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<DATE>2011-05-09</DATE>
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<NAME>Louis Rosenberg</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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XCheck for E&s;q; by searching ABBR, Search q; to locate startq endq to remove them, look for Q that shouldn't be marked as such
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<VID>115443</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><GAP DESC="foreign"> OR, THE DOCTRINE OF CONSCIENCE, Framed according to the points of the CATECHISME, in the Book of COMMON-PRAYER. By the Right Reverend Father in God, <HI>JOHN PRIDEAUX,</HI> Late Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>Worce&s;ter,</HI> for the private u&s;e of his Wife.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>1 Tim. 3.9.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Holding the my&s;tery of Faith in a pure Con|&s;cience.</P>
<P>Major e&s;t hone&s;tatis fructus in con&s;cienti&acirc;, qu&acirc;m infama reponitur. <HI>Plinius &s;ecundus, in Epi&s;tolis.</HI></P></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>Rich: Marriot,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop in <HI>St. Dun|&s;tans</HI> Church-yard <HI>Fleetstreet,</HI> 1656.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<P>TO THE Right VVor&s;hipfull, M^r^s MARY PRIDEAUX, Relict of the Right Re|verend Father in God, JOHN, Late Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>WORCESTER.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="3">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_THis manuall (as the title of it tells thee) was com|po&s;ed for the private u&s;e of a mo&s;t religious Matron: Yet &s;uch is her love to pie|ty, that &s;he de&s;ireth not to confine it to her clo&s;et, for her owne in&s;truction only; but freely permitteth it to walke abroad in the world, that others may partake of the &s;ame benefit with her. Indeed tho&s;e good women, we read of in the &s;acred &s;tory of the Gospell, we finde either Ministring to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or to his Members. <HI>Mary</HI> a|nointing his ble&s;&s;ed head, and <HI>Dorcas</HI> making coats, and garments to cloth his &s;ervants. And &s;o did that delicate Sex continue all the primitive time, and for many Centuries after, in&s;omuch that we finde <HI>Plac lla,</HI> the wi&s;e of <HI>Theodo&s;ius</HI> the Emperor, de&s;cending from her throne to looke into the ho&s;pitalls, and into the
<PB REF="4">Chambers of the &s;ick, and of tho&s;e in want, that &s;o &s;he might be acquainted with, and &s;erve their nece&s;sities. Then the love of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was hot, and did flame in the brea&s;ts of profe&s;&s;ors: But now that fire is decayed, and tis out of fa&s;hion to be re|ligious. <HI>Devotion</HI> is termed Super&s;tition, <HI>Charity</HI> Popery, the <HI>divine</HI> grace of <HI>mercy</HI> in high di&s;grace, even with tho&s;e that terme them&s;elves Saints, and con|demned, and &s;ent into exile, <HI>to walke with God in the way of his holy com|mands,</HI> a legall faith, and <HI>faith,</HI> &s;o &s;trangely exalted, that <HI>workes</HI> are tram|pled under foot, or rather buried in the grave of oblivion. Hence &s;in becomes not only to receive kind entertainment a|mong&s;t the Sons of men, but is grown in &s;uch reque&s;t, that &s;he hath patrons, and Advocates to defend, and plead her cau&s;e. Yea, we have tho&s;e that &s;in with greedine&s;&s;e, becau&s;e they thinke they have &s;uch an antidote, from the <HI>Spirit</HI> they pretend to, that all the poy&s;on thereof is not of power to do them injury. Herein not unlike the d &s;ciples of <HI>Marcus,</HI> a branch of the <HI>Gno&s;ticks,</HI> that held forth (as <HI>Irenaeus</HI> reports) that no &s;in what&s;oever, though of a crim&s;on dye, was forceable e|nough to defile them, any more then the
<PB REF="4">pure&s;t gold could be contaminated in a &s;inke, or the glorious beames of the Sun &s;uffer pollution in a dung-hill, and all up|on this preten&s;e, and bottome, that they were <GAP DESC="foreign">, by nature <HI>&s;pi|rituall.</HI> Tis not to reckon up the &s;everall di&s;tempers in this kind. Wherein we may complaine, with <HI>S.</HI> Jerom. <HI>Nunc lo|quentibus, &amp; pronuntiantibus plenus e&s;t orbis. Docent quae non didicerunt. Magi&s;tri &s;unt, cum di&s;cipuli ante non fuerunt.</HI> The world doth now abound with tho&s;e that speake, and make a noi&s;e. They teach tho&s;e things they never learnt, from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> nor his Apo&s;tles. And the cau&s;e Of this evill is, becau&s;e &s;uch take upon them to &s;it in the Chaire of Divinity, and to give respon&s;es from that Oracle, who never were educated in the <HI>Schooles of the Prophets,</HI> or &s;ate at the feet of a <HI>learned Gamaliel.</HI></P>
<P>To prevent this <HI>&s;preading lepro&s;ie,</HI> it were to be wi&s;hed, that <HI>our Swords were beaten into plough-&s;hares, and our Spears into pruning-hookes.</HI> I mean that the <HI>apple of di&s;cord,</HI> in controver|&s;ies, and Polemicall di&s;cour&s;es with tho&s;e of a differing per&s;wa&s;ion to us in points of religion, might not be &s;o &s;tudiou&s;ly recei|ved, and treated with &s;o much love, and
<PB REF="5">kindne&s;&s;e as if that were the <HI>UNUM NECESSARIUM:</HI> whereby the Church of Chri&s;t hath been long rent, and torne into pieces, and to &s;o little benefit of religion, that by advantage thereof, the <HI>Enemy,</HI> not whil&s;t we &s;lept, but fought up to the ears in blood, concerning <HI>a trifle and a quiddity,</HI> hath &s;owen his <HI>tare of high wickedne&s;&s;e, and profanene&s;s even to Athei&s;me.</HI> And if in&s;tead thereof, not only the <HI>Mini&s;ters of religion,</HI> but tho&s;e <HI>over whom they have rule,</HI> would mind the end of <HI>our redemption,</HI> that <HI>we be|ing delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might &s;erve him in holine&s;&s;e, and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e all the dayes of our lives.</HI> Luke <HI>1, 74.75.</HI> And in order thereunto, the fir&s;t &s;et upon the prea|ching, and both upon the &s;erious practi&s;e of a <HI>holy life.</HI> Our <HI>faith</HI> would then <HI>flou|ri&s;h,</HI> and make a glorious &s;hew with the <HI>fruit of obedience, and good workes:</HI> and with rea&s;on then it might be ex|pected, that <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and peace &s;hould ki&s;&s;e each other: and thereby</HI> too, we &s;hould make appeare to the world, what <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr</HI> &s;aid of old, <GAP DESC="foreign">, that our <HI>religion</HI> did not con&s;i&s;t in <HI>words,</HI> but <HI>workes,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ot
<PB REF="5">only propo&s;ing rules of holy living, but requiring in the profe&s;&s;ors thereof obedi|ence thereunto, which is likewi&s;e the &s;en&s;e of our <HI>grand-ma&s;ter,</HI> and by him ex|pre&s;&s;ed in words not much different, Mat. <HI>7.21. Not every one that &s;aith unto me Lord, Lord, &s;hall enter into the kingdome of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father, which is in hea|ven.</HI> Indeed action ought to be the life of a Chri&s;tian, and though <HI>&s;peculation</HI> may enrich his head, yet tis <HI>practi&s;e</HI> that makes <HI>his light to &s;hine before men,</HI> whereby <HI>God is glorified,</HI> and <HI>religion reverenced.</HI></P>
<P>To this purpo&s;e was this little treati&s;e de&s;igned. That the Chri&s;tian man being freed from tho&s;e <HI>clogs,</HI> and <HI>&s;cruples</HI> which hinder, and mole&s;t him in the way, might run his race in <HI>obedience,</HI> and a holy life with &s;o much the more alicrity. We know, and are &s;en&s;ible what it is to have <GAP DESC="foreign">, a <HI>&s;eared con&s;cience,</HI> which is not only an extreame <HI>brand,</HI> but an extreame <HI>evill.</HI> For that principle being ill affected, it doth infect the other parts with the malignity there|of, whereby it hath a very bad influence upon the whole life of man, cau&s;ing his actions to be very irregular. I &s;hall not
<PB REF="6">need to illustrate this by examples. To cure this malady there is no remedy more proper, then to make it malleable by the power of Gods word, <HI>which is &s;harper then any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing a&s;under of &s;oule and Spirit, and of the joynts and mar|row, and is a di&s;cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.</HI> Hebr. <HI>4.12.</HI> And when that is done, by re&s;olving it in tho&s;e &s;cruples with which &s;he is per|plexed, and winding her out of tho&s;e doubts, and intricacies in which &s;he is lo&s;t, and &s;hut up as in a Labyrinth. Here|in this <HI>Reverend Praelate</HI> hath lent us his a&s;&s;i&s;ting hand. A man of incompara|ble parts, both for his great learning and reading, as the world well knoweth&punc; and other his learned workes doe abundantly te&s;tifie; yet, <HI>as tall a Cedar as he was,</HI> in this piece <HI>&s;o humble, and conde&s;cen|ding,</HI> that he may be &s;aid truely <HI>to have denied him&s;elfe,</HI> the points here handled being done without the lea&s;t o&s;tentation of quotations, and School-niceties: and againe with &s;o much brevity, and per&s;pi|cuity, that they are made not only legible, but intelligible to the meane&s;t capacity. Wherein he hath conformed him&s;elf to the practi&s;e, and example of that great <HI>Do|ctor
<PB REF="6">of the Gentiles,</HI> and Labourer in the Go&s;pell, <HI>S. Paul,</HI> who of him&s;elfe pro|fe&s;&s;eth, <HI>that he was made all things to all men, that by all meanes he might &s;ave &s;ome. 1</HI> Cor. <HI>9.22.</HI> a vertue, and happine&s;&s;e I confe&s;&s;e, as to be admired in our <HI>Worthy Bi&s;hop,</HI> con&s;idering his great parts: So to be de&s;ired in other learned men, who though they have de|&s;erved high renowne in the Church of God, yet have &s;o locked them&s;elves up in abstru&s;e termes, or high rhetoricall ex|pre&s;&s;ions, that the benefit of their labours cannot de&s;cend unto the <HI>many.</HI> To avoid this rock therefore, the method he ob&s;er|veth here is of the <HI>Catechi&s;me in the Liturgy,</HI> as being mo&s;t plaine, and ea&s;ie, and known to all; and which he alwayes very much extolled, as an <HI>excellent &s;um|mary of religion,</HI> neither burthening the head with multiplicity of needle&s;&s;e points, nor leaving out any that was needfull. <HI>Milke</HI> indeed <HI>fit for babes,</HI> and prepa|red with great <HI>prudence</HI> by the compo&s;ers thereof. Begun it was by him but a lit|tle before his fatall &s;ickne&s;&s;e, by meanes whereof it wanted the happine&s;&s;e of his re|view, and &s;ome pages with this marke ['](neer the end of the book) were left empty, which are now adventured to be
<PB REF="7">filled up, though by no learned hand, yet by one that had rather his low fortune and condition &s;hould be taken notice of, <HI>in ca&s;ting but a mite into the trea&s;ury,</HI> then an unwillingne&s;&s;e ob&s;erved in him to &s;erve his generation, according to the &s;phear of his activity, Fare-well.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Y. N.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="7">
<HEAD>Of Con&s;cience.</HEAD>
<P>_COn&s;cience is a faculty of the &s;oul, <HI>&s;itting as a Bi&s;hop to over&s;ee,</HI> &amp; cen&s;ure all the actions of Man; with im|partiall approving, di&s;like, or doubting of them.</P>
<P>That which we call <HI>Na|ture</HI> in In&s;en&s;ibles, in Sen&s;i|bles <HI>In&s;tinct,</HI> in Men vulgarly <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> as it is applyed in Re|ligion, may be called <HI>Con|&s;cience,</HI> which is nothing but Rea&s;on, freely acting with|out partiality or &s;educe|ment.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="8">
<P>Hence it is &s;et as a <HI>Judge, I&s;a.</HI> 5.3. brought as a <HI>witne&s;&s;e, Rom.</HI> 2.11 retained as an <HI>advocate, Act.</HI> 23.1. called by &s;ome the <HI>dictate of rea&s;on, the Law of the under&s;tanding,</HI> that in rea&s;oning thus, playes the <HI>Logician,</HI> and makes an <HI>argument. A betrayer of In|nocent blood is to be condem|ned,</HI> this po&s;ition is infalli|ble out of <HI>Scripture.</HI> Then <HI>Judas</HI> brings in the a&s;&s;ump|tion, <HI>but I have betrayed Inno|cent blood;</HI> the conclu&s;ion will thereupon nece&s;&s;arily fol|low, <HI>therefore I am worthy to be condemned. Con&s;cience</HI> therefore (&s;aith one) is the applying of our knowledge to particular acts, who&s;e <HI>Court</HI> is the Heart, who&s;e <HI>Proctor</HI> is Rea&s;on, who&s;e <HI>Sentence</HI> is impartiall, if it be accompanied. <HI>with &s;impli|city and godly &s;incerity,</HI> as the
<PB N="3" REF="8">Apo&s;tle &s;ets down. <HI>Our re|joycing is this, the testimony of our Con&s;cience, that in &s;im|plicity, and godly &s;incerity, not with fle&s;hly wi&s;dome, but by the Grace of God we have had our conver&s;ation in the world,</HI> 2 Cor. 1.12.</P>
<P>For &s;uch a <HI>con&s;cientious</HI> teacher, de&s;ires to bee made manife&s;t, not to the Eares alone, but to the Con|&s;ciences of his hearers, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.2. and 5.11. So obedience to higher powers, is to be performed, not for comple|ment, or commodity, or feare of the penalty en&s;uing, di&s;obedience, but for <HI>Con&s;ci|ence</HI> &s;ake, <HI>Rom,</HI> 13.5. For &s;uch. <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> towards God, grief and &s;uffering wrongfully is to be indured, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.19. For &s;uch a <HI>Con&s;ci|ence</HI> (as may appear in <HI>David</HI>) will be troubled, and &s;tart
<PB N="4" REF="9">back at the offering violence, but to the skirt of the Royal robe of his <HI>Soveraign,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24.5. And this <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> becomes one with that <HI>mer|ry heart,</HI> that maketh a chearfull countenance, and proves a continuall fea&s;t, when the cry goes otherwi&s;e abroad, <HI>the staffe of bread is broken, and they have no wine</HI> (as the wi&s;e man informeth us) a good con&s;cience feareth no colours; but a wounded con&s;cience who can bears?</P>
<P>Tho&s;e that have taken up|on them the <HI>curing</HI> or <HI>&s;ecu|ring</HI> of Con&s;ciences in all variety of ca&s;es, &s;pend much time in di&s;cu&s;&s;ing either <HI>grammatically,</HI> the originall, or meaning of the word, and how <HI>Syntere&s;is</HI> and <HI>Synidi&s;is</HI> differ, or naturally what place Con&s;cience &s;hould hold, in reference to the un|der&s;tanding,
<PB N="5" REF="9">or will; whe|ther it may be termed a po|wer, or faculty, or an habit; what duties may be expected from it, what acts it perform|eth, how liable it is to af|frightments, &s;cruples, de|murres, errors, woundings, cauterizings, extingui&s;hings, of weakne&s;&s;e, and wayward|ne&s;&s;e in good con&s;ciences: of outragiou&s;ne&s;&s;e or &s;tu|pidity in the bad, &amp;c. But a plainer path may &s;erve our turne, who aime onely at <HI>practice,</HI> and leave di&s;putes to tho&s;e that have lei&s;ure, or plea&s;ure to make u&s;e of them.</P>
<P>This thing in no ca&s;e may be omitted, e&s;pecially to con|&s;ider, <HI>that as the ground is laid, &s;o the building is like to prove firme, or tottering.</HI> Where|upon it will follow, that from doubtfull praemi&s;es in
<PB N="6" REF="10">rea&s;oning, a warrantable conclu&s;ion may in no ca&s;e be expected. In the Court therefore of <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> the&s;e rules mu&s;t &s;tand as uncon|controleable. I. <HI>That mans Con&s;cience is known to God a|lone,</HI> 1 Corinth. 2.10, 11. II. <HI>Therefore it can be &s;ub|ject to none but to him, that can &s;earch the depths, and di&s;|cover the windings of it.</HI> III. <HI>Nothing by the &s;ame rea&s;on can binde or loo&s;e it, but that which hath undoubted authority from God.</HI> IV. Thence it will follow, <HI>that the written Word of God mu&s;t decide all our ca&s;es of Con&s;ci|ence, either by po&s;itive Texts, or clear deductions, that can|not be ju&s;tly excepted again&s;t.</HI> V. <HI>Traditions, Cu&s;tomes, hu|mane Lawes, Oaths, Promi&s;es, Vowes, or the like, may no further binde the Con&s;cience,
<PB N="7" REF="10">then that they are con&s;onant, and backed by the Word of God.</HI> VI. <HI>No Indulgence, pardon or di&s;pen&s;ation of Man can free, or binde the Con&s;ci|ence, but his onely that brings that key with him, which o|peneth, and no man &s;hutteth, and &s;hutteth, and no man open|eth.</HI> VII. <HI>The Church and lawfull Ministers have the power of binding and loo&s;ing the Con&s;cience committed to them. Mat.</HI> 18. <HI>Joh.</HI> 20.23. which taketh effect in tho&s;e onely, who Religiou&s;ly and with due preparation, are humble &s;uiters for it, and with penitent hearts entertain it.</P>
<P>The neglect of which <HI>rules,</HI> and foy&s;ting in Decrees, and Decretalls, with Schola&s;tical and Philo&s;ophical determi|nations, in &s;tead of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and &s;olid inferences from it,
<PB N="8" REF="11">hath entangled the antienter <HI>Ca&s;ui&s;ts</HI> with &s;o many exor|bitances, that little good is to be gotten by them: and tho&s;e that &s;et forth the &s;ame way, under the name of <HI>Morals,</HI> give rather a new <HI>dre&s;&s;e</HI> to the old Felt, then <HI>redre&s;&s;e</HI> any thing upon bet|ter grounds, as it will quickly appear, to tho&s;e that will come and &s;ee. Since the Reformation, tho&s;e that have recalled matter of <HI>Con|&s;cience</HI> to Scripture, not without great commendati|ons to them&s;elves, and &s;a|tisfaction in mo&s;t things, to weak Con&s;ciences, agree not concerning the method in delivering this doctrine: but this &s;hould &s;cruple no man, all laying &s;ure grounds, and driving to the &s;ame end, which the Apo&s;tle mentio|neth, <HI>The end of the Com|mandement
<PB N="9" REF="11">is Charity out of a pure Heart, and a good Con|&s;cience, and Faith unfeigned,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.5. This <HI>Three-fold cord</HI> may not be untwi&s;ted and broken; how&s;oever per|chance be &s;omewhat intan|gled, <HI>without &s;undring that which God hath joyned toge|ther.</HI> The <HI>heart</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>pure,</HI> without unclean or corrupt affections; the <HI>Con|&s;cience good,</HI> not tainted with by-re&s;pects, or vendible for any advantage; and <HI>Faith,</HI> the ground of all, mu&s;t la&s;t|ly be <HI>unfeigned,</HI> not puffed up with pre&s;umptuous pre|tences, but expre&s;&s;ed in good workes, as the Apo&s;tle pre|&s;cribes, <HI>Jam.</HI> 2. a tree, plant|ed by &s;uch rivers of water, will bring forth its fruit in due &s;ea&s;on. And a Con&s;ci|ence fa&s;tned by &s;uch nailes, and pricked on by &s;uch
<PB N="10" REF="12">Goads, will never &s;hame the Ma&s;ters of the a&s;&s;emblies, for the di&s;po&s;ing that am<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e, they have received by the hand of one Sheep-herd and <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> of their Souls, to whom they have returned from the by-paths of mens traditions.</P>
<P>As I cen&s;ure not the cour|&s;es that any have taken in this kind: &s;o I tru&s;t none will take my di&s;po&s;ition ami&s;&s;e which I &s;hall frame, as neer as I may, to the points of the Catechi&s;me in our Church-booke wherewith all &s;hould be be&s;t acquain|ted. The ca&s;es of con&s;cience then &s;o di&s;po&s;ed will come under the&s;e heads.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="12">
<P>Concerning
