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
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
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
themselues and their posteritie and yet they haue done it A plaine proofe that they were not carried by policie and naturall reason but were holy men guided by the Holy Ghost For if they had beene guided by reason they would neuer haue written that which would haue tended to their owne disgrace but would rather haue comended theÌ„selues their name stocke and linage Againe humane authors in their discourses doe commonly write of the praises and vertues of men of whome they write But the penmen of scripture with one consent giue all to God yea when they speake of commendation due to men thy giue it all to God in men God is in their writings the beginning the ende all Sect. 2. A second head of reasons is taken from the Matter and Contents of the Scriptures which are manifold The principall are these First the Scripture doth that which no other bookes can doe For it sets out the corruption of mans nature by sinne the fountaine of this corruption the punishment of the same both in this life and the life to come it discouereth sinnefull mans particular thoughts lusts and affections which neuer any book hath don beside it No Philosopher was euer able to make so true record and so plaine declaration of the thoughts motions and affections of the heart The reason of man cannot discerne them by nature vnles it receiue a further light by grace then it hath naturally in it selfe Yea the Scripture sets downe things that no mans heart can imagine yet are true by experieÌ„ce For example that it is an euill thought to thinke there is no God maÌ„ by nature caÌ„not imagine but yet it is true in experience by the light of the word And therefore Dauid saith The foole hath saide in his heart there is no God Secondly the maine Contents of this booke are sundrie articles of faith all which are farre aboue the reach of humane reason and yet they are not against it but at least some of them may be prooued by it For example that there is a Redeemer of the world is an article of faith aboue reason yet not against the same For in naturall vnderstanding God is not all iustice and no mercie But if there were no redeemer then should God be all iustice without mercie Now because he hath reuealed himselfe to be as well mercifull as he is iust reason concludes there is a redeemer Againe that this Redeemer should be God and man is aboue reason yet not against it For reason teacheth he must be God that he might satisfie the infinite iustice of God for sinne which none but God can doe Againe that he must be man because man hauing sinned man must be punished for the sinne of man Thirdly in the scripture there are sundrie predictions made before hand particularly which notwithstanding were not to come to passe till an 100 200 300 yeares after all these predictions in the same manner as they haue bin foretold haue bin fulfilled Iacob in his will foretold that the scepter should not depart from Iudah till Shiloh that is the Messias came This was verified euen as it was foretold For a little before Christs birth the scepter was taken from the Iewes and translated vnto the Romane Empire And Herod put the whole colledge of the Iewes called their Sanedrim to the sword in which colledge was the heire apparent of the Kings blood Againe Balaam Num. 24. 24. foretold that Kittim that is the Grecians and the Romans should subdue Eber the people of the East and that also was afterward verified For the Hebrewes and Assyrians were afterward ouercome by the Grecians and Cilicians The Apostle Paul in his time foretold the destruction of the Romane Empire and the reuealing of Antichrist 2. Thes. 7 8. c. which prophecie was shortly after fulfilled For Antichrist grew from those times by little and little till at length he came to sit in the Emperours throne Men indeede may foretell things to come but things foretold by them are present in their causes and so they know and foretell them not otherwise But God foretelleth simply and the scriptures foretell simply therefore they are the word of God Fourthly the law a part of the scripture is propounded most purely perfectly without exception or limitation Whereas in all mens lawes some sinnes are condemned but some be tolerated and permitted But in Gods law euery sinne is condemned none either forborne or excused Lastly the style and speech of the Scripture is plaine and simple without affectation and yet full of grace and maiestie For in that simple style it commandeth the whole man bodie and soule it threatneth euerlasting death and promiseth euerlasting life and it doth more affect the heart of man then all the writings in the world whatsoeuer Sect. 3. The third reason to induce vs to receiue the scriptures as the word of God is taken from the Effects whereof I note onely two I. The doctrine of Scripture in the Law and specially in the Gospel is contrarie to the corrupt nature of