Scripture of any truly holy that are branded for this sinne Once Noah was overtaken with the love of Wine never with the Love of the world Lot was twice incestuous never covetous once David was besotted with the flesh never bewitched with the world Peter denyed his Master but it was not the love of the world but the feare of the world that caused him to fall into that sin Zaccheus had been a covetous person but no sooner doth he take Christ by the hand but the first thing he doth is to shake hands with covetousness Halfe my goods I give to the poore Qest 27. vers 19. From this Scripture where it is said That Lamech tooke unto him two wives it may be demanded whether Polygamy was a sinne in the time of the Law or not This question hath more perplexities Resp twining about it then at first I thought it might have I shall give you the opinion of learned men concerning it 1. Some conceive that Polygamy was not a sinne in the time of the Law the reasons they render are these Because we finde a Law made by God as touching those who had more wives then Arg. 1 one as in that text If a man have two wives one beloved and another hated and they have borne Deut. 21 15 16. him children both the beloved and the hated and if the first borne sonne be hers that was hated then it shall be when he maketh his sonnes to inherit that which he hath that he may not make the sonne of the beloved first-borne before the sonne of the hated who is indeed the first-borne Now if the Lord makes a Law concerning those who had more wives then one how could it then be a sin This is a non sequitur we finde Laws Resp in Scripture concerning things sinfull as If a man strive and hurt a woman so that her Ex 21.22 23. fruit depart from her and yet no mischiefe follow he shall be surely punished c. And if any mischief follow thou shalt give life for life So concerning theft He that stealeth a man Exo. 21.16 and selleth him he shall be surely put to death So concerning the price of an harlot Thou shalt not bring the hire of an whore Deut. 23. 18. or the price of a dogge into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow Arg. 2 They urge those words of the Lord to David Thus saith the Lord I anointed thee 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosome this the Lord reckons as one of the mercies he had bestowed on David and therefore it was not a sin That phrase say some I gave thy Masters Resp wives into thy bosome is not to be understood of Gods giving them in a way of marriage unto David but of giving them into his power To clear this consider 1. This phrase of giving into a mans bosome in Scripture doth not alwayes signifie a marriage-union Render unto Psal 1 our neighbour seven-fold into their bosome So in Esay Your iniquities and the iniquiâ— of your fathers together saith the Lord which have burnt incense upon the mountaines and blâ—sphemed me upon the Hills therefore will I measure their former worke into their bosome 2. David had married Sauls Daughter Miâ—hol so that Sauls wives were Mothers in Law to David now you have an expresse Law Thou shalt not uncover the Lev. 18. 15. nakednesse of thy Daughter in Law Now if a father ought not to uncover the nakednesse of his Daughter in Law then certainly a Sonne ought not to uncover the nakednesse of his Mother in Law 2. Others conceive that Polygamy was a sinne perswaded thereunto by these reasons From the institution of marriage in Paradise Argu. 1 Therefore shall a man leave his Father and Mother and shall cleave to his wife and Gen. 2. 24. they shall be one flesh 'T is not said they two shall be one flâ—sh Object the word two is not found in the Hebrew text Though it be not explicitely yet 't is Resp implicitely in the text and therefore see how our Saviour renders the words when he urges them Have ye not read that he Mat 19.4 5. that made them at the beginning made them male and female and said For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twaine shall be one flesh The word two or twaine doth not Object exclude plurality as you may see in other Scriptures At the mouth of two witnesses Deu. 17.6 or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death So in Matthew saith Christ Mat. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven The word two or twaine is taken in Resp Scripture inclusively or exclusively in those places urged it is taken inclusively but here exclusively By those words two shall be one flesh Object is onely noted unto us the entire love that should be between man and wife that a man should love his wife as his own flesh But this doth not exclude plurality of wives A man may love his neighbour as himselfe and yet may love many neighbours There may be conjunctio animorum many Resp may be united in regard of their spirits but in marriage there is not onely conjunctio animorum sed corporum an union of spirits but of bodies God commends this unto us as that Object which is well pleasing to him that an Husband should have but one wife but he doth not command it Neg. For Matthew 19. 