condemne any usury but such as is against charity and such as is exacted of the poore and which tendeth to the detriment of the borrower this is called biting usury in Scripture 106 Every man to whom God hath given strength and meanes is bound to professe some calling whereby he may honor God benefit the common-wealth injoye the peace of his own Conscience and provide for his family and not to be burthensome to others as sturdy beggers are who will not work but by begging wrong those that are truely poore giving themselves to idlenesse the mother of mischeife and practising nothing but profanesse whereas the Apostle will not have them to eate who will not worke and God hath injoyned labour to man as a part of his punishment nay Adam had not been idle in Paradise 107 Rich men are bound to imploye their wealth to Gods glory to the good of the Church and state to the releife of the poore to the help of their families and not to waste them too lavishly and vainly nor to hoord them up too miserably as many doe 108 Every man is bound according to his ability to be bountyfull to those that are in want and misery for so God is gloryfied our charity is declared toward our neighbour and our love towards God and so is our thankfullnesse for what have we which we have not received but we must take heed of pride and contempt of the poore and repining God loves an humble and a cheerfull giver humility piety and charity readynesse cheerfulnesse and prudence must accompany our bounty which shall not go unrewarded 109. We are bound to avoyd all coveteousnesse whether it consists in desiring in acquiring or in retaining of our wealth inordinately For this sinne is the roote of all evill it argues mistrust of GODS goodnesse and providence it wounds the heart with many thorny cares and makes it commit Idolatry with the world which sin we might easily subdue if we would with David pray heartily against it if we would seriously meditate upon the vanity of riches and their uncertainty and the shortnesse of our life and the Fatherly care or providence of God toward us and the hidden riches of grace and the permanent riches of glory treasured up in Heaven for us these considerations would keep us from immoderate desire of wealth or unlawfull wayes of attaining it or setting our affections with Ahab upon Naboths Vineyard or enslaving our selves to that which should bee our servant or abusing our wealth to Gods dishonour our owne and our Neighbours hurt 110. Wee are bound to abstaine from those meates which the Magistrate forbids because otherwayes wee shall seeme to despise authority and wee shall scandall our weake brethren yet in case of necessity wee may eate of prohibited meates as David did of the Shew-Bread but wee must bee carefull that what wee eate bee our owne not stolne or got by Oppression cheating or any other wrongfull way that we eate moderatly and to Gods glory and for the satisfying of Nature and strengthening of our bodies and at seasonable times and to remember the poore and to use prayer and prayses 111. VVee may with a safe Conscience weare rich apparell if our calling and dignitie require it and if our estates will beare it and if the Laws and customes of the place where we live will permit it but we must take heed of pride and vanity our cloathes must bee decent and comely in wearing of which let us be humble for Adams sinne which brought shame on him and his posterity which we must cover that our filthy nakednesse may not appeare and let us be carefull to cast off the old man of â—in and put on the Lord Iesus that being clothed in the rich robes of innocency and righteousnesse of our Elder brother we may obtaine a blessing from our heavenly Father 112. VVee cannot with a safe Conscience use such recreations as tend to Gods dishonour the prejudice of our Neighbour or the scandall of weake Christians and even in lawfull recreations we must observe time place and moderation not to set our affections too much on them nor to lose too much of our precious time which we ought to redeem nor to neglect our callings nor to forget the afflictions of Ioseph nor of the account wee must give of our Talent nor refused to consider the work of the Lord 113 Wee are bound to stop our eares against detractors or slanderers of our Neighbours good name whither they slander him by belying him or by aggravating his offence or by concealing his good parts and blasing abroad his infirmities or by sinistrously censuring his intentions which sinne is repugnant to Charitie is the daughter of envie if it were not for receivers there would bee no theevs and if it were not for hearers there would bee no slanderers for as the slanderer hath the devill in his mouth so the listner hath him in his eare 114. We are bound to avoyd sinne and all occasions of sinne because sinne excludes us from the Kingdome of God by sinne we grieve the Holy Ghost by whom wee are sealed unto the day of Redemption by sinne wee offend God who wills not iniquity neither shall any evill dwell with him by sinne the name of God is dishonoured and evill reported amongst the Gentiles by sinne we are made slaves to Satan and captives to his will by sinne wee are made subject to the curse of God to al his plagues publick private temporal and eternal corporall and spirituall by sinne the Gospell is dishonoured our faith weakned our conscience wronged and al goodnes in us destroyed 115. We are bound in things indifferent to keep our Christian liberty and not to make our selves the servants of men but let us take heed wee doe nothing doubtfully and without faith for though nothing in it selfe bee uncleane yet to him that thinkes it to bee uncleane it is uncleane and we must be carefull in things indifferent not to offend our weake brethren for though the Apostle had liberty to eate