the Jews only Ro. 3.29 30. is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also Seeing he is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and Uncircumcision through Faith There is one Body and one Spirit Eph. 4.4 5. even as ye are called in one Hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men even the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the Flesh who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision in the Flesh made by hands Eph. 2.11 c. That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the World But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ for he is our Peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition between us Having abolished in his flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new Man so making Peace And that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross having slain the Enmity thereby And came and preached Peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh for through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God And ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner-stone In whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are builded together Gal. 3.8 for an habitation of God through the Spirit And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed and all the Families which are parts that constitute the Nations shall be blessed in Abraham i. e. in Christ whose Seed he is so the Faithful are said to be accepted in Christ in whom God is well pleased and beloved in God Gal. 3.14 who is God's well-beloved That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.28 Neither Jew all are one in Christ Jesus 2. Reason All Nations Sinners Gal. 3.22 2. Because all Nations have sinned The Scripture hath concluded all under Sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe For before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed For as ye in times past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also might obtain mercy Ro. 11.30 c. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all 3. Reason Jews and Gentiles made one 3. Because Christ also is a Mediator between men and men i. e. between Jew and Gentile who are now united and made all one To worship one God in all places after one manner in Spirit and in Truth All are united by Christ into one among themselves and all unto God with whom they are one in Communion and God with them by the Spirit the unity whereof they keep together in one Body in the Bond of Peace Christ a Soveraign Mediator Heb. 9.15 But Christ is most eminently the Soveraign Mediator of the New Testament because he hath made it and sealed it with his Blood Testament includes a Covenant And here the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must signifie a Testament and not a Covenant though elsewhere it may denote a Covenant For to speak accurately Testament and Covenant differ but alternly as Genus and Species For every Testament though it have no express Conditions for the Heir or Legataries to perform yet tacitly it implies a Covenant which is the consent of the Heir to receive the Inheritance And though the Heir doth not covenant with the Testator at the making of the Testament because that may be done altogether without his knowledg which is necessarily required in him that covenanteth Yet he covenants at the validity of the Testament for when the Covenant takes effect by his acceptance of and entring upon the Inheritance animo voluntate with mind and will then though before he were free he covenants or leagues to be his Heir and further to perform the Will of the Testator in what he hath required him to do So that every Testament at least when it is consummate and valid is a kind of Covenant And the best of Covenants 1. Because the Testator covenanteth with him whom he most of all loveth even so as to give and leave all to him and his own life that he may enjoy all that he hath given him 2. Because it is more solemnly testified than any other Covenant 3. Because it is most pretiously confirmed by the death of him that made it who establisheth his own Deed by his own Death 4. Because it proceeds with the greatest freedom in leaving the Heir to his Liberty whether he will accept of the Inheritance or no. Christ's Mediatorship consisted chiefly in these Acts. Wherein Christ's Mediatorship consists 1. In declaring and publishing the New Testament 2. In dying to confirm it 3. Interpreting electing and judging cum favore at the last day who are by right of Faith to receive the Inheritance and rejecting or reprobating those that have none 4. In putting the Elect into the full Possession of the Inheritance and condemning the Reprobate to have their Portion with the Devil and his Angels But how can Christ confirm that Testament by his Death who is but the Mediator or Heir and not the Testator himself Ob. I answer the solemn Act of any Person that hath right to make a Will Sol. testified by witnesses and confirmed by his Death is properly a Testament and he is the Testator of it amongst men For by the Civil Law Testament and Testator do commonly concur in one and the same Person yet not necessarily but accidentally Mediator and Testator how concurring For when a witness shall testifie upon his Death the verity and certainty of another man's Will and Testament such an one though he be not the Author yet he may be called the Testator to that Testament And by his Mediation to insinuate and
it self is the Mercy-Seat in Heaven and everlasting Grace and Glory with God The Way thereunto is Christ Jesus who first preached it and made his Personal Sacerdotal entrance into the highest Heavens Therefore the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain at the Death of Christ to shew the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers The Temple-Service went on constantly by Law for its own time but after Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension and the Mission of the Holy Ghost there was a New Dispensation and a Cessation and Nullity in Law as to God of all the Jewish Worship For the Time was come after Christ offered in his Holy Temple of Heaven and from thence bestowed gifts of Doctrine and Government upon his Church that Men should no longer worship God at Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim in either of the Temples there after the manner as formerly but in a way of Reformation all Men are called to worship God in all Places after one pure spiritual and perfect manner For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth which is highly acceptable to God through the most efficacious Ministry of our Great High-Priest before his Father in Heaven This shews the infelicity of those Times of the Law comparatively to these of the Gospel in which they were ignorant of that Grace and Glory that is now revealed and the poorness and baseness of the Service as of rude and beggarly Elements after the manner of the World in comparison of the rich and magnificent Ministration of the Gospel of Grace unspeakable and full of Glory performed by Christ himself in the immediate presence of his Father and of those that are Christ's by his Mediation offering their Spiritual Services in his Name and by him acceptable to the Father By all this Spiritual Discourse we learn to understand the great Offices of Christ's Mediation as Prophet Priest and King by which he shews himself the Author and Finisher of our Salvation and how and where and when they were performed in those two Estates so vastly different from each other viz. his Humiliation on earth and his Exaltation in heaven His obedience to Death Shame and a Curse his Rules to Life Glory and Bliss The CONTENTS Extent of Christ's Obedience To all Law Above all Law Against all Law Extremity of Christ's Obedience Rarity Shame Curse Reasons of Christ's Obedience To confirm Testament To expiate