so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therin without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sin and that being any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser foure waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actual sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tickled with some delight thereof For a bad motion cast into the mind by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sin in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into an action or execution Sin in perfection is when men are growne to a custome and habit in sin vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie condemnation Now of these degrees the first is the least the last is the greatest One and the same sin is lesser in tentation then in conception lesse in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sect. 11. Now from this doctrine of the increasing and lessening of Sin in these respects we may gather that all sins are not alike or equall as the Stoicks of auncient times and their followers haue falsely imagined For it hath bin prooued at large by induction of sundrie particulars that there are degrees of sinnes some lesser som greater some more offensiue and odious to God man some lesse And â—hat the circumstances of time place person and manner of doing doe serue to enlarge or extenuate the sinne commited If it be here alleadged that Sin is nothing but the doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sin meÌ„ must not consider the vnlawfulnes thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it is a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnaÌ„t thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inâ—lamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said againe that the nature of Sin stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of dutie prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sin for substance hath sundrie steps and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another For example in the seauenth commandemeÌ„t when God forbiddes the committing of Adultery he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Now it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubted truth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater Sundrie other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the main sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sins of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streames of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sinnes before named with their seuerall branches and infinite many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to entreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs from our sinnes yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercie in Christ apprehended by faith our hearts shall be purified theÌ„ to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortal man is not guiltie of one or more sinnes but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstand his faults saith Dauid Now the alowance of sinne beeing death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needes be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate little cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsly to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to know either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of the word of god that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter with all not onely out of vs in the world abroad but within vs
thing before named that is conformitie or correspondencie to the will of God in regard of obedience But some may say the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule is not sinne properly because in sinne there must bee not onely an absence of goodnesse but be some twentie or thirtie yeares yet the partie offending doth not therefore cease to be a sinner Now then I demaund what is the very thing for which he is named and tearmed still a sinner in the time present the offence beeing past The answer is that euery actuall sinne beside the three former must be considered with a fourth thing to wit a certaine staine or blotte which it imprints and leaues in the offender as a fruit and that is an inclination or euill disposition of the heart wherby it becomes more apt prone to the offence done or to any other sinne For looke as the dropsie man the more he drinks the drier he is and the more he still desires to drinke euen so a sinner the more he sinnes the apter is he to sinne and more desirous to keepe still a course in wickednes And as a man that lookes vpon the Sunne if he turne his face away remains turned vntill he turne himselfe againe so he that turnes from God by any sinne makes himselfe a sinner and so remaines vntill he turne himselfe againe by repentance Thus Dauid was a sinner not onely in the very act of his adulterie murâ—… ther but euen when the act was doneâ—… past he remained still a murtherer and 〈◊〉 dulterer because a new or rather a reâ—… pronenesse to these and all othâ—… tooke place in his heart by his falâ—… strength till he turned to God byâ—… vpon the admonition of the Proâ—… thing then whereby a sinner is tearmed a sinner is the Fault together with the fruit thereof namely the Blot imprinted in the soule so oft as men doe actually offend The Vse of this doctrine touching sinne is twofold First by it we learne and see what is Originall sinne wherby an Infant in the first conception and birth is indeed a sinner Euery Infant must be considered as a part of Adam proceeding of him and partaking of his nature and therby it is made a sinner not onely by imputation of Adams offence but also by propagation of an aptâ—esse and pronenes vnto euery euill receiued together with nature from Adam And thus ought we to conceiue Originall sinne not to be the corruption of nature alone but Adams first offence imputed with the fruit thereof the corruption of nature which is an inclination vnto euery euill deriued together with nature from our first parents Secondly by this we are taught to take heed of all and euery sinne whether it be in thought word or deed because the committing therof though in respect of the act it passeth aâ—… in the doing yet it breedeth and inâ—…seth a wicked disposition in the heart â—…h beene said to the offence done or aâ—… sinne Men deceiue themselues that â—…the euill of sinne to be only in the â—…ng to goe no further wheras inâ—… offence hath a certen blot going with it that corrupteth the heart and causeth man to delight and lie in his offence which lying in sinne is a greater cause of damnatioÌ„ then the very sin it selfe This therfore must admonish vs to take heed least we continue in any sinne and if it fall out that through infirmitie we be ouertaken by any tentation we must labour to rise again and turne from our sinne to God by new and speedy repentance Sect. 3. Thus much of Sinne it selfe Now follow the Differences thereof which are manifold The first sort are to be gathered from the causes and beginnings of sinne in man which are threefold Reason will and Affection The differeÌ„ces of sinne in respect of Reason are these First some are sinnes of knowledge some of ignorance A sinne of Knowledge is when a man offends against his knowledge doing euill when he knoweth it to be euill and this is greater then a sinne of ignorance for he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes A sinne of Ignorance is when a man doth euill not knowing it to be euill Thus Paul was a blasphemer an oppressour and persecuted the Church of Christ ignorantly and in a blinde zeale not knowing that which hee did to be euill Nowe by ignorance here I meane an ignorance of those things which ought to be knowne and this is twofold simple or affected Simple ignorance is when a man after diligence and good paines taking still remaines ignorant this ignorance will not excuse any man if it be of such things as he is bound to know for it is said He that doth not his masters will by reason he knew it not shall be beaten with stripes though fewer And in this regard euen the Heathen which knew not God are inexcusable because they were bound to haue known him For Adam had the perfect knowledge of God imprinted in his nature and lost the same through his owne default for himselfe and his posteritie And it is the commandement of God whereunto euery man is bouÌ„d to performe obedience that man should know him that is his will and word But some may say then how can any man be saued seeing euery man is ignoraÌ„t of many things which he ought to know An. If we know the grouÌ„ds of religion be careful to obey God according to our knowledge hauing withall a care and desire to increase in the knowledge of God and his will God will hold vs excused for our desire and indeauour to obey is accepted for obedience it selfe And the greater this simple ignoraÌ„ce is the lesser is the sinne For hereupon it was that Peter lessened and in some sort excused the sinne of the Iewes in crucifying Christ because they did it through ignorance and so doth Paul his sinne in persecuting the Church when he alleadgeth that it was done ignorantly in vnbeleefe But howsoeuer this sinne by such meanes may be lessened yet remaines it still a sinne worthie condemnation Affected ignorance is when a man takes delight in his ignorance and will of purpose be ignorant not vsing but contemning the meanes wherby to get and increase knowledge and that carelessely and negligently because he will not leaue sinne which he loueth nor forsake the euill trade of life wherin he delighteth This is the sinne of those whereof Iob speaketh who say vnto God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies And of whome Dauid complaineth that they flatter themselues in their owne eyes and haue left off to vnderstand and to doe good This ignorance is damnable and deuilish it excuseth no man but doth rather aggrauate and increase his sinne yea it is the mother of many grieuous enormities Againe Ignorance is twofold of the Law or of the thing the Law requireth Ignorance of the Law is
when a man knowes not the Law of god writteÌ„ nor the law of nature This ignorance may somewhat lessen the sinne but it excuseth no man because it is naturall and euery man is bound to know the Law Ignorance of the thing the Law requireth is the Ignorance of the fact and that is either with the fault of the doer or without the fault Faultie ignoraÌ„ce is the ignorance of a fact which he might haue preueÌ„ted As wheÌ„ a maÌ„ in his drunkeÌ„nes killeth another in this fact not knowing what de doth he also knoweth not that he hath offended yet because he might haue preuented his drunkennes therfore he is faultie and sinneth Faultlesse ignorance is when a fact is done which could not be either knowne or auoided before hand For example if a man be â—opping a tree and his axe head fall from the helve out of his hand and kills another passing by here is indeede manslaughter but no voluntarie murther because it was a thing that could not be auoided and did not fall out through his default And this ignorance is excusable The second Fountaine of Sinne is the Will from whence arise these three differences of sinnes some are from the will immediately some besides the will and some are mixt partly with the will and partly against the will Sinnes proceeding from the will are properly tearmed voluntarie such as the doer mooued by his own wil commits though he know them to be euill And here the more free the wil is the greater is the sinne for wil added to knowledge makes the sinne the greater Vnder voluntarie sinnes are comprehended all such as proceede from stirred affections as when a man tells a lie for feare or striketh another in anger and the reason is because these offences though they are not done vpon deliberation but arise from the violence of affection yet they doe not exclude Consent Hither also we may referre sinnes committed by compulsion as when a man is forced to denie his religion his offence in deede and in truth is voluntarie though some otherwise think it to be a mixt action For compulsion doth not reach to the will but to the outward man and serues to draw forth a consent and and when consent is yeelded he denies his religion voluntarily for the will cannot be constrained In the next place sinnes beside the will are such as are neither directly from the wil nor against it Of this sort are the first sudden motions vnto sinne conceiued in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight and these are truly sinnes though in respect little sinnes condemned in the last commandement And they are not from the will because they goe