be enlarged to all places in the World and that not after this nor that manner of outward and carnal worship but after the only manner of inward and spiritual Service John 4.24 for God was a Spirit and therefore the true worshippers of God should always worship him in Spirit and in Truth From hence therefore the world is given to understand the two great Doctrines First That the true worship of God is onely Spiritual Secondly That there is greater perfection in Christianity than in Judaism or Heathenism Worship Spiritual 1. That the True Worship of God is only Spiritual Religion is a Spiritual service that is Prayers Praisings Eucharists Acts of Love Acts of Faith Acts of Hope Acts of Humility Fasting Alms c. Excepting the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper whose effects are Spiritual Sense mysterious Rites easie and number smallest I dare in meekness and charity challenge all perswasions to shew me if they can in the whole Digest of the Christian Law any other external Rite or Ceremony enjoyned or that is necessary that it should be enjoyned Reason Because as the Christian Religion intends wholly an exclusion of all Mosaick Ceremonies made by God so it will not admit of a Body of new and superinduced Rites made by men for they are or may be as much against the Analogy of the spiritual Worship of Jesus Christ as the body of Rites made by Moses and more because they were made by the Will of God but these meerly by the Wills of men Ceremonies The Ceremonies of the Christian Services may be Practised but must be no part of Religion it self but either the Circumstances thereof or the imperate acts of some moral Virtue As thus The Christian must be in some place when he prays and that place may and it is fit it should be determined by Authority for the publick prayers and thither he must go and yet for his private prayers he may go any where else And so for preaching And because the Religious actions of a Christian are finite therefore they must be done as in a place so at a time and that time may and it is fit it should be determined by Authority and then he must do his Devotions in publick at that time only but for his private devotions he may do them at any time else The Religious Actions of a Christian must be in some posture of his Body and that posture may be appointed and it is fit it should be appointed by Authority for the publick worship as to kneel or stand or bow c. and then he must do it in that posture that he is commanded in that publick place and yet he may use what postures he pleases at any other time or place for his private devotions And when the Christian comes to the publick place at the time appointed for Publick Prayer his prayers though in the Spirit must be of some form or manner of expressions by words and that form and manner of expressions by words may and it is fit it should be ordained by Authority for the whole Congregation openly and yet he may be and is at liberty to use what other form he pleases in his private addresses to God And this is enough to satisfie all those that have the true spirit of Christ who though he had no need of the Circumcision of the Law nor yet of the Baptism of the Gospel because there was no superfluity of evil to him to be cut off nor any stain of sin to be washed away yet he suffered himself to be circumcised and baptized and did obey that Law which he came to abolish and was subject to those Powers that were then over him in the world and quarrelled at nothing but was willing to fulfill all Righteousness And if our Fanaticks had the true spirit of Christ they would do as he did and be obedient to his Laws and to the Laws of the Powers that God hath set over them The Differences betwixt the Mosaick Rites under the Law and the Christian Rites Difference of Mosaick and of Christian Rites besides what Christ himself hath ordained under the Gospel are these 1. The Mosaick Rites were only appointed by God but these Christian Rites are appointed by men 2. They were necessary parts of that Religion that then was so far as it was discerned but these are not 3. The Mosaick Ceremonies did oblige every where but the Christian only in publick 4. They were integral parts of the Jewish Religion but these are but circumstances and investitures of our Religious Actions 5. They were done all of them in the spirit of Bondage and great fear but ours are done in the Spirit of Liberty and great Love They were lasting as long as that Religion was to last but ours are alterable though our Religion be everlasting 7. They were many and burdensome and very costly for they were at greater charges to buy Cattel c. for the Sacrifices and the Priests and Levites were as Butchers and Porters and Cooks to knock down Oxen or cut the throats of Calves c. and slay them c. but ours are few and easie and cheap but neither theirs nor ours did or ever will please God The sum is the Ceremonies of Christians they may be the accidents of their worship they must be no more but a just investiture of Time Place Form Habit and Posture He that would have his body decently vested must not wear five and twenty Cloaks a Stole and a Tunick will suffice some thing for warmth and something for ornament does well But as the tender and delicate Woman that will scarcely vouchsafe to set her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness and thinks no ornaments curious enough for her head and the rest of her body makes it the work of half a day to dress and deck her self is a slave to her fine trinkets and thinks neither her Soul nor Body but her habiliments to be the principal part of her care So they that are superstitious and over much righteous in Will-worship and count no formalities nor bodily exercises enough to set out their Devotions are servants to their Beads and trumperies and think not of the substance of Religion but make the out sides thereof the principal part of their care Church of Rome Thus the Church of Rome whose Ceremonies are described in a great Book in folio Quem mea vix totum Bibliotheca capit and my purse strings will not stretch to buy it And although by such means Religion is made pompous and apâ—â—o allure them that admire their gay nothing yet then it also spends their Religious passions and wonderments in that which effects nothing upon the Soul The Priest must be intent upon his Rubrick that he miss nothing of his Bowings Crosses Anointings Sprinklings Perfumes c. and the people are taken up with staring upon the dumbe Images the Larges and the Priests
Adopted Sons of God by Grace 2. We are sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise 3. We are renewed by Regeneration 4. We are Justified by his Grace through Faith 5. We are invited by his glorious Promises greater than we can understand Now he that considereth this state of things and hopes for the state of blessings will proceed in duty and love towards the perfection of God never giving out till he partake of the purities of God and his utmost Glories perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord till he obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus In the practice of these spiritual duties there is no difficulty but what is made by the careless lives and actions of outward Christians and by their lazy and unholy Principles So that after the rate such Christians live now it is hard to know how and in what instances and in what degrees our duty ought to excell that of Moses's disciples though a Greater than Moses is here But they that love will do the thing that is good and so understand the Rule of perfection Obedite intelligetis Obey and ye shall know all that is necessary to be known for God shall lead you into all truth and love is the fulfilling of the whole Law We cannot be too careful for ignorant and weak and carnal persons especially for hypocrites because both pretend the one sort really as knowing no better but the other falsely and basely to the shame of Christianity that 1. This so high and spiritual worship inclines the minds of men to scruples and dislikes of all orders and rules in the Church and so because Christians must have but few Rites therefore they will endure none at all or such only as are of their own making We protest utterly against this spirit of men that it is an abuse of Christian Liberty and a cloak of maliciousness in hypocrites and a grievous cheat to all weak and well-meaning Christians 2. That this leads into rebellion against the religious Powers that according to their bounden duties do establish order and decency in all things belonging to the Service of God It is the principal care of the Magistrate to see that God be honourably served in Publick with decency at set times and places with set forms and postures to avoid confusion Now these pretenders to spirituality only do strongly set themselves against the face of Authority under the shew of Conscience This is a very wicked thing most contrary to the meaning of the Spirit and Power of Godliness For God hath ordained Princes to rule and Subjects to obey But these unruly Spirits under a feigned zeal for God's Cause set up their own Cause and set the whole world on fire by their ungodly Rebellions Take heed therefore of this one thing The True Gospel-Spirit minds most of all a True Spiritual Service But if Lawful and Religious Power commands a few innocent Forms to be observed in publick only to avoid Distraction they submit peaceably and still continue to worship God in the Spirit in publick In the Time Appointed by Law In the Place Appointed by Law In the Posture Appointed by Law In the Form Appointed by Law And in private too at any time place and in any form or posture as they themselves shall please What can be done more If men were not unreasonable they would be contented and come in to the Publick Worship and not proudly separate themselves as they do This did not the Jews though they had different opinions otherwise and this do not the Papists though they have several Orders and Perswasions amongst them For all Jews came to the same Temple and all Papists to the same Mass But our Sects are more unfortunately cross and more unhandsomely disobedient to Ecclesiastical and Temporal Authority than all the world besides the more is our misery Learn to be wiser and make it a matter of Conscience to fulfil all Righteousness to take your liberty in God's name in private no body desires to hinder you in the least Have ye not houses to pray in Mat. 3.13 Why despise ye the House of Prayer Shall I praise you for this I praise you not Do not forbear the assembling of your selves together as the custome of too many is to do It is spiritual Pride it is not only rebellious but uncivil and very rude to flock together to unlawful meetings or to stay at home or walk in the fields or streets or be at Ale-houses or Taverns as people unconcerned when better men than you are gathered together in the fear of God and Obedience to the Laws to Pray and Praise God and to hear his Word and to give Alms to the Poor O how decent a thing it is for Brethren to meet together in Unity And how prudent is that Devotion that places all the substance of Religion in the heart and yet uses the circumstances of order to avoid the confusion of wild Extravagancies Certain it is that if every one were left to serve God in his own way there would be no Face of a Church One would be Working or Playing while another was Preaching or Praying ignorant men and women would take upon them to teach and the blind would lead the blind till they both fall into the ditch We have greater cause therefore to bless God for establishing Powers over us without which we should be as herds of Wild Beasts rather than sober men and fall foul of one anothers persons and estates But God is the God of Order not of Confusion and we have no such unmannerly Custome nor ever had the true Churches of God Abhor therefore if you be wise all Fanatick Expressions That all Time all Places are alike so they are but not for publick Offices and that any Postures Gestures or Habits may be used so they may but not in Publick Service God and Man have given us our Liberty in Private only for the Publick we are restrained This is enough to give content to all Parties if Reason would do it for this is decent and comely in the sight of God and Man And thus it becometh us to dispute no more about such matters but to fulfil all Righteousness Spiritual Perfection From what hath been delivered at large I collect these Reasons for Spiritual Worship and Gospel-Perfection Reas I Because the Ritual Worship induced by God is abolished Believe me Ritual Worship abolished John 4.23 the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit Col. 2.16 c. and in truth Let no man deceive you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath
born of the flesh is flesh but afterwards they are made Spirit For that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. And except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven which is the first Resurrection And again Christians must first die as all Flesh must do and afterwards must live as all Spirits must do And as the Soul is alwaies Spirit but not fully sanctified nor fully glorified till after the Bodie 's Resurrection so the Flesh is alwaies Flesh but yet made spiritual by Regeneration but not fully Spiritual till the full Regeneration of Glory after death which is the second Resurrection For thiis Mortal must put on Immortality and this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this Earth must put on Heaven and this Flesh must put on Spirit and this Terrestrial must be made Coelestial for as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly There are Natural Bodies and there are Spiritual Bodies but first that which is Natural and then that which is Spiritual So without Death Temporal we cannot be prepared for Life Eternal For except we fall we cannot rise and except we rise from the Earth we cannot ascend into Heaven and except we ascend into Heaven we cannot enter into the Inheritance of Glory SECTION I. Christ's Ascension Christ therefore after his death and burial ascended in his own Person far above all Heavens that he might as a King Priest and Prophet fully execute the Will of his Father and our Father which is in Heaven Now he that ascended Eph. 4.9 what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth And he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things or more truly that he might fulfil all things that is by a Plenary Administration and discharging all the Gifts and Legacies devised by God For when he ascended up on high Eph. 4.8 he led Captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And for the preparation of his Church Militant that they may be Triumphant He from thence gave some to be Apostles Spirit 's Mission Eph 4.11 12. and some to be Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Now to do these things is to execute and fulfil the Will of God Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise i. e. the Promised Possession of Eternal Inheritance This Doctrine was taught by Christ himself Joh. 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And after his death he said Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Luk. 24.46 And that Repentance and Remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Thus Christ died for the Testification Coroll Confirmation and Execution of the New Testament and consequently for the Remission of sins Mortification Justification Sanctification Resurrection and Glorification of all the Scripti haeredes whose Names are written in the Book of Life The CONTENTS Spiritual Lively In force for ever Literal Deadly Abrogated for ever Consequences Cautions Instructions Exhortations TITLE VII Of the Testaments compared THis last and greatest and best Disposition of God's Grace to all the World called the New Testament that we may yet the better understand let us compare it with the former and lower way of God's Disposition to the Jews only called the Old Testament as it was established by the Law given upon Mount Sinai in these two points The New Testament is Spiritual lively and in force for ever The Old Testament is Literal deadly and abrogated for ever SECTION I. Spiritual I. The New Testament is Spiritual lively and in force for ever 1. Spiritual 1. Because it is perfect agreeing to the Spirit of God which the other was not being imperfect and Carnal 2. Because it conveyeth Spiritual gifts and graces plentifully which the other did not 3. Because it was written by the Spirit in the Tables of the heart whereas the other was only in Tables of Stone Lively 2. Lively 1. Because it creates the life of Grace and Glory In force for ever 3. In force for ever Because it is God's last Will and ratified by the Death of Christ and therefore unalterable SECTION II. Literal II. The Old Testament is Literal deadly and abrogated for ever 1. Literal Because Carnal rigorous weak rude and beggarly as Rudiments and the lowest principles of Morality and Ritual worship 2. Deadly Deadly Because working nothing but wrath and death making sin appear to be exceeding sinful and affording no Remedy against it 3 Abrogated for ever Abrogated for ever Because ordained only for a time as being shadowy and typical of Substances to come The Law made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 but the coming in of a better Hope did The Gospel is the only true Service with which God is well pleased For God is a Spirit Joh. 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth God will now be served in the newness of the Spirit Ro. 7.6 not in the oldness of the Letter Say not in thine heart Ro. 7.6 Who shall ascend into Heaven to bring Christ down from thence or who shall descend into the Deep to bring Christ again from the dead For the word is nigh unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Ro. 10.6 The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and Life Joh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing The Law of the Spirit of Life hath made
