than they are 11. He is one that is not subject to the passions of men which blind their minds and carry them to injustice 12. He is one that will not be moved by tale-bearers whisperers or false-accusers nor can be perverted by any misinformation § 61. Consider also the Benefits of taking up with the Pleasing of God 1. The Pleasing of him is your Happiness it self The matter of pure and full and constant comfort which you may have continually at hand and no man can take from you Get this and you have the end of man Nothing can be added to it but the perfection of the same Which is Heaven it self § 62. 2. What abundance of disappointments and vexations will you scape which tear the very hearts of man-pleasers and fill their lives with unprofitable sorrows § 63. 3. It will guide and order your cares and desires and thoughts and labours to their right and proper end and prevent the perverting of them and spending them in sin and vanity on the creature § 64. 4. It will make your lives not only to be Divine but this Divine life to be sweet and easy while you set light by humane censures which would create you prejudice and difficulties When others glory in wit and wealth and strength you would glory in this that you know the Lord. Jer. 9. 23 § 65. 5. As God is above man thy heart and life is highly ennobled by having so much respect to God and rejecting inordinate respect to man This is indeed to walk with God § 66. 6. The sum of all graces is contained in this sincere desire to please thy God and contentedness in this so far as thou findest it attained Here is faith and humility and love and holy desire and trust and the fear of God concentered You sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and make him your fear and dread and Sanctuary Isa. 8. 13 14. § 67. 7. If humane approbation be good for you and worth your having this is the best way to it for God hath the disposal of it If a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Appeasing their wrath or restraining them from intended evil or doing us good by that which they intend for hurt § 68. See therefore that you live upon Gods approbation as that which you chiefly seek and will suffice Signs you Which you may discover by these signs 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture to know what doth please and displease God 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty to fit it to the pleasing of God than man 3. You will look to your Hearts and not only to your actions To your ends and thoughts and the inward manner and degree 4. You will look to secret duties as well as publick and to that which men see not as well as unto that which they see 5. You will reverence your consciences and have much to do with them and will not slight them When they tell you of Gods displeasure it will disquiet you When they tell you of his approbation Non est idonâ—uâ— Philosopâ—â—ae discipuluâ— quâ— sâ—ultum pudâ—â—em nâ—n possit contemnâ—re Id. ioâ—d p. 728. it will comfort you 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good and pious in order to the pleasing of God and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them nor impious against the pleasing of God 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased or how they judge of you or what they call you will seem a small matter to you as to your own interest in comparison of Gods judgement You live not on them You can bear their displeasure censures and reproaches if God be but pleased These will be your evidences PART V. Directions against Pride and for Humility § 1. PRIDE being reputed the great sin of the Devil by which he sell is in the name and Of this subject read the preface to my Book of self-denial and Chap. 41. to Chap. 51. general notion of it infamous and odious with allmost all but the nature of it is so much unknown and the sin so undiscerned by the most that it is commonly cherished while it is commonly spoke against Therefore the chief Directions for the conquering of it are those that are for the full discovery of it For when it is seen it is shamed and to shame it is to destroy it § 2. Direct 1. Understand aright the nature of Pride that you may neither ignorantly retain it nor Direct 1. oppose your duty as supposed to be Pride Here I shall tell you 1. What Pride is and what commandment it is against And what Humility is which is its contrary 2. Some seemings or appearances like Pride which may make men censured as Proud for that which is not Pride 3. The counterfeits of Humility which may make a Proud man seem to himself or others to be Humble § 3. I. PRIDE is an inordinate self-exalting or a lifting up our selves above the state or degree Pride what appointed us It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is an appearing to our selves and a desire to appear to others above what we are or above others of our quality It is a branch of SELFISHNESS and containeth man-pleasing as before described and produceth Hypocrisie and is its original and life It containeth in it these following acts or parts 1. A will to be higher or greater than God would have us be 2. An overvaluing of our selves or esteeming our selves to be Greater Wiser or Better than indeed we are 3. A desire that others should think of us and speak of us and use us as greater or wiser or better than we are 4. An endeavour or seeking to rise above our appointed place or to be overvalued by others 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward signs of speech or action Every one of these is an act of Pride The three first are the inward acts of it in the Mind and Will and the two last are its external acts § 4. As the Love of God and man are the comprehensive duties of the Decalogue expressed most Against what Commandment in the first and last Commandment but yet extending themselves to all the rest so SELFISHNESS and PRIDE which is a principal part of it are the opposite sins forbidden principally in the first and last Commandment as contrary to the Love of God and man but so as it is contrary to the rest They are sins against the very Relation it self that God and man do stand in to us and not only against a particular Law They are against the very constitution of the Kingdom of God and not only against the Administration It is Treason or Idolatry against God and a setting up our selves in some part of his prerogative And it is a monstrous extuberancie in the Body and a rising of one
or your Answ. ultimate end Therefore here you owe them no formal obedience But yet the will of Parents with all the consequents must be put into the scales with all other considerations and if they make the discommodities of a single life to become the greater as to your end then they may bring you under a duty or obligation to marry not necessitate praecepti as obedience to their command but necessitate medii as a means to your ultimate end and in obedience to that general command of God which requireth you to seek first your ultimate end even the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Matth. 6. 33. Quest. But what if I have a corporal necessity and yet I can foresee that marriage will greatly disadvantage Quest. me as to the service of God and my salvation Answ. First You must understand that no corporal necessity is absolute For there is no man so Answ. lustful but may possibly bridle his lust by other lawful means by dyet labour sober company diverting business solitude watching the thoughts and senses or at least by the Physicions help so that the necessity is but secundum quid or an urgency rather than simple necessity And then 2. This measure of necessity must be it self laid in the ballance with the other accidents and if this necessity will turn the scales by making a single life more disadvantageous to your ultimate end your lust being a greater impediment to you than all the inconveniences of marriage will be than the case is resolved It is better to marry than to burn But if the hinderances in a married state are like to be greater than the hinderances of your concupiscence then you must set your self to the curbing and curing of that concupiscence and in the use of Gods means expect his blessing § 7. 2. Children are not ordinarily called of God to marry when their Parents do absolutely Of Parents Wills and peremptorily forbid it For though Parents Commands cannot make it a duty when we are sure it would hinder the interest of God our ultimate end yet Parents prohibitions may make it a sin when there is a clear probability that it would most conduce to our ultimate end were it not prohibited Because 1. Affirmatives bind not semper ad semper as Negatives or prohibitions do 2. Because the sin of disobedience to Parents will cross the tendency of it unto good and do more against our ultimate end than all the advantages of marriage can do for it A duty is then to us no duty when it cannot be performed without a chosen wilful sin In many cases we are bound to forbear what a Governour forbiddeth when we are not bound to Do the contrary if he command it It is easier to make a duty to be no duty than to make a sin to be no sin One bad ingredient may turn a duty into a sin when one good ingredient will not turn a sin into a duty or into no sin § 8. Quest. But may not a Governours prohibition be over weighed by some great degrees of incommodity Quest. It is better to marry than to burn 1. What if Parents forbid Children to marry absolutely untill death and so deprive them of the lawful remedy against lust 2. And if they do not so yet if they forbid it them when it is to them most seasonable and necessary it seemeth little better 3. Or if they forbid them to marry where their affections are so engaged as that they cannot be taken off without their mutual ruine may not Children marry in such cases of necessity as these without and against the will of their Parents Answ. I cannot deny but some cases may be imagined or fall out in which it is lawful to do Answ. what a Governour forbiddeth and to marry against the will of Parents For they have their Power to edification and not unto destruction As if a Son be qualified with eminent gifts for the work of the Ministry in a time and place that needeth much help if a malignant Parent in hatred of that Sacred Office should never so peremptorily forbid him yet may the Son devote himself to the blessed work of saving souls even as a Son may not forbear to relieve the poor with that which is his own though his Parents should forbid him nor forbear to put himself into a capacity to relieve them for the future nor forbâ—â—â—â— his own necessary food and rayment though he be forbidden As Daniel would not forbear praying openly in his house when he was forbidden by the King and Law When any inseparable accident doth make a thing of it self indifferent become a duty a Governours prohibition will not discharge us from that duty unless the accident be smaller than the accident of the Rulers prohibition and then it may be over weighed by it But to determine what Accidents are Greater or Less is a difficult task § 9. And as to the particular Questions to the first I answer If Parents forbid their Children to marry while they live it is convenient and safe to obey them until death if no greater obligation to the contrary forbid it But it is necessary to obey them during the time that the Children live under the Government of their Parents as in their Houses in their younger years except in some few extraordinary cases But when Parents are dead though they leave commands in their Wills or when age or former marriage hath removed Children from under their Government a smaller matter will serve to justifie their disobedience here than when the Children in minority are less fit to Govern themselves For though we owe Parents a limited obedience still yet at full age the Child is more at his own dispose than he was before Nature hath given given us a hint of her intention in the instinct of bruits who are all taught to protect and lead and provide for their young ones while the young are insufficient for themselves But when they are grown to self-sufficiency they drive them away or neglect them If a wiâ—e Son that hath a Wife and many Children and great affairs to manage in the world should be bound to as absolute obedience to his aged Parents as he was in his childhood it would ruine their affairs and Parents government would pull down that in their old age which they built up in their middle age § 10. And to the second Question I answer that 1. Children that pretend to unconquerable Lust or Love must do all they can to subdue such inordinate affections and bring their lusts to stoop to reason and their Parents wills And if they do their best there is either none or not one of many hundreds but may maintain their chastity together with their obedience 2. And if any say I have done my best and yet am under a necessity of marriage and am I not then bound to marry though my Parents forbid me I answer it is not
your selves into snares by meer inconsiderateness and prepare not for perplexities and repentance Direct 2. Be very careful what persons you commit either trusts or secrets to And be sure they be trusty Direct 2. by their wisdom ability and fidelity Direct 3. Be not too forward in revealing your own secrets to anothers trust For 1. You cannot be Direct 3. certain of any ones secresie where you are most confident 2. You oblige your self too much to please Quod â—aâ—itum esse velis nemini diâ—eris Si â—bi non imperastâ— quomodo ab alto silentium speras Martiâ— Dumiens de morib that person who by revealing your secrets may do you hurt And are in fear lest carelesness or unfaithfulness or any accident should disclose it 3. You burden your friend with the charge and care of secresie Direct 4. Be faithful to your friend that doth entrust you remembring that perfidiousness or Direct 4. falseness to a friend is a crime against humanity and all society as well as against Christianity and stigmatizeth the guilty in the eyes of all men with the brand of an odious unsociable person Direct 5. Be not intimate with too many nor confident in too many For he that hath too many Direct 5. intimates will be opening the secrets of one to another Direct 6. Abhor Covetousness and ambition Or else a bribe or the promise of preferment will Direct 6. tempt you to perfidiousness There is no trusting a selfish worldly man Direct 7. Remember that God is the avenger of perfidiousness who will do it severely And that even Direct 7. they that are pleased and served by it do yet secretly disdain and detest the person that doth it because they would not be so used themselves Direct 8. Yet take not friendship or fidelity to be an obligation to perfidiousness to God or the King or Direct 8. Common-wealth or to another or to any sin whatsoever CHAP. XXVI Directions against Selfishness as it is contrary to the Love of our Neighbours § 1. THE two Tables of the Law are summed up by our Saviour in two comprehensive precepts Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and might and Thou shalt Love thy neighbour aâ— thy self In the Decalogue the first of these is the true meaning of the first Commandment put first because it is the principle of all obedience And the second is the true meaning of the tenth Commandment which is therefore put last because it is the comprehensive sum of all other duties to our Neighbour or injuries against him which any other particular instances may contain and also the principle of the duty to or sin against our Neighbour The meaning of the tenth Commandment is variously conjectured at by Expositors Some say that it speaketh against inward concupiscence and the sinful thoughts of the heart But so do all the â—est in the true meaning of them and must not be supposed to forbid â—he outward action only nor to be any way defective Some say that it forbiddeth â—oveâ—ing and commandeth contentment with our state so doth the eighth Commandment yet there is some part of the truth in both these And the plain truth is as far as I can understand it that the sin forbidden is SELFISHNESS as opposite to the Love of others and the duty commanded is to LOVE our Neighbours and that it is as is said the sum of the second Table Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self As the Captain leadeth the Van and the Lieutenant bringeth up the rear so Thou shalt Love God above all is the first Commandment and Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self is the last for the aforesaid reason I shall therefore in these following Directions speak to the two parts of the tenth Commandment Direct 1. The first help against SELFISHNESS is to understand well the nature and malignity Direct 1. of the sin For want of this it commonly prevaileth with little suspicion lamentation and opposition Let me briefly therefore anatomize it § 3. 1. It is the Radical positive sin of the soul comprehending seminally or causally all the rest The corruption of mans nature or his radical sin hath two parts The Positive part and the Privâ—tive part The Positive part is SELFISHNESS or the inordinate Love of Carnal Self The Privative part is UNGODLINESSE or want of the LOVE of GOD. Mans fall was his turning from GOD to HIMSELF And his regeneration consisteth in the turning of him from HIMSELF to GOD or the generating of the LOVE of GOD as comprehending faith and obedience and the mortifying of SELF-LOVE SELFISHNESSE therefore is all positive sin in One as want of the LOVE of GOD is all privative sin in One. And SELFDENYAL and the LOVE of GOD are all duties virtually For the true LOVE of MAN is comprehended in the LOVE of GOD. Understand this and you will understand what original and actual sin is and what Grace and duty is § 3. 2. Therefore SELFISHNESSE is the cause of all sin in the world both Positive and Privative and is virtually the breach of every one of Gods Commandments For even the want of the LOVE of GOD is caused by the inordinate LOVE of SELF As the consuming of other parts is caused by the Dropsie which â—umiâ—ieth the belly It is only selfishness which breaketh the fifth Commandment by causing Rulers to oppress and persâ—â—ute their Subjects and causeth subjects to be seditious and rebellious and causâ—â—â—â— all the bitterness and quarrellings and uncomfortableness which ariseth among all relations It is only selfishness which causeth the cursed Wars of the earth and desolation of Countreys by plundering and burning the murders which cry for revenge to Heaven whether Civil Military or Religious Which causeth all the railings fightings envyings malice the Schisms and proud overvaluings of mens own understandings and opinions and the contending of Pastors who shall be the greatest and who shall have his Will in proud usurpations and tyrannical impositions and domination It is selfishness which hath set up and maintaineth the Papacy and causeth all the divisions between the Western and the Eastern Churches and all the cruelties lyes and treachery exercised upon that account It is selfishness which troubleth families and Corporations Churches and Kingdoms which violateth Vows and bonds of friendship and causeth all the tumults and strises and troubles in the world It is selfishness which causeth all Covetousness all Pride and Ambition all Luxury and Voluptuousness all surfetting and drunkenness chambering and wantonness time-wasting and heart-corrupting sports and all the royots and revellings of the sensual all the contendings for honours and preferments and all the deceit in buying and selling the stealing and robbing the bribery and Simony the Law-suits which are unjust the perjuries false witnessing unrighteous judging the oppressions the revenge and in one word all the uncharitable and unjust actions in the world This is the true
would frighten the world out of their wits no doubt but other Bishops also would make use of it and say All are damned that will not be subject to us But if you would see the folly and mischief of Popery both in this and other points I refer you to my Treatise of the Catholick Church and my Key for Catholicks and my Safe Religion and my Disput at against Johnson and my Winding-sheet for Popery § 8. 3. Another temptation to confound you in your Religion is by filling your heads with practical 3 By Sâ—rupuloâ—iâ—y scrupulosity so that you cannot go on for doubting every step whether you go right and when you should cheerfully serve your Master you will do nothing but disquiet your minds with scruples whether this or that be right or wrong Your remedy here is not by caâ—â—ing away all care of pleasing God or fear of sinning or by debauching conscience but by a cheerful and quiet obedience to God so far as you know his will and an upright willingness and endeavour to understand it better and a thankful receiving the Gospel-pardon for your failings and infirmities Be faithful in your obedience but live still upon Christ and think not of reaching to any such obedience as shall set you above the need of his merits and a daily pardon of your sins Do the best you can to know the will of God and do it But when you know the Essentials of Religion and obey sincerely let no remaining wants deprive you of the comfort of that so great a Mercy as proves your â—â—ght to life â—â—â—â—nal In your sâ—â—king further for more knowledge and obedience let your care be such as tendeth to your profitting and furthering you to your end and as doth not hinder your joy and thanks for what you have received But that which destroyeth your joy and thankfulness and doth but perplex you and not further you in your way is but hurtful scrupulosity and to be laid by When you are right in the main thank God for that and be further solicitous so far as to help you on but not to hinder you It you send your servant on your message you had rather he went on his way as well as he can than stand scrupling every step whether he should set the right or left foot forward and whether he should step so far or so far at a time c. Hindering scruples please not God § 9. 4. Another way to confound you in your Religion is by setting you upon overdoing by inventions of your own when a poor soul is most desirous to please God the Devil will be Religious and set him upon some such taâ—k of Voluntary humility or Will-worship as the Apostle speaks of Col. 2. 18 20 21 22 23. or sâ—t him upon some ensnaring unnecessary Vows or Resolutions or some Popâ—sh works of conâ—â—ited supâ—rerogation which is that which Solomon calleth being righte us overmuch Eccles. 7. 16. Thus many have made duties to themselves which God never made for them and taken that for sin which God never forbad them The Popish Religion is very much made up of such Commandments of their own and Traditions of men As if Christ had not made us work enough men are forward to make much more for themselves And some that should teach them the Laws of Christ do think that their Office is in vain unless they may also prescribe them Laws of their own and give them new Precepts of Religion Yea some that are the bitterest enemies to the strict observance of the Laws of God as if it were a tedious needless thing must yet needs load us with abundance of unnecessary Precepts of their own And thus Religion is mad both wear some and uncertain and a door set open for men to enlarge it and increase the burden at their pleasure Indeed Popeâ—y is fitted to delude and quiet sleepy consciences and to torment with uncertainties the consciences that are awaked And there is something in the corrupted nature of man that inclineth him to some additions and voluntary service of his Own inventions as an offering most acceptable unto God Hence it is that many poor Christians do rashly intangle their consciences with Vows of circumstances and things unnecessary as to give so much to observe such dayes or hours in fasting and prayer not to do such or such a thing that in it self is lawful with abundance of such things which perhaps some change of providence may make accidentally their duty afterwards to do or disable them to perform their Vows And then these snares are â—â—â—â—tâ—rs on their pâ—rplâ—xâ—d consciences perhaps as long as they live Yea some of the Autonomians teach the people that things Indifferent are the fittest matter of a Vow as to live single to pâ—ssâ—ss nothing to live in solitude and the like Indeed all things lawful when they are vowed must be performed But it is unfit to be Vowed if it be not first profitable and best for our selves or others and that which is best is not indifferent it being every mans duty to choose what is best Vows are to bind us to the performance of that which God had bound us to by his Laws before They are our expression of consent and resolution by a self-obligation to obey his will And not to make new duties or Religion to our selves which eâ—se would never have been our duty § 10. To escape these snares it is necessary that you take hâ—ed of corrupting your Religion by burdens and mixtures of your own devising You are called to Obey Gods Laws and not to make Laws for your selves You may be sure that his Laws are just and good but yours may be bad and foolish When you obey him you may expect your reward and encouragement from him but when you will obey your selves you must reward your selves You may find it enough for you to keep his Laws without devising more work for your selves or feigning duties which he commanded not or sins which he forbad not Be not rash in making Vows Let them reach but unto necessary duties And let them have their due exceptions when they are about alterable things Or if you are entangled by them already consult with the most judicious able impartial men that you may come clearly â—ff without a wound There is a great deal of judgement and sincerity necessary in your Counsellors and a great deal of submission and self-denyal in your selves to bring you safely out of such a snare Avoid sin what ever you do for sinning is not the way to your deliverance And for the time to come be wiser and lay no more snares for your selves and clog not your selves with your own inventions but cheerfully obey what God commandeth you who hath Wisdom and Authority sufficient to make you perfect Laws Christs yoke is easie and his burden light Matth. 11. 30. and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. But if your mixtures and self-devised
Essential Truths by errors of their own nor the doctrine of Godliness by wicked malicious applications 4. Such as drive not on any ambitious tyrannical designs of their own but deny themselves and aim at your salvation 5. Such as are not too hot in proselyting you to any singular opinion of their own it being the prediction of Paul to the Ephesians Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 6. Such as are judicious with holy zeal and zealous with judgement 7. Such as are of experience in the things of God and not young beginners or Novices in Religion 8. Such as bear reverence to the judgements of the generality of wise and godly men and are tender of the Unity of the Church and not such as would draw you into a Sect or party to the contempt of other Christians no not to a party that hath the favour of Rulers and the people to promote them 9. Such as are gentle peaceable and charitable and not such as burn with hellish malice against their Brethren nor with an ungodly or cruel consuming zeal 10. Such as not live not sensually and wickedly contrary to the doctrine which they preach but shew by their lives that they believe what they say and feel the power of the truths which they preach § 4. And your familiar companions have great advantage to help or hinder your salvation as well Imperat Reâ— ut nostrae religionis illorum mensa nullum communem haberent neque cum Catholicis omino vescerentur Quae res non ipâ—â—s aliquod praestitit beneficium sed nobis maximum conâ—ulit lucrum Nam si sermo â—oâ—â—m sicut cancer consuevit serpere quanto magis communis mensa ciborum potuit inquinare cum dicat Apostolus cum nefariis nec cibum habere communem Victor Utic p. 418. Magnum virtutis praesidium societas bonoâ—um socius exemplo excitat sermone recreat consilio instâ—uiâ— orationibus adjuvat autoritate continet quae omnia so itudini desunt Ios. Acosta l. 4. c. 13. Dicunt Stoici Amicitiam solos inter bonâ—s quos sibi invicem studiorum similitudo conciliet posse consistere Porro amicitiam ipsam societatem quandam esse dicunt omnium quae sunt ad vitam necessaria cum amicis ut nobismet ipsis utamur atque ob id amicum eligendum amicorumque multitudinem â—â—â—â—er expetenda ponunt inter malos non posse constare amicitiam Laert. in Zenone as your Teachers The matter is not so great whom you meet by the way or travell with or trade and buy and sell with as whom you make your intimate or familiar friends For such have both the advantage of their interest in your affections and also the advantage of their nearness and familiarity and if they have but also the advantage of higher abilities than you they may be powerful instruments of your good or hurt If you have a familiar friend that will defend you from error and help you against temptations and lovingly reprove your sin and feelingly speak of God and the life to come inditing his discourse from the inward power of faith and love and holy experience the benefit of such a friend may be more to you than of the learnedst or greatest in the world How sweetly will their speeches relish of the Spirit from which they come How deeply may they pierce a careless heart How powerfully may they kindle in you a love and zeal to God and his Commandments How seasonably may they discover a temptation prevent your fall reprove an error and recover your souls How faithfully will they watch over you How profitably will they provoke and put you on and pray with you fervently when you are cold and mind you of the Truth and duty and mercy which you forget It is a very great mercy to have a judicious solid faithful companion in the way to Heaven § 5. But if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly with ribaldry or idle stories with Oaths and Curses with furious words or scorns and jears against the godly or with the Sophistry of deceivers is it likely this should leave a pleasant or wholsome relish on your minds Is it likely that the effect should not be seen in your lean or leprous hearts and lives as well as the effects of an infected or unwholsome air or diet will be seen upon your diseased bodies He is ungodly that liketh such company best And he is proud and presumptuous that will unnecessarily cast himself upon it in confidence that he shall receive no hurt And he is careless of himself that will not cautelously avoid it And few that long converse with such come off without some notable loss except when we live with such as Lot did in Sodom grieving for their sin and misery or as Christ conversed with publicans and sinners with a holy zeal and diligence to convert and save them or as those that have not liberty who bear that which they have not power to avoid § 6. Among the rest your danger is not least from that are eager to proselite you to some party or unsound opinion that they think they are in the right and that they do it in love and that they think it necessary to your salvation and that Truth or Godliness are the things which they profess all this makes the danger much the greater to you if it be not Truth and Godliness indeed which they propose and plead for And none are in more danger than the ungrounded and unexperienced that yet are so wise in their own esteem as to be confident that they know Truth from Error when they hear it and are not afraid of any deceit nor much suspicious of their own understandings But of this before § 7. The like danger there is of the familiar company of lukewarm ones or the prophane At Non tamen at corporum sic animorum moâ—bi transseunt ad nolentes Imo vero nobilis animus viâ—iorum odro ad amorem vâ—rtutis accâ—nditur Petraâ—â—h Dialog de aâ—iâ— moriâ— first you may be troubled at their sinful or unsavoury discourse and make some resistance against the infection But before you are aware it may so cool and damp your graces as will make your decay discernable to others First You will hear them with less offence and then you will grow indifferent what company you are in and then you will laugh at their sin and folly and then you will begin to speak as they and then you will grow cold and seldomer in prayer and other holy duties and if God prevent it not at last your judgements will grow blind and you will think all this allowable § 8. But of all bad company the nearest is the worst If you choose such into your families or into your nearest conjugal relations you cast water upon the fire you imprison your selves in such â—etters as will gall and grieve
save thee as the Devil Direct 47. can be to damn thee and which then should prevail 2. Be you as constant in resistance Be as oft in prayer and other confirming means Do as Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. who prayed thrice as Christ did in his agony when the prick in the flesh was not removed 3. Tempt not the Tempter by giving him encouragement A faint denyal is an invitation to ask again Give him quickly a flat denial and put him out of hope if you would shorten the temptation § 119 Tempt 48. Lastly the Divel would sink the sinner in despair and perswade him now it Tempt 48. is too late § 120. Direct 48. Observe his design that it is but to take off that Hope which is the weight Direct 49. to set the wheels of the soul a going In all he is against God and you In other sins he is against Gods Authority In this he is against his Love and Mercy Read the Gospel and you will find that Christs death is sufficient the promise is universal full and free and that the day of Grace is so far continued till the day of death that no man shall be denied it that truly desireth it And that the same God that forbiddeth thy presumption forbiddeth also thy despair Tit. 3. Temptations to draw us off from duty § 1. Tempt 1. THe greatest Temptation against duty is by perswading men that it is no duty Tempt 1. Thus in our dayes we have seen almost all duty cast off by this erroneous fancy One saith that the â—â—ly observation of the Lords day is not commanded of God in Scripture Another saith What Scripture have you for family-prayer or singing Psalms or baptizing Infants or praying before and aâ—ter Sâ—rmâ—n or for your Office Ordination Tythes Churches c. Another saith that Church-Government and Discipline aâ—e not of Divine Institution Another saith that Baptism and the Lords Supper â—â—re but for that age And thus all duty is taken down instead of doing it § 2. Direct 1. Read and fear Matth. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments Direct 1. and shall teach men sâ— he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven But whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall â—e called great in the Kingdom of Heaven Denying duty is too easie a way of â—vâ—â—ing obedience to serve turn Denying the Laws that bind you to publick payments will not save you from them but for all that if you deny you must be distrained on And God will make it deaâ—â—â—â— to you if you put him to distrain on you for duty Must he go to Law with you for it He 'll quickly shâ—w you Law for it and prove that it was your duty Open your doubts to able men and you will hear more evidence than you know But if pride and false-heartedness blind you you must bear your punishment § 3. Tempt 2. Saith the Tempter It is a duty to weak ones but not for you You must not be Tempt 2. still under Ordinances in the lower form every day must be a Sabbath to you and every bit a Sacrament and every place as a Church you must live above Ordinances in Christ. § 4. Direct 2. We must live above Mosaical Ordinances Col. 2. 18. 21. but not above Christs Ordinances Direct 2. unless you will live above obedience and above the Government of Christ Hath not Christ appointed the Ministry and Church helps till we all come to a perfect man Ephes. 4. 13. and promised to be with them to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. It is befooling Pride that can make you think you have no need of Christs instituted means § 5. Tempt 3. But thou art unworthy to pray or recieve the Sacrament It 's not for Dogs Tempt â— Direct ◠§ 6. Direct 3. The wilful impenitent refusers of Grace are unworthy The willing soul that fain would be what God would have him hath an accepted worthiness in Christ. § 7. Tempt 4. But while you doubt you do it not in faith and therefore to you it is sin Tempt 4. Direct 4. § 8. Direct 4. But is it not a greater sin to leave it undone Will doubting of all duty excuse you from it Then you have an easie way to be free from all Do but doubt whether you should believe in God or Christ or love him or live a godly life and it seems you think it will excuse you But if you doubt whether you should feed your child you deserve to be hanged for murthering it if you famish it If you doubt of duty it is duty still and you are first bound to lay by your doubts But things indifferent left to your choice must not be done with a doubting conscience It was of such things that Paul spake § 9. Tempt 5. The Devil puts somewhat still in the way that seemeth necessary to thrust out Tempt 5. duty § 10. Direct 5. God hath not set you work which he alloweth you no Time for Is all your Direct 5. time spent in better things Is it not your carnal mind that makes you think carnal things most needful Christ saith One thing is needful Luke 10. 42. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Had you that love and delight in holiness as you Matth. 6. 33. should you would find time for it An unwelcome Guest is put off with any excuse Others as poor as you can find time for duty because they are willing Set your business in order and let every thing keep its proper place and you may have time for every duty § 11. Tempt 6. But you are so unable and unskilful to pray to learn that it 's as good never Tempt 6. mâ—ddle with it § 12. Direct 6. Set your selves to learn and mark those that have skill and do what you can Direct 6. You must learn by practice The unskilfullest duty is better than none Unworded groans come oft from the Spirit of God and God understandeth and accepteth them Rom. 8. 26 27. § 13. Tempt 7. It will be so hard and long to learn that you will never overcome it Tempt 7. Direct 7. § 14. Direct 7. Willingness and diligence have the promise of Gods help Remember it is a thing that must be done When your own disuse and sin hath made it hard will you put God and your souls off with that as an excuse If you had neglected to teach your child to speak or go when it is young should he therefore never learn Will you despair and let go all your hope on this pretence or will you hope to be saved without prayer and other holy duty How foolish are both these Sick men must eat though their stomachs be against it they cannot live else § 15. Tempt 8. But thou findest thou art but the worse for duty and
