snares are grievous to you blame not God but your selves that made them § 11. 5. Another of Satans wayes to make Religion burdensome and grievous to you is by overwhelming â— By overwhelming fears and sorrows you with fear and sorrow Partly by perswading you that Religion consisteth in excess of sorrow and so causing you to spend your time in striving to trouble and grieve your selves unprofitably as if it were the course most acceptable to God And partly by taking the advantage of a â—imorous passionate nature and so making every thought of God or serious exercise of Religion to be a torment to you by raising some overwhelming fears For fear hath torment 1 John 4. 18. In some faeminine weak and melancholy persons this Temptation hath so much advantage in the body that the holiest soul can do but little in resisting it so that though there be in such a sincere Love to God his wayes and servants yet fear so playeth the Tyrant in them that they perceive almost nothing else And it is no wonder if Religion be grievous and unpleasant to such as thâ—se § 12. But alas it is you your selves that are the causes of this and bring the matter of your grievance with you God hath commanded you a sweeter work It is a life of Love and joy and cheerful progress to eternal joy that he requireth of you and no more fear or grief than is necessary to separate you from sin and teach you to value and use the remedy The Gospel presenteth to you such abundant matter of joy and peace as would make these the very complexion and temperature of your souls if you received them as they are propounded Religious fears when they are inordinate and hurtful are sinful and indeed against Religion and must be resisted as other hurtful passions Be better acquainted with Christ and his promises and you will find enough in him to pacifiâ— the soul and give you confidence and holy boldness in your access to God Heb. 4. 16. Ephes. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 19. The Spirit which he giveth is not the Spirit of bondage but the Spirit of Adoption of Love and Confidence Rom. 8. 15. Heb. 2. 15. § 13. 6. Another thing that maketh Religion seem grievous is retaining unmortified sensual desires 6. By unmâ—â—tified lusts If you keep up your lusts they will strive against the Gospel and all the works of the Spirit which strive against them Gal. 5. 17. And every duty will be so far unpleasant to you as you are carnal because it is against your carnal inclination and desire Away therefore with your beloved sickness and then both your food and your Physician will be less grievous to you Mortifie the flesh and Rom. 8 7 8. you will less disrelish the things of the Spirit For the carnal mind is enmity against God For it is not subject to his Law nor can be § 14. 7. Another cause of confounding and wearying you is the mixture of your actual sins 7. By actus sin dealing unfaithfully with God and wounding your Consciences by renewed guilt especially of sins against knowledge and consideration If you thus keep the bone out of joint and the wound unhealed no marvel if you are loth to work or travail But it is your sin and folly that should be grievous to you and not that which is contrary to it and would remove the cause of all your troubles Resolvedly forsake your wilful sinning and come home by Repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ Acts 20. 21. and then you will find that when the thorn is out your pain will cease and that the cause of your trouble was not in God or Religion but in your sin § 15. 8. Lastly To make Religion unpleasant to you the Tempter would keep the substance of 8 By ignorance of the renor of the Gospel the Gospel unknown or unobserved to you He would hide the wonderful Love of God revealed in our Redeemer and all the riches of saving grace and the great deliverance and priviledges of believers and the certain hopes of life eternal And the Kingdom of God which consisteth in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost shall be represented to you as consisting in errors only or in triâ—â—es in shadows and shews and bodily exercise which profitteth little 1 Tim. 4. 8. If ever you would know the pleasures of faith and holiness you must labour above all to know God as revealed in his infinite Love in the Mediator and read the Gospel as Gods Act of Oblivion and the Testament and Covenant of Christ in which he giveth you life eternal and in every duty draw near to God as a reconciled Father the object of your everlasting Love and Joy Know and use Religion as it is without mistaking or corrupting it and it will not appear to you as a grievous tedious or confounding thing Direct 14. BE very diligent in mortifying the desires and pleasures of the flesh and keep a continual Direct 14. watch upon your senses appetite and lusts and cast not your selves upon temptations occasions or opportunities of sinning remembring that your salvation lyeth on your success § 1. The lusts of the flâ—sh and the pleasures of the world are the common enemy of God and souls and the damnation of those souls that perish And there is no sort more lyable to temptations of this kind than those that are in the flower of their youth and strength When all the senses are in their vigour and lust and appetite are in their strength and fury how great is the danger and how great must your diligence be if you will escape The appetite and lust of the weak and sick are weak and sick as well as they and therefore they are no great temptation or danger to them The desire and pleasure of the senses do abate as natural strength and vigour doth abate To such there is much less need of watchfulness and where nature hath mortified the flesh there is somewhat the less for grace to do There needs not much grace to keep the aged and weak from fornication uncleanness excessive sports and carnal mirth and gluttony and drunkenness also are sins which youth is much more lyable to Especially some bodies that are not only young and strong but have in their temperature and complexion a special inclination to some of these as lust or sport or foolish mirth there needeth a great deal of diligence resolution and watchfulness for their preservation Lust is not like a corrupt opinion that surprizeth us through a defect of Reason and vanisheth as soon as truth appeareth But it is a brutish inclination which though Reason must subdue and govern yet the perfectest Reason will not extirpate but there it will still dwell And as it is constantly with you it will be stirring when objects are presented by the sense or fantasie to allure And it is like a torrent or a
seduced to think all proper Communion of Churches lyeth in that Sacrament and to be more prophanely bold in abusing many other parts of worship 5. There are better means by Teaching and Discipline to keep the Sacrament from contempt than the omitting or displacing of it 6. Every Lords Day is no ofter then Christians need it 7. The frequency will teach them to Live prepared and not only to make much ado once a Moneth or Quarter when the same work is neglected all the year beside Even as one that liveth in continual expectation of death will live in continual preparation when he that expecteth it but in some grievous sickness will then be frightned into some seeming preparations which are not the habit of his soul but laid by again when the disease is over 2. But yet I must add that in some undisciplin'd Churches and upon some occasions it may be longer omitted or seldomer used No duty is a duty at all times And therefore extraordinary cases may raise such impediments as may hinder us a long time from this and many other priviledges But the ordinary faultiness of our imperfect hearts that are apt to grow customary and dull is no good reason why it should be seldome Any more than why other special duties of Worship and Church-communion should be seldome Read well the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians and you will find that they were then as bad as the true Christians â—â—e now and that even in this Sacrament they were very culpable and yet Paul seeketh not to cure them by their seldomer communicating § 21. Quest. 3. Are all the members of the visible Church to be admitted to this Sacrament or Quest. 3. communicate Answ. All are not to seek it or to take it because many may know their own unfitness when the Church or Pastors know it not But all that come and seek it are to be admitted by the Pastors except such Children Ideots ignorant persons or Hereticks as know not what they are to receive and do and such as are notoriously wicked or scandalous and have not manifested their repentance But then it is presupposed that none should be numbered with the adult members of the Church but those that have personally owned their Baptismal Covenant by a Credible Profession of true Christianity § 22. Quest. 4. May a man that hath knowledge and civility and common gifts come and Quest. 4. take this Sacrament if he know that he is yet void of true Repentance and other saving Grace Answ. No For he then knoweth himself to be one that is uncapable of it in his present state § 23. Quest. 5. May an ungodly man receive this Sacrament who knoweth not himself to be Quest. 5. ungodly Answ. No For he ought to know it and his sinful ignorance of his own condition will not make his sin to be his duty nor excuse his other faults before God § 24. Quest. 6. Must a sincere Christian receive that is uncertain of his sincerity and in continual Quest. 6. doubting Answ. Two preparations are necessary to this Sacrament The general preparation which is a state of grace and this the doubting Christian hath And the particular preparation which consisteth in his present actual fitness And all the question is of this And to know this you must further distinguish between Immediate duty and more Remote and between the degrees of doubtfulness in Christians 1. The nearest immediate duty of the doubting Christian is to use the means to have his doubts resolved till he know his case and then his next duty is to receive the Sacrament And both these still remain his duty to be performed in this order And if he say I cannot be resolved when I have done my best yet certainly it is some sin of his own that keepeth him in the dark and hindereth his assurance and therefore Duty ceaseth not to be duty the Law of Christ still obligeth him both to get assurance and to receive and the want both of the knowledge of his state and of Receiving the Sacrament are his continual sin if he lye in it never so long through these scruples though it be an infirmity that God will not condemn him for For he is supposed to be in a state of grace But you will say What is still he cannot be resolved whether he have true faith and Repentance or not What should he do while he is in doubt I answer It is one thing to ask what is his duty in this case and another thing to ask Which is the smaller or less dangerous sin Still his duty is both to get the knowledge of his heart and to communicate But while he sinneth through infirmity in failing of the first were he better also omit the other or not To be well resolved of that you must discern 1. Whether his judgement of himself do rather incline to think and hope that he is sincere in his repentance and faith or that he is not 2. And whether the consequents are like to be good or bad to him If his hopes that he is sincere be as great or greater than his fears of the contrary then there is no such ill consequent to be feared as may hinder his communicating but it is his best way to do it and wait on God in the use of his Ordinance But if the perswasion of his gracelesness be greater than the hopes of his sincerity then he must observe how he is like to be affected if he do communicate If he find that it is like to clear up his mind and increase his hopes by the actuating of his grace he is yet best to go But if he find that his heart is like to be overwhelmed with horror and sunk into despair by running into the supposed guilt of unworthy Receiving then it will be worse to do it than to omit it Many such fearful Christians I have known that are fain many years to absent themselves from the Sacrament because if they should receive it while they are perswaded of their utter unworthiness they would be swallowed up of desperation and think that they had taken their own damnation As the twenty fifth Article of the Church of England saith the unworthy receivers do So that the chief sin of such a Doubting Receiver is not that he receiveth though he doubt for doubting will not excuse us for the sinful omission of a duty no more of this than of Prayer or Thanksgiving But only Prudence requireth such a one to forbear that which through his own distemper would be a means of his despair and ruine As that Physick or food how good soever is not to be taken which would kill the taker Gods Ordinances are not appointed for our destruction but for our edification and so must be used as tendeth thereunto Yet to those Christians who are in this case and dare not communicate I must put this Question How dare you so long refuse it He that
