not him Christ bids them not forbid him alledging that he which is not against us is with us Luke 9. 49 50. And so the Apostle would have every man perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. 5. and I know no reason why ye should condemn any man for being in the dark because he sees not by your light Answ Christians ought to have charity one towards another and they who are true Christians have not only in name but in nature Charity and love which reacheth even to those who differ from them in judgement First by love they labour to instruct those Christians who are in error that if possible they might reclaim them from error by the force of the love and word of God but the spiritual striving and war on the true Christian's part is not against flesh and bloud but against that spirit of darkness which misguides the mind If the true Christian doth not hereby gain the false Christian to the way of life yet he should walk in all love and gentleness towards him not endeavouring by force and violence to destroy his body for the error of his mind or to cut off his life from the earth as the Papists and false Christians ever have done against those true Christians whose minds and consciences they could never overcome for which cruel persecution they have no example amongst the Ministers of Christ whose practice therein hath stained their Church with the guilt of bloud which hath and will cause a curse and infamy to come upon them which never shall be forgotten Secondly All men in the world are in the dark that in some measure sees not by the light of the Lamb in which we and all Nations of them that are saved must walk Rev. 21. 24. But it is not the practice of Christians who are grown in grace to condemn and judge others because they are not fully come up to their rule and degree of righteousnesse in every particular though some who are young in the truth and yet disciples may through weaknesse if not watchful and diligent to hearken unto their Lord and Master even erre in those things as the disciples of old were apt to do as I. B. hath already instanced Luke 9. 49 50. who forbid the man to cast out devils in the name of Christ because he followed them not and would have had fire to come down from heaven upon those Samaritans that did not presently receive him Luke 9. 54. 11. Query Whether it be not the duty of Christians to observe and set apart one day in seven for the more solemn service of God and 1. Whether God himself did not appoint and the people of God in all ages keep such a day Gen. 2. 2 3. Exod. 20. 8. 2. Whether the Sabbath was ever abrogated by Jesus Christ or only changed and another kept in the room of the first and 3. Whether the first day of the week be not the true Christian Sabbath We read that it was the custome of the Apostles chiefly to meet on this day John 20. 19. Acts 20. 7. and that they made collections for the poor on this day 1 Cor. 16. 2. and John was in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Answ Christians did set apart times to wait upon and worship the Lord in Spirit and truth and they did meet together to perform this solemn service and duty to God upon the first day of the week as the Scriptures testify which I. B. hath instanced and that on that day they made collections for charitable uses First But that they were commanded in the same manner to observe that day as the Jews were to observe the seventh day that I must deny and I also do deny that that day was set apart and brought in thâ— room of the seventh day to answer that end for which the seventh day Sabbath was given which was a sign of that happy restauration which should and is come to mankind by the glorious Gospel of Christ in whose day mans soul is redeemed from the bondage of corruption and recovered from under the fore travail and pain of the curse into the liberty of Gods children where all weights and burthens are cast off and the soul comes to be perfectly freed from its long captivity and sore bondage through which it returns into that spiritual rest which the outward day was but a shadow of and all who are come into this endlesse Sabbath or holy day of God their souls dwell at ease and they are in perfect rest so as to bear no burthen neither to travail under the load of sin and the curse any more and this is a small hint of that felicity and happy state which God in mercy figured out unto man while he was yet under the burthen by the outward Sabbath day or sign of rest as it is written I gave them my Sabbath for a sign between me and them Ezek. 20. 12. Col. 2. 16. Let no man judge you in meats or in drinks in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath day which are shadows of things to come but the body is of Christ Therefore I say the day of Christ being dawned and he the substance being come the outward figure must needs be abrogated and the shadow past away 12. Query Whether it be not lawful for Christians to swear if called thereunto for the attestation of some truth and 1. Whether Abraham did sin in making his servant to swear unto him Gen. 24. 