so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therin without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sin and that being any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser foure waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actual sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tickled with some delight thereof For a bad motion cast into the mind by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sin in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into an action or execution Sin in perfection is when men are growne to a custome and habit in sin vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie condemnation Now of these degrees the first is the least the last is the greatest One and the same sin is lesser in tentation then in conception lesse in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sect. 11. Now from this doctrine of the increasing and lessening of Sin in these respects we may gather that all sins are not alike or equall as the Stoicks of auncient times and their followers haue falsely imagined For it hath bin prooued at large by induction of sundrie particulars that there are degrees of sinnes some lesser som greater some more offensiue and odious to God man some lesse And â—hat the circumstances of time place person and manner of doing doe serue to enlarge or extenuate the sinne commited If it be here alleadged that Sin is nothing but the doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sin meÌ„ must not consider the vnlawfulnes thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it is a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnaÌ„t thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inâ—lamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said againe that the nature of Sin stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of dutie prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sin for substance hath sundrie steps and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another For example in the seauenth commandemeÌ„t when God forbiddes the committing of Adultery he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Now it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubted truth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater Sundrie other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the main sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sins of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streames of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sinnes before named with their seuerall branches and infinite many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to entreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs from our sinnes yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercie in Christ apprehended by faith our hearts shall be purified theÌ„ to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortal man is not guiltie of one or more sinnes but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstand his faults saith Dauid Now the alowance of sinne beeing death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needes be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate little cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsly to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to know either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of the word of god that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter with all not onely out of vs in the world abroad but within vs
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
gold Hos. 2. 8. Yea it is noted as an argument of Gods loue to Israel by the Prophet Ioel that he sent them corne wine and oyle that they might be satiffied therewith Ioel. 2. 19. By this dutie are iustly to be reprooved the carelesse and Godlesse behauiours of sundry persons who with the swyne feed vpon the Creatures of God but neuer lift vp their eies or hands vnto him of whome and from whome they doe receiue them The verie bruit beast can teach them a better lesson For as Dauid saith The Lyons roaring after their pray doe seeke their meat from God Psal. 104. 21. Yea the heauens and the earth and all that are in them doe alwaies depend vpon his prouidence and are altogither guided and directed by him Iob. 38. And shall not man much more haue an eye vnto his Creator and wholly depend vpon him for all blessings from whom he receiues life and breath and all things Thirdly we must receiue these creatures from God our father as tokens of our reconciliation to him in Christ. So saith Saint Paul Giuing thankes alwaies for all things to God euen the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. Eph. 5. 20. Thus we hold and receiue Gods blessings and he that holds and receiues them otherwise is an vsurper and not a right and lawfull possessour of them Fourthly we must learne to be content with that portion that God assigneth to vs be it neuer so small and withall labour to see the goodnes of God euen in the meanest fare that may be Our table is as it were a liuely Sermon to vs of Gods speciall providence over our bodies For first in reason dead flesh should rather kill vs then giue vs nourishment and yet by his blessing providence it continueth life and strength Againe both we and our meat are but perishing and therefore when we feede theron it may serue to stirre vs vp to seeke for the food of the soule that nourisheth to life euerlasting Ioh. 6. 27. Furthermore looke as euery creature serues for our vse euen so should we our selues consecrate our selues vnto God and serue him both with our soules and bodies as before hath beene shewed Sect. 3. The third and last point is what we are to doe and how to behaue our selues after our meat This Moses teacheth the Israelites Deut. 8. 10. When thou hast eaten and filled thy self thou shalt blesse the Lord thy god This praising or blessing of god stands in two things First in a holy remembrance that God hath giuen vs our food For beeing once filled we must take heed we forget not God who hath opened his hand and plenteously refreshed our bodies with his creatures Deut. 8. 11. Secondly we must make conscience in liew of thankfulnesse to God to employ the strength of our bodies in seeking his glorie and walking according to all his lawes and comandements Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10. 31. We may not liue idlely giue our selues to riot and gaming but labour to serue God and our countrey in some profitable course of life least it be said of vs as it was once of the old Iewes that we sitte downe to eate and drinke and rise vp to play To this I adde one thing further that when we haue eaten to our contentment and something remaine care must be had to reserue it and not to cast it away For this purpose we haue the example of Christ who commandeth to gather vp the broken meate that remaineth that nothing be lost Ioh. 6. 12. The reason is because these reliques and fragments are part of the creatures yea they are as well Gods good creatures as the rest were and must be preserued to the same vse Now if these may not be abused or lost much lesse ought the gifts of the minde which are greater and farre more precious be suffered to miscarie but rather to be preserued and increased A good lesson for such as haue receiued any speciall gifts of nature or grace from God that they mispend them not or suffer them to perish but carefully maintaine them to the glorie of God and the good of others To conclude this Question we are all to be exhorted to make conscience of this dutie to vse the good blessings of God in such sort as they may alwaies tende to the honour of the giuer auoiding all excesse and riot Reasons to mooue vs hereunto may be these I. Excesse destroyes the bodie and kills euen the very naturall strength and life thereof II. It brings great hurt to the soule of man in that it annoyeth the spirits it dulleth the senses it corrupteth the naturall heate and good temper of the bodie Now these things beeing the helpes and next instruments of the soule if they be once corrupted and decaied the soule it selfe will at length be brought to the same passe III. Let this be considered that a Woe belongs vnto them that eate and drinke immoderately Esa. 5. 11. And for this very sinne the Lord led his owne people into captiuitie v. 13. Yea the drunkard and the glutton shall become poore Prov. 23. 21. And both shall equally with there pompe and excesse descend into Hell Esay 5. 14. IV. We should be willing to part from all for Christs sake much more from our excesse and shall we thinke it possible for a man to forsake all even his owne life that will not forsake excesse and intemperance in the vse of Gods creatures It will be said of some we are not drunken though we drinke much Ans. It is a policie of the Deuill to delude men withall when he perswades them that much drinking is not amisse if a man be not ouertaken therewith For it is a sinne to liue and sitte daily by the wine to be alwaies bibbing and sipping Wee know not when or where we shall die and we are commanded to watch ouer our harts that we be not ouercome with surfetting and drunkennesse What a madnesse then is it to giue over our selues to such immoderate excesse whereby we are vtterly disabled from these and all other duties of Godlinesse Sect. 3. In the Third place we come to those Questions that concerne the Moderation of our appetite in the vse of Apparell And of this kind there be two principall Questions the former of them beeing nothing else but an introduction to the latter I. Question Whether ornaments of gold siluer precious stones silkes veluets c. may not lawfully be vsed Ans. There is a lawfull vse of these things yet not in all but onely in themto whome they belong Reasons of the Answer are these I. Gold and siluer c. are the gifts of God and serue not onely for necessitie but for ornament and comelinesse II. We haue the Examples of sundrie persons in Scripture which doe warrant the vse of these creatures and blessings of God Abrahā by his Steward sends
Goodnesse in things and actions The third touching the degrees of Sinne. The fourth and last concerning the Subiection and Power of conscience Of these in order Sect. 1. The first Ground is That in the troubles of conscience it is meete and conuenient there should alwaies be vsed a priuate Confession For Iames saith Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another thereby signifying that Confession in this case is to be vsed as a thing most requisite For in all reason the Physitian must first know the disease before he can applie the remedie and the griefe of the heart will not be discerned vnlesse it be manifested by the confession of the partie diseased and for this cause also in the griefe of conscience the scruple that is the thing that troubleth the conscience must be knowne Neaerthelesse in priuate confession these caueats must be obserued First it must not be vrged as a thing simply or absolutely necessarie without which there can be no saluatioÌ„ Againe it is not fit that confession should be of all sinnes but onely of the scruple it selfe that is of that or those sinnes alone which do trouble and molest the conscience Thirdly though confession may be made to any kind of mâ—n Confesse one to another saith Iames yet is it especially to be made to the Prophets and Ministers of the Gospell For they in likelyhood of all other men in respect of their places and gifts are the fittest and best able to instruct correct coÌ„fort enâ—orme the weake wounded coÌ„science Lastly the person to whome it is made must be a man of trust fidelity able willing to keepe secret things that are reueiled yea to burie theÌ„ as it were in the graue of obliuion for Loue couereth a multitudeof sinnes Sect. 2. The next Ground is touching the degrees of Goodnes in humane things and actions Goodnesse in things is twofold vncreated and created Vncreated is God himselfe who neuer had beginning and who is Goodnesse it-selfe because his nature is absolutely and perfectly good and because he is the author and worker thereof in all things created Created goodnes is that whereby the creature is made good and it is nothing els but the fruit of that goodnesse that is essentially in God Now the degrees thereof are these There is a generall or naturall Goodnesse in creatures a more speciall or morall Goodnesse Generall Goodnesse is that whereby all creatures are accepted and approoued of God by whome they were both created ordained Thus euery creature is good partly by creation and partly by ordination By creation it is that the substance of each creature as of the Sunne the Moone the Earth Water Meate Drink c. is good hauing the beeing thereof from God Hence also the essentiall properties quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good By the same generall goodnesse also euen the Deuill himselfe and his actions as he is a substance and as they are actions hauing their beeing from God are good Things againe doe take vnto them the condition of Goodnesse not onely by creation but also by Gods ordination whereby they are directed and appointed to some certen vses endes Thus the euill Conscience Hel Deathare good because they are ordained of God for the execution of his iustice howsoeuer in themselues to vs they be euill Besides this generall and naturall goodnesse there is also a speciall or morall goodnes properly so called and it is that which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the Morall Law wherin it is commanded and things as they are therein commanded to be done by God are good morally Now of actions morally good there be two degrees for they are either good in themselues alone or good both in themselues and in the doer In themselues alone some things be morally good for example when a wicked man giues an almes it is a good worke onely in it selfe but not good in the doer because it is not done in faith and from a good conscience and so are all the vertues of the Heathen morally good in themselues but they are not good in heathen men