dispensation of the Gospel God hath now in a great measure left frighting of men to heaven by visible terrors The Law of the Messias was delivered upon the Mount in the small and still voice and is set home upon the hearts of men by the terrour only of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 23.14 a more heavy vengeance in another world than what overtook the despisers of Moses Law God expects now that we should be judiciously religious and acted to his service by a spirit of love and of a sound mind to fear his threatning more than the burnings of Sinai to look upon a bad man since the appearance of Christ to take away sin as the greatest prodigy and to expect the signs of an approaching Judgment non in Erratis naturae sed Saeculi Id. ib. p. 18. Fanaticks Now we shall ever find that all Persons which take up Opinions from their own poetical genius and busie fancy are impregnable to all the assaults of reason The Rosicrucians acted so hugely by imagination in Philosophy Some kind of Chymists in Medicks The Cabalists in Scripture Expositions Enthusiasts in Religion Figure-casters in Astrology are so invincibly resolved upon their Hypotheses that like him in the story when their hands those little reasonings wherewith they hold them are cut off they will mordicùs defendere hold them with their teeth biting and reviling language thrown upon their opposers and neglecters They are entertained with pleasant and easie dreams and therefore angry with those that attempt to awaken them and discompose them Ib. p. 19. As the assistance of God the Spirit with our holy endeavours doth not take away the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weaknesses attendant on Christian practises because he acts us ad modum nostrum so neither doth the Co-assistance of God the Father with all natural Agents quite remove the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Errours of Nature Ib. p. 23. Terrible Representations of God The opinion of Prodigies represents God before the Soul with a rod of Vengeance perpetually in his hand A Belief of a God is that Fort which the Devil could never storm force by any direct temptation and therefore he designs by such terrible and servile conceits wrought in the hearts of men to undermine it For perpetual jealousies and slavish fears of God like over-heated waters boyl over at last and extinguish that fire that faith and sense of God which first produc't them When the Notion of a Deity stands alway before the mind like a Gorgons head pregnant with nothing but horrours and dismaies it quickly works and turns it to a stony stupid neglect of him so to get rid of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mighty Fear which was its continual Executioner Moreover the Devil no doubt loves to bring men off from a noble and generous temper And as it is the design of Religion to cast out fear and to introduce a spirit of true freedom and confidence toward God so it is the work of the Devil to call on a spirit of Bondage and Fear that so he see may in men the more lively and express images and pourtraictures of himself who believes and trembles He would have his Rites of Worship of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frightful and amazing mysteries the Idols wherein he was worshipped bear in their very Names and Titles a remembrance of that Baseness and Servility of spirit which attended his Votaries in the service of so absolute a Tyrant being styled sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horrours Is 40 5. Jer. 50.38 Ps 106.36 as 't is rendred in the Margin 2 Chron. 15.16 sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying trouble and terrour and the Devils are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming from a word which signifies horrour because usually tendring themselves to view in the most frightful forms Now this Superstitious perswasion of Prodigies doth hugely minister to bondage of Spirit and tends to seal men with the mark of Cain according to the Jews a perpetual Trembling and Astonishment P. 24. That which possibly assisted this Tradition was the succeeding of Rome Christian as into the place so into very many of the Rites and usages of Rome Pagan as might be easily made appear at large were that our business and into as large a power over the Faiths and Consciences of men as Rome Pagan had over their Bodies and so was enabled to mold them into what Opinions or Practises they might best serve themselves upon Ib. p. 29. As in Heresie Populus sequitur Doctiores ☜ Popular Errors the People follow the Learned as being in a matter more abstract and subtil more apt to believe than to judge so in Superstition Doctiores sequuntur Populum the Learned are not seldom observed to follow the People because early surprized into an opinion that can enter so valuable a plea for its self as common Consent This Notion of presages by Prodigies being so popular and Catholick Wise men in their first and unwary years when they are Discipuli Plebis may entertain conceits thereof which shall plead prescription against the strongest reasons to dispossess them As Iron in a greater and more massie body sequitur Naturam communem follows the Law of common Nature in all heavy bodies and moves to the earth but in smaller pieces sequitur Naturam privatam it follows its own private Nature and directs it self to the Load-stone Thus Learned men where they are prest by the force and weight of Education and a Common prejudice generally follow common Nature in men which inclines to embrace Society and therefore more in Judgment Secundum viam Terrae but in matters out of vulgar ken and where they cannot be tempted by a common Agreement they move Secundum viam Consilii and pursue the dictates of their private light and understanding Even wise men in many instances held Aras Focos their Faith and their Estates by the same Tenure Tradition from Ancestours and therefore we may receive their Judgments tanquam ex Cathedrâ as engagements to consider not alwaies tanquam ex Tripode as obligations to believe Ib. p. 39. They look upon their Gods as a kind of Fairies which would throw Firebrands and Furies about the house for the omission of some petty Criticisms in their Rites and that therefore they gave forth frequent intimations of those impotencies and distastes They thought they were lost with a Trifle and won again to a good opinion of them by paying them the homage of a little crouching and circumstantial Devotion ☞ Fathers not all pure To the Testimony of Fathers I answer in general That 't were no wonder to find them living so near the times of Gentilism speaking in favour sometimes for some of the Doctrines thereof The main trunk and body of the Gentile Superstition was indeed hewen down in their minds but still there were some small roots and fibres remaining which are observed to spring up ever
serious and profitable services in Church and State as the Ambassadors of God the Counsel of Souls the Priests of Justice and Equity the Legates of Princes and States the Guides of Souls in all religious and civil Transactions by their Preaching Praying Praising Pleading Judging Treating and Executing of Laws Divine and Humane I have reason therefore I think to wave the laziness of such men of good Talents but not improving them to the best advantage but staying behind in the enjoyment of Vulgar notions content themselves with Vulgar errors Mercurial Spirits There are in this latter Age of the world men of Mercurial spirits that by their labours have advanced all kind of Learning to a higher pitch than ever No disparagement to our Ancestors at all who some of them fairly aimed at the same mark but were unhandsomly cried down and discouraged in their several Ages as Trismegistus Plato Socrates Hierocles Hippocrates c. of old and Paracelsus Helmont Harvy c. of late So for Divines Clement Ignatius Irenaeus Justin Hierome Chrysostome Basil Theophylact c. of old and Cassander Melancthon Arminius Grotius Hammond Lushington Taylor c. of late This may be granted perhaps in Philosophy Physick and Mathematicks and in Mechanick Arts as of Navigation c. but to assert any improvement in Divinity will be thought Heresie Schism or Innovation at the least which is counted dangerous Principles sure As for the Foundations and Principles of Faith there is no doubt but they alwaies have been and are and will be the same but for the superstructures and consequences they are now by Discerning men more clearly drawn out for Spiritual advantages than ever they were before by a more perfect understanding of the Scriptures without the mixture of Traditions or the Doctrines of Men. Christianity unmixt The Reason is because at the first Christianity was compleatly revealed by Christ to his Apostles who with him taught the purity and perfection of Divine worship far above the Jewish dispensation and the Wisdom of the world But this Treasure after their daies was a little hid yea in the Apostles daies this mischief began to work which was by them wisely observed especially by St. Paul who in all his Epistles especially to the Romans and Galatians clears up the absolute independent necessity of the Gospel without Moses and the help of vain Philosophy against the Jewish and Heathenizing Christians But in the daies of their Disciples and their Successors the streams that arose from pure fountains ran farther through the channels of Judaism and Heathenism and though they kept themselves in their own nature unmixt and do still yet Men of weak Judgments through Ignorance and of Corrupt minds through too much Worldly wisdom did and do taste too much of their own muddy waters and keep the savour of them as is apparent in their Expressions and Superstitions to this very day And why then should not some if they can Aspire to perfection be wiser and honester too than some Must we be always Children dwell always upon beggarly Elements be always biassed by Parties and Sides for favour and gain The older the World is it should grow the wiser and not stand at a stay It is no Solecism to say We are elder in our Generations than our Fathers and have more experience than our Teachers and our Children and Disciples will be wiser than we And that Antiquity which we so admire and trust unto is Junior and Neoterick properly to us The first Ages are the Youth of the World in their Minority but we are the Antients and Adult We are beholding to them and they would now if alive be beholding to us Neither are the Truths among them altered at all but the same far better understood and kept pure by themselves and enlarged to more profitable uses It is a dull thing to fit still like Children and venture no farther than we have been taught to go All men have not the same drowzy spirits all men will not be so contented Some men will put on lively and try to add something more upon the old stock and not suffer themselves to be led by the nose as for those that will be deceived there is no remedy let them be deceived And they are for the most part of these kinds Vain Sciences Such as for ostentation heap up variety of Learning from vain and unnecessary Logick Philosophy History Tongues Mathematicks Antiquities c. and little regard Morality for life and action to govern themselves and others Hence they become Imperious and Magisterial in their Determinations though for the most part unprofitable and too often hurtful to the Publick good 2. Such as call themselves and are called Poets and Orators fine tongued fellows that can seemingly set off what smattering knowledge they have the easier to gull themselves and others by false Reasons guilded over by fucous enticing expressions by whom a full clear grave and solid style conveying the digested conceptions of the mind to the ears and minds of men by significant terms and fit to do business is derided as rude and barbarous These profound Sages with other folks learning as the Bird with strange feathers or the Asse with the Lion's skin are mightily elevated with their great Parts of Memory and Utterance How they can recite Councils Fathers Philosophers Historians Pick Hebrew Greek and all kind of Roots Coin subtil Distinctions without difference and engross all knowledge to themselves Although all this cry makes but a little wool all is but borrowed nor can they manage the stock of others but spoil it mar it in the using This is meer Pedantry here 's nothing of Judgment and right Reason of their own nor a spirit to discern but to quit the Authorities and Sentences of the Ancients Right Reasoning But where is the true and solid way of Reasoning and Method which a Piercing man without all these Tawdries principally aims at He that follows his own sound Reason without favour and affection to any extream and does his work as is pleasing to his own mind with his own well chosen and disposed materials shall make a far better structure than he that busily collects several materials of several mens framing and fashioning which being all jumbled together must needs be botching A man 's own clear Notions maturely disposed fully expressed in genuine terms is his best Wisdom and most flourishing Rhetorick A structure strongly and usefully contrived and beautified with serviceable and agreeable stuff is better than a Medly or Hotchpotch gawdily painted without frame or fashion Still he that builds for his own conveniences and is neat in his own Nest prosecutes his own end and uses the means accordingly But several mens fancies and contrivances especially wanting Art do not fit the scope of one Man's work That therefore which we call Learning acquired Sound Judgment is an excellent thing in it self but unless a man have sound
Nothing can be altered Eccles 1.15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred Consider the waies of God for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked Eccles 7.13 Let no man say Wherefore is this or wherefore is that For all things are fitted with their due shapes and qualities and though some things ugly in comparison of others yet all things make up the compleat beauty and loveliness of the Universe Reas A fortuitous convolation of blind Atoms could not do this Because all Beautiful composures require Labour and Art which is only in Spirit and Intellect not in Matter or Deadness Works of God harmonious III. Harmonious Works Agreement amongst disagreeing qualities and unlike quantities Reas 1. Because Chance links not one thing into another in contrived harmony 2. Because established Order amongst things void of understanding must be the work of an Infinite understanding that knows their natures and uses 3. Because not only Brutes but Inanimate Creatures sagaciously operate for ends which they understand not As the Regular course of a Ship argues a wise Pilot at the Helm so the Regular course of the World argues a wise Creatour Upon these Notions mankind acknowledged a Deity and because they could not see it chose to worship any thing for a God which they could see rather than to be without one which they could not see And when they found any benefit by any thing they made it a God as by Ceres Bacchus c. the good Corn and Wine that gladded their hearts Is not this a God And because they could not see the Deity being a Spirit they adored Idols and other Creatures which were material because they could see them Obj. Some have denied a Deity Sol. This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bely Nature In some Individuals Nature and Reason may be perverted by Education and Customes Institutions and Examples destroying natural Notions but this cannot invalidate Universal perswasions and the consent of all Nations The Will in some particulars doth often change as often as the Will changes which is very changable but the true Notion is fixt from the understanding natural which never changeth This must come either 1. From the Oracle of God or 2. From the Tradition of Parents If from God it must be true If from Parents it cannot be false Ob. Soul is invisible and all Spirits Ergo there are none Ergo no God Sol. Air invisible and Wind Ergo none Ob. We cannot comprehend God Ergo no God Sol. Inferiours cannot comprehend Superiours Beasts cannot comprehend Men nor their Actions Art or Government As Man is above Beasts so God is above Man There are higher than the highest and there are higher than they Arist Top. 6. That is universally known not which every one acknowledgeth but that which every one who doth not debauch his Faculties doth or may discern for it is enough evident that Gods Being lies eaven to all Understandings The Atheist eradicates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—para To deny God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Profaness of this Age has tinctured it with Atheisme Men sunk into Sensualities their Reason complies with their Carnal appetite contrary to its self and fain would they have none to see them or call them to an account Quod valdè volumus facilè credimus And so what they earnestly desire they do readily believe Therefore 1. Let the Soul know its own Imperfection and acknowledge all Perfection to be in God 2. Let the Soul know that Right and Wrong Good and Evil imply a Law which is Gods Ergo to be guided thereby 3. Let the Soul know she is a Judge of her own Actions but God is a Judge above her 4. Let the Soul know that her vast unsatiated desires may be satiated in God 5. Let the Soul know that she can frame no other Idea of God but that he is the first and best and therefore Independent and Munificent Being Therefore 1. Look on the Magnificent works of the VVorld Were they eternal in Atoms VVho made them 1. How could Dead matter move it self without Life and Spirit 2. How could Unreasonable matter produce Reason which it hath not Nihil dat quod non habet 3. How could blind Chance fall into such a World as it is and into no other and to no more what wit had it 4. How could various Atoms hang so handsomely together as they do and not flie unhappily asunder what Power had they 2. Look on the Beautiful works of the World How could ugly lumpish Matter make it self so fair as Nothing can be more 3. Look upon the Harmonious works of the World How can a curious Instrument be tuned without a skilful hand Why do not Contraries fall together by the ears sight and destroy all Who curbs them and keeps the Peace Who sets bounds to the proud Waves and keeps the Ocean with the bounds of the Sands 1. And now Who can look within himself into his own Soul and Body but he must see a God In his Understanding which because Imperfect must be derived from what is most Perfect which is God which in part sees good and evil Ergo God much more Which reflects upon and Judges good and evil Ergo God much more Which hath vast inexplicable desires Ergo God only can satisfie them 2. Who can look round about him upon the Creatures but he must see a God 1. In the Magnificence of his Works 2. In the Beauty of his Works 3. In the Harmony of his Works in which all agree And when we do see a God both from within us and from without us Who can choose but love obey trust and hope in him How then this Profaness this Cruelty this Hypocrisie c. Stay therefore and consider your own Souls your Bodies how wonderful they are how came you by them You made not your selves the Creatures made not themselves All must be judged Ergo there is a God Upon these Notions Mankind acknowledged a Deity And because they could not see Idolatry nor hear nor feel him being a Spirit and because they would not take so much pains as to elevate their Spirits to the contemplation of the Father of Spirits that they might worship him in Spirit they chose to acknowledge and worship any thing which they saw and felt any good from instead of the Most high God rather than be without one So when they found any extraordinary benefit from any thing they made it a God to them especially the Sun Moon and Stars whose kind influences they perceived to enrich the lower World with life and growth of all good things which did refresh their hearts with food and gladness And even those Men that had ruled them and saved them from their Enemies or taught them to sow Corn or plant Vineyards after their death they adored them for Petty-Gods as Mars and Ceres and Bacchus
