of Neconcupisces as that they thought Concupiscence no sinne and for the rest though they had some particular Laws respectively against the breach of some commandment as against adultery incest and the like yet they dispensed with them as persons time and place ministred occasion to them Which we may see in the story of a King of Persia who being desirous to marry his own sister and knowing that there was a Law against incest brake his minde to the Magi desiring their opinions they told him that though there were such a Law yet there was another that the King might do what he would Whereas our Religion is so far from dispensing either with that or other the Laws of God that the saints of God had rather suffer death then them to be broken as in the case of John Baptist who told King Herod Tibinon licet it is not lawfull for thee to have thy brothers wife though it cost him his head for saying so 4. Another argument to prove the truth of our Religion is that both it and the Scriptures by which we are guided go to the heart whereas other Religions pierce not the skinne These stop the streames theirs make the Lusts of the flesh but affections Adiaphora indifferent things to be avoyded or not ours by prohibiting Concupiscence stop the fountain of all sinnes 5. Again it is a necessary consequence that that which cannot come from man comes from God But there are some things in Scriptures which are truly Metaphysicall and exceed the capacity of man as that Jehovah Elohim is one God and three persons trinity in vnity that God should become man that God should take upon him to be the redeemer of Mankind and that by his stripes and suffering punishment man should be healed that God should create a world and out of that gather a Church to himself These things and more cannot be comprehended by man and are not to be conceived but onely by our Religion 6. Not to conceale the faults of a mans parents or friends or to speake against a mans own countrey stock kinred or his own self is a thing altogether unnatural and cannot come into any but by a supernatural power But we see that Moses when no necessity compelled him spared 〈◊〉 ot his own stock but spake against his brother Aaron for making the Golden Calfe nor his sister Miriam in the case of murmuring no nor his own selfe at the waters of strife and committed the same to writing that Posterity should take notice of these things Yea and dispossessed his own children from succeeding him in the Magistracy constituting Josuah in their stead these acts cannot agree with the natural man but must needs proceed from a higher cause therefore the writers of these Scriptures must of necessity be inspired by God himself 7. Whereas the whole scope of Philosophers and of the Law makers among the Heathen was to teach how Princes might enlarge their territories and taught it as a point of wisdom to win by all means the favour of princes and great men this Religion teacheth contempt of life the world and worldly honours in respect of God and such was the practize of the prophets who were so far from seeking the favour of Princes that they reproved them to their faces when Gods cause was in hand Therefore this Religion is spiritual and proceeds not from man 8. Again we know that as God is a spirit so must his worship be spiritual and this is the scope of the Scriptures that God be honored without Images or shadows And though in the vnity of God that there is but one God to be worshipped false Religion may agree with the true yet in this point it doth not their Religion and the worship thereof being onely corporeal not spiritual For though in the Old Testament there be many Ceremonial worships prescribed yet God disclaimeth them all yea he abhorreth them if they be performed without the inward worship and sets down the way of worship wherein he most delighteth namely in a broken and contrite heart and spirit Therefore as man is bodily and his motions fall within the compasse of the Body so is that worship which comes from him bodily whereas Gods worship is spiritual and not corporal onely 9. To these may be added by us that we had Miracles and Oracles to confirme our Religion as they did to strengthen theirs And those beyond theirs in divers respects 1. The Miracles mentioned in Scriptures were not done in a corner but openly as were they which were done by Moses upon Pharaoh in the sight of his servants 2. They were notfrivolous or vain but profitable and beneficial 3 They were not imitable nor 〈◊〉 by Magique or mans art for what Magician can divide the Sea or cause the Sun to stand as in Josuahs time or make the Suns shadow goe back as in the diall of Ahas or to rain Manna as in the wildernesse Jannes and Jambres are not able to stand against Moses 2. And for our Oracles they were not as the Oracles of the Gentiles that spake placentia pleasing things or as they themselves say did speak such things as their Kings would have them speake nor are they ambiguous or doubtfull such as theirs that needed Delium interpretem some Apollo to explain them and in that respect as Porphyrius testifies of them they ever had their Postica back-doors evasions to help them But ours are void of flattery and are certain some of them being fullfilled 500. some 1000. years some 3000. years after they were uttered as the enlarging of Japhets tents which hapned not till the calling of the Gentiles and the like So much to prove the truth of both Testaments as our religion agrees with that of the Jews Now follow some reasons proper to the confirmation of the truth of Christian Religion CHAP 12. Special reasons for the