we read Gen. 19. 1. that Lot seeing twoo Angels comming towards Sodome rose vp to meete them and bowed himselfe with his face to the ground By which example it appeareth that though Angels may be adored yet not with Religious or that which is mixed with Religious worship but with worship purely meerely ciuill Wherevpon it was that the Angell refused the worship done vnto him by Iohn saying See thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren c. Rev. 19. 10. I adde moreouer that sith at this day the Angels appeare not vnto vs we may not worshippe them at all either in ciuill or religious manner albeit we must euer haue a reuerent estimation of them As for liuing men Adoration meerely civill is onely due vnto them and that in respect of the gifts of God which we see to be in them as also of their authoritie and place which they haue amongst men This is expressely inioyned in the fist Commandement Honour thy father c. and confirmed also by the example of Abraham who stood vp and bowed himselfe before the people of the land of the Hittites Gen. 23. 7. Prouided alwaies that this Adoration be according to the laudable custome of the countrey where they liue But for worship either simply religious or mixt it is in no sort to be yeelded them Thus Peter when Cornelius met him and fell downe at his feete refused to accept of the honour done vnto him which notwithstanding was not a diuine but a mixed kinde of worship performed vnto Peter in a reuerent opinion of his person as beeing more then an ordinarie man Act. 10. 25 26. In like manner Mordecai the Iewe denied to worship Haman because the honour which the King appointed to be giuen vnto him was an excessiue honour hauing some diuine worship in it such as was done to himselfe Of the same sort is the kissing of the Popes feete which indeede is ciuill worship but mixed with religious For it is tendered vnto him as to the Vicar of Christ and one that cannot erre the like to which is not done to any Emperour or Potentate on earth Lastly touching dead men or Saints departed as Peter Paul and the rest all the worship we owe vnto them is no more but a reuerent estimation of their persons and imitation of their â—…es Religious or ciuill Adoration due vnto them we acknowledge none because neither we haue to deale with them nor they with vs. Therefore Romish Adoration of them we renounce as flat Idolatrie considering it giues vnto them a Diuinitie making them present in all places to know our hearts and heare our praiers at all times which is the prerogatiue of God alone Now for vnreasonable creatures no Adoration at all appertaineth to them but onely a reuerent and holy vse of them For Adoration is a signe of Subiection of the inferiour to the superiour but man is their superiour and therefore he is to doe them no worship or seruice And hereupon we iustly condemne the Adoration of the reliques of Saints of the bread and wine in the Sacrament c. The Third sort of things is the Worke of the Creature to wit Images Where if it be demanded what Adoration is due to them I answer None at all Reasons 1. We haue an expresse inhibition to the contrarie in the third Commandement Thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worship them c. 2. The superiour must performe no adoration to the inferiour Now though it should be granted that they were the Images of God yet man is a more excellent Image then they and they are inferiour not onely to him but euen to the baser sort of creatures The woâ—…e is one of the basest creatures vpon the earth yet it is a worke of God The Image is a worke not of God but of man Man therefore may as well in all reason and better worship the worme then the Image CHAP. XII Of outward Confession THe fift Head of Gods outward worship is Confession I meane not the Ordinarie or Ecclesiasticall Confession but that which is made before the Aduersarie Concerning which there be many Questions commonly made I. Question Whether Confession of faith be necessarie and when Ans. That Confession is necessarie it appeares by manifest testimonies of Scripture 1. Pet. 3. 15. Be readie to giue an answer alwaies to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you Here is a flat Commandement for Confession Againe Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart thou shalt be saued For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation And Mark 8. 38. Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me in this adulterous generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed also when he commeth in the glorie of his Father with his holy Angels This is graunted of all Diuines saue onely of some pestilent Heretikes The second part of the Question is When Confession is to be made For answering whereof this must be remembred for a Ground that there is a distinction to be made betweene Commandements affirmatiue and negatiue The Negatiue bindeth at all times and to all times For it is not lawfull at any time for a man to doe euill The Affirmatiue binds at and in all times but not to all times For it commands a dutie to be done which neuerthelesse is not at all times to be done For example To giue almes is prescribed by an affirmatiue commandement and yet almes are to be giuen onely at fit times and occasions Hereupon it pleased the Lord to propound part of the Morall Law in negatiue tearmes because negatiues are of greater force Now Confession beeing commaunded not by a negatiue but by an affirmatiue commandement we are not bound thereunto at and to all times but when iust occasion is offered What then may some say are the especiall times in which Confession is to be made before the Aduersarie Ans. There are two principally to which all the other may be reduced The first is when we are examined touching our Religion by them that are in authoritie as by Magistrates Princes Iudges c. For at such time we are lawfully called to make confession of our faith and may doe it with boldnes Thus much the place before-named importeth where we are inioyned to be readie to giue an account c. 1. Pet. 3. 15. that is not to euery Examiner but to those alone who haue power and authoritie giuen them by God for that purpose And the same is implied in Christs speech to his Apostles Math. 10. 19. And ye shall be brought before gouerners and Kings for my sake in witnes to them and to the Gentiles And in this case not to make profession of our faith is in effect to denie Christ to scandalize the Church and greatly to preiudice the truth The second time of Confession is when in
goodnes to any worke Christ saith of the Pharises that they worshipped him in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men He therefore that will doe a worke tending to the worship of God must doe that which God commandeth Now actions expressely commanded are the duties of the morall Law Actions generally commanded are all such as serue to be helpes and meanes to further the said morall duties And here we must remember that actions indifferent in the case of offence or edification cease to be indifferent and come vnder some commandement of the morall Law To which purpose Paul saith If eating flesh will offend my brother I will eate no flesh while the world standeth his meaning is that though his eating of flesh was a thing indifferent in it selfe yet in case of offence his minde was to abstaine from it as much as from the breach of the Law of God Againe if an action indifferent comes within the case of furthering the good of the Commonwealth or Church it ceaseth to be indifferent and comes vnder commandement and so all kind of callings and their works though neuer so base may be the matter of good workes This point is to be remembred for it serueth to incourage euery man of what condition soeuer he be in the diligent performance of the duties of his calling as also to confute the doctrine of the Popish church which teacheth that onely almes deedes and building or maintaining of Churches and religious houses are the matter of good works Now to the manner or Forme of a good work there is required Faith For as without faith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11. 6. so whatsoeuer worke is vndertaken without faith cannot in any sort be acceptable vnto him What faith then is required in this case I answer First a general faith whereby we are perswaded that the thing to be done may lawfully be done and of this the Apostle speaketh when he saith whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly a particular or iustifying faith which purifieth the heart and maketh it fit to bring forth a good work for it giues a beginning to the worke and also couers the wants and defects thereof by apprehending and applying vnto vs Christ and his merits Againe a good worke for the māner thereof must be done in obedience For knowing that the thing to be done is commanded of God we must haue a minde and intention to obey God in the thing we doe according to his cōmandement If it be here demanded seeing workes must be done in obedience how and to what part of the word we must direct our obedience I answer to the Law But howe not considered in his rigour but as it is qualified mollified and tēpered by the gospell for according to the rigour of the Lawe which commandes perfect obedience no man can possibly doe a good worke Furthermore touching the maner it must be done to good and lawfull ends The Ends of a good worke are manifold First the honour and glory of God Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God Secondly the testification of our thankfulnes vnto God that hath redeemed vs by Christ. The third is to edifie our neighbour and to further him in the way to life euerlasting Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your father which is in heauen The fourth is to exercise and increase our faith repentance both which be much strengthned and confirmed by the practise of good workes Fiftly that we may escape the punishment of sinne the destruction of the wicked and obtaine the reward of the righteoūs life euerlasting This was the end that Paul aymed at in the course of his calling to which purpose he saith From henceforth there is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day 2. Tim. 4. 