which they continue in and would not part with and as hard on the other hand is it to bring them to see that particular thing to be their interest and duty which they have no mind to do they will be still in thoughts and hopes that what they like at present may prove much better than God hath ordained or any before them have found so dangerous and hardning is the deceitfulness of Sin Well may the Apostle be in such earnest and haste as he is in his calls to us Hebr. 3. when hardning by the Deceitfulness of Sin is so near us ver 13. But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Having by this Text produced the Supream KING's Warrant under his Hand and Signet for what I have herein already done or intend to do I may justly expect for his sake some regard from you as also for that I intend to propose for Common good only i.e. to make our King and People a perfect and happy Church and State And as means thereunto shall suggest nothing but what will recommend itself to every man's Conscience and evidence itself as most loyal and most affectionate to the Person of his Majesty his Government in Church and State his Subjects of all sorts so most conducing to Peace and most subservient to the Interest of the whole as my next Chapter will shew CHAP. III. I Intend nothing more than to bring us to these two most edifying and saving things 1 To do our Own business 2 To Love On these shall hang as I intend all my following Discourse Section I. 1 To do our Own business which cannot well if at all be done without knowledge especially the doing I am now upon which respects a great Kingdom and the Salvation thereof Are the blind the ignorant or erroneous fit for this business There is then as I conceive a four-fold knowledge requisite hereunto 1 Knowledge of God in the Incommunicable and Communicable perfections of the Divine Nature also a being fixt in belief of the reality and excellency of his Being And though Unity be necessary thereto yet that there are Three subsisting therein which doctrine of the Trinity is not so mysterious as I once took it to be and to the pure and humble Inquirer after God will be found that which renders Christian Religion the more reasonable and worthy of all acceptation in that it gives light and beauty to all other parts of that Institution The Socinian then by denying this shews himself a false pretender to Reason having it not in truth if he hath any it is so gross and material that it exceeds not the Animal State or Life among men when he meddleth with Divine Mysteries But to return The knowledge of God in himself as I have said is a requisite hereunto so is that what he is to us and to the Societies of men 2 Another requisite is to know Our selves i.e. to know what we are or have with respect to our own Nation i.e. as we are Men and Christians now living in England That you may see in short what this knowledge of God and Our selves is I will present the Heads thereof to your view in this order GOD Father Spirit The First Good A Being of all possible perfection Son Spirit Supream Good A Being of all possible perfection 1. Incommunicable proper to him alone which he gives to none Absolute Simplicity Essential Unity Immutability Infiniteness of Place Time Immensity Eternity 2. Communicable of which he gives to Creatures belonging either to the Divine 1. Understanding Knowledge Wisdom Particular Providence 2. Will namely his Goodness Justice Faithfulness 3. Faculties of acting his Power or Omnipotence Dominion over us in this life Distributing future Rewards and Punishments This GOD is the Universal and Supream LORD of all Beings by Creation and Prefervation Owner Ruler Benefactor of England Redemption Teacher Expiator Head of England Renovation Restorer Reassumer In-dweller of England MAN Reasonable Created In England to be known and considered 1. Naturally Spirit i.e. Highest Pure Divine Good Soul i.e. Middle Solicited by Flesh and Spirit to evil or good Body i.e. Base Sensitive Bruitish bending always to Matter and Earth to which when the Soul yields it is carnal or evil 2. Providentially in 1. Relatives Governing Supream Real King Lords Commons Parliament 1. Relatives Governing Supream Personal King 1. Relatives Governing Subordinate Magistrates 1. Relatives Governed People 2. Religion Revealed Naturally in Law of Nature Supernaturally in Holy Scriptures 3. Constitutions Humane Civil Ecclesiastical Laws 4. Riches 5. Times Ordinary or Extraordinary Prosperous Adverse Reforming Degenerating Uniting Discordant 6. Examples Good Bad at Home Abroad of Superiours Equals Inferiours 7. House or Family Governour Parent Master 7. House or Family Governed Child Servant The other Relations in Churches and Schools I leave you to supply MAN discovered in Supernatural Revelation to be 1. Created upright Spiritual To Rule Animal Sensitive To Obey and Apt for temptation A Free Agent Animal Sensitive To Obey and Apt for temptation Lord over God's Works Animal Sensitive To Obey and Apt for temptation Put into Paradise Bliss 2. In Covenant with God which contained benefits on God's part made over to Adam as Root or Head of Mankind and On Man's part Duty required by God Absolute on God's part to Man Law Natural for