For the full resolution of this Question the Sacred Scriptures are not the sole Competent Judge or Rule Nor doth the determination of it belong to the Cognizance of such as are the best Interpreters of Sacred writ for the true Grammatical or Litteral sence of every proposition contained in it This Case must be reserved to the Schools of Arts or to the certain Rules of true Logick and Philosophy which are the best guides of Reason in all discursive faculties But here I am engaged to do that which in other cases I have endeavoured to avoid that is to make repetition of two great Problems in the Science or Faculty of Theologie heretofore in their several places handled and in some ensuing meditations to be hereafter inculcated The first Problem is In what sense or with what limitations the Scripture is held by all reformed Churches to be the only Rule of Faith The Second In what sense or how far it is true that Recta ratio Reason rectified or rightly managed may be admitted a competent Judge in Controversies belonging to the Faculty of Theologie 2. To the First Problem In what sence the Scripture is held by us to be the sole and competent Rule of Faith and manners I have no more to say for the present then hath been long ago published in the second book of these Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed Sect. 1. Chap. 11. The summe of all in that place delivered is to my best remembrance This No Christian is bound to admit or receive any Doctrine or proposition as an Article of his Faith unlesse it be contained in the Old or New Testament either Totidem verbis or may be Concludently or Demonstratively deduced from some Sacred Maxim or proposition expresly contained in the Canonical Books in the Old and New Testament Such Maxims as are expresly and plainly contained in Scripture Every Christian Man is bound to believe absolutely But such propositions or Conclusions as may be demonstratively inferred from Canonical unquestionable Maxims they only are bound absolutely to believe which have so much use of Reason or skill in Arts as may enable them clearly to discern the Necessity of the Consequence or concludent Proof of the Deduction The ignorant or illiterate are only bound to believe such Deductions Conditionally See the second Book chap. 2. chap. 4 c. or to practise according to their Teachers instructions with such Reservation or under such Conditions as have been expressed in the second and third Book of these Commentaries 3. But what Propositions though expresly contained in Scriptures be Negative or Affirmative Vniversal Indefinite Particular or Singular Or how any or all of these be Convertible whether Absolutely by Accident or by Contraposition or how to Frame a perfect Syllogism out of them These or the like are points which the holy Ghost who spake by the Prophets and other Pen-men of Sacred and Canonical Writ did never undertake or professe to teach The discussion or determination of Questions of this nature must be had from the Rules of Reason sublimated or regulated by good Arts or faculties And for the bettering or Advancing of Natural Reason in this search the most learned or most sanctified Christian this day living should be very unthankful to the only Lord his Redeemer and Sanctifier if he do not acknowledge it as an especial branch of his All-seeing Providence in raising up unto the World such Lights of Nature and Guides of Reason as Aristotle Plato and others of the Ancient Philosophers were True Reason in whomsoever seated Whether in the Natural or Regenerate man unlesse it be advanced and guarded by such Rules of Arts as these Sages of the old World have by Gods Providence invented or bettered can be no fit Judge but being so advanced and guarded is the most Competent Judge of Controversies in Divinity of such Controversies I mean as arise from Consequences or Deductions made by way of use or application out of the uncontroverted Maxims of sacred Writ And if we would sequester Grammatical or Rhetorical Pride and partialitie to the several Professions wherein respectively men glory we might easily discern all or most of those unhappy Controversies which have set the Christian World for these late years in Combustion to have been hatched maintained and nourished by such pretended Favorites of the Spirit as either never had faithfully Learned any true Logick Philosophie or ingenuous Arts or else had utterly forgotten the Rules which they had learned or heard before they begun to handle controversies in Theologie or entertain disputes about them 4. Obliquity can have no other Cause beside that which is the Cause of the Act whence it necessarily results The Hypothesis for whose clearer discussion these last Theses have been premised is this Whether it being once granted or supposed that the Almighty Creator was the Cause either of our mother Eves desire or of her Actual Eating of the Forbidden Fruit or of her delivery of it to her husband or of his taking and eating it though unawares the same Almighty God must not upon like Necessity be acknowledged to be the Author of all the Obliquities which did accompany the positive Acts or did necessarily result from them This is a Case or Species Facti which we cannot determine by the Rule of Faith It must be tried by the undoubted Rules of Logick or better Arts. These be the only perspective