to the imagining of some thing which is not as an addition to our good which supposeth discontent with what we have 4. We take in here such Concupiscence as though it approveth not unlawful means to prosecute its inordinate designs yet it is too eager in the pursuit and discontent when it falleth short as for instance when Achab would buy Naboths Vineyard and pay for it or a man would marry such a woman lawfully supposing she were free and there were consent of parties c. the one is not stealing nor the other adultery yet both of them suppose a discontent when the desire of having is too eager and when there is an inordinateness in the affection or desire after it as when one cometh thus peremptorily to desire to have such a thing or to wish that such a thing were I would fain have this or that O that this or that were even as David longed for a drink of the Well of Bethlehem In a word we take in all that is opposite to or inconsistent with satisfaction in our own lot and love to our Neighbour under which this Command as the rest is comprehended Rom. 13. 9. even the least â—â—â—â—ngs of any thing tending that way or that inclineth to discontentment in our selves It is true every desire to have something added to our lot or amended in it it not to be condemned but when it is inordinate as 1. when the thing is not needful 2. when the desire is too eager 3. when the thing too much affecteth and even discontenteth till it be effected and done Now this being the scope and sum of this Command it may be gathered of how broad and vast extent the breaches of it are Is there one hour wherein there are not multitudes of these evil thoughts flowing running and roving through the heart Ah! what discontents with providences grudgings vain wishings c. are there and although all these as they reflect on God are against the first Command yet as they imply discontment in us with our lot or as they are risings of heart to evil though wrestled against and wherein the Spiritgetteth the victory they are against this Command so that not only vain Imaginations that are formed with delight but even those that are scarce suffered to breath yet having once a being are against this Command and sinful For 1. they break a Law and are disconformed to that which we should be 2. In Paul Rom. 7. who yet gave not way to these they are called sin and the body of death 3. He wrestleth against them and cryeth out under them desiring to be quit of them verse 24. now if they were only penal such out-cries and complaints were not so like him whom a complication of sharpest afflictions could never make once to groan but this body of death made him to cry out 4. They lust against and oppose the Spirit Gâ—l 5. 17. and so are against the Law of God Rom. 7. and tend to obedience to the Law of Sin and further the execution of its decrees 5. These are of the nature of Original sin and a branch growing of that root and so what is born of the flesh is flesh the branch must be of the nature of the root if the tree be corrupt the fruit must be so 6. These make way for other sins and keep the door open for temptations to grosser evils and give the Devil access to blow up the fire 7. They keep out many good motions and obstruct many duties and indispose for them 8. They mart communion with God who should have the â—ll of the soul heart and mind and sure if he had his due there would be no place for these as there will be none for them among the spirits of the just men made perfect 9. These sinful risings in the heart are a great burthen to a tender walker who groaneth under that habitual lightness and vanity of his mind in the gaddings whorings and departings of it from God for because of it he cannot get his whole delight uâ—interruptedly set on him and though he delighteth in the Law of God after the inner mâ—n yet he cannot win up to full conformity to it in his practise or when he would and resolveth to do good yet ere he wit as it were ill is present with him and his heart is away and on the pursuit of one foolish â—oy and vainity or another 10. Paul speaking of these lustful stirrings of the heart doth make it evident Rom. 7. throughout the Chapter that this Command speaketh of such Lusts which he had not known except the Law had said thou shalt not lust Now men naturally know that inward assent to sin even before it be acted is sinful yea Paul knew he had such things as these corrupt motions in him but he knew not that they were sinful but from the Law and that after its spiritual meaning was made known to him and from this it is that such who are regenerate see more sins in themselves then ever they did while unregenerate not simply because they have more but now having the spirit and a contrary principle with in they discern that to be sinful which they took no notice of as such formerly 11. The frequency of this sin of inordinacy in the first stirrings and motions of the heart is no little aggravation of it for what hour of a mans life when waking yea even when asleep in dreaming a man may be guilty of it as Rivet upon this Command acknowledgeth or half an hour is free of it Is ever the mind quiet and doth it not often yield consent to these motions and how few good purposes are often followed forth Alace but seldome 12. The extent of it is great one may sin this way in reference to all the Commands yea to as many objects as his Neighbour or himself hath things of which they have the possession yea to Imaginations about things that have no being nor it may be possibility of being but are meet Chimera's 13. The occasions of it and snares to it are rife and frequent nothing we see but readily it doth as fire inflame this Lust so that we have need continually as it were to cast water on it yea what thing is there that is in it self lovely and desirable we heaâ— or read of that we are not ready inordinately to be stirred towards the desiring of it 14. Its pretexts and cloaks to hide it self are many and sometimes specious so that men are seldom challenged for it if it come not to the length of being consented to or at least of a delectation How often are there wishes in our mouths and oftner in our hearts that break this Commandment which we observe not especially if they be for knowledge or some good thing in another or some good thing done by another which commendeth him for then O if we had it or O if we had done it is often the language of the heart
