who taught that the resurrection was already past the Originists and them who say that our bodies shall arise heavenly and spirituall substances The Atheists Sadduces Gentiles Saturninians Simonians Carpocratians Basilidians Valentinians Marcionits Cerdonians and many others who deny the resurrection The Arabians and Psyehopannychits who say the soules of the dead sleepe in the Grave till the Resurrection and then are raised The Saracins and Mahumitans who assigne corporall pleasures to men after the resurrection The Tertullianists who say that wicked mens soules shall in the resurrection be turned to Devills The Pythagoreans Basilidians Carpocratians Manichees Originists Marcionits who dreame of a transanimation and lastly the Manichees who in the Resurrection give new bodies to men but not the very same that fell 22. Concerning life Eternall we are bound to reject Millinaries Cerinthians Nepotians and Mahumetans who place it in corporeall pleasures Atheists Epicures Democritus Plinie Galen who deny any life after this The Peputians who say that life Eternall is in this world Pope Iohn the twentieth who taught that the blessed soules see not Gods presence till the Resurrection 23. Concerning the Scriptures wee are bound to reject the Marcionits Manichees Valentinians Tatians Cerdonians Simonians and others who deny the Old Testament to bee Gods VVord The Guostics and Priscillianists who counted the Prophets mad men The Saducees and Samaritans who acknowledge the five bookes of Moses onely for Gods Word Papists Eucratits Manithees who equall there traditions to the written word Montanists Donatists Enthusiasts Monkes Anabaptists who obtrude their dreames and revelations to us instead of Gods word Those that reject the book of Iob Ecclesiastes and the Canticles and lastly the Papists who subject the Scriptures authority to the Church who account Apocryphall bookes as Canonicall and forbid the people to reade the Scripture shutting it up in an unknowne tongue 24. Concerning Angels wee are bound to reject Sadducees and Samakitans who taught that there were no Angels or Spirits Plato Tertullian and Origen who held that Angels were corporeall substances Basilides and Proclus the Philosopher who taught that the Angells begot one another The Manichees who affirme that God begot the Angells of his owne substance Mahumet who held that the Angels were created of fire and that they were mortall The Sethians who taught that the Angells had carnall commerce with woemen and of them begot man the Nicolaitans who said that the Angels were begot of light and darknesse Basilidians Archontics Gnostics who held that the wisdom of God was the mother of the Angels the Manichees and Priscillianists who said that the evill Angels were created so lastly the Originists who taught that the evill Angels should at last be saved 25 Concerning mans creation we are bound to reject the Rabbins who held that the Angels assisted God in the making of man the Manichees who denyed that Adam and Eve were made by God the Patricians who will not have God the creator of mans body the Pelagians and Celestinians who taught that Adam should have died though he had not sinned the Eunomians and Paterninians who sayd that mans lower parts were made by the Devill lastly Aristole who held that man had no beginning 26 Concerning Mans soule we are bound to reject Epicures and Sadduces who deny the immortality of the soule Themestius and Averrois who thought that all men had but one soule Apollinaris who said that one soule begetts another the Originists who taught that the soules were long in heaven before the bodies were created Platonics Mannichees Gnostics and Priscillianists who would have the soule a part of divine substance the Pythagorians who held transanimation the Nazarreans who will have the soules of men and of beasts to be of the same nature the Arabians who will have the soules of men and of beasts to sleepe or dye with their bodyes the Tertullianists who say that mens soules are corporall and that wicked mens soules after death are turned into devills and that all soules are by traduction 27 Concerning Gods Image in man we are bound to reject the Saturninians who by Gods Image understand celestiall light the Anthropomorphits and Manichees who will have this Image to consist in some corporeall shape making God himselfe corporeall Flaccus Illyricus who taught that the righteousnesse and holines wherein Gods image consisted to be the very essence of the soule 28 Concerning Originall sin wee are bound to reject the Armenians who deny that there is any originall pollution the Carpocratians and Catharists who bragged of their own purity and that they were by nature the sonnes in God the Manichees who will have concupisence to be a substance and not an originall infirmity the Pelagians who deny that originall sinne is derived by propagation but contracted by example and imitation and teach that Adams sinne was hurtfull to none but to himselfe and that he should have dyed though he had not sinned 29 Concerning Predestination we are bound to reject the Celestinians and Pelagians who deny predestination the Priscillianists who attribute it to the starrs and to the fates the Pelagians and Semipelagians who teach that there is no election but that the cause of mans salvation is in himselfe the Libertins who thinke they shall be saved or damned without the meanes therefore do what they list Pontificians and others who attribute the cause of election to foreseene workes and merits so did the Basilidians and Pelagians of old 30 Concerning Iustification we are bound to rejectthe Papists who teach we are justified by workes and by the Sacraments that CHRIST satisfied for our sinnes only not for our punishments the Libertins who thinke that a justified man may do what he list