judgement about the controverted part is not much to be regarded God is not so likely to direct profane ones and false hearted hypocrites and bless them with a sound judgement in holy things where their Lives shew that their practical judgements are corrupt as the sincere that obey him in that which he revealeth to them We are all agreed that Gods Word must be your daily meditation and delight Psal. 1. 2. and that you should speak of it lying down and rising up at home and abroad Deut. 6. 6 7 8. and that we must be constant and fervent and importunate in prayer both in publick and private 1 Thess. 5. 17. Luke 18. 1. Iames 5. 16. Do you perform this much faithfully or not If you do you may the more confidently expect that God should further reveal his will to you and resolve your doubts and guide you in the way that is pleasing to him But if you omit the duty which all are agreed on and be unfaithful and negligent in what you know how unmeet are you to dispute about the controverted circumstances of duty To what purpose is it that you meddle in such controversies Do you do it wilfully to condemn your selves before God and shame your selves before men by declaring the hypocrisie which aggravateth your ungodliness What a lothesome and pitiful thing is it to hear a man bitterly reproach those that differ from him in some circumstances of worship when he himself never seriously worshippeth God at all When he meditateth not on the Word of God and instead of delighting in it maketh light of it as if it little concerned him and is acquainted with no other prayer than a little customary lip service Is such an ungodly neglecter of all the serious worship of God a fit person to fill the world with quarrels about the Manner of his worship § 3. Direct 3. Differ not in Gods worship from the common sense of the most faithful godly Christians Direct 3. without great suspicion of your own understandings and a most diligent tryal of the case For if in such practical cases the common sense of the faithful be against you it is to be suspected that the teaching of Gods Spirit is against you For the Spirit of God doth principally teach his servants in the matters of worship and obedience There are several errors that I am here warning you to avoid 1. The error of them that rather incline to the judgement of the ungodly multitude who never knew what it was to worship God in The disadvantages of ungodly men in judging of holy worship Spirit and truth Consider the great disadvantages of these men to judge aright in such a case 1. They must judge then without that teaching of the Spirit by which things spiritual are to be discerned 1 Cor. 2. 13 15. He that is blind in sin must judge of the mysteries of godliness 2. They must judge quite contrary to their natures and inclinations or against the diseased Habits of their Wills And if you call a drunkard to judge of the evil of drunkenness or a whoremonger to judge of the evil of fornication or a covetous or a proud or a passionate man to judge of their several sins how partial will they be And so will an ungodly man be in judging of the duties of godliness You set him to judge of that which he hateth 3. You set him to judge of that which he is unacquainted with It 's like he never throughly studyed it but its certain he never seriously tryed it nor hath not the experience of those that have long made it a great part of the business of their lives And would you not sooner take a mans judgement in Physick that hath made it the study and practice of his life than a sick mans that speaketh against that which he never studyed or practised meerly because his own stomach is against it Or will you not sooner take the judgement of an antient Pilot about Navigation than ones that never was at Sea The difference is as great in the present case § 4. 2. And I speak this also to warn you of another error that you prefer not the judgement of a Sect or Party or some few godly people against the common sense of the generality of the faithful For the Spirit of God is liklier to have forsaken a small part of godly people than the generality in such particular opinions which even good men may be forsaken in Or if it be in greater things it is more unreasonable and more uncharitable for me to suspect that most that seem godly are hypocrites and forsaken of God than that a party or some few are so § 5. Direct 4. Yet do not absolutely give up your selves to the judgement of any in the worshipping Direct 4. of God but only use the advice of men in a due subordination to the Will of God and the Teaching of Iesus Christ. Otherwise you will set man in the place of God and will reject Christ in his Prophetical Office as much as using co-ordinate Mediators is a rejecting him in his Priestly Office None must be called Master but in subordination to Christ because he is our Master Matth. 23. 8 9 10. § 6. Direct 5. Condemn not all that in others which you dare not do your selves and practise not Direct 5. all that your selves which you dare not condemn in others For you are more capable of judging in See Rom. 14. 15. 1. Cor. 8. 13. your own cases and bound to do it with more exactness and diligent enquiry than in the case of others Oft-times a rational doubt may necessitate you to suspend your practice as your belief or judgement is suspended when yet it will not allow you to condemn another whose judgement and practice hath no such suspension Only you may doubt whether he be in the right as you doubt as to your self And yet you may not therefore venture to do all that you dare not condemn in him for then you must wilfully commit all the sins in the world which your weakness shall make a doubt or controversie of § 7. Direct 6. Offer God no worship that is clearly contrary to his nature and perfections but such Direct 6. as is suited to him as he is revealed to you in his Word Thus Christ teacheth us to worship God as Lev. 19. 2. 20. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 16. he is and thus God often calleth for Holy worship because he is Holy 1. God is a Spirit therefore they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth which Christ opposeth to meer external Ceremony or shadows John 4. 23 24. for the Father seeketh such to worship him 2. God is Incomprehensible and Infinitely distant from us Therefore worship him with Admiration and make not either visible or mental Images of him nor debase him not by undue resemblance of him The 2d Commandment Câ—â—â—â—o de Nat.
as you have no need § 5. As for Play books and Romances and idle Tales I have already shewed in my Book of Self-dâ—nyal how pernicious they are especially to youth and to frothy empty idle wits that know not what a man is nor what he hath to do in the world They are powerful baits of the Devil to keep more necessary things out of their minds and better Books out of their hands and to poyson the mind so much the more dangerously as they are read with more delight and pleasure and to fill the minds of sensual people with such idle fumes and intoxicating fancies as may divert them from the serious thoughts of their salvation And which is no small loss to rob them of abundance of that precious time which was given them for more important business and which they will wish and wish again at last that they had spent more wisely I know the fantasticks will say that these things are innocent and may teach men much good like him that must go to a Whore-house to learn to hate uncleanness and him that would go out with Robbers to learn to hate Theevery But I shall now only ask them as in the presence of God 1. Whether they could spend that time no better 2. Whether better Books and practices would not edifie them more 3. Whether the greatest Lovers of Romances and Playes be the greatest Lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life 4. Whether they feel in themselves that the Love of these vanities doth increase their love to the Word of God and kill their sin and prepare them for the life to come or clean contrary And I would desire men not to prate against their own experience and reason nor to dispute themselves into damnable impenitency nor to befool their souls by a few silly words which any but a sensualist may perceive to be meer deceit and falshood If this will not serve they shall be shortly convinced and answered in another manner Direct 17. TAke heed that you receive not a Doctrine of Libertinism as from the Gospel nor conceive Direct 17. of Christ as an encourager of sin nor pretend free grace for your carnal security or sloth For this is but to set up another Gospel and another Christ or rather the Doctrine and works of the Devil against Christ and the Gospel and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness § 1. Because the Devil knoweth that you will not receive his doctrine in his own Name his usual Siquis est hoc robore aniâ—â—t atque hoc indole virtuâ—s aâ— continentiâ— ut respâ—at omnes vo 〈…〉 omnemâ—â—â— vitae â—uae â—â—rsâ—m â—aâ—â—â—â— co 〈…〉 aequalium fludia non â—udi non convivia delectant nihil in vita expeâ—endum putet nisi quod est cum laude honore conjunâ—tum hunc mea sententia divinis quibusdam bonis instructum atque ornatum puto Ciâ— pâ—o Cal. method is to propound and preach it in the name of Christ which he knoweth you reverence and regard For if Satan concealed not his own Name and Hand in every temptation it would spoil his game And the more excellent and splendid is his pretence the more powerful the temptation is They that gave heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils no doubt thought better of the Spirits and the Doctrines especially seeming strict for the Devil hath his strictnesses as forbidding to marry and abstinence from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4. 1 3. But the strictnesses of the Devil are alwayes intended to make men loose They shall be strict as the Pharisees in Traditions and vain Ceremonies and building the Tombs of the Prophets and garnishing the Sepulchres of the Righteous that they may hate and murder the living Saints that worship God in Spirit and in truth Licentiousness is the proper Doctrine of the Devil which all his strictness tendeth to promote To receive such principles is pernicious but to father them upon Christ and the Gospel is blasphemous § 2. The Libertines Antinomians and Autonomians of this age have gathered you too many instances The Libertine saith The Heart is the man therefore you may deny the truth with your tongue you may be present at false Worship as at the Mass you need not suffer to avoid the speaking of a word or subscribing to an untruth or error or doing some little thing but as long as you keep your hearts to God and mean well or have an honest mental reservation and are forced to it by therâ— rather than suffer you may say or subscribe or swear any thing which you can your selves put a lawful sense upon in your own minds or comply with any outward actions or customs to avoid â—ffence and save your selves The Antinomians tell you that The Moral Law is abrogated and that the Gospel is no Law and if there be no Law there is no Governour nor Government no duty no sin no judgement nâ— punishment no before they are born or repent or believe that their sin is pardoned 〈…〉 that God tâ—â—k them as suffering and fulfilling all the Law in Christ as if it had been they that diâ— iâ— in â—iâ— that we are justified by faith only in our consciences that justifying faith iâ— but t 〈…〉 we are justified that every man must believe that he is pardoned that he may 〈…〉 ed in â—is câ—â—science and this he is to do by a Divine faith and that this is the sense of the Aâ—tiâ—le I beliâ—â—â—â— the forgiveness of sins that is that my sâ—ns are forgiven and that all are forgi 〈…〉 it that it is legal and sinful to work or do any thing for salvation that sin once pa 〈…〉 ssed and lamented or at least we need not ask pardon of sin daily or of one 〈…〉 t that 〈◊〉 are no punishments and yet no other punishment is threatned to believers for their sins and consequently that Christ hath not procured them a pardon of any sin after believing but prevented all necessity of pardon and therefore they must not ask the pardon of them nor do any thing to obtain it that fear of Hell must have no hand in our obedience or restraint from sin And some add that he that cannot repent or believe must comfort himself that Christ repented and believed for him 〈…〉 a contradiction Many such Doctrines of Licentiousness the abusers of Grace have brought forth And the Sect which imitateth the Father of Pride in affecting to be from under the Government of God and to be the Law-givers and Rulers of themselves and all others which I therefore call the Antonomians are Licentious and much more They equally contend against Christs Government and for their own They fill the world with Wars and bloodshed oppression and cruelty and the ears of God with the cryes of the Martyrs and oppressed ones and all that the spiritual and holy Discipline of Christ may be suppressed and
