this kind only to make this Appendix of case-Divinity compleat because cases according to the differences of Mens capacities and apprehensions of matters may be as to us innumerable therefore some general Rules before the particular cases be set down should be given to direct the wavering mind of what degree of proficiencie soever how to order it self in seeking out by the testimonies of the Scripture and the undoubted tenour of the Covenant within its own heart a determination of any question whatsoever at least so farre that it should not be able to perplex the spirit with any unsettlement in the grounds of Faith Hope and Love which are the Pillars of our whole profession in this life For by the confidence of Faith we stand and rest in respect of God by the joyfulness of Hope in respect 2 Cor. 1. 24. Heb. 3. 6. 1 Joh. 3. 14. Rom. 13. 8 9. of our selves and by the sincerity of Love in respect of our Neighbour These general Directions then should first be delivered with an example in a case or two how to use them then the particular cases which have some difficulty more then ordinary should be brought in and resolved Thus we have the many Heads of the whole but this will not suffice for a distribuon of particular Tasks because each Head is too comprehensive there must be a subdivision of every part by it self into its parcels set in order like unto the Anatomy or Sceleton of a mans body wherein all the bones do hang one upon another so that besides the number of parts the talness of each part the place thereof in the body may be discerned And although such a delineation as this of bare bones will have no life in it and be only like the rude draught of a Painter before he puts colours to his work yet it may be not onely useful but will be even necessary to make the features of the body appeare which afterwards may have life put to it Concerning the Precognitions GOd having made man a rational Creature doth still rule him and in all his wayes towards him doth walk with him according to the grounds of that Reason which he at first gave him and although through his defection from God in whose light alone he could see light by his own default and free choice of earthly-mindedness he hath darkened the eye of his understanding and made himself blind both in the things which are supernatural and also in very many things which are natural so that in respect of these he hath not any true Notions at all till they be renewed in him and in respect of these the Notions which he hath he cannot improve so as to apply them by himself towards their right ends without some special directory and help yet it cannot be truly said that God hath left Man destitute of all light and without all Testimony of the being of things supernatural and of the right improvement of things natural for he doth still maintain some general Principles and Instincts as glimmerings of his truth within him to the end that he may not onely be without excuse in respect of his back-sliding but that he may be made a subject capable of Grace through the second Adam to be restored to his original integrity when he shall be rationally dealt withal both by the remainder of the light which he hath and in that which is to be super-added thereunto for I shall freely acknowledge yet without any advantage to Socinian Principles that God doth oblige no man to entertain any thought either of spiritual or natural things or of his own dealings with man-kind in the one or the other way which is contrary to found Reason but that every one who will either conceive of God rightly or live unto him justly is obliged to do it in a rational way both in reference to God and toward Men because we are commanded to be ready to give a reason of the hope which is in us to every one that asketh it of us 1 Pet. 3. 15. and to present our body a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God by our reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. And although in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred a service according to his Word as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. 2. is well rendred the sincere Milk of the Word yet because the Word of God did by Wisdome create all things at first and still doth uphold all things as they were created it must needs be rational in it self and to all intellectual Creatures the original cause of all Reason because every Truth and Precept of duty revealed to man therein is by the Scriptures rationally offered to the Conscience of those that are taught of God thereby and because they that are taught are bound to take notice of the reasons why they beleeve and do every thing so as to be able to give a rational account thereof unto other reasonable Men therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the one and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other place are to be understood in the fulnesse of their signification as they comprehend both the Notions of Rationality and of the Word of God which indeed are inseparable for as it cannot be imagined that Gods Word should have been separate from his Wisdom so we ought to conceive that his Wisdom and Will expressed in his Word concerning every thing is that truth of being and reality of reason which is extant in it and that which in our mind is by any thing found a truth and found reason convincing our Conscience is his Word by that thing towards us And this observation I have premised to that which I am about to offer concerning the Precognitions of the life of Godlinesse lest I might seem to desire without a just cause and sufficient motive that which I shall propose as a task to the workmen to be compleated before any thing else can be fruitfully and by a rational man to whom our addresses must be made in this undertaking convincingly entertained For before any mans understanding can be dealt withall to induce him to live unto God according to his will he must be brought to acknowledge that God is and that the life of man may have some reference unto him by the knowledge of his will Therefore these things before all others must be rationally made out unto him and to this effect four Heads of truth ought to be handled satisfactorily which are these First That there is a God Secondly That God is to be feared worshipped and glorified by Man and that he is a rewarder of those that fear worship and glorifie him Thirdly That the Scriptures given to the Jewish Church of old by the Prophets and to the Churches of the Gentiles and Jews by the Evangelists and Apostles are undoubtedly Gods Word Fourthly That the Scriptures were given by those Men to teach all men the true way of fearing
