only means of grace though therefore the sole ministry of the word were insufficient to ingenerate virtue yet when in conjunction with prayer Sacraments c. there is no reason to argue it of such insufficiency especially when even those Scriptures themselves teach us that where all these outward means are vouchsafed that inward supernatural divine power which we call the Holy Spirit Accompanies if it be not withstood and by frequent quenching finally impeded to work the excellent effect we speak of It is then notwithstanding this suggestion most reasonable necessary and available to virtue to Worship God by hearing and searching Scripture Sect. 5 To those three offices specified if any other so purely of positive nature may be added amongst what we Christians pretend to be in strictness obligatory to all I take the most likely to be publick confession of Faith It is plain that upon occasion the Scripture doth require it And the laws and practice of our Church make it a daily part of our publick worship Now as to it we say that if the principles of Faith are in their own nature apt to oblige and incite to virtue as already declared then certainly inasmuch as every close and frequent view of premises more intimately imprints their conclusions the solemn repetition and owning those Doctrines must needs draw out that their influence and make them more fresh and livelily operative upon our minds to all virtue Besides what an eternal obligation to perseverance and constancy in the Christian Faith and so to all virtue consequent from it that is certainly all natural virtue whatsoever must this lay upon us that we have all so often before God Angels and men professed and avowed our serious belief and adhaesion to these principles Who can easily turn Apostate from what he hath so sacredly and so frequently upon so great evidence as all intelligent persons have of the Christian Faith given full assent and consent unto Plain then it is upon a particular view of all the offices of positive worship which Christians pretend to that besides the stamp of divine authority their conduciveness to virtue makes them most reasonable and necessary For a close then to this second part of our discourse Inasmuch as these holy offices spoken of are to be by all Christians some of them every day and therein more than once all of them except baptism often repeated nor doth any one pay the worship he owes according to the rule we hold to if he once or seldom pray meditate hear communicate and confess and Inasmuch as it is already evident every due iteration of each of them makes deeper impressions of or towards virtue it is I had almost said beyond contradiction proved that who so addicts himself to the due and orderly practice of the Christian positive worship that is is devout must thereby attain unto and grow in all natural as well as Christian virtue And then let them look to it who cry up natural virtue as the only true or necessary worship of the supreme God how they will approve themselves either friends to virtue which they pretend so much to admire or worshipers of God to whom they would seem the only true and rational devotes Surely the imaginary honour which they think they thus give to virtue is but a very unproportionable recompence for that real damage which it must needs sustain by having all those offices lifted out which God appointed the Church ever practiced and by long practice found to be the most sovereign means and preservatives of virtue and without which it would presently languish into an empty name having little footing or interest any where saving only in mens discourse And then as to God it is not easy to see how they can approve themselves worshipers Sect. 3 of him when they deny at least decry vilify and slight that worship which his infinite wisdom contrived and his sovereign authority enacted as most proper not only to express in a way acceptable to him the homage which we owe but to secure to us what only can constitute us happy holy and virtuous minds Chap. III. Of the third general head § 1. A positive worship certain from Scripture and Scripture certain from the truth of Christian Religion § 2. The truth of the Christian Religion evident from the History of it § 3. Before Christ § 4. Evident from the History of it in the time of Christ and his Apostles § 5. Evident from the History of its progress and state since § 6. A recapitulatory conclusion of the whole Sect. 1 THE sum of what we have hitherto cleared is that there must be some worship of divine institution and positive nature and that all those offices of such worship which Christians observe are most reasonable to be observed because necessary as so many means to the propagating virtue But though something hath been said above on the refutative part to vindicate the Holy Scripture or the Christian Oracles from those imputations and exceptions which are brought by some in common against all divine revelation which in the end asserts those offices which holy Scripture prescribes unto us to be of divine institution yet little or nothing hitherto hath been brought in a probative way to evince either the divine Authority of Scripture or of those offices from thence Now the divine right of the offices cannot I presume be doubted admiting the divine authority or truth of Scripture or in case it should we have made it sufficiently evident from Scripture as to each particular