once â—mislead by Stage-Plays though Civil or Religious being seldom speedily reclaimed from them This was also Examplified in that late English Gentle-Woman of good-rank Who spending much of her precious Time in Attendance on Stage-Plays and falling at last into a Dangerous Sickness whereof she dyed Anno 1631. Friends in her Extremity sent for a Minister to prepare her for Death who beginning to Instruct and Exhort her to repent and call on God for Mercy she made him no Reply at all but cryed out Hieronimo Hieronimo O let me see Hieronimo Acted And so calling for a Play instead of calling on God for Mercy closed her Dying Eyes and had a Fearful End answerable to her Miserable Life And in these several Persons who were distracted with the Visible Apparition of the Devil on the Stage at the Bell-Savage-Play-House in Queen Elizabeth's Dayes while they were there beholding the History of Faustus prophanly Acted To which might be added many other Lamentable Examples and Warnings of such who by little and little have made Defection from the Faith being allured hereto by the Dangerous custome of beholding such Plays wherein Tertullian saith They Communicate with the Devil Will any Man or Woman dare to appear before the Dreadful Tribunal of God to maintain and make out the warrantableness of allowing more time to these and such other Practises several of which are excellently discoursed by the Author in the following Tractat and most of them with their Respective Authorities by Master Prin in his Histrio Mastix then to reading of this and other such Treatises If any will they must answer it I mind not through Grace to take part with them in so bold and desperate an Adventure Now Christian Reader without further Prefacing to bring thee in upon the Treasure of the Treatise it self If thou wilt read it seriously consider it suitably I think I may humbly in the Name of the Lord bid thee a Defyance to come away from it without a Bosom-full of Convictions of much guilt and without crying out with the Lepper under the Law Unclean Unclean With Job Behold I am vile With David looking stedsastly on the Glasse of this Law brightly shined on by Gods Light and reflecting a most clear Discovery of Innumerable Transgressions of it as so many Atoms in a clear Sun shine Who can understand his Errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults With the Prophet Isaiah We are all as â—ne Unclean thing as uncleanness it self in the Abstrast most Unclean and all our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Raggs With the Apostle James In many things we offend all And finally with the Apostle Paul We know that the Law is Spiritual but I am Carnal and sold under Sin O Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death That thou mayest also with the same Apostle be in case to say and sing to the Commendation of his Grace I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord is the Cordial desire of Thy Servant in the Gospel for Christs sake POSTSCRIPT Christian and Candid Reader THou seest that in this Epistle which for the most part of it was written above two years ago I have spoken a word of Stage-playes prophane Interludes Comedies c. at that time and several years before much in use amongst us whereto I would now add a few words more and deduce a little their infamous idolatrous devilish and damnable Pedigree and Original and give thee a brief account of the judgement of the ancient Christian Church about them that the Actors in them with the Patrons and haunters of them may with the greater dissatisfaction reflect on there own by-past unsuitable and disconform practise and that all others may for ever hereafter learn to fear and to do no more so unchristianly To which I am the rather induced that the worthy Author of this Treatise hath onely in passing made mention of them as a breach of the seventh Command they being then utterly in desuetude with us and it having not so much as once entered into his thoughts that after so bright and glorious a Sun-shine of Gospel-light the Generation would ever let be so quickly have so far degenerated as to suffer themselves to be tempted to have any fellowship with such unfruitful works of darkness I say then that Stage-playes in their several sorts were prohibited reprobated and condemned and the Actors in them appointed to be excommunicated by the Canons of several more particular and of some general Councels which Canons I forbear for brevities sake to set down at length as namely by the fifth Canon of the first Councel at Arles in France Anno 314. in the time of Constantine the Great by the twentieth Canon of the second Councel held there Anno 326. or more probable 389. as Fr. Longus a Coriolano reckoneth in his sum of all the Councels by the fifty seventh sixty second and sixty seventh Canons of the Eliberine Councel in Spain Anno 305. by the eleventh and thirty fifth Canons of the third to wit from Constantines time as Spondanus reckoneth Councel of Carthage Anno 397. the very same with the thirteenth and thirty fifth Canons