so fulfilled A. No That Law condemned none but the Sinner himself and is not fulfilled unless the Person suffer that sinned That Law never said Either the Sinner or another for him shall die Christ was given us by God as above his Law and that he might justly and mercifully forgive sin though he executed not that Law That Law did but make punishment our Due and not Christs but not bind God to inflict it on us when his Wisdom knew a better way It is not that Law as fulfilled that justifieth us but another even the Law of Grace Satisfaction is not the fulfilling of the penal Law Q. 16. Did not Christ fulfill the Commands of the Law for us by his Holiness and perfect Rrighteousness What need was there that he suffer for us A. The Law or Covenant laid on him by his Father was that he should do both and therefore both â—s the performance of that Condition on which God gave us to him to be pardoned and saved by him If he had fulfilled the Commands of the Law by perfect Holiness and Righteousness in our Legal Persons so â—s that God and his Law would have reputed us to have done it by him then indeed being reputed perfect Obeyers we could not have been reputed Sinners that needed suffering or pardon But Christs habitual active and passive Righteousness were all the parts of his One Condition performed by him to be the meritorious Cause of our Justification Q. 17. Why is Christ's Death and Burial named besides his Crucifixion A. Those words have been since added to obviate their Error who thought Christ dyed not on the Cross. Q. 18. What is meant by his descending into Hell A. Those words were not of some Hundred Years in the Creed And since they were put in have been diversly understood There is no more certain nor necessary to be believed but that 1. Christs Soul was and so ours are immortal and remained when separated from the Body 2. And that as death being the separation of Soul and Body was threatned by God as a punishment to both so the Soul of Christ submitted to this penal separation and went to the place of separated Souls as his Body did to the Grave Q. 19. Of what use is this Article to us A. Of great and unspeakable use 1. We leaâ— hence what Sin deserveth shall we play with thaâ— which must have such a Sacrifice 2. We learn hence that a sufficient expiatory Sacrifice is made for sin and therefore that God is reconciled and we need not despair nor are put to makâ— expiation our selves or by any other 3. We learn that Death and the Grave and thâ— state of Separate Souls are Sanctified and Satan conquered as he had the power of Death as Gods Executioner And therefore that we may boldly die iâ— Faith and commit Soul and Body into the hand â—… him that died for them Q. 20. But did not Christ's go to Paradise and câ—â— that be penal A. Yes And so do faithful Souls But the Soâ—â— and Body are a perfect Man and Nature is against Separation And as the Union of Christs Soul aâ—â— glorified Body now in Heaven is a more perfect staâ—â— than that was of his separated Soul so the deprivation of that Union and Perfection was a degree â—â— penalty And therefore it was the extraordinary priviledge of Enoch and Elias not to die CHAP. XIV The Third Day he rose again from the Dead Q. 1. HOw was Christ said to be three dayes in the Grave A. He was there part of the Sixth day all the Seventh and part of the First Q. 2. Is it certain that Christ rose from the Dead the third day A. As certain as any Article of our Faith Angels witnessed it Mary first saw him and spake with him Two Disciples going to Emmaus saw him to whom he opened the Scriptures concerning him Peter and others Fishing saw him and spake and eat with him The Eleven assembled saw him Thomas that would not else believe was called to see the print of the Nails and put his Finger into his pierced side He was seen of above Five hundred Brethren at once He gave the Apostles their Commission and Instructions and his Blessing and ascended Bodily to Heaven in their sight And afterward appeared in Glory to Stephen and Paul But I have before given you the proof of the Gospel and must not repeat it Q. 3. Was it foreknown that Christ would rise A. Yes It was foretold by the Prophets and expresly and often by himself to his Apostles and the Iews and therefore they set a Sealed Stone with a Guard â—â— Souldiers on the Sepulcher to watchit Q. 4. It is a wonder that the Iews thâ—n believed noâ— in him A. The Rulers were now more afraid than before that Christ would by the People be Proclaimed their King and then the Romans destroy their City and Nation for they feared Men more than God And withal they had put him to death on that account aâ— if his making himself a King had been Rebellioâ— against Caesar and King of the Iews was writteâ— as his Crime by Pilate on his Cross and so they were engaged against him as a Rebel though he told them hiâ— Kingdom was not a Worldly one And they seemed to believe that he did all his Miracles by the Devil aâ— a Conjurer and therefore that he was raised by thaâ— Devil which was the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And as for the Common People they deceived them by hiring the Souldiers to say Thaâ— his Disciples stole his Body while they slept Q. But why would Christ appear to none but his Disciples A. We are not fit to give God a Law His works are done in infinite Wisdom But we may see 1. That they who had hardned their Hearts against all his Doctrine and the Miracles of his Life and maliciously put him to Death as a Blasphemer a Conjurer and a Traitor to Caesar were unworthy and unmeet to be the Witnesses of his Resurection And its like it would but have excited their rage to have tryed a new Persecution His Resurrection being the first act of his triumphant Exaltation none were so fit to see him as those that had followed him in his Sufferings Even as wicked Men are not meet as Paul was to be â—rapt up into Paradise and the Third Heavens and hear the unutterable things 2. The Witnesses whom he chose were enow and fit Persons for that Office being to be sent abroad to Proclaim it to the World And God confirmed their Testimony by such abundant Miracles of which you heard before 3. And yet he left not the Infidels without convincing means As he before told them that he would raise in three Dayes the Temple of his Body when they destroyed it so they saw the Earthquake the Sun darkned the Vail of the Temple rent at his Death and their Souldiers saw the Angels that
And that we gather one thing from another and that we Love Good and Hate Evil and Choose Refuse and Do accordingly Q. 5. What do you next know of your selves A. When we perceive that we See Feel c. and Think Love Hate c. we know that we have a Power of Soul to do all this for no one doth that which he is not made able to do Q. 6. And what do you next know of your self A. When I know what I Do and that I can do it I know next that I am a Substance endued with this Power for nothing hath no Power nor Act it can do nothing Q. 7. What know you next of your self A. I know that this Substance which Thinketh Understandeth and Willeth is an unseen Substance for neither I nor any mortal Man seeth it and that is it which is called a Spirit Q. 8. What next perceive you of your self A. I Perceive that in this one Substance there is a Threefold Power marvellously but One and yet Three as Named from the Objects and Effects that is 1. A Power of meer Growing motion common to Plants 2. A Power of Sense common to Beasts 3. And a Power of Understanding and Reason about things above Sense proper to a Man three Powers in one spiritual Substance Q. 9. What else do you find in your self A. I find that my spiritual Substance as Intellectual hath also a Threefold Power in one that is 1. Intellectual Life by which I move and act my faculties and execute my purposes 2. Understanding 3. And Will and that these are marvellously diverse and yet one Q. 10. What else find you by your self A. I find that this unseen Spirit is here United to a humane Body and is in Love with it and careth for it and is much limited by it in its Perceivings Willings and Workings and so that a Man is an Incorporate Understanding Spirit or a humane Soul and Body Q. 11. What else perceive you by your self A. I perceive that my higher Powers are given me to rule the lower my Reason to rule my Senses and Appetite my Soul to rule and use my Body as Man is made to rule the Beasts Q. 12. What know you of your self as related to others A. I see that I am a Member of the World of Mankind and that others are better than I and multitudes better than one and that the Welfare of Mankind depends much on their Duty to one another and therefore that I should Love all according to their worth and faithfully endeavour the good of all Q. 13. What else know you of your self A. I know that I made not my self and maintain not my self in Life and Safety and therefore that another made me and maintaineth me and I know that I must Die by the Separation of my Soul and Body Q. 14. And can we tell what then becomes of the Soul A. I am now to tell you but how much of it our Nature tells us the rest I shall tell you afterward we may know 1. That the Soul being a Substance in the Body will be a Substance out of it unless God should destroy it which we have no cause to think he will 2. That Life Understanding and Will being its very Nature it will be the same after Death and not a thing of some other kind 3. That the Soul being naturally Active and the World full of Objects it will not be a sleepy or unactive thing 4. That its Nature here being to mind its Interest in another Life by Hopes or Fears of what will follow God made not its Nature such in vain and therefore that Good or Evil in the Life that 's next will be the Lot of all CHAP. III. Of the Natural Knowledge of GOD and Heaven Qu. 1. YOu have told me how we know the things which we see and feel without us and within us But how can we know any things which we neither see nor feel but are quite above us A. By certain Effects and Signs which notifie them How little else did man differ from a Beast if he knew no more than he seeth and feeleth Besides what we know from others that have seen you see not now that the Sun will rise to morrow or that Man must die you see not Italy Spain France You see no mans Soul And yet we certainly know that such things are and will be Q. 2. How know you that there is any thing above us but what we see A. 1. We see such things done here on Earth which nothing doth or can do which is seen What thing that is seen can give all Men and Beasts their life and sense and safety and so marvellously form the bodies of all and govern all the matters of the World 2. We see that the spaces above us where Sun Moon and Stars are are so vast that all this Earth is not so much to them as one Inch is to all this Land And we see that the Regions above us excel in the glory of purity and splendor And when this dark spot of Earth hath so many millions of Men can we doubt whether those vast and glorious parts are better inhabited 3. And we find that the grossest things are the basest and the most invisible the most Powerful and Noble as our Souls are above our Bodies And therefore the most vast and Glorious Worlds above us must have the most invisible powerful noble inhabitants Q. 3. But how know you what those Spirits above us are A. 1. We partly know what they are by what they do with us on Earth 2. We know much what they are by the Knowledge of our selves If our Souls are Invisible Spirits essentiated by the Power of Life Understanding and Will the Spirits above us can be no less but either such or more excellent And he that made us must needs be more excellent than his work Q. 4. How know you who made us A. He that made all things must needs be our Maker that is GOD Q. 5. What mean you by God And what is He A. I mean The Eternal Infinite Glorious Spirit and Life most Perfect in Active Power Understanding and Will Of whom and by whom and to whom are all things being the Creator Governour and End of all This is that God whom All things do declare Q. 6. How know you that there is such a God A. By his works And I shall afterwards tell it you more fully by his Word Man did not make himself Beasts Birds Fishes Trees and Plants make not themselves The Earth and Water and Air made not themselves And if the Souls of men have a maker the Spirits next above them must have a Maker and so on till you come to a first Cause that was made by none There must be a first Cause and there can be but one Q. 7. Why may there not be many Gods or Spirits that were made by none but are Eternally of themselves A. Because
and they driven hastily out they yearly continued the Eating of the Passover with unleavened Bread as in a hasting posture 3. Since the Law given in the Wilderness they constantly used the Sacrifices the Oblations the Tabernacle the Priesthood and Ceremonies as that Law prescribed them And the National constant use of these was an ascertaining Tradition of the matters of Fact which were their cause 4. Yea so tenacious were they of this Law that as they taught the very Syllables of it to their Children and kept in the Ark the very Tables of Stone that had the Ten Commandments so they were Enemies to Christianity because the Christians were against the Gentiles Observation of their Law and for its abrogation 4. Consider again that the Matter of Fact and the Divine Institution is since made certain to us by Christs Testimony Q. 11. But seeing this Law doth not bind us now nor the particular Messages of the Prophets were sent to us is it any of our Concern now to know or believe them It belonged to those that they were made for and sent to But what are they to us A. There is not the same necessity to know them and so to be such that they were all of God as there is to know and believe the Gospel But it is greatly our Duty and Concern to believe them 1. Because they were preparatory to the Gospel and bore an antecedent Testimony to it 2. Because the Gospel it self beareth witness of their Truth which therefore if we believe it we must believe 3. Because by the Holy Ghost's direction all now make up our Books of Sacred Records which is the certain Word of God though not all of the same Necessity and Evidence And here I must tell you a great and needful Truth which ignorant Christians fearing to confess by overdoing tempt Men to Infidelity The Scripture is like a Mans Body where some parts are but for the preservation of the rest and may be maimed without death The Sence is the Soul of the Scripture and the Letters but the Body or Vehicle The Doctrine of the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue and Baptism and Lords Supper is the Vital part and Christianity it self The Old Testament Letter written as we have it about Ezras's time is that Vehicle which is as imperfect as the Revelation of those times was But as after Christ's Incarnation and Ascension the Spirit was more abundantly given and the Revelation more perfect and Sealed so the Doctrine is more full and the Vehicle or Body that is the Words are less imperfect and more sure to us so that he that doubteth of the Truth of some Words in the Old Testament or of some small Circumstantials in the New hath no reason therefore to doubt of the Christian Religion of which these Writings are but the Vehicle or Body sufficient to ascertain us of the Truth of the History and Doctrine Be sure first that Christ is the very Son of God and it inferreth the certainty of all his Words and enforceth our whole Religion Q. 12. I perceive then that our main Question is both as to Necessity and Evidence How we are sure that the Gospel is true and the Records of it the very Word of God A. It is so And as it is this that must Rule and Judge the Church so we have to us fuller proof of this than of the Old Testament Because that the narrowness of the Iews Countrey in comparison of the Christian World and the many Thousand Years distance and a Language whose Phrase and Proverbial speeches and the very sence of the common words of it must needs make it more unknown to us than the Language that the Gospel is Recorded in And it is not the least proof of the Truth of the Old Testament that it is attested and confirmed by the New Q. 13. Will you first tell me How the Apostles and that first Age were sure that the Gospel of Christ was the very Word of God A. Here I must first tell you that the great Mystery of the Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost being One God is made necessary to us to be believed not only as to the Eternal unsearchable Inexistence but specially for the Knowledge of Gods three great sorts of Works on Man That is As our Creator and the God of Nature as our Redeemer and the God of Governing and and reconciling Grace and as our Sanctifier and the Applyer and Perfecter of all to fit us for Glory And so the Son as Redeemer is the way to the Father to know him and his Love and be reconciled to him And the Holy Ghost is the Witness of the Son The proof therefore of the Gospel of Christ in one word is the Holy Ghost that is the certain Testimony of God's Spirit And this Testimony consisteth of these several parts I. The foregoing Testimony of the Spirit by all the Prophesies of the Old Testament and the Typical Prefigurations which became a fuller proof than before when they were seen all to be fulfilled in Christ Yet many were fulfilled before When Abraham had no Child he was promised the Multiplication of his Seed and that all Nations should be blessed therein Gen. 12. 2. 13. 16. 15. 5. 17. 2. 18. 11 12. The 400 Years of their abode in Egypt and Canaan before were foretold and punctually fulfilled Gen. 15. 13 14. Ex. 12. 31 32. So was Iacob's Prophesie of Iudah's Scepter Gen. 42. 8 9 10. And Ioseph's dreams And verily Balaams last Prophesie was marvellous who when he had blessed Israel and foretold their Victories foretold also the Scepter of David and Christ and the success of the Assyrians and after that of Chittim against the Hebrews themselves Numb 24. And who seeth not the fulfilling of the terrible Prophesie of Moses against the Iews Deut. 31 Iosiah by Name and his Deeds were foretold 300 Years before he was Born 1 Kings 13. 2. 2 Kings 23. 15. Oft was the Captivity of the Iews foretold and the destruction of Babylon and the Iews return by Cyrus named long before he was Born and the very time foretold From the beginning Christ was promised and the circumstances of his coming foretold Gen. 3. 15. 26. 4. 49. 10. Deut. 18. 15. Psal. 2. 27. 89. 110. Isa. 53. 11. 1. Ier. 33. 15. Mic. 5. 2. That he should be Born of a Virgin Isa. 7. 14. in Bethlem Mic. 5. 2. and then the Infants killed Ier. 31. 15 that he should come into the Temple as the Angel of the Covenant whom they desired but they should not endure therein when he came because he came as a Refiner Mal. 3. 1. 3. That he should go into Egypt and return thence Isa. 19. 1. Hos. 11. 1. That One should go before him to prepare the way Mal. 3. 1. That he should do wonders for the People Isa. 35. 5. That a familiar should betray him and that for Thirty pieces of
