veritatis animarum more need of their instructions than they of other mens Not that Humility is any enemy to communicative Charity or to zealous endeavours for the converting and edifying of souls But a teaching talking disposition where there is no need and beyond the measure of your calling and abilities when you have more need to learn your selves is the fruit of Pride When you take less heed what another saith to you than you expect he should take of what you say to him when your talk is not so much by way of question as becomes a learner but in the discourses and dictates of a Teacher when you are so full of any thing that is your own and so contemptuous of what is said by others that you have not the patience to hear them silently till they come to the end but unmannerly interrupt them and set in your selves which is as much as to say Hold your tongue and let me speak that am more wise and worthy when you strive to have the most words and to be speaking as Horses in a race strive who shall go foremost This is because pride puffs you up and moves your tongues as a leaf is shaken by the wind it fills your sails and makes you like Bagpipes that are lowdest when they are full of wind and pressed Eccl. 10. 14. A fool is full of words Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise § 75. Sign 24. Pride maketh men excessively loth to be beholden to others so that some will Sign 24. starve or perish before they will stoop so far as to seek or be obliged to thankfulness by any especicially if they be such as they have any quarrell with And this they take for manlike gallantry and a scorning to be base I confess that as Paul saith to servants if we can be free we should rather choose it and that no man should unnecessarily make himself a debtor to another by being beholding to him especially Ministers who should avoid all Temptations of dependance upon man and therefore should neither hang on Great ones lest they be tempted to unfaithful silence or flattery nor needlesly live on the peoples charity lest they be hindred from the free exercise of their Ministry Therefore Paul laboured with his hands where he thought it would hinder his work to be chargeable 2 Cor. 11 9. 1 Thess. 2. 9. 2 Thess 3. 8. to the Churches or give occasion to the envious to reproach him And he would rather dye than any should make this his glorying void 1 Cor. 9. 15. Innocency and Independency as Mr. Bolton was wont to say do steel the face and help a Minister to be bold and faithful As Camerarius said when he was invited to the Court Alterius ne sit qui suus esse potest But yet man is a sociable creature and we are made to be helpful to each other we are like the wheels of a Watch that can none of them do their work alone without the concurrence of the rest And therefore a proud man that would live wholly on himself and scorneth to be beholden would break himself off from the place that God hath set him in and separate himself from humane society and be either a world of himself or a God to others But God hath caused all the members purposely to stand in need of one another that none might be despised and that all might still exercise Love in communicating and Humility in accepting of each others help § 76. Sign 25. Pride maketh people desirous to equall their Superiours and exceed their equalâ— Sign 25. in Apparel or hansome dwellings and provisions and entertainments and all appearances that tend to 〈…〉 1. 〈◊〉 subdere se majori non praeferre se aequali 2. Abundans subdere se aequali nec praeferre se minori 3. Perfecta subdere se mâ—n 〈◊〉 Gloss. sup Matth. 3 Humâ—itatis 7. graâ—us secundùm Anselmum sunt 1. Opinione 1. Se contempâ—â—bilem cognoscere 2. Hoc nâ—n dâ—â—â—â—re 2. Manifestatione 1. Hoc confâ—â—eri 2. Hoc persuadeâ—e 3. Patienter sustinere haec dici 3. Voluntate 1. Pati contemptibiliter se tractaâ—i 2. Hoc idem amaâ—e Anselm lib. de similit set them out and make them seem considerable in the world For it excessively regards the eye of man A fit respect to Decency must be had so we place no greater a necessity in it than we ought But pride would sain go with the highest and have more curiosity than needs and maketh a greater matter of Decency than the thing requireth I am not of their humour that censure every man whose hair is not of their cut and whose garments are not of their fashion and who are bred in a way of more gentility and ceremony than my self But yet the affectation of imitating fashion-mongers and bearing a port above ones rank and rather
mercies to ask them and those that have received them to be thankful for them Obj. So they may do singly Answ. It is not only as single persons but as a society that they receive the meroy Therefore not only as single persons but as a society should they pray and give thanks Therefore should they do it in that manner as may be most fit for a society to do it in and that is together conjunctly that it may be indeed a family Sacrifice and that each part may see that the rest joyn with them And especially that the Ruler may be satisfied in this to whom the oversight of the rest is committed to see that they all joyn in Prayer which in secret he cannot see it being not fit that secret prayer should have Spectatours or Witness that is should not be secret But this I intended to make another Arment by it self which because we are faln on it I will add next Arg. 3. If God hath given charge to the Ruler of the Family to see that the rest do worship him in that Family then ought the Ruler to cause them solemnly or openly to joyn in that Worship But God hath given charge to the Ruler of the Family to see that the rest do worship him in that Family Therefore c. The reason of the Consequence is because otherwise he can with no convenience see that they do it For 1. It is not fit that he should stand by while they pray secretly 2. Nor are they able vocally to do it in most Families but have need of a leader it being not a thing to be expected of every Woman and Child and Servant that hath wanted good education that they should beable to pray without a Guide so as is fit for others to hear 3. It would take up almost all the time of the Ruler of many Families to go to them one after another and stand by them while they pray till all have done What man in his wits can think this to be so fit a course as for the Family to joyn together the Ruler being the mouth The Antecedent I prove thus 1. The fourth Commandment requireth the Ruler of the Family not only to see that himself sanctifie the Sabbath day but also that his Son and Daughter and Man servant and Maid servant his Cattle that is so far as they are capable yea and the Stranger that is within his gates should do it 2. It was committed to Abrahams charge to see that all in his Family were Circumcised So was it afterward to every Ruler of a Family insomuch as the Angel threatned Moses when his Son was uncircumcised 3. The Ruler of the Family was to see that the Passeover was kept by every one in his Family Exod. 12. 2 3 c. and so the Feast of Weeks Deut. 16. 11 12. All that is said before tendeth to prove this and much more might be said if I thought it would be denyed Arg. 4. If God prefer and would have us prefer the prayers and praises of many conjunct before the prayers and praises of those persons dividedly then it is his will that the particular persons of Christian Families should prefer conjunct prayer and praises before disjunct But the Antecedent is true Therefore so is the consequent Or thus take it for the same Argument or another If it be the Duty of Neighbours when they have occasion and opportunity rather to joyn together in praises of common concernment than to do it dividedly then much more is this the Duty of Families But it is the Duty of Neighbours Therefore In the former Argument the reason of the consequence is because that way is to be taken that God is best pleased with The reason of the consequence in the latter is because familie members are more nearly related than neighbours and have much more advantage and opportunity for conjunction and more ordinary reasons to urge them to it from the conjunction of their interests and affairs There is nothing needs proof but the Antecedent which I shall put past all Doubt by these Arguments 1. Col. 3. 16. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord. Here is one Duty of praise required to be done together and not apart only I shall yet make further use of this text anon 2. Acts 12. 12. Many were gathered together praying in Maryes house when Peter came to the door this was not an Assembly of the whole Church but a small part They judged it better to pray together than alone 3. Acts 20. 36. Paul prayed together with all the Elders of the Church of Ephesus when he had them with him and did not choose rather to let them pray each man alone 4. Iames 5. 15 16. Iames commands the sick to send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him and the prayer of the faithful shall save the sick c. He doth not bid send to them to pray for you but he would have them joyn together in doing it 5. Church prayers are preferred before private on this ground and we commanded not to forsake the Assembling of our selves together Heb. 10. 25. â—6 Striving together in prayer is desired Rom. 15. 30. 7. Matth. 18. 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them 8. Therefore Christ came among the Disciples when they were gathered together after his resurrection And sent down the Holy Ghost when they were gathered together Acts 2. And they continued with one accord in prayer and supplication Acts 1. 14. 24. 2. 42. And When they had prayed the place was shaken where they had assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost c. Act. 4. 31. 9. Is not this implied in Christs directing his Disciples to pray in the plural number Our Father c. Give us this day c. 10. The very necessitie of the persons proves it in that few societies are such but that most are unable to express their own wants so largely as to affect their hearts so much as when others do it that are better stored with affection and expression And this is one of Gods ways for communion and communication of grace that those that have much may help to warm and kindle those that have less Experience telleth us the benefit of this As all the body is not an eye or hand so not a tongue and therefore the tongue of the Church and of the family must speak for the whole body not but that each one ought to pray in secret too But 1. There the heart without the tongue may better serve turn 2. They still ought to prefer conjunct prayer And 11. the communion of Saints is an Article of our Creed which binds us to acknowledge it fit to do as much as we can of Gods work in communion with the Saints not going
whole course of your lives As 1. Your first consent must Of Renewing the Covenant oft be habitually continued all your dayes for if that ceaseth your Grace and title to the benefits of Gods Covenant ceaseth 2. This Covenant is virtually renewed in every act of Worship to God For you speak to him as your God in Covenant and offer your selves to him as his Covenanted people 3. This Covenant should be actually renewed frequently in Prayer and Meditation and other such acts of communion with God 4. Especially when after a fall we beg the pardon of our sins and the mercies of the Covenant and on dayes of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and in great distresses or exhilerating mercies 5. And the Lords Supper is an ordinance instituted to this very end It is no small part of our Christian diligence and watchfulness to keep up and renew our Covenant-consent § 22. Direct 7. And as careful must you be to keep or perform your Covenant as to enter it and Direct 7. renew it which is done 1. By continuing our consent 2. By sincere obedience 3. And by perseverance We do not nor dare not promise to obey perfectly nor promise to be as obedient as the higher and better sort of Christians though we Desire both But to obey sincerely we must needs promise because we must needs perform it § 23. Obedience is sincere 1. When the radical consent or subjection of the Heart to God in Christ is Habitually and heartily continued 2. When Gods interest in us is most predominant and his authority and law can do more with us than any fleshly lust or worldly interest or than the authority word or perswasions of any man whosoever 3. When we unfeignedly Desire to be perfect and habitually and ordinarily have a predominant Love to all that is good and a hatred to that which is evil and had rather do our duty than be excused from it and rather be saved from our sin than keep it § 24. Direct 8. While you sincerely consent unto the Covenant live by faith upon the promised Benefits of it believing that God will make Good on his part all that he hath promised Take it for your Title to pardon sonship and eternal life O think what a mercy it is to have God in Covenant with you to be your God your Father Saviour Sanctifier and felicity And in this continually rejoice CHAP. IV. Directions about the Profession of our Religion to others § 1. Direct 1. UNderstand first how great a duty the Profession of true Religion is that you may Direct 1. not think as some foolish people that every man should conceal his Religion N 〈…〉 o jam 〈…〉 Qâ—in nec fa 〈…〉 e suâ religione mentiri Ex eo enim quod aliud à se coli dicit quam colit culturam honorem in alterum transferenâ—o j 〈…〉 iâ— quâ—d â—egavit Dicimus palam dicimus vobis torquentibus lacerati cruenti vociferamur Deum colimus per Christum Tâ—rtul Apolog. c. 11. or keep it to himself Observe therefore these Reasons following which require it § 2. 1. Our Tongues and bodies are made to exercise and shew forth that acknowledgement and adoration of God which is in our hearts And as he denyeth God with the Heart who doth not Believe in him and worship him in his heart so he denyeth God imputatively with his Tongue and life who doth not profess and honour him with his tongue and life and so he is a practical Atheist Isa. 45. 23 24 25. I have sworn by my self the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that to me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory So Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the Glory of God the father Isa. 44 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call him by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel § 3. 2. The publick Assemblies and Worship of God are purposely appointed by him that in them we might make open profession of our Religion He that denyeth Profession denyeth the publick faith and worship of the Church and denyeth Baptism and the Lords Supper which are Sacraments appointed for the solemn profession of our faith § 4. 3. Our Profession is needful to our Glorifying God Men see not our Hearts nor know whether we believe in God or not nor what we believe of him till they hear or see it in our profession and actions Pauls life and death was a Profession of Christ that in his boldness Christ might be magnified in his body Phil. 1. 20. Matth. 5. 14 15 16. Ye are the Light of the world A City that is set on an hill cannot be hid Neither do men light a candle to put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven § 5. 4. Our Profession is the means of saving others that which is secret is no means to profit them They must see our good works that they may Glorifie God Phil. 1. 12 13 14. § 6. 5. God hath required our open and bold Profession of him with the strictest commands and upon the greatest penalties 1 Pet. 5. 3. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dâ—ad thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Mark 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed 2 Tim. 2. 12. Mat. 10. 32 33. Luk. 9. 26. Direct 2. 1 Cor. 8. 1. 2 Cor. 10. 8. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 4 Tit. 3. 9. when he câ—meth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels § 7. Direct 2. Next Understand what it is in Religion that you must principally profess It is not every lesser truth much less every opinion of your own in which you are confident that you are wiser than your brethren This is the meaning of Rom. 14 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God By faith
Here is the sum of what I have been saying § 30. 2. Observe also the great difference between us and the Papists in this controversie of using Tradition in the resolution of our Faith 1. They decide the main question in gross by Tradition viz. Whether the Scripture be the Word of God But we only decide the questions about history or matters of fact by it which are subservient to the other 2. The Tradition which most of them plead is nothing but the Authoritative judgement of the successive Pastors of the Church in a General Council confirmed by the Pope and as another faction among them saith The reception of the whole Church both Laity and Clergie and this Church must be only the Roman faction But the Tradition which we plead is the concurrent Testimony of friends and foes Orthodox and Hereticks and of all the Churches throughout the world both Greek and Latine Ethiopian Armenian Protestants c. And this Testimony we plead not meerly as a humane testimony much less as such as is credible chiefly for the meer Power real or pretended of the Testifiers but as such as by a concurrence of testimonies and circumstances hath besides the Teachers authority the evidences of infallible moral certainty in the very History as we have of the Statutes of the Realm § 31. Direct 6. Understand what kind and measure of Obedience it is that you owe your lawful Pastors Direct 6. that you neither prove Schismatical and unruly nor yet have a hand in setting up Idols and usurpations in the Church This you may learn from the foregoing description of the Pastors work The kind of your obedience is commensurate to the kind of his Office and Work You are not to obey your We may not offer any violence but only perswade We have not so great authority given us by the Laws as to repress offenders and if it were lawful for us so to do we have no use of any such 〈◊〉 power for that Christ crowneth them which abstain from sin not of a forced but of a willing mind and purpose Chrys. â—itaâ—te Bilson of Subjection p. 526. Et ibid. ex Hilar. If this violence were used for the true faith the Doctrine of Bishops would be against it God needeth no forced service He requireth no constrained confession I cannot receive any man but him that is willing I cannot give ear but to him that intreateth c. Ita Origen ibid. citat Pastors as Civil Magistrates that bear the Sword nor as Physicions to tell you what you must do for your health nor as Artificers to command you how to plow and sow and trade c. except in the Morality of these But it is as your Teachers and Guides in the matters of salvation that you must obey them And that not as Prophets or Law-givers to the Church but as the stated Officers of Christ to open and apply the Laws that he hath given and determine of such circumstances as are subservient thereunto Not as those that have dominion of your faith or may preach another 2 Cor. 1. 24. Gal. 1. 7 8. Gospel or contradict any truth of God which by Scripture or Nature he hath revealed or can dispence with any duty which he hath commanded But as those that have all their power from God 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13 10. and for God and your salvation and the good of other mens souls to edification only and not to destruction Particular cases I here purposely forbear § 32. Direct 7. Be sure that you look on them as the Officers of Christ in all that they do as such Direct 7. and see not only their natural but their Ecclesiastical Persons that through them you may have to do with God Especially in Preaching and Administring the Sacraments and binding the impenitent and absolving the penitent and comforting the sad and humbled souls All the holiness and life and power of your spiritual converse with them consisteth in your seeing and conversing with God in them and using them as his Messengers or Officers that deliver his message and do his work and not their own If you disobey them in his work it is God that you disobey And if they Teach you his Word or deliver you Christ and his benefits in the Sacraments it is Christ himself that doth it by them as by his instruments so far as they do it according to his Commission and his Will This observing Christ in their Teaching will possess you with due reverence and care and cause you to do it as a holy work And to see Christ in them delivering and sealing his Covenant to you will very much increase your joy when Man as Man is but a shadow Direct 8. § 33. Direct 8. Make use of their help in private and not in publick only As the use of a Physicion is not only to read a Lecture of Physick to his Patients but to be ready to direct every person according to their particular case there being such variety of temperatures diseases and accidents that in dangerous cases the direction of the judicious is needful in the application So here it is not the least of the Pastoral work to oversee the individuals and to give them personally such particular advice as their case requireth Never expect that all thy Books or Sermons or Prayers or Meditations should serve thy turn without the counsel of thy Pastors in greater cases for that were but to devise how to prove Gods Officers needless to his Church If thou be an ignorant or unconverted sinner go to the Minister and ask him what thou must do to be saved And resolve to follow his sound advice If thou be in doubt of any weighty point of faith or godliness or assaulted perillously by any adversary or need his advice for thy setled Peace thy assurance of Pardon and Salvation and thy preparation for death go ask counsel of thy Pastors and receive their help with readiness and thankfulness Or if thou live where there is none that is able and willing thus to help thee remove to them that are such if lawfully thou canst § 34. Direct 9. Assist your Pastors in the work of God by the duties of your places which tend Direct 9. thereto Labour by your holy serious conference to instruct the ignorant and convince the unbelieving Acts 18. 24 26 27. and convert the ungodly and strengthen the weak with whom you have fit opportunity for Rom. 16. 3. â—ohn 3. 8. Eph. 4. 29. 1 Pet. 4. 11. Phil. 2. 15. Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. 2 Pet. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. 2. 12. Heb. 3. 13. Heb. 10. 24. Direct 10. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. such work Labour by your holy examples by Love and Concord and Meekness and Sobriety and contempt of the world and a heavenly life to shine as lights in the midst of a dark and crooked Generation Preach all of you