Answ. tween the Being of a duty and the Knowledge of a duty and remember that the first Question is whether this be my duty and the next How I may discern it to be my duty And that God giveth it the Being by his Law and Conscience is but to know and use it And that God changeth not his Law and our duty as oft as our opinions change about it The obligation of the Law is still the same though our Consciences err in apprehending it otherwise Therefore if God command you a duty and your opinion be that he doth not command it or that he forbids it and so that it is no duty or that it is a sin it doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so Else it were no error in you nor could it be possible to err if the thing become true because you think it to be true God commandeth you to Love him and to worship him and to nourish your children and to obey the higher powers c. And do you think you shall be discharged from all these duties and allowed to be prophane or sensual or to resist authority or to famish your children if you can but be blind enough to think that God would have it so 2. Your error is a sin it self And do you think that one sin must warrant another or that sin can discharge you from your duty and disannull the Law 3. You are a subject to God and not a King to your self and therefore you must obey his Laws and not make new ones § 33. Quest. 2. But is it not every mans duty to obey his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. No It is no mans duty to obey his Conscience in an error when it contradicteth the command of God Conscience is but a Discerner of Gods command and not at all to be obeyed strictly as a Commander but it is to be obeyed in a larger sense that is to be followed where ever it truly discerneth the command of God It is our duty to lay by our error and seek the cure of it till we attain it and not to obey it § 34. Quest. 3. But is it not a sin for a man to go against his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. Yes Not because Conscience hath any authority to make Laws for you but because interpretatively you go against God For you are bound to obey God in all things and when you think that God commandeth you a thing and yet you will not do it you disobey formally though not materially The Matter of Obedience is the thing commanded The form of obedience is our doing the thing because it is commanded when the Authority of the Commander causeth us to do it Now you reject the Authority of God when you reject that which you think he commandeth though he did not Quest. § 35. Quest. 4. Seeing the form of obedience is the being of it and denominateth which the Matter doth not without the form and there can be no sin which is not against the authority of God which is the formal cause of obedience is it not then my duty to follow my Conscience Answ. Answ. 1. There must be an integrity of causes or concurrence of all necessaries to make up Obedience though the want of any one will make a sin If you will be called Obedient you must have the matter and form because the true form is found in no other matter You must do the thing commanded because of his Authority that commandeth it If it may be called really and formally Obedience when you err yet it is not that obedience which is acceptable For it is not any kind of obedience but obedience in the thing commanded that God requireth 2. But indeed as long as you err sinfully you are also wanting in the form as well as the matter of your obedience though you intend Obedience in the particular act It is not only a willful opposing and positive rejecting the Authority of the Commander which is formal disobedience but it is any Privation of due subjection to it when his Authority is not so regarded as it ought to be and doth not so powerfully and effectually move us to our duty as it ought Now this formal disobedience is found in your erroneous Conscience For if Gods Authority had moved you as it should have done to diligent enquiry and use of all appointed means and to the avoiding of all the causes of error you had never erred about your duty For if the error had been perfectly involuntary and blameless the thing could not have been your particular duty which you could not possibly come to know Quest. § 36. Quest. 5. But if it be a sin to go against my Conscience must I not avoid that sin by obeying it Would you have me sin Answ. Answ. You must avoid the sin by changing your judgement and not by obeying it For that is but to avoid one sin by committing another An erring judgement is neither obeyed nor disobeyed without sin It can make you sin though it cannot make you duty It doth ensnare though not oblige If you follow it you break the Law of God in doing that which he forbids you If you forsake it and go against it you reject the authority of God in doing that which you think he forbids you So that there is no attaining to innocence any other way but by coming first to Know your duty and then to do it If you command your servant to weed your corn and he mistake you and verily think that you bid him pull up the corn and not the weeds what now should he do Shall he follow his judgement or go against it Neither but change it and then follow it and to that end enquire further of your mind till he be better informed and no way else will serve the turn § 37. Quest. 6. Seeing no man that erreth doth know or think that he erreth for that 's a contradiction Quest. how can I lay by that opinion or strive against it which I take to be the truth Answ. It is your sin that you take a falshood to be a truth God hath appointed means for the Answ. cure of blindness and error as well as other sins or else the world were in a miserable case Come into the light with due self-suspicion and impartiallity and diligently use all Gods means and avoid the causes of deceit and error and the Light of Truth will at once shew you the Truth and shew you that before you erred In the mean time sin will be sin though you take it to be duty or no sin § 38. Quest. 7. But seeing he that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with Quest. 〈…〉 â—e that knoweth it not with few is it not my duty chiefly to avoid the many 〈…〉 against my Conscience or Knâ—wledge Answ. 1. Your duty is to avoid both and if
certain obedience for uncertain sin Or if a Priest among them say I am certain that it is a duty to preach Gods word but I am not certain that the Trent Articles which I must swear or subscribe are sinful or false therefore I must not leave a great and certain duty for an uncertain sin The answer to them both is easie 1. It is your sin that you are uncertain of the sinfullness of those things which God hath forbidden And God biddeth you first to search the Scriptures and cure that error He made his Law before your doubts arose and will not change it because you doubt 2. You contradict your selves by a mistake you have no more certainty that you should obey your Teachers in these particulars than you have that the things which they teach or command you are not against that Law of God You are certain that you must obey them in all things not forbidden by God and within the reach of their office to require And you are as certain that it is unlawful to obey them against the Law of God and that God must be obeyed before man But whether you must obey them in this particular case you cannot be certain while you are uncertain whether it be forbidden of God And the Priest must be as uncertain whether it be any duty of his at all to preach Gods word as he is uncertain of the lawfullness of the Trent-Oath or subscription unless he can do it without If a subject say I am certain that to Govern the Kingdom well is a great good work and duty but I am uncertain whether to depose the King if he Govern not well and set up my self be a sin therefore the Certain good must overrule the uncertain evil I give him the same answer It is your sin to be uncertain whether Rebellion be a sin and God bindeth you to lay by the sin of your judgement and not to make it a shooing-horn to more 2. You are sure that Governing well is a Good work but you should be as sure that it is no duty of yours nor no Good work for you to do as you are sure that you are but a private man and a subject and never called to do the Good of anothers office A private man may say I am sure preaching is a good work but I am not sure that a private unordained man may not statedly separate himself to do it But he can be no surer that it is a duty to him than he is that he is called to it § 43. Quest. 12. Well suppose my ignorance be my sin and suppose that I am equally uncertain of Quest. the duty and of the sin annexed yet if I have done all that I am able and remain still unresolved and after my most diligent enquiry am as much in doubt as ever what should I then do Answ. 1. If you had by any former sin so forfeited Gods assistance as that he will leave you Answ. to your blindness this altereth not his Law and your obligations which are still the same to Learn understand and practise 2. But if you are truly willing to understand and practise and use his means you have no cause to imagine that he will thus forsake you undoubtedly he appointeth you no means in vain If you attain not sufficient resolution to guide you in your duty it is either because your hearts are false in the enquiry and byassed or unwilling to know the truth or do it or because you use not the true appointed means for resolution but in partiality or laziness neglect it § 44. Quest. 13. Suppose still my ignorance be my sin which is the Greater sin to neglect the Quest. good work or to venture on the feared evil that is annexed I am not conscious of any unfaithfullness but humane frailty that keepeth me from certainty And no man is so perfect as to have no culpable ignorance and to be certain in every point of duty Therefore I must with greatest caution avoid the greatest sin when I am out of hope of avoiding all On one side it is a common Rule that I must do nothing against Conscience no not a doubting Conscience though I must not allwaies do what it biddeth me For he that doubteth is condemned if he eat for whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. On the other side if all duty be omitted which conscience doubteth of I may be kept from allmost every duty Answ. The heart is so deceitful that you have great cause to watch lest humane frailty be pretended Answ. for that error which a corrupted byassed partial mind or willful lazyness is the cause of Diligent study and enquiry and prayer with a sincere desire to know the truth may succeed at least to so much satisfaction as may keep your minds in quietness and peace and give you comfort in your way and preserve you from all such sin as is inconsistent with this your safety and acceptance with God But yet it is true that humane frailty will occasion in the best uncertainties in some particular cases and though God make it not our duty of two sins to choose the less but to refuse both yet he maketh it our duty more diligently to avoid the greater than the less And oft times the case is so sudden that no enquiry can be made And therefore I confess a Christian should know which sins are greatest and to be most avoided At present I shall lay down these following Rules premising this that where accidents and circumstances which make sins Great or Small are to be compared they are oft times so numerous and various that no Rules can be laid down before hand that will serve all turns no more than in Law and Physick any Law-books or Physick-books will serve all cases without a present experienced judicious Counsellor Present PRUDENCE and SINCERITY must do most § 45. Rule 1. In things altogether indifferent nothing must be done that Conscience doubteth of Rule because there is a possibility or fear of sinning on the one side but none on the other And in that case it is a certain sin to venture on a feared sin But then it is supposed that the thing be indifferent as cloathed with all its circumstances and that there be no accident that taketh away its indifferencie § 46. Rule 2. â—â—â—aâ—e the thing be really unlawful and I think it to be lawful but with sâ—me 〈…〉 ing â—ut aâ—â— clear that the forbearing it is no sin there the sin is only in the doing it because all â—s clâ—â—r and sâ—sâ— on the other side § 47. Rule 3. There are many sins which are allwaies and to all persâ—ns in all cases sins and not dâ—uâ—teâ— â—â—â—â— any witâ—â—ut gâ—â—â—â— unfaithfullness or negligence and â—ere there is no room for any dâ—ubting whether we must do that â—â—â—â—d which cannot be done without that sin it being certain that nâ— sâ—â—â—â— Goâ—d can be
Religion or the Common wealth § 59. Rule 51. When a thing is not prohibited and sinfull simply in it self but because of some Rule accidental or consequential evil that it tendeth to there a Greater accidental or consequential Good may preponderate the evil and make the thing become no sin but a Duty It is a matter of exceeding difficulty to discern oft times whether a thing be simply and absolutely forbidden or only by accident and alterably and to discern which Accident doth preponderate There are so many Observations that should here be taken in and so much of a mans life and peace is concerned in it that it deserveth a Treatise by it self And therefore I shall not meddle with it any further here lest an insufficient tractate be worse than none in a case where error is so easie and pâ—rillous § 60. Rule 16. As to the danger of the sinner himself there is a great deal of difference between Rule an error and sin of humane frailty when the service of God and true obedience and the commâ—n good is sincerely intended and an error and sin of falseheartedness and sloth when selfishness is the secret spring of the error and carnal interest the real end though God and his service be pretended And usually the concomitants will shâ—w something of this to others For instance Two Magistrates and two Ministers submit to some questioned imposition all pretend that the Glory of God and his service is it that prevaileth with them to submit The one of the Magistrates faithfully serveth God afterward with his authority and sheweth thereby that he meant sincerely The other doth no good in his place and sheweth his hypocrisie One of the Ministers preacheth zealously and privately laboureth as one that thirsteth for the saving of souls The other preacheth formally and coldly and heartlesly and never converteth a soul and neglecteth the work which he pretended was his end DIRECT XI Let it be most deeply engraven on thy heart that God is infinitely good and amiable Gr. Dir. 11. thy grand Benefactor and Father in Christ the End of all that thou art and For loving Gâ—d as our Father our Benefactor and ouâ— End hast and the Everlasting Rest and Happiness of thy soul See therefore that thy enflamed Heart be entirely and absolutely offered up unto Him by the Mediation of his Son to Love him to Trust him to Delight in him to be Thankful to him to Glorifie him and through faith to long for the Heavenly Glory where all this will be perfectly done for ever And first let us speak of LOVE § 1. I did in the first Direction perswade you to lay a good Foundation in Faith and Knowledge In the second I directed you how to live upon Christ In the third how to Believe practically in the Holy Ghost In the fourth I directed you to the orderly and practical Knowledge of all the Attributes of God In the fifth how to know God Practically in his first grand Relation as he is your Owner In the sixth how to know him practically in his second grand Relation as he is your King or Governour And in subordination to his Governing Relation in the seventh I directed you in your Relation of Disciples to Christ your Teacher And in the eighth I directed you in your Relation of Patients to Christ your Physicion and the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier In the ninth I directâ—d you in yâ—uâ—â—â—lation of Souldiers to Christ the Captain of your Salvation In the tenth I diâ—â—cted you in the â—â—lation of Servants to Christ your Master And now being past those subordinate Relations to the second I proceed to direct you in your third Graâ—d Relation to God as your Benefactor Father and Felicity And because there are divers great Duties in this General I shall first begin with this of LOVE and afterwards speak distinctly of the rest Directions for Loving God as our Father and Felicity § 2. Here I shall first give you these General Preparatives and then give you Directions for the exercise of holy Love 1. You must understand the Nature of Love to God 2. You must understand the differences of this Love 3. You must understand the Reasons of it 4. And the Contraries of it 5. And the Counterfeits of it § 3. I. For the understanding of its Nature observe these things 1. It is not the Love of a particular God is not Loved as a Particular Good â—â—â—â— aâ— the Universal Good good but of the infinite Universal Good The creature is a particular good and our Love to it is a particular limited Love confined as to a point God is the Universal Good and our Love to him is not limited by the object but by the narrowness and imperfection of our faculties themselves As suppose you had variety of Candles in your Room and you had Diamonds and other refulgent things You love each of these with a particular love for their splendor and usefulness and you more easily observe and feel the motion of this confined Love But Light it self as Light you love with a more Universal Love which is greater but not so sensibly observed Not as we speak of notional Universals in Logick which have no existence but in particulars but of the Natural transcendent infinite good eternally existent and arbitrarily appearing in some created particles As the love of an infinite Light would differ from the Love of a Candle and the love of an infinite Heat from the love of a Fire and the love of infinite Wisdom it self from the love of a wise man and the love of infinite Goodness it self from the love of a Good Man So doth the love of God from the Love of a particular created good § 4. 2. Our Love to God is not ordinarily so passionate as our Love to Creatures Because the nearness and sensibleness of the creature promoteth such sensible operations But God is not seen or felt or heard but believed in by faith and known by Reason And the narrowness of the creature making resistances stops and difficulties occasioneth a turbulent passionatenes of love when thâ— infiniteness of God hath no such occasion Our love to creatures is like the running of a stream in a chanell that is too narrow for it where stops and bancks do make it go on with a roaring violence But our love to God is like the Brook that slideth into the Ocean where it is insensibly devoured Therefore our Love to God must principally be perceived not in violent passions but in 1. A high estimation of him 2. In the Wills adhaering to him 3. And in the effects to be mentioned anon Yet when a Passionate Love is added to these it may be the most excellent sâ—gnificatiâ—ely and effectively Some Philosophers think that God cannot at all be loved with a Passionate Love because he is a pure immaterial being and therefore cannot be the object of a material act or motion such as
inspirations of their own So that the people were not left to the credulity of naked unproved assâ—rtions of any one that would say that he was sent of God 7. There were some signs given by some of the Prophets to confirm their word As Isaiahs predictions of Hezekiahs danger and remedy and recovery and of the going back of the shadow on Ahaz dyall ten degrees c. And more such there might be which we know not of 8. All Prophecies were not of equal obligation The first Prophecies of any Prophet who brought no attestation by Miracles nor had yet spoken any Prophecie that had been fullfilled might be a merciful revelation from God which might oblige the hearers to a reverent regard and an enquiry into the authority of the Prophet and a waiting in suspense till they saw whether it would come to pass And the fullfilling of it increased their obligation Some Prophecies that foretold but temporal things captivities or deliverances might at first before the Prophets produced a Divine attestation be rather a bare prediction than a Law and if men believed them not it might not make them guilty of any damning sin at all but only they refused that warning of a temporal judgement which might have been of use to them had they received it 9. But our obligation now to believe the same Scripture Prophecies is greater because we live in the ages when most of them are fullfilled and the rest are attested by Christ and his Apostles who proved their attestations by manifold Miracles 10. When the Prophets reproved the known sins of the people and called men to such duties as the Law required no man could speed ill by obeying such a Prophet because the Matter of his Prophecies was found in Gods own Law which must of necessity be obeyed And this is the chief part of the recorded Prophecies 11. And any man that spake against any part of Gods Law of natural or super-natural revelation was not to be believed Deut. 13. 18. Because God cannot speak contrary to himself 12. But the Prophets themselves had another kind of obligation to believe their own Visions and Inspirations than any of their hearers had For Gods great extraordinary Revelation was like the Light which immediately revealed it self and constrained the understanding to know that it was of God And such were the Revelations that came by Angelical apparitions and Visions Therefore Prophets themselves might be bound to more than their bare word could have bound their hearers to As to wound themselves to go bare to feed on dung c. And this was Abrahams case in offering Isaack Yet God did never command a Prophet or any by a Prophet a thing simply evil but only such things as were of a mutable nature and which his will could alter and make to be good And such was the case of Abraham himself if well considered PART II. Directions against Hardness of Heart § 1. IT is necessary that some Christians be better informed what Hardness of Heart is who most complain of it The Metaphor is taken from the Hardness of any matter which a workman would make an impression on And it signifieth the passive and active Resistance of the heart against the Word and Works of God When it receiveth not the impressions which the Word should make and obâ—yeth not Gods Commands but after great and powerful means remâ—ineth as it was before unmoved unaffected and disobedient So that Hardness of heart is not a distinct sin but the habitual power of every sin or the deadness unmoveableness and obstinacy of the heart in any sin So many duties and sins as there be so many wayes may the heart be hardned against the Wâ—rd which forbiddeth those sins and commandeth those duties It is therefore an exâ—or that hath had very ill consequents on many persons to think that Hardness of Heart is nothing but a want of passionate feeling in the matters which concern the soul especially a want of sorrow and tears This hath made them over-careful for such tears and grief and passions and dangerously to make light of the many greater instances of the Hardness of their Hearts Many beginners in Religion who are taken up in penitential duties do think that all Repentance is nothing but a change of opinion except they have those passionate griefs and tears which indeed would well become the penitent And hereupon they take more pains with themselves to affect their hearts with sorrow for sin and to wring out tears than they do for many greater duties But when God calleth them to Love him and to Praise him and to be Thankful for his Mercies or to love an enemy or forgive a wrong when he calleth them to mortifie their earthly mindedness their carnality their pride their passion or their disobedience they yield but little to his call and shew here much greater Hardness of Heart and yet little complain of this or take notice of it I intreat you therefore to observe that the greater the Duty is the worse it is to Hardeâ— the Heart against it And the greater the sin is the worse it is to Harden the heart by obstinacy in it And that the great duties are The Love of God and man with a mortified and heavenly mind and life and to resist Gods Word commanding these is the great and dangerous Hardning of the Heart The life of grace lyeth 1. In the preferring of God and Heaven and Holiness in the Estimation of our minds before all worldly things 2. In the Choosing them and Resolving for them with our Wills before all others 3. In the Seeking of them in the bent and drift of our Endeâ—vours These three make up a state of Holiness But for strength of parts or memory or expression and so for passionate affections of sorrow or joy or the tears that express them all these in their time and place and measure are desireable but not of necessity to salvation or to the life of grace They follow much the temperature of the body and some have much of them that have little or no grace and some want them that have much grace The work of Repentance consisteth most in lothing and falling out with our selves for our sins and in forsaking them with abhorrence and turning unto God And he that can do this without tears iâ— truly penitent and he that hath never so many tears without this is impenitent still Non tamen ideo beatus est quia patienter mâ—â—er est Aâ—â—â—â—â— â—e â—iâ—â—â—â—l 14 c. 25 And that is the hard hearted sinner that will not be wrought to a love of Holiness nor let go his sin when God commandeth him but after all exhortations and mercies and perhaps afflictions is still the same as if he had never been admonished or took no notice what God hath been saying oâ— doing to reclaim him Having thus told you what Hardness of heart is you may see that I have given you Directions
any more than Spirit or any thing else If it were only in respect of their object they should be called the World also because that is their object It is a certain Rule that That faculty is most predominant in man whose Object is made his chiefest End Sensitive delights being made the felicity and end of the unsanctified it followeth that the sensitive faculties are predominant which being called Flesh by a nearer Trope the Mind from it receives the denomination The Scriptures also shew this plainly I remember not any one place in the Old Testament where there is any probability that the word flesh should signifie only the Rational soul as unrenewed Matth. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee that is mortal man hath not revealed it Matth. 26. 41. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak that is your Bodies are weak and resist the willingness of your souls For sinful habits are not here called weak John 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh that is Man by natural Generation can beget but natural man called Flesh from the visible part and not the spiritual life which nature is now destitute of Rom 7. 25. With my flesh I serve the Law of sin that is with my sensitive powers and my mind so far as captivated thereto Rom. 8. 1 5. Flesh and Spirit are oft opposed They that are of the flesh mind the things of the flesh c. that is They in whom the sensitive interest and appetite are predominant For it is called the Body here as well as the flesh v. 10 11 13. The mind is here included but it is as serving the flesh and its interest Gal. 5. 16 17 19. Flesh and Spirit are in the same manner opposed And 2 Pet. 2. 18. the Lusts of the flesh are in this sense mentioned And Ephes. 2. 3. Rom. 7. 18. Rom. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 11. in which there is mention of fleshly lusts which fight against the Spirit and fleshly wisdom making provision for the flesh c. And Col. 2. 18. there is indeed the name of a fleshly mind which is but a mind deceived and subservient to the flesh so that the flesh it self or sensitive interest and appetite are first signified in all or most places and in some the Mind as subservient thereto § 4. It is of the greater consequence that this be rightly understood lest you be tempted to imitate the Libertines who think the flesh or sensitive part is capable of no moral good or evil and therefore all its actions being indifferent we may be indifferent about them and look only to the superiour powers And others that think that the Scripture by flesh meaneth only the Rational soul ☜ as unâ—enewed do thereupon cherish the Flesh it self and pamper it and feed its unruly lusts and never do any thing to tame the body but pray daily that God would destroy the flesh within them that is their sinful habits of Reason and Will while they cherish the cause or neglect a chief part of the cure And on the contrary some Papists that look only at the Body as their enemy are much in fastings and bodily exercises while they neglect the mortifying of their carnal minds § 5. II. How far flesh-pleasing is a sin I shall distinctly open to you in these propositions What Flesh-pleasing is a sin 1. The Pleasing or displeasing of the sensitive appetite in it self considered is neither sin nor duty good or evil but as commanded or forbidden by some Law of God which is not absolutely done 2. To please the flesh by things forbidden is undoubtedly a sin and so it is to displease it too Therefore this is not all that is here meant that the Matter that pleaseth it must not be things forbidden 3. To overvalue the Pleasing of the Flesh is a sin And to prefer it before the Pleasing of God and the holy preparations for Heaven is the state of carnality and ungodliness and the common cause of the Damnation of souls The Delight of the Flesh or Senses is a Natural Good and the natural desire of it in it self as is said is neither vice nor vertue But when this little natural Good is preferred before the Greater Spiritual Moral or Eternal Good this is the sin of Carnal minds which is threatned with death Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 13. 4. To buy the pleasing of the flesh at too dear a rate as the loss of time or with care and trouble above its worth and to be too much set on making provisions to please it doth shew that it is overvalued and is the sin forbidden Rom. 13. 14. 5. When any desire of the Flesh is inordinate immoderate or irregular for matter or manner quantity quality or season it is a sin to please that inordinate desire 6. When Pleasing the flesh doth too much pamper it and cherish filthy lusts or any other sin and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—â—â—â—o sufficiâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— satâ—s est â—â—â—â—um â—â—â—â—pus namque propter animi servitium seciffe naturam nemo tam corporis servus est qui nesciat Id si proprio munere fungitur quid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid ampâ—ius requiras Petraâ—ch li. 2 Dial. 2 Vires corporis sunt vires carceris ut Petrarch li. 1. Dial. 5. What mean you to make your prison so strong said Plato to one that over-pampered his flesh Mars Ficin iâ— Vita Plat. is not necessary on some other account as doing greater good it is a sin But if Life require it lust must be subdued by other means 7. When pleasing the flesh doth hurt it by impairing health and so making the body less fit for duty it is a sin And so almost all intemperance tendeth to breed diseases And God commandeth Temperance even for the Bodies good 8. When unnecessary Flesh-pleasing hindereth any duty of Piety Justice Charity or self-preservation in thought affection word or deed it is sinful 9. It any Pleasing of the Flesh can be imagined to have no tendency directly or indirectly to any moral Good or Evil it is not the Object of a moral Choosing or Refusing but like the winking of the eye which falls not under deliberation it is not within the compass of morality 10. Every Pleasing of the flesh which is capable of being referred to a higher end and is not so referred and used is a sin And there is scarce any thing which is eligible which a vacant waking man should deliberate on but should be referred to a higher end even to the glory of God and our salvation by cheering us up to Love and Thankfulness and strengthening or fitting us some way for some duty This is apparently a sin 1. Because else Flesh-pleasing is made our ultimate end and the Flesh an Idol if ever we desire it only for it self when it may be referred to a higher end For though the sensitive Appetite of it self hath no intended end yet
