proceed to Scripture proofs in these things and in farther confirmation of the precedent chapter beginning with some out of the New Testament Saint Paul having declared somewhat to the Ephesians of his knowledge in the mystery of Christ doth it that thereby all men may see what was the fellowship of the mistery that is both the fellowship of Christian precepts amongst themselves and our fellowship or communion with Christ through obedience Which mistery from the beginning of the world hath bin hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ that is heretofore hid under the legal observations but is now as the unsearchable riches of Christ preached amongst the Gentiles To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places that is unto the higher powers seated and deputed by Christ might be known by the Church that is by the vertue of illumination and authority given to them through Christs headship of the Church the manifold wisdome of God And therefore Saint Pauls prayer was that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith so that they being rooted and grounded in love they may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height that is this mistery of the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge Namely that they may know how it should be effected and kept up by those that walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called who must do it with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace that is in obedience to our owne Christian head which is the only bond of peace For by means of the building and foundation laid by these Christian heads Apostles and Prophets as then they were called given for the perfecting of the Saints and for the work of the ministry we come to be united as Citizens of the houshold of God or Catholick Church of which Christ himself is the chief corner stone The body of Christ being in this sort to be framed and built together in this life till we come to be past fear of being tossed to and fro of every winde of doctrine even by being come to the unity of faith through the knowledge of the Son of God or to have attained that measure and stature of fulness which is to be from Christ himself expected Of which Christian submission and obedience having set downe positive precepts in the names of Husbands Parents and Masters he finally exhorts them to be still furnished with the whole armour of God that is faith love and obedience that they may be able to stand against the wils of the Devil That is these his most crafty wiles and insinuations whereby we come to be tempted by him as an Angel of light under religious pretences to acts of obedience even by the Prince of the power of the aire the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience For saith he we wrestle not against flesh and blood meaning against fleshly rules or Masters for against the works of the flesh we must wrestle but against principalities and powers agaist the rules of the darkness of the world that is against spiritual wickedness in in high or heavenly places Or against the wills of the Devil working in such as under the colour of legal or moral precepts called usually darkness by their owne high power in the Church would countenance disobedience and so overthrow the mystery of Christ by the mysterie of iniquity For these are to know as Saint Paul saith to Tymothy that the end of the commandment is Charity or peaceable submission and obedience for charity sake out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned From which saith he some having swearved are turned aside unto vain jangling that is unprofitable questionings of legalty desiring to be Teachers of the law when they should hearers understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully that is an obeyer of legal authority whereby to retain innocence and not as judge to become guilty Knowing this that the law is not made for the rsghteous or just man that is to condemn a just or obedient man but for the lawless and disobedient for ungodly and sinners c. Where all wickedness being reckoned after as subsequent and attendant on disobedience and by opposing the disobedient and lawless against the righteous man we must understand obedience and righteousness to be contivertible For as the fruit of the Spirit is love so the fruit thereof again is joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law that is law of condemnation And this mistical way of accomplishing our innocence is farther repeated to the Collossians that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mistery of God and of the father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge In which words we may plainly see that our greatest comfort ariseth from love in our hearts and from hence have we the full assuranc of understanding of right obedience to Gods law to the acknowledgement of the mistery of God even the mistical way of justification whereby being inwardly made ready and pliable to perform all acts of benificence we by our conformity and obedience to this one precept should contrary to the doctrine of the darkness of this world be estated truely innocent In which words the general name of God is first attributed to the holy Ghost for that he is the more proper efficient in the understanding of this mistery as also of the acknowledgement of the Father and of Christ. so that in participation of the Godhead by this mistery we are made comprehensive of all the reall treasures of wisdome and knowledge in being thereby guided through Gods light and not our own Which as the Apostle spake least any should beguile them with entising words that is Religious pretence which is most enticing of any so he joyes in beholding the fruit of this inward love their order and stedfastness of their faith in Christ that is their peace and agreement in the faith And thereupon proceeds to admonish them least any man spoil them through Philolosophy and vain deceit meaning through the Greekish popular Philosophy of their Country teaching righteousness to be attained by their many precepts of morall justice or vain legall deceit of the Iews amongst them after the Tradition of men after the Rudiments of the world or worldly wisdome and not after Christ in the simplicity of this Gospell precept of obedience For we cannot offend God whilst we are obedient to him
