cleane broken off wee are put from him and without all pitty must endure the euer-burning flames of hell fire 4. Duty To doe good vnto all Gal. 6.10 The fourth duty is to doe good vnto all but specially to those of the houshold of faith as the Apostle warneth because of our communion with them and that not onely in distributing our temporall goods but our spirituall in being like affected towards them reioycing with them that reioyce and weeping with them that weepe For in the members of our body to vse the Argument of the Apostle Can one be pained and not all of them in like manner grieued so in the spirituall body of Christ of which wee professe our selues members there can be none grieued but it must bee our griefe also none comforted but it must bee our comfort also And if wee be thus affected towards one another wee shall need no spurs to pricke vs forward to any duty of loue towards one another but Ministers will preach diligently to inlighten their fellow members people will pray heartily that a doore of vtterance may be giuen vnto them neighbors wil not suffer one another to sin but plainly rebuke vice the forward in matters of religion will not suffer others to bee slacke but prouoke them to loue and good works the stayed will not suffer the vnruly to goe on in their inordinate courses but restore them in the spirit of meekenesse the rich will not suffer the poore to perish for want of food but relieue them they which haue plenty will supply the necessities of such as suffer through scarcity euen beyond that which they are able and all this readily and cheerefully because it is to the benefit of our common body of which wee are all members alike Neither is this all but in thus doing we do wonderfully please our deare Sauiour and shall haue it remembred at the last day to our vnspeakable comfort Math 2â— Wherefore let our hard hearts breake within vs let them resolue into bowels of compassion towards the poore and let our security in regard of others become anxious carefulnesse for the keeping of them vpright in the way of righteousnesse 5. Duty To be comfortable in distresse Heb. 4.15 The fift duty is to bee comfortable in all our sufferings whether by persecutors or slanderours by sicknesses or lâ—sses by pouerty or wants because our head Christ is not without a Sympathy and feeling of these miseries and will not suffer vs to be tempted heereby beyond that we are able but will giue the issue together with the temptation Was it not a wonderfull stay to the mindes of the Disciples when Christ told them Math 10. Hee that receiueth you receiueth mee and hee that receiueth me receiueth him that sent me And on the contrary side to those that do contrariwise Did it not confirme Paul much becomming a Preacher of the Gospell to heare that they which persecuted the Christians did persecute Christ himselfe Doubtlesse it did Likewise then should it confirme and comfort vs in all our troubles and crosses If any man were so neere vnto the King and so great in his fauor as that whosoeuer dares to touch him it were as good for him to touch the King himselfe hee would bee secure in all wrongs and iniuries done vnto him But wee are so neere vnto the King of Heauen as that whosoeuer toucheth vs goeth about to pull the signet out of his right hand and toucheth the apple of his eye Esa 49.15.16 What ioy and comfort then should wee exexpresse euen in the time of our tribulations seeing that when wee suffer Rom. 5. the Lord is grieued who will not hold his peace for euer but as a mighty Gyant waked out of his sleeep will surely come forth and smite all his enemies with a great destruction and with Sampson shake off the cords and ropes of all miseries as threds burnt in the fire 6. Duty To lead an heauenly life The sixth duty is to leade an heauenly life whilst we liue vpon earth because there is a communion betwixt vs and the Saints in heauen And this is by hauing our hearts lifted vp to heauen by meditation by setting vp Iaacobs ladder to Heauen by prayer by hauing our mouthes seasontd with speeches of Heauen and of heauenly things by making vnto vs wings with the Angels for swiftnesse and readinesse in doing Gods will by being fiery through zeale with the Seraphims for Gods glory If wee looke well about vs all things consent together to worke in vs this heauenlines our Father is in Heauen our head and husband Christ in Heauen the Prophets and the Apostles with the rest of our fellow-seruants in Heauen our riches our ioy and our crowne in Heauen and our deare Country and pleasant dwelling places no where but in Heauen How is it then that wee so farre forget our selues as to bee sensuall and earthly and haue so little sauour of heauenlinesse in vs Why doe wee not hang downe our heads and bee ashamed that the Lord should see our hearts and tongues so basely taken vp so estranged from our deere Husband Father Brethren and Countrey where so excellent things are prouided for vs Quest 45. What meane you by the forgiuenesse of sinnes Answ That wonderfull grace of God in Iesus Christ whereby he accounts of sinne as if it had neuer beene committed Explan We shall not neede to be so large about this Article because it is easie to be vnderstood The meaning is nothing else but as is laid downe in the answere viz. that the Church of God and euery member thereof hath all their sinnes so done away that they shall neuer be laid vnto their charge no more then if they had neuer by them beene committed and all this through the meere grace and onely mercy of God in Iesus Christ Proofe For the proofes of holy Scripture here is plainely set downe First that the forgiuenesse of sins is a wonderfull fauour for He is blessed saith the Psalmist Psal â—2 1 to whom his sins are forgiuen and good cause is there why he should be counted blessed indeede who attaineth vnto this seeing that he is forgiuen ten thousand of talents of which he was not able to pay one penny and so stood euery houre in danger to be cast into prison to lie there in misery perpetually Maâ— 18.24 Deut. â—7 Againe he is deliuered from the curse of God which attendeth vpon sinners for Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them and this curse is death according to that Rom. 6 The wages of sinne is death the death of the body which is terrible for death came in by sinne and all such punishments as doe hasten vnto and be fore-runners of this for Rom. 5. Lament 3 3â— man suffereth for his sinnes and which is most terrible of all the death of the
should fall seeing God hath promised his spirit vnto his Church to be alwayes present leading it into all truth Answ The Lord tieth not his spirit to any place for then the famous Churches in Asia should still haue beene true Churches but the spirit is alwayes present to the faithful in all places of the world 139 Quest Which is the fourth thing that you learne to beleeue concerning the Church Answ That there be certaine speciall benefits belonging to the Church and to euery true member thereof viz. The Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting 139 Quest What meane you by the Communion of Saints Answ That holy and sweet fellowship which all the members of Christes Church haue one with another as they all make but one body in Christ so communicating all good things vnto one another whether spirituall or temporall as their mutuall necessities doe require 139 Quest What meane you by the forgiuenesse of sinnes Ans That wonderful grace of God in Iesus Christ wherby he passeth ouer our transgressions as if they had neuer bin committed and releaseth the punishment due for them 148 Quest What meane you by the resurrection of the body Answ That though the body after death lie rotting in the graue yet at the last day it shal be raised by Gods power and being ioyned to the soule shall stand before Gods iudgement seat to giue account of all that it hath done whether good or euill and be rewarded accordingly 155 Quest What maner of bodies shall we haue in the resurrection Answ The very same which now we haue onely whereas they be now naturall they shall rise again spirituall not subiect to death any more nor sustained by naturall meanes of meats and drinks and sleepe and the like 159 Quest Amongst those that dye some are crooked through age some tender infants some blind and some lame shall their bodies at the resurrection then be the same Answ No for all these are weaknesses which shal be done away to the faithfull and strength perfection and comlinesse shall be to euery one of them 159 Quest What meane you by the life euerlasting Answ All that euer-induring happines and all those ioyes which the Lord imparteth to all his elect in the world to come which are so great as that the eye hath not seen nor the eare heard neither can the heart conceiue throughly 163 Concerning the Law Quest Thou saidst that thou wert bound to keepe the Commandements of Almightie God which be they Answ God spake these words and said I am c. 171 Quest How many things dost thou learne out of these Commandements Answ Two things my dutie towards God and my dutie towards my Neighbour 172 Quest How are the Commandements diuided Answ Into two Tables 189 Quest In which Table doe you learne your duetie towards God Answ In the first containing the foure former Commandements 191 Quest How many bee the parts of euerie of these Commaundements Answ Two the Commaundement it selfe and the reason of it 191 Quest In which wordes is the first Commaundement contained and which is the reason Answ The Commandement is Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee the reason in these wordes I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage 196 Quest What are we heere commanded Answ To haue the Lord for our God that is to loue him aboue all to feare him aboue all to put our whole trust in him and to make our prayers to him alone 196 Quest What is heere forbidden Answ First Atheisme which is the acknowledgement of no God Secondly â—gnorance which is a neglect of the knowledge of God and of his word Thirdly prophanenes which is a regardlesnes of God and of his speciall seruice Fourthly inward idolatry which is the giuing of Gods worship vnto creatures by praying vnto them trusting in them or by setting the heart vpon them 201 Quest Whence is the reason of this command taken Answ Both from the equitie of it because hee is the Lord our God and none other and from the benefites bestowed vpon vs in bringing vs out of the bondage and thraldome of the Deuill 209 Quest In which wordes is the second Commandement and in which is the reason Answ The Commaundement is Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse c. The reason for I the Lord thy God am a iealous God visiting the sinnes 212 Quest VVhat is here forbidden Answ All outward Idolatry which is first by making the image of God or of any creature to be worshipped Secondly by falling downe before any image Thirdly by seruing God according to our owne phantasies 212 Quest VVhat are we heere commanded Answ To performe all outward duties of Gods seruice according to his will reuealed in his word for the substance thereof 223 Quest Whence is the reason of this Commandement taken Answ Partly from the punishment to bee inflicted vpon such as breake it vnto the third and fourth generation and partly from the benefits to bee bestowed vpon such as keepe it vnto the thousand generation 227 Quest Which is the third Commaundement and which the reason Answ The commandement is Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine the reason for hee will not hold him guiltlesse c 229 Quest What is here forbidden vnto vs Answ All abusing of the Name of God which is first by blaspheming or giuing occasion to others to blaspheme Secondly by swearing falsely deceitfully rashly commonly or by creatures Thirdly by cursing and banning Fourthly by vowing things impossible or vnlawfull or by neglecting of our lawfull vowes Fiftly by lightly vsing the holy name of God or his word Sixtly by vaine protestations and asseuerations 230 Quest What are we heere commanded Answ To glorifie the name of God in all that we doe thinke speake and desire and to labour that others may bee wonne by our meanes to doe the same 240 Quest Whence is the reason of this Commandement taken Answ From the fearefull estate of such as any way abuse the name of God the Lord holdeth them as guiltie of dishonour done vnto his name 244 Quest If there bee such danger in swearing may a man lawfully sweare in any case whatsoeuer Answ Without doubt a man may sometimes lawfully sweare either for the confirming of a truth which cannot otherwise be knowne and yet necessary or for the strengthening of honest Leagues made betwixt men or lastly a man being called thereunto before a lawfull Magistrate 246 Quest What else is required that our swearing may be lawfull Answ These fower things First we must sweare only to such a truth as we know to bee so Secondly according to knowne intent of him vnto whom or before whom wee sweare Thirdly this being a part of Gods worship we must doe it with great reuerence 248 Quest What if a man shall
