from Vineyards and Wine as the Rechabites were nor every man to go forth to Preach in the garb as Christ sent the twelve and seventy Disciples Nor every man to administer or receive the Lords Supper in an upper room of a house in the Evening with eleven or twelve only c. nor every one to carry Pauls Cloak and Parchments nor go up and down on the messages which some were sent on And here in precepts about Worship you must know what is the thing primarily intended in the command and what it is that is but a subservient means For many Laws are universal and immutable as to the matter primarily intended which are but local and temporary as to the matter subservient and secondarily intended As the command of saluting one another with a holy Kiss and using Love feasts in their sacred Communion primarily intended the exercising and expressing holy Love by such convenient signes as were then in use and suitable to those times But that it be done by those particular signes was subservient and a local alterable Law as appeareth 1. In that it is actually laid down by Gods allowance 2. In that in other places and times the same signes have not the same signification and aptitude to that use at all and therefore would be no such expression of Love or else have also some ill signification So it was the first way of Baptizing to dip them overhead which was fit in that hot Countrey which in colder Countreys it would not be as being destructive to health and more against modesty Therefore it is plain that is was but a local alterable Law The same is to be said of not-eating things strangled and blood which was occasioned by the offence of the Jews and other the like This is the case in almost all precepts about the external worshipping gestures The thing that God commandeth universally is a humble reverent adoration of him by the mind and body Now the adoration of the mind is still the same but the bodily expression altereth according to the custome of Countreys In most Countreys kneeling or prostration are the expressions of greatest veneration and submission In some few Countreys it is more signified by sitting with the face covered with their hands In some it is signified best by standing kneeling is ordinarily most fit because it is the most common sign of humble reverence but where it is not so it is not fit The same we must say of other gestures and of habits The Women among the Corinthians were not to go uncovered because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11. 10. and yet in some places where long hair or covering may have a contrary signification the case may be contrary The very fourth Commandment however it was a perpetual law as to the proportion of time yet was alterable as to the seventh day Those which I call Universal Laws some call Moral But that 's no term of distinction but signifieth the common nature of all Laws which are for the Governing of our Manners Some call them Natural Laws and the other Positive But the truth is There are some Laws of Nature which are Universal and some that are particular as they are the Result of Universal or Particular Nature And there are some Laws of Nature that are perpetual â which are the result of an unaliered foundation and there are some that are Temporary when it is See the Advertisement before my Book against Infidelity some Temporary alterable thing in Nature from whence the duty doth result So there are some Positive Laws that are Universal or unalterable during this World and some that are Local particular or temporary only § 24. Direct 13. Remember that whatever duty you seem obliged to perform the obligation still Direct 13. supposeth that it is not naturally impossible to you and therefore you are bound to do it as well as you can See Mr. Trumans book of Natural and Moral Impotency And when other mens force or your natural disability hindereth you from doing it as you would you are not therefore disobliged from doing it at all but the total omission is wârse than the defective performance of it as the defective performance is worse than doing it more perfectly And in such a case the Defects which are utterly involuntary are none of yours imputatively at all but his that hindereth you unless as some other sin might cause that As if I were in a Countrey where I could have liberty to Read and Pray but not to Preach or to Preach only once a moneth and no more It is my duty to do so much as I can do as being much better than nothing and not to forbear all because I cannot do all Obj. But you must forbear no part of your duty Answ. True but nothing is my duty which is Object 1. naturally impossible for me to do Either I can do it or I cannot If I can I must supposing it a duty in all other respects but if I cannot I am not bound to it Obj. But it is not suffering that must deter you for that is a carnal reason and your suffering Object 2. may do more good than your preaching Answ. Suffering is considerable either as a pain to the flesh or as an unresistible hindrance of the work of the Gospel As it is meerly a pain to the flesh I ought not to be deterred by it from the work of God But as it forcibly hindereth me from that work as by Imprisonment death cutting out the tongue c. I may lawfully foresee it and by lawful means avoid it when it is sincerely for the work of Christ and not for the saving of the flesh If Paul foresaw that the Preaching of one more Sermon at Damascus was like to hinder his preaching any more because the Jews watcht the gates day and night to kill him it was Pauls duty to be let down by the wall in a basket and to escape and preach elsewhere Act. 9. 25. And when the Christians could not safely meet publickly they met in secret as Ioh. 19. 38. Act. 12. 12 c. whether Pauls suffering at Damascus for Preaching one more Sermon or his preaching more elsewhere was to be chosen the interest of Christ and the Gospel must direct him to resolve That which is best for the Church is to be chosen § 25. Direct 14. Remember that no material duty is formally a duty at all times that which Direct 14. is a duty in its season is no duty out of season Affirmative precepts bind not to all times except only to habits or the secret intention of our ultimate end so far as is sufficient to animate and actuate the means while we are waking and have the use of reason Praying and Preaching that are very great duties may be so unseasonably performed as to be sins If forbearing a prayer or Sermon or Sacrament one day or month be rationally like to procure
commanded when none but Christ ever did so well Quest. 1. What is moral goodness in any creature and subject but a conformity to his Rulers will expressed in his Law And if this Conformity be its very form and being it cannot be that any thing should be morally good that is not commanded Quest. 2. Doth not the Law of God command us to love him with all our heart and soul and strength and accordingly to serve him And is it possible to give him more than all or can God come after and counsel us to give him more than is possible Quest. 3. Doth not the Law of Nature oblige us to serve God to the utmost of our Power He that denyeth it is become unnatural and must deny God to be God or deny himself to be his rational creature For nothing is more clear in nature than that the Creature who is nothing and hath nothing but from God and is absolutely His Own doth owe him all that he is able to do Quest. 4. Doth not Christ determine the Case to his Disciples Luke 17. 10. 5. A middle between Good and Evil in Morality is a contradiction There is no such thing For Good and Evil are the whole of Morality Without these species there is no Morality § 10. Object 2. It seems then you hold that there is nothing indifferent which is a paradox Object 2. Answ. No such matter There are thousands and millions of things that are indifferent But they Whether any things âe Indifferent Stoici indifferentia distinguunt 1. ââa quaen queadsâââââtatem neque ad inââliâitatem confââââ ut sunt diviâiae sanitas vires gloria c. Nam sine his contingit âoelicem esse cum earum usus vel rectus âoelicitatis vel pravus intâlicitatis author sit 2. Quae neque appetitum neque occasionem movent ut pares vel imparts habere capillos c. Lacit ââ Zenoââ are Things Natural only and not Things Moral They are indifferent as to Moral Good and Evil because they are neither But they are not Indifferentia Moralia The Indifferency is a Negation of any Morality in them in genere as well as of both the species of Morality Whatsoever participateth not of Virtue or Vice and is not Eligible or Refusable by a moral agent as such hath no morality in it There may be two words so equal as it may be indifferent which you speak and two Eggs so equal as that it may be indifferent which you eat But that is no more than to say the choosing of one before the other is not actus moralis There is no matter of Morality in the choice § 11. Object 3. But if there may be Things Natural that are Indifferent why not things Object 3. Mâral Answ. As Goodness is convertible with Entity there is no Natural Being but is good As Goodness signifieth Commodity there is nothing but is Profitable or Hurtful and that is Good to one that is Hurtful to another But if it were not so yet such Goodness or Badness is but Accidental to Natural Being but Moral Goodness and Badness is the whole Essence of Morality § 12. Object 4. But doth not the Apostle say He that marrieth doth well and he that marrieth not Object 5. doth better Therefore all is not sin which is not best Answ. The Question put to the Apostle to decide was about Marrying or not Marrying as it belonged Whether Marrying âe Indifferent to all Christians in general and not as it belonged to this or that individual person by some special reason differently from others And so in respect to the Church in general the Apostle determineth that there is no Law binding them to marry or not to marry For a Law that is made for many must be suited to what is common to those many Now Marriage being good for one and not for another is not made the matter of a common Law nor is it fit to be so and so far is left indifferent But because that to most it was rather a hinderance to good in those times of the Church than a help therefore for the present necessity the Apostle calleth marrying doing well because it was not against any Universal Law and it was a state that was suitable to some But he calls not marrying doing better because it was then more ordinarily suited to the ends of Christianity Now God maketh not a distinct Law for every individual person in the Church but one Universal Law for all And this being a thing variable according to the various Cases of individual persons was unfit to be particularly determined by an Universal Law But if the question had been only of any one individual person then the decision would have been thus Though marrying is a thing not directly commanded or forbidden yet to some it is helpful as to Moral Ends to some it is hurtful and to some it is so equal or indifferent that it is neither discernably helpful nor hurtful Now by the General Laws or Rules of Scripture to them that consideratis considerandis it is discernably helpful it is not indifferent but a duty To them that it is discernably hurtful it is not indifferent but a sin To them that it is neither discernably helpful or hurtful as to Moral Ends it is indifferent as being neither duty nor sin for it is not a thing of Moral choice or nature at all But the Light of Nature telleth us that God hath not left it Indifferent to men to Hinder themselves or to Help themselves as to Moral Ends Else why pray we Lead us not into temptation And marriage is so great a Help to some and so great a Hurt to others that no man can say that it is Morally Indifferent to all men in the world And therefore that being none of the Apostles meaning it followeth that his meaning is as aforesaid § 13. Object 5. But there are many things indifferent in themselves though not as cloathed with Object 5. all their accidents and circumstances And these actions being Good in their accidents may be the matter of a Vow Answ. True but those actions are commanded duties and not things indifferent as so circumstantiated It is very few actions in the world that are made simply duties or sins in their simple nature without their circumstances and accidents The commonest matter of all Gods Laws is Actions or dispositions which are Good or Evil in their circumstances and accidents Therefore I conclude Things wholly Indifferent are not to be Vowed § 14. Direct 5. It is not every Duty that is the matter of a lawful Vow Else you might have as Direct 5. many Vows as Duties Every good thought and word and deed might have a Vow And then every sin which you commit would be accompanied and aggravated with the guilt of Perjury And no wise man will run his soul into such a snare Object But do we not in Baptism Vow
faith and repentance of children as they grow up is from Gods fulfilling of his Baptismal Covenant with them The reason is because that God in that Covenant did give them a Right of Relation to the holy Spirit in Christ their Head as their Sanctifier to operate on them as they are capable But if they first prove Apostates and be after converted God is disobliged yea to hypocrites never was obliged as to the engagement made by him in baptism And doth now 1. Freely give them faith and repentance as a Benefactor to his elect and then 2. As a Covenanter give them pardon and adoption c. 13. So to the adult that truly made the Baptismal Covenant and never apostatized from it all the Grace that God giveth them through their lives is his fulfilling of his promise made to them and sealed by baptism and a fruit of their baptism But to Hypocrites and Apostates it is otherwise as is before explained Quest. 45. What is a proper Violation of our Baptismal Covenant Answ. NOte well that there is a wide difference between these questions 1. When doth a man John 3 16 17 18 36. miss of or lose his present part in the Covenant or Promise of God in the Gospel This is as long as he is Impenitent an Unbeliever and Refuser 2. When doth a man totally lose his part John 1 11 12 13 and hope in that Promise or Covenant of God so as to be âyable to all the penalty of it That is only by final Impenitence Unbelief and refusal when Life is ended 3. And when doth a man violate his own Covenant or promise made to God in baptism Which is our present question To which I answer 1. This Promise hath parts Essential and parts Integral We promise not both these parts alike nor on the same terms Though both be promised The essential parts are our essential duties of Christianity Faith Love Repentance in the essential parts c. The Integrals are the Integral 2 Pet. 2 20 21 22 23. duties of Christianity Heb. 6 2 4 5 6 â 8. 2. He that performeth not the essential duties is an Apostate or Hypocrite 3. He that performeth not the Integral duties is a sinner not only against the Law of Nature and Heb. 10 26 27 28. Christs Precepts but his own Promise And in this sense we all confess our breach of Covenant with Christ But he is no Apostate Hypocrite or out of Covenant 1 Joh. 1 9 10. James 3. 2 3. Quest. 46. May not Baptism in some Cases be repeated And when Answ. 1. YOu must distinguish between Baptism taken Morally or only Physically 2. Between Baptism Morally as it is a Church or Visible Covenant and as a Heart Covenant 3. Between Real baptism and seeming baptism which is a Nullity 4. Between certain reception of baptism and that which is uncertain or justly doubted of And so I answer 1. Real and Certain Baptism as a visible Church-Ordinance may not be repeated Though the Heart-Covenant was wanting And though it wanted not only decent modes but integral parts 2. But in these cases Baptism may be used where it seemed to have been received before 1. When the person made no profession of the Christian faith nor his Parents for him if an Infant 2. If that profession notoriously wanted an Essential part As if he only professed to believe in God the Father and not in the Son or the Holy Ghost 3. If the Minister only baptized him into the name of the Father or Son or left out any essential part 4. If the person or Minister only contracted for a distant futurity As I will be a Christian when I am old c. and not for the present which is not to be christened but only to promise to be christened hereafter 5. If all application of water or any watery element was omitted which is the external sign 6. Of the Baptizers power I shall speak anon 7. If the Church or the person himself have just cause of doubting whether he was truly baptized or not to do it again with hypothetical expressions If thou art not baptized I baptize thee yea or simply while that is understood is lawful and fit And it is not to be twice baptized Morally but only Physically As I have fully opened in the Question of Re-ordination to which I must refer the Reader 3. And I confess I make little doubt but that those in Acts 19. were Re-baptized notwithstanding the witty evasion invented by Phil. Marnixius Aldegondus and Beza's improvement of it and the now common reception of that interpretation For 1. A new and forced exposition which no Reader Of Acts 19 1 2 3 4 5. dreameth of till it be put into his head is usually to be suspected lest art deceive us Whether it were re-baptizing 2. The omission of the Holy Ghost is an essential defect and maketh Baptism specifically another thing And he were now to be re-baptized who should be so baptized 3. Whatever some say in heat against the Papists Iohns baptism and our Christian baptism are so specifically distinct also that he that had now but Iohns were to be yet baptized The person of the Mâssiah himself being not determinately put into Iohns baptism as such Nor can it be supposed that all the Jews that Iohn baptized were baptized into the profession of faith in this numerical person Iesus but only to an unknown Saviour undetermined However he pointed to Christ in the hearing of some of his disciples We must not run from plain truth in pievishness of opposition to Papists oâ any other men 4. The fifth Verse would not be true of Iohns baptism as the History sheweth that When Johns hearers heard this they were baptized into the Name of the Lord Iesus This is contrary to the Text that recordeth it 5. In the fourth Verse the words that is on Christ Iesus are plainly Pauls expository words of Iohns and âot Iohns words Iohn baptized them into the Name of the Messiah that should come after him which indeed saith Paul was Christ Iesus though not then personally determined by Iohn 6. The connexion of the fourth fifth and sixth Verses puts all out of doubt 1. In the fourth Verse the last words are Pauls that is on Christ Iesus 2 In the next words Ver. 4. When they heard this they were baptized c. must refer to the last words or to his that was speaking to them 3. Ver. 6. The Pronoun Them when Paul had laid his hands on them plainly reââerreth to them last spoken of Ver. 5. which therefore was not Iohns hearers as such 4. And the âords they were baptized into the name of the Lord Iesus are plainly distinctive from Iohns baptism Saith Grotius Sic accepere Latinus Syrus Arabs Veteres omnes ante Marnixium âut verba Lâucae Yet I say not so hardly of Iohns baptism as Tertuliââ on this Text de Baptis Adeo pasââââa in
a Zeal against Error and for Truth Object V. Are all these Numerous Directions to be found in Scripture Shew us them in Scripture or you trouble the Church with your own inventions Answ. 1. Are all your Sermons in the Scripture And all the good Books of your Library in the Scripture 2. Will you have none but Readers in the Church and put down Preachers Sure it is the Reader that delivereth all and only the Scripture 3. Are we not Men before we are Christians And is not the Light and Law of Nature Divine And was the Scripture written to be instead of Reason or of a Logick or other subservient Sciences Or must they not all be sanctified and used for Divinity 4. But I think that as all good Commentaries and Sermons and Systems of Theology are in Scripture so is the Directory here given and is proved by the evidence of the very thing discourst of or by the plainest Texts Object VI. You confound your Reader by Curiosity of distinctions Answ. 1. If they are vain or false shame them by detecting it or you shame your selves by blaming them when you cannot shew the error Expose not your selves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to escape confusion that is avoiding knowledge to escape Ignorance or Light to escape darkness 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that breedeth and feedeth almost all our pernitious Controversies And even those that bring in error by vain distinction must be confuted by better distinguishers and not by ignorant Confounders I will believe the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 14 15 16. that Logomachie is the plague by which the hearers are subverted and ungodliness increased and that Orthotomie or right dividing the Word of Truth is the Cure And Heb. 5. 15. Discerning both good and evil is the work of long and well exercised senses Object VII Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity and to the Creed What a toilsome task do you make Religion by overdoing Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for Articles of Faith I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity and more confident that the Church will never have Peace and Concord till it be so done as to the test of mens Faith and Communion But he that will have no Books but his Creed and Bible may follow that Sectary who when he had burnt all his other Books as bumane inventions at last burnt the Bible when he grew Learned enough to understand that the translation of that was Humane too 2 If men think not all the Tools in their Shops and all the Furniture of their Houses or the number of their Sheep or Cattle or Lands nor the number of Truths received by a Learning intellect c. to be a trouble and toil why should they think so of the number of Helps to facilitate the practice of their duty If all the Books in your Libraries make your Studies or Religion toilsome why do you keep them and do not come to the Vulgar Religion that would hear no more but Think well speak well and do well or Love God and your neighbour and do as you would be done by He that doth this truly shall be saved But there goeth more to the building of a house than to say Lay the foundation and raise the superstructure Universals exist not but in individuals and the whole consisteth of all the parts 3. It is not expected that any man remember all these Directions Therefore I wrote them because men cannot remember them that they may upon every necessary occasion go to that which they have present use for and cannot otherwise remember In summ to my quarrelsome Brethren I have two requests 1. That instead of their unconscionable and yet unreformed custome of backbiting they would tell me to my face of my offences by convincing evidence and not tempt the hearers to think them envious and 2. That what I do amiss they would do better and not be such as will neither laboriously serve the Church themselves nor suffer others and that they will not be guilty of Idleness themselves nor tempt me to be a slothful servant who have so little time to spend For I dare not stand before God under that guilt And that they will not joyn with the enemies and resisters of the publication of the Word of God And to the Readers my request is 1. That what ever for Quantity or Quality in this Book is an impediment to their regular universal obedience and to a truly holy life they would neglect and cast away 2. But that which is truly Instructing and Helpful they would diligently Digest and Practice And I encourage them by my testimony that by long experience I am assured that this PRACTICAL RELIGION will afford both to Church State and Conscience more certain and more solid Peace than contending Disputers with all their pretences of Orthodoxness and Zeal against Errors for the Truth will ever bring or did ever attain to I crave your pardon for this long Apology It is an Age where the Objections are not feigned and where our greatest and most costly services of God are charged on us as our greatest sins and where at once I am accused of Conscience for doing no more and of men for doing so much Being really A most unworthy Servant of so good a Master RICHARD BAXTER THE CONTENTS OF THE First TOME Christian Ethicks The Introduction page 1 2. CHAP. I. DIrections to Unconverted graceless sinners for the attainment of saving Grace § 1. What is presupposed in the Reader of these Directions p. 3 Containing Reasons against Atheism and Ungodliness § 2 Twenty Directions p. 6 § 3. Thirty Temptations by which Satan hindereth mens conversion p. 26 Ten Temptations by which he would perswade men that their heinous mortal sins which prove them unconverted are but the pardoned infirmities of the penitent p. 33 CHAP. II. Directions to weak Christians for their establishment and growth p. 36 Direct 1. Against receiving Religion meerly for the Novelty or Reputation of it ibid. Direct 2. Let Judgement Zeal and Practice go equally together p. 38 Direct 3. Keep a short Method of Divinity or a Catechism still in your memory p. 39 Direct 4. Certain Cautions about Controversies in Religion Heb. 6. 1. opened p. 40 Direct 5. Think not too highly of your first degrees of Grace or Gifts Time and diligence are necessary to growth How the Spirit doth illuminate The danger of this sin p 41 Direct 6. Let neither difficulties nor oppositions in the beginning discourage you Reasons p. 43 Direct 7. Value and use a Powerful faithful Mininistry Reasons Objections answered p. 45 Direct 8. For Charity Unity and Catholicism against Schism Pretences for Schism confuted p. 47 Direct 9. Let not sufferings make you sin by passion or dishonouring authority p. 49 Direct 10. Take
mortal sân The Cure p. 404 Part 7. Directions against sinful Dâeams p. 407 CHAP. IX Directions for the Government of the Tongue p. 408 Tit. 1. The General Directions The moment of it The Duties of the Tongue Thirty Tongue sins The Cure p. 408 c. Tit. 2. Directions against prophane swearing and using Gods name unreverently and in Vain p. 414 What is an Oath What is a lawful Oath How far the Swearers Intent is necessary to the being of an Oath How far swearing by Creatures is a sin Q. Is it Lawful to lây the hand on the Book and kiss it in taking an Oath p. 416. Q. Is it lawful to give another such an Oath or worse When Gods name is taken in vain The greatness of the sin The Cure Tit. 3. Directions against Lying and dissembling p 421. What Truth is How far we are bound to speak truth Q. Whether to every one that asketh us Q. 2. Or to every one that I answer to Q. 3. Are we bound ever to speak the whole Truth Q. 4. Is all Lâgical fâlshood a sin that is to speak disagreeably to the Matter Q 5. Or to speak contrary to our minds Q 6. Is it a sin when we speak not a known untruth nor with a âââââse to deceive Q 7. Or is this a Lye Q. 8. Must our words be ever true in the proper literal sense Q 9. Must I speak in the common sense or in the Hearers sense Q. 10. Is it lawful to deceive another by true words Q. 11. Doth Lying cânsââââ in Deceiving or in speaking falsly as to the Matter âr in speaking contrary to our minds What a Lye is How sin is Voluntary The Intrinsecal Evil of Lying The Cure ad p. 428 Q. 1. Is often Lying a certain sign of a graceless state Where the question is again fully resolved because it is of great importance What sin is Mortal and what is Mortified Q. 2. Is it not contrary to the light of nature to suffer e. g. a Parent a King my self my Countrey rather to be destroyed than to save them by a harmless lye The case of the Midwives in Aegypt and of Rahab opened Q. 3. Is deceit by Action lawful which seemeth a Practical Lye And how shall we interpret Christs making as if he would have gone further Luk. 24. 28. and Dâvid's feigning himself mad and common stratagems in War and doing things purposely to deceive another Q. 4. Is it lawful to tempt a Child or Servant to Lye meerly to try them Q. 5. Is all equivocation unlawful Q. 6. Is all mental reservation unlawful Q 7. May Children Servants or Subjects in danger use words which tend to hide their faults Q. 8. May I speak that which I think is true but am nât sure Q 9. May I believe or speak that of another by way of news discourse character which I hear reported by Godly credible persons or by many ad p. 430 Tit. 4. Directions against Idle talk and baâling What is not Idle talk and what is The sorts of it The greatness of the sin in general and the special aggravations The Cure Who must most carefully watch against this sin p. 431 Tit. 5. Directions against filthy ribbald seurril us talk p. 437 Tit. 6. Directions against prophane deriding sâârning or opposing Godliness p. 438. What the sin is The greatness of it and ââââtish impudence and terrible consequents The Cure CHAP. X. Directions for the Government of the Body Part 1. Direction about our Labour and Callings p. 447 Tit. 1. Directions for the right choice of our Labours or Callings Q 1. Is Labour necessary to all Q. 2. What Labour is necessary Q. 3. Will Religion excuse us from Labour Q. 4. Will Riches excuse us Q. 5. Why Labour is necessary The good of it Q. May a man have a Calling consisting of various uncertain works Q. 2. May one have divers Trades or Callings at once Directions p. 447 Tit. 2. Directions against Sloth and Idleness What it is and what not The aggravations of it The Signs of Sloth The Greatness of the sin Who should be most careful to avoid it p. 451 Tit. 3. Directions against Sloth and Laziness in things spiritual and for Zeal and Diligence The kinds of false Zeal The mischiefs of false Zeal The Signs of holy Zeal The excellency of Zeal and Diligence Motives to excite us to it Other helps p. 456 Part 2. Directions against sin in Sports and Recreations p. 460. What Lawful Recreation is Eighteen necessary qualifications of it or eighteen sorts of sinful recreation Q. Must all wicked men forbear recreations Q. What to judge of Stage-playes Gaming Cards Dice c. The evil of them opened Twelve convincing Questions to them that use or plead for such pastimes Seven more Considerations for vain and sportful Youths Further Directions in the use of Recreations Part 3. Directions about Apparel and against the sin therein committed Q. 1. May pride of Gravity and Holiness be seen in apparel Q. 2. How else it appeareth Q. 3. May not a deformity be bid by Apparel or painting Q. 4. May we follow the fashions Further Directions ad p. 465 c. TOME II. Christian Oeconomicks CHAP. I. DIrections about Marriage for Choice and Contract p 475 Whether Marriage be indifferent Who are called to marry Who may not marry Q. What if Parents command it to one that it will be a hurt to Q. What if I have a corporal necessity when yet marriage is like to be a great incommodity to my soul Of Parents prohibition Q. What if Parents forbid marriage to one that cannot live chastly without it or when affections are unconquerable Q. What if the child have promised marriage and the Parents be against it Of the sense of Numb 30. How far such promise must be kept Q. What if the Parties be actually married without Parents consent Q. May the aged marry that are frigid impotent sterile The incommodities of a married life to be considered by them that need restraint Especially to Ministers p. 482. Further Directions How to cure lustful Love Several Cases about marrying with an ungodly person Q. 1. What Rule to follow about prohibited degrees of Consanguinity Whether the Law of Moses or of Nature or the Laws of the Land or Church c. p. 486 Q. 2. What to do if the Law of the Land forbid more degrees than Moses Law p. 487 Q. 3. Of the Marriage of Cousin Germanes before band Q. 4. What such should do after they are married Q 5. What must they after do that are married in the degrees not forbidden by name Lev. 18. and yet of the same nearness and reason Q. 6. If they marry in a degree forbidden Lev. 18. may not necessity make it lawful to continue it as it made lawful the marriage of Adams Sons and Daughters Q. 7. Whether a Vow of Chastity or Celibate may be broken and in what cases p. 488 CHAP. II. Directions for the choice of 1.
their power of the Rod or supposing that they had none such p. 802 Q. 27. What are Christs appointed means of the Unity and Concord of the Universal Church and consequently of its preservation if there be no humane Universal Head and Governour of it upon Earth And if Christ hath instituted none such whether prudence and the Law of Nature oblige not the Church to set up and maintain an universal Ecclesiastical Monarchy or Aristocracy seeing that which is every mans work is no mans and omitted by all p. 802 Q. 28. Who is the Iudge of controversies in the Church 1. About the Exposition of the Scriptures and Doctrinal points in themselves 2. About either Heresies or wicked practices as they are charged on the persons who are accused of them That is 1. Antecedently to our practice by way of regulation 2. Or consequently by judicial sentence and execution on âffenders p. 803 Q. 29. Whether a Parents power over his Children or a Pastors or many Pastors or Bishops over the same Children as parts of their stocks be greater or more obliging in matters of Religion and publick Worship p. 804 Q. 30. May an office Teacher or Pastor be at once in the stated relation of a Pastor and a Disciple to some other Pastor ibid. Q. 31. Who hath the power of making Church-Canons p. 805 Q. 32. Doth Baptism as such enter the Baptized into the Universal Church or into a particular Church or both and is Baptism the particular-Church-Covenant as such ibid. Q. 33. Whether Infants should be Baptized I have answered long ago in a Treatise on that Subject Q. What Infants should be Baptized And who have right to Sacraments And whether Hypocrites are univocally or equivâcally Christians and Church-members I have resolved in my disput of Right to Sacraments p. 806 Q. 34. Whether an unbaptized person who yet maketh a publick profession of Christianity be a member of the visible Church And so of the Infants of believers unbaptized ibid. Q. 35. Is it cértain by the word of God that all Infants baptized and dying before actual sin are undoubtedly saved or what Infants may we say so of p. 807 Q. 36. What is meant by this speech that Believers and their seed are in the Covenant of God which giveth them right to Baptism p. 812 Q. 37. Are believers Children certainly in Covenant before their Baptism and thereby in a state of salvation or not till they are baptized p. 813 Q. 38. Is Infants title to Baptism and the Covenant benefits given them by God in his Promises upon any proper moral condition or only upon the condition of their natural relation that they be the seed of the faithful ibid. Q. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors Patrimi or God Fathers as we call them and Is it lawful to make use of them p. 814 Q. 40. On whose account or right is it that the Infant hath title to Baptism and its benefits Is it on the Parents Ancestors Sponsors the Churches the Ministers the Magistrates or his own p. 815 Q. 41. Are they really baptized who are Baptized according to the English Liturgie and Canons where the Parent seemeth excluded and those to consent for the Infant who have no power to do it p. 817 Q. 42. But the great question is How the Holy Ghost is given to Infants in Baptism and whether all the Children of true Christians have inward sanctifying grace Or whether they can be said to be justified and to be in a state of salvation that are not inherently sanctified and whether any fall from this Infant state of salvation p. 817 Q. 43. Is the right of the Baptized Infants or adult to the sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost now Absolute or suspended on further conditions And are the Parents further duty for their Children such conditions of their Childrens reception of the actual assistances of the spirit or Are Childrens own actions such conditions and May Apostate Parents forfeit the Câvenant benefits to their baptized Infants or not p. 821 Q. 44. Doth Baptism always oblige us at the present and give grace at the present and is the grace which is not given till long after given by baptism or an effect of baptism p. 823 Q. 45. What is a proper violation of our Baptismal Covenant p. 824 Q 46. May not baptism in some cases be repeated And when ibid. Quest. 47. Is baptism by Lay men or women lawful in cases of necessity or are they nullities and the person to be rebaptized p. 825 Q. 48. May Anabaptists that have no other errour be permitted in Church Communion p. 826 Q. 49. May one offer his Child to be baptized with the sign of the Cross or the use of Chrisms the white garment milk and honey or Exârcisms as among the Lutherans who taketh these to be unlawful things ibid. Q. 50. Whence came the antient universal Custome of Anointing at baptism and putting on a white garment and tasting milk and honey and Whether they are lawful to us p. 827 Q 51. Whether it be necessary that they that are baptized in infancy do solemnly at age review and own their baptismal Covenant before they have right to the state and priviledges of Adult members and if they do not Whether they are to be numbred with Christians or Apostates p. 827 Q. 52. Whether the Universal Church consist only of particular Churches and their members p. 828 Q. 53. Must the Pastor first call the Church and aggregate them to himself or the Church first Congregate themselves and then choose the Pastor p. 829 Q. 54. Wherein doth a particular Church of Christ differ from a consociation of many Churches ibid. Q. 55. Whether a particular Church may consist of more Assemblies than one or must needs meet all in one place ibid. Q. 56. Is any form of Church-Government of Divine Institution p. 830 Q. 57. Whether any formes of Churches and Church-Government or any new Church-officers may lawfully be invented and made by maâ p. 832 Q 58. Whether any part of the proper Pastoral or Episcopal power may be given or deputed to a Lay man or to one of any other office or their proper work may be performed by such p. 839 Q. 59. May a Lay man Preach or expound the Scriptures or what of this is proper to the Pastors office p. 840 Q 60. What is the true sense of the distinction of Pastoral power in foro interiore exteriore rightly used ibid. Q. 61. In what sense is it true that some say that the Magistrate only hath the external Government of the Church and the Pastor the Internal p 841 Q. 62. Is the tryal judgement or consent of the Laity necessary to the admittance of a member into the universal or particular Church ibid. Q. 63. What power have the people in Church Censures and Excommunication p. 842 Q. 64 What is the peoples remedy in case of the Pastors male-administration ibid. Q. 65. May one be a Pastor
Q. 121. May a Minister pray publickly in his own name singly for himself or others or only in the Churches name as their mouth to God ibid. Q. 122. May the name Priests Sacrifice and Altar be lawfully now used instead of Christs Ministers Worship and the Holy Table p. 882 Q. 123. May the Communion Table be turned Altar-wise and Railed in And is it lawful to come up to the Rails to communicate p. 882 Q. 124. Is it lawful to use David's Psalms in our Assemblies p. 883 Q. 125. May Psalms be used as prayers and praises and Thanksgivings or only as Instructive Even the Reading as well as the singing of them ibid. Q. 126. Are our Church-Tunes Lawful being of mans invention p. 884 Q. 127. Is Church Musick by Organs or such Instruments Lawful ibid. Q. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath and so to be called and kept and that of Divine institution And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated c p. 885 Q. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes and observe them ibid. Q. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us p. 886 Q. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture are Lawful or Unlawful p. 887 Q. 132. Iâ it unlawful to obey in all thâse cases where it is unlawful to impose and command or in what cases And how far Pastors must be believed and obeyed p. 888 Q. 133. What are the additions or inventions of mân which are not fârbidden by the Word of God whether by Rulers or by private men invented p. 889 Q 134. What are the mischiefs of unlawful Additions in Religion p. 891 Q. 135. What are the mischiefs of mens errour on the other extream who pretend that Scripture is a Rule where it is not and deny the aforesaid lawful things on pretence that Scripture is a perfect Rule say some for all things p. 892 Q. 136. How shall we know what parts of Scripture precept or example were intended for universal constant obligation and what were but for the time and persons that they were then directed to p. 893 Q. 137. How much of the Scripture is necessary to salvation to be believed and understood p. 894 Q. 138. How may we know the Fundamentals Essentials or what parts are necessary to salvation And is the Papists way allowable that some of them deny that distinction and make the difference to be only in the degrees of mans opportunities of knowledge p 895 Q 139. What is the use and Authority of the Creed And is it of the Apostles framing or not And is it the Word of God or not p 896 Q 140. What is the use of Catechisms p. 897 Q. 141. Could any of us have known by the Scriptures alone the Essentials of Religion from the rest if tradition had not given them to us in the Creed as from Apostolical Collection ibid. Q. 142. What is the best method of a true Catechism or sum of Theologie p. 898 Q. 143. What is the use of various Church-Confessions or Articles of faith ibid. Q. 144. May not the subscribing of the whole Scriptures serve turn for all the foresaid ends without Creeds Catechisms or Confessions ibid. Q. 145. May a man be saved that believeth all the Essentials of Religion as coming to him by verbal Tradition and not as cântained in the Holy Scriptures which perhaps he never knew p. 899 Q 146. Is the Scripture fit for all Christians to read being so obscure ibid. Q. 147. How far is Tradition and mens words and Ministry to be used or truââed in in the exercise of faith p. 900 Q 148. How knâw we the true Canon of Scripture from Apocrypha ibid. Q. 149. Is the publick Reading of the Scripture the proper wârk of the Minister or may a Lay man ordinarily do it or another officer p. 901 Q 150. Is it Lawful to Read the Apocrypha or any good Books besides the Scriptures to the Church as âomiliâs c ibid. Q 151. May Church Assemblies be held where there is no Minister or what publick Worship may be so performed by Lây men As among Inâidels or Papists where persecutiân haâh killed imprisoned or expelled the Ministry p. 902 Q. 152. Is it Lawful to subscribe or profess full assent and consent to any religious Books besides the Scriptures seeing all men are fallible ibid. Q. 153. May we lawfully Swear obedience in all things lawful and honest either to Usurpers or to our Lawful Pastors ibid. Q. 154. Must all our Preaching be upon some Text of Scripture p. 904 Q. 155. Is not the Law of Moses abrogated and the whâle Old Testament out of date and therefore not to be Read publickly and Preached ibid. Q. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them or that the Iews were all Gods visible Church on earth p. 905 Q. 157. Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches nâw that they are only advanced above the rest of the World as the Iews were but not the only people that are saved p. 906 Q. 158. Should not Christians take up with Scripture wisdom only without studying Philosophy or other Heathens humane Learning p. 907 Q. 159. If we think that Scripture and the Law of Nature are in any point contradictory to each other Which must be the standard by which the other must be tryed p. 908 Q. 160. May we not look that God should yet give us more Revelations of his will than there are already made in Scripture ibid. Q. 161. Iâ not a third Rule of the Holy Ghost or perfecter Kingdom of Love to be expected as different from the Reign of the Creator and Redeemer p. 909 Q. 162. May we not look for Miracles hereafter p. 910 Q. 163. Is the Scripture to be tryed by the spirit or the Spirit by the Scripture and which of them is to be preferred ibid. Q. 164. How is a pretended Prophet or Revelation to be tryed p. 911 Q. 165 May one be saved who believeth that the Scripture hath any mistake or errours and believeth it not all ibid. Q. 166. Who be they that give too little to the Scriptures and who too much and what is the danger of each extream p. 912 Q. 167. How far do good men now Preach and pray by the spirit p. 913 Q. 168. Are not our own Reasons studies memory strivings Books Forms Methods and Ministry needless yea a hurtful quenching or preventing of the Spirit and setting up our own instead of the spirits operations p. 914 Q. 169. How doth the Holy Ghost set Bishops over the Churches p. 914 Q. 170. Are Temples Fonts Utensils Church-Lands much more the Ministry holy and What reverence is due to them as holy p. 915 Q. 171. What is Sacriledge and what not p. 916 Q. 172. Are all Religious private-meetings forbidden by Rulers unlawful Conventicles or are
they are sins § 73. Direct 6. And indeed do you not know that it is a sin to love the world better than God Direct 6. and fleshly pleasure better than Gods service and Riches better than grace and holiness and to do more for the body than for the soul and for earth than for Heaven Are you uncertain whether these are sins And do you not feel that they are your sins You cannot pretend ignorance for these But what causeth your Ignorance Is it because you would fain know and cannot Do you read and hear and study and enquire and pray for knowledge and yet cannot know Or is it not because you would not know or think it not worth the pains to get it or because you love your sin And will such wilful ignorance as this excuse you No it doth make your sin the greater It sheweth the greater dominion of sin when it can use thee as the Philistines did Sampson put out thy eyes and make a ârudge of thee and conquer thy Reason and make thee believe that evil is good and good is evil Now it hath mastered the principal fortress of thy soul when thy understanding is mastered by it He is reconciled indeed to his enemy who taketh him to be a friend Do you not know that God should have your heart and Heaven should have your chiefest care and diligence and that you should make the Word of God your Rule and your delight and meditation day and night If you know not these things it is because you would not know them And it is a miserable case to be given up to a blinded mind Take heed lest at last you commit the horridst sins and do not know them to be sins For such there are that mock at Godliness and persecute Christians and Ministers of Christ and know not that they do ill but think they do God service John 16. 2. If a man will make himself drunk and then kill and steal and abuse his neighbours and say I knew not that I did ill it shall not excuse him This is your case You are drunken with the love of fleshly pleasure and worldly things and these carry you so away that you have neither heart nor time to study the Scriptures and hear and think what God saith to you and then say that you did not know § 74. Tempt 7. But saith the Tempter it cannot be a mortal reigning sin because it is not committed Tempt 7. with the whole heart nor without some strugling and resistance Dost thou not feel the Spirit striving against the flesh And so it is with the Regenerate Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 20 21 22 23. The good which thou dost not do thou wouldst do and the evil which thou dost thou wouldst not do so then it is no more thou that dost it but sin that dwelleth in thee In a sensual unregenerate person there is but one party there is nothing but flesh but thou feelest the combat between the Flesh and the Spirit within thee § 75. Direct 7. This is a snare so subtile and dangerous that you have need of eyes in your head Direct 7. to scape it Understand therefore 1. That as to the two Texts of Scripture much abused by the Tempter they speak not at all of mortal reigning sin but of the unwilling infirmities of such as had subdued all such sin and walked not after the flesh but after the Spirit and whose wills were habitually bent to good and fain would have been perfect and not have been guilty of an idle thought or word or of any imperfection in their holiest service but lived up to all that the Law requireth but this they could not do because the flesh did cast many stops before the will in the performance But this is nothing to the case of one that liveth in gross sin and an ungodly life and hath strivings and convictions and uneffectual wishes to be better and to turn but never doth it This is but sinning against Conscience and resisting the Spirit that would convert you and it maketh you worthy of many stripes as being rebellious against the importunities of Grace Sin may be resisted where it is never conquered It may Reign nevertheless for some contradiction Every one that resisteth the King doth not depose him from his Throne It 's a dangerous deceit to think that every good desire that contradicteth sin doth conquer it and is a sign of saving grace It must be a desire after a state of godliness and an effectual desire too There are degrees of Power some may have a less and limited power and yet be Rulers As the evil Spirits that possessed mens bodies were a Legion in one and What Resistance of sin may be in the ungodly but one in others yet both were possessed So is it here Grace is not without resistance in a holy Soul there is some remnants of corruption in the will it self resisting the good and yet it followeth not that Grace doth not Rule So is it in the sin of the unregenerate No man in this life is so good as he will be in Heaven or so bad as he will be in Hell Therefore none is void of all moral good And the least good will resist evil in its degree as Light doth darkness As in these cases § 76. 1. There is in the unregenerate a remnant of natural knowledge and conscience some discoveries of God and his will there are in his works God hath not left himself without witness See Acts 14. 17. 17. 27. Rom. 1. 19 20. 2. 7 8 9. This Light and Law of Nature governed the Heathens And this in its measure resisteth sin and assisteth conscience § 77. 2. When supernatural extrinsick Revelation in the Scripture is added to the Light and Law of Nature and the ungodly have all the same Law as the best it may do more § 78. 3. Moreover an ungodly man may live under a most powerful Preacher that will never let him alone in his sins and may stir up much fear in him and many good purposes and almost perswade him to be a true Christian and not only to have some uneffectual wishings and strivings against sin but to do many things after the Preacher as Herod did after Iohn and to escape the common pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2. 20. § 79. 4. Some sharp affliction added to the rest may make him seem to others a true penitent when he is stopt in his course of sin as Balaam was by the Angel with a drawn Sword and feeth that he cannot go on but in danger of his life and that God is still meeting him with some cross and hedging up his way with thorns for such mercy he sheweth to some of the ungodly this may not only breed resistance of sin but some reformation When the Babylonians were planted in Samaria they feared not God and he sent Lyons among them and then they feared him and
that there is a God that he is infinite in his Immensity and ãâ¦ã that they ââd ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã Deos ãâ¦ã impââbaââ Sââââa statuas ex disciplinae instituto è medio âuâisse And that some thought that the Jews came from them p. 4. 6 And ãâã himââlf âaiâh to these that make Oâphââââ the first Philosopher Vâdeant cârâe qui ita ââlunt quo sit ceâsândus nomine qui Dââââââcta hoâânâm viââ quae âaro â turpibus quibusque âlagitiosis hominibus geruntur ascâiâit pag. 4. He saith also that the said Mââ hââd and ãâã with them that men should live again and become immortal The like he saith of many other Sects It is a thing most irrational to doubt of the being of the unseen worlds and the more excellent inhabitants thereof when we consider that this lâw and little part of Gods Creation is so full of inhabitants If a Microscope will shew your very eyes a thousand visible creatures which you could never see without iâ nor know that they had any being will you not allow the pure intellectual sight to go much ãâã beyond your Microscope Eternity in his Power Wisdom and Goodness that he is the first Cause and Ultimate End of all things that he is the Preserver and over ruling disposer of all things and the Supream Governour of the Rational world and the great Benefactor of all mankind and the special Favourer and Rewarder of such as truly love him seek him and obey him Also that the soul of man is immortal and that there is a life of Reward or punishment to come and that this life is but preparatory unto that that man is bound to Love God his Maker and serve him with all his heart and might and to believe that this Labour is not vain that we must do our best to know Gods will that we may do it This with much more of which some part was mentioned Chap. 1. § 2 3 c. is of Natural Revelation which Inâidels may know 8. There is so admirable a concord and correspondency of Natural Divinity with supernatural the T ãâ¦ã in ãâ¦ã Aâuiâaâââââ i ãâ¦ã Anâiquiââmum omnium ââââââââ Deus ãâã us ââââââââââlââââimum ââunduâ Deâ ãâ¦ã Maximum locus capit enim omnia Velocissimum meus nam per universa discurrit Fortissimum necessitas cuncta enim supeâaâ ãâã tempâs iâvâââât namque omnia Q. Utrum prius factum nox an dies R. Nâx una priuâ diâ Q. Latet ne Deos homo mââââ agââââ R. N cogitââââ quidem Q. Quid difficile â R. Seipsum noscere Q. Quid facile â Ab a âo moveri Q. Quid suavâssimum R. ââui Q. Quid Deus R. Quod initio fine caret p. 14. 20 21. natural leading towards the supernatural and the supernatural falling in so meet where the natural endeth or falls short or is defective that it greatly advantageth us in the Belief of supernatural Divinity Nay as the Law of Nature was exactly fitted to man in his natural innocent estate so the Law and Way of Grace in Christ is so admirably and exactly fitted to the state of lapsed man for his Recovery and Salvation that the experience which man hath of his sin and misery may greatly prepare him to perceive and believe this most suitable Gospel or Doctrine of Recovery And though it may not be called Natural as if it were fitted to innocent Nature or as if it were revealed by Natural ordinary means yet may it be so called as it is exactly suited to the restoration of lapsed miserable nature even as Lazarus his restored soul though supernaturally restored was the most natural associate of his body or as bread or milk or wine though it should fall from Heaven is in it self the most natural food for man 9. The same things in Divinity which are revealed Naturally to all are again revealed supernaturally in the Gospel and therefore may and must be the matter both of natural knowledge and of faith 10. When the maliâious Tempter casteth in doubts of a Deity or other points of natural Certainty it so much discrediteth his suggestions as may help us much to reject them when withal he tempteth us to doubt of the truth of the Gospel 11. There are many needful appurtenances to the objects of a Divine faith which are the matter of a humane faith Of which more anon 12. Christ as Mediator is the Way or principal means to God as coming to restore man to his Maker And so faith in Christ is but the Means to bring us to the Love of God though in Time they are connexed 13. Knowledge and Faith are the eye of the new creature and Love is the Heart There is no more spiritual Wisdom than there is Faith and there is no more life or acceptable qualification or amiableness than there is Love to God 14. All truths in Divinity are revealed in order to a holy life Both Faith and Love are the Principles and Springs of practice 15. Practice affordeth such experience to a believing soul as may confirm him greatly in the belief of those supernatural revelations which he before received without that help 16. The everlasting fruition of God in Glory being the end of all Religion must be next the heart and most in our eye and must objectively animate our whole Religion and actuate us in every duty 17. The pleasing of God being also our End and both of these Enjoying him and Pleasing him being in some sââalâ foretastes attainable in this life the endeavour of our souls and lives must be by FAITH to exercise LOVE and OBEDIENCE for thus God is Pleased and Enjoyed 18. All things in Religion are fitted to the good of man and nothing to his hurt God doth not command Conjungi vult nos inter nos atque connecti per mutua beneficia Charitatis Adeo ut tota justitia praeceptum hoc Dei communis sit utilitas hominum O miram clementiam Domini O inesfabilem Dei benignitatem Praemium nobis pollicetur fi nos invicem diligamus id est fi nos ea praestemus invicem quorum vicissim indigemus nos superbo ingrato animo ejus renittimur voluntati cujus etiam imperium beneficium est Hieron ad Câlaât See my Book of the Reasons of the Christian Religion us to honour him by any thing which would make us miserable but by closing with and magnifying his Love and Grace 19. But yet it is his own revelation by which we must judge what is finally for our good or hurt and we may not imagine that our shallow or deceivable wit is sufficient to discern without his Word what is best or worst for us Nor can we rationally argue from any present temporal adversity or unpleasing bitterness in the means that This is worst for us and therefore it is not from the Goodness of God But we must argue in such cases This is from the Goodness and