8. Sixtly that we may be answerable to our calling in doeing the duties thereof and in walking as children of light redeemed by Christ Iesus When Dauid kept his fathers sheepe he behaued himselfe as a sheepheard but when he was annointed King ouer Israell God gaue him an heart resolution to carry himselfe as a King gouernour of his people Looke then as Dauid did so ought we euen by our workes to be answerable to our callings Seuenthly that we may pay the debt which we owe vnto God For we are debters to him in sundry regardes as we are his creatures as we are his seruants as we are his children In a word as we are redeemed by Christ and our whole debt is our dutie of praise and thanks giuing After the worke is done then comes the acceptation of it God accepts of our works diuers waies First in that he pardoneth the fault which comes from vs. Secondly in that he approoues his owne good worke in vs. Thirdly in that he doth giue vnto the doers of them a crowne of righteousnes and glorie according to his promise 2. Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 2. 10. We then after we haue done the work must humble our selues and intreat the Lord to pardon the wants of our workes and say with Dauid Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant with Daniel Lord vnto vs belongeth open shame confusiō but to thee righteousnes compassion and forgiuenes And the reason is plaine because in vs there is no goodnesse no holinesse no righteousnes nor any thing that may present vs acceptable in his sight for this cause Paul saith I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified Great reason then that we should hūble ourselues before God for our wants and pray vnto him that he will in mercie accept our indeauour and confirme the good worke begunne in vs by his holy spirit CHAP. VI. Of the second maine Question touching assurance of saluation II. Question How a man may be in conscience assured of his owne saluation Before I come to the Question it selfe this conclusion is to be laid downe as a mayne Ground That Election vocatiō faith adoption iustificatiō sanctification eternal glorification are neuer separated in the saluation of any man but like inseparable companions go◠hand in hand so as he that can be assured of one of them may infallibly conclude in his owne heart that he hath and shall haue interest in all the other in his due time This is plaine by the words of S. Paul Rom. 8. 30. Whome he predestinate them also he called whome he called them also he iustified whome he iustified them also he glorified In which place the Apostle compares the causes of saluation to a chaine of many linkes whereof euery one is so coupled to the other that he which taketh hold of the highest must needes carrie all the rest with him Againe amongst these linkes Faith is one a principall grace of God whereby
of vnlawfull flight are to be considered and they are principally foure The first is when God puts into a mans heart the Spirit of courage and fortitude whereby he is resolued to abide and stand out against the force of all enemies Thus Paul Act. 20. 22. went bound in the Spirit to Ierusalem Where though he knew that bonds and afflictions did abide him yet he would not be disswaded but vttered these words of resolution I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfil my course with ioy and the ministration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God This motion of the Spirit is not ordinarie yet in the time of hot persecution it hath beene found in many worthy instruments of Gods glory as may be seene in the Histories of sundry Martyrs in the daies of Queene Mary But one especially of whom I was credibly informed that hauing this motion not to stand out and yet flying for that very act felt such a sting in his conscience that he could neuer haue peace till his death The second signe is when a man is apprehended and vnder the custodie of the Magistrate For then hee is not to flie because he must in all his sufferings obey the Magistrate Here a Question is mooued Whether a man that is imprisoned may breake prison To this Popish Schoolemen answer that he may if the cause of his imprisonment be vniust And sutable to this assertion is the common practise of Papists We on the contrary say and that truly that no man being in durance may vse any vnlawfull or violent meanes to escape for we may not at any hand resist the Magistrate in our sufferings Seruants are commanded to subiect themselues with patience vnto the vniust corrections of their Maisters 1. Pet. 2. 