us for holding that the meer natural progeny of believers are saved as such did well understand our doctrine they would perceive that in this we differ not from the understanding sort among them or at least that their accusations run upon a mistake I told you before that there are three things distinctly to be considered in the title of Infants to baptism and salvation 1. By what right the Parent covenanteth for his child 2. What right the child hath to baptism 3. What right he hath to the benefits of the Covenant sealed and delivered in baptism To the first two things concur to the title of the Parent to Covenant in the name of his child One is his Natural Interest in him The child being his own is at his dispose The other is Gods gracious will and consent that it shall be so that the Parents Will shall be as the childs for his good till he come at age to have a Will of his own To the second The childs right to baptism is not meerly his Natural or his Birth relation from such Parents but it is in two degrees as followeth 1. He hath a Virtual Right on condition of his Parents faith the Reason is because that a believers consent and self-dedication to God déth Virtually contain in it a dedication with himself of all that is his And it is a contradiction to say that a a man truly dedicateth himself to God and not all that he hath and that he truly consenteth to the Covenant for himself and not for his child if he understand that God will accept it 2. His Actual title-condition is his Parents or Owners Actual Consent to enter him into Gods Covenant and his Actual mental dedication of his child to God which is his title before God and the Profession of it is his title before the Church So that it is not a meer Physical but a Moral title-condition which an Infant hath to baptism that is His Parents Consent to dedicate him to God 3. And to the third His title-condition to the Benefits of baptism hath two degrees 1. That he be really dedicated to God by the heart-consent of his Parent as aforesaid And 2. That his Parent express this by the solemn engaging him to God in baptism The first being necessary as a Means sine quo non and the second being necessary as a Duty without which he sinneth when its possible and as a Means coram Ecclesia to the priviledges of the Visible Church The sum of all is that our meer natural interest in our children is not their title-condition to baptism or to salvation but only that presupposed state which enableth us by Gods Consent to Covenant for them But their title-condition to baptism and salvation is our Covenanting for them or Voluntary dedicating them to God which we do 1. Virtually when we dedicate our selves and all that we have or shall have 2. Actually when our Hearts consent particularly for them and Actually devote them to God before Baptism 3. Sacramentally when we express this in our solemn baptismal covenanting and dedication Consider exactly of this again And if you loath distinguishing confess ingenuously that you loath the truth or the necessary means of knowing it Quest. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors Patrimi or God-fathers as we call them And is it lawful to make use of them Answ. I. TO the first question All men have not the same thoughts either of their Original or of their present use 1. Some think that they were Sponsors or Sureties for the Parents rather than the child at first And that when many in times of Persecution Heresie and Apostasie did baptize their children this month or year and the next month or year apostatize and deny Christ themselves that the Sponsors were only credible Christians witnessing that they believed that the Parents were credible firm believers and not like to apostatize 2. Others think that they were undertakers that if the Parents did apostatize or dye they would see to the Christian Education of the child themselves 3. Others think that they did both these together which is my opinion viz. That they witnessed the probability of the parents fidelity But promised that if they should either apostatize or dye they would see that the children were piously educated 4. Others think that they were absolute undertakers that the children should be piously educated whether the Parents dyed or apostatized or not So that they went joint-undertakers with the Parents in their life time 5. And I have lately met with some that maintain that the God-fathers and God-mothers become Proprietors and Adopt the child and take him for their own and that this is the sense of the Church of England But I believe them not for these reasons 1. There is no such word in the Liturgie Doctrine or Canons of the Church of England And that is not to be feigned and fathered on them which they never said 2. It would be against the Law of Nature to force all Parents to give the sole propriety or joynt-propriety in their children to others Nature hath given the propriety to themselves and we cannot rob them of it 3. It would be heinously injurious to the children of Noble and Learned persons if they must be forced to give them up to the propriety and education of others even of such as perhaps are lower and more unfit for it than themselves 4. It would be more heinously injurious to all God-fathers and God-mothers who must all make other mens children their own and therefore must use them as their own 5. It would keep most children unbaptized Because if it were once understood that they must take them as their own few would be Sponsors to the children of the poor for fear of keeping them and few but the Ignorant that know not what they do would be Sponsors for any because of the greatness of the charge and their aversness to adopt the children of others 6. It would make great confusion in the State while all men were bound to exchange children with another 7. I never knew one man or woman that was a God-father or God-mother on such terms nor that took the child to be their own And if such a one should be found among ten thousand that is no rule to discern the judgement of the Church by 8. And in Confirmation the God-father and God-mother is expresly said to be for this use to be Witnesses that the Party is Confirmed 9. And in the Priests speech to the Adult that come for baptism in the Office of baptism of those of riper years it is the persons themselves that are to promise and covenant for themselves and the God-fathers and God-mothers are only called these your Witnesses And if they be but Witnesses to the adult its like they are not Adopters of Infants II. Those that doubt of the Lawfulness of using Sponsors for their children do it on these two accounts 1. As supposing
mourning where you may see the end of all the living and be made better by laying it to heart and let not your hearts be in the house of miâ—th Eccles. 7. 2 3 4. Delight not to converse with men that be in â—â—nâ—ur and understand not but are like the beasts that perish for though they think of perpetuating their houses and call their lands after their own names yet they abide not in their honour and this their way is their folly though yet their posterity approve their sayings Psal. 49. 20. 12. 13 14. Converse with penitent humbled souls that have seen the odiousness of sin and the wickedness and deceitfulness of the heart and can tell you by their own feeling what cause of humiliation is still before you With these are you most safe § 106. I have been the larger against PRIDE as seeing its prevalency in the world and its mischievous effects on souls and families Church and State and because it is not discerned and resisted by many as it ought I would fain have God dwell in your hearts and peace in your societies and fain have you stand fast in the hour of temptation from prosperity or adversity and fain have affliction easie to you But none of this will be without humility I am loth that under the mighty 1 Pet. 5. 6. Lam. 3. 29. 2. 19. Amos 3. 8. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Iames 4. 6. Dan. 5. 22. 2 Châ—â—n 34. â—â— hand of God we should be unhumbled even when judgements bid us lay our mouths in the dust The storms have been long up the Cedars have fallen It is the Shrubs and bending Willows that now are likest to scape I am loth to see the prognosticks of wrath upon your souls or upon the Land I am loth that any of you should through Pride be unhumbled for sin or ashamed to own despised godliness or that any should through Pride be unhumbled for sin or ashamed to own despised godliness or that any that have seemed Religious should prove seditious unpeaceable or Apostates And therefore I beseech you in a special manner take heed of pride be little in your own esteem Praise not one another unseasonably be not offended at plain reproofs Look to your duties and then leave your reputations to the will of God Rebuke pride in your children Use them to mean attire and employments Cherish not that in them which is most natural now and most pernicious God dwelleth with the Humble and will take the Humble to dwell with him Isa. 57. 15. Job 22. 29. Put on humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another Col. 3. 12 13. Be clothed with humility Serve the Lord with all humility of mind and â—e will exalt you in due time Acts 20. 19. 1 Pet. 5. 6 7. PART VI. See an excellenâ—â—ract a◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 3. 〈…〉 Pat. though 〈…〉 Directions against Covetousness or Love of Riches and against worldly Cares I Shall say but little on this subject now because I have written a Treatise of it already called The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ in which I have given many Directions in the Preface and Treatise against this sin § 1. Direct 1. Understand well the Nature and Malignity of this sin both what it is and why it is so great and perillous I shall here shew you 1. What Love of Riches is lawful 2. What it is Direct 1. that is unlawful and in what this sin of Covetousness or Worldliness doth consist 3. Wherein the Malignity or Greatness of it lyeth 4. The Signs of it 5. What Counterfeits of the contrary vertuâ— do hide this sin from the eyes of worldlings 6. What false appearances of it do cause many to be suspected of Covetousness unjustly § 2. I. All love of the creature the world or riches is not sin For 1. The works of God are I 〈…〉 all Good as such and all Goodness is amiable As they are related to God and his Power and Wisdom and Goodness is imprinted on them so we must love them even for his sake 2. All the impressions of the Aâ—tributes of God appearing on his works do make them as a Glass in which at this distance we must see the Creator and their sweetness is a drop from him by which his Goodness and Love â—s tasted And so they were all made to lead us up to God and help our minds to conâ—â—â—â— with him and kindle the Love of God in our breasts as a Love-token from our dearest friend And thus as the means of ouâ— communion with God the Love of them is a duty and not a sin 3. They are naturally the means of sustaining our bodies and preserving life and health and alâ—â—â—â—ty And as such our sensitive part hath a Love to them as every Beast hath to their food And this Love in it self is not of moral kind and is neither a vertue nor a vice till it either be used in obedience 〈…〉 Reason and so it is good or in disobedience to it and so it is evil 4. The creatures are necessary means to support our bodies while we are doing God the service which we owe him in the world And so they must be Loved as a means to his service Though we cannot say properly that Riches are ordinarily thus necessary 5. The Creatures are necessary to sustain our bodies in our journey to Heaven while we are preparing for eternity And thus they must be loved as remote helps to our salvation And in these two last respects we call it in our prayers our daily bread 6. Riches may enable us to relieve our needy brethren and to promote good works for Church or State And thus also they may be loved so far as we must be thankful for them so far we may Love them For we must be Thankful for nothing but what is Good § 3. II. But Worldliness or sinful Love of Riches is 1. When Riches are loved and desired and Covâ—â—ousness what Phâ—l 3. 7 8 9. â—am 1. 10. Phil. 4. 11. 1 â—â—m â— 8. Prâ—v 23 4. â—abour not to be Riâ—h sought more for the Flesh than for God or our Salvation even as the matter or means of our worldly prosperity that the flesh may want nothing to please it and satisfie its desires Or that Pride may have enough wherewith to support it self by gratifying and obliging others and living at those rates and in that splendour as may shew our Greatness or further our Domination over others 2. And when we therefore desire them in that proportion which we think most agreeable to these carnal ends and are not contented with our daily bread and that proportion which may sustain us as passengers to Heaven and tend most to the securing of our souls and to the service of God So that it is the end by which a sinful Love of Riches is principally to be discerned when they are lâ—ved for pride or flesh-pleasing as they are the matter
power of his carnal motives profit and honour and some delight And if you will put your selves habitually and statedly also under the sense and power of your far greater motives as alwayes perceiving how much it doth concern you for your selves and others and the honour of God this would be a constant poise and spring which being duly wound up would keep the wheels in equal motion § 13. Direct 13. Thus you must make the service of your Master and the saving of your selves and Direct 13. others your business in the world which you follow daily as your ordinary calling and then it will carry on your thoughts Whereas he that serveth God but on the by with some occasional service will think on him or his work but on the by with some occasional thoughts A close and diligent course of holy living is the best help to a constant profitable course of holy thinking § 14. Direct 14. The chief point of skill and holy wisdom for this and other religious duties is to Direct 14. take that course which tends to make Religion pleasant and to draw your souls to delight in God and to take heed of that which would make all grievous to you It will be easie and sweet to think of that which you take pleasure in But if Satan can make all irksome and unpleasant to you your thoughts will avoid it as you do a Carrion when you stop your nose and haste away Psal. 104. 34. saith the Psalmist My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Directions about the work it self § 15. Direct 1. As you must never be unfurnished of holy store so you must prudently make choice Direct 1. of your particular subject As the choice of a fit Text is half a good Sermon so the choice of the â—ittest matter for you is much of a good meditation Which requireth some good acquaintance both with the Truth and with your selves § 16. Direct 2. To this end you must know in their several degrees what subjects are in themselves Direct 2. most excellent to be meditated on As the first and highest is the most blessed God himself and the glorious ☞ person of our Redeemer and the New Ierusalem or Heaven of Glory where he is revealed to The order of Subjects to be meditated on as to their excellency his Saints And then the blessed society which there enjoyeth him and the holy Vision Love and Ioy by which he is enjoyed And next is the wonderful work of mans Redemption and the Covenant of Grace and the sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost and all the Graces that make up Gods image on the soul And then is the state and priviledges of the Church which is the Body of Christ for whom all this is done and prepared And next is the work of the Gospel by which this Church is gathered edified and saved And then the matter of our own salvation and our state of grace and way to life And then the salvation of others And then the common publick good in temporal respects And then our personal bodily welfare And next the Bodily welfare of our neighbours And lastly those things that do but remotely tend to these This is the order of desirableness and worth which will tell you what should have estimative precedency in your thoughts and prayers § 17. Direct 3. You must also know what subject is then most seasonable for your thoughts and Direct 3. refuse even an unseasonable good For good may be used by unseasonableness to do hurt It may be thrust in by the Tempter on purpose to divert you from some greater good or to mar some other duty in hand So he will oft put in some good meditation to turn you from a better or in the midst of Sermon or Prayer or if he see you out of temper to perform a duty of meditation or that you have no leisure without neglecting your more proper work he will then drive you on that by the issue he may discourage and hurt you and make the duty unprofitable and grievous to you and make you more averse to it afterwards Untimely duty may be no duty but a sin which is covered with the material good As the Pharisees Sabboth-rest was when Mercy called them to violate it § 18. Direct 4. Examine well and determine of the End and Use of your meditations before you Direct 4. set upon them and then labour to fit them to that special End The End is first in the intention and from the Love of it the means are chosen and used If it be knowledge that you are to encrease it is evidence of Truth with the Matter to be known in a convincing scientifical way that you must meditate on If it be Divine belief that is to be encreased or exercised it is Divine Revelations both matter and evidence of credibility which you have to meditate on If you would excite the Fear of God you have his Greatness and terribleness his Justice and threatnings to meditate on If you would excite the Love of God you have his Goodness Mercy Christ and promises to meditate on If you would prepare for death and judgement you have your hearts to try your lives to repent of your graces to discover and revive and exercise and your souls diseases to â—eel and the râ—medies to apply so when ever you mean to make any thing of a set meditation determine first of the end and by it of the means § 19. Direct 5. Clear up the Truth of things to your Minds as you can before you take much pains Direct 5. to work them on your affections lest you find after that you did but mis-inform your selves and bestow all your labour in vain to make deluding images on your minds and bring your affections to bow before them As many have done by espousing errors who have laid out their zeal upon them many years together and made them the reason of hatred and contention and bitter censurings of opposing brethren and have made parties and divisions and disturbances in the Church for them and after so many years zealous sinning have found them to be but like Michol's image a man of straw instead of David and that they made all this filthy pudder but in a dream § 20. Direct 6. Next labour to perceive the weight of every thing you think on be it Good or Direct 6. Evil And to that end be sure that God and Eternity be taken in in every Meditation and all things judged of as they stand related to God and to your Eternal state which only can give you the true estimate and sense of Good and Evil There will still the Life and Soul and power be wanting in your most excellent Meditations further than God is in them and they are Divine When you meditate on any Scripture-truth think of it as a beam from the Eternal Light indited by
of Heaven and happiness but not sensibly punished or cast into Hell For this Iansenius hath wrote a Treatise and many other Papists think so 4. Some think that all the Children of sincere believers dying in infancy are saved that is Glorified whether baptized or not and no others 5. Some think that God hath not at all revealed what he will do with any Infants 6. Some think that he hath promised salvation as aforesaid to believers and their seed but hath not at all revealed to us what he will do with all the rest 7. Some think that only the Baptized Children of true believers are certainly by promise saved 8. Some think that all the adopted and bought Children of true Christians as well as the natural are saved if baptized say some or if not say others 9. Some think that Elect Infants are saved and no other but no man can know who those are And of these 1. Some deny Infant Baptism 2. Most say that they are to be baptized and that thereby the non-elect are only received into the visible Church and its priviledges but not to any promise or certainty of Justification or a state of salvation 10. Some think that all that are baptized by the Dedication of Christian Sponsors are saved 11. Some think that all that the Pastor Dedicateth to God are saved because so dedicated by him say some or because baptized ex opere operato say others And so all baptized Infants are in a state of salvation 12. Some think that this is to be limited to all that have right to Baptism coram Deo which some think the Churches reception giveth them of which anon 13. And some think it is to be limited to those that have right 〈…〉 m Ecclesia or are rightfully baptized ex parte Ministrantis where some make the Magistrates command sufficient and some the Bishops and some the baptizers will Of the title to Baptism I shall speak anon Of the salvation of Infants it is too tedious to confute all that I dissent from not presuming in such darkness and diversity of opinions to be peremptory nor to say I am certain by the Word of God who are undoubtedly saved nor yet to deny the undoubted certainty of wiser men who may know that which such as I do doubt of but submitting what I say to the judgement of the Church of God and my superiours I humbly lay down my own thoughts as followeth 1. I think that there can no promise or proof be produced that all unbaptized Infants are saved either from the poena damni or sensus or both 2. I think that no man can prove that all unbaptized Infants are damned or denyed Heaven Nay I think I can prove a promise of the contrary 3. All that are rightfully baptized in foro externo are visible Church members and have Ecclesiastical right to the priviledges of the visible Church 4. I think Christ never instituted Baptism for the collation of these outward Priviledges alone unless as on supposition that persons culpably fail of the better ends 5. I think Baptism is a solemn mutual contract or Covenant between Christ and the Baptized person And that it is but one Covenant even the Covenant of Grace which is the sum of the Gospel which is sealed and received in baptism And that this Covenant essentially containeth our saving relation to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and our Pardon Justification and Adoption or right to life everlasting And that God never made any distinct Covenant of outward Priviledges alone to be sealed by Baptism But that outward mercies are the second and lesser gift of the same Covenant which giveth first the great and saving blessings 6. And therefore that whoever hath right before God to claim and Receive Baptism hath right also to the benefits of the Covenant of God and that is to salvation Though I say not so of every one that hath such right before the Church as that God doth require the Minister to Baptize him For by Right before God or in foro coeli I mean such a Right as will justifie the claim before God immediately the person being one whom he commandeth in that present state to claim and receive baptism For many a one hath no such right before God to claim or receive it when yet the Minister hath right Mark 16. 16. Act. 2. 37 38. Act. 22. 16. 1 Cor 6. 11. Tit. 3. 3 5 6. Heb. 10. 22. Eph. 5. 26. Rom. 6. 1 4. Col. 2. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 21 22. Eph. 4. 5. Act. 8. 12 13 16 36 38. to give it them if they do claim it The case stands thus God saith in his Covenant He that believeth shall be saved and ought to be Baptized to profess that belief and be invested in the benefits of the Covenant And he that Professeth to believe whether he do or not is by the Church to be taken for a visible believer and by Baptism to be received into the Visible Church Here God calleth none but true believers and their seed to be Baptized nor maketh an actual promise or Covenant with any other and so I say that no other have right in foro coeli But yet the Church knoweth not mens hearts and must take a serious Profession for a credible sign of the faith professed and for that outward title upon which it is a duty of the Pastor to Baptize the claimer So that the most malignant scornful hypocrite that maketh a seemingly serious profession hath right coram Ecclesia but not coram Deo save in this sense that God would have the Minister Baptize him But this I have largelyer opened in my Disputations of Right Act. 9. 18. 16. 15 33. 19 5. Gal. 3. 27. to Sacraments 7. I think therefore that all the Children of true Christians do by Baptism receive a publick Investiture by Gods appointment into a state of Remission Adoption and right to salvation at the present Though I dare not say that I am undoubtedly certain of it as knowing how much is said against it But I say as the Synod of Dort Art 1. that Believing Parents have no cause to doubt of the salvation of their Children that dye in infancy before they commit actual sin that is not to trouble themselves with fears about it The Reasons that move me to be of this judgement though not without doubting and hesitancy are these 1. Because whoever hath right to the present Investiture delivery and possession of the first and great benefits of Gods Covenant made with man in Baptism hath right to Pardon and Adoption and everlasting life But the Infants of true Christians have right to the present investiture delivery and possession of the first and great benefits of Gods Covenant made with man in Baptism Therefore they have right to pardon and everlasting life Either Infants are in the same Covenant that is are subjects of the same promise of God with their believing Parents
and have Consciences still objecting something or other against their obedience and are so obstinate in their way as thinking it is for their salvation that all Ages and Nations have been fain to govern them by force as beasts which they have called persecution Answ. 1. There is no doctrine in the world so much for Love and Peace and Concord as the doctrine Answ. of Christ is What doth it so much urge and frequently inculcate What doth it contain but Love and peace from end to end Love is the sum and end of the Gospel and the fulfilling of the Law To Love God above all and our neighbours as our selves and to do as we would be done by is the Epitome of the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles 2. And therefore Christianity is only the occasion and not the Cause of the divisions of the earth It is mens blindness and passions and carnal interests rebelling against the Laws of God which is the make-bate of the world and filleth it with strife The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits It blesseth the peace-makers and the meek But it is the rebellious wisdom from beneath that is earthly sensual and devillish which causeth envy and strife and thereby confusion and every evil work Iam. 3. 15 16 17. Matth. 5. 6 7 8. So that the true genuine Christian is the best subject and peaceablest man on earth But seriousness is not enough to make a Christian A man may be passionately serious in an errour Understanding must lead and seriousness follow To be zealous in errour is not to be zealous in Christianity For the errour is contrary to Christian verity 3. As I said before it is a testimony of the excellency of Religion that it thus occasioneth contention Dogs and Swine do not contend for Crowns and Kingdoms nor for sumptuous houses or apparel nor do Infants trouble the world or themselves with Metaphysical or Logical or Mathematical disputes Ideots do not molest the World with Controversies nor fall thereby into Sects and parties Nor yet do wise and learned persons contend about chaff or dust or trifles But as excellent things are matter of search so are they matter of Controversie to the most excellent wits The hypocritical Christians that you speak of who make God and their salvation give place to the unjust commands of men are indeed no Christians as not taking Christ for their Soveraign Lord And it is not in any true honour of Magistracy that they are so ductile and will do any thing but it is for themselves and their carnal interest and when that interest requireth it they will betray their Governours as Infidels will do If you can reduce all the world to be Infants or Ideots or Bruits yea or Infidels they will then trouble the State with no contentions for Religion or matters of salvation But if the Governed must be bruitified what will the Governours be 4. All true Christians are agreed in the substance of their Religion There is no division among them about the necessary points of faith or duty Their agreement is far greater than their disagreement which is but about some smaller matters where differences are tolerable Therefore they may all be Governed without any such violence as you mention If the common Articles of faith and precepts of Christian duty be maintained then that is upheld which all agree in and Rulers will not find it needful to oppress every party or opinion save one among them that hold the common truths Wise and sober Christians lay not mens salvation upon every such Controversie nor do they hold or manage them unpeaceably to the wrong of Church or State nor with the violation of Charity peace or justice 5. Is there any of the Sciences which afford not matter of Controversie If the Laws of the Land did yield no matter of Controversie Lawyers and Judges would have less of that work than now they have And was there not greater diversity of Opinions and Worship among the Heathens than ever was among Christians What a multitude of sects of Philosophers and Religions had they And what a multitude of Gods had they to Worship And the number of them still increased as oft as the Senate pleased to make a God of the better sort of their Emperours when they were dead Indeed one Emperour of the Religion of some of these Objectors Heliogabalus bestir'd himself with all his power to have reduced all Religion to Unity that is he would have all the Worship brought to his God to whom he had been Priest Saith Lampridius in his life Dicebat Iudaeâ—rum Samaritanorum religiones Christianam devotionem illue transferendam c. And therefore he robbed and maimed and destroyed the other Gods id agens ne quis Romae Deus nisi Heliogabalus coleretur But Jactavit caput inter praecisos phanaticos genitalia sibi devinxit c. Lamprid. as the effect of his monstrous abominable filthiness of life was to be thrust into a privy killed and drag'd about the streets and drowned in Tybur so the effect of his desired Unity was to bring that one God or Temple into contempt whereto he would confine all Worship The differences among Christians are nothing in comparison of the differences among Heathens The truth is Religion is such an illustrious noble thing that diffentions about it like spots in the Moon are much more noted by the world than about any lower common matters Men may raise Controversies in Philosophy Physick Astronomy Chronologie and yet it maketh no such noise nor causeth much offence or hatred in the World But the Devil and corrupted nature have such an enmity against Religion that they are glad to pick any quarrel against it and blame it for the imperfections of all that learn it and should practise it As if Grammar should be accused for every errour or fault that the Boyes are guilty of in learning it Or the Law were to be accused for all the differences of Lawyers or contentions of the people or Physick were to be accused for all the differences or errours of Physicions or meat and drink were culpable because of mens excesses and diseases There is no doctrine nor practice in the World by which true Unity and Concord can be maintained but by seriousness in the true Religion And when all contention cometh for want of Religion it 's impudence to blame Religion for it which is the only cure If Rulers will protect all that agree in that which is justly to be called the Christian Religion both for doctrine and practice and about their small and tolerable differences will use no other violence but only to compell them to live in peace and to suppress the seditious and those that abuse and injure Government or one another they will find that Christianity tendeth not to divisions nor to the hindrance or disturbance of Government or
innumerable that it is far harder methinks to remember them than to answer them whereby it came to pass that some of the Ecclesiastical Cases are put out of their proper place because I could not seasonably remember them For I had no one Casuist but Amesius with me But after about twelve years separation having received my Library I find that the very sight of Sayrus Fragoso Roderiquez Tâ—lâ—t c. might have helpt my memory to a greater number But perhaps these will be enough for those that I intend them for 2. And by the same cause the Margin is unfurnished of such citations as are accounted an Ornament and in some cases are very useful The scraps inserted out of my few trivial Books at hand being so mean as that I am well content except about Monarchy Par. 4. that the Reader pass them by as not worthy of his notice And it 's like that the absence of Books will appear to the Readers loss in the materials of the Treatise But I shall have this advantage by it that he will not accuse me as a plagiary And it may be some little advantage to him that he hath no transcript of any mans Books which he had before but the product of some experience with a naked unbyassed perception of the Matter or Things themselves 7. Note also that the third and fourth parts are very much defective of what they should contain about the Power and Government of Gods officers in Church and State of which no Readers will expect a reason but strangers whose expectations I may not satisfie But as I must profess that I hope nothing here hath proceeded from Disloyalty or disrespect to Authority Government Unity Concord Peace or Order or from any opposition to Faith Piety Love or Iustice so if unknown to me there be any thing found here that is contrary or injurious to any one of these I do hereby renounce it and desire it may be taken as non-scriptum II. The Ends and Uses for which I wrote this Book are these 1. That when I could not Preach the Gospel as I would I might do it as I could 2. That three sorts might have the benefit as followeth I That the Younger and more unfurnished and unexperienced sort of Ministers might have a promptuary at hand for Practical Resolutions and Directions on the subjects that they have need to deal in And though Sayrus and Fragoso have done well I would not have us under a necessity of going to the Romanists for our ordinary supplies Long have our Divines been wishing for some fuller Casuistical Tractate Perkins began well Bishop Sanderson hath done excellently de Iuramento Amesius hath exceeded all though briefly Mr. David Dickson hath put more of our English Cases about the state of Sanctification into Latine than ever was done before him Bishop Ier. Tailor hath in two Folio's but begun the copious performance of the work And still men are calling for more which I have attempted Hoping that others will come after and do better than we all If any call it my Pride to think that any Ministers or Students are so raw as to need any thing that I can add to them let him but pardon me for saying that such demure pleadings for a feigned Humility shall not draw me to a confederacy with Blindness Hypocrisie and Sloth and I will pardon him for his charge of Pride It is long ago since many forreign Divines subscribed a request that the English would give them in Latine a sum of our Practical Theologie which Mr. Dury sent over and twelve great Divines of ours wrote to Bishop Usher as Dr. Bernard tells you in his Life to draw them up a form or Method But it was never done among them all And it 's said that Bishop Downame at last undertaking it he dyed in the attempt Had this been done it s like my labour might have been spared But being undone I have thus made this Essay But I have been necessitated to leave out much about Conversion Mortification Self-denyal Self-acquaintance Faith Justification Judgement Glory c. because I had written of them all before II. And I thought it not unuseful to the more Judicious Masters of Families who may choose and read such parcels to their Families as at any time the case requireth And indeed I began it rudely with an Intention of that Plainness and Brevity which Families require But finding that it swelled to a bigger bulk than I intended I was fain to write my Life of Faith as a Breviate and Substitute for the Families and persons that cannot have and use so large a Volume presupposing my Directions for sound Conversion for weak Christians and for pâ—ace of Conscience printed long ago III. And to private Christians I thought it not in vain to have at hand so Universal a Directory and Resolution of Doubts not expecting that they remember all but may on every occasion turn to such particulars as they most need But I must expect to be assaulted with these Objections And it is not only prophane deriders and malignant enemies that are used by Satan to â—ilifie and oppose our service of God Object I. You have written too many Books already Who do you think hath so little to do as to read them all Is it not Pride and self-conceitedness to think that your scriblings are worthy to be read and that the world hath need of so much of your instructions as if there were no wise men but you You have given offence already by your writings you should write less and Preach more Answ. 1. I have seldome if ever in all my Ministry omitted one Sermon for all my Writings I was not able to Live in London nor ride abroad But through Gods mercy I seldom omitted any opportunities at home 2. And if I Preach the same Doctrine that I write why should not men be as angry with me for preaching it as for writing it But if it be good and true why is it not as good Preach by the Press to many thousands and for many years after I am dead as to Preach to a Parlour full for a few hours Or why is not both as good as one 3. I will not take the Reverend Objector to be ignorant that Writing and publishing the Word of God by it is preaching it and the most publick preaching And hath the example of the Apostles and Evangelists as well as speaking And one is no more appropriate to them than the other though the Extraordinaries of both be proper to them And do you not perceive what self-condemning contradiction it is at the same time to cry out against those that disswade you from preaching or hinder you and tell you it is needless and you are proud to think that the world needeth your preaching and yet your selves to say the very same against your brethrens preaching by the Press I know an ignorant illiterate Sectary might say Writing is no preaching and you are