worshipping and glorifying God These truths ought to be cleared upon the ground of common Reason which all men are supposed to be made capable of and to this effect I suppose it will be necessary to handle these following or such like Positions Of the First That there is a God TO Demonstrate unto a Rational man that there is a God he must be made to acknowledge these following truths 1. That in this World besides the things which are visible there be other things invisible which though concealed from sense have a being and may be understood to be 2. That the Heavens the Earth and the things visible therein have not their being from themselves but from something else which is not seen but may be understood to be over all as the Governour and supream power thereof which is called God 3. That this supream power is before all things without beginning and ending infinite in all perfections most wise good and bountiful in giving all things unto all 4. That amongst all visible things as Man is the most perfect so he can least of all have his Being from inferiour Creatures or from himself but having it from the supream cause more remarkably then other Creatures he is more enabled then they to know God and respect him Of the Second VVHen upon these grounds a man is Convicted that there is a God then to demonstrate unto him rationally that this God ought to be feared worshipped and glorified by Man-kind these following or such like Positions are to be made out unto him 1. That Man hath a soul endowed with a Reasoning facultie whereby he is able to judge of his own actions and know his own aims though secret and hidden from others 2. That in this judging facultie there is something which universally in all ages Men have called Conscience which secretly accuseth or else excuseth Men concerning their actions and aims chiefly when others judge of them otherwise then they meant them 3. That this Conscience doth bear witnesse unto all men in whom it is awake from their own reason that they are under the power of God and that they ought to be thankful to God 4. That the reason which convicteth mens Conscience that they are under God will also convict them that they ought to shew their thankfulness unto God suitably unto the nature and properties of Gods being and not otherwise 5. That the nature and propertie of Gods being seeing in all things it is the first and supream is in it self infinitely perfect and to all other things the alone Author of all good and that therefore it ought to have the glory of this supremacie perfection and goodnesse given unto it by man in his use of all things 6. That in case he doth not shew himselfe thankful by respecting the glorie due to God in all things he doth then deserve to be cast off by God and deprived of the fruit of his goodnesse in all things 7. That it a man doth give unto God the glory which is due to his Name by being thankfull unto him he may assure himselfe that God as he is wise and all-knowing will take notice of him and as he is just and good will be mercifull and beneficiall unto him Of the Third WHen a Man hath acknowledged these truths that there is a God and that he is to be glorified by Man answerably to the properties of his nature then we must rationally induce him to believe that the Scriptures written to Jews and Gentiles by the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles are the Word of God And this may be done by the demonstration of these or the like Positions 1. That no Books in the World have greater evidences and arguments of truth in respect of their History then these have two things must be made out 1. That they were written by those Men by whom they are said to be written 2. That the Matters of fact recorded in them are as rationally credible as any other humane Records whatsoever 2. That the Writers of those Books whatsoever they were were undoubtedly the true servants of God inspired by him in writing the same 3. That all the Doctrines and Precepts of divine fear and worship contained therein are most sutable to the nature and property of Gods Supremacy Perfection and goodnesse and that they are more answerable unto the true Notions of duty written in the heart of Mankind towards God then the Doctrines and Precepts of any other Book and Religion whatsoever extant any where in all the World Of the Fourth VVHen a Man is rationally Convicted or at least induced to believe that there is no cause to contradict this truth that the Scriptures are the Word of God it will be no difficult matter to let him see by the substance of the matters contained therein and the ends for which they were written and given both to the Jews and Gentiles that they were written and given to no other end but to teach all Men the true way of fearing worshipping and glorifying God And to this effect these or such like Positions may be made out 1. That the whole summe and substance of the History of the Bible doth directly tend to this scope 2. That the Authors of the Holy Scriptures do expresly declare this to be the purpose of their writing 3. That the naturall Properties and effects of the things taught by them and their manner of teaching the same are wholly fitted to work upon the spirits of men those impressions and affections which lead them to feare worship and glorifie God To all which this Position at last should be added That there shall be a time wherein God will judge men according to the works wherein they have or have not feared worshipped and glorified God which is to be made out upon three Grounds which may be rationally evinced 1. Because God having made all things under a Law and Ruling all Men by a Law of Reason must needs also be acknowledged as a Judge over the observers and transgressors of his Laws and consequently have a time to exercise his judgement 2. That the rational Souls of Men are immortal and live when they are separated from the bodie and consequently can undergo a judgement after this life 3. That the Consciences of Men bearing witnesse to them of their wicked deeds even against their wills though they live in outward prosperitie put them in fear and bearing witnesse also of the vertuous deeds of good Men though they are in outward adversity yet comfort and support them which inward testimonies of the Consciences of Men are not vain notions but undeniable Evidences of a Judgement to come which the Soul within it self is sensible of When these things are thoroughly handled and all Scruples which may be raised concerning the same are taken away so that a Rational man who is without prejudice shall have no cause for want of the discovery of truths of this nature to make any further doubt
of the eye as outward sights for pleasure and curiosity the covetousness of Riches and whatsoever else may be a purchase or from without an Object of the eye to lust after 7. What the Rules of Sobriety are in respect of the pride of life as the affectation of Glory and Honour the vanity of Worldly Pomp and appearance the flattery of our-selves in the way of our Passions Emulation Anger Strife Envy and such like which are the fruits or companions of Pride 8. What the rules of Sobriety are for the ordering of our behaviour as well in speeches as in actions as at all times so especially in times of câ—oâ—â—â—s and adversities or of prosperity and joy wherein there may be a provocation to exceed and misbehave our selves in gestures if not in speeches and actions contrary to Sobriety Of the Ordering of our way towards our Neighbours by Justice TO be able to order our way justly towards our Neighbour we must know 1. What the nature of Justice is in reference to a Society as it is a Rule to direct every one to pay that which they owe to one another in their Society 2. What the nature of Injustice is and what doth incline men to deprive others of that which is their due namely the spirit of men which lusteth to envy Here then we should know what envy is and how the spirit thereof supported with Pride and covetousness doth set men upon all manner of Injustice 3. How the Acts and way of Justice proceed from the grace of brotherly love and especially from these Fundamental Rules thereof As ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise Luke 6. 31. And Ye have been callâ—d viz. by God in the Covenant unto Liberty onely use not Liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Let every one please his Gal. 5. 13. 14. Neighbour for his good to edification as Christ pleased not himself but came to serve us for our good Rom. 15. 2 3 7. Phil. 2. 3. till 9. Love one another as I loved you Joh. 13. 34. 