Qu. 1. WHy is there nothing said in the Creed 1. Of Christ's overcoming the Temptations of the Devil and the World 2. Or of his fulfilling the Law his perfect Holiness Obedience and Righteousness 3. Nor of his Miracles A. 1. You must know that the Creed at first when Christ made it the Symbol of Christianity had but the three Baptismal Articles to be Baptized into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. And that the rest were added for the Exposition of these three 3. And that the Errors that rose up occasioned the additions Some denyed Christ's real Humanity and some his Death and said that it was another in his Shape that dyed and this occasioned these Expository Articles 4. But the Apostles and other Preachers expounded more to those whom they Caâ—echized than is put into the Creed and more is implyed in that which is expressed And had any Hereticks then denyed Christ's perfect Righteousness and Victory in Temptation it 's like it would have occasioned an Article for these 5. But Christ would not have his Apostles put more into the Creed than was needful to be a part of the Test of Christianity And he that understandingly consentingly and practically believeth in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost shall be saved 6. And as to Christ's Miracles yea and his Holiness they are contained in the true meaning of Believing in the Holy Ghost as I shall after shew Q. 2. But why is none of Christ's Sufferings mentioned before that of his being Crucified A. This which is the consummation implyeth the humilation of all his Life his mean Birth and Education his mean estate in the World his Temptations Accusations Reproaches Buffeting Scourging his Agony his Betraying his Condemnation as a Malefactor by false Witness and the Peoples Clamour and the Rulers Malice and Injustice his whole Life was a state of humiliation â—inished in his Crucifixion Death and Burial Q. 3. What made the Jews so to hate and Crucifie him A. Partly a base fear of Caesar lest he should destroy them in jealousie of Iesus as a King And having long revolted from sincerity in Religion and become Ceremonious Hypocrites God left them to the blindness and hardness of their Hearts resolving to use them for the Sacrificing of Christ the Redemption of the World and the great enlargement of his Church Q. 4. Why is Pontius Pilate named in the Creed A. Historically to keep the remembrance of the time when Christ suffered and to leave a just shame on the Name of an unjust Judge Q. 5. Why was Crucifying the manner of Christ's death A. 1. It was the Romans manner of putting vile Malefactors to death 2. And it was a death especially cursed by God and Christ foretold it of himself Q. 6. Was it only Christs Body that suffered or also his Soul and Godhead A. The Godhead could not suffer but he that was God suffered in Body and in Soul Q. 7. What did Christs Soul suffer A. It suffered not by any sinful Passion but by Natural Lawful fear of what he was to undergo and feeling of pain and specially of God's just displeasure with Mans sin for which he suffered which God did express by such with-holdings of Joy and by such inward deep sense of his punishing Justice as belonged to one that consented to stand in the place of so many sinners and to suffer so much in their stead Q. 8. Did Christ suffer the pains of Hell which the Damned suffer A. The pains of Hell are Gods just punishment of Man for sin and so were Christs sufferings upon his consent But 1. The Damned in Hell are hated of God and so was not Christ. 2. They are forsaken of Gods holy Spirit and Grace and so was not Christ. 3. They are under the Power of Sin and so was not Christ. 4. They hate God and Holiness and so did not Christ. 5. They are tormented by the Conscience of their Personal guilt and so was not Christ Christs Sufferings and the Damned's vastly differ Q. 9. Why must Christ suffer what he did A. 1. To be an Explatory Sacrifice for sin God thought it not meet as he was the just and holy Ruler of the World to forgive sin without such a Demonstration of his Holiness and Justice as might serve as well to the Ends of his Government as if the Sinners had suffered themselves 2. And he suffered to teach Man what sin deserveth and what a God we serve and that we owe him the most costly obedience even to the death and that this Body Life and World are to be denyed contemned and forsaken for the sake of Souls and of Life Everlasting and of God when he requireth it The Cross of Christ is much of the Christians Book Q. 10. What sorts of Sin did Christ die for A. For all sorts except Mens not performing those Conditions which he requireth of all that he will pardon and save Q. 11. For whose sins did Christ Suffer A. All Mens sins were instead of a meritorious cause of Christ's Sufferings he suffered for Mankind as the Saviour of the World And as to the Effect his Suffering purchased a conditional Gift of free pardon and life to all that will believingly accept it according to the nature of the things given But it was the will of the Father and the Son not to leave his death to uncertain success but infallibly to cause the Elect to believe and be saved Q. 12. Was it just with God to punish the Innocent A. Yes when it was Christs own undertaking by consent to stand as a Sufferer in the room of the guilty Q. 13. How far were our sins imputed to Christ A. So far as that his consent made it just that he suffered for them He is said to be made sin for us who knew no sin which is to be made a Curse or Sacrifice for our sin But God never took him to be really or in his esteem a sinner He took not our fault to become his fault but only the punishment for our faults to be due to him Else sin it self had been made his own and he had been relatively and properly a Sinner and God must have hated him as such and he must have dyed for his own Sin when ours was made his own But none of this is to be imagined Q. 14. How far are Christ's Sufferings imputed tâ— us A. So far as that we are reputed to be justy forgiven and saved by his Grace because he made an expiation by his Sacrifice for our Sins But not so as iâ— God mistook us to have suffered in Christ or thaâ— he or his Law did judge that we our selves have made satisfaction or expiation by Christ. Q. 15. Was not that penal Law In the day thaâ— thou eatest thereof thou shalt die and The Soul that sinneth shall die fulfilled by execution for us all in Christ and now justifieth us as
the Soul continue not the next at the Resurrection would be another Soul and a new created one and not the same And then the Body would not be the same Souls Body nor the Man the same Man but another Who was ever so unwise to think that God had so much more Care of the Body than of the Soul as that he would let the Soul perish and raise the Body from the dust alone aâ—d join it with another Soul 4. Very Learned and wise Expositors think that the Greek word Anastasis used for Resurrection indeed signifieth the whole Life after this both of Soul first and Body also after oft in the New Testament It is a Living again or after this Life called A standing up again And there is great probability of of it in Christs Argument with the Sadduces and some passages of Pauls 1 Cor. 15. Q. 2. What Texts of Scripture do fully prove that the Soul liveth when it is separated from the Body A. Very many 1. God breathing into Man the breath of Life and making him a living Soul is said thereby to make him in the Image of God who is the Living God And so the Soul is essentially Life 2. God's calling himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob is by Christ Expounded as proving that he is the God of Living Abraham 3. None ever dreamt that Henoch and Elias had no company of humane Souls in Heaven For Mat. 17. Moses also appeared with them on the Mount and shewed that his Soul did live 4. When Saul himself would have Samuel raised to speak with him it plainly implieth that it was then the common belief of the Iews that separated Souls survive 5. When 1 King 17. 22. Elias raised the dead Child of the Widow of Sarepta and 2 King 4. Elisha raised the Shunamites Child and 2 King 13. 21. â— dead Man was raised all these proved that the Soâ—â— was the same that came again Else the Persons had not been the same 6. When Christ raised Lazarus and Iairus Daughter Mar. 5. 41. 42. Luke 8. 55. and another Luke 7. 12 14 15. The same Souls came into them 7. Many of the Dead rose and appeared at Christs Death And Peter raised one from Death which was by a reunion of the same living Soul to the same Body 8. Christ tells us Luke 12. 4. that Men cannot kill the Soul 9. He tells us Luke 16. 9. that as the wise Steward when he was put out was received by the Persons whom he had Obliged so if we make us Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness when these things fail us which is at Death we shall be received into the Everlasting Habitations 10. The Parable of the sensual Rich Man and Lazarus one going presently to Hell and the other to the Bosom of Abraham in Paradise fully prove that Christ would have this believed and would have all Men warned accordingly to prepare and that Moses and the Prophets were so sufficient for such notice as that one from the Dead would have been less credible herein Though it be a Parable it is an instructing and not a deceiving Parable and very plain in this particular The Name of Abraham's Bosom was according to the Common sence of the Iews who so called that State of the blessed not doubting but that Abraham was then in Happiness and the blessed with him 11. Herod's thought that Iohn had been risen from the Dead and the Iews conceit that Christ had been one of the Old Prophets risen and the Pharisees approbation of Christ's argument with the Sadduces do put it past doubt that it was then taken for certain Truth that the Souls of the Faithful do survive by all except such as the Heretical Sadduces 12. Christ saith Ioh. 17. 3. This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent How is it Eternal if it have as long an interruption as from Death till the Day of Judgment 13. It is the Summ of God's Gospel that whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. 3. 16. Therefore they perish not till the day of Judgment 14. Christ hath promised that whoever drinketh of the Water which he will give him the Spirit it shall be in him a Well of Water springing up to Everlasting Life Ioh. 4. 14. But if the Soul perish that Water perisheth to that Soul 15. To be born again of the Spirit fitteth a man to enter into the Kingdom of God But if the Soul perish all that New Birth is lost to that Soul and profiteth the Dust only 16. Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Joh. 5. 24. He is passed from death to life Ioh. 6. 27. He giveth meat which endureth to everlasting life V. 35. He shall never hunger or thirst that is be empty that cometh to Christ V. 39. Of all that cometh to him he will lose nothing Therefore will not lose all their Souls V. 40 47. They have everlasting life 54 56. He dweleth in Christ and Christ in him and therefore is not extinct 58. Ioh. 8. 51. Verily verily I say unto you If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Joh. 10. 28. I give unto them eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand 17. Joh. 11. 26. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die 18. Joh. 14. 16. The Comforter shall abide with you for ever V. 17. For he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 19. Joh. 17. 24. I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory If the Soul perish it is not they that shall be with him but others 20. Luk. 23. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise 21. Luk. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit 22. Joh. 12. 26. Where I am there shall my Servant be But Christ is not perished 23. Act. 7. 59. Stephen called on God saying Lord Iesus receive my Spirit Therefore it perished not 24. Rom. 8. 17. If children then heirs V. 23. We groan waiting for the Adoption V. 30. Whom he â—ustified them he glorified In short All the whole Gospel that promiseth Life to the Sanctified doth prove the Immortality of the Soul For if the Soul perish no man that lived on Earth is saved For if â—he Soul be not the Man it is most certainly the prime essential part of the man The dust of the Carkass is not the Man And if another Soul and not the same come into it it will be another man and so all the Promises fail 25. So all the Texts that speak of Resurrection â—udgment that we shall all be judged according to our Works and what we did in the body If it be â—nother Soul that must be judged which never was â—n that body before nor ever did any thing in that body how shall it
