when a man knowes not the Law of god writteÌ„ nor the law of nature This ignorance may somewhat lessen the sinne but it excuseth no man because it is naturall and euery man is bound to know the Law Ignorance of the thing the Law requireth is the Ignorance of the fact and that is either with the fault of the doer or without the fault Faultie ignoraÌ„ce is the ignorance of a fact which he might haue preueÌ„ted As wheÌ„ a maÌ„ in his drunkeÌ„nes killeth another in this fact not knowing what de doth he also knoweth not that he hath offended yet because he might haue preuented his drunkennes therfore he is faultie and sinneth Faultlesse ignorance is when a fact is done which could not be either knowne or auoided before hand For example if a man be â—opping a tree and his axe head fall from the helve out of his hand and kills another passing by here is indeede manslaughter but no voluntarie murther because it was a thing that could not be auoided and did not fall out through his default And this ignorance is excusable The second Fountaine of Sinne is the Will from whence arise these three differences of sinnes some are from the will immediately some besides the will and some are mixt partly with the will and partly against the will Sinnes proceeding from the will are properly tearmed voluntarie such as the doer mooued by his own wil commits though he know them to be euill And here the more free the wil is the greater is the sinne for wil added to knowledge makes the sinne the greater Vnder voluntarie sinnes are comprehended all such as proceede from stirred affections as when a man tells a lie for feare or striketh another in anger and the reason is because these offences though they are not done vpon deliberation but arise from the violence of affection yet they doe not exclude Consent Hither also we may referre sinnes committed by compulsion as when a man is forced to denie his religion his offence in deede and in truth is voluntarie though some otherwise think it to be a mixt action For compulsion doth not reach to the will but to the outward man and serues to draw forth a consent and and when consent is yeelded he denies his religion voluntarily for the will cannot be constrained In the next place sinnes beside the will are such as are neither directly from the wil nor against it Of this sort are the first sudden motions vnto sinne conceiued in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight and these are truly sinnes though in respect little sinnes condemned in the last commandement And they are not from the will because they goe without and before consent neither yet are they against the will because then the heart would not take delight in them Here by the way we are to note against the doctrine of the Papists that all sinnes are not voluntarie for whatsoeuer wanteth conformitie to the law of God is sinne whether it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights arise suddenly in the heart of man which are not according to the law of God and haue no consent or approbation of will In like manner wheÌ„ one man kils another thinking that he killeth a wild beast if the same man remembreth afterwards what he hath done and is not grieued for the fact in this case he hath sinned because his not grieuing is offensiue vnto God though the fact were meerely besides his will Mixt sinnes are partly from the will partly against it Of this sort are the workes of the man regenerate which are done partly with his will and partly against his will beeing partly good and partly euill The reason hereof is this There are in man after regeneration two contrarie grounds or beginnings of actions to wit naturall corruption or the inclination of the minde wil and affections to that which is against the Law called the Flesh and a created qualitie of holines wrought in the said faculties by the holy Ghost tearmed the Spirit And these two are not seuered but ioyned and mingled together in all the faculties and powers of the soule Now betweene these there is a continuall combate corruption fighting against grace grace against corruptioÌ„ Hence it is that there beeing euen in one the same wil trarie inclinatioÌ„s there must necessarily flow from the man regenerate contrary actions the flesh in euery action willing that which is euill and the Spirit on the otherside that which is good This Paul confessed and acknowledged vpon his owne experience after his conuersion when he said To will is present with me but I find no meanes perfectly to do that which is good Again I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The third Ground or fountaine of sinne in man is Affection from whence doe proceede two kinds namely sinnes of Infirmitie and sinnes of Presumption Sinnes of Infirmitie are such as proceede from the sudden passions of the minde and the strong affectioÌ„s of the heart as from hatred griefe anger sorrow such like These sinnes are commonly thought to be in all men but the truth is they are properly incident to the regenerate For infirmitie cannot be said properly to be in them in whome sin hath firmitie or strength and where there is no power of grace at all Againe the man that is regenerate sinneth not neither when he would because he is restrained by the grace of God that is in him nor in what manner he would partly because he sinneth not with al his heart the strength of his flesh beeing abated by the Spirit and partly for that beeing fallen he lies not still but recouers himselfe by speedy repentance An euident argument that the sinnes whereinto he falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weaknes and infirmitie Sinnes of PrésumptioÌ„ are such as proceed from pride arrogancy wilfulnes and hautines of mans heart Against these Dauid praieth saying Let not presumptuous sinnes haue dominion ouer me And of them there be three degrees The first is when a man wilfully goeth on in his sinnes vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punnishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuouslly but of malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sin against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of
Paul exhorts the Galatians to walke in the Spirit and then marke what followes and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Secondly this new obedience must be the keeping of euery commandement of God for as S. Iames saith He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all that is he that doth willingly and wittingly breake any commandement and makes not conscience of some one maketh not conscience of any and before God he is as guiltie of all as if he had broken all Thirdly in new obedience the whole man must endeauour to keepe the whole law in his minde will affections and all the faculties of soule and bodie As it is said of Iosiah that he turned to God according to all the lawes of Moses with all his heart This last point added to the rest is the very forme and life of new obedience from hence it followes First that therepentant person must not liue in the practise of any outward sinne Secondly that there must be in him an inward resisting and restraining of the corruption of nature and of the heart that he may truly obey God by the grace of the spirit of God The heart of Ioseph was readie prest to resist the euill request of Potiphars wife And Dauid staid his affectioÌ„ from reuenging himselfe vpon Shemei when he cursed him Thirdly that he ought to stirre vp and exercise the inward man by all spiritual motions of Faith Ioy Loue Hope and the praise of God Now touching this point there are 2. principal Questions propouÌ„ded First How may a man frame his life to liue in New-bedience Ans. Though all the bookes of the old and new Testament are direction sufficient for a good life yet a more speciall answer may be made out of the same plainly and briefly That there are three maine grounds or rules of New Obedience The first is laid downe by our Sauiour Christ Luk. 9. 23. If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me The meaning is this Euery one that will become a scholer in the schoole of Christ and learn obedience vnto God must deny himselfe that is he must in the first place exalt and magnifie the grace of God and become nothing in himselfe renouncing his owne reason will affections and subiecting them to the wisdome will of God in all things yea esteeming al things in the earth euen those that are dearest vnto him as drosse and dung in regard of the kingdome of Christ. Againe he must take vp his Crosse that is he ought alwaies to make a forehand reckoning euen of priuate crosses and particular afflictions and when they come to beare them with chearefulnesse This done he must follow Christ by practising the vertues of meekenes patience loue and obedience and by beeing conformable to his death in crucifying the bodie of sinne in himselfe The second rule is propounded by Paul Act. 24. 14. To beleeue all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that is to hold and embrace the same faith which was embraced by the Saints and seruants of God in auncient times and which was written by Moses and the Prophets Againe in all reuerence to subiect himselfe to the true manner of worshipping and seruing God reuealed in his word and not to depart from the same doctrine and worship either to the right hand or to the left The third and last rule is to haue and to keepe faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. Now faith is preserued by knowledge of the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel by yeelding assent vnto the same doctrine beleeuing it to be true and by a particular application of it vnto a mans selfe specially of the promise of righteousnesse and life euerlasting in and by Christ. Againe that a man may keepe a good conscience he must doe three things First in the course of his life he must practise the duties of the generall Calling in the particular so as though they be two distinct in nature yet they may be both one in vse and practise Secondly in all euents that come to passe euermore in patience and silence he must submit himselfe to the good will and pleasure of God Thus it is saide of Aaron that when God had destroied his sonnes for offering vp strange fire before him he held his peace Levit. 10. 3. And Dauid shewes that it was his practise when beeing afflicted he saith I was as dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it Psal. 39. 9. Thirdly if at any time he falleth either through infirmitie the malice of Satan or the violence of some temptation he must humble himselfe before God labour to breake off his sinne and recouer himselfe by repentance And these three be the principall and maine grounds of New-obedience The Second Question Considering that all good works are the fruits of a regenerate person and are contained vnder New-obedience How may a man doe a good worke that may be accepted of God and please him For resolution whereof it is to be carefully remembred that to the doing of a good worke sundrie things are required Whereof some in nature doe goe before the worke to be done some doe accompanie the doing thereof and some againe doe follow the worke beeing required to be done when the worke is done Before the worke there must goe Reconciliation whereby the person is reconciled vnto God in Christ and made acceptable to him For it is a cleare case that no worke of man caÌ„ be accepted of God vnles the person of the worker be approoued of him And the workes of men of what dignitie soeuer are not to be esteemed by the shewe and outward appearance of them but by the minde and condition of the doer Againe before we doe any good worke we must by praier lift vp our hearts vnto God and desire him to inable vs by his spirit to doe it and to guide vs by the same in the action which we are about to doe This did the Prophet Dauid oftentimes as we may read in the Psalmes but especially in Psal. 143. 10. when he saith Teach me to doe thy will O God for thou art my God let thy good spirit lâ—â—d me vnto the land of righteousnes And oftentimes in the 119. Psalme Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes vers 33. Giue me vnderstanding 34. Direct me in the path of thy commandements 35. Againe Teach me iudgement and knowledge 66. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes 80. Stablish me according to thy promise 116. Direct my steppes in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me 133. In the doing of the worke we are to consider two things the matter and the manner or forme of doing it For the matter it must be a worke commanded in the word of God either expressely or generally For it is Gods reuealed will that giues the