5. The Resp question was asked Is it lawfull for a man to put away his wife for every cause Christ urges in answer to this question Gen. 2.24 Lamech primus Polygamus Polygamy had Argu. 2 its rise from Cains wicked race therefore likely sinfull and displeasing to God 3. There is a third opinion which I finde some learned persons inclinable to close with viz. That though Polygamy was a sin under the Law that is to say to Lamech and to the rest of Cains wicked progeny yet it was not a sinne to the Patriarchs and that though there was a law from the beginning that one man should have but one wife as Gen. 2.24 yet as to the obligation of it God gave a dispensation to the Patriarchs The reasons that encline them to this opinion are such as these If there were a Law whereby plurality Argu. 1 of wives were forbidden either it was known to the Patriarchs or not If it were known to them then they lived and died in a known sinne without Repentance as far as we can gather from the Scriptures If any say it was not known to them then this will follow that holy men from one generation to another lived and died
delivered by a man is called the voice of God Samuel also said unto Saul The Lord sent me to anoint 1 Sa. 15.1 thee to be King over his people now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. The Learned conceive that the voice of God in this place is not to be taken for a sound or a noyse but for an articulate voice but now whether this voice was formed in the aire As at the time of the Baptisme and transfiguration of our Saviour or whether it was formed in some body God at that time assuming the visible shape of a man is not very cleare yet the latter seems to be probable 1. He deals with man by way of judiciall processe as a man first he calls him to an account for the crime he had committed and then pronounces sentence against him 2. Ye read of the Lord God walking in the garden which seems as it were to point toward this opinion Quest. 21. verse 8. 'T is said They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden and yet it is said in Jeremiah that the Lord filleth heaven and earth Jer. 23.24 The Divine essence fills heaven and Resp earth and yet that visible forme whereby God manifests his presence may be circumscribed to a place and so it was in this Case Quest 22. verse 8. It is said they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord and yet the Psalmist Ps 139.7 8. sayes Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence c. 'T is true we cannot hide our selves from Gods presence yet we may from that visible Resp forme that God appears in for the present and possibly this may be the meaning in this place c. In vaine doth the sinner endeavour to run away from God and the terrours of Conscience This is just as if the wounded Deere should go about to run from the deadly Arrow that sticks in his side this is like the fish which swimmeth to the length of the Line with the Hooke in its mouth The best way to run from God is to run to God viz. from his wrath to his mercy To close and get in avoids the blow when a storme arises the Mariner puts forth to sea Quest 23. verse 9. God calls man Adam where art thou and yet in Jeremiah Mine eyes are upon all their wayes neither is there iniquity hid Jer. 16.17 from mine eyes Non interogat ut ipse sciat sed ut hominem Resp 1 scire et agnoscere faciat God doth not propound this question to Adam that he might know but that man might know that he did know Non est vox ignorantis sed ad judicium citantis It is not the voice of one that desired to be informed but of a Judge calling man to an account for the transgression of the Command Quest 24. verse 9. Why doth not God call Eve by her name as well as Adam they having both sinned Some say to note it concernes the husband Resp to take heed not onely of what is done by himselfe but also by his wife or family he may be called to an account for it Quest 25. vers 10. It is said I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid did not Adam feare God before Yes but he feared him before with a Resp sonne-like filial feare now with a base unworthy servile feare He feared him before because of his goodnesse now he fears him because of his vengeance so when the image of God is repaired The people of God have not a slavish wiredrawen and compelled affection towards God but their affections freely melt and drop towards God as the honey drops out of the Comb feare and love must be mixed and tempered together indeed they do not well asunder as if a man would make the most perfect beautifull colour he would temper the purest white and the fairest red together such is that for which the spouse giveth her beloved the Commendation that he was candidus et rubicundus white and ruddy feare without love would set us in the forlorne hope and precipitate us into despaire and love without fear would make us wanton and secure therefore there is not onely magnitude but pulchritude in God he is not onely great to cause us to feare him but he is good to cause us to love him Quest 26. verse 12. The man said The woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat And yet the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 2. 