without and before consent neither yet are they against the will because then the heart would not take delight in them Here by the way we are to note against the doctrine of the Papists that all sinnes are not voluntarie for whatsoeuer wanteth conformitie to the law of God is sinne whether it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights arise suddenly in the heart of man which are not according to the law of God and haue no consent or approbation of will In like manner wheÌ„ one man kils another thinking that he killeth a wild beast if the same man remembreth afterwards what he hath done and is not grieued for the fact in this case he hath sinned because his not grieuing is offensiue vnto God though the fact were meerely besides his will Mixt sinnes are partly from the will partly against it Of this sort are the workes of the man regenerate which are done partly with his will and partly against his will beeing partly good and partly euill The reason hereof is this There are in man after regeneration two contrarie grounds or beginnings of actions to wit naturall corruption or the inclination of the minde wil and affections to that which is against the Law called the Flesh and a created qualitie of holines wrought in the said faculties by the holy Ghost tearmed the Spirit And these two are not seuered but ioyned and mingled together in all the faculties and powers of the soule Now betweene these there is a continuall combate corruption fighting against grace grace against corruptioÌ„ Hence it is that there beeing euen in one the same wil trarie inclinatioÌ„s there must necessarily flow from the man regenerate contrary actions the flesh in euery action willing that which is euill and the Spirit on the otherside that which is good This Paul confessed and acknowledged vpon his owne experience after his conuersion when he said To will is present with me but I find no meanes perfectly to do that which is good Again I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The third Ground or fountaine of sinne in man is Affection from whence doe proceede two kinds namely sinnes of Infirmitie and sinnes of Presumption Sinnes of Infirmitie are such as proceede from the sudden passions of the minde and the strong affectioÌ„s of the heart as from hatred griefe anger sorrow such like These sinnes are commonly thought to be in all men but the truth is they are properly incident to the regenerate For infirmitie cannot be said properly to be in them in whome sin hath firmitie or strength and where there is no power of grace at all Againe the man that is regenerate sinneth not neither when he would because he is restrained by the grace of God that is in him nor in what manner he would partly because he sinneth not with al his heart the strength of his flesh beeing abated by the Spirit and partly for that beeing fallen he lies not still but recouers himselfe by speedy repentance An euident argument that the sinnes whereinto he falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weaknes and infirmitie Sinnes of PrésumptioÌ„ are such as proceed from pride arrogancy wilfulnes and hautines of mans heart Against these Dauid praieth saying Let not presumptuous sinnes haue dominion ouer me And of them there be three degrees The first is when a man wilfully goeth on in his sinnes vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punnishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuouslly but of malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sin against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of
presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Sect. 4. Now follow other Differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of of the Law sin is two fold either of CommissioÌ„ or of Omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherin some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of CoÌ„mission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner measure therof Thus the Heathen failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to the coÌ„mon good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts voide of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in al the duties of the lawe For they doe the good things the law commaÌ„deth in louing God their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the lawe requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with theÌ„ in the rigour of his iustice examine them by the strict rule of the Lawe he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnesse that ought to bee in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sins of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe oftner offend then by sinnes committed and the least Omission is enough to condemne vs if it should be exacted at our hands Sect. 5. The next difference of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and cal downe for speedie vengeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundry examples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abell whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmerciful dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech. 16. of this The Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha waâ— great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppression indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongfull withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure and height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them then into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue â—are vnto the cryes of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in theÌ„selues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience long sufferaÌ„ce vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporal punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punish and as we say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ the first is Originall sin or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration and the fruits thereof for it is not quite abolished by regeneration but remaines more or lesse molesting tempting a man till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are secret vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how ofâ— he offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for all his particular sinnes which he knoweth by himselfe there shall yet remaine some vnknowne sinnes of which he cannot haue a particular repentance and yet they are not imputed when there is repeÌ„tance for knowne sinnes As for example Dauid repents of his murther adulterie and yet afterwards erring in iudgement by reason of the corruption of the times he liued to his death in the sinne of polygamie without any particular repentance that we heare of In like manner did the Patriarkes who may not altogether be excused yet they were not coÌ„demned therof neither were they saued without repentance for
a twofold relation to God or to Man As he stands in relation to God he beares the name of a Christian that is a member of Christ or a sonne of God whose dutie is to know and to worship God according to his will reuealed in his word As he stands in relation to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Now the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to three distinct kinds of societies For euery man is either a member of a Familie or of the Church or of the Common-wealth And answerably some Questions concerne mā as a member of a familie some as he is a member of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therefore all Questions touching man may be reduced to three generall heads The first whereof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The second touching man as he stands in relation to God The third concerning man as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Familie or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort concerning man simply considered in himselfe as he is a man are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second How he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third How he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen Of these in order CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauor and be saued FOR answer to this Question some Groundes must be laid downe before-hand The first is this That we must consider and remember how and by what meanes God brings any man to saluation For looke how God saueth others so he that would know how to be saued must vse the meanes whereby God saueth them Sect. 1. In the working and effecting of Mans saluation ordinarily there are two special actions of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two works hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward or inward crosse to breake and sub due the stubbornnesse of our nature that it may be made plyable to the will of God This we may see in the example of the Iaylour Act. 16. and of the Iewes that were conuerted at Peters sermon Act. 2. II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Law and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his owne peculiar and proper sinnes whereby he offends God IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with a Legall feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to despaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeede no fruits of grace for a Reprobate may goe thus farre but they are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fifth action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seedes or sparks of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting dispaire Now at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall begins the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combat for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by feruent cōstant earnest inuocatiō for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength and preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and settles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life where vpon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercy followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance wherby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needs be before the light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauor to obey his commaundements by a new obedience And by these degrees doth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is the giuing of the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first grace giuen For looke as by creation God gaue a beeing to man all other creatures and then by his prouidence continued the same beeing which was as it were a second creation so in bringing a man to saluation God giues the first grace for example to beleeue repent then in mercie giues the second to persevere continue in faith and repentance to the end And this if we regard man himselfe is very necessary For as fire without supply of matter wherby it is fedde continued would soone goe out so vnlesse God of his goodnesse should followe his children and by new and daily supplies continue his first grace in thē they would vndoubtedly soone loose the same finally fall away The second Ground for the answere of this Question is taken from some speciall places of Scripture where the same is mooved and resolued The men that were at Peters sermon being touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to an other Men brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iaylor who after that the stubbornnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs what must I doe to be saued to whome they gaue answer Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospel sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christs answers him Keepe
