confusion I doe not see how hee can make a doubt of this viz. That the meanes to order our thoughts should be some rule or other according to which the understanding should proceed in working upon it selfe And then concerning the third in like manner if it be granted that where order is to be observed there a rule may be used it cannot be denyed but that in ordering things by rules principles must be observed whence the Rules are to bee taken For seeing by ordering is implyed a setting of things in a precedencie and consecution one to another and by a Rule is meant either the forme and frame or the reason why the precedencie and consecution ought to be so and not otherwise And seeing all formes and frames which are rationally composed have a ground in the being and nature of the thing whence they arise therefore it cannot be denyed but that the Rules by which humane thoughts are to be ordered must have certain principles which principles we will now speake of God willing in briefe that you may have an overture made unto you either to proceed by your self upon the grounds that shall be afforded unto you or to call upon me hereafter and give me cause to open my selfe further in due time for your better satisfaction You have now already understood that by principles I mean the grounds of rules by which a man is to walke in his thoughts of meditation and consultation the end then to which we drive is to meditate and consult aright by meditating I conceive the act of the minde reflecting upon the nature of any thing to dive into the true properties and uses thereof By consulting I understand the act of the minde reflecting upon the actions which are to bee undertaken or left off or not undertaken about any thing to gaine some good end whereunto they should be directed according as it may be conceived to be or not to be possible or usefull From whence you may gather that the acts of the minde which are to be regulated which we call meditation and consultation are not now to be considered in respect of the subjects whereupon they are to reflect which wee have called the natures of things and the actions which may be intended by us for some good end but in respect of the reflection it selfe that whether we meditate or consult we may have a rule to order the reflection of our minde upon any subject whatsoever The rule then which we seeke at this time is to be gathered from the nature of the acts of the minde to set them in their right frame one towards another and not from the relation which they may have to wâ—rds the discovery of any thing in respect of outward objects you see then that the acts of the minde â—â— they have a twofold Relation so they admit of a twofold Rule for as they relate other objects besides themselves they must be made proportionate unto the ends which the understanding â—â—â—…th â—t in these objects but as they relate one another they must be ruled and ordered according to their owne inward properties and made answerable unto the end wherefore they ought to reflect one upon another Where I observe that to finde the principles whereby these acts are to be regulated is to discover three things 1. What the acts of the mind of man are and how they are distinguished 2. How they stand in relation one to another in their severall inward properties 3. What the end of this relation is and how it must be gained for this relation is the ground of this reflection and the end of this relation is the first inward principle of goodnesse and of that well being whereupon the nature of the soul of man hath been 〈◊〉 and constituted and from which all the well ordered acts thereof must naturally flow and whatsoever is not answerable thereunto in the agitation of thoughts motion of the mind is to be judged irrationall void of understanding Now then to lay open the Acts of a mans minde it is not possible except we know what a man and what his minde is By a mâ—â—â—â—â—… conceive this creature which we 〈◊〉 our selves to be â—s we 〈◊〉 distinguished from all other living and aniâ—â—ll things by the frame of our body and of our soule which the Scripture saith was made after the image of God which image of God since we have lost it is now unknowne unto nature and there fore by the use of naturall reason no man can know himselfe truly what he is because he hath lost the Idea of the image after which he was made But the Scripture having told us that our body was made of the substance of the earth and that by the breath of the â—â—â—d into our nostrills we are become a liviâ—â— sâ—â—le and â—â—at God made us thus after his owne image that we should under 〈◊〉 as his substitutes bearing his image and likenesse in this world have Dominion over all the rest of the creatures which are therein I say the Scripture having taught us this much wee have by this doctrines new principle of knowledge whereby to discerâ—e our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are and what our minde is and what the end is wherefore it was put in our earthly bâ—â—y of which things I will noâ— now spâ—â—â—â—… at large â— but in a woâ—d I will tell you what according to this Scripturall truth I conceive man and his minde to be viz. a spirit a soule and a body joyned together in the powers of an eternall rationall and sensuall life whereof the acts should be answerable one to another according to their predominant or subordinate properties wherein they are all to be answerable unto the life of God The acts then of the life of man are threefold some are sensuall some are rationall and some are spirituall The sensuall arise from the body and its outward or inward senses the rationall arise from the faculties of the naturall soule in the imagination of the minde in the memory in the discerning and judging faculties and in the will The spirituall arise from the conscience bearing witnesse of the will of God and of our agreement or disagreement with the same By which you see what is called the minde of man whose acts we should regulate viz. The living faculty of the spirit dwelling in the conscience and of the rationall soule dwelling in the will and understanding As concerning the sensuall life wherein we differ not from beasts we make it no part of the minde of man although wee hold not that man hath more soules then one or that these Acts of the sensuall life are to be neglected and no way brought under a Rule but we affirme both that the soule is but one and also that these Acts may and must be regulated although we conceive that they belong not properly unto the life of the minde Thus then we see what the Acts of the minde of man are and