of any thing that was sold in the Market yet rather then he should offend him by his eating for whom Christ dyed hee would not eate flesh for ever but withall wee are not bound to abridge our selves of our liberty to please the obstinate for Paul that circumcised Timothy that he might not offend the weake Jewes would not circumcise Titus to please the obstinate Iews 116 Wee are bound in Conscience to go on cheerefully in the service of God and performing of our Christian duty although men should be offended and scandalized thereby for this is a scandale received not given and it is better to obey God then man Christ himselfe was a scandal to the Iewes he was a stumbling stone and the rock of offence to the house of Israel Christs sermon concerning the eating of his flesh was an offence to the Capernaits the Iews were offended because Peter preached to the Gentils
our faith patience constancy and other vertues may be the more exercised and that wee may the more abhorre our sins and withall wee should call to mind how that the best of Gods Saints even Christ Himselfe have for a time beene deserted 46. Against the feare of death wee are bound to comfort our selves that Christ hath taken away the sting of death that neither death nor life can seperate us from the love of God in Christ that death is a gate to future happines that the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord that death frees us from sinne from temptations from the inticements of the flesh and of the world from all the miseries of this life and the vanities of the world that Christ will raise us againe in the last day by the vertue of his Resurrection let us therefore in consideration of this keepe a good Conscience waite with patience our appointed time till our change come let us therfore strive to the newnesse of life and to the contempt of the world 47 We are bound to comfort our selves in our infirmities in that we have a high Priest who is sensible of our infirmities in that we have a Father who will take pittie of our infirmities in that wee have the holy Spirit who helpeth our infirmities in that the best of Gods servants have been subject to diverse infirmities 48. VVee are bound to obey Gods commands because wee are tied to him in many Obligations he is our Father our Lord Redeemer and preserver because of his supreame authority and absolute power hee hath to punish the disobedient because hee promiseth many blessings to those who obey his will because God reapes no benefit by our Obedience but we our selves because wee have the example of Christ Himselfe who was in all things obedient to his Father even to the death of the Crosse 49. VVee are bound to carry our selves humbly and lowly considering the vilenesse of our nature the greatnesse and Majestie of God the benefits which we receive by humility for it is the way to glory it makes us capable of Grace of VVisdome and other vertues by it wee are fitted as houses for God to dwell in for God to looke upon for God to exalt out of the mire and to set us with Princes and it is a powerfull meanes to avert his anger and judgments 50. We are bound to labour for the true knowledge of God in Christ without which wee cannot have life Eternall without which the people perish without which all our knowledge is but ignorance our wisdome but foolishnesse and our light but darknesse this key of knowledge will open Heaven gates to us this is that knowledge which will truely open our eyes that we may see and be like unto God it is the true foode of the soule without which wee shall never grow fat and well likeing in heavenly things 51 We must conscionably labour for sinceritie in all our actions because God hateth hypocrisie and delighteth in sincerity and in the inward man for he knoweth the heart and searcheth the reines because there can be no peace and security but in sincerity wch consisteth not so much in outward ceremony as in inward truth and integrity not so much in service of the eye as of the heart looking rather to Gods approbation then mans performing not only the greatest but the the least duties looking not for reward from men but from God serving him as well in private as in publique as well in adversitie as in prospiritie as well when he punisheth as when he rewardeth abstaining not only from evill but from all appearance of evill and that not only in the light but in the darknesse also 52 We are bound in Conscience to speake the truth every man to his neighbour for God is truth it selfe and the Devill is the father of lyes which are an abomination to God a lye is a part of the old man which we should put off and mortifie a lye is so hatefull to man that stands upon poynt of honor that it cannot be expiated without a stab lying takes all credit away from the lyar that he is not beleeved when he speakes truth it breakes off all societe and communion betweene man and man which is grounded on truth a lyar is injurious to God the author of truth to his neighbour to whom he ought to speake truth and to his speech which ought to be consonant to his mind 53 We are not bound at all times to speake all the truth or any part thereof when neither justice Charity nor Piety do require it yet we must beware of Iesuiticall equivocation or mentall reservation which is indeed plaine lying they utter that which is false and this is a materiall lye and that which they knew to be false and this is a formall lye 54 When we are commanded by our superior or Iudge to confesse the truth we are bound in Conscience to do it for otherwayes we fall into the sin of disobedience and by our silence we wrong both God the Iudge our selves and our neighbour and the State wherein we live for God is honored by our confession and dishonored by our silence by our confession also sinne shall be restrained justice