of Miracles IV. The consequent Testimony of the Spirit to and by the Apostles Miracles and Gifts But there is yet that behind which to us is of the greatest moment and that is V. The Sanctifying Testimony of the Holy Spirit in all true Christians in all Ages and Places oâ— the Earth Here you must remember 1. That the common experience of the World assureth us that Mans Nature is greatly vitiated inclined to known eviâ— for some inferiour good and averse to the greatest good by the prevalency of the lesser hardly brought to necessary knowledge and more hardly to the Love Delight and Practice of that which is certainly the best And that hence the World is kept in confusion and misery by Sin 2. Experience assureth us that there is no hope of any great Cure of this by the common helps of Nature and humane Reason For it is that Reason that is diseased and blinded and therefore unapt to cure it self as an Inâ—ant or Fool is to teach himself And as Philosophers are a small part of the World for few will be at the cost of getting such knowledge so they are wofully Dark themselves in the greatest things and of a Multitude of Sects contradicting one another and few of them have Hearts and Lives that are answerable to that which they teach others and the wisest confess that they must expect few Approvers much less Followers And every Man 's own experience tells him how hard it is to Inform the Iudgment about Holy things and to conform the Will to them and to Reform the life to a Holy and Heavenly State 3. The Multitude of Temptations makes this the more difficult and so doth the nature of a vicious habit and the privation of a good one the self-defending and propagating Nature of Sin and the experience of the World tells us how wicked the World is and how little the Labours of the wisest Philosophers Divines or Princes do to reform it and to make Man better And especially how hard it is to get a Heavenly mind and joy and conversation And all this being sure it is as sure that the Renovation of Souls is a great work well beseeming God 4. And it must be added that this is the most necessary work for us and the most excellent Paul tells us but what Reason tells us in that 1 Cor. 13. how much Holy Love which is the Divine Nature and real Sanctity excelleth all Knowledge Gifts and Miracles This is the Souls health and well-being No man can be miserable so far as he is Good and Holy And no Man can choose but be miserable that is not so Many shall lye in Hell that cast out Devils and wrought Miracles in Christ's Name but none that love God and are Holy Christ wrought Miracles but in order to work Holiness as St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 14. tells them that strange Languages are below Edifying plainness His work as a Saviour is to destroy the works of the Devil Holiness is incomparably better than the Gift of working Miracles This being considered further think 1. That All true Christians are Saints Hypocrites have but the Name and Image No one soundly and practically believeth in Christ and consenteth to his Covenant but he is renewed by the Holy Ghost 2. Consider how great and excellent a Work this is to set a Mans Hope and Heart on Heaven to live by Faith on an unseen World to place our chiefest Love and Pleasure on God Holiness and Heaven to mortifie fleshly Lusts and be above the power of the Love of the World and Natural Life to love others as our selves in the measure that God appeareth in them to love our Enemies and to make it the work of our Lives to do the most good we can in the World to bring every true Believeâ— to this in all Ages and Countreys which neither Princes nor Perswafion alone can do this is above all Miracles And this is a standing Witness which every true Christian hath in himself 3. And note alâ—o that it is by the foresaid Gospel or sealed Word of Christ that all this is wroughâ— on all true Christians And the Divine effect proveth a Divine Cause God would never bless a Lie to be the greatest means of the Holiness Reformation and Happiness of the World And were not the Cause fitted to it it would never produce such Effects Q. 28. Is this it that is called The witness of the Spirit in us A. Besides all the foresaid Witnessings of the Spirit without us the Spirit within us 1. Causeth us to understand and believe the Scripture 2. Maketh it powerful to Sanctifie us 3. And therein giveth us a connaturality and special Love to it and sense of its inherent Divine Excellency which is writing it in our Hearts 4. And causeth us to live by it 5. And confuteth the Objections made against it 6. And causeth us to fetch our comfort from it in a Word Imprinteth the Image of it on us and this is the inward Witness Q. 29. But when we see so much Ignorance Wickedness Confusion and Cruelty Pride Lust and Worldliness among Christians and how they live in malicious tearing one another how can we know that their Goodness is any proof of the truth of Christianity A. I told you Hypocrites have but the Name and Picture and Art of Christianity If Custom Prosperity Laws or Carnal Interest bring the World into the visible Church and make Men say They believe when they do not is Christianity to be judged of by Dissemblers and Enemies Mark any that are serious Believers and you will find them all seriously Sober Just and Godly And though weak Believers have but weak Grace and many Failings they are sincerely though imperfectly such as I have described And though the Blind malignant Enemies can see no Excellency in a Saint he that hath either known Faith and Holiness in himself or hath but impartially observed Mankind will see that Christians indeed are quite another sort of Men than the Unbelievers and that Christ maketh Men such as he teacheth them to be and the Sanctifying Spirit is the sure Witness of Christ dwelling in all true Christians Rom. 8. 9. as Christ's Agent and Advocate witnessing that he is True and that we are his Interceding from Christ to us by communicating his Grace and in us toward Christ by Holy Love and Desires And is God's Name and Mark on us and our Pledge Earnest and First-Fruits of Life eternal and though we were in doubt of old Historical Proofs Yet I. The Old Testament fulfilled in the New II. The Divine Impress discernible on the Gospel III. And the most excellent Effect of Sanctification on all true Believers are Evidences of the truth of Christianity and the Scriptures which all true Christians have still at hand Q. 30. But there are things in the Scripture of exceeding difficulty to believe Especially that God should become Man A. 1. It
is the meaning of this Commandement A. It implieth a Command that we do all that duâ—… God which is due to him from reasonable Creaâ—ures made by him and freely Redeemed by him from sin and misery And it forbiddeth us to think â—hat there is any other God or to give to any other â—hat which properly belongs to him Q. 3. Doth not the Scripture call Idols and Magiâ—â—rates Gods A. Yes but only in an Equivocal improper Sence Idols are called Gods as so reputed falsly by Idolaters and Magistrates only as Mens Governours under God Q. 4. What are the Duties which we owe to God alone A. I. That our Understandings know believe and esteem him as God II. That our Wills loveâ— him and cleave to him as God III. That we Practically obey and serve him as God Q. 5. When doth the Understanding know believe and esteem him as God A. No Creature can know God with an adequate Comprehensive knowledge But we must in our measure know believe and esteem him to be the only Infinite Eternal self-sufficient Spirit Vital power Undestanding and Will or most perfect Life Light and Love Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and to whom are all things Our absolute Owner Ruler and Father reconciled by Christ Our Maker our Redeemer and Sanctifier Q. 6. When doth Mans Will love and cleave to him as God A. When the Understanding believing him to be Best even Infinitely Good in himself and Best to all the World and Best to us we Love him as such though not yet in due perfection yet sincerely above all other things Q. 7. How can we Love God above all when we never saw him and can have no Idea or formal conception of him in our Minds A. Though he be invisible and we have no corporeal Idea of him nor no adequate or just formal Conception of him yet he is the most Noble Object of our Understanding and Love as the Sun is of our sight though we comprehend it noâ— We are not without such an Idea or conception of God as is better than all other knowledge and is the beginning of Eternal Life and is true in its kind though very imperfect Q. 8. How can you know him that is no Object of sense A. He is the Object of our Understanding We know in our selves what it is to Know and to Will though these acts are not the objects of sense unless you will call the very acts of knowing and willing an eminent internal sensation of themselves And by this we know what it is to have the Power of Understanding and Willing And so what it is to be an Invisible substance with such Power And as we have this true Idea or Conception of â— Soul so have we more easily of him who is more than a Soul to the whole World Q. 9. How doth the true Love of God work â—â—re in the Flesh A. As we here Know God so we Love him As we know him not in the manner as we do things sensible so we Love him not with that sort of sensible appetite as we do things sensible immediately But as we know him as revealed in the glass of his works natural and gracious and in his Word so we Love him as known by such Revelation Q. 10. Do not all men Love God who believe that there is a God when Nature teacheth men to Love Goodness as such and all that believe that there is a God believe that he is the Best of beings A. Wicked men know not truly the Goodness of God and so what God is indeed To know this proposition God is most Good is but to know words and a Logical general Notion As if a man should know and say that Light is Good who never had sight or Sweetness is good who never tasted it Every wicked man is predominantly a Lover of fleshly pleasure and therefore no Lover but a Hater of all the parts and acts of Divine Government and Holiness which are contrary to it and would deprive him of it So that there is somewhat of God that a wicked man doth love that is his Being his Work of Creation and bounty to the World and to him in those natural good things which he can value But he Loveth not but Hateth God as the Holy Governour of the World and him and the Enemy of his forbidden pleasure and desires Q. 11. What be the certain signs then of truâ— Love to God A. 1. A true Love to his Government and Laws and Holy Word and that as it is his and holy And this so effectual as that we unfeignedly desire to obey that word as the Rule of our Faith and Life and Hope and desire to fulfill his Commanding Will. 2. A true Love to the Actions which God commandeth though flesh will have some degree of backwardness 3. A true Love to those that are likest God in Wisdom Holiness and doing good And such a Love to them as is above the Love of Worldly Riches Honour and Pleasure so that it will enable us to do them good though by our suffering or loss in a lower matter when God calls as to it For if we see our Brother have need and shut up the bowels of Compassion so that we cannot find in our hearts to relieve his necessities by the loss of our unnecessary superfluities how dwelleth the Love of God in us 4. True Love to God doth Love it self It is a great sign of it when we so much love to Love God as that we are gladder when we feel it in us than for any worldly Vanity and when we take the Mutual Love of God and the Soul to be so good and joyful a State as that we truly desire it as our Felicity and best in Heaven to be â—erfectly Loved of God and perfectly to Love him and joyfully express it in his Everlasting praiâ—es To long to Love God as the best Condition for us is a sign that we truly Love â—im Q. 12. But must not all the affections be set on God as well as Love A. All the rest are but several wayes of Loving or Willing good and of Nilling or Hating and avoiding Evil. 1. It is Love that desireth after God and his Grace and Glory 2. It is Love that hopeth for him 3. It is Love that rejoiceth in him and is pleased when we and others please him and when his Love is poured out on the Sons of men and Truth Peace and Holiness prosper in the World 4. It is Love that maketh us sorrowful that we can please him no more nor more enjoy him and that maketh us grieved that we can no more know him love him and delight in him and that we have so much sin within us to displease him and hinder our communion of Love with him 5. And Love will make us fearful of displeasing him and losing the said Communion of Love 6. And it will make us most
the Devil doth for to destroy the Just. As Iezebel did Q. 15. How should good Rulers avoid it A. 1. By causing Teachers to open the danger of â—t to the People 2. Some old Canons made invaâ—id the Witness of all notorious wicked men How can he be trusted in an Oath that maketh no Conscience of Drunkenness Fornication Lying or other Sin Q. 16. How then are so few destroyed by false Witnesses A. It is the wonderful Providence of God declaring himself the Governour of the World that when there are so many thousand wicked men who all have a mortal hatred to the Godly and will daily Swear and Lie for nothing and any two of these might take away our Lives at pleasure there are yet so few this way cut off But God hath not left himself without witness in the World and hath revenged false Witness on many and made Conscience a terrible Accuser for this Crime Q. 17. What is the positive Duty of the ninth Commandement A. 1. To do Justice to all men in our places 2. To defend the Innocent to the utmost of ouâ— just Power If a Lawyer will not do it for the Love of Justice and Man without a Fee when he cannoâ— have it he breaketh this Commandement 3. To reprove Backbiters and tell them of their Sin 4. To give no Scandal but to live so blamelesly that Slanderers may not be believed 5. On all just occasions especially to defend the Reputation of the Gospel Godliness and Good men the Cause and Laws of God and not silently foâ— self saving to let Satan and his Agents make them Odious by Lies to the Seduction of the Peopleâ— Souls CHAP. XLIII Of the Tenth Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the Tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbours House Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man-Servant nor his Maid-Servant nor his â—x nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Q. 2. What is forbidden here and what Commandâ—d A. 1. In summe the thing forbidden is SELFISHNESS and the thing Commanded is to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR AS OUR SELVES Q. 3. Is not this implyed in the five foregoing Commandements A. Yes and so is our LOVE to GOD in all the Nine last But because there are many more particular Instances of Sin and Duty than can be distinctly named and remembred God thought it meet to make two General Fundamental Commandements which should contain them all which Christ calleth the first and second Commandement Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c. And thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy Self The first is the Summary and root of all the duties of the other nine and specially of the second third and fourth The Other is the Summary of the second Table dutyes And it is placed last as being instead of all unnamed instances As the Captain leads the Souldiers and thâ— Lieutenant brings up the rear Q. 4. What mean you by the Sin of SELFISHNESS A. I mean that inordinate self-esteem self-love and self-seeking with the want of a due proportionable Love to others which engageth men against the good oâ— others and inclineth them to draw from others to themselves It is not an ordinate Love of our selves but a diseased self-love Q. 5. When is Self-Love Ordinate and when iâ— it Sinful A. That which is ordinate 1. Valueth not a maâ—â— Self blindly above his Worth 2. It employeth â— man in a due care of his own Holiness Duty anâ— Salvation 3. It regardeth our Selves but as littlâ— members of the common great body and therefore inclineth us to Love others as our selves without muâ—â— partial disproportion according to the divers degreeâ— of their amiableness and to Love publick good thâ— Church and World and much more God above oâ—… selves 4. It maketh us studious to do good to others and rejoyce in it as our own rather than to draw froâ— them to our selves c II. Sinful selfishness 1. Doth esteem and love anâ— seek self-interest above it's proper worth It is oveâ— deeply affected with all our own concerns 2. â—… hath a low disproportionable Love and regard others good 3. And when it groweth to full maâ—â—gnity it maketh men envy the prosperity of others â—nd covet that which is theirs and desire and reâ—oyce in their disgrace and hurt when they Stand against mens Selfish Wills and to endeavour to draw from others to our selves Selfishness is to the Soul like an Inflamation or Impostume to the Body which draweth the Blood and Spirits to it self from their â—â—ue and Common course till they corrupt the inâ—â—amed part Q. 6. What mean you by Loving others as ourselves A. Loving them as members of the same Body or Society the World or the Church as they are â—mpartially with a Love proportionable to their worth and such a careful practical forgiving Patient Love as we Love our selves Q. 7. But God hath made us Individual persons with so peculiar a self-Self-love that no man can possibly love another as himself A. 1. You must distinguish between sensitive Natural Love and Rational Love 2. And between Corrupt and Sanctified Nature 1. Natural Sensitive Love is stronger to ones Self that is more sensible of self-interest than to all the World I feel not anothers Pain or Pleasure in it self I hunger and thirst for my self A Mother hath that Natural Sensitive Love to her own Child like that of Bruits which she hath not for any other 2. Rational Love valueth and loveth and preferreth every thing according to the degree of its amiableness that is it 's Goodness 3. Rational Love destroyeth not Sensitive but it Moderateth and Ruleth it and Commandeth the Will and Practice to preferre and desire and seek and delight in higher things as Reason ruleth Appetite and the Rider the Horse and to deny and forsake all carnal or private Interests that stand against a greater good 4. Common Reason tells a man that it 's an unreasonable thing in him that would not dye to save a Kingdom Much more that when he is to love both himself and the Kingdom inseparably yet cannot Love a Kingdom yea or more excellent persons above himself But yet it is Sanctification that must Effectually overcome inordinate self-self-Love and clearly illuminate this Reason and make a man obey it 5. To conquer this Selfishness is the summe of all Mortification and the greatest Victory in this World And therefore it is here perfectly done by none but it 's done most where there is the greatest Love to God and to the Church and publick good and to our Neighbours Q. 8. What is the sinfulness and the hurt of Selfishness A. 1. It is a Fundamental Errour and Blindness in the Judgment We are so many Poor Worms and little things And if an Ant or Worm had Reason should it think it's Life or Ease or other interest more valuable than a Mans or than all the