a Zeal against Error and for Truth Object V. Are all these Numerous Directions to be found in Scripture Shew us them in Scripture or you trouble the Church with your own inventions Answ. 1. Are all your Sermons in the Scripture And all the good Books of your Library in the Scripture 2. Will you have none but Readers in the Church and put down Preachers Sure it is the Reader that delivereth all and only the Scripture 3. Are we not Men before we are Christians And is not the Light and Law of Nature Divine And was the Scripture written to be instead of Reason or of a Logick or other subservient Sciences Or must they not all be sanctified and used for Divinity 4. But I think that as all good Commentaries and Sermons and Systems of Theology are in Scripture so is the Directory here given and is proved by the evidence of the very thing discourst of or by the plainest Texts Object VI. You confound your Reader by Curiosity of distinctions Answ. 1. If they are vain or false shame them by detecting it or you shame your selves by blaming them when you cannot shew the error Expose not your selves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to escape confusion that is avoiding knowledge to escape Ignorance or Light to escape darkness 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that breedeth and feedeth almost all our pernitious Controversies And even those that bring in error by vain distinction must be confuted by better distinguishers and not by ignorant Confounders I will believe the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 14 15 16. that Logomachie is the plague by which the hearers are subverted and ungodliness increased and that Orthotomie or right dividing the Word of Truth is the Cure And Heb. 5. 15. Discerning both good and evil is the work of long and well exercised senses Object VII Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity and to the Creed What a toilsome task do you make Religion by overdoing Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for Articles of Faith I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity and more confident that the Church will never have Peace and Concord till it be so done as to the test of mens Faith and Communion But he that will have no Books but his Creed and Bible may follow that Sectary who when he had burnt all his other Books as bumane inventions at last burnt the Bible when he grew Learned enough to understand that the translation of that was Humane too 2 If men think not all the Tools in their Shops and all the Furniture of their Houses or the number of their Sheep or Cattle or Lands nor the number of Truths received by a Learning intellect c. to be a trouble and toil why should they think so of the number of Helps to facilitate the practice of their duty If all the Books in your Libraries make your Studies or Religion toilsome why do you keep them and do not come to the Vulgar Religion that would hear no more but Think well speak well and do well or Love God and your neighbour and do as you would be done by He that doth this truly shall be saved But there goeth more to the building of a house than to say Lay the foundation and raise the superstructure Universals exist not but in individuals and the whole consisteth of all the parts 3. It is not expected that any man remember all these Directions Therefore I wrote them because men cannot remember them that they may upon every necessary occasion go to that which they have present use for and cannot otherwise remember In summ to my quarrelsome Brethren I have two requests 1. That instead of their unconscionable and yet unreformed custome of backbiting they would tell me to my face of my offences by convincing evidence and not tempt the hearers to think them envious and 2. That what I do amiss they would do better and not be such as will neither laboriously serve the Church themselves nor suffer others and that they will not be guilty of Idleness themselves nor tempt me to be a slothful servant who have so little time to spend For I dare not stand before God under that guilt And that they will not joyn with the enemies and resisters of the publication of the Word of God And to the Readers my request is 1. That what ever for Quantity or Quality in this Book is an impediment to their regular universal obedience and to a truly holy life they would neglect and cast away 2. But that which is truly Instructing and Helpful they would diligently Digest and Practice And I encourage them by my testimony that by long experience I am assured that this PRACTICAL RELIGION will afford both to Church State and Conscience more certain and more solid Peace than contending Disputers with all their pretences of Orthodoxness and Zeal against Errors for the Truth will ever bring or did ever attain to I crave your pardon for this long Apology It is an Age where the Objections are not feigned and where our greatest and most costly services of God are charged on us as our greatest sins and where at once I am accused of Conscience for doing no more and of men for doing so much Being really A most unworthy Servant of so good a Master RICHARD BAXTER THE CONTENTS OF THE First TOME Christian Ethicks The Introduction page 1 2. CHAP. I. DIrections to Unconverted graceless sinners for the attainment of saving Grace § 1. What is presupposed in the Reader of these Directions p. 3 Containing Reasons against Atheism and Ungodliness § 2 Twenty Directions p. 6 § 3. Thirty Temptations by which Satan hindereth mens conversion p. 26 Ten Temptations by which he would perswade men that their heinous mortal sins which prove them unconverted are but the pardoned infirmities of the penitent p. 33 CHAP. II. Directions to weak Christians for their establishment and growth p. 36 Direct 1. Against receiving Religion meerly for the Novelty or Reputation of it ibid. Direct 2. Let Judgement Zeal and Practice go equally together p. 38 Direct 3. Keep a short Method of Divinity or a Catechism still in your memory p. 39 Direct 4. Certain Cautions about Controversies in Religion Heb. 6. 1. opened p. 40 Direct 5. Think not too highly of your first degrees of Grace or Gifts Time and diligence are necessary to growth How the Spirit doth illuminate The danger of this sin p 41 Direct 6. Let neither difficulties nor oppositions in the beginning discourage you Reasons p. 43 Direct 7. Value and use a Powerful faithful Mininistry Reasons Objections answered p. 45 Direct 8. For Charity Unity and Catholicism against Schism Pretences for Schism confuted p. 47 Direct 9. Let not sufferings make you sin by passion or dishonouring authority p. 49 Direct 10. Take
many § 64. Direct 20. Remember that God needeth no sinful means to attain his ends He will not be Direct 20. beholden to the Devil to do his work He would not have forbad it if he would have had you done it He is never at such a loss but he can find right means enough to perform his work by It is a great pâ—â—t of our wisdom which our salvation lieth on to choose and use right means when we are resolved on a right end It 's a horrible injury against God to intitle him to sin and make it seem necessary to his ends and honour Good ends will not justifie evil actions What sin so odiouâ— that hath not had good ends pretended for it Even Christ was murthered as a malefactor 〈…〉 ds at least pretended even to vindicate Gods honour from blasphemy and Caesar from 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—â— and the nation from calamity And his disciples were killed that God might be served by it â—â—d â—â—â—â—â—ent troublers of the world taken away § 65. Tempt 21. He would make us presume because we are Gods children and speciall grace 〈…〉 â—aâ—â—â—â—t be wholy lâ—â—t and we have found that once we had grace therefore we may venture as being safe § 66. Direct 21. But many a thousand shall be damned that once thought they had the truth Direct 21. of Grace It is a hard controversie among learned and godly men whether some in a state of saving grace do not fall from it and perish But it is past controversie that they shall perish that live and dâ—â— impâ—nitently in willful sin To plead truth of grace for encouragement in sin is so much against the nature and use of grace as may make you question the truth of it You can be no suâ—â—r that you have true grace than you are sure that you hate all known sin and desire to be free from it Christ teacheth you how to answer such a horrid temptation Mat. 4. 6 7. Iâ— thâ—â—â—e the Son of God cast thy self down For it is written â—e shall give his Angels charge over thâ—â— Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Son-ship and promises and truth of grace are incongruous arguments to draw you to sin and heynous aggravations of sin so committed § 67. Tempt 22. The Devil â—ft most dangerously imitateth the Holy Ghost and comes in the shape of Tempt 22. â—n Angel of light He will be for knowledge in the Gnosticks for Unity and Government in the Papists for Mortifcation in the Fryars for free-grace and tenderness of our Brethrens Consciences in the Libertiâ—â—s for Peace and Mutual forbearance in the Socinians for Zeal Self-denâ—al and fearfulness of men and pretended revelations and spirituality in the Quakers He will be against heresie schism error disobedience hypocrisie pretendedly in haters and persecutors of holiness and reformation And when he will seem religious he will be superstitious and seem to out-go Christ himself § 68. Direct 22. Kerp close to Christ that you may know his voice from the voice of strangers Direct 22. And get â—oâ—y wisdom to try the spirits and to discern between things that diâ—â—â—â—r Let the whole frame of Truth and Godliness be in your Head and Heart that you may perceive when any would make a breach in any part of it The Devil setteth up no good but in order to some evil Therefore examine whither it tendeth and not only what it is but what use he would have you make of it And love no evil because of any Goâ—d that is pretended for it and dislike or reject no good because of any evil use that is by others made of it And whatever doctrine is brought you try it thus 1. Receive none that is against the certain Nature Attributes and honour of God 2. Nor any that is against the Light or Law of nature 3. Nor any that is against the Scripture 4. Nor any that is against Holiness of heart and life 5. Nor any against Charity and Justice to men 6. Nor any about matters to be ordered by men that is against order nor any against Government and the peace of Church and State 7. Nor any that is against the true Unity Peace and Communion of Saints 8. Nâ—r any that is certainly inconsistent with great and certain truths Thus try the spirits whether they be of God § 69. Tempt 23. The Tempter usually draâ—eth men to one extream under pâ—etense of avoiding another Tempt â—3 causing men to be so fearful of the danger on one side as to take no heed of that on the other sâ—de § 70. Direct 23 Understand all your danger and mark the latitude or extent of Gods commands Direct 23. and watch on every side And you must know in what duties you are in danger of extreames and in what not In thâ—se acts of the soul that are purely rational about your ultimate end you cannot do too much as in knowing God and Loving him and being willing and resolved to please him But passions may possibly go too farr even about God especially fear and grief for they may be such as nature cannot bear without distraction death or hinderance of duty But few are guilty of this But towards the creature passions may easily exceed And in external actions towards God or man there may be excess But especially in point of Iudgement its easie to slide from extream into extream 2. And you must know in every duty you do and every sin which you avoid and every truth you receive what is the contrary or extream to that particular truth or sin or duty and keep it in your eye If you do not thus watch you will râ—â—l like a drunken man from side to side and never walk uprightly with God You will turn from Prodigality to Covetousness from cruel persecution to Libertinism or from Libertinism to persecuting cruelty from hypocritical formality to hypocritical pretended spirituality or from enthusiasms and faction to dead formality But of this I have spoke at large Chap. 5. Part. 2. Dir. to Students § 71. Tempt 24. On the contrary the Tempter usually pleadeth Moderation and Prudence against Tempt 24. a holy life and accurate zealous obedience to God and would make you believe that to be so diligent in duty and sâ—rupulously afraid of sin is to run into an extream and to be righteous over much and to make Religion a vexatious or distracting thing and that its more a do than needs § 72. Direct 24. This I have answered so oft that I shall here say but this that God cannot be Direct 24. too much loved nor Heaven too much valued nor too diligently sought or obeyed nor sin and Hell be too much avoided nor doth any man need to fear doing too much where he is sure when he hath done his best to do too little Hearken what men say of this at death § 73. Tempt 25. The Tempter would perswade us that one sin is necessary to avoid
life in sickness or danger when you may after have time to seek the saving of his soul. Not only works of mercy may be thus preferred before sacrifice but the ordinary conveniences of our lives as to rise and dress us and do other business may go before prayer when Prayer may afterwards be done as well or better and would be hindered if these did not go before § 22. Direct 19. Though caeteris paribus the duties of the first table are to be preferred before Direct 19. those of the second yet the Greater duties of the second table must be preferred before the lesser duties of the first The Love of God is a greater duty than the Love of man and they must never be separated But yet we must preferr the saving a mans life or the quenching of a fire in the Town before a Prayer or Sacrament or observation of a Sabbath David eat the shew bread and the Disciples rubbed out the corn on the Sabbath day because the preserving of Life was a greater duty than the observing of a Sabbath or a positive ceremonial law And Christ bids the Pharisees Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice The blood of our brethren is an unacceptable means of pleasing God and mainteining piety or promoting mens several opinions in religion § 23. Direct 20. Choose that employment or calling so far as you have your choice in which Direct 20. you may be most serviceable to God Choose not that in which you may be most Rich or Honourable in the world but that in which you may do most good and best escape sinning § 24. Quest. But what if in one calling I am most serviceable to the Church but yet have most Quest. â— doing goâ—d or avoidâ—â—g sin to be â—â—st â—â—â—â—â— at in our choice oâ—â—aâ—lings Answ. temptations to sin And in another I have least temptations to sin but am least serviceable to the Church which is the ordinary difference between men in Publick places and men in solitude which of these should I choose Answ. 1. Either you are allready engaged in your Calling or not If you are you must have greater reasons to desert it than such as might require you at first not to choose it 2. Either the Temptations to sin are such as good men ordinarily overcome or they are extraordinarily great You may more warrantably avoid such great ones as you are not like to overcome than small or ordinary ones 3. Either you are well furnished against these temptations or not If not you must be more cautelous in approaching them But if you are you may trust God the boldlier to help you out 4. Either they are temptations to ordinary humane frailties in the manner of duty or temptations to more dangerous sin The first will not so much warrant you to avoid doing good for to escape them as the latter will 5. The service that you are called to being supposed great and necessary to be done by somebody is either such as others will do better or as well if you avoid it or not If the Church or common good receive no detriment by your refusal you may the more insist on your own preservation But if the necessities of the Church or State and the want of fitter instruments or any apparent call of God do single you out for that service you must obey God whatever the difficulties and temptations are For no temptation can necessitate you to sin and God that calleth you can easily preserve you But take heed what you thrust your selves upon § 25. Quest. But may I change my calling for the service of the Church when the Apostle bids Quest. â—â—â—â—â—ing may be changed Answ. every man abide in the calling in which he was called Cor. 7. 20. Answ. The Apostle only requireth men to make no unlawful change such as is the forsaking of a Wife or Husband nor no unnecessary change as if it were necessary as in the case of circumcision But in the next words he saith Art thou called being a servant Care not far it But if thou maist be made free use it rather He bids every man abide with God in the place he is called to but forbids them not to change their state when they are called to change it verse 24. He speaks more of relations of single persons and married servants and free c. than oâ— trades or offices And yet no doubt but a single person may be marryed and the marryed must be separated and servants may be free No man must take up or change any calling without sufficient cause to call him to it But when he hath such cause he sinneth if he change it not The Apostles changed their Callings when they became Apostles and so did multitudes of the Pastors of the Church in every age God no where forbids men to change their employment for the better upon a sufficient cause or call § 26. Direct 21. Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling that is such a stated course Direct 21. of employment in which you may best be serviceable to God Disability indeed is an unresistible impediment Otherwise no man must either live idely or content himself with doing some little charres Who excused from â— calling as a recreation or on the by But every one that is able must be statedly and ordinarily imployed in such work as is serviceable to God and the common Good Quest. But will not wealth excuse us Answ. It may excuse you from some sordid sort of work by making you more serviceable in other but you are no more excused from service and work of one kind or other than the poorest man Unless you think that God requireth least where He giveth most Quest. Will not age excuse us Answ. Yes so farr as it disableth you but no further Object But I am turned out of my calling Answ. You are not turned out of the service of God He calleth you to that or to another Quest. But may I not cast off the world that I may only think of my salvation Answ. You may cast off all such excess of worldly cares or business as unnecessarily hinder you in spiritual things But you may not cast off all bodily employment and mental labour in which you may serve the common Good Every one that is a member of Church or common-wealth must employ their parts to the utmost for the good of the Church and common-wealth Publick service is Gods greatest service To neglect this and say I will pray and meditate is as if your servant should refuse your greatest work and tie himself to some lesser easie part And God hath commanded you some way or other to labour for your daily bread and not to live as drones on the sweat of others only Innocent Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to dress it And fallen man must eat his bread in the sweat of his brows Gen. 3.
22. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished § 41. Sign 11. Pride maketh men murmure if the work of God be never so well done if they Sign 11. had not the doing of it and sometimes by contending to have the honour of doing it they destroy the work If they are officers of Christ they look more at the Power than their obligation at the Dignity than at the Duty and at what the people owe to them than what they owe to God and to the people They are like dogs that snarl at any other that would partake with them or come into the house They say not as Moses would all the Lords people were prophets Yea the peace and unity of Church and state is often sacrificed to this cursed pride § 42. Sign 12. Pride makes men ashamed of the service of God in a time and place where it is Sign 12. disgraced by the world and if it have dominion Christ and holiness shall be denyed or forsaken by them rather than their honour with men shall be forsaken If they come to Jesus it is as Nicodemus did by night They are ashamed to own a reproached truth or scorned cause or servant of Christ If men will but mock them with the nick-names or calumnies hatcht in Hell they will do as others or forbear their duty A scorn will do more to make them forbear praying in their families to God than the Lyons den would do with Daniel or the fiery-furnace with the three Confessors Dan. 3. 6. Especially if they be persons of honour and greatness in the world then God must be merciful to them while they bow down in the house of Rimmon As the Rich man Luke 18. 23. when he heard Christs terms was very sorrowful for he was very rich so these because their honours and dignities are so great do think them too good to let go for the sake of Christ Had they but the proportion of the obscure vulgar to lay down they could forsake it but they cannot forsake so fair a portion nor endure the reproach of so honourable a name But O what contemptible things are these to a humble soul He marvelleth what dreaming worldlings find in the doting thoughts and breath of fools which men call Honour that they should prefer it before the honour of God and their real honour When Christ hath told them Mark 8. 38. That whosoever shall be ashamed of him and his words in an adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels I now proceed to the signs of Pride in particular duties The Signs of Pride in and about Religious duties § 43. Sign 1. A Proud person is most sollicitous in and about that part of duty which is visible to Sign 1. man and tendeth to advance him in mens esteem And therefore he is more regardful of the outside His ergo qui loquendi arte caeteris hominibus excellere videntur sedulo monendi sunt ut humilitate induti Christianâ discant non contemnere quos cognoverint morum vitia quam verbâ—rum amplius devitare Aug. de Cat. â—udib c. 9. than of the inside of the words than of the heart He taketh much pains if he be a preacher to cast his sermon into such a form as tendeth to set forth his parts according to the quality of them that he would please If he live where wit is valued above grace or pedantick gingling above a solid clear judicious masculine discourse he bends himself to the humour of his auditors and acts his part as a stage-player for applause If he live where serious earnest exhortations are in more request he studieth to put an affected fervency into his stile which may make the hearers believe that he believes himself and to seem to be what indeed he is not and to feel what he feeleth not But all this while about his Heart he is little sollicitous and takes small pains to affect it with the reverence of God and with a due estimation of his truth and a due compassion of mens souls and indeed to believe and feel what he would seem to believe and feel So also in prayer and discourse his chief study is to speak so as may best procure applause And it is seldom that he is so cunning as to hide this his design from the observation of judicious men that know him They may usually perceive that he is the Image of a Preacher or Christian by affectation forcing himself to that which he is not truly serious in He is sounding brass a tinkling Cymbal a bladder full of wind a skin full of words wise and devout in publick on the stage but at home and with his companions in his ordinary converse he is but common if not unclean He is the admiration of fools and the compassion of the wise An Oracle at the first congress to those that know him not and the pity of those that have seen him at home and without his mask He is like proud Gentlewomen that bestow a great part of the morning in mundifying and adorning themselves when they are to be seen and go abroad but at home are very homely And usually the Proud being Hypocrites are secret haters of the most serious and judicious Christians because these are more quick-sighted than others to see through the cloak of their Hypocrisie Unless as their Charity constraining them to conceal their fears and jealousies may reconcile the Hypocrite to them § 44. Sign 2. Proud men art apt to put on themseves to any publick duty which may tend to magnifie Sign 2. them or set out their parts and think themselves fitter to be preferred before others and imployed than indeed they are They are forward to speak in preaching or praying among others or Non potest non indoctus esse qui se doctum credit Hermar Barbarus in ordinary talk A little knowledge maketh them think that they are fit to be preachers Whereas the humble say with Moses who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh c. Exod. 3. 11. I am not eloquent but slow of speech O my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send Exod. 4. 10 13. Or as Isaiah 16. 5. Wâ— is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. or as Paul 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things How many a Sermon hath Pride both studied and preached And how many a prayer hath it formed And how well are they like to be heard of God § 45. Sign 3. The Proud are loath to be clouded by the greater abilities of others They are content Sign 3. that weaker men pray or preach with them that will not obscure but put off their parts that they Pliny saith In commending another you
the Nature and the signs or effects of PRIDE consider next Direct 3. of the dreadful consequents and tendencie of it both as it leadeth to farther sin and unto misery Which I shall briefly open to you in some particulars § 82. 1. At the present it is the Heart of the old man and the root and life of all corruption and Aenaeas Sylvius it Boâ—m c. 65. Speaking of the boasting of the Monk Capistâ—inus saith superaverat seculi pompas calcaverat avaritiam libidinem sub egeraâ— gloriam contemnere non potuiâ— Nemo est tam sanctus qui dulcedine gloriae non capiatur Facilius regna viri excellenâ—es quam gloriam contemnunt Inter omnia vitia tu semper es prima semper es ultima nam omne peccatum te accedente committitur te recedente dimittâ—tur Innocent de contemp munai l. 2. c. 31. of dreadful signification if it be predominant If any mans heart be lifted up the Lord will have no pleasure in him or it is not upright in him Hab. 2. 4. I had rather have my soul in the case of an obscure humble Christian that is taken notice of by few or none but God and is content to approve himself to him than in the case of the highest and most eminent and honourable in Church or State that looks for the observation and praise of men God judgeth not of men by their great parts and profession and name but justifieth the humbled soul that is ashamed to lift up his face to Heaven and thinketh himself unworthy to speak to God or to have communion with his Church or to come among his servants but standing a far off smiteth upon his breast and saith in true Repentance O God be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. Pride is as a plague-mark on the soul. § 83. 2. There is scarce a sin to be thought on that is not a spawn in the bowels of Pride To stance in some few besides all that are expressed in the signs 1. It maketh men Hypocrites and 〈◊〉 what they are not for the praise of men 2. It makes men Lyars Most of the Lyes that are 〈◊〉 in the world are to avoid some disgrace and shame or to get men to think highly of them 〈◊〉 sin is committed against God or your superiors instead of humble confession Pride would coveâ—â—â—â— with a lye 3. It causeth covetousness that they may not want provision for their Pride 4. 〈◊〉 maketh men flatterers and time-servers and man-pleasers that they may win the good esteem others 5. It makes men run into profaneness and riotousness to do as others do to avoid 〈◊〉 shame of their reproach and scorn that else would account them singular and precise 6. It can talâ—â— men off from any duty to God that the company is against They dare not pray nor speak a serioâ—â— word of God for fear of a jear from a scorners mouth 7. It is so contentious a sin that it makes men firebrands in the societies where they live There is no quiet living with them longer than they have their own saying will and way They must bear the sway and not be crossed And when all is done there is no pleasing them for the missing of a word or a look or a complement will catch on their hearts as a spark on gunpowder 8. It tears in pieces Church and State Where was ever civil war raised or Kingdom endangered or ruined or Church divided oppressed or persecuted but Pride was the great and evident cause 9. It devoureth the mercies and good creatures of God and sacrificeth them to the Devil It is a chargeable sin What a deal doth it consume in cloaths and buildings and attendance and entertainments and unnecessary things 10. It is an odious thief and prodigal of precious time How many hours that should be better employed and must one day be accounted for are cast away upon the foresaid works of Pride Especially in the needless complements and visits of Gallants and the dressings of some vain light-headed women in which they spend allmost half the day and can scarce find an hour in a morning for prayer or meditation or reading the scriptures because they cannot be ready Forgetting how they disgrace their wretched bodies by telling men that they are so filthy or deformed that they cannot be kept sweet and cleanly and seemly without so long and much ado 11. It is odiously unjust A proud man makes no bones of any falshood slander deceit or cruelty if it seem but necessary to his greatness or honour or preferment or ambitious ends He careth not who he wrongeth or betrayeth that he may rise to his desired height or keep his greatness Never trust a Proud man further than his own interest bids you trust him 12. Pride is the pander of whoredom and uncleaneness It is an incentive to lust in themselves and draws the proud to adorn and set forth themselves in the most enticing manner as tends to provoke the lust of others Fain they would be thought comly that others may admire them and be taken with their comliness If they thought that none would see them they would spare their ornaments And if a common decencie were all that they affected they would spare their curiosities and fashionable superfluities Even they that would not be unclean in gross fornication with any yet would be esteemed beautiful and desirable and do that which tendeth to corrupt the minds of â—ools that see them These and indeed allmost all sin are the natural progenie of Pride § 85. 3. As to the misery which they bring on themselves and others 1. The greatest is that they forsake God and are in danger to be forsaken by him For God abhorreth the Proud and beholdeth them as afar off So far as you are Proud your are hated by him and have no acceptance or communion with him Pride is the highway to utter appostacie It blindeth the mind It maketh men confident in their own conceits and venturous upon any new opinion and ready to quarrel with the word of God before they understand it When any thing seems hard to them they presently suspect the truth of the matter when they should suspect their dark unfurnished minds Mark those that are Prâ—ud in any Town or any company of professors of piety and if any infection of heresie or infidelity come into that place these are the men that will soonest catch it Mark those that have turned from â—â—â—â— 4 6. â—â—â—â—â— â— â— Iâ—â— 5â— 1â— Prov. 16 19. Prov. 29 23. Vaâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—n are the â—â—â—â—rn of wise men â—he admâ—ration of tools the Idols oâ—â—â—attereâ—s and the slaveâ— oâ— their own Pride 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â— â—â—â—â— â— 54. Truth or Godliness and see whether they be not such as were proud and superficial in Religion before But God giveth Grace and more Grace to the humble He dwelleth with them and delighteth in them 2. A proud man is a tormenter of himself
or private as when we dwell in godly families among the most exemplary helpful company under the most lively excellent means the faithfullest Pastors the profitablest Teachers the best Masters or Parents and with faithful friends 7. Some Time is made fit by particular acts of Providence as a Funeral Sermon at the death of any near us as the presence of some able Minister or private Christian whose company we cannot ordinarily have or a special leisure as the Eunuch had to read the Scripture in his Chariot Acts 8. 8. And some Time is made specially fit by the special workings of Gods Spirit upon the heart when he more than ordinarily illuminateth teacheth quickneth softneth humbleth comforteth exciteth or confirmeth As Time in general so specially these seasons must be particularly improved for their several works we must take the Wind and Tide while we may have it and be sure to strike while the Iron is hot 9. And some Time is made fit by others necessities and the call of God As it is the Time to relieve the poor when they ask or when they are most in want or to help our neighbour when it will do him most good to visit the sick the imprisoned and afflicted in the needful season Matth. 25. Thus are the godly like Trees planted by the River side which bring forth fruit in their season Psal. 1. 3. So to speak in season to the ignorant or ungodly for their conversion or to the sorrowful for their consolation Isa. 50. 4. 10. Our own Necessity also maketh our seasons So the Time of age and sickness is made by necessity the season of our special repentance and preparation for death and judgement 11. The present Time is commonly made our season through the uncertainty of a fitter or of any more Prov. 3. 27. Withhold not Good from him to whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hand to do it Say not unto thy neighbour Go and come again to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee Eccles. 11. 2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good to all men especially to them who are of the houshold of faith These are our special seasons § 4. To Redeem Time supposeth 1. That we know what we have to do with Time and on what What Redeeming Time supposeth we ought to lay it out and of how great worth the things are for which we must redeem it 2. That we highly value Time in order to this necessary work 3. That we are sensible of the greatness of our sin and loss in our negligent or wilful losing so much as we have done already 4. That we know the particular season of each duty 5. And that we set less by all that which we must part with in our Redeeming time than we do by Time it self and its due ends Or else we will not make the bargain § 5. And as these five things are presupposed so these following are contained in our Redeeming What it containeth Time 1. To Redeem Time is to see that we cast none of it away in vain but use every minute of it as a most precious thing and spend it wholly in the way of duty 2. That we be not only doing good but doing the Best and Greatest Good which we are able and have a call to do 3. That we do not only the Best things but do them in the best manner and in the greatest measure and do as much good as possibly we can 4. That we watch for special opportunities 5. That we presently take them when they fall and improve them when we take them 6. That we part with all that is to be parted with to save our time 7. And that we forecast the preventing of impediments and the removal of our clogs and the obtaining of all the Helps to expedition and success in duty This is the true Redeeming of our Time § 6. The Ends and Uses which Time must be Redeemed for are these 1. In general and ultimately it To what Uses Time must be Redeemed must be all for God Though not all imployed directly upon God in meditating of him or praying to him yet all must be laid out for him immediately or mediately that is either in serving him or in preparing for his service in mowing or in whetting in travelling or in baiting to fit us for travail And so our time of sleep and feeding and needful recreation is laid out for God 2. Time must be Redeemed especially for works of Publick benefit For the Church and State for the souls of many especially by Magistrates and Ministers who have special charge and opportunity who must spend and be spent for the peoples sakes though rewarded with ingratitude and contempt 2 Cor. 12. 14 15. 3. For your own souls and your everlasting life For speedy conversion without delay if you be yet unconverted For the killing of every soul-endangering sin without delay For the exercise and increase of young and unconfirmed Grace and the growth of knowledge For the making sure our Calling and Election And for the storing up provisions of Faith and hope and love and comfort against the hour of suffering and of death 4. We must Redeem Time for the souls of every particular person that we have opportunity to do good to especially for children and servants and others whom God hath committed to our trust 5. For the wellfare of our own Bodies that they may be serviceable to our souls 6. And lastly for the Bodily wellfare of others And this is the order in which those works lye for which and in which our Time must be Redeemed The Price that Time must be Redeemed with is 1. Above all by our utmost Diligence That we be From what and at what price it must be Redeemed still doing and put forth all our strength and run as for our lives and whatever our hand shall find to do that we do it with our might remembring that there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither we go Eccl. 9. 10 Our sluggish ease is an easie price to be parted with for precious Time To Redeem it is not to call back Time past nor to stop Time in its hasty passage nor to procure a long life on earth but to save it as it passeth from being devoured and lost by sluggishness and sin 2. Time must be Redeemed from the hands and by the loss of sinful pleasures sports and revellings and all that is of it self or by accident unlawful from wantonness and licentiousness and vanity Rom. 13. 11 12 13 14. Both these are set together And that knowing the Time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep
now abroad in the world Of the millions of Heathens and Mahometanes and other strangers or enemies to Christ Of the obstinate Jews of the dark corrupted lamentable state of the Greek Armenian Ethiopian and Roman Churches where Religion is so wofully obscured and dishonoured by ignorance error superstition and prophaneness Of the Papal tyranny and usurpation and of the divided state of all the Churches and the prophaness and persecution and uncharitableness and contentions and mutual reproaches and revilings which make havock for the Devil among the members of Christ. Tit. 5. Directions against sinful Hopes HOPE is nothing but a Desirous expectation Therefore the Directions given before against sinful Dâ—â—h any man doubt that if there were taken out of mens minds vain opinions flattering hopes false valuations imaginations c. but it would leave the minds of a number of men poor shrunken things full of melancholy and indisposition and uncomfortable to themselves Lord Bacoâ— Essay of Lâ—es Love and Desire may suffice also against sinful Hopes save only for the expecting part Hope is sinful 1. When it is placed ultimately upon a forbidden object as to Hope for some evil to your selves which you mistakingly think is good To hope for felicity in the creature or to hope for more from it than it can afford you To hope for the hurt of other men for the ruine of your enemies for the hindrance of the Gospel and injury to the Church of Christ. 2. When you hope for a Good thing by evil means as to Hope to please God or to come to Heaven by persecuting his servants or by ignorance or superstition or schism or Heresie or any sin 3. To Hope ungroundedly for that from God which he never promised 4. To Hope deceitfully for that from God which he hath declared he will never give All these are sinful Hopes But it is not these last that I shall here say much to because I have said so much already of them in many other writings § 2. Direct 1. Hope for nothing from God against faith or without faith that is for nothing Direct 1. which he hath said he will not give nor for any thing which he hath not promised to give or given you some reason to expect To hope for that which God hath told us he will not give or that which is against the Holiness and Iustice of God to give this is but to Hope that God will prove a lyer or unholy or unjust which are wicked and blaspheaming hopes Such are the Hâ—pes which abundance of ignorant and ungodly persons have who hope to be saved without regeneration and without true Holiness of heart or life and hope to be saved in their willful impenitence and beloved sins who hope that God forgiveth them those sins which they hate not nor will not be perswaded to forsake And hope that the saying over some words of prayer or doing something which they call a good work shall save them though they have not the spirit of Christ Or that hope to be saved though they are unsanctified because they are not so bad as some others and live not in any notorious disgraceful sin All these believe the Devil who tells them that an unholy person may be saved and believe that the Gospel is false which saith without Holiness none shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. and they Hope that God will prove unholy unjust and false to save them and yet this they call a Hoping in God Hope for that which God hath promised and spare not but not for that which he hath said he will not do yea protested cannot be Iohn 3. 3 5. § 3. Direct 2. When thou Hopest for any evil to others or thy self remember what a monstrous thing Direct 2. it is to make evil the object of thy Hope and how those Hopes are but thy hastning unto chosen misery and contradict themselves For thou Hopest for it as Good and to be greedy for evil on supposition that its good doth shew thy folly that wilt try no better the objects of thy Hopes Like a sick man that longs and hopeth for that which if he take it will be his death Thus sinners hope for the poysoned bait § 4. Direct 3. Understand how much of the root of worldliness consisteth in your worldly Hopes Direct 3. Poor worldlings have little in possession to delight in but they keep up a Hope of more within them Many a covetous or ambitious wretch that never reacheth that which he desireth yet liveth upon the Hopes of it And Hope is it that setteth and keepeth men at work in the service of the world the flesh and the Devil as Divine Hope doth set and keep men at work for Heaven for their souls and for Jesus Christ. And many an Hypocrite that loseth much upon the account of his Religion yet sheweth his rottenness by keeping up his worldly hopes and going no further than will stand with those § 5. Direct 4. Hath not the world deceived all that have hoped in it unto this day Consider what is Direct 4. become of them and of their Hopes What hath it done for them and where hath it left them And wilt thou place thy Hopes in that which hath deceived so many generations of men already § 6. Direct 5. Remember that thy worldly Hopes are a sin so fully condemned by natural demonstration Direct 5. that thou art utterly left without excuse Thou art certain before-hand that thou must die Thou knowest how vain the world will be then to thee and how little it can do for thee And yet art thou Hoping for more of the world § 7. Direct 6. Consider that the world declareth its vanity in the very Hopes of worldlings In that it Direct 6. is still drawing them by Hopes and never giveth them satisfaction and content Almost all the life of a worldlings pleasure is in his Hopes The very thing which he hopeth for doth not prove so sweet to him in the possession as it was in his hopes A Hoping and Hoping still for that which they never shall attain is the worldlings life § 8. Direct 7. O turn your souls to those blessed Hopes of life eternal which are sent you from Heaven Direct 7. by Iesus Christ and set before you in the holy Scriptures and proclaimed to you by the messengers of grace Doth God offer you sure well-grounded hopes of living for ever in his Ioy and Glory And do you neglect them and lie hoping for that felicity in the world which cannot be attained and which will give no content when you have attained it This is more foolish than to toyl and impoverish your selves in Hope to find the Philosophers stone and refuse a Kingdom freely offered Tit. 6. Directions against sinful Hatred Aversation or Backwardness towards Of Hatred to men I shall speak anon God § 1. THe hatred to God and backwardness to his service which is