many § 64. Direct 20. Remember that God needeth no sinful means to attain his ends He will not be Direct 20. beholden to the Devil to do his work He would not have forbad it if he would have had you done it He is never at such a loss but he can find right means enough to perform his work by It is a great pâât of our wisdom which our salvation lieth on to choose and use right means when we are resolved on a right end It 's a horrible injury against God to intitle him to sin and make it seem necessary to his ends and honour Good ends will not justifie evil actions What sin so odiouâ that hath not had good ends pretended for it Even Christ was murthered as a malefactor ãâ¦ã ds at least pretended even to vindicate Gods honour from blasphemy and Caesar from ãâ¦ã ââââââ and the nation from calamity And his disciples were killed that God might be served by it ââd âââââent troublers of the world taken away § 65. Tempt 21. He would make us presume because we are Gods children and speciall grace ãâ¦ã âaâââât be wholy lâât and we have found that once we had grace therefore we may venture as being safe § 66. Direct 21. But many a thousand shall be damned that once thought they had the truth Direct 21. of Grace It is a hard controversie among learned and godly men whether some in a state of saving grace do not fall from it and perish But it is past controversie that they shall perish that live and dââ impânitently in willful sin To plead truth of grace for encouragement in sin is so much against the nature and use of grace as may make you question the truth of it You can be no suââr that you have true grace than you are sure that you hate all known sin and desire to be free from it Christ teacheth you how to answer such a horrid temptation Mat. 4. 6 7. Iâ thâââe the Son of God cast thy self down For it is written âe shall give his Angels charge over thââ Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Son-ship and promises and truth of grace are incongruous arguments to draw you to sin and heynous aggravations of sin so committed § 67. Tempt 22. The Devil âft most dangerously imitateth the Holy Ghost and comes in the shape of Tempt 22. ân Angel of light He will be for knowledge in the Gnosticks for Unity and Government in the Papists for Mortifcation in the Fryars for free-grace and tenderness of our Brethrens Consciences in the Libertiââs for Peace and Mutual forbearance in the Socinians for Zeal Self-denâal and fearfulness of men and pretended revelations and spirituality in the Quakers He will be against heresie schism error disobedience hypocrisie pretendedly in haters and persecutors of holiness and reformation And when he will seem religious he will be superstitious and seem to out-go Christ himself § 68. Direct 22. Kerp close to Christ that you may know his voice from the voice of strangers Direct 22. And get âoây wisdom to try the spirits and to discern between things that diââââr Let the whole frame of Truth and Godliness be in your Head and Heart that you may perceive when any would make a breach in any part of it The Devil setteth up no good but in order to some evil Therefore examine whither it tendeth and not only what it is but what use he would have you make of it And love no evil because of any Goâd that is pretended for it and dislike or reject no good because of any evil use that is by others made of it And whatever doctrine is brought you try it thus 1. Receive none that is against the certain Nature Attributes and honour of God 2. Nor any that is against the Light or Law of nature 3. Nor any that is against the Scripture 4. Nor any that is against Holiness of heart and life 5. Nor any against Charity and Justice to men 6. Nor any about matters to be ordered by men that is against order nor any against Government and the peace of Church and State 7. Nor any that is against the true Unity Peace and Communion of Saints 8. Nâr any that is certainly inconsistent with great and certain truths Thus try the spirits whether they be of God § 69. Tempt 23. The Tempter usually draâeth men to one extream under pâetense of avoiding another Tempt â3 causing men to be so fearful of the danger on one side as to take no heed of that on the other sâde § 70. Direct 23 Understand all your danger and mark the latitude or extent of Gods commands Direct 23. and watch on every side And you must know in what duties you are in danger of extreames and in what not In thâse acts of the soul that are purely rational about your ultimate end you cannot do too much as in knowing God and Loving him and being willing and resolved to please him But passions may possibly go too farr even about God especially fear and grief for they may be such as nature cannot bear without distraction death or hinderance of duty But few are guilty of this But towards the creature passions may easily exceed And in external actions towards God or man there may be excess But especially in point of Iudgement its easie to slide from extream into extream 2. And you must know in every duty you do and every sin which you avoid and every truth you receive what is the contrary or extream to that particular truth or sin or duty and keep it in your eye If you do not thus watch you will rââl like a drunken man from side to side and never walk uprightly with God You will turn from Prodigality to Covetousness from cruel persecution to Libertinism or from Libertinism to persecuting cruelty from hypocritical formality to hypocritical pretended spirituality or from enthusiasms and faction to dead formality But of this I have spoke at large Chap. 5. Part. 2. Dir. to Students § 71. Tempt 24. On the contrary the Tempter usually pleadeth Moderation and Prudence against Tempt 24. a holy life and accurate zealous obedience to God and would make you believe that to be so diligent in duty and sârupulously afraid of sin is to run into an extream and to be righteous over much and to make Religion a vexatious or distracting thing and that its more a do than needs § 72. Direct 24. This I have answered so oft that I shall here say but this that God cannot be Direct 24. too much loved nor Heaven too much valued nor too diligently sought or obeyed nor sin and Hell be too much avoided nor doth any man need to fear doing too much where he is sure when he hath done his best to do too little Hearken what men say of this at death § 73. Tempt 25. The Tempter would perswade us that one sin is necessary to avoid
corruption Direct 3. and that the natural tendency of Reason is to those high and excellent things which corruption and bruitishness do almost extinguish or cast out with the most and that the prevalency of the lower-faculties against right Reason is so lamentable and universal to the confusion of the world that it is enough to tell us that this is not the state that God first made us in and that certainly sin hath sullied and disordered his work The wickedness of the world is a great confirmation of the Scripture § 7. Direct 4. Consider how exactly the Doctrine of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace is suited to Direct 4. the lapsed state of man even as the Law of Works was suited to his state of innocency so that the Gospel may be called the Law of Lapsed Nature as suited to it though not as revealed by it as the other was the Law of Entire Nature § 8. Direct 5. Compare the many Prophecies of Christ with the fulfilling of them in his person As Direct 5. that of Moses recited by Stephen Acts 7. 37. Isa. 53. Dan. 9. 24 25 26 c. And consider that those Jews which are the Christians bitterest enemies acknowledge and preserve those Prophecies and all the Old Testament which giveth so full a testimony to the New § 9. Direct 6. Consider what an admirable suitableness there is in the Doctrine of Christ to the relish Direct 6. of a serious heavenly mind and how all that is spiritual and truly good in us doth close with it and embrace it from a certain congruity of Natures as the eye doth with the light and the stomach with its proper food Every good man in reading the Holy Scripture feeleth something even all that 's good within him bear witness to it And only our worser part is quarrelling with it and rebells against it § 10. Direct 7. Consider how all the first Churches were planted by the success of all those Miracles Direct 7. mentioned in the Scripture And that the Apostles and thousands of others saw the Miracles of Christ and the Churches saw the Miracles of the Apostles and heard them speak in Languages unlearnt and had the same extraordinary gifts communicated to themselves And these being openly and frequently manifested convinced unbelievers and were openly urged by the Apostles to stop the mouths Gal 3. 1 2 3. of opposers and confirm believers who would all have scorned his arguments and the faith which they supported if all these had been fictions of which they themselves were said to be eye-witnesses and agents So that the very existence of the Churches was a testimony to the matter of fact And what testimony can be greater of Gods interest and approbation than Christs Resurrection and all these miracles § 11. Direct 8. Consider how no one of all the Hereticks or Apostates did ever contradict the matters Direct â of fact or hath left the world any kind of confutation of them which they wanted not malice or encouragement or opportunity to have done § 12. Direct 9. Consider how that no one of all those thousands that asserted these miracles are Direct 9. ever mentioned in any history as repenting of it either in their health or at the hour of death whereas it had been so heinous a villany to have cheated the world in so great a cause that some consciences of dying men especially of men that placed all their hopes in the life to come must needs have repented of § 13. Direct 10. Consider that the witnesses of all these Miracles and all the Churches that believed Direct 10. them were taught by their own doctrine and experience tâ forsake all that they had in the world and to be reproached hated and persecuted of all men and to be as lambs among wolves in expectation of death and all this for the hope of that blessedness promised them by a Crucified Risen Christ. So that no worldly end could move them to deceive or willingly to be deceived § 14. Direct 11. Consider how impossible it is in it self that so many men should agree together to deceive Direct 11. the world and that for nothing and at the rate of their own undoing and death and that they should all agree in the same narratives and doctrines so unanimously And that none of these should ever confess the deceit and disgrace the rest All things well considered this will appear not only a Moral but a Natural impossibility Especially considering their quality and distance there being thousands in several countries that never saw the faces of the rest much less could enter a confederacie with them to deceive the world § 15. Direct 12. Consider the certain way by which the Doctrine and Writings of the Apostles and Direct 12. other Evangelical messengers hath been delivered down to us without any possibility of material alteration Because the Holy Scriptures were not left only to the care of private men or of the Christians of one country who might have agreed upon corruptions and alterations But it was made the office of the ordinary Ministers to read and expound and apply them And every Congregation had one or more of these Ministers And the people received the Scriptures as the Law of God and that by which they must live and be judged and as their charter for Heaven So that it was not possible for one Minister to corrupt the Scripture Text but the rest with the people would have quickly reproved him Nor for those of one Kingdom to bring all other Christians to it throughout the world without a great deal of consultation and opposition if at all which never was recorded to us § 16. Direct 13. Be acquainted as fully as you can with the History of the Church that you may Direct 13. know how the Gospel hath been planted and propagated and assaulted and preserved until now which will much better satisfie you than general uncertain talk of others § 17. Direct 14. Iudge whether God being the Wise and Merciful Governor of the world would Direct 14. Neq enim potest Deus qui summa Veritas Bonitas est hu manum genus prolem suam decipere suffer the honestest and obedientest subjects that he hath upon earth to be deceived in a matter of such importance by pretence of Doctrines and Miracles proceeding from himself and which none but God or by his special grant is able to do without disowning them or giving any sufficient means to the world to discover the deceit For certainly he needeth not deceit to govern us If you say that he permits Mahometanism I answer 1. The main positive doctrine of the Mahometanes for the worshiping of one only God against Idolatry is true And the by-fancies of their pretended Prophet are not commended to the world upon the pretense of attesting Miracles at all but upon the affirmation of Ma sil ãâã de
avoided And usually narrow sighted persons are fearful only of one extream and see no danger but on one side and therefore are easily carried by avoiding that into the contrary § 38. I think it not unprofitable to instance in several particular Cautions that you imitate not them that put asunder what God hath conjoyned and cast not away truth as oft as you are puzzled in the right placing or methodizing it § 39. Inst. 1. The first and second Causes are conjoyned in their operations and therefore must not Instance 1. be put asunder If the way of influx concourse or co-operation be dark and unsearchable to you do not deny that it is because you see not how it is The honour of the first and second Cause also are conjunct according to their several interests in the effects Do not therefore imagine that all the honour ascribed to the second cause is denyed or taken away from the first For then you understand not their order Otherwise you would see that as the second causeth independance on the first and in subordination to it and hath no power but what is communicated by it so it hath no honour but what is received from it and that it is no less honour for the first cause to operate mediately by the second than immediately by it self And that there is no less of the Power Wisdom or Goodness of God in an effect produced by means and second causes than in that which he produceth of himself only without them And that it is his Goodness to communicate a power of doing good to his creatures and the honour of working and causing under him but he never loseth any thing by communicating nor hath the less himself by giving to his creatures For if all that honour that is given to the Creature were taken injuriously from God then God would never have made the world nor made a Saint and then the worst creatures would least dishonour God Then he would not shine by the Sun but by himself immediately and then he would never Glorifie either Saint or Angel But on the contrary it is Gods honour to work by adapted means And all their honour is truly his As all the commendation of a Clock or Watch is given to the Workman And though God do not all so immediately as to use no means or second causes yet is he never the further from the effect but immediatione virtutis suppositi is himself as near as if he used none § 40. Inst. 2. The special Providence of God and his being the first Universal cause are conjunct Instance 2. with the culpability of sinners and no man must put these asunder Those that cannot see just how they are conjoyned may be sure that they are conjoyned It is no dishonour to an Engineer that he can make a Watch which shall go longer than he is moving it with his finger Nor is it a dishonour to our Creator that he can make a Creature which can Morally determine it self to an action as commanded or forbidden without the predetermination of his Maker though not without his universal concourse necessary to action as action If Adam could not do this through the natural impossibility of it than the Law was that he should dye the death if he did not overcome God or do that which was naturally impossible and this was the nature of his sin Few dare say that God cannot make a free self-determining agent And if he can we shall easily prove that he hath and the force of their opposition then is vanished § 41. Inst. 3. The Omniscience of God and his Dominion Government and Decrees are conjunct with Instance 3. the liberty and sin of man yet these by many are put asunder As if God must either be Ignorant or be the author of sin As if he made one poor by Decreeing to make another Rich As if he cannot be a perfect Governour unless he procure all his subjects perfectly to keep his Laws As if all the fault of those that break the Law were to be laid upon the Maker of the Law As if all Gods will de debito were not effective of its proper work unless man fulfill it in the Event And as if it were possible for any Creature to comprehend the way of the Creators Knowledge § 42. Inst. 4. Many would separate Nature and Grace which God the author of both conjoyneth Instance 4. When Grace supposeth Nature and in her Garden soweth all her seed and exciteth and rectifieth all her powers yet these men talk as if Nature had been annihilated or Grace came to annihilate it and not to cure it As if the Leprosie and Disease of Nature were Nature it self And as if Natural Good had been lost as much as Moral Good As if man were not man till Grace make him a man § 43. Inst. 5. Many separate the Natural Power of a sinner from his Moral impotency and Instance 5. his Natural freedome of will from his Moral servitude as if they were inconsistent when they are conjunct As if the Natural faculty might not consist with an evil disposition or a Natural power with an habitual unwillingness to exercise it aright And as if a sinner were not still a man § 44. Inst. 6. Many separate General and special Grace and Redemption as inconsistent when they Instance 6. are conjunct When the General is the proper way and means of accomplishing the ends of the special Grace and is still supposed As if God could not give more to some if he give any thing to all Or as if he gave nothing to all if he give more to any As if he could not deal equally and without difference with all as a Legislator and righteously with all as a Iudge unless he deal equally and without difference with all as a Benefactor in the free distribution of his gifts As if he were obliged to make every Worm and Beast a man and every man a King and every King an Angel and every Clod a Star and every Star a Sun § 45. Inst. 7. Many separate the Glory of God and mans salvation God and man in assigning the Instance 7. ultimate End of man As if a Moral Intention might not take in both As if it were not finis amantis and the end of a Lover were not union in Mutual Love As if Love to God may not be for ever the final act and God himself the final object And as if in this magnetick closure though both may be called the End yet there might not in the closing parties be an infinite disproportion and one only be finis ultimate ultimus § 46. Inst. 8. Yea many would separate God from God while they would separate God from Heaven Instance 8. and say that we must be content to be shut out of Heaven for the Love of God! When our Heaven is the perfect Love of God And so they say in effect that for
the Love of God we must be content to be shut out from the Love of God § 47. Inst. 9. Thus also the vulgar separate the Mercy and the Iustice of God! As if God knew Instance 9. not better than man to whom his mercy should extend And as if God be not merciful if he will be a righteous Governour and unless he will suffer all the world to spit in his face and blaspheme him and let his enemies go all unpunished § 48. Inst. 10. Thus many separate Threatnings and Promises Fear and Love a perfect Law and a pardonining Instance 10. Gospel As if he that is a man and hath both fear and Love in his nature must not make use of both for God and his salvation and the Law-giver might not fit his Laws to work on both As if Hell may not be feared and Heaven loved at once § 49. Inst. 11. Thus hypocrites separate in conceit their seeming Holiness and devotion to God from Instance 11. duties of Iustice and Charity to men As if they could serve God acceptably and disobey him wilfully Or as if they could love him whom they never saw and not love his Image in his works and children whom they daily see As if they could hate and persecute Christ in his little ones or at least neglect him and yet sincerely love him in himself § 50. Inst. 12. Thus by many Scripture and Tradition Divine faith and humane faith are commonly Instance 12. opposed Because the Papists have set Tradition is a wrong place many cast it away because it fits not that place When mans Tradition and Ministerial Revelation is necessary to make known and bring down Gods Revelation to us And a subservient Tradition is no disparagement to Scripture though a supplemental Tradition be And man must be believed as man though not as God! And he that will not believe man as man shall scarce know what he hath to believe from God § 51. Inst. 13. Thus many separate the sufficiency of the Law and Rule from the usefulness of an Instance 13. Officer Minister and Iudge As if the Law must be imperfect or else need no Execution and no Iudge for execution Or as if the Iudges execution were a supplement or addition to the Law As if the Question Who shall be the Iudge Did argue the Law of insufficiency and the promulgation and execution were not supposed § 52. Inst. 14. Thus also many separate the necessity of a publick Iudge from the lawfulness and Instance 14. necessity of a private judgement or discerning in all the rational subjects As if God and man did govern only Brutes or we could obey a Law and not judge it to be a Law and to be obeyed and not understand the sense of it and what it doth command us As if fools and mad men were the only subjects As if our learning of Christ as his Disciples and meditating day and night in his Law and searching for Wisdom in his Word were a disobeying him as our King As if it were a possible thing for subjects to obey without a private judgement of discretion Or as if there were any repugnancy between my judging what is the Kings Law and his judging whether I am punishable for disobeying it or as if judging our selves contradicted our being judged of God! § 53. Inst. 15. So many separate between the operation of the Word and Spirit the Minister and Instance 15. Christ As if the Spirit did not usually work by the Word and Christ did not preach to us by his Ministers and Embassadors And as if they might despise his Messengers and not be taken for despisers of himself Or might throw away the dish and keep the milk § 54. Inst. 16. Thus many separate the special Love of Saints from the common Love of man as man Instance 16. As if they could not Love a Saint unless they may hate an enemy and despise all others and deny them the Love which is answerable to their Natural Goodness § 55. Inst. 17. Thus many separate Universal or Catholick Union and Communion from particular Instance 17. And some understand no Communion but the Universal and some none but the particular Some say we separate from them as to Catholick Communion if we hold not local particular Communion with them yea if we joyn not with them in every mode As if I could be personally in ten thousand thousand Congregations at once or else did separate from them all Or as if I separated from all mankind if I differed from all men in my visage or complexion Or as if I cannot be absent from many thousand Churches and yet honour them as true Churches of Christ and hold Catholick communion with them in Faith Hope and Love Yea though I durst not joyn with them personally in Worship for fear of some sinful condition which they impose Or as if I need not be a member of any ordered worshipping Congregation because I have a Catholick faith and Love to all the Christians in the world § 56. Inst. 18. Thus are the outward and inward worship separated by many who think that all Instance 18. which the Body performeth is against the due spirituality or that the spirituality is but fansie and contrary to the form or outward part As if the heart and the knee may not fitly bow together nor decency of order concur with Spirit and truth § 57. Inst. 19. Thus many separate faith and obedience Pauls Iustification by faith without the Instance 19. works of the Law from Iames's Iustification by works and not by faith only and Christs Justification by our words Matth. 12. 37. And thus they separate free Grace and Iustification from any necessary condition and from the rewardableness of obedience which the Antients called Merit But of this at large elsewhere § 58. Inst. 20. And many separate Prudence and zeal meekness and resolution the wisdom of the Instance 20. Serpent and the innocency of the Dove yielding to no sin and yet yielding in things lawful maintaining our Christian liberty and yet becoming all things to all men if by any means we may save some These Instances are enow I will add no more § 59. Direct 18. Take heed of falling into factions and parties in Religion be the party great or Direct 18. small high or low in honour or dishonour and take heed lest you be infected with a factious censorious uncharitable hurting zeal For these are much contrary to the interest Will and Spirit of Christ Therefore among all your readings deeply suck in the doctrine of charity and peace and read much Reconciling moderating Authors Such as Drury Hall Davenant Crocius Bergius Martinius Amyraldus Dallaeus Testardus Calixtus Hottonus Junius Paraeus and Burroughs their Irenicons § 60. The reading of such Books extinguisheth the consuming flame of that infernal envious zeal described Iames 3. and kindleth charity and meekness and mellowness and
answer 1. Regard your duty more than what men think of you Prefer virtue before the thoughts or breath of men 2. But yet if you do it wisely the wise and good will think much the better of you You may easily let them see that you do it not in fordid sparing but in love of Temperance and of them if you speak but when there is need either for eating more or less and if your discourse be first in general for Temperance and apply it not till you see that they need help in the application 3. It is undenyable that healthful persons are much more prone to excess than to the defect in eating and that nature is very much bent to Luxury and Gluttony I think as much as to any one sin and it s as sure that it is a beastly breeding odious sin And if this be so is it not clear that we should do a great deal more to help one another against such Luxury than to provoke them to it Had we not a greater regard to mens favour and fansies and reports than to God and the good of their souls the case were soon decided § 11. 7. Another cause of Gluttony is that Rich men are not acquainted with the true Use of ãâ¦ã aâte alios Aâtes quae liberalis âuerânt mechaâiâae âvaseâe ipsââ qui ââlloââm dââââ philo sophi ââââtores ââââiââ aâ pâtâes patââââ esse solent ãâ¦ã atque a ãâ¦ã âactiââââ ââque intelligaâ nullam esse rââââquam spem salâtââ Nobââitatâ tribuâtur quod est Gulae aât procâlââbio ââââitatis Petrarch Riches nor think of the account which they must make to God of all they have They think that their Riches are their own and that they may use them as they please or that they are given them as plentiful provisions for their flesh and they may use them for themselves to satisfie their own desires as long as they drop some crums or scraps or small matters to the poor They think they may be saved just in the same way that the Rich man in Luk. 16. was damned and he that would have warned his five Brethren that they come not to that place of torment is yet himself no warning to his followers They are cloathed in purple and fine linen or silk and fare sumptuously or deliciously every day and have their good things in this life and perhaps think they merit by giving the scraps to Lazarus which its like that Rich man also did But God will one day make them know that the Richest were but his Stewards and should have made a better distribution of his provisions and a better improvement of his Talents and that they had nothing of all their Riches given them for any hurtful or unprofitable pleasing of their Appetites nor had no more allowance for Luxury than the poor If they knew the Right use of Riches it would reform them § 12. 8. Another cause of Gluttony is their unacquaintedness with those Rational and Spiritual Exercises in which the delightful fruits of Abstinence do most appear A man that is but a painful serious Student in any noble study whatsoever doth find a great deal of âerenity and aptitude come by Temperance and a great deal of cloudy mistiness on his mind and dulness on his invention come by fulness and excess And a man that is used to holy contemplations meditation reading prayer self-examination or any spiritual converse above or with his heart doth easily find a very great difference how abstinence helpeth and Luxury and fullness hinder him Now these Epicures have no acquaintance with any such Holy or Manly works nor any mind of them and are therefore unacquainted with the sweetness and benefit of abstinence and having no taste or tryal of its benefits they cannot value it They have nothing to do when they rise from eating but a little talk about their worldly business or complement and talk with company which expect them or go to their sports to empty their paunches for another meele and quicken their appetites lest Luxury should decay as the Israelites worshipped the Golden Calf and as the Heathens their God Bacchus Exod. 32. 5. They sate down 1 Cor. â0 7. to eat and drink and rose up to play Their dyet is fitted to their work Their idle or worldly lives agree with gluttony But were they accustomed to better work they would find a necessity of a better dyââ § 13. 9. Another great cause of Gluttony is mens beastly ignorance of what is hurtful or helpful Of this see more in my Book of self-denyal to their very health They make their Appetites their Rule for the quantity and quality of their food And they think that nature teacheth them so to do because it giveth them such an Appetite and because it is the measure to a beast And to prove themselves Beasts they therefore take it for their measure As if their natures were not Rational but only sensitive or nature had not given them Reason to be the superiour and Governour of sense As if they knew not that God giveth the Bruits an appetite more bounded because they have not Reason to bound it and giveth them not the temptation Sâe Plutarâks Precepts of health of your delicate varieties or giveth them a concoction answerable to their appetites and yet giveth man to be the Rational Governour of those of them that are for his special service and apt to exceed And if his Swine his Horses and his Cattle were all left to their Appetites they would live but a little while If promiscuous generating be not lawful in mankind which is lawful in bruits why should they not confess the same of the Appetite Men have so much love of life and fear of death that if they did but know how much their Gluttony doth hasten their death it would do more to restrain it with the most than the fear of death eternal doth But they judge of their digestion by their present feeling If they feel not their stomachs sick or disposed to vomit or if no present pain correct them they think their Gluttony doth not hurt them and think they have eaten no more than doth them good But of this more anon in the Directions § 14. 10. Another great cause of Gluttony is that it is grown the common custome and being not known is in no disgrace unless men eat till they spew or to some extraordinary measure And so the measure which every man seeth another use he thinketh is moderation and is fit for him whereas the ignorance of Physick and matters of their own health hath made Gluttony almost as common as eating with those that are not restrained by want or sickness And so every man is an example of evil to another and encourage one another in the sin If Gluttony were but in as much disgrace as whoredome yea or as drunkenness is and as easily known and as commonly taken notice of it would contribute
Fornication and all Uncleanness § 1. THough as it is a sin against another Adultery and Fornication is forbidden in the seventh Commandment and should there be handled yet as it is a sin against our own bodies which should be members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost as 1 Cor. 6. 15 18 19. So it is here to be handled among the rest of the sins of the senses And I the rather choose to take it up here because what I have said in the two last Titles against Gluttony and Drunkenness serve also for this The same arguments and convincing questions and directions will almost all serve if you do but change the name of the sin And as the Reader loveth not needless tediousness so I am glad of this means to avoid the too often naming of such an odious filthy sin yet something most proper to it must be spoken And 1. I shall shew the Greatness of the sin and 2. give Directions for the cure § 2 1. There is no sin so odious but Love to it and frequent using it will do much to reconcile the very judgement to it either to think it lawful or tolerable and venial to think it no sin or but a little sin and easily forgiven And so with some brutish persons it doth in this But 1. It is Reason enough against any sin that it is forbidden by the most wise infallible universal King of all the world Thy Makers will is enough to condemn it and shall be enough to condemn those that are the servants of it He hath said Thou shalt not commit adultery 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor esseminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the Kingdom of God V. 15 16 17 18 19. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid What Know ye not that he which is joyned to an harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh But he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Flee fornication every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body What! know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you Mark that he speaketh not this to fornicators for their bodies are not Temples of the Holy Ghost but to them that by filthy Hereticks in those times were tempted to think fornication no great sin So Ephes. 5. 3 4 5 6. But fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Deut. 23 Prov. 25. 2â Prov. 5. 3 5. Prov. 7. 5 6 7 Prov. 9. ââ 14 15 Prov. 2â 14 Eccles. 7. 27 Gen. 38. 24. Saints Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting For this ye know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience be not ye therefore partakers with them Gal. 5. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Thess. 4. 3. For this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God See also Col. 3. 5 6. Heb. 13. 4. Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Rev. 21. 8. The abominable and whoremongers shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 22. 15. For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire I shall add no more lest I be tedious § 3. 2. Besides Scripture God hath planted in nature a special pudor and modesty to restrain this sin Saith Boniface alias Wiâfrid of the English Mercian King Ethilbald a fornicator Opprobrium generis nostri paâimur sive à Christianis sive Paganis dicentibus quod gens Anglorum spâeâo more caeterarum gentium c. âinââentium equorum consuâtudâne vel rudentum asinorum more luxuriando adulterando omnia turpitâr foedet coâfundât Epist. Bonif. 10. ad Peâââârid Salvagus Sarzanensis Episcopus Pauli 5. justu Visitationem Ecclesiarum Stiriae Carinthiae Carniolae instituerat Qua peracta sex omnino Sacerdotes qui non essent concubinaâiâ in tribus illis Provinciis inveniâ cum tamen magna pars ex Jesuitaâum disciplina prodiâsset c. Girald Apolog. pro Senatâ Venet. p. â65 Maechum in adulterio deprehensum necato was a Roman Law 12. tââ and they that commit it do violate the Law of Nature and sin against a witness and condemner that is within them And scarce any one of them ever committeth it boldly quietly and fearlesly till first they have hardned their hearts and seared their consciences and overcome the light of nature by frequent wilful sinning Nature hideth the obscene parts and teacheth man to blush at the mention of any thing that is beyond the bounds of modesty Say not that it is meer custom for the vitiated nature of man is not so over precise nor the villany of the world so rare and modest but before this day it had quite banished all restraints of this sin above most others if they could have done it and if God had not written the Law which condemneth it very deep in nature with almost indelible Characters So that in despight of the horrid wickedness of the earth though mankind be almost universally inclined to lust yet there be universally Laws and Customs restraining it so that except a very few Savages and Cannibals like beasts there is no Nation on the earth where filthiness is not a shame and modesty layeth not some rebukes upon uncleanness Ask no further then for a Law when thy Nature it self is a Law against it And the better any man is the more doth he abhor the lusts of uncleanness So that among Saints saith the Apostle it is not to be named that is not without need and detestation Ephes. 5. 3. v. 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things that are done of them in secret And when drunkenness had uncovered the shame of Noah his Son Cham is cursed for beholding it and the other Sons blest for their modest and reverent
covering him § 4. 3. And that God hath not put this Law into mans nature without very great cause albeit the Implicite belief and submission due to him should satisfie us though we knew not the causes particularly yet much of them is notorious to common observation As that if God had not restrained lust by Laws it would have made the female sex most contemptible and miserable and used worse by men than dogs are For first rapes and violence would deflowre them because they are too weak to make resistance And if that had been restrained yet the lust of men would have been unsatisfied and most would have grown weary of the same woman whom they had abused and taken another at least when she grew old they would choose a younger and so the aged women would be the most calamitous creatures upon earth Besides that lust is addicted to variety and groweth weary of the same the fallings out between men and women and the sicknesses that make their persons less pleasing and age and other accidents would expose them almost all to utter misery And men would be Law-makers and therefore would make no Laws for their relief but what consisted with their lusts and ends So that half the world would have been ruined had it not been for the Laws of matrimony and such other as restrain the lusts of men § 5. 4. Also there would be a confused mixture in procreation and no men would well know what children are their own which is worse than not to know their Lands or Houses § 6. 5. Hereby all natural affection would be diminished or extinguished As the love of Husband and Wife so the Love between Fathers and Children would be diminished § 7. 6. And consequently the due education of children would be hindered or utterly overthrown The mothers that should first take care of them would be disabled and turned away that fresh harlots might be received who would hate the offspring of the former So that by this means the world and all societies and civility would be ruined and men would be made worse than bruits whom nature hath either better taught or else made for them some other supply Learning Religion and civility would be all in a manner extinct as we see they are among those few savage Cannibals that are under no restraint For how much all these depend upon education experience telleth us In a word this confusion in procreation would introduce such confusion in mens hearts and families and all societies by corrupting and destroying necessary affection and education that it would be the greatest plague imaginable to mankind and make the world so base and beastly that to destroy mankind from off the earth would seem much more desirable Judge then whether God should have left mens Lusts unrestrained § 8. Object But you 'll say there might have been some moderate restraint to a certain number as Object it is with the Mahometans without so much strictness as Christ doth use Answ. That this strictness is necessary and is an excellency in Gods law appeareth thus 1. By Answ. the greatness of the mischief which else would follow To be remiss in preventing such a confusion in the world would be an enmity to the world 2. In that mans nature is so violently inclined to break over that if the hedge were not close there were no sufficient restraining them they would quickly run out at a little gap 3. The wiser and the better any nation or persons are even among the Heathens the more fully do they consent to the strictness of Gods Laws 4. The cleanest sort of bruits themselves are taught by nature to be as strict in their copulations Though it be otherwise with the meer terrestrial beasts and birds yet the aërial go by couples Those that are called the fowles of the Heavens that fly in the air are commonly taught this chastity by nature as if God would not have lust come near to Heaven 5. The families of the Mahometans that have more wives than one do shew the mischief of it in the effects in the hatred and disagreement of their wives and the great slavery that women are kept in making them like slaves that they may keep them quiet And when women are thus enslaved who have so great a part in the education of children by which all virtue and civility are maintained in the world it must needs tend to the debasing and brutifying of mankind § 9. 7. Children being the pretiousest of all our treasure it is necessary that the strictest Laws be made for the securing of their good education and their welfare If it shall be treason to debase or counterfeit the Kings coyn and if men must be hanged for robbing you of your goods or money and the Laws are not thought too strict that are made to secure your estates how much more is it necessary that the Laws be strict against the vitiating of mankind and against the debasement of your image on your children and against that which tendeth to the extirpation of all virtue and the ruine of all societies and souls § 10. 8. God will have a holy seed in the world that shall bear his image of holiness and therefore he will have all means fitted thereunto Bruitish promiscuous generation tendeth to the production of a bruitish seed And though the word preached is the means of sanctifying those that remain unsanctified from their youth yet a holy marriage and holy dedication of children to God and holy education of them are the former means which God would not have neglected or corrupted and to which he promiseth his blessing As you may see 1 Cor. 7. 14. Mal. 2. 15. Did not he make one Yet had he the residue of the spirit And wherefore one That he might seek a godly seed Therefore take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth For the Lord bateth putting away § 11. 9. Yea lust corrupteth the mind of the person himself if it be not very much restrained and moderated It turneth it from the only excellent pleasure by the force of that bruitish kind of pleasure It carrieth away the thoughts and distempereth the passions and corrupteth the phantasie and Solomons wives turned away his heart aâter other Gods 1 Kings 11. 4. The wisdom of Solomon preserved him not from the power of lust and the deceit of women 1 Pet. 2. 10. Fleshly ââââts that fight against the âoâl thereby doth easily corrupt the intellect and heart Pleasure is so much of the End of man which his Nature leadeth him to desire that the chief thing in the world to make a man Good and Happy is to engage his heart to those Pleasures which are Good and make men Happy And the chief thing to make him Bad and Miserable is to engage him in the pleasures which make men Bad and end in Misery And the principal thing by which you may know
Laws for the preservation of so excellent a thing as Truth he should not secure the happiness of the world As to the securing of mens lives it is not enough to make a Law that you shall not kill men without just cause though that be all that the Law intendeth to attain for then every man being left to judge would think there were just cause whenever his passion or interest told him so But the Law is You shall not kill at all without the judgement of the Magistrate So if the Law against Lying did intend no more than the securing men from the injuries of errour and deceit yet would it not have been a sufficient means to have said only You shall not injure men by Lying for then men would have judged of the injury by their own interests and passions But much more is it needful to have a stricter Law when Truth it self is the thing that God intendeth to secure as well as the interest of men In the eyes of Christians and Heathens and all mankind that have not unmand themselves there appeareth a singular beauty and excellency in Truth Aristotle could say that the Nature of man is made for Truth Cicero could say that Qââd verum simplex sincerumque est id naturae bominis accommodatissimum est Verity and Virtue were ever taken as the inseparable perfections of man Pythagoras could say that to Love Truth and do Good were the two things that made man likest to God and therefore were his two most excellent gifts Plato could say that Truth was the best rhetorick and the sweetest oration Epictetus could say that Truth is a thing immortal eternal of all things most precious better than friendship as being less obnoxious to blind affections Iamblichus could say that as Light naturally and constantly accompanyeth the Sun so Truth accompanyeth God and all that follow him Epaminondas is praised for that he would not Lye no not in jeast Pomponius Atâicus was so great a hater of a lye that all his friends were desirous to Trust him with their âââây lye iâ evil and to be avoided saââh Aristot. Eâhâc l 4 See Psal. 5. â Prov. 6 17 19. 12. 22. 19. 5 9. 21 18 Rev. 21. 27. 22 15. Joh. 8. 44. Col. 3. 9. business and use him as their Counsellor He knoweth not what use mans understanding or his tongue were made for that knoweth not the excellency of Truth Let a Pilate only ask as a stranger what is Truth Joh. 18. 38. as Pharaoh asked who is the Lord For this end Christ himself came into the world to bear witness to the Truth and every one that is of the Truth will hear him Joh. 18. 37. He is the Truth Joh. 14. 6. and full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. Grace and Truth came by him Joh. 1. 17. His spirit is given to guide his servants into the Truth Joh. 16. 13. and to sanctifie them by the truth Joh. 17. 19. that knowing the truth it might make them free Joh. 8. 32. The fruit of the spirit is in all truth Ephes. 5. 9. His Ministers can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. Truth is the girdle that must gird our loins Ephes 6. 14. The Church is the pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. The faithful are they that believe and know the Truth 1 Tim. 4. 3. Speaking the truth in Love is the way of the Churches growth and edification Ephes. 4. 15. Repentance is given men to the acknowledging of the Truth that they may escape out of the power of the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. The dullards are they that are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. They are men of perverse minds that resist the Truth 2 Tim. 3. 8. They that receive not the Truth in the Love of it cannot be saved 2 Thes. 2. 10. All they are damned that believe not the Truth 2 Thes. 2. 12 13. You see what Truth is in the judgement of God and all the sober world Therefore a Lye that is contrary to Truth as darkness to Light must be equally odious as truth is amiable No wonder therefore if it be absolutely forbidden of God § 21. 3. You may the easilyer perceive this by considering that other faults of the tongue as idle talk swâaring and such like are forbidden not only because they are a hurt to others but for the intrinsical evil in the thing it self Great reason therefore that it should be so in this § 22. 4. Lying is a vice which maketh us most unlike to God For he is called the God of truth Psal. 31. 5. Deut. 32. 4. All his ways are mercy and truth Psal. 25. 10. His judgement is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. It is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 18. Tit. 1. 2. His word is the word Numb 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29. 1 Joh. 5. 10. of truth Psal. 119. 43. Col. 1. 5. 2 Tim. 2. 15. Jam. 1. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 7. And who shall dwell in his Tabernacle but thâse that speak the truth in their hearts Psal. 15. 2. The disconformity of the soul to God then being its greatest dâformity in things wherein it is made to be conform to him it may hence appear that Lying is an odious sin And this may the easilyer appear if you consider what a case the world were in if God could lye and were not of undoubted truth we should then be sure of nothing and therefore could have no sure information by his word no sure direction and guidance by his precepts and no sure consâlation in any of his promises Therefore that which maketh us so unlike to the true and holy God must needs be odious § 23. 5. Lying is the Image or work of the Devil and Lyars are his Children in a special sort For Christ telleth us that he abode not in the truth for there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Joh. 8. 44. The Proud the Malicious and 1 King 22. 22 23. I will be a lying spirit in the moââhâ of all his Prophets 2 Chron 18. 21 22. the Lyars are in a special sort the Children of the Devil for these three are in Scripture in a special manner made the Devils sins Therefore sure there is an intrinsical evil and odiousness in a lye It was Satan that filled the hearts of Ananias and Saphira to Lye to the Holy Ghost Act. 5. 3. To change the Truth of God into a lye and to make God a lyar are therefore the most odious sins Rom. 1. 25. 1 Joh. 5. 10. because it is a feigning him to be like the Devil And should we make our selves like him then by the same vice If you love not the Devils sin and image love not a lye § 24. 6. Lying destroyeth humane converse and bringeth
most pernicious confusion into the affairs of mankind Iâ Truth be excluded men cannot buy and sell and trade and live together It would It was one of the Roman Lawâ âaâ 12. Qui âaâsâm tâstâmonium dââââse convictus erit e saâo Taâpâiâ dejiciatur be sufficient to destroy their rational converse if they had no tongues But much more to have false tongues Silence openeth not the mind at all Lying openeth it not when it pretendeth to open it and falsly representeth it to be what it is not And therefore though you say that your Lyes do no such hurt yet seeing this is the nature and tendency of Lying as such it is just and merciful in the Righteous God to banish all Lying by the strictest Laws As the whole nature of Serpents is so far at enmity with the nature of man that we hate and kill them though they never did hurt us because it is in their nature to hurt us so God hath justly and mercifully condemned all lying because it 's nature tendeth to the desolation and confusion of the World and if any indulgence were given to it all iniquity and injustice would presently like an inundation overwhelm us all § 25. 7. Lying tendeth directly to perjury it self It is the same God that forbiddeth them both And when once the heart is hardened in the one it is but a step further to the other Cicero could observe that He that is used to lye will easily be perjured A sâared Conscience that tollerateth one will easily be brought to bear the other § 26. 8. There is a partiality in the Lyar that condemneth himself and the sin in another which in himself he justifieth For there is no man that would have another lye to him As Austin saith Hic autem homânes fallunâ falluntur Misericres suât cum mentiendo fallunt quam cum mentientibus credendo falluntur Uâque adeo tamen rationalis natura refugit falsitatem quantum potest devitat errorem ut falli nolint etiam quicunque amant fallere August Enchyrid c. 17. I have known many that would deceive but never any that would be deceived If it be good why should not all others lye to thee If it be bad why wilt thou lye to others Is not thy tongue under the same Law as theirs Dost thou like it in thy Children and in thy Servants If not it should seem much worse to thee in thy self as thou art most concerned in thy own actions § 27. 9. Iudge what lying is by thy own desire and expectation to be believed Wouldst thou not have men believe thee whether thou speak truth or not I know thou wouldst For the Lyar loseth his end if he be known to lye and be not believed And is it a reasonable desire or expectation in thee to have men to believe a Lye If thou wouldst be believed speak that which is to be believed § 28. 10. Lying maketh thee to be always incredible and so to be useless or dangerous to others For he that will lye doth leave men uncertain whether ever he speak truth unless there be better Evidence of it than his credibility As Aristotle saith A Lyar gets this by Lying that no body will believe him when he speaks the truth How shall I know that he speaketh true to day who lyed yesterday unless open Repentance recover his credibility Truth will defend it self and credit him that owneth it at last But falshood is indefensible and will shame its Patrons Saith Petrarch excellently Petrarâh l 1. de vit solit As Truth is immortal so a fiction and lye endureth not long Dissembled matters are quickly opened as the hair that is combed and set with great diligence is ruffled with a little blast of wind and the paint that is laid on the face with a deal of labour is washed off with a little sweat the craftyest lye cannot stand before the truth but is transparent to him that neerly looketh into it every thing that is covered is soon uncovered shadows pass away and the native colour of things remaineth It is a great labour to keep hidden long No man can long live under water he must needs come forth and shew the face which he concealed At the farthest God in the day of judgement will lay open all § 29. Direct 2. If you would avoid lying take heed of guilt Unclean bodies need a cover Direct 2. and are most ashamed to be seen Faultiness causeth Lying and Lying increaseth the fault When Sâepe delinquentibus promptissimum est mentiri Ciââr men have done that which they are afraid or ashamed to make known they think there is a necessity of using their art to keep it secret But wit and craft is no good substitute for honesty such patches make the rent much worse But because the corrupted heart of man will be thus working and flying to deceitful shifts prevent the cause and occasion of your lying Commit not the fault that needs a lye Avoiding it is much better than hiding it if you were sure to keep it never so close As indeed you are not for commonly truth will come to light It is the best way in the World to avoid lying to be innocent and do nothing which doth fear the light Truth and honesty do not blush nor desire to be hid Children and Servants are much addicted to this crime when their folly or wantonness or appetites or slothfulness or carelesness hath made them faulty they presently study a lye to hide it with which is to go to the Devil to intreat him to defend or cover his own works But wise and obedient and careful and diligent and conscionable Children and Servants have need of no such miserable shifts § 30. Direct 3. Fear God more than man if you would not be Lyars The excessive fear of man Direct 3. is a common cause of Lying This maketh Children so apt to lye to escape the rod and most persons Iââe veââtatââ Defeââor esse debeâ quâ cum râcteâââântâ loquâ non metuât nec erubeâââât Ambâ âyarâ are âaliant against God cowardâ against men Montaââa âsâ that are obnoxious to much hurt from others are in danger of Lying to avoid their displeasure But why fear you not God more whose displeasure is unspeakably more terrible Your Parents or Master will be angry and threaten to correct you But God threatneth to damn you and his wrath is a consuming fire No mans displeasure can reach your souls and extend to eternity will you run into Hell to escape punishment on Earth Remember whenever you are tempted to escape any danger by a lye that you run into a thousand fold greater danger and that no hurt that you escape by it can possibly be half so great as the hurt it bringeth It 's as foolish a course as to cure the tooth-ach by cutting off the head § 31. Direct 4. Get down your Pride and overmuch regard