us how little the Thoughts or Words of ignorant men do contribute to our happiness or are to be accounted of And to turn our eyes from the unpertinâ—nt censures of flesh and blood to the judgement of our Almighty Soveraign to whom it is that we stand or fall 11. Remember also how little he made provision for the flesh and never once tasted of any immoderate sinful pleasure How farr was he from a life of voluptuousness and sensuality Though his avoiding the formal fastings of the Pharisees made them slander him as a gluttonous person and a Mat. 11. 19. wine bibber as the sober Christians were called Carnivori by those that thought it unlawful to eat flesh yet so farr was he from the guilt of any such sin that never a desire of it was in his heart You shall never find in the Gospel that Christ spent half the morning in dressing him choosing rather to shorten his time for prayer than not to appear sufficiently neatified as our empty worthless painted Gallants do Nor shall you ever read that he wasted his time in idle visitations or Cards or Diâ—e or in reading Romances or hearing Stage-plays It was another kind of example that our Lord did leave for his disciples 12. Mark also how farr Christ was from being guilty of any idle or lascivious or foolish kind of talk And how holy and profitable all his speeches were To teach us also to speak as the oracles of God such words as tend to edification and to administer grace unto the hearers and to keep our tongues from all prophane lascivious empty idle speeches 13. Remember that Pride and Passion are condemned by your pattern Christ bids you Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Therefore he resolveth that except men be converted and become as little children they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18. 3. Behold therefore the Lamb of God and be ashamed of your fierce and ravenous natures 14. Remember that Christ your Lord and pattern did humble himself to the meanest office of love even to â—â—sh the feet of his disciples Not to teach you to wash a few poor mens feet as a Ceremony once a year and persecute and murder the servants of Christ the rest of the year as the Roman Vice-Christ doth But to teach us that if he their Lord and Master washed his disciples feet we also should stoop as low in any office of love for one another Iohn 13. 14. 15. Remember also that Christ your pattern spent whole nights in prayer to God so much was he for this holy attendance upon God To teach us to pray allwayes and not wax saint Luke 18. 1. And not to be like the impious God-haters that Love not any near or serious addresses unto God nor those that use them but make them the object of their cruelty or scorn 16. Remember also that Christ was against the Pharisees out-side hypocritical ceremonious worship consisting in lip-labour affected repetitions and much babling their Touch not Taste not Handle â—â—â—â— and worshiping God in vain according to their Traditions teaching for doctrines the commandments of men He taught us a serious spiritual worship not to draw nigh to God with our mouth Maâ— 15 6 7 â— 9. and honour him with our lips while our hearts are farr from him but to worship God who is a Spirit in Jâ—h â— 23 24 Spirit and Truth 17. Christ was a sharp reprover of Hypocritical blind ceremonious malitious Pharisees and Maâ— â—â— warneth his disciples to take heed of their leven When they are offended with him he saith every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind c. Mat. 15. 12 13 14. To teach us to take heed of Autonomous Supercilious domineering formal Hypocrites and false teachers and to difference between the shepheards and the wolves 18. Though Christ seems cautelously to avoid the owning of the Romans Usurpation over the Jews yet rather than offend them he payeth Tribute himself Mat. 17. 25 26 27. and biddeth them Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Mat. 22. 21. The Pharisees bring their controversie to him hypocritically Whether it be lawful to give Tribute to Caesar or not For that Caesar was a Usurper over them they took to be past controversie And Christ would give them no answer that should either ensnare himself or encourage usurpation or countenance their sedition Teaching us much more to pay tribute chearfully to our lawful Governours and to avoid all sedition and offence 19. Yet is he accused condemned and executed among Malefactors as aspiring to be King of the Iews and the Judge called None of Caesars friend if he let him go Teaching us to expect that the most innocent Christians should be accused as enemies to the Rulers of the world and mistaken Governours be provoked and engaged against them by the malicious calumnies of their adversaries and that we should in this unrighteous world be condemned of those crimes of which we are most innocent and which we most abhorr and have born the fullest testimonies against 20. The furious rowt of the enraged people deride him by their words and deeds with a Purple â—â—â—â—â— a Scepter of Reed a Crown of Thorns and the scornful name of King of the Iews They 〈…〉 n his face and buffet him and then break jeasts upon him And in all this being reviled he reâ—â—â—â— not again but committed all to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. Teaching us to expect the rage of the ignorant Rabble as well as of deluded Governours and to be made the scorn of the worst of men and all this without impatience reviling or threatning words but quiâ—tting our selves in the sure expectation of the righteous judgement which we and they must shortly find 21. When Christ is urged at Pilates Barr to speak for himself he holds his peace Teaching us to expect to be questioned at the Judgement Seat of man and not to be over-careful for the vindicating of our Names from their most odious calumnies because the Judgement that will fully justifie us is sure and near 22. When Christ is in his Agony his Disciples fail him when he is judged and crucified they Matth. 26. 56. forsook him and fled To teach us not to be too confident in the best of men nor to expect much from them in a time of tryal but to take up our comfort in God alone when all our nearest friends shall fail us 23. Upon the Cross he suffereth the torments and ignominy of death for us praying for his Murderers Leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. and that we think not life it self too dear to part with in obedience to God and for the
it § 52. Direct 14. If God so much regard us as to make us and preserve us continually and to become Tempt 14. our Governour and make a Law for us and judge us and Reward his servants with no less than Heaven than you may easily see that he so much regardeth us as to observe whether we obey or break his Laws He that so far careth for a Clock or Watch as to make it and wind it up doth care whether it go true or false What do these men make of God who think he cares not what men do Then he cares not if men beat you or râ—b you or kill you for none of this hurteth God And the King may say if any murder your friends or children why should I punish him he hurt not me But Iustice is to keep order in the world and not only to preserve the Governour from hurt God may be wronged though he be not hurt And he will make you pay for it if you hurt others and smart for it if you hurt your self § 53. Tempt 15. The Tempter laboureth to extenuate the sin and make it seem a little one and if Tempt 15. every little sin must be made such a matter of you 'll never be quiet § 54. Direct 15. But still remember 1. There is deadly poyson in the very nature of sin as Direct 15. there is in a Serpent be he never so small The least sin is worse than the greatest pain that ever man selt and would you choose that and say its little The least sin is odious to God and had a hand in the death of Christ and will damn you if it be not pardoned and should such a thing be made light of And many sins counted small may have great aggravations such as the knowing deliberate wilful committing of them is To love a small sin is a great sin specially to love it so well that the remembrance of Gods Will and Love of Christ and Heaven and Hell will not suffice to resolve you against it Besides a small sin is the common way to greater James 1. 14 15. When lust hath conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death James 3. 