Reconciliation For he is our peace Eph. 2.14 who hath made both one and hath broken down the Middle Wall of Partition between us to reconcile both unto God c. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus SECTION VI. II. On God the Father's Part. VVe see in all Arts and Crafts that by what Art and Cunning a thing is made at first by the same it is repaired when fallen to decay As a Ruinous house is repaired best by the Carpenter that built it At the first Creation God was the Carpenter of the World the Workman that wrought Man out of the Earth as the Potter worketh his Clay God the Son was the Wisdom of his Father the Art whereby the World was made All things were made by him Joh. 1.3 10. and without him was not any thing made that was made For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible Whether they be Thrones or Dominions Col. 1.16 c. or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist And he is the head of the Body the Church who is the Beginning the First-born from the dead that in all things he might have the Preheminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven SECTION VII III. On the Son's Part. When we repair a thing we do but reduce it to the form which it had at first As when our Plate is battered or broken we re-fashion it according to the first Mold Man was first made according to the Image of God by Sin that Image was decayed God repaired by his Son who was his Image So being made conformable to the Image of the Son we are thereby made conformable to the Image of the Father So that as Creation came when Man was fashioned after the Image of God so Re-creation and Redemption came when the Image of God was fashioned into Man to fashion Man again after the Image of God SECTION VIII IV. On Man's Part 1. In respect of his First Transgression 2. In respect of his Redemption 1. In respect of his First Transgression If ye will eat of the Tree of Knowledge saith Satan ye shall be as Gods he meant not in Nature but in Wisdom Gen. 3.6 for the Tree was to be desired to make one wise Now see the Wit of Man he reacheth at this Wisdom eats of the Fruit and thereupon is sick to death Now the Rule in Physick is to cure by Contraries So then as Death came when the Folly of Man exalted himself to the likeness of God so to bring Life the Wisdom of God humbled himself to the Likeness of Man 2. In respect of Man's Redemption The End of Man's Redemption was that Man should be made the Son of God When we would alter any thing from some Quality that it hath already to a more noble nature we apply it to an Agent which actually enjoyeth that noble form which we desire should be transferred to our matter As when one would induce the quality of heat into Water we oppose it to the Fire which hath that innate quality more noble than any other thing so Man being to be made the Son of God it was fittest that the Son of God should qualifie him for that dignity because the Son of God hath that Prerogative already and on whomsoever he works he must needs transform them to the Sons of God As the Fire turns all things to its self God being best pleased with his own Son might best by him become pleased with Man for who could better convey God's Love than the Son who was God's best beloved Now the Woman hath her longing and so hath the Man It was their Ambition to be like God Gen. 3.21 The Man is become like one of us These words in story then spoken become a Truth now Man is become as God as one of the Trinity because one of the Trinity is become as Man If God becomes like Man then Man becomes like God even as every true Copy is like the Original If the Saints be like the Angels then the Angels are like them If my Picture be like me then am I like my Picture and it is more than like it is the very same Man is as verily the Son of God as the Son of God is very Man The change on God's side makes the like on Man's Joh. 1.12 The Son of God being made Man makes Man the Son of God God gave his Son to be Man's Son and took Man's Son to be his Son This St. Paul calls our Adoption whereby we are translated from the Family and Power of Satan into the Liberty of the Children of God As the Adopted Son changeth his Family being exempted from the Power of his Natural Father and made Son to him that adopted him And hereby our Right and Estate in Heaven is equal with our Saviour's who is the Natural Son of God as the Adopted Son hath the same Title to his Father's Inheritance with the Natural Son And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him Ro. 8.17 that we may be also glorified together And here I will stop and take breath being tired with speculation of such Wonderful Dispensations not as though I had already attained unto the depth of these Mysteries or could attain unto it but I admire and aspire to comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth and length and breadth of this Love of God which passeth all knowledge The CONTENTS Christ sole Mediator God is one All Nations Sinners Jews and Gentiles made one Christ a Soveraign Mediator Testament includes a Covenant Wherein Christ's Mediatorship consists Mediator and Testator how concurring TITLE III. Of the Mediatorship of Christ THIS is that most Excellent Divine and Humane Person Transition Christ sole Mediator that was only worthy and willing and accordingly did take upon him that transcendent Office and Dignity to be more than any Men or Angels could be even the sole and soveraign Mediator between God and Man 1. Because God is one Gal. 3.20 Reasons of it God is one God is said to be one for his Nature and Subsistence for his Duration or Eternity for his Fidelity of Promise and Performance But in this sense He is one in the New Testament because he is one and the same God to the Jews and to the Gentiles with whom he hath made this one Everlasting Testament He is to them a Father who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he is a Justifier of them by one Faith Is God the God of