for in them they are but beautifull sinnes The next degree of goodnesse is whereby things and actions are both good in themselues and in the doer also Of this sort were the praiers and almes of Cornelius good in themselues and in him also because he was a beleeuer Now opposite to things and actions morally good or euill are actions and things of a middle nature commonly tearmed Indifferent which in themselues being neither good nor euill may be done or not done without sinne In themselues I say for in their circumstances they are and may be made either euill or good And here we must remember to put a difference betweene conueniencie and inconuenience which ariseth from the nature of indifferent things Conueniencie is when a thing or action is so fitted to the circumstances and the circumstances fitted to it that thereby it becomes a thing Conuenient On the other side Inconuenience is when the thing or action is done in vnmeete circumstances which bring some hurt or losse to the outward man or stand not with decencie and therefore doe make it to be Inconuenient And by this that hath been said we may discerne when an action is good euill indifferent conuenient or inconuenient CHAP. II. Of the nature and differences of Sinne. THe third Ground is touching the degrees or differences of Sinne. And here we must first of all search what is Sinne properly and what is properly a Sinner Sect. 1. Sinne in his proper nature as Saint Iohn saith is an anomie that is a want of conformitie to the lawe of God For the better vnderstanding whereof we must know that there were in Adam before his fall three things not to be seuered one from the other the Substance of his bodie and soule the Faculties and Powers of his bodie and soule and the Image of God consisting in a straightnes and conformitie of all the affections and powers of man to Gods will Now when Adam falls and sinnes against God what is his sinne Not the want of the two former for they both remained but the very want and absence of the third thing namely of conformitie to Gods will I make it plaine by this resemblance In a musicall instrument there is to be considered not only the instrument it selfe and the sound of the instrumeÌ„t but also the harmony in the sound Nowe the contrarie to harmonie or the disorder in musicke is none of the two former but the third namely the discord which is the want or absence of harmonie which we call disharmonie In the same manner the sinne of Adam is not the absence either of the substance or of the faculties of the soule and the bodie but the want of the third
indeauour in the course of our liues afterward to performe obedieÌ„ce to God in all his commandements that thereby we may shew our selues thankefull to him for his mercie and profit in our obedience For proofe hereof First consider the examples of this practise in Gods children All that Dauid that worthie seruant of God could doe after his sinnes committed to bring himselfe againe into the fauour of God whome he had offended consisted of these very heads which haue beene named Repentance Confidence and Affiance in Gods mercie and Performance of new obedience And this his practise was verified amongst many other places specially in the 119. Psalme in all the Psalmes commonly called penitentiall Againe the Prophet Daniel was accepted of God onely for the doing of these things Dan. 9. And in like manner was Paul and the rest of the Apostles Rom. 7. 1. Tim. 1. 12. Againe for further proofe let it be considered what it is that makes a man to become a Christian and seruant of God not this that he is pure from all sinnes and neuer slides or swarâ—es from obedience vnto God but because when he sinneth and falleth he is grieued with himselfe and laboureth euery day to mortifie his corruptions which are the matter of sinne in his heart and life and suffereth not sinne to reigne in his mortall bodie but crucifieth the flesh with the affections and lusts therof Yet here remaines a great difficultie Many a good seruant of God may and doth truly say of himselfe I bewaile my sinnes and doe in some sort rest on Gods mercie and withall I endeauour to performe new obedience but alas here is my griefe I cannot doe these things as I would In matter of sorrow and griefe I am troubled with hardnes of heart in occasions of boldnes and confidence with doubtings 〈◊〉 endeauour to obey with many slippes and sundrie falls For the staying moderating of this griefe these rules may further be remembreâ—… The first Rule If there be in the minde a purpose not to sinne in the will a desire to please God and in the whole man â—n endeauour to performe the purpose of the minde and the desire of the will marke what followes vpon this God in mercie accepteth the purpose and will to obey for obedience it selfe Yea though a man faile in the very act and do not so well as he should the Lord accepteth the affection and endeauour for the thing done Excellent is the saying of an auncient Father God accepteth that which is his and forgiues that which is thine his is the grace whereby we are inabled to endeauour to obey in the want of obedience and that he accepteth ours iâ— the sinne and weakenes in performance of the dutie which he requireth and that he doth in mercie forgiue Herein appeareth the great goodnes of God vnto vs and we can neuer be sufficiently thankfull for the same But yet that we may not here delude our hearts with conceits and blessâ— our selues in vaine we must knowe that God doth not alwaies accept the will for the deede vnlesse there be a constant purpose in heart a true desire in will and some resolued indeauour sutable in the life Malacâ— 3. â—7 God spares them that feare him â—s a father spares his own child How is that though the sick or weake child beeing comâ—…ed some busines goeth about it very vnhandsomly and so the deede be done to little 〈◊〉 no purpose yet the father accepts it as well done if he see the childe yoelde vnto his commandement and doe his indeauour to the vttermost of his power Euen so will God deale with those that be his children though sicke and weake in obedience â—…r how will some say can God accept a worke of ours that is imperfect Ans. So farre forth as the obedience is done in truth so farre forth God accepts it because it is his owne worke in vs and as it is ours he pardons it vnto vs because we are in Christ. A second Rule is laid downe Rom. 7. 19. where Paul saith to this purpose the good which I would doe I doe not and the euill which I would not that do I. In these words is set down the state of all regenerate men in this life and the meaning is this The good things which God hath commanded I doe them but not as I would and the euill forbidden I auoid but not as I would This we shall see to be true by comparing the voices of three kindes of men together The carnall man saith I doe not that which is good neither will I do it and that which is euill I doe and I will doe it Contrariwise the man glorified he saith That which is good I do and will doe it and that which is euill I doe not neither will I doe it The regenerate man in a middle betweene them both he saith The good things commanded I do but not as I would the euill things forbidden I avoid but not as I would And this is the estate of the child of God in this life who in this regard is like vnto a diseased man who loues his health and therfore obserues both diet and physick and yet he often falls into his fit againe though he be neuer so carefull to obserue the rules of the Physitian by reason of the distemperature of his bodie and hereupon is saine to goe to the Physitian the second time for new counsell In like manner Gods children haue indeede in their hearts a care to please and obey God but by reason of sinne that dwelleth in them they â—aile often and so are â—aine to humble themselues again before him by new repentance Againe the seruants of God are like to a man by some suddaine accident cast into the sea who in striuing to saue himselfe from drowning puts to all his strength to swim to the shore and beeing come almost vnto it their meetes him a waue or billow which driues him cleane backe againe it may be a mile or further and then the former hope and ioy conceiued of escape is sore abated yet he returnes againe and still labours to come to the land and neuer rests till he attaine vnto it III. Ground He that is indeede regenerate hath this priuiledge that the corruption of nature is no part of him neither doth it belong to his person in respect of diuine imputation Paul saith of himselfe Rom. 7. 17. It is no more I but sinne that dwelleth in me In which words he distinguisheth betweene his owne person and sinne that is in him For in man regenerate there be three things the bodie the soule and the gift of Gods image restored againe Now touching the corruption of nature that is in his person and so may be said to be his but it belongs not to the man regenerate it is not his because it is not imputed to him and so indeed is as though it were not in him The Apostle 1 Thess. 5. 23. praies
for the Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them throughout and preserue their whole spirit soule and bodie Of which place amongst many this exposition may be giuen The Apostle speaking of men regenerate and sanctified makes three parts in them bodie soule and spirit and by spirit we are to vnderstand not the conscience but the gift of regeneration and sanctification which is the whole man bodie and soule opposed to the flesh which in a naturall man is called the olde man Rom. 7. And the praier which Paul makes in the behalfe of the Thessalonians teacheth vs in effect thus much that though corruption remaine in the regenerate after regeneration yet in respect of diuine acceptation he is accounted as righteous and so continueth his sinne by the mercie of God in Christ not beeing imputed to him to condemnation And so much for that point Now these Grounds of comfort and others of the like nature may serue to sustaine and vphold the hearts of the children of God when they shall be pressed and troubled in consideration of their estate in this life which cannot till death be fully freed from much weakenes and manifold imperfections CHAP. XII Of the fift Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne bodie THe fift and last kind of Temptation or Trouble of minde ariseth from a mans owne bodie Before I enter to speake thereof one Question in the meane time must be answered namely How the bodie beeing an earthly substance should trouble or annoie the minde considering that the minde is not bodily out spirituall for nothing can worke aboue it owne power and it is against reason that that which is bodily should either alter or trouble a spirit For answer hereunto these things must be considered Sect. 1. First of all the actions of man though they be sundrie yet they all proceede from one onely fountaine and common cause the soule and are done by the power thereof The bodie of it selfe is not an agent in any worke but as it were a dead instrument in and by which the soule produceth all actions and workes Secondly though all the actions of man come from the soule yet the most of them are such as be performed by the bodie and the parts thereof and by the spirits that are seated in the bodie as by instruments Indeede some actions of the soule and minde are done without the helpe of the bodie but I say that the most of them are wrought by the bodie and spirits therein contained And yet notwithstanding the Spirits in thēselues are no agents at all but the onely agent in any worke is the soule it selfe For example the vsing of the outward senses as of sight hearing tasting touching smelling as also of the inward as imagination memorie c. all this is done by the braine and the parts of the braine as proper instruments All affections both good and bad come from the soule but yet they are done and acted in and by meanes of the heart and vitall spirits So also the powers of life and nourishment proceede from the soule and yet they are done and wrought by the liuer and other inward parts as instruments whereby the soule nourisheth the bodie In a word there is no naturall action in man but for the effecting thereof the parts of the bodie are vsed as it were the hands and instruments of the soule and all this comes by reason of the vnion of the bodie with the soule whereby they make one person Hence it followeth that when the bodie is troubled the soule is also troubled Now the bodie affecteth and hurteth the soule and minde not by taking away or diminishing any part thereof for the soule is indivisible Nor by depriuing it of any power or facultie giuen it of God for as the soule it selfe and the parts thereof so also all the faculties of the same remaine whole and entire without abating or diminishing But by corrupting the action of the minde or more properly by corrupting the next instrument whereby the minde worketh and consequently the action it selfe This may be conceiued by a comparison A skilfull artificer in any science hauing an vnfit toole to worke withall though his skill be good and his abilitie sufficient yet his instrument wherewith he worketh being bad the worke which he doth must needes be an imperfect worke Howbeit the toole takes not away the skill of his workemanship nor his power of working onely it hinders him from shewing his skill and doing that well which otherwise he should and could doe well In like manner the bodie beeing corrupted hinders the worke of the soule not by taking away the worke of the soule or the abilitie of working but by making it to bring forth a corrupt worke because the instrument which it vseth is corrupt and faultie And thus we must conceiue of all the annoyances of the soule by the bodie The Temptation followeth The bodie causeth the trouble of minde two waies either by Melancholie or by some strange alterations in the parts of the bodie which oftentimes befall men in what sort we shall see afterwards For troubles of minde thus caused are more common and as noysome as the most of the former Sect. 2. Touching that which comes by Melancholy sundrie things are to be considered for our instruction and for the Remedie of that euill 1. And first of all if it be asked what Melancholy is I answer it is a kinde of earthie and blacke blood specially in the splene corrupted and distempered which when the splene is stopt conuaies it selfe to the heart and the braine and there partly by his corrupt substance and contagious qualitie and partly by corrupt spirits annoyeth both heart and braine beeing the seates and instruments of reason and affections 2. The second is what are the effects and operations of Melancholie Ans. They are strange and often fearefull There is no humour yea nothing in mans bodie that hath so straunge effects as this humour hath beeing once distempeted An auncient Diuine calls it the Deuills bait because the Deuill beeing well acquainted with the complexion and temperature of man by Gods iust permission conueies himselfe into this humour and worketh strange conceits It is recorded in Scripture that when the Lord tooke his good Spirit from Saul wherby he did carrie himselfe well in the gouernment of his people and an euill Spirit came vpon him he was in so fearfull a case that he would haue slaine him that was next vnto him how so surely because God in iustice withdrew his spirit from him and suffered Satan to enter into the humour of choler or melancholie or both and by this meanes caused him to offer violence to Dauid Now the effects therof in particular are of two sorts The first is in the braine and head For this humour being corrupted it sends vp noysome fumes as cloudes or mists which doe corrupt the imagination and makes the instrument of reason unfit for vnderstanding and
