are discovered to be vertuous or vicious that the way of maintaining our course in vertue and declining vice may be known in matters circumstantiall aswell as substantiall These Circumstantiall duties are of three sorts some regulate the naturall some the spirituall circumstances of th◠〈◊〉 of the Professors some relate unto both The naturall circumstances concern either the Sex in respect of the difference which God hath made therein or the societies which arise amongst men from the conjunctions thereof Concerning the difference which God hath put between the Male and the Female we should know this 1. What the preheminency of the Male is above the Female in respect of right to mannage domestick and publick concernments 2. What the proper worke of each Sex is which we may call the naturall calling thereof that is what the imployment is whereunto God hath created each Sex that they should advance his glory in their severall kinds 3. What the rules are by which each Sex should order it selfe within those bounds and limits of employment whereunto God hath appointed it Concerning the naturall Societies which arise amongst men from their conjunctions we observe that The first natural Conjunction and Societie is of the Male and Female of one with one for the propagation of Mankind which is Matrimonial of which we should know First What Gods appointment is concerning marriage in respect 1. Of the ends for which it is to be intended lawfully and for which it ought not to be intended 2. Of the persons who may or may not joyn together in that state 3. Of the manner how it ought to be setled between these who may lawfully joyn therein 4. Of the duties which married persons owe to one another by which they may obtaine the lawfull ends of their Conjunction by Gods blessing 5. Of the causes for which marriage may lawfully be dissolved 6. Of the manner and way how it ought to be when needs it must be dissolved Secondly What the inclinations of men are to abuse marriage and what corruptions are become customary therein even amongst Professors Thirdly How prejudiciall the abuse of the ordinance of marriage is not onely to the holy Profession but even to the Society of Mankinde Fourthly How far both Ministers and Magistrates are bound to endeavour each in their own way to rectifie the abuses of this Ordinance by repressing all Whoredomes Adultery Incests and other unlawfull Conjunctions as Concubinate and Polygamy and whatsoever in this kinde is contrary to the will of God and to the right use of nature The second naturall Conjunction and Society is of Parents and Children where we must know 1. What the duty is of Parents towards their Children joyntly in respect of their education and of their settlement in a course of life in the world 2. What the duty of the Mother is towards the child whiles it is an Infant how far she is obliged to give it suck and attend it her selfe and in what cases she may be dispensed withall in reference to these duties 3. What the duty of the Father is toward the Childe after it is past the state of Infancy and how far he is obliged to look to the education thereof himselfe and in what cases he may be dispensed withall to commit it unto a Deputy 4. How the peculiar care of the Daughters belongeth to the Mother and the peculiar care of the Sons to the Father chiefly when they are past childe-hood 5. What the duty of Children when they come to years of discretion is towards their Parents and how they ought to yield unto them not onely honour and obedience but a requitall in their old age 6. How far the law of Marriage by which a man is appointed to leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife doth emancipate him from subjection and dependency upon his Parents 7. How family duties ought to be observed in the Societies of Parents and Children and what obligation doth lie upon Parents to worship God with those of their family The third naturall Conjunction and Society is of brethren and sisters and of kinsfolks where we must know 1. What the nature and extent of the relation is and how it differs from the foregoing of Man and Wife and parent and childe 2. What the duties of kinsfolks are towards each other 3. What the proper care and affection is which is more due unto kinsfolks respectively then unto others though these in all respects be as commendable and perhaps farre more commendable for grace and vertue then they The fourth naturall Conjunction and Society is of Alliance where we must know 1. What the nature and extent of this relation is and how far it is inferior unto that of kindred 2. What the proper duties thereof are more to each other then to meer strangers All these Conjunctions and Societies are properly naturall and unavoydably necessary if we suppose the propagation of Mankinde by Marriage there are other conjunctions and societies which are more voluntary and freely taken up or left off as there is cause sound and these are againe either of one with one or of many together in a Society The voluntary conjunction and society of one with one is of Master and servant where must be known 1. For what ends and in what employments men ought to seek for others to serve them and in what things they ought to serve themselves 2. What the duties are of Masters towards their Servants 