of the Councel of Hippo in Africk held Anno 393. as Longus a Coriolano sheweth who sets down the sum of the Canons framed at Hippo at the close of the Canons made in this third Councel of Carthage by the twelfth Canon of the African Councel held Anno 408. where Augustine was present the Canons of both which Councels suppose persons to have been excommunicated on this account and provide for their reconciliation to the Church in case of repentance and turning from these practises to the Lord and by the fifty first and sixty second Canons of the sixth general Councel called by some the fifth held at Constantinople Anno 680. the Canons whereof were renewed in that Councel held at Constantinople Anno 692. which is called Quimsextum these two Canons are very express and peremptory in this thing And can any Christians warrantably and without sin recreate themselves with beholding such playes the Actors wherein deserve to be excommunicated what is there no better no more innocent and inoffensive way or is this the onely or the best way to recreate men to refine sharpen and polish their wits to perswade and prevail with them to hate and flee vice and to love and follow vertue to acquaint them from History with to impress on them the remembrance and to excite them to the imitation of the noble and truely imitable actions of illustrious Heroes and other great men to breed them to a suitable confidence to make them eloquent and fine spokesmen and to help them to a becoming gest in all actions places and societies the grave Seers and great Lights of the Church did never see any such thing in them but on the contrary have with common suffrage judged them to be the most effectual and compendious way to make men soft
man pitieth his beast and regardeth the life thereof Prov. 12. 10 But for the better Understanding of the Object of the Command we shall proceed to speak to it and the act of killing which is the second thing complexedly and if we consider killing in reference to a mans self it is certainly understood here for that being the sum of all the commands of the second Table thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self it must be understood as repeated in each of them as here thou shalt not kill thy Neighbour more than thy self or shalt preserve him as thy self which supposeth that it is not free for a man to wrong himself more than to wrong others and generally these reasons whereby the Lord restraineth us from killing others will also hold in restraining us from killing and other ways wronging our selves therefore there is no question if it be a sin to wrong hurt or torture others whether in body or in their soul as to the tranquillity and quiet frame thereof and any ways to procure or further their death it will be no less so to do thus to our selves because love to our selves is the patern that we ought to walk by in lovi ng others We may be guilty of the breach of this Command in reference to our selves by omissions as well as by commission as when things needful for entertainment and health of the body are either designedly or with an excessive misregard to health and life omitted We may further fall into the breach of this Command in reference to our selves either directly as purposing and intending hurt to our own bodie or indirectly by casting our selves in unnecessary seen dangers by wilful or careless using of known unwholesome food by excesive and immoderate toyl by spending and wasting the body with unchastness by drunkenness and gluttony whereby many more are destroyed then with the Sword according to the common saying plures gulâ quám glaáio pereunt and many other ways If we consider this command with respect to others we may conceive it in reference to a threefold life which we should endeavour to preserve and promote in them in any one of which a commission or omission will make a breach thereof 1. There is a life of the body and whatever cometh from us that wrongeth that either directly as stroaks challenges or appeals c. or indirectly if it were but by keeping back something that is in our power to give which might be useful to our neighbour in his need that no doubt maketh guilty of this sin of killing in respect of this bodily life I have mentioned appeals to Duels under the former branch because albeit that in the matter of private duels the pride and corruption of men do ordinarily either commend a vain bravery and gallantry or pretend the excuses of a seeming Obligation in the point of honour or necessary defence Yet we are sure that the judgment of God which is according to truth by pointing out on the part as well of the accepter as of the appealer these ensuing irregularities do condemn the thing as exceeding sinful As 1 Impotency of mind and excess of Passion which if sooner in the accepter doth only add deliberation to his other guilt 2 Contempt of the publick Laws and civil order 3. An Usurpation of the Magistrates sword which is given to him both for punishing and protecting And 4. An invasion of Gods right of vengeance which he hath so expresly reserved to himself and from this the accepter observing ordinarily no more moderament in his defense than there was necessity for the engagement hath no excuse more then the challenger so that in effect although the mediate rise may be thought to be on the appealers part yet the sin is common and is in a word a plain complication of hatred against our neighbour contempt against the Laws and Powers and God who hath appointed them and a bold and desperate despising and rashing upon Death Judgement and Eternity which do so imminently attend all such rencounters O how much more heroick and noble were it for men to approve the wise and great King choise he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a City to hear him who is higher than the Princes of the earth who commands us Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and confirmed all by his own most perfect example And lastly the study of that divine goodness which embraceth both good and evill just and unjust to aspire to that height of all felicity and glory in being perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect But to proceed 2. There is a spiritual and eternal life of the soul thus sin deadneth and killeth men and in this respect all who are unfaithful to others in the matter of their souls or who cause them to sin or sinfully give them occasion of sin become guilty of soul-murther so Ezek. 3. 