Glasses which can help the Eye of Reason to discover the truth or necessity of the Consequence to wit Whether the Almighty Creator being granted to be the Cause of our Mother Eves first Longing after the forbidden Fruit were not the Cause or Author of her sin Now unto any Rational man that can use the help of the forementioned Rules of Arts which serve as prospective Glasses unto the Eye of Reason that usual Distinction between the Cause or Author of the Act and the Cause or Author of the Obliquity which necessarily ensues upon the Act will appear at the first sight to be False or Frivolous yea to imply a manifest Contradiction For Obliquity or whatsoever other Relation can have no Cause at all besides that which is the Cause of the Habit of the Act or Quality whence it necessarily results And in particular that conformity or similitude which the First man did bear to his Almighty Creator did necessarily result from his substance or manhood as it was the work of God undefaced Nor can we search after any other true Cause of the First mans confirmity to God or his integrity besides him who was the Cause of his manhood or of his Existence with such qualifications as by his Creation he was endowed with In like manner whosoever was the cause whether of his coveting or eating of the Tree in the middle of the Garden was the true Cause of that Obliquity or crooked deviation from Gods Law or of that deformity or dissimilitude unto God himself which did necessarily result
present themselves Even he that hath no power to resist the least temptation that offers it self nor Freedom of Will to refuse the greatest Evil and chuse the least when both are actually proffered may in the Cessation of Actual Temptations Reflect upon his former Acts and take a survey of his life past especially if he be thereto occasioned or perswaded by a discreet Admonitor one that will not affright him with the Marks of Reprobation The first Branch of Freedom or rather the very root of Free-Will in every Reasonable Creature is seated in this Power of Reflexion upon its own Acts. This is the First Point or Property wherein Reason doth exceed Sense Now he that hath but this Branch of Freedom to Calculate his former Acts hath with it a Power to Charge his Soul with the heavy burthen of his sins The Conscience will alwayes be ready in quiet thoughts to accuse the Flesh and urge the Soul to bear Testimony against it And the soul or Conscience once brought to loath or dislike some special sins is thereby made more Free apt to bewail all other sins whatsoever whether Actual or Original Unlesse David had been throughly stung with the Conscience of murther or Adultery that sweet Confession had never found such perfect vent as it did Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Psal 51. 5. Every Creature on whom the Creator hath bestowed any sense or feeling of pain or pleasure hath Power to imploy some motive Faculty for avoiding things grievous or hurtful or for attaining things pleasant and useful for bettering their present Estate And if man have any sense or feeling of his heavy burthen he cannot but in some sort or other desire to be released from it Upon this Principle is that Exhortation of our Saviour Grounded Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy Laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. 16. So then albeit there be a true Freedom of Will in all the sons of Adam which are not utterly or finally forsaken of God yet is not this Freedom the same in all neither in respect of its Objects or Acts nor in respect of its Degrees or Strength Some have a Competent Measure of Liberty to avoid Occasions or external Motives to known sins but either no portion of like Liberty or a very Little One to resist such temptations to foul sins as come upon them unexpectedly Others have a Competent Measure of like Freedom to resist Temptations or Opportunities to grosse sins but little or none at all to bewaile their natural misery or to beat down their inbred Pride by Contemplation of Sin Original or by Reflecting upon sins of Omission or Positive Acts of ordinary Transgression Others again which had deprived themselves of all Freedom for avoiding Occasions or resisting Temptations to certain sins have a Larger measure of Freedom then others have to be humbled under Gods Mighty Hand which is in Order the First and by disposition of the Divine Providence the most Available means for attaining Mortification which must be the Subject of the next Discourse wherein I must follow my Method proposed to wit To discusse the true meaning of those Scriptures wherein the Difficulties or Questions Concerning this Duty are properly seated To begin with that of our Apostle Rom 8. 12. SECT V. Of the Great Duty of Mortification And of the Vse of Free-Will for performing it CHAP. XXVIII Of the General Contents which concern the Duty of Mortification And which be the Special Works of the Flesh we are to Mortifie ROM Chap. 8. Vers 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Vers 12. Therefore Brethren we are Debters not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh Vers 13. For if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit do Mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live 1. A brief Paraphrase upon Rom. 8. 