3. What lawfull services and employments are in humane Societies and for what ends men ought to offer themselves to be servants unto others 4. What the duties are which servants owe unto their Masters and how they ought as Christians to performe the same The Voluntary Conjunction and Society of many together in one Body is either of many Families to make a City or of Cities to make Provinces or of Provinces to make Nations and Kingdoms all which are setled in their Relations by Laws and maintained therein by Officers indued with Authority and Power to administer the same whence doth arise the Office of Magistrates and Subjects where we must know Concerning Magistrates 1. VVHat a Magistrate is in the Societies of Christians 2. Whence Magistrates have their Authority 3. What the proper work of their Employment is for the good of the Publick Society And whether it be not to procure the observation of Both the Tables of the Mosaical Law in the Common-wealth over which they are Rulers 4. How the Sword is committed unto them and to be used by them for Vengeance against evill Doers and for the Reward of those that are good 5. For what End Taxes and Customes are to be laid upon Subjects 6. What Offices are necessary and lawfull to be constituted for the Peace and Safety of Humane Societies 7. What maketh Warre lawfull in a Christian Magistrate and what unlawfull 8. What Power he hath to administer Oaths and for what Ends. Concerning Subjects we must know 1.
brought into it which is not proper and useful to the attainment of the end so nothing should be left out which may be requisite and subservient thereunto We shall therefore look upon the end and use of the Work that we may find the parts thereof without defect and without superfluity The truth of Godliness which is the Object of Practical Divinitieâ— is the manifestation of the life of God The aime for which this Truth is to be attested unto the world and practised by such as know and believe it is that we may enjoy God by partaking of his life in the divine nature having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. This life of God in the divine nature is communicable unto us by none other means but by the knowledge of Christ and the truth which is in him Joh. 14. 6 7 8 9. and 7. 3. Eph 4. 18 19 20 21. Colos 3. 10. and 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. And that which Christ doth communicate unto us of this life is made perceptible unto us by two properties of Life wrought in us the one is the Light the other is the power of life By the light of life we are made wise unto salvation and by the power of life wee are enabled to worke out our salvation that is to do all our workes in God This then is the compleat end of practical Divinity to teach men the wisdome which is profitable unto the salvation of their souls and the direction of the whole conversation to Gods will that they may be enabled whatever they do to do all in God by walking in his light and what Doctrine soever doth not directly tend unto this end is no part of this Body and ought not to be mentioned in it but whatsoever doth thus tend thereunto ought not to be omitted To deliver then all and neither more nor lesse then all the Doctrines and truths which may directly be helpful to advance a man unto the attainement of this end I conceive that this body of Divinity should be made up of two Generall parts The first containing the positive and undeniable Truths The second the doubtful cases of Conscience concerning the practise of Godliness That part which is positive should contain concerning the life of Godlines three things First The Precognitions to prepare the mind to think of that life Secondly The Principles by which that life is begotten Thirdly The Parts or Acts wherein that life doth consist By the Precognitions I mean such truths as must be taken notice of and acknowledged or at least not contradicted and doubted of before the Doctrine of Godliness can be taught and without the acknowledgement of which no man can be rationally dealt withall or induced to intend to live unto God according to his revealed will By the Principles of the life of Godliness I mean the Fundamentall Doctrines of divine Truth which begetteth love unto God and thereby obligeth the conscience unto all dutifulnesse of obedience towards him By the Parts and acts wherein the life of Godlinesse doth consist I mean all things which either substantially or circumstantially belong thereunto to make it up as the state of the Perfect man in God By the Substantials of this life I mean two things First All truths which discover the inward frame and regeneration of the soul which liveth the life of God Secondly All truths which hold forth the outward frame the way of walking and the work of the Profession which is proper to that life and inseparable from the ends thereof By the Circumstantials of the life of Godlinesse I understand all the different outward states and particular callings of Professors wherein God doth set people in this life as of Husband and Wife Father and Child Master and Servant of Magistrate and Subject of Pastor and flock and such like To all which severall duties belong and thereunto several directions are accordingly to be given to shew how every one should walk in all truth