not therefore upon every leaning of your soule upon conditionall promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a worke and so you and your Covenant may faile together But when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that can worke them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poore soule say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises doe fall heavie upon a man and he seeth that they are too burthensome and too weighty for him he doth not say here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my selfe but one that is taught of God doth forthwith goe and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his Sonne and that he will adorne him with his grace as a bride of Jesus Christ Thus while the soule doth looke towards Jesus Christ and grace in him the Lord doth secretly transforme him into the image of Christ by working such qualifications in him and then beareth witnesse to that sanctification which is wrought in his heart thereby enlarging his soule with strong consolation in Jesus Christ and in the same way it is that the Lord doth strengthen the faith of his people to believe that all those things which God hath promised are accomplished in Jesus Christ and the Law fullfilled in me so farre as Christ is in me and therefore I come unto God in prayer to make good those promises unto me in a right way which would have been preposterously applyed before Christ was given And this may serve for Answer to the 5th Question Quest 6. Wee come now unto a sixt Question If the Lord doe give himselfe first in the Covenant of his grace this may then be a doubt and a question in a Christian soule If God give himselfe before any blessing before any promise in order of nature though he giveth himselfe alwayes in a promise if wee cannot claime any blessing from God at the first in any conditionall promise therefore not by any condition in our selves but as we received all things from God so wee claime all things from him in Jesus Christ and so doe first seeke for him and for all things in him If thus to what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such conditions in us doe we not abrogate the Law make it of none effect and roote it out from having any power over Christians And truly some under pretence of the Covenant of grace have thought it altogether bootlesse to bind Christians unto the Law of God and to looke at it as any part of the direction of their Course Now because this is an imputation usually reflected upon the Covenant of Grace let us Confider therefore and enquire to what use serveth the Law of God if God give himselfe first unto his people in the Covenant of his grace Answ Though the Lord giveth himselfe freely to the soule and his Sonne and all the blessings of the Covenant of grace without respect unto any worke of the Law yet the Law is of speciall and notable use unto all the sonnes of men both unto them that are not yet brought home unto God by converting grace and also to those that are regenerate in Jesus Christ The Apostle Paul did observe that the question would arise upon the doctrine of the Covenant of grace Gal. 3.16,17,18 For if the blessing of Abraham came upon the people of God by Jesus Christ to what end then serveth the Law which came 430 yeares after It cannot disanull grace to make the promise of God of none effect to what end then serveth it Some say it is of no use others say that it is of such use that they had rather renounce the Covenant of grace than it but the Answer is it is of especiall use both unto spirituall and carnall men First unto carnall men and they are of two sorts some belong unto the election of grace though they be not yet called others are not written in the Lambs booke of life but will in the end finally perish and the Law is yet of use unto both sorts of them For the Elect it is of use unto them to aggravate their sin and to multiply it unto them as it were that is to say to aggravate the apprehension of the hainousnesse of sin upon their Consciences and to set home the burthen of sin unto their soules thereby to drive them to feele their great need of the Lord Jesus Christ whom otherwise they should for ever have despised Thus the Apostle answereth in the place aforenamed The Law was added because of transgressions that they might cleerely appeare and be aggravated thereby that a man might plainly discerne how he hath made himselfe liable to the wrath of God by so manifold breaches of so many Commandments in one kinde or other the Law giveth cleere knowledge of sinne and so much the more doth it set on the weight of it upon the Conscience working feare in the heart Rom. 8.15 And hence it is that the Apostle telleth us Gal. 3.24 The Law was our Schoole-Master to Christ As a Schoole-Master driveth his Scholler through feare unto this or that duty either to doe it himselfe or if he cannot to get others to doe it for him so the Law of God driveth the soule through feare unto Jesus Christ not that it doth reveale Christ a Saviour of free-grace but the soule being once brought downe under sense of sin by the terrours of the Law will readily willingly hearken unto the newes of Christ a Saviour for being once made sensible of his owne inability to redeeme himselfe and unworthines to be redeemed from the wrath of God now is the soule fitted to heare the voyce of the Gospell now is the newes of Christ beautifull and glad tidings And of this use is the Law unto the Elect of God before they come under the Covenant of the grace of God 2. But of what use is the Law unto other men First the Disobedience of it is of use Secondly the Obedience of it 1. The Disobedience for if men had not knowne sin it had been some pretence though they had committed sin but when men have the knowledge of the Law and yet commit sin willingly now they have no cloake for their sin Rom. 1.21 compared with 32. where the Apostle speaketh of the great sin of the Gentiles and much more of the Jewes Who though they knew God and the judgement of God and that they which commit such wickednes are worthy of death yet