you and tell you that as you are the subjects of the Pope you are none of the Church of Christ at all From this treasonable conspiracy we withdraw our selves But as Coacil Tolâ—t 4. c. 61. 28. q. 1. Ca. Iudai qui allow separation from a Jewish husband if afâ—er admonition he will not be a Christian and so doth Aâ—osta and his Coâ—cil Lirâ—â—s l. 6. c. 21. and other Jesuits and allow the marrying of another And sure the Conjugal bond is faster than that of a Pastor and his sâ—ock may not a man then change his Pastor when his soul is in apparent hazzard you are the subjects of Christ we never divided from you nor denyed you our Communion Let Reason judge now who are the Dividers And is it not easie to know which is the Church in the Division It is all those that are still united unto Christ If you or we be divided from Christ and from Christians that are his Body we are then none of the Church But if we are not Divided from Christ we are of the Church still If part of a Tree though the far greater part be out off or separated from the rest it is that part how small soever that still groweth with the Root that is the living Tree The Indian Fig-tree and some other Trees have branches that take root when they touch the ground If now you ask me whether the branches springing from the second Root are members of the first Tree I answer 1. The rest that have no new Root are more undoubtedly members of it 2. If any branches are separated from the first Tree and grow upon the new root alone the case is out of doubt 3. But if yet they are by continuation joyned to both that Root which they receive their nutriment most from is it which they most belong to Suppose a Tyrant counterseit a Commission from the King to be Vice-King in Ireland and proclaimeth all them to be Traytors that receive him not The King disclaimeth him the wisest subjects renounce him and the rest obey him but so as to profess they do it because they believe him to be commissioned by the King Let the question be now who are the Dividers in Ireland and who are the Kings truest subjects and what Head it is that denominateth the Kingdom and who are the Traytors This is your case § 58. 2. Divisions are the deformities of the Church Cut off a nose or pluck out an eye or dismember either a man or a picture and see whether you have not deformed it Ask any compassionate Christian ask any insulting enemy whether our Divisions be not our deformity and shame the lamentation of friends and the scorn of enemies § 59. 3. The Churches Divisions are not our own dishonour alone but the injurious dishonour of Christ and Religion and the Gospel The World thinketh that Christ is an impotent King that cannot keep his Kingdom at unity in it self when he hath himself told us that every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every City or House divided against it self shall not stand Mat. 12. 25. They think the Gospel tendeth to Division and is a doctrine of dissention when they see divisions and dissentions procured by it They impute all the faults of the subjects to the King and think that Christ was confused in his Legislation and knew not what to teach or command because men are confounded in their opinions or practices and know not what to think or do If men misunderstand the Law of Christ and one saith This is the sense and another saith that is the sense they are ready to think that Christ spake non-sense or understood not himself because the ignorant understand him not Who is there that converseth with the ungodly of the World that heareth not by their reproach and scorns how much God and Religion are dishonoured by the Divisions of Religious people § 60. 4. And thus also our Divisions do lamentably hinder the progress of the Gospel and the conversion and salvation of the ungodly World They think they have small encouragement to be of your Religion while your Divisions seem to tell them that you know not what Religion to be of your selves Whatever Satan or wicked men would say against Religion to discourage the ungodly from it the same will exasperated persons in these Divisions say against each others way And when every one of you condemneth another how should the Consciences of the ungodly perswade them to expect salvation in any of those ways which you thus condemn Doubtless the Divisions of the Christian world have done more to hinder the conversion of Infidels and keep the Heathen and Mahometane World in their damnable ignorance and delusions than all our power is able to undoe and have produced such desolations of the Church of Christ and such a plentiful harvest and Kingdom for the Devil as every tender Christian heart is bound to lament with tears of bitterness If it must be that such offence shall come yet woe to those by whom they come § 67. 5. Divisions lay open the Churches of Christ not only to the scorn but to the malice will and fury of their enemies A Kingdom or house divided cannot stand Matth. 12. 25. where hath the Church been destroyed or Religion rooted out in any Nation of the Earth but divisions had a Rev. 17. 13. principal hand in the effect O what desolations have they made among the flocks of Christ As Seneca and others opened their own veins and bled to death when Nero or such other Tyrants did send them their commands to Die even so have many Churches done by their divisions to the gratifying of Satan the enemy of souls § 62. 6. Divisions among Christians do greatly hinder the edification of the members of the Church while they are possessed with envyings and distaste of one another they lose all the benefit of each others gifts and of that holy communion which they should have with one another And they are possessed with that zeal and wisdom which Iames calleth earthly sensual and devillish which corrupteth Eph. 4. 16. 1 Tim. 1. 4. Rom. 15. 19. Acts 9. 3â— all their affections and turneth their food to the nourishment of their disease and maketh their very worshipping of God to become the increase of their sin Where divisions and contentions are the members that should grow up in humility meekness self-denyal holiness and love do grow in pride and perverse disputings and passionate strivings and envious wranglings The Spirit of God departeth from them and an evil Spirit of malice and vexation taketh place though in their passion they know not what Spirit they are of Whereas if they be of one mind and live in peace the God of love and peace will be with them What lamentable instances of this calamity have we in many of the Sectaries of this present time Especially in the people called Quakers that while they
he calleth them out of Babylon It 's true you must partake with no Church in their sins but you may partake with any Church in their holy profession and worship so far as you can do it without partaking with them in their sins § 88. Direct 11. Understand what it is that maketh you partakers of the sins of a Church or any Direct 11. member of it lest you think you are bound to separate from them in good as well as in evil Many fly from the publick Assemblies lest they partake of the sins of those that are there present Certainly nothing but Consent direct or indirect can make their faults to become yours And therefore nothing which signifieth not some such consent should be on that account avoided 1. If you by word or subscription or furtherance own any mans sin you directly consent to it 2. If you neglect any duty which lyeth upon you for the cure of his sin you indirectly consent For you consent that he shall rather continue in his sin than you will do your part to help him out of it Consider therefore how far you are bound to reprove any sin or to use any other means for the reformation of it whether it be in the Pastor or the people and if you neglect any such means your way is to reform your own neglect and do your duty and not to separate from the Church before you have done your duty to reform it But if you have done all that is your part then the sin is none of yours though you remain there present § 89. It is a turbulent fanâ—ie and disquieting errour of some people to think that their presence Quest. Whether presence be not a consent to sin in the Assembly and continuance with the Church doth make them guilty of the personal faults of those they joyn with If so who would ever joyn with any Assembly in the World Quest. But what if they be gross and scandalous sinners that are members of the Church Answ. If you be wanting in your duty to reform it it is your sin But if bare presence made their sins to be ours it would also make all the sins of the Assembly ours But no word of God doth intimate any such thing Paul never told the Churches of Galatia and Corinth so that had so many defiled members Quest. But what if they are sins committed in the open Assembly even by the Minister himself in his praying preaching and other administrations and what if all this be imposed on him by a Law and so I am certain before hand that I must joyn with that which is unwarrantable in Gods Worship Answ. The next Direction containeth those distinctions that are necessary to the answer of this § 90. Direct 12. Distinguish carefully 1. Between a Ministers Personal faults and his Ministerial Direct 12. faults 2. Between his tolerable weaknesses and his intolerable insufficiencies 3. And between the work ☜ of the Minister and of the Congregation And then you will see your doubt resolved in these following Propositions § 91. 1. A Ministers personal faults as swearing lying drunkenness c. may damn himself Saith Câ—â—aâ—thâ—s in â—art The Peripâ—â—â—â—ticks are like Letters that sound well but hear not themselves and must be matter of lamentation to the Church and they must do their best to reform them or to get a better Pastor by any lawful means But in case they cannot his sin is none of theirs nor doth it make his administration null of ineffectual nor will it allow you to separate from the Worship which he administreth Though many of the Priests were wicked men the Godly Jews were not thereby disobliged from Gods publick Worship or sacrifices which were to be offered by their hands Otherwise how sad a case were the Church in that must answer for the sins which they never committed nor could reform But no Scripture chargeth this upon them § 92. 2. It is not all Ministerial faults that will allow you to separate from or disown a Minister Yet I excuse not imâ—iâ—ty or insufficiency in Ministers but only those that prove him or his ministration utterly intolerable Such are 1. An utter insufficiency in knowledge or utterance for the necessary parts of the Ministerial work As if he be not able to Teach the necessary points of Christian Religion nor to administer the Sacraments and other parts of publick Worship 2. If he set himself to oppose the very ends of his Ministry and Preach down It was one of Soloâ—s Laws Qâ—i nequitia ac slaâ—itiis insignis est tribunali publicisque sâ—â—gâ—stis arâ—eâ—dus est And Gildas saith to the ungodly Pastors of Britain Apparet ergò â—um qui vos sacerdotes sclers ex corde dicit noâ—â—sse exiâ—ium Christianum Quomodo vos aliquid solvetis ut sit solutum iâ— coelis à coelo ob scâ—lâ—ra adempti immaniâ—m peccatorum fuâ—ibus coâ—pâ—diti Qua ratione aliquid in teâ—â—a ligabitis quod supra mundum etiam ligetur propter vosmâ—t iâ—sos qâ—i ita ligaâ—i iniquitatibus iâ— hoc mundo tenemini ut in coelos nunquam asâ—endatis sed in infausta taâ—tari ergastula non conversi in haâ— vita ad dominum dâ—â—idatis fol. ult O iniâ—ici Dei noâ— sacerdotes O liciâ—atores malorum non poâ—tifices traditores non sanctorum Apostolorum successorâ—s inpugnatorâ— non Christi ministri pag. 571. impres Basil. Godliness or any part of it that is of necessity to salvation For then he doth the Devils work in seeking the damnation of souls and so maketh himself the Devils Minister and is not the Minister of Christ. For the end is essential to the Relation Herein I include a Preacher of Heresie that doth preach up any damning errour and preach down any necessary saving Truth that is that preacheth such errour as subverteth either Faith or Godliness and doth more harm in the Church than Good 3. If he so deprave Gods publick Worship as to destroy the substance of it and make it unacceptable and offer up a publick false-worship to God which he disowneth in the very matter of it As if he put up blaspheamy for praise and prayer or commit Idolatry or set up New Sacraments and guide the people thus in publick Worship As the Papists Priests do that adore bread with Divine Worship and pray to the dead and offer real Sacrifices for them c. Such Worship is not to be joyned in 4. Or if they impose any actual sin upon the people As in their Responds to speak any falshood or to adore the bread or the like These faults discharge us from being present with such Pastors at such Worship But besides these there are many Ministerial faults which warrant not our separation As 1. The internal vices of the Pastors mind though manifested in their Ministration As some tolerable errours of judgement or envy and pettish opposition to others Phil. 1. 15. Some
our deliverance from the Powder-plot I know not why it should be thought unlawful to do the like in this case also Provided 1. That it be not terminated in the honour of a Saint but of the God of Saints for giving so great a mercy to his Church 2. That it be not to honour a Saint meerly as a Saint but to some extraordinary eminent Saints Otherwise all that go to Heaven must have Festivals kept in remembrance of them and so we might have a million for a day 3. That it be not made equal with the Lords Day but kept in such a subordination to that Day as the Life or death of Saints is of inferiour and subordinate respect to the work of Christ in mans Redemption 4. And if it be kept in a spiritual manner to invite men to imitate the Holiness of the Saints and the constancy of the Martyrs and not to encourage sensuality and sloth CHAP. XI Directions about our Communion with the Holy Angels § 1. Direct 1. BE satisfied in knowing so much of Angels as God in Nature and Scripture Direct 1. hath revealed but presume not to enquire further much less to determine of unrevealed things That there are Angels and that they are holy Spirits is past dispute But what number they are and of how many worlds and of what orders and different dignities and degrees and when they were created and what locality belongeth to them and how far they excell or differ from the souls of men these and many other such unnecessary questions neither Nature nor Scripture will teach us how infallibly to resolve Almost all the Hereticks in the first ages of the Church did make their doctrines of Angels the first and chief part of their Heresies arrogantly intruding into unrevealed things and boasting of their acquaintance with the orders and inhabitants of the higher worlds These being risen in the Apostles dayes occasioned Paul to say Col. 2. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind Direct 2. § 2. Direct 2. Understand so much of the Ministry of Angels as God hath revealed and so far take notice of your communion with them but affect not any other sort of communion Angelorum vocabulum nomen est officii non naturae nam sancti illi coelestis patriae spiritus semper sunt spiritus sed semper vocari Angeli non possunt Greâ—or I shall here shew how much of the Ministry of Angels is revealed to us in Scripture § 3. 1. It is part of the appointed work of Angels to be Ministring Spirits for the heirs of salvation Dan. 4. 13. Gen. 32. 1 2. Exod. 32. 2. Dan. 6. 22. Acts 12. 7 11. 1 King 19. 5 â— Heb. 1. 14. Not Ministers or Servants of the godly but Ministers of God for the godly As the Shepherd is not a servant of the sheep but for the sheep It is not an accidental or occasional work which they do extraordinarily but it is their undertaken Office to which they are sent forth And this their Ministry is about the ordinary concernments of our lives and not only about some great or unusual cases or exigents Psal. 34. 6 7. Psal. 91. 11 12. § 4. 2. It is not some but All the Angels that are appointed by God to this Ministration Heb. 1. 1 4. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth c. Mark here that if you enquire whether God have any higher Spirits that are not imployed in so low an Office but govern these Angels or if you enquire whether only this world be the Angels charge or whether they have many other worlds also of Viators to take care of neither Nature nor Scripture doth give you the determination of any of these questions and therefore you must leave them as unrevealed things with abundance more with which the old Hereticks and the Popish Schoolmen have diverted mens minds from plain and necessary things But that all the Angels minister for us is the express words of Scripture § 5. 3. The work of this Office is not left promiscuously among them but several Angels have their Luke 1. 13. 18. 19 26 28. 2. 10 13 21. Actâ— 10. 7. 22. 12. 8 9. Dan. 3 28. 6. 22. Gen. 24. 40. several works and charge Therefore Scripture telleth us of some sent of one message and some on an other And tells us that the meanest of Christs members on earth have their Angels before God in Heaven Matth. 18. 10. I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Whether each true Believer hath one or more Angels and whether one Angel look to more than one Believer are questions which God hath not resolved us of either in Nature or Scripture But that each true Christian hath his Angel is here asserted by our Lord. § 6. 4. In this office of Ministration they are servants of Christ as the Head of the Church and the 1 Peâ— 3. 22. Matth. 26. 53. Mediator between God and man to promote the ends of his superiour office in mans Redemption Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth John 13. 3. Eph. 1. 20 21 22. And set him at his right hand in the celestials far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Rev. 23. 16. I Iesus have sent Rev. 1. 1. mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches Whether the Angels were appointed about the service of Adam in innocency or only began their Office with Christ the Mediator as his Ministers is a thing that God hath not revealed But that they serve under Christ for his Church is plain § 7. 5. This care of the Angels for us is exercised throughout our lives for the saving of us from 2 Kings 6. 17. all our dangers and delivering us out of all our troubles Psal. 34. 6 7. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles the Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal. 91. 11 12. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes They shall bear thee up in their hand lest thou dash thy foot against a stone In all our wayes that are good and in every step we tread we have the care and Ministry of tutelar Angels They are our ordinary defence and guard § 8. 6. In all this Ministry they perfectly obey the Will of God and do nothing but by his command Dan. 4. 35. Psal. 103. 10. Zech. 1. 8 10.