Osiander who taught wee are justified by the essentiall righteousnesse or essence of God and all such as confound justification with sanctification lastly Epicures who reject good workes as needlesse because wee are justified by Christs righteousnesse 31 Concerning Gods Providence wee are bound to reject the Epicures who held the world to be guided by chance or fortune the Stoics and Priscillianists who taught that destiny inevitable fate did rule all things even God himselfe the Astrologians who will have the starrs to rule all sublunary things the Simonians Carpocratians Severians Marcits Manichees Menandrians who held that the inferior world was guided by the Devill therfore gave themselves to the study of Magick lastly all such as make God either carelesse of inferiour things or so imployed that he is not at leasure or sostately as that he will not abase himselfe to behold the things that are here below Thus have I breifly set down what every man is bound in conscience to beleeve what to practice and what errors concerning matter of faith he is bound to avoyd it remaines that I should also shew what is to be avoyded in matter of practice but because I have already spoke of some of them which are most remarkable and rectum est index sui obliqui he that knowes what he is bound to do cannot be ignorant of what he is bound to avoyd therefore what wee have already set down may suffice to pacifie a mans conscience and to make him a perfect Christian in these unhapy times of ours we see christianity was never more professed conscience never more pretended but alas truth never lesse beleeved goodnes never lesse practised and consequently the conscience never more cheated so that in name we are Christians but in many doctrinall poynts plaine Hereticks and in our practice very Pagans or rather Atheists God grant we may indeavour to be what we would seeme to be and lay aside our Hypocriticall Vizards by which wee deceive the eyes of men but the peircing rays of that all seeing eye who sees us in the darke and knowes of our down sitting and up-rising and our thoughts long before we cannot delude our consciences are seared with a hot iron or fast asleepe if they can content themselves with a mouthfull of Scripture phrasses having our eyes full of wantonnesse our hearts full of malice and our hands full of blood be not deceived the Conscience of a Turk or Pagan will not be thus satisfied St. Pauls conscience was voyd of offence towards God and towards men and he shewes that a good conscience is still accompanyed with charity a pure heart and with faith unfained neither can that conscience be good which is not purged from dead works to serve the living GOD FINIS Septem. the 14th 1646. I have perused this judicious and learned Treatise intitled The picture of a Christian mans Conscience and finding it to be very profitable and seasonable I adjudge it worthy to be printed and published Io. Downame ERRATA PAg. 27. l. 5. read Oneserus for Onefurious pag. 41. l. 1. read We must also beleeve that there are ministring spirits pag. 114. l. 12. for heart read hare pag. 133. l. 7. read temeritie pag. 145. l. 21. put out off pag. 146. l. 1. read refuse pag. 160. l. 12. read Carpocrates pag. 161. l. 5. read Saturninus pag. 163. l. 17. read {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}
Ghost otherwayes distinguished but by generation and procession and if the Sonne be the Wisdom and Knowledge of the Father and the Holy Ghost the love of both he must doubtlesse proceed from the Sonne because Love proceeds of Knowledge 18 Wee must beleeve that there is one Church universall in respect of time place and person which neither hath erred nor can erre in things fundamentall and absolutely necessary and that the head of this Church is Christ only both in respect of eminencie dominion efficacie and perfection as containeing al those graces of spirituall sense motion life and other good things which he imparts to his members and the Church of Rome is not this Catholick Church but a mishapen and lame member therof and that neither her antiquity nor multitudes nor succession nor miracles nor continuance nor unity nor outward splendor c. are true markes of a true Church 19 Wee are bound in Conscience to beleeve that there is a Communion and Fellowship of the Saints among themselves here on earth consisting in their mutuall loves in imparting spirituall gifts and supporting each other with their mutuall helps as also with the Saints in Heaven they praying for us and we earnestly desireing to be with them and with Christ also as the branches with the root builders with the foundation the wife with the husband the members with the head he imparting to us his righteousnesse merits and prerogatives and we imparting againe to him our sins punishments and infirmities 20 We are in Conscience to beleeve that God doth forgive sins and that he alone hath this power the Minister only pronounceth the pardon and that all sins are pardonable though not actually pardoned by reason of impenitency unbeleife that our sins are pardoned not for our merits but for Christs obedience 21 So we are to beleeve the resurrection of bodies because otherwayes the members cannot be conformable to their head nor can God bee the God of the living but of the dead Christ rose in vaine our faith is vaine we are of al men most miserable and this resurrection must be of al because al must be rewarded or punished but this resurection shal not be the work of nature because naturaly from the privation to the habit ther can be no regresse and though there may be a natural disposition in the matter to bee reunited to its forme yet there is no active power in nature to cause this union and though there is an inclination in the soule to bee united againe to its body yet in the dust there can bee