advanced and the delinquent either totally cut off or amended 55 The Iudge is bound in Conscience to make diligent inquiry before he pronounce the sentence to judge righteously to bewarre of partialitie and acception of persons to beware of delayes and demurrs by which justice may be put off and to beware of corruption and bribery whereby justice is perverted to informe the witnesses of their duty that they must bewarre of lying malice calumnie that they must discharge their Conscience by speaking the truth that so GOD may be honored the party accused may be either cleare or condemned the Law executed so justice and peace maintained which cannot be better performed then by punishing him who out of purpose and malice beares false witnesse according to the Law of retaliation 56 We are all bound to be zealous of Gods glory and of good works for without true zeale God cannot be honored nor sinne suppressed nor Gods judgements averted nor our true love to God witnessed nor true comfort of Conscience or life eternall obtained but let our zeale be according to knowledge out of true indignation against sinne and true love to Gods glory with true sorrow for dishonoring God let it also be joyned with constancy fervency in Gods cause and mildnesse in our own as we see in Moses and Christ 57 In what condition soever we are we ought to be content if we consider Gods providence in ordering all things according to his pleasure if the shortnesse of this life if the estate of the richest and greatest men how little satisfaction or comfort they reape even out of their greatest plenty if the fullnesse of content and happynesse reserved for us in heaven if the true
ought first to reprove our selves for that sinne which we reprove in others and not to take more notice of our neighbours moates then of our own beames 92 We are bound to hearken to reproofe accounting the wounds of a freind better then the kisses of an enemy and to receive reproofes with all humility love and patience and to resolve to make use of such physick though unpleasant for it is no lesse wholsome for the Soul both to cure and prevent spirituall diseases then Aloes though bitter yet fit to purge us of our bodily humors 93 We are bound to love our neighbour as our selves by wishing and doing the same good for him that we wish and do for our selves and with the same mind and sincerity not wishing him any hurt except it be for his further good and for Gods glory so we may wish the losse of his goods for the gaine of his soul and the death of a tyrant for the safety of the state nay we may safely venture the losse of our own bodies for the saving of our neighbours soules and we are to pray for him as for ourselves even for our enemies by this sheweing we have committed our cause to God and that we desire not revenge and in this we immitate our heavenly father who causeth his sunne to shine upon the good and bad and his raine to fall upon the just and unjust and who hath been pleased to reconcile himselfe to us his enemies 94 Wee are bound by a holy life to shew good example to others for the imployment of our talent is required God by this is gloryfied others by our example in goodnesse incouraged otherwayes good men by us will be offended and by our scandalous life the Gospell will be hindred and the Church of God reproached and profane men in their wicked waies animated and hardned 95 We are bound to avoyd and prevent rents or schismes in the Church for they often times make way for heresies they overthrow the life of the Church which consists in unity they hinder the edification of the Church and the growth of christianity they also destroy love and charity and as we are bound to avoyd schisme so must we shun the company of schismaticks least we seeme to countenance their schisme and that we may not be infected therewith or give occasion to others to follow our example yet he is no schismatick that separates himselfe from that Church which persecutes him for the truth or with which he can hold no communion without manifest danger of sinne and seduction 96 We are all bound to be tender of our fame and good name cheifly Magistrates and Ministers otherwayes God will be dishonored the Church hindred the Gospell and justice scandaled but if our fame be without cause wounded we must with patience beare it being a part of our crosse which Christ and his best servants have with patience endured 97 Wee are bound to speake and thinke well of all men whilst we have no reason to the contrary and not to judge censure or condemne any man rashly which argues in us either inadvertency to timerite levitie or malice it is a sinne repugnant both to charitie and justice for every man hath as great right to his good name as to his goods we wrong a man more by taking his good name away then by stealing his goods for in this we make him to be pittied but in the other to be dispised and hated we also wrong God by usurping his office for he is the only Iudge of secreets 98 We are bound to conceale the secret infirmities of our neighbour least by divulging them we wrong his reputation except it be when we have no other way to reclaime him or when we see that the concealing of his sinne may prove dangerous to others then a publike good is to bee preferred to a private 99 Wee are bound to imploy the talent which our Lord hath given us and not to hide it in a Napkin wee must impart our gifts of knowledge wisedome wealth and such like unto others for wee are not Lords but stewards of them and the more eminent wee are the more careful should we be in the cariage of our selves least we spoyle others by our bad example If much be given us much will bee required of us and inferiour men are apt to bee drawne by the example of their superiors whereas indeed they are bound to respect and honour them