for a perpetuall ordinance But to vs in the new testament both it and other Legall ceremonies are abrogated and we haue onely two Sacraments to be administred and receiued as seales of the Promises of God and parts of his worshippe Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Secondly that which is not commended vnto vs by God in the name of worshippe is no worshippe to vs. Now the ceremonies of the Iewes are no where commended vnto vs in that name and therefore it is a vaine thing for any man to vowe the obseruation thereof Thirdly vowes of ceremoniall duties did in a peculiar manner and vpon speciall respects pertaine to the Iewes Hereupon when they vowed House Lands Goods c. to the vse of the Temple this they did as beeing the Lords Tenants of whome alone they helde their possessions and hereby they acknowledged and also testified their Homages and Seruices due vnto him And this particular respect concerneth not the Church and people of the New Testament whence it followeth that they are not tyed by the same bond to performe worship vnto God by the vowes of Ceremonies gifts oblations and sacrifices The third and last part of the Answer If a vowe be taken for a promise of some bodily and outward worke or exercise as fasting giuing of almes abstaining from certaine meates and drinkes c. then it is not any part of Gods worship but onely an helpe stay and furtherance of the same For first we haue libertie of conscience in Christ to vse or not to vse all indifferent things Now Gods worship is not a thing of that nature but absolutely necessarie Secondly Paul 1. Tim. 4. 8. affirmeth that bodily exercise profiteth little but godlines is profitable for all things In which words he opposeth godlines to bodily exercise and therefore godlines or the worship of God consisteth not in them But the words of Dauid are alleadged to the contrarie Psal. 76. 11. Vowe and performe vnto the Lord your God Where we haue a double command one to make Vowes another to pay them To which I answer first if Dauid speaketh of the vowe of all moral duties then the Commandement concerneth euery man because the thing commanded is a part of Gods worship For it is as much as if he had said Vow thankefull obedience vnto God and performe it Againe if the place be meant of the vow of ceremoniall duties then it is a commandement peculiar to the old Testament and so bindes the Iewes onely howbeit not all of them but onely such as had iust cause to make a vow for otherwise they had libertie to abstaine from vowing Deut. 23. 22. When thou abstainest from vowing it shall be no sinne vnto thee Of one of these two kinds must the place alleadged necessarily be vnderstoode and not of the third which is of bodily exercise for then it should reuerse Christian libertie in the vse of things indifferent which no Commandement can doe By light of this Answer we may discerne the errour of the Popish Church which maketh Vowes a part of Religion and the Worship of God Nay further it teacheth that some vowes as namely those of Pouertie Continencie Regular Obedience to this or that Order are workes of merit and supererogation tending to a state of perfection euen in this life and deseruing a further degree of glorie in heauen then the worke of the Morall Law III. Question When a Uow made doth binde and when not Before I giue answer to the Question I will lay downe this Ground In making of a lawfull Vow foure Conditions are to be obserued The first concerneth the person of him that voweth that he be a fit person His fitnesse may be discerned by two things First if he be at his owne libertie as touching the things whereof he makes his vow and not vnder the gouernment of a superiour Thus in the Old Testament if a daughter had made a vow without the consent or allowance of her father it might not stand in effect Numb 30. 4 5. Secondly if the partie keepe himselfe within the compasse of his calling generall and particular Hence it followes that Vowes of going a Pilgrimage to worship this or that Idol in this or that place for example S. Iames of Compostella and the Ladie of Loretto c. are vtterly vnlawfull because such persons by this practise doe leaue their calling and condition of life and take vpon them a calling not warranted by the Lord. The second Condition is concerning the Matter of a Vow It must be Lawfull Possible and Acceptable to God Hereupon it followes that there be foure things which cannot be the matter of a Vow The first is Sinne. Thus the Iewes bound themselues with a Vow that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul Act. 23. 12 14. This their vow was nothing els but a threatning of God himselfe and therefore vtterly vnlawfull Secondly Trifles and light matters as when a man voweth not to take vp a straw or such like And this is a plaine mocking of God Thirdly things impossible as to flie or to go on foote to Ierusalem Fourthly things meerely necessarie as to die which cannot be auoided The Third is touching the Forme of a Vowe It must be voluntarie and free And that it may be so three things are necessarily required First that it be made in Iudgement that is with reason and deliberation Next that it be done with consent of will And thirdly with libertie of conscience Hence it appeares that the Vowes of children mad-men and fooles or such as are taken vpon rashnes or constraint also the vow of perpetuall abstinence from things simply indifferent are all vtterly vnlawfull For the first sort are not done vpon iudgement the next without due consideration and the last are greatly preiudiciall to Christian libertie The fourth concernes the Ende which is not to be a part of Gods worship but onely a stay and proppe to further and helpe vs in the same Nowe there be three particular Ends of a vow First to shew our selues thākfull to God for blessings receiued secondly to preuent sinne to come by keeping so brietie and moderation thirdly to preserue and increase our faith prayer repentance and obedience This Ground beeing laide the Answer to the Question propounded is this When in vowing we obserue the conditions prae-required the vow is lawfull and consequently binds the partie vowing so as if he keepe it not he dishonoureth God But when the saide Conditions doe not concurre in the action of vowing it becomes vnlawfull and the partie remaineth free and not bound to performance Here by the way a Question of some moment is made Whether Iephte vpon his Vow did offer his Daughter in Sacrifice or no considering that it is plaine euen by the light of Nature as also by the doctrine before taught that a man is bound by the vow which he maketh This Question admitteth sundrie answers according to the diuers opinions
THE WHOLE TREATISE OF THE CASES OF CONSCIENCE DISTINGVISHED INTO THREE Bookes The first whereof is revised and corrected in sundrie places and the other two annexed Taught and deliuered by M. W. Perkins in his Holy-day Lectures carefully examined by his owne briefes and now published together for the common good by T. Pickering Batchelour of Diuinitie Whereunto is adioyned a twofold Table one of the Heads and Number of the Questions propounded and resolued another of the principall Texts of Scripture vvhich are either explaned or vindicated from corrupt interpretation Rom. 14. 23. VVhatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA ALMA MATER CANTABRIGIA PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1606. And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD Lord Dennie Baron of Waltham c. RIght Honourable There is no one Doctrine reuealed in the Word of God or dispensed by the Prophets and Apostles of greater vse and coÌ„sequence in the life of man then is that which prescribeth a Forme of releeuing and rectifying the Conscience The benefit which from hence issueth vnto the Church of God is vnspeakable For first it serveth to discouer the cure of the dangerousest sore that can be the wound of the Spirit Which how great a crosse it is the Wise man reporteth out of true experience when he saith that the Spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded Spirit who can beare it And his meaning is that no outward griefe can fall into the nature of man which will not be with patience indured to the vtmost so long as the minde is not troubled or dismaied But when once the Spirit is touched and the heart which beeing well apaied is the very fountaine of peace to the whole man smitten with feare of the wrath of God for sinne the griefe is so great the burden so intolerable that it will not by any outward meanes be eased or asswaged Secondly it giueth for all particular Cases speciall and sound direction whether man be to walke with God in the immediate performance of the duties of his Seruice or to conuerse with man according to the state and condition of his life in the Familie Church or Common-wealth The want of which direction of what force it is to turne the actions of men which are good in themselues to sinnes in regard of the agents S. Paul affirmeth in that generall Conclusion Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Wherein he would teach vs that whatsoeuer is done or vndertaken by men in this life whether it concerne the knowledge and worship of God or any particular dutie to be performed by vertue of their Callings for the common good whereof they haue not sufficient warrant and assurance in Conscience grounded vpon the Word that it is to be done or not to be done to them it is a sinne Thirdly it is of all other Doctrines beeing rightly vsed the most comfortable For it is not founded in the opinions and variable conceits of men neither doth it consist of Conclusions and Positions which are onely probable and coniecturall for the Conscience of the doubting or distressed partie can not be established and rectified by theÌ„ but it resteth vpon most sufficient and certaine Grounds collected and drawne out of the very Word of God which as it is mightie in operation pearcing the heart and discerning the thoughts and intents thereof so is it alone auaileable and effectuall to pacifie the minde and to giue full satisfaction to the Conscience And as the benefit is great so the want of this Doctrine together with the true manner of applying the same is and hath beene the cause of many and great inconueniences For euen of those that feare God and haue receiued to beleeue there be many who in the time of their distresses when they haue considered the waight and desert of their sinnes and withall apprehended the wrath of God due vnto them haue beene brought vnto hard exigents mourning and wayling and crying out as if God had forsaken them vntill they haue beene releeued by the Spirit of Christ in the meditation of the word promise of God But those especially who haue not beene instructed in the knowledge of the truth nor acquainted with the course of Gods dealing with his distressed children by reason of ignorance and blindnes in matters of Religion and pietie when the Lord hath let loose the cord of their Consciences and set before their eyes both the number of their sinnes committed and the iust anger of God purchased thereby what haue they done surely despairing of the mercie of God and their owne saluation they haue either growne to phrensie and madnes or els sorted vnto themselues fearefull ends some by hanging some by drowning others by embruing their hands in their owne blood And if not in regard of griefe and trouble of minde yet for want of better resolution in particular cases within the compasse of their generall or personall callings though otherwise men indued with some measure of knowledge and obedience they haue either abused or els quite relinquished and forsaken their callings and thereby become scandalous and offensiue vnto others Now then as by these and sundrie other Instances of proofe the matter it selfe appeares to be of great waight and importaÌ„ce so it is most meete that the best and fittest course should be taken in the teaching and inforcing of the same In which regard we haue iust cause to challenge the Popish Church who in their Case-writings haue erred both in the substance and circumstances of this Doctrine as shall appeare in the sequele First because the dutie of releeuing the Conscience is by them commended to the sacrificing Priest which though according to their owne Canons he should be a man of knowledge and free from imputation of wickednes yet oft times it falls out that he is either vnlearned or els wicked and lewd of conuersation and consequently vnfit for such a purpose Secondly they teach that their Preists appointed to be comforters and releeuers of the distressed are made by Christ himselfe iudges of the Cases of conscience hauing in their owne hands a iudicarie poâ—…er and authoritie truly and properly to binde or to loose to remitte or to retaine sinnes to open or to shut the kingdome of heauen Whereas the Scripture vttereth a contrarie voice that Christ onely hath the keyes of Dauid which properly and truly openeth and no man shutteth and properly and truly shutteth and no man openeth And the Ministers of God are not called to be absolute Iudges of the ConscieÌ„ce but onely Messengers and Embassadoâ—rs of reconciliation wherevpon it followeth that they cannot be the authors and giâ—ers of remission of sinnes but onely the Ministers and Dispensers of the same Thirdly the Papists in their writings haue scattered here and there sundrie false
lurking euen in our owne flesh And vpon this consideration that we should be at coÌ„tinuall defiance with them vsing all holy meanes to get the victorie ouer them by the daily exercises of inuocation and repentance and by a continuall practise of new obedience vnto all the lawes and commandements of God according to the measure of grace receiued And so much of the third Ground CHAP. III. Of the subiection and power of Conscience THe fourth and last Ground is touching the subiection and power of Conscience Wherein we are to remember two things what Conscience is and what is the naturall condition of it in every man For the first the name of Conscience will giue light to the thing it selfe For it signifieth a knowledge ioyned with a knowledge and it is so tearmed in two respects First because when a man knowes or thinks any thing by meanes of Conscience he knows what he knowes thinks Secondly because by it man knowes that thing of himselfe which God also knowes of him Man hath two witnesses of his thoughtes God and his owne conscience God is the first and chiefest and Conscience is the second subordinate vnto God bearing witnes vnto God either with the man or against him Therefore it is nothing els but a part of the vnderstanding whereby a man knowes what he thinkes what he wills and desires as also in what manner he knoweth thinketh or willeth either good or euill Wherevnto this must be added that as conscieÌ„ce knowes our thoughts wils actions so it testifies thereof vnto God either with vs or against vs. In the second place The naturall condition or propertie of euery mans conscience is this that in regard of authoritie and power it is placed in the middle betweene man and God so as it is vnder God and yet aboue man And this naturall condition hath two parts the first is the Subiection of conscience to God and his word Concerning which subiection we haue this rule That God alone by his word doth onely bind the conscience by causing it in euerie action either to excuse for well doeing or accuse for sinne And this God doth properly For first he is the onely Lord of the conscience which created it and gouernes it 2. Againe he is the only Law-giuer that hath power to saue or destroy the soule for the keeping breaking of his Lawes Iam. 4. 12. 3. And further mans conscience is knowne to none besides himselfe but to God What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him 1. Cor. 2. 11. And it is God onely that giues liberty to the conscience in regard of his owne lawes Vpon this it followeth that no mans commandement or Law can of it selfe and by it owne soueraigne power bind conscience but doth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of the written word of God or some part thereof And therefore if it be alleadged that subiection is due to the Magistrate for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. the Answer is at hand that subiection is indeede to be performed to ciuill authoritie ordained by God and obedieÌ„ce also to the Lawes of the Magistrate for feare of wrath and for auoiding of punishment but not for conscience of the said authoritie or lawes properly and directly but for conscience of Gods commandemeÌ„t which appointeth both Magistracie and the authoritie thereof This is it that bindes the conscience immediatly that by vertue of a superiour Law whereby it standeth in force namely the Law of God The Second part of the naturall condition of conscience is the Power which it hath ouer man to accuse or excuse him in respect of things done And this is plaine by Saint Pauls Conclusion Whatsoeuer is not of faith that is whatsoeuer man doth whereof he is not certenly perswaded in judgement and conscience out of Gods word that the thing may be done it is sinne More plainely a thing may be said not to be done of faith three waies First wheÌ„ it is done with doubting and vnresolued conscience as in those that are weake in knowledge Of which sort were some in the Primitiue church who notwithstanding they heard of the doctrine of Christian libertie yet they were of opinion that after Christs ascension there was a difference to be made of meates and thereupon thought they might not eate of some kind of meats Suppose now that these persons by accident should haue been drawne to eate swines flesh which themselues had holden a thing forbidden These men vpon this very fact had sinned because that which they did was vpon an vnresolued conscience So saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 23. He that doubteth is condemned if he eate because he eateth not of faith Secondly when a thing is done vpon an erronious conscience it is not of faith and therefore it is a sinne Thus the Masse-Priest sinneth in saying Masse though he thinke in his conscience the thing he doth is the ordinance of God And thus Heretikes doe die Heretikes though when they die they be fully perswaded there opinions be the truth Againe in the same manner Put the case a man should be of opinion that fornication or theft were things arbitrarie and indifferent and hereupon his conscience should tel him he might take opportunitie and commit either of these sinnes whether is this action in the partie thus perswaded a sinne or no I answer the case is plaine that the fact is done vpon an erronious conscience and therefore must be a sinne in the doer For the error of the iudgement cannot take away the nature of that which is simply euill Sinne is sinne and so remaineth notwithstanding any contrarie perswasion of the conscieÌ„ce The reason is because though the conscience erreth and is misinformed yet it bindeth so farre forth as that if a man iudge a thing to be euill either simply or in some respect though falsely and yet afterward doth it he hath sinned and offended the Maiestie of God as much as in him lieth Thirdly when a thing as done with a repugning or gainsaying conscience though vpon error and false iudgement of the conscience it is in the doer a sinne Thus an Anabaptist that holdeth it vnlawfull to sweare sinneth if he take an oath not in swearing simply for that is Gods ordinance but because he sweares against the perswasion of his Conscience CHAP. IIII. Of the distinction of Cases THus much touching the Preambles or Grounds of this doctrine Now it remaineth that we come to the Questions of Conscience These Questions may be fitly deuided according to the matter or subiect of them which is Man Now as Man is considered diuers waies that is to say either a part â—y himselfe or as he stands in relation to an other and is a member of a Societie so the Questions of Conscience are to be distinguished some concerning man simply considered by himselfe some againe as he stands in relation to an other Man standeth in
namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessary though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the second II. It falleth out oftētimes that the greatnes of the grief taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a mummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares and in such there may be true humiliation though with dric cheekes Sect. 3. The Secōd thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and confequently of saluatiō is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith ther are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospel especially the promise of righteousnes and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apprehend and applie the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandemēt of God sets down this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and applie him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of Conscience touching Faith are these First how we may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men applie Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truly as they ought to doe I answer That this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As God giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should applie the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doth offer and applie Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the Word and prayer for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace When Lydia was hearing the Sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. v. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breede in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answ. When he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first beginnes For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance Sect. 4. The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be considered the beginning namely a godly Sorrow which is the beginning of Repentance 2. Corinth 7. and vpon this sorrow a Change which is indeede Repentance it selfe In Sorrow we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sinnes and doe displease God If there were no iudge no hel nor death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrow will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in Repentāce is the Change of the minde and whole man in affection life and conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the minde and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Antioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezckiel saith if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing auaileable to saluation and not to be seuered from them For a man in shewe may haue many good things as for example he may be humbled and seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the saide man a want of this purpose and resolution not to sinne the other are but dead things and vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kinde of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sinnes and be sorie for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeed there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance Sect. 5. The fourth and last dutie is to performe New obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this new obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doth it in vs. To this purpose Dauid praies vnto God Psal. 143. 10. Let thy good Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousnes And
of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of God For those whom God loueth in Christ to them he giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him beâ—ause he loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things First by his conformitie to him in holines The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steps of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the weaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of God Loue not this world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. Sect. 4. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an offence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be changed because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we know not so much of our selues Therefore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of al and euery sin in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Wherby he signifieth that those that can cal vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themseles they are the Lords Sect. 5. A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts First an exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him both it and all other things are vnchangeable but to ourselues in our owne hearts consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doeing the things before named in the 5. 6 and 7. verses and that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall Lawe there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall Law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God wherby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meat drinke attire By Patience is ment a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is an other vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue whereby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehersal of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation CHAP. VII Of the third maine Question touching distresse of minde and generally of all distresses and their remedies III. Question How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releeued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set downe that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand Sect. 1. DIstresse of minde which Salomon calls a broken or troubled spirit is when a man is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single Feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspence and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call Despaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kind of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily follow and so inseparably accompanie each the other that no distresse of what kinde soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therefore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the
sudden to tempt him to despaire and to the making away of himselfe III. Thirdly the partie in distresse must be taught not to rest vpon his owne iudgement but alwaies to submit himselfe and be content to be aduised by others that are men of wisdome iudgement and discretion A thing to be obserued the rather because the very neglect thereof hath caused sundrie persons to remaine vncomforted for many yeares IV. Fourthly the partie distressed must neuer heare tell of any fearefull accidents or of any that haue bin in like or worse case then himselfe is For vpon the very report the distressed conscience will fasten the accident vpon it selfe and thereby commonly will be drawne to deeper griefe or despaire The mind afflicted is prone to imagine searefull things and sometime the very bare naming of the Deuill will strike terrour and feare into it V. Fiftly the partie that is to comfort must beare with all the wants of the distressed as with their frowardnes peeuishnes rashnes and with their distempered and disordered affections and actions yea he must put vpon him as it were their persons beeing affected with their miserie and touched with compassion of their sorrowes as if they were his owne grieuing when he seeth them to grieue weeping when they doe weepe and lament VI. Sixtly he that is the comforter must not be discouraged though after long labour and paines taking there follow small comfort and ease to the partie distressed For men wil often bewray their stiffenes in temptation and vsually it is long before comfort can be receiued and why surely because God hath the greatest stroke in these distresses of minde and brings men thorough all the temptations that he hath appointed euen to the last and vtmost before he opens the heart to receiue comfort The Church in the Canticles seekes for her beloued but before shee can finde him shee goes about in the citie through the streetes and by open places passing by the Watchmen themselues and after shee hath vsed all meanes without helpe or hope at length and not before shee findes her beloued him in whom'◠her soule delighteth Thus much for the generall Remedie of all Distresses now I come to the particular Distresses themselues CHAP. VIII Of the first Speciall Distresse arising of a divine temptation THE first distresse ariseth of a divine Temptation which is a combate with God himselfe immediatly And this distresse is when the conscience speakes some feareful things of God and withall the partie distressed feeles some euident tokens of Gods wrath Sect. 1. Examples hereof we shall finde many in the word of God One is the example of righteous Iob who hauing beene long in outward afflictions was withall exercised with the apprehension of the anger of God and in that state he saith that the arrowes of the Almightie were in him that the venime thereof did drinke vp his spirit that the terrours of God did fight against him Yea further he addeth that God was his enemie and writ bitter things against him and made him to possesse the sinnes of his youth And at an other time he complaineth that Gods wrath had torne him that he hated him gnashed vpon him with his teeth and had sharpened his eyes against him yea that he had taken him by the necke and beaten him and set him as a marke for himselfe In all which and diuers other places it appeares that his conscience was exercised with the sense of the wrath of God which had now euen seazed vpon his soule Another example we haue in Dauid who also was exercised with this temptation and trouble of minde as the first words of the 6. Psalme and the whole tenour thereof doe euidently shew For first he desires the Lord not to rebuke him in his wrath and afterward complaineth that his griefe was so great that his very flesh consumed his bones were vexed and his bodie brought to such a state as no sicknesse could haue brought him vnto And it is not vnlike that the same Prophet did often fall into the like kind of distresse of minde as may be gathered out of Psalme 77. and sundrie other places Now as it fared with these and diuers other seruants of God in ancient times so are we not without some instances thereof in our daies Amongst many that worthie man Master Luther writes of himselfe that he was in this particular temptation and that he learned in it the doctrine of the Iustification of a sinner by the meere mercie of God without any merit of workes and vpon the sense and experience of the nature and properties of this distresse he wrote a notable exposition of the 6. Psalme of Dauid the scope and intent whereof he writeth to be nothing els but a soueraigne remedie of this and the like distresses of the minde and conscience Sect. 2. If it be demaunded what is the Occasion of this kind of temptation I answer that it ariseth sometimes vpon the commission of some notorious sinne which doth wound the conscience as in Cain Iudas and Saul who for their great and capitall sinnes that stinged and wounded their consciences grew to a fearefull state and consequently perished in this temptation Sometimes againe it comes when there is no sinne committed but obedience to God performed and then there cannot be rendered any reason of it either in man or out of man saue this that God will haue it so to be And the truth hereof is plaine by the examples of Iob and Dauid before mentioned Sect. 3. The Effects of this Temptation are many and very strange For outwardly it workes a change and alteration in the body as it were a burning ague and it causeth the entralls to rise the liuer to rowle in the bodie and it sets a great heat in the bones and consumes the flesh more then any sicknes can doe And that it is so as I say beside experience it is cleare in the word of God Dauid in this distresse affirmeth that his eyes were eaten as it were with wormes and sunke into his head Psal. 6. 7. that his moisture became as the drought in sommer Psal. 32. 4. and Iob saies that his skin was blacke vpon him his bones were burnt with heat yea that by meanes of this distresse he was now full of wrinkles and his leanenes did rise vpon him It is a principle which Physitians doe hold that The minde followes the temperature of the bodie and is affected according to the good or euill constitution thereof which though it be true yet withall it is as manifest on the other side that the bodie doth often follow the state and condition of the minde For a distressed heart must of necessitie make a fainting and a languishing bodie Sect. 4. But the principall thing to be sought for in this temptation is the Remediē thereof whereunto there be fiue things required which are to be practised as occasion shall be