4. What the proper work of Justice is in reference to that which is good and by Love due unto others namely to observe all inoffensiveness and communicativeness towards every one 5. What inoffensiveness is and by what Rules our wayes may be made void of offence and of what importance the observation of those Rules are to the Professors of the Covenant of Divine Love in Christ whether their wayes relate to those that are within or without the Church 6. What communicativeness is and by what Rules all good things are to be imparted unto others either as they stand in need thereof or otherwise they may be profitable unto them whether it be the Communication of Mercifulness by which we relieve them of their Miseries or of Bountifulness by which we provoke them to Love and good Works 7. How all Dutiful actions which we owe to others in word or deed concerning their persons or that which doth belong unto them ought duely and obligeingly to be performed that just things may be done justly 8. What Rules of Justice are to be observed concerning the offices of Love comparatively due to Enemies to persons indifferently affected and to Friends in several degrees of neerness Of the Ordering of our way towards God by Religiousness TO be able to order our way toward God Religiously we must know First What Religiousness is or what the nature of that tie and obligation is by which those that are in Covenant with God are bound in all their outward carriages to shew that they depend upon him and regard him Secondly What doth incline us naturally to Irreligiousness that is not to referre our selves unto God nor respect him as we are bound to do by the tenour of the Covenant in all our wayes and whether it be not this that we easily forget his Omnipresence and the Supremacy of his Influence over all Creatures and regard too attentively the properties of Secondary Causes as they may have and the thoughts of men as they have an Influence upon us Thirdly how this obligation doth proceed from the conscionable apprehension of these following and such like laws and Rules of Justice and Equity 1. You are bought with a price Glorifie therefore the Lord in your Soul and in your Body which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6. 2. 2. He that is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation the Son of man shall be ashamed of him when he cometh into the Glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mar. 8. 38. Matth. 10. 32 33. Luke 12. 8 9. 3. We should walk worthy of God who hath called us to his glory and kingdom 1 Thes 2. 12. 4. As Children of God in the World without blame we should shine as Lights and hold forth the Word of life Phil. 2. 15 16. and such like in 1 Pet. 1. 15 16 17 18. and Ephes 5. 1 2 8. and 1 Pet. 2. 9. 10 11 12. and 1 Joh. 1. 2 3. and elsewhere Fourthly What the proper work of Religiousness is and whether it be not to walk alwayes in the light of a good conscience towards God and men Acts 23. 1. and 24 16. Fifthly Whether the proper Rule of a good conscience in this walking is not to follow the grace of God which bringeth Salvation in sincerity and not according to worldly wisdom 2 Cor. 1. 12. Tit. 2 11 12. And whether the parts of this walking are not chiefly or summarily these 1. To confesse and profess openly the truth 2. To worship God privately and publickly observing all his Ordinances Sixthly What the Rules are of a Religious open confession of the truth by word of mouth Seventhly What the Rules are of a Religious profession of the truth in deed and conversation Eighthly What the Rules are of a Religious suffering for the confession and profession of the truth Ninthly What the Rules are of a Religious worshipping of God in private by Prayer by Reading and Meditating the Word and by private conference Tenthly What the Rules are of a Religious worshipping of God in publick by Hearing the word and Joyning with the Professors of the name of Christ in Prayer and praises and in the fellowship of all the publick Ordinances whereby the Covenant is established or confirmed amongst men HItherto we have mentioned the Substantials of the life of Godliness in respect of the distinct parts thereof as well inward as outward But because a Thing is neither in it self compleat which hath not all the parts joyned in such a way as is sutable to the proper End thereof nor in respect of us compleatly known except we understand both what the property of each part is distinctly and also what the joynt frame of all is which makes up that whole which is the Result of their union therefore unto the former consideration another must be added wherein
our selves unto them not so much that they may not seem deceived in us and we found unworthy of the Honour given to us but that the free gift of Grace may be exalted in the Communion of Saints and God alone glorified thereby Even amongst morall men it is true that Commendations adde life unto vertue and that as the best things in their nature are most Communicable so it is one of the chiefest delights of the best natures to Communicate the same not so much to gain praise as to do that which is good in it self and praise-worthy which is the contentment of a vertuous disposition and if this is true in morall dispositions how much more ought it to be in those that are Spiritual if therefore there be any vertue if there be any praise let us think not only how to make good the esteem which they have of us but rather to do that which is good and commendable as it is acceptable unto God and approved of men for upon this ground the Apostle Phil. 4. 8. doth recommend unto our care and study all things that are true all things that are honest all things that are just all things that are pure all things that are lovely and all things that are of good report and that in respect of vertue and in respect of praise And if in this work which we are now exhorting to be undertaken all these Motives concur at once so fully and so eminently as in nothing more and that not in a private but in a publick respect then it followeth that if there be any vertue or sense of praise to be regarded in order to the holy profession which only is our glory that we will not suffer our Reputation to fall to the ground by a careless neglect of so manifest a duty wherein our credit not only is so deeply engaged but our Religion it self extreamly concerned So that if upon these motives and considerations this businesse should not at all be effected it would not only be an Argument of a most brutish insensibility and stupidity in us towards that which is true honour but it would clearly evince the unsoundnesse of our hearts in the Profession it self when we should appear so carelesse of maintaining and propagating the truth thereof that even with the loss of our reputation and the loss of the love of those that have sued to us for this duty we should suffer it to be blasted and lie under contempt when it is in our power to Vindicate both it and our selves from reproaches And thus much concerning the point of reputation The next Motive in this kind is the advancement of the Reformation of the Churches both at home and abroad a thing which doth mainly concern us a thing whereunto we are deeply engaged and a thing whereunto this work will be very conducible for as concerning the Churches abroad that it will be a profitable instrument in their hand to set forward the Reformation which they stand in need of we can have no greater proof then their own Confession in their Letter For this is the very ground why they make it their suite unto us that such a Body of Divinity may be compiled because they expect from it and by it an effectual means to take away the chief causes of their Distractions and Disorders in Spiritual things And because our own Disorders in some kind here at home in stead of being Reformed have increased of late and do proceed from the same diseases which have begotten theirs therefore in procuring a Remedy for our selves we may hope to become helpful unto them also Now that this Body of Practical Divinity will be very useful to this purpose may be gathered from the nature of our disease and the property of