the preiudice of our neighbours life thirdly all rayling and reuiling speeches fourthly all murdrous desires and affections of the heart as of anger malice hatred and enuie fiftly all crueltie towards the creature which sheweth a murdrous mind in vs. 328 Quest What are we heere commanded Answ Out of the loue which we beare to our neighbour as much as in vs lieth to preserue his life and health and specially the life of his soule by good counsell exhortation and admonitions 343 Quest Which is the seuenth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not commit adultery 347 Quest What is here forbidden Answ First all outward vncleane actions of adultery fornications c. Secondly all filthy and vncleane speeches singing of wanton loue-songs and reading of Books Ballads of this sort Thirdly all incontinent thoughts and lusts of the heart Fourthly whatsoeuer is vsually an occasion of vncleannesse as being present at filthy stage-playes putting on apparell of another sex mixt laciuious dauncing surfetting drunkennesse idlenesse c. 347 Quest What are we here commanded Answ To liue in temperance chastitie and sobernesse and so to keepe my body holy and pure as a temple of the holy Ghost 357 Quest Which is the eight Commaundement Answ Thou shalt not steale 361 Quest VVhat is here forbidden Answ All stealing which is first by violence or secret taking away that which is our neighbours Secondly by oppression and tyranny of the rich toward the poore Thirdly by deceit in buying and selling Fourthly by vsing any vnlawfull trade or way of gaine or gaming fortune-telling or selling drinke vnto drunkennesse Fiftly by prodigality for thus doe men rob their children and posteritie 361 Quest What more is heere forbidden Answ All couetousnes and vnmercifulnes the robbing of God in things dedicate tithes and offerings 370 Quest What are we here commanded Answ To do to all men as I would they should do vnto me and by diligent paines-taking to get mine owne liuing in that estate of life to which it shal please God to call me 379 Quest VVhich is the ninth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 383 Quest What is here forbidden Answ All false witnes-bearing first by falsely accusing and witnessing against our neighbor before a Iudge Secondly by slandering and backbiting and by readinesse to hearken to such false reports Thirdly by flattering or soothing any for aduantage against the truth Fourthly by lying or telling an vntruth against our consciences 383 Quest What are we here commanded Answ As much as in vs lieth to preserue the good name of our neighbour and our owne good name stopping our eares against false reports and suppressing them alwaies whatsoeuer comes of it speaking the truth 393 Quest Which is the tenth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house c. 396 Quest What is heere forbidden Answ All first motions of the mind vnto sinne though no consent be yeelded vnto them 396 Quest What are we commanded here Answ To keepe our very hearts and minds free from euill thoughts against any of the commandements of God 399 Quest Is any man able to keepe all these Commandements Answ No man vpon earth hath or euer can be able to keep them perfectly Adam only excepted in the state of innocencie and Christ who was both God and man 401 What is the breach of the law and the punishment of it Answ It is sinne which if it be but once committed only and that but in thought it makes a man subiect to Gods eternal curse which is euerlasting death in hell fire the torments whereof are vnspeakable without end or ease 404 Quest Is it not iniustice to appoint so great a punishment for euery sinne yea euen for the least Answ It is very iust and meet for the Lord to adiudge the least sinne to hell fire because his mark which is perfect holinesse set vpon man in his creation is hereby remooued and a marke with the Deuils brand is made vpon the soule of the sinner for which it is iust that the Deuil and not God should now haue such a soule 405 Quest If no man can perfectly keepe the Law wherefore serueth it Answ First to humble vs in regard of our miserable estate heereby discouered secondly to be a rule of good life vnto vs. 406 Quest How may we be saued from our sinnes Answ Onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ laid hold vpon by a true and liuely faith 407 Quest How is faith first begun and wrought in the heart Answ Ordinarily by the preaching of the Gospel the holy spirit inwardly opening the heart to beleeue those things that are outwardly preached to the eare 410 Quest How doth faith exercise it selfe and get more strength Answ By prayer the exercises of Gods holy word and by receiuing the Sacraments Concerning Prayer Quest What is Prayer Answ It is a lifting vp of the heart vnto God only in the name of Iesus Christ according to his will in full assurance to be heard and accepted at his gracious hands 412 Quest What need is there that the faithfull should pray seeing they are in Gods fauour hee knoweth their wants and hath pardoned all their sinnes Answ By how much the more we are in Gods fauour by so much the more needfull is it that wee should cheerefully pray both to pay the dutie that wee owe vnto God to obtaine the blessing promised and to renew our assurance of the pardon of sinne daily renewed through our great weaknesse 416 Quest What times are specially to be spent in Prayer Answ It is necessary that euery Christian make his prayers vnto God euery morning and euening sitting downe and rising vp from meale and at other times as the spirit mooueth or occasions and other necessities require to haue the heart lifted vp in prayer 418 Quest How and according to what Prayer ought we to pray Answ The patrerne and forme for our direction is the Lords Payer Our Father c. 422 Quest How many be the parts of this Prayer Answ The Preface Our Father The Petitions Hallowed be thy name and the conclusion For thine is the c. 429 Quest In the Preface why call you God Father Answ Because he is ready as a louing Father to heare me calling vpon his name whence I learne with boldnesse and confidence to come vnto him with prayer 429 Quest Why doe you say Our Father and not my Father Answ Because I ought to pray for all other the Children of God as well as for my selfe 432 Quest Why adde you in the Preface which art in heauen Answ Not for that I belieue God to be in heauen onely for he is euery where but because to bee in Heauen is an Argument of great glory whence I learne with reuerence to pray vnto him being my Father most glorious 434 Quest How many be the Petitions of this Prayer Answ Sixe whereof the three former concerne Gods glory the three latter concerne our selues 435
in vs that we chuse and are able to doe what wee are commanded let him be an anathema and not long after in another councell Whosoeuer shall say Conc Araus can 3. that at mans calling vpon God his grace is bestowed and that grace it selfe doth not worke this in vs that wee call vpon him hee speakes against that of the Prophet Esay I was found of them that sought mee not and was manifested to those that asked not after me Nay the fathers in this Councell goe further Can. 4. and denie any disposition in mans will towards God as touching his conuersion Can. 4. according to that of Salomon The will is prepared of the Lord. Compare this with that which is taught by the Papists at this day and iudge whether they be not iustly charged with Pelagianisme Rom. 10.14 Wee are therefore to seeke for this at the hands of God wee must reade heare and learne that wee may bee able to see First wee must learne the grownds of the Christian religion the Lords prayer Creed and ten Commandements and then diligently heare Sermons for how shall wee call vpon him of whom wee haue not heard and how shall wee heare without a Preacher Hearing the word preached then is Gods principall ordinance to begin in vs the grace of desiring to forsake sinne which where it is he will second with more grace of vtterly shaking off the dominion of sinne according to his promise of giuing grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 Thirdly wee are to consider what is the office which the God-fathers and God-mothers doe binde themselues vnto in the behalf of themselues Now as hath beene already said neither men nor Angels can effect this work of grace it is a worke proper to God alone Wee are not therefore to suppose that their promise tendeth to the full performance of this by themselues as vndertakers or infusers of grace but to doe what weake helpe and means may be able to do both by their care of instruction if parents be negligent or departed also by prayer vnto God for them Godfathers were of old taken for sureties as when one is admitted to be apprentice to any trade hee must haue sureties for his trusty and faithfull seruice so was it thought fit when men turned from heathenisme and were by baptisme admitted into the order of Christians that such as were counted faithfull should be sureties for their constant and honest proceeding according to the same order and this was done when men were of age and able to answer for themselues and hath euer since held to bee auailable to the same purpose and much more necessary for infants when growing vp they shall be pricked forward vnto holinesse by them O how greatly then are they to bee blamed that turne this custome into an idle ceremony by putting all care off thus frustrating the intent of the Church and deluding the congregation of Gods people Fourthly let vs take a briefe view what be those abhominations which a Christian at his first oath of allegeance to God is to abiure solemnly They are the Diuell and his workes the pompes and vanities of this wicked world Such an expresse forme of abrenunciation of the Diuell and the pompes of the world is very ancient and may well be thought to haue bin deriued from the Primitiue Church whereof we find expresse mention in Tertullian and others Very well therefore hath it beene continued in the Church of God and retained in this our Mother Church of England True it is that though such disauowing were not expressed at Baptisme yet it must needes be included implicitly in the very stipulation of that couenant whereby we make our selues members of Christ But it is a more liuely and firme monitory vnto vs to hold vs in due allegeance to our Lord and Sauiour when we record that we haue at the first entring our names into his Band and marching vnder his Banner proclaimed an expresse defiance and abiuration of all his enemies Whilest this Memento sounds in our eares how shall we dare to fly ouer like traytors to that enemie nay so much as to bee seene to maintaine correspondence or entertaine intelligence with those that are professed rebels against our Lord I haue solemnly before God and the congregation forsaken the Diuell and his workes to cleaue vnto my Lord Christ and to set my selfe about his holy worke Shall I then put my hand or heart to the workes of Sathan of Darkenesse of Death Sure if I doe the Diuels worke he will pay me my wages the wofull wages of sinne what that is if mine owne conscience did not sufficiently vpbraid me the holy seruant of Christ St. Paul doth further tell me The wages of sinne is Death I haue professedly renounced the vanities and pompes of this wicked world Shall I then turne seruant to so empty and deceiuing a Master as is this wicked world Sure if I doe the reward of my sinne will be in the end nothing but Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Christ my Redeemer bought mee out of this wicked world shall I sell my selfe againe to that tyrant and that for nothing Such profitable Meditations are suggested by this couragious defiance made in the first entrance into our Christian warfare But to returne to the subiect matter whereupon this disclayming and forsaking is to be employed it is a troupe of encompassing and besieging enemies all too neere vs partly round about vs and partly within vs. The Diuell an inuisible foe most powerfull by his own subtilty and malice he setteth vpon vs by suggestions to draw vs to his works Verely none of them can be good for hee can doe nothing but sinne and would make vs like himselfe He employeth these workes and workemen when hee breatheth into our soules the hellish passions of presumption desperation pride malice murther of soules and bodies contention of Religion Atheisme Heresie c. For the influence of spirituall wickednesses hee vseth among all other instruments the strongest against our owne soules our owne naturall purblind reason to wound our Faith he hence whetteth and kindleth his fiery darts The world a more visible foe most insnaring by entisements and blandishments that dazleth our eyes with the luster of glittering pompes fading vanities Our putting on gorgeous apparrell makes vs easily forget our putting on Christ our loging to be cloathed with immortallity sumptuous buildings make vs too soone forget the house Not made with hands which we haue in the heauens 2 Cor. 5.2 Feathers fans foretops paintings c. Do so sophisticate our bodies entoxicate our soules as if we preferred these ensignes of vanitie disguises of mortall bodies before the hoped beauty and splendor of glorified bodies Ob. It seemeth then that all outward pompe and secular glory is renounced in our Christendome What then shall become of Kings Courts Royall shewes triumphs c. Must these be ranged amongst the forbidden vanities