as their superiours but not to follow them if they bee bad Christians 100. Magistrates are bound to maintaine their people in peace to defend them from oppression to advance Religion and learning arts and industrie to reward the good and punish the evill doers for hee is the Minister of God for our weale so the people are bound to submit themselves to their Governours to honour them and maintaine their charge to bee obedient to their commands and thankfull for the good they receive from them 101. Masters are bound to feed and cloath their servants to pay them their wages to use them with gentlenesse to instruct them in the wayes of godlinesse to help them in their sicknesse and to use them according to their deservings to punish them for their stubbornnesse so servants are bound to love feare and obey their masters to bee humble and faithfull even to untoward Masters expecting their reward from God 102. Parents are bound to love feede cloath and instruct their Children to correct them to season them with the feare of God to provide maintenance and fit matches for them so Children are bound to love feare and honour their Parents to be subject and obedient to them to beare with their infirmities to cover their nakednesse and with thankfullnesse to repay their love charges and tender affection over them 103 As Ministers are bound to love teach and to edifie by their good example the people to watch over them to exhort instruct and rebuke them and to pray for them so the people are bound to love reverence to obey and to maintaine their Ministers and to have them in more then abundant honor for their works sake 104 All men that make bargaines are bound to stand to them if they be not under yeares or tuition or mad if they be not cheated and deluded besides their meaning and intention if they be not forced to the bargain by feare or violence if the thing for which they bargaine be impossible unusefull or unlawfull that is either sinfull or sacred this is called Simony in such cases no man is bound to performe these bargaines 105 We may with a safe Conscience let out mony upon use seeing our mony would bring in gaine if any otherwayes imployed seeing there can be no tradeing without lending and borrowing seeing it was lawfull for the Iewes to to take use of strangers CHRIST borrowes a similitude from the Vserers without reproving them which he would not have done had usury in it selfe been unlawfull neither doe the Scriptures
own interpretation and conceit goeth against his own beleife for he beleeves that he is in the right though indeed he is an error now What is done either against or without Faith is Sinne Rom. 14. For the Egyptian Mid-wives who beleeved that they might with a safe Conscience lye to save the Hebrew infants from drowning had done against their faith and conscience so been guilty of murther formaly though not materialy if they had not lyed But we must note that though we are bound never to resist the erring conscience yet we are not obliged alwayes to follow it for if the error be voluntarily contracted we are not tyed by any obligation to yeeld obedience to it yet we are bound by a simple ligation not to doe any thing against it because the Conscience beleeves this error to be truth remaines as yet not convinced untill which time these actions which in themselves are materially evill yet are not evill formally as when a man lyeth with his neighbours wife beleeving her to be his own he commiteth adultery materially in effect though not formally or in his conscience and intention and for the same reason the Dictates of an erroneous conscience are to be preferred to the precepts of a Superior until the error be removed by the Superior who cannot injoyne us to do that which destroyes the law of nature but to do any thing against our conscience were to thwart and oppose that very law of nature 2 Opinion is the second infirmity to which the conscience is subject in this life by reason we are ignorant of the true causes of things without which there can be no knowledge for Scire est per causas cognoscere but opinion is a bad rule for men to square their actions by seeing we can never give a firme assent unto that which we perfectly know not but by way of probabilitie therefore the assent is timerous cum formidinecontrarij yet it is opinion that for the most part bares rule in the world and causeth men without scruple of Conscience to runne headlong into many errors and absurdities it is opinion that imboldens men to persecute without remorse of conscience al such as dissent from them and in this they think they do GOD good service hence the Arians of old thought they were bound in Conscience to persecute the Orthodox Christians and so the Papists are led by the same opinion at this day in persecuting the Protestants dissonant opinions have as well armed mens Consciences with boldnesse as their hands with fire and sword against each other the opinion of universalitie and antiquity hath kept the world so long in blindnesse of Popery causing them without scruple of Conscience to swallow down their grosse errors which notwithstanding Luther could not disgest neither he of late nor Athanasius of old could satisfie their consciences with the opinion of universalitie the opinion that the scholars have of their teachers worth and integrity make them without any check of Conscience maintaine defend even to their own undoing and of the place where they live their masters errors be they never so absurd and this is the cause that the Church hath been stil pestered with so many Heresies the opinion that the Subject hath of the Princes authority and power as also the necessity of obedience to his commands makes them without any controlement of conscience put in execution what soever he commands be it right or wrong and