the cure to Remedy the same The diseases which afflict us proceed from the ignorance and distempers of our minde in things pertaining to God and from the unrulinesse of walking in things pertaing to Men This ignorance in the understanding and distemper in the will and unrulinesse in the outward man is fomented by the slight and cunning craftiness of some men of corrupt minds who being reprobate concerning the Faith as not adhereing to the Testimony of Jesus in the Word which is the rule thereof and having taken up either a Superstitious and Traditional formality or a singular and self-conceited Spirituality of worship and of godlinesse they deny the power and resist the truth of both by taking away the grounds and making void the Common Profession of Christianity These men both superstitiously and singularly affected seeking to get followers unto their severall wayes and opinions agree to wast the Churches and to blast with a pestilent breath all that is not conformable to their practice if they can finde any small colour for raising Calumnies against it and thus they fill the Churches with disputes and the heads of ignorant people with profane and vain bablings which dayly increase unto more ungodlinesse For by this means scandals are multiplyed the unity of the Spirit dissolved the bonds of peace neglected factions set on foot and continued with animosity wherein the weaker sort as Children are tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine till they lose their hold of all Principles and then give themselves over to Atheism This is the nature of our diseases both at home and abroad therefore the Remedy for both will be the same which can be none other but to this effect First that the faithful Ministers and Professors of the Gospel both there and here should stand fast together in one Spirit and one mind striving together in one way for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by their adversaries Secondly that they should both with one consent agree upon some profitable way of handling necessary and useful Controversies and of shunning profane and vain bablings and the contradiction of Science falsly so called Thirdly that we and they should endeavour by all possible means to fight against our spiritual adversaries with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God holding out unto the World the same form of sound words and dividing the Doctrine of Truth rightly in one and the same way of preaching and handling the Scriptures to advance godliness as it becometh workmen that need not to be ashamed And to enable us all joyntly to endeavour these things I am very confident that next unto the graces of the Spirit and the infallible word of truth delivered unto us in the Scriptures which are the two things which God hath Covenanted to continue with the Ministry unto the end of the World Isai 49. 21. I say next unto these two I am confident that no means can be used to enable us unto that endeavour more fitly and with Gods ordinary blessing more successfully then this Body of Practical Divinity if it were compiled and communicated in English to our men at home and in Latin
up Of the First What is meant by a Body of Practicall Divinity BY Practicall Divinity is meant the revealed truths of God concerning the obedience of the faith which is to be yielded unto his will There is a two-fold Divine Truth the one is to be contemplated which is the Object of the Understanding and Remembrance the other is to be practised which is the Object of the Will and Affections The first as we partake of it is the Conformity of our Intellectuall faculty to the testimony of Gods Word when we conceive aright of his meaning therein The second as we partake 2 Pet. 1. 22. 3. 1. 1 John 1. 16. Rom. 12. 1 2. of it is the Conformity of the purposes of our heart to that which is known to be Gods will when we prove how good perfect and acceptable it is That first is in the Notions of the Mind to beget Knowledge This other is in the Conviction of the Conscience to beget Resolutions and obediential Performance Of the first sort of truth Christ saith If ye continue in my Word ye shall know the truth Joh. 8. 31 32. Of the second he saith He that doth truth cometh to the light Joh. 3. 21. So then as there is a contemplative and intelligible so there is a Practicable truth that is a truth to be done which is the action of Vertue for Christ in Joh. 3. v 20 21. doth oppose the doing of evil and the doing of truth that is Vice and Vertue to one another He saith every one that doth evil that is who is vicious in his life hateth the light but he that doth truth that is whose life is vertuous and upright commeth to the light As darknesse is to light so truth is opposite to all falshood not only to that of ignorance and errour but especially to that of lying and deceitfulness which are no less inseparable companions of vice then sincerity and uprightness are of vertue in the souls of men Now both the Intellectual and Practical truth is originally existâ—nt in the living word as in the principle and fountain and from thence by the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophesie in the Scriptures it is derived unto us as to a receptacle and vessel when by it we are sanctified according to Christ's Prayer John 17 17. Sanctifie them in thy truth thy Word is truth the Word preached by the Apostles and Prophets is both exhorting and testifying that is both Practical and Theoretical concerning that truth which in God is essential but as it is manifested to us it is the Grace of God which bringeth salvation Tit. 2. 11. Hence it is that nothing ought or may be called Theology but that which is taught by the Divine Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can only furnish us with that knowledge which is true Theology and whether it be in the Theoretical or Practical matters nothing is true Divinity but that which is Divine truth nor is any thing a Divine truth but that which is manifested by the Word of God the Word then to us is the Standard of Truth Now although the Action of the understanding must of necessity be Antecedent to all our Acts of truth because the will is a knowing faculty and cannot act orderly without the Understanding yet the Theoretical truths notionally apprehended bring the soul to no perfection of happiness except they become fruitfull in the actions of vertue The Notional Science of all Gods truth and of his whole will as it may be in the brain alone and without the practice whereunto that Science doth oblige the heart is more hurtfull then profitable to our felicity It had been better saith Peter not to have known the way of righteousnesse then 2 Pet. 2. 21. John 3. 17. after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment If ye know these things saith Christ happy are ye if ye do them whence it followeth that if ye do them not you are not happy although you know them And the Apostle James doth place the blessedness of a man in his Deed as distinct from his bare knowledge when he saith He that is not a Jam. 1. 21 25. hearer of the Word only but a doer of the Work this man shall be blessed in his â—eed The happiness of his condition is made perfect in his Deed. Whence it is evident that Practicall truths import us and reach our hapinesse more neerly then Theoreticall because that which wee know although it be a truth is no part of our felicity nor a true blessing of God unto us except it either bring forth an injoyment of the life of God in us or else result from that enjoyment to us for the substance of all our felicity unto all eternity is nothing else but our union with God which is the enjoyment of his life and this life is only enjoyed then when by his truth he liveth in us and we in him His life in us is spiritual light and power Light is in the understanding and power is to move conformably to Gods will in the whole inward Man The Light sheweth him to us the Power maketh us and him one we may know him at a distance but we cannot feel his life and move in him except he be in us and we one with him The knowledge therefore hath less of the enjoyment then the power of life but there is a two-fold knowledg of Gods truth The one goeth before the enjoyment of his life and the other followeth upon it The knowledge which goeth before the enjoyment of Gods life is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1. 