Fast 424 2. How a Religious Fast is to be obserued 425 Touching the manner of Fasting How long must the Fast continue 428 Whether a man may eate in the time of a solemne Fast 428 Whether all be bound to keep the forme prescribed in the day of a solemne Fast 429 3. Whether Popish Fasts be lawfull 433 CHAP. XVI Of the Sabboth day Quest. 1. Whether it be in the libertie of the Church of God vpon earth to alter the Sabboth from the seuenth day to any other 438 2. How the Sabboth of the New Testament is to be observed 453 Whether we may not lawfully use Recreations on the Sabboth day 459 Whether men vpon occasion may not doe a work of their callings in the morning or euening of the Sabboth 461 3. When the Sabboth doth beginne 465 The third Booke CHAP. I. Of the Nature and Differences of Vertue and the Order of the Questions CHAP. II. Of Prudence Quest. 1. How men are to practise Prudence 475 2. Whether a man may with good conscience vse Policie in the affaires of this life 485 CHAP. III. Of Clemencie Quest. 1. How a man may carrie himselfe in respect of iniuries and offences done vnto him 489 How ought a man to forgive an Iniurie 492 Whether a man may defend himselfe by Law 493 How a man is to defend himselfe by Law 496 Whether may a man defend himselfe by force 499 When may he defend himselfe by force 500 Whether may he reskue himselfe or others by Combate 501 2. When Anger is lawfull and when vnlawfull 504 3. What is the Remedie of vniust Anger 512 CHAP. IV. Of Temperance In the vse of Riches 1. How farre a man may with good conscience desire and seeke Riches 521 2. How a man may with good conscience possesse and vse Riches 528 Whether a man may voluntarily giue away all and liue vpon Almes in fasting and prayer 533 In the vse of meate and drinke 1. Whether there be any difference in the vse of meat and drinke now in the time of the New Testament 537 Whether we may with good conscience eate flesh at times forbidden 542 2. How we may eate and drinke to the glorie of God and our owne comfort 543 What Rule of Moderation is to be obserued of euery one in eating 551 In the vse of Apparell 1. Whether ornaments of Gold Siluer pretious Stones Silks and Velvets c. may not lawfully be vsed 560 2. What is the right and lawfull vse of Apparell 563 How shall we know what is necessarie for euery person and state 566 How a man may fit his Apparell in comely and decent manner 567 Whether a man may not take vp a forren fashion of attire and vse it 569 Whether may we not labour to couer a deformitie in the bodie 578 What measure is to be obserued in vsing Outward Ornaments 579 What is the spirituall vse of Apparell 580 In the vse of pleasures and Recreations 1. Whether Recreation be lawfull for a Christian man 583 2. What kindes of Recreations are lawfull and conuenient and what not 584 3. How we are to vse Recreations 592 CHAP. V. Of Liberalitie Quest. 1. What persons are to giue Almes 598 Whether the wife may giue almes without consent of her husband 600 2. To whome must Almes be giuen 601 Whether we may giue to Beggars 603 Whether we ought to put a difference betweene person and person in giuing almes 605 3. How much releefe must euery man giue 606 4. How many waies must a man giue 609 5. How Almes are to be giuen that they may please God 610 Whether giuing of releefe be meritorious and satisfactorie 612 What is the right fruite of Almes-giuing 615 CHAP. VI. Of Iustice. Quest. 1. What is the Iudgement that one is to giue and hold of another 618 How a man may with good conscience giue Iudgement of himselfe 623 2. How one ought to honour another 625 What honour is due to Superiours 628 to Equalls 633 to Inferiours ibid. to a mans owne selfe 634 c. c. c. The Table of the Texts of Scripture Chapter Verse Page Genesis   1 16 234 4 23 243 6 15 239 19 1 355 21 9 241 42 25 388 43 8 242 49 18 149 Exodus   4 25 28 6 14 254 7 19 243 9 6 244 10 22 245 16 29 439 20 7 390 35 3 440 Leviticus   23 32 467 25 35 602 Numbers   24 24 227 Deuteron   8 10 556 10 20 257 15 4â— 414. 004 17 16. 17. 523 30 19 388 Iudges   11 1. c. 408 16 29 245 Ioshua   8 5 486 Ruth   1 17 683 I. Sam.   2 25 29 16 19 247 19 24 573 25 26 389 II. Sam.   1â— 16. 20. 427 16 10 513 19 23 391 I. King   2â—… 19 629 II. King   〈◊〉 18. 19. 368 10 18 365 II. Chron.   2â—… 2 248 Ezra   8 2 427 Psalmes   6 1 107 117 10 17 98. 286 15 1 78  2â—… 616. c. 19 13â— 22 76 11 404  8  77 1 c. 117 26 11 404 30 11 587. 8 34 9 525 37 16 525 39 13 530 50 15 123 90 14 138 109 1 272. 507 112 9 532 Proverbs   3 11 136 4 23 168 6 13 526 12 16 518 16 6 614 18 14 88 20 18 169. 506 Eccles.   3 1 129. 587 7 16 484 Canticles   2 7 388 Esay   1 15 264 20 2 573 49 8 95 50 4 1 45 7 121 66 23 244 Ieremie   3 4 588 4 2 384 383 30 11 121 35 1 c. 422 31 4 588 Dan.   3 6 365 4 24 613  30 193 Zachariah   2 8 35 Habbac   2 4 116 Malachi   1 11 280 3 17 184 Math.   4 23 245  10 352 5 34 388  4 144  25 496  21 22 513 6 28 564  33 478 9 12 13 176  15 433 10 23 368  28 258  39 530 12 9 534 18 36 593  15 30. 496  17 324 19 12 420  21 422. 534  23 527 23 3 340 Marke   13 33 479 Luke   2 37 431 3 11 67. 566. 609. 4 18 113 6 29 494  24 527 9 23 65 11 41 596 12 33 608. 533 14 14 614  33 532  26 527 16 9 614. 528 Iohn   1 48 249 3 5 312 8 4 15 149 9 49 490  31 264 16 20 144 Actes   1 10 448 2 46 549 4 29 273 5 4 527 7 16 249 10 15 539  33 293 13 14 451 17 30 26. 94. 15 29 541 18 3. 4. 452 20 7 465 21 24 366 23 12 14. 406 24 14 66    Romanes   5 1 80  3
this sinne but God in mercie accepted a generall repeÌ„tance for the same And the like is the case of all the Elect in regard of their secret hidden faults for vnles God should accept of a general repentance for vnknown sinns few or none at all should be saued And herein doth the endles mercy of god notably appeare that he vouchsafeth to accept of our repeÌ„tance wheÌ„ we repent though not in particular as we ought to doe Neuertheles this must not incorage or imbolden any man to liue in his sinnes without turning vnto God For vnlesse we repent in particular of all the sinâ— we know not only our knowne offences but euen our secret sinnes shall coÌ„demne vs. Many sinnes are committed by men which afterwards in processe of time are quite forgotten Others are coÌ„mitted which notwithstaÌ„ding are not knowne whether they be sins or no. And in doing the best duties we can we offend often yet when we offend we perceiue it not all these in the regenerate through the mercy of God are sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ in respect of particular repentance The third kind of sinnes of Toleration are certaine particular facts of men not approved of in Scripture and yet remitted in respect of punishment Such was the fact of Zipporah in circumcising her child in presence of her husband he beeing able to haue done it himselfe and shee hauing no calling to doe that which she did For though the hand of God was against him yet was he not sick as some would excuse the matter neither is there any such thing in the text but it is rather to be thought that she her selfe circumcised her sonne in hast to preuent her husband for the deede was done in some indignation and shee cast the foreskin at his feete And yet because this fact was some manner of obedience in that the thing was done which God required though not in the maÌ„ner that he required God accepted the same staied his hand froÌ„ killing Moses Thus god accepted of Ahabs humility thogh it were in hypocrisie because it was a shew of obedience and for that deferred a temporall punishmeÌ„t til the daies of his posteritie God sent Lyons to destroy the Assyrians that dwelt in Samaria for their Idolatrie yet so soonâ— as they had learned to feare the Lord after the maÌ„ner of the god of Israel though they mingled the same with their own Idolatric God for that halfe obedience suffered theÌ„ to dwel in peace Sect. 6. The Sixt distinction of Sinnes may be this Some are sinnes against God some against men This distinction is grounded vpon a place in Samuel If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall plead for him Sinnes against God are such as are directly and immediately committed against the maiestie of God Such are Atheisme Idolatrie Blasphemie Periurie Profanation of the Sabboth all the breaches of the first Table Sinnes against men are iniuries hurts losses and damages whereby our neighbour is in his dignitie life chastitie wealth good name or any other way iustly offended or by vs hindred And such actions must be considered two waies First as they are iniuries and hurts done vnto our neighbour and fecondly as they are anomies or breaches of Gods law forbidding vs to doe them and in this second respect they are called sinnes because sinne is properly against God and therefore by sinnes against man we are to vnderstand iniuries losses or damages done vnto them In this sense must that place in Matthew be expounded If thy brother sinne against thee c. Sect. 7. The seauenth Difference of sinnes is noted by S. Paul where he saith Euery sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but he that commits fornication sinneth against his owne bodie In which place it is implyed that some sinnes are without the bodie some against mans owne bodie Sinnes without the bodie are such sinnes as a man committeth his bodie beeing the instrument of the sinne but not the thing abused Such are Murther Theft Drunkennesse for in the committing of these sinnes the bodie is but a helper and onely a remote instrumentall cause and the thing abused is without the bodie For example in drunkennes the thing abused by the drunkard is wine or strong drinke in theft another mans goods in murther the instrument whereby the fact is committed The bodie indeede conferres his helpe to these things but the iniurie is directed to the creatures of God to the bodie and goods of our neighbour And such are all sinnes adulterie onely excepted Sinnes against the bodie are those in which it selfe is not onely the instrument but the thing abused also Such a sinne is Adulterie onely and those that are of that kind properly against the bodie first because the bodie of the sinner is both a furthering cause of the sinne and also that thing which he abuseth against his owne selfe Secondly by this offence he doth not onely hinder but loose the right power and propertie of his bodie in that be makes it the member of an harlot And lastly though other sinnes in their kind doe bring a shame and dishonour vpon the bodie yet there is none that sitteth so nigh or leaueth a blot so deepely imprinted in it as doth the sinne of vncleannes Sect. 8. The eight distinction of sinnes is grounded vpon Pauls exhortation to Timothie Communicate not with other mens sinnes Sinnes are either Other mens sinnes or CommunicatioÌ„ with other mens sins This distinction is the rather to be knowne and remembred because it serues to extenuate or aggrauate sins committed Communication with sinne is done sundry waies First by counsell thus Caâ—phas sinned when he gaue counsel to put Christ to death Secondly by commandement so Dauid sinned in the murther of Vrias Thirdly by consent or assistance Rom. 1. 31. thus Saul sinned in keeping the garments of them that â—â—oned Steuen Act. 22. 20. 7. 58. Fourthly by prouocation thus they sinne that prouokâ— others to sinne and hereof Paul speaketh when he saith Fathers must not prouoke their children to wrath Eph. 6. 4. Fiftly by negligence or silence This is the sinne of the Minister when men are called to reprooue sinne and doe not Sixtly by flatterie when men sooth vp others in sinne Seauenthly by winking at sinnes or passing them ouer by slight reproofe Eph. 5. 11. Thus Eli sinned in rebuking his sonnes and thereby brought a temporall iudgement vpon himselfe and his familie 1. Sam. 2. chap. and 4. Eightly by participation Eph. 5. 7. thus they doe sinne that are receiuers of the eues Ninthely by defending another man in his sinne for he that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. Sect. 9. The Ninth distinction followeth Some mens sinnes saith Paul are open before hand some follow after Which place by some is