my Discourse and I am still in the same minde which then I was in But if you or any make a doubt of the first Position take notice of the grounds whereupon I raise it and if you or any can shew me that they are not sound I shall quit them with their consequence I conceive then the Magistrate to be Gods Vicegerent over the society of men as it is a Civill Body and that his charge is to looke to the Naturall constitution and visible face of that society to keep it in a frame subordinate unto the glory of God that it may appeare that God by him ruleth in the world in the Kingdome of men Hee then is bound as a Vicegerent of the most High to authorize that is to set up in the name of his Sovereign nothing but that which his best understanding tells him is the will of his Sovereigne Now he cannot be ignorant of this that his true worship should only be authorised in his name because that is only according to his will Therefore I conclude that it will be no wisdome in him to authorise the practise of any Religion in the state committed by God unto his inspection but that which he knoweth to be the true worship of God and if he knoweth it not to be the true way of Gods worship He hath no warrant to authorise it He may if he cannot avoid the Toleration doe as God doth with us winke at it untill the time of reformation which is in his eye and in the mean time direct all unto the best ends he can in hope of redresse but may not authorise and settle what his Soveraign doth not allow in his worship This is my ground for the duty of the Magistrate as for that which I call the only way of God which the Magistrate is to look to I conceive it to be nothing else but the true way which God doth intend should be observed for his glory For I conceive that his true way is but one only way for God is but one only God and his name is one The way of his glory must be therefore as his name is one only way because his glory is nothing else but the manifestation of his name from all which I suppose I may lawfully inferre thus much except the Apologists can shew that their way of non-communion is the only way of God that it will be no wisdome in the state to authorize it joyntly with the way which they have setled and acknoleged to be the true way for this were to make the name of God which he in his Vicegerency is to uphold which is but one in glory manifold against the intention of God in Christ and the duty of his Vicegerency For if God doth manifestly declare that all Christians are called in Christ to partake of his glory by being one Ephes 4. body and one spirit in him as partaking of one Baptisme of one faith and of one hope of their calling throuhg him then it is also manifest that his Vicegerent on earth amongst men should advance by all lawfull means which belong outwardly to the sphere of his charge tho setlement of this unity to be as visible as may be amongst those who make profession to answer the calling of God in Christianity From all which I suppose you may gather an answer to your supposals For when you say to obtain a toleration it is sufficient if they can prove their way to be one of the wayes of God if but a possibility of salvation therein I answer that I see not how Gods wayes to salvation can be said to be many Christ Jesus is but one yesterday to day and for ever the same Heb. 13. 8. and without him there is no salvation Now his way to save is but one which is by faith and the means to beget faith is but one this is the word and the way to bring the faithfull by this means to the Father is but one namely the government and leading of the Spirit which directeth the children of God in all truth answerable to and discernable by the tenor of his covenant with them in the Word If then the Word be but one the covenant in it one the truth in the Spirit but one and the government of souls to enjoy God it that truth through the Spirit be also but one I know not what you mean by the many wayes of God and those having a possibility of salvation except you mean the manifold degrees of the revelation to and of the apprehension of that one way in severall persons which is very improperly called the way of God So then when you say one of the wayes of God wherein is a possibility of salvation If I should take your words in the best sense that I can give them I must understand them to be spoken of any one degree of the knowledge of Gods wayes which may be effectuall to work salvation by Gods blessing and in this sense I agree with you that all such as are come to any degree of saving knowledge ought to be permitted to walk in that light which they have and ought not to be constrained against their conscience to follow a practice wherein they see no light But although from hence it followeth that they ought to be born withall as professors of Christiany in such or such a growth yet it doth not follow that it would be wisdome in a State to authorize their way by an act of publike toleration whereby they should be stinted to that degree of growth in the profession of the Gospel when the State doth not know that to be the true Way which God doth intend and allow to bring all to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man answerable to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ For seeing God hath revealed that the gifts which he hath given by his Spirit unto his Ministers are given for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ till they be brought unto this degree of growth in a manly stature that they may not alwayes be in a childish condition of doubtfulnesse and 〈…〉 tainty to be tossed too and fro and carryed about with everyâ—â—â—… blast of doctrine which cunning men for their own ends will Eph. 4. 12. 17. craftily insinuate lying in wait to deceive unstable souls seeing I say God hath revealed this to be his intention and hath shewed to his Saints the way by which it will be brought to passe namely by this only way that they should deal truly without deceit by word or deed one with another in love by which they should be able to grow up in all things into him which is the head even Christ Jesus and to the end that this their true dealing may work out this growth in them effectually and prevent the cunning craftinesse of men who lye in wait to
