respect of the greatnesse or smallnesse of the sinne is not to bee admitted and that for these reasons 1 In respect of the nature of sinne which of it selfe deserveth death Rom. 6.23 The wages of â—â—ne is death Yea sinne is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 And every transgression of the Law is under the curse Gal. 3.10 2 In respect of the infinite Majesty of God which to violate can be no veniall sin of it selfe 3 In respect of the perfect and absolute righteousnesse of God which cannot abide the least blemish or imperfection And therefore in these regards no sinne committed against God can in it selfe be veniall t White s Exod. 20. Confut. 5 â—rac 6. f. 330. Fifthly this motion and passion of anger even when it is sudden and unadvised though there be no further purpose nor intendment to Answ 5 hurt is guilty of judgement as is plaine in this verse Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be guilty of judgement that is shall be guilty of damnation for so judgement is taken in Scripture David prayes that the Lord would not enter into judgement with him u Psa 143.2 And Paul saith Thou that judgest another condemnest thy selfe v Rom. 2.1 where to judge and condemne are taken for all one to be culpable then of judgment is to be guilty of condemnation Thirdly we admit this distinction of veniall Answ 3 and mortall sinnes if it be understood not in respect of the nature of sinne but of the quality of the persons for unto those that beleeve and repent all sinnes are veniall and pardonable through the mercy of God Rom. 8.1 But to the wicked and impenitent all their sinnes are mortall Sixthly the Fathers side with us in our opinions Answ 6 holding that all these three sinnes here mentioned are mortall yea the Papists generally make anger whereof the principall question here is one of the seven deadly and mortall sinnes as Canisius Pupilla oculi Manipul Curatorum and the rest Chrysostome upon this verse saith Christus dat ultionem homicidio irae supplicium aeteruum adulterio concupiscentiae Christ doth not punish murder and spare anger or condemne adultery and acquit concupiscence but condemnes and punishes both the one and the other St. Augustine s saith that all these three are to be arraigned before Gods judgement-Seate where Hell shall be the reward of all If any object why then are the two former degrees Iudgement and Councell named Hee answers because there are severall degrees of punishment in hell according to the degrees of sinne on earth Saint Hierome condemnes the first degree of anger to be worse than idle words but these we must give account for at the day of Judgement when and where no sinnes that we must answer for are in their owne nature pardonable w Mat. 12.36 Saint Hilarie Non minus ira rea Evangelie quam homicidium lege Anger under the Gospel is no more a veniall sinne than murder was under the Law And therefore I shut up this question with this assertion That to be angry with our brother unadvisedly to call him Racha or foole in our anger are all mortall sinnes and deserve in their owne nature eternall fire Bellarmine tom 3. fol. 113. objects Object to bee angry with our Brother or to call him Racha doth not exclude us from the Kingdome of heaven and therefore they are not mortall sinnes The Antecedent he proves thus That which is not properly a precept but onely a degree of a precept cannot exclude us from the Kingdome of Heaven but to be angry with our Brother or to call him Racha is not properly a precept but onely a degree of that Commandement Thou shalt not kill Therefore this will not exclude us from the Kingdome of Heaven First here is Petitio principii a begging Answ 1 of the question hee taking it for granted without proofe that these two to call our Brother Racha or to be angry with him are no precepts which is the thing questioned Secondly if this were granted that these two were onely degrees of that Commandement Thou shalt not kill yet it would not hence follow that they are veniall sinnes which will not exclude us out of Heaven For to call our Brother Foole is but onely a degree of that Commandement and yet the Jesuite himselfe doth confesse that to be mortall and to deserve condemnation Bellarm. de Purgat lib. 1. cap. 4. tom 1. 1809. Answ 3 Thirdly because they are degrees of the precept as is confessed by the Cardinall therefore it cannot be denied but they must belong unto the violation and transgression of the Commandement and consequently deserve death because cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law y Galath 3.10 There being no transgression so small but it shall be punished except it be repented of and washed away by the Blood of Christ Answ 4 Fourthly the Jesuite doth diametrally oppose Christ even in the very scope of the place Bellarmine saith the violation of the Commandement it selfe according to the letter excludes us from the Kingdome of Heaven but not the transgression of the degrees of the Commandement Christ here saith plainely that the Pharisees and Scribes did observe the Letter of the Law but that was not sufficient to bring them unto Heaven or to preserve them from Hell And therefore if we desire to be saved we must carefully observe the very degrees of the Commandements and therein our righteousnesse may exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees because otherwise wee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Sect. 4 § 4. Whosoever is angry with his Brother Quest 1 Why are all Christians forbidden to bee angry Answ 1 First because Anger comes from the Divell as the authour thereof Give no place to wrath give no place to the Devill Ephes 4.27 Answ 2 Secondly because anger comes from our inbred corruption and pride of heart Non ab illius injurià sed a tuà superbia Basil hom de ira Anger proceeds not from the injury of others but from the pride of our selves that being the moving cause thereof Many are wronged and yet but some are provoked and some are not Why because some are patient and others are proud Now we should labour not onely to withstand the assaults of Satan but also to subdue our owne corruptions and pride and impatiencie in the suffering of injuries because these are the causes of Anger Answ 3 Thirdly Anger is forbidden us in regard of a three-fold pernicious effect thereof namely First it pleaseth not God Iam. 1.20 Those which are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 But Anger is a worke of the flesh Gal. 6.20 And therefore cannot please God Secondly Anger is dangerous and pernicious to him that is angry for it hurts the heart it wounds the conscience it expels the holy Spirit and deserves to be
cap. 7. and Reuchlin in lib. 1. Cabalae pag. 456. and Otho Gualtper syllog pag. 81. 82. 83. This place is strongly urged by Peltanus Object and Bellarmine lib. 1. cap. 1. and lib. 2. cap. 6. de Purgatorio and divers others for the proofe of Purgatorie Some of them briefly arguing thus If in the world to come the first and second degrees of anger here expressed shall not be punished with hell fire and yet shall bee punished with some torments then it remaines that they must bee punished in Purgatorie because after this life there is no other place of punishment but either hell or Purgatorie Bellarmine and Peltanus they dispute thus First our Saviour speakes here of punishments which are to be enjoyned unto and inflicted upon sinners by the judgement and sentence of God after this life Secondly that there are here distinguished by Christ three sorts of sinnes and three kindes of punishments and that hell fire and eternall condemnation is attributed onely to the third kinde and to the first and second more light punishments that is temporall And therefore some soules shall be punished after this life with temporall punishments to wit in Purgatory because there is no other place of punishment after death but either hell or Purgatory First wee grant that our Saviour speakes Answ 1 here of punishments which shall bee inflicted upon sinners by the judgement and sentence of God after this life But it followes not from hence that hee speakes of the temporall paines of purgatorie Chamier tom 3. fol. 1160. de Purgat cap. 6. Sect. 3. lib. 26. Scharp curs Theolog. de Purgat pag. 557. resp 2. Secondly wee deny that there are three distinct Answ 2 sorts or kindes of sinnes or punishments but rather three degrees of punishment in hell which although they bee unequall yet are all eternall as evidently appeares by these reasons First every transgression of the Law is sinne and the wages of every sinne is death Rom. 6.23 and 1. Ioh. 3.4 But to be angry rashly and to raile are transgressions and consequently sins as was shewed before And therefore in themselves are worthy of everlasting death Secondly he that loveth not his brother abideth in death that is hath no eternall life i 1 Ioh. 3.14.15 But hee that is angry with his brother unjustly loveth him not therefore he hath no part in eternall life Thirdly no raylers shall inherit Gods kingdome that is without repentance k 1 Cor 6.10 But he that sayth to his brother Racha that is idle-braine or light-head raileth therefore this sinne without repentance excludeth from heaven and consequently in it selfe is worthy of hell Willet Synops 408. Fourthly Christ speaks here of the sinne not of the punishment for to bee angry with our brother and to harme him with some opprobrious words is the fault of the sinne not the punishment thereof but every fault and guilt of sinne not pardoned doth bring upon the sinner eternall condemnation as shall elsewhere be shewed And therefore all these three degrees of sinne are guiltie of hell fire Fiftly Christ concluding this discourse commands every one to be reconciled unto his brother lest he be delivered unto the Judge and by him sent into prison from whence hee shall not come out untill hee have payd the uttermost farthing that is never as shall bee shewed by and by And therefore although there be divers unequall degrees of punishment in hell yet all are equall in regard of the eternitie and perpetuitie thereof Chamier de Purgat fol. 1160. § 5. Answ 3 Thirdly an Argument drawne from a Metataphor similitude or a resemblance is not to be stretched or urged beyond the scope or intent of him that propounds it But Christs scope here was to correct the false interpretations and expositions of the Decalogue the Pharisees restraining the transgressions of the Law onely unto the outward and more weightie commissions and acts and therefore our Saviour teacheth them that those sins which they account light and veniall as to bee angry with their brother or to reproach him by some disgracefull words are indeed great and mortall sinnes deserving hell and damnation it selfe Scharp de Purgat fol. 557. resp 2. Sadeel pag. 258. error 2. Answ 4 Fourthly if our Saviour speake here of Purgatorie where he represents divers judgements or jurisdictions of the Jewes whereof some were superiour some inferiour as the Judgement Councell and great Synedrion then it would follow hence that there are many severall jurisdictions in Purgatorie and appeales from the inferiour Judges to the superiour as was in them But this is so absurd that I never heard nor read Papist maintaine it and therefore I could wish they would thinke Purgatory it selfe as grosse Answ 5 Fifthly neither of these words Iudgement or Councell can in any respect agree or be applyed to Purgatory there not being in them the least mention or insinuation of any purging more than there is in the word Gehenna Amesius tom 2. pag. 201. Answ 6 Sixtly from this place they must either prove two distinct Purgatories or none at all for Bellarmine himselfe observes two kindes of punishments distinct from the eternall torments of hell fire And therefore if this argument bee worth the owning or maintaining he must grant two Purgatories distinct in place and situation For as the Councel is a distinct place and jurisdiction from the place of the fire of Hell as he saith so also is the place of Judgment a distinct place frō the Synedrion or Councell And therefore if the Papists contend for this that the Synedrion or Councell differs from the fire of Hell wee doe no lesse strive for this that in like manner Judgement differs from Councell and so cannot be numerically one Wherefore either they must goe set up a second and new Purgatory from this place or pull down the old one which they have so stoutly heretofore maintained from hence because this Scripture we see must either support two Purgatories or none Seventhly if this conclusion of the Papists be Answ 7 good our Saviour speakes of punishments after this life because mention is made of Hell fire then this will follow also that he speakes of the punishments of civill judgements or Courts in this life because he makes mention of a Judgement and a Councel which belong unto this life and are not in Purgatory and therefore if this be absurd and deformed so is also the former being both cut by one Last Eighthly what Fathers can they finde who Answ 8 interpret this place of Purgatory Theophilact upon these words by councell understands the consent of the Apostles in the great and generall judgement And Saint Augustine de serm Dom. in monte from this place concludes that there are different degrees of punishment in Hell Ninthly to prove Purgatory from this place Answ 9 cannot stand with some other opinions of the Papists and therefore if they could prove Purgatory hence yet they would lose
how can yee speake good things when yee your selves are evill that is as Lyranus interprets it yee being filled with malice and envie against me cannot speake any good of me The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and the evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things Anselm upon these words hath this Observation or Exposition Quomodo bonus homo non possit proferre mala nec malus bona sic non possit Christus mala nec diabolus bona opera facere As the good man cannot bring forth evill things nor the evill man good things So Christ can doe no bad workes nor the Devil any good Reade further for the proofe hereof Mat. 7.16 17 18 19. and Luke 6.43 44. From whence plainely this Argument may be drawne No corrupt and evill tree can bring forth good fruit But every man by nature is a corrupt and evill tree being the child of wrath and infected with sinne And therefore no man by nature or by the onely power of his Free-will is able to bring forth good fruits Sect. 3 § 3. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Quest 1 What is a good thing or a good worke Answ Good workes are generally thus described They are actions externall or internall conformable and agreeable to the will and to the Law of God But from this verse they may be thus defined They are workes which flow and proceed from a disposition of vertue For the good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Quest 2 How many things are required unto a good worke Three things are required viz Answ First a good beginning that is the will well disposed and working out of true vertue For goods fruits cannot spring but from a good tree verse 33. Secondly a good matter or object that is something which is commanded by God for otherwise it will bee but will-worship as Matth. 15.6 In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Thirdly a good end that is the glory of God and those things which tend to his glory 1 Corinth 10.31 And thus if we desire to approve our selves to bee good men by our good fruits we must labour that I. Our wils may be rectified and rightly disposed And II. That our workes may be moderated according to the word of God in regard of the matter of them And III. That our end in all our good workes may be that God may be glorified in us and by us Verse 36 VERS 36. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof in the day of Iudgement Object Bunderius a Papist from this place would prove Purgatory thus Men at the day of Iudgement shall give an account for every idle word which they have spoken Now which is this day of Iudgement certainely that day which comes presently after death according to that of the Apostle It is appointed unto all men once to die and after death comes Iudgement Therefore in that day after death men shall give an account of those things which have beene culpable and worthy of reprehension in them and which must bee expiated by temporall punishments now in what place can this be but only in Purgatory His meaning is this As soone as ever men die they shall give an account for their veniall and lesse sinnes which they have not satisfied nor suffered for on earth and those shall be purged by the paines and penance of Purgatory flames First Sophister-like he concludes that which Answ 1 hee proves not or hath that in the conclusion which is in neither Proposition For to me hee seemes to argue thus We must give an account for all our small sins Answ 2 at the day of Iudgement But this day of Iudgement is the time which followes presently after death Therefore there is a Purgatorie perhaps to punish such a Logician as hee is Secondly wee grant that by and by after death there is a particular judgement of God wherein every one shall give an account of those things which he hath done in the body Thirdly by the day of Iudgement both Franciscus Answ 3 Lucas and Gorranus and divers others understand the last day and generall Iudgement and some leave it doubtfull Sa Iudicij scilicet particularis in morte vel universalis that is by this Iudgement is either meant the particular Iudgement presently after death or the general Iudgement at the last day Now wee need not greatly care which of these say true for if the last day be here understood then Bunderius his Argument or Sophisme rather is absurd for there will bee no Purgatory after the day of Iudgement But if wee leane unto those who hold the place doubtfull then it will prove but an uncertaine Argument and consequently not an Argument of faith nor to build an Article of faith upon as Purgatory is to them A question may hence be demanded Quest whether every sinne be mortall of its owne nature or not Although it be true Answ that all sinnes are not equall but one greater then another and although also it be true that in a good and godly sense some sinne may be termed mortall and some veniall which yet may more fitly be called sins regnant and not regnant yet it is most true that every sinne is mortall of its owne nature and only veniall by way of Gods free acceptation and mercy for his owne names sake and merits of his deare Sonne our Lord Iesus as appeares by these reasons First because our Saviour here saith that wee must give a straight account of every idle word in the generall day of Iudgement and this is certaine because every idle word is flatly against the Law of God and yet these idle words are those sinnes which they call veniall And therefore this is a truth that all sinnes are mortall that is against the Law of God Secondly because the Rhemists Rhem. in 1. Iohn 3.4 confesse in plaine termes that every sinne is a swarving from the Law of God For doubtlesse that which swarveth from the Law is truely said to be against the Law but not agreeable to the Law Thirdly because the famous popish Friar and Romish Bishop Iosephus Angles in 4. sent pag. 215. teacheth the same doctrine in his booke dedicated to the Pope himselfe His words are these Omne peccatum veniale est al cujus legis transgressio Patet quia omne veniale est contra rectam rationem agere contra rectam rationem est agere contra legem naturalem praecipientem non esse a regulà rectae rationis deviandum Every veniall sinne is the transgression of some Law This is cleare because every veniall sinne is against right reason and to doe a thing against right reason is to doe it against the Law of nature which commandeth us not
auricular confession in which sense the word is never used by the Ancient Fathers therefore I may conclude that this penance injoyned by the Church of Rome for the satisfying of the justice of God is meerely erroneous and is built upon no authority of Scripture at all Sect. 3 § 3. Repent Iohns preaching is repentance that is the renovation of the minde which is the one halfe of the Gospel the summe whereof consists in these two Repentance and Faith and therefore I intreate the reader without tediousnesse to suffer both me and himselfe to dwell a little longer then ordinary in this verse Quest 1 The maine question here is concerning the parts of Repentance Answ 1 To which First some Papists answer that the three parts of repentance are the three steps in Iacobs ladder by which we mount unto heaven the first whereof is sorrow the second is shame the third is labour and industry But this is an abuse of repentance these being not the parts of it as else where more largely shall be shewed Answ 2 Secondly I answer the true parts of Repentance are three to wit First Preparation secondly Resolution thirdly Execution Quest 2 What necessitie is there of Preparation Answ I answer because a worke so holy as this is cannot rightly be performed but by a due preparation considering these two things 1. that wee our selves are by nature very unfit to effect it 2 that the worke in it selfe is very hard and difficult Sathan being strong that labours to retaine us in sinne and sinne from which wee should turne being customary unto us and pleasing unto our natures Quest 3 Thirdly it may be demanded wherein doth this preparation consist I answer in two things viz. 1 Dejectione 2 Erectione cordis That is Answ the casting downe and raising up of the heart First this preparation consists Dejectione cordis in the dejecting and humbling of the heart here it may be asked What necessitie is there of Quest 4 this casting downe of the heart I answer Answ Because our hearts are to be softned and humbled before we can truely repent Thus the Prophet exhorts us to rend our hearts and to turne unto the Lord f Ioel. 2.12 because without this rending there is no true repentance our hearts must bee plowed up before the seedes of grace can be sowne g Ierem. 4.4 because the spirit of bondage begets the spirit of adoption h Rom. 8.15 Hence it will be inquired wherein doth this Quest 5 our dejection or humiliation consist I answer Answ for the full cleare resolving of this question two things are to be observed First the beginning of this humiliation which is examination Secondly the end of this examination which is the hatred of sinne First the beginning of this humiliation is a serious examination of our selves our estates and conditions for when wee examine our selves by the rule of the law and finde how many and how mighty our sinnes are which wee have committed and which wee are never able to satisfye for then our peacockes plumes and Pharisaicall conceits are laid aside Hence a question may be propounded What Quest 6 must we examine in our selves Three things Answ First thy estate and condition wherein thou art thou must trye how thou standest whether in grace or nature a 2 Cor. 13.5 whether thou art truely perfectly regenerated or seduced by the spirit of slumber presumption thou must examine ubi fuisti es eris non es b Greg. Mor. 23. what hast thou beene what art thou what shalt thou be after this life happie or miserable what art thou not what is wanting in thee which thou shouldest have Thus we should examine our selves whether wee grow in grace at all or not and how the strength of sinne decreases and the strength of grace and of the spirit of God doth increase in us Secondly examine thy sinnes consider what they are whether oppression or adultery or blasphemy or drunkennesse or prophanesse and deale herein faithfully with thy selfe not deceiving thy owne soule speake truely as thou wouldest doe to thy Lawyer or Physitian hide none of thy sinnes least they bee not pardoned keepe none of them backe with Ananias and his wife least as they did thou perish thereby for this is the true way unto humiliation to labour to finde out and fullie acknowledge al our transgressions whatsoever sâ—se ignorare caeteris natura est homini autem vitio c Boethius consol l 2. It is naturall for other creatures not to know themselves but for men to be ignorant of their estates or the sinnes they commit is most shamefull and therefore it is very necessary that wee should examine our waies workes words and thoughts that so we may attaine to the knowledge of our selves and sinnes Thirdly examine how thou mayst avoide thy sinnes and be freed from them remember how often thou hast beene displeased with thy selfe how often thou hast condemned thy selfe how often thou hast resolved to leave thy sins and yet how often thou hast returned with the dogge to his vomit hence consider how difficult a thing it is to leave our beloved sinnes that knowing it we may bee more carefull to avoide them and more diligent in the enquiring after the remedies against them And thus much for the beginning of our humiliation which is the examination of our estates and sinnes Secondly the end of this examination is the loathing of sinne and a desire to leave it wee must examine what we are that so what is amisse may be amended we must examine our sinnes that finding them out wee may the better detest and endeavour to leave them the way unto repentance is the hatred of sinne and as long as sinne is loved so long the Lord is neither regarded nor served and therefore that we may the better learne to hate sinne let us remember these foure things First that our nature is wholy corrupted both within and without viz. our cogitations actions words members and all the faculties of the soule the best things in us beeing but a polluted ragge our whol man overspread with the leprosie of sin and no better then painted sepulchers or dead carkasses who stinke in the nostrils of the Lord by reason of our transgressions Secondly remember that thou art so ensnared and envassailed unto sin and corruption by nature that thou art no more able to helpe or free thy selfe then a Leopard is to leave his spots or a black moore to change his hewe thou mayest in some measure know the wickednesse of thy nature but thou art not able to redresse it Thirdly remember the many dangers and evils we are subject unto onely by reason of sin viz. 1. Temporall miseries as poverty sicknesse diseases casualties which wee are not worthy to bee protected from by reason of our iniquities 2. Spirituall evils as obstinacy in sin to be given over to a reprobate sense hardnes of heart and finall