Sin and Misery TITLE VII Of Christ's Humiliation ALL aim at Happiness or at least to that which is Pleasant and gets a Name but we mistake the way know not the Lets neglect the Furtherances viz. chiefly Pride they are the Lets they carry us in a smooth way tending to Death but the Furtherances and Means are chiefly two to wit Humility and Obedience they carry us in a rough way that brings us to Life These St. Paul shews us by the Example of Christ He attained to the height of happiness God gave him a Name above every name All Power both in Heaven and Earth Phil. 2.8 9. How By Humility and Obedience I. Humility in stooping from the Majesty of God to the Meanness of Man 1. The Majesty of God equal with God and yet robbed him of no glory but sate him down at the Right hand of the Majesty on high 2. The Meanness of Man He made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a Servant and was found in fashion as a Man II. Obedience in yielding from the life of a Man to the death of a Malefactor SECTION I. I. The Extent of his Obedience In CHRIST are two Natures of God and Man Extent of Christ's Obedience and therefore two Carriages or Deportments 1. As God to Rule and Command all 2. As Man to Obey and Submit to all By Birth he is the Son of God by Obedience the Son of Man below Man A Worm and no Man For though he was the Son of God yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered 1. Obedient to the Will of God by fulfilling it and suffering it God's Will was done by him and done upon him Joh. 4 24. Joh. 6.38 It was his Meat and Drink to do the Will of his Father He came down from Heaven not to do his own Will but the Will of him that sent him I delight to do thy Will O God yea it is within my heart 2. Obedient to the Will of Man Obedient to Pilate to the Souldiers to the Jews As a Lamb that is dumb before the Shearers so he opened not his mouth When he was reviled he reviled not again he turned his Cheek to the Smiters and suffered the Plowers to plow upon his back and made long surrows This was the vast compass of his Obedience from doing of all Right to the suffering of all Wrong 1. Obedient to all Law never committed Sin To all Law neither was Guile found in his mouth 2. Obedient above all Law payed Tribute Above all Law Math. 17.24 though free and priviledged because he would give no offence 3. Obedient against all Law suffered all wrong Against all Law suffered his own Disciple that eat of his bread to betray him endured Bonds Stripes Buffetings Spitting Mocking Crucifying The Obedience of the Rechabites was something to drink no Wine The Obedience of Hosea more to Marry a Whore Yet all this was but a Living Obedience for Wine Houses Wife c. But Christ's Obedience was beyond Life to Death Abraham's Obedience was great to offer Isaac his only Son miraculously born to him by Promise This Obedience came near unto death but not to death yet had he slain him he had but been obedient to the death of another his son but Christ was obedient to the death of himself Isaac was obedient to the death of himself but was rescued and did not die so was not Christ for he died the death indeed Christ his death was for no fault of his at all Pilate cleared him Luk. 23.22 so did the Thief and the Centurion Christ his death came from no force of others as he took his life when and how and of whom he pleased so he laid down his life when and how and by whom he pleased no man could take it from him he bowed freely and yielded up the Ghost SECTION II. Extremity of Christ's Obedience II. The extremity of his Obedience to the death even of the Cross an Ignominy beyond death To suffer death and to be put to death is common some have offered themselves to death and dared to die But this is the worst kind of death As there are several kinds of life so of death some are better than others As a life with ease pleasure honour and riches is better than another so a death with shame and a curse is worse than a plain simple death Christ then did worse than die for he hanged upon the Cross and was Cursed In
be enlarged to all places in the World and that not after this nor that manner of outward and carnal worship but after the only manner of inward and spiritual Service John 4.24 for God was a Spirit and therefore the true worshippers of God should always worship him in Spirit and in Truth From hence therefore the world is given to understand the two great Doctrines First That the true worship of God is onely Spiritual Secondly That there is greater perfection in Christianity than in Judaism or Heathenism Worship Spiritual 1. That the True Worship of God is only Spiritual Religion is a Spiritual service that is Prayers Praisings Eucharists Acts of Love Acts of Faith Acts of Hope Acts of Humility Fasting Alms c. Excepting the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper whose effects are Spiritual Sense mysterious Rites easie and number smallest I dare in meekness and charity challenge all perswasions to shew me if they can in the whole Digest of the Christian Law any other external Rite or Ceremony enjoyned or that is necessary that it should be enjoyned Reason Because as the Christian Religion intends wholly an exclusion of all Mosaick Ceremonies made by God so it will not admit of a Body of new and superinduced Rites made by men for they are or may be as much against the Analogy of the spiritual Worship of Jesus Christ as the body of Rites made by Moses and more because they were made by the Will of God but these meerly by the Wills of men Ceremonies The Ceremonies of the Christian Services may be Practised but must be no part of Religion it self but either the Circumstances thereof or the imperate acts of some moral Virtue As thus The Christian must be in some place when he prays and that place may and it is fit it should be determined by Authority for the publick prayers and thither he must go and yet for his private prayers he may go any where else And so for preaching And because the Religious actions of a Christian are finite therefore they must be done as in a place so at a time and that time may and it is fit it should be determined by Authority and then he must do his Devotions in publick at that time only but for his private devotions he may do them at any time else The Religious Actions of a Christian must be in some posture of his Body and that posture may be appointed and it is fit it should be appointed by Authority for the publick worship as to kneel or stand or bow c. and then he must do it in that posture that he is commanded in that publick place and yet he may use what postures he pleases at any other time or place for his private devotions And when the Christian comes to the publick place at the time appointed for Publick Prayer his prayers though in the Spirit must be of some form or manner of expressions by words and that form and manner of expressions by words may and it is fit it should be ordained by Authority for the whole Congregation openly and yet he may be and is at liberty to use what other form he pleases in his private addresses to God And this is enough to satisfie all those that have the true spirit of Christ who though he had no need of the Circumcision of the Law nor yet of the Baptism of the Gospel because there was no superfluity of evil to him to be cut off nor any stain of sin to be washed away yet he suffered himself to be circumcised and baptized and did obey that Law which he came to abolish and was subject to those Powers that were then over him in the world and quarrelled at nothing but was willing to fulfill all Righteousness And if our Fanaticks had the true spirit of Christ they would do as he did and be obedient to his Laws and to the Laws of the Powers that God hath set over them The Differences betwixt the Mosaick Rites under the Law and the Christian Rites Difference of Mosaick and of Christian Rites besides