18. and 33. 6. his blood will I require at thy hands saith the Lord to the Prophet Men become guilty of this not only 1. By commanding as Saul did Doeg to kill the Lords Priests and David did Joab to cause Uria◠to be slain 2. By counselling and advising as Jonadab did Amnon in reference to his sister Thamar 3. By alluring and down right tempting as Thamar did Juda 4. By consenting to the sin of others or any wise assisting countenancing or incouraging them in it as Saul was consenting to the death of Stphen was standing by keeping the cloaths of them that stoned him and as men may be in reference to false Teachers 2 Epist of John 10 11. 5. By giving high Provocations to others and thereby stirring them up to sin such as are reproaches opprobrious speeches chartallings challenges to fight c. but also 6. By evil example as David was accessary to the sin of the Adversaries blasphemous reproaching by what he did and the Apostle often insinuateth Christians may be thus guilty by their insutable deportment in the several relations they sustain and stand under this may also be by doing what hath the appearance of evil yea even by doing of things in themselves lawful but inexpedient because unseasonable and with offence Thus one Christian may be accessory to anothers stumbling and may sinfully hazard the destroying of these for whom Christ dyed as the Apostle discourseth concerning offences even in things not sinful in themselves 7. By not warning faithfully before sin be committed as is clear Ezek. 3. 18. 8. By not reproving after the sin is committed but suffering it to lye on our brother Lev. 19. 6. 9. By not suiting and proportioning the reproof to the greatness of the sin but making it too soft and gentle not shewing just indignation against it which was Eli his guilt who though he did not altogether
there must have been in the Apostles time some way to make it out and that then upon such certain evidence of the scandal brethren have spoken one to another about it in which admonition if they did not acquiess it proceeded further and at least private Christians were to shun the familiar company of such for their shame who thus walked disorderly by pursuing and gathering riches too eagerly as well as of others who fell into the contrary fin of negligence and idleness 2 Thess 3. 14. As to the 3. Consideration of the punishment of theft what it may be in the Civil Courts of men or by the Magistrate we will not insist here without our spheaâ— and line But to speak here a little to the punishment of direct and plain theft which is that commonly noticed and punished among men certainly Blasphemy Adultery and such other sins are in themselves at least no less if not more capittal then this And those who have observed the Laws and Customs of Nations assert That in no place generally theft was punished with death till Draco that bloody prince whose Laws were written in blood did it certainly the Politick or Judicial Laws of Moses were for tenderness as conscientious for equity as just and for wisdom as profitable Laws to the Common-wealth as ever any since were or could be being immediately Divine yet find we not death ordained by them to be inflicted upon it but restitution to be made double fourfold or five-fold according as the thing was in worth and as the neighbour was prejudged by the taking it away Exod. 22. 1. 2. It is true if the man had nothing then was he to be sold for his theft to make up his neighbours loss Exod. 22. 3. And if in the night one had been smitten digging through a house it was not to be accounted murther If I say it was in the night or before Sun-rising because that by these circumstances it became a violation of mens common security and the design of such an atrocious attempt might be presumed to be against the life or persons of men And upon this ground such Robbers as break the publick peace that men through fear of them cannot travel go about their affairs or live at home or whose robbery doth carry direct hazard to mens lives with it these upon that account are worthy of death but not so much for sinning against this Command as against the sixth the Reason is because there is no proportion betwixt a mans wronging another in his goods and the losing of his life and in justice where circumstances do not highly aggredge the crime and bring it under some other consideration there should be a proportionableness betwixt the crime or hurt done and the punishment and retribution thereof as eye for eye hand for hand c. otherwayes it were better and more safe to thrust out a mans eye then to steal his horse or sheep Hence it is that there was no restitution in the Law to be made for what marr'd life but the person thus offending was to be punished lâ—ge talionis but in other things it was not so It now remaineth that we should speak somewhat of Usury concerning which as there are many words spent in dispute so no question there are many sins in practise by custom the name of Usury is become odious and may be taken for unlawful gain gotten by the meer loan of money and in that case the Scripture being so clear there is no place left for questioning of its sinfulness If we abstract from the word and consider the thing in it self viz. if it be lawful for the meer loan of money to compact for some advantage it will be another question And here indeed in respect of mens corruptions who can keep no bounds there is great hazard of miscarrying yet we conceive in answer to it there are two extreams to be shunned so that we can neither say that simply it is lawful in all cases nor simply inlawful Not simply lawful because there is some such sin committed directly condemned in the Law Exod. 22. 