how they are distinguished namely into the Acts of the spirit dwelling in the conscience and into the acts of the rationall soule dwelling in the memorative understanding and willing faculties to which the whole sensuall life and all the acts of the inward and outward senses are subordinate The relation wherein these acts stand one to another in respect of the properties of these faculties whence they proceed is this that the faculty of the spirit in the acts and enditements of the conscience is supreme and predominant above all the rest to which the rationall faculty of the soule in the acts of memory understanding and willing is immediately subordinate and to these the acts of the imaginations and sensuall passions are subservient and submitted And if this relation and subordination be altered so that the sensuall should be predominant above the rationall or the rationall above the spirituall acts then all is out of order and a mans life is either beastly or divellish The â—nd wherefore this relation and subordination of the faculties of man was thus appointed and ordered by God is that in the right use of these faculties he should expresse the Image and life of God wherein he should be able to rule over the rest of the creatures to bring them to the state of happinesse that Gods glory might appear as in himself so also in every one of them according to the degree of their perfection So that to gain this end for which God hath thus framed the minde of man the rule is none other but to observe the true relation wherein God hath set us which is that our spirits should be in our conscience wholly subjected unto his Spirit and dependant from him who is the Father of spirits in all things So that without his leave and the knowledge of his will by reflecting upon his Word ingrafted in our hearts we should not presume to think say or do any thing Secondly that our reason should in all things be a servant unto the â—ndictment of the spirituall Word made manifest unto our conscience to obey it and to make the truth and goodnesse thereof plain and evident to our selves and others Thirdly that our sensuall motion should bee servant unto the prescripts of reason to help our rationall faculties to expresse the will of God and apply it unto those with whom we have to deal outwardly From all which you may gather for these are the principles which I did intend to speak of much more then I am able at this time to utter For here you have a fountain of rules fâ—â—m whence many directions may be taken how to order the acts of the minde in respect of their mutuall relation one to another For consider that in all things whereof we do think except they be mearly spirituall and divine so that they are no wayes subject unto sense there ought to concur the act of conscience of reason and of the imaginative faculty which is the inward sense and the head of all the other sensuall faculties and seeing these acts should continually concurre in all the minding of outward matters the rule is that they must not be confounded nor preposterously brought forth but that we should first order the acts of our minde within it self before we proceed to meditate upon any particular object For except the conscience be cleer and at rest in respect of God the understanding will not perform the duty aright and if the understanding faculty be out of order the senses will not be well imployed administer and seek out evidences or to represent them orderly unto 〈◊〉 rationall abilities So that to lay the first ground work of meditation and consultation aright a man of judgement should look to himself that these three great wheels of the mind be well composed and ser in order one towards another the conscience the 〈◊〉 ability and the sensitive faculty lest the conscience being under guilt and desilements be separate from God who is the author of all good gifts and from whose mouth alone wisdome doth proceed â—am 1. 17. Prov. 2. 6. for God doth not give true wisdome and understanding but unto such as come to him to seek it Now to come to him or to seek wisdome from him without faith it is neither possible nor 〈◊〉 any thing be received at his hand for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And he that is of a doubting and wavering mind must not think that he can receive any thing of the Lord Jam. 1. 6 7. But when the conscience is not cleansed 〈◊〉 from dead works there must needs be a doubting and wavering in it when it cometh before God and so it will be found unfit to receive wisdome or direction from him For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdome and knowledge and joy but to the sinner he giveth travell Eccles 2. 26. nor can wisdome enter or find place into an unclean soul because it is prepossessed with sin which maketh a separation betwixt God Isai 59. 8. and it Besides all which it is to be considered that as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome so the spirit that hath not a dependency upon the Word of the Lord can have no wisdome because Jeremiah saith That seeing they have rejected the Word of â—erem 8. 9. the Lord what wisdome is in them There can be no wisdome where the Word of the Lord is not regarded and this Word cannot be regarded except the heart he possessed with his fear and this cannot be except the conscience be sanctified and cleansed from dead works So that we see the first principlâ—… and preparative unto meditation must be the composing of the heart towards God to set our selves to think of that which is to be thought God to set our selves to think of that which is to be thought upon as in his presence through his fear depending upon his Word and deâ—â—â—ing his direction that not only with his leave and â—â—â—â—â—â— ion but by his order and according to his will we may do all things and think all our thoughts This predisposing of the mind towards God to reflect first upon him in all our meditations is like unto the tuning of an Instrument before a man doth begin to play a piece of good Musick so by drawing neer to God with a good conscience in cleansing it from all superfluity of naughtinsse and calling upon him by faith for grace and direction the strings of the soul are tuned and set in a good harmony that the Spirit of wisdome which proceedeth from him may play some harmonious melodicall piece upon the same which without this tuning of the soul cannot be done And this tuning cannot be performed except the conscience be brought neer unto God and be able to look upon him that it may be enlightned For by looking to him and comparing it self to his will and living Word it