14. That Adam was not deceived but the woman The Apostle may speake of the manner Resp 1 of the seduction of our first parents Adam was not deceived viz. by the Serpent but the woman The Serpent deceived Eve but Eve could not in propriety of speech be said to deceive Adam for that person may be said properly to deceive who perswades to something false and injurious animo fallendi with an intention to wrong another and in this sense the Serpent may be said to deceive Eve But Eve had no thoughts of over-reaching her husband therefore Adam was not deceived but the woman Quest 27. vâ—rse 14. Why the Serpent was not examined by God as well as the man or woman The examination of the man and woman Resp was in order to their repentance and so by Consequence in order to their salvation but God would shew no mercy to the Serpent Quest 28. verse 14. Upon whom this curse was pronounced upon the Serpent or Satan or Satan and the Serpent Some would have it onely spoken of the Resp 1 brute Serpent and the Jews are very zealous in the maintaining of this assertion But if this were a truth then it would follow that the brute creature that Satan made use of should be punished but Satan himselfe who was the principall actor in tempting our first parents to sinne should escape unpunished Some would have it onely spoken of the spirituall Serpent the Devill because the brute was onely passive and abused by the Devil for the calling on of his sinfull designes But neither can this be for if this curse had not beene pronounced upon a true Serpent why should this Serpent be reckoned amongst the beasts of the field And why doth not Moses make mention of Satan in this whole Chapter Some would divide the controversie applying the first part of the curse in the 14. verse to the brute Serpent and the latter in the 15. verse to the Devil the spiritual Serpent But neither can this be for 1. The subject the Spirit of God speakes of is not changed but the same in the 14. and 15. verses ver 14. The Lord said to the Serpent Thou art cursed above all cattel And verse 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman c 2. It is cleare that the words in the 15. ver without any straining are applicable to the brute Serpent viz.
Cain and that God is said to speak to Cain because Adam had it by instinct from God But this consideration hath not strength enough in it to beat us off from the received opinion for what wickednesses are there imaginable but we should commit with greedinesse if God should give us up to the wickedinesse of our own spirits Well then learn How the commission of one sin leads us as it were by the hand to the commission of another There is in wicked courses a praecipitium when a man is at the top of an hill it is at his choice whether he will thence throw himself down or not but once let him head-long himself there is no stay till he come to the bottome It is an easier matter to keep our selves from entring into desperate courses then when once we have given our selves the reines to make a stop Nemo repente fit turpissimus As no man on the sudden becometh most excellent in vertue so no man on a sudden becomes desperate in evil There is such a combination of sinne as in the links of a chaine if a man draw one link all the rest will follow so malice follows after anger murther after hatred Adultery after drunkennesse If a man cast a stone into the water there ariseth presently a circle in the place presently after that another and so another till at last all the water be full of circles In like manner if a man commit one sinne another will follow upon it and after that another unlesse the grace of God prevent till he be out of measure sinfull Take heed therefore of the beginnings of sinne take Babylons brats and dash them against the stones We may learn that private spiritednesse is not a thing well pleasing to God we are commanded to shew our love and compassion to a beast Exod. 23. 5. If thou see the Asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldest forbeare to help him thou shalt surely help with him and more should we shew compassion and love to our brother Am I my brothers keeper Take heed of that profane speech Christians ow a mutual serviceablenesse one unto another God makes no Patentees nor will he endure any Monopolies Christians must drive an open and free trade The excellency of other creatures is in their communication of themselves the Sun raying out his warme and cherishing beames the Fountain bubling out his purling streams the Earth yielding forth sovereign herbs and plants Christians are then in their excellency when they are communicative and useful I have read that the Art of Medicine was perfected thus As any one met with an herb and discovered the vertue of it by any accident he would post it up in some publick place and if any were sick or diseased he was laid in some beaten passage that every one might communicate the best receipt and say they the Physicians skill was perfected by a collection of those posted experiments and receipts of all things take heed of the napkin wrap not up your Talents As every one hath received the gift even 1 Pet. 4. 10. so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Quest. 