hath made to cease by the liberty which hee hath brought vs insomuch as we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace So that now we may challenge this our greatest and most terrible enemy with the Apostle â— Cor. 15. Rom. 6. Death where is thy sting hell where is thy victory Death of it selfe indeede is most fearefull as being the wages of sinne and the passage to eternall pangs but Christ by dying hath altered the nature of death of a curse he hath made it a blessing of the passage to hell he hath made it the entry of heauen to all the faithfull Againe though our griefe in our sicknesses be great his pangs were greater Heb. 4.15 and so he hath had experience of our miseries and so cannot but haue compassion and prouide that we shall not be tempted aboue our power and in good time deliuer vs out of all our troubles Quest 26. Which is the third degree of his humiliation and in which words Answ Thirdly hee descended into Hell that I might he deliuered from Hell and euerlasting death to these words he descended into Hell Rus in Exposit Symbol Explan This clause was wont of olde to bee inserted into most of the confessions of faith as Rusâ—â— saith 〈◊〉 est quod in ecclesiae Romanae Symbâ—lo non habetur additum W. must know that it is not added in the Creed of the Church of Rome and neither saith hee is this speech had in the Churches of the Past yet the meaning hereof seeme to be the same with this He was buried It is not in the Creed councell of Nice nor in the Creed of Athanasius nor in the Sirmian nor in the Sardian nor in the first Toletan nor in the Ephesine nor in the first nor sixt Constantinopolitan nor in the Calcedon councels nor in many other ancient confessions and tractates written by the learned Fathers for the space of foure hundred yeeres and vpward See Pirk nemonstr problematis page 129. Notwithstanding it is now and may well bee an article of our faith or at the least this third degree of Christ his humiliation set downe vnder it About the meaning of these words great disputations are held and whole bookes written to leaue all which onely signifie briefely that these words are interpreted fiue manner of wayes Of Christs descent into hell diuers opinions Some holding them meerely literally He descended into hell that is went into the place of the damned or some lower places thereabout They which vnderstand it literally of the place of the damned say that he went thither to triumph ouer all the damned Ghosts and Diuels his enemies They which vnderstand it of some place thereabout say that hee went thither to free the Patriarks that were detained for their originall sinne in Limbo The grounds common to both are both that to the Ephesians Ephes 4 9. 1. Pet. 3.19 He descended into the lower parts of the earth and that of Peter By which Spirit he went and preached to the spirits that were in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah that of the Psalmist Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell But the last sort that stand for Limbo haue some speciall allegations besides as that to the Hebrewes Heb. 9.8 The way into the holiest of all was not yet opened whilst the first Tabernacle was standing And againe speaking of the Patriarkes he saith All these dyed and receiued not the promises Heb. 11. Secondly others againe hold them literally but expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue saying that He died and was buried that is annoynted to the buriall and descended into the Sepulcher Thirdly others interpreting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue make the descent to be figuratiue thus he descended into Hell that is remained in the graue vnto the third day Fourthly some others interpret it as an Idiom or phrase peculiar to the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He descended into Hell that is was in the estate of the dead for thus the Greekes were wont to speake of a man departed whether good or bad Lastly some others hold it to bee meerely figuratiuely spoken He descended into Hell that is suffered the torments of Hell viz. the anger of God against the sinnes of all the elect powred forth vpon his soule driuing him into that bloody agony in the garden and making him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now of all those that which stands for Limbo is to be exploded as by other sound positiue reasons drawne from Scriptures so in regard also of the impertinency of the places alleadged for in that to the Hebrewes The way into the holiest was not yet opened is meant nothing else but that which in more words is there expressed viz. heauen and happinesse the redemption of man as verse 12. was not obtained by the seruice done in this tabernacle and in the other these dying receiued not the promises is meant the incarnation of Iesus Christ so long before and so often promised but not sent in their times The second interpretation seemeth to mee too much strained and maketh this short Creed needlesly to labour with tautologie for what else can this import He was buried that is laid in the graue and descended into hell that is went downe into the graue as if it had beene said He was buried and was buried The third not much different from this and onely sheweth that this his buriall was not a meere transeunt act or passion but had a due continuation by his body so remaining in statis quo till his resurrection which me thinkes is sufficiently implyed in the specifying of his buriall and rising the third day importing that for that interim his body lay still in the Sepulchre The fourth interpretation hath farre more probability this Creed being composed by those who fitted it not onely to the Greeke stile in which language it was written but also to the Hebrew ordinary phrase which soundeth in this fashion speaking of a dead man namely that he is dead and gone downe into Sheol which whether you translate hell or the graue or some place of blisse it doth not heereby specifie any of these distinctly but onely pointeth at the state and condition of the dead in generall and considereth them by a confused motion as opposite to the state of the liuing heere vpon earth So that by this construction heere is to bee meant that our Sauiours not body onely but soule also did for this meane space vndergoe the common lot of separation the one from the other and so remained in the ordinary estate of others departed this life Howsoeuer it bee yeelded that this phrase may well beare this sense yet because both thus much is implied in the generall word of Christs being dead which must needs meane a true death putting him in the common condition of other deadmen and forasmuch as these words of
any one of which sheweth this sinne to bee abominable to all Christians that are not of feared consciences and altogether without feeling of Gods grace towards them Gen. 38. And it is to be noted that whatsoeuer difference hath been put betwixt the punishment of this and adultery yet it appeareth euen before Moses his Law this sin was death for when Thamar Iudahs daughter in law had played the harlot Iudah hearing of it commanded that shee should bee brought forth and be burnt to death Gal. 5.19 And amongst the Turkes they are punished with eighty stripes and how slightly soeuer these sinnes of fornication and adultery bee passed ouer amongst men in these miserable times there is a greater punishment then a thousand bodily deaths expressly threatned heereagainst viz eternall death for he that doth these things saith S. Paul shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Gen. 6. Secondly this ranketh them with men of the old world who are said to haue taken wiues of al that they liked that is by bruitish and inordinate comming together with them before they tooke them and with vncircumcised Shechem who first defloured Dinah and then would haue married her Gen. 34. but he smarted for it hee and all the men of the City being slaine therefore Thirdly this is a continuall heart-smart and griefe vnto them euen when they behold that which otherwise would be one of their greatest worldly comforts viz. their first-borne or any other in what number soeuer being the fruit of the body whom when they behold they hehold their sinne and if contrariwise it be a ioy as it is to many woe is vnto them the guilt of their sinne is yet vpon them Against Incest Or the Act of vncleannesse is committed with a neere kinswoman viz. the Aunt the Sister or the Wiues Sister c. and this is Incest Leu 20.10.11 whether it be in marriage or out of marriage and so heinous is this that death is appointed for a punishment heereof 1. Cor. 5.1 When Saint Paul heard that one among the Corinthians had taken his Fathers wife he detested it as abominable and so abominable as that the like was not heard of among the Gentles and ceaseth not till he had caused him to bee excommunicated and cast out of the Church of Gods people How is it a sinne of Incest in a man to marry his brothers wife whereas the Iewes were commanded to rayse vp seed to their childesse brethren how shall these two Lawes bee reconciled The law against Incest is generall binding all people of all countries Answ and perpetuall for euer the law of the brothers taking the brothers wife wanting issue was a speciall exception to this law peculiar to the Israelites and to last but for a time whilst there was a speciall reckoning made of the first borne and of his seed still continuing him as it were aliue thus typifying the first borne amongst many brethren who without hauing any seed further raised vp vnto him doth himselfe remaine aliue for euer Wherefore in no case may the like now be tollerated for it is a foule sinne Polygamy Or the act of vncleanesse is with a second wife in the time of the first for howsoeuer it may seem that there is no direct law against this and because the most holy Patriarchs had many wiues that it is no sinne to haue more wiues together yet now certainely it is no lesse sinne then Adultery in continuall practise to take a second wife Leâ—it 18.18 during the life of the first For first there is a direct Law against it made by God himselfe Thou shalt not take vnto a wife her sister during her life which may also be read one wife vnto another that is a second whilest the first is liuing Otherwise it might be lawfull the wife being dead to marry her sister which is against all equity of these lawes For whatsoeuer woman becommeth any way thy sister Leuit. 18.11.16 thou mayst not marry if she be but the daughter of thy fathers wife begotten by thy father or thy brothers wife and the reason is because she is thy sister onely such an one as is called sister but is not viz. the daughter of thy fathers wife begotten by another husband mayst thou marry But thy wiues sister is thy sister and therefore it is vnlawfull to marry her though thy wife be dead whence it followeth that this law must be vnderstood as being against Bygamie which is hauing two wiues together though they be not sisters but strangers one to the other 2. The first institution is against it God making but one man and one woman and why did he make but one saith Malachy because he sought a godly seed 3. There is no expresse and positiue tolleration throughout al the book of God for hauing more wiues together then one Malac. 2 15. but much to the contrary They twaine saith Christ shall be one flesh Matth. 19.5 1. Cor. 7.1 not three or more And To auoyd fornication saith Paul let euery man haue his owne wife and euery woman her owne husband not wiues or husbands And Lamech is branded to be the first that had two wiues Obiect It is not a toleration when Abraham doth hearken to Sarahs voyce willing him to goe in to his maid Hagar and when she being with child by him hath an Angell sent to comfort her in regard of that she went withall And when Nathan telleth Dauid that the Lord had giuen him Sauls wiues and concubines And when Iacob obtained so much fauour in the middest of his wiues and concubines Sol. It seemeth to haue been a secret and implicite toleration to them in particular and so for others of those times but what is that to vs vnder the new Testament The Lord who made the Law can dispense with his Law as it pleaseth him for ends best knowne to himselfe Though it were no sinne in Abraham taking Hagar vpon his wiues motion Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 26. yet it was a sin in the Emperour Talentinian to take Iustina vpon the commendations of his wife Seuera and to make a law to tolerate it in others Though it were no sin in Iacob to take foure wiues and concubines yet it was a sin in the Emperor Charles the Great Whence it appeareth how grosse the impudency of the Pope is who hath taken vpon him to dispense with these sins as with incest in Emanuel King of Portugall who married two sisters and Katherine Queene of England had two brethren and Ferdinand King of Naples married his aunt by the dispensation of Pope Alexander the sixth and Pope Martin the fifth gaue leaue for a man to marry with his owne sister The same may be said of fornication and whoredome the Popes of Rome do generally tolerate it taking tribute of the stewes Lastly there is an act of vncleannes committed without a companion namely by wilfull