Paul exhorts the Galatians to walke in the Spirit and then marke what followes and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Secondly this new obedience must be the keeping of euery commandement of God for as S. Iames saith He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all that is he that doth willingly and wittingly breake any commandement and makes not conscience of some one maketh not conscience of any and before God he is as guiltie of all as if he had broken all Thirdly in new obedience the whole man must endeauour to keepe the whole law in his minde will affections and all the faculties of soule and bodie As it is said of Iosiah that he turned to God according to all the lawes of Moses with all his heart This last point added to the rest is the very forme and life of new obedience from hence it followes First that therepentant person must not liue in the practise of any outward sinne Secondly that there must be in him an inward resisting and restraining of the corruption of nature and of the heart that he may truly obey God by the grace of the spirit of God The heart of Ioseph was readie prest to resist the euill request of Potiphars wife And Dauid staid his affectioÌ„ from reuenging himselfe vpon Shemei when he cursed him Thirdly that he ought to stirre vp and exercise the inward man by all spiritual motions of Faith Ioy Loue Hope and the praise of God Now touching this point there are 2. principal Questions propouÌ„ded First How may a man frame his life to liue in New-bedience Ans. Though all the bookes of the old and new Testament are direction sufficient for a good life yet a more speciall answer may be made out of the same plainly and briefly That there are three maine grounds or rules of New Obedience The first is laid downe by our Sauiour Christ Luk. 9. 23. If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me The meaning is this Euery one that will become a scholer in the schoole of Christ and learn obedience vnto God must deny himselfe that is he must in the first place exalt and magnifie the grace of God and become nothing in himselfe renouncing his owne reason will affections and subiecting them to the wisdome will of God in all things yea esteeming al things in the earth euen those that are dearest vnto him as drosse and dung in regard of the kingdome of Christ. Againe he must take vp his Crosse that is he ought alwaies to make a forehand reckoning euen of priuate crosses and particular afflictions and when they come to beare them with chearefulnesse This done he must follow Christ by practising the vertues of meekenes patience loue and obedience and by beeing conformable to his death in crucifying the bodie of sinne in himselfe The second rule is propounded by Paul Act. 24. 14. To beleeue all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that is to hold and embrace the same faith which was embraced by the Saints and seruants of God in auncient times and which was written by Moses and the Prophets Againe in all reuerence to subiect himselfe to the true manner of worshipping and seruing God reuealed in his word and not to depart from the same doctrine and worship either to the right hand or to the left The third and last rule is to haue and to keepe faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. Now faith is preserued by knowledge of the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel by yeelding assent vnto the same doctrine beleeuing it to be true and by a particular application of it vnto a mans selfe specially of the promise of righteousnesse and life euerlasting in and by Christ. Againe that a man may keepe a good conscience he must doe three things First in the course of his life he must practise the duties of the generall Calling in the particular so as though they be two distinct in nature yet they may be both one in vse and practise Secondly in all euents that come to passe euermore in patience and silence he must submit himselfe to the good will and pleasure of God Thus it is saide of Aaron that when God had destroied his sonnes for offering vp strange fire before him he held his peace Levit. 10. 3. And Dauid shewes that it was his practise when beeing afflicted he saith I was as dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it Psal. 39. 9. Thirdly if at any time he falleth either through infirmitie the malice of Satan or the violence of some temptation he must humble himselfe before God labour to breake off his sinne and recouer himselfe by repentance And these three be the principall and maine grounds of New-obedience The Second Question Considering that all good works are the fruits of a regenerate person and are contained vnder New-obedience How may a man doe a good worke that may be accepted of God and please him For resolution whereof it is to be carefully remembred that to the doing of a good worke sundrie things are required Whereof some in nature doe goe before the worke to be done some doe accompanie the doing thereof and some againe doe follow the worke beeing required to be done when the worke is done Before the worke there must goe Reconciliation whereby the person is reconciled vnto God in Christ and made acceptable to him For it is a cleare case that no worke of man caÌ„ be accepted of God vnles the person of the worker be approoued of him And the workes of men of what dignitie soeuer are not to be esteemed by the shewe and outward appearance of them but by the minde and condition of the doer Againe before we doe any good worke we must by praier lift vp our hearts vnto God and desire him to inable vs by his spirit to doe it and to guide vs by the same in the action which we are about to doe This did the Prophet Dauid oftentimes as we may read in the Psalmes but especially in Psal. 143. 10. when he saith Teach me to doe thy will O God for thou art my God let thy good spirit lâ—â—d me vnto the land of righteousnes And oftentimes in the 119. Psalme Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes vers 33. Giue me vnderstanding 34. Direct me in the path of thy commandements 35. Againe Teach me iudgement and knowledge 66. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes 80. Stablish me according to thy promise 116. Direct my steppes in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me 133. In the doing of the worke we are to consider two things the matter and the manner or forme of doing it For the matter it must be a worke commanded in the word of God either expressely or generally For it is Gods reuealed will that giues the
is a good beginning of true conuersion and repentance I thought saith Dauid I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne And to this is added Selah which is not onely a musicall note but as some thinke a note of obseruation to mooue vs to marke the things that are set downe as beeing of speciall weight and moment And surely this is a matter of great consequence that vpon the very vnfained purpose of confession of sinne God should giue a pardon thereof Take a further proofe of this in the prodigall sonne whome I take not for one that was neuer called or turned to God though some doe so and seeme to haue warrant for their opinionâ— but rather for him that is the Child of God and afterward fals away Now this man beeing brought by some outward crosses and afflictions to see his owne miserie purposeth with himselfe to returne to his father againe and to humble himselfe and confesse his iniquitie and vpoÌ„ this very purpose wheÌ„ he had said I will goe to my father and say vnto him father I haue sinned c. at his returne a farre off his father receiues him as his child againe and after acceptation followes his confession The like is to be seene in Dauid who beeing reprooued by the Prophet Nathan for his sinnes of adulterie and murther presently made confession of them and at the very same time receiued by the prophet sentence of absolution euen from the Lord himâ—elfe wherein he could not erre The fourth Ground To loue any man because he is a Christian and a child of God is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true loue of God in Christ. Hereby saith S. Iohn we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Loue here is not a cause but onely a signe of gods loue to vs. And our sauiour Christ saith He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Nowe that we be not deceiued in these grounds it must be remembred that these beginnings of grace be they neuer so weak must not be â—littering and fleeting but constant and setled not stopped or staied in the way but such as daily growe and increase and then they are indeed accepted of God And he that can finde these beginnings or any of them truly in himselfe he may assure himselfe thereby that he is the child of God Sect. 5. Hauing thus laid downe the Groundes of comfort I come now to the Way by which the party in distresse may be brought within the compasse of the promise of saluation This way standes in two things in making Triall and in Applying the promise First then Triall must be made whether the person distressed haue in him as yet any of the forenamed grouÌ„ds of grace or not This triall may be made by him that is the comforter in the moouing of certaine Questions to the said person And first let him aske whether he beleeue and repent The distressed partie answers no he cannot repent nor beleeue Then he must further aske whether he desire to beleeue and repent to this he will answer he doth desire it with all his heart in the same sort is he to make triall of the other groundes When a man is in the fitte of tentation he will say resolutely he is sure to be damned Aske him in this fitte of his loue to God he will giue answer he hath none at all but aske him further whether he loue a man because he is a Christian and a child of God then will he say he doth indeed Thus after triall made in this manner some beginnings of faith and repentance will appeare which at the first lay hid For God vseth out of the time of prosperitie by and in distresse and affliction to work his grace The second point followeth After that by triall some of the foresaid beginnings of grace be found out then comes the right Applying of the promise of life euerlasting to the partie distressed And that is done by a kind of reasoning the first part whereof is taken from Gods word the second from the testimonie of the distressed conscience the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner He that hath an vnfainod desire to repent and beleeue hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ. Therefore remission of sins and life euerlasting is thine And here remember that it is most conuenient this Application be made by the Minister of the Gospell who in it must vse his ministeriall authority giuen him of God to pronounce the pardon For in distresse it is as hard a thing to make the conscience yeild to the promise as to make fire and water agree For though men haue signes of grace and mercie in them yet will they not acknowledge it by reason of the extremitie of their distresse In this manner vpon any of the former grounds may the troubled and perplexed soule be assured that mercie belongs to it And this I take to be the onely generall and right way of comforting a distressed conscience Nowe that the promise thus applyed may haue good successe these sixerules must necessarily be obserued I. One is that the comfort which is ministred be alaied with some mixture of the Law that is to say the promise alone must not be applyed but withall mention is to be made of the sinnes of the partie and of the grieuous punishmeÌ„ts due vnto him for the same The reason is because there is much guile in the hart of man in so much as oftentimes it falleth out that men not throughly humbled beeing comforted either too soone or too much doe afterward become the worst of all In this respect not vnlike to the yron which beeing cast into the fire vehemently hot and cooled againe is much more hard then it would haue bin if the heate had bin moderate And hence it is that in the ministring of comfort we must somewhat keepe them downe and bring them on by litle and litle to repentance The sweetenesse of comfort is the greater if it be delaied with some â—artnesse of the Law II. An other rule is this If the distressed partie be much possessed with griefe of himselfe he must not be left alone but alwaies attended with good companie For it is an vsuall practise of the Deuill to take the vantage of the place and time when a man is solitarie and depriued of that helpe which otherwise he might haue in societie with others Thus he tempted Eue when shee was apart from her husband And in this regard Salomon pronounces a woe to him that is alone But herein doth his malice most appeare in that he is alway readiest when a man is in great distresse and withall solitarie then vpon the