means only are capable to build us up therein Thus have I presumed in as weak as cursory a manner to weigh the foregoing passages of your Epistolary discourse in the unequall ballance like enough of my own understanding but proceeding intirely from a desire of being better informed in what I am at a losse I doubt not but your singular candidnesse of mind will make a good interpretation of it The setling of an Ecclesiasticall Peace I apprehend to be of such eminent weight and consideration as that without it Christians will never in any comparative degree be brought to unity in discipline and doctrine and that more souls are kept from knowledge of the truth and miscarry through persecuting one another for cause 〈◊〉 conscience then by reason of all other such great differences betwixt them whether for discipline or doctrine If you have puplished any of your other thoughts concerning this subject besides your Consultatio Theologie◠c. Letter to the L. Forbes and your Informati◠Ecclesiis Reformatis oblata c. I should excedingly rejoyce to have a sight thereof and especially touching the demonstrative analizing the Scriptures which I conceive would be a greater Jewell then all that ever Solomon wrote of from the Cedar to the shrub Wherefore I most humbly beseech you for the publike good that you would not suffer the least dram of your Meditations in this behalfe any longer to lie waste or dormant which though it were not yet perfect and compleat might by degrees and contemplations of others well-affected be further improved to the eternall honour of the Almighty to whose gracious protection I cordially recommend your most pious endeavous and to them most earnestly desiring to become any wayes subservient do in all humble manner remain London the 5. of November 1644. Your most devoted Friend and Servant in the Lord Henry Robinson To his much respected and loving friend in Christ Mr. Henry Robinson Worthy Sir ALthough your Letter did miscarry and never came in the Originall to my hand nor the Copy thereof till I was resolving to goe from Rotterdam towards England yet I thought my selfe obliged to answer your love which then I did beginne to do but was interrupted in the prosecution hitherto neverthelesse lest either mine owne purpose or your equitable desires should be frustrate or I seem carelesse to give you some satisfaction to your scruples I shall now endeavour to perfect the thoughts which once were in my minde beseeching the Lord to assist us both with the encrease of his Grace that in this and all other services his Glory may be advanced by us But before I enter upon the matter I must truly tell you That as I cannot acknowledge any of these things in my selfe which you attribute unto me beyond my measure so I must needs take notice of the large expression of your affections which I am bound to requite and entertaine not only because you have moderate and sober thoughts of your self and because your way seems to me very ingenuous and your whole strain conscionable in the doubts which you make all which deserves respect but chiefly because the duty of Christian love even towards those that deserve it not is the only meanes of edification towards them For it doth make the testimony of divine Truth in the 〈◊〉 thereof without offence and therefore fit to be received through Gods blessing with profit by them to whom it is offered For as God is moved and is powerfull only by his love to reveale himselfe to us offering himselfe as a Father of spirits to his children which are our soules so we as children of such a Father are bound to doe all things in his love for so we are commanded by the Apostle Ephes 5. 1 2. and towards our Brethren we should as members of each other advance that knowledge which we have of him and his truth in love only and not otherwise For what we doe with any other affection is done in our ownestrength and will be found either ineffectuall or hurtfull to edification Therefore as I make no doubt but you have spoken the truth from your heart so I shall assure you that I shall without partiality lay open unto you my thoughts and hold out the light which I have received not only in these things which you have proposed but in all other matters wherein I shall finde my selfe obliged to beare witnesse to the Truth Now then beseeching him againe to direct our thoughts and guide our spirits in all truth by his holy Spirit of promise in Jesus Christ to be able to doe all things unblameably to the glory of his Grace and our mutuall comfort I shall endeavour to resolve the doubts which you propose and give you as briefly as may bee the best satisfaction I can 1. To the first Scruple then out of pag. 20. concerning the toleration of the Apologists I finde that you take not up rightly my meaning I will therefore explaine it first more fully and then come to the particulars of your exception Consider therefore that in the whole first part of my Discourse and consequently in that place which you alleadge I speake not of a Toleration of Forbearance whereby one Christian is bound with all long suffering to support another in meeknesse nor of a Toleration of Connivence in a Civill state whereby the Magistrate may winke at things which he cannot mend when they are not setled according to his judgement but I doe speake of that Toleration which I supposed the Apologists did sue for which I must call a Toleration of Approbation which the Magistrate as the publicke Minister of God in the visible society of men should setle therein for the welfare thereof My Question then in the first part of the Discourse is not what in State Policie I should have said humane Prudencie a Magistrate may doe lawfully if his inclination leads him thereunto or what in charity as a Christian he should intend to doe privately but what in state wisdome as it is subordinate unto Gods will in the profession of Christianity is most expedient for him to doe in his publicke place And in this respect I say that I thinke it no wisdome in a state seeking a Reformation of Religion to tolerate by way of Approbation that is in effect to authorise and setle for a time a publicke profession which they cannot finde to bee the true and only way which God alloweth This is the meaning of my assertion in the whole first part of my Discourse and in this sense only I disswade the state to grant the Apologists their Petition but if for other more important reasons it cannot be denyed then I thought it would be wisdome in the state so to limitate the Toleration which they should grant for time and manner that thereby a full agreement and unity might be brought to passe between the Apologists and their Brethren which is the subject of the two following heads of