25. Deut. 23. 19. Nor simply unlawful so as in no case it is to be allowed for suppose one that is unable to labour have only some money and no land or other visible estate or suppose men to have Orphan-childrens means committed to them may not that person or the tutors of these children lend the money to such as are in â—â—pacity to make gain by it and receive some proportionable advantage for the loâ—n oâ— it we conceive no ground can altogether conâ—â—â—â— it as contrary either to the roles of equity or charity It is not contrary to the rules of equity that when one is so much benefited by the estate of another that the person whose the estate is should proportionably share of that benefit which without him and his money the other hâ—d not reaped Not is it contrary to the rules of charity for although Charity command â—s to lend for our neighbours necessity yet not for hiâ—â—â—m and the iâ—â—â—ching of him and it would seem strange that aman having nothing but money should be obliged to lend it freely to rich men who making conqueish thereby should 〈◊〉 the benefit and yet he get nothing The law of equity That 〈◊〉 should do to others aâ— we would have them do to us will not infer but that if a man by possessing another mans money did either make conqueish of so much rent by it or did â—â—tain so much which otherwayes he could not do he is obliged to make the lender proportionable sharer with him of the gain for it is hard to say that a man â—ighâ—huy such a piece of land with my money from another and in buying of it gain so much and yet by letting him keep hoth my money and the land I he warranted to ask nothing at all Sure were I the borrower and bâ—â—er I should think otherwayes and judge it equitable that the lender should be a pâ—â—â—â—â—er of the profits arising in some respect from his own money If we will consider this of Usury a little further we will find 1. That all the Commands strike against the injury of exacting it from 〈◊〉 object of mercy such as the poor brother or even a poor stranger for in this case our money is to be lent freely and sometimes we are obliged to give it freely and neither to look for stock nor annual as we may see Luke 6. 34 35. c. Moreover as the Command is not to exact usury from the poor brother so it commandeth also not to exect just debts Deut. 15. 1. 2. 3. from him when he is poor yet none I suppose will argue from that that no man might ask his own even the principal sum from others who are able to pay it 2. The Lord allowed gain of lent money to be taken from strangers Deut. 23. 20 and yet it cannot be said that he did allow them
and so the order of these ten words as they are called by the Lord would be confounded But the great thing we are mainly to inquire into is the meaning of this Command in which Papists being loath to acknowledge corrupt natures case to be so desperate as it is and designing to maintain perfection of inherent righteousness and justification by works do make this sin of Lust forbidden in this Command a very general thing and all of us ordinarily are apt to think light of this sin We would therefore say 1. That we are to distinguish Concupiscence and consider it as it is 1. Spiritual in a renewed man for there are motions and stirrings called Lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh Galat. 5. 17. 2. As it is partly natural to man to have such stirrings in him as flow from the natural faculty and power of desiring so Christ as man desired meat and drink and this being natural was certainly in Adam before the fall and as the will and understanding are not evil in themselves so is not this It is neither of these that this Command speaketh of 2. There is a sinful Concupiscence called evil Concupiscence Coloss 3. 5. and the lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit it is this that is here spoken of the inordinateness of that Lust or concupiscibleness or concupiscible power turning aside out of its natural line to that which is evil It is this which God forbiddeth in this Command and setteth bounds to the desiring or concupiscible faculty 2. We say there is a two-fold consideration of this sinful Concupiscence 1. As it is in the sensual part onely and the inferiour faculties of the soul as to meet drink uncleanness c. Or 2. we may consider it as it reacheth further and riseth higher having its seat in the heart and will and running through the whole affections yea even the whole man who in this respect is called Flesh in the Scripture Galat. 5. 17. and there is Heresie and other evils attributed unto it vers 19. 20 21. which will not agree to the former so Rom. 7. 23 24. it is called the Law of the Members and the body of death and hath a wisdom Rom. 8. 7. that is enmity against God corrupting all and inclining and by-assing wrong in every thing so that a man because of it hath not the right use of any faculty within him This Concupiscence which is seated not only in the sensible but in the rational part of the soul is that which is intended here which is the fountain and head-spring of all other evils for from the heart proceed evil thoughts c. Matth. 