and the cares attending marriage These I say do plainely shew that they are not schollers of the Lords schoole but of the Deuils the master of vncleannesse And whereas the Romanists doe seeke to preuent men of this meanes by orders of Priesthood and Monkerie binding them by vowes here-from how incontinent soeuer their minds be it sheweth plainely that they are nor like Catholike Christians 1. Tim. 4. r. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taught of God but of the Deuill to whom it is proper to teach the doctrine of forbidding to marry as Saint Paul sheweth The speciall preseruatiues for married persons are 1. To dwell together and not separate as some doe The husband must dwell with his wife 1. Helpes of puritiâ— in married persons 1. Pet. 3.7 as a man of vnderstanding Sometime it falleth out that they must necessarily be separated for a time as when the necessity of warres doth call hereunto Now there is danger as we may see in the wife of Vriah but the Lord calling then to this separate liuing we must take it as a calling in speciall manner to continency for that time in cases vnnecessary it is an aduantage giuing against our chastity to the common aduersary 2. To follow that rule of the Apostle Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence 1. Cor. 17.3 and likewise the wife vnto the husband and as he further expresseth to carry themselues so towards one another as those whose bodies are not in their owne power but mutually in one anothers power 1. Cor. 7.5 3. To containe at times of extraordinary deuotion by mutuall consent according as Paul also teacheth Defraud not one another except it be by consent for a time that ye may giue your selues to fasting and prayer 4. When women loue to be at home and their delight is in their huswifrie as the vertuous wife is described in the Prouerbs Prou. 30. â— Tim 5.14 and Saint Paul chargeth saying Let younger women marry and beare children and gouerne the house 5. When the man esteemeth best of his owne wife aboue all other women couering her infirmities by loue and the wife doth likewise of her husband and therfore they delight most in the company of one another Quest 97. Which is the eighth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not steale Quest 98. What is here forbidden Answ All stealing which is first by violent or secret taking away that which is our neighbours 2. By oppression and tyranny in the rich towards the poâ—re 3 By deceit in buying and selling 4. By vsing an vnlawfull trade or way of gaine 5 By prodigalâ—ty for thus doe men rob their children and posterity Deut. 22.29 Exod. 22.1 Explan The sinne against this I say is all stealing that is vniust going about to diminish the goods or estate of another man any manner of way Vniust I say because sometime men do enter vpon and take away the goods estates of other men without theft viz. when they doe it iustly either being specially commanded by God as the Israelites spoyled the Aegyptians and tooke away the inheritances of the Canaanites or when men being deputed by God vpon due consideration doe take away mens goods and lands as forfeited by the law or any part of them as a mulct or punishment for some offence iustly laid vpon them the Lord himselfe is the Author heereof where hee appointeth as a punishment to the fornicatour the payment of fifty shekels of siluer and to the theefe of making restitution foure-fold and it seemeth that the punishment of blasphemy besides death was also the forfeiture of a mans estate for that Naboth 1. King 21. against whom it was pretended was thus punished 1. Kinde Of Robbery and theft To steale then is vniustly to take away any thing from our neighbour First by robbery or theft either with violence or in secret it is the highest and first degree of sinning against this Law The punishment of this sinne was appointed to be a foure-fold restitution if hee had stollen a sheepe and had killed it a fiuefold Exod. 22 1. Verse 4. if he had stollen an oxe and killed it and double if the beast stolne were yet aliue not that the sinne was thus expiated and done away but for that without this restitution it eould not be done away according to the maxim in Diuinity Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum The sinne is not forgiuen vnlesse the thing taken away be restored Luc. 19.8 Which Zacheus being conuerted knew well enough and therefore saith If I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore it foure-fold I say yet that the sinne is not thus done away because as a common punishment of sinne 1 Cor. 6 10. it is threatned that neither theeues nor couetous nor drunkards shall inherit the kingdome of heauen Whereas theeues and robbers are felons amongst vs and punished with death it is done vpon good reason because without this aggrauation of punishment no man should possesse his owne in peace the baser sorr of our Nation being through idlenesse and want of constraint vnto labour so prone to filching and robbing But alas were it not much better to take a stricter course for the employment of such idle men at home or abroad then to send such troopes of able and vigorous bodies to make literam longam for pilfering Though they haue nothing to restore yet wee haue mynes to digge and many other publique workes and may haue more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides Bridewell This is my poore iudgemedt concerning these poore offenders What is to be thought of taking the spoyle of the enemy and of going against a Nation to conquer subdue it To take spoyle of the enemy whether is not this a great robbery If it be vpon iust cause that wars are made and spoyles be takâ—n it is no robbery but a iust reuenge of God viz if the nation thus spoyled hath in former times notoriously wronged and infested them without restitution if it hath broken couenants solemenly made c. for in the like cases the Aegyptians were iustly spoyled and the Amalekites by Dauid and his men But if warres bee made out of malice or through vaine-glory out of vnsatiable desire of reigning farre and wide and getting together aboundance of riches it is a great practice of robbery As one Diomedâ—s an Arch-pyrate answered vnto great Alexaâ—der Nauel gen 57. being challenged for robbing and infesting the Seas What is that to thee who infestest the whole world but because I doe it with a little Nauy and thou with a great one I am called a thiefe but thou an Emperour A poore mans stealing What if a poore man driuen through necessity stealeth to warme to cloath or to feed himselfe hauing none other meanes of releefe Howsoeuer he be driuen this is stealing and a head sinne heere although these circumstances doe somewhat extenuate and lessen it
forme of baptizing I baptize thee into the death of Iesus Christ no mention being made of the Farher Son or holy Ghost Euseb lib. 4. cap. 11. Hist And Valentinus an Heretique of old to haue baptized in the name of the vnknowne God and of the truth the mother of all Now such baptismes are no baptismes and those that were out of the right forme baptized had need to be baptized again but according to the right forme he that is once baptized ought not to be baptized againe whatsoeuer the person baptizing be or whatsoeuer sin the party baptized hath since fallen into And the reason is because Baptisme is a signe of regeneration or the new birth which can be but once vnto one man seeing that a man being once born cannot enter into his mothers womb be borne again This prepostrously applied made some of the Ancients though erroniously to deferre their Baptisme fearing that if after Baptisme they should be ouertaken with sinne they could not be forgiuen because that in Baptisme onely there is remission of sinnes which may not in any case bee againe iterated Whereas in truth though the act of baptising bee transient and but once performed yet the power and comfort of it diffuseth it selfe through all our life and is renewed and reapplyed by repentance after grieuous lapses of the faithfull Quest What is the inward or spirituall grace Answ A death vnto sinne and a new birth vnto righteousnes for being by nature borne in sinne and the children of wrath we are heereby made the children of grace Explan That Baptisme may bee perfect there must not onely bee the outward part water and the forme of words vsed but the inward part also mortification and dying of sinne and regeneration and liuing of righteousnesse The outward alone is no more auaileable than the rocke flowing waters in the wildernesse to saue the rebellious people from perishing before that they came in Canaan then Elishas staffe to reuiue the Shunamites childe when he himselfe was absent 1 Pet. 3.21 Vnto true Baptisme therefore must concurre a death vnto sinne in him that is dipped and a new birth vnto righteousnesse otherwise his baptisme is vaine euen as it had beene in vain for Noah when he had built the Arke not to haue entred into it in time for vnto this answereth Saint Peter Baptisme the figure that now is when it is not the washing away of the filth of the flesh but the stipulation of a good conscience For let a man be neuer so rightly baptized yet if he be not borne againe saith our Sauiour Christ that is if sinne be not killed in him that grace may liue hee shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen The death vnto sinne is signified by the dipping or sprinckling with water it being necessary that as by water the filthines of the flesh is washed and done away so by the vertue of Christs bloud the filthinesse of the soule should be washed away and it should be purged from sinne and that as hee which commeth to washing disliketh and accompteth that filthinesse which is to be washed and not any part of his body growing to him so should he that is baptized account his sinnes filthinesse and dead and no liuing part of his soule and that as he which is washed entreth into the water and is couered therewith that he may be made cleane so he that is baptized should enter into the graue with sin and be buried that as dead bodies his sinnes may decay and be abolished more and more The new birth vnto righteousnesse is signified by the taking vp out of the water the soule being lifted vp out of the puddle of sinne and clensed herefrom becomming a pure new soule as it were in the vnderstanding the will the affections and in all the desires and thoughts euen as a childe being new borne into the world and clensed from that corruption which hee bringeth with him is as it were a new creature and cryeth after the meanes of sustentation of his new life Againe it is signified by his taking into the congregation of Christians he now conuersing labouring in all things and duties of holinesse suting himselfe vnto them euen as the leaprous person being made cleane commeth to liue againe in the congregation from which hee was before seperated Lastly it is also signified in the forme of wordes Jn the name of the Father c. whose faithfull seruant and soldiour he is thus admitted to be he was before the slaue of sin and seruant of the Diuell but hee hath now changed for a new seruice of him into whose name hee hath beene baptized Wherefore hee whosoeuer hee bee that after baptizing committeth sinne is liable notwithstanding his baptisme to damnation Doth not Baptisme then conferre grace vniuersally and infallibly to the baptized by the very worke wrought and if it doth not what vertue is there in the Sacrament more then if washing should be vsed after the Iewish maner Baptisme as it is an act done by the batizer without any any relation to the disposition of the person to bee baptized beng of ripe yeares and vnderstanding hath no force to saluation by vertue of Christs ordination but if that person bee by faith within the couenant of grace then it doth conuey grace vnto him Luke 3.7 This is plaine from the Doctrine of Iohn Baptist who reproued those that came to his baptisme without repentance and inward sanctification whereby it might become effectuall to saue them from the wrath to come For had the very worke wrought beene auailable Iohn had beene worthy of blame for such a censure and sharpe reproofe of them calling them a generation of Vipers whereby they might thus be discouraged whereas otherwise by comming and being baptized they should haue receiued grace and beene saued notwithstanding their impieties and hypocrisy It is not therefore the act done that preuaileth but the right disposition of the person Baptized neyther shall this Sacrament become thus an idle ceremony but an excellent and effectuall institution to purge and confirme the faithfull Wherefore let vs renounce that opinion that holdeth the Sacrament of Baptisme by the very act of administration of such vertue as that originall sinne remaineth not any longer in such as are baptized True it is that where Baptisme is perfect and vnto the outward is ioyned the inward part the sting of sinne is plucked out both in regard of the guilt and of the punishment but for the vtter abolition of sinne this is not till death though the power thereof be broken so as that it raigneth not in vs it remaining still as a rebellious head to exercise vs to the last gaspe Quest What is required in persons to bee Baptised Answ Repentance whereby they forsake sinne and faith to beleeue the promise made vnto them in this Sacrament Explan Hauing considered Baptisme both in the outward and inward part it remayneth that we shew the