of God have been thoughts of love and kindness in him all along from the beginning of the world but especially in the days of the Gospel And that God's love was always to mankind though not so clearly demonstrated as it is now by Christ How therefore this frowning face of terrors and amazements in his dealings here giving mortals no rest for the little space he hath afforded them to stay in this world and plunging them into eternal torments in the world to come can consist with the gentleness and justice of his nature I can in no wise be satisfied I am not able to conceive of a good Prince but that he will be always careful to preserve the lives and fortunes of his good Subjects and use all possible means to reduce the rebellions and still to be sparing of the blood of his People even where his Justice calls for it Nay every petty King of a Town or Family will do the same within the circuit of his power How much more then shall the Great and Gracious not only Potentate but Creator and Redeemer of the World hover over his poor creatures and servants for good and be infinitely and therefore inexpressibly tender of their Temporal and Eternal Wellfare But I am told that God reprobates the far greatest part of the world to shew the Glory of his Justice and absolute Soveraignty over his creatures And here I must cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the Depth and if I be one of these Cast-aways must be as the rest contented and for ever silent 'T is true I must if so and there can be no help for it nor must Mortals complain for who art thou O Man that thou shouldest dispute against God But how these men more than others of equal judgments should come to this pitch of Knowledg to determine this thing thus I cannot imagine nor whence they had this revelation And how this agrees with God's declaration of himself to be willing that all men should be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth and not to delight in the death of any Sinner will put them to a stand Well however it is I am sure that God is good and if God hath given men reason to understand what is Justice and Mercy how the wisdom of God though infinitely above should be as infinitely contrary to this our humane understanding will be very hard to conceive Still Justice is Justice and Mercy is Mercy in God or Man though in vast differences of degrees We shall never know how but we may always know that God is Just and can and will do us no wrong I take the safest side therefore I hope if I interpret humbly all his dispensations though seemingly never so harsh to be cum favore that if he do as certainly he does severely punish yet he will as graciously reward those that fear him for all their miseries in this life And if God inflicts as he doth the same Calamnities now under the Gospel as he did before under the Law yet it is in a different manner in the Church's Majority from what it was in her Minority And that though the former Dispensation was in wrath yet now it is in Grace and was always just Well let the Inhabitants of the earth work righteousness as well as they can and trust God for his Mercies and through the tender mercies of God they shall be sure never to miscarry I am certain Grace is Grace and above Wrath though I suffer never so much And that God does not dodgenor lie upon the catch with mankind to destroy them but rather waits for their conversion to save them I will trust in God therefore though I am never able to understand the reasons of his workings From henceforth I will never go about to measure the depths of God's Providences by the shallowness of my comprehensions I will be meditating and doing good and leave all to God But it is high time to leave this dreadful Subject of mis-representing God in his Counsels so fatal to mankind Gospel-Dispensations Let us see what other mis-understandings there are of God's Dispensations God was pleased suitably to the non-age of the Church to address himself very much to the lower faculties of the Soul and the outward senses that were nearest to them and did most affect them Therefore he ordained splendid Types solemn services and many miracles as the pillar of a Cloud and of Fire the walls of water in the Red Sea the burning Mount Sinai the tabernacle and rays of Glory visible therein the Temple c. But they which look for any such apparent Expressions of Divinity now mistake the Genius of a Gospel-Dispensation to a Church Adult and capable of higher Administrations All things since Christ's coming are managed in a sedate smooth and serene temper The mysteries of the Gospel came forth in plain and intelligible forms of Speech from Mount Sion without drawing the Soul