not onely doe the same but have pleasure in them that doe them When a man shall not onely doe such wickednes but blesse himselfe in it this aggravateth a mans condemnation if men will not come unto Jesus Christ that they might have life Joh. 5.40 what saith our Saviour in such a Case see vers 45. Moses will judge all those that please themselves in wickednes and will not turne to the Lord Jesus Christ Thus there is use of the Law unto disobedient persons their disobedience will leave them without excuse when they sin against their consciences against the meanes which the Lord hath administred unto them for though the Lord never gave them such grace as did accompany salvation yet such Illumination he did give them that they needed not to have broken his Law so many wayes with such wicked hands as they have done therefore when they have been inlarged to performe many duties might avoyd much sin yet will sin against their consciences and tread under foot those meanes of grace that were committed unto them It is then most righteous with God that they should be condemned 2. Of what use is the Obedience of the Law unto such whom Gods soule takes no pleasure in Truly it is of sad and dreadfull use unto them for it serveth to harden them in their sinnes though that be but an accidentall use thereof their sinnes are thereby made out of measure sinfull Rom 7.13 They harden their hearts marvellously 1. By their Obedience to the Law 2. By the Comfort they finde in that Obedience For the first of these the Apostle Paul Acts 23.1 had kept so good a Conscience that he knew not any sin against the Law that he had lived in but though he was unrebukeable he did count it all losse afterward Phil. 3.7,8 Those things that before he thought had heen his gaine now he counteth them but dung that he may winne Christ when a man attaineth unto outward conformity to the Law he is then indeed ready to justifie himselfe and to thinke that it is indeed good for poore sinfull men to looke for salvation by Jesus Christ but for himselfe he hopeth in his selfe-devotion and that he is able to save himselfe these are such as justifie themselves before men to whom our Saviour speaketh Luke 16.15 And of whom he saith that Publicans and harlots shall goe into the kingdome of heaven before them Mat. 21.31,32 For many times you shall have the most deboist and prophane more humbled and readier to hearken to the voyce of Christ and sooner convinced of the necessity of the Covenant of grace than those that are morally righteous by the law Rom. 9.30,31,32 Chap. 10.21 Thus the Law becometh a snare unto them and that which is of singular and wholsome use unto the children of God is made death unto them And as their obedience to the Law is thus a snare unto them So secondly the delight and comfort which they take in their obedience is a greater snare than the other The stony and thorny soile did heare the word with joy and so those hypocrites Isai 58. did delight to approach unto God but what followed upon the delight which they tooke in God and in holy duties it made them ready to expostulate with God why he did not answer them according to their works the delight which they found did so fill their hearts with Assurance of the grace of God that they looked at their duties as so many tokens of the love of God unto their soules and then when men come to finde more comfort in their obedience than in the grace of God in Jesus Christ it maketh them ready to expostulate with God touching the worth of their owne righteousnes Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved So long as a man findeth life and comfort in his owne performances what need can he see to be grieved for the want of Jesus Christ or at the best if he doe grieve and finde his heart comforted in grieving and delighting in the Course of humiliation he then thinketh he hath no need of being further solicitous about his spirituall estate Thus we see that the Law of God is of marvellous use in the dayes of the Gospell of great use unto those that belong unto God to breake their hearts for sinne and to drive them to Jesus Christ and for others the disobedience of the Law leaves them without excuse that so disobey it Againe the obedience of it and comfort in that obedience doth harden the hearts of others from Christ 2. But what say you then unto men that are under a Covenant of grace and brought unto fellowship with Christ therein of what use is the Law of God unto such is it utterly antiquated or is there any more to be done about it Answ The Apostle answereth this question when he saith I am not without the Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 So that mind you the Law is of use unto the Apostle Paul but how As the Law cometh under Christ so Paul cometh under the Law this is the summe of the Answer but that would be further explained What meaneth he when he sayth I am under the Law to Christ In some sense a Christian is freed from the Law in some sense he is under the Law so farre as the Law is any way besides or out of Christ so farre the Apostle is without the Law so farre as the Law is under Christ so farre he is under the Law keepe close to these two principles and you shall safely avoyd rockes on every hand thus by the use of the Law shall you not goe aside to a Covenant of works nor by attendance unto grace shall you neglect the Law How farre is the Law under Christ When it hath brought the soule neerer unto Christ and in a remote manner prepared him the Law is in Christ and you subject to it in him 1. As the Law is given by Christ 2. As in Christ helpe is given to performe it First as the Law is given by Christ as 1 Thes 4.2,3 and many other Commandments he gave them all which are legall Commandments and yet the Apostle gave them by the Lord Jesus So Mat. 5. to the end of the Chapter Our Saviour would not have us thinke that he came to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fullfill them and to that end he doth there expound the spirituall true meaning of the Law that whereas the Pharisees held forth the outward letter of the Law to be observed onely as thinking that unlesse a man did commit the act of murther he was not guilty of the breach of the sixt Commandment and if he committed not the act of Adultery he transgressed not the seventh Commandment and so of the rest Our Saviour Christ expoundeth the Law more spiritually shewing that Anger against a mans brother is a breach