more for Heaven or Earth And therefore that thou art capable of self-judging in this case Perhaps you will say that while I am directing you to be Holy I suppose you to be Holy first For all this seemeth to go far towards it But I must profess that I see not any thing in all these suppositions but what I may suppose to be in a Heathen And that I think all this is but supposing thee to have the use of thy Reason in the points in hand Speak freely Is there any one of all these points that thou canst or darest deny I think there is not And therefore if Heathens and wicked men deny them in their practise that doth but shew that sin doth bruitifie them and that as men asleep or in a crowd of business they have not the use of the Reason which they possess in the matters which their minds are turned from § 21. 18. Yea one thing more I think I may suppose in all or most that will read this Book 18. That most among us profess to believe in Christ and confess the Gospel to be true c. that you take on you also to believe in Iesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier and that the Scriptures are the Word of God And if you do so indeed I may then hope that my work is in a manner done before I begin it But if you do it but opinionatively and uneffectually yet God and man may plead with you the truths which you profess § 22. Having told you what I presuppose in you I proceed now to the Directions But I again intreat and charge thee Reader as thou lovest thy soul and wouldst not be condemned for Hypocrisie and sloth that thou dost not refuse to put in practise what is taught thee and shew thereby that Abâ—â—nt omâ—ia â—â—d oâ—ta sunt Câ—â— in Cat. Maj. Dii immortales sparserunt animos iâ— corpora humana ut essâ—nt qui terras tuerentur quique coelestem ordinem contemplantes imitarentur eum vitae â—odo atque Constantia Câ—c in Cato majore Ex terrâ sunt homines non ut iâ—colae habitatores sed quasi spectatores superarum rerum atque 〈…〉 tium quâ—â—um spâ—ctacuâ—um ad nullum aliud genus animantium pertinet Cicero 2. de Nat. Deor. Sic habeto te non esse mortalem sed 〈…〉 us hoc Idem Somn. Scip. Cum natura caeteras animantes abjecisset ad pastum solum hominâ—m erexit ad coeli quasi cognationis doâ—â—ciâ—iique pristini conspectum excâ—tavit tum speciem ita formavit oris ut in ea penitus reconditos mores effingeret Cic. 1. de Legib. Nisi Deus 〈◊〉 tâ— coâ—poris custodiis liberaverit ad coelum aditus patere non potest Cicero Somn. Scip. Animi omnium sunt immortales sed bonorum diâ—iâ—i Cic. 2. de â—egib Boaorum mentes mihi divinae atque aeternae videntur ex hominum vita ad deorum religionem sanctimoniamque migrare Idem Animus est ingeneâ—atus à Deo ex quo vere vel agnatio nobis cum coelestibus vel genus vel stirps appellaâ—i potest Idem 1. de Leg. whatever thou pretendest thou are not willing to do thy part for thy own salvation no not in the most reasonable necessary things Direction 1. IF thou be truly willing to be sanctified and a child of God Remain not in a state of Ignorance Direct 1. but do thy best to come into the light and understand the Word of God in the matters of salvation § 1. If knowledge be unnecessary why have we Understanding And wherein doth a man excell Qui seipsâ—m cognoverit cogno â—â—t in sâ— omnia Deum ad cujus imaâ—iâ—â—â—â— factus est M 〈…〉 d on câ—jus si â—ula 〈…〉 n geâ—it 〈…〉 as omnes cum quibus symboâ—â—m habet Paul Scaligeâ— Thes. p. 72â— a Beast If any knowledge at all be necessary certainly it must be the knowledge of the greatest and most necessary things And nothing is so great and necessary as to Obey thy Maker and to save thy soul. Knowledge is to be valued according to its Usefulness If it be a matter of as great concernment to know how to do your worldly business and to trade and gather worldly wealth and to understand the Laws and to maintain your honour as it is to know how to be reconciled unto God to be pardoned and justified to please your Creator to prepare in time for death and judgement and an endless life then let worldly wisdom have the preheminence But if all earthly things be dreams and shadows and valuable only as they serve us in the way to Heaven then surely the Heavenly Wisdom is the best Alas how far is that man from being wise that is acquainted with all the punctilio's of the Law that is excellent in the knowledge of all the Languages Sciences and Arts and yet knoweth not how to Live to God to mortifie the flesh to conquer sin to deny himself nor to answer in Judgement for his fleshly life nor to escape damnation As far is such a Learned man from being wise as he is from being happy § 2. Two sorts among us do quietly live in damning ignorance First Abundance of poor people who think they may continue in it because they were bred in it and that because they are not Book-learned therefore they need not learn how to be saved and because their Parents neglected to teach them when they were young therefore they may neglect themselves ever after and need not learn the things they were made for Alas Sirs What have you your lives your time and Reason for Do you think it is only to know how to do your worldly business Or is it to prepare for a better world It is better that you knew not how to eat or drink or speak or go or dress your selves than that you know not the will of God and the way to your salvation Hear what the Holy Ghost saith 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Darkness is unsafe and full of fears the Light is safe and comfortable A man in ignorance is never like to hit his way Nor can he know whether he be in or out nor what enemy or danger he is near It is the Devil that is the Prince of Darkness and his Kingdom is a Kingdom of darkness and his works are works of darkness See Ephes. 6. 12. Col. 1. 13. 1 Iohn 2. 11. Luke 11. 34 35. Grace turneth men from darkness to light Acts 26. 18. and causeth them to cast off the works of darkness Rom. 13. 12. Because we are the children of light and of the day and not of darkness or of night 1
knoweth not in this age shall not know for me We need not go to Paul and Barnabas for an instance that was a far lighter case Nor to Epiphanius Hierom and Chrysostome nor to those Agâ—s and Tragedies of contending Bishops that in the Eastern and Western Churches have been before us Every one thinking his cause so plain I may aâ—d that you have 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 Aâ—d th 〈…〉 are 〈…〉 speaks like onâ— that â—aâ—h an Uâ—â—â—â—r that at first is hurt with every touch and at last even with the suspicion of a touch Tutuâ— aliqua â—es in 〈…〉 praestat nulla securum Putat enim eâ—iamsi non deprehenditur se posse deprâ—hendi inter somnos moveâ—ur 〈…〉 loquitur de suo cogâ—tat Sen. Epis. 106. Et. Ep. 97. Prima maxima peccantium poena est peccassâ— Hâ—â—â—â— â—â—â—â—ndâ— poenâ— prâ—munt sequuntur tâ—â—ere sempeâ— expavescere securitaâ—i diffidere Tyraâ—no amici quoque saepe â—â—â—â—â—ctâ— suâ—â— Tu eâ—go si tyrannâ—dâ—m tuto tenere cupâ—s atque in ea constabiliri civitatis principes tolle sive illi amicâ— sive inimici vâ—dâ—antur 〈…〉 iâ—â—â—â—â—st Pâ—â—iaâ—d iâ— Laâ—rtio Pleâ—oâ—umque ingenium est ut errata aliorum vel minima persâ—â—utentur beâ—eâ—acta vâ—â—o vel in pâ—opatulo posita praeteâ—eant sicuâ— Vultures corpora viva saâ—a non sentiunt morticina vero cadavera tamâ—â—â—â—â—enge remota odore persequuntur Gaâ—â—â—â—dus iâ— Aâ—can Iâ—suit p. 55. as to justifie himself in all that he saith and doth against those that presume to differ from him And surely you may well expect some displeasure even from good and learned men when the Churches have felt such dreadful concussions and bleedeth to this day by so horrid divisions through the remnants of that Pride and Ignorance which her Reverend Guides have still been guilty of § 47. 12. You have men of great Mutability to please That one hour may be ready to worship you as Gods and the next to stone you or account you as Devils as they did by Paul and Christ himself What a Weather-cock is the mind of man especially of the vulgar and the temporizers When you have spent all your dayes in building your reputation on this Sand one blast of Wind or Storm at last doth tumble it down and all your â—â—st and labour is lost Serve men as submissively and carefully as you can and after all some accident or failing of their unrighteous expectations may make all that ever you did forgotten and turn you out of the world with Wolsey's groans If I had served God as faithfully as man I had been better rewarded and not forsaken in my distrâ—ss How many have fallen by the hands or frowns of those whose favour they had dearly purchased perhaps at the price of their salvation If ever you put such confidence in a friend as not to consider that it is possible he may one day prove your enemy you know not man and may perhaps be better taught to know him to your cost § 48. 13. Every man living shall unavoidably be engaged by God himself in some duties which are very lyable to misconstruction and will have an outside and appearance of evil to the offence of those that know not all the inside and circumstances And hence it comes to pass that a great part of History is little worthy of regard Because the actions of publick persons are discerned but by the halves by most that write of them They write most by hearsay or know but the outside and seemings of things and not the Spirit and life and reality of the case Men have not the choosing of their own duties but God maketh them by his Law and Providence And it pleaseth him oft to try his servants in this kind Many of the circumstances of their actions shall remain unknown to men that would justifie them if they knew them and account them as notorious scandalous persons because they know them not How like to evil was the Israelites taking the goods of the Egyptians and how likely to lay them open to their censure So was Abrahams attempt to sacrifice his Son And so was Davids eating the Shew-bread and dancing almost naked before the Ark Christs eating and drinking with publicans and sinners Pauls circumcising Timothy and purifying in the Temple with abundance such like which fall out in the life of every Christian. No wonder if Iâ—seph thought once of putting Mary away till he knew the evidence of her miraculous conception And how lyable was she to censure by those that knew it not O therefore how vain is the judgement of man And how contrary are they frequently to the truth And with what caution must History be read And O how desirable is the great day of God when all humane censure shall be justly censured § 49. 14. The perversness of many is so great that they require contradictions and impossibilities of you to tell you that they are resolved never to be pleased by you If Iohn use fasting they say He hath a Devil If Christ come eating and drinking they say behold a gluttonous person and a wine-bibber a Matth. 11 18 19. friend of publicans and sinners If your judgement and practice be conformable to superiours especially if it have admitted of a change you shall be judged meer Knaves and Temporizers If it be not you shall be judged disobedient refractory and seditious If you speak fair and pleasingly they will call you flatterers and dissemblers If you speak more freely though in a necessary case they will say you rail Iâ— I accept of prefâ—rment they will say I am ambitious proud and worldly If I refuse it how modestly soever they will say I am discontented and have seditious designs If I preach not when I am forbidden I shall be accused as forsaking the Calling I undertook and obeying man against God Iâ— I do preach I shall be accounted disobedient and seditious If a friend or kinsman desire me to help him to some place or preferment which he is not â—it for or which would tend to anothers wrong if I should grant his desire I shall be taken for dishonest that by partiality wrong another If I deny it him I shall be called unnatural or unfriendly and worse than an Infidel If I give to the poor as long as I have it I shall be censured for ceasing when I have no more They that know not whether you have it to give or not will be displeased if you do not And if many years you should maintain them freely it is all as nothing as soon as you cease either because your stock is spent or because some other is made the necessary object of your Charity If you be wronged in your estate if you go to Law they will say you are contentious If you let go your estate to avoid contention they will say you are silly fools or ideoâ—s If you do any good works of charity to the knowledge of men they will