of man is too good for them For if those be holden as Traytors to an earthly Prince and are most deseruedly adiudged to death that reuile his person and denie his lawfull authoritie then they that call into question the Godhead are much more worthie to be esteemed traytors to God and consequently to beare the iust punishment of their rebellion death it selfe For this cause I doe not meane to dispute the question whether there be a God or no and thereby minister occasion of doubting and deliberation in that which is the onely maine Ground and pillar of Christian religion But rather my purpose is in shewing that there is a God to remooue or at least to help an inward corruption of the soule that is great and dangerous whereby the heart and conscience by nature denieth God and his prouidence The wound in the bodie that plucks out the heart is the most dangerous wound that can be and that opinion that takes away the Godhead doth in effect rend and plucke out the very heart of the soule This Caueat premised I come now to the point in hand to shew that there is a God And for our better knowledge and assurance of this truth we are to remember thus much that God hath giuen vnto man a threefold light the one of nature the other of grace and the third of glorie And by these as by so many degrees of knowledge the minde beeing inlightened by God receiueth direction in the truth of the Godhead both for this present life and for that which is to come 〈◊〉 If it be demaunded in what order God hath reveiled this light vnto man I answer that the light of nature serues to giue a beginning and preparation to this knowledge the light of grace ministers the ground and giues further proofe and euidence and the light of glory yeelds perfectioÌ„ of assurance making that perfectly and fully knowne which by the former degrees was but weakly and imperfectly comprehended Of these three in order Sect. 1. The light of nature is that light which the view and consideration of the creatures both in generall and particular affordeth vnto man From the light of nature there are fiue distinct arguments to prooue that there is a God the consideration whereof will not be vnprofitable even to him that is best setled in this point I. The first is taken from the creation and frame of the great body of the world and the things therein contained Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are knowne by the Creation of the world beeing considered in his workes And out of this excellent frame of the world the truth of the Godhead may be sundry waies prooued and maintained First I would aske this question This goodly frame of the world had it a beginning or no beginning Let either part or both be taken Let it first be said it had no beginning but is eternall as the Atheist holdeth Then I reason thus If it had no beginning the world it selfe is God and all the creatures that are therein from the greatest and highest to the least and basest yea euery droppe of water in the sea and euery corne of sand by the sea shore are Gods The reason is because according to this opinion they haue their being of themselues without beginning and that which is a substance of it selfe hath no beginning is very God Againe if the world had no beginning then it hath also no ending For that which is without beginning is without ending Now all things in the world are lyable to corruption and consequently are subiect to an ende For whatsoeuer is corruptible the same is finite therfore the world had a beginning Now if it had a beginning then I demand how it was made did it make it selfe or was it made of nothing If it be affirmed that it made it selfe then the world was before it was If it be said it came from nothing that also cannot be For nothing brings forth nothing and that which is nothing in it selfe cannot bring forth something therefore it is absurd in reason to say that nothing brought forth this world And hereupon it must needes remaine for a truth that there was some substance eternall and Almightie that framed this goodly Creature the World besides it selfe If a man comes into a large forrest and beholds therein goodly faire buildings and sundrie kinds of hearbs and trees and birds and beasts and no man he will presently reason thus with himselfe these buildings are the workemanship of some man they were not from all eternity they did not reare themselues neither did the hearbs the trees the birds or the beasts build them but of necessitie they must haue some first â—ounder which is man In like manner when we consider this world so goodly a creature to behold though we see not the maker thereof yet we cannot say that either it made it selfe or that the things therein contained made it but that the Creator of it was some vncreated substance most wise most cunning and euerlasting and that is God Secondly from this frame of the world and the consideration therof I reason thus In the world there are foure sorts and kindes of creatures The first bare and naked substances that haue neither life sense nor reason in them as the sunne the moone the starres The second that haue substance and life but no sense nor reason as plants trees and hearbs The third that haue no reason but both substance life sense and power to mooue themselues as the beasts of the land and fishes of the sea The fourth are such as haue all namely substance life sense and reason as men Now these foure sorts of creatures excell one another in properties and degrees For the first of them which are meere substances doe serue those that haue life as the trees and the plants The trees the plantes serue the creatures that haue sense life as the beastes and the fishes The beastes and the fishes serue man that hath substance life sense and reason And amongst them all we see that those which haue more gifts are serued of those which haue lesse as the sunne and moone serue the plantes the plantes and hearbes serue the beasts and the beasts serue man and that creature that hath most giftes is serued of all Man therefore excelling all these must haue something to honour and serue which must be more excellent then the other creatures yea then himselfe and that is a substance vncreate most holy most wise eternall infinite and this is God Thirdly all particular creatures whether in heauen or in earth are referred to their certaine particular and peculiar endes wherein euery one of them euen the basest and meanest is imployed and which they doe all accomplish in their kind And this is a plaine proofe that there is one that excelleth in wisedome prouidence and power that created all these to such
themselues and their posteritie and yet they haue done it A plaine proofe that they were not carried by policie and naturall reason but were holy men guided by the Holy Ghost For if they had beene guided by reason they would neuer haue written that which would haue tended to their owne disgrace but would rather haue comended theÌ„selues their name stocke and linage Againe humane authors in their discourses doe commonly write of the praises and vertues of men of whome they write But the penmen of scripture with one consent giue all to God yea when they speake of commendation due to men thy giue it all to God in men God is in their writings the beginning the ende all Sect. 2. A second head of reasons is taken from the Matter and Contents of the Scriptures which are manifold The principall are these First the Scripture doth that which no other bookes can doe For it sets out the corruption of mans nature by sinne the fountaine of this corruption the punishment of the same both in this life and the life to come it discouereth sinnefull mans particular thoughts lusts and affections which neuer any book hath don beside it No Philosopher was euer able to make so true record and so plaine declaration of the thoughts motions and affections of the heart The reason of man cannot discerne them by nature vnles it receiue a further light by grace then it hath naturally in it selfe Yea the Scripture sets downe things that no mans heart can imagine yet are true by experieÌ„ce For example that it is an euill thought to thinke there is no God maÌ„ by nature caÌ„not imagine but yet it is true in experience by the light of the word And therefore Dauid saith The foole hath saide in his heart there is no God Secondly the maine Contents of this booke are sundrie articles of faith all which are farre aboue the reach of humane reason and yet they are not against it but at least some of them may be prooued by it For example that there is a Redeemer of the world is an article of faith aboue reason yet not against the same For in naturall vnderstanding God is not all iustice and no mercie But if there were no redeemer then should God be all iustice without mercie Now because he hath reuealed himselfe to be as well mercifull as he is iust reason concludes there is a redeemer Againe that this Redeemer should be God and man is aboue reason yet not against it For reason teacheth he must be God that he might satisfie the infinite iustice of God for sinne which none but God can doe Againe that he must be man because man hauing sinned man must be punished for the sinne of man Thirdly in the scripture there are sundrie predictions made before hand particularly which notwithstanding were not to come to passe till an 100 200 300 yeares after all these predictions in the same manner as they haue bin foretold haue bin fulfilled Iacob in his will foretold that the scepter should not depart from Iudah till Shiloh that is the Messias came This was verified euen as it was foretold For a little before Christs birth the scepter was taken from the Iewes and translated vnto the Romane Empire And Herod put the whole colledge of the Iewes called their Sanedrim to the sword in which colledge was the heire apparent of the Kings blood Againe Balaam Num. 24. 24. foretold that Kittim that is the Grecians and the Romans should subdue Eber the people of the East and that also was afterward verified For the Hebrewes and Assyrians were afterward ouercome by the Grecians and Cilicians The Apostle Paul in his time foretold the destruction of the Romane Empire and the reuealing of Antichrist 2. Thes. 7 8. c. which prophecie was shortly after fulfilled For Antichrist grew from those times by little and little till at length he came to sit in the Emperours throne Men indeede may foretell things to come but things foretold by them are present in their causes and so they know and foretell them not otherwise But God foretelleth simply and the scriptures foretell simply therefore they are the word of God Fourthly the law a part of the scripture is propounded most purely perfectly without exception or limitation Whereas in all mens lawes some sinnes are condemned but some be tolerated and permitted But in Gods law euery sinne is condemned none either forborne or excused Lastly the style and speech of the Scripture is plaine and simple without affectation and yet full of grace and maiestie For in that simple style it commandeth the whole man bodie and soule it threatneth euerlasting death and promiseth euerlasting life and it doth more affect the heart of man then all the writings in the world whatsoeuer Sect. 3. The third reason to induce vs to receiue the scriptures as the word of God is taken from the Effects whereof I note onely two I. The doctrine of Scripture in the Law and specially in the Gospel is contrarie to the corrupt nature of man Whereupon Paul saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God And yet the same word beeing preached by the Minister appointed by God conueâ—teth nature and turnes the heart of man vnto it in such sort as in this last age it hath wonne a great part of the world to the imbracing thereof Now in reason this is impossible that a thing which is so flat against mans corrupt nature should notwithstaÌ„ding preuaile with it so farre as to cause man to liue and die in the profession maintenance thereof Wee are woont to reiect the writings of men if they please not our humors whereas this word of God is of force to mooue and â—â—cline our affections though neuer so much censured crossed and controlled by it And this shewes that God is the author thereof from whome the word of creation came to which euery thing at the first yeelded obedience II. The word of God hath this effect to be able to minister comfort and releefe in all distresses of bodie or minde yea in the greatest and most desperate troubles and vexations of the Conscience And when the helpes of humane learning and Philosophie which are of great vse and force in other cases haue done all that they can to the very vtmost without effect or successe euen then the sweete promises of the Gospel will reuiue and raise vp the heart and giue it full contentment and satisfaction Expetience shewes this to be a confessed truth in particular cases and it teacheth whence and froÌ„ whome this word proceedeth wherein these promises are contained namely from God For when he sets the Conscience vpon the racke the Word that releeueth and refresheth the same must needs proceede and come from him alone Sect. 4. The fourth reason is taken from the Properties of Scripture I will name onely two The first is Antiquitie which most plainly appeares