deceive seeing hee hath shewed them that they ought all to be setled together in one body under their only head and bee fitly joyned together and compacted in one society that by the spirituall joynts and ligatures which his Spirit through love in the mutuall care of each other doth frame amongst them they may make the increase of the body in the measure of every part by that which every joynt supplyeth unto the edifying of themselves in their duties of love seeing I say againe all this is thus by God declared therefore it followeth that not only the whole body of Beleevers in a Nation may by a right from God compact themselves together by their joynts and ligatures for their mutuall strengthning in spirituall duties to doe all things as one man in Christ but they ought to depend in this relation only from Christ as their head and act towards each other only by the ability which he giveth And Christs Vicegerent on earth appointed for the inspection of Civill and outward matters must not presume either to hinder them in the use of these meanes of their spirituall growth unto the stature of a perfect man within themselves or injoyne them to act only as from and under his Authority that which is to be done in this kinde For this cause we say that the Magistrates sanction in spirituall matters of edification for the execution of duties and compacting of the Body is but de bene esse cumulativè requisite for outward protection and not at all necessary for to give a being unto the worke it selfe nor is it from his Civill sanction that the whole Body of Beleevers in a Nation is made one but they are bound for their owne growth and preservation to make themselves one unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ nor may the Vicegerent of Christ on earth if he will not incurre the high displeasure of his sovereign abstruct this growth of Christs spirituall Body but is bound to further it by all the assistance that he can contribute thereunto and ought to take away the lets which may hinder it wherof this would be a maine one to authorise severall wayes and allow them as waies of God to constitute the Body of Christ and manifest the truth of his worship when hee cannot be ignorant that there is but one way agreeable to the will of God in doing this As touching the place Mark 9. 20. which you alleadge He that is not against us is on our part doth inferre to me thus much only that private men̄ ought not to be prohibited to make use of the name of Christ or to walke in a way not opposite to Christ although they joyne not themselves to follow Christ with his true Disciples For the question is there of hindring some who followed not Christ as the Apostles did to make use of his name to doe miracles Christ forbids his Disciples to hinder such from doing what they did by a rule of Prudencie that such could not lightly speake evill of him This case doth hold well amongst private Christians in the way of mutuall edification but it doth not reach the point which I insist upon in respect of the duty of a state For there is a vast distance between the duty of a Disciple of Christ in not hindring particular mens practises which hurt not their wayes in Christianity and the granting of a Toleration by a Magistrate to an Assembly or many Assemblies of men to practice publickly in the state that which hee doth not finde to be the true way of God This difference is great many wayes but particularly in this that such a granting of a Toleration is an act of publicke Approbation which to declare is not alwayes wisdome in a private Christian far lesse in a state Therefore not to hinder in that case is one thing and to give a Toleration in this is quite another matter As for the charge laid upon the Presbyteriall Brethren in the end of this Paragraphe that they will not suffer any Civill abode to any that differ in opinion separate from Church society from them I know not how you can make it good nor will I beleeve it without sufficient proof nor ought you to alleadge it without a sure and undoubted warrant therefore as a thing spoken in haste and out of too much jealousie I will leave it till God let you see the contrary in their unblameable wayes of conversation to gaine all men by loving forbearance with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Pag. 21. Upon the words The lesse the cause of separation is the greater the fault is in those that make it you make no exception but you apply the Assertion against the Presbyterian Brethren for the advantage of the Apologists contrary to the application that I made thereof The ground that I had to apply the assertion to the Apologists is taken from their owne words in the close of their Apologie where to my best understanding they say plainly of their owne way that is differs but a little from their Presbyterian Brethren which seemes to contradict the speech of your observation when you say that in the apprehension of the Apologists the cause of separation is great and little in the judgement of the Presbyterians But if you marke the argument which they use to the Parliament it will be found this That which differs but a little from the way which you allow you may safely tolerate But the way which we desire to follow differs but a little from that which you allow Therefore you may safely tolerate it and grant our suit But if you make the argument thus Because the way which we desire to follow is greatly different from that which you allow therefore you should grant us a Toleration I suppose this would bee no strong perswasion and no part of the Apologists meaning But to speake of the thing in it selfe as you apprehend and deliver it I confesse that nothing which doth relate conscience as to conscience can justly be counted small yet the difference of things in respect of each other may be small when you compare them together but if a mans conscience be troubled at that small difference it is to him no small matter to digest it if he makes truly conscience of his wayes but if his owne conscience be not sound nothing will be of great moment to it or else every thing of too great for it will alwayes be in the one or other extream Now a good and sound conscience is that which is enlightned by a rule to determine all that it doth For in matters of Religion if I leave my conscience at large without a rule I make mine own will and reason a rule and serve God not as he requireth but as I think good then which nothing is more destructive to the glory of Gods name whereby he is acknowledged the Father of Spirits Therefore I must tell you that I
