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
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
the Sabboth is to begin in the euening because in the first of Gen. it is saide fixe seuerall times the euening and the morning made the first day and so the second and third c. Ans. First in that text when it is said the euening and the morning made such such daies by the euening is vnderstood the night and by the morning the day and the euening was the end of the day and the morning the end of the night This exposition is auncient and yet in Scripture we find not one place where the euening is put for the night Secondly I answer that the collection from that place is of no force For thus the reason must needs be framed That which God did in appointing of daies the same must we doe in vsing of them But God in appointing of daies began the day at the euening Ergo c. The consequent is false For the case is otherwise in the constitution of time then it is in the vse of time constituted and there is not the same reason of things in doing as there is of the same things in beeing and vse Thirdly this did not bind the Iewes For they in all likelyhood began their Sabboths in the morning Indeede their solemne feasts as the Passeover and such like beganne and were kept from euening to morning as we may read Levit. 23. 5. But their ordinarie Sabboth was kept from morning to morning Whence it is that Saint Matthew calls the dawning of the first day of the weeke the ende of the Sabboth of the Iewes Matth. 28. 1. and there is nothing I take it that can be brought to the contrarie It is obiected that Moses saith Leuit. 23. 32. From euen to euen shall ye celebrate your Sabboth Ans. The words must be vnderstood of the feast of reconciliation beeing the tenth day of the seuenth moneth which was solemnized and kept from euen to euen And it is called a Sabboth because it was by speciall commandement appointed to be kept as the Sabboth day and that in two respects First because it was to be kept holy by the Iewes in humbling themselues and offering Sacrifices vers 27. Secondly because vpon that day it was not lawful to doe any seruile worke vpon paine of death vers 25. 30. Againe it is alleadged that Ioseph of Arimathea could not embaulme Christ by reason that the Sabboth was at hand and this was the euening I answer that the Iewes Sabboth there ment concurred with the day of their passeouer and hence it was that their Sabboth beganne in the euening By this that hath beene said the answer to the third Question is plaine to wit that in the new Testament the Sabboth is to begin at the morning and so to continue to the next morning and not as some suppose to begin at the euen and continue till the next euen And thus much touching the speciall Questions of Gods worshippe as also generally concerning those that belong to Man as he stands in relation to God The ende of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Cases of Conscience concerning Man as he stands in relation to man CHAP. I. Of the Nature and Differences of Vertue and the Order of the Questions THVS farre we are proceeded in the handling of two sorts of Questions whereof some doe concerne man as he is considered apart by himselfe without respect vnto another some againe concerne man as he stands in the first relation namely to God Now we come by order to speake of the third and last head of Cases propounded by the Conscience of man as he stands in the second relation to man And vnder this Head are comprehended all those Questions of Conscience that are incident to the liues of men and which doe belong vnto man as he is a member of some Societie whether it be the Familie the Church or the Common-wealth For the better and more orderly proceeding in this Discourse some conuenient Subiect or Matter is to be propounded whereunto all the Questions that followe may fitly be reduced Now of all other the most conuenient Subiect in this kind is Vertue and therefore according the differences of Vertue we will distinguish the Questions into three seuerall sorts But before we proceede to particulars it shall not be amisse to speake somewhat generally of Vertue so farre forth as the knowledge thereof may giue light to the things that follow Touching Vertue two things are briefly to be remembred first what it is and then what be the distinct kindes thereof Vertue is a gift of the Spirit of God and a part of regeneration whereby a man is made apt to liue well I call it first a gift of the Spirit of God because in whomesoeuer it is whether in Christians or in Heathen men it hath the nature of a gift that floweth immediately from the spirit of God And this I put in the first place to confute the receiued errour of the wisest Heathen Philosophers which call Vertue an habite of the minde obtained and confirmed by custome vse and practise Secondly I call it such a gift as is also a part of regeneration and this is added for two causes First that we may put a differēce between Christian and Heathen vertues For howbeit the same vertues in kind and name are and may be found both in them that professe Christ and those also that are ignorant of the true God yet they are in them after a diuers manner For in Heathen men they are the gifts of God but not parts of regeneration and new birth but in those that be true Christians they are indeede not onely the gifts of Gods spirit but also essentiall parts of regeneration That we may the better yet conceiue this difference we must vnderstand that the grace of God in man is two-fold restraining and renewing Restraining is that which bridleth and restraineth the corruption of mens hearts from breaking forth into outward actions for the common good that Societies may be preserued and one man may liue orderly with another Renewing grace is that which doth not onely restraine the corruption but also mortifieth sinne and renewes the heart daily more more The former of these is incidēt to Heathen men the Vertues which they haue serue onely to represse the act of sinne in their outward actions but in Christians they are graces of God not onely bridling and restraining the affections but renewing the heart and mortifyin all corruption And though those vertues of the Heathen be graces of God yet they are but generall and common to all whereas the vertues of Christians are speciall graces of the spirit sanctifying and renewing the minde will and affections For example chastitie in Ioseph was a grace of Gods spirit renewing his heart but chastitie in Xeuoerates was a common grace seruing onely to curbe and restraine the corruption of his heart And the like may be saide of the iustice of Abraham a Christian and of Aristides a