what Christ himself hath ordained under the Gospel are these 1. The Mosaick Rites were only appointed by God but these Christian Rites are appointed by men 2. They were necessary parts of that Religion that then was so far as it was discerned but these are not 3. The Mosaick Ceremonies did oblige every where but the Christian only in publick 4. They were integral parts of the Jewish Religion but these are but circumstances and investitures of our Religious Actions 5. They were done all of them in the spirit of Bondage and great fear but ours are done in the Spirit of Liberty and great Love They were lasting as long as that Religion was to last but ours are alterable though our Religion be everlasting 7. They were many and burdensome and very costly for they were at greater charges to buy Cattel c. for the Sacrifices and the Priests and Levites were as Butchers and Porters and Cooks to knock down Oxen or cut the throats of Calves c. and slay them c. but ours are few and easie and cheap but neither theirs nor ours did or ever will please God The sum is the Ceremonies of Christians they may be the accidents of their worship they must be no more but a just investiture of Time Place Form Habit and Posture He that would have his body decently vested must not wear five and twenty Cloaks a Stole and a Tunick will suffice some thing for warmth and something for ornament does well But as the tender and delicate Woman that will scarcely vouchsafe to set her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness and thinks no ornaments curious enough for her head and the rest of her body makes it the work of half a day to dress and deck her self is a slave to her fine trinkets and thinks neither her Soul nor Body but her habiliments to be the principal part of her care So they that are superstitious and over much righteous in Will-worship and count no formalities nor bodily exercises enough to set out their Devotions are servants to their Beads and trumperies and think not of the substance of Religion but make the out sides thereof the principal part of their care Church of Rome Thus the Church of Rome whose Ceremonies are described in a great Book in folio Quem mea vix totum Bibliotheca capit and my purse strings will not stretch to buy it And although by such means Religion is made pompous and apâ—â—o allure them that admire their gay nothing yet then it also spends their Religious passions and wonderments in that which effects nothing upon the Soul The Priest must be intent upon his Rubrick that he miss nothing of his Bowings Crosses Anointings Sprinklings Perfumes c. and the people are taken up with staring upon the dumbe Images the Larges and the Priests
the good of his Church So he is able to save them to the utmost that come to God by him seeing that he ever liveth to make Intercession for them REASONS 1. Because the Sacrifice offered was without all sin and infirmity and Reason 1 therefore fit for Heaven into which no unclean nor weak thing can ever enter Christ's Body therefore being quickned by the Spirit and made immortal was prepared and fit to be offered by the same Spirit in the fittest Place of Heaven unto the fittest Person the God of Heaven for the obtaining of the fittest Blessings of Heaven or the Kingdom of Heaven So the Person that offers is Heavenly The Sacrifice offered is Heavenly The Spirit by which he offers is Heavenly The God to whom he offers is Heavenly The Place where he offered is Heavenly The Blessings he offered for are Heavenly All harmonious and homogeneal the substance and truth of Types and Shadows 2. Because an Earthly Sanctuary may be purged by the blood of Bulls Reason 2 or Goats c. But an Heavenly Sanctuary cannot be purged by any thing but by the blood of Christ Earthly and carnal Blood is sufficient to consecrate an earthly and carnal Sanctuary and to expiate earthly and carnal Sins and Pollutions but heavenly and spiritual Blood only can consecrate an heavenly and spiritual Sanctuary and expiate spiritual and Soul-sins The Blood of Goats and Calves c. did cleanse from outward Filthiness but could not purifie the Conscience nor cause the Remembrance thereof to cease so as there should be no more Conscience nor Punishment of sin It was therefore necessary Heb. 9.23 24. that the bare Patterns and Representations of things which are in the Heavens should be purified with these Sacrifices but the Heavenly things themselves must be purified with better Sacrifices than these For Christ is not entred into the Holy Places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the Presence of God for us Obj. Needs then the Heaven of Heavens to be purged Sol. No for it is most Holy But it needs to be dedicated or consecrated by Christ's blood not for himself to enter in for his habitation it was from everlasting but for us Men that we might have right by him to enter in after him when he shall call for us Therefore he as High-Priest thus solemnly entred by this New and Living way through the Veil that is to say his Flesh to offer the Blood thereof shed on the Cross in the outward-Temple so to consecrate or dedicate that Place for us Thus he is gone before to prepare a place for us that where he is there we might also be He first opened Heaven-door If he had not opened it it had never been opened And now it is opened by him it shall never be shut by him nor by any other against any that seek rightly to enter in for who dare shut when he hath opened or open where he hath shut Who hath the Keys of David that shutteth when no man openeth and openeth when no man shutteth This is the Gate of the Temple into which none but Christ did ever enter nor ever shall but all the Righteous shall enter in at the last day both Souls and Bodies Psal 114.20 This is the Gate of the Lord into which the Righteous shall enter And none but such as have right by Faith can enter for though this place of Rest everlasting be provided for all as the Promises were to all yet all shall not enter because all men have not Faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God And so they cannot enter in because of their Unbelief This is he that comes with full Right and Power of Command saying Open me the Gates of Righteousness Psal 114.19 c. and I will enter into them This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes This is the Day which the Lord hath made Psal 24.7 c. we will rejoyce and be glad in it Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye Everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory The LORD strong and mighty in Battel the Lord of Hosts he is the King of Glory Thus Christ is the True Sacrifice the True Light the True Bread the True Way the True Life the True Altar the True Priest and Heaven is the True Temple And all is Truth which Christ came to bear witness of in the Gospel Reason 3 3. Because Christ did never enter into the Earthly Sanctuary for he had no Right as being of Judah not of Levi though otherwise he had all Right nor did he take upon him to Sacrifice or to Rule being born under the Law Who made him a Priest or a Judge till he ascended up into his proper Temple and Throne of Heaven he pertaineth to another Tribe Heb. 7.13 of which no man gave attendance at the Altar for it is evident our Lord sprang of Judah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Christ therefore being a Priest must offer and must have somewhat to offer and some Place to offer in but he had nothing to offer here on Earth for there were other Priests that had nor was he a Priest here nor had he any Altar to offer upon or Temple to offer in as the other Priests had He could therefore offer up nothing but his own Body and Blood and that only in the Most holy Place of Heaven and not elsewhere We have such an High Priest as is set on the Right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens a Minister of the