15. 19. it is the evil treasure of the heart Matth. 22. 25. 3. We may consider this Lust 1. As it is habitual and is even in young ones and in men when they are sleeping whereby there is not onely an indisposition to good but an inclination to evil it lusteth against the Spirit Galat 5. â— and is enmity to the Law of God Rom. 8. 7. and lusteth 〈…〉 James 4. 5. and 〈…〉 sin James 1. 15. This is the sad fruit and consequent in all men by nature of Adams first sin and hath a disconformity to the Law of God and so is called the Flesh Rom. 7. 5. and the law of sin and death Rom. 8. 2. In the first respect this sin is a body and a person as it were an old man Rom. â— 6. and in the other it hath 〈◊〉 in particular to which it giveth Laws requiring obedience 2. We may consider it as â—â—ting and stirring in its several degrees And 1. we may say it stirreth habitually like the raging sea Isai 57. penult and as grace tendeth to good or as fire is of an heating nature so is this Lust still working as an habitual distortion crook or bending upon somewhat that should be straight or as a defect in a legg which possibly kytheth not but when one walketh yet there is still a defect or rather it is a venome which is still poysonous thus Rom. 7. 5. it is called the motions of sin in the Flesh 2. The more actual stirrings of it are to be considered either in their first risings when they are either not adverted into and without direct hatred or actual and formal approbation or as they are checked and rejected as Paul did his Rom. 7. 15. and 2 Corinth 1â— 3. or as they are delighted in though there be not a formal consent yet such a thing in the very mind is some way complyed with as desirable and pursued after this is called morâ—sa delectatio or as they are resolved on to be acted and when men seek means and wayes how to get the sin committed after that inwardly approving complacency and liking of the thing hath prevailed to engage the mind to conquish for instance such an estate unjustly or to compass and accomplish the act of filthiness with such a woman 3. It may be considered in general either as the thoughts are upon riches or covetousness or filthiness without respect to any particular thing or person or as they go out upon them in particulars 4. We say we would put a difference betwixt tentations objectively injected by the Devil as he did on our Lord Jesus Matth. 4. 1. and Lusts rising from an internal principle which are most common see James 1. 14. The first is not our sin of it self except it be 1. entertained some way or 2. not rejected or 3. not weighting and grieving us for the ill scent it leaveth behind it for we having such conbustible matter within hardly cometh a tentation in even from without but it fireth us or rather we having the kindling within the Devil cometh but to blow on it and stirreth that which is in us hence it cometh that seldom there is a temptation assaulting but some guiltiness remaineth because there is not a full abhorrence of these abominable strangers that come into the heart 5. This Lust may be considered either as it is in natural men where its shop is and so it is called reigning sin and the dominion of sin it is a yielding to sin to obey it in the Lust thereof to obey it willingly as a Servant doth his Master Rom 6. 12 13. or as it is in the renewed and regenerate so it is indwelling sin without dominion and indeavoured to be expelled a law in the Members and that continually is acting but counteracted by a contrary lusting Rom. 7. 23 24. Now let us clear 1. what Concupiscence falleth in under this Command and so 2. how this differeth from other Commands which are spiritual and reach the heart also 3. we may consider the sinfulness of this Lust and give some advertisements concerning it in its acting stirring c. 1. Under this Command we take in habitual Lust even as it disposeth and inclineth to ill in the root of it though not principally yet consequently because its streams and branches that do flow from
and not at least awake and stir the savour of corruptions Indeed pure Nature in our blessed Lord who was without Original sin was like water presently to quench all such Fiery Darts 3. If they come from the Devil to what end can he object them to men it must either be because they are sinful that being his aim to defile them thereby and draw them to sin or because they are troublesome and heavy to men he having delight also in mens misery but such dreams are no way weighty and troublesome to the most part of men that therefore is not his aim nor would they be so much burdensome to others were it not from their apprehension of guilt under them and therefore Satans aim must be thereby to defile men with sin 2. Argument which confirmeth the former and let us consider it with reverence our blessed Lord Jesus was made in all things like unto us except sin none of the fruits of original sin which are sinful are to be found in him and yet I suppose none can without horrour imagine such dreams to have been incident to him or that his absolute Holiness was capable of them He is the only instance of one free from original sin yet may he be supposed lyable to any other penal thing excepting 1. What implies sin 2. What implies distempers and infirmities in the contemperature and constitution of his body from inward causes because he had no inward cause being free of sin as Adam before his Fall and therefore not naturally I mean from inward principles or necessity as we are subject to sickness or death 3. The third Argument is That men are often accessary to these sinful dreams themselves either 1. By excess disposing themselves to such inclinations