and not under the scandal of Heresie Schism or gross corruption among those that live about 4. That it be under the countenance and encouraging favour of the Christian Magistrate 5. That it be the same Church of which the rest of the family which we are of be members That Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants be not of several Churches 6. That the Pastors be able Teachers prudent Guides and of holy lives and diligent in their office 7. That the Pastors be regularly called to their office 8. That the members be intelligent peaceable and of holy temperate and righteous lives But when all these cannot be had together we must choose that Church which hath those qualifications which are most needful and bear with tolerable imperfections The most needful are the first second and sixth of these qualifications Prop. 27. He that is free should choose that Church which is the fittest for his own edification that is The best Pastors people and administrations Prop. 28. A mans freedom is many wayes restrained herein As 1. When it will tend to a greater publick hurt by disorder ill example division discouragement c. 2. When superiours forbid it Of these things I have said so much in my Cure of Church Divisions and in the Defence of it and in the end of my Reas. of Christ. Relig. Consect 1. 2. that I pass them over here with the more brevity As Husbands Parents Masters Magistrates 3. By some scandal 4. By the distance or inconvenience of our dwelling 5. By differences of Judgement and other causes of contention in the said Churches And many other wayes Prop. 29. A free man who removeth from one Church to another for his edification is not therefore a Separatist or Schismatick But it must not be done by one that is not free but upon such necessity as freeth him Prop. 30. It is schism or sinful separation to separate from 1. A true Church as no true Church 2. From Lawful Worship and Communion as unlawful But of this more in its proper place Quest. 2. Whether we must esteem the Church of Rome a true Church And in what sense some Divines affirm it and some deny it WAnt of some easie distinguishing hath made that seem a Controversie here which is so plain â—â—â—â— Mr. Bur 〈…〉 â—nd 〈…〉 's contest hereabout that it can hardly be any at all to Protestants if the question had been but truly stated Remember therefore that by a Church is meant not a meer company of Christians any how related to each other but a society consisting of an Ecclesiastical Head and Body such as we call a Political society 2. And that we speak not of an Accidental Head such as the King is because he Governeth them suo modo by the sword for that is not an Essential Constitutive Part But of a Constitâ—tive Ecclesiastical Head and body 3. That the question is not Whether the Church of Rome be a Part of the Church but whether it be a true Church And now I answer 1. To affirm the Church of Rome to be the Catholick or Universal Church is more than to affirm it to be a true Catholick Church that is a true part of the Catholick Church and is as much as to say that it is the whole and only Church and that there is no other which is odious falshood and usurpation and slander against all other Churches 2. The Church of Rome is so called in the Question as it is a Policy or Church in a general sense And the meaning of the Question is Whether it be a Divine or a Humane or Diabolical Policy A Lawful Church 3. The Church of Rome is considered 1. Formally as a Church or Policy 2. Materially as the singular persons are qualified It is the Form that denominateth Therefore the Question must be taken of the Roman Policy or of the Church of Rome as such that is As it is one Ruler pretending to be the ☞ Vicarious constitutive Governing Head of all Christs Visible Church on earth and the Body which owneth him in this Relation 4. Therefore I conclude and so do all Protestants that this Policy or Church of Rome is no true Church of Christs Instituting or approbation but a Humane sinful Policy formed by the Temptation of Satan the Prince of Pride deceit and darkness The proof of which is the matter of whole loads of Protestant Writings And indeed the proof of their Policy being incumbent on themselves they fail in it and are still fain to fly to pretended false Tradition for proof in which the Sophisters know that either they must be Judges themselves and it must go for truth because they say it or else that if they can carry the Controversie into a Thicket or Wood of Fathers and Church History at least they can confound the ignorant and evade themselves Of this see my Disput. with Iohnson and my Key for Catholicks c. 5. The Bishop of the English Papists Smith called Bishop of Chalcedon in his Survey cap. 5. saith To us it sufficeth that the Bishop of Rome is St. Peters successour and this all the Fathers testifie and all ☞ the Catholick Church believeth But whether it be jure Divino or humano is no point of faith The like hath * System Fidâ—i Davenport called Fransc. à Sancta Clarâ more largely By this let the Reader judge whether we need more words to prove their Church to be such as Christ never instituted when the belief of their Divine right is no part of their own faith 6. If the Church of Rome in its formal Policy be but of humane institution it is 1. Unnecessary to salvation 2. Unlawful Because they that first instituted it had no Authority so to do and were Usurpers For either the makers of it were themselves a Church or no Church If no Church they could not lawfully make a Church Infidels or Heathens are not to be our Church-makers If a Church then there was a Church before the Church of Rome and that of another form And if that former form were of Christs institution man might not change it If not who made that form And so on 7. Our Divines therefore that say that the Church of Rome is a True Church though corrupt do not speak of it formally as to the Papal Policy or Headship but materially 1. That all Papists that are visible Christians are visible Parts of the universal Church 2. That their particular Congregations considered abstractedly from the Roman Headship may be true particular Churches though corrupt which yet being the only difficulty shall be the matter of our next enquiry Quest. 3. Whether we must take the Romish Clergy for true Ministers of Christ And whether their Baptism and Ordination be nullities I Joyn these two distinct Questions together for brevity 1. As True signifieth Regularly called so they are commonly Irregular and not True Ministers But as True signifieth
inconsistent with Christianity or the Essentials of the Ministry we may well presume of many of them they would not receive it Therefore as an error which consequentially contradicteth some essential article of faith nullifieth not his Christianity who first and fastest holdeth the faith and would cast away the error if he saw the contradiction as Davenant Morton and Hall have shewed Epist. Conciliat So is it to be said as to practical error in the present case They are their grievous errors and sins but for ought I see do not nullifie their office to the Church As a Mass-Priest he is no Minister of Christ As an Anabaptist is not as a Rebaptizer nor a Separatist as a Separater nor an Antinomian or any erroneous person as a Preacher of that error But as a Christian Pastor ordained to preach the Gospel baptize administer the Lords Supper pray praise God guide the Church he may be The same answer serveth to the Objection as it extendeth to the erroneous Doctrines which they preach which are but by Consequence against the Essentials of Religion 2. But it is a greater doubt Whether any power of the Ministry can be conveyed by Antichrist or from him And whether God will own any of Antichrists administrations Therefore seeing they profess themselves to have no office but what they receive from the Pope and Christ disowning his usurpation the same man cannot be the Minister of Christ and Antichrist as the same man cannot be an officer in the Kings Army and his Enemies But this will have the same solution as the former If this Antichrist were the open professed enemy to Christ then all this were true Because their corrupt additions would not by dark consequences but so directly contain the denyal of Christianity or the true Ministry that it were not possible to hold both But as our Divines commonly note Antichrist is to sit in the Temple of God and the Popes Treason is under pretence of the greatest service and friendship to Christ makeing himself his Vicar General without his Commission So that they that receive power from him do think him to be Christs Vicar indeed and so renounce not Christ but profess their first and chief relation to be to him and dependance on him and that they would have nothing to do with the Pope if they knew him to be against Christ. And some of them write that the Power or Office is immediately from Christ and that the Pope Ordainers and Electors do but design the person that shall receive it Because else they know not what to say of the Election and Consecration of the Pope himself who hath no superiour And the Spanish Bishops in the Council of Trent held so close to this that the rest were fain to leave it undetermined so that it is no part of their Religion but a doubtful opinion Whether the power of Bishops be derived from the Pope though they be Governed by him But as to the other the case seemeth like this If a subject in Ireland usurp the Lieutenancy and tell all the people that he hath the Kings Commission to be his Lieutenant and command all to submit to him and receive their places from him and obey him And the King declareth him a Traytor antecedently only by the description of his Laws and maketh it the duty of the subjects to renounce him Those now that know the Kings will and yet adhere to the Usurper though they know that the King is against it are Traytors with him But those from whom he keepeth the knowledge of the Laws and who for want of full information believe him to be really the Kings Lieutenant and specially living where all believe it but yet would renounce him if they knew that he had not the Kings Commission These are the Kings subjects though in ignorance they obey an Usurper And on this account it is that A. Bishop Usher concluded that An ignorant Papist might be saved but the Learned hardly But when the Learned through the disadvantages of their Education are under the same ignorance being Learned but on one side to their greater seduction the case may be the same The same man therefore may receive an Office from Christ who yet ignorantly submitteth to the Pope and receiveth corrupt additions from him But suppose I be mistaken in all this yet to come to the second Question II. Whether Baptism and Ordination given by them be Nullities I answer no on a further account 1. Because that the Ministry which is a nullity to the receiver that is God will punish him Matâ—h 7. 23 24 2â— as an Usurper may yet perform those Ministerial Acts which are no Nullities to the Church Else Phil. 1. 15 16 17. how confused a case would all Churches be in For it is hard ever to know whether Ministers have all things essential to their Office Suppose a man be ignorant or an Heretick against some essential Mark 9. 40. Article of faith or suppose that he feigned Orders of Ordination when he had none or that he was ordained by such as really had no power to do it or suppose he pretended the consent of the majority of the people when really the greater part were for another If all thâ—s be unknown his Baptizing and other administrations are not thereby made Nullities to the Church though they be sins in him The Reason is because that the Church shall not suffer nor lose her right for another mans sin When the fault is not theirs the loss and punishment shall not be theirs He that is found in possession of the place performeth valid administration to them that know not his usurpation and are not guilty of it Otherwise we should never have done Re-baptizing nor know easily when we receive any valid administrations while we are so disagreed about the Necessaries of the Office and Call and when it is so hard in all things to judge of the Call of all other men 2. And as the Papists say that a private man or woman may baptize in extremity so many Learned Protestants think that though a private mans Baptism be a sin yet it is no nullity though he were known to be no Minister And what is said of Baptism to avoid tediousness you may suppose said of Ordination which will carry the first case far as to the Validity of the Ministry received by Papists Ordination as well as of Baptism and Visible Christianity received by them For my part God used Parsons Book of Resolution corrected so much to my good and I have known so many eminent Christians and some Ministers converted by it that I am glad that I hear none make a controversie of it whether the conversion faith or Love to God be valid which we receive by the Books or means of any Papist Quest. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist IT is one question Whether he be Antichrist and another Whether it be necessary
sins 4. And another thing to forbear all communion with them even as to Baptism and other lawful things 5. And another thing to use some open detestations or protestations against them 2. And we must distinguish much of persons whether they be Ministers or people free or bound as Wives Children c. And now I answer 1. There is no question but it is a duty to judge all that evil which is evil among the Papists or any other 2. It is the duty of all to forbear subscribing swearing to or otherwise approving evil 3. It is the duty of all Mass-Priests to renounce that part of their calling and not to administer their Mass or any other unlawful thing 4. It is the duty of all private Christians to forbear communion in the Mass because it is a kind of Idolatry while they worship a piece of Bread as God As also Image-Worship and all other parts of their Religion in which they are put upon sin themselves or that which is notorious scandal and symbolizing with them in their Bread-worship or other corruptions of the substance of Gods Ordinances 5. It is their duty who have fit opportunity when it is like to do more good than harm to protest against the Papal corruptions where they are and to declare their detestation of them 6. It is the duty of those that have children to be baptized or catechized to make use of more lawful and sound Ministers when they may be had rather than of a Papist Priest 7. But in case they cannot remove or enjoy better I think it is lawful 1. To let such baptize their children rather than leave them unbaptized 2. To let their children be taught by them to read or in Arts and Sciences or the Catechism and common principles of Religion so they will mix no dangerous errors 3. And to hear those of them preach who preach soundly and piously such as were Gerrhard Zuâ—phaniensis Thaulerus Ferus and many more 4. And to read such good Books as these now mentioned have written 5. And to joyn with them in such Prayers as are â—ound and pious so they go no further 8. And Wives Children and such other as are bound and cannot lawfully remove may stay among them and take up with thâ—se helps dealing faithfully in abstaining from the rest II. The second Question is answered in this Only I add that it is one thing to be present as Elias was in a way of opposition to them or as Disputants are that open their errors or as a wise man may go to hear or see what they do without complyance as we read their Books And it is another thing to joyn with them in their sinful worship or scandalously to encourage them in it by seeming so to do See Calv. Contr. Nicod c. Quest. 7. Whether the true Calling of the Minister by Ordination or Election c. be necessary to the Essence of the Church BY a Church here we mean a Political Society of Christians and not any Assembly or Community And no doubt but Pastor and Flock are the constitutive parts of such a Church And where either of them are notoriously wanting it is notorious that there is no true Church Therefore all the doubt is whether such parts of his Call be necessary to the being of the Ministry or not And here we must conclude that the word Ministry and Church are ambiguous By a Mister or Pastor is meant either one that God so far owneth as to accept and justifie his administrations as for himself even his own good and salvation or one whose administrations God will own accept and bless to the people I. In the former sense 1. He is no true Minister that wanteth the essential qualifications of a Minister viz. that hath not 1. The understanding and belief of all the essential Articles of faith without Heresie 2. Tolerable Ability to teach these to the people and perform the other essentials of his office 3. Sincere Godliness to do all this in Love and obedience to God as his Servant in order to life eternal 2. And he is thus no true Pastor as to Gods acceptance of himself who hath not a lawful Calling that is 1. Ordination when it may be had 2. The Consent or Reception of that Church of which he pretendeth to be Pastor which is still necessary and must be had if Ordination cannot II. But in the second sense he is a Pastor so far as that God will own his Administrations as to the Peoples Good who 1. Hath possession 2. And seemeth to them to have necessary qualifications and a lawful call though it prove otherwise so be it it be not through their wilful fault that he is culpable or they mistaken in him If he be not a true Believer but an Infidel or Heretick he is no Minister as Act. 1. 17. Mat. 7. 22. to himself that is God will use him as an Usurper that hath no title But if he profess to be a believer when he is not he is a true Pastor visibly to the people Otherwise they could never know when they have a Pastor Even as real faith makes a real Christian and Professed faith maketh a visible Christian so is it as to the Ministry If he seem to understand the Articles of faith and do not or if he seem to have due ordination when he hath not if he be upon this mistake Accepted by the people he is a true Visible Pastor as to them that is as to their Duty and Benefit though not as to himself Yea the peoples consent to his entrance is not necessary ad esse nor to his Relation neither so far as to justifie himself but to his Administrations and to his Relation so far as their own Right and benefit is interessed in it So that two things are necessary to such a Visible Pastor as shall perform valid administrations to the Church 1. Seeming necessary qualifications and Calling to it 2. Possession by the peoples Reception or Consent to his Administrations and Relation so far as to their benefit And II. Thus also we must distinguish of the word Church It is 1. Such an entire Christian society as hath a Minister or Pastor whose office is valid as to himself and them Or it is such a society only as hath a Pastor whose office is valid to them but not to himself Let us not confound the question de re and de nomine These societies differ as is said Both may fitly be called True Churches As it is with a Kingdom which hath a Rightful Prince and one that hath an Usurper so is it here 1. If it have a Rightful King accepted it is a Kingdom in the fullest sense 2. If it have an Usurper accepted as King it is a Kingdom but faulty 3. If the Usurper be only so far accepted as that the people consent not to his entrance no nor his Relation so as to justifie his title but wish him cast out