19. And this reason is giuen For it is thankeworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure greife suffering wrongfully The Apostles being in prison vsed no meanes to deliuer themselues but when the Angell of the Lord had opened the prison dores then they came forth and not before Act. 5. 19. And that which Peter and the other Apostles did must Pastors and other men also doe in the like case for Religion sake The third signe When a man is bound by his calling and ministerie so as in it he may glorifie God and doe good to the church by preaching theÌ„ he must not fly For the duties of a mans calling must be preferred before any worldly thing whatsoeuer whether body goods friends or life c. The fourth signe When God in his providence cuts off all lawfull meanes and waies of flying he doth then as it were bidde that man stay and abide I say lawfull meanes because we may not vse those that are vnlawfull but rather rest contented and resigne our selues wholly to Gods will and pleasure Wee must not doe any euill that good may come thereof and of two evills not onely not the lesse but neither of both is to be chosen So much of Confession CHAP. XIII Of an Oathe THe sixt head of Gods worship is an Oath concerning which three Questions are to be handled I. What an Oathe is II. How an Oathe is to be taken III. How farre forth it bindeth and is to be kept Sect. 1. I. Question What is an oathe An Oathe is a religious and necessarie confirmation of things doubtfull by calling on God to be a witnesse of truth and a revenger of falshood First I call it a Confirmation for so the Holy Ghost speaketh An oath for confirmation is among men an ende of all strife Heb. 6. 16. Secondly I terme it a religious confirmation because an Oath is a part of Gods Religion and worshippe Yea it is sometimes put for the whole worshippe of God Esay 19. 28. In that day shall they swear by the Lord of hosts that is they shall worship the true God Thirdly I adde a necessarie confirmation because an Oathe is neuer to be vsed in way of confirmation but onely in case of meere necessitie For when all other humane proofes do faile then it is lawfull to fetch testimonie from heauen and to make God himselfe our witnes In this case alone and neuer els it is lawfull to vse an Oathe Fourthly I say in which God is called vpon as a witnes of the trueth and a reuenger of falsehoode This is added in the last place because herein alone stands the forme and life of an Oâ—the that in things doubtfull we call God as a witnes of truth and a iust revenger of the contrary There be sundry kindes of confirmatioÌ„ as the affirmation the asseueration and the obtestation And by this Clause an Oath is distinguished from them all because in it we call vpon God to giue witnesse to the thing avouched but in the other three we doe not Now touching this last point of the forme and life of an Oathe three Questions are to be answered for the better clearing of the whole doctrine I. Question Whether an Oathe taken by Creatures be a true Oath and to be kept Ans. An Oathe by creatures is an Oath though vnlawfull For though there be not in it a direct invocation of God for witnesse yet when we call the creature to giue testimony we doe then indirectly cal vpon God because he is seene in them and looke how many creatures there be in the world so many signes are they of Gods presence This answer Christ himselfe maketh Matth. 23. 21 22. He that sweareth by heauen sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon that is by God himselfe II. Question Whether an oath by false gods be a true oath or no for example the oath of the Turke by Mahomet the oath of Laban by the gods of Nachor that is by his Idols when as in them there is no inuocation of the true God of heauen and earth I answer as before though it be not a lawfull oath yet it is in value effect an oath For though that thing be a false god indeed by which it is taken yet it is the true God in the opinion of him that sweareth Thus Mahomet is to the Turke in stead of the true God and is honoured of him as God and therefore his oath by Mahomet is a true oath Thus when Iacob in the couenant that he made with Laban sweares by the feare of his father Isaak and Laban by the Idols of Nachor Iacob accepted the oath which was tendered to him in the name of a false god which he would not haue done if it had not beene an oath at all And hence the Case is plaine that swearing by a false god is an oath and therefore bindeth the swearer in Conscience thought it be vnlawfully taken III. Question If in euery oath God ought to be cited as a witnes how then can God sweare by himselfe seeing none can witnes vnto him Ans.