avoided And usually narrow sighted persons are fearful only of one extream and see no danger but on one side and therefore are easily carried by avoiding that into the contrary § 38. I think it not unprofitable to instance in several particular Cautions that you imitate not them that put asunder what God hath conjoyned and cast not away truth as oft as you are puzzled in the right placing or methodizing it § 39. Inst. 1. The first and second Causes are conjoyned in their operations and therefore must not Instance 1. be put asunder If the way of influx concourse or co-operation be dark and unsearchable to you do not deny that it is because you see not how it is The honour of the first and second Cause also are conjunct according to their several interests in the effects Do not therefore imagine that all the honour ascribed to the second cause is denyed or taken away from the first For then you understand not their order Otherwise you would see that as the second causeth independance on the first and in subordination to it and hath no power but what is communicated by it so it hath no honour but what is received from it and that it is no less honour for the first cause to operate mediately by the second than immediately by it self And that there is no less of the Power Wisdom or Goodness of God in an effect produced by means and second causes than in that which he produceth of himself only without them And that it is his Goodness to communicate a power of doing good to his creatures and the honour of working and causing under him but he never loseth any thing by communicating nor hath the less himself by giving to his creatures For if all that honour that is given to the Creature were taken injuriously from God then God would never have made the world nor made a Saint and then the worst creatures would least dishonour God Then he would not shine by the Sun but by himself immediately and then he would never Glorifie either Saint or Angel But on the contrary it is Gods honour to work by adapted means And all their honour is truly his As all the commendation of a Clock or Watch is given to the Workman And though God do not all so immediately as to use no means or second causes yet is he never the further from the effect but immediatione virtutis suppositi is himself as near as if he used none § 40. Inst. 2. The special Providence of God and his being the first Universal cause are conjunct Instance 2. with the culpability of sinners and no man must put these asunder Those that cannot see just how they are conjoyned may be sure that they are conjoyned It is no dishonour to an Engineer that he can make a Watch which shall go longer than he is moving it with his finger Nor is it a dishonour to our Creator that he can make a Creature which can Morally determine it self to an action as commanded or forbidden without the predetermination of his Maker though not without his universal concourse necessary to action as action If Adam could not do this through the natural impossibility of it than the Law was that he should dye the death if he did not overcome God or do that which was naturally impossible and this was the nature of his sin Few dare say that God cannot make a free self-determining agent And if he can we shall easily prove that he hath and the force of their opposition then is vanished § 41. Inst. 3. The Omniscience of God and his Dominion Government and Decrees are conjunct with Instance 3. the liberty and sin of man yet these by many are put asunder As if God must either be Ignorant or be the author of sin As if he made one poor by Decreeing to make another Rich As if he cannot be a perfect Governour unless he procure all his subjects perfectly to keep his Laws As if all the fault of those that break the Law were to be laid upon the Maker of the Law As if all Gods will de debito were not effective of its proper work unless man fulfill it in the Event And as if it were possible for any Creature to comprehend the way of the Creators Knowledge § 42. Inst. 4. Many would separate Nature and Grace which God the author of both conjoyneth Instance 4. When Grace supposeth Nature and in her Garden soweth all her seed and exciteth and rectifieth all her powers yet these men talk as if Nature had been annihilated or Grace came to annihilate it and not to cure it As if the Leprosie and Disease of Nature were Nature it self And as if Natural Good had been lost as much as Moral Good As if man were not man till Grace make him a man § 43. Inst. 5. Many separate the Natural Power of a sinner from his Moral impotency and Instance 5. his Natural freedome of will from his Moral servitude as if they were inconsistent when they are conjunct As if the Natural faculty might not consist with an evil disposition or a Natural power with an habitual unwillingness to exercise it aright And as if a sinner were not still a man § 44. Inst. 6. Many separate General and special Grace and Redemption as inconsistent when they Instance 6. are conjunct When the General is the proper way and means of accomplishing the ends of the special Grace and is still supposed As if God could not give more to some if he give any thing to all Or as if he gave nothing to all if he give more to any As if he could not deal equally and without difference with all as a Legislator and righteously with all as a Iudge unless he deal equally and without difference with all as a Benefactor in the free distribution of his gifts As if he were obliged to make every Worm and Beast a man and every man a King and every King an Angel and every Clod a Star and every Star a Sun § 45. Inst. 7. Many separate the Glory of God and mans salvation God and man in assigning the Instance 7. ultimate End of man As if a Moral Intention might not take in both As if it were not finis amantis and the end of a Lover were not union in Mutual Love As if Love to God may not be for ever the final act and God himself the final object And as if in this magnetick closure though both may be called the End yet there might not in the closing parties be an infinite disproportion and one only be finis ultimate ultimus § 46. Inst. 8. Yea many would separate God from God while they would separate God from Heaven Instance 8. and say that we must be content to be shut out of Heaven for the Love of God! When our Heaven is the perfect Love of God And so they say in effect that for
danger is Hell The mediate danger in general is sin But you must find what sin it is that this creature will be made a Temptation to by the Devil and the Flesh. As suppose you saw written upon money and riches The bait of Covetousness and all evil to pierce me through with many sorrows and then to damn me And suppose you saw written upon great buildings and estates and honours and attendance The great price which the Devil would give for souls and the baits to tempt men to the inordinate Love of fleshly pleasures and to draw their hearts from God and Heaven to their damnation Suppose you still saw written upon Beauty and and tempting actions and attire The bait of lust by which the Devil corrupteth the minds of men to their damnation Suppose you saw written on the Play-house door The Stage of the Mountebanck of Hell who here cheateth men of their pretious time and enticeth them to vanity luxury and damnation under pretence of instructing them by a nearer and more pleasant way than Preachers do The like I say of Gaming Recreations company See the particular snare in all § 20. Direct 17. To this end be well acquainted with your own particular inclinations and distempers Direct 17. that you may know what creature is like to prove most dangerous to you that there you may keep the strictest watch If you be subject to pride keep most from the baits of Pride and watch most cautelously against them If you be subject to Covetousness watch most against the baits of Covetousness If you are inclined to lust away from the sight of alluring objects The knowledge of your temper and disease must direct you both in your dyet and your Physick § 21. Direct 18. Live as in a constant course of obedience and suppose you saw the Law of God Direct 18. also written upon every thing you see As when you look on any tempting beauty suppose you saw Rom. 7. 7. Matth 5 28. Ephes. 5. 5. Heb. 13 4. 1 John 2. 15. this written on the forehead Thou shalt not lust Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge They shall not enter into the Kingdom of God See upon the forbidden dish or cup the prohibition of God Thou shalt not eat or drink this See upon money and riches this written Thou shalt not cove◠See upon the face of all the world Love not the world nor the things that are in the world If any man love the world the Love of the Father is not in him Thus see the Will of God on all things § 22. Direct 19. Make not the objects of sense over tempting and dangerous to your selves but take Direct 19. special care as much as in you lyeth to order all so that you may have as much of the benefit and as little of the snare of the creature as is possible Would you not be gluttonous pleasers of your appetite Choose not then too full a Table nor over-pleasant tempting drinks or dishes and yet choose those that are most useful to your health Would you not over-love the world nor your present house or lands or station Be not too instrumental your selves in guilding or dulcifying your bait If you put in the sugar the Devil and the flesh will put in the poyson Will you make all as pleasant and lovely as you can when you believe that the overloving them is the greatest danger to your salvation Will you be the greatest tempters to your selves and then desire God not to lead you into temptation § 23. Direct 20. Let not the tempting object be too near your sense For nearness enrageth the sensitive Direct 20. appetite and giveth you an opportunity of sinning Come not too near the fire if you would not be burnt And yet use prudence in keeping the usefulness of it for warmth though you avoid the burning Distance from the snares of pride and lust and passion and other sins is a most approved remedy and Nearness is their strength § 24. Direct 21. Accustom your souls to frequent and familiar exercise about their invisible objects Direct 21. as well as your senses about theirs And as you are daily and hourly in seeing and tasting and hearing the creature so be not rarely in the humble adoration of him that appeareth to you in them Otherwise use will make the creature so familiar to you and disuse will make God so strange that by degrees you will wear your selves out of his acquaintance and become like carnal sensual men and live all by sense and forget the holy exercise of the life of faith § 25. Direct 22. Lose not your humble sense of the badness of your hearts how ready they are as tinder Direct 22. to take the fire of every temptation and never grow fool-bardy and confident of your selves For your holy fear is necessary to your watchfulness and your watchfulness is necessary to your escape and safety Peters self-confidence betrayed him to deny his Lord. Had Noah and Lot and David been more afraid of the sin they had been like to have escaped it It is a part of the character of the beastly Hereticks that Iude declaimeth against that they were spots in their feasts of charity when they feasted with the Church feeding themselves without fear vers 12. When the knowledge or sense of your weakness and sinful inclination is gone then fear is gone and then safety is gone and your fall is near PART II. Particular Directions for the Government of the Eyes § 1. Direct 1. KNow the uses that your sight is given you for As 1. To see the works of God Direct 1. that thereby your Minds may see God himself 2. To read the word of God Prov. 3. 21. Luk 11. 34. Mat. 6. 21. Psal. 145. 15. Psal. 123. 2 3. Prov. 28 27. that therein you may perceive his mind 3. To see the servants of God whom you must Love and the poor whom you must relieve or pity and all the visible objects of your duty To conduct your body in the discharge of its office about all the matters of the world And in special often to look up towards Heaven the place where your blessed Lord is Glorified and whence he shall come to take you to his glory § 2. Direct 2. Remember the sins which the eye is most in danger of that you may be watchful Direct 2. and escape 1. You must take heed of a Proud and Lofty and Scornful eye which looketh on your Psal. 35. 19. Prov. 10 10. Prov 30. 17. Isa. 5. 15. Isa. 3. 16. Prov. 30. 13. Prov. 23. 33. Prov. 27. 20. Eccles. 1. 8. Eccles 4. 8. Prov. 23. 5. selves with admiration and delight as the Peacock is said to do on his tail and on others as below you with slighting and disdain 2. You must take heed of a lustful wanton eye which secretly carryeth out your heart to a befooling piece of dirty flesh and