man Whereupon Paul saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God And yet the same word beeing preached by the Minister appointed by God conueâ—teth nature and turnes the heart of man vnto it in such sort as in this last age it hath wonne a great part of the world to the imbracing thereof Now in reason this is impossible that a thing which is so flat against mans corrupt nature should notwithstaÌ„ding preuaile with it so farre as to cause man to liue and die in the profession maintenance thereof Wee are woont to reiect the writings of men if they please not our humors whereas this word of God is of force to mooue and â—â—cline our affections though neuer so much censured crossed and controlled by it And this shewes that God is the author thereof from whome the word of creation came to which euery thing at the first yeelded obedience II. The word of God hath this effect to be able to minister comfort and releefe in all distresses of bodie or minde yea in the greatest and most desperate troubles and vexations of the Conscience And when the helpes of humane learning and Philosophie which are of great vse and force in other cases haue done all that they can to the very vtmost without effect or successe euen then the sweete promises of the Gospel will reuiue and raise vp the heart and giue it full contentment and satisfaction Expetience shewes this to be a confessed truth in particular cases and it teacheth whence and froÌ„ whome this word proceedeth wherein these promises are contained namely from God For when he sets the Conscience vpon the racke the Word that releeueth and refresheth the same must needs proceede and come from him alone Sect. 4. The fourth reason is taken from the Properties of Scripture I will name onely two The first is Antiquitie which most plainly appeares
Daniel did worship the Image as well as others Ans. Daniel was not accused as the three children were and for that cause there is no mention made of his refusall Againe put the case he had beene accused yet the King tooke no knowledge of his accusation because he was in fauour both with him and the people The fourth Obiection Paul togither with foure men that had made a vow yeelded to purifie himselfe according to the lawe of Moses because he would not offend the weake Iewes Act. 21. 24. And yet that Law concerning purification as also the whole bodie of Ceremonies was abrogated in the death of Christ. Now if he might doe that which was vnlawfull for the auoiding of offence why may not a man goe to Masse and so preuent the scandall which may be taken on the behalfe of the Papists Ans. It is true that there was an end put vnto the Ceremoniall lawe by Christs death yet it was not at the first wholly to be abolished but by little and little Againe the vse of ceremonies remained as a thing indifferene in it selfe till the Temple of Ierusalem was destroied by Titus and the Church of the New Testament throughly planted And till both these were accomplished the vse of the Ceremonial lawe was no sinne provided that it were not holden or vrged as a thing necessarie to saluation Now whereas it is saide that we may be present at the Masse for the auoiding of offence it may further be answered first that we are to doe our duties though men be neuer so much offended for it was the rule of Christ in like case Let them alone they be the blind leaders of the blind Matth. 15. 14. Secondly we ought not to doe euill that good may come thereof The fift Obiection The Masse is Gods ordinance appointed by Christ though now it be corrupted by men Ans. It is a most damnable Idol yea worse then any Idol of the Gentiles and the adoration performed therein is most abominable and hath more affinitie with grosse Gentilisme then with the Institution of our Sauiour Christ. III. Question Whether any man especially a Minister may with good conscience flie in persecution and if he may flie when Sect. 1. This Question consisteth of two parts Touching the first Sundrie men are of opinion that it is vtterly vnlawfull to flie in persecution as Tertullian who hath written a whole booke of this argument and besides him certaine Heretikes named Circumcelliones in that part of Afrike which we now call Barbarit and some also of the sect of the Anabaptists But the truth is that sometimes it is lawfull to flie though not alwaies For proofe whereof consider these reasons First Christs commandement Matth. 10. 23. When they persecute you in one citie flie into an other If it be saide that this commandement was limited to the times wherein the Aposties preached in Iewry and therfore is temporarie I answere No for there cannot any text of Scripture be brought to shew that it was euer yet repealed And the Apostles who had receiued this commandement euen after Christs ascension and the giuing of the holy Ghost being persecuted did flie from one place to another as we may read Act. 9. 