Church shall have distinguished between holy and prophane I conceive that in all such things as are concluded of religious jurisdiction and cognisance the Church-members of the Clergy are by the Church her head to be therein imployed more eminently then any other subject especially if they do therein acknowledge themselves subordinate and subject unto him All which I have in this part set down to avoid such umbrage as might have been by some taken at the passed discourse And for farther avoidance of mistake about those persons or orders of the Clergy by me glaâ—ced at in any censure here or elsewhere I shall also now crave leave to say that as I profess my self a dutiful son of the same Mother so do I also highly respect and honour that Classical order of the Clergy which the Church of Engand owns as hers being men that have approved themselves the true sons of Zadock the type of Evangelical Priesthood and been as eminent for loyalty as learning But the disturbances of Christendome are to be imputed to those of the Romish party who in favour to their owne head are to subject with Abiather to miscary that arke wherewith they are entrusted and to make the power and cognisance of those sacred orders which should separate them from worldly imploment to serve as a plea and pretence thereunto as in order to spiritual cognisance and jurisdiction As also to that miscellaneous brood who as in hatred to their exteram entring their ordinations at a wrong dore or not entring them at all have as shamefully demeaned theselves in the Priesthood as they did ignorantly and shamefully decline the title it self and that honotr which is thereunto due and have by those strange fires of sedition and rebellion which they every where offer under shew of reformation and zeal approved themselves the true sons of Nadab and Abihu These are they that are deare declaiming against Prelacy on purpose to gain higher preferment whilst the name of Bishop is by them declined as an unlawful jurisdiction in in the Church they are grasping after the thing and striving to exercise EEpiscopacy and oversight over both Church and State under the claim of power from Christ himself received as his immediate Ministers thereby shewing that their slighting of orders is but because they would not be by them confined to Ecclesiastical superintendency onely CHAP. VI. Of the head of the Church and of the Scriptures interpretations FRom what hath been hitherto spoken of our Security whilst retaining the fundamentalls of our religion as men may gather courage to resist such superstitious fears as some would put into them on purpose to draw them to their owne sects so may they plainly see it their duty these foundations being laid that their directest obedience which they can as Christians in other things give unto that person Christ hath most eminently entrusted and by whom he is most lively represented is the strongest argument of performance of their duty and obedience to himself For he being as the chief Master builder to direct us in all things towards our actual edification upon these ground works of faith and charity laid in our hearts may seem to be Gods great accomptant for the sins of the people and to prefigured unto us under the scape goat in the law who as denoting the high and uncontroleable power of his office here was both to be free and unmolested in the wilderness of this life and also to bear on him all the iniquities and transgression of the people For although Christ himself typifyed under the slain goat do onely truly and meritoriously expiate and make attonement to God for all mens sins as breaches of Gods law insomuch as no man can hope for remission of any sort of them without repentance and forgiveness in his name made and obtained yet forasmuch as we are commanded to be obedient unto them both in matters of godliness and honesty there is no doubt but the same will acquit us of guilt in all things acted by their guidance and not contrary to the foundation of faith and love which is or should be in our hearts And therefore to this purpose as formerly noted we shall find good warrant given from him that said Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God in the midst of a froward and perverse generation wherein ye shine as lights in the world Here is no distinction made of our duties here is no referment of us to Scripture but a general direction to universal and ready obedience which being done we shall be blameless and harmless for obeying however the thing wherein we do obey may prove harmful to others and to blameable in the Commanders And that the Apostle did hereby entend implicite and perfect obedience may farther appear by the foregoing occasion which lead him to this precept namely for avoiding of divisions and Standing fast in one Spirit with one mind unto the which implicite obedience and subjection to one head is the onely ready way And to the end they should fulfill his joy and