and iudgements of men vpon the place written Iudg. 11. And my purpose is not to examine that which others haue brought in way of resolution but briefly to deliuer that which I take to be the truth I answer therefore that Iephte did not offer his Daughter in Sacrifice vpon his vowe but onely dedicated her vnto God after the manner of the Nazarites to the ende of her daies to lead her life apart in a single estate The truth of this answer will appeare by these reasons First in the 37. verse of the chapter the daughter of Iephte craues leaue of her father to goe apart into the mountaines for two moneths space to bewaile her virginitie Where it may be obserued that she went not to deplore the losse of her life but her future estate and condition because shee was vpoÌ„ her fathers vow to liue a perpetuall single life And why surely because as the text saith vers 39. she had not knowne a man it was accounted a curse in Iudea for a woman alwaies to liue vnmarried Secondly in the last verse it is said in our common English translation that the daughters of Israel went yeare by yeare to lament the daughter of Iephte But I take it it may be as well or better translated out of the Hebrue they went to talke or conferre with her and so to comfort her and that this interpretation may not seeme strange the very same word is obserued in this sense Iudg. 5. 11. there shall they talke or conferre of the righteousnesse of the Lord. Now if they went yeare by yeare to comfort her then shee was not put to death Thirdly Iephte is commended by the holy Ghost for the excellencie of his faith Heb. 11. 32. and that out of the same historie Now the commendation of his faith and the vnnaturall murther of his daughter cannot stand together But it will be said that Iephte vowed that whatsoeuer came out of his dores to meete him should be the Lords he would offer it for a burnt offring v. 31. Ans. The words may more truly be read thus or I will offer it in sacrifice And the meaning of the vowe was this That thing which first meeteth me if it be a thing to be sacrificed I will sacrifice it if not I will dedicate it to the Lord. For it seems to consist of two parts wherof the latter is coupled to the former by a discretiue coniunctioÌ„ as the GraÌ„marians speake In this manner the word is els where taken so as it may either way be expounded In the fourth commandement Exod. 20. 10. in our common translation it is read thou and thy sonne and thy daughter but out of the Ebrwe it may be translated either and or or It will be said againe that Iephte rent his cloathes because his daughter mette him when he returned from the victorie Ans. That was in regard of her vowed virginitie which was a curse among the Iewes And besides he had but one daughter and by this meanes of sacrifâ—ing her all hope of posteritie after him was cut off But it seemes that Monasticall vowes of virginitie by this example are lawfull Ans. Indeed the custome of vowing virginitie beganne in those dayes but they thought it not a state of perfection but rather an estate of miserie as may appeare in that he rent his cloaths when she mette him and the daughters of Israel went to comfort her as being now in a woefull and miserable estate Vpon these Reasons I conclude that Iephte did not offer vp his daughter in sacrifice but onely set her apart to liue a single life to the honour and seruice of God And Iephte might knowe euen by the light of nature that it was a finne to vow hâ—… daughters death and a double sinne to kill her IV. Question Whether Monasticall or Monkish vowes binde or no To this the Papists answer affirmatiuely placing the greatest part of their Religion in practise and observance of these vowes That we may know them the better they are in number three The first is the vowe of continency whereby a man renounceth Mariage for euer and voweth vnto God perpetuall virginitie The second of Voluntarie Povertie which is when a man giueth ouer all propertie of his goods and bindes himselfe to liue by begging The third is of Regular obedience when a man resignes himselfe in conscience to be ruled by another and to keepe some deuised order in all actions and duties pertaining to religion Now the Question beeing whether these vowes binde or no I answer in a word they doe not and that for these reasons I. First they are flat against the law of God which I make manifest in the particulars The vowe of perpetuall chastitie is expressely against Gods commandement 1. Cor. 7. 