2. Cor. 11. If it be alleadged that if this be a commandement to flie then all must â—â—ie I answere againe that though the commandement be generall to all persons and therefore euery Christian may lawfully shunne apparent danger yet the same is particular in regard of circumstances of time and place For though all may flie yet there be some places and times wherin men may not vse that libertie as shall appeare afterward The second reason is taken from the example of many worthy men recorded in Scripture Iacob the Patriarch fled from the presence of his brother Esau into Haran to Laban Gen. 27. and againe from thence to the land of his fathers Gen. 31. Moses after he had slaine the Aegiptian fledde out of Egypt into Madian where he liued 40. yeares Exod. 2. And this was no rash flight but a worke of faith Heb. 11. 27. Obadiah the gouernour of Ahabs house hid a hundreth men of the Lords Prophets by fiftie in a caue and fed them with bread and water when Iezabel would haue destroyed them 1. King 18. 13. Eliah being in feare of his life fled from Iezabel into Mount Horeb 1. King 19. 3. Againe in the N. Testament our Sauiour Christ being in danger withdrew himselfe Iohn 10. 39. and that sundry times till the hower of his passion was come Paul when the Iewes tooke counsell together to kill him was let downe by the brethren in a basket through a wall in Damascus Act. 9. 25. And when the Grecians went about to slay him hee was brought by the brethren to Cesarea and sent to Tarsus ver 29. 30. Againe being in danger he vsed Christian pollicie to saue himselfe For by saying he was a Pharisee he made a diuision betweene his accusers the Pharisies and Sadduces and so escaped Act. 23. 6. 7. And if that were lawfull for him to doe then is it also lawfull for a man by flight to saue himselfe in case of danger whether he be a priuate man or a Pastor Yet for the better clearing of the Answer some allegations to the contrarie are to be examined Obiection I. Persecution is a good thing and that which is good may not be eschewed Ans. Good things are of two sorts Some are simply good in and by themselues as vertues and all morall duties and these are not to be eschewed Some againe are good onely in some respects Of this sort are things Indifferent which he neither coÌ„manded nor forbidden but are good or euill in respect of circumstances And these may be eschewed vnlesse we know that they be good for vs. Now persecution beeing of this kind that is to say not simply good but onely by accident may be auoided because no man can say that it is good or bad for him Obiect II. Persecution is sent of God for the triall and good of his Church Ans. First euill things sent of God may be auoided if he shewe a meane or way how they may be auoided For example God sendeth sicknes famine the plague and sword he sends also meanes and remedies for the preuenting and remoouing of them as physicke and foode c. And these we may lawfully vse for the said purposes and in like manner may persecution be auoided if God offer meanes of escape Secondly there is a twofold Will of God his reuealed and his secret will By his Reuealed will he hath appointed that in case of present daunger when meanes of escape be offered they may be vsed Now because they that flie lawfully are assured of Gods reuealed will therefore in obedience thereunto they vse the meanes to saue themselues from danger As for his Secret will because it is vnknowne and therefore vncertaine vnto vs we may not rashly presume thereof and against
sinnes Secondly by the putting on of our garments we must be admonished to put on Christ. Rom. 13. 14. Quest. How shall wee doe that Ans. Thus We must conceiue Christs obedience actiue and passiue as a couering and therefore by praier we are to come vnto God in his name and intreat him to accept this his obedience for vs yea that Christ may be made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption And we on the other side made conformable to him in life and death in all morall duties Lastly that we may haue the same mind affection and conuersation that he had Thirdly when we put off our clothes we then are admonished of putting off the olde man that is the masse and body of sinnefull corruption And we then put him off when we can by grace hate sinne and carrie a resolute purpose in our hearts of not sinning Fourthly when we cloth our selues and trusse our attire to our bodies this should teach vs a further thing that it behooueth vs to gird vp our loines to haue our lightes burning to prepare our selues to meete Christ whether by death or by the last iudgment If we make not these vses of our attire we doe not rightly vse but rather abuse the same In a word to shut vp this point we are all to be exhorted to make conscience of the practise of these Rules and to take heede of pride in these outward things And in way of motiue hereunto consider first how great hainous a sinne Pride is The greatnes of it may be discerned by foure things First in it and the fruit thereof superfluity of apparell there is an abuse of our wealth to needlesse and superfluous vses which ought to be employed to