these things could not better haue been couched together The first words expresse the first Commandement of hauing the Lord for our God for this is to belieue in him to loue him to feare him and to pray vnto him the second is expressed in the next words to worship him and to giue him thanks it being the duty of this Commandement purely to doe the parts of his worship the third is expressed in the words following to honour his holy name and his word it being the maine matter specially pointed at there that in all things Gods name and his Word be glorified and the fourth of keeping holy the Sabbath and then deuoutly seruing God in the duties by him appointed is expressed in the last words and to serue him truly all the dayes of my life as will appeare more plainely in the larger opening of euery of these Commandements as here followeth Quest 53. How many be the parts of euery of the Commandements of the first Table Answ Two the Commandement it selfe and the reason thereof Explan Before that wee come to the particular handling of each Commandement two things are further to bee premised first certaine rules are to be laid downe tending to the better vnderstanding of them and then is to be shewed the singularity of these Commandements concerning God aboue those that concerne our neighbour Rule 1. Rules for expounding the Commandements First for the Rules one is this Euery affirmatiue commanmandement includeth his negatiue and the negatiue the affirmatiue as for example the third commandement is negatiue Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine now it containeth also the affirmatiue thou shalt honour the name of the Lord and so of the rest and this is plaine from sundry places thus expounding them The fourth Commandement expoundeth it selfe thus when the Lord vnto the affirmatiue Keepe holy the Sabbath day addeth the negatiue Thou shalt doe no manner of worke therein The fifth is thus expounded where it is said He that curseth Father or Mother or that is disobedient vnto them shall bee brought forth and stoned to death and generally the commandements of the second Table being all negatiue but one are thus expounded of our Sauiour Christ saying the second is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Rule 2. The second rule is this Euery negatiue commandement doth bind alwaies and vnto all times euery affirmatiue doth onely bind alwaies but not vnto all times also as for example Thou shalt not haue no other Gods but me the affirmatiue of hauing the Lord for our God doth bind alwaies so that he sinneth whosoeuer at any time denieth the Lord in his heart or doth contrarie to the feare or loue of God but hee sinneth not that doth not actually exercise these affections at all times because that a man sometime sleepeth sometime through the violence of diseases looseth the vse of his reasonable soule many times also is possessed with vehement thoughts which employ the mind another way and lastly occasions are not at all times offered to try our hearts The fourth Commandement in the affirmatiue hath Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day against this hee sinneth whosoeuer doth breake the Sabbath but he sinneth not that doth not keepe it at all times and parcels of times because the weakenesse of our natures requireth some rest and pause at what time we cannot be busied in holy exercises The like is to bee said of honouring our parents c. But come to negatiue Commandements and you shall see that whosoeuer ceaseth from obseruing them at any time is a sinner for example Thou shalt doe no murther is a negatiue command and so is Thou shalt not commit adultery if any man then shall murther at any time or be adulterous whether he be drunken or sober angry or quiet tempted or not in whatsoeuer place time or occasion hee is a transgressor and this distinction is set forth amongst Schoole-men by the termes of semper and ad semper The third Rule is this Rule 3. Euery commandement forbidding any sinne doth not onely forbid the sinne named but all sins of the same ranke also and all occasions of the same and the maine sinne onely is named to make the branches the more odious as being of the same nature before the Lord. Thus Christ himselfe interpreteth the sixth seauenth and third commandements where reprouing the Pharisees doctrine Math. 5. only forbidding murther and the act of adultery and false swearing by Gods holy name he teacheth that euen vnaduised anger is a sinne and to looke vpon a woman to lust after her is adultery and to sweare any oath at all in ordinary communication is from the Diuell by which we may gather how we are to vnderstand the other commandements also The fourth rule is this Rule 4. The Commandements of the first table are absolutely to be kept and for themselues the other of the second table are to bee kept for the first For if any man shall obserue this Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee Thou shalt not make any grauen Image c. or thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine in meere obedience to the Kings Lawes or thereby to please holy men who doe spit at the workers of such abhominations and not through an imediate reuerence of that heauenly maiesty which hath commanded that mans obedience is none obedience his keeping of these lawes is no keeping of them because the maine thing heere intended is neglected viz. the setting vp of God in our hearts aboue all and that which is most abhorred is practised viz. the feare of God taught by the preceps of men Esa 29.13 And on the other side who so shall obserue these lawes Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale c. without being moued herevnto through a conscience of the first table commending the loue of God vnto vs and the loue of man for Gods cause after whose Image he is made his keeping also is no keeping of the law because the praise of men is the marke at which he aymeth or else that he may be dealt friendly withall againe and thus did the very Pharisees and Publicans Math. 6. Math. 5. Hee only loueth his neighbour aright which maketh the loue of God the fountaine and beginning of his loue to his neighbour Rule 5. The fift Rule is this Howsoeuer the least commandement is not so small but the breach thereof deserueth death yet the breaches of some commandements are greater and more heynous then of others Thus to breake the commandements of the first Table is in it selfe simply more heynous and this sinne shall haue a more grieuous punishment in hell then sinnes against the second table For Sodom and Gomorrah saith Christ vnto the Iewes Math 11. shall rise vp against you and condemne you because their sinne in refusing and denying their God and Sauiour was greater then all
the sinnes though most loud crying of that people And for this is it that the maine sinnes against euery precept of the first Table were censured with death but it is not so with all those of the second Table Yet doe I not so rigorously presse this rule as to inferre that the least sinne against the first Table must needs bee more heynous then the greatest against the second which hath beene rashly concluded by some Can any Christian perswade mee that I commit a more damnable sinne in being ouertaken with a nap at a long Sermon or comming once late to Church then if I had murthered my owne Father Let me be throwne out of a window if I thinke that Eutychus Act. 20.9 sinned more grieuously then Cain Gen. 4 8. In gathering a proportion betweene one sin and another all respect is not to be had to the obiect against whom the offence is done but regard must bee had also of the kinde of the action committed of the malice or infirmity of the committer c. These bee sometime so superlatiue that they ouerbalance the generall respect to the obiect The comparison therefore betweene the two Tables is to receiue modification and moderation by restraints as caeteris paribus or where there is not ouermuch imparity otherwise in eodem gradu aut specie wherein affections intentions malices presumptions infirmities neglects c. are to bee counterbalanced among themselues and one against another The sixt Rule is this there is so neere a relation betwixt all the commandements of the morall law Rule 6. that whosoeuer obserueth all failing onely in one poynt is guilty of all because as S. Iames teacheth there is one and the same the Author of them all And hence it is that Of two euils Iam. 2. â—0 being mala culpae not penae not the lesser but neither is to bee chosen And hitherto of the first thing now followeth the second Rule 2. Of the singularity of these Commandements of the singularity of these commandements which is in this that euery of these foure hath both the commandement and the reason which is plaine in the three latter and is only called in question in the former because it is not placed as a reason but as a preface to all the commandements before any charge giuen Whence it is The first commandement hath a speciall reason that some haue made it a generall preparatiue perswading to the obedience of all these lawes But it will appeare I take it to bee a speciall reason of the first also and more properly belonging vnto it if we consider first that the other three being subordinate haue their speciall reasons and much more then should this being chiefest and ground of all Secondly the identity of the reason heere vsed and in the second I am the Lord thy God and I the Lord thy God am a iealous God both being alike fit to strike terrour into the offenders as the precepts are alike the one forbidding inward the other outward Idolatry so that if this of the first bee made only generall for the same cause may that of the second and neither shall haue their speciall reason Thirdly if it bee further considered how this reason doth specially fit the precept I am the Lord therefore thou shalt acknowledge me and none other I brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. therefore thou shalt be vngratefull if thou deny me or ioyne any fellowes with me Quest 54. In which wordes is the first Commandement contained and in which is the reason Answ The Commandemennt is in these words Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me The reason in these I am the Lord thy God which hath brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage Quest 55. What are wee heere commanded Answ To haue the Lord for our God which is to loue him aboue all to feare him aboue all to put our whole trust and confidence in him and to make our prayers vnto him alone The manner obserued in handling the Commandements Explan The method which I intend generally to follow in opening the commandements is first to handle the commandement it selfe and then the reason and in euery commandement these two parts the duty inioyned and vice forbidden where the commandement is affirmatiue and contrariwise first the vice forbidden and then the duty when it is negatiue This first commandement is mixt or compounded of both thou shalt haue me for thy God and none other 1. Duty Inioyned Touching the duty it is to haue and to set vp in our hearts and practices the Lord Iehouah who only raigneth in Heauen and in earth for our God which is the maine and principall scope of the whole Law euen as the maine duty of a Subiect towards his Prince is to acknowledge him and to sweare allegeance vnto him which if it be not what will all other Lawes and Statutes auaile What likelihood is there of being contained in obedience in other things Surely none at all but that the person which is vnconformable in the first will liue like a disorderly Riotour and dangerous Traytor So if we refuse to set vp the true God in our hearts which is our vowing allegiance what other account can the Lord make of vs but as of a company of Out-lawes and vnworthy to liue in the Common-wealth of his Church and to bee fellow-Citizens with his Saints Now the Lord is not then acknowledged this duty is not then performed when we make profession in word and outwardly of seruing the true God but when wee loue him in the highest degree when we feare him trust in him and seeke vnto him in all our necessities Wherefore Almighty God in commenting vpon this precept in other places of his holy Word hath shewed expressly how earnestly hee requireth all these things 1 Duty To loue God First for loue he vrgeth it with such a Preface and straineth himselfe to so many varieties in pressing it as if hee would make knowne that all else were nothing without it Heare O Israel Deut. 6.3 saith he by his seruant Moses and take heed to doe it that it may goe well with thee and that thou maist increase mightily c. And againe Heare O Israel the Lord is God only Verse 4. Verse 5. thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might 2. For feare he calleth for it by his Prophet 2. Duty To feare God Mal. 1.6 as they would haue him to account them for his seruants and children If I be a father where is mine honour if J bee a master where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts And our Sauiour Christ so preferreth this feare as hee putteth downe all feare of great ones in this world in regard of it saying Feare not him which can kill the body but is not able to kill the soule but feare