spirit He also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we
church yet the truth is they are not wholly cut off from the societie of the faithfull For the seede of faith remaineth in them and that knits the bond of coniunction with Christ though the sense thereof be lost vntill they repent In this case the partie excommunicate is as a free man in bonds who vntill he get out of prison hath no vse of his freedome and yet continues a free man still though he remaine in prison So also the childrē of God may still be the children of God though excluded from the cōgregation of the church for some offences From this that hath beene said ariseth the Answer to the Question propounded namely that the children of such persons as are excommunicated are notwithstāding their excommunication to be baptised because they are indeede and in the iudgement of charitie true members of the bodie of Christ though in some other regards they are not in present holden so to be Yet further besides the former grounds consider these reasons First children of parents that are professed members of the church though cut off for a time vpon some offence committed haue right to baptisme because it is not in the power of man to cut them off from Christ though they be excommunicated Secondly the personall sinne of the parent may not keepe the blessing from the child and therefore not depriue him of participation of the ordinance of God Thirdly we must alway put a difference betweene them which doe not make separation from the church and yet are grieuous offenders and open Apostataes that ioyne themselues with the enemies of the Church to the ruine and ouerthrow of the truth of the Gospel Fourthly we must put a difference betweene those that haue giuen vp their names to Christ though fallen grieuously and Turks and Infidels that are forth of the Couenant and neuer belonged to the Church Lastly if the mercie of God inlarge it selfe to thousands yea to infinite generations why should man be so hard hearted as to make question whether such Infants belong to the Couenant and consequently keepe them from the Sacrament of Baptisme Out of this Question ariseth a second Whether children borne in fornication haue right to baptisme Ans. They are not to be kept from it For the wickednes of the parent ought not to preiudice the child in things that belong to his saluation Yet in this case some Cautions are carefully to be obscrued as first that the parent hold the true faith and religion secondly that he be by the Minister exhorted to a true humiliation of himselfe and to earnest repentance for his sinne committed and that before the child be baptized Thirdly that their be some appointed to answere for the Infant besides the parents and to make solemne promise openly to the Church that it shall be carefully brought vp and instructed in the faith And the same is to be obserued and practized before the baptizing of the children of parents excommunicate IV. Question How men are to make a right vse of their baptisme when they become to yeares The not obseruing hereof is the cause of many sinnes and corruptions in the liues of men It is commonly holden a great fault in ciuill matters for a man not to keepe his couenants Much more is it a hainous sinne before God not to keepe the promises and pay the vowes made vnto him For answere therefore to the Question wee must first take this for a ground That baptisme both for signification force vse and fruit continues not for a moment of time but for the whole course of a mans life It doth not respect onely the time past or present but that which is to come yea that whole time that a man hath to spend from the very act of his baptisme to his death Againe baptisme is the true Sacrament of Repentance for remission of sinnes which being once receiued remaineth a perpetuall testimonie and pledge of the everlasting couenant of God and of the continuall washing away of sinne in the blood of Christ. This Ground premised I come to the vse of baptisme which is two fold The First is that it serues to be a token and pledge of Gods fauour towards vs and that principally three waies First in that it sealeth and confirmeth to vs the free pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes Thus Cornelius was baptized of Peter after he had heard the Gospell preached and receiued the Holy Ghost that it might be vnto him a pledge of the remission of his sinnes Act. 10. 48. And in like manner doth Peter exhort the conuerted Iewes to repent them of their sins to receiue the Sacramēt of Baptisme as a seale and pledge of Gods mercie in the forgiuenes thereof by Christ Act. 2. 38. In regard of this vse baptisme is of great force to releeue the hart in distresse For when any childe of God feeles himselfe loden with the burden of his sinnes the consideration and remembrance hereof that God hath pardoned them all and giuen him a speciall and certaine pledge of his pardon in baptisme will serue to stay and support his soule Yea though his sinnes were of force to make a separation betweene God and him Yet remembring that his name is written in the Couenant of God and that he hath by Gods mercie receiued the seale of the Couenant he shall not neede to be much dismaied When Satan tempteth him to doubt of his owne estate in regard of his corruptions even then let him haue recourse to his baptisme and thinke of the earnest and pledge of Gods fauour which he hath receiued Let him draw out his euidences signed with the seale of Gods couenant made vnto him in Iesus Christ and that shall be sufficient to stoppe the mouth of Satan and to repell his temptations Secondly Baptisme is as a pledge of the vertue of Christs death Doe you not know saies Paul that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Rom. 6. 3. For they that beleeue are by baptisme conformed to Christ their head because they are by it buried together with him into his death vers 4. This point is of excellent vse in our liues For it teacheth a man when his owne corruption mooueth him to sinne and he is now euen in the Combate the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit even then to call to memorie his baptisme wherein it pleased God to seale vnto him the mortificatiō of his sinne by the power of Christs death and consequently to pray earnestly vnto him for the continuance of the same power in his his heart for the continuall crucifiing of the old man and the vtter destroying of the body of sinne Rom. 6. 6. Thirdly baptisme is a pledge vnto vs of the Life of Christ of our Fellowship with him therein For looke as he beeing dead in the graue raised himselfe to life by his owne power euen so and more then so being now
the breaking and the powring Applying are those that doe appropriate the same as the giuing and receiuing of the bread and wine The first sort serues properly to renew our knowledge The second to confirme the saine by application Now answerable to the scope of the Sacrament must be our right Receiuing which consisteth in renewing of our knowledge and faith in the mysterie thereof Our Knowledge is renewed principally by meditation in the vse of the Supper after this manner First when we see two signes to be receiued we must call to minde that Christ is our perfect Sauiour that is both bread and water of life Secondly when we behold the bread and wine set apart by the Minister and consecrated by repeating the promise and praiers made for that ende we must remember that Christ was ordained and appointed by God to be our Mediatour and Sauiour Ioh. 6. 27. Act. 2. 23. 36. Thirdly when we see the bread broken and wine powred out we are to meditate of Christ that was crucified for vs and broken both by the first death and paines of the second whereby life and righteousnesse was procured vnto vs. Fourthly the giuing of the elements into the receiuers hands offers vnto our meditation thus much That God doth truly and really giue Christ with his merits and efficacie to euery beleeuing receiuer On the otherside our Faith is renewed by apprehension and application in this manner When the Minister giues the bread and wine and the communicant receiues them at the same time are we to lift vp our hearts to heauen to apprehend Christ by faith beleeuing him with all his benefits to be ours that he was made man for vs that he suffered and died for the remission of our sinnes For these outward symbolicall or sacramentall actions serue to no other end but to signifie vnto vs these inward actiōs of the mind and will whereby we apprehend and receiue Christ to our saluation Here by the way two Cases are propounded I. Case What is to be done if a man after often receiuing still doubteth whether he hath faith or no Ans. He must striue against doubting and indeauour to beleeue being heartily sory for the weakenes and infirmitie of his faith And let him withall consider and remember that God hath not onely giuen his promise but set apart this Sacrament to be a special signe and pledge of his mercie contained in the promise for the vpholding strengthening of mans faith But some man will say Mine indeauour is nothing if doubting preuaile Ans. It is not so For if a man can be heartily sorie for his infirmitie if he striue to beleeue if in heart he hungreth and thirsteth after Christ faith is begunne and he in some sort doth apprehend Christ. The poore begger by the high way side enioyeth the almes that is giuen him though he receiue it with a lame and leprous hand The stomacke that lothes physicke if it receiues into it at the first but one droppe of the potion prescribed and that in very weake and fainting manner it will be able at length to take benefit by a greater quantitie and in the meane time it receiues good The man that is in close prison if he sees but one little beame of the Sunne by a small crevisse by that very beame he hath vse of the Sunne though he seeth not the whole body of the Sunne In like manner though our faith the hand of our soule be mingled with weakenes and corruption though we feele neuer so little measure of Gods grace in vs yea though our knowledge be neuer so small yet it is an argument that the Spirit of God beginnes to worke in our harts and that we haue by Gods mercie begunne to lay hold on Christ. It will be said further If I feele not Christ giuen vnto me by God I doe not nay I cannot beleeue Answ. In Nature it is true that Experience beginnes first and then followes Assurance but in Spirituall and Diuine things there is a contrary course to be taken For here we must beginne with faith and in the first place simply beleeue Gods promises and afterward we come by the goodnes of God to feele and haue experience of his mercie This point was notably practised by Iehosaphat who beeing in a great extremity and seeing no way to escape practised his faith in the first place and said Lord we know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee 2. Chro. 20. 12. And the like he taught the people at the same time ver 20. Put your trust in the Lord and ye shall be assured Thus Abraham is said aboue hope to beleeue vnder hope the promise of God euen against sense reason and experience Rom. 4. 18. II. Case If in the very instant of receiuing a man feele his heart so hard that he cannot lift it vp vnto God what is then to be done Ans. First hardnes of heart is two fold sensible and insensible The Insensible hardnes of heart is a great and dangerous iudgement But the Sensible and felt hardnes which is in Gods children and which they feele and bewaile in themselues is rather a blessing then a curse Of this the people of God complained Esay 63. 17. And it must not discourage any Communicant but rather comfort him because it is a signe of grace For if ther were no grace in the heart corruption hardnes could not be felt Secondly I answer that the benefit of the Sacrament is not tied to the very instant of receiuing but if before and after a man lift vp his heart to God he shall find comfort though for the present he hath not so liuely sense and feeling thereof as he desireth This alway provided that the same partie be displeased with himselfe that he cannot doe that which he would and ought nor in that measure that is required And such a one must consider this to his cōfort that though he doe not apprehend Christ yet Christ apprehendeth and accepteth him Sect. 3. In the Third place After the receiuing of the Sacraments two things are required First that Thankes be giuen vnto God not onely in word but in euery action of our life for Christ and all his benefits Secondly that not onely for the present but euer afterward still we renue our faith repentance and obedience But what is a man to doe if after receiuing he finde no cōfort Ans. First he must examine whether he hath truly beleeued and repented yea or no If he hath not then the fault is in himselfe and not in Gods ordinance If he hath let him not be dismaied for the ioy of the Spirit is sowne in his heart and though it lie hidde for a time yet at length it will shewe it selfe Psal. 97. 11. CHAP. XI Of Adoration THe Fourth Head of the outward worshippe of God is Adoration wherein we consider two things First what it is Secondly what be the Questions propounded concerning it Sect. 1.