Christian Religion as diff ring from the Jewish It purgeth the soul shews that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The testimony of the Apostles and 〈◊〉 the knowledge of what they wrote their Honesty The credit of the story Testimony from Pagans The star at Christs birth The crosse sacred with the Egyptians The miracles at Christs death The progresse of Christianity by weake means opposed by power and learning contrary to flesh and blood the excellency of the promises power in conversions The truth of Christs Miracles The constancy of Martyrs The ends of the apostles The Divels testimony against himself Saint Augustine out of 〈◊〉 de regressu animae one of the greatest enemies that ever the Church of God had saith that there is no true Religion that confesseth not that the soul of man 〈◊〉 to be purged and addeth that the Platonists received from the Caldeans that the soul of man non potuit perfici 〈◊〉 per principia and we know that Platos principles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father the minde and love which
take heed that we be not defiled or polluted again He that washeth himself after he hath touched a dead body and toucheth it again is defiled saith Sirach We must not therefore be like the Dog that returns to his vomit nor like the Sow that walloweth again in the mire How then may we be cleansed Saint Augustine tells us that there is balneum erectum a Christo balneum sanguinis ejus by the bath of Christs blood And this is it wherein both our aspersions and fluxes may be cleansed away Of which bath the water of Baptism is a representation Baptismus abluit omnia peccata saith the same Father Baptisme washeth away all sins Et Aqua illa non solum sordes corporis mundat sed animam a peccatis liberat that water doth not onely cleanse the spots of the body but frees the soul from sin And not onely by that per Baptismum fluminis but flaminis too the Baptism of fire goeth with it to purge us even the Spirit of God which remaineth with us to the worlds end and wherewith we are daily baptized for as fire scoureth and cleanseth mettal from drosse so doth the Spirit of God the filth of our souls S. Augustine saith Spiritus sanctiopus est diligentes sanctificare sanctos costodire to keepus as well as to make us holy But because the Spirit and fire may be quenched there is another matter added to feed it The cooperation of the word ye are clean through the word saith our Saviour the hearing of the word is a cleanser too it cleanseth like niter or fullers earth The daily applying of the word checketh that which is amisse in us and cleanseth our corruption By this the Spirit purgeth us both within and without for outwardly we must be clean too or else we come short of a Scribe or Pharisee for he maketh clean the outside But the inward cleansing washing of the heart and spirit is specially for Christians because out of the heart cometh all uncleannesse and if no concupiscence were there would be no issue at all so that he that can scour the foul shall have no issue In this Chapter of preparation it is said be ready against the third day come not at your wives which seems to be an addition to Gods commandment and a counsel given by Moses not that this was unlawful or did pollute but because it was inconvenient at that time and might perhaps have endangered them from being so clean as they should be The Jews report that beside the Law of God the most ancient saying among them that is of such as they called Dicta sapientum the sayings of wise men was facite 〈◊〉 legi make a limitation to the Law As when God commanded the Israelites not to enter league or covenant with the Gentiles they because they would be sure not to offend against that precept would not so much as keep company with them nor drink with them And Job whereas the Commandement was not to covet another mans wife made a covenant with his eyes and not so much as thought upon a maid So S. Paul in the Chapter which is called the Chapter of expedience confesseth that it is lawful to marry yet it was better to forbear in that time of persecution he made a hedge about the Law abridging the use of a lawful thing that they might not fall into unlawful Now God forbiddeth none of these in any place of Scripture It was not unlawful to drink with unbelievers nor to look upon a maid nor to marry Yet we see their counsel and Moses here come not at your wives This teacheth us a good point of wisdom not to go too neer the edge of the bank lest we fall into the ditch not to come too neer the pit lest 〈◊〉 in And the ground of the equity of this command brings in a third reason to shew that we have need of inward cleansing A clean thing may be defiled not onely by an unclean thing but by a thing that is not of as high a nature and degree as it self that is not as good as it though it be clean As a holy thing being touched with that which not as good as it self is unhallowed If one hear holy flesh its the Prophets question in the skirt of his garment and with his skirt do touch bread or pottage or wine or oyl or any meat shall it be holy and the Priests answered No. And the Prophet Esay tels us of two things to the same purpose 1. That their silver became drosse and their wine was mixt with water Now the drosse defileth the silver because it is nought but water defileth wine because it is not of so good a nature as it self So is brasse with gold So we if we set our souls upon inferiour things and earthly make a mixture and though they be not unclean nay though they be lawful yet there will be a pollution And in what respect it comes to defile the Author to