me free from the Law of Sin and Death Ro. 8.1 2. Ro. 8.5 6. And they that are in Christ walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit The Gospel times therefore were prophesied to be searching times Consequences Mal. 3.1 2 c. The Lord shall suddenly come into his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiner's fire and like Fuller's sope And he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an Offering in Righteousness Then shall the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the daies of old and as in former years Thus the thoughts of many hearts will be discovered and it shall be known who will follow the World and who will follow Christ who will live after the Flesh and who will live after the Spirit Who will enter into Covenant with God and who with the Devil Thus the Letter of the Law killeth 1. Because it only discovers sin 2. Because it only condemneth sin 3. Because it stirreth up sin the more 4. Because it punisheth sin without mercy Thus the Spirit giveth life 1. Because it offereth Life freely 2. Because it justifieth them that accept it 3. Because it saves them from Sin Death and Hell 4. Because it giveth them Eternal Life and Glory SECTION III. Digression Cautions Mistake not these words Take heed well what you hear and read He that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that hath a heart to understand let him understand 1. Some will not read the Scriptures nor hear them read or preached by any study or pains by any Art or Eloquence 2. Some will not pray by any forms at sett times or places nor submit to any Discipline nor preach by Meditation or helps of any Comments or Writing nor hearken to any Counsels Exhortations or Conferences nor be ruled by any Laws or Orders of men These trust they say to the Light that is in them and to the motions of the Spirit in their own Consciences which is rather their humor fancy and obstinacy These are above all Ordinances in the letter of the Law of God or Man and walk aloft by the revelations of the Spirit which if it were the true Spirit would never be contrary to the true sense and Spirit of the Gospel written and preached The Spirit teacheth us to pray preach and live Spiritually by the Means of the Word of God and wholesom Discipline of Men. Therefore what is written in the Book and preached by the Voice and commanded by lawful Power is the same with that which is the Mind of God first predestinated and secret then revealed and published to and by the Fathers at last to and by Christ and his Apostles and written in the heart by the Holy Ghost Therefore deceive not your selves 1. With vain Fancies and new Revelations for the Truth is old 2. With feigned Words and canting Expressions for the Truth is plain 3. With framing a Law to your selves as if infallible contrary to Nature's Law to the Laws of Nations and to Christ his Law This must needs be a Spiritual cheat tending to all mischief and confusion Take heed therefore 1. Of Law-Preachers of Curses Hell and Damnation 2. Of Spirit-Preachers of Evidences and Rapture walking without and against all Law and Rule These sort of men are Rigid Surly Morose Self-conceited Opiniators Malicious Proud Scoffers Straitners of God's love to Mankind therefore not of God and having not the Spirit SECTION IV. Leave of vain Disputes and learn 1. To hold all necessary and confessed Truths Instructionâ— and contend only for the Faith and a good Conscience 2. To submit to all Orders and Decencies and to fulfil all Righteousness which is the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 3. To reverence and adore the Manifold Wisdom of God admiring and praising but not prying and searching into the Reasons of his Workings whose waies are alwaies Just but often hid from our eyes because his paths are in the great Waters and his foot-steps past our finding out 4. To embrace the Promises of Forgiveness of sins Adoption Heaven and Happiness This will engage the Soul to live by the Spirit of the Gospel and not merely by the Letter much less by the Law or by Sense This will sublimate the Soul to the spiritual acts of Faith Hope Love Prayer Self-denial against the Carnal acts of Sense Lust Drunkenness c. Forbear ignorant and proud boasting of the Spirit to be above Ordinances and contrary to what is Revealed it is most dangerous Let us not be Fools or Cross 1. In being too superstitiously Formal and trusting to Outward worship 2. In being too Profane and Licentious in neglecting all Conscience and Inward worship 3. In being too superstitiously precise in Inward worship only without any regard to Decency and Order calling it Jewish Heathenish and Popish 4. In being actually Rebellious thereupon by separation from publick Assemblies and rising up in Arms openly and destroying the Powers of the Church and State There is a right way if we could hit upon it as we may without prejudice against any man's Person to take in all the Truths held by them though we like not other things which they are mistaken in The way of Charity is excellent To suffer long and to be kind not to envy or vaunt not to be puffed up not to behave our selves unseemly 1 Cor. 13.4 c. nor to seek our own not to be easily provoked to think no evil not to rejoyce in iniquity but to rejoyce in the Truth to learn all things to believe all things hope all things endure all things There are that hold the Truth in Unrighteousness which ceaseth not to be the Truth because they hold it with other Errors There are that hold the Foundation of Gold Silver and Precious stones though they unhappily build Wood Hay and Stubble and such unworthy matter thereupon There are that sit in Moses's Chair and teach according to the Law and their Disciples are bound to believe and do according as they say though they say and do not There are that preach Christ out of Envy and for Gain and yet Christ is preached and thereat they may rejoyce and should rejoyce If I find a Jewel upon a Dung-hill I will stoop to take it up I will reverence Wisdom in the poor or blind or lame or otherwise
the Jews only Ro. 3.29 30. is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also Seeing he is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and Uncircumcision through Faith There is one Body and one Spirit Eph. 4.4 5. even as ye are called in one Hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men even the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the Flesh who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision in the Flesh made by hands Eph. 2.11 c. That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the World But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ for he is our Peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition between us Having abolished in his flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new Man so making Peace And that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross having slain the Enmity thereby And came and preached Peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh for through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God And ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner-stone In whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are builded together Gal. 3.8 for an habitation of God through the Spirit And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed and all the Families which are parts that constitute the Nations shall be blessed in Abraham i. e. in Christ whose Seed he is so the Faithful are said to be accepted in Christ in whom God is well pleased and beloved in God Gal. 3.14 who is God's well-beloved That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.28 Neither Jew all are one in Christ Jesus 2. Reason All Nations Sinners Gal. 3.22 2. Because all Nations have sinned The Scripture hath concluded all under Sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe For before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed For as ye in times past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also might obtain mercy Ro. 11.30 c. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all 3. Reason Jews and Gentiles made one 3. Because Christ also is a Mediator between men and men i. e. between Jew and Gentile who are now united and made all one To worship one God in all places after one manner in Spirit and in Truth All are united by Christ into one among themselves and all unto God with whom they are one in Communion and God with them by the Spirit the unity whereof they keep together in one Body in the Bond of Peace Christ a Soveraign Mediator Heb. 9.15 But Christ is most eminently the Soveraign Mediator of the New Testament because he hath made it and sealed it with his Blood Testament includes a Covenant And here the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must signifie a Testament and not a Covenant though elsewhere it may denote a Covenant For to speak accurately Testament and Covenant differ but alternly as Genus and Species For every Testament though it have no express Conditions for the Heir or Legataries to perform yet tacitly it implies a Covenant which is the consent of the Heir to receive the Inheritance And though the Heir doth not covenant with the Testator at the making of the Testament because that may be done altogether without his knowledg which is necessarily required in him that covenanteth Yet he covenants at the validity of the Testament for when the Covenant takes effect by his acceptance of and entring upon the Inheritance animo voluntate with mind and will then though before he were free he covenants or leagues to be his Heir and further to perform the Will of the Testator in what he hath required him to do So that every Testament at least when it is consummate and valid is a kind of Covenant And the best of Covenants 1. Because the Testator covenanteth with him whom he most of all loveth even so as to give and leave all to him and his own life that he may enjoy all that he hath given him 2. Because it is more solemnly testified than any other Covenant 3. Because it is most pretiously confirmed by the death of him that made it who establisheth his own Deed by his own Death 4. Because it proceeds with the greatest freedom in leaving the Heir to his Liberty whether he will accept of the Inheritance or no. Christ's Mediatorship consisted chiefly in these Acts. Wherein Christ's Mediatorship consists 1. In declaring and publishing the New Testament 2. In dying to confirm it 3. Interpreting electing and judging cum favore at the last day who are by right of Faith to receive the Inheritance and rejecting or reprobating those that have none 4. In putting the Elect into the full Possession of the Inheritance and condemning the Reprobate to have their Portion with the Devil and his Angels But how can Christ confirm that Testament by his Death who is but the Mediator or Heir and not the Testator himself Ob. I answer the solemn Act of any Person that hath right to make a Will Sol. testified by witnesses and confirmed by his Death is properly a Testament and he is the Testator of it amongst men For by the Civil Law Testament and Testator do commonly concur in one and the same Person yet not necessarily but accidentally Mediator and Testator how concurring For when a witness shall testifie upon his Death the verity and certainty of another man's Will and Testament such an one though he be not the Author yet he may be called the Testator to that Testament And by his Mediation to insinuate and
it self is the Mercy-Seat in Heaven and everlasting Grace and Glory with God The Way thereunto is Christ Jesus who first preached it and made his Personal Sacerdotal entrance into the highest Heavens Therefore the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain at the Death of Christ to shew the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers The Temple-Service went on constantly by Law for its own time but after Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension and the Mission of the Holy Ghost there was a New Dispensation and a Cessation and Nullity in Law as to God of all the Jewish Worship For the Time was come after Christ offered in his Holy Temple of Heaven and from thence bestowed gifts of Doctrine and Government upon his Church that Men should no longer worship God at Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim in either of the Temples there after the manner as formerly but in a way of Reformation all Men are called to worship God in all Places after one pure spiritual and perfect manner For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth which is highly acceptable to God through the most efficacious Ministry of our Great High-Priest before his Father in Heaven This shews the infelicity of those Times of the Law comparatively to these of the Gospel in which they were ignorant of that Grace and Glory that is now revealed and the poorness and baseness of the Service as of rude and beggarly Elements after the manner of the World in comparison of the rich and magnificent Ministration of the Gospel of Grace unspeakable and full of Glory performed by Christ himself in the immediate presence of his Father and of those that are Christ's by his Mediation offering their Spiritual Services in his Name and by him acceptable to the Father By all this Spiritual Discourse we learn to understand the great Offices of Christ's Mediation as Prophet Priest and King by which he shews himself the Author and Finisher of our Salvation and how and where and when they were performed in those two Estates so vastly different from each other viz. his Humiliation on earth and his Exaltation in heaven His obedience to Death Shame and a Curse his Rules to Life Glory and Bliss The CONTENTS Extent of Christ's Obedience To all Law Above all Law Against all Law Extremity of Christ's Obedience Rarity Shame Curse Reasons of Christ's Obedience To confirm Testament To expiate Sin and Misery TITLE VII Of Christ's Humiliation ALL aim at Happiness or at least to that which is Pleasant and gets a Name but we mistake the way know not the Lets neglect the Furtherances viz. chiefly Pride they are the Lets they carry us in a smooth way tending to Death but the Furtherances and Means are chiefly two to wit Humility and Obedience they carry us in a rough way that brings us to Life These St. Paul shews us by the Example of Christ He attained to the height of happiness God gave him a Name above every name All Power both in Heaven and Earth Phil. 2.8 9. How By Humility and Obedience I. Humility in stooping from the Majesty of God to the Meanness of Man 1. The Majesty of God equal with God and yet robbed him of no glory but sate him down at the Right hand of the Majesty on high 2. The Meanness of Man He made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a Servant and was found in fashion as a Man II. Obedience in yielding from the life of a Man to the death of a Malefactor SECTION I. I. The Extent of his Obedience In CHRIST are two Natures of God and Man Extent of Christ's Obedience and therefore two Carriages or Deportments 1. As God to Rule and Command all 2. As Man to Obey and Submit to all By Birth he is the Son of God by Obedience the Son of Man below Man A Worm and no Man For though he was the Son of God yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered 1. Obedient to the Will of God by fulfilling it and suffering it God's Will was done by him and done upon him Joh. 4 24. Joh. 6.38 It was his Meat and Drink to do the Will of his Father He came down from Heaven not to do his own Will but the Will of him that sent him I delight to do thy Will O God yea it is within my heart 2. Obedient to the Will of Man Obedient to Pilate to the Souldiers to the Jews As a Lamb that is dumb before the Shearers so he opened not his mouth When he was reviled he reviled not again he turned his Cheek to the Smiters and suffered the Plowers to plow upon his back and made long surrows This was the vast compass of his Obedience from doing of all Right to the suffering of all Wrong 1. Obedient to all Law never committed Sin To all Law neither was Guile found in his mouth 2. Obedient above all Law payed Tribute Above all Law Math. 17.24 though free and priviledged because he would give no offence 3. Obedient against all Law suffered all wrong Against all Law suffered his own Disciple that eat of his bread to betray him endured Bonds Stripes Buffetings Spitting Mocking Crucifying The Obedience of the Rechabites was something to drink no Wine The Obedience of Hosea more to Marry a Whore Yet all this was but a Living Obedience for Wine Houses Wife c. But Christ's Obedience was beyond Life to Death Abraham's Obedience was great to offer Isaac his only Son miraculously born to him by Promise This Obedience came near unto death but not to death yet had he slain him he had but been obedient to the death of another his son but Christ was obedient to the death of himself Isaac was obedient to the death of himself but was rescued and did not die so was not Christ for he died the death indeed Christ his death was for no fault of his at all Pilate cleared him Luk. 23.22 so did the Thief and the Centurion Christ his death came from no force of others as he took his life when and how and of whom he pleased so he laid down his life when and how and by whom he pleased no man could take it from him he bowed freely and yielded up the Ghost SECTION II. Extremity of Christ's Obedience II. The extremity of his Obedience to the death even of the Cross an Ignominy beyond death To suffer death and to be put to death is common some have offered themselves to death and dared to die But this is the worst kind of death As there are several kinds of life so of death some are better than others As a life with ease pleasure honour and riches is better than another so a death with shame and a curse is worse than a plain simple death Christ then did worse than die for he hanged upon the Cross and was Cursed In
power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the dead not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This is the New man put on and the old man put off and the renewing of the Spirit the New Birth and the new Creature Christ formed in us our crucifying dying rising with Christ This is the internal real inherent Righteousness of Poorness of Spirit Mourning Pureness of heart Meekness Patience Love to Enemies c. According to the Precepts of Christ far exceeding the negative Righteousness of Moses to be no Adulterers no Swearers no Murtherers c. And farther Act. 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities 1 Cor. 7.18 The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto them which are saved it is the wisdom and power of God beating down the strong holds of Sin and Satan Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquities and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works ye were not redeemed with corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation c. The Gentiles that followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness Ro. 9.30 c. even the Righteousness which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness have not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Ro. 10.3 They being ignorant of the Righteousness of God and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Act. 26.18 I have sent thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me I have searched all I can to make out this Imputed Righteousness but cannot for my heart find it I should be glad to be better informed But the true Inherent Righteousness by Faith is plentifully discovered in the Scriptures to be the True Gospel Righteousness which Christ came to set up in the heart And this is the wish of every true Christian to have an inward healing and not an outward hiding of his inbred Corruptions The Principle of a new Life the Seed of God the Spirit of Christ inclining our Spirits to the love of God and of all Righteousness And this is a thing correspondent to our true Nature which is desirous to act freely and ingenuously in the waies of God out of the Principle of a Living Law written in the heart and to eschew Sin as contrary to a Vital Principle This was somewhat hinted at by the Philosophers of Old who judged Vertue not to be merely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing taught by outward Rules and Examples like an Art or Trade and Aristotle is bold to affirm that Men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good by a divine Inspiration Whether or no this be not that Evangelical Perfection which St. Paul called the Resurrection from the Dead Phil. 3.12 towards which he so much pressed I leave it to others to judge And doubtless they that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern Spiritual things and understand the wisdom of Perfection and hunger and thirst after it notwithstanding the Irregularities of sensual Motions and violent assaults of Passions and daily incursions and obreptions of Infirmities through Ignorance or Inadvertency shall be accepted of God in the honesty and meekness of their Souls through the worthiness of Jesus Christ 4. There is a Jural Righteousness Jural Righteousness For our Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness or which is all one we are justified by Faith as will be proved hereafter But this is not the Moral or Legal Righteousness of another made ours but our Faith gives us a Right and Title to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Jesus Christ who maketh us partakers of his Rights not individual his Personal Rights but specifical procuring for us the Right of Adoption and Sonship after his likeness by Grace who is the Son of God by Nature and by the Means and application of Faith made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Thus I have endeavoured to prove by the Scriptures That by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ God hath given us through Faith a Spiritual Resurrection from sin and a Victory over Sin inwardly by the inherent Righteousness of the Spirit SECTION II. I shall farther labour to prove the same comfortable Truth by these Reasons Victory over Sin We have a real Victory over Sin and a real Righteousness of heart by the Spirit of Christ 1. Because it is the property of Light to conquer Darkness Light conquers Darkness Truth is the Light in us This Truth is of God who hath made it innate and cognate with the Soul Falshood and Lies are Darkness This Falshood is of the Devil who hath made it adnate and allied accidentally to the Soul When the Natural Light which was created in the Soul is used by Faith in the Promises it is enlightned farther with the supernatural light of Grace and so the unnatural Darkness of Sin is dispelled by the Beams of a Heavenly Illumination 2. Because Sin is no Native Sin no Native but a Stranger and Intruder into the Mind which is the Lord's inheritance therefore Sin may be conquered and beaten out and shall be beaten out when a stronger than she is come upon her An adventitious and extraneous thing is expellible by the Original The true and ancient Nature of the Soul suffers violence by these Strangers Sin is the Praeternatural state of Rational Beings Men are born free and ingenuous Servitude is unnatural Therefore as Sin was not Primary or Connatural with the Soul so we have no reason to think that it should be perpetually adherent or unalterable there-from A jarring Instrument may be set in tune A dyscrasy of Body may be rectified A discomposed ruffled Passion may be laid The Soul was harmonious as God first made it till Lust disordered the strings and faculties thereof And God the great Harmostes is able easily to put it in perfect Concord again The Soul was perfectly sound and Righteousness was the health thereof till Sin made the dyscrasy And God the great Physitian of Souls is able to bring it to the right and