Sanctuary Heb. 8.1 c. and of the True Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man For every High-Priest is ordained to offer Gifts and Sacrifices wherefore it is of Necessity that this Man have somewhat to offer For if he were on Earth he should not be a Priest seeing there are Priests that offer Gifts according to the Law who serve unto the Example and Shadow of Heavenly things as Moses was admonished to make all according to the Pattern delivered to him in the Mount 4. Because a Worldly Service required a Worldly Sanctuary but a Reason 4 Heavenly Service required a Heavenly Sanctuary The Candlestick the Table the Golden Censer Heb. 9.1 the Ark of the Covenant over-laid round about with Gold the Golden pot of Manna Aaron 's Rod that budded the Tables of the Covenant the Cherubims of Glory shadowing the Mercy-Seat besides Washings and Sacrifices of all kinds of which it is too large to speak All these were fitted for that Time and Place But God hath prepared a New and Spiritual Service an Altar Priest and Sacrifice and Temple all Heavenly and in Heaven 5. Because the Way to the Holiest of all was made manifest after the Reason 5 first Tabernacle on Earth was fallen Heb. 9.8 The Thing
Adopted Sons of God by Grace 2. We are sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise 3. We are renewed by Regeneration 4. We are Justified by his Grace through Faith 5. We are invited by his glorious Promises greater than we can understand Now he that considereth this state of things and hopes for the state of blessings will proceed in duty and love towards the perfection of God never giving out till he partake of the purities of God and his utmost Glories perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord till he obtain an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus In the practice of these spiritual duties there is no difficulty but what is made by the careless lives and actions of outward Christians and by their lazy and unholy Principles So that after the rate such Christians live now it is hard to know how and in what instances and in what degrees our duty ought to excell that of Moses's disciples though a Greater than Moses is here But they that love will do the thing that is good and so understand the Rule of perfection Obedite intelligetis Obey and ye shall know all that is necessary to be known for God shall lead you into all truth and love is the fulfilling of the whole Law We cannot be too careful for ignorant and weak and carnal persons especially for hypocrites because both pretend the one sort really as knowing no better but the other falsely and basely to the shame of Christianity that 1. This so high and spiritual worship inclines the minds of men to scruples and dislikes of all orders and rules in the Church and so because Christians must have but few Rites therefore they will endure none at all or such only as are of their own making We protest utterly against this spirit of men that it is an abuse of Christian Liberty and a cloak of maliciousness in hypocrites and a grievous cheat to all weak and well-meaning Christians 2. That this leads into rebellion against the religious Powers that according to their bounden duties do establish order and decency in all things belonging to the Service of God It is the principal care of the Magistrate to see that God be honourably served in Publick with decency at set times and places with set forms and postures to avoid confusion Now these pretenders to spirituality only do strongly set themselves against the face of Authority under the shew of Conscience This is a very wicked thing most contrary to the meaning of the Spirit and Power of Godliness For God hath ordained Princes to rule and Subjects to obey But these unruly Spirits under a feigned zeal for God's Cause set up their own Cause and set the whole world on fire by their ungodly Rebellions Take heed therefore of this one thing The True Gospel-Spirit minds most of all a True Spiritual Service But if Lawful and Religious Power commands a few innocent Forms to be observed in publick only to avoid Distraction they submit peaceably and still continue to worship God in the Spirit in publick In the Time Appointed by Law In the Place Appointed by Law In the Posture Appointed by Law In the Form Appointed by Law And in private too at any time place and in any form or posture as they themselves shall please What can be done more If men were not unreasonable they would be contented and come in to the Publick Worship and not proudly separate themselves as they do This did not the Jews though they had different opinions otherwise and this do not the Papists though they have several Orders and Perswasions amongst them For all Jews came to the same Temple and all Papists to the same Mass But our Sects are more unfortunately cross and more unhandsomely disobedient to Ecclesiastical and Temporal Authority than all the world besides the more is our misery Learn to be wiser and make it a matter of Conscience to fulfil all Righteousness to take your liberty in God's name in private no body desires to hinder you in the least Have ye not houses to pray in Mat. 3.13 Why despise ye the House of Prayer Shall I praise you for this I praise you not Do not forbear the assembling of your selves together as the custome of too many is to do It is spiritual Pride it is not only rebellious but uncivil and very rude to flock together to unlawful meetings or to stay at home or walk in the fields or streets or be at Ale-houses or Taverns as people unconcerned when better men than you are gathered together in the fear of God and Obedience to the Laws to Pray and Praise God and to hear his Word and to give Alms to the Poor O how decent a thing it is for Brethren to meet together in Unity And how prudent is that Devotion that places all the substance of Religion in the heart and yet uses the circumstances of order to avoid the confusion of wild Extravagancies Certain it is that if every one were left to serve God in his own way there would be no Face of a Church One would be Working or Playing while another was Preaching or Praying ignorant men and women would take upon them to teach and the blind would lead the blind till they both fall into the ditch We have greater cause therefore to bless God for establishing Powers over us without which we should be as herds of Wild Beasts rather than sober men and fall foul of one anothers persons and estates But God is the God of Order not of Confusion and we have no such unmannerly Custome nor ever had the true Churches of God Abhor therefore if you be wise all Fanatick Expressions That all Time all Places are alike so they are but not for publick Offices and that any Postures Gestures or Habits may be used so they may but not in Publick Service God and Man have given us our Liberty in Private only for the Publick we are restrained This is enough to give content to all Parties if Reason would do it for this is decent and comely in the sight of God and Man And thus it becometh us to dispute no more about such matters but to fulfil all Righteousness Spiritual Perfection From what hath been delivered at large I collect these Reasons for Spiritual Worship and Gospel-Perfection Reas I Because the Ritual Worship induced by God is abolished Believe me Ritual Worship abolished John 4.23 the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit Col. 2.16 c. and in truth Let no man deceive you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath
c. and when they were gone out of sight they erected their Statues and conceited that the power of their Numens was confined to those Stocks and Stones and raised Temples to their honour that they might keep them near to themselves and have recourse to them in all their necessities As the Children of Israel who though they heard Gods voice and saw fire upon the Mount and the Pillar of a Cloud and of fire in the Red Sea as visible tokens of his presence yet because the Thunder and Lightning was terrible they could not endure it and because Moses was gone up to the Mountain for forty daies they gave him for gone whom they wished to speak unto them and now they lacked some visible Gods such as they saw in Egypt and forced Aaron to make them a Golden Calf and cried saying Make us Gods to go before us for as for this Moses we know not what is become of him And when they had their Idols to their mind they said with joy These be thy Gods O Israel Thus the greatest part of Mankind though they had in them by the light of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient knowledge of God yet they glorified him not as God neither were thankful Ro. 1.21 c. but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves wise they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like unto corruptible Man and to Birds and four-footed Beasts and creeping things wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own Bodies between themselves who changed the Truth of God into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creatour who is blessed or evermore Amen And this carnal and gross humour cauled the opinion of carnal Gods and of a carnal worship by them of the true God Wherefore God knowing the dull temper of the Jews and their fond disposition of being like unto the rest of the World commanded them Altars and Sacrifices of Beasts and Birds to the true God which otherwise they would have erected and raised to false Gods Till the time of Reformation God winked at this Ignorance in them and the rest of the World and brought in by his Son the full revelation of the True God and his True worship in Spirit and in Truth The CONTENTS Natural Religion Supernatural Religion Revelation TITLE III. Of Religion ALL men being convinced that there is a God from what they are and from what is within their Souls and Bodies as also from the Magnificent Beautiful and Harmonious works of God in the World round about them and that he is most Powerful Wise Holy Just and Gracious c. It must necessarily follow that this God ought to be worshipped and served Natural Religion which is the Natural Religion due to God from all his Creatures who do also express it in one kind or other but more especially the Rational Creatures who are most able and most obliged to give unto God this their reasonable service and most especially Mankind who have most need and who stand in peculiar relation to God who made them but a little lower than the Angels and Lords of this Inferiour World and designed them for the Inheritance of Glory with Angels and Arch-Angels in heaven To which Estate they should have passed by Grace and Favour if they had kept his Law which he first gave them and then all their religious Applications to God should have been in the quality of Saints in Honour and Praise and Thanksgiving for evermore But since the First man did disobey and die all since do and suffer the same sin and death therefore all their religious Addresses to God must be made in the quality of Sinners and Sufferers Being therefore thus sinful and miserable in all their transactions from time to time with a Deity they have been complaining and bemoaning their condition and imploring relief and mercy to cleanse the stain of their Guilt and to remove their sorrow and plague and after pardon to return praise and thanks For this purpose they all along poured out their Supplications and offered their gifts and Sacrifices of their best things even of their Children sometimes by a blind zeal thinking to pacifie and attone if it might be the wrath of a provoked God This way of Service in their approaches to Heaven Nature prompted them unto even to do the best they could to purifie themselves and appease their Maker Yet even this they quickly forgot and performed the same Devotion to the Creatures that were below themselves and forsook their Creatour out of an idle fancy that they could not see him nor hear nor feel him because he was far above out of their sight and reach Therefore this Natural Information of Divine duty and worship did not do the work as is proved by the experience of Idolaters for some thousands of years Supernatural Religion Therefore it was necessary that there should be a supernatural Revelation from God to Man for his conduct and guidance in the way of Religion In order to which practice and the end of Salvation whereto it was to tend God that was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself revealed his Will what he would have done by Man and his Promises what was to be had of him for a Reward by degrees more and more till Christ came from the bosom of his Father who brought in all Perfection and taught us all things As namely 1. By common instinct unto all men 2. By special Impulse to the first Fathers 3. By Dreams and Visions to the Prophets 4. By Providences and Dispensations of all sorts 5. By Miracles and great Wonders 6. By Christ Jesus saying This is my welbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Heb. 1.1 So great is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past to our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath made Heir of all things That is Before the Law immediately By the Law Angels and Moses mediating By the Gospel Christ and his Spirit mediating Revelation The Subject of Gods Revelation all along more or less is Gods Bounty Blessedness and Mans Duty Holiness The Manner all along move or less is Instinct oral Instruction Writing in Tables Writing in Heart the Law Will Testament and Word of God This Divine commerce and interposure of Revelation of Gods Will is the true means of serving God aright which was never wanting in some degree sufficient to all that endeavoured after it But through Carelesness and Sensuality the greatest part of Mankind have been imposed upon by fantastical Dreams and magical Divinations of Astrologers Sooth-sayers Poets Philosophers Enchanters Prophets Priests Running to Oracles and Entrails of sacrificed Beasts and Flying of
Physick presently these were their Gods and were worshipped by them after their Death as Jupiter Mars Bacchus c. They tasted the pretious things put forth by the Sun and the pretious things put forth by the Moon and fell to worshipping those glorious Lights and forgate that God that made them and gave all that Glory and virtue to them They considered not the first Cause that moved all the rest Thus they looked short at the Deities they saw which were but Creatures as themselves and the vilest of all Creatures they were not ashamed to worship and forgate God that made them and all the World Ro. 1.21 c. So though they knew God yet they glorified him not as God neither were thankful to him but became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves wise they became foolish And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four footed Beasts and creeping things Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own Bodies between themselves Who changed the Truth of God into a Lye and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever Amen c. Knowing therefore that God is and must be our God by Right of Creation whether we will or no why should we fly to them that are no Gods And be in Covenant with them When God calls upon us every way but especially in his Gospel to be his People and promises to be our God as by Nature so by Grace if we will take him to be our God and enter into Covenant with him A great Grace for God thus to offer himself and promise his Grace if we will accept it he first loveth us that we might love him because he loved us Therefore how ingracious a thing must it be for a Creature beloved of God to refuse the offer of his Grace who is the Creator and will be their Redeemer and Saviour if they will but chuse him