those places where I have opened the difference between Mortal reigning sins and Infirmities At present take this brief solution 1. It is a thing of too great difficulty to determine just how many acts of a great sin may consist with a present state of grace that is of right by Covenant to Heaven 2. All sin which consisteth with an habitual predominant Love of God and Holiness consisteth with a state of Life and no other 3. He that seldom or never committeth such external crimes and yet Loveth not God and Heaven and Holiness above all the pleasures and interests of the flesh is in a state of death 4. It is certain that his Love to God and Holiness is not predominant whose carnal Interest and Iust hath ordinarily in the drift and tenor Rom 6. 16. of his life more power to draw him to the wilfull committing of known sin than the said Love of God and Heaven and Holiness have to keep him from it For his servants men are whom they obey whether it be sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness 5. Therefore the way to know whether sin be mortified or mortal is 1. By feeling the true bent of the will whether we Love or hate it 2. By observing the true bent and tenor of our lives whether Gods Interest in us or the contrary be predominant when we are our selves and are tempted to such sins 6 He that will sin thus as oft as will stand with saving grâce shall never have the assurance of his sincerity or the peace or comfort of a sound believer till he repent and lead a better life 7. He that in his sin retaineth the spirit of Adoption or the Image of God or habitual divine Love hath also Habitual and Virtual Repentance for that very sin before he actually Repenteth Because he hath that Habitual Hatred of it which will cause actual Repentance when he is composed to act according to his predominant habits 8. In the mean time the state of such a sinner is neither to be unregenerate Carnal unholy as he was before Conversion and so to lose all his Right to Life nor yet to have so full a Right as if he had not sinned But a bar is put in against his claim which must be removed before his Right be full and such as is ripe for present possession 9. There are some sins which all men continue in while they live As defect in the degrees of faith hope love c. vain thoughts words disorder passions c. And these sins are not totally involuntary Otherwise they were no sins Yea the Evil is prevalent in the will against the Good so far as to commit those sins though not so far as to vitiate the bent of heart or life 10. There are some sins which none on earth do actually Repent of viz. Those that they know not to be sins and those that they utterly forget and those faults which they are guilty of just at the time of dying 11. In these cases Virtual or Implicite or Habitual Rom 7. 20 21 22 23. Repentance doth suffice to the preventing of damnation As also a Will to have lived perfectly sufficeth in the case of continued imperfections 12. Things work not on the Will as they are in themselves but as they are apprehended by the understanding And that which is apprehended to be either of doubtful evil or but a little sin and of little danger will be much less resisted and ofter committed than sins that are clearly apprehended to be great Therefore where any sort of Lye is apprehended thus as of small or doubtful evil it will be the oftner committed 13. If this apprehension be wrong and come from the predominancy of a carnal or ungodly heart which will not suffer the understanding to do its office nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave then both the Iudgement and the Lye are mortal and not mortified pardoned sins 14. But if this misapprehension of the understanding do come from natural impotency or unavoidable want of better information or only from the fault of a vicious inclination which yet is not predominant but is the remnant of a vice which is mortified in the main then neither the errour nor the often lying is a mortal but a mortified sin As for instance If false Teachers as the Jesuits should perswade a justified person that a lye that hurteth no man but is officious is but a venial or no sin it is possible for such a person often to commit it though he err not altogether innocently 15. Though it is true that all good Christians should not indulge the smallest sin and that true Grace will make a man willing to forsake the least yet certain experience telleth us that some constant sinning aforenamed doth consist with grace in all that have it upon earth And therefore that Lesser sins as thoughts passions are not resisted so much as greater be and therefore that they are more indulged and favoured or else they would not be committed No good men rise up with so great and constant watchfulness against an idle thought or word or a disorder in prayer c. as they do against a heynous sin He that would have this and and all such Cases resolved in a word and not be put on trying the Case by all these distinctions must take another Casuist or rather a Deceiver instead of a Resolver For I cannot otherwise resolve him Quest. 2. Is it not contrary to the light of Nature to suffer e. g. a Parent a King my Self my Quest. 2. Country rather to be destroyed than to save them by a harmless lie Answ. No Because 1. Particular good must give place to common And if once a Lie may pass Answ. for Lawful in cases where it seemeth to be good it will overthrow humane converse and debauch mans nature and the world 2. And if one evil may be made a means for good it will infer that other may be so too and so will confound good and evil and leave vitious man to take all for good which he thinks will do good That is not to be called a harmless Lie which is simply evil being against the Law of God against the order of nature the use of humane faculties and the interest and converse of the sociable world 3. The error of the objectors chiefly consisteth in thinking that nothing is further hurtful and morally evil than as it doth hurt to some men in corporal respects Whereas that is evil which is against the universal Rule of Rectitude against the will of God and against the nature and perfection of the agent much more if it also tend to the hurt of other mens souls by giving them an example of sinning 4. And though there may sometimes be some humane probability of such a thing yet there is no certainty that ever it will so fall out that a Lie shall save the Life of âing Parent or
beg his guidance and his blessing and run not without him nor before him Reckon upon the worst and foresee all temptations which would diminish your affections or make you unfaithful to each other and see that you be fortified against them all § 57. Direct 11. Be sure that God be the ultimate end of your marriage and that you principally Direct 11. choose that state of life that in it you may be most serviceable to him and that you heartily devote your selves and your families unto God that so it may be to you a sanctified condition It is nothing but making God our Guide and End that can sanctifie our state of life They that unfeignedly follow Gods counsel and aim at his Glory and do it to please him will find God owning and blessing their relation But they that do it principally to please the flesh to satisfie lust and to increase their estates and to have Children surviving them to receive the fruits of their Pride and Covetousness can expect to reap no better than they sow and to have the Flesh the World and the Devil the masters of their family according to their own desire and choice § 58. Direct 12. At your first conjunction and through the rest of your lives remember the Direct 12. day of your separation And think not that you you are settling your selves in a state of Rest or felicity or continuance but only assuming a companion in your travels Whether you live in a married or an unmarried life remember that you are hasting to the everlasting life where there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage You are going as fast to another world in one state of life as in the other 1 Cor â 29 30. You are but to help each other in your way that your journey may be the easier to you and that you may happily meet again in the Heavenly Hierusalem When worldlings marry they take it for a settling themselves in the world And as Regenerate persons begin the world anew by beginning to lay up a treasure in Heaven so worldlings call their Marriage their beginning the world because then as engaged servants to the world they set themselves to seek it with greater diligence than ever before They do but in marriage begin as seekers that life of foolery which when he had found what he sought that Rich man ended Luk. 12. 19 20. with a This I will do I will pull down my barnes and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided If you would not dy such fools do not marry and live such worldlings Tit. 2. Cases of Marriage Quest. 1. WHat should one follow as a certain Rule about the prohibited degrees of Consanguinity or Quest. 1. affinity Seeing 1. The Law of Moses is not in force to us 2. And if it were it is very The case of Pâlâgamy is ââ fully and ââainly resolved by Christ that I take it not to be necessary to decide it especially while the Law of the Land doth make it death dark Whether it may by parity of reason be extended to more degrees than are named in the text 3. And seeing the Law of nature is so hardly legible in this case Answ. 1. It is certain that the prohibited degrees are not so statedly and universally unlawful as that such marriage may not be made lawful by any necessity For Adams sons did lawfully marry their own Sisters 2. But now the world is peopled such necessities as will warrant such marriages must needs be very rare and such as we are never like to meet with 3. The Law of nature is it which prohibiteth the degrees that are now unlawful And though this Law be dark as to some degrees it is not so as to others 4. The Law of God to the Jews Lev. 18. doth not prohibit those degrees there named because of any reason proper to the Jews but as an exposition of the Law of nature and so on reasons common to all 5. Therefore though the Jewish Law cease yea never bound other nations formally as that political national Law yet as it was Gods exposition of his own Law of nature it is of use and consequential obligation to all men even to this day For if God once had told but one man This is the sence of the Law of nature it remaineth true and all must believe it and then the Law of nature it self so expounded will still oblige 6. The world is so wide for choice and a necessity of doubtful marriage is so rare and the trouble so great that prudence telleth every one that it is their sin without flat necessity to marry in a doubtful degree And therefore it is thus safest to avoid all degrees that seem to be equal to those named Lev. 18. and to have the same reason though they be not named 7. But because it is not certain that indeed the unnamed cases have the same reason while God doth not acquaint us with all the reasons of his Law therefore when the thing is done we must not censure others too deeply nor trouble our selves too much about those unnamed doubtful cases We must avoid them before hand because else we shall cast our selves into doubts and troubles unnecessarily But when it is past the case must be considered of as I shall after open Quest. 2. What if the Law of the Land forbid more or fewer degrees than Lev. 18. doth Quest. 2. Answ. If it forbid fewer the rest are nevertheless to be avoided as forbidden by God If it forbid more the forbdiden ones must be avoided in obedience to our Rulers Quest. 3. Is the marriage of Cousin Germanes that is of brothers children or sisters children or brothers Quest. 3. and sisters children unlawful Answ. I think not 1. Because not forbidden by God 2. Because none of that same rank are forbidden that is none that on both sides are two degrees from the Root I refer the Reader for my Reasons to a Latin Treatise of Charles Butler on this Subject for in those I rest As all the Children of Noahs Sons did marry their Cousin Germanes for they could not marry in any remoter degree so have others since without reproof and none are forbidden 3. But it is safest to do otherwise because there is choice enough beside and because many Divines being of the contrary opinion may make it matter of scruple and trouble afterwards to those that venture upon it without need Quest. 4. What would you have thâse do that have married Cousin Germanes and now doubt whether it Quest. 4. be lawful so to do Answ. I would have them cast away such doubts
Divine appointment But the Antecedent is true Therefore so is the Consequent For the parts of the Antecedent 1. That families are societies of Gods Institution needeth no proof 2. That they are furnished with special advantages and opportunities may appear by an enumeration of particulars 1. There is the advantage of Authority in the Ruler of the family whereby he may command all that are under him in God Worship yea and may inflict penalties on children and servants that refuse yea may cast some out of the family if they be obstinate 2. He hath the Advantage of a singular Interest in Wife and Children by which he may bring them to it willingly that so they may perform a right Evangelical Worship 3. He hath the Advantage of a singular dependance of all upon him for daily provisions and of his Children for their portions for livelihood in the world whereby he may yet further prevail with them for obedience He having a power to reward as well as to punish and command 4. They have the opportunity of cohabitation and so are still at hand and more together and so in readiness for such employments 5. Being nearest in Relation they are stronglier obliged to further each others salvation and help each other in serving God 6. They have hereby an Advantage against all prejudices and jealousies which strangeness and mistakes may raise and cherish among those that live at a greater distance and so may close more heartily in Gods Worship And their nearness of Relation and natural affections do singularly advantage them for a more affectionate conjunction and so for a more forcible and acceptable Worship of God when they are in it as of one heart and soul. 7. If any misunderstanding or other impediment arise they being still at hand have opportunity to remove them and to satisfie each other and if any distempers of understanding heart or life be in the family the Ruler by familiarity and daily converse is enabled more particularly to fit his reproofs and exhortations confessions and petitions accordingly which even Ministers in the Congregations cannot so well do So that I have made it evident in this enumeration that families have Advantages yea special and most excellent advantages and opportunities for the solemn Worship of God 3. The last part of the Antecedent was that they have no prohibition to use these advantages and opportunities to Gods solemn Worship I add this lest any should say Though they have such advantages yet God may restrain them for the avoiding some greater inconveniences another way as he hath restrained Women from speaking in the Assemblies But 1. God hath neither restrained them in the Law of Nature nor in the written Law Therefore not at all He that can shew it in either let him do it 2. I never yet read or heard any knowing Christian once affirm that God hath forbidden families solemnly to worship him and therefore I think it needless to prove a Negative when no man is known to hold the Affirmative Indeed for some kinds of Worship as preaching and expounding Scripture some have prohibited them but not reading catechizing all instructing praying praises singing Psalms much less all solemn Worship wholly So much for the Antecedent I now come to prove the Consequence 1. The foresaid Advantages and opportunities are Talents given by God which they that receive are obliged faithfully to improve for God Therefore Families having such Advantages and opportunities for Gods solemn Worship are bound to improve them faithfully for God in the solemn worshipping of him For the Antecedent 1. It is unquestionable that these are Talents that is Improvable Mercies given by God For as none dare deny them to be Mercies So none dare I hope say that God is not the giver of them And then 2. That such Talents must be improved faithfully for God from whom they are received is plain 1. From Matth. 25. throughout especially from verse 14. to verse 31. And Luke 20. 10. he requireth the fruits of his Vineyard And Matth. 10. 42. if he entrust us with a Cup of cold water he expecteth it for a Prophet when he calleth for it And if he entrust us with outward riches he expecteth that we give to him that asketh Matth. 5. 42. Luke 6. 30 38. 11. 41. 12. 33. His Stewards must give an account of their Stewardships Luke 16. 2. Luke 12. 48. Christ telleth us of all our Talents in general that Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him will they ask the more And of our words in particular Christs tells us Matth. 12. 36. that of every idle word men shall give an account at the day of judgement Much more for denying to use both our tongues and hearts in Gods Worship when he gives us such opportunities It is required in Stewards that a man be found faithful 1 Cor. 4. 2. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God c. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. Many more of the like Scriptures prove the Antecedent of the Enthymeme and the Consequent needs no proof Argument 2. The solemn Worship of God in and by families as such is required by the very Law of Nature Therefore it is of Divine Institution The Consequence can be denyed by no man that renounceth not reason and Nature it self denying the Law of Nature to be Gods Law which is indeed partly presupposed in the Law supernatural and partly rehearsed in it but never subverted by it Positives are more mutable than Naturals are The Antecedent is thus manifested 1. Natural reason or the Law of Nature requireth that all men do faithfully improve all the Talents that God hath entrusted them with to his honour Therefore Natural reason or the Law of Nature doth require that God be solemnly worshipped in Families he having given them such advantages as aforesaid thereunto 2. The Law of Nature requireth that all societies that have God for their Founder or Institutor should to their utmost capacities be devoted to him that founded and instituted them but that God is the Founder and Institutor of families is known by the light of Nature it self Therefore the Law of Nature requireth that families be to the utmost of their capacities devoted to God and consequently that they solemnly worship him they being capable of so doing I need not prove the Major because I speak only to men that are possest of the Law of Nature mentioned in it and therefore they know it themselves to be true Yet let me so far stay on the Illustration as to to tell you the grounds of it And 1. God is the Alpha and Omega the first and the last the Principal efficient and ultimate end of all and therefore of Families And therefore they should be for him
I will not stand on it lest I speak in vain what you all know already and how Eli suffered for neglecting it you know 3 The Discipline of casting the wicked out of the family servants I mean who are separable members you may find Psal. 101. 2 3 7 8. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight Prop. 4. Solemn Prayer and praises of God in and by Christian families iâ of Divine appointment Prop. 4. 1. For proof of this I must desire you to look back to all the Arguments which proved the dueness of Worship in general for they will yet more especially prove this sort of Worship seeing Prayer and Praise are most immediately and eminently called Gods Worship of any Under praises I comprehend Psalms of Praises and under prayer Psalms of prayer Yet let us add some more Arg. 1. It is Gods will that Christians who have fit occasions and opportunities for Prayer and Praises should improve them but Christian Families have fit occasions and opportunities for Prayer and Praise therefore it is Gods will they should improve them The major is evident in many Scripture Precepts Tim. 2. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. Pray without ceasing in every thing give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving Col. 3. 16 17. teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord and whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks unto God and the Father by him Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in Prayer Eph. 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints And for me that utterance may be given me Many the like Texts might be named every one of which afford an Argument for Family praises most effectual 1. If men must pray every where that is convenient then sure in their Families But c. Erg. 2. If men must pray without ceasing then sure in their families 3. If men must in every thing give thanks then sure in Family-mercies and then according to the nature of them together 4. If men must continue in prayer and watch in it for fit advantages and against Impediments and in thanksgiving then doubtless they must not omit the singular advantages which are administred in Families 5. If we must continue instant in prayer and supplication c. then doubtless in family prayer in our families unless that be no place and no prayer Obj. But this binds us no more to pray in our families than any where else Answ. Yes it binds us to take all fit opportunities and we have more fit opportunities in our own families then in other mens or than in occasional meetings or than in any ordinary societies except the Church And here let me tell you that it is ignorance to call for particular express Scripture to require Praying in Families as if we thought the General commands did not comprehend this particular and were not sufficient God doth in much wisdom leave out of his Written Law the express determination of some of those circumstantials or the application of general precepts to some of those subjects to which common reason and the light of Nature sufficeth to determine and apply them The Scripture giveth us the general Pray alway with all manner of Prayer in all places that is Omit no fit advantages and opportunities for prayer What if God had said no more than this about Prayer in Scripture It seems some men would have said God hath not required us to pray at all when he requireth us to pray always because he tells us not when and where and how oft and with whom and in what words c. And so they would have concluded God no where bids us pray in secret nor pray in Families nor pray in Assemblies nor Pray with the Godly nor with the wicked nor pray every day nor once a week nor with a Book nor without a Book and therefore not at all As if the general Pray on all fit occasions were nothing But these men must know that nature also and reason is Gods light and providence oft determineth of such Subjects and Adjuncts And the general Law and these together do put all out of doubt What if God telleth you He that provideth not for his own especially those of his houshold hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel and do not tell you either who are your families and who not nor what provision you shall make for them what food what cloaths or how oft they must feed c. Will you say God hath not bid you feed or cloath this Child or that Servant It is enough that God chargeth you to provide for your Families in the Scripture and that in nature he tell you which are your Families and what Provision to make for them and how oft and in what quantity c. And so if God bid you Pray in all places and at all times on all occasions that are fit for Prayer and experience and common reason tell you that Families afford most fit times place and occasions for Prayer is not this enough that there are such seasons and opportunities and occasions for Family-prayer I refer you to the particular discoveries of them in the beginning where I proved the Dueness of Worship in General to be there performed And I refer you also to common reason it self not fearing the contradiction of any man whose impiety hath not made him unreasonable and prevailed against the common light of Nature This first general Argument were enough if men were not so averse to their duty that they cannot know because they will not But let us therefore add some more Arg. 2. If there be many blessings which the Family needeth and which they do actually receive from God then it is the will of God that the family pray for these blessings when they need them and give thanks for them when they have received them But there are many blessings which the family as conjunct needeth and receiveth of God Therefore the family conjunct and not only particular members secretly should pray for them and give thanks for them The Antecedent is past question 1. The continuance of the Family as such in Being 2. In Well being 3. And so the preservation and Direction of the essential members 4. And the prospering of all Family affairs are evident Instances and to descend to more particulars would be needless tediousness The Consequence is proved from many Scriptures which require those that want
and run greedily after the the errours of Balaam And 2 Pet. 2. 3 14 15. Through Covetousness they make mer handize of you An heart they have exercised with covetous practices Cursed Children or Children of a Curse which have for saken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness but was rebuked for his iniquity the duâb Asse speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the Prophet When you shall every one hear Thou foâl this night shall thy soul be required of thee and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luke 12. 19 20 21. will it not then cut deep in your perpetual torments to remember that you got that little pelf by betraying so many souls to hell What men in the World doth Iames speaks to if not to you Jam. 5. 1 2 3 4. Go to now ye Rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last dayes Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which have reaped have entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath How much more the cry of betrayed souls And here we may seasonably answer these cases Quest. 1. Is it lawful for a Christian to buy and use a man as a slave Quest. 2. Is it lawful to use a Christian as a slave Quest. 3. What difference must we make between a free servant and a slave To Quest. 1. I answer There is a slavery to which some men may be Lawfully put and there is a slavery to which none may be put And there is a slavery to which only the criminal may be put by way of penalty 1. No man may be put to such a slavery as under the first Direction is denyed that is such as shall injure Gods interest and service or the mans salvation 2. No man but as a just punishment for his crimes may be so enslaved as to be deprived of those liberties benefits and comforts which brotherly love obligeth every man to grant to another for his good as far as is within our power all things considered That is the same man is a servant and a brother and therefore must at once be used as both 3. Though poverty or necessity do make a man consent to sell himself to a life of lesser misery to escape a greater or death it self yet is it not lawful for any other so to take advantage by his necessity as to bring him into a condition that shall make him miserable or in which we shââ not exercise so much love as may tend to his sanctification comfort and salvation Because no Iustice is beseeming a Christian or a Man which is not conjoyned with a due measure of Charity But 1. He that deserveth it by way of penalty may be penally used 2. He that stole and cannot restore may be forced to work it out as a servant And in both these cases more may be done against anothers ease or liberty than by meer contract or consent He that may hang a flagitious offender doth him no wrong if he put him to a slavery which is less penal than death 3. More also may be done against Enemies taken in a lawful War than could be done against the innocent by necessitated consent 4. A certain degree of servitude or slavery is lawful by the necessitated consent of the innocent That is so much 1. As wrongeth no interest of God 2. Nor of mankind by breaking the Law of Nations 3. Nor the person himself by hindering his salvation or the needful means thereof nor those comforts of life which nature giveth to man as man 4. Nor the Common-wealth or society where we live Quest. 2. To the 2 Quest. I answer 1. As men must be variously Loved according to the various Quest. 2. degrees of amiableness in them so various degrees of Love must be exercised towards them Therefore good and real Christians must be used with more Love and brotherly tenderness than others 2. It is meet also that infidels have so much mercy shewed them in order to the saving of their souls as that they should be invited to Christianity by fit encouragements And so that they should know that if they will turn Christians they shall have more priviledges and emoluments than the enemies of truth and piety shall have It is therefore well done of Princes who make Laws that Infidel slaves shall be free men when they are duly Christened 3. But yet a nominal Christian who by wickedness forfeiteth his Life or freedom may penally be made a slave as well as Infidels 4. And a poor and needy Christian may sell himself into a harder state of servitude than he would choose or we could otherwise put him into But 5. To go as Pirats and catch up poor Negro's or people of another Land that never forfeited Life or Liberty and to make them slaves and sell them is one of the worst kinds of Thievery in the world and such persons are to be taken for the common enemies of mankind And they that buy them and use them as beasts for their meer commodity and betray or destroy or neglect their souls are fitter to be called incarnate Devils than Christians though they be no Christians whom they so abuse Quest. 3. To the 3 Quest. I answer That the solution of this case is to be gathered from what Quest. 3. is said already A Servant and a Voluntary slave were both free men till they sold or hired themselves And a criminal person was a freeman till he forfeited his life or liberty But afterward the difference is this that 1. A free servant is my servant no further than his own Covenant made him so Which is supposed to be 1. To a certain kind and measure of labour according to the meaning of his contract 2. For a limited time expressed in the contract whether a year or two or three or seven 2. A Slave by meer Contract is one that 1. Usually selleth himself absolutely to the will of another as to his labour both for kind and measure where yet the limitations of God and nature after and before named are supposed among Christians to take place 2. He is one that selleth himself to such labour during life 3. A Slave by just penalty is lyable to so much servitude as the Magistrate doth judge him to which may be 1. Not only such labour as aforesaid as pleaseth his master to impose 2. And that for life 3. But it may be also to stripes and severities which might not lawfully be inflicted on another 1. The Limitations of a
will be but a temptation to waste your time and neglect greater duty and to make you grow customary and sensless of such sins and mercies when the same come to be recited over and over from day to day But let the common mercies be more generally recorded and the common sins generally confessed yet neither of them therefore slighted and let the extraordinary mercies and greater sins have a more particular observation And yet remember that sins and mercies which it is not fit that others be acquainted with are safelyer committed to memory than to writing And methinks a well humbled and a thankful heart should not easily let the memory of them slip § 20. Direct 20. When you compose your selves to sleep again commit your selves to God through Direct 20. Christ and crave his protection and close up the day with some holy exercise of Faith and Love And if you are persons that must needs lye waking in the night let your meditations be holy and exercised upon that subject that is profitablest to your souls But I cannot give this as an ordinary direction because that the body must have sleep or else it will be unfit for labour and all thoughts of holy things must be serious and all serious thoughts will hinder sleep and those that wake in the night do wake unwillingly and would not put themselves out of hopes of sleep which such serious meditations would do Nor can I advise you ordinarily to rise in the night to prayer as the Papists Votaries do For this is but to serve God with irrational and hurtful ceremony And it is a wonder how far such men will go in Ceremony that will not be drawn to a life of Love and spiritual Worship Unless men did irrationally place the service of God in praying this hour rather than another they might see how improvidently and sinfully they lose their time in twice dressing and undressing and in the intervals of their sleep when they might spare all that time by sitting up the longer or rising the earlier for the same employment Besides what tendency it hath to the destruction of health by cold and interruption of necessary rest when God approveth not of the disabling of the body or destroying our health or shortning life no more than of murder or cruelty to others but only calleth us to deny our unnecessary sensual delights and use the body so as it may be most serviceable to the soul and him I have briefly laid together these twenty Directions for the right spending of every day that those that need them and cannot remember the larger more particular Directions may at least get these few engraven on their minds and make them the daily practice of their lives which if you will sincerely do you cannot conceive how much it will conduce to the holiness fruitfulness and quietness of your lives and to your peaceful and comfortable death CHAP. XVIII Tit. 1. Directions for the holy spending of the Lords Day in Families § 1. Direct 1 BE well resolved against the Cavils of those carnal men that would make you believe Direct 1. that the holy spending of the Lords Day is a needless thing For the Name Since the writing of this I have published a Treatise of the Lords Day whether it shall be called The Christian Sabbath is not much worth contending about Undoubtedly the Name of The Lords Day is that which was given it by the Spirit of God Rev. 1. 10. and the antient Christians who sometime called it The Sabbath by allusion as they used the names Sacrifice and Altar The question is not so much of the Name as the Thing whether we ought to spend the day in holy exercises without unnecessary divertisements And to settle your consciences in this you have all these evidences at hand § 2. 1. By the confession of all you have the Law of Nature to tell you that God must be openly worshipped and that some set time should be appointed for his Worship And whether the fourth Commandment be formally in force or abrogated yet it is commonly agreed on that the parity of reason and general equity of it serveth to acquaint us that it is the will of God that one day in seven be the least that we destinate to this use this being then judged a meet proportion by God himself even from the Creation and on the account of commemorating the Creation and Christians being no less obliged to take as large a space of time who have both the Creation and Redemption to commemorate and a more excellent manner of Worship to perform § 3. 2. It is confessed by all Christians that Christ rose on the first day of the Week and appeared to his congregated Disciples on that day and powred out the Holy Ghost upon them on that day and that the Apostles appointed and the Christian Churches observed their assemblies and communion ordinarily on that day And that these Apostles were filled with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost that they might infallibly acquaint the Church with the Doctrine and Will of Jesus Mar. 16. 2 9. Luke 24. 1. Christ and leave it on record for succeeding ages and so were entrusted by Office and enabled by gifts to settle the Orders of the Gospel-Church as Moses did the matters of the Tabernacle and Worship then and so that their Laws or Orders thus setled were the Laws or Orders of the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 1 19 26. Acts 2. 1. Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Rev. 1. 10. Matth. 28. 19 20 Iohn 16. 13 14 15. Rom. 16. 16. 2 Thess. 2. 15. § 4. 3. It is also confessed that the Universal Church from the dayes of the Apostles down till now hath constantly kept holy the Lords Day in the memorial of Christs Resurrection and that as by the will of Christ delivered to them by or from the Apostles In so much that I remember not either any Orthodox Christian or Heretick that ever opposed questioned or scrupled it till of late ages And as a historical discovery of the matter of fact this is a good evidence that indeed it was settled by the Apostles and consequently by Christ who gave them their Commission and inspired them by the Holy Ghost § 5. 4. It is confessed that it is still the practice of the Universal Church And those that take it to be but of Ecclesiastical appointment ââme of them mean it of such extraordinary Ecclesiasticks as inspired Apostles and all of them take the appointment as obligatory to all the members of the Church § 6. 5. The Laws of the Land where we live command it and the King by Proclamation urgeth the execution and the Canons and Homilies and Liturgy shew that the holy observation of the Lords Day is the judgement and will of the Governours of the Church Read the Homilies for the Time and place of Worship Yea they require the people to say when the fourth Commandment is
will be often at it when they love it so that all these benefits will follow 1. It will make them Love the Book though it be but with a common Love 2. It will make them spend their time in it when else they would rather be at play 3. It will acquaint them with Scripture-History which will afterwards be very useful to them 4. It will lead them up by degrees to the knowledge of the doctrine which is all along interwoven with the History § 5. Direct 5 Take heed that you turn not all your family instructions into a customary formal Direct 5. course by bare readings and repeating Sermons from day to day without familiar personal application For it is ordinarily seen that they will grow as sleepy and senseless and customary under such a dull and distant course of duty though the matter be good almost as if you had said nothing to them Your business therefore must be to get within them and awaken their consciences to know that the matter doth most nearly concern them and to force them to make application of it to themselves § 6. Direct 6. Let none affect a formal Preaching way to their families except they be Preachers Direct 6. themselves or men that are able for the Ministry But rather spend the time in Reading to them the pââe fullest Books and speaking to them more familiarly about the state and matters of their souls Not that I think it unlawful for a man to preach to his family in the same Method that a Minister doth to his people For no doubt but he may teach them in the profitablest manner he can And that which is the best Method for a set speech in the Pulpit is usually the best Method in a family But my reasons against this Preaching-way ordinarily are these 1. Because it is very few Masters of families that are able for it even among them that think they are And then they ignorantly abuse the Scripture so as tends much to Gods dishonour 2. Because there is scarce any of them all but may read at the same time such lively profitable Books to their Families as handle those things which they have most need to hear of in a far more edifying manner than they themselves are able except they be so poor that they can get no such Books 3. Because the familiar way is most edifying And to talk seriously with Children and Servants about the great concernments of their souls doth commonly more move them than Sermons or set speeches Yet because there is a season for both you may sometimes read some powerful Books to them and sometimes talk familiarly to them 4. Because it often comes from Pride when men put their speech into a Preaching method to shew their parts and as often nourisheth pride § 7. Direct 7. Let the manner of your teaching them be very often interlâcutory or by way of Direct 7. Questions Though when you have so many or such persons present as that such familiarity is not seasonable then Reading repeating or set speeches may do best But at other times when the number or quality of the company hindereth not you will find that Questions and familiar discourse is best For 1. It keepeth them awake and attentive when they know they must make some answer to your Questions which set speeches with the dull and sluggish will hardly do 2. And it mightily helpeth them in the application so that they much more easily take it home and perceive themselves concerned in it § 8. Direct 8. Yet prudently take heed that you speak nothing to any in the presence of others that Direct 8. tends to open their ignorance or sin or the secrets of their hearts or that any way tendeth to shame them except in the necessary reproof of the obstinate If it be their common ignorance that will be opened by questioning them you may do it before your servants or Children themselves that are familiar with each other but not when any strangers are present But if it be about the secret state of their souls that you examine them you must do it singly when the person is alone Lâst shaming and troubling them make them haâe instruction and deprive them of all the benefit of it § 9. Direct 9. When you come to teach them the Doctrine of Religion begin with the Baptismal Direct 9. Covenant as the summ of all that is essential to Christianity And here teach them briefly all the substance of this at once For though such General knowledge will be obscure and not distinct and satisfactory yet it is necessary at first because they must see Truths set together For they will understand nothing truly if they understand it but independantly by broken parts Therefore open to them the summ of the Covenant or Christian Religion all at once though you say but little at first of the several parts Help them to understand what it is to be baptized into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And here you must open it to them in this order You must help them to know who are the Covenanters GOD and MAN and first the nature of man is to be opened because he is first known and God in him who is his Image Familiarly tell them that man is not like a beast that hath no Reason nor free will nor any knowledge of another World nor any other life to live but this But he hath an understanding to know God and a will to choose good and refuse evil and an immortal soul that must live for ever and that all inferiour Creatures were made for his service as he was made for the service of his Creator Tell them that neither man nor any thing that we see could make it self but God is the Maker preserver and disposer of all the world That this God is infinite in Power and Wisdom and Goodness and is the Owner and Ruler and Benefactor Felicity and End of man That man was made to be wholly devoted and resigned to God as his Owner and to be wholly Ruled by him as his Governour and to be wholly given up to his Love and Praise as his Father his Felicity and End That the Tempter having drawn man from this blessed state of life in Adam's fall the world fell under the wrath of God and had been lost for ever but that God of his mercy provided us a Redeemer even the Eternal Son of God who being One with the Father was pleased to take the nature of man and so is both God and man in one person who being born of a Virgin lived among men and fulfilled the Law of God and overcame the Tempter and the World and dyed as a Sacrifice for our sins to reconcile us unto God that all men being born with corrupted natures and living in sin till Christ recover them there is now no hope of salvation but by him that he hath paid our debt and made
Understandings and Charity to be both exceeding low § 7. Quest. 7. Must we alwayes pray according to the Method of the Lords Prayer and is it a sin Quest. 7. to do otherwise Answ. 1. The Lords Prayer is first a Rule for your Desires And it is a sin if your Desires follow not that Method If you do not begin in your Desires with God as your Ultimate End and if you first Desire not his Glory and then the flourishing of his Kingdom and then the Obeying of his Laws and herein the publick welfare of the world before and above your particular benefit And it is a sin if you desire not your Daily Bread or necessary support of Nature as a lower mercy in order to your higher spiritual mercies and if you desire not pardon of sin as a means to your future sanctity duty and felicity and if you desire not these as a means to the glory of God and take not his Praises as the highest part of your Prayers But for the Expressing of these Desires particular occasions may warrant you oft-times to begin in another order As when you pray for the sick or pray for directions or a blessing before a Sermon or some particular work you may begin and end with the subject that is before you as the prayers of holy men in all ages have done 2. You must distinguish also as between Desires and Expressions so between an Universal and a Particular Prayer The one containeth all the parts of prayer and the other is but about some one subject or part or but some few This last being but one or few particular Petitions cannot possibly be uttered in the Method of an Universal Prayer which hath all the parts There is no one Petition in the Lords Prayer but may be made a prayer it self and then it cannot have the other Petitions as parts 3. And you must distinguish between the even and ordinary case of a Christian and his extraordinary case when some special reason affection or accident calleth him to look most to some one particular In his even and ordinary case every universal prayer should be expressed in the Method of the Lords Prayer But in cases of special reason and inducement it may be otherwise § 8. Quest. 8. Must we pray alwayes when the Spirit moveth us and only then or as Reason guideeth Quest. 8. us Answ. There are two sorts of the Spirits motions The one is by extraordinary inspiration or impulse as he moved the Prophets and Apostles to reveal new Laws or precepts or events or to do some actions without respect to any other command than the Inspiration it self This Christians are not now to expect because experience telleth us that it is ceased or if any should pretend to it as not yet ceased in the prediction of events and direction in some things otherwise indifferent yet it is most certain that it is ceased as to Legislation For the spirit it self hath already given us those Laws which he hath declared to be perfect and unchangeable till the end of the world The other sort of the spirits working is not to make new Laws or Duties but to Guide and quicken us in the doing of that which is our Duty before by the Laws already made And these are the motions that all true Christians must now expect By which you may see that the Spirit and Reason are not to be here dis-joyned much less opposed As Reason sufficeth not without the spirit being dark and asleep so the spirit worketh not on the Will but by the Reason He moveth not a man as a beast or stone to do a thing he knoweth not why but by illumination giveth him the soundest Reason for the doing of it And Duty is first Duty before we do it And when by our own sin we forfeit the special motions or help of the spirit duty doth not thereby cease to be duty nor our omission to be sin If the spirit of God teach you to discern the meetest season for prayer by considering your affairs and when you are most free this is not to be denyed to be the work of the spirit because it is rational as phanatick enthusiasts imagine And if you are moved to pray in a crowd of business or at any time when Reason can prove that it is not your duty but your sin the same Reason proveth that it was not the spirit of God that moved you to it For the spirit in the heart is not contrary to the spirit in the Scripture Set upon the duty which the spirit in the Scripture commandeth you and then you may be sure that you obey the spirit otherwise you disobey it Yea if your hearts be cold prayer is a likelyer means to warm them than the omission of it To ask whether you may pray while your hearts are cold and backward is as to ask whether you may labour or come to the fire before you are warm Gods spirit is liker to help you in Duty than in the neglect of it § 9. Quest. 9. May a man pray that hath no Desire at all of the Grace which he prayeth for Quest. 9. Answ. No because it is no prayer but Dissembling and dissembling is no duty He that asketh for that which he would not have doth lye to God in his hypocrisie But if a man have but cold and common desires though they reach not to that which will prove them evidences of true grace he may pray and express those desires which he hath § 10. Quest. 10. May a man pray that doubteth of his interest in God and dare not call him Father Quest. 10. as his Child Answ. 1. There is a common Interest in God which all mankind have as he is Good to all and as Psal. 42. 9. 22. 1. âon 2. 4. Jâr 31. 9. Luk. 15. 12 17 19. Mal. 2. 10. his mercy through Christ is offered to all And thus those that are not regenârate are his Children by Creation and by participation of his mercy And they may both call him Father and pray to himself though yet they are unregenerate 2. God hath an interest in you when you have no special interest in him Therefore his command must be obeyed which bids you pray 3. Groundless doubts will not disoblige you from your duty else men might free themselves from almost all their obedience § 11. Quest. 11. May a wicked or unregenerate man pray and is he accepted Or is not his prayer Quest. 11. abominable to God Answ. 1. A wicked man as a wicked man can pray no how but wickedly that is he asketh only Act. 15. 17. 1â 27. 8. 22. Isa. 55. 6. Psal. 14. 4. for things unlawful to be asked or for lawful things to unlawful ends and this is still abominable to God 2. A wicked man may have in him some good that proceedeth from common grace and this he may be obliged to exercise and so by prayer
Repent of your sinful life and yet set your Heart upon the life to come and Love God and Holiness better than the world and fleshly pleasure and trust your soul on Christ as your Redeemer and he will certainly forgive you and reconcile you unto God and present you justified and spotless in his sight Think of your sin till you abhor your self and think of your sin and misery till you feel that you are undone if you have not a Saviour and then think what Love God hath shewed you in Christ in giving him to be incarnate and die for sinners and offering you freely to pardon all that ever you have done and to justifie and save you and bring you to endless Glory with himself if yet as last you will but give up your self to Christ and accept his mercy and return to God What joyful tidings is here now for a sinful miserable soul Yet this is the certain truth of God This is his very Covenant of grace which is founded in the blood of Christ and which he is now ready to make with you and seal to you by his spirit within and his Sacrament without if you do but Heartily and unfeignedly Consent Believe in Christ and Turn to God from the world and the flesh and resolve upon a Holy life if you should recover and then I can assure you from the word of God that he will freely pardon you and take you for his Child and save your soul in endless Glory As late as it is he will certainly receive you if you return to him by Christ with all your heart And doth not your heart now rejoice in this unspeakable mercy which is willing to save you after all the sin that you have committed and after all the time that you have lost Do you not Love that God that is so abundant in Goodness and in Love and that Saviour who hath purchased you this pardon and salvation Is it not better think you to Love and praise and serve him than to live in fleshly lusts and pleasures And is it not better to dwell in Heaven with him in endless Ioys than to live awhile in the vain delights of sinners and thence to pasâ to endless misery O beg of God now to give you a New Heart to Believe in Christ and Repent of sin and Love him that is most Holy Good and gracious And take heed that you sleight his grace no longer and that you do not now take on you in a fear to be that which you are not or to do that which you would not hold to if you should recover And to make all sure will you now sincerely enter into a Covenant with Christ I mean but the same Covenant which you made in Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords supper and which would have saved you if you had sincerely made and kept it Let me therefore help you both to understand it and to do it by these questions which I intreat you to answer sincerely as one that is going to the presence of God Quest. 1. Do you truly Believe that you are a Rational creature differing from bruits being made to Love and serve your Maker and have an immortal soul which must live in Heaven or Hell for ever And that there is indeed a Heaven of Ioyes and a Hell of punishments when this life is ended Quest. 2. Do you believe that in Heaven the souls of the Iustified at death and the Body also at the Resurrection shall be joined with the Angels and shall dwell with Christ and see the Glory of God and be perfected in Holiness and filled with the sense of the Love of God and with the greatest Ioyes that our nature can receive and shall live in the most delightful Love and Praise of God for ever Quest. 3. Seeing you are certain that all the pleasures of this life are short and will end in death and leave the flesh which desired them in corruption do you not firmly believe that the Ioyes of Heaven are infinitely better and more to be desired and sought than all the pleasures and profits of this life And that it is most reasonable that we should Love God above all Creatures even with all our heart and soul and might Quest. 4. Seeing then that the Love of God is both our Duty and our Happiness is it not reason that we should be kept from the Love of any thing in the world which would steal away our hearts from God and hinder us from Loving him and desiring and seeking him and that we should mortifie the love of worldly riches honours and delights so far as they are against the Love of God Quest. 5. Seeing God is the absolute Lord and Ruler of the world is it not reason that we obey him whatsoever he commandeth us though we did not see the Reason why he doth command it And yet is it not plainly Reasonable that he command us to Love and honour and worship him and to Love one another and to deal Iustly with all and do as we would be done by and toââe careful of our souls and temperate for our bodies and not to neglect or dishonour our maker nor to neglect our own salvation nor abuse our bodies by beastly filthiness or excess nor to wrong our neighbours nor deny to do them any good that is in our power This is the sum of all Gods laws and this is the nature of Holiness and obedience And do you not from your heart believe that all this is very reasonable and good Quest. 6. When the sinful world was faln from Happiness into misery by turning away from God and Holiness to sensuality and God sent his Son to be their Redeemer and Saviour to be a Sacrifice for sin and a Teacher and Pattern of a Holy and Obedient life and to make a new Covenant with them in which he giveth them the pardon of all sin and everlasting happiness if they will but give up themselves to him as their Saviour and Sanctifier and by true Repentance turn to God do you not verily Believe that miserable sinners should gladly and thankfully accept of such an offer and abundantly Love that God and Saviour that hath so tenderly loved them and so freely Redeemed them from the flames of Hell and so freely offered them everlasting life And do you not Believe that he who after all this shall slight all this mercy and refuse to be renewed by sanctifying grace and shall neglect his God and soul and this salvation and rather choose to keep his sins doth not deserve to be utterly forsaken and to be punished more than if a Saviour and Salvation had never been offered to him Quest. 7. Hath not this been your own case Have you not lived a fleshly worldly life neglecting God and your salvation and minding more these lower things and have you not refused the word and spirit of Christ which would have brought you to Repentance and a holy