be judged for that which it never â—id All the Texts that threaten Hell or future Punishment and promise Heaven prove it Matth. 25. â— was hungry and ye fed me naked and ye cloathed â—ne c. Ye did it or did it not to me Might they not say We never did it nor ever lived till now Math. 13. The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work iniquity and cast them into the lake of fire 2 Thes. â— 6 7 8 9 10. 2. 12. and all the Scripture which threatneth Damnation to them that obey not the Truth and promiseth Salvation to the faithful which is never performed if all be done on another â—oul 26. And all the Texts that speak of Gods Justice â—nd Mercy hereafter Is it Justice to damn a new-made Soul that never sinned 27. Paul knew not whether he were in or out of the Body when he was in Paradise 2 Cor. 12. 2 3 4. The separated Soul then may be in Paradise 28. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. How can the hope â—… unseen things make Affliction and Death easie â—… that Soul that shall never be saved And how â—… we be comforted or saved by such hope 29. 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly housâ— of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a buildinâ— of God V. 2. For in this we groan earnestly desirinâ— to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven V. 5. He that hath wrought us for the seâ—â— same thing is God who also hath given us the earneâ—â— of the Spirit V. 6. Therefore we are alwayes confident knowing that whilest we are at home in the bodâ—… we are absent from the Lord we are confident â—… willing rather to be absent from the Body and presâ—â— with the Lord. Wherefore we labour that whether prâ—sent or absent we way be accepted of him For â—… must all appear before the Iudgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or bad 30. Phil. 1. 21 22 23. To me to live is Christ and to die is gain What I shall choose I know not For I am in a strait between two having a desire â—â— depart and be with Christ which is far better 31. Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that â—… in the Lord c. 32. Heb. 12. 22 23. We are come to mount Zioâ—… the City of the living God c. the spirits of the juâ—â— made perfect Abundance more might be added And I havâ— been so large on this because it is of most unspeakable importance as that which all our comfoâ—â— and our Religion lyeth on and though the Light of Nature have taught it Philosophers and almost all the World in all Ages yet the Devil is most busie to make Men doubt of it or deny it Religion lyeth on three grand Articles 1. To believe in God â— and this is so evident in the whole frame of Nature that there is a God that he is worse than mad that will deny it 2. To believe the Immortality of the Soul and the Life hereafter And 3. To believe in Christ And though it be this third that is known only by supernatural Revelation yet to him that believeth the Immortality of the Soul and the Life hereafter Christianity will appear so exceeding Congruous that it will much the more easily be believed And experience tells us that the Devils main Game for the Debauching and Damning of fleshly worldly ungodly Men and for troubling and discomforting Believers lieth in raising Doubts of the Souls Immortality and the future Life of Reward and Punishment Q. 3. But what good will a Resurrection of the Body do us if the Soul be in happiness before A. 1. It will be for Gods Glory to make and bless a perfect Man 2. It will be our Perfection A whole Man is more Perfect than a Soul alone 3. It will be the Souls delight As God that is perfectly blessed in himself yet made and maintaineth a World of which he is more than the Soul because he is a Communicative good and pregnant and delighteth to do good so the Soul is made like God in his Image and is communicative and would have a Body to act on As the Sun if there were nothing in the World but it self would be the same that it now is but nothing would receive its Motion Light or Heat or be the better for it And if you did imagine it to have understanding you must think that it would be much more pleased to enlighten and enliven so many Millions of Creatures and cause the flourishing of all the Earth than to shine to nothing So may you think of the Soul of Man It is by God inclined to actuate a Body Q. 4. If that be so it is till then imperfect and deprived of its desire and so in pain and punishment A. It is not in its full Perfection and it is a Degree of punishment to be in a state of Separation But you cannot call it a pain as to sense because it hath an unspeakable Glory though not the most perfect Nor hath the will of the Blessed any trouble and striving against the will of God but takes that for best which God willeth And so the separated state is best while God willeth it though the united State will be best as more perfect in its time Q. 5. But the dust in a Grave is so vile a thing that one would think the raising it should not be very desireable to the Soul A. It shall not be raised in the shape of ugly Dust or filth nor of corruptible Flesh and Blood But a Glorious and Spiritual Body and a meet Companion for a Glorified Soul And even now as vile as the Body is you feel that the Soul is loth to part with it Q. 6. But there are so many difficulties and improbabilities about the Resurrection as make the Belief of it very hard A. What is hard to God that made Heaven and Earth of nothing and maintains all things in their state and course What was that Body a while ago Was it not as unlikely as dust to be what it now is It 's folly to Object difficulties to Omnipotency Q. 7. But the Body is in continual Flux or Change we have not the same Flesh this Year that we had the last And a Man in a Consumption loseth before Death the Mass of Flesh in which he did good or evil shall all that rise again which every day vanisheth And shall the new Flesh be punished for that which it never did A. It 's a foolish thing from our Ignorance and uncertainties to dispute against God and certain Truth Will you know nothing unless you know all things Will you doubt of the plain Matter because in your darkness you understand not the manner or circumstances of it The Soul hath a Body consisting of various parts The fiery part in the Spirits
it is a Contradiction The same would be both perfect and imperfect Perfect because he is of himself Eternally without a cause and so dependent upon none And yet Imperfect because he hath but a Part of that Being that is said to be perfect For many are more than One and all make up the absolute perfect being and One of them is but a Part of all And to be a Part is to be Imperfect However many subordinate Created Spirits may unfitly be called Gods there can be but one uncreated God in the first and proper sence Q. 8. How know you that God is Eternal without Beginning A. Because else there was a time when there was Nothing if there were a time when there was no God And then there never would have been any thing For nothing can make nothing Q. 9. But how can man conceive of an Eternal uncaused Being A. That such a GOD there is is the most certain easie Truth and that he hath all the Perfection before described But neither Man nor Angel can know him Comprehensively Q. 10. What mean you by his Infiniteness A. That his Being and Perfection have no limits or measure but incomprehensibly comprehend all Place and Beings Q. 11. What is this GOD to us A. He is our Maker and therefore our absolute Owner our Supream Ruler and our Chief Benefactor and Ultimate End Q. 12. And how stand we related to him what duty do we owe him and what may we expect from him A. We are his Creatures and all that we are and have is of him we are his Subjects made with Life Reason and Free-will to be ruled by him He is the Infinite Good and Love it self Therefore we owe him perfect Resignation perfect Obedience and perfect Complacency and Love All that we are and all that we have and all that we can doe is due to him in the way of our Obedience to pay which is our own Rectitude and Felicity as it is our Duty But all this you must much better learn from his Word than Nature alone can teach it you Though Mans Nature and the frame of Nature about us so fully proveth what I have said as leaveth all the Ungodly without excuse CHAP. IV. Of Gods Kingdom and Government of Man and Providence Q. 1. I Perceive that nothing more concerneth us than to know GOD and our Relation and Duty to him and what hope we have from him Therefore I pray you open it to me more fully And first tell me Where God is A. GOD being Infinite is not confined in any Place but all Place and things are in GOD and he is absent from none but as near to every thing as it is to it self Q. 2. Why then do you say that he is in Heaven if he be as much on Earth and every where A. GOD is not more or less in one place than another in his Being but he is apparent and known to us by his Working and so we say He is in Heaven as he there Worketh and Shineth forth to the most blessed Creatures in Heavenly Glory As we say the Sun is where it shineth Or to use a more apt Comparison the Soul of Man is indivisibly in the whole Body but it doth not Work in all parts alike it understandeth not in the Foot but in the Head it Seeth not Heareth not Tasteth not and smelleth not in the Fingers or lower parts but in the Eye the Ear and other Senses in the Head and therefore when we talk to a man it is his Soul that we talk to and not his Flesh and yet we look him in the Face not as if the Soul were no where but in the Face or Head but because it only worketh and appeareth there by those Senses and that Understanding which we Converse with Even so we look up to Heaven when we speak to God not as if he were no where else but because Heaven is the place of his glorious Appearing and Operation and as the Head and Face of the World where all true Glory and Felicity is and from whence it descendeth to this Earth as the Beams of the Sun do from its glorious Center Q. 3. You begin to make me think that GOD is the SOUL of the WORLD and that we must conceive of him in the World as we do of the Soul of Man in his Body A. You cannot better Conceive of GOD so you will but take in the points of Difference which are very great for no Creature known to us doth resemble God without vast Difference The Differences are such as these First The Soul is part of the Man but God is not a part of the World or of Being For to be a part is to be less than the whole and so to be Imperfect Secondly We cannot say that the Soul is any where out of the Body but the World is Finite and God is Infinite and therefore God is not Confined to the World 3. The Soul ruleth not a Body that hath a distinct Understanding and Free Will of its own to receive its Laws and therefore ruleth it not by proper Law but by despotical Motion But God ruleth men that have Understanding and Free Will of their own to know and receive his Laws and therefore he ruleth them partly by a Law 4. The Soul doth not use another Soul under it to rule the Body but GOD maketh use of Superiour Spirits to move and rule things and Persons below them so that there is great difference between Gods ruling the World and the Souls ruling the Body But yet there is great likeness also 1. God is as near every part of the World as the Soul is near the Body 2. God is as truely and fully the Cause of all the Actions and Changes of the World except sin which Free Will left to it self committeth as the Soul is the Cause of the Actions and Changes of the Body 3. The Body is no more lifeless without the Soul than the World would be without God Yea God giveth all its Being to the World and without him it would be nothing and in this he further differeth from the Soul which giveth not material being to the Body So that you may well conceive of GOD as the SOUL of the World so you will but put in that he is far more Q. 4. Is it not below God to concern himself with these lower things Doth he not leave them to those that are under him A. It is below God to be unconcerned about any part even the least of his own works Men are narrow Creatures and can be but in one place at once and therefore must do that by others which they cannot do themselves at least without trouble But God is infinite and present with all Creatures and as nothing is in being without him so nothing can move without him Q. 5. By this you make God to do all things Immediately whereas we see he works by means and second causes He giveth
Ghost This is the Summ of the Creed first made by Christ himself 2. The Apostles were Inspired and Commissioned to teach men all that Christ commanded Mat. 28. 19 20. 3. To say these three Words I believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost without understanding them was easie but would make no true Christians Therefore if we had never read more of the Apostles Practice we might justly conclude that those inspired Teachers before they Baptized Men at Age taught them the meaning of those three Articles and brought them accordingly to Confess their Faith And this is the Creed And though a Man might speak his Profession in more or various Words the Matter was still the same and the words made necessary must not be too many nor left too much at mens liberty to alter lest corruption should Creep into the Common Faith For the Baptismal Confession was the very Symbol Badge or Test by which all Christians were visibly to pass for Christians And as Christianity must be a known certain thing so must its Symbol be 4. And infallible historical Tradition assureth us that accordingly ever since the Apostles dayes before any adult were Baptized they were Catechized and brought to understand and profess these same Articles of the Faith And if the Greeks and the Latines used not the same Words they used Words of the same Signification two or three words being added since Q. 13. Do you not by this set the Creed above the Bible A. No otherwise than I set the Head Heart Liver and Stomach of a Man above the whole Body which containeth them and all the rest Or than I set the Ten Commandments above the whole Law of Moses which includeth them Or than Christ did set Loving God above all and our Neighbour as our selves above all that Law of which they were the Summ We must not take those for no Christians nor deny them Baptism who understand and believe not particularly every word in the Bible as we must those that understand not and believe not the CREED CHAP. VIII Of BELIEVING what it signifieth in the Creed Qu. 1. I Understand by what you have said that as Mans Soul hath three Powers the Understanding the Will and the Executive So Religion being but the true qualifying and guidance of these three Powers must needs consist of three parts I. Things to be known and believed II. Things to be Willed Loved and Chosen And III. Things to be Done in the Practice of our Lives And that the Creed is the Symbol or Summ of so much as is necessary to our Christianity of the first sort and the Lords Prayer the Rule and Summary of the second and the Ten Commandments of the Third I intreat you therefore first to expound the Creeâ—… to me and first the first word of it I Believe â—… it belongs to all that followeth A. You must first know what the word signifieth in Common use To Believe another Signifieth Tâ—… trust him as True or Trusty and to Believe a thing signifieth to Believe that it is True because a Trusty Person speaketh it The Things that you must Believe to be True are called The Matter or Materiâ—… Object of your Faith The Persons Trustiness thaâ—… you believe or trust to is called The formal Object of your Faith for which you Trust the Person and believe the thing The Matter is as the Body of Faith and the Form as its Soul The Matter which the Church hath believed hath by Goâ—… had alterations And to this Day more is revealeâ— to some than to others But the formal Reason â—… your Faith is still and in all the same even Gods Fidelity who because of his Perfection cannot Liâ—… Q. 2. How may I be sure that God cannot Liâ— who is under no Law A. His Perfection is more than a Law 1. Wâ—… see that God who made Man in his own Image and reneweth them to it making Lying a hateâ—… Vice to humane Nature and Conversation Nâ—… Man would be counted a Lyar And the betteâ—… any Man is the more he hateth it 2. No man Lyeth but either for want of Wiâ—dom to know the Truth or for want of perfecâ—… Goodness or for want of Power to attain his Ends by better means But the Infinite most Perfect God hath none of these defects Q. 3. But God speaketh to the World by Angels and Men and who knows but they may be permitted to Lie A. When they speak to Man as sent by God and God attesteth their credibility by uncontrolled Miracles or other Evidence if then they should Lie it would be imputable to God that attesteth their word Of which I said enough to you before Q. 4. Proceed to open the formal Act of Faith which you call Trust A. As you have noted that Mans Soul hath three Powers Understanding Will and Executive so our Assiance or Trust in God extendeth to them all And so it is in One an Assenting Trust a Consenting Trust and a Practical Trust. By the first we Believe the Word to be True because we trust the Fidelity of God By the second we consent to Gods Covenant and accept his Gifts by Trusting to the Truth and Goodness of the Promiser By the Third we Trustingly venture on the costlyest Duty Q. 5. I pray you open it to me by some familiar similitude A. Suppose you are a poor Man in danger of a Prison and a King from India sends his Son hither Proclaiming to all the Poor in England that if they will come over with his Son he will make them all Princes some say He is a Deceiver and not to be believed Others say A little in hand with our Old acquaintance is better than uncertainty in an unknown Land Another saith I know not but a Leaky Vessel Storms or Pirates may prevent my hopes Here are now three Questions 1. Do you believe that he saith True 2. Do you so far Trust him as to Consent to go with him 3. When it comes to it do you so far Trust him as to venture on all the difficulties and go Again suppose you have a deadly sickness There are many unable and deceitful Physicians in the World There is one onely that can Cure you and offereth to do it for nothing but with a Medicine made of his own Blood Many tell you he is a Deceiver Some say others can do it as well And some say the Medicine is intollerable or improbable Here are three Questions 1. Do you Trust his word by Believing him 2. Do you Trust him so as to Consent and Take him for your Physician 3. Do you Trust him so as to come to him and take his Medicine forsaking all others I need not apply it You can easily do it Trust then or Assiance is the vital or formal act of Faith And Assenting Consenting and Practice are the inseparable effects in which as it is a saving Grace it is alwayes found Q. 6. But is all this