when they take an evil opinion of the prince though he deserve it not their Conscience sets them on work to rise against him some Physitians think they may kil men with a safe conscience by trying experiments their conscience doth not check them for murther because they have an opinion that what they did was for the furthring of their own knowledge and the benefit of others so from the opinion the Lawyer hath that it is lawfull for him to live by his Profession he makes no scruple to receive his Clients mony and to plead for him in a wrong cause 3. The third infirmity of the Conscience is doubting to which so long as we are subject our actions can neither stand with love nor faith nor goodnesse not with love for how shall we love God when we doe that which wee doubt is not consonant to his will not with faith for faith is an assurance and firm assent but that can be neither assent nor assurance where there is doubting and what is done without faith is sinne saith the Apostle not with goodnesse for that action cannot bee good which is done without knowledge but where doubting is there cannot be knowledge Maximum malae mentis judicinm fluctuatio therfore if the action bee doubtfull which we goe about it were better bee for borne then put in execution for there may be danger in performance there can bee none in forbearance a man that doubts of his impotency and ineptitude for mariage were better abstaine then marry hee that doubts whither the goods or estate which hee enjoyes bee his owne or not were better restore then retaine them if he can find the right owner if he cannot find him then hee were best bestow them on the poore or else retaine them with that intention and resolution to restore them to the right owner and for that cause use his best endeavours to finde him out so when we doubt whither the Princes command imposed upon us be just or not wee ought to bee resolved either by the Prince or by some other wise and religious man of the lawfulnesse of that command If the Vsurer doubt whither hee may lawfully take use or not he were better forbeare then demand it for there may bee sinne hee doubts in taking there can be none in forbearing 4. The fourth infirmity of the Conscience is scrupulositie a disease that gives it no rest for after it hath assented to one part yet it remaines anxious and wavering whither that be the rightest part it hath assented to and is easily removed from its assent which it gave to this part inclined to assent to the contrary being troubled at every smal conceit scruple perplexed with every shaddow imagination of sin sometimes making us feare that we have omitted what should have been done and sometimes that that we have committed what should not have been done this sicknesse is sometimes layd upon us by God as a punishment of our sins and somtimes as a meanes to try our Faith Constancy and patience its a part of our sprituall warfare let us not then be dejected the end of this tryall is not to hurt but to help us not to kill but to save us neither hath Satan any more power to vex our minds with such scruples then he had to afflict Iobs body with soares he doeth it by permission from God for our further weal these scruples like the Angels of Satan are sent to buffet us but let us not despaire
different essence which things are not in God the HOLY Ghost is of the Father and the Son not by way of Generation as the word is from the intellect which is the property of the Son who is therefore called the Word but by way of procession or love for the HOLY GHOST is said to proceed from the Father and Sonne as these two persons love each other mutually hence the Holy Ghost loveth essentially and personally essentially as he is the love that proceeds from the Father and the Sonne personally as he from whom this love proceeds 5 We are bound in Conscience to beleeve the Creation of the World because we know this is affirmed by Scripture and learned men of all ages because God is omnipotent wise and Good because the world is not God therefore not infinit nor eternall neither in it selfe wholly or in the parts thereof 6 We are bound in Conscience to beleeve that in the fulnesse of time God was made man that his invisible atributes of wisdom goodnesse justice and power might be made known to us his wisdome in finding out a way to pay so great a price his goodnesse which is communicative of it selfe in that he despised not the infirmitie and basenesse of our nature his justice in making man whom Satan meant to destroy the meanes of Satans own destruction lastly his greatnesse for the Incarnation of the Son of God was far greater then the Creation of the World 7 Wee must beleeve that in CHRIST were the three passions of sorrow feare and anger 1. of sorrow or paine for the faculties of his Soule were natural and his body was sensible for as the evill of paine is apprehended by the outward sense of touching so is the evill of sorrow by the inward sense of imagination these I call evils not of sin but of punishment 2. Feare was in Him as it is from the apprehension of future evill but not as it includes either the incertainty of the event or the perturbation of reason for the one presupposeth ignorance the other sin 3. There was in him also the anger of zeale which proceeds of Iustice but not the anger of revenge arising from sin or of the perturbation of reason 8 We may with a cleare Conscience beleeve that Christ had two wills other wayes he could not have had two natures notwithstanding Apollinarius Einychus and Onefurious maintaine the contrary for an intelligent nature cannot be perfect without the will therefore as God his will was divine as man his will was humane but as he was man he was also a sensitive creature therefore not only had he a rationall will but also a sensitive appetite by this he