my mouth Mal. 3. 18. Psal. 1. 15. 4. Affect not a dead and heartless way of worship which tendeth not to convince and waken the ungodly nor to make men serious as those that have to do with God § 9. Direct 8. Let the manner of your worshipping God be suited to the matter that you have in hand Direct 8. Remember that you are speaking either to or of the Eternal God that you are employed about the everlasting salvation of your own or others souls that all is high and holy that you have to do See then that the Manner be answerable hereunto § 10. Direct 9. Offer God nothing as a part of Worship which is a lye much less so gross a lye as Direct 9. to be disproved by the common senses and Reason of all the world God needeth not our Lye unto his glory What worship then do Papists offer him in their Mass who take it for an article of their faith Rom. 3. 7. that there is no Bread or Wine left after the Consecration it being all Transubstantiate into the very Body and Blood of Christ. And when the Certainty of all mens senses is renounced then all certainty of faith and all Religion is renounced for all presuppose the certainty of sense § 11. Direct 10. Worship not God in a manner that is contrary to the true nature and order and Direct 10. operations of a rational soul. I mean not to the corrupted nature of man but to Nature as Rational in it self considered As 1. Let not your meer Will and inclination over-rule your understandings Read Plutarch of Superstition and say not as blind Lovers do I love this but I know not why or as Children that eat unwholsome meat because they love it 2. Let not passion overtop your Reason Worship God with such a zeal as is according to knowledge 3. Let not your Tongues lead your hearts much less over-go them Words may indeed reflect upon the Heart and warm it more but that is but the secondary use the first is to be the expressions of the Heart You must not speak without or against your hearts that is falsly that by so speaking you may better your hearts and make the words true that at first were not true unless it be when your words are but reading-recitations or narratives and not spoken of your selves The Heart was made to lead the tongue and the tongue to express it and not to lead it Therefore speak not to God either the words of a Parrot which you do not understand or the words of a lyar or Hypocrite which express not the meaning or desires or feeling of your hearts but first understand and feel what you should speak and then speak that which you understand and feel § 12. Quest. How then can a prayer be lawful that is read or heard from a Book Answ. There is in Reading the Eye and in Hearing the Ear that is first to affect the Heart and then the Tongue is to perform its office And though it be sudden yet the passage to the Heart is first and the passage from the heart is last and the soul is quick and can quickly thus both Receive and be Affected and express it self And the case is the same in this whether it be from a Book or from the words of another without book For the soul must do the same as quickly in joyning with another that speaketh before us without a book as with it § 13. Direct 11. Understand well how far Christ hath given a Law and Rule for worship to his Direct 11. Church in the holy Scriptures and so far see that you take it as a perfect Rule and swerve not from How far the Scriptureis the Law or Rule of Worship and Discipline and how far not it by adding or diminishing This is a matter of great importance by reason of the danger of erring on either side 1. If you think that the Scripture containeth not any Law or Rule of Worship at all or not so much as indeed it doth you will deny a principal part of the Office of Christ as the King and Teacher of the Church and will accuse his Laws of insufficiency and be tempted to worship him with a humane kind of worship and to think your selves at liberty to worship him according to your own imaginations or change his worship according to the fashion of the Age or the Countrey where you are And on the other side if you think that the Scripture is a Law and Rule of Worship more particular than Christ intended it you will involve your selves and others in endless scruples and controversies and find fault with that which is lawful and a duty because you find it not particularly in the Scriptures And therefore it is exceeding needful to understand how far it is intended to be herein our Law and Rule and how far not To handle this fully would be a Dâgression but I shall briefly answer it § 14. 1. No doubt but Christ is the only Universal Head and Law-giver to his Church and that Legislation Isa. 2. 3 1. 10. 42. 4. Mic. 4. 2. Heb. 3. â 3 5. Heb. 10. 28. Acts 7. 37 38. Acts 3. 23. Psal. 19. 7. Isa. 5. 24. is the first and principal part of Government And therefore if he had made no Laws for his Church he were not the full Governour of it And therefore he that arrogateth this power to himself to be Law-giver to the Church universal as such doth usurp the Kingly Office of Christ and committeth Treason against his Government unless he can prove that Christ hath delegated to him this chief part of his Government which none can do There being no Universal Law-giver to the Church but Christ whether Pope or Council no Law that is made by any meer man can be universally obligatory Therefore seeing the making of all Universal Laws doth belong only to â Christ we may be sure that he hath perfectly done it and hath left nothing out of his Laws that was fit to be there nor nothing at liberty that was fit to be determined and commanded Therefore whatsoever is of equal Use or Consideration to the Universal Church as it is to any one part of iâ and to all times as it is to any time of the Church should not be made a Law by man to any part of the Church if Christ have not made it a Law to the whole because else they accuse him of being defective in his Laws and because all his subjects are equally dependant on him as their King and Iudge And no man must step into his Throne pretending to amend his work which he hath done amiss or to make up any wants which the chief Law giver should have made up § 15. 2. These Laws of Christ for the Government of his Church are fully contained in the holy Scriptures For so much as is in Nature is there also
more plainly expressed than nature hath exprest it All is not Christs Law that is any way exprest in Scripture but all Christs Laws are exprest in the Matth. 28. 20. Scriptures Not written by himself but by his Spirit in his Apostles whom he appointed and sent â to Teach all Nations to observe what ever he commanded them who being thus commissioned and enabled fully by the Spirit to perform it are to be supposed to have perfectly executed their commission and to have taught whatsoever Christ commanded them and no more as from Christ And therefore as they taught that present age by Voice who could Hear them so they taught all ages after to the end Rom. 13. 9. Matt. 22. 37. Isa. 8. 16. 20. Acts 8. 25. Acts 15. 35 36. Acts â6 17 18. 1 John 1. 9. Nâheââ 1. 6. Lâv. 16. 21. Pââl 4. 6. Psal. 50. 14. 69 30. 100. 1 2 4. Eph. 5. 19. Psal. 9. 11. 95. 1. Luke 11. â 3. c. Matth. 2â 1â 1 Câr 11. 27. 24 25 26 28. 1 Cor. 14. 5 1â â6 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 40. Rom. 14. 15 2â 1 Cor. 9. 20 21 22. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 10. 19 28. 2 Cor. 6. â6 of the world by writing because their voice was not by them to be heard § 16. 3. So far then as the Scripture is a Law and Rule it is a perfect Rule But how far it is a Law or Rule it s own contents and expressions must determine As 1. It is certain that all the Internal worship of God by Love fear trust desire c. is perfectly commanded in the Scriptures 2. The Doctrine of Christ which his Ministers must read and preach is perfectly contained in the Scriptures 3. The grand and constantly necessary points of Order in preaching are there also expressed As that the opening of mens eyes and the converting of them from the power of Satan to God be first endeavoured and then their Confirmation and further Edification c. 4. Also that we humble our selves before God in the confession of our sins 5. And that we pray to God in the name of Christ for mercy for our selves and others 6. That we give God Thanks for his mercies to the Church our selves and others 7. That we Praise God in his excellencies manifested in his Word and Works of Creation and Providence 8. That we do this by singing Psalms with holy joyfulness of heart 9. The matter and order of the ordinary prayers and praises of Christians is expressed in the Scripture As which parts are to have precedency in our estimation and desire and ordinarily in our expressions 10. Christ himself hath determined that by Baptizing them into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost men be solemnly entered into his Covenant and Church and state of Christianity 11. And he hath himself appointed that his Churches hold communion with him and among themselves in the Eucharistical administration of the Sacrament of his Body and blood represented in the breaking delivering receiving and eating the consecrated Bread and in the pouâing out delivering receiving and drinking the consecrated Wine 12. And as for the mutable subservient circumstances and external expressions and actions and orders which were not fit to be in particular the matter of an Universal Law but are fit in one place or at one time and not another for thâse he hath left both in Nature and Scripture such General Laws by which upon emergent occasions they may be determined and by particular Providences he âitteth things and persons and times and places so as that we may discern their agreeableness to the descriptions in his General Laws As that all things be done Decently in Order and to Ediâication and in Charity Unity and Peace And he hath forbidden Generally doing any thing undecently disorderly to the hurâââ destruction of our brethren even the weak or to the division of the Church 13. And many things 2 Commandment Col. â 18 c. 1 Joh. 5. 21. Rev. 2. 14. he hath particularly forbidden in Worship as making to our selves any graven Image c. and Worshipping Angels c. § 20. And as to the order and Government of the Church for I am willing to dispatch all here together this much is plainly determined in Scripture 1. That there be Officers or Ministers under Mat. 28. 19. Rom. 10. 7 8. Act. 14. 23. Act. 2. 42. 20. 7 28. âph 4. 11 14. Mal 2. 7. ãâ¦ã 3. 17 21. 1 Coâ 12. 17 28. Cââ 1. â8 Act. 2â ââ 1 Thes. 5. 12. Hâb 13. 7 17. Act. â 37. â 37 38. 3. 20. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 9. 13 14. Act. 20. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 15. Deut. 10. 8. 2 âiâ 4. 1 2 3. Matth. 18. 15 16 17. 2 Thes. 3. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Joh. 10. 11. ââ 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Rom. 16 17. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Luk 10 16. 12. 42. Act. â3 â3 Tât 1. 5 9. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 3 4. Rev. 1. 10. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16 2. Christ to be the stated Teachers of his people and to Baptize and Administer the Sacrament of his Body and Blood and be the Mouth and Guide of the people in publick Prayers thanksgiving and praises and to bind the impânitent and loose the penitent and to be the Directers of the flocks according to the Law of God to life eternal And their Office is described and determined by Christ. 2. It is required that Christians do ordinarily Assemble together for Gods publick worship and be Guided therein by these their Pastors 3. It is required that besides the unfixed Ministers who employ themselves in converting Infidels and in an itinerant service of the Churches there be also stated fixed Ministers having a special charge of each particular Church and that they may know their own flocks and teach them publickly and from house to house and the people may know their own Pastors that are âver them in the Lord and honour them and obey them in all that they teach them from the Word of God for their salvation 4. The Ministers that Baptize are to judge of the capacity and fitness of those whom they Baptize whether the Adult that are admitted upon their personal profession and Covenanting or Infants that are admitted upon their Parents profession and entering them into Covenant 5. The Pastors that administer the Lords Supper to their particular flocks are to discern or judge of the fitness of those persons whom they receive newly into their charge or whom they admit to Communion in that Sacrament as members of their flock 6. Every such Pastor is also personally to watch over all the members of his flock as far as he is able lest false teachers seduce them or satan get advantage of them or any corruption or root of bitterness spring up
among them and defile them 7. It is the duty of the several members of the flock if a Brother trespass against them to tell him his faults between them and him and if he hear not to take two or three and if he hear not them to tell the Church 8. It is the Pastors duty to admonish the unruly and call them to Repentance and pray for their Conversion 9. And it is the Pastors duty to declare the obstinately impenitent uncapable of Communion with the Church ând to charge him to forbear it and the Church to avoid him 10. It is the peoples duty to avoid such accordingly and have no familiarity with them that they may be ashamed and with such no not to eat 11. It is the Pastors duty to Absolve the Penitent declaring the remission of their sin and re-admitting to the Communion of the Saints 12. It is the peoples duty to re-admit the absolved to their Communion with joy and to take them as Brethren in the Lord. 13. Though every Pastor hath a General power to exercise his office in any part of the Church where he shall be truly called to it yet every Pastor hath a special obligation and consequently a special power to do it over the flock of which he hath received the special charge and oversight 14. The Lords day is separated by Gods appointment for the Churches ordinary holy Communion in Gods Worship under the conduct of these their Guides 15. And it is requisite that the several particular Churches do maintain as much agreement among themselves as their capacity will allow them and keep due Synods and correspondencies to that end Thus much of Gods Worship and Church-order and Government at least is of Divine institution and determined by Scripture and not left to the will or liberty of man Thus far the Form of Government at least is of Divine Right § 21. But on the contrary 1. About Doctrine and Worship the Scripture is no Law in any of these following cases but hath left them undetermined 1. There are many natural Truths which the Scripture meddleth not with As Physicks Metaphysicks Logick c. 2. Scripture telleth not a Minister what particular Text or Subject he shall Preach on this day or that 3. Nor what method his Text or Subject shall be opened and handled in 4. Nor what day of the week besides the Lords day he shall preach nor what hour on the Lords day he shall begin 5. Nor in what particular place the Church shall meet 6. Nor what particular sins we shall most confess nor what personal mercies we shall at this present time first ask nor for what we shall now most copiously give thanks For special occasions must determine all these 7. Nor what particular Chapter we shall now read nor what particular Psalm we shall now sing 8. Nor what particular translation of the Scripture or version of the Psalms we shall now use Nor into what Sections to distribute the Scripture as we do by Chapters and Verses Nor whether the Bible shall be Printed or Written or in what Characters or how bound 9. Nor just by what sign I shall express my consent to the truths or duties which I am called to express consent to besides the Sacraments and ordinary words 10. Nor whether I shall use written Notes to help my memory in Preaching or Preach without 11. Nor whether I shall use a writing or book in prayer or pray without 12. Nor whether I shall use the same words in preaching and prayer or various new expressions 13. Nor what utensils in holy administrations I shall use as a Temple or an ordinary house a Pulpit a font a Table cups cushions and many such which belong to the several parts of Worship 14. Nor in what particular gesture we shall preach or read or hear 15. Nor what particular garments Ministers or people shall wear in time of Worship 16. Nor what natural or artificial helps to our natural faculties Of which I have spoke more fully in my Disput. 5. of Church-Government p. 400. c. we shall use as medicaments for the Voice tunes musical instruments spectacles hour-glasses These and such like are undetermined in Scripture and are left to be determined by humane prudence not as men please but as means in order to the proper end according to the General Laws of Christ. For Scripture is a General Law for all such circumstances but not a particular Law So also for Order and Government Scripture hath not particularly determined 1. What individual persons shall be the Pastors of the Church 2. Or of just how many persons the Congregations shall consist 3. Or how the Pastors shall divide their work where there are many 4. Nor how many every Church shall have 5. Nor what particular people shall be a Pastors special charge 6. Nor what individual persons he shall Baptize receive to Communion admonish or absolve 7. Nor in what words most of these shall be expressed 8. Nor what number of Pastors shall meet in Synods for the communion and agreement of several Churches noâ how oft nor at what time or place nor what particular order shall be among them in their consultations with many such like § 22. When you thus understand how far Scripture is a Law to you in the Worship of God it will be the greatest Direction to you to keep you both from disobeying God and your Superiours that you may neither pretend obedience to man for your disobedience to God nor pretend obedience to God against your due obedience to your Governours as those will do that think Scripture is a more particular Rule than ever Christ intended it And it will prevent abundance of unnecessary scruples contentions and divisions § 23. Direct 12. Observe well in Scripture the difference between Christs Universal Laws which Direct 12. bind all his Subjects in all times and places and those that are but local personal or alterable Laws What commands of God are not universal noâ perpetual lest you think that you are bound to all that ever God bound any others to The Universal Laws and unalterable are those which result from the Foundation of the universal and unalierable nature of persons and things and those which God hath supernaturally revealed as suitable constantly to all The particular local or temporary Laws are those which either resulted from a particular or alterable nature of persons and things as mutually related as the Law of nature bound Adams Sons to marry their Sisters which bindeth others against it or those which God supernaturally enacted only for some particular people or person or for a time If you should mistake all the Iewish Laws for universal Laws as to persons or duration into how many errours would it lead you So also if you mistake every personal mandate sent by a Prophet or Apostle to a particular man as obliging all you would make a snare of it Every man is not to abstain
bound the sense 2. Because God acquainteth not man with all the reasons of his Laws 3. Because there may be special reasons for an indulgence to the weaker Sex in such a weighty case And though still there is a probability it may extend to Sons it is good keeping Dr. Sanders Prâlect 4. sect 5. p 104 105. limiteth it to D his rebus in quibus subest in those same things in which one is under anothers Government Adding Sect. 6. a double exception O which oâe respecteth thâ person of the swearer the other the consent of the superiour The first is that As to the person of the swearer there is sâaââ any oâe that hath the usâ of reason that is so fully under anothers power but that in some things he is sui juris at his own âowââ And thââââ every one may do as pââââse himself without coâsâlâing his superiour so as that by his own act without his superiours liceâse he âay âind himself 2. As ãâ¦ã of a superiour A tacite consent antecedent or consequent sufficeth Quasi diceret si dissensum suum vel uno die dissimulet votum in perpetuum stabilivit to Certainties in matters of such dreadful importance as Oaths and Vows to God 2. It is uncertain whether this power of disanulling Vows do belong also to other Superiours to Princes to inferiour Magistrates to Pastors to Masters to Commanders as to their Souldiers as well as to Parents and Husbands some think it doth because there is say they a parity of reason Others think it is dangerous disanulling Oaths and Vows upon pretences of parity of reason when it is uncertain whether we know all Gods reasons and they think there is not a parity and that it extendeth not to others 1. Because Parents and Husbands are so emphatically named in the Contents in the end v. 16. 2. Because it had been as easie to God to name the rest 3. Because there is no instance in Scripture of the exercise of such a power when there was much occasion for it 4. Because else Vows signifie no more in a Kingdom than the King please and in an Army than the General and officers please and among servants than the master please which is thought a dangerous doctrine 5 Because there will be an utter uncertainty when a Vow bindeth and when it doth not to almost all people in the world For one superiour may contradict it and another or an hundred may be silent The King and most of the Magistrates through distance will be silent when a Master or a Justice or a Captain that is at hand may disanul it one officer may be for it and another against it A master or a Pastor may be for it and the Magistrate against it and so Perjury will become the most controverted sin and a matter of jeast 6. Because Publick Magistrates and Commanders and Pastors have not the neer and natural interest in their Inferiours as Parents and Husbands have in their Children and Wives And therefore Parents have not only a restraining power as Husbands here also have but also a disposing power of the Relation of their infant Children and may enter them in Baptism into the Vow and Covenant of Christianity the will and act of the Parents standing for the Child 's till he come to age But if you say that upon a Parity of Reason all Princes and Rulers and Pastors may do so with all that are their inferiours it will seem incredible to most Christians 7. Because publick Magistrates are justly supposed to be so distant from almost all their individual subjects as not to be capable of so speedy a disowning their personal Vows Whatever this Text doth it is certain that other Texts enough forbid Covenants and Combinations against the Persons or power or rights of our Governours and not only against them but without them in cases where our place and calling alloweth us not to act without them But it is certain that God who commanded all Israel to be entered sucessively into the Covenant of Circumcision with him would not have held them guiltless for refusing that Covenant if the Prince had been against it And few Divines think that a subject or Souldier or servant that hath vowed to forbear wine or feasting or marriage is discharged if his Prince or Captain or Masters be against it Ionathan and David were under an Oath of friendship called the Lords oath 2 Sam. 21. 7. Saul as a Parent could not discharge Ionathan as being a man at full age Quaere whether Saul as a King being against it did null the oath to David and Ionathan No the Scripture sheweth the contrary 8. Because else that benefit which God extendeth only to a weaker sort would extend to any the wisest and most learned persons through the world whose Vows to God even for the afflicting of their own souls may be nulled by the King or other superiours Many such reasons are urged in this case 3. It is uncertain whether this Chapter extend to assertory or testimonial oaths if not certain that it doth not It speaketh but of binding their souls in vows to God which is to offer or do something which by errour may prove prejudicial to them But if a Parent or Husband much more a King or General might nullifie all the testimonial Oaths of their inferiours that are given in judgement or discharge all their Subjects from the guilt of all the Lyes or false oaths which they shall take it would make a great change in the morality of the World 4. It is not past all Controversie how far this Law is yet in for force seeing the Mosaical Law as such is abrogated this can be now no further in force than as it is the Law of nature or some way confirmed or revived by Christ. The equity seemeth to be natural § 53. Rule 31. It is certain that whoever this power of disanulling Vows belongeth to and to whomsoever Rule 31. it may be given that it extendeth not to discharge us from the promise or Vow of that which is antecedently our necessary duty by the Law of God Else they should dispense with the Law of God when none but the Law-giver can relax or dispense with his Laws unless it be one Superiour to the Law-giver Therefore none can dispense with the Laws of God But I speak this but of a Duty necessary also as a means to our salvation or the good of others or the honouring of God For otherwise as to some smaller things the Duty may be such as man cannot dispense with and yet a Vow to do that duty may be unnecessary and sinful As if I swear to keep all the Law of God and never to sin or never to think a sinful thought To do this is good but to Vow it is bad because I may foreknow that I shall break it § 54. Rule 32. In some cases a Vow may oblige you against that which would have been
exercise and to a fixed Charge as thou hast now a Call to the Office in general 9. Yet every Bishop or Pastor by his Relation to the Church Universal and to mankind and the interest of Christ is bound not only as a Christian but as a Pastor to do his best for the common good and not to cast wholly out of his care a particular Church because another hath the oversight of it Therefore if an Heretick get in or the Church fall to Heresie or any pernicious error or sin the neighbour Pastors are bound both by the Law of Nature and their Office to interpose their Counsel as Ministers of Christ and to prefer the substance before pretended order and to feek to recover the peoples souls though it be against their proper Pastors will And in such a case of necessity they may ordain degrade excommunicate and absolve in anothers charge as if it were a vacuity 10. Moreover it is one thing to excommunicate a man out of a particular Church and another thing for many associated Churches or Neighbours to renounce Communion with him The special 1 Cor. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Thess. 3. 6 14. Pastors of particular Churches having the Government of those Churches are the special Governing Judges who shall or shall not have Communion as a member in their Churches But the neighbour-Pastors of other Churches have the power of Judging with whom they and their own flocks will or will 2 John 10. Rev. 2. 14 15 2â not hold Communion As e. g. Athanasius may as Governour of his flock declare any Arrian-member excommunicate and require his flock to have no Communion with him And all the neighbour Pastors though they excommunicate not the same man as his special Governours yet may declare to all their flocks that if that man come among them they will have no Communion with him and that at distance they renounce that distant Communion which is proper to Christians one with another and take him for none of the Church of Christ. Quest. 25. Whether Canons be Laws And Pastors have a Legislative Power ALL men are not agreed what a Law is that is what is to be taken for the proper sense of that Word Some will have the name confined to such Common Laws as are stated durable Rules for the subjects actions And some will extend it also to personal temporary verbal Precepts and Mandates such as Parents and Masters use daily to the children and servants of their families And of the first sort some will confine the name Laws to those acts of Soveraignty which are about the common matters of the Kingdom or which no interiour Officer may make And others will extend it to those Orders which by the Soveraigns Charter a Corporation or Colledge or School may make for the subregulation of their particular societies and affairs I have declared my own opinion de nomine fully elsewhere 1. That the definition of a Law in the proper general sense is To be A sign or signification of the Reason and Will of the Rector as such to his subjects as such instituting or antecedently determining what shall be Due from them and to them Jus efficiendo Regularly making Right 2. That these Laws are many more wayes diversified and distinguished from the efficient sign subjects matter end c. than is meet for us here to enumerate It is sufficient now to say 1. That stated Regulating Laws as distinct from temporary Mandates and Proclamations 2. And Laws for Kingdoms and other Common-wealthy in regard of Laws for Persons Schools Families c. 3. And Laws made by the Supream Power as distinct from those made by the derived authority of Colleges Corporations c. called by-By-Laws or Orders For I will here say nothing of Parents and Pastors whose Authority is directly or immediately from the efficiency of Nature in one and Divine Institution in the other and not derived efficiently from the Magistrate or any man 4. That Laws about great substantial matters distinct from those about little and mutable circumstances c. I say the first sort as distinct from the second are Laws so called by Excellency above other Laws But that the rest are univocally to be called Laws according to the best definition of the Law in Genere But if any man will speak otherwise let him remember that it is yet but lis de nomine and that he may use his liberty and I will use mine Now to the Question 1. Canons made by Virtue of the Pastoral Office and Gods General Laws in Nature or Scripture for regulating it are a sort of Laws to the subjects or flocks of those Pastors 2. Canons made by the Votes of the Laity of the Church or private part of that society as private are no Laws at all but Agreements Because they are not acts of any Governing power 3. Canons made by Civil Rulers about the circumstantials of the Church belonging to their Office as orderers of such things are Laws and may be urged by moderate and meet civil or corporal penalties and no otherwise 4. Canons made by Princes or inferiour Magistrates are no Laws purely and formally Ecclesiastical which are essentially Acts of Pastoral power But only Materially Ecclesiastical and formally Magistratical 5. No Church Officers as such much less the people can make Laws with a Co-active or Coârcive sanction that is to be enforced by their Authority with the Sword or any corporal penalty mulct or force This being the sole priviledge of Secular Powers Civil or Oâconomical or Scholastick 6. There is no obligation ariseth to the subject for particular obedience of any Law which is evidently against the Laws of God in Nature or holy Scripture 7. They are no Laws which Pastors make to people out of their power As the Popes c. 8. There is no power on earth under Christ that hath Authority to make Universal Laws to bind the whole Church on all the earth or all mankind Because there is no Universal Soveraign Civil or Spiritual Personal or Collective 9. Therefore it is no Schism but Loyalty to Christ to renounce or separate from such a society of â Usurpation nor no disobedience or rebellion to deny them obedience 10. Pastors may and must be obeyed in things Lawful as Magistrates if the King make them Magistrates Though I think it unmeet for them to accept a Magistracy with the Sword except in case of some rare necessity 11. Is Pope Patriarchs or Pastors shall usurp any of the Kings Authority Loyalty to Christ and him and the Love of the Church and State oblige us to take part with Christ and the King against such Usurpation but only by lawful means in the compass of our proper place and Calling 12. The Canons made by the Councils of many Churches have a double nature As they are made for the people and the subjects of the Pastors they are a sort of Laws That is They oblige by the derived
Authority of the Pastors Because the Pastors of several Churches do not Lose any of Grotius dâ Iâperio sum pot circ âacr most solidly resolveth this Question their Power by their Assembling but exercise it with the greater advantage of Concord But as they are made only to oblige the present or absent Pastors who separatedly are of equal Office-power so they are no Laws except in an equivocal sense but only Agreements or Contracts So Bishop Usher profest his judgement to be And before him the Council of Carthage in Cyprians time But it needs no proof no more than that a Convention of Kings may make no Laws to bind the Kings of England but Contracts only 13. But yet we are aliunde obliged even by God to keep these Agreements in things lawful for the Churches peace and concord when greater contrary reasons à fine do not disoblige us For when God saith You shall keep Peace and Concord and keep Lawful Covenants The Canons afford us the Minor But these are Lawful Contracts or Agreements and means of the Churches Peace and Concord Therefore saith Gods Law you shall observe them So though the Contracts as of Husband and Wife Buyer and Seller c. be not Laws yet that is a Law of God which bindeth us to keep them 14. Seing that even the obliging Commands of Pastors may not by them be enforced by the Sword 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. 2 Cor. 1. 24. but work by the power of Divine Authority or Commission manifested and by holy Reason and Love therefore it is most modest and fit for Pastors who must not Lord it over Gods heritage but be examples to all to take the Lower name of Authoritative Directions and perswasions rather than of Laws Especially in a time when Papal Usurpation maketh such ruinating use of that name and Civil Magistrates use to take it in the nobler and narrower sense THe Questions 1. If one Pastor make Orders for his Church and the multitudes or Synods be against them which must be obeyed you may gather from what is said before of Ordination And 2. What are the particulars proper Materially to the Magistrates decision and what to the Pastors I here pass by Quest. 26. Whether Church-Canons or Pastors Directive Determinations of matters pertinent to their Office do bind the Conscience And what accidents will disoblige the people you may gather before in the same case about Magistrates Laws in the Political Directions As also by an impartial transferring the Case to the Precepts of Parents and Schoolmasters to Children without respect to their Power of the Rod or supposing that they had none such Quest. 27. What are Christs appointed means of the Unity and Concord of the Universal Church and consequently of its preservation if there be no Humane Universal Head and Governour of it upon Earth And if Christ have instituted none such Whether Prudence and the Law of Nature oblige not the Church to set up and maintain an Universal Ecclesiastical Monarchy or Aristocracy Seeing that which is Every mans work is as No mans and omitted by all I. TO the first question I must refer you in part to two small popular yet satisfactory Tractates Catholick Unity and The True Catholick and Church described written long ago that I do not one thing too oft Briefly now 1. The Unity of the Universal Church is founded in and maintained by their Common Relation to Christ the Head as the Kingdom in its Relation to the King 2. A Concord in Degrees of Goodness and in Integrals and Accidentals of Christianity will never be obtained on earth where the Church is still imperfect And perfect Holiness and Wisdom are necessary to Perfect Harmony and Concord Phil. 3. 12 13 14. 3. Experience hath long taught the Church if it will learn that the claim of a Papal Headship and Government over the Church Universal hath been the famous incendiary and hinderer of Concord in the Christian world 4. The means to attain such a measure of concord and harmony which is to be hoped for or endeavoured upon earth I have so distinctly fully and yet briefly described with the contrary Impediments in my Treatise of the Reasons of Christian Religion Part 7. Chap. 14. pag. 470 471. in about two leaves that I will not recite them If you say You are not bound to read the Books which I refer you to I answer Nor thiâ II. To the latter Question I answer 1. To set up such an Universal Head on the supposition of natural Reasons and Humane Policy is 1. To cross Christs Institution and the Laws of the Holy Ghost as hath been long proved by Protestants from the Scripture 2. It is Treason against Christs Soveraign Office to usurp such a Vicegerency without his Commission 3. It is against the notorious light of Nature which telleth us of the Natural Incapacity of Mortal man to be such an Universal Governour through the world 4. It is to sin against long and dreadful common experience and to keep in that fire that hath destroyed Euperours Kings and Kingdoms and set the Churches Pastors and Christian world in those divisions which are the great and serviceable work of Satan and the impediment of the Churches increase purity and peace and the notorious shame of the Christian profession in the eyes of the Infidel world And if so many hundred years sad experience will not answer them that say If the Pope were a good man he might unite us all I conclude that such deserve to be deceived 2 Thess. 2. 10 11 12. Quest. 28. Who is the Iudge of Controversies in the Church 1. About the Exposition of the Scripture and Doctrinal points in themselves 2. About either Heresies or wicked Practices as they are charged on the persons who are accused of them That is 1. Antecedently to our Practice by way of Regulation 2. Or Consequently by Iudicial Sentence and Execution on Offenders I Have answered this question so oft that I can perswade my self to no more than this short yet clear solution The Papists use to cheat poor unlearned persons that cannot justly discern things that differ by puzling them with this confused ambiguous question Some things they cunningly and falsly take for granted As that there is such a thing on Earth as a Political Universal Church headed by any Mortal Governour Some things they shuffle together in equivocal words They confound 1. Publick Iudgement of Decision and private judgement of discerning 2. The Magistrates Iudgement of Church-controversies and the Pastors and the several Cases and Ends and Effects of their several judgements 3. Church-judgement as Directive to a particular Church and as a means of the Concord of several Churches Which being but distinguished a few words will serve to clear the difficulty 1 As there is no Universal Humane Church Constituted or Governed by a Mortal Head so there is no Power set up by Christ to be an Universal Iudge of either sort of Controversies
Covenant of Grace When a man Receiveth the Lords Supper unworthily in scorn in drunkenness or impenitency much more without any right as Infidels he doth eat and drink damnation or judgement to himself and maketh his sin greater Therefore he that gets a Child Baptized unworthily and without right doth not therefore infallibly procure his salvation 7. Because the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7. 14. Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy and the Scripture giveth this priviledge to the Children of the faithful above others whereas the contrary opinion levelleth them with the seed of Infidels and Heathens as if these had right to salvation by meer Baptism as well as the others 8. Because else it would be the greatest act of Charity in the world to send Souldiers to catch up all Heathens and Infidels Children and Baptize them which no Christians ever yet thought their duty Yea it would be too strong a temptation to them to kill them when they had done that they might be all undoubtedly saved Obj. But that were to do evil that good might come by it Answ. But God is not to be so dishonoured as to be supposed to make such Laws as shall forbid men the greatest good in the World and then to tempt them by the greatness of the benefit to take it to be no evil As if he said If Souldiers would go take up a million of Heathens Children and Baptize them it will put them into an undoubted state of salvation But yet I forbid them doing it And if they presently kill them lest they sin after they shall undoubtedly be saved but yet I forbid them doing it I need not aggravate this temptation to them that know the power of the Law of nature which is the Law of Love and good works and how God that is most Good is pleased in our doing good Though he tryed Abraham's obedience once as if he should have killed his Son yet he stopt him before the execution And doth he ordinarily exercise mens obedience by forbidding them to save the souls of others when it is easily in their power Especially when with the adult the greatest labour and powerfullest Preaching is frequently so frustrate that not one of many is converted by it 9. Because else God should deal with unaccountable disparity with Infants and the Adult in the same ordinance of Baptism It is certain that all Adult persons Baptised if they dyed immediately should not be saved Even none that had no right to the Covenant and to Baptism such as Infidels Heathens Impenitent persons Hypocrites that have not true Repentance and faith And why should Baptism save an Infant without title any more than the Adult without title I still suppose that some Infants have no title and that now I speak of them alone Obj. But the Church giveth them all right by Receiving them Answ. This is to be farther examined anon If you mean a particular Church perhaps they are Baptized into none such Baptism as such is a Reception only into the Universal Church as in Eunuchs case Act. 8. appeareth If you mean the Universal Church it may be but one single ignorant man in an Infidel Countrey that Baptizeth And he is not the Universal Church Yea perhaps is not a lawfully called Minister of that Church However this is but to say that Baptism giveth Right to Baptism For this Receiving is nothing but Baptizing But there must be a Right to this Reception if baptism be a distinguishing Ordinance and all the world have not right to it Christ saith Matth. 28. 19. Disciple me all Nations baptizing them They must be initially made Disciples first by Consent and then be Invested in the visible state of Christianity by Baptism 10. If the Children of Heathens have right to baptism and salvation thereby it is either 1. As they are men and all have right or 2. Because the parents give them right 3. Or because remote ancestors give them right 4. Or because the universal Church gives them right 5. Or because a particular Church giveth them right 6. Or because the Sponsors give them right 7. Or the Magistrate 8. Or the Baptizer But it is none of all these as shall anon be proved II. But as to the second question I answer 1. It will help us to understand the case the better if we prepare the way by opening the case of the Adult because in Scripture times they were the most famous subjects of Baptism And it is certain of such 1. That every one outwardly Baptized is not in a state of salvation That no hypocrite that is not a true penitent believer is in such a state 2. That every true penitent believer is before God in a state of salvation as soon as he is such And before the Church as soon as he is baptized 3. That we are not to use the word Baptism as a Physical term only but as a moral Theological term Because words as in Law physick c. are to be understood according to the art or science in which they are treated of And Baptism taken Theologically doth as Essentially include the Wills consent or Heart-Covenanting with God as Matrimony includeth marriage consent and as a man containeth the soul as well as the body And thus it is certain that all truly Baptized persons are in a state of salvation that is All that sincerely consent to the Baptismal Covenant when they profess consent by Baptism but not hypocrites 4. And in this sense all the Ancient Pastors of the Churches did concur that Baptism did wash away all sin and put the baptized into a present right to life eternal as he that examineth their Writings will perceive not the outward washing and words alone but when the inward and outward parts concur or when by true faith and repentance the Receiver hath right to the Covenant of God 5. In this sense it is no unfit language to imitate the Fathers and to say that the truly baptized are in a state of Justification adoption and salvation unless when mens misunderstanding maketh it unsaâe 6. The sober Papists themselves say the same thing and when they have said that even ex opere operato Baptism saveth they add that it is only the meet Receiver that is the penitent believer and no other of the adult So that hitherto there is no difference 2. Now let us by this try the case of Infants concerning which there are all these several opinions among Divines 1. Some think that all Infants baptized or not are saved from Hell and positive punishment but are not brought to Heaven as being not capable of such joyes 2. Some think that all Infants dying such are saved as others are by actual felicity in Heaven though in a lower degree Both these sorts suppose that Christs death saveth all that reject ãâ¦ã not and that Infants reject it not 3. Some think that all unbaptized Infants do suffer the poenam damni and are shut out
us for holding that the meer natural progeny of believers are saved as such did well understand our doctrine they would perceive that in this we differ not from the understanding sort among them or at least that their accusations run upon a mistake I told you before that there are three things distinctly to be considered in the title of Infants to baptism and salvation 1. By what right the Parent covenanteth for his child 2. What right the child hath to baptism 3. What right he hath to the benefits of the Covenant sealed and delivered in baptism To the first two things concur to the title of the Parent to Covenant in the name of his child One is his Natural Interest in him The child being his own is at his dispose The other is Gods gracious will and consent that it shall be so that the Parents Will shall be as the childs for his good till he come at age to have a Will of his own To the second The childs right to baptism is not meerly his Natural or his Birth relation from such Parents but it is in two degrees as followeth 1. He hath a Virtual Right on condition of his Parents faith the Reason is because that a believers consent and self-dedication to God déth Virtually contain in it a dedication with himself of all that is his And it is a contradiction to say that a a man truly dedicateth himself to God and not all that he hath and that he truly consenteth to the Covenant for himself and not for his child if he understand that God will accept it 2. His Actual title-condition is his Parents or Owners Actual Consent to enter him into Gods Covenant and his Actual mental dedication of his child to God which is his title before God and the Profession of it is his title before the Church So that it is not a meer Physical but a Moral title-condition which an Infant hath to baptism that is His Parents Consent to dedicate him to God 3. And to the third His title-condition to the Benefits of baptism hath two degrees 1. That he be really dedicated to God by the heart-consent of his Parent as aforesaid And 2. That his Parent express this by the solemn engaging him to God in baptism The first being necessary as a Means sine quo non and the second being necessary as a Duty without which he sinneth when its possible and as a Means coram Ecclesia to the priviledges of the Visible Church The sum of all is that our meer natural interest in our children is not their title-condition to baptism or to salvation but only that presupposed state which enableth us by Gods Consent to Covenant for them But their title-condition to baptism and salvation is our Covenanting for them or Voluntary dedicating them to God which we do 1. Virtually when we dedicate our selves and all that we have or shall have 2. Actually when our Hearts consent particularly for them and Actually devote them to God before Baptism 3. Sacramentally when we express this in our solemn baptismal covenanting and dedication Consider exactly of this again And if you loath distinguishing confess ingenuously that you loath the truth or the necessary means of knowing it Quest. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors Patrimi or God-fathers as we call them And is it lawful to make use of them Answ. I. TO the first question All men have not the same thoughts either of their Original or of their present use 1. Some think that they were Sponsors or Sureties for the Parents rather than the child at first And that when many in times of Persecution Heresie and Apostasie did baptize their children this month or year and the next month or year apostatize and deny Christ themselves that the Sponsors were only credible Christians witnessing that they believed that the Parents were credible firm believers and not like to apostatize 2. Others think that they were undertakers that if the Parents did apostatize or dye they would see to the Christian Education of the child themselves 3. Others think that they did both these together which is my opinion viz. That they witnessed the probability of the parents fidelity But promised that if they should either apostatize or dye they would see that the children were piously educated 4. Others think that they were absolute undertakers that the children should be piously educated whether the Parents dyed or apostatized or not So that they went joint-undertakers with the Parents in their life time 5. And I have lately met with some that maintain that the God-fathers and God-mothers become Proprietors and Adopt the child and take him for their own and that this is the sense of the Church of England But I believe them not for these reasons 1. There is no such word in the Liturgie Doctrine or Canons of the Church of England And that is not to be feigned and fathered on them which they never said 2. It would be against the Law of Nature to force all Parents to give the sole propriety or joynt-propriety in their children to others Nature hath given the propriety to themselves and we cannot rob them of it 3. It would be heinously injurious to the children of Noble and Learned persons if they must be forced to give them up to the propriety and education of others even of such as perhaps are lower and more unfit for it than themselves 4. It would be more heinously injurious to all God-fathers and God-mothers who must all make other mens children their own and therefore must use them as their own 5. It would keep most children unbaptized Because if it were once understood that they must take them as their own few would be Sponsors to the children of the poor for fear of keeping them and few but the Ignorant that know not what they do would be Sponsors for any because of the greatness of the charge and their aversness to adopt the children of others 6. It would make great confusion in the State while all men were bound to exchange children with another 7. I never knew one man or woman that was a God-father or God-mother on such terms nor that took the child to be their own And if such a one should be found among ten thousand that is no rule to discern the judgement of the Church by 8. And in Confirmation the God-father and God-mother is expresly said to be for this use to be Witnesses that the Party is Confirmed 9. And in the Priests speech to the Adult that come for baptism in the Office of baptism of those of riper years it is the persons themselves that are to promise and covenant for themselves and the God-fathers and God-mothers are only called these your Witnesses And if they be but Witnesses to the adult its like they are not Adopters of Infants II. Those that doubt of the Lawfulness of using Sponsors for their children do it on these two accounts 1. As supposing
as much as they can whether by Synods or other meet wayes of correspondency And though this be not a distinct Government it is a distinct mode of Governing Object But that there be Pastors with fixed Churches or Assemblies is not of the Law of Nature Answ. 1. Hath Christ no Law but the Law of Nature Wherein then differ the Christian Religion and the Heathenish 2. Suppose but Christ to be Christ and man to be what he is and Nature it self will tell us that this is the fittest way for ordering the Worship of God For Nature saith God must be solemnly and ordinarily worshipped and that qualified persons should be the official Guides in the performance And that people who need such conduct and private oversight besides should where they live have their own stated Overseers Object But particular Congregations are not de primaria intentione divina For if the whole world could joyn together in the publick Worship of God no doubt that would be properly a Church But particular Congregations are only accidental in reference to Gods intention of having a Church because of the Impossibility of all mens joyning together for Ordinances c. Answ. 1. The question with me is not whether they be of primary Intention but whether stated Churches headed with their proper Bishops or Pastors be not of Gods institution in the Scripture 2. This Objection confirmeth it and not denyeth it For 1. It confesseth that there is a necessity of joyning for Gods Worship 2. And an Impossibility that all the world should so joyn 3. But if the whole world could so joyn it would be properly a Church So that it confesseth that to be a society joyned for Gods publick Worship is to be properly a Church And we confess all this If all the world could be one family they might have one Master or one Kingdom they might have one King But when it is confessed that 1. A Natural Impossibility of an Universal Assembly necessitateth more particular assemblies 2. And that Christ hath instituted such actually in his Word what more can a considerate man require 3. I do not understand this distinction de primaria intentione divina and accidental c. The Primary Intention is properly of the Ultimate End only And no man thinketh that a Law de mediis of the means is no Law or that God hath made no Laws de mediis For Christ as a Mediator is a Means But suppose it be limited to the Matter of Church Laws If this be the meaning of it that it is not the principal means but a subordinate means or that it is not instituted only propter finem ultimum no more than propter se but also in order to a higher thing as its immediate end we make no question of that Assemblies are not only that there may be assemblies but for the Worship and Offices there performed And those for Man And all for God But what or all this Hath God made no Laws for subordinate means No Christian denyeth it Therefore the Learned and Judicious Disputer of this point declareth himself for what I say when he saith I engage not in the Controversie Whether a particular Congregation be the first political Dr. Stillingflects Iâen p. 154 so p. 170. By Church here I mean not a particular Congregation c. So h gâanteth that 1 the Universal Church 2. Particular Congregations are of Divine Institution one ex intentione primaria and the other as he calls it accidentally but yet of Natural necessity Church or no It sufficeth for my purpose that there are other Churches besides The thing in question is Whether there be no other Church but such particular Congregations Where it seemeth granted that such particular Churches are of Divine institution And for other Churches I shall say more anon In the mean time note that the question is but de nomine here whether the Name Church be fit for other societiâs and not de re But lest any should grow to the boldness to deny that Christ hath instituted Christian stated Societies consisting of Pastors and flocks associate for personal Communion in publick Worship and holy living which is my detinition of a particular Church as not so confined to one assembly but that it may be in divers and yet not consisting of divers such distinct stated assemblies with their distinct Pastors nor of such as can have no personal communion but only by Delegates I prove it thus from the Word of God 1. The Apostles were commissioned by Christ to deliver his commands to all the Churches and settle them according to his will Iohn 20. 21. Matth. 28. 19 20 c. 2. These commissioned persons had the promise of an infallible Spirit for the due performance of their work Iohn 16. 13 14 15. 15. 26. 14. 26. Matth. 28. 20. 3. These Apostles where ever the success of the Gospel prepared them materials did settle Christian stated societies consisting of Pastors or Elders with their flocks associated for personal communion in publick worship and holy living These setled Churches they gave orders to for their direction and preservation and reformation These they took the chief care of themselves and exhorted their Elders to fidelity in their work They gave command that none should forsake such assemblies and they so fully describe them as that they cannot easily be misunderstood All this is proved Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Rom. 16. 1. 1 Cor. 11. 18 20. 22 26. 1 Cor. 14. 4 5 12 19 23 28 33 34. Col. 4. 16. Acts 11. 26. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Acts 14. 27. 15. 3. to omit many more Here are proofs enow that such particular Churches were de facto setled by the Apostles Heb. 10. 25. Forsake not the assembling of your selves together So Iames 2. 2. they are called Synagogues 2. It is confessed that there is a natural necessity of such stated Churches or Assemblies supposing but the Institution of the Worship it self which is there performed And if so then we may say that the Law of Nature it self doth partly require them 1. It is of the Law of Nature that God be publickly worshipped as most Expositors of the fourth Commandment do confess 2. It is of the Law of Nature that the people be taught to know God and their duty by such as are able and fit to teach them 3. The Law of Nature requireth that man being a sociable creature and conjunction working strongest affections we should use our sociableness in the greatest matters and by conjunction help the zeal of our prayers and praises of God 4. Gods institution of publick Preaching Prayer and Praise are scarce denyed by any Christians 5. None of these can be publickly done but by assembling 6. No Assembly can suffice for these without a Minister of Christ Because it is only his Office to be the ordinary Teacher and to go before the people in prayer and praise and to administer the