expectat cuique ad resipiscendum non ista sufficiunt infatuatum se juxta Domini sententiam nullo unquam sale saliri posse demonstrat I will not English it lest those take encouragement by it who are bent to the other extream 7. Yet it will be a great offence if any censorious self-conceited person shall on this pretence set up his judgement of mens parts to the contempt of Authority or to the vilifying of worthy men and especially if he thereby make a stir and Schism in the Church instead of seeking his own edification 8. Yea if a Minister be weaker yea and colder and worse than another yet if his Ministry be competently fitted to edification he that cannot leave him and go to a better without apparent hurt to the Church and the souls of others by division or exasperating Rulers or breaking family ☜ order or violating Relation duties must take himself to be at present denyed the greater helps that others have and may trust God in the use of those weaker means to accept and bless him because he is in the station where he hath set him This case therefore must be Resolved by a prudent comparing of the Good or Hurt which is like to follow and of the accidents or circumstances whence that must be discerned Quest. 10. What if the Magistrate command the people to receive one Pastor and the Bishops or Ordainers another which of them must be obeyed 1. THe Magistrate and not the Bishop or people unless under him hath the power and disposal See more of this after of the Circumstantials or Accidents of the Church I mean of the Temple the Pulpit the Tythes c. And he is to determine what Ministers are fit either for his own Countenance or Toleration and what not In these therefore he is to be obeyed before the Bishops or others 2. If a Pope or Prelate of a foreign Church or any that hath no lawful Jurisdiction or Government over the Church that wanteth a Pastor shall command them to receive one their command is null and to be contemned 3. Neither Magistrate nor Bishop as is said may deny the Church or people any Liberty which God in Nature or Christ in the Gospel hath setled on them as to the Reception of their proper Pastors 4. No Bishop but only the Magistrate can compell by the Sword the obedience of his commands 5. If one of them command the reception of a worthy person and the other of an intolerable one the former must prevail because of obedience to Christ and care of our souls 6. But if the persons be equal or both fit the Magistrate is to be obeyed if he be peremptory in his commands and decide the case in order to the peace or protection of the Church both because it is a lawful thing and because else he will permit no other 7. And the rather because the Magistrates Power is more past controversie than Whether any Bishop Pastor or Synod can any further than by counsel and perswasion oblige the People to receive a Pastor Quest. 11. Whether an uninterrupted Succession either of right Ordination or of Conveyance by Iurisdiction be necessary to the Being of the Ministry or of a true Church THe Papists have hitherto insisted on the necessity of successive right Ordination But Voâ—tius de desperata Causa Papatus hath in this so handled them and confuted Iansenius as hath indeed shewed the desperateness of that Cause And they perceive that the Papacy it self cannot be upheld by that way and therefore Iohnson alias Terret in his Rejoynder against me now concludeth that it is not for want of a successive Consecration that they condemn the Church of England but for want of true Iurisdiction because other Bishops had title to the places whilest they were put in And that successive Consecration which we take to include Ordination is not necessary to the being of Ministry or Church And it is most certain to any man acquainted in Church History that their Popes have had a succession of neither Their way of Election hath been frequently changed sometimes being by the people sometimes by the Clergy sometimes by the Emperours and lastly by the Cardinals alone Ordination they have sometime wanted and a Lay-man been chosen And oft the Ordination hath been by such as had no power according to their own Laws And frequent intercisions have been made sometime by many years vacancy when they had no Church and so there was none on Earth if the Pope be the Constitutive Head for want of a Pope sometime by long Schisms when of two or three Popes no one could be known to have more right than the other nor did they otherwise carry it than by power at last Sometimes by the utter incapacity of the possessors some being Lay-men some Hereticks and Infidels so judged by Councils at Rome Constance Basil and Eugenius the fourth continued after he was so censured and condemned and deposed by the General Council I have proved all this at large elsewhere And he that will not be cheated with a bare sound of words but will ask them whether by a succession of Iurisdiction they mean Efficient Conveying Iurisdiction in the Causers of his Call or Received Iurisdiction in the Office received will find that they do but hide their desperate Cause in Confusion and an insignificant noise For they maintain that none on earth have an Efficient Iurisdiction in making Popes For the former Pope doth not make his successor And both Electors Ordainers and Consecrators yea and the people Receiving they hold to be subjects of the Pope when made and therefore make him not by Jurisdiction giving him the power Therefore Iohnson tells me that Christ only and not man doth give the power and they must needs hold that men have nothing to do but design the person Recipient by Election and Reception and to Invest him ceremonially in the possession So that no Efficient Iurisdiction is here used at all by man And for Received Iurisdiction 1. No one questioneth but when that Office is received which is Essentially Governing he that receiveth it receiveth a Governing power or else he did not receive the Office If the question be only whether the Office of a Bishop be an Office of Iurisdiction or contain essentially a Governing power they make no question of this themselves So that the noise of Successive Jurisdiction is vanished into nothing 2. And with them that deny any Jurisdiction to belong to Presbyters this will be nothing as to their case who have nothing but Orders to receive They have nothing of sense left them to say but this That though the Efficient Iurisdiction which maketh Popes be only in Christ because no men are their Superiours yet Bishops and Presbyters who have Superiours cannot receive their power but by an Efficient Power of man which must come down by uninterrupted succession Answ. 1. And so if ever the Papal Office have an
intercision as I have proved it hath had as to lawful Popes the whole Catholick Church is nullified and it is impossible to give it a new being but by a new Pope But the best is that by their Doctrine indeed they need not to plead for an uninterrupted succession either of Popes Bishops or Presbyters but that they think it a useful cheat to perplex all that are not their subjects For if the Papacy were extinct an hundred years Christ is still alive And seeing it is no matter ad esse who be the Electors or Consecrators so it be but made known conveniently to the people and Men only Elect and Receive the person and Christ only giveth the power by his stated Law what hindereth after the longest extinction or intercision but that some body or some sort of persons may choose a Pope again and so Christ make him Pope And thus the Catholick Church may dye and live again by a new Creation many times over And when the Pope hath a Resurrection after the longest intercision so may all the Bishops and Priests in the world because a new Pope can make new Bishops and new Bishops can make new Priests And where then is there any shew of necessity of an uninterrupted succession of any of them All that will follow is that the particular Churches dye till a Resurrection And so doth the whole Church on earth every time the Pope dyeth till another be made if he be the Constitutive Head 2. But as they say that Christ only Efficiently giveth the Power to the Pope so say we to the Bishops or Pastors of the Church For there is no act of Christs Collation to be proved but the Scripture Law or Grant And if that standing Law give Power to the Pope when men have but designed the Person the same Law will do the same to Bishops or Pastors For it establisheth their Office in the same sort Or rather in truth there is no word that giveth power to any such Officer as an Universal Head or Pope but the Law for the Pastoral Office is uncontrovertible And what the Spanish Bishops at Trent thought of the Divine Right of the Bishops Office I need not mention I shall therefore thus truly resolve the question 1. In all Ordinations and Elections man doth but first choose the Recipient person 2. And Ceremoniously and Ministerially Invest him in the Possession when God hath given him the power But the efficient Collation or Grant of the Power is done only by Christ by the Instrumentality of his Law or Institution As when the King by a Charter saith Whoever the City shall choose shall be their Mayor and have such and such power and be Invested in it by the Recorder or Steward Here the person elected receiveth all his Power from the King by his Charter which is a standing Efficient conveying it to the Capable Chosen person and not from the Choosers or Recorder only the last is as a servant to deliver possession So is it in this case 2. The regular way of entrance appointed by Christ to make a person capable is the said Election and Ordination And for order sake where that may be had the unordained are not to be received as Pastors 3. If any get Possession by false pretended Ordination or Mission and be Received by the Church I have before told you that he is a Pastor as to the Churches use and benefit though not to his own And so the Church is not extinct by every fraudulent usurpation or mistake and so not by want of a true Ordination or Mission 4. If the way of regular Ordination fail God may otherwise by the Churches necessity and the notorious aptitude of the person notifie his will to the Church what person they shall receive As if a Lay-man were cast on the Indian shoar and converted thousands who could have no Ordination And upon the peoples Reception or Consent that man will be a true Pastor And seeing the Papists in the conclusion as Iohnson ubi supra are fain to cast all their cause on the Churches Reception of the Pope they cannot deny reasonably but ad esse the Churches reception may serve also for another Officer And indeed much better than for a Pope For 1. The Universal Church is so great that no man can know when the Greater part Receiveth him and when not except in some notorious declarations 2. And it is now known that the far greater part of the Universal Church the Greeks Armenians Abassines Copties Protestants c. do not receive the Roman Head 3. And when one part of Europe received one Pope and another part another Pope for above fourty years together who could tell which of the parties was to be accounted the Church It was not then known nor it is not known yet to this day And no Papist can prove it who affirmeth it As a Church e. g. Constantinople may be gathered or oriri de novo where there is none before so may it be restored where it is extinct And possibly a Lay-man as Frumentius and Edesiâ—s in the Indies may be the instrument of mens conversion And if so they may by consent become their Pastors when regular Ordination cannot be had I have said more of this in my Disputations of Church-Government Disp. 2. The truth is this pretence of a Necessity of uninterrupted successive Ordination Mission or Jurisdictional Collation ad esse to the being of Ministry or Church is but a cheat of men that have an interest of their own which requireth such a plea when they may easily know that it would overthrow themselves Quest. 12. Whether there be or ever was such a thing in the world as one Catholick Church Constituted by any Head besides or under Christ THe greatest and first controversie between us and the Papists is not What man or Politick person is the Head of the whole Visible Church But Whether there be any such Head at all eiPersonal or Collective Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical under Christ of his appointment or allowance Or any such thing as a Catholick Church so Headed or Constituted Which they affirm and we deny That neither Pope nor General Council is such a Head I have proved so fully in my Key for Catholicks and other Books that I will not here stay to make repetition of it That the Pope is no such Head we may take for granted 1. Because they bring no proof of it whatever they vainly pretendâ—â— 2. Because our Divines have copiously disproved it to whom I refer you 3. Because the Universal Church never received such a Head as I have proved against Iohnson 4. And whether it be the Pope their Bishop of Calcedon ubi sup Sancta Clara System â—id say is not de fide That a Council is no such Head I have largely proved as aforesaid Part 2. Key for Cath. And 1. The use of it being but for Concord proveth it 2. Most Papists confess it
not Necessary to a mans Baptism and first Church-membership that he give any testimony of an antecedent godly life Because it is Repentance and future obedience professed that is his title and we must not keep men from Covenanting till we first see whether they will keep the Covenant which they are to make For Covenanting goeth before Covenant-keeping And it is any the most impious sinner who Repenteth that is to be Washed and Justified as soon as he becometh a Believer 5. Yet if any that Professeth Faith and Repentance should commit Whoredome Drunkenness 1 Cor 6 9 16. Tit. 3. 3 4 5. Eph. 2 1 2 3. Acts 2. 37 38. Murder Blasphemy or any mortal sin before he is baptized we have reason to make a stop of that mans baptism because he contradicteth his own profession and giveth us cause to take it for hypocritical till he give us better evidence that he is penitent indeed 6. Heart-Covenanting maketh an invisible Church-member and Verbal Covenanting and Baptism make a Visible Church-member And he that maketh a Profession of Christianity so far as to declare that he believeth all the Articles of the Creed particularly and understandingly with some tolerable understanding though not distinct enough and full and that he openly devoteth himself to God the Father Son and Spirit in the Vow and Covenant of Baptism doth produce a sufficient title to the Relation of a Christian and Church-member and no Minister may reject him for want of telling when and by what arguments means order or degrees he was converted 7. They that forsake these terms of Church entrance left us by Christ and his Apostles and used by all the Churches in the world and reject those that shew the Title of such a Profession for want of something more and set up other stricter terms of their own as necessary to discover mens conversion and sincerity are guilty of Church tyranny against men and usurpation against Christ And of making Engines to divide the Churches seeing there will never be agreement on any humane devised terms but some will be of one size and some of another when they forsake the terms of Christ. 8. Yet if the Pastor shall see cause upon suspicion of hypocrisie ad melius esse to put divers questions to one man more than to another and to desire further satisfaction the Catechumens ought in conscience to answer him and endeavour his satisfaction For a Minister is not tyed up to speak only such or such words to the penitent And he that should say I will answer you no further than to repeat the Creed doth give a man reason to suppose him either Ignorant or Proud and to suspend the reception of him though not to deny it But still ad esse no terms must be imposed as necessary on the Church but what the Holy Ghost by the Apostles hath established Quest. 16. What is necessary to a mans reception into Membership in a particular Church over and above this foresaid title Whether any other Tryals or Covenant or what 1. A Particular Church is a regular Part of the Universal as a City of a Kingdom or a Troop of an Army 2. Every man that is a member of the particular Church is a member of the Universal but every one that is a member of the Universal Church is not a member of a particular 3. Every particular Church hath its own particular Pastor one or more and its own particular place or bounds of habitation or residence Therefore he that will be a member of a particular Church 1. Must cohabite or live in a proximity capable of Communion 2. And must Consent to be a member of that particular Church and to be under the Guidance of its particular Pastors in their Office work For he cannot be made a member without his own Consent and Will nor can he be a member that subjecteth not himself to the Governour or Guide 4. He therefore that will intrude into their Communion and priviledges without expressing his consent before hand to be a member and to submit to the Pastoral oversight is to be taken for an invader 5. But no other personal qualification is to be exacted of him as necessary but that he be a member of the Church Universal As he is not to be baptized again so neither to give again all that account of his Faith and Repentance particularly which he gave at Baptism Much less any higher proofs of his sincerity But if he continue in the Covenant and Church-state which he was Baptized into he is capable thereby of reception into any particular Church upon particular Consent Nor is there any Scripture proof of any new examinations about their Conversion or sincerity at their removals or enterance into a particular Church 6. But yet because he is not now lookt on only as a Covenant-maker as he was at Baptism but also as a Covenant-keeper or performer therefore if any can prove that he is false to his Baptismal Covenant by Apostasie Heresie or a wicked life he is to be refused till he be Absolved upon his renewed repentance 7. He that oft professeth to Repent and by oft revolting into mortal sin that is sin which sheweth a state of death doth shew that he was not sincere must afterward shew his Repentance by actual amendment before he can say it is his due to be believed 8. Whether you will call this Consent to particular Church Relation and â—ury by the name of a Conant or not is but lis de nomine It is no more than mutual Consent that is necessary to be expressed And mutual Consent expressed may be called a Covenant 9. Ad melius esse the more express the Consent or Covenant is the better For in so great matters men should know what they do and deal above board Especially when experience telleth us that ignorance and Imagery is ready to eat out the heart of Religion in almost all the Churches in the world But yet ad esse Churches must see that they feign or make no more Covenants necessary than God hath made because humane unnecessary inventions have so long distracted and laid waste the Churches of Christ. 10. The Pastors Consent must concurr with the persons to be received For it must be mutual Consent Matth. 28. 19 â—0 And as none can be a member so none may be a Pastor against his will And though he be under Christs Laws what persons to receive and is not arbitrary to do what he list yet he is the Heb. 13. 7. 17. 1 Theâ—â— 5. 12 1â— Guide of the Church and the discerner of his own duty And a Pastor may have reasons to refuse to take a man into his particular Charge without rejecting him as unworthy Perhaps he may 1 Tim. 5. 17. already have more in number than he can well take care of And other such Reasons may fall out 11. In those Countreys where the Magistrates Laws and common consent do take