12 c. THis Portion of Scripture is more fit to ground the Connexion of what goeth before or cometh after it from the beginning of this 8 th Chapter unto the end then to receive any Bounds or Limitation which it is capable of from any Reference to other Passages either for the plain and full Grammatical or for the Moral and Theological Sense The Grammatical Construction of the 12 th verse though for so much as some of our Modern Translations suggest unto us it afford but One Proposition and that a Negative We are debters not to the flesh yet according to the Original Character or full Construction it contains Two Emphatical Propositions the One Affirmative the Other Negative The Affirmative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debters we are and Debters for a greater Sum then all Mankinds either Real or Personal Estates in this world are able to discharge The Negative Debters we are in no wise either in whole or part unto the Flesh unto which we owe nothing besides Revenge or Mortification of It that is by delivering it up Captive to the Spirit unto whom we owe more then our temporal Estate here on Earth our very Souls The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full Declaration of both Propositions follows vers 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die this is the unsupportable debt which the flesh hath brought and seeks to bring upon us But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall Live for ever This is a greater Boon then we can deserve as much as we can desire more then we can make any part of requital for it 2. For stating Cases of Conscience not for dealing betwixt man and man but but betwixt the Judge of Quick and Dead and our own Souls I know no portion of Scripture whether in the Old or New Testament of better or more frequent Use then This 13 th verse Let such as are so minded maintain Tenents already set on Foot or multiply Questions to the worlds End about the Certainty of their Personal Estate in Grace or Final Salvation or bestow their Marks and Tokens whether of Absolute Election or Reprobation as they please yet unto honest hearted Christians or such as desire so to be there can be no Sign or token of Salvation either Firmer in its self or more Certain to them then the right Computation of their constant Progresse in the Mortifying of the Flesh by the Spirit The First Question or Examination of our Progresse in this Duty is to know What be the deeds of the Flesh or Body which we are to Mortifie And How far we are to mortifie them The Second How the flesh is Mortified by us How by the Spirit The Third which happily will intermingle it self here and there with the first and second Quaeries is The Limitation of these Two Propositions
Influence from his Body Concomitant though not Consubstantiated to it which is prefigured or signified by the washing or sprinkling the body with water 5. But it will be or rather is Objected but only by privat or some sawcy spirits That if the Doctrin of our Church were true and sound then all that be rightly Baptized should be undoubtedly saved being once washed or cleansed from their sinnes The Objection were of some force if the Church of England did hold or maintain such Doctrin or Tenets as they do which make or favour it to wit That the sins of the Elect only are remitted by Baptism or by the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood or That sins once remitted cannot be remitted afresh or that the Partie which is once pardoned for his sins before commited cannot afterwards be condemned The Orthodoxal Truth is That albeit the Original Sin of Children truly Baptized in the name of Christ or the Actual sins of young or elder men so Baptized and the sins of their forefathers so far as it concernes men of riper yeares to repent them of both be so truly remitted in Baptism that neither young men nor old may be Baptized again Yet the Astipulation of a good Conscience wherein the internal Baptism as St. Peter tells doth consist may and ought by the Law of God and of Christs Church to be reiterated And this Astipulation of every Christian male or femal though baptized after they have passed their Nonage for Civil contracts Though Baptisme may not be reiterated yet The Astipulation of a good Conscience or the Enquireing to God may dayly and must often be renewed ought to be resumed or re-acknowledged so often as they intend to receive the Sacramental pledges of Christs body and blood either privately or in the publick congregation But for all such as have been baptized in their Infancie the Personal Resumption or Ratification of that VOW which their Fathers and Mothers in God did make for them at the Sacred Laver is to be exacted of them Ore tenus in some publick Congregation before they can be lawfully admitted to be Publick Communicants of Christs Body and Blood 6. There is then no default or defect in the Church of England Doctrin or Lawes concerning Baptism No child or Infant Baptized may or ought to be admitted unto the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood before he have in his own person ratified that VOW which his Sureties or spiritual Guardians did make for him at the Sacred Font where Chrîst is as â—ruly present as at the Sacrament of the Altar as some term it or Confirmation of such as have been babaptized in their infancie But I dare not avouch so much for justifying the men unto whom the