church yet the truth is they are not wholly cut off from the societie of the faithfull For the seede of faith remaineth in them and that knits the bond of coniunction with Christ though the sense thereof be lost vntill they repent In this case the partie excommunicate is as a free man in bonds who vntill he get out of prison hath no vse of his freedome and yet continues a free man still though he remaine in prison So also the childrē of God may still be the children of God though excluded from the cōgregation of the church for some offences From this that hath beene said ariseth the Answer to the Question propounded namely that the children of such persons as are excommunicated are notwithstāding their excommunication to be baptised because they are indeede and in the iudgement of charitie true members of the bodie of Christ though in some other regards they are not in present holden so to be Yet further besides the former grounds consider these reasons First children of parents that are professed members of the church though cut off for a time vpon some offence committed haue right to baptisme because it is not in the power of man to cut them off from Christ though they be excommunicated Secondly the personall sinne of the parent may not keepe the blessing from the child and therefore not depriue him of participation of the ordinance of God Thirdly we must alway put a difference betweene them which doe not make separation from the church and yet are grieuous offenders and open Apostataes that ioyne themselues with the enemies of the Church to the ruine and ouerthrow of the truth of the Gospel Fourthly we must put a difference betweene those that haue giuen vp their names to Christ though fallen grieuously and Turks and Infidels that are forth of the Couenant and neuer belonged to the Church Lastly if the mercie of God inlarge it selfe to thousands yea to infinite generations why should man be so hard hearted as to make question whether such Infants belong to the Couenant and consequently keepe them from the Sacrament of Baptisme Out of this Question ariseth a second Whether children borne in fornication haue right to baptisme Ans. They are not to be kept from it For the wickednes of the parent ought not to preiudice the child in things that belong to his saluation Yet in this case some Cautions are carefully to be obscrued as first that the parent hold the true faith and religion secondly that he be by the Minister exhorted to a true humiliation of himselfe and to earnest repentance for his sinne committed and that before the child be baptized Thirdly that their be some appointed to answere for the Infant besides the parents and to make solemne promise openly to the Church that it shall be carefully brought vp and instructed in the faith And the same is to be obserued and practized before the baptizing of the children of parents excommunicate IV. Question How men are to make a right vse of their baptisme when they become to yeares The not obseruing hereof is the cause of many sinnes and corruptions in the liues of men It is commonly holden a great fault in ciuill matters for a man not to keepe his couenants Much more is it a hainous sinne before God not to keepe the promises and pay the vowes made vnto him For answere therefore to the Question wee must first take this for a ground That baptisme both for signification force vse and fruit continues not for a moment of time but for the whole course of a mans life It doth not respect onely the time past or present but that which is to come yea that whole time that a man hath to spend from the very act of his baptisme to his death Againe baptisme is the true Sacrament of Repentance for remission of sinnes which being once receiued remaineth a perpetuall testimonie and pledge of the everlasting couenant of God and of the continuall washing away of sinne in the blood of Christ. This Ground premised I come to the vse of baptisme which is two fold The First is that it serues to be a token and pledge of Gods fauour towards vs and that principally three waies First in that it sealeth and confirmeth to vs the free pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes Thus Cornelius was baptized of Peter after he had heard the Gospell preached and receiued the Holy Ghost that it might be vnto him a pledge of the remission of his sinnes Act. 10. 48. And in like manner doth Peter exhort the conuerted Iewes to repent them of their sins to receiue the Sacramēt of Baptisme as a seale and pledge of Gods mercie in the forgiuenes thereof by Christ Act. 2. 38. In regard of this vse baptisme is of great force to releeue the hart in distresse For when any childe of God feeles himselfe loden with the burden of his sinnes the consideration and remembrance hereof that God hath pardoned them all and giuen him a speciall and certaine pledge of his pardon in baptisme will serue to stay and support his soule Yea though his sinnes were of force to make a separation betweene God and him Yet remembring that his name is written in the Couenant of God and that he hath by Gods mercie receiued the seale of the Couenant he shall not neede to be much dismaied When Satan tempteth him to doubt of his owne estate in regard of his corruptions even then let him haue recourse to his baptisme and thinke of the earnest and pledge of Gods fauour which he hath receiued Let him draw out his euidences signed with the seale of Gods couenant made vnto him in Iesus Christ and that shall be sufficient to stoppe the mouth of Satan and to repell his temptations Secondly Baptisme is as a pledge of the vertue of Christs death Doe you not know saies Paul that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Rom. 6. 3. For they that beleeue are by baptisme conformed to Christ their head because they are by it buried together with him into his death vers 4. This point is of excellent vse in our liues For it teacheth a man when his owne corruption mooueth him to sinne and he is now euen in the Combate the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit even then to call to memorie his baptisme wherein it pleased God to seale vnto him the mortificatiō of his sinne by the power of Christs death and consequently to pray earnestly vnto him for the continuance of the same power in his his heart for the continuall crucifiing of the old man and the vtter destroying of the body of sinne Rom. 6. 6. Thirdly baptisme is a pledge vnto vs of the Life of Christ of our Fellowship with him therein For looke as he beeing dead in the graue raised himselfe to life by his owne power euen so and more then so being now
127 7 18 21  19 166. 184  1 27  30 74  16 75  28 130. 124  26 286. 277 1 20 204 11 15 95 12 3 480 13 12 417  10 ibid. 14 15 450  23 46  vlt. 70 16 26 95  5 541 13 14 581 1. Cor.   2 15 619 3 18 291 5  324 6 7 30  18 494 7 9 412  27 413  30 530 8 vlt. 69 9 27 427 11 26 340. 337 13 5 496 15 31 389 2. Cor.   1 23 384. 4 17 362 7 9 99 Galat.   3 26 82 4 10 449 5 1 414  12 272 Ephes.   4 26 510 5 18 553  29 419 6 18 282 5 16 479 Philip.   1 10 531 4 8 634. 481  12 531  5 497 Coloss.   1 26 95 2 16 414 3 16 296 1. Thess.   4 11 481 5 17 282  20 294  23 186 2. Thessal   7 8 227 1. Tim.   1 1 19 2 4 94  15 362 4 8 404  5 544  22 32 5 12 420  24 33  19 622  21 389  23 537 6 8 564  9 524  17 18 19 615 2. Tim.   2 19 85 4 14 273 Titus   1 15 544 Hebr.   3 11 383 5 7 288 12 11 126 Iames.   1 15 38  19 291 〈◊〉 2 362  10 64  1 624 5 16 5 1. Peter   2 1 292 3 15 360 2. Peter   1 10 86 1. Iohn   3 2 81  14 9 5 11 15 79. 289 Apocal.   19 10 355 21 6 98 THE FIRST BOOKE of the Cases of Conscience concerning Man simply considered in himselfe without relation to an other The Preface declaring the Ground and Order of the Treatise following Isaiah 50. 4. The Lord God hath giuen me a tongue of the learned that I should know to minister a word in due time to him that is wearie IN that part of the Prophecie which goes before the holy Ghost setteth downe and foretelleth the Calling of the Gentiles which was to beginne at the death of Christ and from thence to continue vnto this day and so consequently to the ende of the world In the former verses of this Chapter there is mention made of the reiection of the Iewes I meane not a generall but a particular rejection namely then when they were in affliction in the daies of Isaiah Now in this and so in all other Prophecies of the like kind which intreat of this point Christ himselfe is brought in speaking in his owne person and the words of this Chapter from the beginning to this present verse and the rest that follow are the words of Christ the Mediatour In the verses going before he disputes the case of their rejection and and the summe of the whole disputation is that either he or they themselues were the causes thereof but he was not the cause therfore they themselues by their sinnes The reason whereby he prooues that they themselues were the cause is framed in this sort You Iewes caÌ„not bring any writing or bill of diuorce to shew that I rejected you therfore I appeale euen to your owne consciences whether you haue not brought this iudgement vpon your selues by your iniquities vers 1. On the other side the reasoÌ„ why God was not the cause is because he for his part called them in great mercie and ioue but when he called they would not obey ver 2. Now in the ende of the second verse is contained an answer to a secret reply that some obstinate Iewe might make after this manner God hath not nowe the like power in sauing and deliuering vs as he hath had in formâ—r times therefore we cannot hope or expect any deliuerance from him and howe then shall we doe in the meane while To this the Lord himselfe makes answer ver 2 3 4. that his hand is not shortned nor his power lessened in regard of greater workes much lesse in respect of their deliuerance and though the present affliction which they indured was great and tedious yet they were not to be ouermuch dismayed in themselues but rather to be comforted because God had giuen him the tongue of the learned to minister a word in season to the wearie and distressed and consequently that he had power to case and refresh that their wearines and affliction In this text then there is set downe one principal dutie of Christs propheticall office by allusion to the practises of the Prophets in the old Testament especially those which belonged to the schooles of Elias and Elizeus who are here tearmed the learned And out of the words thereof one speciall point of instruction may be gathered namely That there is a certaine knowledge or doctrine reuealed in the word of God whereby the consciences of the weake may be rectified and pacified I gather it thus It was one speciall dutie of Christs propheticall office to giue comfort to the consciences of those that were distressed as the Prophet here recordeth Now as Christ had this power to execute and performe such a dutie so he hath committed the dispensation therof to the Ministers of the Gospel For we may not thinke that Christ in his owne person ministred and spake words of comfort to the wearie in the times of the Prophets because he was not then exhibited in our nature and yet he did then speake but how in the persons of the Prophets So likewise because Christ now in the new Testament speaks not vnto the afflicted in his owne proper person it remaineth therfore that he performes this great worke in the Ministerie of Pastours and Teachers vpon earth to whom he hath giuen knowledge and other gifts to this ende and purpose There must needes therefore be a certen and infallible doctrine propounded and taught in the Scriptures whereby the consciences of men distressed may be quieted and releeued And this doctrine is not attained vnto by extraordinarie reuelation but must be drawne out of the written word of God The point therfore to be handled is What this doctrine should be It is not a matter easie and at hand but full of labour and difficultie yea very large like vnto the maine sea I will onely as it were walke by the banks of it and propound the heads of doctrine that thereby I may at least occasion others to consider handle the same more at large That I may proceede in order First I am to lay downe certaine Grounds or Preambles which may giue light and direction to the things that follow and in the next place I will propound and answer the maine and principall Questions of Conscience CHAP. I. Of the two first Grounds of Cases Confession and the degrees of Goodnes THe Grounds or Preambles are especially foure The first touching Confession The second touching the degrees of
presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Sect. 4. Now follow other Differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of of the Law sin is two fold either of CommissioÌ„ or of Omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherin some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of CoÌ„mission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner measure therof Thus the Heathen failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to the coÌ„mon good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts voide of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in al the duties of the lawe For they doe the good things the law commaÌ„deth in louing God their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the lawe requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with theÌ„ in the rigour of his iustice examine them by the strict rule of the Lawe he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnesse that ought to bee in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sins of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe oftner offend then by sinnes committed and the least Omission is enough to condemne vs if it should be exacted at our hands Sect. 5. The next difference of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and cal downe for speedie vengeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundry examples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abell whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmerciful dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech. 16. of this The Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha waâ— great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppression indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongfull withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure and height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them then into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue â—are vnto the cryes of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in theÌ„selues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience long sufferaÌ„ce vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporal punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punish and as we say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ the first is Originall sin or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration and the fruits thereof for it is not quite abolished by regeneration but remaines more or lesse molesting tempting a man till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are secret vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how ofâ— he offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for all his particular sinnes which he knoweth by himselfe there shall yet remaine some vnknowne sinnes of which he cannot haue a particular repentance and yet they are not imputed when there is repeÌ„tance for knowne sinnes As for example Dauid repents of his murther adulterie and yet afterwards erring in iudgement by reason of the corruption of the times he liued to his death in the sinne of polygamie without any particular repentance that we heare of In like manner did the Patriarkes who may not altogether be excused yet they were not coÌ„demned therof neither were they saued without repentance for