3. Or 2. Whether swearing be not a ready way to put an end to all controversies as the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 16. Answ This is a point about which much hath been very fully and clearly written by several other hands therefore I need not say much to it only this I say 't is not lawfull for a Christian under the Gospel ministration to swear First though Abraham did not sin in causing his servant to swear and though those holy men did not sin who under the first covenant swore the Lord lived in truth righteous and judgement swearing and many other things being then lawfull for them to practice yet such things are not lawfull neither usefull for the Saints to practice under the Gospel this particular practice of swearing was not in the old Covenant forbidden Therefore our Saviour saith Mat. 5. it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but performe thine oaths unto the Lord. But he gives his Disciples a new command quite contrary to what was practised herein by the people of God in the old time in that he saith unto them swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thine Head because thou can'st not make one hair white or black Mat. 5. 34 35 36. By this absolute command he not only forbids vain
swearing which was fully forbidden in the law of God before but he positively excludes all manner of swearing in the dayes of the Gospel and likewise the Apostle saith James 5. 12. Above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least you fall into condemnation which two testimonies are sufficient to confirme the truth unto all true Christian men that it is in no wise lawfull for them to swear in any case Many more testimonies might be instanced out of the Ecclesiastical histories of the ancient Christians some of whome holding it in no wise lawfull for Christian men to swear suffered death for the profession of Christ a Acts Monuments Vol. 2. fol. 55. Policarpus who as 't is said was John's Disciple b Euseb lib. 6. cap. 4. pag. 98. Basilides a Christian Martyr and the Waldenses whose names are so famous among the reformed Churches and are said immediately to succeed the Apostles being the most ancient and true Protestants professed it to be no way lawfull for a Christian man to swear and the c Acts Monnuments Vol. 1. fol. 527. Plow-man in his prayer and Chrisostome who was Bishop of Constantinople blameth them greatly that brought forth a book to swear upon charging Clarks that in no wise they constrain any body to swear whether they think a man swear true or false saying d Acts Monuments Vol. 2 70. it is a sin to swear well And these forementioned testimonies with many others which might be instanced out of Ecclesiastical histories were given against swearing and though the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 16. That an oath for confirmation amongst men is to them an end of strife yet this doth in no wise justifie or prove swearing lawfull amongst Christians for he speaks that by way of allusion as being the strongest bond in the old time in which the promise was made whereby men could bind themselves to set forth unto believers the certainty of Gods promise being confirmed by such a strong bond as an oath was among men in the old time when the promise was made to Abraham and his seed after him and as for the Apostles saying an oath among men is to them an end of strife I say that did rather allude or relate to what was at any time done for the ending of strife amongst those Hebrews who had not received the Gospel then that any such thing was done or practised amongst those believers to whom he writ his Epistle For if he had instanced any such practice amongst them he should not have said an oath amongst men but an oath amongst you c. Which he did not 13. Query Whether it be not the great duty and concernment of every Christian to plead for and vindicate all such Gospel truths as he hath formerly received and yet believeth and 1. whether a Christian may not earnestly contend for the truth once delivered Jude 3. 2. whether it be not the duty of all Christians with readinss to render an account of his faith to him that asketh him 1 Pet. 3. 15. And 3. whether it be not your concernment to return some satisfactory answer to the Author of these Queries Answ It is a duty of concernment to every child of God both to plead for and vindicate the truth the knowledge of which he hath received of our Lord Jesus Christ by the utmost force of those spiritual weapons or arguments wherewith he is furnished thereunto by the word and counsel of the Lord against all those that may gain say it in doctrine practice or conversation following the example of the Apostles and messengers of the great King The weapons of whose warfar were not carnal neither was their war against the flesh and bloud of men in error but the weapons wherewith they warred were spiritual and mighty through God to the destroying of that spirit of wickedness which leads into error and also to the recovering many out of error who have been captivated in error And they that are furnished with the spiritual wisdome word and power of the Lord God by which many are turned to righteousness they shall shine as the brightness of heaven and as the starrs for ever and ever Lastly it 's the duty of the