9. this light is that which may be known of God which he doth manifest in Men and sheweth unto them He doth manifest in Men both that which doth make them clearly see his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse and that also which maketh them shew the work of Rom. 1. 19 20. Rom. 2. 15. his Law written in their hearts All this is manifested in them and shewed unto them partly by the Creation of the World partly by their own Conscience but yet all this and much more then this revealed both in the Law given to the Jews and in the Gospel given both to Jews and Gentiles I say all this both naturall which is common and supernaturall which is specially revealed knowledge nay although it might be in such a high degree as to manifest all Mysteries unto them may be fruitlesse and he that hath it without blessedness and destitute of the life of God for the truth which is both manifested in the natural mans heart and shewed unto him by the Creation is held up by him in unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. And although he doth know God yet he glorifieth him not as God vers 21. And the Jews which had the form of knowledge in the Law and could teach others did not
ensue our performance of their request which are all the effects of the truth which is in the Gospel as by it self it is usefull unto all sorts of persons young and old Teachers and those that are taught Godly and ungodly Peaceable and contentious True Professors and those that erre from the Truth whether by Hypocrisie or Security or Obstinacy and in a word to all men aswell of this age as of that which shall arise hereafter all the advantages of Instruction Direction correction comfort Reproof and conviction tending to set forward peace and joy through Righteousness and Holiness in the souls of men or whatsoever blessing else any shall stand in need of in their several conditions all this I say we are Debtors to procure unto them by the means which are put in our hands to that effect for at this time both God and Men do call upon us to make this use of our Peculiar Talent of the word of life in holding it forth unto them If therefore we should hide our Talent and put this candle which the Lord hath lighted among us to give light unto all that are in the house under a bushel that is if we condescend not to this their desire we shall wrong all the Churches we shall rob these in particular that sue for it of what is their due and as much as in us lieth we shall make the word of Truth ineffectual and shew our selves adversaries to his vertue and the manifestation thereof which how the Lord will in the End take at our hands I shall not need to mention But I shall heartily rather pray that in love to himself and to his Truth our spirits may be stirred up to behave our selves in the opportunity of doing this service as shall be most answerable unto our own happiness and the glory and the kingdom of Christ whereunto we are called These are the considerations which from the nature of the Duty it self should induce us to the performance thereof which our Brethren in their Letter having onely touched and pointed at I have thought good a little further thus to enlarge that whatever shall be undertaken in this kind may proceed from the right Principle and frame of heart which will make the work acceptable unto God and profitable unto those that go about it For if the work be not intended upon these grounds and upon these alone directly and principally without worldly considerations and humane Respects as leading Motives it will find but small success and little conduct from the Spirit of grace to give it a furtherance because no enterprise can have more strength then its chief Aim and Object can give it And although some other Arguments of this nature and to the same effect might be alledged or the same might be further insisted upon perhaps not unprofitably yet because these Motives are the chief to which all others may be referred and so evident that they cannot as I conceive be denyed and of such efficacy if laid to heart that where they take not none other in this kind are like to perswade therefore I shall not insist any further upon them but come to the second sort of Perswasions which in order unto these foregoing may perhaps adde something to our zeal and resolution as it proceedeth from a mixt affection which even good men are inclinable sometime to entertain rather as they are men then as they are the Children of the most High depending immediately upon his Will If we look then in the second place upon our selves as we are amongst the Professors of the Gospel engaged not only to maintain the credit of the Profession but to advance the Reformation of the Churches both at home and abroad and to concurre with Forrain Protestants to assist the Common Cause of Religion against the Enemies thereof we shall find nothing more sutable to the credit of our Profession or more advantagious to our own and others reformation or more effectual in our concurrence to assist Forrainers in the Common Cause then the Compleating of this Body of Practical Divinity will be The Credit of our Profession doth include a twofold Notion the one doth look at the Profession in it self the other at us as Professors in both these there is some matter of Credit to be upheld as to men In reference to the Profession we are bound in conscience seeing we believe it to be the saving Truth of God to make it Creditable and Honourable before all men approving it unto the conscience to be such as we believe it to be And in reference to our-selves the good opinion others have of our sincerity zeal and ability in the way of the Profession doth oblige us in honesty to endeavour to the utmost to answer their expectation and maintain the Honour of our good name in relation to our Religion In these respects I say the compleating of this Practical Body of Divinity will be of special use as well for the honour of the Profession as for our credit in upholding it For whereas nothing doth so much either scandalize the weak or stagger the ignorant at the profession of the Protestant Religion or give advantage on the one hand unto the Papists to seduce silly souls to a superstitious worship as this reproach That we are all broken to pieces among our-selves and divided in our sense about Religion having no certainty in any thing on the other hand unto the self-conceited Libertines to entice high minded Zelots to the pride of singular Saintship as this other Reproach That we rest in practice of formes and being destitute of the power of Godliness have nothing that is spiritual in our Profession Whereas I say both these Adversaries labour different ways and upon colourable pretences taken from particular misdemeanors wrongfully applyed unto the whole substance of Religion to discredit and blemish the profession of the truth which we Ministers are chiefly bound to uphold there can be no course either more answerable to the nature of our Calling or so proper to stop the mouths of these Adversaries or so fit to settle the wavering thoughts of unstable souls or more effectual to vindicate the credit of the Profession from the aspersions of division of uncertainty of formality and of the want of spiritual power then to make up this Practical Body of Divinity For it being composed of those many Positive doctrines which are undeniably evident in the Scriptures which being understood will be cleer to the conscience by their own light which will manifest all the true grounds of spiritual knowledge not fantastically but with real demonstrations and which unanimously all Protestants will fully acknowledge to be the substance of their Profession and Religion I say those Doctrines being gathered into a full body will stand as an uncontroulable witness for the credit of the Truth against all these injurious reproaches Nor can it be imagined that in the great multitude and variety of particular Opinions in the