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Religion.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Scripture.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Apo&s;tles Creed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Deca|logue or ten Commande|ments.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. Lords Pray|er.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. Sacraments.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In &s;peaking &s;omewhat of all which (as God &s;hall en|able) ob&s;erve, that <HI>C.</HI> &s;tand|eth for <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> propo&s;ing &s;cruples, <HI>D.</HI> a <HI>Doctrinal</HI> re|&s;olution or direction an&s;we|ring &s;uch queries by, 1. what, 2. whether, 3. why, 4. wherefore, briefly and plain|ly, as the ca&s;e requireth.</P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="12" REF="13">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. I.</HI> Of Ca&s;es concerning Religion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>WHether Chri&s;tian Re|ligion may not be thought to be a politique in|vention of the wi&s;e&s;t world|lings to keep the &s;impler &s;ort in awe, and order?</HI></P>
<P>This is that Satan would buzze into bu&s;ie conceipts to make men athei&s;ts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> that he might rule all: but herein he bewrayes him&s;elfe, for if by his &s;en&s;ible commerce <HI>Witch|es,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 28. Acts 16.</NOTE> <HI>Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, Pythoni&s;ts,</HI> &s;uch as have <HI>familiars,</HI> or <HI>&s;pirits of divination,</HI> whom they con|&s;ult with, and worke by, doe apparant mi&s;chief, it be made mo&s;t apparent that there is a <HI>Devill,</HI> it will nece&s;&s;arily, thence be inferred al&s;o, that there is a <HI>God that puts a hook
<PB N="13" REF="13">into his No&s;trills,</HI> to re&s;train him from further mi&s;chiefing this, invi&s;ible frame of the world, with all the inhabi|tants thereof. Whom rea|&s;on will further convince, that &s;uch an ine&s;timable piece of worke, as the world is &s;een to be, could not come to be &s;o by chance of it &s;elf, or indure as it doth, without a <HI>maker, and pre&s;erver,</HI> which what may we imagine to be but <HI>God Almighty,</HI> to whom we owe our being, and pre|&s;erving. Rea&s;on and Ne|ce&s;&s;ity therefore, will ca&s;t us upon the acknowledgement of all Religious duties to be performed to him.</P>
<P><HI>What a&s;&s;urance have Chri|&s;tians that their Religon is to be preferred before that of the Jewes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. II.</NOTE> Mahumetans and Hea|thens?</HI></P>
<P>Chri&s;tianity hath the mo&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>
<PB N="14" REF="14">warrantable <HI>antiquities, and testimonies</HI> of all ages to con|firme it, <HI>miracles</HI> beyond all exception, <HI>and prophecies</HI> of future contingencies, above humane comprehension to back it, &s;uch <HI>doctrine</HI> as fit|eth all men of all conditions, to live <HI>religiou&s;ly</HI> in re&s;pect of God, <HI>ju&s;tly</HI> in relation to others, and &s;oberly in reflex upon their owne demeanure, with <HI>plaine instructions,</HI> con|cerning the originall pro|gre&s;s, and reward of wicked|ne&s;&s;e, the onely freeing from it, the immortall rewards of another world, which the wi&s;dome of this world could never think of. This the Wi&s;e&s;t and Learned&s;t in all ages have embraced, Ty|rants, and the Devils, with all their complices, have in vain oppo&s;ed, the able&s;t oppo&s;ers of it, them&s;elves have been
<PB N="15" REF="14">convinced to ju&s;tifie with <HI>Pharaohs</HI> Magicians, that the <HI>finger of God</HI> is in it. And none could take any excep|tions again&s;t, which have not been an&s;wered to their con|fu&s;ion. All which, and di|vers other <HI>excellencies,</HI> all other profe&s;&s;ions are &s;o farre defective that, upon &s;light examination, they will be found to be unreasonable, bruiti&s;h and ridiculous.</P>
<P><HI>May not all &s;orts of people that never heard of,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III.</NOTE> or were in&s;tructed in Chri&s;tianity, at|taine unto Salvation, if they live morally well in their own profe&s;sion?</HI></P>
<P>Their puni&s;hment may be ea&s;ier in another world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> then that of tho&s;e who have lived among&s;t them more di&s;or|derly, becau&s;e puni&s;hments are by Gods ju&s;tice propor|tioned to demerits. <HI>Tire</HI> and
<PB N="16" REF="15"><HI>Sidon</HI> &s;hall have an ea&s;ier doom then <HI>Corazin</HI> and <HI>Beth&s;aida,</HI> that were better <HI>in&s;tructed</HI> and did wor&s;e. But <HI>for coming to the Father without the Son</HI> here,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14.6.17.3. Act. 4.12. Ioh. 10.7.</NOTE> or here|after, we can finde no way. No <HI>life eternall</HI> to be expect|ed, but by knowing him. <HI>No Salvation but by his name. No entrance but by that way, &amp; door.</HI> And this the Heathen doe in a manner confe&s;&s;e, when the be&s;t of their dead mu&s;t be beholding to <HI>Cha|ron</HI>'s boat, the <HI>Turkes,</HI> when they place their <HI>Para|dice,</HI> they know not where, to &s;upply them with all &s;en&s;uall plea&s;ure, they had not &s;o fully here. And what good can the <HI>Jewes</HI> howle for, in expectation of a <HI>Me&s;|&s;ias</HI> to &s;ave them in another world, beyond the date of all their Prophecies? who
<PB N="17" REF="15">tarrieth (no man knowes where) &s;ome, &s;ay lingreth at <HI>Rome.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Seeing that they</HI> that turn many to righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE> &s;hall &s;hine as the Stars for ever and ever, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.3. and the King of Heaven would have men compelled to come in to the celebration of his Sons Marriage &s;upper, <HI>Luk.</HI> 14.23. <HI>Whether tho&s;e of a contrary per&s;wa&s;ion to Chri&s;tianity un|der our power, and living a|mongst us, may not be forced to conforme them&s;elves to our Religion.</HI></P>
<P>By no meanes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> For the Commandement runs, <HI>goe and teach,</HI> not force <HI>by Fire or Faggot,</HI> or any other co-active wayes, <HI>all nations; Mat.</HI> 28.19. &s;econded by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>be infant, in &s;ea&s;on, and out of &s;ea&s;on, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-&s;uffering
<PB N="18" REF="16">and doctrine.</HI> 2. Tim. 4.2. Religion being not to be planted or propagated in a <HI>Turki&s;h</HI> manner by the Sword, but by the Word in an <HI>Apo&s;tolicall</HI> manner, and method. <HI>I be&s;eech you bre|thren, by the mercies of God,</HI> Rom. 12.1. <HI>no lording over mens Con&s;ciences,</HI> which St. <HI>Peter</HI> forbad long ago, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.3. (which his pretended &s;ucce&s;&s;ors have little hinde|red) whence the compul&s;ion the Go&s;pel &s;peaks of, mu&s;t be by <HI>per&s;wa&s;ion</HI> not <HI>coaction,</HI> as appeares by the u&s;e of the &s;ame word, <HI>Mat.</HI> 14.22. <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.14.</P>
<P><HI>Whether Prote&s;tants by re|nouncing Popery,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE> <HI>may justly be charged to have &s;et up a new Religion, differing from that which their ance&s;tors pro|fe&s;&s;ed, and are charitably thought to be &s;aved in?</HI></P>
<PB N="19" REF="16">
<P>They can be charged no further with Novelties,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> then <HI>Jo&s;ias</HI> might be, and other Pious Kings, for plucking down Idolls, and purging Gods Wor&s;hip from Idola|try; nor then our <HI>Saviour,</HI> for whipping out <HI>buyers</HI> and <HI>&s;ellers</HI> from the Temple. A religious Reformation, that &s;eparates the <HI>pretious from the vile, the wheat from the chaffe, gold and &s;ilver from hey and &s;tubble,</HI> rejecting the one, and reteining the other, hath been ever held nece&s;&s;a|ry, and practi&s;ed by tho&s;e them&s;elves, who blame it. Thus the Prote&s;tants have reteined the Creed, Com|mandements, Lords Prayer, Bapti&s;me and Supper of the Lord, together with the &s;ame Word of God, which their ance&s;tors had. In the&s;e points con&s;i&s;t Religion, and
<PB N="20" REF="17">not in <HI>papall &s;uperstructions,</HI> with which our ance&s;tors were deluded &amp; wronged. To turn therefore from a Papi&s;t to be a Prote&s;tant, is not to chang Religion, but to reject Super&s;tion, which, <HI>as a phari|&s;aicall leaven,</HI> had corrupted the whole Ma&s;&s;e, and could not be tran&s;ub&s;tantiated to any good, without &s;uch a fair riddance, whereby we have left them no further, then they have left Gods Word: and are ready to comply with them againe in any thing, that thereby &s;hall be convinced to be ju&s;tifiable.</P>
<P><HI>The Prote&s;tants truly urging,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> <HI>that a Papi&s;t may with a &s;afe Con&s;cience be pre&s;ent at their Sermons, and Service, and communicate with them, in as much as nothing is conteined in them, but they them&s;elves have, and mu&s;t allow of; whe|ther
<PB N="21" REF="17">on the other &s;ide may not a Prote&s;tant communicate with them in going to Ma&s;&s;e, with the like liberty of Con|&s;cience?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 5.18.</NOTE> Eli&s;ha <HI>&s;eeming to allow</HI> Naaman <HI>to be pre&s;ent at the Wor&s;hiping the Idoll</HI> Rim|mon?</P>
<P>By no meanes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> For that the pre&s;ence of a Prote&s;tant will not be permitted, with|out Divine Wor&s;hip perfor|med to a <HI>God of Bread,</HI> ima|gined to be made by five Latine words, pronounced by a Ma&s;&s;e-Prie&s;t, which would make him guilty of more then Heatheni&s;h Ido|latry. To pa&s;&s;e by <HI>Cro&s;&s;e-Wor&s;hip,</HI> and that exhibited to <HI>Saints</HI> and <HI>Reliques</HI> in their breviary. Neither hath the farewell of <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> to <HI>Na|aman, goe in peace,</HI> relation to his bowing down to <HI>Rim|mon</HI> that he might joyne in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 17.</NOTE>
<PB N="22" REF="18">it, but to his religious pur|po&s;e, prote&s;ting to &s;acrifice to no other God but the Lord, and to afford no bow|ing to <HI>Rimmon,</HI> how&s;oever he &s;hould, by his duty, be for|ced to bow to his Ma&s;ter be|fore <HI>Rimmon.</HI> Others con|ceive <HI>Naamans</HI> petition to de&s;ire only a pardon for that he had done, and thus read the Text: <HI>In this thing the Lord pardon thy &s;ervant, that when my Ma&s;ter hath gone in|to the hou&s;e of Rimmon, and wor&s;hipped there, I have bow|ed my &s;elf with him, for which the Lord pardon me.</HI> To this the Prophet might well add, <HI>goe in peace;</HI> but the more warrantable interpretation is the former.</P>
<P><HI>Whether entring into a Mo|na&s;tery under the vowes of perpetuall Obedience,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII.</NOTE> <HI>Poverty and Cha&s;tity (as Popi&s;h Monks
<PB N="23" REF="18">and Nuns take them) be not rather a breach of the Com|munion of Saints, or an a|bridgement of Christian Li|berty, then a branch of Chri|&s;tian Religion, to be termed &s;o by an Excellency?</HI></P>
<P>The an&s;wer is to be affir|mative,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> for although a be|taking to a &s;chola&s;tical, and a contemplative life under pre&s;cribed rules, for the bet|ter accompli&s;hing of it, be not only laudable, but nece&s;|&s;ary for the training up of <HI>la|bourers to be &s;ent into the Lords Vineyard:</HI> yet the mewing of them up in a Mo|na&s;tery for perpetuity, who &s;hould be there onely re|&s;trained for a time, till they were fit to be imployed a|broad, (as they are in the Colleges of the Univer&s;ities) and to bear the Church in hand, that by <HI>blind obedience,
<PB N="24" REF="19">voluntary begging, and forced Cha&s;tity,</HI> men might <HI>&s;uper|erogate,</HI> and over-doe the Scripture-Commandements to &s;upply others defects, if &s;uch &s;pirituall redundancies be applyed by an whol&s;ome indulgence. This is that will hardly give &s;atisfaction to a well-grounded Con&s;cience, that pitcheth upon the&s;e pa&s;|&s;ages of the rule, that can|not deceive us.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7.17.23. Gal. 5.1. Act 20</NOTE> <HI>As God hath called every man, &s;o let him walke, ye are bought with a price, be not made &s;ervants of men, it is better to give, then to receive.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="25" REF="19">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. II.</HI> Ca&s;es concerning the Holy Scripture.</HEAD>
<P><HI>HOw &s;hall I be a&s;&s;ured that the Scriptures we have,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. I.</NOTE> <HI>is the Word of God?</HI></P>
<P>By its (1.) <HI>Antiquity,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> (2.) <HI>Contents,</HI> (3.) <HI>Univer|&s;all Tradition.</HI> The <HI>Antiquity</HI> of the Old Te&s;tament (which carrieth the New with it in the &s;ame bottom) is appa|rent, in regard no Alphabe|ticall writing can be produ|ced of equall &s;tanding with it: for tho&s;e pieces fetched from the the Sons of <HI>Seth,</HI> the prophecy of <HI>Henoch,</HI> &s;craps fathered upon <HI>Abra|ham,</HI> or the like, might pa&s;&s;e either by Tradition, or in Characters from hand to hand, the Alphabet being
<PB N="26" REF="20">too high an invention for mans contrivance, and there|fore is worthily a&s;cribed to Gods fir&s;t <HI>manu&s;cript of the Decalogue,</HI> upon the two Tables of Stone, in mount <HI>Horeb.</HI> Now as for the <HI>Contents</HI> of the whole Scri|pture, they are &s;uch both for matter, my&s;terie, and manner of expre&s;&s;ion, that the greate&s;t wits of the world have admired it, that it hath born away the Bell, &amp; tho&s;e &s;hamed them&s;elves, who have ventured to op|po&s;e it: though Satan and his brats hath maliced it a|bove all writings what&s;oe|ver, which is a &s;trong argu|ment it came from God, whom he and his mo&s;t ha|teth. La&s;tly, if <HI>Univer&s;all Tradition</HI> (wherein (if not all, yet) the mo&s;t &s;age and eminent judgements, in all
<PB N="27" REF="20">&s;ucceeding ages have con|curred) &s;hould not command an ingenious beliefe, we might que&s;tion every thing beyond the reach of our &s;en&s;es, or make a doubt whether we had Grand-fa|thers, or Parents, becau&s;e we knew them not.</P>
<P><HI>Can that be received for a rule of Faith and Manners,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. II.</NOTE> <HI>which &s;eems ca&s;ually to be written, without any &s;en&s;ible method or connexion, for in|&s;truction or direction, and in &s;uch ambiguous termes, in points of greatest con&s;equence, that &s;ets at variance, rather then uniteth the most accu|rate &s;earchers of it?</HI></P>
<P><HI>As God made man up|right,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> <HI>though he &s;ought out many inventions,</HI> Eccle&s;. 7.27. <HI>&s;o the Law of the Lord is perfect,</HI> and &s;ure to <HI>enlighten the eyes,</HI> and make wi&s;e the
<PB N="28" REF="21">&s;imple, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 19. but it is the <HI>ig|norant perver&s;ene&s;&s;e</HI> of men, <HI>that wre&s;t it to their own de|&s;truction.</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.16. It is a bla&s;phemous cavil therefore, to &s;leight the Scripture, as a ca&s;ual commonitor, again&s;t the expre&s;s texts of the Apo|&s;tle. <HI>What&s;oever things were written aforetime, were writ|ten for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scripture, might have hope,</HI> Ro. 15.4. <HI>All Scripture is given by in&s;piration of God &amp; is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and in|&s;truction in righteou&s;ne&s;s that the man may be perfect, throughly furn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;hed to every good work.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3.15.</NOTE> To no other rules our Saviour &s;ends his oppo|&s;ers to be rectified, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.39. and calls the Di&s;ciples tra|vailing towards <HI>Emmaus, fooles,</HI> for being &s;lack in be|lieving
<PB N="29" REF="21">them, <HI>Luk.</HI> 24. The method of which is not <HI>pae|dantical,</HI> as in Arts &amp; Sciences for lower matters, but <HI>practi|cal,</HI> &amp; &s;o divinely fitted, that all may be fit learners by it. Where, in the <HI>Old Te&s;tament,</HI> the <HI>Hi&s;tory</HI> in <HI>Jo&s;uah, Iudges, Samuel,</HI> the <HI>Kings,</HI> &amp;c. follow the <HI>Law</HI> in the five books of it, to &s;hew by <HI>examples,</HI> the rewards upon the fulfilling thereof, and <HI>puni&s;hments</HI> at|tending the breaking of it. The <HI>Moralities</HI> in <HI>Iob, David,</HI> and <HI>Solomon,</HI> the exerci&s;e of patience, devotions, and all manner of wi&s;dome in all ca|&s;es what&s;oever. The <HI>Prophets,</HI> beating down the wickedne&s;s of the times, lead us to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> whom the <HI>Go&s;pels</HI> in the N. T. &s;et forth as the <HI>Prophet, Prie&s;t,</HI> &amp; <HI>King,</HI> on which the Church mu&s;t wholly depend, who&s;e planting and progre&s;&s;e is &s;et
<PB N="30" REF="22">forth in the <HI>Acts of the A|postles,</HI> doctrine laid down <HI>in the Epi&s;tles,</HI> and expectan|ces in the <HI>Revelation,</HI> by a method &s;o connected, that none but <HI>prating fooles</HI> (as the wi&s;e man termes &s;uch) may carp at, wherein the ob|&s;curities of &s;ome places are enlightned by the clearne&s;&s;e of others, or &s;et as taskes for the indu&s;try of the greate&s;t wits, to beat down their pride and pre&s;umption: that find|ing them&s;elves over-ma&s;te|red, they may &s;eek unto God by prayer, for that they ac|knowledge them&s;elves to come &s;hort of. Where|upon the di&s;&s;entions that a|ri&s;e, prove the faults of the <HI>wranglers,</HI> not the in&s;uffici|ency of the rule, no more then the different judgments of <HI>Arti&s;ts,</HI> doe the di&s;order-line&s;&s;e of the coele&s;tiall, or terre&s;trial bodies.</P>
<PB N="31" REF="22">
<P><HI>Upon can&s;ideration of the new covenant fore-told by</HI> Je|remy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III.</NOTE> c. 31.33. <HI>and ratified by the Apo&s;tle to the</HI> Hebrews, c. 8.10. <HI>wherein a plain pro|mi&s;e is made of writing Gods Law &s;o in mens hearts, that they &s;hall not need to teach one another, becau&s;e all &s;hall be &s;o gifted; may not a weak Con|&s;cience be warped to think well of the</HI> Swenchfeldi&s;ts, <HI>and enthu&s;ia&s;ticall</HI> Wrigelians <HI>of the&s;e times, to lay a&s;ide the</HI> letter, <HI>that the</HI> Spirit <HI>may act the more freely?</HI></P>
<P>The old and new Cove|nant are both alike,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> under hand and &s;eal, though the tenure be diver&s;e: the fir&s;t was of Workes, the other is of Faith, for our Ju&s;tifica|tion: the one &s;aith, <HI>Doe this, and live;</HI> the other, <HI>Believe in him that hath &s;atisfied for thee, and thou &s;halt be &s;aved.</HI>
<PB N="32" REF="23">The &s;pirit indeed is promi&s;ed to lead us into all truth, but not by frantick <HI>enthu&s;ia&s;mes,</HI> but by the <HI>Scripture,</HI> which is written for our learning, and many times walketh un|der the name of the <HI>Spirit</HI> too. <HI>God hath in the&s;e la&s;t dayes &s;poken unto us by his Son,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 1. Joh. 5.39. Rom. 1.16</NOTE> which is his Word, and which alone ought to be our guide: <HI>&s;earch ye the Scriptures</HI> is commanded us, which are the conduit of Life and Power of God unto Salvati|on. Thus we are taught of God, not to inquire at the <HI>Oracles</HI> of our Lu&s;ts, and Phanta&s;ies, but of his <HI>word,</HI> not to be led by conceipts of our owne framing, but by the means of his pre&s;cribing, the outward preaching of the Word, and the inward operation of the Spirit to em|brace it.</P>
<PB N="33" REF="23">