emptie away The second meanes is to heare the word of God with an honest heart ioyned with a constant purpose of not sinning The third to be as carefull to bring good affections as a good vnderstanding For affections are the feete that carrie the heart and Salomon biddes vs to take heede to our feete when we enter into the house of God Eccl. 4. 17. They are the very key of knowledge and memory and therefore Dauid saies The secret of the Lord is reuealed to those that feare him and his couenant is to giue them vnderstanding Psal. 25. 14. And that which he saith of Feare may be said also of other good affections The second sort of Causes are ordinary and vsuall defects of naturall gifts as of capacity or conceipt of memory and vnderstanding For all men haue not the like gifts of nature and therfore all men cannot reape benefit by the word preached These wants may be discerned thus If the mind and memory be weake or wanting as well in common wordly matters as in diuine things that belong to gods kingdome And to this kinde of men which are thus troubled for not profiting there belongeth comfort Yet not simply but vpon these conditions First if they know the principall grounds of religion Secondly if they haue care to profit and increase in knowledge Thirdly if they liue according to the measure of their knowledge in obedience to Gods will These beeing obserued such parties are to comfort themselues in this that God in mercy will accept of their indeauour forgiue their ignorance and beare with their infirmities This is to be seene in the example of Peter whose faith was highly commended by Christ when he said the gates of hell should not preuaile against it Matt. 16. 16. And yet at that very time Peter was ignorant of many maine pointes of Religion as of the death resurrection and ascension of Christ. And in his person the other discisples are commended also for their faith because they held Christ to be the Messias and Sauiour of the world though they were ignorant of the manner of his redemption thinking he should haue beene an earthly king Act. 1. Againe the want of knowledge in such as haue naturall defects may be supplied by good affection if they be not wanting in an honest heart and carefull indeauour of godly life Thus the Church of the Iewes in the old Testament did farre exceede the Church of the new in good affection though it came farre short of it in knowledge and apprehension CHAP. VIII Of the Sacraments in generall the reeeiuing and vse of them IN the next place follow the Questions of conscience touching the third part of Gods Outward worship namely the Sacraments and these concerne either the administration or the receiuing of them The Administration I will here let passe and handle those Questions onely that concerne the receiuing and vse thereof both in generall and in particular Touching the receiuing of the Sacraments in generall there is one onely Question Whether the Sacraments ministred by Heretickes Idolatours and vnsufficient ministers be Sacraments or no For answere hereunto we are to knowe there be three sorts of men that may administer the Sacraments Some are true lawfull ministers lawfully called by God men to that function keeping the right forme of the Sacrament according to the institution Some againe are more priuate persons that haue no authoritie at all to administer whome we may oppose to the former sort as contrary to them in this action Others againe be admitted to stand in the roome of lawfull ministers by the acceptation consent of men or by custome though corrupt and these are in a meane betweene the two former sorts Of the first there is no question But the Sacramēt administred by the second is in truth a meere nullitie because they haue no calling thereto neither can they doe it of faith forasmuch as they haue neither precept nor exāple out of the word of God Now for the third sort though they be not indeede lawfull pastors yet beeing in the place of such by the consent allowance and custome of men though corrupt their action is of force and the Sacrament which is administred by them is in deede a true Sacrament which I prooue by these Reasons First the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments are all one in substance For in the one the will of God is seene in the other heard Now the word preached by Heretikes is the true word of God and may haue his effect The Scribes and Pharises great Doctors of the Iewes were not all of the Tribe of Levi but descended frō other Tribes Againe euen the principall of them liued by extortion and bribery and were wicked men yea Heretikes and Apostataes deposed excommunicated persons And yet because they occupied the places of good teachers and sate in the chaire of Moses that is read the doctrine of Moses Law Christ bids his disciples to heare them Matt. 23. 3. Prouided only that they tooke heed of the leauen of their false doctrine and wicked life Now if the word taught by their ministery was powerfull why may not the Sacraments ministred by the Heretiques standing in the roome of true ministers be true Sacraments In the daies of Paul Phillip 1. 15. Some preached Christ through enuy and strife and some of good wil what was the Apostles iudgement in this case Himselfe answereth v. 18. What then yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether it be vnder a pretence or sinceerely and I therein ioy yea and will ioy Secondly this point is plaine by examples The Leviticall priests vnder the Lawe were Heretickes and taught after a sort the breach of the morall law Yea they held iustification by workes Rom. 10. 3. and yet Circumcision by them administred was in force neither was the passeouer celebrated by them or the sacrifices which they offered any other then the true Passeouer and true sacrifices Iudas was a very hypocrite yea Christ calls him a Deuill Ioh. 6. 70. and yet he preached the word at Christs commandement and baptized with the rest of his Disciples Ioh. 4. 1 2. Thirdly the Sacrament if it be administred in the name and by the power of Christ is the ordinance of God beeing receiued by faith yea a true Sacrament of Christ and the force and efficacie thereof doth not depend vpon the worthines of the Minister but vpon Christ. The letters or epistle sent from one man to an other are authenticall and serue fully to expresse the minde of the author though the messenger or carier be a wicked or a naughtie man And in like manner the sinne of any man that stands in the roome of a lawfull Minister doth not nullifie the Sacrament and therefore not heresie or vnsufficiencie S. Cyprian who liued 300. yeares after Christ was of this opinion that Sacraments administred by Heretikes were no Sacraments But the Churches of Africa in
abstaine then come vnprovided To whom it may be said that their vnfitnes in this and other respects ought to be a strong motiue to induce them at least to vse all holy indeauour to prepare themselues euery day rather then a meanes to keepe them backe For if a man should abstaine vpon euery occasion of variance discontentment and infirmitie he should neuer receiue and so consequently haue no benefit by this ordinance of God Daily preparation therefore is the more necessarie that when they be called and haue opportunitie they may come as welcome guestes vnto that heauenly banquet II. Question How may a man rightly vse the Lords Supper to his comfort and saluation Ans. Three things are required therevnto A right preparation a right Receiuing and a right Vse of it afterward Sect. 1. That Preparation is needefull the commandement of the Apostle plainely shewes which is directed to al Communicants without exception 1. Cor. 11. 28 Let a man that is let euery man examine himselfe Now that a man may be rightly prepared hee must bring with him foure severall things First Knowledge of the foundation of Religion specially of the vse of both the Sacraments That this is necessarie to Preparation it appeareth by that which Paul requireth in a good Communicant 1. Cor. 11. 26. to wit the shewing forth of Christs death which is done by confession and thanks giuing and these two cannot be performed without knowledge The second thing required is Faith For all Sacraments are seales of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. 11. Now Faith is hereby discerned when the heart of the beleeuer contents it selfe onely with Christ in the matter of saluation and doth beleeue not onely that there is a remission of sinnes in generall but that his sinnes are forgiuen to him in particular The third is Repentance standing in a hearty sorrow for sinnes committed in a hatred and detestation of the same and in a resolued purpose of amendment and obedience for time to come Here we must remember that renewed Repentance for sinnes committed is principally required before the Sacrament For the Apostle chargeth the beleeuing Corinthes with vnworthie receiuing because they came in their sinnes without renouation of their repentance The fourth is Charitie towards man For this Sacrament is a Communion whereby all the receiuers ioyntly vnited together in loue doe participate of one and the same Christ. And therefore as no man in the old law might offer his Sacrifice without a forehand agreement with his brother so no Communicant may partake with others at this Table without reconciliation loue and charitie Now further touching Preparation there are three Cases of Conscience to be resolued I. Case What shall a man doe if after preparation he finds himselfe vnworthie Ans. There are two kinds of vnworthines of an euili conscience and of infirmitie Vnworthines of an euill conscience is when a man liues in any sinne against his conscience This we must especially take heede of For it is proper to the Reprobate and he that comes to the Table of the Lord vnworthily in this sense questionlesse he shall eate his owne iudgement if not condemnation The vnworthines of infirmitie is when a man truly repents and beleeues and makes conscience of euery good dutie but yet sees and feeles wants in them all and in regard hereof himselfe vnfit to the Supper Such vnworthines cannot iustly hinder a man from comming to this Sacrament neither is it a sufficient cause to make him to abstaine The reason is because the Lord requires not therein perfection of faith and repentance but the truth synceritie of them both though they be imperfect If it be demanded how the truth of faith and repentance may be knowne I answer by these notes I. If our faith be directed vpon the right obiect Christ alone II. If there be a hungring and thirsting after his bodie and blood III. If wee haue a constant and serious purpose not to sinne IV. If there follow a change in the life Thus we read that many of the Iewes in the daies of Hezekias came to Ierusalem and did eate the Passeouer which had not clensed themselues according to that which was written in the Law And yet for those among them that had prepared their whole hearts to seek the Lord the text saies that God heard the praier of Hezekias and healed the people though they were not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuarie 2. Chron. 30. 18 19 20. II. Case Whether it be requisite to preparation that a man should come fasting to this supper Ans. It is not necessarie For in the Primitiue Church Christians did first feast and at the ende of their feast receiued the Lords Supper And if receiuers bring with them attentiue mindes reuerent and sober hearts it matters not whether they come fasting or not The kingdome of God stands not in meates and drinkes as Paul saith Rom. 14. 17. III. Case Whether such persons as are at contention and goe to law one with an other may with good conscience come to the Lords table The reason of the Question is because men thinke when they goe to law that they doe not forgiue Ans. There be three kinds of forgiuenes of reuenge of the penaltie and of iudgement Ofreuenge when men are content to lay aside all hatred and requitall of euill Of penaltie when beeing wronged they are content to put the matter vp and not proceede to reuenge by inflicting punishment Of iudgement when a man is willing to esteeme and iudge things badly done as well done and to iudge a bad man no euill person nor an enemie though he be an enemie Of these three the first is alwaies necessarie A man is bound in conscience to forgiue the reuenge and leaue that to the Lord to whome Vengeance properly belongeth But to the forgiuenes of penaltie and iudgement we are not alway bound We must shunne and decline iniuries offered as much as possibly we can but when they be offered we may with good conscience seeke a remedie of them and vse any lawfull meanes to defend our selues Therefore I answer to the Question thus That if a man going to law with an other forgiues him in regard of reuenge when he comes to the Lords table he doth his dutie For doing that he is not bound to the other as hath beene said Sect. 2. The Second thing in the right vse of the Lords Supper is the right Receiuing of it Wherein there be two things required First the renewing of our Knowledge or Generall Faith And then secondly the renewing of our Speciall Faith in Christ. Let the reason of both be obserued This Sacrament cōtaines many particular Signes as not onely the bread and wine but the actions about the same The Signes may be thus distinguished Some of them are representing signes some are signes applying Representing signes are such as doe liuely set forth vnto vs Christ with his benefits as the bread and the wine