17. vers 10. What is meant by this phrase The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground This is to be understood figuratively a Resp Metaphor taken from Courts of Justice Thy brothers blood crieth that is as if God should have said I know what thou hast done as clearly as if I had called thee to the barre of justice and the whole matter of fact had been heard and determined before me and upon the whole I should be called upon for justice By the way by what hath been said some light may be given for the understanding of that Scripture I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the Word of God and for Rev. 6 9 10. the Testimony which they held and they cryed with a loud voice saying How long Oh Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood Which must not so be understood as if the soules of the blessed Saints should earnestly desire vengeance on them that shed their blood which is hardly competible with an heavenly State but may be expounded in the same manner as the words in this ver The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me viz. The Lord hath the blood that hath been shed for his Names sake fresh in his thoughts and will as certainly be revenged on them that shed it as if every drop of their blood were a tongue and continually crying in his eares for justice c. Well then Learn to avoid crying sins crying is applied to severall sins in the Scripture 1. To blood so in this vers Thy brothers blood cryeth 2. To the wickednesse of Sodome Gen 18. 10. The Lord God said Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is very grievous c. 3. The oppression of Gods servants Exo. 2. 24. God heard their groaning c. 4. The oppression of the widowes and fatherlesse Exo. 22.23 Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherlesse child if thou afflict them in any wise and they cry at all unto me I will surely heare their cry 5. The oppression of the Labourer Jam. 5.4 Behold the hire of your labourers which have reaped downe your field which is of you kept back by frand crieth And let us blesse God for Jesus Christ the Apostle doth ascribe a cry to the blood of Christ as Moses here to the blood of Abel And to Jesus the Mediatour of the new covenant and to the blood Hâ—b 12. 24. of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel In that speech of the Apostle there is an allusion made to the blood of Abel and to the cry thereof and he illustrates the cry of Christs blood for us by the cry of the blood of Abel against Cain yet see the dissimilitude as a reverend Author hath it thus 1. Abel was a Saint The blood of a wicked man if innocently shed cries if Abel had murdered Cain Cains blood would have cryed and called upon God for justice against Abel but Abels blood cryes according to the worth of the person Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Now if the blood of a Saint cry so how much more the blood of the King of Saints 2. Abels blood cryes from the ground but Christs blood is carried up to heaven The cry of the blood of a Saint may come up to heaven yet the blood it self doth not come up thither 3. Adde to this the intercession of Christ himselfe Christ by his own prayers seconds the cry of his blood the blood of a man doth cry though the man be dead but Christ ever liveth to make intercession for his people Quest. 18. vers 11 12. Why did the Lord pronounce against Cain
Virgin Mary says unto Jesus Son why hast thou dealt thus Luc. 2.48 with us thy Father and I have sought thee sorrowing thy Father viz. thy supposed Father as he is elsewhere called So Christ calls Judas friend for he was so accounted though indeed he was but a face-friend and an heart-enemy So the Pharisees are stiled by the Holy Ghost righteous just persons such as need no repentance because they were so in the conceit of the world 21. Rule Prophâ—sies in Scripture are shaped into severall formes 1. Some Prophecies are delivered formâ optandi by way of wish or desire Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy salvation Oh Lord. Quo ipso non optat solùm sed prophetat He doth not onely wish that his salvation might come but prophecies that his salvation should come So the Psalmist Psal 14.7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israell shall be glad 2. Some Prophecies are delivered formâ imperandi by way of command So Come Esay 47.1 downe and sit in the dust Oh virgin daughter of Babylon sit on the ground there is no throne Oh daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate So ver 5. Sit thou silent and get thee vers 5 into darknesse Oh daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdomes 3. Some Prophecies are delivered formà imprecandi by way of imprecation so the Psâ—lmist Poure out thy wrath upon the Heathen Psal 79 6. that have not known thee and upon the Kingdomes that have not called upon thy vers 12. Name So vers 12. Render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their bosome the reproch wherewith they have reproached thee Oh Lord. 22. Rule In reading of the Evangelists we should take notice what things are specified by one Evangelist what by two what by three and what by all the foure For instance Some of Christs workes are specified onely by one Evangelist as his turning of water into wine as his healing the sick man at the poole of Bethesda his healing that blind man John 9. Some of them are specified by two Evangelists as the History of Christs birth by Matthew and Luke Some things are recorded by three of them as the institution of the Sacrament of the Supper Some things by all foure as Christs death and passion Onely two write the History of his birth all foure the