<P><HI>It is thought amongst many Learned, Godly,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE> and painfull Mini&s;ters, that the bare read|ing of the Word in publick, or private, is not of power &s;uffi|cient to beget Faith in the hearers; what comfort &s;hall any therefore finde in a&s;&s;em|blies by &s;cripture, where there is no preaching Mini&s;ter? and how can I e&s;teem of that, my Con&s;cience tells me will doe me no good?</P>
<P>Dilating upon a text of Scripture,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> taken at adven|ture, mu&s;t not be taken for the onely preaching, that begets Faith: it may &s;et an. edge upon &s;ome hearers de|votion; but can adde no ef|ficacy to the Text, that is quick, and powerfull of it &s;elfe, and <HI>&s;harper then any two edged &s;word,</HI> to di&s;cerne the very thoughts, and hearts intentions, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.12. Be&s;ide,
<PB N="34" REF="24">it is well known that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was held to be preached by the Apo&s;tle, in that he was read in the Synagogue every Sabboth day, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.21. Tho&s;e that benefit not there|fore by hearing the <HI>Text</HI> read, which they may well rely upon, will hardly be better edified by the <HI>glo&s;&s;e,</HI> which may be as ob&s;cure as that, and far more liable to exceptions. And &s;hould not our Saviours, and the Apo|&s;tles <HI>Sermons</HI> in&s;truct them better, that often heare them reiterated with attenti|on, then a <HI>&s;et &s;peech</HI> of a man of meaner gifts, that may be forgotten as &s;oon as it is ut|tered, and ofttimes is more intricate and ob&s;cure, then the Text it indeavoured to explaine. This mu&s;t be ta|ken not to detract from <HI>&s;o|lid,</HI> and <HI>&s;ea&s;onable preaching,</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="24">but for vindicating of the word read, from the abate|ment, and &s;corne too many put upon it, in the&s;e <HI>evill dayes.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Scripture being acknow|ledged to be the undoubted word of God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE> <HI>conteining that coun&s;el of his, which he would have communicated unto all for their Salvation; with what. Con&s;cience may any portion of it be kept back from being read in the Congregation,</HI> as the Canticles, <HI>with divers o|ther parts of the Old Te&s;ta|ment, and mo&s;t part of the</HI> Revelation <HI>in the New?</HI></P>
<P>The not reading of &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages in Scripture, in pub|lick, detract nothing from their Authority, onely &s;erve to put a difference between <HI>milke</HI> and <HI>&s;tronger</HI> meat, ac|cording to the &s;tomachs that are to receive it. <HI>I have
<PB N="36" REF="25">many things to &s;ay unto you</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t to his Di&s;ci|ples) <HI>but ye cannot bear them now.</HI> What would the He|brew titles, the <HI>Higgaions, Se|lahs, &amp;c.</HI> in <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms benefit the auditory? when the Teachers them&s;elves cannot agree what to thinke of them. So Genealogies in the <HI>Chronicles,</HI> and the not under&s;tood praedictions in the <HI>Apocalip&s;e,</HI> which the Learned make u&s;e of, the Vulgar may &s;ooner cavill at them, then in any &s;ort be bettered by them.</P>
<P><HI>How may any with a &s;afe con&s;cience endure the reading of the,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> Apocrypha <HI>in the Church, e&s;pecially when &s;o many Chapters of Canonicall Scripture are laid a&s;ide, that may &s;upply the yearly cour&s;e of reading, with more &s;ure Do|ctrine, and more evident, then
<PB N="37" REF="25">from the</HI> Apocrypha <HI>can be expected?</HI></P>
<P>In the titles of our <HI>Bibles,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> the <HI>Apocrypha</HI> is &s;ufficiently di&s;tingui&s;hed from the <HI>Cano|nicall</HI> Scripture: &s;o that the Chapters that are read out of it, are not pre&s;cribed to &s;et a&s;ide the Canonicall; it be|ing left to the choice of the Mini&s;ter, to reade &s;uch Chapters in their &s;tead, as he thinks fit. And by rea&s;on of the con&s;onancy of that which is read out of them with the Canon, the re&s;pect by the antient given unto them, and the in&s;tructive|ne&s;s of the &s;tyle, &s;ome choice pa&s;&s;ages are read out of them, as of <HI>ancient</HI> and <HI>re|ceived homilies,</HI> making for the better explication of the Canon, which tho&s;e that mo&s;t oppo&s;e them, cannot deny, but they may as well
<PB N="38" REF="26">be approved, as their com|ments upon a Text: which ('tis pre&s;umed) they would not have to be taken as Ca|nonicall.</P>
<P><HI>How far may Scripture be con&s;cionably u&s;ed in exor|ci&s;es, in ca&s;ting out,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII.</NOTE> <HI>or com|manding Devills, or in charms for curing of di&s;ea&s;es, or in pre&s;ervatives, in wea|ring it about us, to protect us from &s;everall dangers, or in|conveniences?</HI></P>
<P>In &s;uch ca&s;es it may be u&s;ed not at all;<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> otherwi&s;e then as the ground of prayer, by which we mu&s;t be &s;uppli|cants to God, that he would pre&s;erve and deliver us from all evill. <HI>Naturall</HI> operati|ons are not to be expected from the words of Scripture, but <HI>morall</HI> from the &s;en&s;e, and directions, no more then we can imagine, the leaves of
<PB N="39" REF="26">a Phy&s;ick book will cure a di&s;ea&s;e, or wound, if it be ap|plyed to the part ill affected. Tho&s;e pieces therefore of Scripture, or names of <HI>God,</HI> or <HI>Angels,</HI> thence pretended to be deduced by Exorci&s;ts, and Magicians, or names of the <HI>three Kings of Cullen,</HI> or the beginning of <HI>Saint Iohns Go&s;pel,</HI> or the like, hung about the neck of any, are delu&s;ions of Satan. <HI>The words that I &s;pake unto you, are &s;pirit and life</HI> (&s;aith our Sa|viour) John 6.63. <HI>and were written that ye might believe, and that believing, ye might have life through his name, Iohn</HI> 20.31. not for charms to doe mi&s;chiefe, or &s;eeming cures upon the body, which Satan u&s;eth as a bait to de|&s;troy the &s;oule. Let the <HI>Py|thoni&s;ts</HI> in the <HI>Acts</HI> &s;ay never &s;o truly concerning S. <HI>Paul,</HI>
<PB N="40" REF="27">and <HI>Silas, the&s;e men are the &s;ervants of the mo&s;t high God, which &s;hew to us the way of Salvation, Act.</HI> 16.17. yet Saint <HI>Paul</HI> would not endure &s;uch <HI>&s;he-Chaplains</HI> of the Devills ordering, who take up good to do mi&s;chief, and act the Devils part in the attire of an Angell. The pu|ni&s;hment of the <HI>mongrell-bla|&s;phemer, Lev.</HI> 24. &s;hould make all con&s;cionable men afraid, how they adventure to make bold with Gods Sa|cred name, or word, le&s;t perchance as the Sons of <HI>Sceva,</HI> they meet with &s;ome mad Devils, that will wound and &s;trip them for their folly; and terrifie others, cau&s;ing them to burne &s;uch damnable books of curious Arts, though of never &s;o much e&s;teemed value, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.18, 19. On the contrary,
<PB N="41" REF="27">a Con&s;cience mu&s;t be made for the abu&s;ing any parts of the Bible, or things once con&s;ecrated to God to pro|phane, and &s;ordid u&s;es, le&s;t <HI>Bel&s;hazzers</HI> pro&s;cription &s;tand again&s;t them, to their &s;odaine ruine, for <HI>non e&s;t tu|tum ludere cum &s;anctis</HI> (as the common &s;aying is) it is not good to dally with a Deity.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. III.</HI> Ca&s;es concerning the Apo&s;tles Creed.</HEAD>
<P>THree <HI>Creeds</HI> are received in all Catholick Chur|ches, the fir&s;t called the <HI>A|po&s;tles</HI> Creed, the &s;econd the <HI>Nicene,</HI> and the third the Creed of <HI>Athana&s;ius.</HI> The two latter of the&s;e are but expo&s;itions of the <HI>Apo&s;tles Creed,</HI> compo&s;ed more e&s;pe|cially
<PB N="42" REF="28">to with&s;tand the <HI>Arian</HI> Here&s;ie, which denyed the Deity of Chri&s;t, and had then well-nigh over-&s;pread the whole face of Chri&s;tia|nity. Into the <HI>Apo&s;tles Creed,</HI> as our Liturgy hath hitherto led our fore-fathers, we were baptized. To make then this the fir&s;t ca&s;e of Con&s;cience, it may be well enquired,</P>
<P><HI>Whether the rejecting this Creed,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. I.</NOTE> <HI>out of our Liturgies and Catechi&s;mes, into which we were baptized, and to which our &s;ureties undertook for us, we &s;hould alwayes &s;tand to be, not a kind of renouncing, or rather plain Apo&s;tacy from the Faith we were baptized in, whereto may be applyed, that &s;peech of God to</HI> Samuel, they have not rejected thee but me?<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 8.7</NOTE></P>
<P>They can be&s;t give &s;atis|faction
<PB N="43" REF="28">to this, that have been the actors in it. To &s;ay they &s;upply it in the Do|ctrine of their preaching, their auditors will tell them that they have not the art, nor are taught it by them, how to pick out &s;o punctuall Articles for their Belief, and &s;o to order them, that they may have them by heart, to be <HI>ready alwaies to give an account to every man that asketh a rea&s;on of the hope that is in them,</HI> as Saint <HI>Peter</HI> chargeth, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. upon which they may ground the good Con&s;ci|ence that followes in the next ver&s;e. Now tho&s;e that have a touch of Con&s;cience, rea&s;on thus with them&s;elves, either the new Articles we are to expect from the Ser|mons of our new Lights, are the &s;ame which we had in
<PB N="44" REF="29">our old Creeds or different If they prove the &s;ame, why might not the old have &s;tohd? but if we &s;hall have new Articles of our Creed which the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> them&s;elves hold to be above his Holi|ne&s;&s;e authority to make) then woe to our ance&s;tors, that have &s;o long mi&s;led, and to our dull capacity, which cannot with a &s;afe con&s;cience yet <HI>cea&s;e to contend for the Faith,</HI> which hitherto we have conceived, <HI>was once de|livered to the Saints,</HI> Jud. 2.</P>
<P><HI>How may the Con&s;cience be a&s;&s;ured,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. II.</NOTE> <HI>that this is the</HI> Apo|&s;tles Creed, <HI>which is &s;tood &s;o|much for, &s;eeing the tradition, that it was made by the twelve Apostles, before their &s;epara|tion to preach the Go&s;pel, hath no warrant to confirme it?</HI></P>
<P>Though it may not be call'd the Apo&s;tles Creed (as di|vers<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>
<PB N="45" REF="29">of the ancients would have it) becau&s;e it was made immediately by the Apo&s;tles them&s;elves; yet modern Divines are forced to agree in this, that the <HI>Articles</HI> in it are clear deductions from <HI>the Doctrine of the Apo|&s;tles:</HI> in which &s;en&s;e it is rightly called the <HI>Apostles Creed,</HI> in <HI>&s;ub&s;tance,</HI> though not for <HI>compo&s;ure.</HI> A true <HI>tran&s;lation</HI> is held with us for the Word of God, though not &s;o <HI>immediately,</HI> yet as <HI>undoubtedly</HI> as the origi|nall.</P>
<P><HI>Chri&s;t is &s;aid in this Creed to be conceived by the Holy Ghost,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III</NOTE> <HI>according to that of Saint Matthew,</HI> that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Gho&s;t, <HI>cap.</HI> 1.20. <HI>and of Saint</HI> Lute, <HI>cap.</HI> 1.35. the Holy Gho&s;t &s;hall come upon thee, and the power of
<PB N="46" REF="30">the highe&s;t &s;hall over&s;hadow thee, therefore that Holy thing which &s;hall be born of thee, &s;hall be called the Son of God. <HI>Whence an ungroun|ded Con&s;cience may gather, that Chri&s;t &s;hould be rather called the Son of the per&s;on of the Holy Gho&s;t; then the onely Son of the first per&s;on, the Father Almighty, which confoundeth the believed do|ctrine of the &s;acred Trinity, and is urged by Novelli&s;ts to puzzle weake Con&s;ciences?</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Nicene Creed</HI> clears this,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> by putting a plain dif|ference between <HI>begetting, made,</HI> and <HI>incarnate. Beget|ting</HI> hath relation onely to the Father, <HI>begotten of the Father</HI> (&s;aith the Creed) not of the Holy Gho&s;t, <HI>be|fore all worlds,</HI> that is, from eternity; <HI>as God of God, Light of Light, very God of very
<PB N="47" REF="30">God,</HI> being therefore of one &s;ub&s;tance with the Father that begot him, infinitely of a higher pitch then any thing that was made. For things made are all &s;orts of Creatures, and &s;o the Son, that begotten from eternity, was made Man in the fulne&s;s of time, when it is &s;aid, he was <HI>incarnate by the Holy Ghost,</HI> and this incarnation is appropriated to the Holy Gho&s;t, though it be the worke of the whole Trinity, united ever in all outward o|perations; in regard this power of the Highe&s;t pro|ceeds from the Father and Son, and is next in order, and more con&s;picuous to the producing of the greate&s;t effects. Whence, as in the Creation, the &s;pirit of God is mentioned moving upon the waters, &s;o in Chri&s;ts
<PB N="48" REF="31">bapti&s;me, the Spirit is vi&s;ible in the &s;hape of a Dove, and in in&s;piring the Apo&s;tles, in cloven tongues, where the Father was onely heard, or heard of, not &s;een, and the Son not &s;een as the begotten Word, but as <HI>he took fle&s;h, and dwelt amongst us,</HI> Joh. 1. But the&s;e my&s;teries are more &s;ubmi&s;&s;ively rather to be be|lieved, then curiou&s;ly pryed into. The beginning therefore of our Letanie, expre&s;&s;ing as much in this behalfe, as any need learne, or profe&s;&s;e, of God the <HI>Father,</HI> God the Son <HI>Redeemer</HI> by taking mans nature upon him, God the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> proceeding from them both: which in a Trinity of per&s;ons make but one God, to be mercifull to us mi&s;erable &s;inners, and in|forme us further, when we &s;hall come to &s;ee God, face
<PB N="49" REF="31">to face, <HI>not as now as it were in a gla&s;&s;e, but to know as we are known,</HI> 1 Cor. 13.12.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE><HI>The Article of the</HI> de&s;cent of Chri&s;t into Hell <HI>is thought &s;uppo&s;ititious of &s;ome, and ex|pounded at plea&s;ure by others, either for &s;uffering helli&s;h A|gonies in the Garden before his Pa&s;sion, or for remaining in the &s;tate of the dead after his buriall, untill he aro&s;e a|gain, or for his de&s;cent into</HI> Limbus Patrum, <HI>to fetch thence the fathers, or for de|&s;cending into the place of the damned, to proclaime his &s;a|tisfaction for &s;in, and trium|phing over Death and Hell,</HI> of which it was not po&s;&s;ible he &s;hould be holden, <HI>Act.</HI> 2.24. <HI>Among all which di&s;tra|ctions, where is it &s;afe for a &s;crupulous Con&s;cience to rely, and quiet it &s;elfe?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>On the generall believing
<PB N="50" REF="32">of the thing, as it is laid downe out of this, and the <HI>Athana&s;ian Creed,</HI> in the third Article of our Church, in the&s;e words, <HI>As Chri&s;t died for us, &s;o it is to be believed, that he went down into Hell:</HI> and not further to trouble our &s;elves about the preci&s;e manner of it, which, parti|cularly not revealed in Scri|pture, intangleth rather the curious &s;earchers, then af|fords &s;atisfaction for the con&s;cience. If then from the con&s;ideration of this one more evident place, <HI>Col,</HI> 2.15. <HI>Chri&s;t blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way by nailing it to the Cro&s;&s;e, &s;poiled upon it prin|cipalities, and made a &s;hew of them openly, triumphing over them in it,</HI> we collect
<PB N="51" REF="32">that after his going in the Garden, through wrath a|gain&s;t &s;inne, which he had undertaken, and Sufferings on the Cro&s;&s;e by Satans in|&s;truments, upon the <HI>con&s;um|matum e&s;t,</HI> or fini&s;hing the worke of our Redemption, his Soul encountred Satan in a &s;pirituall way (who found nothing to except a|gain&s;t, and therefore was conquered and triumphed over) with his complices, with <HI>O Death where is thy sting, O Grave where it thy victory?</HI> We may well re|taine this Article, as having the like ground with the re&s;t, and to continue to &s;ing in the <HI>Te Deum, when thou had&s;t overcome the &s;harpne&s;&s;e of Death</HI> (which was done by the de&s;cending, and tri|umphing over all helli&s;h forces) <HI>thou didst open the
<PB N="52" REF="33">Kingdome of Heaven to all believers.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Upon the Article concerning</HI> the Catholick Church,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE> <HI>the weaker Con&s;ciences, by Ro|mi&s;h emi&s;&s;aries, are thus en|&s;nared; out of the Catholick Church there can be no Sal|vation, as all &s;ides grant up|on that in the Act.</HI> 2.47. And the Lord added to the Church, &s;uch as &s;hould be &s;aved: <HI>but the Roman Church is onely the Catholick Church, therefore who&s;oever will be &s;aved, before all things, mu&s;t fir&s;t turn Roman Catholick?</HI></P>
<P>This grand impo&s;ture in depraving the Article of U|nity,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> wherein the Saints community, and forgivene&s;s of &s;innes con&s;i&s;teth, is (as a Spiders web &s;et up to catch Flies) thus &s;wept off. Acknowledging that out of the Catholick Church, Sal|vation
<PB N="53" REF="33">is not to be expected, it will be denyed in the next place that <HI>Rome</HI> is the only Catholick Church, and made evident that it is only a particular member of it, as the Churches of <HI>Corinth, Ga|latia, Ephe&s;us</HI> and the re&s;t were, when S. <HI>Paul</HI> wrote to the <HI>Romans.</HI> The&s;e were not then <HI>members</HI> of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> but <HI>&s;i&s;ters</HI> with it, not <HI>&s;ubordinate</HI> to the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> but <HI>coordi|nate</HI> with it. To omit Logick quiddities in di&s;covering the fallacy, what a piece of rea|&s;oning is this; becau&s;e <HI>Rome</HI> is Catholick, therefore the Church of <HI>England, France,</HI> and <HI>Spaine,</HI> cannot be Ca|tholick; as much as to &s;ay your nag ambleth, mine may not, or mu&s;t doe it in &s;ubor|dination to yours, and yet the Catholick Church is, the
<PB N="54" REF="34">Creed, is not made by us an imaginary idea, as &s;ome put upon us, but a generall that includs many particulars un|der it, as the generall notion. of a City doth this or that City, to which it doth equal|ly impart the name, and na|ture, where the particular is the object of &s;en&s;e, and &s;et on an hill cannot be hid, but the generall the object of faith, which is of things under|&s;tood, or to be believed.</P>
<P><HI>The Article of the</HI> forgive|ne&s;&s;e of &s;innes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> <HI>may much trouble a weak con&s;cience, in that we read the &s;in again&s;t the Holy gho&s;t &s;hall never be for|given; be&s;ide there are &s;ins which wa&s;te the con&s;cience, and de&s;troy it, that admit of no re|pentance, and &s;urmount the ab&s;olution of the Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pell, which is acknow|ledged to worke by prayer, not
<PB N="55" REF="34">power, what peace then may be had, or pacification in &s;uch di&s;traction?</HI></P>
<P>That which Gods word holdeth forth unto us, Fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> this ground mu&s;t be laid that forgivene&s;&s;e cannot be ex|pected without repentance, <HI>except ye repent, ye &s;hall all likewi&s;e peri&s;h,</HI> Luke 13.3. Then that the &s;in again&s;t the Holy gho&s;t may be commit|ted by two &s;orts of people. Fir&s;t, by &s;uch as being unbe|lievers, by rea&s;on, of their e|ducation, and condition, have the word &s;o evidently laid home to their capacities, that their con&s;ciences are convinced that they heare the right; and yet for by re|&s;pects of plea&s;ure, pelf, pro|motion, or the like, know|ingly, and maliciou&s;ly &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t the light of it; and prefer darkne&s;&s;e