haue release from any creature Therefore our Sauiour Christs commandement is Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe thy oathes to whome to the Lord. Math. 5. 33. And the oath that passed betweene Dauid and Ionathan is called The Lords oath 2. Sam. 21. 7 and 1. Sam. 20. 8. God will haue the oath to binde as long as seemeth good vnto him yea and cease binding when it pleaseth him And that which himselfe bindeth or will haue to be bound no creature can loose The things which God hath coupled let no man separate Math. 19. 6. And herein the Pope shewes himselfe to be Antichrist in that he challengeth power to dispense with a lawfull oath made without error or deceit of things honest and possible Out of this answer another Question may be resolued namely when doth a man commit Periurie Ans. 1. When a man sweares that which he knowes to be false 2. When he sweares that which he meanes not to doe 3. When he swearing to doe a thing which he also meanes to doe yet afterwards doth it not In these three the not performing of an oath made it flat periurie That we may yet be informed concerning the sinne of Periurie one Question of moment is to be skanned In Societies Corporations there be Lawes and Orders to the keeping whereof euery one admitted to an office takes a corporall oath Afterward it falls out vpon occasion that he breakes some of the saide Statutes The Question is whether he be not in this case periured Ans. Statues are of two sorts Some are principall or fundamentall which serue to maintaine the state of that bodie or Corporation Others lesse principall or mixt that serue for order or decencie In the statutes principall the lawmaker intends obedience simply and therefore they are necessarie to be kept But in the lesse principall he exacts not obedience simply but either obedience or the penaltie because the penaltie is as much beneficiall to the state of that body as the other The breach of the former makes a man guilty of periurie but it is otherwise in the latter so be it the delinquent party be content to beare the mulct if it be imposed Thus students and others belonging to such societies may in some sort excuse themselues from the sinne of periurie though not from all fault in breaking some of the lesser locall statutes els few could liue in any societie without periurie Yet one more Question is propounded touching periurie whether a man may exact an oath of him whome he feares or knowes will forsweare himselfe Ans. A priuate man must not but a Magistrate may if the partie offer to take his oath not beeing vrged therto and be first admonished of the greivousnesse of the said sinne of periurie In the execution of Ciuil Iustice Magistrates must not stay vpon mens sinnes Moses expected not the Israelites repentance for their Idolatrie but presently proceeded vnto punishment Neither must the publicke good of the Common wealth bee hindred vpon the likelyhood or suspition of a mans periurie CHAP. XIIII Of Vowes THe Seuenth head of the Outward worship of God is concerning a vowe All the Questions whereof may be reduced to these foure I. Question What is a Vowe Ans. A Vowe is a promise made to God of things lawfull and possible I call it a promise to distinguish a vowe from a single purpose For a purpose may be chaunged but a vowe lawfully made cannot Againe there is great difference betweene these two for in a vowe there is first a purpose to doe a thing secondly a binding of our selues to doe that we pupose For this cause I tearme it a promise because it is a purpose with a bond without which there can be no vowe made In the next place I adde a promise made to God not to Saint Angel or Man The reasons are these First a vowe is properly the worke of the heart consisting in a purpose Now God alone knowes the heart and he alone is able to discerne of the purpose and intent of the same which no Angel Saint or other creature can possible doe Secondly when the vow is made none can punish and take revenge of the breach therof but God Thirdly in the old Testament the Iewes neuer vowed but to God because the vowe was a part of Gods worshippe Deut. 23. 21. When thou shalt vowe a vowe vnto the Lord thy God thou shalt not bestack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and so it should be sinne vnto thee Where by the way we may take notice of the superstition of the popish Church that maketh vowes to Saints and Angels which is in effect to make thē gods to worship thē as the Iewes worshipped God in the old Testament II. Question Whether a vowe be now in the newe Testament any part of Religion or Gods worship The answere is threefold First if a vowe be taken for a promise of morall obedience the answer is that a vowe is indeed the worship of God and so shal be to the ende of the world For as God for his part promiseth mercie in the couenant of grace so wee in Baptisme doe make a vowe and promise of obedience to him in all his commandements and therefore Peter calleth Baptisme a stipulation that is the promise of good conscience to God This promise once made in Baptisme is renewed so oft as we come to the Lords Supper and further continued in the daily spirituall exercises of Invocation and Repentance But it may be said we are already bound to the obedience of the Law by order of diuine Iustice therefore we cannot further binde our selues Ans. He that is bound by God may also bind himself Dauid though he was boūd by god in conscience to keepe the Law yet he binds himselfe freely by oath to helpe his own weaknes to keepe himselfe from falling when he saith I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal. 119. 106. And the same bond is no lesse necessary and behooffefull for vs if we consider how prone and readie we are to fall from the worshippe of God The second Answere If a vowe be taken for a promise of some ceremoniall dutie as of Sacrifices and Oblations or of giuing house lands and goods to the Temple then we must put a difference betweene the Olde Testament and the New In the Old Testament the vow of such duties was part of Gods worshippe but in the Newe it is not and that for these Reasons First The Iewish ceremonies were to the Iewes a part of Gods worshippe but to vs Gentiles they are not cōsidering they are all in Christ abolished and none of them doe now stand in force by Gods Law to vs. Thus the Passeover was a ceremonie or seruice appointed by God to be obserued of the Israelites and their posteritie Exod. 12. 24. 25. and therefore stood as a part of Gods worshippe to them
he spake no more but the truth onely he concealed part of the truth Now if it fall out otherwise that policie be vsed and any of these foure Caueats be not obserued then it looses both the name and nature of true Policie and becomes fraud craft and deceit and so is condemnable Example hereof we haue in Dauid 1. Sam. 21. 14. who when he came to the court of Achish king of Gath and saw himselfe in daunger he faines himselfe madde Which though he did to saue his owne life yet his poliâ—â—e was not to be allowed of for it tended to his owne disgrace he beeing King of Israel and it was also dishonourable vnto God who had appointed him to be the king of Israel Againe that which is commonly called the policie of Machiavel is here to be condemned For it is not answerable to the Cauears before remembred Besides that it is not onely against the written law of God but euen against the law of Nature And the very foundation thereof standeth onely in the practise of lying swearing forswearing in fraud deceit and injustice CHAP. III. Of Questions concerning Clemencie CLemencie or meekenes is a vertue that serues to moderate wrath and reuenge Touching Clemency there be three Questions I. How a man is to carrie himselfe in respect of iniuries and offences done vnto him II. When Anger is a sinne and when not III. How a man should remedie his rash and vniust anger I. Question How may a man carrie himselfe in respect of iniuries and offences done vnto him Aus That a man may behaue himselfe so as becommeth a Christian in these cases he must in the first place inquire into the nature and qualitie of the wrong done Now Offences that are done to vs by others are of three sorts The first sort and the least are when some things are done to vs that do onely displease vs but bring no losse or hurt to vs. These be light offences and of this kind are common infirmities as hastinesse teastinesse frowardnesse slownesse and dulnesse of nature of this kind also are reproches of vnskilfulnesse ignorance basenes pouertie and such like The first degree then of Clemency is not so much as to take notice of these sleight offences but to let them passe and burie them in obliuion Salomon saith A mans vnderstanding deforreth his anger and it is his credit to passe by an offence Pro. 19. 11. his meaning is that when small offences are done which cannot be avoided then in discretion a man should with hold his anger and not take notice of them but passe by them and let them goe for this shall be a farre greater ornament vnto him then if vpon the deede done he should haue hastily proceeded to reuenge The second sort of Offences are small iniuries such as doc not onely displease vs but with all bring some little hurt to vs either in our goods life or good name Now the second degree of meekenes is to take notice of these but withall to forgiue them and put them vp The reason is because alwaies greater care must be had of peace and loue then of our owne priuate affaires Read the practise hereof Ioh. 8. 49. It was obiected to Christ wrongfully that he was a Samaritane and had a Deuill Christ takes knowledge of the wrong and saith you haue reproched me but withall he puts it vp onely denying that which they said and clearing himselfe I haue not a Deuill but I honour my father Dauid had receiued great wrong at the hands of Ioab and Shimei as appeares in the historie of his life but principally when he came first to be King of Israel a. Sam. 3. and yet he takes not a hastie course presently to be reuenged vpon his adversaries but proceedes in this order First he takes notice of the fact and commits his cause to God ver 39. and then afterward as opportunity serued gaue the parties their iust desert The reason was because beeing newely invested in the kingdome his adversaries were strong and himselfe weake euen by his owne confession therfore not able at the first to redresse the iniury done vnto him But when he had once established himselfe then he doth not onely beginne 2. Sam. 19. 14. but proceedes to full execution of punishment vpon them as we read 1. King 2. ver 5. 6. 34. 35. The third sort of Wrongs are greater iniuries such as are not onely offensiue to our persons but withall doe preiudice our liues and bring a ruine vpon our estates both in goods and good name These are the highest degree of Iniuties manifested in open and apparent wrongs And therefore answerable to them is required the third and highest degree of Clemencie which stands in three things First in taking notice secondly in forgiuing them thirdly in a iust and lawfull defending our selues against the wronging parties This is the summe and substance of the answer For the better conceiuing whereof sundry Questions are further to be propounded and resolued First in generall it is demanded how a man should and ought to forgiue an iniurie Ans. In forgiuenes there be foure things The first is forgiuenes of Reuenge that is of requiting euill for euill either by thought word or deede This must alwaies be practised For vengeance is not ours but the Lords and great reason then that we should euermore forgiue in regard of reuenge and hatred This the Apostle teacheth when he saith 1. Cor. 13. 5. Loue is not provoked it neuer thinketh much lesse speakes or does evill The second is forgiuenesse of priuate punishment which is when men returne punishment for iniuries done in way of requitall and this must alwaies take place with vs because as vengeance it selfe so also punishmeÌ„t in way of revenge is Gods alone The third is forgiuenesse of iudgement when we iudge an inurie done to be an iniurie This iudgement we are not bound to forgiue vnto men For we may with good conscience iudge a sinne and a wrong to be as they are And yet notwithstanding if a man make satisfaction for the wrong done then there ought to be forgiuenes even in regard of iudgemen The fourth is forgiuenesse of satisfaction This we are not alway bound to remitte but we may with good conscience alway require satisfaction where hurt is done Secondly for the further clearing of this generall Question we are to answer some particular Cases vsually propounded in the liues of men and namely fiue I. Whether a man may defend himselfe by law II. How he may defend himselfe by law III. Whether a man may defend himselfe by force IV. How V. Whether a man may defend himselfe by Combate I. Case Whether a man may with good conscience and a meeke Spirit defend himselfe by law for wrongs that are done vnto him I answer affirmatively A man may with good conscience defend himselfe against great iniuries by the benefite of lawe For Magistracie is Gods ordinance for the good of men Rom.