for some respects grounded upon mine owne opinion to intend a separation from Brethren in the faith that except they cast me out and will not suffer me to be of their society any longer I may not breake off from them 11. Your eleventh Observation upon pag. 34. concerning Fundamentalls in practise and knowledge tends to justifie the desire of the Apologists to be permitted to doe or not to doe what they thinke requisite but you mention nothing in particular which may be counted Fundamentall in their profession for which only a separation is justifiable when duly attested and not only not received but rejected together with the witnesse bearers Now the case between them and their Brethren is quite contrary at this present for they have been and are desired to hold forth the Truth of their way but they doe decline it and yet will be separate although they acknowledge the Churches to be true Churches from which they depart and although those Brethren from whom they depart intend to offer them all equitable forbearance and redresse of their grievances so farre as can stand with the Fundamentall constitution of their owne Churches and the peace of their consciences 12. Your twelfth and last Observation upon pag. 37. wherein you speake of the subjection which members owe to their Pastor and consequently to the Presbytery of Pastors joyned with him is somewhat dark to me For first you seem to yeeld the Point namely that such a subjection is due and then you make a restriction thereof in respect of certaine things and in respect of the manner of censuring them in case of not submitting You say then if I take you right that they are bound to submit to a Presbytery in things only unto which they may yeeld with a good conscience This cannot be denyed but is needlesse to be alleadged because it is to be supposed that a Pastor joyned with a Presbytery will require no subjection but in things which may be yeelded unto with a good conscience For their proper worke is to deale with the consciences of those that are under their charge to informe them of Gods will that they may understandingly submit unto it That which is offered by them to others is not offered Authoritatively as a thing which they will have done because they so have determined it this is the language of worldly States unto their subjects but they offer it as servants of God to declare as his messengers by the word his will for they watch in all cases of common concernment over the soules of men and in this respect obedience and submission is commanded by the Apostle to be yeelded unto them Heb. 13. 17. But you will put the case that he who is directed in matters of conscience by a Presbytery findeth reason to dissent because he is not convicted in conscience that the direction is according to the word of God in this Case you say that the Presbytery hath no power to deale with him but that he is lyable to be censured only by his own Church under whose jurisdiction he standeth Here I suppose you speake of the point of jurisdiction in a humane sense and suppose in all this Discourse that which is destructive to the true communion of Saints and to the relation which Christ hath setled in the parts of his Church fitly compacted together and baptized into one body by his Spirit For you suppose your Pastor and his Congregation under whose censure alone you would stand to be alone a Body by it selfe and separate from the other Pastors and Congregations I will confesse it to be a Body by it selfe but if you suppose a Presbytery rightly constituted with it then it is not to be considered as separate but as compacted and a part of the rest of that which is the whole and as you stand in relation to that Congregation whereof you are an immediate member so it doth stand proportionally in relation to that Body to which it is combined as a part As then you are under the jurisdiction of your owne Pastor and Congregation by your own confession immediately so you must be mediatly by their means under the jurisdiction of that Body whereof they are a part and whereunto they are associated But if you will not grant any such associating compacting of Churches together into one Body for their mutuall edification which is certainly Christs clear intention from Eph. 4. 1. till 17. but will suppose that all Churches and their Pastors must stand single and separate by themselves then it is to be granted that you are under the jurisdiction of none but your owne Pastor and Eldership But supposing that which cannot bee denyed if you grant it lawfull to combine Pastors and Elderships into a Presbytery which I suppose I have fully proved that your Pastor and his Eldership is accountable in his proceedings to his confederate Brethren as they are accountable unto him for mutuall edification and that he finding you a refractory and unruly member of his flocke disturbing the peace thereof and having dealt with you as much as he could and yet hath not been able to bring you to the obedience and submission which you owe to the will of God supposing this to be so if then he to strengthen himselfe and his Eldership by counsell first doth bring the matter to the Presbytery and having received counsell and put it in execution doth finde it without effect you remaining still disobedient and disturbing the quiet of his owne and perhaps of some neighbour Churches may not he then in the second place desire the assistance of his confederates in the judgement of the matter and may not he call you before them to be censured by himselfe and them joyntly and his and their jurisdiction being in this case but one in Christ and the authority of the same Presbyteriall office being put forth by all at once through the same spirit in the name of Christ doe not you thinke that the sentence of judgement against you will bee ratified in heaven if it be rightly pronounced or doe you thinke that Christ will allow of this plea that you are exempted from their jurisdiction because they are not your immediate Pastors hath not Christ given to the combined society of Church officers a power to judge of matters according to the word when they are in an orderly way brought unto their arbitration and where there is a power to judge by vertue of an office there also a power to pronounce a sentence cannot be denyed and if the sentence be a censure the same Authority which doth pronounce it hath power to see it executed Suppose againe on the other side that a Pastor doth some injury to his flocke or to some one of them and that they or he cannot finde redresse at the hands of the Eldership if there be no Association of Elderships they or he have no remedy but to make a trouble and perhaps a rent in the
