that should be found guilty of that filth We extoll the generosity of Moses who refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and gave over the sway he bore in the Court of Egypt but how many Monarchs have voluntarily laid aside their Diadems and renounc'd the majestie of the Scepter to reduce themselves to the obscurity of a private life We celebrate the abstinence of David who refused to drink the water that some of his valiant Worthies had fetch'd him with danger of their lives 2 Sam. 23. But divers Generals of Armies mortally wounded would not have the bloud of their wounds stanched nor permit the drawing out of the dart wherewith they were clean shot through before in the first place they had taken order for the safety of their Souldiers Wee further commend David who beholding that the plague wherewith the people were smitten was occasioned through him offered himself to punishment that hee might deliver his Common-wealth But some Pagans have made away themselves rather then they would be engaged to fight against their Country that had unjustly banished and confiscated them We proclaim the kindnesse of Joseph that was the nourisher of his Father but they speak of such a Son who to save his Father cast himself into the midst of the fire We admire divers other examples of Vertue which are famous in the Scripture but the Heathen have shewed actions far beyond Yet hath there always been more goodness and more vertue without comparison in the Saints then in Infidels Divers of the Pagans actions have been greater verily and more vigorous but they were not enlivened from the true principle of vertue which is faith in God and had not his glory for their aim So many creatures surpasse man in divers acts of foresight naturall affection courage temperance fidelity gratiâ—ude and yet they have but the resemblances of Vertues neither can one say that there is in them any morall goodnesse But see here our question Whatever vertuous actions the heathen have performed proceeded from God himself which gave them the inclinations to them Now wherefore did he enable them to do such notable actions and yet accepted not their persons for it is impossible to please him without faith Hebr. 11.6 And why would he that even their works in the sense I have named should outstrip those of the Saints Hee would verily teach us that works even the very best have not merit enough to bring us neer to him For if many that have been transcendent in divers vertuous acts notwithstanding have not obtained grace And on the contrary many that have been inferiour in works are counted amongst the friends of God followeth it not that if we be pleasing unto him it is not because of our works A consideration upon the two last sinners immediately converted by Christ viz. the Thief and S. Paul One was converted by our Savivour on the Crosse the other by him in heaven one entred Paradise the same day that Christ entred being dead The other was rap'd up thither before ever he died One repented not but at the last hour of his life amidst his very punishment the other found not his heart till he was cast down with affrightment by voyces and vision from heaven One and the other viz. the thief and Saul afterwards Paul were especially this last far enough from having any inclination to Christ then when his grace surprised them Many suppose in a carnall a man power whereby he contributes to his own conversion but Sauls example witnesseth the contrary he was in the very heat of his madness when he was called from above was he in a posture to turn himself to Christ then when he went against Christ Whence comes it to passe that all men naturally beleeve that they must be justified by Works It is sufficiently known that this opinion is natural to every man All of us harbour this prejudice within us Thence it comes to passe that all Religions except the Christian generally teach it the Pagan the Mahumetan the Jew yea and many that professe Christianity agree all in this point and sing all the same song But how comes this to be false and abusive seeing it is dictated by Nature it self We must remember that by the law of the Creation it is ordained that man should be justified by his works and that by them he should live for ever This principle was ingraved in the minde of man who verily had had righteousness and life by his works had he stood in his primitive innocencie but his fall hath bruised his bones making him uncapable of accomplishing this condition But he yet retains this ancient principle which hath been left him to the end he should remember whence he is fallen not to make him beleeve that he can do that now which he could in the state of innocencie Touching the pretended merit of WORKS That the Causes of our salvation are in heaven the Marks of it on earth IN the search of these two points we must take two contrary ways For the Book of life wherein we are enrolled to salvation and the mercy of God which calls us to it and his grace that dispenseth it and the Saviour that hath purchased it must be sought in heaven On the other side as we have on earth the instruments of salvation viz. the Gospel the Sacraments Faith so likewise the same faith the testimony of the holy Ghost the peace of our consciences and our works themselves are here on earth the marks of our salvation Divers overturn this method supposing to be saved by vertue of their works and on the other side teaching that none can be saved if he be not one of Gods closet In the one they place on earth the Causes of our salvation in the other they seek the Marks of it in heaven and in both the two they are as wide of the mark as heaven is from earth Wherefore is it that our Lord speaking of works according to which he will judge men at the last day mentioneth none but works of mercy Matth. 