5. Behâ—ld how great a matter a little fire kindleth The horrid sins of David and Peter had small beginnings Mortal sicknesses seem little matters at the first Many a thousand have sinned themselves to Hell that began with that which is accounted small § 55. Tempt 16. Also the Devil draweth on the sinner by promising him that he shall sin but once Tempt 16. or but a very few times and then do so no more He tells the Thief and the Fornicator that if they will do it but this once they shall be quiet § 56. Direct 16. But O consider 1. That one stab at the heart may prove uncurable God may Direct 16. deny thee time or grace to repent 2. That it is easier to forbear the first time than the second For one sin disposeth the heart unto another If you cannot deny the first temptation how will you deny the next When you have lost your strength and grieved your helper and strengthened your enemy and your snare will you then resist better wounded then now when you are whole § 57. Tempt 17. But when the Devil hath prevailed for once with the sinner he makes that an argument Tempt 17. for a second He saith to the Thief and Drunkard and Fornicator It is but the same thing that thou hast done once already and if once may be pardoned twice may be pardoned and if twice why not thrice and so on § 58. Direct 17. This it is to let the Devil get in a foot A spark is easier quenched than a flame Direct 17. but yet remember that the longer the worse the oftner you sin the greater is the abuse of the Spirit of God and the contempt of grace and the wrong to Christ and the harder is repentance and the sharper if you do repent because the deeper is your wound Repent therefore speedily and go no further unless you would have the Devil tell you next It 's now too late § 59. Tempt 18. The Tempter maketh use of the greater sins of others to perswade men to venture Tempt 18. upon less Thou hearest other men curse and swear and rail and dost thou stick at idle talk How many in the world are enemies to Christ and persecute his Ministers and Servants and dost thou make so great a matter of omitting a Sermon or a prayer or other holy duty § 60. Direct 18. As there are degrees of sin so there are degrees of punishment And wilt thou Direct 18. rather choose the easiest place in Hell than Heaven How small soever the matter of sin be thy wilfulness and sinning against conscience and mercies and warnings may make it great to thee Are great sinners so happy in thy eyes that thou wouldst be as like them as thou darest § 61. Tempt 19. Also he would embolden the sinner because of the Commonness of the sin and Tempt 19. the multitude that commit either that or worse as if it were not therefore so bad or dangerous § 62. Direct 19. But remember that the more examples you have to take warning by the more Direct 19. unexcusable is your fall It was not the number of Angels that fell that could keep them from being Devils and damned for their sin God will do Justice on many as well as on one The sin is the greater and therefore the punishment shall not be the less Make the case your own Will you think it a good reason for any one to abuse you beat you rob you because that many have done so before He should rather think that you are abused too much already and therefore he should not add to your wrongs If when many had spit in Christs face or bufletted him some one should have given him another spit or blow as if he had not enough before would you not have taken him to be the worst and cruellest of them all If you do as the most you 'll speed as the most § 63. Tempt 2â— â—â— is a dangerous Temptation when the Devill propâ—seth some very good end and â—â—â—â—t 2â— mâ—kâ—t◠〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 or the necessary means to accomplish it when he blindâ—th men sâ— farr as tâ—â—â—â—â—k tâ—â—â—â— it is necessary tâ— their salvation or to other mens or to the wellfare of the Church or pro 〈…〉 oâ— the pleasing of God then sâ—n will be commited without regret and continued in â—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 Oâ— this account it is that â—â—reâ—â—e and will-will-worship and superstition are kept up â—â—â—â— 2. 18 21 22 23. Having a shew of wisdom in will-will-worship and humility and neglecting the body It is for God that much of the wickedness of the world is done against God It s for the Church aâ—â— Truth that Papists have murdered and persecuted so
the Enemies of Religion that forbad Christs Ministers to preach his Gospel and forbad Gods servants to meet in Church-assemblies for his Worship the support of Religion and the comfort and edification of believers would then lye almost all upon the right performance of family-duties There Masters might teach the same truth to their housholds which Ministers are forbid to preach in the Assemblies There you might pray together as fervently and spiritually as you can There you may keep up as holy converse and communion and as strict a discipline as you please There you may celebrate the praises of your blessed Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and observe the Lords Day in as exact and spiritual a manner as you are able You may there provoke one another to Love and to good works and rebuke every sin and mind each other to prepare for death and live together as passengers to eternal life Thus holy families may keep up Religion and keep up the life and comfort of believers and supply the want of publick preaching in those Countreys where persecutors prohibit and restrain it or where unable or unfaithful Pastors do neglect it § 8. Motive 8. The duties of your families are such as you may perform with greatest peace and least exception Motive 8. or opposition from others When you go further and would be instructing others they will think you go beyond your Call and many will be suspicious that you take too much upon you And if you do but gently admonish a rowt of such as the Sodomites perhaps they will say This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Iudge Gen. 19. 9. But your own house is your Castle Your family is your charge You may teach them as oft and as diligently as you will If the ungodly rabble scorn you for it yet no sober person will condemn you nor trouble you for it if you teach them no evil All men must confess that Nature and Scripture oblige you â—o it as your unquestionable work And therefore you may do it among sober people with approbation and quietness § 9. Motive 9. Well governed Families are honourable and exemplary unto others Even the worldly and Motive 9. ungodly use to bear a certain reverence to them For Holiness and Order have some witness that commendeth them in the consciences of many that never practised them A worldly ungodly disordered family is a Den of Snakes a place of hissing railing folly and confusion It is like a Wilderness overgrown with Bryars and Weeds But a holy family is a Garden of God It is beautified with his Graces and ordered by his Government and fruitful by the showres of his heavenly blessing And as the very sluggard that will not be at the cost and pains to make a Garden of his thorny Wilderness may yet confess that a Garden is more beautiful and fruitful and delightful and if wishing would do it his Wilderness should be such Even so the ungodly that will not be at the cost and pains to order their souls and families in holiness may yet see a beauty in those that are so ordered and wish for the happiness of such if they could have it without the labour and cost of self-denyal And no doubt the beauty of such holy and well governed families hath convinced many and drawn them to a great approbation of Religion and occasioned them at last to imitate them § 10. Motive 10. Lastly Consider That holy well governed families are blest with the special presence Motive 10. and favour of God They are his Churches where he is worshipped His houses where he dwelleth He is engaged both by Love and Promise to bless protect and prosper them Psal. 1. 3. 128. It is safe to sail in that Ship which is bound for Heaven and where Christ is the Pilot. But when you reject his Government you refuse his company and contemn his favour and forfeit his blessing by despising his presence his interest and his commands § 11. So that it is an evident truth that most of the mischiefs that now infest or seize upon mankind throughout the earth consist in or are caused by the disorders and ill-governedness of families These are the Schools and Shops of Satan from whence proceed the beastly ignorance lust and sensuality the devilish pride malignity and cruelty against the holy wayes of God which have so unman'd the progeny of Adam These are the Nests in which the Serpent doth hatch the Eggs of Covetousness Envy Strife Revenge of Tyranny Disobedience Wars and Bloodshed and all the Leprosie of sin that hath so odiously contaminated humane nature and all the miseries by which they make the world calamitous Do you wonder that there can be persons and Nations so blind and barbarous as we read of the Turks Tartarians Indians and most of the inhabitants of the earth A wicked education is the cause of all which finding nature depraved doth sublimate and increase the venome which should by education have been cured And from the wickedness of families doth National wickedness arise Do you wonder that so much ignorance and voluntary deceit and obstinacy in errors contrary to all mens common senses can be found among professed Christians as Great and small High and low through all the Papal Kingdom do discover Though the Pride and Covetousness and Wickedness of a worldly carnal Clergie is a very great cause yet the sinful negligence of Parents and Masters in their families is as great if not much greater than that Do you wonder that even in the Reformed Churches there can be so many unreformed sinners of beastly lives that hate the serious practice of the Religion which themselves profess It is ill education in ungodly families that is the cause of all this O therefore how great and necessary a work is it to cast Salt into these corrupted fountains Cleanse and cure these vitiated Families and you may cure almost all the calamities of the earth To tell what the Emperours and Princes of the earth might do if they were wise and good to the remedy of this common misery is the idle talk of those negligent persons who condemn themselves in condemning others Even those Rulers and Princes that are the Pillars and Patrons of Heathenisme Mahometanisme Popery and Ungodliness in the world did themselves receive that venome from their Parents in their birth and education which inclineth them to all this mischief Family-reformation is the easiest and the most likely way to a common Reformation At least to send many souls to Heaven and train up multitudes for God if it reach not to National reformation CHAP. VI. More special Motives for a holy and careful Education of Children BEcause the chief part of Family-Care and Government consisteth in the right Education of Children I shall adjoyn here some more special Motives to quicken considerate Parents to this duty And though most that I have to say for it be already said