so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therin without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sin and that being any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser foure waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actual sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tickled with some delight thereof For a bad motion cast into the mind by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sin in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into an action or execution Sin in perfection is when men are growne to a custome and habit in sin vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie condemnation Now of these degrees the first is the least the last is the greatest One and the same sin is lesser in tentation then in conception lesse in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sect. 11. Now from this doctrine of the increasing and lessening of Sin in these respects we may gather that all sins are not alike or equall as the Stoicks of auncient times and their followers haue falsely imagined For it hath bin prooued at large by induction of sundrie particulars that there are degrees of sinnes some lesser som greater some more offensiue and odious to God man some lesse And â—hat the circumstances of time place person and manner of doing doe serue to enlarge or extenuate the sinne commited If it be here alleadged that Sin is nothing but the doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sin meÌ„ must not consider the vnlawfulnes thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it is a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnaÌ„t thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inâ—lamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said againe that the nature of Sin stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of dutie prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sin for substance hath sundrie steps and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another For example in the seauenth commandemeÌ„t when God forbiddes the committing of Adultery he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Now it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubted truth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater Sundrie other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the main sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sins of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streames of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sinnes before named with their seuerall branches and infinite many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to entreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs from our sinnes yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercie in Christ apprehended by faith our hearts shall be purified theÌ„ to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortal man is not guiltie of one or more sinnes but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstand his faults saith Dauid Now the alowance of sinne beeing death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needes be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate little cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsly to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to know either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of the word of god that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter with all not onely out of vs in the world abroad but within vs
namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessary though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the second II. It falleth out oftētimes that the greatnes of the grief taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a mummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares and in such there may be true humiliation though with dric cheekes Sect. 3. The Secōd thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and confequently of saluatiō is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith ther are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospel especially the promise of righteousnes and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apprehend and applie the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandemēt of God sets down this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and applie him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of Conscience touching Faith are these First how we may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men applie Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truly as they ought to doe I answer That this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As God giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should applie the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doth offer and applie Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the Word and prayer for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace When Lydia was hearing the Sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. v. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breede in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answ. When he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first beginnes For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance Sect. 4. The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be considered the beginning namely a godly Sorrow which is the beginning of Repentance 2. Corinth 7. and vpon this sorrow a Change which is indeede Repentance it selfe In Sorrow we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sinnes and doe displease God If there were no iudge no hel nor death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrow will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in Repentāce is the Change of the minde and whole man in affection life and conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the minde and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Antioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezckiel saith if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing auaileable to saluation and not to be seuered from them For a man in shewe may haue many good things as for example he may be humbled and seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the saide man a want of this purpose and resolution not to sinne the other are but dead things and vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kinde of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sinnes and be sorie for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeed there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance Sect. 5. The fourth and last dutie is to performe New obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this new obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doth it in vs. To this purpose Dauid praies vnto God Psal. 143. 10. Let thy good Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousnes And
place to Timothie God would haue all men to be saued that is now in this last age of the world And thus the same Apostle 2. Cor. 6. expoundes a certaine prophecie of Isay concerning the acceptable time of grace Now saith he is the acceptable time behold Now is the day of saluation meanig the time of the new Testament And Coloss. 1. 26. The mysterie hid from the beginning is now made manifest to the Saints And Rom. 16. 26. The revelation of the secret mysterie is now opened All which and many other places about the same matter hauing this circumstance of time Now must needes be limited to this last age of the world As for the note of vniuersalitie All it must not be vnderstood of all particulars but of all kinds sorts conditions and states of men as may be gathered out of the former words I would that praiers be made for all men not for euery particular man for there be some that sinne vnto death for whome we may not pray but for all states of men as well Princes as subiects poore as rich base as noble vnlearned as learned c. But the saying of Paul is vrged 2. Cor. 5. 18. God was in Christ reconciling the World vnto himselfe therfore the promise in Christ belongs to the whole World and consequently to euery one Ans. The saine Apostle shall againe answer for himselfe Rom. 11. 15. The casting away of the Iewes is thereconciling of the world that is of the Gentiles in the last age of the world for so he said before more plainely The falling away of the Iew is the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles And so must that place to the Corinthes be vnderstood namely not of all and euery man that liued in all ages and times but of them that were by the dispensation of the Gospell to be called out of all kingdomes and nations after the death and ascension of Christ. Thus then the promise of saluation is not vniuersall without exception or restraint therfore application made by the vniuersalitie of the promise admits some falshood Secondly this way of applying is also Vnfit For the reason must be framed thus Christ died for all men but thou art a man therfore Christ died for thee The partie distressed will grant all and say Christ indeede died for him if he would haue receiued Christ but he by his sinnes hath cut himselfe off from his owne Sauiour and hath forsaken him so as the benefit of his death will doe him no good Sect. 4. The right way of ministring Comfort to a party distressed followeth In the handling whereof first I will lay down the Grounds wherby any man that belongs to God may be brought within the Couenant And then I will shew the Right Way how they must be vsed and applied For the first Recourse must not be bad to all graces or to all degrees and measures of grace but onely such as a troubled Conscience may feele and reach vnto For those that be the true children of God and haue excellent measure of grace when they are in distresse feele little or no grace at all in themselues The graces then that serue for this purpose are three Faith Repentance and the true Loue of God which is the fruit of them both And that we may the more easily and truly discerne of them and not be deceiued inquirie must be made what be the Seedes and beginnings of them all The first Ground of grace is this A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation I prooue it thus It is a principle graunted and confessed of all men that in them which haue grace God accepteth the will for the deede If there bee a willing minde saith the Apostle it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath Againe God hath annexed a promise of blessednes and life euerlasting to the true and vnfained desire of grace Whence it is that they are in Scripture pronounced blessed which hunger and thirst after righteousnes And who are they but such as feele themselues to want all righteousnes and doe truly and earnestly desire it in their hearts For hunger and thirst argues both a want of something and a feeling of the wāt And to this purpose the holy Ghost saith To him that is a thirst will I giue to drinke of the water of life freely Now this thirstie soule is that man which feeles himselfe destitute of all grace and Gods fauour in Christ and withall doth thirst after the blood of Christ and desires to be made partaker thereof God is wont mercifully to accept of the desire of any good thing when a man is in necessitie and stands in want therof The Lord saies Dauid heares the desire of the poore that is of them that are in distresse either of bodie or minde Yea he will fulfill the desire of them that feare him It will be said that the desire of good things is naturall and therfore God will not regard mens desires I answer Desires be of two sorts Some be of such things as men by the meere light of nature know to be good for example the desire of wisdome of ciuill vertue of honour of happinesse and such like and all these nature can desire Others be aboue nature as the desire of remission of sinnes reconciliation and sanctification and they which seriously desire these haue a promise of blessednes life euerlasting And hence it followes that desire of mercie in the want of mercie is mercie it selfe and desire of grace in the want of grace is grace it selfe A second Ground is this A godly sorrow whereby a man is grieued for his sinnes because they are sinnes is the beginning of repentance indeed for substance is repentance it selfe The Apostle Paul reioyced that he had in the worke of his Ministerie wrought this godly sorrow in the hearts of the Corinthians calling it sorrow that causeth repentance not to be repented of This sorrow may be discerned in this sort The heart of him in whome it is is so affected that though there were no conscience nor deuill to accuse no hell for condemnation yet it would be grieued in it selfe because God by sinne is displeased and offended If it be alleadged that euery one cannot reach to this beginning of repentance thus to sorrow for his sinne then I adde further If the partie be grieued for the hardnes of his heart whereby it comes to passe that he cannot grieue he hath vndoubtedly receiued some portion of godly sorrow For it is not nature that makes vs to grieue for hardnes of heart but grace The third Ground is that A setled purpose and willing minde to forsake all sinne and to turn vnto God though as yet no outward conuersion appeare
they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men and women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds them off and suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must from these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the ende To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they finde no ende of their afflictions but that they doe continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releeue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Now it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prov. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyfull and comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord wil deliuer him out of them all Psal. 37. 73. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauie in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort comparable to those eternall ioyes that God hath prepared for them that loue him This was Pauls meditation who indured the crosse euen to his dying day Our light affliction saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternall waight of glorie And else where he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Rom. 8. 18. Saint Peter tells them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioyce though now for a season they were in heauines through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the Author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God withholdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot separate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde arising of outward afflictions Sect. 3. The Second particular distres is bodily and temporarie Death which consisteth in the separation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helps in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may applie my heart vnto wisdome In which places is remembred a notable dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and before-hand number his daies This is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must endeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to know in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time will come when we all must encounter with this strong powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power and might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these means are the duties of humiliation inuocation and true repentance We must therefore humble our selues before God be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweet certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our mindes may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of new obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequently euen in death to prèuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen before-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happines in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