him as Spirltual To be without sin and to do all required Strength Absolute on God's part to Man Law Positive for him as Animal Sensitive To be without sin and to do all required Strength Internal viz. Rectitude in all his parts Virtuous qual External viz. Divine Communications Laws their Sanctions Conditional Continuance of Light to direct Strength to assist Conditional The gift of Eternal life or felicity with God for ever On Man's part required by God Walking in the Light Using the Strength Perfect Obedience 3. Tempted to Sin by an Apostate Angel 4. Disobedient to God in eating forbidden Fruit and so fell and Mankind with him from Happiness into a state of Sin and Misery Sin Guilt Darkness Corruption Impotence Obduracy The Law of Sin wrought in his Body Sin reigned therein No good thing dwelling there the Law of his Members being predominant Rom. 7.23 not possible to be without Sin Misery Privative Good withdrawn God's Spirit Privative Good withdrawn Happiness Positive Evil inflicted Captivated by our Enemies evil or foul Spirits Positive Evil inflicted Tortured by Lusts Passions Positive Evil inflicted Subjected to the Base and to our Servant or Subject Positive Evil inflicted Pains c. Death present future A state of all this i. e. very extensive and out of which Man cannot recover himself Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am and that thou art who can or who shall deliver thee from the body of this death ver 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord whom he hath provided to be a Saviour GOD
Father Son and Spirit from Eternity fore-seeing Man's Fall do decree his Recovery through Jesus Christ i.e. God-Man or God manifested in the Flesh Or to speak as we may conceive through the Second of the Holy Trinity in the one Divine Nature his assuming and performing in our Nature what in so great a design as Man's Reconciliation to God was sit to be done Man by disobedience being in the state I have described to you two things at least must be to restore him 1 Expiation for Man's Sin 2 Renovation of Man's Nature He being unable to do either and these things being less fit or impossible to any other than the ONE DIVINE NATVRE or GOD no one acts therein but who is God It is decreed to be accomplished as was the first Creation by the three Persons or Relatives in the One Divine Essence The Divine Persons moving herein though in One Nature are apart as Relatives So far as I can see into this great Mystery by Scripture and Natural light it seems thus The Father who is of none acteth as Father i.e. in the Relation most eminent wherein he may be said To give or send His Son On this account is it that what in Man's Recovery belongs to God Essentially is ascribed to the Father because he is the first in order is of none acts from none but all derive from or act under him To be moved by His Son On this account is it that what in Man's Recovery belongs to God Essentially is ascribed to the Father because he is the first in order is of none acts from none but all derive from or act under him His Justice satisfied by His Son On this account is it that what in Man's Recovery belongs to God Essentially is ascribed to the Father because he is the first in order is of none acts from none but all derive from or act under him His Authority owned by His Son On this account is it that what in Man's Recovery belongs to God Essentially is ascribed to the Father because he is the first in order is of none acts from none but all derive from or act under him His Law vindicated by His Son On this account is it that what in Man's Recovery belongs to God Essentially is ascribed to the Father because he is the first in order is of none acts from none but all derive from or act under him And Man is said to have sinned against him and by him was cast out of Paradise That he called to Adam and by Promise opened the door of Hope to him Gen. 3. That all issues from his Love In short from hence as I conceive it is That what in Man's Creation or Recovery belongeth unto the Supream either to receive or to do is in Scripture given to God in the Relation most eminent i.e. unto the Father The Son as of the Father in the Relation Second in the Godhead moves as subordinate accepts and executes with propensness or delight the Father's Will herein Which he did in Leaving his Father Assuming our Nature Sinless Infirmities to be to us Priest To Live a holy an afflicted life Assuming our Nature Sinless Insirmities to be to us Prophet To Die upon the Cross Arise Ascend Intercede for us Assuming our Nature Sinless Insirmities to be to us Head To Die upon the Cross Arise Ascend Intercede for us Whereby he perfected Expiation and brought it to this That God was in him also reconciling of us to himself These his Transactions whilst in decree only afar off before the fulness of time was come were to the Faithful Fore-seer saving and most cheering things How much more now is it a mighty Salvation which he hath raised up for us in the House of his Servant David Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People This should cause us chearfully to obey him and willingly to part with every thing for him who parted with life for us and is still