vses more necessarie as to the good of the Church common wealth and familie and especially for the releife of the poore Secondly in this sinne there is an abuse of time For they that giue themselues to pride spend so much time in the adorning of their bodies that they haue no leisure for the adorning and beautifying of the soule Hence it comes to passe that proud persons abound with ignorance idlenesse wantonnesse and many other enormities Thirdly in this sinne there is an abuse of the attire it selfe in that it is made a signe of the vanitie of the mind and wantonnesse of the heart which should be the signe of a heart religiously disposed Fourthly in it there is a confusion of order in the estates societies of men For whereas one order of men should goe thus attired and another after another manner by this it comes to passe that equall and superior are clothed both alike and that which should be an occasion to humble vs is made an occasion to puffe vs vp Fiftly there is a great iudgement threatned against this sinne Esay 2. 11. 12. Zeph. 3. 11. The greatnes of this vice we are to endeavour by all means possible to redresse in our selues For which purpose we must be careful to see and feele and withall to bewaile the spirituall nakednes of our soules which is a deprauation of the image of God wherein we are created according to him in holines and righteousnesse the want whereof makes vs vgly and deformed in the eyes of God And the true sense and experience of this will turne our mindes and thoughts from the trimming of the body and make vs especially to labour for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed as the onely couering which will keepe vs warme safe from the stormes and tempests of the wrath and furie of God Sect. 4. In the fourth place we come to the handling of those Questions that concerne the Moderation of our Appetite in the Vse of Pleasures and Recreations And these are specially three I. Question Whether Recreation be lawfull for a Christian man Ans. Yea and that for two causes First Rest from labour with the refreshing of bodie and mind is necessarie because mans nature is like the bow which being alway bent and vsed is soone broken in pieces Now that which is necessarie is lawfull And if rest be lawfull then is recreation also lawfull Secondly by Christian libertie we are allowed to vse the creatures of God not onely for our necessitie but also for meete and convenient delight This is a confessed truth and therefore to them which shall condemne fit and conuenient recreation as some of the ancient Fathers haue done by name Chrysostome and Ambrose it may be said be not to righteous be not to wise Eccl. 7. 18. II. Question What kindes of recreations and sports are lawfull conuenient and what be vnlawfull and vnconuenient Ans. I will first lay downe this ground that All lawfull Recreation is onely in the vse of things indifferent which are in themselues neither commanded nor forbidden For by christiaÌ„ libertie the vse of such things for lawfull delight and pleasure is permitted vnto vs. Therfore meete and fitt recreations doe stand in the vse of things indifferent and not in things either commanded or forbidden Hence I deriue three Conclusions that may serue for the better answer of the Question I. Recreation may not be in the vse of holy things that is in the vse of the word Sacraments praier or in any act of religion For these things are sacred divine they doe staÌ„d by Gods expresse coÌ„mandement may not be applyed to any common or vulgar vse For this cause it is well provided that the pageants which haue beene vsed in sundrie cities of this land are put downe because they were nothing els but either the whole or part of the historie of the Bible turned into a Play And therefore the lesse to be allowed considering that the more holy the matter is which they represent the more vnholy are the plaies themselues Againe all such iests as are framed out of the Phrases sentences of the scripture are abuses of holy things and therefore carefully to be avoided The common saying may teach vs thus much It is no safe course to play with holy things Lastly vpon the former conclusion we are taught that it is not meete conuenient or laudable for men to mooue occasion of laughter in Sermons The second CoÌ„clusion Recreation may not be made of the sinns or offences of men They ought to be vnto vs the matter of sorrow mourning Dauid shed riuers of tears because men brake the commandements of God Psal. 119. 136. The righteous heart of Lot was vexed with hearing the abominations of Sodome 2. Pet. 2. 8. Vpon this it followeth first that common plaies which are in vse in the world are to be reprooued as beeing not meet and conuenient matter of Recreation For they are nothing els but representations of the vices misdemeanouâ—s of men in the world Now such representations are not to be approoved Paul saith Fornication couetousnes let them not be named among you as becommeth Saintes Eph. 5. 3. And if vices of men may not be