euen as the holy Scriptures yea which is horrible before them and against them It is a farre greater wickednes accounted amongst them to omit auricular confession once in the yeare which was inuented by man then to leade a vile life all the yeare long to taste a little flesh vpon the Friday then to wallow in the filthy sin of vncleannes that a Priest be coupled vnto one lawful wife then that he defile himselfe with many whores Pap. pharis cap. â—7 to neglect a vow of going on Pilgrimage then to breake the necessarie vow of obedience in diuers Morall and Christian duties to God and man c. and therefore whereas any light punishment sufficeth when Gods lawes are broken such as breake any of their traditions are punished with imprisonment banishment death Neither doth it make any whit the more for their iustification whereas they pretended them to be the Traditions of holy men and ancient for this was the colour of the Pharisies theirs were the Traditions of the Fathers yet they were threatned for teaching and following them as Papists doe at this day Yet on the other side this hindreth not but that a true Christian Church may without any imputation of Idolatry inuent according to Ecclesiasticall prudence and impose decent circumstances of time place habit and gestures for the outward clothing of Gods worship so they be neither burthensome in multitude nor superstitious nor vnsauorie but tending to edification good order and comlines whereby the sincere inward worship may be not choaked but cherished Such are those which our blessed Mother hath thought fit to reteine as being vsed of old in the purer age before the corruptions of Popery crept in but as for the later Ceremonies which are the very spawne of Romish superstition our Church hath most piously and wisely cast them out of her doores I pray God and hope they shall neuer rush in againe Iohn 4.20 Secondly an Idoll is worshipped and not the true God when as men rest in the outward work of his seruice without the truth of heart and spirit For God is a Spirit and all true worshippers worship him in Spirit and in truth As the Apostle saith of comming together to the holy Communion 1. Cor. 11.20 When ye come together into one place This is not to eate the Lords body So is it of all other duties the outward hearing and preaching of the Word the outward praying singing and giuing of thankes are not alwayes acceptable seruice vnto God but when the life of the Spirit and heart is annexed The drawing neare with the lips when the heart is away is abomination to the Lord. And herein againe are they of the Church of Rome to be taxed for that they place the worship of God in outward things in kneeling knocking crouching kissing crossing repeatings praying vpon Beades sprinkling with holy water going on pilgrimage c. and some dull and ignorant people of our Church which serue God with the bare reciting of the Pater noster Creed and ten Commandements with resorting to the place of his worship and inwardly profiting no more then stocks and stones All these and the like doe please the Lord no better with their seruice then Kain did with his sacrifice or the Iewes imperfect offering Lastly an Idoll is worshipped and not the true God when men presume to compasse about the Lords Altar with vnwashen hands when they come impenitently to doe any holy duty For the Lord professeth that he is not delighted in any such seruice yea that he requireth it not yea which is more that it is abomination vnto him Wherefore he dealeth with the Iewes in this case by his Prophet Esay Esay 1.12 as a man would deale with his professed enemy who notwithstanding maketh a shew of loue by offering his best seruice he sendeth him as it were to meete them vpon the way and to stay them from their incense and Sacrifices new Moones and Sabbaths bidding them to bring no more oblations in vaine and professing that hee is weary of their solemne Assemblies c. and the cause hereof was for that their hands were full of bloud that is they liued impenitently in oppression and wrong and other heynous sinnes Now if God be not serued but grieued and made weary by being thus serued what else can it bee but an Idoll vnto which homage is done when holy duties are vndertaken by wicked persons liuing and proceeding in their sinnes Whence wee may see the fearefull estate of sinners which make a trade of wickednesse they runne still more into sinne euen into the worshipping of an idoll when they would be holyest when they would giue God honour they doe most dishonour him when they would bring a present to pacifie his wrath they make him more angry and to bid them bring no more oblations in vaine Wherefore whosoeuer thou art that wouldest please God by doing the parts of his worship present him first with a broken heart and contrite Spirit for thy sinnes as Dauid did Psal 51. Luke 16. wash the feete of the Lord with thy teares as Mary Magdalen did be deiected and haue a sense of thy sinnes foulenes as the poore publican had Rom. 7. let there bee an hatred of that which thou hast done as in Paul let there be a forsaking of sinne as in him that shall haue mercy Prou. 28.13 and then shalt thou bee like to bring an acceptable present and not to depart without thy full load of mercy and iustification Quest. 60. What are wee heere commanded Answ To performe all outward duties of Gods seruice according to his will reuealed in his word The duties of this Commandement Explan This duty of doing all the parts of Gods worship according to his will c. doth necessarily follow vpon the contrary forbidden viz. the following of our owne heads in the seruice of God for if we may not make our phantasies the rule of our doings then certainely Gods word alone must be our rule in all things Againe our God is so wise and prouident for our good as that it cannot but be a great disparagement vnto his care ouer vs to thinke that he hath left vs at sixe abd seauen in matters of so great moment as the parts of his worship be In the old Testament the temple was distinctly plotted out and all sacrifices particularly prescribed Matth 6. And in the new Testament the Lord directeth his Disciples not only in the matter but in the maner of fasting prayer 1. Cor 11. Chap. 14. and giuing of almes Saint Pauâ— setteth downe the maner of rightly comming to the holy Communion and how the word is to be preached and heard But yet there is difference for matter of circumstance betwixt the old Testament and the new Gal. 4. In the old as in the infancy of the Church euerie particular is set downe about euery duty for that was the time in which they
Disobedience Touching the sins against this Commandement they are of two sorts as the duties were 1. Of Inferiours 2. Of Superiours The sinne of Inferiours is irreuerence that is to be without that awfull regard which ought to be towards Superiours and it may be referred to these heads 1. Disobedience and refusing to doe and to bee ruled thus stubborne and vnruly children and seruants sinne greatly and stubborne people that will not yeeld to follow the directions of Ministers they were by Gods censure all subiect to the same most fearefull punishment viz. to bee stoned to death For it was the plaine Law of God touching children See before in their duties to parents Deut. 21.18 And for people it was commanded Thou shalt doe according to all that they that is Deut 17.10.11 12. the Priests and Leuites teach thee According to the Law that they teach thee thou shalt not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will doe presumptuosly not harkning to the Priest shall dye Thus people that obey not the wholsome lawes of the Magistrates sinne greatly and if any refuse to be ordered by them they resist the ordinance of God Rom 13.2 and are specially threatned that they shall receiue to themselues condemnation Quest Is it a sinne then in any thing to doe contrary to the Kings lawes for examples sake to eate flesh in Lent or vpon Fridayes Answ If the intent of this Law were that euery one should vse this abstinence without exception it were a sinne to disobey vnlesse necessity did compell but the chiefe politique intent being that Fisher-men might haue vtterance for their fish and so be encouraged for the good of the Common-wealth as the title of that Law sheweth and that young things might in Lent be preserued and not spent before they come to some age and greatnesse if this bee obserued and the Law be not purposely crossed I take it that it is no sinne of disobedience against the higher powers in regard of the ciuill and politicall prohibition and the like is to be thought of all other statute-lawes their intent and scope must be duly by all good subiects obserued Quest It is a sin for children to disobey their Parents by deuoting themselues in their youth to any religious course or order or without or contrary to their liking Numb 30.1 Math 15.4 Answ Yea doubtlesse for God hath taken order that such a vow as vnlawfull should be counted of no force It is therfore meerely pharisaicall in the Romanists that in this case allow nay commend disobedience of young and ignorant children in deuoting themselues to any Monasticall order though to the great offence of Parents 2. Fraudulent and deceitfull obedience Thus seruants sin when they obey and vse diligence in their masters sight Deceitfulnes but are slothfull and negligent behinde their backs they rob and steale from them taking meat drinke and wages to doe their worke with diligence but contrariwise neglect it and prefer their own ease they can haue but cold comfort when they looke to the great Lord of all Christ Iesus that seeth all their sloth and deceit 3. Deriding and scoffing at Superiours as Ham mocked at his father Noah for which he was accursed in himselfe Gen. 9. Deriding Superiours and posterity This is a common vice in wayward youth when they are taught any thing that is good or admonished of their vanity if not openly which they dare not yet in heart they mocke at the admonitions of Parents Masters and Ministers But see what a cutse of God is out against them Pro. 30.17 The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley picke it out and the young eagles eate it This irreuerent scoffing neuer escaped Gods punishing hand The children that mocked Elisha 2 King 2. calling him Bald-pate were suddenly torne in pieces by Beares to two forty of them The Ephraimites that mocked Iphtah and his Gileadites calling them runagates of Ephraim were slaine to two forty thousands Nahash with his Ammonites 1 Sam. 11. that mocked at the conditions of peace offered by tbe men of Iabesh Gilead saying that if they might put out euery mans right eye and bring that shame vpon Israel they should haue peace were all slaine scattered so as that not two of them were left together And what fearefull end the Iewes came to that mocked at Christ and the holy Apostles wee all know Feare therefore to scoffe at any good man but much more at such as thou oughtest to reuerence for his place and function Cursing Superioâ—rs Exod. 21.17 Exod. 22.28 4 Cursing and backbiting Superiours Hee that curseth Father or Mother shall die the Death And the Lord expressely commandeth Thou shalt not raile vpon the Iudge nor speake euill of the Ruler of the people Thus therefore children seruants people that let loose their tongues against their Gouernors to curse and raile vpon them take the right way to bring Gods curse vpon themselues Numb 23 Balaams case shall be easier at the last day then theirs for he durst not curse where God forbade him 5 Irreuerent gestures towards Superiours in any particular mentioned before in the duty Too much obedience to Superiours Now as this Law is broken by detracting and taking away from the reuerence of Superiours so their is a sinne in ouer reuerencing them 1 If obedience be absolute without respect to Gods will for there we must say with the Apostle Acts 4.19 Wee must rather obey God then men If Parents or Masters bid thee lye steale worke vpon the Sabbatth or the like for their gaine thou must in all modesty deny so to doe If Kings and Rulers command Idolatry Superstition or Heresie obey not lest escaping their hands thou fall into the hands of the Lord. Quest Whether is a Minister of Gods Word being forbidden to preach by the Magistrate to forbeare to execute this his office of Preaching seeing the Apostle did not though straightly charged Ministers suspended may not preach Answ The ordinary Ministers of these times are bound in this case to obey the Magistrate as touching the publike execucution of their office because that howsoeuer they haue an inward calling from God yet their outward to the publike place is from man or by man and may againe bee taken away by man but it was not so with the Apostles who as the other Ministers of those times were immedialy and extraordinarily set a worke by God onely The onely preaching that they may now in this case exercise is by way of conference and exhortation in priuate prouided alwayes that it be not contrary but as the Law doth allow otherwise the power is resisted Here we may see what the Anabaptists are that are enemies to authority viz. euen a sinagogue of fantastick braine-sick soules enemies to Gods ordinance and so are many other humorus