means was the sacrifice burnt vp Christ for the curing of a blind man teÌ„pers spittle and clay together which in all reason is a fitter meanes to put out the eyes then to cause the blind to see Thus in the worke of our Redemption Christ giues life not by life but by death and he sendes men to heauen by the gates and suburbs of hell he shewes his greatest power in the greatest weaknes nay his power is made perfect through weakenes He will not build vpon an old foundation but he pulls downe and destroies all that Man may haue no hope at all in himselfe but that all the hope he hath may be in God First he kils and then he makes aliue as Anna speaketh first he woundeth and then he healeth He makes man to sowe in teares that afterward he may reape in ioy And he that knowes Gods dealing to be this must herewith rest content and satisfied because in wrath God vseth to remember his mercy yea his mercie is neuer sweete vnto the palate of the soule vntill it be seasoned with some tast of his wrath The Paschall Lambe was eaten with sowre hearbs to signifie that we can feele no sweetenes in the blood of Christ till wee first feele the smart of our owne sinnes and corruptions Secondly these persons vse to alleadge against themselues that if they could feele any comfort at al then they would stay their minds and yeild to good perswasions and exhortations To this the answer is That there is a Rule of grace which we must follow gathered out of the word of God and the experience of Gods Children contrarie to the rule of nature and aboue the light of reason and it is this that in case of aâ—â—liction we must not liue by feeling but by faith This Rule is grounded vpon the speech of the Lord by the Prophet the iust maÌ„ shall liue by his faith When we haue neither sight nor sense nor any tast of Gods mercie but onely apprehend his wrath euen then we must labour to lay hold of mercie in his word and promise Sense feeling are not alwaies fit directioÌ„s for the time of this life For he may be the deare child of God that in present feeleth nothing but his wrath and indignation This indeede is the true triail of our faith when euen aboue and against reason we relie on the mercie of God in the apprehension of his anger So did Dauid Out of the deepe saith he that is beeing nowe deepely plunged into the pangs of a distressed conscience haue I called vpoÌ„ thee O Lord and Iob in the like case Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Abraham is commended by the holy Ghost amongst other things for this that he beleeued in God aboue hope that is against all matter of hope that might possibly be conceiued vpon the consideration of the strength of natural causes The thiefe vpon the crosse feeling nothing but woe and seeing nothing in Christ but misery and contempt yet he beleeued in Christ and was saued In a word Christ himselfe when he was sorsaken of all men and voide of all wordly comfort and felt nothing but the depth of the wrath God in his agony and passion yet by the faith of his manhood hestaied himselfe and said My God my God Thirdly they vse to plead that their case is desperate that neuer any was in such a state as they are neuer any touched with the like distresse of mind Answ. It is false For the holy Ghost hath penned three notable places of Scripture the booke of Iob and two Psalmes of Dauid wherein are propounded vnto vs the examples of Iob and Dauid Gods owne deare seruants who were in as great distresse as euer they or any other haue beene And they may not thinke that they euer could be able to indure greater paines then Christ who notwithstanding in the anguish of his soule vpon the Crosse cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And thus much touching the first kind of trouble of conscience called the diuine temptation CHAP. IX Of the second Speciall Distresse arisiâ—g from outward afflictions THe second kind of Distresse is that which ariseth from outward afflictions By Afflictions I vnderstand all manner of miseries and calamities in this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death Nowe the Question is howe the Trouble of minde arising by Afflictions may be remedied For the answer of which question two things are required of the partie distressed Practise and Meditation Sect. 1. The Practise is that which is to be vsed in all distresses of minde what soeuer And it is a diligent examination of the conscience in regard of sinne an earnest and heartie confession thereof vnto God and deprecation that is earnest praier vnto him for the pardon of the same These three things beeing done truly and vnfainedly from the heart are a present remedie against this trouble and bring with them much comfort Manasses the king of Iudah that had coÌ„mitted much wickednesse when he was carried captiue to Babel and there put in chaines he humbled himselfe acknowledged his sinnes and praied earnestly vnto the Lord and the issue was good for God was intreated of him and gaue him deliuerance Iob beeing long in outward affliction humbled himselfe in like manner and at length receiued comfort Daniel humbled himselfe before God for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of Gods people making request vnto God earnestly for them and euen when he was in the acte of praying the Lord sent his angel Gabriel to giue him notice of deliuerance Lastly the Church of God vnder the crosse performed the like dutie Let vs search and trie our waies and turne to the Lord and God in mercie gaue an eare vnto her mourning and lamentation By all these places it is apparent that there is no better remedie in the world for the minde of man grieued by meanes of outward afflictions then the practise of the duties before named Sect. 2. The next thing vnto Practise is the Meditation of the comfortable doctrines that are set downe in the word of God touching afflictions All which doctrines may be reduced to fiue principall and maine grounds of comfort and shall be laid downe in their order The first Ground is that All afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chaunce or fortune but by the speciall prouidence of God I explaine it thus In euery particular crosse and affliction there is the hand of Gods particular prouidence and that in three regards First because God decreeth and foreappointeth euery particular crosse Marke the words of Paul Whome God hath foreknowne them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto the image of his sâ—â—ne and what is this image nothing else but a conformitie vnto Christ in
Chaldeans slaine that is the very night wherein those 70. yeares came to their full period And as there are set times allotted by God for the execution of his threatning senteÌ„ces so also hath he determined certenly the accomplishment of all and euery of his promises An example hereof we haue in the Israelites of whom the Lord said to AbrahaÌ„ that they should be in affliction in a strange land 430. yeres and then be deliuered This promise of God was expressely fulfilled as we read in the booke of Exodus For before the ende and tearme of these yeares they had no deliuerance at all but when that time was expired euen that selfe same day departed all the hosts of Israel out of the land of Egypt And though Moses fourtie yeares before this time tooke in hand the worke of their deliuerance yet he did it without successe and vpon a certaine accident beeing himselfe constrained to flie into Madian he liued there as a stranger with Iethro his father in law till the saide time of foure hundred and thirtie yeares was accomplished toward the ende whereof being called of God to that office he prospered and not before And in the same manner hath God set downe a certaine period of time within which he will exercise his children more or lesse and at the end wherof and not before he will releeue and comfort them againe Now as the certentie of the accomplishment of Gods threatning word serues to terrifie all wicked liuers from sinne so the vnchangeable performance of his promises at the very time prefixed not before teacheth the children of God sundrie things First that when they are in any distresse haue not present or speedie deliuerance according to their desire they should waite the Lords leisure and expect with patience till the time come which is appointed by him for their ease and releefe and in the meane while stay their hearts by hope and affiance in his mercie Reason is plaine God is sure in his word therefore though heauines may indure for a night yet ioy will returne in the morning Psal. 30. 5. Thus the Lord comforteth the Iewes in a particular distresse as we may read in the prophecie of Habbakuk where the Prophet in the name of the Iewes complaineth and expostulateth the matter with God why his owne people should be so lamentably afflicted by a terrible and furious nation and why they should be led away captiues by the Chaldeans the enemies of God To this the Lord makes answer that as he had certenly determined that iudgemeÌ„t to come vpon them so certenly had he appointed a set time wherein they should be deliuered In the meane while he bids them to comfort themselues in this that though the affliction should rest vpon them for a season yet vndoubtedly they should be eased at the length and therefore that they should in patience waite for the vision that is the accoÌ„plishment of the vision touching their deliuerance Secondly hence we learne that we must not onely beleeue the promises of God in generall that God is true and faithfull in them and that he is able willing to fulfil them euen as he made them but we must beleeue them in particular that is with application to their proper and seuerall circumstances which are the particular meanes places and times whereby and wherein he hath giuen his word as touching our freedome and exemption from the crosse Take an instance hereof in the Prophet Daniel who knew well by the spirit of Prophecie that the Lord had determined to bring vpon the Iewes 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon He knew also that God had promised to put an ende to that captiuitie at the end and tearme of those yeares Now what did Daniel in this case Vpon knowledge of the will of God in that point during the said time he praied not vnto the Lord for deliuerance of his people But when he vnderstood that the time drewe neere wherin it was the wil of God that the Iewes should returne out of captiuitie then by faith applying the promise of God to that particular time he besought the Lord in praier and supplications with fasting in sackcloth and ashes and the Lord gaue eare vnto his praiers and yeelded him a gratious answer II. The second point is that God when he deferres deliuerance doth it vpon great and weightie causes and considerations best knowne to himselfe The first wherof is that thereby he might humble men throughly and bring them to an vtter deniall of themselues and consequently cause them to learne patience in affliction which they would not learne if they might be their owne caruers and haue speedy deliuerance from the crosse at their own wills and pleasures Secondly that beeing afflicted they may acknowledge whence their deliuerance comes yea whence they doe receiue not onely that but euery other good benefit which they inioy namely not from theÌ„selues or any creature but onely from the Lord and accordingly may learne to value and prize his gifts at their deserued excellencie For it is a true saying and often verified in affliction want that benefits easily obtained are lightly regarded and sooner forgotten Thirdly that by the continuance of the crosse without intermission he may make them to distaste the world and consequently drawe them to the meditation of the life to come wherein all matter of mourning shall cease and all teares shall be wiped from their eies Fourthly the Lord deâ—erreth deliuerance from affliction that he might preuent greater euils and dangers whereinto those that are afflicted might runne if they had their heartes desire and were eased not at his will but at their owne wishes When the childreÌ„ of Israel came into Canaan they were informed that they should dwell together with the Canaanites and Moses rendreth a reason thereof Least saith he the wild beasts of the field multiply against thee And for the preuenting of this euill the Israelites must indure some annoyance by the Canaanites Euen so the Lord keepeth his seruants vnder the crosse for the preuenting of greater sins offences This should stay the mindes of men make them content to wait vpon God for deliuerance when they are afflicted III. The third and last point is that God alwaies hath and doth exercise his best seruants with long and continued crosses Abraham was childlesse till he was 70. yeares of age and at those yeares the Lord promised him issue But this promise was not accoÌ„plished til a long time after when he was an hundred yeares old Dauid had a promise to be king of Ierusalem and Iuda but the Lord exercised him by many and grieuous afflictions before he came to the crowne in so much that he saies of himselfe that his eies failed with waiting vpon his God Zacharie Elizabeth praied to god both of theÌ„ in their youth many yeares after for issue but the Lord granted not their request til
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
euill spirit could not goe forth to deceiue Ahab vntill the Lord had said vnto him Goe and thou shalt preuaile 1. King 22. 22. Thus the Deuill could not touch the bodie children goods or friends of righteous Iob whilest he was fenced and fortified by the power and prouidence of God But when the Lord in regard of Iobs outward estate had giuen leaue and said Loe all that he hath is in thine hand then did he exercise his power to the vtmost yet so farre onely as he was permitted and no further Iob. 1. 12. The consideration of this first point that Satans power is determined by God will serue to stay the minds of those whose persons houses or friends are molested by him For hereupon it followeth that God who hath the Deuill bound vp as it were in chaines will not suffer his power to be inlarged against his owne children to their destruction and confusion but so farre forth alone as shall be expedient for their good and saluation Againe that God beeing their father in Christ Iesus they may in the time of such affliction haue accesse vnto him call vpon him for the restraint of Satans power and malice and consequently for the deliuerance of them and theirs A second Rule is this Such persons must haue recourse to God in his word in which he promiseth his presence and protection to his children in their greatest dangers And namely that there shall no euill come vnto them neither any plague shall come neere their dwelling because he will giue his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies Againe that he will be a wall of fire round about his people Zach. 2. 5. that he will extend peace ouer his Church like a flood Isa. 66. 12. And that there shal be no sorcery against Iacob nor soothsaying in rael Numb 23. 22. And yet if God sees it to be good for his children to be tried by possessions or witchcraft in this case the promise frees them not For all temporall blessings are promised conditionally so farre forth as they may stand with Gods good will and pleasure and withall may make for the good of his children Howbeit herein lies the comfort that though such calamities befall them yet they shall turne to their good rather then to their hurt This point well considered by the way bewraieth the great presumption of some who are not afraid to say their faith is so strong that the Deuill cannot touch them Thirdly it must be considered that the best seruants of God haue beene in their times molested by the Deuill Christ in his second temptation was carried by the Deuill from the wildernessé to a wing of the Temple of Ierusalem The children of Iob were destroied by the Deuill he himselfe was filled with boâ—ches and sores A certaine woman euen a daughter of Abraham that is one following the faith of Abraham was troubled with a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeares together And the daughter of the woman of Canaan was grieuously vexed with a Deuill Math. 15. 21 22. Fourthly men in this case ought by faith to lay fast hold vpon the promise of life euerlasting and wait the Lords leisure not limiting him in respect of time or meanes of deliuerance This was the practise of Iob Though he kill me yet will I trust in him And of holy Abraham who did not limit God but was content to doe with Isaac what the Lord would and though it was in likelihood a meane to bereaue him of all posteritie yet still he kept himselfe to the promise Lastly men must in this case seeke and sue vnto God by praier either for deliuerance if it may stand with his good will and pleasure or els for patience that they may meekly and patiently beare that particular affliction II. In the molestation and annoyance of houses by spirits two things are to be remembred First men must not consort together and abide there where it is certenly knowne that the Lord hath giuen the Deuill power and libertie least in so doing they tempt the Lord. Our Sauiour Christ did not of his owne priuate motion and will betake himselfe into the wildernes but by the direction of the Holy Ghost Math. 4. 1. Paul in like manner did not of his owne head goe to Ierusalem but vpon the motion of the Spirit Act. 20. 22. In the light of these examples men arc taught not to cast themselues into any places of apparant danger much lesse to frequent those which God hath deliuered vp into the power of Satan And this condemneth the rash and headie conceits of some persons who vpon confidence of their owne strength doe put themselues into needelesse dangers hauing neither extraordinarie calling from God nor any sufficient warrant out of his word If it be asked what men are to doe in this case I answer First that they ought rather to flie to God by praier and to draw neere vnto him in their hearts and he in mercie will draw neere vnto them Secondarily that which we doe in meats and drinkes is also to be done in the houses and places where we dwell And what is that we must sanctifie them to our vse by the word and prayer Noah at Gods commandement went into the Arke abode in it and came out againe and when he came forth of it into the earth afterward it is said of him that he built an Altar gaue thaÌ„ks to God for his deliuerance and praied the Lord to vouch safe him the vse of the earth as he had before Though Abraham had a promise of the land of Canaan to him and his posteritie for euer yet he went not out of his countrey toward it till the Lord commanded him and when he was come thither he built an Altar for the worship and seruice of God The like he did afterward at Bethel And many yeares after did Iacob offer sacrifice vnto God in the same Bethel when he came to dwell there And for this very end in the law by a speciall ordinance the first fruites of the haruest were offered to sanctifie the rest of the corne And so much touching the second distresse CHAP. X. Of the third Speciall Distresse arising of the Tentation of Blasphemie THe third kind of trouble of mind is that which ariseth of the Tentation of Blasphemie which in regard of the vilenes and vglinesse thereof is not amisse tearmed by some the foule Tentation And it is when a man is troubled in his minde with blasphemous cogitations and thoughts directly against the Maiestie of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost As for example to thinke that God is not iust or mercifull that he accepteth mens persons that he hath not knowledge of things that are done here below or at least that de doth not regard them that God cannot doe this or that that he is iniurious to some men and partiall to others c. These