mindful of us This should excite our hope of Good from him no less than the supply of all our wants especially forgiveness of our Sins Sanctification and everlasting Salvation In no case are we now to entertain any Despairing thoughts for this God our Saviour being both God and Man is able and willing to help us What though as Sinners our condition is sad yet this JESUS of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Which will be compleat Salvation to us being in extent to that from within us or from without us which did cast us into Sin and Misery For obtaining all which we have only possible reasonable and desirable Conditions on our part to perform viz. Deep sense of our Unworthiness truly repenting that we have sinned i.e. unto hate and forsaking Real sense of God's undeserved goodness Faith in Christ i. e. believing him to be Truth Expecting from his Free Grace accepting of him entire to be ours Obeying of his Commands Fearing his Threatnings with the perfection of Sincerity Newness of life i.e. in denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and living soberly righteously and godly If we faithfully intend to practise these things though we are not of our selves sufficient so much as to think one good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 yet is all possible and easie to us in the enablement of God's blessed Spirit Who to perfect or compleat our Cure and Recovery is the Eternal Spiration the Third in the Divine Essence sent forth from Father and Son to finish or carry on the 2 Renovation of Man's Nature The Son is more eminently to save and the Spirit to renew The Son is to perform so that before Angels and Men it shall be congruous for God to Pardon to come down as it were to Man and the Spirit is to bring Man up to God That it may become God to let Man live in his Kingdom and that Man may be an agreeable and obedient Subject therein In a word That a Sinner dead in Law might by Grace live and be holy and happy both here and hereafter To know and to consider all this is required to the well-doing our Own business as we are single Men or as we are in Societies and Kingdoms that lapsed Nations as a lapsed Man may be restored unto God From what I have said another Analysis might be drawn to represent at one view how Man is to be known and considered Now GOD the Father through the SON and both of them by the SPIRIT have Redeemed him As thus MAN In Propitiation by Christ is most fitly by God Continued in his Creature State Spirit To Rule In Dominion over God's Works Put in capacity of God's Present Eternal Communion or Favour Continued in his Creature State Soul Body To Obey Apt to err In Dominion over God's Works Put in capacity of God's Present Eternal Communion or Favour In the Operations of the Spirit we may as it were see him Restored unto Conviction
Religion Of these is Love to God and Man Justice Faithfulness Purity Goodness c. the Communicable Perfections in God and wherein we are to be like unto him The subordinate Duties be those which Are Only instituted of God Changeable by him Means to Vertue or Grace Not necessary to all Good Darkly or less spoken of in Scripture Sometimes therein said to be rejected by God and to be less acceptable to him Of these were Sacrifices and Circumcision c. of Old and of these are now Sacraments Baptism and the Lord's Supper Preaching Hearing Reading and Prayer as a Means only and if these much more are Forms of Worship and Forms of Administration of Ordinances Observation of Days c. 4 When we are thus far gone there is yet a farther requisite to know the degree of performance which belongeth to us for it is not enough in doing our own Business to be stedfast and unmoveable 1 Cor. 15. ult unless we add thereto as St. Paul saith alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord and in another place Ephes 3. Rom. 12.11 strengthned with might in the inner-man and again Not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord i. e. industrious and nimble to do any thing that is your own business and having that earnest affection to God's Service that shall inflame and set you most ardently about it and accordingly doing those things that in respect of the circumstances of time and place wherein now you are may most tend to the honour of God and building up of this Nation and his Church therein Very much lieth upon this as to success in our doing and the All of acceptance with God thereon dependeth therefore when we are doing our own business let us have special regard to the proper degree which every act claimeth either 1 Internal in our Intellect Will. Affection 2 External in Visibility Extent c. I have in this Section pointed at Matter which requireth many thoughts and would take up a large Book to write what it suggesteth to me I crave of thee Reader thoughts to supply my defect through brevity c. Writing ought for the Press is novel to me and the toil so sore that I shall avoid occasion to crave the like again of thee Besides our thinking thereon will bring us to know God and Jesus Christ whom to know is life eternal Also our Duty to him to perform which is our highest perfection and interest We shall also know our selves than which is