9. If they cannot abstaine let them marry for it is better to marrie then to burne To this text the Papists answer three waies First they say that this place of scripture is onely a diuine permission and not a commandement we reply againe directly that it is a plaine commandement For the intent of the Holy Ghost in that text and in the whole Chapter is to ordaine a necessarie remedie for incontinencie which Paul calls burning and for the auoiding of fornication which brings destructioÌ„ to the soule And for that purpose he speaks not in permitting maÌ„ner but in imperatiue tearmes Let theÌ„ marry Secondly they answer that the words concerne onely incontinent persons that commit fornication We on the other side affirme that they are not only giuen to them that liue incontinently but to all persons which are subiect to burning which burning may be without incontinencie For the better vnderstanding whereof let it be considered that there be three distinct degrees of lust in man The first is when the temptatioÌ„ is first receiued into the mind The secoÌ„d when the same temptation preuaileth though with some resistaÌ„ce trouble of the minde conscience which also though no outward offence as yet follow is a degree of burning The third is wheÌ„ the temptation so far preuaileth that the heart will are overcome and the duties of religion for the time vtterly hindred This is the highest and worst kind of burning And if we consider these degrees well it will easily appeare that there may be burning without incontinent liuing Thirdly they answere that this text speaketh not of persons that are free but of those alone who are bound from Mariage by solemne vow we contrariwise affirme and hold that the words are generall and plainly directed to all persons bound by vowe or otherwise and that appeares by vers â—…5 where he saies I speake not this to tangle you in a snare These words doe shewe that Pauls mind was touching the vow of perpetuall virginitie For he leaues euery man according to Gods ordinance to his owne libertie willing none by vowe to binde himselfe from the vse thereof Now for the vow of Regular
be chargeable to the Church and so there might be sufficient almes to them that are truly poore V. The fift Reason They bring in againe Iudaisme for Iewish religion by Gods appointment stood in bodily rites and outward ceremonies actions and gestures yea in outward things as garments meats drinks And their rule was Touch not tast not from all which we are wholly freed by Christ. VI. Sixtly these vowes are Idolatrous and superstitious for they are made and obserued with an opinion of Gods worship of merit and of the state of perfection whereas nothing can be made Gods worship but that which himselfe commandeth And bodily exercises are vnprofitable as Paul saith and therefore they can not be meritorious And further to dreame of a state of perfection beyond the Law of God is to make the Law it selfe imperfect whereas contrariwise the Law of the Lord is perfect righteous and pure Psal. 19. 7 8. VII Lastly these vowes are against the preseruation of Nature for by them specially that of perpetuall chastitie men are brought to destroy euen their owne bodies and liues which they are bound to preserue and maintaine Ephes. 5. 29. No man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it The Apostle euen in his daies noted it as a fault in the voluntarie religion that was then taken vp by some that for the maintenance thereof they spared not their owne bodies Coloss. 2. 23. And like vnto that is the practise of Popish Votaries which tendeth to the ruine and ouerthrow of nature and life it selfe These be the Reasons In the next place we are to consider the Allegations that are commonly made in the fauour and defence of Popish vowes And first it is obiected In the Old Testament Vowes were a part of Gods worship therfore they are so to be holdē in the New Ans. There is great difference betweene them For first they had their warrant out of Gods word these haue not so nay there be expresse testimonies of scripture against these Vowes Secondly in their vowes there was alwaies right reserued to superiours to reuerse them if they liked them not But in Monasticall vowes all right is taken from superiours For children are permitted to vow and their promises must stand against parents consent And wiues according to Popish doctrine may vow against the expresse consent of their husbands Thirdly they were not perpetuall but ceased with the ceremoniall Law But these are supposed to haue a perpetuall equitie that must continue till the ende of the world Secondly they alleadge that which is written Matth. 19. 12. Some haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen Ans. The meaning of the text is not that some haue vowed single life but that there are some who beeing assured that they haue the gift of continencie vpon that gift doe endeauour to maintaine their present estate that so they may the better serue God and aduance his kingdome both in themselues and others Thirdly they obiect 1. Tim. 5. 12. where Paul speakes of certaine young women which haue damnation because they haue broken their first faith that is as they interpret it their vow of single life Ans. The words are not to be vnderstood of the faith of the vowe but either of that faith and promise which was made to God in their Baptisme or the faith and promise of seruice and releefe to be performed to the poore and for the breach of either of these they may be said to incurre damnation Fourthly they say Christ himselfe was a begger and therefore why may not we also be beggers Ans. Though Christ was poore yet was he no begger For he kept a familie and had a treasure Iudas was the steward of his familie and bare the bagge Ioh. 13. 