8. marry than to burn 1 Cor. 7. 9. It is Gods Ordinance partly for this end Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled Heb. 13. 4. It is a resemblance of Christs Union with his Church and is sanctified to believers Eph. 5. 1 Cor. 7. Perhaps it may cast thee upon great troubles in the world if thou be unready for that state as it is with Apprentices Forbear then thy sin at easier rates or else the lawful means must be used though it undo thee It s better thy Body be undone than thy soul if thou wilt needst have it to be one of them But if thou be marryed already thou art a monster and not a man if the remedy prevail not with thee But yet the other directions may be also serviceable to thee § 26. Direct 9. If less means prevâ—il not open thy case to some able faithful friend and engage Direct 9. them to watâ—h ever thee and tell them when thou art most endangered by the temptation This will shame thee from the sin and lay more engagements on thee to forbear it If thou tell thy friend Now I am tempted to the sin and now I am going to it he will quickly stop thee Break thy secresie and thou losest thy opportunity Thou canst do this if thou be willing If ever thy Conscience prevail so far with thee as to resolve against thy sin or to be willing to escape then take the time while Conscience is awake and go tell thy friend And tell him who it is that is thy wicked companion and let him know all thy haunts that he may know the better how to help thee Dost thou say that this will shame thee It will do so to him that it s known to But that is the benefit of it and that 's the reason I advise thee to it that shame may help to save thy soul. If thou go on the sin will both shame and damn thee and a greater â—hame than this is a gentle remedy in so foul and dangerous a disease § 27. Direct 10. Therefore if yet all this will not serve turn Tell it to many yea rather tell it all Direct 10. the Town than not be â—ured And then the publick shame will do much more Confess it to thy Pastor and desire him â—penly to beg the prayers of the Congregation for thy pardon and recovery Begin thus to crave the fruit of Church Discipline thy self so far shouldst thou be from flying from it and spâ—rning against it as the desperate hardened sinners do If thou say This is a hard lesson remember that the suffering of Hell is harder Do not say that I wrong thee by putting thee upon scandal and open shame It is thou that puttest thy self upon it by making it necessary and refusing all easier remedies I put thee on it but on supposition that thou wilt not be easilier cured Almost as Christ puts thee upon cutting off a right hand or plucking out a right eye lest all the body be cast into hell This is not the way that he commandeth thee first to take he would have thee avoid the need of it but he tells thee that its better do so than worse and that this is an easie suffering in comparison of Hell And so I advise thee if thou love thy credit forbear thy sin in a cheaper way but if thou wilt not do so take this way rather than damn thy soul. If the shame of all the Town be upon thee and the Boys should hoot after thee in the Streets if it would drive thee from thy sin how easie were thy suffering in comparison of what it is like to be Concealment is Satans great advantage It would be hard for thee to sin thus if it were but opened Tit. 2. Directions against inward filthy Lusts. § 1. Direct 1. BEcause with most the temperature of the Body hath a great hand in this sin Direct 1. your first care must be about the body to reduce it unto a temper less inclined to lust And here the chief remedy is fasting and much abstinence And this may the better be born because for the most part it is persons so strong as to be able to endure it that are under this temptation If your Temptation be not strong the less abstinence from meat and drink may serve turn For I I would prescribe you no stronger Physick than is needful to cure your disease But if it be violent and lesser means will not prevail it s better your bodies be somewhat weakened than your souls corrupted and undone Therefore in this case 1. Eat no Breakfast nor Suppers but one meal a day unless a bit or two of Bread and a sup or two of Water in the morning and yet not too full a dinner and nothing at night 2. Drink no Wine or strong Drink but Water if the stomach can bear it without sickness and usually in such hot bodies it is healthfuller than Beer 3 Eat no hot Spices or strong or heating or windy meats Eat Lettice and such cooling Herbs 4. If need require it be often let blood or purged with such purges as copiously evacuate serosity and not only irritate 5. And oft bath in cold Water But the Physicion should be advised with that they may be safely done § 2. If you think this course too dear a cure and had rather cherish your flesh and lust you are not the persons that I am now Directing for I speak to such only as are willing to be cured and to use the necessary means that they may be cured If you be not brought to this your Conscience had need of better awakening I am sure Christ saith that when the Bridegroom was taken from them his Disciples should fast Mar. 2. 19 20. And even painful Paul was in fasting often 2 Cor. 6. 5. 11. 27. and kept under his body and brought it into subjection lest by any means when he had Preached to others himself should be a castaway 1 Cor. 9. 27. And I am sure that the ancient Christians that lived in solitude and eat many of them nothing but bread and water or meaner fare than Act 10. 30. 14 23. â—uâ— â— 37. bread did not think this cure too dear Yea smaller necessities than this engaged them in fasting 1 Cor. 7. 5. This unclean Devil will scarcely be cast out but by prayer and fasting Mar. 9. 29. § 3. And I must tell you that Fulness doth naturally cherish Lust as fewel doth the fire Fulness of bread prepared the Sodomites for their filthy lusts It s no more wonder that a stuffed paunch hath a lustful fury than that the water runs into the Pipes when the Cistern is full or than it is wonder to see a dunghill bear weeds or a Carrion to be full of crawling Magots Plutarch speaks of a Spartan that being asked why Lycurgus made no Law against Adultery answered There are no Adulterers with us But saith the other what if
and breed up children for the devil Their natural corruption is advantage enough to Satan to engage them to himself and use them for his service But when Parents shall also take the Devils part and teach their children by precepts or example how to serve him and shall estrange them from God and a holy life and fill their minds with false conceits and prejudice against the means of their salvation as if they had sold their children to the Devil no wonder then if they have a black posterity that are trained up to be heirs of Hell He that will train up children for God must begin betimes before sensitive objects take too deep possession of their hearts and custom increase the pravity of their nature Original sin is like the arched Indian Fig-tree whose branches turning downwards and taking root do all become as trees themselves The acts which proceed from this habitual viciousness do turn again into vicious habits And thus sinful nature doth by its fruits increase it self And when other things consume themselves by breeding all that sin breedeth is added to it self and its breeding is its feeding and every act doth confirm the habit And therefore no means in all the world doth more effectually tend to the happiness of souls than wise and holy education This dealeth with sin before it hath taken the deepest root and boweth nature while it 's but a twig It preventeth the increase of natural pravity and keepeth out those deceits corrupt opinions and carnal fantasies and lusts which else would be serviceable to sin and Satan ever after It delivereth up the heart to Christ betime or at least doth bring him a Disciple to his School to learn the way to life eternal and to spend those years in acquainting himself with the ways of God which others spend in growing worse and in learning that which must be again unlearned and in fortifying Satans garrison in their hearts and defending it against Christ and his saving grace But of this more anon § 5. Motive 5. A holy well-governed family is the preparative to a holy and well-governed Church If Masters of families did their parts and sent such polished materials to the Churches as they ought to Motive 5 do the work and life of the Pastors of the Church would be unspeakably more easie and delightful It would do one good to Preach to such an auditory and to Catechise them and instruct them and examine them and watch over them who are prepared by a wise and holy education and understand and love the doctrine which they hear To lay such polished stones in the building is an easie and delightful work How teachable and tractable will such be And how prosperously will the labours of their Pastors be laid out upon them And how comely and beautiful the Churches be which are composed of such persons And how pure and comfortable will their communion be But if the Churches be sties of unclean beasts if they are made up of ignorant and ungodly persons that savour nothing but the things of the flesh and use to worship they know not what we may thank ill-governed families for all this It is long of them that Ministers preach as to idiots or barbarians that cannot understand them and that they must be always feeding their auditors with milk and teaching them the principles and Catechizing them in the Church which should have been done at home Yea it is long of them that there are so many Wolves and Swine among the Sheep of Christ and that holy things are administred to the enemies of holiness and the godly live in communion with the haters of God and Godliness and that the Christian Religion is dishonoured before the heathen world by the worse-than-heathenish lives of the Professors and the pollutions of the Churches do hinder the conversion of the unbelieving world whilest they that can judge of our Religion no way but by the people that profess it do judge of it by the lives of them that are in heart the enemies of it when the haters of Christianity and Godliness are the Christians by whose conversations the Infidel world must judge of Christianity you may easily conjecture what judgement they are like to make Thus Pastors are discouraged the Churches defiled Religion disgraced and Infidels hardned through the impious disorder and negligence of families What Universities were we like to have if all the Grammar-Schools should neglect their duties and send up their scholars untaught as they received them and if all Tutors must teach their pupils first to spell and read Even such Churches we are like to have when every Pastor must first do the work which all the Masters of families should have done and the part of many score or hundreds or thousands must be performed by one § 6. Motive 6. Well-governed Families tend to make a happy State and Commonwealth A good Motive 6. education is the first and greatest work to make good Magistrates and good Subjects because it tends to make good men Though a good man may be a bad Magistrate yet a bad man cannot be a very good Magistrate The ignorance or worldliness or sensuality or enmity to godliness which grew up with them in their youth will shew it self in all the places and relations that ever they shall come into When an ungodly family hath once confirmed them in wickedness they will do wickedly in every state of life when a perfidious Parent hath betrayed his Children into the power and service of the Devil they will serve him in all relations and conditions This is the School from whence come all the injustice and cruelties and persecutions and impieties of Magistrates and all the murmurings and rebellions of subjects This is the soil and seminary where the seed of the Devil is first sown and where he nurseth up the plants of Covetousness and Pride and Ambition and Revenge Malignity and Sensuality till he transplant them for his service into several Offices in Church and State and into all places of inferiority where they may disperse their venome and resist all that is good and contend for the interest of the flesh and Hell against the interest of the Spirit and of Christ. But O what a blessing to the world would they be that shall come prepared by a holy education to places of Government and Subjection And how happy is that Land that is ruled by such superiours and consisteth of such prepared subjects as have first learnt to be subject to God and to their Parents § 7. Motive 7. If the Governours of Families did faithfully perform their duties it would be a Motive 7. great supply as to any defects in the Pastors part and a singular means to propagate and preserve Religion in times of publick negligence or persecution Therefore Christian Families are called Churches because they consist of holy persons that worship God and learn and love and obey his word If you lived among
her discontent yet the case must be resolved by such considerations And a prudent man that knoweth what is like to be the consequent on both sides may and must accordingly determine it 4. But ordinarily the life health or preservation of so proud luxurious and passionate a woman is not worth the saving at so dear a rate as the wasting of a considerable estate which might be used to relieve a multitude of the poor and perhaps to save the lives of many that are worthier to live And 1. A mans duty to relieve the poor and provide for his family is so great 2. And the account that all men must give of the use of their Talents is so strict that it must be a great reason indeed that must allow him to give way to very great wastfulness And unless there be somewhat extraordinary in the case it were better deal with such a Woman as a Bedlam and if she will be mad to use her as the mad are used than for a steward of God to suffer the Devil to be served with his masters goods Lastly I must charge the Reader to remember that both these cases are very rare and it is but few Women that are so lyable to so great mischiefs which may not be prevented at cheaper rates And therefore that the Indulgence given in these decisions is nothing to the greater part of men nor is to be extended to ordinary Cases But commonly men every where sin by omission of a stricter Government of their families and by Eli's sinful indulgence and remisness And though a Wife must be Governed as a Wife and a Child as a Child yet all must be governed as well as servants And though it may be truly said that a man cannot hinder that sin which he cannot hinder but by sin or by contributing to a greater hurt yet it is to be concluded that every man is bound to hinder sin whenever he is able lawfully to hinder it And by the same measures Tolerations or not-hindering Errours and sins about Religion in Church and Common-wealth is to be judged of None must commit them or approve them nor forbear any duty of their own to cure them But that is not a duty which is destructive which would be a duty when it were a means of edifying CHAP. X. The Duties of Parents for their Children OF how great importance the wise and holy Education of Children is to the saving of their souls and the comfort of the Parents and the good of Church and State and the happiness of the World I have partly told you before but no man is able fully to express And how great that calamity is which the World is faln into through the neglect of that duty no heart can conceive But they that think what a case the Heathen Infidel and ungodly Nations are in and how rare true piety is grown and how many millions must lie in Hell for ever will know so much of this inhumane negligence as to abhor it § 1. Direct 1. Understand and lament the corrupted and miserable state of your Children which they Direct 1. have derived from you and thank fully accept the offers of a Saviour for your selves and them and â—bsolutely See my Treat for Infant Baptism resign and dedicate them to God in Christ in the sacred Covenant and solemnize this Dedication and Covenant by their Baptism And to this end understand the command of God for entring your Children solemnly into Covenant with him and the Covenant-mercies belonging to them thereupon Rom. 5. 12 16 17 18. Ephes. 2. 1 3. Gen. 17. 4 13 14. Deut. 29. 10 11 12. Rom. 11. 17 20. Joh. 3. 3 5. Mat. 19. 13 14. You cannot sincerely dedicate your selves to God but you must dedicate to him all that is yours and in your power and therefore your Children as far as they are in your power And as Nature hath taught you your Power and your duty to enter them in their infancy into any Covenant with man which is certainly for their good and if they refuse the conditions when they come to age they forfeir the benefit so nature teacheth you much more to oblige them to God for their far greater good in case he will admit them into Covenant with him And that he will admit them into his Covenant and that you ought to enter them into it is past doubt in the evidence which the Scripture giveth us that from Abrahams time till Christ it was so with all the Children of his people Nay no man can prove that before Abrahams Time or since God had ever a Church on Earth of which the Infants of his servants if they had any were not members dedicated in Covenant to God till of late times that a few began to scruple the lawfulness of this As it is a comfort to you if the King would bestow upon your Infant-Children who were tainted by their Fathers treason not only a full discharge from the blot of that offence but also the titles and estates of Lords though they understand none of this till they come to age so is it much more matter of comfort to you on their behalf that God in Christ will pardon their Original sin and take them as his Children and give them title to everlasting life which are the mercies of his Covenant § 2. Direct 2. As soon as they are capable teach them what a Covenant they are in and what are Direct 2. the benefits and what the conditions that their souls may gladly consent to it when they understand it and you may bring them seriously to renew their Covenant with God in their own persons But the whole order of Teaching both Children and Servants I shall give you after by it self and therefore shall here pass by all that except that which is to be done more by your familiar converse than by more solemn teaching § 3. Direct 3. Train them up in exact obedience to your selves and break them of their own Direct 3. wills To that end suffer them not to carry themselves unreverently or contemptuously towards you but to keep their distance For too much Familiarity breedeth contempt and emboldeneth to disobedience The common course of Parents is to please their Children so long by letting them have what they crave and what they will till their wills are so used to be fulfilled that they cannot endure to have them denyed and so can endure no Government because they endure no crossing of their wills To be Obedient is to renounce their own wills and be ruled by their Parents or Governours wills To use them therefore to have their own wills is to teach them disobedience and harden and use them to a kind of impossibility of obeying Tell them oft familiarly and lovingly of the excellency of obedience and how it pleaseth God and what need they have of Government and how unfit they are to govern themselves and how dangerous it is to Children
and shalt deliver his soul from Hell Prov. 19. 18. Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying Ask him whether he would have you by sparing him to disobey God and hate him and destroy his soul. And when his reason is convinced of the reasonableness of correcting him it will be the more sucessful § 18. Direct 18. Let your own example teach your children that holiness and heavenliness and Direct 18. blamelessness of tongue and life which you desire them to learn and practise The example of Parents is most powerful with children both for good and evil If they see you live in the fear of God it will do much to perswade them that it is the most necessary and excellent course of life and that they must do so too And if they see you live a carnal voluptuous and ungodly life and hear you curse or swear or talk filthily or railingly it will greatly embolden them to imitate you If you speak Direct 19. never so well to them they will sooner believe your bad lives than your good words § 19. Direct 19. Choose such a Calling and course of life for your children as tendeth most to the saving of their souls and to their publick usefulness for Church or State Choose not a Calling that is most lyable to temptations and hinderances to their salvation though it may make them rich but a Calling which alloweth them some leisure for the remembring the things of everlasting consequence and fit opportunities to get good and to do good If you bind them Apprentices or Servants if it be possible place them with men fearing God and not with such as will harden them in their sin § 20. Direct 20. When they are marriageable and you find it needful look out such for them as are Direct 20. suitable betimes When Parents stay too long and do not their duties in this their children often choose for themselves to their own undoing For they choose not by judgement but blind affection § 21. Having thus told you the common duties of Parents for their children I should next have Direct 1. told you what specially belongeth to each Parent but to avoid prolixity I shall only desire you to remember especially these two Directions 1. That the Mother who is still present with children when they are young be very diligent in teaching them and minding them of good things When the Fathers are abroad the Mothers have more frequent opportunities to instruct them and be still speaking to them of that which is most necessary and watching over them This is the greatest service that most women can do for God in the world Many a Church that hath been blessed with a good Minister may thank the pious education of Mothers And many a thousand souls in Heaven may thank the holy care and diligence of Mothers as the first effectual means Good women this way by the good education of their children are ordinarily great blessings both to Church and State And so some understand 1 Tim. 2. 15. by Child-bearing meaning bringing up children for Direct 2. God but I rather think it is by Maries bearing Christ the promised seed 2. By all means let children be taught to read if you are never so poor and what ever shift you make or else you deprive them of a singular help to their instruction and salvation It is a thousand pities that a Bible should signifie no more than a Chip to a rational creature as to their reading it themselves and that so many excellent Books as be in the world should be as sealed or insignificant to them § 22. But if God deny you children and save you all this care and labour repine not but be thankful believing it is best for you Remember what a deal of duty and pains and hearts grief he hath freed you from and how few speed well when Parents have done their best what a life of misery children must here pass through and how sad the fear of their sin and damnation would have been to you CHAP. XI The special Duties of Children towards their Parents THough Precepts to Children are not of so much force as to them of riper age because of their natural incapacity and their childish passions and pleasures which bear down their weak dâ—gree of Reason yet somewhat is to be said to them because that measure of Reason which they have is to be exercised and by exercise to be improved and because even those of riper years while they have Parents must know and do their duty to them and because God useth to bless even children as they perform their duties § 1. Direct 1. Be sure that you dearly love your Parents Delight to be in their company Be not Direct 1. like those unnatural children that love the company of their idle play-fellows better than their Parents and had rather be abroad about their sports than in their Parents sight Remember that you have your Being from them and come out of their loins Remember what sorrow you have cost them and what care they are at for your education and provision and remember how tenderly they have loved you and what grief it will be to their hearts if you miscarry and how much your happiness will make them glad Remember what Love you owe them both by Nature and in Iustice for all their Love to you and all that they have done for you They take your Happiness or Misery to be one of the greatest parts of the Happiness or Misery of their own lives Deprive them not then of their Happiness bâ— depriving your selves of your own Make not their lives miserable by undoing your selves Though they chide you and restrain you and correct you do not therefore abate your Love to them For this is their Duty which God requireth of them and they do it for your good It is a sign of a wicked child that loveth his Parents the less because they correct him and will not let him have his own will Yea though your Parents have many faults themselves yet you must love them as your Parents still § 2. Direct 2. Honour your Parents both in your Thoughts and speeches and behaviour Think Direct 2. not dishonourably or contemptuously of them in your hearts Speak not dishonourably rudely unreverently or sawcily either to them or of them Behave not your selves rudely and unreverently before them Yea though your Parents be never so poor in the world or weak of understanding yea though they were ungodly you must honour them notwithstanding all this Though you cannot honour them as Rich or Wise or Godly you must honour them as your Parents Remember that the fifth Commandment hath a special promise of temporal blessing Honour thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land c. And consequently the dishonourers of Parents have a special curse even in this life And the Justice of
in the sense of your natural sin and misery to stir up the lively sense of the wonderful Love of God and our Redeemer and to spend all the day in the special exercises of Faith and Love And seeing it is the Christian weekly festival or day of Thanksgiving for the greatest mercy in the world spend it as a day of Thanksgiving should be spent especially in Ioyful Praises of our Lord and let the huâ—bling and instructing exercisâ—s of the day he all subordinate to these laudatory exercises I know that much time must be spent in teaching and warning the ignorant and ungodly because their poverty and labours hinder them from other such opportunities and we must speak to them then or not at all But if it were not for their meer necessity and if we could as well speak to them other dayes of the Week the Churches should spend all the Lords Day in such praises and thanksgivings as are suitable to the ends of the institution But seeing that cannot be expected methinks it is desirable that the antient custome of the Churches were more imitated and the morning Sermon being fuited to the state of the more ignorant and unconverted that the rest of the day were spent in the exercises of Thanksgiving to the Joy and encouragement of believers and in doctrine suited to their state And yet I must add that a skilfull Preacher will do both together and so declare the Love and Grace of our Redeemer as by a meet application may both draw in the ungodly and comfort those that are already sanctified and raise their hearts in Praise to God § 4. Direct 4. Remember that the Lords day is appointed specially for publick worship and personal Direct 4. Communion of the Churches therein see therefore that you spend as much of the day as you can in this publick worship and Church-communion especially in the celebration of that Sacrament which is appointed for the memorial of the death of Christ untill his coming 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. This Sacrament in the Primitive Church was celebrated every Lords day yea and ofter even ordinarily on every other day of the week when the Churches assembled for Communion And it might be so now without any hinderance to Preaching or Prayer if all things were ordered as they should be For those Prayers and instructions and exhortations which are most suited to this Eucharistical action would be the most suitable Prayers and Sermons for the Church on the Lords dayes In the mean time sâ—e that so much of the day as is spent in Church-communion and publick worship be accordingly improved by you and be not at that time about your secret or family services but take only those hours for such private duties in which the Church is not assembled And remember how much the Love of Saints is to be exercised in this Communion and therefore labour to keep alive that Love without which no man can celebrate the Lords day according to the end of the institution § 5. Direct 5. Understand how great a mercy it is that you have leave thus to wait upon God for the receiving and exercise of grace and to cast off the distracting thoughts and businesses of the world and Direct 5. what an opportunity is put into your hand to get more in one day than this world can affâ—rd you all your lives And therefore come with gladness as to the receiving of so great a mercy and with desire after it and with hope to speed and not with unwillingness as to an unpleasant task as carnal hearts that Love not God or his Grace or Service and are aweary of all they do and glâ—d when it is done as the Ox that is unyoaked Isa. 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasuâ—e nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord The affection that you have to the Lords day much sheweth the temper of the heart A holy person is glad when it cometh as loving it for the holy exercises of the day A wicked carnal heart is glad of it only for his carnal ease but weary of the spiritual duties § 6. Direct 6. Avoid both the extreams of Prophaneness and Superstition in the point of your external rest And to that end Observe 1. That the work is not for the day but the day for the holy Direct 6. work As Christ saith Mark 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath It is appointed for our good and not for our hurt 2. The outward rest is not appointed for it self but as a means to the freedom of the mind for inward and spiritual employments And therefore all those outward and common labours and discourses are unlawful which any way distract the mind and hinder either our outward or inward attendance upon God and our edification 3. And whatever it was to the Jews no common words or actions are unlawful which are no hinderance to this communion and worship and spiritual edification 4. Yea those things that are necessary to the support of nature and the saving of the Life or health or estate and goods of our selves or our neighbours are needful duties on that day Not all those works which are truly charitable for it may be a work of mercy to build Hospitals or make Garments for the poor or Till their ground but such works of mercy as cannot be put off to another day and such as hinder not the duties of the day 5. The same word or action on the Lords day which is unlawful to one man may be lawful to another as being no hinderance yea a duty to him As Christ saith The Priests in the Temple break or prophane the Sabbath that is the outward rest but not the command and are blameless Matth. 12. 15. And the Cook may lawfully be employed in dressing meat when it were a sin in another to do it voluntarily without need 6. The Lords day being to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving the dressing of such meat as is fit for a day of Thanksgiving is not to be scrupled The primitive Christians in the Apostles time had their Love-feasts constantly with the Lords Supper or after on the Evening of the day And they could not feast without dressing meat 7. Yet that which is lawful in it self must be so done as consisteth with care and compassion of the souls of servants that are employed about it that they may â—e deprived of no more of their spiritual benefit than needs 8. Also that which is lawful must sometimes be forborn when it may by scandal tempt others that are loose or weak to do that which is unlawful not that the meer displeasing of the erroneous should put us out of the right
and Sanctifier of souls and in what order he doth all this by the Ministry of the Word 12. In the next open to them the office and use and duty of the ordinary Ministry and their duty toward them especially as Hearers and the nature and use of publick Worship and the nature and Communion of Saints and Churches 13. In the next open to them the Nature and use of Bâ—pâ—ism and the Lords Supper 14. In the next open to them the shortness of life and the state of souls at death and after death and the day of Judgement and the Justification of the Righteous and the Condemnation of the wicked at that day 15. In the next open to them the Joyes of Hâ—aven and the miseries of the damned 16. In the next open to them the vanity of all the pleasure and profits and honour of this World and the method of Temptations and how to overcome them 17. In the next open to them the reason and use of suffering for Christ and of self denyal and how to prepare for sickness and death And after this go over also the Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments § 13. Direct 13. After all your instructions make them briefly give you an account in their own Direct 13. words of what they understand and remember of all or else the next time to give account of the fâ—rmer And encourage them for all that is well done in their endeavours § 14. Direct 14. Labour in all to keep up a â—akened serious attention and still to print upon their Direct 14. hearts the greatest things And to that end For the Matter of your teaching and discourse let nothing be so much in your mouths as 1. The Nature and Relations of God 2. A Crucified and a Glorified Christ with all his grace and priviledges 3. The operations of the spirit on the soul. 4. The madness of sinners and the vanity of the world 5. And endless Glory and Joy of Saints and misery of the ungodly after death Let these five points be frequently urged and be the life of all the rest of your discourse And then for the Manner of your speaking to them let it be alwayes with such a mixture of familiarity and seriousness that may carry along their serious attentions whether they will or no Speak to them as if they or you were dying and as if you saw God and Heaven and Hell § 15. Direct 15. Take each of them sometime by themselves and there describe to them the work Direct 15. of Renovation and ask them whether ever such a work was wrought upon them Shew them the true Marks of Grace and help them to try themselves Urge them to tell you truly whether their Love to God or the Creature to Heaven or Earth to Holiness or Flesh-pleasing be more and what it is that hath their hearts and care and chief endeavour And if you find them regenerate help to strengthen them If you find them too much dejected help to Comfort them And if you find them unregenerate help to convince them and then to humble them and then to shew them the remedy in Christ and then shew them their duty that they may have part in Christ and drive all home to the end that you desire to see But do all this with Love and gentleness and privacy § 16. Direct 16. Some pertinent Questions which by the answer will engage them to teach themselves Direct 16. or to judge themselves will be sometimes of very great use As such as these Do you not know that you must shortly dye Do you not believe that immediately your souls must enter upon an endless life of joy or misery Will worldly wealth and honours or fleshly pleasures be pleasant to you then Had you then rather be a Saint or an ungodly sinner Had you not then rather be one of the holiest that the World despised and abused than one of the greatest and richest of the wicked When Time is past and you must give account of it had you not then rather it had been spent in holiness and obedience and diligent preparation for the life to come than in pride and pleasure and pampering the flesh How could you make shift to forget your endless life so long Or to sleep quietly in an unregenerate state What if you had died before conversion what think you had become of you and where had you now been Do you think that any of those in Hell are glad that they were ungodly or have now any pleasure in their former merriments and sin What think you would they do if it were all to do again Do you think if an Angel or Saint from Heaven should come to decide the Controversie between the Godly and the Wicked that he would speak against a Holy and Heavenly life or plead for a loose and fleshly life or which side think you he would take Did not God know what he did when he made the Scriptures Is he or an ungodly scorner to be more regarded Do you think every man in the World will not wish at last that he had been a Saint what ever it had cost him Such kind of Questions urge the Conscience and much convince § 17. Direct 17. Cause them to learn some one most plain and pertinent text for every great Direct 17. and necessary duty and against every great and dangerous sin and often to repeat them to you As Luk. 13. 3 5. Except ye Repent ye shall all perish Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So Mat. 18. 3. Rom. 8. 9. Heb. 18. 14. Ioh. 3. 16 Luk. 18. 1 c. So against lying swearing taking Gods name in vain flesh-pleasing Gluttony pride and the rest § 18. Direct 18. Drive all your Convictions to a Resolution of Endeavour and amendment and Direct 18. make them sometime promise you to do that which you have convinced them of And sometimes before witnesses But let it be done with these necessary Cautions 1. That you urge not a promise in any doubtful point or such as you have not first convinced them of 2. That you urge not a promise in things beyond their present strength As you must not bid them promise you to Believe or to Love God or to be tender-hearted or heavenly-minded but to do those duties which tend to these as to hear the Word or read or pray or meditate or keep good company or avoid temptations c. 3. That you be not too often upon this or upon one and the same strain in the other methods lest they take them but for words of course and custome teach them to contemn them But seasonably and prudently done their promises will lay a great engagement on them § 19. Direct 19. Teach them how to pray by formes or without as is most suitable to their â—ase and Direct 19. parts And either your self or