commandeth them Acts 20. Epist. Tim. § 7. 3. The work of a Magistrate a Lawyer a Physicion and such like is principally in doing Rule 3. good in their several Callings which must not be neglected for contemplation Yet so that all these and all others must allow Gods service and holy thoughts their due place in the beginning and middle and end of all their actions As Magistrates must read and meditate day and night in the Word of God Iosh. 1. 8 10. So the Eunuch Cornâ—lius c. Acts 8. 10. § 8. 4. Some persons in the same Calling whose Callings are not so urgent on them by any necessities Rule 4. of themselves or others and who may have more vacant time must gladly take it for the good of their souls in the use of contemplation and other holy duties And others that are under greater necessities urgencies obligations or cannot be spared from the service of others as Physicions Lawyers c. must be less in contemplation and prefer the greatest good § 9. 5. Publick necessities or service may with some be so great as to dispense with all secret duty Rule 5. both of prayer and contemplation except short mental ejaculations for some dayes together So in Wars it oft falls out that necessity forbiddeth all set or solemn holy service for many dayes together even on the Lords Day So a Physicion may sometime be tyed to so close attendance on his Patients as will not allow him time for a set prayer so sometime a Preacher may be so taken up in preaching and exhorting and resolving peoples weighty doubts that they shall scarce have time for secret duties for some dayes together Though such happy impediments are rare In these cases to do the lesser is a sin when the greater is neglected § 10. 6. Servants who are not Masters of their time must be faithful in employing it to their Rule 6. Masters service and take none for holy duty from that part which they should work in but rather from their rest so far as they are able intermixing Meditations with their labours when they can But redeeming such time as is allowed them the more diligently because their opportunities are so rare and short § 11. 7. The Lords day excepting works of necessity and such vacancies as hinder not other Rule 7. work as when they travel on the way or work or wake in the night c. are every mans own time which he is not to alienate to anothers service but to reserve and use for the service of God and for his soul in holy duties § 12. 8. Some persons â—â—nnot bear much contemplation especially Melancholy and weak-headed Rule 8. people And such must serve God so much the more in other duties which they are able for and must not tire out and distract themselves with striving to do that which they are not able to undergo But others feel no inconvenience by it at all as I can speak by my own experience my weakness and decay of Spirits inclining me most to a dulness of mind I find that the most exciting serious studies and contemplations in the greatest solitude are so far from hurting me by any abatement of health or hilarity or serenity of mind that they seem rather a help to all Those that can thus bear long solitude and contemplation ought to be the more exercised in it except when greater duties must take place But to melancholy persons it is to be avoided as a hurt § 13. 9. To the same persons sometimes their own necessities require contemplation most and Rule 9. sometime action and so that which is at one time a duty may at another time be none § 14. 10. A meer sinful backwardness is not to be indulged A diseased disability such as Rule 10. comes from melancholy weak-headedness or decay of memory must be endured and not too much accused when Christ excused worse in his Disciples saying The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak But a sinful backwardness in cases of absolute necessity is not at all to be endured but striven against with all your power what ever it cost you As to bring your selves to so much serious Consideration as is necessary to your Repentance and unfeigned faith and godly conversation this must be done whatever follow Though the Devil perswade you that it will make you melancholy or mad For without it you are far worse than mad § 15. 11. The most desirable life to those that have their choice is that which joyneth together Rule 11. Contemplation and Action so as there shall be convenient leisure for the most high and serious Contemplation and this improved to fit us for the most great and profitable Action And such is the life of a faithful Minister of Christ And therefore no sort of men on earth are more obliged to thankfulness than they § 16. 12. Servants and poor men and diseased men and others that are called off from much Rule 12. contemplation and employed in a life of obedient Action yea or suffering by the providence of God ☜ and not by their own sinful choice must understand that their Labour and Patience is the way of their acceptable attendance upon God in the expense of most part of their time And though it is madness in those that hope God will accept of their Labours instead of true Faith and Repentance and a godly life for these must go together and hinder not each other yet instead of such further contemplations as are not necessary to the being of a godly life a true Christian may believe that his obedient labours and sufferings shall be accepted If you set one servant to cast up an account and another to sweep your Chimney or Chanells you will not accept the former and reject the latter for the difference of their works But you will rather think that he hath most merited your acceptance who yielded without grudging to the basest service And doubtless it is an aggravation of acceptable obedience when we readily and willingly serve God in the lowest meanest work He is too fine to serve him who saith I will serve thee in the Magistracy or Ministry but not at Petrarch speaking of his intimacy and esteem with Kings and Princes addeth Multos tamen eorum quos valde amabam effugi tantus mihi fuit insitus amor liberta t is ut cujus vel nomen ipsum libertati vel illi esse contrarium videretur â—mni sâ—udio declinarâ—m In vita sua Plow or Cart or any such drâ—dgery And if thou be but in Gods way he can make thy very obedience a state of greater holiness and safety than if thou hadst spent all that time in the study of holy things as you see many ungodly Ministers do all their life time and are never the better for it It is not the quality of the work but Gods blessing that makes it do you
moderation in the heart and cureth those bloodshotten eyes which are unable till cured to discern the truth It helpeth us to knowledge and to that which is more edifying and keepeth knowledge from puffing us up And experience will tell you at long running that among Antients and Moderns Greeks and Latines Papists and Protestants Lutherans and Calvinists Remonstrants and Contraremonstrants Prelatists Presbyterians Independents c. commonly the Moderaters are not only the best and most charitable but the wisest most judicious men § 61. Direct 19. With all your Readings still joyn the reading of the Scriptures and of the most Direct 19. holy and practical Divines not fantastical Enthusiastick counterfeits Paracelsian Divines but those that lead you up by the solid doctrine of faith and Love to true Devotion and Heavenly mindedness and conversation § 62. This must be your bread and drink your daily and substantial food without this you may soon be filled with air that cannot nourish you and prove in the end as sounding brass and tinkling Cymbals These will breed strength and peace and joy and help you in your Communion with God and hopes of Heaven and so promote the End of all your Studies There is more life and sweetness in these than in the things that are more remote from God and Heaven § 63. Direct 20. Lastly Do all as dying men promise not your selves long life lest it tempt you Direct 20. to waste your time on things least necessary and to loiter it away or lest you lose the quickning benefit which the sight of death and eternity would yield you in all your studies § 64. The nearer you apprehend your selves to death and Heaven the greater help you have to be mortisied and Heavenly This will make you serious and keep up right intentions and keep out wrong ones and powerfully help you against temptations that when you have studied to save others you may not be cast-awayes nor be cheated by the Devil with the shell and leaves and flowers while you go without the saving fruit § 65. I have spoken the more on this subject of Governing the Thoughts because it is so great and excellent a part of the work of man and God doth so much regard the heart and the Spirit of Christ and Satan so much strive for it and grace is so much employed about it and our Happiness or misery Joy or sorrow is greatly promoted by our Thoughts And more I would have said but that in the third Chapter and in my Treatise of the Divine Life there is much said already And for a Method and Directions for particular Meditations I have given it at large in the fourth Part of the Saints Rest from whence it may easily be taken and applyed to other subjects as it is there to Heaven It is easie to write and read Directions but I fear lest slothfulness through the difficulty of Practice will frustrate my Directions to the most But if any profit by them my labour is not lost CHAP. VII Directions for the Government of the Passions § 1. THE Passions are to be considered 1. As in themselves and the sin of them as respecting God and ourselves only And so I am to speak of them here 2. As they are a wrong to others and a breach of the commandments which require Love and duty towards our Neighbour And so I shall speak of them after § 2. Passions are not sinful in themselves for God hath given them to us for his service And there is none of them but may be sanctified and used for him But they are sinful 1. When they are misguided and placed on wrong objects 2. When they darken reason and delude the mind and keep out truth and seduce to error 3. When they rebel against the Government of the will and trouble it and hinder it in its choice or prosecution of good or urge it violently to follow their bruitish inclination 4. When they are unseasonable 5. Or immoderate and excessive in degree 6. Or of too long continuance 7. And when they tend to evil effects as to unseemly speeches or actions or to wrong another § 3. Passions are Holy when they are devoted to God and exercised upon him or for him They are Good when 1. They have right objects 2. And are guided by Reason 3. And are obedient to the well-guided will 4. And quicken and awake the Reason and the will to do their duty 5. And tend to good effects exciting all the other powers to their office 6. And exceed not in degree so as to disturb the brain or body Tit. 1. Directions against all sinful Passions in general § 4. Direct 1. TRust not to any present actual resistance without any due Habitual mortification of Direct 1. Passions and fortification of the soul against them Look most to the holy constitution of your mind and life and then sinful Passions will fall off like scabs from a healthful body when the blood is purified § 5. No wonder if an unholy soul be a slave to Passion when the Body is inclined to it For such a one is under the power of selfishness carnality and worldliness and from under the Government of Christ and his spirit and wanteth that life of Grace by which he should cure and subdue the corruptions of nature The way for such a one to master passion is not to strive by natural selfish principles and reasons which are partial poor and weak but to look first to the main and to seek with speed and earnestness for a New and sanctified heart and get Gods Image and his spirit and renewing quickning Grace This is the only effectual conqueror of Nature A dull and gentle disposition may seem without this to conquer that which never much assaulted it the tryal of such persons being some other way But none conquereth Satan indeed but the spirit of Christ. And if you should be free from passion and not be free from an unholy carnal worldly heart you must perish at last if you seemed the â—almest persons upon earth Begin therefore at the foundation and see that the Body of sin be mortified and that the whole tree be rooted up which beareth these evil bitter fruits and that the Holy victorious new-nature be within you and then you will resist sin with Light and Life which others resist but as in their sleep § 6. Direct 2. More particularly let your souls be still possessed with the fear of God and live as in Direct 12. his family under his eye and Government that his authority may be more powerful than temptations and your holy converse with him may make him still more regarded by you than men or any creatures And then this Sun will put out the lesser lights and the thunder of his voice will drown the whisperers that would provoke you and the humming of those wasps which make you so impatient God would make the creature nothing and then it would do
the Meek that they shall inherit the earth Matth. 5. 50. § 11. Direct 11. Live as in Gods presence and when your passions grow bold repress them with the Direct 11. reverend Name of God and bid them remember that God and his holy Angels see you § 12. Direct 12. Look on others in their passion and see how unlovely they make themselves With Direct 12. â—rowning countenances and flaming eyes and threatning devouring looks and hurtful inclinations And think with your selves whether these are your most desirable patterns § 13. Direct 13. Without any delay confess the sin to those that stand by if easier means will not Direct 13. repress it And presently take the shame to your selves and shame the sin and honour God This means is in your power if you will and it will be an excellent effectual means Say to those that you are angry with I find a sinful anger kindling in me and I begin to forget Gods presence and my duty and am tempted to speak provoking words to you which I know God hath forbidden me to do Such a present opening of your temptation will break the force of it And such a speedy confession will stop the fire that it go no further For it will be an engagement upon you in point of honour even the reputation both of your wit and honesty which will both suffer by it if you go on in the sin just when you have thus opened it by confession I know there is prudence to be used in this that you do it not so as may make you ridiculous or harden others in their sinful provocations But with prudence and due caution it is an excellent remedy which you can use if you are not unwilling § 14. Direct 14. If you have let your passion break out to the offence or wrong of any by word or Direct 14. deed freely and speedily confess it to them and ask them forgiveness and warn them to take heed of the like sin by your example This will do much to clear your consciences to preserve your Brother to cure the hurt and to engage you against the sin hereafter If you are so proud that you will not do this say no more You cannot help it but that you will not A good heart will not think this too dear a remedy against any sin § 15. Direct 15. Go presently in the manner that the place alloweth you to prayer to God for Direct 15. pardon and grace against the sin Sin will not endure prayer and Gods presence Tell him how apt your pievish hearts are to be kindled into sinful wrath and intreat him to help you by his sufficient grace and engage Christ in the cause who is your head and advocate and then your souls will grow obedient and calm Even as Paul when he had the prick in the flesh prayed thrice as Christ did in his agony so you must pray and pray again and again till you find Gods grace sufficient 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. for you § 16. Direct 16. Covenant with some faithful friend that is with you to watch over you and rebuke Direct 16. your passions as soon as they begin to appear and promise them to take it thankfully and in good part And perform that promise that you discourage them not Either you are so far aweary of your sin and willing to be rid of it as to be willing to do what you can against it or you are not If you are you can do this much if you please If you are not pretend not to repent and to be willing to be delivered from your sin upon any lawful terms when it is not so Remember still the mischievous effects of it do make it to be no contemptible sin Eccles. 7. 9. Be not hasty in thy Spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fools Prov. 16. 32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City Prov. 15. 18. A wrathful man stirreth up strife but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression Prov. 19. 11. Tit. 8. Directions against sinful Fear § 1. THe chief of my advice concerning this sin I have given you before Chap. 3. Direct 12. Yet somewhat I shall here add Fear is a necessary Passion in man which is planted in Nature for the restraining of us from sin and driving us on to duty and preventing misery It is either God or Devils or men or inferiour creatures or our selves that we fear God must be feared as he is God as he is Great and Holy and Iust and True as our Lord and King and Judge and Father And the fear of him is the beginning of wisdom Devils must be feared only as subordinate to God as the executioners of his wrath And so must men and beasts and fire and water and other creatures be feared and no otherwise We must so discern and fear a danger as to avoid it Our selves we are less apt to fear because we know that we Love our selves But there is no creature that we have so much cause to fear as our folly weakness and willfulness in sin § 2. Fear is sinful 1. When it proceedeth from unbelief or a distrust of God 2. When it ascribeth more to the creature than is its due As when we fear Devils or men as Great or bad or as our enemies without due respect to their dependance upon the will of God When we fear a chained creature as if he were unchained 3. When we fear God upon mistake or error or fear that in him which is not in him or is not to be feared As when we fear least he will break his promise lest he will condemn the keepers of his Covenant lest he will not forgive the penitent that hate their sin lest he will despise the contrite lest he will not hear the prayers of the humble faithful soul lest he will fail them and forsake them lest he will not cause all things to work together for their good lest he will forsake his Church lest Christ will not come again lest our bodies shall not be raised lest there be no life of glory for the just or no immortality of souls all such fears as these are sinful 4. When our fear is so immoderate in degree as to distract us or hinder us from faith and prayer and make us melancholy or when it hindereth Love and praise and thanks and necessary joy and tendeth not to drive us to God and to the use of means to avoid the danger but to drive us from God and kill our hope and make us sit down in despair Directions against sinful fear of God § 3. Direct 1. Know God in his Goodness Mercifulness and Truth and it will banish sinful fears Direct 1. of him For they proceed
this comparison to presumption But I know also that a Christian may and must use it against Despair and not think of God and the Redeemer as if he would save so few as are next to none at all § 31. Direct 20. Remember that God commandeth faith and hope and forbiddeth unbelief and despair Direct 20. and that it is your sin And will you sin more when you have sinned so much already What if you Psal. 33 18. 42 5. 43 5. 147. 11. 71. 14. see no other reason why you should Hope and why you should not despair but Gods command Is not that enough I charge you in the name of God obey him and despair not Sin not wilfully thus against him Psal. 146. 5. 31. 24. Rom. 8. 24. 15. 4 13. Col. 1. 23. 1 Thes. 5. 8. Heb. 3. 6. 6. 11 18 19. Tit. 1. 2. Hope is your duty and dare you plead against duty Despair is your sin and will you justifie it Yea consider what a deal of comfort is in this For if there were no Hope of your salvation God would never have made it your Duty to hope nor forbidden you to despair He doth not bid the Devils nor the damned Hope as he doth you He forbiddeth not them to despair as he doth you There is cause for this He would have done it if your condition were as Hopeless as theirs is § 32. Direct 21. If God forbid you to despair it s certainly the Devil that biddeth it And will you Direct 21. knowingly obey the Devil What if the Devil perswaded you to it openly with his own mouth would you not know that it is bad which such an enemy draweth you to Methinks this should be a very great comfort to you to think that it is the Devil that perswadeth you to despair For that proveth that you should not despair and that proveth that your case is not desperate but hopeful § 33. Direct 22. Think whither it tendeth to despair is to give up all hopes of your salvation Direct 22. and when you have no hope you will use no means for to what purpose should a man seek for that which he hath no hopes to find And so when this weight is taken off all the wheels stand still The meaning of the Devil hath two parts the first is Do not hear nor read nor pray nor seek advise nor talk any more about it with good people for there is no hope And the next part is either make away thy self or else sin boldly and take the pleasure of sin while thou maist for there is no hope of any better And dost thou think that either of these is from God Or is it for thy good what is the meaning of all but cast away thy soul while thou Hopest thou wilt seek and use some means but to cast away hope is to cast away all And hast thou so far lost self-love as to be thy self the doer of such a deed § 34. Direct 23. Think what a wrong thou dost to the Father the Saviour and the Sanctifier of souls Direct 23. to think so poorly and despairingly of his grace as if it were not able to prevail against thy sin and to obscure thus the glory of his redemption and to believe the Devil in his slandering extenuating and dishonouring that in God which he will have most glorified by sinners § 35. Direct 24. Bethink thee what one person thou canst name in all the world that ever perished Direct 24. or was rejected that was willing in this life to be saved and sanctified by Christ and had rather have Christ and perfect holiness than the treasures or pleasures of the world Name me any one such person if thou canst but I am sure thou canst not And dost thou fear that which never was done to any one or think that Christ will begin with thee § 36. Direct 25. Up man and be doing and resolve in despight of the Devil that thou wilt wait on Direct 25. God in the use of means and cast thy self on Christ and if thou perish thou wilt perish there Do this and thou shalt never perish Thou canst not do worse than Despair and give up all nor canst thou please the Devil more nor displease God more nor wrong Christ and the spirit more Thou art certain that thou canst lose nothing by trusting thy soul on Christ and hoping in him and patiently using his means Do but this and hope shall save thee when Satan by despair would damn thee § 37. Direct 26. Understand in what time and order it is that that Christ giveth his grace and saveth Direct 26. his people from their sins that he doth it not all at once but by degrees and taketh all the time of this present life to do it in As able as your Physicion is he will not finish the cure till your life be finished The next life is the state of absolute perfection All things are imperfect here Despair not therefore of all that you have not yet attained Your sin may be more mortified yet and your grace yet more strengthened If it be done before you come to judgement it s well for you Do your part in daily diligence Do you plant and water and he will give the increase Read more of this bâ—forâ— Part 2. against Melancholy CHAP. VIII Directions for the Government of the Senses PART I. General Directions for the Government of the Senses by a Life of Faith § 1. THE most wise and gracious God having been pleased to constitute us of soul and body that our nobler part in its preparation and passage to a nobler state might have a companion and instrument suited to the lower place and employment through which it is to pass hath appointed our senses not only for the exercise and helps of life and the management of our inferiour actions and the communication of his inferiour mercies but also to be the common passage to the fantasie and so to the mind to be serviceable to our Rational powers and help in our service of our Maker and communion with him in his higher gifts To these ends all our senses should be used as being capable of being sanctified and serviceable to God But sin made its entrance by them and by sin they are now corrupted and vitiated with the body and are grown inordinate violent and unruly in their appetite and the rational powers having lost and forsaken God their proper End and chiefest Object have hired or captivated themselves to the sensitive appepetite to serve its Ends. And so the sensitive appetite is become the ruling faculty in the unsanctified and the senses the common entrance of sin and instruments of Satan And though the work of Grace be primarily in the Rational powers yet secondarily the lower powers themselves also are sanctified and brought under the Government of a renewed Mind and Will and so restored to their proper
thy man-hood deserveth punishment It s the saying of Basil Involuntary madness deserveth compassion but voluntary madness the sharpest whips Prov. 19. 29. Iudgements are prepared for scorners and stripes for the fools back especially for the voluntary fool He that will make himself a beast or a mad-man should be used by others like a beast or a mad-man whether he will or not § 33. 10. Thou makest thy self unfit for any thing that is good O how unfit art thou to read Of drunken Priests I am loath to speak but pray such to read Isa. 52. 12. 28. â— Mic. 2 11. 1 Tim 3. 3 8. Isa. 56. 11 12. Lev. 10 9. Jer. 35. Ezek. 44. 2â— Mat. 24 49. 1 Thes. 5. 7. Gal. 5. 21. or hear or meditate on the Word of God! how unfit to pray how unfit to receive the Holy Sacrament what a dreadful thing is it to think of a Drunken man speaking to God in Prayer Thy best posture till thou art sober is to be asleep for then thou dost least hurt and thou art made uncapable of doing good yea and of receiving any good from others Thou art not so much as capable of reproof or counsel He that should cast Pearls before such a Swine and offer to speak to thee for the good of thy soul would but dishonour the Name and Word of God As it is said of a drunkard that when one rebuked him saying Art thou not ashamed to be thus drunken replyed Art thou not ashamed to talk to a man that is drunken It is a shame to the man that would cure thee by Reason when thou hast thrown away thy Reason And if thou have but a merry cup and thinkest thy self the fitter for thy duty yea if thou do it well as to the outward appearance as the principle is false and base so thou deservest blame for casting thy work upon so great a hazzard As Sophocles said of an Orator that wrote well when he was half drunken Though he did it well he did it ignorantly and in uncertainty For thy levity weakeneth thy judgement and thou dost the good thou dost but at a venture as a Passionate man may speak well but its unlikely and uncertain and therefore no thanks to him that it fell not out to be worse § 34. 11. Thou disposest thy self to almost every sin Drunkenness breaketh every one of the See Prov. 23. 29 30 31 32 33. Commandments by disposing men to break them all It disableth them to the duties of the first Commandment above all viz. to know God and believe and trust and love him It utterly unfitteth men for the holy worship required in the second Commandment as I have shewed He that hateth the guilt of former sin in his Worshippers hateth present wickedness much more Prov. 21. 27. The Sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Idolatry and wantonness and excess in eating and drinking usually dispose to one another See 1 Cor. 10. 7. Sacrifices of mirth and jovialty and gluttony and drunkenness are fit for Idols and Devils but unfit for God And therefore commonly we find that it is the drunkards and riotous people in every Town that are the great enemies to the Preaching of the Gospel and to all holy exercises and to all Est certa constans plurimorum sententia frustra Iâ—dos Christianam religionem doceâ—â— quamdiu pestifera isthaec consuetudo inerti nostrorum dissimulatione retinetur saith Acosta speaking of duâ—kenness l. 3. c. 2 â— p 336. that fear God and will not be as mad as they When there is a Sacrifice to be offered to Bacchus and any merry meeting where potting and feasting and dancing and roaring is to be the game there it is that the Ministers and the Servants of Christ are slandered and scorned and railed at There it is that Hellish reproach of Godliness like the Devils Canons are let fly without controle Though through Gods mercy they have more powder than bullet and do little Execution There it is that the Devil fitteth as President in his Council plotting what to do against the people and wayes of Christ. And though it be drunken sottish Council it is the fitter for his business for it is a bruitish thunderbolt that he hath to cast a sensless furious work that he hath to do and no other instruments will serve his turn He hath a plot to blow up the Reputation and honour of serious Godliness but he that setteth fire to his train must withall blow up himself And none is so fit for this work as a Drunkard or a sensual Sot Few others will venture to cast their own souls into the fire of Hell that they may procure a little stinking breath to be blown into the faces of the godly Few others would set their own houses on fire that they may trouble Gods servants by the smoak Their very work is to do as those in Dan. 3. to cast the servants of Christ into those flames which must devour those that cast them in and must searce touch a thred of the garments or a hair of the head of those for whom it was prepared And who would do this that knew what he did and were well in his wits must he not be first made drunk that doth it Also drunkenness disposeth you to swearing and blaspheaming and pâ—rjury and speaking contemptuously and unreverently of God and to speak prophanely and jeastingly of the Scripture And thus fools make a mock of sin Prov. 14. 9. You are good for none 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and â—ustful sâ—nsuaâ—â—â—â— are prepared for Athâ—â—an â—â—fidâ—lâ—ty and any impâ—ous conâ—eâ—t â—or their wits are hurâ—ed in the dunghâ—ll oâ— then guts and drowned in the excrementitious humidity of their brain◠〈…〉 sicus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and the vapours and â—â—mes of their bâ—â—â—â—ing luâ—ts do so 〈◊〉 and câ—â—ud theâ—â—rains that they have little use of their reason except to 〈◊〉 the service of their guâ—s and lusts Lege â—asiâ—ii Homil in â—brict Lux. Vide ipse ex taberna duos semicaptos vâ—no egressos vix oboli causa se muâ—uo uno â—odemque gladio conâ—ecisse quidem extracto bisâ—e percusâ—o corpore prae alterum feriendâ—â—â—â—â—ore â—â—a â—ue momento temporis ambo exaâ—â—mes corruerunt Ios. Acosta de proc Ind. salut l. 3. c. 21. p. 332. of the holy exercises of the Lords day That 's the day that you must deâ—â—â—â—le with your filthy sin The day in which God sendeth abroad his gracious invitations and the Devil his wicked incitations In which God giveth most of his Grace and the Devil infecteth most with sin In which God is best served by his sincere ones and the Devil is most served by his impious ones And you dispose your selves to sin against your Governours you have no old of tongue or action when you are drunken How many in their Drunkenness have reproached and abused Father and Mother and spoken
it will do its duty well in nothing and zeal will quickly be extinct Diligence will die when Conscience is corrupted or fallen aslèep § 39. Direct 8. Live in a constant expectation of death Do not foolishly flatter your self with Direct 8. groundless conceits that you shall live long There is a great power in Death to rowze up a drowsie soul when it is taken to be near And a great force in the conceit of living long to make even good men grow more negligent and secure § 40. Direct 9. Live among warm and serious Christians especially as to your intimate familiarity Direct 9. There is a very great power in the zeal of one to kindle zeal in others as there is in fire to kindle fire Prov. 22. â—4 â—5 27. 17. Heb. 3 13. 10 24 25. Rom. 15. 14. Serious hearty diligent Christians are excellent helps to make us serious and diligent He that travelleth with speedy travellers will be willing to keep pace with them and tired sluggards are drawn on by others When he that travelleth with the slothful will go slowly as they do § 41. Direct 10. Lastly Be oft in the use of quickning means Live if you can attain it under a Direct 10. quickning zealous Minister There is life in the word of God which when it 's opened and applied lively will put life into the hearers Read the holy Scriptures and such lively writings as help you to understand and practise them As going to the fire is our way when we are cold to cure our benummedness so reading over some part of a warm and quickning book will do much to warm and quicken a benummed soul And it is not the smallest help to rowze us up to prayer or meditation and put life into us before we address our selves more nearly unto God I have found it my self a great help in my studies and to my preaching when studying my own heart would not serve the turn to awake me to serious servency but all hath been cold and dull that I have done because all was cold and dull within I have taken up a book that was much more warm and serious than I and the reading of it hath recovered my heat and my warmed heart hath been fitter for my work Christians take heed of a cold and dull and heartless kind of Religion and think no pains too much to cure it Death is cold and life is warm and labour it self doth best excite it PART II. Directions about Sports and Recreations and against excess and sin therein § 1. Direct 1. IF you would escape the sin and danger which men commonly run into by unlawful Direct 1. sporting under pretense of lawful recreations you must understand what lawful recreation is and what is its proper end and use No wonder else if you sin when you know not what you do § 2. No doubt but some sport and recreation is lawful yea needful and therefore a duty to some What lawful recreation is men Lawful sport or recreation is the use of some Natural thing or action not forbidden us for the exhilerating of the natural spirits by the fantasie and due exercise of the natural parts thereby to fit the body and mind for ordinary duty to God It is some delightful exercise § 3. 1. We do not call unpleasing Labour by the name of sport or recreation though it may be better and more necessary 2. We call not every Delight by the name of sport or recreation For eating and drinking may be delightful and holy things and duties may be delightful and yet not properly spâ—â—ts or recreations But it is the fantasie that is chiefly delighted by sports § 4. Qual 1. All these things following are necessary to the Lawfulness of a sport or recreation and the want of any one of them will make and prove it to be unlawful 1. The end which you really intend in using it must be to fit you for your service to God that is either for your callings or for his worship or some work of obedience in which you may Please and Glorifie him 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the Glory of God It is just to your Duty as the Mowers whetting to his Sithe to make it for to do his work § 5. Qual 2. Therefore the person that useth it must be one that is heartily devoted to God and his Service and really liveth to do his work and please and glorifie him the world which none but the Godly truly do And therefore no carnal ungodly person that hath no such Holy end can use any recreation lawfully because he useth it not to a due end For the end is essential to the moral good of any action and an evil end must needs make it evil Tit. 1. 15. Unto the Pure all things are Pure that is all things not forbidden but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing Pure but even their mind and Conscience is defiled § 6. Quest. But must all wicked men therefore forbear recreation Answ. 1. Wicked men are such as Quest. will not obey Gods law if they know it and therefore they enquire not what they should do with any purpose sincerely to obey But if they would obey that which God commandeth them is immediately to forsake their wickedness and to become the servants of God and then there will be no room for the question 2. But if they will continue in a sinful ungodly state it is in vain to contrive how they may sport themselves without sin But yet we may tell them that if the sport be materially lawful it is not the matter that they are bound to forsake but it is the sinful end and manner And till this be reformed they cannot but sin § 7. Qual 3. A lawful recreation must be a means fitly chosen and used to this end If it have no aptitude to fit us for Gods service in our ordinary Callings and duty it can be to us no lawful recreation Though it be lawful to another that it is a real help to it is unlawful to us § 8. Qual 4. 4. Therefore all Recreations are unlawful which are themselves preferred before our Callings or which are used by a man that liveth idly or in no Calling and hath no ordinary work to make him need them For these are no fit means which exclude our end instead of furthering it § 9. Qual 5. 5. Therefore all those are unlawful sports which are used only to delight a carnal fantasie and have no higher end than to please the sickly mind that loveth them § 10. Qual 6. 6. And therefore all those are unlawful sports which really unfit us for the dutys of our Callings and the service of God which laying the benefit and hurt together do hinder us as much or more than they help us Which is the case of all voluptuous wantons § 11. Qual 7.