paribus by an unnecessary thing to occasion divisions in the Churches But where one part judgeth Church Musick unlawful for another part to use it would occasion divisions in the Churches and drive away the other part Therefore I would wish Church-musick to be no where set up but where the Congregation can accord in the use of it or at least where they will not divide thereupon 2. And I think it unlawful to use such streins of Musick as are Light or as the Congregation cannot easily be brought to understand Much more on purpose to commit the whole work of singing to the Choristers and exclude the Congregation I am not willing to joyn in such a Church where I shall be shut out of this noble work of praise 3. But plain intelligible Church-musick which occasioneth not divisions but the Church agreeth in for my part I never doubted to be lawful For 1. God set it up long after Moses Ceremonial Law by David Solomon c. 2. It is not an instituted Ceremony meerly but a natural help to the minds alacrity And it is a 1 Sam. 18. 6. 1 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 5. 13. 7. 6. 23. 13. 34. 22. Psal. 98. 99. 149. 150. duty and not a sin to use the helps of nature and Lawful art though to institute Sacraments c. of our own As it is lawful to use the comfortable helps of spectacles in reading the Bible so is it of Musick to exhilerate the soul towards God 3. Jesus Christ joyned with the Jews that used it and never spake a word against it 4. No Scripture forbiddeth it therefore it is not unlawful 5. Nothing can be against it that I know of but what is said against Tunes and Melody of Voice For whereas they say that it is a humane invention so are our Tunes and Metre and Versions Yea it is not a humane invention As the last Psalm and many other shew which call us to praise the Lord with instruments of musick And whereas it is said to be a carnal kind of pleasure they may say as much of a Melodious harmonious confort of Voices which is more excellent Musick than any Instruments And whereas some say that they find it do them harm so others say of melodious singing But as wise men say they find it do them good And why should the experience of some prejudiced self-conceited person or of a half-man that knoweth not what melody is be set against the experience of all others and deprive them of all such helps and mercies as these people say they find no benefit by And as some deride Church-musick by many scornful names so others do by singing as some Congregations neer me testifie who these many years have forsaken it and will not endure it but their Pastor is fain to unite them by the constant and total omission of singing Psalms It is a great wrong that some do to ignorant Christians by putting such whimseyes and scruples into their heads which as soon as they enter turn that to a scorn and snare and trouble which might be a real help and comfort to them as well as it is to others Quest. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath and so to be called and kept and that of Divine institution And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated c. Answ. ALL the Cases about the Lords day except those practical directions for keeping it in the Oeconomical part of this Book I have put into a peculiar Treatise on that subject by it self and therefore shall here pass them over referring the Reader to them in that discourse Quest. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes and observe them Answ. THis also I have spoke to in the foresaid Treatise and in my Disput. of Church-Govern and Cer. Briefly 1. It is not lawful to appoint another weekly sabbath or day wholly separated to the Commemoration of our redemption For that is to mend pretendedly the institutions of God Yea and to contradict him who hath judged one day only in seven to be the fittest weekly proportion 2. As part of some dayes may be weekly used in holy assemblies so may whole days on just extraordinary occasions of prayer preaching humiliation and thanksgiving 3. The holy doctrine lives and sufferings of the Martyrâ and other holy men hath been so great a mercy to the Church that for any thing I know it is lawful to keep anniversary Thanksgivings in remembrance of them and to encourage the weak and prâvoke them to constancy and imitation 4. But to dedicate dayes or Temples to them in any higher sence as the Heathens and Idolaters did to their Hero's is unlawful or any way to intimate an attribution of Divinity to them by word or Worship 5. And they that live among such Idolaters must take heed of giving them scandalous encouragement 6. And they that scrupulously fear such sin more than there is cause should not be forced to sin against their Consciences 7. But yet no Christians should causelesly refuse that which is lawful nor to joyn with the Churches in holy exercises on the dayes of thankful commemoration of the Apostles and Martyrs and excellent instruments in the Church Much less peâulantly to work and set open Shops to the offence of others But rather to perswade all to imitate the holy lives of those Saints to whom they give such honours Quest. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us Answ. 1. FOr all thoughts words affections and actions of Divine faith and obedience supposing still Gods Law of Nature For it is no Believing God to believe what he never revealed nor no Trusting God to trust that he will certainly give us that which he never either directly nor indirectly promised Nor no obeying God to do that which he never commanded 2. The Contents will best shew the Extent Whatever is Revealed promised and commanded in it for that it is a perfect Rule For certainly it is perfect in its kind and to its proper use 3. It is a perfect Rule for all that is of Universal Moral necessity That is Whatever it is necessary that 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. â 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. Joh. â 3â Act. 1â 2. 11. Joh. 19. 24 28 36 37. man believe think or do in all ages and places of the World this is of Divine obligation Whatever the World is Universally bound to that is All men in it it is certain that Gods Law in Nature or Scripture or both bindeth them to it For the World hath no Universal King or Lawgiver but God 4. Gods own Laws in Nature and Scripture are a perfect Rule for all the duties of the understanding thoughts affections passions immediately to be exercised on God himself For no one else is a discerner or judge of such matters 5. It perfectly containeth all the Essential and Integral parts of the Christian Religion so
that nothing is of it self and directly any part of the Christian Religion which is not there 6. It instituteth those Sacraments perfectly which are the seals of Gods Covenant with man and the delivery of the benefits and which are the Badges or Symbols of the Disciples and Religion of Christ in the World 7. It determineth what Faith Prayer and obedience shall be his appointed means and Conditions of Justification Adoption and Salvation And so what shall be Professed and Preached in his name to the World 8. It is a perfect Instrument of donation or Conveyance of our Right to Christ and of Pardon and Justification and Adoption and the Holy Spirits assistances and of Glory As it is Gods Covenant promise or deed of gift 9. It instituteth certain Ministers as his own Church officers and perfectly describeth their office as instituted by him 10. It instituteth the form of his Church Universal which is called his body And also of Particular holy societies for his Worship And prescribeth them certain Duties as the Common Worship there to be performed 11. It determineth of a weekly day even the first to be separated for and used in this holy Worship 12. It is a perfect General Rule for the Regulating of those things which it doth not command or forbid in particular As that all be done wisely to edification in charity peace concord season order c. 13. It giveth to Magistrates Pastors Parents and other Superiours all that power by which they are authorized to oblige us under God âo any undetermined particulars 14. It is the perfect Rule of Christs Judging Rewarding and punishing at last according to which he will proceed 15. It is the only Law that is made by Primitive Power 16. And the only Law that is made by Inâallâble wisdom 17. And the only Law which is faultless and hath no thing in it that will do the subject any harm 18. And the only Law which is from Absolute Power the Rule of all other Laws and from which Psal. 12. 6. 19. 7 8 9 10. Psal. 119. there is finally no appeal Thus far the holy Scripture with the Law of nature is our perfect Rule But not in any of the following respects 1. It is no particular revelation or perfect Rule of natural Sciences as Physicks Metaphysicks c. 2. It is no Rule for the Arts for Medicine Musick Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy Grammar Râeâorick Logick nor for the Mechanicks as Navigation Architecture and all the Trades and occupations of men no not Husbandry by which we have our food 3. It is no particular Rule for all the muâable subordinate duties of any societies It will not serve instead of all the Statutes of this and all other Lands nor tell us when the Terms shall begin and end nor what work every Parent and Master shall set his Children and Servants in his family c. 4. It is no full Rule in particular for all those Political principles which are the ground of humane Laws As whether each Republick be Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical What person or of what Family shall Reign Who shall be his Officers and Judges and how diversified so of his Treasury Munition Coin c. 5. It is no Rule of Propriety in particular by which every man may know which is his own Land or house or goods or Cattle 6. It is no particular Rule for our natural actions what meat we shall eat what Cloaths we shall wear So of our rest labour c. 7. It is no particular Law or Rule for any of all those Actions and Circumstances about Religion or Gods own Ordinances which he hath only commanded in general and left in specie or particular to be determined by man according to his General Laws But of these next Quest. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture are lawful or unlawful Answ. 1. THese following are unlawful 1. To feign any new Article of faith or doctrine any Deut. 12. 32. Rev. 2â 18. Col. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. 16 17. Mat. 15. 3 8 9. Gal. 1. 8 9. Jer. 5. 12. Jer. 14. 14. 23 25 26 32. Ezek. 13 9 19. 22. 28. Zeâh 13. 2 3 4 5 6. precept promise threatning prophesie or revelation and falsly to father it upon God and say that it is of him or his special Word 2. To say that either that is written in the Bible which is not or that any thing is the sense of a Text which is not and so that any thing is a sin or a duty by Scripture which is not Or to father Apocryphal Books or Texts or words upon the spirit of Christ. 3. To make any Law for the Church universal or as obligatory to all Christians which is to usurp the soveraignty of Christ For which treasonable Usurpation it is that Protestants call the Pope Antichrist 4. To add new parts to the Christian Religion 5. To make any Law which it did properly belong to the Universal Soveraign to have made if it should have been made at all Or which implyeth an accusation of ignorance oversight errour or omission in Christ and the holy Scriptures 6. To make new Laws for mens inward Heart-duties towards God 7. To make new Sacraments for the fealing of Christs Covenant and Collation of his benefits therein contained and to be the publick Tesserae Badges or Symbols of Christians and Christianity in the World 8. To feign new Conditions of the Covenant of God and necessary means of our Justification Adoption and salvation 9. To alter Christs instituted Church-Ministry or add any that are supra-ordinate co-ordinate or derogatory to their office or that stand on the like pretended ground and for equal ends 10. To make new spiritual societies or Church-forms which shall be either supra-ordinate co-ordinate Gal. 2. 5. or derogatory to the Forms of Christs Institution 11. Any impositions upon the Churches be the thing never so lawful which is made by a pretended Act. 15. 28 24 25. 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 5 12 26. 2 Cor. 12. 19. Eph. 4. 12 16 1 Tim. 1 4. power not derived from God and the Redeemer 12. Any thing that is contrary to the Churches good and Edification to justice charity piety order unity or peace 13. Any unnecessary burden imposed on the Consciences of Christians especially as necessary either to their salvation communion liberty or peace 14. And the exercise of any power pretended to be either Primitive and underived or Infallible or Impeccable or Absolute 15. In general any thing that is contrary to the Authority matter form obligation honour or ends of the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture 16. Any thing which setteth up those Judaical Laws and Ceremonies which Christ hath abrogated in that form and respect in which he abrogated them 17. Where there is a doubt among sober Conscionable Christians lest in obeying man they should sin against
all true Worshippers in the world 16. Yea it will tempt men at last to be weary of their own Religion because they will find it an unsatisfactory uncomfortable tiresome thing to do their own superstitious work 17. And they will tempt all that they draw into this opinion to be weary of Religion also And truly had not Gods part which is wise and good and pleasant prevailed against the hurtfulness of mens superstition which is foolish bad and unpleasant Religion had ere this been cast off as a wearisome distracting thing or which is as bad been used but to delude men 18. Yea it will tempt men at last to Infidelity For Satan will quickly teach them to argue that if Scripture be a perfect particular Rule for forty things that were never there then it is defective and is not of God but an undertaking of that which is not performed and therefore is but a deceit 19. And the notoriousness and ridiculousness of this error will tempt the prophane to make Religious people a scorn 2o Lastly And Rulers will be tempted in Church and State to take such persons for intolerable ãâ¦ã cieties and such whose principles are inconsistent with Government And no thanks to this ãâã if they be not tempted to dislike the Scripture it self and instead of it to fly to the Papists Traditions and the Churches Legislative Soveraignty or worse But here also remember that I charge none with all this but those before described Quest. 136. How shall we know what parts of Scripture Precept or Example were intended for universal constant obligations and what were but for the time and persons that they were then directed to Answ. IT is not to be denyed but some things in Scripture even in the New Testament are not Laws much less universal and perpetual And the difference is to be found in the Scripture it self As 1. All that is certainly of universal and perpetual obligation which is but a Transcript of the Universal and perpetual Law of Nature 2. And all that which hath the express Characters of Universality and Perpetuity upon it And such are all the substantial parts of the Gospel As Except ye Repent ye shall all perish Luke 13. 3 5. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3. 3 5. He that believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. Without Holiness none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Go preach the Gospel to all Nations baptizing them c. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you Matth. 28. 19 20. Abundance such Texts have the express Characters of Universality and Perpetuity which many call Morality 3. And with these we may number those which were given to all the Churches with commands to keep them and propagate them to posterity 4. And those that have a plain and necessary connexion to these before mentioned 5. And those which plainly have a full parity of reason with them And where it is evident that the Command was given to those particular times and persons upon no reasons proper to them alone but such as were common to all others I deny not but as Amesius noteth after others many ceremonial and temporary Laws are urged when they are made with natural and perpetual motives But the reasons of making them were narrower what ever the reasons of obeying them may be On the other side Narrow and temporary precepts and examples 1. Are void of all these foresaid characters 2. They are about Materials of temporary use 3. Or they are but the ordering of such customes as were there before and were proper to those Countreys 4. And many speeches are plainly appropriated to the time and persons 5. And many actions were manifestly occasional without any intimation of reason or purpose of obliging others to imitation For instance 1. Christs preaching sometimes on a Mountain sometimes in a Ship sometimes in a House and sometimes in the Synagogues doth shew that all these are lawful in season on the like occasion But he purposed not to oblige men to any one of them alone 2. So Christs giving the Sacrament of his Body and Blood in an upper room in a private house after Supper to none but Ministers and none but his family and but to twelve and on the fifth day of the Week only and in the gesture of a decumbent leaning sitting all these are plainly occasional and not intended as obliging to imitation For that which he made a Law of he separated in his speeches and commanded them to do it in remembrance of him till his coming And Paul expoundeth the distinction 1 Cor. 11. in his practice So the promise of the Spirit of Revelation and Miracles is expounded by the event as the feal of the Gospel and Scripture proper to those times in the main So the primitive Christians selling their estates and distributing to the poor or laying it down at the Apostles feet was plainly appropriated to that time or the like occasions by the Reason of it which was suddenly to shew the world what the belief of Heaven through the promises of Christ could make them all and how much their Love was to Christ and one another and how little to the world And also by the cessation of it when the persecutions abated and the Churches came to any setlement Yea and at first it was not a thing commanded to all but only voluntarily done So the womens Vail and the custome of kissing each other as a token of Love and mens not wearing long hair were the customes of the Countrey there ordered and improved by the Apostles about sacred things but not introduced into other Countreys that had no such custome So also Anointing was in thâse Countreys taken for salubrious and refreshing to the body and a ceremony of initiation into places of great honour Whereupon it was used about the sick and Gods giving the gift of healing in those times was frequently conjunct with this means So that hence the anointing of the sick came up and the antient Christians turned it into an initiating Ceremony because we are Kings and Priests to God Now these occasions extend not to those Countreys where Anointing neither was of such use or value or signification So also Pauls becoming a Jew to the Jews and being shaved and purifying himself and circumcising Timothy are evidently temporary complyances in a thing then lawful for the avoiding of offence and for the furtherance of the Gospel and no obligatory perpetual Law to us And so most Divines think the eating of things strangled and blood were forbidden for a time to them only that conversed with the Jews Acts 15. Though Beckman have many Reasons for the perpetuity not contemptible So the Office of Deaconesses and some think of Deacons seemeth to be fitted to that time and
1. And there are many things easie to be understood 2. We never said that men should not use the help of their Teachers and all that they can to understand it 3. Were not those Teachers once ignorant And yet they did read it by the help of Teachers And so may others 4. As the King for Concord commandeth all the Schoolmasters to teach one Grammar So God makeeth it the Ministers Office to Instruct people in the Scriptures And were it not a question unworthy of a Schoolmaster to dispute Whether the Scholars must learn by their Book or by their Master Yea to conclude that it must be by their Master and not by their Book or that they must never open their Book but when their Master is just at hand to teach them The Doctrine of the Papists who tell us that the Scriptures should not be read by the Vulgar it being the rise of all Heresies is so inhumane and impious as savouring of gross enmity to Scriptures and to knowledge that were there no other it would make the Lovers of Religion and mens souls to pray earnestly to Christ to save his flocks from such seducers who so Jewishly use the Key of Knowledge Object But many wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction and what Heresie is not defended as 2 Pet. 3. 1â Psal. 19. 3 8 9 10. 2 Tim. 3. 16. â Pet. 1. 23. by their authority Answ. 1. And many thousands receive saving knowledge and grace by them The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. All Scripture is profitable to instruction c. to make the man of God perfect It is the incorruptible seed by which we are born again and the sincere milk by which we are nourished 2. And is it not as true 1. That the Law of the Land is abused by every false pretender Lawyer and Corrupt Judge What title so bad that is not defended in Westminster Hâll sometimes under pretence of Law And what action so bad that some pretend not Law for What then Must the Law be forbidden the common people for this 2. Nay what is so much abused to unrighteousness and sin as Reason it self What Heresie or Crime do not men plead Reason for Must Reason therefore be forbidden the Vulgar 3. Yea Contrarily this signifieth that Law and Reason are so far from being things to be forbidden men that they are indeed those things by which Nature and Necessity have taught all the world to try and discern right from wrong good from bad Otherwise good and bad men would not all thus agree in pretending to them and appealing to their decisions 4. If many men are poysoned or killed in eating or drinking If many mens eye sight is abused to mislead them unto sin c. the way is not to eat nothing but what is put into our mouths nor to put out our eyes or wink and be led only by a Priest but to use both the more cautiously with the best advise and help that we can get 5. And do not these Deceivers see that their Reason pleadeth as strongly that Priests and Prelates themselves should never read the Scripture and consequently that it should be banished out of the world For who that is awake in the world can be ignorant that it is Priests and Prelates who have been the Leaders of almost all Heresies and Sects who differ in their Expositions and opinions and lead the Vulgar into all the Heresies which they fall into Who then should be forbidden to read the Scripture but Priests and Prelates who wrest them to their own and other mens destruction Quest. 147. How far is Tradition and mens Words and Ministry to be used or trusted in in the exercise of faith Answ. 1. THe Churches and Ministers received the Gospel in Scripture from the Apostles and Heb. 2. 3 4. 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19 20 21. 2 John 1. 1 1 3 4 5. 4. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Titus 1. 5. the Creed as the summary of faith And they delivered it down to others and they to us 2. The Ministers by Office are the Instructers of the people in the meaning of it And the keepers of the Scriptures as Lawyers are of the Laws of the Land Quest. 148. How know we the true Canon of Scripture from Apocrypha Answ. BY these means set together 1. There is for the most part a special venerable excellency in the Books themselves which helpeth us in the distinct reception of them 2. The Tradition of infallible Church History telleth us which Books they are which were written by men inspired by the Holy Ghost and who sealed their Doctrine with Miracles in those times It being but matter of fact which Books such men wrote whom God bear witness to infallible Church History such as we have to know which are the Statutes of the Land and which are counterfeit is a sufficient notification and proof 3. The sanctifying Spirit still in all Ages and Christians attesteth the Divinity and Truth of the Doctrine of the main body of the Bible especially the Gospel And then if we should err about the authority of a particular Book it would not overthrow our Faith It is not necessary to salvation to believe this particular Text to be Divine But it is sin and folly to doubt causelesly of the parts when the Spirit attesteth the Doctrine and the Body of the Book I pass these things briefly because I have largelier handled them elsewhere Quest. 149. Is the publick Reading of the Scripture the proper work of a Minister or may a Lay-man ordinarily do it or another Officer Answ. 1. IN such cases as I before shewed that a Lay-man may preach he may also Read the Scriptures Of which look back 2. No doubt but it is a work well beseeming the ordained Ministers or Pastors and an integral part of their Office and should not be put off by them when they can do it 3. When they need help the Deacons are ordained Ministers authorized to help them in such work and fittest to do it 4. Whether in a case of necessity a Lay-man may not ordinarily Read the Scripture to the Congregation is a Case that I am loth to determine being loth to suppose such a necessity But if the Minister cannot and there be no Deacon I cannot prove it unlawful for a Lay-man to do it under the direction of the Pastor I lived sometime under an old Minister of about eighty years of age who never preached himself whose eye sight failing him and having not maintenance to keep an assistant he did by Memory say the Common-prayer himself and got a Taylor one year and a Thresher or poor day-labourer another year to Read all the Scriptures Whether that were not better than nothing I leave to consideration And I think it is commonly agreed on that where there is no Minister it is better for the people to meet and hear a Lay-man Read the Scriptures and some good Books
was an Ecclesiastical Usurper quoad personam that had no true Call to a Lawful Office shall after have a Call or if any thing fall out which shall make it our duty to Consent and Call him then the impediment from his Usurpation is removed 3. It is not lawful though the Civil Magistrate command us to swear obedience even in licitis honestis to such an Usurper whose Office it self is unlawful or forbidden by Christ as he is such an Officer No Protestant thinketh it lawful to swear obedience to the Pope as Pope nor do any that take Lay-Elders to be an unlawful Office think it lawful to swear obedience to them as such 4. If one that is in an unlawful Ecclesiastical Office be also at once in another that is lawful we may swear obedience to him in respect of the Lawful Office So it is Lawful to swear obedience to the Pope in Italy as a Temporal Prince in his own Dominions And to a Cardinal as Richelieu Mazarine Ximenes c. as the Kings Minister exercising a power derived from him So it is lawful for a Tenant where Law and Custome requireth it to swear fidelity to a Lay Elder as his Landlord or Temporal Lord and Master And so the old Non-conformists who thought the English Prelacy an unlawful Office yet maintained that it is Lawful to take the Oath of Canonical obedience because they thought it was imposed by the King and Laws and that we swear to them not as Officers claiming a Divine Right in the Spiritual Government but as Ordinaries or Officers made by the King to exercise so much of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under him as he can delegate according to the Oath of Supremacy in which we all acknowledge the King to be Supream in all Ecclesiastical Causes that is Not the Supream Pastor Bishop or Spiritual Key-bearer or Ruler but the Supream Civil Ruler of the Church who hath the power of the Sword and of determining all things extrinsick to the Pastoral Office and so of the Coercive Government of all Pastors and Churches as well as of other Subjects And if Prelacy were proved never so unlawful no doubt but by the Kings Command we may swear or perform formal obedience to a Prelate as he is the Kings Officer Of the Non-conformists judgement in this read Bradshaw against Canne c. 5. But in such a case no Oath to Inferiours is lawful without the Consent of the Soveraign power or at least against his will 6. Though it be a duty for the flock to obey every Presbyter yet if they would make all the people swear obedience to them all wise and conscionable Christians should dissent from the introduction of such a custome and deny such Oaths as far as lawfully they may that is 1. If the King be against it we must refuse it 2. If he be neutral or meerly passive in it we must refuse unless some apparent necessity for the Churches good require it 1. Because it favoureth of Pride in such Presbyters 2. Because it is a new Custome in the Church and contrary to the antient practice 3. It is not only without any authority given them by Christ that they exact such Oaths but Mat. 22. 4 10. Luke 22. 27 c. Mark 9. 35. 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. 1 Cor. 9. 19. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 5. also contrary to the great humility lowliness and condescension in which he describeth his Ministers who must be Great by being the servants of all 4. And it tendeth to corrupt the Clergy for the future 5. And such new impositions give just reason to Princes and to the People to suspect that the Presbyters are aspiring after some inordinate exaltation or have some ill project for the advancement of themselves 7. But yet if it be not only their own ambition which imposeth it but either the King and Laws command it or necessity require it for the avoidance of a greater evil it may be Lawful and a duty to take an Oath of Obedience to a Lawful Presbyter or Bishop Because 1. It is a â duty to Obey them 2. And it is not forbidden us by Christ to promise or swear to do our duty even when they may sin in demanding such an Oath 8. If an Office be Lawful in the essential parts and yet have unlawful integrals or adjuncts or be abused in exercise it will not by such additions or abuses be made unlawful to swear Obedience to the Officer as such 9. If one Presbyter or Bishop would make another Presbyter or Bishop to swear obedience to him without authority the Case is the same as of the Usurpers before mentioned Quest. 154. Must all our preaching be upon a Text of Scripture Answ. 1. IN many Cases it may be lawful to preach without a Text to make Sacred Orations Actâ 2 3. like Greg. Nazianzenes and Homilies like Macarius's Ephrem Syrus's and many other antients and like our own Church-Homilies 2. But ordinarily it is the fittest way to preach upon a Text of Scripture 1. Because it is our Luke 4. 18. very Office to Teach the people the Scripture The Prophets brought a new word or message from God but the Priests did but keep interpret and teach the Law already received And we are not Mal. 2. 7. successors of the inspired Prophets but as the Priests were Teachers of Gods received Word And this practice will help the people to understand our Office 2. And it will preserve the due esteem and reverence of the Holy Scriptures which the contrary practice may diminish Quest. 155. Is not the Law of Moses abrogated and the whole Old Testament out of date and therefore not to be Read publickly and preached on Answ. 1. THe Covenant of Innocency is ceased cessante subditorum capacitate as a Covenant or promise And so are the Positive Laws proper to Adam in that state and to many particular persons since 2. The Covenant mixt of Grace and Works proper to the Jews with all the Jewish Law as such was never made to us or to the rest of the world and to the Jews it is ceased by the coming and perfecter Laws and Covenant of Christ. 3. The Prophecies and Types of Christ and the Promises made to Adam Abraham and others of his Coming in the flesh are all fulfilled and therefore not useful to all the ends of their first making And the many Prophecies of particular things and persons past and gone are accomplished 4. But the Law of Nature is still Christs Law And that Law is much expounded to us in the Old Testament And if God once for another use did say This is the Law of Nature the truth of these words as a Divine Doctrine and Exposition of the Law of Nature is still the same 5. The Covenant of Grace made with Adam and Noah for all mankind is still in force as to the great benefits and main condition that is as to pardon given by it
to true penitent believers with a right to everlasting life and as to the obligation to sincere obedience for salvation though not as to the yet future coming of Christ in the flesh And this Law of Grace was never 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. yet repealed any further than Christs coming did fulfill it and perfect it Therefore to the rest of the world who never can have the Gospel or perfecter Testament as Christians have the former â Law of Grace is yet in force And that is the Law conjoyned with the Law of Nature which now the world without the Church is under Under I say as to the force of the Law and a former Matth. 22. 29. Luke 24. 27 32 45. John 5. â9 Acts 17. 2. 11. 18. 24 25. John 20. 9. John 7. 38 42. 10. 35. 13. 18. 19. 24 28. Luke 4. 18. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Acts 8. 32 33 35. Rom. 1. 2. promulgation made to Adam and Noah and some common intimations of it in merciful forbearances pardons and benefits though how many are under it as to the knowledge reception belief and obedience of it and consequently are saved by it is more than I or any man knoweth 6. There are many Prophecies of Christ and the Christian Church in the Old Testament yet to be fulfilled and therefore are still Gods Word for us 7. There are many Precepts of God to the Jews and to particular persons given them on Reasons common to them with us where parity of Reason will help thence to gather our own duty now 8. There are many holy expressions as in the Psalms which are fitted to persons in our condition and came from the Spirit of God and therefore as such are fit for us now 9. Even the fulfilled Promises Types and Prophecies are still Gods Word that is his Word given to their several proper uses And though much of their Use be changed or ceased so is not all They are yet useful to us to confirm our faith while we see their accomplishment and see how much God still led his Church to Happiness in one and the same way 10. On all these accounts therefore we may still Read the Old Testament and preach upon it in the publick Churches Quest. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them or that the Iews were all Gods Visible Church on Earth Answ. I Conjoyn these three Questions for dispatch I. 1. Some of the Matter of Moses Law did Rom. 2. Rom. 1. 20 21 Enod 12. 19 43 48 49. 20. 10. Lev. 17. 12 15. 18. 26. 24. 16 22. Numb 9. 14. 15. 14 15 16 29 30. 19. 10. Deut. 1. 16. bind all Nations that is The Law of nature as such 2. Those that had the knowledge of the Jewish Law were bound âollaterally to believe and obey all the expositions of the Law of nature in it and all the Laws which were given upon reasons common to all the world As about degrees of Marriage particular rules of Justice c. As if I heard God from Heaven tell another that standeth by me Thou shalt not marry thy fathers Widow for it is abominable I ought to apply that to me being his subject which is spoken to another on a common reason 3. All those Gentiles that would be proselytes and joyn with the Jews in their policy and dwell among them were bound to be observers of their Laws But 1. The Law of Nature as Mosaical did not formally and directly bind other Nations 2. Nâr were they bound to the Laws of their peculiar policy Civil or Ecclesiastical which were positives The reason is 1. Because they were all one body of Political Laws given peculiarly to one political body Even the Decalogue it self was to them a political Law 2. Because Moses was not authorized or sent to be the Mediator or deliverer of that Law to any Nation but the Jews And being never in the enacting or Promulgation sent or directed to the rest of the World it could not bind them II. As to the second Question Though the Scripture as a writing bound not all the World yet 1. The Law of Nature as such which is recorded in Scripture did bind all 2. The Covenant of Psal. 145. 9 103. 19. Psal. 100. 1. Rom. 14. 11. Act. 34 35. Jud. 14. 15. Grace was made with all mankind in Adam and Noe And they were bound to promulgate it by Tradition to all their off-spring And no doubt so they did whether by word as all did or by writing also as it 's like some did as Henochs Prophesies were it 's like delivered or else they had not in terms been preserved till Iudes time 3. And God himself as aforesaid by actual providences pardoning and benefits given to them that deserved hell did in part promulgate it himself 4. The neighbour Nations might learn much by Gods doctrine and dealing with the Jews III. To the third Question I answer 1. The Jews were a people chosen by God out of all the Deut. 14. 2 3. 7. 2. 6 7. Exod. 19. 5. 6. 7 8. Lev. 20. 24 26. Deut. 4. 20 33. 29. 13. 33. 29. Rom. 3. 1 2 3. Nations of the Earth to be a holy Nation and his peculiar treasure having a peculiar Divine Law and Covenant and many great priviledges to which the rest of the World were strangers so that they were advanced above all other Kingdoms of the world though not in wealth nor worldly power nor largeness of Dominion yet in a special dearness unto God 2. But they were not the only people to whom God made a Covenant of Grace in Adam and Noe as distinct from the Law or Covenant of Innocency 3. Nor were they the only people that professed to Worship the true God neither was holiness and salvation confined to them but were found in other Nations Therefore though we have but little notice of the state of other Kingdoms in their times and scarcely know what National Churches that is whole Nations professing saving faith there were yet we may well conclude that there were other visible Churches besides the Jews For 1. No Scripture denyeth it and charity then must hope the best 2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament give us small account of other Countreys but of the Jews alone with some of their Neighbours 3. Sem was alive in Abrahams dayes yea about 34 years after Abrahams death and within 12 years of Ismaels death viz. till about An. Mundi 2158. And so great and blessed a man as Sem cannot be thought to be less than a King and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holiness and so that there was with him not only a Church but a National Church or holy Kingdom 4. And Melchizedeck was a holy King and
Priest and therefore had a Kingdom holily governed and therefore not only a visible but also a National Church supposing that he was not Sem as the Jews and Broughton c. think For the scituation of his Countrey doth make many desert that opinion 5. And Iob and his friends shew that there were Churches then besides the Jews 6. And it is not to be thought that all Ismaels posterity suddenly apostatized 7. Nor that Esau's posterity had no Church state for both retained Circumcision 8. Nor is it like that Abrahams off-spring by Keturah were all apostates being once inchurched For though the special promise was made to Isaac's seed as the peculiar holy Nation c. yet not as the only Children of God or persons in a state of salvation 9. And the passages in Ionah about Ninive It is this Jewish pride of their own prerogatives which Paul so much laboureth in all his Epistles to pull down give us some such intimations also 10. And Iaphet and his seed being under a special blessing it is not like that they all proved Apostates And what was in all other Kingdoms of the World is little known to us We must therefore take heed of concluding as the proud Jews were at last apt to do of themselves that because they were a chosen Nation priviledged above all others that therefore the Redeemer under the Law of Grace made to Adam had no other Churches in the World and that there were none sâvâd but the Jews and proselytes Quest. 157. Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches now that they are only advanced above the rest of the World as the Iews were but not the only people that are saved Answ. THis question being fitter for another place what hope there is of the salvation of the people that are not Christians I have purposely handled in another Treatise in my Method Theologiae and shall only say now 1. That those that receive not Christ and the Mark 16 16. Joh. 3. 16 17 18 19 20. Joh. 1. 11 12. Gospel revealed and offered to them cannot be saved 2. That all those shall be saved if such there be who never had sufficient means to know Christ incarnate and yet do faithfully perform the common conditions of the Covenant of Grace as it was made with Adam and Noe And particularly All that are truly sanctified who truly hate all known sin and Love God as God above all as their merciful reconciled pardoning Father and lay up all their hopes in Heaven in the everlasting fruition of him in glory and set their hearts there and for those hopes deny the interest of the flesh and all Psal. 19. 1 2 3 4 5. Act. 10. 2 3 35. Rom. 2. things of this World 3. But how many or who doth this abroad in all the Kingdoms of the World who have not the distinct knowledge of the Articles of the Christian faith it is not possible for us to know 4. But as Aquinas and the Schoolmen ordinarily conclude this question we are sure that the Church hath this prerogative above all others that salvation is incomparably more common to Christians than to any others as their Light and helps and means are more The opinions of Iustin and Clem. Alexandr Origen and many other Ancients of the Heathens salvation I suppose is known In short 1. It seems plain to me that all the World that are no Christians and have not the Gospel are not by Christs incarnation put into a worse condition than they were in before But may be saved on 1 1 Tim. 2. 4. 4. 10. Tit. 2. 11. Joh. 1. 29. Joh. 3. 17. 4. 42. Rom. 1. 21. the same terms that they might have been saved on before 2. That Christs Apostles were in a state of salvation before they believed the Articles of Christs dying for sin his Resurrection Ascension the giving of the Holy Ghost and Christs coming to judgement as they are now to be believed 3. That all the faithful before Christs coming were saved by a more general faith than the 2 Joh. 5. â c. 9. 12 c. Mat. 16. 22. Joh. 12. 16. Luk. 18. 34. Apostles had as not being Terminated in This person Iesus as the Messiah but only expected the Messiah to come 4. That as more articles are necessary to those that have the Gospel than to those that have it not and to those since Christs Incarnation that hear of him than to the Iews before so before there were more things necessary even to those Iews that had a shorter Creed than that which the Apostles believed 3 Mal. 3. 1 2. Joh. 4. 25. before the Resurrection than was to the rest of the World that had not promises prophecies types and Laws so particular distinct and full as they had 4 Rom. 2. 12 14 26. Luk. 12. 47 48. 16. 10. 5. That the Promises Covenant or Law of Grace was made to all lapsed mankind in Adam and Noe. 6. That this Law or Covenant is still of the same tenour and not repealed 5 Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 9. 1 2 3 4. 7. That this Covenant giveth pardoning mercy and salvation and promiseth Victory over Satan to and by the holy seed 6 Psal. 136. 103. â7 100. 5. 8. That the condition on mans part is Repentance and faith in God as a merciful God thus pardoning sin and saving the penitent believer But just how particular or distinct their belief of the incarnation of Christ was to be is hard to determine 7 Gen. 3. 15. Jonah 3. 9 10. 4. 2. 9. But after Christs Incarnation even they that know it not yet are not by the first Covenant bound to believe that the Messiah is yet to be incarnate or the Word made flesh For they are not bound 8 Jonah ib. Rom. 2. 4. Luk. 13. 3 5. Act. 10. 35. Joh. 3. 19 20 21. to believe an untruth and that as the condition of salvation 10. Men were saved by Christ about 4000 years before he was man and had suffered satisfied or merited as man 11. The whole course of Gods actual providence since the fall hath so filled the world with mercies contrary to mans demerit that it is an actual universal proclamation of the pardoning Law of 9 1 Joh 4. 2 3. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Grace which is thereby now become even a Law of nature that is of Lapsed pardoned nature as the first was the natural Law of Innocence 11 Rom. 1. 20. 21. Act. 14. 17. Rom. 2. 15 16. Psal. 19. 1 2 3. Prov. 1. 20 21 22 23. 24. Exod. 34. 6. ââââ 3. 12. ââh 4. 2. Luk. 6. 36. Luk. 18. 13. 12. Christ giveth a great deal of mercy to them that never heard of him or know him And he giveth far more mercy to believers than they have a particular knowledge and belief of 13. There is no salvation but by Christ the saviour of the world Though there be
own And the truth is after all later discoveries there is yet so much errour darkness uncertainty and confusion in the Philosophy of every pretending sect the Peripateticks the Stoicks the Pythagoreans and Platonists much more the Epicureans the Lullianists the Cartesians Act. 17. 18 19 c. Eph. 4. 18 19. Hos. 4. 1. 6. 6. Psal. 119. 99. 2 Pet. 3. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 3 5 8. âol 2. 3. 3. 10. Phil. 3. 8. Eph. 3. 19. Eph. 1. 17. Rom. 1. 20 21 28. Eccl. 1. 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 8. 1 11. 1 Cor. 13. 2 3 4. Rom. 2. 20. Jâm 3. 13 14 17. Jer. 4. 22. 1 Cor. 8. 2. Telesius Campanella Patricius Gassendus c. that it is a wonder that any that ever throughly tryed them can be so weak as to glory much of the certainties and methods of any which hitherto are so palpably uncertain and full of certain errours We may therefore make use of all true humane learning Real and Organical And he is the happy Scholar who fasteneth upon the CERTAIN and the USEFUL parts well distinguished from the rest and truly useth them to their great and proper ends But niceties and fooleries which some spend their lives in for meer ostentation and also uncertain presumptions should be much neglected And the great certain necessary saving Verities of Morality and the Gospel must be dearly loved and thankfully imbraced and studiously learned and faithfully practised by all that would prove wise men at last Quest. 159. If we think that Scripture and the Law of Nature do in any point contradict each others which may be the standard by which the other must be tryed Answ. IT is certain that they never do contradict each other 2. The Law of Nature is either that which is very clear by Natural evidence or that which is dark as degrees of Consanguinity unfit for Marriage the evil of officious lies c. 3. The Scriptures also have their plain and their obscurer parts 4. A dark Scripture is not to be expounded contrary to a plain natural 1 Cor. 5. 1 2. Verity 5. A dark and doubtful point in Nature is not to be expounded contrary to a plain and certain Scripture 6. To suppose that there be an apparent contradiction in cases of equal clearness or doubtfulness is a case not to be supposed But he that should have such a dream must do as he would do if he thought two Texts to be contradictory that is he must better study both till he see his errour still remembring that natural evidence hath this advantage that it is 1. first in order 2. and 1 Joh. 1. 1 2 3. Heb. 2. 3 4. most common and received by all But supernatural evidence hath this advantage that it is for the most part the more clear and satisfactory Quest. 160. May we not look that God should yet give us more Revelations of his will than there are already made in Scripture Answ. YOu must distinguish between 1. New Laws or Covenants to mankind and new predictions or informations of a partiâular person 2. Between what may possibly be and what we may expect as certain or probable And so I conclude 1. That it is certain that God will make no other Covenant Testament or Universal Law for the Government of mankind or the Church as a Rule of Duty and of Iudgement Because he hath oft told us Gal. 1. 7 8 9. Mat. 28. 20. 2. Thes. 1. 10 11. Mark 16. 15 16. that this Covenant and Law is perfect and shall be in force as our rule till the end of the world Obj. So it was said of the Law of Moses that it was to stand for ever yea of many Ceremonies in it Answ. 1. It is in the Original only for ages and ages or to generations and generations which we translate for ever when it signifieth but to many generations 2. It is no where said of Moses Law as such that it should continue either till the end of the world or till the day of Iudgement Rev. 14. 6. Rev. 22. 18 19. Heb. 7. 28 29. 1 Tim. 1. 16. Rom. 6. 22. Joh. 5. 22 24. 6. 27 40 47. 12. 50. Heb. 1. 7 8 9. as it is said of the Gospel And 3. It is not said that he will add no more to the former Testament but contrarily that he will make a new Covenant with them c. But here in the Gospel he peremptorily resolveth against all innovations and additions 2. It is certain that God will make no new Scripture or inspired word as an infallible universal Rule for the exposition of the word already written For 1. This were an addition which he hath disclaimed and 2. It would imply such an insufficiency in the Gospel to its ends as being not intelligible as is contrary to its asserted perfection and 3. It would be contrary to that established way for the understanding of the Scripture which God hath already setled and appointed for us till the end 3. It is certain that God will give all his servants in their several measures the help and illumination Eph. 1. 18 19. of his spirit for the understanding and applying of the Gospel 4. It is possible that God may make new Revelations to particular persons about their particular duties events or matters of fact in subordination to the Scripture either by inspiration vision or apparition or voice For he hath not told us that he never will do such a thing As to tell them what shall befall them or others or to say Go to such a place or dwell in such a place or do such a thing which is not contrary to the Scripture nor co-ordinate but only a subordinate determination of some undetermined case or the circumstantiating of an action 5. Though such Revelation and Prophesie be Possible there is no certainty of it in general nor Mic. 2. 11. 1 King 22. 21 22. 1 Joh. 4. 1 2. 2 Thes. 2. 2. any probability of it to any one individual person much less a promise And therefore to expect it or pray for it is but a presumptuous tempting of God 6. And all sober Christians should be the more cautelous of being deceived by their own Imaginations because certain experience telleth us that most in our age that have pretended to prophesie or to inspirations or revelations have been melancholy crackt-brained persons neer to madness who have proved to be deluded in the end And that such crazed persons are still prone to such imaginations 7. Therefore also all sober Christians must take heed of rash believing every Prophet or pretended spirit lest they be led away from the Sacred Rule and before they are aware be lost in vain expectations and conceits Quest. 161. Is not a third Rule of the Holy Ghost or perfecter Kingdom of Love to be expected as different from the Reign of the Creator and Redeemer Answ. 1. THe works ad extra and the Reign of the
in the Scripture we have it more certainly revealed already Therefore the Revelation can be nothing but an assistance of the persons faith or a call to obedience or a reproof of some sin which every man is to believe according as there is true evidence that indeed it is a Divine Revelation or Vision which if it be not the same thing is still sure to us in the Scripture 3. If it be something that is only Besides the Scripture as about events and facts or Prophecies of what will befall particular places or persons we must first see whether the evidence of a Divine revelation be clear in it or not And that is known 1. To the person himself by the self-attesting and convincing power of a Divine Revelation which no man knoweth but he that hath it And we must be very cautelous lest we take false conceptions to be such But to himself and others it is known 1. At present by clear uncontrolled Miracles which are Gods attestation which if men shew we are bound in this case to believe them 2. For the Future by the event when things so plainly John 3. 2. John 13. 19. 14. 20. Luke 21. 7 9 28 31 36. Matth. 5. 18. 24. 34. 21. 4. come to pass as prove the prediction to be of God He therefore that giveth you not by certain Miracles uncontrolled a just proof that he is sent of God is to be heard with a suspended belief you must stay till the event shew whether he say true or not And not act any thing in the mean time upon an unproved presumption either of the truth or falshood of his words 4. If you are in doubt whether that which he speaketh be contrary to Gods Word or not you must hear him with a proportionable suspicion and give no credit to him till you have tryed whether it be so or not 5. It is a dangerous snare and sin to believe any ones Prophecies or Revelations meerly because they are very Holy persons and do most confidently averr or swear it For they may be deceived themselves As also to take hysterical or melancholy delirations or conceptions for the Revelations of the Spirit of God and so to father falshood upon God Quest. 165. May one be saved who believeth that the Scripture hath any mistake or error and believeth it not all Answ. THe chief part of the answer to this must be fetcht from what is said before about Fundamentals Rev. 6. 10. 19. 9 11. 21. 5. 22. 6. 1 John 2. 8. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 c. 1. No man can be saved who believeth not that God is no lyar and that all his Word is true Because indeed he believeth not that there is a God 2. No man can be saved who believeth not the points that are essential to true Godliness nor any man that heareth the Word who believeth not all Essential to Christianity or the Christian Covenant and Religion 3. A man may be saved who believeth not some Books of Scripture as Iude 2 Pet. 2 Iohn 3 Iohn Revelations to be Canonical or the Word of God so he heartily believe the rest or the Essentials 4. He that thinketh that the Prophets Sacred Historians Evangelists and Apostles were guided to Mark 16. 16. Rom. 10. 12 13. John 3. 16 18. 1 John 4. 2 3. an Infallible delivery and recording of all the great substantial necessary points of the Gospel but not to an Infallibility in every by-expression phrase citation or circumstance doth disadvantage his own faith as to all the rest but yet may be saved if he believe the substance with a sound and practical belief Quest. 166. Who be they that give too little to the Scriptures and who too much and what is the danger of each extream Answ. I. IT is not easie to enumerate all the errors on either extream but only to give some instances of each 1. They give too little to the Scriptures who dâny it to be indited by inspiration of the Infallible Spirit of God and to be wholly true 2. And they that detract from some parts or Books of it while they believe the rest 3. And they that think it is not given as a Law of God and as a Rule of faith and life 4. And they that think it is not an Universal Law and Rule for all the world but for some parts only supposing the predication of it 5. And they that think it an Imperfect Law and Rule which must be made up with the supplement of Traditions or Revelations 6. And they that think that it was adapted only to the times it was written in and James 4. 12. Isa. 33. 22. Râv 22. 18 19. Matth. 28. 20. Isa. 8. 16 20. Psal. 19. 7 8. 119. 130. Prov. 14. 20 22. 8 5. Deut. 12. 32. not to ours as not foreseeing what would be 7. And they that think it is culpably defective in Method 8. And they that think it culpably defective in phrase or aptness or elegancy of style 9. And they that think that it containeth not all that was necessary or fit for universal determination of that kind of things which it doth at all universally determine of As e. g. that it made two Sacraments but not all of that kind that are fit to be made but hath left men to invent and make more of the same nature and use 10. And those that think that it is fitted only to the Learned or only to the unlearned only to Princes or only to subjects c. 11. And those that think that it is but for a time and then by alteration to be perfected as Moses Law was 12. And those that think that the Pope Princes or Prelates or any men may change or alter it II. Those give too much in bulk but too little in vertue to the Scriptures 1. Who would set them up instead of the whole Law and Light of Nature as excluding this as useless where the Scripture is 2. And they that âeign it to be instead of all Grammars Logick Philosophy and all other Arts and Sciences and to be a perfect particular Rule for every Ruler Lawyer Physicion Marriner Architect Husbandman and Tradesman to do his work by 3. And they that âeign it to be fully sufficient to all men to prove its own authority and truth without 1 Joh. 1. 1 2 3. 3 John 12. Heb. 2. 3 4. John 21. 24. the subsidiary use of that Church-History and Tradition which telleth us the supposed Matters of fact and must help us to know what Books are Canonical and what not and without historical evidence that these are the true Books which the Prophets and Apostles wrote and the Miracles and Providences which have attested them 4. And those that think that it is sufficient for its own promulgation or the peoples instruction Ephes. 4. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. John 6.