willed the cup to passe from him by that he dranke of the cup here was a diversite of wils but no contradiction because it was not secundum idem 9 We may safely beleeve that Mary the Mother of CHRIST lost not her virginity neither before nor in nor after the conception for otherwise this could not have stood either with the dignitie of the Father that sent Him nor of the Son that was sent nor of the Holy Ghost that conceived him nor yet with the end of CHRISTS Incarnation which was to make us the sons of God by a pure and virgine like regeneration 10 We may safely beleeve that Mary is the Mother of God though not of the Godhead because she was the Mother of that person who is both God and Man for this cause there is in Christ but one Filiation if wee looke upon the subject or person but two filiations if we respect the two natures 11 We may safely beleeve that Christ was the cause of his own death because he did not hinder it when he might either by suppressing his persecutors or withdrawing himself from them or by immortalizing his body but he was accessary to his own Death indirectly only and without sin that by it he might destroy sinne and death and him that had the power of death 12 Wee may beleeve safely that though in Christs death and buriall the soule was separated from the body yet his divinity was not separated either from the soule or the body for the gifts of God are irrevocable and without repentance and the gift of this Hypostaticall union was the greatest of all Gods gifts therefore all Christ was in the grave but not wholly totus sed non totaliter because neither the body nor the soule was separated from the person of the Sonne of God 13 We must beleeve that Christ rose the third day with the scars of those wounds which he received in his passion both to confirme the truth of his resurrection and by them to make intercession to his Father for us for they were as so many powerfull Orators imployed by our intercessor to plead for us besids they were honourable badges of his victory and love tokens of his true affection toward us and marks of his enemies implacable malice 14 We must beleeve that Christ ascended above al heavens not by his own power that is of his humane nature yet by his own power that is of his Divinity and though it was against the nature of his earthly body to ascend it was not against the nature of his body as it was the body of the Sonne of GOD and as it was glorifyed to ascend and this he did that he might prepare a place for us that from thence as our King sitting on his throne he might give gifts unto men as our high Preist he might enter into the holy place to make intercession for us and as our Prophet he might by sending his Spirit from thence inwardly instruct us 15 Wee must beleeve that Christ sits on Gods right-hand not as man only by being Hypostatically united to the divinitie but as God also by eternall generation injoying the same glory felicity and power with the Father from eternitie therefore although the humanitie of Christ is not to be honored with divine worship yet the man Christ is to be adored as being united to God the word humanitie intimating the nature but the word man the whole person because of the Hypostaticall union 16 Wee must beleeve that Christ is Iudge of the quick and dead not as God only but as man also for as in both natures he is our Mediator and head of the Church so in both he is our Iudge and as in his humane nature he was judged by the world so in the same nature he shall judge the world and because no man hath seen God at any time and the Iudge should be visible therefore it is fit that Christ in the visible forme and nature of man should judge the world 17 Wee may with a cleare Conscience beleeve against the tenure of the Greeke Church that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Son as well as from the Father for otherwayes in the persons there would be a dualitie only and not a Trinity neither are the Son and holy
put away all over-weaning conceit of our own worth abilities and all disturbed affections hardnesse of heart itching eares cares of the world and to receive the word with meeknesse faith and love to it that we being sanctified by prayer to receive it it may be rooted in us treasured up in our hearts and dwell plentifully amongst us 9. If wee live in such a place where there are none but Hereticall or prophane Ministers wee are bound in Conscience to heare the VVord and to receive the Sacraments by their mouth and hands rather then bee deprived of both for the efficacy and dignity of the VVord and Sacraments depend not on the Minister that convayes them to us but on Christ who bestowed them upon us a Raven may conveigh wholesome foode to Elijah and Judas may teach true doctrine to the people and the Scribes and Pharises may sit in Moses Chaire 10. Wee are bound in Conscience to bring our Children to Baptisme when it may bee had because the signe should not bee denyed them to whom the thing belongeth for to them belongeth the Kingdome of Heaven therefore wee must suffer little Children to come to Christ we must become as little children or else wee cannot enter into Heaven God is the God of our seed after us the promise is made to us and our children the precept of baptizing is indefinit to al men under which children are comprehended children are subject to original sin therfore ar capable of the Laver of regeneration children were sealed with circumcision therefore should not be debarred from baptisme which is come instead of circumcision without regeneration of water and of the spirit children cannot enter into Heaven all the Israelites that passed through the Red Sea were baptized amongst which were children so the Apostles baptised whole Families and children are part of the Families children also have Faith