the gifts of God and if you shall aske how love and patience and all the rest of the gifts of God doe worke The holy Ghost stirreth up faith to looke unto Christ who returneth strength by his Spirit unto faith so faith worketh by love and by meeknes and by all the rest of the fruits of the Spirit thus the Spirit of God acteth according to what we read Rom. 8.14 Come to any holy duty and it is the holy Ghost that leadeth you along and acteth in you so Ezek. 36.27 2 Pet. 1 2â— it is the Spirit of God that moveth us to any good worke and that acteth the gifts of his grace in us 3. It is the same Spirit of God also that witnesseth to these gifts and sheweth what gifts he hath given us for such is the blindnes of the nature of all the sons of men and it is a wonder to see that generally Christians when the Lord first worketh these gifts in them not one of a thousand but they thinke they are in a sad and fearefull condition and so they are very uncomfortable when they have greatest cause of rejoycing But now least that we should alwayes mistake that which the Lord hath given us wee have received the Spirit of God that wee might know the things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 He indeed taketh his owne time to discover it unto us to some sooner to some later but this is his intendment that he might honour his grace upon us by all the rich and gracious gifts which he hath given us He doth also reveale unto us the duties which he helpeth us to doe â—…om 9.1 The holy Ghost that wrought in him this brotherly love beareth him witnes also that he doth not lye and that he had continuall sorrow in his heart and that he could have wished to have been accursed from Christ that they might be saved it grieved him so much that the whole Nation should be destitute of the Lord Jesus Christ Thus we see what need there is that the holy Ghost should dwell in us to keepe all the gifts of his grace in us to Act them according to his will and to discover to us what gratious gifts the Lord hath wrought in us and what duties he hath helped us to doe that we may be able to give Account of them by the holy Ghost that dwelleth in us and beareth witness with us We see there is a necessity both of the gifts of grace that we may be fit Temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in and fit instruments for him to work by there is need also the holy Ghost should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might adde this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in John 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more cleere evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father And the same Spirit testifieth to us both what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us this the holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father and this is the comfort of Gods people Thus wee see both these poynts opened to us Quest 3. How may we then imploy and improve this sanctification which the Lord hath given us and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witnesse How or to what end shall we employ it seeing the Lord undertaketh to doe these things for us Answ If the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we doe not rest in any Sanctification which doth not spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his Spirit conveying us to him the Spirit knitteth us unto Christ Christ unto us he worketh Faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same Faith worketh all our holinesse for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us c. Therefore we are to see him the principall author of all these things in us and for us this is the principall comfort of all gifts Christ given in them and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lyeth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be Sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is so when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holinesse to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continuall supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our Sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we goe not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soule which may spring from a spirit of bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restraine us from sin and constraine us unto duty but such holinesse springeth not alwayes from our union with Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sense of our need of Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27,28,29 Goe thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will heare it and doe it They have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord. O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me c. This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever ye would make a right use of your holinesse see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ and that there be not onely an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give due honour unto all of them together 2 This may also Teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their holinesse though they doe spring from the Holy Ghost himselfe though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit our soules in union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14,15 Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1 Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 but our sufficiency is
doctrine a matter of Religion was of Gods appointment Jer. 29.21 with 23. and hence by Gods appointment was this execution of Gods vengeance on them made a proverbial Curse vers 22. Argum 2 A second Argument is in that it 's recorded as a most desperate and accursed estate of old that they had no King or chief Ruler in Israel to restrain as Adultery and Murther sins against the second Table Judges 19.1 with chap. 20. so Idolatry a sin against the first Table chap. 17.1 18.1 compared but every man had his liberty to doe what was right in his owne eyes Argum 3 The third Argument is in that it is recorded as a matter of speciall guidance and direction of God and acknowledged by Ezra inspired by the Spirit as a special mercy of God to his people that Artaxerxes an Heathen King had an heart to put forth his coercive power injoyning things commanded of God and forbidding with sanction of sutable punishments the evils whether against the Lawes of the King or against the Lawes of God whether concerning Religion or righteousnesse whence we argue that this use of the civil power was of God of old and therefore the same is as well of God now Artaxerxes was indeed an instrument in