you or him any scruple concerning any intentions which shall always be harmlesse unto all but truly 〈◊〉 and faithfull to do you service in Jesus Christ in wâ—â—â—… I 〈◊〉 His and your affectionate servant John Dury To Sir Cheny Culpeper Knight SIR I Am very desirous to gratifie you in the vertuous desire which you have expressed unto me concerning the method of Meditation For I think my self a debter more to you therein then unto others because your zeal doth lead you to more universall conception then others are capable of if therefore it weâ—â— Gods will to open a door of utterance unto me towards you at this time at least so far as to initiate you fully in the way of future conference with the about this matter I would be exceeding glad not only for your sake but even for mine own sake that I might have a fit object to work upon and to bring forth the particulars which lie in my minde and which without some good and sit opportunity I cannot be drawn to elaborate and put to paper I am willing then at this time to shew you my conceptions concerning the first principles of the Method which I think everyone should follow that will walk by a rule in ordering his thoughts for Meditation and Consultation Here you have the aim of my present discourse with you wherein you may observe distinctly that I presuppose First that a man is able to order his 〈◊〉 thoughts Secondly that the means to order them is a certain rule by which 〈◊〉 should walk Thirdly that this rule hath certain principle◠〈◊〉 which now I am chiefly to speak Fourthly and that the ends or â—â—ther the objects towards which the thoughts are to be ordered are the acts of meditating and consulting If any body make these presupposalls disputable or if you should make a doubt of them I cannot proceed cleerly with you except I know where his or your scruple doth lie that some principle wherein we can agree may be taken up to rosolve it But supposing that things are not so much scrupled and made disputable as not well and fully understood then before I proceed I must open the same unto you I say then concerning the first that my meaning is not that a man hath any such command over himself that all the risings of thoughts in his minde should be under his power either to prevent thoughts which he would not have to come in his minde or to lay down thoughts risen or to reduce at all times into good order the thoughts that cannot be laid down This is not my meaning For I know that the preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord Prov. 16. 1. and that mans goings are of the Lord and that therefore he cannot understand his own way in respect of the first motions thereof ibid. Chap. 20. 24 to which that place of Jerem. 10. 23. is parallel O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself and it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps viz. the first motions are not from a man nor can a man by any humane instruction or habituall practise and premeditation attain to any such perfection that he shall be able to direct and over-rule all his thoughts and the actions which proceed from thence unto his own preconceived aims and ends For although a mans heart doth deceive his way and laieth plots unto it self and maketh many resolutions yet the Lord is he who directeth a mans steps towards the event thereof so that neither 〈◊〉 â—6 9. the first motions of the mind nor the constant absolute progresse thereof is in our power but this I mean when I say that we are able to order our thoughts viz. that the understanding of a man hath received from God a reflexive faculty to consider of it self and its own actions and of all things belonging unto the motions thereof to the end that they may be brought into some regular frame and freed from confusion and unsettlednesse for the prosecution of matters whereupon the Spirit is fully bent and ought to be fixed This reflexive faculty is given to the nature of all mens understanding but it is not in the power of every one to make use of it or to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use of it For neither can every one reflect upon himselfe and his owne motions when it is most expedient not when he doth reflect upon himselfe and upon the acts of his understanding can he doe it at all times as he ought to doe it but this ability to make use and to make right use of the reflexive faculty is a peculiar gift of God and he doth bestow it upon whomsoever he pleaseth For as Elihu saith to Job There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding so it is certaine that although the faculty of ordering our wayes be in the soule yet except God breath upon it and make it alive it cannot either act or act any thing aright but it lyeth there as a dead thing without motion whilest a man doth walke at randome in a vaine shew not knowing himselfe what he is doing or if perhaps hee doth take notice of himselfe what he is doing or if perhaps hee doth take notice of himselfe as naturally men use to doe it is rather to flatter himself in idle conceits and imaginations or to follow eagerly some particular plots then to order and regulate his wayes unto true felicity and subordinate his motions unto the lawfull ends for which they should be undertaken Thus I must be understood in the first presupposall aright lest I should seem to attribute too much unto our owne abilities in nature and exempt the motions of our heart from Gods immediate working upon it as if he did leave it wholly to a mans selfe or as if by any art method instruction and direction which wee can give any man should be made able to rule all his thoughts so that they should be composed at all times to attaine to any object which hee should propose unto himselfe This must not be thought but my meaning is to be conceived of the ordinary faoulty of reflecting upon our selves how to make use of it in the fear of God when we find our selves moved to intend good and lawfull matters for our owne and others edificution how then we should frame and compose our Meditations and Consultation to attaine by rule unto the end for which they are undertaken and not to proceed as fooles and children doe at a randome in the acts wherein reason and wisdome should take place is the true object of this Discourse and the sense of the first supposall The second presupposall thinke hath no difficulty For if a man doth grant that there is a reflexive faculty in the understanding and that this faculty can act upon the thoughts and that those thoughts can be ordered and freed from