Christian shall be damned who knoweth not what a PERSON in the Trinity is as Eternally inexistent when all the Divines and School Wits as good as confess after tedious disputes with unintelligible words that they know not It is the Trinity as related to us and Operative and therein Notified that We must necessarily understand and believe even as Our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier that the Love of God the Father and the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Ghost may be believed received and enjoyed As there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and differences of Administrations but the same Lord and diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Even as it is not our understanding the Essence of the Sun but our Reception of it 's communicated Motion Light and Heat that our Nature liveth by Q. 11. But how can any Man love him above all of whom we can have no true Conception I cannot Conceive what GOD is A. It may be you think that you know nothing but what you see or feel by Sense For so Mens long use of Bodies and Sense is apt to abuse them Or you think you know nothing which you know not fully and so no Angel knoweth God by an adequate comprehensive Knowledge How far are we from knowing fully what Sun and Moon and Stars are and what is in them and how they are ordered and move And yet nothing is more easily and surely known than that there is a Sun and Stars and that they are substances that have the power of Motion Light and Heat Yea Philosophers cannot yet agree what Light and Heat are And yet we know enough of them for our necessary use And can it be expected then that Man give a proper Definition of the Infinite God And yet nothing is more certain than that there is a God and that he is such as I have before described And we may know as much of him as our Duty and Happinss requireth Q. 12. But what is the best Conception I can have of God A. I partly told you in the Third Chapter and the Second I now tell you further that we see God here but as in a Glass His Image on Mans Soul is the nearest Glass How do you conceive of your own Soul You cannot doubt but you have a Soul while you perceive its constant acts Yet you see it not You find clearly that It is a Spiritual substance that hath essentially the power of Vital-Activity Understanding and Will By this you perceive what a Spirit is And by this you have some perception what GOD is All the World is far less to God than a Body to its Soul And GOD is Infinitely more than a Soul to all the World But by the Similitude of a Soul you may most easily conceive of him CHAP. X. Of God's Almightiness and Creation Qu. 1. WHy is God here called The FATHER in whom we believe A. 1. As he is the first Person in the Eternal Trinity and so called The Father of the Eternal Word or Wisdom as his Son 2. As he is the Father of Jesus Christ as Incarnate 3. As he is the Maker of the whole Creation and as a Common Father giveth Being to all that is 4. As he is our Reconciled Father by Christ and hath adopted us as his Sons and bound us to Love and Trust and Obey him as our Father But the two first are the chief Sence Q. 2. What is God's ALMIGHTINESS A. His Infinite Power by which he can do all things which are works of Power He cannot Lie nor Die nor be the Cause of sin for these are no Effects of Power but of Impotencie Q. 3. Why is his Almightiness to be believed by us A. We do not else believe him to be GOD And we cannot else Reverence Admire Trust him and Obey him as we ought Q. 4. Why is his Almightiness only named and no other properties A. All the rest are supposed when we call him GOD. But this is named because he is first to be Believed in as the Creator and his Creation doth eminently manifest his Power And though the Son and the Holy Ghost are Almighty the Scripture eminently attributeth POWER to the FATHER WISDOM to the SON and LOVE and Perfective Operations to the Holy Ghost Q. 5. Is the Creation named to notifie to us God's Almightiness A. Yes and it is a great part of our Duty when we look up to the Heavens and daily see so far as our short sight can reach of this wondeful World to think with most reverend admiration O what a GOD have we to serve and trust Q. 6. HOw did God make all things A. He gave them all their Being Order and well-being by the Power of his Will and Word Q. 7. When did he make all things A. It is not yet Six thousand Years since he made this World even as much as belongs to us to know Q. 8. How long was God making this World A. It pleased him to make it the work of Six dayes and he consecrated the seventh day a Sabbath for the Commemoration of it and for the solemn Worshipping Him as our Creator Q. 9. For whom and for what use did God make the World A. God made all things for himself not as having need of them but to please his own will which is the Beginning and the End of all his Works and to shine in the Glory of the Greatness Order and Goodness of the World as in a glass to understanding Creatures and to communicate Goodness variously to his Works Q. 10. What did God with the World when he had made it A. By the same Power Wisdom and Will he still continueth it or else it would presently return into nothing Q. 11. What further must we learn from Godâ— CREATING us A. We certainly learn that he is our OWNER our RULER and our BENEFACTOR or FATHER and that we are his OWN and His SUBJECTS and his BENEFITED Children Q. 12. What mean you by the First that he is our OWNER A. He that maketh us of nothing must needs be our absolute Lord or Owner And therefore may do with all things what he Will and cannot possibly do any wrong however he useth us And we must needs be wholly his Own and therefore should wholly resign our selves to his disposing Will. Q. 13. What mean you by the Second that God is our Ruler A. He that by Creation is our absolute Owner and hath made us Reasonable and with Free-will must needs have the only right and fitness to be our Ruler by his Laws and Doctrine And we are bound as his Subjects to Obey him absolutely in all things Q. 14. How gather you that he is our Father or Benefactor A. If we have our very Being from him and all the Good that the whole Creation enjoyeth be his
signifieth a Saviour and Christ tâ—â— Anointed of God He being Anointed by God â—â— the Office of a Mediator as the Great Propheâ— Priest and King of the Church CHAP. XII How Christ was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Virgin Mary Qu. 1. DOth it not seem Impossible that Christ should be begotten on a Virgin without a Man A. There is no Contradiction in it And what is impossible to him that made all the World of nothing Q. 2. But it seems incredible that God should be made Man A. God was not at all changed by Christ's Incarnation The Godhead was not turned into Flesh or Soul but united it self thereto Q. 3. But it seemeth an incredible Condâ—scension in God to unite the Nature of Man to himself in Personal Union A. When you understand what it is it will not seem incredible to you though wonderful Consider 1. That it doth not turn the humane Nature into Divine 2. Nor doth it give it any of that part or work which was proper to the Divine Nature and Second Person in the Trinity from Eternity 3. The Divine Nature is united to the Humane only to advance this to the excellent Office of Mediation and that Christ in it may be Head over all things to the Church 4. And it will abate your wonder if you consider that God is as near to every Creature as the Soul is to the Body In Him we live move and have our being And he is more to us than our Souls are to our Bodies Q. 4. You now make me think that God is one with every Man and Creature as well as with Christ. I pray you wherein is the difference A. Gods Essence is every where alike but he doth not appear or work every where alike As he is more in Heaven than on Earth because he there operateth and appeareth in Glory and as he is more in Saints than in the Ungodly because in them he Operateth his Grace so he is in Jesus Christ otherwise than he is in any other Creature 1. In that he by the Divine Power qualified him as he never did any other Creature 2. And designeth him to that work which he never did any other Creature 3. And fixeeth him in the honourable Relation to that work 4. And communicateth to him by an uniting act the Glory which he doth not to any other Creature And though it 's like there is yet more unknown and incomprehensible to us yet these singular Operations express a singular Operative Union The Sun by shining on a Wall becomes not one with it But by its influence on Plants it becometh one with them and is their Generical Life Q. 5. But how is the Second Person in the Trinity more United to the humane Nature than the Father and the Holy Ghost are they divided A. You may as well ask Why God is said to make the World by his WORD and by his SON Tho the Persons are undivided in their works on the Creature yet Creation is eminently ascribed to the Father Incarnation and Redemption to the Son and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost The Suns power of Motion Light and Heat are inseparable And yet it is the Light as such that with our Eye doth cause the same act of sight as united to it But the perfect Answer to this doubt is reserved for Heaven Q. 6. But how was he conceived by the Holy Ghost the Second Person by the third when it is only the Second that was incarnate A. The Holy Ghost is not said to operate on the Second Person in the Trinity or the Godhead for Christs Conception but on the Virgins Body and by miraculous causing a humane Soul and Body and their union with the Eternal Word Gods perfecting Operations are usually ascribed to the Holy Ghost But the Father and Son are still supposed Operating by the Holy Spirit Q. 7. Was Christ's Flesh made of the substance of his Mother A. Yes Else how had he been the Son of Man Q. 8. Was Christ's Soul begotten by his Mother A. It is certain that Man begetteth Man But how Souls are generated is not fully known by Man Some say They are not Generated but Created Some say That they are not Created but Generated And I think that there is such a concurrence of God's act and Mans as may be called a Conjunction of Creation and Generation that is that as the Sun-beams by a Burning-Glass may light a Candle and that Candle light another and another yet so that the Light and Heat that doth it is only from the Suns continual communication But will not Light another but as contracted and made forcible by the Burning-glass or the Candle So all the Substance of new Souls is from the Divine Efflux or communication of it which yet will not ordinarily beget a Soul but as it is first received in the Generative natural faculty and so operateth by it as it s appointed Natural means Thus it seems all humane Souls are caused Pardon the defects of the Similitude But the Soul of Christ miraculously not without all Operation of the Mothers for then he had not been the Son of Man but without a humane Father the Holy Ghost more than supplying that defect Q. 9. If Christ was Mary's Son how escaped he Original guilt A. By being conceived by the Holy Ghost and so in his humane Nature made the Son of God and not generated as other Men are Q. 10. Had Mary any Children after Iesus Christ A. It goes for a Tradition with most that she had none But it is uncertain and concerneth not our Faith or Salvation Q. 11. Why was Christ Born of a Jew A. God had made a special Promise to Abraham first that Christ should be his Seed in whom all Nations should be blessed and to David after that he should be his Off-spring an everlasting King Q. 12. Why was not Christ Born till about Four thousand Years after the Fall A. It 's dangerous asking Reasons of God's Councils which he hath not revealed But this much we may know that Christ was Mans Redeemer by undertaking what he after did before his Incarnation And that he revealed the Grace of Redemption by Promises Types and Prophesies and so saved the Faithful And that Gods works are usually progressive to Perfection and ripeâ—t at last And therefore when he had first sent his Prophets he lastly sent his Son to perform his undertaking and bring Life and Immortality more fully to light and bring in a better Covenant and gather a more excellent Universal Church Q. 13. Were any savâ—d by Christ before he was made Man A. Yes They had the Love of the Father the Grace of Christ and the necessary communion of the Holy Ghost and the Promise And in every Age and Nation he that feared God and work't Righteousness was accepted of him CHAP. XIII Suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried he descended into Hell
terrified them and told the Rulers what they saw And after all it was to Paul a Persecutor and partly to his company that Christ appeared Q. 6. Why must Christ rise from the Dead A. You may as well ask Why he must be our Savior 1. If he had not risen Death had conquered him and how could he have saved us that was overcome and lost himself 2. He could not have received his own promised Reward even his Kingdom and Glory It was for the Joy that was set before him that he enendured the Cross and despised the shame Therefore God gave him a Name above every Name to which every created Knee must bow 3. His Resurrection was to be the chief of all those Miracles by which God witnessed that he was his Soâ— and the chief Evidence by which the World was to be convinced of his Truth and so was used in their Preaching by the Apostles That Christ rose from the Dead is the chief Argument that makes us Christians 4. The great executive parts of Christs saving Office were to be performed in Heaven which a dead Man could not do How else should he have Inceded for us as our heavenly High-priest How should he have sent down the Holy Ghost to renew us How should he as King have governed and protected his Church on Earth unto the End How should he have come again in Glory to Judge the World and how should we have seen his Glory as the Mediator oâ— Fruition in the Heavenly Kingdom Q. 7. I perceive then that Christ's Resurrection is tâ— us an Article of the greatest use What use must â—â— make of it A. You may gather it by what is said 1. By this you may be sure that he is the Son of God and his Gospel True 2. By this you may be sure that his Sacrifice on the Cross was accepted as sufficient 3. By this you may be sure that Death is Conquered and we may boldly trust our Saviour who tasted and overcame Death with our departing Souls 4. By this you may be sure that we have a powerful High-priest and Intercessour in Heaven by whom we may come with reverend boldness unto God 5. By this we may know that we have a powerful King both to obey and to trust with the Churches Interest and our own 6. By this we may know that we have a Head still living who will send down his Spirit to gather his Chosen to help his Ministers to Sanctifie and Comfort his People and prepare them for Glory 7. By this we are assured of our own Resurrection and taught to hope for our final Justification and Glory 8. And by this we are taught that we must Rise to Holiness of Life CHAP. XV. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty Qu. 1. HOw long was it between Christ's Resurrection and his Ascension A. Forty dayes He rose on the day which we call Easter-day and he ascended on that which we call Ascension day or Holy Thursday Q. 2. Did Christ stay all that while among his Disciples visibly A. No but appeared to them at such seasons as he saw meet Q. 3. Where was he all the rest of the Forty Days A. God hath not told us and therefore it concerneth us not to know Q. 4. He shewed them that he had Flesh and Blood hoâ—â—â—en was he to them invisible the most part of the Forty dayes A. The Divine power that raised Christ could make those alterations on his Body which we are unacquainted with Q. 5. How was Christ taken up to Heaven A. While he was speaking to his Apostles of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and answering them that hoped it would presently be and had given their Commission and the Promise of the Holy Ghost and commanded them to wait for it at Ierusalem he was taken up as they gazed after him till a Cloud took him out of their sight And two Angels like two Men in white stood by them and askt them why they stood gazing up to Heaven telling them that Iesus who was taken up should so come again Q. 6. Had it not been better for us that he had staid on Earth A. No He is many wayes more useful to us in Heaven 1. He is now no more confined in presence to that small Countrey of Iudea above the rest of the World as a Candle to one room but as the Sun in his Glory shineth to all his Church on Earth 2. He is possessed of his full Power and Glory by which he is fit to protect and Glorifie us 3. He intercedeth for us where our highest Concerns and Interest are 4. He sendeth his Spirit on Earth to do his work on all believers Souls Q. 7. What is meant by his sitting on the right Hand of God A. Not that God hath Hands or is confined to a place as Man is But it signifieth that the Glorified Man Iesus is next to God in Dignity Power and Glory and as the Lieutenant under a King is now the Universal Administrator or Governour of all the World under God the Father Almighty Q. 8. I Thought he had been only the Lord of his Church A. He is Head over all things to his Church All Power and things in Heaven and Earth are given him Even the frame of Nature dependeth on him He is Lord of all But it is his Church that he Sanctifieth by his Spirit and will Glorifie Q. 9. If Christ have all power why doth he let Satan and Sin still reign over the far greatest part of the Earth A. 1. Satan reigneth but over Volunteers that wilfully and obstinately choose that Condition And he reigneth but as the Jailor in the Prison as Gods Executioner on the wilfull refusers of his Grace And his reign is far from absolute he crosseth none of the Decrees of God nor overcometh his power but doth what God seeth meet to permit him to do He shall destroy none of Gods Elect nor any that are truly willing of Saving Grace And as for the fewness of the Elect I shall speak of it after about the Catholick Church Q. 10. But is not Christs Body present on Earth and in the Sacrament A. We are sure he is in Heaven and we are sure that their Doctrine is a fiction contrary to Sense Reason and Scripture that say the Consecrated Bread and Wine are substantially turned into the very Body and Blood of Christ and are no longer Bread and Wine Buâ—… how far the presence of Christs Soul and Body extendeth is a question unfit for Mans determination unleâ—… we better knew what Glorified Souls and Bodies are â—… We see that the Sun is eminently in the Heaven Anâ—… yet whether its lucid Beams be a real part of its substance which are here on Earth or how far they extend we know not nor know we how the Sun differeth in Greatness or Glory from
the Soul and Bodâ—… of Christ nor know when an Angel is in the rooâ—… with us and when not These things are unfit for oâ—… enquiry and decision CHAP. XVI From thence he shall come again to judge thâ—… Quick and â—… Dead Qu. 1. WHat is meant by the Quick and â—… Dead A. Those that are found alive at Christ's coming and those that were dead before Q. 2. Are not the Souls of Men judged when Men die A. In part they are But as it is Soul and Body that make a Man so it is the Judgment upon Soul and Body which is the full judgment on the Man God's Execution is the principal part of his Judgment And as Souls have not the fulness of Glory or Misery till the Resurrection so they are not fully Judged till then And Societies must be then judged and Persons in their Sociable relations together Q. 3. Whither is it that Christ will come and where will he judge the World A. Not in Heaven for the wicked shall not come thither But Paul tells us 1 Thes. 4. 16. That the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the Dead in Christ shall rise first and then they that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. By which it appeareth that the place of Judgment will be in the Air between Heaven and Earth Q. 4. In what manner will Christ come to Iudgment A. Christ tells us Matth. 25. 31. That the Son of Man that is Christ as Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him and shall sit on the Throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goats And St. Paul saith 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Q. 5. Where are the Souls of the Dead before the Day of Iudgment A. The Souls of the Faithful are with Christ in Heaven and the Souls of the Wicked are with Devils in misery Q. 6. Where is it that the Devils and Wicked are in misery A. They are shut out from the Glory of God and where ever it be that they are it is as Gods Prison till the Judgment of the Great Day But the Scripture calleth the Devil the Prince of the Power of the Air Eph. 2. 2. Yet is he on Earth for he worketh in the Children of disobedience and is ready with his Temptations with all Men And he is said to go to and fro in the Earth Job 1. 7. 2. 2. And he is said to walk in dry places seeking rest and dwelling in the wicked Mat. 12. 43 44. Q. 7. But are the Souls of the Wicked in no other Hell than the Devils are A. The Scripture tells us of no other But it tells us not of their tempting and possessing Men as Devils do but of their suffering Q. 8. Are Devils and Wicked Souls in the same Hell that they shall be in after the Day of Iudgment and have they the same punishment A. Whether there shall be any change of the Place it is not needful for us to know But the punishment is of the same kind But it will be greater after Judgment were it but because the Body joyned to the Soul and the multitude of the damned joyned in the Suffering will make every one more receptive of it Q. 9. Is there no middle place between Heaven and Hell or a middle state of Souls that are in hope of deliverance from their pain A. Hell it self is not all one Place seeing Devils are both in the Air and in the Earth and where else we know not And in Iob 1. 11 12. Satan was among the Sons of God But as for any hope of deliverance to them that die unpardoned the Scripture tells us of none buth saith that the Night cometh when none can work and that This is the accepted time this is the Day of Salvation And that every Man shall be judged according to what he had done in the Body whether it be good or evil It is therefore mad presumption for any one to neglect this Day of Salvation upon a hope of his own making that they that die the Slaves of the Devil may repent and be delivered in their Airy Life and be made the Children of God or that any Purgatory fire shall refine them or any Prayers of the Saints in Heaven or Earth deliver them Q. 10. But it seems by their pleading described by Christ Mat. 25. that they will not be past hope till the Sentence be passed on them A. But the same Text tells you what Sentence certainly shall pass and therefore that if they keep any hope it is not of Gods making but their own and will be all in vain But indeed those words seem rather to express their fervent desire to escape Damnation than their hope The wicked may cry for Mercy when it is too late but shall not obtain it Dives Luke 16. may beg for a drop of Water but not get it Q. 11. But will it not be a long work to judge all that ever lived from the beginning of the World unto the End A. Gods Judgment is not like Mans by long talk and wordy Tryal though Christ open the Reasons of it after the manner of Men Gods Judgment consisteth of full Conviction and Execution And he can convince all Men in a moment by his Light shining at once into every ones Conscience As the Sun can enlighten at once the Millions of Eyes all over the Earth And Gods execution casting all the wicked into utter darkness and misery needs no long time though it's continuance will be for ever Q. 12. May we know in this life what Iudgment Christ will then pass on us A. All Men or most Men do not know it Nor will it be known by a slight and sudden Thought nor by blinded or self-flattering Sinners nor by the worser sort of true Believers that sin as much as will stand with sincerity nor yet by such ignorant Christians who understand not well the terms of the Covenant of Grace or have true Grace and know it not to be true nor yet by such timerous Christians whose fear doth hinder Faith and Reason But there is no doubt but we may know and ought to use all diligence to know what Sentence Christ will pass upon us
a sincere Believer This is all that the Article containeth 5. But while I profess to Believe it is supposed that I hope I do it sincerely and therefore have some hope that I am pardoned 6. But because a Man may sincerely believe and yet doubt of the sincerity and God hath no where said in Scripture that I or you are Sincere Believers or are pardoned therefore to believe this is no Divine Faith save by participation nor is it profest by all that profess the Creed But it is an Effect of two Acts 1. Of our Faith 2. And of the Conscience of our sincerity in Believing It is a Conclusion that all should labour to make sure though it be not the proper sence of the Article Q. 16. Seeing all true Believers are at first justified and pardoned as to the Everlasting punishment doth it not follow that all God's Children have afterward none but temporal chastisement to be forgiven A. 1. I told you that sin is not forgiven even to stated Believers before it is committed and when it is committed the qualifying Condition must be found in us And though our first true Faith and Repentance qualifie us for the Pardon of all Sin past yet when more is committed more is required in us to our Pardon that is that we renew Repentance and Faith as far as Sin is known and that we beg Pardon and forgive others 2. Yet the future punishment is not so much unforgiven to the Faithful as to others before renewed Repentance For they have the main qualification and want but an act for which they are habituated and have God's Spirit to assist them 3. And though Sins unknown which are ordinary infirmities are forgiven without express particular Repentance yet in order of nature the Desert of punishment goeth before the forgiveness The very Law of Nature maketh durable punishment due to durable Souls till the dueness be remitted by forgiveness Q. 17. Is my sin forgiven as long as I believe it not forgiven A. If you believe not that God is a merciful pardoning God and Christ a pardoning Saviour whose Sacrifice and Merits are sufficient and God's Promise of Pardon to the Penitent Believer is true and to be trusted you are not pardoned But if you believe this and consent to Christ's pardoning Covenant you are pardoned though you doubt of your own forgiveness Q. 18. How may I be sure that I am forgiven A. The everlasting punishment is forgiven when you are one that God by his Covenant pardoneth and that is when by true Faith and Repentance you Consent to the Covenant Terms and give up your self to God as your God and Saviour and Sanctifier And when temporal punishments are remitted in Soul or Body experience of their removal may tell you Q. 19. What keepeth up doubts of forgiveness of Sin A. 1. Ignorance of the Terms of the pardoning Covenant 2. And ignorance of our Selves and our own Sincerity 3. Especially renewing our guilt by Sin and being so defective in our Repentance and other Grace as that we cannot be sure of our Sincerity Above all when frequent sinning after Promises make us not credible to our selves Q. 20. But is not the Cure of a doubting Soul to Believe though he find no Evidence in himself and that because he is commanded to believe and so believing will be his Evidence A. Believing is a word that signifieth divers Acts As I told you It is every Mans duty to believe Gods Mercy and Christ's Redemption and Sufficiency and the truth of the conditional Promise and to Accept Pardon as Offered on the Terms of that Promise and then not to cherish doubts of his Sincerity But it is not every Mans duty to Believe that he is sincere or that his Sin is pardoned Else most should be bound to believe an Untruth that it may after become true Presumption destroyeth far more than Despair For an ungodly impenitent Person to believe that he is godly and justified by Christ is to believe himself who is a Lyar and not to believe Christ yea it is to believe himself against Christ who saith the contrary Q. 21. What is the use of this Article of the Forgiveness of Sin A. The Use is exceeding great not to embolden us in sin because it is pardonable nor to delay Repentance and forsaking sin For that were to cast away Pardon by Contempt But 1. to shew us what a merciful God we serve 2. And what a Mercy it is to have a Redeemer and a Pardoning Saviour 3. And what a Comfort to be under a Pardoning Covenant of Grace 4. And it tells us that the review of the sins of our unregenerate State though they must keep us humble should yet be still used to raise our Hearts to joyful thankfulness to God for the Grace of a Redeemer 5. And it should keep us from despair and discouragment in all our weaknesses while we have the Evidence of daily Pardon 6. Yea it should make us hate Sin the more which is against so good a God 7. We may come with reverenâ— boldness to God in Meditation Prayer and Sacraments when we know that Sin is pardoned 8. And we may taste the Sweetness of all our Mercies wheâ— the doubt of our forgiveness doth not embitter them 9. And we may much the easilier bear all Afflictions when the everlasting punishment is forgiven 10. Anâ— we may die when God calls us without horrour wheâ— we believe that we are pardoned through Christ nothing but Sin can hurt or endanger us at Christs Tribunal when that is forgiven and there is no Condemnation to us being in Christ how joyfully may we think of his appearing 11. What Peace of Conscience may we have continually while we can say that â—â— our Sins are forgiven us For as Psal. 32. 1. Anâ— blessed are they whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile CHAP. XXI The Resurrection of the Body Qu. 1. I Have oft wondered why there is nothing iâ— the Creed of the Immortality of the Soul and its state before the Resurrection A. 1. The Article of Christ's Descent tells us that his Soul was among the separated Souls while his Body was in the Grave as he told the Thief that he should be that day with him in Paradise 2. The Resurrection of the Body is a thing not known at all by Nature but only by supernatural Revelation and therefore is an Article of meer belief But the Immortality or future Life of Souls is a point which the Light of Nature revealeth and therefore was taken both by Iews and sober Heathens as a Truth of common Notice Even as the Love of our selves is not expressed in the Ten Commandments but only the Love of God and others because it was a thing presupposed 3. The Immortality of the Soul is included in the Article of the Resurrection of the Body For if