no naturall inclination to the soule of man 22 We are also to beleeeve that besides this life of Nature and of Grace here there is a life of Glory hereafter eternall in the Heavens which in Scripture is called Peace a refreshing a rest our Masters joy our Fathers house the Kingdome of Heaven Abrahams bosome Paradise the new Ierusalem this life must be Eternall because God is Eternall the soule is immortall and we that suffer for Christ without it must be of all men most miserable the testimony of Scripture the translation of Henoch the rapture of Eliah and the ascension of Christ doe confirme the truth of this doctrine 23. Our Conscience also bindes us to believe the truth of Gods Word and that the Scripture which we cal Canonical are the dictates of the Holy Ghost if either wee consider the majestie of the stile or the efficacy of the phrase in working upon the heart like a sharp two edged sword deviding betweene the soule and the spirit the joynts and the marrow or if we looke upon the Antiquity of the Scripture or upon Gods providence in the miraculous preserving and divulging of them against all opposition or if upon the inveterate hatred of Satan and of the world in persecuting and labouring to falsifie them if they could or if upon the fearefull and horrid ends of those men who have hated and persecuted the Scripture or again if wee take notice of the divine matter which is contained in them of the truth of their predictions and accomplishment of their Prophesies of the wonderfull harmony and consent of doctrine through all the parts thereof of the generall consent of the Church through all the world maintaining and preserving the Scripture of the transcendent miracles recorded in them of the Constancy of the Martyrs in suffering all kind of tortures for maintaining thetruth of them if lastly we consider the miraculous calling the selfe insufficiency and yet the extraordinary abilities of the men that penned them our Conscience wil assure us that the Scripture were indicted by Gods Spirit Wee must are beleeve that there are ministring spirits which in Scripture are called Angels Gods Sonnes of God morning Starres Seraphim Cherubim men of God c. These wait upon the Throne of God are imployed by him to comfort instruct defend and deliver from danger the children of God to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome to gather their bones together in the last day to pnnish the wicked here and to separate these Goates from the Sheep hereafter these were created in the beginning all good some of which persevered in their integrity partly by the goodnesse of their owne will partly by Gods decree before time and by his assisting grace in time and partly by reason of the excellent knowledge they have of God both naturall experimentall and supernaturall or revealed and some of them fell by pride and envy affecting equality with God and maligning mans felicity for which cause they were thrust out of Heaven and strucke with blindnesse in their mindes and perversenesse in their wils yet much knowledge they have both naturall experimentall and revealed and much strength also by which they worke upon the bodayes the minde and senses of men yet they know not our thoughts nor things to come except by revelation or conjecture We are bound also to believe that God made man after his own Image which consisted in righteousnesse holinesse and immortality which Image being lost by sinne was restored againe by Christ and that mans body was made of earth but his soule of nothing and not of the Heaven or the fire or the ayre or the divine substance And that there is not one soule of all men nor a transmigration of soules out of one body into another nor that the soules were created before the world or that they are mortall being they are simple and uncompounded substances and not made of matter or contrary Elements besides that the Word of God the Consciences of men the excelency of the soul the inorganicall faculties thereof and the consent of all ages and nations do prove its immortality therefore it is not educed out of the matter as other formes are but introduced and infused by God immediatly who breathed into Adam the breath of life and albeit the Soule is infused pure by God yet no sooner enters it into the body but is
infected with originall sin not by any physicall contact of the body but by Gods just judgment imputing Adams sin to all his posterity being in his loynes when he sinned upon which imputation followes an inclination to sin as a punishment of Adams transgression so the child is infected with originall sinne not because his Soule is united to his body but because he is the sonne of Adam 25 We are also to beleeve that God from all eternity decreed to create man to his image and foreseeing his voluntary fall ordained to elect some in Christ to salvation and to passe by others which election depended not on mans foreseen Faith or works for God could foresee nothing in himbut what he was to give him nor could the cause be posterior to its effect but election is the cause of Faith and good Works for we are elected that we might be holy Eph. 1. 