9. And thinke not to say within your selves Vers 9 wee have Abraham to our Father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham Obiect Answ The Jewes here object unto Iohn either wee are the children of Abraham or none are To this the Baptist answers Deus potest that God can raise up children unto Abraham even of stones and therfore there is no such necessity that they must needs be the sonnes of Abraham God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham Quest 1 What is the meaning of these words Answ 1 I answer first they may be understood literally thus that God Almighty who created all things by his word can procreate and raise up even of stones righteous men who should bee the spirituall children of Abraham and so more true and more noble sons than they were who were his naturall children but not spirituall Answ 2 Secondly this may be understood Metaphorically thus that the Lord can raise up faithfull children unto Abraham even of the Gentiles who although for the hardnesse of their hearts and stolidity and grosse idolatry they are called stones yet the mercy of God can make them holy and spirituall men and consequently worthy to be called the children of Abraham Quest 2 It may hence yet be asked how many wayes God doth produce and make man Answ I answer five First hee makes man without man or woman and thus he made Adam Secondly he makes man of man without woman thus he made Evah Thirdly he makes man of woman whithout man and thus hee made Christ Fourthly he makes man of man and woman according to the common course of nature and thus hee makes all us the naturall sonnes of Adam Fiftly Deus potest God could make children and sonnes even of stones as in this verse Vers 11 §. VERS 11. I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance but he that commeth after wee is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to beare he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Sect. 1 § 1. The Papists say the baptisme of Iohn was of another kind then Christs baptisme was a Bellar. li de bapt ca. 20.21 and they prove it from this verse thus Iohn himselfe saith I baptize you with water but he shall Object 1 baptize you with the Holy Ghost Therefore Iohns Baptisme and Christs was not all one Iohns baptisme not giving the Holy Ghost as Christs did We answer Answ Iohn speaketh not of divers baptismes but of divers operations and ministeries in one and the same baptisme for Iohn as all other Ministers doe did but give water and Christ co-operating and working together with them giveth the Holy Ghost But they object againe Iohn doth not say Object 2 Christ doth baptize with the holy Ghost but he shall baptize therefore Christ did not baptize together with Iohn by his Spirit b Bellar. cap. 21. We answer Answ as Iohn here speaketh of Christ in the future tense so the same Iohn speaketh else where of Christ in the present tense c Ioh. 1.33 1. saying this is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost therefore Christ did both then baptize with his Spirit afterwards also more manifestly when the gifts of the spirit began to be shed forth more plentifully upon men 2. The same Iohn speaking of Christ saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world d Ioh. 1.29 hee even then when Iohn baptized did take away sinnes 3. Iohn testifieth of Christ that of his fulnesse wee have all received e Ioh. 2.16 and therfore even then Christ baptized with the Spirit which was signified by receiving of his fulnesse Against these three proofes they object three Object 3 things First that Christ is said to baptize with the Spirit not that then he baptized but to signifie that when he baptized he should not onely baptize with water but with the Spirit To this we answer first if Christ then onely Answ 1 began to baptize with the Spirit when he baptized with water it would follow that hee never baptized with the Spirit for it is certaine that he baptized not with water f Ioh. 4.2 as St Iohn the Evangelist saith that Iesus himselfe baptized not but onely his Disciples Secondly that Christ at that instant baptized Answ 2 with the Spirit is evident from Iohns words g Ioh. 1.33 Hee that sent mee to baptize said unto mee upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit come downe c. that is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost Christ then immediatly at the comming down of the Spirit baptized with the Spirit unlesse they will say he received the Spirit in vaine Against the second proofe they object Christ Object 4 did not then take away sinnes but it is signified that afterwards by his death hee should take away the sinnes of the world To this wee answer Answ that it is very grosse and absurde to say that Christ did not take away the sinnes of the world before his death for the Prophet David saith h Psa 32.1.2 Blessed are they whose sins are for given whence it is plaine that even under the law by faith in Christ to come they found remission of sinnes And thus much for the resolution of their objections It may now bee questioned how doth it appeare that Iohns baptisme was the same with Quest 1 Christ I answer by these reasons Answ The first is taken ab absurdo because a threefold absurdity would follow from the deniall of it First this would give occasion to the Anabaptists more to enforce their doctrine of Rebaptization Secondly if Iohns baptisme were onely a preparation unto another baptisme why then was it not received by all men Thirdly if it were onely for the sanctifying and consecrating of the water why was any more baptized then Christ for he was baptized for this end to sanctifie this ordinance as followes verse 16. The second reason is because the Baptist baptizeth unto the remission of sinnes l Mark 1.14 and there is no remission sealed unto us but onely by the Sacraments of Christ and therefore it was the same baptisme The third reason is because Iohns baptisme was the Sacrament of his doctrine and therefore if his doctrine were the Gospel then his baptisme was the Sacrament of the Gospell and so the same with Christ The fourth reason is because otherwise Christ and his Apostles were not rightly baptized for Christ was himselfe baptized of the Baptist ver 16. and the Apostles were not baptised of Christ because he baptised none and therefore it is most probable that the most of them at the least if not all were also by Iohn baptised The fift reason is because Christ was circumcised and baptised that he might be united both to the Church of the Jewes of the Christians by the Sacraments of them both that is to the
that I sayd I am not the CHRIST but that I am sent before him i Ioh. 3.28 Answ 5 Fiftly this was done in regard of the common people and that in a double respect to wit First lest the people should have beene separated and sundred some running after the one some after the other if they had both preached together Secondly lest they should have been excused in saying they knew not whō to follow the one being after one manner the other after another that is Christ more familiar and Iohn more austere as our Saviour sayth of himselfe and Iohn Quest 2 Secondly why did Christ now preach when Iohn was in prison Answ 1 First lest the preaching of Saint Iohn should not be confirmed Thus Gualter sup Answ 2 Secondly Christ beginnes to preach the Gospell when Iohn was hindered lest that the preaching thereof should cease i k Gualt s and this was the principall cause Thirdly Christ did this to teach us that no Answ 3 power or policie of man or Divell Observ can hinder the preaching of the word of God Certainly the Divell did excite and provoke Herod against Iohn Baptist that hee might bee hindered from preaching but he cannot prevaile for Iohn being exstinct behold God stirres up another and from that time Jesus began to preach The Pharisees forbid the Apostles to preach Acts 4.21 and put them in prison for preaching Act. 5.18 but yet they cannot stop their mouthes In the Judaicall Church they slay the Prophets but still God doth raise up others In the Primitive Church sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesia the persecution of the Christians did spread the religion of Christ more than otherwise it is likely would have been The hand of man is too weak to hold Gods hand or hinder his worke and therefore so long as this world continues God will have a Church upon earth in some place or other some or other to preach his word § 2. Saying Repent The Papists l Bellar. de paenit l. 2. ca 2. Object affirme Sect. 2 that Contrition which is joyned with an inward terrour of the minde and proceedeth from the sight and consideration of our sinnes doth not appertaine to the Law but to the Gospell They argue thus Christ preached Repentance to the which Contrition doth belong Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand in this verse but Christ was a Minister of the Gospell not of the Law and therefore Contrition belongeth to the Gospell not to the Law First Repentance hath part from the Law Answ 1 part from the Gospell from the Law it hath the sight of sinne and terrour of the minde for the same from the Gospell it hath hope and comfort springing from faith in Christ wherefore this reason sheweth not that Repentance in every part thereof is of the Gospell Secondly though the Law and Gospell are Answ 2 in nature and property distinguished yet they may be joyned in use So Moses the Minister of the Law may preach Christ and Christ the Minister of the Gospell doth also establish the Law and by the terrours of the Law call men to the knowledge of their sinne where Repentance beginneth VERS 18. Vers 18 And Iesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting a not into the sea for they were fishers § 1. And Iesus walking by the sea of Galilee Sect. 1 We see the Apostles are not called by Man but by Christ Obser Teaching us that the vocation of the Ministery is the ordinance of God For First he hath given them a calling he gave saith the Apostle some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Teachers for the worke of the Ministerie a Ephes 4.11.12 and hath given unto the Ministers the Ministery and word of reconciliation b 2 Cor. 5.18.19 Secondly hee hath given unto them spirituall weapons which are mightie through God to pull downe strong holds c 2 Cor. 10 4. Thirdly hee hath given them power making them able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spiritc d 2 Cor. 3 6. And therefore they that despise them as Ministers despise not men but Christ Quest Who despise the vocation of Ministers Answ 1 First the Anabaptists contemne this ordinance Obiect 1 objecting that Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 and it is he that reveales divine truths unto men Matth. 16 17. Flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee sayth Christ that I am the true Messias but the will of my Father which is in heaven yea none can come unto God by any meanes except the Sonne bring him Iohn 6.44 Answ 1 First by this reason wee should neither give fodder to the cattell nor tillage and culture to the ground because wee cannot cause our corne to grow or our ground to bring forth or our cattell to thrive or live by what we give them but it is the blessing and blessed providence of God that doth all this Answ 2 Secondly we grant that neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing 1 Corinth 3.7 Answ 3 Thirdly yet the meanes must bee used which God hath appoynted and which ordinarily hee works grace by that is the preaching of the word by those who are lawfully called unto that function for Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 Yea he gives men faith and power to believe by the preaching of the Apostles e Ioh. 17.20 I pray not sayth Christ for these alone but for them also which shall believe on mee through their word And therefore the vocation of the Ministers is not to be contemned Answ 2 Secondly the Separatists are despisers of this Obiect 2 Ordinance of the Ministery objecting that our Church is impure our societies polluted and that our truths are mixed with errours Answ There are two Churches to wit the one Dead in the eye of the world in which notwithstanding are some alive in the eye of the Lord thus there were seven thousand in Israel f 1 King 19.18 though Elias saw none and in Sardis there were a few names of those that were pure g Rev. 3.4 Living in the which some are dead notwithstanding thus it was with the Church of Ephesus Revelat. 2.4 and with Pergamus Revelat. 2.14 and of Thyatira Revelat. 2.19.20 Yea even in the Church of the Corinthians the Galatians when they were most pure there was corruptions among them and therefore it is unwarrantable to forsake our Church for the spots and corruptions of some Answ 3 Thirdly prophane persons are contemners of this Ordinance of the Ministerie either by disgracing it publickly or deriding it privatly but these must know that they doe not deride men but God Sect. 2 § 2. By the Sea of Galilee This sea was the lake of Gennesareth Luke 5.1 neare unto Capernaum where Christ first beganne to preach and therefore it appeares to have been in
povertie Or II. because although they have enough in regard of necessary things that is sufficient for food and rayment yet they are not content but with an unsatiable desire wish for more and grieve for the want thereof The mourning of these shal not bee turned into mirth neither Thirdly some mourne and grieve Carnaliter these are they who sorrow for the punishment but not for the sinne as Pharaoh Cain and Iudas did and therefore shall be no more comforted than they Fourthly some sorrow Impiè wickedly these are they who mourne because it is not lawfull for them to sinne freely and without any punishment either humane or divine Many grieve that there are lawes forbidding drunkennesse fornication stealing and the like and wish that there were no sinnes forbidden or duties enjoyned because then they might live merrily whereas now they mourne by reason of restraining lawes This is a most infallible token of a wicked man and therefore such mourners have neither promise of blessednesse nor of comfort Fiftly some sorrow Diabolicè with a Divellish sorrow these are they who grieve unto the death that is unto desperation thus Achitophel grieves that his counsell is not followed and to put an end thereunto puts an end unto himselfe thus Iudas mournes that he hath betrayed his innocent Master and in his agonie hangs himselfe These mourners are utterly deprived of all comfort both here and hereafter Sixtly but we must doe thus if wee desire consolation in our sorrow to wit I. lament our owne sinnes and the sinnes of the Church land and common-wealth wherein we live II. let us hope for mercy upon the condition of true and unfained repentance III. and then it is lawfull for us to weepe and mourne for our afflictions which wee groane under because they are the fruits of sinne and occasioned thereby and blessed are they that thus mourne for they shall be comforted What comfort or consolation is it that shall Quest 4 be imparted unto these mourners First the world hath many solaces for those Answ 1 that are in distresse to wit honour riches pleasure security false counsell vaine comfort fained freedome and the like which I omit to enlarge because these are not the comforts here promised Secondly the comfort of these blessed ones Answ 2 doth consist in the Holy Spirit that true comforter What comfort or consolation doth this Paracletus or Comforter give unto these mourners Quest 5 Answ Three viz. First Temporall Secondly Spirituall Thirdly Eternall First the Holy Ghost gives unto the mourners in Zion Temporale solamen temporall comforts first Providence hee will so provide for them that they shall want nothing although it bee with them as Bias said Omnia mea mecum porto that they carty all they have about them as Hagar and Iacob who had no more then the cloathes upon their backes and the water in their bottles yet when those are spent and gone hee will provide more Secondly Protection and Deliverance he will protect defend and deliver them from all evill as carefully as hee doth provide for them what is good Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of all that is either 1. takes away the affliction wholly or 2. takes away the sting thereof as he did unto Paul giving him sufficient grace to endure the temptation though he tooke not the buffet from him and therefore let us place all our hope and confidence upon God let us depend first upon him for whatsoever good temporall blessing wee stand in need of And secondly for deliverance either from the affliction if the Lord may see it good for us or from the evill of the affliction Quest 6 These are ordinary and generall things What particular temporall comforts doth this Blessed Comforter afford unto these true mourners Answ The Lord hath particular consolations First for all men Secondly for all dangers First for all sorts of men the Lord hath sundry sorts of comfort as we may instance in some few to wit Ministers Magistrates Poore men Godly men Professours First the Lord hath comfort in store or store of comforts for Ministers who are painefull and faithfull in their calling notwithstanding those many discouragements that they meet withall therein as for example First few will beleeve their doctrine this is irksome unto them and makes them in the anguish of their heart cry out Lord who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed o Esa 53.1 Secondly they are made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men p 1 Cor 4.9 Thirdly sinne which by their preaching they labour to beate downe doth grow up and abound more and more Fourthly hence they grow weary of their lives as we see in Elias who desires that he may die because of the wickednes of the world q 1 King 19.4 so holy Ieremiah cries out Woe is me my Mother that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth r Ierem. 15 10. Yet let them lift up their heads and listen unto the comforts pronounced unto them For First God saith to Moses and Samuel and under them to all his Prophets and Christ to his Apostles and under them to all faithfull preachers They have not dispised you but me Secondly the Lord saith unto them feare not I am with you ſ Ierem. 1.8 Thirdly their labour shall not bee altogether in vaine in regard of others for some shall be stil converted wheresoever the Gospell is preached t Acts 17.34 Fourthly their paines shall not be at all in vaine in regard of themselves for they shall bee crowned Thus the Lord is pleased to comfort the sad hearts and lift up the drouping and hanging downe heads of his faithfull Ministers Secondly Magistrates they watch when subjects and inferiours sleepe they take care for all and yet though they bee thus faithfull and zealous they are not respected but rather disobeyed hated and sleighted by the vulgar sort of the sonnes of Beliall This is enough to make them mourne and a just cause of sorrow and therefore to comfort them the Lord bids them not to feare for hee will bee with them u Iosh 1.5 9. and their worke shall bee rewarded Thirdly poore men want in a manner all necessary things which makes them grieve but for these if good the Lord hath these comforts that 1. hee will give them needfull things though not superfluous to the supplying of their wants though not of their desires and 2. those things that hee with-holds from them hee detaines because hee sees them to bee poyson and hurtfull unto them Fourthly Godly and pious men dare not lye nor defraud nor cosen by false weights or false measures and therefore their gaines and meanes is very small but here is their comfort God will provide for them Secondly the Lord hath comforts and consolations for all perils and dangers and