the want thereof Gods glorie is directly impeached the saluation of men hindered and our neighbour offended And then we are necessarily to confesse though no examination be made If it be here asked How we may be able to discerne of this time The answer is by Christian wisdome which teacheth vs that when by our silence wicked men are emboldened to speake euill of Gods word and weake ones occasioned to fall from the faith then is the fittest time to stand in the defence and maintenance of the truth Out of these two times and cases Christians haue libertie not to confesse but may lawfully conceale their faith nay which is more their persons by changing their habit and attire vppon this ground because the affirmatiue commandement doth not alwaies binde Here it is obiected First that we are saued onely by faith and therefore confession is not necessarie Ans. We must consider faith two waies First as an instrument created in the heart whereby we apprehend and apply Christ with his benefites to our selues for our iustification and saluation Secondly faith must be considered more largely as it is a way to bring vs to life euerlasting Nowe in the first acceptiō it may truly be said that we are saued by faith alone For there is no grace of God where by we take hold of Christ but faith But if we take it in the second sense as a way to life then we may truly say that it alone saueth not but hope loue repētance good works and all diuine vertues In this sense Paul saith we are saued by hope Rom. 8. 24. because by it we wait for our saluation and hope is the way in which all must walke that looke to be saued Againe he saith Momentany afflictions doe work vnto vs an eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4. 17. But how Not as causes but as waies signes and markes that giue vs direction to our iourneies ende And thus The woman is said to be saued by bearing of Children 1. Tim. 2. 15. Which bearing and bringing vp of children is no cause but onely a way wherein she must constantly walke to glory And though in mans iudgement that may seeme a way of misery and death yet indeede it is otherwise if the Children continue in faith loue and holinesse with modestie Againe the Apostle Iames saith that Abrahams faith wrought together with his workes Iam. 2. 2. which are likewise not to be vnderstood as working causes but as testmonies and euidences declaring and manifesting that he was iust in the sight of God Secondly it is obiected that confession of our faith to God is sufficiēt For so Saint Paul seemes to say Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou faith haue it with thy selfe before God Therefore confession before man is not needefull Ans. The Apostle speakes not of that faith wherby we are iustified and saued but of that which standeth in a perswasion of the vse or not vse of things indifferent And this a man may keepe to himselfe that is he may so vse it as he shall not thereby offend his brother That commandement was giuen by Paul for those times when men were not fully perswaded of the vse of God creatures as meates drinkes c. but to these times it is not II. Question Whether it be lawfull for a man being vrged to goe to Idol-seruice and heare Masse so as he keepe his heart to God Ans. It is not and I proue it by the scope of the eigth and tenth Chapters of the first Epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle disputes the Question whether the Corinthians might goe into the temples of Idols and eate of meat offered vnto them in the meane time not partaking with Idolaters in the worship of the Idols This he auoucheth to be vtterly vnlawfull for that purpose tells the Corinthians That they cannot drinke of the cuppe of the Lord and of the cuppe of Deuills Now as this was vnlawfull for them so it is vnlawfull for any Protestant to goe to any Popish assembly to heare Masse Again God is the Creator of the Body and Soule therefore he is to be worshipped in both cōsequently we robbe him of his due when we reserue our hearts to him and giue our bodies to Idolls To this purpose Paul exhorteth the Romanes to giue vp their bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God Rom. 12. 1. Which place vtterly condemneth the errour of some who thinke that God wil be content with the soule and that they may bestowe there bodie in the seruice of the Devill But against this Doctrine sundrie things are alledged The first is the example of Naaman 2. Kings 5. 18. 19. who said to the Prophet when I bowe my selfe in the house of Rimmon the Lord be mercifull to me in this thing To whom Elisha answered goe in peace Here say some the Prophet giues leaue to Naaman to worshippe in an Idols Temple To this there be sundrie answers giuen Some affirme that Naaman speakes only of Ciuill and Politique worship and not of Religious For his office was to kneele down in the Temple that the King might leane vpon his shoulder when he worshipped the Idoll And Naaman makes open protestation v. 7. that he will worshippe no God but the God of Israel Others answere and that more truly that Naaman doth acknowledge it a sinne to goe to the house of Rimmon and therefore he craues pardon for it at the hands of God twice togither ver 18. and withall makes a vowe that he will thenceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to any other God saue onely to the Lord and hereunto Elisha answereth Goe in peace Yet further it is answered that Naaman requesteth the Prophet to pray for him that he might be constant in the seruice of the true God And in case he were drawne against his purpose by humane frailtie to bow againe before Rimmon with his King that the Lord in mercie would pardon his offence And to this the Prophet yeeldeth saying Goe in peace As if he should say Goe to I will pray for thee to this ende and purpose This text therefore giues no warrant for bodily presence in Idolatrous assemblies The second Obiection Iehu openly professed the worship of Baal and yet he dissembled meaning nothing lesse 2. king 10. 18. And the Lord commends him for his diligent execution of that which was right in his eies vers 30. Ans. Iehu is commended not for his dissembling but for his diligence in destroying Achabs house his religion the Priests with all that belonged vnto them though in other matters belonging to the seruice of God he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam The third obiection Dan. 3. 6. Nebuchad-nezzar made a decree that whosoeuer would not fall downe and worshippe the golden Image should the same houre be cast into the middest of an hotte fierie furnace Now we doe not read that any moe refused to obey but three and therefore it seemes that
and contēpt of God so to prophanes in the vse of our meates and drinkes as the Israelites did which sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Now besides these Reasons we haue also the Examples of holy men This blessing of the meat was so knowne a thing of auncient times that the poore maides of Ramath-zophim could tell Saul that the people would not eate their meate before the prophet came and blessed the sacrifice 1. Sam. 9. 13. Christ in his owne family would not eate of the fiue loaues and two fishes till he had looked vp to heauen and geuen thankes Mar. 6. 41. Paul tooke bread in the shippe and gaue thanks in the presence of all that were with him Act. 17. 35. The Vse of the first point is I. By this doctrine all persons are taught but specially gouerners of others as Masters of families Parents neuer to vse either meates or drinkes or any other blessing that they receiue at the hands of God but with praise thanksgiuing For this which is said of meates and drinkes must be inlarged also to the vse of any benefite blessing or ordinance that we take in hand to vse or inioy II. Though we doe not simply condemne but allow of Hallowing of Creatures yet we detest Popish consecration of salt creame ashes and such like First because Papists halow them for wrong endes as to procure by them remission of sinnes to driue away deuills c. Secondly because they sanctifie creatures without the word yea though they doe it by praier yet it is praier without the word which giueth no warrant thus to vse the creatures or to these endes and therefore of the same nature with magical inchantments Thirdly if the creature must be sanctified for our vse before we can vse it then we our selues must be sanctified both in soule and bodie before we can be sitte for the vse and seruice of God Looke as the creature by the hand and prouidence of God is presented before vs to serue vs so must we beeing strengthned and nourished by the same giue vp our-selues soules and bodies to serue and honour him Yea our sanctifying of the creature to our holy vse should put vs in minde of sanctifying our selues to his glorie So soone as the Prophet Esay was sanctified by God vnto his office then he addressed himselfe and not before and said Lord I am here Esa. 6. 8. and so we our selues before we can performe any acceptable dutie vnto God must be purged and clensed The sonnes of Aaron would not doe this honour vnto God by sanctifying his name before the people and therefore God glorified himselfe in their death and temporall destruction Leuit. 10. 2. And when Moses the seruant of God failed in the sanctification of his name by the circumcision of his sonne Gods hand was vpon him to haue destroied him This point is duely to be obserued of all but principally of such as are appointed to any publike office if they will serue God therein with comfort and incouragement they must first labour to be sanctified before him both in their soules and bodies §ect 2. I come now to the second thing required for the right and lawfull Vse of meates and drinkes namely a Christian behauiour while we are in vsing them For the better vnderstanding whereof we are to consider two points First what we may doe and then what we must doe in vsing the creatures I. Touching the former We may vse these gifts of God with Christian libertie and how is that not sparingly alone and for meere necessitie to the satisfying of our hunger and quenching of our thirst but also freely and liberally for Christian delight and pleasure For this is that libertie which God hath graunted to all beleeuers Thus we read that Ioseph and his brethren with him did eate and drinke together of the best that is liberally Gen. 43. 34. And to this purpose Dauid saith that God giueth wine to make glad the heart of man and oyle to make the face to shine as well as bread to strengthen the bodie Psal. 104. 15. And the Lord threatneth to bring a punishment vpon his people Agg. 1. 6. in that he would giue them his creatures indeede but such a portion of the as should onely supplie their present necessities and no more Ye shall eate saith he but ye shall not haue enough ye shall drinke but ye shall not be filled Againe we read that Levi the Publican made our Sauiour Christ a great feast in his owne house Luk. 5. 29. At the marriage in Caua a towne of Galile where Christ was present the guests are said according to the manner of these countries to haue drunke liberally Ioh. 2. 10. And at an other place in supper time Marie is saide to haue taken a boxe of pretious and costly oyntment and to haue annointed his feete there with so as the whole house was filled with the sauour of the ointment Ioh. 12. 3. Iudas indeede thought that expense which shee had made superstuous but Christ approoues of her act and commendeth her for it I adde further that by reason of this libertie purchased vnto vs by Christ we may vse these and the like creatures of God with Ioy and reioycing This is the profit that redoundeth vnto man in the vse of them that he eate and drinke and delight his soule with the profit of his labours Eccles. 2. 24. The practise hereof we haue in the Acts ch 2. v. 46. where they of that Church that beleeued are saide to eate their meate together with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart And yet this reioycing in the creatures must be limited with this clause that it be in the Lord that is to say a hurtlesse and harmelesse ioy tending to the glorie of God and the good of our neighbour This condemneth the common practise of the world who solace and delight themselues in the vse of Gods creatures but so as with their ioy is ioyned the ordinarie traducing of the Magistrate Minister and those that feare God and will not run with them to the same excesse of riot 1. Pet. 4. 4. II. The second point is what we must doe when we take the benefit of Gods creatures a matter of great consequent in the liues of men And it is this that we vse our libertie in the Lord and whether we eate or eate not we must doe both to the Lord. Rom. 14. 6. This is done by labouring both in eating and in abstinence to approoue the same vnto God vnto his Saints and vnto our own consciēces Wherein appeareth a manifest differēce between the wicked the godly man For the one when he eateth or drinketh he doth it in the Lord and to the Lord the other doth it not to the Lord but to himselfe that is to the satisfaction contentment of his owne carnall delight and pleasure That a man may eate to the Lord there are foure things