with a good Conscience before God and Man In this discovery of truths we may find concerning the Tree of life as it were the foyl prepared before it be Planted in the Precognitions the Root which is to be Planted in the Principles the Stemme when it is grown up in the Substantials and the branches after the full growth in the Circumstantials of the way of Godlinesse so that in this Body of Divinity the man of God should be compleated and set forth First As it were in his Head and Intellectuals by the Recognitions and Principles Secondly In his heart and vital Motions by the Substantials And lastly In his Limbs and outward Members without which he is not a compleat man by the Circumstantials of his life and as none of these parts or of the things necessary to make up the same should be wanting in this Body so the matters belonging to each of these heads ought to be delivered fully yet not superfluously that is to say so as they should not only contain the Marrow but the flesh and full substance of all profitable truths yet without needlesse Repetitions large Amplifications Retorical Digressions and enlargements which to move mens affections rather then to convince their Conscience and inlighten their understandings are frequently used by writers of Practicall Matters And as these Generall parts of the whole Body ought thus to follow one another in respect of their naturall dependance upon each other so the matters subordinate unto every one of these ought to be set in a method which is positive and proper to their nature that there may be a coherence of all the parcels in the whole without any redundancy And although such a Body of truths fully and clearly delivered might suffice to Men that are free from all prejudice and of able parts to direct them in all Cases of Practise which may be incident to the Course of their life yet because the work is not to be compiled for them alone but for others also and because many doubts and scruples of Conscience are and will be raised partly by the weaknesse of some partly by the malice of others which every ordinary capacity is not and will not be able readily to resolve by it selfe although it be helped with the undoubted Principles with the standing Truths and with the rules of practise which such a compleat Bodie of Divinitie may containe therefore to supply this defect of knowledge which although but accidental yet is unavoidable an appendix or Supplement of special doubts and cases of conscience for I suppose the common doubts viz. such as are incident to meer natural men will be cleared by the Doctrine of the Body it self should be added unto the Body in a method relating the order of Matters delivered in each part where the ground of the decision of the doubtful case is to be found And if this be done I cannot see what could be desired or further wished for in
worshipping and glorifying God These truths ought to be cleared upon the ground of common Reason which all men are supposed to be made capable of and to this effect I suppose it will be necessary to handle these following or such like Positions Of the First That there is a God TO Demonstrate unto a Rational man that there is a God he must be made to acknowledge these following truths 1. That in this World besides the things which are visible there be other things invisible which though concealed from sense have a being and may be understood to be 2. That the Heavens the Earth and the things visible therein have not their being from themselves but from something else which is not seen but may be understood to be over all as the Governour and supream power thereof which is called God 3. That this supream power is before all things without beginning and ending infinite in all perfections most wise good and bountiful in giving all things unto all 4. That amongst all visible things as Man is the most perfect so he can least of all have his Being from inferiour Creatures or from himself but having it from the supream cause more remarkably then other Creatures he is more enabled then they to know God and respect him Of the Second VVHen upon these grounds a man is Convicted that there is a God then to demonstrate unto him rationally that this God ought to be feared worshipped and glorified by Man-kind these following or such like Positions are to be made out unto him 1. That Man hath a soul endowed with a Reasoning facultie whereby he is able to judge of his own actions and know his own aims though secret and hidden from others 2. That in this judging facultie there is something which universally in all ages Men have called Conscience which secretly accuseth or else excuseth Men concerning their actions and aims chiefly when others judge of them otherwise then they meant them 3. That this Conscience doth bear witnesse unto all men in whom it is awake from their own reason that they are under the power of God and that they ought to be thankful to God 4. That the reason which convicteth mens Conscience that they are under God will also convict them that they ought to shew their thankfulness unto God suitably unto the nature and properties of Gods being and not otherwise 5. That the nature and propertie of Gods being seeing in all things it is the first and supream is in it self infinitely perfect and to all other