for their God and keep his Covenant What more can be done by God or Man in this Case And how can a Covenant be made without the Consent of both Parties Salvation it self cannot save those men that thus reject the Promises of God against themselves No man can receive a Grace from God or man without or against his Will Salvation it self is not able to save those that will not be saved God nor man can do any good unto a wilful Soul If we perish we perish and destroy our selves But in God is our help if we will take it It is natural reason that teacheth us to be in Covenant with God Natural to be in Covenant with God If he made us and not we our selves if he preserve us and not we our selves then he is to give us Laws and not we our selves and we are to obey his Laws and not our own Lusts It is a perfect Covenant that we are bound to make with God Who saith do ut des facio ut facies I give you your Being and Preservation therein that you should give me your Obedience and Subjection I do this for you that you may do something for me even what I shall command you The Stoick says well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Duties are measured out by Relations the care of the Father calleth for the honour of the Son the Rule of the Master commandeth the Duty of the Servant These are domestici Magistratus Houshold Lords If they say go we must go if they say do this we must do it And there is Reason for it because we have benefit from them and this obliges to Service Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is my honour And if I be a Master where is my fear To be in Covenant with God is to keep his Laws and they are not grievous but his yoke is easy and his burden is light And it is in our power to do what God requireth by the help of his Grace And he is Faithful and true that will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will together with the Temptation give strength that we may be able to bear it The Law is a Contract or Covenant because he that cometh under a Law hath bound himself to keep it as the Law-maker himself hath done All other Creatures without Life Reason or Will obey their Creator The Sun knoweth his setting and the Moon her Seasons and all the Stars observe their Motions by a Quasi-Covenant but reasonable Creatures do perfectly oblige themselves by their free Consent and Agreement with God their Lord besides their natural Obligation common to them with all other Creators Therefore to conclude the Benefit of our covenanting with God is that thereby we have Right to all that we have or can have in order to our Blessedness and without it we have right to nothing but Cursedness There must always be means for the obtaining of the end which we aim at when the Will by it's own Motion cannot immediately effect that the End should approach to the Agent or the Agent to the end This Rule therefore must be observed Qui jus dat ad finem censetur etiam jus dare ad illa media sine quibus finis obtineri nequit aliàs enim nihil esset actum He that gives Right to the end doth give Right to those means without which that end cannot be obtained or else nothing is done From whence it follows that if these means be unlawful or impossible I am not obliged to that end so far forth as it is attainable only by using such means Thence it is that evil is not to be done that good may come thereof No man can be bound to do that good to which without sin he cannot arrive So that he may come off from such unlawful Vows But when a man is bound to good Means for a good End he cannot come off safely but if he do the Covenant is broken and the other Party free as both may be if they so agree The Matrimonial Covenant by the divine Positive Law hath this special Prerogative That the essence of the Conjugal vow not being violated it cannot be dissolved though by consent of both Parties as other temporary Covenants are It is commonly denyed that any man can be obliged to himself because when the same Person is the Obliger and the Obliged the obliger may free the obliged when he pleaseth and he that can do this is actually free And so a Prince cannot be obliged to his Subjects because they have resigned up their wills to his will absolutely without reserving any power to themselves According to that common Rule of Law That in Covenants there must be two Parties and when the Debtour succeeds the Creditour the debt ceaseth or the obligation is taken away by confusion when of two persons one is
grievous in such cases The CONTENTS Writing Testimony Confirmation Execution Christ the Executor Executorship conditional Flesh and Blood Christ's Assention Spirit 's Mission TITLE VI. Of the Confirmation of the New Testament NOW the New Testament though it were not written as was the Old with the finger of God upon Tables of Stone but was Nuncupative yet this Nuncupation was by God himself not by any Angel and that unto Christ himself only to be published and accordingly was published by him in his own Person and by his Spirit in the persons of the Apostles and their Disciples through the whole World and afterwards committed to writing by the chief of the Apostles and not only so Writing but written again after a better manner by the spirit of God himself upon the Tables of Mens Hearts Testimony And as for the Testimony given thereunto to prove it to be the Will of God Christ himself did testifie thereof with such mighty miracles as never had been done before Besides the unquestionable Holiness of his life and the solemnity of his death Which things were not done in a corner but in the full view of a greater Congregation than was at Mount Sinai for he preached in their Temple and Synagogues and did wonders in all Judea and suffered death upon Mount Calvary Mat. 27.51 At which time the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose The Sun also was darkned after an extraordinary manner when the Moon was at the Full. And after all this was added as the last and greatest Proof of all the glory of his Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven He saith therefore of himself John 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause I came into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth And the Apostle said of him 1 Tim. 6.13 Rev. 3.14 that before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good Confession Hence he is called the Amen the faithful and true Witness the Martyr of the New Testament to testifie it with his Blood His death was not only a Testimony Confirmation but a Confirmation of the New Testament because his death doth wholly and for ever extinguish in him all will or power to revoke it and evidence that immediately from that Death God's Testament was ipso facto in force and began to take effect for the Justification of Mankind to all the Rights in that Testament contained by the Access of their Faith Thus the immortal God came as near to Death as he could by the Death of his Son in his Divine Nature immortal but made a mortal man to dye in his Father's stead and to demonstrate his own and his Father 's unconceivable Love to lay down his Life for Sinners Which thing deserves a perpetual Commemoration so commanded by Christ in the Holy Eucharist instituted by him for that purpose And as Wills are to be proved and confirmed Execution so they are to be executed and performed or else the Will it self is as dead as he that made it and so was made to no purpose The publick Wills of Legislators are to be put in Execution by sworn Magistrates or else the Law is in vain and a dead Letter And the private Wills of Testators are to be put in Execution by their Heirs or Executors covenanting and swearing so to do else the Will or Law of the Testator is frustrated Now of this New Testament Christ is the Executor or Mediator Christ Executor between God the Testator and the Legataries in the Will expressed to convey unto