to be believed Either you have not done your best or else you are not under a necessity And your urgency being your own fault seeing you should subdue it God still obligeth you both to subdue your Vice and to obey your Parents 3. But if there should be any one that hath such an incredible necessity of marriage he is to procure some others to sollicite his Parents for their consent and if he cannot obtain it some say it is his duty to marry without it I should rather say that it is minus malum the lesser evil and that having cast himself into some necessity of sinning it is still his duty to avoid both and to choose neither but it is the smaller sin to choose to disobey his Parents rather than to live in the flames of lust and the filth of unchastity And some Divines say that in such a case a Son should appeal to the Magistrate as a superior authority above the Father But others think 1. That this leaveth it as difficult to resolve what he shall do if the Magistrate also consent not And 2. That it doth but resolve one difficulty by a greater it being very doubtful whether in Domestick cases the authority of the Parent or the Magistrate be the greater § 11. 3. The same answer serveth as to the third Question when Parents forbid you to marry the persons that you are most fond of For such fondness whether you call it Lust or Love as will not stoop to reason and your Parents wills is inordinate and sinful And therefore the thing that God bindeth you to is by his appointed means to subdue it and to obey But if you cannot the accidents and probable consequents must tell you which is the lesser evil § 12. Quest. But what if the Child have promised marriage and the Parents be against it Answ. If Quest. the Child was under the Parents Government and short of years of discretion also the promise is void for want of capacity And if the child was at age yet the promise was a sinful promise as to the promising act and also as to the thing promised during the Parents dissent If the actus promittendâ— only had been sinful the promise making the promise might nevertheless oblige unless it were null as well as sinful But the materia promissa being sinful the matter promised to marry while Parents do dissent such a child is bound to forbear the fullfilling of that promise till the Parents do consent or die And yet he is bound from marrying any other unless he be disobliged by the person that he made the promise to because he knoweth not but his Parents may consent hereafter And whenever they consent or die the promise then is obligatory and must be performed § 13. The 3. Chap. of Num. enableth Parents to disoblige a Daughter that is in their house from a Vow made to God so be it they disallow it at the first hearing Hence there are two doubts arise 1. Whether this power extend not to the disobliging of a promise or contract of Matrimony 2. Whether it extend not to a Son as well as a Daughter And most expositors are for the affirmative of both cases But I have shewed before that it is upon uncertain grounds 1. It is uncertain whether God who would thus give up his own right in case of Vowing will also give away the right of others without their consent in case of Promises or Contracts And 2. It is uncertain whether this be not an indulgence only of the weaker sex seeing many words in the Text seem plainly to intimate so much And it is dangerous upon our own presumptions to stretch Gods Laws to every thing we imagine there is the same reason for Seeing our imaginations may so easily be deceived and God could have exprest such particulars if he would And therefore when there is not clear ground for our inferences in the Text it is but to say Thus and thus God should have said when we cannot say Thus he hath said We must not make Laws under pretense of â—xpounding them whatsoever God commandeth thee take heed that thou do it thou shalt â—â—â—â— nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Deut. 12. 32. § 14. Quest. If the Question therefore be not of the sinfullness but the nullity of such Promises of Quest. children because of the dissent of Parents for my part I am not able to prove any such nullity It is said that They are not sui juris their own and therefore their promises are null But if they have attained Object to years and use of discretion they are naturally so far sui juris as to be capable of disposing even of Answ. their souls and therefore of their fidelity They can oblige themselves to God or man Though they are not so far sui juris as to be ungoverned For so no child no Subject no Man is sui juris seeing all are under the Government of God And yet if a man promise to do a thing sinful it is not a nullity but a sin not no promise but a sinful promise A nullity is when the Actus promittendi is Reputativè nullus vel non actus And when no Promise is made then none can be broken § 15. Quest. But if the Question be only how far such Promises must be kept I answer by summing Quest. up what I have said 1. If the child had not the use of Reason the want of Natural â—apacity proveth the Promise null Here ignorantis non est consensus 2. If he was at age and use of Reason then 1. If the Promising act only was sinful as before I said of Vows the Promise must be both repented of and kept It must be repented of because it was a sin It must be kept because it was a real Promise and the matter lawful 2. If the Promising act was not only a sin but a nullity by any other reason then it is no obligation 3. If not only the Promising act be sin but also the matter Promised as is marrying without Parents consent then it must be repented of and not performed till it become lawful Because an oath or promise cannot bind a man to violate the Laws of God § 16. Quest. But what if the parties be actually Married without the Parents consent Must they live Quest. together or be separated Answ. 1. If Marriage be consummated per carnalem concubitum by the carnal knowledge of each other I see no reason to imagine that Parents can dissolve it or prohibit their cohabitation For the Marriage for ought I ever saw is not proved a nullity but only a sin and their concubitus is not fornication And Parents cannot forbid Husband and Wife to live together And in Marriage they do really though sinfully forsake Father and Mother and cleave to each other and so are now from under their Government though not disobliged from all obedience 2. But if
read Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law And the command of Authority is not a contemptible obligation § 7. 6. It is granted by all that more than this is due to God and the life that is in every Christian telleth him that it is a very great mercy to us not only to servants but even to all men that one day in seven they may disburden themselves of all the cares and business of the world which may hinder their holy communion with God and one another and wholly apply themselves to learn the will of God And nature teacheth us to accept of mercy when it is offered to us and not dispute against our happiness § 8. 7. Common experience telleth us that where the Lords Day is more holily and carefully observed Knowledge and Religion prosper best and that more souls are converted on those dayes than on all the other dayes besides and that the people are accordingly more edified And that where ever the Lords Day is ordinarily neglected or mispent Religion and Civility decay and there is a visible lamentable difference between those places and families and the other § 9. 8. Reason and experience telleth us that if men werâ— leâ—t to themselves what Time they should appoint for Gods publick Worship in most plâ—â—es it would be so little and disordered and uncertain that Religion would be for the most part banished out of the now Christian world Therefore there being need of an Universal Law for it it is probable that such a Law there is And if so it can be by none but God the Creator Redeemer and Holy Ghost there being no other Universal Governour and Law-giver to impose it § 10. 9. All must confess that it is more desirable for Unity and Concord sake that all Christians hold their holy Assemblies on one and the same day and that all at once through all the world do worship God and seek his Grace than that they do it some on one day and some on another § 11. 10. And all that ever I have conversed with confess that if the holy spending of the Lords Day be not necessary it is lawful and therefore when there is so much to be said for the Necessity of it too to keep it holy is the safest way Seeing this cannot be a sin but the contrary may And Licâ—nce is encouragement enough to accept so great a mercy All this set together will satisfie a man that hath any spiritual sense of the concernments of his own and others souls § 12. Object But you will say That besides the name it is yet a controversie whether the whole day Object should be spâ—nt in holy exercises or only so much as is meet for publick communion it being not found in antiquiâ—y that the Churches used any further to observe it Answ. No sober man denyeth that works of necessity for the preservation of our own or other mens Answ. lives or health or goods may be done on the Lords Day so that when we say that the whole day is to be spent holily we exclude not eating and sleeping nor the necessary actions about Worship as the Priesâ—s in the Temple are said to break the Sabbath that is the external rest and to be blameless But otherwise that it is the whole day is evident in the Arguments produced The antient Histories and Canons of the Church speak not of one part of the day only but the whole All confess that when Labour or sinful sports are forbidden it is on the whole day and not only on a part And for what is alledged of the custome of the antient Church I answer 1. The antienâ—est Churches spent almost all the day in publick Worship and Communion They begun in the morning and continued without parting till the evening The first part of the day being spent in teaching the Catechumens they were then dismissed and the Church continued together in preaching and praying but especially in those laudatory Eucharistical Offices which accompany the celebration of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. They did not then as Gluttons do now account it fasting to forbear a dinner when they supped yea feasted at night It being not usual among the Romans to eat any dinners at all And they that spent all the day together in publick Worship and Communion you may be sure spent noâ— part of it in Dancing nor Stage-playes nor worldly businesses 2. And Church History giveth us but little account what particular persons did in private nor can it be expected 3. Who hath brought us any proof that ever the Church approved of spending any part of the day in sports or idleness or unnecessary worldly business Or that any Churches or persons regardable did actually so spend it 4. Unless their proof be from those many Canons of our own and other Churches that command the holy observation of it and forbid these playes and labours on it which I confess doth intimate that some there were that needed Laws to restrain them from the violation of it 5. Again I say that seeing few men will have the faces to say that playes and games or idleness are a duty on that day it will suffice a holy thankful Christian if he have but leave to spend all the day for the good of his soul and those about him and if he may be reading and meditating on the Word of God and praying and praising him and instructing his family while others waste that time in vanity especially to servants and poor men that have but little other leisure all the year to seek for knowledge or use any such helps for their salvation As to a poor man that is kept hungry all the Week a bare liberty of feasting with his Landlord on the Lords day would satisfie him without a Law to constrain him to it so is it here with a hungry soul. § 2. Direct 2. Remember that the work of the day â—â— in general to keep up knowledge and Religion Direct 2. in the world and to own and honour our Creater Redeemer and Regenerater openly before all and to have communion with God through Christ in the Spirit by Receiving and Exercising his Grace in order to our Communion with him in Glory Let these therefore well understood â—e your Ends and in these be you exercised all the day and stick not hypocritically in bodily rest and outward duties Remember that it is a day for heart-work as well as for the exercise of the tongue and ear and knees and that your principal business is with Heaven Follow your hearts therefore all the day and see that they be not idle while your bodies are exercised Nothing is done if the Heart do nothing § 3. Direct 3. Remember that the special work of the day is to celebrate the memorial of Christs Direct 3. Resurrection and of the whole work of mans Redemption by him Labour therefore with all diligence