sentence of death in themselues that they might not trust in themselues but in God From these examples it followes that they which desire with comfort to beare the pangs of death must die by faith that is they must set before their eies the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and depend vpon it wrapping as it were infolding theÌ„selues in it as in a close warm garment that will keepe them safe and sure against the winde and weather of temptation The second Practise in the time of death is to die in obedience which is nothing else but willingly gladly and readily without murmuring to submit our selues vnto Gods will in bearing the paines of death A most worthie president of this obedieÌ„ce we haue in our Sauiour Christ when he said vnto his father Not my will but thy will be done thereby submitting his will to his Fathers wil touching the death which he then suffered Yea when he was dying it is said of him that he gaue vp the Ghost that is he did most willingly surrender vp his soule into the hands of God his father And this his exaÌ„ple at the time of his departure must be a rule of directioÌ„ vnto vs vpon the like occasion Hence it is that in the third petitioÌ„ of the Lords praier amoÌ„gst other things we pray for obedience to the will of God in suffering afflictions yea euen in the last and greatest which is death it self True it is that obedience to God in death is against corrupt nature and therefore our dutie is the more to inure our selues to the performing of it and that which the blessed Apostle said of himselfe I die daily ought to be continually our resolution and practise If we shall inquire howe this may be done the answer is wheÌ„ God layeth afflictions vpon vs in our life time then by endeauouring to beare them with patience meeknes and lowlines For euery affliction is as it were a pettie death and if we doe in it subiect our selues to the hand of God wee shall the better obey him in the great death of all and thus doing whensoeuer God striketh vs with death we shall with comfort endure the same Sect. 4. The Third particular Affliction or distresse is Satanicall molestation whereby both persons and places of mansion or abode are either possessed or otherwise molested by the malice of the Deuill I. Touching this Affliction the Question of Conscience is How such persons as are possessed or feare possession or else indure molestations by the Deuill in their houses may haue their minds quieted and staâ—ed and consequently in that case be remedied And here two things are generally to be considered in way of Answer First it is to be remembred that possession is knowne by two signes The one is when the Deuill is euidently present either in the whole bodie or in some part of it The other when he hath rule of the said bodie either in whole or in part so as the partie himselfe hath not that vse of his bodie which he would As for example when the Deuill possesseth the instruments of the voice as the tongue and makes a man to speake Latine Greeke Italian or other tongues which he vnderstandeth not Both these things were found in them that were possessed in the time of our Sauiour Christ. Secondly we must consider it falleth out oftentimes that straunge diseases doe seaze vpon men arising from corrupt humours in the bodie yea men and women may haue straunge passions vpon naturall causes vnknowne and these will sometimes haue strange and extraordinarie effects in them which the art of Physicke neither can search out nor cure and yet they are neither acts of witchcraft nor reall possessions As when God laid extraordinarie diseases on the Corinthians for the contempt of his Word and Sacraments 1. Cor. 11. 30. Like vnto which he worthily inflicts vpon men in these daies for the same and other sinnes Now to stay the minde in this case these Rules are carefully to be thought vpon First of all it is to be remembred that though Satans malice and power be very great and large yet he can not practise the same against the childreÌ„ of God wheÌ„ where and how he listeth The malice which Satan beares to mankind and principally to the members of Christ appeares in this because he is saide to accuse them before God day and night And as a roaring lyon to walke about the world seeking whome he may deuoure 1. Pet. 5. 8. Againe the Scripture noteth him to be a powerfull Spirit whose strength farre exceedeth and surpasseth the might of any man or creature that is not of an Angelical nature as himselfe is For he is tearmed a Prince of the aire and the god of this world his power reacheth euen to the spirits and soules of men whereby he worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. His principalitie is so great that no strength no defence of man is able to withstand it vnlesse man take vnto himselfe the whole armour of God Eph. 6. 10. Now although the Deuill be so malitious an enemie of mankind that he ceaseth not to deuise whatsoeuer may be hurtfull vnto them and withall so powerfull in his attempts that no man by his oâ—ne proper strength is able to resist him yet he cannot put the least part of his power in execution in what time place or manner he desireth The reason is because God hath determined his power by certaine bounds and limits which he cannot passe and they are especially two The one is his owne nature whereby he is a creature and therefore finite Hence it is that he can neither know nor doe any thing that is beyond the reach or capacitie of his nature or aboue the power and skill of a creature For example he cannot directly and immediatly know the deepe things of God vnlesse they be reuealed vnto him nor yet the secrets of mans heart None knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him ouen so the things of God knoweth none but the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 11. Againe he cannot doe that which is truly and properly a miracle the cause whereof is hidden and vtterly vnknowne and which comes not within the power and order of nature For this is proper vnto God who onely doth things simply wonderfull Psal. 77. 14. The second thing whereby Satans power is restrained is the will of God For looke as the sea beeing by nature apt to ouerflow the whole earth is kept in and shut vp within the shore as it were with dores or gates that it cannot breake forth and that by the Lord himselfe who hath established his decree vpon it Iob 38. So though Satan be by nature strong and his malice great yet can he doe nothing at all no nor execute his naturall power to the hurt and preiudice of any man without the will and permission of God Thus the
which is the cause of this violent distresse And here we are to know by the way that it is an vsuall thing with the parties thus distressed to dissemble and cloake their sinnes and therefore they will alleadge that their trouble ariseth from some euill thoughts from wicked affections and from the corruption of nature whereas commonly men are not distressed in violent manner for euill thoughts affections c. but the violent distresse commeth from soâ—…e actuall and odious sinne or sinnes done which wound the conscience and are the causes of great distraction of minde and they are many which hauing bin vpon occasion before rehearsed I will not now repeat them Onely this must be remembred that the greater sinns against the third sixt and seuenth commandements are the maine and proper causes of violent distresses and the more secret the sinne is in regard of the practise thereof the greater horror of Conscience it bringeth and open offences doe not giue so deepe a wound vnto it as secret and hidden sinnes SecoÌ„dly the particular sinne being known Inquirie must be made as much as possibly may be by signes whether the partie distressed repenteth yea or no. For except he hath repented he cannot be fitted to receiue comfort vnlesse he be first fitted to receiue coÌ„fort he cannot be releeued in Conscience Now if it be found that the partie hath repented then care must be had in the next place that his repentance may be renued for the particular sinne committed Thirdly hauing thus done the comfort must be ministred for the moderating or taking away of the distresse And here remember by the way that the comforts ministred vsually and ordinarily must not goe alone but be mingled and tempered with some terrors of the Law that beeing thereby feared with the consideration of sinne and of the wrath of God due vnto the same the comfort may appeare to be the sweeter The ministring whereof in case of this distresse would not be direct and present but by certaine steppes and degrees except onely in the point of death for then a directer course must be vsed These degrees are two First the partie is to be informed of a possibilitie of pardon that is that his sinnes are pardonable and though in themselues they be great and hainous yet by the mercie of God in Christ they may be remitted Now put the case that the afflicted apprehendeth onely the odiousnesse of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to the same and in this fitte puts off the pardon from himselfe and cannot be perswaded that his sinne may be forgiuen what then is to be done Ans. Then for the effecting of this first degree certaine Grounds are to be laid downe whereupon assurance in that case may be built vp in his heart The first Ground of possibilitie of pardon is That the mercie of God is infinite yea ouer all his works Psal. â—45 9. That the death of Christ is of infinite price merit and value before God That God is much in sparing Isa. 55. 7. That with the Lord is mercie and with him is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. That Christs satisfaction is not onely a price but a counterprice 1. Tim. 2. 6. able to satisfie for the sinnes of all men yea for them that haue sinned against the holy Ghost For that sinne is not therefore vnpardonable because the offence thereof is greater then the merit of Christ but because thâ— partie offending neither doth nor can applie the merit of Christ vnto himselfe An ancient father vpon Cains wordes My punishment is greater then I can beare saith Thou liest Cain for Gods mercie is greater then the sinnes of all men The mercie of God was very great to Manasses to Salomon to Peter and to many others though they were great offenders The second Ground Men of yeares liuing in the Church of God and knowing the doctrine of saluation shall not be condemned simply for their sinnes but for lying in their sinnes Vpon this ground I say that men distressed must be grieued not so much for committing of sinne as for lying and continuing in sinnes committed A third Ground It pleaseth God many times to leaue men to themselues and to suffer them to commit some sinne that woundeth conscience It is true and cannot be denied But we must withall remember that sinnes committed doe not vtterly take away grace but rather make it the more to shine and shew it selfe For God in mercie turneth all things euen sinne it selfe to the good of them that be his and therefore sinne committed cannot either waste or extinguish grace receiued but by diuine dispensation serueth to amplifie and inlarge the same so as where sinne aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Rom. 5. 20. And the Lord saide to Paul beeing in great extremitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenes Hence it appeareth that the grace of God is not vtterly lost but appeareth liuely in the time of distresse The fourth Ground is this The promises of God touching remission of sinnes and life eternall in respect of beleeuers are generall and in regard of all and euery man indefinite that is they doe not define or exclude any person or any sinner or any time onely they admit one exception of finall impenitencie Here a question may be mooued How long he that ministreth comfort must stand vpon the possibilitie of pardon I answer vntill he hath brought the partie distressed to some measure of true repentance and this beeing done then he is to proceede to the second degree of comfort The Second degree of comfort is to teach that the sinne or sinnes of the partie distressed are indeede pardoned But it may be asked vpon what signes may this comfort be applyed I answer vpon these two First if the partie distressed confesse that he or shee is heartily grieued that by their sinne or sinnes they haue offended so louing and so mercifull a God Secondly if they professe that they desire with all their heart to be reconciled vnto God in Christ and at least doe desire to repent for their sinnes and withall doe carrie in heart a purpose to sinne no more but in all things as much as in them lieth to performe new obedience vnto god Luc. 15. 11. c. Now for the better enforcing of this comfort some textes of Scripture fitting this purpose must be rehearsed aâ— for example Matth. 9. 12 13. I came not to call the righteous that is to say those that iudge themselues righteous but sinners that is those which are grieued because in their owne conscience they are vile and hainous offenders to repentance Againe Matth 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refresh you And Christ saith it was the end of his coÌ„ming to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at libertie them that are bruised Luk. 4. 18. To