13. 4. and therefore men may vse the benefite of the authoritie iudgement and iurisdiction of Magistrates without breach of conscience Again it is the expresse lawe of God that when a false witnesse riseth vp against a man to accuse him of a trespasse that both the accuser and the accused should stand before God that is before his Preists and Iudges for the time beeing and haue remedie at their hands An example of which iudiciall defense we haue in Paul who in case of wrong makes his appeale to the iudgement seate of Rome Act. 25. 10. But it is alleadged out of Scripture to the contrarie Luk. 6. 29. To him that smiteth thee on the one cheeke offer also the other Mat. 5. 40. If any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coate let him carry thy cloake also Ans. These places are spoken of priuate persons that want the defense and assistance of the publicke Magistrate and such must rather suffer wrong vpon wrong blow vpon blow and losse vpon losse then right their owne wrongs by reuenging themselues Againe it is obiected that Paul saies Lawing is a fault 1. Cor. 6. 7. There is vtterly a fault among you because ye goe to law one with an other c. Ans. We must distinguish between things themselues and the manner of doing them When Paul saies it is a fault he condemneth not lawing absolutely in it selfe but the Corinthian manner of going to law which was this First they went to law with scandall before the Tribunalls of Heathenish and vnbeleeuing Iudges and so made the Gospell to be slandered and reproched Secondly they went to law vpon light causes and for small iniuries which they might well haue put vp easily brooked Thirdly in lawing they fell into rash and violent passions of rage and enuie so as they could not temper themselues but must needes goe to law in the first place which should rather haue been the last and the desperatest remedie of all And this bad manner of suing one another at the law is it which Paul rebukes as a fault And it is to be obserued that Paul notes their fault by a word that signifies Weakenesse or impotencie of their affections whereby it came to passe that being ouercome by the strength of their owne desires vpon iniuries offered they were vnable to beare them in any degree of Christian moderation and there vpon hastily proceeded to the Courts of Heathen Iudges for determination of controversies and contentions among them It is further alleadged that when a man is any way wronged it is Gods will it should be so and therefore he ought not to seeke redresse but to rest himselfe in the will of God Ans. It is Gods will we should haue diseases and yet it is no lesse his will that we should vse good means to be cured of them So is it in wrongs and iniuries done vnto vs. As his will is we should be afflicted so also hath he willed our deliuerance by such meanes as himselfe hath appointed But our Sauiour would haue his Disciples to be as sheepe among wolues and therefore we ought to endure all wrongs without reuēge For the sheepe takes all wrongs and doth not so much as defend it selfe against the woolfe Ans. So Christ commandeth that we should be simple as doues Matth. 10. 16. and yet withall he commandeth vs to be wise as Serpents to defend our owne heads and to saue our selues Lastly it is alleadged 1. Cor. 13. 5. that loue seekes not her owne therfore loue must not defend her selfe Ans. Loue doth not so seeke her owne things as that shee neglecteth the good of others but seeking her owne shee seekes the good of all And this practise is not against but according to the law of Charitie II. Case How is a man to defend himselfe by Law Ans. For the resoluing of this Question we must take two Rules The first is this We must first trie all meanes and vse all remedies that may be before we vse the remedie of Law It is our Sauiours direction Matth. 5. 25. Agree with thine aduersarie quickely while thou art in the way that is before the controuersie be ended by order of law Againe Matth. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone And Saint Paul in this case prescribes a course to be taken before-hand namely first to beare and suffer as much as may be 1. Cor. 6. 7. Why rather suffer ye not wrong why rather sustaine ye not harme Then if bearing will not ende it to commit our cause to priuate arbitrement of one or two v. 5. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that can iudge betweene his brethren Law is to be vsed in this case as the Physitian vseth polson and that is onely in desperate cases The second Rule is That our patient mind must be made knowne to all men Phil. 4. 5. In taking the benefit of Law we are to vse great Moderation of mind and that in three respects before we goe to law in lawing and when the suit is ended The Moderation of mind before the beginning of suits in law stands in three things First we must consider that all iniuries whatsoeuer they be doe befal vs by the prouidence of God and that for our sinnes Vpon which consideration we ought to submit our selues to Gods will to obey him to arme our selues with patience and to lay aside all anger enuie malice and impatience Secondly we must consider before-hand that Courts of Iustice are the ordinance of God in which it pleaseth him to testifie his presence iustice and goodnes and vpon this ground we shall be mooued to depart with our owne right and to yeeld our selues and all the right we haue into the hands of God in the vse of the meanes appointed in the meane time depending on him by faith for the issue and euent of our suit And hence by the way it appeares that few or none doe vse this ordinance of God as they ought because the greater sort of men that commence suits in law doe not consider either the nature or ende of ciuill Courts No man ordinarily will yeeld a haire of his right but euery one sixeth his eyes wholly vpon the euent of his action by extremitie of law and so swarueth from that Christian moderation required by the word of God in this case Thirdly we must set down with our selues lawfull and iust endes of our actions not vniust and vnlawfull These iust endes are first Gods glorie in the execution and manifestation of iustice secondly the honest defence of our owne right thirdly publike peace fourthly the amendment of disordered persons and not the defamation or hurt of any man The Moderation of the mind in Lawing stands in these particulars 1. In seeking after peace to the vtmost Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as in you is haue
commandements of God but the doctrine and precepts of men Furthermore Paul in 1. Tim. 4. 3. foretells that there should be many in the latter daies that should command to abstaine from meates To which place the Papist answers that that was because such persons taught that meats were vncleane by nature But the words are simply to be vnderstood of meates forbidden with obligation of the conscience and the text is generall speaking of the doctrine not of the persons of those men nor in ciuill respects but in regard of the bond of conscience Lastly it is a part of Christian libertie to haue freedome in conscience as touching all things indifferent and therefore in regard of meates To this doctrine some things are opposed by them of contrarie iudgement Obiect I. Princes doe make lawes and in their lawes do forbidde meates and drinkes and they must be obeyed for consciēce sake Rom. 13. 5. Ans. They doe so but all these lawes are made with reseruation of libertie of conscience and of the vse of that libertie to euery person But to what end then will some say are lawes made if they be made with reservation Ans. The scope of them is not to take away or to restraine libertie or the vse of libertie in conscience but to moderate the overcommon and superfluous outward vse As for that text Rom. 13. 5. It is to be vnderstood for conscience sake not of the law of the Magistrate but of the law of God that bindes vs to obey the Magistrates law Obiect II. There was blood and things strangled forbidden in the counsell at Ierusalem after Christs ascension Act. 15. Ans. It was forbidden onely in regard of offence for a time so long as the weake Iewe remained weake not in regard of conscience And therfore afterward Paul saies that all things euen blood it selfe was lawfull though not expedient in regard of scandall 1. Cor. 6. 12. And to the pure all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. Obiect III. Papists make lawes in which they forbidde some meats onely to restraine concupiscence Ans. Then they should forbid wine as well as flesh For wine spices and some kindes of fish which they permit are of greater force to stirre vp lust then the vse of flesh And hence it is that Saint Paul exhorts men not to be drunke with wine wherein is excesse Eph. 5. 18. Againe I answer that Iust may be restrained by exhortation to temperance without prohibitory lawes for the obligation of the conscience which are flat against Christian libertie Vpon this Answer a further Question may be made Whether a man may with good conscience eate flesh at times forbidden Ans. There are two kinds of eating eating against the Law and besides the law Eating against the law is When a man cats and by cating hinders the ende of the law contemns the authoritie of the law-maker frustrates the law it selfe and withall by his eating giues occasion to others to doe the same This eating is a flat sinne against the fift commandement For it is necessarie that the Magistrates laws should be obeyed in all things lawfull Heb. 13. 17. The master and the parent must be obeyed in all lawfull things much more the lawes of Magistrates Eating beside the law is when a man eats that which the law mentioneth and forbiddeth but not hurting the law And that a man may thus eate sundry cautions are to be obserued I. This eating must be vpon iust cause in a mans owne selfe II. It must be without contempt of the lawmaker and with a loyall mind III. It must be without giuing offence to any by his bad example IV. When it doth not hinder the maine end of the law V. When the eater doth subiect himselfe to the penaltie voluntarily and willingly In this eating there is no breach in conscience neither is it a sinne to eate that which the law forbiddeth For man hath free libertie in conscience to eat that which he doth eate Now if he vse his libertie and hurt no law obseruing these cautions his eating is no sinne For example It was Gods law that the Priests only should eat the shew-bread Now Dauid vpon a iust cause in himselfe all the former cautions obserued eates the shew-bread and sinnes not because his conscience was free in these things and therefore Dauids eating was not against the Law but onely beside the law II. Question How we may rightly vse meates and drinks in such sort as our eating may be to Gods glory and our owne comfort Ans. That we may so doe some things are to be done before we eate some in eating some after our eating §ect 1. The thing that is to be done before our eating is the Consecratiō of the food that is the Blessing of the meates which we are to eate 1. Tim. 4. 5 Euery creature of God is sanctified by the word of God and prayer By sanctification there is not meant that whereby we are sanctified by the holy Ghost neither that wherby the bread and the wine is halowed in the Sacrament of the supper But it is this when we are assured that the creature is made so free and lawfull to vs in respect of our vse that we may eate it freely and with good conscience By the word of God Paul meanes the word of creation mentioned in Gen. 1. 28. 29. repeated Gen. 9. 3. as also the word of God touching the libertie of conscience namely that to the pure all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. It is further added and prayer that is prayer grounded vpon the said word of creation and the doctrine touching Christian libertie whereby wee pray for grace to God that we may vse the creatures holily to his glorie The reasons why this sanctification of our meat is to be vsed are these First that in the vse of it we may lift vp our hearts vnto God and by this meanes put a difference between our selues and the brute beasts which rush vpon the creatures without sanctifying of them Secondly that we may be admonished thereby touching the title we haue to the creatures which beeing once lost by the fall of Adam is restored vnto vs again by Christ. Thirdly that it may be an assured testimony to our heartes that we may vse the creature with libertie of conscience when we doe vse it Fourthly that we may be sanctified to the vse of the creature as it is sanctified to vs to the end that we may vse it with temperance and not abuse it Fiftly that when we vse the creature we may depend on God for the blessing of it to make it our nourishment For no creature can nourish of it selfe but by Gods commandement who as Dauid saith Psal. 145. 16. Openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing of his good pleasure And in bread we must not consider the substance onely but the staffe which is the blessing of God vpholding our bodies Sixtly that we may not grow to securitie forgetfulnes