the hand of Christ but not therefore a Type of Christ Nor was this of the nature of a meer Jewish judiciall Law because injoining punishments moral offences being punishable and yet not therefore of a meer judicial nature or meerly against a judicial Law besides this act of Artaxerxes respected civil matters and matters of the second Table which none will challenge as not imitable as well as matters of Religion And that which some object that he did this for fear of wrath rather confirmeth the morality of the use of such power then otherwise For what ground of fear in not putting forth such coercive power if the omission of it were not sinfull Yea if the use of such a coercive power in matters of Religion were not according to Gods mind as our opposites say he might rather more groundedly have feared Gods wrath for such an high offence as usurpation of a power which the Lord disliked and forbade Thus much of the first head of Arguments from the Old Testament those from the New follow and they are foure From the New Testament Argum 1 The first is taken from Rom. 13. If God will have every soul in and of the Churches and that of Rome as well as others to be subject to civill Magistrates as being powers ordained of God v. 1. an Ordinance of God v. 2. a terrour not to good works but to evill v. 3. the ministry of God for their good v. 4. and that for conscience sake v. 5. Then Magistrates are to put forth coercive power in such matters of Religion respecting the outward man But the former is true ergo the latter Object All this may be true and yet verified onely in matters of the second Table and is extended to matters of the first yet onely to such things as are against the Law of Nations or the light of Nature and so no proof of that for which it is urged He is a terrour to evil works but it is not said he is so to all evill works Answ 1 If all this be restrained according to the intent of the Objection then is none to have praise approbation incouragement from Civil Authority by reason of matters of Faith or of Religion but for matters of righteousnesse onely or if for any matters of Religion yet onely for such as stand with the light of nature and Law of Nations as the third Verse must be Expounded For if it be supposed that it is an act of Justice whereof the Magistrate is Minister to distribute rewards in any matters of Religion that appeares in the walk of the outward man and respect godly peace in way of encouragement it must needs be an act of like justice to distribute punishments to the contrary The Magistrate being according to the Apostles distribution a Minister of God as well when he encourageth good as when he represseth and punisheth evil 2 The Objection would make onely offences against the rules of the second Table or at most those that are against the Law of nature and Nations which come under the view of the Magistrate as a publick Minister of God to be evill works and not other sins of like publick cognizance concernment respecting other matters of Religion For if both sorts of offences are evil he being a terrour to evil works indefinitely which come to his publick cognizance he is a terrour ex officio to both and it is vaine to say he saith evill works not all evil works for so he saith he is not a terrour to good works but saith not to all good works and therefore if that indefinite good works be not equivalent to that general all good works he may then it seems be a terrour to some good works which come under his publick cognizance 3 We are yet to speak of that limitation where the New Testament alloweth the civil Magistrate power as in matters of righteousnesse so in matters of Religion so far namely as the light of nature and Law of Nations extendeth in matters of the outward man which come to his publick view but restraineth him from medling further in any matters of Religion of like publick cognizance and concernment That Scripture ground of this distinction and restriction would be produced Object I when Paul wrote this Epistle to the Romans their Rulers were Pagans and what coercive power was it likely they would put forth in any matters of Religion unlesse against the true Religion as undermining their Paganisme Crying downe the same as worship of Devils and teaching them to cast off their Heathen Gods as no Gods They did not look at Jesus Christ as their Supream Lord but as a new upstart God in comparison of their Roman Gods and to make penall Laws against false doctrine or Religion had been to make Lawes against themselves as well as others and to make Lawes against the present light of their owne consciences Answ This no way weakneth but strengthneth what we have said For if even those Pagan Rulers in Pauls time were by their Office Ministers of God then bound to improve their Authority for the ratifying and establishing of his Lawes and for those of the first as well as second Table and then bound by their Office as Ministers of God to rule for him and the exacting of his rule in and over their subjects And that they did not know and doe thus it was their sin Many of them thought plurality of wives fornication rash divorces incestuous marriages usury c. no sin and it may be said if they had made Lawes against these they had made Lawes against themselves and the light of their owne consciences as thinking in their seduced blinded consciences that these were lawfull yet
of the sixt Commandment and whosoever shall looke on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart and broken the seventh Commandment Thus Christ hath as it were revived Moses but as the Law given by Christ is not a Covenant of works but a Commandment of well-doing and he having given it we take our selves bound to be subject unto it The Apostle also presseth the morall Law upon severall relations of men Eph. 6.1,2,3 c. It is an honour to Christ that his servants should be holy as he is holy it is for the glory of God and he requireth it the Apostle James presseth it Chap. 2.8 to the end of the Chapter If you fullfill the Royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe well And againe Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus wee see the Apostles of Jesus Christ put it upon Christians to keepe the Law of God and Christ himselfe beareth witnes to the Law for God will never justifie sin to be no sin though he will justifie the person of a