conference or meditation or reading or hearing as formerly they had But though they are as much as ever Resolved for God against sin and Vanity yet they are colder and duller and have less zeal and fervency and delight in holy exercises 4. When age or weakness or melancholy hath decayed or confounded their Imaginations and ravelled their Thoughts so that they cannot order them and command them as formerly they could 5. And when age or melancholy hath weakened their parts and gifts so that they are of flower understandings and unabler in prayer or preaching or conference to express themselves than heretofore All these are but bodily changes and such hinderances of the soul as depend thereon and not to be taken for signs of a soul that declineth in holiness and is less accepted of God § 18. Direct 2. When you know the Marks of a Backslider come into the light and be willing to Direct 2. know your selves whether this be your condition or not and do not foolishly cover your disease Enquire whether it be with you as in former times when the light of God did shine upon you and you delighted in his wayes when you hated sin and loved holiness and were glad of the company of the heirs of life when the Word of God was pleasant to you and when you poured out your souls to him in prayer and thanksgivings When you were glad of the Lords day and were quickned and confirmed under the teaching and exhortation of his Ministers when you took worldly wealth and pleasures as childish toyes and fooleries in comparison of the contents of holy souls when you hungred and thirsted after Christ and righteousness and had rather have been in Heaven to enjoy your God and be free from sinning than to enjoy all the pleasures and prosperity of this World And when it was your daily business to prepare for death and to live in expectation of the everlasting Rest which Christ hath promised If this were once your case enquire whether it be so still or what alterations are made upon your hearts and lives § 19. Direct 3. If you find your selves in a Backsliding case by all means endeavour the awakening of your souls by the serious consideration of the danger and misery of such a state To which end I shall here set some such awakening thoughts before you For security is your greatest danger § 20. 1. Consider that to fall back from God was the sin of the Devils They are Angels that Direct 3. kept not their first estate but left their own habitations and are now reserved in chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day Jud. 6. And shall they entise you into their own condemnation § 21. 1. It was the sin of our first Parents Adam and Eve to revolt from God and lose their holiness And is there any sin that we should more carefully avoid than that which all the world hath so much suffered by Every one of the Creatures that you look on and every pain and misery you feel doth mind you of that sin and and call to you to take heed by the warning of your first Parents that you suffer not your hearts to be drawn from God § 22. 3. It is a part of Hell that you are choosing upon earth Depart from me ye cursed is the sentence on the damned Matth. 25. 41. 7. 23. And will you damn your selves by departing from God and that when he calleth you and obligeth you to him To be separated from God is one half the misery of the damned § 23. 4. You are drawing back toward the case that you were in in the dayes of your unconverted state And what a state of darkness and folly and delusion and sin and misery was that Iâ— it were good or tolerable why turned you from it and why did you so lament it and why did you so earnestly cry out for deliverance But if it were as bad as you then apprehended it to be why do you again turn towards it Would you be again in the case you were would you perish in it or would you have all those heart-breakings and terrours to pass through again May I not say to you as Paul to the Galatians O foolish sinners who hath bewitched you that you are so soon turned back who have seen that of sin and of God and of Christ and of Heaven and of Hell as you have done Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4. § 24. 5. Yea it is a far more doleful state that you are drawing towards than that which you were in before For the guilt of an Apostate is much greater than if he had never known the truth And his recovery is more difficult and of smaller hope Because he is twice dead and pluckt up by the root Jud. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the later end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Heb. 10. 26 27. For if we sin wilfully by Apostacy after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I know this speaketh only of total apostacy from Christ such being worthy of fâ—r sorer punishment than he that despised Moses Law v. 28 29. But it is a terrible thing to draw towards so desperate a state A habit is easier introduced upon a negation than a privation in him that never had it than in him that hath totally lost it § 25. 6. What abundance of Experience do you sin against in your Backsliding You have had experience of the evil of sin and of the smart of repentance and of the deceitfulness of all that can be said for sinning and of the goodness of God and of the safety and sweetness of Religion And will you sin against so great experience If your horse fall once into a quicksand he will scarce be forced into it again And will you be less wise § 26. 7. What abundance of promises and Covenants which you have made to God do you violate in your backsliding How often in your fears and dangers and sicknesses at Sacraments and dayes of humiliation have you bound your selves afresh to God! And will you forget all these and sin against them § 27. 8. By what multitudes of mercies hath God obliged you mercies before your repentance and mercies that drew you to repent and mercies since How mercifully hath he kept
sacrilegum est quodcunque humano furore instituitur ut dispositio Divina violetuâ— Cyprian Eccles. 5. 1 2. â—ev 10. 1 2 3. Rom. 10. 2 3. § 21. Direct 10. See that you perform every part of Worship to the proper end to which it is appointed Direct 10. both as to the ultimate remote and nearest end The End is essential to these Relative duties If you intend not the right end you make another thing of it As the Preaching of a Sermon to edifie 1 Thes. 2. 4. Col. 1 10. Joh. 8. 29. 1 Cor. 7. 32. Heb. 11. 6. 1 Joh. 3. 22. the Church or putting up a prayer to procure Gods blessings is not the same thing as a Stage-players prophane repeating the same words in scorn of Godliness or an Hypocrites using them for commodity or applause The Ultimate end of all worship and all moral actions is the same even the Pleasing and Glorifying God 1 Cor. 10. 31. 2 Tim. 2. 4. Besides which every part of Worship hath its proper nearest end These must not only be distinctly known but actually intended It is God in Christ that a holy worshipper thirsteth after and seeketh for in every part of worship either to know more of God and of his will and blessings or to have some more Communion with him or some further grace communicated from him to receive his pardoning or cleansing or quickening or confirming Psal. 42. Psal. 84. or comforting or exalting grace to be honoured or delighted in his holy service or to make known his grace and Glory for the good of others and the honour of his name Here it is that God proclaimeth his name as Exod. 34. 6. The ordinances of Gods Worship are like the Tree in which Zacheus climbed up being of himself too low to have a sight of Christ. Here we come to learn the will of God for our salvation and must enter the Assembly with such resolutions as Cornelius and his Company met Act. 10. 33. We are all here met to hear all things commanded thee of God and as Act. 2. 37. and Act. 16. 30. to learn what we must do to be saved Hither we come for that holy light which may shew us our sin and shew us the grace which we have received and shew us the unspeakable love of God till we are humbled for sin and lifted up by faith in Christ and can with Thomas as it were put our fingers into his wounds and say in assurance My Lord and my God and as Psal. 48. 14. This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Here we do as it were with Mary sit at the feet of Jesus to hear his word Luk. 10. 39. that fire from Heaven may come down upon our hearts and we may say Did not our hearts burn within us while he spake to us and while he opened to us the Scriptures Luk. 24. 32. Here we cry to him as the blind man Lord that I may Mark 10 51. receive my sight We cry here to the Watchmen Cant. 3. 3. saw ye him whom my soul loveth Here we are in his banqueting house under the banner of his Love Cant. 2. 4. We have here the sealing and quickenings of his spirit the mortification of our sin the increase of grace and a prospect into life eternal and a foresight of the endless happiness there See then that you come to the Worship of God with these intentions and expectations that if God or Conscience call to you as God did sometime to Elias what dost thou here you may truly answer I came to seek the Lord my God and to learn his will that I might do it And that your sweet delights may make you say Psal. 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee If thou come to the Worship of God in meer custome or to make thy carnal heart believe that God will forgive thee because thou so far servest him or to quiet thy Conscience with the doing of a formal task of duty or to be seen of men or that thou maist not be thought ungodly if these be thy ends thou wilâ— speed accordingly A Holy soul cannot live upon the air of mans applause nor upon the shell of Ordinances without God who is the kernel and the life of all It is the Love of God that brings them thither and it is Love that they are exercising there and the end of Love even the nearer approach of the soul to God which they desire and intend Be sure then that these be the true and real intentions of thy heart § 22. Quest. But how shall I know whether indeed it be God himself that I am seeking and that I How to know that we have right ends in Worship perform his worship to the appointed ends Answ. In so great a business it is a shame to be unacquainted with your own Intentions If you take heed what you do and look after your hearts you may know what you come for and what is your business there But more particularly you may discern it by these marks 1. He that hath right ends and seeketh God will labour to suit all his duties to those ends and will like that best which is best suited to them He will strive so to preach and hear and pray not as tends most to preferment or applause but as â—endeth most to please and honour God and to attain his grace And he will love that Sermon or that prayer best that is best fitted to bring up his soul to God and not that which tickleth a carnal ear Mark what you fit the means to and you may perceive what is your end 2. If it be God himself that you seek after in his Worship you will not be satisfied without God It is not the doing of the task that will satisfie you nor yet the greatest praise of men no not of the most Godly men But so far as you have attained your end in the cleansing or quickening or strengthening of the soul or getting somewhat nearer God or pleasing or honouring him so far only you will be contented 3. If God be your end you will be faithful in the use of that more private and spiritual worship where God is to be found though no humane applause be there to be attained 4. And you will love still the same substantial necessary truth and duty which is to your souls as bread and drink is to your bodies when those that have carnal ends will be looking after variety and change and will be weary of the necessary bread of life By observing these things you may discern what are your ends in Worship § 23. And here I must not let go this necessary Direction till I have driven on the Reader with some more importunity to the serious practice of it It is lamentable to see how many turn the Worship of God into vile hypocrisie