Execution of these Lawes is especially commended whether they be of Lower of higher or of the highest Rank It hath not been my hap to peruse very many Presentments of Church-Wardens or Inferiour Priests in Visitations Yet of those few or any whereof I have had some Cognizance I have observed but a very few or scarce remember any tendred against the Parents or such as were Sureties for Infants at the sacred Font for not bringing them at convenient times to be Confirmed or blessed by the Bishop of the Diocese or against inferiour Ministers for not Preparing those the Cure of whose soules was immediatly committed to them to receive the Confirmation of their Faith by the Benediction of the Diocesane much lesse against Diocesanes themselves for not executing their office in this Great Service of the Church either in their own Persons or by their Suffraganes 7. Whether the solemn Baptizing of all Infants which are the children of presumed Christian Parents throughout this Kingdom without solemn Astipulation that they shall at years of discretion personally ratifie their Vow in baptism in publick in such manner as the Church requires be not rather more Lawful or more tolerable then Expedient I leave it with all submission to the consideration of Higher Powers In the mean time I shall every day blesse my Lord God as for all others so in particular for this Great Blessing bestowed upon me that I was in a Convenient Age in a happy time and place presented by my Sureties in Baptism to ratifie the VOW which they made for me and to receive the Benediction of the Bishop of the Diocese being first instructed in the Churches Catechism by the Curate of the Parish from whose Lips though but a meer Grammar Scholer and one that knew better how to read an Homilie or to understand Hemingius or other Latine Postills then to make a Sermon in English I learned more good Lessons then I did from many popular Sermons and to this day remember more then men at this time of greater years shall find in many late applauded Catechisms CHAP. LI. Inordinate Libertie of Prophesying brought Errours into the Church disgrac'd and hindred the Reformation 1. ALbeit the Reverend Fathers of our Church and their Suffraganes should use all possible care and diligence for performing of all that is on their parts required yet without some better conformitie of Catechismâ— and reformation of such as write them or preach Doctrines conformable to them there is small hope that in such plentie of Preachers as now there are this work of the Lord should prosper half so well as it did in those TIMES and in those Dioceses wherein there were scarce ten able Preachers besides the Prebendaries of the Cathedral Church under whose Tuition in a manner the rest of the Clergie were I well remember and I cannot but remember it with joy of heart that the Synods in that Diocesse wherein I was bred did constantly examine the Licenced Readers how they had profited in learning by their Exercises which they did as duly exhibit unto the Chancellor Archdeacon c as they did their Orders or their Fees Such as had profited well were Licenced to Preach once a moneth or once a quarter having certain Books appointed from whose doctrine they should not swarve but for the most part translate The Authors then in most esteem were Melancthon Bullinger Hemingius especially in Postâ—ls and other Opuscula of his or other Writers who were most conformable to the Book of Homilies which were weekly read upon severe penaltie 2. But since the Libertie of Prophesying was taken up which came but lately into the Northern Parts unlesse it were in the Towns of Newcastle and Barwick wherein Knox Mackbray and Vdal had sown their Tares all things have gone so cross backward in our Church that I cannot call the Historie for these fortie years or more to mind or express my observations upon it but with a bleeding heart The First Declination from the Ancient Church was Concerning the Death and Passion of our Saviour Christ of which the forward Zelots or rigid Reformers of Popish merits did make more malitious and scandalous Vse upon Vse then the Papists themselves or other Hereticks did
of any doubtful or difficult place of Scripture The people were in a manner taught to believe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere to believe this Article was sufficient to Salvation live they in the mean time how they list This foolish Doctrine did begin and propagate it self in Germanie before Melancthon did correct Luther or as Chemnitius thinks did record his own Recantation But the infection in the mean time did so farr overspread the Church of England before it heard of the remedie that it moved Sir Thomas Moore to lay aside jesting and deplore the miseries of his times in earnest to see men given over to Revelling Bouzing or drinking or to other worse vices and yet continue Confident that the sufferings and Passions of Christ should fully pay the shot or discharge the reckoning how great soever it were 3. It was but an Implicit Branch of the former Error which at the first did not break forth in expresse Termes to teach men to Believe Secundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with full Assurance of Faith that Christ dyed for them in particular before they had any assurance that Christ dyed for All men A strange Conclusion which they sought