commonly runne into 3. A disposition alwayes to interprete such things as are done against vs in the best sense that wee can as it is noted to bee the property of loue It thinketh not euill 1 Cor. 13.5 for by a misconstruction men are often prouoked causelesly to sinne against their owne soules or when small matters are aggrauated and accounted greater 4. A loue of peace and seeking it with all men as much as may be according to the precept As much as in you lyeth Roâ— 12.8 haue peace with all men And againe Dost thou desire to liue long and to see good dayes refraine thy tonge from euill Psal 34.12 and thy lips that they speake no guile cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke peace and ensue it 5. Lastly a minde content for the loue of peace sometimes to depart with a mans right as Abram the vncle Gen. 13. Math. 17. gaue Lot his nephew his choise being content that part which hee left and Christ when he had proued that hee was not to pay tribute or poll money did notwithstanding pay it being demanded By interring and timely bringing to the buriall dead bodies of Christian people or others which being vnburied would be noysome and preiudiciall to the liues of the liuing Wherefore Abraham prouideth a place to bury Sarah in But this taxeth not the hanging vp of paricides or other notorious murtherers in chaines without buriall who are vnworthy of the honour of Christian buriall And this duty doth more properly belong to the fift Commandement 1 Pet. 2.2 Ro. 10.14 Now as there is a spirituall murthering as well as a corporall so there are duties to be done to preserue the spirituall life and first to preserue thine owne thou art bound to desire the sincere milke of the word as S. Peter saith that thou maist grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 Rom. 10.14 attend the preaching hereof whereby faith may be wrought and confirmed and that with all diligence as it is to bee preached in season and out of season thou must hide the word in thy heart by serious meditation as Dauid did Psal 119.11 Cor. 3.16 and let it dwell plenteously in thee pray continually for grace and reuerently receiue the Sacraments and vnto all these ioyne obedience be doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues If any of these things bee neglected Iam. 1.22 thy soule cannot liue thou destroyest thy selfe euerlastingly To preserue the life of the soule To preserue thy neighbours spirituall life 1. If thou be a minister teach exhort rebuke vse all meekenes discretion and diligence in doctrine and life to keepe in the right way to bring in such as are out to strengthen the weake to comfort the faint-hearted to curbe the vnruly to informe the ignorant and erronious and to further the sanctification saluation of all 2. If thou beest a Iudge a ruler or a magistrate in executing iustice seeke not onely in regard of temporall punishments to make men affraid of sinning but much more because they shall thus damne and destroy their owne soules commend an honest and deuout course of life both by word and example so as S. Paul saith to Timothy thou maist saue both thy selfe and many others 3. If thou be father or mother master or priuate gouernour teach and season youth in good things betimes command them with Abraham to walke in the way of the Lord instruct them in the grounds of religion out of the holy Scriptures euen in their childhood with Timothies grandmother chastize them duly when they sinne against God as Ely did not and in all things bee an example of holinesse vnto them bringing them to the publike place of Gods worship and praying earnestly for them with Elchana and Hannah and thus thou shalt dedicate them with Samuel to the LORD and well prouide for the saluation of their soules Heb. 3.13 Leuit. 19.27 4. If thou be a priuate person exhort such as are backward and prouoke vnto loue and good workes reproue such as offend and suffer them not to sinne such as are forward in goodnesse incourage with the Kingly Prophet who saith I was glud when they said Psal 1 22. 1 Cor. 10â— let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord and by no meanes lay any stumbling-blocke before thy brother by which he should fall and perish and thus many priuate persons to their great ioy saue the soules of others whilest others carelesse of these duties like Cain haue murtherous mindes and say am I my brothers keeper Quest 94. What is the seauenth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not commit Adultery Quest 95. What is heere forbidden Answ First all outward vncleane actions of Adultery Fornication c. Secondly all filthy and vncleane speeches songs and Bookes and Ballads of this sort Thirdly all incontinent thoughts and lusts of the heart Fourthly whatsoeuer is an occasion of vncleannesse as surfetting drunkennesse and idlenesse c. Mat. 5.28 Explanat The sinne heere forbidden is not onely the act of Adultery but whatsoeuer is any way against chastitie or sobernesse either in deed in word or in thought directly or indirectly as a meanes of sinning heere against For thus large our Sauiour sheweth the extent of this Commandement to be where hee saith Whosoeuer looketh vpon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart stretchihg this commandement to the very thoughts and the meanes of such wicked thoughts a wandering eye Gen 19.18 First therefore this commandement is broken by vnclean actions of euery kinde whether by beastiality Leuit. 18.23 or by vnnaturall lust Rom. 1.26.27 and so foule an euill is this as that the Lord hath done more against it euen in the view of the world then against any other sinne sweeping away euen whole Kingdomes with fire and brimstone from Heauen not sparing any of that impure people and continuing the memoriall of his iudgement vnto this day by the dead sea which is there by the apples outwardly faire hauing nothing within them but smoke and by the generall desolation of the Countrey voyd of euery liuing creature Deut. 22.22 Or the act of vncleannesse is committed with a man or woman married or betrothed and this is adultery which is also so foule as that the punishment appointed is death If any man bee found lying with a woman married to a man then they shall dye euen both twaine to wit the man that lay with the wife 23. and the wife If a maa bee betrothed to an husband and a man lye with her then shall yee bring them both out to the gates of the Citie and shall stone them with stones to death And good reason that adultery should bee thus puninished because it is an abhominable sinne diuers wayes Against adultery 1. It is a breach of a most sacred couenant made before God and the congregation of his people in most sollemne
as is shewed in the Iewes Ezech. 18.29 saying The way of the Lord is not equall but of their owne waies they thought most highly The weakenesse of the whole man is such as that he is not able to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3 5. and as a dead carcasse corrupteth of it selfe and stinketh more and more so a naturall man increaseth in corruption till that he becommeth most vile and runneth on to doe things euen against nature And lastly so apt is he to turne the best meanes into corruption as that Christ himself is made a stumbling blocke hee that was giuen to raise vs vp to heauen Sam. 1. is made an occasion of stumbling and falling the grace of God which appeareth for our saluation is turned into wantonnesse Man assisted by Gods grace and regenerate Thes 3. Man cannot perfectly keepe the law 1 Iohn 3 9. cannot perfectly fulfill the Law but faileth still in many things For though a man be now spirituall and guided by Gods Spirit not to sinne as men naturall according to Saint Iohn yet the flesh the old man corrupt nature is not altogether expelled but remaining for their humiliation and the exercise of grace in their spirituall combate hindreth them from doing perfectly the thing they would and swayeth them oftentimes to the thing they would not Euen as a very dull scholler being excellently taught and much laboured vpon by a most skilful Schoole-master yet through defects of his nature is imperfect in his learning and erreth in exercises of learning sometime in against Orthography sometime in false Latin and sometime in frigid inuention misplacing of words and vsing vnproper words vntill that in continuance of time he comming to perfect age all these faults come to be amended So the scholler taught by Gods Spirit shall at the last namely in patria come to perfection and be without all error and sinne but through the vntowardnesse of his nature cannot here in via doe any exercise but there be faults escaping him 1. Iohn 1.8 Iames 3.1 Rom. 7.21 Hence it is that Saint Iohn saith If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs and Saint James In many things we sinne all and Paul acknowledged it in himselfe When I would doe good euill is present with me So that both Pelagianisme is to be reiected that teacheth man to be able out of the strength of nature to keepe the Law and semipelagianisme that is Popery teaching that the regenerate are able perfectly to keepe it yea to doe more then it requireth which they call workes of supererrogation Can no man attaine to perfection of righteousnes according to the Law how then is it that some are said to be perfect according to that speech of the Apostle So many as are perfect let vs be thus minded Perfection is two waies to bee vnderstood either as it is opposed to imperfections and wants Perfection two fold and this is perfection of degrees whereby the law is kept without failing in any thing or as it is opposed to hypocrisie and this is perfection of parts whereby what is outwardly professed is inwardly imbraced so that as the outward part maketh a good shew the inward part is also right and sincere And thus Dauid Iosiah and others are said to be perfect and not otherwise and thus euery regenerate man can and doth in some measure approue himselfe for perfect though amidst great weakenesses Quest 107. What is the breach of the Law and the punishment hereof Answ It is firme which if it be but once committed onely and that but in thought it makes the person committing it subiect to Gods eternall curse which is euerlasting death in hell fire the torments whereof are vnspeakable without any end or ease 1. Iohn 3.4 Rom. 7. Explan Next vnto the consideration of mans weakenesse towards the Keeping of the Law commeth to bee considered the punishment due vnto him therefore And here first I say that the breach of the Law is sinne because sinne as Saint Iohn teacheth is a transgression of the Law and without the Law saith Saint Paul sinne is dead And this sinne though it be but one once only committed yea but in thought subiecteth the sinner to the eternall curse of God For that inbred corruption only euen before it breaketh into action maketh all men guilty of death according to that By the offence of one man Rom. 5.18 Iames 2.10 the faule came on all men to condemnation But much more if any man obserue the whole law and yet faile in one point he is guiltie of all as being actually a sinner also Now the punishment which is here said to bee death is otherwise called the curse Deut. 27.26 for cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them It is called hell fire damnation the second death vtter darkenesse the worme that neuer dieth and fire that neuer goeth out the extremitie being such as that it causeth continuall weeping and gnashing of teeth for sorrow and no one drop of mercy is granted to ease any part of these torments and all this is not for some long time but thousand thousands of yeares and still as farre from end as at the first beginning Quest 108. Is it not iniustice to appoint so great a punishment for euery sinne yea euen for the least Answ It is very iust and right for the Lord to adiudge the very least sinne to hell fire because his marke which is perfect holines set vpon man in his creation is remoued and a marke with the deuils brand is made vpon the soule of the sinner for which it is iust that the deuill and not God should now haue such a soule Mark 7.23 Explan The Lord which is iust in all the waies and righteous in all his workes cannot bee vniust in punishing sinne Therefore this heauy censure against the least sinne cannot but bee most iust and that this may more plainely appeare wee are not to consider of sinne as of an offence meerely whereby a law is broken but as of a blemish whereby the soule is steined and so made vnfit to bee a citizen of heauen where only holines dwelleth and none vncleane thing may enter This blemish also is so great as that it is said to defile the whole man and that with such filthinesse as is most loathsome Now this being the case of any sinner is it not iust with God to condemne him to the place fit for him and much more because he preferreth by sinne Satans bage and cognisance before the Lords Sinne worthy of hell fire Againe euery sinne is an offence against an infinite maiesty euen the smallest as wel as the greatest for the same God which hath said Thou shalt not commit adultery hath said also Iames 2.11 thou shalt not kill He that hath said thou shalt not doe ill hath also said thou shalt