must either be a very great help or hinderance But yet if there be any persons whose case may be so equally poised with accidents on both sides that to the most judicious man it is not discernible whether a single or married state of life is like to conduce more to their personal Holiness or publick usefulness or the good of others to such persons Marriage in the individual circumstantiated act is a thing indifferent § 4. By these conditions following you may know what persons have a Call from God to marry and Who are called to marry who have not his call or approbation 1. If there be the peremptory will or command of Parents to Children that are under their power and Government and no greater matter on the contrary to hinder it the command of Parents signifieth the command of God But if Parents do but perswade and not command though their desires must not be causlesly refused yet a smaller impediment may preponderate than in case of a peremptory command 2. They are called to marry who have not the gift of Continence and cannot by the use of lawful means attain it and have no impediment which maketh it unlawful to them to marry 1 Cor. 7. 9. But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn But here the divers degrees of the urgent and the hindering causes must be compared and the weightiest must prevail For some that have very strong lusts may yet have stronger impediments And though they cannot keep that chastity in their Thoughts as they desire yet in such a case they must abstain And there is no man but may keep his body in chastity if he will do his part Yea and Thoughts themselves may be commonly and for the most part kept pure and wanton imaginations quickly checkt if men be Godly and will do what they can But on the other side there are Unmarried men are the best friends the best masters the best servants but not always the best subjects For they are light to run away and therefore ventrous c. Iâ— â—aâ—oâ— Essay 8. some that have a more tamable measure of Concupiscence and yet have no considerable hinderance whose duty it may be to Marry as the most certain and successful means against that small degree as long as there is nothing to forbid it 3. Another cause that warranteth Marriage is when upon a wise casting up of all accounts it is apparently most probable that in a married state one may be most serviceable to God and the publick good that there will be in it greater helps and fewer hinderances to the great ends of our lives the glorifying of God and the saving of our selves and others And whereas it must be expected that every condition should be more helpful to us in one respect and hinder us more in another respect and that in one we have most helps for a contemplative life and in another we are better furnished for an Active serviceable life the great skill therefore in the discerning of of our duties lyeth in the prudent pondering and comparing of the commodities and discommodities without the seduction of fantasie lust or passion and in a true discerning which side it is that hath the greatest weight § 5. Here it must be carefully observed 1. That the two first Reasons for Marriage Concupiscence Observations and the will of Parents or any such like have their strength but in subordination to the third the final cause or interest of God and our salvation And that this last Reason from the end is of it self sufficient without any of the other but none of the other are sufficient without this If it be clear that in a married state you have better advantages for the service of God and doing good to others and saving your own souls than you can have in a single state of life then it is undoubtedly your duty to marry For our obligation to seek our ultimate end is the most constant indispensable obligation Though Parents command it not though you have no corporal necessity yet it is a duty if it certainly make most for your ultimate end 2. But yet observe also that no pretence of your ultimate end it self will warrant you to marry when any other accident hath first made it a thing unlawful while that accident continueth For we must not do evil that good may come by it Our salvation is not furthered by sin And though we saw a probability that we might do more good to others if we did but commit such a sin to accomplish it yet it is not to be done For our lives and mercies being all in the hand of God and the successes and acceptance of all our endeavours depending wholly upon him it can never be a rational way to attain them by willful offending him by our sin It is a likely means to publick good for able and good men to be Magistrates or Ministers And yet he that would lye or be perjured or commit any known sin that he may be a Magistrate or that he may Preach the Gospel might better expect a curse on himself and his endeavours than Gods acceptance or his blessing and success so he that would sin to change his state for the better would find that he changed it for the worse or if it do good to others he may expect no good but ruine to himself if repentance prevent it not 3. Observe also that if the question be only which state of life it is married or single which best conduceth to this ultimate end than any one of the subordinate Reasons will prove that we have a call if there be not greater Reasons on the contrary side As in case you have no corporal necessity the will of Parents alone may oblige you if there be no greater thing against it or if Parents oblige you not yet corporal necessity alone may do it or if neither of these invite you yet a clear probability of the attaining of such an estate or opportunity as may make you more fit to relieve many others or be serviceable to the Church or the blessing of Children who may be devoted to God may warrant your Marriage if no greater reasons lye against it For when the Scales are equal any one of these may turn them § 6. By this also you may perceive who they be that have no Call to marry and to whom it is a Who may not marry sin As 1. No man hath a Call to marry who laying all the commodities and discommodities together may clearly discern that a married state is like to be a greater hinderance of his salvation or to his serving or honouring God in the world and so to disadvantage him as to his ultimate end Quest. But what if Parents do command it or will set against me if I disobey Quest. Answ. Parents have no authority to command you any thing against God or your salvation
or at least conclude that it is now their duty to live peaceably in the state in which they are and a great sin for them to be separated on such scruples The reason is because if it be not certain that the degree is lawful at least no man can be sure that it is unlawful And for Husband and Wife to break their Covenants and part without a necessary cause is a great sin And that which no man can prove to be a sin is no necessary or lawful cause of a divorce Marriage duties are certainly commanded to the married but the marriage of Cousin Germanes is not certainly forbidden Therefore if it were a sin to marry so to them that doubted or if they are since faln into doubt whether it was not a sin yet may they be sure that the continuance of it is a duty and that all that they have to do is to repent of doing a doubtful thing but not to part nor to forbear their covenanted duties No nor to indulge or suffer those troublesome scruples which would hinder the chearful discharge of their duties and the comfortable serving of God in their relations Quest. 5. What should those do that are married in those degrees which are not forbidden by name in Quest. 5. Lev. 18. and yet are of the same distance from the Root with those that are named and seem to have the same reason of unlawfulness Answ. If there be clearly a Parity of Degree and also of the Reason of the prohibition then no doubt but they must part as incestuous and not continue in a forbidden state But because Divines are disagreed whether there be in all instances a parity of the Reason of the prohibition where there is an equal distance as to degrees and so in those cases some think it a duty to be separated and others think it enough to repent of their conjunction and not to be separated because the case is doubtful as the Controversie sheweth I shall not venture to cast in my judgement in a case where so many and such men are disagreed But shall only advise all to prevent such troublesome doubts before hand and not by rashness to run themselves into perplexities when there is no necessity unless they will call their carnal ends or sinful passions a necessity Quest. 6. But if a man do marry in a degree expresly there forbidden is it in all cases a sin to continue Quest. 6. in that state If necessity made such marriage a Duty to Adams Children why may not necessity make the continuance lawful to others As suppose the King or Parents command it suppose the Woman will dye or be distracted with grief else suppose one hath made a Vow to marry no other and yet cannot live single c. Here I shall suppose that If a lustful person marry a kinswoman that he may have change as foreknowing that he must be divorced punishment and not continuance in the sin must be his sentence And if one that hath married a kinswoman be glad to be divorced because he hateth her or loveth change punishment must rebuke him but he must not continue in incest Answ. 1. Natural necessity justified Adams Children and such would now justifie you Yea the benediction increase and multiply did not only allow but oblige them then to marry to replenish the earth when else mankind would soon have ceased But so it doth not us now when the earth is replenished Yet I deny not but if a man and his sister were cast alone upon a foraign Wilderness where they justly despaired of any other company if God should bid them there increase and multiply it would warrant them to marry But else there is no necessity of it and therefore no lawfulness For 2. A Vicious necessity justifieth not the sin If the man or woman that should abstain will be mad or dead with passion rather than obey God and deny and mortifie their lust it is not one sin that will justifie them in another The thing that is necessary is to conform their wills to the Law of God and if they will not and then say They cannot they must bear what they get by it 3. And it is no necessity that is imposed by that command of King or Parents which is against the Law of God 4. No nor by a Vow neither For a Vow to to break Gods Law is not an obligation to be kept but to be repented of nor is the necessity remediless which such a one bringeth on himself by Vowing never to marry any other seeing chastity may be kept Quest. 7. Is it lawful for one to marry that hath Vowed chastity during life and not to marry and Quest. 7. afterward findeth a necessity of marrying for the avoiding of lust and fornication Answ. I know that many great Divines have easily absolved those that under Popery vowed Chastity The principal part of the solution of the question you must fetch from my solution of the case of Vows Tom. 3. Ch. 5. Tit. 2. At the present this shall suffice to be added to it 1. Such By this you may see how to resolve the Casâ—â— about Vows and Covenan s which are the grand Controversies of this time amâ—ng us Vows of Chastity that are Absolute without any exceptions of after-alterations or difficulties that may arise are sinfully made or are unlawfull quoad actum jurandi 2. If Parents or others impose such Oaths and Vows on their Children or Subjects or induce them to it it is sinfully done of them and the actus imperantium is also unlawful 3. Yet as long as the materia jurata the matter vowed remaineth Lawful the Vow doth bind and it is perfidiousness to break it For the sinfulness of the Imposers act proveth no more but that such a command did not oblige you to Vow And a Vow made arbitrarily without any command doth nevertheless bind And the sinfulness of the Making of the Vow doth only call for Repentance as if you made it causlesly rashly upon ill motives and to ill ends or in ill circumstances c. But yet that Vow which you Repent that ever you made must be nevertheless kept if the thing Vowed be a Lawful thing and the act of Vowing be not made a nullity though it was a sin And when it is a nullity I have shewed in the forecited place 4. A Vow of Celebate or chastity during life which hath this condition or exception expressed or implyed in the true intent of the Votary Unless any thing fall out which shall make it a sin to me not to marry may in some cases be a lawful Vow As to one that foreseeth great inconveniences in marriage and would by firm resolution fortifie himself against temptations and mutability 5. If there were no such excepting thought in the person Vowing yet when the thing becometh unlawful the Vow is not to be kept Though it oblige us under guilt for sinful making it yet
Widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day Night and day can be no less than Morning and Evening And if you say This is not Family-prayer I answer 1. It is all kind of Prayer belonging to her 2. And if it commend the less much more the greater Arg. 6. From Luk. 6. 14. 2. 37. 18. 17. Act. 26. 7. 1 Thes. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Rev. 7. 15. Nâ—h 1. 6. Psal. 88. 1. Josh. 1. 8. Psal. 1. 2. which shew that night and day Christ himself prayed and his servants prayed and meditated and read the Scripture Arg 7. Deut 6. 7. 11. 19. It is exprâ—sly commanded that Parents teach their Children the Word of God when they lye down and when they rise up And the parity of reason and conjunction of the word and prayer will prove that they should also pray with them lying down and rising up Arg. 8. For brâ—vity sake I offer you together Psal. 119. 164. David praised God seven times a day 145. 2. Every day will I bless thee Psal. 5. 3. my voiâ—e shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and will look up 59. 16. I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee 92. 12. It is good to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises to thy name O mâ—st High to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night 119. 147 148. I prevented the dâ—wning of the morning aâ—d cryed I hâ—ped in thy word mine eyes preveâ— the night watches that I might meditate on thy word 130. 6 My sâ—ul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning The Priests were to offer Sacrifices and thanks to God every morning 1 Chron. 23. 30. Exod 30. 7. 36. 3. Lev. 6. 12. 2 Chron. 13. 11. Ezek. 46. 13 14 15. Amos 4. 4. And Christians are a hâ—ly Priesthood to offer up sacrifices to God acceptable through Iesus Châ—ist 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. Expresly saith David Psal. 55. 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice So Morning and Evening were Sacrifices and Burnt offerings offered to the Lord and there is at least equal reason that Gospel worship should be as frequent 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Chron. 2. 4. 13. 11. 31. 3. Ezr. 3. 3. 2 King 16. 15. 1 King 18. 29 36. Ezra 9. 5. And no doubt but they prayed with the Sacrifices Which David intimateth in comparing them Psal. 141. 2. Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands aâ— the Evening sacrifice And God calleth for Prayer and praise as better than sacrifice Psal. 50. 14 15 23. All these I heap together for dispatch which fully shâ—w how frâ—quently Gods servants have been wont to Worship him and how often God expecteth it And you will all confess that it is reason that in Gospel times of greater light and holiness we should not come behind them in the times of the Law especially when Christ himself doth pray all night that had so little need in comparison of us And you may observe that these Scriptures speak of Prayer in general and limit it not to secresie and therefore they extend to all prayer according to opportunity No reason can limit all these examples to the most secret and least noble sort of prayer If but two or three are gathered together in his name Christ is especially among them If you say that by this rule we must as frequently pray in the Church-assemblies I answer The Church cannot ordinarily so oft assemble But when it can be without a greater inconvenience I doubt not but it would be a good work for many to meet the Minister daily for prayer as in some rich and populous Cities they may do I have been more tedious on this subject than a holy hungry Christian possibly may think necâ—ssary who needeth not so many arguments to perswade him to â—east his soul with God and to delight himself in the frequent exercises of faith and Love And if I have said less than the other sort of Readers shall think necessary let them know that if they will open their eyes and recover their appetites and feel their sins and observe their daily wants and dangers and get but a heart that Loveth God these Reasons then will seem sufficient to convince them of the need of so sweet and profitable and necessary a work And if they observe the difference between Praying and Prayerless families and care for their souls and for communion with God much fewer words than these may serve their turn It is a dead and graceless carnal heart that must be cured before these men will be well satisfied A better appetite would help their reason If God should say in general to all men You shall eat as oft as will do you good the sick stomach would say once a day and that but a little is enough and as much as God requireth when another would say Thrice a day is little enough A good and healthful Heart is a great help in the expounding of Gods word especially of his General Commandments That which men love not but are aweary of they will not easily believe to be their duty The new nature and holy Love and desires and experience of a sound believer do so far make all these Reasonings needless to him that I must confess I have written them principally to convince the carnal hypocrite and to stop the â—â—ouths of wrangling enemies CHAP. IV. General Directions for the Holy Government of Families § 1. THE Principal thing requisite to the right governing of Families is the Fitness of the Governours and the Governed thereto which is spoken of before in the Directions for the Constitution But if persons unfit for their Relations have joyned themselves together in a Family their first duty is to Repent of their former sin and rashness and presently to turn to God and seek after that fitness which is necessary to the right discharge of the duties of their several places And in the Governours of Families thâ—se three things are of greatest necessity hereunto I. Authority II. Skill III. Holiness and readiness of Will § 2. I Gen. Dir. Let Governours maintain their Authority in their Families For if once that be lost Direct 1. and you are despised by those that you should rule your word will be of no effect with them How to keep up Authorâ—ty you do but ride without a Bridle your power of Governing is gone when your Authority is lost And here you must first understand the Nature Use and Extent of your Authority For as your Relations are different to your Wife your Children and your Servants so
the Enemies of Religion that forbad Christs Ministers to preach his Gospel and forbad Gods servants to meet in Church-assemblies for his Worship the support of Religion and the comfort and edification of believers would then lye almost all upon the right performance of family-family-duties There Masters might teach the same truth to their housholds which Ministers are forbid to preach in the Assemblies There you might pray together as fervently and spiritually as you can There you may keep up as holy converse and communion and as strict a discipline as you please There you may celebrate the praises of your blessed Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and observe the Lords Day in as exact and spiritual a manner as you are able You may there provoke one another to Love and to good works and rebuke every sin and mind each other to prepare for death and live together as passengers to eternal life Thus holy families may keep up Religion and keep up the life and comfort of believers and supply the want of publick preaching in those Countreys where persecutors prohibit and restrain it or where unable or unfaithful Pastors do neglect it § 8. Motive 8. The duties of your families are such as you may perform with greatest peace and least exception Motive 8. or opposition from others When you go further and would be instructing others they will think you go beyond your Call and many will be suspicious that you take too much upon you And if you do but gently admonish a rowt of such as the Sodomites perhaps they will say This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Iudge Gen. 19. 9. But your own house is your Castle Your family is your charge You may teach them as oft and as diligently as you will If the ungodly rabble scorn you for it yet no sober person will condemn you nor trouble you for it if you teach them no evil All men must confess that Nature and Scripture oblige you â—o it as your unquestionable work And therefore you may do it among sober people with approbation and quietness § 9. Motive 9. Well governed Families are honourable and exemplary unto others Even the worldly and Motive 9. ungodly use to bear a certain reverence to them For Holiness and Order have some witness that commendeth them in the consciences of many that never practised them A worldly ungodly disordered family is a Den of Snakes a place of hissing railing folly and confusion It is like a Wilderness overgrown with Bryars and Weeds But a holy family is a Garden of God It is beautified with his Graces and ordered by his Government and fruitful by the showres of his heavenly blessing And as the very sluggard that will not be at the cost and pains to make a Garden of his thorny Wilderness may yet confess that a Garden is more beautiful and fruitful and delightful and if wishing would do it his Wilderness should be such Even so the ungodly that will not be at the cost and pains to order their souls and families in holiness may yet see a beauty in those that are so ordered and wish for the happiness of such if they could have it without the labour and cost of self-denyal And no doubt the beauty of such holy and well governed families hath convinced many and drawn them to a great approbation of Religion and occasioned them at last to imitate them § 10. Motive 10. Lastly Consider That holy well governed families are blest with the special presence Motive 10. and favour of God They are his Churches where he is worshipped His houses where he dwelleth He is engaged both by Love and Promise to bless protect and prosper them Psal. 1. 3. 128. It is safe to sail in that Ship which is bound for Heaven and where Christ is the Pilot. But when you reject his Government you refuse his company and contemn his favour and forfeit his blessing by despising his presence his interest and his commands § 11. So that it is an evident truth that most of the mischiefs that now infest or seize upon mankind throughout the earth consist in or are caused by the disorders and ill-governedness of families These are the Schools and Shops of Satan from whence proceed the beastly ignorance lust and sensuality the devilish pride malignity and cruelty against the holy wayes of God which have so unman'd the progeny of Adam These are the Nests in which the Serpent doth hatch the Eggs of Covetousness Envy Strife Revenge of Tyranny Disobedience Wars and Bloodshed and all the Leprosie of sin that hath so odiously contaminated humane nature and all the miseries by which they make the world calamitous Do you wonder that there can be persons and Nations so blind and barbarous as we read of the Turks Tartarians Indians and most of the inhabitants of the earth A wicked education is the cause of all which finding nature depraved doth sublimate and increase the venome which should by education have been cured And from the wickedness of families doth National wickedness arise Do you wonder that so much ignorance and voluntary deceit and obstinacy in errors contrary to all mens common senses can be found among professed Christians as Great and small High and low through all the Papal Kingdom do discover Though the Pride and Covetousness and Wickedness of a worldly carnal Clergie is a very great cause yet the sinful negligence of Parents and Masters in their families is as great if not much greater than that Do you wonder that even in the Reformed Churches there can be so many unreformed sinners of beastly lives that hate the serious practice of the Religion which themselves profess It is ill education in ungodly families that is the cause of all this O therefore how great and necessary a work is it to cast Salt into these corrupted fountains Cleanse and cure these vitiated Families and you may cure almost all the calamities of the earth To tell what the Emperours and Princes of the earth might do if they were wise and good to the remedy of this common misery is the idle talk of those negligent persons who condemn themselves in condemning others Even those Rulers and Princes that are the Pillars and Patrons of Heathenisme Mahometanisme Popery and Ungodliness in the world did themselves receive that venome from their Parents in their birth and education which inclineth them to all this mischief Family-reformation is the easiest and the most likely way to a common Reformation At least to send many souls to Heaven and train up multitudes for God if it reach not to National reformation CHAP. VI. More special Motives for a holy and careful Education of Children BEcause the chief part of Family-Care and Government consisteth in the right Education of Children I shall adjoyn here some more special Motives to quicken considerate Parents to this duty And though most that I have to say for it be already said
deep rooted sins that are not easily pluckâ— up All the teaching and diligence and watchfulness that you can use is little enough and may prove too little They are obstiâ—â—te vices that have possessed them They are not quickly nor easily cast out and the remnants and roots are apt to be still springing up again when you thought they had been quite destroyed O then what wisdom and diligence is requisite to so great and necessary a work § 9. And now let me seriously speak to the hearts of those careless and ungodly Parents that neglect the holy education of their Children yea and to those Professors of Godliness that slubber over so great a work with a few customary formal duties and words that are next to a total omission of it O be not so unmerciful to the souls that you have helpâ— to bring into the world Think not so bâ—sely of them as if they were not worth your labour Make not your Children so like your Beasts as to make no provision but only for their flesh Remember still that it is not Beasts but men that you have begotten and brought forth Educate them then and use them as men for the Love and Obedience of their Maker O pity and help the souls that you have defiled and undone Have mercy on the souls that must perish in Hell if they be not saved in this day of salvation O help them that have so many enemies to assault them Help them that have so many temptations to pass through and so many difficulties to overcome and so severe a judgement to undergo Help them that are so weak and so easily deceived and overthrown Help them speedily while your advantages continue before sin have hardned them and Grace have forsaken them and Satan place a stronger Garrison in their hearts Help them while they are tractable before they are grown up to despise your help Before you and they are separated asunder and your opportunities be at an end You think not your pains from year to year too much to make provision for their bodies O be not cruel to their souls Sell them not to Satan and that for nought Betray them not by your ungodly negligence to Hell Or if any of them will perish let it not be by you that are so much bound to do them good The undoing of your childrens souls is a work much fitter for Satan than for their Purents Remember how comfortable a thing it is to work with Christ for the saving of souls You think the Calling of Ministers honourable and happy and so it is because they serve Christ in so high a work But if you will not neglect it you may do for your children more than any Minister can do This is your preaching place Here God calleth you to exercise your parts even in the holy instruction of your families Your charge is small in comparison of the Ministers He hath many hundred souls to watch over that are scattered all abroad the Parish and will you think it much to instruct and watch over those few of your own that are under your Roof You can speak odiously of unfaithful soul-betraying Ministers and do you not consider how odious a soul-betraying Parent is If God intrust you but with earthly Talents take heed how you use them for you must be accountable for your trust And when he hath entrusted you with souls even your childrens souls will you betray them If any Rulers should but forbid you the instructing and well-governing of your families and restrain you by a Law as they would have restrained Daniel from praying in his house Dan. 6. then you would think them monsters of impiety and inbumanity and you would cry out of a Satanical persecution that would make men Traytors to their childrens souls and drive away all Religion from the earth And yet how easily can you neglect such duties when none forbid them you and never accuse your selves of any such horrid impiety or inhumanity What hypocrisie and blind partiality is this Like a lazy Minister that would cry out of persecution if he were silenced by others and yet will not be provoked to be laborious but ordinarily by his slothfulness silence himself and make no such matter of it Would it be so heynous a sin in another to restrain you and is it not as heynous for you that are so much obliged to it voluntarily to restrain your selves O then deny not this necessary diligence to your necessitous children as you love their souls as you love the happiness of the Church or Commonwealth as you love the honour and interest of Christ and as you love your present and everlasting peace Do not see your children the slaves of Satan here and the firebrands of Hell for ever if any diligence of yours may contribute to prevent it Do not give Conscience such matter of accusation against you as to say All this was long of thee If thou hadst instructed them diligently and watched over them and corrected them and done thy part its like they had never come to this You till your Fields you weed your Gardens What pains take you about your grounds and Cattel and will you not take more for your childrens souls Alas what creatures will they be if you leave them to themselves how ignorant careless rude and beastly O what a lamentable case have ungodly Parents brought the world into Ignorance and selfishness beastly sensuality and devilish malignity have covered the face of the earth as a deluge and driven away wisdom and self-denyal and piety and charity and justice and temperance almost out of the world confining them to the breasts of a few obscure humble souls that love vertue for vertues sake and look for their reward from God alone and expect that by abstaining from iniquity they make themselves a prey to Wolves Isa. 59. 15. Wicked education hath unman'd the world and subdued it to Satan and made it almost like to Hell O do not joyn with the Sons of Belial in this unnatural horrid wickedness CHAP. VII The mutual Duties of Husbands and Wives towards each other § 1. IT is the pernicious subversion of all societies and so of the world that selfish ungodly persons enter into all Relations with a desire to serve themselves there and fish out all that gratifieth their flesh but without any sense of the Duty of their Relation They bethink them what honour or profit or pleasure their Relation will afford them but not Gen. 2 18 Prov. 18. 22. what God and man require or expect from them All their thought is What they shall have but not What they shall be and do They are very sensible what others should be and do to them but not what they should be and do to others Thus it is with Magistrates and with People with too many Pastors and their flocks with Husbands and Wives with Parents and Children with Masters and Servants and all other Relations Whereas our