sinner Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law and as it were renueth it so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants enabling them to keep it Jer. 31.33 and Ezek. 36.27 Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keepe it were it not his will in Jesus Christ that the Law should be the Rule of holines and righteousnes unto his people hence it is that the children of God though they be not under the Covenant of the Law yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it for if Christ have given the Law as well as Moses and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit to teach and strengthen them to keepe it though not perfectly yet sincerely then they take themselves bound to obey the Law though they be under the Covenant of grace for doe we make voyd the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law for what need have Christians of free justification by Christ if they were not bound unto the obedience of the Law by the Commandment of the Law therefore the free justification of men under a free Covenant of grace doth establish the obedience of the Law otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the Curse of the Law Why doe we still run to Christ for the continuance of our Justification but that we find our selves ungodly Creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God Therefore if God have given men the Law his Holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it and his grace to save them from the curse of it then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law they lye under the authority of it and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke Now there are divers effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandement of the Law 1 As they take themselves bound to the obedience of it so they believe and many times feele the fatherly displeasure of God when they transgresse it now the transgression of the Law could not bring them under the displeasure of God unlesse they were bound unto the Commandement of the Law This displeasure David was sensible of Psal 38.1,2,3 c. where he makes many complaints which doe all of them spring from the conscience of the disobedience of the Law which God hath framed in the hearts of his servants whereby they reflect upon their sin as the ground of all the distempers which lye upon their bodies or minds This is the first effect of the subjection of Gods people to his Law they lye under the faith and sense of the danger of the disobedience of it 2 They are under the faith and sense also of Gods gratious acceptance of their wayes when they are sutable to the blessed directions of his word not that they can raise there-from their justified estate but by the same Spirit of God whereby they are helped to obey the Commandements of God they doe see the Lords gratious approbation of them in their poore and weake endeavours for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is acknowledgeth and approveth it Psal 1.6 When the Lord by his Spirit boweth the hearts of his people unto obedience then he knoweth and accepteth their obedience Gen. 22.12 Thus the Lord beareth witness unto his Servants that he doth accept their works so that they sensibly know and believe that the Lord doth acknowledge their poorest and weakest endeavours unto which they are carried forth by his Spirit in the Obedience of his word this the Prophet David confirmeth Psal 18.20 to 26. where he speaketh of his righteous dealing with Saul and whereas his enemies laid it to his charge that he was an enemy unto Saul the Lord beareth him witnes that he had walked toward Saul with a good conscience now the Lord having led him an end to deale justly and righteously and purely with Saul having kept him from all the malice and outrage of Saul and maintained his cause against him and delivered him out of his hands whom the Lord had now rejected herein the Prophet seeth the Lord accepting him when in the name of his Son by the power of his Spirit he is helped to attend unto the Commandements of God This is commfortable unto a Christian spirit when the Lord beareth witnesse unto his soule that he hath an eye to all the Commandments of God And all this argueth that the servants of God being in a state of grace in Jesus Christ have looked at themselves as bound by the Commandements of the Law and as being under the Law to Christ who hath given the Law and power unto his servants sincerely to keep it both by writing in their hearts a Law of obedience and by putting his Holy Spirit within them for if the people of God were not sensible of their bounden duty to the observation of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently breake these Lawes neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto But we know what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience c. And truly the Lord doth often beare witnesse unto the integrity of his Servants against the oppositions of men So he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Servants of God though they are not wont to build their safe estate thereupon Yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their wayes and obedience they doe discern c. yet in their best obedience which they doe perform they see the need they have to goe unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in
infringed when as he de jure commands nothing but that which if men have any tendernesse of conscience they are bound in conscience to submit thereto and in faithfull submitting to which is truest liberty of conscience conscience being never in a â—…er or better estate of liberty here on earth than when most ingaged to walke according to Gods Commandements 4. That thereby Christians become servants of men when the Magistrate only is to enjoyne what his Master and theirs hath commanded or to forbid the contrary and consequently in submitting thereto are but servants to Christ in man 5. That thereby men are made hypocrites and time-servers as if to command men to walke according to the Word and to forbid the contrary were to make men so contrary to the Word as are time-servers and hypocrites 6. That thereby a sluce is opened to let in all manner of false religions and corrupt opinions into the Church supposing the Magistrate be of any false religion or corrupt in his judgement yea that were the way to set up a Pope in a Christian