4. therefore Faith and Works foreseen are no more the causes of election then of Vocation and justification 26 We may like wayes safely beleeve though there be no inherent righteousnesse in us wherby we may be accounted just in Gods sight yet that we are justified by Christs righteousnesse being imputed to us not only by his passive obedience in dying for us but also by his active in fullfilling of the Law for Christ is totally ours both in doing and suffering and as Adams active disobedience made us unjust so Christs active obedience hath made us just and as our sins were to be expiated so life eternall was to be procured for us his suffering expiated our sins therfore his fulfilling of the Law did purchase life eternall for us 27 We are bound also in Conscience to beleeve that the good and evill which befalls us in this life comes not to passe by any Stoicall or fatall necessity nor by fortune or haphazard but by Gods speciall providence by which he guides the world not only in generall but in every particular creature and action also so that the evill actions of men which he ordained not by his predestination are ordered by his providence for God infuseth not evill into mens wills but directeth unto good ends that evill which they perpetrat of their own accord Thus having breifly shewed the Credenda or what in Conscience we are bound to beleeve now I will as breifly set down the Agenda or what things with a safe Conscience we are bound to performe WEE are bound in Conscience to feare God as our Lord and able to cast body and soule into hell fire and as being our Father to love him with all our heart all our strength c. and patiently to beare his corrections as being arguments of his love and knowing that he will lay no more upon us then we can beare also to obey him with the same cheerfullnesse and alacritie that the Angels in heaven do and to be thankfull to him from whom we receive all good things and the blessings both of his right and left hand blessing God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in CHRIST 2 We are bound in Conscience to call upon GOD upon all occasions and to lift up pure hands in all places so that our prayer may be accompanyed with Faith fervency love reverence and humilitie and grounded not upon our own worth but on Christs merits and not directed to Angels or Saints but to God himselfe who alone is omnipotent omnipresent omniscient and will not have his glory given to any other and we are not to pray only for our selves but also for all men even for our enemies therefore must not use imprecations against the person of any man though against their sinns and errors we may for the imprecations we read of in scripture were either predictions or temporary execrations or else they were uttered only against sinne or by such as had the gift of discerning or to whom Gods will was known in that case 3 We are not bound in Conscience to observe all canonicall houres in prayer but we may at all times call upon God nor are we necessarily tied to any place but in all places we may lift up pure hands nor to any particular gesture but we may use any gesture that is reverend nor are we tyed to use the voice for God can heare the inward cries of the heart non vox sed votum 4 We are bound in conscience not only to pray but use sometimes to fast that our prayers may be the more servent and effectuall that the untamed lust of our flesh may be kept under that our unworthinesse humilitie contrition and repentance may the more appeare and this we must doe not only when Gods judgements hang over us but also when we have any great blessing to procure or any great work to perform not only must we abstaine from meate and drinke but also from all delights and comfortable recreations so farre forth as the strength of our bodies will permit but withall we must take heed of any conceit of merit or of distinction of meates for Conscience sake or of set times urged as necessary which ought to be arbitrary 5. We are bound in Conscience to make open profession of our faith when we are required thereto by the Magistrate or by such as may command us that wee may bee known or when we see by our silence God is like to bee dishonoured and the Church prejudiced hee that confesseth me before men saith Christ him will I confesse before my Father which is in Heaven 6. If at any time we converse with prophane and Idolatrous people we are bound in Conscience to shew our dislike both of the one and the other not onely inwardly in our mindes but also outwardly by our voyce and gesture for God will be honoured of us both in our bodyes and soules for he made both neither must wee thinke to serve God and Belial at the same time 7. If at any time we are persecuted for the truth and a good Conscience if we see that there is a lawfull way to escape presented to us if we know that we have not strength to resist temptations and fierie tryals if our persons bee chiefly aymed at if we have no hope to doe good by our stay if our resolution be not utterly to forsake our publike charge if we have any but to returne when the times are quiet wee may with a safe Conscience flye having both Christs counsell and example for it besides the practise of many holy men other wayes if by our flight God shall be dishonoured the Church prejudiced the Magistrate or the State where wee are wronged we are not to flye especially when all lawfull meanes of escape is denyed us 8. If we will heare the words of God with profit and comfort wee are bound in Conscience to lay aside all prejudiciall or evill opinion of the Preacher to cast aside all superfluity of maliciousnesse and to