to those that are abroad For the three parts of this Body if they were throughly and fully handled as from our Authors they may be will meet directly and in a right order with the three main and Original causes of our disorderlinesse and distracted condition to shew the Spiritual wayes of Reforming the same wherein if we shall agree to walk unanimously as no doubt we will we may undoubtedly also believe thar by this Union we shall to all our adversaries become not only invincible but irresistible to work the overthrow of Satans Kingdom And this shall suffice also concerning this point of Reformation which is to be advanced by this means and which the faithful Ministry of this Land is bound to endeavour by the Tenor of their solemn League and Covenant in the presence of God who hath put the means of this in our hand to be effected and now calleth upon us to make use of the same The last thing which I mentioned whereunto we are engaged and whereunto this Body of Divinity will be effectual is to concur with Forrain Protestants in the Common cause of Religion and to assist them against the Common Enemies thereof This Concurrence and assistance is an engagement that doth lie closer to us then I find it apprehended by many Therefore I shall endeavour to represent unto those that are Conscionable in matters of publick concernment not so much what help may be given to the cause by this means for that may be clearly seen by what is said already but what the obligation is which should make us Concurre with Forrain Protestants to uphold the profession of the cause As con cerning the assistance which this work will yield unto the Cause if we will adde any thing to that which hath been said already concerning the Credit of the Profession which it will help to uphold and concerning the Reformation of Disorders which it will help to take away we may consider two things First What properly the common Cause is Secondly What it is that weakens our hands in prosecuting of it If the Common Cause of Protestants be made any thing else then the Propagating of the light of the Gospel which is attested in the Scriptures that the Kingdom and life of Jesus Christ may take place in the souls of all men to the Glory of God the Father by the graces of his Spirit it is fouly mistaken For all that we have protested for in former time against Popery is this that we will not be led by the dictates of other men to believe and practise upon implicit faith and blind obedience what they prescribe to us in matters of Religion but that in such matters we will knowingly rely onely upon the Word of God revealed in the holy Scriptures to follow the dictates thereof And as we are bound still to continue this Profession against Popery on the one hand so in these distracted times especially we are obliged to adde a further Protestation to clear the truth of our profession on the other hand which is this that as we think it not lawfull for us to give up our faith to other men so we conceive it neither acceptable to God nor safe for us to be led by the dictates of our own imaginations alone to believe and practice singularly and by our selves whatever in matters of Religion we shall in our own private conceit fancy to be right but that we will rationally entertain and handle the word of God in the holy Scriptures for the understanding and practising of all Religious Truths offered and duties prescribed unto us therein that is to say that we will not interpret the Scriptures in matter of outward duty and performance contrary to the Common grounds of reason and righteous order amongst men and in matters of inward relation towards God that we will be wise unto Sobriety conceiving that to be the truth of the Spirit which is most answerable to the common Principles of the Faith of all ages and to the Spiritual state of holy Communion which Jesus Christ hath setled in the new Covenant between God and all his Members The common Cause of Protestants hath these four main interests in Christianity by which it upholdeth the truth thereof and thereby is distinguishable from all other Professions The First is The interest of Scripture knowledge The Second is The interest of the life of the Spirit The Third is The interest of orderly walking in all Gods Ordinances Natural and Spiritual The Fourth is The interest of the Communion of Churches in reference to mutual edification in these forenamed matters These interests being all joyned and professedly followed that is openly owned without offence as it becometh the Disciples of Christ make up the true Protestant Cause that is the profession of Christianity And if any one of these be not followed the Cause is so far deserted as it is neglected By Scripture knowledge which is the Fundamental Rule and Seed of the Profession of Christianity Protestants were begotten and are distinguished from Papists By the life of the Spirit which is the heart and soul of the profession of Christianity Protestants do grow up in Christ who is their head till they shall come to a perfect man and are distinguished from Socinians and all such as turn Christianity into a Moral profession of a new kind of Philosophy which is refined and entertained upon revealed Principles but in effect nothing besides or above humane Reasoning By the orderly walking in all Gods Ordinances which is the visible body of the profession of Christianity Protestants stand firm in the truth to bear witness thereof unto the world and are distinguished from all Libertines that pretend to be so spiritual as to be above all Ordinances And by the Communion of Churches which is the activity of this visible body Protestants are strengthned in their growth and testimony made invincible against their adversaries made helpful to each other and the cause and distinguished from all those that pretend to the singularity of Saintship in their several ways by themselves alone with the condemnation of such as go not along with them These being the true interests of this Cause as it is subordinate unto Christianity and Christianity being taken up upon none other ground but as it is revealed in the holy Scriptures nor maintained to any other End but to manifest the life of Jesus Christ by his kingdom unto the world it is clear that the whole observation of outward Ordinances and the practice of mutual Communion which are the two latter interests of the Cause must rise from the first and rest in the second of those which are the former and whatsoever designes practices negotiations and undertakings are said to be for Christianity or the Protestant Religion which are all one and do not attend to advance directly either Scripture knowledge or the life of the Spirit or the walking under Ordinances or the Communion of Churches or do tend seemingly