their relation who live a great part of their lives asunder as many do for worldly respects when they have several houses possessions or trades and the husband must live at one and the wife at another for their commodity sake and only come together once in a week or in many weeks when this is done without great necessity it is a constant violation of their duties And so it ☜ is for men to go trade or live beyond Sea or in another Land and leave their wives behind them yea though they have their wives consent it is an unlawful course except in a case of meer necessity or publick service or when they are able on good grounds to say that the Benefits are like to be greater to soul and body than the loss and that they are confirmed against the danger of incontinence The offices which Husband and Wife are bound to perform for one another are such as for the most part suppose their Cohabitation like the offices of the members of the body for each other which they cannot perform if they be dismembred and divided § 5. Direct 3. Abbor not only Adultery it self but all that tendeth to unchastness and the viâ—lation of your Direct 3. Marriage-Covenant Adultery is so contrary to the conjugal bond and state of life that though de Mâ—t. 5 31 32. 19. 9. Jâ—h 8. 4 5. â—f 〈…〉 Hâ—b 1â— 4. Prov. 22. 14. Hos. 4. 2 3. Prov. 2 17. 1 Cor 6. 15 19. Mal. 2. 15. Prov. 6. 32 35. Deâ—t 23. 2. Lâ—v. 21. 9. 18. 28. Numb 25. 9. Jer. 5. 7 8 9. Gen. 6. 2 3. c. Gen. 34. 27. 2 Sam. 13. 22. â— Sam. 12. 10. Judg. 20. 10. Jer. 23. 14. facto it do not actually dissolve the bond and nullifie the marriage yet it so far disobligeth the wronged innocent party that de jure it is to such a sufficient ground to warrant a divorce And God required that it be punished by death Lev. 20. 10. When lust is the chiefest cause of marriage and when married persons live not in the fear of God but pamper the flesh and live licentiously no wonder if marriage prove an insufficient remedy against such cherished lust Such carnal beastly persons are still casting fuel on the fire by wanton unbridled thoughts and speeches by gluttony drinking sports and idleness by vain enticing company and not avoiding occasions opportunities and temptations they burn as much when they are married as they did before And the Devil that bloweth up this fire in their flesh doth conduct and accommodate them in the satisfying of their lusts so that their bruitish concupiscence is like a fire burning in the Sea water it self will not quench it One Woman will not satisfie their beastiality And perhaps they loath their own wives and run after others though their own in the eye of any impartial man be the more comely and amiable and their Whores be never so deformed or impudent filthy lumps of dirt So that one would think that they had no other reason to love and follow such unlovely things but only because that God forbiddeth it As if the Devil did it to shew his power over them that he can make them do that as in despight of God which else they would abhor themselves When once their sensuality and forsaking of God hath provoked God to forsake them and give them up to the rage of that sensuality an unclean spirit sometimes takes possession of them and wholly enclineth them to wallow in uncleanness They can scarce look a comely person in the face that is of the other Sex but unclean thoughts are rising in their hearts They think of filthiness when they are alone They dream of filthiness in the night They talk of filthiness with others The tongues of the dogs that licked Lozarus his sores were not used in such a filthy employment as theirs are They are as fed Horses in the morning every one neigheth after his neighbours wife Jer. 5. 8. They declare their sin as Sodom and hide it not Isa. 3. 9. And usually when they are given over to this filthy sin it utterly debaucheth their Consciences and maketh them like blocks or beasts insensible of their misery and the wrath of God and given over to all other villanies and even to hate and persecute Godliness if not civility it self Some few Adulterers I have known that sin so much against their Consciences that they live in continual despair tormented in the sense of their own unhappiness and yet sinning still as Rev. 21. 8. Prov. 5. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 10 12 14. Read before To. 1. Ch. 8. Part 5. Tâ—t 1. if the Devil would make them a derision And yet these are the better sort because there is some testimony for a better life remaining in their minds But others of them being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Eph. 4. 19. They have eyes full of Adultery that cannot cease from sin As natural bruit beasts that are made to be taken and destroyed 2 Pet. 2. 10 11 12. Take heed therefore of the causes of this odious sin and of all appear mee of it suffer not your eye or thought to go after a stranger nor to begin a breach in your Covenant and conjugal fidelity § 6. Direct 4. Husband and wife must take Delight in the Love and Company and converse of each Direct 4. other There is nothing that mans heart is so inordinately set upon as Delight And yet the lawful delight allowed them by God they can turn into loathing and disdain The delight which would entangle you in sin and turn you from your duty and from God is it that is forbidden you But this is a Delight that is helpful to you in your duty and would keep you from sin When Husband and Wife take pleasure in each other it uniteth them in duty it helpeth them with ease to do their work and bear their â—urdens and is not the least part of the comfort of the married state Prov. 5. 18 19. Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht always with her love Therefore a Wife is called The desire of the eyes Ezek. 24. 16. Avoid therefore all things that may represent you unpleasant or unlovely to each other And use all lawful means to cherish complacency and delight not by foolish ridiculous or proud attire or immodest actions but by cleanness and decency and kind deportment Nastiness and uncleanness and unseemly carriage and foolish speech and whatever is loathsome in body or mind must be shunned as Temptations which would hinder you from that love and pleasure and content which Husband and Wife should have in one another And yet it is a foolish fleshly person that will continue Love no longer than it is cherished with all this care If there
had to mind If vain and empty persons like your selves commend you for your bravery or curiosity so will not any judicious sober person whose commendation is much worth And yet I must here with grief take notice that when some few that in other matters seem wise and Religious are themselves a little tainted with this childish curiosity and pride and let fall words of disparagement against those whose dress and dwellings and entertainments are not so curious as their own this proves the greatest maintainer of this sin and the most notable service to the devil For then abundance will plead this for this sinful curiosity and pride and say I shall else be accounted base or fordid even such and such will speak against me Take heed if you will needs be such your selves that you prate not against others that are not as vain and curious as you For the nature of man is more prone to Pride and Vanity than to Humility and the improvement of their Time and â—ost in greater matters and while you think that you speak but against indecency you become the Devils Preachers and do him more service than you consider of You may as wisely speak against people for using to eat or drink too little when there is not one of a multitude that liveth not ordinarily in excess and so excess will get advantage by it § 10. Direct 10. Be specially careful in the Government of your tongues and let your words be Direct 10. few and well considered before you speak them A double diligence is needful in this because it is the most common miscarriage of your Sex A laxative running tongue is so great a dishonour to you that I never knew a woman very full of words but she was the pity of her friends and the contempt of others who behind her back will make a scorn of her and talk of her as some crackt-brained or half-witted person yea though your talk be good it will be tedious and contemptible if it be thus poured out and be too cheap Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise You must answer in judgement for your idle words Matth. 12. 36. You will take it ill to be accounted fools and made the derision of those that talk of you Judge by the Scripture what occasion you give them Eccles. 5. 3 7. A dream cometh by the multitude of business and a fools voice iâ— known by multitude of words In the multitude of dreams and many words there are divers vanities Eccles. 10. 12 13 14. The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself The beginnings of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the end of his talk is mischievous madness A fool also is full of words Whereas a woman that is canteâ—oâ—â— and sparing of her words is commonly reverenced and supposed to be wise So that if you had no higher design in it but meerly to be well thought of and honoured by men you can scarcely take a surer way than to let your words be few and weighty Though the avoiding of sin and unquietness should prevail with you much more § 11. Direct 11. Be willing and diligent in your proper part of the care and labour of the family Direct 11. As the primary provision of maintenance belongeth most to the Husband so the secondary provision within doors belongeth specially to the wiâ—e Read over and over the 31 Chap. of the Provâ— Especially the care of nursing your own children and teaching them and watching over them when they are young and also watching over the family at home when your Husbands are abroad is your proper work § 12. Direct 12. Dispose not of your Husbands estate without his knowledge and consent You Direct 12. are not only to consider whether the work be good that you lay it out upon but what power you Q. May a wife give without the Husbandâ— Consâ—nt â— have to do it Quest. But may a woman ' give nothing nor lay out nothing in the house without her Husbands consent Answ. 1. If she have his general or implicite consent it may suffice that is If he allow her to follow her judgement or if he commit such a proportion to her power to do what she will with it Or if she know that if he knew it he would not be against it 2. Or if the Law or his consent do give her any propriety in any part of his estate or make her a joynt proprietor she may proportionably dispose of it in a necessary case The Husband is considerable either as a See Dr â—â—gâ—â— on Family-Relation who saith the most against Womens giving Proprietor or as her Governour As a proprietor he only may dispose of the estate where he is the sole-proprietor But where consent or the Law of the Land doth make the Woman joynt-proprietor she is not disabled from giving for want of a propriety But then no Law exempteth her from his Government And therefore she is not to give any thing in a way of disobedience though it be her own Except when he forbiddeth that which is her duty or which he hath no power to forbid So that in case of joynt-propriety she may give without him so be it she exceed not her proportion and also if it be in a case of Duty where he may not hinder her As to save the lives of the poor in extream necessity famine or imprisonment or the like 3. But if the thing be wholly her own excepted from his propriety and she be sole-proprietor then she need not ask his consent at all any other way than as he is her Guide to direct her to the best way of disposing of it Which if he forbid her instead of directing her to it she is not thereby excusable before God for the abusing of her trust and Talents 4. I conceive that ad aliquid as to certain absolutely necessary uses the very Relation maketh the 2 Sam. 25. 18 29 30. Prov. 31. 11 12 13 20. Hos. 6. 6. Matth. 9. 1â— 12 7. 2 King 4. 9 22. Woman as a joynt proprietor As if her Husband will not allow her such food and rayment as is necessary to preserve the lives and health of herself and all her Children she is bound to do it without or against his will if she can and if it be not to a greater hurt and the estate be his own and he be able rather than let her Children contract such diseases as apparently will follow to the hazzard of their lives Yea and to save the life of another that in famine is ready to perish For she is not as a stranger to his estate But out of these cases if a Wife shall secretly waste or give or lay it out on bravery or vanity or set her wit against her Husbands and because she thinks him too
the injured man may put away an adulterous Wife in a regular way if he please but withal that he may continue the Relation if he please So that his continued Consent shall suffice to continue it a lawful Relation and exercise and his Will on the contrary shall suffice to dissolve the Relation and disoblige him Saving the publick order Quest. 8. But is not the injured party at all obliged to separate but left free Quest. 8. Answ. Considering the thing simply in it self he is wholly free to do as he please But for all that Accidents or Circumstances may make it one mans duty to divorce and anothers duty to continue the Relation according as it is like to do more good or hurt Sometimes it may be a duty to expose the sin to publick shame for the prevention of it in others and also to deliver ones self from a calamity And sometimes there may be so great repentance and hope of better effects by forgiving that it may be a duty to forgive And prudence must lay one thing with another to discern on which side the duty lyeth Quest. 9. Is it only the priviledge of the Man that he may put away an adulterous Wife or also of Quest. 9. the Woman to depart from an adulterous Husband The reason of the doubt is because Christ mentioneth the mans power only Matth. 5. 19. Answ. 1. The reason why Christ speaketh only of the mans case is because he was occasioned only to restrain the vicious custome of mens causeless putting away their Wives having no occasion to restrain Women from leaving their Husbands Men having the Rule did abuse it to the Womens injury which Christ forbiddeth And as it is an act of power it concerneth the man alone But as it is an act of Liberty it seemeth to me to be supposed that the Woman hath the same freedom Seeing the Covenant is violated to her wrong And the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. doth make the Case of the Man and of the Woman to be equal in the point of Infidelity and desertion I confess that it is unsafe extending the sense of Scripture beyond the importance of the words upon pretence of a parity of reason as many of the Perjured do by Levit. 30. in case of Vows Lest mans deceitful wit should make a Law to it self as Divine upon pretence of interpreting Gods Laws But yet when the plain Text doth speak but of one case that is of Mens putting away their Wives he that will thence gather an exclusion of the Womans liberty doth seem by addition to be the corrupter of the Law And where the Context plainly sheweth a Parity of reason and that reason is made the ground of the determination in the Text there it is safe to expound the Law extensively accordingly Surely the Covenant of Marriage hath its Conditions on both parts and some of those Conditions are necessary to the very being of the Obligations though others are but needful to the well-being of the parties in that state And therefore though Putting away be only the part of the Husband as being the Ruler and usually the Owner of the habitation yet Departing may be the Liberty of the Wife And I know no reason to blame those Countreys whose Laws allow the Wife to Sue out a divorce as well as the Husband Quest. 10. May the Husband put away the Wife without the Magistrate or the Wife depart from Quest. 10. the Husband without a publick legal divorce or license Answ. Where the Laws of the Land do take care for the prevention of injuries and make any determination in the case not contrary to the Law of God there it is a Christians duty to obey those Laws Therefore if you live under a Law which forbiddeth any Putting away or Departing without publick sentence or allowance you may not do it privately upon your own will For the Civil Governours are to provide against the private injuries of any of the Subjects And if persons might put away or depart at pleasure it would introduce both injury and much wickedness into the world But where the Laws of men do leave persons to their liberty in this case they need then to look no further than to the Laws of God alone But usually the sentence of the Civil power is necessary only in case of appeal or complaint of the party injured and a separation may be made without such a publick divorce so that each party may make use of the Magistrate to right themselves if wronged As if the Adultery be not openly known and the injuring party desire rather to be put away privily than publickly as Ioseph purposed to do by Mary I see not but it is lawful so to do in case that the Law or the necessity of making the offender an Example require not the contrary nor scandal or other accidents forbid it not See Grotius's learned Notes on Matth. 5. 31 32. and on Matth. 19. and 1 Cor. 7. about these questions Quest. 11. Is not the case of Sodomy or Buggery a ground for warrantable divorce as well as Quest. 11. Adultery Answ. Yes and seemeth to be included in the very word it self in the Text Matth. 5. 31 32. which signifieth uncleanness or at least is fully implyed in the reason of it See Grotius ibid. also of this Quest. 12. What if both parties commit Adultery may either of them put away the other or Quest. 12. depart or rather must they forgive each other Answ. If they do it both at once they do both forfeit the liberty of seeking any compensation for the injury because the injury is equal however some would give the advantage to the man But if one commit Adultery first and the other after Then either the last offender knew of the first or not If not then it seemeth all one as if it had been done at once But if yea then they did it either on a supposition of the dissolution of the matrimonial obligation as being loosed from the first Adulterer or else upon a purpose of continuing in the first relation In the later case it is still all one as if it had been done by them at once and it is a forfeiture of any satisfaction But in the former case though the last adulterer did sin yet being before set at liberty it doth not renew the Matrimonial obligation But yet if the first offendor desire the continuance of it and the return of the first-injured party shame and conscience of their own sin will much rebuke them if they plead that injury for continuance of the separation Quest. 13. But what if one do purposely commit adultery to be separated from the other Quest. 13. Answ. It is in the others power and choice whether to be divorced and depart or not as they find the good or evil consequents preponderate Quest. 14. Doth not Infidelity dissolve the Relation or obligation seeing there is no communion Quest.
to have their own wills speak often with great disgrace of self-willedness and stubbornness and tell others in their hearing what hath befâ—ln self-willed Children § 4. Direct 4. Make them neither too bold with you nor too strange or fearful and govern them Direct 4. no as servants but as Children making them perceive that you dearly love them and that all your commands restraints and corrections are for their good and not meerly because you will have it so They must be ruled as Rational Creatures that Love themselves and those that Love them If they perceive that you dearly love them they will obey you the more willingly and the easilier be brought to repent of their disobedience and they will as well obey you in heart as in outward actions and behind your back as before your face And the Love of you which must be caused by your Love to them must be one of the chiefest means to bring them to the Love of all that good which you commend to them and so to form their wills sincerely to the will of God and make them holy For if you are too strange to them and too terrible they will fear you only and not much love you And then they will love no Books no practices that you commend to them But like hypocrites they will seek to please you to your face and care not what they are in secret and behind your backâ— Nay it will tempt them to loath your government and all that good which you perswade them to and make them like birds in a Cage that watch for an opportunity to get away and get their liberty They will be the more in the company of servants and idle Children because your terrour and strangeness maketh them take no delight in yours And fear will make them lyars as oft as a lye seemeth necessary to their escape Parents that shew much love to their Children may safely shew severity when they commit a fault For then they will see that it is their fault only that displeaseth you and not their persons and your Love reconcileth them to you when they are corrected When less correction from Parents that are allway strange or angry and shew no tender love to their Children will alienate them and do no good Too much boldness of Children leadeth them before you are aware to contempt of Parents and all disobedience And too much fear and straâ—geness depriveth them of most of the benefits of your care and government But tender love with severity only when they do amiss and this at a reverend convenient distance is the only way to do them good § 5. Direct 5. Labour much to possess their hearts with the Fear of God and a reverence of the Direct 5. holy Scriptures and then whatsoever duty you command them or whatever sin you forbid them shew them sâ—me plain and urgent Texts of Scripture for it and cause them to learn them and oft repeat them that so they may find reason and Divine authority in your commands Till their obedience begin to be Rational and Divine it will be but formal and hypocritical It is Conscience that must watch them in private when you see them not And Conscience is Gods officer and not yours and will say nothing to them till it speak in the name of God This is the way to bring the Heart it self into subjection and also to reconcile them to all your commands when they see that they are first the commands of God of which more anon § 6. Direct 6. In all your speech of God and of Iesus Christ and of the Holy Scripture or the life Direct 6. to come or of any holy duty speak alwaies with gravity seriousness and reverence as of the most great and dreadful and most sacred things For before Children come to have any distinct undâ—rstanding of particulars it is a hopeful beginning to have their hearts possest with a general reverence and high esteem of holy matters For that will continually awe their Consciences and help their judgements and settle them against prejudice and prophane contempt and be as a seed of holiness in them For the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom Psal. 111 10. Prov. 9. 10. 1. 7. And the very manner of the Parents speech and carriage expressing great reverence to the things of God hath a very great power to leave the like impression on a Child Most Children of Godly Parents that ever came to good I am perswaded can tell you this by experience if their Parents did their duty in this point that the first good that ever they felt upon their hearts was a reverence to holy things which the speech and carriage of their Parents taught them § 7. Direct 7. Speak alwayes before them with great honour and praise of Holy Ministers and Direct 7. Isa. 3. 7 8 9 11 Psal. 15. 4. Psal. 101. Psal. 10. 2 3 4. people and with dispraise and loathing of every sin and of ungodly men For this also is a thing that Children will quickly and easily receive from their Parents Before they can understand particular doctrines they can learn in general what kind of persons are most happy or most miserable and they are very apt to receive such a liking or dâ—slâ—king from their Parents judgement which hath a great hand in all the following good or evil of their lives If you possess them with good and honourable thoughts of them that fear God they will ever after be enclined to think well of them and to dislike those that speak evil of them and to hear such Preachers and to wâ—sh themselves such Christians so that in this and the foregoing point it is that the first stirrings of grace in Children are ordinarily felt And therefore on the other side it is a most pernicious thing to Children when they hear their Parents speak contemptuously or lightly of holy things and persons and irreverently talk of God and Scripture and the life to come or speak dispraisingly or scornfully of Godly Ministers or people or make a jeast of the particular duties of a religious life These Children are like to receive that prejudice or prophane contempt into their hearts bâ—times which may bolt the doors against the love of God and holiness and make their salvation a work of much greater difficulty and much smaller hope And therefore still I say that wicked Parents are the most notable servants of the Devil in all the world and the bloodiest enemies to their Childrens souls More souls are damned by ungodly Parents and next them by ungodly Ministers and Magistrates than by any instruments in the world besides And hence it is also that whole Nations are so generally carryed away with enmity against the wayes of God The Heathen Nations against the true God and the Infidel Nations against Christ and the Papist Nations against Reformation and spiritual Worshippers Because the Parents speak evil to the Children of all
made them your equals Remember that they have immortal souls and are equally capable of salvation with your selves And therefore you have no power to do any thing which shall hinder their salvation No pretence of your business necessity commodity or power can warrant you to hold them so hard to work as not to allow them due time and seasons for that which God hath made their duty 2. Remember that God is their absolute Owner and that you have none but a derived and limited Propriety in them They can be no further yours than you have Gods consent who is the Lord of them and you And therefore Gods Interest in them and by them must be served first 3. Remember that they and you are equally under the Government and Laws of God And therefore all Gods Laws must be first obeyed by them and you have no power to command them to omit any duty which God commandeth them nor to commit any sin which God forbiddeth them Nor can you without Rebellion or Impiety expect that your work or commands should be preferred before Gods 4. Remember that God is their Reconciled tender Father and if they be as good doth Love them as well as you And therefore you must use the meanest of them no otherwise than beseemeth the Beloved of God to be used and no otherwise than may stand with the due signification of your Love to God by Loving those that are his 5. Remember that they are the Redeemed ones of Christ and that he hath not sold you his title to them As he bought their souls at a price unvaluable so he hath given the purchase of his blood to be absolutely at your disposal Therefore so use them as to preserve Christs right and interest in them Direct 2. Remember that you are Christs Trustees or the Guardians of their souls and that the Direct 2. greater your power is over them the greater your charge is of them and your duty for them As you owe more to a Child than to a Day Labourer or a hired Servant because being more your own he is more entrusted to your care so also by the same reason you owe more to a slave because he is more your own And power and obligation go together As Abraham was to Circumcise all his servants that were bought with money and the fourth Commandment requireth Masters to see that all within their gates observe the Sabbath day so must you exercise both your Power and Love to bring them to the Knowledge and faith of Christ and to the just obedience of Gods commands Those therefore that keep their Negro's and slaves from hearing Gods word and from becoming Christians because by the Law they shall then be either made free or they shall lose part of their service do openly profess Rebellion against God and contempt of Christ the Redeemer of souls and a contempt of the souls of men and indeed they declare that their worldly profit is their treasure and their God If this come to the hands of any of our Natives in Barbado's or other Islands or Plantations who are said to be commonly guilty of this most heinous sin yea and to live upon it I intreat them further to consider as followeth 1. How cursed a crime is it to equal Men and Beasts Is not this your practice Do you not buy them and use them meerly to the same end as you do your horses to labour for your commodity as if they were baser than you and made to serve you 2. Do you not see how you reproach and condemn your selves while you vilifie them as Savages and barbarous wretches Did they ever do any thing more savage than to use not only mens bodies as beasts but their souls as if they were made for nothing but to actuate their bodies in your worldly drudgery Did the veriest Cannibals ever do any thing more cruel or odious than to sell so many souls to the Devil for a little worldly gain Did ever the cursedst miscreants on earth do any thing more rebellious and contrary to the will of the most merciful God than to keep those souls from Christ and holiness and Heaven for a little money who were made and redeemed for the same ends and at the same pretious price as yours Did your poor slaves ever commit such villanies as these Is not he the basest wretch and the most barbarous savage who committeth the greatest and most inhumane wickedness And are theirs comparable to these of yours 3. Doth not the very example of such cruelty besides your keeping them from Christianity directly tend to reach them and all others to hate Christianity as if it taught men to be so much worse than Dâ—gs and Tygers 4. Do you not mark how God hath followed you with Plagues and may not Conscience tell you that it is for your inhumanity to the souls and bodies of so many Remember the late fire at the Bridge in Barbado's Remember the drowning of your Governour and Ships at Sea and the many judgements that have overtaken you and at the present the terrible mortality that is among you 5. Will not the example and warning of neigbour Countreys rise up in judgement against you and condemn you You cannot but hear how odious the Spanish name is made and thereby alas the Christian name also among the West Indians for their most inhumane Cruelties in Hispaniola Iamaica Cuba Peru Mexico and other places which is described by Iosep. a Costa a Jesuite of their own And though I know that their cruelty who murdered millions exceedeth yours who kill not mens bodies yet yours is of the same kind in the merchandize which you make with the Devil for their souls whilst you that should help them with all your power do hinder them from the means of their salvation And on the contrary what an honour is it to those of New England that they take not so much as the Natives Soyl from them but by purchase that they enslave none of them nor use them cruelly but shew them mercy and are at a great deal of care and cost and labour for their salvation O how much difference between holy Master Eliot's life and yours His who hath laboured so many years to save them and hath translated the whole Bible into their language with other Books and those good mens in London who are a Corporation for the furtherance of his work and theirs that have contributed so largely towards it And yours that sell mens souls for your commodity 6. And what comfort are you like to have at last in that money that is purchased at such a price Will not your money and you perish together will you not have worse than Gebezi's Leprofie with it yea worse than Achan's death by Stoning and as bad as Iudas his hanging himself unless repentance shall prevent it Do you not remember the terrible words in Jude 11. Woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain
with the holy Praise of God from day to day As he that is acquainted with all that is in any Book can copiously discourse of it when he that knoweth not what is in it hath little to say of it so he that knoweth God and his works and himself and his sins and wants is acquainted with the best Prayer Book and hath alwayes a full heap of matter before him when ever he cometh to speak to God 3. Let him study the mysterie of mans Redemption and the Person and Office and Covenant and Grace of Christ and he need not want matter for prayer or praise A very Child if he see but a Pedlars pack opened where there are abundance of things which he desireth will learn Rev 3. 17 18. without-book to say O Father buy me this and give me that c. So will the soul that seeth the treasuries and riches of Christ. 4. Let him know the extent of the Law of God and the meaning of the ten Commandments If he know but what sins are forbidden in each Commandment and what duties are required he may find matter enough for Confession and Petition And therefore the view of such a brief Exposition of the Commandments as you may find in Mr. Brinsley's True-Watch and in Dr. Downams and Mr. Whateleys Tables will be a present furniture for such a use especially in dayes of humiliation So it will also to have a particular understanding of the Creed and the Lords Prayer which will furnish you with much matter 5. Study well the Temptations which you carry about you in your flesh and meet with in the world and are suggested by the Tempter and think of the many duties you have to do and the many dangers and sufferings to undergo and you will never be unfurnished for matter for your prayers 6. Observe the daily passages of Providence to your selves and others Mark how things go with your souls every day and hearken how it goeth with the Church of God and mark also how it goeth with your neighbours and sure you will find matter enough for prayer 7. Think of the Heavenly Joyes that you are going to and the Streets of the New Ierusalem will be large enough for faith to walk in 8. For words be acquainted with the phrase of Scripture and you will find provisions for all occasions Read Dr. Wilkins Book called The Gift of Prayer or Mr. Brinsleyes Watch or Mr. El. Par's Abba Father 9. Keep up the heart in a reverend serious lively frame and it will be a continual spring to furnish you with Matter When a dead and barren heart hath a dry and sleepy tongue 10. Ioyn as oft as you can with those that are full and copious in prayer For example and use will be very great helps 11. Quench not the Spirit of God that must assist you 12. In case of necessity use those Books or Forms which are more full than you can be your selves till you come to ability to do better without them Read further the Directions Tom. 1. Chap. 6. Tit. 2. for more § 31. Quest. 31. How should a Christian keep up an ordinary fervency in prayer Quest. 31. How to keep up fervency in prayer Answ. 1. See that knowledge and faith provide you Matter For as the fire will go out if there be not fewell so fervency will decay when you are dry and scarce know what to say or do not well believe what you understand 2. Clog not the body either with overmuch eating and drinking or over-tiring labours For an active body helpeth much the activity of the mind And the holiest person will be able but poorly to exercise his fervency under a dull or languishing body 3. Rush not suddenly upon prayer out of a crowd of other businesses or before your last worldly cares or discourses be washed clean out of your minds In Study and Prayer how certain a truth is it that Non bene fit quod occupato animo fit Hieron Epist. 143. ad Paulin. That work is not well done which is done with a mind that is prepossessed or busied about other matters That mind must be wholly free from all other present thoughts or business that will either Pray or Study well 4. Keep a tender heart and conscience that is not senseless of your own concernments For all your prayers must needs be sleepy if the heart and conscience be once hardned seared or fallen asleep 5. Take more pains with your hearts than with your tongues Remember that the success of your work lyeth most on them Bear not with their sluggishness Do by them as you would do by your Child or Servant that sleepeth by you at prayer You will not let them snort on but jog them till you have awakened them So do by your hearts when you find them dull 6. Live as in the continual presence of God but labour to apprehend his special presence when you are about to speak to him Ask your hearts how they would behave themselves if they saw the Lord or but the lowest of his holy Angels 7. Let faith be called up to see Heaven and Hell as open all the while before you and such a fight will surely keep you serious 8. Keep death and judgement in your continual remembrance and expectation Remember how all your prayers will be lookt back upon Look not for long life Remember that this prayer for ought you know may be your last but certainly you have not long to pray Pray therefore as a dying man should do 9. Study well the unspeakable iâ—cessity of your souls If you prevail not for pardon and grace and preservation you are undone and lost for ever Remember that necessity is upon you and Heaven or Hell are at the end and you are praying for more than a thousand lives 10. Study well the unspeakable excellency of those mercies which you pray for O think how blessed a life it would be if you could know God more and love him more and live a blameless heavenly life and then live with Christ in Heaven for ever Study these mercies till the flames of Love put life into your prayers 11. Study well the exceeding encouragements that you have to Pray and Hope If your Hope decay your fervour will decay Think of the unconceivable Love of God the astonishing mercy shewed to you in your Redeemer and in the helps of the Holy Spirit and how Christ is now interceding for you Think of these till faith make glad your heart And in this gladness let Praise and thanksgiving have ordinarily no small share in your prayers for it will tire out the heart to be alwayes poreing on its own distempers and discourage it to look on nothing but its infirmities And then a sad discouraged temper will not be so lively a temper as a thankful praiseful joyful temper is For Laetitia loquax res est atque ostentatrix sui Gladness is a very expressive thing and apt to shew
the Church had sinned in for bearing kneeling in the act of Receiving so many hundred years after Christ as is plain they did by the Canons of General Councils Nic. 1◠Trull that universally forbad to adore kneeling any Lords Day in the year and any Week-day between Easter and Whitsuntide and by the Fathers Tertullian Epiphanius c. that make this an Apostolical or Universal Tradition 2. And for kneeling I never yet heard any thing Mr. Paybodyes Book I think unanswerable to prove it unlawful If there be any thing it must be either some Word of God or the Nature of the Ordinance which is supposed to be contradicted But 1. There is no Word of God for any gesture nor against any gesture Christs example can never be proved to be intended to oblige us more in this than in many other circumstances that are confessed not obligatory as that he delivered it but to Ministers and but to a family to twelve and after Supper and on a Thursday night and in an upper room c. And his gesture was not such a sitting as ours 2. And for the Nature of the Ordinance it is mixt And if it be lawful to take a Pardon from the King upon our knees I know not what can make it unlawful to take a sealed Pardon from Christ by his Embassadour upon our knees § 41. Quest. 4. But what if I cannot receive it but according to the administration of the Common-prayer-Book Quest. 4. or some other imposed form of prayer Is it lawful so to take it Answ. If it be unlawful to receive it when it is administred with the Common-prayer-book it is either 1. Because it is a form of prayer 2. Or because that form hath some forbidden matter in it 3. Or because that form is imposed 4. Or because it is imposed to some evil end and consequent 1. That it is not unlawful because a form is proved before and indeed needs no proof with any that is judicious 2. Nor yet for any Evil in this particular form for in this part the Common-prayer is generally approved 3. Nor yet because it is Imposed For a Command maketh not that unlawful to us which is lawful before but it maketh many things lawful and duties that else would have been unlawful accidentally 4. And the intentions of the Commanders we have little to do with and for the consequents they must be weighed on both sides and the consequents of our refusal will not be found light § 42. In the General I must here tell all the people of God in the bitter sorrow of my soul that at last it is time for them to discern that Temptation that hath in all ages of the Church almost made this Sacrament of our Union to be the grand occasion or instrument of our Divisions And that true humility and acquaintance with our selves and sincere Love to Christ and one another would shew some men that it was but their pride and prejudice and ignorance that made them think so heinously of other mens manner of Worship and that on all sides among true Christians the manner of their Worship is not so odious as prejudice and faction and partiality representeth it and that God accepteth that which obey reject And they should see how the Devil hath undone the common people by this means by teaching them every one to expect salvation for being of that party which he taketh to be the right Church and for worshipping in that Manner which he and his party thinketh best And so wonderful a thing is prejudice that every part by this is brought to account that ridiculous and vile which the other party accounteth best § 43. Quest. 5. But what if my conscience be not satisfied but I am still in doubt must I not forbear Quest. 5. seeing he that doubteth is condemned if he eat because he eateth not in faith for whatsoever Rom. 14. 24. is not of faith is sin Answ. The Apostle there speaketh not of eating in the Sacrament but of eating meats which he doubteth of whether they are lawful but is sure that it is lawful to forbear them And in case of doubting about things indifferent the surer side is to forbear them because there may be sin in doing but there can be none on the other side in forbearing But in case of Duties your doubting will not disoblige you Else men might give over praying and hearing Gods Word and believing and obeying their Rulers and maintaining their families when they are but blind enough to doubt of it 2. Your erring conscience is not a Law-maker and cannot make it your duty to obey it For God is your King and the Office of Conscience is to discern his Laws and urge you to obedience and not to make you Laws of its own So that if it speak falsly it doth not oblige you but deceive you It doth only ligare or ensnare you but not obligare or make a sin a duty It casteth you into a necessity of sinning more or less till you relinquish the error But in the case of such duties as these it is a sin to do them with a doubting conscience but ordinarily it is a greater sin to forbear § 44. Object But some Divines write that Conscience being Gods Officer when it erreth God himself doth bind me by it to follow that error and the evil which it requireth becometh my duty Answ. A dangerous error tending to the subversion of souls and Kingdoms and highly dishonourable to God God hath made it your Duty to know his will and do it And if you ignorantly mistake him will you lay the blame on him and draw him into participation of your sin when he forbiddeth you both the error and the sin And doth he at once forbid and command the same thing At that very moment God is so far from obliging you to follow your error that he still obligeth you to lay it by and do the contrary If you say You cannot I answer Your impotency is a sinful impotency and you can use the means in which his graee can help you and he will not change his Law nor make you Kings and Rulers of your selves instead of him because you are ignorant or impotent § 45. Direct 7. In the time of the administration go along with the Minister throughout the work and keep your hearts close to Iesus Christ in the exercise of all those graces which are suited to the several parts of the administration Think not that all the work must be the Ministers It should be a busie day with you and your hearts should be taken up with as much diligence as your hands be in your common labour But not in a toilsome weary diligence but in such Delightful business as becometh the guests of the God of Heaven at so sweet a feast and in the receiving of such unvaluable gifts § 46. Here I should distinctly shew you I. What graces they be
many Christian Nations that it is lawful to break their Oathes and promises to their lawful Lords and Rulers or their Vows to God and to undertake by defending or owning this to justifie all those Nations that shall be guilty of this Perjury and perfidiousness O what a horrid crime is this what a shame even unto humane nature and how great a wrong to the Christian name § 10. Direct 9. Understand and remember these following Rules to acquaint you how fâ—r a vow is Direct 9. obligatory which I shall give you for the most part out of Dr. Sanderson because his decisions of these cases are now of best esteem § 11. Rule 1. The General Rule laid down Numb 30. 2 3. doth make a Vow as such to be obligatory Rule 1. though the party should have a secret equivocation or intent that though he speak the words to deceive another yet he will not oblige himself Such a reserve not to oblige himself hindereth not the obligation but proveth him a perfidious hypocrite D. Sanders pag. 23. Iuramentum omne ex suâ naturâ est obligatorium Ita ut si quis juret non intendens se obligare nihilominus tamen suscipiendo juramentum ipso facto obligetur that is If he so far understand what he doth as that his words may bear the definition of an oath or Vow Otherwise if he speak the words of an Oath in a strange language thinking they signifie something else or if he spake in his sleep or deliration or distraction it is no Oath and so not obligatory § 12. Rule 2. Those conditions are to be taken as intended in all Oathes whether exprest or no Ride 2. which the very nature of the thing doth necessarily imply unless any be so bruitish as to express the See Dr. Sanders p. 47. 197. contrary And these are all reducible to two heads 1. A natural and 2. A moral Impossibility 1. Whoever sweareth to do any thing or give any thing is supposed to mean If I live and if I be not disabled in my body faculties estate If God make it not impossible to be c. For no man can be supposed to mean I will do it whether God will or not and whether I live or not and whether I be able or not 2. Whoever Voweth or sweareth to do any thing must be understood to mean it If no change of Providence make it a sin or if I find not contrary to my present supposition that God forbiddeth it For no man that is a Christian is to be supposed to mean when he Voweth I will do this though God forbid it or though it prove to be a sin especially when men therefore Vow it because they take it to be a duty Now as that which is sinful is morally Impossible so there are divers ways by which a thing may appear or become sinful to us 1. When we find it forbidden directly in the Word of God which at first we understood not 2. When the change of things doth make that a sin which before was a duty of which may be given an hundred instances As when the change of a mans estate of his opportunities of his Liberty of his parts and abilities of objects of customes of the Laws of Civil Governours doth change the very matter of his duty Quest. § 13. Quest. But will every change disoblige us If not what change must it be seeing Casuists Answ. use to put it as a condition in general Rebus sic stantibus Answ. No it is not every change of Cicero dâ— Iâ—g lib. 1. Proveth that Right is founded in the Laâ— of Nature mâ—re than in mans Laws else saith â—e men may make evil good and good evil and make Adâ—lâ—â—ry Perjurâ— â— just b 〈…〉 g a Law for them things that disobligeth us from the bonds of a Vow For then Vows were of no considerable signification But 1. If the very Matter that was Vowed or about which the Vow was do cease Cessante materiâ cessat obligatio As if I promise to teach a pupil I am disobliged when he is dead If I promise to pay so much money in Gold and the King should â—orbid Gold and change his coyne I am not obliged to it 2. Cessante termino vel correlato cessat obligatio If the party dye to whom I am bound my personal obligation ceaseth And so the conjugal bond ceaseth at death and civil bonds by civil death 3. Cessante fine cessat obligatio If the use and end wholly cease my obligation which was only to that use and end ceaseth As if a Physicion promise to give Physick for nothing for the cure of the Plague to all the poor of the City when the Plague ceaseth his end and so his obligation ceaseth 4. Cessante personâ naturali relaâ—â cessat obligatio personalis When the natural person dyeth the obligation ceaseth I cannot be â—bliged to do that when I am dead which is proper to the living The subject of the obligation ceasing the Accidents must cease 5. Cessante relatione vel personâ civili cessat obligatio talis quâ tâ—lis The obligation which lay on a person in any Relation meerly as such doth cease when that Relation ceaseth A King is not bound to Govern or protect his subjects if they trayterously depose him or if he cast them off and take anothor Kingdom as when H. 3. of France left the Kingdom of Pâ—land nor are subjects bound to Allegiance and obedience to him that is not indeed their King A Judge or Justice or Constable or Tutor is no longer bound by his oath to do the offices of these Relations than he continueth in the Relation A divorced Wife is not bound by her conjugal vow to her Husband as before nor masters and servants when their relations cease nor a Souldier to his General by his military Sacrament when the Army is disbanded or he is cashiered or dismist Rule 3. § 14. Rule 3. No Vows or promises of our own can dissolve the obligation laid upon us by the Law of God For we have no co-ordinate much less superiour authority over our selves Our self-obligations are but for the furthering of our obedience Rule 4. § 15. Rule 4. Therefore no Vows can disoblige a man from any present duty nor justifie him in the committing of any sin Vows are to engage us to God and not against him If the matter which we vow be evil it is a sin to Vow it and a sin to do it upon pretence of a Vow Sin is no acceptable sacrifice to God § 16. Rule 5. If I vow that I will do some duty better I am not thereby disobliged from doing it at Rule 5. all when I am disabled from doing it better Suppose a Magistrate seeing much amiss in Church How often perjury hath ruined Christian Princes and States all History doth testifie The ruine of the Roman Empire by the Goths was
in all lawful things I cannot disoblige my self by my own Vows § 44. Yet here are very great difficulties in this case which causeth difference among the learnedst Sanderson p. 72 73. Dico ordinarie quia fortassis possunt darâ— casus in quibus juramentum quod videtur alicui lâ—gi communiâ—â—â—â—is aut vocatiâ—nâ—s adversari eâ—si non debuâ—rit suscipâ— susceptum tamen potest obligare Ut e. g. in lege poenali disjunctiva See the instances which he addeth Ioseph took an Oath of the Israelites to carry his bones out of Aegypt Gen. 50. 25. What if Pharaoh forbid them Are they acquit The Spies swore to Rhahab Iosh. 2. 12 18. Had they been quit if the Rulers had acquit them pious Casuists 1. If a Governour have before hand made a Law for that which I vow against it is supposed by many that my Vow is not to be kept the thing being not against the Law of God Because the first obligation holdeth 2. Yet some think that Magistrates Poenal Laws binding but aut ad obedientiam aut ad poenam to obedience or punishment I am therefore obliged in indifferent things to bear his penalty and to keep my Vow 3. But if I first make an Absolute Vow in a thing indifferent as to drink no Wine or to wear no Silks c. and the Magistrate afterwards command it me some think I am bound to keep my Vow because though I must obey the Magistrate in all things lawful yet my Vow hath made this particular thing to be to me unlawful before the Magistrate made it a duty 4. Though others think that even in this case the general obligation to obey my superiours preventeth my obliging my self to any particular which they may forbid in case I had not vowed it or against any particular which they may command 5. Others distinguish of things lawful or indifferent and say that some of them are such as become accidentally so useful or needful to the common good the end of Government that it is fit the Magistrate make a Law for it and the breaking of that Law will be so hurtful that my Vow cannot bind me to it as being now no indifferent thing But other indifferent things they say belong not to the Magistrate to determine of as what I shall eat or drink whether I shall marry or not what Trade I shall be of how each Artificer Tradesman or Professor of Arts and Sciences shall do the business of his profession c. And here the Magistrate they think cannot bind them against their Vows because their power of themselves in such private cases is greater than his power over them in those cases All these I leave as so many Questions unfit for me to resolve in the midst of the contentions of the Learned The great Reasons that move on both sides you may easily discern 1. Those that think an Oath in lawful things obligeth not contrary to the Magistrates antecedent or subsequent command are moved by this reason that else subjects and children might by their Vows exempt themselves from obedience and null Gods command of obeying our superiours 2. Those that think a Vow is obligatory against a Magistrates command are moved by this reason because else say they a Magistrate may at his pleasure dispense with all Vows except in things commanded before by God For he may come after and cross our Vows by his commands which against the Popes pretensions Protestants have denyed to be in the power of any mortal man And God say they hath the first right which none can take away I must not be forward in determining where Rulers are concerned only to those that may and must determine it I add these further materials to be considered of § 45. 1. It is most necessary to the decision of this case to understand how far the Inferiour that voweth was sui juris and had the power of himself when he made the Vow as to the making of it and how far he is sui juris as to the act which he hath vowed and to that end to know in a case where there is some power over his act both in his superiour and in himself whether his own power or his superiours as to that act be the greater 2. It is therefore needful to distinguish much between those acts that are of Private use and signification only and those that antecedently to the Rulers command are of publick use and nature or such as the Ruler is as much concerned in as the inferiour 3. It is needful to understand the true intent and sense of the command of our superiour whether Read of this at large Amesii Cas. Câ—â—s l. 5. c. 25. Qu. 4. it be really his intent to bind inferiours to break their Vows or whether they intend only to bind those that are not so entangled and pre-engaged by a Vow with a tacite exception of those that are And what is most just must be presumed unless the contrary be plain 4. It must be discerned whether the commands of superiours intend any further penalty than that which is affixed in their Laws As in our Poenal Laws about using Bow and Arrows and about fishing hunting c. whether it be intended that the offender be guilty of damnation or only that the threatned temporal penalty do satisfie the Law And whether God bind us to any further penalty than the superiour intendeth 5. The End of the Laws of men must be distinguished from the words And a great difference must be put between those forbidden acts that do no further harm than barely to cross the Letter of the Law or Will of a Superiour and those that cross the just end of the Command or Law and that either more or less as it is more or less hurtful to others or against the common good For then the matter will become sinful in it self 6. Whether Perjury or the unwilling violation of humane Laws be the greater sin and which in a doubtful case should be most feared and avoided it is easie to discern § 46. Rule 27. A Vow may be consequently made Null or Void 1. By cessation of the matter or Rule 27. any thing essential to it of which before § 13. or by a Dispensation or dissolution of it by God to whom we are obliged No doubt it is in Gods power to disoblige a man from his Vow But how he ever doth such a thing is all the doubt extraordinary revelations being ceased there is this way yet ordinary viz. by bringing the matter which I vowed to do under some prohibition of a General Law by the Changes of his Providence § 47. Rule 28. As to the power of man to dispense with Oaths and Vows there is a great and most Rule 28. remarkable difference between those Oaths and Vows where Man is the only party that we are primarily bound to and God is only appealed to as witness or judge as to the keeping of
as much as they can whether by Synods or other meet wayes of correspondency And though this be not a distinct Government it is a distinct mode of Governing Object But that there be Pastors with fixed Churches or Assemblies is not of the Law of Nature Answ. 1. Hath Christ no Law but the Law of Nature Wherein then differ the Christian Religion and the Heathenish 2. Suppose but Christ to be Christ and man to be what he is and Nature it self will tell us that this is the fittest way for ordering the Worship of God For Nature saith God must be solemnly and ordinarily worshipped and that qualified persons should be the official Guides in the performance And that people who need such conduct and private oversight besides should where they live have their own stated Overseers Object But particular Congregations are not de primaria intentione divina For if the whole world could joyn together in the publick Worship of God no doubt that would be properly a Church But particular Congregations are only accidental in reference to Gods intention of having a Church because of the Impossibility of all mens joyning together for Ordinances c. Answ. 1. The question with me is not whether they be of primary Intention but whether stated Churches headed with their proper Bishops or Pastors be not of Gods institution in the Scripture 2. This Objection confirmeth it and not denyeth it For 1. It confesseth that there is a necessity of joyning for Gods Worship 2. And an Impossibility that all the world should so joyn 3. But if the whole world could so joyn it would be properly a Church So that it confesseth that to be a society joyned for Gods publick Worship is to be properly a Church And we confess all this If all the world could be one family they might have one Master or one Kingdom they might have one King But when it is confessed that 1. A Natural Impossibility of an Universal Assembly necessitateth more particular assemblies 2. And that Christ hath instituted such actually in his Word what more can a considerate man require 3. I do not understand this distinction de primaria intentione divina and accidental c. The Primary Intention is properly of the Ultimate End only And no man thinketh that a Law de mediis of the means is no Law or that God hath made no Laws de mediis For Christ as a Mediator is a Means But suppose it be limited to the Matter of Church Laws If this be the meaning of it that it is not the principal means but a subordinate means or that it is not instituted only propter finem ultimum no more than propter se but also in order to a higher thing as its immediate end we make no question of that Assemblies are not only that there may be assemblies but for the Worship and Offices there performed And those for Man And all for God But what or all this Hath God made no Laws for subordinate means No Christian denyeth it Therefore the Learned and Judicious Disputer of this point declareth himself for what I say when he saith I engage not in the Controversie Whether a particular Congregation be the first political Dr. Stillingflects Iâ—en p. 154 so p. 170. By Church here I mean not a particular Congregation c. So h gâ—anteth that 1 the Universal Church 2. Particular Congregations are of Divine Institution one ex intentione primaria and the other as he calls it accidentally but yet of Natural necessity Church or no It sufficeth for my purpose that there are other Churches besides The thing in question is Whether there be no other Church but such particular Congregations Where it seemeth granted that such particular Churches are of Divine institution And for other Churches I shall say more anon In the mean time note that the question is but de nomine here whether the Name Church be fit for other societiâ—s and not de re But lest any should grow to the boldness to deny that Christ hath instituted Christian stated Societies consisting of Pastors and flocks associate for personal Communion in publick Worship and holy living which is my detinition of a particular Church as not so confined to one assembly but that it may be in divers and yet not consisting of divers such distinct stated assemblies with their distinct Pastors nor of such as can have no personal communion but only by Delegates I prove it thus from the Word of God 1. The Apostles were commissioned by Christ to deliver his commands to all the Churches and settle them according to his will Iohn 20. 21. Matth. 28. 19 20 c. 2. These commissioned persons had the promise of an infallible Spirit for the due performance of their work Iohn 16. 13 14 15. 15. 26. 14. 26. Matth. 28. 20. 3. These Apostles where ever the success of the Gospel prepared them materials did settle Christian stated societies consisting of Pastors or Elders with their flocks associated for personal communion in publick worship and holy living These setled Churches they gave orders to for their direction and preservation and reformation These they took the chief care of themselves and exhorted their Elders to fidelity in their work They gave command that none should forsake such assemblies and they so fully describe them as that they cannot easily be misunderstood All this is proved Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Rom. 16. 1. 1 Cor. 11. 18 20. 22 26. 1 Cor. 14. 4 5 12 19 23 28 33 34. Col. 4. 16. Acts 11. 26. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Acts 14. 27. 15. 3. to omit many more Here are proofs enow that such particular Churches were de facto setled by the Apostles Heb. 10. 25. Forsake not the assembling of your selves together So Iames 2. 2. they are called Synagogues 2. It is confessed that there is a natural necessity of such stated Churches or Assemblies supposing but the Institution of the Worship it self which is there performed And if so then we may say that the Law of Nature it self doth partly require them 1. It is of the Law of Nature that God be publickly worshipped as most Expositors of the fourth Commandment do confess 2. It is of the Law of Nature that the people be taught to know God and their duty by such as are able and fit to teach them 3. The Law of Nature requireth that man being a sociable creature and conjunction working strongest affections we should use our sociableness in the greatest matters and by conjunction help the zeal of our prayers and praises of God 4. Gods institution of publick Preaching Prayer and Praise are scarce denyed by any Christians 5. None of these can be publickly done but by assembling 6. No Assembly can suffice for these without a Minister of Christ Because it is only his Office to be the ordinary Teacher and to go before the people in prayer and praise and to administer the
Ministers of Christ or Lay men If Lay men their actions are unlawful If Ministers they are Commissioned officers of Christ themselves and it is the work of their own office which they do and it is they that shall have the reward or punishment But if preaching to all these Churches or giving to all these persons in a thousand Parishes the Sacraments c. were the Bishops or Archbishops work that is which they are obliged to do then they would sin in not doing it But if they are the Governours only of those that are obliged 〈◊〉 do it and are not obliged to do it themselves then Governing the doers of it is only their work And therefore it is but equivocally said that the work is theirs which others and not they are obliged to do and that they do their work per alios when they do but Govern those others in doing their own work Of this read the Lord Bacons Considerations and Grotius de Imper. summ Potest Cirâ—a Sacra who soundly resolve the case against doing the Pastoral work per alium Quest. 59. May a Lay man preach or expound the Scriptures Or what of this is proper to the Pastors office Answ. 1. NO doubt but there is some Preaching or Teaching and Expounding which a Lay man may use So did Origen so did Constantine so may a King or Iudge on the Bench so may a Parent to his Children and a Master to his family and a Schoolmaster or Tutor to his Scholars 2. It is not any one Method or Sermon-fashion which is proper to a Minister and forbidden to a Lay man That Method which is most meet to the Matter and hearers may be used by one as well as by the other 3. It is not the meer publickness of the Teaching which must tell us what is unlawful for a Lay man For Writing and Printing are the most publick wayes of Teaching And these no man taketh to be forbidden the Laity Scaliger Causabon Grotius Erasmus Constantine King Iames the Lord Bacon and abundance more Lay men have done the Church great service by their Writings And Judges on the Bench speak oft Theologically to many But that which is proper to the Ministers or Pastors of the Church is 1. To make a stated office of it and to be separated set a part devoted or consecrated and appropriated to this sacred work and not to do it occasionally only or sometimes or on the by but as their Calling and the Employment of their lives 2. To do it as Called and Commissioned Ministers of Christ who have a special nunciative and Teaching Authority committed to them And therefore are in a special manner to be heard according to their special Authority 3. To be the stated Teachers of particular Churches as their Pastors and Guides Though they may sometime permit a Lay man when there is cause to Teach them pro tempore These three are proper to the Ministerial and Pastors office But for the regulating of Lay mens Teaching 1. They must statedly keep in their families or within their proper bounds 2. They must not presume to go beyond their abilities especially in matters dark and difficult 3. They must not thrust themselves without a just call and need into publick or numerous meetings as Teachers nor do that which savoureth of Pride or Ostentation or which tendeth to cherish those vices in others 4. They must not live or Preach as from under the Government of the Church Pastors But being members of their flocks must do all as under their lawful oversight and guidance much less must they proudly and schismatically set up themselves against their lawful Pastors and bring them into Act. 20. 30. Heb. 13 7 17 24. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. 1 Tim. 5. 17. contempt to get themselves reputation and to draw away Disciples after them 5. Times and places must be greatly distinguished In Infidel or grosly ignorant Countreys where through the want of Preachers there is a true necessity men may go much further than in Countreys where Teachers and knowledge do abound Quest. 60. What is the true sense of the distinction of Pastoral power in foro interiore exteriore rightly used Answ. 1. NOt as if the Pastors had any power of the sword or outward force or of mens Bodies or Estates immediately For all the Pastoral power is Immediately on the soul and but secondarily on the body so far as the perswaded soul will move it Reason and Love and the Authority of a messenger of Christ are all the power by which Bishops or Pastors as such can work in foro interiore vel exteriore They Rule the body but by Ruling the soul. 2. But the true use of the distinction is only to serve instead of the usual distinction of Publick and personal obligation It is one thing to satisfie a mans private Conscience about his own personal case or matters And another thing to oblige the whole Church or a particular person of his duty as a member of the society to the rest When the Pastor Absolveth a penitent person in foro interiore that is in his own Conscience he delivereth him a discharge in the name of Christ on Condition he be truly penitent Else not But in foro exteriore he actually and absolutely restoreth him to his visible state of Church Communion The rest of the members perhaps may justly think this man unlike to prove a true penitent And then in foro interiore they are not bound to believe him certainly penitent or pardoned by God But in foro exteriore that he is restored to Church Communion and that for order sake they are bound to hold Communion with him they are bound internally to believe So that it comes neer the sense of the distinction of the secret Iudgement of God and Conscience and Church judgement Quest. 61. In what sense is it true that some say that the Magistrate only hath the External Government of the Church and the Pastors the Internal Answ. 1. NOt as External and Internal are opposed in the nature of the Action For the Voice of the Pastor in Preaching is External as well as the Kings 2. Not as they are opposed in the manner of Reception For the Ears of the Auditors are external Recipients from the Preacher as well as from the King 3. Not as distinguishing the parts that are to obey the duties commanded and the sins forbidden as if the King ruled the Body only and the Pastor the soul. For the soul is bound to obey the King or else the Body could not be bound to obey him unless by cords And the Body must obey the Preacher as well as the soul. Murder drunkenness swearing lying and such other external Vices are under the Pastors power to forbid in Christs name as well as the Kings 4. Not as if all the external parts or actions of Religion were exempted from the Pastors power For preaching praying reading Sacraments Church-assemblies are external parts