25.35 This passage presents unto us the sentence that shall be given upon men at that great day where it speaks of nothing save feeding those that hungred receiving strangers clothing the naked visiting the sick and those in prison And on the contrary of not having performed such deeds of benevolence But are there no works but these worthy to be remembred before Christs Tribunall and that are able to declare us just or are there no other sins except the omission of such duties no other crime that deserves damnation Yes there are works that excell these he that spends his bloud and life for Christs sake doth a deed far surpassing him that gives clothes and food to the poor to be a prisoner for the Gospel is more then to visit prisoners How is it then that this sentence expresseth naught save the works of mercy although that there be many other kindes of
mentioneth none of them by name On the other side when it names any that is dead in perdition yet it never saith punctually that he is in Hell after Iudas the Traitor had hanged himself the Holy Ghost who inspired the Apostles was not ignorant where the soul of that wicked wretch was yet he saith nothing else but that he was gone into his place Acts 1.25 Now if God himself who knows the names of those which are in Hell doth still forbear to utter them how much more careful should we be to refrain our selves in our verdicts when we speak of the state and condition of those who are dead although that his end may in some sort induce us to judge sinistrously How rash then are they who dare insert into a Catalogue the names of those who are damned The X. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not covet c. A sin committed by rule and order is more enormous then that which is done in disorder and confusion A Sin that is committed with judgment order and formality is so much the more detestible He that kills in cold blood at leisure and with Ceremony is more blamable then he that kills raishly and without formality the reason is because in the one the understanding which is mans Counsellor acteth with complacency but in him who is transported with passion it hath small power as then man is not man without understanding so it seems that he who offendeth without the concurrence of the intellect should not have his offence in so high a degree imputed to him hence it is that we excuse mad men when in their frantick fits they commit any outrage Briefly the more understanding there is in any crime the more enormous it is and a sin done orderly is the more irregular The diversity of conflicts in man against himself That which I am to speak here is known sufficiently touching the divers conflicts that be within man but after the descriptions which have been given by divers and will be material to reduce them into a brief summary now the chief combats we are to speak of be these Between one Passion and another as sometimes fear is opposite to covetousness and so one vice is encountred by another as ambition is sometimes restrained by avarice or pleasure Between reason and the passions as we have a thousand examples for this Between reason and natural sence so some will be content to lose an arm for the preservation of the whole body so David abstained from drinking the water of Bethlem although he was pinched with great heat and thurst 2 Sam. 23.16 17. Between the conscience and the will as oftentimes the one of these two resists the other Between the memory and the will as sometimes we remember that which troubles us and which we would willingly forget Between reason and reason it self that is one reason against another as St. Paul was inclosed on both sides having causes which obliged him to desire a continuance of his life and other reasons which made him willing to forsake the world and to be dissolved Phil 1.22 c. Between sense and faith as David having judged of things according to appearance concluded that in vain he had wasted his heart but faith made him retract his words and use a language quite contrary Psal 73.13 c. Between natural sense and godliness as the Martyrs which naturally abhor death yet they received it with much alacrity and as our Saviour expressing this reluctancy saith to St. Peter They will lead thee whither thou wouldst not John 21.18 Between the conscience and faith the one casts us down by setting our sins before us the other raiseth us up by the consideration of Gods mercy And lastly between the flesh and the spirit that is between corrupted nature and grace which do strive against each other in all the faculties of the soul as truth and falsehood justice and injustice purity and impurity This this is that intestine war which sets at variance the understanding will and affections and indeed the whole man against himself Rom. 7.15 c. Why some see more easily the defects of the memory and of other faculties of the soul then the defects of their judgment All unlawful desire presupposeth a corruption of judgment if reason which is the eye of the soul were clear all the other faculties would be pure Matthew 6.22 but its hard for man to know when his judgment destroys him or when it is deceived if our memory fail in any point we presently take