potentially and in their faithful Parents yet God is not so tied to baptisme as if hee could not save without it the danger lyeth not so much in the want as in the contempt of the Sacrament 11. As every one who hath bin baptized is bound in Conscience to performe what hee hath promised in baptisme by his God-Fathers and God-Mothers so these are also bound in Conscience to see the performance of those things which were promised by instructing and exhorting their God-children if their parents be dead or negligent 12 All we which are baptized are bound in Conscience to rise and walke in the newnesse of life to mortify and drown the deeds of the flesh represented to us by baptisme also to forsake the devill the world and the flesh to fight under Christs banner to continue his faithfull souldiers to our livâ—s end according to our promise in baptisme to keepe our selves cleane and our vessels in holynesse for seeing we are washed how shall we defile our selves to maintain love and unity one with another being all by one spirit baptized into one body to adhere to Christ seeing we have put him on by baptisme to be conformable to the image of Christ our head in bearing the crosse in our spirituall death buriall and resurrection and to cherish the gifts of the Holy Ghost who by the Laver of regeneration is abundantly powred upon us 13. We are all bound in Conscience to receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper as often as we have opportunity if there be no just impediment to the contrary for by so doing we shew our obedience to Christs command and give good example to others by these meanes also our Faith is confirmed Christs death is declared and the benefits represented and sealed by this Sacrament are received but we must be carefull first to examine our selves that we may come with knowledge faith love and repentance then with a longing desire to partake of Christ and his benefits lastly with thankfulnesse and a stedfast resolution to amend our lives 14 As the Minister is bound in conscience to give so is the people bound to receive the cup as well as the bread in the Sacrament for the bread alone doth not fully represent unto us Christs death and passion neither is bread alone without drinke perfect nourishment Christ instituted the Sacrament in both kinds and its wickednesse to alter or impare the will of the Testator the Israelits had not only Manna but also water out of the rock given them to represent Christ they did eat the same spirituall meat and drinke the same spirituall drinke and therefore they participate of both and if there were not as great need of the one as of the other it had been needlesse that Christ and Paul should use them and urge the receiving of them 15 We are bound in conscience to love one another as we see the love of God in this Sacrament represented to us for this is a love-feast so are we bound to be charitable and bountifull to the poore members of Christ whose bounty in giving to us his own body and blood is represented in this Sacrament and lastly we are bound to offer up our bodies and soules our wills and affections to his service who offered up his precious body and blood on the crosse for our redemption 16 We are bound in conscience to feare God both inwardly in our mindes and outwardly in our bodyes and to serve and worship him alone because he made and redeemed both Soule and body and is the preserver and defender of both and none but he therefore this honor we must not give to Angels for they are our fellow servants nor to the departed Saints for they know us not nor to reliquies and Images for we must not fall down before them nor worship them nor to Kings and Princes for though a civill respect is due to them as they are called Gods yet they are but flesh and shall dye like men nor lastly is the humanity of Christ though united to the person of the son of God to be worshiped with divine worship considered by it selfe but the whole Hypostasis or person of the Sonne of God is the object of divine adoration therefore to give Dulia to Saints and Images Hyperdulia to Christs humanitie and to his Mother Latria to the crosse is to commit idolatry 17 We are bound in Conscience to sweare by none but by God only for swearing is a part of divine worship which is not to be given to the creature besids to sweare by the creature takes away the majesty of an oath which should not be taken but with reverence and feare lastly such kindes of oathes are scandulous and offend the weaker brethren and somuch the rather because they were used and commended by hereticks as Austin sheweth l. 19. cont. Faust c. 22. where he reproves the Manichees for sweareing by the creatures 18 A Christian may sweare with a safe conscience when he is required thereto by the Magistrate for in the old and new Testament we read that Abraham Isaac Iacob Paul and
avoyd intoxicating our selves or others with strong or excessive drinking and likewise the company of drunkards and the occasions of drinking by which our reason judgement and memory are either weakned or overthrown our health and wealth impared our time mispent our fame and good name wounded good men greived GOD himselfe angred the practice of holy duties hindred and our hearts in this finne harnded besides drunknesse is the occasion that many other sinnes are committed 72 The civill Magistrate is bound to punish hereticks not as they differ in opinion from the Church but as they are peevishly obstinate and disturbers of the publique peace and if their heretical opinions be blasphemous he should put them to death if they obstinately persist in their blasphemy for the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine yet he must not use violence or force to compell men to imbrace the truth for compelled faith will never prove sincere