into Raptures and Extasies of amazements God doth not fright men into heaven by visible Terrours God expects now a reasonable Service a Judicious Religion acted by the Spirit of Love and of a sound mind under the Graces Truths and Glories of a Gospel-state for ever to endure This Spirit of the Gospel arriving to our Spirits in this aimable and winning manner creates a generous Spirit above the Evils or Goods in this world resolved to go through them and overcome them and settle upon absolute Eternal Goodness When men's hopes and fortunes are most embarqued in the Ship of this World without Faith They are in continual fears of Shipwrack because then all is lost that is before their sense But when men's hopes and fortunes are all embarqued in one bottom of Divine Faith they are in continual Hopes and Assurances of arrival in the Haven of Glory because then all is found that was before their Spirit in the Eye of Faith This Hope so full of glorious and blessed Immortality hath supported the spirits of such as live by their Faith better than all the Fatality of the Stoicks or the Jollity of the Epicureans These can look Sin and Death in the face by the Spirit and not be daunted by the Flesh The high Religion of the Gospel teacheth higher things than ever that of Moses or the Law of Nature or Nations or Philosophy could do Reformation This great Reformation of Religion in the World Christ declared plainly to the woman of Samaria requiring of him as a Prophet to tell her the place of worship whether it was not to be upon Mount Gerizim in Samaria where the Fathers had worshiped and not in Jerusalem as the Jews believed Upon this occasion he told her that neither she nor the Samaritans her Country-men nor the Jews nor yet the Gentiles of the World should from that time ever trouble themselves about the place or manner of Divine worship For it should be neither confined to Samaria nor Judea but should
descends to an Heir by Nature and Law An inheritance of Feudum falls to an Heir as to his Ancestors by Grace and Faith SECT V. Church Militant 1. The state of the Church Militant is the state of a Feudal Kingdom Where Christ is the Liege Lord and the Faithful are his Subjects 1 Cor. 15.25 Christ must Rule till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him and deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all in all In the mean while the Faithful hold their Right by fighting against the World the Flesh and the Devil A Tenure devisable temporal on Earth The Kingdom of Grace is Feudum SECT VI. Church Triumphant 2. The state of the Church Triumphant is the state of an Allodial Kingdom where all are Kings A Tenure indefeasible eternal in heaven No longer faith but fruition Subjects all Kings Fear not little flock it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom A kingdom of Saints O thou King of Saints A kingdom of Priests The kingdom of Glory is Allodium God hath made Christ both Lord and King over all his Church and all power is given unto him both in Heaven and Earth At his Name every knee must bow both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Let all the Angels of God worship him Let the Kings of the earth kiss the Son and fall down at his feet Christs Kingdom is in Fee from his Father The Church holds in Fee under Christ All things are theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods and God is all in all SECT VII Tenure of heaven Conditional The Tenures of the Church much resembles the Tenures of the World which are conditional 1. Upon Investiture of Homage by oath 2. Upon Tenure by faith and love 3. Upon payment of the Canon or Reserve of Rent for acknowledgment of the Lords propriety 4. Upon Melioration or Jure Emphyteuseos 5. Upon service in Peace or War as the Lord shall require 6 Upon Renovation or renewing the right of Succession All which exactly correspond with 1. Baptism an investiture of Homage vowed and promised 2. Faith or Covenant with God performed 3. Obedience or Rent of acknowledgment of our Selves and our Estates to Gods service and the Poors good 4. Improvement of our Talent by trade and employment in bettering our Spiritual estate 5. Constant service to our great Lord in all conditions whensoever he shall require 6. Renewing our Oath Homage Faith and Allegiance in the holy Eucharist There is a Knights Tenure when the Lord requires the presence of his Tenant to serve him in warfare and battel abroad There is a Soccage Tenure when the Lord commandeth the presence of his Tenant to attend at the plough and other husbandry at home There is a Rent of Mony and a rent of Works and a rent of Love SECT VIII The best Tenures are those that hold immediately of God Holding of God As 1. The Crown Lands that hold of God for the service of Rule 2. The Church Lands which hold of God for the service of Worship So both Crown and Altar hold of God So no man hath any direct Estate in and from himself but as Sons of God we have an Inheritance in Gavel kind after the custom of the old Germans that made all Children alike So we all inherit together only mans Children have but each a part of the inheritance but Gods have the whole to every one Res Domanii as they speak uniuntur Dominio alienari non possunt The Lords own proper Estate which he hath reserved to himself is united to the Lordship it self