29. Againe there is mention made of 200 pence Ioh. 6. 7. which in likelihood was in the bagg that Iudas kept yea of the money which he had the Disciples are saide to buie meate Ioh. 4. 8. And though it were graunted that Christ was a begger yet it followes not that we should be so For his pouertie was expiatorie and part of his sufferings So saith the Apostle He beeing rich for our sakes became poore that we through his pouertie might be made rich 2. Cor. 8. 9. Fiftly they alledge that the Disciples forsooke all and liued in pouertie and their example is propounded for our imitation Ans. They forsooke all indeede yet how not for euer but for a time and that not by vowe but onely in affection and disposition of their hearts For after they had forsaken all we read that they came to their nets and boates againe Ioh. 21. 3. Againe the Apostle Paul speakes of himselfe and the rest when he saith Haue we not power to lead about a wife beeing a sister 1. Cor. 9. 5. By which it is plaine that they put not away their wiues Sixtly Mat. 19. 21. If thou wilt be perfite saith Christ to the young man goe sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come and followe me Here saith the Papist our Sauiour prescribes perpetuall pouertie by expresse counsell Ans. The words are no counsell but a speciall Commandement of triall directed to this yoūg man And the ende of it was to discouer vnto him his secret pride and hypocrisie in that he boasted that he had kept all the commandements when as indeed he knew not what they meant Lastly they obiect the example of the Recabites who according to the commandement of their father Ion adab would drinke no wine nor dwell in houses nor build nor plant nor sowe Ierem. 35. and the Lord approoueth their practise Ans. They did obey their fathers command in these things as beeing things indifferent but not as parts of Gods worshippe in the doing where of they placed Religion And they obeyed it carefully for this ende that they might inure themselues vnto hardshippe Secondly this their obedience touching these things stood not by any vowe much lesse was it perpetuall For then they should haue obserued all the things which they vowed equally which they did not for they dispensed with their fathers voluntarie iniunction for dwelling in Tents and as we read vers 11. They came vp for feare of the Chaldeans that were in the land and dwelt at Ierusalem And so much touching Popish Vowes whereof to conclude this may be said That they are all but a meere will-worship standing vpon no ground or warrant of Gods word and therefore of no force to bind the consciences of men but are to be holden as they are in truth wicked and abhominable CHAP. XV. Of Fasting THe eight Head of the outward worship of God is Fasting By Fasting I vnderstand the Religious Fast which is ioyned with the duties of Religion and namely the exercises of Praier and Humiliation Touching it there are three principall Questions to be handled in their order I. Question What is a
of his worship But the Sabboth of the new Testament though it be a necessarie time of Gods worship yet it is not a part thereof If it be said that it is commanded therfore 〈◊〉 must needs be a part of Gods worship I answer It is commanded not as Gods worship for substance but in respect of the duties of the worship that are to be kept and performed in it And hence it is manifest that in regard of Gods worship there is no difference of daies in the new Testament but in regard of order Thirdly they obiect that Paul kept the Iewes Sabboth as well as the Lords day For he and Barnabas came to Antiochia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabboth day Act. 13. 14. And againe he and Timothie conuerted Lydia vpon the same day Act. 16. 13. Ans. The Apostle did this vpon very good ground not because he held the obseruation of it as necessarie as the other but in regard of the weaknes of the Gentiles and Iewes newly called For the Church that consisted of such persons in those daies was not yet fully perswaded and resolued of the abrogation of thâ—â—e wish Sabboth and therfore for the time he yeelded to their weaknes and obserued it as well as the other But afterward when they were confirmed in that point he forbare that libertie taught the full abolishment both of it and other Ceremonies Fourthly Act. 18. 