or 2. By a loose mind that delights in following such things throughout the day in their more reasonable meditations and more determinate purposes it being ordinary that dreams follow much the constitution of the body or the habitual strain of our practise in which respect mens Callings or particular Imployments will run up and down before the Fancy in their sleep and so their sinful exercises also or 3. By not praying to God to guard against them and neglecting to press more after mortification for that end or 4. By not being suitably affected with them after they are past and gone In which cases even the School-men who are not the most rigid and tender Casuists will grant all things being considered sin to be ex consequenti in dreams and we suppose few fall in such dreams who may not in one circumstance or other read their accession to sin therein and though our frame and constitution be in it self natural yet that it should incline us sleeping or waking to any thing sinful that is and must be from corrupt nature seeing it clearly speaketh the inordinateness of our natural inclination 4. The fourth Argument is from the Law of Washings and Sacrificings for the sin of uncleanness in mens dreams when they pass seed in their sleep which seemeth to say thus much that both sleeping and waking men should be holy and although there be sacrifices and cleansings appointed for somethings that are not morally sinfull as the touching of a dead body having Leprosie c. yet simply to say so of the case in hand were hard For 1. If it be said there was no moral sinfulness in that kind of pollutions what then could these Sacrifices and Washings signifie If any say as they must say they looked to secret actings of original sin it doth confirm what we have said But 2. Is there in any such things as are not accounted sinful in themselves such a dependency upon or likeness to any Commandment as there is in that which is mentioned Levit. 15. to the seventh Commandment to which it seemeth to have a direct reference 5. The fifth Argument may be taken from the extent of the Law which reacheth to the whole man outward and inward soul heart mind and if to the whole man then why not to the fancy memory imagination c. And we are sure when Spirits are made perfectly comform to the Law of God there will not be found in them any such fancy imaginable as consistent with it Besides doth not this Law oblige and tye alwayes even sleeping men as we conceive are under the negative Precepts of it that is although they be not bound to pray and hear in their sleep yet they are bound not to Murder nor commit Adultery c. in their sleep and the more renewed and holy Christians are in their ordinary walk so are they in their dreams and even in this sanctified persons differ from unrenewed ones 6. The sixth Argument it this we suppose these grounds that prove involuntary lust in the first motions thereof and before they can come to consent to be sin will infer these motions in sleeping men of which we speak to be sinful also For 1. Though these motions of lust be involuntary and weaken not the deliberate use of Reason more then the other And 2. Though they be in the Regenerate wrestled against and not approved more then the other yet because these are not according to reason though not brought forth by it and not answerable to that simple purity and Angelick holiness which should be in man and it is hard to imagine the most passing motions of lust running never so swiftly through us not to leave behind them some dreg of defilement by reason of our corruption that sideth still in less or more with temptation which cannot be said of sins objected by the Tempter to our Lord and such lusts or motions of lust have still by the Orthodox according to Pauls Doctrine Rom. 7. been thought sinful upon the foresaid reasons and we see not but these same reasons will hold here Lastly we add that generally the Consciences of the Godly look on this kind of practises although committed in sleep with horrour and no reasoning or disputing will truly quiet them till they be humbled before God under them and yet they use not to be so troubled in other things that are meerly Ceremonial How doth Augustine complain of this yea confess and lament it Confess lib. 10. cap. 30. though elsewhere he accounts it no sin yet he crys out of it and that he thought it a mercy that he had not done what in sleep he consented to act reperimus nos non fecisse doleamus tamen quoquo modo in nobis factum suisse It grieves him that it should be any way done in him and he aggreadgeth it thus that he had not alwayes rejected these as sometimes he had done And do not the Godly sometimes in their sleep make opposition to these motions and how often do they in prayer wrestle against this evil and that as I conceive from another apprehension of it then simply because of any punishment or affliction that is in it for many things more afflicting