therefore if they be extended no furthe rthen the letter of them they are not solidly expounded as for example Wee pray Give us this day our daily bread shall wee not therefore pray for health apparell life preservation and prosperity all which are included in this word Bread Answ 2 Secondly the Law of God is Spirituall and therefore it is not onely literally to bee interpreted Rom. 7.14 Thirdly God is to be worshipped in Spirit Answ 3 and therefore the Law which prescribes the manner of his worship must not onely be literally expounded John 4.24 Prov. 23.26 and therefore the excuses of some will never availe them who tell us first that blasphemy is no perjurie and therefore why may they not sweare secondly swearing by the creatures doth not prophane the name of God and therefore thereby that Commandement is not violated thirdly fornication is not adulterie and therefore the law is not transgressed and the like These must remember first how pure God the Law-giver is yea Puritie it selfe so glorious that the heavens are impure in his sight Secondly the Law is an exemplar of God and therefore is holy and pure Psal 19.7.8 Againe there are others worse than these and that is those who distinguish the words of the precept for the former granted onely the words and literall sense the latter will not allow of all the words according to the letter as for example some can distinguish lying into first a pernicious lye and secondly a manifest and apparent lye and these they condemne but if 1. it be an officious lye whereby some profit or benefit may accrew either to themselves or others or 2. if it bee a palliated lye then as lawfull we defend it But non distinguendum ubi lex non distinguit wee are no other than Lawyers who can onely expound the ancient and fundamentall lawes but not make new lawes neither by false glosses pervert the law or divert it from the true sence thereof we must not distinguish where the Law doth not lest the Lord will not accept of our distinction and so by our quaint sophistry wee onely cozen and deceive our selves How manifold is Homicide or what is it Quest 4 which is here forbidden Homicide or Bloud-shed is three-fold Answ namely first Iustum just secondly Impium wicked thirdly Immune free from punishment or excuseable First there is a just and righteous murder which is either Necessarie se defendendo when a man in his owne defence killes another beeing not able to free himselfe out of the hands of his adversarie either by flight or by the ayd and assistance of others But here we must carefully observe that this is two-fold First sometimes a man slayes theeves and robbers and enemies who lye in wayt for his life because otherwise hee cannot escape from them this is lawfull if the cause be reall but some kill when they need not but might escape by flight or preserve their lives by the losse of their purse Secondly sometimes a man is layd in wayt for or assaulted by the Magistrate or the Kings Officers that they may apprehend him here it is not lawfull for us before God in the defence of our selves to shed their bloud and therefore wee must not thus defend our selves against Arrests Lawfull which is acted in a lawfull warre to wit either first in a defensive warre when wee are assaulted by some forraigne foe Or secondly in a warre undertaken for the recovery of a due true and necessarie right which hath unjustly been taken away Secondly there is a wicked murder which is either First of a mans selfe being done Violently and wilfully when a man layes violent hands upon himselfe Now this is altogether desperate and horrible Secondly of another whether done First rashly this the Lord himselfe condemnes for murder If a man smite his neighbour with any mortall or deadly weapons either oâ— Iron or stone or wood that he dye hee is a murderer and shall be put to death Numb 35.16 17.18 2ly of malice whether done by A mans selfe whether by lying in wait secretly for the destruction of his brother or by under-hand poysoning of him or by an open assault onset or force Read Exodus 21.14 Numb 35.20 Deut. 19.11 By another that either Imperando by commanding and thus David slue Vriah and Iezabell Naboth because they were slain through their commands Consulendo by counselling thus Herodias slue Iohn Baptist because he was beheaded through the counsell given by her to her daughter Mark 6.24 Conducendo by perswading provoking and hiring with a reward or price and thus the Scribes and Pharisees were guiltie of the bloud of Christ because they hired Iudas with money to betray him Matth. 26.15 Petendo by intreating and thus Herodias daughter was the killer of Iohn Baptist because Herod beheaded him at her request Mark 6 25. Consentiendo by consenting and thus Ahab was guiltie of Naboâ—hs bloud and Paul of Stephens Silendo by coÌ„cealing or not revealing the murder if this bee done Before the fact that is if a man knowes of a murder intended and conceale it it is murder jure divina by Gods law After the fact is done hee is condemned jure positivo by mans law and that justly because murder is not to be concealed neither is such counsell to be kept Thirdly there is an excusable homicide viz. casuall and contingent as when a man is imployed about some honest affaires and accidentally kills his brother this homicide is excused because the Lord delivered him into his hands Read Exod. 21.13 and Numb 35.22 Deut. 19.5 and 4.42 Vers 22 VERS 22. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement and whosoever shall say to his brother Racha shall bee in danger of the councell but whosoever shall say thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire Sect. 1 § 1. But I say unto you To whom doth Quest 1 Christ here oppose himselfe to the law of God or to the exposition of the Pharisees Answ 1 First the Papists say to the law of God that hee might make it more perfect Staplet Antidot And hence they deduce two conclusions the first is concerning Evangelicall Councels the second is of veniall sinnes whereof something hath been spoken already and more followes in this verse to be considered of Answ 2 Secondly Stapleton gives us these reasons or arguments for his opinion Arg. 1 First Christ is the true Law-giver in the New Testament and therefore hee doth here oppose the old Law Answ 1 First Calvin answers that Christ is not a new Law-giver which answer Stapleton derides not remembring that saying There is but one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy d Iam. 4.12 Secondly Stapleton answers this reason himselfe Answ 2 or from him we may thus answer it It is the part of a Law-giver not onely to make new lawes but to interpret also those that
morbidum a diseased body a man sicke of a palsie cannot walke or worke but onely lies in bed now it were a great comfort and refreshing for him to be inabled to rise and to walke into the fresh aire Thus when wee are not able to walke in the wayes of God or to worke his work when the good which wee would doe wee cannot Rom. 7.15.19 Then God wil give us power to runne the race of his Commandements and to worke his worke and to obey his will in some measure Esay 58.13 yea them will our Christ refresh us by giving us that anointing which is holy and by which wee may be able to doe all things 1 Iohn 2.20 Thirdly Corpus lassum a weary body principally tired with the troubles and molestations of this life Esa 28.12 Whether it be I. For those things which wee love and enjoy As Bucer s thinkes Or II. For those things which wanting wee seeke for Or III. For the labours which wee undergoe and endure in our particular callings Quest 2 It may here be demanded whether temporall labours shall be refreshed Answ 1 First there is a labour which is disallowed and disliked They labour in the wind Therefore this shall not be crowned or rewarded with the promised Rest Answ 2 Secondly but those who are sensible of their labour and burthen shall be refreshed that is not by supplying and satisfying of their thirst but by taking it away He who thinkes to take away the drought of a man sicke of a Dropsie by giving him as much drinke as hee desires will sooner kill him then cure him and therefore to such drink is not to be given according to the appetite of the sicke party but the desire of drinke is to bee abated and taken away So the Lord will not satisfie the desires of his children in temporall things but moderate their love and desire unto them Certainly Alexander Eccles 2. Craesus Xerxes Caesar and Solomon were never quiet so long as they sought for content in temporall things And therefore those that labour in the love of them or for them are to be refreshed by abating not by satisfying of that love and desire Fourthly Corpus sitiens a thirsty body or a body wanting the peace of Christ Iohn 16.33 Colos 3.15 Philip. 4.17 Now these Christ will refresh by giving unto them that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding Reade Iohn 7.37 and 2 Tim. 1.16 and joy unspeakeable and glorious 1 Peter 1.8 This is like that Iem which to procure and purchase wee should sell all wee have Matth. 13.44 46. Quest 3 Who are they that shall not bee refreshed by Christ Answ 1 First those who being drunke by with a perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and merits dreame that they can satisfie the law of God and that they doe not lye under the burthen of the Law or of sinne Answ 2 Secondly Epicures who neither care for sin nor feare the wrath of God but securely contemne and despise both Ephes 4.19 The Apostle cals these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men who are past feeling Answ 3 Thirdly those who are so buried and overwhelmed with the pleasures delights and allurements of the world that they doe not see nor acknowledge their misery and miserable estate wherein they are by reason of their sinnes committed against God and of Gods judgements which hang over their heads for their sinnes neither once seriously thinke either of spirituall grace or eternall glory Fourthly those who being humbled and Answ 4 brought to the gates of hell through a sight of their sinnes and a sense of the wrath and anger of God for their sinnes will not come unto Christ but despaire of mercy as Cain and Iudas did Now all these are excluded from this promise of rest and therefore all they who desire to bee made partakers thereof must take heed that they be neither proud Pharisees nor prophane Epicures nor blind worldlings nor contemptuous despairers of mercy i Chem. harm pag. 742. cap. 56. VERS 29.30 Take my yoke upon you Vers 29.30 and learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall find rest unto your soules For my yoke is easie and my burden is light § 1. Take my yoke upon you Christ cals all to come unto him and promiseth Sect. 1 that hee will refresh those who come But lest wee should thinke that hee requires no conditions on our part hee now addes that the yoke is to be taken upon us and that we must be taught of him For as hee shewes himselfe to be unto us a Governour and a Doctor so hee requires that wee should be 1. Subjects 2. Disciples First wee must be subjects and take our Saviours yoke upon us The phrase is borrowed from the wood of oxen or which is worne by them when they plow and it signifies rule and government absolutely binding governing and restraining As if our Saviour would say think not with your selves that you are called unto liberty or unto an Anarchy but unto my obedience and service To teach us That it behoves all those who hope in Christ Observ to submit themselves to his rule and government Deut. 10.12 and 13.4 and Ierem. 5.5 and 28.13 Lament 3.27 and 1 Pet. 2.16 Why must all who hope for rest from Christ Quest 1 submit themselves unto his service First because we were redeemed by him for Answ 1 this end that we might serve him in righteousnesse and true holinesse Luke 1 74 75. Titus 2.14 and 2 Corinth 5.15 and Heb. 9.14 and 1 Peter 2.24 Secondly because this is the scope of our profession Answ 2 to serve Christ 1 Thessal 1.9 Rom 6.18.22 and 8.14 Hence comes obedience to be the fruit of faith Heb. 11.7 c. because faith subjects the heart unto Christ Gal. 2.20 and 2 Cor. 10.5 Thirdly because this is the end of all preaching Answ 3 that people might obey Christ Rom. 1.5 and 16.26 and 1 Pet. 4.6 and 2 Cor. 10.4 c. Fourthly because this was the end of the promises Answ 4 of blessings Many gracious promises are are made in the word and all for this end that people might be more stirred up thereby unto obedience Exod. 23.23 25. Deuter. 11.13 Levit. 26 Deuter. 28. Quest 3 How manifold is the yoke of Christ Answ 1 Two-fold namely First of Discipline and correction for the Lord chastens every sonne whom hee receives Heb. 12.8 Secondly of Doctrine or obedience Now true Religion doth bind us to the obedience of those things which are to bee done and which are to be beleeved For I. It obligeth the consciences of men so that they dare not sinne or disobey God Hence the feare and service of God are sometimes conjoyned together Deut. 10.12 And therefore the phrase of Serving is evilly understood for some sort of worship or for voluntary obedience according as we list and when we list but wee owe unto God the debt of obedience and therefore there
but the Scribes and Pharisees were not brought unto the fold of Christ thereby whence we may learne That the preaching of the Gospell brings great sinners sooner home then those who are lesse Observ especially that applaud themselues in a shew of piety Or great Sinners often submit themselves unto the Gospell when lesser Sinners stand out Here Publicanes and harlots are sooner reduced to the faith and obedience of the Gospell then Scribes and Pharisees Who gloried in an externall forme of Godlinesse Vid. Luc. Brugens in hunc loc Quest 1 How doth the truth hereof appeare Answ 1 First thus in great sinners there is a better step for grace to worke upon then in such lesser For the understanding hereof observe That there are two things belonging unto conversion viz. I. The Law which lets us see our sinnes and this worke is sooner wrought in great Sinners and longer a working in such lesser For the Law sooner convinceth a grosse offender of the breach thereof then a proud Pharisaicall sinner II. The Gospell which doth allure us to lay hold upon mercy offered therein Now this is sooner received of him that is wounded with his sinnes then of him who is not sensible of sinne Answ 2 Secondly it is evident thus the lesser sinners can easily defend and excuse their sinnes whereas the greater doe quickly confesse them as is seene in the Publicanes and Pharisees Iohn 9. Quest 2 Whence comes it that some are greater sinners then are others Or that some are great sinners and some small Answ 1 First sometimes this comes from nature for naturally some are of a fairer temper then others and some more vitiously given then are others Answ 2 Secondly sometimes this comes from education for some are more carefully some more carnally brought up and accordingly their outward life is more faire or scandalous Quest 3 Can any man challenge nothing in the worke of his conversion Answ No as evidently appeares thus First there is no merit in him at all either of condignity or congruity Secondly there is no preparation in us of our selves Thirdly there is no power in man to doe any good thing as of himselfe Object Jf it be thus then man is excusable if he can doe nothing in the worke of his conversion then the fault is not in him if he be not converted Answ 1 First we once had power and free will to doe whatsoever God should command us and willingly we lost it and therefore we are not excusable Answ 2 Secondly although we can doe nothing of our selves yet God hath graciously provided a meanes sufficient namely CHRIST which meanes the Angels had not And therefore we are not without fault if we be not converted Answ 3 Thirdly God hath given his Gospell unto us and therein CHRIST is offered unto us and unto all and propounded unto all that will repent beleeve and obey and therefore we cannot be excused if we be not converted Answ 4 Fourthly there is no man deprived of all meanes and all grace and therefore none are without blame which are not converted All men have some naturall helpes which they neglect for which neglect they are justly punished As for example I. Mens Creation might teach them Gods mercy II. Gods protecting of them and providing for them daily should allure them to rely vpon God and to trust in him but they take no notice of these or the like things Fifthly men have the booke of the Word Answ 5 vvhich teacheth them vvhat they should doe And therefore those vvho disobey cannot be guiltlesse And Sixthly men have the Booke of Conscience Answ 6 vvhich checkes them vvhen they doe amisse And therefore those vvho sinne against conscience are not to be excused Seventhly God often gives generall graces to Answ 7 those who are out of CHRIST vvho cannot be excused when they neglect and abuse those graces Eightly he vvho neglects grace offered sinnes Answ 8 inexcusably but GOD offers grace in the Gospell and wee neglect it And therefore vve are inexcusable Ninthly he that transgresseth the Law of nature Answ 9 sinnes inexcusably but he that breakes the Morall Law violates the law of nature that being vvrit in our hearts at first some glimpse thereof remaining still and therefore no transgressours of Gods Law can be held guiltlesse or innocent Tenthly he that violates the Law of nature sins inexcusably Answ 10 but he which heareth seeth his misery and understands that salvation is in CHRIST sinneth against the Law of nature if he neglect him because even nature teacheth us to wish vvell and do vvell unto our selves and to lay hold upon that vvhich is good for our selves and therefore none vvho neglect CHRIST are to bee excused Lastly the reason of our impotency in doing Answ 11 good is founded and built upon our ovvne unwillingnesse hard-hartednesse and aversenesse because vve neither love nor desire to obey God and not from any necessity in the Will or understanding The Devils cannot but sinne because the povver of grace is taken from them but it is not thus vvith us vvho have this povver of grace but resist it And thus vve see that none can be vvholly guiltlesse or excusable vvho are not converted unto God How is grace vvrought ordinarily in great Quest 4 sinners Or hovv are Publicanes and harlots converted unto Christ The manner of vvorking grace in prophane persons and great sinners for the most part is this Answ They see and observe tvvo things to wit First their ovvne misery Here observe that they ascend to the sight of their misery by these steps I. They see their ovvne sinnes which they have committed against God II. They see the severity of that Law vvhich they have transgressed and of that Lord vvhich they have offended into vvhose hands it is a fearefull thing to fall Hence III. They tremble and feare by reason of the righteous judgements of God And IV. Greeve and mourne that by their sinnes they have roused a sleeping Lyon and incensed and stirred up against them so potent a Foe And V. They confesse and acknowledge that they are unworthy to come unto God or to receive mercy from him Secondly they see Gods Mercy and attaine unto the sight thereof by these degrees I. They see the Promises of the Gospell and the condition of Repentance expressed in the Gospell Then II. They come humbly unto CHRIST desiring that hee would be pleased to mediate and intercede unto his Father in their behalfe and to reconcile him unto them And III. They accept of the conditions which the Gospell requires that is they promise unto God that if he will give them an interest into Christ and for his sake make good the promises of the Gospell unto them that they will repeat them of their sinnes by-past and labour to obey him for the time to come and expect salvation onely from him Then IV. They come unto the holy Eucharist as a symboll and confirmation of all these
be Answ 4 not directly expressed as an use of this Sacrament yet it may be collected I. From the covenant of mercy which God in Christ makes with the faithfull And II. From their union and communion with CHRIST Who is fit to receive the Lords Supper Quest 28 He who is carefull aright to prepare himselfe Answ How must we prepare our selves or how may Quest 29 we be made worthy receivers There is a double preparation Answ and a double worthinesse viz I. A generall preparation and a worthinesse of the person II. A particular preparation and a worthinesse of the action First there is a generall preparation and a worthinesse of the person without any relation to the Sacrament For no man hath right unto divine and spirituall things except he be a man of GOD. Quest 30 Wherein doth this general preparation and worthinesse of the person consist Answ 1 First in Repentance wherein there are two things namely Is A purpose of repentance which consists First in a knowledge and acknowledgment of our sinnes for we must labour to see our sinnes and then learne to confesse them unto God Luke 1.75 Rom. 2.25 Iam. 1. Answ 2 Secondly in a condemning of our sinnes and by-past errours Thirdly in a promising and vowing of better things for the time to come II. The Practise of repentance which consists First in Mortification and a dying unto sinne 1 Cor. 9.27 Hebr. 12.14 Colos 3 5 8. Secondly in Vivification and a living unto God the life of faith and grace and new obedience 1 Tim. 6 18 Titus 3.14 Rom. 6 19. Galath 5.22 and 2 Peter 1.6 and Ephes 4. 22. c. unto 5.10 Thirdly in a constant custome and use of both these all the dayes of our lives that is so long as we live we must be carefull to eschew whatsoever is evill and to doe whatsoever is good and to abound therein Galath 5 6. Secondly this generall preparation and worthinesse of the person consists in Faith Reade Iohn 6.47 48. Galath 2 20. Ephes 3.17 For without faâ—th nothing is pleasing unto God Hebr. 11.6 Now three things are required in this Faith to wit I. A knowledge of the promises of the Gospell which comes by hearing of the word Rom. 10.17 And therefore the Saints must be carefull in hearing and reading the Legacies which God hath left them in his Will and Testament II. A beliefe in the promises when we know what the Lord promises unto us then we must beleeve his promises Hebr. 12.6 III. An application of these promises unto our selves for the two former are to be found in divels but not this The evill spirits know what promises God hath made in his word and they beleeve them to be true but they cannot apply them unto themselves And therefore the children of God must never rest untill they can lay hold upon the promises and apply them unto themselves Here observe that there are two sorts of men who apply the promises unto themselves viz. First some without any ground or foundation at all onely out of a bold and blind presumption This is to be taken heed off as a thing of greatest perill Secondly some from a true solide and warantable foundation namely I. Because the Spirit of God witnesseth unto their hearts that they are the members of Christ and the children of God Rom. 8.15 16. Gal. 4.6 II. Because they shew forth the fruits of repentance and conversion in their lives and conversations serving God in sincerity though not perfectly For the tree is knowne by his fruits and by the fruits of the Spirit Galath 5.22 the testimony and evidence of the Spirit is knowne to be true To whom may these two parts of this generall Quest 31 preparation and worthinesse of the person be fitly applied First they may be applied to the Prophane person Answ 1 who from them may leâ—rne three things viz. I. They hence may see themselves to be miserable and that First by confessing and acknowledging of their sinnes Proverb 28.13 and 1 Cor. 11.31 and 1 Iohn 1.9 Secondly by respecting and looking unto the end of sinne namely eternall death and condemnation Psal 9.17 Esa 2.19 Luke 23 30 Rom. 2.4 1 12. and 6 24. and 1 Cor. 6.9 Hebr. 10.31 and 12 29. Revelat. 6.16 Thirdly by trembling and quaking throgh the danger they have brought themselves in by reason of their sinnes yea if a wicked man could but see the sword of vengeance which hangs over his head he would then certainly feare and tremble exceedingly 2 Cor. 7.9 10. II. When they are brought into this feare or danger then let them come unto CHRIST and that First humbly and with dejection like Nehemia Chapt. 9. and Daniel 9. and the prodigall child who blashed and were ashamed by reason of their transgressions Secondly they must pray fervently from their hearts desiring the intercession of Christ and the participation of his blood Thirdly they must then hope in his helpe and mercy 1 Iohn 2.1 For he who is truely ashamed and confounded for his sinnes and prayes frequently and fervently that CHRIST would be graciously pleased to mediate and intercede unto God his Father for him to wash him with his most precious blood and to reconcile him unto himselfe in and through CHRIST may confidently hope to find favour at Gods hands according to his most gracious promises And III. Then they must come unto this holy Sacrament as a seale of their repentance and Gods mercy but of this afterwards Secondly these parts of the generall preparation may be applied to the Morall man who from hence may learne two things namely I. To condemne and renounce his owne righteousnesse Now hereunto three things are required of them to wit First they must know and acknowledge that they may doe some good workes but they can doe none well Matth. 6.2 5 6. Luke 18.14 Because they are as yet without CHRIST Secondly they must know that their workes are not in CHRIST nor performed in faith nor such as are wrought by the faithfull and spirituall man Here observe a foure-fold difference betweene the workes of the Morall and Spirituall man I. They differ Origine in the very beginning For First the workes of the Morall man proceeds either from nature or reason or the example of some or from judgement approving such or such a thing to be good But Secondly the workes of the Spirituall man proceed from the internall motion of the Spirit of God against which nature rebels and struggles Rom. 7.23 Gal. 5.17 II. They differ Fine in the end For First the workes of the Morall man are done hypocritically and for vaine glory or else for customes sake or tradition or the pleasing of men or the like base and by-ends But Secondly the workes of the Spirituall man are wrought either out of a desire to glorifie God thereby or to approve our faith or at least out of a necessity of obedience which we owe unto God Ephes 2.10 and 1 Pet.