more plainly expressed than nature hath exprest it All is not Christs Law that is any way exprest in Scripture but all Christs Laws are exprest in the Matth. 28. 20. Scriptures Not written by himself but by his Spirit in his Apostles whom he appointed and sent ☜ to Teach all Nations to observe what ever he commanded them who being thus commissioned and enabled fully by the Spirit to perform it are to be supposed to have perfectly executed their commission and to have taught whatsoever Christ commanded them and no more as from Christ And therefore as they taught that present age by Voice who could Hear them so they taught all ages after to the end Rom. 13. 9. Matt. 22. 37. Isa. 8. 16. 20. Acts 8. 25. Acts 15. 35 36. Acts â—6 17 18. 1 John 1. 9. Nâ—heâ—â— 1. 6. Lâ—v. 16. 21. Pâ—â—l 4. 6. Psal. 50. 14. 69 30. 100. 1 2 4. Eph. 5. 19. Psal. 9. 11. 95. 1. Luke 11. â— 3. c. Matth. 2â— 1â— 1 Câ—r 11. 27. 24 25 26 28. 1 Cor. 14. 5 1â— â—6 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 40. Rom. 14. 15 2â— 1 Cor. 9. 20 21 22. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 10. 19 28. 2 Cor. 6. â—6 of the world by writing because their voice was not by them to be heard § 16. 3. So far then as the Scripture is a Law and Rule it is a perfect Rule But how far it is a Law or Rule it s own contents and expressions must determine As 1. It is certain that all the Internal worship of God by Love fear trust desire c. is perfectly commanded in the Scriptures 2. The Doctrine of Christ which his Ministers must read and preach is perfectly contained in the Scriptures 3. The grand and constantly necessary points of Order in preaching are there also expressed As that the opening of mens eyes and the converting of them from the power of Satan to God be first endeavoured and then their Confirmation and further Edification c. 4. Also that we humble our selves before God in the confession of our sins 5. And that we pray to God in the name of Christ for mercy for our selves and others 6. That we give God Thanks for his mercies to the Church our selves and others 7. That we Praise God in his excellencies manifested in his Word and Works of Creation and Providence 8. That we do this by singing Psalms with holy joyfulness of heart 9. The matter and order of the ordinary prayers and praises of Christians is expressed in the Scripture As which parts are to have precedency in our estimation and desire and ordinarily in our expressions 10. Christ himself hath determined that by Baptizing them into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost men be solemnly entered into his Covenant and Church and state of Christianity 11. And he hath himself appointed that his Churches hold communion with him and among themselves in the Eucharistical administration of the Sacrament of his Body and blood represented in the breaking delivering receiving and eating the consecrated Bread and in the pouâ—ing out delivering receiving and drinking the consecrated Wine 12. And as for the mutable subservient circumstances and external expressions and actions and orders which were not fit to be in particular the matter of an Universal Law but are fit in one place or at one time and not another for thâ—se he hath left both in Nature and Scripture such General Laws by which upon emergent occasions they may be determined and by particular Providences he â—itteth things and persons and times and places so as that we may discern their agreeableness to the descriptions in his General Laws As that all things be done Decently in Order and to Ediâ—ication and in Charity Unity and Peace And he hath forbidden Generally doing any thing undecently disorderly to the hurâ—â—â— destruction of our brethren even the weak or to the division of the Church 13. And many things 2 Commandment Col. â— 18 c. 1 Joh. 5. 21. Rev. 2. 14. he hath particularly forbidden in Worship as making to our selves any graven Image c. and Worshipping Angels c. § 20. And as to the order and Government of the Church for I am willing to dispatch all here together this much is plainly determined in Scripture 1. That there be Officers or Ministers under Mat. 28. 19. Rom. 10. 7 8. Act. 14. 23. Act. 2. 42. 20. 7 28. â—ph 4. 11 14. Mal 2. 7. 〈…〉 3. 17 21. 1 Coâ— 12. 17 28. Câ—â— 1. â—8 Act. 2â— â—â— 1 Thes. 5. 12. Hâ—b 13. 7 17. Act. â— 37. â— 37 38. 3. 20. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 9. 13 14. Act. 20. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 15. Deut. 10. 8. 2 â—iâ— 4. 1 2 3. Matth. 18. 15 16 17. 2 Thes. 3. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Joh. 10. 11. â—â— 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Rom. 16 17. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Luk 10 16. 12. 42. Act. â—3 â—3 Tâ—t 1. 5 9. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 3 4. Rev. 1. 10. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16 2. Christ to be the stated Teachers of his people and to Baptize and Administer the Sacrament of his Body and Blood and be the Mouth and Guide of the people in publick Prayers thanksgiving and praises and to bind the impâ—nitent and loose the penitent and to be the Directers of the flocks according to the Law of God to life eternal And their Office is described and determined by Christ. 2. It is required that Christians do ordinarily Assemble together for Gods publick worship and be Guided therein by these their Pastors 3. It is required that besides the unfixed Ministers who employ themselves in converting Infidels and in an itinerant service of the Churches there be also stated fixed Ministers having a special charge of each particular Church and that they may know their own flocks and teach them publickly and from house to house and the people may know their own Pastors that are â—ver them in the Lord and honour them and obey them in all that they teach them from the Word of God for their salvation 4. The Ministers that Baptize are to judge of the capacity and fitness of those whom they Baptize whether the Adult that are admitted upon their personal profession and Covenanting or Infants that are admitted upon their Parents profession and entering them into Covenant 5. The Pastors that administer the Lords Supper to their particular flocks are to discern or judge of the fitness of those persons whom they receive newly into their charge or whom they admit to Communion in that Sacrament as members of their flock 6. Every such Pastor is also personally to watch over all the members of his flock as far as he is able lest false teachers seduce them or satan get advantage of them or any corruption or root of bitterness spring up
commanded when none but Christ ever did so well Quest. 1. What is moral goodness in any creature and subject but a conformity to his Rulers will expressed in his Law And if this Conformity be its very form and being it cannot be that any thing should be morally good that is not commanded Quest. 2. Doth not the Law of God command us to love him with all our heart and soul and strength and accordingly to serve him And is it possible to give him more than all or can God come after and counsel us to give him more than is possible Quest. 3. Doth not the Law of Nature oblige us to serve God to the utmost of our Power He that denyeth it is become unnatural and must deny God to be God or deny himself to be his rational creature For nothing is more clear in nature than that the Creature who is nothing and hath nothing but from God and is absolutely His Own doth owe him all that he is able to do Quest. 4. Doth not Christ determine the Case to his Disciples Luke 17. 10. 5. A middle between Good and Evil in Morality is a contradiction There is no such thing For Good and Evil are the whole of Morality Without these species there is no Morality § 10. Object 2. It seems then you hold that there is nothing indifferent which is a paradox Object 2. Answ. No such matter There are thousands and millions of things that are indifferent But they Whether any things â—e Indifferent Stoici indifferentia distinguunt 1. â—â—a quaen queadsâ—â—â—â—â—tatem neque ad inâ—â—liâ—itatem confâ—â—â—â— ut sunt diviâ—iae sanitas vires gloria c. Nam sine his contingit â—oelicem esse cum earum usus vel rectus â—oelicitatis vel pravus intâ—licitatis author sit 2. Quae neque appetitum neque occasionem movent ut pares vel imparts habere capillos c. Lacit â—â— Zenoâ—â— are Things Natural only and not Things Moral They are indifferent as to Moral Good and Evil because they are neither But they are not Indifferentia Moralia The Indifferency is a Negation of any Morality in them in genere as well as of both the species of Morality Whatsoever participateth not of Virtue or Vice and is not Eligible or Refusable by a moral agent as such hath no morality in it There may be two words so equal as it may be indifferent which you speak and two Eggs so equal as that it may be indifferent which you eat But that is no more than to say the choosing of one before the other is not actus moralis There is no matter of Morality in the choice § 11. Object 3. But if there may be Things Natural that are Indifferent why not things Object 3. Mâ—ral Answ. As Goodness is convertible with Entity there is no Natural Being but is good As Goodness signifieth Commodity there is nothing but is Profitable or Hurtful and that is Good to one that is Hurtful to another But if it were not so yet such Goodness or Badness is but Accidental to Natural Being but Moral Goodness and Badness is the whole Essence of Morality § 12. Object 4. But doth not the Apostle say He that marrieth doth well and he that marrieth not Object 5. doth better Therefore all is not sin which is not best Answ. The Question put to the Apostle to decide was about Marrying or not Marrying as it belonged Whether Marrying â—e Indifferent to all Christians in general and not as it belonged to this or that individual person by some special reason differently from others And so in respect to the Church in general the Apostle determineth that there is no Law binding them to marry or not to marry For a Law that is made for many must be suited to what is common to those many Now Marriage being good for one and not for another is not made the matter of a common Law nor is it fit to be so and so far is left indifferent But because that to most it was rather a hinderance to good in those times of the Church than a help therefore for the present necessity the Apostle calleth marrying doing well because it was not against any Universal Law and it was a state that was suitable to some But he calls not marrying doing better because it was then more ordinarily suited to the ends of Christianity Now God maketh not a distinct Law for every individual person in the Church but one Universal Law for all And this being a thing variable according to the various Cases of individual persons was unfit to be particularly determined by an Universal Law But if the question had been only of any one individual person then the decision would have been thus Though marrying is a thing not directly commanded or forbidden yet to some it is helpful as to Moral Ends to some it is hurtful and to some it is so equal or indifferent that it is neither discernably helpful nor hurtful Now by the General Laws or Rules of Scripture to them that consideratis considerandis it is discernably helpful it is not indifferent but a duty To them that it is discernably hurtful it is not indifferent but a sin To them that it is neither discernably helpful or hurtful as to Moral Ends it is indifferent as being neither duty nor sin for it is not a thing of Moral choice or nature at all But the Light of Nature telleth us that God hath not left it Indifferent to men to Hinder themselves or to Help themselves as to Moral Ends Else why pray we Lead us not into temptation And marriage is so great a Help to some and so great a Hurt to others that no man can say that it is Morally Indifferent to all men in the world And therefore that being none of the Apostles meaning it followeth that his meaning is as aforesaid § 13. Object 5. But there are many things indifferent in themselves though not as cloathed with Object 5. all their accidents and circumstances And these actions being Good in their accidents may be the matter of a Vow Answ. True but those actions are commanded duties and not things indifferent as so circumstantiated It is very few actions in the world that are made simply duties or sins in their simple nature without their circumstances and accidents The commonest matter of all Gods Laws is Actions or dispositions which are Good or Evil in their circumstances and accidents Therefore I conclude Things wholly Indifferent are not to be Vowed § 14. Direct 5. It is not every Duty that is the matter of a lawful Vow Else you might have as Direct 5. many Vows as Duties Every good thought and word and deed might have a Vow And then every sin which you commit would be accompanied and aggravated with the guilt of Perjury And no wise man will run his soul into such a snare Object But do we not in Baptism Vow
many Christian Nations that it is lawful to break their Oathes and promises to their lawful Lords and Rulers or their Vows to God and to undertake by defending or owning this to justifie all those Nations that shall be guilty of this Perjury and perfidiousness O what a horrid crime is this what a shame even unto humane nature and how great a wrong to the Christian name § 10. Direct 9. Understand and remember these following Rules to acquaint you how fâ—r a vow is Direct 9. obligatory which I shall give you for the most part out of Dr. Sanderson because his decisions of these cases are now of best esteem § 11. Rule 1. The General Rule laid down Numb 30. 2 3. doth make a Vow as such to be obligatory Rule 1. though the party should have a secret equivocation or intent that though he speak the words to deceive another yet he will not oblige himself Such a reserve not to oblige himself hindereth not the obligation but proveth him a perfidious hypocrite D. Sanders pag. 23. Iuramentum omne ex suâ naturâ est obligatorium Ita ut si quis juret non intendens se obligare nihilominus tamen suscipiendo juramentum ipso facto obligetur that is If he so far understand what he doth as that his words may bear the definition of an oath or Vow Otherwise if he speak the words of an Oath in a strange language thinking they signifie something else or if he spake in his sleep or deliration or distraction it is no Oath and so not obligatory § 12. Rule 2. Those conditions are to be taken as intended in all Oathes whether exprest or no Ride 2. which the very nature of the thing doth necessarily imply unless any be so bruitish as to express the See Dr. Sanders p. 47. 197. contrary And these are all reducible to two heads 1. A natural and 2. A moral Impossibility 1. Whoever sweareth to do any thing or give any thing is supposed to mean If I live and if I be not disabled in my body faculties estate If God make it not impossible to be c. For no man can be supposed to mean I will do it whether God will or not and whether I live or not and whether I be able or not 2. Whoever Voweth or sweareth to do any thing must be understood to mean it If no change of Providence make it a sin or if I find not contrary to my present supposition that God forbiddeth it For no man that is a Christian is to be supposed to mean when he Voweth I will do this though God forbid it or though it prove to be a sin especially when men therefore Vow it because they take it to be a duty Now as that which is sinful is morally Impossible so there are divers ways by which a thing may appear or become sinful to us 1. When we find it forbidden directly in the Word of God which at first we understood not 2. When the change of things doth make that a sin which before was a duty of which may be given an hundred instances As when the change of a mans estate of his opportunities of his Liberty of his parts and abilities of objects of customes of the Laws of Civil Governours doth change the very matter of his duty Quest. § 13. Quest. But will every change disoblige us If not what change must it be seeing Casuists Answ. use to put it as a condition in general Rebus sic stantibus Answ. No it is not every change of Cicero dâ— Iâ—g lib. 1. Proveth that Right is founded in the Laâ— of Nature mâ—re than in mans Laws else saith â—e men may make evil good and good evil and make Adâ—lâ—â—ry Perjurâ— â— just b 〈…〉 g a Law for them things that disobligeth us from the bonds of a Vow For then Vows were of no considerable signification But 1. If the very Matter that was Vowed or about which the Vow was do cease Cessante materiâ cessat obligatio As if I promise to teach a pupil I am disobliged when he is dead If I promise to pay so much money in Gold and the King should â—orbid Gold and change his coyne I am not obliged to it 2. Cessante termino vel correlato cessat obligatio If the party dye to whom I am bound my personal obligation ceaseth And so the conjugal bond ceaseth at death and civil bonds by civil death 3. Cessante fine cessat obligatio If the use and end wholly cease my obligation which was only to that use and end ceaseth As if a Physicion promise to give Physick for nothing for the cure of the Plague to all the poor of the City when the Plague ceaseth his end and so his obligation ceaseth 4. Cessante personâ naturali relaâ—â cessat obligatio personalis When the natural person dyeth the obligation ceaseth I cannot be â—bliged to do that when I am dead which is proper to the living The subject of the obligation ceasing the Accidents must cease 5. Cessante relatione vel personâ civili cessat obligatio talis quâ tâ—lis The obligation which lay on a person in any Relation meerly as such doth cease when that Relation ceaseth A King is not bound to Govern or protect his subjects if they trayterously depose him or if he cast them off and take anothor Kingdom as when H. 3. of France left the Kingdom of Pâ—land nor are subjects bound to Allegiance and obedience to him that is not indeed their King A Judge or Justice or Constable or Tutor is no longer bound by his oath to do the offices of these Relations than he continueth in the Relation A divorced Wife is not bound by her conjugal vow to her Husband as before nor masters and servants when their relations cease nor a Souldier to his General by his military Sacrament when the Army is disbanded or he is cashiered or dismist Rule 3. § 14. Rule 3. No Vows or promises of our own can dissolve the obligation laid upon us by the Law of God For we have no co-ordinate much less superiour authority over our selves Our self-obligations are but for the furthering of our obedience Rule 4. § 15. Rule 4. Therefore no Vows can disoblige a man from any present duty nor justifie him in the committing of any sin Vows are to engage us to God and not against him If the matter which we vow be evil it is a sin to Vow it and a sin to do it upon pretence of a Vow Sin is no acceptable sacrifice to God § 16. Rule 5. If I vow that I will do some duty better I am not thereby disobliged from doing it at Rule 5. all when I am disabled from doing it better Suppose a Magistrate seeing much amiss in Church How often perjury hath ruined Christian Princes and States all History doth testifie The ruine of the Roman Empire by the Goths was
bound at all to keep my oath in his sense if my own sense was according to the common use of the words Prop. 7. Though I may not lye to a robber or tyrant that unjustly imposeth promises or oaths upon me yet if he put an oath or promise on me which is good and lawful in the proper usual sense of the words though bad in his sense which is contrary to the plain words whether I may take this to save my liberty or life I leave to the consideration of the judicious that which may be said against it is that Oaths must not be used indirectly and dissemblingly that which may be said for it is 1. That I have no obligation to fit my words to his personal private sense 2. That I deceive him not but only permit him to deceive himself as long as it is he and not I that misuseth the words 3. That I am to have chief respect to the publick sense and it is not his sense but mine that is the publick sense 4. That the saving of a mans life or liberty is cause enough for the taking a lawful oath Prop. 8. In case I misunderstood the imposed Oath through my own default I am bound to keep it in both senses my own and the imposers if both be consistent and lawful to be done For I am bound to it in my own sense because it was formally my oath or Vow which I intended And I am bound to it in his sense because I have in Justice made the thing his due As if the King command me to Vow that I will serve him in wars against the Turk And I misunderstand him as if he meant only to serve him in wars against the Turk And I misunderstand him as if he meant only to serve him with my purse And so I make a Vow with this intent to expend part of my estate to maintain that War whereas the true sense was that I should serve him with my Person In this case I see not but I am bound to both Indeed if it were a promise that obliged me only to the King then I am obliged no further and no longer than he will For he can remit his own right But if by a Vow I become obliged directly to God himself as a party then no man can remit his right and I must perform my Vow as made to him § 27. Rule 13. If any impose an ambiguous oath and refuse to explain it and require you only to Rule 13. swear in those words and leave you to your own sense Dr. Sanderson thinketh that an honest man Sand. p. 193. Caâ— 4â— should suspect some fraud in such an oath and not take it at all till all parties are agreed of the sense pag. 193 194. And I think he should not take it at all unless there be some other cause that maketh it his duty But if a Lawful Magistrate command it or the interest of the Church or State require it I see not but he may take it on condition that in the plain and proper sense of the words the oath be lawful and that he openly profess to take it only in that sense § 28. Rule 14. If any power should impose an Oath or Vow or promise which in the proper usual sense Rule 14. were downright impious or blaspheamous or sinful and yet bid me take it in what sense I pleased though I could take it in such a sense as might make it no real consent to the impiety yet it would be impious in the sense of the would and of such heynous consequence as will make it to be unlawful As if I must subscribe or say or swear those words There is no God or Scripture is untrue though it 's easie to use these or any words in a good sense if I may put what sense I will upon them yet the publick sense of them is Blaspheamy and I may not publickly blaspheam on pretence of a private right sence and intention § 29. Rule 15. If the Oath imposed be true in the strict and prâ—per sense yet if that sense be not Rule 15. vulgarly known nor sufficiently manifest to be the imposers sense and if the words are false or blaspheamous in the vulgar sense of those that I have to do with and that must observe and make use of my example I must not take such an oath without leave to make my sense as publick as my oath As if I were commanded to swear that God hath no fore-knowledge no knowledge no will c. It were easie to prove that these terms are spoken primarily of man and that they are attributed to God but analogically or metaphorically and that God hath no such humane acts formaliter but eminenter and that forma dat nomen and so that strictly it is not knowledge and will in the primary proper notion that God hath at all but something infinitely higher for which man hath no other name But though thus the words are true and justifiable in the strictest proper sense yet are they unlawful because they are blaspheamy in the vulgar sense And he that speaks to the Vulgar is supposed to speak with the Vulgar Unless he as publickly explain them § 30. Rule 16. If the supream power should impose an oath or promise which in the ordinary obvious Rule 16. sense were sinful and an inferiour officer would bid me take it in what sense I pleased I might not therefore take it because that such an officer hath no power to interpret it himself much less to allow me to take it in a private sense But if the Law giver that Imposeth it bid me take it in what sense I will and give me leave to make my sense as publick as my oath I may take it if the words be but dubious and not apparently false or sinful so there be no reason against it aliunde as from ill consequents c. § 31. Rule 17. If any man will say in such a case when he thinketh that the imposers sense is bad I Rule 17. take not the same Oath or Engagement which is imposed but another in the same words and I suppose not inferiour officers authorized to admit any interpretation but I look at them only as men that can actually execute or not execute the Laws upon me and so I take a Vow of my own according to my own sense though in their words as a means of my avoiding their severities As this is a collusion in a very high and tender business so that person if the publick sense of the oath be sinful must make his professed sense as publick as his Oath or promise It being no small thing to do that which in the publick sense is impious and so to be an example of perfidiousness to many § 32. Rule 18. Though an Oath imposed by an Usurper or by violence is not to be taken in formal obedience Rule 18. nor at all unless
the safety of a Kingdom Or doth that tend to the honour of the children of God which is the shame of common men Or is that the safety of his Kingdom which is the ruine of all others We are all fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. We are Gods building 1 Cor. 3. 9. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Will he destroy the defilers and will he Love the Dividers and destroyers If it be so great a sin to go to Law unnecessarily with Brethren or to wrong them 1 Cor. 6. 8. What is it to disown them and cast them off And if they that salute and love only their Brethren and not also their enemies are not the Children of God Matth. 5. 47. What are they that separate from and condemn even their brethren § 71. 5. Church-dividers either would Divide Christ himself between them or else would rob him of a great part of his inheritance And neither of these is a little sin If you make several bodies you would have several Heads And is Christ divided saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 13. Will you make him a Sect Master He will be your common head as Christians but he will be no Head of your Sects and Parties I will not name them Or would you tear out of the hands of Christ any part of his possessions Will he cut them off because you cut them off Will he separate them from himself because you separate from them or separate them from you Will he give them a bill of divorce when ever you are pleased to lay any odious accusation against them Who shall condemn them when it is he that justifieth them Who shall separate them from the Love of God Can your Censure or separation do it when neither life nor death nor any creature can do it Rom. 8. 33 c. Hath he not told you that he will give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of his hand John 10. 28. Will he lose his Iewels because you cast them away as dirt He suffered more for souls than you and better knoweth the worth of souls And do you think he will forget so dear a purchase or take it well that you rob him of that which he hath bought so dearly Will you give the members and inheritance of Christ to the Devil and say They are Satans and none of Christs Who art thou that judgest another mans servant § 72. 6. Church-dividers are guilty of self-ignorance and pride and great unthankfulness against that God that beareth with so much in them who so censoriously cast off their brethren Wast thou ever humbled for thy sin Dost thou know who thou art and what thou carryest about thee and how much thou offendest God thy self If thou do surely thou wilt judge tenderly of thy brethren as knowing what a tender hand thou needest and what mercy thou hast found from God Can he cruelly judge his brethren to Hell upon his petty differences who is sensible how the gracious hand of his Redeemer did so lately snatch him from the brink of Hell Can he be forward to condemn his brethren that hath been so lately and mercifully saved himself § 73. 7. Church-dividers are the most successful servants of the Devil being enemies to Christ in his family and livery They gratifie Satan and all the Enemies of the Church and do the very work that he would have them do more effectually than open enemies could do it As Mutineers in an Army may do more to destroy it than the power of the Enemy § 74. 8. It is a sin that contradicteth all Gods Ordinances and Means of Grace which are purposely to procure and maintain the Unity of his Church The Word and Baptism is to gather them into one body and the Lords Supper to signifie and maintain their Concord as being one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10. 17. And all the communion of the Church is to express and to maintain this concord The use of the Ministry is much to this end to be the bonds and joynts of the unity of believers Ephes. 4. 13 14 16. All these are contemned and frustrated by Dividers § 75. 9. Church-division is a sin especially to us against as great and lamentable experiences as almost any sin can be About sixteen hundred years the Church hath smarted by it In many Countreys where the Gospel prospered and Churches flourished division hath turned all into desolation and delivered them up to the curse of Mahometanism and Infidelity The contentions between Constantinople and Rome the Eastern and the Western Churches have shaken the Christian interest upon Earth and delivered up much of the Christian world to tyranny and blindness and given advantage to the Papacy to captivate and corrupt much of the rest by pretending it self to be the Center of Unity O what glorious Churches where the Learned Writers of those ages once lived are now extinct and the places turned to the Worship of the Devil and a Deceiver through the ambition and contentions of the Bishops that should have been the bonds of their Unity and peace But doth England need to look back into History or look abroad in forreign Lands for instances of the sad effects of discord Is there any one good or bad in this age that hath spent his dayes in such a sleep as not to know what Divisions have done when they have made such ruines in Church and State and kindled such consuming flames and raised so many Sects and Parties and filled so many hearts with uncharitable rancour and so many mouths with slanders and revilings and turned so many prayers into sin by poysoning them with pride and factious oppositions and hath let out streams of blood and fury over all the Land He that maketh light of the Divisions of Christians in these Kingdoms or loveth not those that speak against them doth shew himself to be so impenitent in them as to be one of those terrible effects of them that should be a pillar of Salt to warn after agis to take heed § 76. 10. Yea this is a heinous aggravation of this sin that commonly it is justified and not repented of by those that do commit it When a drunkard or a whoremonger will confess his sin a Church-divider will stand to it and defend it And wo to them that call evil good and good evil Impenitency is a terrible aggravation of sin § 77. 11. And it is yet the more heinous in that it is commonly fathered upon God If a drunkard or whoremonger should say God commandeth me to do it and I serve God by it would you not think this a horrid aggravation When did you ever know a Sect or party
how contrary soever among themselves but they all pretended Gods authority and entitled him to their sin and called it his service and censured others as ungodly or less godly that would not do as bad as they St. Iames is put to confute them that thought this wisdom was from above and so did glory in their sin and lye against the truth when their wisdom was from beneath and no better than earthly sensual and deviliish For the wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy c. James 3. 17. § 78. 12. Church divisions are unlike to our Heavenly state and in some regard worse than the Kingdom of the Devil for he would not destroy it by dividing it against it selâ— Matth. 12. 26. O what a blessed harmony of united holy souls will there be in the Heavenly Ierusalem where we hope to dwell for ever There will be no discords envyings Sideings or contendings one being of this party and another of that but in the Unity of perfect Love that world of Spirits with joyful Eph. 4. 13 14 16. praise will magnifie their Creator And is a snarling envy or jarring discord the likely way to such an end Is the Church of Christ a Babâ—l of confusion Should they be divided party against party here that must be one in perfect Love for ever Shall they here be condemning each other as none of the children of the Most High who there must live in sweetest concord If there be shame in Heaven you will be ashamed to meet those in the delights of Glory and see them entertained by the Lord of Love whom you reviled and cast out of the Church or your communion causelesly on earth § 79. Remember now that Schism and making parties and divisions in the Church is not so small a sin as many take it for It is the accounting it a duty and a part of Holiness which is the greatest cause that it prospereth in the world And it will never be reformed till men have right apprehensions of the evil of it Why is it that sober people are so far and free from the sins of swearing drunkenness fornication and lasciviousness but because these sins are under so odious a character as helpeth them easily to perceive the evil of them And till Church-divisions be rightly apprehended as whoredom and swearing and drunkenness are they will never be well cured Imprint therefore on your minds the true Character of them which I have here laid down and look abroad upon the effects and then you will fear this confounding sin as much as a consuming Plague § 80. The two great causes that keep Divisions from being hated as they ought are 1. A charitable Two Hinderances of our true apprehensions of Schisme respect to the good that is in Church-dividers carrying us to overlook the evil of the sin judging of it by the Persons that commit it and thinking that nothing should seem odious that is theirs because many of them are in other respects of blameless pious conversations And indeed every Christian must so prudently reprehend the mistakes and faults of pious men as not to asperse the piety which is conjunct and therefore not to make their persons odious but to give the person all his just commendations for his piety while we oppose and aggravate his sin Because Christ himself so distinguisheth between the good and the evil and the person and the sin and loveth his own for their good while he hateth their evil and so must we And because it is the grand design of Satan by the faults of the godly to make their Persons hated first and their Piety next and so to banish Religion from the world And every friend of Christ must shew himself an enemy to this design of Satan But yet the sin must be disowned and opposed while the person is Loved according to his worth Christ will give no thanks for such Love to his children as cherisheth their Church-destroying sins There is no greater enemy to sin than Christ though there be no greater friend to souls Godliness was never intended to be a fortress for iniquity or a battery for the Devil to mount his Cannons on against the Church nor for a blind to cover the Powder-mines of Hell Satan never opposeth Truth and Godliness and Unity so dangerously as when he can make Religious men his instruments Remember therefore that all men are vanity and Gods interest and honour must not be sacrificed to theirs nor the most Holy be abused in reverence to the holiest of sinful men § 81. The other great hinderance of our due apprehension of the sinfulness of divisions is our too deep sense of our sufferings by superiours and our looking so much at the evil of persecutions as not to look at the danger of the contrary extream Thus under the Papacy the people of Germany at Luthers Reformation were so deeply sensible of the Papal cruelties that they thought by how many wayes soever men fled from such bloody persecutors they were very excusable And while men were all taken up in decrying the Roman Idolatry corruptions and cruelties they never feared the danger of their own divisions till they smarted by them And this was once the case of many good people here in England who so much hated the wickedness of the Prophane and the Haters of Godliness that they had no apprehensions of the evil of Divisions among themselves And because many prophanâ— ones were wont to call sober godly people Schismaticks and Factious therefore the very names begâ—n with many to grow into credit as if they had been of good signification and there had been really no such sin as schism and factiâ—n to be feared Till God permitted this sin to break in upon us with such fury as had almost turned us into a Babel and a desolation And I am perswaded God did purposely permit it to teach his people more sensibly to know the evil of that sin by the efâ—â—cts which they would not know by other means And to let them see when they had reviled and ruined each other that there is that in themselves which they should be more afraid of than of any enemy without § 82. Direct 5. Own nâ—t any cause which is an enemy to Love And pretend neither Truth nor Holiness Direct 5. nor Unity nor Order nor any thing against it The Spirit of Love is that one Vital Spirit which 〈…〉 9 〈…〉 4. 〈…〉 2. 〈…〉 19. â—â— 1 〈…〉 1 â—â—â—â— 5 〈…〉 2 â—â—â—â— 1. 7. Heb. 10. 24. 〈…〉 5. 6 13. doth animate all the Saints The increase â—f Love is the powerful Balâ—â—me that healeth all the Churches wounds Though loveless lifeless Physicions think that all these wounds must be healed by the Sword And indeed the Weapon-salve is now become the proper cure It is the Sword that must be medicated that the wounds made by it may be healed The decayes of
Matth. 18. 10. being his Messengers to man § 9. 7. Much of their work is to oppose the malice of evil spirits that seek our hurt and to defend 1 Kings 22. 19 20 21 22. us from them against whom they are engaged under Christ in daily Warr or Conflict Rev. 12. 7 9. Psal. 68. 17. 78. 49. Matth. 4. 11. 1 Thess. 2. 18. § 10. 8. In this their Ministration they are ordered into different degrees of superiority and inferiority Luke 1. 19 26. and are not equal among themselves 1 Thess. 4. 16. Iude 9. Dan. 10. 13 20 21. Eph. 1. 21. Col. 2. 10. Eph. 3. 10. 6. 12. Col. 1. 16. Zech. 4. 10. Rev. 4 5. 5 6. § 11. 9. Angels are employed not only about our bodies but our souls by furthering the means of Acts. 7. 53. our salvation They preached the Gospel themselves as they delivered the Law Luke 2. 10 9. Luke 1. 11 c. Heb. 2. 2. Gal. 3. 19. Acts 10. 4. Dan. 7. 16. 8. 15 16 17. 9. 21 22. Luke 1. 29. 2. 19. Especially they deliver particular messages which suppose the sufficiency of the Laws of Christ and only help to the obedience of it § 12. 10. They are sometime Gods instruments to confirm and warn and comfort and excite the Acts 27. 24. Luke 1. 13 30. 2. 10. Dan. 10. 12. 2 Kings 6. 16. Gen. 16. 9 10. Numb 22. 32. soul and to work upon the mind and will and affections That they do this perswasively and have as much access and power to do us good as Satan hath to do us evil is very clear Good Angels have as much power and access to the soul to move to duty as Devils have to tempt to sin As God hath sent them oft upon monitory and consolatory messages to his servants in visible shapes so doth he send them on the like messages invisibly Iudg. 5. 23. Mat. 1. 20. Psal. 104. 4. Luke 22. 43. An Angel from Heaven is sent to strengthen Christ himself in his agony § 13. 11. They persecute and chase the enemies of the Church and sometimes destroy them as Psal. 35. 5 6. 2 Kings 19. 35. Isa. 37. 36. and hinder them from doing hurt Numb 22. 24. § 14. 12. They are a Convoy for the departing souls of the godly to bring them to the place of their felicity Luke 16. 22. though how they do it we cannot understand § 15. 13. They are the attendants of Christ at his coming to judgement and his Ministers to gather his elect and sâ—ver thâ— wicked from the just in order to their endless Punishment or Joy 1 Thess. 4. 16. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up c. Matth. 13. 41 49. The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather 2 Thess. 1. 7. Mark 8. 38. Matth. 25. 31. out of his Kingdom all offences or scandals and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire At the end of the world the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire c. § 16. Direct 3. Understand our near affinity or relation to the Angels and how they and we are concerned Direct 3. in each others condition and affairs As to our Nature our Immortal souls are kin or like unto the Angels though our Bodies are but like the Brutes Those souls that are created after the Image of God in their very Natural Essence as Rational and Free agents besides his Moral Image of sanctity Gen. 9. 6. may well be said to be like the Angels He made us little lower than the Angels Psal. 8. 5. And God hath made us their charge and care and therefore no doubt hath given them a special Love unto us to fit them to the due performance of their trust As Ministers have a special paternal Love to their flocks and as Christians are to have a special Love to one another to enable and engage them to the duties appointed them by God towards each other so these excellent Spirits have no doubt a far purer and greater Love to the Image of God upon the Saints and to the Saints for the Image and sake of God than the dearest friends and holiest persons on earth can have For they are more holy and they are more perfectly conformed to the mind of God and they love God himself more perfectly than we and therefore for his sake do love his people much more perfectly than we And therefore they are more to be loved by us than any mortals are both because they are more excellent pure and amiable and because they have more Love to us Moreover the Angels are servants of the same God and members of the same society which we belong to They are the Inhabitants of the heavenly Ierusalem of which we are heirs They have possession and we have title and shall in time possess it We are called to much of the same employment with them we must love the same God and glorifie him by obedience thanks and praise and so do they Therefore they are Ministers for our good and rejoyce in the success of their labours as the Ministers of Christ on earth do Heb. 1. 14. There is not a sinner converted but it is the Angels Joy Luke 15. 10. which sheweth how much they attend that work We are come to Mount Zion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to myriads of Angels c. Heb. 12. 22 23. 24. They are especially present and attendant on us in our holy Assemblies and services of God and therefore we are admonished to reverence their presence and do nothing before them that is sinful or unseemly 1 Cor. 11. 10. Eccles. 5. 6. The presence of God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels must continually awe us into exact obedience 1 Tim. 5. 21. With the Church they pry into the mysterie of the dispensations of the Spirit to the Church 1 Pet. 1. 12. And so by the Church that is by Gods dealings with the Church is made known the manifold wisdom of God even to these heavenly principalities and powers Eph. 3. 10. In conclusion Christ telleth us that in our state of blessedness we shall be equal to the Angels Luke 20. 36. and so shall live with them for ever § 17. Direct 4. When your thoughts of Heaven are staggering or strange and when you are tempted Direct 4. to doubt whether indeed there is such a life of glory for the Saints it may be a great help to your faith to think of the world of Angels that already do possess it That there are such excellent and happy inhabitants of the superiour