but hypocriticall and the act of faith is voluntarie and therefore free 73 We are bound with all humilitie to submit our selves to Gods correcting hand without grudging or murmuring or shrinking from our duty and obedience or flying to unlawfull meanes of ease or dispairing because GOD who corrects is our father who will lay no more on us then we can beare who wil not forsakeus in our extremities but will go with us through fire and water because the time of our afflictions is short and they not worthy of the glory to be revealed because our sinnes have deserved more greivous punishments then we can suffer here and because CHRIST our head indured the crosse despised the shame and by patient suffering of afflictions hath entred into his glory 74 We are bound to love God not somuch for his bounty towards us as for his own goodnes and transcendent perfection for to love God because of his bounty to us is to love our selves before him whereas our love to him should be like his love to us his own goodnesse induced him to love us in whom he found no goodnesse at all so that same divine goodnesse should induce us to love him who is goodnesse it selfe besides the love of freindship is more perfect then the love of benevolence for the love of true freindship is grounded upon vertue and goodnesse whereas the love of benevolence is grounded on bounty or beneficence 75 We are bound to love God above all things that is we must be willing to forsake the things we affect most that we may injoye him we must shun all such meanes as may induce us to anger him nothing must greive us so much as when we offend him nothing neither prosperity nor adversity must separate us from him no company must somuch please us as the society of them that belong to him nothing must content us untill we be fully united to him 76 We are bound to subdue and keepe under our proud affections to which naturally we are all prone by considering the greatnesse of God the vilenesse of our own nature the wrath of God against pride both in the Angels and in men and the many obligations in which we are bound to subject our selves to God who hath made and redeemed us and doth still sustaine and protect us and at last will crowne and reward us 77 We are bound to pray at all times in respect of preparation and disposition to prayer so we are bound to pray actually upon all occasions because Satan upon all occasions is ready to tempt us our dangers are many our wants are great prayer is a part of that service we must performe to God it is the meanes by which we converse and conferre with God therfore we ought to take all opportunities of prayer as Christ and all holy men were wont to do and withall we are bound to pray fervently having our minds bent on God to whom we pray on the matter for which we pray and on our own hearts that we may know with what disposition and affection we pray 78 We are bound to avoid all conversation with evill spirits or such as commerce with them as also to reject all such meanes as they worke by which meanes have no power or efficacie at all either from God or nature men or Angels to produce the effects they seeme to produce but are the tricks of Satan to delude and seduce men therefore Witches Inchanters Southsayers and such as consult with them and use their help do plainly forsake God and mancipat themselves to Satan Gods enemy by which they shew that they have renounced the faith and mistrust the power goodnesse and justice of God therefore judiciall Astrologers Fortune-tellers Necromancers and such as trust to Physiagnomie Palmestry Dreames and superstitiously are perplexed with the crossing of a heart the falling of salt with such as they cal unluckie dayes with characters and charmes and such like are not to be suffered among Christians 79 We are bound to confesse our sins to God in prayer either explicitly or implicitly because in prayer we must acknowledge our own unworthynesse in all submission and humility without which we cannot obtaine any blessing from God nor can our Consciences be eased nor God glorified nor Satan confounded for if we accuse not our selves he will accuse us let us then prevent him by a detestation of our sinnes but we are not bound to confesse every particular sinne to the priest 80 We may safely use divisory lotteries for deciding and determining of some things if so be we are necessitated and have no other meanes to determine a doubtfull thing if we dishonor not Gods providence by ascribing any thing to fortune if we use no deceit or fraud nor have any bad or sinistrous intentions but these lotteries which they call divinatory and consultory are not lawfull for we have no warrant for such and they are a tempting of God and little better are the gameing lotteries with cards and dice by which Gods providence is dishonored time lost quarrels are raised and often times swearings and blasphemies uttered besides cheating is countenanced and many mens estates wronged 81 If we have not the gift of continency we are bound to marry for its better to marry then to burne by this meanes we avoyd fornication we live more comfortably together then alone our family is propagated the state is strengthned and the Church inlarged therefore marriage hath been still honorable among all nations God ordained it in Paradise Christ honored it with his own presence and first miracle in Cana but we must not marry within the prohibited degrees of consanguinitie or affinitie because it is against modesty against the inlarging of freindship and the end of matrimony which is to make two one flesh which is already effected in consanguinitie 82 We cannot with a safe conscience marry a woman without her own consent and the consent of her parents for this is a duty that children owe to their parents and hath been the practise of holy men