but principally those that are infirme and weake and it becomes every particular person to acknowledge his infirmities and consequently to avoid all the occasions of sinne Secondly examine what thou dost by the rule of Charity and here three things are to be enquired into First Vtrum ad perniciem will not this which thou dost tend to the destruction of thy brothers soule Dost thou not lay a stumbling blocke in his way i Rom. 14.13 and so become the occasioner of his fall k 1 Cor. 8.9.10 Thou knowest or at least thinkest that to be lawfull which thou dost but another is not certaine that it is lawfull and yet doth it because of thy example whence thou becomest a murderer unto thy brother l Rom. 14.15 1 Cor. 8.11 Secondly examine utrum ad scandalum will not this which thou dost offend thy brother This thou must be very carefull of To give no offence either to the Iew or to the Greeke or to the Church of God m 1 Cor. 10.32 â— last vers and Rom. 14.20 Thirdly Vtrum ad daâ—â—â—um will not this which thou dost tend to thy brothers damage and losse A man must not burne his own house that his neighbours may be fired also Thirdly examine what thou dost by the law of Decency whether it becomes thee to doe it or not either in regard of thy person or place As for example First doth it beseeme thee as thou art a Christian and a professor of the Gospell Stems sprung from princely stockes should not beare any base fruit Kings Sonnes should not like poore boyes take in the Chanells and true Christians who are the children of God should not doe any base or unbeseeming thing applying themselves to gather the thicke clay of this world together but should have their affections heightned and exalted unto heavenly things Secondly doth that which thou dost become thee as thou art a Magistrate thou art called to governe others and therefore thou must be magnanimous grave and unblameable Thirdly or as thou a Pastour sound doctrine becomes such and not fables or needlesse trifles Fourthly or as thou art a Father of a family thou governest privately others and therefore thou must so governe thy selfe that thou give no evill example to thy Children or Servants Fiftly or as thou art a wife a child or a servant thou must be subject and obedient Sixtly or as thou art an old man thou must be an example of gravity sobriety and piety unto others and not waâ—â—on or light or vaine making thy selfe by that meanes either a reproach or a laughing stocke unto others Whosoever in that which he doth transgresseth either the law of Charity Faith or Decency is condemned by the Apostle Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. Object Some here object if circumstances may make a good thing evill then a good intention will justifie an evill action by the rule of contraries for contrarierum cadem est ratio Answ The reason here is not alike as appeares thus First a pari from the like instance the touch of a polluted thing under the leviticall law polluted the toucher but the touch of a sanctifyed or holy thing did not sanctifie the person touching it b Hag. 2.13 Secondly retione by this reason because Bonum a good thing is a positive word not a comparative and therefore is to bee predicated absolutely not relatively or comparatively but Malum an evill thing is a privative word contradictory to BonuÌ„ good BonuÌ„ quod omniuâ— bonuÌ„ at Malum quod aliquà parte malum that is called good which is altogether in every respect good but that is called evill which is in any regard or in any part thereof evill as for example that is called wholsome which is altogether such but that is called unwholsome which is so only in part A spoonefull of poyson wil spoyle and infect a whole flaggon of wine but a spoonefull of wine will not purge from all infection and harme a pot of poyson yea whether wine be powred into the poyson or poyson into the wine both are alike mortall Thus wee have seene how that Christ would not turne stones into bread because hee would not obey or beleeve the Counseller the devill as also because that which was lawfull in generall might prove sinfull in the circumstances I proceede therefore to the next Christ would not change stones into bread because hee was not led aside of the Spirit in the wildernesse to worke miracles he had a calling to helpe others by his miracles but not himselfe in this place to teach us that wee must not undertake or enterprise any thing without a calling but of this befor and therefore I omit it comming unto the last particular which is this Christ would not command the stones to bee made bread because Sathan and his hunger was to be overcome by patience and quiet suffering not by signes and miracles c Chrysost sup teaching us hereby Observ 3 to depend upon the ordinarie meanes not upon miracles or in those things wherein we are destitute of ordinary meanes we must be patient and contented because this is the object of patience Quest 7 Why may we not have recourse to indirect meanes when direct and lawfull are wanting for the relieving of our necessity and supplying of our wants Answ 1 First because it is the decree of God thus to try thee nothing can come into thee without the divine and speciall providence of God and therefore thou must doe as David did who durst not avenge himselfe upon Shemei because God bad him curse and revile him d 2 Sam. 16.10 remembring also that thou art called to suffer e Phil. 1 2â— and therefore thou must not labour to remove away thy sufferings by unlawfull meanes Answ 2 Secondly because the use of the meanes altereth nothing the neglect of lawfull meanes accuseth thee but it doth not change the decree of God f Acts. 3 1â— And therefore seeing wee cannot resist the will of God or make void his immutable decree by any thing we doe wee should not at any time or upon any occasion fly unto the use of unlawfull meanes Thirdly we are never destitute of lawfull Answ 3 meanes and therfore never should use unlawfull to say that in our necessities dangers distresses and streights we are deprived of lawfull meanes were to say that God were unfaithfull in his promises who hath said I will never faâ—le thee I will never forsake thee and therefore this is not so much as to be whispered For the confirming of the truth of this answer observe that in all our necessities we have a double helpe or meanes to use and fly unto for succour First fasting and prayer which is a very forcible and effectuall remedy against either temporall or spirituall dangers and evils Secondly hope of the divine ayd and assistance of God and that both in rewarding thy sufferings hereafter and in enabling thee here to
not the whole Law as of swearing vers 33. unto 38. Thirdly it was not given unto them as of revenge vers 38. unto 43. Directly by adding unto the Law as of love and hatred vers 43. c. unto the end of the chapter Second is of the practice of piety where Christ followes a double method namely First hee condemns the evill examples of hypocrites in Almes-giving chap. 6.1 unto vers 5. Prayer where he blames in them two things Boasting 6.5.6 Battologie 6.7 unto 16. Fasting 6.16 unto vers 19. Secondly he layes down the good precepts which are to be observed viz. First wordly care is to be avoided 6.19 c. unto the end Secondly our brethren are not to be judged 7.1 unto vers 6. Thirdly holy things are not to be prophaned 7.6 Fourthly prayer is confidently to be made 7.7 unto vers 13. Fifthly holines is industriously to be followed 7.13 unto 24. The generall Tractate concerning the law hath 3. parts to wit the Proposition which is partly Negative wherein may be observed The phrase Thinke not yee The thing that I am come to destroy the law Affirmative wherein are two things The affirmation Not to destroy but to fulfil The confirmation where two things are observeable The phrase of asseveration verily The certainty wher are The time until heaven c. The universality Not one jot which is meant of precepts Al shal be fulfilled which is meant of punishmēts Generall conclusion unto all men whosoever shall Breake vers 19 Keepe vers 19 Particular application unto the Apostles vers 20. Sect. 1 § 1. I came not to destroy the Law c. Wee have in these words two things to observe The occasion of them The scope wherein there is two parts the First Negative wherein are The phrase The thing it selfe Second Affirmative Quest First why and upon what occasion doth Christ speake these words Answ 1 First to confute the Pharisees who might have accused him first for an Innovator Secondly for a Doctour of liberty because many did suspect that he was contrary to the Law Both by his Doctrine because 1. he taught not as the Scribes q Math. 7.29 2. He condemned their traditions Math. 15 9. c. and chap. 23. 3. The legall lotions and purifications and ceremonies he contemned and despised Math. 15.2 And therefore by these things they thought that he was no friend unto the Law Conversation because first he was very seldome amongst the Pharisees and Princes of the Jewes Secondly often amongst the Publicans and Harlots Answ 2 Secondly these words were here added by Christ to confirme the Doctrine which he had a little before taught unto his Apostles For they might now have objected unto Christ What necessity is there to let our light shine before men if now thou put an end to the old law To this our Saviour answers I ca◠not to destroy the law in which answer he implies two things viz. First that he was no Innovator neither went about to bring in any new thing but only to fulfill those things which were fore-told by Moses and the Prophets r Luk. 24.27.44 Secondly that hee went not about to loose the raines of liberty by making void any part of the morall Law And therfore the Ministers of the Word should so preach that it may appeare they neither 1. affect novelties for there is no new thing in the true observation of the Law Nor 2. give any liberty or leave to sinne or licentiousnesse at all § 2. Secondly we now consider the phrase Sect. 2 here used by our Saviour Thinke not yee with your selves Quest 1 When doth Christ use this phrase of speech and why here Answ It is not an usuall speech with Christ but used by him onely when and where he condemnes the opinions of others Thus hee speakes unto the Jewes Thinke not yee that I will accuse you to the Father ſ John 5.45 And thus Saint Paul speakes unto the Corinthians Let no man thinke me a foole t 2 Cor. 11.16 And so in this verse Thinke not ye that I come to destroy the Law c. As if our Saviour would say I know that there are many foolish opinions broached against the Law of God but Nevos putate Think not you c. In which phrase he implyes that amongst men there are many things held amisse concerning the Law of God Quest 2 What errours have beene set a foot about the Law Answ 1 First some have rejected and condemned all Scripture whatsoever as the Mirabiliarii the Enthusiastes and the Anabaptists Danaeus de Haeres Answ 2 Secondly some reject the old Testament the Law and the Prophets because to them they seeme contrary to the Gospel thus the Cerdonians Danaeus 62. and the Marcionites who condemne the whole Old Testament Danaeus 66. as doe also the Appellites 69. and the Severians Tacians and Manichees Danaeus 71. Answ 3 Thirdly some slight the Decalogue or ten Commandements thus did Simon Magus Danaeus ex Epiphanio and the Cainani Danaeus 55. and the Manichees who call it a killing Letter Senensis 78.2 c. yea an unjust and cruell Law Senens 452.2 c. Answ 4 Fourthly some wholly neglect the workes of piety commanded in the Law and for this cause have hated the law because it requires holinesse thus the Origenists reject all the Books both of the Old and New Testament which reprove and condemne filthinesse and uncleannesse Danaeus 115. thus the Montanists slight the Law because they would have none compelled to live well Danaeus 194. And some have given reasons for the strengthning of this opinion namely first because the soule is not polluted by sinne but onely the body thus the Simonians and the Gnosticks Danaeus 6. Secondly because we are saved by grace and therefore it is lawfull to sinne if so be wee doe but beleeve Rom. 6.1 thus the Basilidians and Gnosticks and Simon Magus and Saturnians and Manichees and Aetians and Eunomians and hence the Corpocratians taught uncleanenesse and the Valentinians derided all goodnesse Now lest some should thinke that I revive and give new life to old forgotten and forsaken Heresies it will not be amisse to observe in a word that there are many such as these even at this day who thinke it is lawfull for them to sinne because where there is no Law there is no sin Rom. 4.15 and therefore they reject the Law Senens 79. The Libertines teach that all sins are lawfull and therefore they plainly reject the Old Testament Prateolus ex Lindano 254. è Calvino contra libertinos Teaching us that the wisdome and opinions of the flesh doe easily oppose themselves to the Law and Commandements of God Observ Why is carnall wisedome so prone to contradict Quest 3 the pure and holy Law of God First because it is not subject to the will of Answ 1 God and therefore doth oppose it The carnall minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the
one of these Cōmandements he doth by and by adde Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven signifying hereby that this righteousnesse of the law did farre exceede and excell that righteousnesse which the Pharises did exercise and commend as most perfect Secondly the reason why the Cardinall perswades Answ 2 himselfe that this is an Evangelicall promise is because it comprehends the Kingdome of heaven But this is nothing for by the kingdome of heaven is meant life eternall as all grant And life eternall was propounded and promised to legall righteousnesse as the Papists themselves confesse Wherefore what should hinder why wee may not say that the kingdome of heaven is propounded and promised to legall righteousnesse I confesse that this kingdome is in some sort proper to the Gospel namely in a double regard First because the plaine and direct name is in the Gospel not in the law this phrase The kingdome of heaven being frequent in the New Testament but not found in the Old Secondly because this kingdome of heaven is obtained by the Gospel not by the law Now if these two regards should make the kingdome of heaven not to belong unto the law the same would make life eternall not to belong unto the law which is absurd Thirdly although wee should grant that this Answ 3 is an Evangelicall promise not a legall yet the argument is idle because it doth not prove the antecedent condition of workes which is the thing in question but the consequent that is that good workes doe not goe before as meritorious causes of justification and salvation but followe after as fruits of sanctification Fourthly the last words of the Jesuites objection Answ 4 are as false as the rest for this consequent righteousnesse is not placed in a perfect observation of the Commandements of God for this would destroy the remission of sinnes If wee could perfectly fulfill the law then wee needed no pardon but this is grossely absurd and false as shall else-where be shewed y Chamier tom fol. 521. de neces oper lib. 15. cap. 5. Sect. 3. 4. 5. 6. § 2. Your except your righteousnesse c. Why doth our Saviour adde this word Your Because righteousnesse is not acceptable before God except it be Ours we cannot bee helped by another mans righteousnesse but every Sect. 2 one must be saved by his owne faith Rom. 10. How then are wee saved by the merits of Quest 1 Christ Answ Because they are Ours as appeares thus Answ first Quest 2 they were done for us Christ fulfilled the law and performed whatsoever his father required of him and that for us Secondly faith applies Christs active and passive obedience to us yea Christ himselfe unto us and with him all things z Rom. 8 3◠Thirdly faith purgeth and sanctifieth or leadeth unto puritie and sanctitie thus saith the Apostle God put no difference betwixt us and them purging and purifying our hearts by faith a Acts 15.9 and Saint Iohn saith hee that hopes to be saved by Christ will purge himselfe even as hee is pure b 1 Iohn 3.3 And thus the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us and applied unto us and so made Ours Quest 3 What may wee thinke of Supererogatory merits and Church treasure doth not that availe others and please God yea satisfie his justice in the behalfe of others Answ This is false and ridiculous For first a man cannot save his owne soule by his owne workes much lesse then save his brother by his overplus Secondly no man can doe more then hee ought to doe for himselfe and therefore none can have any overplus of workes wherby others may be bettered Thirdly the Scripture plainely affirmes that to redeeme a brother from death or to save a soule is too great a worke for man and must be left wholy unto the Lord who onely can doe it and therefore although a man could satisfie for himselfe yet hee could not for another by his merite Quest 4 The Papists here demand why our brothers merits may not as well be applied unto us as the merits of Christ are Answ 1 First this is little better then blasphemy thus to compare God and man together for God owes nothing unto man and therefore may give communicate unto him what he pleases but every mans owes all he can doe and more unto God and therefore hath no good workes or merits to impart unto his brother Answ 2 Secondly Faith apprehends the merits of Christ and makes it ours but what faith can we have in our brothers workes or merits faith is built upon the promises but where have wee any promise that by other mens workes of supererogation we shall be saved A Papist with his mony may buy of the Priests some of this Church treasure but he can never by faith enformed and founded upon the word of God be assured that it will availe him at all Answ 3 Thirdly Christ was given unto us for a Mediator now how injurious is it to the office of Christ to make our brother our Mediatour unto God that he would accept the overplus of their merits for us Sect. 3 § 3. Righteousnesse except your righteousnesse This place is alleadged by one of the present pillers of our Church against Popish equivocation Argum. That doctrine which is lesse honest then the doctrine of Pagans is intollerable among Christians But Jesuiticall equivocating is lesse honest then the doctrine of Infidels and Pagans Therefore ought to bee esteemed abhominable among Christians The Major proposition is taught by our Saviour in this verse Except your righteousnesse doe exceede c. shewing where there is more knowledge of Christ there the profession must be more honest And Saint Paul saith expressly There is such fornication among you as is not among the heathen c 1 Cor. 5.1 Concluding that it is blasphemy against God for a Christian to bee more vile in life then a Pagan The Minor is proved from the Jesuit Eman. Sà Ies Aphor. Tit. Iuramentum who telleth us that some of the Papists hold that a prisoner unjustly detained in prison if upon his oath he be licenced to goe forth is bound according to his oath to returne againe except hee bee absolved from his oath by a Bishop This is an oath without equivocation but our Equivocators thinke their equivocation in making an oath better and of more power then any Bishop to free them from perjurie in an oath esteeming it as good as no oath wherein they use their Reservation when as yet the very infidels in respect of their naturall knowledge of God kept better fidelity among men If any desire an example or further proofe of this I referre him to Bishop Mortons confutation of Equivocation Chap. 17. part 3. fol. 89. Sect. 4 § 4. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse c. Quest 1 What doth our Saviour condemne in the Pharisees