and cannot be alienated from it because none are absolute Lords but he So Gods properties of Omniscience Omnipotence Omnipresence Honour Worship c. cannot be given to another besides Christ who is not another but one with his Father and his Father with him The nature of Man aspires to be as God sole and absolute in their persons and estates as Kings Gods to themselves They that maintain their own Righteousness and Blessedness to be due to them by their own merits to depend upon none but their own worth would be such This was the old temptation Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil But the Tenure of Feuds teaches us humility to depend upon God for all to be nothing in our selves and to have nothing but what we have received of Grace altogether not of Debt therefore no Allodium no boasting in the case The littleness and nothingness of the Creature advances the greatness and allness of the Creatour It is our honour to honour God our righteousness to acknowledge Gods righteousness our riches to acknowledge Gods riches our wisdom to acknowledge Gods wisdom and so God and Christ are made unto us all our righteousness riches and wisdom a Tenure of Grace I judge it the greatest badge of Soveraignty and Principality for the supream Monarch to be the sole Lord and Proprietary of all the Land and People therein as well as the sole Commander of all And surely this Absolute Dominion is most like unto God Absolute Dominion and though those men which we call Barbarians brought this form of Rule and Right into the world yet we are not to despise it but look upon it as from God and the greatest resemblance of Gods Power and Love and the subjection of his Creatures that ever was SECT IX A middle Government it was between the tyranny of the East Feuds a middle Government and the popularity of the West and better than both In this the Prince is most like unto God and his Subjects to the Saints for if Subjects should have Land in Allodium and owe no service for it they should be no longer Subjects but quasi Princes But now they are Subjects and Beneficiaries and their service is freedom and honourable only let Kings look to their Power that they be no Tyrants as God is not but Fathers as God is and let Subjects look to their service that they be no Rebels as the Saints are not but Children as the Saints are This is the constitution of Christs Church and Kingdom 1. They are all Souldiers so they must not be idle nor fearful but all must watch and be ready upon all occasions to fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil 2. They must all love their Lord Captain and King and be at his call 3. They must all love one another and help one another as they fight together and are partakers of the same grace together and aim at the same glory SECT X. Christ sole Judge Of this Church and Kingdom Christ is the Head and Judge As all things so all power and all judgment are Christs Christ is the Judge of the faith and
matters of Fact to be evident to all that have their senses rightly disposed and exercised upon them and are really infallible as to sense We understand matters of Right to be open to all Understandings that are rightly disposed and exercised upon them and are really infallible as to Reason We understand matters of Positive Law concerning Rights grounded upon Nature's Law to be clear to all Judgments that are rightly disposed and exercised upon them and are jurally infallible as to Justice The Judg judges of these Rights or Wrongs according to the sense of the Law as it stands before him and according to the Scope Analogy and Proportion of the whole Law as it is apprehended and digested by him and this is adjudged to be Law by wise Respondents Thus he does Jus dicere declares what is right according to Law as well as he can which it may be is not right in it self but it must be taken for right till it appear to be wrong lest we should run in infinitum and never determine at all For Praetor Jus dicit etiamsi iniquum dixerit And if the Supreme Power confirms it there is no appeal but to God we must rest satisfied And this is all that can be done by Men when all is done And this Subjects must stand to as to their practise not as to their judgments altogether so long as they are not plainly and diametrically against Faith and a good Life concerning which the Scriptures give us the best account Now though Men may presume to judg of the mind of the Laws of Men because they make them themselves and so do know their own meanings Yet what Man or Society of Men dare presume to judg of the mind of the Laws of God who is his own Law-maker and so does know his own meaning But God will reveal his Mind and Will to those that humbly seek to him for it and so they shall judg for themselves according to the judgments which God hath given them in Nature and upon their right using of the same according to what he shall further illuminate them by Grace But who shall presume uncontrollably to judg for others by imposing his Sentiments upon them though they may in the mean time command his outward Man yet I cannot tell how they can command his inward Mind and Will for that it must be best at last to leave every Man to God and his own Conscience still keeping obedience and peace both in Church and State SECT IV. 1. So there is no Absolute Supreme Power