Correction Work Payment Church Elders Bishops Priests Deacons High Priest Altar Sacrifice Tithes Oblations First fruits Dedication Consecration Expiation Propitiation Excommunication Idol Faith Vow Covenant Contract Promise Oath Stipulation Sacrament Seal Intercession Hand-writing Mediator Obligation Assurance Evidence Conveyance Alliance Affinity Consanguinity Tribe Stock Familie Degrees Line Birthright Succession Dominion Lordship These and other learned Titles of the Law with the profound judgments of renowned Antecessors upon each of them serve more to the enrichment of the treasury of wisdom for the furnishing of apt Interpretations and Glosses upon the Laws divine than all the Arts or Learning of the World Besides the aptitude of resolving cases and doing business with prudence honesty and gallantry is created by them after the rellish of those equitable and brave Souls that made them The CONTENTS Of the Laitie's Calling AND as to the Laity I say consider your Calling we may not speak the mind of God in learned and unknown Tongues to the high ones only that Pearch on the Towers but in Vulgar language to the meanest that sit on the wall Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus tractari debet That which concerns all ought to be understood by all We will not hoodwink you to make your Ignorance the Mother of your as blind devotion we will not captivate your minds by Magisterial dictates of us men and hide from you the Royal Commandments of your God TITLE VI. Of the Laitie's Doctrine I. I Say then boldly Consider your Calling For Doctrine 1. From beyond the lowest Law of Nature 2. From beyond any Laws written upon Tables 1. To the Law of the Spirit and of Grace 2. To the Law written upon the Heart To the best of Precepts of Evangelical perfection taught by Christ in his famous Sermon upon the Mount and other occasional Discourses and by the Apostles and other holy Men of God that had the same treasure in earthen vessels To the best of Promises Viz. Forgiveness of sins Liberty Adoption Spirit Resurrection eternal life These are the Laws that are so high and yet so easie few favourable and pleasant for the wayes of Wisdom are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace I exhort them therefore to a high belief and full assurance of Heaven by the seal and earnest of the Spirit to be partakers of the holy Unction of Wisdom and Perfection to be a Royal Priesthood and a peculiar people by vertue of the promises that belong to you and to your Children of high exemptions and priviledges of great honour and estate TITLE VII Of the Laitie's Persons II. FOR your Persons Look therefore to your selves that ye walk worthy of so great Salvation and having such an hope in you so full of a glorious and blessed Immortality see that ye purifie your selves even as God is pure and become a people altogether zealous of good Works perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord that at last you may obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith which is in Christ Jesus Fear not therefore little Flock for it is your Father's good Will and pleasure to give you a kingdom Your hope is laid up for you in heaven And neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what things God hath laid up for those that fear him When Christ the favourable Mediatour and Executor of God's Testament shall put the Faithful into actual possession of Eternal Glory saying Come ye Blessed Children of my Father receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World Aim therefore at a Gospel-Spirit 1. Care not for unnecessary Disputes God's Testament is a plain Testament of Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ As Men's Testaments are to be seen and read by all that are concerned so is God's Will to be seen and read by all Col. 2.6 c. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 2 Tim. 2.23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strifes also Genealogies and contentions and strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain 1 Tim. 1.4 Neither give heed to Fables and endless Genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in Faith If any man teach otherwise 1 Tim 6.3 c. and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doating about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness Jude 27 c. from such turn away Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly Lusts these be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit But ye Beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garments spotted by the flesh Let the Clergy exhort and teach these things and whatsoever else belongeth unto sound doctrine with all long suffering and patience as the stout Soldiers of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.20 And let them be sure to keep that which is committed to their Trust avoiding profane and vain bablings and oppositions of Sciences falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith Tit. 1.14 Let them not give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth nor yet to endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edification 1 Cor. 2.4 Let not your speech nor your preaching be with the entising words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Speak Wisdom among them that are perfect the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our Glory For other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid 1 Cor. 3.11 c which is Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon this foundation Gold Silver Pretious stones Wood Hay Stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall trie every man's work whatsoever it is If any
of God have been thoughts of love and kindness in him all along from the beginning of the world but especially in the days of the Gospel And that God's love was always to mankind though not so clearly demonstrated as it is now by Christ How therefore this frowning face of terrors and amazements in his dealings here giving mortals no rest for the little space he hath afforded them to stay in this world and plunging them into eternal torments in the world to come can consist with the gentleness and justice of his nature I can in no wise be satisfied I am not able to conceive of a good Prince but that he will be always careful to preserve the lives and fortunes of his good Subjects and use all possible means to reduce the rebellions and still to be sparing of the blood of his People even where his Justice calls for it Nay every petty King of a Town or Family will do the same within the circuit of his power How much more then shall the Great and Gracious not only Potentate but Creator and Redeemer of the World hover over his poor creatures and servants for good and be infinitely and therefore inexpressibly tender of their Temporal and Eternal Wellfare But I am told that God reprobates the far greatest part of the world to shew the Glory of his Justice and absolute Soveraignty over his creatures And here I must cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the Depth and if I be one of these Cast-aways must be as the rest contented and for ever silent 'T is true I must if so and there can be no help for it nor must Mortals complain for who art thou O Man that thou shouldest dispute against God But how these men more than others of equal judgments should come to this pitch of Knowledg to determine this thing thus I cannot imagine nor whence they had this revelation And how this agrees with God's declaration of himself to be willing that all men should be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth and not to delight in the death of any Sinner will put them to a stand Well however it is I am sure that God is good and if God hath given men reason to understand what is Justice and Mercy how the wisdom of God though infinitely above should be as infinitely contrary to this our humane understanding will be very hard to conceive Still Justice is Justice and Mercy is Mercy in God or Man though in vast differences of degrees We shall never know how but we may always know that God is Just and can and will do us no wrong I take the safest side therefore I hope if I interpret humbly all his dispensations though seemingly never so harsh to be cum favore that if he do as certainly he does severely punish yet he will as graciously reward those that fear him for all their miseries in this life And if God inflicts as he doth the same Calamnities now under the Gospel as he did before under the Law yet it is in a different manner in the Church's Majority from what it was in her Minority And that though the former Dispensation was in wrath yet now it is in Grace and was always just Well let the Inhabitants of the earth work righteousness as well as they can and trust God for his Mercies and through the tender mercies of God they shall be sure never to miscarry I am certain Grace is Grace and above Wrath though I suffer never so much And that God does not dodgenor lie upon the catch with mankind to destroy them but rather waits for their conversion to save them I will trust in God therefore though I am never able to understand the reasons of his workings From henceforth I will never go about to measure the depths of God's Providences by the shallowness of my comprehensions I will be meditating and doing good and leave all to God But it is high time to leave this dreadful Subject of mis-representing God in his Counsels so fatal to mankind Gospel-Dispensations Let us see what other mis-understandings there are of God's Dispensations God was pleased suitably to the non-age of the Church to address himself very much to the lower faculties of the Soul and the outward senses that were nearest to them and did most affect them Therefore he ordained splendid Types solemn services and many miracles as the pillar of a Cloud and of Fire the walls of water in the Red Sea the burning Mount Sinai the tabernacle and rays of Glory visible therein the Temple c. But they which look for any such apparent Expressions of Divinity now mistake the Genius of a Gospel-Dispensation to a Church Adult and capable of higher Administrations All things since Christ's coming are managed in a sedate smooth and serene temper The mysteries of the Gospel came forth in plain and intelligible forms of Speech from Mount Sion without drawing the Soul into Raptures and Extasies of amazements God doth not fright men into heaven by visible Terrours God expects now a reasonable Service a Judicious Religion acted by the Spirit of Love and of a sound mind under the Graces Truths and Glories of a Gospel-state for ever to endure This Spirit of the Gospel arriving to our Spirits in this aimable and winning manner creates a generous Spirit above the Evils or Goods in this world resolved to go through them and overcome them and settle upon absolute Eternal Goodness When men's hopes and fortunes are most embarqued in the Ship of this World without Faith They are in continual fears of Shipwrack because then all is lost that is before their sense But when men's hopes and fortunes are all embarqued in one bottom of Divine Faith they are in continual Hopes and Assurances of arrival in the Haven of Glory because then all is found that was before their Spirit in the Eye of Faith This Hope so full of glorious and blessed Immortality hath supported the spirits of such as live by their Faith better than all the Fatality of the Stoicks or the Jollity of the Epicureans These can look Sin and Death in the face by the Spirit and not be daunted by the Flesh The high Religion of the Gospel teacheth higher things than ever that of Moses or the Law of Nature or Nations or Philosophy could do Reformation This great Reformation of Religion in the World Christ declared plainly to the woman of Samaria requiring of him as a Prophet to tell her the place of worship whether it was not to be upon Mount Gerizim in Samaria where the Fathers had worshiped and not in Jerusalem as the Jews believed Upon this occasion he told her that neither she nor the Samaritans her Country-men nor the Jews nor yet the Gentiles of the World should from that time ever trouble themselves about the place or manner of Divine worship For it should be neither confined to Samaria nor Judea but should
neck that he might chop it off at a blow and he that set Rome on fire on purpose to please his ungodly will and sense to see the flames like Troy and sing Homer's Iliads over it What shall we think of these things and whither will the ill natures of Men run while they make an ill natured God like themselves Can these things be right let the world judge SECT XLIV The safest way is to think speak and do justly and charitably of and to God and Man Collect. 10. Wrong none 1. Not to wrong the inanimate creatures nor the brutes which groan under the abuses of wicked Men. 2. Not to wrong the Heathen as if it were lawfull to destroy them because God will destroy them as Reprobates and Castawayes and fuell for Hell-fire that they may be undone both here and hereafter 3. Not to wrong Christians but to do good to all Men especially those of the houshold of Faith Walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness Rom. 13.13 not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envy c. Walk spiritually in the clear light and day-spring from on high that hath visited us that lighteth every Man that cometh into the world for these things are right and just in the sight of God and Man It is easy to be honest because 1. God hath shewed it 2. Conscience hath shewed it 3. Laws have shewed it 4. Examples have shewed it But Self-love hath hid it Gain hath perverted it Power and cruelty have overthrown it Subtilty hath puzzled and perplexed it Eloquence and finery have minced and stain'd it Favour and Friends have put it by O bone Deus quid respondebimus in die illo judicii O Good God! what shall we answer at the Great day for these mockeries and crossed walkings against God and all Goodness SECT XLV The Truth is every where with every one Truth evident and yet no body will do it The Papist sayes It is with me I cannot err The Jew sayes It is with me I am God's peculiar The Turk sayes It is with me My sword defends it The Enthusiast sayes It is with me the Spirit teaches it The Atheist cares not where it is let it go for him if it be so hard to find and if not he had rather be without it But these and every of these and all the world have so much of God and of the Truth in them as may save them for God hath shewed it unto them if they would obey the Truth and cease to commit Idolatry and to blaspheme and to wrong their Neighbour SECT XLVI The truth indeed is plain if searched for in our selves only Caution 1. Be not too credulous to take it upon trust from others 2. Be not too curious and subtil to mask it over and hide it from our selves while it is in our bosoms Oh! the conscience knows and would do better things if it were better used and set to work by reason and sensuality kept down Honesty is known but is refused by our selves and taken away from others It can find no place but we shall dearly want it one day No Man is safe without it no Man is wise without it Mine and thine preserves me and thee and mine and thine It is easy to do right it is easy to do wrong all is but right and wrong truth and falshood just and unjust Mercy and cruelty God and my right the Devil and my wrong What shall I say 1. Give all right 2. Forgive all wrong 3. Do all right 4. Undo all wrong Wrongs and offences will come but woe be to them by whom they come it were better they had never been born but had been like the untimely fruit of a Woman that never saw the Sun But happy is he that doth right peace shall be upon him and upon the Israel of God The CONTENTS Transition Intention Execution Free will Imperfection Willingness Implicit faith Social Actions Jussion TITLE IV. Of Actions Transition NExt to the state of things and the conditions of persons to whom the rights annexed to things do belong the manner of Actions is to be considered by which rights are induced and acquired All Persons for themselves and in communion with others have Actions or business about things in which and to which they have a right These Actions are Thoughts and Words the tokens of thoughts or deeds the effects of words or signs the representation of deeds By all which Men act either by themselves or by their proxies or for themselves or for others SECT I. Intention 1. In Actions there is required the Intention of the Agent which proceedeth from the Uunderstanding and the will for he that acts must understand what he acts that he may perform and direct them wisely to the right objects and be affected with his actions that he may be zealous in them The Law requires all thing to be done with full purpose and understanding and free desire or will for else nothing can be finished or well done Else if any thing be done ignorantly or rashly pro non facto est The free will and consent is necessary for then that is of force which is done Therefore he is not judg'd to will who is under the will and command of another Man as of his Father or Lord nor hath a Minor or fool or Mad-man any will at all Ejus est velle qui potest nolle He is said to will that can also nill And the Will is expressed by silence or speaking or writing or signs or a Messenger Actions done in heat or passion are no Actions till they be ratified by perseverance in them and thereby they are confirmed to the judgment of the mind indeed They that err are not properly said to consent to Action and in business if such mistakes do intervene that which is so done by error is of no force meaning the error of fact not of Law Nam Juris ignorantia nocet facti non nocet That which comes to pass by chance is imputed as a crime to no Man Fate destroyes all liberty of will or action Also nothing is so contrary to consent as force or fear if the force be of greater violence than can be opposed and if the fear be such as may fall upon a Man of valour SECT II. In Actions also there is required the Execution of them Execution that they may take their full effect else the Actions are imperfect The Actions must appear to be consummate or otherwise it is as if they were not at all so for words clearly spoken and understood The Action so done is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing completely finished for the use intended and words effectually spoken according to their true meaning That which is done or spoken obscurely must receive interpretation from the affection of the doer or speaker or from that which is most likely or for the most part is