are made e Staplet Ibid. And therefore it followes not that because Christ is a Law-giver therefore he must make new lawes disanulling or opposing the old Secondly Christ saith Ego dicâ— I say not as Arg. 2 the Prophets were wont to doe Haec dicit Dominus Thus sayth the Lord and therefore Christ here opposeth himself to the law of God The reason why Christ sayth I say Answ is not because hee speakes contrary to that which his Father had spoken formerly by his Prophets but because whatsoever he speaks from the Father he speakes from himselfe which the Prophets did not Propheta ad conservos Christus ad serâ—os f Chrysost sup Christ as a Lord speakes unto his servants and therefore saith I say unto you the Prophets as the servants of the Lord speake unto their fellow servants in the Lord and therefore say thus saith the Lord. Thirdly Stapleton proves this from examples Christ saith he addes new Lawes and therefore Arg. 3 he opposeth the Law of God he proves the proposition thus First Christ saith thou shalt not sweare at all vers 34. I answer it was never lawfull or allowable by Answ 1 the Law of God to sweare by those things which Christ reproves wherefore this was no new Law Secondly Christ teacheth that Divorce is never lawfull but for adultery or fornication vers 32. I answer this was an old Law and no new one Our Saviour himselfe saying that from Answ 2 the beginning it was not allowed for a man upon every occasion to put away his wife g Matth. 19.8 Thirdly Christ teacheth us under the Gospel to love our enemies vers 44. Answ 3 This was an ancient law If saith the Lord thou meet not thy friends but thy enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt surely bring it backe to him againe h Exod. 23.4 Now none can deny but this instance doth plainely imply and injoyne love to our enemies But if any be so blind that they cannot see it or so obstinate that they will not acknowledge that it may hence bee deduced or proved that wee ought to love our enemies let him listen then to the wise man If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eate and if bee bee thirsty give him water to drinke c i Pro. 25.21 And therefore that addition which our Saviour speakes of vers 44. Thou shalt hate thine enemy is a falsification of the Pharisees as shall bee shewed afterwards and was never injoyned by the Law of God Fourthly Christ teacheth us to love our brethren and calleth it his Commandement John 14.15.21 and 15.10.12.17 and John 13.34 and Saint Paul cals it the Law of Christ Galat. 6.2 Answ 4 This was no new commandement but an old given in the Old Testament David expresly commends and implicitly commands this brotherly love Oh how good and joyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in amity and unity Psal 133. c. Yea our Saviour saith the one halfe of the Law is to love our neighbour as our selfe Mat. 22.49 which words are taken from Lev. 19.18 And therefore I may safely those rubbes removed out of the way conclude this question that certainely Christ doth not here oppose himselfe to the Law of God but to the expositions of the Pharisees Quest 2 Why did not Christ who was the true Messias ordaine new Lawes for those to walke by who were under the Gospell Answ 1 First because the Law of God was perfect Psal 19.7 and wonderfull 119.129 and spirituall Rom. 7. extending it selfe to the inward man as well as the outward for it forbids coveteousnesse and condemnes the internall concupiscence of the heart in the tenth Commandement God is to be worshipped in spirit and with spirituall worship Joh. 4.24 this also the Law commands Salomon perswades us to give God our hearts Prov. 23.26 and Moses to love and serve God with all our hearts and with all our souls Deut. 6.5 And therefore there was no need of a new Law the old being such as hath beene said Secondly whatsoever Christ taught or desired Answ 2 to teach to his Apostles and Disciples and to all his dispersed through the whole world was included prescribed and laid down in the Law and therefore there was no necessity of framing new Commandements We read of three principal Lawes which Christ commends unto all that are under the Gospell the first is to keepe the Commandements Mat. 19.17 Now this is injoyned in the Old Testament The second is to love the brethren or our brethren this also was commanded in the Law The third is to believe in Christ but this is the Commandement of the Father k 1 Ioh. 3.23 § 2. But I say unto you The scope of Christ Sect. 2 in this place is to oppose his true opinion to the opinion of antiquity and he doth not endeavour to prove this from the best most learned or most ancient Rabbines but onely from his word that he might teach us Observ that the onely fountaine of truth is in his word Christ doth not say It was said of old thou shalt not kill c. but Rabbi Salomon or Ben-Ezra doth not say so But I say unto you that hence wee might learne that the true tryall of antiquity is in the Holy Scriptures and therefore wee are commanded to search them Ioh. 5.39 to repaire to them Esa 8.20 because by them we are regenerated 1 Pet. 1.23 from them we have faith Rom. 10.17 yea they are able to make us perfect l 2 Tim. 3 16. The Church is our Mother therefore shee must be subject to God our Father for the wife ought to be so unto the husband and hence Saint Paul would have us to wave the opinion of an Angell rather then of the word of God m Gal. 1.8 much more then of a Father who is subject to errour as was shewed in the former verse Is there no use at all to be made of Antiquity Quest or of the opinions workes and writings of the Fathers and Ancients First in generall the true use of the Ancients Answ 1 is not to establish a new way unto heaven but to facilitate the old not to teach new opinions but to expound and explaine the ancient truths which are couched in holy writ Secondly more particularly the true use of Answ 2 the Fathers and ancient writers consists In these 4. things to wit First in the exposition of the Scriptures which is twofold namely either Positive as for example this exposition of Scripture is true because the Fathers so interpreted it This followes not Privative this exposition is false because none of the Fathers so give it here observe two things namely First this is no certaine or generall rule because often all the Fathers of some one time or for a long time have been mistaken as was shewed in the former verse in the exposition of Gen. 6.2 and 2 Cor. 4.4 Secondly this is
1 Cor. 7.5 Therefore if the wife will not consent her husband cannot goe from her nay though there be consent yet they must be separated but for a time lesâ— the Divell should tempt them Whether may the guiltlesse partie being lawfully Quest 6 divorced marry againe during the life of the adulterous or not For no other cause in the world Answ but onely for fornication may there be either a finall separation or cleane dissolution of marriage by way of divorce But for that cause our Saviour hath granted liberty both to dissolve matrimonie and to marry againe Because this is questioned or rather plainely denyed by the Papist I will first confirme it and then answer what they can object against it Our proposition is this In the case of fornication it is not unlawfull to marry againe that is those who are lawfully divorced for fornication and adultery may marry againe with others but never one with another The truth hereof appeares thus First the bond is broken they are not now one flesh d Hier. s and therefore may lawfully contract marriage with others Secondly because under the Law divorce was never without liberty of a new choise Deut. 24.1 2. all that were divorced had freedome to marry againe and therefore in a lawfull divorce this is not debarred under the Gospel Thirdly because otherwise the guiltlesse party should be punished and that grievously It is better to marry than to burne saith the Apostle thereby shewing that marriage is left us by God as a remedy against lust now if the guiltlesse party could not containe neither might marry another neither take her unto him who hath beene divorced Deut. 24.4 then he were necessitated to sinne which the Lord never doth unto any by any law Fourthly we might confirme this from the Fathers Ambros Tertul. 2. From the Councels Concil Mogunt Triburiens 3. From the consent of many Bishops in Origens time 4. From the opinion of the Papists Zach. Papa Cajetan Ambros Compsa 5. Of our men Pet. Mart. 2.10 § 37 38 58. But this I omit comming to the last and best proof Fifthly that it is lawfull for the guiltlesse partie to marry for I now meddle not with the guilty appeares plainly from our Saviours words in this verse and Mat. 19.7 8 9. Whosoever putteth away his wife except it be for fornication committeth adultery Therefore for fornication it is lawfull for a man to dismisse his wife Matth. 19.9 Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for wheredome and marry another committeth adultery Therefore for adultery it is lawfull for the man both to put away and renounce his wife and the wife likewise her husband there being the like reason for both and for them to marry againe The Papists hold that married persons may dismisse one another for adultery but neither party may marry againe for any cause during life And because they are sore pressed with this place they object many things both against the place and point by us propounded Object 2 First Durand answereth that when Christ uttered these words the Law of the Jewes was that the adulterous woman should bee put to death and so the husband might have liberty to marry againe Bellarmine overthroweth this answer by a three-fold reason to wit Answ First because Christ here giveth a rule not onely to the Jewes but to all Christians not being ignorant how that in every Nation the law of putting the adultresse to death should not be in force Secondly Christ might as well have excepted other crimes that were punished by death as murder and the like that in those cases they might marrry againe because by the Law their wives were to die as well as in the case of fornication Thirdly Christ speaketh of dismission but properly the wife is not said to bee dismissed when she is put to death And therefore Christ is not thus here to be understood Secondly Bellarmine would have the exception Object 3 except it be for fornication restrained to the first clause in this sense Hee that putteth away his wife which is not lawfull to doe but for fornication so that the crime of fornication maketh it lawfull to dismisse but not after dismission to marry againe First the Jesuite is here contrary unto himselfe Answ 1 for he elsewhere alloweth a separation of matrimony in other cases as of heresie infidelity and vow of continencie but here he saith that separation and dismission is to be made in the case of fornication onely Secondly Christs answer had not satisfied if Answ 2 he had spoken onely of divorce and not of liberty to marry againe for the Pharisees moved the question concerning the manner of divorce permitted by Moses Law after the which it was lawfull for them to marry againe And therefore it was expected that our Savior should answer to both these points both in what cases they might dismisse their wives and marry agaâ—ne Thirdly the Apostle saith If a woman depart Object 4 from her husband let her abide unmarried or bee reconciled 1 Cor. 7.10 11. Therefore it is not lawfull after divorce to marry so long as both parties live The Apostle speakes not there of a lawfull departure or separation to wit Answ by reason of fornication and adultery for then he should diametrally have opposed his Master Christ saying here for adultery there may be a divorce and departure Paul there I command no discedat let not the wife depart from her husband but of a separation for Religions sake or for afflictions or for the cares of those times § 7. Causeth her to commit adultery Sect. 7 How Quest or how many wayes is that Divorce which is not for fornication an occasion of adultery First if she which is divorced being deprived Answ 1 of the company of her husband is not able to containe her selfe but falls unto whoredome her divorce is an occasion of adultery unto her for the separation not being lawfull the bond of matrimony is not broken wherefore her whoredome is adultery Secondly if she which is thus unlawfully Answ 2 that is not for fornication separated marry another husband she commits adultery because she is yet the former mans wife and thus also her divorce is an occasion of adultery Thirdly hee who marries a woman that is Answ 3 thus unlawfully separated from her husband commits adultery because he coupleth himselfe with another mans wife and thus this divorce is unto him an occasion of adultery Fourthly he who puts away his wife but not for fornication and joynes himselfe in marriage Answ 4 unto another doth commit adultery because he is yet the former womans husband and causeth her whom he secondly marries to commit adulterie because shee lyeth with another womans husband And thus we see how an unlawful separation is the cause of much mischiefe Sect. 8 and root of many evils and therefore is carefully to be avoided f Chem. Harm fol 569. fine Object § 8. Whosoever shall marry
against God or Man shall none therefore enjoy this kingdome of God Answer There are three sorts of sinners namely First proud malicious obstinate and wilfull sinners who sinne against God with an high stiffe and a brazen face and a hand neck and an Adamant heart Secondly sleepy and secure sinners who although they sinne daily yet they lull themselves asleepe with the divels lullaby unto Eve thou shalt not die at all and thus through a bald and blind presumption and perswasion shake of all feare of punishment Thirdly there are humble and contrite sinners who sinne and sigh for their sins yea pray unto God with teares in their eyes and sob in their soule for the pardon of their sinnes These sinners and these onely shall be saved but the other who wilfully willingly and wittingly remaine in their sinnes shall never be made partakers of the kingdome of God or of Christ This appeares thus I. It is the condition of comming unto him to be holy and righteous in life to him who orders his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of the Lord Psal 50.23 And therfore those who are wicked and so remaine can never be saved II. Wicked men are not acceptable unto God but rather an abomination unto him y Psalme 1.5 and 5.5 And therefore he being the King and only giver and disposer of this kingdome will never give it unto those whom he hates III. Christ the authour of salvation is not acceptable unto them they thinke his yoake heavie and his saying hard John 6.60 and they neither can endure nor will submit unto his behests For First sinne is sweet and pleasant unto them and they will not leave it though Christ bid Secondly to professe Christ openly and to deny themselves is as bad as death it selfe and therefore they will not yeeld thereunto Thirdly Christ requires that they should blame and condemne their former wicked life this they are ashamed to doe and therefore refuse it Wherefore Christ the corner stone being unto them a stone of offence they must needes perish For hee will be a Saviour unto none but onely to those unto whom he was a King Section 5 § 5. And his righteousnesse or the righteousnesse thereof Question 1 What is the meaning of these words Answer Righteousnesse may bee referred either unto God or Kingdome Why is it called the righteousnesse of the Question 2 Kingdome Answer 1 First because this righteousnesse belongs only unto the children of the Kingdom that is none but the heires of heaven can shew forth this righteousnesse Secondly because righteousnesse is the Answer 2 way that leades unto this kingdome for there is a double kingdome of God namely I. Of glory in heaven this all men desire II. Of grace on earth this few desire this kingdome must bee within us a Luke 17.21 before ever we can bee made partakers of the other Why is it called the righteousnesse of Question 3 God First some by righteousnesse understand Answer 1 the righteousnesse of faith to be here meant and then the reasons of this denomination are these to wit I. Because it is freely given us of God to be our righteousnesse before him and man by any workes of nature cannot attaine unto it II. Because God will accept this obedience of Christs at the day of judgement for his elect as satisfying his justice and the rigour of the law which no righteousnesse of man can doe III. Because it is the righteousnesse of that person which is God for Christ is both God and man and though hee obeyed the law and suffered death as he was man yet that obedience was performed by that person who was also God Secondly some understand this of the Answer 2 righteousnesse of the life and conversation and as was said before I rather take this to bee the truth and the reasons why it is called the righteousnesse of God are these namely I. Because it is commanded prescribed and injoyned by God II. Because by this righteousnesse we imitate our God 1 Pet. 1.14 15 17. III. Because this righteousnesse leades unto God § 6. And all these things Section 6 What is meant here by all things Question 1 First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things is not to Answer 1 be understood Completivè sed distributivè of every particular and numericall temporall blessings but of all sorts of needfull things yea it is not to be extended unto the great things of this life but onely unto foode and raiment and necessary things Reade verse 25.31 of this Chapter and Proverbes 30.8 and 1 Tim. 6.8 Secondly the indefinite phrase all Answer 2 things doth shew that God is ready and prepared to give us all things whatsoever wee stand in neeede of Question 2 What may we learne from this bounty of the Lord Answer The consideration of this bounty may teach us these things namely First to beware of sinne whereby wee doe displease and offend our God Secondly to depend wholy upon God both for foode rayment and protection in the sober use of lawfull meanes Thirdly to seeke for the helpe and succour from God in all distresse want who is very bountifull Jam. 1.5 Fourthly to love so bountifull a God and to inforce our hearts to all duties and expressions of love towards him Fifthly to bee thankefull unto God for all the good things we enjoy for whatsoever wee have comes from his bountie Psal 116.12.13 Sixthly labour continually in heart and life to walke worthy of God and to please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes Colos 1.10 b Perkins sup Question 3 What is the summe of this promise made here by our Saviour Answer That the children of this kingdome righteous and holy men Observat shall lacke nothing that is good for them Reade for the proofe hereof Psal 23.1 and 34.8 c. and 37.3.22 Proverbs 10.6.7.8 For the better understanding of this answer observe these three things namely Note 1 First that there are three sorts of good things Temporall Spirituall and Eternall our Saviour here speakes onely of the first and therefore I speake not here any thing of the rest Note 2 Secondly that the Lord hath alwaies in a readinesse to give his children whatsoever they want although he doe not alwaies give assoone as ever they stand in neede Oh how great saith David is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee c Psal 31.19 reposuisti that is God hath treasures alwaies laid up for his children although they doe not alwayes actually possesse them Note 3 Thirdly good things are given two manner of waies by God namely I. Generally and Permissively and thus hee gives good temporall blessings to the wicked II. Ex beneplacito out of love or as arguments and pledges of his favour and thus hee gives good things to the righteous And of these the text speakes Obiection 1 It is here against the former answer objected that David
2 Tim. 1.9 It was not given Contra justum Answer for the Apostle there speakes of the threatnings curses and comminations of the Law which were not denounced against the righteous But charity and love sufficeth without works Object 3 And therefore they are needlesse Certainely it is most true that love sufficeth for it is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 But First Answer not fained love which consists in words only but that which is in deed and in truth 1. Iohn 3.18 Secondly not a pretended love unto Christ in his owne person but a love extended also unto his members Matth. 25.45 Thirdly we cannot love Christ except we obey him If you love me saith Christ keepe my Commandements Iohn 14.15 where we see that according to our Saviour himselfe there can be no true love of him without obedience to the Commandements of God Quest 3 Is this the whole scope of the Law to doe to others as we would they should doe unto us that our Saviour here saith This is the Law and the Prophets Answer CHRIST reprehends the Pharises that hee may reduce them the better from their superstition For first they placed the marrow of the Law in ceremonies as in their Phylacteries and the observation of the Traditions of the Elders and the like (h) Mat. 23.5.23 15.2.9 Luke 16.14 Secondly in the meane time they neglected judgement and the workes of the Law Math. 23.1.23 Thirdly hence the Prophets call them from Ceremonies Esay 1.11 and 58.1.2 Amos 5.22 Deut. 10.16 and 30.6 And this is the scope of Christ to withdraw them from outward things to the inward marrow of the Law as Mathew 9.13 Joel 2.13 Mich. 6.6 c. Observ 2 Our Saviour teaching us hereby That the works of charity are the most true scope of the Law and Prophets Romans 13.8 c. God is love 1 John 4.10 and the Law is the Image of God Therefore the scope and end thereof must needs be love Quest 4 Doth the Law enjoyne nothing else but love doth it not require in us faith The just saith Habakkuk shall be saved by his faith yea doth it not exact holinesse righteousnesse and sobrietie Titus 2.11 Answer 1 First the doctrine of faith doth not properly teach what we must doe but what we must expect Now the proper subject of the Law is obedience Answer 2 Secondly obedience indeed doth include these three Faith Hope and Love but the Scripture usually doth insist principally upon Love unto our neighbours because therein wee most commonly faile and in the other are hypocritically false Men faine to have much faith in Christ and strong and sure hope of salvation and yet in the meane time be unjust unto men And therefore both the Master and the Disciple reciting the Law recite onely the second Table Matth. 19.19 Rom. 13.9 Quest 5 If the whole Law and Prophets consist in this short precept Thou shalt doe unto others as thou wouldst have them to doe unto thee then what need so many bookes and Prophets and Epistles and Sermons as there are Answer Certainely the Prophets and Sermons of the Preachers speake nothing against this rule yea this might suffice for the directing of us in our duty towards men if wee were not too perverse But because wee neither will understand neither be subject it is therefore necessary that we should be exhorted unto three things namely First Ad judicandum wee will not confesse what is just And therefore it is fit that we should be exhorted to judge betweene man and man thing and thing and that with equity and reason yea according to some prescript rules Secondly Ad obligandum generall words will not bind rebels and therefore many particular Lawes are added whereof there were no need if we would be but subject to this precept Wee see the Lord gives a particular charge concerning lending Deut. 15.2 and giving verse 7. and almes verse 9. c. and the like because our understanding is so blind our wills so perverse and our nature so corrupt that we will not be instructed with generall rules Thirdly Ad commone faciendum wee are very forgetfull and therefore we stand in need of many Lawes and rules and instructions and exhortations and all little enough Whether is honesty and upright dealing betwixt Quest 6 man and man praised and commended by God Honesty is greatly esteemed by God Answer Here observe that some attribute too much to honesty some derogate too much from it but the proper place thereof I conceive to be this First Honesty is in it selfe a good thing and commanded to all men Whatsoever things are good whatsoever things are honest c. labour after Philip. 4.8 Secondly Honesty is necessary not onely in respect of men Rom. 12.17 Provide things honest in the sight of all men but also in respect of God because he hates all sinnes Thirdly Honesty is acceptable and gratefull unto God yea Fourthly shall be crowned with a reward if it be true and rightly performed that is if accompanied with Religion in the life and proceeding from a sanctified heart Who are blame-worthy here Quest 7 Those who defining the workes of Religion Answer neglect honesty and integrity amongst men thus erre in their definition and thwart the truth here taught by our Saviour That the workes of love towards our brethren are the true scope and end of the Law and Prophets First the Pharisees were here faulty who placed the observation of the Law in ceremonies as was shewed before quest 3. Thirdly Hypocrites are here guilty also who place Religion in the observation of the first Table who will fast and pray publikely and performe some workes of outward holinesse Indeed these are to be done but those are not to be left undone Mat. 23.23 Wherein doth the Law of God excell humane Quest 8 Lawes The Law of God doth establish the affirmative part of the precept as well as the negative Answer and herein excelleth the best Lawes of men For humane Lawes onely forbid evill things but many good things are not therein commanded as for example There are Lawes established against murther and theft a man must not kill his brothers person nor steale his brothers substance for if so he shall be punished But men are not commanded by the Lawes of men First to visite the sicke who by reason of his affliction stands in need of solace Or Secondly to lend to the poore and those who want that so their necessities may be relieved Or Thirdly to feed the poore when he is hungry or give him drinke when hee is a thirst Or Fourthly to reduce the wandring traveller into the right way Or Fiftly to pardon and forgive those who injure and wrong us Or Sixtly to give counsell to the ignorant or comfort to the comfortlesse These things the Law of man doth not oblige all men unto But the Law of God commandâ— them all and that unto all Whatsoever thou wouldest that another should doe