is it 's most immediate Vehicle or Body The â—eminal tenacious Humour and Air is the immediate Vehicle of the fiery part Whether these Spirits do any of them depart as it's Vehicle or Body with the Soul or if not whether they be the identifying part that the Soul shall be reunited to first or what or how much of the rest even the aqueous and Earthy matter which we had from our Birth shall be re-assumed are things past our understanding You know not how you were generated in the Womb and yet you know that you were there made And must God teach you how you shall be raised before you will believe it Must he answer all your doubts of the Flesh that is vanished or the Bodies eaten by other Bodies and teach you all his unsearchable skill before you will take his Word for true He that maketh the rising Sun to end the darkness of the Night and the flourishing Spring to renew the Face of Millions of Plants which seemed in the Winter to be dead and the buryed little seed to spring up to a beautiful Plant and Flower or a strong and goodly Tree hath power and skill enough to raise our Bodies by wayes unknown to foolish Man Q. 8. What should a Man do that he may live in a comfortable hope of the Resurrection and the Souls Immortality and the Life to come A. We have three great things to do for this end 1. To get as full a certainty as is possible that there is such a Life to come And this is done by strengthning a sound belief 2. To get a suitableness of Soul to that blessed Life and this is by the increase of Love and Holiness and by a Spiritual heavenly conversation And 3. To get and exercise a joyful Hope and Assurance that it shall be ours And this is done by a Life of careful Obedience to God and the Conscious notice of our sincerity and title and by the increase and exercise of the foresaid Faith and Love Daily dwelling on the Thoughts of God's infinite Goodness and Fatherly love of Christ's Office and Grace and the Seals of the Spirit and the blessed state of Triumphant Souls in the Heavenly Ierusalem and living as in familiarity with them Q. 9. But when doubting Thoughts return would it not be a great help to Faith if you could prove the Souls Immortality by reason A. I have done that largely in other Books I will now say but this If there be no life of retribution after this it would follow that not only Scripture but Religion Piety and Conscience were all the most odious abuses of Mankind To set Mans Heart and Care upon seeking all his dayes a Life which he can never obtain and to live honestly and avoid sin for fear of an impossible punishment and to deny Fleshly pleasure and lust upon meer deceit what an injury would Religion Conscience and honesty be Men that are not restrained by any Fear or Hopes of another Life from Tyranny Treason Murder Perjury Lying Deceit or any wickedness but only by present Interest would be the wisest Men. When yet God hath taught Nature to abhor these Evils and bound Man to be Religious and Conscionable by common Reason were it but for the probability of another Life And can you believe that Wickedness is Wisdom and all Conscionable Goodness is Folly and De ceit CHAP. XXII Of the Life Everlasting Qu. 1. WHere is it that we shall live when we go hence A. With Christ in Heaven called Paradise and the Ierusalem above Q. 2. How is it then that the Souls of Men are said sometimes to appear on Earth Is it such Souls or is it Devils A. Either is possible For Souls are in no other Hell than Devils are who are said to be in the Air and to go to and fro and tempt Men and afflict them here on Earth But when it is a Soul that appeareth and when a Devil we have not acquaintance enough to know But though God can for just Causes let a blessed Soul appear as Moses with Henoch and Elias did on the Mount and perhaps Samuel to Saul yet we have reason to suspect that it is the miserable Souls of the Wicked that oftenest appear Q. 3. But how come Devils or Souls to be visible being Spirits A. Spirits are powerful and dwell in Airy and other Elementary matter in which they can appear to us as easily as we can put on our Cloaths Fire is invisible in its simple uncloathed substance and yet when it hath kindled the Air it is visible Light Q. 4. Why then do they appear so seldom A. God restraineth evil Spirits and keepeth them within their bounds that they may not either deceive or trouble Mankind And the Spirits of the just are more inclined to their higher Nobler Region and Work and God will have us here live by Faith and not by seeing either the heavenly Glory or its Inhabitants Q. 5. But it seems that we shall live again on Earth for it is said that the new Jerusalem cometh down from above and we look for a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness A. It greatly concerneth us to difference certainties from uncertainties It is certain that the Faithful have a promise of a great reward in Heaven and of being with Christ and being conveyed into Paradise by Angels and are commanded to lay up a Treasure in Heaven and there to set their Hearts and Affections and to seek the things that are above where Christ is at Gods right Hand and they desire to depart and be with Christ as far better than to be here and to be absent from the Body and be present with the Lord so that the Inheritance of the Saints in heavenly Light and Glory is certain But as to the rest whether the New Earth shall be for new Inhabitants or for us and whether the descending Hierusalem shall be only for a Thousand Years before the final Judgment or after for perpetuity or whether it shall come no lower than the Air where it is said That we shall be taken up to meet the Lord and so shall ever be with him or whether Earth shall be made as Glorious to us as Heaven and Heaven and Earth be laid together in Common when separating sin is gone These matters being to us less certain must not be set against that which is certain And the new Ierusalem coming down from Heaven doth imply that it was first in Heaven and it 's said that it 's now above and we are come to it in relation and foretast where are the perfected Spirits of the Just as it is described Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Q. 6. But some think that Souls sleep till the resurrection or are in an unactive potentiality for want of Bodyes A. Reason and Scripture confute this Dream The Soul is Essential Life naturally inclined to Action Intellection and Love or Volition and it will be in the midst of
Objects enow on which to operate And is it not absurd to think that God will continue so noble a Nature in a state of idleness and continue all its essential Faculties in vain and never to be exercised As if he would continue the Sun without Light Heat or Motion What then is it a Sun for And why is it not annihilated The Soul cannot lose its Faculties of Vitality Intellection and Volition without losing its Essence and being turned into some other thing And why it cannot act out of a Body what Reason can be given If it could not yet that it taketh not hence with it a Body of those corporeal Spirits which it acted in or that it cannot as well have a Body of Light for its own Action as it can take a Body as Moses on the Mount to appear to Man is that which we have no reason to suspect 2. But Scripture puts all out of doubt by telling us that To die is gain and that it 's better to be with Christ and that Lazarus was comforted in Abraham's Bosom and the converted Thief was with Christ in Paradise and that the Souls under the Altar and in Heaven pray and praise God and that the Spirits of the Iust are there made perfect And this is not a state of sleep It is a World of Life and Light and Love that we are going to more active than this Earthy heavy World than Fire is more active than a Clod. And shall we suspect any sleepy unactivity there This is the dead and sleepy World And Heaven is the place of Life it self Q. 7. What is the Nature of that heavenly Everlasting Life A It is the perfect activity and perfect fruition of Divine communicated Glory by perfected Spirits and Spiritual Men in a perfect Glorious Society in a perfect Place or Region and this Everlasting Q. 8. Here are many things set together I pray you tell them me distinctly A. 1. Heaven is a perfect Glorious Place and Earth to it is a Dungeon The Sun which we see is a Glorious place in comparison of this 2. The whole Society of Angels and Saints will be Perfect and Glorious And our Joy and Glory will be as much in participation by Union and Communion with theirs as the Life and Health of the Eye or Hand is in and by union and communion with the Body we must not dream of any Glory to our selves but in a state of that union and communion with the Glorious Body of Christ. And Christ himself the Glorified Head is the chief part of this Society whose Glory we shall behold 3. Angels and Men are themselves there Perfect If our Being and Nature were not Perfect our Action and Fruition could not be Perfect 4. The Objects of all our Action are most Perfect It is the Blessed God and a Glorious Saviour and Society that we shall see and love and praise 5. All our Action will be pefect Our Sight and Knowledge our Love our Joy our Praise will be all perfect there 6. Our reception and fruition will all be perfect We shall be perfectly loved by God and one another and perfectly pleasing to him and each other and he will communicate to us and all the Society as much Glorious Life Light and Joyful Love as we are capable of receiving 7. And all this will be perfect in duration being Everlasting Q. 9. O what manner of Persons should we be if all this were well believed Is it possible that they should truly believe all this who do not earnestly desire and seek it and live in joyful longing hope to be put into possession of it A. Whoever truly believeth it will prefer it before all Earthly treasure and pleasure and make it the chief End and Motive and Comfort of his Soul and Life and forsake all that stands against it rather than forsake his hopes of this But while our Faith Hope and Love are all imperfect and we dwell in Flesh where present and sensible things are still diverting and affecting us and we are so used to Sight and Sense that we look strangely towards that which is above them and out of their reach it is no wonder if we have imperfect desires and joy abated by diversions and by griefs and fears and if in this darkness unseen things seem strange to us and if a Soul united to a Body be loth to leave it and be uncloathed and have somewhat dark Thoughts of that state without it which it never tryed Q. 10. But when we cannot conceive how Souls act out of the Body how can the Thought of it be pleasant and satisfying to us A. 1. We that can conceive what it is to Live and Understand and Will to Love and Rejoice in the Body may understand what these acts are in themselves whether out of a Body or in a more glorious Body And we can know that nothing doth nothing and therefore that the Soul that doth these acts is a Noble substance and we find that it is invisible But of this I spake in the beginning 2. When we know in general all before mentioned that we shall be in that described Blessedness with Christ and the Heavenly Society we must implicitly trust Christ with all the rest who knoweth for us what we know not and stay till possession give us that clear distinct conception of the manner and all the circumstances which they that possess it not can no more have than we can conceive of the sweetness of a Meat or Drink which we never tasted of And we should long the more for that Possession which will give us that sweet Experience Q. 11. Is not God the only Glory and Ioy of the Blessed Why then do you tell us so much of Angels and Saints and the City of God A. God is all in all things of him and through him and to him are all things and the Glory of all is to him for ever But God made not any single Creature to be happy in him alone as separate from the rest but an Universe which hath its Union and comunion I told you as the Eye and Hand have no separated Life or Pleasure but only in Communion with the whole Body so neither shall we in Heaven God is infinitely above us and if you think of him alone without mediate Objects for the ascent and access of your Thoughts you may as well think to climb up without a Ladder We are not the Noblest Creatures next to God nor yet the most Innocent We have no access to him but by a Mediator And that Mediator worketh and conveyeth his Grace to us by other subordinate means He is the Saviour of his Body which is the fulness of him that filleth all If we think not of the Heavenly Ierusalem the glorious City of God the Heavenly Society and Joyful Chore that praise Iehovah and the Lamb and live together in perfect Knowledge Love and Concord in whose Communion only we have all our
not My Father A. 1. To signifie that all Christians must pray as Members of One Body and look for all their good comfort and blessedness in Union with the whole and not as in a separate State Nor must we come to God with selfish narrow Minds as thinking only of our own case and good nor put up any Prayer or Praise to God but as Members of the Universal Church in one Chore all seen and heard at once by God though they see not and hear not one another And therefore that we must abhor the pregnant comprehensive Sin of selfishness by which wicked Men care only for themselves and are affected with little but their Personal concerns as if they were all the World to themselves insensible of the Worlds or the Churches State and how it goeth with all others 2. And therefore that all Christians must love their Brethren and Neighbours as themselves and must abhor the Sin of Schism much more of Malignant Enmity Envy and Persecution and must be so far from disowning the Prayers of other Christians on pretense of their various Circumstances and Imperfections and from separating in Heart from them on any account for which God will not reject them as that they must never put up a Prayer or Praise but as in concord with all the Christians on Earth desiring a part in the Prayers of all and offering up hearty Prayers for all The imperfections of all Mens Prayers we must disown and most our own but not for that disown their Prayers nor our own They that hate or persecute or separate from Gods Children for not praying in their Mode or by their Book or in the Words that they write down for them or for not worshipping God with their Forms Ceremonies or Rites or that silence Christ's Ministers and scatter the Flocks and confound Kingdoms that they may be Lords of Gods Heritage and have all Men sing in their Commandded Tune or Worship God in their unnecessary Commanded Mode do condemn themselves when they say Our Father And to repeat the Lords Prayer many times in their Liturgy while they are tormenting his Children in their Prisons and Inquisitions is to worship God by repeating their own Condemnation Q. 13. It seems this Particle Our and Us is of treat importance A. The Lord's Prayer is the Summary and Rule of Mans Love and just Desires It directeth him what to Will Ask and Seek And therefore must needs contain that duty of Love which is the Heart of the New Creature and the fulfilling of the Law The Will is the Man And Love is the Will What a Man Wills and Loves that he is in God's account or that he shall attain And therefore the Love of God as God and of the Church as the Church and of Saints as Saints of Friends as Friends and of Neighbours as Neighbours and of Men though Enemies and Sinners as Men must needs be the very Spring of acceptable Prayer as well as the Love of our selves as our selves And to pray without this Love is to offer God a Carrion for Sacrifice or a lifeless sort of Service And Love to all makes all Mens Mercies and Comforts to be ours to our great Joy and that we may be thankful for all CHAP. XXV Hallowed be thy Name Qu. 1. WHy is this made the first Petition in ouâ— Prayers A. Because it containeth the highest Notion of ouâ— ultimate end And so must be the very top or chief oâ— our desires Q. 2. What is meant by God's Name here A. The proper Notices or Appearances of God tâ— Man and God himself as so notified and appearing tâ— us So that here we must see that we separate not any oâ— these three 1. The Objective signs whether words or works by which God is known to us 2. The inward Conceptions of God received by these signs 3. God himself so notified and conceived of Q. 3. And what is the Hallowing of Gods Name A. To use it Holily That is in that manner as is proper to God as he is God infinitely above all the Creatures That is Sanctified which is appropriated to God by separation from all common use Q. 4. What doth this Hallowing particularly include A. First that we know God what he is 2. That our Souls be accordingly affected towards him 3. That our lives and actions be accordingly managed 4. And that the signs which notifie God to us be accordingly reverenced and used to these Holy Ends. Q. 5. Tell us now particularly What these Signs or Names of God are and how each of them is to be hallowed A. God's Name is either 1. His sensible or intelligible works objectively considered 2. Or those words which signifie God or any thing proper to God 3. And the inward light or conception or notice of God in the mind And all these must be Sanctified Q. 6. What are God's works which must be so Sanctified as notifying God A. All that are within the reach of our knowledge But especially those which he hath designed most notably for this use and most legibly as it were written his Name or Perfections upon Q. 7. Which are those A. First The Glorious wondeful frame of Heaven and Earth 2. The wonderful work of Mans Redemption by Iesus Christ. 3. The planting of his Nature Image and Kingdom in Man by his Spirit 4. The marvellous Providence exercised for the World the Church and each of our selves notifying the disposal and Government of God 5. The Glory of the Heavenly Society known by Faith and hoped for Q. 8. How must the first God's Creation be Sanctified A. When we look on or think of the incomprehensible Glory of the Sun it 's wonderful Greatness Motion Light and quickning Heat of the multitude and magnitude of the glorious Stars of the vast heavenly Regions the incomprehensible invisible Spirits or Powers that actuate and rule them all when we come downward and think of the Aire and its Inhabitants and of this Earth a vast Body to us but as one Inch or Point in the whole Creation of the many Nations Animals Plants of wonderful Variety the terrible depths of the Ocean and its numerous Inhabitants c. All these must be to us but as the Glass which sheweth somewhat of the Face of God or as the Letters of this great Book of which God is the Sence or as the actions of a living Body by which the invisible Soul is known And as we study Arts for our Corporal use we must study the whole World even the Works of God to this purposed use that we may See Love Reverence and admire God in all And this is the only true Philosophy Astronomy Cosmography c. Q. 9. What is the Sin which is contrary to this A. Prophaneness that is using God's Name as a common thing And in this instance to study Philosophy Astronomy or any Science or any Creature whatsoever only to know the thing it self to delight our mind with