<PB N="56" REF="35">before it. This was the cour&s;e of the Phari&s;ees, who were convinced &s;ufficiently, that our Saviours ca&s;ting out of divells, could not be but by the over-ma&s;tering, divine power (<HI>as Nicodemus ingenu|ou&s;ly acknowledged, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can doe tho&s;e miracles which thou doe&s;t, except God be with him,</HI> Jo. 3.2.) yet they malici|ou&s;ly gaine-&s;aid it, and bore the people in hand, that <HI>it was by Beelzebub the Prince ef the devills,</HI> Matth. 12. By a &s;econd &s;ort the &s;in again&s;t the Holy gho&s;t is commit|ted, that have li&s;ted them|&s;elves in the Church, <HI>ta&s;ted of the heavenly gift,</HI> and word of God, yet then wilfully fall away, and renounce Chri&s;ti|anity, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.4. and 10.26. neither of the&s;e can be renew|ed
<PB N="57" REF="35">by repentance, becau&s;e the forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins is only to be had in the pale of the Church, and tho&s;e &s;ons of <HI>Belial,</HI> the fir&s;t &s;ort, refu&s;e to enter, and the &s;econd out them&s;elves from the &s;afe condition they were in; the fir&s;t are termed <HI>bla&s;phemers,</HI> the other <HI>Apo&s;tates,</HI> who&s;e ca&s;e is far different from the greate&s;t offender, who remai|neth &s;till in the Church, whereby repentance and re|mi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins may be had, though never &s;o much cry|ing for vengeance, and tea|ring the con&s;cience. <HI>Though your &s;ins are as Scarlet, I will make them as white as &s;now; though they be red like crim|&s;on, they &s;hall be as wool,</HI> I&s;ai. 1.18. <HI>Come unto me, take my yoke,</HI> though &s;even, nay, though legions of devils po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e you, <HI>I will give you
<PB N="58" REF="36">re&s;t,</HI> Matth. 11.28. When the Mini&s;tery of ab&s;olution, and ab&s;olution of a lawfull Mini&s;ter is to be accounted more then petitory, which may be performed by any o|ther pious friend, but not au|thoritatively (as it is &s;aid) and by way of power. For as a Judge who hath a lawfull commi&s;&s;ion from his &s;uperi|or, that can grant it, may ab&s;olve or condemn a party brought before him, which another man, perchance of more eminency, may not doe; for want of a calling to it: &s;o a Mini&s;ter by vertue of his commi&s;&s;ion given him, <HI>who&s;e &s;ins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and who|&s;oevers &s;ins ye retaine, they are retained,</HI> Jo. 20.23. Matth. 18.18. provided alwayes that they goe not beyond the limits of their commi&s;&s;ion,
<PB N="59" REF="36">which con&s;idered, as it &s;hould be, by tender con&s;ci|ences, would mould them to a greater regard of their &s;pirituall guides, and Pre|lates, which now are &s;o ca&s;t a&s;ide by tho&s;e, who know not, or care not, what in con|&s;cience they are mo&s;t to look after.</P>
<P><HI>How can that Creed be a per|fect &s;ymbole of our Faith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII.</NOTE> <HI>which leaves out the chiefe of all, that</HI> Faith only ju&s;tifieth; <HI>and hath nothing concerning</HI> Prede&s;tination, <HI>or Mans</HI> li|berty of will, <HI>concerning which &s;o many con&s;ciences are, and have been troubled.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t Scruple is cleared by the fir&s;t word of the Creed, <HI>I beleeve.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> Wherein the word <HI>Beleeve,</HI> being the proper act of Faith, &s;heweth that Faith is laid for the Ground, that all the Articles
<PB N="60" REF="37">that follow, &s;tand upon; and <HI>I,</HI> the fir&s;t &s;yllable, requireth an application of every arti|cle to our &s;elves. So that in this &s;en&s;e they are to be ta|ken: <HI>I beleeve in God,</HI> that he created mee, as all other creatures be&s;ides, and <HI>in Ie&s;us Christ,</HI> not onely that hee is <HI>his onely &s;on, conceived by the holy Gho&s;t, and borne of the Virgin Mary,</HI> but that he <HI>Suffered, was crucified, dead and buried,</HI> triumphed over death, and hell, and <HI>ro&s;e a|gaine</HI> for my ju&s;tification. By who&s;e &s;atisfaction I am quitted, and delivered from the bondage of &s;in, Satan, &amp; the Law, to &s;erve him in <HI>ho|line&s;&s;e</HI> to God, and <HI>righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e</HI> towards my neighbour, all the dayes of my life. And is not here the doctrine that faith ju&s;tifieth alone, not a temporall, hi&s;toricall, or
<PB N="81" REF="37">&s;peculative habit; but an affi|ance, and reliance on that which Chri&s;t hath done for me, without which as it is im|po&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God, &s;o it is impo&s;&s;ible likewi&s;e to ca&s;e a troubled con&s;cience. The &s;econd &s;cruple of Prede&s;ti|nation may be taken off, by a &s;ober con&s;ideration of the attributes of <HI>Almighty,</HI> and creating all things a&s;cribed to God, which includeth the other attributes. For he that made all things of nothing, and may di&s;po&s;e of his owne as he plea&s;eth, may choo&s;e, or pa&s;&s;e by whom hee li&s;teth. But herein, what hee hath done from eternity, hee acquaints us not with: but leaves us to be guided, to thinke, or doe as his writ|ten word, and certain de|ductions from thence lead us. Vnder which mo&s;t free
<PB N="62" REF="38">di&s;po&s;ition of the Almighty, Mans freedome given, lo&s;t, and re&s;tored, mu&s;t be belie|ved to be placed : for <HI>it is he that worketh in us to will and to doe of his good plea&s;ure, Philip.</HI> 2. In like manner o|ther nece&s;&s;ary points to &s;al|vation may be reduced, and tho&s;e that cannot, may not bee impo&s;ed upon the con|&s;cience as nece&s;&s;ary.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="63" REF="38">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. IV.</HI> Ca&s;es concerning the Deca|logue, or Ten Commande|ments.</HEAD>
<P>COncerning the <HI>Deca|logue,</HI> or Ten Commande|dements, the&s;e points are ma|nife&s;t: (1.) That the&s;e Com|mandements were written with the finger of God on two Tables of Stone:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 31.18.32.16.</NOTE> (2.) That they were written on both &s;ides: (3.) That the&s;e Tables being broken by <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> at the &s;ight of the <HI>Idoll-calfe,</HI> they were written againe by God in the &s;ame words, they had at fir&s;t, but upon two Tables of &s;tone of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> hewing:<NOTE PLACE="marg">34.</NOTE> (4.) That they were ju&s;t ten in number: (5.) That our Saviour reduceth all the duties of them to two
<PB N="64" REF="39">heads, the <HI>love</HI> due to <HI>God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22.37. Luk. 10.27.</NOTE> and <HI>the love</HI> to bee perform|ed <HI>to our neighbour:</HI> (6.) That mo&s;t of the Ancient de&s;ig|ned three of the&s;e Comman|dements to the fir&s;t Table (which divi&s;ion thereupon is by mo&s;t Churches reteined) and &s;even to the &s;econd. Notwith&s;tanding divers of the Reformed a&s;cribe foure to the fir&s;t, and &s;ix to the &s;econd Table. But &s;uch differences, in things in|different, have been alwayes tolerated among&s;t &s;ober men without prejudice to any di&s;&s;enting. I &s;hould thinke the divi&s;ion of the <HI>Jewes</HI> to be more equall, and pa&s;|&s;able; that five Comman|dements &s;hould belong to the fir&s;t Table, to &s;hew our duty towards God: and &s;o many to the &s;econd, com|pri&s;ing our duty towards
<PB N="65" REF="39">our neighbour, both having a like number to in&s;truct our chri&s;tian Carriage to God, and Superiors, in the fir&s;t: and to our neighbours, and inferiors, in the latter. In re|ference to the fir&s;t, the&s;e ca&s;es &s;eem to be of mo&s;t u&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Our Saviour having made full &s;aiisfaction, and quitted us from Gods wrath, the cur&s;e of the Law, and the intere&s;t of Satan, what need any works, or duties to be performed on our parts, or paying that debt againe by ob&s;erving the Com|mandements, which our Savi|our hath &s;o confe&s;&s;edly di&s;char|ged; Is not the con&s;cience hence le&s;t at liberty to do what &s;he listeth, and the opinions of moderne</HI> Antinomians <HI>(as they are called) ju&s;tified, who urge that the commandements are by the Go&s;pell cancelled?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>The law delivered by <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI>
<PB N="67" REF="40">was <HI>ceremoniall, judiciall, and moral.</HI> The <HI>fir&s;t</HI> propo&s;ed types, and &s;hadowes, which vani&s;hed at the comming of our <HI>Saviour,</HI> which was the &s;ub&s;tance. The <HI>&s;econd</HI> &s;ort had relation to the Jew|i&s;h common-wealth, with which it did expire, and had its period. So that the <HI>morall</HI> Law in the ten commande|ments come only in this point in que&s;tion, that is in plaine termes, &s;eeing we, be|ing ju&s;tified by faith only, in believing and depending up|on that which Chri&s;t hath done for us, may doe as we li&s;t; for keeping or not kee|ing the commandements can do us neither good nor harm. The &s;etling of the con&s;cience herein is, (1.) the di&s;tin|gui&s;hing betwixt <HI>ju&s;tification,</HI> &amp; <HI>Sanctification,</HI> then (2.) by con&s;idering what that <HI>faith is
<PB N="66" REF="40">that justifieth,</HI> (3.) by weigh|ing the meanes whereby we &s;hall come to that happine&s;&s;e and eternall &s;alvation, which faith hath &s;et us free to ob|tain. <HI>Faith</HI> indeed only on our part ju&s;tifieth us before Gods tribunall, by pleading that our Saviour hath paid that debt for us, which we could not doe: and there|fore &s;hould not in ju&s;tice be exacted againe. And this is that, which S. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;o much urgeth, in the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Romans,</HI> and el&s;ewhere. But as to the <HI>&s;econd</HI> point, S. <HI>James</HI> will purpo&s;ely tell that this <HI>ju&s;tifying faith</HI> mu&s;t not be meerly <HI>&s;peculative,</HI> but <HI>operative,</HI> expre&s;&s;ed in good workes, as the Apo&s;tle enjoyneth us, which hath <HI>charity</HI> annexed to it, that without it, it is <HI>dead</HI> and hy|pocriticall, rather damning
<PB N="68" REF="41">then &s;aving. Whereupon our <HI>Saviour</HI> calleth upon us, <HI>if you love me</HI> (for that I have freed you) keep <HI>my comman|dements,</HI> and in a more &s;trict manner then was urged, and practi&s;ed by the Scribes and Phari&s;ees. And S. <HI>Pauls</HI> pre|cept is peremptory (to &s;hew the <HI>Hebrewes</HI> he writ to the faith <HI>included,</HI> not <HI>excluded</HI> good works) <HI>follow peace, and holine&s;&s;e, without which no man &s;hall &s;ee the Lord, Heb.</HI> 22.14. All then of any judg|ment grant that <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Works</HI> mu&s;t be nece&s;&s;arily joyned; but whether <HI>Works</HI> come in as nece&s;&s;ary fruits of faith, or co-partners with it in ju&s;tification, this breeds the quarrel: And &s;ome have gone &s;o far, as to make Faith nothing el&s;e but obedience to the Commandements. But no con&s;cience &s;hould dare to
<PB N="69" REF="41">appeare with works to ju|&s;tifie it before Gods Tribu|nall, but only tho&s;e of our Saviour which the Prince of this world could not except again&s;t. As our faith there|fore in Chri&s;t ju&s;tifieth us, &s;o our workes mu&s;t ju&s;tifie, or make good our faith. <HI>We are delivered from the hands of our enemies</HI> (&s;aith old <HI>Zacha|ry</HI>) <HI>to &s;erve God without fear,</HI> but how? in &s;erving him <HI>in holine&s;&s;e,</HI> as to God-wards, <HI>and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> towards our neighbour, <HI>before him all the dayes of our lives.</HI> Luk. 1.74, 75.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. II.</NOTE>The &s;econd Commande|ment <HI>forbids not only all kind or idolatrous wor&s;hip, but the preci&s;e making of any &s;ort of images, pictures , &s;tatues, graven, molten, of Stone, Bra&s;&s;e, or other mettall, pil|lars erected or the like, with
<PB N="72" REF="42">what con&s;cience then may images be permited to remain in Churches, where a full re|formation of idolatry is pre|tended?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>The Commandement for|bids not the making, or ha|ving of images in any places ab&s;olutely, but onely for a religious u&s;e; falling downe to, at or before them by way of adoration, as they repre|&s;ent the true object of our wor&s;hip. For as the <HI>fir&s;t Com|mandement</HI> holdeth us to the true wor&s;hiping of the living God, that only knowes the heart, and can di&s;cerne be|tweene right meaning and hypocri&s;ie: &s;o the <HI>&s;econd</HI> pre|&s;cribeth the due manner he would be wor&s;hiped in, not by images, or <HI>imaginations,</HI> or Chimeras, the calves of man, or poeticall inventions, but <HI>in the beauty of holine&s;&s;e,
<PB N="73" REF="42">in &s;pirit and in truth,</HI> as he hath appointed. Images then not of God, who is infinite, and mu&s;t not be confined to the idea of a peevi&s;h painter, may be tolerated, or made (1.) for <HI>historicall u&s;e,</HI> repre|&s;entative, or memoriall, as the &s;tructure of the arke, temple, and holy uten&s;ills belonging to it, and the boundaries of places, and Countries by mapps, which our be&s;t bibles have. (2.) They may &s;erve for <HI>orna|ment,</HI> as the cherubims, and palme-trees pre&s;cribed by God him&s;elfe in Sacred ad|dre&s;&s;es. (3.) By way of <HI>em|blemes,</HI> expre&s;&s;ing &s;age para|bles, and pa&s;&s;ages as make for in&s;truction in faith, and manners. As the parable of the <HI>rich glutton,</HI> and <HI>Laza|rus,</HI> the <HI>Prodigall,</HI> or the like. But upon the&s;e pretences to
<PB N="72" REF="43">be taken in by a new title of <HI>relative wor&s;hip,</HI> and &s;o to be crouched unto, ki&s;&s;ed, and clothed, al&s;o to be perfumed and prayed at, this is that which is ever to be prote&s;ted again&s;t, and dete&s;ted. Our memorialls, directions, and prae&s;criptions for Gods wor|&s;hip are &s;et before us, (1.) in his <HI>workes,</HI> (2.) in his <HI>word,</HI> (3.) in his <HI>Sacraments.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 19.</NOTE> <HI>The heavens declare the glory of God. The word of the Lord gives wi&s;dome unto the &s;im|ple.</HI> Images are teachers of lyes, in this behalfe. And for remembring the gracious worke of our <HI>redemption,</HI> the direction runneth not, get thee a material crucifix, or an artificiall picture of it, to &s;tir up thy devotion: but take <HI>Bread and Wine,</HI> break it, and drink it, according to thy Saviours &s;olemn in&s;titution.
<PB N="73" REF="43"><HI>Doe this in remembrance of me.</HI> People among&s;t us are now &s;o weaned from the&s;e babies, that they are left in divers Churches, without looking after: But if they chance to prove &s;candalous, the removall of them, as of the brazen &s;erpent, in a law|full way, hath been alwayes thought, &amp; taught among&s;t us to be nece&s;&s;ary and lau|dable.</P>
<P><HI>To the</HI> third Commande|ment <HI>may be referred,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III.</NOTE> <HI>the</HI> taking of Gods name in vain (1.) <HI>by irreverent u&s;ing of it in common talke, or merri|ment,</HI> (2.) <HI>In not profe&s;sing, and confe&s;sing of our Faith upon ju&s;t occa&s;ion,</HI> (3.) <HI>u&s;ing a&s;&s;everations, obtestations, or prote&s;tations to deceive,</HI> (4.) <HI>in imprecations,</HI> (5.) <HI>bla&s;phe|mies,</HI> (6.) <HI>gallanting it in Oathes, and Perjury,</HI> (7.)
<PB N="74" REF="44"><HI>with the lea&s;t, or no con&s;idera|tion at all of the Penalty that lyes upon it,</HI> The Lord wil not hold him guiltle&s;&s;e, that ta|keeth his name in vain: <HI>In all which, the&s;e ca&s;es &s;hould e&s;peci|ally be looked after. Whether</HI> (1.) <HI>ignorance,</HI> (2.) <HI>pa&s;sion,</HI> (3.) <HI>aequivocation,</HI> (4.) <HI>fraud,</HI> (5.) <HI>force,</HI> (6.) <HI>a good intention,</HI> (7.) <HI>the avoidance of utter ru|ine may excu&s;e from Per|jury?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>For directing the Con&s;ci|ence herein, it mu&s;t be fir&s;t taken for a ground: That <HI>an Oath is a Religious,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 6.16.</NOTE> <HI>and nece&s;&s;ary confirmation</HI> (becau&s;e not otherwi&s;e to be u&s;ed, but in ca&s;es of nece&s;|&s;ity) <HI>of things doubtfull, by calling on God, to be a witne&s;s of our true meaning, to end differences, and a revenger of fal&s;hood, if we &s;wear fal&s;ly; wherein the failing is Perjury,
<PB N="75" REF="44">not to pardoned but by God him&s;elfe, who in the highe&s;t degree is di&s;moured by it.</HI> Secondly, <HI>&s;uch an Oath</HI> (to pa&s;&s;e by other di&s;tinctions) is either <HI>a&s;&s;ertory,</HI> or promi&s;|&s;ory. The a&s;&s;ertory is that which u&s;ually is mini&s;tred to, and taken by witne&s;&s;es for the affirming, or deny|ing of a thing pa&s;t; wherein the Perjury is apparent, and inexcu&s;able, if the truth prove otherwi&s;e, then the Oath hath a&s;&s;erted it to be. The <HI>promi&s;&s;ory</HI> is an engage|ment for performance, or forbearance &s;omewhat to come, taking God to wit|ne&s;&s;e, that that is truly meant, which is &s;worne. This (as much le&s;&s;e in the a&s;&s;ertory Oath for things pa&s;t) ignorance cannot ex|cu&s;e, for why wilt thou &s;weare that which thou art
<PB N="76" REF="45">incertaine of? Neither &s;hould pa&s;&s;ion, as fury, fear, love, hatred, or the like. For the&s;e overbearing Religion, rather aggravate then extenuate the fault, which the yeilding un|to, where it &s;hould not, maketh voluntary. And herein <HI>equivocation</HI> is &s;uch a deluding of God, and Man, that it makes it to be of a deeper tincture, and le&s;&s;e tolerable, then more open fraud, whereby though we cozen Men, <HI>God will not be mocked.</HI> A good intention, and the avoidance of utter ruine, may put one for|&s;worn into a capacity of pi|ty, in regard of humane frail|ty, but not of pardon for Perjury, when the gaine of the whole world may not countervaile the lo&s;&s;e of a Soule.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE><HI>Whether an oath taken by a
<PB N="77" REF="45">party that is in a capacity to &s;weare, wherein God is called on to be a witne&s;se, in expre&s;&s;e, or inclu&s;ive termes, may be di&s;pen&s;ed with by any created power, or authority, from the disburdening of a tender con|&s;cience?</HI></P>
<P>A &s;ingle an&s;wer cannot &s;a|tisfie a que&s;tion, con&s;i&s;ting of many di&s;tinct particulars, yet this may pa&s;&s;e for a rule in &s;ome &s;ort generall, That e|very oath, upon what motive &s;oever taken, bindeth the ta|ker to the po&s;&s;ible perfor|mance of it, if the thing be good: or to a &s;erious repen|tance, for perjured ra&s;hnes, if it be found otherwi&s;e. In particular, (1.) an oath is to be di&s;tingui&s;hed from a &s;im|ple a&s;&s;everation, promi&s;e, vow, prote&s;tation, or engage|ment; wherein God is not called to arbitrate, but Man
<PB N="78" REF="46">&s;tandeth upon his owne re|putation, and &s;incere deal|ing, or true meaning: and therefore the breach of the&s;e is accounted rather <HI>di&s;ho|ne&s;ty,</HI> then rude <HI>perjury.</HI> Where, (2.) notice is to be taken, that the party &s;wea|ring, be not uncapable, by rea&s;on of infancy, madne&s;&s;e, or di&s;temper, to take an Oath: for the actions of &s;uch come not under the cen&s;ure of the <HI>Court of Con&s;cience.</HI> (3.) &s;uch u&s;ual forms of &s;peech as the&s;e, <HI>God is my judge, God knowes I meant no harme, be|fore God I had no &s;uch thought,</HI> or the like, mu&s;t be reckoned as Oathes; whereas <HI>by my Faith or Troth, or of my Soul, or Honesty, or Salvation,</HI> or the like, be but &s;erious a&s;&s;e|verations: of re&s;pecting which religiou&s;ly, a Con|&s;cience mu&s;t bee made.