of a distinct order the Reader must not expect that I here determine For 1. The Power is by Christ given to them as is before proved and in Tit. 1. 5. 2. None else are ordinarily able to discern aright the Abilities of a man for the sacred Ministry The people may discern a profitable moving Preacher but whether he understand the Scripture or the substance of Religion or be â—ound in the faith and not Heretical and delude them not with a form of well uttered words they are not ordinarily able to judge 3. None else are fit to attend this work but Pastors who are separated to the sacred office It requireth Act. 13. 2. Rom. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 4. 15. more time to get fitness for it and then to perform it faithfully than either Magistrates or people can ordinarily bestow 4. The power is no where given by Christ to Magistrates or people 5. It hath been exercised by Pastors or Church-officers only both in and ever since the Apostles dayes in all the Chuâ—ches of the World And we have no reason to think that the Church hath been gathered from the beginâ—â—â—â— till now by so great an errour as a wrong conveyance of the Ministerial power III. The word Iurisdiction as applyed to the Church officers is no Scripture Word and in the common sence soundeth too bigg as signifying more power than the servants of all must claim For Isa. 33. 2â— Jam. 4. 1â— there is One Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy But in a moderate sence it may be tolerated As Jurisdiction signifieth in particular 1. Legislation 2. Or Judicial Process or Sentence 3. Or the Execution of such a sentence strictly taken so Ordination is no part of Jurisdiction But as Iurisdiction signifieth the same with the power of Government Ius Regendi in general so Ordination is an Act of Jurisdiction As the placing or choosing of Inferiour officers may belong to the Steward of a Family or as the Calling or authorizing of Physicions belongeth to the Colledge of Physicions and the authorizing of Lawyers to the Judges or Society or the authorizing of Doctors in Philosophy to the Society of Philosophers or to particular rulers Where note that in the three last instances the Learning or Fitness of the said Persons or Societies is but their Dispositio vel aptitudo ad potestatem exercendam but the actual Power of conveying authority to others or designing the Recipient person is received from the supream power of the Land and so is properly an Act of Authority here called Jurisdiction So that the common distinguishing of Ordination from Iurisdiction or Government as if they were totâ specie different is unsound IV. Imposition of hands was a sign like the Kiss of peace and the anointing of persons and like our kneeling in Prayer c. which having first somewhat in their nature to invite men to the use was become a common significant sign of a superiours benediction of an inferiour in those times and Countreys And so was here applyed ordinarily for its antecedent significancy and aptitude to this use and was not purposely Instituted nor had its significancy newly given it by Institution And so was not like a Sacrament necessarily and perpetually affixed to Ordination Therefore we must conclude 1. That Imposition of hands in Ordination is a decent apt significant sign not to be scrupled by any nor to be omitted without necessity as being of Scripture ancient and common use 2. But yet that it is not essential to Ordination which may be valid by any fit designation and separation of the person And therefore if it be omitted it nullifieth not the action And if the Ordainers did it by Letters to a man a thousand miles off it would be valid And some persons of old were ordained when they were absent V. I add as to the need of Ordination 1. That without this Key the office and Church doors would be cast open and every Heretick or Self-conceited person intrude 2. It is a sign of a proud unworthy person that will judge himself fit for so great a work and Act. 13. 2. Heb. 5. 4. 10. intrude upon such a conceit when he may have the Judgement of the Pastors and avoideth it 3. Those that so do should no more be taken for Ministers by the people than any should go for Christians that are not Baptized or for marryed persons whose marriage is not solemnized Quest. 20. Is Ordination necessary to make a man a Pastor of a particular Church as such And is he to be made a General Minister and a particular-Church-Elder or Pastor at once and by one Ordination I Have proved that a man may be made a Minister in general yea and sent to exercise it in Converting Infidels and baptizing them before ever he is the Pastor of any particular Church To which I add that in this General Ministry he is a Pastor in the universal Church as a Licensed Physicion that hath no Hospital or Charge is a Physicion in the Kingdom And 1. As Baptism is as such our Enterance into the universal Church and not into a particular so is Ordination to a Minister an enterance only on the Ministry as such 2. Yet a man may at once be made a Minister in general and the Pastor of this or that Church in particular And in Kingdoms wholly inchurched and Christian it is usually fittest so to do Lest many being ordained sine titulo idleness and poverty of supernumeraries should corrupt and dishonour the Ministry Which was the cause of the old Canons in this case 3. But when a man is thus called to both at once it is not all done by Ordination as such but his complicate Relation proceedeth from a complication of Causes As he is a Minister it is by Ordination And as he is The Pastor of this People it is by the conjunct causes of appropriation which are 1. Necessarily the Peoples Consent 2. Regularly the Pastors approbation and recommendation and reception of the person into their Communion 3. And sometimes the Magistrate may do much â—â— oblige the people to consent 4. But when a man is made a Minister in general before he needeth no 〈◊〉 Ordination to fix him in a particular charge but only an Approbation recommendation particular Investiture and Reception For else a man must be oft ordained even as oft as he removeth But yet Imposition of hands may fitly be used in this particular Investiture though it be no proper ordination that is no collation of the office of a Minister in general but the fixing of one that was a Minister before Quest. 21. May a man be oft or twice Ordained IT is supposed that we play not with an ambiguous word that we remember what Ordination is And then you will see Cause to distinguish 1. Between entire true Ordination and the external act or words or ceremony only 2. Between one that was truly ordained before and one that
none but they have power to Ordain we may not encourage such pretences by repetition of the words and Action 4. If they would make some thing necessary to Ordination which is not as if it were a false Oath or false subscription or profession or some unlawful Ceremony as if it were Anointing wearing Horns or any the like and say You are no Ministers without these and therefore you must be Re-ordained to receive them 5. Yea if they declare our former Ministry causelesly to be Null and say You are no Ministers till you are Ordained again and so publickly put this sense upon our Action that we take it as Re-ordination All these Accidents make the Repetition of the words and actions to be unlawful unless when Greater Accidents notoriously preponderate Quest. But if such Church Tyrants should have so great power as that without their Repetition of Ordination on those terms the Ministry might not be exercised is it lawful so to take it in a case of such necessity Answ. 1. Every seeming necessity to you is not a necessity to the Church 2. Either you may publickly declare a contrary sense in your Receiving their new orders or not 1. If you may not as publickly declare that you renounce not your former Ministry and Dedication to God in that office as the Ordainers declare their sense of the Nullity of it so that your open declaration may free you from the guilt of seeming consent I conceive it is a sinful complyance with their sin 2. Yea if you may so declare it yet if there be no necessity of your Ministerial liberty in that place I think you may not take it on such terms As 1. If there be worthy men enough to supply the Churches wants there without you 2. And if you may serve God successfully in a persecuted state though to the suffering of your flesh 3. Or if your imprisonment for Preaching be like to be as serviceable to the Church and Gospel as your continued Preaching on those scandalous terms 4. Or if you may remove and Preach in another Countrey 9. When any such case doth fall out in which the Repetition of the outward Action and Words is lawful It is not lawful to mix any false or scandalous expressions As if we were required to say falsly I accept this Ordination as confessing my self no Minister of Christ till now or any such like 10. In a word A peaceable Christian may do much as to the meer outward Action and Submission for obedience peace order or satisfaction to his own or other mens Consciences But 1. He may 1 Thes. 5. 22. Gal. 2. 4 5. Gal. 2. 14. do nothing for good ends which is false and injurious to the Church 2. And he may not do that which otherwise were lawful when it is for evil ends or tendeth to more hurt than good As to promote Heresie or Church-Tyranny and Usurpation whether in Pope Prelates Presbyters or People Quest. 22. How many Ordainers are necessary to the validity of Ordination by Gods institution Whether one or more MY Question is not of the ancient Canons or any humane Laws or customes For those are easily known But of Divine Right Now either God hath determined the case as to the number of Ordainers necessary or not If not either he hath given the Church some General rule to determine it by or not If not then the number is not any part of the Divine Order or Law And then if we suppose that he hath determined the case as to the Ordaining office and not to the Number then it will follow that one may serve The truth I think may be thus explained 1. There is Ordo officialis primarius and ordo ordinis vel exercitii vel secundarius An Order of Office primary and an Order of Exercise secundary in the Church As to the first the Order of office God hath determined that the Ordaining officers and no others shall ordain officers or give Orders And having not determined whether one or more it followeth that the ordination of one sole lawful ordainer is no nullity on that account because it is but one unless somewhat else nullifie it 2. God hath given General Rules to the ordainers for the due exercise of their office though he have not determined of any set number Such as are these That all things be done in Judgement Truth Love Concord to the Churches Edification Unity and peace c. 3. According to these General Laws sometimes the ordination of one sole ordainer may not only be valid but regular As when there are no other to concur or none whose concurrence is needful to any of the aforesaid Ends. And sometimes the concurrence of Many is needful 1. To the Receivers satisfaction 2. To the Churches or peoples satisfaction 3. To the Concord of Pastors and of Neighbour Churches c. And in such cases such Consem or Concourse is the Regular way 4. Where there are many Neighbour Pastors and Churches so neer as that he that is ordained in one of them is like oft to pass and Preach and officiate obiter in others and so other Churches must have some communion with him it is meetest that there be a concurrence in the Ordination 5. The ordainer is certainly a superiour to the person that cometh to be ordained while he is a private man And therefore so far his ordination is as is said an Act of Iurisdiction in the large sense that is of Government But whether he be necessarily his superiour after he is ordained hath too long been a Controversie It is certain that the Papists confess that the Pope is ordained such by no superiour And it is not necessary that a Bishop be ordained by one or more of any superiour order or Jurisdiction either And though the Italian Papists hold that a superiour Papal Jurisdiction must needs be the secondary fountain of the ordaining power though the ordainer himself be but of the same Order yet Protestants hold no such thing And all acknowledge that as Imposition of hands on a Lay man to make him a Minister of Christ or an officer is a kind of official Generation* so the Ejusdem speâ—â—â—â— vel inteâ—â—oris How then is the Pope Ordained or made Ordained is as a Iunior in Office is as it were a Son to the Ordainer as the Convert is said to be peculiarly to his Converter And that a proportionable honour is still to be given him But whether he that ordaineth a Presbyter and not he that ordaineth or Consecrateth a Bishop must needs be of a superiour order or office is a question which the Reader must not expect me here to meddle with Quest. 23. What if one Bishop ordain a Minister and three or many or all the rest protest against it and declare him no Minister or degrade him Is he to be received as a true Minister or not SUpposing that the person want no necessary personal Qualification for the office
There are two things more in question 1. His Office whether he be a Minister 2. His Regularity whether he came Regularly to it and also his Comparative relation whether this man or another is to be preferred I answer therefore 1. If the person be utterly uncapable the one Bishop or the many whosoever taketh him for uncapable is for the Truth sake to be believed and obeyed 2. If the man be excellently qualified and his Ministry greatly Necessary to the Church whoever would deprive the Church of him be it the One or the Many is to be disobeyed and the ordainers preserred Obj. But who shall judge Answ. The Esse is before the Scire The thing is first True or false before I judge it to be so And therefore whoever judgeth falsly in a case so notorious and weighty as that the welfare of the Church and souls is consideratis considerandis injured and hazarded by his errour is not be believed nor obeyed on pretence of order Because all Christians have judicium discretionis a discerning judgement 3. But if the case be not thus to be determined by the persons notorious qualifications then either it is 1. The man ordained 2. Or the People that the case is debated by whether they should take him for a Minister 3. Or the neighbour Ministers 1. The person himself is caeteris paribus more to regard the judgement of many concordant Bishops than of one singular Bishop And therefore is not to take orders from a singular Bishop when the Generality of the wise and faithful are against it unless he be sure that it is some notorious faction or errour that perverteth them and that there be notorious necessity of his labour 2. The Auditors are either Infidels to be converted and these will take no man upon any of their Authorities or else Christians converted These are either of the particular charge of the singular Bishop who ordaineth or not If they be then pro tempore for orders sake they owe him a peculiar obedience till some further process or discovery disoblige them Though the most be on the other side But yet they may be still bound in Reason most to suspect the Judgement of their singular Bishop while for orders sake they submit to it But if they are not of his flock then I suppose the Judgement and Act of many is to prevail so much against the Act of a single and singular person as that both neighbour Ministers and people are to disown such an ordained person as unfit for their Communion under the notion of a Minister Because Communion of Churches is maintained by the Concord of Pastors But whether the ordained mans Ministry be by their contradictory declaration Eph. 4. 3. 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 14 17 19. or degradation made an absolute nullity to himself and those that submit to him neither I will determine nor should any other Strangers to the particular case For if he be rejected or degraded without such cause and proof as may satisfie other sober persons he hath wrong But if he be so 1 Cor. 14. 33. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. degraded on proved sufficient cause to them that it is known to it giveth the degraders the advantage And as 1. All particular members are to be obedient to their proper Pastor Phil. 2. 1 2 3. Eph. 4. 15 16. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 2. And all particular Churches are to hold correspondency and communion according to their capacity so must men act in this and such like cases respectively according to the Laws of Obedience to their Pastor and of Concord of the Churches Quest. 24. Hath one Bishop power by Divine right to Ordain Degrade or Govern or Excommunicate or Absolve in anothers Diocess or Church either by his consent or against it And doth a Minister that officiateth in anothers Church act as a Pastor and their Pastor or as a private man And doth the Ministerial office cease when a man removeth from his flock I Thrust these questions all together for their affinity and for brevity 1. Every true Minister of Christ Bishop or Pastor is related to the universal Church by stronger obligations than to his particular charge As the whole is better than the parts and its wellfare to be preferred 2. He that is no Pastor of a particular Church may be a Pastor in the universal obliged as a consecrated person to endeavour its good by the works of his office as he hath particular opportunity and call 3. Yet he that hath a particular charge is specially and neerlyer related and obliged to that charge or Church than to any other part of the universal though not then to the whole And consequently hath a peculiar Authority where he hath a peculiar obligation and work 4. He that is without degrading removed from a particular Church doth not cease to be a General Minister and Pastor related to the Universal Church As a Physicion put out of a Hospital charge is a Physicion still And therefore he needeth no new ordination but only a special Designation to his next particular charge 5. No man is the Bishop of a Diocess as to the measure of ground or the place by divine right that is by any particular Law or determination of God But only a Bishop of the Church or people For your office essentially containeth a Relation to the People but Accidentally only to the Place 6. Yet natural Convenience and Gods General Laws of Order and Edification do make it usually but not alwayes best and therefore a duty to distinguish Churches by the peoples habitation Not taking a man for a Member eo nomine because he liveth on that ground But for order sake taking none for members that live not on that ground and not intruding causelesly into each others bounds 7. He that by the Call or Consent of a Neighbour Pastor and people doth officiate by Preaching Sacraments Excommunication or Absolution in anothers special charge for a day or week or month or more without a fixed relation to that flock doth neither officiate as a Lay-man nor yet unlawfully or irregularly But 1. As a Minister of Christ in the Church Universal 2. And as the Pastor of that Church for the present time only though not statedly Even as a Physicion called to help another in his Hospital or to supply his place for the time doth perform his work 1. As a Licensed Physicion 2. And as the Physicion of that patient or Hospital for that time though not statedly 8. No man is to intrude into anothers Charge without a Call Much less to claim a particular stated Oversight and Authority For though he be not an Usurper as to the Office in General he is an Usurper as to that particular flock It is no error in Ordination to say Take thou authority to preach the Word of God and administer the holy Sacraments when thou shalt be thereto lawfully called that is when thou hast a particular call to the
Authority of the Pastors Because the Pastors of several Churches do not Lose any of Grotius dâ— Iâ—perio sum pot circ â—acr most solidly resolveth this Question their Power by their Assembling but exercise it with the greater advantage of Concord But as they are made only to oblige the present or absent Pastors who separatedly are of equal Office-power so they are no Laws except in an equivocal sense but only Agreements or Contracts So Bishop Usher profest his judgement to be And before him the Council of Carthage in Cyprians time But it needs no proof no more than that a Convention of Kings may make no Laws to bind the Kings of England but Contracts only 13. But yet we are aliunde obliged even by God to keep these Agreements in things lawful for the Churches peace and concord when greater contrary reasons à fine do not disoblige us For when God saith You shall keep Peace and Concord and keep Lawful Covenants The Canons afford us the Minor But these are Lawful Contracts or Agreements and means of the Churches Peace and Concord Therefore saith Gods Law you shall observe them So though the Contracts as of Husband and Wife Buyer and Seller c. be not Laws yet that is a Law of God which bindeth us to keep them 14. Seing that even the obliging Commands of Pastors may not by them be enforced by the Sword 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. 2 Cor. 1. 24. but work by the power of Divine Authority or Commission manifested and by holy Reason and Love therefore it is most modest and fit for Pastors who must not Lord it over Gods heritage but be examples to all to take the Lower name of Authoritative Directions and perswasions rather than of Laws Especially in a time when Papal Usurpation maketh such ruinating use of that name and Civil Magistrates use to take it in the nobler and narrower sense THe Questions 1. If one Pastor make Orders for his Church and the multitudes or Synods be against them which must be obeyed you may gather from what is said before of Ordination And 2. What are the particulars proper Materially to the Magistrates decision and what to the Pastors I here pass by Quest. 26. Whether Church-Canons or Pastors Directive Determinations of matters pertinent to their Office do bind the Conscience And what accidents will disoblige the people you may gather before in the same case about Magistrates Laws in the Political Directions As also by an impartial transferring the Case to the Precepts of Parents and Schoolmasters to Children without respect to their Power of the Rod or supposing that they had none such Quest. 27. What are Christs appointed means of the Unity and Concord of the Universal Church and consequently of its preservation if there be no Humane Universal Head and Governour of it upon Earth And if Christ have instituted none such Whether Prudence and the Law of Nature oblige not the Church to set up and maintain an Universal Ecclesiastical Monarchy or Aristocracy Seeing that which is Every mans work is as No mans and omitted by all I. TO the first question I must refer you in part to two small popular yet satisfactory Tractates Catholick Unity and The True Catholick and Church described written long ago that I do not one thing too oft Briefly now 1. The Unity of the Universal Church is founded in and maintained by their Common Relation to Christ the Head as the Kingdom in its Relation to the King 2. A Concord in Degrees of Goodness and in Integrals and Accidentals of Christianity will never be obtained on earth where the Church is still imperfect And perfect Holiness and Wisdom are necessary to Perfect Harmony and Concord Phil. 3. 12 13 14. 3. Experience hath long taught the Church if it will learn that the claim of a Papal Headship and Government over the Church Universal hath been the famous incendiary and hinderer of Concord in the Christian world 4. The means to attain such a measure of concord and harmony which is to be hoped for or endeavoured upon earth I have so distinctly fully and yet briefly described with the contrary Impediments in my Treatise of the Reasons of Christian Religion Part 7. Chap. 14. pag. 470 471. in about two leaves that I will not recite them If you say You are not bound to read the Books which I refer you to I answer Nor thiâ— II. To the latter Question I answer 1. To set up such an Universal Head on the supposition of natural Reasons and Humane Policy is 1. To cross Christs Institution and the Laws of the Holy Ghost as hath been long proved by Protestants from the Scripture 2. It is Treason against Christs Soveraign Office to usurp such a Vicegerency without his Commission 3. It is against the notorious light of Nature which telleth us of the Natural Incapacity of Mortal man to be such an Universal Governour through the world 4. It is to sin against long and dreadful common experience and to keep in that fire that hath destroyed Euperours Kings and Kingdoms and set the Churches Pastors and Christian world in those divisions which are the great and serviceable work of Satan and the impediment of the Churches increase purity and peace and the notorious shame of the Christian profession in the eyes of the Infidel world And if so many hundred years sad experience will not answer them that say If the Pope were a good man he might unite us all I conclude that such deserve to be deceived 2 Thess. 2. 10 11 12. Quest. 28. Who is the Iudge of Controversies in the Church 1. About the Exposition of the Scripture and Doctrinal points in themselves 2. About either Heresies or wicked Practices as they are charged on the persons who are accused of them That is 1. Antecedently to our Practice by way of Regulation 2. Or Consequently by Iudicial Sentence and Execution on Offenders I Have answered this question so oft that I can perswade my self to no more than this short yet clear solution The Papists use to cheat poor unlearned persons that cannot justly discern things that differ by puzling them with this confused ambiguous question Some things they cunningly and falsly take for granted As that there is such a thing on Earth as a Political Universal Church headed by any Mortal Governour Some things they shuffle together in equivocal words They confound 1. Publick Iudgement of Decision and private judgement of discerning 2. The Magistrates Iudgement of Church-controversies and the Pastors and the several Cases and Ends and Effects of their several judgements 3. Church-judgement as Directive to a particular Church and as a means of the Concord of several Churches Which being but distinguished a few words will serve to clear the difficulty 1 As there is no Universal Humane Church Constituted or Governed by a Mortal Head so there is no Power set up by Christ to be an Universal Iudge of either sort of Controversies