cannot dispense with us for not Loving our Neighbours or not shewing mercy to the poor oâ— saving the lives of the neâ—dy in 〈◊〉 and diâ—â—ress Else they that at last shall hear I was hungry aâ—d yâ—â—â—â—â— mâ— not I was nâ—ked and ye 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— I was in prison and ye visited me not might oft say â—â—â—◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 Magistrates for bad â—s Yet a lâ—ssâ—r Moral duty may be forbidden by the Magistrate for the sake of a greater because then it is no duty indeed and may be forborn if he forbid it not As to save one manâ— liâ—â— iâ— it would prove the death of a multitude or to save one mans house on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—o woâ—lâ—â—â—â—â—â—any Therefore 10. Iâ— is lawful and â— dâ—â—â—â— to for â—â—â—â— some certain â—â—â—â— or number of Sermons Prayers or Sacraments c. when â—â—â—â—er the present â—se of them would apparently pâ—oâ—â—re more hâ—rt than good o◠〈…〉 forbear 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â— like to prâ—â—â—â—â— moâ—â— good than the doing of them For they are all for our Edification and are made for man and not man for them though for God As if forbearing this dâ—y 〈◊〉 pâ—â—â—â—uâ—â—â—â—â—â— liâ—â—â—â—y for many dayes serviâ—e afterward c. 〈…〉 at the 〈◊〉 oâ—â—an to forsake or forbear our Calling and duty when it is to bâ— judged Necessary to the honour of God to the good of the Church and of mens souls that is whâ—n aâ—â—in 〈◊〉 case Dan. 6. our Religion it self and our owning the true God doth seeâ— suspended by the suspence of our duty Or when the multitude of ignorant hardened â—â—godly souls and the want of fit men for number and quality doth put it past Controversie that our work is greatly necessary 12. Those that are not Immediately called by Christ as were the Apostles but by men being yet Mat. â—8 20. Râ—m 10. 14. 1 â—or 9. 16. â—â—â—â— â— 4â— 10. 4â— â—â—â—m 4 1 2. â—â—â—â— 8 4 12. 1â— 3â— statedly obliged to the death when they are called may truly say as Paul Necessity is laid upon me and woe â—e to me if I preach not the Gospel 13. Papists and Protestants concurr in this judgement Papists will preach when the Law forbids them And the judgement of Protestants is among others by Bishop Bilson of subjection and Bishop Andrews Tortur Tort. plainly so asserted 14. But all that are bound to preach are not bound to do it to the same number nor in the same manner as they have not the same opportunity and call Whether it shall be in this place or that to more or fewer at this hour or that are not determined in Scripture nor alike to all 15. The Temples tythes and such adjuncts of Worship and Ministry are at the Magistrates dispose and must not be invaded against his Laws 16. Where any are obliged to Preach in a forbidden discountenanced state they must study to do it with such prudence caution peaceableness and obedience in all the Lawful circumstantials as may tend to maintain peace and the honour of Magistracy and to avoid temptations to sedition and unruly passions Quest. 81. May we lawfully keep the Lords day as a fast Answ. NOt ordinarily Because God hath made it a day of thanksgiving And we must not pervert it from the use to which it was appointed by God But in case of extraordinary necessity it may be done As 1. In case that some great judgement call us so suddenly to humiliation and fasting as that it cannot be deâ—erred to the next day As some sudden invasion fire sickness c. Luk. 6. 5. 13. â—â— Maâ— 2. In case by persecution the Church be denyed liberty to meet on any other day in a time when publick fasting and prayer is a duty 3. In case the people be so poor or servants Children and Wives be so hardly restrained that they cannot meet at any other time It is lawful in such cases because Positives give way to Moral or Natural duties caeteris paribus and lesser duties unto greater The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath Quest. 82. How should the Lords day be spent in the main Answ. I Have so far opened that in the Family-directions that I will now only say 1. That Eâ—charistical worship is the great work of the day And that it should be kept as a day of publick Psal. 92. 1 2 3 4 5. Psal. 118. 1 2 3 15 19 23 24 27 28 29. Act. 20. 7 9. Rev. 1. 10. Act. 24. 14 25 26 c. Psal. 16. 7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Thanksgiving for the whole work of Redemption especially for the Resurrection of our Lord. 2. And therefore the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was alwayes a chief part of its observation in the primitive Churches Not meerly for the Sacrament sake but because with it was still joyned all the Laudatory and Thanksgiving worship And it was the Pastors work so to pray and praise God and preach to the people as tendeth most to possess their souls with the liveliest sense of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the holy Spirit on the account of our Redemption 3. Though confession of sin and humiliation must not be the chief work of the day yet it may and must come in as in due subordination to the chief 1. Because there are usually many persons present who are members only of the visible Church and are not fit for the Laudatory and rejoycing part 2. Because while we are in the flesh our sâ—lvation is imperfect and so are we and much sin still remaineth which must be a grief and burden to believers And therefore while sin is mixt Psal. 2. 9 10 11. Heb. 12. 28 29. with grace Repentance and sorrow must be mixed with our Thanksgivings and we must rejoyce with trembling And though we receive a Kingdom which cannot â—e moved yet must our acceptable service of God be with reverence and Godly fear because our God is a consuming fire 3. Our sin and misery being that which we are saved from doth enter the definition of our salvation And without the sense of theâ— we can never know aâ—ight what mercy is nor ever be truly glad and thankful But yet take heed that this subordinate duty be not pretended for the neglecting of that Thanksgiving which is the work of the day Quest. 83. May the people bear a Vocal part in Worship or do any more than say Amen Answ. YEs The people should say Amen that is openly signifie their consent But the meaning 1 Cor. 14. Psal. 150. 81 2 3. 98. 5. 94. 1 2 3 c. 105. 7. 2 c. 145. thoughout Col. 3 16. is not that they must do no more nor otherwise express their consent saving by that single word For 1. There is no Scripture which forbiddeth more 2. The people bear an equal part in singing the Psalms which are prayer and praise
a Lent as he in twenty years Sure I am I know many such on both sides Some that eat but a small meal a day and never drink Wine at all and others that drink Wine daily and eat of many dishes at a meal and that to the full and of the sweetest as Fish Fruits c. yet rail at the former for not fasting as they do So delusory are the outward appearances and so â—alse the pretensions of the carnal sort 4. The antient Lent consisted first of one day Good-fryday alone and after that of three dayes and then of six and at last it came up to fourty Of which read Dallaeus ubi supra at large 5. None can question the lawfulness of an obedient keeping of such a Civil Lent fast as our Statutes command for the vending of Fish and for the breed of Cattle so be it no bodily necessity oâ— greater duty be against it 6. It is not unlawful for those that cannot totally fast yet to use more abstinence and a more mortifying sort of dyet than ordinary for the exercises of repentance and mortification in due time 7. If Authority shall appoint such a mortifying abstemious course upon lawful or tolerable grounds and ends I will obey them if they peremptorily require it when my health or some greater duty forbiddeth it not 8. As for the Commanding such an Abstinence as in Lent not in Imitation but bare Commemoration of Christs forty dayes fast I would not command it if it were in my power But being peremptorily commanded I cannot prove it unlawful to obey with the fore-mentioned exceptions 9. It was antiently held a crime to fast on the Lords dayes even in Lent And I take that day to be separated by Christ and the Holy Ghost for a Church Festival or day of Thanksgiving Therefore I will not keep it as a fast though I were commanded unless in such an extraordinary necessity as aforesaid OF Pilgrimages Saints Relicts and Shrines Temples of their Miracles of Pray 〈…〉 to Angels to Saints for the Dead of Purgatory of the Popes Pardons Indulgences Dispensations of the Power of true Pastors to forgive sins with a multitude of such cases which are commonly handled in our Controversal Writers against the Papists I must thither refer the Reader for a Solution because the handling of all such particular Cases would swell my Book to a magnitude beyond my intention and make this part unfuitable to the rest Quest. 102. May we continue in a Church where some one Ordinance of Christ is wanting as Discipline Prayer Preaching or Sacraments though we have all the rest Answ. DIstinguish 1. Of Ordinances 2. Of a stated want and a temporary want 3. Of one that may have better and one that cannot 1. Teaching Prayer and Praise are Ordinances of such necessity that Church Assemblies have not their proper use without them 2. The Lords Supper is of a secondary need and must be used when 〈…〉 but a Church-Assembly may attain its ends sometimes without it in a good degree 3. Discipline is implicitly exercised when none but the Baptized are Communicants and when professed Christians voluntarily assemble and the preaching of the Word doth distinguish the precious from the vile Much more when notorious scandalous sinners are by the Laws kept from the Sacrament As our Rubrick and Canons do require 4. But for the fuller explicite and exacter exercise of discipline it is very desirable for the well being of the Churches but it is but a stronger fence or hedge and preservative of Sacred Order And both the being of a Church and the profitable use of holy assemblies may subsist without it As in Helvetia and other Countreys it is found I conclude then 1. That he that consideratis considerandis is a free man should choose that place Acts 28. ult 11. 26. 20. 7 20 c. 1 Cor. 14. Acts 2. 42. 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Heb. 10. 25 26 Col 4. 16. Acts 13 27. 15 2â— â— Theâ—s 5 27. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 c. where he hath the fullest opportunities of worshipping God and edifying his soul. 2. He is not to be accounted a free-man that cannot remove without a greater hurt than the good either to the Church or Countrey or to his family his neighbours or himself 3. Without Teaching Prayer and Divine Praises we are not to reckon that we have proper Church-Assemblies and Communion 4. We must do all that is in our power to procure the right use of Sacraments and Discipline 5. When we cannot procure it it is lawful and a duty to joyn in those Assemblies that are without it and rather to enjoy the rest than none Few Churches have the Lords Supper above once a moneth which in the Primitive Church was used every Lords day and ofter And yet they meet on other dayes 6. It is possible that Preaching Prayer and Praise may be so excellently performed in some Churches that want both Discipline and the Lords Supper and all so coldly and ignorantly managed in another Church that hath all the Ordinances that mens souls may much more flourish and prosper under the former than the later 7. If forbearing or wanting some Ordinances for a time be but in order to a probable procurement Matth. 26. 31. Acts 8. 1. of them we may the better forbear 8. The time is not to be judged of only by the length but by the probability of success For sometime Gods Providence and the disturbances of the times or the craft of men in power may keep men so long in the dark that a long expectation or waiting may become our duty Quest. 103. Must the Pastors remove from one Church to another when ever the Magistrate commandeth us though the Bishops contradict it and the Church consent not to dismiss us And so of other Cases of disagreement Answ. 1. AS in mans soul the Intellectual Guidance the Will and the executive power do concur so in Church Cases of this nature the Potestative Government of the Magistrate the Directive Guidance of the senior Pastors and the Attractive Love of the people who are the chief inferiour final Cause should all concur And when they do not it is confusion And when Gods order is broken which commandeth their concurrence it is hard to know what to do in such a division which God alloweth not As it is to know whether I should take part with the Heart against the Head or with the Head against the Stomach and Liver on supposition of cross inclinations or interests when as Nature supposeth either a concord of inclination and interests or else the ruine sickness or death of the person And the Cure must be by reconciling them rather than by knowing which to side with against the rest But seeing we must suppose such diseases frequently to happen they that cannot cure them must know how to behave themselves and to do their own duty For my
as much as may be in a way of Concord with the united faithful Pastors and Churches in your proximity or Countrey 3. Look to the publick good and interest of Religion more than to your particular Congregation 4. Neglect not the greatest advantages for your own edification But rather take them by a removal of your dwelling though you suffer by it in your estates than by any division disturbance of the Churches peace or common detriment 5. Do not easily go against the Magistrates Commands unless they be apparently unlawful and to the Churches detriment or ruine in the reception of your Pastors 6. Do not easily forsake him that hath been justly received by the Church and hath possession that is till necessity require it Quest. 106. To whom doth it belong to Reform a Corrupted Church to the Magistrates Pastors or People Answ. A Church is reformed three several wayes 1. By the personal reformation of every member 2. By doctrinal Direction and 3. By publick forcible Execution and constraint of others 1. Every member whether Magistrates Pastors or People must reform themselves by forsaking 1 Cor. 11. 28 29 31 33 34. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Dan. 3. 6. all their own sins and doing their own duties If a Ruler command a private person to go to Mass to own any falshood or to do any sin he is not to be obeyed because God is to be first obeyed 2. The Bishops or Pastors are to Reform the Church by Doctrine Reproof and just Exhortations 1 Cor. 5. 3. 4 5 1. Pet. 5. 2 3. Luke 22. 24 25 26 27. and Nunciative Commands in the name of Christ to Rulers and people to do their several duties and by the actual doing of his own 3. The King and Magistrates under him only must Reform by the Sword that is by outward force and Civil Laws and Corporal Penalties As forcibly to break down Images to cast out Idolaters or the Instruments of Idolatry from the Temples to put true Ministers in possession of the Temples or the Legal publick maintenance to destroy punish or hurt Idolaters c. Supposing still the Power of Parents and Masters in their several families Quest. 107. Who is to Call Synods Princes Pastors or People Answ. 1. THere are several wayes of Calling Synods 1. By Force and Civil Mandates 2. By The question of the power of Synods is sufficiently answered before Pastoral Perswasion and Counsel and 3. By humble intreaty and petition 1. Magistrates only that is the Supream by his own power and the Inferiour by power derived from him may call Synods by Laws and Mandates enforced by the Sword or Corporal Penalties or Mulcts 2. Bishops or Pastors in due Circumstances may call Synods by Counsel and perswasive invitation 3. The people in due Circumstances and necessity may Call Synods by way of Petition and Intreaty But what are the due Circumstances Answ. 1. The Magistrate may Call them by Command at his discretion for his own Counsel or for the Civil peace or the Churches good 2. The Pastors and people may not Call them nor meet when the Magistrate forbiddeth it except when the necessity of the Church requireth it Synods may profitably be stated for order when it may be lawfulâ—y obtained both as to limits of Place numbers and Time But these prudential Orders are not of stated necessity but must give place to weightier reasons on the contrary 3. Synods themselves are not ordinarily necessary by Nature or Institution Let him that affirmeth it prove it But that which is statedly necessary is The Concord of the Churches as the End and a necessary correspondency of the Churches as the Means and Synods when they may well be had as a convenient sort of means 4. When Synods cannot be had or are needless Messengers and Letters from Church to Church may keep up the Correspondency and Concord 5. In cases of real necessity which are very rare though usefulness be more frequent the Bishops and people should first petition the King for his consent And if that cannot be had they may meet secretly and in small numbers for mutual consultation and advice about the work of God and not by keeping up the formality of their set numbers times and places and orders provoke the King against them 6. The contempt of Synods by the separatists and the placing more power in Synods than ever God gave them by others yea and the insisting on their circumstantial orders making them like a Civil Senate or Court have been the two extreams which have greatly injured and divided the Churches throughout the World Quest. 108. To whom doth it belong to appoint dayes and assemblies for publick Humiliation and Thanksgiving Answ. THe answer of the last question may serve for this 1. The Magistrate only may do it by way of Laws or civil Mandate enforced by the sword 2. The Pastors may do it in case of necessity by Pastoral advice and exhortation and nunciative command in the name of Christ. 3. The people may do it by Petition 4. As ordinary Church Assemblies must be held if the Magistrate forbid them of which next so must extraordinary ones when extraordinary causes make it a duty 5. When the Magistrate forcibly hindereth them natural impossibility resolveth the question about our duty Quest. 109. May we omit Church-assemblies on the Lords day if the Magistrate forbid them Answ. 1. IT is one thing to forbid them for a time upon some special cause as Infection by May we omit Church-Assemblies on the Lords day if forbidden by Magistrates pestilence fire war c. And another thing to forbid them statedly or prophanely 2. It is one thing to omit them for a time and another to do it ordinarily 3. It is one thing to omit them in formal obedience to the Law and another thing to omit them in prudence or for necessity because we cannot keep them 4. The Assembly and the circumstances of the Assembly must be distinguished 1. If the Magistrate for a greater good as the common safety forbid Church Assemblies in a time of pestilence assault of enemies or fire or the like necessity it is a duty to obey him Because positive duties give place to those great natural duties which are their end so Christ justified himself and his disciples violation of the external rest of the Sabbath For the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 2. Because Affirmatives bind not ad semper and out of season duties become sins 3. Because one Lords day or Assembly is not to be preferred before Many which by the omission of that one are like to be obtained 2. If Princes prophanely forbid holy assemblies and publick worship either statedly or as a renunciation of Christ and our religion it is not Lawful formally to obey them 3. But it is lawful prudently to do that secretly for the present necessity which we cannot do publickly and to do that with smaller numbers which we
that nothing is of it self and directly any part of the Christian Religion which is not there 6. It instituteth those Sacraments perfectly which are the seals of Gods Covenant with man and the delivery of the benefits and which are the Badges or Symbols of the Disciples and Religion of Christ in the World 7. It determineth what Faith Prayer and obedience shall be his appointed means and Conditions of Justification Adoption and Salvation And so what shall be Professed and Preached in his name to the World 8. It is a perfect Instrument of donation or Conveyance of our Right to Christ and of Pardon and Justification and Adoption and the Holy Spirits assistances and of Glory As it is Gods Covenant promise or deed of gift 9. It instituteth certain Ministers as his own Church officers and perfectly describeth their office as instituted by him 10. It instituteth the form of his Church Universal which is called his body And also of Particular holy societies for his Worship And prescribeth them certain Duties as the Common Worship there to be performed 11. It determineth of a weekly day even the first to be separated for and used in this holy Worship 12. It is a perfect General Rule for the Regulating of those things which it doth not command or forbid in particular As that all be done wisely to edification in charity peace concord season order c. 13. It giveth to Magistrates Pastors Parents and other Superiours all that power by which they are authorized to oblige us under God â—o any undetermined particulars 14. It is the perfect Rule of Christs Judging Rewarding and punishing at last according to which he will proceed 15. It is the only Law that is made by Primitive Power 16. And the only Law that is made by Inâ—allâ—ble wisdom 17. And the only Law which is faultless and hath no thing in it that will do the subject any harm 18. And the only Law which is from Absolute Power the Rule of all other Laws and from which Psal. 12. 6. 19. 7 8 9 10. Psal. 119. there is finally no appeal Thus far the holy Scripture with the Law of nature is our perfect Rule But not in any of the following respects 1. It is no particular revelation or perfect Rule of natural Sciences as Physicks Metaphysicks c. 2. It is no Rule for the Arts for Medicine Musick Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy Grammar Râ—eâ—orick Logick nor for the Mechanicks as Navigation Architecture and all the Trades and occupations of men no not Husbandry by which we have our food 3. It is no particular Rule for all the muâ—able subordinate duties of any societies It will not serve instead of all the Statutes of this and all other Lands nor tell us when the Terms shall begin and end nor what work every Parent and Master shall set his Children and Servants in his family c. 4. It is no full Rule in particular for all those Political principles which are the ground of humane Laws As whether each Republick be Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical What person or of what Family shall Reign Who shall be his Officers and Judges and how diversified so of his Treasury Munition Coin c. 5. It is no Rule of Propriety in particular by which every man may know which is his own Land or house or goods or Cattle 6. It is no particular Rule for our natural actions what meat we shall eat what Cloaths we shall wear So of our rest labour c. 7. It is no particular Law or Rule for any of all those Actions and Circumstances about Religion or Gods own Ordinances which he hath only commanded in general and left in specie or particular to be determined by man according to his General Laws But of these next Quest. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture are lawful or unlawful Answ. 1. THese following are unlawful 1. To feign any new Article of faith or doctrine any Deut. 12. 32. Rev. 2â— 18. Col. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. 16 17. Mat. 15. 3 8 9. Gal. 1. 8 9. Jer. 5. 12. Jer. 14. 14. 23 25 26 32. Ezek. 13 9 19. 22. 28. Zeâ—h 13. 2 3 4 5 6. precept promise threatning prophesie or revelation and falsly to father it upon God and say that it is of him or his special Word 2. To say that either that is written in the Bible which is not or that any thing is the sense of a Text which is not and so that any thing is a sin or a duty by Scripture which is not Or to father Apocryphal Books or Texts or words upon the spirit of Christ. 3. To make any Law for the Church universal or as obligatory to all Christians which is to usurp the soveraignty of Christ For which treasonable Usurpation it is that Protestants call the Pope Antichrist 4. To add new parts to the Christian Religion 5. To make any Law which it did properly belong to the Universal Soveraign to have made if it should have been made at all Or which implyeth an accusation of ignorance oversight errour or omission in Christ and the holy Scriptures 6. To make new Laws for mens inward Heart-duties towards God 7. To make new Sacraments for the fealing of Christs Covenant and Collation of his benefits therein contained and to be the publick Tesserae Badges or Symbols of Christians and Christianity in the World 8. To feign new Conditions of the Covenant of God and necessary means of our Justification Adoption and salvation 9. To alter Christs instituted Church-Ministry or add any that are supra-ordinate co-ordinate or derogatory to their office or that stand on the like pretended ground and for equal ends 10. To make new spiritual societies or Church-forms which shall be either supra-ordinate co-ordinate Gal. 2. 5. or derogatory to the Forms of Christs Institution 11. Any impositions upon the Churches be the thing never so lawful which is made by a pretended Act. 15. 28 24 25. 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 5 12 26. 2 Cor. 12. 19. Eph. 4. 12 16 1 Tim. 1 4. power not derived from God and the Redeemer 12. Any thing that is contrary to the Churches good and Edification to justice charity piety order unity or peace 13. Any unnecessary burden imposed on the Consciences of Christians especially as necessary either to their salvation communion liberty or peace 14. And the exercise of any power pretended to be either Primitive and underived or Infallible or Impeccable or Absolute 15. In general any thing that is contrary to the Authority matter form obligation honour or ends of the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture 16. Any thing which setteth up those Judaical Laws and Ceremonies which Christ hath abrogated in that form and respect in which he abrogated them 17. Where there is a doubt among sober Conscionable Christians lest in obeying man they should sin against
God and disobey his Laws and the matter doubted of is confessed unnecessary by the Imposers So Infinite is the distance between God and Man and so wholly dependent on him are the Highest that they should be exceeding unwilling to vie with the Authority of their maker in mens Consciences or to do any thing unnecessary which tendeth to compell men to tread down Gods Authority in their Consciences and to prefer mans Much more unwilling should they be to silence the sober Preachers of Christs Gospel upon such accounts Quest. 132. Is it unlawful to obey in all those cases where it is unlawful to impose and command Or in what cases And how far Pastors must be believed and obeyed Answ. I Must intreat the Reader carefully to distinguish here 1. Between Gods Law forbidding Rulers to do evil and his Law forbidding Subjects or private men 2. Between Obedience formally so called which is when we therefore obey in conscience because it is commanded and the commanders Authority is the Formal Reason and object of our obedience And Obedience Material only which is properly no obedience but a doing the thing which is commanded upon other Reasons and not at all because it is commanded 3. Between Formal obedience to the Office of the Ruler in General and formal obedience to him as commanding this very Matter in particular 4. Between such Authority in the Ruler as will warrant his Impositions before God for his own justification And such Authority as may make it my duty to obey him And so I answer 1. We shall not be judged by those Laws of God which made the Rulers duty but by that which made our own It is not all one to say Thou shalt not command it and to say Thou shalt not do it 2. Whatever God absolutely forbiddeth men to do we must not do whoever command it 3. There are many of the things forementioned Absolutely and alwayes unlawful as being evil of themselves which no man may either command or do And there are some of them which are only evil by accident which may not be commanded but may be done when contrary weightier Accidents do preponderate 4. Many such things may be done Materially on other reasons as for the Churches good the furtherance of the Gospel the winning of men to God the avoiding of scandal or of hurt to others or our selves c. when they are not to be done in formal obedience out of Conscience to the Authority imposing As if it be commanded by one that hath no just power 5. Our Actions may participate of obedience in general as being actions of subjects when they are not obedience in the full and perfect formality as to the particular The last leaf of Rich. Hooker's eighth Book of Eccl. Polit. will shew you the reason of this He that hath not just power to command me this one particular Act yet may be my Ruler in the General and I am bound to Honour Eph. 5. 24. Col. 3. 20 22. Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. him in General as my Ruler And to disobey him in a thing Lawful for me to do though not for him to command may be dishonouring of him and an appearance of disobedience and denyall of his power A Parent is forbidden by God to command his Child to speak an idle word or to do a vain and useless action much more a hurtful Yet if a Parent should command a Child to speak an idle word or do a vain action the duty of obedience would make it at that time not to be vain and idle to him yea if he bid him throw away a cup of Wine or a piece of bread which is evil when causeless the Child may be bound to do it not only because he knoweth not but the Parents may have lawful ends and reasons for their command as to try and exercise his obedience but also if he were sure that it were not so Because he is a subject and the honouring of a Parent is so great a good and the dishonouring him by that disobedience may have such ill consequents as will preponderate the evil of the lâ—ss of a Cup of Wine c. Yet in this case the Act of obedience is but mixt It is an act of subjection or Honour to a Parent because in General he is a Governour But it is but Materially obedience in respect of that particular matter which we know he had no Authority to command 6. In this respect therefore A Ruler may have so much power as may induce on the subject an obligation to obey and yet not so much as may justifie his commands before God nor save himself from Divine punishment I add this so distinctly lest any should misapply Mr. Rich. Hooker's doctrine aforesaid Eccl. Pol. l. 8. p. 223 224. As for them that exercise power altogether against order though the kind of power which they have may be of God yet in their exercise thereof against God and therefore not of God otherwise than by permission as all injustice is Usurpers of power whereby we do not mean them that by violence have aspired unto places of highest authority but them that use more authority than they did ever receive in form and manner before mentioned Such Usurpers thereof as in the Exercise of their power do more than they have been authorized to do cannot in Conscience bind any man to obedience Lest any should gather hence that they are never bound in Conscience to obey their Parents their Job 19. 11. Rom. 13. 1. King their Pastors in any point wherein they exercise more power than God gave them I thought meet to speak more exactly to that point which needed this distinguishing For the ground is sure that There is no power but of God And that God hath given no man power against himself his Laws and service But yet there are many cases in which God bindeth children and subjects to obey their superiours in such matters as they did sinfully command 7. It greatly concerneth all sober Christians therefore to be well studied in the Law of God that we may certainly know what those things are which God hath absolutely forbidden us to do whoever command them and to distinguish them from things that depend on mutable accidents That as the three Witnesses and Daniel Dan. 3. 6. we may be true to God whatever we suffer for it and yet may obey men in all â—hat is our duty to them Thus the Apostles knew that no man had power from God to silence them or persecute them for the Gospel Therefore they would not obey those that forbad them to Preach And yet they would appear before any Magistrate that commanded them and obey their 〈◊〉 And so we may do even to an Usurper or a private man 8. The principal and most notable Case in which we must obey when a Ruleâ— sinfully commandeth is when the matter which he commandeth is not such as is either forbidden us by
God or out of the Verge of his place and calling at all to meddle with and command nor yet such as is destructive of our duty to God but such as in General belongeth to his office to determine of according to Gods general Rules but he misseth it in the manner and goeth against those Rules yet not so far as to destroy the duty we owe to God or the end of it For instance It is not in the Rulers power to determine whether there shall be Preaching or none true doctrine or false c. But it is in his power to Regulate the circumstances of Time Place c. next to be recited Now if he do these to Order Unity and Edification I will obey him formally and fully for Conscience sake If he so do it as is destructive to the end as is aforesaid as to say You shall meet only at twenty miles distance or only at midnight c. I will obey him no farther than necessity and the common good requireth me If he do it only with a tolerable inconvenience as to say You shall meet no where but in the open fields c. I will obey for Conscience sake as I am in general a subject bound to honour the Magistrate but not as he nameth an unmeet circumstance in that respect my obedience shall be but material I need not handle it as a distinct question Whether Pastors are to be believed or obeyed any farther than they show a Word of God Revealing or Commanding the particular thing Divine faith and obedience is one thing and Humane is another 1. If as a Preacher he say This is Gods word believe it and obey it as such you must believe with a humane faith that it is liker that he knoweth what he faith than you do unless 1. You see evidence 2. Or the consent of more credible persons to be against him and then you are not to believe him at all Even as a Child believeth his Teacher in order to learn the things himself so you are so far to take his word while you are Learning to know whether it be so or not But not to rest in it as certain nor to take your belief of him and obedience to him to be a believing and obeying God formally though a duty Quest. 133. What are the additions or inventions of men which are not forbidden by the Word of God whether by Rulers or by private men invented Answ. THis is handled under the Directions for Worship to which I refer the Reader as also for part of the answer to the former cases Yet here I shall trouble you with so much repetition as to say that 1. Such inventions and additions are lawful as God hath commanded men Rulers Pastors Parents or private persons to make under the regulation of his General Laws 2. All such additions are Lawful as are meerly subordinate and subservient to Gods Laws and Orders and not forbidden by him among the fore-mentioned prohibited additions Instances are many 1. All such modes of a duty as are necessary in genere or one way or other to be determined of but left to humane prudence as to particulars As 1. Whether I shall this Week or Month publish the Gospel by Speaking or by Writing or by Printing 2. Whether I shall use this method or that or another method in this Sermon 3. Whether I shall use these phrases and words or other words 4. Whether I shall use Notes for my memory or not And whether large ones or short ones 5. Whether I shall be an hour or two in preaching 6. Whether I shall preach with a loud voice or a low 7. Whether I shall at this time more endeavour explication or application comfort or terror reprehension or direction c. All which are to be varyed by mans lawful invention according to Gods general Rules 2. It is also lawful and needful that our own Invention or our Superiours according to Gods general Laws do determine of the particular subjects of our office which Scripture doth not particularly determine of viz. 1. Scripture telleth not Ministers what Countrey Parish or Church they shall bestow their Labours in 2. Nor to how many they shall be a Pastor 3. Nor what Text or Subject they shall Preach on 4. Nor what singular persons they shall apply comfort counsel or terrour to this or that 5. Nor whom they shall admit to the Sacrament but by the General Rule or description 6. Nor whom they shall openly rebuke or excommunicate 7. Nor whom they shall absolve It telleth them not who the persons be to whom the Scripture Character doth belong in any of these câ—ses 8. Nor whether the witnesses say truly or falsly who accuse a man 9. Nor whether the accused be to be taken as guilty of Heresie scandal or schism c. 3. It is also a lawful Invention of man to find choose and use such natural Helps as are useful to further us in the obedience of Gods Laws and the practice of his worship and are not forbidden by him Yea in genere they are commanded and yet never particularly determined of in the Scripture As 1. What will clear a preachers voice to speak audibly 2. The advantage of a Pulpit to be above the people 3. The use of Spectacles to them that need them to read the Scripture 4. The translating the Scriptures into our native language 5. Which translation of many we shall use in the Churches 6. The Printing of the Bible 7. The dividing it into Chapters and Verses 8. The Printing of good Books to expound and apply the Scripture Commentaries Sermons c. 9. The â—â—â—â—ms of School-exercises disputations c. to prepare Students for the Ministry and what Books of Diâ—inity Tutors shall read to their Pupils or every Student shall have in his Library 10. The manner and tune of singing Psalms in the Churches 11. What version or metre to use this or that 12. What form of Catechism verbal written or Printed to use among many in the Church or family 13. Whether to pray in the same words often or in various 14. Whether to use words of our own composing or invention primarily or of other mens and that by direction perswasion or command 15. To use a written or Printed form or neither To read it on the Book or speak it by memory 16. To use Scripture forms only of prayer praise Psalms and Hymns or those that are of later composure also 17. To Print the Bible and use it with Marginal Notes and Contents or without 18. To Baptize in a River Well Pool or Font. 19. To have Sponsors or Witnesses of the Parents trustiness and the Childs Covenant or not 20. At how many dayes old Children shall be Baptized 21. Whether they shall be Named in Baptism or before or after 22. Whether one of the Ministers shall be a Tutor or Teacher to the rest that are younger 23. How far the rest shall submit their judgements to one