<PB N="79" REF="46">Whence that <HI>Amen, Amen,</HI> verily, verily, mu&s;t not be accounted an Oath of him, that gave in charge, in com|mon conver&s;ation, not to &s;wear at all. (4.) Be&s;ides here, <HI>the &s;wearing by Crea|tures</HI> is no way approved by a <HI>Papi&s;t,</HI> and di&s;covers the heedle&s;&s;e vanity of a <HI>Prote|&s;tant,</HI> worthy to be puni&s;hed, though not for Perjury, yet for peevi&s;h profane&s;&s;e. As <HI>by the Heavens, by our Lady, by the Ma&s;&s;e,</HI> or <HI>by my George,</HI> which binde (yet make guil|ty the &s;wearer) in relation the Creatures have to the Creator, (5.) In regard whereof, neither <HI>Pope, Prince, or Potentate,</HI> hath any po|wer to di&s;pen&s;e: for &s;uch ca&s;es are re&s;erved onely to God, who&s;e intere&s;t Man mu&s;t not pre&s;ume to in|trench upon, except he will
<PB N="80" REF="47">deal (as the Devill did with our Saviour) and take upon him to give all Kingdomes, who had intere&s;t onely in Hells Dungeon. (6.) When therefore a contract by Oath, is between Superior, and In|ferior Prince, and Subject, or Equall, bargaining one with another; or promi&s;es are made on conditions, or by parties not in their owne di&s;po&s;ition; if the Superior dye, or cea&s;e to be &s;uch, or the parties concerned give up their intere&s;t, or conditi|on at fir&s;t, po&s;&s;ible, but af|ter the contract prove unpo&s;|&s;ible, or of &s;candalous, or damnable con&s;equence, or the act of the party, under government, be di&s;allow|ed by his lawfull Guardian, the Oath may be truly &s;aid to be void, and the Con&s;ci|ence disburdened of it, not
<PB N="81" REF="47">by <HI>mans di&s;pen&s;ation,</HI> or re|laxation, but by <HI>Gods di&s;po&s;i|tion,</HI> who hath appointed oathes as a part of his wor|&s;hip to end controver&s;ies, not to intangle con&s;ciences. (7.) La&s;tly, an oath taken to per|forme that is wicked, as that <HI>of the Jewi&s;h Zealots to kill</HI> S. <HI>Paul,</HI> or to abandone that which is good, As a man to &s;weare he will never &s;erve his Prince, come neer his wife, help his children, or friends, (which by all tyes of religi|on, and morality he is bound to doe) the band lyes &s;till upon his con&s;cience to ex|piate his damnable ra&s;hnes in taking &s;uch an oath, with all <HI>con&s;cionable repentance,</HI> not to execute that which he hath &s;worne: le&s;t by thin|king to decline <HI>perjury,</HI> he in|curre a more <HI>damnable abo|mination. Herod</HI> had better
<PB N="82" REF="48">have broken his oath, then &s;o barbarous&s;ly have murdered <HI>John Bapti&s;t.</HI> And <HI>David</HI> ble&s;&s;ed the advice of <HI>Abigail,</HI> that was a meanes to put him off from that he had vowed to God, to performe. And <HI>Saul</HI> was content with the peoples mutiny in a manner, that plucked <HI>Prince Jona|than away,</HI> from undergoing the doome of fury <HI>under Zeales vizard.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE><HI>Touching the</HI> fourth Com|mandement, <HI>with what con|&s;cience can any &s;ay,</HI> Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keepe this law, <HI>when it is confe&s;&s;ed, that the day is changed, and the praeci&s;e ob&s;ervation of the letter would nece&s;&s;arily ca&s;t us back upon the ob&s;ervation of the</HI> Jewi&s;h Sabbath, <HI>turning our</HI> Sun|dayes <HI>into</HI> Saturdayes, <HI>there being neither praecept, nor pro|mi&s;e
<PB N="83" REF="48">to direct us otherwi&s;e?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>In the <HI>Sabbath</HI> two things are con&s;iderable, (1.) the <HI>day,</HI> and (2.) <HI>rest.</HI> The <HI>day,</HI> by the analogy manife&s;ted in the commandement, is to be one in &s;even, according to the patterne given by God. The <HI>re&s;t</HI> is oppo&s;ed to &s;uch worldly labour, as might a|ny way hinder it; but not as though it were &s;et a&s;ide to all employment, or might be &s;pent in &s;leep, or idlene&s;&s;e, or (that which we call pa&s;times: but employed, it mu&s;t be, in workes of <HI>&s;anctity,</HI> not to be diverted, or retarded by our &s;elves, or any that belong unto us, in bu&s;ine&s;&s;es of our ord<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nary vocation. This <HI>rest</HI> mu&s;t ever be taken for <HI>mo|rall,</HI> for all mens con&s;ciences will give them, that <HI>publick wor&s;hip</HI> is as due to God, and &s;hould be performed with
<PB N="84" REF="49">more &s;olemnity then <HI>pri|vate.</HI> This cannot be done without <HI>time</HI> &amp; <HI>place</HI> &s;o &s;et, that the a&s;&s;embling may be certain. But the <HI>duty</HI> &s;till re|maining, the <HI>day</HI> was altera|ble: e&s;pecially by him, who profe&s;&s;eth him&s;elf, <HI>Lord of the Sabbath,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 12.8.</NOTE> Matth. 12.8. and therefore might well &s;ub&s;ti|tute the, <HI>Lords day</HI> in&s;tead thereof. This day the acts of the Apo&s;tles confirmed, by the keeping of it; and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors have continued it, as of divine ordinance, in all Churches; which &s;o mu&s;t &s;tand,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 4.10.</NOTE> till it bring us to the perpetuall Sabbath of the Church triumphant. When we &s;ay therefore at the reci|tall of this commandement, <HI>Lord incline our hearts to keep this law,</HI> our meaning is, the morality of this law, which is, an enlivening, as it were
<PB N="85" REF="49">to all the re&s;t, not as the day was &s;et the Jewes; to be the &s;eventh from the creation, but as it was altered by our Saviour, and his Apo&s;tles practi&s;e, in regard of his <HI>glo|rious re&s;urrection,</HI> from that re&s;ting in the grave, to which the <HI>Jewi&s;h Sabbath</HI> had refe|rence. So that <HI>typicall Satur|day</HI> might well give place to that <HI>Sunday.</HI> For which change, tho&s;e that call for a precept, mu&s;t learne, that <HI>patternes</HI> may be as warran|table in matters of order, as <HI>precepts</HI> in the Articles of the Creed, <HI>the acts of the Apo|&s;tles being as canonicall as the foure Evangeli&s;ts.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In the &s;ame commandement,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> <HI>the text expre&s;&s;ely giving in charge,</HI> &s;ix dayes &s;halt thou labour, and doe all that thou ha&s;t to doe, <HI>what warrant may a pious con&s;cience finde,
<PB N="86" REF="50">for keeping any holidayes any time of the weeke, and &s;ome|times with greater &s;olemnity, then the Lords day it &s;elf is ce|lebrated?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE>Tho&s;e words are not to be taken as a command, but to be received in this &s;en&s;e. I have allotted thee a vocation in what&s;oever condition thou art, and allow none to be idle, but to walke as I have called him. To performe which duty, for thine owne occa&s;ions &s;ix dayes are allot|ted thee: But the &s;eventh I refer wholly for mine owne &s;ervice, and command all thy &s;ecular bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to be laid a|&s;ide, the more punctually to attend on it. Where we find that of the time left to our di&s;po&s;e; if we, upon good grounds for extraordinary ble&s;&s;ings appoint a day, or more, for prayer, prai&s;e, and
<PB N="87" REF="50">thanksgiving, we have the patterne of the old Te&s;ta|ment, and the practi&s;e of our Saviour, who honoured with his pre&s;ence, and preaching the fea&s;t of the <HI>dedication,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo: 10.22 Macchab. 4.59.</NOTE> or|deined by the <HI>Machabees.</HI> And for that we are taught, and know, <HI>that right deare in the &s;ight of the Lord are the death of his Saints,</HI> as their lives have been honourable. And the righteous God hath &s;o done, and doth his mar|veilous works, that they ought to be had in remem|brance: What heavenly ad|vantages may be taken, for &s;etting forth Gods prai&s;es in his Saints? And &s;tir up men to imitate &s;uch excellent guides, and to glorifie the gi|ver of all in the be&s;t expre&s;&s;i|on we may. Tho&s;e con&s;cien|ces, little con&s;ider, that make no con&s;cience on their owne
<PB N="88" REF="51">heads to call men from their vocations, to their affected a&s;&s;emblies, upon any day of the weeke, and yet murmure at the Church, for celebra|ting the memory (I &s;ay) not of Saints, and Martyrs, but of our <HI>Saviours Nativity,</HI> and a&s;cen&s;ion, as though it carri|ed with it &s;uper&s;tition.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII.</NOTE><HI>The</HI> fifth Commandement <HI>is acknowledged by all, to give in charge the duties of all infe|riors to their lawfull &s;uperiors, the due performance of which, is backed with a promi&s;e of long life, and enjoyments of &s;uch po&s;&s;e&s;sions, as God hath be&s;towed on all in their &s;eve|rall callings. But if &s;uch &s;u|periors renouncing God, and all goodne&s;&s;e, endeavour the oppre&s;sion, and ruine of tho&s;e they &s;hould protect, are not in|feriors in &s;uch ca&s;es bound in con&s;cience to re&s;i&s;t, for their
<PB N="89" REF="51">owne pre&s;ervation, and force|ably to oppo&s;e them, if the ca&s;e require it?</HI></P>
<P><HI>S. Pauls deci&s;ion</HI> is herein ex|pre&s;&s;e for the <HI>negative,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> Rom. 13.1, 2. <HI>Let every &s;oul be &s;ub|ject to the higher powers,</HI> as being Gods ordinance, and cannot be re&s;i&s;ted without the penalty of <HI>Damnation.</HI> But what and they prove &s;o intollerable, that to yeeld to them, &s;hould be the undoing of our &s;elves and ours? Not|with&s;tanding Saint <HI>Peter</HI> will afford no di&s;pen&s;ation for this giving honour, and &s;ub|mi&s;&s;ion: which mu&s;t be per|formed, not only for our owne quietne&s;&s;e, and con|veniencies, but for the Lords &s;ake, and not <HI>to Kings only that are &s;upreame,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 2.13.</NOTE> <HI>and have no &s;uperiour judg to be ac|countable to but only God;</HI> but al&s;o to &s;uch governours as
<PB N="90" REF="52">they &s;hall put in commi&s;&s;i|on, whether gentle, or fro|ward, mu&s;t be re&s;pected with due reverence in their places. <HI>For this is thanke|worthy</HI> (&s;aith the &s;ame Apo&s;tle) <HI>if a man, for con&s;ci|ence towards God, endure grief, &s;uffering wrongfully.</HI> He addes the example of our &s;aviour for confirmation. <HI>For hereunto were ye called</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>becau&s;e Chri&s;t al&s;o &s;uffered for us, leaving us an example that we &s;hould follow his steps.</HI> Which how &s;incere+ly they doe, that corrupt old texts with new glo&s;&s;es, judg where they &s;hould be judged: and put that to the que&s;tion, and carry it how they plea&s;e, which never heretofore was doubted of, their owne con&s;cience will tell them one day, when they &s;hall be called to repetitions.</P>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="section">
<PB N="91" REF="52">
<HEAD><HI>SECT. II.</HI> Ca&s;es concerning the five Commandements of the Se|cond Table.</HEAD>
<P>THe precepts of the <HI>&s;e|cond Table</HI> have rela|tion to our neigh|bours, and equals, as tho&s;e of the fir&s;t had to our Supe|riors. Which neighbour mu&s;t not be wronged of us, (1.) in his life, by murder, (2.) in his wife, by adultery, (3.) in his goods, by &s;tealing from him, (4.) in his good name, by bearing fal&s;e wit|ne&s;&s;e again&s;t him, (5.) no not &s;o much as in de&s;ire. But our utmo&s;t endeavor mu&s;t be, for pre&s;erving all the&s;e ble&s;&s;ings in life, wife, goods, and good name unto him: being contented on our part, with
<PB N="92" REF="53">what God hath ble&s;&s;ed us with, in all tho&s;e particulars; not wi&s;hing to better our e&s;tates, by the dimini&s;hing of anothers, nor grudging that our neighbour enjoyes more plenty, then our &s;elves, but holding, that which God hath &s;ent us, to be the fitte&s;t portion for us.</P>
<P><HI>Concerning then this</HI> &s;ixt Commandement <HI>of the ten,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. I.</NOTE> <HI>and first (as we reckon) of the &s;econd Table,</HI> Thou &s;halt doe no murther, <HI>that is, thou &s;halt in no &s;ort wrong thy Brother touching his life, but doe the be&s;t to pre&s;erve it, a &s;cruple may be rai&s;ed, Whether a man upon any preten&s;e to avoid any inconvenience, or to attain any bettering of his e&s;tate, may be his owne executioner, and make him&s;elfe away?</HI></P>
<P>He may not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> and that by vertue of this Commande|ment.
<PB N="93" REF="53">For if our love to our Neighbour, mu&s;t be patter|ned by the love we beare our &s;elves, according to that, <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy neighbour as thy &s;elfe:</HI> Then if thy Neighbour may not be &s;lain by thee, neither any violence or injury offered unto him tending that way, much le&s;&s;e can&s;t thou in con&s;cience kill thy &s;elfe, or u&s;e any meanes on purpo&s;e to &s;horten thy dayes, be the pretext never &s;o &s;pecious, (2.) In&s;tances out of Scripture, (1.) of <HI>Samp|&s;on,</HI> (2.) <HI>Saul,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Mach. 6.46.2.14.37.</NOTE> (3) his <HI>armour-bearer,</HI> (4.) <HI>Eleazar Savaran's</HI> De&s;perate adventure upon an Elephant, (5.) <HI>Razis,</HI> and (6.) <HI>Judas I&s;cariot,</HI> yeild not the Lea&s;t excu&s;e for &s;o unnaturall a fact. For though &s;omewhat may be &s;aid for <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> that he intended not his owne death, but revenge on his e|nemies,
<PB N="94" REF="54">as <HI>Eleazar</HI> did the ho|nour of his Countrey, and re|ligion; yet <HI>Razis</HI> violence can hardly be excu&s;ed, <HI>Saul's</HI> and his <HI>armour-bearers</HI> mu&s;t needs be condemned. <HI>Achitophels</HI> is &s;et up, for a patterne for all <HI>perfidious politicians</HI> to take example by, and <HI>Judas</HI> left as a monument to the terror of all <HI>traytors, that buy and &s;ell their Ma&s;ters.</HI> (3.) Tho&s;e that through drinking, drabbing, or needle&s;&s;e quarrelling, ha|&s;ten their owne ends; as al&s;o through peevi&s;h vowes, af|fected &s;orrow, or wayward melancholy dammes, neglect their owne pre&s;ervation, by all decent meanes offered, may doe well to con&s;ult with their owne con&s;ciences, whether they come not within the compa&s;&s;e of this command, <HI>thou &s;halt not commit murder,</HI> neither on thy &s;elf nor others.
<PB N="95" REF="54">But of others more hereaf|ter.</P>
<P>Next the pre&s;ervation of Gods image, in being tender of mans life, the upholding and keeping his temple from pollution is e&s;pecially to be re&s;pected, which is done in this &s;eventh commandement, <HI>thou &s;halt not commit adultery,</HI> wherein not only all kind of uncleanne&s;&s;e, and incitements thereunto tending, and allu|ring are utterly forbidden: But mode&s;ty, &s;hame facene&s;&s;e, and continency in thought, word, and deed, are e&s;tabli&s;h|ed. In which this &s;cruple may fir&s;t ari&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Whether marriages within</HI> degrees of con&s;anguinity, or affinity prohibited, <HI>Levit.</HI> 18. or of patties <HI>&s;eparated after lawfull wedlock,</HI> while both re|maine alive, <HI>or</HI> polygamie <HI>that multiplyeth the couple, that
<PB N="96" REF="55">&s;hould make but one fle&s;h, in con&s;cience may be condemned, as adulterous?</HI></P>
<P>The &s;afe&s;t tenent is that they may and ought.<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> For the&s;e prohibited degrees, in <HI>Leviticus</HI> are urged by God, as the dictates of nature, ex|tended as well to all gentiles, as Jewes, by the text it &s;elf. <HI>For all tho&s;e abhominations have the men of the land done which were before you,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 1 8 27 &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>and the land is defiled.</HI> For which of|fences they were &s;pewed out, and that &s;oule &s;hall be cut off from among his people, that is found in the like tran&s;gre&s;&s;i|ons. (2.) Then for the indi&s;|&s;oluble bond of wedlock, but only by death, our Saviour and the Apo&s;tle are &s;o pun|ctual, that it &s;hould terrify any one free to marry a party divorced, and not by death &s;eperated. <HI>Fornication indeed
<PB N="97" REF="55">may make a &s;eparation, but not ju&s;tifie the marrying of the party innocent.</HI> Why may not upon repentance, and a|mendment of the party of|fending, a Chri&s;tian recon|ciliation be made? after which, if fornication prece|dent had di&s;&s;olved the band, a new marriage of the party &s;o di&s;&s;olved mu&s;t be made, before they may lawfully come againe together, as man and wife. Be&s;ide this openeth a gap to wicked people, that are weary of their fir&s;t engagement, by wickedne&s;&s;e to make a way for freeing the~&s;elves of it, to &s;atisfie their leudne&s;s, under a pretence of law. And (3.) for <HI>Polygamy,</HI> or taking more wives then one at a time, the examples of the fathers of the old Te&s;tament cannot &s;atisfy the con&s;cience of
<PB N="98" REF="56">tho&s;e, who live under the New, being taught by our Saviour, <HI>that from the begin|ning it was not &s;o:</HI> but two only were appointed to be one fle&s;h. And therefore what was not taxed in good men, but borne with in Gods not revealed de&s;ignes, mu&s;t not make a rule for po&s;terity, who are tyed to follow Gods precepts, not all the be&s;t mens actions in ca&s;es of con&s;cience: accord|ing to the Apo&s;tles limited exhortation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.1.</NOTE> <HI>Be ye followers of me, as I am a follower of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Whether painting,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III.</NOTE> <HI>or patch|ing of the face, cri&s;ping and curling of the hayre, expo&s;ing the nakedne&s;&s;e of the neck or paps (which as attractives or incentives unto lu&s;tfull de|&s;ires) e&s;pecially by &s;uch wo|men, that have husbands; and
<PB N="99" REF="56">that in publick a&s;&s;emblies, in con&s;cience may be u&s;ed, or ap|proved of?</HI></P>
<P>In matters of indifferency,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> cu&s;tome, &amp; &s;hunning &s;ingu|larity may pick out &s;ome ex|cu&s;e. But tho&s;e, who &s;hall con&s;ider the cen&s;ure pa&s;t up|on the daughters of Sion in that behalf, by the Prophet, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 3. and the whol&s;ome in|&s;truction left by the Apo&s;tle to wives, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.3. (which others al&s;o may doe well to follow) <HI>who&s;e adorning, let it not be that outward ador|ning of playting the haire, and in wearing of gold, and put|ting on of apparell, but let it be the hidden man of the heart (in that which is not corrupti|ble) even the ornament of a meeke, and quiet &s;pirit, which is in the &s;ight of God of great price,</HI> will be very cautious how they adventure in this
<PB N="100" REF="57">particular; &s;urely the <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Virgin</HI> would have been a|&s;hamed to have admitted &s;uch garments, as now Su|per&s;tition adornes her Sta|tues with to &s;et her forth, for &s;piritual fornication. And S. <HI>James</HI> would have cryed out, at the &s;ights in the&s;e times,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 11.8.</NOTE> <HI>Ye adulterers, and a|dultere&s;&s;es, know ye not that the friend&s;hip of the world is enmity with God? Who&s;oe|ver therefore will be a friend of the world, is an enemy of God.</HI> Jam. 4.4. Our Saviour taxeth not the &s;oft rayment of tho&s;e that dwelt in <HI>Kings hou&s;es,</HI> whereby differences of places, and degrees are ac|cordingly di&s;tingui&s;hed; but thereupon to paint with <HI>Je|zabell,</HI> and riot with <HI>Dives,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 3.3.</NOTE> and leave <HI>poore Lazarus</HI> to the dogs provi&s;ion, this is to put on a <HI>Whores fore-head,</HI> a|gain&s;t
<PB N="101" REF="57">all mode&s;ty and con|&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>Whether dancing of men and women together,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE> <HI>frequent|ing &s;tage-playes, enterteyning la&s;civious &s;ongs, delighting in idle Romancies of love-bookes, or the like, come not as much within the compa&s;&s;e of this commandement, as the looking upon a woman, and the lu&s;ting after her? which our Saviour pronounceth to be adultery in the heart.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 5.28.</NOTE></P>
<P>There is a &s;aying among Philo&s;ophers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> things com|monly prove as they are taken. <HI>Dancing of men with women,</HI> why may it not be as harmle&s;&s;e as the &s;itting of them together at the Table, or in other a&s;&s;emblies? And what prohibition have we a|gain&s;t <HI>Stage-playes,</HI> that be|ing cautelou&s;ly penned, and decently acted, they &s;hould
<PB N="102" REF="58">not pa&s;&s;e for commendable recreation, for tho&s;e that are fit &s;pectators of them? So well contrived, and well languaged <HI>Romances</HI> (as &s;ome terme them) may be allowed to be read, by tho&s;e that know to make u&s;e of <HI>parabolicall, and emblematicall Propo&s;alls.</HI> They &s;tate not the que&s;tion, that <HI>decry wine, be|cau&s;e Drunkards abu&s;e it.</HI> Old mens <HI>&s;toicall &s;ewerne&s;&s;e</HI> mu&s;t not blame <HI>Saint Paul</HI>'s con|fe&s;&s;ed weakne&s;&s;e, that <HI>when he was a child, he &s;pake as a child, he under&s;tood as a child, and thought as a child,</HI> 1 Cor: 13.11. But rather endeavour, by all religious inducements, to draw tho&s;e that are be|come men, to put away childi&s;hnes. Let young <HI>Chim|ham</HI> goe with the King (&s;aith old <HI>Barzillai</HI>) and turne Courtier to &s;erve his Ma|&s;ter.