to advance any one of these without a reference to all the rest they are to be judged false deceitful and destructive to the cause and truth of Christianity Therefore we ought to acknowledge none to be a servant to the Cause of Christ that is a true Protestant but he who walketh by this Rule of the new creature and upon such be peace and upon the Israel of God As for me I shall by Gods grace never entertain any designes and practices or favour any motions and pretences which are undertaken and prosecuted with subtilty or with a strong hand against the persons of a party disagreeing from judgement upon this ground because they favour not my way but I shall make the prosecution of their forenamed interests as by spiritual means and wayes they are approveable to the conscience of every rational man the open and onely rule of my walking in this Cause And if any man shall find me straying from this path and shew me that I am not in it he will oblige me to thank him for converting a Sinner from the error of his Way Hitherto I have given you my sense of the Common Cause of Protestants Now I shall adde a word or two concerning that which I suppose doth weaken our hands in prosecuting of it And that is partly an ordinary mistake partly an universal neglect of Duty in the Actors for it The mistake is in two things First That most meaning well to the Protestant Cause as they do understand it act all rather against the adversaries thereof then for the Cause it self Secondly That when they act so they take up no rule of Reason and Moderation in dealing with adversaries for their good or upon grounds of Justice but give way to Passion and Hatred and all that is imagined to be hurtful to them is supposed to be advantagious to themselves both which are courses altogether preposterous unto Christianity For the true way of advancing Christianity is not destructive but edificative that is doth not intend to overthrow and build at leisure afterward as the Method of some is but it doth intend to build first Christs kingdom that thereby it may overthrow the frame of Satans Policy for it holdeth forth the word of life and truth that by the manifestation of light it may dispell error and darkness And when this is done then it proceeds to the condemnation of the wayes of unrighteousness first it bringeth our thoughts unto the obedience of Christ that then every strong Hold of Satan and every imagination and high thing which exalteth it self against the knowledge of God may be cast down for except we bring Christ with us and set him a working upon the Spirits of men that are in the snares of Satan and led captive at his pleasure we shall never be able to bind the strong man that hath possession of their souls and far less shall we be able to spoil him of his goods which are the lusts and the inclinations of the flesh whereby he doth act self will in them that they may not be subject to the will of God The way then of Christianity is more directly Positive then Negative and therefore it is a mistake to think that the refuting and opposing of adversaries is the main business which ought to be prosecuted in these times but a far greater mistake it is to think that by making the wayes of our adversaries odious or by vexing their persons and prejudging them any way by hook or crook as we use to say in the freedom and conveniencies of professing their Tenets we shall profit our Cause or gain much upon or against them No surely for this is a far greater Mistake then the other and yet this is the ordinary practice which is most commonly followed by those who are zealous for the Cause But this way cannot porsibly prove successefull because it doth quite mistake the interest of Christianity which is nothing else but by the knowledge of the Scriptures and the life of the Spirit to bring men to walk orderly before God and men and live in the Communion which the Members of Christ owe to each other And if we aim not at this even towards our Adversaries to bring them hereunto we deal not with them as Christians ought to do but forsake our profession Now it is neither the convincing them of their particular Errors without further instruction nor the laying open of their shame nor the vexing of their Spirits by troubling their persons or stoping their professions that will bring them to any of these holy duties which uphold the truth of Christianity but this way of dealing will rather set them further off in their Affections both from the love of the truth and from us so that when we shall offer them means tending directly to that which is truely their way to life they will reject the same only because they come from that hand which hath made it self utterly hateful unto them These mistakes weaken the Cause greatly but the universal neglect which is in Two main things doth it far more The First is The neglect of duty in using spiritual means and in a spiritual way towards Dissenters The Second is The neglect of brotherly Communion in spiritual things which is the last point of the main interest of the Cause The first neglect which is of the means sutable to the prosecution of the Cause doth proceed from the forenamed mistakes which indeed make some Professors manage Protestancy as a State Religion rather then a true profession of Christianity and so they take their strength chiefly against Dissenters from State-Authority and practices subordinate thereunto in a worldly way of Policy rather then from the work of God and the work of the Spirit And because many of the active men who have parts and so love to appear in the Front and to take matters upon them have been byassed this way some for one some for another interest of State making themselves and all matters of Religion subservient thereunto therefore it hath pleased God to befool them in their Counsels and to suffer Statan to set Instruments awork who have out acted them in all these wayes but if they had walked by Faith in simplicity and godly sincerity according to the Rules of the Gospel within their own Sphere not according to worldly wisdom if they had in a cause of Christianity made use of none other means but of those which Christ hath used and sanctified unto them and in that way by which he and his Apostles have shewed us they should be used they should not have miscarried as they have done by trusting to the arm of flesh nor could Satan either have over-reached them in their Counsels or stopped them in their proceedings which now he hath been able to do because he is of old Master of the Trade of policy and power which they of late as young Prentices were beginning to take up and this
years been preparing abundant matter for it What is now to be done but for some Solomon to call his Workmen together and build up a Temple far more magnificent then the Ceremoniall one was The Expedient for a Correspondencie with Forrain Protestants THe complaint which the Prophet David made in his low condition may now be taken up in our dayes by all that favour the dust of Sion and take pleasure in her stones namely that her bones are scattered at the graves mouth as one cleaveth wood upon the ground Psal 141. 7. for if we look upon the Churches which make Profession of the same saving truth in opposition to Popery as now they are divided and broken we shall see them almost if not altogether as uselesse one to another as dry bones scattered up and down ready to be cast into the grave or as chippes of wood lying on the ground onely fit to be gathered and burnt therefore our resolution should be the same which the Prophet took in the words following upon his complaint But our eyes are to thee O God the Lord in thee is our trust leave not our souls destitute There is none other that can help but he in such a case Let then our eyes be turned onely towards him because our expectation will not be in vain if we flie to him for refuge for we have a word of promise giving us assurance that he will help for Moses hath said That the Lord shall judge his people and repent him for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none Deut. 32. 