St. John saith To as many as received Christ God gave power to be called his children that is to as many as beleeved in his Name John 1.12 and againe God sent Christ into the world that as many as beleeved in him might be saved John 3.16 2. To waâ—ke in faith is to fructifie in love for faith workes by love Galath 5.6 3. To walke therefore in this strait way is to beleeve in Christ and to adhere unto him as that we oblige our selves in all things to observe and obey his will in holinesse and uprightnesse (k) Luke 1.75 Quest 3 Why is this way of piety strait and narrow Answer 1 First because it doth not permit men to walke after their owne hearts lusts but confines them to the word of God as a rule for them to walke by and by which they may be taught how to refraine from every evill way and to mortifie and crucifie every corrupt carnall lust Now this is durus sermo a hard saying to flesh and blood and therefore this way is truly in this regard called strait Answer 2 Secondly because when a man might by following the evill example and wicked customes of the world attaine unto honour and riches and pleasure he is gainsayd and prohibited by the word and not permitted to use those things which he possesseth as he list himselfe but according to the direction and prescription of the word of God Men naturally and commonly thinke that what they possesse is their owne and that they may doe what they will with it And therefore this is a hard saying that men must be carefull how they use what they have according to the prescription of God and in this regard also this way is strait Answer 3 Thirdly this way is called strait because there are but few who walke therein and those few seeme to be very miserable 1 Corinth 15.19 Answer 4 Fourthly the world contemnes derides hates and persecutes those who walke in the way and therefore it is called strait Quest 4 How is this way of piety strait and narrow Answer 1 First some say because Christ onely is this way Many men have many wayes unto heaven to wit some by philosophicall goodnesse some by voluntary religion and will worship some by the workes of the Law but we have but one way onely and that is Christ Indeed Christ is the onely way but yet he is not via stricta sed via lata not a strait way but a broad For the true understanding of this marke these particulars 1. Christ is a broad way in respect of his omnipotency and power For all power was giuen unto him both in heaven and in earth Math. 28.18 And therefore being of unlimitted power hee can doe what he will and save whom he will 2. Christ opened the Kingdome of heaven to all beleevers (l) Cantic Ambros Te Deum and therefore in this regard also hee is a broad way 3. Christ fulfilled the whole Law for us and tooke all the stumbling blockes out of the way yea hee was made sinne for us that so in him our sinnes might be done away And therefore in this respect also Christ may be called a broad way 4. In respect of the condition Christ may indeed truely be called a strait way for hell receives all sinners and uncleane persons whatsoever both those who swell with pride and those who are infected with the leprosie of impurity but Christ onely receives those who are naked and stripped from all trust and confidence in their own workes and truly depressed with humility and godly sorrow of heart and who are also pure in life Act. 10.14 And in this respect Christ is a straitway because he exacts strict obedience at our hands Secondly this way of piety which leades unto Answer 2 felicity is called strait in a double regard to wit 1. In regard of the obscurity thereof because it is hard to find F. 2. In regard of the difficulty thereof because it is hard to walke in when once it is found G. First the way unto heaven is strait Respectu obscuritatis in regard of the obscurity thereof because Observ 1 it is so hard to find out that few can find it As if our Saviour would say the way to life eternall is unknowne to the naturall man and so obscure that by nature he can never find it out 1 Corinth 2.14 How doth it appeare that this way unto heaven Quest 5 is not obvious and conspicuous unto flesh and blood First it is evident by the guides and conducts Answer 1 that leade thither For the better taking up of this answer observe that God gave to the Israelites when they were to travell through the wildernesse to Canaan three guides namely Moses Aaron and Miriam 1. Miriam was the meanest of the three for she was a woman of the infirmer sexe and shee murmuring against Moses was stricken with leprosie 2. Aaron was the second guide but in some things he proved a blind guide to them for he set up a golden Calfe before them 3. Moses was the third and best guide but hee could not bring them to Canaan for it was Joshua who brought them to their rest Thus there are three guides which direct men in this world namely First corrupt nature or Natura non suscitata that is nature not wakened or stirred up by learning this guide is but like unto Miriam and oftentimes it murmureth against Moses the Law of God Secondly Ratio suscitata reason wakened and stirred up and somewhat refined by learning and humane sciences yet this is but a blind guide and oftentimes it murmureth and repineth against Moses as well as leprous Miriam Thirdly the Law of God which sheweth us the way to Canaan and our eternall rest but it is impossible that the Law should save us for that is the worke of our spirituall and heavenly Ioshua Romans 8.3 Secondly it is evident and apparent by the wayes which leade unto life Here observe That the wayes which leade unto life are these namely First the Knowledge of the word and law and testaments of God for they are conjoyned Isa 8.16.20 and 51.47 But naturall men are ignorant of the Law of God and the way of the Lord they have not knowne Answer 2 Secondly to receive and embrace the word of God John 5.24.39 and 2 Timoth. 1.10 and 3.16 but wicked and naturall men contemne and despise it Answer 3 Thirdly the knowledge of God This is life eternall to know thee John 17.3 that is the true knowledge of the true God is the way unto life but naturally men are ignorant of the true God Answer 4 Fourthly the love of God and godlinesse none can bee saved who doe not love God and religion and therefore meere naturall men cannot come thither because they are enemies to God religion goodnesse and reprobate unto every good worke Rom. 8.6.7.8 Experience showes most plainly how averse nature is unto religioÌ„ God even
take up his habitation and abiding place in an Inne Who would set up his staffe in a strange place that is upon his journey to his native Countrey and his naturall kindred Mich. 2.10 Or 4. Heape up treasures and build and plant as though we should live here for ever Oh let us consider how sottish we show our selves so long as we thus adorne beautifie value and overprize this life Heraclitus the Philosopher spake very wittily of the bow and the arrow applying it to the thing in hand A bow in Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies life because men were wont to get their living with their bow Now the bow doth not give life unto but rather killeth those creatures which it shooteth at Wherefore Heraclitus said of it It hath in word a name of life but indeed a worke of death So this life is called life but more properly might be tearmed death and therefore is not thus out of measure to be esteemed Secondly they erre here who are so carefull to Answer 2 preserve their lifes that to doe it they will wound their tender consciences and pretend a necessity for it as some doe in the time of sicknesse I meane the plague forsake house and wife and children and family not caring what danger they be exposed unto and all this for feare of being infected thus women sometimes will rather prostitute themselves then suffer themselves to be killed and men perjure themselves swearing that which they never intend to performe to save their lives And salve all with a plaister of necessitie But all such must remember these two things 1. Nescit mori there is no necessity of this life and therefore better loose it then save it by unlawfull meanes Answer 3 2. Hee that saves his life by these wicked meanes shall lose it Math. 16.25 that is he that by sinne saves his naturall life by that sinne exposeth body and soule to eternall death Thirdly they are faulty here who are so unwilling to depart out of this life For this life is but onely a journey and death puts an end thereunto bringing us to our wished Port. Now we doe not this in other things For 1. Every man who hath a long tedious and dangerous journey to goe is glad not sad when his journey is finished Why should wee then be sorry when God puts an end to our miserable life which is so full of labour and evill as was shewed before 2. A man is content to leave his fathers cottage to be entertained into the Kings service 3. A Scholler is well pleased to goe from the University to a great Benefice And therefore why should any of the children of God be unwilling to goe from earth to heaven from labour to ease Quest 7 from a vale of misery to a place of felicity Some desperate and discontented spirit may be will here enquire if he may not ridde himselfe out of the world For if this life be not true life but onely falsely called life and neither worth esteeming nor by any unlawfull meanes to be kept nor unwillingly to be parted withall then what great matter is it for him to cut the throat of his owne life Answer For the full satisfaction of this question we will lay downe three things namely First the causes why some have done it K Secondly the causes why none must or ought to doe it L. Thirdly the punishment of those who haâ—â— or will doe K M. Reasons of selfe murder K. First we have to consider the causes why some have miserably shortned their owne dayes to wit Reason 1 1. Some have done it by a law when they were old it was a law amongst some of the barbarous Gentiles that when men were come to such an age that they were not able to worke any longer they should be sent into a wild and uninhabited desart where they should either kill themselves or suffer themselves to be devoured of wild beasts This is barbarous indeed and monstrous inhumane Reason 2 2. Some have cut the thread of their owne lives by reason of some tedious sicknesse or disease wherewith they have beene held Thus M. Pertius Latro being wearyed out with a quartaine ague which he could not get ridde of killed himselfe This we must not doe because the crosse which God layes upon us must be borne whether it be long or short heavy or light Reason 3 3. Some have done it by obtaining of leave thus Euphrates the Philosopher obtaining leave of Adrian murdred himselfe because he was very old and very sickly But this is not to be done because the Lord onely is the Lord of life and therefore no King or Monarch hath power to dispense with this or tollerate any to lay hands upon themselves Reason 4 4. Some have wilfully cast themselves away by an opinion of a false immortality of the soule Thus Cloanthes Chrysippus Empedocles Zena and Cato minor But this we must take heed of because at the soule is immortall so there is immortall death and eternall destruction whereunto this opinion a â—eades and it is onely the godly who are made happy by death 5. Some have beene selfe murderers by reason Reason 5 of a detestation of some sinne committed Rev. 14.13 thus Lucretia being ravished by Tarquin murdered herselfe This we must not doe because the fault is enlarged not lessened by this meanes this life being the space and time of true repentance 6. Some have laid violent hands upon themselves Reason 6 for the avoyding of some sinne which they feare they shall fall into being strongly tempted and assaulted thereunto and the sinne being of that nature that they had rather die then commit it But we must not doe evill that good may come of it we must not doe a present evill for the avoyding of a future 7. Some make themselves away that so they Reason 7 may be ridde of some temporall evils or spirituall terrors which lie upon them we must remember that it is mere folly for a man to run and rush himselfe into those dangers which hee feares and therefore not doe as they doe who being afraid of hell runne thereunto by thus killing themselves L. Secondly Reasons against selfe-murder let us now consider why we must not upon any occasion cut the thread of our owne lives 1. It is contrary unto the Lawes of the Land Reason 1 because it is the cutting away of a member from the Common-wealth the depriving of the King of a subject And therefore by the Lawes such are exposed to all disgrace and not suffred to be buryed in the Church-yard but in some high way 2. It is contrarie to the Law of nature Reason 2 Omne appetit praesor vationem sui every creature by the instinct of nature desires the preservation both of the Species and Individuum 3. It is contrary to the Law of God as appeares Reason 3 thus First
the Law is Love thy neigbour as thy selfe but he who kills himselfe loves not himselfe yea if it were lawfull for a man to kill himselfe he might argue thus I must love my neighbour as I love my selfe but I care not to kill my selfe And therefore I may murder him Secondly the Law is Thou shalt not kill It is worth observing that the Lord in the ninth Commandement saith Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour but here the Lord speaketh indefinitely Thou shalt not kill that is neither thy selfe nor thy neigbour Indeed it is lawfull for men to kill beasts and therefore the Law is Non hominem occides Thou shalt kill no man but hee who kills himselfe kills no other then a man therefore it is a direct breach of this Commandement 4. When thou killest thy selfe either Reason 4 First thou murdrest an innocent man and so becomes guilty of innocent blood Or Secondly thou murdrest a guilty man now this is unlawfull Suppose a man have privatly to bâ— bad or murdred his brother it is not lawfull therefore for him to goe hang himselfe because hee must neither bee his owne judge nor executioner nor deprive himselfe of the space of repentance Reason 5 5. It is a practise which cannot bee patronized by any president in Scripture that is none of the Saints or holy men who are recorded in Scripture for such have done it although they have beene subject to extraordinary great evills and miseries both in body and good name Looke upon Ioseph David Job and wee shall set them to have beene sometimes a very Map of miserie but yet they never went about that wee read of to lay violent hands upon themselves but patiently underwent and endured the crosse Saint Paul being extreamely grieved and perplexed by reason of those strong remainders of corruption which were in him cryeth out Me miserum quis liberabit Oh wretch that I am who shall deliver mee he doth not answer himselfe Ingâ—â—â—m a halter shall deliver me Indeed this practise hath presidents in Scripture and may bee patronized by the example of wicked men for wicked Soul fals upon his owne sword (q) Sam. 31.4 treacherous Achitophel hangs himselfe (r) 2 Sam. 17.20 and traiterous Iudas together with unjust Pilate murther themselves but no righteous men have done so in all the word Objection 2 If any object here the example of Sampson who pulled the house upon his owne head I answer Answer 1 First hee was a Type of Christ who was to dye for his people Answer 2 Secondly hee intended directly to kill the Philistines not himselfe although hee did foresee that his owne death must necessarily follow M. Thirdly wee have to consider the punishments allotted unto this unnaturall sinne Punishment of selfe-murther namely 1. The Athenians punished him who did attempt to murther himselfe but was by some meanes prevented with the losse of the right hand cutting it off Rhoding 2. The Ancients held that death of all others most infamous and did forbid buriall unto such by this law Qui sibi manum admoverit insepuleus jaceat Rhoding Let not him bee buried but cast into the high way like a dead dog who layeth hands upon himselfe 3. God is angry with such as a Master with his slaves who kill themselves If a man buy slaves that they may worke his worke and enrich him thereby he cannot but be exceedingly incensed if they should kill themselves and by that meanes frustrate his expectation So the Lord hath both created and redeemed us for his service and therefore hee is sore offended with him who by the shortning wilfully of his dayes defraudes him of his expectation and declines his worke 4. This sinne is greater then disobedience and therefore shall bee more severely punished He who kills himselfe in the battell is more exceedingly to be blamed then hee who denieth to fight for hee may disobey and repent as the younger sonne in the Parable who said I will not and yet afterwards went But hee that cuts the thread of his owne life can never doe service any more 5. God will reject such a soule so sent unto him Josephus being hid in a cave with fiftie â—â—re who would have killed themselves disswaded them from it by this argument If we send our soules unto God before hee call for them hee will not receive them when they come Shewing most truely that we must expect Gods time for the dissolution of our lives as good old Simeon â—â—d Lord now litheâ—â— thiâ— thy servant depart in peace Luke 2.29 the word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Siryach renders Ianuam câ—ncurà aperis Lord now thou openest the prison dores So. S. Paul saith I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1.23 to wit of the Lord. And therefore wee should patiently endure all afflictions and temptations and trials whatsoever and avoide this monstrous selfe cruelty as we would the torments of hell § 7. And few there be that finde it Sect. 7 How are there few that walke in the strait way Question 1 when there are many in heaven Answer 1 First absolutely there are many in heaven Isa 60.4.16 * Matth. 8.11 Revel 7.9 Secondly but comparatively there are but few and thus our Saviour meanes in this place teaching us that there are but few truly pious or religious in comparison of the wicked Or Observat That there are but few who walke in the narrow and strait path of pietie in comparison of those who walke in the broad and wide way of sinne and iniquitie Read Matth. 20.16 and 22.14 and Psalm 14.3 and Isa 53.1 Rom. 9.27 How doth it appeare that there are but few who Quest 2 walke in this strait way First from divine examples wee reade of eight Answer 1 onely preserved from the deluge 1. Pet. 3.20 of two onely who came into the Land of Canaan of all those who came out of Aegypt Numb 14.30 of Lots faâ—â—ly onely in wicked Sodome Genes 19. of Elius onely in the sight of the world 1. King 19.10 Secondly this may be proved from experience Answer 2 who teacheth that there are many rebellious many ignorant many hypocriticall many halfe converted but very few truely religious vel duo vel nemo Good Christians are to bee esteemed among us as good Publicanes were in Rome where a faithfull Publicane was so rare that Sabinus for his honest managing of that office in an honourable remembrance thereof had certaine Images erected with this superscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the faithfull Publican I dare not say as an Athenian said who being commanded by the Roman Embassadors vvho came to Athens to goe cal the honest men of Athens to come to the Embassadors vvent to the Tombes and bid the dead men come and being demanded the reason thereof ansvvered that the honest men of Athens vvere dead and that there vvas not one novv to be found alive This I most not say but I