<PB N="103" REF="58"><HI>But I that am a man of foure &s;core,</HI> and now pa&s;t fea&s;ting, or hearing any more <HI>the voice of Singing men, and &s;inging women, let me goe home, and be buried with my ance&s;tors,</HI> 2 Sam: 19.35. And that wi&s;e <HI>King-preacher</HI> (as well gifted as any in the&s;e dayes) hath told all po&s;terity, that as there is <HI>a time to weep, &s;o there is a time to laugh,</HI> and as there is <HI>a time to mourne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 3.4.</NOTE> &s;o there is <HI>a time to dance.</HI></P>
<P>The eight Commandment, <HI>thou &s;halt not &s;teale,</HI> bringeth us from the conflicts of the fle&s;h, confined in the former precept, to the dealings a|broad in the world, to try how con&s;cience will be there e&s;teemed of. Wherein the ca&s;es of Sacriledge, abu&s;ing things con&s;ecrated to pro|fane u&s;es, (2.) cheating, or cozening in all &s;orts of con|tracts,
<PB N="104" REF="59">(3.) diverting, or de|priving the true owners of their right, being of &s;peciall note, this one que&s;tion will &s;erve in &s;tead of many.</P>
<P><HI>With what con&s;cience</HI> Lay-Impropriators <HI>withhold Tithes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE> <HI>or any other rights from the Church? or</HI> Mer|chants, <HI>and other trade&s;-men over-reach tho&s;e they contract with by any kind of deceit? Or</HI> carele&s;&s;e debters <HI>that take no cour&s;e to pay their Credi|tors, or provide things hone&s;t, or befitting them&s;elves and families, and yet thinke to be freed from the breach, and penalty, not from the</HI> burning in the hand <HI>only, but from</HI> the burning in the heart <HI>for</HI> no|torious thieves?</P>
<P>Tho&s;e that are found guil|ty in the&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> and the like crimes, have no other &s;alve for a fe&s;tering con&s;cience,
<PB N="105" REF="59">then that <HI>Jo&s;huah</HI> advi&s;ed <HI>Achan</HI> unto, to take off the venome of his &s;acriledge. <HI>My &s;on give glory to God, make Confe&s;sion what thou ha&s;t done, that Satisfaction may be made, before thou, and thine be ut|terly undone.</HI> Io&s;: 7.19. The accu&s;er will be found to re|inforce the evidence, till Satisfaction be made. <HI>Will a man rob his God? but ye &s;ay, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes, and offerings.</HI> (But what of that? We have law to back us, yet marke what followes) <HI>Ye are cur&s;ed with a cur&s;e; for ye have robbed me, even this whole Nation, Mal.</HI> 3.8, 9. <HI>Be not deceived, God is not mocked, he is a con&s;u|ming fire, and who will ju&s;tifie where he condemneth?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov 11.1. Lev. 19.36 Deut. 25.15 Pro. 16.11.20.10.23. Rom. 13.8.</NOTE> Cir|cumvention and <HI>fraud,</HI> or any kind of cheating by <HI>weights,</HI> or balances, or <HI>&s;hop|rhetorick,</HI>
<PB N="106" REF="60">he taketh for no other then <HI>&s;mooth theft;</HI> And will have his &s;ervants to <HI>owe nothing to any man, but that they love one another.</HI> He that is quitted by <HI>humane prece&s;|&s;es,</HI> may be ca&s;t and hanged at the <HI>Bar of Con&s;cience;</HI> which will never cea&s;e to be clamorous here, nor gnaw as a worme hereafter; if &s;atis|faction be not made, not by poore put-offs, but reall in|tendment, and re&s;titution.</P>
<P><HI>Concerning the</HI> ninth Com|mandement,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> <HI>which forbids us to wrong our neighbours re|putation by any means, under the expre&s;ion of</HI> bearing fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4.15</NOTE> <HI>and enjoyneth us to &s;peak the truth by all means in love, for the &s;etting forth of Gods glory, and the good of our &s;elves and others. The Ca&s;e may be, whether the meaning of it be &s;o rigidly to be taken,</HI>
<PB N="107" REF="60">(1.) <HI>That the telling an un|truth by</HI> Abraham, <HI>and</HI> I&s;aac <HI>to &s;ave their Wives cha&s;tity:</HI> (2.) <HI>By</HI> Jacob <HI>to beguile his brother of his</HI> ble&s;&s;ing: (3.) <HI>Of the</HI> Aegyptian <HI>Midwives to &s;ave poor</HI> infants from drow|ning: (4) <HI>Of</HI> Rahab, <HI>and the good woman of</HI> Bahurim <HI>for protecting of the</HI> faithfull State-me&s;&s;engers: (5.) <HI>Of</HI> Chu&s;ai, <HI>for defeating the</HI> treacherous de&s;ignes of the &s;on again&s;t the father: (6.) <HI>Of</HI> Jehu, <HI>for</HI> grubbing up the Baalites <HI>root and branch:</HI> (7.) <HI>Of</HI> Ananias, <HI>and</HI> Sapphira, <HI>to keep &s;omething about them, to tru&s;t to, how&s;oever things &s;hould fall out, may not with a &s;afe con&s;cience be followed? The like may be held of</HI> pre|tences <HI>making &s;hew of one thing, and meaning another, as that of</HI> Jaell to Si&s;erah, <HI>and the</HI> &s;eeming of our Saviour,
<PB N="108" REF="61"><HI>who made as if he would have gone further, to the di&s;ciples, travailing to Emaus, yet by the event may be gathered, meant no &s;uch matter?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Lyes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> the chief thing for|bidden under the name of <HI>fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e,</HI> are con&s;ented by all to be either, (1.) <HI>per|nicious,</HI> (2.) <HI>officious,</HI> (3.) <HI>fla&s;hes of wit to make &s;port.</HI> The <HI>pernicious</HI> lye, that ten|deth to the apparent wrong of any one, is condemned by all: but an <HI>officious</HI> lye, fra|med on an occa&s;ion to doe a deed of mercy, or preventing of an imminent mi&s;chief, w^t^h that merriment of the third &s;ort of <HI>jesting</HI> lyes for re|creations to &s;hew wit, or make &s;port, are exempted by diver&s;e from the mark of &s;in, and &s;o taken off from the ju|risdiction of this commande|ment. But the better groun|ded
<PB N="109" REF="61">opinion is, that no lye of what kind &s;oever can be ju&s;tified. For the text is plaine, <HI>ye &s;hall not &s;teale, nor deale fal&s;ely,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 19.19.11</NOTE> <HI>nor lye one to a|another.</HI> Put away lying, &s;peake every man truth with his neighbour, For we are members one of another: and members of the &s;ame body &s;hould naturally con|cur, for the pre&s;ervation of the whole, which con&s;i&s;teth in mutuall agreement. And when lyars come to be cen|&s;ured, there will be allow|ance out of doubt had, ac|cording to the proportion of wrong done, or intended, without any di&s;tinction, or exemption. <HI>Lyars</HI> are chain'd among&s;t the <HI>fearfull</HI> to &s;tand up for Gods truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel: 21. 8</NOTE> among&s;t <HI>infidels,</HI> and <HI>abhominable,</HI> among&s;t <HI>murderers,</HI> and <HI>whore-mongers, &s;orcerers,</HI> and
<PB N="110" REF="62"><HI>idolaters,</HI> which &s;hall have their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brim&s;tone, which is the &s;e|cond death. Now, for an|&s;wer to the in&s;tances given, which &s;eem to make &s;ome lies pa&s;&s;eable. How&s;oever, Apologies in particular may be made to excu&s;e them from being lies, this generall rule may &s;erve, <HI>That where the Scripture &s;ets downe Hi|&s;torically, that which hath been done, without manife&s;t appro|ving of it: the deed with all the circum&s;tances is not a dire|ctory, or warrant for our man|ners, which are to be guided by Gods precepts, not by Mans practice:</HI> for the be&s;t mens actions may have &s;ome im|perfection in the carriage, which Gods infinite wi&s;dom turns to his owne glory, not
<PB N="111" REF="62">propo&s;eth to us for imitati|on, where precept is to the contrary. Our Saviour told not the travellers to <HI>Em|maus,</HI> that he would goe far|ther; but they conceived by his po&s;ture, that he would, which he took on him not to deceive them, but to quicken their de&s;ires, to retaine that which he had purpo&s;ed to doe for their good. Let this Ca&s;e of Con&s;cience lie ther|fore again&s;t all &s;ort of collu|&s;ion, whether in &s;port, or earne&s;t; for Gods truth is not to be played with, but as the <HI>third Commandement</HI> beats down <HI>&s;wearing</HI> to Gods dis|honour, &s;o this <HI>ninth</HI> allows no <HI>lying,</HI> whereby truth and plain dealing with any one may &s;uffer injury.</P>
<P>The <HI>la&s;t commandement</HI> puts the ax to the root of the tree, and excepteth not a|gain&s;t
<PB N="112" REF="63">externall acts, with internall purpo&s;es, and a&s;|&s;ent: but the very motions of corrupted nature, that bubble up again&s;t Gods law. So that originall &s;in is here as it were knocked on the head, le&s;t the cockatrice, not cru|&s;hed in the egge, might prove a ma&s;terle&s;&s;e &s;erpent. The vertues here pre&s;cribed are a hearty &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to Gods command, without the lea&s;t regret within, and a content with outward meanes, with|out grudging at others more happy condition. Whence the ca&s;e may ari&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII</NOTE> <HI>whether we may (which is done too of|ten) wi&s;h, with a good con&s;ci|ence, that any thing &s;hould be withdrawn from our neigh|bour to his prejudice, and con|ferred upon us, who re&s;t not content with what God hath|given us?</HI></P>
<PB N="113" REF="63">
<P>Such <HI>wi&s;hes, concupi&s;cence,</HI> or <HI>de&s;ires,</HI> are the <HI>&s;eeds of all mi&s;chiefs,</HI> and have their o|peration in <HI>touching, tickling,</HI> and <HI>tarrying thoughts,</HI> from which ari&s;e de&s;ire, <HI>a&s;&s;ent, and action.</HI> For the two la&s;t of which, that is, <HI>a&s;&s;ent and acti|on,</HI> the precedent comman|dements take &s;ufficient or|der: but here the <HI>involuntary motion,</HI> and pronenes to &s;in without con&s;ent is taken no|tice of and cen&s;ured; that man may be carefull of his mo&s;t retired plots, &s;eeing the &s;earcher, and tryer of the heart and reines calls all to a reckoning.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Philip: 4 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"></NOTE> <HI>I have learned</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>in what e|&s;tate &s;oever I am, therewithall to he content.</HI> That which our <HI>Saviour</HI> put off the tempting, entrapping Phari&s;ees, and <HI>Herodians</HI> with,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22.21</NOTE> <HI>give unto Cae&s;ar the things that are Cae|&s;ars,
<PB N="114" REF="64">and to God the things that are Gods,</HI> may &s;erve by way of arbitration to direct our con&s;cience in this behalf. Let our affections thus re&s;olve. I am fully content with that hou&s;e, wife, &s;ervants, or &s;ub|&s;tance, or any other thing that God hath ble&s;&s;ed me with. I heartily thank him for it, and be&s;eech him that I may &s;o improve it, that my reckoning at the la&s;t account may receive a, Qui|etus e&s;t, or approbation. And let my neighbour enjoy his on Gods name, whether it be more, or le&s;&s;e then I have, or he u&s;eth aright. To behave our &s;elves otherwi&s;e were to que&s;tion Gods wi&s;e|dome, and grudge at his di|&s;tribution, who giveth and taketh away not according to our appetites and fancy. Not our wi&s;hes, therefore,
<PB N="115" REF="64">wild and witle&s;&s;e, but his will mu&s;t: be, that a good con&s;ci|ence &s;hould alwayes wait up|on: Which if it were done, it would prevent the mani|fold law-&s;uites, and quarrels, that breed &s;o much vexation, and di&s;a&s;ters among Chri&s;ti|an neighbourhood; and &s;et a good tune to that pa&s;&s;age of the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>Turn again then unto thy re&s;t O my &s;oul, for the Lord hath rewarded thee! And why? thou ha&s;t delivered my &s;oule from death, mine eyes from teares, and my feet from falling, that I may walke be|fore the Lord in the land of the living, P&s;al.</HI> 116.7.8.9.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="116" REF="65">
<HEAD><HI>Chap. V.</HI> Ca&s;es upon con&s;ideration of the Lords Prayer.</HEAD>
<P><HI>FRom the first word</HI> our (<HI>as it lyeth in our language) and holdes forth a generall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. I.</NOTE> without exception, &s;ome con|&s;cience may haply &s;cruple, whether it be lawfull to pray for all &s;orts of people, without di&s;tinction, among&s;t whom &s;ome are departed this life, and can receive no benefit by our prayers, others may have &s;in|ned against the Holy gho&s;t, and God's decree is pa&s;t upon them, for whom we are not to pray.</HI></P>
<P>An <HI>evill</HI> man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> in an <HI>evill</HI> way, petitioning for an <HI>evill</HI> thing, may &s;peed no better then <HI>Bath&s;heba</HI> did for <HI>A|deniah,</HI> in her &s;uit to <HI>So|lomon,</HI>
<PB N="117" REF="65">to give him <HI>Abi&s;hag</HI> to wife: charity in our praiers is to be under&s;tood to extend no further, then Gods word doth limit it. To pray for the dead, who have their immutable doom, we have no warrant. It is &s;ufficient ground therefore for our con&s;cience in this behalf, that <HI>God would have all men to be &s;aved, and come to the knowledg of his truth,</HI> to make it a petition in our Li|tany, <HI>that it may plea&s;e him to have mercy upon all men,</HI> we be&s;eech thee to hear us good Lord. Wherein we expre&s;&s;e our charitable de&s;ires, leaving it to God to di&s;tingui&s;h for whom our prayers &s;hall be effectuall. A further directi|on may be that of our Savi|our to his Di&s;ciples;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">0.11, 13.</NOTE> <HI>if ye come into a hou&s;e, &s;alute it, and if the hou&s;e be worthy, let
<PB N="118" REF="66">your peace come upon it, but if the hou&s;e be not worthy, let your peace returne to you.</HI> So our devotion in prayer for all &s;hall be acceptable to our father, who maketh his <HI>&s;un to ri&s;e on the evill, as on the good; and his raine to fall on the unjust as on the ju&s;t:</HI> though the &s;aving benifit thereof &s;hall redound only to tho&s;e, whom God hath appointed it &s;hall take with.</P>
<P><HI>The &s;econd word in our Lords prayer</HI> is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. II.</NOTE> Father, <HI>which &s;hew|eth to what per&s;on in the ble&s;&s;ed Trinity, we &s;hould direct our prayers. This prayer then be|ing not only a prayer to be u&s;ed of all, but al&s;o a patterne to all, what warrant then hath a &s;crupulous con&s;cience to di|rect its prayers (not to Saints, or Angells, or any other crea|tures, for that good Chri&s;tians are ea&s;ily &s;atisfied in, but either)
<PB N="119" REF="66">to the Son, or holy Gho&s;t? in as much as we are preci&s;ely to keep to the rule which our Saviour hath left us, and not to frame other devotions, how religion &s;oever they may &s;eeme to be, according to the model of our owne fancies.</HI></P>
<P>This <HI>ground</HI> being laid in our <HI>Creed,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> that the three Per&s;ons, how&s;oever di&s;tingui&s;hed, are but one, God: it will nece&s;&s;a|rily follow thereupon, that who&s;oever prayeth to one, prayeth to all: and all the per&s;ons how&s;oever di&s;tin|gui&s;hed in them&s;elves, yet in relation to the creatures may be called Father. And be&s;ide, for the directing of our prayers to the <HI>Son,</HI> we have that of Saint <HI>Stephen, Lord Je&s;u receive my &s;pirit,</HI> Act. 7.59. And for that of the <HI>holy Gho&s;t, who gave a com|mandement &s;eparate me Bar|nabas
<PB N="120" REF="67">and Saul to the worke which I have called them,</HI> which mu&s;t needs be taken for the command of a per|&s;on, that was God, It fol|lows, <HI>after they had fa&s;ted and prayed,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3.</NOTE> to whom can we ima|gine that they have prayed, but to him who gave the command?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 28.</NOTE> This is confirmed by our baptizing equally in the name of the holy Gho&s;t, as of the Father, and Son: and by S. <HI>Pauls</HI> ble&s;&s;ing, ta|king in equally the Holy Gho&s;t, with the Father, and the Son. Where he maketh this as his ordinary ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>The grace of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 13.14</NOTE> <HI>and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Gho&s;t be with you all.</HI> Where the putting of Je&s;us Chri&s;t before the Father plainly &s;heweth, that (as we have it in <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> Creed) in this
<PB N="121" REF="67">my&s;terious, and &s;acred Tri|nity, none is afore, or after another, none is greater or le&s;&s;e then other. That which is done therefore to one, is done to all. For which that attribute, in the prayer of the Apo&s;tles, may be taken for a further ground. The Text is, <HI>they prayed, and &s;aid,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 1.</NOTE> <HI>thou Lord which knowe&s;t the hearts of all men.</HI> To him that knoweth therefore our hearts, and to no other, we may &s;afely direct our prayer; and who will deny that the Holy Gho&s;t knoweth our hearts? which is &s;aid to guide, and lead into all truth. That petition therefore in our Liturgy, with the like, <HI>O God the Holy Gho&s;t, proceed|ing from the Father, and the Son, have mercy upon us mi|&s;erable &s;inners:</HI> and the Doxo|logy &s;o often repeated, <HI>glory
<PB N="122" REF="68">be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,</HI> cannot be excepted again&s;t, but only by &s;uch wretches, which deny the Sacred Tri|nity. Notwith&s;tanding as &s;ome prayers are private, of, or by our &s;elves: others publick, with the congrega|tion: As private prayers are, u&s;ually, not nece&s;&s;arily, di|rected to either of the Per|&s;ons: So publick are mo&s;t orderly in the fir&s;t place ten|dered to the Father, through our Lord and Saviour Chri&s;t Je&s;us, that he will vouch&s;afe us his Holy Spi|rit, to furni&s;h us with all ble&s;&s;ings, to accompli&s;h all our warrantable petitions. And according to this are all, or mo&s;t of our <HI>Liturgi|call</HI> petitions framed, which in an uniformity &s;hew the order of the Per&s;ons in the
<PB N="123" REF="68">Trinity, and prevent di|&s;tractions, which might ari&s;e among&s;t the weaker by rea|&s;on of variety.</P>
<P><HI>From the fir&s;t petition,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III.</NOTE> hal|lowed be thy name, <HI>may ari&s;e this doubt. That in as much as our Saviour approved of &s;uch as ca&s;t out devills in his name, yet followed him not, and would not have them forbid|den: and the Jewes attribute, even at this day, a virtue to the name</HI> Jehovah, <HI>that mira|cles may be done by it, in re|gard whereof, in reverence they dare not to utter it: Why may not we thinke that the</HI> name of God <HI>u&s;ed by Magi|cians, and exorcists gathered by</HI> Cabala <HI>from the Scripture, may worke wonders in ca&s;ting out divills, curing di&s;ea&s;es, and foretelling events, and thereupon with a &s;afe con|&s;cience have recour&s;e to wi|zards
<PB N="124" REF="69">for aid in that behalfe?</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>name of God,</HI> in the &s;cripture, e&s;pecially impor|teth <HI>propriety, authority, and ability.</HI> So that being bap|tized, <HI>in the name of the Fa|ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> we are made Gods peculiar, to &s;ubmit to his authority, under the pro|tection of his omnipotent a|bility. In this petition there|fore it is, as fooli&s;h, as &s;uper|&s;titious, by <HI>the name of God</HI> to under&s;tand, from the coupling of the letters, the &s;ound re&s;ulting from it; or to imagine an hidden virtue to be in the characters, or &s;ound of words, to terrifie &s;pirits or worke other won|ders. The <HI>hallowing of Gods name</HI> is the &s;etting forth of Gods glory, in all his attri|butes, to which all our peti|tions mu&s;t be referred, that
<PB N="125" REF="69">his kingdome in his Church may be promoted here, to be perfected hereafter in hea|ven: and his will be done in order, according as is pre|&s;cribed in his word. Which warrantable directions we have from that guide that will not deceive. <HI>Saul</HI> will get cold comfort by con&s;u|ting with the <HI>witch of Endor:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam 28. 2 Kings. 1</NOTE> or <HI>Ahaziah</HI> by &s;ending to <HI>Beelzebub of Ekron.</HI> Our Sa|viour reproveth, rather the aemulous jealou&s;ie of his di&s;|ciples, then approveth of the parties that made u&s;e of his name, whom they would not follow. Concerning which we have his cen&s;ure, <HI>many will &s;ay unto me in that day, Lord, Lord,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 7.22</NOTE> <HI>have we not prophecied in thy name? And in thy name ca&s;t out devills? And in thy name done many wonderfull workes? I then
<PB N="126" REF="70">will profe&s;&s;e unto them I never knew you, depart from me all ye that worke iniquity.</HI> The &s;eeking therefore to &s;uch de|luded by Satan, and delu|ding others, is a departure from God, wherein he, that turnes him&s;elfe into an <HI>Angel of light,</HI> will be found at length to be the Prince of darkne&s;&s;e, wor&s;e then <HI>a light angel,</HI> and will help the bo|dy and &s;tate no further, then to gaine upon the &s;oule to its eternall ruine.</P>
<P><HI>Whereas,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE> <HI>in</HI> the fourth pe|tition, <HI>we beg for our &s;elves, all things nece&s;&s;ary for our corporall &s;ustenance, under the name of</HI> daily bread, <HI>that frugality may be thought to be ju&s;tly implyed: which ex|cludes any extraordinary pre|parations in feastings, appa|rell, building, more then ne|ce&s;sity requireth; with what
<PB N="127" REF="70">con&s;cience can we goe beyond that we daily de&s;ire? Since &s;uch &s;uperfluities, our Saviour telleth us,</HI> the nations of the world &s;eeke after, <HI>and the A|postles rule is,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 12.20 1 Tim. 6.8.</NOTE> having food and rayment, let us be there|with content.</P>
<P>Herein the circum&s;tances of time, place, our abilities,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> condition of e&s;tate, and life, with the end, why &s;ometime the ordinary cour&s;e is excee|ded, varieth the ca&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 18.6, 7.</NOTE> <HI>Abra|ham</HI> for enterteyning the angells made better then or|dinary provi&s;ion: and at the <HI>weaning of I&s;aac</HI> made a great fea&s;t. And what extra|ordinary diet there was at the time of &s;hearing their &s;heep,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 25. 2 Sam. 13.</NOTE> the &s;tory of <HI>Nabal</HI> and <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> &s;ufficiently declare. To this purpo&s;e, that <HI>chea|ring up of Nehemiah</HI> to the people that mourned at the
<PB N="128" REF="71">hearing of the law, which they had tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed, is worth the noting. <HI>Goe your way, eate the fat, and drinke the &s;weet, and &s;end portions to them, for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord. Nehem.</HI> 8.10. And the good father in the Go&s;pel thought his be&s;t pro|vi&s;ion not good enough, for the welcoming home his <HI>pae|nitent prodigal:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 15.25</NOTE> but Mu&s;ick, and Dancing mu&s;t be had for the complement of the fe&s;tivity, and gladne&s;&s;e. Ex|pences therefore in this ca&s;e mu&s;t be con&s;idered, either in an ordinary cour&s;e of provi|&s;ion, and &s;o they are to be li|mitted by a temperate fru|gality, and di&s;cretion, accor|ding to the &s;everall e&s;tates of men or condition: or upon ju&s;t cau&s;es of augmentation, or &s;paring. For as there is