unheard or upon rash presumption Prop. 12. Christianity and Heresie being personal qualities and no where found but in individuals Ezek. 18 17. Gen. 18 3 24 â—5 nor one man guilty of anothers error it followeth that it is single persons upon personal guilt that must be judged Prop. 13. Any man may judge another to be a Christian or Heretick by a private judgement of 1 Cor. â—0 1â— Acts 1. 19. 1 Cor. â— 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Mat. 5. 11 12. John 16. 2. discerning or the reason which guideth all humane actions But only Church Rulers may judge him by that publick Judgement which giveth or denyeth him his publick priviledges and Communion Prop. 14. If by notorious injustice Church Rulers condemn Christians as no Christians though they may thereby deny them communion with those publick Assemblies which they govern yet do they not oblige the people to take such injured persons for no Christians Else they might oblige all to believe a lye to consent to malicious injuries and might disoblige the people from Truth Righteousness and Charity Prop. 15. There is no one Natural or Collective Head and Governour of all the Churches in the 1 Cor. 12. 27 28 29. world the Universal Church but Jesus Christ And therefore there is none that by such Governing power can excommunicate any man out of the Universal Church And such Usurpation would Eph. 4. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 1. 12 13 3. 22 23. be Treason against Christ whose Prerogative it is Prop. 16. Yet he that deserveth to be excommunicated from one Church deserveth to be Ephes. 5. 23. 4 15. excommunicated by and from all if it be upon a Cause common to all or that nullifieth his Christianity Col. 1. 18. 2. 19. Prop. 17. And where neighbour Churches are Consociate and live in Order and Concord he that 3 John is orderly excommunicate from one Church and it be notified to the rest should not be taken into the communion of any of the rest till he be cleared or become fit for their communion But Ephes. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 1â— this obligation ariseth but from the Concord of Consociate Churches and not from the Power of one over the rest And it cannot reach all the world where the person cometh not nor was ever known but only to those who through neighbourhood are capable of just notice and of giving or denying communion to that person Prop. 18. From all this it is clear that it is not either Papists alone or Greeks alone or Protestants alone or any party of Christians who are the Universal Church seeing that Church containeth All 1 Cor. 1â— 12. John 13. 3â— 1 Cor. 13 1 2 c. Christians And that reviling others yea whole Nations as Hereticks Schismaticks and no Christians or Churches will no more prove the Revilers to be the only Church or Christians than Want of Love will prove a man to be one of Christs Disciples who by Love are known to all men to be his Prop. 19. It is therefore the shameful language of distracted men to cry out against other Christian Nations It is not you but we that are the Catholick or Universal Church And our shameful Controversie which of them is the Catholick is no wiser than to question Whether it be this house or that which is the Street Or this Street or that which is the City Or whether it be the 1 Cor. 12. 12. 1 Cor. 6. 17. 10. 17. Kitchin or the Hall or the Parlour which is the House Or the Hand or Foot or Eye which is the Man O when will God bring distracting Teachers to Repentance and distracted people to their wits Ephes. 4. 3 c. Prop. 20. There is great difference in the Purity or soundness of the several parts of the Universal Church some being more Orthodox and holy and some deâ—â—led with so many Errours and sins Gal. 4. 11 12. as to make it difficult to discern whether they do not deny the very essentials Prop. 21. The Reformed Churches are the soundest and purest that we know in the world and Rev. 3 8 9 10 11 12. 2 10 11. Act. 14 22. Tit. 1 5. Rom. 16. 4 16. 1 Cor. 7 17. 11. 16. 14. 3â— 34. 2 Thes. 1. 4. Rev. 2. 23. therefore their priviledge exceeding great though they are not all the Universal Church Prop. 22. Particular Churches consisting of Lawful Pastors and Christian people associated for personal Communion in Worship and holy living are societies or true Churches of Christâ— institution and the chief parts of the Universal Church As Cities and Corporations are of the Kingdom Prop. 23. There are thousands of these in the world and a man may be saved in one as well as in another Only the purest give him the best advantages for his salvation And therefore should be preferred by all that are wise and love their souls so far as they are free to choose their Communion Prop. 24. The case then being easily resolved which is the true Church viz. All Christians ☜ as Christians are the Catholick or Universal Church and All Congregations afore described of 1 Cor. 1. 13. Rom. 16. 17. Act. 20. 30. true Pastors and Christians being particular true Churches differing only in degrees of purity he is to be suspected as a designing deceiver and troubler of the world that pretending to be a Learned man and a Teacher doth still perplex the Consciences of the ignorant with this frivolous question and would muddy and obscure this clear state of the case lest the people should rest in the discerned truth Prop. 25. The Papal Church as such being no true Church of Christs institution of which by it self anon it followeth that a Papist as a Papist is no member of the Church of Christ that is Acts 2. 44. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. no Christian. But yet whether the same person may not be a Papist and a Christian and so a member of the Catholick Church we shall anon enquire Prop. 26. There are many things which go to make up the fitness and desireablness of that particular Heb. 10. 25. 1 Tim. 3. 7. 3 Joh. 12. Church which we should prefer or choose for our ordinary personal Communion As 1. That it be the Church of that place where we dwell If the place be so happy as to have no divided Churches that it be the sole Church there However that it be so neerâ—â— to be fit for our Communion 2. That it be a Church which holdeth Communion with other neighbour Churches and is not singular or divided from them Or at least not from the Generality of the Churches of Christ nor Act 16 32 34. Act 10. 2. 22. Act. 18. 8. Col. 4. 15. differeth in any great matters from those that are most pure 3. That it be under the Reputation of soundness with the other Churches aforesaid
not Necessary to a mans Baptism and first Church-membership that he give any testimony of an antecedent godly life Because it is Repentance and future obedience professed that is his title and we must not keep men from Covenanting till we first see whether they will keep the Covenant which they are to make For Covenanting goeth before Covenant-keeping And it is any the most impious sinner who Repenteth that is to be Washed and Justified as soon as he becometh a Believer 5. Yet if any that Professeth Faith and Repentance should commit Whoredome Drunkenness 1 Cor 6 9 16. Tit. 3. 3 4 5. Eph. 2 1 2 3. Acts 2. 37 38. Murder Blasphemy or any mortal sin before he is baptized we have reason to make a stop of that mans baptism because he contradicteth his own profession and giveth us cause to take it for hypocritical till he give us better evidence that he is penitent indeed 6. Heart-Covenanting maketh an invisible Church-member and Verbal Covenanting and Baptism make a Visible Church-member And he that maketh a Profession of Christianity so far as to declare that he believeth all the Articles of the Creed particularly and understandingly with some tolerable understanding though not distinct enough and full and that he openly devoteth himself to God the Father Son and Spirit in the Vow and Covenant of Baptism doth produce a sufficient title to the Relation of a Christian and Church-member and no Minister may reject him for want of telling when and by what arguments means order or degrees he was converted 7. They that forsake these terms of Church entrance left us by Christ and his Apostles and used by all the Churches in the world and reject those that shew the Title of such a Profession for want of something more and set up other stricter terms of their own as necessary to discover mens conversion and sincerity are guilty of Church tyranny against men and usurpation against Christ And of making Engines to divide the Churches seeing there will never be agreement on any humane devised terms but some will be of one size and some of another when they forsake the terms of Christ. 8. Yet if the Pastor shall see cause upon suspicion of hypocrisie ad melius esse to put divers questions to one man more than to another and to desire further satisfaction the Catechumens ought in conscience to answer him and endeavour his satisfaction For a Minister is not tyed up to speak only such or such words to the penitent And he that should say I will answer you no further than to repeat the Creed doth give a man reason to suppose him either Ignorant or Proud and to suspend the reception of him though not to deny it But still ad esse no terms must be imposed as necessary on the Church but what the Holy Ghost by the Apostles hath established Quest. 16. What is necessary to a mans reception into Membership in a particular Church over and above this foresaid title Whether any other Tryals or Covenant or what 1. A Particular Church is a regular Part of the Universal as a City of a Kingdom or a Troop of an Army 2. Every man that is a member of the particular Church is a member of the Universal but every one that is a member of the Universal Church is not a member of a particular 3. Every particular Church hath its own particular Pastor one or more and its own particular place or bounds of habitation or residence Therefore he that will be a member of a particular Church 1. Must cohabite or live in a proximity capable of Communion 2. And must Consent to be a member of that particular Church and to be under the Guidance of its particular Pastors in their Office work For he cannot be made a member without his own Consent and Will nor can he be a member that subjecteth not himself to the Governour or Guide 4. He therefore that will intrude into their Communion and priviledges without expressing his consent before hand to be a member and to submit to the Pastoral oversight is to be taken for an invader 5. But no other personal qualification is to be exacted of him as necessary but that he be a member of the Church Universal As he is not to be baptized again so neither to give again all that account of his Faith and Repentance particularly which he gave at Baptism Much less any higher proofs of his sincerity But if he continue in the Covenant and church-Church-state which he was Baptized into he is capable thereby of reception into any particular Church upon particular Consent Nor is there any Scripture proof of any new examinations about their Conversion or sincerity at their removals or enterance into a particular Church 6. But yet because he is not now lookt on only as a Covenant-maker as he was at Baptism but also as a Covenant-keeper or performer therefore if any can prove that he is false to his Baptismal Covenant by Apostasie Heresie or a wicked life he is to be refused till he be Absolved upon his renewed repentance 7. He that oft professeth to Repent and by oft revolting into mortal sin that is sin which sheweth a state of death doth shew that he was not sincere must afterward shew his Repentance by actual amendment before he can say it is his due to be believed 8. Whether you will call this Consent to particular Church Relation and â—ury by the name of a Conant or not is but lis de nomine It is no more than mutual Consent that is necessary to be expressed And mutual Consent expressed may be called a Covenant 9. Ad melius esse the more express the Consent or Covenant is the better For in so great matters men should know what they do and deal above board Especially when experience telleth us that ignorance and Imagery is ready to eat out the heart of Religion in almost all the Churches in the world But yet ad esse Churches must see that they feign or make no more Covenants necessary than God hath made because humane unnecessary inventions have so long distracted and laid waste the Churches of Christ. 10. The Pastors Consent must concurr with the persons to be received For it must be mutual Consent Matth. 28. 19 â—0 And as none can be a member so none may be a Pastor against his will And though he be under Christs Laws what persons to receive and is not arbitrary to do what he list yet he is the Heb. 13. 7. 17. 1 Theâ—â— 5. 12 1â— Guide of the Church and the discerner of his own duty And a Pastor may have reasons to refuse to take a man into his particular Charge without rejecting him as unworthy Perhaps he may 1 Tim. 5. 17. already have more in number than he can well take care of And other such Reasons may fall out 11. In those Countreys where the Magistrates Laws and common consent do take
none but they have power to Ordain we may not encourage such pretences by repetition of the words and Action 4. If they would make some thing necessary to Ordination which is not as if it were a false Oath or false subscription or profession or some unlawful Ceremony as if it were Anointing wearing Horns or any the like and say You are no Ministers without these and therefore you must be Re-ordained to receive them 5. Yea if they declare our former Ministry causelesly to be Null and say You are no Ministers till you are Ordained again and so publickly put this sense upon our Action that we take it as Re-ordination All these Accidents make the Repetition of the words and actions to be unlawful unless when Greater Accidents notoriously preponderate Quest. But if such Church Tyrants should have so great power as that without their Repetition of Ordination on those terms the Ministry might not be exercised is it lawful so to take it in a case of such necessity Answ. 1. Every seeming necessity to you is not a necessity to the Church 2. Either you may publickly declare a contrary sense in your Receiving their new orders or not 1. If you may not as publickly declare that you renounce not your former Ministry and Dedication to God in that office as the Ordainers declare their sense of the Nullity of it so that your open declaration may free you from the guilt of seeming consent I conceive it is a sinful complyance with their sin 2. Yea if you may so declare it yet if there be no necessity of your Ministerial liberty in that place I think you may not take it on such terms As 1. If there be worthy men enough to supply the Churches wants there without you 2. And if you may serve God successfully in a persecuted state though to the suffering of your flesh 3. Or if your imprisonment for Preaching be like to be as serviceable to the Church and Gospel as your continued Preaching on those scandalous terms 4. Or if you may remove and Preach in another Countrey 9. When any such case doth fall out in which the Repetition of the outward Action and Words is lawful It is not lawful to mix any false or scandalous expressions As if we were required to say falsly I accept this Ordination as confessing my self no Minister of Christ till now or any such like 10. In a word A peaceable Christian may do much as to the meer outward Action and Submission for obedience peace order or satisfaction to his own or other mens Consciences But 1. He may 1 Thes. 5. 22. Gal. 2. 4 5. Gal. 2. 14. do nothing for good ends which is false and injurious to the Church 2. And he may not do that which otherwise were lawful when it is for evil ends or tendeth to more hurt than good As to promote Heresie or Church-Tyranny and Usurpation whether in Pope Prelates Presbyters or People Quest. 22. How many Ordainers are necessary to the validity of Ordination by Gods institution Whether one or more MY Question is not of the ancient Canons or any humane Laws or customes For those are easily known But of Divine Right Now either God hath determined the case as to the number of Ordainers necessary or not If not either he hath given the Church some General rule to determine it by or not If not then the number is not any part of the Divine Order or Law And then if we suppose that he hath determined the case as to the Ordaining office and not to the Number then it will follow that one may serve The truth I think may be thus explained 1. There is Ordo officialis primarius and ordo ordinis vel exercitii vel secundarius An Order of Office primary and an Order of Exercise secundary in the Church As to the first the Order of office God hath determined that the Ordaining officers and no others shall ordain officers or give Orders And having not determined whether one or more it followeth that the ordination of one sole lawful ordainer is no nullity on that account because it is but one unless somewhat else nullifie it 2. God hath given General Rules to the ordainers for the due exercise of their office though he have not determined of any set number Such as are these That all things be done in Judgement Truth Love Concord to the Churches Edification Unity and peace c. 3. According to these General Laws sometimes the ordination of one sole ordainer may not only be valid but regular As when there are no other to concur or none whose concurrence is needful to any of the aforesaid Ends. And sometimes the concurrence of Many is needful 1. To the Receivers satisfaction 2. To the Churches or peoples satisfaction 3. To the Concord of Pastors and of Neighbour Churches c. And in such cases such Consem or Concourse is the Regular way 4. Where there are many Neighbour Pastors and Churches so neer as that he that is ordained in one of them is like oft to pass and Preach and officiate obiter in others and so other Churches must have some communion with him it is meetest that there be a concurrence in the Ordination 5. The ordainer is certainly a superiour to the person that cometh to be ordained while he is a private man And therefore so far his ordination is as is said an Act of Iurisdiction in the large sense that is of Government But whether he be necessarily his superiour after he is ordained hath too long been a Controversie It is certain that the Papists confess that the Pope is ordained such by no superiour And it is not necessary that a Bishop be ordained by one or more of any superiour order or Jurisdiction either And though the Italian Papists hold that a superiour Papal Jurisdiction must needs be the secondary fountain of the ordaining power though the ordainer himself be but of the same Order yet Protestants hold no such thing And all acknowledge that as Imposition of hands on a Lay man to make him a Minister of Christ or an officer is a kind of official Generation* so the Ejusdem speâ—â—â—â— vel inteâ—â—oris How then is the Pope Ordained or made Ordained is as a Iunior in Office is as it were a Son to the Ordainer as the Convert is said to be peculiarly to his Converter And that a proportionable honour is still to be given him But whether he that ordaineth a Presbyter and not he that ordaineth or Consecrateth a Bishop must needs be of a superiour order or office is a question which the Reader must not expect me here to meddle with Quest. 23. What if one Bishop ordain a Minister and three or many or all the rest protest against it and declare him no Minister or degrade him Is he to be received as a true Minister or not SUpposing that the person want no necessary personal Qualification for the office
exercise and to a fixed Charge as thou hast now a Call to the Office in general 9. Yet every Bishop or Pastor by his Relation to the Church Universal and to mankind and the interest of Christ is bound not only as a Christian but as a Pastor to do his best for the common good and not to cast wholly out of his care a particular Church because another hath the oversight of it Therefore if an Heretick get in or the Church fall to Heresie or any pernicious error or sin the neighbour Pastors are bound both by the Law of Nature and their Office to interpose their Counsel as Ministers of Christ and to prefer the substance before pretended order and to feek to recover the peoples souls though it be against their proper Pastors will And in such a case of necessity they may ordain degrade excommunicate and absolve in anothers charge as if it were a vacuity 10. Moreover it is one thing to excommunicate a man out of a particular Church and another thing for many associated Churches or Neighbours to renounce Communion with him The special 1 Cor. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Thess. 3. 6 14. Pastors of particular Churches having the Government of those Churches are the special Governing Judges who shall or shall not have Communion as a member in their Churches But the neighbour-Pastors of other Churches have the power of Judging with whom they and their own flocks will or will 2 John 10. Rev. 2. 14 15 2â— not hold Communion As e. g. Athanasius may as Governour of his flock declare any Arrian-member excommunicate and require his flock to have no Communion with him And all the neighbour Pastors though they excommunicate not the same man as his special Governours yet may declare to all their flocks that if that man come among them they will have no Communion with him and that at distance they renounce that distant Communion which is proper to Christians one with another and take him for none of the Church of Christ. Quest. 25. Whether Canons be Laws And Pastors have a Legislative Power ALL men are not agreed what a Law is that is what is to be taken for the proper sense of that Word Some will have the name confined to such Common Laws as are stated durable Rules for the subjects actions And some will extend it also to personal temporary verbal Precepts and Mandates such as Parents and Masters use daily to the children and servants of their families And of the first sort some will confine the name Laws to those acts of Soveraignty which are about the common matters of the Kingdom or which no interiour Officer may make And others will extend it to those Orders which by the Soveraigns Charter a Corporation or Colledge or School may make for the subregulation of their particular societies and affairs I have declared my own opinion de nomine fully elsewhere 1. That the definition of a Law in the proper general sense is To be A sign or signification of the Reason and Will of the Rector as such to his subjects as such instituting or antecedently determining what shall be Due from them and to them Jus efficiendo Regularly making Right 2. That these Laws are many more wayes diversified and distinguished from the efficient sign subjects matter end c. than is meet for us here to enumerate It is sufficient now to say 1. That stated Regulating Laws as distinct from temporary Mandates and Proclamations 2. And Laws for Kingdoms and other Common-wealthy in regard of Laws for Persons Schools Families c. 3. And Laws made by the Supream Power as distinct from those made by the derived authority of Colleges Corporations c. called By-Laws or Orders For I will here say nothing of Parents and Pastors whose Authority is directly or immediately from the efficiency of Nature in one and Divine Institution in the other and not derived efficiently from the Magistrate or any man 4. That Laws about great substantial matters distinct from those about little and mutable circumstances c. I say the first sort as distinct from the second are Laws so called by Excellency above other Laws But that the rest are univocally to be called Laws according to the best definition of the Law in Genere But if any man will speak otherwise let him remember that it is yet but lis de nomine and that he may use his liberty and I will use mine Now to the Question 1. Canons made by Virtue of the Pastoral Office and Gods General Laws in Nature or Scripture for regulating it are a sort of Laws to the subjects or flocks of those Pastors 2. Canons made by the Votes of the Laity of the Church or private part of that society as private are no Laws at all but Agreements Because they are not acts of any Governing power 3. Canons made by Civil Rulers about the circumstantials of the Church belonging to their Office as orderers of such things are Laws and may be urged by moderate and meet civil or corporal penalties and no otherwise 4. Canons made by Princes or inferiour Magistrates are no Laws purely and formally Ecclesiastical which are essentially Acts of Pastoral power But only Materially Ecclesiastical and formally Magistratical 5. No Church Officers as such much less the people can make Laws with a Co-active or Coâ—rcive sanction that is to be enforced by their Authority with the Sword or any corporal penalty mulct or force This being the sole priviledge of Secular Powers Civil or Oâ—conomical or Scholastick 6. There is no obligation ariseth to the subject for particular obedience of any Law which is evidently against the Laws of God in Nature or holy Scripture 7. They are no Laws which Pastors make to people out of their power As the Popes c. 8. There is no power on earth under Christ that hath Authority to make Universal Laws to bind the whole Church on all the earth or all mankind Because there is no Universal Soveraign Civil or Spiritual Personal or Collective 9. Therefore it is no Schism but Loyalty to Christ to renounce or separate from such a society of ☜ Usurpation nor no disobedience or rebellion to deny them obedience 10. Pastors may and must be obeyed in things Lawful as Magistrates if the King make them Magistrates Though I think it unmeet for them to accept a Magistracy with the Sword except in case of some rare necessity 11. Is Pope Patriarchs or Pastors shall usurp any of the Kings Authority Loyalty to Christ and him and the Love of the Church and State oblige us to take part with Christ and the King against such Usurpation but only by lawful means in the compass of our proper place and Calling 12. The Canons made by the Councils of many Churches have a double nature As they are made for the people and the subjects of the Pastors they are a sort of Laws That is They oblige by the derived
Church 11. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be appointed for the renewing of our Covenant at age yet is it not the first owning of the Covenant by the aged For that Sacrament belongeth neither to Infants nor Infidels And he that claimeth it must be an adult Church-member or Christian which those are not who at full age no way ever owned their baptismal Covenant nor made any personal profession of Christianity But of this I have written purposely in a Treatise of Confirmation long ago Quest. 52. Whether the Universal Church consist only of particular Churches and their members Answ. NO Particular Churches are the most Regular and noble parts of the Universal Church but not the whole no more than Cities and Corporations be all the Kingdom 1. Some may be as the Eunuch baptized before they can come to any particular Church or as Acts 8. 37 c. Acts 9. 17 18 19 20 26 27 28. Paul before they can be received 2. Some may live where Church-tyranny hindereth them by sinful impositions As all that live among the Papists 3. Some may live in times of doubting distraction and confusion and not know what Church ordinarily to joyn with and may providently go promiscuously to many and keep in an unfixed state for a time 4. Some may be Wives Children or Servants who may be violently hindered 5. Some may live where no particular Churches are As Merchants and Embassadours among Mâ—hometans and Heathens Quest. 53. Must the Pastor first Call the Church and aggregate them to himself or the Church first Congregate themselves and then choose the Pastor Answ. THe Pastors are in order of Nature if not in time first Ministers of Christ in general before they are related to a particular Charge 2. As such Ministers they first make men fit to be congregate and tell them their duty therein 3. But it is a matter variable and indifferent Whether the Minister first say All that will joyn with me and submit to me as their Pastor shall be my particular Charge Or the people before Congregated do call a man to be their Pastor Quest. 54. Wherein doth a particular Church of Christs institution differ from a Consociation of many Churches Answ. 1. IN that such a particular Church is a company of Christians associated for personal immediate Acts 2. 1 24 44 46. 4. 32. 5. 12. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Cor. 14. 19 23 24 28 35. Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Acts 11. 26. James 2. â— Communion in Gods worship and in holy living Whereas Consociations of Churches are combined for mediate distinct Communion or by Delegates or Representatives as in Synods 2. Such a particular Church is constituted of one or more Pastors with the people officiating in the Sacred Ministry among them in Doctrine Worship and Discipline in order to the said personal Communion But a Consociation of Churches hath no particular Head as such of divine institution to Constitute and Govern them as one In Ignatius's time every particular Church was characterized or known by two marks of Unity 1. One Altar that is one place of assembling for holy communion 2. One Bishop with the Presbyters and Deacons And two Altars and two Bishops proved two Churches 3. A particular Church under one Bishop or the some Pastors is a Political holy Society But a combination of many Churches consociate is not so but only 1. Either a Community agreeing to live in Concord as neighbour Kingdoms may 2. Or else a humane Policy or Society and not of Divine immediate institution So that if this Consociation of Churches be called a Church it must be either equivocally or in a humane sense Quest. 55. Whether a particular Church may consist of more Assemblies than one Or must needs meet all in one place Answ. 1. THe true distinguishing note of a particular Church is that They be associated for holy Communion in Worship and holy living not by Delegates nor distâ—ntly only by owning the same faith and loving one another as we may do with those at the Antipodes but Personally in presence 2. Therefore they must necessarily be so near as to be capable of personal present Communion 1 Cor. 14. 19 23. Acts 11. 26 c. as before cited 3. And it is most convenient that they be no more than can ordinarily meet in the same Assembly at least for Sacramental Communion 4. But yet they may meet in many places or Assemblies as Chappels or Oratories or other subordinate meetings which are appointed to supply the necessity of the weak and aged and them that cannot travail far And in times of persecution when the Church dare not all meet in one place they may make up several smaller meetings under several Pastors of the same Church But they should come all together as oft as they can 5. And it is to be considered that all the persons of a family can seldome go to the Assembly at one time especially when they live far off Therefore if a Church-place would receive but ten thousand yet twenty thousand might be members while half meet one day and half another or another part of the day 6. Two Congregations distinctly associated for personal Worship under distinct Pastors or having statedly as Ignatius speaketh two Bishops and two Altars are two particular Churches and can no otherwise be one Church than â—s that may be called One which is a Consoâ—iation of divers Quest. 56. Is any Form of Church Government of Divine Institution Answ. YEa There are two Essentially different Policies or Forms of Church Government of Christs Eph. 1 22. 23. 5. 25 26 c. 4. 4 5 6 16. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 14. Acts 14. 23. Titus 1 5. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Tim 3 3 4 6. 1 Pet 5. 1 2 3. Acts 20 28. Phil. 1. 1 2. own Institution never to be altered by man 1. The form of the Universal Church as headed by Christ himself which all Christians own as they are Christians in their Baptism 2. Particular Churches which are headed by their particular Bishops or Pastors and are parts of the Universal as a Troop is of an Army or a City of a Kingdom Here it is of Divine Institution 1. That there be holy Assemblies for the Publick Worship of God 2. That these Assemblies be Societies constituted of the people with their Pastors who are to them as Captains to their Troops under the General or as Mayors to Cities under the King 3. That these Pastors have the power of the Keyes or the special Guidance and Governance by the Word not by the Sword of their own particular charge in the matters of Faith Worship and holy living and that the flocks obey them And when all this is Iure divino why should any say that No form of Government is jure divino 3. Moreover it is of Divine appointment that these Churches hold the nearest Concord and help each other
is here annexed for dispatch as being almost sufficiently answered already 1. It must be supposed that all Church disorders and male-administrations cannot be expected to be remedied but many while we are sinners and imperfect must be born 2. The first Remedy is to speak submissively to the Pastor of his faults and to say to Archippus Take Col. 4. 17. heed to the Ministry which thou hast received And if he hear not more privately for the people more openly to warn and intreat him not as his Governours but as Christians that have Reason to regard Christs interest and their own and have charity to desire his reformation 2. The next remedy is to consult with the neighbour Pastors of other Churches that they may Act. 15. admonish him not as his Governours but as neighbour Pastors 3. The next remedy is to seek redress from those Governours that have power to correct or cast our the intolerable 4. The last remedy is that of Cyprian to desert such intolerable Pastors But in all this the people must be sure that they proceed not proudly ignorantly erroneously passionately factiously disorderly or rashly Quest. 65. May one be a Pastor or a member of a particular Church who liveth so far from it as to be uncapable of personal Communion with them Answ. THe Name is taken from the Relation and the Relation is founded in Capacity Right and Obligation to actual Communion duties and priviledges 1. He that is so statedly distant is uncapable statedly of Communion and therefore uncapable of the Relation and Name 2. He that is but for a Time accidentally so distant is but for that time uncapable of Communion with them And therefore retaineth Capacity Right and obligation statedly for the future but not for the present exercise Therefore he retaineth the Relation and name in respect to his future intended exercise but not in so plenary a sense as he that is capable of present Communion 3. It is not the length or shortness of the Time of absence that wholly cutteth off or continueth the Relation and Name but the probability or improbability of a seasonable accession For if a man be removed but a day with a purpose to return no more his relation ceaseth And if a man be long purposing and probably like to return and by sickness or otherwise be hindered it doth not wholly end his relation 4. If the delay be so long as either maketh the return improbable or as necessitateth the Church to have another statedly in the Pastors place where they can have but one and so the people by taking another consent though with grief to quit their relation and title to the former there the Relation is at an end 5. It is a delusory formality of some that call themselves members of a separated or other Church from which they most ordinarily and statedly live at an utter distance and yet take themselves to be no members of the Church where they live and usually joyn with And all because they Covenanted with one and not with the other Quest. 66. If a man be injuriously suspended or Excommunicated by the Pastor or people which way shall he have remedy Answ. AS is aforesaid in case of male-administration 1. By admonishing the Pastor or those that wrong him 2. By consulting Neighbour Pastors that they may admonish him 3. By the help of Rulers where such are and the Churches good forbids it not 4. In case of extremity by removing to a Church that will not so injure you And what needs there any more save patience Quest. 67. Doth presence alwayes make us guilty of the errours or faults of the Pastor in Gods worship or of the Church Or in what cases are we guilty Answ. 1. IF it alwayes made us guilty no man could joyn with any Pastor or Church in the world without being a wilful sinner Because no man worshippeth God without sin in matter or manner omission or commission 2. If it never made us guilty it would be lawful to joyn with Mahometans and Bread-worshippers c. 3. Therefore the following decision of the question in what cases it is a duty or a sin to separate doth decide this case also For when separation is no duty but a sin there our presence in the Worship is no sin But when separation is a duty there our presence is a sin 4. Especially in these two cases our presence is a sin 1. When the very Assembly and Worship is so bad as God will not accept but judgeth the substance of it for a sin 2. In case we our selves be put upon any sin in Communion or as a previous condition of our Communion As to make some false profession or to declare our consent to other mens sin or to commit corporal visible reputative Idolatry or the like But the Pastor and Church shall answer for their own faults and not we when we have cause to be present and make them not ours by any sinful action of our own Quest. 68. Is it lawful to Communicate in the Sacrament with wicked men Answ. THe answer may be gathered from what is said before 1. If they be so wicked for number and flagitiousness and notoriety as that it is our duty to forsake the Church then to communicate with them is a sin Therefore the after resolution of the just causes of separation must be peruâ—ed As if a Church were so far defiled with Heresie or open Impiety that it were justified by the Major Vote and bore down Faith and Godliness and the society were become uncapable of the Ends of Church Association and Communion In this and other cases it must be deserted 2. If we dâ— not perform our own duty to remote unlawful Communions whether it be by admonition of the offender or Pastor or what ever is proved really our duty the omission of that duty is our sin 3. But if we sin not by omitting our own duty it will be no sin of ours to communicate with the Church where scandalous sinners or Hereticks are permitted The Pastors and delinquents sins are not ours 4. Yea if we do omit our own duty in order to the remedy that will not justifie us in denying Communion with the Church while wicked men are there But it will rather aggravate our sin to omit one duty first and thence fetch occasion to omit another Quest. 69. Have all the members of the Church right to the Lords Table And is Suspension lawful OF this see the Defence of the Synods Propositions in New England I answer 1. You must distinguish between a fundamental Right of State and an immediate right of present possession or if you will Between a Right duly to receive the Sacrament and a Right to immediate reception simply considered 2. You must distinguish between a Questioned Controverted right and an unquestioned right And so you must conclude as followeth 1. Every Church-member at least adult as such hath the fundamental right of stated
to its capacity therefore a Believers child is supposed to be Virtually not actually dedicated to God in his own dedication or Covenant as soon as his child hath a being 3. Being thus Virtually and Implicitly first dedicated he is after Actually and regularly dedicated in Baptism and Sacramentally receiveth the badge of the Church And this maketh him a visible member or Christian to which the two first were but introductory as Conception is to humane Nativity Object 2. But the seed of Believers as such are in the Covenant and therefore Church-members Answ. The word Covenant here is ambiguous Either it signifieth Gods Law of Grace or prescribed terms for salvation with his immediate offer of the benefits to accepters called the single Covenant of God or it signifieth this with mans Consent called the Mutual Covenant where both parties Covenant In the former sense the Covenant only offereth Church-membership but maketh no man a Church-member till Consent It is but Gods conditional promise If thou believe thou shalt be saved c. If thou give up thy self and children to me I will be your God and you shall be my people But it is only the Mutual Covenant that maketh a Christian or Church-member Object The promise is to us and our children as ours Answ. That is that you and your children dedicated to God shall be received into Covenant â—â—t not otherwise Believing is not only bare Assenting but Consenting to the Covenant and delivering up your selves to Christ And if you do not consent that your child shall be in the Covenant and deliver him to God also you cannot expect acceptance of him against your wills nor indeed are you to be taken for true believers your selves if you dedicate not your selves to him and all that are in your power Object This offer or Conditional Covenant belongeth also to Infidels Answ. The offer is to them but they accept it not But every believer accepteth it for himself and his or devoteth to God himself and his children when he shall have them And by that virtual dedication or Consent his children are Virtually in the Mutual Covenant And Actually upon actual Consent and dedication Object But it is Profession and not Baptism that makes a visible member Answ. That 's answered before It is profession by Baptism For Baptism is that peculiar act of profession which God hath chosen to this use when a person is absolutely devoted resigned and engaged to God in a solemn Sacrament this is our regular initiating profession And it is but an irregular Embrio of a profession which goeth before baptism ordinarily Prop. 3. The time of Infant membership in which we stand in Covenant by our Parents Consent cannot be determined by duration but by the insufficiency of Reason through immaturity of age or continuing ideots to choose for ones self Prop. 4. It is not necessary that the doctrine of the Lords Supper be taught Catechumens before Baptism nor was it usual with the antients so to do though it may very well be done Prop. 5. It is needful that the nature of the Lords Supper be taught all the baptized before they receive it As was opened before else they must do they know not what Prop. 6. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seal not another but the same Covenant that baptism sealeth yet are there some further truths therein expressed and some more particular exercises of faith in Christs Sacrifice and coming c. and of Hope and Love and Gratitude c. requisite Therefore the same qualifications which will serve for Baptism Justification and Adoption and Salvation are not enough for the right use of Church communion in the Lords Supper the one being the Sacrament of initiation and our new birth the other of our Confirmation Exercise and Growth in Grace 7. Whether persons be baptized in Infancy or at age if they do not before understand these higher mysteries they must stay from the exercise of them till they understand them And so with most there must be a space of time between their Baptism and fuller Communion 8. But the same that we say of the Lords Supper must be said of other parts of Worship Singing Psalms Praise Thanksgiving c. men must learn them before they can practise them And usually these as Eucharistical acts concur with the Lords Supper 9. Whether you will call men in this state Church-members of a middle rank and order between the Baptized and the Communicants is but a lis de nomine a verbal Controversie It is granted that such a middle sort of men there are in the Church 10. It is to be maintained that these are in a state of salvation even before they thus communicate And that they are not kept away for want of a stated Relation-title but of an immediate capacity as is aforesaid 11. There is no necessity but upon such unfitness that there should be one dayes time between baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper nor is it desirable For if the baptized understand those mysteries the first day they may communicate in them 12. Therefore as men are prepared some may suddenly communicate and some stay longer 13. When persons are at age if Pastors Parents and themselves be not grosly negligent they may and ought to learn these things in a very little time so that they need not be setled in a lower Learning state for any considerable time unless their own negligence be the cause 14. And in order to their Learning they have right to be Spectators and Auditors at the Eucharist and not to be driven away with the Catechumens as if they had no right to be there For it is a thing best taught by the practice to beholders 15. But if any shall by scandal or gross neglect of piety and not only by Ignorance give cause of questioning their title and suspending their possession of those sacred priviledges these are to be reckoned in another rank even among those whose title to Church-membership it self becometh controverted and must undergo a tryal in the Church And this much I think may serve to resolve this considerable question Quest. 71. Whether a Form of Prayer be lawful Answ. I Have said so much of this and some following questions in many Books already that to avoid repetition I shall say very little here The question must be out of question with all Christians I. Because the Scripture it self hath many forms of prayer which therefore cannot be unlawful Object They were lawful then but not now Answ. He that saith so must prove where God hath since forbidden them Which can never be Object They may lawfully be read in Scripture for instruction but not used as prayers Answ. They were used as prayers then and are never since forbidden Yea Iohn and Christ did teach their Disciples to pray and Christ thus prefaceth his form When ye pray say II. All things must be done to Edification But to use a form of prayer is