children of God who in measure experience redemption and sanctification by Christ Jesus to give a reason according to their ability with meekness and fear of that precious hope and faith through which they have or may overcome in the day of tryal and hour of temptation which cometh upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the Earth and that excellent hope and faith in which the Saints are preserved in this day and hour of tryal and through which they shall be purified and made more white that their innocency may shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father and which keeps from fainting to the end is of more worth then gold that perisheth and is not to be valued with all created excellencies or compared with any glory of this fading world therefore I may say of the faith and hope of which Christians ought to give a reason as Job did of wisdome man knows not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living Having in the love and fear of the Lord returned an answer to I. B. his Queries and therein given some reason and account of our faith and judgement in the things queried it s desired that I. B. may answer these following Queries in the same love that we may know a reason of his faith and judgement concerning the things queried Query 1. WHether Christ by that one act of his death and suffering hath so done away or blotted out the sins of the children of men that the divine justice of his father is so answerd or satisfied thereby that he looks upon men to be in his Son notwithstanding they are yet sinners and accepts them as perfectly righteous in his sight only in and through what Iesus hath done for them by his death upon the Crosse Query 2. Whether God who is the righteous Judge of all the world doth so impute his righteousnesse as to justifie any man upon the earth thereby in the self same capacity as his righteous law in Christ condemns him Query 3. Whether any man upon earth is absolutely acqvitted and freed from sin by virtue of what Christ hath done and suffered without whiles as yet the witnesse of Gods Spirit in his own heart and conscience condemns him Query 4. Whether there is any such thing as that any mans sins are done away past present and to come whiles as yet he doth not cease to commit sin Query 5. And if the eternal God doth impute the righteousnesse of his Son so as to justifie any while they do not yet cease to commit sin why doth he not so unto all seeing
not abolished or made void through faith in Christ Jesus as it is written Do we through faith make void the Law God forbid Rom. 3. 31. Through faith we establish the Law for it is by virtue of faith in the Gospel that Christians are fully enabled to practice those religious duties which were commanded under the Law viz. to love God with all their heart and with all their mind for our Saviour calls this the first and great Commandement saying the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self and on these two commandements hang the whole Law and the Prophets Mat. 22. 37 38 39 40. these religious duties with many other righteous practises of the people of God under the Law are indeed binding to Christians under the Gospel First Christians ought to live and continue in sincere desires after God at all times and to pray unto him not onely at morning evening and at noon day but at all seasons and hours wherein they shall find the immortal birth of life inclining their hearts to seek after him and his spirit to help their infirmities without the help of which Christians cannot pray ask or seek aright as it is written Rom. 8. 26. 27. We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and the motions of this immortal life and spirit of our heavenly Father is not limitted to dayes set times places or houres of dayes but when and what time it inclines and moves Christians are to follow and as they seek through and by its assistance they shall find and as they ask in the life and nature thereof they shall receive theirs hearts desire and obtain the thing which they pray for Secondly It is lawfull for Gods people to set apart a time for religious exercise as did Daniel and the rest of the servants of the Lord who notwithstanding the great afflictions and persecutions which attended them for righteousnesse sake and for their practice in the worship of God yet did they continue not only to professe him openly but to worship him after their accustomed manner as appears by the Scriptures which I. B. hath instanced Dan. 6. 10 13. with several other Scriptures which might be mentioned whose example herein I desire the Lord may instruct all Christians in sincerity to follow and continue in the practice of the doctrines exhortations of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who exhorted the Saints not to forsake the assembling themselvs together as the manner of some was Heb. 10. 