<PB N="129" REF="71">variety of bread, apparell, and calling; &s;o the allow|ance mu&s;t be mea&s;ured ac|cordingly. Our Saviour in|vited him&s;elfe to <HI>Zachaeus</HI> hou&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 19.</NOTE> who &s;trained him&s;elf out of doubt, to give his be&s;t entertainment, and it was wel taken: but <HI>Judas</HI> had a check for blaming <HI>Holy Ma|ry's</HI> profu&s;ene&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo. 12.4.</NOTE> How &s;oli|citous was the <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed mother,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 2.</NOTE> that the marriage fea&s;t &s;hould not be di&s;credited, for want of wine? And how unexpectedly did our Savi|our &s;upply it? <HI>Fea&s;ts</HI> then and <HI>triumphs</HI> may be often celebrated, in due time, and place, by tho&s;e whom it may concerne, for expre&s;&s;ing our thankfulne&s;&s;e to God, and prai&s;ing his bounty: as fa&s;ts, and humiliations are, on o|ther occa&s;ions, to turne away his indignation from us, by
<PB N="130" REF="72">our hearty repentance. <HI>The kingdome of God con&s;i&s;teth not in eating, and drinking.</HI> Let all be done to Gods glory, as he hath pre&s;cribed. <HI>Daily bread,</HI> here, is to be taken, for the portion fit for every ones condition. Then as in the ordering of Mannah, he that had gathered much, had no|thing over, and he that had gathered little, had no lack.</P>
<P><HI>If our</HI> tre&s;pa&s;&s;es,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE> <HI>or debts, are de&s;ired to be forgiven us by God, no otherwi&s;e then we are content to forgive our debtors, or tho&s;e that have</HI> tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed again&s;t us: <HI>with what con&s;cience then can we &s;ue for our debts, or pro&s;ecute tho&s;e that any way have wrong|ed us, or Lawyers take fees for the promoting of &s;uch?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Offences,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> or <HI>debts</HI> may be &s;uch, as either intrench upon
<PB N="131" REF="72">Gods glory, Church, or Word, in which all true Chri|&s;tians have an intere&s;t, and we are not to forgive, or re|mit; but tyed to pro&s;ecute the offenders, that &s;o they may be brought to a ju&s;t &s;a|tisfaction, according to our power, or condition. Other <HI>differences, and debts</HI> there may be, wherein our <HI>per&s;ons</HI> are only concerned, without the lea&s;t prejudice to any o|ther: and the&s;e only are here required to be remitted, that our &s;uit may have no demur at the throne of grace. We find what a great &s;um was remitted to the penitent debtor, upon his free ac|knowledgement, and pro|mi&s;e of his faithfull endea|vour to &s;atisfie. But when he fell &s;o foulely upon his indebted brother, O! what a heavy doome the mercifull
<PB N="132" REF="73">Lord laid upon him. <HI>O! Thou wicked &s;ervant, I forgave thee all that debt, becau&s;e thou de|&s;ired&s;t me: Shouldest not thou al&s;o have had compa&s;sion on thy fellow-&s;ervant, even as I had pity en thee?</HI> Now <HI>debts, that are due unto us,</HI> may be not only required for &s;up|plying of out owne nece&s;&s;ity, but &s;upport of our family, and retinue; who thereby have al&s;o in them an intere&s;t; and when a wrong done to my Per&s;on, &s;tayeth not there, but doth reflect upon my calling, and reputation, which I am bound to main|taine, and often breaketh out further, to the di&s;honour of God him&s;elfe, or of his Church, or word, the encou|ragement of the wicked, and &s;candall of the wel-affected, <HI>remi&s;sion</HI> in &s;uch ca&s;es may prove &s;o un&s;ea&s;onable, that
<PB N="133" REF="73">if ju&s;tice be not executed to the utmo&s;t, it may cau&s;e the Sword thereof to turne back, and to prick him that endea|vours to put it up. Thus <HI>Saul</HI> was puni&s;hed for &s;pa|ring <HI>Agag,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 15.</NOTE> and a lion killed that party that would not &s;trike,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 20.36.</NOTE> when a Prophet from the Lord Commanded him.</P>
<P><HI>From the &s;ixth petition,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> Lead us not into Temptati|on, <HI>&s;eeing it is apparent, that Temptations are from God, as they are from Satan: what Characters of difference may the con&s;cience find to di&s;cerne the one from the other, that it may make the true u&s;e of both to Gods glory, and his owne contentment?</HI></P>
<P>As, <HI>in the originall,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> there is a maine difference between <GAP DESC="foreign">, and <GAP DESC="foreign">: &s;o <HI>in our</HI> tongue a <HI>triall</HI> from a <HI>tentation</HI> hath an evident
<PB N="134" REF="74">di&s;tinction. It was no tempt|ing of <HI>Philip,</HI> when our Savi|our put him the que&s;tion to try him; becau&s;e he him&s;elf knew what he would doe. <HI>Gods tempting</HI> therefore of <HI>Abraham</HI> was but to try, whether he preferred his Faith in him, before naturall affection to his onely Son. But <HI>Satans tempting</HI> of <HI>Adam</HI> was to his ruine. The &s;cope, and end of the Sugge&s;tion therefore is a &s;ufficient differ|ing of a <HI>tryall</HI> from God, and <HI>a plot</HI> from Satan. Saint <HI>James</HI> tells us, that when a man is tempted, he is not tempted of God. <HI>For God</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>cannot be tempted of evill, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawne away, and enticed,</HI> Jam. 1.13, 14. <HI>Such temptations</HI> are mo&s;t commonly (1.) <HI>to wan|tonne&s;se,</HI>
<PB N="135" REF="74">(2.) <HI>to &s;ecuritie,</HI> (3.) <HI>to Vain-glory,</HI> (4.) <HI>to contempt of Gods word, and Mini&s;ters,</HI> (5.) <HI>to revenge,</HI> (6) <HI>to Covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> (7.) <HI>to de&s;paire. Samp&s;on, Solomon, Achitophelly, Davids</HI> numbring of the people, he that built his barnes in the parable without thinking on the Author of his plenty, <HI>Achans</HI> &s;acrilege without minding Gods inhibition, <HI>Judas</HI> executing him&s;elfe without con&s;ideration of the mercy of his Ma&s;ter, are Sufficient in&s;tances from whom &s;uch Temptations proceed. But <HI>Gods fiery tryall</HI> hath another i&s;&s;ue of joy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 4.12</NOTE> and comfort, that we are made Partakers of Chri&s;t's &s;uffe|rings, that when his Glory &s;hall be revealed, we may be glad with exceeding joy. Our petition therefore to God is, that in con&s;ideration of our
<PB N="136" REF="75">owne weakne&s;&s;e, and the forces, and &s;leights of our adver&s;aries, that he will not expo&s;e as to be tempted a|bove that we are able: but, if it &s;tand with his good plea&s;ure to try us, to make a way to e&s;cape, that we may be able to beare it. As he did to <HI>Job,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 10.13</NOTE> <HI>to his Di&s;ciples, to the Martyrs,</HI> who have left their victorious trophees for us to imitate. <HI>But deliver us from evil.</HI> Some make this petition an explication of the former; and the &s;en&s;e to be no other, but to be free from the dangers, that Temptations may ca&s;t upon us. But the Ancient make it the &s;eventh petition; and o|thers take it in this &s;en&s;e, that whereas formerly we beg Protection from &s;educing allurments of the world, and the fle&s;h, which can only
<PB N="137" REF="75">flatter us into mi&s;cheife: &s;o here we &s;ue for garding pa|tronage, from the violent a&s;&s;aults of the devill, which <HI>goeth about</HI> night and day <HI>as a roaring lion, &s;eeking whom he may devoure,</HI> and cannot be with&s;tood, but only by the <HI>lion of the tribe of Judah,</HI> who hath a chaine to bind him, and a kennell to coope him up, that a legion of them have not power to hurt a hog, without expre&s;&s;e leave. This interpretation the word favoureth, where it is in the original, <HI>deliver us from that evill, or that evill one,</HI> by an excellency termed the tempter.<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII.</NOTE> Whence a &s;cruple may ari&s;e. <HI>What is to be thought of tho&s;e that are commonly held po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed by the devill, or haunted with evill Spirits, and by what meanes we are bound in con&s;cience to
<PB N="138" REF="76">procure them releif, and com|fort?</HI></P>
<P>E&s;peciall care mu&s;t be taken that there be no collu|&s;ion in the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> It is well knowne what <HI>Popi&s;h Priests</HI> have attempted in this kind, to re-e&s;tabli&s;h here among&s;t us their <HI>Super&s;titi|on:</HI> as al&s;o the <HI>di&s;ciplinarians</HI> to overthrow our <HI>Apo&s;toli|call Church government.</HI> But if upon due &s;earch, and ob|&s;ervation, &s;uch po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, or ob&s;e&s;&s;ion be found, no re|pairing mu&s;t be thought upon to conjurers, white, or curing witches, or purring any con|fidence in crucifixes, holy water, con&s;ecrated hoa&s;ts, or charmes, bus by mo&s;t humble, earne&s;t, per&s;eve|ring addre&s;&s;es to God, joy|ned with fa&s;ting; which is the method pre&s;cribed by Chri&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 17.21. Ta|king
<PB N="139" REF="76">this for our ground, <HI>Our Father, which art in heaven,</HI> deliver us from this grand evill. The <HI>woman of Canaan,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 15.22.</NOTE> herein is to be imitated. She applyeth her &s;elfe directly to our Saviour, was not daun|ted with the uncomfortable interpo&s;ition of the di&s;ciples, <HI>&s;end her away, for &s;he cryeth after us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 23.</NOTE> gave not over &s;uit upon our Saviours fir&s;t put off, <HI>I am not &s;ent, but to the lo&s;t &s;heep of the hou&s;e of I&s;rael,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 24.</NOTE> re&s;teth not upon a &s;econd more har&s;h deniall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 26.</NOTE> <HI>it is not meet to take the childrens bread, and give to dogs:</HI> but per&s;evering obteins with a high commendation, <HI>woman great is thy faith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 27.</NOTE> <HI>be it unto thee even as thou wilt,<NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 28.</NOTE> and her daughter was made whole from that very houre.</HI> But here we are to looke, that fits of deep melancholy, of
<PB N="140" REF="77">the mother, <HI>Epilep&s;ies,</HI> &amp;c. be not mi&s;taken, for po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions of the devill. Phy&s;icians like|wi&s;e here &s;hould be con&s;ul|ted with, who&s;e endeavours, accompanied with the pray|ers of Divines, and good people, will give ea&s;e at lea&s;t and comfort, if not doe the cure.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VI.</HI> Ca&s;es upon the Sacraments.</HEAD>
<P><HI>SAcraments</HI> are Signes of Gods favours, and &s;eales of his covenants made with us for our &s;alvation. The&s;e, in the new Te&s;tament of our Saviours immediate in&s;tituti|on to be &s;uch, are but two: the fir&s;t of <HI>admi&s;sion,</HI> or re|ception into the Church,
<PB N="141" REF="77">which is <HI>Bapti&s;me:</HI> the other of <HI>continuation,</HI> and nouri&s;h|ing in the &s;ame, and that is the <HI>Lords Supper,</HI> both ha|ving plaine <HI>in&s;titution</HI> from Chri&s;t, di&s;tinct <HI>Signes Signi|fying,</HI> and <HI>Graces,</HI> and <HI>Bene|fits</HI> Signified, and conferred by them.</P>
<P><HI>And here (as pre&s;umptuous Fanaticks have now bewitch|ed poore Christians) it may well be made a ca&s;e of con&s;ci|ence in the fir&s;t place,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. I.</NOTE> <HI>whether the</HI> Sacrament <HI>may be admini|&s;tred without a Mini&s;ter law|fully called, and there be a nullity in the action that in this ca&s;e is done by any other?</HI></P>
<P>To this twofold propo&s;all we mu&s;t give di&s;tinct an|&s;wers.<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> We know in the old Te&s;tament how hard it went with the 250 <HI>Intruders upon the Prie&s;thood,</HI> de&s;igned to the <HI>Levites, who peri&s;hed in
<PB N="142" REF="78">the contradiction of Corah.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 16.24.</NOTE> <HI>Saul</HI> lo&s;t his Kingdom with|out a calling,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam 13.13.</NOTE> and King <HI>Uzzah</HI> (otherwi&s;e a worthy Prince) carried the lepro&s;y with him to his grave,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 26.16</NOTE> for daring to burne incen&s;e upon the Altar, to the which he had no lawful call. Whereup|on we have that of the Apo|&s;tle in the Hebrews,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.4.</NOTE> <HI>No man taketh this Honour upon him, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.</HI> Our Saviours command was onely to his <HI>Di&s;ciples,</HI> that as they were to Preach the Go&s;pell, &s;o were they to <HI>Baptize,</HI> in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Gho&s;t. And to his <HI>Di&s;ciples</HI> only it was left to <HI>celebrate his Supper,</HI> in re|membrance of him, which all Churches have followed in their Succe&s;&s;ors. To the &s;e|cond &s;cruple, if women, or
<PB N="143" REF="78">other Lay-people, in defect of a Mini&s;ter, &s;hould take upon them to Baptize, yet doe it in a right way, before Men, the Bapti&s;me may be taken for good, though they &s;inned that did it, becau&s;e the <HI>efficacy of the Sacrament</HI> dependeth upon Chri&s;t, that ordained it, not the <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> that gives it, provided that afterward it come under the examination, and approbati|on of the <HI>Church.</HI> Few of the Laies have adventured a|mong us to admini&s;ter the Lords Supper. But in &s;uch exigencies where no Lawfull Mini&s;ter is to be had, if upon hearty de&s;ire of a &s;ociety of Chri&s;tians, it &s;hould be un|dertaken by a <HI>Laick,</HI> the fact cannot be excu&s;ed of the party, that &s;hall proceed further then he hath warrant, in regard that in &s;uch a ca&s;e,
<PB N="134" REF="79">the <HI>religious de&s;ire</HI> of the well-affected company will be more acceptable, then the thing done unlawfully. In civil matters will any Par|liament, or Corporation in Univer&s;ities, or Townes, take his Suffrage for good, which intrudeth him&s;elfe to have an intere&s;t in that, to which he is not called? The ca&s;e is here|in alike. When our Saviour was called to be an arbitra|tor for divi&s;ion of an inheri|tance, <HI>man</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>who made me a judge?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 12.14</NOTE> Declaring thereby that no action, e&s;pe|cially concerning Gods wor|&s;hip, we mu&s;t pre&s;ume to fur|ther, more then by Gods ap|pointment in his Word, we have our commi&s;&s;ion there|unto.</P>
<P><Q><HI>Whether the Infants of Believing Parents are to be baptized?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. II.</NOTE> <HI>in regard 'tis ob|jected
<PB N="145" REF="79">they are de&s;titute of Faith, which is the nece&s;&s;ary qualification of &s;uch who are to he admitted to the Sacra|ment of Bapti&s;me.</HI></Q></P>
<P><Q>It hath been the <HI>Custome of the Church</HI> in all ages (and not at all denied) no not by <HI>Pelagius</HI> him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> who denied originall &s;in) till the&s;e latter dayes) to admit the children of be|lieving parents to the Sa|crament of Bapti&s;me, and that as a Right due unto them, by e&s;peciall priviledg of birth, within the bo&s;om of Holy Church. Wherein the Church may be &s;aid not only to have the exam|ple of Chri&s;t to lead her thereunto, <HI>who commanded little children &s;hould be &s;uffe|red to come unto him, &amp; laid his hands upon them, the Kingdome of Heaven con&s;ist|ing
<PB N="146" REF="80">of &s;uch.</HI> Mat. 19.14, 15. But likewi&s;e was warranted by that inference of the A|po&s;tle, <HI>if the root be Holy, the branches are al&s;o Holy.</HI> Rom. 11.16. Which though it be immediately &s;poken con|cerning the <HI>Jews, and their off &s;pring,</HI> yet by a parity of rea&s;on may be accomoda|ted to <HI>Christians, and their Children.</HI> An <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Sanctity</HI> being to be found in the&s;e, as wel as the other, whereby they have a pre|&s;ent intere&s;t, and right to tho&s;e means, by which the ordinance of Chri&s;t is, his Church &s;hould be Sanctifi|ed. Neither may the <HI>Chri|&s;tian Childes</HI> incapacity to believe, or under&s;tand the nature of the Bapti&s;mall vow be any bar for his ad|mi&s;&s;ion thereunto, more then the &s;ame incapacity in
<PB N="147" REF="80">the <HI>Jewi&s;h,</HI> was an ob&s;tacle to his circumci&s;ion: who it is pre&s;umeable, at eight dayes old could then under|&s;tand no more of the Cove|nant, of which Circumci&s;i|on was the Signe, then the Chri&s;tian infant now can of the promi&s;e, and vow made by him in Bapti&s;m; and yet was he commanded to be circumci&s;ed under paine of exci&s;ion, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17.14. Add to this that infants, as well as men, were admitted to en|ter into covenant with the Lord under the <HI>Law.</HI> Deut. 29.10, 11, 12. And why by the &s;ame rea&s;on &s;hould they not enjoy that priviledg un|der the <HI>Go&s;pell?</HI> and &s;o Bap|ti&s;me the Sacrament there|of. The Covenant of the one being as ample, and of as large extent as the other. For which we have the ex|pre&s;&s;e
<PB N="148" REF="81">judgment of Saint Peter, Act. 2.38.39. We &s;hall find therefore the <HI>Bap|ti&s;me of infants</HI> continued all along in the Church in an uninterrupted line. Which cu&s;tome of theirs certainly was derived from the <HI>Pra|cti&s;e of the Apo&s;tles</HI> them|&s;elves, if we wil give any cre|dit to the authority of <HI>O|rigen, St. Au&s;tin,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;iae ab Apo&s;tolis traditionem accepi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, eti|am parvulis dare bap|ti&s;mum, in <HI>Rom. c. 6.</HI></NOTE> and others of the <HI>Fathers:</HI> or have any regard or con&s;ideration that the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> them&s;elves did baptize whole hou&s;es; in which it is to be conceived there were &s;ome children,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;tinus l. <HI>1.</HI> de pec|cat. merit. c. <HI>16.</HI> dicit, traditio|nem bane a Domino per Apo&s;to|los mana&s;|&s;e. <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> as well as tho&s;e of riper yeers. And with &s;mall force of argument may that of Mat. 28.19. <HI>Go teach all nati|ons Baptizing them</HI> &amp;c. make this to &s;ignify nothing, if it be remembered that the word in the originall (in our
<PB N="149" REF="81">tran&s;lation tendred <HI>to teach</HI>) is properly, and according to the genuine &s;ignification thereof <HI>to make Di&s;ciples,</HI> or receive into Di&s;ciple&s;hip all nations, &amp;c. of which <HI>Bap|ti&s;me</HI> is the <HI>ceremony;</HI> It be|ing the Sacrament of our initiation, or admittance in|to the School of Chri&s;t: and of this infants are as capa|ble, as tho&s;e more growne in yeers. <HI>To make a di&s;ciple</HI> not denoting that any one cometh &s;uch to the School of Chri&s;t, but what after|wards he becometh by Chri&s;tian in&s;titution. Of which thing the Church hath been very carefull, providing for them <HI>Spon&s;o|res,</HI> who are not only <HI>wit|ne&s;&s;es</HI> of the promi&s;e, and &s;olemne vow made by them in bapti&s;m&punc; but <HI>Sure|ties</HI> for them al&s;o; and in
<PB N="150" REF="82">ca&s;e of the death, or neglect of their parents, when they come to age, are bound to &s;ee them Chri&s;tianly edu|cated, according to the te|nor of the obligation entred into by them.</Q></P>
<P><Q><HI>Whether Bapti&s;me be nece&s;|&s;ary to &s;alvation,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. III.</NOTE> <HI>that all dy|ing without it, even infants are damned? and what is to be thought of tho&s;e per&s;ons, through who&s;e default, chil|dren are deprived thereof, &amp; dye not having received it?</HI></Q></P>
<P><Q>That <HI>regeneration</HI> is nece&s;|&s;ary to Salvation, or Eter|nall life, doth manife&s;tly appear, by what our Savi|our taught <HI>Nicodemus,</HI> Jo. 3.3. of which as the <HI>Spirit</HI> is the nece&s;&s;ary inward cau&s;e, &s;o <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> is a nece&s;|&s;ary outward mean there|unto. v. 5. Hence God is &s;aid with <HI>water to &s;anctifie,
<PB N="151" REF="82">and clean&s;e his Church.</HI> Ephe&s;.5.26. <HI>Saint Paul</HI> cal|leth it the balne. or <HI>font of regeneration.</HI> Tit. 3.5. And <HI>Saint Peter</HI> advi&s;eth men to receive it, as an outward effectuall meanes, <HI>for the re|mi&s;sion of &s;ins, Act.</HI> 2.38. Upon this ground many of the <HI>Fathers</HI> judge very &s;e|verely concerning &s;uch, who have died unbaptized, e&s;pecially Infants; towards which, there is none more rigid, then Saint <HI>Austin:</HI> who is therefore &s;tyled, <HI>du|rus pater infantum.</HI> Yet the <HI>Church</HI> herein hath &s;hewed her &s;elfe a more <HI>indulgent mother,</HI> and hath mingled her Judgement with Mer|cie, having con&s;tantly held, that as the <HI>wilful neg|lect,</HI> or contempt thereof, is a &s;in of a very high nature, and damnable, as may ap|pear
<PB N="152" REF="83">from the puni&s;hment to be inflicted upon the un|circumci&s;ed, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17.14. <HI>That &s;oul &s;hall be cut off from among his people,</HI> &s;o the <HI>pri|vation thereof,</HI> where there is an impo&s;&s;ibility of having it, hath been &s;upplied to &s;uch believers, as have been of judgement by their ve|hement de&s;ire of it, and to Infants by the &s;ecret de|&s;ire of others. God having not tyed his grace ab&s;olute|ly to bapti&s;me. Be&s;ide, &s;uch is his lenity, that unto things altogether impo&s;&s;i|ble, he bindeth none, and if we cannot performe what is commanded us, accept|eth the will for the deed: or where that is wanting, by rea&s;on of their age, doth otherwi&s;e di&s;pen&s;e with his ordinance, by the &s;ecret wayes of his owne incom|prehen&s;ible
<PB N="153" REF="83">mercy. But notwith&s;tanding this ab|&s;olveth not any from guil|tine&s;&s;e of blood, who&s;e &s;crupulous curio&s;ity &s;hould cau&s;e an ordinance of &s;o high a concernment as this, to be withheld, <HI>wherein our mercile&s;&s;e &s;trictne&s;&s;e</HI> (&s;aith a learned Author) <HI>may be our own harm, not theirs towards whom we &s;hew it, and we for the hardne&s;&s;e of our hearts may peri&s;h, albeit they through Gods un&s;peaka|ble mercy may live.</HI> An e|minent example to this purpo&s;e, we have in <HI>Mo&s;es:</HI> who&s;e neglect to circumci&s;e his Son, drew a judgement upon him&s;elfe: as the like neglect in us to baptize our Infants, may kindle Gods wrath again&s;t us, and that de&s;ervedly, if we con&s;ider the multitude of &s;ouls, that
<PB N="154" REF="84">by this meanes may be ha|zarded, &s;hould we &s;uffer them to run on, till they come to ripene&s;&s;e of under|&s;tanding; that &s;o they may be converted, and then bap|tized, as Infidels heretofore have been, a cunning arti|fice of Satan to de&s;troy Chri&s;tianity, by making it a &s;inne to engage any early to the &s;ervice of Chri&s;t. Wherein the Prince of this world hath managed his bu&s;ine&s;&s;e with as much &s;ub|tilty, as when he &s;et <HI>Julian</HI> on work to plunder the Church of their revenue: both equally tending to the de&s;truction of Chri&s;tian Religion, the one <HI>cutting off the branches,</HI> as the other did <HI>hew up the root.</HI></Q></P>
<P><Q><HI>Whether the</HI> &s;igne of the Cro&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. IV.</NOTE> <HI>according to the or|der in our Liturgy, may be
<PB N="155" REF="84">lawfully u&s;ed in the admini|&s;tration of Bapti&s;m?</HI></Q></P>
<P><Q>Not onely to the Jew is the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t an of|fence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> but we have tho&s;e, who though nothing can &s;eem more odions unto them, then to be &s;aid to put Chri&s;t to death, yet crucifie his members, in revilings, and di&s;graces: and among&s;t other rea&s;ons they pretend, this is not the lea&s;t, becau&s;e they are for the Cro&s;&s;e in Bapti&s;me, and defend the Liturgy in the lawfull u&s;e thereof. But to pa&s;&s;e by the&s;e Sons of thunder. Tho&s;e that are more mode|rate will re&s;t them&s;elves &s;a|tisfied with the rea&s;on gi|ven by our Church-book, why that ceremony is u&s;ed, as al&s;o for the lawfulne&s;&s;e thereof: if they will allow the Church what St. <HI>Paul</HI>