notice of this defect and likewise if our affections be faulty but if our judgment miscarry it is a hard matter to find it The reason of this difference is because it is with the judgment as with the eye which seeeth all things except it self our judgment judgeth of the defects which be in the other faculties of the soul this is it which seeth and discerneth them but it seeth not its own defects except by a kinde of reflection which is very weak and feeble so that it can with facility judge of the other powers and qualities which are with it in man but it can hardly judge of it self whence it comes that a fool seeth not his folly though he seeth the other faults that are in him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. The correspondency that is between the two Tables of the Law THE first begins with the honour due to God from whom we have our being The second begins at the honour due to our parents by whom God hath given us being The first forbids to make any image of God The second forbids to deface the image of God that is to kill men The first prohibits spiritual adultry saying that God is jealous The second inhibits corporal adultery The first forbids to take Gods name in vain The second to bear false witness The first commands us to labour six daies that we may live onely upon our own The second prohibits to take the goods of another The first commands a Sabbath or corporal rest for our selves servants and cattle The second commands a rest and contentment of spirit forbidding us to covet our neighbours house servants and cattle And lastly the scope of the first is that we love God Of the second that we love our neighbour All these correspondencies proceed from that which is between God and man whence arise those relations resemblances which we finde between the Commandments of the first and second Tables There is love in God but not Faith and Hope Amongst the Prerogatives of love above these other two the Logical vertues this is considerable that God loveth but he doth not beleeve nor hope for to beleeve is an act of Faith which is of things unseen But what is ther that God seeth not and besides what can be wanting to him that he should stand in need of hope these two vertues are imcompatible with an infinite perfection This is
then one of the preheminences of love in that it is found in God yea God himself is called Love 1 Iohn 4.16 and in this respect it is greater then Faith and Hope Whether it is a greater defect to want Faith or Charity This question depends upon another viz. which of these two is the most difficult to wit Faith or Charity For though both the one and the other be the gifts of God yet the one may be more hard and difficult to us then the other Now though these two vertues are still together seeing it is impossible for the one to be without the other yet they are not alwaies equal and in the same degree the more common act of these two is charity for we see more examples of love then of faith many Christians love God earnestly who notwithstanding have much difficulty to assure themselves of his promises One cause that makes the motions of love more easie then those of faith is for that the objects of love are more intelligible and perceptible to our understanding for love hath for its object the goodness of God but faith hath for its object his truth now it is more easie for us to conceive that God is good then to understand how he is true in all points which appear not to us and yet we are commanded to beleeve As then the motion of faith is more difficult then that of love so he that wants the acts of charity is more blameable then he who is deficient in the acts of faith In all the History of that time which was before the law the love of God was never mentioned in express termes but onely the fear of God From the Creation till the Law are reckoned twenty five thousand years in which great interval of ages were many Patriarchs and other persons famous for piety to whom God spake many times and in divers manners The sacred storie marks out their vertues and names the fear of God as the most excellent amongst them but never expresseth their love towards God its true that this fear or reverence was not without a true divine love yet they are distinct qualities the one of which is named but we never read of the other Abraham being in Palestin said That in that place the fear of God was not Gen. 20.11 Jacob swore by the fear of Isaac his father that is to say by the name of the same God whom Isaac feared Gen. 31.53 Joseph confessed he feared God Gen. 42.18 the midwives of Egypt are commended for fearing God Exodus 1.17.21 In brief before the Law was published Religion and Piety was expressed by the name of the Fear of God and not by that of the Love of God and it is observable that the action of Abraham in offering his son for a burnt sacrifice whereby he did so highly witness his love to God this action I say is ascribed to his fear of God without mentioning the love which he had shewed to him Genesis 22.12 the first time that ever the Scripture did express this phrase of the Love of God was after the repetition of the Law Deut. 6.5 Now why the name of this great vertue was not uttered but after a long time and frequent mention of the fear of God Seems to proceed from this that among the perfections of God the first which he manifested to man as I observed upon the Creed was his power and greatness Romans 1.20 So when our understanding desires to know what the Divinity is by