them from God as a Priest the Expiation of their Sins by his Sacerdotal offering up of himself to God in the Temple of Heaven and the Mission of his Spirit to cleanse their hearts and as a King sitting in the Throne of Heaven to rule his Church and protect them from their Enemies and to raise them up from Death and set them at his Right hand and at his left in heavenly places and as a Prophet to lead them into all Truth And Christ as an Executor and Mediator received to himself this benefit to be the universal Heir of God who was so by Nature and was so appointed by Grace to be Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 And for this purpose had all Power given unto him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 and universal honour also wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Jesus Phil. 2.9 every knee should bow of Persons in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth For let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 and he hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and triumphed over them openly 1 Cor. 15.27 and hath put all his Enemies under his feet The Reason is because Christ's Executorship was conditional Reason 1 Executorship Conditional that is charged upon the Condition of his own Death he must dye before he can enter upon it and therefore dye that he may perform it because every Testament is a Decree of things to be done after Death and this Testament of God hath this strange Prerogative above the Testaments of men that it is confirmed by the Death of a Man who was God and that the Executor not the Testator dyes and that the Disposition of things to be had or done is made after the Death of the Executor who for that purpose rose from the dead that he might justifie the faithful to the Inheritance of Heaven A Cause quite contrary to the Testaments of men wherin the Testator only dies to confirm his Testament and the Executor surviving performs it Therefore as Christ the principal Heir was fitted to receive his Inheritance ordained for him in that Testament whereof he was Executor So we that are Christ's Co-heirs must be fitted to receive the same Inheritance ordained for us in that Testament wherein we are Legataries Reas 2 Flesh and Blood 1 Cor. 15.5 Joh. â— 14 1 Cor. 15.45 Heb. 2.9 2. Because Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of heaven And CHRIST the Word was made Flesh but afterwards he was made Spirit For the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit And JESUS who was made a little lower than the Angels for or by they suffering of Death was crowned with glory and Honour And so Christ was made perfect For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto glory Heb. 2.10 to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through Sufferings And though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him And so Christians they are first Flesh For that which is
is not hindred from acting it nor forced to act the contrary Thus God doth act his own VVill and the Angels and glorified Saints act their own VVills and this is Liberty IV. A Loosness of Man to his Proper Rule is Liberty Loosness to proper Rule The Proper Rule of Man is the Law As a Restraint from that is Slavery so a Loosness to it is Liberty All other Rules as the Wisdom of the Flesh and the World are strong and impediments When thou art clear from these and loose to live by the Law Jam. 1.15 then thou art free to walk according to the perfect Law of Liberty Not that the Law leaves us to our Liberty whether to keep it or no much less gives Liberty to transgress it but because the observing of it argues Liberty freely to run in the waies of God's Commandments The Law not Conscience is the Soveraign Rule of Man i. e. God's Law or Man's Law where no Law of God declares it unlawful for the Conscience must have a Guide i. e. a Law to rule it or else it is unruly For where there is no Law there is no Conscience seeing Conscience is but the dictate of the Law of Equity which is a Law prescribing to the Law of Justice and over-ruling it And Conscience pretended is but blindness of mind or hardness of heart unless it can see or feel it self in some Law Therefore for a Man to be restrained from his proper Rule that he cannot or may not live by the Law but forced to live without or contrary to Law only at the will and pleasure of another is slavery but the contrary is true Liberty V. A Loosness of Man to his Proper State is Liberty Loosness to proper State The Proper State of a Man is to be a person after God's own Image And as a Restraint from that makes Slavery so a Loosness to it is Liberty All other States as of Sin and Corruption are exotick and forreign heterogeneous and troublesom but when none of the Manacles restrain the Spirit there is Freedom Hence Natural Corruption is a state of Slavery because it deteriorates and depraves thy proper Person diminisheth thy head and defaces God's Image in thee But thy Spiritual Regeneration is a state of Liberty because it meliorates advances thy head and restores thee to the New Man after God and Christ in Righteousness and Holiness And that Spirit of God that doth Regenerate doth thereby adopt and therefore Enfranchise For if Children then free the Spirit of Adoption is contrary to the Spirit of Bondage and the Law of the Spirit of Life makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death The state of Servitude is Death for Slaves as Dead men have no Will no more than Beasts to act any thing in Law VI. A Loosness of Man to his Proper Right is Liberty Loosness to proper Right The Proper Right of a Man is the Propriety in himself and over himself And as a Restraint from that is Slavery so a Loosness from that is Liberty All other Rights as Lands Goods c. are forreign and extraneous When none of these are Clogs and Impediments to the Spirit then there is Liberty Hence Liberty is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Power over ones self and such as have it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free to Rule over themselves A Man that hath a Dominion of a thing doth dispose and use that thing to his own end so he that hath Dominion of himself doth dispose and use himself to his own end and is Lord of himself and therefore Free God's Dominion over Man doth not extinguish Man's Dominion over himself no more than the Power of a Prince or Father doth extinguish the Liberty of a Subject or Son but rather the more God is thy Lord the more free art thou his Servant The more God is thy Father the more free art thou his Son Because God's service and Sonship is the most perfect freedom for it laies thee open to all his Favours and Rewards Thus the Form Seat Terms and Cases of Liberty shew the true Nature of it which is a Loosness of the Spirit from all Evil unto all Good in all the Proprieties thereof The Use of all this is to confute the Vulgar opinion That Liberty is an Indifferency to do or not to do this or the contrary An Opinion which hath bred many intricate Questions and hard Speeches against God I have therefore laboured to overthrow it not expressly by confuting the Absurdities of it but tacitly and consequently by shewing what is the Truth and proving it so to be ☞ A way which though it be least practised yet is of most dispatch and fullest of Charity for when the Truth shines out clearly all Errors against it do quickly vanish and no ill words pass upon it for they are sooner cut off with one dead stroke at the Root than singly cropt each by it self in the Branches to grow again and increase much more For otherwise there is no end of Disputes and consequently of Sects and so of Animosities and so Pride and all Mischief as woful Experience doth demonstrate in all places But we have learned no such Custom nor the Churches of God VVe know better things and labour to do them And thou Beloved Christian