of Religion and under the Pastors care But in two respects the External power is only the Kings or Civil Magistrates 1. As it is denominated from the sword or mulcts or Corporal penalties which is the external means of execution As Bishop Bilson of Obed. useth still to distinguish them with many others See B. Carlton of Jurisdiction Though in this respect the distinction were far more intelligibly exprest by The Government by the sword and by the sacred word 2. But the principal sense of their distinction is the same with Constantines who distinguished of a Bishop without and within or of our common distinction of Intrinsick and Extrinsick Government And though Internal and External have the same signification use maketh Intrinsick and Extrinsick more intelligible And by Internal is meant that power which Intrinsecally belongeth to the Pastors â—ffice as Instituted by Christ and so is Intrinsecal to the Pastorship and the Church as preaching praying ☜ sacraments the Keyes of Admission and Exclusion Ordination c. And by External is meant that which is Extrinsecal to the Pastorship and the Church which Princes have sometimes granted them but Christ hath made no part of their office In this sense the assertion is good and clear and necessary that the disposal of all things Circa Sacra all accidents and circumstances whatsoever which by Christs Institution are not Intrinsecal to the Pastorship and Church but extrinsecal do belong to the power of Kings and Magistrates Quest. 62. Is the tryal judgement or consent of the Laity necessary to the admittance of a member into the Universal or particular Church Answ. 1. IT is the Pastors office to bear and exercise the Keyes of Christs Church Therefore by office he is to Receive those that come in and consequently to be the tryer and Iudge of their fitness 2. It belongeth to the same office which is to Baptize to Iudge who is to be baptized Otherwise Ministers should not be rational Judges of their own actions but the executioners of other mens judgement It is more the Iudging who is to be baptized which the Ministers office consisteth in than in the bare doing of the outward act of Baptizing 3. He that must be the ordinary Judge in Church-admissions is supposed to have both Ability and Leisure to make him fit and Authority and Obligation to do the work 4. The ordinary body of the Laity have none of all these four qualifications much less all 1. They are not ordinarily Able so to examine a mans faith and resolution with judgement and skill as may neither tend to the wrong of himself nor of the Church For it is great skill that is required thereunto 2. They have not ordinarily Leisure from their proper callings and labours to wait on such a work as it must be waited on especially in populous places 3. They are not therefore obliged to do that which they cannot be supposed to have Ability or Leisure for 4. And where they have not the other three they can have no Authority to do it 5. It is therefore as great a crime for the Laity to usurp the Pastors office in this matter as in preaching baptizing or other parts of it 6. And though Pride often blind men both people and Pastors so as to make them overlook the burden and look only at the Authority and honour yet is it indeed an intolerable injury to the Laity if any would lay such a burden on them which they cannot bear and consequently would make them responsible for the omissions or misdoing of it to Christ their Judge 7. There is not so much as any fair pretence for the Laity having power to judge who shall be received into the Universal Church For who of the Laity should have this power Not All nor the Major Vote of the Church For who ever sought the Votes of all the Christians in the World before he baptized a man Not any one particular Church or persons above the rest For they have no Right Joh. 20 21 22 23. 21. 15 16 17 Mat 28. 19 20. 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. 1 Tim. 5 17. Heb. 13. 7 17. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 6 11. 2 Thes. 3 6 10 14. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Joh. Mar. 13 9 23 33. Mar. 4 â—4 Mat. 7. 15 16. Mat. 16. 6. 11 12. Mar. 12. 38. 8 15. Phil. 3. 2 3. Col. 2. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 17. Mat 24. 4. to shew for it more than the rest 8. It is not in the power of the Laity to keep a man out of their own particular Church Communion whom the Pastor receiveth Because as is said it is his Office to judge and bear the Reyes 9. Therefore if it be ill done and an unworthy person be admitted the Consciences of the people need not accuse themselves of it or be disturbed because it is none of their employment 10. Yet the Liberty of the Church or people must be distinguished from their Governing power and their Executing duty from the power of Iudging And so 1. The people are to be Guided by the Pastors as Volunteers and not by Violence And therefore it is the Pastors duty in all doubtful cases to give the people all necessary satisfaction by giving them the Reasons of his doings that they may understandingly and quietly obey and submit 2. And in case the people discern any notable appearance of danger by introducing Hereticks and grosly impious men to corrupt the Church and by subverting the order of Christ they may go to their Pastors to desire satisfaction in the case 3. And if by open proof or notoreity it be certain that by Ignorance fraud or negligence the Pastors thus corrupt the Church the people may seek their due Remedy from other Pastors and Magistrates 4. And they may protest their own dissent from such proceedings 5. And in case of extremity may cast off Heretical and Impious and Intolerable Pastors and commit their souls to the conduct of fitter men As the Churches did against the Arrian Bishops and as Cyprian declareth it his peoples duty to do as is aforesaid Quest. 63. What power have the people in Church Censures and Excommunication Answ. THis is here adjoined because it requireth but little more than the foregoing answer 1. As it is the Pastors office to judge who is to be received so also to judge who is to be excluded 2. But the Execution of his sentence belongeth to the people as well as to himself It is they that 1 Cor 5. 3 6 11. either hold Communion with the person or avoid him 3. Therefore though ordinarily they must acquiesce in the Pastors judgement yet if he grosly offend 2 Joh. â—â—â—â— 3. 10. against the Law of God and would bring them e. g. to communion with hereticks and openly impious and excommunicate the Orthodox and Godly they may seek their remedy as before Quest. 64. What is the peoples remedy in case of the Pastors male-administration Answ. THis also
Relation or a Right duly to receive the Sacrament that is To receive it understandingly and seriously at those seasons when by the Pastors it is administred 2. But if upon faults or accusations this Right be duly questioned in the Church it is become a controverted right and the possession or admission may by the Bishops or Pastors of the Church be suspended if they see cause while it is under tryall till a just decision 3. Though Infants are true members yet the want of natural capacity duly to receive maketh it unlawful to give them the Sacrament because it is to be Given only to Receivers and Receiving is more than eating and drinking It is Consenting to the Covenant which is the real Receiving in a moral sense or at least Consent professed So that they want not a state of right as to their Relation but a natural capacity to Receive 4. Persons at age who want not the Right of a stated Relation may have such actual Natural and Moral indispositions as may also make them for that time unmeet to Receive As Sickness Infection a Journey persecution scattering the Church a Prison And morally 1. Want of necessary knowledge of the nature of the Sacrament which by the negligence of Pastors or Parents may be the case of some that are but newly past their childhood 2. Some heinous sin of which the sinner hath not so far repented as to be yet ready to receive a sealed pardon or which is so scandalous in the Church as that in publick respects the person is yet unfit for its priviledges 3. Such sins or accusations of sin as make the persons Church-title justly Controverted and his Communion suspended till the case be decided 4. Such fears of unworthy Receiving as were like to hurt and distract the person if he should receive till he were better satisfied These make a man uncapable of present Reception and so are a barr to his plenary right They have still right to Receive in a due manner But being yet uncapable of that due Receiving they have not a plenary right to the thing 5. The same may be said of other parts of our duty and priviledges A man may have a Relative habitual or stated right to praise God and give him thanks for his justification and sanctification and adoption and to godly conference to exercises of humiliation c. who yet for want of present actual preparation may be uncapable and so want a plenary right 6. The understanding of the double preparation necessary doth most clearly help us to understand this case A man that is in an unregenerate state must be visibly cured of that state of utter ignorance unbelief ungodliness before he can be a member of the Church and lay a claim to its priviledges But when that is done besides this general preparation a particular preparation also to each duty is necessary to the right doing it A man must understand what he goeth about and must consider of it and come with some suitable affections A man may have right to go a journey that wants a Horse or may have a Horse that is not sadled He that hath clothes must put them on before he is fit to come into company He that hath right to write may want a pen or have a bad one Having of Gracious habits may need the addition of bringing them into such acts as are suitable to the work in hand Quest. 70. Is there any such thing in the Church as a rank or Classis or Species of Church members at age who are not to be admitted to the Lords Table but only to hearing the Word and Prayer between Infant members and adult confirmed ones Answ. SOme have excogitated such a classis or species or order for convenience as a prudent necessary thing Because to admit all to the Lords Table they think dangerous on one side And to cast all that are unfit for it out of the Church they think dangerous on the other side and that which the people would not bear Therefore to preserve the reverence of the Sacrament and to preserve their own and the Churches peace they have contrived this middle way or rank And indeed the controversie seemeth to be more about the title whether it may be called a middle order of meer Learners and Worshippers than about the Matter I have occasionally written more of it than I can here stay to recite And the accurate handling of it requireth more words than I will here use This breviate therefore shall be all 1. It is certain that such Catechumens as are in meer preparation to faith repentance and baptism are no Church-members or Christians at all and so in none of these ranks 2. Baptism is the only ordinary regular door of enterance into the visible Church and no man unless in extraordinary cases is to be taken for a Church-member or visible Christian till Baptized Two Objections are brought against this 1. The Infants of Christians are Church-members as such before baptism and so are believers They are baptized because members and not members by baptism Answ. This case hath no difficulty 1. A Believer as such is a member of Christ and the Church What makes a visible member invisible but not of the visible Church till he be an orderly Professor of that belief And this Profession is not left to every mans will how it shall be made but Christ hath prescribed and instituted a certain way and manner of profession which shall be the only ordinary symbol or badge by which the Church shall know visible members and that is baptism Indeed when baptism cannot be had an open profession without it may serve For Sacraments are made for Man and not Man for Sacraments But when it may be had it is Christs appointed Symbol Tessera and Church-door And till a person be baptized he is but Irregularly and initially a Professor As an Embrio in the Womb is a man or as a Covenant before the writing sealing and delivering is initially a Covenant or as persons privately contracted without solemn Matrimony are married or as a man is a Minister upon Election and Tryal before Ordination He hath only in all these cases the beginning of a title which is not compleat nor at all sufficient in foro Ecclesiâ— to make a man Visibly and Legally A married man a Minister and so here a Christian. For Christ hath chosen his own visible badge by which his Church-members must be known 2. And the same is to be said of the Infant-title of the children of believers They have but an initial right before baptism and not the badge of visible Christians For there are three distinct gradations to make up their visible Christianity 1. Because they are their own and as it were parts of themselves therefore Believers have power and obligation to dedicate their children in Covenant with God 2. Because every believer is himself dedicated to God with all that is his own according
against forms of prayer that all the years that he lived at Middleburg and Anâ—werp he constantly used the same form before Sermon and mostly after Sermon and also did read prayers in the Church and that since he seldome concluded but with the Lords Prayer of England Cartwright Hildersham Greenham Perkins Baine Amesius c. And I less fear erring in all this company than with those on either of the extreams Quest. 79. Is it lawful to forbear the preaching of some Truths upon mans prohibition that I may have liberty to preach the rest yea and to promise before hand to forbear them Or to do it for the Churches peace Answ. 1. SOme Truths are of so great moment and necessity that without them you cannot preach the Gospel in a saving sort These you may not forbear nor promise to forbear 2. Some Truths are such as God at that time doth call men eminently to publish and receive as against some Heresie when it is in the very height or the Church in greatest danger of it Or concerning some Duty which God then specially calleth men to perform As the duty of Loyalty just in the time of a perillous Rebellion c. Such preaching being a Duty must not be forborn when it can be performed upon lawful terms 3. But some Truths are Controverted among good men and some are of a lower nature and usefulness And concerning these I further say 1. That you may not renounce them or deny them not subscribe to the smallest untruth for liberty to preach the greatest truth 2. But you may for the time that the Churches benefit requireth it both forbear to preach them and promise to forbear both for the Churches peace and for that Liberty to preach the Gospel which you cannot otherwise obtain The Reasons are 1. Because it is not a duty to preach them at that time For no duty is a duty at all times Affirmative Precepts bind not ad semper because man cannot alwayes do them 2. It is a sin to prefer a lesser truth or good before a Greater You cannot speak all things at once When you have all done some yea a thousand must be by you omitted Therefore the less should be omitted rather than the greater 3. You have your Office to the Churches Edification Preaching is made for man and not man for preaching But the Churches Edification requireth you rather to preach the Gospel than that opinion or point which you are required to forbear Without this the hearers may be saved but not without the Gospel And what a man may do and must do he may on good occasion promise to do He that thinketh Diocesans or Liturgies or Ceremonies unlawful and yet cannot have leave to preach the Gospel in time of need unless he will forbear and promise to forbear to preach against them may and ought so to doâ— and promise rather than not to preach the Gospel Object But if men imprison or hinder me from preaching that is their fault But if I voluntarily forbear any duty it is my own fault Answ. 1. It is to forbear a sin and not a duty at that time It is no more a duty than reading or singing or praying at Sermon time 2. When you are in Prison or know in all probability you shall be there though by other mens fault it is your own fault if you will deny a lawful means to avoid it For your not preaching the Gospel is then your own sin as well as other mens And theirs excuseth not yours Quest. 80. May or must a Minister silenced or forbid to Preach the Gospel go on still to preach it against the Law Answ. DIstinguish between 1. Iust silencing and Unjust 2. Necessary preaching and unnecessary 1. Some men are justly forbidden to preach the Gospel as 1. Those that are utterly unable and do worse than nothing when they do it 2. Those that are Hereticks and subvert the Essentials of Christianity or Godliness 3. Those that are so Impious and Malignant that they turn all against the Practice of that Religion which they profess In a word All that do directly more hurt than good 2. In some places there are so many able preachers that some tolerable men may be spared if not accounted supernumeraries and the Church will not suffer by their silence But in other Countreys either the Preachers are so few or so bad or the people so very ignorant and hardened and ungodly or so great a number that are in deep necessity that the need of preaching is undenyable And so I conclude 1. That he that is justly silenced and is unfit to Preach is bound to forbear 2. He that is silenced by just Power though unjustly in a Countrey that needeth not his Preaching must forbear there and if he can must go into another Coâ—â—â—â—â—y where he may be more serviceable 3. Magistrates may not Ecclesiastically Ordain Ministers or degrade them But only either give them Liberty or deny it them as there is cause 4. Magistrates are not the â—ountain of the Ministerial Office as the Soveraign is of all the Civil power of inferiour Magistrates But both offices are immediately from God 5. Magistrates have not power from God to forbid men to Preach in all cases nor as they please but justly only and according to Gods Laws 6. Men be not made Ministers of Christ only pro tempore or on tryal to go off again if they dislike it But are absolutely dedicated to God and take their lot for better and for worse which maketh the Romanists say that ordination is a Saâ—ramenâ— and so it may be aptly called and that we receive an indelible character that is an obligation during life unless God himself disable us 7. Aâ— we are â—â—â—â—rlier devoted and relaâ—ed to God than Church lands goods and temples are so the sacriledge of alienating a consecrated person unjustly is greater and more unquestionable than the sacriledge of alienating Consecrated houses lands or things And therefore no Minister may Sacrilegiously alienate himself from God and his undertaken office and work 8. We must do â—â—y Lawful thing to procure the Magistrates Licence to Preach in his Dominions 9. All men silenced or forbidden by Magistrates to Preach are noâ— thereby obliged or warranted to forbear Foâ— â— The Apostles expresly determine it Act. 4. 19. Whether it be better to hearken to God rather than to you judge ye 2. Christ oâ—â— foreâ—old his servants that they must Preach against the will of Rulers and suffer by them 3. The Apostles and ordinary Ministers also for 300 years after Christ did generally preach against the Magistrates will throughout the Roman Empire and the World 4. The Orthodox Bishops commonly took themselves bound to Preach when Arrian or other Heretical Emperours forâ—ad them 5. A moral duty of stated necessity to the Church and mens salvation is noâ— subjected to the will of men for Order sake For Order is for the thing Ordered and for the End Magistrates