Aphorismes Instructions Determinations c. for direction of their Confessours in Case-points that our Protestant Diuines for the most part haue been so sparing and silent in speaking or vvriting of this Argument Hovvbeit the Lord in his most vvise prouidence hath not vvholly denied this benefit vnto our Church For notvvithstanding so great silence and forbearance in matter of Deuotion as touching the rectifying of the Coscience there hath beene of late yeares trained vp to this ende a speciall Instrument of his glorie vvho beeing in time throughly grounded in the principles of one part of the Coses by many graue Counsells and comfortable directions fetched from the vvord and gathered by long obseruation hath cured the vvounds of many a distressed soule And those diuine Tractaâ—es of his novv gathered together since his death and communicated to the Church of God are full of heauenly meditations to that purpose And as himselfe desired to leaue vnto posteritie some memorie of his knovvledge in that kind so the talent he receiued vvas not buried in his graue but againe reuiued in the person of that faithfull Minister of Christ the Author of this Booke a man both for learning and piâ—tie deseruedly reuerenced and renovvâ—…ed in the iudgements of all those that loue and embrace the Truth VVho happily attempting the same course and referring the vvhole bodie of his labours in preaching and vvriting thereunto principally proceeded vvith much aduantage added vnto the Cases of Distresse other Heads of Questions and in his latter time reduced them into such a Frame and Order aâ— might best serue for an Introduction of Case-diuinitie for the helpe and incouragement of others The first Part of vvhich Frame being formerly commended by me to your Hon. I haue againe emboldened my selfe to present you vvith the rest that so the vvhole may haue the freer passage from you to the common vse of others VVherein I haue taken vp no nevv â—â—shion but kept my selfâ— to the commendable custome of vvriters in auncientâ—r tiâ—es vvho haue betrusted the Church of God vvith the fruits of their indeavours vnder the patronage of Honourable and vertuous Nobilitie 〈◊〉 namely of that renounned Phisitian of Antioche and of S. 〈◊〉 vvho dedicated their sacred vvritings the one to the Noble Theophilus the other to the elect Lady and her children And that vvhich mooued these holy penmen of Scripture to this practise hath also incouraged 〈◊〉 vpon the same respects to offer this Treatise to your Honourable fauour First because your Lordship hath beene long acquainted vvith thâ— person life and labours of this man and vvell grounded in tâ—â— truth of Religion the maine subiect of all his discourses Secondly the Lord hath inlarged your heart by his grace to yeeld entertainment to that truth vvhich he did teach and vvrite and the manifestation of your vvilling minde to accept of any Treatise compiled by him giueth sufficient proofe of this point â—uen iâ— mine ovvne knovvledge Thirdly you haue not contented your selfe to be barely informed in the knovvledge of the truth but haue further desired confirmation and assurance in the same One instance hereof I must needes remember in this place Thaâ— sundrie yeares since it pleased you to set him a speciall Taske the interpretation of that golden Text touching the Gaine of the greatest commoditie in the vvorld Phil. 3. 8. for your further vnderstanding of the same as himselfe reporteth to your great commendation And great reason you should tast both of his former and Latter fruits who by your motion vvas incouraged to take the paines and no doubt revvarded for his labour by a plentifull measure of your loue Vpon these motiues I haue novv at length exhibited vnto your Lordship the remainder of this present Introduction my debt by bond of promise and your due by speciall right of patronage If I be haply challenged of slacke payment thereof to this time I desire to be holden excused First for that the totall Summe vvhich remained behinde vnpaied vvas the greatest part and therevpon required further respite that it might be more easily collected and more fully defraied For though it be but one intirâ— heape yet it consisteth of sundry particulars all vvhich vvere to be throughly examined that vpon the Account there might be a mutuall agreement of the vvhole and the parts And further it vvas my desire that seeing the debt must needes be discharged and that to an Honourable person it might be tendred in pure and Currant Coyne vvhich might beare the triall of the touch-stone A thing necessarie in these times vvherein so much corrupt stuffe in this kind passeth abroad from hand to hand And thus heartily vvishing that these holy Rules of Religion and vertue may be perused at your Lordships best leysure and entertained in practise for your daily comfort and direction craâ—ing also your Honourable acceptation of my carefull indeauour in publishing them to the common veivve of the vvorld I most humbly take my leaue Beseeching the Almightie vvho hath alreadie graced you vvith the true revvards of Uertue Honour and Nobilitie to establish the same both in your person and issue in this vvorld and after this life ended to giue you that eternall inheritance of honour and happinesse in the kingdome of glorie From Eman. Coll. in Cambridge Novemb. 20. 1606. Your Honours in all Christian dutie to be commanded Thomas Pickering THE SECOND BOOKE of the Cases of Conscience concerning Man as he stands in relation to God CHAP. I. Of the order of the Questions HItherto I haue spoken touching the first sort of Questions of the Conscience which concerne Man simply considered in himselfe as he is a man In the next place come to be handled and resolued the Questions concerning Man as he stands in relation Now man standing in a two-fold relation either to God or to man according to this relation the Questions come to be considered in their seuerall places And first we are to treat of the Questions of Conscience touching man standing in relation to God to wit as he is a Christian. All which for order sake may be reduced to foure heads I. Concerning the Godhead II. Concerning the Scriptures III. Concerning religion or the worship that is due vnto God IV. Concerning the time of the worship of God namely the Saboth CHAP. II. Of the Godhead Touching the Godhead there are two maine Questions I. Question Whether there be a God BEfore we come to answer the Question this one caueat must be remembered that it is a maine Ground and Principle in all Religions whatsoeuer not to be doubted of or called into question That there is a God Heb. 11. 6. He that commeth to God must beleeue that God is As for those that are commonly tearmed Atheists which denie that there is a God they are to be punished with death as not worthie to liue in humane societie and the greatest torment that can be deuised by the witte
of man is too good for them For if those be holden as Traytors to an earthly Prince and are most deseruedly adiudged to death that reuile his person and denie his lawfull authoritie then they that call into question the Godhead are much more worthie to be esteemed traytors to God and consequently to beare the iust punishment of their rebellion death it selfe For this cause I doe not meane to dispute the question whether there be a God or no and thereby minister occasion of doubting and deliberation in that which is the onely maine Ground and pillar of Christian religion But rather my purpose is in shewing that there is a God to remooue or at least to help an inward corruption of the soule that is great and dangerous whereby the heart and conscience by nature denieth God and his prouidence The wound in the bodie that plucks out the heart is the most dangerous wound that can be and that opinion that takes away the Godhead doth in effect rend and plucke out the very heart of the soule This Caueat premised I come now to the point in hand to shew that there is a God And for our better knowledge and assurance of this truth we are to remember thus much that God hath giuen vnto man a threefold light the one of nature the other of grace and the third of glorie And by these as by so many degrees of knowledge the minde beeing inlightened by God receiueth direction in the truth of the Godhead both for this present life and for that which is to come 〈◊〉 If it be demaunded in what order God hath reveiled this light vnto man I answer that the light of nature serues to giue a beginning and preparation to this knowledge the light of grace ministers the ground and giues further proofe and euidence and the light of glory yeelds perfectioÌ„ of assurance making that perfectly and fully knowne which by the former degrees was but weakly and imperfectly comprehended Of these three in order Sect. 1. The light of nature is that light which the view and consideration of the creatures both in generall and particular affordeth vnto man From the light of nature there are fiue distinct arguments to prooue that there is a God the consideration whereof will not be vnprofitable even to him that is best setled in this point I. The first is taken from the creation and frame of the great body of the world and the things therein contained Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are knowne by the Creation of the world beeing considered in his workes And out of this excellent frame of the world the truth of the Godhead may be sundry waies prooued and maintained First I would aske this question This goodly frame of the world had it a beginning or no beginning Let either part or both be taken Let it first be said it had no beginning but is eternall as the Atheist holdeth Then I reason thus If it had no beginning the world it selfe is God and all the creatures that are therein from the greatest and highest to the least and basest yea euery droppe of water in the sea and euery corne of sand by the sea shore are Gods The reason is because according to this opinion they haue their being of themselues without beginning and that which is a substance of it selfe hath no beginning is very God Againe if the world had no beginning then it hath also no ending For that which is without beginning is without ending Now all things in the world are lyable to corruption and consequently are subiect to an ende For whatsoeuer is corruptible the same is finite therfore the world had a beginning Now if it had a beginning then I demand how it was made did it make it selfe or was it made of nothing If it be affirmed that it made it selfe then the world was before it was If it be said it came from nothing that also cannot be For nothing brings forth nothing and that which is nothing in it selfe cannot bring forth something therefore it is absurd in reason to say that nothing brought forth this world And hereupon it must needes remaine for a truth that there was some substance eternall and Almightie that framed this goodly Creature the World besides it selfe If a man comes into a large forrest and beholds therein goodly faire buildings and sundrie kinds of hearbs and trees and birds and beasts and no man he will presently reason thus with himselfe these buildings are the workemanship of some man they were not from all eternity they did not reare themselues neither did the hearbs the trees the birds or the beasts build them but of necessitie they must haue some first â—ounder which is man In like manner when we consider this world so goodly a creature to behold though we see not the maker thereof yet we cannot say that either it made it selfe or that the things therein contained made it but that the Creator of it was some vncreated substance most wise most cunning and euerlasting and that is God Secondly from this frame of the world and the consideration therof I reason thus In the world there are foure sorts and kindes of creatures The first bare and naked substances that haue neither life sense nor reason in them as the sunne the moone the starres The second that haue substance and life but no sense nor reason as plants trees and hearbs The third that haue no reason but both substance life sense and power to mooue themselues as the beasts of the land and fishes of the sea The fourth are such as haue all namely substance life sense and reason as men Now these foure sorts of creatures excell one another in properties and degrees For the first of them which are meere substances doe serue those that haue life as the trees and the plants The trees the plantes serue the creatures that haue sense life as the beastes and the fishes The beastes and the fishes serue man that hath substance life sense and reason And amongst them all we see that those which haue more gifts are serued of those which haue lesse as the sunne and moone serue the plantes the plantes and hearbes serue the beasts and the beasts serue man and that creature that hath most giftes is serued of all Man therefore excelling all these must haue something to honour and serue which must be more excellent then the other creatures yea then himselfe and that is a substance vncreate most holy most wise eternall infinite and this is God Thirdly all particular creatures whether in heauen or in earth are referred to their certaine particular and peculiar endes wherein euery one of them euen the basest and meanest is imployed and which they doe all accomplish in their kind And this is a plaine proofe that there is one that excelleth in wisedome prouidence and power that created all these to such