Countreys 2. It is a fundamental Pravity and disorder of Mans Will It is made to Love Good as Good and therefore to Love most the greatest good 3. Yea it blindly casteth down and trampleth on all Good in the World which is above self-interest For this prevailing Selfishness taketh a mans self for his ultimate end and all things else but as means to his own Interest God and Heaven and all Societies and all Virtue seem no further Good to him than they are for his own good and welfare And Selfishness so overcometh Reason in some as to make them dispute for this fundamental Errour as a Truth That there is nothing to be accounted Good by me but that which is Good to me as my interest or welfare And so that which is Good to others is not therefore Good to me 4. And thus it blasphemously deposeth God in the Mind of the sinner making him no further Good to us than as he is a means to our Good and so he is set quite below our selves As if he had not made us for Himself and to Love him as God for his own Goodness 5. I told you before of the First Commandement how this maketh every man his own Idol to be Loved above God 6. Yea that the Selfish would be the Idols of the World and have all men conformed to their Judgement Wills and Words 7. A Selfish man is an Enemy to the publick Peace of all Societies and of all true Unity and Concord For whereas Holy persons as such have all one Center Law and End even God and his Will the Selfish have as many Ends and Centers and Laws as they are persons So that while every one would have his own Interest Will and Lust to be the Common Rule and Center it is by the wonderful over-ruling Power of God that any order is kept up in the World and because when they cannot be all Kings they agree to make that use of Kings which they think will serve their Interest best 8. A Selfish man so far can be no true Friend For he loveth his Friend but as a Dog doth his Master for his own Ends. 9. A Selfish Person is so far untrusty and so false in Converse and all Relations For he chooseth and changeth and useth all as he thinks his own interest requireth If he be a Tradesman believe him no further than his interest binds him If he be a Minister he will be for that Doctrine and Practice which is for his Carnal Interest If he be a Ruler wo to his Inferiours And therefore it is the highest point in policy next Conscience and Common Obedience to God to contrive if possible so to twist the Interest of Princes and People that both may feel thaâ— they are inseparable and that they must live and thrive or dye together 10. In a word Inordinate Selfishness is the granâ— pravity of Nature and the Disease and Confusion oâ— all the World whatever Villanies Tyrannies Rebellions Heresies Persecutions or Wickedness yoâ—… read of in all History or hear of now on Earth â—… is but the effects of this adhering by inordinate self-love to self-interest And if Paul say of one branch of its effects The Love of Money is the root of all Evil we may well say it of this radical Comprehensive sin Q. 9. Alas who is it that is not selfish How Common is this sin Are there then any Saints on Earth Or any hope of a remedy A. I. It is so Common and so strong as that 1. All Christians should most Fear it and Watch and Pray and Strive against it 2. And all Preachers should more open the Evil of it than they do and live themselves as against it and above it 1. How much do most over-value their own dark Judgments and weak reasonings in comparison of others 2. How commonly do men measure the Wisdom or Folly Goodness or Badness of other men as they are for or against their selfish Interest Opinions Side or way 3. How impatient are men if self-will Reputation or Interest be Crost 4. How will they stretch Conscience in Words Deeds or Bargaining for gain 5. How soon will they fall out with Friends or Kindred if Money or Reputation come to a Controversie between them 6. How little feeling Pity have they for another in Sickness Poverty Prison or Grief if they be but well themselves 7. How ordinary doth Interest of Body Reputation Wealth corrupt and change mens Judgments in Religion So that Selfishness and Fleshly interest chooseth not only other Conditions and Actions of Life but also the Religion of most men yea of too many Teachers of Self-denyal 8. And if Godly people find this and lament it how weakly do they resist it and how little do they overcome it 9. And though every truly Godly man preferre the Interest of his Soul above that of his Body how few get above a Religion of Caring and Fearing for themselves to study more the Churches good and more than that to Live in the delightful Love of God as the Infinite Good 10. And of those that Love the Church of God how many narrow it to their sect or party and how few have an Universal impartial Love to all true Christians as such Q. 10. Where then are the Saints if this be so A. All this sin is predominant in ungodly men saving that common Grace so far overcometh it in some few that they can venture and lose their Estates and Lives for their special Friends and for their Countrey But in all true Christians it is but in a subdued degree They hate it more than they Love it They all Love God and his Church with a far higher Estimation than themselves though with less passion They would forsake Estate and Life rather than forsake Christ and a Holy Life They were not true Christians if they had not learnt to bear the Cross and Suffer They seek and hope foâ— that Life of perfect Love and Unity where Selfishness shall never more divide us Q. 11. What is it that maketh the Love of others so great a duty A. 1. It is but to Love God his Interest and Image in others No man hath seen God But rational Souls and specially Holy ones are his Image in which we must see and Love him And there is no higher duty than to Love God 2. Love maketh us meet and useful members in all Societies especially in the Church of God It maketh all to love the Common good above their own 3. It maketh all men use their utmost power for the good of all that need them 4. It overcometh Temptations to hurtfulness and division It teacheth men patiently to bear and forbear It is the greatest keeper of Peace and Concord As one Soul uniteth all parts of the Body one Spirit of Love uniteth all true Believers It is the Cement of Individuals the vital healing Balsom which doth more than Art to cure our Wounds
If all Magistrates loved the People as themselves how would they use them If Bishops and Teachers loved others as themselves and were as loth to hurt them as to be hurt and to reproach them as to be reproached and to deliver them from Poverty Prison or Danger as to be safe themselves what do you think would be the consequent How few would study to make others odious or â—o ruine them how few would backbite them or â—ensoriously condemn them if they loved them as themselves If all this City and Kingdom loved each other as themselves what a foretast would it be of Heaven on Earth How delightfully should we all live together Every man would have the good of all others to rejoice in as his own And be as ready to relieve another as the right hand will the left We can too easily forgive our selves our faults and errours and so should bear with others Love is our Safety who is afraid of any one who he thinks loveth him as himself who is afraid that he should persecute imprison or destroy himself unless by ignorance or distraction Love is the delight of Life when it is mutual and is not disappointed what abundance of Fears and Cares and Passions and Law-suit's would it End It is the fulfilling of the preceptive part of the Law and as to the penal part there is no use for it where Love prevaileth To such saith Paul there is no Law They are not without it but above it so far as it worketh by fear 5. Love is the Preparation and Foretast of Glory Fear Care and Sorrow are distantly preparing works but it 's Ioyful Love which is the immediate Preparation and foretast There is no War no Persecution no Hatred Wrath or Strife in Heaven But perfect Love which is the uniting Grace wiâ—… there more nearly unite all Saints than we that aâ—… in a dividing world and body can now conceive or perfectly believe Q. 12. Is there any hope that Love should reign on Earth A. There is hope that all the Sound Believers should increase in Love and get more victory over Selfishness For they have all that Spirit of Love and obey Christs last and great Command and are taught of God to Love one another yea they dwell in Love and so in God and God in them and it will grow up to Perfection But I know of no hope that the Malignant Seed of Cain should cease the hating of them that are the Holy seed save as Grace converteth any of them to God Of any Common or universal Reign of Love I see no Prognosticks of it in Rulers in Teachers or any others in the World Prophesies are dark But my greatest hope is fetcht from the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer which are not to be put up in Vain Q. 13. What should we do towards the increase of Love A. 1. Live so blamelesly that none may find just matter of hatred in you 2. Love others whether they Love you or not Love is the most powerful cause of Love 3. Do hurt to none but by necessary Justice or defence And do as much good as you can to all 4. Praise all that is good in men and mention not the Evil without necessity 5. Do all that you can to make men Holy and winne them to the Love of God And then they will Love each other by his Spirit and for his sake 6. Do all that you can to draw men from sinfull worldly Love For that Love of the World which is Enmity to God is also Enmity to the love of one another Further than you can draw men to center in Christ and in holy Love there is no hope of true Love to others 7. Patiently suffer wrongs rather than provoke men to hate you by unnecessary seeking your right or revenge Q. 14. Is all desire of another mans unlawfull A. All that is to his hurt loss and wrong You may desire another mans daughter to Wife by his Consent or his House Horse or Goods when he is willing to sell them But not else Q. 15. But what if in gaming betting or trading I desire to get from him though to his loss A. It is a covetous selfish sinfull desire You must desire to get nothing from him to his loss and hurt Q. 16. But what if he consent to run the hazard as in a Horsâ—-race a Game a Wager c It 's no wrong to a Consenter A. The very desire of hurtful drawing from him to your self is selfish sin If he consent to the hazard it is also his covetous desire to gain from you And his sin is no excuse for yours And you may be sure it was not the Loss that he consented to But if he do it as a Gift it 's another Case Q. 17. What be the worst sorts of Covetousness A. 1. When the Son wisheth his Fathers death for his Estate 2. When men that are Old and near the Grave still covet that which they are never like to need or use 3. When men that have abundance are never satisfied but desire more 4. When they will get it by Lying Extortion or other wicked means even by Perjury and Blood as Iezebel and Ahab got Naboths Vineyard 5. When Princes not content with their just Dominions invade other Mens and plague the World with unjust Warres Blood and Miseries to enlarge them Q. 18. How differ Charity and Iustice A. Charity Loveth all because there is somewhat in them lovely and doth them good without respect to their Right because we love them Justice respecteth men as in the same Governed Society under God or Man and so giveth every man his due Q. 19. Is it Love or Justice that saith Whatever you would that men should do to you do ye also to them A. It is both Justice saith Do right to all and wrong to none as you would have them do to you Charity saith Love and pity and relieve all to your power as you would have them Love Pity and Relieve you Q. 20. Hath this Law no exceptions A. It supposeth that your own Will for your selves be just and good If you would have another make you drunk or draw you to any sinfull or unclean Pleasure you may not therefore do so by them But do others such right and good as you may lawfully desire they should do to you Q. 21. What are those Foundations on which this Law is built A. 1. That as God hath made us Individual Persons so he is the free Distributer of his allowance to every Person and therefore we must be content with his allowance and not covet more 2. That God hath made us for Holiness and endless Happiness in Heaven And therefore we must not so Love this World as to covet fulness and desire more of it than God alloweth us 3. That God hath made every man a member of the humane World and every Christian a Member of
the Church and no one to be self-sufficient or Independent as a World to himself And therefore all men must Love themselves but as Members of the Body and Love the Body or publick good above themselves and Love other Members as their place and the common Interest doth require 4. That we are not our own but his that did Create us and Redeem us And therefore must Love our selves and others as His and according to his Will and Interest and not as the selfish narrow Interest tempteth us 5. That the Faithful are made Spiritual by the sanctifying Spirit and therefore savour the things of the Spirit and referre all outward things thereto And therefore must not so over-value Provision for the Flesh as to Covet and draw from others for its pleasure So that 1. As the first Greatest Command engageth us wholly to God as our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier against that SELFISHNESS which is the Idol-Enemy to God including the Privation of our LOVE to him and against the Trinity of his Enemies the FLESH which would be first pleased the WORD which it would be pleased by â—nd the DEVIL who deceiveth and tempteth men by such Baits of Pleasure Even so this tenth which is the second summary Command engageth us to Love God in our Brethren and to Love them according to his Interest in them as Members of the same Society with an impartial Love against that SELFISHNESS which is the Enemy of imparâ—ial Love and Common good and against the Lusts of the FLESH which would be first pleased and the WORLD which is the Provision which it coveteth and the DEVIL who would by such worldly baits and FLESHLY Pleasure deceive Mankind into ungodliness sensuality maligâ—ity mutual enmity contention oppression persecution peâ—sidiousâ—ess and all iniquity and finally into endless misery in separation from the God of Love and the heavenly perfected united Society of LOVE And this is the true meaning of the tenth Commandement CHAP. XLIV Of the Sacred Ministry and Church and Worship Qu. 1. THough you have opened the Doctrine of the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints before in Expounding the Creed because the Sacraments cannot be understood without the Ministry and Church will you first tell us what the Ministerial Office is A. The Sacred Ministry is an Office instituted by Christ in subordination to his Prophetical Office to Teach and to his Priestly Office to Intercede in Worship and to his Kingly Office to â—e Key-bearers of his Church to trie and judge of mens tiâ—â— to its Communion And this for the converting of the Infidel World the gathering of them into thâ— Christian Communion and the helping guiding and edifying them therein Q. 2. Are they Ministers in Office â—â— any but thâ— Church A. Yes their first work is upon the World tâ— make them Christians and gather them into thâ— Church by Teaching and Baptizing them Q. 3. Is not that the common work of Lay-meâ— that are no Officers A. Lay-men must do their best in their capacity â—nd station but 1. Officers do it as separated to â—his work as their Calling 2. And accordingly do â—t by a special Commission and Authority from Christ â— And are tryed chosen and dedicated thereto as â—pecially qualified Q. 4. What must Christs Ministers say and do for â—he Worlds Conversion A. Luk. 14. and Mat. 22. tell you They must â—ell men of the Marriage Feast the blessed Proviâ—â—on of Grace and Glory by Christ and by Eviâ—ence and Urgency compell them to come in More â—articularly 1. They must speak to sinners as from God and â—â— his Name with a Thus saith the Lord. They â—ust manifest their Commission or at least that â—â—e Message which they bring is his that men may â—now with whom they have to do and that he that â—espiseth despiseth not men but God 2. They must make known to Sinners their sinfull â—angerous and miserable State to convince them of â—â—e necessity of a Saviour As if they should say â—… He that hath no sin that is no Child of Adam â—â—t shall not die and come to Judgment that needs â—o Saviour Pardon and Deliverance Let him negâ—â—ct our Invitation But Sin and Misery are all mens â—ecessity 3. They are to tell men what God hath done for â—â—em by Christ what a Saviour he hath given us â—hat Christ hath done and suffered for us 4. They are to tell men what Grace and Glory is purchased for them and offered to them and what they may have in Christ and by him 5. They are to tell men how willing God is of mens Recovery so that he beseecheth them to be reconciled to him and Ministers are sent to entreat them to accept his Grace who refuseth none that refuse not him 6. They are to acquaint men with Gods Conditions Terms and Expectations Not that they givâ— him any satisfying or purchasing Price of their own but that they Accept his free gift according to iâ—â— proper nature and use and come to Christ thâ—â— they may have Life but that they come in time and come sincerely and resolvedly and believe anâ— penitently return to God for which he is ready tâ— assist them by his Grace 7. They must acquaint men with the methods â—â— the Tempter and the hinderances of their Faith anâ— Repentance and what opposition they must expecâ— from the Flesh the World and the Devil and hoâ— they must overcome them 8. They must acquaint men what great Assistaâ—ces and Encouragements they shall have from Chriâ—â— how good a Master how perfect a Saviour and Coâ—forter how sure a Word how sweet a Work hoâ— good and honourable Company and how many mâ—â—cies here and how sure and glorious a reward fâ—â— ever and that all this is put in the Ballance for thâ—â—â— choice against a deceitful transitory shadow 9. They must answer the carnal Objections of deceived Sinners and shew them clearly that all is Folly that is said against Christ and their Conversion 10. They must make men know how God will â—ake it if they unthankfully neglect or refuse his Grace and that this will leave them without remedy â—nd greatly adde to their Sin and Misery and that â—here is no more Sacrifice for sin but a fearful lookâ—ng for of Judgment from that God who to such â—s a consuming fire and that it will be easier for â—odom in the day of Judgment than for such Q. 5. In what manner must Christs Ministers preach â—ll this A. 1. With the greatest Gravity and Holy Reâ—erence because it is the Message of God 2. With the greatest Plainness because men are â—ull of understanding 3. With the clearest Proof and convincing Eviâ—ence to conquer Prejudice Darkness and Unbeâ—â—ef 4. With powerful winning Motives and urgent â—mportunity because of mens disaffection and aversâ—ess And O what powerful motives have we at â—and from Self-love from God from Christ from â—ecessity from Heaven and Hell 5. With Life and
THE Catechizing OF FAMILIES A TEACHER OF HOUSHOLDERS HOW To Teach their Housholds Useful also to SCHOOL-MASTERS and Tutors of Youth For those that are past the common small Chatechisms and would grow to a more rooted Faith and to the fuller understanding of all that is commonly needful to a safe holy comfortable and profitable Life Written by RICHARD BAXTER in hope that Family and School-diligence may do much to keep up True Religion LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel and B. Simmons at the Three Golden Cocks at the West end of St. Pauls 1683. The Reasons and Use of this BOOK MAN is born without Knowledge but not without a Capacity and faculty of Knowing this is his Excellency and Essence Nature Experience and Gods Word tell us the great necessity of Knowledge As the Souls essential form is the virtue of vital Action Understanding and Will conjunct so Holiness is Holy Life Light and Love conjunct The wisest men are the best and the best the wisest but a Counterfeit of Knowledge is the great deceiver of the World Millions take the Knowledge of bare Words with the Gramatical and Logical sence instead of the Knowledge of the things themselves which by these are signified as if the Glass would nourish without the Wine or the Dish without the Meat or the Cloathing or Skin were all the man God and Holiness and Heaven are better known by many serious unlearned Christians that cannot accurately dispute about them than by many Learned men who can excellently speak of that which their Souls are unacquainted with The Hipocrites Religion is but an Art the true Christians is a Habit which is a Divine Nature But yet the Words are signs by which we are helpt to know the things and must diligently be learned to that end and though men cannot reach the Heart God hath appointed Parents and Masters and Teachers to Instruct their Inferiours by words and hath written the Scripture to that use that by them his Spirit may teach or illuminate the Mind and renew the Heart God worketh on man as man and we must know by Signs till we know by intuition It is a thing well known that the Church aboundeth with Catechisms and Systemes of Divinity and doth there yet need more their scope and Substance is the same they differ most 1. In Choice of matter that there be nothing left out that is needful nor needless uncertainties and disputes put in 2. That the Method or Order of them be True agreeable to the matter and Sacred Scripture 3. And that they be not blotted with any drops of disgraceful Errour These are the requisites to desirable Catechisms No doubt but they should be sorted into three degrees suited to the Childhood Youth and maturer Age of Christians I. The Essentials of Christianity are all contained generally in Baptism this must be understood and therefore expounded the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue the Summaries of things to to be Beleived Desired in Hope and Practised were from the beginning taken for a good Exposition to those that were to be Baptized These three as Expounding Baptism are themselves a good Catechism the understanding of the Lords Supper being added for Communicants II. But here also Children will be childish and learn the words while they are mindless of the sence therefore an Explication of these in other words hath ever been thought a great part of the work of a Teaching Ministry whence the Ancients have left us their Expositions of the Creed c. But here the difficulty is made insuperable by the Learners indisposition if such a Catechism be short and much put in few words the vulgar cannot understand it if it be long and in many words they cannot learn and remember it III. For Remedy of this a Larger Catechism yet is needful not to be learnt without Book but to be a full Exposition of the Shorter which they learn that they may have recourse to this for a more full and particular understanding of a Shorter whose general words they can remember Accordingly having in my Poor Mans Family Book written two Catechisms of the former rank I here adde the third for those that have learned the two first Far am I from thinking that I have done any one of these to perfection I never yet saw a Catechism without some notable imperfection And no doubt mine are not free from such But while I avoid what I see amiss in others I hope God will illuminate some to do yet beter and to avoid what is amiss in mine The degree which yet pretendeth to greater accurateness in Method I have given in a Latine Methodus Theologiae The Uses for which I have written this are these I. For Masters of Families who should endeavour to raise their Children and Servants to a good degree of Knowledge I have divided it into short Chapters that on the Lords dayes or at nights when they have leisure the Master may read to them one Chapter at a time that is the Exposition of one Article of the Creed one Petition of the Lords Prayer and one Commandement Expounded II. For School-masters to cause their riper rank of Scholars to learn I am past doubt that it is a heinous Crime in the School-masters of England that they devote but one hour or two in a week to the learning of the Catechism while all the rest of the week is devoted to the learning of Lilly Ovid Virgil Horace Cicero Livy Terence and such like besides the loss and sinful omission it seduceth Youth to think that common Knowledge which is only Subsidiary and Ornamental is more excellent or necessary than to know God Christ the Gospel Duty and Salvation besides which all Knowledge further than it helpeth or serveth this is but fooling and doting and as dangerous diversion and perversion of the mind as grosser sensual delights He is not worthy the name of a Christian School-master who maketh it not his chief work to teach his Scholars the Knowledge of Christ and Life Everlasting III. But if they goe from the Countrey Schools before they are capable of the Larger Catechisms as to their great loss most make too much hast away why may not their next Tutors make it their chief work to train up their Pupils as the Disciples of Iesus and yet not neglect either Aristotle or any natural light To our present Universities I am not so vain as to offer such Instructions though to some small part of them I directed my Methodus Theologiae I learnt not of them and I presume not to make my self their Teacher Their late GUIDES their WORLDLY-INTEREST and their GENIUS have made my Writings odious to many even that which they like they will not read But I have oft with Lamentation wondered why Godly Ministers do no more of the work now appropriated to Universities for their own Sons Those men whose Church zeal would