not a more becoming and useful knowledge and our station and circumstances whereby to help or save our distressed and almost lost Nation We shall therein see that in our places we are to act not as France or Geneva but as English or we despise our own happy enjoyment and business We shall see our own business is to do as God and Conscience would have us and that if any are better than we we are to mend until we come to be Examples fit for them That our business is to improve our Riches and all our enjoyments to see God in them and to serve him with them We shall see it our business to discern the times to receive the instruction God designs us by them and to grow so wise as thence to collect what is to be done for Healing and the speed we ought to make thereunto Further We may thence find what may shame us for squabling about Trifles and cure our Ignorance in valuing Anise and Cummin as more acceptable to God than the weightier matters of the Law We shall therein see that to imitate Joshua in resolution and practice is our own business that we and our houses will serve the Lord. Finally Jos 14.15 we therein see that in Goodness and true Piety we are to be most hearty and affectionate to be as the Chariots of Aminadab And seeing this will help us so to be and being so we shall never be ashamed Psal 119.6 That Shame may blush to follow me Wooâ—â—ford in loc Who Thy Commands pursue and follow none but thee Though I am most unfit to speak and do hazard my Reputation by thus uttering my voice yet having taken upon me to do it I cannot be silent My King and Country lie nearest my heart when they are touched it is more to me than a touch on the apple of my Eye Jer. 9.1 2 3. Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my People Ver. 2. Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men that I might leave my People and go from them for they be all Adulterers an assembly of treacherous men Ver. 3. And they bend their Tongues like their Bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the Earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. I do not intend in any part of these evil of our Sovereign Lord the KING I fear that God who hath commanded Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought and give obedience thereto not to avoid the Tale being told but in Duty to God and Loyal affection to him I do not only pray and give thanks unto God for him that under him I may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty but that I may see him the Praise of the whole Earth In order to which I purpose to represent in process of my Discourse the Character of an Excellent Prince which either is or may be his I am no Papist to wish or contrive his death nor Rat-Catcher to suggest that Snares and bane are good for him Nor yet am I a Republican-Wrestler in a design to trip up his heels that he may be level with me I am for establishment of his Throne in Righteousness and for him and his to be in it so long as Sun and Moon endureth and that whilst alive he may be the Prince of the Kings of the Earth I remember the sorrow I felt for the Murther of his Father in Anno 1648. though I was then not above 12 years old and the distraction and misery since I also resent the sinfulness of that Sin and the vile abominations the Republicans committed which Resentments are not of yesterday in me but first began in Anno 1646 or 47 and by the mercy of God have been unmoveably these to this day I say upon these accounts it is that I cannot without abhorrence think of any Attempt to alteration of Civil Government amongst us Should such a thing happen either to the right or lest I am confident our Misery will be doubled upon us the least I expect is You shall be destroyed both you and your King Section II. 1 Let Governours then in Civils do their own business i. e. adhere unto true Old English look when and wherein we have thence
oft mentioned His Father's Death in the former way had their Heart and their Hand in it also unto God they most Blasphemously gave thanks for it The preceding Analyses do set forth opportunity or seasons as one Talent the Englishman hath to improve To do so is Wisdom it doth give us to obtain with ease and certainty When the Prodigal Luke 15. had spent all and began to be in want then was it that the Supream Law-giver applied unto him Recovering or Saving Grace Laws being as I have shewn the weightier Matter should you now execute only on Persons some may be prone to say Wo unto you These ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone ye seem as those which strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel i. e. ye are laborious or warm at the smaller and very adventurous or heedless in the greatest matter In things to be made your work and care and about which you ought to be most precise In a Speech which a Learned Man hath thought fit to print in his Book entituled The Spirit of Popery speaking out of the Mouths of Phanatical Protestants are these words Popery and Slavery like two Sisters go hand in hand sometimes one goes first sometimes the other in at doors but the other is alway following close at hand In England Popery was to have brought in Slavery In Scotland Slavery