was an Ecclesiastical Usurper quoad personam that had no true Call to a Lawful Office shall after have a Call or if any thing fall out which shall make it our duty to Consent and Call him then the impediment from his Usurpation is removed 3. It is not lawful though the Civil Magistrate command us to swear obedience even in licitis honestis to such an Usurper whose Office it self is unlawful or forbidden by Christ as he is such an Officer No Protestant thinketh it lawful to swear obedience to the Pope as Pope nor do any that take Lay-Elders to be an unlawful Office think it lawful to swear obedience to them as such 4. If one that is in an unlawful Ecclesiastical Office be also at once in another that is lawful we may swear obedience to him in respect of the Lawful Office So it is Lawful to swear obedience to the Pope in Italy as a Temporal Prince in his own Dominions And to a Cardinal as Richelieu Mazarine Ximenes c. as the Kings Minister exercising a power derived from him So it is lawful for a Tenant where Law and Custome requireth it to swear fidelity to a Lay Elder as his Landlord or Temporal Lord and Master And so the old Non-conformists who thought the English Prelacy an unlawful Office yet maintained that it is Lawful to take the Oath of Canonical obedience because they thought it was imposed by the King and Laws and that we swear to them not as Officers claiming a Divine Right in the Spiritual Government but as Ordinaries or Officers made by the King to exercise so much of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under him as he can delegate according to the Oath of Supremacy in which we all acknowledge the King to be Supream in all Ecclesiastical Causes that is Not the Supream Pastor Bishop or Spiritual Key-bearer or Ruler but the Supream Civil Ruler of the Church who hath the power of the Sword and of determining all things extrinsick to the Pastoral Office and so of the Coercive Government of all Pastors and Churches as well as of other Subjects And if Prelacy were proved never so unlawful no doubt but by the Kings Command we may swear or perform formal obedience to a Prelate as he is the Kings Officer Of the Non-conformists judgement in this read Bradshaw against Canne c. 5. But in such a case no Oath to Inferiours is lawful without the Consent of the Soveraign power or at least against his will 6. Though it be a duty for the flock to obey every Presbyter yet if they would make all the people swear obedience to them all wise and conscionable Christians should dissent from the introduction of such a custome and deny such Oaths as far as lawfully they may that is 1. If the King be against it we must refuse it 2. If he be neutral or meerly passive in it we must refuse unless some apparent necessity for the Churches good require it 1. Because it favoureth of Pride in such Presbyters 2. Because it is a new Custome in the Church and contrary to the antient practice 3. It is not only without any authority given them by Christ that they exact such Oaths but Mat. 22. 4 10. Luke 22. 27 c. Mark 9. 35. 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. 1 Cor. 9. 19. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 5. also contrary to the great humility lowliness and condescension in which he describeth his Ministers who must be Great by being the servants of all 4. And it tendeth to corrupt the Clergy for the future 5. And such new impositions give just reason to Princes and to the People to suspect that the Presbyters are aspiring after some inordinate exaltation or have some ill project for the advancement of themselves 7. But yet if it be not only their own ambition which imposeth it but either the King and Laws command it or necessity require it for the avoidance of a greater evil it may be Lawful and a duty to take an Oath of Obedience to a Lawful Presbyter or Bishop Because 1. It is a ☜ duty to Obey them 2. And it is not forbidden us by Christ to promise or swear to do our duty even when they may sin in demanding such an Oath 8. If an Office be Lawful in the essential parts and yet have unlawful integrals or adjuncts or be abused in exercise it will not by such additions or abuses be made unlawful to swear Obedience to the Officer as such 9. If one Presbyter or Bishop would make another Presbyter or Bishop to swear obedience to him without authority the Case is the same as of the Usurpers before mentioned Quest. 154. Must all our preaching be upon a Text of Scripture Answ. 1. IN many Cases it may be lawful to preach without a Text to make Sacred Orations Act◠2 3. like Greg. Nazianzenes and Homilies like Macarius's Ephrem Syrus's and many other antients and like our own Church-Homilies 2. But ordinarily it is the fittest way to preach upon a Text of Scripture 1. Because it is our Luke 4. 18. very Office to Teach the people the Scripture The Prophets brought a new word or message from God but the Priests did but keep interpret and teach the Law already received And we are not Mal. 2. 7. successors of the inspired Prophets but as the Priests were Teachers of Gods received Word And this practice will help the people to understand our Office 2. And it will preserve the due esteem and reverence of the Holy Scriptures which the contrary practice may diminish Quest. 155. Is not the Law of Moses abrogated and the whole Old Testament out of date and therefore not to be Read publickly and preached on Answ. 1. THe Covenant of Innocency is ceased cessante subditorum capacitate as a Covenant or promise And so are the Positive Laws proper to Adam in that state and to many particular persons since 2. The Covenant mixt of Grace and Works proper to the Jews with all the Jewish Law as such was never made to us or to the rest of the world and to the Jews it is ceased by the coming and perfecter Laws and Covenant of Christ. 3. The Prophecies and Types of Christ and the Promises made to Adam Abraham and others of his Coming in the flesh are all fulfilled and therefore not useful to all the ends of their first making And the many Prophecies of particular things and persons past and gone are accomplished 4. But the Law of Nature is still Christs Law And that Law is much expounded to us in the Old Testament And if God once for another use did say This is the Law of Nature the truth of these words as a Divine Doctrine and Exposition of the Law of Nature is still the same 5. The Covenant of Grace made with Adam and Noah for all mankind is still in force as to the great benefits and main condition that is as to pardon given by it
more congruously and it seems with less offence than we Saith the Geographia Nubiensis aptly There is a certain King dwelling at Rome called the Pope c. when he goeth to describe him Nothing well suites with our function but the pure Doctrine of Salvation Let States-men and Lawyers mind the rest Two things I must apologize for in this Part 1. That it 's maimed by defect of those Directions to Princes Nobles Parliament-men and other Magistrates on whose duty the happiness of Kingdoms Churches and the World dependeth To which I answer that those must teach them whom they will hear while my Reason and experience forbid me as an unacceptable person to speak to them without a special invitation I can bear the Censures of Strangers who knew not them or me I am not so proud as to expect that men so much above me should stoop to read any Directions of mine much less to think me fit to teach them Every one may reprove a poor servant or a beggar It 's part of their priviledge But Great men must not be so much as admonished by any but themselves and such as they will hear At least nothing is a duty which a man hath reason to think is like to do much more harm than good And my own judgement is much against pragmatical presumptuous Preachers who are over-forward to meddle with their Governours or their affairs and think that God sendeth them to reprove persons and things that are strange to them and above them and vent their distastes upon uncertain reports or without a Call 2. And I expect to be both blamed and mis-understood for what I hear say in the Confutation of Mr. Richard Hooker his Political Principles and my Citation of B. Bilson and such others But they must observe 1. That it is not all in Mr. Hookers first and eighth Book which I gainsay but the principle of the Peoples being the fountain of Authority or that Kings receive their Office it self from them with the consequents hereof How far the people have in any Countrys the power of Electing the Persons Families or Forms of Government or how far nature giveth them propriety and the consequents of this I meddle not with at all 2. Nor do I choose Mr. Hooker out of any envy to his name and honour but I confess I do it to let men know truly whose Principles these are And if any causelesly question whether the eighth imperfect Book be in those passages his own let them remember that the sum of all that I confute is in his first Book which is old and highly honoured by you know whom And I will do him the honour and my self the dishonour to confess that I think the far greater number of Casuists and Authors of Politicks Papists and Protestants are on his side and fewest on mine But truth is truth On the subjects duty I am larger because if they will not hear at least I may boldly and freely instruct them If in the later part there be any useful Cases of Conscience left out it is because I could not remember them Farewell A Christian Directory TOM IV. Christian Politicks CHAP. I. General Rules for an Upright Conversation § 1. SOLOMON saith Prov. 10. 9. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely And Perfection and Uprightness are the characters of Iob Chap. 1. 1 8. 2. 3. And in the Scripture to be Upright or Righteous and to walk uprightly and to do righteously are the titles of those that are acceptable to God And by Uprightness is meant not only sincerity as opposed to Hypocrisie but also Rectitude of Heart and Life as opposed to crookedness or sin and this as it is found in various Degrees of which we use to call the lowest degree that is saving by the name of sincerity and the highest by the name of Perfection § 2. Concerning Uprightness of life I shall I. Briefly tell you some of those blessings that should make us all in love with it and II. Give you some necessary Rules of practice § 3. I. Uprightness of heart and life is a certain fruit of the Spirit of Grace and consequently a mark of our Union with Christ and a proof of our acceptableness with God Psal. 7. 10. My defence is of God who saveth the upright in heart Psal. 11. 7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and his countenance doth behold the upright It is a title that God himself assumeth Psal. 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord. Psal. 92. 15. To shew that the Lord is upright He is my rock and no unrighteousness is in him And God-calleth himself the Maker the Director the Protector and the Lover of the upright Eccl. 7. 29. God made man upright Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him will he teach in the way that he shall choose Prov. 2. 7. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly 2. The Upright are the Pillars of humane society that keep up Truth and Iustice in the world without whom it would be but a company of lyers deceivers robbers and enemies that live in constant rapine or â—ostility There were no Trust to be put in one another further than self-interest did oblige men Psal. 15. 1 2. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle Who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart Therefore the wicked and the enemies of Peace and destroyers of Societies are still described as Enemies to the upright Psal. 11. 2 3. For lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do Job 12. 4. The just and upright man is laughed to scorn Psal. 37. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword to slay such as be of upright conversation And indeed it is for the uprights sake that societies are preserved by God as Sodom might have been for ten Lots At least they are under the protection of Omnipotency themselves Isa. 33. 15 16. He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppression that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood that shutteth his eyes from seeing evil He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the Land that is very far off Prov. â—8 10. The upright shall have good things in possession Prov. 14. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish 3. Uprightness affordeth Peace of Conscience and quietness and holy security to the soul. This was Pauls rejoycing the testimony
will be governed on no other terms But if the contract limit them not but they be chosen simply to be the summae Potestates without naming any particular powers either by concession or restraint than as to Ruling they are Absolute as to men and limited only by God from whose highest Power they can never be exempt who in Nature and Scripture restraineth them from all that is impious and unjust against his Laws and honour or against the publick happiness and safety And here also remember that if any shall imagine that God restraineth a Magistrate when it is not so and that the commands of their Governours are contrary to the Word of God when it is no such matter their error will not justifie their disobedience Though I have answered these Passages of this Reverend Author it is not to draw any to undervalue his learned Writings but to set right the Reader in the Principles of his Obedience on which the Practice doth so much depend And I confess that other Authors of Politicks say as much as Mr. Hooker saith both Papists and Protestants but not all nor I think the soundest I will instance now in Alstedius only an excellent person but in this mistaken who saith Encyclop l. 23. Polit. c. 3. p. 178. Populus Universus dignior potior est tum magistratu tum Ephoris Hinc recte docent Doct. Politici populum obtinere regnum jura Majestatis proprietate dominio Principem Ephoros Usu administratione whereas the people have not the Regnum vel jura Majestatis any way at all Si administratores efficium suum facere nolint si impia iniqua mandent si contra dilectionem Dei proximi agant populus propriae salutis curam arripiet imperium male utentibus abrogabit in locum eorum alios substituet Porro Ephori validiora ipso Rege imperia obtinent Principem enim constitâ—â—nt deponunt id quod amplissimum est praeeminentiae argumentum Atque haec prerogativa mutuis pactis stabilitur Interinâ— princeps summam potestatem obtinere dicitur quatenus Ephori administrationem imperii cumulum potestatis ipsi committunt Denique optimatum universorum potestas non est infinita absoluta sed certis veluti rhetris clathris definita utpote non ad propriam libidinem sed ad utilitatem salutem populi alligata Hinc illorum munia sunt Regem designare constituere inaugurare constitutum consiliis auxiliis juvare sine consensu approbatione Principis quamdiu ille suum officium facit nihil in Reipublicae negotiis suscipere Nonnâ—â—quam conventum inscio Principe agere necessitate reipublicae exigente Populum contra omnis generis turbatores violatores defendere I suppose Mr. Hookers Principles and Alstedius's were much the same I will not venture to recite the Conclusion cap. 12. pag. 199. R. 5. de resistendo Tyranno Many other Authors go the same way and say that the people have the Majestas Realis both Papists and Protestants and Heathens But I suppose that what I have said against Hooker will serve to shew the weakness of their grounds Though it is none of my purpose to contradict either Hooker or any other so far as they open the odiousness of the sin of Tyranny which at this day keepeth out the Gospel from the far greatest part of the world and is the greatest enemy to the Kingdom of Christ nor yet as they plead for the just Liberties of the People But I am not for their Authority § 24. Direct 2. Begin with an Absolute Universal resolved Obedience to God your Creator and Redeemer Direct 2. who is your Soveraign King and will be your final righteous Iudge As he that is no loyal Subject to the King can never well obey his Officers so he that subjecteth not his soul to the Original Power of his Creator can never well obey the Derivative Power of earthly Governours Object But you may say experience teacheth us that many ungodly people are obedient to their superiours as well as others I answer Materially they are but not Formally and from a right principle and to right ends As a Rebel against the King may obey a Justice of Peace for his own Ends as long as he will let him alone or take his part But not formally as he is the Kings Officer So ungodly men may flatter Princes and Magistrates for their own ends or on some low and by account but not sincerely as the Officers of God He is not like to be truly obedient to man that is so foollish dishonest and impious as to rebel against his Maker nor to obey that authority which he first denyeth in its Original and first efficient cause What ever Satan and his servants may say and however some hypocrites may contradict in their practices the Religion which they profess yet nothing is more certain than that the most serious godly Christians are the best subjects upon earth As their principles themselves will easily demonstrate § 25. Direct 3. Having begun with God obey your Governours as the Officers of God with an obedience Direct 3. ultimately Divine All things must be done in Holiness by the Holy That is God must be Greg. Nazianz. cited by Bilson of Subject p. 361. Thou reignest together with Christ Thou rulest with him Thy Sword is from him Thou art the Image of God discerned obeyed and intended in all And therefore in Magistrates in a special manner In two respects Magistrates are obeyed or rather flattered by the ungodly First as they are men that are able to do them corporal good or hurt As a Horse or Dog or other Bruit will follow you for his belly and loveth to be where he fareth best Secondly As the Head of his Party and encourager of him in his evil way when he meets with Rulers that will be so bad Wicked men Love wicked Magistrates for being the servants of Satan But faithful men must Honour and Obey a Magistrate as an Officer of God Even a Magistrate as a Magistrate and not only as Holy is an Officer of the Lord of all Therefore the fifth Commandment is as the hinge of the two Tables Many of the Antients thought that it was the last Commandment of the first Table and the Moderns think it is the first Comandment of the last Table For it commandeth our duty to the noblest sort of men but not meerly as men but as the Officers of God They debase Magistrates that look at them meerly as those that master other men as the strongest Beast doth by the weaker Nothing will make you sincere and constant in your honouring and obeying them but taking them as the Officers of God and remembring by whose commission they rule and whose work they do that They are Ministers of God to us for good Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. If you do not this 1. You wrong God whose servants they are For he
vindication of your right may violate Charity and Peace and inflame his passion and kindle your own and hurt both your souls and draw you into other sins and cost you dearer than your right was worth Whereas your patience and yieldingness and submission and readiness to serve another and to let go your own for Peace and Charity may shame him or melt him and prevent contention and keep your own and the publick peace and may shew the excellency of your Holy Religion and win mens souls to the Love of it that they may be saved Therefore instead of exacting or vindicating your utmost right set light by your corporal sufferings and wrongs and study and labour with all your power to excel in Charity and to do good to all and to stoop to any service to another and humble your selves and exercise patience and give and lend according to your abilities and pretend no◠justice against the great duties of Charity and Patience So that here is forbidden both violent and legal revenge for our Corporal abuses when the Law of Charity or Patience is against it But this disobligeth not Magistrates to do Justice or men to seek it in any of the Cases mentioned in the seven first Propositions § 25. Quest. 3. Am I bound to forgive another if he ask me not forgiveness The reason of the Quest. 3. question is because Christ saith Luke 17. 3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Answ. In the resolving of this while some have barely affirmed and others denyed for want of distinguishing they have said worse than nothing It is necessary that we distinguish 1. Between the forgiving of an enemy and of a stranger and of a neighbour and of a brother as such 2. Between the several penalties to be remitted as well as revenges to be forborn And so briefly the case must be thus resolved Prop. 1. An Enemy a stranger and a neighbour as such must be forgiven in the cases before asserted though they ask not forgiveness nor say I repent For 1. Many other Scriptures absolutely require it 2. And forgiving them as such is but the continuing them in our common charity as men or neighbours that is our not endeavouring to ruine them or do them any hurt and our hearty desiring and endeavouring their good according to their capacities or ours And thus far we must forgive them Prop. 2. A Brother must be also thus far forgiven though he say not I repent that is we must Love him as a man and wish and endeavour his good to our power Prop. 3. A Brother as a Brother is not to be so forgiven as to be restored to our estimation and affection and usage of him as a Brother either in spiritual account or intimate special Love and familiarity as long as he is Impenitent in his gross offences and that is till he turn again and say I repent A Natural Brother is still to be Loved as a Natural Brother For that kind of Love dependeth not on his honesty or repentance But 1. A Brother in a Religious sense 2. Or a bosome familiar friend are both unfit for to be received in these capacities till they are penitent for gross offences Therefore the Church is not to pardon the Impenitent in point of Communion nor particular Christians to pardon them in their esteem and carriage Nor am I bound to take an unfit person to be my bosome friend to know my secrets Therefore if either of these offend I must not forgive them that is by forgiveness continue them in the respect and usuage of this brotherhood till they Repent And this first especially is the Brother mentioned in the Text. § 26. Quest. 4. Is it lawful to sue a Brother at Law The reason of the question is from the Quest. 4. words of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 7. There is utterly a fault among you because ye go to Law one with another Why do you not rather take wrong Why do you not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded Answ. 1. Distinguish betwixt going to Law before Heathens or other enemies to the Christian Religion and before Christian Magistrates 2. Between going to Law in malice for revenge and going meerly to seek my right or to seek the suppression and reformation of sin 3. Between going to Law when you are bound to forgive and when you are not 4. And between going to Law in haste and needlesly and going to Law as the last remedy in case of necessity when other means fail 5. And between going to Law when the hurt is like to be greater than the benefit and going to Law when it is likely to do good There is a great deal of difference between these cases § 27. Prop. 1. Christians must rather suffer wrong than go to Law before the enemies of Religion when it is like to harden them and to bring Christianity into contempt Prop. 2. It is not lawful to make Law and Justice the means of private unlawful revenge nor to vent our malice nor to oppress the innocent Prop. 3. When ever I am bound to forgive the trespass wrong or debt then it is unlawful to seek my own at Law For that is not forgiving Prop. 4. There are many other remedies which must first be tryed ordinarily before we go to Law As 1. To rebuke our neighbour for his wrong and privately to desire necessary reparations 2. To take two or three to admonish him or to refer the matter to Arbitrators or in some cases to a lott And if any make Law their first remedy needlesly while the other means should first be used it is a sin Prop. 5. It is not lawful to go to Law-sutes when prudence may discern that the hurt which may come by it will be greater than the benefit either by hardning the person or disturbing our selves or scandalizing others against Religion or drawing any to wayes of unpeaceableness and revenge c. The foreseen consequents may over-rule the case § 28. But on the other side Prop. 1. It is lawful to make use of Christian Judicatories so it be done in a lawful manner yea and in some cases of the Judicatories of Infidels Prop. 2. The suppressing of sin and the defending of the innocent and righting of the wronged being the duty of Governours it is lawful to seek these benefits at their hands Prop. 3. In cases where I am not obliged to forgive as I have shewed before some such there be I may justly make use of Governours as the Ordinance of God Prop. 4. The order and season is when I have tryed other means in vain When perswasion or arbitration will do no good or cannot be used with hope of success Prop. 5. And the great condition to prove it lawful is
the Preacher hath publickly delivered the Word of God to the Assembly if you would so far second him as in your daily converse to set it home on the hearts of those that you have opportunity to discourse with how great an assistance would it be to his success Though he must teach them publickly and from house to house yet is it not possible for him to be so frequent and familiar in daily conference Act. 20. with all the ignorant of the place as those that are still with them may be You are many and he is but one and can be but in one place at once Your business bringeth you into their company when he cannot be there Oh Happy is that Minister who hath such a people who will daily preach over the matter of his publick Sermons in their private conference with one another Many hands make quick work This would most effectually prevail against the powers of darkness and cast out Satan from multitudes of miserable souls § 11. Mot. 11. Yea when Ministers are wanting through scarcity persecution or unâ—aithfulness and negligence the peoples holy profitable conference would do much towards the supplying of that want There have few places and ages of the World been so happy but that learned able faithful Pastors have been so few that we had need to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth more And it is nothing unusual to have those few silenced or hindered from the Preaching of the Gospel by the factions or the malignity of the World And it is yet more common to have ignorant or ungodly persons in that office who betray the peoples souls by their usurpation impiety or slothfulness But if in all such wants the people that fear God would do their part in private conference it would be an excellent supply Ministers may be silenced from publick preaching when you cannot be silenced from profitable discourse § 12. Mot. 12. It is a duty that hath many great advantages for success 1. You may choose your season If one time be not fit you may take another 2. You may choose the person whom you find to have the greatest necessity or capacity and where your labour is likelyest to take 3. You may choose your subject and speak of that which you find most suitable There is no restraint nor imposition upon you to hinder your liberty in this 4. You may choose your arguments by which you would enforce it 5. Interlocutory conference keepeth your auditors attentive and carryeth them on along with you as you go And it maketh the application much more easie by their neerness and the familiarity of the discourse when Sermons are usually heard but as an insignificant sound or words of course 6. You may at your pleasure go back and repeat those things which the hearer doth not understand or doth forget which a Preacher in the Pulpit cannot do without the censure of the more curious auditors 7. You may perceive by the answers of them whom you speak to what particulars you need most to insist on and what objections you should most carefully resolve and when you have satisfied them and may proceed all which it is hard for a Minister to do in publick Preaching And is it not a great sin to neglect such an advantageous duty § 13. Mot. 13. And it should somewhat encourage you to it that it is an unquestionable duty when many other are brought into Controversie Ministers Preach under the regulation of humane Laws and Canons and it is a great Controversie with many whether they should Preach when they are silenced or forbidden by their superiours But whether you may speak for God and for mens salvation in your familiar conference no man questioneth nor doth any Law forbid it § 14. Mot. 14. Hath not the fruitful conference of others in the dayes of your ignorance done good to you Have you not been instructed convinced perswaded and comforted by it What had become of you if all men had let you alone and past you by and left you to your selves And doth not Justice require that you do good to others as others have done to you in the use of such a tryed means § 15. Mot. 15. Consider how forward the Devils servants are to plead his cause How readily and fiercely will an ignorant drunken sot pour out his reproaches and scorns against Religion and speak evil of the things which he never understood How zealously will a Papist or Heretick or Schismatick promote the interest of his sect and labour to proselyte others to his party And shall we be less zealous and serviceable for Christ than the Devils servants are for him and do less to save souls than they will do to damn them § 16. Mot. 16. Nay in the time of your sin and ignorance if you have not spoken against Religion nor taught others to curse or swear or speak in ribbald filthy language yet at least you have spent many an hour in idle fruitless talk And doth not this now oblige you to shew your Repentance by more fruitful conference Will you since your Conversion speak as unprofitably as you did before § 17. Mot. 17. Holy conference will prevent the guilt of foolish idle talk Men will not be long silent but will talk of somewhat And if they have not profitable things to talk of they will prate of vanity All the foolish chat and frothy jeasts and scurrilous ribbaldry and envious backbiting which taketh up mens time and poisoneth the hearers is caused by their want of edifying discourse which should keep it out The rankest wits and tongues will have most weeds if they be not cultivated and taught to bear a better crop § 18. Mot. 18. Your tongues will be instrumental to publick good or publick hurt When filthy vain and impious language is grown common it will bring down common plagues and judgements And if you cross not the custome you seem to be consenters and harden men in their sin But holy conference may at least shew that some partake not of the evil and may free them from the Plague if they prevail not with others so far as to prevent it Mal. 3. 16 17 18. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him § 19. Mot. 19. Consider what great necessity there is every where of fruitful edifying speech 1. In the multitude of the ignorant and the greatness of their ignorance 2. The numbers of the sensual and obstinate 3. The power of blindness and of every sin What root it hath taken in the most of men 4. The multitude of baits which are every where before them