this word it conceives a power eminent above all others this is the first thought we have of this subject whence it followeth that the first impression it makes in man after he hath begun to know God is the fear which this supreme power gives to the soul and because this fear is the first motive by which man is induced to submit himself to God hence it is that in the holy song all religious affections have been comprised under the name of the fear of God and for this cause this Fear was for a long time named without mentioning expresly or particularly the Love of God but when the wisdom of God had given large instructions under the Law it afterward expressed the commandment of loving God distinguishing the same Love from Fear Deuteronomy 10.12 What is it that the Lord thy God requireth but that thou Fear him and Love him Of them who excuse their faults on this That God hath not given them more understanding and judgement These men willing to excuse themselves accuse God as if their faults were to be imputed to him whereas on the contrary the whole fault is in themselves the Law wils that we love God with all our mind thou alledgeth thou hast but little minde but how little soever it be hast thou imployed it all in the service and love of God Truly there is no man that hath lived according to the measure and proportion of that understanding and judgment God hath given him In brief if a fool excuse himself on this that God hath not given him more understanding a wicked man will excuse himself on this that God hath not given him more goodness for this is a gift of God as well as understanding In the duties of man towards God forgetfullness is more culpable then ignorance When we speak of divine things many complain that they cannot retain them in their memory the defect whereof they accuse but they think not how forgetfullness is a sin seeing the love of God requires a concurrence of all the faculties of our souls among which memory is one the defect of which is not a simple infirmity as the vulgar people useth to qualifie it but such a defect as should be reckoned among the sins of omission then when it imports a remembrance of a considerable point though it be not necessary nor possible to retain all the syllables in which it hath been pronounced or written As he who forgets God is more criminal then he that never knew God even so he who looseth a lesson which hath been taught him is more culpable then he that never learned it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Whence comes it that contrary to all other affections this which man carries to himself hath no bounds and why this never faileth nor is subject to diminution In the affections we have towards another we feel and know even to what degree we love him more or less but no man can tell to what hight he loves himself for this love hath no bounds but runs in infinitum Moreover the affection that one bears to another may be lessened or interrupted or quite annihilated yet turned into hatred but the love he bears to himself is never blotted out nor is it diminished though never so little Among the reasons of this diversity we may produce this between every one of us and another there are differences of proximity our affections move within these intervals which have their
NEW Observations UPON THE DECALOGUE OR The Second of the Four Parts OF Christian Doctrine Preached upon the CATECHISM By JOHN DESPAGNE Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by Thomas Newcomb for Joshuah Kirton and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Kings Arms in Pauls-Church-yard 1652. To the RIGHT HONORABLE and THRICE-ILLUSTRIOUS PHILIP Earl of PEMBROKE and MONTCOMERY Baron of SHURLAND Lord of CARDIFFE PARR ROS and KENDAL MARMYON and S. QUINTIN Knight of the order of the GARTER and Chancelor of the University of OXFORD My LORD I Present you here with a handful of fruits gathered out of your own Field which I humbly desire may be acceptable to you as I am accountable to you so I will endeavour continually to please God and your self this auditory among whom you have been pleased to give me a place and whether so many noble persons do resort shall be an everlasting monument of your Charitable piety My Lord our souls bless you and our bowels which are refreshed with the shadow of your name shall carry the acknowledgment thereof up to Heaven In these dayes full of horror and confusion the foxes hav holes and the birds of the air have nests but the son of God hath not in regard of us where he may rest his head if you had not lodged him amongst us even so may you lodge with him in his highest habitation But my Lord live here first many ages and in the end live eternally To the READER Reader IN the Preface of my Observations on the Creed I have prevented the most of those accusations which might be made against that Treatise or these that follow I could overwhelm them with reasons who yet demand for what serv these things that I have uttered to salvation Now concerning Orthodoxal points in which you may see so many Looking-glasses of Gods wisdom points I say cleared by innumerable celestial lights conduce they nothing to salvation but these people who speak so Magisterially imagine that nothing conduceth to salvation but what they find in their cōmon places and as all their learning consisteth in that vulgar kind of study so they think all Divinity is locked up within such bounds I need not answer those who complain that all here is of too high a taste and