things the alone Author of all good and that therefore it ought to have the glory of this supremacie perfection and goodnesse given unto it by man in his use of all things 6. That in case he doth not shew himselfe thankful by respecting the glorie due to God in all things he doth then deserve to be cast off by God and deprived of the fruit of his goodnesse in all things 7. That it a man doth give unto God the glory which is due to his Name by being thankfull unto him he may assure himselfe that God as he is wise and all-knowing will take notice of him and as he is just and good will be mercifull and beneficiall unto him Of the Third WHen a Man hath acknowledged these truths that there is a God and that he is to be glorified by Man answerably to the properties of his nature then we must rationally induce him to believe that the Scriptures written to Jews and Gentiles by the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles are the Word of God And this may be done by the demonstration of these or the like Positions 1. That no Books in the World have greater evidences and arguments of truth in respect of their History then these have two things must be made out 1. That they were written by those Men by whom they are said to be written 2. That the Matters of fact recorded in them are as rationally credible as any other humane Records whatsoever 2. That the Writers of those Books whatsoever they were were undoubtedly the true servants of God inspired by him in writing the same 3. That all the Doctrines and Precepts of divine fear and worship contained therein are most sutable to the nature and property of Gods Supremacy Perfection and goodnesse and that they are more answerable unto the true Notions of duty written in the heart of Mankind towards God then the Doctrines and Precepts of any other Book and Religion whatsoever extant any where in all the World Of the Fourth VVHen a Man is rationally Convicted or at least induced to believe that there is no cause to contradict this truth that the Scriptures are the Word of God it will be no difficult matter to let him see by the substance of the matters contained therein and the ends for which they were written and given both to the Jews and Gentiles that they were written and given to no other end but to teach all Men the true way of fearing worshipping and glorifying God And to this effect these or such like Positions may be made out 1. That the whole summe and substance of the History of the Bible doth directly tend to this scope 2. That the Authors of the Holy Scriptures do expresly declare this to be the purpose of their writing 3. That the naturall Properties and effects of the things taught by them and their manner of teaching the same are wholly fitted to work upon the spirits of men those impressions and affections which lead them to feare worship and glorifie God To all which this Position at last should be added That there shall be a time wherein God will judge men according to the works wherein they have or have not feared worshipped and glorified God which is to be made out upon three Grounds which may be rationally evinced 1. Because God having made all things under a Law and Ruling all Men by a Law of Reason must needs also be acknowledged as a Judge over the observers and transgressors of his Laws and consequently have a time to exercise his judgement 2. That the rational Souls of Men are immortal and live when they are separated from the bodie and consequently can undergo a judgement after this life 3. That the Consciences of Men bearing witnesse to them of their wicked deeds even against their wills though they live in outward prosperitie put them in fear and bearing witnesse also of the vertuous deeds of good Men though they are in outward adversity yet comfort and support them which inward testimonies of the Consciences of Men are not vain notions but undeniable Evidences of a Judgement to come which the Soul within it self is sensible of When these things are thoroughly handled and all Scruples which may be raised concerning the same are taken away so that a Rational man who is without prejudice shall have no cause for want of the discovery of truths of this nature to make any further doubt
his vertues and cause men to take notice of the excellency of his Nature that they may have cause to admire and love and praise him in the same and if we do nor set our hearts entirely to work all our works in God that he may thus be glorified thereby we have renounced in our heart the great end of our Creation which is nothing else but his glory and the only means by which that end is attainable are good works shewed forth unto men Mat. 5. 