the Hebrews sheweth and makes a distinction telling us that we must not onely forbear sin that besets us but also lay aside every weight that hinders us in our Christian race This weight is not properly sin but an impediment and because it hindreth it must be laid aside He argues thus All things are lawful but all things are not expedient Lawful things when they hinder must not be used if lawful things begin once to be unexpedient a Christian is not to use but eschew them By the use of indifferent things we are sometimes brought under their power they become predominant over us And therefore we are so to use them as that we come not under the power of them that we may forbear them when we will and use them when we will Though the use of mariage be lawful yet because as S. Paul saith it may be a hinderance to fasting and prayer it is not to be used at such times as those duties are required For the Devil insinuates into us and deceives us not onely by evil things but also by those which are good in their own nature by Gods good creatures by his gifts and we are no lesse to take heed of him in indifferent things then in evil Our tables may be a snare unto us And the thing which should be unto us for our welfare may be an occasion of falling So Prayer one of the most excellent duties of a Christian may be turned into sin The like may be said of Almes These things are spoken to this purpose that as Moses's counsel was Come not at your wives which is a thing lawful yet if by circumstance of time or place or the like these lawful things make a man slow in the service of God we ought to refrain them and to follow the counsel of Moses The third and last point in preparation is set down
we utter but vain knowledge therefore having no hope to learn the true knowledge of our selves and being as far from learning it from other natural men 〈◊〉 our selves we must look after another teacher that hath deeper knowledge then we have And who that is we shall finde in the book of Samuel Deus scientiarum Dominus The Lord is a God of knowledge it is he onely that can teach us and as he is able so is he willing too Our Saviour tells us that it is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God for so saith the Prophet Esay And thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. And the kingly Prophet David gives the reason Because that with him is the well of life and in his light we shall see light Though we be naturally blinde and have no light neither in nor of our selves yet in his light we shall see light And therefore he it is that must be our teacher and as he must be our teacher so we may be sure that this teacher is willing to instruct us Gods loving practise tells us that he is He began it with Adam and preserved it in the Patriarchs and then it beginning to decay he continued it by tradition After that people being corrupted and knowledge decaying more and more he wrote the Law which being broken he took order for a new writing and enjoyned them to hear it and appointed Priests and Levites who by interpreting it caused the people to understand it for as the text saith they read the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading When they failed and false interpreters came he raised up prophets to give the true sense of the Law and when this was not sufficient he sent his onely Son the last and most perfect teacher or doctor of the Church and he ascending to the glory of his Father gave gifts to men as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers whom he promised to send and enable with gifts for the instruction and edification of his Church and to continue a succession of them to the end of the world Now as God is the Author of this knowledge so he provides what is necessary for us to attain it viz. the outward ministery of man and the inward work of his Spirit 1. For the first we have the Eunuch sitting in his Chariot and reading a place in Esay and being desirous to know the meaning of the place God provides him a Minister Philip to expound it to him And so when Cornelius was continuing in fasting from the fourth hour to the ninth and falling to prayer God sent Peter to him 2. For the second Our Saviour hath promised on Gods behalf that God shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him So that the outward means being diligently performed on our part we may rest assured that God will perform his part Christ in the Gospel perswades the Pharisees and us in them to search the Scriptures to come to the true knowledge of him and so to life That which remaineth God will supply by the unction of his Spirit there will be no defect on his part provided that we look to ours But the fear is on our part and it appeareth by the commandment here laid upon us that we are not willing for a good man is a Law to himself but we have a commandment to stir us up to knowledge Now further in this as in all the other Commandments we are to consider two things 1. That which is commanded Knowledge of which we have now spoken 2. That which is forbidden Ignorance of which in the next place The affirmative and the negative part In the affirmative is commanded 1. Knowledge 2. A rich measure of it according as our vocation will permit non solum scire sed etiam bene scire And in this negative two things are forbidden 1. Ignorance 2. Light superficial knowledge for the rule in Divinity is Peccatum non tantum est appetitus malorum sed etiam desertio meliorum Where fulnesse is commanded not onely emptinesse but scarcity is forbidden also So not onely ignorance but a light fleeting and superficial knowledge is forbidden