3 4. Paul is said to come to Corinth to Aquila and Priscilla and to worke with them in their trade of tent-making and further it is said that he disputed in the Synagogue euery Sabboth day that is on the Iewes Sabboths and exherted the Iewes and Grecians Hence it is gathered by some that Paul did onely keepe the Sabboth of the Iewes and that both on the Lords day and on the weeke daies he wrought with Aquila and Priscilla Ans. First we must remember this Rule That Charitie and Necessitie doe dispense with the Sabboth and with Ceremonies If a Towne should be on fire or if a Citie or countrey should be presently assaulted by the enemie in the time of the word preached on the Sabboth day the preaching of the word in these cases must cease for a time till by conuenient helpe the fire be quenched and the enemie be taken or driuen backe Now whereas Paul in the ordinarie daies of the weeke made tents and on the seauenth too not obseruing it but the Iewes Sabboth we must know that he did it vpon necessitie for the saluation of the Iewes For Priscilla and Aquila were Iewes vnconuerted and Christ was not yet reuealed vnto them And if Paul had but once named Christ he could haue done no good among them Yet afterward when he saw better opportunitie at the comming of Silas and Timotheus from Macedonia then he could no longer containe himselfe but burned in the spirit and testified to the Iewes that Iesus was the Christ vers 5. Now if there was cause why he did not speake of Christ for the time then was there cause also why he did not make profession of a Sabboth Secondly I answer though Paul did not then openly sanctifie the Sabboth yet it is to be supposed that he kept it priuately by himselfe reseruing some speciall time for that purpose and the contrarie cannot be shewed The Second Question touching the Sabboth How the Sabboth of the New Testament is to be obserued Ans. In obseruing a Sabboth of the new Testament there are two things required a Rest and a Sanctification of the same rest to an holy vse This Answer is made out of the very substance of the fourth Commandement which is morall and hath nothing ceremoniall in it And the fourth Commandement for substance consists in a ceasing froÌ„ labour and a holy dedication of our rest to holy vse that is to the worship and seruice of God Sect. 1. Now touching the first point the Rest of the Sabboth there are three seuerall Opinions whereof two are contrarie and the third is a meane betweene both The first Opinion is that we are bound as strictly to keepe the outward rest of the Lords day as the Iewes were to keepe the Sabboth and sundrie men are of this minde But I take it this opinion is not warrantable For as we said before the Iewish manner of keeping the Sabboth in straitnes is a Ceremonie And if we be bound to keepe it as straitly as the Iewes did then Iudaisme must still remaine and the ceremoniall Law at least in some part must still be in force But in fauour of this opinion it is alleadged First that the fourth Commandement is a Law giuen as well to ChristiaÌ„s as to Iewes and therefore it binds both alike Ans. The fourth Commandement bindeth Christians to keepe a seauenth day for the Sabboth both in respect of Rest as also in regard of Sanctification thereof but that it bindeth them to the same strait manner of keeping the rest as it did the Iewes we vtterly denie Secondly That the reasons vsed to inforc the Commandement doe equally binde all therefore the Commandement it selfe Ans. It is true for the dutie commanded but not for the manner of performance Againe the reason alleadged doth not follow for sometimes the holy Ghost vseth a reason that is perpetuall to inforce a Ceremonie That Levi should haue no part nor inheritance amoÌ„g his brethren was a Ceremonie commanded by God and yet the Lord inforceth it with a reason that was perpetuall namely because himselfe was the part and inheritance of Levi among the children of Israel Numb 18. 20. Thirdly that the Sabboth is a signe to beleeuers in the new Testament that God is their God and they his people and the same it was to the Iewes therefore the bond is as strict to the one as to the other Ans. 1. Beleeuers vnder the Gospel haue two onely signes of the Couenant Baptisme and the Lords Supper and no more 2. The Scripture restraineth the Sabboth as a signe onely to the Iewes It is a signe betweene me and you in your generations Exod. 31. 13. Againe v. 16. the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabboth for an euerlasting couenant 3. The Sabboth was not a signe in the first institution in Paradise For the Couenant of grace was made after the fall of man and the signe thereof must needes be appointed after it considering that before the fall Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place And this is the first Opinion The second Opinion touching the Rest of the Sabboth is flat contrarie to the former namely that on the Sabboth day after the publike worship of God is ended and the Congregation dissolued men haue libertie either to giue themselues to labour or to honest pleasures and recreations This Opinion doth quite abolish one of the Commandements of the Decalogue For it presupposeth all daies to be alike this onely prouided that the publike worship of God be solemnly kept Now this may be done in any