Common-wealth for Religion must turne as he turns When as the question is touching the Magistrates power of commanding or forbidding not what he in a Popelike way shall please or what his own spirit shall like best but what God hath commanded or forbidden in the Word and the position subjecteth him to the Word as to the supream Law and doth not set him up Popelike above the Scriptures or allow him to make his sense of scripture to be Scripture or to make humane traditionall Cannons to be as much of force as Scripture to bind mens consciences c. but the position rather condemneth any such power as gular usurped not approved of God which swerveth from that rule of the exercise of his power in matters of religion namely the Scriptures and the contrary to that objected would rather follow that if there must be no King or civill power among Gods professed Israel coercively to restraine forbidden evills in Religion then every man would hold and doe as he list as if every one were a Pope and then Micah's Idolatry and any other abominations may be set up 7. That thereby the civill Magistrate is put upon many intricate perplexities hazards of conscience how to judge in and of matters of Religion But this doth not hinder the Magistrate from that use of his coercive power in matters commanded or forbidden in the first Table no more then it doth hinder him from the like power in matters of the second Table none being ignorant what perplexing intricacies there are in these as well as in the former as conscientious Magistrates finde by dayly experience yet such as object this will not deny this power in the latter and why then in the former the objection proveth the difficulty of his knowing of Gods minde in his place and if it had been objected against Church-Officers power in Churches or the power of Parents and Masters in their families it would have proved the same but it followes not its difficult for a man in authority to know the utmost of his duty in his place therefore it s not necessary for him to doe his duty in his place They which inaugurated Joash to be King 2 Chron. 23.11 they put upon him the testimony as the Hebrew words used to be expounded to shew that it was his duty as a King not onely to know the testimonie or booke of Gods Law but authoritatively to establish what was written in it 8. That thereby persons are put upon acting with doubting consciences the Magistrates Injunctions being oft-times not cleare to such as are to obey them and so they are thereby compelled to sin When the position affirmeth this power in matters cleared in the Word which if not cleared to this or that subject in a Christian Common-wealth that is his owne fault by his owne ignorance of matters which he is bound to know to bring any such snare upon his conscience and in such a case he may desire the Magistrate to use the best meanes to cleare up the matters enjoyned or forbidden to be commanded or forbidden in the Word but neither of these hinder but that the Magistrate is to command or forbid that which God hath commanded or forbidden even that which Christ hath commanded or forbidden should not then be urged upon mens consciences by Church-Officers or Church-censures be executed against obstinate gaine-sayers because through error in judgement and corruption in conscience men will say thâ—…nd after all meanes used for convictâ—… they may still affirme that they thinke otherwise or at best that they still doubt of the matters in question yea albeit the matters be fundamentall 9. That hereby Christians are discouraged from seeking more light or hindred from embracing or following such new light as the Saints expect in these latter dayes When as its evident that the commanding and forbidding things cleared in the Word to be good or evill doth neither expresse what light men have from the Word nor discourage from more light in from the same as not in matters of the second Table so neither of the first 10. That thereby conscientious men especially will come to suffer because Magistrates may think things commanded or forbidden of God and accordingly ratifie them by their authority which God did never command or forbid when as the question is not concerning Magistrates enjoyning what they thinke but what is the minde of God nor can the pressing of the minde of God commanding what he requieth and forbidding the contrary be any just or proper cause of suffering to men truly conscientious The Magistrate may indeed through mistake command or forbid things respecting not onely the first but the second Table But this doth not deprive civill Magistracy therefore of coercive power as not in matters of the second so neither of the first Table but in this case Christians must be content to suffer in either albeit withall the Magistrate doe breake his rule 11. That thereby we shall incourage and harden Papists and Turks in their cruell persecutions of the Saints whereas for the Magistrate to command or forbid according to God as it is not persecution so neither doth it of it selfe tend to persecution Power to presse the Word of God and his truth doth not give warrant to suppresse or oppresse the same the times are evill indeed when the pressing of obedience to the rule shall be counted persecution 12. That thence are caused all the warres in Christendome at this day when it is evident that the pressing men to obey the will and word of God in matters either of the second or fiâ—st Table is not of it selfe any cause of warre but the lusts rather of such as abuse their power contrary to the Word By this already spoken we have seen the ruine of twelve of our opposites Castles in the ayre imaginarily framed to withstand the civil Magistrates coercive power in