Ignorance The Church of Rome is taxed to justifie it though it cannot be found that they are Patrones of it but onely faulty in allowing small superficiall knowledge in the people yet if any man conceive that Ignorance of God is justifiable let this perswade him to the contrary 1. A sinne it must needs be else what needed a sacrifice for it 2. If it had been a light offence David had been uncharitable to pray to God to powre out his indignation on them that knew not his Name 3. It is not onely sin but first the cause of it and secondly the cause of punishment 1. It is the cause of sin for the Prophet saith The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land for that there was no mercy and the reason of that was because there was no true dealing and the reason of both was because there was no knowledge of God and presently after he tells them of their destruction for it So the Apostle after he had reckoned up the offences of the Heathen he concludes it was because of their ignorance of God 2. Ignorance is the cause of punishment 〈◊〉 Prophet faith That the captivity of Babylon was because the people wanted the knowledge of God And it is not the cause of punishment but as it is the cause of sin The Wise man asketh this question Do they not erre that imagine evil there is no sin without error therefore the planting of knowledge would be the rooting out of evil Non erratur saith S. Augustine nisi ignorantia men erre not but for want of knowledge Therefore to both these points S. Augustine hath a pertinent place Quia ipsa ignorantia in eis qui intelligere noluerunt 〈◊〉 dubitatione peccatumest in eis autem qui non potuerunt poena peccati ergo in utrisque non est 〈◊〉 excusatio sed justa damnatio because ignorance it self was a sin without doubt in them that would not understand and a punishment of sin in them that could not therefore in both are condemned neither justified Some there be that argue out of the Acts and excuse ignorance alledging that place That God winked at the times of ignorance and so make it no sin when it is as they call it invincible Ignorance excusable is fourfold 1. In children before they come to years of reason and discretion 2. In fools those that naturally want the use of reason 3. In those that by sicknesse or disease are bereft of the use of reason 4. Where the means cannot be had to take it away But this is not simply and altogether invincible for the
receive rules from God 2. And as we must heare with the eare so with the heart too Auditus est sensus disciplinae we are perhaps content to heare but that is not all that is required Quod cor non facit non fit The eares without the heart are but like Idoll ears that heare nothing aures aequivocae There is praeputium and this foreskin must be taken away else we have but uncircumcised eares Jer. 6. 10. We use to say that such an one will not heare good counsel that is will not follow it for though he will not stop his eares yet if his heart be not bent to follow it his hearing is to no purpose for as the heathen man said mens videt non oculus it is not the eye but the minde that seeth so it s not the eare but the heart that heareth To shew the truth of this lest men should think obedience consists onely in hearing God used to put an et a copulative after it as audiant et custolient et ambulent et faciant c. they shall heare and keep hear and walk hear and do c. There is an apt similitude of a fishhook cum capit capitur et tum capitur cum attrahitur when it taketh it is taken and it is taken when it is drawn to us and it is a signe that our hearing stick to us when we hear to obey 2. As we must audire so also obandire heare and follow him before and against all others this is implyed in the preposition ob As there is a saying loqui and obloqui a gainsaying so there is an hearing and a hearing against audire and obedire There is never a hearing of God but even when he speaketh there will be an obloquutor one that speaks against what he speaks There are three speakers Deus Homo Mundus 1. Deus God is a speaker by his word and his works 1. By his word O that God would speak saith Zophar to Job And speak Lord for thy servant heareth saith Samuel Hear O my people saith God himself and I will speak They that will not heare him to obey when he speaketh in mercy shall heare him speak in his wrath And he continually speaks to us now by the Church and her pastors as he did in former ages by his Prophets and Apostles 2. By his works every man may see and behold them And therefore Elihu bids Job stand still and consider the wonderous works of God There 's none of them but are as so many speakers to us The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work One day telleth another and one night certifieth another There is neither speech nor language but their voices are heard among them No nation but may understand that God speaks to them by these works 2. The other two speakers which gainsay what God speaks are the world and our selves here we must obaudire to what God sayes contrary to what the world sayes to us and to what we speak to our selves 1. For the world it hated Christ and so it is like to speak no good of him or his wayes now as Enoch walked with God so must wee for God and the world cannot walk together Can two go together saith the Prophet unlesse they be agreed The world cannot walk with Christ because it hateth him Enoch therefore forsook the company of the world and chose to walk with God alone and so was translated so must we whatsoever evil counsel we heare whether from prophane men or others if they be gain-sayers if they do