to the slaughter like a Lamb dumb before the shearer Acts 8.32 so opened he not his mouth When he was reviled he reviled not again Who will not believe a Holy Person will such a one forge a Will or falsifie a deed or betray his trust or take his death upon an untruth Therefore was he sent that he might bear witness of the truth 4. By his death Christ took his death upon it Mat. 26.63 Joh. 19.7 that his Message was from God For for his saying that he was the Son of God and came to bear witness of the truth he was condemned to death Yet he persisted to the last to call God Father commended his Spirit into his hands and so gave up the Ghost Luc. 23.46 ratifying this truth with his Bloud That saying caused his death and his death caused the faith of that saying Now the greatest proof that can be made is to take ones death upon it Besides the death of Christ was seconded with many Miracles of the Eclipse of the Sun the shaking of the Earth c. which bred the faith of this truth in many and in some of his Executioners Mat. 27.54 and in the Centurion saying Truly this Man was the Son of God 5. By Resurrection This was so strong a proof that it confirmed all the rest not but that the rest were sufficient but this took away the scandal of the Cross being accused to die as a malefactor and for saying Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it up again And when he fore-told his Passion he comforted his Disciples with his Resurrection and if Christ's Resurrection had not follow'd then his Doctrine and Miracles had been discredited But his Resurrection declared him to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness Rom. 1.4 His Resurrection proved him to be the Judg of the World because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judg the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained Acts 17.31 whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the dead This giving assurance is making Faith for so is the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Italian Translation and the English in the Margin offered Faith The Resurrection was of such force to make faith that the Apostles made it the form of their Ordination and Matthias was ordained to be a witness with the rest of the Apostles of the Resurrection Acts 1.22 They made it the summe of all their preaching proving that Jesus was the Christ because God had raised him from the dead Vid. Acts 2 and 3. and 5. and 13. This is the very life of Faith for if Christ be not raised then our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins and the Apostles would have been found lyars and contrivers of cunningly devised Fables 1 Cor. 15.17 For which they would never have suffered as they did to the death Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Shall we not believe one risen from the dead Dives in Hell supposed Luc. 16.20 that if one should rise from the dead his unbelieving Brethren would believe and repent Can the unbelieving Jew believe other things which he hath not seen as that Abraham was his Father by whom he had all his right to the Land of Canaan and not believe that Jesus is the Christ whom he hath seen by whom he hath right to the Kingdom of Heaven Can he believe that Moses was the Man of God by whom God gave his Law and not that Jesus is the Son of God by whom God gave his Grace For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ Besides the former proofs of his own Christ hath the testimonies of Moses and the Prophets who spake of him since the World began and the very indication of John the Baptist the greatest of them all John 1.45 The Jews boast of Moses and his Writings Joh. 5.46 but Christ saies Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me and therefore he in whom ye trust condemneth you Reason 1. The Reason why Christ thus proves this Last Will of his Father to make faith of it to the World is because he is the Executor or Mediator of it to whom of right it belongeth to prove that Will whereof he is instituted the Heir and by so being the Will receives his very essence and form and without it is null and void Christ therefore came down from Heaven Joh. 6.38 not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth in him may have everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day Hebr. 7.22 2. Because Christ is the Surety of God's Testament Every Surety is not an Executor but every Executor is a Surety that stands bound for the Testator to pay all his Debts and Gifts as a Surety is bound to the Creditor for the principal Debtor 3. It is called Faith in Christ because Faith in Christ is the Title or Appellation whereby we are nominated to the Legacies in God's Testament The Executor cannot duly perform the Will of the Testator to pay his Debts and Legacies except the Creditors and Debtors and Legatees be nominated and that they also may know when and how and of whom to claim their just due Now in God's Testament Men are truly and certainly nominated not by their proper names but by appellative and common names as of Faithful Joh. 3.16 and Believers in Christ and Receivers of Christ Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life Verily verily I say unto you Joh. 5.24 He that Heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto Life Acts 16.31 Joh. 6.47 Ro. 3.26 Rom. 10.9 1 Joh. 5.13 Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved thou and thy house He that believeth in me hath everlasting life To declare his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus If thou shalt confess with thy mouth and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved I have written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal Life Acts 26.18 He that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned To receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 because he
hath not believed in the name of the only Son of God Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see Life Joh. 8.24 but the wrath of God abideth in him If ye believe not that I am he Ro. 8.13 Gal. 5.19 Ephes 5.5 ye shall die in your sins if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die The works of the Flesh are manifest c. They which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God For this we know that no whoremonger nor unclean Person nor covetous Man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God or of Christ When therefore any Man can truly be called a Believer in Christ then the Gifts of God are sure unto him as if he had been nominated in God's Book by his special and single Name So Men are reprobated or disinherited not by their proper Names or Surnames but by the Appellative or common names of Unbelievers Unfaithful Rejecters of Christ Carnal Worldly c. And therefore in God's Last Will there is no preterition of any Man or Men personally by name or number but all Men are either Believers or Unbelievers And seeing all Believers are by that common name instituted and all Unbelievers are by that common name disinherited therefore none are instituted or pretermitted by any proper name The Reasons are SECT VI. 1. Because God's Will is a Testament ad pias causas of meer Grace Testament ad pias causas Love and Pity to miserable Persons And in such Wills the Legacies are so numerous that they cannot be personally nominated for if so no Will would hold them and they are not yet all in being to be capable of them by common names as thus I give and bequeath so much to the Poor of such a Parish Town or City to the Prisoners of such a Goal or to the Diseased in such an Hospital So every Poor in such a Parish Town City every Prisoner in such a Goal and every Diseased in such an Hospital are qualified for such a Legacy and may justly claim by Right and Title of their Poverty Imprisonment Disease or any other condition expressed in the Will and the Executor is bound to perform it And so every Christian hath a Right to Eternal Life by the Title of his Faith 2. Men are thus nominated in common because Christ is the Hypotype by whose right all have right For Christ hath the original right of alliance to be the Son of God The only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1.114 Whom God hath appointed Heir of all things Not an heir of expectance Hebr. 1.1 but actually seized on his Inheritance Eph. 1.20 For God hath set him at his own right hand in Heavenly places from him we have the same right Joh 1.12 To them gave he power to be called the Sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name Behold what manner of love is this 1 Joh. 3.1 that we should be called the Sons of God so then thou art no more a Servant but a Son and if a Son then an Heir of God through Christ That being justified by his Grace Gal. 4.7 we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life If Children Tit. 3.7 Ro. 8.17 then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ Now Joint-heirs have the same right alike As the Seed of Abraham had all right alike to the Kingdom of Canaan So Believers in Christ Christ and the Children which God hath given him have all right alike to the Kingdom of Heaven The Seed of Abraham by Abraham the Seed of Christ by Christ because the Kingdom of Heaven was originally given to Christ as the Kingdom of Canaan was given to Abraham The Israelite claimed by his Birth the Believer claims by his Faith Gal. 3.26 For ye are all Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christ 's then are you Abraham 's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise SECT VII Of Physical Operation This great Instrument of Man's Salvation called Faith is an easie Of Physical Operation gentle and noble thing in it self but hath been represented difficult and obscure and great quarrels have been made about it and little hopes of reconciliation concerning it unless second and third thoughts be framed by unbiassed and considering Men so to undeceive themselves and others For hitherto the World hath been imposed upon and amused to conceive that Faith and other Graces of God are habits infused by God into Mens Souls quickning their dead Faculties which neither know nor feel any thing that is done unto them till they see themselves in a new condition and frame of Spirit which they call the Work of Grace irresistible as is the fashioning of a lump of clay into a new mold or the raising of a Man that is dead and rotten or the turning of a wheel by meer strength and keeping it in motion by the spring and weights that are put upon it Hereupon the poor People lye still and endeavour nothing but believe that if they be elected after the Covenant of Grace to the end they are elected in time to the means whether they will or no and that they have no will at all to any Good not so much as to accept it when offered but rather an aversion from it and a proneness to all evil to draw it to them and hatefully to turn all goodness from them This Physical operation which they dream to be upon their Spirits is the same with earthly bodies which are moved by natural or artificial causes of force or virtue the greater strength violently prevailing over the less as we move logs and stones by the power of horses or Men or curiously turning of vast bodies by Engines and Wheels of Art Operation Moral Whereas in deed and in truth the operations upon the Soul are moral rather than physical with no other violence or force than that which is not properly so but intellectual and rational or persuasive and inviting unless you will call that a physical way of the working of Spirits upon Spirits but still it is free and fair without force or battery but rational by information of the judgment and persuasion of the Will For quicquid operatur operatur ad modum operantis quicquid patitur patitur ad modum patientis Whatsoever acts acts according to the quality of the Agent and whatsoever suffer suffers according to the condition of the patient Here is therefore nothing of a real touch of the Agent upon the Patient to create necessarily a real change and alteration of the Patient thereby from what it was before but a virtual motion of instruction and insinuation upon an understanding and free subject to convince and invite the same faculties and call them off to new objects freely from their former mistakes So the vulgar are made to believe of
Gods turning hardning softning opening or shutting of Mens hearts as Men do of the motion of natural bodies by strength or wit not considering that these things are spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of Men Metaphorically for our apprehension And if wise Men are able by solid reasons to convince Mens judgments and Eloquent Men are able to incline their wills and affections how much more is the Alwise God by his Spirit able to clear our understandings to a full satisfaction and to draw our desires to those divine truths which he hath revealed by Jesus Christ What more there is in the work of God's conversion of Men by his calling Justification and Sanctification of them let any Man satisfie me fairly Saving Faith Et erit mihi magnus Apollo If Saving Faith properly so called be an entring into Covenant with God in assenting to the promises of his Last will and Testament and making reciprocal promises to him again for Justification And if Holiness be a keeping of our Covenant or faithfulness to our promises for Sanctification And if expectation of Glory be a hope of that Blessedness to which we are justified and sanctified Then where is the infusion of any habit or physical change insensibly made in the Soul But rather as in all Covenants is there not 1. A free offer or promise from God 2. A free consent of acceptance from Man 3. A free observation of obedience to God 4. A free expectation of reward from God All things are free in rational Agents and Patients A rational free Agent thus works upon a rational free Patient 1. By propounding his will in Doctrine 2. By intreaties and exhortations in promises This is Divine and Humane working and drawing with the cords of Love So Wisdom enters into the Soule Not as water out of one vessel into another while one vessel knows not what another doth but by illumination of Wisdom precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little This is our forcing and fashioning anew our partaking of the Divine Nature and of the precious promises of God our regeneration our new Creation our Translation from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God This is to be in the state of Grace to be Elect to have our Names written in the Book of Life to be in Covenant and Alliance with God to be his Children Heirs and Co-heirs with Christ If Faith comes ordinarily by hearing or otherwise Means of Faith where there is no preaching even by Conversation Contemplation observation of Divine Providences or by other unknown instincts and revelations All these waies and means are informative and persuasive and the more because they come from a Divine Spirit and offer a Divine reward and carry a Divine assistance along with them This is a more God like and Man like way from a free Creator to a free Creature than an insensible irresistible plastick power upon a dead stock or stone It would be mockery to a Soul in that senseless and slavish condition to bid it hear that is deaf or see that is blind or run that is lame Then to what purpose is Reason Will or Memory or are they lost by our fall and where are they if we can answer without blushing God can do all this and more Object God can do nothing but wisely and justly Answ It is not wise to save a Man without or against his Will or to make him willing whether he will or no. Therefore God cannot do it It is not noble to give any thing to one that refuseth or to continue it to him that after acceptation and reception will not use it or improve it As for the notion of a New Heart and a New Spirit A New Heart It is as when a Man is advanced to any Dignity or Rule He is a New Man and hath another Spirit yet the same individual Soul and Body remains How much more when a Man by being in League and Covenant with his God is advanced to the Dignity of a Son and Heir of Heaven hath a Man a New Heart and Spirit yet the same individual Soul and Body remains so doth he live above himself and all the World to what he did before yet he is the same Person though altered in his conditions And God gives this Spirit to this Faith which is the Gift of God 1. To hear his Word outward inward 2. To understand it 3. To love and embrace it 4. To persevere in it 5. To hope for Eternal Life by it So God is all in all not essentially by his Substance in our Hearts working as in a Shop but virtually rationally liberally operating and cooperating by his Spirit with our Spirits teaching moving helping in all our internal and external actions Amen The Fourth BOOK OF SANCTIFICATION The CONTENTS Transition Spirit the first Agent Hidden Man Outward Man Natural Man Supernatural Inspiration Penal and grievous Beneficial and gracious Holy Spirit Spiritual Man TITLE I. Of the Spirit THE Act of the Understanding apprehending the truth of Divine promises and the Act of the Will assenting to them The Transition and covenanting with the Promiser is the act of Faith justifying the Soul to all the Rights of God's Estate and engaging the Soul to all the Commands of God's Will The Act of the Understanding apprehending the Truth of Divine precepts and the act of the Will consenting to them and performing the Covenant is the act of Love sanctifying the Soul till it come to perfect holiness in the fear of God for the obtaining of the Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus Thus the Entrance into Covenant with God is the Exercise of Faith to Justification and the continuance in that Covenant is the practise of Faithfulness or Holiness to Sanctification and Glorification by the Spirit SECT I. There is scarce any word in the whole Scripture that hath more various significations than the word Spirit I shall pass by most of them and shall only lead the understanding to the sense which this word beareth particularly to the point in hand Spirit the first Agent That secret Engine which is the first mover in a Watch which moveth all the wheels but is moved of no wheel and without which no wheel doth or can move as to the going of the Watch is called the Spring of the Watch. And that secret fine substance which is the first Agent in Man which doth act all his Members but is acted of no Member and without which no Member doth or can act as to any humane action is called the Spirit of Man Whereof the knowing faculty which affirmeth or denyeth matter of truth or falshood is called the Mind or Understanding and the moving faculty whereby the Spirit chooseth or refuseth matter of good or evil is called the Will or Affection And the judging faculty which accuseth or excuseth acquitteth