in prison and ye came unto me Where obserue what person Christ commendeth vnto vs to be releeued the hungry thirstie naked sicke harbourles and the captâ—ue or prisoner Rom. 12. 20. If thine enemie hunger feede him if the thirst giue him drinke We must not onely supply the need of our freindes but also our enemies 〈◊〉 Tim. 5. 16. If any beleeuing man or woman haue widowes let him minister vnto them c. that there may be sufficient for them that are widowes indeede Here widowes that are desolate without friends and goods are commended to the liberalitie of the Church Leuit 25. 35. If thy brother be impouerished and hath the trembling hand thou shalt releeue him as a stranger or soiourner so shall he liue with thee By the trembling hand is meant the man that workes hard for his liuing and yet cannot by his labour get things necessarie but must needes stretch out his hand to others that are in better state for helpe Here two Questions may further be made First whether we must giue almes to beggers I meane such as goe from doore to doore for they come vnder the degrees of needie persons Ans. Beggars are of two sorts either such as are strong able to labour and doe somewhat for their liuing or such as are weake and impotent vnable to take paines for the maintenance of themselues or those that belong vnto them The first sort are not to be reiceued For touching them the Apostle hath giuen this rule He that will not labour must not eate 2. Thess. 3. 10. 12. Euery man must liue by the labour of his owne hands and feede vpon his owne bread Againe such beggers are theeues robbers because they steale their labour from the Church and Common-wealth which is as profitable as land and treasure In the old Law if two men striued together and the one had wounded the other the offender was inioyned not onely to pay for the healing but for the losse of his time also Exod. 21. 19. And in like manner ought such persons to beare the punishment both of their theft and of the losse of their labour And the truth is they that giue to them in this their loose life doe maintaine them in wickednes Yet here one Caution is to be remembred that if such a man be in extreame neede he must be helped rather then he should perish And the Magistrate is to punish him for his idlenes and to compell him to labour The Magistrate I say for priuate persons haue no authoritie to inflict punishment in this case As for the other sort that are vnable to worke they are not allowed by the word of God to gather their almes themselues by begging from doore to doore but to be releeued at home in their houses Deut. 15. 4. There shall not be a begger in thee v. 11. there shall be euer some poore in the land Here the holy Ghost makes a plaine difference between the poore and the begger forbidding the one and commanding to helpe the other Saint Paul likewise distinguisheth of widowes whereof some haue rich kindred and they are to be prouided for by them 1. Tim. 5. 4. Others are destitute of friends and kindred by whome they may be releeued and such he willeth to be maintained by the Church v. 16. And this is no toleration or approbation of beggers Againe the begging of almes is the very seminarie of vagabonds rogues stragling pâ—â—soÌ„s which haue no calling nor are of any corporation Church or commonwealth Yea it doth proclaime to the world in the eares of all men the shame either of the Magistrate who restraines it not hauing authoritie or of the wealthie and able that they haue no mercy or compassion It is also a great disorder in commonwealths For the boldest and most clamarous begger carries away all the almes from the rest and so releefe is distributed both vnwisely and vnequally And howsoeuer it is the good law of our Land agreeable to the law of God that none should begge that are able to labour and all men are bound in conscience to see it obserued that haue any care of the good of this Church and commonwealth yet it is a plague of our times and greatly to be bewailed that it is neglected and not put iâ— execution In the Second place it is demanded whether we must put a difference betweene persons and persons in giuing our almes Ans. There be three differences of men that are in neede The first is a mans owne And such are they that be of his houshold for which he that makes not provision is worse then an Infidell as the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 5. 8. Those also which are of a mans own blood as father and mother c. Mat. 15. 5 6. Now contrarie to this sort are strangers to whome we must not giue For to neglect a mans own and to bestowe it vpon forrainers vnlesse there be iust and necessarie cause so to doe is a sinne against the law of nature A second difference of men is this Some are of the houshold of faith Saint Pauls rule is this that we preferre them before the other Gal. 6. 10. Doe good vnto all men but specially to them that are of the houshold of faith A third difference Some are our owne poore of our towne land country some be strangers in the same respects Now howsoeuer we are debters to all that we can doe good to yet those that are neerer to vs in habitation or neighbourhood are to be respected and releeued before others This the Lord commandeth Deuâ— 15. 7. If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thy hart and shut thine hand from him And these beeing releeued we may in the next place afford our helpe to others Thus did the good Samaritane in case of necessitie practize his charitie vpon a stranger Luk. 10. 33. and is therefore commended by our Sauiour Christ. III. Question How much releefe must every man giue Ans. We must put a difference betweene the almes of priuate men and of Incorporations or Churches Touching priuate mens almes the Scripture hath not determined how much must be giuen but hath left it to the discreet consideration of euery Christian. And yet it must be remembred which the Apostle saith that he that soweth sparingly shal reape sparingly And againe Let euery man giue as he hath determined in his owne heart Lastly he giues a commandement touching the quantitie of giuing that euery first day of the weeke euery one lay aside by himselfe and lay vp as God hath prospered him that is according to the abilitie wherewith God hath blessed him 1. Cor. 16. 2. But two cautions are proprounded in the word touching this quantitie First that we must not so giue almes that others be â—ased and we our selues grieued 2. Cor. 8. 13. It is not Gods will that we
you Here first I will speake of the false and then of the true and right fruit of Liberalitie The false Fruit is this that giuing of almes doth merit forgiuenes of sinne and satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishment thereof That we may the better see the errour of this doctrine I will answer their arguments Obiect I. First they alleadge out of this text that giuing of almes makes all things cleane vnto vs. Ans. We must vnderstand the text thus If we turne to God beleeue in Christ and leaue all our sinnes then are we cleane and all our actions and consequently our almes-giuing shall be cleane vnto vs for to the pure all things are pure Now almes and other things are then said to be cleane vnto a man when he beeing himselfe pure maketh and hath a pure vse of them Obiect II. Dan. 4. 24. Redeeme thy sinnes by giuing of al◅ Ans. This place maketh against the Papists for by sinnes the Prophet vnderstandeth both the guilt also the punishment Whereas they affirme that the guilt of sinne cannot be redeemed but by Christ alone and man onely is to satisfie for the temporall punishment of sinne Secondly the word which they translate redeeme doth properly signifie as it is in the Chalde paraphrase to breake off As if the Prophet should haue said Thou art O King a mightie Monarch and thou hast vsed much iniustice and crueltie therefore now repent thy selfe and breake off the course of thy sinnes and testifie thy repentance by doing iustice and giuing almes to the poore whom thou hast oppressed Thirdly the word in the ancient Latine translations signifieth to amende and then it beareth this sense Amend thy selfe and the course of thy life and let thine iniustice be turned into iustice thy crueltie into mercie Obiect III. Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when ye shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. Ans. Receiuing here mentioned is not by way of merit as though a man could deserue it by giuing almes but either by way of heartie praiers made by the poore that they may be receiued or els because their almes shall be vnto them a pledge and earnest of their receiuing into Gods kingdome Obiect IV. Prou. 16. 6. By mercie and truth iniquitie is redeemed Ans. 1. Salomons meaning is that by Gods goodnes and not ours iniquity is pardoned 2. If by mercie is meant mans mercie then are we to vnderstand it thus that mercie and truth are euident signes vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen and not the working causes of remission Obiect V. Luk. 14. 14. And thou which giuest releefe shalt be blessed because they can not recompense thee therefore almes doe merit Ans. When God promiseth reward to the giuing of almes the promise is not made to the worke but to the worker and that not for the merit of his person or worke but onely for Christ his sake in whome he is by whose meanes he stands reconciled vnto God And so men that practise charitie in giuing of almes are rewarded with blessednes not for their almes but according to the mercie of God in Christ. Now followeth the Right fruit of Almes-giuing and it stands in foure things First they are the way in which we must walke to life euerlasting I say the way not the cause either of life or any other good thing that God hath promised Secondly they are effects and fruits of our faith yea the signes and seales of Gods mercie to vs in Christ. To this purpose S. Paul wisheth Timothie 1. Tim. 6. 17 18 19. to charge them that be rich in this world that they doe good and be rich in good workes and be readie to distribute laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Now where is this foundation to be laide vp not in heauen for that is impossible for vs and it is laide vp for vs there alreadie by Christ but in our owne consciences and that is our assurance of Gods fauour in this world and life euerlasting in the world to come of which assurance this and other good works are signes and seales vnto vs. Thirdly almes comes in the way of restitution of those goods that haue beene gotten fraudulently though from whome we know not Thus Zacheus at his conuersion for wrongs that he had done he knew not to whome gaue halfe his goods to the poore and proclaimed restitution to those that could come forth and chalenge him Lastly aimes are a notable remedie against couetousnesse For he that hath a mercifull heart to bestow vpon the poore shall easily be content with that he hath and auoid that sinne whereby otherwise he falls into tentations and snares of the Deuill 1. Tim. 6. 9. CHAP. VI. Of Iustice. Psal. 15. 2. He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnes THe substance of the whole Psalme is a Question and an Answer The Question is who are the members of Gods Church vpon earth that shall come to life eternall in heauē ver 1. The Answer is made in the rest of the Psalme And in this answer is contained a description of the parties by their properties and markes The first marke is walking vprightly that is in truth and sinceritie of religion which standeth in the sinceritie of faith and a good conscience The second note is the practise of Righteousnes Now Righteousnes or Iustice is twofold the Iustice of the Gospel and the Iustice of the Law Evangelicall iustice is that which the gospell reveales and not the Law to witte the obedience of Christ in his sufferings and fulfilling of the law imputed to them that beleeue for their iustification and this is not here meant Legall iustice is that which the law revealeth and withall requireth And it is either vniuersall or particular Vniuersall iustice is the practise of all vertues or that whereby a man obserues all the commandements of the law Of this Paul speaketh Rom. 10. 5. in which place he opposeth it to the righteousnes which is by faith And Zacharie and Elizabeth are said to be iust before God Luk. 1. 6. namely by this vniuersall iustice because they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord indeauouring in althings to please him Particular iustice is that whereby we giue to euery man his right or due and of this Dauid here speaketh The reason is because if it were not so then this second marke should comprehend vnder it all the rest and so there would be no good distinction of these properties one from the other Particular iustice is two-fold in distribution or in exchange and contract Iustice in distribution is that which keepes a proportion in giuing to euery man that honour dignitie reuerence reward or punishment that is due vnto him Of this there are mooued principally two Questions I. Question What is that iudgement which men are to giue and hold one to