among them and defile them 7. It is the duty of the several members of the flock if a Brother trespass against them to tell him his faults between them and him and if he hear not to take two or three and if he hear not them to tell the Church 8. It is the Pastors duty to admonish the unruly and call them to Repentance and pray for their Conversion 9. And it is the Pastors duty to declare the obstinately impenitent uncapable of Communion with the Church â—nd to charge him to forbear it and the Church to avoid him 10. It is the peoples duty to avoid such accordingly and have no familiarity with them that they may be ashamed and with such no not to eat 11. It is the Pastors duty to Absolve the Penitent declaring the remission of their sin and re-admitting to the Communion of the Saints 12. It is the peoples duty to re-admit the absolved to their Communion with joy and to take them as Brethren in the Lord. 13. Though every Pastor hath a General power to exercise his office in any part of the Church where he shall be truly called to it yet every Pastor hath a special obligation and consequently a special power to do it over the flock of which he hath received the special charge and oversight 14. The Lords day is separated by Gods appointment for the Churches ordinary holy Communion in Gods Worship under the conduct of these their Guides 15. And it is requisite that the several particular Churches do maintain as much agreement among themselves as their capacity will allow them and keep due Synods and correspondencies to that end Thus much of Gods Worship and Church-order and Government at least is of Divine institution and determined by Scripture and not left to the will or liberty of man Thus far the Form of Government at least is of Divine Right § 21. But on the contrary 1. About Doctrine and Worship the Scripture is no Law in any of these following cases but hath left them undetermined 1. There are many natural Truths which the Scripture meddleth not with As Physicks Metaphysicks Logick c. 2. Scripture telleth not a Minister what particular Text or Subject he shall Preach on this day or that 3. Nor what method his Text or Subject shall be opened and handled in 4. Nor what day of the week besides the Lords day he shall preach nor what hour on the Lords day he shall begin 5. Nor in what particular place the Church shall meet 6. Nor what particular sins we shall most confess nor what personal mercies we shall at this present time first ask nor for what we shall now most copiously give thanks For special occasions must determine all these 7. Nor what particular Chapter we shall now read nor what particular Psalm we shall now sing 8. Nor what particular translation of the Scripture or version of the Psalms we shall now use Nor into what Sections to distribute the Scripture as we do by Chapters and Verses Nor whether the Bible shall be Printed or Written or in what Characters or how bound 9. Nor just by what sign I shall express my consent to the truths or duties which I am called to express consent to besides the Sacraments and ordinary words 10. Nor whether I shall use written Notes to help my memory in Preaching or Preach without 11. Nor whether I shall use a writing or book in prayer or pray without 12. Nor whether I shall use the same words in preaching and prayer or various new expressions 13. Nor what utensils in holy administrations I shall use as a Temple or an ordinary house a Pulpit a font a Table cups cushions and many such which belong to the several parts of Worship 14. Nor in what particular gesture we shall preach or read or hear 15. Nor what particular garments Ministers or people shall wear in time of Worship 16. Nor what natural or artificial helps to our natural faculties Of which I have spoke more fully in my Disput. 5. of Church-Government p. 400. c. we shall use as medicaments for the Voice tunes musical instruments spectacles hour-glasses These and such like are undetermined in Scripture and are left to be determined by humane prudence not as men please but as means in order to the proper end according to the General Laws of Christ. For Scripture is a General Law for all such circumstances but not a particular Law So also for Order and Government Scripture hath not particularly determined 1. What individual persons shall be the Pastors of the Church 2. Or of just how many persons the Congregations shall consist 3. Or how the Pastors shall divide their work where there are many 4. Nor how many every Church shall have 5. Nor what particular people shall be a Pastors special charge 6. Nor what individual persons he shall Baptize receive to Communion admonish or absolve 7. Nor in what words most of these shall be expressed 8. Nor what number of Pastors shall meet in Synods for the communion and agreement of several Churches noâ— how oft nor at what time or place nor what particular order shall be among them in their consultations with many such like § 22. When you thus understand how far Scripture is a Law to you in the Worship of God it will be the greatest Direction to you to keep you both from disobeying God and your Superiours that you may neither pretend obedience to man for your disobedience to God nor pretend obedience to God against your due obedience to your Governours as those will do that think Scripture is a more particular Rule than ever Christ intended it And it will prevent abundance of unnecessary scruples contentions and divisions § 23. Direct 12. Observe well in Scripture the difference between Christs Universal Laws which Direct 12. bind all his Subjects in all times and places and those that are but local personal or alterable Laws What commands of God are not universal noâ— perpetual lest you think that you are bound to all that ever God bound any others to The Universal Laws and unalterable are those which result from the Foundation of the universal and unalierable nature of persons and things and those which God hath supernaturally revealed as suitable constantly to all The particular local or temporary Laws are those which either resulted from a particular or alterable nature of persons and things as mutually related as the Law of nature bound Adams Sons to marry their Sisters which bindeth others against it or those which God supernaturally enacted only for some particular people or person or for a time If you should mistake all the Iewish Laws for universal Laws as to persons or duration into how many errours would it lead you So also if you mistake every personal mandate sent by a Prophet or Apostle to a particular man as obliging all you would make a snare of it Every man is not to abstain
Make sure of the sincerity of your Charity and hold it fast and then no error that you hold will be destructive to you But if you know more than others and use your knowledge to the weakning of your Love you are but as our first Parents deceived and destroyed by a dâ—sire of fleshly uneffectual knowledge Such knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. To contend for Truth to the lâ—ss of Love in your selves and the destruction of it among others is but to choak your selves with excellent food and to imitate that Orthodox Catholick Physicion that gloried that he killed his Patients secundum artem by the most accurate method and excellent Rules of Art that men could dye by § 11. Direct 10. Pretend no Truth against the power and practice of Godliness For this also is Direct 10. its prâ—pâ—â— End Iâ—â—â— be not Truth that is accâ—rding to Godliness it is no truth worthy our seeking or 1 Tim. 6 3. Tâ—â— 1. 1. 1 Tiâ— 4. 7 8 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 11. câ—ntending â—or And if it be contrary to Godliness in it self it is no truth at all Therefore if it be used agaiâ—st Godliness it is used contrary to the Ends of Truth Those men that suppress or hinder tâ—e 〈◊〉 Knowledge and Holiness and Concord and Edification under pretence of securing dâ—â—â—â—nding or propâ—gating the Orthâ—dâ—x belief will find one day that God will give them as 2 Pet. 1. â— 3. 11. little thanks for their blâ—â—d prâ—posterous zeal â—oâ— truth as a tender Father would do to a Physicion that killed his Children bâ—câ—usâ— they distasted or spit out his Medicines It is usually a pitiful defence of Truth that is made by the Enemies of Godliness More near and particular Directions against Error § 12. Direct 1. Begin at the Greatest most Evident Certain and Necessary Truths and so proceed Direct 1. orderly to the knowledge of the less by the help of these As you climb by the Body of the Tree unto See Ch. 2. D. 3. the branches If you begin at those truths which spring out of greater common truths and know not the premises while yoâ— plead for the conclusion you abuse your Reason and lose the Truth and your labour both For thâ—re is no way to the branches but by ascending from the stock The Principles wâ—ll laid must bâ— your help to all your following knowledge § 13. Direct 2. The two first Things which you are to learn are what man is and what God is Direct 2. the Nâ—ture and Relâ—tion of the two Parties is the first thing to be known in order to the knowledge of the Câ—venant it self and all following transâ—ctions between God and man One error here will introduce abundance A thousand other points in Natural Philosophy you may safely be ignorant of bâ—t if you know not what Man is what Reason is what Natural Free-will is and what the inferiâ—ur sensitive U Deum noâ—is etâ—â— ignâ—â—â—â—s â—cum faâ—iem 〈◊〉 â—bi â—â—â—â—â—â— noâ—um eslâ—â—◠〈◊〉 etiamsi â—gâ—oreâ— â—â—cum 〈…〉 Direct 3. Nulla â—â—ga Dâ—â—â—â— pâ—â—â—â—â— est nisi hâ—nâ—stâ—â—â— nâ—mâ—nâ— Dâ—oâ—â—m ac 〈…〉 o Plaâ—â— facultiâ—s are as to their Uses it will lay you open to innumerable errors In the Nature of man you must see the foundation of his relations unto God And if you know not those Great Relâ—â—iâ—ns the duties of which must take up all our lives you may easily foresee the consâ—quents of such ignorance or error So if you know not what God is and what his Relations to us are so far as is necessary to our living in the duties of those Relations the consequents of your ignorance will bâ— sad If learned men be but perverted in their apprehensions of some onâ— Attribuâ—e of God as those that think his Goâ—dness is nothing but his Benignity or proneness to do good or that he is a Nâ—â—â—â—sâ—â—ry agâ—â—t dâ—ing good ad ultimum posse c. what abundance of hoâ—rid and impious consequâ—nts will follow § 14. Direct 3. Hâ—ving sâ—undly understood both these and other Principles of Religion try all the subsequent truths â—erâ—â—y and receive nothing as truth that is certainly inconsistent with any of these principles Even Principles that are not of sense may be disputed till they are wâ—ll râ—ceived and with those that have â—â—t received them But afterward they are not to be called iâ— question for then you wâ—uld never proceed â—or build higher if you still stand questioning all your grounds Indeed no truth is inconsistent with any other truth But yet when two dark or doubâ—ful points are compared together it is hard to know which of them to reject But here it is easie Nothing that contradicteth the trâ—e Nature of Gâ—d or man or any Principle must be hâ—ld § 15. Direct 4. Bâ—lieve notâ—ing which certainly contradicteth the End of all Religion If it be of a Direct 4. naâ—â—râ—l or necessary tendency to ungodliness against the Love of God or against a holy and heavenly mind and conversation it cannot bâ— truth what ever it preâ—end § 16. Direct 5. Be sure to distinguish well betwixt revealed and unrevealed things And before you Direct 5. dispute any question search first whetâ—er thâ—â—â—solution be Revealed oâ— not And if it be not lay it ☞ by and take it as part of your necessary submission to be ignorant of what God would have you ignorant as it is part of your obedience to labour to know what God would have you know And when some things unrâ—veâ—lâ—d are mixed in the controversie take out those and lay them by before you go any further and see that the resolution of the râ—st be not laid upon them nor twisted with them to â—ntangle the whole in uncertainty or confusion Thus God instructed Iob by convincing him of Job 38. 39. 40. 41. Non 1 sumu quâ—bâ—s nihil vâ—rum essvâ—dâ—aâ—uâ— sâ—d ii qui â—â—â—â—bâ—s â—â—â—â—â— faâ—sae â—â—aeâ—am adjunâ—â—â—â— est 〈◊〉 camuâ— â—an â simâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— uâ— c. Ciâ— dâ— Nat. Dâ—or p. 7. his ignorance and shâ—wing him how many things were past his knowledge Thus Christ instructed Nic dâ—mus about the work of Regeneration so as to let him know that though the Necessity of it must be known yâ—t the manner of the Spirits accâ—sses to the soul cannot be known Iohn 3. 7 8. And Paul in his discâ—urse of Election takes notice of the unsearchable depths and the creatures unfitness to dispute with God Rom. 9. When you find any dispuâ—es about Predetermination or Predestination resolved into such points as thâ—se Whether God do by physical premoving influx or by concourse or by moral operation ut finiâ— determine or spâ—cifie moral acts of man Whether a Positive Decâ—ee quoad actum be necessary to the Nâ—gation of effects as that such a one shall not have grace given him or be câ—â—verted or saved that all the millions of possible persons names and things shall not be