obloqui we must obaudire heare God against them The King had a Michaiah to speak the truth to him from God so had he a Zedekiah who spake against it so when we preach the truth there are others which preach placentia that will tell men id quod volunt sanctum est that whatsoever they like is the best that will loose let others binde as fast as they can these we must take heed of hearkening to we must not frame ourselves to the world whether to the old world as they that would burne incense to the Queen of heaven because they and their fathers had done so before or to this present world as the people who would needs have a king before Gods time because they would be like other nations 2. The other speaker that doth obloqui speak against what God sayes is our selves for we are at as great odds with God as the world is The wisdom of the flesh is enmity with God there is in us a desire to follow our own spirit and as the wise man saith every way of a man is right in his own eyes and this way we are not to follow but God speaks cleane contrary to this Revertatur quis que a via sua return ye every man from his own way for that 's a wrong way we have Gods own testimony that mans thoughts are naught and exceeding naught and therefore we are like to finde little good by this oblocutor These thoughts and lusts do militari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 war against the soul and above all it is a great punishment from God to give men up to follow their own lusts The Isralites lusted for quailes which God gave them but withal his wrath fell upon them and when they refused to heare his voice in his anger he gave them up to their own desires This is the punishment for the greatest offenders The Heathen Idolaters were punisht by being given up to follow their own lusts It is a great punishment to be delivered over to Sathan yet this may be for ones good that the soul may be saved as 1 Cor. 5. 5. but to be deli ered up to the desires of our own hearts is far greater 2 Cor. 2. 8. Therefore Moses when God appointed him an office very plausible and desireable by men to be a Magistrate he being suspicious of himself left his heart which did not obloqui should beguile him denied it fower times and would not take it upon him till God was very angry for true obedience hath nothing de suo of its own but totum de alieno all from another it is a continual gainsayer of it self 3. Some will joyn these two together they will heare God and then call a conference and heare what flesh and blood can say and they will sit judges between both This was not Saint Paules practise when God called him to preach he consulted not with flesh and blood Our affections are like lyme hottest when they should be coldest as in water and e contra we are suspicious and wary when we come to hear God though we ought to be then most secure as if he were persona mala fidei one not to be trusted we fear most when we need not fear we are afraid in hearing the minister of
God bestowed a further light upon him So that if men use Cornelius means and not suppresse the light they have God will give them his grace and further light to lead them into all necessary truthes 3. The third is Apollos means to have paratum cor to be ready and willing to encrease the knowledge we have already These are the principal means other means were mentioned before when we spake of knowledge The signes of true religion were foure of which formerly we have spoken and therefore will but name them 1. The Antiquity 2. The purging of the soul. 3. The beginning and growth of it And 4. Lastly the examples of excellent vertues in the professors All these Saint Augustine accounteth the especial signes The sixth rule for purging it in others King David desired that he might not die yet because the dust could not declare Gods truth And our Saviour saith that he was borne and came into the world to beare witnesse unto the truth And on the contrary we are commanded to mark and avoyd those which cause division and offences contrary to true doctrine CHAP. XVI The third thing required in the 1. Commandement is to have onely the true God which includes Sincerity Reasons hereof The Contraries to sincerity Means of sincerity Signes of sincerity Of procuring it in others Thus much for the second general proposition and the vertue therein required viz religion Now for the third Habebis me solum Deum We must have him onely for our God and this includes Sincerity It is not enough to have him for our God but we must have him alone for our God none but me as the Chaldee and Septuagint read Our Saviour saith thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve which is 〈◊〉 one with Deut. 6. 13. and 10. 20. onely there is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him onely but it is supplied by our Saviour and all comes from the same spirit The reasons were touched before yet we will mention some of them again 1. The first is because it trencheth upon Gods honour and glory to have a partner and that men should worship other gods The Apostles end their 〈◊〉 with Soli Deo 〈◊〉 et gloria Rom. 2. Peter and Saint Iude. And the reason the Prophet gives My glory saith God will I not give to another his glory is indivisible if any will adde a partner see the conditions 1 Sam. 7. 