and Law-maker but God Collections He is the Judg of all the Earth and so he doth whatsoever pleases him and the Judg of the World must needs do right 2. Thus God hath left us a Law written not only without us but within us which is the Word of God and that is it that we must judg our selves by and shall be judg'd of God by at the last day and in this Word by his Grace we will trust Unusquisque cui veritas est cordi qui salutis suae est avidus ex Scripturis tantum haurire potest quantum ad ipsum in vitae aeternae viâ dirigendum sufficit The Ball of contention if both sides give way may be tost up and down to and fro for ever and we never the wiser Disputes are endless but we have no such custom neither the Churches of God We will labour to understand as well as we can and do as well we can and use all the good helpes we can and pray for pardon in all our failings and judg no body but our selves and this we hope will be our safety and peace And this is all we can or will say for this is our judgment but God knows better And for ought I can learn from all the Controversies about this Point when all is done every one must judg for himself as well as he can and God for us all The CONTENTS Transition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heresy Sect. Separation Christian Society Corruptions Sectaries How Hereticks are to be dealt with Rules for Hereticks TITLE VI. Of Heresy Transition THIS Title to enrich this Volume I thought fit to add concerning Heresy so long and so lowdly cry'd out upon and cursed in the Church and Kingdom of Christ For which reason it will not be amiss to venture to say something in description of this ugly Monster like the Giants feign'd of old to disturb the World and boldly threaten to pull Jupiter out of his Throne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Sect as it is for the most part rendred in our last English Translation and in that published Ann. 1570 as also in Tindals and Coverdals Translation and also in the Italian and French in the Text or Margin Heresy Heresy is vulgarly taken for an obstinate error repugnant to some fundamental Article of the Christian Faith But the word Heresy mentioned in the Scripture is never taken in that sense to signifie such an error in the Judgment which can never have a will or appetite to erre But since the time of the Apostles it is that this odious sense hath been imposed upon the word Heresy by means whereof that sense which the word constantly bears in Scripture is perverted and generally mistaken For wheresoever the word Sect is mentioned in our last English Translation Sect. there the word of the Holy Ghost in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Heresy See Acts 3.17 and Acts 15.5 and Acts 24.5 and Acts 26.5 and Acts 28.22 And wheresoever the word Heresy is mentioned in the said Translation there the thing to be understood according to the true and right sense of the Scripture is Sect. See Acts 24.14 Wherefore after the way which they call Heresy it should be translated after the way which they call a Sect for the words are an answer of St. Paul to the Charge of Tertulius the Orator who had inform'd against him That he was a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens in the former part of that Chapter ver 5. and in both verses the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in both verses it is rendred Sect by the Italian and French Translations See 1 Cor. 11.19 Wherefore there must be also heresies amongst you it should be translated There must be also Sects amongst you And there in our last English Translation Sects is put in the Margin and that with good reason For the words are a reason why S. Paul did partly believe that there were Schisms or Divisions among the Corinthians namely because of the conditional necessity of such Divisions or Sects for the manifestation of them that are approv'd and this is yet farther manifest from their separations which they made in the Church where being assembled for the Communion every one took before his own Supper apart ver 21. which supping apart argued them Sectaries And
married his second Cousin and that is more than can be said against it St. Austin and St. Ambrose favoured not the marriage of first Cousins yet they judged them lawful Ambr. l. 8. Epist Aug. de Civ Dei l. 15. c. 16. L. celebrandis C. de Nuptiis And this is answer enough for such a trifling Objection The CONTENTS Computation of Degrees Vnjust Marriages Stemma Cognationis Right line Ascending Right line Descending Line transverse equal Line transverse unequal TITLE X. Of the Degrees of Consanguinity or kindred by Blood THE degrees of Consanguinity and their different Computations between the Civilians and Canonists are better understood by the inspection of a Pedigree than by writing or speaking Yet Justinian gives very good directions Inst l. 3. T. de Nuptiis and L. 3. Tit. 6. De gradibus Cognatorum The first Degree of Consanguinity is in the Right Line ascending and Degree 1 descending where all degrees of that Line are forbidden So that upwards a man may not marry his Mother Grandmother or great Grandmother c. And downwards he may not marry his Daughter Granddaughter nor great Granddaughter c. The Reason is Because in all these Cases one of the parties is a Parent Reason or a Child by blood that