be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde he admonisheth thâ—t nothing should be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better then themselves And then he tells the way to it First by inward charity and love Look not every man on his owne things but every man on the things of others afterward he points to outward subjection to make this love useful which he doth by the true example of humility and obedience our Saviour himself viz Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men And being found in the fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross A death which was proper to such as were under the highest degree of subjection being the usual punishment for slaves And so having set forth the reward of this his humility and obedience to encourage us therein he then proceeds Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence work out your owne salvation with fear and trembling Which words do plainly shew the means to salvation to be dependent on perfect obedience to Gods Minister for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure That is as God is himself the worker of this inward love to make us willing so must he direct by his Minister our doing it outwardly to our Neighbours benefit under whom doing all things as aforesaid we shall be blameless as aforesaid also For his care
we shall declare by instance it being a thing not only usefull in it self but also necessary for to understand those many texts where sometimes love sometimes faith sometimes hope sometimes obedience or the like are singly set downe as comprehensive of all duty and perfection beside and not constantly any one grace alone After that I shall give farther evidence thereof by producing some places of Scripture cleerly setting out their conjunction and harmony When the threats due to sin or the breach of the law are by any in such sort resented as to cause him to have recourse unto the remedies laid downe in the Gospel or else when the enjoyments and promises by the Gospel it self set for t do of themselves invite then is the first putting forth of appetite to attend these objects as good called by the name of hope After which the rational faculty comes to be set on work for the entertainment or contrivance of the means which being apprehended as feasable doth then become the object of our faith and so of our reasonable appetite called will For although the sensitive appetite as more general and as next unto life or individual being do readily at first attend every thing as its object that is presented under the Classis of hope or fear yet when understanding hath had leisure to work the reasonable will prosecutes no farther in attainment or avoidance of these objects of hope or fear then as the consideration of those mediums lying between them and us makes these objects by their neerness of approach to us to be afterwards in a second measure hopeful or formidable In which consideration hope and faith doe alwayes accompany one another and although hope as more general do inchoat in order to the end namely the enjoyment of bliss and avoidance of torment yet faith in order to the means to wit our laying hold on Christ doth so instantly follow that some have believed these graces to come together Which may be true in relation to that one divine spirit which entring at the same time was the cause to both but yet it hinders not but that this spirit might produce its effects in their natural order as before shewed It being aterwards true indeed that these graces are mutually encreased and strengthened by each other the hope and beliefe or beliefe and hope of the end by its valew exciting the beliefe and hope or hope and beliefe of these means that are tending thereunto Which means coming hereupon to be more constantly and fully pursued hope or beliefe to be therefore accepted grows by degrees in each one into stronger hope and beliefe that he is accepted Which beliefe or strong faith of Gods acceptance and love to us doth againe increase on-ward in our love to him Unto which onely hapy estate being by these blessed degrees once come then doth hope and faith become silenced and swallowed up by this most high and compleat grace of love for we now live no longer by desire but fruition But because in this life and whilst we carry this treasure in earthen Vessels we cannot arrive at any perfection much less at any degree of continuance and perseverance in this happy enjoyment of God by love we are therefore as elsewhere noted to cherish in our selves all those means whereby our faith and hope may be kept in or restored unto their pitch and vigour so that notwithstanding our many relapses we may be still reintegrated again to a state of love In which regard we are next to consider of that which is the general grace of supply and sustentation to all the rest namely the grace of obedience For from the efficacy of this grace it is that hope and faith gather their joynt and mutual strength even from conscience of our continual actings and endeavours in performance of the commands and direâ—â—ions of God For these things must follow as necessary consequents of one another First to obey out of fear to displease and hope to kept favour and then farther still to obey even as we believe our obedience accepted and available And lastly obedience will still increase it self with that increase of grace it brings and as it hath perfected our first feeble hope to strength of faith so will it accompany our state of highest perfection even our state of love For then shall our readiness in execution of Gods commands be doubled because being united to him by this affection we shall not onely