Silver Psal. 41. 9. 55. 13 14. Zech. 11 12 13 and a Potters Field be bought with them all his Persecution and abuse and Sufferings are foretold Isa. 50. 6. 53. Psa. 69. 21. 22. 18. 118. 22. Isa. 6. 9. even â—o the Circumstances of giving him Vinegar casting Lots for his Garments suffering as a Malefactor Yea the very time is foretold Dan. 9. 25 26. And that then the second Temple should be destroyed II. The second part of the Spirits Testimony or the certain proof of Christian Truth is The Inherent constitutive Proof or Testimony in the unimitable Excellency of the Person and Gospel of Christ which is the Image and superscription of God The Person of Christ was of such excellency of Wisdom Goodness and power apparent in his Doctrine Works and Patience all sinless and full of Holy Love to God and Man as is not consistent with being the Deceiver of the World His Gospel in the very Constitution of it hath the impress of God He that hath the Spirit of God will find that in the Gospel which is so suitable to the Divine Nature as will make it the easier to him to believe it Angels preached the Summ of it Luke 2. 14. It is all but the fore-promised and prefigured Redemption of Man Historically delivered and the Doctrine Laws and Promises of saving Grace most fully promulgated It is the wonderful Revelation of the Power Wisdom and Goodness the Truth Justice and Holiness of God especially his Love to Man and of his marvellous design for the recovery Sanctifying and saving of Sinners and removing all the impediments of their Repentance and Salvation It is so wholly fitted to the Glorifying of God and the reparation of depraved Nature and the purifying and perfecting of Mans Soul to the guidance of Mens Lives in the wayes of true Wisdom Godliness Righteousness Soberness Mutual Love and Peace that Men may live profitably to others and live and die in the Sence of God's Love and in a safe and comfortable State that we may be sure so good a thing had a good Cause For had it been the device of Men they must have been very bad Men that would put Gods Name to it and tell so many Lies from Generation to Genration to deceive the World And it is not to be imagined that from Moses time to the writing of Iohn's Revelations there should arise a Succession of Men of such a strange self-contradicting Constitution as should be so good as to devise the the most Holy and Righteous and Self-denying Doctrines for the great good of Mankind and yet all of them so odiously wicked as to belye God and deceive Men and do all this good in so bad a manner with so bad a Heart And if any Blasphemer would Father it upon evil Spirits what a Contradiction would he speak As if Satan would promote the greatest good for the Honour of God and Benefit of Man while he is the greatest Hater of God and Man And as if he would devise a Doctrine to reproach himself and destroy his own Kingdom and bless Mankind and so were at once the best and the worst Indeed the Holy Scriptures do bear the very Image and Superscription of God in their Ends Matter and Manner and prove themselves to be his Word For God hath not given us external proofs that such a Book or Doctrine is his which is it self no better than humane Works and hath no intrinsick proof of its Divine Original But the intrinsick and extrinsick Evidences concurre What Book like the Sacred Scriptures hath taught the World the Knowledge of God the Creation of the World the End and Hope and Felicity of Man What the heavenly Glory is and how procured and how to be obtained and by whom How man became sinful and miserable And how he is recovered And what wonders of Love God hath shewn to Sinners to win their Hearts in Love to him What Book hath so taught Men to live by Faith and the hopes of Glory above all the Lusts of Sense and Flesh and to referr all things in this VVorld to Spiritual Holy and Heavenly Ends to Love others as our selves and to do good to all even to our Enemies to live in such Union and Communion and Peace as is caused by this Vital Grace of Love and not like a Heap of Sand that every spurn or blast of cross Interest will separate VVhat Book so teacheth Man to Love God above all and to pray to him praise him and absolutely obey him with constant pleasure and to trust him absolutely with Soul Body and Estate and cast all our care upon him and in a word to converse in Heaven while we are on Earth and to live as Saints that we may live as Angels Q. 14. But how few be there that do all this A. 1. I shall further answer that anon None do it in Perfection but all found Christians do it in Sincerity 2. But at present it is the perfection of the Doctrine of Christ and of the Sacred Scriptures that I am proving And it is not Mens breaking the Law that will prove that God made it not Q. 15. You have told me of the foregoing Testimony of the Spirit to Christ and the Gospel and of the Inherent Constitutive Testimony or Proof Is there any other A. Yes III. There is the Concomitant Testimony by the Works of Christ Nicodemus could say We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do the Works that thou dost except God were with him Joh. 3. 2. He cleansed the Lepers with his word he cast out Devils he healed the Lame the Deaf the Blind yea that were born Blind he healed Palsies Feavers and all manner of sicknesses with a touch or a word he turned Water into Wine he fed twice many Thousands by Miracle he walkt on the Sea and made Peter do the same the Winds and Sea obeyed his Command he raised the Dead This course of Miracles were the most evident Testimony of God And he was brought into the World by Miracle Born of a Virgin Foretold and Named Iesus by an Angel Preached to Shepherds by Angels from Heaven a Star conducting the Eastern Wise-men to the place Iohn his foregoer named by an Angel and Zacharias struck dumb for not believing it Prophesied of by Anna and Simeon owned at his Baptism by the visible descent of the Spirit in the shape of a Dove and by a Voice of God from Heaven and the like again at his Transfiguration when Moses and Elias appeared with him and he did shine in Glory And at his Death the Earth trembled the Sun was obscured and the Air darkened and the Vail of the Temple rent But the fullest Evidence was Christs own Resurrection from the Dead his oft appearing to his Disciples after and conversing with them at times for Forty Dayes and giving them their Commission and promising them the Spirit and ascending
free Gift then as he is LOVE it self so he is the Great Benefactor of the World but specially to his chosen faithful People And no Man or Angel hath any thing that is good by way of merited exchange from God but all is of free Gift And we owe him our superlative Love and and Thanks and Praise Q. 15. Why are Heaven and Earth named as the parts of his Creation A. They are all that we are concerned to know We partly see the difference between them and Gods Word tells us of more than we see Earth is the place of our present abode in our Life of Tryals in Corruptible Flesh Heaven is the place where God doth manifest his Glory and from whence he sendeth down those Influences which maintaiâ— Nature and which communicate his Grace and prepare us for the Glory which we shall enjoy in Heaven By Heaven and Earth is meant all Creatures both Spirits and Corporeal Q. 16. Were there no more Worlds made and dissolved before this It seems unlikely that God from all Eternity should make nothing till less than Six Thousand Years ago when he is a communicative Good and delighteth to do good in his Works A. It is dangerous presumption so much as to put such a Question with our Thought or Tongue and to pry into Gods Secrets of which we are utterly uncapable unless it be to shame it or suppress it God hath by Christ and the Holy Ghost in Scripture set up a Ladder by which you may ascend to the Heaven that you are made for But if you will climb above the top of the Ladder you may fall down to Hell CHAP. XI Of the Person of Iesus Christ the only Son of God Qu. 1. VVHo is Iesus Christ A. He is God and Man and the Mediator between GOD and Man Q. 2. When did he begin to be God A. He is the Eternal God that had no Tempoporal beginning Q. 3. When did he begin to be a Man A. About One thousand six hundred eighty one Years ago Q. 4. If he be GOD why is he called the Son of God Are there more Gods than One And how doth God beget a Son A. There is but One God I before opened to you the Mystery of the Trinity in Unity to which you must look back Begetting is a word that we must not take carnally and a Son in the Deity signifieth not another substance If the Sun be said to Beget its own Light that maketh it not another Substance But Christ is also as Man begotten of God in a Virgins Womb. Q. 5. Was Christ GOD in his low condition on Earth A. Yes but the GODHEAD appeared not as in heavenly Glory Q. 6. Is Christ a Man now he is in Heaven A. Yes He is still God and Man But his Glorified Manhood is not like our corruptible Flesh and narrow Souls Q. 7. Hath Christ a Soul besides his Godhead A. Yes for he is a perfect Man which he could not be without a Soul Q. 8. Then Christ hath two Parts One part iâ— God and the other Man A. The name of PART or WHOLE is not fâ—… for God God is no PART of any thing no noâ— of the Universe of Being For to be a PART iâ— to be less than the whole and so to be imperfect And every WHOLE consisteth of PARTS but so doth not God Q. 9. Is Iesus Christ one Person or two viz. A Divine and Humane A. It 's dangerous laying too great a stress on words that are either not in Scripture or are applyed to God as borrowed from similitude in Man As the word PERSON signifieth the Eternal Word the Second in the Trinity Christ is but One Person And though his humane Soul and Body assumed be Substances they are not another Person but another Nature united to his Eternal Person yet noâ— as a Part of it but by a Union which we have no proper Words to express Christ hath two Natures and but one Person But if you take the word PERSON only for a Relation as of a King a Judge c. so Christ as MEDIATOR is a PERSON distinct from the same Christ as the Eternal Second Person in the Trinity Q. 10. It seems then Christ had three Natures a Divine a Soul and a Body A. This is a Question about meer Names He hath only the Nature of GOD and of Man But if you go to anatomize Man you may find in him on Earth perhaps more Natures than two Spirit Fire Air VVater and Earth But this is a frivolous dispute Q. 11. In what Nature did Christ appear of Old before his Incarnation A. If it were not by an Angel as his Agent it must be by some Body Light or Voice made or assumed for that present time Q. 12. I hear some say That Christ is not One God with the Father but a kind of under-God his first Creature above Angels A. The Scriptures fully prove Christ to be God and one God with the Father The form of Baptism proveth it There be some Learned Men that to reconcile this Controversie say That Christ hath Three Natures 1. The Divine 2. A Super-angelical 3. A Humane And that God the Eternal Word did first of all produce the most perfect of all his Creatures above Angels like an Universal Soul and the God-Head uniting it self to this did by this produce all other Creatures and at least did in and by this Unite it self hypostatically to the humane Nature of Christ. They think divers Texts do favour this threefold Nature and that the Arrians erred only by noting the Superangelical Nature and not noting the Divine united to it But I dare not own so great a point which I find not that the Universal Church ever owned nor do I see any cogent Proof of it in the Scripture Q. 13. But God doth all his Works in Order And he made Angels far Nobler than Man And is it like then that he setteth a Man so far aboâ—â— all Angels as Personal Union doth import A. It is not like if we might judge by the coâ—jectures of our Reason But Gods lower Works aâ—â— none of them perfectly known here to us Muâ—â— less the most Mysterious even the Glorious Persoâ— of the Son of God If God will thus glorifie hâ—â— Mercy to Man by setting him above all the Aâ—gels who shall say to him What dost thou Aâ— if there be in Jesus Christ a first created Super angelical Nature besides the Divine and Humanâ— we shall know it when we see as Face to Face â—â— the mean time he will save those that truly believâ— in him as GOD and Man Q. 14. Why is Christ called Our Lord A. Because he is God and also as Mediator Aâ—â— Power in Heaven and Earth is given him and â—â— is made Head over all things to his Church Mâ—â— 28. 28. Eph. 1. 22 23. Q. 15. What do his Names Jesus Christ siâ—nifie A. Iesus
Church by the Apostolical Power Preaching Writings and Miracles and in the Sanctifying and helping all true Believers Q. 7. By this it seems there are many wayes of denying the Holy Ghost A. Yes 1. They deny him who deny his Godhead as the Third Person in the Blessed Trinity 2. They deny him who deny that the Miracles oâ— Christ and his Apostles were God's Testimony to Christ being convinced of the Trueth of the Facts 3. They deny him who deny the extraordinary qualifications of the Apostles and suppose them to have had but the prudence of ordinary honest Men. 4. They deny the Holy Ghost who deny the sacred Scriptures to be indited by him and to be true 5. They deny him who deny him to be the Sanctifier of God's Elect and feign Holiness to be bâ—â— conceit deceit or common Virtue Q. 8. But are all these the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost A. The unpardonable sin is called The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12. And it is when Men are convinced that those Miracles were done and those gifts given which are God's attestation to Christ and his Gospel but they fixedly believe and say That they were all done by the power of the Devil by Conjuration and not by God and therfore notwithstanding them Christ was but a Deceiver And this sin is unpardonable because it rejecteth the only remedy The Spirits witness to the truth of Christ He that will not believe this Witness shall have no other Q. 9. But how may we know that we are Sanctifyed by the Spirit A. By that Holiness which he causeth 1. When our Understandings so know and believe the Truth and Goodness of the Gospel and its Grace as that we Practically esteem and prefer the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Ghost and the heavenly Glory before all the Pleasures Profits and Honours of this World that stand against them and before Life it self 2. When Our Wills do with habitual Inclination and Resolution Love and Choose the same before all the said things that stand in competition 3. When in the course of our Lives we seek them first and hold them fastest in a time of Tryal forsaking the Flesh the World and the Devil so far as they are against them and living in sincere though not perfect Obedience to God Q. 10. Is the Spirit or the Scripture higher and the Rule of Faith and Life A. The Spirit as the Author of the Scripture is greater than the Scripture and the Scripture as the Word of the Spirit is the Rule of our Faith and Lives and greater than our Spiritual gifts The Spirit in the Apostles was given them to write when they had preached that Doctrine which is our Rule But the Spirit is not given to us to make a new Law or Rule but to believe Love and Obey that already made As under the Law of Moses God that made the Law was greateâ— than the Law But when God had made that Law their Rule he did not after that teach good Men to make another Law but to understand and obey that Q. 11. There are many that boast of the Spirit and Revelations how shall we try such whether their Spirits â—â— of God A. 1. If they pretend to do that which is fully done by the Spirit already that is to preach or write another Gospel or make a new Law for the Universal Church seeing this was the Prophetical extraordinary Office of Christ and the Spirit in the Apostleâ— such imply an accusation of insufficiency on Christs aâ—â— the Spirits Law or Rule and arrogate a power never given them and so are false Prophets 2. If they contradict the written Word of God which is certainly Sealed by God's Spirit already â—â— must needs be by an evil Spirit For God's Spirit doth not contradict it self Q. 12. But had not the Priests under the Law tâ—â— Spirit of God as well as Moses that gave them tâ—â— Law A. Moses only and Aaron under him had God Revelation to make the Law And the Priests only to keep it teach it and rule by it And so it is as tâ— the Apostles of Christ and the succeeding Ministry Q. 13. But might not Kings then make Religioâ— Laws A. Yes to determine such circumstances as Goâ— had only given them a General Law for and left to be determined by them but not to make new Laws of the same kind with Gods nor to add to or alter them Q. 14. But were there not Prophets after Moses that had the Spirit A. Yes But they were not Legislators but sent with particular Mandates Reproofs or Consolations save only David and Solomon who had directions from God himself not to make a new Law of God but to order things about the Temple and its Worship So if any Man now pretend to a Prophetical Revelation it must not be Legislative to the Catholick Church nor against Scripture but about particular Persons Acts and Events and it must be proved by Miracle or by Success before another is bound to believe him Q. 15. Must I take every motion in me to be by the Holy Ghost which is agreeable to the Word of God or for doing what is there commanded A. Yes if it be according to that Word for the Matter End Manner Time and other circumstances But Satan can transform himself into an Angel of Light and mind us of some Text or Truth to misapply it and put us on Meditation Prayer or other duty at an unseasonable Time when it would do more hurt than good or in an ill manner or to ill Ends He can move Men to be fervent Reprovers or Preachers or Rulers that were never called to it but are urged by him and the Passion and Pride of their own Hearts And good Men in some mistakes know not what manner of spirit they are of CHAP. XVIII The Holy Catholick Church Qu. 1. HOw is this Article joyned to the former A. This Article hath not been alwayes in the Creed in the same order and words as now But the belief of a Holy Church was long before it was called Catholick And it is joyned as part of our Belief of the Work of the Holy Ghost and the Redemption wrought by Christ Christ by his death purchaseth and the Holy Ghost gathereth the Holy Catholick Church It were defective to believe Christs Purchase and the Holy Ghost's Sanctification and not know for whom and on whom it is done To Sanctifie is to Sanctifie some Persons and so to make them the Holy Society or Christian Church Q. 2. What is a Church A. The Name is applied to many sorts of Assemblies which we need not name to you But here it signifieth The Christian Society Q. 3. Why is it called Catholick A. Catholick is a Greek word and signifieth Universal It is called Catholick because 1. It is not as the Iews Church confined to one Nation but comprehendeth all
punishment of loss and sense Q. 4. Doth not God forgive us the Guilt of the fault as well as the Dueness of Punishment A. Yes for thâ—se are all one in several Words To forgive the sin and to acquit from Dueness of punishment for that sin are the same thing God doth not Repute or Judge us to be such as never sinned for that were to judge fasly Nor doth he judge that our sin is not related to us as the Actors for that 's impossible Nor doth he judge that our sin did not deserve punishment But only that the deserved punishment is forgiven for the Merits of Christ's Righteousness and Sacrifice Q. 5. Is not Iustification and Forgiveness of Sin all One A. To be Justified 1. Sometimes signifieth to be Made Iust and Iustifiable in Iudgment And then it sometimes includeth both the Gift of Saving Faith and Repentance and the Gift of Pardon and of Right to Life Everlasting And sometime it presupposeth Faith and Repentance given and signifieth the annexed Gift of Pardon and Life 2. Sometime it signifieth Gods Justifying us by his Sentence in Judgment which containeth both the justifying of our Right to Impunity and Salvation and the Justifying our Faith and Holiness as sincere which are the Conditions of our Right 3. And sometimes to Justifie us is to use us as just Men. And as long as we understand the Matter thus signified by Pardoning and Justifying we must not strive about words so variously used Q. 6. But if Christ's perfect Righteousness Habitual and Actual be Our own Righteousness by God's Imputation how can we need a Pardon of Sin when we were perfectly obedient in Christ A. We could not possibly be pardoned as Sinners if God reputed us to have fulfilled all Righteousness in Christ and so to be no Sinners Therefore it is no such Imputation that must be affirmed But God justly reputeth Christ's Holiness and Righteousness active and passive dignified by his Divinity to be fully Meritorious of our Pardon Justification and Salvation And so it is Ours and Imputed as the true Meritorious Cause of our Righteousness which consisteth in our Right to Pardon and Salvation Q. 7. Is Pardon perfect in this Life and all punishment remitted at Once A. No 1. The punishment denounced in God's Sentence of Eve and Adam is not wholly forgiven The Curse on the Ground the Womans Sorrows the pain and stroke of Death 2. Temporal correcting punishments are not all forgiven 3. Some measure of Sin is penally permitted in us 4. The want of more Holiness and help of Gods Spirit and Communion with God is to all of us a fore punishment 5. The Permission of many Temptations from Devils and Men are punishments specially when they prevail to hainous sinning 6. To be so long kept out of Heaven and to lie after in the Grave are punishments Sure few Men believe that Pardon is here perfect that feel any of these 7. And it is not perfect till we are Justified before the World and put in possession of Salvation That 's the perfect Pardon Q. 8. But some say that Chastisements are no punishments A. They are not Damning destructive punishments but they are Chastising punishments For they are evil to Nature inflicted by Fatherly Correcting Iustice for Sin Q. 9. Is that an Evil which alwayes bringeth greater Good A. It is no such Evil as Sinners should repine at But ask any of that Opinion under the Stone oâ— other tormenting Disease or if he must die as a Malefactor whether it be not a Natural evil If there be no Evil in it why doth he groan under it Why doth he pray against it Or use Physick or other remedies Why is he offended at those that hurt him Had he not rather have his Holiness and Salvation without torment Prisons c. than with them 2. But it is not true that all the punishments of such as are saved make them better some are permitted to fall into hainous Sin and to decline in their Faith Love and Obedience and to die worse than once they were and so to have a less Degree of Glory wheâ— they have been hurtful Scandals in the World And is there no harm in all this Nothing is perfect iâ— this imperfect World Q. 10. But how is Christ's Merits and Satisfaction perfect then A. That 's perfect which is perfectly fitted to it's use It was not a use that Christ ever intended to Pardon all temporal Correcting punishment noâ— to make each Believer perfect the first hour Thâ— our greatest Sins should go unpunished is againe Christs will and Kingly Government and the Naturâ— of his Salvation And his Righteousness and Satisfaction are not intended against himself Q. 11. What sins are pardoned Is it all or but some A. All sin is pardoned though the Pardon be not perfect at first to all true penitent Believers But final Impenitence unbelief and unholiness never had a Pardon purchased or offered But that which is not final is forgiven Yea no sin is actually forgiven as to the everlasting punishment to final Impenitents and Unbelievers Q. 12. Are sins pardoned before they are committed A. If you call the meer purpose or purchase a Pardon unfitly or if you speak but of the General Act of Oblivion which pardoneth all Men on Condition that they penitently and believingly accept it so sins to come are pardoned But not to strive about words no one hath any actual proper Pardon for any sin before it is commited for it 's no sin and so no pardoned sin Q. 13. When is it that sin is pardoned A. God's purpose is Eternal The conditional Pardon was made when the Covenant of Grace was made Some Degrees of punishment God remitteth by common and preparatory Grace But saving Pardon none receive at Age till they Believe nor are they Justified Q. 14. Why do we pray for Pardon daily when sin is already pardoned A. 1. I told you sin is not pardoned when it is no sin we sin daily and therefore must have daily pardon And this also proveth that Pardon and Justification are not perfect before Death because there are more sins still to be pardoned 2. And we pray for the Continuance of the Pardon we have and for removal of punishments Q. 15. Is this the meaning of this Article that I believe that my own sins are actually forgiven as a Divine Revealation A. The meaning is 1. That by Christ a certain Degree of punishment is taken off from all Mankind and they are not dealt with according to the rigor of the Law of Innocent Nature 2. And that a conditional Pardon is given to all in the new Covenant so far as it is revealed 3. And that this Pardon becometh actual to every one when he penitently and believingly consenteth to the Baptismal Covenant with Christ. 4. And that this Pardon is offered to me as well as others and shall be mine if I be