is lawful to preserve the honest and sober Love to our friends by keeping their Pictures or to shew our Love by decent Monuments 17. Where we may use Creatures themselves to profit us by the sight we may ordinarily use the Images of those creatures As the sight of Trees Fruits Cities c. may delight us and mind us of the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God or the sight of the Sun Moon Stars c. So may the pictures of the same things And as a dead body skelleton or skull may profitably mind us of our latter end so may the picture of any of these which we may more conveniently keep 18. It is not unlawful to pray before or towards an Image in a room where Images are placed only for Ornament and we have no respect to them as a medium or object of our Worship except by accident as aforesaid 19. It is not unlawful to make an Image out of the cases of accidental evil before named to be objectum vel medium excitans ad cultum Dei an object or medium of our Consideration exciting our minds to worship God As a Deaths-head or a Crucifix or an historical Image of Christ or some holy man yea the sight of any of Gods Creatures may be so holily used as to stir up in us a worshipping affection and so is medium cultus excitans vel efficienter But no Creature or Image I think may lawfully be made the medium cultum vel terminus in genere causae finalis a worshipped medium or the terminus or the thing which we worship mediately on pretence of representing God and that we worship him in it ultimately And this I take to be the thing forbidden directly in the second Commandment viz. To worship a Creature with mind or body in the Act of Divine Worship as representing God or as the Mediate term of our Worship by which we send it unto God as if it were the more acceptable to him So that it is lawful by the sight of a Crucifix to be provoked to worship God But its unlawful to offer him that worship by offering it to the Crucifix first as the sign way or means of our sending it to God 20. Yet a Creature may be honoured or worshipped with such worship as is due to him by the means of such a representing terminus or Image If the King command his Subjects to bow towards his Image or Throne when he is absent as an act of honour or humane worship to himself it is lawful so to do God having not forbid it But God hath forbid us to do so by himself because he hath no Image and is confined to no place and to avoid the danger and appearance of Idolatry 21. Yet is it lawful to lift up out hands and eyes towards Heaven as the place of Gods Glory And I condemn not the antient Churches that worshipped towards the East But it was not Heaven or the Sun or East that they worshipped or to which they sent their worship as any terminus medius or thing mediately worshipped But only to God himself whose Glory is in the Heavens Quest. 114. Whether Stage-playes where the Virtuous and Vitious are personated be lawful BEcause this is a kind of Imagery the Question may be here fitly handled But I have said so much before of Stage-playes and the sin that is used in them Lib. 1. Chap. 18. Part 2. that I have nothing more to say here but only to decide this particular Case of Conscience concerning them As I am not willing to thrust any man into extreams nor to trouble men with calling those sins which God hath not forbidden So I have reason to advise men to go in doubtful cases on the safer side much more to disswade them from undoubted sin and especially from great and multiplyed sins And therefore I must thus decide the question 1. It is not absolutely unlawful to personate another man nor doth the second Commandment forbid such living Images in this extent I pass by the instance of the Woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. because the bare history proveth not the lawfulness But Pauls speaking as of himself and Apollos the things which concerned others was approvable And as Christ frequently taught by Parables so his Parables were a description of good and evil by the way of feigned History as if such and such things had been done by such persons as never were And this fiction is no falshood For the hearer knoweth that it is not meant as an Historical Narrative but a Parable And it is but an Image in words or a painted doctrine And if a person and action may be feigned by words I know not where it is forbidden to feign them by personal representation Therefore to personate another is not simply a sin 2. To personate good men in good actions is not simply unlawful Because 1. It is not unlawful as it is personating as is shewed 2. Nor as lying Because it is not an asserting but a representing nor so taken 3. To personate a bad man in a bad action is more dubious but seemeth not to be in all cases unlawful To pass by Davids feigning himself mad as of uncertain quality it is common with Preachers to speak oft the words of wicked men as in their names or persons to disgrace them And Prov. 5. 11 12 c. cometh near it And whether Iob be a History or a Dialogue personating such speakers is doubted by the most learned Expositors 4. I think it possible to devise and act a Comoedy or Tragoedy which should be lawful and very edifying It might be so ordered by wise men 5. I think I never knew or heard of a Lawful Stage-play Comoedy or Tragoedy in the age that I have lived in And that those now commonly used are not only sins but heinous aggravated sins for these reasons 1. They personate odious Vices commonly vitiously that is 1. Without need reciting sinful words and representing sinful actions which as they were evil in the first committing so are they in the needless repetition Ephes. 5. 3 12. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness or lust let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jeasting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret 2. Because they are spoken and acted commonly without that shame and hatred and grief which should rightly affect the hearers with an abhorrence of them And therefore tend to reconcile men to sin and to tempt them to take it but for a matter of sport 2. There are usually so many words materially false though not proper lies used in such actings Psal. 26. 4. 119. 113. 1 Tim. 6. 20. Mat. 12. 36 37. 1 Pet. 1. 18. Eccles. 7. 3 4 5 6 7. Eph. 4. 29 30 5. 15 16. Luke 12. 17 18 19. Rom. 13. 13
be so in seriousness and not hypocrisie and jeast It being no such small contemptible matter to be turned into dissembling complement § 8. Memorand 8. Endeavour the Unity and Concord of all the Churches and Christians that are Memor 8. under your Government and that upon the terms which all Christs Churches have sometime been united in that is In the Holy Scriptures implicitly as the General Rule In the ancient Creeds explicitly as the sum of our Credenda and in the Lords Prayer as the summary of our Expetenda and in the Decalogue as the summary of our Agenda supposing that we live in peaceable Obedience to our Governours whose Laws must rule us not only in things Civil but in the Ordering of those circumstances of Worship and discipline which God hath left to their determination § 9. Memorand 9. Let all things in Gods Worship be done to Edification decently and in Order Memor 9. and the body honour God as well as the soul But yet see that the Ornaments or garments of Religion be never used against the substance but that Holiness Unity Charity and Peace have alway the precedency § 10. Memorand 10. Let the fear of sinning against God be cherished in all and let there be Memor 10. a tenderness for such as are over scrupulous and fearful in some smaller things and let not things August Ep. â—o isaâ— Omnes Reges qui populo Dei non prohibuerunt nec everterunt quae contra Dei praecepta fuerunt instituta culpantur Qui prohibuerunt everterunt super aliorum merita laudantur be ordered so as shall most tend to the advantage of debauched Consciences that dare say or do any thing for their carnal ends For they are truest to their Governours that are truest to their God And when it is the wrath of God and Hell that a man is afraid of it is pity he should be too eagerly spurred on The unconscionable sort will be true to their Governours no longer than it serves their interest Therefore Conscientiousness should be encouraged § 11. Memorand 11. If the Clergy or most Religious people offend let their punishment be such Memor 11. as falleth only on themselves and reacheth not Christ nor the Gospel nor the Church Punish When Hunnerichus the Arrian Vandal King was resolved to banish imprison and otherwise persecute the Orthodox Bishops and Pastors he first tryeth them by threatnings and divers cruelties and after appointeth a publick Disputation where his Bishops and Officers having no better pretence cruelly beat the people and Pastors and then falsly tell the King that by tumult and clamour they avoided disputing And at last he calleth together all the Pastors that were met for the disputation and to ensnare them putteth an Oath upon them that after the Kings death they would take his Son for their King and that they would send no Letters beyond Sea This Oath divided the Orthodox among themselves For one part of the Bishops and Pastors said If we refuse a Lawful Oath our people will say that we forsake them and the dissolution oâ— the Churches will be imputed to â—s The other part perceiving the snare were fain to pretend Christs command Swear not at all The King having separated them and the Officers took all their names sendeth them all to prison To those that took the Oath they said Because that contrary to the command of the Gospel you would swear you shall see your Cities and Churches no more but be sent into the Countrey to till the ground but so that you presume not to sing Psalms or Pray or carty a Book or Baptize or Ordain or absolve To those that refused the Oath they said Because you desired not the Reign of the Kings Son and therefore refused the Oath you shall be banished to the Isle of Corsica to cut Wood for the Ships Victor Utic p. mihi 456 457. Generalis Jesuitarum ex nimio absoluti imperii amore delâ—turas in sciâ—nia sua admittit iisque credit non audito eo qui accusatur quod injustitiae genus ab ethnicis ipsis improbatur Imperando non bonis Regibus se facit similem qui senatum magni fecerunt sed Tyrannos mavult imitari e. g. Tarquinium superbum qui ante omnia conatus est debilitare senatus numerum authoritatem ut omnia suo libitu facere posset similiter Generalis cum Assistenâ—ibus suis odit synodos generales omniaque experitur ne tales instituantur conventus quibus rerum gesâ—arum reddere rationem necesse habeat Generalis Jesuit in eligendis officialibus non curat quod sit cujusque talentum aut dotes eminentiores sed quam benè secum aut cum Provinciali suo CONFORMETUR quae causa est â—uâ— homines viles abjecti animi officiis praeponantur qui à superioribus duci se sinant ut nervis alienis mobile ligâ—um Mariana de Refor Iesuit c. 13 15 16 18. in Arcan Iâ—sâ—it p. 131 132. recit in Apoloâ— Giraldi Nulla est latronum societatas in qua Justitia non plus loci habeat quam in societate nostra c. Ubi non modo scientia ignorantia in aequo sunt sed etiam scientia impedimento est quo minus quis consequatur praemia humano aâ— diuino jure debita Marian. Aphor. 84. c. 12. c. 14 89. Aph. 87 c. The rest is worth the reading as a warning from a Jesuite to the Governours of State and Church Aph. 80. c. 11. Superiores societatis nostrae sunt homines indigni qui officiis praesint cum Generalis metuat ac sublatos velit quorum eminentes sunt virtutes Boni quam mali ei suspectiores sunt This and abundance more saith Mariana a Jesuite of 96 years of age learned in Hebrew Chaldee Syriack Greek and Latine of his own Society not Christ for his servants failings nor the Gospel for them that sin against it nor the souls of the people for their Pastors faults But see that the interest of Christ and mens souls be still secured § 12. Memorand 12. If the dissentions of Lawyers or States-men make factions in the Common-wealth Memor 12. let not the fault be laid on Religion though some Divines fall into either faction When the difference is not in Divinity but in Law Cases blame not Religion for that which it hath no hand in And watch against Satan who alway laboureth to make Civil factions or differences tend to the dishonour of Religion and the detriment of the Church and Gospel § 13. Memorand 13. Take those that are Covetous ambitious or selfish and seek for preferment Memor 13. to be the unfittest to be consulted with in the matters of Religion and the unfittest to be trusted with the charge of souls And let the humble mortified self-denying men be taken as fitter Pastors for the Churches § 14. Memorand 14. Side not with any faction of contentious
many a Common-wealth When every one is shifting for himself and saving his own and murmurring at the charge by which their safety must be defended as if Kings could fight for them without men and money this selfishness is the most pernitious enemy to Government and to the common good Tribute and Honour must be paid to whom it doth belong Rom. 13. 6 7. For they are Gods Ministers attending continually on this very thing And none of your Goods or Cabins will be saved if by your Covetousness the Ship should perish § 60. Direct 31. Resist not where you cannot actually obey And let no appearance of probable Direct 31. good that might come to your selves or the Church by any unlawful means as Treason Sedition or Rebellion Bâ—â—â—â—oâ—â—â— Sâ—bâ—â—â—â— p. 236. Princes have no right to call oâ— confirm Prâ—achers but to recâ—ive such as be seâ—t of Gâ—d and give them liberty for their preaching and security for their persons And if Princes refuse so to do Gods labourers must go forward with that which is commanded them from â—â—â—â—ven not by disturbing Princes from their Thrones nor invading their Realms as your Holy Father doth and 〈…〉 may do but by miâ—â—lly submiâ—ting themselves to the powers on earth and meekly suffering for the defence of the Truth what they shall inflict So â—e ever tempt you to it For evil must not be done that good may come by it And all evil means are but palliate and deceitful Cures that seem to help a little while but will leave the malady more perillous at last than it was before As it is possible that lying or perjury might be used to the seeming service of a Governour at the time which yet would prepare for his after danger by teaching men perâ—idiousness even so Rebellions and Treasons may seem at present to be very conducible to the ends of a people or party that think themselves opprest But in the end it will leave them much worse than it found them § 61. Object But if we must let Rulers destroy us at their pleasure the Gospel will be rooted out of the Object earth When they know that we hold it unlawful to resist them they will be emboldned to destroy us and sport themselves in our blood As the Papists did by the poor Albigenses c. Answ. All this did signifie something if there were no God that can easilier restrain and destroy Answ. them at his pleasure than they can destroy or injure you But if there be a God and all the world is in his hand and with a word he can speak them all into dust and if this God be engaged to protect you and hath told you that the very hairs of your head are numbered and more regardeth his Honour and Gospel and Church than you do and accounteth his servants as the apple of his eye and hath promised to hear them and avenge them speedily and forbid them to avenge themselves then it is but atheistical distrust of God to save your selves by sinful means as if God either could not or would not do it Thus he that saveth his life shall lose it Do you believe that you are in the hands of Christ and that men cannot touch you but by his permission and that he will turn all your sufferings to your exceeding benefit and yet will you venture on sin and Hell to scape such sufferings from men Wolves and Bears and Lyons that fight most for themselves are hated and destroyed by all so that there are but few of them in the Land but though a hundred sheep will run before a little Dog the master of them taketh care for their preservation And little Children that cannot go out of the way from a Horse or Cart every one is afraid of hurting If Christians behaved themselves with that eminent Love and Lowliness and Meekness and Patience and Harmlesness as their Lord hath taught them and required perhaps the very cruelty and malice of their enemies would abate and relent and when a mans wayes please God he would make his enemies to be at peace with him But if not their fury would but hasten us to our Joy and Glory Yet note that I speak all this only against Rebellion and unlawful Arms and Acts. Prov. 16. 7. § 62. Direct 32. Obey inferiour Magistrates according to the authority derived to them from the Supream Direct 32. but never against the Supream from whom it is derived The same reasons which oblige you to obey the personal commands of the King do bind you also to obey the lowest Constable or other Officer for they are necessary instruments of the Soveraign Power and if you obey not them the obedience of the Soveraign signifieth almost nothing But no man is bound to obey them beyond the measure of their authority much less against those that give them their authority § 63. Direct 33. No humane Power is at all to be obeyed against God For they have no power but Direct 33. what they receive from God And all that is from Him is for Him He giveth no power against Himself Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4. Rom. 11. 36. He is the first efficient the chief dirigent and ultimate final cause of all It is no act of Authority but Resistance of his Authority which contradicteth his Law and is against him All humane Laws are subservient to his Laws and not co-ordinate much less superiour Therefore they are ipso facto null or have no obligation which are against him Yet is not the Office it self Null when it is in some things thus abused nor the Magistrates power null as to other things No man must commit the least sin against God to please the greatest Prince on earth or to avoid the greatest corporal Si aliquid juâ—â—eâ—iâ— Procoâ—ful aliud jubeat Imperator nunquid dubitatur illo contempto illi esse serviendum Ergo si aliud Imperator aliud jubeat Deus quid judicatur Major potestas Deâ—s da veniam O Imperator Aug 〈…〉 de Verb. Domin Matth. Serm. 6. suffering Luke 12. 4. Fear not them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do but fear him who is able to destroy hoth body and soul in Hell yea I say unto you fear him Acts 5. 29. Whether we ought to obey God rather than men judge ye Heb. 11. 27. Not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him that is invisible Ver. 35. Others were tortured not accepting deliverance c. Dan. 3. 18. Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image c. § 64. Object If we are not obliged to obey we are not obliged to suffer For the Law obligeth Object primarily to obedience and only secondarily ad poenam for want of obedience Therefore where there iâ— no primary obligation to obedience there is no secundary obligation to punishment Answ.