eye and neither from that watery or glasse or christaline humour that is therein nor yet from the nerves thereof these being but only the conveyers and conduit-pipes of the spirits So the knowledge wisedome and spirituall understanding which wee have comes not from our selves or from any naturall faculty or power within us but from the alone illumination of the blessed Spirit Eightly the diseases of the eye proceed not from the spirits but from the humours or at least from the absence of the spirits In toto vel vel tanto So the depravations corruptions and errours of the mind proceed not from the spirit of God but from the naturall imperfections of the mind or at least from the absence of the blessed Spirit from the soule Ninthly the eye cannot behold the Sunne not because the Sunne is contrary to the eye for nothing is more delectable thereunto or more desired but because the Sunne is too too excellent and bright for the eye to behold And therefore seeing the eye cannot behold it in his full bignesse and beauty or greatnesse and glory it doth therefore behold it in a cloud or in the water or in the Raine-bow or through some cracks or crannie or clift or hole of a wall So the soules chiefest happinesse is to see God Mat. 5.8 But because with Moses wee cannot see him in his glory therefore wee looke upon his Picture and contemplate and behold him in his creatures in his workes in his word in his Christ and in all his Attributes Quest 8 How may we know whether wee are enlightned or not and whether Christ have opened our eyes or not Examine seriously these things viz. Answ First whether can wee discerne betweene those things that differ and judge of those things which are most excellent yea so discerne them that we desire and hunger and long for spirituall graces before all temporall things Psal 4.6 and 51.11 Ephes 3.19 Secondly whether have we a true and watchfull faith or doe wee but sleepe and dreame that is are wee so assured of the presence and good worke of Christ within us that the remembrance and assurance thereof produceth joy and peace Psal 4.8 Thirdly whether is our conversation holy and unblameable or not are wee zealous for the glory of God are we filled with the fulnesse of God is there true life and strength of grace in us 1 Iohn 1. ◠Thus we must examine whether we have light in our understanding whether we have light and brightnesse in our faith and whether we are light and bright in our lives and conversations Fourthly whether doe we hunger after that glorious light which is reserved in the heavens or not Phil. 1.23 and 3.20 Revelat 6.10 and 1 King 19.4 Quest 8 How or by what meanes may this spirituall light be obtained Answ 1 First seeke it betimes labour for it maturely while it may be found Esa 55.6 and doe not either I. Preferre other things before it Or II. Procrastinate and delay to enquire after it Act. 22.16 Answ 2 Secondly seeke it fervently and zealously not coldly or luke-warmely Answ 3 Thirdly seeke it truely and aright Here observe diligently these three things I. God enlightens the mind 1 Iohn 1.5 that is God the Father Iames 1.17 God the Sonne Iohn 8.12 and God the Holy Ghost Ephes 3.16.18 And therefore wee must desire God the Father to enlighten our minds and understandings by his holy Spirit for his Christs sake Thus David did Psalme 13.4 and thus Paul would have us to doe Ephes 1.18 II. The Ministers of the word enlighten by the Gospel 2 Cor. 4.4.6 and Eccles 3.5 And therefore wee must bee diligent in hearing the word marking best what doth most concerne our selves and remembring that carefully and practising it sincerely and diligently III. I may adde that the godly doe enlighten by their godly conversation And therefore prophanely perilously and blasphemously is the holy for his holinesse derided and scoffed Psal 119.51 this not being the way unto illumination but a meanes to keepe us still blind and darke Wherefore they who desire that their minds may be enlightned must 1. Pray unto God to anoint the eyes of their understanding with the eye-salve of his Spirit Then 2. They must heare the word of God diligently and desire that the Lord would make it a meanes of illumination unto them And 3. They must delight in the society of the Saints they must contemplate and observe diligently their sanctity and integrity of life and they must labour to imitate their vertues § 2. The Lame walke Sect. 2 What is the meaning of these words Quest 1 First Ambulare to walke is commonly understood Answ 1 of the life and conversation as Mar. 7.5 Luke 1.6 and Act. 14.16 Secondly Via the way signifies the practise of Answ 2 life as it is said of Iohn Hee walked in the way of righteousnesse Matth. 21.32 And therefore most properly these words follow the former and the Lame the Blind because we must Walke whilst wee have light Iohn 12.33 In these words as in the former wee have two things to consider of namely I. What we are by nature and without Christ II. What we are by grace in Christ First by nature wee are lame or so long as Observ 1 wee are naturall wee cannot worke the workes of God nor walke in his wayes Psal 14.1 c. Esa 60.4 Rom. 7.18 How doth this appeare Quest 2 Because the impression of concupiscence within us is Answer First universall and generall that is is seated and placed in all our affections and desires And Secondly it is vehement and strong and of great power Rom. 7.5 and is therefore called Lex membrorum a law of the members Rom. 7.23 Yea Thirdly it is so deepely rooted in us that it cannot be removed by us and therefore by reason thereof wee are made and become truly miserable Rom. 7.24 § The Lepers are cleansed Sect. 3 By Leprosie is meant sinne because this is the pollution of the soule as that is of the body And herein also we have two things to observe viz. I. That by nature wee are defiled with the leprosie of sinne II. That by Christ wee are purged from the pollution of sinne First our naturall estate is here worth observing Observ 1 As wee are blind in our eyes and lame in our feet so we are leprous in our whole man Or All men by nature are polluted and defiled with the leprosie of sin Gen. 6.5 and 8.21 and Rom. 5.12 and Ephes 2.1.3 Psal 39.5 and 116.11 How doth this appeare First it appeares thus Quest because it is the punishment of sinne As Gehezi and Miriam were Answ 1 smitten for their sinnes with leprosie so al mankind were punished with the leprosie of sinne for Adams transgression 1 Cor. 6.10 c. Ephes 4. 17. c. Tit. 3.3 Answ 2 Secondly this pollution of sinne is propagated to posterity sinfull man begets children in his owne likenesse and man that
is a necessity of service we must not serve God as one Neighbour helpes another who will lend when they please but will not acknowledge any debt but we must confesse our selves to bee the Lords Servants and bound to doe more then we are able therfore when we have done all we must confesse our selves to bee but unprofitable servants Omne tulit punctum he doth understand his Masters will a right who hath learnd to conjoyne these two together Servire liberè ex officio to serve God with a free ready willing and cheerfull heart with a filiall affection and without any servile compulsion and yet in thus doing confesse that it is his duety to doe what hee doth II. It obligeth the outward life as well as the conscience For we must not live to our selves but to Christ 1 Peter 4.2 Rom. 14.7 c. and 6.11 13. and 12.1 Sect. 2 § 2. Learne of me As we must be Subjects as was shewed in the former Section so wee must bee Disciples as comes now to be considered wherein we must observe that First Christ teacheth unto us the necessity of learning we must be taught And Secondly he shewes that he is the onely true Doctour and Teacher opposing himselfe I. To the Pharisees who taught salvation by the Law without Christ And II. Perhaps to the wisedome of the flesh and humane reason And III. To the Doctrines of the flesh and world But IV. Most certain it it is that Christ here is opposed to all other Teachers as weake and invalide in regard of him who onely is able to teach us the truth truely Matth. 23.8.10 Observ Hence then learne That we must bee made the Disciples and Schollers of Christ and submit our selves to be taught by him Esa 54.13 Ephes 4.21 Iohn 6.68 Quest 1 Why must we be made the Disciples Schollers of Christ Answ 1 First because it is necessary that we should be taught no man is borne learned neither is any borne holy in corrupt nature the Philosophers who were most learned had Children born unto them who were most ignorant of all literature For Nature gives us two things but the third it cannot namely it gives I. Strength of body And II. A towardlinesse and readinesse of mind But III. Learning it cannnot give that beeing obtained onely by study And therefore wee being naturally borne ignorant it is necessary that wee should be taught Secondly because it is necessary that we should Answ 2 be taught by Christ none else being able to teach us as is cleare in a fourefold regard namely I. Respectu Doctrinae in regard of the Doctrine which is the knowledge of God Iohn 17.3 But this onely Christ teacheth and knoweth Luke 10.22 Iohn 1.18 II. Respectu subjecti in regard of the Subject for wee are not onely to be taught in our eares for so man could teach us but also and principally in our hearts and so onely the Lord of the Spirits teacheth us Ierem. 31.33 and 32.40 Luke 24.32 III. Respectu Officij in regard of his Office for Christ was ordained to preach Luke 4.18 Deuter. 18.15 Iohn 3.2 IV. Respectu gratiae communicatae improssae in regard of grace communicated and imprinted for knowledge is a light 2 Cor 4.6 And Christ and his Father are the light and the givers of light as appeares by Luke 2.32 Iohn 1.9 and 1 Iohn 1.5 and Iames 1.17 and Iohn 5.35 And therefore seeing Christ is onely able to teach us the true knowledge of the true God and alone able to teach the heart yea ordained and appointed by God his Father to preach unto us and to communicate unto us spirituall light and knowledge it is then necessary that we should be taught by him How many wayes doth Christ teach us Quest 2 First hee teacheth us by the preaching of the Answ 1 word Heb. 1.1 whence I. It is called a light to guide and direct our paths Psalme 119.105 And II. We are directed and sent thereunto To the Law to the Prophets Esa 8.20 And III. We are commanded to seeke the sence and meaning of the Law of the Ministers God himselfe endowing them with knowledge and sending us then unto them Malach. 2.7 Yea IV. It is hence called the mighty power of God unto salvation 1 Cor. 1.18.21 And therefore if we desire to know whether wee be taught by Christ or not let us seriously and heartily examine whether wee bee good hearers of the word or not viz. First are we reverend hearers doe we tremble in the hearing of the word because it is Gods not mans Esa 65.2 or doe we sleight and despise it Secondly are wee industrious hearers hearing daily and treasuring up in our hearts what wee heare Matth. 13 51.52 Or are we sluggish hearers who heare but carry nothing away of all that we heare Thirdly are we profitable hearers not onely remembring what wee heare but practising carefully what we remember Luke 8.15 Or are wee obdurate and perverse hearers who will neither learne nor practise what is taught Answ 2 Secondly Christ teacheth us by his holy Spirit in ou◠hearts thereby converting us unto himselfe 2 Corinth 3.16 and without this our hearing is unprofitable Heb 4.2 And therefore St. Paul prayes for the Spirit of Revelation Ephes 1.18 But this wee cannot hope to obtaine except we deny our owne hearing and the worke of the Minister and expect spirituall light and knowledge onely from the Lord by the operation of his blessed Spirit Some hope to be taught by the word although in the hearing thereof they look no further at all then either to their owne diligence in hearing or ability and capacity of understanding and taking up what is delivered or to the faithfull and powerfull delivery of the word by the Minister now these cannot expect to be taught by Christ because both our hearing and the Ministers preaching will bee like water spilt upon the ground without the operation of the Spirit of God for except he give the encrease Pauls preaching and Apollos watering will bee fruitlesse That Noble Souldier and godly Centurion certainly was convinced of this truth when he said and that unto Peter himselfe Wee are all present here before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Acts 10.33 whereby he intimates that the word is Gods the work is Gods the message is Gods the direction is Gods yea the blessing that comes by hearing is Gods also And therefore if we desire to know whether wee be taught by Christ or not let us examine these three things viz. I. Doe we desire with our hearts and Spirits when we come to heare the word that we may be taught by the holy Spirit of God or doe we trust to our own hearing or the Ministers preaching not thinking at all upon the operation and assistance of the Spirit II. Doe we in our hearing lay aside all respect of the man who speakes unto us contemplating and beholding onely the Lord
to depart or swarve from the rule of right reason Thus every veniall sin is against right reason and against the Law of nature which is given to every one in his creation or in his birth and nativity Of this same opinion is Durandus in 2. sent dist 42. q. 6. and many of the Schoolmen Iosephus Angles in 2. sent pag. 275. and Fisher the Bishop of Rochester Rossensis Artic. 32. advers Luth. and Bellarmine unawares confesseth the same against himself Bellar. com 1. pag. 84. If the Reader would see the severall testimonies and words of the fore-quoted Authors and this Argument cleerly handled let him reade Master Bels Challenge pag. 81 c. unto 86. Fourthly Gerson de vita spiritual lect 1. part 3. in 1. corol hath these words No offence of God is veniall of its own nature but only in respect of Gods mercy who will not de facto impute every offence to death though he might do it most justly And so I conclude that mortall and veniall sins as they be such are not distinguished intrinsecally and essentially but onely in respect of Gods grace which assigneth one sin to the pain or torture of death and not another This Gerson who thus writeth was a famous Popish Bishop and a man of high esteem in the Councell of Constance and if his words be well marked they are able to confound the Papists and to confirm the point delivered by us For I. He telleth them plainly that every sin is mortall of its own nature And II. That no sin is veniall save onely in respect of Gods mercie And III. That God may Iustissimè most justly condemn us for the least sin we do And IV. That mortall and veniall sins are the same intrinsecally and essentially and differ but accidentally that is to say they differ in accident but not in nature in quantity but not in quality in mercie but not in deformity in the subject but not in the object in imputation but not in enormity save onely that the one is a greater mortall sin than is the other Fifthly because the least offence that can be imagined remaining eternally in respect of the stain and guilt of it though not in act as do all sins unremitted must be punished eternally for else there might some sinfull disorder and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remain not ordred by divine justice Now whersoever is eternity of punishment there is an everlasting expelling and excluding from eternall life and happinesse and consequently every offence that eternally remaineth not remitted excludeth from eternall glory and happinesse and is rightly judged a mortall and deadly sin Field of the Church lib. 3. pag. 147. Sixthly all sins are mortall in them who are strangers from the life of God because they have dominion and full command in them or at least are joyned with such as have and so leave no place for grace which might cry unto God for the remission of them But the elect and chosen servants of God called according to purpose do carefully endeavour that no sin may have dominion over them and notwithstanding any degree of sin they run into they recover that grace by repentance which can and will procure pardon for all their offences VERS 37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified Vers 37 and by thy words thou shalt be condemned What is Justification Quest 1 First some say Iustificare to justifie signifieth Answ 1 Iustum facere to make just by a renovation or change of our nature but this is false for hereby our Justification and our Sanctification are confounded and made one thing as though to justifie were the action of God in regenerating and re-creating us Secondly to justifie is the work of God in Answ 2 judging us and therefore Iustificare to justifie doth signifie Iustum pronunciare that is to pronounce righteous and this is manifest by these two reasons namely I. Because in Scripture Justification is opposed to condemnation as in this verse By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned II. Because in Scripture Justification is sometimes defined to consist in the remission of sins sometimes in the forgiving of wickednesse sometimes in the covering of sin and not imputing of iniquity and sometimes it is described by the imputation of righteousnesse All which do prove manifestly that Justification is the action of him who is the Judge of mankinde in absolving man from sin and the punishment thereof Who is it that justifieth man God alone as appears by these two particulars Quest 2 to wit First the Lord is the onely Judge of all Answ therfore it belongeth onely unto him to justifie He is called the Judge of all Heb. 12.23 And Act. 17.31 it is said He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnesse Of which day also the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.5 16. And the reason hereof is given by the Apostle Rom. 14.7 8. to wit because he is our onely Lord to whom we both live and dye and to whom every one shall give account of himself Whereby it is cleer seeing God is the onely Judge of the world that to justifie and to condemn must onely belong unto him Secondly Justification consisting in the remission of sins and the not imputing of iniquity it necessarily followeth that none save God onely can justifie because none except the Lord can forgive sin as is cleer Mark 2.7 Luke 5.21 and Esa 43.25 and 44.22 and Psal 31.2 and 2 Corinth 5.19 Verse 38 39 40. VERS 38 39 40. Then certain of the Scribes and of the Pharisees answered saying Master we would see a sign from thee But he answered and said to them An evill and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas was three daies and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the son of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth Sect. 1 § 1. There shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Ionas Quest What and how many things may we learn from this sign Christ that is from his death and Resurrection Answ 1 First from hence we may learn how great and horrible the pollution and guilt of sin is and how great the severity of divine justice is seeing that God would rather give his onely begotten and most dearly beloved Son to death than let sin go unpunished Answ 2 Secondly in this sign we may see more than a fatherly goodnesse and mercie in God for as a father hath pity upon his children so hath the Lord upon us Psal 103.13 yea he spared not his own and onely naturall son but gave him to death for us Rom. 8.32 that we might be freed from eternall destruction by him Answ 3 Thirdly from hence also we learn that there is no other way or means for us to obtain salvation by
Mortons Appeale lib. 4. cap. 16. §. 3. pag. 150. men But the Papists will not acknowledge that any of their opinions or practises are novell except we can produce the yeare when they were borne the place wherin they were first brought forth the author by who they were first begotten Now the maÌ„ner of the resolutioÌ„ of this question doth overthrow this idle evasion of theirs as appeares thus When the Pharisees tempted CHRIST in the question of divorce asking Whether it is lawfull for a man upon every occasion to put away his wife He answers from the beginning it was not so reproving the coÌ„mon errour of the Jewes by testimony of Antiquitie from the word of God Gen. 2.24 Where we may observe that the question propounded by the Pharisees were two viz. First whether is it lawfull Secondly if it be not lawfull Why then did Moses suffer it To this second Christ answers Moses suffered it for the hardnesse of your hearts But to the first he answers It was not so that is not thought lawfull from the beginning Here the Romanists would have taught the Pharisees to reply upon Christ thus If you convince us of error you must shewe us When this arose in the Church of God who first taught it what person resisted it or else this contrarie custome must be maintained as divine and from the beginning But the wisdome of Christ seemeth to condemne this reason of folly when passing over the originall of this custome he is contented with the revealed will of God in the beginning of truth In the beginning it was not so plainly teaching us that we are not bound for the confutation of errour to a positive demonstration of the beginning thereof but that it is sufficient to deliver a negative shewing a time when it was not But the Papists plead Antiquity for many of their opinions which we hold erroneous to which evasion also our Saviour hath taught us here how to answer For he by reforming the corrupt doctrine of divorce which was ancienter then Moses by a more ancient constitution even of that which was from the beginning did teach us wisely to distinguish of Antiquity that one is primitive and hereditary the other adoptive of an after invention There is Ancient and most ancient and this must we flee unto because Antiquissimum verissimum That which is most ancient is most true Tertul. What may we safely hold concerning Polygamie or the having of divers Wives alive at once Quest which was usuall amongst the Iewes and seemes here to be reproved by our Saviour First we hold that it was never lawfull being Answ 1 either a transgression of or at the least a digression from the first Institution in the creation This our Saviour here plainly shewes saying From the beginning it was not so for verse 4 At the beginning God made them male female one male and one female and they two shall be one flesh where we see that not three or foure but only two are made in one therefore Polygamie is a breach transgression of the first Jnstitution Mal. 2.15 2. In the Patriarks we deny not but that before Answ 2 there was yet any Law written in respect of the necessity of those times it was by use custome tolerated though not by any dispensatioÌ„ authorized Thirdly among the Gentiles where there was Answ 3 not the like reason or occasion Polygamie was neither lawfull nor tolerable Fourthly after Moses law was written and the Answ 4 Church in them increased we doubt not but that the multitude of Wives was a sinne and corruption J enlarge not these because the Reader may see them amplified by Dr. Willet Synops fol. 775. § 4. Except it be for Fornication Sect. 4 In these words our Saviour doth plainly shew that Marriage is not forbidden after a lawfull divorce For if hee which puts away his wife but not for fornication causeth her to coÌ„mit adultery then he which putteth away his wife for fornication causeth her not to coÌ„mit adultery And if he which puts away his wife unlesse for fornication and marries another commits Adulteâ—y then he which puts away his wife for Fornication and marries another doth not commit adultery This argument is largely handled discussed both by Dr. Willet Synop. pag. 776. 777. and also by Chamierus de repudiis lib. 18. cap. 16. tom 3. fol. 693. The Papists hold that a man may put away his wife if he be to enter into Orders Against which we produce this Argument from this place Our Saviour giveth this perpetuall Rule that no man should dismisse his wife but for Fornication But Orders is no fornication although frequently those in Orders be fornicators therefore not for entring into Orders is shee to be dismissed So verse 6. No man must put a sunder that which God hath coupled but they which are but Contracted are coupled before GOD therefore no humane ordinance such as is the single life annexed to Orders can separate them VERS 10.11.12 His Disciples say unto him If the case of the man bee so with his wife Vers 10.11.12 it is not good to marry But hee said unto them all men cannot receive this saying save they to whom it is given For there are some Eunuches which were so b rne from their mothers wombe and there are some Eunuches which were made Eunuches of men and there be Eunuches which have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdome of heavens sake Hee that is able to receive it let him receive it Sect. 1 § 1. His Disciples say unto him Quest The Apostles here demand of CHRIST whether it bee expedient for men to marry or not seeing that they must keepe their wives whatsoever they are except Adulteresses Answ In answer here unto our Saviour First opposeth the necessity of marriage which is such that but few are exempted from it Secondly he shewes to whom this is given to be free from Marriage viz. either to those that by some defect of nature are debilitated from generation or to those who willingly or unwillingly are made Eunuches or to those who by Witchcraft charmes and enchantments are weakned and disinabled from performing the act of procreation or to those who neither by nature nor force are gelded but of their owne accord abstaine being endued with the gift of Continencie of which more by and by Sect. 2 § 1. It is not good to marry Quest How can these words of the Apostles and that saying of St. Paul 1 Cor. 7.1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman stand or accord with that saying of the Lords It is not good for man to be alone that is To be without a wife Answ 1 First the Lord speakes of that which is good and commodious for the whole species of mankind which cannot bee promoted propagated and preserved by one man alone Answ 2 Secondly the Disciples speake here of a personall good for to them it seemed good for men