do his will as his but as our owne too So that when faith shall fail obedience shall not being a grace so proper and necessary to each Creature that it cannot in order to its subordinate relation be truly such without it And this not only in the will but also in act so far as lyeth in its power For although none wil deny the omniscience of God Almighty so far as to doubt his inspection into the most inward thoughts and inclination of his Creature even to the discerning that proportion of faith and love which is in their hearts yet it being the most naturaâ— for justice to proceed in rewards and punishments especially such as outward according to overt acts we shall still finde God himself recompencing those that were endowed with strongest measure of these graces proportionable to that publike estimate thereof which they in their life times by more remarable obedience did make apparent as our Saviours obedience to the death of the Cross and Abrahams in the death of his son and divers others examples in holy Writ do declare As for the duties of prayer preaching almes sacraments c. they are the several objects and expressions of our obedience through perseverance in which Christian precepts as outwardly administred in Christs kingdome the Church Gods inward kingdome of grace in our hearts is made to have its efficacy and growth And as for the Theological vertues of meekness humility patience gentleness long-suffering c. they may all be comprehended under the aforesaid grace of obedience serving as necessary qualifications to the stating thereof as shall in their due place be declared From all which as the simplicity of the Gospel may plainly appear so will it be farther manifest how by this coincidence of Christian graces sum'd up in love and obedience or in love alone or obedience alone as presuming they cannot be one without another that men now under Christ the second Adam are come as before noted to be stated in a capacity of Innocence upon almost as easie tearms as under the first and how we are again brought to be more resembling his condition while implicite obedience is our perfection now as it was to him then To the farther confirmation whereof we might also add the coincidence of the sins opposite to these graces as contrarily tending to diminution of Gods glory and humane good Even declaring how infidelity and uncharitableness are ever accompanied with and heightned from the sin of obedience But I shal now
those prophesies concerning Christs humiliation in his own person should have an end and also his own prophesies concerning those miserable times of calamity that should for sometime befall his Church after his departure In which respect it is that he is come to send fire on earth and a sword c. meaning persecution and also to set men in neerest relations at variance one against another meaning that for fear thereof they should betray one another For if we be not regardful of the true times of compleating the prophesies of universal peace of the Church we shall be at a loss to finde their accomplishment For I conceive the prophesies of universal peace as of beating swords into pruning-hooks c. to have accomplishment at the general peace when Christ the Prince of peace came and our Saviours prophesies of his Churches persecution to have an end in Constantines time After whom I look on the Christian Church in her relapses under Julian the Apostate c. as in a temporary trembling motion till she fix in her state of quietness and assurance For we are not to expect that Christ should cry or cause his voice to be heard in the streets of the world as a King Untill he had sent judgement into victory that is untill by means of victories obtained by these his deputies in the seat of judgement he shall have made himself notable for his power For the expression of sending judgement into victory must import his doing these things by others even by these anointed persons under him In the mean time those his former Deputies Apostles Bishops Patriarchs c. that like weak and feeble reeds were shaken to and froe of the winde of persecution he should not break or quench the smoaking or dimnly burning flax That is should both powerfully defend them against others breaking and should also promote the encreasing state of his Church which like to smoaking flax should shortly burn forth brightly under Monarchy and by means of these nursing fathers of the Church should shew judgement to the Gentiles This fault of mens adding precept to precept and of Forsaking the fountain of living water and digging to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water we may finde plentifully reproved by other of the Prophets also but most of all by this Evangelical Prophet who in the latter part of his eight Chapter is censuring thereof and warning us against this covenanting with death and hell almost in the same words Say ye not a confederacy to all them whom this people shall say a confederacy neither fear you their fear nor be afraid Sanctifie the Lord of hoasts himself and let him be your fear and your dread that is sanctifie him according to the precepts of faith and love his inward law written in your hearts And then He shall be for a sanctuary a place of safety to you but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And many among them that is all such as will trust to their own light and neglect the simplicity of Christs Gospel-light shall stumble and fall and be broken and be snared and be taken And then he proceeds to tell what this new and living way is and how the letter of the Law is to be made lively and effectual by means of a living keeper and so he brings in Christ speaking Binde up the testimony seal the law among my Disciples that is let judiciary power be in those that rule in Christs name and stead And I will wait for the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Iacob that is such of them as sacrifice to their own snares and will look for him Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel because our way agrees not with the interests of their moral contrivances After which the admonition comes against our listening to these diviners and such as would finde Christ in the secret places When they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar Spirits such as make frequent brags of their own gifts and illuminations and unto them that peep and that matter such as have canting ways and expressions of their own do not follow such for should not a people seek unto their God Is it fit that they should seek for the living sense of the Law to the dead letter But if they do seek to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word namely shewing how all Law is fulfilled in this one word of love it is because there is no light in them that is because God hath suffered the God of this world to blinde their mindes Else they might see that these Precepts of love are plainly there set down as the sum of the Law also and other particular Precepts as they were litterally delivered were but appropriate to the Jewish Nation onely and not universally binding as divine And therefore they that thus dig deep to hide their Councels from God shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry they shall be caught in their own snares and be as him that dreameth of meat and behold he is an hungry And it shall come to pass when they be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward That is the shame and confusion of their own deceitful way shall drive them into so great desparation that instead of amendment by obedience to God to be shewed to the King his Minister they shall curse the parties themselves that is curse God by cursing their King whereby they shall curse upward as well as look upward The which is the issue of all such blinde guidance namely to finde trouble darkness dimness anguish and the like which way soever they shall look And this consequence of dimness and anguish as we finde by example to have been the issue of the absence of Monarchical direction in the Idolatry Civil war and other wickedness of the Israelites When they had no King but every man did what seemed good in his own eys that is interpreted and followed the letter of the Law as he thought good so is it also foretold to happen to Israel and in them to the Christian Church when she shall be an empty Vine or fruitless by bringing forth fruit unto himself that is serve God after his own invention signified by increasing his Altars and goodly Images For then when their heart is divided that is are not single and entire in their service and obedience they shall be found faulty and their Altars and Images shall be broken down which is the same as to be snared and taken They shall then finde their sin of disobedience to prove their punishment For they shall say we have now no King
left hand of Christ in his Church should be left to the dispose of Providence as heretofore declared But now it is not every Patience or dull insensibility under every affliction that is to have this honor and reward but that Patience most properly that is accompanied with the duty of Obedience For I may give all I have to the poor nay my body to be burnt and yet be but charitable to my self in design to mine own honor But when I am so taken up with the good of others in order to my love of him whose image they bear that in sure token thereof I can forgive all injuries and them also that did them here is Charity upon Charity which in care of publike Peace and Good suffereth long is kinde envieth not is not puffed up but beareth all things Which expressions as they properly betoken the Vertues of such as are to be subject to Authority so may they serve to expound to us those sayings of our Saviour whosoever shall smite thee c. namely that the right use of Patience is thereby meant even Patience under Authority and not any stupid neglect of our own safeties For so in Saint Matthew it is whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek c. Whereby we are to understand that those evils are not to be resisted that come from men on our right hands that is are above us And so again Whosoever will sue thee at Law c. to him we must with Patience give our Cloak also if Law will take it away and being thereby compelled we are to do for any man more then he shall ask And these Gospel Precepts carry but the same meaning toward Patience and Humility under Authority as Solomons prudential Precept formerly did if the spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yielding pacifyeth great offences and all because of that relation of obedience we stand bound unto in regard of his Authority that thus commanded us And therefore when we finde these Graces of Humility and Meekness set down and commended unto us they are to be taken as necessarily implying the duty of obedience inasmuch as they are the onely proper Vertues of such as are stated in the relation of subjection For this Vertue of Patience is as necessary to the constitution of things voluntary in the relation of Patients towards the receit of the Vertue of that Agency which from the Governor is to be acted on the governed as is the endowment of other natural Vertues and Properties on inanimates to make them susceptible of that efficacy which on the part of their Agents is required also Whereupon Patience