Objects enow on which to operate And is it not absurd to think that God will continue so noble a Nature in a state of idleness and continue all its essential Faculties in vain and never to be exercised As if he would continue the Sun without Light Heat or Motion What then is it a Sun for And why is it not annihilated The Soul cannot lose its Faculties of Vitality Intellection and Volition without losing its Essence and being turned into some other thing And why it cannot act out of a Body what Reason can be given If it could not yet that it taketh not hence with it a Body of those corporeal Spirits which it acted in or that it cannot as well have a Body of Light for its own Action as it can take a Body as Moses on the Mount to appear to Man is that which we have no reason to suspect 2. But Scripture puts all out of doubt by telling us that To die is gain and that it 's better to be with Christ and that Lazarus was comforted in Abraham's Bosom and the converted Thief was with Christ in Paradise and that the Souls under the Altar and in Heaven pray and praise God and that the Spirits of the Iust are there made perfect And this is not a state of sleep It is a World of Life and Light and Love that we are going to more active than this Earthy heavy World than Fire is more active than a Clod. And shall we suspect any sleepy unactivity there This is the dead and sleepy World And Heaven is the place of Life it self Q. 7. What is the Nature of that heavenly Everlasting Life A It is the perfect activity and perfect fruition of Divine communicated Glory by perfected Spirits and Spiritual Men in a perfect Glorious Society in a perfect Place or Region and this Everlasting Q. 8. Here are many things set together I pray you tell them me distinctly A. 1. Heaven is a perfect Glorious Place and Earth to it is a Dungeon The Sun which we see is a Glorious place in comparison of this 2. The whole Society of Angels and Saints will be Perfect and Glorious And our Joy and Glory will be as much in participation by Union and Communion with theirs as the Life and Health of the Eye or Hand is in and by union and communion with the Body we must not dream of any Glory to our selves but in a state of that union and communion with the Glorious Body of Christ. And Christ himself the Glorified Head is the chief part of this Society whose Glory we shall behold 3. Angels and Men are themselves there Perfect If our Being and Nature were not Perfect our Action and Fruition could not be Perfect 4. The Objects of all our Action are most Perfect It is the Blessed God and a Glorious Saviour and Society that we shall see and love and praise 5. All our Action will be pefect Our Sight and Knowledge our Love our Joy our Praise will be all perfect there 6. Our reception and fruition will all be perfect We shall be perfectly loved by God and one another and perfectly pleasing to him and each other and he will communicate to us and all the Society as much Glorious Life Light and Joyful Love as we are capable of receiving 7. And all this will be perfect in duration being Everlasting Q. 9. O what manner of Persons should we be if all this were well believed Is it possible that they should truly believe all this who do not earnestly desire and seek it and live in joyful longing hope to be put into possession of it A. Whoever truly believeth it will prefer it before all Earthly treasure and pleasure and make it the chief End and Motive and Comfort of his Soul and Life and forsake all that stands against it rather than forsake his hopes of this But while our Faith Hope and Love are all imperfect and we dwell in Flesh where present and sensible things are still diverting and affecting us and we are so used to Sight and Sense that we look strangely towards that which is above them and out of their reach it is no wonder if we have imperfect desires and joy abated by diversions and by griefs and fears and if in this darkness unseen things seem strange to us and if a Soul united to a Body be loth to leave it and be uncloathed and have somewhat dark Thoughts of that state without it which it never tryed Q. 10. But when we cannot conceive how Souls act out of the Body how can the Thought of it be pleasant and satisfying to us A. 1. We that can conceive what it is to Live and Understand and Will to Love and Rejoice in the Body may understand what these acts are in themselves whether out of a Body or in a more glorious Body And we can know that nothing doth nothing and therefore that the Soul that doth these acts is a Noble substance and we find that it is invisible But of this I spake in the beginning 2. When we know in general all before mentioned that we shall be in that described Blessedness with Christ and the Heavenly Society we must implicitly trust Christ with all the rest who knoweth for us what we know not and stay till possession give us that clear distinct conception of the manner and all the circumstances which they that possess it not can no more have than we can conceive of the sweetness of a Meat or Drink which we never tasted of And we should long the more for that Possession which will give us that sweet Experience Q. 11. Is not God the only Glory and Ioy of the Blessed Why then do you tell us so much of Angels and Saints and the City of God A. God is all in all things of him and through him and to him are all things and the Glory of all is to him for ever But God made not any single Creature to be happy in him alone as separate from the rest but an Universe which hath its Union and comunion I told you as the Eye and Hand have no separated Life or Pleasure but only in Communion with the whole Body so neither shall we in Heaven God is infinitely above us and if you think of him alone without mediate Objects for the ascent and access of your Thoughts you may as well think to climb up without a Ladder We are not the Noblest Creatures next to God nor yet the most Innocent We have no access to him but by a Mediator And that Mediator worketh and conveyeth his Grace to us by other subordinate means He is the Saviour of his Body which is the fulness of him that filleth all If we think not of the Heavenly Ierusalem the glorious City of God the Heavenly Society and Joyful Chore that praise Iehovah and the Lamb and live together in perfect Knowledge Love and Concord in whose Communion only we have all our
the Creature-knowledge and to be able to talk as knowing Men or the better to serve our Worldly Ends and not to know and glorifie God is to prophane the works of God And alas then how common is prophaneness in the World Q. 10. What is it to Sanctifie God's Name as in our Redemption A. Redemption is such a wonderful work of God to make him known to sinners for their Sanctification and Salvation as no Tongue of Man can fully utter To think of God the Eternal Word first undertaking Man's Redemption and then taking the Nature of Man dwelling in so mean a Tabernacle fulfilling all Righteousness for us Teaching Man the knowledge of God and bringing Life and Immortality to light dying for us as a Malefactor to save us from the Curse Rising the third day Commissioning his Apostles undertaking to build his Church on a Rock which the Gates of Hell should not prevail against ascending up to Heaven sending down the wonderful and sanctifying Spirit Interceding for us and Reigning over all who receiveth faithful Souls to himself and will raise our Bodies and judge the World Can all this be believed and thought of without admiring the manifold wisdom the unconceivable Love and Mercy the Holiness and Justice of God! This must be the daily study of Believers Qu. 11. How is this Name of God prophaned A. When this wonderful work of Mans Redemption is not believed but taken by Infidels to be but a deceit Or when it is heard but as a common History and affecteth not the Hearer with admiration thankfulness desire and submission to Christ when Men live as if they had no great Obligation to Christ or no great need of him Q. 12. How is Gods Name as our Sanctifier to be hallowed A. Therein he cometh near us even into us with Illuminating Quickening Comforting Grace renewing us to his Nature Will and Image Marking us for his own and maintaining the cause of Christ against his Enemies And therefore must in this be specially notified honoured obediently observed and thankfully and joyfully admired Q. 13. But how can they honour God's Spirit and Grace who have it not Or they that have so little as not well to discern it A. The least prevailing sincere Holiness hath a special excellency turning the Soul from the World to God and may be perceived in Holy desires after him and sincere endeavours to obey him And the beauty of Holiness in others may be perceived by them that have little or none themselves if they be not grown to Malignant Enmity You may see by the Common desire of Mankind to be esteemed Wise and Good and their Impatience of being thought and called Foolish Ungodly or Bad Men that even corrupted Nature hath a radicated Testimony in it self for Goodness and against Evil. Q. 14. Who be they that prophane this Name of God A. Those that see no great need of the Spirit of Holiness or have no desire after it but think that Nature and Art may serve the turn without it Those that think that there is no great difference between Man and Man but what their Bodily temperature and their Education maketh and that it is but Phanatick delulusion or Hypocrisie to pretend to the Spirit Those that hate or deride the Name of Spirituality and Holiness and those that resist the Holy Ghost Q. 15. How is God known and honoured in his Providence A. By his Providence he so Governeth all the World and particularly all the Affairs of Men as shews us his Omnipotence his Omniscience and his Goodness and Love ordering them all to his Holy End even the pleasing of his good Will in their Perfection Q. 16. How can we see this while the World lyeth in Madness Unbelief and Wickedness and the worst are greatest and Contention Confusion and Bloody Wars do make the Earth a kind of Hell and the Wise Holy and Iust are despised hated and destroyed A. 1. Wisdom and Holiness and Justice are conspicuous and honourable by the odiousness of their contraries which though they fight against them and seem to prevail do but exercise them to their increase and greater glory And all the Faithful are secured and purified and prepared for Felicity by the Love and Providence of God 2. And as the Heavens are not all Stars but spangled with Stars nor the Stars all Suns nor Beasts and Vermine Men nor the Earth and Stones are Gold and Diamonds nor is the Darkness Light the Winter Summer or Sickness Health or Death Life And yet the wonderful Variety and Vicissitude contributeth to the Perfection of the Universe as the Variety of parts to the Perfection of the Body so God maketh use even of Mens Sin and Folly and of all the mad Confusions and Cruelties of the World to that perfect Order and Harmony which he that accomplisheth them doth well know though we perceive it not because we neither see the Whole nor the End but only the little Particles and the Beginnings of God's unsearchable works 3. And this dark and wicked World is but a little Spot of God's vast Creation and seemeth to be the lowest next to Hell while the lucid Glorious heavenly Regions are incomprehensibly great and no doubt possessed by Inhabitants suitable to so glorious a place And as it is not either the Gallows or the Prison that is a dishonour to the Kingly Government so neither is Hell or the Sins on Earth a dishonour to the Government of God 4. And as every Man is nearest to himself it is the duty of us all carefully to record all the Mercies and special Providences of God to our selves that we may know his Government and him and use the remembrance of them to his Glory Q. 17. How is the heavenly Glory as a Name of God to us that see it not A. We see vast lucid Bodies and Regions above us And by the help of things seen we may conceive of things unseen and by Divine Revelation we may certainly know them We have in the Gospel as it were a Map of Heaven in its description and a title to it in the Promises and a notifying earnest and foretast in our Souls so far as we are Sanctified Believers Q. 18. How must we hallow this Name of God A. 1. Firmly believing the heavenly Glory not only as it shall be our own Inheritance but as it is now the most Glorious and Perfect part of Gods Creation where Myriads of Angels and Glorious Spirits in perfect Happiness Love and Joy are Glorifying their most Glorious Creator and as the Saints with Christ their most Glorious Head shall for ever make up that Glorious Society and the Universe it self be seen by us in that Glorious Perfection in which the Perfection of the Creator will appear 2. And in the constant delightful Contemplation of this Supernal Glorious World by Heavenly Affections and Conversation keeping our Minds above while our Bodyes are here below and looking beyond this Prison of Flesh
with desire and hope As Heaven is the State and Place where God shineth to the understanding Creature in the greatest Glory and where he is best known so it is this heavenly Glory seen to us by Faith which is the most Glorious of all the Names or Notices of God to be hallowed by us Q. 19. What is the profaning of this Name of God A. The minding only of Earthly and Fleshly things and not believing considering or admiring the heavenly Glory Not loving and praising God for it nor desiring and seeking to enjoy it Q. 20. So much of God's Works which make him known Next tell us what you mean by the Words which you call his Name A. 1. All the Sacred Scripture as it maketh known God to us by History Precepts Promises or Penal Threats With all God's Instituted means of Worship 2. More specially the Descriptions of God by his Attributes 3. And most specially his Proper Name GOD Iehovah c. Q. 21. I 'le not ask you what his Attributes are because you have told us that before But how is this Name of God to be hallowed A. When the Soul is affected with that Admiration Reverence Love Trust and Submission to God which the meaning of these Names bespaeks And when the manner of our using them expresseth such affections Especially in publick Praises with the Churches Q. 22. How is this Name of God prophaned A. When it is used lightly falsly unreverently without the aforesaid Holy regard and affections Q. 23. III. What is that which you call God's Name imprinted on Mans Mind A. God made Man very good at first and that was in his own Image And so much of this is either left by the interposition of Grace in lapsed Nature or by common Grace restored to it as that all Men till utterly debauched would fain be accounted Good Pious Vertuous and Just and hate the imputation of Wickedness dishonesty and Badness And on the Regenerate the Divine Nature is so renewed as that their Inclination is towards God and HOLINESS TO THE LORD is written on all their Faculties And the Spirit of God moveth on the Soul to actuate all his Graces and to plead for God and our Redeemer and bring Him to our Remembrance to our Affections and to subject us wholly to his Will and Love And thus as the Law was written in Stone as to the Letter which is written only on tender fleshy Hearts as to the Spirit and Holy effect and disposition so the Name of God which is in the Bible in the Letter is by the same Spirit imprinted on Believers Hearts that is They have the Knowledge Faith Fear and Love of God Q. 24. How must we hallow this inward Name of God A. 1. By Reverencing and Loving God that is God's Image and Operations in us Not only God as glorified in Heaven but God as dwelling by Grace in Holy Souls must be remembred and reverenced by us 2. By living as in habitual Communion and Conversation with that God who dwelleth in us and who hath made us his Habitation by the Spirit 3. And by ready obeying the moving Operations of the Spirit for God And to contemn or resist these inward Ideas Inclinations and Motions is to prophane the Name of God Q. 25. But what is all this to the Sanctfying of God himself A. The Signs are but for him that is signified It is God himself that is to be admired Loved and Honoured as notified to us by these Signs or Name otherwise we make Idols of them In a Word God must be Esteemed Reverenced Loved Trusted and Delighted in Transcendently as God with affections proper to himself and this is to Sanctifie him by advancing him in our Heart in his Prerogative above all Creatures And all Creatures must be used respectively to this Holy End And specially those Ordinances and Names which are specially Separated to this use And nothing must be used as common and unclean especially in his Worship and Religious Acts. CHAP. XXVI Thy Kingdom come Qu. 1. WHy is this made the Second Petition A. To tell us that it must be the Second thing in our Desires We are to begin at that which is highest most excellent and ultimate in our Intentions and that is Gods Glory shining in all his Works and seen admired honoured and praised by Man which is the hallowing of his Name and the Holy Exalting him in our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions above all Creatures And we are next to desire that in which God's glory most eminently shineth And that is his Kingdom of Grace and Glory Q. 2. What is here meant by the Kingdom of God A. It is not that Kingdom which he hath over Angels and the innumerable glorious Spirits of the Heavenly Regions For these are much unknown to us and we know not that there is any Rebellion among them which needeth a Restoration But Man by Sin is fallen into Rebellion and under the Condemnation due to Rebels And by Christ the reconciling Mediator they are to be restored to their subjection to God and so to his Protection Blessing and Reward And because they are Sinners corrupt and guilty they cannot be Subjects as under the Primitive Law of Innocency And therefore God hath delivered them to the Mediator as his Vicegerent to be governed under a Law of healing Grace and so brought on to Perfect Glory So that the Kingdom of God now is his Reign over fallen Man by Christ the Mediator begun on Earth by Recovering Grace and perfected in heavenly Glory Q. 3. But the Scriptures sometimes speaks of the Kingdom of God as come already when Christ came or when he rose and ascended to his Glory and sometime as if it were yet to come at the great Resurrection Day A. In the first case the meaning is that the King of the Church is come and hath established his Law of Grace and Commissioned his Officers and sent forth his Spirit and so the Kingdom of healing Grace is come But in the second case the meaning is that all that Glorious Perfection which this Grace doth tend to which will be the Glory of the Church the Glory of Christ therein and the Glorification of Gods Love is yet to come Q. 4. What is it then which we here desire A. That God will enlarge and carry on the Kingdom of Grace in the World and bear down all that Rebells and hindereth it and particularly in our selves And that he would hasten the Kingdom of Glory Q. 5. Who is it then that is the King of this Kingdom A. GOD as the absolute Supream and Iesus Christ the Son of God and Man as the Supream Vicegerent and Administrator Q. 6. Who are the Subjects of this Kingdom A. There are three sorts of Subjects 1. Subjects only as to Obligation And so those without the Church are Rebellious obliged Subjects 2. Subjects by meer Profession And so all Baptized professing Christians