of vnlawfull flight are to be considered and they are principally foure The first is when God puts into a mans heart the Spirit of courage and fortitude whereby he is resolued to abide and stand out against the force of all enemies Thus Paul Act. 20. 22. went bound in the Spirit to Ierusalem Where though he knew that bonds and afflictions did abide him yet he would not be disswaded but vttered these words of resolution I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfil my course with ioy and the ministration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God This motion of the Spirit is not ordinarie yet in the time of hot persecution it hath beene found in many worthy instruments of Gods glory as may be seene in the Histories of sundry Martyrs in the daies of Queene Mary But one especially of whom I was credibly informed that hauing this motion not to stand out and yet flying for that very act felt such a sting in his conscience that he could neuer haue peace till his death The second signe is when a man is apprehended and vnder the custodie of the Magistrate For then hee is not to flie because he must in all his sufferings obey the Magistrate Here a Question is mooued Whether a man that is imprisoned may breake prison To this Popish Schoolemen answer that he may if the cause of his imprisonment be vniust And sutable to this assertion is the common practise of Papists We on the contrary say and that truly that no man being in durance may vse any vnlawfull or violent meanes to escape for we may not at any hand resist the Magistrate in our sufferings Seruants are commanded to subiect themselues with patience vnto the vniust corrections of their Maisters 1. Pet. 2. 19. And this reason is giuen For it is thankeworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure greife suffering wrongfully The Apostles being in prison vsed no meanes to deliuer themselues but when the Angell of the Lord had opened the prison dores then they came forth and not before Act. 5. 19. And that which Peter and the other Apostles did must Pastors and other men also doe in the like case for Religion sake The third signe When a man is bound by his calling and ministerie so as in it he may glorifie God and doe good to the church by preaching theÌ„ he must not fly For the duties of a mans calling must be preferred before any worldly thing whatsoeuer whether body goods friends or life c. The fourth signe When God in his providence cuts off all lawfull meanes and waies of flying he doth then as it were bidde that man stay and abide I say lawfull meanes because we may not vse those that are vnlawfull but rather rest contented and resigne our selues wholly to Gods will and pleasure Wee must not doe any euill that good may come thereof and of two evills not onely not the lesse but neither of both is to be chosen So much of Confession CHAP. XIII Of an Oathe THe sixt head of Gods worship is an Oath concerning which three Questions are to be handled I. What an Oathe is II. How an Oathe is to be taken III. How farre forth it bindeth and is to be kept Sect. 1. I. Question What is an oathe An Oathe is a religious and necessarie confirmation of things doubtfull by calling on God to be a witnesse of truth and a revenger of falshood First I call it a Confirmation for so the Holy Ghost speaketh An oath for confirmation is among men an ende of all strife Heb. 6. 16. Secondly I terme it a religious confirmation because an Oath is a part of Gods Religion and worshippe Yea it is sometimes put for the whole worshippe of God Esay 19. 28. In that day shall they swear by the Lord of hosts that is they shall worship the true God Thirdly I adde a necessarie confirmation because an Oathe is neuer to be vsed in way of confirmation but onely in case of meere necessitie For when all other humane proofes do faile then it is lawfull to fetch testimonie from heauen and to make God himselfe our witnes In this case alone and neuer els it is lawfull to vse an Oathe Fourthly I say in which God is called vpon as a witnes of the trueth and a reuenger of falsehoode This is added in the last place because herein alone stands the forme and life of an Oâ—the that in things doubtfull we call God as a witnes of truth and a iust revenger of the contrary There be sundry kindes of confirmatioÌ„ as the affirmation the asseueration and the obtestation And by this Clause an Oath is distinguished from them all because in it we call vpon God to giue witnesse to the thing avouched but in the other three we doe not Now touching this last point of the forme and life of an Oathe three Questions are to be answered for the better clearing of the whole doctrine I. Question Whether an Oathe taken by Creatures be a true Oath and to be kept Ans. An Oathe by creatures is an Oath though vnlawfull For though there be not in it a direct invocation of God for witnesse yet when we call the creature to giue testimony we doe then indirectly cal vpon God because he is seene in them and looke how many creatures there be in the world so many signes are they of Gods presence This answer Christ himselfe maketh Matth. 23. 21 22. He that sweareth by heauen sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon that is by God himselfe II. Question Whether an oath by false gods be a true oath or no for example the oath of the Turke by Mahomet the oath of Laban by the gods of Nachor that is by his Idols when as in them there is no inuocation of the true God of heauen and earth I answer as before though it be not a lawfull oath yet it is in value effect an oath For though that thing be a false god indeed by which it is taken yet it is the true God in the opinion of him that sweareth Thus Mahomet is to the Turke in stead of the true God and is honoured of him as God and therefore his oath by Mahomet is a true oath Thus when Iacob in the couenant that he made with Laban sweares by the feare of his father Isaak and Laban by the Idols of Nachor Iacob accepted the oath which was tendered to him in the name of a false god which he would not haue done if it had not beene an oath at all And hence the Case is plaine that swearing by a false god is an oath and therefore bindeth the swearer in Conscience thought it be vnlawfully taken III. Question If in euery oath God ought to be cited as a witnes how then can God sweare by himselfe seeing none can witnes vnto him Ans.
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