<PB N="156" REF="85">giveth to her, a power to en|act laws concerning <HI>decency and order:</HI> and then con|&s;ider too, that it hath been a laudable rite, and very antient in the Church of Chri&s;t, taken up in defiance of the Pagans, to tell them wherein the <HI>glory of Chri|stians</HI> did con&s;i&s;t, even in the <HI>Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t,</HI> which by them was accompted the &s;hame and di&s;grace of their profe&s;&s;ion. And though it may be objected now, that the cau&s;e being taken away, 'twill be u&s;ele&s;s if not &s;uper&s;titious to keep it on foot &s;till; yet may &s;uch remember, 1. that all things, who&s;e u&s;e doth cea&s;e, are not pre&s;ently to be taken away, and de|&s;troyed: witne&s;&s;e the <HI>brazen Serpent,</HI> which was re&s;erved till the dayes of <HI>Ezechia,</HI>
<PB N="157" REF="85">as a <HI>monument of Gods mer|cy;</HI> to which purpo&s;e al&s;o the <HI>pot of Mannah,</HI> and the <HI>rod of Aa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">on</HI> were pre|&s;erved. 2. Though we have not Pagans to deale with, yet 'tis to be feared there are too many, a|mong&s;t tho&s;e who take upon them the profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity, who though they will not endure to be called enemies, yet are <HI>de|&s;pi&s;ers of the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t.</HI> 3. That it doth &s;erve us as a <HI>memoriall,</HI> to put us in minde of our duty and pro|fe&s;&s;ion. Neither can it weigh with any rationall man, what is buzzed in the ears of men to amu&s;e them, that it is an Idol, and hath been abu&s;ed to Idolatry, in which charge the <HI>Popi&s;h</HI> Cro&s;&s;e is concerned, not <HI>ours.</HI> 'Twill be no good
<PB N="158" REF="86">rea&s;on, becau&s;e the Papi&s;ts have abu&s;ed the Cro&s;&s;e to Super&s;tition, therefore we &s;hould be denied the lawful u&s;e thereof. Be&s;ide the <HI>Sun, and the Moon</HI> were wor&s;hiped by the <HI>Heathen, Paul and Barnabas,</HI> deified by the men of <HI>Ly&s;tra,</HI> the <HI>bread in the Sacrament</HI> a|dored by <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> yet I hope upon this bottom, none will be &s;o indi&s;creet, as to adjudge them to eternall de&s;truction. Neither can they be led thereunto from that <HI>in&s;tance</HI> (&s;o much u&s;ed) of the <HI>Brazen Ser|pent,</HI> whence it may onely be inferred, that the <HI>&s;ame individuall thing idolized,</HI> is to be de&s;troyed, but not their <HI>whole kind.</HI> We may not burne all trees, becau&s;e one tree, or grove hath been abu&s;ed to Idolatry.</Q></P>
<PB N="159" REF="86">
<P><Q><HI>What is to be done,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. V.</NOTE> <HI>that one may worthily receive the Lords Supper?</HI></Q></P>
<P><Q>Ob&s;erve that rule of the Apo&s;tle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.28. <HI>But let a man examine him&s;elfe, and &s;o let him eate of that bread, and drink of that cup.</HI> To doe which rightly, it is requi&s;ite he make a twofold inquiry into him&s;elf, 1. con|cerning his <HI>Faith,</HI> 2. his <HI>manners.</HI> 1. For his <HI>Faith,</HI> that he hath a competent, and right under&s;tanding of the principles in Religion, particularly concerning the doctrine of the Sacraments, &s;o as to be able to render &s;ome account thereof, as al&s;o <HI>to di&s;cerne the Lords bo|dy;</HI> which la&s;t, upon no terms, he can be &s;aid to doe, who maketh his approach to this Holy Table, with no other devotion, then if he
<PB N="160" REF="87">came to &s;it down at a com|mon repa&s;t, the <HI>vice</HI> not onely <HI>taxed,</HI> but <HI>puni&s;hed</HI> in the <HI>Corinthians.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.</NOTE> To &s;ati&s;|fie his Con&s;cience therefore in this particular, let him remember,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.29.</NOTE> 1. it is <HI>the Lords body,</HI> he is invited to a mo&s;t high, and my&s;terious mi|&s;tery; yet &s;uch is the love of Chri&s;t to him, that he is permitted, not only <HI>to look</HI> thereinto, but to partake thereof. 2. He <HI>prophane it not</HI> as the Corinthians did with their owne Fea&s;ts, &s;o with <HI>irreverence, and inde|votion. 3.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.31.</NOTE> He judge him|&s;elfe mo&s;t unworthy of &s;o high an entertainment, and favour a &s;inner the chiefe&s;t of &s;inners. Now II. for his <HI>manners,</HI> he is to make in|quiry whether he hath li|ved, according to the <HI>rules and doctrine of the Faith</HI> he
<PB N="161" REF="87">profe&s;&s;eth, to which there is required, though not <HI>ex|act,</HI> yet &s;incere obedience.</HI> If in either of the&s;e he <HI>prove,</HI> and not <HI>approve</HI> of him&s;elf, he ought to ab&s;taine from tho&s;e holy my&s;teries, till &s;uch time he hath either in|formed his knowledg, or re|formed his manners, at lea&s;t in a re&s;olution, and &s;erious purpo&s;e of Holy living. For as to be qualified to receive this Sacrament worthily, <HI>knowledge</HI> is nece&s;&s;ary to <HI>in|&s;truct the head,</HI> &s;o likewi&s;e is repentance to purifie the <HI>heart,</HI> both which mu&s;t be rightly prepared for this work. Neither the <HI>ignorant,</HI> nor the <HI>unholy</HI> per&s;on being fit gue&s;ts to &s;up with Chri&s;t. But yet there is one more be&s;ide our &s;elves, concerned in this worke, which is our neighbour, towards whom
<PB N="162" REF="88">we mu&s;t he affected with Charity, which is the <HI>Sim|bol,</HI> or badge of a Di&s;ciple of Chri&s;t, and is the <HI>cement</HI> to ioyne, and knit the Com|municants together: whence the Sacrament may in a mo&s;t &s;weet, and genuine &s;en&s;e be termed a <HI>Commu|nion,</HI> without it being ra|ther a <HI>di&s;union,</HI> then &s;o to be called. Indeed this is the <HI>&s;alt of the Sacrifice,</HI> without the which nothing is to be offered, as well un|der the Go&s;pel, as the Law.</Q></P>
<P><Q><HI>Whether any one who hath a &s;uit at Law with his neighbor,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VI.</NOTE> <HI>or is at private difference with him, may with a &s;afe con|&s;cience come to the L: Table?</HI></Q></P>
<P><Q>As to <HI>private differences,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D.</NOTE> the ca&s;e is quickly re&s;olved. It being manife&s;t that this <HI>Holy Fea&s;t</HI> was in&s;tituted by our Saviour, not only to
<PB N="163" REF="88"><HI>&s;hew forth his death,</HI> but al|&s;o to be a <HI>Signe,</HI> and <HI>Sym|bol of Love,</HI> with which they ought to embrace each other, that doe partake thereof: 1 Cor. 10.17. And as a commentary to this Text you have the Practi&s;e of the Chri&s;tians in the pri|mitive Church, who before they received the Euchari&s;t, did greet one another with an <HI>Holy Ki&s;&s;e,</HI> to &s;ignify not only their <HI>Communion</HI> in faith, but <HI>union</HI> in heart likewi&s;e; and therefore im|mediately after it was cele|brated began their <HI>agapae,</HI> or love Fea&s;ts. None therefore are to adventure to offer <HI>Their gift on this Altar,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5.23.24.</NOTE> who&s;e hearts are enflamed with anger, or revenge A|gain&s;t their Brother: but there mu&s;t be an atonement made with him fir&s;t, that
<PB N="164" REF="89">&s;o God may be atoned, and the Sacrifice accepta|ble. For in vaine doe they beg a boone from the all-merciful Lord, who&s;e mer|cile&s;s hearts are hardened again&s;t their fellow-&s;er|vants. Wherefore all, who expect welcome, here, mu&s;t lay a&s;ide their anger, &amp; come in peace, and love. But though God is plea&s;ed thus to pluck the <HI>Sword of revenge</HI> out of the hand of each <HI>private per&s;on,</HI> yet does he e&s;tabli&s;h it in the <HI>Magi&s;trate.</HI> For (&s;aith <HI>Saint Paul</HI>) <HI>he beareth not the Sword in vaine, for he is the Mini&s;ter of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill.</HI> Rom. 13.4. Contrary to the calumnati|on of <HI>Julian the Apo&s;tate;</HI> who upon this pretext, that Chri&s;tian religion did for|bid
<PB N="165" REF="89">revenge, did therefore impugne it, as de&s;tructive to all government: When it is manife&s;t Chri&s;ts Do|ctrine aboli&s;hed not, but did vindicate it rather, not per|mitting every private per|&s;on to u&s;urpe the Supream authority, or &s;it in the re|gall throne. To decide the fir&s;t branch of the ca&s;e therefore, we are to ob|&s;erve and take notice of three things. 1. That <HI>judici|all Proceedings at law</HI> are not forbidden in the new Te&s;tament, but the contra|ry warranted, as may mo&s;t evidently appear, not only from expre&s;&s;e texts of Scripture, Rom. 13. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. But likewi&s;e from the ex|amples of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Saint Paul.</HI> Our <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Saviour</HI> not refu&s;ing to an&s;wer at the tribunall of <HI>Pilat,</HI> and
<PB N="166" REF="90"><HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf appealing to <HI>Cae&s;ar.</HI> Whence it will fol|low, that a &s;ute at law with ones neighbour, is no &s;ufficient plea for a man to ab&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">in from the Com|munion. Yet 2. there ought to be labour, and circum|&s;pection that we our &s;elves add not <HI>fewell</HI> to enflame this publick controver&s;y, or deny &s;uch ju&s;t meanes to quench it, which are pro|po&s;ed to bring things to an accord, whereby amity may be e&s;tabli&s;hed: or contend concerning trifles, and things of no value. They who are con&s;cious to them|&s;elves, that they are pec|cant in any of the&s;e particu|lars, are not clad with the <HI>Wedding Garment of love,</HI> and &s;o cannot hope for any kind reception at the hands of Chri&s;t in this great ban|quet.
<PB N="167" REF="90">To which purpo&s;e it is de&s;ired of them, they &s;hould take a view of the&s;e places in Scripture, Rom. 12.18. <HI>If it be po&s;sible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men,</HI> Ro. 14.19. <HI>Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edifie another.</HI> 1 Cor. 6.7. <HI>Now therefore there it utterly a fault among you; becau&s;e ye goe to law one with another. Why doe ye not rather take wrong? Why doe ye not ra|ther &s;uffer your &s;elves to be defrauded?</HI> 3. We are to take care, we doe not &s;eeke for <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> at the hand of the Magi&s;trate; that &s;o under that pretext, we may <HI>cloake,</HI> and <HI>exerci&s;e our malice</HI> the more freely, a|gain&s;t our neighbour. This
<PB N="168" REF="91">is but to <HI>clothe private re|venge in a publick dre&s;&s;e,</HI> and to make it &s;o much the <HI>more odius to God,</HI> as it is <HI>gilded over with hypocri&s;ie.</HI> Therefore remember it is the voice off God that &s;peaks unto thee, Lev. 19.18. <HI>Thou &s;halt not avenge, nor bear a|ny grudg again&s;t the chil|dren of thy people, but thou &s;halt love thy neighbour as thy &s;elf. I am the Lord.</HI> And that the &s;ame &s;pirit, who denyeth thee not a lawfull pro&s;ecution of thy right, yet is &s;o far from tolera|ting revenge in thee that he commandeth thee to <HI>feed thine enemy</HI> when hun|gry, and if thir&s;ty <HI>to give him drinke.</HI> Rom. 12.20.</Q></P>
<P><Q><HI>Whether</HI> kneeling,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C. VII.</NOTE> <HI>at the receiving of the Sacrament, be not a mo&s;t</HI> pious, <HI>and</HI> de|cent <HI>ge&s;ture?</HI></Q></P>
<PB N="169" REF="91">
<P><Q>Were there nothing to commend this ceremony, in this high &s;ervice of religion, but the humility of the ge|&s;ture, certeinly it mu&s;t needs be kindly enterteyned by that &s;oule, where <HI>piety and devotion</HI> dwell, con&s;idering that the mo&s;t High ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">h not only a re&s;pect to the <HI>humble</HI> heart, but is like|wi&s;e well-plea&s;ed with &s;uch <HI>externall behaviour,</HI> as &s;er|veth be&s;t to te&s;tifie the &s;ame; but when to this, it is added, that it is the mo&s;t <HI>&s;ignificant &s;igne</HI> of that re|verence which the creature ought to exhibite to God in <HI>&s;upplication,</HI> and that, as the Sacrament is particularly delivered to every man therewith, &s;o each man is bound to particularize, and apply to him&s;elf the Sacra|mentall benefit by devout
<PB N="170" REF="92">invocation of Gods name, who then can be offended with our <HI>Liturgy,</HI> for en|joyning the decent u&s;e of it? Or que&s;tion his <HI>piety,</HI> who in obedience thereunto &s;hall ob&s;erve it? I know it hath been, and is the fancy of &s;ome, that <HI>&s;itting</HI> is a ge|&s;ture better agreeing with the nature of a <HI>Supper;</HI> but &s;uch ought to remember that it is no ordinary meale, but a <HI>heavenly banquet</HI> to which we are invited, <HI>in which Chri&s;t with all his be|nefits is exhibited to us,</HI> and therefore &s;uch an <HI>humble</HI> po&s;ture of body would be&s;t become us, as did &s;erve be&s;t to expre&s;&s;e reverence, and devotion at &s;o high, and holy a my&s;tery. Neither will it be any prejudice thereunto, to quarrell at this ge&s;ture, becau&s;e Chri&s;t
<PB N="171" REF="92">did not u&s;e it when he ad|mini&s;tred the Sacrament to his Apo&s;tles, as neither did he <HI>&s;itting,</HI> but <HI>lying on a bed,</HI> according to the cu&s;tome of tho&s;e Ea&s;terne nations. In the&s;e circum&s;tances not pre&s;cribing their manner, but leaving the determination of them to the <HI>prudence</HI> and <HI>judgement</HI> of tho&s;e, who are to &s;ee them done <HI>decently,</HI> and <HI>in order.</HI></Q></P>
<PB REF="93">
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="93">
<HEAD>The Table.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD>A.</HEAD>
<ITEM>AB&s;olution of the Mini|&s;ter, more then petitory. <HI>Pag. 58</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Agapae</HI> u&s;ed at the Communi|on, and the rea&s;on, <HI>Pag. 163</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Apocrypha,</HI> why read in the Church <HI>Pag. 37</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>B.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Bapti&s;me, whether nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation, <HI>150.</HI> the pe|rill of tho&s;e, through who&s;e default Infants are depri|ved thereof. <HI>Pag. 151</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>C.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Charity to our neighbour re|quired in a Communicant. <HI>Pag. 159</HI></ITEM>
<PB REF="94">
<ITEM>Chri&s;tian Religion, whether a politick invention only. <HI>Pag. 12</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Why to be preferred before other Religions. <HI>Pag. 13</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Whether to be enforced. <HI>17</HI> not de&s;tructive to Magi&s;tra|cy. <HI>Pag. 167</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Christ, whether to be called the Son of the Father, or Holy Ghost, <HI>46.</HI> whether he de|&s;cended into Hell. <HI>Pag. 49</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Con&s;cience what it is. <HI>1.</HI> The rules for it to walk by. <HI>6.</HI> The praejudice, by neglect of them. <HI>Pag. 7</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Content in what e&s;tate, or con|dition &s;oever enjoyned in the la&s;t Commandement. <HI>Pag. 113</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Covenant old and new, the difference betwixt them. <HI>Pag. 31</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Commandements. Ca&s;es con|cerning them. <HI>63.</HI> How divi|ded. <HI>64.</HI> Whether to be ob&s;er|ved by Chri&s;tians. <HI>Pag. 68</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Creed, Ca&s;es concerning it. <HI>41.</HI> Whether compo&s;ed by the A|po&s;tles.
<PB REF="94"><HI>44.</HI> Perill of reject|ing it. <HI>42.</HI> Whether a per|fect &s;ummary of Faith. <HI>Pag. 59.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Other points how to be redu|ced to it. <HI>pag. 60</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Cro&s;&s;e, whether it may be law|fully u&s;ed in Bapti&s;me. <HI>pag. 154.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Objections to the contrary an&s;wered. <HI>pag. 156</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>D.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Dancing of men with women, whether lawfull. <HI>pag. 101</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Debts their kindes, <HI>130.</HI> Whe|ther to be &s;ued for. <HI>ibid.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Debtors that are carele&s;s, their danger. <HI>pag. 104</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>E.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Examination required before receiving the Lords Supper. <HI>159.</HI> The manner in which we are to proceed. <HI>ibid.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>F.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Faith, the nature of it that justifieth. <HI>pag. 66</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>G.</HEAD>
<ITEM>God, whence inferred. <HI>pag. 12</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB REF="95">
<LIST>
<HEAD>H.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Hallowing Gods name, what it is. <HI>pag. 124</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Holy dayes, whether to be ob|&s;erved <HI>pag. 86</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Holy Gho&s;t, what warrant we have to direct our prayers to him. <HI>pag. 118</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Holy ki&s;&s;e, when u&s;ed, and the rea&s;on. <HI>pag. 163</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Images whether to be permit|ted to remaine in Churches, their u&s;e, their abu&s;e. <HI>pag. 70</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Infants of believing parents, whether to be baptized. <HI>pag. 144</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Irreverence in receiving the My&s;teries, the danger of it. <HI>pag. 159</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>K</HEAD>
<ITEM>Kneeling at the receiving of the Sacrament, whether a pious and decent gesture. <HI>pag. 168</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>L.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Lay-Impropriators, whether with Con&s;cience they with|hold the right from the
<PB REF="95">Church. <HI>pag. 104</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Letter, whether to be laid a|&s;ide, that the &s;pirit may act the more freely. <HI>pag 31</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Lying, whether upon any pre|text lawfull. <HI>pag. 106</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Lords Prayer, ca&s;es concer|ning it. <HI>pag. 116</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>M.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Marriages within degrees of con&s;anguinity, or affinity, or after &s;eparation for fornica|tion, whether lawfull. <HI>pag. 95</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Murder of a mans &s;elf, whether ju&s;tifiable. <HI>pag. 92</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Merchants, whether they may over-reach. <HI>pag. 104</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>N.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Name of God, what it import|eth. <HI>pag. 123</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>O.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Oath what it is, whether to be di&s;pen&s;ed with, the difference of it from an a&s;&s;everation. <HI>pag. 73</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Ordinaries, whether to be ex|ceeded. <HI>pag. 126</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB REF="96">
<LIST>
<HEAD>P.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Painting, patching, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> whe|ther to be approved. <HI>pag. 98</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Perjury, whether to be excu&s;ed upon any pretext. <HI>pag. 73</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Petition the &s;ixth, the extent thereof. <HI>pag. 137</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Polygamy whether lawful. <HI>pag. 96</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, the cour&s;e to be taken with them. <HI>pag. 137</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Prayer, whether to be made for all without exception. <HI>pag. 118</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Prote&s;tants, whether by depar|ting from Popery, they &s;et up a new Religion. <HI>16.</HI> Whe|ther with a &s;afe con&s;cience they may be pre&s;ent at the Ma&s;&s;e. <HI>pag. 20</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Puni&s;hments proportioned ac|cording to demerits. <HI>pag. 15.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>R.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Religion, Ca&s;es concerning it, <HI>12.</HI> Not to be planted by the Sword, but by the Word. <HI>pag. 17</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Roman Church, whether the Catholick. <HI>pag. 52</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB REF="96">
<LIST>
<HEAD>S.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Sacraments, their nature. <HI>140.</HI> Whether admini&s;tred with|out a lawfull Mini&s;ter, there be a nullity in the action. <HI>pag. 141</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Salvation whether to be had without Chri&s;t. <HI>pag. 15</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Scripture, ca&s;es concerning it. <HI>25.</HI> How to be a&s;&s;ured it is the Word of God. <HI>ibid.</HI> Whe|ther appointed to be a rule. <HI>27.</HI> The method ob&s;erved in it. <HI>ibid.</HI> Why &s;ome parts of it not appointed to be read. <HI>pag. 36</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Whether to be u&s;ed in charms, <HI>&amp;c. pag. 33</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Son, what warrant to direct our prayers to him. <HI>pag. 119</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Sin again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, what it is, <HI>ibid.</HI> Whether all are forgiven. <HI>pag. 54</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Sunday, whether to be ob&s;er|ved by the fourth Comman|dement. <HI>pag. 82</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Subjects, whether they may re|&s;i&s;t
<PB REF="97">the &s;upream Magi&s;trate. <HI>pag. 87.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Stage-playes, whether law|full. <HI>pag. 101</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Supper of the Lord, how one may worthily receive it. <HI>139.</HI> Whether one at Law with his neighbour, or pri|vate difference with him, may come with a &s;afe Con|&s;cience thither. <HI>pag. 162</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>T.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Tentations from God &amp; Satan, how to be di&s;tingui&s;hed, <HI>pag. 133</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Trade&s;men, whether they may over-reach by fal&s;e weights, or other deceit, <HI>pag. 164</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>V.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Vowes Monasticall, whether lawfull. <HI>pag. 23</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>W.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Word read, whether of power to beget Faith. <HI>pag. 33</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>World testifieth there is a God <HI>pag. 15</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Wizards, whether to be con|&s;ulted with. <HI>pag. 125</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="97">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