16. for we are Gods workmanship created in Jesus Christ unto Good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 7 10. Thus then the only way to glorifie God the Author of this Talent is to improve it by imparting unto others freely that which Christ hath freely given unto us Nor is there a readier way by which we are made capable of being glorified with God hereafter then thus to glorifie him on Earth we see the slothful servant was deprived of glory because he was slothful and others were made partakers thereof because they were diligent and faithful in using their Talents and the promise is that such as are wise shall shine as the brightnes of the Firmament and they that turn many unto Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever This then is our wisdome to win souls unto God and turn many unto Righteousness and this will prove the greatest folly and the greatest unthankfulness that we can be guilty of that having so great a Talent in our hand and so fit for such a service we should not thereby Honour God by making it useful to the enlargement of his Kingdom But above all this there is a Law of Justice which doth require this duty of us as a debt to be paid unto all that are susceptible of the benefit thereof but chiefly unto those that challenge is as having a right thereunto all that belong to the houshold of Faith have a right to all the priviledges of the house and all the gifts and treasures pertaining to it are theirs all things are yours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 21. 22. because every member of the Body hath an interest in all the graces which flow from the head as conferred upon the Body nor doth any member possesse any thing for it self but for the whole nor is any thing in it self but as it standeth in its place to serve the whole and as it belongeth unto other members for we are said to be members one of another So that we have a right to challenge for our use as our own all the graces which another hath if we stand in need thereof nor is it lawful for any to refuse the Communication of any spiritual gift wherewith he is possessed to any that craveth it of him in the name of Christ except he will make himself guilty of the breach of the great and Fundamental law of the Kingdom of Heaven upon which the happiness of that whole State is settled for the happiness of the State of Christianity above all the States of the world is this that al the Subjects thereof are but one new Creature and Spiritual man in Christ that they are made and called to serve one another in Love as he served us and to enjoy him in each other as he is the same light of Truth and light of God in all for the enjoyments and possessions of all other men in all other States and Kingdoms of this World are distinct and peculiar to every one because some things are incommunicably proper to some more then to others as their lot is fallen amongst men and except this Law in natural things were observed there would be nothing but endless and inextricable confusion and strife yea much more then now is amongst the Sons of men But it is not so in Spiritual things the Spiritual man his joy is this that others partake of all his blessings that others have a right in him and interest and he in them for all their Grace and that he is a debtor of all that he hath unto every one and every one are debtors of all that they have unto him So that none can count himself happy or compleate in any thing or ought to rest contented within himself without the Happiness Perfection and contentedness of others Thus none can want what another hath and what God hath given unto any it is to be offered unto all and he that doth not live by this Rule in the Church of God doth exclude his own soul from the Communion of Saints and maketh himself incapable of all the Felicities of Christs Kingdom We see then how many and how strong the obligations are which bind us unto this duty of Spiritual Communication of the graces which we have received to profit withall for if we should not intend this we shall discover our selves to be of all men the most ingrateful towards God and most unworthy of all the Honours which he hath cast upon us We shall shew our selves destitute of all love both to God and man and of all faithfulness in the trust committed unto us of all sincerity in our Profession and of all care either to advance Gods glory as becometh the Disciples of Christ or to be advanced unto glory by him or to maintain the happiness of our own Estate by fellowship with his members or finally to discharge the debt of Righteousness which we owe unto others on Gods behalf for God hath assigned the payment of all the debts which we owe unto him which are the fruits of his Graces towards us to be laid out upon the members of Jesus Christ that much joy and many thanksgivings from many hearts and mouths may redound to the glory of the Father through him If then we should hold this truth of God in unrighteousness we should not onely be found enemies to God and our selves so far as in us lyeth to frustrate him of his intent and our selves of all the honour whereunto he doth design us but opposite unto all goodness to suppresse the brightness of his glory to darken the comforts of his Children to defraud our Brethren of their just claim and expectation and to deprive all sorts of men of that wherein we are indebted unto them for it is not onely our Brethren that challenge that which is their right of us on Gods behalf to whom we owe this duty as a debt but we owe it unto all men that either now or in after ages may profit thereby towards the advancement of Christs Kingdom and that is the thing which our Brethren in the conclusion of their Letter presse though briefly yet throughly upon us for having proposed Gods intention in giving his Gifts our duty answerable thereunto and their demand grounded upon both they present unto us the benefits which