to know natural good from evil and an Appetite to desire it accordingly But because Natural Good and Evil are to be estimated as they tend to Spiritual and everlasting Good or Evil God giveth us Reason and Faith to Order our desires accordingly And because our Knowledge of this is imperfect when and how far Natural Good or Evil conduceth to Spiritual and Eternal it is still supposed that we make not our selves but God the Judge and so desire Life Health and Food and Natural Supplies with submission to his Will for time and measure they being but means to higher things Q. 4. Why ask we for no more than Bread A. To shew that Corporal things are not our Treasure nor to be desired for any thing but their proper use and to renounce all covetous desires of Superfluity or provision for our inordinate fleshly Lusts. Q. 5. Some say that by Bread is meant Jesus Christ because there is no Petition that mentioneth him A. Every part of the Lord's Prayer includeth Christ It is by him that God is our Father by him that the Holy Name of God is hallowed It is his Kingdom that we pray may come it is his Law or will which we pray may be done It is he that purchaseth our right to the Creature and redeemed Nature It is by him that we must have the forgiveness of Sin and by his Grace that we are delivered from temptations and all Evil c. Q. 6. Why ask we Bread of God as the Giver A. To signifie that we are and have nothing but by his gift and must live in continual dependance on his Will and begging receiving and thanksgiving are our work Q. 7. But do we not get it by our Labour and the gift of Men A. Our Labours are vain without God's Blessing and Men are but God's Messengers to carry us his gifts Q. 8. What need we Labour if God give us all A. God giveth his Blessings to meet Receivers and in the use of his appointed Means He that will not both beg and labour as God requireth him is unmeet to receive his gifts Q. 9. Why do we ask Bread from Day to Day A. To shew that we are not the keepers of our selves or our stock of Provisions but as Children live upon our Fathers daily allowance and continually look to him for all and daily renew our thanks for all and study the daily improvement of his maintenance in our Duties Q. 10. But when a Man hath Riches for many Years what need he ask daily for what he hath A. He hath no assurance of his Life or Wealth an Hour nor of the Blessing of it but by God's gift h Q. 11. Why say we Give us rather than Give me A. To exercise our common Love to one another and renounce that narrow selfishness which consineth Mens regard and desires to themselves And to shew that we come not to God meerly in a single Capacity but as Members of the World as Men and Members of Christ's Body or Church as Christians And that in the Communion Saints as we shew our Charity to one another so we have a part in the Prayers of all Q. 12. May we then pray against Poverty and Sickness and hurt A. Yes as aforesaid so far as they are hurtful to our Natures and thereby to our Souls and the ends of Life Q. 13. Doth not naming Bread before Forgiveness and Grace shew that we must first and most desire it A. We before exprest our highest desire of God's Glory Kingdom and Will and as to our own Interest all the three last Petitions go together and are inseparable but the first is the lowest though it be first in place Nature sustained is the first but it will be but the subject of sin and misery without Pardon and Holiness I told you that the three last Petitions go according to the Order of Execution from the lowest to the highest step God's Kingdom and Righteousness must be first sought in order of Estimation and Intention by all that will attain them Q. 14. But if God give us more than Bread even Plenty for our delight as well as necessaries may we not use it accordingly A. Things are necessary to our well being that are not necessary to our Being We may ask and thankfully use all that by strengthening and comforting Nature tendeth to fit the Spirit for the joyful Service of God and to be helpful to others But we must neither ask nor use any thing for the service of our Lusts or tempting unprofitable pleasure Q. 15. What if God deny us necessaries and a Christian should be put to beg or be famished how then doth God make good his Word that he will give us whatever we ask through Christ and that other things shall be added if we seek first his Kingdom and Righteousness and that Godliness hath the promise of this Life and that to come A. Remember as aforesaid 1. That the things of this Life are promised and given not as our happiness but as Means to better 2. And that we are promised no more than we are fit to receive and use 3. And that God is the highest Judge both how far outward things would help or hinder us and how far we are fit to receive them Therefore if he deny them he certainly knoweth that either we are unmeet for them or they for us Q. 16. When should a Man say He hath enough A. When having God's Grace and favour he hath so much of Corporal things as will best further his Holiness and Salvation and as it pleaseth the Will of God that he should have Q. 17. May not a Man desire God to bless his labours and to be rich A. A Man is bound to labour in a lawful Calling that is able and to desire and beg God's Blessing on it But he must not desire Riches or Plenty for it self or for fleshly Lusts nor be over importunate with God to make him his Steward for others Q. 18. What if God give us Riches or more than we need our selves A. We must believe that he maketh us his Stewards to do all the good with it that we can to all but specially to the Houshold of Faith But to spend no more in sinful Lust and Pleasure than if we were Poor Q. 19. What doth daily Bread oblige us to A. Daily Service and daily Love and thankfulness to God and to mind the end for which it 's given to be alwayes ready at the end of a Day to give up our account and end our journey Q. 20. What is the sin and danger of the love of Riches A. The Love of Money or Riches is but the fruit of the Love of the Flesh whose Lust would never want Provision But it is the Root of a Thousand farther Evils As it shews a wretched Soul that doth not truly believe and trust God for this Life much less for a better but
is Worldly and Sensual and Idolatrous so it leadeth a Man from God Holiness Heaven yea and from common honesty to all Iniquity A Worldling and lover of Riches is false to his own Soul to God and Man and never to be much trusted CHAP. XXIX And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us Or as we forgive our Debtors Qu. 1. WHy is this made the fifth Petition or the second of the second part A. Because it is for the second thing we Personally need Our Lives and Natural being supposed we next need Deliverance from the Guilt and Punishment which we have contracted Else to be Men will be worse to us than to be Toads or Serpents Q. 2. What doth this Petition imply A. 1. That we are all Sinners and have deserved punishment and are already fallen under some degree of it 2. That God hath given us a Saviour who died for our Sins and is our Ransom and Advocate with the Father And 3. That God is a gracious pardoning God and dealeth not with us on the terms of rigorous Justice according to the Law of Innocency But hath brought us under the Redeemers Covenant of Grace which giveth Pardon to all penitent Believers So that sin is both pardonable and conditionally pardoned to us all Q. 3. What then are the presupposed things which we pray not for A. 1. We pray not that God may be Good and Love it self or a merciful God for this is presupposed 2. We pray not that he would send a Saviour into the World to fulfill all Righteousness and die for Sin and that his Merit and Sacrifice may procure a Conditional Universal Pardon and Gift of Life viz. to all that will repent and believe For all this is done already Q. 4. Is it to the Father only or also to the Son thaâ— we pray for Pardon A. To the Father primarily and to the Son as Glorified for now the Father without him judgeth no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son Ioh. 5. 22. But when Christ made this Prayer he was not yet Glorified nor in full possession of his Power e Q. 5. What Sin is it whose forgiveness we pray for A. All sin upon the Conditions of pardon made by Christ that is for the pardon of all Sin to true penitent Believers Therefore we pray not for any pardon of the final non-performance of the condition that is to finally impenitent Unbelievers Q. 6. Sin cannot hurt God what need then is there of forgiveness A. It can wrong him by breaking his Laws and rejecting his moral government though it hurt him not And he will right himself Q. 6. What is forgiving Sin A. It is by tender Mercy on the account of Christ's Merits Satisfaction and Intercession to forgive the guilt of Sin as it maketh us the due subjects of punishment and to forgive the punishment of sin as due by that guilt and the Law of God so as not to inflict it on us Q. 7. What punishment doth God forgive A. Not all For the first Sentence of Corporal punishment and death is inflicted But he forgiveth the Everlasting punishment to all true Believers and so much of the temporal both Corporal and Spiritual as his Grace doth fit us to receive the pardon of and so he turneth Temporal correcting punishments to our good Q. 8. Doth he not pardon all Sin at once at our Conversion A. Yes All that is past for no other is sin But not by a perfect Pardon Q. 9. Why must we pray for Pardon then every day A. 1. Because the Pardon of old Sins is but begun and not fully perfect till all the punishment be ceased And that is not till all sin and unholiness and all the evil effects of sin be ceased No nor till the Day of Resurrection and Judgment have overcome the last Enemy Death and finally Justified us 2. Because we daily renew our sins by omission and commission and though the foundation of our Pardon be laid in our Regeneration that it may be actual and full for following sins we must have renewed Repentance Faith and Prayer Q. 10. God is not changeable to forgive to day what he forgave not yester day What then is his forgiving Sin A. The unchangeable God changeth the Case of Man And 1. By his Law of Grace forgiveth penitent Believers who were unpardoned in their impenitence and unbelief And 2. By his Executive Providence he taketh off and preventeth punishments both of Sense and Loss and so forgiveth Q. 11. How can we pray for pardon to others when we know not whether they be penitent Believers capable of Pardon A. 1. We pray as Members of Christ's Body for our selves and all that are his Members that is penitent Believers 2. For others we pray that God would give them Faith Repentance and Forgiveness As Christ prayed Father forgiv them for they know not what they do that is Qualifie them for Pardon and then pardon them Or give them Repentance and Forgiveness Q. 12. Why say we as we forgive them that trespass against us A. To signifie that we have this necessary qualification for forgiveness God will not forgive us fully till we can forgive others And to signifie our Obligation to forgive And as an Argument to God to forgive us when he hath given us Hearts to forgive others But not as the Measure of God's forgiving us For he forgiveth us more freely and fully than we can forgive others Q. 13. Are we bound absolutely to forgive all Men A. No But as they are capable of it 1 We have no power to forgive wrongs against God 2. Nor against our Superiours or other Men or the Common-wealth or Church further than God Authoriâ—eth any Man by Office 3. A Magistrate must forgive sins as to Corporal punishment no further than God alloweth him and as will stand with the true design of Government and the common good And a Pastor no further than will stand with the good of the Church And a Father no further than will stand with the good of the Family And so of others 4. An Enemy that remaineth such and is wicked must be forgiven by private Men so far as that we must desire and endeavour their good and seek no revenge But not so far as to be trusted as a familiar or bosom Friend 5. A Friend that offended and returneth to his Fidelity must be forgiven and trusted as a Friend according to the Evidence of his Repentance and Sincerity and no further The rest about forgiveness is opened in the Exposition of that Article in the Creed The forgiveness of â—â—ns Still remembring that all forgiveness is by God's Mercy through Christs Merits Sacrifice and Intercession CHAP. XXX And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. Qu. 1. WHy is this made the Sixth Petition A. Because it is the next in order to the attainment of our
Relations are here included A. That we being Gods Creatures and Redeemed Ones are 1. His Own 2. His Subjects to be Ruled by him 3. His poor Beneficiaries that have all from him and owe him all our Love Q. 8. What do the words signifie that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt A. That besides the Right of Creation God hath a Second Right to us as our Redeemer The deliverance from Egypt was that Typical one that founded the Relation between him and the Common-wealth of Israel But as the Decalogue is the Law of Christ the meaing is I am the Lord thy God who Redeemed thee from sin and misery by Iesus Christ. So that this signifieth the nearest Right and Reason of this Relation between God and Man He giveth us his Law now not only as our Creator but as our Redeemer and as such we must be his willing Subjects and obey him Q. 9. Are all Men Subjects of God's Kingdom A. 1. All are Subjects as to Right and Obligation 2. All that Profess Subjection as profest Consenters 3. And all true hearty Consenters are his sincere Subjects that shall be Saved God the Creator and Redeemer hath the Right of Soveraignty over all the World whether they Consent or not But they shall not have the Blessing of Faithful Subjects without their own true Consent nor of visible Church Members without profest Consent But antecedent Mercies he giveth to all Q. 10. Why is this description of Gods Soveraignty and Mans Subjection and the Ground of it set before the Commandements A. Because 1. Faith must go before Obedience He that will come to God and obey him must Believe that God is God and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. And he that will obey him as our Redeemer must believe that we are Redeemed by Jesus Christ and that he is our Lord and King 2. And Relations go before the Dutyes of Relation And our Consent foundeth the mutual Relation The nature and form of Obedience is To Obey anothers Commanding will because he is our Rightful Governour No Man can Obey him formally whom he taketh not for his Ruler And Subjection or Consent to be Governed is Virtually all Obedience Q. 11. But what if Men never hear of the Redeemer may they not obey Gods Law of Nature A. They may know that they are Sinners and that the sin of an Immortal Soul deserveth endless punishment And they may find by experience that God useth them not as they deserve but giveth many mercies to those that deserve nothing but misery and that he obligeth them to use some means in hope for their recovery and so that he Governeth them by a Law or on terms of Mercy And being under the first Edition of the Law of Grace though they know not the second they ought to keep that Law which they are under and they shall be judged by it Q. 12. How then doth the Christian Church as Christs Kingdom differ from the World without if they be any of his Kingdom too A. As all the World was under that Common Law of Grace which was made for them to Adam and Noe and yet Abraham and his Seed only were chosen out of all the World as a peculiar Holy Nation to God and were under a Law and Covenant of Peculiarity which belonged only unto them so though Christ hath not revoked those common Mercies given to all by the first Edition of the Law of Grace nor left the World ungoverned and lawless yet he hath given to Christians a more excellent Covenant of Peculiarity than he gave the Natural Seed of Abraham and hath elected them out of the World to himself as a chosen Generation a Royal Priestood an Holy Nation a peculiar People to shew forth the Praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Q. 13. It seems then we must take great heed that we make not Christs Kingdom either less or Greater than it is A. To make it Greater than it is by equalling those without with the Church or Church-hypocrites with the sincere doth dishonour Gods Holiness and the wonderful design of Christ in Mans Redemption and the Grace of the Spirit and the Church of God and obscureth the Doctrine of Election and God's peculiar Love and tendeth to the discomfort of the Faithful and even to Infidelity And to make Christ's Kingdom less than it is by deâ—ying the first Edition of the Law of Grace made to â—ll and the common Mercies given to all antecedently â—o their rejection of them doth obscure and wrong â—he Glory of Gods Love to Man and deny his comâ—on Grace and Law and feigneth the World either â—o be under no Law of God or else to be all bound to be perfectly Innocent at the time when they are guilty and either not bound at all to hope and seek for Salvation or else to seek it on the Condition of being Innocent when they know that it is impossible they being already guilty And it maketh the World like the Devils almost shut up in despair and it leaveth them as Guiltless of all sin against Grace and the Law of Grace as if they had none such And it contradicteth the judgment of Abraham the Father of the Faithful who saw Christ's day For he thought that even the wicked City Sodom had had Fifty Persons so Righteous as that God should have spared the rest for their sakes to say nothing of Iob Nineve c. In a word the ungrounded extenuating the Grace oâ— Christ and the Love of God hardeneth Infidels and tempteth Christians to perplexing Thoughts of the Gospel and of the Infinite Goodness of God and maketh it more difficult than indeed it is to see hiâ— Amiableness and consequently to Glorifie and Loâ—â— him as the Essential Love whose Goodness is equaâ— to his Greatness It is Satan as an Angel of Light and Righteousness who pretending the defence of God's special Love to his Elect denyeth his common Mercies to Mandkind to dishonour Gods's Love and strengthen our own Temptations against the Joyfuâ— Love of God Q. 14. Is Government and Subjection all that â—â— here included A. No God's Kingdom is a Paternal Kingdom â—…ling Children by Love that he may make them happy I am the Lord thy God signifieth I am thy greatâ—â— Benefactor thy Father who gave thee all the Gooâ— thou hast and will give to my obedient Children Grace and Glory and all that they can reasonably desire and will protect them from all their Enemies and supply their wants and deliver them from Evil and will be for ever their Sun and Shield their Reward and Joy and better to them than Man in Flesh can now conceive even Love it self CHAP. XXXIV Of the First Commandment Qu. 1. VVHat are the words of the First Commandement A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Exod. 20. 3. Q. 2. What
must here reâ—…ve and the Glory which we shall receive hereafter at Death and at the General Resurrection Aâ—… the great dutyes of Faith and Repentance of Obdience and Love to God and Man and renouncâ—… the Lusts of the flesh the world and the Devil whâ—… must be done by all that will be Glorified by aâ—… with Jesus Christ. This is the Catechism which Parents must teâ—… their Children Q. 20. Alas it will be a hard and long work â—… teach Children all this or Servants either that â—… at age A. All this is but the plain meaning of the Crâ—… and ten Commandements which the Church reâ—…reth all to learn And no more than in their Bâ—…tism the Parents should and the Godfathers do â—…lemnly Promise to see them taught It is these thiâ—… for which God hath given them life and time and â—…son and on which their present safety and comfâ—… and their Everlasting Life dependeth And will yâ—… set them seven years Apprentice to a Trade â—… set them Seven and Seven to Schools and Univâ—…sities and Innes of Court where study must be thâ—… daily business And will you think it too much teach them the sence of the Creeds Lords Prâ—…er and ten Commandements needful to far greâ—…er and better ends Q. 21. In what manner must Parents teach thâ—… Children A. 1. Very plainly by familiar talk 2. Geâ—…ly and Lovingly to win them and not discourâ—… them 3. Beginning with the History and the â—…ctrine which they are most capable to receive 4. Very frequently that it be not neglected or forgotten Deut. 6. 11. 5. Yet a little at a time that they be not overwhelmed 6. Praising them when they do well 7. Doing all with such holy reverence that they may perceive it is the Work of God and not a Common matter 8. Teaching them by an answerable Life Q. 22. What else besides Teaching is the Parents duty A. 3. To use all just means to make Religion pleasant to them and win their Hearts to Love it And therefore to tell them the Author the Excelâ—…ency the certainty and profit of it here and hereâ—…fter 4. To possess them with necessary Fear of God of Death of Hell and of Sin 5. To make â—… great difference between the good and the bad â—…ewarding good Children and Correcting the bad â—…isobedient and stubborn 6. To choose safe and â—…odly School-masters for them if they teach them â—…ot all themselves 7. To keep them out of ill Comâ—…ny and from Temptations especially to know â—…heir Vices and watch against all occasions of their â—… 8. To choose meet Trades or Callings for them â—…d faithful Masters ever preferring the welfare â—…f their Souls before their Bodies 9. To choose â—…eet Husbands or Wives for them if they are to â—…e marryed 10. To settle them under a faithful â—…astor in the real Communion of Saints And all this with constant serious diligence praying to God for his Grace and Blessing O how happy were the Church and World if Parents would faithfully do all this needful certain Duty and not perfidiously and cruelly break the Promise they made in Baptism and by negligence worldliness and ungodliness betray the Souls of their own Children to Sin and Satan The happiness or misery of Families Churches Cities Kingdoms and of the World lyeth most eminently on Parents hands Q. 23. What is the duty of Children to their Parents in special A. To Honour their Judgment and Authority to be Thankful to them for their Being Love and Education To Love them Dearly To learn of them willingly and diligently To obey them faithfully and to requite them as they are able and what is included in the General duty of Subjects opened before Q. 24. What if the Father be a Papist and thâ— Mother a Protestant and one commandeth the Chilâ— to read one book and go to one Church and the othâ—â— another which must be obeyed A. Either the Child is of age and understanding to try and Judge which of them is contrary to Godâ— Law or not If he be he must obey God first and therefore not obey any thing that is contrary tâ— his Law But if not then he is one that will not puâ— such questions nor do what he doth out of Conscience to God but perform meer humane Obediencâ— to man And if his Ignorance of Gods Law bâ— through his own negligence it will not excuse hâ— Sin if he mistake But if it be from natural incapacity he is ruled like a Bruit and no doubt the Father is the Chief Governour of the house â—â—d will and must be obeyed before the Mother when obedience to God doth not forbid it which this Child understandeth not Q. 25. What if Children be rebellious in wickedness as Drunkenness Stealing c. must the Parents cause them to be put to death as Moses Law Commanded or what must they do with them A. Moses Law had some special Severities and was peculiar to that Nation and is abrogate whether the Common good and safety require the death of such a Son or any the Supream Power is judge and not the Parents Nor is it meet though some think otherwise that Parents have the Power of putting to death their Children For the Common-wealth which is better than the Family is concerned in all the Subjects lives And experience proveth it that were this granted Whores Beggars and raging passionate Persons would be Common Murderers of their Children But if the Magistrate would appoint one house of Correction in every County for Children that will not be ruled by Parents where they may be kept â—n labour till they are humbled and subdued it would â—e an excellent work Q. 26. But what shall such sorrowfull Parents â—o A. First use all means by Wisdom Love and Paâ—ience while there is hope And next if they are â—ast their Correction send them to the House of â—orrection And lastly disinherit them or deny them â—l maintenance for their lust Q. 27. Is it a duty to disinherit an incorrigible wicked Son or to deny such filial maintenance and Portions A. Supposing it to be in the Fathers power it is a duty to leave them no more than will maintain their lives in temperance For all men are Gods Stewards and must be accountable for all that he doth trust them with And they ought not to give it to be the fewel of Lust and Sin when they have reason to believe that it will be so used That were to give Gods Mercies to the Devil to be turn'd against him Nor are Parents bound to give those Children the necessary maintenance for their lives and health or any thing at all who by obstinate rebellion utterly forfeit it Nature is not so strong a bond but that some sin may dissolve it and forfeit Life it self and therefore forfeit fatherly maintenance The rebellion and ingratitude of an incorrigible Child is far more hainous than a Neighbours injuries And though Moses Law and its rigors be ceased