against the light of nature as Law of Nations or deny things obstinately which are fundamentall albeit not against the light of nature or Law of Nations as for example that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer and onely Mediatour that the Scriptures are the word of God c. should yet not be restrained yea that were to suppose some under the shining of the Gospel left of the Lord in a lawlesse condition in respect of any Authority to restrain them in matters of Religion the Civil power may not meddle with them and Ecclesiasticall cannot as not being actually of the Church 2 The Church hath sufficient power to reach her ends in curbing and curing offences of the second Table yet none will thence conclude that therefore no need to the Church therein of the Coercive power of the Magistrate 3 The Church aimeth at restraint from infection of others as well as amending the parties themselves now supposing the Church casting out a person for obstinate holding of Hereticall Tenents yet the Church cannot now restraine him any further in any Ecclesiastical way but that he may now doe more mischiefe in spreading his Tenent then ever unlesse the Magistrate also exercise his Coercive power 4 The Church may in case by clamorous noise made in the Assembly or otherwise by faction be hindred from the exercise of its power to cencure and so although it have power enough to act yet it will need the Magistrates help to exercise that power unlesse we durst plead as some it seems doe that in this case the Elders may act by corporall force to redresse it as Phineas the Priest did in killing Zimri and Cozbi disturbing the Congregation on then humbling themselves before God but we say that was extraordinary as was the act of Samuel in cutting Agag in pieces of Elijah in putting Baals Priests to death and Peters act against the life of Ananias and Saphira nor would we plead the Priests example 2 Chron. 26. in thrusting out Vzziah out of the Temple or such like Arguments supposing that the Priests of old and the Levites might by a dispensation peculiar to those times be allowed more liberty of acting in matters of a Civil nature both in the great Synedrian and other where then any of us dare say is imitable by or allowable to Churches or Church Officers now Object Thirdly and lastly the tares are commanded to be let alone Mat. 13.29,30 Therefore what Authority hath the Magistrate to restraine or punish men now under the Gospel but rather to leave Christians to the liberty of their owne Consciences Answ This is a Parable and therefore to be taken in the scope and substance and not according to the circumstances thereof as Peter Martyr noteth in this case Now the scope of part of the Parable is not to be a direction unto us what we shall doe in point of exercise of any power with us but conteins simply a doctrine of providence what God will order to be the condition of his visible Church in this world and therefore to shew that Christ intended not any rule of precept of our duty in this sentence of the Parable vers 29 30. Nay let both grow together he doth not in his after exposition of the severall branches of the Parable insist at all on the branch mentioned to give any explication thereof and if it were any direction it must either look to Civil or Church power if to Civil power then since the tares are expresly interpreted to be the Children of the Devil and such as offend and doe iniquity and are as reprobates to be burned or damned vers 38. Then the worst wretches that live Murderers Buggerers Traytours c. must be all let alone in their sins and onely left to Christs Judgement at the last day And our opposites have least reason to stretch this Parable as respecting any restraint of the use of the Civil power when the very scope of it is not to tell us touching the state of the Civil Kingdome in this world but rather of the state of the Kingdome of God or the Ecclesiasticall part of the world the visible Church and if it look at any restraint of the use of power it striketh rather at the use of Church power but if it look at Church power then the Churches are not to censure Hereticks no not though obstinate contrary to Titus 3. No incestuous adulterous covetous Church-members contrary to 1 Cor. 5. And that the Parable never intended any abridgement of either powers in the just exercise thereof is evident in that it speaketh 1 Of such an extirpation of Offendours as is onely possible to Angels armed with Christs power and 2 Of an universal extirpation of all and every reprobate from among the company of the Elect neither of which hinders but that 1 To such particular offendours as may be rooted up by Civil and Church power without danger and hurt to godly ones as are obstinate seducers Hereticks and they may and ought so to be 2 Such particular Offendours which by their continuance amongst Gods people doe over-run and over-top them in such sort as they are hurt and endangered by them and they cannot grow and thrive spiritually by reason of them they may ought to be rooted out by both powers for if there be any force in the Parable in this way it is to shew that the tares are to be suffered in reference not to the hurt but to the good of the wheat so that which tends to the corrupting blasting and destruction of the wheat is therefore to be removed because hurtfull and pernicious to the wheat so that our opposites would gain nothing to their cause by pressing this Parable as directory that way to us but wee rather upon the reasons before going conceive it to be set down not as a direction or any Command of Christ enjoyning us thus or thus to doe but as a doctrinall instruction that God may and will in his providence suffer for a time mixtures of good and bad together elect and reprobate in his visible Church nor are we to fret or be discontented at his providence in it or to think that by any course wee can take it will be otherwise whilst and where ever we are in this world like to that speech of Paul 1 Cor. 5 10. Now in the close of all let it be considered whose doctrine doth most infringe true liberty of conscience those which would have every Christian left to the liberty of his owne conscience in matters of Religion which at least are not against the light of nature Law of Nations or those that maintaine the fore-named power of the Magistrate for suppose the Magistrate be a Christian he must be left to the liberty of his Conscience too as well as others Now if left to the Lesbian warping rule what if he in his own Conscience through temptation and errour be in most things a Papist which may stand with the Law