as we are appointed Answ. 1. HAd I been a prescriber to others my self I should not have required the Church to stand up at the reading of one part of a Chapter by the name of the Gospel and not at the same words when the whole Chapter is read 2. But if I live where Rulers peremptorily command it I suppose not forbiding us to stand up at the Gospel read in Chapters but selecting this as an instance of their signified Consent to the Gospel who will do no more I would obey them rather than give offence by standing up at the Reading of the Chapters and all which I suppose will be no violation of their Laws Quest. 88. Is it lawful to kneel when the Decalogue is read Answ. 1. IF I lived in a Church that mistook the Commandments for Prayers as many ignorant people do I would not so harden them in that errour 2. And if I knew that many of the people present are of that mind I had rather do nothing that might scandalize or harden them in it But 1. That the thing in it self is Lawful is past doubt As we may kneel to the King when we hear him or speak to him so it is lawful to kneel to God when we read a Chapter or hear it read and specially the Decalogue so terribly delivered and written by his own finger iâ—â—stone 2. And if it be peremptorily commanded and the omission would be offensive I would use it though mistaking persons are present 1. Because I cannot disobey and also differ from the whole Assembly without a greater hurt and scandal than seeming to harden that mistaking person 2. And because I could and would by other means remove that persons danger as from me by making him know that it is no prayer 3. And the rather in our times because we can get the Minister in the Pulpit publickly to tell the people the Contrary 4. And in Catechizing it is his appointed duty so to do 5. And we find that the same old silly people who took the Commandments for a prayer took the Creed to be so too When yet none kneeled at the Creed By which it appeareth that it is not kneeling which deceived them Quest. 89. What Gestures are fittest in all the publick Worship Answ. 1. THE Customâ—s of several Countreys putting several significations on gestures much varieth the Case 2. We must not lightly differ from the customes of the Churches where we live in such a thing 3. According to the present state of our Churches and the signification of gestures and the necessities of mens bodies all considered I like best 1. To kneel in Prayer and Confession of sin unless it be in crowded Congregations where there is not room 2. To stand up in actions of meer Praise to God that is at the singing and reading of the Psalms of praise and at the other Hymnes 3. To sit at the hearing of the Word read and preached Because the body hath a necessity of some rest 4. Had I my choice I would receive the Lords Supper sitting But where I have not I will use the gesture which the Church useth And it is to be noted that the Church of England requireth the Communicant only to Râ—â—â—â—ive it kneeling but not to Eat or drink it kneeling when they have received it The ancient Churches took it for for an universal custome established by many general Councils and continued many hundred years that no Churches should kneel in any act of Adoration upon any Lords day in the year or any week day between Easter and Whitsonâ—ide but only stand all the time But because the weaâ—iness of the body is apt to draw the mind into Consent and make Gods service burdensome to us it seemeth a sufficient complyance with their custome and the 1 Chr. 17. 16. 2 Sam. 7. 18. reasons of it if we stand up only in acts of Praise and at the profession of our Assent to the Christian faith and Covenant 5. And because there is so great a difference between the auditors in most Assemblies some being weak and not able to stand long c. therefore it is utterly unmeet to be too rigorous in urging a Uniformity of Gesture or for any to be too censorious of other men for a Gesture Quest. 90. What if the Pastor and Church cannot agree about singing Psalms or what Version or Translation to use or time or place of meeting c Answ. 1. IT is the office of the Pastor to be the Guide and Ruler in such things when the Magistrate interposeth not And the people should obey him 2. But if the Pastor injure the Church by his mis-guidance and male-administration he ought to amend and give them satisfaction I meddle not here with the Magistrates part And if he do not they have their remedy before-mentioned 3. And if the people be obstinate in disobedience upon causeless quarrels the Pastor must first labour to convince them by reason and Love and his authority And if no means will bring them to submission he must consider whether it be better as to the pblick good of the Church of Christ that he comply with them and suffer them or that he depart and go to a more tractable people And accordingly he is to do For they cannot continue together in Communion if one yield not to the other Usually or ofttimes it will be better to leave such an obdurate self-willed people lest they be hardened by yielding to them in their sin and others encouraged in the like by their example And their own experience may at last convince them and make them yield to better things as Geneva did when they revoked Calvin But sometimes the publick good requireth that the Pastor give place to the peoples folly and stay among them and rather yield to that which is not best so it be otherwise lawful as a worse translation a worse version Liturgie order time place c. than quite forsake them And he that is in the right may in that case yield to him that is in the wrong in point of practice Quest. 91. What if the Pastor excommunicate a man and the people will not forbear his Communion as thinking him unjustly Excommunicated Answ. 1. EIther the Pastor or the people are in the Errour 2. Either the person is a dangerous Heretick or grosly wicked or not 3. Either the people do own the Errour or sin for which he is excommunicated or only judge the person not guilty 4. The Pastors and the peoples part in the execution must be distinguished And so I conclude 1. That if the Pastor err and wrong the people he must repent and give them satisfaction But if it be their errour and obstinacy then 2. If the Pastor foreknow that the people will dissent in some small dispensible cases he may forbear to excommunicate one that deserveth it or if he know it after that they will not forbear Communion with the person he may go on
all true Worshippers in the world 16. Yea it will tempt men at last to be weary of their own Religion because they will find it an unsatisfactory uncomfortable tiresome thing to do their own superstitious work 17. And they will tempt all that they draw into this opinion to be weary of Religion also And truly had not Gods part which is wise and good and pleasant prevailed against the hurtfulness of mens superstition which is foolish bad and unpleasant Religion had ere this been cast off as a wearisome distracting thing or which is as bad been used but to delude men 18. Yea it will tempt men at last to Infidelity For Satan will quickly teach them to argue that if Scripture be a perfect particular Rule for forty things that were never there then it is defective and is not of God but an undertaking of that which is not performed and therefore is but a deceit 19. And the notoriousness and ridiculousness of this error will tempt the prophane to make Religious people a scorn 2o Lastly And Rulers will be tempted in Church and State to take such persons for intolerable 〈…〉 cieties and such whose principles are inconsistent with Government And no thanks to this 〈◊〉 if they be not tempted to dislike the Scripture it self and instead of it to fly to the Papists Traditions and the Churches Legislative Soveraignty or worse But here also remember that I charge none with all this but those before described Quest. 136. How shall we know what parts of Scripture Precept or Example were intended for universal constant obligations and what were but for the time and persons that they were then directed to Answ. IT is not to be denyed but some things in Scripture even in the New Testament are not Laws much less universal and perpetual And the difference is to be found in the Scripture it self As 1. All that is certainly of universal and perpetual obligation which is but a Transcript of the Universal and perpetual Law of Nature 2. And all that which hath the express Characters of Universality and Perpetuity upon it And such are all the substantial parts of the Gospel As Except ye Repent ye shall all perish Luke 13. 3 5. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3. 3 5. He that believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. Without Holiness none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Go preach the Gospel to all Nations baptizing them c. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you Matth. 28. 19 20. Abundance such Texts have the express Characters of Universality and Perpetuity which many call Morality 3. And with these we may number those which were given to all the Churches with commands to keep them and propagate them to posterity 4. And those that have a plain and necessary connexion to these before mentioned 5. And those which plainly have a full parity of reason with them And where it is evident that the Command was given to those particular times and persons upon no reasons proper to them alone but such as were common to all others I deny not but as Amesius noteth after others many ceremonial and temporary Laws are urged when they are made with natural and perpetual motives But the reasons of making them were narrower what ever the reasons of obeying them may be On the other side Narrow and temporary precepts and examples 1. Are void of all these foresaid characters 2. They are about Materials of temporary use 3. Or they are but the ordering of such customes as were there before and were proper to those Countreys 4. And many speeches are plainly appropriated to the time and persons 5. And many actions were manifestly occasional without any intimation of reason or purpose of obliging others to imitation For instance 1. Christs preaching sometimes on a Mountain sometimes in a Ship sometimes in a House and sometimes in the Synagogues doth shew that all these are lawful in season on the like occasion But he purposed not to oblige men to any one of them alone 2. So Christs giving the Sacrament of his Body and Blood in an upper room in a private house after Supper to none but Ministers and none but his family and but to twelve and on the fifth day of the Week only and in the gesture of a decumbent leaning sitting all these are plainly occasional and not intended as obliging to imitation For that which he made a Law of he separated in his speeches and commanded them to do it in remembrance of him till his coming And Paul expoundeth the distinction 1 Cor. 11. in his practice So the promise of the Spirit of Revelation and Miracles is expounded by the event as the feal of the Gospel and Scripture proper to those times in the main So the primitive Christians selling their estates and distributing to the poor or laying it down at the Apostles feet was plainly appropriated to that time or the like occasions by the Reason of it which was suddenly to shew the world what the belief of Heaven through the promises of Christ could make them all and how much their Love was to Christ and one another and how little to the world And also by the cessation of it when the persecutions abated and the Churches came to any setlement Yea and at first it was not a thing commanded to all but only voluntarily done So the womens Vail and the custome of kissing each other as a token of Love and mens not wearing long hair were the customes of the Countrey there ordered and improved by the Apostles about sacred things but not introduced into other Countreys that had no such custome So also Anointing was in thâ—se Countreys taken for salubrious and refreshing to the body and a ceremony of initiation into places of great honour Whereupon it was used about the sick and Gods giving the gift of healing in those times was frequently conjunct with this means So that hence the anointing of the sick came up and the antient Christians turned it into an initiating Ceremony because we are Kings and Priests to God Now these occasions extend not to those Countreys where Anointing neither was of such use or value or signification So also Pauls becoming a Jew to the Jews and being shaved and purifying himself and circumcising Timothy are evidently temporary complyances in a thing then lawful for the avoiding of offence and for the furtherance of the Gospel and no obligatory perpetual Law to us And so most Divines think the eating of things strangled and blood were forbidden for a time to them only that conversed with the Jews Acts 15. Though Beckman have many Reasons for the perpetuity not contemptible So the Office of Deaconesses and some think of Deacons seemeth to be fitted to that time and
antient formulae agree not in words among themselves 5. It is not to be doubted of but the Apostles did appoint and use a Creed commonly in their ☞ dayes And that it is the same with that which is now called the Apostles and the Nicene in the main but not just the same composure of words nor had they any such precise composure as can be proved But this much is easily provable 1. That Christ Composed a Creed when he made his Covenant and instituted Baptism Matth. 28. 19. 2. That in the Jewish Church where men were educated in the knowledge of the Scriptures and expectation of the Mâ—ssiah it was supposed that the people had so much preparatory knowledge as made them the more capable of Baptism as soon as they did but seriously profess to Believe and Consent to the terms of the Covenant And therefore they were presently baptized Acts 2. 38 39 40. 3. That this could not be rationally supposed among the Gentiles and common Ignorant people of the world And Ignorantis non est Consensus He doth not Covenant who understandeth not the Covenant as to what is promised him and what he promiseth 4. That the Apostles baptized and caused others to baptize many thousands and settle many Churches before any part of the New Testament was written even many and many years 5. That the Apostles did their work as well and better than any that succeeded them 6. That their successors in the Common Ministery did as far as any Church History leadeth us up Instruct and Catechise men in the meaning of the Baptismal Covenant which is the Christian faith before they baptized them Yea they kept them long in the state of Catechumens usually before they would baptize them And after baptized but twice a year at Easter and Whitsontide as our Liturgy noteth And they received an account of their tolerable understanding of Religion before they would receive them into the Church 7. No doubt then but the Apostles did cause the baptizable to understand the three Articles of Christs own Creed and Covenant and to give some account of it before they baptized them ordinarily among the Gentiles 8. No doubt therefore but they used many more Explicatory words to cause them to understand those few 9. There is neither proof nor probability that they used a Composure of just the same words and no more or less Because they had to do with persons of several capacities some knowing who needed fewer words and some ignorant and dull who needed more Nor is any such Composure Heb. 5. 11 12. 6. 1 2 3. come down to our hands 10. But it is more than probable that the Matter opened by them to all the Catechumens was still the same when the words were not the same For Gods Promises and mans Conditions are still the same where the Gospel cometh Though since by the occasion of Heresies some few material clauses are inserted For all Christians had one Christianity and must go one way to Heaven 11. It is also more than probable that they did not needlesly vary the words lest it should teach men to vary the matter But that all Christians before baptism did make the same profession of faith as to the sense and very much the same as to the very words using necessary caution and yet avoiding unnecessary preciseness of formality But so as to obviate damnable Heresies that the Christian profession might attain its ends 12. Lastly No doubt but this practice of the Apostles was exemplary and imitated by the Churches and that thus the Essentials of Religion were by the tradition of the Creed and Baptism delivered 2 Tim. 1 13. 2 Cor. 3. 2 3 7. Heb. 8. 10. 10. 16. by themselves as far as Christianity went long before any Book of the New Testament was written And every Christian was an Impress or Transcript or Specimen of it And that the following Churches using the same Creed wholly in sense and mostly in words might so far well call it The Apostles Creed As they did both the Western and the Nicene Quest. 140. What is the use of Catechisms Answ. TO be a more familiar explication of the Essentials of Christianity and the principal Integrals in a larger manner than the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue do that the ignorant may the more easily understand it Every man cannot gather out of the Scripture the Greatest matters in the true method as distinct from all the rest And therefore it is part of the work of the Churches Teachers to do it to the hands and use of the ignorant Quest. 141. Could any of us have known by the Scriptures alone the Essentials of Religion from the Rest if Tradition had not given them to us in the Creed as from Apostolical Collection Answ. YEs For the Scripture it self telleth us what is necessary to salvation It describeth to us the Covenant of Grace both Promises and Conditions And it were strange if so large a Volume should not as plainly tell us what is necessary to salvation as fewer words The Scripture hath not Less than the Creed but more Quest. 142. What is the best Method of a true Catechism or Summ of Theology Answ. GOd willing I shall tell the Church my opinion of that at large in a peculiar Latin Treatise called Methodus Theologiae which here I cannot do Only I shall say that among all the great variety of Methods used in these times I think none cometh nearer the Order of the Matter which is the true Commendation of a Method than those which open Theology 1. In the breviate of the Baptismal Covenant 2. In the three explicatory summs the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue with the added Gospel Precepts 3. In the Largest form which is the whole Scripture And that our common English Catechism and Paraeus or Ursine and many such who use that common easie Method are more truly Methodical than most that pretend to greater accu 〈…〉 ness Though I much commend the great industry of such as Dudley Fenner Gomarrus and 〈…〉 cially George Sohenius Quest. 143. What is the use of various Church Confessions or Articles of Faith Answ. I Will pass by the very ill use that is made of them in too many Countreys where unnecessary opinions or uncertain are put in and they that can get into favour with the Secular Power take advantage under pretence of Orthodoxness and Uniformity Truth and Peace to set up their opinions and judgements to be the common rule for all to bow to though wiser than themselvâ—s And to silence all Ministers and scatter and divide the flocks that will not say or swear as they do that is that they are wise men and are in the right The true and commendable use of various Church Professions or Confessions of faith is 1. To be an Instruction to the more ignorant how to understand the Scriptures in most of the most weighty points 2. To be an enumeration of
to true penitent believers with a right to everlasting life and as to the obligation to sincere obedience for salvation though not as to the yet future coming of Christ in the flesh And this Law of Grace was never 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. yet repealed any further than Christs coming did fulfill it and perfect it Therefore to the rest of the world who never can have the Gospel or perfecter Testament as Christians have the former ☞ Law of Grace is yet in force And that is the Law conjoyned with the Law of Nature which now the world without the Church is under Under I say as to the force of the Law and a former Matth. 22. 29. Luke 24. 27 32 45. John 5. â—9 Acts 17. 2. 11. 18. 24 25. John 20. 9. John 7. 38 42. 10. 35. 13. 18. 19. 24 28. Luke 4. 18. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Acts 8. 32 33 35. Rom. 1. 2. promulgation made to Adam and Noah and some common intimations of it in merciful forbearances pardons and benefits though how many are under it as to the knowledge reception belief and obedience of it and consequently are saved by it is more than I or any man knoweth 6. There are many Prophecies of Christ and the Christian Church in the Old Testament yet to be fulfilled and therefore are still Gods Word for us 7. There are many Precepts of God to the Jews and to particular persons given them on Reasons common to them with us where parity of Reason will help thence to gather our own duty now 8. There are many holy expressions as in the Psalms which are fitted to persons in our condition and came from the Spirit of God and therefore as such are fit for us now 9. Even the fulfilled Promises Types and Prophecies are still Gods Word that is his Word given to their several proper uses And though much of their Use be changed or ceased so is not all They are yet useful to us to confirm our faith while we see their accomplishment and see how much God still led his Church to Happiness in one and the same way 10. On all these accounts therefore we may still Read the Old Testament and preach upon it in the publick Churches Quest. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them or that the Iews were all Gods Visible Church on Earth Answ. I Conjoyn these three Questions for dispatch I. 1. Some of the Matter of Moses Law did Rom. 2. Rom. 1. 20 21 Enod 12. 19 43 48 49. 20. 10. Lev. 17. 12 15. 18. 26. 24. 16 22. Numb 9. 14. 15. 14 15 16 29 30. 19. 10. Deut. 1. 16. bind all Nations that is The Law of nature as such 2. Those that had the knowledge of the Jewish Law were bound â—ollaterally to believe and obey all the expositions of the Law of nature in it and all the Laws which were given upon reasons common to all the world As about degrees of Marriage particular rules of Justice c. As if I heard God from Heaven tell another that standeth by me Thou shalt not marry thy fathers Widow for it is abominable I ought to apply that to me being his subject which is spoken to another on a common reason 3. All those Gentiles that would be proselytes and joyn with the Jews in their policy and dwell among them were bound to be observers of their Laws But 1. The Law of Nature as Mosaical did not formally and directly bind other Nations 2. Nâ—r were they bound to the Laws of their peculiar policy Civil or Ecclesiastical which were positives The reason is 1. Because they were all one body of Political Laws given peculiarly to one political body Even the Decalogue it self was to them a political Law 2. Because Moses was not authorized or sent to be the Mediator or deliverer of that Law to any Nation but the Jews And being never in the enacting or Promulgation sent or directed to the rest of the World it could not bind them II. As to the second Question Though the Scripture as a writing bound not all the World yet 1. The Law of Nature as such which is recorded in Scripture did bind all 2. The Covenant of Psal. 145. 9 103. 19. Psal. 100. 1. Rom. 14. 11. Act. 34 35. Jud. 14. 15. Grace was made with all mankind in Adam and Noe And they were bound to promulgate it by Tradition to all their off-spring And no doubt so they did whether by word as all did or by writing also as it 's like some did as Henochs Prophesies were it 's like delivered or else they had not in terms been preserved till Iudes time 3. And God himself as aforesaid by actual providences pardoning and benefits given to them that deserved hell did in part promulgate it himself 4. The neighbour Nations might learn much by Gods doctrine and dealing with the Jews III. To the third Question I answer 1. The Jews were a people chosen by God out of all the Deut. 14. 2 3. 7. 2. 6 7. Exod. 19. 5. 6. 7 8. Lev. 20. 24 26. Deut. 4. 20 33. 29. 13. 33. 29. Rom. 3. 1 2 3. Nations of the Earth to be a holy Nation and his peculiar treasure having a peculiar Divine Law and Covenant and many great priviledges to which the rest of the World were strangers so that they were advanced above all other Kingdoms of the world though not in wealth nor worldly power nor largeness of Dominion yet in a special dearness unto God 2. But they were not the only people to whom God made a Covenant of Grace in Adam and Noe as distinct from the Law or Covenant of Innocency 3. Nor were they the only people that professed to Worship the true God neither was holiness and salvation confined to them but were found in other Nations Therefore though we have but little notice of the state of other Kingdoms in their times and scarcely know what National Churches that is whole Nations professing saving faith there were yet we may well conclude that there were other visible Churches besides the Jews For 1. No Scripture denyeth it and charity then must hope the best 2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament give us small account of other Countreys but of the Jews alone with some of their Neighbours 3. Sem was alive in Abrahams dayes yea about 34 years after Abrahams death and within 12 years of Ismaels death viz. till about An. Mundi 2158. And so great and blessed a man as Sem cannot be thought to be less than a King and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holiness and so that there was with him not only a Church but a National Church or holy Kingdom 4. And Melchizedeck was a holy King and
Priest and therefore had a Kingdom holily governed and therefore not only a visible but also a National Church supposing that he was not Sem as the Jews and Broughton c. think For the scituation of his Countrey doth make many desert that opinion 5. And Iob and his friends shew that there were Churches then besides the Jews 6. And it is not to be thought that all Ismaels posterity suddenly apostatized 7. Nor that Esau's posterity had no Church state for both retained Circumcision 8. Nor is it like that Abrahams off-spring by Keturah were all apostates being once inchurched For though the special promise was made to Isaac's seed as the peculiar holy Nation c. yet not as the only Children of God or persons in a state of salvation 9. And the passages in Ionah about Ninive It is this Jewish pride of their own prerogatives which Paul so much laboureth in all his Epistles to pull down give us some such intimations also 10. And Iaphet and his seed being under a special blessing it is not like that they all proved Apostates And what was in all other Kingdoms of the World is little known to us We must therefore take heed of concluding as the proud Jews were at last apt to do of themselves that because they were a chosen Nation priviledged above all others that therefore the Redeemer under the Law of Grace made to Adam had no other Churches in the World and that there were none sâ—vâ—d but the Jews and proselytes Quest. 157. Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches now that they are only advanced above the rest of the World as the Iews were but not the only people that are saved Answ. THis question being fitter for another place what hope there is of the salvation of the people that are not Christians I have purposely handled in another Treatise in my Method Theologiae and shall only say now 1. That those that receive not Christ and the Mark 16 16. Joh. 3. 16 17 18 19 20. Joh. 1. 11 12. Gospel revealed and offered to them cannot be saved 2. That all those shall be saved if such there be who never had sufficient means to know Christ incarnate and yet do faithfully perform the common conditions of the Covenant of Grace as it was made with Adam and Noe And particularly All that are truly sanctified who truly hate all known sin and Love God as God above all as their merciful reconciled pardoning Father and lay up all their hopes in Heaven in the everlasting fruition of him in glory and set their hearts there and for those hopes deny the interest of the flesh and all Psal. 19. 1 2 3 4 5. Act. 10. 2 3 35. Rom. 2. things of this World 3. But how many or who doth this abroad in all the Kingdoms of the World who have not the distinct knowledge of the Articles of the Christian faith it is not possible for us to know 4. But as Aquinas and the Schoolmen ordinarily conclude this question we are sure that the Church hath this prerogative above all others that salvation is incomparably more common to Christians than to any others as their Light and helps and means are more The opinions of Iustin and Clem. Alexandr Origen and many other Ancients of the Heathens salvation I suppose is known In short 1. It seems plain to me that all the World that are no Christians and have not the Gospel are not by Christs incarnation put into a worse condition than they were in before But may be saved on 1 1 Tim. 2. 4. 4. 10. Tit. 2. 11. Joh. 1. 29. Joh. 3. 17. 4. 42. Rom. 1. 21. the same terms that they might have been saved on before 2. That Christs Apostles were in a state of salvation before they believed the Articles of Christs dying for sin his Resurrection Ascension the giving of the Holy Ghost and Christs coming to judgement as they are now to be believed 3. That all the faithful before Christs coming were saved by a more general faith than the 2 Joh. 5. â— c. 9. 12 c. Mat. 16. 22. Joh. 12. 16. Luk. 18. 34. Apostles had as not being Terminated in This person Iesus as the Messiah but only expected the Messiah to come 4. That as more articles are necessary to those that have the Gospel than to those that have it not and to those since Christs Incarnation that hear of him than to the Iews before so before there were more things necessary even to those Iews that had a shorter Creed than that which the Apostles believed 3 Mal. 3. 1 2. Joh. 4. 25. before the Resurrection than was to the rest of the World that had not promises prophecies types and Laws so particular distinct and full as they had 4 Rom. 2. 12 14 26. Luk. 12. 47 48. 16. 10. 5. That the Promises Covenant or Law of Grace was made to all lapsed mankind in Adam and Noe. 6. That this Law or Covenant is still of the same tenour and not repealed 5 Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 9. 1 2 3 4. 7. That this Covenant giveth pardoning mercy and salvation and promiseth Victory over Satan to and by the holy seed 6 Psal. 136. 103. â—7 100. 5. 8. That the condition on mans part is Repentance and faith in God as a merciful God thus pardoning sin and saving the penitent believer But just how particular or distinct their belief of the incarnation of Christ was to be is hard to determine 7 Gen. 3. 15. Jonah 3. 9 10. 4. 2. 9. But after Christs Incarnation even they that know it not yet are not by the first Covenant bound to believe that the Messiah is yet to be incarnate or the Word made flesh For they are not bound 8 Jonah ib. Rom. 2. 4. Luk. 13. 3 5. Act. 10. 35. Joh. 3. 19 20 21. to believe an untruth and that as the condition of salvation 10. Men were saved by Christ about 4000 years before he was man and had suffered satisfied or merited as man 11. The whole course of Gods actual providence since the fall hath so filled the world with mercies contrary to mans demerit that it is an actual universal proclamation of the pardoning Law of 9 1 Joh 4. 2 3. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Grace which is thereby now become even a Law of nature that is of Lapsed pardoned nature as the first was the natural Law of Innocence 11 Rom. 1. 20. 21. Act. 14. 17. Rom. 2. 15 16. Psal. 19. 1 2 3. Prov. 1. 20 21 22 23. 24. Exod. 34. 6. â—â—â—â— 3. 12. â—â—h 4. 2. Luk. 6. 36. Luk. 18. 13. 12. Christ giveth a great deal of mercy to them that never heard of him or know him And he giveth far more mercy to believers than they have a particular knowledge and belief of 13. There is no salvation but by Christ the saviour of the world Though there be
14. Tit. 3. 3 5 6. 2. 13 14. 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. Exod. 19. 6. Rom. 1. 1 2. 1 Cor. 3. 17. 7. 14. Zech. 2. 12. Hag. 2. 12. Luk. 1. 70 72. Ezr. 8. 28. 9. 2. Numb 31. 6. Numb 6. 8 20. Lev. 16. 4 33. Exod. 29. 6 33. Psal. 89. 20. Numb 35. 25. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 58. 13. Psal. 42. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 18 21. Psal. 87. 1. Num. 5. 17. Exod. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 21. 5. Neh. 8. 9 10 11. infinite is the distance between God and us that whatever is His in a special sense or separated to his use is called Holy And that is 1. Persons 2. Things 1. Persons are either 1. In general devoted to his Love and Service 2. Or specially devoted to him in some special office Which is 1. Ecclesiastical 2. Oâ—conomical 3. Political Those devoted to his general service are 1. Either Heartily and sincerely so devoted who are ever sanctified in the first Real sense also or only by word and outward profession 2. Things devoted to God are 1. Some by his own immediate choice designation and command 2. Or by general directions to man to do it And these are 1. Some things more Nâ—erly some things more Remotely separated to him None of these must be confounded And so we must conclude 1. All that shall be saved are Really Holy by a Divine Inclination and nature and Actual exercise thereof and Relatively Holy in a special sense as thus devoted and separated to God 2. All the Baptized and professors not apostate are Relatively Holy as verbally devoted and separated to God 3. All that are Ordained to the Sacred Ministry are Relatively Holy as devoted and separated to that office And the well qualified are also really Holy as their qualifications are either special or common 4. All that are duly called of God to the Place of Kings and Iudges and Rulers of families are Relatively Sacred as their offices and they are of God and for him and devoted to him 5. Temples and other utensils designed by God himself are Holy as Related to him by that designation 6. Temples Utensils Lands c. devoted and lawfully separated by man for holy uses are Holy as justly Related to God by that lawful separation To say as some do that They are indeed consecrated and separated but not Holy is to be ridiculously wise by self-contradiction and the masterly use of the word Holy contrary to custome and themselves 7. Ministers are more Holy than Temples Lands or Utensils as being neerlier related to holy things And things separated by God himself are more holy than those justly separated by man And so of dayes 8. Things Remotely devoted to God are Holy in their distant place and measure As the Meat Drink House Lands Labours of every Godly man who with himself devoteth all to God But this being more distant is yet a remoter degree of Holiness II. Every thing should be Reverenced according to the measure of its Holiness And this expressed Uncovered in Church and Reverent gestures by such signes gestures actions as are fittest to Honour God to whom they are Related And so to be uncovered in Church and use Reverent carriage and gestures there doth tend to preserve due Reverence to God and to his Worship 1 Cor. 16. 20. Quest. 171. What is Sacriledge and what not Answ. I. SAcriledge is Robbing God by the unjust alienation of holy things And it is measured Rom. 2. 22. 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. Heb. 6. 6 7. Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. â—ev 19. 8. Heb. 12. 16. Act. 5. 5 c. â—zek 22. 26. 42. 20. 44. 23. according as things are diversified in Holiness as 1. The greatest Sacriledge is a prophane unholy alienating a person to the flâ—sh and the world from God and his Love and his service who by Baptism was devoted to him And so all wicked Christians are grosly Sacrilegious 2. The next is alienating consecrated persons from the sacred work and office by deposing Kings or by unjust silencing or suspending true Ministers or their casting off Gods work themselves This is far greater sacriledge than alienating Lands or Utensils 3. The next is the unjust alienating of Temples Utensils Lands dayes which were separated by God himself 4. And next such as were justly consecrated by man as is aforesaid in the degrees of Holiness II. It is not Sacriledge 1. To cease from the Ministry or other holy service when sickness disability of body or violence utterly disable us 2. Nor to alienate Temples Lands goods or utensils when providence maketh it needful to the Churches good so the fire in London hath caused a diminution of the number of Churches so some Bishops of old sold the Church plate to relieve the poor And some Princes have sold some Church Lands to save the Church and state in the necessities of a lawful war Matth. 12. 5. 3. It is not Sacriledge to alienate that which man devoted but God accepted not nor owned as appropriate to him which his prohibition of such a dedication is a proof of As if a man devote his wife to chastity or his Son to the Ministry against their wills or if a man Vow himself to the Ministry that is unable and hath no call or if so much Lands or goods be consecrated as is superfluous useless and injurious to the common wellfare and the state Alienation in these cases is no sin Quest. 172. Are all Religious and private meetings forbidden by Rulers unlawful Conventicles Or are any such necessary Answ. THough both such Meetings and our Prisons tell us how greatly we now differ about this point in the application of it to persons and our present case yet I know no difference in the doctrinal resolution of it among most sober Christians at all which makes our case strange For ought I know we are agreed I. 1. That it is more to the honour of the Church and of Religion and of God and more to our Psal. 1. 2 4 5. 22. 25. 35. 18. 40. 9 10. Act. 28. last Heb. 10. 25. Act. 20. 7. 1. 15. 2. 44 1 Cor. 14. 23. safety and edification to have Gods Worship performed solemnly publickly and in great assemblies than in a corner secretly and with few 2. That it is a great mercy therefore where the Rulers allow the Church such publick Worship 3. That caeteris paribus all Christians should prefer such publick worship before private And no private meetings should be kept up which are opposite or prejudicial to such publick meetings 4. And therefore if such meetings or any that are unnecessary to the ends of the Ministry the service of God and good of souls be forbidden by Lawful Rulers they must be forborn II. But we are also agreed 1. That it is not the Place but the presence of the true Pastors and 1 Cor. 16. 19. Rom. 16. 5. Act.