every sickness to the body is an enemy to life though it destroy it not And as wounding a man yea or injurious hurting him or desiring his hurt is some breach of this Command as Christ tells us Math. 5. so every sin is as hurtful to the Soul But those are the mortal murdering sins which are inconsistent with the Predominant habitual Love of God and Holiness and are not only from the Imperfection of this Divine Nature and Image but from the absence of it such as are the sins of the unbelievers and impenitent Q. 16. But he shall not be hang'd for killing another that doth it against his Will And no man is willing to damn himself A. But a man will himself be a dead man if he kill himself unwillingly And all wicked men do willingly murder their own Souls They be not willing to burn in Hell but they are willingly ungodly Worldly Sensual And unholiness is the death or misery of the Soul and the departing of the Heart or Love from God and choosing the world and fleshly pleasure before his Grace and Glory is the true Soul-murdering When God maketh Poyson destructive to mans Nature and forbids us taking it and tells a man that it will kill him if this man will yet take the Poyson because it is sweet or will not believe that it is deadly it is not his being unwilling to die that will save him When God hath told men that unholiness and a fleshly Mind is death he destroyeth his Soul that yet will choose it And it is a hainous aggravation that Poor sinners have so little for the Salvation which they sell. The Devil can give them nothing that is to be put into the ballance against the least hope or possibility of the Life to come And for a man to sell his own Soul and all his hopes of Heaven for a base lust or a transitory shadow as profane Esau sold his birthright for a Morsel is Self-murder of a most odious kind Q. 17. But you make also our Friends that Love us to be murderers of us if they draw us to sin or neglect their duty A. As the Love of his own flesh doth not hinder but further the Drunkards Fornicators and idle persons murder of his own Soul so your Friends carnal love to you may be so far from hindering that it may further your destruction They that draw each other to Fornication to Gaming to time-wasting Playes to Gluttony and Drunkenness may do it in Love If they give you poyson in Love it will kill you And if Parents that are bound to feed their Children do famisn them do you think they do not murder them by omission So may they and so may Ministers murder the Souls that they are by Nature or Office entrusted to instruct and diligently govern Q. 18. Are there any other wayes of Murther A. So many that it is hard to number them As by rash Anger Hatred Malice by Drunkenness disposing to it By Magistrates not punishing murderers By not defending the Lives of others when we ought and abundance more which you may read in Bishop Downames Tables on the Commandements Q. 19. Must I defend my Parents or Children against the Magistrate or any one that would kill them by his Commission A. Not against Justice no doubt what you must do against Subjects who pretend an illegal Commission to rob or kill your self Parents or Children or destroy Cities and Countreys is partly toucht on under the fifth Commandement and partly matter unmeet for a Catechisme or private unlearned mens unnecessary discourse Q. 20. Are there more waies of self murder A. Among others excess of Meat and Idleness destroy mens health and murder millions CHAP. XL. Of the Seventh Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the Seventh Commandement A. Thou shalt not Commit Adultery Q. 2. What is the sin here forbidden A. All unlawful carnal Copulation and every evil inclination or action or omssion which tendeth thereunto or partaketh of any degree of unchastity or Pollution Q. 3. Is all lust or inclination to Generation a Sin A. No For 1. Some is natural to man and that not as corrupt But as God said Increase and Multiply before the Fall so no doubt he inclined Nature thereto 2. And the regular propagation of Mankind is one of the noblest natural works that man is instrumental in A Man being a more excellent thing than a house or any Work of art 3. And God hath put some such inclination into Nature in great Wisdom and Mercy to the world For if Nature had not some considerable appetite to Generation and also strong desire of Posterity Men would hardly be drawn to be at so much care cost and labour to propagate Mankind but specially Women would not so commonly submit to all their sickness pain danger and after-trouble which now they undergo But if a few self-denying persons did propagate Mankind only as an act of obedience to God the multitude of the ungodly would not do it Q. 4. If it be so why is any carnal acts of Generation forbidden specially when it is an act of Love and doth no body any harm A. God hath in great Wisdom and Mercy to man made his Laws for restraining men from inordinate Lust and Copulation 1. The noblest things are basest when Corrupted Devils are worse than men because they were higher and better before A wicked man is incomparably worse and more miserable than a Beast or a Toad because he is a nobler nature depraved And so humane Generation is worse than that of Swine or Dogs when it is vicious 2. Promiscuous unregulated Generation tends to the utter ruin and vitiating of Mankind by the overthrow of the just Education of Children on which the welfare of Mankind doth eminently depend Alas all care and order is little enough and too little to keep corrupted Nature from utter Beastiality and malignity much more to make Youth wise and virtuous without which it had been better never to have been born When Fathers know their own Children and when Mothers have the love and encouragement and Houshold-advantage of order which is necessary some good may be done But lawless exercise of Lust will frustrate all 1. Women themselves will be Slaves or their advantage mutable and uncertain For such Lust will serve its turn of them but for Novelty and will be still for change And when a younger or a fairer comes the Mother is cast off and hated And then the next will hate her Children or at least not love them as necessary Education doth require And when the Father hath forsaken the Mother it 's like he will forsake the Children with her And when Womens lusts are lawless as well as Mens men being uncertain what Children are their own will be regardless both of their Souls and Bodies So that Confusion would destroy Religion and Civility and make the World worse than most of the American
I. I am under no Obligation to inform a Robber or an usurping Persecutor as such But to others I may be obliged to open the Truth II. I may deceive a Patient or Child to profit him when I may not do it to hurt him III. I may deceive such as I am not bound to inform by my silence or my looks or gestures which I suppose he will misunderstand when I may not deceive him by a Lie Q. 10. Is it not all one to deceive one way or another A. No 1. I am not bound to open my Mind to all men What right hath a Thief to know my Goods or Heart or a Persecutor to know where I hide my self 2. But I have before largely shewed you that Lying is so great an evil against common Trust and Society in the World as is not to be used for personal Commodity or Safety 3. And other Signs Looks and gestures being not appointed for the natural and common Indications of the Mind are more left to humane Liberty and Prudence to use for Lawful ends As Christ Luk. 24. made by his motion as if he would have gone further And even by words about Caesars Tribute and other Cases concealed his Mind and oft denyed the Pharisees a resolution of Questions which they put to him Stratagems in a Lawful War are lawful when by actual shews and seemings an Enemy is deceived Q. 11. But the Scriptures mention many Instances of Equivocation and flat Lying in the Egyptian Midwives in Rahab in David and many others without blame and some of them with great commendation and reward Heb. 11 A. 1. It is Gods Law that tells us what 's Sin and Duty when the History oft tells us but what was done and not how far it was well or ill done 2. It is not the Lie that is commended in the Midwives and Rahab but their Faith and Charity 3. That which God pardoneth as he did Polygamy and rash Divorce to Godly men that are upright in the main and specially such as knew it not to be sin is not thereby justified nor will it be so easily pardoned to us who live in the clearer Gospel light Q. 12. But when the Scripture saith that All men are Lyars and sad Experience seemeth to confirm it what credit do we owe to Men and what certainty is there of any History A. History by Writing or Verbal Tradition is of so great use to the World that Satan maketh it a chief part of his work as he is the Deceiver and Enemy of Mankind to corrupt it And false History is a most hainous sin and dangerous Sâ—are by which the great Deceiver keeps up his Kingdom in the World Heathenism Mahometanism Popery Heresie and Malignity and Persecution are all maintained by false Tradition and History Therefore we must not be too hasty or confident in Believing Man And yet denying just Belief will be our sin and great loss Q. 13. How then shall we know what and whom to believe A. 1. We must believe no men that speak against God or his Word For we are sure that God cannot lie And the Scripture is his infallibly Sealed Word 2. We must believe none that speak against the Light of Nature and common Notices of all Mankind for that were to renounce Humanity And the Law of Nature is Gods first Law But it is not the Sentiments of Nature as depraved which is this Law 3. We must believe no men against the common Senses of Mankind exercised on their duely qualified Objects Faith contradicteth not common Sense though it goe above it We are Men before we are Christians and Sense and Reason are presupposed to Faith The Doctrine which saith There is no Bread nor Wine after Consecration in the Sacrament doth give the lie to the Eyes Taste and Feeling and intellectual Perception of all sound men and therefore not to be believed For if Sense be not to be trusted we know not that there is a Church or a Man or a Bible or any thing in the World and so nothing can be believed Whether all sound Senses may be deceived or not God hath given us no surer way of certainty 4. Nothing is to be believed against the certain Interest of all Mankind and tending to their destruction That which would damn Souls or deny their Immortality and future Hope or ruine the Christian World or Nations is not to be believed to be duty or lawfull For Truth is for Good and Faith is for Felicity and no man is bound to such destructive things 5. Nothing is to be believed as absolutely certain which depends on the meer honesty of the Speakers For all men are liable to mistake or lie 6. The more Ignorant malicious unconscionable factious siding any man is the less credible he is And the wiser and nearer to the action any man is and the more conscionable peaceable and impartial he is the more credible he is An Enemy speaking well of a man is so far more credible than a Friend Multitudes as capable and honest are more credible than one 7. As that Certainty which is called Morall as depending on mens Free-will is never absolute but hath many degrees as the witness is more or less credible so there is a Certainty by mens Report Tradition or History which is Physical and wholly infallible As that there is such a place as Rome Paris c. and that the Statutes of the Land were made by such Kings and Parliaments to whom they are ascribed and that there have been such Kings c. For proof of which know 1. That besides the free acts the Will hath some acts as necessary as it is to the Fire to burn viz. To Love our selves and Felicity and more such 2. That when all men of contrary Interest Friends and Foes agree in a matter that hath sensible Evidence it is the Effect of such a Necessitating Cause 3. And there is no Cause in Nature that can make them so agree in a lie Therefore it is a Natural Certainty Look back â—o the sixth Chapter Q. 13. Why is false Witness in Iudgement so great a sin A. Because it containeth in it all these odious Crimes conjunct 1. A deliberate lie 2. The wrongfull hurting of another contrary to the two great Principles of Converse Justice and Love â— It depriveth the World of the benefit of Government and Judicatures 4. It turneth them into the â—â—ague and ruine of the innocent 5. It blaspheâ—eth or dishonoureth God by whose Authority Rulers judge as if he set up Officers to destroy us by false Witness or knew it not or would not reâ—enge Injustice 6. It overthroweth humane Conâ—erse and Safety when Witnesses may destroy whom they please if they can but craftily agree Q. 14. Is there no way to prevent this danger to Mankind A. God can do it If he give wise and righteous Rulers to the World they may do much towards â—t But wicked Rulers use false Witness as
Fervency because of the unâ—peakable importance of the Matter and the deadâ—ess and hardness of mens Hearts 6. With Frequency in season and out of season because of mens aptness to lose what they have heard and received and their need still to be carried on 7. With Constancy to the end that grace may be preserved and increased by degrees 8. With seemly and decent Expressions because of captious Cavilling hearers and the Holiness of the work 9. With Concord with all the Church of Christ as preaching the same Faith and Hope 10. By the Example of Holy practice doing what we perswade them to do and excelling them in Love and Holiness and Patience and Victory over the Flesh and World and winning them not by Force but by Light and Love Q. 6. What is it that all this is to bring mâ—â— to A. 1. To make men understand and believe what God is to them what Christ is what Grace and Glory are as is aforesaid in the Christian Faith 2. To winne mens Hearts to the Love of these from the Love of sinful fleshly Pleasure and to fiâ— their Wills in a resolved Choice 3. To engage them in the obedient Practice oâ— what they Love and Choose and help them to overcome all Temptations to the contrary Q. 7. Why will God have all this and the rest whicâ— is for the Church to be an Office Work of chosen sepâ—rated consecrated Persons A. 1. It is certain that all men are not fit for iâ— Alas too few The Mysteries of Godliness are deeâ— and great The Chains of Sinners are strong and God useth to work according to the suitableness of means Great abilities are requisite to all this And God would not have his cause and work dishonoured by his Ministers unfitness Alas unfit men have been the Churches great Calamity and Reproach 2. God would have his work Effectually done and therefore by men that are wholly devoted to it Were they never so able if they have avocations and do it by the Halves dividing their Labours between it and the World this will not answer the Necessity and the End Even a Paul must do it publickly and from House to House night and day with Tears Act. 20. 20 28. It must be done in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Timothy must meditate on these things and give himself wholly to them 1 Tim. 4. 15. Paul was separated to the Gospel of God Rom. 1. And Ministers are Stewards of his Mysteries to give the Children their Meat in season 3. It is much for the Comfort of the Faithful to know that it is by Gods own ordained Officer that his Message of Invitation and his Sealed Covenant Pardon and Gift of Christ and Grace are delivered to them 4. The very being of an Ordered Church requireth a Guiding official part It is no Rules Society without a Ruler No School without a Teacher Men must know to whom to go for Instruction The Law was to be sought from the mouth of the Priest as the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2. 7. Read Act. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. Eph. 4. 14 15 16. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. Luk. 12. 42 43. 5. The safety and preservation of the Truth requireth the Ministerial Office As the Laws of England would never be preserved without Lawyers and Jugdes by the common People so the Scriptures and the Faith Sacraments and Worship would never have been brought down to us as they are without a stated Ministry whose Interest Office and Work it is continually to use them See 1 Tim. 5. 20. Eph. 4. 14. Rom. 16. 16 17. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Heb. 13. 7 9 17. None have leisure to do this great work as it must be done but those that by Office are wholly separated thereto Will you leave it to Magistrates or to the People who if they were able have other work to do Deny the Office and you destroy the Church and Work Q. 8. How are men called and separated to the Sacred Ministry A. There are many things concurr thereto The first Ministers were called immediately by Christ himself and extraordinarily qualified But ever since all these things must concur 1. A Common Obligation on all men to do their best in their places to propagate the Gospel and Church and to save mens Souls is presupposed as a preparatory antecedent 2. There must he necessary qualifying Abilities 1. Natural Wit and Capacity 2. Acquired improvement and so much Knowledge as must be exercised in the Office 3. If Apt to Teach and Able signified no more than to Read what is prescribed by others a Child Fool or an Infidel were Apt and Able Ability for competent Utterance and Exercise 4. And to his Acceptance with God and his own Salvation saving Faith and Holiness is necessary If you would know the necessary degrees of ability it is so much without which the necessary acts of the Office cannot be done 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to teach others also 3. The approving Judgment of other Senior Ministers is ordinarily necessary For men are not to be the only Judges themselves where the publick interest is concerned And the Investing Ordination of such is the orderly Solemnizing of their entrance and delivery of Christs Commission and is that to the General Office of the Ministry which Baptism is to Christianity and Solemn Matrimony to Marriage or Coronation to a King This is not done by the Election of the People It is not their Work to choose Ministers to the General Office or men to call the World 4. To make a man the Pastor of a particular Church or Flock the consent both of the Man and of the Flock is necessary and to the well being also the Consent of the Neighbour Pastors and to Peace and Liberty the Princes This is an Ordination or Relation which may be often renewed and changed but the Ordination to the General Office is to be but once To license a Physician and to choose him for my Physician are divers things And so it is here Q. 9. What Laws or Canons have Pastors power to make for the Church A. 1. None to the Universal Church for that hath no Ruler or Law-maker or Judge but Christ man being utterly uncapable of it 2. None which shall Cross the Laws of Christ in Nature or Scriptures 3. None which are of the same kind and use with Christs own universal Laws and no more needful to one Place or Age than to all For this will accuse Christ as if he had been defective in his own Legislation when more must be added of the same kind 4. Taking the Word Laws strictly Pastors as such have no Legislative power But taking it laxly for Mandates or Directions given by just Power such as a Parent or Tutor hath they may make such Laws as these 1.