of God Againe they must let them goe as they come they are not to striue against them for the more they labour to resist them the more shall they be intangled with them The second thing to be vsed in way of remedy for the staying of the mind in this tentation is that though it should be graunted that the foresaid euill and blasphemous thoughts are our sinnes yet we are to remember that they may through the mercie and goodnesse of God be pardoned if they be heartily and vnfeinedly repented of yea further that neither they nor any other sins except that against the Holy Ghost doe condemne him that praieth against them is heartily sorrie for them It was Pauls complaint Rom. 7. 19. That he did not the good which he would doe speaking of the inward indeauour of his heart and againe that he did the euill which he would not meaning in respect of the corruption of his nature Now vpon this that he indeauoured to doe that which was agreable to the will of God that he loathed and detested the contrarie and stroue against his corruptions how did he comfort himselfe Marke the wordes following v. 20. If I doe that I would not that is to say if against my generall purpose I sinne against God if I be sorrie for it if I be displeased with my selfe because I can not obey God in that perfectiō I desire It is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me Frō this example of Paul I gather that if any man haue in his minde euill thoughts and doeth as Paul did grieue because he therby offendeth God if he doe abhorre them and pray against them he shall not be condemned for them they shall neuer be laid to his charge The partie then that is troubled with with these thoughts may vpō these grounds stay his minde and comfort himselfe For if he shall not be condemned for them then let him not feare them aboue measure The third point to be remembred is that the partie must not be alone For this Tentation beginnes and is confirmed and increased by solitarinesse and the parties thus distressed loue to be apart by themselues from the societie of others And for that cause in case they be lyable to this distresse they must vse to converse with such company as may afford them matter of speech and conference meete for them and may exercise their mindes with heauenly meditations in the word and singing of Psalmes and such like fitte and conuenient recreations Our first parent Eue was tempted by Satan when shee was apart from Adam and our Sauiour Christ when he was alone out of companie and societie then did the Deuill most malitiously assault him with strong and powerfull tentations in the wildernes The fourth point to be remembred of the partie troubled is that he must as heartily and earnestly repent him of those his euill thoughts as of euill wordes and deedes For the truth is because men are loose-minded and haue no more care of their thoughts then commonly they haue therefore the Lord iustly suffers the Deuill to plague and torment them by conuaying into their hearts most vile and damnable cogitations Furthermore the said partie must labour to be renued in the spirit of his minde that is to haue his minde inlightened by the spirit whereby he may know and vnderstand the will of God in his word After repentance for euill thoughts there must follow watchfulnesse and a carefull circumspection ouer all his waies but principally he must haue an eye vnto his heart the fountaine of all Keepe thine heart with all diligence saith Salomon that is aboue all things see that thou countergard thy thoughts desires motions and affections That the heart of a man may be guarded two rules are to be obserued First that the word of God dwell plentifully in it by daily meditation of the commandements promises and threatnings reuealed in the same It is noted by Dauid as a propertie of a blessed man that he exerciseth himselfe in meditatiō of the Law of God day and night Psal. 1. By this meanes the heart will be clensed and purged from vncleane and polluted motions and so guided directed that it swarue not from God This rule is of speciall vse For therefore doe men hatch and breed euill thoughts in their hearts because they are not taken vp with holy meditations and hence it is that the heart of man is made euen a pray vnto the Deuill because the word of God is not lodged therein Excellent was the practise of Dauid in this case who kept the word of God in his heart that he might not sinne against him The second Rule of the keeping of the heart is to establish our thoughts by counsell It is the wise mans aduise in so many words Prov. 20. 18. wherein he would teach vs that it is the propertie of a worldly wise man in matters of waight not to trust to his owne wit but to follow the direction and counsell of wise and skilfull men And if this be a sound course in matters of the world much more ought it to be taken in the maine matters of religion and conscience concerning the heart and soule of man And therefore by the lawe of proportion it giues vs direction not once to thinke or conceiue so much as a thought but vpon aduice and direction taken at God and his word Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my delight and my counsellers And what benefit had he by taking such a course surely by the word of God which was his continuall meditation he gat vnderstanding he became wiser then the auncient it made him to hate all the waies of falshood it kept him from declining from God either to the right hand or to the left The same rule must be practised of vs in the vse of our senses our speeches and actions and then shall the heart be kept cleane and free from these temptations And seeing this temptation is so daungerous and fearefull as hath beene said doth often befall men our dutie is to make conscience of practising the foresaid rules continually And thus much concerning the third kinde of distresse of Conscience CHAP. XI Of the fourth Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne sinnes THE Fourth Distresse of minde is that which ariseth from a mans owne sinnes or rather from some one speciall sinne committed And this kind of Tentation is twofold For either it is more violent and lesse common or lesse violent and more common Sect. 1. The violent Distresse of minde shewes it selfe by feares and terrours of the Conscience by doubtings of the mercie of God by lamentable and fearefull complaints made to others Now Question is mooued Howe this violent distresse of minde arising from our owne sinnes is to be cured Answ. That it may be cured by the blessing of God three things must be done First that particular sinne must be known
doe with patience expect it Rom. 8. 25. The third is Loue of God which hath two effects in the heart First it makes the heart to cleaue vnto God and to be well pleased with him simply for himselfe In this manner God the father louing Christ testifieth that he was well pleased in him Matth. 3. 17. Secondly it mooues the heart to seeke by all meanes possible to haue true fellowship with God in Christ. This the Church notably expresseth in the Canticles The fourth is Inward praier or Inuocation of the heart and it is nothing els but the lifting vp of the heart vnto God according to his will by desires and grones vnspeakable Or it is a worke of the heart whereby it flies vnto God for help in distresse makes him a rocke of defence When the children of Israel were afflicted They remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer Psal. 78. 35. Of this kinde of prayer Paul speakes when he saith pray continually 1. Thess. 5. 17. For solemne prayer conceiued and vttered in forme of words cannot alwaies be vsed but we are to lift vp our hearts vnto God vpon euery occasion that by inward and holy motions and affections they may be as it were knitte vnto him Now to conclude this point touching Inward worship we must remember that it alone is properly simply and of it selfe the worship of God and the Outward is not simply the worship of God but onely so farre forth as it is quickned by the Inward and grounded vpon it For God is a Spirit and therefore the true worship that is done vnto him must be performed in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. CHAP. VI. Of the outward worship of God and the first head thereof Prayer THus much of the Inward worship of God The Outward is that which is performed by the bodie externally eitherin word or deede To this belong many particulars which I will reduce to eight seuerall heads I. Prayer II. The hearing of the word preached III. The vse of the Sacraments IV. Outward Adoration V. Confession VI. An Oath VII Vowes VIII Fasting Touching Praier conceiued and vttered by the voice there are many Questions of Conscience the principall whereof are foure I. Question How shall a man make a lawfull and acceptable praier to God Ans. The word of God requires many conditions in making praier to God they may all be brought to three heads Some of them goe before the making of praier some are to be performed in the act of praier some after praier is ended Sect. 1. Conditions to be obserued before praier are three First he that would make such a praier as God may be pleased to heare must repent Esa. 1. 15. God would not heare the praiers of the Iewes because their hands were full of blood that is because they had not repented of their oppression and crueltie Ioh. 9. 31. God heares not sinners that is such as liue and lie in their sinnes and turne not vnto God by true repentance 1. Ioh. 3. 22. By this we know that God heares our prayers if we keepe his commandements I adde further that the man which hath before-time repented must againe renew his repentance if he desire that his praiers should be accepted For the very particular sinnes of men whereinto they fall after their repentance doe hinder the course of their praiers from hauing accesse vnto God if they be not repented of And for this cause the worthie men of God the Prophets in the old Testament doe vsually in the beginning of their praiers still humble themselues and confesse their sinnes as we may see in the example of Daniel chap. 9. v. 5 6 c. and of Ezra chap. 9. v. 6. c. Secondly before a man make a praier he must first if neede require be reconciled vnto his brother If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering and goe thy way first be recōciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Matt. 5. 23. When ye shall stand and pray forgiue if ye haue any thing against any man c. Mark 11. 25. Thirdly he that is to pray must prepare himselfe in heart and mind as one that is to speake familiarly with God In this preparation foure things are required First the mind is to be emptied of all carnall worldly thoughts Secondly there must be in the minde a consideration of the things to be asked Thirdly a lifting vp of the heart vnto the Lord Psal. 25. 1. Fourthly the heart must be touched with a reuerence of the maiestie of God to whome we pray Eccl. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to vtter a thing before God For the neglect herof the Lord threatneth to bring a iudgment vpon the Israelites Esay 29. 13. 14. Sect. 2. The second sort of Conditions are those that are required in praier and they are in number eight I. Euery petition must proceed from a liuely sense and feeling of our owne wants and of our spirituall pouertie For without this no praier can be earnest and hartie and consequently become acceptable vnto God For example when we pray that Gods name may be hallowed we must in making that petition haue in our harts a sense of the corruption of our nature wherby we are prone to dishonour the name of God II. Our praier must proceede from an earnest desire of that grace which we want and this desire is indeede praier it selfe Moses vttering neuer a word but groning in the spirit vnto God in the behalfe of the Isralites is said to crie vnto the Lord. Exod. 14. 15. We know not saith Paul what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sights that cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. III. The petition must proceede from sauing and true iustifying faith The reason is because without that faith it is impossible that either our persons or our praiers or any other action we doe should please God Heb. 11. 6. IV. Euery petition must be grounded vpon the word of God and not framed according to the carnall conceit and fansie of mans braine And this is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL he heareth vs. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Now we haue a double ground of our praier in Gods word a commandement to make the praier either generall or particular and a promise that our requests shal be granted Here we must remember two rules First Things to be asked are either spirituall or temporall Spirituall are such as concerne God whereof some are more necessarie to saluation as remission of sinnes faith repentance and such like some are lesse necessarie as hope ioy in the feeling of Gods mercie in distresse c. Temporall things are such as belong to this life as meate drinke clothing
extraordinary man that is qualified with these two gifts may pray not onely against the cause of him that is an enemie to God but against his person Thus Dauid did especially in the 109. Psal. which Psalme is full of terrible curses against his particular enemies and typically against Iudas For he had the spirit of discerning by which he knewe that they were incurable enemies and a pure zeale of the glorie of God which made him breake out into such imprecations So Paul praies Gal. 5. 12. that they might be cut off which troubled the Church c. 2. Tim. 4. 14. he praies directly against the person of Alexander the coppersmith that had don him much wrong The Lord reward him according to his workes Which must not seeme strange for Paul had in that imprecation the Spirit of prophecie and consequently both the spirit of discerning and of pure zeale and therefore he might pray against him as he did But for Ordinarie men such as haue nothing but ordinarie gifts and want the spirit of discerning and haue also a zeale mingled with choler stomack anger and hatred they may vse no extraordinarie praier against the person of any man All that they may doe is to pray that God would restraine their malice hinder their badde practises and turne them to his glorie and the good of his Church Therefore Act. 4. 29. when there had beene a Councell holden at Ierusalem against the Apostles Peter and Iohn in the first beginning of the great persecution of Christians in the primitiue Church it is said that they departed from the assembly and praied together with the rest of the Church in this manner And now O Lord behold their threatnings c. Wherein they praied not against the Councell nor against the men that sate in counsell but against their proceedings courses deuises and threatnings And their practise may be a patterne for ordinary men to follow In Luk. 9. 54. the Disciples asking our Sauiour Christ whether they should call for fire from heauen to destroy his enemies he sharply reprooueth them for their intemperate heate against the Samaritans and tells them that they had not that extraordinarie Spirit to effect such a thing because they were but ordinarie men Ordinarie men therefore may not pray against the persons of Gods enemies The Pope at this day is a professed enemie to Christ and his Gospel yet no man may pray against the person of the Pope but onely against his state kingdome and regiment which is Antichristian whereby he sets himselfe against God and his kingdome Sect. 2. Vpon the answer to this question there followeth an other Sundrie Psalmes of Dauid are Psalmes of imprecation wherin Dauid curseth his enemies fearefully especially in the 109. Psalme now all these psalmes were penned for our vse It may therefore be demanded how we may vse these and such like when we read or sing them Ans. I. We must not vse them as Dauid did namely as praiers against the persons of our enemies but onely as prophecies against the enemies of God wherein the punishment of incurable men that were enemies to God and his truth is foretold For wee haue not as Dauid had an extraordinarie spirit or a pure zeale therefore we cannot pray as he did II. I answer whereas these Imprecations were directed against particular enemies we may vse them in some sort as praiers but how as generall praiers against all the incureable enemies of God not against any particulars among the Iewes Turkes or Papists As therfore as we may vse these Imprecations as praiers so we must vse them without any particular application to the persons of any particular men III. Question What be the particular Circumstances of Prayer Ans. There are chiefly foure I. The voice or speech II. The gesture III. The place where IV. The time when Sect. 1. Concerning the Voice this Question may be mooued Whether a Voice or words are â—o be vsed in prayer or no Ans. Prayer is either Pubâ—cke or Priuate In publike prayer a forme of wordes must alwaies be vsed in a knowne plaine and distinct voice The reasons are these First the Minister is the mouth of the whole Congregation in prayer as he is the mouth of God to the people in preaching Now as the Minister is their mouth to God in prayer so the people must giue their assent and approbation to his prayer by the word Amen But there can be no professed and publique assent without a voice Secondly God is the Creator not onely of the soule of man but also of his bodie and we blesse God not onely with the heart but also with the tongue therefore the whole man must pray in publicke Now in priuate prayer made in priuate and secret places by priuate persons the Voice is profitable but not simply necessarie It is profitable because it stirreth vp the affections of the heart it serueth also to keepe the wandering minde in compasse to expresse the affection and to procure attention of the heart to the prayer Yet it is not simply necessarie For a man is not bound in coâ—â—cience to vse a forme of wordes in all his prayers Moses prayed he spake neuer a word and yet it was a prayer for the Lord saies vnto him Exod. 12. 15. Why criest thou Anna praying in the Temple her lippes did mooue onely her voice was not heard and yet shee is said to pray 1. Sam. 1. 13. Againe the Spirit is said to pray in the Elect with groanes that cannot be vttered and yet the Holy Ghost giues them the name of prayers Rom. 8. Paul biddes vs pray continually which is not to be vnderstood of a continuall vse of a forme of words but of the groanes and sighes of the heart which may be made at all times Out of this Question ariseth another Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set Forme of prayer for some thinke that to doe so is a sinne Ans. It is no sinne but a man may lawfully and with good conscience doe it Reasons First the Psalmes of Dauid were deliuered to the Church to be vsed and read in a set forme of words and yet the most of them are praiers Secondly to conceiue a forme of praier requires gifts of memorie knowledge vtterance and the gifts of grace Now euery child and seruant of God though he haue an honest heart yet hath he not all these gifts and therefore in the want of them may lawfully vse a set forme of prayer as a man that hath a weake backe or a lame legge may leane vpon a crutch It is alleadged that set formes of praier doe limit and binde the Holy Ghost Ans. If we had a perfect measure of grace it were somewhat but the graces of God are weake and small in vs. This is no binding of the Holy Ghost but a helping of the spirit which is weake in vs by a crutch to leane vpon therefore a man may with good conscience