that is said by all others But though one man excell in one or many respects another may excell him in some particulars and say that which he omitteth or mistaketh in 3. But especially because many errors and adversaries have many Books necessary to some for to know what they say and to know how to confute them especially the Papists whose way is upon pretence of Antiquity and Universality to carry every Controversie into a Wood of Church History and antient Writers that there you may first be lost and then they may have the finding of you And if you cannot answer every corrupted or abused Citation of theirs out of Councils and Fathers they triumph as if they had justified their Church-tyranny 4. And the very subjects that are to be understood are numerous and few men write of all 5. And on the same subject men have several Modes of Writing As one excelleth in accurate Method and another in clear convincing argumentation and another in an affectionate taking style And the same Book that doth one cannot well do the other because the same style will not do it Object But the antient Fathers used not so many Books as we do no not one for our hundreds And yet we honour them above the Neotericks They lived before these Libraries had a being Yea they exhort Divines to be learned in the holy Scriptures and the fourth Council of Carthage forbad the reading of the Heathens Books And many Hereticks are accused by the Fathers and Historians as being studied in Logick and curious in common Sciences And Paul saith that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation Answ. 1. And yet the New Testament was written or most of it after Paul said so which sheweth that he meant not to exclude more writing 2. The Scriptures are sufficient for their proper use which is to be a Law of Faith and Life if they be understood But 1. They are not sufficient for that which they were never intended for 2. And we may by other Books be greatly helpt in understanding them 3. If other Books were not needful Teachers were not needful For Writing is but the most advantagious way of Teaching by fixed Characters which flye not from our memory as transient words do And who is it that understandeth the Scriptures that never had a Teacher And why said the Eunuch How should I understand what I read unless some man guide me Acts 8. 31. And why did Christ set Teachers in his Church to the end till it be perfected Eph. 4. 11 12 13. if they must not Teach the Church unto the end Therefore they may write unto the end 4. Reverence to Antiquity must not make us blind or unthankful Abundance of the Fathers were unlearned men and of far less knowledge than ordinary Divines have now And the chief of them were far short in knowledge of the chiefest that God of late hath given us And how should it be otherwise when their helps were so much less than ours 5. Knowledge hath abundantly encreased since Printing was invented Therefore Books have been a means to it 6. The Fathers then wrote voluminously Therefore they were not against more writing 7. Most of the Bishops and Councils that cryed down Common Learning had little of it themselves and therefore knew not how to judge of it no more than good men now that want it 8. They lived among Heathens that gloried so in their own Learning as to oppose it to the Word of God as may be seen in Iulian and Porphyry and Celsus Therefore Christians opposed it and contemned it and were afraid while it was set in competition with the Scriptures lest it should draw men to Infidelity if overvalued 9. And finally the truth is that the sacred Scriptures are now too much undervalued and Philosophy much overvalued by many both as to Evidence and Usefulness And a few plain certain truths which all our Catechisms contain well pressed and practised would make a better Church and Christians than is now to be found among us all And I am one that after all that I have written do heartily wish that this were the ordinary state of our Câ—urches But yet by Accident much more is needful as is proved 1. For the â—uller understâ—nding of these principles 2. For the defending of them especially by those that are called to that work 3. To keep a Minister from that Contempt which may else frustrate his labours 4. And to be ornamental and subservient to the substantial Truths And now I will answer the Question more Particularly in this order I. I will name you the Poorest or Smallest Library that is tolerable II. The Poorer though not the poorest where a competent addition is made III. The Poor mans Library which yet addeth somewhat to the former but cometh short of a Rich and Sumptuous Library I. THe Poorest Library is 1. The Sacred Bible 2. A Concordance Downames the least or Newmans the best 3. A sound Commentary or Annotations either Diodates the English Annotations or the Dutch 4. Some English Catechisms the Assemblies two Mr. Gouges Mr. Crooks Guide Amesius his Medulla Theologiae Casus Conscientiae which are both in Latin and English and his Bellarminus Enervatus 5. Some of the soundest English Books which open the Doctrine of Grace Justification and Free-will and Duty as Mr. Truman's Great Propiâ—iation Mr. Bradshaw of Iustification Mr. Gibbons Sermon of Iustification in the Morning Exercises at St. Giles in the Fields Mr. Hochkis of Forgiveness of Sin 6. As many Affectionate Practical English Writers as you can get Especially Mr. Richard Allens Works Mr. Gournall's Dr. Preston Dr. Sibbes Mr. Robert Bolton Mr. Whateley Mr. Râ—yner Mr. Scudder Mr. T. Ford Mr. How of Blessedness Mr. Swinocke Mr. Gouges The Practice of Piety The Whole Duty of Man Dr. Hammonds Practical Catechism Dr. Pierson on the Creed Dr. Downame on the Lords Prayer Mr. Dod on the Commandments Bishop Andrewes on the Commandments Mr. Io. Brinsleyes True Watch Mr. Greenhams Works Mr. Hildershams Works Mr. Anthony Burges Works Mr. Perkins Works Dr. Harris Works Mr. Burroughs Mr. Thomas Hooker Mr. Pinkes Sermons Io. Downames Christian Warfare Richard Rogers Iohn Rogers of Faith and Love Dr. Stoughton Dr. Thomas Tailor Mr. Elâ—on Mr. Daniel Dike Ieremy Dike Mr. Io. Ball of Faith of the Covenant c. Culverwell of Faith Mr. Ranew Mr. Teate Mr. Shaw Mr. Rawlet Mr. Ianoway Mr. Vincent Mr. Doâ—little Mr. Samuel Wards Sermons Mr. W. Fenner Mr. Ruâ—herfords Letters Mr. Ioseph Allens Life and Letters and Treatise of Conversion Mr. Samuel Clarks Lives and his Martyrologie The Morning Exercises at St. Giles Cripplegate and at St. Giles in the Fields Mr. Benjamin Bâ—xters Sermons Mr. George Hopkins Salvation from Sin Dr. Edward Reignolds Mr. Meades Works Mr. Vines Sermons Henry Smith Samuel Smith Tho. Smith Mr. Strong Ios. Simonds as many of them as you can get 7. And for all other Learning Alstedius his Encyclopaedia
Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness It is an abomination to Kings to commit wickedness for the Throne is established by Righteousness Prov. 16. 12. 4. To remember alwayes the End of Holiness How sure a way it is to Glory hereafter and to leave a sweet and glorious name and memorial upon earth when wickedness is the certain way to shame on earth and misery for ever § 18. Memorand 18. Rulers should not be contented to do good at home and to be the Joy and Memor 18. blessing of their own subjects but also set their hearts to the promoting of faith and holiness and Concord throughout the Churches of the World And to improve their interests in Princes and States by amicable correspondencies and treaties to these ends that they may be blessings to the utmost extent of their capacities As Constantine interceded with the Persian King to forbear the Eâ—sâ—b in vitâ Coast. persecuting of Christians in his Dominion c But I shall presume to speak no farther to my Superiours In the Golden Age these Memorandum's will be practised I will only annex Erasmus his Image of a Good Prince and of a Bad recited by Alstedius Encyclop l. 23. Polit. c. 3. pag. 173 174. The Image of a good Prince out of Erasmus If you will draw the picture of a good Prince delineate some Coelestial wight liker to God than to a man absolute in all perfections of virtue Given for the good of all yea sent from Heaven for the relief of mortal mens affairs which being oculaâ—issimum most discerning looketh to all to whom nothing is more regarded nothing more sweet than the Common-wealth who hath more than a fatherly affection unto all To whom every ones life is dearer than his own who night and day is doing and endeavouring nothing else but that it may be very well with all who hath Rewards in readiness for all that are good and pardon for the bad if so be they will betake them to a better course That so freely desireth to deserve well of his Subjects that if it be needful he will not stick to preserve their safety by his own peril that taketh his Countrys Commodity to be his own gain that alwayes watcheth that others may sleep quietly that leaveth himself no quiet vacancy that his Countrey may live in quiet vacancy or peace that afflicteth himself with successive cares that his Subjects may enjoy tranquellity To conclude on whose Virtue it is that the Publick happiness doth depend The Image of a bad Prince Ibid. If you would set forth a bad Prince to the eye you must paint some savage horrid beast made up of such monstrosities as a Dragon a Wolf a Lyon a Viper a Bear c. every way armed with six hundred eyes every way toothed every way terrible with hooked talons of an insatiable paunch fed with mens bowels drunk with mans blood that watcheth to prey upon the lives and fortunes of all the people troublesome to all but specially to the good a fatal evil to the World which all curse and hate who wish well to the Common-wealth which can neither be endured because of his cruelty nor yet taken away without the great calamity of the World because wickedness is armed with Guards and Riches CHAP. III. Directions for Subjects concerning their duty to their Rulers BEing now to speak of the duties which I must practise and to those of my own rank I shall do it with some more freedom confidence and expectation of regard and practice § 1. Direct 1. Though I shall pass by most of the theory and especially of the controversal points in Politicks and not presume to play the Lawyers part yet I must advise you to understand so much of the cause and nature and end of Government as is necessary to direct you in your obedience and to preserve you from all temptations to rebellion Especially take heed of those mistakes which confound soveraignty and subjection and which delude the people with a conceit that they are the Original of power and may entrust it as they please and call their Rulers to account and take the forfeiture and recall their trust c. It is not to flatter Kings but to give God his due that I shall caution you against these mistakes of Popularity And first I shall briefly lay down the truth and then answer some few of the chief objections § 2. Propos. 1. That there be Government in genere and obedience thereto is determined even in Nature Nihil Deo qui omnem mundum hunc regit acceptius quam concilia caetusque homiâ—â—â—â— quae ci 〈…〉 appellantur Cicero by the God of Nature in making man a sociable creature and each man insufficient for himself and in making Republicks necessâ—â—â—â— to the welfare and safety of individuals and Government necessary to these Republicks This therefore is not left to the peoples wills Though some odd cases may be imagined in which some individual persons may live out of a Common-wealth and not bâ— obliged to live under Civil-Government yet that exception doth but confirm the general Rule Even as all men ordinarily are bound to live in Communion with some particular Church and know their own Pastor though yet some few may be excepted as some Embassadours Travellers Seamen Souldiers banished men c. So here the obligation to live under Government lyeth upon the generality of the World though some few may be excepted § 3. Prop. 2. Rulers therefore are Gods officers placed under him in his Kingdom as he is the Universal absolute Soveraign of the World And they receive their power from God who is the only Original of Power Not only their strength from his strength but their Authority or Governing power which is Ius regendi from his supream authority as Mayors and Bayliffs in Corporations receive their power from the King Rom. 13. 1 2 3. There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God § 4. Prop. 3. This Governing power in genere is not an empty name but in the very institution containeth in it those things Materially which are absolutely necessary to the end of Government § 5. Prop. 4. Yet God hath left that which is commonly called the specification of Government and some lower parts of the Matter and Manner of exercise undetermined as also the Individual persons or families that shall Rule In these three therefore it is that Communities interpose 1. Whether the soveraignty shall be in one or two or ten or how many and how divided for their exercise God hath not determined 2. Nor hath he determined of every particular whether the Power shall extend Grotius de Imper sum Potest c. 1. p. 7 8. Sunt qui objiciant Reges quaedam impâ—rare non posse nisi consensus Ordinum accesserit sed hi non vident quibus in locis id juris est ibi summum Imperium
Eccl. Pol. l. 1. § 10. p. 21. That which Object 1. So p. 23. The same error of the Original of Power hath Acosta l. 2. c. 5. p. â—08 with many other â—esuites and Papists we spake of the power of Government must here be applyed to the power of making Laws whereby to govern which power God hath over all and by the Natural Law whereto he hath made all subject the lawful power of making Laws to command whole politick societies of men belongeth so properly to the same entire societies that for any Prince or Potentate of what kind soever upon earth to exercise the same of himself and not either by express Commission immediately and personally received from God or else by Authority derived at first from their Consent upon whose persons they impose Laws it is no better than meer Tyranny Laws they are not therefore which publick approbation hath not made so Answ. Because the Authority of this famous Divine is with his Party so great I shall adventure to Answ. say something lest his words do the more harm but not by confident opposition but humble proposal and submission of my judgement to superiours and wiser men as being conscious of my own inferiority and infirmity I take all this to be an assertion no where by him proved and by me elsewhere disproved fully Laws are the Effects and signs of the Rulers Will and instruments of Government Legislation is the first part of Government And if the whole Body are naturally Governours the Pares imperans and pars subdita are confounded If the most Absolute Monarch can make Bishop Audâ—â—ws iâ— Tortar Tortâ— p. 385 Acuius homo non distinguit inter Formam atque Authoritatem regiminis Forma de hominibus esse potest de coeâ—o semper est authoritas An Rex sit supra Leges Vid. Seb. Fox lib 2. de Iâ—stit Reg. no Laws then disobeying them were no fault It is enough that their Power be derived from God immediately though the persons be chosen by men Their Authority is not derived from the peoples consent but from God by their consent as a bare condition sine qua non What if a Community say all to their elected King We take not our selves to have any Governing power to give or use but we only choose you or your family to that Office which God hath instituted who in that Institution giveth you the power upon our choice Can any man prove that such a King hath no power but is a Tyrant because the people disclaim the Giving of the Power When indeed they do their duty Remember that in all this we speak not of the Government of this or that particular Kingdom but of Kingdoms and other Commonwealths indefinitely Object 2. But saith he Lib. 8. p. 192. Unto me it seemeth almost out of doubt and controversie Object 2. that every independent multitude before any certain form of regiment established hath under God Supream Authority full Dominion over it self Answ. If by Dominion were meant Propriety every Individual hath it But for Governing Power Answ. it seemeth as clear to me that your independent multitude hath no Civil Power of Government at all but only a Power to choose them Governours While they have no Governours they have no Governing Power for that maketh a Governour § 14. Object 3. Ibid. A man who is Lord of himself may be made anothers servant c. Object 3. Answ. 1. He may hire out himself to Labour for another because he hath so far the power of Answ. himself and his Labour is his own which he may sell for wages But in a family that the Master be the Governour to see Gods Laws obeyed by his servants is of Divine appointment and this Governing power the servant giveth not to his Master but only maketh himself the object of it 2. The power that nature giveth a man over himself is tota specie distinct from Civil Government as Dr. Hammond hath well shewed against I. G. An Individual person hath not that power of his own Dion Cass. saith that when Eâ—phates the Philosopher would kill himself Veniam dederat ei Adrianus citra ignominiam infamiam ut cicutam tum propter senectutem tum etiam propter gravem morbum bibere posset In vita Adriani life as the King hath He may not put himself to death for that which the King may put him to death for 3. If this were true that every individual by self-resignation might give a King his power over him yet a posse ad esse non valet consequentia And that it is not so is proved in that God the Universal Soveraign hath prevented them by determining himself of his own Officers and giving them their power in the same Charter by which he enableth the people to choose them Therefore it is no better reasoning than to say If all the persons in London subjected themselves to the Lord Mayor he would thereby receive his power from them when the King hath prevented that already by giving him the power himself in his Charter and leaving only the choice of the person to them and that under the direction of the Rules which he hath given them § 15. Object 4. But saith he pag. 193. l. 8. In Kingdoms of this quality as this we live Object 4. in the Highest Governour hath indeed universal dominion but with dependency upon that whole entire body over the several parts whereof he hath dominion so that it standeth for an axiome in this â—ase The King is major singulis universis minor Answ. If you had included Himself its certain that he cannot be Greater than the whole because he Answ. cannot be greater than himself But seeing you speak of the whole in contradistinction from him I answer That indeed in genere causae finalis the Soveraign is Universis Minor that is The whole Kingdom is naturally more worth than One and their felicity a greater good or else the bonum publicum or salus populi could not be the End of Government But this is nothing to our case For we are speaking of Governing power as a means to this end And so in genere causae efficientis the Soveraign yea and his lowest Officer hath more Authority or Ius Regendi than all the people as such for they all as such have none at all Even as the Church is of more worth than the Pastor and yet the Pastor alone hath more Authority to administer the Sacraments and to Govern the people than all the flock hath For they have none either to use or give what ever some say to the contrary but Against the peoples being the Givers of Power by conjoyning all their own in one in Church or State see Mr. D. Cawdry's Review of Mr. Hookers Survey p. 154 c. only choose him to whom God will give it § 16. Object 5. Saith the Reverend Author lib. 8. p. 194. Neither
Consider the great temptations of the Rich and great and pity them that stand Direct 16. in so dangerous a station instead of murmuring at them or envying their greatness You little know what you should be your selves if you were in their places and the world and the flesh had so great a stroke at you as they have at them He that can swim in a calmer water may be carryed down a violent stream It is harder for that bird to fly that hath many pound weights tyed to keep her down than that which hath but a straw to carry to her nest It is harder mounting Heaven-wards with Lordships and Kingdoms than with your less impediments Why do you not pity them that stand on the top of barren mountains in the stroke of every storm and wind when you dwell in the quiet fruitful vales Do you envy them that must go to Heaven as a Camel through a needles eye if ever they come there And are you discontented that you are not in their conâ—â—tion will you rebel and fight to make your salvation as difficult as theirs Are you so unthankful to God for your safer station that you murmur at it and long to be in the more dangerous place § 40. Direct 17. Pray constantly and heartily for the spiritual and corporal welfare of your Governours Direct 17. And you have reason to believe that God who hath commanded you to put up such prayers will not suffer them to be wholly lost but will answer them some way to the benefit of them that perform the duty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. And the very performance of it will do us much good of it self For it will keep the heart well disposed to our Governours and keep out all sinful desires of their hurt or controll them and cast them out if they come in Prayer is the exercise of Love and good desires And exercise increaseth and confirmeth habits If any ill wishes against your Governours should stâ—al into your minds the next time you pray for them conscience will accuse you of hypocrisie and either the sinful desires will corrupt or end your Prayers or else your prayers will cast out those ill desires Certainly the faithful fervent prayers of the Righteous do prevail much with God And things would go better than they do in the world if we prayed for Rulers as heartily as we ought § 41. Obj. For all the prayers of the Church five parts of six of the World are yet Idolaters Heathens Object Infidels and Mahometans And for all the prayers of the Reformed Churches most of the Christian part of the world are drowned in Popery or gross ignorance and superstition and the poor Greek Churches have Mahometane or tyrannical Governours and carnal proud usurping Prelates domineer over the Roman Church and there are but three Protestant Kings on the whole earth And among the Israelites themselves who had Priests and Prophets to pray for their Princes a good King was so rare that when you have named five or six over Judah and never a one after the division over Israel you scarce know where to find the rest What good then do your Prayers for Kings and Magistrates Answ. 1. As I said before they keep the hearts of subjects in an obedient holy frame 2. Were Answ. it not for prayers those few good ones would be fewer or worse than they are and the bad ones might be worse or at least do more hurt to the Church than they now do 3. It is not to be expected that all should be granted in kind that believers pray for For then not only Kings but all the world should be converted and saved For we should pray for every one But God who knoweth best how to distribute his mercies and to honour himself and refine his Church by the malice and persecution of his enemies will make his peoples prayers a means of that measure of good which he will do for Rulers and by them in the world And that 's enough to encourage us to pray 4. And indeed if when Proud ungodly worldlings have sold their souls by wicked means to climb up into places of power and command and domineer over others the Prayers of the faithful should Obj. Si id jâ—ris obâ—ineat status religionis eâ—â—t instabilis Mutato regis animo religio muta bitur presently convert and save them all because they are Governours this would seem to charge God with respect of persons and defect of Justice and would drown the world in wickedness treasons bloodshed and confusion by encouraging men by flatteries or treacheries or murders to usurp such places in which they may both gratifie their lusts and after save their souls while the godly are obliged to pray them into Heaven It is no such hearing of prayers for Governours which God hath promised 5. And yet I must observe that most Christians are so cold and formal in their Prayers for the Rulers of the world and of the Church that we have great reason to impute the unhappiness Resp. Unicum hic solatium in Divina est providentia Omnium animos Deus in potestate sua habet sed speciali quodam modo Cor Regis in manu Domini Deus per bonos per malos Reges opus suum operatur Interdum tranquillitas interdum tempestas ecclesiae utilior Nempe si pius est qui imperat si diligens lector sacrae scripturae si assiduus in precibus si Ecclesiae Catholicae reverens si peritos attente audiens multum per illum proficit veritas Sin distorto est corrupto judicio pejus id ipsi cedit quam ecclesiae Nam ipsum grave manet judicium Regis ecclesiae qui ecclesiam inultam non sinet Grotius de Impeâ— p. 210. Joh. 18. 36. of Governours very much to their neglect Almost all men are taken up so much with their own concernments that they put off the publick concernments of the world and of the Church and State with a few customary heartless words and understand not the meaning of the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer and the Reason of their precedency or put them not up with that feeling as they do the other three If we could once observe that the generality of Christians were more earnest and importunate with God for the Hallowing of his name through all the world and the coming of his Kingdom and the obeying of his will in Earth as it is in Heaven and the Conversion of the Kings and Kingdoms of the world than for any of their personal concernments I should take it for a better prognostick of the happiness of Kings and Kingdoms than any that hath yet appeared in our dayes And those that are taken up with the expectations of Christs visible reign on earth would find it a more lawful and comfortable way to promote his Government thus by his own appointed officers than to rebell against Kings and seek
infer ergo Bâ—shop be no Governours in those things meaning No dispensers guiders nor directors of those things your Conclusion is larger c. so p. 256. Ecclesiastical so far as coercive Government is required it belongeth not to Pope or Prelates under him but to the King and his Officers or Courts alone Or that the King is chief in Governing by the Sword in causes Ecclesiastical as well as Civil So that if you put spiritual instead of Ecclesiastical the word is taken materially and not formally not that the King is chief in the spiritual Government by the Keyes of Excommunication and Absolution but that he is chief in the coercive Government about spiritual matters as before explained § 51. Quest. 3. Is not this to confound the Church and State and to give the Pastors Power to the Magistrate Quest. 3. Answ. Not at all It is but to say that there may be need of the use both of the Word and Sword against the same persons for the same offence and the Magistrate only must use one and the Pastors the other An heretical Preacher may be silenced by the King upon pain of banishment and silenced by the Church upon pain of excommunication And what confusion is there in this § 52. Quest. 4. But hath not the King Power in Cases of Church Discipline and Excommunication it Quest. 4. self Answ. There is a Magistrates Discipline and a Pastoral Discipline Discipline by the Sword is It was somewhat far that Carolus Magnus went to be actual Guide of all in his Chappel in Reading even in all their stops as it is at large declared by Abbas Usperg Chroa p. 181. the Magistrates work Discipline by the Word is the Pastors work And there is a Coercive Excommunication and a Pastoral Excommunication To command upon pain of corporal punishment that a Heretick or Impenitent wicked man shall forbear the Sacred Ordinances and Priviledges a Magistrate may do But to command it only upon Divine and Spiritual penalties belongeth to the Pastors of the Church The Magistrate hath power over their very Pastoral work though he have not power in it so as to do it himself Suppose but all the Physicions of the Nation to be of Divine Institution with their Colledges and Hospitals and in the similitude you will see all the difficulties resolved and the next Question fully answered § 53. Quest. 5. Seeing the King and the Pastors of the Church may Command and Iudge to several Ends in the same cause suppose they should differ which of them should the Church obey Answ. Distinguish here 1. Between a right Judgement and a wrong 2. Between the matter in question Quest. 5. which is either 1. Proper in its primary state to the Magistrate 2. Or proper primarily to the Pastor 3. Or common to both though in several sorts of judgement And so I answer the question thus 1. If it be a matter wherein God himself hath first determined and his Officers do but judge in subordination to his Law and declare his Will then we must obey him that speaketh according to Bishop Bilson p. 313. We grant they must rather hazard their lives than Baptize Princes which believe not or distribute the Lords Mysteries to them that repâ—nt not but give wilful and open signification of impiety c Bâ—da Hist. Eccles. lib. 2. cap. 5. telleth us that Melitus Bishop of London with Iustus was banished by the heirs of King Sabereth because he would not give them the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which they would needs have before they were baptized the Word of God if we can truly discern it and not him that we know goeth contrary to God As if the Magistrate should forbid communion with Arrians as Hereticks and the Pastors command us to hold communion with them as no Hereticks here the Magistrate is to be obeyed because God is to be obeyed before the Pastors though it be in a matter of Faith and Worship If you say Thus you make all the people Judges I answer you and so you must make them such Private Iudges to discern their own duty and so must every man or else you must rule them as Beasts or mad men and prove that there is no Heaven or Hell for any in the world but Kings and Pastors or at least that the people shall be saved or damned for nothing but obeying or not obeying their Governours And if you could prove that you are never the nearer reconciling the contradictory commands of those Governours 2. But if the matter be not fore-determined by God but left to Man then 1. If it be the Magistrates proper work we must obey the Magistrate only 2. If it be about the Pastors proper work the Pastor is to be obeyed though the Magistrate gainsay it so be it he proceed according to the General Rules of his instructions and the matter be of weight As if the Magistrate and the Pastors of the Church do command different translations or expositions of the Bible to be used or one forbiddeth and another commandeth the same individual person to be baptized or receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or to be esteemed a member of the Church if the people know not which of them judgeth right it seemeth to me they should first obey their Pastors because it is only in matters intimately pertaining to their office I speak only of formal obedience and that of the people only for materially Prudence may require us rather to do as the Magistrate commandeth quod non quia to avoid a greater evil And it s alwayes supposed that we patiently bear the Magistrates penalties when we obey not his Commands 3. But in points common to them both the case is more difficult But here you must further distinguish 1. Between points equally common and points unequally common 2. Between determinations of Good or Bad or Indifferent consequence as to the main End and Interest of God and souls 1. In points equally common to both the Magistrate is to be obeyed against the Pastors Because he is more properly a Commanding Governour and they are but the Guides or Governours of Volunteers And because in such cases the Pastors themselves should obey the Magistrate and therefore the people should first obey him 2. Much more in points unequally common which the Magistrate is more concerned in than the Pastors the Magistrate is undoubtedly to be first obeyed Of both there might instances be given about the Circumstantials or Adjuncts of Gods Worship As the Place of publick Worship the Scituation Form Bells Fonts Pulpits Seats precedency in Seats Tables Cups and other Utensils Church Bounds by Parishes Church Ornaments Gestures Habits some Councils and their Order with other such like in all which caeteris paribus Bish. Andrews in Tart. Tort. p. 383. Cohibeat Regem Diaconus si cum indignus sit idque palam constet accedat tamen ad Sacramentum Cohibeat Medicus si ad noxiam
when it is not like to do more hurt than good either directly of it self or by mens abuse when Religion or the soul of any man or any ones body or estate or name is not like to lose more than my gain or any other benefits will compensate When all these concurr its lawful to go to Law § 29. Quest. 5. Is it lawful to defend my person life or estate against a Thief or Murderer or unjust Quest. 5. Invader by force of arms Answ. You must distinguish 1. Between such Defence as the Law of the Land alloweth and such as it forbiddeth 2. Between Necessary and Unnecessary actions of defence Prop. 1. There is no doubt but it is both lawful and a duty to defend our selves by such convenient means as are likely to attain their end and are not contrary to any Law of God or Man We must defend our Neighbour if he be assaulted or oppressed and we must love our neighbours as our selves Prop. 2. This Self-defence by force is then lawful when it is Necessary and other more gentle means have been uneffectual or have no place supposing still that the means be such as the Law of God or man forbiddeth not Prop. 3. And it is necessary to the Lawfulness of it that the means be such as in its nature is like to be successful or like to do more good than harm § 30. But on the other side Prop. 1. We may not defend our selves by any such force as either the Laws of God or our Rulers thereto authorized by him shall forbid For 1. The Laws are made by such as have more power over our lives than we have over them our selves 2. And they are made for the good of the Common-wealth which is to be preferred before the good or life of any single person And what ever selfish Infidels say both nature and grace do teach us to lay down our lives for the welfare of the Church or State and to prefer a multitude before our selves Therefore it is better to be robbed opprest or killed than to break the peace of the Common-wealth Prop. 2. Therefore a private man may not raise an Army to defend his life against his Prince or lawful Governour Perhaps he might hold his hands if personally he went about to murder him without the violation of the publick peace But he cannot raise a War without it Prop. 3. We may not do that by blood or violence which might be done by perswasion or by any lawful gentle means Violence must be used even in defence but in case of true necessity Prop. 4. When Self-defence is like to have Consequents so ill as the saving of our selves cannot countervail it is then unlawful finis gratia and not to be attempted Prop. 5. Therefore if Self-defence be unlikely to prevail our strength being inconsiderable and when the enemy is but like to be the more exasperated by it and our sufferings like to be the greater Nature and reason teach us to submit and use the more effectual lawful means § 31. Quest. 6. Is it lawful to take away anothers life in the defending of my purse or estate Quest. 6. Answ. 1. You must again distinguish between such defence as the Law of the Land alloweth and such as it forbiddeth 2. Between what is Necessary and what is Unnecessary 3. Between a life less worth than the prize which he contendeth for and a life more worth than it or than mine own 4. Between the simple defence of my purse and the defence of it and my life together 5. Between what I do with purpose and desire and what I do unwillingly through the assailants â—emerity or violence 6. And between what I do in meer defence and what I do to bring a Thief or Robber unto legal punishment And so I answer Prop. 1. You may not defend your purse or your estate by such actions as the Law of the Land forbiddeth Unless it go against the Law of God Because it is to be supposed that it is better a mans estate or purse be lost than Law and publick order violated Prop. 2. You may not against an ordinary Thief or Robber defend your purse with the probable hazard of his life if a few good words or other safe and gentle means which you have opportunity to use be like to serve turn without such violence Prop. 3. If it might be supposed that a Prince or other person of great use and service to the Common-wealth should in a frolick or otherwise assault your person for your estate or purse it is not lawful to take away his life by a defensive violence if you know it to be he Because though in some Countreys the Law might allow it you yet finis gratia it is unlawful because his life is more necessary to the common good than yours Prop. 4. If a pilfering Thief would steal your purse without any violence which hazardeth your life ordinarily you may not take away his life in the defending of it Because it is the work of the Magistrate to punish him by publick Justice and your defence requireth it not Prop. 5. All this is chiefly meant of the voluntary designed taking away of his life and not of any lawful action which doth it accidentally against your will § 33. On the other side Prop. 1. If the Law of the Land allow you to take away a mans life in the defending of your purse it removeth the scruple if the weight of the matter also do allow it Because it supposeth that the Law taketh the offendor to be worthy of death and maketh you in that case the executioner of it And if indeed the crime be such as deserveth death you may be the executioner when the Law alloweth it Prop. 2. And this is more clear when the Robber for your money doth assault your life or is like for ought you see to do it Prop. 3. And when gentler means will not serve the turn but violence is the only remedy which is left you which is like to avail for your defence Prop. 4. And when the person is a vile offender who is rather a plague and burden to the Common-wealth than any necessary member of it Prop. 5. If you desire not and design not his death but he rush upon it himself in his fury while you lawfully defend your own the case is yet less questionable Prop. 6. If a Thief have taken your purse though you may not take away his life after to recover it because it is of less value nor yet in revenge because that belongeth not to private men yet if the Law require or allow you to pursue him to bring him to a judicial tryal if you kill him while he resisteth it is not your sin because you are but suppressing sin in your place according to the allowance of the Law § 34. Quest. 7. May I kill or wound another in the defence or vindication of my honour or good name