in another tract to Method for private Devotion which this discourse refers And then generally the truth of Scripture cannot be questioned admitting the truth of Christian Religion For if there be any such thing amongst mankind as a true Religion besides that Religion which is supposed natural as we have above proved there is that Religion must be the true one which the supreme God ordained So that to say the Christian is the true Religion is to say that it was ordained by God If therefore Christian Religion were ordained by God as it must be confest it was if it be the true Religion then must those Oracles or Records which do contain the particulars or offices whereof this Religion is made up contain such things as the supreme God enjoined to men which is all that at present we mean by the general truth of Scripture I have used the term of general truth to avoid what might be objected touching various readings which if various and so various as we know they are in both Testaments some must be false but this as above said prejudices not our cause So that in fine to say the Christian is the true Religion and to say holy Scripture is of divine authority or true in our sense is but one and the same thing For all Christians in common do agree that Scripture contains the essentials and body of their Religion and all who acknowledge
he be the less able to rellish it when he shall sit down to it his imployments having got him appetite and the orderly intermixture of sacred with common Offices reciprocally sweetned both each other and all his enjoyments Verily it is not easie to bring in an account of the pleasure of a busie life If variety as before said makes the pleasure may not change of business justly put in for a Recreation And what calling is there so barren but it affords some different offices none of them so ungrateful but familiarity hath some way sweetned them which while with a discreet diligence a man he is busied in he is pleasingly though insensibly delivered from those tedious nonplus's and uneasie Shifts to which the idle World is put how to spend their time And because for most or every of his hours he hath had work he hath the happy Prospect of fewer lost ones to account for In the end of the day he eats his bread with chearfulness and if he carry to Bed a weary Body 't is abundantly recompenced with an easie mind and sweet sleep till the next Morning returns him without dull Head-achs or oscitant qualms or crapulous Clouds like the Stars only clearer by having set When also he advances in his known Orb to move a new round of action and delight and take thereof as many vicissitudes and successions till that first eternal mover the pleased spectatour and witness of his diligence shall say It is enough well done my faithful Servant who worest my Image to some purpose and was like me in activity till I had a mind thou shouldst be like me too in blessedness Possibly all do not rellish these things but I am apt to think even those who rellish them least cannot but judge that who is acquainted with this life would be very loath to exchange it with their duller ease By such time then as the vileness of an idle sensual life and the satisfaction of diligence have been duly weighed we may suppose all who are not lost beyond remedy willing to shake off their clog which if they would do Thirdly Let them find themselves imployment proper at least honest and such which may either become them or they honour it Those who are to live on their trades or business cannot be to seek what is imployment proper for them Those who are meerly Gentlemen at large it is presumed have their own discretion a sufficient guide There can none of so worthy condition be thought of so unhappy and neglected education but it is easie even for such who are of meanest proficiency in erudition amongst them to find themselves liberal imployments worthy of themselves The reading our English Chronologers and other like Forreign Historians a multitude whereof are extant in English the study of our statute Laws which are generally plain and easie and both excellently fit them for the service of their Country the acquainting themselves with their own estates and particular customs relating thereto which may preserve them from being imposed upon by their rooking Stewards The improvement of their Lands by planting Trees of divers sorts and other ingenious points of agriculture or if none of these please the looking into Heraldry considering and collecting the Coat Armours of their Ancestours and the Neigbouring Gentry the study of the plainer parts of the Mathematicks which are easily writ by divers in English as Dialling measuring of land Architecture if that infect not too much with the itch of building and such like At other times Musick where there is any promptitude to it all these are impolyments very worthy and honourable and such in which there can scarce any Gentleman be presumed so unhappy in his education but he may easily busie himself with good success in especially if he chuse for his associats and converse such sober and ingenious persons of the Neighbouring gentry or Clergy as have any vain towards or insight in these and the like studies If these suggestions are not particular or large enough there is a truly pious Book nobly writ and directed The Gentlemans Calling to the Gentry which I hope none of that order will think they can in honour live