therto when he graÌ„teth not the thing it selfe Thus Christ was heard in that which he feared Heb. 5. 7. He prayed to be deliuered from that cuppe which notwithstaÌ„ding he drank of How theÌ„ was he heard Though he had not that which he asked yet God granted him the thing which was proportionable to his request namely strength and power whereby he was inabled to ouercome the woefull pangs of that death IV. We must thinke this sufficient that we can and doe pray vnto God though we neuer haue any request in this world graunted For by whose grace haue we alwaies continued in praier but by the gift and grace of God Paul in the like case was answered by God My grace is sufficient for thee that is thine infirmitie shall not be remooued content thy selfe in this that thou art in my fauour and hast receiued my grace by which thou doest withstand this Temptation To this purpose S. Iohn saith If we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions graunted which we desired of him 1. Ioh. 5. 15. His meaning is if we can perceiue and discerne that God listneth to our praiers hereby we may assure our selues that he graunts our requests Now by this we may perceiue that he doth listen and giue eare to vs because the grace whereby we pray is from him alone CHAP. VII Of the second head of Gods worship the hearing of the word preached THus much touching the first head of Outward worship namely Prayer Nowe followes the next which is the Hearing of the Word preached The Questions concerning this point are of two sorts Some concerne the Preachers of the word and some the Hearers The first sort I omit and reserue them to a more proper place For the second sort concerning Hearers one Question may be mooued How any man may profitably to his owne comfort and saluation heare the word of God The necessitie of this Question appeares by that speciall Caueat giuen by our Sauiour Christ Luk. 8. 18. Take heede how ye heare Ans. To the profitable hearing of Gods word three things are required Preparation before we heare a Right disposition in hearing and Duties to be practised afterward I. In Preparation sundrie Rules of direction are to be obserued First Rule We must be swift to heare Iam. 1. 19. And this we shall doe by disburdening our selues of all impediments which may hinder the effectuall hearing of the word These Impediments are especially three all which are named by the Apostle Iames together with their seuerall remedies The first is Presumption when the hearer presumes of his wisdome knowledge and abilitie to teach if neede were his teachers The remedie hereof is to be slowe to speake that is not to presume of our owne gifts thinking our selues better able to teach others then to be taught by them For so the Apostle afterwardes expoundes himselfe when he saith My brethren be not many masters Iam. 3. 1. let not priuate persons take vpon them to become instructers of other men but as Paul saith 1. Cor. 3. 18. If any man among you seeme to be wise let him be a foole that he may be wise that is let him be willing to learne euen of his inferiours And in this regard let him follow the practise of Naaman who submitted himselfe to the aduise and counsell of his maide The second Impediment is troubled affections specially rash anger either against the Teacher or others The remedie of this also is laid downe in the place before alleadged Be slow to wrath v. 19. The third is superfluitie of malitiousnes that is the abundance of euill corruptions and sinnes which hearers shall by experience find in their owne hearts and liues This Impediment hath many branches principally three 1. Hardnes of heart noted by the stonie ground in the parable of the lower Matth. 13. 20. 2. The Cares of the world signified by the thornie ground v. 22. 3. The itching eare 2. Tim. 4. 3. when a man will heare no other doctrine but that which is sutable to his corrupt nature not beeing willing to frame his heart to the word but to haue the word framed to his wicked heart The remedies of this Impediment are these First euery hearer of the word must lay apart all supersluitie of malitiousnes that is cut off as much as in him lieth all corruptions both of heart and life Hence it is that God speaketh thus to the wicked man Psal. 50. 16. What hast thou to doe to take my word in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee To this purpose the Prophet Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes to be circumcised to the Lord and to take away the foreskinnes of their hearts c. Ier. 4. 4. And Moses by Gods commandement was to sanctifie the people three daies before they came to heare the Law deliuered by himselfe in Mount Sinai Exod. 19. 11. Again euery man will and ought to haue a care to prepare himselfe more or lesse to the receiuing of the Lords Supper which dutie is as well to be performed before the hearing of the word considering that in substance it differeth not from the Sacraments they beeing the visible and preaching the audible voice of God Secondly euery hearer must receiue the word with meekenes that is with quietnes subiect himselfe to the word of God in all things Esa. 57. 15. I dwell with him that is of an humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble c. The second Rule of Preparation Wee must lift vp our hearts in praier to God that he would giue vs the Hearing eare This hearing eare is a gift of God inabling the heart when it heareth to conceiue and vnderstand the doctrine taught and to yeeld obedience thereunto The third Rule The hearer must in hearing set himselfe in the presence of God Now therefore saith Cornelius to Peter Act. 10. 33. are we all here present before God to heare all things commanded thee of God The reason is because God is alwaies in the congregation where the word is preached II. The second thing required to profitable hearing is a right disposition Wherein two rules are to be obserued First when the word of God is in deliuering euery hearer must heare with iudgment But some will say many preachers bewray faults and infirmities in their preaching To this Paul answereth notwithstanding Despise not prophecie 1. Thess. 5. 20. Yea but what if they deliuer vntruthes Paul answeres againe in the next verse Try all things and keep that which is good and Saint Iohn to the like purpose 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God Herâ—… by the way we must remember one cauâ—at There be three kinds of iudgement The one is a priuate wherby euery priuate person may iudge of the doctrine which is taught For he must not heare hand ouer-head but iudge of that which he heareth
Of this Saint Paul speaks to the Corinths Iudge ye what I say 1. Cor. 10. 15. The second is the iudgement of the Prophet or minister And this is a surer kind of iudgement then the former proceeding from a greater measure of Gods grace The third is the iudgement of the Holy Ghost in scripture and this is soueraigne and absolute For the Holy Ghost iudgeth all and is iudged of none These three kinds of iudgment are set in this order The first depends vpon the second the second vpon the third and the third is absolute and iudged of none Vpon this caueat two things doe follow First that a priuate hearer though he may iudge of doctrine deliuered yet he may not censure the Teacher or his ministrie Ministers are to be iudged but their spirit is not subiect to euery priuate man but to the prophets For the spirit of the prophet that is the doctrine which the prophets bring beeing inspired by the Holy Ghost is subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14. 32. Secondly a priuate man is not to publish or broach any point of doctrine but that which is plainly propounded in the word and taught by the ministers thereof This is a necessarie rule and the want of obseruation thereof is the cause of many scismes and haeresies in the Church The Lord commands the people Mal. 2. 7. to require the law at the mouth of the priest in all maine points of faith and manners The second Rule to be obserued in hearing Euery hearer must haue care that the word of God be rooted and grounded in his heart like good feede in good ground which Saint Iames expresseth Iam. 1. 21. Receiue with meekenes the ingrafted word Here generally it is to be remembred that not onely ignorant people but euen the most learned ought to be hearers of the word preached For the preaching thereof serues not onely for the increasing of knowledge but also for the reformation of the affection which may be inordinate where knowledge doth abound Now for the rooting of the word of God in our hearts sundry things are required First a true right vnderstanding therof Secondly it must be mingled with faith Heb. 4. 1. For the word is as wine or water of life our faith is the sugar that sweetneth it and giues it a pleasant relish The word therfore must be tempered and mixed with our saith that it may become profitable vnto vs. Now in this mixture there is required a double faith the first generall whereby we beleeue the doctrine deliuered to be true so as we neuer call the same into question Our Gospell to you saith Paul was in much assurance 1. Thess. 1. 5. The second special whereby we apply the word preached vnto our selues for the humbling and comforting of our hearts Thirdly we must labour to be affected with the word Thus Iosiah his heart is said to melt at the reading of the law 2. Chro. 34. 27. And the people reioyced greatly because they vnderstood the word which the Leuites had taught them Neh. 8. 12. The hearts of the two disciples that went to Emmaus burned within them when Christ opened vnto them the scriptures Luc. 24. 32. And the Iewes at Peters sermon were pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. Fourthly the word of God must dwell plenteously in vs Coll. 3. 16. This is doth when it rules and beares the greatest sway in the heart and is not ouerruled by any corrupt affection III. The duties to be performed after hearing are these First the doctrine deliuered must be treasured vp in the heart and practised in life Psal. 119. 11. I haue hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Secondly a man must meditate on the word which he hath heard with lifting vp of his heart vnto God The beasts that were clouen footed and chewed the cudde were fittest both for meate vnto man and for sacrifice to God Levit. 11. It was the olde and auncient opinion of the Church that this chewing the cudde signified holy meditations And he that heares the word must doe as the beast doth fetch vp the meate out of his bellie againe and chewe it ouer a new The man that doth so is the fittest for the Lords vse Thirdly he must haue experience of the word of God in himselfe Psal. 34. 8. Tast and see how gracious the Lord is Fourthly he is to examine himselfe after he hath heard the word Thus Dauid saith of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies Fiftly he must be obedient vnto it and testifie his obediēce though not at all times yet whensoeuer occasion is offered Iam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues II. Question touching hearers is How are they to be comforted who after long hearing of the word either profit very litle or not at all For resolution of this Question the Causes of not profiting are distinctly to be considered And they are of two sorts The first sort of Causes are the sinnes of the hearers And that sinnes are the causes of not profiting it will appeare by this signe if the memorie vnderstanding and other parts of the minde in common matters be strong and pregnant but dull and weake in apprehending and retaining the doctrine taught Now these sinnes are principally two First Hardnes of heart when a man is not inwardly mooued and affected with the word preached but remaines in the same state he was before This is set forth by the hard ground that is by the high way side and by the stonie ground Math. 13. 4 5. And such is the heart that is not mooued nor affected either with ioy sorrow feare or consolation The hardnes of heart ariseth from a custome in sinning and from that the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. 13. Secondly worldly Cares that is a heart possessed with desire of profits pleasures honours preferments and such like which be as thornes that choake the seede of the word and suffer it not to grow and fructifie yea that fill the heart full of wandering imaginations which steale away the mind from attending to the word preached Those that are thus hindred from profiting are rather to be reprooued then comforted for that the cause of their non-proficiencie is in from themselues They are therefore to vse all good meanes for the remooueall of their sinnes that of hard hearted and carnall they may become good and profitable hearers of the word The meanes are these First they must labour to be touched in heart with sense and feeling of their spirituall pouertie and want of Gods fauour and mercie in the pardon of their sinnes The reason is giuen of Dauid Psal. 25. 9. The Lord teacheth the humble his waies And by Marie in her song Luk. 1. 35. He hath filled the hungrie with good things and the rich he hath sent