uncertain searchable and unsearchable revealed and unrevealed And lay the first as your foundation yea rather keep the knowledge of them as your Science of Physick by it self and let no obscurity in the rest cause you to question certain things nor ever be so perverse as to try things known by things unknown and to argue à minùs notis Lay no stress on small or doubtful things § 13. Direct 9. Metaphysicks as now taken is a mixture of Organical and Real Knowledge And part of it belongeth to Logick the Organical part and the rest is Theologie and Pneumatologie and the highest parts of Ontologie or Real Science § 14. Direct 10. In studying Philosophy 1. See that you neither neglect any helps of those that have gone before you under pretence of taking nothing upon trust and of studying the naked Things themselves For if every man must begin all a new as if he had been the first Philosopher knowledge will make but small proficiency 2. Nor yet stick not in the bare Belief of any Author whatsoever but study all things in their naked natures and proper evidences though by the helps that are afforded you by others For it is not science but humane belief else whoever you take it from § 15. Direct 10. So certain are the numerous errours of Philosophers so uncertain a multitude of their assertions so various their sects and so easie is it for any to pull down much which the rest have built and so hard to set up any comely structure that others in like manner may not cast down that I cannot perswade you to fall in with any one sort or sect who yet have published their sentiments to the World The Platonists made very noble attempts in their enquiries after spiritual beings But they run into many unproved fanaticisms and into divers errours and want the desirable helps of true method The wit of Aristotle was wonderful for subtility and solidity His knowledge vast His method oft accurate But many precarious yea erroneous conceptions and assertions are so placed by him as to have a troubling and corrupting influence into all the rest The Epicureans or Democratists were still and justly the contempt of all the sober sects And our late Somatists that follow them yea and Gassendus and many that call themselves Cartesians yea Cartesius himself much more Berigardus Regius and Hobbes do give so much more to meer Matter and Motion than is truly due and know or say so much too little of Spirits Active Natures Vital Powers which are the true principles of motion that they differ as much from true Philosophers as a Carkass or a Clock from a living man The Stoicks had noble Ethical principles and they and the Platonists with the Cynicks were of the best lives But their writings are most lost and little of their Physicks fully known to us and that also hath its errours Patricius is but a Platonist so taken with the nature of Light as insisting on that in Phanatical terms to leave out a great deal more that must be conjoyned Telesius doth the like by Heat and Cold Heaven and Earth and among many observable things hath much that is unsound and of ill consequence Campanella hath improved him and hath many hints of better Principles especially in his Primalities than all the rest But he phanatically runs them up into so many unproved and vain yea and mistaken superstructures as that no true Body of Physicks can be gathered out of all his works The attempt that pious Commenius hath made in his small Manual hath much that is of worth but far short of accurateness The Hermetical Philosophers have no true method of Philosophy among them And to make their three or five Principles to be so many Elements or simple bodies constituting all compounds and form up a systeme of Philosophy on their suppositions will be but to trifle and not to satisfie judicious minds especially considering how defective their Philosophy is made by their omissions Lullius and his followers fit not their Method to the true order of the Matter Scaliger Scheggius Wendeline and Sennertus especially in his Hypomnemata were great men and have many excellent things But too much of Aristotles goeth for currant with them My worthy Learned and truly pious friend Mr. Sam. Gott in his new Book on Gen. 1. hath many excellent notions and much that is scarce elsewhere to be met with But the tedious paragraphs the defect of method and several unproveable particulars make it like all humane works imperfect Therefore if I must direct you according to my judgement I must advise you 1. To suppose that Philosophers are all still in very great darkness and there is much confusion defectiveness errour and division and uncertainty among them 2. Therefore addict not your selves absolutely to any Sect of them 3. Let your first studies of them all leave room for the changing of your judgement and do not too hastily fix on any of their sentiments as sure till you have heard what others say and with ripened understandings have deeply and long studied the Things themselves 4. Choose out so much of the Certainties and Useful parts of Physicks as you can reach to and make them know their places in subserviency to your holy principles and ends and rather be well content with so much than to lose too much time in a vain fatigation of your brains for more I have made some attempt to draw out so much especially de Mundo de Homine in my Methodus The logiae though I expect it should no more satisfie others than any of theirs have satisfied me § 16. Direct 11. When you have well stated your Ontologie or Real Science then review your Logick and Organical part of Metaphysicks and see Verba rebus aptentue Fetch then your words and Organical notions from the Nature of the Things Abundance are confounded by taking up Logical Notions first which are unsuitable to true Physical beings § 17. Direct 12. Somewhat of Ethicks may be well learnt of Philosophers but it 's nothing to the Scriptures Christian Ethicks § 18. Direct 13. Somewhat of artificial Rhetorick and Oratory should be known But the Oratory which is most natural from the evidence of things well managed by a good understanding and elocution which hath least of appearing art or affectation is ever the most effectual and of best esteem § 19. Direct 14. The doctrine oâ Politicks especially of the Nature of Government and Laws in General is of great use to all that will ever understand the Nature of Gods Government and Laws that is of Religion Though there be no necessity of knowing the Government and Laws of the Land or of other Countreys and further than is necessary to our obedience or our outward concernments yet so much of Government and Laws as Nature and Scripture make common to all particular forms and Countreys must be known by him that will understand Morality or Divinity or
will ever study the Laws of the Land And it is a preposterous course and the way of Ignorance and errour for a Divine to study Gods Laws and a Lawyer mans Laws before either of them know in general what a Law or what Government is as nature notifieth it to us § 20. Direct 15. When you come to Divinity I am not for their way that would have you begin with the Fathers and thence form a body of Divinity to your selves If every young student must be put on such a task we may have many Religions quickly but shall certainly have much ignorance and errour We must not be so blind or unthankful to God as to dâny that later times have brought forth abundance of Theological writings incomparably more methodical judicious full clear and excellently fiâted also by application to the good of souls than any that are known to us since the writing of the Sacred Scriptures Reverence of antiquity hath its proper place and use but is not to make men fools non-proficients or contemners of Gods greater mercies My advice therefore is that you begin with a conjunction of English Catechisms and the Confessions I mention not your reading the Scripture as supposing it âust be your constant work of all the Churches and the Practical holy writings of our English Divines And that you never separate these asunder These Practical Books do commonly themselves contain the Principles and do press them in so warm a working manner as is likest to bring them to the heart And till they are there they are not received according to their use but kept as in the porch Get then six or seven of the most judicious Catechisms and compare them well together and compare all the Confessions of the Churches where you may be sure that they put those which they account the weightiest and surest truths And with them read daily the most spiritual heart-moving Treatises of Regeneration and our Covenant with God in Christ of Repentance faith Love obedience hope and of a Heavenly mind and life as also of Prayer and other particular duties and of Temptations and particular sins And when you have gone through the Catechisms read over three or four of the soundest systemes of Divinity And after that proceed to some larger Theses and then to the study of the clearest and exactest Methodists And think not that you well understand Divinity till 1. You know it as methodized and joynted in a due Scheme and the several parts of it in their several Schemes seeing you know not the beauty nor the true sense of things if you know them not in their proper places where they stand in their several respects to other points And 2. Till it be wrought into your very hearts and digested into a holy nature For when all is done it is only a holy and Heavenly life that will prove you wise and make you happy and give you solid peace and comfort § 21. Direct 16. When you have gone so far set your selves to read the Ancients 1. And take them in order as they lived 2. Observe most the Historical part what doctrines and practises de factâ did then obtain 3. Some must be read wholly and some but in part 4. Councils and Church History here have a chief place § 22. Direct 17. With them read the best Commentators on the Scriptures old and new § 23. Direct 18. And then set your selves to the study of Church Controversies Though those that the Times make necessary must be sooner lookt into Look first and most into those which your own Consciences and practice require your acquaintance with And above all here read well those Writings that confute Atheists and Infidels and most solidly prove the truth of the Christian Religion And then those that defend the greatest points And think not much to bestow some time and labour in reading some of the old School Divines § 24. Direct 19. When you come to form up your Belief of certainties in Religion take in nothing as sure and necessary which the ancient Churches did not receive Many other things may be taken for truths and in perspicuity and method the late times much excell them But Christian Religion is still the same thing and therefore we must have no other Religion in the great and necessary parts than they had § 25. Direct 20. Still remember that mens various capacities do occasion a great variety of Duties some men have clear and strong Understandings by nature These should study Things as much as Books For possibly they may excell and correct their Authors Some are naturally of duller or less-judicious heads that with no study of Things can reach half so high as they may do by studying the Writings of those who are wiser than ever they are like to be These must take more on trust from their Authors and confess their weakness § 26. Direct 21. After or with all Controversies be well verst in the Writings of those Reconcilers who pretend to narrow or end the differences For usually they are such as know more than the Contenders I proceed now to give you some Names of Books Quest. 174. What Books Especially of Theologie should one choose who for want of money or time can read but few Answ. General THe truth is 1. It is not the reading of many Books which is necessary to make a man wise or good But the well reading of a few could he be sure to have the best 2. And it is not possible to read over very many on the same subjects without a great deal of loss of pretious time 3. And yet the Reading of as many as is possible tendeth much to the increase of knowledge and were the best way if greater matters were not that way unavoidably to be omitted Life therefore being short and work great and Knowledge being for Love and Practice and no man having leisure to learn all things a wise man must be sure to lay hold on that which is most useful and necessary 4. But some considerable acquaintance with many Books is now become by accident necessary to a Divine 1. Because unhappily a young Student knoweth not which are the best till he hath tryed them And when he should take another mans word he knoweth not whose word it is that he should take For among grave men accounted great Scholars it s few that are truly judicious and wise and he that is not wise himself cannot know who else are so indeed And every man will commend the Authors that are of his own opinion And if I commend to you some Authors above others what do I but commend my own judgement to you even as if I commended my own Books and perswaded you to read them when another man of a different judgement will commend to you Books of a different sort And how knoweth a raw Student which of us is in the right 2. Because no one man is so full and perfect as to say all
quae nemo possit reprehendere Cicero de fin Read Plutarks Precepts of Policy and that Old men should be Rulers given you from above Joh. 19. 11. Remember therefore that as Constables are your officers and subjects so you are the officers and subjects of God and the Redeemer and are infinitely more below him than the lowest subject is below you And that you owe him more obedience than can be due to you And therefore should study his Laws in Nature and Scripture and make them your daily meditation and delight Iosh. 1. 3 4 5. Psal. 1. 2 3. Deut. 17. 18 19 20. And remember how strict a judgement you must undergo when you must give account of your Stewardship and the greater have been your dignities and mercies if they are abused by ungodliness the greater will be your punishment Luk. 16. 2. 12. 48. § 2. Memorand 2. Remember therefore and watch most carefully that you never own or espouse any Memor 2. Interest which is adverse to the Will or Interest of Christ and that you never fall out with his interest Read often Psalm 2. Psalm 101. or his ordinances and that no temptation ever perswade you that the Interest of Christ and the Gospel and the Church is an enemy to you or against your real interest and that you keep not up suspicions against them But see that you devote your selves and your power wholly to his Will and Service and make all your interest stand in a pure subservience to him as it stands in a real dependance on him § 3. Memorand 3. Remember that under God your End is the publick good Therefore desire Memor 3. nothing to your selves nor do nothing to others which is really against your End § 4. Memorand 4. Remember therefore that all your Laws are to be but subservient to the Laws Memor 4. of God to promote the obedience of them with your Subjects and never to be either contrary to them nor co-ordinate or independant on them But as the By Laws of Corporations are in respect to the Laws and will of the soveraign power which have all their Life and power therefrom § 5. Memorand 5. Let none perswade you that you are such terrestrial animals that have nothing Memor 5. to do with the Heavenly concernments of your subjects For if once men think that the end of your office is only the bodily prosperity of the people and the End of the Ministry is the good of their souls it will tempt them to prefer a Minister before you as they prefer their souls before their bodies And they that are taught to contemn these earthly things will be ready to think they must contemn your office seeing no means as such can be better than the end There is no such thing as a temporal Happiness to any people but what tendeth to the happiness of their souls and must be thereby measured and thence be estimated Though Ministers are more immediately employed about the soul yet your office is ultimately for the happiness of souls as well as theirs though bodily things rewards or punishments are the means by which you may promote it which Ministers as such may not meddle with Therefore you are custodes utriusque tabulae and must bend the force of all your Government to the saving of the peoples souls And as to the objection from Heathen Read Bilson of subject p. 129. to the end of the second part specially p. 140 141 142. the Laws of Charles the Great And Grotius de Imperio sum Pot. circa sacrá cap. 1. per totuâ Governours distinguish between the Office and an Aptitude to exercise it The Office consisteth 1. In an Obligation to do the duty 2. And in Authority to do it Both these a Heathen Ruler hath else the omission were a duty and not a sin But it is the Aptitude to do the duty of his place which a Heathen wanteth and he wanteth it culpably and therefore the omission is his sin Even as it is the sin of an insufficient Minister that he doth not Preach For the Question is of the like nature and will have the like solution Whether an ignorant Minister be bound to Preach who is unable or Heretical It is Aptitude that he wanteth and neither Authority nor Obligation if he be really a Minister But he is obliged in this Order first to get Abilities and then to Preach so is it in the present case § 6. Memorand 6. Encourage and strengthen a Learned Holy self denying serious laborious Memor 6. Ministry as knowing that the same Lord hath commissioned them in the institution of their office who instituted yours and that it is such men that are suited to the work for which their office was appointed And that souls are precious and those that are the Guides and Physicions of souls can never be too well furnished nor too diligent And the Church hath no where prospered on earth but in the prosperity of the abilities holiness and diligence of their Pastors God hath alwayes built by such and the Devil hath pulled down by pulling down such § 7. Memorand 7. Remember that the people that are seriously Religious that Love and Worship Memor 7. and Obey the Lord with all their heart are the best of your subjects and the honour of your Dominions I ãâ¦ã saith of the Anâo ãâ¦ã that they would not be saââted by filthy persons And âamprid of Alâxand ãâã that Nâsââh nâstos borae âamae homines ad salutationem non admiât Jussââque ut nemo ingrediatur nisi qui se innocentem novit Per praeconem edixit ut nemo salutaret principem qui se furem esse nosset ne aliquando detectus capââali supplieââ subâeretur Read Sebastian Foxius de Regno Regisâ institutione see therefore that serious Godliness be every where encouraged and that the prophane and ignorant rabble be never encouraged in their enmity and opposition to it And that true Fanaticism Hypocrisie and Schism be so prudently discountenanced and supprest that none may have encouragement to set themselves against Godliness under the slander or pretension of such names If Christianity be better than Heathenism those Christians then are they that must be * Even Croesus Dionysius and Iâliaâ were liberal to Philosophers and ambitious of their converse Vera civitatis foelicitas est ut Dei sit amans amata Deo illum sibi regem se illius populum agnoscat August de civiâ Dei l. 5. c. 14. countenanced who go further in Holiness and Charity and Justice than Heathens do rather than those that go no further besides Opinions and Formalities than a Cato a Plato or Socrates have done If all Religion were a deceit it were fit to be banished and Atheism professed and men confess themselves to be but bruits But if there be a God there must be a Religion And if we must be Religious we must sure
non esse penes Regeâ sed aut penes Ordines aut certe penes id corpus quod Rex juncti constituunt ut Bodinus Suarezius Victoria aliique abunde demonstratunt Certum summum Imperium totum aliquid imperare non posse ideo tantum quod alter veteâ aut intercedat plane sunt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to this or that or the other thing or not Nor whether it shall be exercised thus or thus by standing Courts or temporary Judges c. 3. Nor hath he named the person or family that shall rule § 6. Prop. 5. Though these in the constitution are determined of by explicite or implicite contract or consent between the Ruler and the Community yet by none of these three can the people be truly and properly said to Give the Ruler his Power of Government Not by the first or last for both those do but determine who shall be the Recipient of that power whether one or more and who individually Not the second for that is but a limiting or bounding or regulating the Governing power that it be not exercised to their hurt The bounding and regulating of their power is not the Giving them power The People having the strength cannot be ruled against their concordant wills And therefore if they contract with their Governours that they will be Ruled thus and thus or not at all this is not to Give them power Yet Propriety they have and there they may be Givers So that this Bounding or Regulating and Choosing the form and Persons and giving of their propriety is all that they have to do And the choosing of the Family or person is not at all a Giving the Power They are but sine quibus non to that They do but open the door to let in the Governour They do but name the family or man to whom God and not they shall Give the power As when God hath already determined what authority the Husband shall have over the Wife the Wife by choosing him to be her Husband giveth him not his power but only chooseth the man to whom God giveth it by his standing Law Though about the disposing of her estate she may limit him by pre-contracts But if she contract against his Goâernment it is acontradiction and null Nor if he abuse his power doth it at all fall into her hands If the King by Charter give power to a Corporation to choose their Mayor or other Officer they do but nominate the persons that shall receive it but it is the Kings Charter and not they that give him the power If a Souldier voluntarily list himself under the Kings General or other Commanders he doth but choose the man that shall command him but it is the Kings Commission that giveth him the power to command those that voluntarily so list themselves And if the authority be abused or forfeited it is not into the Souldiers hands but into the Kings § 7. Prop. 6. The Constituting-Consent or Contract of Ancestors obligeth all their posterity if Prop. 6. they will have any of the protection or other benefit of Government to stand to the constitution Else Governments should be so unsetled and mutable as to be uncapable of their proper End § 8. Prop. 7. God hath neither in nature or Scripture estated this Power of Government in whole or Prop. 7. in part upon the people of a meer Community much less on Subjects whether Noble or Ignoble So foolish and bad âs the ãâã tâo ãâ¦ã man shâuâd not endanger himself for his Countrey because wisdom is not to be cast away for the commodity of fools Laert. in Aristip. But a wise man must be wise for others and not only for himself Learned or unlearned the part of the Community or the whole body Real or Representative The people as such have not this Power either to Use or to Give But the absolute Soveraign of all the world doth communicate the Soveraign power in every Kingdom or other sort of Common-wealth from himself Immediately I say Immediately not without the Mediation of an Instrument signifying his will for the Law of Nature and Scripture are his Instrument and the Charter of Authority nor yet so Immediately as without any kind of medium for the Consent and Nomination of the Community before expressed may be Conditio sine qua non so far as aforesaid But it is so Immediately from God as that there is no immediate Recipient to receive the power first from God and convey it to the Soveraign § 9. Prop. 8. The Natural power of individual persons over themselves is tota specie different from Prop. 8. this Political or Civil Power And it is not the Individuals resignation of this Natural power of selfdisposal It was one of the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables Vendendi filium patri potestas esâo But this Law rather giveth the Father that power than declareth it to be naturally in him Nature alloweth him no other selling of him than what is for his Child 's own good unto one or more which is the efficient Cause of Soveraignty or Civil Power § 10. Prop. 9. If you take the word Law properly for the expression of a Rulers Will obliging Prop. 9. the Governed or making their duty and not improperly for meer Contracts between the Soveraign and the people then it is clear in the definition it self that neither Subjects nor the Community as such have any Legislative power Neither Nature nor Scripture hath given the people a Power of making Laws either by themselves or with the Soveraign Either the sole power or a part of it But the very Nature of Government requireth that the whole Legislative power that is the power of making Governing Laws belong to the summa Majestas or Soveraign alone Unless when the summa potestas is in many hands you compare the partakers among themselves and call one Party the Soveraign as having more of the Soveraignty than the rest For those that are no Governours at all cannot perform the chief act of Government which is the making of Governing-Laws But the people are no Governours at all either as a Community or as Subjects So that you may easily perceive that all the Arguments for a natural Democracy are built upon false suppositions and where ever the People have any part in the Soveraignty it is by the after-Constitution and not by Nature And that Kings receive not their Power from the peoples gift who never had it themselves to use or give but from God alone § 11. Prop. 10. Though God have not made an Universal determination for any one sort of Government against the rest whether Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy because that is best for one people which may be worse for others yet ordinarily Monarchy is accounted better than Aristocracy and Aristocracy better than Democracy So much briefly of the Original of Power § 12. Object 1. But saith worthy Mr. Richard Hooker
Eccl. Pol. l. 1. § 10. p. 21. That which Object 1. So p. 23. The same error of the Original of Power hath Acosta l. 2. c. 5. p. â08 with many other âesuites and Papists we spake of the power of Government must here be applyed to the power of making Laws whereby to govern which power God hath over all and by the Natural Law whereto he hath made all subject the lawful power of making Laws to command whole politick societies of men belongeth so properly to the same entire societies that for any Prince or Potentate of what kind soever upon earth to exercise the same of himself and not either by express Commission immediately and personally received from God or else by Authority derived at first from their Consent upon whose persons they impose Laws it is no better than meer Tyranny Laws they are not therefore which publick approbation hath not made so Answ. Because the Authority of this famous Divine is with his Party so great I shall adventure to Answ. say something lest his words do the more harm but not by confident opposition but humble proposal and submission of my judgement to superiours and wiser men as being conscious of my own inferiority and infirmity I take all this to be an assertion no where by him proved and by me elsewhere disproved fully Laws are the Effects and signs of the Rulers Will and instruments of Government Legislation is the first part of Government And if the whole Body are naturally Governours the Pares imperans and pars subdita are confounded If the most Absolute Monarch can make Bishop Audââws iâ Tortar Tortâ p. 385 Acuius homo non distinguit inter Formam atque Authoritatem regiminis Forma de hominibus esse potest de coeâo semper est authoritas An Rex sit supra Leges Vid. Seb. Fox lib 2. de Iâstit Reg. no Laws then disobeying them were no fault It is enough that their Power be derived from God immediately though the persons be chosen by men Their Authority is not derived from the peoples consent but from God by their consent as a bare condition sine qua non What if a Community say all to their elected King We take not our selves to have any Governing power to give or use but we only choose you or your family to that Office which God hath instituted who in that Institution giveth you the power upon our choice Can any man prove that such a King hath no power but is a Tyrant because the people disclaim the Giving of the Power When indeed they do their duty Remember that in all this we speak not of the Government of this or that particular Kingdom but of Kingdoms and other Commonwealths indefinitely Object 2. But saith he Lib. 8. p. 192. Unto me it seemeth almost out of doubt and controversie Object 2. that every independent multitude before any certain form of regiment established hath under God Supream Authority full Dominion over it self Answ. If by Dominion were meant Propriety every Individual hath it But for Governing Power Answ. it seemeth as clear to me that your independent multitude hath no Civil Power of Government at all but only a Power to choose them Governours While they have no Governours they have no Governing Power for that maketh a Governour § 14. Object 3. Ibid. A man who is Lord of himself may be made anothers servant c. Object 3. Answ. 1. He may hire out himself to Labour for another because he hath so far the power of Answ. himself and his Labour is his own which he may sell for wages But in a family that the Master be the Governour to see Gods Laws obeyed by his servants is of Divine appointment and this Governing power the servant giveth not to his Master but only maketh himself the object of it 2. The power that nature giveth a man over himself is tota specie distinct from Civil Government as Dr. Hammond hath well shewed against I. G. An Individual person hath not that power of his own Dion Cass. saith that when Eâphates the Philosopher would kill himself Veniam dederat ei Adrianus citra ignominiam infamiam ut cicutam tum propter senectutem tum etiam propter gravem morbum bibere posset In vita Adriani life as the King hath He may not put himself to death for that which the King may put him to death for 3. If this were true that every individual by self-resignation might give a King his power over him yet a posse ad esse non valet consequentia And that it is not so is proved in that God the Universal Soveraign hath prevented them by determining himself of his own Officers and giving them their power in the same Charter by which he enableth the people to choose them Therefore it is no better reasoning than to say If all the persons in London subjected themselves to the Lord Mayor he would thereby receive his power from them when the King hath prevented that already by giving him the power himself in his Charter and leaving only the choice of the person to them and that under the direction of the Rules which he hath given them § 15. Object 4. But saith he pag. 193. l. 8. In Kingdoms of this quality as this we live Object 4. in the Highest Governour hath indeed universal dominion but with dependency upon that whole entire body over the several parts whereof he hath dominion so that it standeth for an axiome in this âase The King is major singulis universis minor Answ. If you had included Himself its certain that he cannot be Greater than the whole because he Answ. cannot be greater than himself But seeing you speak of the whole in contradistinction from him I answer That indeed in genere causae finalis the Soveraign is Universis Minor that is The whole Kingdom is naturally more worth than One and their felicity a greater good or else the bonum publicum or salus populi could not be the End of Government But this is nothing to our case For we are speaking of Governing power as a means to this end And so in genere causae efficientis the Soveraign yea and his lowest Officer hath more Authority or Ius Regendi than all the people as such for they all as such have none at all Even as the Church is of more worth than the Pastor and yet the Pastor alone hath more Authority to administer the Sacraments and to Govern the people than all the flock hath For they have none either to use or give what ever some say to the contrary but Against the peoples being the Givers of Power by conjoyning all their own in one in Church or State see Mr. D. Cawdry's Review of Mr. Hookers Survey p. 154 c. only choose him to whom God will give it § 16. Object 5. Saith the Reverend Author lib. 8. p. 194. Neither
can any man with reason think Object 5. but that the first institution of Kings a sufficient consideration wherefore their power should alwayes depend on that from which it did alwayes flow by original influence of power from the Body into the King is the cause of Kings dependency in power upon the body By dependency we mean subordination and subjection â Answ. 1. But it their institution in genere was of God and that give them their power and it never Answ. flowed from the Body at all then all your superstructure falleth with your ground-work 2. And here you seem plainly to confound all Kingdoms by turning the pars imperans into the pars subdita vice versa If the King be subject how are they his subjects I will not inferr what this will lead them to do when they are taught that Kings are in subordination and subjection to them Sad experience hath shewed us what this very principle would effect § 17. Object 6. Ibid. A manifest token of which dependency may be this as there is no more certain Object 6. argument that Lands are held under any as Lords than if we see that such lands in defect of heirs So Lib 8 â 211 p 218 p. 220. fall unto them by Escheat In like manner it doth follow rightly that seeing Dominion when there is none to inherit it returneth unto the body therefore they which before were inheritors of it did hold it in dependance on the body So that by comparing the Body with the Head as touching power it seemeth alwayes to reside in both fundamentally and radically in one in the other derivatively in one the Habit in the other the Act of Power Answ. Power no more falleth to the multitude by Escheat than the Power of the Pastor falls to the Answ. Church or the Power of the Physicion to the Hospital or the Power of the Schoolmaster to the Scholars that is not at all When all the Heirs are dead they are an ungoverned Community that have power to choose a Governour but no Power to Govern neither as you distinguish it in Habit nor in act originally nâr derivatively As it is with a Corporation when the Mayor is dead the power falleth not to the people Therefore there is no good ground given for your following question May a body politick than at all times withdraw in whole or in part the influence of dominion which passeth from it if inconveniences do ârow thereby Though you answer this question soberly your self its easie to see how the multitude may be tempted to answer it on your grounds especially if they think your inconvenience turn into a necessity and what use they will make of your next words It must be presumed that Supream Governours will not in such cases oppose themselves and be stiff in detaining that the use whereof is with publick detriment A strange presumption § 18. Object 7. The Axioms of our Regal Government are these Lex facit Regem The Kings Object 7. grant of any favour made contrary to Law is void Rex nihil potest nisi quod jure potest Answ. If Lex be taken improperly for the constituting contract between Prince and people and Answ. if your facit have respect only to the species and person and not the substance of the Power it self Lib. 8. p. 195. Trita in Scholis Nem nem sibi impârâe possâ nominem sibi legem posse dicere à qua mutata voluntate nequeat recedere Summum ejus esse Imperium qui ordinario jure derogare valeat Equibus evinâitur jus summae potestaââs non limâtari per legem positivam Hinc Augustinus dixit Imperatorem non esse subjectum legibus suis Gââiuâ de Imp. p. 149 150. then I contradict you not But if Lex be taken properly for Authoritativa constitutio debiti or the signification of the Soveraigns will to oblige the Subject then Lex non facit Regem sed Rex Legem § 19 Object 8. Lib. 8. p. 210. When all which the wisdom of all sorts can do is done for the devising Object 8. of Laws in the Church it is the general consent of all that giveth them the form and vigor of Laws without which they could be no more to us than the Councils of Physicions to the sick Well might they seem is wholesome admonitions and instructions but Laws could they never be without consent of the whole Church to be guided by them whereunto both nature and the practice of the Church of God set down in Scripture is found every way so fully consonant that God himself would not impose no not his own Laws upon his people by the hand of Moses without their free and open consent â Answ. 1. Wisdom doth but prepare Laws and Governing power enacteth them and giveth them Answ. their form But the whole Body hath no such Governing power Therefore they give them not their form 2. The peoples consent to Gods Laws gave them not their form or authority This opinion I Hanc video sapien issimorum fuisse sentântiam Leâem nec homânum ingeniis excogitatam nec sâitum aliquod esse populorum sed aeterâum quiddam quod universum mundum regeret âmperandi prohibendique sapientia Cicero de Leg. have elsewhere confuted against a more erroneous Author Their consent to Gods Laws was required indeed as naturally necessary to their obedience but not as necessary to the Being or Obligation of the Law Can you think that it had been no sin in them to have disobeyed Gods Laws unless they had first consented to them Then all the world might escape sin and damnation by denying consent to the Laws of God 3. This doctrine will teach men that * How considerable a part of England is London Yet in this Convocation which hath made the Neâ Changes in the Liturgy and Book of Ordination London had not one Clerk of their choosing For being to choose but two they chose only Mr. Calaây and my self who were neither of us accepted or ever thâre Now if your opinion be true Quar. 1. Whether you make not this Convocations Decrees to be but Counsels to us a. Or at least whether the City of London or the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ministers be not made free from detriment as not consenters You will free them and me especially from Detriment for our Not Conforming to this Convocations Acts as such upon reasons which I do not own my self as generally by you laid down we have no Church-Laws For the whole Church never signified their consent Millions of the poorer sort have no voices in choosing Parliament men or Convocations And this will teach the minor dissenting part to think themselves disobliged for want of consenting and will give every dissenting part or person a Negative voice to all Church Laws 4. A single Bishop hath a Governing power over his particular Church and they are bound to obey
him Heb. 13. 7. 17. And if the governing power of one Pastor be not suspended for want of the consent of any or all the people then much less the Governing Power of King and Parliament § 20. Object 9. Lib. 8. p. 220. It is a thing even undoubtedly natural that all free and independent Object 9. societies should themselves make their own Laws and that this power should belong to the whole not to any certain part of a politick body Answ. This is oft affirmed but no proof at all of it In many Nations the Representatives of the whole Body have the Legislative power or part of it But that is from the special constitution of that particular Common-wealth and not from Nature nor common to all Nations All that naturally belongeth to the people as such was but to choose their Law-makers and secure their liberties and not to make Laws themselves by themselves or meer representers § 21. Object 10. Lib. 8. p. 221. For of this thing no man doubteth namely that in all societies Object 10. Companies and Corporations what severally each shall be bound unto it must be with all their assents ratified Against all equity it were that a man should suffer detriment at the hands of men for not observing that which he never did either by himself or by others mediately or immediately agree to Answ. I am one that more than doubt of that which you say no man doubteth of Do you not Answ. so much as except Gods Laws and all those that only do enforce them or drive men to obey them As men are obliged to obey God whether they consent or not so are they to obey the Laws of their Soveraigns though they never consented to them no nor to their Soveraignty as long as they are members of that Common-wealth to the Government whereof the Soveraign is lawfully called Millions of dissenters may be bound to obey till they quit the Society § 22. Object 11. Lib. 8. p. 205. If Magistrates be Heads of the Church they are of Necessity Object 11. Christians Answ. That can never be proved A Constitutive Head indeed must be a Christian and more even Answ. a Pastor to a particular Church and Christ to the universal This Headship our Kings disclaim But a Head of the Church that is Over the Church or a Coercive Governour of it the King would be if he were no Christian. As one that is no Physicion may be Head over all the Physicions in his Kingdom or though he be no Philosopher or Artist he may be Head over all the Philosophers and Artists and in all their Causes have the Supream Coercive power so would the King over all Protestants if he were no Protestant and over all Christians if he were no Christian But you think that he that is no member of the Church cannot be the Head of it I answer Not a Constitutive Essential Head as the Pastor is But he may be the Head over it and have all the coercive power over it What if the King be not a member of many Corporations in his Kingdom Yet as he is Head of the Kingdom he is Head of or over them as they are parts of it § 23 Object 12. Lib. 8. p. 218 223 224. What power the King hath he hath it by Law Object 12. the bounds and limits of it are known the entire community giveth order c. p. 223. As for them that exercise power altogether against order although the kind of power which they have may be of God yet is their exercise thereof against God and therefore not of God otherwise than by permission as all injustice is Pag. 224. Usurpers of Power whereby we do not mean them that by violence have aspired unto places of highest authority but them that use more authority than they did ever receive in form and manner before mentioned Such Usurpers thereof as in the exercise of their power do more than they have been authorized to do cannot in conscience bind any man to obedience Answ. It is true that no man can exercise more power than he hath The power that we speak Answ. of being ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ius regendi it is impossible to use more Authority than they have though they may command beyond and without authority And it is true that where a man hath no authority or right to command he cannot directly bind to obedience But yet a Ruler may exercise more power than Man ever gave him and oblige men to obedience thereby God giveth them Power to Govern for his Glory according to his Laws and to promote Obedience to those Laws of God in Nature and Scripture by subordinate Laws of their own And all this the Soveraign may do if the people at the choice of him or his family should only say We take you for our Soveraign Ruler For then he may do all that true Reason or Scripture make the work of a Soveraign Ruler even Govern the people by all such just means as tend to the publick good and their everlasting happiness And yet that people that should do no more but choose persons or families to Govern them and set them no bounds doth Give no Power to those they choose but determine of the persons that shall have power from God Yet it is granted you that if the person or family chosen contract with them to Govern only with such and such limitations they have bound themselves by their own contract and thus both specifications of Government and Degrees of power come in by men But alwayes distinguish 1. Between the peoples Giving away their Propriety in their Goods Labours c. which they may do and giving Authority or Governing power which they have not Potestas Maritalis est à Deo applicatio ejus potestatis ad certam personam ex consensu venit quo tamen ipsum jus non datur Nam si ex consensââ daretur posset consensu etiam dissolvi matrimonium aut conveniri ne maritus foeminae imperaret Quid minime verum est Imperatoria potestas non est penes Electores ergo nec ab ipsis datur sed ab ipsis tamen certae personae applicatur Jus vitae necis non est peneâ cives antequam in rempublicam coeant Privatus enim jus vindictae non habet ab iisââem tamen applicatur ad coetum ant personam aliquam Grotius de Imperiâ p. 270. to give 2. Between their Naming the persons that shall receive it from the Universal King and Giving it themselves 3. Between bounding and limiting Power and Giving Power 4. And between a Soveraigns binding himself by contract and being bound by the Authority of others If they be limited by contracts which are commonly called the Constitutive or fundamental Laws it is their own consent and contract that effectively obligeth and limiteth them of which indeed the Peoples will may be the Occasion when they resolve that they
sin to disobey it while the thing is lawful Else servants and children must prove all to be needful as well as lawful which is commanded them before they must obey Or the command may at the same time be evil by accident and the obedience good by accident and per se very good accidents consequence or effects may belong to our Obedience when the accidents of the command it self are evil I could give you abundance of instances of these things § 68. Direct 36. Yet is not all to be obeyed that is evil but by accident nor all to be disobeyed Direct 36. that is so but the accidents must be compared and if the obedience will do more good than harm we must obey if it will evidently do more harm than good we must not do it Most of the sins in the world are evil by accident only and not in the simple act denuded of its accidents circumstances or It was one of the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables Justa imperia sunto iisque cives modesâe ac sine recusatione parento consequents You may not sell poyson to him that you know would poyson himself with it though to sâll poyson of it self be lawful Though it be lawful simply to lend a Sword yet not to a Traytor that you know would kill the King with it no nor to one that would kill his Father his neighbour or himself A command would not excuse such an act from sin He wââ slain by David that killed Saul at his own command and if he had but lent him his Sword to do it it had been his sin Yet some evil accidents may be weighed down by greater evils which would evidently follow upon the not doing of the thing commanded § 69. Direct 37. In the question whether Humane Laws bind Conscience the doubt is not of that nature Direct 37. as to have necessary influence upon your practice For all agree that they bind the subject to obedience and that Gods Law bindeth us to obey them And if Gods Law bind us to obey mans Law and so to disobey them be materially a sin against Gods Law this is as much as is needful to resolve you in respect of practice No doubt mans Law hath no primitive obliging power at all but a Derivative from God and under him And what is it to bind the Conscience an improper Speech but to bind the person to judge it his duty conscire and so to do it And no doubt but he is bound to judge it his duty that is immediately by Humane Law and remotely by Divine Law and so the contrary to be a sin prâximatâly against man and ultimately against God This is plain and the rest is but logomachy § 70. Direct 38. The question is much harder whether the violation of every Humane Penal Law be Direct 38. a sin against God though a man submit to the penalty And the desert of every sin is death Mr. Rich. Hoâkers last Book unhappily ended before he gave us the full reason of his judgement in Eccl. Pol. l. 8. p. 2â4 this case these being his last words Howbeit too rigorous it were that the breach of every Humane Law should be a deadly sin A mean there is between those extremities if so be we can find it out Amesius hath diligently discust it and many others The reason for the affirmative is because God bindeth us to obey all the lawful commands of our Governours And suffering the penalty is not obeying the penalty being not the primary intention of the Law-giver but the Duty and the penalây only to enforce the duty And though the suffering of it satisfie man it satisfieth not God whose Law we break by disobeying Those that are for the Negative say that God binding us but to obey the Magistrate and his Law binding but aut ad obedientiam an t ad poenam I fulfill his will if I either do or suffer If I obey not I please him by satisfying for my disobedience And it is none of his will that my choosing the penalty should be my sin or damnation To this it is replyed that the Law bindeth ad poenam but on supposition of disobedience And that disobedience is forbidden of God And the penalty satisfieth not God though it satisfie man The other rejoyn that it satisfieth God in that it satisfieth man because Gods Law is but to give force to mans according to the nature of it If this hold then no disobedience at all is a sin in him that suffereth the penalty In so hard a case because more distinction is necessary to the explication than most Readers are willing to be troubled with I shall now give you but this brief decision On second thoughts this case is fullier opened afterward There are some penalties which fulfil the Magistrates own will as much as obedience which indeed have more of the nature of a Commutation than of Penalty As he that watcheth not or mendeth not the High-wayes shall pay so much to hire another to do it He that shooteth not so oft in a year shall pay so much He that eateth flesh in Lent shall pay so much to the poor He that repaireth not his Hedges shall pay so much and so in most amercements and divers Penal Laws in which we have reason to judge that the penalty satisfieth the Law-giver fully and that he leaveth it to our choice In these cases I think we need not afflict our selves with the conscience or fear of sinning against God But there are other Penal Laws in which the penalty is not desired for it self and is supposed to be but an imperfect satisfaction to the Law-givers will and that he doth not freely leave us to our choice but had rather we obeyed than suffered only he imposeth no greater a penalty either because there is no greater in his power or some inconvenience prohibiteth In this case I should fear my disobedience were a sin though I suffered the penalty Still supposing it an act that he had Power to command me § 71. Direct 39. Take heed of the perâicious design of those Atheistical Politicians that would make Direct 39. the world believe that all that is excellent among men is at enmity with Monarchy yea and Government it self And take heed on the other side that the most excellent things be not turned against it by abuse Here I have two dangers to advertise you to beware The first is of some Machiavellian pernicious principles and the second of some erroneous unchristian practices § 72. I. For the first there are two sorts of Atheistical Politicians guilty of them The first sort are some Atheistical flatterers that to engage Monarchs against all that is good would make them believe that all that is good is against them and their interest By which means while their design is to steal the help of Princes to cast out all that is good from the world they are most