History of his death possibly to teach us that though all Christs workes and actions are to be seriously minded meditated upon and remembred yet none so espcially as his death and sufferings 23. Rule Although we should finde the holy Penmen of God differ from each other in things of a lesser import or consideration we should not from hence in the least scruple the divine authority of the Scripture For instance in the History of Christs temptations Matthew for the second temptation Mat. 4 5. puts the devills taking Christ up into the holy City and setting him one a pinacle of the temple now the Evangelist Saint Luke seemes to invert the order and for the second temptation puts the devills taking Luc. 4.5 Christ into an high mountaine and shewing him all the Kingdomes of the world in a moment of time Now if the question be how these Evangelists must be reconciled Answer may be made if there be an harmony as to the temptations that are written by the Evangelists it is enough though they differ as to the order of the temptations We do not use to accuse a man of a falshood who tells us many things that be true though they be something out of order unlesse he promise that he will not onely tell us the things that were done but also the order of the doing of them So then if Matthew speaks of that temptation in the second place which Luke doth in the third place as long as they differ not about the maine as to the temptations concerning which they write there is an harmony still between Matthew and Luke Yea some think that this is a good argument to prove the divine authority of the Scriptures viz. that the Holy Penmen did not lay their heads together about the framing of the Gospels nor did transcribe one anothers coppies they agreeing in the maine and yet differing in things of a lesser consideration 24. Rule When the Evangelists urge a Scripture out of the Old Testament many times they referre not to the words in themselves considered but to the scope and aime of the Spirit of God in that place to which they relate For instance He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which Mat. 2.23 was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazaren which saying cannot be found in terminis in any of the Prophets and therefore the Evangelist referres to those Scriptures were the Spirit of God speaks to the same purpose though he makes not use of the same words So Saint Luke Now that the dead are raised even Moses Luke 20. 37 38. sheweth at the bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for he is not a God of the dead but of the living Moses shewed not that the dead are raised in terminis but indeed this is inferred from what he said by consequence for he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and he is not the God of the dead but of the living And from hence let us be established in this truth that necessary consequences from Scripture do proove a jus divinum a divine right yea our Lord Jesus calleth consequence from Scripture Scripture He Joh. 7.38 that believeth on me as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Now these words strictly taken are not to be found in the whole booke of God excepting this place where they are urged the place of Scripture neerest to this that I know of is in Esay I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the Isa 44. 3. dry ground And indeed if this should be denied we should fall into grosse ab surdities A Learned Author observes that all kinds of unlawfull and forbidden marriages are not expressely mentioned in the Law but divers of them to be collected by consequence that is either by parity or greater strength of reason For instance The nakednesse of thy sonnes daughter or of Lev. 18. â—0 thy daughters daughter even their nakednesse thou shalt not uncover Now from this text it is collected à fortiori that much lesse a man may uncover the nakednesse of his owne daughter Which yet is not expressely forbidden by the Law but left to be thus collected by necessary consequence from this very text How can
Danâ—el Expounded wherein the mistakes of former Interpreters are modestly discovered in 4. Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum ex Authoritate primùm Regis Henrici â— inchoata in â— Mr. George Strode The Anatomy of Mortality divided into eight Heads viz. 1. The certainty of Death 2. Meditations on Death 3. Preparations for Death c. in 4. Dr. Daniel Featly The Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome in taking away the Sacred Cup from the Laity at the Lords Table in 4. Mr. Richard Lewthait Vindiciae Christi obex errori Arminiano A Plea for Christ in three Sermons in 4. Welch Common Prayer with the singing Psalmes in 4. Mr. John Lawsons Gleanings and Expositions of some of the more difficult places of holy Scripture in 4. Mr. John Cotton The way of the Churches of Christ in New England in 4. Mr. Edward Thorp The New Birth or Birth from above in 4 Sermons in 4. Mr. John Vicars The Schismatick sifted c. in 4. Colemanstreet Conclave visited and that Grand Impostor the Schismaticks Cheater in chiefe truly and duly discovered in 4. Roberti Heggi Dunelmensis in Aliquot Sacra Paginae Loca Lectiones in 4. Mr. John Lewes Contemplations upon these times or the Parliament explain'd to Wales in 