beleeues because the father beleeues It is obiected again that infants are born in originall sinne and therefore cannot be borne holy and sanctified Answ. Euery beleeuing parent sustaines a double person First as he is a man descending of Adam by corrupted seede and thus beeing himselfe corrupted and vncleane his children also are corrupt and impure Secondly as he is a holy and beleeuing man ingraffed by faith into Christ the second Adam And thus by his faith comes his child to be in the couenant and partaker of the benefits and priuiledges thereof and by the same faith he beeing a beleeuer the guilt of originall corruption which is in the Infant new borne is not imputed vnto him to condemnation And for these causes the Sacrament of Baptisme is not absolutely and precisely necessarie to saluation but so and in that sort as hath bin declared Against this Doctrine it is obiected that Christ saith to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost he can not enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 5. To this obiection sundrie answers are giuen First if the place be vnderstood of Baptisme then the wordes may carrie one of these two senses First that our Sauiour directs this speech principally against Nicodemus who was a timerous professour and remained ignorant and had long neglected his baptisme Secondly that the kingdome of heauen is here put not for euerlasting happines but to signifie the visible estate of the church of the new Testament and then the meaning is No man can be admitted into the Church and made a visible member thereof but by the water of baptisme neither can any man be made a liuely member of Christ Iesus but by the spirit that is by regeneration which alone makes the partie that is entred into the Church by baptisme to be a liuing mēber of the bodie of Christ. Secondly others answer that this place is to be vnderstood not of Baptisme but simply of regeneration and that Christ alludes to the sayings of the Prophets which speake of cleane water and expounds the same in this sort Thou Nicodemus art by profession a Pharisie and vsest many outward washings but know this withall that vnlesse thou be washed inwardly by cleane water that is be regenerated and renewed by the holy Ghost thou canst not enter into Gods kingdome Lastly it is answered that the necessitie of saluation lies not in both but onely in the new birth by the holy Ghost as if Christ should say Except ye be regenerate borne a new of the spirit which as cleane water purgeth and clenseth you from your sinnes ye cannot be saued The Vse By this doctrine touching the necessitie of Baptisme are iustly challenged two sorts of men The first is the Popish sort who build the absolute necessitie of Baptisme vpon false and vnstable grounds For they teach in their writings that all men are borne in sinne and corruption and vnlesse they be clensed from it they can neuer be saued Now Baptisme they say is appointed by God as the onely remedie and sole meanes whereby they may be purged from sinne and come to saluation And this they snew by a comparison of Baptisme with the brazen Serpent which as it was the only remedie for the cure of those which were stinged by serpents so is this Sacrament the onely meanes set apart by God to keepe them that are partakers thereof from the sting of death and eternall destruction But the answer is plaine out of the former doctrine That though all men be conceiued and borne in sinne and cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen except they be clensed yet baptisme is not of absolute necessitie for this purpose For it is not appointed by God as the onely remedie of this euill but onely to be a signe and signification of the purging and clensing of sinne by the blood of Christ. Now those that are within the couenant may haue their sinnes remitted by the mercie of God and that according to the forme of the couenāt though they receiue not the signe thereof so be it they doe not wilfully contemne or neglect the same when it may be had Againe the serpent lifted vp by Moses in it selfe and by it owne vertue was a bare signe and was no remedie to cure the diseased Israelites but they were cured by their faith in the word of Gods promise annexed vnto the signe according to which Dauid saith He sent his word and healed them Psal. 107. 20. And to the same effect Augustine saith That the cure and health of the Israelites came not from the Serpent but from Gods commandement obeyed and his promise beleeued And so is Baptisme a remedie and no otherwise The second is the common ignorant sort of people who thinke that an Infant dying without baptisme dies without christendome and that it cannot possibly be a christian vnlesse it be baptised This their opinion is very erronious For by it they make baptisme the seale of the couenant to be as necessarie as the couenant it selfe Whereas on the contrarie baptisme is not simply and absolutely necessarie so as the partie dying without it can not be saued but onely in part as it serues to distinguish the true church from the false to be a necessarie signe of our admission and entrance into the church yea to confirme our faith in the promise of God Neither is baptisme of force to make a Christian but onely to signifie and declare a man to be a Christian by beeing within the couenant of grace II. Question Whether witnesses which we commonly call Godfathers and Godmothers be necessarie To this there are giuen two answers First that the vse of Godfathers and Godmothers is not simply necessarie to the Sacrament of Baptisme For first it seemes that of auncient times the parents of Children which were Heathen and newly conuerted to Christian Religion were either ignorant and could not or carelesse and would not bring vp their children agreeably to the word of God and the Religion which they newly professed And hence it was thought meet that some persons of good knowledge and life should be called to witnes the Baptisme promise their care for the childrens education But now Parents amongst vs beeing better taught and qualified the other is not of such necessitie Secōdly Christ hath instituted and ordained in his word all things fitte conuenient and necessary vnto lawfull Baptisme amongst all which he hath not any where expressely prescribed the vse of Sureties Thirdly the whole congregation assembled together at the administration of this Sacrament doe present the childe to the Lord and are witnesses that the childe is admitted into the Church and is externally in the Couenant And therefore I take it to be a fault when the Congregation doth depart before the child be baptized Fourthly that which is required of them to promise and performe may ye must and ought to be performed of the parents of the baptized who
in heauen glorified doth he by the power of his Deitie raise vp vs his mēbers frō death to life Rom. 6. 4. A certaine pledge whereof he hath giuen vs in this Sacrament Which also affordeth singular comfort and ioy vnto a man euen in his greatest extremity True it is that man by nature is dead in sinne yet God of his mercie sealeth vnto him in baptisme his rising from the death of sinne to newnesse of life True it is againe that all men must die Yet this is our comfort that in baptisme God hath sealed to vs euen our rising from the graue to life euerlasting and all by the vertue and power of Christs resurrection This is a comfort of all comforts able to vphold the soule of man euen in the houre of death The second Vse of Baptisme is that it serues to be a notable meanes of our death vnto sinne and that three waies First by putting vs in minde of mortifying the flesh and crucifying our owne corruptions For if we be baptized into the death of Christ as Paul saith Rom. 6. 3. then ought we not to continue in sinne but to labour by all meanes as by praier by fasting by the word preached and by auoiding all occasions of offence to kill and destroy the corruption of our nature and the wickednes of our hearts Gal. 5. 24. Secondly it causeth vs to dedicate our selues wholly vnto God and Christ remembring that we once offered our selues to be baptized in the presence of the whole congregation in token that we should euer afterward consecrate our soules and bodies vnto the Lord and wholly renounce and forsake the flesh the world and the Deuill Thirdly it causeth vs to labour to keepe and maintaine peace and vnitie with all men but specially with Gods people For Baptisme is a solemne testimonie of the bond of mutuall loue and fellowship both of Christ with his members and of the members one with another To this ende Paul saith that we are all by one spirit baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 13. yea and Baptisme is one of those things whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is preserued in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 5. V. Question Whether a man falling into sinne after he is baptized may haue any benefit of his Baptisme Answer He may if he repent And the reasons are these First his Indentures and Euidences remain whol in respect of God his name is not put out of the couenant Which is otherwise in the Evidēces of men For if they be once cancelled a man cannot haue his name put into them againe Secondly Baptisme is indeede as hath beene said the Sacrament of Repentance and as it were a plancke or board to swimme vpon when a man is in danger of the shippewracke of his soule Therefore if a man repent and be hartily sorie for his sinnes committed he may haue recourse to his baptisme wherein was sealed vnto him the pardon of all his sinnes past present and to come he standing to the order of his baptisme beleeuing and repenting Thirdly to them that fall euen after Baptisme there is hope of repentance and consequently of the fauour of God if they be touched in hart with true remorse and sorrowe for their offences For hence it was that Paul calls the Galatians fallen after they had beene baptized to the remembrance of the fauour of God promised vnto them in the Couenant and sealed in their Baptisme Gal. 3. 3. 19. 27. In the same manner doth Iohn call the Churches of Asia that had left their first loue to repentance conuersion Apoc. 2. 5. 16. And the said Iohn in Ecclesiasticall historie is said to haue reclaymed a young man who had most grieuously fallen after his Baptisme CHAP. X. Of the Lords Supper THus much concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme Now we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper concerning the vse wherof there are two principal Questions mooued I. Question How farre forth men haue libertie to vse or not vse the Lords Supper For the answering hereof I propound three Rules The First Euery man of yeares liuing in the Church and beeing baptized is bound in conscience by Gods commandement to vse the Lords supper In the institution of the Supper the Lord gaue a Sacramentall Word whereof there be two parts a Commādement a Promise The Cōmandement is expressed in these termes Take eate drinke doe ye this And it binds all men in the Church that are baptized to the vse of the Lords Supper The second Rule Euery man of yeares baptized is to receiue it often 1. Cor. 11. 26. As oft as ye shall drinke it in remēbrance of me The reason is because we haue need continually to feede on Christ. And herein the Lords Supper differeth from Baptisme because by Baptisme a man is once onely graffed into Christ but being in Christ he hath neede often and continually to be fedde in him to life eternall And this often nourishment of the beleeuer is sealed vnto him by the often vse of this Sacrament The third Rule Euery man is to receiue and vse the Lords Supper according to the laudable custome of that Church whereof he is a member vnlesse there be a iust impediment A iust impediment is that which barres a man from the vse of the Supper as Suspension Contagious and incurable sickenesse Absence vpon a iust and weightie cause as when a man is in his iourney and such like The reason of the Rule is first if any man refuse to receiue it when he may conueniently hauing no iust Impediment so doing he neglects and contemnes the ordinance of God Secondly for a man to abstaine when he is called to receiue it though happily he may be excused in regard of some reason inwardly knowne to himselfe yet his abstinence is a bad example and may giue offence to others Thirdly the man that may receiue and yet will not doth in effect suspend and withhold himselfe from the benefite of this holy Sacrament Now these three Rules as they serue directly to answer the Question in hand so they doe plainly discouer some errours faults in the practise of sundrie persons in these daies Some there be that thinke it sufficient to receiue the Communion once by the yere namely at Easter time Whereas on the contrary it is to be vsed as oft as may be considering that it is nothing but the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come which is not once or twise in the yeare but often yea continually to be remembred Others ther are that take liberty to thēselues to com to this Table abstaine at ther pleasure as if it were a thing arbitrary to themselues which notwithstanding the Lord hath enioyned by expresse commandement as hath beene said But some alledge for this their practise that they are at variance with such and such persons that haue done them wrong and whom they cannot forgiue and in this respect they were better
of vnlawfull flight are to be considered and they are principally foure The first is when God puts into a mans heart the Spirit of courage and fortitude whereby he is resolued to abide and stand out against the force of all enemies Thus Paul Act. 20. 22. went bound in the Spirit to Ierusalem Where though he knew that bonds and afflictions did abide him yet he would not be disswaded but vttered these words of resolution I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfil my course with ioy and the ministration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God This motion of the Spirit is not ordinarie yet in the time of hot persecution it hath beene found in many worthy instruments of Gods glory as may be seene in the Histories of sundry Martyrs in the daies of Queene Mary But one especially of whom I was credibly informed that hauing this motion not to stand out and yet flying for that very act felt such a sting in his conscience that he could neuer haue peace till his death The second signe is when a man is apprehended and vnder the custodie of the Magistrate For then hee is not to flie because he must in all his sufferings obey the Magistrate Here a Question is mooued Whether a man that is imprisoned may breake prison To this Popish Schoolemen answer that he may if the cause of his imprisonment be vniust And sutable to this assertion is the common practise of Papists We on the contrary say and that truly that no man being in durance may vse any vnlawfull or violent meanes to escape for we may not at any hand resist the Magistrate in our sufferings Seruants are commanded to subiect themselues with patience vnto the vniust corrections of their Maisters 1. Pet. 2. 19. And this reason is giuen For it is thankeworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure greife suffering wrongfully The Apostles being in prison vsed no meanes to deliuer themselues but when the Angell of the Lord had opened the prison dores then they came forth and not before Act. 5. 19. And that which Peter and the other Apostles did must Pastors and other men also doe in the like case for Religion sake The third signe When a man is bound by his calling and ministerie so as in it he may glorifie God and doe good to the church by preaching theÌ„ he must not fly For the duties of a mans calling must be preferred before any worldly thing whatsoeuer whether body goods friends or life c. The fourth signe When God in his providence cuts off all lawfull meanes and waies of flying he doth then as it were bidde that man stay and abide I say lawfull meanes because we may not vse those that are vnlawfull but rather rest contented and resigne our selues wholly to Gods will and pleasure Wee must not doe any euill that good may come thereof and of two evills not onely not the lesse but neither of both is to be chosen So much of Confession CHAP. XIII Of an Oathe THe sixt head of Gods worship is an Oath concerning which three Questions are to be handled I. What an Oathe is II. How an Oathe is to be taken III. How farre forth it bindeth and is to be kept Sect. 1. I. Question What is an oathe An Oathe is a religious and necessarie confirmation of things doubtfull by calling on God to be a witnesse of truth and a revenger of falshood First I call it a Confirmation for so the Holy Ghost speaketh An oath for confirmation is among men an ende of all strife Heb. 6. 16. Secondly I terme it a religious confirmation because an Oath is a part of Gods Religion and worshippe Yea it is sometimes put for the whole worshippe of God Esay 19. 28. In that day shall they swear by the Lord of hosts that is they shall worship the true God Thirdly I adde a necessarie confirmation because an Oathe is neuer to be vsed in way of confirmation but onely in case of meere necessitie For when all other humane proofes do faile then it is lawfull to fetch testimonie from heauen and to make God himselfe our witnes In this case alone and neuer els it is lawfull to vse an Oathe Fourthly I say in which God is called vpon as a witnes of the trueth and a reuenger of falsehoode This is added in the last place because herein alone stands the forme and life of an Oâ—the that in things doubtfull we call God as a witnes of truth and a iust revenger of the contrary There be sundry kindes of confirmatioÌ„ as the affirmation the asseueration and the obtestation And by this Clause an Oath is distinguished from them all because in it we call vpon God to giue witnesse to the thing avouched but in the other three we doe not Now touching this last point of the forme and life of an Oathe three Questions are to be answered for the better clearing of the whole doctrine I. Question Whether an Oathe taken by Creatures be a true Oath and to be kept Ans. An Oathe by creatures is an Oath though vnlawfull For though there be not in it a direct invocation of God for witnesse yet when we call the creature to giue testimony we doe then indirectly cal vpon God because he is seene in them and looke how many creatures there be in the world so many signes are they of Gods presence This answer Christ himselfe maketh Matth. 23. 21 22. He that sweareth by heauen sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon that is by God himselfe II. Question Whether an oath by false gods be a true oath or no for example the oath of the Turke by Mahomet the oath of Laban by the gods of Nachor that is by his Idols when as in them there is no inuocation of the true God of heauen and earth I answer as before though it be not a lawfull oath yet it is in value effect an oath For though that thing be a false god indeed by which it is taken yet it is the true God in the opinion of him that sweareth Thus Mahomet is to the Turke in stead of the true God and is honoured of him as God and therefore his oath by Mahomet is a true oath Thus when Iacob in the couenant that he made with Laban sweares by the feare of his father Isaak and Laban by the Idols of Nachor Iacob accepted the oath which was tendered to him in the name of a false god which he would not haue done if it had not beene an oath at all And hence the Case is plaine that swearing by a false god is an oath and therefore bindeth the swearer in Conscience thought it be vnlawfully taken III. Question If in euery oath God ought to be cited as a witnes how then can God sweare by himselfe seeing none can witnes vnto him Ans.