Law of Iesus Christ. 1. The Law of Nature is not abrogate though the terms of Life and Death are not the same as under the Law of Innocency 2. The Law of Moses to the Iews as such never bound all other Nations nor now bindeth us but is dead and done away 2 Cor. 3. 7 9 10 11. Rom. 2. 12. 14 15. 3. 19. 7. 1 2 3. Heb. 7. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 21. But seeing it was God that was the Author of that Law and by it expresly told the Iews what the Law of Nature is we are all bound still to take those two Tables to be God's own Transcript of his Law of Nature and so are by consequence bound by them still If God give a Law to some one Man as that which belongs to the Nature of all Men though it bind us not as a Law to that Man it binds as Gods exposition of the Law of Nature when notified to us 3. As the Law of Christ it binds all Christians Q. 2. How are the Ten Commandements the Law of Christ A. 1. Nature it self and lapsed Mankind is delivered up to Christ as Redeemer to be used in the Government of his Kingdom And so the Law of Nature is become his Law 2. It was Christ as God-Redeemer that gave the Law to Moses and as it is a Transcript of the Common Law of Nature he doth not revoke it but suppose it 3. Christ hath repeated and owned the Matter of it in the Gospel and made it his Command to his Disciples Q. 3. Is there nothing in the Ten Commandements proper to the Israelites A. Yes 1. The Preface Hear O Israel And that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage 2. The stating the Seventh Day for the Sabath and the strict Ceremonial Rest commanded as part of the Sanctifying of it Q. 4. How doth Christ and his Apostles contract all the Law into that of Love A. God who as Absolute Lord Owneth moveth and disposeth of all doth as Soveraign Ruler give us Laws and excute them and as Love and Benefactor giveth us all and is the most Amiable Object and End of all So that as to Love and Give is more than to Command so to be Loved is more than as a Commander to be Obeyed But ever includeth it though it be eminently in its Nature above it So that 1. Objectively Love to God our Selves and Others in that measure that it is exercised Wisely is Obedience Emenently and somewhat higher 2. And Love as the Principle in Man is the most powerful Cause of Obedience supposing the Reverence of Authority and the fear of punishment but is somewhat more Excellent than they A Parents Love to a Child makes him more constant and full in all that he can do for him than the Commands of a King alone would do In that measure that you Love God you will heartily and delightfully do all your duty to him and so far as you love Parents or Neighbours you will gladly promote their Honour Safety Chastity Estates Rights and all that 's theirs and hate all that is against their good And as Parents will feed their Children though no fear of punishment should move them so we shall be above the great necessity of the fear of punishment so far as God and Goodness is our delight Q. 5. How should one know the meaning and extent of the Commandements A. The words do plainly signifie the Sence And according to the reasonable use of Words Gods Laws being perfect must be thus expounded 1. The commanding of Duty includeth the forbidding of the contrary 2. Under General Commands and Prohibitions the kinds and particulars are included which the General word extendeth to 3. When one Particular sin is forbidden or duty Commanded all the Branches of it and all of the same kind and reason are Forbidden or Commanded 4. Where the End is commanded or forbidden it is implyed that so are the true Means as such 5. Every Commandement extendeth to the whole Man to our Bodyes and all the Members and to the Soul and all its Faculties respectively 6. Commands bind us not to be alwayes doing the thing Commanded Dutyes be not at all times duty But Prohibitions bind us at all times from every sin when it is indeed a sin 7. Every Command implyeth some reward or benefit to the Obedient and every sin of Omission or Commission is supposed to deserve punishment though it be not named 8. Every Command supposeth the thing Commanded to be no Natural impossibility as to see Spirits or into the Heart of the Earth to know that which is not intelligible c. But it doth not suppose us to be Morally or Holily disposed to keep it or to be able to change our Corrupt Natures without God's Grace 9. So every Command supposeth us to have that Natural freedom of Will which is a self-determining Power not necessitated or forced to sin by any But not to have a Will that is free from Vicious inclinations Nor from under God's disposing power 10. The breach of the same Laws may have several sorts of punishment By Parents by Masters by Magistrates by the Church On Body on Name on Soul in this Life by God and finally heavier punishment in the Life to come 11. The sins here forbidden are not unpardonable but by Christs Merits Sacrifice and Intercession are forgiven to all true penitent converted Believers CHAP. XXXIII Of the Preface to the Decalogue Qu. 1. VVHat are the Parts of the Decalogue A. I. The Constitution of the Kingdom of God over Men described And II. The Administration or Governing Laws of his Kingdom Q. 2. What words express the Constitution of God's Kingdom A. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of bondage Q. 3. What is the Constitution here expressed A. 1. GOD the Soveraign 2. Man the Subject 3. The work of God which was the next Foundation or reason of the mutual Relation between God and Man as here intended Q. 4. What is included in the first part of God's Soveraignty A. 1. That there is a God and but One God in this special Sence 2. That the God of Israel is this One true God who maketh these Laws 3. That we must all obey him Q. 5. What is GOD what doth that word here mean A. This was largely opened in the beginning Briefly to be GOD is to be a Spirit Infinite in Being in Vital Power Knowledge and Goodness of whom as the efficient Cause and through whom as the Governour and to whom as the End are all things else related to us as our Creator and as our Absolute Owner Our Supream Ruler and our greatest Benefactor Friend and Father Q. 6. What words mention Man as the Subject of the Kingdom A. Hear O Israel and Thy God that brought Thee c. Q. 7. What
Atheism remaining and yet is not an Idolater or Atheist If a man could not be saved till he were perfectly healed of every degree of these hainous sins no man could be Saved But Gods Interest is predominant in holy Souls Q. 21. Doth not Paul say of all save Timothy That All seek their own and not the things that are Jesus Christ's A. He meaneth not that they predominantly do so except those among them who were hypocrites But that all did too much seck their own and too little the things that are Jesus Christ's and were â—ot so self-denying as Timothy who as it were naâ—urally Cared for the good of the Church As Deâ—as forsook Paul in his suffering and went after â—is own worldly business but yet did not forsake Christ and preferre the world before him for â—â—ght we find of him Q. 22. You make this first Commandement to be the summe of all A. It is the Summary of all and our Obedience to it is Virtually but not Actually our obedience to all the rest This is it which Christ calleth the first and greatest Command Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and Soul and might This is the Foundation of all the rest of the Commandements and the Root of all The rest are but branches from it When we are obliged to Love God and obey him we have a General obligation to keep all his Commandements But as this General Command doth not put the special particular Commands in existence so neither doth it oblige us to obey them till they exist And then as the Genus and Species constitute every defined being so the General and Special obligation concurre to make up every duty He that sincerely obeyeth this first command is a true Subject of God and in a state of Salvation and will sincerely obey all particular Commands in the main course of his life when they are revealed to him CHAP. XXXV Of the Second Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the words of the second Commandement A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and she wing Mercy to thousands of them that Love me and keep my Commandements Q. 2. How prove you against the Papists that this is not part of the first Commandement A. 1. By the matter which is different from it 2. And by the Scripture which saith There were Ten and without this there is but Nine 3. And by historical Tradition which we can prove that the Papists falsifie Q. 3. What is the true Meaning of the Second Commandement and wherein doth it differ from the â—â—rst A. The first Commandement bindeth us to give God his own or his due as God both in heart and life and to give it to no other The second commandeth men to keep so wide a difference between God and Heathen Idols as not to worship him as the Heathens do their Idols nor yet to seem by their bodily action to worship an Idol though they despise it in their Thoughts and pretend to keep their hearts to God Corporal and outward and seeming Idolatry is here forbidden For though a man renounce in Heart all other Gods yet if he be seen to bow down before an Image â— He seemeth to the beholder to mean as Idolaters do while he symbolizeth with them And as Lying and Perjury with the Tongue is sin though a mans inward thoughts do own the truth so bowing as Worshippers do before an Image is Bodily Idolatry though the mind renounce all Idols And God is the God of the Body as well as of the Soul And God would not have others encouraged to Idolatry by so scandalous an Example 2. And if it be the true God that such profess to worship it is interpretative Blasphemy As if they told men that God is like to that Creature whose Image they make So that â—â—andal and Bodily Idolatry and Blasphemy are the things directly forbidden in this Commandement as the real choosing and Worshipping a false God is in the first Q. 4. By this it seems that scandal is a hainouâ— sin A. Scandal is enticing tempting or encouraging others to sin by doing or saying that which is like to be abused by them to such an effect or laying a Stumbling-block in the way of blind or careless Souls If they will make our necessary duty the occasion of sin we may not therefore omit our duty if indeed it be an in indispensable duty at that time But if it be no duty yea or if it be only a duty in other Seasons and Circumstances it is a hainous sin to give such Scandal to another much more to Multitudes or publick Societies Q. 5. Wherein lyeth the evil of it A. 1. It is a countenancing and furthering sin 2. It is uncharitableness and cruelty to mens Souls 3. And therefore it is the Devils work Q. 6. But if our Rulers command us to do a thing indifferent which others will turn to an occasion of sin and damnation must we disobey our lawful Governours to prevent mens sin and fall A. If the thing in its own nature tended to so great and necessary good as would weigh down the contrary evil to the scandalized we must do our duty and labour to help them some other way But supposing it either Indifferent or of so small benefit as will not preponderate against the sin and â—anger of the scandalized we are Soul-murderers if we do not forbear it For 1. God hath given no Rulers power to Destruction of Souls but to Ediâ—â—cation no power to command us that which is â—o contrary to the indispensible duty of Love or Charity If an Apothecary or Physician or King command his Servant to sell Arsnick to all that will buy it without exception the servant may not lawfully sell it to such as he knoweth mean to Poyson themselves or others by it If the Commander be a sober man the servant ought to suppose that he intended such exceptions though he exprest them not But if he exprest the contrary he commanded contrary to Gods command without authority and is not to be obeyed 2. God himself dispenseth with his own Commands about Rituals or smaller matters when greater good or hurt stands on the other side The Disciples did justly pluck and rub the Ears of Corn and the Priests in the Temple break the rest of the Sabbath and an Ox or Ass was to be watered oâ— pull'd out of a pit on that day If the King oâ— Priest had made a Law to the contrary it had been null If Gods Laws bind not in such cases manâ— cannot God bids
every sickness to the body is an enemy to life though it destroy it not And as wounding a man yea or injurious hurting him or desiring his hurt is some breach of this Command as Christ tells us Math. 5. so every sin is as hurtful to the Soul But those are the mortal murdering sins which are inconsistent with the Predominant habitual Love of God and Holiness and are not only from the Imperfection of this Divine Nature and Image but from the absence of it such as are the sins of the unbelievers and impenitent Q. 16. But he shall not be hang'd for killing another that doth it against his Will And no man is willing to damn himself A. But a man will himself be a dead man if he kill himself unwillingly And all wicked men do willingly murder their own Souls They be not willing to burn in Hell but they are willingly ungodly Worldly Sensual And unholiness is the death or misery of the Soul and the departing of the Heart or Love from God and choosing the world and fleshly pleasure before his Grace and Glory is the true Soul-murdering When God maketh Poyson destructive to mans Nature and forbids us taking it and tells a man that it will kill him if this man will yet take the Poyson because it is sweet or will not believe that it is deadly it is not his being unwilling to die that will save him When God hath told men that unholiness and a fleshly Mind is death he destroyeth his Soul that yet will choose it And it is a hainous aggravation that Poor sinners have so little for the Salvation which they sell. The Devil can give them nothing that is to be put into the ballance against the least hope or possibility of the Life to come And for a man to sell his own Soul and all his hopes of Heaven for a base lust or a transitory shadow as profane Esau sold his birthright for a Morsel is Self-murder of a most odious kind Q. 17. But you make also our Friends that Love us to be murderers of us if they draw us to sin or neglect their duty A. As the Love of his own flesh doth not hinder but further the Drunkards Fornicators and idle persons murder of his own Soul so your Friends carnal love to you may be so far from hindering that it may further your destruction They that draw each other to Fornication to Gaming to time-wasting Playes to Gluttony and Drunkenness may do it in Love If they give you poyson in Love it will kill you And if Parents that are bound to feed their Children do famisn them do you think they do not murder them by omission So may they and so may Ministers murder the Souls that they are by Nature or Office entrusted to instruct and diligently govern Q. 18. Are there any other wayes of Murther A. So many that it is hard to number them As by rash Anger Hatred Malice by Drunkenness disposing to it By Magistrates not punishing murderers By not defending the Lives of others when we ought and abundance more which you may read in Bishop Downames Tables on the Commandements Q. 19. Must I defend my Parents or Children against the Magistrate or any one that would kill them by his Commission A. Not against Justice no doubt what you must do against Subjects who pretend an illegal Commission to rob or kill your self Parents or Children or destroy Cities and Countreys is