unacquainted with from whence full satisfaction may be had Waving therefore that work which is already done to our hands utterly be-beyond hopes of equalling we proceed to advise Fourthly That such who are conscious to themselves of an idle temper if they would Master it having found out proper imployment set themselves therein a daily task or portion to be done at least until such time they have a little overcome their wonted negligence This if they will but stir up themselves and exert those powers which they wear they easily may do and as easily dispatch and be constant to their own injunctions especially if they do not by indiscreet promptitude over-load themselves at first by too rigid vows or resolves It is the sober zeal which is most lasting Let therefore prudence shape out the work and t is to be hoped it will after excite fortitude and constancy to suffice for its performance To conclude all this discourse Whoever would break himself of an idle sensual habit let him not forget in his first attempts the daily due discharge of divine Worship Beginnings many times are ominous and he is likely to go worst out of his way who misseth it at first setting out It will be therefore no less an act of prudence than of Duty and Piety to begin with God and bless every days work and every nights rest with Prayer and due examination of what hath been the success in this new engagement By this means relapses may be prevented or checked in the first inclinations and tendencies to them natural powers excited to their full vigour and which is more than all the holy Spirit daily call'd and as it were a fresh tempted down to the the assistance of the labouring mind The success of all which practices it is to be hoped will be this that the practis't will be vindicated from the slavery he hath contracted to sensuallity and dullness and asserted into the liberty of a pious and diligent life the designed end of this part of our discourse Sect. 4 To perswade any person concerned to this practice if the meer directions which we have given may not serve some of them as proper means commending themselves to our choice by their own reasonableness and the approbation which they receive in our brests upon their very being propounded and further disswading to persit in that life which they discover to be so vile and brutish if I say of this practice their need further enforcement that one consideration shall serve for all that it is most certain as to matters of a future life and of concernment to our Souls Every one Lives only so much of his time as is spent in action Rest and ease and refection are necessary indeed for the support of this life and
but is reducible to the head of Intellectual Pleasures If to Habit to the head of Vanity in Apparel If to Diet or bodily Ease to Sensuality and so of many others Sect. 2 Only one thing offers it self not yet touched because an Evil not so much from a single Enemy as from a complication of their joint malice and poison and that is Schism a notorious Impediment of publick and blasting of private Devotion And this I say though chiefly sown in the World by the Devil at first whose work from the beginning it hath been to divide yet now propagated by a World of his Agents and would seem even innate in the proud pragmatical tempers of some men It could not therefore so fitly be referred to any of the three Classes mentioned as here spoken of by it self because deriving from all the originals of the other three Now by Schism we know is meant a separation from the common body or Church of Christ by Doctrines practices or modes of worship of our own contrariant to its determinations laws or customs But as this sin is common amongst us in this Nation it signifies nothing else but a separation from the Communion of our Church a modelling little Congregations according to rules different from the publick policy of the Church or holding with these so modell'd in a singular and novel kind of Worship Now this I say as it is evident by plain experience and matter of fact that it takes off great numbers from the publick Worship of God so is it certain from Scripture that it very much blasts their private Devotions both by debarring the persons peccant of those blessings of Heaven which otherwise they would have received and many times bringing upon them heavy judgments and calamities Dreadful is that which we read of Nadab and Abihu who but for burning the incense upon common fire were themselves burnt up before the Lord. And that of Vzzah who out of a good intent as would seem supporting the Ark which belonged not to his place and function but only to consecrated hands was struck dead in the same moment We read not that in any other points these deviated from the common laws and if so small violations of order brought such dismal wrath upon these persons what may those expect who at once reject in a manner all the Orders and Laws of the Church I know the persons chiefly guilty of this sin will pretend their cases different from those of these men because they violated Order evidently instituted by God whereas themselves only offend against humane Constitutions I answer hereto first the publick worship of God is certainly no humane but divine constitution And secondly those laws which are made by the Church of Christ for preservation of order peace and unity in the said Church being not contrary to any written law of Christ are not to be esteemed purely humane being that the Church was invested by Christ what is this but to prefer our own opinions before the confessed commands of Christ The present separation then from the Church of England by her Non-conforming Sons if yet some of them may be called Sons is not justifiable and therefore as by what hath been before touched appears mischievous and a great hinderance and bane to true piety Sect. 3 For remedy then of this evil Let every person tainted herewith first endeavour to satisfie himself of the real sinfulness of Schism as being a plain violation of the Order and Institution of Christ directly contrary to the Doctrine of his Apostles especially St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 11 12 13. and Chap. 11. 