36. shut up or left and the Prophet Isaiah hath declared for our comfort that when the enemie shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him It is evident then that we have a Isai 59. 19. ground to hope that the Lord in his own time will make our dry bones to stir and live and joyn together and being clothed with flesh and skin to stand upon their feet and become a great and mighty army for there is no condition of the Saints so weak and low but God can and when it is fit will also raise them out of it because he hath in a readiness means which he hath appointed to that effect and when his spirit will breath upon them to set them a work the business will be accomplished Now the means by which the Lord doth execute his wonderful counsel and by which he will bring to passe his excellent work is two fold the one is the manifestation of the Truth by the armour of light and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to discover the hidden things of darkness and sweeping away the refuge of lies and Hypocrisie to stay the wicked one and consume the man of sin which part of his work is already well advanced in the midst of all these distractions and divisions of parties and the other is by the unitie of the Spirit in the Communion of Saints to bring the whole Body so to depend upon the head Jesus Christ that it shall appear at last sitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part to make the encrease of the Body to the edifying of it self in love and this part of the work although it is very little advanced in appearance yet there are Preparatives towards it which are not inconsiderable if rightly weighed and taken notice of and whereof in due time a more full account may be given but for the present we shall onely shew some motives for which we should attend unto this part of Gods Counsell and suggest a way by which we may help forward the effect thereof and become instrumental towards others in furthering his work The Motives which should induce us to mind the design which God hath of uniting his Saints together are so many in the Holy Scriptures and so clearly set forth that a Volum might be written thereof if we would be large but it shall suffice at present only to point at the places where the Holy Ghost doth urge the duty upon us if we look upon 1 Cor. 12. The scope of the Apostle is there to demonstrate that all spiritual gifts are bestowed upon the Church Militant on earth to the end that they may be made use of to profit withall by the several members of the mystical Body in the unitie thereof and in chap. 13. the grace of Charitie is said to be so necessary for this effect that without it none other grace is profitable either to our selves or towards others in the fourth of the Epistle to the Ephes ver 1. till 17. the Apostle sheweth that no man doth walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith he is called to the Profession of the Gospel who doth not intend and endeavour by humility meekness long suffering and forbearance of others in love to keep the Unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and whatsoever throughout the Scripture is commanded concerning love which is the great and new Commandment and particularly in the 1 Epistle of John it tendes all to oblige our conscience to this main duty of seeking the Unitie of the Spirit amongst Saints and of keeping it in the bond of Peace and if the Apostles words Phil. 2. 1 2. be laid to heart they will convince any man that hath any feeling of his duty in this matter If saith he there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind c. intimating that without the care of this duty all the joy and happiness which Saints ought to further in one another is quite lost and utterly made void which in these our dayes we find experimentally to be too true by reason of our divisions and strivings for which the name of God is blasphemed amongst the adversaries and the Profession of the truth amongst our selves is dishonoured Now to remedy this great evil and to remove the scandals arising from thence for which a woe is denounced and in some measure executed against us the easie way which is suggested is to set a foot a Religious Correspondencie with Forrain Protestants to carry on a Gospel interest amongst Christians not by strength or might but in a Gospel way by a friendly Correspondencie and concurrence in Counsels to hold forth unanimously the matters of Faith and Doctrine wherein we all fully agree and do own the same saving truths and to set a foot the Practice of the same Rules of duties by walking therein to oppose ignorance and profanness to banish confusion and disorderliness in worship and be no more strangers to one anothers condition but to entertain a mutual Care for each others good and the progress of the Gospel in the world to which effect a setled correspondencie upon Religious grounds and Principles between us and our neighbour Protestants will be both an easie and in Gods way a powerfull means which Correspondencie may be thus contrived and brought about We forthwith intend a systeme or body of Divinity wherein all the English writings of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience shall be digested in English and Latine and we intend the intertainment of strangers in a Colledge here from whence our Learning may be carried forth in most Languages by such Students and all good works advanced by the same hands to which we already find great forwardness in this Nation not only to labour in the work but also to contribute in matter of charge And of this Work in instituting a Colledge propagandis bonis operibus we shall give Advertisment to our friends as occasion presents not doubting but since the Lord hath given us in England such a measure of light and Peace but there will appear a ready heart amongst our Nations for the rowling away the reproach upon us of having much of faith and little of Works and from this Colledge and Trustees about this Work we shall be ready to maintain such Correspondence with our Brethren beyond the Seas that they and we may have cause to rejoyce and our enemies to mourn and this charge of Correspondency fixed upon the Trustees for the Work above said The incouragement of this Correspondency intended riseth much from the unspeakable blessing hath accompanied the Letter and Epistle of the Saints witnesse those in the New Testament what Luther Calvin and others have done that way and what dayly success therein of Epistoling there are clouds of witnesses For the present we judge it meet that what any Forrain Divine hath now to Communicate might come either to the Vice-Chancelour of the University or the Ministers sitting at White-hall weekly for approbation of Ministers And these things we desire may be remembred at home and abroad in the prayers of Gods people that we may not make forfeiture of our mercies by our sloth and negligence and sit down by the starving sluggard with non putarem FINIS Errata IN the names subscribed to the Latin Letter read Hopsius item P. T. pastor Schresheimi item Belsteinensis Beilsteinensi In the subscription to the English Letter read Hopsius Schresheim Orzen IN the quotations of Scripture places pag. 1. read in Margin 1 Peter pag. 2. in Margin read John 13. ibid. Jam. 1. 22. pag. 4. lin 39. read 17. 3. pag. 17. lin 36. read Luke 24. 47. p. 21. l. 35. r. 1 Cor. 6. 20. p. 37. l. 11. r. Isai 59. p. 41. l. 37. r. Dan. 12. 7. In the words of the discourse pag. 3. lin 17. read manifest my self pag. 5. lin 35. read Precognitions pag. 6. lin 31. read main heads ibid. lin ult read those pag. 34. lin 21. read Disputations pag. 36. lin 26. read pertaining pag. 37. lin 15. read from my judgement pag. 42. lin 4 read to one end ibid. lin 15. read rectifie pag. 44. lin 35. read Panrani pag. 45. lin 8. read the forrain p. 46. l. 26. read upon residing