manifested himselfe vnto vs in and through the glasse of the word and Sacraments and by the spectacles of his creatures But the time will come when the skales of our eies shall be washed off and they shall be made as cleare as cristall when the imperfection and weaknes of our vnderstanding shall be cleane remooued and then we shall be inabled to see God clearely and fully face to face Thus the first Question is answered that there is a God II. Question Whether Iesus the sonne of Mary be the sonne of God and Redeemer of the world BY propounding this Question as in the former I meane not to make a doubt touching the godhead of Christ which is one of the principall groundes of our religion but to take away or at least preuent an inward corruption of the heart in thē that are weake in knowledge whereby they may be brought sometimes to make doubt and question of the diuinitie of Christ and therefore haue neede to be resolued in the truth hereof Now for the proofe of this point that Christ is God I will lay downe these grounds I. The summe substance of the Bible is to conclude that Iesus the sonne of Mary is the sonne of God and the Redeemer of mankinde and it may be concluded in this syllogisme He that shall come of the seede of Abraham and Dauid and in time shall be borne of a Virgin that shall preach the gladtidings of the Gospell satisfie the law offer vp an oblation of himselfe for the sinnes of them that beleeue ouercome death by his death and resurrection ascend into heauen and in fulnesse of time come againe to iudge both the quicke and the dead is the true Messias and Sauiour of the world But Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Marie is he in whome alone all these things shall come to passe Therfore he onely is the true Messias and Sauiour of the world The proposition or first part of the argument is laid downe in the old Testament the assumption or second part in the New The conclusion is the question in hand the scope and drift of them both II. Ground In Daniel 9. 24. it was prophecied that after the time of 70. weekes that is 490. yeares the Messias should be exhibited By which prophecie it is manifest that the Messias is alreadie come into the world For from that time till now there are at the least 2000. yeares as may plainly be seene by humane histories and by the motions and course of the heauens It is also plaine from hence that hauing bene exhibited and come in the flesh he hath made satisfaction by his death to the wrath of God for sinne Hence it followes that he is the very true Messias and Redeemer of the world because from that time there was neuer any to whome this title and the forenamed properties might so truly agree as to this Iesus the sonne of Dauid III. Ground Iesus the sonne of Mary did teach professe and dispute that he was God that he and his father were one and he tooke vnto himselfe the honour of God Ioh. 7. and 8. An evident argument that he was so as he professed and preached himselfe to be For neuer any creature chalenged to himselfe the honour of God falsly but was discouered and confounded Adam for affecting and aspiring to it was cast out of Paradise And Herod for it died miserably Act. 12. And diuers Popes are recorded in Ecclesiasticall stories to haue taken this honour vnto themselues and there was neuer any sort of men in the world that had more fearfull iudgments vpon them then they But Christ chalenged this to himselfe and prospered and God did most seuerely reuenge his death both vpon Herod and Pilate as also vpon the Iewes and Emperours of Rome that persecuted the Church IV. Ground Christ while he was on earth before he ascended into heauen promised his Disciples to send his spirit vnto them so to assist them that they should be able to do greater works then himselfe did Ioh. 14. 12. c. Now whē Christ was ascended the euent was strange and yet fully answerable to his promise For the disciples were but fewe twelue in number and all vnlearned and yet they preached in the name of Christ and by bare preaching without humane eloquence and the giftes of nature conuerted many nations yea the whole world And though themselues were but weake men and preached things absurd to the corrupt reason of man yet they wonne many soules to God and conuerted the world V. Ground is borrowed from the testimony of the Heathen who haue recorded in their writings the very samethings touching Christ which are reuealed in the scriptures Iosephus a Iew and an enemie to Christ in his eight booke of antiquities Chap. 4. speakes the same things of Christ that Mathew doth that he was a most worthy man that he wrought many miracles and that he rose from the dead Others affirme that he was crucified vnder Pilate in the time of Tiberius and that Tiberius would haue put him in the number of his gods Againe heathen writers report that at his death vnder the raigne of Tiberius all the oracles of the world ceased and the great god Pan as they say then died CHAP. III. Of the Scriptures The second maine question is touching the truth of scripture Whether the scriptures be the true word of God THe answere is that they are And the grounds of this assertion may be reduced to sixe heades Sect. 1. The first is taken from the causes namely the author and writers of the scriptures Touching the Author the scripture referreth it selfe vnto God Therfore he alone is the true and vndoubted author thereof and none but he The sufficiencie of this consequence stands vpon these grounds First if god were not the author of scriptures there would be no one booke in the earth so fabulous and so full of errour as it which to say is blasphemy For it speakes such things as neuer any could speake but God Secondly if it were not the booke of God then all Gods will should be hidden and God should neuer yet haue reuealed his will to man Thirdly if it had not beene the word of God the falshood therof would haue beene detected long agone For there hath beene nothing falsly said of God at any time which he himselfe hath not at some time or other opened and reuealed Euen as he did detect and discouer the falshood of the false prophet Hanan◠Ier. 28. 16. and Gods heauie hand no doubt would long since haue beene vpon the Ministers and preachers of this word if they had vniustly and wrongfully fathered it vpon him Againe for the writers and penmen of scripture Moses the Prophets and Apostles in their writings doe not set forth their own glory nobility or vertues but all with one consent haue acknowledged directly and plainely their owne errors and faults yea such faults as may be disgracefull to
generally to include all without exception but indefinitely for many or the most part of the cattell that were in the land of Egypt The tenth Allegation Exod. 10. 22. wee read that one of the plagues was a palpable darknes and so great that for three daies together no man either saw an other or rose vp from the place where he sate And yet v. 23. Moses is sent for and called to come before Pharaoh How should this be seeing no man could stirre from his place nor haue any light to goe before him for there was none to be had the darkenes was so palpable and the aire was so thicke Ans. I take it the word Then v. 24. is to be meant thus that Pharaoh sent for Moses after the darkenes was ended not by candle or or other light in the time of darkenes And this answer may very well stand without further exception The eleuenth Allegation Iudg. 16. 29. The Atheists make a mocke at the historie of Sampson as fabulous where it is said that all the Philistims came together in one house to make sport with him and on the roofe sate about 3000 persons to beholde him while he plaied and yet there were but two pillars whereupon the whole house stood and those also standing in the midst so neere together that a man might reach them both with his armes This say they is most absurd and impossible Ans. Although the full resolution of this cauill belongs to them that haue skill in Architecture yet thus much may be faide in way of answer That the house might be capable of so many persons and they also that stood aboue might well see and behold Sampson For first the whole house was not sustained by two pillars onely but by many more whereof two were the principall For in likelihood the middle part whereon the whole building was knit together from the bottome to the toppe beeing the weightiest of all was supported by two master-pillars The other which was more outward and lesse weightie might be vpholden by lesser proppes which Artificers in that kinde call by the name of false-pillars Hence it appeareth that the two maine ones standing so nigh together beeing shaken the whole house together with them must needes fall Neither will this seeme strange that two pillars should beare vp a building of such capacitie if we doe but consider what is recorded of Curio the Romance who deuised the frame of a great Amphitheater the two parts whereof were supported onely by two hinges and yet was so large that it contained the whole people of Rome Secondly old buildings in those countries were made for the most part with open roofe Againe they were full of windowes on euery part like vnto great gates and that they might be the more fit for sight from aboue they were reared vp in some sort after the manner of the Egyptian Pyramides wider below and narrower aboue towardes the top And by this meanes it is probable not onely that they might containe a great companie but that all those which stoode about the sides and vpon the roofe might very well behold what Sampson did below specially considering that he stood in the middest of the Theater betweene the two middle pillars The twelfth Allegation Sam. 16. 19. c. it is saide that Dauid plaied before Saul and that Saul knew him But chap. 17. 55. when he was to fight with Goliah Saul knew him not Here is a plaine contradiction in the Atheists iudgement Ans. This sort of men doe still bewray their grosse ignorance both in the matter and in the order of Scripture For the word of God doth not alway set downe things as they follow in order of time iust one after an other but sometime it doth anticipate putting such things in former histories as are alreadie done and accomplished which in regard of their euent should be related afterward Sometime againe it vseth by recapitulation to declare things as following in order of time which doe properly belong to a former narration An example of the latter to omit many other that might be brought is the text alleadged For that part of the 16 chap. from the 19v to the ende should by order of historie follow the 17 as will easily appeare by comparing the place And the like displacing of things saide and done is else-where to be found in the Scriptures Which beeing considered the Atheists supposed Contradiction falls to the ground For Dauid was to fight with Goliah before he plaied before Saul and though he was then not knowne yet Saul after that time tooke better knowledge of him The thirteenth Allegation is out of 2. Chron. 21. 2. where the Papist plaies the right Atheist in going about to improoue the originall copies There saith he Iehosaphat is called king of Israel when as indeede he was king of Iudah and so is he called in the former booke of Chronicles In like manner Ahaz is tearmed king of Israel 2. Chron. 28. 19. whereas the truth is he was king of Iudah Answ. After the death of Salomon the kingdome was deuided and the ten tribes were called Israel and the other two Iudah and Beniamin did beare the name of Iudah Now after the diuision for some time the name of Israel common to both sides was giuen to either and both were named after it And in this respect Iehoshaphat and Ahaz may be termed kings of Israel Againe the name of Israel sundry times in Scripture and namely in the prophets is taken only for the two Tribes which bare the name of Iudah after the defection And thus also might Ahaz haue that name given vnto him though he were king of Iudah Furthermore the word Israel is sometimes put for a true worshipper of God that is for him that is a Iew not without but within not in the letter but in the spirit Rom. 2. 29. Thus our Sauiour saith of Nathaniel Ioh. 1. 48. Behold a true Israelite in whome is no guile that is a man of an vpright hart that serueth God in spirit and in truth And in this sense Iehoshaphat might be termed king of Israel because he was a king and patrone of all true worshippers of God For euen then the Israelites sorted themselues together and the godly among them came to liue vnder him in Iudah though the distinction of the kingdomes did still remaine The fourteenth Allegation is out of Act. 7. 16. where the Papists and Atheists alleadge the Scripture to be contrary to it self in that there it saith Abraham bought a field of Emor when as Gen. 33. 19. the same field was bought by Iacob Ans. 1. Some say that there is a fault because Abrahams name is put for Iacob Yet not a fault of the Bible but of them that wrote out the Bible Neither doth this diminish the authoritie of scripture though the penmen did erre and slippe in writing so long as we may find out the truth by scripture
beleeues because the father beleeues It is obiected again that infants are born in originall sinne and therefore cannot be borne holy and sanctified Answ. Euery beleeuing parent sustaines a double person First as he is a man descending of Adam by corrupted seede and thus beeing himselfe corrupted and vncleane his children also are corrupt and impure Secondly as he is a holy and beleeuing man ingraffed by faith into Christ the second Adam And thus by his faith comes his child to be in the couenant and partaker of the benefits and priuiledges thereof and by the same faith he beeing a beleeuer the guilt of originall corruption which is in the Infant new borne is not imputed vnto him to condemnation And for these causes the Sacrament of Baptisme is not absolutely and precisely necessarie to saluation but so and in that sort as hath bin declared Against this Doctrine it is obiected that Christ saith to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost he can not enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 5. To this obiection sundrie answers are giuen First if the place be vnderstood of Baptisme then the wordes may carrie one of these two senses First that our Sauiour directs this speech principally against Nicodemus who was a timerous professour and remained ignorant and had long neglected his baptisme Secondly that the kingdome of heauen is here put not for euerlasting happines but to signifie the visible estate of the church of the new Testament and then the meaning is No man can be admitted into the Church and made a visible member thereof but by the water of baptisme neither can any man be made a liuely member of Christ Iesus but by the spirit that is by regeneration which alone makes the partie that is entred into the Church by baptisme to be a liuing mēber of the bodie of Christ. Secondly others answer that this place is to be vnderstood not of Baptisme but simply of regeneration and that Christ alludes to the sayings of the Prophets which speake of cleane water and expounds the same in this sort Thou Nicodemus art by profession a Pharisie and vsest many outward washings but know this withall that vnlesse thou be washed inwardly by cleane water that is be regenerated and renewed by the holy Ghost thou canst not enter into Gods kingdome Lastly it is answered that the necessitie of saluation lies not in both but onely in the new birth by the holy Ghost as if Christ should say Except ye be regenerate borne a new of the spirit which as cleane water purgeth and clenseth you from your sinnes ye cannot be saued The Vse By this doctrine touching the necessitie of Baptisme are iustly challenged two sorts of men The first is the Popish sort who build the absolute necessitie of Baptisme vpon false and vnstable grounds For they teach in their writings that all men are borne in sinne and corruption and vnlesse they be clensed from it they can neuer be saued Now Baptisme they say is appointed by God as the onely remedie and sole meanes whereby they may be purged from sinne and come to saluation And this they snew by a comparison of Baptisme with the brazen Serpent which as it was the only remedie for the cure of those which were stinged by serpents so is this Sacrament the onely meanes set apart by God to keepe them that are partakers thereof from the sting of death and eternall destruction But the answer is plaine out of the former doctrine That though all men be conceiued and borne in sinne and cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen except they be clensed yet baptisme is not of absolute necessitie for this purpose For it is not appointed by God as the onely remedie of this euill but onely to be a signe and signification of the purging and clensing of sinne by the blood of Christ. Now those that are within the couenant may haue their sinnes remitted by the mercie of God and that according to the forme of the couenāt though they receiue not the signe thereof so be it they doe not wilfully contemne or neglect the same when it may be had Againe the serpent lifted vp by Moses in it selfe and by it owne vertue was a bare signe and was no remedie to cure the diseased Israelites but they were cured by their faith in the word of Gods promise annexed vnto the signe according to which Dauid saith He sent his word and healed them Psal. 107. 