of Nature and Nations or suppose he in Conscience deny Jesus Christ to be the Mediatour or such and such Books in the Old and New Testament to be the word of God yea or that there is any use of the Scriptures but we must onely depend on Revelations and herein the Law of nature and Nations leaves him Now he in Conscience thinks he is bound to establish this as a Rule to all others which to him is the truth and in conscience to oppose all contrary doctrine what then will become of subjects liberty The word is not made the rule to regulate this Rulers Conscience according as we say it should for if that were so his Rule there were a remedy and way to bring him to the Rule but his conscience judgement and phantasie touching the Rule that is by this Tenent made his Rule according to which he must be left freely to act without restraint The mischiefs necessarily following this if once cryed up we leave to such of our opposites sadly and seriously to consider of The Nature Power OF SYNODS The Second Question Quest 2. WHat be the grounds from Scripture to warrant Synods Answ In answer to this Question we shall propound to consideration three Arguments from Scripture and five Reasons Arguments Argum 1 Taken from Acts 15. An orderly Assembly of qualified Church-messengers Elders and other Brethren in times of controversie and danger concerning weighty matters of Religion for the considering disputing finding out and clearing of the truth from the Scripture and establishing of Peace amongst the Churches is founded upon Acts 15. But a Synod is an orderly Assembly of qualified Church-messengers Elders and other Brethren in times of controversie and danger concerning weighty matters of Religion for the considering disputing finding out and clearing of the truth from the Scriptures and establishing of peace amongst the Churches Ergo A Synod is founded upon Acts 15. Distin 1 For the confirming of this Argument three distinctions are to be premised and some Objections to be satisfied The first distinction is for the clearing of the question the other with the satisfaction to the Objection for the clearing of the Text. The necessity of Synods is either 1 Absolute 2 Respective Synods are not necessary Absolutely i. e. unto the being but respectively i. e. unto the wel-being of Churches Distin 2 In this Synod some things are first Extraordinary and not Exemplary some whereof were certainly so and the rest may seem to be so unto divers As 1 The Quality of some of the Members sc Apostles v. 6.23 2 The Stile v. 28. 3 The manner of the Imposition of their Sentence as immediately and politically binding at least as some Expound the place 4 The Object upon whom they imposed the keeping of their Decrees viz. absent Churches vers 23. chap. 16.4 some of which were neither called nor had ordinary Members or Messengers there Others were Ordinary ergo Exemplary as 1 The publick meeting of Church-messengers Elders and other Brethren 2 The propounding of matters to be considered 3 The disputing of them v. 7. 4 The joynt resolutions of the questions out of and according to the Scriptures v. 15 16. 5 The declaration and delivery thereof unto the Churches to be accepted of and kept by them Acts 16. v. 4. 6 Order in all The Apostles were Elders and Members of every Church ergo here were assembled Elders and Messengers of all Churches ergo in some respect it may be called an universall Counsel Distin 3 Hence look upon what was extraordinary so it may warrant the greatest Counsel look upon what was ordinary therein and so it warrants the smallest Counsel In this Synod are to be considered the Substantials Matter and Forme Circumstantials Constantly such as necessarily accompany every Synod Occasionally which accompany the Synod pro hic nunc i e. according to the circumstances of this time and this place That which is commanded as continually binding Acts 15. is the circumstantials of a Synod the constant circumstantials and such occasionally as are to edification pro hic nunc These two last distinctions rightly applied may satisfie many lighter Objections which we shall not therefore trouble the Reader with Argum 2 Taken by proportion from Gal. 2.2 If in times of Controversie about weighty matters of Religion the Assembling together of Apostles who knew the truth before they came on to the Synod and one of them was greater than all particular Churches was needfull for the testifying to the carrying on of the truth which is lesse than the finding out testifying to carrying on of the truth if warranted out of the Scripture then the Assembling together of Churches by themselves or by Church-messengers either of which is a Synod to the finding our testifying to and better carrying on of the truth is warrantable out of the Scriptures But in such times of controversie the Assembling together of Apostles one of whom was greater than all particular Churches for the testifying to and better carrying on of the truth is warranted out of the Scripture Gal. 2.2 Ergo In such times of controversie the Assembling together of Churches by themselves or by the Church-messengers either of which is a Synod for the finding out testifying to and better carrying on of the truth is warranted out of the Scripture The Argument proceeds from the greater to the lesser thus If the truth in times of weighty controversies had need of the help of the Assembling together of Apostles then in like times it hath much more need of the Assembling together of Churches If Apostles at such times had need of the help of other Apostles then Churches in like times had need of the help of other Churches Such Assemblies the examples whereof are recorded and approved in the Scripture are warranted out of the Scriptures Argum 3 But the orderly Assembly of the qualified people of God for the considering of matters of Religion in times of weighty controversies are such Assemblies the examples whereof are recorded commended in the Scriptures erg The orderly Assembly of qualified persons for the considering of matters of Religion in times of weighty controversies is warranted out of the Script Minor proved Ezra 7.14 Ezra inquires of the Lord id est consults of the worship of God 1 Chron. 13.2 David consults with the Congregation concerning the carrying of the Ark to its place 2 Chr. 30.2 Hezekiah had taken Counsel of all his Princes and all the Congregation on in Jerusalem to keep the Passeover in the second moneth The approved examples of the godly of imitable and usefull nature in practicall cases is a rule unto us Reason 1 From the Causes When the cause of a Synod remains there opportunity being had the warrantable use of Synods remaines But under the Gospel the causes of Synods remaine ergo Under the Gospel the use of Synods is warrantable The Causes of Synods are either preventing removing of or recovering from