25. but as the day approacheth exhort one another in which practice the true Christians ever did walk and continue notwithstanding the cruel persecution grievous afflictions that were inflicted upon them by ungodly men of this world for so doing viz. their continuing in the profession of Christianity and practice of meeting together to wait upon and worship the Lord in Spirit and truth for which holy practice so great were the sufferings and afflictions by them indured as may be read at large in Ecclesiastical Histories that Fox saith in the book of Martyrs what fires what tortures without respect either to age or sex they were inforced to feel then did the earth without doubt bewail her children and the round world which containeth all things being imbrued with their bloud made a dolefullamentation for them and the day it self provoked to mourn was amazed for them when the very barbarous Nations rejoyce for their sakes which received and harboured them when they were afraid and fled from us keeping them as it were in a most loving and amiable captivity to which I may say Alas alas that ever any that professe the same Christ as these persecuted Christians suffered for should now Acts and Monuments lib. 1. fol. 92. become persecutors and not only of such as in words deny him but even of such as confesse and believe in him to be the only Saviour of the world Surely the true Christian soul that seriously considereth will be greatly afflicted and the heart that sees it cannot but mourn in the beholding of the woful apostacy darknesse and delusions in which many thousand Christians are fallen who professe Christ in words and yet walk so far contrary to the light of Christ and are so far out of his nature which is to shew kindnesse mercy and love to all men not only to them that believe but to them that believe not even with long patience to instruct them that they may believe and repent but the heart that is possessed with the true knowledge of the woful backsliding from the ancient doctrine and truth of the Gospel in which those persecuted Christians walked both in and after the Apostles dayes beholding this dismal night that is come upon multitudes of Christians cannot but even take up a lamentation and cry Alas alas that ever any who professe Christ should be so far void of his bowels and mercies and should have so far lost all tendernesse of conscience that they should even now persecute their brethren who professe and believe in the same God and Christ as they in words professe and believe having no other reason for their so doing but only because they differ from them in some ceremonial and outward practices of Christianity Alas alas that ever the Devil the enemy of mankind should so far delude and deceive men who agree in the outward profession of one God and Christ which is the main and weighty matter in the outward profession of Christian Religion Oh that ever they should be so far darkned and misled to afflict and persecute about the smaller matters or outward practices of Religion whenas it ought to be a duty incumbent upon all who professe the name of Christ to perswade one another in the power of the Gospel and if the true Christian cannot overcome the errour of the mind in the false Christian after this manner he ought notwithstanding to walk in love towards him and leave him to the Lord who is that great Potter that hath power over all men to change from errour to truth and out of death into life when and what time soever he pleaseth Thirdly Christians are to mind in that serious and weighty duty of Prayer the motions and leadings of Gods Spirit through which their infirmities are helped and they not praying in their own name or will but in the name of Christ their prayers become effectual and God answers them in the things they pray for as it is written John 14. 13 14. Fourthly It is a duty incumbent upon all true Christians to use family duties viz. to pray unto him as they are led thereunto by the heavenly birth and Spirit which of him they have received And parents ought to instruct their Children by word and godly example as they may find the Spirit of Christ lead them so to do by the virtue and authority of which their
exhortations will become effectual to their children and servants not only to turn them from errour unto truth but to establish and build them up in the truth that they may serve the Lord in their day and herein all Christian parents and masters of families ought to follow the example of Abraham in commanding their housholds after them to walk in the holy commands of God and to serve him in their generation c. Fishly the Scriptures were written for our learning therefore it is necessary for Christians to read them and to confer about the heavenly things signified of in them all their life long as they are inclined thereunto by the life and Spirit that gave them forth for though eternal life cannot be found in the Scriptures yet they testify of Christ in whom it is to be found and the holy sayings contained therein which were given by the divine inspiration of God are profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 16. 