though the Kings of the Nations rule over them and exercise authority and are called Benefactours yet with them it shall not be so Answ. These were the old cavils of Celsus Porphyry and Iulian but very impudent As though Answ. Love and Patience were against peace and Government Christ commandeth nothing in all these words but that we love our neighbour as our selves and love his soul above our wealth and that we do as we would be done by and use not private revenge and take not up the Magistrates work And is this doctâine against Government It is not Magistrates but Ministers and private Christians whom he commandeth not to resist evil and not to exercise Lordship as the Civil Rulers do When it will do more hurt to the soul of another than the benefit amounteth we must not seek our own right by Law nor must private men revenge themselves All Law-suits and contentions and hurting of others which are inconsistent with loving them as our selves are forbidden in the Gospel And when was Government ever disturbed by such principles and practices as these Nay when was it disturbed but for want of these when was there any sedition rebellion or unlawful wars but through self-love and Love of earthly things and want of Love to one another How easily might Princes rule men that are thus ruled by Love and patience § 81. Obj. 3. Christianity teacheth men to obey the Scriptures before their Governours and to obey no Object 3. Law that is contrary to the Bible And when the Bible is so large and hath so many passages hard to be understood and easily perverted some of these will be alwayes interpreted against the Laws of men And then they are taught to fear no man against God and to endure any pains or death and to be unmoved by all the penalties which should enforce obedience and to rejoyce in this as a blessed martyrdom Le Blank in his Travails pag. 88. saith of some Heathen Kângs They are all jealous of our Religion holding that the Christians adore one God great above the rest that will not suffer any others and that he sets a greater esteem and value upon innocent poor and simple people than upon the rich Kings and Princes and that Princes had need to preserve to themselves the affections and esteem of their subjects to reign with greater ease to the face of Kings and thâse that punish them are reproached as persecutors and threatned with damnation and made the vilest men on earth and represented odious to all Answ. The sum of all this Objection is that That there is a God For if that be not denyed no Answ. man can deny that he is the Universal Governour of the world and that he hath his proper Laws and judgement and rewards and punishments or that Magistrates are his Ministers and have no power So B. Bilson of subject p. 243. Princes be supream not in respect that all things be subject to their wills which were plain Tyranny not Christian authority But that all persons within their Realms are bound to obey their Laws or abide their pains So p. 242. but from him and consequently that the commands and threats and promises of God are a thousand fold more to be regarded than those of men He is a beast and not a man that feareth not God more than man and that feareth not Hell more than bodily sufferings And for the Scriptures 1. Are they any harder to be understood than the Law of nature it self Surely the Characters of the will of God in naturâ rerum are much more obscure than in the Scriptures Hath God sent so great a Messenger from Heaven to open to mankind the mysteries of his Kingdom and tell them what is in the other world and bring life and immortality to light and yet shall his revelation be accused as more obscure than nature it self is If an Angel had been sent from Heaven to any of these Infidels by name to tell them but the same that Scripture telleth us sure they would not have reproached his message with such accusations 2. And are not the Laws of the Land about smaller matters more voluminous and difficult And shall that be made a reproach to Government And for misinterpretation it is the fault of humane nature that is ignorant and rash and not of the Scriptures Will you tell God that you will not obey him unless he will make his Laws so as no man can misinterpret them when or where were there ever such laws God will be God and the Judge of the world whether you will or not And he will not be an underling to men nor set their Laws above his own to avoid your accusations If there be another Life of joy or misery it is necessary that there be Laws according to which those rewards and punishments are to be adjudged And if Rulers oppose these who are appointed to promote obedience to them they must do it at their perils For God will render to all according to their works § 82. Obj. 4. Doth not experience tell the world that Christianity every where causeth divisions and Object 4. sets the world together by the ears What a multitude of sects are there among us at this day And every The differences are oft among the Lawyers which set the Common-wealth on fire and then they are charged on Divines â g. Grotius de Imper. p. 53. Si ârma in eos reges sumpta sânt in quos totum populi jus translatum erat ac qui proinde non precariò sed proprio jure imperabant laudari salva piâtate non possânt quâmcunque tandâm praetâxtum aut eventum habuerint Sin alicubi Reges tales suere qui pactis sive positivis legibus Seraâus aliâujus aut Ordinum decretis astâingerentur in hos ut summum Imperium non obtinent arma ex optimatum tanquam superioâum sententia sumi justis de causis poâuerinâ Multi enim Reges etiam qui sanguinis jure succedunt Reges sunt nomine magâs quam Imperio Sed fallit imperitos quod illam quotidianam maximè in oculoâ in curâentem rerum administrationem quae saepe in optimatum statu penes unum est ab interiore Reipublicae constitutione non satis disceruunt Quod de Regibus dixi idem multo âagis de iis acceptum volo qui âe nomine non Reges sed Principes fuere h. e. non summi sed Priâi p. 54. one thinketh that his salvation lyeth upon his opinion And how can Princes govern men of so contrary minds when the pleasing of one party is the losing of the rest We have long seen that Church-divisions shake the safety of the State If it were not that few that are called Christians are such indeed and serious in the Religion which themselves profess there were no quietness to be expected For those that are most serious are so full of scruples
Sword in their own hands and not have put it into the Clergies hands to fulfill their wills by For 1. By this means the Clergy had escaped the odium of usurpation and domineering by which atheistical Politicians would make Religion odious to Magistrates for their sakes 2. And by this means greater unity had been preserved in the Church while one faction is not armed with the Sword to tread down the rest For if Divines contend only by dint of Argument when they have talkt themselves and others aweary they will have done But when they go to it with dint of Sword it so ill becometh them that it seldom doth good but the party often that trusteth least to their Reason must destroy the other and make their cause good by Iron arguments 3. And then the Romish Clergy had not been armed against Princes to the terrible concussions of the Christian world which Histories at large relate if Princes had not first lent them the Sword which they turned against them 4. And then Church Discipline would have been better understood and have been more effectual which is corrupted and turned to another thing and so cast out when the Sword is used instead of the Keys under pretence of making it effectual None but Consenters are capable of Church-communion No man can be a Christian nor Godly nor saved against his will And therefore Consenters and Volunteers only are capable of Church-discipline As a Sword will not make a Sermon effectual no more will it make Discipline effectual which is but the management of Gods Word to work upon the conscience So far as men are to be driven by the Sword to the use of means or restrained from offering injury to Religion the Magistrate himself is fittest to do it It is noted by Historians as the dishonour of Cyrill of Alexandria though a famous Bishop that he was the first Bishop that like a Magistrate used the Sword there and used violence against Hereticks and dissenters 5. Above all abuse not the name of Religion for the resistance of your lawful Governours Religion must be defended and propagated by no irreligious means It is easie before you are aware to catch the feavor of such a passionate zeal as Iames and Iohn had when they would have had fire from Heaven to consume the refusers and resisters of the Gospel And then you will think that any thing almost is lawful which doth but seem necessary to the prosperity of Religion But no means but those of Gods allowance do use to prosper or bring home that which men expect They may seem to do wonders for a while but they come to nothing in the latter end and spoil the work and leave all worse than it was before § 101. Direct 40. Take heed of mistaking the nature of that Liberty of the people which is truly Direct 40. valuable and desirable and of contending for an undesirable Liberty in its stead It is desirable to have 1 Pet. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Gal. 4. 26. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Liberty to do good and to possess our own and enjoy Gods mercies and live in peace But it is not desirable to have Liberty to sin and abuse one another and hinder the Gospel and contemn our Governours Some mistake Liberty for Government it self and think it is the peoples Liberty to be Governours And some mistake Liberty for an exemption from Government and think they are most free when they are most ungoverned and may do what their list But this is a misery and not a mercy and therefore was never purchased for us by Christ. Many desire servitude and calamity under the name of liberty Optima est Reipublicae forma saith Seneca ubi nulla Libertas deest nisi licentia pereundi As Mr. R. Hooker saith Lib. 8. p. 195. I am not of opinion that simply in Kings the Most but the Best limited power is best both for them and the people The Most limited is that which may deal in fewest things the best that which in dealing is tyed to the soundest perfectest and most indifferent Rule which Rule is the Law I mean not only the Law of Nature and of God but the National Law consonant thereunto Happier that people whose Law is their King in the greatest things than that whose King is himself their Law Yet no doubt but the Law-givers are as such above the Law as an Authoritative instrument of Government but under it as a man is under the obligation of his own Consent and Word It ruleth subjects in the former sense It bindeth the summam Potestatem in the later § 102. Direct 41. When you have done all that you can in just obedience look for your reward Direct 41. from God alone Let it satisfie you that he knoweth and approveth your sincerity You make it a holy work if you do it to please God and you will be fixed and constant if you take Heaven for your Reward which is enough and will not fail you But you make it but a selfish carnal work if you do it only to please your Governours or get preferment or escape some hurt which they may do you and are subject only in flattery or for fear of wrath and not for conscience sake And such obedience is uncertain and unconstant For when you fail of your hopes or think Rulers deal unjustly or unthankfully with you your subjection will be turned into passionate desires of revenge Remember still the example of your Saviour who suffered death as an enemy to Caesar when he had never failed of his duty so much as in one thought or word And are you better than your Lord and Master If God be All to you and you have laid up all your hopes in Heaven it is then but little of your concernment further than God is concerned in it whether Rulers do use you well or ill and whether they interpret your actions rightly or what they take you for or how they call you But it is your concernment that God account you Loyal and will judge you so and justifie you from mens accusations of disloyalty and reward you with more than man can give you Nothing is well done especially of so high a nature as this which is not done for God and Heaven and which the Crown of Glory is not the motive to I have purposely been the larger on this subject because the times in which we live require it both for the setling of some and for the confuting the false accusations of others who would perswade the world that our doctrine is not what it is when through the sinful practices of some the way of truth is evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. Tit. 2. A fuller resolution of the Cases 1. Whether the Laws of men do bind the Conscience 2. Especially smaller and Penal Laws THe word Conscience signifieth either 1. In general according to the notation of the word The knowledge of our own
truly signifieth the Rulers Will. 2. That it is the Act of a Power derived from God and therefore no further bindeth than it is the exercise of such a power 3. That it is given 1. Finally for Gods glory and pleasure and for the Common Good comprehending the Honour of the Ruler and the welfare of the society ruled And therefore obligeth not when it is 1. Against God 2. Or against the Common Good 2. And it is subordinate to Gods It is not Mr. Humphâây alone that hath written that Laws bind not in conscience to obedience which are against the Publick Good The greatest Casuists say the same excepting the case of scandal He that would see this in them may choose but these two special Authors Bapt. Fragos de Regimine Reipublicae Greg. Sayrus in his Clavis Regia and in them he shall find enow more cââed Though I think some further Cautions would make it more satisfactory own Laws in Nature and Scripture and therefore obligeth not to sin or to the violation of Gods Law 4. You must note that Laws are made for the Government of Societies as such universally and so are fitted to the Common Case for the Common Good And it is not possible but that a Law which prescribeth a duty which by accident is so to the most should meet with some particular subject to whom the case is so circumstantiated as that the same act would be to him a sin And to the same man it may be ordinarily a duty and in an extraordinary case a sin Thence it is that in some cases as Lent Fasts Marriages c. Rulers oft authorize some persons to grant dispensations in certain cases And hence it is said that Necessity hath no Law Hereupon I conclude as followeth 1. It is no sin to break a Law which is no Law as being against God or not authorized by him as of a Usurper c. See R. Hooker Conclus Lib 8. 2. It is no Law so far as it is no signification of the true Will of the Ruler what ever the words be Therefore so far it is no sin to break it 3. The Will of the Ruler is to be judged of not only by the Words but by the Ends of Government and by the Rules of Humanity 4. It being not possible that the Ruler in his Laws can foresee and name all exceptions which may occur it is to be supposed that it is his Will that the Nature of the thing shall be the notifier of his Will when it cometh to pass And that if he were present and this case fell out before him which the sense and end of the Law extendeth not to he would say This is an excepted Case 5. There is therefore a wide difference between a General Law and a personal particular Mandate As of a Parent to a Child or a Master to a Servant For this latter fully notifieth the Will of the Ruler in that very case and to that very person And therefore it cannot be said that here is any exception or that it is not his Will But in an Universal or General Law it is to be supposed that some particular excepted Cases will fall out extraordinarily though they cannot be named And that in those Cases the Rulers will dispenseth with it 6. Sometimes also the Ruler doth by the meer neglect of pressing or executing his own Laws permit them to grow obsolete and out of use And sometimes he forbeareth the execution of them for some time or to some sort of persons And by so doing doth notifie that it was not his Will that ât such a time and in such cases they should oblige I say not that all remissness of execution is such a sign But sometimes it is And the very word of the Law-giver may notifie his dispensation or suspending will As for instance Upon the burning of London there were many Laws about coming to Parish Churches and relief of the poor of the Parish and the like that the people became uncapable of obeying And it was to be supposed that the Rulers will would have been to to have excepted such Cases if foreseen and that they did dispense with them when they fell out 7. Sometimes also the penalty of violating a Law is some such Mulct or service which the Ruler intendeth as a Commutation for the duty so that he freely leaveth it to the choice of the subject which he will choose And then it is no sin to pay the Mulct and omit the Action because it crosseth not the Law-givers will 8. Sometimes also the Law may command this principally for some mens sake which so little concerns others that it should not extend to them at all were it not lest the Liberty of them should be an impediment to the obedience of others and consequently of the common good In which case if those persons so little concerned do but omit the action secretly so as to be no scandal or publick hurt it seemeth that they have the implicite Consent of the Rulers 9. Sometimes particular duties are commanded with this express exception Unless they have just and reasonable impediment As for coming every Lords Day to Church c. which seemeth to imply that though in cases where the publick good is concerned the person himself shall not be Judge nor at all as to the penalty yet that in actions of an indifferent nature in themselves this exception is still supposed to be implyed Unless we have just and reasonable impediments of which in private Cases as to the Crime we may judge 10. I need not mention the common natural exceptions As that Laws bind not to a thing when it becometh naturally impossible or cessante materia vel capacitate subjecti obligati c. 11. Laws may change their sense in part by the change of the Law-giver For the Law is not formally to us his Law that is dead and was once our Ruler but his that is alive and is now our Ruler If Henry the eighth make a Law about the outward acts of Religion as for coming to Church c. and this remain unrepealed in King Edwards Queen Maries Queen Elizabeths King Iames his dayes c. even till now As we are not to think that the Law-givers had the same sense and will so neither that the Law hath the same sense and obligation For if the general words be capable of several senses we must not take it as binding to us in the sense it was made in but in the sense of of our present Law-givers or Rulers because it is their Law 12. Therefore if a Law had a special Reason for it at the first making as the Law for using Bows and Arrows that Reason ceasing we are to suppose the Will of the Law-giver to remit the obligation if he urge not the execution and renew not the Law 13. By these plain principles many particular difficulties may be easily resolved which cannot be foreseen and named e.
g. The Law against relieving a beggar bindeth not when he is like to dye if he be not relieved or in such a case as after the burning of London when there was no Parish to bring him to A Law that is but for the ordering of mens charity to soul or body by preaching or alms will not disoblige me from the Duties of Charity themselves in cases where Scripture or Nature proveeth them to be imposed by God A Law for fasting will not bind me when it would be destructive to my body even on Gods Sabbaths duties of mercy were to be preferred to Rest and Sacrifices 14. If Gods own Laws must be thus expounded that When two duties come together and both cannot be done the lesser ceaseth at that time to be a duty and the greater is to be preferred mans Laws must also be necessarily so expounded And the rather because mans Laws may be contradictory when Gods never are so rightly understood 15. Where the subject is to obey so far he must discern which of the Laws inconsistent is to be preferred But in the Magistratical execution the Magistrate or Judge must determine E. g. One Law commandeth that all the needy poor be kept on the Parish where they were born or last lived Another Law saith that Non-conformable Ministers of the Gospel who take not the Oxford Oath shall not come within five miles of City or Corporation though they were born there or any place where they have been Preachers In case of necessity what shall they do Answ. Whither they shall go for relief they must discern as well as they can But whither they shall be carried or sent the Magistrate or Constable must discern and judge Also Whether he shall go with a Constable that by one Law bringeth him to a place which by the other Law he is forbid on pain of six months imprisonment in the Common Gaol to come to Answ. If he be not voluntary in it it is not his fault And if one bring him thither by force and and another imprison him for being there he must patiently suffer it 16. But out of such excepted Cases the Laws of our Rulers as the commands of Parents do bind us as is afore explained And it is a sin against God to violate them 17. Yea When the reason of the Law reacheth not our particular case and person yet when we have reason to judge that it is the Rulers will that all be bound for the sake of some and the common order and good will be hindered by our exemption we must obey to our corporal detriment to avoid the publick detriment and to promote the publick good CHAP. IV. Directions to Lawyers about their Duty to God GEntlemen you need not meet these Directions with the usual censures or suspicions that Divines are busying themselves with the matters of your Calling which belong not to them and which they do not understand You shall see that I will as much forbear such matters as you can well desire If your Calling be not to be sanctified by serving God in it and regulating it by his Law it is then neither honourable nor desirable But if it be permit me very Legum mihi placet autoritas sed earum usus hominum nequitia depravatur Itaque piguit perdiscere quo inhoneste uti nollem honeste vix possem etsi vellem Petrarch iâ vita sua briefly so far to Direct you § 1. Direct 1. Take the whole frame of Polity together and study each part in its proper place and Direct 1. know it in its due relation to the rest that is Understand first the Doctrine of Polity and Laws in genere and next the Universal Polity and Laws of God in specie and then study Humane Polity and Laws as they stand in their due subordination to the Polity and Laws of God as the by-Laws of Corporations do to the General Laws of the Land § 2. He that understandeth not what Polity and Law is in genere is unlike to understand what Divine or Humane Polity or Law is in specie He that knoweth not what Government is and what a community and what a politick society is will hardly know what a Common-wealth or Church is And he that knoweth not what a Common-wealth is in genere what is its End and what its constitutive parts and what the efficient causes and what a Law and Judgement and Execution is will study but unhappily the Constitution or Laws of the Kingdom which he liveth in § 3. 2. And he that understandeth not the Divine Dominium Imperium as founded in Creation and refounded in Redemption and mans subjection to his Absolute Lord and the Universal Laws which he hath given in Nature and Scripture to the world can never have any true understanding of the Polity or Laws of any Kingdom in particular No more than he can well understand the true state of a Corporation or the power of a Mayor or Justice or Constable who knoweth nothing of the state of the Kingdom or of the King or of his Laws What ridiculous discourses would such a man make of his Local Polity or Laws He knoweth nothing worth the knowing who knoweth not that all Kings and States have no power but what is derived from God and subservient to him and are all his Officers much more below him than their Justices and Officers are to them and that their Laws are of no force against the Laws of God whether of Natural or Supernatural Revelation And therefore it is most easie to see that he that will be a good Lawyer must first be a Divine And that the Atheists that deride or slight Divinity do but play the fools in all their independent broken studies A man may be a good Divine that is no Lawyer but he can be no good Lawyer that understandeth not Theology Therefore let the Government and Laws of God have the first and chiefest place in your studies and in all your observation and regard 1. Because it is the Ground of Humane Government and the Fountain of mans Power and Laws 2. Because the Divine Polity is also the End of Humane Policy Mans Laws being ultimately to promote our Obedience to the Laws of God and the honour of his Government 3. Because Gods Laws are the measure and bounds of Humane Laws against which no man can have power Male se rectum putat qui regulam summae rectitudinis ignorat Ambros. de Offic. 4. Because Gods Rewards and Punishments are incomparably more regardable than mans Eternal joy or misery being so much more considerable than temporal peace or suffering Therefore though it be a dishonour to Lawyers to be ignorant of Languages History and other needful parts of Learning yet it is much more their dishonour to be ignorant of the Universal Government and Laws of God § 4. Direct 2. Be sure that you make not the getting of money to be your principal end in the
till their heads are setled and they come to themselves and that is not usually till the hand of God have laid them lower than it found them and then perhaps they will again hear reason unless pride hath left their souls as desperate as at last it doth their bodies or estates The experience of this Age may stand on record as a teacher to future generations what power there is in great successes to conquer both Reason Religion Righteousness Professions Vows and all obligations to God and man by puffing up the heart with pride and thereby making the understanding drunken CHAP. VIII Advice against Murder § 1. THough Murder be a sin which humane nature and interest do so powerfully rise up against that one would think besides the Laws of Nature and the fear of temporal punishment there should need no other argument against it And though it be a sin which is not frequently committed except by Souldiers yet because mans corrupted heart is lyable to it and because one sin of such a heynous nature may be more mischievous than many small infirmities I shall not wholly pass by this sin which falls in order here before me I shall give men no other advice against it than only to open to them 1. The Causes and 2. The Greatness and 3. The Consequents of the sin § 2. I. The Causes of Murder are either the Neerest or the more radical and remote The opening of the Neerest sort of Causes will be but to tell you how many wayes of murdering the World is used to And when you know the Cause the contrary to it is the prevention Avoid those Causes and you avoid the sin § 3. 1. The greatest Cause of the cruellest murders is unlawful wars All that a man killeth in an unlawful war he murdereth And all that the Army killeth he that setteth them a work by Command or Counsel is guilty of himself And therefore how dreadful a thing is an unrighteous war and how much have men need to look about them and try every other lawful way and suffer long before they venture upon war It is the skill and glory of a Souldier when he can kill more than other men He studyeth it he maketh it the matter of his greatest care and valous and endeavour He goeth through very great difficulties to accomplish it This is not like a sudden or involuntary act Thieves and Robbers kill single persons but Souldiers murder thousands at a time And because there is none at present to judge them for it they wash their hands as if they were innocent and sleep as quietly as if the avenger of blood would never come O what Devils are those Counsellers and incândâries to Princes and States who stir them up to unlawful wars § 4. 2. Another Cause and way of Murder is by the Pride and tyranny of men in power When they do it easily because they can do it When their Will and Interest is their Rule and their Passion seemeth a sufficient warrant for their injustice It is not only Nero's Tiberius's Domitian's c. that are guilty of this crying crime but O what man that careth for his soul had not rather be tormented a thousand years than have the blood-guiltiness of a famous applauded Alexander or Caesar or Tamerlane to answer for So dangerous a thing it is to have Power to do mischief that Uriah may fall by a Davids guilt and Crispus may be killed by his father Constâmine O what abundance of horrid murders do the histories of almost all Empires and Kingdoms of the World afford us The maps of the affairs of Greeks and Romans of Tartariuns Turks Russians Germans of Heathens and Infidels of Papists and too many Protestants are drawn out with too many purple lines and their Histories written in letters of blood What write the Christians of the Infidels the Orthodox of the Arrians Romans or Goths or Vandals or the most impartial Historians of the mock Catholicks of Rome but Blood Blood Blood How proudly and loftily doth a Tyrant look when he telleth the oppressed innocent that displeaseth him Sirra I 'le make you know my power Take him Imprison him Rack him Hang him Or as Pilate to Christ Joh. 9. 10. Knowest thou not that I have power to Crucifie thee and have power to release âhee I 'le make you know that your life is in my hand Heat the Furnace seven times horter Dan. 3. Alas poor worm Hast thou power to kill So hath a Toad or Adder or mad Dâgg or pestilence when God permitteth it Hast thou power to kill But hast thou also power to keep thy self alive and to keep thy Corpse from rottenness and dust and to keep thy soul from paying for it in Hell or to keep thy Conscience for worrying thee for it to all Eternity With how trembling a heart and ghastly look wilt thou at last hear of this which now thou gloriest in The bones and dust of the oppressed Innocents will be as great and honourable as thine And their souls perhaps in rest and joy when thine is tormented by infernal furies When thou art in Nebuchadâezzara glory what a mercy were it to thee if thou mightest be turned out among the beasts to prevent thy being turned out among the Devils If killing and destroying be the glory of thy greatness the Devils are more honourable than thou And as thou agreest with them in thy work and glory so shalt thou in the reward § 4. 3. Another most heynous Cause of Murders is a malignant enmity against the Godly and a persecuting destructive Zeal What a multitude of innocents hath this consumed and what innumerable companies of holy souls are still crying for vengeance on these persecutors The Enmity began immediately upon the fall between the Womans and the Serpents seed It shewed it self presently in the two first men that were born into the World A malignant envy against the accepted Sacrifice of Abel was able to make his Brother to be his Murderer And it is usual with the Devil to cast some bone of carnal interest also between them to heighten the malignant enmity Wicked men are all Covetous voluptuous and proud And the doctrine and practice of the Godly doth contradict them and condemn them And they usually espouse some wicked interest or engage themselves in some service of the Devil which the servants of Christ are bound in their several places and callings to resist And then not only this resistance though it be but by the humblest words or actions yea the very conceit that they are not for their interest and way doth instigate the befooled world to persecution And thus an Ishmael and an Isaac an Esau and a Iacob a Saul and a David cannot live together in peace Gal. 4. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now Sauls interest maketh him think it just to persecute David and religiously he
office nor yet may he break his Laws for the avenging of himself He may use no other means than the Law of God and his Soveraign do allow him Therefore he may not rail or revile or slander or rob or strike or hurt any unless in case of defence as afterward nor take any other prohibited course § 17. Prop. 9. No rigor or severity must be used to right my self where gentler means may probably do it but the most harmless way must first be tryed § 18. Prop. 10. In general All wrongs and debts and damages must be forgiven when the hurt is like to be greater which will come by our righting our selves than that which by forbearance we shall sustain And all must be forgiven where Gods Law or mans forbiddeth us not to forgive Therefore a man that will here know his duty must conduct his actions by very great prudence which if he have not himself he must make use of a guide or Counsellour and he must be able to compare the Evil which he suffereth with the evil which will in probability follow his Vindication and to discern which of them is the greater Or else he can never know how far and when he may and must forgive And herein he must observe § 19. 1. The hurt that cometh to a mans soul is greater than the hurt that befalleth the body And therefore if my suing a man at Law be like to hurt his soul by uncharitableness or to hurt my own or the souls of others by scandal or disturbances I must rather suffer any meer bodily injuries than use that means But if yet greater hurt to souls would follow that bodily suffering of mine the Case is then altered the other way So if by forgiving debts or wrongs I be liker to do more good to the soul of him whom I forgive or others than the recovery of my own or the righting of my self is like any way to equal I am obliged to forgive that debt or wrong § 20. 2. The good or hurt which cometh to a community or to many is caeteris paribus to be more regarded thân that which cometh to my self or any one alone Because many are of more worth than One and because Gods honour caeteris paribus is more concerned in the good of many than of one Therefore I must not seek my own right to the hurt of many either of their souls or bodies unless some greater good require it § 21. 3. The good or hurt of publick persons Magistrates or Pastors is caeteris paribus of more regard than the good or hurt of single men Therefore caeteris paribus I must not right my self to the dishonour or the hurt of Governours no though I were none of their charge or subjects because the publick good is more concerned in their honour or wellfare than in mine The same may be said of persons by their Gifts and interests more eminently serviceable to God and the common good than I am § 22. 4. The good or hurt of a neer relation of a dear friend of a worthy person is more to be regarded by me caeteris paribus than the good or hurt of a vile unworthy person or a stranger And therefore the Israelites might not take Usury of a poor brother which yet they might do of an aliene of another Land The Laws of nature and Friendship may more oblige me to one than to another though they were supposed equal in themselves Therefore I am not bound to remit a debt or wrong to a Thief or deceiver or a vile person when a neerer or a worthier person would be equally damnified by his benefit And thus far if without any partial self-love a man can justly estimate himself he may not only as he is neârest himself but also for his real worth prefer his own commodity before the commodity of a more unworthy and unserviceable person § 23. 5. Another mans Necessities are more regardable than our own superfluities as his life is more regardable than our corporal delights Therefore it is a great sin for any man to reduce another to extremity and deprive him of necessaries for his life meerly to vindicate his own right in superfluities for the satisfaction of his concupiscence and âensual desires If a poor man steal to save his own or his Childrens lives and the rich man vindicate his own meerly to live in greater fulness or gallantry in the World he sinneth both the sin of sensuality and uncharitableness But how far for the common good he is bound to prosecute the Thief as criminal is a case which depends on other circumstances And this is the most common case in which the forgiving of debts and damages is required in Scripture viz. when the other is poor and we are rich and his necessities require it as an act of Charity And also the former case when the hurt by our vindication is like to be greater than our benefit will countervail § 24. Quest. 2. What is the meaning of those words of Christ Matth. 5. 38 39 40 41 42. Quest. 2. Ye have heard that it hath been said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you that ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also and if any man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also And whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him two Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away Answ. The meaning of the Text is this as if he had said Because you have heard that Magistrates are required to do justice exactly between man and man and to take an eye for an eye c. therefore you may perhaps believe those Teachers who would perswade you that for any man to exact this satisfaction is no fault But I tell you that duties of Charity must be performed as well as Iustice must be done And though it be the Magistrates duty to do you this Iustice it is not your duty alwayes to require it but Charity may make the contrary to be your duty Therefore I say unto you overvalue not the concernments of your flesh nor the trifles of this world but if a man abuse you or wrong you in these trifles make no great matter of it and be not presently inflamed to revenge and to right your selves but exercise your patience and your Charity to him that wrongeth you and by a habituated stedfastness herein be ready to receive another injury with equal patience yea many such rather than to fly to an unnecessary vindication of your right For what if he give you another Stroke Or what if he also take your Cloke or what if he compel you to another mile for him Let him do it Let him take it How small is your hurt What inconsiderable things are these Your resistance and
when it is not like to do more hurt than good either directly of it self or by mens abuse when Religion or the soul of any man or any ones body or estate or name is not like to lose more than my gain or any other benefits will compensate When all these concurr its lawful to go to Law § 29. Quest. 5. Is it lawful to defend my person life or estate against a Thief or Murderer or unjust Quest. 5. Invader by force of arms Answ. You must distinguish 1. Between such Defence as the Law of the Land alloweth and such as it forbiddeth 2. Between Necessary and Unnecessary actions of defence Prop. 1. There is no doubt but it is both lawful and a duty to defend our selves by such convenient means as are likely to attain their end and are not contrary to any Law of God or Man We must defend our Neighbour if he be assaulted or oppressed and we must love our neighbours as our selves Prop. 2. This Self-defence by force is then lawful when it is Necessary and other more gentle means have been uneffectual or have no place supposing still that the means be such as the Law of God or man forbiddeth not Prop. 3. And it is necessary to the Lawfulness of it that the means be such as in its nature is like to be successful or like to do more good than harm § 30. But on the other side Prop. 1. We may not defend our selves by any such force as either the Laws of God or our Rulers thereto authorized by him shall forbid For 1. The Laws are made by such as have more power over our lives than we have over them our selves 2. And they are made for the good of the Common-wealth which is to be preferred before the good or life of any single person And what ever selfish Infidels say both nature and grace do teach us to lay down our lives for the welfare of the Church or State and to prefer a multitude before our selves Therefore it is better to be robbed opprest or killed than to break the peace of the Common-wealth Prop. 2. Therefore a private man may not raise an Army to defend his life against his Prince or lawful Governour Perhaps he might hold his hands if personally he went about to murder him without the violation of the publick peace But he cannot raise a War without it Prop. 3. We may not do that by blood or violence which might be done by perswasion or by any lawful gentle means Violence must be used even in defence but in case of true necessity Prop. 4. When Self-defence is like to have Consequents so ill as the saving of our selves cannot countervail it is then unlawful finis gratia and not to be attempted Prop. 5. Therefore if Self-defence be unlikely to prevail our strength being inconsiderable and when the enemy is but like to be the more exasperated by it and our sufferings like to be the greater Nature and reason teach us to submit and use the more effectual lawful means § 31. Quest. 6. Is it lawful to take away anothers life in the defending of my purse or estate Quest. 6. Answ. 1. You must again distinguish between such defence as the Law of the Land alloweth and such as it forbiddeth 2. Between what is Necessary and what is Unnecessary 3. Between a life less worth than the prize which he contendeth for and a life more worth than it or than mine own 4. Between the simple defence of my purse and the defence of it and my life together 5. Between what I do with purpose and desire and what I do unwillingly through the assailants âemerity or violence 6. And between what I do in meer defence and what I do to bring a Thief or Robber unto legal punishment And so I answer Prop. 1. You may not defend your purse or your estate by such actions as the Law of the Land forbiddeth Unless it go against the Law of God Because it is to be supposed that it is better a mans estate or purse be lost than Law and publick order violated Prop. 2. You may not against an ordinary Thief or Robber defend your purse with the probable hazard of his life if a few good words or other safe and gentle means which you have opportunity to use be like to serve turn without such violence Prop. 3. If it might be supposed that a Prince or other person of great use and service to the Common-wealth should in a frolick or otherwise assault your person for your estate or purse it is not lawful to take away his life by a defensive violence if you know it to be he Because though in some Countreys the Law might allow it you yet finis gratia it is unlawful because his life is more necessary to the common good than yours Prop. 4. If a pilfering Thief would steal your purse without any violence which hazardeth your life ordinarily you may not take away his life in the defending of it Because it is the work of the Magistrate to punish him by publick Justice and your defence requireth it not Prop. 5. All this is chiefly meant of the voluntary designed taking away of his life and not of any lawful action which doth it accidentally against your will § 33. On the other side Prop. 1. If the Law of the Land allow you to take away a mans life in the defending of your purse it removeth the scruple if the weight of the matter also do allow it Because it supposeth that the Law taketh the offendor to be worthy of death and maketh you in that case the executioner of it And if indeed the crime be such as deserveth death you may be the executioner when the Law alloweth it Prop. 2. And this is more clear when the Robber for your money doth assault your life or is like for ought you see to do it Prop. 3. And when gentler means will not serve the turn but violence is the only remedy which is left you which is like to avail for your defence Prop. 4. And when the person is a vile offender who is rather a plague and burden to the Common-wealth than any necessary member of it Prop. 5. If you desire not and design not his death but he rush upon it himself in his fury while you lawfully defend your own the case is yet less questionable Prop. 6. If a Thief have taken your purse though you may not take away his life after to recover it because it is of less value nor yet in revenge because that belongeth not to private men yet if the Law require or allow you to pursue him to bring him to a judicial tryal if you kill him while he resisteth it is not your sin because you are but suppressing sin in your place according to the allowance of the Law § 34. Quest. 7. May I kill or wound another in the defence or vindication of my honour or good name
Direct 25. which feareth in the smallest matter to offend him is a substantial part of Holiness and of great necessity to salvation It is part of the excellency of the soul and therefore to be greatly encouraged by Governours To drive this out of the World is to drive out Godliness and make men rebells against their maker And nothing is more certain than that the violent imposing of unnecessary disputable things in the worship of God doth unavoidably tend either to debauch the Conscience and drive men from their obedience to God or to destroy them or undoe them in the World For it is not possible that all Conscionable persons should discern the lawfulness of all such disputable things § 47. Direct 26. Remember that such violence in doubtful matters is the way to set up the most Direct 26. debauched Atheists and consequently to undoe Church and Common-wealth For whatever oaths or subscriptions you require he that believeth not that there is a God or a Devil a Heaven or a Hell will yield to all and make no more of perjury or a lye than to eat a bit of bread If you cast out all Ministers that will not swear or subscribe this or that form about things doubtful you will cast out never an Atheist or debauched Infidel by it All that have no Conscience will be kept in and all that are true to God and their Conscience if they think it is sin which you require of them will be cast out And whither this tendeth you may easily foresee § 48. Direct 27. Remember that if by force you do prevail with a man to go against his Conscience Direct 27. you do but make him dissemble and lye And if Hypocrites be not hateful to you why do you cry out so much against hypocrites where you cannot prove your accusation But if they be so hateful why do you so eagerly make men hypocrites What ever their tongues may say you can scarce believe your selves that prisons or fire will change mens judgements in matters of faith and duty to God § 49. Direct 28. Consider not only whether the thing which you impose be sin in it self but also what Direct 28. it is to him that thinketh it a sin His own doubting Conscience may make that a sin to him which is no sin to another And he that doubteth whether such or such a meat be lawful is condemned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And is it like to be damnation to him that doth it against his Conscience and will you drive on any man towards damnation Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 11. § 50. If it be objected that Then there will be no Government if every man must be left to his own Conscience I answer that the Holy Ghost did not fear such objecters when he laid down this doctrine here exprest 1. It is easie to distinguish between things necessary and things unnecessary 2. And between great penalties and small And 1. It followeth not that a Man must be left to his own Conscience in every thing because he must be so in some things In things necessary as it is a sin to do them doubtingly so it may be a greater sin to leave them undone As for a man to maintain his family or defend his King or hear the Word of God c. He that can say My Conscience is against it must not be excused from a necessary duty And he that can say My Conscience bids me do it must not be excused in a sin But yet the Apostle knew what he said when he that was a greater Church-Governour than you determined the case of mutual forbearance as in Rom. 14. and 15. and 1 Cor. 8. 2 And he is not wholly left to himself who is punished with a small penalty for a small offence For if a man must be still punished more as long as he obeyeth God and his Conscience before men an honest man must not be suffered to live For he will certainly do it to the death § 51. Direct 29. Remember the wonderful variety of mens apprehensions which must be supposed Direct 29. in all Laws Mens faces are scarce more various and unlike than their understandiâgs are For besides that nature hath diversified intellects as well as faces the diversity and unlikeness is much increased by variety of educations company representations accidents cogitations and many other causes It is wiser to make Laws that all men shall take the same Physick or eat only the same meat or that all shoos shall be of a size and all cloaths of the same bigness upon supposition that all mens health or appetite or feet or bodies are alike than to make Laws that all men shall agree or say that they agree in every opinion circumstance or ceremony in matters of Religion § 52. Direct 30. Remember especially that most Christians are ignorant and of weak understandings Direct 30. and not able to make use of all the distinctions and subtilâies which are needful to bring them over to your mind in doubtful and unnecessary things Therefore the Laws which will be the means of Peace must suppose this weakness and ignorance of most subjects And how convenient it is to say to a poor ignorant Christian Know this or profess this or that which the ablest Godly Pastors themselves are not agreed in or else thou shalt be imprisoned or banished I leave to equal men to judge § 53. Direct 31. Humane infirmities must be supposed in the best and strongest Christians All have Direct 31. their errours and their faults Divines themselves as well as others Therefore either some errours and faults must be accounted tolerable or else no two persons must tolerate one another in the world but kill on till the strongest only shall survive Gal. 6. 1 2. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thoâ also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ. And if the strong must be born with themselves then They that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves but every one to please his neighbour for good to edification For even Christ pleased not himself c. Rom. 15. 1 2 3. And him that is weak in the faith we must receive but not to doubtful disputations Rom. 14. 1. § 54. Direct 32. The Pastors must not be impatient under the abuses which they receive from weak Direct 32. or distempered brethren We must excell others in patience and meekness and forbearance as much as we do in knowledge and in other graces If the Nurse or Mother will take every word or action of the child as if it were the injury of an enemy there will be no
no matter of Controversie § 2. 4. And it is agreed of that no man may steal beforehand out of a distrustful fear of want 5. Or iâ he take more than is of necessity to save his life These cases also are put as out of Controversie § 3. But whether in an innocent absolute necessity it be lawful to steal so much as is meerly sufficient to save ones life is a thing that Casuists are not agreed on They that think it lawful say that the preservation of life is a natural duty and preservation of propriety is but a subservient thing which must give place to it So Amesius de Conscient l. 5. c. 50. maketh it one case of lawful taking that which is anothers Si irrationabiliter censeatur Dominus invitus ut in eis quae accipit aliquis ex alieno ad extremam praesentem suam necessitatem sublevandam cui alia ratione succurrere non potest Hâc enim videtur esse ex jure naturali divisione rerum antiquiore superiore quod jure humano quo facta est divisio rerum non potuit abrogari Quo sensu non male dicitur omnia fieri communia in extrema necessitate § 4. On the other side those that deny it say that the same God that hath bid us preserve our lives hath appointed propriety and forbid us to steal without excepting a case of necessity and therefore hath made it simply evil which we may not do for the procurement of any good And the saving of a mans life will not prove so great a good as the breaking of Gods Law will be an evil § 5. For the true determining of this case we must distinguish of Persons Places and Occasions 1. Between those whose lives are needful to the publick good and safety and those that are not of any such concernment 2. Between those that are in an enemies or a strange Countrey and those that are in their own 3. Between those that are in a Common-wealth and those that are either in a community or among people not embodyed or conjoyned 4. Between those that take but that which the refuser was bound to give them and those that take that which he was not bound to give them And so I answer § 6. 1. Whensoever the preservation of the life of the taker is not in open probability like to be more serviceable to the common good than the violation of the right of Propriety will be hurtful the taking of another mans goods is sinful though it be only to save the takers life For the common good is to be preferred before the good of any individual § 7. 2. In ordinary cases the saving of a mans life will not do so much good as his stealing will do hurt Because the lives of ordinary persons are of no great concernment to the common good And the violation of the Laws may encourage the poor to turn thieves to the loss of the estates and lives of others and the overthrow of publick peace and order Therefore ordinarily it is a duty rather to dye than take another mans goods against his will or without his consent § 8. 3. But in case that the Common good doth apparently more require the preservation of the persons life than the preservation of propriety and keeping of the Law in that instance it is then no sin as I conceive which may fall out in many instances As 1. In case the King and his Army should march through a Neighbour-Princes Countrey in a necessary War against their enemies If food be denyed them in their march they may take it rather than perish 2. In case the Kings Army in his own Dominions have no pay and must either disband or dye if they have not provision they may rather take free quarter in case that their obedience to the King and the preservation of the Countrey forbiddeth them to disband 3. When it is a person of so great honour dignity and desert as that his worth and serviceableness will do more than recompence the hurt As if Alexander or Aristotle were on Ship-board with a Covetous Ship-master who would let them dye rather than relieve them 4. When a Child taketh meat from a cruel Parent that would famish him or a Wife from such a cruel husband Or any man taketh his Own by stealth from another who unjustly detaineth it when it is to save his life For here there is a fundamental right ad rem and the heynousness of his crime that would famish another rather than give him his own or his due doth take off the scandal and evil consequents of the manner of taking it 5. But the greatest difficulty is in case that only the common Law of humanity and charity bind another to give to one that else must dye and he that needeth may take it so secretly that it shall in likelihood never be known and so never be scandalous nor encourage any other to steal May not the needy then steal to save his life This case is so hard that I shall not venture to determine it But only say that he that doth so in such a case must resolve when he hath done to repay the owner if ever he be able though it be but a piece of bread or to repay him by his labour and service if he have no other way and be thus able or if not so to confess it to him that he took it from and acknowledge himself his debtor unless it be to one whose cruelty would abuse his confession § 9. Quest. 2. If another be bound to relieve me and do not may I not take it though it be not for the Quest. 2. immediate saving of my life Answ. If he be bound only by Gods law to relieve you you must complain to God and stay till he do you right and not break his Law and order by righting your self in case you are not in the necessity aforesaid If he be bound also by the Law of man to relieve you you may complain to the Rulers and seek your right by their assistance but not by stealth § 10. Quest. 3. If another borrow or possess my goods or money and refuse to pay me and I cannot Quest. 3. have law and justice against him or am not rich enough to sue him may I not take them if I have an opportunity Answ. If he turn your enemy in a time of War or live under another Prince with whom you are at War or where your Prince alloweth you to take it there it seemeth undoubtedly lawful to take your own by that Law of Arms which then is uppermost But when the Law that you are under forbiddeth you the case is harder But it is certain that Propriety is in communities and is in order of nature antecedent to humane Government in Republicks and the preservation of it is one of the ends of Government Therefore I conceive that in case you could take your own so secretly or in