or condemneth for the approving or rejecting of truth or falshood is called the Conscience For the Mind Will and Conscience are faculties of that substance which is the Spirit Hidden Man This Spirit is the very Being and Person of a Man called in the Scripture the Hidden Man and the Inward Man because it is a fine secret substance which is both unseen and invisible and because it dwelleth inward within the Body as in a moving Tent or House which in Scripture is called the Outward Man i. e. a poor weak cottage framed of a few slender bones Outward Man clouted together with rags of Flesh plaistered over with a skin of Parchment and thatched over head with a shag of Hair which after a few years is half blown off and after a few more the whole hovel is quite blown down to the ground for it is but a sorry composure of Flesh and Bloud mire and clay God knows Natural Man And while this Native Spirit or inmate or inward Man to the Body acteth no otherwise than according to that native force and strength which he hath by Nature so long is he called the Natural Man and the Carnal Man Supernatural Inspiration But moreover when any supernatural influence or ability is inspired into the Native Spirit of Man it is also called the Spirit For such an ability inspired is as it were a Super-spirit or Spirit upon Spirit or an After-spirit whereby the Spirit of man is changed altered and moved to act otherwise than by the course of Nature it could or easily would And this Supernatural inspiration is differenced by the effects which it operateth upon the Native Spirit Penal and grievous For when the Justification is penal and grievous to depress deject and vex the Native Spirit then it is called in Scripture an Evil Spirit Such an evil Spirit was upon the Native Spirit of Saul after his disobedience Such were the evil Spirits 1 Sam. 16.14 Luc. 7.21 Luc. 8.2 whereof Christ cured many And such was that evil Spirit mentioned Acts 19.15 16. Beneficial and gracious And when the Inspiration is beneficial and gracious to elevate and exalt and sublimate the native Spirit of man refining re-enforcing and strengthening the native fineness force and strength thereof then it is called a Good Spirit Which Good Spirit is again diversified according to the diverse effects which it worketh upon the native Spirit Hence we read The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him Is 11.2 the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Counsel and might the Spirit of Knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. And again 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of power of Love and of a sound mind But when this good Inspiration is beneficial in a peculiar manner Holy Spirit for pious uses and holy purposes exalting the native Spirit of man to such a degree that thereby he disrelisheth despiseth and forsaketh vanity worldly and earthly things relisheth affecteth and aspireth after Divine and Heavenly things performeth or is enabled to perform the true Service of God in the duties and works of true holiness according to the precepts of the New Testament then this good Inspiration is called the Holy Spirit and many times singularly The Spirit in an Eminent and excellent sense And the man whose native Spirit is inspired with this Holy Spirit Spiritual Man is called the Spiritual man the New man and a new Creature because by this Holy Spirit his native Spirit is sanctified regenerated or re-nated i. e. begotten again born again new formed or new created The Spirit then is a supernatural ability of man's native Spirit to form the works of true Holiness And the words Mortification Sanctification Regeneration and Renovation and the like signifie either that thing or the effects of that thing whereof the name is the Spirit For the works of true Holiness are Love Joy Peace long suffering Gal. 5.21 gentleness Good Fidelity Meekness Temperance and such like all which are called the Fruits of the Spirit This Spirit which sanctifieth the knowing faculty of the mind of Man to discern between good and evil as also the moving faculty of the Will to choose good from evil doth also farther sanctifie the judging faults of the conscience to accuse or excuse acquit or condemn rightly and truly as it ought to do keeping a conscience in all things void of offence both towards God and towards Men. The CONTENTS Definition Seat Vnderstanding Will. Memory Reflection TITLE II. Of Conscience Definition COnscience is the judging faculty of the Soul of a Man regulated by a Law for the practise of life and conversation Seat There needs no dispute about the Seat of Conscience whether it be in the Understanding Will or Memory for it is in them all even in the whole Soul Understanding The Understanding speculative considereth Universals Principles Axioms that is Notions or Rules natural or revealed for contemplation of wisdom so the conscience intends the truth of things The Understanding practical considereth particulars consequences and conclusions that flow from those natural Axioms in order to action So the conscience intends the goodness of things and both these are one and the same faculty Will. The Will is created with liberty to follow the dictates of the understanding for the exerting of internal and external actions in the practise of life and conversation Memory Reflection The Memory is the Treasury of all that is done in the whole Man And when the conscience in all these faculties hath speculated considered directed and willed it doth also reflect upon all these internal acts and glances shrewdly upon all the external acts that flow from them judging exactly and impartially upon every one of them and passing sentence accordingly For which cause it may be fitly described Judicium hominis de semetipso The judgment of a Man upon himself A Watchman an Intelligencer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Porter of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Houshold God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Overseer upon the place an Universal Spye to all our practises or if you will God's Vice-gerent in our own breasts The CONTENTS To direct To urge To register To testifie To accuse Before the Action In the Action After the Action TITLE III. Of the Disposition of Conscience THe Disposition of the conscience is rightly to perform these several Offices 1. To direct 2. to urge 3. to record 4. to testifie 5. to accuse or excuse for grief or comfort SECT I. 1. To direct as a Law This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law of the mind To direct the Spirit that delights in the Law of God Ro. 7.23 James 1.21 Rom. 1.19 Arist That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common notions in all nature the work of the Law written in the heart
line upon line here a little and there a little to stir up our poor mind by way of remembrance although we are established in the present Truth and good Government to restrain from vice by penalty of Law These and such like are as I said the subordinate vulgar reasons or arguments ad hominem the causes or rather occasions of the indisposition of the Conscience in bad Men whereby the Conscience is or rather seems to be falsa Lex a false Law a false Gloss a false Instigatrix Notarie Witness and Judg cross to its Creation or rather a false Conscience or no Conscience at all There being an intercision and retardation or adulation instead of Conscience suspending the true exercise of deducting right conclusions from the premises or observing no premises nor conclusions at all But a hurrying after extream and wild passions humours and fancies and a continual course of obstinate rebellion a self-pleasing Perit omne judicium cum res transit in affectum Nothing is done wisely when all is affection or prejudice reason is clouded and Will rules Si possem sanior essem Sed trahit in vitam nova vitiorum Turba Engagements in sin desperate wadings and wallowings in licentiousness Horror and hatred of God and desperate actings against God and all goodness not caring what becomes of us Sic volo sic jubeo stat pro Ratione voluntas Non nisi per scelera ad scelera tutum est iter The CONTENTS Believe Conscience Not believe Conscience Self-Examination Forsake sin Confess sin Collections TITLE V. Of the Restitution of Conscience THe Cure of the strange and wonderful indispositions and distempers of the Soul and Conscience are from God the sole Lord of the Conscience who only understands the errors and deceits that are therein Therefore God hath left some wholesom directions which Spiritual Physicians may prescribe out of his word for the recovery of feeble Souls First therefore as to good Men They advised and required Believe Conscience To believe their own Consciences notwithstanding strong temptations to the contrary and notwithstanding bodily discomposures 1. Because temptations are lyes not Truths the instigations and allurements are in themselves evil and they tend and move to evil therefore they are not in themselves nor in their motions to be trusted I say to believe their Consciences 2. Because they are justified by Faith and sanctified by the Spirit of Truth and therefore have peace with God and are at peace with themselves and do not cannot flatter falsly to a lye because they are of the Truth and the Truth is in them 3. Because diseases and pains in the Body which occasion doubts and fears in the mind are only in the outward Man and the inward Man is not toucht at all But the Soul enjoyes intimate union and communion with God as much when the Body is afflicted more and than at any other time and exercises more Faith and Love and Patience and Hope and hath more trials and experiences of Grace and is more firmly fastned upon the Rock and foundation of Jesus Christ than at any other time The Conscience therefore when observed upon enquiry and search thereinto speaks comfortable Truth which God would have us to believe and we ought to believe it But the passions occasioned by sickness and misery speak nothing but uncomfortable lyes which the Devil would have us to believe but we ought not to believe him nor them 4. Because the natural temper and constitution of many Bodies tend to fears and sorrows in the mind by the vicinity of humours that have a kind of operation upon them Notwithstanding all which passions the Understanding is taught to remember that she hath no reason to doubt of her good condition because these griefs and terrors are no sins of hers but rather her miseries and afflictions indeed of which she hath just cause to complain and ask for a removal but not for pardon which is only proper for sin not misery 5. Because Faith in the Heart is above Sense in the Flesh And we live by Faith and not by Sense and therefore we are to believe Faith and not Sense yea to believe a bove Hope and contrary to Hope which is above Sense and contrary to sense I know not how nor I know not why in the judgment of my Flesh but this I know that he is Faithful which hath promised to give and I have promised to obey and I will trust in him and be obedient unto him though I be sometimes at a stand yet I will not let go my hold but strengthen my self and comfort my self in my God in prosperity and adversity He is my God though I feel not his comforts yet I have them and shall have them and if I want them I shall strive to be content and though I gain nothing desirable from him here yet I shall take God alone to be sufficient for me and to be my exceeding great Reward 6. Because God's Principles breed none but good conclusions Ex veris nil nisi vera sequuntur Though in my error of passion I am not able to make it out yet God shall make it out for me Many an honest Debtor is not able to make out his own dues but a just and merciful Creditor will help him and make it out for him that he shall not be a loser What therefore is wanting in me I believe God will supply and I am sure to be safe in his hands say mine own pretended Conscience and the Devil or Men of devilish Spirits what they will they may vex and perplex me and break my heart with grief but they shall never be able to destroy my Soul and Body in Hell fire For I am fully perswaded that neither height nor depth nor length nor breadth nor Life nor death nor any thing else shall be ever able to separate me from the Love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord and that being justified by Faith I have peace with God and that if God hath justified none shall condemn me no not my own Conscience which is sanctified as is my whole Soul and Body by the Spirit of God which is in me Thus an honest Heart and humble Soule is in a safe condition with God in the midst of fears and terrours occasioned by temptations arising from sickness pains and distempers of a weak Body So am I like a Ship that lives in a storm while the winds drive her and the waves run over her So to the pure all things are pure the Conscience being good all things that come from it are good and all that comes unto it shall be for good Secondly as to wicked Men their remedy is this Not believe Conscience they are advised and required 1. Not to believe their own Consciences notwithstanding strong illusions to the contrary and notwithstanding their bodily good composures and outward peace and prosperity to all things 1. Because flatteries of peace are lyes and not
Nature the state of Grace Freedom the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ a perfect Man Christ fashioned in us to be one with Christ and Christ to be one with us to dwell with Christ and Christ with us to have communion with Christ to savour the things of God Math. 16.23 to taste of the Word of God and of the powers of the World to come Hebr. 6.4 5. to be enlightned and taste of the Heavenly Gift and to be partakers of the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 2.3 to taste how good and gracious the Lord is to awake from sin to be under Grace to have the heart opened to be begotten again to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire to be partakers of the Heavenly Unction to be adopted to enter into Covenant with God This is Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the change of the Mind Redemption Reconciliation Renovation Hungring and Thirsting after Righteousnes spurity of heart poorness of Spirit to have our senses exercised Spiritual discerning going out of self Self-denyal Understanding the things of God Mortification Sanctification After all this Description of the New Creation I observe SECT X. Old Creation 1. That the Old Creation had no subject matter to work upon for all things were created out of nothing and God spake the Word only and every thing came forth from God that had no being in themselves before But the New Creation hath a subject matter to work upon i. e. the Mind and affections which were before 1. Because that which before was darkned with ignorance Reasons or shadowed with Types is hereby enlightned with the knowledg of the Truth And the affections which before were corrupted by fastning irregularly upon their natural objects and so captivated habitually unto sin are hereby reformed to the obedience of the Truth by being obsequious to the Spirit walking after the Spirit and being led by it and not by the lusts of the Flesh 2. Because this new Creature is not corporeal or physical but moral or changed in qualities and conditions 3. Because the effect or work of this new Creation in general is Love which is the keeping of the Commandments of God Joh. 13.34.35 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Joh. 15.17 These things I command you that you love one another Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7.19 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision Gal. 5.6 but Faith that worketh by Love Be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Luc. 6.36 4. Because the Principal Agent in this new Creation is God For God by his Will commands it and by his Spirit initiates it and enables to operate it 5. Because the ministerial Agent is Man For Man by his obedience applies his mind and affections to understand and do the will of God and seconds the motions of God's Spirit in the operations thereof by the works of his own Spirit co-working with God SECT XI That Man is a subordinate Agent Concurrency of God and Man concurring with God the principal Agent appears by these Reasons 1. Because the new Creation is covenanted between God and Man in the new Covenant of Grace And a Covenant being a concurrence of Wills of both parties must needs also require a concurrence of actions in them both For the parties to a Covenant being several do severally undertake for actions between them to be generally done or suffer'd by them 2. Because Man is commanded and seriously exhorted by God to action of newness and renewing and turning to God and to cleanse and purge himself to put off the Old Man to be transformed to walk and serve God in newness of Life to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the Armour of Life to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to avoid them to be planted in the likeness of Christ's death and resurrection to try all things and to hold fast that which is good to prove what is that good and acceptable Will of God to purge out the old Leaven to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit to hate the garments spotted by the Flesh and to keep themselves unspotted from the World Creation therefore here doth not signifie the real and sole act of God in creating anew but the action of Man also flowing from that state of Man's new Creation in respect whereof he is said to be a New Man and a New Creature which action of God and Man is said to avail in Christ Jesus Gal. 6.15 in opposition to Circumcision which was an act of God commanding and of Man in obeying which availeth not in Christ Jesus It will not therefore be safe to say That God is the sole Agent in the New Creation as he was in the Old without all concurrence of Man's action Nay with all reluctance that Man can possibly make while God is in the act of Man's Renovation For It is one thing to frame that Man who hath neither life nor being and another thing to reform that Man who is already existent and living endued with Understanding and Will and so to change him not for his Essence but for his Judgment affections and manners i. e. to raise in him the knowledg and desire and act to follow some certain Religion or course of life and so to work in him the will and the deed after the manner of a Rational subject Unto the former of these actions in Man's framing Man can no way concur because he is not till God hath made him to be but unto the latter action of Man's Reforming Man must concur because he is and God hath made him rational and able to concur And this Reformation neither must nor can be done without the act of Man and his concurrence thereunto 1. It must not be done without Man's concurrence because by doing it so there would be an irresistibility of Judgment and Will contrary to both and Men should understand and â—ill if it were possible contrary to their Understanding and Will And by so cross unimaginable working altogether unreasonable for the â—ost wise God there would be no ground left for Man's Virtue or obedience to God's Spirit nor for Man's vice or disobedience to his Spirit But all the Nature of Religion and Holiness and also of irreligion and wickedness and consequently all Laws for Direction Prohibition Reward or Punishment would be wholly everted and taken away 2. And it cannot be done without Man's concurrence because it is necessary that Man should both will and do something But how can Man will or do any thing without some will or action of his own Let Great Apollo unriddle me these things if he can A Man would