upon Justification c. which I have seen de nomine and neither of them seemed to take notice of it Be sure as soon as you peruse the terms of your question to sift this throughly and dispute verbal controversies but as verbal and not as real and material We have real differences enow we need not make them seem more by such a blind or heedless manner of Disputing § 22. Direct 11. Suffer not a rambling mind in study nor a rambling talker in Disputes to interrupt Direct 11. your orderly procedure and divert you from your argument before you bring it to the natural issue Both deceiving Sophisters and giddy headed praters will be violent to start another game and spoil the chase of the point before you But hold them to it or take them to be unworthy to be disputed with and let them go except it be where the weakness of the Auditors requireth you to follow them in their Wild-goose Chase. You do but lose time in such rambling studies or disputes § 23. Direct 12. Be caâ—telous of admitting false suppositions or at least of admitting any inference Direct 12. that dependeth upon them In some cases a supposition of that which is false may be made while it no way tends to infer the truth of it But nothing must be built upon that falshood as intimating it to be a truth False suppositions cunningly and secretly workt into arguments are very ordinary instruments of deceit § 24. Direct 13. Plead not uncertainties against certainties But make certain points the measure Direct 13. to try the uncertain by Reduce not things proved and sure to those that are doubtful and justly controverted But reduce points disputable to those that are past doubt § 25. Direct 14. Plead not the darker Texts of Scripture against those that are more plain Direct 14. and clear nor a few texts against many that are as plain For that which is interpreted against the most plain and frequent expressions of the same Scripture is certainly mis-interpreted § 26. Direct 15. Take not obscure Prophecies for Precepts The obscurity is enough to make Direct 15. you cautelous how you venture your self in the Practice of that which you understand not But if there were no obscurity yet Prophecies are no warrant to you to fulfill them no though they be for the Churches good Predictions tell you but de eventu what will come to pass but warrant not you to bring it to pass Gods Prophesies are oft-times fulfilled by the wickedest men and the wickedest means As by the Jews in killing Christ and Pharaoh in refusing to let Israel go and Iehu in punishing the house of Ahab Yet many self-conceited persons think that they can fetch that out of the Revelations or the Prophecies of Daniel that will justifie very horrid crimes while they use wicked means to fulfil Gods Prophecies § 27. Direct 16. Be very cautelous in what cases you take mens practice or example to be instead of Direct 16. precept in the sacred Scriptures In one case a Practice or example is obligatory to us as a Precept and that is when God doth give men a commission to establish the form or orders of his Church and Worship as he did to Moses and to the Apostles and promiseth them his Spirit to lead them into all truth in the matters which he employeth them in here God is engaged to keep them from miscarrying for if they should his work would be ill done his Church would be ill constituted and framed and his servants unavoidably deceived The Apostles were authorized to constitute Church officers and orders for continuance and the Scripture which is written for a great part historically acquaints us what they did as well as what they said and wrote in the building of the Church in obedience to their commission at least in declaring to the World what Christ had first appointed And thus if their practice were not obligatory to us their words also might be avoided by the same pretenses And on this ground at least the Lords day is easily proved to be of Divine appointment and obligation Only we must see that we carefully distinguish between both the Words and Practices of the Apostles which were upon a particular and temporary occasion and obligation from those that were upon an universal or permanent ground § 28. Direct 17. Be very cautelous what Conclusions you raise from any meer works of Providence Direct 17. For the bold and blind exposition of these hath lead abundance into most heynous sins No providence is instead of a Law to us But sometimes and oft-times providence changeth the Matter of our duty and so occasioneth the change of our obligations As when the husband dyeth the Wise is disobliged c. But men of worldly dispositions do so over-value worldly things that from them they venture to take the measure of Gods Love and hatred and of the causes which he approveth or disapproveth in the World And the wisdom of God doth seem on purpose to cause such wonderful unexpected mutations in the affairs of men as shall shame the principles or spirits of these men and manifest their giddiness and mutability to their confusion One year they say This is sure the cause of God or else be would never own as he doth Another year they say If this had been Gods cause he would never have so disowned it Just as the Barbarians judged of Paul when the Viper seized on his hand And thus God is judged by them to own or disown by his prospering or afflicting more than by his Word § 29. Direct 18. In controversies which much depend on the sincerity or experience of Godly men take Direct 18. heed that you affect not singularity and depart not from the common sense of the Godly For the workings of Gods spirit are better judged of by the ordinary tenour of them than by some real or supposed case that is extraordinary § 30. Direct 19. In Controversies which most depend on the testimony of Antiquity depart not from Direct 19. the judgement of the ancients They that stood within View of the dayes of the Apostles could better tell what they did and what a condition they left the Churches in than we can do To appeal to the Ancients in every cause even in those where the later Christians do excell them is but to be fools in reverence of our fore-fathers wisdom But in points of History or any thing in which they had the advantage of their posterity their testimony is to be preferred § 31. Direct 20. In Controversies which depend on the Experience of particular Christians or of the Direct 20. Church regard most the judgement of the most experienced and prefer the judgement of the later ages of the Church before the judgement of less experienced ages except the Apostolical age that had the greater help of the spirit An ancient experienced Christian or Divine is
knowing before hand that maketh it unlawful For 1. I know in general before hand that all imperfect men will do imperfectly And though I know not the particular that maketh it never the lawfuller if fore knowledge it sâ—lâ— did make it unlawful 2. If you know that e. g. an Antinomian or some mistaken Preacher would constantly drop some words for his errour in Prayer or Preaching that will not make it unlawful in your own judgement for you to joyn if it be not a flat Heresie 3. It is an ther mans errour or fault that you forâ—know and not your own and therefore fore-knowledge maketh it not your own 4. God himself doth as an Universal Cause of Nature concur with men in those acts which he foreknoweth they will sinfully do and yet God is not to be judged either an Author or approver of the sin because of such concurrence and fore-knowledge Therefore our fore-knowledge maketh us no approvers or guilty of the failings of any in their sacred Ministrations unless there be some other guilt If you say that it is no one of these that maketh it unlawful but all together you must give us a distinct argument to prove that the concurrence of these three will prove that unlawful which cannot be proved so by any of them alone for your affirmation must not serve the turn and when we know your argument I doubt not but it may be answered One thing I still confess may make any defective Worship to be unlawful to you and that is When you prefer it before better and may without a greater inconvenience enjoy an abler Ministry and purer Administration but will not § 95. Obj. But he that sitteth by in silence in the posture as the rest of the Congregation seemeth to Object consent to all that is said and done and we must avoid all appearance of evil Answ. The appearance of evil which is evil indeed mâ—st be alway avoided But that appearance of Answ. evil which is indeed good must not be avoided We must not forsake our duty lest we seem to sin that were but to prefer hypocrisie before sincerity and to avoid appearances more than realities The omission of a duty is a real sin and that must not be done to avoid a seeming sin And whom doth it appear so to If it appear evil to the blind or prejudiced it is their eyes that must be cured But if it appear so to the wise then it 's like it is evil indeed For a wise man should not judge that to be evil that is not But I confess that in a case that is altogether indifferent even the mistakes of the ignorant may oblige us to forbear But the Worship of God must not be so â—orb â—â—â—â— It is an irrational fancy to think that you must be Uncivil by contradicting or covering your heads or doing something â—ffâ—â—â—â—ive to the Congregation when any thing is said or done which you disallow Your presâ—nâ— signifieth your Consent to all that you prâ—fess even to Worship God according to his Word and not to all the humane imperfections that are there expâ—â—ssâ—d § 96. Direct 13. Distinguish carefully between your personal private duties and the duty of the Direct 13. Pastor â—â— Church with which you must concurr And do not think that if the Church or Pastor do not their duty that you are bouâ—d to do it for them To cast out an obâ—â—â—â—nate impenitent sinner by sentence from the Communion of the Church is the Pastors or Churches duty and not yours unless in concurrence or subâ—erviency to the Church Therefore if it be not done enquire whether you did your duty towards it If you did the sin is noâ—e of yours For it is not in your power to cast out all that are