This description of an oath whereby the creature sweareth includes not that oathe whereby God sweareth For the ende why God sweareth is to binde himselfe as it were with a bond vnto man whereby he would haue man to repute him a lier and no God if he failes and keepes not his promise Thus the Lord sweares in his wrath Hebr. 3. 11. If they shall enter into my rest The words of the oath are to be vnderstoode with this clause If c. then let me be holden as no God or as a false god And in this manner is God said to sweare when he manifesteth to man that he is content to be counted no God if that which he auoucheth by oath be not performed Furthermore in every Oath there be foure distinct things First an Asseueration of the truth which should be avouched though there were no oath taken Secondly a confession or the omnipotent presence wisedome iustice and truth of God whereby we acknowledge that he is the searcher and knower of the heart yea that he is both witnesse iudge and reuenger of falshood and lying Thirdly Prayer and Inuocation whereby God is called vpon to giue testimonie to the conscience of him that sweareth that he speakes nothing but the truth These two actions of Confession and Invocation doe make an othe to be no lesse a true and proper part of Gods worshippe then praier it selfe Fourthly Imprecation in which a man acknowledging God the the iust reuenger of a lie bindes himselfe to punishment if he shall sweare falsely or speake an vntrueth wittingly or willingly Now though these be the distinct parts of an Oath yet all of them are not expressed in the forme of euery oath but sometimes one sometimes two of the principall and the other concealed but yet alwaies vnderstood For example The Prophet Ieremie teacheth the people of Israel a forme of swearing Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth Ierem. 4. 2. In which there is expressed onely the second part Confession and in that the rest are to be vnderstood Againe the words of Ruth to Naomi The Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death depart thee and me are onely an Imprecation in which the other parts are infolded So the othe which God maketh Heb. 3. 11. If they shall enter into my rest is expressed onlie by imprecation and the other parts vnderstood though they be not mentioned In common speach betweene man and man it is vsually avouched though most wickedly If it be not thus or thus let me be banged I would I were dead I would I might neuer mooue hence c. Now this auouchment howsoeuer it may be taken is indeed a form of swearing in value and force all one with the oath of God when he saith If they enter into my rest let me be no God but a deceiuer Sometimes two parts of the foure are expressed and the rest vnderstood 2. Cor. 1. 23. Now I call God to record vnto my Soule Here Invocation with Imprecation is vttered in speach and the other two conceiued in the minde By these particulars we see it vsuall in Scripture to propound formes of swearing by expressing some one or two particular parts in stead of the rest yet so as the parts concealed be all vnderstood for otherwise the othe is not formalland entire Sect. 2. II. Question How an Oathe is to be taken in a good and godly manner For the answering hereof two Rules are to be remembred The first Rule He that will take an Oathe by the name of God must sweare in truth in iudgement in righteousnesse Ierem. 4. 2. Here three vertues are required in a lawfull Oathe First that it be made in truth And wee must know that there is a double truth the one of the thing spoken the other of the minde wherein it is conceiued Truth of the thing is when a mans speech is framed according to the thing as it is indeede or as neare as possibly may be and that because God is truth it selfe This is called by Schoolemen Logical veritie Sometimes by reason of mens frailtie this truth is wanting because we know not things as they are The truth of the minde is when a man speakes or sweares as he thinketh or is in conscience perswaded of the thing and this the Schoolemen tearme Morall veritie Now though the first of these two be wanting yet the latter must necessarily be in an oath least we fall into periurie The second vertue is Iudgement that is prudence or wisdome This Iudgement requires discretion and consideration principally of fiue things First of the thing in question which is to be confirmed Secondly of the nature of the oath that is taken Thirdly of the minde and true meaning of him that sweareth Fourthly of the particular circūstāces of time place persons when where and before whome he sweareth Fiftly of the euent or issue of the oath All these are duly to be regarded that we sweare not rashly or vnaduisedly The third is Iustice wherein also care must be had of two things First that the point to be confirmed be lawefull And it is then lawfull when it may stand with pietie and charitie Secondly that the occasions of taking the oath be also iust and they be chiefly foure I. When it may further Gods glorie and worship or serue to prooue some doctrine of saluation in whole or in part II. When it may tende to the furtherance of brotherly loue or to the preseruation of our neighbours life goods or good name or further to the confirmation of some league couenant or contract made betweene parties vpon good ground and for good and necessarie purposes III. When it serueth to releeue a mans owne priuate necessitie as when one sweares to maintaine his owne good name goods or life to confirme his owne faith and truth in contracts An example hereof we haue in Paul who to confirme the Romanes in the perswasion of his loue and care of their saluation saith God is my witnesse whome I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you Rom. 1. 9. And againe to keepe his owne credit and good name among the Iewes I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9. 1. IV. When the Magistrate doth exact it by order of iustice This though it be a iust occasion and warrant of an oath yet three Caueats are in it to be obserued First that the oath be administred lawfully not against pietie or charitie Secondly he which takes an oath tendered by the Magistrate must sweare according to the minde and meaning of the Magistrate who exacts the oath and not according to his owne priuate intent Thirdly he must not sweare ambiguously but in a simple sense so as the words of his mouth may be agreeable with that which he conceiueth in his heart Psal. 15. 2. And whatsoeuer oath is taken without obseruation
of these Caueats the same is not taken in truth but in fraud and deceit Popish teachers affirme that in some cases they may sweare in a doubtfull meaning And this they practise in time of daunger when beeing conuented before the Magistrate and examined they answer Yea in word and conceiue a negation or No in their mindes A practise most impious and flat against this excellent Rule of the Prophet that a man should sweare in truth iudgement iustice The Second Rule is That the forme in which the oath is propounded must be a plaine simple and direct forme wherein God is directly called to witnesse For his worship is directly to be giuen to him and therefore the oath also beeing an Inuocation of his name and a part of his worship is directly to be made That the meaning of this Rule may the better appeare one Question is to be answered Whether in the Forme of an oath a man may not sweare directly by creatures and indirectly by God Most of the Popish sort and some Protestants hold that he may But the truth is otherwise I say vnto you saies our Sauiour sweare not at all neither by heauen nor by the earth nor by thy head c. Matth. 5. 34. In which words he forbids all indirect oathes whereby men sweare directly by creatures and indirectly by God for so did the Pharisies Againe if a man might sweare by creatures and conceale the name of God it would diminish his Maiestie and authoritie and much deceit might be vsed for the swearer might say that he sware not but only vsed an obtestation Against this it is obiected I. That Ioseph sware by the life of Pharaoh Gen. 42. 25. therefore it may seeme that oathes by creatures are not vnlawfull Ans. First it may be said that Ioseph sinned in so swearing for therein he imitated the Egyptians who sware by the life of their King Secondly it may be answered that Ioseph doth onely make an asseueration and not an oath Obiect II. The Church in the Canticles takes an oath by the Creatures Cant. 2. 7. I charge you daughters of Ierusalem by the roes and by the hinds of the field c. Ans. It is no oath but an obtestation wherby the Church calls the creatures to witnesse her earnest affection to Christ. The like is made by Moses Deâ—â— 30. 19. when he saith I call heauen and earth to record against you this day And by Paul in his charge to Timothie 1. Tim. 5. 21. I charge thee before the elect Angels In which and the like speeches there is no swearing but a kind of citation or summoning of the Creatures as witnesses And there is great difference betweene an oath and an obtestation In the Obtestation there is no more but a calling of the creature to giue testimonie the matter beeing already apparent and manifest But in an Oath where the matter is not so manifest God is made not onely a witnesse but also a iudge and reuenger Obiect III. Saint Paul sweares by his reioycing in Christ 1. Cor. 15. 31. which reioycing was a created passion or a creature Ans. That was also an obtestation or a word of auouchment and asseueration and not an oath For it is all one as if he had said thus My sorrowes and afflictions which I indure for Christ would testifie if they could speak that as certenly as I reioyce in Christ so certenly I die daily Obiect IV. Abigail sware to Dauid by the creature As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth 1. Sam. 25. 26. Ans. The former part of her speech may be called an oath but the latter is onely an obtestation or earnest auouchment ioyned with an oath Now although it be in no sort lawfull to sweare by creatures yet when a man sweareth directly by God he may name the creatures in way and forme of an oath specially if he make them as his pawnes and pledges set before God that he may in iustice be reuenged vpon him in them if he lieth and sweareth not a truth Sect. 3. III. Question How farre-forth doth an Oath binde and is to be kept The answere to this Question is large and therefore for orders sake I distinguish it into two parts and first I will shew when an oath bindes secondly when it bindeth not For the first An Oathe taken of things certaine lawfull and possible is to be kept yea and bindes alwaies though it bee tendred even to our enemies To this purpose God hath giueÌ„ special CommandemeÌ„nt in sundry places Numbers 30. 3. Whosoeuer sweareth an oath to bind his soule by a bond he shall not break his word but shall doe according to all that proceeds out of his mouth Mat. 5. 33. Thou shalt not forswear thy selfe but shalt performe thine oathes vnto the Lord Exod 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine that is lightly and rashly But Gods name is taken in vain when an oathe made of things lawfull and possible is not kept Dauid at the humble request of Shimei who had before cursed him pardons his fault for the time sweares to him that he should not die 2. Sam. 19. 23. Dauid made conscience of this oathe knowing himselfe to be bound thereby and therefore till his death he kept it onely hee charged Solomon not to count him innocent 1. King 2. 9. Now for the better clearing of the answer we are to consider four particular cases touching this point I. Case What if a man take an oath by false Gods whether is he bound to keepe it yea or no Ans. He is and the reasons are these First from the like There was a question among the Scribes and Pharises Matt. 23. 16. whether a man swearing by the creature were a debter or no The Pharisees taught that if a man sware by creatures the oathe did not binde But Christ vers 20. affirmeth that he that sweares by the Temple or by the Altar or by heauen sweares by God indirectly so takes an oathe though not a lawfull oath and thereupon remaines bound and is a debter now by propotion he that sweares by false Gods sweares by God indirectly because the false God is in the opinion of him that sweares a true God and so his oath bindeth and is to be kept Secondly Abraham accepts the oathe that Abimelech tendreth vnto him in the name of a false God Gen. 21. 23 So doth Iacob accept of the oathe made vnto him by Laban Gen. 31. 53. which they would not haue done if their oathes had not beene sufficient bondes to binde them to obseruation and performance It will be said He that admits of an oathe by an Idoll doth communicate in the sinne of him that sweareth Ans. In case of necessitie a man may admitte of such an oath without sinne A poore man beeing in extreame want borroweth of an vsurer vpon interest It is sinne to the vsurer to take it but it is not so in the
and iudgements of men vpon the place written Iudg. 11. And my purpose is not to examine that which others haue brought in way of resolution but briefly to deliuer that which I take to be the truth I answer therefore that Iephte did not offer his Daughter in Sacrifice vpon his vowe but onely dedicated her vnto God after the manner of the Nazarites to the ende of her daies to lead her life apart in a single estate The truth of this answer will appeare by these reasons First in the 37. verse of the chapter the daughter of Iephte craues leaue of her father to goe apart into the mountaines for two moneths space to bewaile her virginitie Where it may be obserued that she went not to deplore the losse of her life but her future estate and condition because shee was vpoÌ„ her fathers vow to liue a perpetuall single life And why surely because as the text saith vers 39. she had not knowne a man it was accounted a curse in Iudea for a woman alwaies to liue vnmarried Secondly in the last verse it is said in our common English translation that the daughters of Israel went yeare by yeare to lament the daughter of Iephte But I take it it may be as well or better translated out of the Hebrue they went to talke or conferre with her and so to comfort her and that this interpretation may not seeme strange the very same word is obserued in this sense Iudg. 5. 11. there shall they talke or conferre of the righteousnesse of the Lord. Now if they went yeare by yeare to comfort her then shee was not put to death Thirdly Iephte is commended by the holy Ghost for the excellencie of his faith Heb. 11. 32. and that out of the same historie Now the commendation of his faith and the vnnaturall murther of his daughter cannot stand together But it will be said that Iephte vowed that whatsoeuer came out of his dores to meete him should be the Lords he would offer it for a burnt offring v. 31. Ans. The words may more truly be read thus or I will offer it in sacrifice And the meaning of the vowe was this That thing which first meeteth me if it be a thing to be sacrificed I will sacrifice it if not I will dedicate it to the Lord. For it seems to consist of two parts wherof the latter is coupled to the former by a discretiue coniunctioÌ„ as the GraÌ„marians speake In this manner the word is els where taken so as it may either way be expounded In the fourth commandement Exod. 20. 10. in our common translation it is read thou and thy sonne and thy daughter but out of the Ebrwe it may be translated either and or or It will be said againe that Iephte rent his cloathes because his daughter mette him when he returned from the victorie Ans. That was in regard of her vowed virginitie which was a curse among the Iewes And besides he had but one daughter and by this meanes of sacrifâ—ing her all hope of posteritie after him was cut off But it seemes that Monasticall vowes of virginitie by this example are lawfull Ans. Indeed the custome of vowing virginitie beganne in those dayes but they thought it not a state of perfection but rather an estate of miserie as may appeare in that he rent his cloaths when she mette him and the daughters of Israel went to comfort her as being now in a woefull and miserable estate Vpon these Reasons I conclude that Iephte did not offer vp his daughter in sacrifice but onely set her apart to liue a single life to the honour and seruice of God And Iephte might knowe euen by the light of nature that it was a finne to vow hâ—… daughters death and a double sinne to kill her IV. Question Whether Monasticall or Monkish vowes binde or no To this the Papists answer affirmatiuely placing the greatest part of their Religion in practise and observance of these vowes That we may know them the better they are in number three The first is the vowe of continency whereby a man renounceth Mariage for euer and voweth vnto God perpetuall virginitie The second of Voluntarie Povertie which is when a man giueth ouer all propertie of his goods and bindes himselfe to liue by begging The third is of Regular obedience when a man resignes himselfe in conscience to be ruled by another and to keepe some deuised order in all actions and duties pertaining to religion Now the Question beeing whether these vowes binde or no I answer in a word they doe not and that for these reasons I. First they are flat against the law of God which I make manifest in the particulars The vowe of perpetuall chastitie is expressely against Gods commandement 1. Cor. 7. 9. If they cannot abstaine let them marry for it is better to marrie then to burne To this text the Papists answer three waies First they say that this place of scripture is onely a diuine permission and not a commandement we reply againe directly that it is a plaine commandement For the intent of the Holy Ghost in that text and in the whole Chapter is to ordaine a necessarie remedie for incontinencie which Paul calls burning and for the auoiding of fornication which brings destructioÌ„ to the soule And for that purpose he speaks not in permitting maÌ„ner but in imperatiue tearmes Let theÌ„ marry Secondly they answer that the words concerne onely incontinent persons that commit fornication We on the other side affirme that they are not only giuen to them that liue incontinently but to all persons which are subiect to burning which burning may be without incontinencie For the better vnderstanding whereof let it be considered that there be three distinct degrees of lust in man The first is when the temptatioÌ„ is first receiued into the mind The secoÌ„d when the same temptation preuaileth though with some resistaÌ„ce trouble of the minde conscience which also though no outward offence as yet follow is a degree of burning The third is wheÌ„ the temptation so far preuaileth that the heart will are overcome and the duties of religion for the time vtterly hindred This is the highest and worst kind of burning And if we consider these degrees well it will easily appeare that there may be burning without incontinent liuing Thirdly they answere that this text speaketh not of persons that are free but of those alone who are bound from Mariage by solemne vow we contrariwise affirme and hold that the words are generall and plainly directed to all persons bound by vowe or otherwise and that appeares by vers â—…5 where he saies I speake not this to tangle you in a snare These words doe shewe that Pauls mind was touching the vow of perpetuall virginitie For he leaues euery man according to Gods ordinance to his owne libertie willing none by vowe to binde himselfe from the vse thereof Now for the vow of Regular
any person II. That it withdraw not the mind of the worker or any other from sanctifying the Sabboth either publickely or priuately III. That it be not a worke of gaine but a worke of mercie or tend to a worke of mercie IV. That it serue for the immediate preseruation of life health or goods Of life thus Elias continued his flight from Iezabel many Sabboths together 1. King 19. 8. And the reason is good the Sabboth was made for man saith Christ that is not for the hurt but for the good of man Of health and thus our Sauiour Christ visited the sicke Ioh. 5. 3. and cured the blind man vpon the Sabboth Ioh. 9. 14. By whose example the Phisitian the Chirurgion may lawfully goe not onely to giue necessarie counsell but to minister necessarie phisicke and doe cures Lastly of goods which are in present danger of loosing Thus Christ would haue the oxe presently pulled out of the pit Luk. 14. 5. and the shippe on the shore full fraught with wares requires present helpe if it be in apparent danger of sinking Thus much concerning the first thing required in the observation of the Sabboth Sect. 2. The second thing required in the halowing of the Sabboth of the new testament is the Sanctification of rest which is nothing els but the dedicating of it to a religious vse that is to the practise of diuine worshippe This sanctification is either publicke or priuate The publike is the solemne performance of spirituall workes commanded in the second and third Commandements and tending to publike worship And this may be reduced to foure principall heads I. The reading or preaching of the word when the Minister publikely in the Congregation assembled doth faithfully deliuer vnto the people pure and sound doctrine and applies the same as necessitie requireth and occasion serueth to the edification and saluation of all and euery hearer in publicke audience and the people on the otherside do reuerently and attentiuely heare the same word read and preached II. The administration of the Sacraments according to Gods institutioÌ„ by the Ministers of the Church lawfully called III. Publike praier wherein the Minister calleth vpon the name of the Lord the whole congregation in feruent affection lift vp their hearts vnto him and in mind giue assent to the praiers made in the name and behalfe of them IV. Collection and giuing of almes for the reliefe of the poore whether they be captiues and strangers or those that dwell among vs the sicke the needie orphanes and widowes and such like Vpon these foure heads doth stand the whole publike worship of God For proofe and declaration hereof read these places Neh. 8. Act. 2. 42. Act. 13. 14. 15. Act. 16. 13. Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. c. Priuate sanctification which serueth to answer the second opinion stands in these things I. That euery man in the beginning of the Sabboth in the morning do priuatly prepare himselfe to the publicke seruice that followeth by priuate prayer by examination and humbling of himselfe before God in respect of his particular sinnes This the wiseman exhorteth vnto when he saith Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God Eccles. 4. 17. and his meaning is that before a man betakes himselfe to the publicke congregation there to perform seruice and worship vnto God he should looke into his heart and examine his affections and thoughts that he come not vnprepared which duty though it be alwaies to be done yet principally on the Sabbothday The childreÌ„ of Israel rose vp early in the morning on the Sabbothday to offer vp burnt offrings peace offerings to an Idol Exo. 32. 5. 6. much more ought wee c. And it is said of our Sauiour Christ that he arose very early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and the day following was the Sabboth when he preached in the Synagogues Mar. 1. 35 36. II. That when the congregation is dissolued we spend the rest of the Sabboth in meditation and conference of the word before preached and of the creatures Thus it is said of some that heard Paul preach that they receiued the word with all readines and searched the Scripture whether those things were so Act. 17. 11. And the whole 92. Psalme was penned that it might be a song of the Sabboth and it containes nothing but a meditation of the workes of God III. That men priuately exercise themselues in the workes of charitie and mercie as in visiting the sicke in making peace betweene those that are at discord in releeuing the poore in teaching and instructing the ignorant in coÌ„forting those that are distressed and comfortlesse Neh. 8. 12. Then all the people went to eate and to drinke and to send parâ— abroad to the poore and to make great ioy The Tthird Question touching the Sabboth When the Sabboth doth beginne To this some doe answer in the euening and some in the morning My answer is this that the Sabboth of the new Testament amongst vs is to beginne in the morning and so to continue tâ—l the next morrow not in the euening till the euening The reasons be these 1. The Sabboth is to beginne when other ordinarie daies begin according to the order and account of the Church wherein wee liue 2. It was the practise of Christ and the Apostles For Christ as it hath beene thought of auncient times consecrated the Sabboth in that he rose from the dead early in the morning when the first day of the weeke beganne to dawne Matth. 28. 1. and therfore it is fitte that the Sabboth day should then beginne when he rose for as much as it is kept in remembrance of his resurrection The same was the practise of the Apostles For Act. 20. 7. the first day of the weeke the Iewes came togither at Troas in the morning there Paul preached from that time till midnight beeing the next morning to depart hauing staid there as is plaine out of the 6. v. seuen daies In that text I noâ—e two things First that the night there mentioned was a part of the seuenth day of Pauls abode at Troas For if it were not so then he had staied at least a night longer and so more then seuen daies because he should haue staied part of another day Secondly that this night was a part of the Sabboth which they then kept For the Apostle keepes it in manner of a Sabboth in the exercises of pietie and diuine worshippe and namely in Preaching Yea further he continues there till the rest was fully ended He communed with them till the dawning of the day and so departed vers 11. Besides this text Dauid saith in his Psalme of the Sabboth that he will declare Gods louing kindnes in the morning and his truth in the night Psal. 92. 2. making the night following a part of the Sabboth Against this doctrine it is alleadged first that
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.