3. God promiseth 〈◊〉 the people will leave serving of other gods he will be their deliverer but if they serve any other gods he will deliver them no more but bids them go to them and let them save them 2. Another is taken from the titles given to God as a father a king a 〈◊〉 O hearken to the voice of my calling My king A husband I will marry thee 〈◊〉 me saith God by the Prophet A Master If I be a Master where is my feare And of all these we can have but one but one father one husband one king one master We cannot serve God and Mammon And therefore we can have but one God 3. The third was touched before To joyne any with him who is below him and whosoever he is he must be below him is to abase him if we could joyn any that were equal or his match it were otherwise If we joyn worse with better it disgraces it wine with water is the weaker If you go to Bethel and erect an altar to Jehovah you must put a way other strange gods No halting with the Israelites between God and Baal No swaering by Jehovah and Malcom with one breath No keeping the feast with leaven no mixture in religion but our passeover must be kept with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth saith the Apostle And therefore all mixture was forbiden under the Law both in figure Deut. 22. 9 and by expresse precept Deut. 4. 10. there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks 2. Cor. 1. 22. a judging of mixt and counterfeit wares by bringing them to the sun God will search with lanthorns sincerity is sine cera pure honey without waxe such must our religion be The thing forbidden and opposite to sincerity is 1. Mixture in religion and that both in respect of the matter of it and of our affections towards it 1. For the matter Our Saviour saith No man putteth new and old cloth together in a garment or new wine into old vessells This mixture of religion corrupteth it as that of the Turks is a religion compounded of all and the Pagans worship diverse gods The whore of Babylon is said to have a mixt cup Rev. 18. 6. 2 For the mixture of affections As our religion ought to be sincere so our affections A mixture of hot and cold maks lukewarm which temper is lothsome to Christ. The religion of such is for their ends not for Gods glory as they which sought Christ for the loaves They are duplici corde as Saint Iames calls them There is no worse fault then to be lukewarm therefore we must be resolved to be either hot or cold 2. The other extreame forbidden is the defect as that of mixture in excesse that is when men will so reforme and purifie religion that they destroy it Pro. 〈◊〉 23. The wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood qui mungit nimium sanguinem elicit he that will make his nose too cleare makes it bleed so when men will cleanse the church too much instead of purifying it from mixtures in composition they give it a bloody nose as sectaries and hereticks usually do who alwayes pretend reformation when they rend the church and make it bleed sometimes to death The means of sincerity in religion 1. There is no better then that which is implied in that wish of Christ I would thou wert cold or hot we must avoyd lukewarmnes which causes wavering in religion and come to a resolution we must resolve to be what we professe and to stick to the truth then we shall be mel sincerum pure hony sine cera purified from all mixture 2. When we are resolved to adhere to the truth then we must come to the price and value aright It is true that Job saith Man knoweth not the price of it Though we would give our selves and all we have for it yet we cannot give a full price for it and therefore must not for any price part with it Merchants use to set a mark upon their clothes or other wares of the lowest price they will sell them at now the truth is of such a value that we cannot set any price whereupon to part with it How high soever our price be if we part with it God may say to us as the Prophet doth in the person of Christ when they weighed for his price thirty pieces of silver a goodly price it is
to what he hath appointed and so they will be wiser then God 2. The second is a shew of humility when a man will be so humble as not onely to prostrate himself before God but to bow down to an Image Saint Angel or the like But these howsoever they carry a shew of wisdom and humility yet are they no wayes for us to use if we entend to be exempt from the penalty of this Commandment Although all will-worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken in an evil sense by many upon the vulgar exposition of that place in Colos. 2. 23. yet that there may be some voluntary or free worship acceptable to God though not specially commanded provided it be not corruptive of or contrary to any right or worship commanded by him but subservient or agreeable thereto is the judgement of learned Divines for under the law they had their voluntary and free-will-offerings besides those commanded by God and though things were more particularly prescribed in the Levitical worship then now under the Gospel the Church being then in its childehood and confined to one Nation and the spirit not then so plentifully given as now since the ascension of Christ yet even then the Church prescribed diverse things in Gods worship not specially commanded as in fasts and festivall dayes as that of the dedication of the Temple approved by Christs own observance John 10. and sundry other things all which were never taxed as unlawful unlesse the worship appointed by God himself were thereby corrupted or neglected and so the continual practise of the Christian Church hath been to prescribe and order severall things in Gods Worship which no peaceable and holy men ever found fault with provided that they were agreable to those general rules of morall worship required by God and no wayes repugnant to those rites by him appointed but rather subservient to them and contained nothing either impious and forbidden or vain and ridiculous nor the observance of them preferred before the commandments of God or made equal to them but a difference observed between things of immediate divine institution and those of Ecclesiastical institution to adde to Gods institution any thing as from God is forbidden Deuteronomy 12. 