that I give them nothing but salt or spices but it is free for them to take hereof as much as will season the ordinary food of their mindes and yet the acrimony which they find there proceeds from their tenderness but in accustoming themselves they will finde there the relish salubrity and nutritive vertue of Manna Many for want of the knowledg of the very principle meet with many rubs and stumbling stones in the plainest ways that may be if I should say that Enoch is the third of those who went out of the world none having gone before but Abel and Adam this were imperceptible to those who cannot consider the 5 chapter of Genesis but I do not undertake to teach the rudiments I presuppose them and I beleeve I speak to those who understand them There be some who wish I had been somwhat more large in these observations but these men complain that they are conducted the shorter way I could furnish them with words enough but is not this for their advantage that they hav in few words the whole substance of a Subject within this brevity which I have expresly studied for they shall finde still stuff of a large breadth if they will unfold it from one end to the other I have the approbation of divers men eminent for learning even of some to whom I am otherways unknown one of these under the name of the Genius of Cambridge having seen the English translation of my Observations on the Creed honored me with an excellent Latin Epistle encouraging me to publish these other tractats which I promised I know well that the Elogies which he gave me are too high to belong to me but doubtless in exalting me he would afford me matter of humiliation Whosoever thou art if ever these lines shall come into thy hands and if thou wilt be pleased to cast thine eyes upon them I beseech thee by these many brave vertues the sparkles whereof I finde shining in thy letters and by that sympathy communion of thoughts which God hath put in us do not conceal thy name from me it shall be precious and precious also shall thy counsels be to me O quis daret te ut fratrem mihi The Contents The NATURAL MAN and HIS QUALITIES DIvers sorts of good men in the Worlds opinion and but onely one indeed p. 1. Wherefore God was pleased that the Heathen should outgo the Saints in many vertuous actions p. 4. A consideration upon the two last sinners immediately converted by Christ viz. the Thief and St. Paul p. 8. Whence comes it to pass that all men naturally beleeve that they must be justified by Works p. 9. Touching the pretended merit of WORKS That the causes of our salvation are in heaven the marks of it on earth p. 11 Wherefore is it that our Lord speaking of works according to which he will judge men at the last day mentioneth none but works of mercy Mat. 25.3 p. 12. Why God hath chosen Faith rather then any other Vertue to be the instrument of our Justification The difference between a miraculous Faith and a justifying p. 14. Those that now adaies seek to be justified by works are more inexcusable then those that had this pretence before the death of Christ p. 16. Good WORKS the Effects of FAITH The strange reasons by which the Scripture inviteth us to good works with the method that it teacheth to make us capable of graces p. 17. Why the common people love rather to hear speak of Charity then Faith of the Law then the Gospel p. 20. Of Repentance and Obedience Wherefore is it never said that God repented him of any thing saving that which concern'd men p. 22. Wherefore hath God commanded divers things contrary unto common Principles p. 24. A Question touching David and Salomon accepting the choice that God gave them p. 26. Why is Superstition in things indifferent held so hainous p. 27. Touching the TABLES of the LAVV in general A comparing of the two miraculous Writings that are reported in the holy History p. 29. How long the Tables of the Law endured and a Consideration upon that matter p. 30. The reason why the Scipture shews which is the greatest Commandment and never which is the least p. 32. How one may judge of two diverse Commandments to know which is greater then the other p. 33 Why by the Law it was pollution to touch the dead corps of a godly man that had been murdered and nevertheless it was not pollution to touch the living Murderer p. 34. The Preface of the Decalogue Hearken Israel c. Degrees amongst Nations in regard of the love or hate that God bare to
works Let us consider That at the day of judgement all will certainly crave mercy When all the kindreds of the earth shall lament before this Soveraign Judge what shall we hear men call for but mercy As then all men will crave that mercy may be shew'd them God will judge them according to the mercy they have shown or neglected Judgment that the wicked themselves shall be forced to approve For it is just that he should be denyed mercy that would use no mercy James 2.13 Saint Paul reckoning up the charitable offices Onesiphorus had done him in prison wisheth that he may finde mercy in that day 2 Tim. 1. that is to say he hath shewed mercy toward me the Lord shew it to him whereupon it is to be observed against the opinion of merit that even our mercy hath need of mercy Why God hath chosen Faith rather then any other Vertue to be the instrument of our Justification The difference between a miraculous Faith and a justifying There is no Vertue whereof man taketh not occasion to vant himself except Faith Man oftentimes boasteth of his Charity Patience Justice yea which is ridiculous many wax proud of