comes to be a Vertue of such great influence and concern in the establishment of Charity making the Precept of love useful to humane preservation and Gods honor that sometimes it supplies the place of Charity and is joyned to Faith in Christ as the other fundamental requisite to salvation nay sometimes goeth alone as the most sure ground-work thereof and true token also of Christian Faith it self For so runs our Saviors admonition in patience possess ye your souls And to that purpose saith Saint James the tryal of your Faith worketh Patience and then to shew the perfection that follows Patience he adds but let Patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing And St. Paul having set forth our access to God through Faith after adds and not onely so but we glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us that is Tribulation and Patience do uphold and supply that fundamental and saving Grace of love which is wrought within us by the Holy Ghost And as in the Epistle to the Hebrews we are exhorted to be followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises so doth St. Peter well â—et out what is or should be the sign and effect of this brotherly love viz. Not rendring evil for evil and railing for railing That is not resisting the evils suffered from Authority by Deed or by Word after the example of Christ formerly set down but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing meaning the blessed reward of our Patience in suffering of that share of afflictions unto which we are in this life called For he that will love life and see good days that is he that desires to enjoy a future life or good days here let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile let him eschew evil and do good Which is the same with the former admonition of not rendring evil for evil nor railing for railing onely there our resistance by act was put first but here the resistance by words is put first under the Precept of refraining our tongues from evil And then follows the admomonition for actions let him eschew evil and do good let him not onely forbear resistance but be obedient also and thereupon shall he be in a state both to seek peace and ensue it As generally thus amongst mankinde Patience is added to Faith to make us inheritors of the Promises and a necessity of compliance with Christ in sufferings that we may be also glorified together so unto the particular of women is Patience added also she shall be saved by childe-bearing if she continue in the Faith By which words as we are not to understand that none but Child-bearing women shall be saved or that the others should not be sharers also of these common sufferings incident to the rest of mankinde so may we perceive this particular instance of Childe-bearing put both to set out Patience in the highest degree of suffering known amongst us and also being put under the notion of Childe-bearers may be taken as comprehending such as are married who being subject to husbands may farther serve to shew that this Patience is occasioned from that degree of subjection and bondage which God by reason of their appointed subordination had put them under when he said In sorrow shalt thou conceive and thy desire shall be subject to thy husbands So that then each one that travelleth in pain under this yoak of bondage to the Laws of Superiors by reason of and for punishment of our corruption is to submit to the pleasure of him that subjected the same in hope and to reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us when we shall be restored to the glorious liberty of the sons of God Nor need we wonder why immortality and eternal life should be promised to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor
And from this necessary referment of the managery of many actions to the power of particular Subjects and because of the necessary submission of some deportments also to the guidance of fathers and Masters of families as proper to their charge and duty grows the reason why we finde in some of the Epistles and places of Scripture such general direction and intimation of duty namely because those or some of those precepts or presidents in them contained may be upon occasion as we said usefull to the general direction of the several persons contained in each Church when he shall either stand by his proper office or by power and leave from his Prince under no positive restraint but of God alone At which time and at all times when he is not by the Church debarred it seems highly expedient that the same person thus entrusted with the execution of affairs wherein himself or others may be concerted should have liberty to have his recourse to the Scripture for the farther enabling him in his demeanor in things and persons submitted to his trust and power and that upon the same reason and grounds that were formerly given to shew their sole custody and power of interpretation given to superiour powers namely for them to have assistance of divine guidance in execution of their charge of government also Upon which ground and consideration it became in particular manner necessary also to have the general rules of do as ye would be done unto and love thy Neighbour as thy self to be commended in common to each ones observation to the end that each one having his Neighbours good or harm more or less in his separate power might by this conscientious rule and tye of examination be more readily provoked and directed in his sociable abearance For the rule it self being but a general rule for inoffensive living by introducing a common and equall sensation or fellow feeling of each others wants and benefits that thereupon