unworthy from the Church But private familiarity is in your power to refuse and with such â—â—â—â— not to â—â—â—◠§ 97. Direct 14. Take the measure of your accidental duties more from the Good or hurt of the Direct 14. Church or fâ—â—m my than from the immediate good or hurt that cometh to your self You are not to take that for the station of your duty which you feel to be most to the commodity of your souls but that in which you may do God most service If the service of God for the good of many require you to stay with a weaker Minister and defective administrations you will find in the end that this was not only the place of your duty but also of your benefit For your life is in Gods hands and all your comforts and that is the best way to your peace and happiness in which you are most pleasing unto God and have his Promise of most acceptance and grace I know the least advantage to the soul must be preferred before all earthly riches but not before the publick good Yea that way will prove most advantageous to us in which we exercise most obedience § 98. Direct 15. Take heed of suffering prejudice and fansie to go for reason and raise in your Direct 15. minds unjustifiable distastes of any way or mode of Worship It is wonderful to see what fansie and prejudice can do Get once a hard opinion of a thing and your judgements will make light of all that is said for it and will see nothing that should reconcile you to it Partiality will carry you away from equity and truth Abundance of things appear now false and evil to men that once imagine them to be so which would seem harmless if not laudable if they were tryed by a mind that 's clear from prejudice § 99. Direct 16. Iudge not of doctrines and worship by Persons but rather of persons by their doctrine Direct 16. and worship together with their lives The world is all prone to be carryed by respect to persons I confess where any thing is to be taken upon trust we must rather trust the intelligent experienced honest and credible than the ignorant and incredible But where the Word of God must be our Rule it is perverse to judge of Things by the Persons that hold them or oppose them Sometimes a bad man may be in the right and a good man in the wrong Try the way of the worst men before you reject it in disputable things And try the opinions and way of the best and wisest before you venture to receive them § 100. Direct 17. Eâ—slave not your selves to any Party of men so as to be over-desirous to please Direct 17. them nor over fearful of their consare Have a respect to all the rest of the world as well as them Most men that once engage themselves in a party do think their honour and interest is involved with them and that they stand or fall with the favour of their party and therefore make them before they are aware the masters of their Consciences § 101. Direct 18. Regard more the judgement of aged ripe experienced men that have
seen the Direct 18. fruits of the various courses of professors of Religion than of the young unripe unexperienced hot-headed sort Zeal is of great use to execute the resolutions of a well-informed man And the Zeal of others is very useful to warm the hearts of such as do converse with them But when it comes to matter of Iudgement once to decide a case of difficulty aged experience hath far the advantage And in no cases more than in those where Peace and Concord are concerned where rash hot-headed youth is very prone to precipitant courses which must be afterward repented of § 102. Direct 19. When fervent self conceited people would carry down all by censoriousness and passion Direct 19. it is time for the Pastâ—â—s and the aged and riper sort of Christians openly to rebuke them and appear against them and stand their ground and not to comply with the mis-guided sort to escape their censures Nothing hath more caused schisms in the Church except the Pride and ambition of the Clergie than that the riper and more judicious sort of people together with the Ministers themselves have been so loth to lye under the bitter censures of the unexperienced younger hotter sort and to avoid such censures and keep in with them they have followed those whom they should have led and have been drawn quite beyond their own understandings God hath made WISDOM to be the Guiâ—e of the Church and ZEAL to follow and diligently execute the commands of Wisdom Let ignorant well-meaning people censure you as bitterly as they please yet keep your ground and be not so proud or weak as to prefer their good esteem before their benefit and before the pleasing of God Sin not against your knowledge to escape the censure of the ignorant If you do God will make those men your scourges whom you so much over-valued And they shall prove to their spiritual Fathers as cockered children like Absalom do to their natural fathers and perhaps be the breaking of your hearts But if the Pastors and the riper experienced Christians will stand their ground and slick together and rebuke the exorbitancies of the censorious younger-ones they will maintain the credit of the Gospel and keep the truth and the Churches Peace and the hott spurs will in time either repent and be sober or be shamed and disabled to do much hurt § 103. Direct 20. Take heed how you let loose your zeal against the Pastors of the Church lest you Direct 20. bring their persons and next their effice into contempt and so break the bâ—nds of the Churches Unity and Peace There is no more hope of maintaining the Churches Unity and Concord without the Ministry than of keeping the strength or Unity of the members without the Nerves If these nerves be weak or labour of a Convulsion or other disease it is curing and strengthening them and not the cutting them asunder that mâ—st prove to the welfare and safety of the body Middle with the faults of the Ministry only so far as tendeth to a cure of them or of the Church but not to bring them into disgrace and weaken their interest in the people and disable them from doing good Abhor that proud rebellious spirit that is prone to set up it self against the officers of Christ and under pretence of greater Wisdom or Holiness to bring their Guides into contempt and is picking quarrels with them behind their back to make them a scorn or odious to the hearers Indeed a Minister of Satan that doth more harm in the Church than good must be so detected as may best disable him from doing harm But he that doth more good than hurt must so be disswaded from the hurt as not to be disabled from the Good My brethren be not many Masters or Teachers knowing that ye shall receive the greater Jam. 3. 1. condemnation § 104. Direct 21. Look more with an eye of Charity on what is Good in others and their worship of Direct 21. God than with an eye of malice to carp at what appeareth evil Some men have such distempered eyes that they can see almost nothing but faultiness in any thing of another party which they look at envy and faction maketh them carp at every word and every gesture And they make no Conscience of aggravating every failing and making Idolatry of every mistake in Worship and making Heresie or Blaspheamy of every mistake in judgement and making Apostacy of every fall nay perhaps the truth it self shall have no better a representation As Dr. H. More well noteth It would do much more good in the world if all parties were forwarder to find out and commend what is good in the doctrine and worship of all that differ from them This would win them to heaâ—ken to reforming advice and would keep up the credit of the common truths and duties of Religion in the world when this envious snarling at all that others do doth tend to bring the world to Aâ—hâ—ism and banish all reverence of Religion together with Christian Charity from the Earth § 105. Direct 22. Keep not strange to those from whom you differ but be acquainted with them Direct 22. and placidly hear what they have to say for themselves Oâ— else converse with them in Christian Love in Read the next Chap. 24. Sect. 20. all thâ—se duties in which you are agreed and this if you never talk of your differences will do much to reconcile you in all the rest It is the common way of division uncharitableness yea and cruelty ☜ at last to receive hard reports of those that differ from us behind their backs and to believe and aggravate Prince Frederick of Moâ—pelgard being instructed into a distaste of the Reformed Protestants when he had been at Câ—â—â—â—a and Hâ—â—vâ—tia was went to far Gâ—â—â—â— â—â— Hâ—lvetia viâ—i multa de qâ—ibus nihil paâ—â— coâ—â—â—â—â— quibus sâ—â—e aâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—t Tossaâ—us ad â—â—â—â—lium â—â—â—â—te Sâ—ult to iâ— Curric p 26. all and proceed to detraction and contention at a distance and in the dark and never be familiarly acquainted with them at all There is something in the apprehension of places and persons and things by the eye sight which no reports are able to match And so there is that satisfaction about men by familiar acquaintance which we cannot attain by hearsay from any how judicious soever All factions commonly converse together and seek no familiar converse with others but believe them to be any thing that 's naught and then report them to be so before they ever knew the persons of whom they speak I am perswaded this is one of the greatest feeders of enmity uncharitableness contention and slanders in the world I speak it upon great observation and experience I have seldom heard any man bitterly oppose the servants of Christ but either the grosly wicked or those that never had much acquaintance with them And I see commonly how bitter soever
with Government in Athens Quia plebs aliis institutis moribus assueverat Laert. in Platone and many other Philosophers that were fittest for Government refused it on the same account through the disobedience of the people your own If your Rulers sin you shall not answer for it but if you sin your selves you shall If you should live under the Turk that would oppress and persecute you your souls shall speed never the worse for this It is not you but He that should be damned for it If you say But it is we that should be oppressed by it I answer 1. How small are temporal things to a true believer in comparison of eternal things Have not you a greater hurt to fear than the killing of your bodies by men Luke 12. 4. 2. And even for this life do you not believe that your lives and liberties are in the power of God and that he can relieve you from the oppression of all the world by less than a word even by his will If you believe not this you are Atheists If you do you must needs perceive that it concerneth you more to care for your duty to your Governours than for theirs to you and not so much to regard what you receive as what you do nor how you are used by others as how you behave your selves to them Be much more afraid lest you should be guilty of murmuring dishonouring disobeying flattering not praying for your Governours than lest you suffer any thing unjustly from them 1 Pet. 4. 13 14 15 16 17. Let none of you suffer as a muderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as a busiâ—-body in other mens matters yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf If ye be reproached for the name of Christ ye are happy Live so that all your Adversaries may be forced to say as it was said of Daniel Dan. 6. 