into the sea did not befall him by lotte but by his owne voluntarie resignation of himselfe into the hands of God willingly vndergoing it as a iust punishment of the neglect of his calling which himselfe confessed in these words For I acknowledge that for my sake the great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1. 12. Sixtly Moses and the Egyptian fought a combate and Moses slew him Ans. Moses took vpoÌ„ him publike revenge in this action as a Magistrate and not priuate as a priuate man For though as yet his calling was not fully manifested to his brethreÌ„ yet the truth is God had called him to be their deliuerer out of the hands of the Egyptians and this very action was a signe of their deliuerance which was to come to passe afterward It was I say a signe thus As he defended his brother and avenged his quarrell vpon the Egyptian so in time to come the Lord would by his hand giue them full freedome and deliuerance from the tyranny of Pharaoh and all his and their enemies Act. 7. 25. Beeing then a publicke person his example can prooue nothing for this purpose II. Question When Anger is a vertue and so good and lawfull and wheÌ„ it is a vice consequeÌ„tly euill and vnlawfull This Question hath two distinct parts of which I will speake in their order Sect. 1. The first part is when Anger is a vertue lawfull For Answer hereof we must vnderstand that in iust and lawfull Anger there be three things a right Beginning or motiue a right Obiect and a right Manner of beeing angry To the right Beginning of anger three things are required First that the occasion of anger be iust and weightie as namely a manifest offence of God Take an exaÌ„ple or two Moses in sundry places is said to be angrie the occasions of his anger were great as appeares in the particulars First because some of the Israelits against Gods commandement had reserued Manna till the next day Exod. 16. 20. Again he was angrie because the Israelites had tempted God in worshipping the golden calfe Exod. 32. 19. In Numb 16. 15. Moses againe is wroth because Coreh Dathan and Abiram rebelled against him and in him against God Phinees Numb 25. 8. 11. is said to haue beene zealous that is angry for God the occasion was because the Israelites committed fornication with Heathenish women Dauid in like manner 2. Sam. 13. 20 21. was angrie vpon this occasion because Ammon his sonne had deffoured his sister Thamar Elias is angry 1. King 19. v. 14. and why because the Israelites forsooke the conenant of God cast downe his altars and had slaine his prophets with the sword Nehemias Chap. 6. ver 5. is very angrie because the Israelites oppressed one another with vsurie and other kinds of exactions Ieremic also Chap. 6. 11. was angrie for this because the Israelites were of vncircumcised hearts eares and the word of the Lord was vnto them as a reproch they tooke no delight therein Secondly it is required that anger be conceiued vpon counsell and deliberation Pro. 20. 18. Establish thy thoughts by counsell If thoughts must be established by counsell then the affections so our anger also And the Apostle saith Iam. 1. 19. Be slow to wrath Now the reason is plaine Counsell ought to be the foundation of all our actions and therfore much more of our affections which are the beginnings of our actions Thirdly iust and lawful anger must be kindled and stirred vp by good and holy affections as namely by desire to maintaine the honour and praise of God by the loue of iustice and vertue by hatred and detestation of vice and of all that is evill One saith well to this purpose that anger must attend vpon vertue and be stirred vp by it against sinne as the dogge attends vpon the sheepeheard and waites vpon his eie and hand when to follow him and when to pursue the wolfe The Second thing in good anger is a fitte Obiect or Matter to worke vpon touching which two thing must be remembred First we must put a difference betweene the person and the offence or sinne of the person The sinne of the person is the proper obiect of anger and not the person but only by reason of the sinne Thus Dauid saies of himselfe that he was consumed with anger not because the men with whome he was angrie were his enemies but because they kept not Gods law Psal. 119. 139. Thus Moses was angrie at the Idolatrie of the Israelites wherewith they had sinned against God fourtie daies togither yet he praies earnestly vnto God for their persons as we read Exod. 32. But it is alleadged to the contrarie that Dauid directs his anger against the persons of his enemies especially in Psal. 109. Answ. First Prophets as hath beene saide heretofore were endued with a speciall measure of zeale and their zeale was a pure zeale taken vp specially for the glorie and honour of God but our zeale against our enemies is commonly mixt with hatred enuy and selfe-loue therefore we must not nay we cannot follow their examples Secondly imprecations vsed by Dauid were predictions rather then praiers for he rather foretold in them what should come to passe then prayed that it might come to passe Thirdly Dauid in his imprecations accurseth not his owne priuate enemies but the enemies of God and not al them but such onely as were incurable for by the spirit of prophecie he knew the state of those against whome he did pray so doe not we Secondly we must put a difference betweene the cause and offence of God and the cause and offence of manâ— Now iust anger must be directed against persons for the offence of God properly and not for priuate offence but onely so farre forth as it tendeth to the offence of God Thus Miâ—iam and Aaron murmured against Moses because he had married a woman of Aethiopia But this was onely a priuate offence and therefore Moses behaued himselfe meekely towardes them Numb 12. 3. The Third thing in good anger is the Right Manner of conceiuing it Wherein these Cautions are to be obserued First that our anger be mixed and tempered with charitie and loue It is the propertie of God himselfe in wrath to remember mercie Hab. 3. 2. and herein we must be like vnto him This was Moses his practise who out of his loue praied for those with whome he was angrie Exod. 32. Secondly anger against any offence must be mixed with sorrow for the same offence Thus Christ was angrie with the Iewes but withall he sorrowed for the hardnes of their hearts Mark 3. 5. The reason hereof is this In any societie whatsoeuer it be if one member sinneth the sinne of that one member is the punishment of the rest that be in that societie euen as it is in the bodie if one part be affected and ill at ease the rest will be distempered Paul saies of himselfe that he was
named vnlesse the naming of them tend to the reproouing further condemning of them much lesse may they be represented for the causing of mirth and pastime For naming is farre lesse then representing which is the reall acting of the vice Indeed Magistrates Ministers may name them but their naming must be to punish and reforme them not otherwise Againe it is vnseemely that a man should put on the person behauiour and habite of a woman as it is also for a woman to put on the person behauiour and habite of a man though it be but for an houre The law of God forbiddes both Deut. 22. 3. And that law for equitie is not meerely iudiciall but morall Nay it is the law of nature and common honesty Here also the dauncing vsed in these daies is to be reprooued namely the mixed dauncing of men and weomen in number measure specially after solemne feasts with many lascivious gestures accompanying the same which cannot nor ought to be iustified but condemned For it is no better then the very bellowes of lust and vncleanes yea the cause of much euill It is condemned in the daughter of Herodias dauncing before Herod Mark 6. 22. And in the Israelites that sat downe to eat and drinke and rose vp to play that is to daunce We read indeed of a kind of dauncing commended in Scripture that Moses Aaron and Miriam vsed at the redde sea Exod. 15. 20. And David before the Arke 1. Sam. 18. And the daughters of Israel when Dauid gotte the victorie of Goliah 2. Sam. 6. 14. But this dauncing was of another kind For it was not mixt but single men together and women apart by themselues They vsed not in their dauncing wanton gestures and amorous songs but the Psalmes of praise and thanksgiuing The cause of their dauncing was spirituall ioy and the end of it was praise and thanksgiuing It may be alleadged that Ecclesiastes saith There is a time of mourning and a time of dauncing Eccl. 3. And Dauid saith Thou hast turned my ioy into dauncing Psal. 30. 1â— And the Lord saith in Ieremie O daughter Sion thou shalt got forth with the daunce of them that reioyce Ier. 31. 4. I answer first these places speake of the sacred dauncing before named and not of the dauncing of our times Secondly I say that these places speake not of dauncing properly but of reioycing signified by dauncing that is to say a heartie reioycing or merrie-making Besides that the Prophet Ieremie speaks by way of comparison as if he should say Then shall the Virgin reioyce as men are woont to doe in the duinâ—â— And it is sometimes the vse of the Scripture to expresse things lawfull by a comparison drawne from things vnlawfull as in the Parables of the vnrighteous Iudge the vniust Steward and the theefe in the night The third Conclusion We may not make recreations of Gods iudgements or of the punishments of sinne The Law of God forbiddes vs to lay a stumbling blocke before the blind to cause him to fall though it be not done in earnest but in sport Leuit. 19. 14. Vpon the same ground we are not to sport our selues with the follie of the naturall foole For that is the blindnes of his minde and the iudgement of God vpon him I know it hath beene the vse of great men to keepe fooles in their houses And I dare not condemne the fact For they may doe it to set before their cies a daily spectacle of Gods iudgement and to consider how God in like sort might haue dealt with them And this vse is Christian. Neuerthelesse to place a speciall recreation in the follie of such persons and to keepe them onely for this ende it is not laudable When Dauid fained himselfe to be madde before Achish the King of Gath marke what the Heathen King could say Haue I neede of madde men that ye haue brought this fellow to play the madde man in my presence Shall he come into my house 1. Sam. 21. 15. Againe the Bayting of the Beare and Cockefights are no meete recreations The baiting of the Bull hath his vse and therefore it is commanded by ciuill authoritie and so haue not these And the Antipathie and crueltie which one beast sheweth to another is the fruit of our rebellion against God and should rather mooue vs to mourne then to reioyce The Second answer to the former Question is this Games may be deuided into three sorts Games of wit or industry games of hazard and a mixture of both Games of wit or industrie are such as are ordered by the skil and industry of man Of this sort are Shooting in the long bow Shooting in the caleeuer Running Wrastling Fensing Musicke the games of Chests and draughts the Philosophers game and such like These and all of this kind wherein the industry of the mind body hath the chiefest stroke are very commendable and not to be disliked Games of hazard are those in which hazard onely beares the sway and orders the game and not witte wherein also there is as we say chance yea meere chance in regard of vs. Of this kind is Dicing and sundry games at the Tables Cardes Now games that are of meere-hazard by the consent of godly Divines are vnlawfull The reasons are these First games of meere hazard are indeede loâ—s and the vse of a lot is an act of religioÌ„ in which we referre vnto God the determination of things of moment that can no other way be determined For in the vse of a lotte there be foure things The first is a casuall act done by vs as the casting of the Die The second is the applying of this acte to the determination of some particular controversie the ending whereof maintaines peace order and loue among men The third is confession that God is a soueraigne iudge to end and determine things that can no other way be determined The fourth is supplication that Goâ— would by the disposition of the lotte when it is cast determine the euent All these actions are infolded in the vse of a lotte and they are expressed Act. 1. ver 24. 25. 26. Now then seeing the vse of a lotte is a solemne act of religioÌ„ it may not be applied to sporting as I haue shewed in the first conclusion Secondly such games are not recreations but rather matter of stirring vp troblesome passions as feare sorrow c. and so they distemper the body and mind Thirdly covetousnes is commonly the ground of them all Wherevpon it is that men vsually play for mony And for these causes such plaies by the consent of learned Divines are vnlawfull The third kind of plaies are mixt which stand partly of hazard and partly of witte in which hazard beginnes the game and skil gets the victorie and that which is defectiue by reason of hazard is corrected by witte To this kind are referred some games at the cards and tables Now the common opinion of learned Divines is