knoweth the reason of his own commands It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Matth. 4. 10. If God should command us nothing how is he our Governour and our God And if he command us any thing what should he command us more fitly than to worship him And he that will not obey him in this is not like to obey him well in any thing For there is nothing that he can with less shew of Reason except against seeing all the Reason in the world must confess that worship is most due to God from his own Creatures § 12. These Reasons for the Worship of God being undenyable the Objections of the infidels and Object ungodly are unreasonable As Obj. 1. That our worship doth no good to God for he hath no need of it Answ. Answ. It pleaseth and honoureth him as the making of the world and the happiness of man doth Doth it follow that there must be no world nor no man happy because God hath no need of it or no addition of felicity by it It is sufficient that it is necessary and Good for us and pleasing unto God § 13. Obj 2. Proud men are unlikest unto God and it is the Proud that love to be honoured and Object praised Answ. Pride is the affecting of an undue honour or the undue affecting of that honour Answ. which is due Therefore it is that this affectation of honour in the Creature is a sin because all honour is due to God and none to the Creature but derivatively and subserviently For a subject to affect any of the honour of his King is disloyalty And to affect any of the honour of his follow subjects is injustice But God requireth nothing but what is absolutely his due And â—e hath commanded us even towards men to give fear and honour to whom they are due Rom. 13. 7. § 14. Direct 3. Labour for the truest knowledge of the God whom you worship Let it not be said Direct 3. of you as Christ said to the Samaritan Woman Joh. 4. 22. Ye worship ye know not what nor as it is said of the Athenians whose Altar was inscribed To the unknown God Act. 17. 23. You must know whom you worship or else you cannot worship him with the heart nor worship him sincerely and acceptably though you were at never so great labour and cost God hath no pleasure in the sacrifice of fools Eccl. 5. 1 4. Though no man know him perfectly you must know him truly And though God taketh not every man for a Blaspheamer and denier of his Attributes whom contentious pievish wranglers call so because they consequentially cross some espoused opinions of theirs yet real misunderstanding of Gods nature and attributes is dangerous and tendeth to corrupt his worship by the corrupting of the Worshippers For such as you take God to be such Worship you will offer him For your worship is but the honourable acknowledgement of his perfections And mistakingly to praise him for supposed imperfections is to dishonour him and dispraise him If to know God be your eternal life it must needs be the life of all your worship Take heed therefore of ignorance and errour about God § 15. Direct 4. Understand the office of Iesus Christ as our Great High Priest by whose Mediation Direct 4. alone we must have access to God Whether there should have been any Priesthood for sacrifice or intercession Heb. 8. 3. if there had been no sin the Scripture telleth us not expresly but we have great reason to conjecture there would have been none because there would not have been any reasons for the exercise of such an office But since the fall not only the Scriptures but the practice of the whole world doth tell us that the sinful people are unmeet immediatly thus to come to God but that they must come by the Mediation of the Priest as a Sacrificer and Intercessour So that either Nature teacheth sinners the Necessity of some Mediator or the Tradition of the Church hath dispersed the Knowledge of it through the World And certainly no other Priest but Christ can procure the acceptance of a sinful people upon his own account nor be an effectual Mediator for them to God Heb. 7. 27 28. Heb 9. 26 28. unless in subserviency to an effectual Mediator who can procure us access and acceptance for his own sake For all other Priests are sinners as well as the people and have as much need of a Mediator Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Heb. 10. 13 14. for themselves 1. See therefore that you never appear before God but as sinners that have offended him and have deserved to be cast out of his favour for ever and such as are in absolute necessity of a Mediator to procure their access and acceptance with God Come not to God without the sense of sin and misery 2. See also that you come as those that Have a Mediator in the Heb. 6. 20. Heb. 7. 25 26. Matth. 1â— 5. Joh. 11. 42. presence of God even Jesus our High Priest who appeareth before God continually to make intercession for us Come therefore with holy boldness and confidence and joy having so sure and powerful a friend with God the beloved of the Father whom he heareth alwayes § 16. Direct 5. Look carefully to the state of thy soul that thou bring not an unholy heart to Worship Direct 5. the most Holy God Come not in the Love of sin nor in the hatred of Holiness For otherwise thou hatest God and art hated of him as bringing that before him which he cannot but hate And it 's easie to judge how unfit they are to worship God that hate him and how unlike they are to be accepted by him whom he hateth Psal. 5. 3 4 5 6 7. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple Psal. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal. 15. 1 2. Who shall abide in Gods tabernacle but he that walketh Lâ—v. 10 3. uprightly and worketh righteousness God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him and are unsanctified persons fit for this and can the unholy offer him holy worship The carnal mind is enmity against God is it fit then to serve and honour him Rom. 8. 7 8. See 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17 18. Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from
inconsistent with Christianity or the Essentials of the Ministry we may well presume of many of them they would not receive it Therefore as an error which consequentially contradicteth some essential article of faith nullifieth not his Christianity who first and fastest holdeth the faith and would cast away the error if he saw the contradiction as Davenant Morton and Hall have shewed Epist. Conciliat So is it to be said as to practical error in the present case They are their grievous errors and sins but for ought I see do not nullifie their office to the Church As a Mass-Priest he is no Minister of Christ As an Anabaptist is not as a Rebaptizer nor a Separatist as a Separater nor an Antinomian or any erroneous person as a Preacher of that error But as a Christian Pastor ordained to preach the Gospel baptize administer the Lords Supper pray praise God guide the Church he may be The same answer serveth to the Objection as it extendeth to the erroneous Doctrines which they preach which are but by Consequence against the Essentials of Religion 2. But it is a greater doubt Whether any power of the Ministry can be conveyed by Antichrist or from him And whether God will own any of Antichrists administrations Therefore seeing they profess themselves to have no office but what they receive from the Pope and Christ disowning his usurpation the same man cannot be the Minister of Christ and Antichrist as the same man cannot be an officer in the Kings Army and his Enemies But this will have the same solution as the former If this Antichrist were the open professed enemy to Christ then all this were true Because their corrupt additions would not by dark consequences but so directly contain the denyal of Christianity or the true Ministry that it were not possible to hold both But as our Divines commonly note Antichrist is to sit in the Temple of God and the Popes Treason is under pretence of the greatest service and friendship to Christ makeing himself his Vicar General without his Commission So that they that receive power from him do think him to be Christs Vicar indeed and so renounce not Christ but profess their first and chief relation to be to him and dependance on him and that they would have nothing to do with the Pope if they knew him to be against Christ. And some of them write that the Power or Office is immediately from Christ and that the Pope Ordainers and Electors do but design the person that shall receive it Because else they know not what to say of the Election and Consecration of the Pope himself who hath no superiour And the Spanish Bishops in the Council of Trent held so close to this that the rest were fain to leave it undetermined so that it is no part of their Religion but a doubtful opinion Whether the power of Bishops be derived from the Pope though they be Governed by him But as to the other the case seemeth like this If a subject in Ireland usurp the Lieutenancy and tell all the people that he hath the Kings Commission to be his Lieutenant and command all to submit to him and receive their places from him and obey him And the King declareth him a Traytor antecedently only by the description of his Laws and maketh it the duty of the subjects to renounce him Those now that know the Kings will and yet adhere to the Usurper though they know that the King is against it are Traytors with him But those from whom he keepeth the knowledge of the Laws and who for want of full information believe him to be really the Kings Lieutenant and specially living where all believe it but yet would renounce him if they knew that he had not the Kings Commission These are the Kings subjects though in ignorance they obey an Usurper And on this account it is that A. Bishop Usher concluded that An ignorant Papist might be saved but the Learned hardly But when the Learned through the disadvantages of their Education are under the same ignorance being Learned but on one side to their greater seduction the case may be the same The same man therefore may receive an Office from Christ who yet ignorantly submitteth to the Pope and receiveth corrupt additions from him But suppose I be mistaken in all this yet to come to the second Question II. Whether Baptism and Ordination given by them be Nullities I answer no on a further account 1. Because that the Ministry which is a nullity to the receiver that is God will punish him Matâ—h 7. 23 24 2â— as an Usurper may yet perform those Ministerial Acts which are no Nullities to the Church Else Phil. 1. 15 16 17. how confused a case would all Churches be in For it is hard ever to know whether Ministers have all things essential to their Office Suppose a man be ignorant or an Heretick against some essential Mark 9. 40. Article of faith or suppose that he feigned Orders of Ordination when he had none or that he was ordained by such as really had no power to do it or suppose he pretended the consent of the majority of the people when really the greater part were for another If all thâ—s be unknown his Baptizing and other administrations are not thereby made Nullities to the Church though they be sins in him The Reason is because that the Church shall not suffer nor lose her right for another mans sin When the fault is not theirs the loss and punishment shall not be theirs He that is found in possession of the place performeth valid administration to them that know not his usurpation and are not guilty of it Otherwise we should never have done Re-baptizing nor know easily when we receive any valid administrations while we are so disagreed about the Necessaries of the Office and Call and when it is so hard in all things to judge of the Call of all other men 2. And as the Papists say that a private man or woman may baptize in extremity so many Learned Protestants think that though a private mans Baptism be a sin yet it is no nullity though he were known to be no Minister And what is said of Baptism to avoid tediousness you may suppose said of Ordination which will carry the first case far as to the Validity of the Ministry received by Papists Ordination as well as of Baptism and Visible Christianity received by them For my part God used Parsons Book of Resolution corrected so much to my good and I have known so many eminent Christians and some Ministers converted by it that I am glad that I hear none make a controversie of it whether the conversion faith or Love to God be valid which we receive by the Books or means of any Papist Quest. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist IT is one question Whether he be Antichrist and another Whether it be necessary