neglect or omit to reprove the prophanity and gross wickedness of his Sons yet did not reprove at that rate of holy severity called for and answerable to their atrocious and villanous wickedness he frowned not on them and dealt not roughly with them as he should have done as is clear by comparing 1 Sam. 2. 22. 23. 24. 25. with 1 Sam. 3. 13. 10. By rash putting men in Offices for which they are not all or not competently qualified and so cannot but in all probability sin much in them especially in the Office of the Ministry 1 Tim. 5. 22 11. By not endeavouring by all suitable and lawful means within the compass of our power and calling to prevent the sin of others and to restrain them from it as Eli is on this account challenged by the Lord 1 Sam. 3. 13. 12. By broaching venting teaching and spreading heresies and false doctrine thus Antichrist is notoriously and primely guilty of this sin of soul-murther as all false teachers and seducers are less or more according to the nature of the doctrine taught by them and their industry in propagating the same and likewise all that tolerate and do not restrain them whose Office obligeth them to it according to their power All these and other ways may men be accessory to other mens sins and so make themselves guilty of this great and cruel sin of Soul-murther This sort of murther aboundeth and is very rife and yet is in an especial manner forbidden by this command and the prevention of it accordingly called for it being a greater evidence of love to our neighbour to be careful of his soul then of his body the one being more pretious then the other and however false Prophets teachers and seducers seem ordinarily to be most tender of mens persons and most desirous to please them yet are they in this sort horridly guilty of their murther 3. There is a life of contentment consisting in the tranquillity of the mind and the calm frame of a quiet spirit with comfort joy and chearfulness to this purpose saith Paul 1. Thess 3. 8. I live if ye stand fast in the Lord and it is said of Jacob Gen. 45. 27. when he heard that Joseph lived his spirit revived as if it had been dead before because of his great heaviness arising from the supposed death of his Son thus we become guilty of this Sin of killing when we obstruct or interrupt the spiritual comfort and joy or the inward contentment of our neighbour by fear heaviness disquietness discouragement c. whereby his life is made bitter and his tranquillity impaired and so his hurt procured or furthered As Josephs brethren did not only become guilty of his blood but of weighting their Father and deadning as it were his spirit which afterwards at the news of Josepths being alive revived so people may be guilty against their Ministers when they make them do their work not with joy but grief as it is Heb. 13. 17. Again Murther as it respecteth the bodily life of our Neighbour is either immediate as Cains was of Abel Joahs of Abner and Amasa or mediate as Sauls was of the Lords Priests Davids of Uriah and Achabs of Naboth Again killing may be considered either as purposed such as Cain's was of Abel and Joab's of Abner and Amasa or not purposed which again is twofold 1. Innocent which is even by the Law of God every way so and is indeed no breach of this Command as when a man following his duty doth that which beside contrary to his intention without any previous neglect or oversight in him proveth the hurt death of another 2. Culpable bcause although it do proceed beyond the purpose of the person yet it is occasioned and caused by a culpable negligence As suppose one were hewing with an Ax which he either knew or might have known to be loose and the head not well fastened to the helve did not advertise those about him of it if by flying off it happend to wound or kill any person he were not innocent but if without any inadvertencie he either knew not that it were loose or that any were about him if then it should fall off and kill his Neighbour in this case he is guiltless So when the Lord commanded those who built houses to build battlements about the roofs of them if any person fell where the battlements were the Master was free if the battlements were not he was guilty Murther is also either to be considered as committed after provocation or without all provocation which is a great aggravation of the sin though the provocation maketh it not cease to be a sin Further it may be considered as it is the murther of evil and wicked men or of good and religious men and that on the account of their Religion which is a most horrid aggravation of the murther Lastly this murther is either ordinary as of meer equals or inferiours or extraordinarly aggredged by the quality of the person murthered whether he be a supperiour as a Magistrate a Parent or whether he be of a near Relation as a Brother or Kinsman c. We come a little more particularly to consider the extent nature of the sin forbidden here which is not certainly to be understood of taking the life by publick Justice or in a lawful or just War or in necessary and pure self-defence that we may the better understand the contrary duty commanded It implyeth then a hurting which we may consider 1. as in the heart 2. as in the mouth or words 3. as in gestures 4. as in deeds for we take it for granted that it reacheth further then the gross outward act as by Christs exposition of it in Matth. 5. is incontrovertibly clear The heart is the fountain spring and treasure of all evil in it breedeth all evil and from it proceedeth this murther Matth. 15. 19. he that in heart hateth his brother is a murtherer 1 John 3 15. In a word whatever is opposite to love in the heart is a breach of this Command As 1. hatred which is malitious and simply wisheth ill to our Neighbour and only because we love him not with out any other reason as one wickedly said No amo te Zabidi nec possum dicere quart Hoc tantum possum dicere non amo te So Cain hated his Brother without cause 2. Anger that supponeth a pretended wrong and is desirous of revenge because of ingratitude pretended in justice c. 3. Envy whereby we are grieved with the good of another supposing though groundlesly that it obstructeth ours and therefore we seek to overturn it Anger is cruel and wrath outragious but who can stand before Envy saith Solomon There is often secret hatred on this ground more irreconcileable then where many and grave reasons can be given 4. Rage which presseth reveng beyond what is condign though it follow it lawfully as to outward means 5. Sâ—vitia or