vnto Rebecca a golden abiliment or earing of halfe a shekel weight and two bracelets of tenne shekels weight of gold Gen. 24. 22. And it is said that when shee receiued it she ware the Iewell of gold in her forehead and the bracelets vpon her hands vers 47. Ioseph beeing advanced in Pharaohs Court had the signet of Pharaoh put vpon his hand and a chaine of gold about his necke and was arayed in fine linnen all which were the ornamēts of Princes in those countries Gen. 41. 42. Againe all the Israelites did were earings of gold which afterward they tooke off from their eares and gaue them to Aaron to make thereof the golden calfe Exod. 32. 3. And they are not blamed for wearing them but because they put them to Idolatrous vses So it is said of king Salomon that he had siluer in such abundance that according to his state he gaue it in Ierusalem as stones 2. Cron. 9. 27. And Christ speaketh of the royaltie of Salomon as of a rare and excellent thing which himselfe approoued howsoeuer he preferres the glorie of the Lilies of the field before it Matt. 6. 29. The daughter of Pharaoh is said to be brought vnto Salomon in a vesture of gold of Ophir that is in a garment of the finest beaten gold Psal. 45. 10. All these examples doe shewe thus much that there is a lawfull vse of these things in them to whom they appertaine Against this doctrine some things are obiected Obiect I. In some places of Scripture women are forbidden to weare costly apparell and gold For Paul willeth Timothie that the women aray themselues in comly attire not with broidored haire or gold or pearles or costly apparell 1. Tim. 2. 9. And to the same purpose Peter speaketh I Pet. 3. 3. Ans. First these ornaments are not by Paul and Peter simply forbidden but the abuse of them in riot and excesse For persons that were in those times called were of meaner estate and the Churches in the daies of the Apostles cōsisted for the greater part of poore base and meane men and women 1. Cor. 1. 28. These things therefore are forbidden them because the vse of golde and pretious ornaments is nothing els but meere riot in those that are but of a meane condition Secondly I answer that the Apostles in the places alleadged doe reprooue a great fault which was common and ordinarie in those daies For men and weomen desired affected the outward adorning and trimming of their bodies accounting the outward ornament which consisted of gold pearle and costly apparell to be the principall whereas indeede the chiefe ornaments of a Christian should be the vertues of Modestie and Humilitie seated in the minde and restified in the outward carriage Obiect II. The Prophet Esay condemneth these things in particular For it seemeth that he had viewed the wardrobes of the Ladies of the court in Ierusalem Chap. 3. 18. c. where he makes a Catalogue of their speciall attires and ornaments and pronounceth the iudgements of God against them all Ans. Some of the ornaments which the Prophet there mentioneth are indeed meere vanities that were of no moment and serued to no necessarie or conuenient vse or ende at all Againe others of them were in themselues things lawfull and the Prophet doth not condemne thē at all as they haue meete and conuenient vse but he condemnes them in this regard because they were made the instruments and signes of the pride wantonnesse vanitie and lightnes of those women The truth of this answer will appeare if we consider the 16. v. of that Chapter where the prophet shews what his drift was in speaking of those things not to condemne all ornaments but the pride of the daughters of Ierusalem and their hautines and wantonnesse testified by diuers particular behauiours there mentioned Againe some of the things there named were the like if not of the same kind with those which Abraham sent to Rebecca and which shee did weare Gen. 24. 22. And therefore we may not thinke that the Prophet intendeth to condemne all things there specified but onely the abuse of them as they were then misapplied to wrong endes and serued to proclaime to the world the pride and wantonnes of the hearts of that people II. Question What is the right lawfull and holy vse of apparell Answ. In the vse of Apparell two things are to be considered the Preparation of it when it is to be worne the Wearing when it is prepared §ect 1. In the right Preparation of our apparell two Rules are propounded in Scripture for our direction I. Rule Our care for apparell and the ornaments of our bodies must be very moderate This our Sauiour Christ teacheth at large Math. 6. from the 28 to the 31 v. Where commanding men to take no thought for apparell he forbids not all care but the curious and immoderate care The reason is added because they which walke in their callings and doe the duties thereof with diligence shall haue by Gods blessing all things needfull prouided and prepared for them He that dwells in a borrowed house will not fall a trimming of it and suffer his owne hard by to become ruinous In like manner our bodie is the house of our soule borrowed of God and by him lent vnto vs for a time and we are but his Tenants at-will for we must depart out of it at his commandement And therefore our greatest care must be emploied vpon our soules and the other which concerneth the adorning of our bodie must be but moderate Againe God in his prouidence clotheth the very hearbs of the field therefore much more is he carefull for man And Paul saith If we haue foode and rament we must therewith be content 1. Tim. 6. 8. that is if we haue foode and rayment necessarie for vs and ours we ought to quiet our hearts and haue no further care for our apparell It will be saide How shall we know what is Necessarie Answ. A thing is Necessarie two waies first in respect of nature for the preseruation of life and health secondly in respect of place calling and condition for the vpholding and maintenance thereof Now we call that Necessarie rayment which is necessarie both these waies For example That apparell is necessarie for the Scholer the Tradesman the Countrey-man the Gentleman which serueth not onely to defend their bodies frō cold but which belongs also to the plāce degree calling and condition of them all If it be asked who shall determine and iudge what is necessarie to these persons and purposes I answere Vaine and curious persons are not to be competent iudges hereof but in these things we must regard the iudgement and exāple of modest graue and frugall persons in euery order and estate who vpon experience and knowledge are best able to determine what is necessarie and what is not Againe though we must not seeke for more then necessarie apparell yet if God of his goodnes
the bodie together and giuen the more honour to that part which lacked And in 1. Thess. 4. 4. It is the will of God c. that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour These words are spoken of chastitie but they are generally to be vnderstood of any other vertue belonging to the bodie Now the reason of this ende is plaine For the bodie of euery beleeuer is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and a member of Christ in the kinde and place as well as the soule Therefore it ought to be both holily and honourably vsed For the honouring of the bodie with outward ornaments we must remember this distinction Some ornaments are inward and some are borrowed Inward are the graces and gifts of God these are our owne Borrowed are gold siluer pearles and pretious stones and these are outward And of the two more speciall care ought to be had of the inward then of the outward and borrowed For these are indeede faire and honourable in the opinion and estimation of men but the other are farre more honourable in the sight of God And therefore Saint Peter exhorteth weomen that their apparell be not outward as with broidered haire and gold set about or in sumptuous garments but that the hidden man of the heart be vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing pretious 1. Pet. 3. 3 4. Now that we may vse our apparell to the Endes before rehearsed we are yet further to obserue some speciall Rules which may serue for our direction in the right adorning of the bodie First euery one must be content with their owne naturall fauour and complexion that God hath giuen them and account of it as a pretious thing be it better or be it worse For the outward forme and fauour that man hath is the worke of God himselfe fitted and proportioned vnto him in his conception by his speciall prouidence Beeing then the Lords owne worke and his wil thus to frame it rather then otherwise great reason there is that man should rest contented with the same Here comes to be iustly reprooued the straunge practise and behauiour of some in these daies who beeing not contented with that forme and fashion which God hath sorted vnto them doe deuise artificiall formes and fauours to set vpon their bodies and faces by painting and colouring thereby making themselues seeme that which indeede they are not This practise is most abominable in the very light of nature and much more by the light of Gods word wherein we haue but one onely example thereof and that is of wicked Iesabel 2. king 9. 