is in two cases viz. 1. If they commit such capital crimes as God and man would have punished with death its fit they dye and then they are silenced For in this case it is supposed that their lives by their impunity are like to do more hurt than good 2. If their Heresie insufficiency scandal or any fault what ever do make them more hurtful than profitable to the Church it is fit they be cast out If their Ministry be not like to do more good than their faults to do harm let them be silenced But if it be otherwise then let them be punished in their bodies or purses rather than the peoples souls should suffer The Laws have variety of penalties for other men Will none of those suffice for Ministers But alas What talk I of their faults Search all Church History and observe whether in all ages Ministers have not been silenced rather for their duties than their faults or for not subscribing to some unnecessary opinion or imposition of a prevailing party or about some wrangling controversies which Church disturbers set afoot There is many a poor Minister would work in Bridewell or be tyed to shovell the Streets all the rest of the Week if he might but have liberty to preach the Gospel And would not such a penalty be sufficient for a dissent in some unnecessary point As it is not every fault that a Magistrate is deposed for by the Soveraign but such as make him unfit for the place so is it also with the Ministers § 39. Direct 18. Malignity and Prophaneness must not be gratified or encouraged It must be considered Direct 18. how the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to his Law nor can be Rom. 8. 7 â— Gen. 3. 15. And that enmity is put between the Womans and the Serpents seed and that the whole business of the world is but the prosecution of the War between the Armies of Christ and Satan And that malignity inclineth the ungodly world to slander and reproach the servants of the Lord and they are glad of any opportunity to make them odious or to exasperate Magistrates against them And that their silencing and fall is the joy of the ungodly And if there be any Civil differences or sidings the ungodly rabble will take that side be it right or wrong which they think will do most to the downfal of the godly whom they hate Therefore besides the merits of the particular cause a Ruler that regardeth the interest of the Gospel and mens salvation must have some care that the course which he taketh against godly Ministers and people when they displease him be such as doth not strengthen the hands of evil doers nor harden them increase them or make them glad I do not say that a Ruler must be against what ever the ungodly part is for or that he must be for that which the major part of godly men are for I know this is a deceitful rule But yet that which pleaseth the malignant rabble and displeaseth or hurteth the generality of godly men is so seldome pleasing to God that its much to be suspected § 40. Direct 19. The substance of faith and the Practice of Godliness must be valued above all opinions Direct 19. and parties and worldly interests And Godly men accounted as they are caeteris paribus the best members both of Church and State If Rulers once knew the difference between a Saint and a sensualist a vile person would be contemned in their eyes and they would honour them that fear the Lord Psal. 15. 4. And if they honoured them as God commandeth them they would not persecute them And if the promoting of practical Godliness were their design there were little danger of their oppressing those that must be the instruments of propagating it if ever it prosper in the World § 41. Direct 20. To this end Remember the neer and dear relation which every true believer standeth Direct 20. in to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost They are called by God his peculiar treasure his jewels Exod. 19. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Tit. 2. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 16 17 18. Mal. 3. 17 18. â—â—h 3. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 14. 1 Joh. 4 15 16. his Children the members of Christ the Temples of the Holy Ghost God dwelleth in them by Love and Christ by faith and the Spirit by all his sanctifying gifts If this were well believed men would more reverence them on Gods account than causelesly to persecute them Zech. 2. 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye § 42 Direct 21. Look not so much on mens infirmities as to overlook or make light of all that is good in them But look as much at the good as at the evil And then you will see reason for lenity as well as for severity and for love and tenderness rather than for hatred and persecution And you will discern that those may be serviceable to the Church in whom blinded malice can see nothing worthy of honour or respect § 43. Direct 22. Estimate and use all lesser matters as means to spiritual worship and practical holiness Direct 22. If there be any thing of worth in Controversies and Ceremonies and such other matters of inferiour rank it is as they are a means to the power of Godliness which is their end And if once they be no otherwise esteemed they will not be made use of against the interest of Godliness to the silencing of the Preachers and persecuting the professours of it § 44. Direct 23. Remember that the Understanding is not Free save only participative as it is Direct 23. subject to the will It acteth of it self per modum naturae and is necessitated by its object further than as it is under the power of the will A man cannot hold what opinion he would himself nor be against what he would not have to be true much less can he believe as another man commandeth him My understanding is not at my own command I cannot be of every mans belief that is uppermost Evidence and not force is the natural means to compell the mind even as Goodness and not force is the natural means to win mens Love It is as wise a thing to say Love me or I will kill thee as to say Believe me or I will kill thee § 45. Direct 24. Consider that it is essential to Religion to be above the authority of man unless as Direct 24. they subserve the authority of God He that worshippeth a God that is subject to any man must subject his Religion to that man But this is no Religion because it is no God whom he worshippeth But if the God whom I serve be above all men my Religion or service of him must needs be also above the will of men § 46. Direct 25. Consider that an obedient disposition towards Gods Laws and a tender Conscience
rend us Much more if it be some potent enemy of the Church who will not only rend us but the Church it self if he be so provoked Reproving him then is not our duty 3. Particularly When a man is in a passion or drunk usually it is no season to reprove him 4. Nor when you are among others who should not be witnesses of the fault or the reproof or whose presence will shame him and offend him except it be only the shaming of an incorrigible or malicious sinner which you intend 5. Nor when you are uncertain of the fact which you would reprove or uncertain whether it be a sin 6. Or when you have no witness of it though you are privately certain with some that will take advantage against you as slanderers a reproof may be omitted 7. And when the offenders are so much your superiours that you are like to have no better success than to be accounted arrogant A groan or tears is then the best reproof 8. When you are so utterly unable to manage a reproof that imprudence or want of convincing reason is like to make it a means of greater hurt than good 9. When you foresee a more advantageous season if you delay 10. When another may be procured to do it with much more advantage which your doing it may rather hinder In all these cases that may be a sin which at another time may be a duty § 18. But still remember 1. That pride and passion and slothfulness is wont to pretend such reasons falsly upon some sleight conjectures to put by a duty 2. That no man must account another Gen. 20. 36. a Dog or Swine to excuse him from this duty without cogent evidence And it is not every wrangling opposition nor reproach and scorn which will warrant us to give a man up as remediless Job 31. 13. Heb. 13. 22. 2 Pet. 1. 13. 2 Tâ—m 2. 25 26. and speak to him no more but only such 1. As sheweth a heart utterly obdurate after long means 2. Or will procure more suffering to the reprover than good to the offender 3. That when the thing is ordinarily a duty the reasons of our omission must be clear and sure before they will excuse us § 19. Quest. Must we reprove Infidels or Heathens What have we to do to judge them that are without Answ. Not to the ends of excommunication because they are not capable of it which is meant Deut. 22. 1. 1 Cor. 5. But we must reprove them 1. In common compassion to their souls What were the Apostles and other Preachers sent for but to call all men from their sins to God 2. And for the defence of truth and godliness against their words or ill examples CHAP. XVII Directions for keeping Peace with all men § 1. PEace is so amiable to Nature it self that the greatest destroyers of it do commend it and those persons in all times and places who are the cause that the world cannot enjoy it will yet speak well of it and exclaim against others as the enemies of peace as if there were no other name but their Own sufficient to make their adversaries odious As they desire salvation so do the ungodly desire Peace which is with a double error one about the Nature of it and another about the Conditions and other Means By Peace they mean the quiet undisturbed enjoyment of their honours wealth and pleasures that they may have their lusts and will without any contradiction And the Conditions on which they would have it are the complyance of all others with their opinions and wills and humble submission to their domination passions or desires But Peace is another thing and otherwise to be desired and sought Peace in the mind is the delightful effect of its internal harmony as Peace in the body is nothing but its pleasant health in the natural position state action and concord of all the parts the humours and spirits And Peace in Families Neighbourhoods Churches Kingdoms or other Societies is the quietness and pleasure of their order and harmony and must be attained and preserved by these following means § 2. Direct 1. Get your own hearts into a humble frame and abhor all the motions of Pride and Direct 1. self exalting A humble man hath no high expectations from another and therefore is easily pleased or quieted He can bow and yield to the pride and violence of others as the Willow to the impetuous winds His language will be submissive his patience great he is content that others go before him He is not offended that another is preferred A low mind is pleased in a low condition But Pride is the Gun-powder of the mind the family the Church and State It maketh men ambitious and setteth them on striving who shall be the greatest A proud mans Opinion must alwayes go for truth and his will must be a Law to others and to be sleighted or crossed seemeth to him an unsufferable wrong And he must be a man of wonderful complyance or an excellent artificer in man-pleasing and flâ—ttery that shall not be taken as an injurious undervaluer of him He that overvalueth himself will take it ill of all that do not also overvalue him If you forgetfully go before him or overlook him or neglect a complement or deny him something which he expected or speak not honourably of him much more if you reprove him and tell him of his faults you have put fire to the Gun-powder you have broke his peace and he will break yours if he can Pride broke the Peace between God and the apostate Angels but nothing unpeaceable must be in Heaven and therefore by self-exâ—lting they descended into darkness And Christ by self-humbling ascended unto Glory It is a matter of very great difficulty to live peaceably in family Church or any society with any one that is very Proud They expect so much of you that you can never answer all their expectations but will displease them by your omissions though you never speak or do any thing to displease them What is it but the lust of Pride which causeth most of the wars and bloodshed throughout the World The Pride of two or three men must cost many thousands of their subjects the loss of their Peace Estates and Lives Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi What were the Conquests of those Emperours Alexander Caesar Tamerlane Machumet c. but the pernicious effects of their infamous Pride Which like Gun-powder taking fire in their breasts did blow up so many Cities and Kingdoms and call their Villanies by the name of Valour and their Murders and Robberies by the name of War If one mans Pride do swell so big that his own Kingdom cannot contain it the Peace of as much of the World as he can conquer is taken to be but a reasonable sacrifice to this infernal vice The lives of thousands both Subjects and Neighbours called enemies by this malignant spirit must be cast
names to Mammon and be not such paultry hypocrites as to profess that you believe the Scriptures and stand to your baptismal Vows and place your hopes in a Crucified Christ and your happiness in Gods favour and the life to come And if the preaching of the Gospel and all such religious helps be unnecessary to your unsetled children dissemble not by going to Church as if you took them to be necessary to your selves In a word I say as Elias to the Israelites Why halt ye between two opinions If God be God follow him If the world be God and Pride and Sensuality and the worlds applause be your felicity follow it and let it be your childrens portion Do you not see more wise and learned and holy and serviceable persons among us proportionably in Church and State that were never sent for an education among the Papists and prophane than of such as were But I will proceed to the Directions which are necessary to those that must or will needs go abroad either as Merchants Factors or as Travellers Direct 1. Be sure that you go not without a clear warrant from God which must be all things Direct 1. laid together a great probability in the judgement of impartial experienced wise men that you may get or do more good than you were like to have done at home For if you go sinfully without a Call or Warrant you put your self out of Gods protection as much as in you is that is you forfeit it And what ever plague befalls you it will arm your accusing Consciences to make it double Direct 2. Send with your children that travel some such pious prudent Tutor or Oversâ—â—r as is Direct 2. afore described And get them or your Apprentices into as good company as possibly you can Direct 3. Send them as the last part of all their education when they are setled in knowledge Direct 3. sound doctrine and godliness and have first got such acquaintance with the state of the world as Reading Maps and Conversation and Discourse can help them to And not while they are young and raw and uncapable of self-defence or of due improving what they see And those that are thus prepared will have no great lust or fancy to wander and lose their time without necessity For they will know that there is nothing better considerably to be seen abroad than is at home That in all Countreys Houses are Houses and Cities are Cities and Trees are Trees and Beasts are Beasts and Men are Men and Fools are Fools and Wise men are Wise and Learned men are Learned and Sin is Sin and Virtue is Virtue And these things are but the same abroad as at home And that a Grave is every where a Grave and you are travelling towards it which way ever you go And happy is he that spendeth his little time so as may do God best service and best prepare him for the state of immortality Direct 4. If experience of their youthful lust and pride and vitious folly or unsetled dangerous Direct 4. state doth tell you plainly that your Child or Apprentice is unfit for travel venture them not upon it either for the carnal ornaments of education or for your worldly gain For souls that cost the blood of Christ are more pretious than to be sold at so low a rate And especially by those Parents and Masters that are doubly obliged to love them and to guide them in the way to Heaven and must be answerable for them Direct 5. Choose those Countreys for your Children to travel in which are soundest in doctrine Direct 5. and of best example and where they may get more good than hurt and venture them not needlesly into the places and company of greatest danger especially among the Jesuits and Fryars or subtile Hereticks or enemies of Christ. Direct 6. Study before you go what particular Temptations you are like to meet with and study Direct 6. well for particular Preservatives against them all As you will not go into a place infected with the Plague without an Antidote It is no small task to get a mind prepared for travel Direct 7. Carry with you such Books as are fittest for your use both for Preservation and Edification Direct 7. As to preserve you from Popery Drelincourts and Mr. Pools small Manual For which use my Key for Catholicks and Safe Religion and Sheet against Popery may not be useless And Dr. Challoners Credo Ecclesiam Catholicam is short and very strong To preserve you against Infidelity Vander Meulin in Latin and Grotius and in English my Reasons of the Christian Religion may not be unfit For your practice the Bible and the Practice of Piety and Mr. Scudders Daily Walk and Mr. Reyners Directions and Dr. Ames Cases of Conscience Direct 8. Get acquaintance with the most able Reformed Divines in the places where you travel Direct 8. and make use of their frequent converse for your edification and defence For it is the wisest and best men in all Countreys where you come that must be profitable to you if any Direct 9. Set your selves in a course of regular study if you are Travellers as if you were at Direct 9. home and on a course of regular employment if you are Tradesmen and make not meer wandering and gazing upon novelties your Trade and Business But redeem your time as laboriously as you would do in the most setled life For time is precious where ever you be And it must be diligence every where that must cause your proficiency for Place and Company will not do it without your labour It is not an University that will make a sluggish person wise nor a forreign Land that will furnish a sensual sot with wisdom Coelum non animum mutant qui trans more currunt There is more ado necessary to make you wise or bring you to Heaven than to go long journeys or see many people Direct 10. Avoid temptations If you acquaint your selves with the humours and sinful opinions Direct 10. and fashions of the time and places where you are let it be but as the Lacodamonians called out their children to see a drunkard to hate the sin Therefore see them but taste them not as you would do by poyson or lothesome things Once or twice seeing a folly and sin is enough If you do it frequently custome will abate your detestation and do much to reconcile you to it Direct 9. Set your selves to do all the good you can to the miserable people in the places where Direct 9. you come Furnish your selves with the foresaid Books and Arguments not only to preserve your selves but also to convince poor Infidels and Papists And pity their souls as those that believe that there is indeed a life to come where Happiness and Misery will shew the difference between the godly and the wicked Especially Merchants and Factors who live constantly among the poor ignorant
not every one that committeth a sin after admonition who is here to be understood but such as are impenitent in some mortal or ruling sin For some may sin oft in a small and controverted point for want of ability to discern the truth and some may live in daily infirmities as the best men do which they condemn themselves and desire to be delivered from And even the most impenitent mans sins must not be medled with by every one at his pleasure but only when you have just cause Quest. 9. What if it be one whom I cannot speak to face to face Quest. 9. Answ. You must let him alone till you have just cause to speak of him Quest. 10. When hath a man a just cause and call to open anothers faults Quest. 10. Answ. Negatively 1. Not to fill up the time with other idle chatt or table-talk 2. Not to second any man how good soever who backbiteth others no though he pretend to do it to make the sin more odious or to exercise godly sorrow for other mens sin 3. Not when ever interest passion faction or company seemeth to require it But Affirmatively 1. When we may speak it to his face in love and privacy in due manner and circumstances as is most hopeful to conduce to his amendment 2. When after due admonition we take two or three and after that tell the Church in a case that requireth it 3. When we have a sufficient cause to accuse him to the Magistrate 4. When the Magistrate or the Pastors of the Church reprove or punish him 5. When it is necessary to the preservation of another As if I see my friend in danger of marrying with a wicked person or takeing a false servant or trading and bargaining with one that is like to over-reach him or going among cheaters or going to hear or converse with a dangerous Heretick or Seducer I must open the faults of those that they are in danger of so far as their safety and my charity require 6. When it is any treason or conspiracy against the King or Common-wealth where my concealment may be an injury to the King or damage or danger to the Kingdom 7. When the person himself doth by his self-justification force me to it 8. When his reputation is so built upon the injury of others and slanders of the just that the justifying of him is the condemning of the innocent we may then indirectly condemn him by vindicating the just As if it be in a case of contention between two if we cannot justifie the right without dishonour to the injurious there is no remedy but he must bear his blame 9. When a mans notorious wickedness hath set him up as a spectacle of warning and lamentation so that his crimes cannot be hid and he hath forfeited his reputation we must give others warning by his fall As an excommunicate person or malefactor at the Gallows c. 10. When we have just occasion to make a bare narrative of some publick matters of fact as of the sentence of a Judge or punishment of offenders c. 11. When the crime is so heinous as that all good persons are obliged to joyn to make it odious as Phinehas was to execute judgement As in cases of open Rebellion Treason Blasphemy Atheism Idolatry Murders Perjury Cruelty Such as the French Massacre the Irish far greater Massacre the Murdering of Kings the Powder Plot the Burning of London c. Crimes notorious should not go about in the mouths or ears of men but with just detestation 12. When any persons false reputation is a seducement to mens souls and made by himself or others the instrument of Gods dishonour and the injury of the Church or State or others though we may do no unjust thing to blast his reputation we may tell the truth so far as justice or mercy or piety requireth it Quest. 11. What if I hear dawbers applauding wicked men and speaking well of them and extenuating Quest. 12. their crimes and praising them for evil doing Answ. You must on all just occasions speak evil of sin But when that is enough you need not meddle with the sinner no not though other men applaud him and you know it to be false For you are not bound to contradict every falshood which you hear But if in any of the twelve fore-mentioned cases you have a call to do it as for the preservation of the hearers from a snare thereby as if men commend a Traytor or a wicked man to draw another to like his way in such cases you may contradict the false report Quest. 12. Are we bound to reprove every backbiter in this age when honest people are grown to Quest. 12. make little conscience of it but think it their duty to divulge mens faults Answ. Most of all that you may stop the stream of this common sin Ordinarily when ever we can do it without doing greater hurt we should rebuke the tongue that reporteth evil of other men causelesly behind their backs For our silence is their encouragement in sin Tit. 2. Directions against Backbiting Slandering and Evil Speaking Direct 1. MAintain the life of brotherly Love Love your neighbour as your self Direct 1. Direct 2. Watch narrowly lest interest or passion should prevail upon you For Direct 2. where these prevail the tongue is set on fire of Hell and will set on fire the course of nature Iam. 2. Selfishness and passion will not only prompt you to speak evil but also to justifie it and think you do well yea and to be angry with those that will not hearken to you and believe you Direct 3. Especially involve not your selves in any faction Religious or Secular I do not mean Direct 3. that you should not love and imitate the best and hold most intimate communion with them But that you abhor unlawful divisions and sidings and when error or uncharitableness or carnal interest hath broken the Church into pieces where you live and one is of Paul and another of Apollo and another of Cephas one of this party and another of that take heed of espousing the interest of any party as it stands cross to the interest of the whole It would have been hardly credible if sad experience had not proved it how commonly and heinously almost every Sect of Christians do sin in this point against each other And how far the interest of their Sect which they account the interest of Christ will prevail with multitudes even of zealous people to belye calumniate backbite and reproach those that are against their opinion and their party Yea how easily will they proceed beyond reproaches to bloody persecutions He that thinketh that he doth God service by killing Christ or his Disciples will think that he doth him service by calling him a deceiver and one that hath a Devil a blasphemer and an enemy to Caesar and calling his Disciples pestilent fellows and movers of
flesh that I may have to do good with and trust God for my provision and reward for if there be a readiness to will there will be a performance also out of that which you have 2 Cor. 8. 11. 12. Such a holy self-denying Charitable heart with the help of prudence is the best Iudge of the due Proportion which we should give For this willing readiness being supposed Prudence will discern the fittest objects and the fittest time and the fittest measure and will suit the means unto the end When once a mans heart is set upon doing good it will not be very hard to perceive how much our selves our families the poor and religious uses should have for if such a person be Prudent himself he hath alwayes with him a constant Counsellor with a general Rule and directing Providence If he want Prudence sufficient to be his own Director he will take Direction from the Prudence of others 13. Such a truly willing mind will not be much wanting in the General of doing good but one way or other will serve God with his estate and then if in any particulars he should come short it will comparatively be a very small sin when it is not for want of willingness but of skill The will is the chief seat of all moral good and evil There is no more virtue than there is will nor no more sin or vice than there is will He that knoweth not how much he should give because he is not willing to give it and therefore not willing to know it is indeed the miser and sinfully ignorant but if it be not for want of a willing mind that we mistake the proportion it will be a very pardonable mistake 14. Your proportion of the Tenth part is too much for some and much too little for others but for the most I think it as likely a proportion as it is fit for another to prescribe in particular with these following explications 1. He that hath a full stock of money and no increase by it must give proportionably out of his stock when he that hath little or no stock but the â—ruits of his daily industry and labour may possibly be bound to give less than the other 2. It is not the Tenth of our increase deducting first all our families provision that you mean when you direct to give the Tenth for it is far more if not all that after such provision must be given But it is the Tenth without deduction that you mean Therefore when family necessaries cannot spare the Tenth it may be too much else even the Receivers must all be Givers But when family necessities can spare much more than the Tenth then the Tenth is not enough 3. In those places where Church and State and poor are all to be maintained by free gift there the Tenth of our increase is far too little for those that have any thing considerable to spare to give to all these uses This is apparent in that the Tenths alone were not thought enough even in the time of the Law to give towards the publick worship of God For beside the Tenths there were the first fruits and oblations and many sorts of sacrifices and yet at the same time the Poor were to be maintained by liberal gifts beside the Tenths And though we read not of much given to the maintenance of their Rulers and Magistrates before they chose to have a King yet afterwards we read of much And before the charges of wars and publick works lay upon all In most places with us the publick Ministry is maintained by Glebe and Tythes which are none of the peoples gift at all for he that sold or leased them their lands did suppose that Tythes were to be payed out of it and therefore they paid a Tenth part less for it in Purchase Fines or Rents than otherwise they should have done so that I reckon that most of them give little or nothing to the Minister at all Therefore they may the better give so much the more to the needy and to other charitable uses But where Minister and Poor and all are maintained by the peoples contribution there the Tenths are too little for the whole work but yet to most or very many the Tenths to the Poor alone besides the maintenance of the Ministry and State may possibly be more than they are able to give The Tenths even among the Heathens were given in many places to their Sacrifices Priests and to Religious Publick Civil works besides all their private Charity to the Poor I find in Diog. Laertius lib. 1. mihi 32. that Pisistratus the Athenian Tyrant proving to Solon in his Epistle to him that he had nothing against God or man to blame him for but for taking the Crown tâ—lling him that he caused them to keep the same Laws which Solon gave them and that better than the popular Government could have done doth instance thus Atheniensium singuli decimas frugum suarum separant non in usus nostros consumendas verum sacrificiis publicis commodisque Communibus si quando bellum contra nos ingruerit in sumpius deputandas that is Every one of the Athenians do separate the Tythes of their fruits not to be consumed to our uses but to defray the charge in publick sacrifices and in the common profits and if war at any time invade us And Plautus saith Ut decimam solveret Herculi Indeed as among the Heathens the Tythes were conjunctly given for Religious and Civil uses so it seems that at first the Christian Emperours setled them on the Bishops for the use of the poor as well as for the Ministers and Church-service and utensils For to all these they were to be divided and the Bishop was as the guardian of the poor And the glebe or farmes that were given to the Church were all employed to the same uses And the Canons required that the Tythes should be thus disposed of by the Clergy non tanquam propriae sed domino oblatae And the Emperour Iustinian commanded the Bishops ne ea quae ecclesiis relicta sunt sibi adscribant sed in necessarios Ecclesiae usus impendant l. 43. c. de Epise Cler. vid. Albert. Ranâ—z Metrop l. 1. c. 2. sax l. 6. c. 52. And Hierom ad Damas. saith Quoniam quicquid habent clerici pauperum est domus illorum omnibus debent esse communes susceptioni peregrinorum hospitum invigilare debent Maxime curandum est illis ut de decimis oblationibus caenobiis Xenodochiis qualem voluerint potuerint sustentationem impendant Yet then the paying of Tythes did not excuse the people from all other charity to the poor Austin saith Qui sibi aut praemium comparat aut peccatorum desiderat indulgentiam promereri reddat decimam etiam de novem partibus studeat eleemosynam dare pauperibus And in our times there is less reason that Tythes should excuse the people from their
works of charity both because the Tythes are now more appropriate to the maintenance of the Clergy and because as is aforesaid the people give them not out of their own I confess if we consider how Decimation was used before the Law by Abraham and Iacob and established by the Law unto the Iews and how commonly it was used among the Gentiles and last of all by the Church of Christ it will make a considerate man imagine that as there is still a Divine Direction for one day in seven as a necessary proportion of Time to be ordinarily consecrated to God besides what we can spare from our other dayes so that there is something of a Divine Canon or direction for the Tenth of our revenews or increase to be ordinarily consecrated to God besides what may be spared from the rest And whether those Tythes that are none of your own and cost you nothing be now to be reckoned to â—rivate men as any of their Tenths which they themselves should give I leave to your consideratiâ—â— Amongst Augustines works we find an opinion that the Devils were the Tenth part of the Angels and that man is now to be the Tenth order among the Angels the Saints filling up the place that the Devils fell from and there being nine orders of Angels to be above us and that in this there is some ground of our paying Tenths and therefore he saith that Haec est Domini justissima consuetudo ut si tu illi decimam non dederis tu ad decimam revocaberis id est daemonibus qui sunt decima pars angelorum associaberis Though I know not whence he had this opinion it seemeth that the devoting of a tenth part ordinarily to God is a matter that we have more than a humane Direction for 15. In times of extraordinary necessities of the Church or State or Poor there must be extraordinary bounty in our Contributions As if an enemy be ready to invade the Land or if some extraordinary work of God as the Conversion of some Heathen Nations do require it or some extraordinary persecution and distress befall the Pastours or in a year of famine plague or war when the necessities of the poor are extraordinary The tenths in such cases will not suffice from those that have more to give Therefore in such a time the Primitive Christians sold their possessions and laid down the price at the feet of the Apostles In one word an honest charitable heart being presupposed as the root or fountain and prudence being the discerner of our duty the Apostles general Rule may much satisfie a Christian for the proportion 1 Cor. 16. 2. Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him And 2 Cor. 8. 12. According to that a man hath though there be many intimations that ordinarily a Tenth part at least is requisite III. Having thus resolved the question of the quota pars or proportion to be given I shall say a little to the question Whether a man should give most in his life time or at his Death Answ. 1. It is certain that the best work is that which is like to do most good 2. But to make it best to us it is necessary that we do it with the most self-denying holy charitable mind 3. That caeteris paribus all things else being equal the present doing of a good work is better than to defer it 4. That to do good only when you dye because then you can keep your wealth no longer and because then it costeth you nothing to part with it and because then you hope that this shall serve instead of true Repentance and Godliness this is but to deceive your selves and will do nothing to save your souls though it do never so much good to others 5. That he that sinfully neglecteth in his life time to do good if he do it at his death from true repentance and Conversion it is then accepted of God though the sin of his delay must be lamented 6. That he that delayeth it till Death not out of any selfishness backwardness or unwillingness but that the work may be the better and do more good doth better than if he hastened a lesser good As if a man have a desire to set up a Free School for perpetuity and the money which he hath is not sufficient if he stay till his Death that so the improvement of the money may increase it and make it enough for his intended work this is to do a greater good with greater self-denial For 1. He receiveth none of the increase of the money for himself 2. And he receiveth in his life time none of the praise or thanks of the work So also if a man that hath no Children have so much Land only as will maintain him and desireth to give it all to charitable uses when he dyeth this delay is not at all to be blamed because he could not sooner give it and if it be not in vain-glory but in love to God and to good works that he leaveth it it is truly acceptable at last So that all good works that are done at death are not therefore to be undervalued nor are they rejected of God but sometimes it falleth out that they are so much the greater and better works though he that can do the same in his life time ought to do it IV. But though I have spent all these words in answering these Questions I am fully satisfied that it is very few that are kept from doing good by any such doubt or difficulty in the case which stalls their judgements but by the power of sin and want of grace which leaveth an unwillingness and backwardness on their hearts Could we tell how to remove the impediments in mens wills it would do more than the clearest resolving all the cases of Conscience which their judgements seem to be unsatisfied in I le tell you what are the impediments in your way that are harder to be removed than all these difficulties and yet must be overcome before you can bring men to be like true Christians rich in good works 1. Most men are so sensual and so selfish that their own flesh is an insatiable gulf that devoureth all and they have little or nothing to spare from it to good uses It is better cheap maintaining a family of temperate sober persons than one fleshly person that hath a whole litter of vices and lusts to be maintained So much a year seemeth necessary to maintain their pride in needless curiosity and bravery and so much a year to maintain their sensual sports and pleasures and so much to please their throats or appetites and to lay in provision for Feavers and Dropsies and Coughs and Consumptions and an hundred such diseases which are the natural progeny of gluttony drunkenness and excess and so much a year to maintain their Idleness and so of many other vices But if one of these persons have the Pride