as to our selves the good of others might be sought and their harm avoided therefore is it by our Saviour placed as the sum and fullfilling of the law Meaning that as God had formerly by Moses and the Prophets given particular precepts and directions for the sociable abearance of the nation of the Jewes so the onely standing divine rule to us Christians now was this summary direction for the good of Society whereby preserving the good of our Neighbour we should also thereby to our power maintaine the glory and service of God So that the said rules of love thy Neighbour c. and whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you c. importing generally as if it had been commanded to all sorts of men to be ready according to their severall stations and degrees to promote the good and to ease and sustaine the harms of one another it must therefore follow that those persons that have publike and whole trust and power in each society are in the first place to have the interpretation and application of this rule and so each one under him as he shall entrust them therein in order to the good and welfare of that society For since the care and trust of the Prince is more then that of others it must also follow that the application of that rule which is directive therein must be primarily in him too the subject having onely liberty to guide himself in what he is to act on another as supposing the rule a fresh said unto him from Christs Minister set over him Because else as before shewed generall harm may be the consequent of general liberty independently to act by these rules whereas in our assistances to them and in our submissive deportments if we bear one anothers burdens we shall fulfill the law of Christ in maintaining the good of society the end of that law The rule of do as thou wouldest c. being thus hard to be kept as from private direction onely causeth it to fall out that our works as our works cannot justifie us before God because they cannot as proceeding from separate persons onely have throughly and on all hands charitable and perfect performance but as done in Christ that is in obedience to his or his deputies authority and failing in the faith hereof or in our impartial dealing with our Neighbours in things by authority permitted unto us it will follow that whatsoever is not of faith is sin But if in conscience to Christs authority commanding obedience to him and in him we do that which may privately make our conscience condemn us yet God is greater then our consciences and knoweth all things to wit knoweth that as his glory is to be increased by humane preservation so humane preservation is maintained by obedience and submission For if we must be judging of morallity and being under lawful authority act their commands on others no farther then the supposal of our case and suffering to be theirs will give leave I would fain know whether the Judge and other officers and executioners of civil Justice that joyne in the sentence and infliction of death on any their fellow Subjects or whether the Souldier that for press or pay doth the like on his owne country men or others do either of them imagine themselves in their case and so acquit themselves by not being instrumental in infliction of more then themselves would have again suffered from them If they do not nor need not then doth their innocence follow their obedience even by Imagining themselves to have been in their superiours case him their subject for as then they would have expected obedience to what themselves had conceived fit to be done so are they now to give it In which case by my obedience doing as I would be done unto by him that hath whole concern and represents all it must follow that I do as I would be done unto by all men else and so by my obedience have fulfilled the law of Christ. Whereupon as we finde Abrahams faith imputed for righteousness and he called Father of the Church or Faithful so was this attributed unto and made appear in a matter of obedience In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice For although Abraham had at other times obeyed yet was he herein exemplarily the Father of the Faithful because the proof of his obedience was performed in a particular wherein both the injury to another and himself might have been so highly disputed out of private judgement and interest Whereupon that which is here attributed to Abrahams Obedience is interpreted by Saint Paul his Faith who in the first Chapters to the Romans largely sets forth the necessary guilt accompanying legal precepts not done in Christ who throughly fulfilling all moral righteousness our faith and obedience in and to him makes it imputed unto us for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous He tels us there that Circumcision is that of the heart and Spirit not in the letter that is men are now to be justified by love the work of the law written in their hearts and not by the observation of the letter according to their owne sence For against such he pronounceth a necessity of such sins as attended such as professed themselves wise saying Thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest doest the same things That is inasmuch as thou takest upon thee to guide others and thy selfe by thine own judgement thou must consequently break Charity the end of the law and so involve thy self in the guilt of thine owne and others sins that must follow thereupon For now we are delivered from the law being dead to that wherein we are held that is being released as heretofore noted of the penalty of observing legal precepts as of immediate divine authority because we should serve in the newness of