Sword in their own hands and not have put it into the Clergies hands to fulfill their wills by For 1. By this means the Clergy had escaped the odium of usurpation and domineering by which atheistical Politicians would make Religion odious to Magistrates for their sakes 2. And by this means greater unity had been preserved in the Church while one faction is not armed with the Sword to tread down the rest For if Divines contend only by dint of Argument when they have talkt themselves and others aweary they will have done But when they go to it with dint of Sword it so ill becometh them that it seldom doth good but the party often that trusteth least to their Reason must destroy the other and make their cause good by Iron arguments 3. And then the Romish Clergy had not been armed against Princes to the terrible concussions of the Christian world which Histories at large relate if Princes had not first lent them the Sword which they turned against them 4. And then Church Discipline would have been better understood and have been more effectual which is corrupted and turned to another thing and so cast out when the Sword is used instead of the Keys under pretence of making it effectual None but Consenters are capable of Church-communion No man can be a Christian nor Godly nor saved against his will And therefore Consenters and Volunteers only are capable of Church-discipline As a Sword will not make a Sermon effectual no more will it make Discipline effectual which is but the management of Gods Word to work upon the conscience So far as men are to be driven by the Sword to the use of means or restrained from offering injury to Religion the Magistrate himself is fittest to do it It is noted by Historians as the dishonour of Cyrill of Alexandria though a famous Bishop that he was the first Bishop that like a Magistrate used the Sword there and used violence against Hereticks and dissenters 5. Above all abuse not the name of Religion for the resistance of your lawful Governours Religion must be defended and propagated by no irreligious means It is easie before you are aware to catch the feavor of such a passionate zeal as Iames and Iohn had when they would have had fire from Heaven to consume the refusers and resisters of the Gospel And then you will think that any thing almost is lawful which doth but seem necessary to the prosperity of Religion But no means but those of Gods allowance do use to prosper or bring home that which men expect They may seem to do wonders for a while but they come to nothing in the latter end and spoil the work and leave all worse than it was before § 101. Direct 40. Take heed of mistaking the nature of that Liberty of the people which is truly Direct 40. valuable and desirable and of contending for an undesirable Liberty in its stead It is desirable to have 1 Pet. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Gal. 4. 26. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Liberty to do good and to possess our own and enjoy Gods mercies and live in peace But it is not desirable to have Liberty to sin and abuse one another and hinder the Gospel and contemn our Governours Some mistake Liberty for Government it self and think it is the peoples Liberty to be Governours And some mistake Liberty for an exemption from Government and think they are most free when they are most ungoverned and may do what their list But this is a misery and not a mercy and therefore was never purchased for us by Christ. Many desire servitude and calamity under the name of liberty Optima est Reipublicae forma saith Seneca ubi nulla Libertas deest nisi licentia pereundi As Mr. R. Hooker saith Lib. 8. p. 195. I am not of opinion that simply in Kings the Most but the Best limited power is best both for them and the people The Most limited is that which may deal in fewest things the best that which in dealing is tyed to the soundest perfectest and most indifferent Rule which Rule is the Law I mean not only the Law of Nature and of God but the National Law consonant thereunto Happier that people whose Law is their King in the greatest things than that whose King is himself their Law Yet no doubt but the Law-givers are as such above the Law as an Authoritative instrument of Government but under it as a man is under the obligation of his own Consent and Word It ruleth subjects in the former sense It bindeth the summam Potestatem in the later § 102. Direct 41. When you have done all that you can in just obedience look for your reward Direct 41. from God alone Let it satisfie you that he knoweth and approveth your sincerity You make it a holy work if you do it to please God and you will be fixed and constant if you take Heaven for your Reward which is enough and will not fail you But you make it but a selfish carnal work if you do it only to please your Governours or get preferment or escape some hurt which they may do you and are subject only in flattery or for fear of wrath and not for conscience sake And such obedience is uncertain and unconstant For when you fail of your hopes or think Rulers deal unjustly or unthankfully with you your subjection will be turned into passionate desires of revenge Remember still the example of your Saviour who suffered death as an enemy to Caesar when he had never failed of his duty so much as in one thought or word And are you better than your Lord and Master If God be All to you and you have laid up all your hopes in Heaven it is then but little of your concernment further than God is concerned in it whether Rulers do use you well or ill and whether they interpret your actions rightly or what they take you for or how they call you But it is your concernment that God account you Loyal and will judge you so and justifie you from mens accusations of disloyalty and reward you with more than man can give you Nothing is well done especially of so high a nature as this which is not done for God and Heaven and which the Crown of Glory is not the motive to I have purposely been the larger on this subject because the times in which we live require it both for the setling of some and for the confuting the false accusations of others who would perswade the world that our doctrine is not what it is when through the sinful practices of some the way of truth is evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. Tit. 2. A fuller resolution of the Cases 1. Whether the Laws of men do bind the Conscience 2. Especially smaller and Penal Laws THe word Conscience signifieth either 1. In general according to the notation of the word The knowledge of our own
gatherers themselves § 18. Quest. 11. Is every one bound to labour in a Calling Quest. 11. Answ. This is answered before in its due place Tom. 1. Every one that is able rich or poor must live in some profitable course of pains or labour § 19. Quest. 12. Is it a duty to desire and endeavour to get and prosper and grow rich by our labours Quest. 12. when Solomon saith Labour not to be rich Prov. 23. 4. Answ. It is a sin to desire Riches as worldlings and sensualists do for the provision and maintenance of fleshly lusts and pride But it is no sin but a duty to labour not only for labour sake formally resting in the act done but for that honest increase and provision which is the end of our labour And therefore to choose a gainful calling rather than another that we may be able to do good and relieve the poor Eph. 4. 28. Let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth § 20. Quest. 13. Can one be prodigal in giving to the Church Quest. 13. Answ. Yes if it be in a blind zeal to maintain a useless pomp or superstition Or if he give Reâ—d Eâ—as us Collo â— Pâ—regrin Relig. Ergo. that which should be used or given otherwise But this is a sin that few in these dayes are in much danger of § 21. Quest. 14. Can one be prodigal in giving to the poor Quest. 14. Answ. Yes when it is blindly done to cherish idleness in wandring beggars or with a conceit of meriting in point of Commutative Justice from God Or when that is given to the poor which should be given to other uses as in publick tribute maintenance of children furtherance of the Gospel c. But this is a sin that few have need to be restrained from § 22. Quest. 15. May a rich man expend any thing upon otherwise lawful pomp or conveniences Quest. 15. or pleasures at such a time when there are multitudes of poor families in extremity of want As now when the flames which consumed London have left many thousands in distress Answ. Doubtless every man should spare as much for the relief of others as he can And therefore should not only forbear all needless expences but those also that are needful but to such conveniences and accommodations as may be spared without a greater hurt than is the want of such as that charges would relieve To save the lives of people in want we must spare any thing from our selves which our own lives can spare And to relieve them in their deep poverty we must abate much more than our superfluities To expend any thing on pride and lust is a double sin at such a time when Lazarus is at our doors in want If that Luke 16. were well studied wherein it was that the Rich mans sin and danger lay in being clothed in Purple and Silk and faring sumptuously every day while Lazarus wanted it would make some sensualists wiser than they are But yet it must be confessed that some few persons may be of so much worth and use to the Common-wealth as Kings and Magistrates and some of so little that the maintaining of the honour and succours of the former may be more necessary than the saving of the lives of the later But take heed lest Pride or Cruelty teach you to misunderstand this or abuse it for your selves § 23. There are divers other wayes of Prodigality or sinful waste which I pass by because they are such as few are concerned in And my purpose is not to say all that may be said but all that is needful As in needless Musick Physick Books which Seneca handsomely reproveth Gifts to Servants which need not in meer ostentation of pride to be well spoken of and many the like And in unlawful Wars which is the greatest sinful waster in all the world And as for expences in debauchery and gross wickedness as Whoredome Revenge in sinful Law Suits c. I here pretermit them § 24. Direct 2. Understand well the Aggravations of this sin of Prodigality viz. Direct 2. 1. It is a wasting of that which is none of our own and a robbing God of the use or service due to him in the improvement of his gifts They are his and not ours and according to his pleasure only must be used 2. It is a robbing the poor of that which the common Lord of the world hath appointed for them in his Law And they will have their Action in Heaven against the prodigal 3. It is an inhumane vice to waste that upon pleasures pride and needless things which so many distressed persons stand in need of 4. It is an injury to the Common-wealth which is weakned by the wasteful And the covetous themselves that are not oppressors are much better members of publick societies than the prodigal 5. It seedeth a life of other vice and wickedness It is a spending Gods gifts to feed those lusts which he abhorreth 6. It usually engageth many others in Trades and labours which are unprofitable that they may serve the lusts of these sensual prodigals 7. And in the conclusion it prepareth a sad account for these wretches when they must answer at the Bar of God how they have used all his gifts and talents Remember all these aggravations § 25. Direct 3. Carefully mortifie that greedy fancy and fleshly lusts which is the wasting sin and Direct 3. the devouring gulf Quench the fire and you may spare all this fuell Cure the Feavor or Dropsie and you may spare both your drink and life A greedy throat and a diseased fancy are never satisfied till they have wasted the peace of your consciences with your estates and brought you to the end of brutish sinners Wisdome and duty and real benefit are contented with a little But lust is unsatiable The voluptuous bruit saith I must have my cups my lusts my pleasure And the effeminate vicious fancy of those empty souls that mind no great and solid things is still ranging after some vanity or other and like children crying for every thing that they see another have And the most needless yea burdensome things seem necessary to such They say I must needs have this and I must needs have that there is no being without it when nothing needeth it but a diseased mind which much more needeth a Cure by grace and true mortification Subdue pride and sensuality and fancy and you may escape prodigality § 26. Direct 4. Remember the nearness of your account and ask your consciences what way of expences Direct 4. will please you best in the review Whether at death and judgement it will be to your comfort to find on your account So much laid out on needless bravery to set out this carkass which is now turning into dust Item So much upon proud entertainments of great ones Item So much on Cards
incumbrances and snares 5. And it is a great part of the commodity of a faithful friend to be assisted in the true knowledge of our selves To have one that will watch over us and faithfully tell us of the sin and danger and duty which we cannot easily see without help and which other men will not faithfully acquaint us with II. But yet it is rare to choose and use this friendship rightly And there are many evils here to be carefully avoided The instances shall be mentioned anon in the directions and therefore now passed by Quest. 3. Is it meet to have more such bosome friends than one Quest. 3. Answ. Usually One only is meetest 1. Because Love diffused is oft weak and contracted is more strong 2. Because secrets are seldome safe in the hands of many 3. Because suitable persons are rare 4. And though two or three may be suitable to you yet perhaps they may be unsuitable among themselves And the calamity of their own disparities will redound to you And their fallings out may turn to the bewraying of your secrets or to some other greater wrong 2. But yet sometimes two or three such friends may be better than one alone 1. In case they be all neer and of an approved suitableness and fidelity 2. In case they be all suitable and endeared to one another 3. If a man live per vices in several places and his friends cannot remove with him he may have one friend in one place and another in another and so many will be but as one that is constant 4. And in case that many may add to our help our counsel and comfort more than to our danger hurt or trouble In all these cases many are better than one Quest. 4. Is it fit for him to take another bosome friend who hath a pious Wife and is any other so Quest. 4. fit to be a friend as he and she that are as one flesh Answ. When a Wife hath the understanding and vertue and fidelity fit for this sort of friendship then no one else is so â—it because of neerness and united interests The same I say of a Husband to a Wife But because that it seldome falls out that there is such a fitness for this office especially in the Wife in that case it is lawful and meet to choose a friend that is fit indeed and to commit those secrets to him which we commit not to a Wife For secrets are not to be committed to the untrusty nor wise counsel to be expected from the unwise how neer soever And the great writers about this special Friendship do think that no woman is fit for it but men only But that conclusion is too injurious to that Sex Quest. 5. Is it agreeable to the nature of true friendship to Love our friend not only for himself but Quest. 5. for our own commodity and whether must he or I be the chief end of my love and friendship Answ. 1. Indeed in our Love to God he that is the object is also our chief and ultimate end and we must Love him more for Himself than for our selves And yet here it is lawful subordinately to intend our selves 2. And our love to the Common-wealth should be greater than our Love to our selves and therefore we may not Love it chiefly for our selves 3. And if our bosome friend be notoriously Better than we are and more serviceable to God and to the common good we should Love him also above our selves and therefore not chiefly for our selves 4. But in case of an equality of goodness and usefulness we are not bound to Love our most intimate friend more than our selves and therefore may at least equally Love him for our selves as for himself And if we are really and notoriously better and more useful we may love him chiefly for our selves and our selves above him But still we must love God and the publick Good above both our selves and him and must Love both our selves and him in order to God who is the beginning and end of all Quest. 6. Is it contrary to the nature of true friendship to keep any secret from such a bosome friend Quest. 6. or to retain any suspicion of him or to suppose that he may possibly prove unfaithful to us and forsake us Answ. Cicero and the old Doctors of Friendship say that all this is inconsistent with true friendship And it is true that it is contrary to perfect friendship But it is as true that perfect friendship cannot be nor must not be among imperfect men And that the nature of mankind is so much depraved that the best are unmeet for perfect friendship And certainly few men if any in the world are fit for every secret of our hearts Besides that we are so bad that if all our secret thoughts were known to one another it might do much to abate our friendship and love to each other And it is certain that man is so corrupt a creature and good men so imperfectly cured of their corruption that there is selfishness uncertainty and mutability in the best And therefore it is not a duty to judge falsly of men but contrarily to judge of them as they are And therefore to suppose that it is possible the closest friend may reveal our secrets one time or other and that the steadfastest friend may possibly become our enemy To think that possible which is possible and more is injurious to none Quest. 7. Is it lawful to change a bosome friend and to prefer a new one whom we perceive to be Quest. 7. more worthy before an old one Answ. An old friend caeteris paribus is to be preferred before a new one and is not to be cast off without desert and necessity But for all that 1. If an old friend prove false or notably unfit 2. Or if we meet with another that is far more able fit and worthy no doubt but we may prefer the later and may value Love and use men as they are for goodness worth and usefulness Quest. 8. What Love is due to a Minister that hath been the means of our Conversion And can such a Quest. 8. one â—e loved too much Answ. 1. There is a special Love due to such a one as the hand by which God did reach out to us his unvaluable mercies And ingratitude and sectarian proud contempt of such as have been our fathers in Christ is no small sin 2. But yet another that never did us good who is much wiser and better and more serviceable to the Church must be better Loved than he by whom we were converted Because we are to love men more for the sake of God and his Image and service than for our selves 3. And it is a very common thing for passionate Women and young people when they are newly converted to think that they can never too much value and honour and Love those that converted them and to think that all such
true pleasure as his life and labours are successful in doing good I know that the Conscience of honest endeavours may afford solid comfort to a willing though unsuccessful man and well-doing may be pleasant though it prove not a doing good to others But it is a double yea a multiplyed comfort to be successful It is much if an honest unsuccessful man a Preacher a Physicion c. can keep up so much peace as to support him under the grief of his unsuccessfulness But to see our honest labours prosper and many to be the better for them is the pleasantest life that man can here hope for 7. Good works are a comfortable evidence that faith is sincere and that the heart dissembleth not with God When as a faith that will not prevail for works of Charity is dead and uneffectual and the image o◠carkass of faith indeed and such as God will not accept Iam. 2. 8. We have received so much our selves from God as doubleth our obligation to do good to others Obedience and Gratitude do both require it 9. We are not sufficient for our selves but need others as well as they need us And therefore as we expect to receive from others we must accordingly do to them If the eye will not see for the body nor the hand work for the body nor the feet go for it the body will not afford them nutriment and they shall receive as they do 10. Good works are much to the honour of Religion and consequently of God and much tend to mens conviction conversion and salvation Most men will judge of the doctrine by the fruits Mat. 5. 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 11. Consider how abundantly they are commanded and commended in the word of God Christ himself hath given us the pattern of his own life which from his first moral actions to his last was nothing but doing good and bearing evil He made Love the fulfilling of his Law and the works of Love the genuine fruits of Christianity and an acceptable sacrifice to God Gal. 6. 10. As we have opportunity let us do good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith Heb. 13. 16. To do good and communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou constantly affirm that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works These things are good and profitable to men Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Tit. 2. 14. To purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Act. 20. 35. So labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Iesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive Ephes. 4. 28. Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth You see poor labourers are not excepted from the command of helping others In so much that the first Church sold all their possessions and had all things common not to teach levelling and condemn propriety but to shew all after them that Christian Love should use all to relieve their brethren as themselves 12. Consider that God will in a special manner judge us at the last day according to our works and especially our works of Charity As in Matth. 25. Christ hath purposely and plainly shewed and so doth many another text of Scripture These are the Motives to works of Love Quest. 2. What is a good work even such as God hath promised to reward Quest. 2. Answ. 1. The matter must be lawful and not a sin 2. It must tend to a good effect for the benefit of man and the honour of God 3. It must have a good end even the pleasing and Glory of God and the good of our selves and others 4. It must come from a right principle even from the Love of God and of man for his sake 5. It must be pure and unmixed If any sin be mixt with it it is sinful so as to need a pardon And if sin be predominant in it it is so far sinful as to be unacceptable to God in respect to the person and is turned into sin it self 6. It must be in season or else it may sometimes be mixt with sin and sometimes be evil it self and no good work 7. It must be comparatively good as well as simply It must not be a lesser good instead of a greater or to put off a greater As to be praying when we should be quenching a fire or saving a mans life 8. It must be good in a convenient degree Some degrees are necessary to the Moral being of a good work and some to the well being God must be loved and worshipped as God and Heaven sought as Heaven and mens souls and lives must be highly prized and seriously preserved some sluggish doing of good is but undoing it 9. It must be done in confidence of the merits of Christ and presented to God as by his hands who is our Mediator and Intercessour with the Father Quest. 3. What works of Charity should one choose in these times who would improve his masters talents Quest. 3. to his most comfortable account Answ. The diversity of mens abilities and opportunities make that to be best for one man which is 〈◊〉 the Pre 〈…〉 e to my 〈…〉 ok called 〈◊〉 Crucifying 〈…〉 he world impossible to another But I shall name some that are in themselves most beneficial to mankind that every man may choose the best which he can reach to 1. The most eminent work of Charity is the promoting of the Conversion of the Heathen and Infidel parts of the world To this Princes and men of power and wealth might contribute much if they were willing especially in those Countreys in which they have commerce and send Embassadours They might procure the choicest Scholars to go over with their Embassadours and learn the languages and set themselves to this service according to opportunity Or they might erect a Colledge for the training up of Students purposely for that work in which they might maintain some Natives procured from the several Infidel Countreys as two or three Persians as many Indians of Indostan as many Tartarians Chinenses Siamites c. which might possibly be obtained and these should teach students their Countrey languages But till the Christian world be so happy as to have such Princes something may be done by Volunteers of lower place and power As Mr. Wheelock did in translating the New Testament and Mr. Pococke by the Honourable Mr. Robert Boile's procurement and charge in translating Grotius de Verit. Christ. Relig. into