4. Dr. John Preston A Position delivered in Cambridge concerning the irresistiblenesse of converting Grace in 4. The Beacon Flâ—ming with a non obstante against those that plead for Liberty of Printing and Publishing Popish Books in 4. The Ranters Reasons Resolved to nothing or the fustification instead of the Justification of the Mad Crew c. in 4. Mr. Nathanael Stevens A Precâ—pt for the Baptisme of Infants out of che New Testament in 4. Mr Josiah Ricraft A Nosegay of rank smelling flowers such as grow in Mr John Goodwins Garden c. in 4. Sermons in 4 Dr. Robert Gell. A Sermon touching Gods Government of the World by Angels Preach'd before the Astrologers the 8 of August 1650. in 4. Dr. John Whincop Gods call to Weeping and Mourning A Sermon Preached at a Fast before the Parliament 29 of Jan. 1644. in 4. Mr. George Walker A Sermon Preached at a Fast before the Parliament 29 Jan. 1644. in 4. Mr. Valentine A Sermon Preached at a Fast before the Parliament in 4. Mr John Warren of Hatfield-Regis in Essex The Potent Potter A Sermon Preached at a Fast before the Parliament the 19 of April 1649. in 4. Mr. William Good Jacob Raised A Sermon Preached at a Fast before the Lords in Parliament 30 of December 1646 in 4. Dr. Thomas Goodwin The great Interest of States and Kingdomes A Sermon Preached before the Parliament 15 of Feb. 1645 in â— Mr. Samuel Kem The King of Kings his privy markes for the Kingdomes choyce oâ— new Members A Sermon Preached upon the Choice of Burgesses for the City of Bristoll in 4. Mr. Ben. Hubbard Sermo Secularis or a Sermon to bring to remembrance the dealings of Jehovah with this Kingdome of England ab anno 1547 usque ad annum 1647 in 4. Mr. â— P. A Sermon â—reached the 5 of September upon Mat. 22.21 Wherein is set forth the Kings due in Part and the peoples duty in 4. Octavo Mr. Robert Young A Soveraigne Antidote against all griefe with the victory of Patience in 8. Mr. John Simpson The Perfection of Justification against the Pharisees the Purity of Sanctification agaâ—nst the stainers of it the unquestionablenesse of glorification against the Sadduces c. in 8. Bishop William Cooper The Triumph of a Christian in three excellent Treatises 1. Jacobs wrestling with God c. in 8. Mr John Robotham the Preciousnesse of Christ to Believers c. in 8. The Bee-Hive of the Romish Church A worke of all good Catholicâ—s to be read and most necessary to be understood in 8. Testament Roman Letter Scotch Print in 8. Mr Thomas Hall The loathsomenesse of Long Haire A Treatise wherein the Question is Stated many Arguments against it produced c. in 8. Vindiciae Literarum the Schools Guarded or the excellency and usefulness of Arts Sciences Languages History and all sorts of Humane Learning in Subordination to Divinity with an Appendix in Answer to Mr Webster Mr. John Warren of Hatfield in Essex Principles of Christian Doctrine Illustrated with Questions and Scripture-Answers for the use of the Inhabitants of Hatfield Brodoake in 8. Mr. Nicholas Byfield The Marrow of the Oracles of God Or Divers Treatises containing directions about 6 of the weightiest things can concerne a Christian in this life in 12. Mr. John Jackson The true Evangelic all Temper wherein Divinity and Ecclesiasticall History are interwoven and mixt c. in three Sermons in 12. Mr. Joshua Mullard Celestiall Soliloquies Composed of severall divine Meditations and Prayers drawne from the Holy Scriptures in 12. Francis Thin Esquâ—re the Perfect Ambassador Treating of the Antiquity Priviledges and behaviour of men belonging to that function in 12. A Baptismal catechisme shewing unto what persons whether of riper years or as yet infants the Sacrament of Baptism ought to be administred according to the Scripture by Mr. Daniel Evance sometime preacher of the Word at Clement Danes London and late Pastor of the Church of Calborne in the Isle of Wight The first dish at the wilt shire Feast a Sermon Preacht the 9 of Novemb. before many hundreds of worthy Citizens of London born in that Countrey By Dr. Samuel Annesley Preacher of the Word at John Evangelists Friday-street London FINIS
Resp carelesse letting go their hold from that word which God gave our first parents to observe and keep Quest 13. verse 6. It is said that the woman did eat and gave also unto her husband the question is whether she spake something when she tendered the forbidden fruit to her husband 'T is likely she did and that she told him Resp he should be like unto God if he would eat of that fruit As appears by the holy jeere if I may speak it with reverence that God puts upon the man Behold the man is Gen. 3.22 become as one of us God would not have said this concerning man if being as God had never come into his thoughts Quod Deus loquitur cum risu tu legas cum fletu Quest 14. verse 6. Whether Adams or Eves sinne was greater There are some that set themselves to Resp extenuate Adams sin as if he did eat the forbidden fruit not that he would be like unto God but purely upon the Account of gratifying his wife But I conceive it dangerous to go about such a work as this is if you handle nettles gently they will sting so much the sorer But for the solution of this question consider there was something that aggravated Adams sin and something that aggravated Eves Adams sin was