to true penitent believers with a right to everlasting life and as to the obligation to sincere obedience for salvation though not as to the yet future coming of Christ in the flesh And this Law of Grace was never 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. yet repealed any further than Christs coming did fulfill it and perfect it Therefore to the rest of the world who never can have the Gospel or perfecter Testament as Christians have the former ☞ Law of Grace is yet in force And that is the Law conjoyned with the Law of Nature which now the world without the Church is under Under I say as to the force of the Law and a former Matth. 22. 29. Luke 24. 27 32 45. John 5. â—9 Acts 17. 2. 11. 18. 24 25. John 20. 9. John 7. 38 42. 10. 35. 13. 18. 19. 24 28. Luke 4. 18. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Acts 8. 32 33 35. Rom. 1. 2. promulgation made to Adam and Noah and some common intimations of it in merciful forbearances pardons and benefits though how many are under it as to the knowledge reception belief and obedience of it and consequently are saved by it is more than I or any man knoweth 6. There are many Prophecies of Christ and the Christian Church in the Old Testament yet to be fulfilled and therefore are still Gods Word for us 7. There are many Precepts of God to the Jews and to particular persons given them on Reasons common to them with us where parity of Reason will help thence to gather our own duty now 8. There are many holy expressions as in the Psalms which are fitted to persons in our condition and came from the Spirit of God and therefore as such are fit for us now 9. Even the fulfilled Promises Types and Prophecies are still Gods Word that is his Word given to their several proper uses And though much of their Use be changed or ceased so is not all They are yet useful to us to confirm our faith while we see their accomplishment and see how much God still led his Church to Happiness in one and the same way 10. On all these accounts therefore we may still Read the Old Testament and preach upon it in the publick Churches Quest. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them or that the Iews were all Gods Visible Church on Earth Answ. I Conjoyn these three Questions for dispatch I. 1. Some of the Matter of Moses Law did Rom. 2. Rom. 1. 20 21 Enod 12. 19 43 48 49. 20. 10. Lev. 17. 12 15. 18. 26. 24. 16 22. Numb 9. 14. 15. 14 15 16 29 30. 19. 10. Deut. 1. 16. bind all Nations that is The Law of nature as such 2. Those that had the knowledge of the Jewish Law were bound â—ollaterally to believe and obey all the expositions of the Law of nature in it and all the Laws which were given upon reasons common to all the world As about degrees of Marriage particular rules of Justice c. As if I heard God from Heaven tell another that standeth by me Thou shalt not marry thy fathers Widow for it is abominable I ought to apply that to me being his subject which is spoken to another on a common reason 3. All those Gentiles that would be proselytes and joyn with the Jews in their policy and dwell among them were bound to be observers of their Laws But 1. The Law of Nature as Mosaical did not formally and directly bind other Nations 2. Nâ—r were they bound to the Laws of their peculiar policy Civil or Ecclesiastical which were positives The reason is 1. Because they were all one body of Political Laws given peculiarly to one political body Even the Decalogue it self was to them a political Law 2. Because Moses was not authorized or sent to be the Mediator or deliverer of that Law to any Nation but the Jews And being never in the enacting or Promulgation sent or directed to the rest of the World it could not bind them II. As to the second Question Though the Scripture as a writing bound not all the World yet 1. The Law of Nature as such which is recorded in Scripture did bind all 2. The Covenant of Psal. 145. 9 103. 19. Psal. 100. 1. Rom. 14. 11. Act. 34 35. Jud. 14. 15. Grace was made with all mankind in Adam and Noe And they were bound to promulgate it by Tradition to all their off-spring And no doubt so they did whether by word as all did or by writing also as it 's like some did as Henochs Prophesies were it 's like delivered or else they had not in terms been preserved till Iudes time 3. And God himself as aforesaid by actual providences pardoning and benefits given to them that deserved hell did in part promulgate it himself 4. The neighbour Nations might learn much by Gods doctrine and dealing with the Jews III. To the third Question I answer 1. The Jews were a people chosen by God out of all the Deut. 14. 2 3. 7. 2. 6 7. Exod. 19. 5. 6. 7 8. Lev. 20. 24 26. Deut. 4. 20 33. 29. 13. 33. 29. Rom. 3. 1 2 3. Nations of the Earth to be a holy Nation and his peculiar treasure having a peculiar Divine Law and Covenant and many great priviledges to which the rest of the World were strangers so that they were advanced above all other Kingdoms of the world though not in wealth nor worldly power nor largeness of Dominion yet in a special dearness unto God 2. But they were not the only people to whom God made a Covenant of Grace in Adam and Noe as distinct from the Law or Covenant of Innocency 3. Nor were they the only people that professed to Worship the true God neither was holiness and salvation confined to them but were found in other Nations Therefore though we have but little notice of the state of other Kingdoms in their times and scarcely know what National Churches that is whole Nations professing saving faith there were yet we may well conclude that there were other visible Churches besides the Jews For 1. No Scripture denyeth it and charity then must hope the best 2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament give us small account of other Countreys but of the Jews alone with some of their Neighbours 3. Sem was alive in Abrahams dayes yea about 34 years after Abrahams death and within 12 years of Ismaels death viz. till about An. Mundi 2158. And so great and blessed a man as Sem cannot be thought to be less than a King and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holiness and so that there was with him not only a Church but a National Church or holy Kingdom 4. And Melchizedeck was a holy King and
Sword in their own hands and not have put it into the Clergies hands to fulfill their wills by For 1. By this means the Clergy had escaped the odium of usurpation and domineering by which atheistical Politicians would make Religion odious to Magistrates for their sakes 2. And by this means greater unity had been preserved in the Church while one faction is not armed with the Sword to tread down the rest For if Divines contend only by dint of Argument when they have talkt themselves and others aweary they will have done But when they go to it with dint of Sword it so ill becometh them that it seldom doth good but the party often that trusteth least to their Reason must destroy the other and make their cause good by Iron arguments 3. And then the Romish Clergy had not been armed against Princes to the terrible concussions of the Christian world which Histories at large relate if Princes had not first lent them the Sword which they turned against them 4. And then Church Discipline would have been better understood and have been more effectual which is corrupted and turned to another thing and so cast out when the Sword is used instead of the Keys under pretence of making it effectual None but Consenters are capable of Church-communion No man can be a Christian nor Godly nor saved against his will And therefore Consenters and Volunteers only are capable of Church-discipline As a Sword will not make a Sermon effectual no more will it make Discipline effectual which is but the management of Gods Word to work upon the conscience So far as men are to be driven by the Sword to the use of means or restrained from offering injury to Religion the Magistrate himself is fittest to do it It is noted by Historians as the dishonour of Cyrill of Alexandria though a famous Bishop that he was the first Bishop that like a Magistrate used the Sword there and used violence against Hereticks and dissenters 5. Above all abuse not the name of Religion for the resistance of your lawful Governours Religion must be defended and propagated by no irreligious means It is easie before you are aware to catch the feavor of such a passionate zeal as Iames and Iohn had when they would have had fire from Heaven to consume the refusers and resisters of the Gospel And then you will think that any thing almost is lawful which doth but seem necessary to the prosperity of Religion But no means but those of Gods allowance do use to prosper or bring home that which men expect They may seem to do wonders for a while but they come to nothing in the latter end and spoil the work and leave all worse than it was before § 101. Direct 40. Take heed of mistaking the nature of that Liberty of the people which is truly Direct 40. valuable and desirable and of contending for an undesirable Liberty in its stead It is desirable to have 1 Pet. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Gal. 4. 26. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Liberty to do good and to possess our own and enjoy Gods mercies and live in peace But it is not desirable to have Liberty to sin and abuse one another and hinder the Gospel and contemn our Governours Some mistake Liberty for Government it self and think it is the peoples Liberty to be Governours And some mistake Liberty for an exemption from Government and think they are most free when they are most ungoverned and may do what their list But this is a misery and not a mercy and therefore was never purchased for us by Christ. Many desire servitude and calamity under the name of liberty Optima est Reipublicae forma saith Seneca ubi nulla Libertas deest nisi licentia pereundi As Mr. R. Hooker saith Lib. 8. p. 195. I am not of opinion that simply in Kings the Most but the Best limited power is best both for them and the people The Most limited is that which may deal in fewest things the best that which in dealing is tyed to the soundest perfectest and most indifferent Rule which Rule is the Law I mean not only the Law of Nature and of God but the National Law consonant thereunto Happier that people whose Law is their King in the greatest things than that whose King is himself their Law Yet no doubt but the Law-givers are as such above the Law as an Authoritative instrument of Government but under it as a man is under the obligation of his own Consent and Word It ruleth subjects in the former sense It bindeth the summam Potestatem in the later § 102. Direct 41. When you have done all that you can in just obedience look for your reward Direct 41. from God alone Let it satisfie you that he knoweth and approveth your sincerity You make it a holy work if you do it to please God and you will be fixed and constant if you take Heaven for your Reward which is enough and will not fail you But you make it but a selfish carnal work if you do it only to please your Governours or get preferment or escape some hurt which they may do you and are subject only in flattery or for fear of wrath and not for conscience sake And such obedience is uncertain and unconstant For when you fail of your hopes or think Rulers deal unjustly or unthankfully with you your subjection will be turned into passionate desires of revenge Remember still the example of your Saviour who suffered death as an enemy to Caesar when he had never failed of his duty so much as in one thought or word And are you better than your Lord and Master If God be All to you and you have laid up all your hopes in Heaven it is then but little of your concernment further than God is concerned in it whether Rulers do use you well or ill and whether they interpret your actions rightly or what they take you for or how they call you But it is your concernment that God account you Loyal and will judge you so and justifie you from mens accusations of disloyalty and reward you with more than man can give you Nothing is well done especially of so high a nature as this which is not done for God and Heaven and which the Crown of Glory is not the motive to I have purposely been the larger on this subject because the times in which we live require it both for the setling of some and for the confuting the false accusations of others who would perswade the world that our doctrine is not what it is when through the sinful practices of some the way of truth is evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. Tit. 2. A fuller resolution of the Cases 1. Whether the Laws of men do bind the Conscience 2. Especially smaller and Penal Laws THe word Conscience signifieth either 1. In general according to the notation of the word The knowledge of our own