18 19 20. and in many other places but most pertinent to the present practice of our Schismaticks 1 Cor. 14 26. Being thus seriously convinced of the sinfulness of Schism proceed we secondly to the consideration of the danger and mischief thereof first to our selves in particular As long as we live in any known sin and such an one is Schism now to us we cannot expect from God the pardon of our other sins his favour or the acceptance of our persons and Duties Not only the plowing or common works of the wicked are sin but even their Prayers and holy duties an abomination Besides what unspeakable benefits do we lose hereby The influences of Gods Spirit are always most plentiful in the publick Assemblies The administration of Divine Ordinances there most solemn and affecting The presence of so many serious and devout persons whose Prayers may fetch down blessings on them whose own Prayers would not be heard the united supplications Devotions and consent of all by the promise of Christ more prevalent the interest in the Prayers of the Vniversal Church of Christ or all the faithful every where which while we hold Communion therewith daily are presented before the Throne of God in our behalf all these are of great efficacy and considerableness both to our secular and eternal weal. Shall we then for the humouring a peevish nature or proud conceit of our own forfeit so great benefits and run headlong into so dreadful danger But then secondly as to the mischief Schism doth publickly to the Church of Christ and Christianity it self that also ought to be considered though it be so various as that it is not easy to comprehend all points thereof First it administers proper scandal unto others How many plain honest persons are turned out of the plain and certain way to Heaven others intangled and hindered with scruples injected by the continued and multiplied Schisms of such whom they converse with some induced to do what they think unlawful others to reject that which being in it self innocent and enjoined them and quietly it may be before by them used they cannot refuse without sin Thus hereby we destroy not only our selves but even our Brethren for whom Christ died Further secondly doth it not beget contentions envy wrath and implacable hatreds which the very Scripture specifies to be a proper part of the Heathenish Life Are there any fewds so irreconcilable as those whose grounds are pretendly Religious dissents And then thirdly can there be any other such disgrace to the Gospel of Christ as that it should promote and foment what it came to overthrow the Kingdom of the Devil Heathenism strife malice railings bloudshed and the like Hath it been so long in the World to no better purpose What then may Atheists and wicked men say of it and how justifiable through our practices seem their Blasphemies Again fourthly may it not be observed that Schisms still have ruin'd those Churches where they have prevailed Nay lastly do they not destroy common Christianity and induce Atheism and Irreligion Is it not plain that men having once departed from the Church make no end of swerving from the truth till they come to plain Atheism Being seduced to think their first Faith false they espouse a second and as they advance in novel speculations they are tempted to suspect their second
men Now this particular respect of prayer under which considered we usually name it Intercession of what wholesome use is it to the publick benefit of the Christian Community Besides that by this means we each enjoy the fruits of one anothers Prayers which the Christian Doctrine teacheth us to believe is it not a most effectual endearment of one another that we daily pray from the bottom of our hearts each for the others good both as to Soul and Body So that consequently it must singularly dispose to and inhance Charity as that signifies loving one another Of so great and various use and subserviency to virtue is even private prayer but we are also injoined the performance of the same office in publick bodies or Assemblies which besides that it must needs promote Charity and Brotherly Love so the office being thus made more solemn and august must needs have a stronger influence in all the particular benefits mentioned or accrueing by every part of it To conclude this point of Prayer Both private and publick Prayer we are injoined often to repeat or frequent Thereby all these holy dispositions and affections are more deeply imprinted in our hearts and the nearer commencing setled and rooted habits that is to say virtues And both in private and publick Prayer we use words as well as thoughts to keep our minds more intent unto the office