is The woman is either a Mother or a Daughter to the man This was Lots Incest and Reubens Incest v. Gen. 19.33 Gen. 25.22 Instances Gen. 38.10 Lev. 18.7 c. Lev. 20.11 12 c. Ez. 22.13 Am. 2.6 The second Degree of Consanguinity is in the Side-line equal in which Degree 2 all Propinquity or Nearness by blood is forbidden to the second or third degree only Reason The Reason is Because Propinquity or Nearness consisteth but in two or three degrees as he is my near Neighbour that dwelleth but two or three houses from me And the Levitical Law reckons propinquity or nearness no farther than the third degree the rest she accounts remote So that in the second degree of the side equal or collateral Line the Civilians compute in that Line no first degree at all a man may not marry his Sister nor his Sisters daughter c. for she is his near kinswoman either by the whole blood or by the half blood Reason The Reason is because in all these cases the Parties are alwaies Brother and Sister that is the Woman is alwaies sister to the Man and the Man brother to the Woman by blood Instances This was Ammons incest with Tamar his sister by the half blood for they were both Children to David by several Ventres Degree 3 The third degree is in the side unequal Line or Linage upwards or downwards In which upwards a man may not marry his Aunt nor great Aunt c. And downwards a man may not marry his Neece or his Neeces daughter c. As when upwards I lie with my Aunt whether she be my Fathers sister or my Mothers sister by blood or downwards I lie with my Neece whether she be my Brothers daughter or my Sisters daughter The Reason is because in all these cases the Woman is either still Aunt Neece to the man Reason SECT I. The Computation of Degrees in the Right line and Side line Computation of Degrees 1. The first degree in the Right line is from me to my Father or Grandfather and all my Parents upward or from me to my Daughter or Grand-daughter and all my Children downward 2. The second degree in the Side line equal is from me upward to my Father one degree and from my Father downward to his daughter which is my sister two degrees Reason Now the Reason why in the Side line the Computation proceedeth not directly from me to my sister but fetcheth a compass about upwards and downwards and passeth through our Parents is because the Consanguinity between me and my sister is not immediate proximous and prime in their first degree but mediate propinquous and secondary through and by the means of two common Parents For no Blood is derived or passed from me to my sister nor from her to me Reason but Blood is derived or passed from our Parents to each of us and in us their blood is parted My Mother therefore who derives her blood to me immediately must needs be more Consanguineous or nearer of kin to me than my sister who derives no blood at all to me but only takes part of the same blood with me And my Daughter who derives her blood immediately from me must needs be more Consanguineous or nearer of kin to me than my sister who derives no blood at all from me but only takes part of the same blood with me My Mother therefore upwards and my Daughter downwards are the Females of nearest Consanguinity or kindred to me and therefore they make the first degree for that which in order is the nearest or next to me must needs be the first from me And consequently my Sister being not so near to me in consanguinity kindred or blood as is my Mother and Daughter cannot be computed in the first degree and therefore must either be in the second degree or in a degree more remote or else in no degree at all Hence it is that in many accurate Pedigrees the Lines are drawn and visibly expressed in the Right line or linage only and they are drawn downwards only according to the descent from the Parents to the Children Because the course of the blood which makes Consanguinity Reason passeth only by descent downwards but Sideward in the Side-line or linage no lines at all are visibly drawn and expressed because the blood hath no passage at all that way for there was none at all neither from the Brother to the Sister nor from her to him So that they partake not of one anothers blood but both partake alike of their Parents blood which descends in common to them both and in them is parted into several channels making several descents Yet for computation sake there are lines conveyed sideward in the side-line or linage not lines real and visible but only imaginative and putative such as Astronomers conceive to be in Heaven and Geographers on Earth calling them Meridians or Parallels which are no realities visible or sensible but only imaginations or fictions in Astronomy or Geography The third degree Sideward in the side-line unequal is thus for my Degree 3 Uncle or Aunt From me to my Father or Mother upwards is one degree then from my father and mother to their father and mother or my Grandfather or Grandmother is two degrees then downwards to the son or daughter of my Grandfather or Grandmother which is sideward to my father and mother which are their brother and sister which are my Uncle and Aunt is three degrees And the brother and sister of my father and mother is my Uncle and Aunt And for my Nephew and Neece the computation is thus From me to my father or mother upward is one degree then from my