Spirit that is by love and not in the oldness of the Letter For while we were taking upon us this litteral performance the law of our owne members and concupiscence pointing at private interests caused it to prove to us the law of sin and of death So that then the law of God being to be served with the mind inwardly and not by fleshly wisdom to make it the law of sin it follows that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus which walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit That is because they that act after the flesh or take upon them self guidance do minde the things of the flesh their owne interests but they that walk after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit that is being alwayes guided by the fruit of the Spirit inward love they alwayes mind the effects thereof in which they could not err whilst remaining obedient For else authority and law onely defining and measuring in particular acts what is murther adultery theft c. and rating accordingly the punishments thereupon due we should in our particular biassed interpretations commit often the same or worse faults then those we went about to amend And this because God who from himself and in his owne name gave these precepts at first gave also a continual succession of Prophets Urim and Thummim and other divine ways of revealing his pleasure in their interpretation upon doubtful occasions so that being both wayes expresly divine their observance litterally as so was each mans duty then but now being not to be litterally and particularly so construed by private men they break or keep them when they break or keep their substance charity and inward love and are more or less obedient to Superiours therein And therefore although there could be but one truth amidst those different exercises of Christianity between the Jewish and Gentile Churches yet the Apostles being to promote and encourage Christianity all they could and Christians again to obey implicitely in all things not fundamental the one might justly command and the other be also obedient although in things differing and contrary which otherwise in the commanders must have been Heresie on the one side or other And besides must have been Schism and Scandal in each sort of the disagreeing Subjects that in absence of their common head obtruded upon each other their differing constitutions having no other authority to act or impose to the dislike of one another then in relation to their joynt authority as thereby holding of the head under whom they were to be esteemed but as one by means of joint communion and subordination But when done in just pursuance thereof error is avoided for that a divine sentence is in the lips of a King and his mouth transgresseth not in judgement In the original it is in the future tense shall not transgress which I note to avoid the Exposition that might be made against the allowing the judgement of Kings in general to be such as thinking it only appliable to Solomon himself because particularly inspired above others And this place of Solomon is a good comment and confirmation to another of like sort namely to punish the just is not good nor to strike Princes for equity Where we may finde that a Prince in his definition is held the same with a just man as formerly noted in the title of justice and that then we can no more punish or accuse the one then the other for want of justice or equity Upon which reasons Elihu in Iob brings in that saying as a truth universally agreed upon is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Therefore by the words shall not transgress in judgement we are to understand that they shall not cause subjects to transgress in their obedience because the sentence is divine which in the Original imports divine Oracle or Divination as having whole interest by divine deputation and precept but erroneous it may be and is in him as he stands in relation accomptable to God so far and so often as he againe transgresseth his law who hath whole interest both in those persons and him and all things else For if he take upon him to prescribe rules according to his owne iudgement where God hath made positive ones already or do in those cases left to his care through passion or interest respect himself or some one party above another and not resyect Gods superiour interest before his owne subordinate interest doing by God as he would be done unto he doth not do as he would be done unto For as he would not have his Judges and such as he trusts do the like by him so is he not to deceive and abuse Gods delegation in forgetting that all his power is but usurpation and injustice when not according to the best of his judgement and conscience directed to Gods honor above his owne as also to the general and impartial good of his subjects So that Subjects justice or justification consisting chiefly in submission to the judgement of their Superiour we may well know how to interpret that wise King and Preacher be not righteous over much neither make thy self ever wise why shouldest thou destroy thy self Be not over much wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldest thou dye before thy time By which words we are not to think that either increase of righteousness or wisdome is forbidden or increase of wickedness or folly commended as in themselves but must apply them unto their manner and object of usage and imployment For so in the first verse he that will be so seemingly righteous and wise as to think his owne conscience and discretion sufficient and warranted judges of his actions against or above that of his Superiour he will endanger his owne guilt and destruction by