man is bound to punish himself As when the Law against Swearing Cursing or the like doth give the poor a certain mulct which is the penalty He ought to give that money himself And in cases where it is a necessary cure to himself And in any case where the publick good requireth it As if a Magistrate offend whom none else will punish or who is the Judge in his own cause he should so far punish himself as is necessary to the suppression of sin and to the preserving of the honour of the Laws As I have heard of a Justice that swore twenty Oaths and paid his twenty shillings for it 2. A man may be bound in such a Divine Vengeance or Judgement as seeketh after his particular sin to offer himself to be a sacrifice to Justice to stop the Judgement As Ionah and Achan did 3. A man may be bound to confess his guilt and offer himself to Justice to save the innocent who is falsly accused and condemned for his crime 4. But in ordinary cases a man is not bound to be his own publick accuser or executioner Quest. 10. May a Witness voluntarily speak that truth which he knoweth will further an unrighteous Quest. 10. cause and be made use of to oppress the innocent Answ. He may never do it as a confederate in that intention Nor may he do it when he knoweth that it will tend to such an event though threatned or commanded except when some weightier accident doth preponderate for the doing it As the avoiding of a greater hurt to others than it will bring on the oppressed c. Quest. 11. May a witness conceal some part of the truth Quest. 11. Answ. Not when he sweaâ—â—â—â—h to deliver the whole truth Nor when a good cause is like to suffer or a bad cause to be furâ—â—â—â—ered by the concealment Nor when he is under any other obligation to reveal the whole Quest. 12. Must a Iudge and Iury proceed secundum allegata probata according to evidence and Quest. 12. proof when they know the witness to be false and the truth to be contrary to the testimony but are not able to evince it Answ. Distinguish between the Negative and the Positive part of the Verdict or Sentence In the Negative they must go according to the evidence and testimonies unless the Law of the Land leave the case to their private knowledge As for example They must not sentence a Thief or Murderer to be punished upon their secret unproved knowledge They must not adjudge either Moneys or Lands to the true Owner from another without sufficient evidence and proof They must forbear doing Iustice because they are not called to it nor enabled But Positively they may do no Injustice upon any evidence or witness against their own knowledge of the truth As they may not upon known false witness give away any mans Lands or Money or condemn the innocent But must in such a case renounce the Office The Judge must come off the Bench and the Jury protest that they will not meddle or give any Verdict what ever come of it Because God and the Law of Nature prohibit their injustice Object It is the Law that doth it and not we Answ. It is the Law and you And the Law cannot justifie your agency in any unrighteous sentenâ—e The case is plain and past dispute Tit. 2. Directions against Contentious Suits False Witnessing and Oppressive Iudgements § 1. Direct 1. THe first Cure for all these sins is to know the intrinsick evil of them Good Direct 1. thoughts of sin are its life and strength When it is well known it will be hated and when it is hated it is so far cured § 2. I. The Evil of Contentious and unjust Law-Suits 1. Such contentious Suits do shew the power of selfishness in the sinner How much self-interest is inordinately esteemed 2. They shew the excessive love of the world How much men over-value the things which they contend for 3. They shew mens want of Love to their neighbours How little they regard another mans interest in comparison of their own 4. They shew how little such mens care for the publick good which is maintained by the concord and love of neighbours 5. Such contentions are powerful Engines of the Devil to destroy all Christian Love on both sides and to stir up mutual enmity and wrath and so to involve men in a course of sin by further uncharitableness and injuries both in heart and word and deed 6. Poor men are hereby robbed of their necessary maintenance and their innocent families subjected to distress 7. Unconscionable Lawyers and Court-Officers who live upon the peoples sins are hereby maintained encouraged and kept up 8. Laws and Courts of Justice are perverted to do men wrong which were made to right them 9. And the offender declareth how little sense he hath of the authority or Love of God and how little sense of the grace of our Redeemer And how far he is from being himself forgiven through the blood of Christ who can no better forgive another § 3. II. The Evil of False Witness 1. By False Witness the innocent are injured Robbery and Murder are committed under pretence of truth and justice 2. The Name of God is horribly abused by the crying sin of Perjury of which before 3 The Presence and Justice of God are contemned When sinners dare in his sight and hearing appeal to his Tribunal in the attesting of a lye 4. Vengeance is begged or consented to by the sinner who bringeth Gods curse upon himself and as it were desireth God to plague or damn him if he lye 5. Satan the Prince of malice and injustice and the Father of lyes and murders and oppression is hereby gratified and eminently served 6. God himself is openly injured who is the Father and Patron of the innocent and the cause of every righteous prson is more the cause of God than of man 7. All Government is frustrated and Laws abused and all mens security for their reputations or estates or lives is overthrown by false witnesses And consequently humane converse is made undesirable and unsafe What good can Law or right or innocency or the honesty of the Judge do any man where false-witnesses combine against him What security hath the most innocent or worthy person for his fame or liberty or estate or life if false witnesses conspire to defame him or destroy him And then how shall men endure to converse with one another Either the innocent must seek out a Wilderness and flye from the face of men as we do from Lyons and Tygers or else Peace will be worse than War For in War a ma 〈…〉 ay fight for his life but against false witnesses he hath no defence But God is the avenger of the innocent and above most other sins doth seldome suffer this to go unpunished even in this present world but often beginneth their Hell on Earth to such perjured
you should perform your trust or would discharge you of it If it be some great and unexpected dangers which you think upon good grounds the Parent would acquit you from if he were living you fulfill your trust if you avoid them and do that which would have been his will if he had known it Otherwise you must perform your promise though it be to your loss and suffering Quest. 16. But what if it was only a trust imposed by his desire and will without my acceptance or promise Quest. 16. to perform it Answ. You must do as you would be done by and as the common good and the Laws of love and friendship do require Therefore the quality of the person and your obligations to him and especially the comparing of the consequent good and evil together must decide the case Quest. 17. What if the surviving kindred of the Orphane be nearer to him than I am and they censure Quest. 17. me and calumniate me as injurious to the Orphane may I not ease my self of the trust and cast it upon them Answ. In this case also the measure of your suffering must first be compared with the measure of the Orphanes good And then your Conscience must tell you whether you verily think the Parent who entrusted you would discharge you if he were alive and knew the case If he would though you promised it is to be supposed that it was not the meaning of his desire or your promise to incur such sufferings And if you believe that he would not discharge you if he were alive then if you promised you must perform But if you promised not you must go no farther than the Law of love requireth Quest. 18. What is a Minister of Christ to do if a penitent person confess secretly some heynous or Quest. 18. capital crime to him as Adultery theft robbery murder Must it be concealed or not Answ. 1. If a purpose of sinning be antecedently confessed it is unlawful to farther the crime or give opportunity to it by a concealment But it must be so far opened as is necessary for the prevention of anothers wrong or the persons sin Especially if it be Treason against the King or Kingdom or any thing against the common good 2. When the punishment of the offender is apparently necessary to the good of others especially to right the King or Countrey and to preserve them from danger by the offender or any other it is a duty to open a past fault that is confessed and to bring the offender to punishment rather than injure the innocent by their impunity 3. When Restitution is necessary to a person injured you may not by concealment hinder such Restitution but must procure it to your power where it may be had 4. It is unlawful to promise universal secresie absolutely to any penitent But you must tell him before he confesseth If your crime be such as that opening it is necessary to the preservation or righting of King or Countrey or your Neighbour or to my own safety I shall not conceal it That so men may know how far to trust you 5. Yet in some rare cases as the preservation of our Parents King or Countrey it may be a duty to promise and perform concealment when there is no hurt like to follow but the loss or hazard of our own lives or liberties or estates And consequently if no hurt be like to follow but some private loss of another which I cannot prevent without a greater hurt 6. If a man ignorant of the Law and of his own danger have rashly made a promise of secresie and yet be in doubt he should open the case in hypothesi only to some honest able Lawyer enquiring if such a case should be what the Law requireth of the Pastor or what danger he is in if he conceal it that he may be able farther to judge of the case 7. He that made no promise of secresie virtual or actual may caeteris paribus bring the offender to shame or punishment rather than fall into the like himself for the concealment 8. He that rashly promised universal secresie must compare the penitents danger and his own and consider whose suffering is like to be more to the publick detriment all things considered and that must be first avoided 9. He that findeth it his duty to reveal the crime to save himself must yet let the penitent have notice of it that he may flye and escape unless as aforesaid when the Interest of the King or Countrey or others doth more require his punishment 10. But when there is no such necessity of the offenders punishment for the prevention of the hurt or wrong of others nor any great danger by concealment to the Minister himself I think that the Crime though it were capital should be concealed My reasons are 1. Because though every man be bound to do his best to prevent sin yet every man is not bound to bring offenders to punishment He that is no Magistrate nor hath a special call so to do may be in many cases not obliged to it 2. It is commonly concluded that in most cases a capital offender is not bound to bring himself to punishment And that which you could not know but by his free Confession and is confest to you only on your promise of concealment seemeth to me to put you under no other obligation to bring him to punishment than he is under himself 3. Christs words and practice in dismissing the Woman taken in Aduâ—tery sheweth that it is not alwayes a duty for one that is no Magistrate to prosecute a capital offender but that sometime his repentance and life may be preferred 4. And Magistrates pardons sheweth the same 5. Otherwise no sinner would have the benefit of a Counsellor to open his troubled Conscience to For if it be a duty to detect a great crime in order to a great punishment why not a less also in order to a less punishment And who would confess when it is to bring themselves to punishment 11. In those Countries where the Laws allow Pastors to conceal all crimes that penitents freely confess it is left to the Pastors judgement to conceal all that he discerneth may be concealed without the greater injury of others or of the King or Common-wealth 12. There is a knowledge of the faults of others by Common â—ame especially many years after the committing which doth not oblige the hearers to prosecute the offender And yet a crime publickly known is more necessarily to be punished lest impunity embolden others to the like than an unknown crime revealed in Confession Tit. 2. Directions about Trusts and Secrets Direct 1. BE not rash in receiving secrets or any other trusts But first consider what you are thereby Direct 1. obliged to and what difficulties may arise in the performance and foresee all the consequents as far as is possible before you undertake the trust that you cast not