or any other lawful way § 7. Quest. 7. May I borrow of one to pay another to keep my day with the first Quest. 7. Answ. Yes if you deal not fraudulently with the second but are able to pay him or acquaint him truly with your case § 8. Quest. 8. Suppose that I have no probability of paying the last creditor may I borrow of one Quest. 8. to pay another and so live upon borrowing or must I rather continue in one mans debt Answ. If you truly acquaint your Creditors with your state you may do as is most to your convenience If the first Creditor be able and willing rather to trust you longer than that you should borrow of another to pay him you may continue his debtor till you can pay him without borrowing But if he be either poor or unwilling to bear with you and another that is able be willing to venture you may better borrow of another to pay him But if they be all equally unwilling to stand to any hazard by you then you must rather continue in the first mans debt because if you wrong another you will commit another sin Nay you cannot borrow in such a case because it is supposed that the other will not lend when he knoweth your case And you must not at all conceal it from him Object But it may be my ruine to open my full state to another Answ. You must not live upon cheating and thievery to prevent your ruine And what can it be less to get another mans money against his will And it is against his will if you hide your case which if he knew he would not lend it to you Object But what if I tell him plainly that I will pay him certainly by borrowing of another though I cannot pay him of mine own and though I be not like to pay the last Answ. If you truly thus open your case to every one that you borrow of you may take it if they will lend it For then you have their consent And it is supposed that every one is willing to run the hazard of being the last Creditor § 9 Quest. 9. May I lend upon Pledges Pawns or Morgages for my security Quest. 9. Answ. Yes so you take not that from a poor man for a pledge which is necessary to his livelihood and maintenance As the bed which he should lye on the clothes which he should wear or the tools which he should work with and be not cruel on pretence of mercy § 10. Quest. 10. May I take the forfeiture and keep a pledge or Morgage upon Covenants Quest. 10. Answ. If it be among Merchants and rich men an act of Merchandize and not of meer security for money lent then it is another case As if they make a bargain thus Take this Jewel or this Land for your money and it shall be yours if I pay you not by such a day I am willing to stand to the hazard of uncertainty If I pay you not suppose it is for my own commodity and not through disability In this case it is lawful to take the forfeiture or detain the thing But if it be properly but a pledge to secure the money then the final intent is but that your money may be repayed And you may not take the advantage of breaking a day to take that from another which is none of your own Justice will allow you only to take so much as your money came to and to give the overplus if there be any to the debtor And mercy will require you rather to forgive the debt than to keep a pledge which he cannot spare but to his ruine and misery as his food his rayment his tools his house c. Unless you be in as great necessity as he § 11. Quest. 11. May I take the Bond or promise of a third person as security for my Quest. 11. money Answ. Yes in case that other be able and willing to be responsible For you have his own consent But great caution should be used that you take no man that is insufficient from whom mercy forbiddeth you to take it in case the principal debtor fail unless you take his suretiship but in terrorem resolving not to take it of him And also that you faithfully tell the sureties that you must require it of them in case of non-payment and therefore try whether indeed they are truly willing to pay it For if they be such as truly presume that you will not take it of them or will take it ill to be sued for it you should not take their suretiship unless you purpose not to seek it except in necessity § 12. Quest. 12. Is it lawful to lend upon usury interest or increase Quest. 12. Answ. This Controversie hath so many full Treatises written on it that I cannot expect that so few words as I must lay out upon it should satisfie the studious Reader All the disputes about the name of Usury I pass by It being The receiving of any additional gain as due for money lent which is commonly meant by the word and which we mean in the question For the questions Whether we may bargain for it or tye the debtor to pay it Whether we may take it only after his gain as partaking in it or before Whether we must partake also in the loss if the debtor be a loser With other such like are but subsequent to the main question Whether any gain called Use may be taken by the lender as his due for the money lent My judgement is as followeth 1. There is some such gain or Usury lawful and commendable 2. There is some such gain or usury unlawful and a heinous sin I shall first give my reasons of the first proposition § 13. I. If all Usury be forbidden it is either by the Law of Nature or by some positive Law of supernatural revelation If the latter it is either by some Law of Moses or by some Law of Christ If the former it is either as against the Rule of piety to God or against Justice or Charity to men That which is neither a violation of the Natural Laws of Piety Justice or Charity nor against the supernaturally revealed Laws of Moses or of Christ is not unlawful But there is some Usury which is against none of all these Ergo there is some Usury which is not unlawful § 14. I will first lay you down the instances of such Usury and then prove it There is a parcel of Land to be sold for a thousand pound which is worth forty pound per annum and hath Wood on it worth a thousand pound Some such things we have known Iohn N. is willing to purchase it But he hath a poor neighbour T. S. that hath no money but a great desire of the bargain I. N. loving his neighbour as himself and desiring his wealth lendeth him the thousand pound upon Usury for one year T. S. buyeth the Land
and selleth the Wood for the same money and repayeth it in a year and so hath all the Land for almost nothing as if I. N. had purchased the Land and freely given it him after a year or two The gift had been the same Object Here you suppose the seller wronged by selling his Land almost for nothing Answ. 1. That 's nothing at all to the present case but a different case by it self 2. I can put many cases in which such a sale may be made without any wrong to the seller As when it is done by some Prince or State or Noble and liberal person purposely designing the inriching of the subjects or after a War as lately in Ireland So that the question is whether I. N. may not give T. S. a thousand or eight hundred pounds worth of Land taking a years Rent first out of the Land or a years use for the money which cometh to the same summ § 15. Another A Rich Merchant trading into the East Indies having five thousand pound to lay out upon his commodities in Traffick when he hath laid out four thousand five hundred pound lendeth in charity the other five hundred pound to one of his servants to lay out upon a commodity which when it cometh home will be worth two thousand pound and offereth him to secure the carriage with his own requiring only the Use of his money at 6. per cent Here the taking of thirty pound Use is but the free giving him one thousand four hundred and seventy pound and is all one with deducting so much of the gift § 16. Another Instance Certain Orphans having nothing left them but so much money as will by the allowed Use of it find them bread and poor clothing The guardian cannot lay it out in Lands for them And if he maintain them upon the stock it will be quickly spent and he must answer for it A rich man that is their neighbour tradeth in Iron-works Furnaces and Forges or Lead-works or other such commodities in which he constantly getteth the double of the stock which he employeth or at least twenty pound or forty pound in the hundred The Guardian dare not lend the money to any poor man lest he break and never be able to pay it Therefore he lendeth it this rich man And if he have it without Usury the poor Orphans give the rich man freely twenty pound or forty pound a year supposing their stock to be an hundred If he take Usury the rich man doth but give the poor Orphans some part of his constant gain § 17. Another instance In a City or Corporation where there is a rich Trade of Clothing or making Silks there is a stock of money given by Legacy for the poor and entrusted into the hands of the richest of the City to trade with and give the poor the Use of it And there is another stock left to set up young beginners who have not a stock to set up themselves on condition that they give the third part of their gain to the poor and at seven years end resign the stock The question is Whether the poor should be without this Use of their money and let the rich go away with it or whether they may take it § 18. Now I prove that such Usury is not forbidden by God 1. It is not forbidden us by the Law of Moses 1. Because Moses Law never did forbid it For 1. It is expresly forbidden as an act of unmercifulness and therefore forbidden only to the poor and to brethren Exod. 22. 25. Levit. 25. 36 37. Yea when the poor are not named it is the poor that are meant Because in that Countrey they did not keep up stocks for Merchandize or Trading but lent usually to the needy only At least the circumstances of the several Texts shew that it is only Lending to the needy and not lending to drive Exod. 2â 21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him Exod. 23. 9. Thou shalt not oppress a stranger c. So that Usury to a stranger was no oppression on any enriching Trade which is meant where Usury is forbidden 2. And it is expresly allowed to be used to strangers Deut. 23. 19 20. to whom nothing unjust or uncharitable might be done only such a measure of Charity was not required towards them as unto brethren And there were more Merchants of strangers that traded with them in forreign commodities than of Jews that fetcht them home So that the prohibition of Usury is in the Law it self restrained only to their lending to the poor But in the Prophets who do but reprove the sin it is expressed without that limitation partly because it supposeth the meaning of the Law to be known which the Prophets did but apply and partly because there was little or no lending used among the Jews but to the needy as an act of charity § 19. 2. And if it had been forbidden in Moses Law only it would not extend to Christians now Because the Law of Moses as such is not in force The matter of it is much of the Law of Nature indeed but as Mosaical it was proper to the Jews and Proselytes or at least extended not to the Christian Gentiles as is plain in 2 Cor. 3. 7. Gal. 3. 19 24. 5. 3. Eph. 2. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 7. Heb. 7. 12 16 19. Moses Law as such never bound any other Nations but the proselytes that joyned themselves to the Jews nor was all the world obliged so to be proselyted as to take up their Laws Much less do they bind us that are the servants of Christ so long after the dissolution of their Common-wealth So much of them as are part of the Law of Nature or of any positive Law of Christ or of the Civil Law of any State are binding as they are such Natural Christian or Civil Laws But not one of them as Mosaical Though the Mosaical Law is of great use to help us to understand the Law of Nature in many particular instances in which it is somewhat difficult to us § 20. 2. There is no Positive Law of Christ forbidding all Usury As for Luke 6. 32 35. it is plainly nothing to the case For he saith not Lend looking for no gain or increase but looking for nothing again And the Context sheweth that the meaning must be one of these two Either q. d. Lend not only to them that will lend to you again when you are in want but even to the poor that you can never hope to borrow of Or else Lend not only to them that are able to pay you and where your stock is secured but to the needy where your money is hazarded and though they will pay you if âhey are able yet you have little or no hope that ever they should be able to repay Lând so as to be willing to make a gift of it in case the borrower never repay it And there is no
other Text that can be pretended against it in the New Testament § 21. 3. And that the Law of Nature doth not forbid all Usury will appear by examining the several parts of it The Law of Nature forbiddeth but three sorts of sins 1. Those that are against Piety to God 2. Those that are against our own welfare 3. Those that are against our Neighbours good And that is 1. Against Iustice 2. Against Charity There is none that falleth not under âome of these heads 1. And that Usury is not naturally evil as against Piety to God 2. Or as against our selves and our own welfare I need not prove because no reason nor reasonable person doth lay any such accusation against it Though they that think it absolutely unlawful say that it is consequently against God as every violation of his Law is But that 's nothing to the case 3. Therefore there is no doubt but the whole controversie is resolved into this last question Whether all Usury be against Iustice or Charity to our neighbour Iustice obligeth me to give him his own Charity obligeth me to give him more than his own in certain cases as one that love him as my self That which is not against Iustice may be against Charity But that which is against Charity is not alwayes against Iustice strictly taken And that which is an act of true Charity is never against Iustice Because he that giveth his neighbour more than his own doth give him his own and more There is a Usury which is against Iustice and Charity There is a Usury which is against Charity but not against meer Iustice And there is an Usury which is against neither Iustice nor Charity If I prove it Charitable it is superfluous to say more § 22. All the instances before given are notoriously charitable That which is for the preservation of the lives and comforts of the poor and of Orphans or for the enriching of my neighbour is an act of Charity But such is some Uâury past all doubt as is before declared Where the contrary is an act of cruelty the Usury is not against Charity but for it For the Rich to deny to the poor and Orphans a part of that gain which they make by the improvement of their own money is oppression and cruelty If it be cruel to let a Beggar dye or starve when we should feed and clothe him of our own much more to let the poor and Orphans starve and perish rather than give them the increase of their own or part of it at least As for them that say It may be as well improved otherwise they are unexperienced men It is a known falshood as to the most though some few may meet with such opportunities At least it is nothing to them that cannot have other wayes of improving it who are very many § 23. Moreover when it is not an act of Charity yet it may be not against Charity in these cases 1. When the lender is poor and the borrower rich Yea it may be a sin to lend it freely Prov. 22. 16. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to want It is a giving to the rich to lend freely that money which they improve to the increase of their riches 2. When the lender is not obliged to that act of Charity though the borrower be poorer than himself Which falleth out in an hundred cases which may be comprized under this one general When the lender is obliged to expend that same money in some other greater better work As at the same time while a man that is worth but twenty pound a year is in debt to a man that hath a thousand pound a year there may be a hundred or thousand poor people worth nothing ready to perish whom the rich is rather bound to succour than him that hath but twenty pound a year And there may be works of piety as to set up a School or promote the preaching of the Gospel which may be as great as either And the richest that is cannot do all the good that is to be done nor relieve all the persons that are in want Therefore when he must leave much undone if he would give all his substance it is caeteris paribus a sin to give that to a man that can make shift without it and pass by an hundred in much deeper necessity and distress So that he who either exerciseth Charity in his Usury or doth nothing against Charity and Iustice certainly sinneth not by that Usury For all the Scriptures which speak against Usury speak against it as a cruel or uncharitable thing § 24. Object But it is sometimes necessary for a Law to forbid that which otherwise would be good when it cannot be done without encouraging others to a greater evil such as ordinary Usury is And then that Law must be observed Answ. This is true in thesi that such cases there are But it is unproved and untrue in this case For 1. There is no such Law 2. There is no such reason or necessity of such a Law For God can as well make Laws against unrighteous or uncharitable increase or Usury without forbidding that which is charitable and just as he can make Laws against unrighteous or uncharitable buying and selling without condemning that which is good and just Or as he can forbid gluttony drukenness idleness pride without forbidding eating drinking apparel or riches He can easily tell men of whom and in what case to take Use and when not He that would see all other Objections answered and the case fully handled hath many Treatises on both sides extant to inform him § 25. II. That there is a sort of Usury which is evil I know of no man that doubteth and therefore need not stand to prove Quest. When is Usury sinful Answ. As is before said When it s against either Iustice or Charity 1. When its like cheating bargaining which under pretence of consent and a form of Justice doth deceive or oppress and get from another that which is not truly ours but his 2. When you lend for increase âhere charity obligeth you to lend freely Even as it is a sin to lend expecting your own again when Charity obligeth you to give it 3. When you uncharitably exact that which your brother is disabled utterly to pay and use cruelty to procure it be it the Use or the principal 4. When you allow him not such a proportion of the gain as his labour hazard or poverty doth require but because the money is yours will live at ease upon his labours 5. When in case of his losses you rigorously exact your due without that abatement or forgiving debts whether Use or principal which humanity and charity require In a word when you are selfish and do not as according to true judgement you may desire to be done by if you were in his case § 26. Quest. But when
man is bound to punish himself As when the Law against Swearing Cursing or the like doth give the poor a certain mulct which is the penalty He ought to give that money himself And in cases where it is a necessary cure to himself And in any case where the publick good requireth it As if a Magistrate offend whom none else will punish or who is the Judge in his own cause he should so far punish himself as is necessary to the suppression of sin and to the preserving of the honour of the Laws As I have heard of a Justice that swore twenty Oaths and paid his twenty shillings for it 2. A man may be bound in such a Divine Vengeance or Judgement as seeketh after his particular sin to offer himself to be a sacrifice to Justice to stop the Judgement As Ionah and Achan did 3. A man may be bound to confess his guilt and offer himself to Justice to save the innocent who is falsly accused and condemned for his crime 4. But in ordinary cases a man is not bound to be his own publick accuser or executioner Quest. 10. May a Witness voluntarily speak that truth which he knoweth will further an unrighteous Quest. 10. cause and be made use of to oppress the innocent Answ. He may never do it as a confederate in that intention Nor may he do it when he knoweth that it will tend to such an event though threatned or commanded except when some weightier accident doth preponderate for the doing it As the avoiding of a greater hurt to others than it will bring on the oppressed c. Quest. 11. May a witness conceal some part of the truth Quest. 11. Answ. Not when he sweaââââh to deliver the whole truth Nor when a good cause is like to suffer or a bad cause to be furââââered by the concealment Nor when he is under any other obligation to reveal the whole Quest. 12. Must a Iudge and Iury proceed secundum allegata probata according to evidence and Quest. 12. proof when they know the witness to be false and the truth to be contrary to the testimony but are not able to evince it Answ. Distinguish between the Negative and the Positive part of the Verdict or Sentence In the Negative they must go according to the evidence and testimonies unless the Law of the Land leave the case to their private knowledge As for example They must not sentence a Thief or Murderer to be punished upon their secret unproved knowledge They must not adjudge either Moneys or Lands to the true Owner from another without sufficient evidence and proof They must forbear doing Iustice because they are not called to it nor enabled But Positively they may do no Injustice upon any evidence or witness against their own knowledge of the truth As they may not upon known false witness give away any mans Lands or Money or condemn the innocent But must in such a case renounce the Office The Judge must come off the Bench and the Jury protest that they will not meddle or give any Verdict what ever come of it Because God and the Law of Nature prohibit their injustice Object It is the Law that doth it and not we Answ. It is the Law and you And the Law cannot justifie your agency in any unrighteous sentenâe The case is plain and past dispute Tit. 2. Directions against Contentious Suits False Witnessing and Oppressive Iudgements § 1. Direct 1. THe first Cure for all these sins is to know the intrinsick evil of them Good Direct 1. thoughts of sin are its life and strength When it is well known it will be hated and when it is hated it is so far cured § 2. I. The Evil of Contentious and unjust Law-Suits 1. Such contentious Suits do shew the power of selfishness in the sinner How much self-interest is inordinately esteemed 2. They shew the excessive love of the world How much men over-value the things which they contend for 3. They shew mens want of Love to their neighbours How little they regard another mans interest in comparison of their own 4. They shew how little such mens care for the publick good which is maintained by the concord and love of neighbours 5. Such contentions are powerful Engines of the Devil to destroy all Christian Love on both sides and to stir up mutual enmity and wrath and so to involve men in a course of sin by further uncharitableness and injuries both in heart and word and deed 6. Poor men are hereby robbed of their necessary maintenance and their innocent families subjected to distress 7. Unconscionable Lawyers and Court-Officers who live upon the peoples sins are hereby maintained encouraged and kept up 8. Laws and Courts of Justice are perverted to do men wrong which were made to right them 9. And the offender declareth how little sense he hath of the authority or Love of God and how little sense of the grace of our Redeemer And how far he is from being himself forgiven through the blood of Christ who can no better forgive another § 3. II. The Evil of False Witness 1. By False Witness the innocent are injured Robbery and Murder are committed under pretence of truth and justice 2. The Name of God is horribly abused by the crying sin of Perjury of which before 3 The Presence and Justice of God are contemned When sinners dare in his sight and hearing appeal to his Tribunal in the attesting of a lye 4. Vengeance is begged or consented to by the sinner who bringeth Gods curse upon himself and as it were desireth God to plague or damn him if he lye 5. Satan the Prince of malice and injustice and the Father of lyes and murders and oppression is hereby gratified and eminently served 6. God himself is openly injured who is the Father and Patron of the innocent and the cause of every righteous prson is more the cause of God than of man 7. All Government is frustrated and Laws abused and all mens security for their reputations or estates or lives is overthrown by false witnesses And consequently humane converse is made undesirable and unsafe What good can Law or right or innocency or the honesty of the Judge do any man where false-witnesses combine against him What security hath the most innocent or worthy person for his fame or liberty or estate or life if false witnesses conspire to defame him or destroy him And then how shall men endure to converse with one another Either the innocent must seek out a Wilderness and flye from the face of men as we do from Lyons and Tygers or else Peace will be worse than War For in War a ma ãâ¦ã ay fight for his life but against false witnesses he hath no defence But God is the avenger of the innocent and above most other sins doth seldome suffer this to go unpunished even in this present world but often beginneth their Hell on Earth to such perjured
consenting to it which is Repentance and saith being the very condition of the present reception of these benefits And therefore it is that the antient Writers still affirmed that all the Baptized were regenerated justified and adopted Whether an adult person be truly fit for Baptism Lege quamplutima veterum testimonia in D. Gatakero contra Davenantium de Baptismo or not the Pastor that baptizeth is to judge And he must see the credible signs of true faith and repentance before he baptize him which are no other than his understanding voluntary sober profession of consent to the Baptismal Covenant But when he is baptized and professeth to stand to that Covenant once made he is to be judged a godly person by all the Church-members who have not sufficient proof of the contrary Because if he be sincere in what he did and still professeth he is certainly godly And whether he be sincere or not he himself is the best and regular Judge or discerner so far as to put in his claim to Baptism which the Pastor is obliged not to deny him without disproving him And the Pastor is Judge as to his actual admittance And therefore the people have nothing necessarily to do but know whether he be baptized and stand to his baptism For which they are to take him as sincere Unless by his notorious discovery of the contrary they can disprove him These are not only the true terms of Church-communion but of Love to the godly And though this goeth hardly down with some good men who observe how few of the baptized seem to be seriously religious and therefore they think that a Visible Church member as such is not at all to be accounted sincere that is to be believed in his profession and that we owe him not the special love which is due to the godly but only a common love due only to professors without respect to their sincerity Yet this opinion will not hold true Nor is a profession required without respect to the truth or falshood of it the credibility of it being the very reason that it is requisite Nor is it any other faith or consent to the Covenant below that which is sincere and saving which must be professed by all that will be taken for Church-members And though those that are of the contrary opinion are afraid leât this will occasion too much strictness in the Pastors in judging whose Profession is credible and consequently will countenance separation in the people yet God hath provided a sufficient remedy against that fear by making every man the opener of his own heart and tying us by the Law of Nature and of Scripture to take every mans Profession for credible which is sober understanding and voluntary unless they can disprove it or prove him a lyar and perfidious and incredible And whereas it is a latitude of Charity which bringeth them to the contrary opinion for fear lest the incredible professors of Christianity should be all excluded from the Visible Church yet indeed it is but the Image of Charity to bring Catechumens into the Church as to set the Boys of the lowest Form among them that are in their Greek and to deny all special Christian Love to all Visible members of the Church as such and to think that we are not bound to take any of them as Disputations of Right to Sacraments such to be sincere or in the favour of God or justified for fear of excluding those that are not But of this I have written largely in a Treatise on this subject Quest. 5. Must we take all Visible-Church-members alike to be godly and love them equally Quest. 5. Answ. No There are as many various degrees of credit due to their profession as there are various degrees of credibility in it Some manifest their sincerity by such full and excellent evidences in a holy life that we are next to certain that they are sincere And some make a profession so ignorantly so coldly and blot it by so many false Opinions and Vices that our fear of them may be greater than our hope Of whom we can only say that we are not altogether hopeless of their sincerity and therefore must use them as godly men because we cannot prove the contrary but yet admonish them of their danger as having much cause to fear the worst And there may be many notorious wicked men in some Churches through the Pastors fault for want of Discipline And these for order sake we must assemble with but not dissemble with them and our own consciences so as to take them for godly men when the contrary is notorious nor yet to admit them to our familiarity The Pastor hath the keys of the Church but we have the keyes of our own houses and hearts Quest. 6. Must we love all equally that seem truly godly the strong and the weak Quest. 6. Answ. No he that loveth men for their holiness will love them according to the degrees of their holiness as far as he can discern it Quest. 7. Must we love him more who hath much grace or holiness and is little useful for want of Quest. 7. gifts or him that hath less grace and eminent useful gifts Answ. They must both be loved according to the diversity of their goodness He that hath most grace is best and therefore most to be loved in himself But as a Means to the conversion of souls and the honour of God in the good of others the man that hath the most eminent gifts must be most loved The first is more loved in and for his own goodness The second is more lovely propter aliud as a means to that which is more loved than either of them Quest. 8. Must we love him as a godly man who liveth in any great or mortal sin Quest. 8. Answ. Every man must be loved as he is If by a mortal sin be meant a sin inconsistent with the Love of God and a state of grace then the question is no question it being a contradiction which is in question But if by a great and mortal sin be meant only this or that act of sinning and the question be Whether that act be mortal that is inconsistent with true grace or not Then the particular act with the circumstances must be considered before that question can be answered Murder is one of the most heinous sins And one man may be guilty of it out of deliberate habituate malice and another through a sudden passion and another through meer inadvertency carelesness and negligence Stealing may be done by one man presumptuously and by another meerly to save the life of himself or his children These will not equally prove a man in a state of death and without true grace And which is a mortal sin inconsistent with the life of Grace and which not is before spoken to and belongeth not to this place Only I shall say that the sin be it great or
that the fleshly mind which is enmity against God should be ready to do good to the spiritual and holy servants of God Gen. 3. 15. Rom. 8. 6 7 8. Or that a selfish man should much care for any body but himself and his own When Love is turned into the hatred of each other upon the account of our partial interests and opinions and when we are like men in war that think he is the bravest most deserving man that hath killed most when men have bitter hateful thoughts of one another and set themselves to make each other odious and to ruine them that they may stand the faster and think that destroying them is good service to God who can look for the fruits of Love from damnable uncharitableness and hatred or that the Devils tree should bring forth holy fruit to God 4. And then when Love is well-spoken of by all even its deadly enemies lest men should see their wickedness and misery and is it not admirable that they see it not the Devil hath taught them to play the Hypocrites and make themselves a Religion which costs them nothing without true Christian Love and Good works that they may have something to quiet and cheat their consciences with One man drops now and then an inconsiderable gift and another oppresseth and hateth and destroyeth and slandereth and censureth that he may not be thought to hate and ruine without cause and when they have done they wipe their mouths with a few Hypocritical prayers or good words and and think they are good Christians and God will not be avenged on them One thinks that God will save him because he is of this Church and another because he is of another Church One thinks to be saved because he is of this opinion and party in Religion and another because he is of that One thinks he is religious because he saith his prayers this way and another because he prayeth another way And thus dead Hypocrites whose hearts were never quickened with the powerful Love of God to love his servants their neighbours and enemies do perswade themselves that God will save them for mocking and flattering him with the service of their deceitful lips while they want the Love of God which is the root of all Good and are possessed with the Love of money which is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. and are Lovers of pleasures more than God 2 Tim. 3. 4. They will joyn themselves forwardly to the cheap and outside actions of Religion but when they hear much less than One thing thou yet wantest sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor and thou shalt have a treasure in Heaven they are very sorrowful because they are very rich Luk. 18. 22 23. Such a fruitless love as they had to others Iam. 2. such a fruitless Religion they have as to themselves For pure Religion and undefiled before God is to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversity and to keep your selves unspotted from the world James 1. 27. See 1 Joh. 2. 15. 3. 17. Whâsâ hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compâssion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him There are specially three Texts that describe the case of sensual uncharitable Gentlemen 1. Luk. 16. A Rich man cloathed in purple and silk for so as Dr. Hammond noteth it should rather be translated and fared sumptuously every day you know the end of him 2. Ezek. 16. 49. Sodoms sin was Pride fulness of bread and abundance of idleness neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy 3. James 5. 1 to 7. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you Ye have lived in pleasure on earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in or for the day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you And remember Prov. 21. 13. Whoso stoppeth his cars at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself and shall not be heard And Jam. 2. 13. He shall have judgement without mercy that shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgement Yea in this life it is oft observable Prov. 11. 24. There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty Tit. 2. Directions for works of Charity Direct 1. LOve God and be renewed to his image and then it will be natural to you to do good Direct 1. and his Love will be in you a fountain of good works Direct 2. Love your Neighbours and it will be easie to you to do them all the good you can As it Direct 2. is to do good to your selves or Children or dearest friends Direct 3. Learn self-denyal that selfishness may not cause you to be all for youââlelves and be Satans Direct 3. Law of Nature in you forbidding you to do good to others Direct 4. Mortifie the flesh and the vices of sensuality Pride and Curiosity Gluttony and drunkenness Direct 4. are insatiable gulfs and will devour all and leave but little for the poor Though there be never so many poor families which want bread and clothing the Proud person must first have the other silk Gown or the other ornaments which may set them out with the forwardest in the mode and fashion and this house must first be handsomelyer built and these rooms must first be neatlier furnished and these Children must first have finer cloaths Let Lazarus lye never so miserable at the door the sensualist must be cloathed in purple and silk and fare deliciously and sumptuously daily Luke 16. The glutton must have thâ dish and cup which pleaseth his appetite and must keep a full Table for the entertainment of his companions that have no need These insatiable vices are like Swine and Dogs that devour all the Childrens bread Even vain recreations and gaming shall have more bestowed on them than Church or poor as to any voluntary gift Kill your greedy vices once and then a little will serve your turns and you may have wherewith to relieve the needy and do that which will be better to you at your reckoning day Direct 5. Let not self isâness make your Children the inordinate objects of your charity and provision Direct 5. to take up that which should be otherwise employed Carnal and worldly persons would perpetuate their vice and when they can live no longer themselves they seem to be half alive in their posterity and what they can no longer keep themselves they think is best laid up for their Children to feed them as full and make them as sensual and unhappy as themselves So that just and moderate provisions will not satisfie them but their Childrens Portions must be as much as they can get and almost all their Estates are sibi suis for themselves and theirs And
that you sinned with must by all importunity be follicited to repentance and the sin must be confessed and pardon craved for tempting them to sin 2. Where it can be done without a greater evil than the benefit will amount to the Fornicators ought to joyn in marriage Exod. 22. 16. 3. Where that cannot be the man is to put the Woman into as good a case for outward livelyhood as she would have been in if she had not been corrupted by him by allowing her a proportionable dowry Exod. 22. 17. and the Parents injury to be recompensed Deut. 22. 28 29. 3. The Childs maintenance also is to be provided for by the fornicator That is 1. If the man by fraud or sollicitation induced the Woman to the sin he is obliged to all as aforesaid 2. If they sinned by mutual forwardness and consent then they must joyntly bear the burden yet so that the Man must bear the greater part because he is supposed to be the stronger and wiser to have resisted the temptation 3. If the Woman importuned the man she must bear the more but yet he is responsible to Parents and others for their damages and in part to the Woman her self because he was the stronger vessel and should have been more constant And volenti non fit injuria is a rule that hath some exceptions Quest. 12. In what case is a man excused from restitution and satisfaction Quest. 12. Answ. 1. He that is utterly disabled cannot restore or satisfie 2. He that is equally damnified by the person to whom he should restore is excused in point of real equity and Conscience so be it that the Reasons of external order and policy oblige him not For though it may be his sin of which he is to repent that he hath equally injured the other yet it requireth eonfession rather than restitution or satisfaction unless he may also expect satisfaction from the other Therefore if you owe a man an hundred pound and he owe you as much and will not pay you you are not bound to pay him unless for external order sake and the Law of the Land 3. If the debt or injury be forgiven the person is discharged 4. If Nature or common-custome do warrant a man to believe that no restitution or satisfaction is expected or that the injury is forgiven though it be not mentioned it will excuse him from restitution or satisfaction As if Children or friends have taken some trifle which they may presume the kindness of a Parent or friend will pass over though it be not justifiable Quest. 13. What if the Restitution will cost the restorer far more than the thing is worth Quest. 13. Answ. He is obliged to make Satisfaction instead of Restitution Quest. 14. What if the confessing of the fault may enrage him that I must restore to so that he will Quest. 14. turn it to my infamy or ruine Answ. You may then conceal the person and send him satisfaction by another hand or you may also conceal the wrong it self and cause satisfaction to be made him as by gift or other way of payment Tit. 2. Directions about Restitution and Satisfaction Direct 1. FOresee the trouble of restitution and prevent it Take heed of Covetousness which would Direct 1. draw you into such a snare What a perplexed case are some men in who have injured others so far as that all they have will scarce make them due satisfaction Especially publick oppressours who injure whole Nations Countreys or communities and unjust Judges who have done more wrong perhaps in one day or week than all their estates are worth and unjust Lawyers who plead against a righteous cause and false witnesses who contribute to the wrong and unjust Juries or any such like Also oppressing Landlords and Souldiers that take mens goods by violence and deceitful tradesmen who live by injuries In how sad a case are all these men Direct 2. Do nothing which is doubtful if you can avoid it lest it should put you upon the trouble of Direct 2. restitution As in case of any doubtful way of Usury or other gain consider that if it should hereafter appear to you to be unlawful and so you be obliged to restitution though you thought it lawful at the taking of it what a snare then would you be in when all that use must be repayed And so in other cases Direct 3. When really you are bound to restitution or satisfaction stick not at the Cost or Suffering be Direct 3. it never so great but be sure to deal faithfully with God and Conscience Else you will keep a thorn in your hearts which will smart and fâster till it be out And the ease of your Consciences will bear the charge of your costlyest restitution Direct 4. If you be not able in your life time to make restitution leave it in your willâ as a debt upon your Direct 4. Estates but never take it for your own Direct 5. If you are otherwise unable to satisfie offer your labour as a servant to him to whom you Direct 5. are indebted if at least by your service you can make him a compensation Direct 6. If you are that way unable also beg of your friends to help you that Charity may Direct 6. enable you to pay the debt Direct 7. But if you have no means at all of satisfying confess the injury and crave forgiveness Direct 7. and cast your self on the mercy of him whom you have injured CHAP. XXXIII Cases and Directions about our obtaining Pardon from God Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about obtaining pardon of sin from God Quest. 1. IS there pardon to be had for all sin without exception or not Quest. 1. Answ. 1. There is no pardon procured nor offered for the final non-performance of the conditions of pardon that is for final impenitency unbelief and ungodliness 2. There is no pardon for any sin without the conditions of pardon that is without true faith and repentance which is our conversion from sin to God 3. And if there be any sin which certainly excludeth true Repentance to the last it excludeth pardon also which is commonly taken to be the case of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost of which I have written at large in my Treatise against Infidelity But 1. All sin except the final non-performance of the conditions of pardon is already conditionally pardoned in the Gospel that is If the sinner will repent and believe No sin is excepted from pardon to penitent believers 2. And all sin is actually pardoned to a true penitent believer Quest. 2. What if a man do frequently commit the same heynous sin may he be pardoned Quest. 2. Answ. Whilest he frequently committeth it being a mortal sin he doth not truly repent of it And while he is impenitent he is unpardoned But if he be truly penitent his heart being habitually and actually turned from the sin it will be forgiven
selfishness and pride and sensual pleasing of the fleshly appetite and fancy These are the most common radical and most mortal damning sins Direct 10. Take certain times to call your selves to a special strict account As 1. At your preparation Direct 10. for the Lords Day at the end of every Week 2. In your preparation for the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood 3. And before a day of Humiliation 4. In a time of sickness or other affliction 5. Yea every night review the actions of the foregoing day He that useth to call his conscience seriously to account is likest to keep his accounts in order and to be ready to give them up to Christ. Direct 11. Make not light of any sin which you discover in your self-examination But humble Direct 11. your selves for it before the Lord and be affected according to its importance both in its guilt and evil signification Direct 12. And let the end of all be the renewed exercise of faith and thankfulness and resolutions Direct 12. for better obedience hereafter That you may see more of the need and use of a Saviour and may thankfully magnifie that Grace which doth abound where sin abounded and may walk the more watchfully and holily for the time to come Tit. 3. Directions for Self-judging as to our Estates to know whether we are in a regenerate and justified state or not Direct 1. IF you would so judge of the state of your souls as not to be deceived come not to Direct 1. the tryal with an over-confident prejudice or conceit of your own condition either as good or bad He that is already so prepossessed as to resolve what to judge before he tryeth doth make his tryal but a means to confirm him in his conceit Direct 2. Let not self-love partiality or pride on the one side or fear on the other side pervert Direct 2. your judgement in the tryal and hinder you from the discerning of the truth Some men cannot see the clearest evidences of their unsanctified hearts because self-love will give them leave to believe nothing of themselves which is bad or sad They will believe that which is good and pleasant be it never so evidently false As if a Thief could be saved from the Gallows by a strong conceit that he is a true man or the conceit that one is learned would make him learned Others through timerousness can believe nothing that is good or comfortable of themselves Like a man on the top of a Steeple who though he know that he standeth fast and safe yet trembleth when he looketh down and can scarce believe his own understanding Silence all the Objections of an over-timerous mind and it will doubt and tremble still Direct 3. Surprise not your selves on the sudden and unprepared with the question whether you Direct 3. are justified or not but set about it as the most serious business of your life A great and difficult question must have a well studied answer and not be answered hastily and rashly If one should meet you in the Street and demand some great and long account of you you would desire him to stay till you review your memorials or have time to cast it up Take some appointed time to do this when you have no intruding thoughts to hinder you and think not that it must be resolved easily or quickly upon the first enquiry but by the most sober and judicious consideration and patient attendance till it be done Direct 4. Understand the tenour of the Covenant of Grace which is the Law that you must Direct 4. judge of your estates by for if you mistake that you will err in the conclusion He is an unfit Judge who is ignorant of the Law Direct 5. Mistake not the nature of true faith in Christ. Those that think it is a believing that Direct 5. they are actually pardoned and shall be saved do some of them presume or believe it when it is false and some of them despair because they cannot believe it And those that think that faith is such a recumbency on Christ as alwayes quieteth the mind do think they have no faith when they have no such quietness And those that think it is only the resting on the blood of Christ for pardon do take up with that which is no true faith But he that knoweth that faith in Christ is nothing else but Christianity or consenting to the Christian Covenant may know that he Consenteth even when he findeth much timerousness and trouble and taketh not up with a deceitful faith Direct 6. Remember in your self-judging that the Will is the Man and what you truly would Direct 6. be that you are in the sense of the Covenant of Grace Direct 7. But remember also that your Endeavours must prove the truth of your Desires and that Direct 7. idle wishes are not the denominating acts of the Will Direct 8. Also your successes must be the proof of the sincerity of your Endeavours For such Direct 8. striving against sin as endeth in yielding to it and not in victory is no proof of the uprightness of your hearts Direct 9. Mark what you are in the day of tryal For at other times it is more easie to be Direct 9. deceived And record what you then discover in your self What a man is in tryal that he is indeed Direct 10. Especially try your selves in the great point of forsaking all for Christ and for the Direct 10. hopes of the fruition of God in Glory Know once whether God or the Creature can do more with you and whether Heaven or Earth be dearer to you and most esteemed and practically preferred and then you may judge infallibly of your state Direct 11. Remember that in melancholy and weakness of understanding you are not fit for Direct 11. the casting up of so great accounts but must take up with the remembrance of former discoveries and with the judgement of the judicious and be patient till a fitter season before you can expect to see in your selves the clear evidence of your state Direct 12. Neither forget what former discoveries you have made nor yet wholly rest in them Direct 12. without renewing your self-examination They that have found their sincerity and think that the next time they are in doubt they should fetch no comfort from what is past do deprive themselves of much of the means of their peace And those that trust all to the former discoveries of their good estate do proceed upon unsafe and negligent principles and will find that such slothful and venturous courses will not serve turn Direct 13. Iudge not of your selves by that which is unusual and extraordinary with you but by Direct 13. the tenour and drift of your hearts and lives A bad man may seem good in some good mood and a good man may seem bad in some extraordinary fall To judge of a bad man