their Humility But as touching justifying Faith none can brag of that Why This Fath hath for its object the mercy of God which presupposeth mans misery and his misery lies in that hee is culpable whereof it is impossible that he should ever vant himself On the contrary this Faith overthrows the pride of man There is indeed a sort of Faith from which men oftentimes have drawn matter of ostentation that is the faith of Miracles as they call it Divers have turn'd the gift of tongues to vanity as likewise the other miraculous effects which God wrought by their hands as is evident by the Apostles discourse 1 Cor. 13.14 We must mark here That the faith of miracles hath for its formall object the power of God which sometimes imployes man to be either the subject or instrument of his Marvels Now it may easily come to passe that man may abuse this honour But he cannot deal so by justifying Faith whose object is Gods mercy which excludes all mans vanting Rom. 3.26 Those that now adayes seek to be justified by works are more inexcusable then those that had this pretence before the death of Christ Although the doctrine that maintains that a sinner is justified by his works hath ever been vain and abusive yet is it become more odious since the bloud of Christ on which our justification is grounded was shed for our sins For as long as yet there was no payment made for the sin of men it was not so strange that many endeavored to give satisfaction therein every man for himself But after that Christ hath made actuall satisfaction therein we cannot undertake to pay without accusing him of insufficiency and charge our selves with an ingratitude more hainous then that of the old Pharisaisme Good WORKS the Effects of FAITH The strange reasons by which the Scripture inviteth us to good works with the method that it teacheth to make us capable of graces THe Vulgar think they are in the right whenas in stead of mysteries of Faith they cry out that Ministers ought to speak to the conscience preach good works and controll vice These people by prejudice that proceeds from common ignorance make void the first and chiefest part of Christianity and maintain many capitall errours An errour to imagine that good life consists not but in works as if to well living were not requisite right beleeving An errour to say that the hearing the mysterious points of Religion which are meerly speculative is of no force at all to make a man better So much say the Jews when they speak of the Gospel for they demand to what purpose 't is to be a good man to know that Jesus Christ hath suffered under Pontius Pilate that he was crucified dead and buried An errour to think that the conscience hath not need of matters that are directed onely to the understanding as well as of those that onely concern the affections as if a man should not have need of his eys as well as his hands An errour to beleeve that Vertues must be taught onely by their proper descriptions and expresse precepts after the fashion of Moralists for that is to plant the tree by tops of the boughs in stead of planting it by the root Let us hence consider the motives which God himself maketh use of when he preacheth us good works The Scripture inviteth us to the practice of Vertues and hate of sins Forasmuch saith it as ye have been baptized into the death of Christ and buried with him forasmuch as hee that is our passover is offered up forasmuch as Christ is raised forasmuch as death hath no more dominion over him c. 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Rom. 6.4 What kind of arguments are these to induce us to good works he invites us to them by the Articles of our faith by matters very wide from the subject There is more yet For he summoneth us to the doing them by reasons which even seem to perswade the clean contrary Is this a reason that may put a man in fear to turn him from sin when one tels him that he is not under the law but under grace and that God hath ordained to save him Rom. 6.14 1 Thess 5.8 9. This believing seems it not more fit as some falsly have thought to bring in Libertinisme then the fear of sin But we must consider that which is seen even in Nature it self the root and the fruit for the most part are not alike neither in shape colour nor taste yea many times the fruit comes of a root altogether contrary in quality Let Ignorance judge of it as it will let the mysteries by which Faith is planted and watered seem to them unprofitable This Faith is the root of graces through it our works are purified and without it it is impossible to bring forth good fruit Why the common people love rather to hear speak of Charity then Faith of the Law then the Gospel It is well enough known that the common people are more satisfied with an Exhortation or a Discourse upon Alms or brotherly friendship or Temperance or some other Morality then with any rare observation on a Point of the Gospel Now see the reason of it The things of the Law are naturally written in our hearts at least in part so that they are familiar and intelligible to us as domestick Besides they are conformable to naturall Reason which is the noblest faculty of man But the matters of Faith which Nature knows not and which come from far and which are transmitted by another way then that of humane Reason are strangers to our understandings so that they are not received with so much welcome Thence it comes to passe that so many souls are found out of their element when one speaks to them of some mystery on which they