learn thy Duty to perceive those Truths that are evident to them that will use their Reason humbly and to believe those that are not so evident The saying is good if well taken In Necessariis Unitas in Dubiis Libertas in Omnibus Charitas In Necessary Doctrines let there be an agreement of Unity in those that are more obscure a Mutual Liberty but in all things let there be Charity And this is for the Nature of True Freedom The CONTENTS God Christ Faithful Term of Recess Bondage Term of Access Sonship TITLE XII Of the Subjest of Liberty SEcondly The Subjects of Liberty are of three sorts viz. 1. God is the Father of True Liberty 2. Christ is the Son of it 3. The Faithful are the Members of it SECTION I. I. God is the Father of True Liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolutely Free GOD. holding from none the Author End and Pattern of all Liberty in the Creature As the Sun is the Fountain of Life so God is the Fountain of Liberty Liber Liberator Free and making all Free that are free As Liberty is the Priviledge of the King for where the King is there is Freedom to himself and others no Man may be affronted arrested or beaten in his presence 2 Cor. 3. pen. So where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 1. Because God is naturally Infinite no Bounds upon him Reason Omniscient Omnipotent and Omnipresent Ergo Naturally Free 2. Because God is naturally Loose no Bonds upon him So Mighty that he cannot so Constant that he will not be let or hindred Who shall say unto him What dost
neck that he might chop it off at a blow and he that set Rome on fire on purpose to please his ungodly will and sense to see the flames like Troy and sing Homer's Iliads over it What shall we think of these things and whither will the ill natures of Men run while they make an ill natured God like themselves Can these things be right let the world judge SECT XLIV The safest way is to think speak and do justly and charitably of and to God and Man Collect. 10. Wrong none 1. Not to wrong the inanimate creatures nor the brutes which groan under the abuses of wicked Men. 2. Not to wrong the Heathen as if it were lawfull to destroy them because God will destroy them as Reprobates and Castawayes and fuell for Hell-fire that they may be undone both here and hereafter 3. Not to wrong Christians but to do good to all Men especially those of the houshold of Faith Walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness Rom. 13.13 not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envy c. Walk spiritually in the clear light and day-spring from on high that hath visited us that lighteth every Man that cometh into the world for these things are right and just in the sight of God and Man It is easy to be honest because 1. God hath shewed it 2. Conscience hath shewed it 3. Laws have shewed it 4. Examples have shewed it But Self-love hath hid it Gain hath perverted it Power and cruelty have overthrown it Subtilty hath puzzled and perplexed it Eloquence and finery have minced and stain'd it Favour and Friends have put it by O bone Deus quid respondebimus in die illo judicii O Good God! what shall we answer at the Great day for these mockeries and crossed walkings against God and all Goodness SECT XLV The Truth is every where with every one Truth evident and yet no body will do it The Papist sayes It is with me I cannot err The Jew sayes It is with me I am God's peculiar The Turk sayes It is with me My sword defends it The Enthusiast sayes It is with me the Spirit teaches it The Atheist cares not where it is let it go for him if it be so hard to find and if not he had rather be without it But these and every of these and all the world have so much of God and of the Truth in them as may save them for God hath shewed it unto them if they would obey the Truth and cease to commit Idolatry and to blaspheme and to wrong their Neighbour SECT XLVI The truth indeed is plain if searched for in our selves only Caution 1. Be not too credulous to take it upon trust from others 2. Be not too curious and subtil to mask it over and hide it from our selves while it is in our bosoms Oh! the conscience knows and would do better things if it were better used and set to work by reason and sensuality kept down Honesty is known but is refused by our selves and taken away from others It can find no place but we shall dearly want it one day No Man is safe without it no Man is wise without it Mine and thine preserves me and thee and mine and thine It is easy to do right it is easy to do wrong all is but right and wrong truth and falshood just and unjust Mercy and cruelty God and my right the Devil and my wrong What shall I say 1. Give all right 2. Forgive all wrong 3. Do all right 4. Undo all wrong Wrongs and offences will come but woe be to them by whom they come it were better they had never been born but had been like the untimely fruit of a Woman that never saw the Sun But happy is he that doth right peace shall be upon him and upon the Israel of God The CONTENTS Transition Intention Execution Free will Imperfection Willingness Implicit faith Social Actions Jussion TITLE IV. Of Actions Transition NExt to the state of things and the conditions of persons to whom the rights annexed to things do belong the manner of Actions is to be considered by which rights are induced and acquired All Persons for themselves and in communion with others have Actions or business about things in which and to which they have a right These Actions are Thoughts and Words the tokens of thoughts or deeds the effects of words or signs the representation of deeds By all which Men act either by themselves or by their proxies or for themselves or for others SECT I. Intention 1. In Actions there is required the Intention of the Agent which proceedeth from the Uunderstanding and the will for he that acts must understand what he acts that he may perform and direct them wisely to the right objects and be affected with his actions that he may be zealous in them The Law requires all thing to be done with full purpose and understanding and free desire or will for else nothing can be finished or well done Else if any thing be done ignorantly or rashly pro non facto est The free will and consent is necessary for then that is of force which is done Therefore he is not judg'd to will who is under the will and command of another Man as of his Father or Lord nor hath a Minor or fool or Mad-man any will at all Ejus est velle qui potest nolle He is said to will that can also nill And the Will is expressed by silence or speaking or writing or signs or a Messenger Actions done in heat or passion are no Actions till they be ratified by perseverance in them and thereby they are confirmed to the judgment of the mind indeed They that err are not properly said to consent to Action and in business if such mistakes do intervene that which is so done by error is of no force meaning the error of fact not of Law Nam Juris ignorantia nocet facti non nocet That which comes to pass by chance is imputed as a crime to no Man Fate destroyes all liberty of will or action Also nothing is so contrary to consent as force or fear if the force be of greater violence than can be opposed and if the fear be such as may fall upon a Man of valour SECT II. In Actions also there is required the Execution of them Execution that they may take their full effect else the Actions are imperfect The Actions must appear to be consummate or otherwise it is as if they were not at all so for words clearly spoken and understood The Action so done is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing completely finished for the use intended and words effectually spoken according to their true meaning That which is done or spoken obscurely must receive interpretation from the affection of the doer or speaker or from that which is most likely or for the most part is