10. but to adde something for the more decent and orderly performance of what God hath apointed and to observe the same as an ecclesiastical institution is no where forbidden but rather commanded in al those texts that require us to hear the Church and to give obedience to her and to observe this is also to obey God who hath given his Church power to ordain such things and that that place in Colos. 2. 23. condemns not all voluntary or free worship no more then it doth humility and chastening or keeping under the body which are joyned therewith but rather that it makes for it hath been lately proved by juditious and learned Divines and by one in a full tract upon this subject of will-worship for the Apostle there condemning certain Jewish and Pythagorean observances about touching tasting c. saith ver 23. that they had a shew of wisdom if due cautions were observed viz if they were freely and voluntarily undertaken not as necessary to salvation and without rejecting what God had made and if they were used in humility or modesty not condemning others which used them not and if they sought thereby onely to keep under the flesh The contrary to all which those Pythagoreans and Jews practised By which exposition which I take to be the most true it is plain that the Apostle is so far from condemning all voluntary or will-worship that he rather approves and commends it and condemns their forbearance of meats and other things because it was not freely or voluntarily undertaken but as a thing necessary to salvation c See Grotius in Colos. 2. 23. Et votum pro pace p. 100. 101. 102. 103. Et Apol. Rivet discuss p. 101 110 c. Dr Hammon of will-worship See also our Reverend Authour in his sermon on Matthew 6. 16. p. 124 c. and on 1. Corinth 11. 16. The affirmative part of this Commandment included in the prohibition S. Stephen in the Acts and the Authour to the Hebrews after him citeth out of the Law where Moses receiving order how to build the Tabernacle was admonished by God to make it according to the pattern precisely as it was shewed him in the Mount 1. Because God after the delivery of the moral law declared to him the particulars concerning the outward worship 2. And secondly he gave him charge at his departure to square and order it accordding to the form by him prescribed And it is probable that if he had such a care in the Type he will also not be worshipped in the substance otherwise then himself hath prescribed The negative part is that we mingle none of our will-worship with his precept that is in such things as God hath particularly prescribed not to vary from his command but hoc tantum facere quod Deus 〈◊〉 do that onely which God hath commanded and these words may be taken for the inward worship also but they especially concern the outward worship of God I here follows in the 〈◊〉 before cited to make Gods meaning herein more plain Thou shalt not adde nor diminish If we do either or both of them that will follow which our Saviour tells the Scribes and Pharisees that if it be mans doctrine that is preferred before the commandments of God or made equal therewith 〈◊〉 colitis 〈◊〉 worship him we may but all in vain and as the Prophet speaks 〈◊〉 ista 〈◊〉 e 〈◊〉 vestris who hath required these things at your 〈◊〉 Now the reason both of Negative and Affirmative is Because that seeing honour is to be given to God it is most reasonable that it should be given after that manner which he best liketh and not contrary to his will The Question being propounded Whether God should be honoured as he or we thought 〈◊〉 Socrates could answer that every God will be worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that manner that best liketh him And so Saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratur is maxime eo honore 〈◊〉 quem ipse 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if a man be to be honoured his delight is in that which himself fancieth and not in what we without looking to the rules in Gods word think most convenient and therefore as we ought in all acts of worship to see first what is prescribed by God so if the the Church prescribe any thing she ought to look to those general rules given by God that it may be the more acceptable to him when there is nothing in particular determined in the Word Therefore when we come to do any man honour we enquire what kinde of honor pleaseth his humour best and shall we allow that to man which we will deny unto God
it not to proceed to suppuration There is in every of us an evil imagination against our Neighbour to do them prejudice and this being in us then there comes in a temptation as the Apostle shews partly from the world according to the course of the world partly from the Devil who then begins to strike and to work and fashion the thought of the heart to a perfect sin according to the Prince of the power of this air Thus they both work upon our thoughts and desires to fulfil the desires of the flesh as it is in the next verse So that here is a double cause to draw us to this 1. Our concupiscence alone considered in it self as it riseth by it self without any blowing or quickning of it from without 2. As it is imployed and wrought by the World or the Devil or both 1. By it self alone Christ speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil thoughts that proceed out of the heart and of thoughts that arise in the heart There is a steam or vapour that ariseth from our nature for evil thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arise up or ascend from below good thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descend or come from above the one comes from our selves the other from God and his Spirit for omne bonum desuper Now the Devil knowing this takes occasion by those desires which he perceives by some outward signe to arise within us to assault us by propounding worldly objects and 〈◊〉 and so makes use of the world to tempt us Thus he dealt with Christ he forbare him till he was hungry and had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his natural desire of bread and then he comes to him and offers him stones to be turned into bread thinking by that means when Christ had a natural appetite to have been entertained as Jehoram was for Jehosaphats sake 2. As there are cogitationes ascendentes thoughts ascending into the heart so there are another sort cogitationes immissae thoughts cast in by the Devil Thus the Devil entred into Judas when he put those evil thoughts into his heart of betraying his Master So he filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira to 〈◊〉 to the Holy Ghost and to commit sacriledge And as he sometimes doth this immediately by himself so he sometimes makes use of the world and os outward objects to cast evil thoughts into us Thus the World and the Devil infect us from without when we infect our selves fast enough from within For as Nazianzen speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sparkle is within us the flame is from the evil spirit which blows it up so that though there were no Devil to tempt us and though we were in the Wildernesse where no worldly objects could allure us yet we carry enough in our bosomes to corrupt our selves Neither can we be safe though we leave all the world behinde us so long as we 〈◊〉 our own hearts with us saith S. Basil. Of these The ascending thoughts within us are 〈◊〉 the other cogitationes immissae that are sent or injected into us unlesse they infect us or we give way to them are our crosses not our sins Nay Daemon tentando coronas nobis fabricat by resisting these motions and temptations of Satan we win the crown and every temptation we resist is a new flower to our Garland The manner how these thoughts come to infect us is thus There are six degrees before we come to that full consent and purpose of heart which is prohibited by the other Commandements In Genesis when Eve was tempted we see how the infection began There is the fruit held out the object to allure and withal the three provocations by which all sins are ushered in to the soul are there set down 1. It was good to eat here was apparentia bonis utilis the allurement of profit 2. It was pleasant and delightful to the eye here is apparentia boni jucundi the bait of pleasure 3. It is said it was to be desired in regard of knowledge Here was apparentia 〈◊〉 per se expetendi there are these three mentioned by S. John The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 4. And in the next verse before the Devil addes a fourth which may be reduced to the third Eritis sicut dii Ye shall be like gods The very lure of Pride Excellency and a condition to be desired by man being chief of the 〈◊〉 These being held out every one was paused upon by Eve saith the Scripture she had respective regard to them all For the woman seeing that the 〈◊〉 was good for meat and pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to get knowledge she took of the fruit thereof and did eat Out of which we may observe these seve al steps and degrees whereby sin enters into the soul. 1. The first by s. Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a turning back after Satan or a turning of the soul back to look on the object The first entertaining of it aversio a Deo a turning of the soul from God which when one doth he begins to prostitute his soul to the Devil 2. The second they call allube scentium when it liketh them well so that sain they would have it This 〈◊〉 be sudden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it propassionem answering to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a light motion or passion upon the first sight whereas that which more 〈◊〉 impressed in us is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passion more 〈◊〉 or violent Job compareth him that hath gone thus far to one that hath a sweet poyson in his mouth who because of the 〈◊〉 that he feels is loth to spit it out and would swallow it but yet considering that it is poyson he spits it out or if he do not let it go nor yet dare swallow it but keeps it under his tongue then of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this is retentio seminis the keeping and retaining of the 〈◊〉 as the first was receptio seminis the receiving of it And as in that there was aversio a Deo a turning from God so in this there is conversio ad creaturam a turning to the creature 3. The third is consensus in delectationem a consent to take delight in it For as before there a double consent 1 Consensus in 〈◊〉 a consent to execute or act the sin and this may be forbidden in the other Commandements and is that which we called when we expounded them the Suppuration or inward festering of our hereditary wound And 2. Consensus in delectationem a consent in minde onely to take pleasure in it by often rowling of it in the heart wherein we so far consent to it as to delight in the thought of it though as yet we have no full