17. Therefore all true Christians prizeth the Scriptures for unto such they are comfortable and bear true testimony of that living way and truth in and by which we have eternal redemption Sixthly it is necessary for Gods people to pray unto him and to beg his blessing with and upon those creaturely benefits which they receive from the hand of their heavenly Father and to return him thanks for his unspeakable mercies towards them which was the moving cause of that heavenly visitation by which the Lord God hath visited his people with the day spring from on high through which many that have sate in darknesse are now both come to see and walk in the light of life blessed be the Lord our God for evermore 7. Query Whether it be not lawfull for Christians to give a civil respect to the several degrees and relations in which persons may stand as 1. Whether the younger ought not to reverence the elder as saith the Scripture Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man Lev. 19. 32. and 2. Whether a Christian may not evidence his respect by some outward action or gesture of his body according to the custome of the Countrey he liveth in as Abraham bowed to the sons of Heth Gen. 23. 12. So did Nathan a Prophet to King David 1. King 1. 23. and 3. Is it not lawful for Christians to expresse their respects by giving to every man the titles belonging to him in reference to the several dignities or places they may be advanced to as Luke doth Theophilus calling him most excellent Luke 1. 3. So Paul to Felix calling him most noble Felix Acts 26. 25. and John to the elect Lady 2 John 1. Answ It is lawful for people to give civil respect to the several relations and degrees in which persons may stand First Christians ought to respect with subjection and obedience either actively by doing the commands of their magistrates or passively by suffering for not doing in case any thing should be imposed contrary to Gods law and a good conscience by the authority either set up or permitted by the Lord to be set up over them and in so doing they give the respect that is due to men thus related unto them as Superiours whose honour and respect consists not in putting off the hat and bowing the knee and body but in obeying their just commands for the respect by adoring or bowing to mens persons who wear the gay cloathing is forbidden and he that gives it transgresseth the law of God James 2. 9. Secondly the younger ought to reverence the elder by an inward love and respect The true reverence from children to their parents hath its beeing in the heart and is evidenced by outward obedience to their just and lawful commands and bodily actions of not despising them when their strength faileth but in lowlinesse and humility to help them in their old age not following the example of the Pharisees whom our Saviour reproved for making the commands of God void by their traditions which command was to honour father and mother for they said whosoever should say to his father or mother it is a gift by whatsoever thou might be profited by me and honours not his father or mother he shall go free and thus they broke the command by their traditions Mat. 15. 4 5 6 7. Neither following the example of Ham but the good example of Shem and Iaphet who covered their fathers nakednesse Gen. 9. 22 23. and in so doing the love and respect of children is demonstrated towards their parents and not by putting off the hat and bowing the knee according to the custome of the countrey and people where they dwell for both vain and idolatrous may the custome of the people be herein as in the dayes of old Ier. 10. 32. Though Abraham did bow to the sons of Heth and Nathan to King David in that ministration in which the types and shadows were in force and the seed not come to full dominion but he outwardly as a stranger in the land which God had promised to give to his seed after him for an inheritance I say Abraham's and Nathan's example herein is no more binding to Christians under the Gospel ministration then is their example of swearing outward circumcision with divers other things that they were commanded or permitted of God to doe in that ministration c. Thirdly it is lawfull for Christians to give unto every man those titles which of right belong unto him according to the place or office to which he may be advanced as to call a King King and a noble man noble man and a Judge Judge and a man that excells in reason and moderation may be called excellent c. In this wise a Christian may expresse his love and respect to persons advanced to the aforementioned dignities and not by worshipping and adoring their persons for that is a transgression of the law of God James 2. 9. 8. Query Whether Christians may not make use of and take delight in those creatures God affords us either for food or clothing And 1. whether at sometimes it be not lawful to feast and enjoy the creatures afforded for our use in a lawful mirth provided it be done in its proper season and with moderation Eccl. 3. 12 13. And 2. whether it be lawful for Christians to wear what apparel they shall think best in their own Christian prudence to be apparelled in if without excesse did not God command the children of Israel that they should borrow jewels of silver and jewels of gold of ths Egyptians Ex. 11. 2. And Abraham 's servant gave unto Rebecca bracelets for her hands which she also wore Gen. 24. 22 30. Answ Christians may make use of the creatures for through faith and the birth immortal they only of all people upon earth have right to