to cover or overshadow with a more dangerous branch of the same Error to wit That every man was to have Fiduciam or full assurance of his own Estate in Grace or interest in Christ not from Gods General promises made in Him but from special or Particular Faith This was that unfortunate Doctrine which gave such Scandal to the beginning of Reformation in Germanie that not three hundred Bellarmines not so many Valentia's or other learned Jesuites which have lived since could ever withdraw the tenth part so many from Reformed Religion as Dr. Hessils did with-hold from embracing it by exagitating this Sensual Doctrine as he styles it as if it had been conceived or maintained of purpose that some professing Reformation might continue and encrease their drunken and voluptuous Others their lascivious and wanton kind of life and yet be as sure of their Personal Salvation as either St. Peter or St. Paul were during their Pilgrimage here on Earth This was that Ginne or Noose which Satan sought to draw upon them as knowing that he had this kind of people at greater command then ever he had any besides For as is intimated in some former meditations published and in some Others in due time to be communicated to Learned and Pious Readers There is not There cannot be any possible Evasion out of this snare but by recanting the former Opinions or Errors themselves For every Novice in Arts hath Learned that every Vniversal Negative Proposition may be Converted Simpliciter Now the Scripture gives us this Universal Negative again and again That no Adulterer no Covetous Person no Slanderer or Reviler of his Neighbours no Seditious or Rebellious Spirit shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The other Vniversal Negative which they deliver up as their Deed and Writing unto the Father of Lies and of all wicked cunning is This That no Man which must of necessitie enter into this Kingdom though he dye this day or to morrow can be an Adulterer a Covetous Person a Slanderer or Reviler of his Neighbour or carrie a Seditious Rebellious or Traiterous Spirit to his King and Countrie Now by this Noose or Gin which they have cast for themselves the Great Tempter can draw or lead them to all manner of mischief and Hypocrisie to envenome their thoughts with malice and slander with Treason Sedition and Disloyaltie and yet assure them that they are no Slanderers no Traytors c. but Zealous and Godly persons because they must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Last and worst branch of the former bitter Root is an Assertion which I never read in any forraign writer but of late set down in Terminis Terminantibus by some English Zelots whose study and practice it hath been either to improve or malignifie Forraign Errors The improvement of the former Errors which Outlandish Writers did rather not take into Consideration then maintain is The Division of all Mankind into Two Sorts that is into Elect and Reprobate An Error I confesse which can do no great harm upon such Sawcy Malepert Vocalists as have the gift to let the Word of God runne as fast out at their mouthes as it comes into their braines either by the Ear or Eye But if it enter once into the thoughts of a Sober Conscientious Spirit whose brain and heart have dayly entercourse or Commerce it is impossible but it should put him into a Dangerous Perplexitie either of being carelesly Presumptuous or of falling into utter despaire Experiments of this Later evill have been more frequent in our Church and in these times then in any other Church or times before us 4. For Conclusion of this Tragical Consideration I would request all such as sit in judicature specially in Causes Criminal to call to mind or suffer Me to be their Remembrancer of a Grave saying delivered by a great Praelate in the high Court of Parliament That Severitie without instruction is a kind of Tyranny More particularly my humble request is that with good leave I may put such in mind as judge seditious turbulent or enormous practises or Censure Fellones de se that they shall mightily condemn themselves by judging them unless they be as forward withall to quell the Erroneous Doctrine whether by Lawes Ecclesiastical or Civil whence the former Practises spring As that kind of Sedition Stubborn disobedience disloyalty Scandalum Magnatum or privie Conspiracie under whose heavie burden this State and Church doth now sigh and groan These and divers other like Branches of the Divels service are as true and proper Effects or natural issues of the forementioned preposterous Belief or Doctrine of Special faith or Division of all Mankind into Two Sorts as Christian Charitie Humilitie Obedience Penitencie or Contrition of Spirit are of the true and wel-grounded Belief of Jesus Christ and of him Crucified 5. The best instructions that can be given for rectifying the former Errours is that of our Apostle Rom. 4. Though we follow the Interpretations or Hints of those Writers whom these Zelots most admire He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to performe And therefore it was imputed to him for Righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our Justification Vers 20 21 22 23 24 25. CHAP. LII That Iustification Consists not in one Single Act. In what Sense Fides est Fiducia is True 1. MUst we then with the Romish Church admit of a First and Second