thankfulnesse and progresse in the way of salvation Although therefore by reason of the infirmity of the flesh they daily faile in this practice of good workes yet cleaving close unto the Mediatour by Faith they doe not fall from the promise of salvation From whence it is plaine That the fulfilling of the Law is not that condition whereunto the salvation of the faithful doth leane neither that a meritorious efficiencie of workes is necessarily required for the obtaining of life eternall as Bellarmine affirmes Answ 5 Fifthly it followeth not God promiseth life with a condition therefore by the condition performed wee doe merit seeing that the reward dependeth vpon the promise which is apprehended by faith and so is not of merit And thus it appeares that the Major propositiō is not universall because a condition may be added to a promise although there be no proportion betweene the condition required and the reward promised as for example if the King should promise a mighty masse of money to him that would come unto him he that came and received the reward promised could not say he had deserved it because there was no proportion betwixt the worke and the wages So if life eternall were promised yea and given to those who doe what lyeth in their power as the Papists say yet they could nor say that they had deserved it ex condigno because there is no proportion betweene our imperfect and momentary workes and our eternall and glorious reward Againe a promise may be added to the condition of a worke which of right ought to be performed that is a King or Master may promise a Subject or Servant some reward if they will but doe what they ought to doe As for example A Master may promise to his bond-slave that if he will be but a good faithfull and profitable Servant unto him for a yeare or two hee will then set him at liberty Now though the Servant should doe what is desired yet he could not claim his freedome ex condigno because all servants ought to be good and faithfull unto their Masters And thus our Saviour saith of us Luke 17.10 Sixthly the Minor proposition is false Answ 6 namely that the faithful fulfill the works wherunto the promise of life eternall is made for there are none of the faithfull but sinne and therefore none fulfill the workes to which life eternall is promised Now when wages or a reward is promised to a workeman that is to him who shall exactly fulfill the condition which is added to the promise and yet it is given to him who doth ot fulfill the condition then he who receives it cannot say that he merited it but onely that it was given him of grace not of desert And such are all the faithfull wherefore our Saviour teacheth one and all to pray and that daily Forgive vs our trespasses and therefore they cannot ex condigno by their workes merit heaven Seventhly to the place objected wee answer two things namely I. That none of the places produced or Answ 7 alleadged prove the Minor proposition and therefore that being false the conclusion is nothing II. The places cited onely proove that there is a promise made to those who worke but not that the workes are condigne that is either not due by some other right or perfect that is such as are supposed in the condition And therefore they neither establish the Major proposition § 3. Keepe the Commandements Our Saviour sending this young man to the Sect. 3 Morall Law may occasion divers questions concerning the Law Quest 1 How doe the Law and Gospell truly differ Answ 1 First they differ herein namely I. The Doctrine of the Gospell is revealed from above and otherwayes is unknowne to the wise and prudent men of the world Matth. 11. I thanke thee oh Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes And Iohn 1. The Sonne of God shall teach you And Math. 13. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Thus the Gospell is not naturally knowne unto men II. The Law in some manner is knowne to reason for although it was proclaimed in Sinai and published by GOD yet before that it was knowne and written in the hearts of men in their first condition and remained though much obscured afterwards as St. Paul shewes Rom. 1. And that those who have no more then the light of nature have the Law in some sort writ in their hearts Answ 2 Secondly they differ thus Lex data the Law was given by Moses Veritas facta but grace and truth were made by Christ Iohn 1. Where an Emphasis is to be observed in these words Dare et Facere To give and to make For I. Moses gave the Law that is Moses in the Law did shew and demonstrate unto men as with his finger or in a glasse what righteousnesse the Lord requires of men as his due namely the perfect fulfilling of the Law prescribed or intire obedience which is absolute in all the parts and Articles of it But Moses cannot shew a doer of the Law nor can find one that payes the debt of absolute and perfect obedience amongst all corrupt mankind But II. The Gospell shewes and holds out unto us a Doer of the Law namely Christ who by doing the Law hath merited grace for us at the hands of his heavenly Father For for mankind or in the roome of mankind he performed the Law perfectly and absolutely as he saith himselfe I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Math. 5. Answ 3 Thirdly the Law and the Gospell thus differ to wit I. The promises of the Law are conditionall and particular promising life onely to those who perfectly satisfie it according to the will of God according to this speech of Christs unto the young man If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements and Luke 10. Doe this and live And thus the promises of the Law are made onely to those who perfectly fulfill it But II. The Gospell hath free and universall promises namely that God for CHRISTS sake will freely forgive the sinnes of all those who beleeve Iohn 3.16 and 1. Behold the Lambe of God which takes away the sinnes of the World and of his fulnesse wee have all received grace for grace Iohn 1.16 Thus the Law hath promise of life vpon the condition of doing and fulfilling the Law but the Gospell hath a free promise of salvation vpon the condition of beleeving or laying hold vpon the promises by the hand of Faith Fourthly the Law and the Gospell are distinguished Answ 4 in the effect For I. The Law doth not bring nor shew grace unto men but it makes knowne unto them their sinnes and the wrath of God which they have incensed by their sinnes and that condemnation which they are guilty of for their sinnes and thus it workes in men terrours But II. The Gospell doth shew and
bestow grace by CHRIST and the benefits that wee reape by him It lets us see how wee are justified before God by Christ and how for his sake God is reconciled unto us promising peace and joy unto us in Soule here and glory and felicity in Heaven hereafter and thus it workes comfort and sweet consolation What is the office and use of the Law that our Quest 2 Saviour sends this young man unto it keepe the Commandements First the Law of God doth admonish all Answ 1 men of that rule of righteousnesse unto which God created them yea which they were able to observe and keepe when they were first created and which God justly yet requires of all Wee know that in civill things the violation of a Law doth not take it away or abolish it but although there be transgressions of the Law daily yet the Law stands firme So Adams breaking of the Law hath not abolished this rule of righteoosnesse which was given unto man at first to walke by but it is immovable and doth still expresse and shew that Righteousnesse and obedience which men owe unto God as unto their Creator And this Law the Lord would have to be made knowne unto all men that every one might understand his obligation thereunto Secondly the Law doth leade us to the acknowledgement Answ 2 of an infinit debt that is it humbles it terrifies it condemnes unto perpetuall Prison all the violaters of the tenne Commandements Matth. 18. The Law accuseth Iohn 5. There is one which accuseth you even Moses it kils men and leaves men deprived of all comfort it affects with shame and blushing Our Saviour being about to leave the Earth Luke 24. gives charge to his Apostles to preach Repentance and therefore the office and use of the Law is to urge and perswade unto contrition and sorrow for sinne and the breach of the Law Yea without the true knowledge of the Law either Epicurisme or Pharisaisme doth raigne amongst men Thirdly the office and use of the Law is to Answ 3 shew to those who are regenerated and justified according to what Rule their obedience should be begun exercised and continued Iohn being asked by divers of his Hearers what they must doe Answers they must be just charitable and faithfull and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance Luke 3.8 11 12. c. Which workes were prescribed unto them in the law and from it And all those precepts which Christ ever and anon gives concerning good workes are agreeable unto the Law and therefore our lives must be framed according to the rule of the Law and the direction thereof Quest 1 Why must the law be observed Answ 1 First because God commands it Now an Argument drawne from the authority of Christ or God should be of great force with Christians CHRIST would not dissolve the Law Christ ever and anon sends us unto the law and God commands us to obey the Law and therefore great reason there is that wee should labour and endeavour to observe and keepe the Law Answ 2 Secondly the observance of the law is the worship of God for the workes commanded in the Law are in themselves good and the Law is a manifestation of God and his will and therefore we ought to labour to obey it Answ 3 Thirdly wee should be carefull to observe the Law because thereby we labour to imitate God Math. 5.48 and 1 Peter 1.13 c. And Answ 4 Fourthly because in so doing we glorifie our God Math. ◠16 Philip. 2.15 And Answ 5 Fifthly because by our obedience we testifie our love unto God Iohn 14.15 And Answ 6 Sixthly because thereby wee confirme our election and vocation 2. Peter 1.10 And Answ 7 Seventhly because by inuring of our selves unto good workes we shall facilitate our obedience Vsus Promptos facit Use makes men perfect and prone both I. Unto a holy labour in that which is good And also II. Unto a godly warring and fighting against sinne and whatsoever is evill And Answ 8 Eightly we ought to strive to obey the Law and to fructifie in the practice of holy workes because the felicity and happinesse of our estate doth encrease by the augmentation of our sanctity and the nearer we approach to the nature of blessed Spirits Answ 9 Lastly by our observation of the Morall law we shall be a meanes to winne and gaine our Brethren Philip. 2.15 and 2. Peter 1.12 And therefore great reason there is that we should labour to obey it Sect. 4 § 4. Iesus saith unto him These c. Quest Why doth our Saviour here in answer to the young mans question omit the Precepts of the first Table and recite onely those of the second Answ 1 First not because the Precepts of the second Table are chiefe in dignity or more excellent then the first for the duties of the first are more excellent then the duties of the second Nor Answ 2 Secondly because the more principall Precepts of the first Table doe not belong unto the present cause namely salvation for they are principally requisite unto salvation But Answ 3 Thirdly our Saviour names onely the duties of the second Table because in these wee are most easily deceived and soonest by Sathan and our owne corrupt nature over-reached And Fourthly because our true obedience to the Answ 4 second Table is but a fruit effect or consequent of our obedience unto the first He that is carefull to performe those duties which God requires of him in the second Table towards his Brother and that because God requires it gives unto the world a good argument and testimony of his obedience unto God in the duties of the first Table Read Galath 5.6 and 1. Iohn 4.20 Fifthly our Saviour to this young man recites Answ 5 onely the precepts of the second Table because the Jewes held these so vulgar easie that there were few but thought that they observed and kept these sufficiently enough as this young man plainly saith All these have I kept from my youth vp And therefore for the suppressing of this presumption and rectifying of this vulgar errour our Saviour by the rehearsall of these precepts would teach them that they observe and keepe none of them as they ought to doe § 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother Sect. 5 What is the honour that Children owe unto Quest 1 rheir Parents To this the Hebrewes answer Answ They owe unto them maintenance and reverence they should give them meat drinke and cloathing they should lead them in and lead them out And they adde further we reade Honour the Lord with thy substance and Honour thy Father and Mother thou art to honour God with thy substance if thou have any substance but thou art to honour thy Parents whether thou have any substance or not for if thou have not thou art bound to begge for thy Parents So saith R. Salomon in his Glosse vpon Levit. 10.3 Whether ought wee to love our Parents or Quest
and danger but also the turpitude and filthinesse of sinne and doth teach us not onely to detest the punishment of sinne but even sinne it selfe yea not to hate God who is the avenger of sinne or righteousnesse and holinesse which are contrary to sinnes but to hate our selves for the violation of the rules of righteousnesse and the provocation of so gracious and good a God I might enlarge this particular but I will but onely briefely branch it out into a double worke of the holy Spirit to wit I. The Spirit of God doth shew us three things namely First our guilt that is how wee have transgressed and violated the whole Law of God and therefore if God should call us unto judgement or enter into judgement with us wee must needs accuse our selves and confesse that wee are guilty of the transgression and breach of the Law And Secondly our danger wherein wee are by reason of our sinnes the wages of sinne being death Rom. 6.23 and the reward of the violation of the Law eternall condemnation And Thirdly the pollution and filthinesse of sinne how that it is out of measure sinfull and a thing most loathsome both in it selfe and unto the pure eyes of our heavenly Father II. The Spirit of God doth negatively not teach unto us these two things viz either First to hate God because he is the punisher and avenger of sinne or because he will not suffer us to sinne without punishment for this the malignant Spirit teacheth to men who have given themselves over unto sinne Or Secondly to hate righteousnesse and true holinesse because they are contrary unto our sinnes lusts and vile affections and because for the violation of the rules of righteousnesse and holinesse wee are punished and plagued For this Sathan and our owne corruption teacheth unto us and not the good and blessed and holy Spirit of God III. The Spirit of God affirmatively teacheth these three things unto us namely First to hate the punishment of sinne the Spirit teacheth us that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God because he is a consuming fire and that those who continue to transgresse an infinite Law and to offend an infinite Law-giver shall be infinitly punished with torments intollerable though alwayes tollerated and borne and therefore wee are taught by the Spirit to hate these punishments which are the reward of sinne And Secondly to hate sinne it selfe which is the cause of this punishment and that with a perfect hatred yea not onely in regard of the punishment of sinne but in regard of sinne it selfe it being in its owne nature a thing worthy to be detested and abhorred Yea Thirdly the Spirit teacheth us to hate our selves for our folly and madnesse that have loved and delighted in those things which are both infinitly evill and ougly in themselues and shall be so severely and unspeakably punished without repentance And this is the first degree and steppe unto Regeneration Answ 2 Secondly the Spirit of God doth excite and stirre vp in us an unfained desire of the remission and pardon of all our sinnes and this is the second step and degree of Regeneration Now because a wicked man may desire to have his sinnes forgiven him it will not be amisse to observe the difference betweene the desire of the Regenerate and unregenerate man I. The desire of the Regenerate is serious and solide they conceive sinne to bee an infinite evil and a thing so odious unto God that it separates him from man Ierem. 5.25 And therefore so long as they are not certaine that their sinnes are remitted they are uncertaine of the presence of God in them or of his love unto them or of their reconciliation unto him yea untill they are sure that their sinnes are done away they cannot have any true peace of conscience or spirituall rejoycing Now as they earnestly and unfainedly desire to be certaine of all these viz of the presence and love of God and reconciliation unto him and peace with him and with themselves and of the joy and consolation of the Spirit in themselves So they incessantly and heartily desire the assurance of the pardon of their sinnes without which assurance they cannot be assured of the other II. The desire of the unregenerate is a confused and fleeting desire he wisheth often that his sinnes were pardoned but the desire thereof doth not constantly possesse his heart hee may desire remission remissely sleightly and casually but not seriously and solidly or vpon those grounds whereby it is desired by the Regenerate man III. The Regenerate man desires rather to be purged from the evill of sinne then freed from the evill of punishment When the child of God groanes both under the burden of sinne and of punishment and is sensible of both the Evils then he desires to be freed first from the guilt and filth of sinne as the greater evill and prayes unto God more heartily to wash him and purge him and cleanse him from his pollution then to ease him of his paine IIII. The unregenerate man is more sensible of the evill of punishment then of sinne and more desirous to be freed from that then this Thus this earnest and unfained desire of the assurance of the pardon and remission of sinne is the second degree of Regeneration Thirdly the next step and degree of Regeneration Answ 3 is the Spirit of supplication and prayer now three things are here to bee examined by us namely I. Whether pray wee daily unto God to pardon our sinnes and to regenerate us And with David cry unto the Lord to create cleane hearts and renew right Spirits within us Psal 51.11 And II. Whether can wee commit our selves unto the Lord and expect with willing obedience the revelation of his will can wee when wee pray say unto the Lord I flee unto thee O Lord doe unto mee as shall seeme good in thy eyes And III. Whether doe wee obtaine our requests at Gods hand or not wee should marke the returne and fruit of our prayers and see whether with the King of Niniveh and the prodigall Child our prayers be heard and our suites granted For if wee can fervently pray and faithfully commit and commend our selves unto the good will and pleasure of God and obtaine our suites at his hands we may be comfortably perswaded that we are regenerated because God heares not sinners Iohn 9.31 Fourthly the last degree and highest step of Answ 4 Regeneration is the testimony evidence and pledge of the Spirit whereby is sealed unto us and wrought in us the certainty of tho love of God together with a full purpose of heart to walke before the Lord all the dayes of our lives And therefore wee should examine our selves whether the Spirit of God witnesse unto our spirits that God loves us and that in love unto him wee purpose to give our selves wholly up unto him Who are Regenerated Quest 3 Onely those who are endued with the