and its several parts that thereby we may the more ensure unto our selves the several benefits For we find our selves so accustomed to utter our thoughts by words in other cases that we can scarce in this or any at least in a long series form our thoughts except we also conceive in our minds words which for the main express them So that even the very words and external modes of Prayer are not without some contributive energy to the ingenerating virtue in us Nor has therefore God been arbitrary in the institution of this office of Worship which we call Prayer in any part respect or mode of it nor is it unreasonable to be by us performed albeit there were no such thing as hearing or granting Prayers on Gods hand which yet Christianity assures us of Sect. 3 Another by us Christians pretended and received part of divine Worship by positive right is what we call the Sacraments Offices which in their very essence having a relation after the nature Seals to a certain pact or Covenant supposed to be made between God and Man do therefore import a mutual concernment of both But whatsoever concernment they do on either side import we say each either implants or obligeth to and confirmeth virtue and consequently ensures man of happiness Of Sacraments in this notion there are and can be but two of which the first viz. Baptism is an initiation of us into Christianity and therefore administred or supposed to be administred upon our first striking the covenant with God and renouncing his our Souls supposed enemies On our part therefore it must lay a most Solemn obligation upon us to abandon vice and practice virtue as being a sacred sign or rite by which we plight our troth and are devoted to the service of that God whom Christianity teacheth us to be Father Son and Holy Ghost this being the meaning of being baptized into their name that we are by baptism consecrated to their service and accept their laws It is certain that vows testified by some external or visible sacred sign or pledge have a deeper impression to retain the devote in fidelity than if they were simply received in thought and the whole transaction passed not without the brest And in this office the particular rites we undergoe in their very intent represent our being buried with Christ and with him rising again which two being by us engaged unto and in the particular passages of our Lives reflected upon cannot but most naturally quicken us to our duty by minding us that now we have a long time professed and protested to be as dead men to every vitious sollicitation and as persons vivified active and livelily inspirited to every virtuous practice Then as to Gods part herein we pretend that he by this Sacrament makes over unto the baptised the pardon of all past sin conveies into the mind a supernatural and divine power which we call the Holy Spirit whereby the person is enabled if he will comply therewith to perform the fealty undertaken and lastly seals unto the said person upon his continuance in this fealty the promise of an happy and everlasting reward Which things if they are true as Christianity pretends and divine oracles assure us it is most evident that as baptism on our sides obliges us to virtue so on Gods it ingenerates virtue in us or enables us to and confirms us in it withal ensuring us of a most blessed reward the hope and expectation of which will be of force to bear up our minds and fill them with heroick courage constancy and resolution in the most difficult parts of Christian Duty that is to say of any virtue It may possibly be acknowledged conceiveable that Baptism may have much of this efficacy if administred to adult and understanding persons who consider what they do and undertake but whereas ordinarily amongst Christians it is administred unto infants insensible of their vow and condition it is not so readily intelligible how it should become such a Sovereign expedient unto virtue To which I answer that as to baptized Infants dying in that their infant state I do not conceive my self bound to give an account because I know not nor may any man define on what easy terms God may receive them to bliss certainly not upon the terms of personal virtue of which as far as we can see he hath by the course of nature provided that they be uncapable Subjects It s efficacy therefore as to these I leave as a more occult and unaccountable part of his providence in the mean while not doubting it as being able to believe that effect the manner of whose being effected I do not understand But as to persons baptized while Infants and after growing up it is easy to conceive how Baptism may operate to virtue in such persons as soon as they come to be capable Subjects of virtue that is sensible that they were baptized and what their Baptism meant there being nothing imaginable which can hinder its efficacy upon them proportionably to their understanding and consideration which would not proportionably hinder the same in the adult person And it is as rational as pious to believe that many of those good affections and sweet dispositions to virtue which appear in several baptized Children growing up are the effects of baptismal grace or that supernatural power before said to be by God in baptism made over and secretly conveyed into the baptized I may then conclude Baptism although an office of positive Worship yet to have been of most reasonable institution a mistery contrived by the