30. who is noted by this marke of a notorious harlot that shee painted her face For what is this but to finde fault with Gods owne workemanship and to seeke to correct the same by a counterfait worke of our owne deuising which cannot but be highly displeasing vnto him A cunning Painter when he hath once finished his worke if any man shall goe about to correct the same he is greatly offended Much more then may God the most wise and absolute former and Creatour of his workes be highly offended with all those that cannot content themselues with the fauour and feature they haue receiued from him but will needes be calling his worke into question and refining it according to their owne humours and fancies Tertullian in his booke de habitu mulierū calls such persons and that deseruedly the Deuills handmaides But may some say if there be any deformitie in the bodie may we not labour to couer it Ans. Yes but we may not set any new forme on the face or habite on the bodie Dissembling is condemned as well in deede as in word and such is this Secondly we must place the principall ornament of our soules and bodies in vertue and good workes and not in any outward things So would Paul haue woomen to aray thēselues in comely apparell with shamefastnes and modestie 1. Tim. 2. 9. Thirdly in vsing of ornaments before-named we must be very sparing and keepe our selues within the meane Gen. 24. 22. Abrahams seruant gaue Rebecca an abillement of halfe a shekel weight and two bracelets of ten shekels of gold which shee put vpon her forehead and hands v. 47. all which were of no great value and therefore not excessiue but comely and moderate And in the Old Testament kings daughters were clad but in parti-coloured garments 2. Sam. 13. 18. There was therefore euen amongst them great plainenesse It will here be demanded What is then the measure that must be vsed Ans. The Scripture giues no rule for our direction in this point but the example and iudgement of the sagest and soberest persons in euery order age and condition and as they doe and iudge so must we As for example whether a man should weare a ruffe single or double or tripled c. the Scripture in particular giues no direction onely we must looke vpon the example of the soberest and discreetest persons of our order and age and that ought to be our president for imitation Fourthly ornaments must be vsed not alwaies alike but according to times and seasons It is noted as a fault in the rich glutton that he went euery day in costly apparell Luk. 16. 19. In the daies of reioycing we may put on more outward ornaments and so they vsed of ancient times at mariages to put on wedding garments Matth. 22. But in the daies of mourning baser and courser attire is to be vsed as fittest for the time Fiftly we must adorne our bodies to a right ende to wit that thereby we may honour them and in them honour God Against this Rule do offend those that adorne their bodies to be praised to be counted rich and great persons and to purchase and procure vnto themselues the loue of straungers This is the harlots practise described by Salomon at large Prou. 6. 25. 7. 10. 16. These are the Endes for which we must attire our selues And so much of the first maine Rule to be obserued in the wearing and putting on of apparell The Second maine Rule followeth We must make a spirituall vse of the apparell which we weare How may that be done Ans. First we must take occasion thereby to humble our selues and that in this manner When we see the plaister vpon the sore we know there is a wound and so the couer of our bodies must put vs in minde of our shame and nakednes in regard of grace and Gods fauour by reason of originall sinne And we are to know that it is a dangerous practise for any man to puffe vp himselfe in pride vpon the sight and vse of his apparell For this is to be proud of his owne shame Nay it is as much as if a theese should be proud of his bolts and of the halter about his necke garments beeing nothing els but the couer of our shame and the signes of our
sinnes Secondly by the putting on of our garments we must be admonished to put on Christ. Rom. 13. 14. Quest. How shall wee doe that Ans. Thus We must conceiue Christs obedience actiue and passiue as a couering and therefore by praier we are to come vnto God in his name and intreat him to accept this his obedience for vs yea that Christ may be made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption And we on the other side made conformable to him in life and death in all morall duties Lastly that we may haue the same mind affection and conuersation that he had Thirdly when we put off our clothes we then are admonished of putting off the olde man that is the masse and body of sinnefull corruption And we then put him off when we can by grace hate sinne and carrie a resolute purpose in our hearts of not sinning Fourthly when we cloth our selues and trusse our attire to our bodies this should teach vs a further thing that it behooueth vs to gird vp our loines to haue our lightes burning to prepare our selues to meete Christ whether by death or by the last iudgment If we make not these vses of our attire we doe not rightly vse but rather abuse the same In a word to shut vp this point we are all to be exhorted to make conscience of the practise of these Rules and to take heede of pride in these outward things And in way of motiue hereunto consider first how great hainous a sinne Pride is The greatnes of it may be discerned by foure things First in it and the fruit thereof superfluity of apparell there is an abuse of our wealth to needlesse and superfluous vses which ought to be employed to vses more necessarie as to the good of the Church common wealth and familie and especially for the releife of the poore Secondly in this sinne there is an abuse of time For they that giue themselues to pride spend so much time in the adorning of their bodies that they haue no leisure for the adorning and beautifying of the soule Hence it comes to passe that proud persons abound with ignorance idlenesse wantonnesse and many other enormities Thirdly in this sinne there is an abuse of the attire it selfe in that it is made a signe of the vanitie of the mind and wantonnesse of the heart which should be the signe of a heart religiously disposed Fourthly in it there is a confusion of order in the estates societies of men For whereas one order of men should goe thus attired and another after another manner by this it comes to passe that equall and superior are clothed both alike and that which should be an occasion to humble vs is made an occasion to puffe vs vp Fiftly there is a great iudgement threatned against this sinne Esay 2. 11. 12. Zeph. 3. 11. The greatnes of this vice we are to endeavour by all means possible to redresse in our selues For which purpose we must be careful to see and feele and withall to bewaile the spirituall nakednes of our soules which is a deprauation of the image of God wherein we are created according to him in holines and righteousnesse the want whereof makes vs vgly and deformed in the eyes of God And the true sense and experience of this will turne our mindes and thoughts from the trimming of the body and make vs especially to labour for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed as the onely couering which will keepe vs warme safe from the stormes and tempests of the wrath and furie of God Sect. 4. In the fourth place we come to the handling of those Questions that concerne the Moderation of our Appetite in the Vse of Pleasures and Recreations And these are specially three I. Question Whether Recreation be lawfull for a Christian man Ans. Yea and that for two causes First Rest from labour with the refreshing of bodie and mind is necessarie because mans nature is like the bow which being alway bent and vsed is soone broken in pieces Now that which is necessarie is lawfull And if rest be lawfull then is recreation also lawfull Secondly by Christian libertie we are allowed to vse the creatures of God not onely for our necessitie but also for meete and convenient delight This is a confessed truth and therefore to them which shall condemne fit and conuenient recreation as some of the ancient Fathers haue done by name Chrysostome and Ambrose it may be said be not to righteous be not to wise Eccl. 7. 18. II. Question What kindes of recreations and sports are lawfull conuenient and what be vnlawfull and vnconuenient Ans. I will first lay downe this ground that All lawfull Recreation is onely in the vse of things indifferent which are in themselues neither commanded nor forbidden For by christiaÌ„ libertie the vse of such things for lawfull delight and pleasure is permitted vnto vs. Therfore meete and fitt recreations doe stand in the vse of things indifferent and not in things either commanded or forbidden Hence I deriue three Conclusions that may serue for the better answer of the Question I. Recreation may not be in the vse of holy things that is in the vse of the word Sacraments praier or in any act of religion For these things are sacred divine they doe staÌ„d by Gods expresse coÌ„mandement may not be applyed to any common or vulgar vse For this cause it is well provided that the pageants which haue beene vsed in sundrie cities of this land are put downe because they were nothing els but either the whole or part of the historie of the Bible turned into a Play And therefore the lesse to be allowed considering that the more holy the matter is which they represent the more vnholy are the plaies themselues Againe all such iests as are framed out of the Phrases sentences of the scripture are abuses of holy things and therefore carefully to be avoided The common saying may teach vs thus much It is no safe course to play with holy things Lastly vpon the former conclusion we are taught that it is not meete conuenient or laudable for men to mooue occasion of laughter in Sermons The second CoÌ„clusion Recreation may not be made of the sinns or offences of men They ought to be vnto vs the matter of sorrow mourning Dauid shed riuers of tears because men brake the commandements of God Psal. 119. 136. The righteous heart of Lot was vexed with hearing the abominations of Sodome 2. Pet. 2. 8. Vpon this it followeth first that common plaies which are in vse in the world are to be reprooued as beeing not meet and conuenient matter of Recreation For they are nothing els but representations of the vices misdemeanouâ—s of men in the world Now such representations are not to be approoved Paul saith Fornication couetousnes let them not be named among you as becommeth Saintes Eph. 5. 3. And if vices of men may not be