thoughts aright and whosoever walketh by this Rule hee may expect that in seeking the Kingdome of God other things shall be added unto him according to the promise of Christ Mat. 6. 33. Now because I labour in the wayes of my calling and in all the Meditations which I use to propose unto others to draw mens thoughts unto this rule therefore although none doth contradict the proposalls which I make yet I finde that they are not much relished because most men even of this Calling wherein I live seek not truly that which is spirituall but rather that which is temporall either in a rationall or sensuall way for except they can perceive a particular present advantage of honour and credit or of profit to themselves they never care for that which is spirituall And this is the cause why I cannot sinde a Patron for my worke because I doe not set my minde to serve ends and particular interests unto which all parties now adayes are wedded and can relish nothing but what is lubordinate thereunto This then is the combate which I have to fight with the spirits of men namely to bring them from their private Aimes to a true generall good wherein the glory of God and the salvation of soules without any other respects may be advanced I have added this Digression to let you see that I neither can nor will expect promotion for my endeavours but from such as can and will follow with me these principles of Meditation and Consultation to joyne with me therein to further the publike good whereat I aime For except mens aime concur there can be no reall conjunction of endeavours And it is not lawfull for me to leave my aime and way of meditation to serve inferiour ends and seeing they cannot raise their thoughts to walke with me by these rules I am like to be as I am continually deserted yet I am not discouraged for I know that my reward is with him whom I serve and he in due time is able to open mens eyes to see that they weary themselves for vanity and wander in the foolishnesse of troublesome councels so long as they follow not these grounds of meditation For all the plots and purposes of men meerly rationall though never so plausibly and strongly laid will vanish when the Kingdome of God draweth neer which is now at hand and then nothing but what is truly universall and spirituall shall remain If then we do not intend to lose our labour and be frustrate of our reward we should sow to the Spirit by a sound way of spirituall meditation and consultation in all matters which we take in hand That every purpose wherein we desire to walk rationally amongst men and to apply our senses in a right course may be first considered as in the presence of God conscionably These generall Principles of meditation by the grace of God may be usefull for the ordering of our thoughts in particular objects if according to the nature of these grounds rules be delivered to direct the acts of the mind in the disquirie of doubtfull matters as well rationall and humane as spirituall and divine so far as these can be brought under a rule For we cannot presume to prescribe any rules to the Spirit in his motions because as it is in the work of regeneration so is it in the discovery of mysteries the Spirit bloweth where and when it pleaseth yet some rules may be given to the rationall faculty which is subservient unto the Spirit by which deceits may be prevented and mistakes discovered that a spirituall man may be able to walk in the light both by proposing cautions to himself and calling his thoughts unto an account that he may discern his own spirit and regulate his course so far as reason doth go lest he be led by some false light and a deceived spirit bring him out of the way For when the Apostle Rom. 1. 2. 3. doth warn every man not to think above that which he ought to think but to think according to sobriety as God hath distributed unto every one the measure of faith he doth cleerly give us a rule by which we are to reflect upon our selves in spirituall matters to discern our own thoughts by a discovery of the proportion which they have with the Principle from which they flow And as in this so in all other acts of meditation the rule will be found in the same kind of proportion Now the objects of meditation concerning which doubts may arise and wherein mistakes may be incident which by the regulating of our thoughts may be prevented or resolved are chiefly these First concerning the sense of the Holy Scriptures which are the dictates of the Holy Ghost we finde that many doubts do arise in the minds of Interpreters which without a certain rule cannot be resolved Therefore concerning Scripturall Interpretation I conceive that the way of analysing the Text literally materially and mystically may be delivered so as to discover the grounds of demonstrating the true sense thereof so far as the proportion of faith doth lead us and further we are not warranted to proceed Secondly concerning all other matters wherein the minde may be more free and needs not be bound up as in Scripturall meditation to the dictates of anothers meaning the rules are of two sorts some for Theoreticall some for practicall meditations and both these are either in humane or divine objects The Theory of humane objects may have rules to direct the mind to sinde out hidden truths in naturall things The Practicall meditations of humane matters require rules discovering the wayes of prudency by which the best course of doing lawfull businesses may be found out and followed The Theory of divine objects must wholly be Scripturall therefore all the rules which can be delivered to direct the mind to sind out hidden truths of this kind must be consequences of that analyticall doctrine which doth relate to the matters and mysteries of the Text. Lastly the practicall meditations of the spirituall objects concern either the doubts of conscience which Christians may have within themselves or the works of edification to be intended towards others Of the first rules may be given how the conscience should resolve it self of its doubts of the second how the works should be prosecuted and proposed toward others Of all which much is to be said of very great concemment to the building up of our souls in truth and peace but many outward lets and distractions and some inward infirmities of mine own take me off from the attention and intentivenesse which is requisite in the elaborating of so weighty matters time and leasure is then requisite which I hope the Lord will grant with other necessary graces and this I am willing to assure you of that you shall never be more willing to put me upon these tasks then I shall be found according to the ability which it hath pleased God to grant unto me ready and desirous to apply my self thereunto for your edisication as being in truth Your most affectionate and faithfull servant in Christ J. Dury FINIS