20. And to the same effect Augustine saith That the cure and health of the Israelites came not from the Serpent but from Gods commandement obeyed and his promise beleeued And so is Baptisme a remedie and no otherwise The second is the common ignorant sort of people who thinke that an Infant dying without baptisme dies without christendome and that it cannot possibly be a christian vnlesse it be baptised This their opinion is very erronious For by it they make baptisme the seale of the couenant to be as necessarie as the couenant it selfe Whereas on the contrarie baptisme is not simply and absolutely necessarie so as the partie dying without it can not be saued but onely in part as it serues to distinguish the true church from the false to be a necessarie signe of our admission and entrance into the church yea to confirme our faith in the promise of God Neither is baptisme of force to make a Christian but onely to signifie and declare a man to be a Christian by beeing within the couenant of grace II. Question Whether witnesses which we commonly call Godfathers and Godmothers be necessarie To this there are giuen two answers First that the vse of Godfathers and Godmothers is not simply necessarie to the Sacrament of Baptisme For first it seemes that of auncient times the parents of Children which were Heathen and newly conuerted to Christian Religion were either ignorant and could not or carelesse and would not bring vp their children agreeably to the word of God and the Religion which they newly professed And hence it was thought meet that some persons of good knowledge and life should be called to witnes the Baptisme promise their care for the childrens education But now Parents amongst vs beeing better taught and qualified the other is not of such necessitie Secōdly Christ hath instituted and ordained in his word all things fitte conuenient and necessary vnto lawfull Baptisme amongst all which he hath not any where expressely prescribed the vse of Sureties Thirdly the whole congregation assembled together at the administration of this Sacrament doe present the childe to the Lord and are witnesses that the childe is admitted into the Church and is externally in the Couenant And therefore I take it to be a fault when the Congregation doth depart before the child be baptized Fourthly that which is required of them to promise and performe may ye must and ought to be performed of the parents of the baptized who
it that the Papists opinion were true then a further Question may be mooued Whether spirituall kinred contracted by baptisme can be a iust impediment of marriage betweene the witnesses themselues or their children The Papists in their writings answer that spirituall alliance beeing farre more excellent then carnall is of much more force both to hinder a man from marriage before he marrie and to breake off marriage when it is consummate But this doctrine as the former is not warrantable For first they themselues affirme that this impediment doth not depend vpon the law of nature but vpon the iudgement of the Church But the estate of marriage stands by Gods ordinance who hath giuen libertie of entrance into it to all men that are out of the degrees forbidden in his law without exception and therefore the lawes and constitutions of men cannot preiudice or take away any mans libertie in that behalfe Secondly all beleeuers are brethren and sisters in Christ and therefore are spiritually allied each to other Now if this spirituall alliance be polluted by marriage or maketh marriage vndertaken a meere nullitie then no beleeuer shall marrie in the Lord for Christians by this meanes must neuer match with Christians but with Pagans and Infidells Thirdly this impediment is a superstitious inuention of Popish Canonists onely to increase the Treasurie of their Church by their multitude of dispensations And it seemes that they are either ashamed of it or wearie to beare the imputation thereof For some of their owne Canons are against it which doe allowe Godfathers children to marrie and a man to marrie his godfathers wife And the Coūcell of Trent hath drawn this affinitie into a narrower compasse which before was so farre inlarged allowing the Witnesses themselues to be man and wife not vrging all the three kinds of kinred but onely some degrees of compaternitie III. Question touching Baptisme Whether children of excommunicate persons which are cast out and not holden as members of the Church haue right to Baptisme For better resoluing of this Question the ground of the answer is first to be laide downe and then the answer directly to be made There are two texts of Scripture commonly alleadged concerning the force and vse of Excommunication The first is Matth. 18. the second is 1. Cor. 5. The scope of them both is to shew that the man which is excommunicated is barred from the kingdome of heauen For he is not to be holden a true member of the church but as a Heathen and a Publican and therefore is put out of Gods kingdome and deliuered vp to Satan Of this waight is Excommunication Nowe in Excommunication there are three iudgements to be considered The first of God the second of the Church the third againe of God The first is when God doth hold any obstinate sinner guiltie of his offence and consequently guiltie of condemnation vnlesse he repent This is the first sentence The second is the iudgement of Gods church vpon the offender after that God hath holden him guilty For the iudgement of the church followeth the iudgement of God and doth indeede nothing but pronounce the partie guiltie and subiect to condemnation And the difference betweene them both is onely this That God holds the offender guiltie and the Church declareth him so to be Now the second iudgement is not to be giuen absolutely but with condition of repentance and so farre forth as man can iudge by the fault committed as also by the word which giues direction how to discerne of the impenitencie of the sinner The third and last iudgement is Gods whereby he ratifies and confirmes that in heauen which the Church hath done on earth and this in order followes the second This ground beeing laide downe I come now to the Answer First therefore the parties excommunicate are in some respects no members of Christs bodie and in some respects they are They are not in two regards First in that they are cut off from the companie of beleeuers by lawfull excommunication and so haue no participation with them either in prayer hearing the word or receiuing the Sacraments The reason is for that the action of the Church stands in force God ratifiing that in heauen which the Church doth vpon earth Secondly because by their sinne they haue as much as in them lieth depriued themselues of the effectuall power of Gods spirit which might rule and gouerno them But in other respects they are members as will appeare if we consider the diuers sorts of members Some are members not actually and in present but in the eternall counsell of God and are to be in time when they shall be called Thus was Paul before his conuersion and therfore he saies of himselfe that God had seperated him from his mothers wombe and called him by his grace Gal. 1. 15. Also of himselfe and other beleuers he saies when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne Rom. 5. 10. Some againe are members only in shew and appearance of which sort are hypocrites which seeme by their outward profession to be that they are not indeed wherin they resēble the wooden legge that is cunningly fastened to the body but indeede is no legge nor part of the body wherto it is adioyned A third sort are liuely members which are vnited vnto Christ by faith and haue fellowship with God in him beeing iustified sanctified gouerned and preserued by his spirit and withall doe feele and shew forth the power of the same spirit dwelling in them Of these Paul speaketh Rom. 8. 14. As many as are lead by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God The fourth sort are decaied members which though they belong to Gods election and are plants truly ingrafted into the vine Christ Iesus yet for the present haue not a liuely sense of the power and vertue of the spirit of Christ in them These may fitly be resembled to the legge of a man or some other part that hath the dead palsie which though it remaine for some time without feeling and vncapable of nourishment yet beeing ioyned to the bodie it may by vertue of some strong medicine be recouered and made whole as the other Of this sort are excommunicate persons For in regard of their ingraffing they are true members and can not be quite cut off from the bodie of Christ Ioh. 10. 28. though otherwise they are not holden so to be in a threefold respect One in regard of men because they are excluded from their holy communion with the faithfull by the Churches censure The second in regard of God because that which the Church rightly bindeth on earth is boūd in heauen The third in regard of themselues because for a time they want the power and efficacie of the Spirit vntill they be throughly touched with repentance and beginne as it were to liue againe Now though in these respects they be not esteemed members of the
in heauen glorified doth he by the power of his Deitie raise vp vs his mēbers frō death to life Rom. 6. 4. A certaine pledge whereof he hath giuen vs in this Sacrament Which also affordeth singular comfort and ioy vnto a man euen in his greatest extremity True it is that man by nature is dead in sinne yet God of his mercie sealeth vnto him in baptisme his rising from the death of sinne to newnesse of life True it is againe that all men must die Yet this is our comfort that in baptisme God hath sealed to vs euen our rising from the graue to life euerlasting and all by the vertue and power of Christs resurrection This is a comfort of all comforts able to vphold the soule of man euen in the houre of death The second Vse of Baptisme is that it serues to be a notable meanes of our death vnto sinne and that three waies First by putting vs in minde of mortifying the flesh and crucifying our owne corruptions For if we be baptized into the death of Christ as Paul saith Rom. 6. 3. then ought we not to continue in sinne but to labour by all meanes as by praier by fasting by the word preached and by auoiding all occasions of offence to kill and destroy the corruption of our nature and the wickednes of our hearts Gal. 5. 24. Secondly it causeth vs to dedicate our selues wholly vnto God and Christ remembring that we once offered our selues to be baptized in the presence of the whole congregation in token that we should euer afterward consecrate our soules and bodies vnto the Lord and wholly renounce and forsake the flesh the world and the Deuill Thirdly it causeth vs to labour to keepe and maintaine peace and vnitie with all men but specially with Gods people For Baptisme is a solemne testimonie of the bond of mutuall loue and fellowship both of Christ with his members and of the members one with another To this ende Paul saith that we are all by one spirit baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 13. yea and Baptisme is one of those things whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is preserued in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 5. V. Question Whether a man falling into sinne after he is baptized may haue any benefit of his Baptisme Answer He may if he repent And the reasons are these First his Indentures and Euidences remain whol in respect of God his name is not put out of the couenant Which is otherwise in the Evidēces of men For if they be once cancelled a man cannot haue his name put into them againe Secondly Baptisme is indeede as hath beene said the Sacrament of Repentance and as it were a plancke or board to swimme vpon when a man is in danger of the shippewracke of his soule Therefore if a man repent and be hartily sorie for his sinnes committed he may haue recourse to his baptisme wherein was sealed vnto him the pardon of all his sinnes past present and to come he standing to the order of his baptisme beleeuing and repenting Thirdly to them that fall euen after Baptisme there is hope of repentance and consequently of the fauour of God if they be touched in hart with true remorse and sorrowe for their offences For hence it was that Paul calls the Galatians fallen after they had beene baptized to the remembrance of the fauour of God promised vnto them in the Couenant and sealed in their Baptisme Gal. 3. 3. 19. 27. In the same manner doth Iohn call the Churches of Asia that had left their first loue to repentance conuersion Apoc. 2. 5. 16. And the said Iohn in Ecclesiasticall historie is said to haue reclaymed a young man who had most grieuously fallen after his Baptisme CHAP. X. Of the Lords Supper THus much concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme Now we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper concerning the vse wherof there are two principal Questions mooued I. Question How farre forth men haue libertie to vse or not vse the Lords Supper For the answering hereof I propound three Rules The First Euery man of yeares liuing in the Church and beeing baptized is bound in conscience by Gods commandement to vse the Lords supper In the institution of the Supper the Lord gaue a Sacramentall Word whereof there be two parts a Commādement a Promise The Cōmandement is expressed in these termes Take eate drinke doe ye this And it binds all men in the Church that are baptized to the vse of the Lords Supper The second Rule Euery man of yeares baptized is to receiue it often 1. Cor. 11. 26. As oft as ye shall drinke it in remēbrance of me The reason is because we haue need continually to feede on Christ. And herein the Lords Supper differeth from Baptisme because by Baptisme a man is once onely graffed into Christ but being in Christ he hath neede often and continually to be fedde in him to life eternall And this often nourishment of the beleeuer is sealed vnto him by the often vse of this Sacrament The third Rule Euery man is to receiue and vse the Lords Supper according to the laudable custome of that Church whereof he is a member vnlesse there be a iust impediment A iust impediment is that which barres a man from the vse of the Supper as Suspension Contagious and incurable sickenesse Absence vpon a iust and weightie cause as when a man is in his iourney and such like The reason of the Rule is first if any man refuse to receiue it when he may conueniently hauing no iust Impediment so doing he neglects and contemnes the ordinance of God Secondly for a man to abstaine when he is called to receiue it though happily he may be excused in regard of some reason inwardly knowne to himselfe yet his abstinence is a bad example and may giue offence to others Thirdly the man that may receiue and yet will not doth in effect suspend and withhold himselfe from the benefite of this holy Sacrament Now these three Rules as they serue directly to answer the Question in hand so they doe plainly discouer some errours faults in the practise of sundrie persons in these daies Some there be that thinke it sufficient to receiue the Communion once by the yere namely at Easter time Whereas on the contrary it is to be vsed as oft as may be considering that it is nothing but the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come which is not once or twise in the yeare but often yea continually to be remembred Others ther are that take liberty to thēselues to com to this Table abstaine at ther pleasure as if it were a thing arbitrary to themselues which notwithstanding the Lord hath enioyned by expresse commandement as hath beene said But some alledge for this their practise that they are at variance with such and such persons that haue done them wrong and whom they cannot forgiue and in this respect they were better