a solemn Sacrifice of a Heifer a Goat and a Ram and a Turtle-Dove and a young Pigeon And before that when God made a general promise unto Abraham That he would be his exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.2 Abraham said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless and the Steward of my House is this Eliezer of Damascus As much as to say Who shall enjoy this thy Gift after me seeing I have none to succeed me Therefore give me an Assurance of an Heir of my Body lawfully begotten lest a Stranger a Servant enjoy it and that will be as no Gift at all to me Then God spake unto him and said This Servant shall not be thine Heir but one that shall come forth of thine own Bowels shall be thine Heir And for his assurance of that he brought him forth abroad and said Look up towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy Seed be 2. In the New Testament God promised to Believers the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven and Believers by the virtue of their Faith of God have a present right thereto But because their possession of this inheritance is not present but future Therefore upon their request God also gives them the Holy Spirit Luc. 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good things to your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In my Father's House are many mansions Joh. 14.1 c. if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also And whither I go ye know and the way ye know I will pray unto the Father and he shall give you another comforter Joh. 16.7 c that may abide with you for ever Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And this Gift of the Spirit is our Assurance whereby we know that we shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Because by this Spirit we know that God abideth in us 1 John 3.24 And he that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us 1 Joh. 4.13 by the Spirit which he hath given us Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Every Man ought to be satisfied and fully perswaded in his own mind and judgment concerning himself whence he is and what he is and what he hath and what he hopeth for and for what end and for how long But more especially in the business of his future Estate and Salvation with God And this is to be sought for here in this life as much as may be according to our utmost capacity in the revelations of God concerning this matter That Blessedness which we have right and title to have Transitionâ— and a tenure to hold it by we must needs also have assurance of to the end we may wait for the possession of it through the Spirit which is given us by Faith For we in or through the Spirit by Faith wait for the Hope of Righteousness Gal. 5.5 The Jews quite contrary in or through the Flesh waited by works for the hope of Righteousness That is they sought for Justification by the works of the Law which they could by no such means be assured of Because without Faith it is impossible to please God For when they went about to establish their own Righteousness they came short of the Righteousness of God That therefore which is our Right or Due from God by our Justification through Faith we may be assured of from God because it is his promise and all his promises are sure For SECT I. 1. The nature of a Promise is to give a present Right Promises to him that accepts it 2. The work of a Promise from a sure person is to beget an assured hope of possession God and good Men never fail of their promises to give every one their Dues We know what things by God's gracious promise we ought to have and hold by We know what things by God's holy Precepts we ought to do and continue in We know these things are promised and commanded and confirmed in God's Testament by God's Oath by Christ's death by God's Spirit and therefore they are settled upon us by the publick Faith of God and our publick Faith in God There is a Private Faith and there is a Publick Faith and therefore there is a Private Assurance and a Publick Assurance SECT II. 1. A private Faith in a private person is but a weak security Private Faith 1. Because of mortality private persons that promise though they intend to perform and be able to perform yet they may die before they perform their promise and must die at last and may be disabled before they die that they cannot perform it And though they do live and be able to perform and do perform yet they cannot live ever to maintain nor protect them to whom they have promised and performed 2. Because of unfaithfulness of private persons they are but weak at the best though never so faithful but few are true amongst them 3. Because of inability They may be honest and yet not able and so all hope and dependance upon them faints though they cannot help it But SECT III. 2. A Publick Faith in a publick persons or persons Publick Faith is strong Security 1. Because of immortality Princes States Kingdoms c are immortal Such Persons and Corporations never die That is they are not presumed to die or if they do not so soon as others 2. Because of Faithfulness Publick persons and Bodies Ecclesiastical and Civil are very sure and faithful Hence Fides Romana the Roman Faith was such a Rock and so Sacred an Asylum that other poor Nations having by League sheltred themselves under their protection counted themselves sure upon their Publick Faith which give them their due they did highly stand upon and would not violate 3. Because of Ability Publick Persons and States incorporated are the greatest strength in the World and most lasting To shew nothing is perfect in this World to secure our Faith in them the greatest and strongest and richest and wisest and justest Corporations of Kingdoms Empires and States As of the Egyptian Babylonian Persian Median Graecian Roman c. have breathed out their last and lye in rubbish and scarce the relique of their Glories are to be found Therefore we are taught to look up higher to the
when they have the Fee which their Fathers had and kept by their Allegiance to their death for them to succeed after them and they are punished when they have lost their Fee which their Fathers lost and did not keep by their felony to their death for them to lose after them what they might have had if their Fathers had performed the Condition So if Parents for their Vertue be made free their Children shall be free but this hath no true respect of reward but good fortune So if Parents for their Fine be reduced to slavery their Children shall be slaves but this hath no true respect of punishment but evil fortune Because no body before he is can have right that he should be born in such or such a condition but when he is born so or so it is his good or bad chance As an Infant in his Mothers womb is not properly acquitted when his Mother is acquitted and saved her life nor properly condemned when his Mother is condemned and loseth her life The CONTENTS Transition Demonstrations Traditions Scriptures Representative Church Some body must determine Pride Calumnies Scriptures Collections TITLE V. Of a Judge of Christs Laws Transition AFter all the discourse of Laws and the Law-maker there is a great cry that makes a great disturbance Who shall be the Judge and Interpreter of Christs Laws No hopes ever to convince such that take all upon trust and will be blinded for Policy and Interest but let Wisdom still speak and she will be justified of her Children and none but wilful Souls will stop their ears A Judge they lack and such as must be infallible but they cannot agree who this should be If some Moral Truths are as demonstrable as others which they call Mathematical then what need of a Judge When such moral Propositions are as Scientifical of themselves and create as full an assent to the understanding as Natural things which are perceptible of themselves and create a full apprehension to the sense The Laws of Nature are plain and as plain consequences may be made from them As that no man should steal or kill and from thence it is demonstrated That if Sejus or Titius do steal or kill they sin against the Law of Nature And such Ratiocinations as are rightly framed from necessary Principles create as undeniable Demonstrations As that a man is Risible Demonstrations because he is Rational That a Horse is one true and good because he is an Ens or that the Periphery of a Circle is Equidistant from the Centre Now if the Laws of Nature be so plain then they need no Judge And if the Positive Laws are so plain as they are or ought to be then they need no Judge also All Intellectual Entities have hitherto by the most of men been accounted probable only allowing by great favour infallibility to Revelations and therefore have been the more slighted and nothing thought worthy of credit but material Entities and objects of sense Now if Revelations come as they may do to the understanding as well as Natural notions and Sensual objects why may they not as plainly be apprehended supposing them as they must to be as plainly revealed as the rest are imprinted in the Soul or conveyed thither by the sense But still the Question is Who shall be the Judg and this Judge must be infallible too The old beaten way is to believe as the Church believes and the Churches Faith is resolved into the Pope or a general Council with or without him not yet agreed Surely there is a fallacy in the word Church as in the word People The Church is either taken for all the Church and the People for all the People which cannot meet to agree all or for the most part or best of the Church or People which can hardly meet to agree all So there is no certainty in either SECT I. Universal Traditions are doubtful Traditions The Eastern Church had one Tradition about Easter from St. John the Western another from St. Peter the Millenaries received their Tradition from Papias St. John's Disciple the rest denied it Councils were hardly ever universal or universally agreeing and mostly packt a few popular Orators and Politicians swayed all the rest So that we are at no certainty by these Certainty is either in Nature things actually existent to sense or in Morality from prime principles undoubted conclusions in the mind by Rational or Mathematical Demonstrations actually existent to Reason The Law of Nature is plain enough Consequences from thence are clear if rightly deducted by the help of Art Laws Positive are to flow from thence Subjects may know by these Laws what they are to have and what they are to do SECT II. Scriptures The Scriptures are God's Positive Laws commanded in his Will and Testament with Promises of Rewards so that by them all Subjects and Legatees understand what they are to have and what they are to do And as the Laws and Testaments of wise and good men are evident so much more the Laws and Testaments of God And therefore in all these Laws there is sufficient Certainty to every one who when all comes to all must judge as well as they can for themselves and the Laws fundamental and necessary are so plain that they may judge Else why should those Promises be made and those Duties be commanded if they to whom they were made and enjoyned could not possibly apprehend them and what other infallible Judge can be imagined especially when besides their own Judgments the Spirit is promised to all that will use what God hath already given them to lead them into all truth And so Christ the only Infallible Judge hath promised to be present by his Spirit unto the end of the World If in this state of Imperfection there remain doubts as there will we must be content to doubt as we do about such manners and circumstances of things as are not absolutely necessary to salvation the ignorance whereof may safely consist with our salvation If others be given over to believe lies it is a just Judgment of God upon them for their carelesness and sensuality As is the case of the Heathen Idolaters who though they knew God yet they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened But still Wisdom is justified of all her Children and the true Faith hath been kept by them and will be kept unto the end of the World and Truth is Truth still In natural Principles all conceptions agree as to worship God to do as we would be done by c. and in supernatural Principles there is the same harmony of Faith in God and a good life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus the whole Church i. e. all Christians in all ages have received the Gospel and kept the Faith and so the Church is the pillar and ground of Truth The Church of God is guided
ought to be exploded and rooted out of minds innocently tender and good and willing to be taught better Discerning Party The honest searching and discerning Clergy and Laity discover them to be pious frauds to get Reputation and Gain and labour wisely and carefully to undeceive and satisfie the world by the few necessary and plain Truths of Christ as he and his Disciples have published them to all Mankind in the four Gospels and the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles And till this course be taken the Church and the World will never be at peace Primitive Times This Course was prosecuted in the first four hundred years with plainness and simplicity of Life and Doctrine by the best of Saints not without some intrusion of Judaism and Gentilism betimes even in the daies of the Apostles with other workings of men of Antichristian spirits But afterwards when Riches and Honour and with them Pride and Worldly Interests came crowding in amongst Church-men out went the old plain way of preaching and living and in came vain Philosophy Oratory Flattery Ambition Persecution Division and what not most unlike to the profession of Christianity and contrary to the power of godliness Many noble Souls had their eyes fixed and their hands exercised in the old way of Truth and grieved for the Deviations which they could not help or reform at all but protested manfully against them like faithful Witnesses and Followers of their Lord and Master and kept the Faith all along which was once delivered to the Saints and some died for it But at last after many overtures of Truth that could not be hid Reformation a greater assault was made than ordinary to shake off her chains bring her out of the Dungeon and rowse her up against Lies and it was done effectually to rare intents and purposes Then were the Ages filled with more learned and unbiassed men than ever since the Apostles daies Then together with Religion Arts and Sciences revived and flourished not without great augmentations of Honour Plenty and Peace that accrued thereunto in the kingdoms of the World which fared the better for the Church Yet envious men were never wanting nor ever will to sow Tares still foggs and vapours arise but the Sun shines and climbs his Meridian The strong man keepeth his house and there is none stronger than he to turn him out The old abominable Heresies though revived and new ones added nevertheless their monstrous heads are and will be cut off by the mighty Giants defenders of the Faith They sneak into corners hang down their heads dare not shew their guilty faces save to the ignorant and rebellious others hiss them out of doors The Ancient paths are now more and more enquired for and glorious Captains lead the way They that do not follow are nevertheless convinced and cannot but approve of the things they refuse to practice Those therefore that aspire to this Evangelical temper are the noblest Souls and tread in the stateliest paths of Vertue and Peace and bring more Souls unto God For which their labour and moderation they feel the odium of the World and the unlucky blows of their Enemies but are commended and defended by God and all good men for their so honourable and gallant undertakings Besides what Errors have been of old there have been since by degrees brought in so many as threaten corruption of the whole Mass of Christian Doctrine As the setting up Infallibility and Supremacy where none should seek to be the greatest the Idol of the Masse the Worship of Daemons the Diana for Gain Purgatory and Pardons the cheat of Auricular Confessions Images Penances Reliques and innumerable Ceremonies repugnant to the simplicity of Gospel worship To these may be added the Chymistry of Rosicrucians Behemists Cabbalists Casuists Summists School-men Postillers and Enthusiasts of all sorts These high and Magisterial dictates imposed upon the pain of Damnation together with the intolerable Pride Avarice and Luxury of Church-men open the mouths of the Adversary to cry down the Clergy for Cheats and Robbers of the Souls Honours and Estates of Mankind cause them to question all Truths and fall into direct Atheism and Profaneness Yet am I not without powerful hopes and do already see and wonder at the wise and gracious Providence of God in stirring up the spirits of Rare men to baffle the Carnal Fallacies and Superstitious Riddles that have bewitched the Age and advance the power of Godliness and pure worship with obedience to Princes 1. God hath abolished the Jewish Service 2. God hath silenced the Heathenish Oracles 3. God hath ceased from Miracles frighting Mortals by Comets Plagues Famines c. into faith and obedience 4. Never purer Wits since the world stood 5. Never braver Clergy since the World stood 6. Never holier Souls since the world stood 7. Never baser Spirits since the world stood As for this Dross of the Age the Ranters and Atheists they will die and be damned like base fellows as they are they will soon be kick't off the stage and drove out of the Hives as useless and hurtful in Church and State the very shame of Mankind a fair riddance in God's good time and Truth which is greatest will prevail Wisdom shall be justified of her Children shame shall be unto Fools and God shall be glorified above all Amen The Clench for good and all The Dispositions of God's Will and Estate by Testament are concerning Things to be had videlicet a present Right to a future Inheritance and concerning Things to be done for the having them or for Justification to them by Faith and for the holding of them by Sanctification or Tenure of Love In Gods last Will and Testament managed and ratified for ever by Christ's death and performed by his Resurrection Ascension Oblation Session and Last Judgment is disposed a present Right to a future estate of Eternal Blessedness The Earnest and Assurance whereof is sealed unto us by the Spirit of God in the means of Faith justifying thereunto The Last stroke God is the Sole Lord of Blessedness to which the Faithful have the true Right by oath of Fealty to their Liege Lord to hold it in Fee by personal homage and service When they have performed their Faith and Allegiance and done their full homage constantly to the end of their Spiritual warfare then are they invested in the full and indefeisable Estate of Blessedness in a quasi Allodium for ever The End of the Second Volume
by Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and for evermore Amen APPENDIX OR APPLICATION TO THE CLERGY and LAITY The CONTENTS Word Sacraments Gospel-Spirit TITLE I. Of the Clergie's Calling SAint Paul saith 2 Cor. 3.6 God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Old not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life We must therefore consider our Calling Heb. 7.12 the Priesthood is changed therefore there must of necessity be a change also of the Law The Gospel is the Royal Law the Law of Faith the Law of liberty and of perfection that nulls the servile Law of bondage and works The Word therefore of this New Testament we must preach Word the newness of the Spirit not the oldness of the Letter and that in season and out of season and that carefully for wo be unto us if we preach not the Gospel and cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently and having put our hands to this plow we must not look back Sacraments 2. The Sacraments of this New Testament we must administer as 1. Baptism which is not by Water only but by Water and Blood for without blood there is no Remission of sins and Baptism is for the remission of sins therefore we are baptized into Christ's death in which is blood that our sins might be buried in Christ's grave and we buried with him in Baptism and rise again with him in newness of Life 2. The Lord's Supper containing 1. The Body of Christ which is given for us Sacrifice and Burnt-offering thou wouldest not have but a body hast thou prepared me This is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you This is the New Testament in my Blood and no Testament can be confirmed without Blood And hereby we shew the Lord's death until he come again Gospel-spirit Let us aim therefore at a Gospel-Spirit for behold I shew unto you a more excellent way both in your Doctrine and in your Persons I do not take upon me to be a Magisterial Dictator to the Clergy but as having received some helps from the Lord I hope I may become an humble and modest Adviser and Director The CONTENTS Precepts Promises Conditions TITLE II. Of the Clergie's Doctrine I. IN Your Doctrine therefore consider what high Preceps and what high Promises you are to publish to the world For surely we are no Old-Testament-Divines but Ministers of a better Testament than that was and established upon far better Promises Precepts The Precepts you are to teach are very pure no less than Spiritual and perfect Holiness which is the condition for the obtaining of God's Promises For Godliness hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come and without Holiness no man shall ever see the face of God The Promises you are to teach are no less than Spiritual and Eternal Happiness and the graces that tend thereto as Forgiveness of sins Promises Adoption Liberty Protection Priviledges the Earnest and Comfort of the Spirit Resurrection and Life Everlasting Fear not little Flock for it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom Come ye Blessed children of my Father inherit the kingdom of God prepared for you from the beginning of the world Greater Precepts cannot be enjoyned and greater promises cannot be made and surer cannot be performed For they are the Gifts and Legacies of God devised by him in his last Will and Testament conveyed and administred by Christ the Executor The conditions upon which these high things are given are as noble Conditions so as easie and favourable written upon the Tables of our hearts by the finger of God's Spirit Thy Law is within my heart therefore easie to be known and as easie to be done by the help of the same Spirit which shall lead us into all truth and help all our Infirmities and do our work for us and in us I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me My Grace is sufficient for thee Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burden is light Embrace wisdom for her ways are always pure and pleasant and all her paths are peace Every Wise man will make his Last Will and Testament his best Will and Testament most plain and easie to be understood that the Heir and Legataries may know their several Duties and Dues how to perform them and how to claim by them And every good man will make his last Will and Testament his most favourable and bountiful Will and Testament bestowing the best things and commanding the easiest and less irksome Conditions Much more will the great and wise God who is wisdom and goodness it self make his last will most clear and most gracious For if we that are evil know how to give good gifts to our children how much more will our Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to those that ask him Hit therefore this Basilick vein find out the pretious Pearl pour in this Balm of Gilead open this Phoenix Nest this bed of Spices this pretious Box of odoriferous Ointments Let your Speech be seasoned with Salt and let such gracious words proceed out of your mouths as may administer Grace unto the Hearers Be not sons of Thunder as if you came from Mount Sinai but rather sons of consolation as coming from Mount Sion Be sure ye utter no Principles against the Justice and Mercy of God nor Dogmata Reipublicae noxia nor Doctrines hurtful or disgraceful to Princes or Common-Wealths Remember that Religion is first pure and then peaceable not reflecting upon the Dishonour of God nor injurious to any man Be not as the Seditious Zealots among the Jews before and at the destruction of Jerusalem nor like the factious and rebellious Philosophers Orators and Poets among the Gentiles especially in Greece and Rome Beware of all Judaizing or Heathenizing by Cabbalistical Sophistical vain Philosophy insinuating deceivable Rhetorick Flourishes Gingles and Querks of Flashy Wit Preach the plain good will and mind of God plainly and kindly Hide your Art and that will be your chiefest Art Tell poor Souls what a large Portion they have in God's Will and Testament how their Namss are written in that book of Life Tell them the mark of the price of the high Calling which is laid up for them in Christ Jesus the crown of Righteousness the exceeding great Recompence of the Reward for all such as diligently seek him Freely you have received this treasure into your Earthen Vessels freely give it to them to whom it belongs distribute the favours of your bountiful Lord and Master with a courteous hand let not your eye be evil because God's is good be you willing as God is that all men should be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth be not rigid austere morose sullen saturnine ghostly
frightful nor of Catonian or Cynical Spirits But rather as becometh you gentle and merciful as your Heavenly Fais merciful who is free to all and rejects none that come unto him Observe your Saviour's temper upon earth fair free easie of access compassionate and liberal to all TITLE III. Of the Clergie's Persons II. IN your Persons Look to your selves as well as to your Doctrines be ye no Market or Fair-Divines nor Haunters of Plays Taverns Ale-houses or Schools of Debauchery In your conversation shew the spirit of men of Scholars and Gentlemen of Divines of Christians sober studious grave and regular 'T is a great while before a Divine can throughly understand himself and his profession if he studies never so hard and live never so warily But if he do neither of these or both but slightly he shall never throughly understand himself or his profession To be a Scribe throughly furnished for the kingdom of Heaven a good housholder producing out of his Treasury things new and old A Skilful workman that needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth shewing both in his life and in his doctrine uncorruptness gravity and sincerity The CONTENTS Laws Law-Terms TITLE IV. Of the Clergie's Study AS a means therefore to make you every way compleat study Logick Philosophy History and all the Liberal Sciences but above all these study Law which is the most noble Faculty next to Theology and most Homogeneal to God's Law Remember the famous and illustrious testimony of Cicero Cic. lib. de Orat. speaking in the person of Crassus concerning the Laws of the twelve Tables Fremant omnes licet dicam quod sentio Bibliothecas meherculè omnium Philosophorum unus mihi videtur duodecem Tabularum Libellus si quis Legum fontes capita viderit Authoritatis pondere utilitatis ubertate superare i. e. Let all that hear me be never so much offended I will speak boldly what I think That this one little Book of the laws of the twelve Tables if it be rightly considered as containing the fountains and heads of all Laws doth excel the Libraries of all the Philosophers both for the weight of Authority that it carrieth along with it and the plentiful profit that is contained therein The same Author also affirms Cic. lib. 2. de Leg. That Children were wont to learn the Laws of the twelve Tables as their Primar the better to lay a foundation for knowledg and practice all their life after The Science of the Civil Lawes that flowed from this fountain of the twelve Tables the most and best of learned men have ever professed Quintus Mutius Servio Sulpitio cum de jure respondentem parum intellexisset turpe est inquit Patritio Nobili causas oranti jus in quo versatur ignorare i. e. Quintus Mutius replyed to Servius Sulpitius when he perceived that he answered not as if he understood Law saying It is a shame for a Senator a Noble Man and an Advocate to be ignorant in the Law which he professeth I always looked upon true Church men as to be the greatest Lawyers and such as therefore beside being versed in the holy Scriptures which are the Laws of God ought also to be skilful in the Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws of Men as being the most connate and genuine helps for Divinity creating better Notions by far as is found by experience than can be raised from inferior Arts which are all subservient in several ways but much less as being more heterogeneal and remote from Divinity than Laws are And this you will find to be true to your comfort and satisfaction if you will but give your minds to understand the method rules cases and terms of the Laws which next to the Scriptures do comprehend in them purest Wisdom Justice and Equity that is any where else to be found Take therefore by the way a short view of the most principal and useful Terms of Law which I have promiscuously set down for an Essay Viz. Law-terms Testator Testament Will. Codicil Heir Co-heir Inheritance Executor Administrator Dis-inheridation Preterition Institution Substitution Fidei Commissum Adoption Possession Right Title Claim Interest Propriety Usufruct Use Emphytensis Tenure Fee Allodium Allegiance Vassalage Homage Investiture Infeudation Fidelity Refutatio feudi Apertura feudi Rebellio Vacancy Administration Accompt Justice Mercy Sin Grace Virtue Vice Faith Repentance Recidivation Relapse Apostasy Predestination Election Justification Sanctification Reprobation Redemption Emancipation Exemption Jus Postliminii Curse Blessing Majesty Supremacy Emperour King Prince Duke Lord. Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction Legislator Arbitrator Policy Law Dispensation Ordinance Statute Custome Sentence Inhibition Decree Act. Interdict Appeal Priviledg Barr. Tribunal Trial. Court Advocate Witness Adversary Register Scribe Record Testimony Proclamation Petition Summons Accuser Appearance Accusation Arrest Publication Answer Defence Exception Replication Confirmation Convention Intervention Dilation Litis Contestatio Articles Probation Presumption Conclusion Absolution Condemnation Imputation Pardon Grace Glory Triumph Victory Confession Procurator Tables Action Complaint Suspension Equity Rigor Dammage Charges Recovery Restitution in integrum Jaylor Jaol Tormentor Executioner Reprieve Sergeant Sanctuary Refuge Protection Usury Wages Extortion False Weights and Measures Bribery Stellionates Sacriledg Tribute Tax Toll Custome Sedition Rebellion Poysoning Treason Crimen laesae Majestatis Parricide Murder Man-slaughter Ambitus Repetundae Annona Residuum Fiscus Falsifying Witchcraft Plagiary Sorcery Witches Curious Arts. Conniving Subornation Conjuring Conjurer Familiar Spirits Wisards Exorcists Demoniacks Lunaticks Southsayers Astrologers Pythonists Wise men City Common wealth Kingdom Citizens Free-men Exchequer Communion Sacrament Division Senate School Church Hospital Colledg Physician Chirurgeon Medicine Tumult People Poor Banishment Honour Degrading Diminutio Capitis Augmentatio Capitis Tuition Pupil Guardian Curator Orphan Minor Major Adult Minority Majority Puberty Master Servant Lord. Slave Patron Liberty Bondage Captivity Ingenuous Libertine Manumission Imprisonment Redemption Redeemer Ransome Saviour Exchange Satisfaction Satisdation Fiduciary General Captain Souldier Siege Army Camp Arms. Provision Bulwark Castle Strong hold Magazine Arsenal Ships War Peace League Truce Battel Victory Triumph Allies Confederates Conditions Heraulds Messenger Spoils Hostage Lot Chance Buying Selling. Letting Hiring Redhibition Lending Borrowing Paying Pawn Pledg Interest Recompense Restoring Surety Suretyship Security Earnest Debt Wages Debitor Creditor Market Fair. Merchandise Partnership Trade Manufacture Division Fraud Negotiation Acceptilation Theft Infamy Gift Loan Alms. Gain Loss Melioration Deterioration Use Depositing Usucapio Prescription Donation Alienation Acquisition Sequestration Fidejussor Transaction Compromise Compensation Society Mandate Familiae erciscendae Indebiti solutio Delegation Injury Violence Vindication Rescinding Peculiar Communi dividendo Finium regendorum Bona Fides Justus Metus Cession Espousals Marriage Matrimony Patrimony Divorce Saparation Nullity Fornication Adultery Rape Ravishing Incest Concubine Connubium Harlot Virgin Spouse Husband Wife Dowry Joincture Paraphernalia Parents Children Bastards Legitimate Portion Gift Promise Houshold Family Housholder Treasury Steward Widow Talent Fame Overseer
by the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God in them If there be other Traditions without writing they also for the main agree with the Traditions written but some circumstances may differ and some must needs be lost in both But still the Traditions in Writing must needs be the surest and most lasting wherefore God himself wrote the two Tables with his own hand and commanded Moses to write the rest for a perpetual Record As for Traditions without writing they must needs be more hazardous because of the shortness of mens lives the weakness and varieties of mens apprehensions and memories the Interest of parties c. Nor are Writings impregnable but in the changes of times if they escape the fire and other ruines they cannot escape the ignorance and perversness of Scribes But God hath hitherto among both Jews and Christians secured the main Oracles written and unwritten and will secure them for ever SECT III. As for an exact Representation of the holy Catholick Church it cannot easily be imagined either in the Head thereof which is Christ Representative Church there being no express warrant for such a Representative Head or in the Members for such a Representative Body For who can represent the mind of Christ but the Spirit of Christ which is in him or who can represent the mind of Christians but the Spirit of Christians which is in them For Christ will not needs not come in Person to declare his will because he hath sufficiently done it already and Christians cannot meet all together to declare their will because there are most in Heaven from whence it is impossible for them to come and the rest are in all parts of the World from whence it is little less than impossible they should gather together and if they should they would all agree most certainly in the same Faith and Holiness but in Forms and Circumstances they could not And besides there would be Hypocrites among them do what they can for all that Profess have not faith And moreover men as men have various conceptions apprehensions and reasonings and languages and humors and interests And words are too few for things and are ambiguous and Idioms are diverse and there will be mistakes and there is no help for it and few have the true Arts of right reasoning therefore in these cases they must be contented to bear one with another and keep the peace well enough We may thank God that he hath left us the Scriptures and they are sufficient for salvation and be contented and judge as well as we can So men are fain to do in Civil Laws with some helps of Judges because mens Laws are not so plain as they should be but Gods are and they must rest satisfied with what they know till God shall come in into them by farther discoveries upon their honest search and endeavours after saving truth But still where scruples are some body must determine Some body must determine because of practice and because of peace I mean in matters of Discipline and so people must be contented though not satisfied but in Faith and a good Conscience every one knows sufficiently and every one is satisfied So in a Ship the Pilot must steer as well as he can though he may fail and some body else may know better For every one hath liberty to judge for himself but not altogether to act for himself much less for others That 's left to Governours who are as Gods yet they may erre as men it being Gods Prerogative only to know all good and evil and yet under God we must be guided by them who with reverence and godly fear do determine hard cases as the Turkish Mufti who when consulted to give his Judgment sets it down in writing and subscribes modestly This is my Judgment but God knows better And now what would the World have or what can they have more than they have and why will they not be contented with what they have and God thinks fit for them to have Why call they for a Judg when God is their Judge as the Israelites called for a King when God was their King This is to reject the Judgment and Government of God and trust to the judgment and government of Men and to have greater assurance than God thinks fit to allow them Pride There is an itch of Power in all this in the Clergy that are forbidden by their Master to seek after Greatness and leave the care and government of the Church and Commonwealth to Kings and Princes to whom it is committed to be Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers of Gods People Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Let them give their Advice to Kings humbly and teach their People truly and give them good Examples and they have done their duty God is not will not be wanting to his People for soul or body for this life or for a better But still the noise of an Earthly Judg rings in mine ears and I cannot be quiet for it And the sound thereof takes with the Vulgar and they are too willing to be cheated and some body thereby gets no small advantage O good God when shall we be at peace A Faction a stream of Worldly-mindedness and glory runs high The true Spirit of Christianity is lowly and lovely and quiet and looks up to God in the midst of all distractions What should poor Souls do but trust to their good God and be silent acquaint themselves with him and be at peace Calumnies They tell us we have no Church we are without a Head we have no Shepherd no Guide no Assurance we are utterly lost and out of the bosom of the Church c. Soft and fair Are we not Men have we not our reason and senses about us have we not Faith and a good Conscience within us What should we have more They that have ears to hear let them hear We will speak for our selves once more O ye that call your selves the Darlings of God the only True Church give us leave to own the same God and Faith with you and God will own us we doubt not whether you will own us or no. We are men and Christians still for all you our Senses and Judgments and Wills are our own still for all you There is Grace sufficient for us and you notwithstanding all your Anathema's and Curses against us Though you curse yet we bless All the Evidences cannot be on your side we have something to say for our Religion as well as you Scriptures The Scriptures of God we say under God are our Judges We go to the Law and to the Testament of God These you say are not Evident they are dead letters they cannot speak We say that the mind of God in them is a living letter and the Spirit speaks in them and is to be trusted to when the Spirits of men fail and are not to be trusted We understand