respect them as brethren This dutie the Lord commands expressely to the King That his heart be not lifted vp above his brethren Deut. 17. 20. The same was the practise of Iob who saith of himselfe that he did not contemne the iudgement of his seruant or of his maid when they did contend with him Iob. 31. 13. Naaman the Syrian thought it no disgrace to be advised and ordered by the counsell of his seruants 2. King 5. 13. And true it is that all superiours ought to keepe their state and place yet so as they haue respect also to such as are inferiour to them without scorâ—â— or contempt Sect. 4. 〈◊〉 Lastly there is a kind of honour to be performed to a mans owne selfe which duty the Apostle exhorteth vnto Phil. 4. 8. where he saith If there be any vertue if there be any pâ—â—ise thinke on these things By which he would teach vs not onely to tender the honour of our superiours equalls and inferiours but euen of our selues in seeking after vertue and praise that followeth after it But how should a man in righteous manner honour himselfe Ans. By obseruing two rules I. Rule We must preserue our selues in body and soule specially we must keepe the body that it be not made an instrument of sinne For when we doe vse our bodies as instruments of vncleanes then doe we bring a shame vpon them And it is the will of God that euery man should know how to possesse his vessel in holines and honour 1. Thes. 4. 4. 5. And that which is said of the bodie is to be vnderstood of the hand the heart the tongue and all the parts and members thereof II. Rule If we would truly honour our selues we must honour God in all our waies For God will honour them who honour him 1. Sam. 2. 30. Now to honour God is to honour him according to his will and word in the duties of good conscience and good life On the contrarie they that dishonour God God will dishonour them before all the world And this must teach vs even to dedicate our selues to God and his providence in the whole course of our callings whether in the Church or Commonwealth c. c. c. c. c. c. Faults escaped in the most Copies are thus to be amended Pag. 2. lin 11. dele and. 19. 16. hedenies he denies 59. 11. mumnednesse nummednesse 222. 〈◊〉 eight eighteenth 250. 16 17. dele and. 290. 16. one Question two Questions 316. penâ—lt ye must yea must 317 8. qualified qualified 318. 18. Nor Now. 351. 21 22 23. Questions about Adoration are two I. Q. read Question about Adoration is To what c. 354. 22. their they 356. 20. appearetht hat appetreth that 363. 2. God Gods 377. 12. delc not 382. 12. vrath wrath l. 25. or of 383. 6. dele the. 392. 25. he be 398. 7. it is l. 17. Statues Statutes 401. 3. possible possibly 409. Margin Quintil. Quimchi 448. 23 Sect. 2. Sect. 3. 449. 11. Sect. 3. Sect. 4. 456. 21. abour labour 464. ult Tthird Third 470. 10. the to the. 478. 25. bed chamber bride-chamber 484. 30. off cut off 493. 3. iudgemen iudgement 553. 28. or selues our selues 619. 27. doe to doe 630. 1. infirmitie inferioritie Kind Reader I intreate thee to be aduertised of two texts of Scripture alleadged pag. 578 579. in way of proofe of a rule there mentioned They were quoted and vttered in those very tearmes by the Author himselfe But because they faulted in some words and were not for matter so well filled to the point in hand as was meete I set vpon them a marke in my Copie either to be explaned or wholly left out Yet beeing in my absence through the Printers hast slipped in much against my will and now past helpe I am forced to desire thee for the time in loue to passe by the examples themselues and onely to take the Rule for thy direction in the vse of borrowed ornaments Farewell Prou. 18. 14. Rom. 14. 23. Hebr. 4. 12. Psal. 6. 6. and 22. 1 2. Psal. 119. v. 49 50. b Decret de poenit dist 6. cap. 1. Caueat spiritual is iudex vt sicut non commisit crimen nequitiae itâ â—oÌ„ careat munere scientiae c Iudices in caufis poenitentium Bell. de poen lib. 3. cap. 2. Concil Trid. sess â—4 can 9. Prolog in Summ Antonni Archicpisc Florentini Mark 2. 10. Reu. 3. 8. 2. Cor. 5. 20. d Theophl comment in Ioan. 3. 34. Hieron l. 3. comment in Math. super verba Tibi dabo claues Emanuel Sa. in Aphor. coÌ„â—essarâ—orum Summa Angelica capit â—ides paragr 6 7. Concil Trid. sess 6. cap. 9. a Matth. 14. 31. Iam. 1. 6. Rom. 〈◊〉 20. Concil Trid. â—ess â—4 can 7. Psal. 19. 12. a Peceatum veniale quod non tolâ—…t ordinem ad vltimum finem vnde non meretur poenaÌ„ aeternam sed temporalem Iacob de Graphiis Decision aurcar Cas. Consc. l. 1. cap. 6. 1. Ioh. 3. 4. Concil Trid. sess 1â— can 13. In the Treat Page 4. Iam. 5. 〈◊〉 * Splendida peccata Act. 10. 1. Ioh. 3. 4. 4. Maculâ— Act. 3. 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1. 13. Iob 21. 14. Psal. 36. 〈◊〉 3. a Ignorantâ—◠〈◊〉 b Ignorantia facti Voluntas nâ—â— cogitur Rom. 7. 18. and 22. 23. Psal. 19. 13. Num. 15. 30. Math. 25. 42. 43. 〈◊〉 Gen. 4. 〈◊〉 Gen. 〈◊〉 20. Exod. 〈◊〉 7. alias Exod. â—2 23. 27. Iam. 5. 4. 〈◊〉 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17. 30. Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 10. 〈◊〉 Exod. 〈◊〉 25. 1. Kin. 21. 2. â—in 17. 1. Sam. 〈◊〉 25. Matth. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 6. 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 2â— Prov. 17. â—5 1. Tim. 5. 24. Rom. 6. 23. 2. Pet. 2. 21. Iam. 1. 15. Act. 15. 9. Proâ— 4. 23. Psal. 19. 12. Rom. 14. 〈◊〉 1 Dubitaâ—te conscientiaÌ„ 2 â—rrante 3 Repugnantâ— How God saueth man Act. 2. 38. Act. 16. 33. Mar. 10. 17. c. Matth. 3. 8. Humiliation 2. Sam. 12 13. Psal. 32. 5. Luk. 15. 18. Psal. 19. 12. 2. Cor. 8. 12. 2. Sam. 18. 33. Faith in Christ. Psal. 51. Repentance Act. 11. 23. Ezek. 18. 21. New Obedience Ioh. 15. 5. Iam. 2. 10. 2. king 23. 25. Gen. 39. 9. 10. 2. Sam. 1â— 1â— Mark 7. 7. 1. Cor. 8. vlt. Rom 14. vlt. 2. Cor. 10. 3â— Psal 143. 2. Dan. 9. 8 9. Rom. 8. 16. Psal. 15. S. Iohns 1. Epistle 1. Ioh. 5 〈◊〉 Rom. 5. 1. Chap. 3. 〈◊〉 2. Col. 3. 26. Rom. 8. 7. Gal. 3. â—6 2. Tim. 2. 19. 2. Pet. 1. 10. Distresse of minde in generall Prov. 18. 14. In speciall The Generall Remedie of all Distresses The false way of ministring comfort 〈◊〉 Tim. 2. 4. Act. 17. 30. Esa. 49. 8. 1. Ioh. 5. 16. The Grounds of Comfort 2. Cor. 8. 11. Math. 5. 6. Reuel 21. 6. Psal. 10. 17. Psal. 145. 19. 2. Cor. 7. 9. Psal. 32. 5. Luk. 15. 17. 18. 2. Sam. 12. 13. 1. Iohn 3. 14. Matt. 10. 41.
thing before named that is conformitie or correspondencie to the will of God in regard of obedience But some may say the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule is not sinne properly because in sinne there must bee not onely an absence of goodnesse but be some twentie or thirtie yeares yet the partie offending doth not therefore cease to be a sinner Now then I demaund what is the very thing for which he is named and tearmed still a sinner in the time present the offence beeing past The answer is that euery actuall sinne beside the three former must be considered with a fourth thing to wit a certaine staine or blotte which it imprints and leaues in the offender as a fruit and that is an inclination or euill disposition of the heart wherby it becomes more apt prone to the offence done or to any other sinne For looke as the dropsie man the more he drinks the drier he is and the more he still desires to drinke euen so a sinner the more he sinnes the apter is he to sinne and more desirous to keepe still a course in wickednes And as a man that lookes vpon the Sunne if he turne his face away remains turned vntill he turne himselfe againe so he that turnes from God by any sinne makes himselfe a sinner and so remaines vntill he turne himselfe againe by repentance Thus Dauid was a sinner not onely in the very act of his adulterie murâ—… ther but euen when the act was doneâ—… past he remained still a murtherer and 〈◊〉 dulterer because a new or rather a reâ—… pronenesse to these and all othâ—… tooke place in his heart by his falâ—… strength till he turned to God byâ—… vpon the admonition of the Proâ—… thing then whereby a sinner is tearmed a sinner is the Fault together with the fruit thereof namely the Blot imprinted in the soule so oft as men doe actually offend The Vse of this doctrine touching sinne is twofold First by it we learne and see what is Originall sinne wherby an Infant in the first conception and birth is indeed a sinner Euery Infant must be considered as a part of Adam proceeding of him and partaking of his nature and therby it is made a sinner not onely by imputation of Adams offence but also by propagation of an aptâ—esse and pronenes vnto euery euill receiued together with nature from Adam And thus ought we to conceiue Originall sinne not to be the corruption of nature alone but Adams first offence imputed with the fruit thereof the corruption of nature which is an inclination vnto euery euill deriued together with nature from our first parents Secondly by this we are taught to take heed of all and euery sinne whether it be in thought word or deed because the committing therof though in respect of the act it passeth aâ—… in the doing yet it breedeth and inâ—…seth a wicked disposition in the heart â—…h beene said to the offence done or aâ—… sinne Men deceiue themselues that â—…the euill of sinne to be only in the â—…ng to goe no further wheras inâ—… offence hath a certen blot going with it that corrupteth the heart and causeth man to delight and lie in his offence which lying in sinne is a greater cause of damnatioÌ„ then the very sin it selfe This therfore must admonish vs to take heed least we continue in any sinne and if it fall out that through infirmitie we be ouertaken by any tentation we must labour to rise again and turne from our sinne to God by new and speedy repentance Sect. 3. Thus much of Sinne it selfe Now follow the Differences thereof which are manifold The first sort are to be gathered from the causes and beginnings of sinne in man which are threefold Reason will and Affection The differeÌ„ces of sinne in respect of Reason are these First some are sinnes of knowledge some of ignorance A sinne of Knowledge is when a man offends against his knowledge doing euill when he knoweth it to be euill and this is greater then a sinne of ignorance for he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes A sinne of Ignorance is when a man doth euill not knowing it to be euill Thus Paul was a blasphemer an oppressour and persecuted the Church of Christ ignorantly and in a blinde zeale not knowing that which hee did to be euill Nowe by ignorance here I meane an ignorance of those things which ought to be knowne and this is twofold simple or affected Simple ignorance is when a man after diligence and good paines taking still remaines ignorant this ignorance will not excuse any man if it be of such things as he is bound to know for it is said He that doth not his masters will by reason he knew it not shall be beaten with stripes though fewer And in this regard euen the Heathen which knew not God are inexcusable because they were bound to haue known him For Adam had the perfect knowledge of God imprinted in his nature and lost the same through his owne default for himselfe and his posteritie And it is the commandement of God whereunto euery man is bouÌ„d to performe obedience that man should know him that is his will and word But some may say then how can any man be saued seeing euery man is ignoraÌ„t of many things which he ought to know An. If we know the grouÌ„ds of religion be careful to obey God according to our knowledge hauing withall a care and desire to increase in the knowledge of God and his will God will hold vs excused for our desire and indeauour to obey is accepted for obedience it selfe And the greater this simple ignoraÌ„ce is the lesser is the sinne For hereupon it was that Peter lessened and in some sort excused the sinne of the Iewes in crucifying Christ because they did it through ignorance and so doth Paul his sinne in persecuting the Church when he alleadgeth that it was done ignorantly in vnbeleefe But howsoeuer this sinne by such meanes may be lessened yet remaines it still a sinne worthie condemnation Affected ignorance is when a man takes delight in his ignorance and will of purpose be ignorant not vsing but contemning the meanes wherby to get and increase knowledge and that carelessely and negligently because he will not leaue sinne which he loueth nor forsake the euill trade of life wherin he delighteth This is the sinne of those whereof Iob speaketh who say vnto God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies And of whome Dauid complaineth that they flatter themselues in their owne eyes and haue left off to vnderstand and to doe good This ignorance is damnable and deuilish it excuseth no man but doth rather aggrauate and increase his sinne yea it is the mother of many grieuous enormities Againe Ignorance is twofold of the Law or of the thing the Law requireth Ignorance of the Law is