Answ. tween the Being of a duty and the Knowledge of a duty and remember that the first Question is whether this be my duty and the next How I may discern it to be my duty And that God giveth it the Being by his Law and Conscience is but to know and use it And that God changeth not his Law and our duty as oft as our opinions change about it The obligation of the Law is still the same though our Consciences err in apprehending it otherwise Therefore if God command you a duty and your opinion be that he doth not command it or that he forbids it and so that it is no duty or that it is a sin it doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so Else it were no error in you nor could it be possible to err if the thing become true because you think it to be true God commandeth you to Love him and to worship him and to nourish your children and to obey the higher powers c. And do you think you shall be discharged from all these duties and allowed to be prophane or sensual or to resist authority or to famish your children if you can but be blind enough to think that God would have it so 2. Your error is a sin it self And do you think that one sin must warrant another or that sin can discharge you from your duty and disannull the Law 3. You are a subject to God and not a King to your self and therefore you must obey his Laws and not make new ones § 33. Quest. 2. But is it not every mans duty to obey his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. No It is no mans duty to obey his Conscience in an error when it contradicteth the command of God Conscience is but a Discerner of Gods command and not at all to be obeyed strictly as a Commander but it is to be obeyed in a larger sense that is to be followed where ever it truly discerneth the command of God It is our duty to lay by our error and seek the cure of it till we attain it and not to obey it § 34. Quest. 3. But is it not a sin for a man to go against his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. Yes Not because Conscience hath any authority to make Laws for you but because interpretatively you go against God For you are bound to obey God in all things and when you think that God commandeth you a thing and yet you will not do it you disobey formally though not materially The Matter of Obedience is the thing commanded The form of obedience is our doing the thing because it is commanded when the Authority of the Commander causeth us to do it Now you reject the Authority of God when you reject that which you think he commandeth though he did not Quest. § 35. Quest. 4. Seeing the form of obedience is the being of it and denominateth which the Matter doth not without the form and there can be no sin which is not against the authority of God which is the formal cause of obedience is it not then my duty to follow my Conscience Answ. Answ. 1. There must be an integrity of causes or concurrence of all necessaries to make up Obedience though the want of any one will make a sin If you will be called Obedient you must have the matter and form because the true form is found in no other matter You must do the thing commanded because of his Authority that commandeth it If it may be called really and formally Obedience when you err yet it is not that obedience which is acceptable For it is not any kind of obedience but obedience in the thing commanded that God requireth 2. But indeed as long as you err sinfully you are also wanting in the form as well as the matter of your obedience though you intend Obedience in the particular act It is not only a willful opposing and positive rejecting the Authority of the Commander which is formal disobedience but it is any Privation of due subjection to it when his Authority is not so regarded as it ought to be and doth not so powerfully and effectually move us to our duty as it ought Now this formal disobedience is found in your erroneous Conscience For if Gods Authority had moved you as it should have done to diligent enquiry and use of all appointed means and to the avoiding of all the causes of error you had never erred about your duty For if the error had been perfectly involuntary and blameless the thing could not have been your particular duty which you could not possibly come to know Quest. § 36. Quest. 5. But if it be a sin to go against my Conscience must I not avoid that sin by obeying it Would you have me sin Answ. Answ. You must avoid the sin by changing your judgement and not by obeying it For that is but to avoid one sin by committing another An erring judgement is neither obeyed nor disobeyed without sin It can make you sin though it cannot make you duty It doth ensnare though not oblige If you follow it you break the Law of God in doing that which he forbids you If you forsake it and go against it you reject the authority of God in doing that which you think he forbids you So that there is no attaining to innocence any other way but by coming first to Know your duty and then to do it If you command your servant to weed your corn and he mistake you and verily think that you bid him pull up the corn and not the weeds what now should he do Shall he follow his judgement or go against it Neither but change it and then follow it and to that end enquire further of your mind till he be better informed and no way else will serve the turn § 37. Quest. 6. Seeing no man that erreth doth know or think that he erreth for that 's a contradiction Quest. how can I lay by that opinion or strive against it which I take to be the truth Answ. It is your sin that you take a falshood to be a truth God hath appointed means for the Answ. cure of blindness and error as well as other sins or else the world were in a miserable case Come into the light with due self-suspicion and impartiallity and diligently use all Gods means and avoid the causes of deceit and error and the Light of Truth will at once shew you the Truth and shew you that before you erred In the mean time sin will be sin though you take it to be duty or no sin § 38. Quest. 7. But seeing he that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with Quest. 〈…〉 â—e that knoweth it not with few is it not my duty chiefly to avoid the many 〈…〉 against my Conscience or Knâ—wledge Answ. 1. Your duty is to avoid both and if
both were not sinful they would not both be 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ishâ—d wâ—th 〈…〉 2. Your Conscience is not your Knowledge when you err but your Igno 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—â— it signifieth the faculty of Knowing may be said to be Conscience when it erreth as 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 in the â—â—â—â—ulty when we err And Conscience as to an erring act may be called 〈◊〉 so farr as there is any true Knowledge in the act as a man is said to see when he mis-judgeth of 〈◊〉 or to Reasâ—n when he argueth amiss But so farr as it erreth it is no Conscience in act at all â—or Conscience is science and not nescience You sin against your Knowledge when you sin against a well inâ—â—rmed Conscience but you sin in ignorance when you sin against an erring 〈◊〉 3. And if the Question be not what is your duty but which is the smaller sin then it is true that 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—bus it is a greater sin to go against your judgement than to follow it But 〈…〉 impaâ—ities in matter and circumstances may be an exception against this rule § 〈◊〉 Quest. 8. But it is not possible for every man presently to know all his duty and to avoid all 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Knowledge must be got in time All men are ignorant in many things should 〈…〉 in the mean time follow my Conscience Answ. 1. Your ignorance is culpable or not culpable If it be not culpable the thing which you 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of is not your duty If culpable which is the case supposed as you brought your self in â—â—â—â— difficulty of knowing so it will remain your sin till it be cured and one sin will not war 〈…〉 And all that time you are under a double command the one is to Know and use the 〈…〉 Knowledge and the other is to do the thing commanded So that how long soever you â—â—main i 〈…〉 you remain in sin and are not under an obligation to follow your error but first to Kâ—â—w and then to Dâ— the contrary duty 2. And as long as you keep your self in a necessity or way â—f 〈◊〉 you must call it sin as it is and not call it duty It is not your duty to choose a 〈…〉 a greater but to refuse and avoid both the lesser and the greater And if you say 〈…〉 yet remember that it is only your sin that is your impotency or your impotency is 〈◊〉 But it is true that you are most obliged to avoid the greatest sin Therefore all that re 〈…〉 in the resolving of all such cases is but to â—now of two sins which is the greatest § 〈◊〉 Quest. 9. What if there be a Great duty which I connot perform without committing a little Quest. the sin Or a very great Good which I cannot do but by an unlawful means As to save the lives of many by a liâ— Answ. 1. It is no duty to you when you cannot do it without willful sin be it never so little Answ. Deliberately to choose a sin that I may perform some service to God or do some Good to others is to run before we are called and to make work for our selves which God never made for us and to offer sin for a sacrifice to God and to do evil that good may come of it and abuse God and reject his government under pretence of serving him The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21. 27. 15. 8. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination Prov. 28. 9. Be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they do evil Eccles. 5. 1. 2. If you will do Good by sinning you must do Good in opposition to God and how easily can he disappoint you and turn it into Evil It is not Good indeed which must be accomplished by sin The final Good is never promoted by it And all other Good is to be estimated by its tendency to the End You think that Gâ—â—d which is not so because you judge by the present feeling of your flesh and do not foresee how it stands related to the everlasting Good § 41. Quest. 10. Seeing then that I am sure before hand that I cannot Preach or Hear or Pray Quest. or do any good action without sin must I not by this rule forbear them all Answ. No because your infirmities in the performance of your duty which you would avoid Answ. and cannot are not made the condition of your action but are the diseases of it They are not chosen and approved of The duty is your duty notwithstanding your infirmities and may be accepted of for you cannot serve God in perfection till you are perfect and to cast away his service is a farr greater sin than to do it imperfectly But you may serve him without such willful chosen sin if not in one way yet in another The imperfection of your service is repented of while it is committed but so is not your approved chosen sin For a man to make a bargain against God that he will commit a sin against him though the action be the same which he hath often done before in pardonable weakness this is to turn it to a presumptuous heinous sin If he do it for worldly gain or safety he selleth his obedience to God for trifles If he do it to serve God by he blâ—sphemeth God declaring him to be Evil and a lover of sin or so Impotent as not to be able to do good or attain his ends by lawful means It is most dangerous to give it under our hands to the Devil that we will sin on what pretence soever § 42. Quest. 11. What if I am certain that the duty is great and uncertain whether the thing Quest. annexed to it be a sin or not Must I forbear a certain duty for an uncertain sin Or forbear doing a great and certain good for fear of a small uncertain evil Answ. 1. The Question de esse must go before the Question de apparere Either that which you Answ. say you are uncertain of is indeed a sin or it is none If it be no sin then you are bound both to search till you know that it is no sin and not to forbear your duty for it But if really it be a sin then your uncertainty of it is another sin And that which God bindeth you to is to forsake them both 2. Your Question containeth a contradiction you cannot be certain that it is a duty at all to you any further than you are certain whether the Condition or means be lawful or a sin What if an auditor in Spain or Italy say I am certain that it 's a duty to obey my Teachers but I am uncertain whether their doctrines of the Mass Purgatory and the rest have any untruth or sin in them therefore I must not forbear