and iudgements of men vpon the place written Iudg. 11. And my purpose is not to examine that which others haue brought in way of resolution but briefly to deliuer that which I take to be the truth I answer therefore that Iephte did not offer his Daughter in Sacrifice vpon his vowe but onely dedicated her vnto God after the manner of the Nazarites to the ende of her daies to lead her life apart in a single estate The truth of this answer will appeare by these reasons First in the 37. verse of the chapter the daughter of Iephte craues leaue of her father to goe apart into the mountaines for two moneths space to bewaile her virginitie Where it may be obserued that she went not to deplore the losse of her life but her future estate and condition because shee was vpoÌ„ her fathers vow to liue a perpetuall single life And why surely because as the text saith vers 39. she had not knowne a man it was accounted a curse in Iudea for a woman alwaies to liue vnmarried Secondly in the last verse it is said in our common English translation that the daughters of Israel went yeare by yeare to lament the daughter of Iephte But I take it it may be as well or better translated out of the Hebrue they went to talke or conferre with her and so to comfort her and that this interpretation may not seeme strange the very same word is obserued in this sense Iudg. 5. 11. there shall they talke or conferre of the righteousnesse of the Lord. Now if they went yeare by yeare to comfort her then shee was not put to death Thirdly Iephte is commended by the holy Ghost for the excellencie of his faith Heb. 11. 32. and that out of the same historie Now the commendation of his faith and the vnnaturall murther of his daughter cannot stand together But it will be said that Iephte vowed that whatsoeuer came out of his dores to meete him should be the Lords he would offer it for a burnt offring v. 31. Ans. The words may more truly be read thus or I will offer it in sacrifice And the meaning of the vowe was this That thing which first meeteth me if it be a thing to be sacrificed I will sacrifice it if not I will dedicate it to the Lord. For it seems to consist of two parts wherof the latter is coupled to the former by a discretiue coniunctioÌ„ as the GraÌ„marians speake In this manner the word is els where taken so as it may either way be expounded In the fourth commandement Exod. 20. 10. in our common translation it is read thou and thy sonne and thy daughter but out of the Ebrwe it may be translated either and or or It will be said againe that Iephte rent his cloathes because his daughter mette him when he returned from the victorie Ans. That was in regard of her vowed virginitie which was a curse among the Iewes And besides he had but one daughter and by this meanes of sacrifâ—ing her all hope of posteritie after him was cut off But it seemes that Monasticall vowes of virginitie by this example are lawfull Ans. Indeed the custome of vowing virginitie beganne in those dayes but they thought it not a state of perfection but rather an estate of miserie as may appeare in that he rent his cloaths when she mette him and the daughters of Israel went to comfort her as being now in a woefull and miserable estate Vpon these Reasons I conclude that Iephte did not offer vp his daughter in sacrifice but onely set her apart to liue a single life to the honour and seruice of God And Iephte might knowe euen by the light of nature that it was a finne to vow hâ—… daughters death and a double sinne to kill her IV. Question Whether Monasticall or Monkish vowes binde or no To this the Papists answer affirmatiuely placing the greatest part of their Religion in practise and observance of these vowes That we may know them the better they are in number three The first is the vowe of continency whereby a man renounceth Mariage for euer and voweth vnto God perpetuall virginitie The second of Voluntarie Povertie which is when a man giueth ouer all propertie of his goods and bindes himselfe to liue by begging The third is of Regular obedience when a man resignes himselfe in conscience to be ruled by another and to keepe some deuised order in all actions and duties pertaining to religion Now the Question beeing whether these vowes binde or no I answer in a word they doe not and that for these reasons I. First they are flat against the law of God which I make manifest in the particulars The vowe of perpetuall chastitie is expressely against Gods commandement 1. Cor. 7. 9. If they cannot abstaine let them marry for it is better to marrie then to burne To this text the Papists answer three waies First they say that this place of scripture is onely a diuine permission and not a commandement we reply againe directly that it is a plaine commandement For the intent of the Holy Ghost in that text and in the whole Chapter is to ordaine a necessarie remedie for incontinencie which Paul calls burning and for the auoiding of fornication which brings destructioÌ„ to the soule And for that purpose he speaks not in permitting maÌ„ner but in imperatiue tearmes Let theÌ„ marry Secondly they answer that the words concerne onely incontinent persons that commit fornication We on the other side affirme that they are not only giuen to them that liue incontinently but to all persons which are subiect to burning which burning may be without incontinencie For the better vnderstanding whereof let it be considered that there be three distinct degrees of lust in man The first is when the temptatioÌ„ is first receiued into the mind The secoÌ„d when the same temptation preuaileth though with some resistaÌ„ce trouble of the minde conscience which also though no outward offence as yet follow is a degree of burning The third is wheÌ„ the temptation so far preuaileth that the heart will are overcome and the duties of religion for the time vtterly hindred This is the highest and worst kind of burning And if we consider these degrees well it will easily appeare that there may be burning without incontinent liuing Thirdly they answere that this text speaketh not of persons that are free but of those alone who are bound from Mariage by solemne vow we contrariwise affirme and hold that the words are generall and plainly directed to all persons bound by vowe or otherwise and that appeares by vers â—…5 where he saies I speake not this to tangle you in a snare These words doe shewe that Pauls mind was touching the vow of perpetuall virginitie For he leaues euery man according to Gods ordinance to his owne libertie willing none by vowe to binde himselfe from the vse thereof Now for the vow of Regular
resolution according to the rule aforesaid Now the practize of Prudence in these two actions is very large and consisteth of sundry branches I will onely touchâ— the principall and propound them in these Rules following The first Rule is this A man must in the first place and aboue all things in the world carefully prouide for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and the saluation of his soule This our Sauiour Christ commandeth as a speciall dutie Matth. 6. vers 33. Seeke ye first the the kingdome of God and his righteousnes And sinners and vnrepentant persons are sundrie times in scripture termed fooles as in many other respects so principally in this because they faile in this first point of wisedome going on in their sinne without repentance The fiue virgins in the Gospell are for this very cause pronounced foolish or fooles because they provided not for the oile of Faith but did onely content themselues with shining lampes that is a naked profession of religion and vertue and for want of wisedome and prudence in this point they were iustly depriued of accesse into the bedde-chamber Thus the rich man that had great reuenewes and abundance of wordly wealth is notwithstanding termed by God himselfe a foole because he gathered riches to himselfe and was not rich in God that is he minded earthly things and placed his cheife felicitie in vaine and transitorie riches not once forecasting how to come into the fauour of God that he might be saued To this Rule I adde that which Paul by way of caueat commendeth to the Ephesians Eph. 5. 16. Take heede that ye walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise redeeming the time As if he should say Play the part of wise men take time while time serues lay hold of the meanes of saluation vse no delaies in heauenly matters deferre not your repentance from day to day for the daies are euill and you may be surprized in your sinnes before you be aware II. Rule We must vse continuall watchfulnes against our enemies but specially against our spirituall enemies This watchfulnes our Sauiour commandeth often in the Gospel but specially in Mark 13. 33. Take heede watch and pray 35. Watch therefore for ye know not c. 37 Those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men Watch. And S. Peter exhorteth in like manner Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the Deuill as a roaring lyon walketh about seeking whome he may deuoure 1. Pet. 5. v. 8. Now this dutie stands principally in two things First that we diligently obserue the danger wherein we are by reason of temptations Secondly that we daily labour to search and finde out the secret counsells practises and enterprises of our enemies and withall seeke to preuent them To this purpose we must watch against the corruptions of our hearts the temptations of the Deuill and the day and houre of our death that we be not found vnprepared For our owne sinnes are many Satan is strong and subtill in his suggestions and temptations death though of all other things it be most certaine and cannot be auoided yet it is most vncertaine in regard of the time when the place where and the manner and kind of what and how a man shall ende his daies III. Rule Euery man must measure himselfe by his owne strength and doe nothing beyond his abilitie This Rule is set downe though expressed in other tearmes Rom. 12. 3. No man must presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but ought to be wise according to sobrietie as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of faith An example of the transgression of this Rule we haue in Dauids three Worthies who brake into the host of the Philistims to fetch Dauid the king water from the well of Bethlem 2. Sam. 23. â—6 Which act of theirs was a rash enterprise and such a one as Dauid himselfe condemneth in that Chapter because they went beyond their strength to encounter with a whole garrison of men they beeing themselues but fewe namely three in number IV. Rule We must distinguish betweene the necessarie workes of our callings that pertaine to vs and other workes that are out of our callings and pertaine not vnto vs and we must doe the other though we leaue these vndone This Rule is propounded in 1. The. 4. 11. Medle with your owne businesse that is do the necessarie workes of your callings that belong to you though you leaue the other for the time vndone The contrary to it is to liue or to behaue himselfe inordinately 2. Thess. 3. 7. And we haue an example of the transgression hereof in Peter Ioh. 21. 21. whome when Christ had commanded to follow him he would needes aske him what Iohn should doe Christs giues him this answer what is that to thee In which wordes he teacheth that not onely Peter but also euery man must attend vpon the necessarie and proper workes of his owne vocation and not deale with other mens businesse which because Peter did he is by that answer secretly repooued and iustly condemned of curiositie in that behalfe V. Rule We must put a difference betweene things honest and of good report and things vnhonest and of bad report and these we are to let passe and onely to doe the other Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if ther be any vertue if there be any praise thinke on these things To this may be added one caveat that Of two euils which are both sins we must not onely not chuse the les but we are to chuse neither For their damnation is iust who affirme that men may doe euill that good may come of it as the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 8. VI. Rule Things of profit and pleasure must giue place to things that belong to vertue and honestie This conclusion the light of nature teacheth Worldly men say who will shew vs any good But Dauids praier is Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal. 4. 6. Godlines is the great gaine therefore all gaine must giue place to godlines 1. Tim. 6. 6. VII Rule We may not trust men vpon faire pretences that they make vnto vs without further triall This point was practised by our Sauiour Christ who though many beleeued in his name when they saw the miracles which he had done yet he did not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew them all Ioh. 2. 24. And it is also verified by the common proverbe First trie and then trust VIII Rule We must giue place to the sway of the times wherein we liue so farre forth as may stand with keeping faith and a good conscience We may not be temporizers and change our Religion with the times but yet we may and must giue place to times as we giue place to the streame so