greater then Eves in this respect because he was her head and governour and truly this consideration accents sinne and makes it exceeding sinfull Eves sinne was greater then Adams because she was first in the transgression Propter quod aliquid est tale id est magis tale c. And truly I conceive it would not have been an easy matter to have determined whose sin had been greater had not God done it as it were to our hands by inflicting a greater punishment on Eve then on Adam Quest 15. verse 6. How man created after Gods Image in righteousnesse and true Holinesse could fall into sin or how Adams understanding being in vigore viridi could be entangled in such a snare and deluded with such a miserable fallacy For the answering of this perplexing Resp question consider 1. There is no created good per essentiam but per participationem and therefore may possibly fall from its goodnesse God is essentiall holinesse essentiall goodnesse A man may be a man and yet unholy because holinesse is a quality in man and not his essence But goodnesse and holinesse in God is his very nature and therefore if you deny the holinesse or goodnesse of God as much as in you lyes you put God out of the world Aug. Cujus participatione justi sunt ejus comparatione nec justi sunt Man who is justby participation from God is not just in comparison with God 2. Sinne is an irregular act and it is possible for any agent to act beside the rule unlesse the will of the agent be the rule according to which it acts And therefore all intelligent beings consider them as to their natures may sinne except God himselfe because his will alone is the rule of his own actions The reason why the Artificer sometimes works irregularly is because his hand is one thing and his rule is another but if it were possible for his hand to be his rule he could not work amisse 3. Though our first parents were created holy yet they were created mutable and although they had not an inclination to sin for that pronitaâ— ad malum non fluit ex principilis naturae integrae it would be too injurious to the God of nature to imagine he should frame evil yet they had a power to sin if they would 4. The Learned conclude that the understanding of Adam was defective in its office by a negligent non attendency and so sinned against God yet so as that this negligence did not go before the first sin but was part of it Quest 16. vers 6. In this verse you read that Adam and Eve both sinned and yet the Apostle tells us that by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom 5.19 The Apostle speaks of one man because they two are one flesh Resp 1 Adam being the superiour and one that should have ruled and guided his wife and not his wife him the breach of the Law is attributed unto the man Quest 17. verse 6. Whether the Church militant be alwayes visible Neg. From this very text when Adam Resp and Eve were excommunicated from the presence of God and cut off from the Ordinances where was then the Church visible You may as well say the invisible Object Church was cut off Neg. The Angels belonged to the invisible Resp Church But Adam and Eve were not a Church Object two cannot make a Church Neg. Paul calls a family a Church as Resp Greet the Church that is in their house Salute Rom. 16.5 the brethren which are in Laodicea and Col. 3.15 Nymphas and the Church which is in his house Now we know two viz. a man and his wife may constitute a family Quest 18. verse 7. It is said that the eyes of them both were opened and they knew they were naked Did not they know they were naked before Yes questionlesse they both saw and Resp knew they were naked before they had sinned else why is it said The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed Gen. 2.25 but now they saw it with shame which they did not before sin and shame are twins and came into the world together As there was no palenesse to be seene in the state of innocency no tremblings no shiverings no tears no sighs no blushes so not the least tincture of shame Paradise had so much of the Lilly that it had nothing of the Rose the nakednesse of creation needed no Covering nakednesse was then an Ornament man was richly attired when he had no garments Quest 19. verse 7. Why our first parents made themselves aprons of figge-leaves rather then of the leaves of any other Tree Some conceive that the tree of knowledge Resp 1 was a figge-tree and that he took the leaves of this Tree to cover his nakednesse but it seems to be unlikely that when by wofull experience they had contracted and brought upon themselves so much mischeife by eating of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge that they should repaire to the same tree for leaves to make themselves aprons They sewed figge-leaves together because they were fit for that purpose for which they intended them the leaves of that Tree being broad in our own Countrey and questionlesse in the East especially in Paradise broader then ours Quest 20. verse 8. How are we to understand that passage And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden We have often mention in the Scripture Resp of the voice of God The thunder is called the voice of God The voice of the Lord is upon the waters Psal 29.3 the God of Glory thundereth Sometimes the Word of God though it be