went before and Popery was to follow Which I here transcribe hoping they will impress not as he saith it did on the Scots Phanaticks but so as to endear true Old English to us than which nothing is more distant from Slavery and by consequence puts Popery far from us This Section being directed to the Wisdom and to the Supream of this Nation I must not pursue things too far or descend to more particulars so as to incur their just displeasure or the imputation of over-doing I judge as a Great Man * Sir Walter Kawleigh hath directed me that Temperament best for the Throne which makes the People Loving and free of courage for Kings being attended by Slaves shall be attended in time of necessity by Slavish minds Homer speaks to this purpose God bereaveth man of half his vertue that day when he casteth him into bondage And Charron saith The Popular Estate makes the Sovereign of worse condition than a Carter The Monarchy placeth him above God himself by either of which a Nation is made unhappy If so it is obvious to any what methods a Prince should choose to govern his People by To be a good Governour is a rare Commendation and to preserve the Weal-publick above all respects whatsoever is the vertue justly termed Heroical By what I have said it doth appear Our Bishops in special ought to assist herein because they know that the Humane Law depending on that of Nature deduced from God's Eternal Law which is the Rule of all his Creatures is the guard of Kings Magistrates and Vertuous Men yea the very Spirit and the very Sinews of every Estate in the World by which as Sir Walter Rawleigh saith they live and move Besides if we provide not hereby to have Humane and God-like Kings we may not expect to enjoy Christian and Protestant Bishops Devil and Pope be never long asunder if the one gains the Throne the other will soon possess the Church We being as we are almost universally Protestants once make us no true English it will in short time be no true Religion in England Protestant Bishops to suppose themselves by the Advance so termed though falsly of the King secured is a fatal mistake and mischief To say or think there is no harm if Prerogative be higher now than it was in the time of Queen Elizabeth or before 1660 and to fix it or to permit it to remain so in Law is to bring Pope or Leveller in upon us whereby our Religion as our Liberty will be lost or our King and Lords when least the Bishops shall be deemed useless if not dangerous things 2 Let our Clergy study to be quiet Vide Naked Truth the Second Part printed since I wrote this Book though the Author as I hear be a very bad Man and it may be uttereth against you what is false yet ought you as David did in the matter of Reproach from Shimei to judge God hath a hand there for you to observe or improve unto the speedy inspecting your Foundation and Practice and unto greater circumspection and charity in future Also that you in Preaching cease medling out of your Sphere Such as with matter of Right in the Subject to Petition for a Parliament either to deny to disparage or to lessen it which no wise or good English man will ever do Though some of Excellency therein did some Months since decline countenancing the indiscreet management of some who were then upon it For though the Subject hath ever Right to do it be the King for it or against it yet Prudence may require suspension of Execution and do their Own business i. e. keep within the Churches Pale I will not dispute their right in Civils suppose it theirs yet I think it their interest at this time and most Apostolical to act as more Divine Look ye O Men of God unto JESVS the author and finisher of our Faith unto the Apostles especially to St. Paul to the Cloud of Witnesses in Holy Writ to Archbishop Vsher in his Reduction to Bishop Jos Hall in Pax Terris Peace Maker and Modest offer I say look unto these and many more there are who with those Heb. 12.1 compass you about which should dispose you to lay aside every weight love to this World and the sin which doth so easily beset you fear of Man which disposeth to Cowardize and Treachery whereby you will become not only the Dead Weight but Death to our State and Church or that of Uncharitably pressing Conformity in matters for which you have only fair pretences Ye are taught of God and have been of late so well suggested unto by the Dean of Canterbury in his excellent Sermon to the Men of Yorkshire also heretofore by Mr. Baxter in his Pious Discourses Gildas Salvianus c. that to them I refer 3 Let all Subjects in England c. study to be quiet and do their Own business Bite their own fingers rather than scratch their Head 2. Pet. 2.10 Speak evil of no man Exod. 22.28 Psal 62.4 more especially not of Dignities nor nevile the Gods or curse the Ruler of our People nor covet or consult to cast him down from his excellency but be most suspicious of themselves inquiring rather how far they may go without sin in compliance with his commands than how far he should extend them the nature of things required being more our concern to know than his Authority therein What I have said in a fore-going Section about the Subordination of Duties may much assist you herein for you will find Obedience