5. We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God Let none be able justly to punish you as drunkards or thieves or slanderers or fornicators or perjurâ—d or deceivers or rebellious or seditious and then never fear any suffering for the sake of Christ or Righteousness Yea though you suffer as Christ himself did under a false accusation of disloyalty fear not the suffering nor the infamy as long as you are free from the Guilt See that all be well at home and that you be not faulty against God or your Governours and then you may boldly commit your selves to God 1 Pet. 2. 23 24. § 46. Direct 22. The more Religious any are the more obedient should they be in all things lawful Direct 22. Exâ—â—l others in Loyalty as well as in Piety Religion is so far from being a just pretence of rebellion that it is the only effectual bond of sincere subjection and obedience § 47. Direct 23. Therefore believe not them that would exempt the Clergy from subjection to the Direct 23. Civil powers As none should know the Law of God so well as they so none should be more obedient to Kings and States when the Law of God so evidently commandeth it Of this read Bilson of Christian subjection who besides many others saith enough of this The Arguments of the Papists from the supposed incapacity of Princes would exempt Physicions and other Arts and Sciences from undâ—r their Government as well as the Clergy § 48. Direct 24. Abase not Magistrates so far as to think their office and power extendeth not to Direct 24. matters of Religion and the worship of God Were they only for the low and contemptible matters of this world their office would be contemptible and low To help you out in this I shall answer some of the commonest doubts § 49. Quest. 1. Is the Civil Magistrate Iudge in Controversies of faith or Worship Answ. It hath Quest. 1. many a time grieved me to hear so easie a Question frequently propounded and pitifully answered Who shall be Iudge in poâ—nts of faith and Worship by such as the publick good required to have had more understanding in such things In a word Iudgement is Publick or Private The Private judgement which is nothing but a Rational discerning of truth and duty in order to our own Choice and practice belongeth to every Rational person The Publick Iudgement is ever in Order to execution Now the execution is of two sorts 1. By the Sword Of thâ—se things see my Prâ—positions of the Difference of the Magistrates and Pastors power to Dr. L d. Moul. 2. By Gods word applyed to the case and person One is upon the Body or Estate The other is upon the Conscience of the person or of the Church to bring him to Repentance or to bind him to avoid Communion with the Church and the Church to avoid Communion with him And thus Publick Judgement is Civil or Ecclesiastical Coercive and violent in the execution or only upon Consenters and volunteers In the first the Magistrate is the only Iudge and the Pastors in the second About faith or worship if the Question be who shall be protected as Orthodox and who shall be punished by the Sword as Hereâ—ical Idolatrous or irreligious here the Magistrate is the only Judge If the Question be who ☞ shall be admitted to Church Communion as Orthodox or ejected and excommunicate as Heretical or prophane The Rex sacrorum among the Romans was debarred from exercising any Magistracy Plut. Rom. Quest. 63. here the Pastors are the proper Judges This is the truth and this is enough to end all the voluminous wranglings upon the Question Who shall be Iudge and to answer the cavils of the Papists against the Power of Princes in matters of Religion It is pity that such gross and silly sophisms in a case that a Child may answer should debase Christian Princes and take away their chief Power and give it to a proud and wrangling Clergy to persecute and divide the Church with § 50. Quest. 2. May our Oath of Supremacy be lawfully taken wherein the King is pronounced supream Quest. 2. Governour in all causes Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Answ. There is no reason of scruple to him that Of the Oath of Supremacy understandeth 1. That the title Causes Ecclesiastical is taken from the ancient usurpation of the Pope and his Prelates who brought much of the Magistrates work into their Courts under the name of Causes Ecclesiastical 2. That our Canons and many Declarations of our Princes have expounded it fully by disclaiming all proper Pastoral power 3. That by Governour is meant only one that Governeth coercively or by the sword so that it is no more than to swear that In all causes See Bilson of subject p. 238 256. Princâ—s only be Governours in things and causes Ecclesiastical that iâ— With the Sword But if you
and have Consciences still objecting something or other against their obedience and are so obstinate in their way as thinking it is for their salvation that all Ages and Nations have been fain to govern them by force as beasts which they have called persecution Answ. 1. There is no doctrine in the world so much for Love and Peace and Concord as the doctrine Answ. of Christ is What doth it so much urge and frequently inculcate What doth it contain but Love and peace from end to end Love is the sum and end of the Gospel and the fulfilling of the Law To Love God above all and our neighbours as our selves and to do as we would be done by is the Epitome of the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles 2. And therefore Christianity is only the occasion and not the Cause of the divisions of the earth It is mens blindness and passions and carnal interests rebelling against the Laws of God which is the make-bate of the world and filleth it with strife The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits It blesseth the peace-makers and the meek But it is the rebellious wisdom from beneath that is earthly sensual and devillish which causeth envy and strife and thereby confusion and every evil work Iam. 3. 15 16 17. Matth. 5. 6 7 8. So that the true genuine Christian is the best subject and peaceablest man on earth But seriousness is not enough to make a Christian A man may be passionately serious in an errour Understanding must lead and seriousness follow To be zealous in errour is not to be zealous in Christianity For the errour is contrary to Christian verity 3. As I said before it is a testimony of the excellency of Religion that it thus occasioneth contention Dogs and Swine do not contend for Crowns and Kingdoms nor for sumptuous houses or apparel nor do Infants trouble the world or themselves with Metaphysical or Logical or Mathematical disputes Ideots do not molest the World with Controversies nor fall thereby into Sects and parties Nor yet do wise and learned persons contend about chaff or dust or trifles But as excellent things are matter of search so are they matter of Controversie to the most excellent wits The hypocritical Christians that you speak of who make God and their salvation give place to the unjust commands of men are indeed no Christians as not taking Christ for their Soveraign Lord And it is not in any true honour of Magistracy that they are so ductile and will do any thing but it is for themselves and their carnal interest and when that interest requireth it they will betray their Governours as Infidels will do If you can reduce all the world to be Infants or Ideots or Bruits yea or Infidels they will then trouble the State with no contentions for Religion or matters of salvation But if the Governed must be bruitified what will the Governours be 4. All true Christians are agreed in the substance of their Religion There is no division among them about the necessary points of faith or duty Their agreement is far greater than their disagreement which is but about some smaller matters where differences are tolerable Therefore they may all be Governed without any such violence as you mention If the common Articles of faith and precepts of Christian duty be maintained then that is upheld which all agree in and Rulers will not find it needful to oppress every party or opinion save one among them that hold the common truths Wise and sober Christians lay not mens salvation upon every such Controversie nor do they hold or manage them unpeaceably to the wrong of Church or State nor with the violation of Charity peace or justice 5. Is there any of the Sciences which afford not matter of Controversie If the Laws of the Land did yield no matter of Controversie Lawyers and Judges would have less of that work than now they have And was there not greater diversity of Opinions and Worship among the Heathens than ever was among Christians What a multitude of sects of Philosophers and Religions had they And what a multitude of Gods had they to Worship And the number of them still increased as oft as the Senate pleased to make a God of the better sort of their Emperours when they were dead Indeed one Emperour of the Religion of some of these Objectors Heliogabalus bestir'd himself with all his power to have reduced all Religion to Unity that is he would have all the Worship brought to his God to whom he had been Priest Saith Lampridius in his life Dicebat Iudaeâ—rum Samaritanorum religiones Christianam devotionem illue transferendam c. And therefore he robbed and maimed and destroyed the other Gods id agens ne quis Romae Deus nisi Heliogabalus coleretur But Jactavit caput inter praecisos phanaticos genitalia sibi devinxit c. Lamprid. as the effect of his monstrous abominable filthiness of life was to be thrust into a privy killed and drag'd about the streets and drowned in Tybur so the effect of his desired Unity was to bring that one God or Temple into contempt whereto he would confine all Worship The differences among Christians are nothing in comparison of the differences among Heathens The truth is Religion is such an illustrious noble thing that diffentions about it like spots in the Moon are much more noted by the world than about any lower common matters Men may raise Controversies in Philosophy Physick Astronomy Chronologie and yet it maketh no such noise nor causeth much offence or hatred in the World But the Devil and corrupted nature have such an enmity against Religion that they are glad to pick any quarrel against it and blame it for the imperfections of all that learn it and should practise it As if Grammar should be accused for every errour or fault that the Boyes are guilty of in learning it Or the Law were to be accused for all the differences of Lawyers or contentions of the people or Physick were to be accused for all the differences or errours of Physicions or meat and drink were culpable because of mens excesses and diseases There is no doctrine nor practice in the World by which true Unity and Concord can be maintained but by seriousness in the true Religion And when all contention cometh for want of Religion it 's impudence to blame Religion for it which is the only cure If Rulers will protect all that agree in that which is justly to be called the Christian Religion both for doctrine and practice and about their small and tolerable differences will use no other violence but only to compell them to live in peace and to suppress the seditious and those that abuse and injure Government or one another they will find that Christianity tendeth not to divisions nor to the hindrance or disturbance of Government or