that men might not presume to set up any such things of their own on pretence of need or usefulness Q. 3. What doth this great Sacrament contain A. 1. The Parties Covenanting and Acting 2. The Covenant as on both parts with the Benefits given of God and the Duty professed and promised by man 3. The outward signs of all Q. 4. Who are the Parties Covenanting and Acting A. God and Man that is 1. Principally God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and Ministerially under him the Baptizing Minister 2. The party baptized And if he be an Infant the Parent or Owner on his behalf Q. 5. In what Relations is God a Covenanter with man A. 1. As our Creator and Governour offended by sin and reconciled by Christ whom his Love gave to be our Saviour 2. As Christ is our Redeemer and Saviour 3. As the Holy Ghost is our Rgenerator and Comforter sent by the Father and the Son Q. 6. In what Relation stands the person to be baptized A. As a Sinner miserable by guilt and pravity and loss of his blessed Relation to God but Redeemed by Christ and called by him and coming to receive him and his saving Grace Q. 7. What is it that God doth as a Covenanter with the baptized A. You must well understand that two Covenanting acts of God are presupposed to Baptism as done before I. The first is Gods Covenant with Jesus Christ as our Redeemer by Consent In which God requireth of him the work of mans Redemption as on his part by perfect Holiness Righteousness Satisfactory Suffering and the rest And promiseth him as the reward to be Lord of All and the saving and Glorifying of the Church with his own perpetual Glory II. A Promise and Conditional Covenant or Law of Grace made to lost Mankind by the Father and the Son that whoever truly believeth that is becometh a true Christian shall be saved Now Baptism is the bringing of this Conditional Promise upon mans consent to be an actual mutual Covenant Q. 8. And what is it that God there doth as an actual Covenanter A. First he doth by his Minister stipulate that is demand of the party baptized whether he truly consent to his part And next on that supposition he delivereth him the Covenant-gifts which at present are to be bestowed Q. 9. What be those A. 1. The Relation of a pardoned reconciled sinner and adopted Child of God or that God will be his God in Love through Christ. 2. A Right and Relation to Christ as his actual Saviour Head Teacher Intercessor and King 3. A Right and Relation to the Holy Ghost to â—e to Him the Illuminating Sanctifying quickenâ—â—g Spirit of Light and Love and Holy Life and deliverance from the Devil the World and Flesh â—nd from the Wrath of God Q. 10. What is it that God requireth of Man and â—e professeth A. That he truly believeth in this God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and Presently and Resolâ—edly consenteth to be His in these Relations taking â—im as His God and Father his Saviour and his Sanâ—tifier repenting of his sins and renouncing the â—ontrary Government of the Devil World and â—lesh Q. 11. What are the Outward signs of all this A. 1. The Water 2. And the Actions of both â—arties I. The Action of the Minister on Gods â—â—rt is to wash the body of the baptized with the Water which in hot Countreys was by dipping â—â—em over head and taking them up To signifie â—… That they are washed from the guilt of Sin by â—â—e Blood of Christ. 2. And are as dead and buâ—â—ed to sin and the World and Flesh and risen to a â—ew and Holy Life and heavenly Hope 3. And â—â—at by this act we are solemnly bound by God to â—â—e Christians II. The Action of the baptized is To be a wilâ—â—â—g receiver of this Washing to signifie his believâ—â—g and thankful receiving these free Gifts of Christ and his solemn self-engagement to be henceforth a Christian. Q. 12. Are Infants Capable of doing all this A. No They are personally capable of receiving both the sign and the Grace even Right to Christ and Life but not themselves of actual believing and covenanting with Christ. Q. 13. Why then are they baptized who cannot Covenant A. That you may understand this rightly yoâ— must know 1. That as Children are made Sinneâ— and miserable by their Parents without any act oâ— their own so they are delivered out of it by thâ—â— free Grace of Christ upon a Condition performeâ— by their Parents Else they that are visibly born iâ— sin and misery should have no visible or certain waâ— of Remedy Nature maketh them as it were paâ—… of the Parents or so near as causeth their Sin aâ—â— Misery And this nearness supposed God by frâ—â— Grace hath put it in the power of Parents to acceâ—â— for them the blessings of the Covenant and to eâ—ter them into the Covenant of God the Pareâ—â— Will being instead of their own who yet have noâ— to Choose for themselves 2. That Baptism is the only way which God haâ—â— appointed for the entering of any one into the Châ—â—stian Covenant and Church 3. That the same Sacrament hath not all the saâ—â— Ends and uses to all but varyeth in some things â—… their capacites differ Christ was baptized and yet nâ—â— for the remission of Sin And the use of Circuâ—cision partly differed to the Old and to the Inâ—ants 4. It is the Will of God that Infants be Members â—â— the Christian Church of which Baptism is the enâ—â—ance For 1. There is no proof that ever God â—ad a Church on Earth in any age of which Infants â—ere not members 2. The Covenant with Abraham the Father of the â—aithful was made also with his Infant Seed and â—ealed to them by Circumcision And the Females â—ho were not circumcised were yet in the Church â—â—d Covenant and when the Males were uncircumâ—â—â—ed forty years in the Wilderness they were yet â—embers of the Jewish Church And Deut. 19. the â—arents entered their little ones into the renewed Coâ—enant And Christ came not to cast all Infants out â—â— the Church who were in before 3. Christ himself saith that he would have gaâ—â—ered Ierusalem as a Hen gathereth her Chickens â—â—d they would not so that he would have taken â—â— the whole Nation Infants and all that were in beâ—â—re 4. And Rom. 11. it 's said that they were broken â—â—f by unbelief Therefore if their Parents had not â—een unbelievers the Children had not been broken â—â—f 5. And Christ himself was Head of the Church in â—…s Infancy and entered by the Sacrament then in â—…rce though as Man he was not capable of the â—…ork which he did at age Therefore Infants may â—… members 6. And he rebuked his Disciples that kept suâ— from him because of such is the Kingdom of God He would have them come as into his Kingdom 7. And plainly the Apostle saith to a
Infants of all professed Christians and Hypocrites or only the Infants of sincere Christians who have the Promise of Pardon and Salvation delivered and sealed by Baptism A. As the Church is to receive all the adult who make a credible profession so are they to receive all their Infants For God only knoweth the Heart But it is with the Heart that man believeth to righteousness Rom. 10. And as adult Hypocrites are not pardoned by God who knoweth the Heart so neither is there any promise of pardon to their Seed No text of Scripture giveth any pardon but to sincere Believers and their Seed And the Child is in the Covenant as the Child of a believer devoted to God And that Faith which qualifieth not the Parent for pardon cannot qualifie the Child for it I know no more promise of Pardon and Life to an Hypocrites than to a Heathens Child Q. 30. But what if the Godfather or Grandfather be a true Christian or the Ancestors and the Parents both Infidels may not the Child be baptized and pardoned A. The further you go from the Parent the darker is the Gase We are all the offspring of Righteous Noe and yet that maketh not the Infants of Heathens baptizable or pardoned But the case of Abrahams Covenant maketh it probable that whoever is the true owner of the Child by Nature Purchase or Adoption may devote it acceptably to God in baptism Because the Infant having no choosing power the Will of his Owner goeth for his own in accepting the Mercies of the Covenant and obliging him to such conditions as are for his good which if he like them not he may renounce when he comes to age But if the Grandfather or Godfather be no Owner of the Child I know no proof that their causing him to be baptized helps him to Pardon and Salvation If we dream that Baptism giveth pardon to all Infidels and Heathens Children whose owners were not in the Covenant themselves we make a Gospel which as far as I can find Christ never made Q. 31. May not any man take an Infant out of the Street and give him food and rayment much more offer him to Baptism which is an Act of greater Charity A. The first God alloweth But Pardon and Salvation is none of ours to give but Gods and we can ministerially deliver the investing signs to none that have no title to which God hath promised the gift If as some think bare Redemption hath given a right to all the World then all Infidels and Heathens shall be saved if baptized If they say it is to all Infants in the World then whether they have Godfathers or no they may be baptized And if all that are baptized are saved it 's irrational to think that want of Baptism without their fault shall hinder their Salvation But though God offer to all men Pardon and Life for themselves and their Infants yet no Scripture giveth it to either without Acceptance and Conâ—ent of the adult we must not make a Gospel of our own Q. 32. Some say that so much Faith will serve for a Title to Baptism as taketh Christ for a Teacher and maketh us Disciples that we may after attain to saving Holiness but that it is not special saving Faith that must needs be then professed A. This is to make a new Baptism and Christianity to vie with that which alone Christ made No adult person is a Christian in Scripture sence who believeth not in Christ as Christ. Which is as Saviour as Prophet Priest and King The essentials of Christs Office and gifts as offered are essential to that accepting Faith which makes us Christians A Disciple and a Christian were words of the same importance Act. 11. Christ made no Baptism but for the remission of Sin and giving men a Relationright to Father Son and Holy Ghost Baptism saveth by the answer of a good conscience to God Arise and wash away thy sins was the word to Saul We are Sacramentally buryed and risen with Christ as dead to Sin and made new Creatures when we are baptized Rom. 6. Therefore it is called The Laver of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. All the Church of Christ from the Apostles taught that Baptism put away the guilt of Sin to all that were truly qualified for that Sacrament And they required the profession of a Saving Faith and Repentance And all the form of Baptism used in England and the whole Christian World so happily agreeth in expressing this that whoever will bring in the Opinion That the Profession of a Faith short of that which hath the promise of Pardon and Life entitleth to Baptism must make a new Baptismal form Q. 33. But many Divines say that Baptism is not administred to Infants on the title of a present Faith nor to give present pardon but on a promise that they shall believe at age and so have the Benâ—fits of Baptism at age A. None dare say so of the adult If they say we repent not nor believe now but we promise to do it hereafter no wise man will baptize them It is present Believing and not a meer promise to believe that is their Title And Infants title is the Parents Faith and dedication By this Doctrine Infants of Christians are not in the same Covenant or Baptism as their Parents nor are any more pardoned than Heathens Q. 34. What use are we to make of our Baptism ever after A. It is of great and manifold use 1. We must live under the humble sence of that miserable state of Sin from which Christianity doth deliver us 2. We must live in the thankful sence of that Grace of God in Christ which did deliver us and in the Exercise of our belief of that Truth and Love which was then Sealed to us 3. We must live in the faithful remembrance of that Covenant which we Sealed and that Obedience which we promised and in that War against the Devil the World and the Flesh in which we then engaged our selves 4. It is the Knowledge of the Baptismal Covenant which tells us what Christianity is and who we must take and Love as Christians while Sects and Dividers by narrow false measure do limit their Christian Love and Communion and hate or cast off the Disciples of Christ. 5. Accordingly it is the baptismal Covenant that must tells us what true Faith is viz. Such a Belief as causeth us truly to consent to that Covenant and what true Conversion is viz. Such a change as containeth a true consent to that Covenant And so it tells us how to judge of our sincerity of Grace viz. When we unfeignedly consent to that Covenant And tells us what sin is mortal that is inconsistent with true Grace and Title to Salvation viz. All sin which is not consistent with an unfeigned consent to the Covenant of Grace 6. It tells what the Catholick Church is viz. Visibly all that profess consent to the baptismal Covenant and
Atheists Sadducees or Infidels after And these are worse than common Infidels that never were baptized The Church is no Church if it be common to these 6. Some that continue a Nominal Christianity openly hate and persecute the Practice of it and live in common Adultery Perjury Murder And the Church is Holy and a peculiar People a holy Nation a royal Priesthood And Repentance and Obedience are necessary to the Church as well as Faith If therefore these notorious flagitious impenitent persons must be Members in Communion with the Church it will be a Swine-sty and not a Church a Shame to Christ and not an Honour If his Church be but like the rest of the World Christ will not be honoured as the Saviour of it nor the Spirit as its Sanctifier It is the Unity of the Spirit that all Christians must keep in the bond of Peace But these have none of his Spirit and therefore are none of Christs The Sacraments are Symbols of the Church as differenced from the World and Christ will have them be a visibly distinct Society 7. Communicants come to receive the greatest gift in the world Pardon Justification Adoption right to Heaven The Gospel giveth these to none but Penitent Believers To say that Christ giveth them to flagitious impenitent Rebels whose Lives say We will not have him reign over us is to make a new Gospel contrary to Christs Gospel which Paul curseth were it done by an Angel Gal. 1. 7 8. They are not yet capable of these precious gifts 8. The Objectors take no notice of 1 Cor. 5. 2 Thess. 3. Rom. 16. 16 17. Tit. 3. 10. Rev. 2. 3. where the Churches are reproved for suffering Defilers nor Heb. 13. 7. 17. 24. Luk. 12. 42. 42. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. which describe the Office of Church-guides nor 1 Tim. 3. 4 c. where the governing of the Church and avoiding Communion of the Impenitent are described 9. In a word Christs Office Works and Law the Nature of the Church and Sacrament the Office of the Ministry the frequent Precepts of the Apostles and the constant practice of the Church in its greatest Purity down from the Apostles dayes do all speak so plainly for keeping and casting out Infidels and impenitent wicked men and for keeping the Church as a Society of visible Saints separated from the World that I can take him for no better than a Swine or an Infidel who would have the Church-Keyes cast away and the Church turned common to Swine and Infidels Q. 24. But it will make Ministers Lords and Tyrants to have such power A. 1. Some body must be trusted with the Power if the work must be done The Church must be differenced from the World Therefore some must trye and judge who are fit to be baptized and to have its Communion And who is fitter than those whom Christ by Office hath thereto appointed Would you have Magistrates or the People do it Then they must be prepared for it by long study and skill and wholly attend it For it will take up all their time Q. 25. Must Ministers examine People before they communicate A. They must Catechize and Examine the Adult before they baptize them and consequently those who were baptized in Infancy before they number them with adult Communicants or else Atheists and Infidels will make up much of the Church who will come in for worldly Interest This Examination should go before Confirmation or the publick owning of their Baptism But there is no Necessity of any more Examination before every Sacrament except in case of Scandal or when persons need and crave such help Q. 26. Who be they that must be Excommunicated or refused A. Those who are proved to be Impenitent in gross scandalous sins after sufficient admonition and patience And to reject such is so far from Tyranny that it is necessary Church-Justice without which a Pastor is but a Slave or Executioner of the sinfull will of others Like a Tutor Philosopher or Schoolmaster who is not the Master of his own School but must leave it common to all that will come in though they scorn him and refuse his conduct But no man must play the Pastor over other mens Flocks nor take the Guidance of a greater Flock than he can know and manage Much less be the only Key-bearer over many Score or Hundred Churches And least of all take upon him to Govern and judge of Kings and Kingdoms and all the World as the Roman deceiving Tyrant doth CHAP. XLVII Of Preparation for Death and Iudgment Qu. 1. HOw must we prepare for a safe and coâ—fortable Death A. I have said so much of this in my Family Book that to avoid Repetition I must refer you thiâ—her only in brief I. Preparation for Death is the whole work of Life for which many hundred years are not too long if God should so long spare and trie us And all that I have hitherto said to you for Faith Love and Obedience upon the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandements is to teach you how to prepare for Death And though â—ound Conversion at last may tend to Pardon and Salvation to them that have lived a careless wicked Life Yet the best the surest the Wisest Preparation is that which is made by the whole course of a holy obedient heavenly Life Q. 2. What Life is it that is the best Preparation A. 1. When we have so well considered of the certain Vanity of this World and all its pleasures and of the truth of Gods Promises of the Heavenly Glory as that by Faith we have there placed our chiefest Hopes and there expect our chief Felicity and make it our chief business in this world to seek it preferring no worldly thing before it but resolved for the hopes of it to forsake them all when God requireth it This is the first part of our preparation for Death II. When we believe that this mercy is given by Christ the Mediator between God and Man and trust in his Merits and Intercession with the Father and take him for our Teacher also and our Ruler resolving to obey his Word and Spirit This is the second part of our preparation for Death III. When the Holy Spirit hath shed abroad Gods Love upon our hearts and turned their nature into a habit of Love to God and Holiness and given us a Victory over that Love of the World and fleshly Prosperity and Pleasure which ruleth in the hearts of Carnal men though yet our Love shew it self but in such Mortification and endeavour and grief for what we want we are prepared for a safe Death But if the foretasts of Heavenly Glory and sense of the Love of God do make our thoughts of Heaven sweeter to us than our thoughts of our Earthly hopes and cause us out of Love to God and our glorified Redeemer and his Church and out of love to a Life of perfect Knowledge Love and