put away all over-weaning conceit of our own worth abilities and all disturbed affections hardnesse of heart itching eares cares of the world and to receive the word with meeknesse faith and love to it that we being sanctified by prayer to receive it it may be rooted in us treasured up in our hearts and dwell plentifully amongst us 9. If wee live in such a place where there are none but Hereticall or prophane Ministers wee are bound in Conscience to heare the VVord and to receive the Sacraments by their mouth and hands rather then bee deprived of both for the efficacy and dignity of the VVord and Sacraments depend not on the Minister that convayes them to us but on Christ who bestowed them upon us a Raven may conveigh wholesome foode to Elijah and Judas may teach true doctrine to the people and the Scribes and Pharises may sit in Moses Chaire 10. Wee are bound in Conscience to bring our Children to Baptisme when it may bee had because the signe should not bee denyed them to whom the thing belongeth for to them belongeth the Kingdome of Heaven therefore wee must suffer little Children to come to Christ we must become as little children or else wee cannot enter into Heaven God is the God of our seed after us the promise is made to us and our children the precept of baptizing is indefinit to al men under which children are comprehended children are subject to original sin therfore ar capable of the Laver of regeneration children were sealed with circumcision therefore should not be debarred from baptisme which is come instead of circumcision without regeneration of water and of the spirit children cannot enter into Heaven all the Israelites that passed through the Red Sea were baptized amongst which were children so the Apostles baptised whole Families and children are part of the Families children also have Faith potentially and in their faithful Parents yet God is not so tied to baptisme as if hee could not save without it the danger lyeth not so much in the want as in the contempt of the Sacrament 11. As every one who hath bin baptized is bound in Conscience to performe what hee hath promised in baptisme by his God-Fathers and God-Mothers so these are also bound in Conscience to see the performance of those things which were promised by instructing and exhorting their God-children if their parents be dead or negligent 12 All we which are baptized are bound in Conscience to rise and walke in the newnesse of life to mortify and drown the deeds of the flesh represented to us by baptisme also to forsake the devill the world and the flesh to fight under Christs banner to continue his faithfull souldiers to our livâ—s end according to our promise in baptisme to keepe our selves cleane and our vessels in holynesse for seeing we are washed how shall we defile our selves to maintain love and unity one with another being all by one spirit baptized into one body to adhere to Christ seeing we have put him on by baptisme to be conformable to the image of Christ our head in bearing the crosse in our spirituall death buriall and resurrection and to cherish the gifts of the Holy Ghost who by the Laver of regeneration is abundantly powred upon us 13. We are all bound in Conscience to receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper as often as we have opportunity if there be no just impediment to the contrary for by so doing we shew our obedience to Christs command and give good example to others by these meanes also our Faith is confirmed Christs death is declared and the benefits represented and sealed by this Sacrament are received but we must be carefull first to examine our selves that we may come with knowledge faith love and repentance then with a longing desire to partake of Christ and his benefits lastly with thankfulnesse and a stedfast resolution to amend our lives 14 As the Minister is bound in conscience to give so is the people bound to receive the cup as well as the bread in the Sacrament for the bread alone doth not fully represent unto us Christs death and passion neither is bread alone without drinke perfect nourishment Christ instituted the Sacrament in both kinds and its wickednesse to alter or impare the will of the Testator the Israelits had not only Manna but also water out of the rock given them to represent Christ they did eat the same spirituall meat and drinke the same spirituall drinke and therefore they participate of both and if there were not as great need of the one as of the other it had been needlesse that Christ and Paul should use them and urge the receiving of them 15 We are bound in conscience to love one another as we see the love of God in this Sacrament represented to us for this is a love-feast so are we bound to be charitable and bountifull to the poore members of Christ whose bounty in giving to us his own body and blood is represented in this Sacrament and lastly we are bound to offer up our bodies and soules our wills and affections to his service who offered up his precious body and blood on the crosse for our redemption 16 We are bound in conscience to feare God both inwardly in our mindes and outwardly in our bodyes and to serve and worship him alone because he made and redeemed both Soule and body and is the preserver and defender of both and none but he therefore this honor we must not give to Angels for they are our fellow servants nor to the departed Saints for they know us not nor to reliquies and Images for we must not fall down before them nor worship them nor to Kings and Princes for though a civill respect is due to them as they are called Gods yet they are but flesh and shall dye like men nor lastly is the humanity of Christ though united to the person of the son of God to be worshiped with divine worship considered by it selfe but the whole Hypostasis or person of the Sonne of God is the object of divine adoration therefore to give Dulia to Saints and Images Hyperdulia to Christs humanitie and to his Mother Latria to the crosse is to commit idolatry 17 We are bound in Conscience to sweare by none but by God only for swearing is a part of divine worship which is not to be given to the creature besids to sweare by the creature takes away the majesty of an oath which should not be taken but with reverence and feare lastly such kindes of oathes are scandulous and offend the weaker brethren and somuch the rather because they were used and commended by hereticks as Austin sheweth l. 19. cont. Faust c. 22. where he reproves the Manichees for sweareing by the creatures 18 A Christian may sweare with a safe conscience when he is required thereto by the Magistrate for in the old and new Testament we read that Abraham Isaac Iacob Paul and