disanull them and against all defects if there be any in our lawes and neglect of the execution that the defects may be supplied the execution of good lawes better lookt vnto for the furtherance of Gods kingdome Hinderances of Gods kingdome in the ministry In the ministery there may bee also many hinderances of this kingdome against which we pray 1. Ignorance and vnaptnesse to teach for euen as the childe without milke perisheth and hauing too little languisheth so the poore soules of men vnder ignorant ministers or such as be vnapt to teach them doe perish and decay Hos 4.6 1 Tim. 3. 2 Tim. 2.15 My people perish saith the Lord for want of knowledge and a Bishop saith the Apostle must be apt to teach he must know to diuide the word of truth a right 2. We pray against heresie in them whereby the milke of the word as with poyson is corrupted and turned to the destruction of soules Of this hinderance S. Peter speaking 2 Pet. 3.16 saith that there bee many hard places in the Scriptures which the ignorant and vnstable peruert vnto damnation And like vnto this are prophane and vaine bablings which by the Apostle are compared vnto the Canker and Gangreene tending to the destruction of the body Wherefore wee pray 2 Tim. 2.27 that no such preachers may creepe in or be suffered in the Church as doe teach hereticall opinions vainely and prophanely handle the holy Word to the disgrace thereof amongst the hearers 3. Wee pray against idlenesse in Ministers taking the fleece and fat of the flocke but through lazinesse and carelesnes suffering the wandring to be out of the way the feeble without pasture and the diseased and weake without cure and exposing all to the rage of the deuouring Wolfe If hee that hath the keeping of a tower against the enemy committed vnto him and a reward therefore shall sleepe and neglect his charge he is worthy of death by the Martiall Law and he that taking wages and hauing any worke committed vnto him if through sloath he doth it to halues or to quarters he is worthy to bee punished as a thiefe So and much more they which take charge of soules and wages therfore a spirituall worke in hand and hire to doe it and yet are sloathfull and giuen so much to their ease as that they labour not in this worke by preaching praying exhortation yea and by good example of life shall answer as theeues and robbers and vndergoe the vtmost of Gods Law Wee pray heere that if there be any such O vtinam nusquam they may bee diligent or else speedily remoued and more painfull and faithfull placed in their roome 4. Wee pray against wickednesse in the life and conuersation of Ministers for a Bishop must be vnreprouable Leui had both the Thummim and Vrim committed vnto him 1 Tim. 32. When wicked ministers are wicked liuers though they teach things good and the way right yet such a cloud is cast ouer their doctrine that it shineth very dimly and few or none see to follow after it when like Images shewing the way they are seene to stand still without motion they are held as idols to be teachers of lies and what they shew is not imbraced Particular hinderances of Gods kingdome The particular hinderances of Gods kingdome are such as be in euery priuate person in particular These are first Infidelity and vnbeliefe whereby the dore of the heart is shut vp against the Lord that hee cannot rule there as King Heb. 4.2 Where vnbeliefe was it is noted that Christ could doe no great matters Lydiu had her heart opened before that the power of godlinesse wrought in her The Iewes are noted to haue had the world without profit because their hearing was not mixed with faith Faith was the first thing which Satan vndermined in our first parents to beat downe Gods kingdome it is the first thing wherin Paul laboureth with King Agrippa to make him a member of Gods kingdome As all things are possible to faith so it is impossible that any good thing should be with vnbeliefe Wee pray therefore here against this vnbeliefe that the Lord would open our hearts to belieue his word and all the promises and threatnings therein contained 2. Impenitency and hardnesse of heart whereby the mind is without relenting for sinne and reioyceth rather heerein and as the hand by often handling of hard things becommeth daily more hard and insensible so by sinning the conscience becommeth more hard and without sense or remorse for sin Luc 3. Wherefore when Iohn would prepare the way for the Kingdome of Christ hee preacheth repentance the putting away of this hardnes in sinning Esa 66 2. and when the Prophet Esay would describe such a man as with whom the Lord doth dwell to rule and raigne in him he saith that he must be humble contrite spirit and tremble at his word Wee pray then heere that the Lord would take away the heart of stone out of vs Ezech. 11.19 and giue vs an heart of flesh as he hath promised so that the power of sinne may be shaken we may tremble for sinne past and resolue vpon newnesse of life for the time to come as good subiects of Gods kingdome 3. Any one raigning sin which is when the soule is quiet in some priuate secret sinne and doth not striue earnestly against it For let it be neuer so small if there be a willing going on in it it is a raigning sinne and God cannot reigne in that heart Let not sinne therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 6.12 raigne in your mortall bodies Eph. 5.14 Hee that promiseth to the enemy of the Land but one peny or one egge towards his maintenance to inuade the countrey is no good subiect to his Prince no more than hee that promiseth horse man and armour neither is he a good subiect of Gods kingdome that resteth and without checke nesteth in lying in petty swearing in vaine talking or euill thinking and fighteth not against these Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life if thou sleepest in any sinne thou art without life out of the Kingdome of light 4. Negligence in superiours towards inferiours in parents masters or the wealthy towards the poore children or seruants suffering them to sin leauing them vntaught forbearing to admonish them to further Gods kingdome in them Leuit. 19.17 For if it be a sinne of neglect in any man to let his familiar friend to sinne vnreproued much more is it in such as haue some authority annexed vnto their persons they sinne against that Charge Thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne 5. We pray therefore that all gouernours of families may shake off negligence towards their charges and though it be painfull vnto them labour to further Gods Kingdome in their families and that the rich in disposing the liberalities
1. By forsaking and with-drawing his grace without which as a lame man going with stiltes falleth if they be taken from him so euery man falleth and is vnable to stand in the day of temptation 2. By leauing a man to his owne lustes by which as by a violent streame running downe a steepe hill hee is carried quite away 3. By deliuering ouer to Satan for the punishment of former notorious sinnes who hardeneth more and more in all wickednes as he did Pharaoh and King Saul But deliuer vs that is withdraw not thy grace from vs for the time to come leaue vs not to our owne lusts neither deliuer vs ouer to satan to be hardened as thou mightest iustly doe for our sinnes but when satan and our owne lusts conspire our destruction stand by vs that our faith may not faile as Christ promised to his Disciples saying Satan hath desired to win now you but I haue prayed that your faith may not faile From euill euill is twofold of sinne and of punishment vsually called Malum culpa and malum poena From both these wee pray to bee deliuered 3. For the scope of the petition because it is negatiue it is first to bee considered in the deprecation which is 1. Against spirituall desertion or forsaking of Gods Spirit What we pray against which if it be gone all power to stand and all spirituall comfort is gone also It is in vs the new life and spirit of the soule Gods fire sent from heauen to heat vs with good affections to inlighten vs with true vnderstanding and to ouercome whatsoeuer corruptions it meeteth withal in vs according to which the Apostle warneth quench not the Spirit 1. Thes 5.19 Wofull is their estate that are thus forsaken as we pray therefore against it so let vs prouide by willing entertaining the motions of the Spirit and auoyding all vnkind vsage thereof that wee may neuer be forsaken or left without the sweet consort and company of it 2. We pray against solicitations to sin either by the deuill world or flesh that satan may be chained vp not let loose against vs that the flesh may bee nourished and not continue so rebellious in the euill motions thereof and that we may auoide the outward flattering obiects in the world and company of wicked men alluring vnto sinne Against which things seeing that we pray what mock gods are those that are careles of offering themselues into temptations and prouocations to sinne yea delight so to doe by frequenting wicked company and giuing aduantage to Satan whilst they please themselues in deceitefull obiects of sinne 3. Wee pray against sinne euen when we are most solicited and tempted vnto it because it cannot be but wee ust needes meet with temptations as long as we haue eyes and hearts and eares in this world Wee pray therefore that though we be tempted yet wee may not be ouercome and made slaues to sinne as they are which commit sinne according to the Apostle to the Romans Rom. 6.16 He that committeth a sinne is the seruant of sinne To be preserued from sinne vse these remedies with thy eies euer behold God present with thy eares euer heare that terrible voyce sounding Arise yee dead and come to iudgement with thy hands bee euer exercising that which is good in thy heart euer hide the Word of God and with thy feet stand in the courts of Gods house 4. Against grieuous afflictions long continuing to make vs despaire of Gods mercy or hearing our prayers for these are the most forcible temptations in the world and therefore need of strong faith is there still to trust in God and patiently to indure that they may be turned of temptations to sin into purgations of sin that grace may more abound through meanes of them And otherwise wee doe not pray against them least we should be found such as would follow Christ but whilst we resist the crosse rather goe from him then take vp the crosse and follow him as he hath commanded 5. We pray against sudden death which is a great euill and therfore threatned against wicked worldlings of whom Dauid saith Psalm 73.19 How suddenly are they perished destroyed and horribly consumed yet we do not simply pray against sudden death out of a carnal desire of licentiousnes but that we may haue space to set our house in order to testifie our faith to the comfort of the Church and to repent of our renued trespasses into which we daily fall though we striue against them The fiery Serpents in the wildernesse destroyed the Israelites suddenly and so did the Angell suddenly in one night destroy 185000. of the Assyrians and all this was done in anger for sinne likewise the men of Bethshemesh perished and Vzzah and the old World and Sodome al being smitten in great indignation On the contrary side it is a fauour vsually done to such as feare God to giue them time at their death as to Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and to all whose deaths are described Which I speake not as censuring those that die suddenly but those that find fault with praying against this vncomfortable departure For whatsoeuer is ordinarily a signe of Gods anger and barreth his ordinary manifestation of his greatest loue in this life is to bee prayed against but such is sudden death ergo it is to be prayed against 6. Wee pray against obduration and hardning in sinne through a custome of sinning or through some notorious sins for which the Lord vsually giueth men ouer to sinne with a reprobate mind for a punishment as he did the Gentiles of whom the Apostle testifieth Rom. 1.24 Verse 26. Versse 28. He gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts and againe God gaue them vp for this cause to vile affections and againe God deliuered them vp to a reprobate mind Wee pray therefore that of all punishments the Lord would not lay this vpon vs or turne vs into Satans hands so that hee should take vs and worke his cursed will in vs at his pleasure which is the very entrance of hell and most terrible to the soule inlightned as experience sheweth If any set light by such a punishment let him know that hee is blinded by the god of this world and led as the Aramites by Elisha into the midst of deuils in the bottomlesse pit 7. We pray against eternal death and damnation the greatest euill of all other in regard of which all torments here are but flea-bites and to be despised We desire therefore that whatsoeuer our deserts be by reason of sin yet that the Lord would not punish vs accordingly but lay all the burthen of these too intollerable vpon the shoulders of our blessed Sauiour who hath submitted himselfe vnto death and all possible humiliation of dolours and terrors by the apprehension euen of Gods heauy wrath and indignation for vs that wee might escape 2. The supplication is for such things as are best for vs