partly toucht on under the fifth Commandement and partly matter unmeet for a Catechisme or private unlearned mens unnecessary discourse Q. 20. Are there more waies of self murder A. Among others excess of Meat and Idleness destroy mens health and murder millions CHAP. XL. Of the Seventh Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the Seventh Commandement A. Thou shalt not Commit Adultery Q. 2. What is the sin here forbidden A. All unlawful carnal Copulation and every evil inclination or action or omssion which tendeth thereunto or partaketh of any degree of unchastity or Pollution Q. 3. Is all lust or inclination to Generation a Sin A. No For 1. Some is natural to man and that not as corrupt But as God said Increase and Multiply before the Fall so no doubt he inclined Nature thereto 2. And the regular propagation of Mankind is one of the noblest natural works that man is instrumental in A Man being a more excellent thing than a house or any Work of art 3. And God hath put some such inclination into Nature in great Wisdom and Mercy to the world For if Nature had not some considerable appetite to Generation and also strong desire of Posterity Men would hardly be drawn to be at so much care cost and labour to propagate Mankind but specially Women would not so commonly submit to all their sickness pain danger and after-trouble which now they undergo But if a few self-denying persons did propagate Mankind only as an act of obedience to God the multitude of the ungodly would not do it Q. 4. If it be so why is any carnal acts of Generation forbidden specially when it is an act of Love and doth no body any harm A. God hath in great Wisdom and Mercy to man made his Laws for restraining men from inordinate Lust and Copulation 1. The noblest things are basest when Corrupted Devils are worse than men because they were higher and better before A wicked man is incomparably worse and more miserable than a Beast or a Toad because he is a nobler nature depraved And so humane Generation is worse than that of Swine or Dogs when it is vicious 2. Promiscuous unregulated Generation tends to the utter ruin and vitiating of Mankind by the overthrow of the just Education of Children on which the welfare of Mankind doth eminently depend Alas all care and order is little enough and too little to keep corrupted Nature from utter Beastiality and malignity much more to make Youth wise and virtuous without which it had been better never to have been born When Fathers know their own Children and when Mothers have the love and encouragement and Houshold-advantage of order which is necessary some good may be done But lawless exercise of Lust will frustrate all 1. Women themselves will be Slaves or their advantage mutable and uncertain For such Lust will serve its turn of them but for Novelty and will be still for change And when a younger or a fairer comes the Mother is cast off and hated And then the next will hate her Children or at least not love them as necessary Education doth require And when the Father hath forsaken the Mother it 's like he will forsake the Children with her And when Womens lusts are lawless as well as Mens men being uncertain what Children are their own will be regardless both of their Souls and Bodies So that Confusion would destroy Religion and Civility and make the World worse than most of the American
when the Ear is set open to ribald and defiling words Q. 17. How is the Tongue guilty of Uncleanness A. By the aforesaid filthy or wanton talk reading alluring Books using alluring words to others â—ut worst of all by defending extenuating or excuâ—â—ng any filthy Lusts. Q. 18. What are the chief Causes of this sin A. It is supposed that God put into Nature an â—rdinate Governable Appetite to Generation in Manâ—ind But that which rendereth it inordinate and unâ—â—ly and destructive is 1. Overmuch pampering â—â—e flesh by pleasing Meats and Drinks 2. Idleness â—ot keeping under the Body by due labour nor â—eeping the Mind in honest employment about our â—allings and the great matters of our Duty to God â—â—d of our Salvation which leave no room for Filth â—â—d Vanity 3. Want of a sanctified Heart and tenâ—er Conscience to resist the first degrees of the sin â—… Specially wilfull running into temptation Q. 19. By what degrees do Persons come to Forniâ—…ion A. 1. By the foresaid cherishing the Causes Apâ—…ite and Idleness 2. By this means the lustfull Inclinations of the â—â—esh grow as strong and troublesome in some as a â—…lent Itch or as a Thirst in a Feaver 3. Then an ungoverned Eye must gaze upon some tempting piece of Flesh. 4. And if they get opportunity for frequent privacy and familiarity and use it in immodest sights and actions they are half overcome 5. For then the Devil as an unclean Spirit gets possession of the Imagination and there is a strong inclination in them to think of almost nothing else but fleshly filth and the pleasure that their Sense haâ— in such immodest bruitishness When God should have their Hearts Morning and Night and perhapâ— at Church and in holy Actions this unclean Spiriâ— ruleth their thoughts 6. Then Conscience growing senseless they feaâ— nor to seed these pernicious flames with ribbaâ—… talk and Romances and Amorous foolish Playes and conversing with such as are of their owâ— mind 7. After this where their Fancy is infected theâ— study and contrive themselves into further temptation to get that nearness opportunity and Secrecâ—… which may encourage them 8. And from thence Satan hurryeth them usuallâ— against Conscience into actual Fornication 9. And when they are once in the Devil and â—… Flesh say Twice may be pardoned as well â—… once 10. And some at last with seared Conscience grow to excuse it as a small sin And sometimâ—… are forsaken to fall into utter Insidelity or Atheisâ—… that no fear of Judgment may molest them â—… others sin on in horror and despair Of whom the two there is more hope as having less quiâ—…ness in their sins to hinder their repentance Q. 20. What are the best Remedies against all Unchastity and uncleanness of Mind and Body A. 1. The principal is the great work of renewing grace which taketh up the Heart of man to God and maketh him perceive that his Everlasting concerns are those that must take up his Mind and Life And this work still mortifieth the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof 2. Another is to make it seriously a great part of â—â—r Religion to subdue and destroy all fleshly sinâ—ul lusts and not to think a bare Conviction or Wish will do it But that it requireth more Labour than â—o kill Weeds in your ground or to tame unruly Colts or Cattle 3. Another means is to resolve upon a constant â—iligence in a lawful Calling Poor labouring men â—re seldom so vicious in Lust as idle Gentlemen â—…e 4. Temperance and Fasting when there is need â—nd avoiding fulness and flesh-pleasing meats and â—rinks Gluttons and Drunkards are fitted to be â—oars and Stallions 5. To keep a Conscionable Government of the â—ye and Thoughts and call them off as soon as Satan â—empteth them 6. Above all to be sure to keep far enough from â—empting persons Touch them not Be not priâ—…te with them There is no safety when fire and â—…powder are long near Nor in an infectious â—ouse Distance is the greatest means of safety 7. Another means is to foresee the End and think what will follow specially think of Death and Judgement Consider what the alluring flesh will be wheâ—… the Small-pox shall cover it with Scabs or when iâ—… shall have lain a few weeks stinking in a grave Thiâ— must be But O the thoughts of the Judgment oâ— God and the torment of a guilty Conscience shoulâ— be more mortifying helps To go to the house oâ— Mourning and see the end of all men and see whaâ— the dust and bones of men are when they are caâ—â— up out of the grave and to think where the Soâ—… are and must be for ever methinks should cure thâ—… folly of Lust. Q. 21. Is it unlawful for Men and Women especially the unmarryed to set out themselves in such Ornaments of Apparel as may make them seem most comelâ— and desireable A. 1. The common Rule is to be cloathed witâ— decent but modest Apparel such as shews the Body without deceit to be what it is which is neitheâ— loathsome nor alluring 2. And persons must bâ— invited to conjugal desires by Truth and not by Dâ—ceit and by the matters of real worth such as wiâ—dom godliness patience and meekness and not bâ— fleshly snares For Marriages so contracted are likâ— to turn to continued misery to both when the Body is known without the Ornaments and deceiâ— and the diseases of the Soul become vexatious 3. But there is much difference to be made â—… the Time and Ends. A young Woman thâ—… hath a Suitor and intendeth Marriage may go furthâ—… iâ— adorning her self to please him that chooseth her â—nd a Wife to please her Husbands Eye than they â—ay do to Strangers where there is no such purâ—ose or Relation To use a Procatious garb to be â—hought amiable to others where it may become a â—â—are but can do no good is the act of one that â—ath the folly of Pride and some of the dispositiâ—n of a Harlot even a pleasure and desire to have â—…ose think them amiable desirable persons in whom â—… may kindle concupiscence liker than any good Q. 22. But may not a crooked or deformed person â—…de their deformity by apparel or other means A. Yes so far as it only tends to avoid mens disâ—…in in a Common Conversation But not so as to â—eceive men in Marriage-desires or purposes or praâ—â—ice Q. 23. What if ones Condition be such that Marâ—…ge is like to impoverish them in the World and cast â—… into great streights and temptations and yet they â—… a bodily necessity of it A. God casteth none into a necessity of sinning â—…ication must not be committed to avoid poverâ—… If such can by lawful means overcome their lust â—…er must do it If not they must marry though they â—…er poverty Q. 24. What if Parents forbid their Children neâ—…ry mariage A. Such Children must use all lawful means to â—…ke Marriage unnecessary to them But if
to wink for it self and the Gust to taste for it self immediately and yet also consequently for every Members good and principally for the whole Man so every Man must get possess and use â—hat he can immediately for himself But as a Member of the Body which hath a due regard to â—e good of every Member and is more for the â—hole than for himself Q. 29. Who be the greatest breakers of this Comâ—andement A. 1. They that care for no body but themselves â—â—d think they may do with their own as they list 〈◊〉 if they were absolute Proprietors whereas they â—…e but the Stewards of God And it is the pleasure 〈◊〉 the Flesh which is the use they think they may â—…t all their Estates to 2. Those that see their brother have need and â—…at up the bowels of their compassion from him that is Relieve him not when it is not for want oâ— ability but of compassion and will Or that drop but some inconsiderable pittance to the Poor like the crumbs or bones to the Dogs the leavings of the Flesh while they please their Appetites and Fancies with the rest and live as he Luk. 16. who waâ— cloathed in Purple and Silk and fared sumptuously or deliciously daily while the Poor at the door had but the Scraps That make so great a difference between themselves and others as to preferre their own Superfluities and Pleasures before the Necessitie of others even when multitudes live in distressing Poverty 3. Those that live Idly because they are ricâ— or slothfull and think they are bound to labour foâ— none but themselves whereas God bindeth all thaâ— are able to live in some profitable Labour for others and to give to them that need So also they that bâ— Prodigality Drunkenness Gaming Luxury or otheâ— Excess disable themselves to relieve the Poor 4. Those that out of a covetous worldly Mind heaâ— up Riches for themselves and their Children tâ— leave a Name and great Estate behind them thâ—â— their Children may as hardly be saved as themselves As if all that they can gather were theiâ— Childrens due while others better than they are uâ—… terly neglected 5. Those that give with grudging or make toâ— great a matter of their Gifts and set too high 〈◊〉 Price upon them and must have it even extorte from them 6. Those that neglect to pay due wages to them that labour for them and would bring down the Price below its worth so that poor Labourers cannot live upon it And that strive in all their Bargainings to have every thing as cheap as they can get it without respect to the true worth or the Necessities of others 7. Those that help not to maintain their own Families and Kindred as far as they are able Q. 30. Who are the greatest Robbers or breakers of both parts of this Command Negative and Preceptive A. 1. Emperours Kings and other Chief Rulers who oppress the People and impoverish them while they are bound by Office to be Gods Ministers for their good 2. Soldiers who by unjust Wars destroy the Countreys or in just war unjustly rob the People O the Woful ruines that such have made So that Famine hath followed the Poverty and desolations to the death of Thousands 3. Unrighteous Judges who for Bribes or Partiality or culpable ignorance do fine righteous men or give away the Estates of the just and do wrong men by the pretence of Law Right and Justice and deprive the just of their remedy 4. Perfidious Patrons who Simoniacally Sell or Sacrilegiously alienate the devoted maintenance of the Church 5. Much more those Rulers and Prelates who â—actiously maliciously or otherwise culpably silence and cast out Faithful Ministers Sacrilegiously alienating them from the Work of Christ and the Churches service to which they were consecrated and devoted and casting them out of their publick ministerial Maintenance 6. All Persecutors who unjustly fine men and deprive them of their Estates for not sinning against God by Omission or Commission especially when they ruine multitudes 7. Cruel oppressing Landlords who set their poor Tenants such hard Bargains as they cannot live on 8. Cruel Lawyers and other Officers who take such Fees as undo the Clients so that men that have not Money to answer their Covetous expectations must lose their right 9. Unmerciful Physicians who consider not the scarcity of Money with the Poor but by Chargeable Fees and Apothecaries bills put men to die for want of Money 10. Unmerciful Usurers and Creditors that will not forgive a debt to the poor who have it not to pay 11. People that rob the Ministers of their Tythes 12. Cheaters who by Gaming false Playes and tricks of Craft or false Writings Concealments oâ— by quirks in Law that are contrary to Equity dâ— beguile men of their right And especially thâ— Poor who cannot contend with them Yea and some their own Kindred CHAP. XLII Of the Ninth Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the ninth Commandement A. Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour Q. 2. What is it which is herein forbidden A. All Falshood injurious to the innocency right or reputation of another especially in witness-bearing accusations or judgments contrary to publick Justice The Act forbidden is Falshood The object against which it is done is our Neighbours good or right of any sort whether his good Name or Estate or Life especially as it perverteth the hearâ—â—s Judgment and Love or publick Justice Q. 3. Is all Lying here forbidden or only injurious Lying A. All Lying is injurious and forbidden Q. 4. What injury doth a jeasting Lie do to any one â—r a Lye which only saveth the speaker from some hurt â—ithout hurting any other Yea some Lies seem to be â—â—rofitable and necessary As if a Parent or Physiciâ—n tell a Lie to a Child or Patient to get them to take a Medicine to save their lives or a Subject tell a lye to a Traytor or Enemy to save the Life of the King Tell me I pray you why God forbiddeth all such Lies A. 1. You must consider that God is the Author of Order And Order is to â—â—e World it 's useful disposition to it's Operations and Ends Just as it is to a Clock or Watch or a Coach or Ship or any such Engine Disorder the parts and it 's good for nothing A Kingdom Army Church or any Society is essentiated by Order without which it is destroyed And the World of Mankind being made up of individual persons the ordering of particular Men is the Chief thing to the Order of the humane World As we dye when disorder of parts or humors maketh the Body uncapable of the Souls Operations So a mans Soul is vitiated and dead to it 's Chiefends when it 's Order is overthrown All Godliness and Morality is nothing but the right Order of the dispositions and acts of man in our subordination to the Governing