Joy to long to depart and be with Christ then we are prepared not only for a safe but a joyful Death Q. 3. O! But this is a great and difficult work A. It is not too hard for the Sâ—… of Christâ— and a Soul renewed by it It is our great follâ—… and naughtiness that maketh it hard Why eâ—… should it be hard for a man that loveth himself and knoweth how quickly a Grave and rotting in the Dark must end all his pleasures in this World to be earnestly desirous of a better after it And why should it be hard for one that believeth that mans Soul is immortal and that God hath sent one from Heaven who is greater than Angels to purchase it for us and promise it to us and give us the first fruits by his Holy Spirit to rejoyce that he dyeth not as an unpardoned Sinner nor as a Beast but shall live in perfect Life and Light and Love and Joy and Praise for ever What should rejoyce a believing considering man like this Q. 4. O! But we are still apt to doubt of things unseen A. 1. You can believe Men for things unseen and be certain by it for instance that there is such a place as Rome Paris Venice that there have been such Kings of England as Hen. 8. King Iames c. You know not but by believing others whether ever you were Baptized nor who was your Father or Mother 2. You see not your own Soul nor any ones that you talk with and yet you feel and see such things as may assure any Sober man that he hath a Soul God is not seen by us yet nothing is more certain than that there is a God 3. We see Plants Flowers Fruits and all vital Acts produced by an unseen Power we see â—ast lucid glorious Regions above us and we see and feel the effects of invisible powers therefore to doubt of things because they are unseen is to doubt of all the vital noblest part of the World and to believe nothing but gross and lowest things and to lay by Reason and become Bruits But of this I have said more near the Beginning Q. 5. What should we do to get the Soul so familiar above as to desire to be with Christ A. I. We must not live in a foolish forgetfulness of Death nor flatter our Souls into delayes and dulness by the expectations of long life on Earth the grave must be studied till we have groundedly got above the fears of it II. We must not rest quiet in such a humane belief of the Gospel and the Life to come as hath no better grounds than the common opinion of the Countrey where we live as the Turks believe Mahomet and his Alcoran for this leaveth the Soul in such doubts and uncertainty as cannot reach to solid Joy nor Victory over the World and Flesh But the true Evidences of the Gospel and our Hopes must be well digested which I have opened to you in the beginning of which I give you a breviate in two Sentences 1. The History of the Gospel of Christs Life Miracles Death Resurrection Ascension sending down the Spirit the Apostles Miracles and Preaching and Writing and Sufferings is a true History Else there is none sure in the World for none of such Antiquity hath greater Evidence 2. And if the History aforesaid be true the Doctrine must needs be true for it is part of the History and owned and sealed certainly by God III. We must not be content to be once satisfied of the Truth of the Life to come but we must mentally live upon it and for it and know how great business our Souls have every day with our Glorified Lord and the Glorified Society of Angels and the perfected Spirits of the just and with the blessed God of Love and Glory We must daily fetch thence the motives of our desires hopes and dutyes the incentives of our Love and Joy The Confutation of all Temptations from the Flesh and World and our supporting patience in all our Sufferings and Fears Read oft Ioh. 17. 22 23 24. 20. 17. Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Mat. 6. 19 20 21 33. Col. 3. 4 5. 2 Thes. 1. 10 11. Heb. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. 5. 1 2 3 5 7 8. Phil. 1. 21 23. 3. 18 19 20 They that thus live by Faith on God and Glory will be prepared for a joyful death IV. We must take heed that no worldly Hope or Pleasure vitiate our Affections and turn them down from their true delight V. We must live wholly upon Christ his Merit Sufficiency Love and Mediation His Cross and his Kingdom must be the summe of our Learning Study and Content VI. We must take heed of grieving the Spirit of Consolation and wounding our Consciences by wilful Sin of Omission or Commission VII We must Faithfully improve all our Time and Talents to do God all the Service and others all the good that we can in the World that we may be ready to give an account of our Stewardship VIII We must be armed against Temptations to unbelief and despair IX We must while we are in the Body in our daily thoughts fetch as much help from sensible Similitudes as we can to have a suitable Imagination of the Heavenly Glory And one of the most Familiar is that which Christ calleth the Coming of the Kingdom of God which was his Transfiguration with Moses and Elias in Glorious appearance in the Holy Mount Mat. 17. 1. Which made Peter say It 's good to be here Christ purposely so appeared to them to give them a sensible apprehension of the Glory which he hath promised And Moses that was buried appeared there in a Glorified Body And we must not think only of God but of the Heavenly Society and even our old Acquaintance that our Minds may find the more Suitableness and Familiarity in their objects and Contemplations X. We must do our best to keep up that Natural Vivacity and Chearfulness which may be Sanctified for Spiritual Employment for when the Body is diseased with Melancholy Heaviness or Pains and the Mind diseased with Griefs Cares and Fears it will be hard to think joyfully of God or Heaven or any thing XI We must exercise our selves in those dutyes which are nearest kin to the work in Heaven Specially labouring to excite Hope Love and Joy by Faith and Praising God especially in Psalms in our Families and the sacrâ—d Assemblies and using the most Heavenly Books and Company XII We must not look when all is done to have very clear Conceptions of the quality and acts of separated Souls or the World of Spirits But must be satisfied with an implicite Trust in our Father and our Glorified Lord in the things which are yet above our reach And giving up Soul and Body to him we should joyfully trust them with him as his own And believe that while we know as much as may bring us well
to Heaven it is best for us that the rest is known by Christ in whose Hand and Will we are surer and better than in our own As for the special Preparations in Sickness I refer â—ou to the Family Book Q. 6. What shall one doe that is tempted to doubt â—… to think hardly of God because he hath made Heaven for so few A. 1. Those few may be assured that he will neâ—er forsake them whom he hath so chosen out of â—ll the World and made his Jewels and his Treaâ—â—re 2. It 's unprobable rashness to say Heaven is but â—or few All this Earth is no more to the Glorious World above us even so far as we see than one â—…ch is to all the Earth And what if God forsake â—…ne Inch or Mole-hill See Heb. 12. 23 24. Again I say I take Hell to be as the Gallows â—nd this Earth to be as Newgate Jail where some â—risoners are that shall die and some shall live and â—he Superior World to be like the City and Kingâ—om Who will say that the King is unmerciful because Malefactors have a Prison and a Gallows if â—ll else in the Kingdom live in Pâ—â—â—e And though this World â—eems almost forsaken as â—he Prison-way to Hell yet while the Elect are saved and the superior lucid Glorious World is many thousand and thousand and thousand times greater than all this Earth I doubt not but Experience will quickly tell us that the Glory of Gods Love is so unmeasurably manifested in Heaven as that the Blindness Wickedness Confusions and Miseries of â—his Earth and Hell shall be no Ecclipse or dishoâ—our to it for ever FINIS a Psal. 25. 4 5. 27. 11. 119. 12 33 66. b Iob. 34. 32. c Heb. 6. 1 2 3. d Tit. 2. 3. e Psal. 34. 11. 32. 8. f 1 Kin. 8. 36. Mic. 4. 2. g Isa. 28. 26. 1 Cor. 11. 14. Iob 12. 7 8. Heb. 5. 12. â—… 2 Tim. 2. 2. Iob 32. 17. Tit. 2. 21. Deut. 6. 7 8. 11. 19 20. Pro. 1. 5. 9. 9. 6. 21 23. k Psal. 119. 99. Hib. 5. 11 12. Pro. 5. 13. l Gal. 6. Dâ—â—â— 6. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 7. 2 Tim. 1. 11. Eph. 4. 11. Tit. 2. m Hib. 3. 13. Ezr. 7. 25. Col. 3. 16. Heb. 5. 11 6. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 13. n Mat. 11. 30 31 33. Mat. 19. 19. 22. 37 39. Rom. 13. 9. Mat. 28. 19. Mat. 23. 23. Iam. 1. 27. o Is. 30 29. Mat. 28. 19 20. 1 Tim. 1. 3. 3. 2. 6. 2 3. p 2 Tim. 2. 2. 24. Act. 20. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Heb. 5. 12 13. 1â— Io. 2. 27. 1 Thes. 4. 9. a 1 Io. 1. 1 2 3. Act. 1. 3. 4. 20. 26. 16. b Ioh. 20 20 25 27. a Rom. 1. 19 20 21. a Mat. 11. 27 25. Luk. 10. 22. Deu. 29. 29. Mat. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 10. b Eph. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Dan. 2. 47 22 28 29 Am. 3. 7. Gal. 1. 12. 2. 2. c Eph. 3. 3. d 1 Cor. 14. 6 26. e 2 Cor. 12. 1 7. f 1 Iâ— 1. 1 2 3. g Heb. 2. 3 4. h Gen. 2. 16 17. Gen. 3. 15. i Gen 4. 4. Gen. 9. 1 2 to 8. k Gen. 12. 2 3. 17. 1 2 4 6 7 8 9 10 11. l Exod. 2. c. 20. c. m Ioh. 1. 3. 16. Gal. 4. 4 5 6. 1. 4. Mat. 28. 19 20. n Heb. 7. 22. 9. 15 16 17 18. 9. 13. 8. 10. 10. 16. Matth. 4. o Psal. 14. Rom. 3. Psal. 145.9 Act. 14. 17. 1 Ioh. 3.8 Rom. 3.21 23. Rom. 4. 12.15 16 17. 2 Kings 10. 19. Acts 14. 13. 18. 1 Cor. 10. 20. * Deut. 1. 31. 3. 21 22. 4. 3. 9. 5. 24. 10. 21. 11. 7. 29. 3. Ios. 24. 7. †Deut. 12. 32. p Col. 1. 15 16 17 18 19. Prov. 30. 5. Heb. 4. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 23. 1 Ioh. 2. 14. Ioh. 8. 48. 12. 48. 14. 25. 15. 3. Act. 14. 3. 20. 32. Rom. 10. 8. Eph. 5. 26. Phil. 2. 16. 1 Thes. 1. 5. Iames 1. 2. Matt. 12. 26. Mar. 4. 15. Luk. 10. 18. Act. 26. 18. Rom. 16. 20. Rev. 20. 2 3. q 2 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 15. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Matt. 5. 16. 44 45. q Ioh. 3. 3. 5. Tit. 2. 14 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rom. 8. 9. Matt. 5. 20. Heb. 12. 14. Matt. 18. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Rom. 8. 14. q Ioh. 16. Act. 2. Matt. 28. 20. The whole Book of the Acts of the Apostles is the History of these Miracles Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4. Ioh. 7. 3. 9. Rom. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 4 7 8 9 11 13. r Luke 4. 22. 24. 27. 32. 45. Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 2. 11. 18. 28. Rom. 1. 2. 16. 26. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Heb. 2. 3 4. Rom. 3. 4. Ioh. 3. 2. 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Tit. 2. 2. t 2 Cor. 11. 4. Mark 16. 17. Exod. 4. 5. 8. 19. 9. t Act. 8. Simon Magus's Case u Io. 19. 35. 20. 31. 1 Io. 5. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 6. x Gal. 1. 2. y Gal. 3. 3. 5. z Act. 2. 3. 4. a 1 Cor. 14. 1 Cor. 12. Rev. 1. 9 10. b Mar. 16. 20. Act. 6. 8. 8. 6. 13. 15. 12. 19. 11. 4. 16. 22. c The Acts of the Historical Tradition of the Gâ—â—â—el d Rom. 14. 15. e Rom. 3. 10 11 12. f Rom. 8. 5 6 7 8 9. Io. 12. 39 40. Act. 28. 26 27. g Luk. 18. 34. 1 Cor. 13. 11. Isa. 17. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Ier. 13. 23. h 1 Io. 3. 24. 4. 12. 15 16. Matt. 7. 21 22. 25 26. Heb. 12. 14. i Ezek. 36. 26. 1 Io. 5. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Rom. 8. 3 4. 13. 15. 26. 33. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. 6. 10. 11. 17. 12. 11. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 3. 17. Gal. 4. 6. 5. 5. 16 17 18. 25. Eph. 2. 18. 22. 4. 3 4. 23. 5. 9. 2 Thes. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3. 1 Io. 3. 24. 4. 13. k 1 Cor. 1. 1 2. Act. 20. 32. 26. 18. l Ioh. 17. 17. 19. Eph. 5. 26. 1 Thes. 5. 23. Heb. 2. 11. 10. 10. 14. m Prov. 8. 9. 14. 6 n Io. 3. 7 8. Rom 1. 19 20. Act. 14. 17. a Io. 1. 11 12. 3. 16. 21. Act. 26. 18. Mat. 28. 19 20. Io. 14. 5. 15. 10. 1 Ioh. 2. 3. 5. 2 3. Rev. 14. 12. b Mat. 5. 17. 23. 23. Rom. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 4. 7. 13. 8. 10. c Isa. 8. 20. Isa. 33. 22. Iam. 4. 12. Mal. 2. â— 8. Mat. 28. 20. a Heb. 11. 6. b Tit. 1. 2. Rom. 3. 4. Num. 23. 29. c Prov. 12. 22. Prov. 6. 17. Prov. 19. 5. 9. 13. 5 Io. 8. 44. 55. 1 Io. 5. 10. Rev. 21. 8. Prov. 14
is folly to be stalled at the Believing of any thing which we once are sure that God revealeth considering how unmeet our shallow Wit is to judge of the things of infinite Wisdom to us unseen 2. To Holy illuminated prepared Souls Belief is not so hard It 's Blindness and Vice that make it difficult 3. God did not become Man by any Change of his Godhead nor by confining his Essence to the Manhood of Christ But 1. By taking the humane Nature into a special Aptitude for hiâ— Operations 2. And so Relating it neerly to himself 3. And Operating peculiarly in and on it as he doth not on any other Creature And when all are agreed that God is essentially every where and is as near us as we are our selves and more the Cause of all good which we do than we our selves are it will be harder to shew that he is not Hypostatically united to every Man than that he is so to Christ Though the foresaid Aptitude of Christ's humane Nature and the Relation and Operation of the Divine indeed make that vast difference If God can so peculiarly Operate in and by our humane Nature where lyeth the Incredibility Q. 31. But it is so transcendently above all the Works of Nature that such condescension of God is hard to be believed A. Great Works best beseem the Infinite God Is not the make of the whole World as wonderful and yet certain Gods Love and Goodness must have wonderful products as well as his Power But is it not very congruous to Nature and Reason that God should have Mercy on lapsed man And that he should restore depraved humane Nature And that he should do this great work like his Greatness and Goodness and above Mans shallow reach And that Polluted Souls should not have immediate access to the most Holy but by a Holy Mediator And that Mankind should have one Universal Head and Monarch in our own Nature And that when even Heathens are conscious of the great need of some Divine revelations besides the light of Nature and therefore consult their Oracles and Augurs that God should give us a certain Menssenger from Heaven to teach us necessary Truth Many such Congruities I have opened in the Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 2. Ch. 5. The Summ of all that is said is This I. If any History in the world be sure the History of the Gospel is sure II. And if the History be sure the Doctrine must needs be sure III. The continued Evidences 1. In the Holiness of the Doctrine And 2. In the Holiness of all true serious Believers are a standing proof of both as the Miracles were to all the beholders who did not Blaspheme the Holy Ghost Q. 32. But how comes it to be so hard then to the most to become serious Believers and Godly when the Evidence is so clear A. A Blind Dead Worldly Fleshly Heart doth undispose them and they will not Consider such things nor use the means Yea they so wilfully sin against Knowledge and Conscience and will not obey that which they know that they forfeit further Grace I will name you briefly many things which every Mans Natural Reason might know and ask you whether you ever knew any Unbeliever that was not false to this Light of Nature 1. Doth not Sence and Reason tell men how vile a thing that Flesh is which they preferr before their Souls 2. Doth it not certifie them that they must die and so that Fleshly Pleasure is short 3. Doth it not tell them of the Vanity and Vexation of this World 4. And that greatest Prosperity is usually parted with with greatest sorrow 5. Doth it not tell them that Mans Nature can hardly choose but fear what will follow after Death 6. Doth it not tell them that there is a God that made them and Ruleth all 7. And that he is infinitely Great and Wise and Good and therefore should be Obeyed Loved and Trusted above all 8. And that their Lives and Souls and all are his and at his will 9. And that Man hath Faculties which can mind a God and a Life to come which Bruits have not and that God doth not make such Natures in vain 10. Doth not experience tell them that humane Nature seeth a vast difference between Moral Good and Evil and that all Government Laws and Converse shew it And no Man would be counted false and bad 11. And that Good Men are the Blessing of the World and Bad Men the Plagues 12. And that there is a Conscience in Man that condemneth Sin and approveth Goodness 13. And that most Men when they dye cry out against that which Worldly Fleshly Men preferr and wish that they had lived the Life of Saints and might die their death Are not these easily knowable to all And yet all the ungodly live as if they believed none of this And can you wonder if all such Men understand not or believe not the Heavenly things have no experience of the Sanctifying Work and Witness of the Holy Spirit and have no delight in God and Goodness no strength against Sin and Temptations no Trust in God in their necessity no suitableness to the Gospel nor the heavenly Glory But as they lived in sin do die in a stupid or despairing state of Soul CHAP. VII Of the Christian Religion what it is and of the Creed Q. 1. NOw you have laid so good a Foundation by shewing me the certain Truth of the Gospel I would better know what Christianity is and what it is to be a true Christian A. First I must tell you what Religion is iâ— general and then what the Christian Religion is Religion is a Word that signifieth either that which is without us the Rule of our Religion or thaâ— which is within us our conformity to that Rule The Doctrinal Regulating Religion is the Signification of Gods will concerning Mans Duty to God and his Hopes from God The inward Religion of our Souls is our Conformity to this revealed regulating Will of God even our absolute resignation to God as being his own our absolute subjection to him aâ— our absolute Sovereign Ruler and our prevailinâ— chief Love to him as our chief Benefactor and aâ— Love and Goodness it self Thus Religion is ouâ— Duty to God and Hope from God Q. 2. Now what is the Christian Religion A. The Christian Religion as Doctrinal is The Revelation of Gods will concerning his Kingdoâ— as our Redeemer or the Redeeming and savinâ— sinful miserable Man by Jesus Christ. And the Christian Religion as it is in us is Thâ— true Conformity of our Understanding Will anâ— Practice to this Doctrine or The true Belief oâ— the Mind the Thankful Love and Consent of thâ— Will and the sincere Obedience of our Lives to God as our Reconciled Father in Christ and to Jesus Christ as our Saviour and to the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier to deliver us from the guilt and power of Sin from
the Flesh the World and the Devil from the revenging Justice of God and from everlasting Damnation giving us here a Union with Christ the Pardon of our Sins and Sanctifying Grace and hereafter everlasting heavenly Glory Q. 3. Is there any other Religion besides the Christian Religion A. There be many errours of Men which they call their Religion Q. 4. Is there any True Religion besides Christianity A. There be divers that have some part of the Truth mixt with Error 1. The Heathens acknowledge God and most of his Attributes and Perfections as we do But they have no knowledge of his Will but what meer Nature teacheth them and they worship many Idols if not Devils as an under sort of Gods 2. The Iews own only the Law of Nature and the Old Testament but believe not in Jesus Christ our Redeemer 3. The Sadduces and all Bruitists worship God as the Governour of Man in this World but they believe not a Life to come for Man 4. The Pythagorean Heathens look for no Reward or Punishment after Death but by the passing of the Soul into some other Body on Earth in which iâ— shall be Rewarded or Punished 5. The Mahometans acknowledge One God as we do but they believe not in Jesus Christ as Mans Redeemer but only take him for an excellent Holy Prophet and they Believe in Mahomet a Deceiver as a Prophet greater than he 6. The meer Dâ—ists believe in God but not in Jesus Christ and have only the Natural Knowledge of his Will as other Heathens but worship not Idols as they do Q. 5. Is there but One Christian Religion A. No True Christianity is one certain thing Q. 6. How then are Christians said to be of divers Religions A. Sound Christians hold to Christian Religion alone as Christ did institute it But many others corrupt it some by denying some parts of it while they own the rest and some by adding many corrupting Inventions of Man and making those a part of their Religion as the Papists do Q. 7. Where is the true Christian Religion Doctrinal to be found that we may certainly know which is it indeed A. The Christian Religion containeth I. The Light and Law of Nature and that is common to them with others and is to be found in the Nature of all things as the Significations of Gods Will II. Supernatural Revelation clearing the Law of Nature and giving us the Knowledge of the Redeemer and his Grace And this is contained I. Most fully in the Holy Bible II. Briefly and summarily in the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandments III. Most briefly of all in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper and the Covenant made and sealed by them Q. 8. But are not the Articles of our Church and the Confessions of Churches their Religion A. Only Gods Word is ouâ— Religion as the Divine Rule But our Confessions and Books and Words and Lives shew how we understand it Q. 9. What is the Protestant Religion A. The Religion of Protestants is meer Christianity They are called Protestants but accidentally because they Protest for meer Scripture Christianity against the Corruptions of Popery Q. 10. What sorts of false Religion are there among Christians A. There are more Corruptions of Religion than can easily be named The chief of them are of these following sorts I. Some of them deny some Essential Article of Faith or Practice As the Immortality of the Soul the Godhead or Manhood or Offices of Christ or the Holy Ghost or the Scripture c. II. Some of them pretend new Revelations falsely and set their pretences of the Spirits Inspirations against the sealed Word of God III. Some of them set up an Usurped Power of their own against the Office Authority or sufficiency of the said Sealed Scriptures Pretending that they are Successours to the Apostles in the Power and Office of making Laws for the Universal Church and being the Judges of the sence of Scripture yea and what is to be taken for Gods Word and what not and Judges of all Controversies about it Of these the Papists pretenâ— that the Pope and a General Council are Supreaâ— visible Governours under Christ of all the Christiaâ— World and that none may appeal from them â—… God to Christ to the Scripture or to the Day oâ— Judgment Others pretend to such a Power iâ— every Patriarchal National or Provincial Church And all of them instead of a humble helping guiding Ministry set up a Church Leviathan a silencing Abaddon and Appollyon a destroying Office Setting up their Usurped power above â—â— equal in Effect with Gods Word Q. 11. How come the Scriptures to be Gods Worâ— when the Bishops Cannons are not And to be â—â— far above their Laws A. You must know that God hath two differenâ— sort of Works to do for the Government of hiâ— Church The first is Legislation or giving Neâ— Doctrines and Laws The other is the teachinâ— and guiding the Church by the Explication anâ— Application of these same Laws God is not stiâ— making New Laws for Man but he is still Teaching and Ruling them by his Laws Accordingly God hath had two sort of Ministers One sort for Legislation to Reveal neâ— Doctrines and Laws And such was Moses undeâ— the Old Administration and Christ and his Commissioned Apostles under the New These werâ— Eminent Prophets inspired by God infallibly â—â— record his Laws and God attested their Officâ— and Work by Multitudes of Evident uncontrolled Miracles But the Laws being Sealed the Second sort of Ministers are only to Teach and Apply these same Laws and Doctrines and not to reveal New ones And such were the Priests and Levites under Moses and all the succeeding Ministers and Bishops of the Churches under Christ and the Apostles who are the Foundation on which the Church is built And though all Church Guides may determine of the undetermined Circumstances of Holy things by the General Laws which God hath given therein Yet to arrogate a power of making a new Word of God or a Law that shall suspend our Obedience to his Laws or any Law for the Universal Church whether it be by Pope or Council is treasonable Usurpation of a Government which none but Christ is capable of And as if one King or Council should claim the Civil Soveraignty of all the Earth which is most unknown to them Q. 12. But I pray you tell me how the CREED comes to be of so great Authority seeing I find it not in the Bible A. It is the very Summ and Kernel of the Doctrine of the New Testament and there you may find it all with much more But it is Older than the writting of the New Testament save that two or three words were added since I told you before 1. That Christ himself did make the Nature and Terms of Christianity Commissioning his Apostles to make all Nations his Disciples baptizing them into the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy