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<DATE>2014-10-09</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>IT is not to multiply Books un&s;ea&s;on|ably, or encrea&s;e <HI>Controver&s;ie;</HI> no Ambitious De&s;ign for Applau&s;e, much le&s;s to abet any <HI>Faction</HI> or <HI>Par|ty,</HI> that occa&s;ioned the Publication of this <HI>Brief Treati&s;e.</HI> I am not ignorant that many excellent Men have written <HI>Sy&s;tems</HI> or Bodies of Divinity much more accu|rately; to who&s;e Pains, as I pay a ju&s;t Tribute of Prai&s;e and Reverend E&s;teem, acknowleding my &s;elf and others much indebted to them for the &s;ame, &s;o I hope I may crave leave to &s;ay, That their Works being chiefly penn'd for the U&s;e of the
<PB REF="3"><HI>Learned,</HI> or Help at lea&s;t of <HI>Young Students</HI> in Theology, &s;eemed not &s;o much adapted to the Under&s;tanding of Lay <HI>&V;nlearned Chri&s;tians,</HI> who&s;e Benefit I aim at in the&s;e Papers: And therefore have (as much as might be) avoided over-nice <HI>Di&s;tin|ctions</HI> and curious <HI>Speculations,</HI> endea|vouring only to fortifie the Vulgar by <HI>Plain Scripture Arguments</HI> in the mo&s;t ne|ce&s;&s;ary Heads of Chri&s;tian Doctrin, and e&s;pecially &s;uch as at this Day are mo&s;t like to be Controverted; and at the &s;ame Time to per&s;uade them to the Serious Pra|ctice of Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is the <HI>Life</HI> of all Religion.</P>
<P>To this Purpo&s;e I thought &s;uch a &s;mall <HI>Manual,</HI> Collection, or what el&s;e you plea&s;e to call it, might in &s;ome re&s;pects be <HI>more &V;&s;eful</HI> (becau&s;e more diffu&s;ive) than larger and more <HI>Elaborate Tracts.</HI> I do not pretend to have &s;aid all that might be brought for the &s;trenthening of each Point handled (that would have &s;welled the Work too big, for the End I de&s;igned it) but only to offer at one View &s;o much
<PB REF="3">as may (by God's Ble&s;&s;ing) be &s;ufficient to furni&s;h the meaner Rank of Chri&s;tians, with a true Notion of that Religion they profe&s;s; that &s;o they may not be ea&s;ily &s;haken from their mo&s;t Holy Faith by the Sophi&s;try of any in&s;inuating Pre|ten&s;ions.</P>
<P>Where&s;oever I have been Mi&s;taken, I be&s;eech the God of Truth to rectifie the <HI>Error</HI> both in my &s;elf, and to di&s;cover it to the Readers; withal vouch&s;afing them that Spirit of Charity as to excu&s;e it, as the Frailty of a Weak Man, encom|pa&s;&s;ed with many Infirmities: But where|in I have a&s;&s;erted Divine Truth, I do pa&s;&s;ionately intreat all Peru&s;ers to be &s;o kind to their own Souls, as to <HI>Own, Im|brace, Hold-fa&s;t</HI> and <HI>Improve</HI> it in their Lives and Conver&s;ations.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="4">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>THE CONTENTS.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>CHAP I. <HI>OF Divinity, Natural and Revealed. Of the Holy Scriptures; How we know them to be Divine: That they are &s;ufficient to in&s;truct us to Salvation: Rules for interpreting them.</HI> p. 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM>CHAP. II. <HI>Of God, and how he is to be known: Of the Per&s;ons of the Deity; and the Do|ctrin of the Holy Trinity briefly ex|plained.</HI> p. 33.</ITEM>
<PB REF="5">
<ITEM>CHAP. III. <HI>Of Creation in General: Of Angels: Of Man, how Created in God's Image: Of the Soul of Man: Of Providence.</HI> p. 51</ITEM>
<ITEM>CHAP. IV. <HI>Of the Covenant of</HI> Works: <HI>The</HI> Fall <HI>of our fir&s;t Parents, with the Mi&s;eries thence contracted on them&s;elves and their Po&s;te|rity: Of</HI> Sin, <HI>Original and Actual: No Sin in its own Nature</HI> Venial: <HI>Of the Sin again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> p. 83.</ITEM>
<ITEM>CHAP. V. <HI>Of the Second Covenant: Of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t, His Per&s;on and Offices: Of Ju&s;tification, Faith and Re|pentance.</HI> p. 103.</ITEM>
<PB REF="5">
<ITEM>CHAP. VI. <HI>Of the Church: What is to be under&s;tood by the Catholic Church in the Creed; the Roman not the Catholic Church: Chri&s;t the Church's Head:</HI> Peter <HI>had no greater Power than other Apo&s;tles: The Church not Infallible: The Notes of the Church: The De&s;cription of Antichri&s;t.</HI> p. 120.</ITEM>
<ITEM>CHAP. VII. <HI>Of the Sacraments; that there are but Two e&s;tabli&s;hed in the New Te&s;tament: Of Bapti&s;m: Of the Lord's Supper: Of Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation: Touching Receiv|ing in both Kinds: The Duties of Wor|thy Communicants.</HI> p. 152.</ITEM>
<ITEM>CHAP. VIII. <HI>Of Good Works, Merit, Superogation: The Moral Law: A Brief Comment on the Ten Commandments.</HI> p. 185.</ITEM>
<PB REF="6">
<ITEM>CHAP. IX. <HI>Of Prayer; it ought not to be in an unknown Tongue: To Angels or Saints departed, &V;nlawful: Nor warrantable for the Dead. A &s;hort Expo&s;ition on the Lord's Prayer.</HI> p. 254.</ITEM>
<ITEM>CHAP. X. <HI>Of Death; Remedies again&s;t its Terror. Of Purgatory: The Re&s;urrection, La&s;t Judgment, Heaven and Hell.</HI> p. 281.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="6">
<HEAD>THE Plain Chri&s;tian's Guide: OR A Compendium <HI>of Divinity,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. I. <HI>Of</HI> Divinity <HI>Natural and Reveal'd. Of the Holy</HI> Scriptures: <HI>How we know them to be</HI> Divine: <HI>That they are</HI> &s;ufficient <HI>to in|&s;truct us to Salvation; Rules for</HI> Inter|preting <HI>them.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="1">I. <HI>THeology,</HI> or <HI>Divinity,</HI> is that Know|ledge of God and his Will, which a Chri&s;tian may attain unto, in this Life. Or, <HI>The Doctrin of the Know|ledge and Wor&s;hip of God, to his Glory, and our Salvation.</HI></P>
<PB N="2" REF="7">
<P>This is either
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Natural,</HI> or</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Supernatural.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="2">II. The <HI>Natural</HI> is either, <HI>Implanted,</HI> or <HI>Acqui|red.</HI> The <HI>Implanted</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in tho&s;e <HI>inbred Notions</HI> and Principles which God endued man with at his Creation, of which St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.19. <HI>That which may be known of God is manife&s;t in them; for God hath &s;hewed it unto them.</HI> And this is call'd, <HI>The Law written in our hearts,</HI> Rom. 2.15. The <HI>Acquired,</HI> is gain'd by Contemplation on the <HI>works</HI> of God, and experience of his Providence: <HI>For the invi&s;ible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly &s;een, being under&s;tood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; &s;o that they are without excu&s;e,</HI> Rom. 1.20.</P>
<P>The <HI>Principles</HI> of both the&s;e are <HI>true,</HI> &s;o that Man might from thence deduce true Conclu&s;ions; yet from the Begining, even before the <HI>Fall,</HI> they were not perfect in all degrees, but rather <HI>begun,</HI> and capable afterwards from time to time to be augmented and <HI>improved,</HI> partly by larger Com|munications, and partly by <HI>&V;&s;e</HI> and <HI>Experience.</HI> But in Man <HI>&s;ince the Fall,</HI> both tho&s;e ways of Know|ledge are &s;o <HI>weakned</HI> and corrupted, that by tho&s;e Principles <HI>alone,</HI> he can neither come to know the true God after a true and &s;ufficient manner, nor yet to live well, or dye with a&s;&s;urance of happi|ne&s;s. And therefore in vain did the old <HI>Philo&s;ophers,</HI> and wi&s;e&s;t Heathens, from this Light of Nature,
<PB N="3" REF="7">endeavour to rai&s;e a Scheme of Religion: For as the Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.21. <HI>They became vain in their imaginations, and their fooli&s;h heart was dark|ned.</HI> This Natural Divinity will convince every con&s;iderate man, that there is <HI>a mo&s;t pure, excellent, all-wi&s;e, all-powerful fir&s;t Cau&s;e, Maker and Governor of him&s;elf, and all other Creatures, whom therefore he ought to Love above all things, and continually to &s;erve and wor&s;hip:</HI> And will al&s;o convince him, that he <HI>va&s;tly comes &s;hort of his duty</HI> therein, and &s;o, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, will <HI>render him without excu&s;e:</HI> But it will not &s;hew him <HI>a way</HI> or means how to &s;up|ply tho&s;e Failures, atone the wrath due to his di&s;|obedience, or to be reconcil'd to the Lord his Maker.</P>
<P N="3">III. <HI>Supernatural Theology,</HI> communicated to men, is to be con&s;idered in a twofold re&s;pect, ac|cording to the twofold &s;tate of Man, <HI>viz.</HI> of <HI>Integrity,</HI> and of the <HI>Fall.</HI> In the &s;tate of Innocen|cy, it was the Will of God &s;ignified by Promi&s;es and threatnings, for the continuing of that Grace be&s;tow'd upon Man in and by his Creation, if he &s;hould continue in his obedience. But in the &s;tate &s;ince the Fall, Supernatural Divinity is the wi&s;|dom of knowing God in Chri&s;t, according as it is revealed in the written Word, and may thus be defined.</P>
<P>Theology <HI>is the wi&s;dom of Divine things according to the Truth of God, in&s;pired by God, and by the Enun|ciative Word, in Chri&s;t, committed to the Servants of
<PB N="4" REF="8">God, comprehended in the Books of the Old and New Te&s;tament, as far forth as is expedient for the Glory of God, and the Salv tion of the Church.</HI></P>
<P N="4">IV. Thus there is a twofold Principle of Divi|nity; the one, by which <HI>it is,</HI> and that is God; the other, by which it is <HI>known,</HI> and that is, <HI>THE WORD OF GOD,</HI> out of which all the Pre|cepts of Divinity are to be concluded, as being the Supreme <HI>Rule of our Belief and Practice.</HI> John 20.31. <HI>The&s;e things are written, that ye might believe.</HI> Rom. 15.4. <HI>What things are written, are written for our learning; that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope.</HI> 2 Cor. 10, 11. <HI>The&s;e things are written to admoni&s;h us.</HI> I&s;a. 8.20. <HI>To the Law, to the Te&s;timony.</HI> John. 5.39. <HI>Search the Scri|ptures.&mdash;they are they that te&s;tify of me.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15, 16, 17. <HI>They are able to make us wi&s;e unto &s;alva|ation, through Faith which is in Chri&s;t: For all Scri|pture is given by In&s;piration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for In&s;truction in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, that the Man of God may be perfect, throughly furni&s;ht unto every good work.</HI></P>
<P N="5">V. 'Tis an unque&s;tionable Principle among&s;t all Chri&s;tians, That the Holy Scripture is both of <HI>Divine Original and Authority;</HI> and therefore very unbe&s;eeming any that profe&s;&s;es him&s;elf a Chri&s;tian; to demand whether the Bible be <HI>the Word of God</HI> or not: For as in the <HI>Schools,</HI> there is no di&s;puting with him who denies Principles, &s;o we account him unworthy of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Name,</HI> that &s;hall deny
<PB N="5" REF="8">this Principle of the Chri&s;tian Religion; yet it is lawful among&s;t Chri&s;tians to ask, <HI>By what Te&s;timony do we know, that the Scriptures are of Divine In&s;pira|tion?</HI> So we ask not to &s;educe others, or to cavil, but only to be in&s;tructed.</P>
<P>Now this Te&s;timony is twofold:
<LIST>
<ITEM>The one Principal,</ITEM>
<ITEM>The other Mini&s;terial.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="6">VI. The principal Te&s;timony of the Scriptures Divine Original and Authority, is that of the <HI>Holy Spirit;</HI> both outwardly in the Scripture it &s;elf, and <HI>Inwardly</HI> in the minds and hearts of the faithful, being illuminated by him, &s;peaking and per&s;uading the Divinity of the Scriptures.</P>
<P><HI>Outwardly</HI> in the Scriptures them&s;elves; the Holy Gho&s;t when he &s;peaks of their Original and Autho|rity, u&s;es &s;uch Phra&s;es as atte&s;t it to be Divine, as&mdash;<HI>The Word of the Lord. Thus &s;aith the Lord. Je&s;us &s;aid. All Scripture is of Divine In&s;piration. Holy Men of old, &s;pake as they were moved by the Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Inwardly</HI> in the Hearts of the faithful; the &s;ame Holy Spirit per&s;uades the Divinity of Scriptures &s;o far, as he openeth the Eyes, and illuminateth the mind of him that reads the &s;ame with Prayer and Humility, that he makes him &s;ee the Wonders of God, and feel it &s;ometimes &s;harper than a two-edg'd Sword, dividing the <HI>Bones and the Marrow;</HI> at other times more Soveraign than <HI>Balm of Gilead,</HI> to heal his wounded Spirit, and revive his droop|ing Heart, cau&s;ing him to acknowledge the voice
<PB N="6" REF="9">of the Divine Maje&s;ty &s;ounding in the Word: For as we know a man when he &s;peaks to us, much more may we know God when he is plea&s;ed to &s;peak unto us&mdash;<HI>Non vox hominem &s;onat.</HI></P>
<P>Now that the Te&s;timony of God's Spirit is <HI>that</HI> which principally and mo&s;t firmly a&s;&s;ures us of the Scriptures Divinity, is proved by the&s;e following Argumenrs.</P>
<P N="1">1. His Te&s;timony concerning the Scriptures is mo&s;t <HI>firm,</HI> by who&s;e In&s;piration the &s;ame were written; for every one knows his <HI>own hand</HI> be&s;t, and is be&s;t acquainted with his own &s;tyle: But the Scriptures were all written by the In&s;piration of the Holy Gho&s;t, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.21. There|fore, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. He that together with the Scripture is pro|mi&s;ed in a mo&s;t near Conjunction to the Faithful, his Te&s;timony of the Scripture is mo&s;t firm: But the Holy Gho&s;t is promi&s;ed to the Faithful in a mo&s;t near Conjunction with the Scripture. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 59.21. <HI>My &s;pirit which is in thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth &s;hall not depart from thee.</HI> Therefore, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Without who&s;e Illumination, the wonders of the Scriptures are not &s;een, <HI>his</HI> Te&s;timony alone of the Scripture is mo&s;t firm; as he can be&s;t declare the worth of a Casket, and the Riches therein contained, that keeps the <HI>Key</HI> of it: But without the Illumination of the Holy Gho&s;t, no man &s;ees the wonders of the Scripture, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.18. <HI>Open my eyes, that I may &s;ee the wonders of thy Law.</HI> Therefore, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="7"><PB N="7" REF="9">VII. The <HI>Mini&s;terial</HI> Te&s;timony is the Voice or Atte&s;tation of the Univer&s;al Church; as well the &s;everal primitive Churches which fir&s;t received tho&s;e &s;acred Oracles from the in&s;pired Writers, and after delivered them under the &s;ame Title to their Succe&s;&s;ors, and other Churches, as of all other true Chri&s;tians &s;ince until the&s;e Times, for as many as have profe&s;s'd the Chri&s;tian Religion, have al&s;o profe&s;s'd that the&s;e <HI>Books are of God;</HI> which Te&s;timony ought reverently to be received, and is of great weight and importance, as being profitable to prepare the Heart, and rai&s;ing an <HI>Hi|&s;torical</HI> Faith, makes room for that which is <HI>Di|vine;</HI> the &s;ame being of all humane Te&s;timonies (whereby the Author of any Book that hath been, is, or &s;hall be extant, can be proved) the <HI>greate&s;t</HI> both in re&s;pect of the <HI>Multitude, Wi&s;dom, Hone&s;ty</HI> and <HI>Faithfulne&s;s</HI> of the Witne&s;&s;es, and the <HI>Likeli|hood Con&s;tancy</HI> and <HI>Continuance</HI> of the Te&s;timony it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Yet doth not the <HI>Authority of the Scriptures</HI> de|pend thereon, for that were to make the words of the Ma&s;ter, to receive their Authority from the Servant; a Father s Letters to receive Credit with his Son, meerly from the Foot-Po&s;t that brings them; and the Rule, to have its dependence on the thing Ruled.</P>
<P>We know that the Oracles of God are commit|ted to the Church, and do acknowledge that She is <HI>the pillar and ground of truth,</HI> 1 Tim. 3.15. But the Candle receives not its light from the Candle&s;tick
<PB N="8" REF="10">that &s;upports or holds it forth. The Churches Te&s;timony may be inviting and prevalent with tho&s;e who as yet know not the Scriptures, and have not received that <HI>&s;incere Milk of the Word,</HI> &s;o as <HI>to grow thereby,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.2. In which Sen&s;e, that fa|mous Saying of St. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> is to be under&s;tood, <HI>I had not known the Scriptures, if the Church had not told me which were the Scriptures.</HI> But in tho&s;e who have ta&s;ted the &s;weetne&s;s of this Cele&s;tial Manna, the Te&s;timony of the Scriptures them&s;elves, and of the Holy Gho&s;t, is mo&s;t firm and effectual: For as he that ta&s;teth Honey him&s;elf, hath a more &s;ure knowledge of its &s;weetne&s;s, than he that believeth another &s;peaking and witne&s;&s;ing of it; &s;o he know|eth more a&s;&s;uredly the Scriptures to be God's Word, who has felt its Divine Power on his own Soul, than he who only gives Credit to the Church atte&s;ting the &s;ame. The <HI>Samaritans</HI> at fir&s;t be|lieved the Woman when &s;he &s;pake of Chri&s;t, but after they had heard Chri&s;t him&s;elf, they tell her, <HI>Now we believe, not becau&s;e of thy &s;aying: for we have heard him our &s;elves, and KNOW that this is indeed the Chri&s;t, the Saviour of the world,</HI> John 4.42. Even &s;o, he that having begd the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of God's Spirit, reads the Scriptures humbly and at|tentively, &s;hall at length come to &s;ay, Now I believe no longer upon the Churches Te&s;timony that the Scriptures are Divine, but becau&s;e I have read them my &s;elf, and in Reading have impre&s;s'd this following unan&s;werable Syllogi&s;m on my mind, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<PB N="9" REF="10">
<P><HI>That Scripture, which</HI> (1&s;t) <HI>brings in God him|&s;elf everywhere &s;peaking as its Author,</HI> (2dly) <HI>which is written by tho&s;e Men, as being furni&s;ht with the Gift of Prophecying and Miracles from God extraor|dinarily, do with &s;uch faithfulne&s;s Record all things, that in rehear&s;ing of &s;ins and infirmities, they neither &s;pare them&s;elves nor Friends;</HI> (3dly) <HI>which records not only Truths, and all things agreeing with right Rea|&s;on, but Divine matters al&s;o, and &s;uch as tran&s;cend all Rea&s;on;</HI> (4thly) <HI>after a Divine manner, and in a wonderful harmony of Circum&s;tances in the &s;ame things recited by different Writers living in remote Ages each from other;</HI> (5thly) <HI>all to the Glory of God alone, and our Salvation;</HI> (6thly) <HI>with admirable Efficacy both in moving the hearts of &s;uch as read it, and &s;trengthning them against the greatest Afflictions, and most exqui&s;ite Tortures; &s;o that</HI> (7thly) <HI>it has been witne&s;&s;ed unto by innumerable Martyrs, and</HI> (8thly) <HI>as above all other Books it mo&s;t encourageth Virtue, Piety, and the good of each particular Man, as well as of Humane Society in general, and</HI> (9thly) <HI>is the mo&s;t ancient Book in the world, &s;o</HI> (la&s;tly) <HI>beyond any Writing that ever was, it has been miraculou&s;ly pre|&s;erved again&s;t Diabolical and Tyranical Fury&mdash; That Scripture (I &s;ay) which thus delivereth &s;uch things, and is thus circum&s;tanced, mu&s;t needs be Divine both in its Original and Authority.</HI></P>
<P><HI>But &s;uch is the Holy Scripture, commonly and by way of excellence, call'd THE BIBLE; Therefore it is undoubtedly Divine.</HI></P>
<PB N="10" REF="11">
<P>In brief, the Te&s;timony of the Church, is fir&s;t in re&s;pect of <HI>Time,</HI> but that of the Holy Gho&s;t is fir&s;t in regard of <HI>Nature</HI> and <HI>Efficacy.</HI> We believe the Church, but not for the Church; but we believe the Holy Gho&s;t for him&s;elf. The Churches Te&s;timo|ny doth mon&s;trate, point out, and &s;hew the Scri|ptures to be Divine, but is not able, being it &s;elf but Humane, to demon&s;trate, or infallibly convince us thereof, or work in us a Divine Faith that they are &s;o. The &s;ua&s;ive Power is in the Church, but the per&s;ua&s;ive effectual Power is the Spirit's only. The Churches Te&s;timony begets an Opinion, but the Scripture it &s;elf, and operation of the Spirit can alone beget a firm, un&s;haken, holy Faith.</P>
<P N="8">VIII. The Books of the Holy Scriptures, ac|cording to the &s;everal Ages of the Church when they were given forth, are divided into tho&s;e of the <HI>Old</HI> Te&s;tament, and tho&s;e of the <HI>New.</HI></P>
<P>Tho&s;e of the Old Te&s;tament are, Fir&s;t, <HI>The Law,</HI> containing the <HI>Pentateuch,</HI> or Five Books of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> which from their re&s;pective &s;ubject matter are cal|led <HI>Gene&s;is, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,</HI> and <HI>Deu|teronomy.</HI> Secondly, <HI>The Prophets,</HI> of which &s;ome are more <HI>Ancient,</HI> who&s;e Books are chiefly Hi&s;tori|cal, as <HI>Jo&s;hua, Judges, Ruth,</HI> two Books of <HI>Samuel,</HI> and two of <HI>Kings.</HI> Others later, whereof four are call'd <HI>the greater,</HI> viz. <HI>I&s;aiah, Jeremy, Ezekiel,</HI> and <HI>Daniel.</HI> The other twelve, <HI>the le&s;&s;er;</HI> (for Vo|lume, not Authority:) that is to &s;ay, <HI>Ho&s;ea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah; Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai; Zeehariah, Malachi.</HI> Thirdly,
<PB N="11" REF="11">The re&s;t of the Canonical Books of the Old Te|&s;tament, are peculiarly call'd by the <HI>Greeks, The Hagiography,</HI> [or <HI>Sacred Writings;</HI>] And by our Lord Chri&s;t, <HI>Luke</HI> 24.44. included under the name of <HI>The P&s;alms;</HI> They handle divers things in a mi&s;|cellaneous manner, <HI>viz.</HI> The Books of <HI>Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, E&s;ther, Job, P&s;alms, Proverbs, Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tes, Canticles,</HI> and the <HI>Lamentations.</HI></P>
<P>Tho&s;e of the New Te&s;tament are either <HI>Hi&s;tori|cal,</HI> containing as well the Hi&s;tory of our ble&s;&s;ed Chri&s;t written by the Four Evangeli&s;ts, as the <HI>Acts of the Apo&s;tles</HI> by St. <HI>Luke;</HI> or <HI>dogmatical,</HI> teachative or in&s;tructing, as the &s;everal <HI>Epi&s;tles;</HI> and one <HI>pro|phetical,</HI> viz. the <HI>Apocalyp&s;e,</HI> or <HI>Revelation of St. John.</HI></P>
<P>Having long &s;ince (when but a Child) &s;et down for my own memory, the Names and Order of the whole 66 Canonical Books of the Old and New Te&s;tament in the following 22 Ver&s;es or Rhymes, and found the &s;ame (then) of &s;ome u&s;e for the ready turning to any Book, not knowing but it may be acceptable to others, e&s;pecially Youth, to get by heart for the &s;ame purpo&s;e, I &s;hall pre&s;ume here to in&s;ert them, hoping the Reader will pardon the <HI>&V;nevenne&s;s</HI> of the Lines, as intended only to a&s;&s;i&s;t him in <HI>Recollecting</HI> the place of each Book.</P>
<Q><L><HI>Gene&s;is, Exodus, Leviticus,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Numbers,</HI> to <HI>Deut'ronomy</HI> leadeth us;</L>
<L><HI>Jo&s;hua, Judges, Ruth,</HI> (her Story tells)</L>
<L>Twice <HI>Samuel,</HI> as oft <HI>Kings,</HI> and <HI>Chronicles;</HI></L>
<PB N="12" REF="12">
<L>Then <HI>Ezra, Nehemiah, E&s;thers</HI> Raign,</L>
<L>And <HI>Job,</HI> Rewards of Patience doth obtain.</L>
<L>The <HI>P&s;alms, Proverbs,</HI> the <HI>Preacher,</HI> and his <HI>Song;</HI></L>
<L><HI>I&s;aiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation.</HI></L>
<L>After <HI>Ezechiel, Daniel, Ho&s;ea</HI>'s Book,</L>
<L>For <HI>Joel, Amos, Obadiah</HI> look;</L>
<L>With <HI>Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,</HI></L>
<L>Then <HI>Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah,</HI></L>
<L>And <HI>Malachi</HI> the Herald of <HI>Me&s;&s;iah;</HI></L>
<L>Who&s;e Go&s;pel wrote by <HI>Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,</HI></L>
<L>Is by Holy Epi&s;tles more made known,</L>
<L>Once to the <HI>Romans,</HI> twice to <HI>Corinth</HI> &s;hown.</L>
<L><HI>Galatians, Ephe&s;ians,</HI> next &s;ucceed</L>
<L><HI>Philippians</HI> then, and the <HI>Colo&s;&s;ians,</HI> read;</L>
<L>Twice <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> twice to <HI>Timothy;</HI></L>
<L><HI>Titus, Philemon,</HI> and next <HI>Hebrews</HI> lie;</L>
<L>Once <HI>James,</HI> twice <HI>Peter,</HI> thrice love-breathing <HI>John,</HI></L>
<L>Then <HI>Jude,</HI> and la&s;t the <HI>Revelation.</HI></L></Q>
<P>All the&s;e Books are called <HI>Canonical,</HI> becau&s;e they are the <HI>Canon,</HI> that is, the <HI>Rule,</HI> or <HI>Square</HI> of Faith and Life; nor was there ever any doubt made of their Authentickne&s;s by the Church.</P>
<P N="9">IX. Certain other Books there are, &s;ometimes bound up with our Bibles, that is to &s;ay, two Books of <HI>E&s;dras, Tobit, Judith,</HI> &s;ix Chapters added to the Book of <HI>E&s;ther, Wi&s;dom, Eccle&s;ia&s;ticus, Baruch,</HI> with the <HI>Epi&s;tle</HI> of <HI>Jeremiah,</HI> the <HI>Song</HI> of the <HI>Three Chil|dren,</HI> the <HI>Story</HI> of <HI>Su&s;anna,</HI> the <HI>Idol Bel</HI> and the <HI>Dra|gon,</HI> the <HI>Prayer</HI> of <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh,</HI> and two Books of the
<PB N="13" REF="12"><HI>Maccabees.</HI> All which, although they may be read as <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tories,</HI> or excellent Tracts of <HI>Morality</HI> (as &s;ome of them are) with profit, yet they come &s;hort of that Authority which is in the <HI>Canonical Books</HI> for proving Articles of Faith: And have not been received as of Divine Authority by the ancient Church, as St. <HI>Jerome,</HI> and others of the Fathers witne&s;s; and therefore are called <HI>Apocry|pha,</HI> that is hidden, ob&s;cure, or doubtful; and by &s;ome of the Ancients <HI>Deutero-Canonici,</HI> Books of the &s;econd or le&s;&s;er Canon.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons a&s;&s;ignd for not receiving the&s;e Books as Canonical, are the&s;e. Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e they were not written by <HI>Prophets,</HI> but for the mo&s;t part &s;ince <HI>Malachi</HI> the la&s;t Prophet, and &s;ince the time of the &s;ealing of Prophecy. Secondly, Becau&s;e as they are not written in the &s;tyle of the Prophets, &s;o neither in the <HI>Hebrew Tongue.</HI> Thirdly, Becau&s;e they are <HI>never alledg'd</HI> in the New Te&s;tament. Fourthly, Becau&s;e in them we find many pa&s;&s;ages <HI>incon&s;i&s;tent</HI> with Canonical Scripture, and other things fabulous and repugnant to Faith and Piety: For Example, in the Additions to <HI>E&s;ther,</HI> what is &s;aid in <HI>Chap.</HI> 11.2. and <HI>Chap.</HI> 12.1. in the <HI>Apocry|pha,</HI> contradicts what is &s;aid <HI>Chap.</HI> 2.16. of the Canonical. And what is &s;aid <HI>Chap.</HI> 12.5. of the <HI>Apocrypha,</HI> oppo&s;es what is delivered <HI>Chap.</HI> 6.3. in the Canonical. So in the Additions to <HI>Daniel,</HI> the Story of the Prophet <HI>Habakkuk</HI> &s;eems fal&s;e; for he prophecy'd before the <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Captivity, as ap|pears by his own Prophecy; and if he were then living, he mu&s;t have prophecy'd more than an 100
<PB N="14" REF="13">years, which is no ways probable. The Book of <HI>Judith,</HI> Chap. 9.2. commends what is condemn'd <HI>Gen.</HI> 34.25. and 49.5, &amp; 6. and its fir&s;t and 11th contradicts each other. The Book of <HI>Wi&s;dom, Chap.</HI> 14.5. is mi&s;taken, and the whole &s;uppo&s;ed to be wrote by <HI>Philo</HI> the <HI>Jew,</HI> after Chri&s;t. The Au|thor of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;ticus</HI> complements, and <HI>begs pardon</HI> in his Prologue, which in&s;pired Writers never did, nor have rea&s;on to do. In the 2d Book of <HI>Macca|bees,</HI> &s;acrificing for the <HI>Dead,</HI> and <HI>tho&s;e</HI> too that died in Idolatry and Sacriledge, is commended; and at other places Self-Murther is encouraged.</P>
<P>For all which Rea&s;ons, as the&s;e <HI>Apocryphal</HI> Books were never received by the <HI>Jews,</HI> &s;o neither by the <HI>ancient Chri&s;tians,</HI> but forbidden by &s;ome to be read in the Church, if we may credit the Author of the Expo&s;ition of the Creed in <HI>Cyprian,</HI> or the Coun|cil of <HI>Laodicea;</HI> however our <HI>Mother the Church of England,</HI> con&s;erving in this, as in other things, her accu&s;tomed <HI>Moderation,</HI> does, with St. <HI>Hierome,</HI> ad|mit them to <HI>be read,</HI> and &s;ome of them even in the Church, for example of Life, and in&s;truction of Manners, yet does not acknowledge the &s;ame to be Canonical.</P>
<P N="10">X. <HI>The Holy Scriptures contain all things</HI> nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation, <HI>&s;o that what&s;oever is not read therein, or may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it &s;hould be believed as an Article of Faith, or be thought requi&s;ite or nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation.</HI> [Articles of the Church of England, <HI>Art.</HI> 6.] <HI>The Church hath Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies, and Autho|rity
<PB N="15" REF="13">in Controver&s;ies of Faith: And yet it is not law|ful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written: Neither may it &s;o expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another; wherefore although the Church be a Witne&s;s, and a Keeper of Holy Writ, yet as it ought not to decree any thing</HI> again&s;t <HI>the &s;ame, &s;o</HI> be&s;ides <HI>the &s;ame, ought it not to inforce any thing to be believed for nece&s;&s;ity of &s;alvation,</HI> [Ibid. Art 20.]</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="proof">
<HEAD>THE PROOF.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Since the Scriptures contain a Doctrin to which we mu&s;t not <HI>add,</HI> as well as not <HI>dimini&s;h</HI> from it, <HI>Deut.</HI> 4.2. and 12.32. <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> 1.6. and <HI>Rev.</HI> 22.18. A Doctrin which is able to render a man compleatly in&s;tructed, and <HI>perfect unto &s;alvation,</HI> P&s;al. 19.8. <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 1.28. and 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.15, &amp; 16. Since tho&s;e that preach any thing <HI>be&s;ides</HI> what is written, (as nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation) are <HI>accur&s;ed,</HI> Gal. 1.8. Since Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles always <HI>proved</HI> and confirm|ed what they taught by Scriptures, and never by <HI>Traditions,</HI> Luke 24.27.44, &amp; 45 <HI>ver&s;es. Acts</HI> 15.15. Nay, <HI>condemn'd</HI> Humane Traditions, though carrying a &s;emblance of Piety, as <HI>Matth.</HI> 15.3. and 6 <HI>ver&s;es;</HI> and <HI>Mark</HI> 7.8. Since we are commanded not to be wi&s;e <HI>above what is written,</HI> 1 Cor. 4.6. Since the Scriptures are the <HI>Te&s;tament,</HI> or Covenant of God, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.14. And to a Te&s;tament or Cove|nant (even among&s;t men) none but bold and wicked Fal&s;ifiers will pre&s;ume to <HI>add</HI> or <HI>dimini&s;h, Gal.</HI> 3.15. We may from all the&s;e Arguments con|clude
<PB N="16" REF="14">the <HI>Perfection</HI> of the Holy Scriptures, and their being a &s;ufficient Rule to Salvation.</P>
<P N="2">2. If the Prophets and Apo&s;tles led by the Ho|ly Spirit into all Truth, being as it were the publick Notaries and <HI>Regi&s;ters</HI> for the Church, have not in their Writings recorded and &s;et forth all things ne|ce&s;&s;ary for Salvation, the &s;ame came to pa&s;s either becau&s;e they <HI>ought not</HI> to have done it, or were <HI>not able,</HI> both which are ab&s;urd; on the contrary, them|&s;elves te&s;tifie that they have revealed <HI>the whole coun|&s;el of God.</HI> Our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour made known un|to his Di&s;ciples the la&s;t and <HI>full Will</HI> of his heaven|ly Father, <HI>John</HI> 14.26. and 15.15. and 16.13. What they received of him, they faithfully preached unto the world, <HI>Acts</HI> 20.27. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.1. <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.8. 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.3. And the &s;um of what they &s;o preach'd, was committed to <HI>Writing, Acts</HI> 1.1. <HI>John</HI> 20.31. 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.13. <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.8. That it might <HI>remain</HI> as a certain &s;tanding &s;ufficient Rule to all Generations, to teach &s;ound Doctrin, to di&s;prove Error, to cor|rect Iniquity, to in&s;truct to Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and to comfort under all Temptations and Afflictions in the path of Holine&s;s, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>Rom.</HI> 15.4.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>1. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>If the Scriptures be a perfect Rule, then either</HI> each <HI>&s;ingle Book is &s;o perfect, and &s;o no need of the re&s;t; or only the</HI> whole <HI>Canon, but not each &s;ingle Book, as is granted; and for the</HI> whole <HI>we have it</HI> not, <HI>for many Books are lo&s;t, as of</HI> Nathan <HI>and</HI> Gad, 1 Chron. 29.29. <HI>the Epi&s;tle of</HI> Paul <HI>to the</HI> Laodiceans, <HI>Col.</HI> 4.16. &amp;c.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="17" REF="14">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Each &s;ingle Book is perfect with an <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> per|fection, becau&s;e it has the matter and form of the Word of God, and is &s;ufficiently perfect for the proper end thereof. But the whole Canon with a <HI>quantitative perfection; that</HI> has the perfection of a part, <HI>this</HI> of the whole. And we have the compleat Canon; for tho&s;e Books <HI>lo&s;t</HI> were only Hi&s;torical Narratives, not <HI>Canonical.</HI> The Epi&s;tle mention'd, <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 4. was an Epi&s;tle <HI>from,</HI> not <HI>to Laodicea,</HI> as as appears in the <HI>Greek;</HI> and might probably be the <HI>Fir&s;t to Timothy,</HI> which was wrote from <HI>thence,</HI> as the Sub&s;cription &s;hews.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>2. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The Apo&s;tle &s;aith,</HI> Hold the Traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our Epi&s;tle, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.15.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The Apo&s;tle &s;peaks either of &s;ome free and <HI>in|different</HI> Con&s;titutions concerning the Order and <HI>Decorum</HI> of the Church, or of that <HI>Doctrin</HI> which he had preached to them by word of mouth, and which is contained in his, and other Canonical Writings; &s;o that this either way makes nothing for <HI>other Traditions</HI> obtruded as nece&s;&s;ary to Salva|tion either contrary to the Scriptures, or not in &s;ome part thereof comprehended.</P>
<P N="11"><PB N="18" REF="15">XI. The Holy Scriptures being the foveraign and <HI>perfect Rule</HI> of the Chri&s;tian Religion, it fol|lows that the <HI>reading</HI> and &s;tudy thereof is highly expedient for <HI>all Chri&s;tians,</HI> and accordingly the &s;ame is enjoin'd&mdash;<HI>Search the Scriptures,</HI> Joh. 5.39. <HI>Let the Word of God dwell plenteou&s;ly amongst you, Col.</HI> 3.16.</P>
<P N="12">XII. Hence al&s;o it follows, That the <HI>Tran&s;lation</HI> of the Bible into <HI>vulgar Tongues</HI> is both <HI>lawful</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> which are &s;o far <HI>authentical</HI> as they agree with the Original Fountains, <HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>Hebrew</HI> in the Old Te&s;tament, and the <HI>Greek</HI> in the New.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons hereof are, (1.) Becau&s;e the Pro|phets and Apo&s;tles preached their Doctrins to the People, and Nations in their own Languages, <HI>Jer.</HI> 36.15. <HI>Acts</HI> 2.6. (2dly) Becau&s;e &s;oon after the Apo&s;tles times, many <HI>Tran&s;lations</HI> were extant. (3dly) Becau&s;e all things mu&s;t be done in the Church <HI>unto edifying,</HI> 1 Cor. 14.26. But an <HI>unknown</HI> Tongue doth not edifie, but tends to <HI>confu&s;ion,</HI> Gen. 11.7.</P>
<P N="13">XIII. Nor is there any <HI>&s;uch Ob&s;curity</HI> in the&s;e &s;a|cred Oracles, as may or ought to di&s;courage any from the &s;tudy of them, but that they may thence reap great benefit and advantage; for the <HI>plainne&s;s</HI> of the Scripture is to be con&s;idered, either in re|&s;pect of <HI>it &s;elf,</HI> or in re&s;pect of <HI>men.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. In re&s;pect of <HI>it &s;elf,</HI> though its matter con|tain mo&s;t <HI>deep my&s;teries</HI> hidden from Ages, and re|mote
<PB N="19" REF="15">from the natural capacity of man, yet they are clearly enough there propo&s;ed and explained. And as its internal Form, being <HI>Divine Truth,</HI> can|not in it &s;elf be ob&s;cure, &s;eeing it is that <HI>light</HI> which illuminates our mind; &s;o for its external Form or <HI>Style,</HI> although in &s;ome places it be temper'd with words and phra&s;es &s;omewhat <HI>ob&s;cure,</HI> yet el&s;ewhere, and for the mo&s;t part it is &s;ufficiently clear and per|&s;picuous; the Holy Spirit &s;o adapting its &s;tyle, that neither its <HI>Plainne&s;s</HI> &s;hould occa&s;ion <HI>Contempt,</HI> nor its <HI>Difficulty</HI> render the Text <HI>unprofitable.</HI> There|fore what in <HI>one</HI> place is clearly taught, in another is coucht in <HI>Parables,</HI> or more ab&s;tru&s;e words and phra&s;es, thereby at once quickning our <HI>diligence,</HI> in &s;earching and confounding the <HI>pride</HI> of Humane Wit; as al&s;o that we &s;hould both more ardently <HI>beg of God</HI> the Gift of under&s;tanding, and with the greater <HI>Indu&s;try</HI> apply our &s;elves to dig up this trea|&s;ure of heavenly wi&s;dom.</P>
<P N="2">2. In re&s;pect of <HI>Men,</HI> the Scriptures indeed to the unregenerate and carnal may &s;eem ob&s;cure&mdash;<HI>If our Go&s;pel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, le&s;t the light of the glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, who is the Image of God, &s;hould &s;hine into them,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.4. But to tho&s;e that are born again, and <HI>enlightned with the Spirit,</HI> the Word of God is clear and per&s;picuous, though not to all alike, yet to all and every of them (according to their mea|&s;ure of Faith, and degrees of Gifts) <HI>&s;ufficiently to Salvation.</HI> And for all tho&s;e pa&s;&s;ages which are <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>hard to be under&s;tood,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.16. we may
<PB N="20" REF="16">either be ignorant of them without hazard of Sal|vation, or el&s;e in &s;ome other place of the Bible they are more clearly &s;et forth: So that all Do|ctrins <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> to be known, believed and ob&s;er|ved for &s;alvation, are in their places &s;o clearly pro|po&s;ed and delivered, that every man, though never &s;o <HI>mean</HI> or Plebeian, doing his duty by Prayer, Hu|mility, and making u&s;e of the ordinary means for finding out the &s;en&s;e of Scriptures, may ea&s;ily and <HI>&s;ufficiently,</HI> to his &s;alvation, come to under&s;tand them.</P>
<P N="14">XIV. The Scriptures con&s;i&s;t not &s;o much in the <HI>bare words,</HI> as in the <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> and meaning of the words, which is their <HI>internal Form;</HI> therefore in the fir&s;t place the genuine &s;en&s;e of the Holy Scri|pture is to be &s;ought out by a <HI>due Interpretation,</HI> which is nothing el&s;e but <HI>an explanation of the true &s;en&s;e of the words, and a fit application thereof, for Doctrin, for Reproof, for Correction, for In&s;truction in Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.16.</P>
<P>The <HI>true &s;en&s;e</HI> of Scripture is <HI>that</HI> which re&s;ults, and is immediately gather'd from the words and phra&s;es rightly under&s;tood, and which the Speakers <HI>intention</HI> and <HI>nature of the thing</HI> do import.</P>
<P>Ths &s;en&s;e is not various or <HI>manifold,</HI> but <HI>one,</HI> to wit, <HI>Grammatical</HI> or Literal, which the words, whether <HI>properly</HI> or <HI>figuratively</HI> taken, do of them|&s;elves bear: For words and phra&s;es are to be under|&s;tood either <HI>properly</HI> or <HI>figuratively,</HI> and by a <HI>Trope,</HI> when the words properly taken would produce &s;ome manife&s;t <HI>ab&s;urdity,</HI> or argue <HI>fal&s;hood;</HI> as the
<PB N="21" REF="16">&s;en&s;e of that &s;aying, <HI>The Seed of the Woman &s;hall brui&s;e the Serpents Head,</HI> is this, That Chri&s;t &s;hall defeat and &s;ubdue the <HI>Devil,</HI> and his greate&s;t de|&s;igns; though properly the Devil is not a <HI>Serpent,</HI> and being a <HI>Spirit</HI> can have <HI>no Head;</HI> &s;o when we read of <HI>the Arm of the Lord,</HI> the literal &s;en&s;e is not, that God hath &s;uch a Member, but that which is &s;ignified by that Member, to wit, <HI>&s;trength,</HI> and operative <HI>vertue.</HI></P>
<P>The other <HI>three</HI> &s;en&s;es which &s;ome reckon up, and call them &s;piritual or my&s;tical, <HI>viz. Allegorical, Anagogical,</HI> and <HI>Tropological,</HI> are not divers di&s;tinct &s;en&s;es of Holy Scripture, but only divers <HI>manners</HI> of handling Scripture, or various accomodations of its only true literal &s;en&s;e: For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Allegorical</HI> Interpretation is the applica|tion of the literal &s;en&s;e to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or the <HI>Church,</HI> by &s;ome &s;imilitude; as to &s;ay <HI>David</HI> was a Type of Chri&s;t, and <HI>Goliah</HI> of the Devil; therefore <HI>Da|vid</HI>'s Fight and Victory, &s;ignifies Chri&s;t's Combat with and Conque&s;t of the Devil: Or <HI>David</HI> over|came <HI>Goliah,</HI> therefore the Faithful &s;hall in the end &s;urmount all Afflictions. Now this is not a <HI>new &s;en&s;e,</HI> but only an application of that Hi&s;tory; and though &s;ometimes &s;uch <HI>Allegories</HI> may profitably be rai&s;ed, yet we mu&s;t u&s;e them &s;paringly and &s;oberly: For it is dangerous to indulge our Fancies too far that way, as appears by &s;ome of the ancient Fathers, particularly the great St. <HI>Origen,</HI> who thereby fell into &s;everal Errors, and ob&s;cured the Truth, and perverted the Sen&s;e of Holy Scripture, by over|bold and frequent <HI>Allegorizing.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="22" REF="17">2. The <HI>Anagogical</HI> Interpretation is indeed but a <HI>&s;pecies</HI> of the Allegorical, whereby &s;ome <HI>Type</HI> of the Old Te&s;tament is applied to the Truth exhibi|ted in the New, or the <HI>Glory</HI> of the Life to come is &s;ignified by things known and obvious to the Sen|&s;es; as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 95.11. <HI>I &s;ware in my wrath that they &s;hould not enter into my re&s;t.</HI> Here <HI>Re&s;t</HI> &s;ignifies in|deed <HI>the Land of Canaan,</HI> but Anagogically taken, <HI>Eternal Bli&s;s,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>Canaan</HI> was thereof a <HI>Type.</HI> So the Glory of Heaven is painted out in the <HI>Reve|lations,</HI> by the &s;imilitude of a mo&s;t beautiful <HI>City;</HI> yet &s;till here is no double &s;en&s;e, but an Anagogical application, whereby we refer the <HI>&s;ign</HI> to the <HI>thing &s;ignified.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The like may be &s;aid of the <HI>Tropological</HI> &s;en&s;e, which is but an efficacious transferring of Scri|pture, when from &s;ome <HI>Fact</HI> there recorded, we col|lect &s;ome Doctrin of <HI>Morality,</HI> or whole&s;om In|&s;tructions of life, as St. <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 Cor. 9.9. from that Text of <HI>Deut.</HI> 25.4. <HI>Thou &s;halt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn;</HI> rai&s;es an Argu|ment, That Chri&s;tians ought to allow a fit mainte|nance to their <HI>Mini&s;ters.</HI></P>
<P N="15">XV. Although the Interpretation of Scripture be committed to the <HI>Church,</HI> yet the only <HI>Supreme Judge</HI> of this Interpretation, is the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t &s;peaking in it,</HI> who is the Sovereign Interpreter and Judge of Controver&s;ies.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="proof">
<PB N="23" REF="17">
<HEAD>THE PROOF.</HEAD>
<P>In &s;uch a Judge four Things are requi&s;ite: Fir&s;t, That he <HI>cannot Err.</HI> Secondly, That there lie no <HI>Appeal</HI> from him. Thirdly, That he be not <HI>par|tial,</HI> much le&s;s a Party in the Di&s;pute. Fourthly, That he be able to enforce <HI>Obedience;</HI> which Obe|dience being <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> and con&s;i&s;ting in the <HI>Will,</HI> none but God can enforce it: Therefore &s;ince no man, or number of men, can ju&s;tly or mode&s;tly pre|tend to any one of the&s;e qualifications, they ought to renounce their Claim of Sovereign Judicature, and yield the &s;ame to the ble&s;&s;ed Spirit, who&s;e alone Right it is upon all tho&s;e four Accounts.</P>
<P>True it is, there are others that may be call'd &s;ubordinate and inferior <HI>Judges</HI> of Interpretation and Controver&s;y, as the ancient <HI>Fathers</HI> of the Church, or the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> of the pre&s;ent Age, whether in a <HI>General Council,</HI> (if that were po&s;&s;ible) or a National <HI>Synod</HI> or <HI>Convocation</HI> a&s;&s;embled, to who&s;e Judgments for Peace, Humility, and Unity, we ought always to pay a reverend E&s;teem, and &s;ub|mit to, and acquie&s;ce therein, where not forbidden by <HI>Scripture.</HI></P>
<P>But &s;till all the&s;e have a <HI>Judge above them,</HI> viz. The <HI>Scripture it &s;elf,</HI> or Holy Gho&s;t &s;peaking there|in; for their Judgment is not therefore <HI>true,</HI> be|cau&s;e they do &s;o adjudge, but becau&s;e they judge ac|cording to the <HI>Word,</HI> for otherwi&s;e they may err. The Holy Spirit is the Supreme Interpreter, be|cau&s;e by him we mu&s;t be enlightned before we can
<PB N="24" REF="18">obtain the true &s;en&s;e of Scripture, otherwi&s;e we &s;hall never reach that <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>full a&s;&s;urance</HI> of Faith, which the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks of. Now this is that internal Per&s;ua&s;ion which extends only to our &s;elves, for we cannot thereby work upon <HI>others</HI> to make them receive the &s;en&s;e and judgment of the Spirit: And therefore &s;econdly, The Holy Spirit &s;peaking in the Scriptures, is al&s;o the Soveraign Interpreter and Judge in re&s;pect of <HI>external</HI> Per|&s;ua&s;ion, and therefore that we may per&s;uade others, we mu&s;t bring them to this external judgment of the Scripture: For,</P>
<P><HI>That which alone has Power to beget</HI> Faith, <HI>has alone the Supreme Power of interpreting of Scriptures, and determining all Controver&s;ies of Faith: But only the Scriptures, together with the Holy Spirit, have that Power.</HI> Ergo, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="16">XVI. <HI>General</HI> Councils <HI>(fora&s;much as they be an A&s;&s;embly of Men, whereof all be not govern'd with the Spirit and Word of God)</HI> may err, <HI>and &s;ometimes have erred, even in things pertaining to God; where|fore things Ordained by them as nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation, have neither Strength nor Authority, unle&s;s it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture.</HI> [Articles of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> Art. 21.]</P>
<P N="17">XVII. The Means we are to u&s;e for finding out the true &s;en&s;e of Scripture, and interpreting there|of, are of three &s;orts; &s;ome to <HI>precede,</HI> &s;ome to be <HI>u&s;ed</HI> in the Interpretation, and &s;ome to <HI>follow;</HI>
<PB N="25" REF="18">which if not ob&s;erved, we &s;hall be in danger of erring, &s;ince they An&s;wer to, and Remedy &s;o ma|ny &s;everal Impediments, which we are apt to be Subject unto.</P>
<P><HI>Rules to be ob&s;erved before Reading the Holy Scrip|tures, are</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. That we apply our &s;elves to <HI>Prayer,</HI> which is both Commanded, and Succe&s;s promi&s;ed to it, <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.7. <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.5. We mu&s;t Implore the A&s;|&s;i&s;tance of the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> without who&s;e Illumi|nation we &s;hall not be able to under&s;tand the Scriptures, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.27. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.12.</P>
<P N="2">2. We ought to renounce our own Carnal Wi&s;|dom and humane Rea&s;onings, and re&s;olve to hearken to God alone, teaching us in his <HI>Word,</HI> and to bring down all our Cogitations to the Obe|dience of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> For nothing hinders proficiency in Divine things, more than a vain opinion of our own Wi&s;dom, <HI>Matth.</HI> 11.27. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.7. and <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18, 19.</P>
<P N="3">3. We &s;hould approach the Scriptures without prejudice and unbias'd, with a pure, candid mind, &s;imply de&s;irous to Learn; a prejudicate opinion is a very great hinderance; Therefore Chri&s;t bids his Di&s;ciples, Beware of the <HI>Leven of the Phari&s;ees,</HI> and St. <HI>Paul</HI> advi&s;es, &mdash; <HI>Beware left any Man &s;poil you through Philo&s;ophy, and vain deceit, after the Tradition of Men, after the Rudiments of the World, and not after Chri&s;t,</HI> Colo&s;&s;. 2.8.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="26" REF="19">4. We mu&s;t come with a mind purg'd by <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Repentance,</HI> and truly &s;tudious of <HI>Piety,</HI> for the pure Spirit of Chri&s;t that Enlightneth the mind, will not dwell in the Impenitent and Prophane, 2. <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.7.</P>
<P N="5">5. We mu&s;t come with a Reverend and hearty <HI>Love</HI> of Truth, and an ardent de&s;ire of receiving and retaining it. Hence tho&s;e who read the Holy Scriptures only <HI>formally,</HI> and out of Cu&s;tom, or for <HI>ill ends,</HI> as for O&s;tentation, Vain-Glory, Con|tention, or the like, attain not the meaning of the Holy Spirit, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.11.</P>
<P N="6">6. We mu&s;t come not only with a de&s;ire to <HI>know</HI> the Will of God, but al&s;o with a Re&s;olution to <HI>do it;</HI> for the end of Scripture is not bare knowledge, but joyn'd with <HI>practice, Tit.</HI> 2.12.</P>
<P><HI>The Rules to be ob&s;erved in the Interpreting of Scrip|ture, are</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. We &s;hould endeavour to under&s;tand the <HI>very Words,</HI> which the Holy Gho&s;t has u&s;ed in the Scrip|ture; and therefore (if our Circum&s;tances will permit) &s;hould &s;trive to be acquainted with the <HI>Original Tongues,</HI> for therein things are delivered with a greater <HI>Empha&s;is,</HI> and they are very great helps: But the unlearned mu&s;t &s;erve them&s;elves of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">e be&s;t Tran&s;lations, and the Interpretations of Godly Learned <HI>Divines,</HI> delivered in their Preach|ings or Writings.</P>
<P N="2">2. We mu&s;t diligently weigh each Word, that we may di&s;tingui&s;h tho&s;e that are u&s;ed <HI>properly,</HI> from
<PB N="27" REF="19">&s;uch as are put <HI>figuratively,</HI> and know their mo&s;t u&s;u|al and more proper Significations; for Figura|tive Expre&s;&s;ions are not to be Interpreted proper|ly, nor the contrary.</P>
<P N="3">3. We mu&s;t take notice of the Principal Intent, or <HI>main Scope,</HI> and end of each place, which is to be gather'd as well out of the matter foregoing, as following.</P>
<P N="4">4. All the <HI>Circum&s;tances</HI> of the place propo&s;ed are to be Con&s;idered (as <HI>Time, Place, Per&s;on,</HI> &amp;c.) and al&s;o the words precedent and &s;ub&s;equent: If a word be capable of diver&s;e &s;en&s;es, we mu&s;t &s;ee by tho&s;e Circum&s;tances in which Signification it may <HI>here</HI> mo&s;t aptly be taken.</P>
<P N="5">5. Compare one place with another, the more <HI>ob&s;cure</HI> with tho&s;e that are more clear: and not only like Texts with like, but al&s;o unlike Texts with unlike.</P>
<P N="6">6. The Phra&s;es u&s;ual to the Scripture are to be con&s;idered and heeded, e&s;pecially the <HI>Hebrai&s;ms,</HI> which al&s;o frequently occur in the <HI>New Te&s;tament;</HI> their &s;en&s;e is to be inquired into either from the <HI>Hebrew Language,</HI> or the Comments of Learned Men.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Allegories</HI> are not to be rai&s;ed and Expound|ed according to every ones Fancy, but from the circum&s;tances of the places whence they are drawn, and other Texts.</P>
<P N="8">8. In Interpreting of Scriptures we ought as much as may be, contain our &s;elves within their own Bounds and Terms, both real and verbal. <HI>I have taught you Statutes and Judgments, even as the
<PB N="28" REF="20">Lord my God Commanded me,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> Deut. 4.5. <HI>Ju&s;t &s;o,</HI> altered neither in <HI>Words</HI> nor <HI>Matter.</HI> If any Man teach otherwi&s;e, and con&s;ent not to <HI>Whol&s;ome words, the words of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and to the Doctrin which is according to Godline&s;s, He is Proud, knowing nothing, but doting about Que|&s;tions and Strifes of Words,</HI> &amp;c. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.3.</P>
<P N="9">9. VVe ought to con&s;ult the be&s;t and mo&s;t &s;in|cere <HI>Interpreters, Acts</HI> 8.21. and <HI>Chap.</HI> 10.15. But &s;till &s;o as not to Enva&s;&s;al our Under&s;tandings to their Dictates, but remembring that as <HI>Men</HI> they may <HI>Err:</HI> And tho they are our <HI>Guides,</HI> yet are not <HI>Lords</HI> of our <HI>Faith.</HI></P>
<P N="10">10. As the Holy Scripture is the Fountain and Lively <HI>Spring,</HI> containing in all Sufficiency and Abundance, the pure <HI>Water of Life;</HI> and what|&s;oever is nece&s;&s;ary to make Gods People wi&s;e unto Salvation: &s;o the con&s;tant and unanimous Te&s;ti|mony of the true Church of Chri&s;t, in the Primi|tive Ages thereof, is (as it were) a <HI>Conduit-Pipe</HI> to Derive and Convey to &s;ucceeding Generations, the Cele&s;tial VVater contained in Scripture; the fir&s;t of the&s;e, namely the Scripture, is of Soveraign Authority; and for it &s;elf, <HI>Worthy of all Accepta|tion:</HI> The latter, namely the Voice and Te&s;ti|mony of the Primitive Church, is a Mini&s;terial and Subordinate Rule and Guide, to pre&s;erve and di|rect us in the Right under&s;tanding of the Scrip|tures. Hence the Excellent <HI>Aphori&s;m</HI> of King <HI>Charles</HI> the Martyr, &mdash; <HI>In Religion, Scripture is the be&s;t Rule, and the Churches &V;niver&s;al Practice, the be&s;t Commentary.</HI></P>
<PB N="29" REF="20">
<P>La&s;tly, In all Interpretations we are to have re|gard to the <HI>Analogy of Faith,</HI> that is, the General and Perpetual Tenour and Sentence of the Scrip|tures in plain places, &s;uch as are the Articles thence deduc'd and &s;umm'd up in the <HI>Creed,</HI> the <HI>Lords Prayer,</HI> and the <HI>Decalogue,</HI> (or Ten Command|ments) and the main Principles of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> as to give <HI>all Glory to God,</HI> to promote <HI>&s;elf-denial</HI> and <HI>Humility;</HI> to Advance <HI>Charity, Peace and the Good of Mankind,</HI> &amp;c. VVhatever Comment violates the&s;e, mu&s;t needs be fal&s;e. Nor mu&s;t we Interpret an ob&s;cure place &s;o as to render the &s;en&s;e thereof contrary to that of another clear|er place, for there are no real Incoherences or Contradictions in the <HI>Book of God,</HI> whatever may &s;eem to our weak apprehen&s;ions.</P>
<P><HI>The Rules to be ob&s;erved after we have &s;ound out the true meaning of any Scripture, are three,</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. Giving of Thanks for the greatne&s;s of the Mercy and Benefit, that the Lord has been pleas'd in any mea&s;ure to vouch&s;afe us the knowledge of his Divine Will and Heavenly Mi&s;teries: For God to puni&s;h Mans Ingratitude does often times either deprive him of the Knowledge before given him, or at lea&s;t does not encrea&s;e it.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Word under&s;tood is to be Meditated up|on, and fixt in the Memory, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1.2. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.15. VVithout this, your Knowledge will &s;oon de|cay and vani&s;h, as a Nail is ea&s;ily pull'd out, if it be not clenched.</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="30" REF="21">3. Your Knowledge mu&s;t be improved to Piety, and what you read and under&s;tand, accomodated to U&s;e and Practice, whether Commands, or Prohibiti|ons, Exhortations, Promi&s;es or Con&s;olations, all mu&s;t tend to the Strenghning your Faith, and render|ing your Life and Conver&s;ation more Righteous, Humble, Charitable and Holy, &s;ince this is the great end of the Scripture, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.23. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.11. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. Tho&s;e that do otherwi&s;e, by the ju&s;t Judgment of God fall from the Truth: To &s;uch God threatens to take away his Go&s;pel; to &s;end upon them a Famine, not of Bread, but of his Word, <HI>Amos</HI> 8.11. And to remove their Can|dle&s;tick, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2.5. A <HI>bad Heart</HI> will weaken the be&s;t <HI>Head,</HI> and <HI>Depravity</HI> of <HI>Manners</HI> is oftimes puni&s;hed with <HI>Blindne&s;s</HI> of Under&s;tanding.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="31" REF="21">
<HEAD>A <HI>Prayer</HI> fit to be u&s;ed immediately before we apply our &s;elves at any time to the Reading of the Holy Scriptures.</HEAD>
<P><HI>GReat and Ble&s;&s;ed GOD, and (in the Lord JES&V;S) our mo&s;t merciful Father! Who art the Author of</HI> every good and perfect Gift, <HI>and ha&s;t promi&s;ed to be&s;tow</HI> Wi&s;dom, <HI>and the knowledge of thy Law and Wor&s;hip upon all that in Faith and Humility beg it of Thee; as thou ha&s;t been Graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to Ble&s;s us with that Ine&s;timable Trea|&s;ure of thy mo&s;t</HI> Holy Word: (<HI>and in our own</HI> Mother Tongue,) <HI>So we be&s;eech thee both to</HI> Continue that Mercy, <HI>and to Enable us to make a due Emprovement of it, that it may not &s;till remain as a</HI> Book Sealed. <HI>O give me thy poor Creature (that de&s;ires to &s;erve thee in &s;incerity according to all thy Commandments,) a &s;ufficient</HI> Knowledge <HI>of all requi&s;ite Truths, and an humble</HI> Obedient Heart <HI>to reduce that knowledge to</HI> Practice. <HI>Reveal to me (as
<PB N="32" REF="22">far as thou &s;ee&s;t meet and nece&s;&s;ary) what is undi&s;covered; Open and explain what is Secret and my&s;tical; Clear and Enlighten, what is Ob&s;cure and Cloudy; unfold what is Difficult; make me to &s;hun and abhor all the Vices and Sins</HI> forbidden <HI>in this &s;acred Book: To Love, Embrace, and Pant after all the Vertues and Graces, in the &s;ame Recommended: To void and tremble at tho&s;e</HI> Judgments <HI>here denounced; To pur&s;ue with all affection and earne&s;tne&s;s the</HI> Rewards <HI>here</HI> promi&s;ed; <HI>and finally, by and through the Merits of the Ble&s;|&s;ed</HI> Je&s;us, <HI>to attain them. Pre&s;erve me, O</HI> God <HI>of Truth! in whatever Truths I already know; and where, by the narrowne&s;s of humane apprehen&s;ion, or prepo&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions I am deceived, do thou, in Mercy good Lord! correct and recti|fie my &V;nder&s;tanding. Confirm my Faith in tho&s;e Truths wherein I &s;tagger, and defend me from all Errours and hurtful Opinions, that &s;o I may both Rightly under&s;tand thy Word, and Religiou&s;ly ob&s;erve it, to the E|difying of my Soul, the Glory of thy mo&s;t Holy Name, and the Salvation of my &s;elf and o|thers,</HI> Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="33" REF="22">
<HEAD>CHAP. II. <HI>Of</HI> God, <HI>and how He is to be known. Of the Per&s;ons of the Deity. And the Doctrin of the Holy</HI> Trinity <HI>briefly explained.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="1">I. AS <HI>God</HI> is the proper and prime <HI>Object,</HI> &s;o he is al&s;o the Principal and Supream <HI>End</HI> of <HI>Divinity:</HI> And therefore &s;ince the Chief End, and the <HI>Chief Good,</HI> are one and the &s;ame thing, it is manife&s;t, That <HI>Chri&s;tian Divinity</HI> alone doth rightly teach us concerning the <HI>Chief Good.</HI> The Subordinate end of <HI>Divinity</HI> is our <HI>Salvation,</HI> which con&s;i&s;teth in the Union and Fruition of <HI>God. This is Life Eternal to know Thee the true God, and Je&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent,</HI> Joh. 17.3.</P>
<P N="2">II. He that cometh to God, mu&s;t fir&s;t believe that he <HI>is, Hebr.</HI> 11.6.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="reasons">
<HEAD>Some of the Rea&s;ons proving that there is <HI>a God,</HI> are the&s;e:</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. By the <HI>Motion</HI> of things, we gather there mu&s;t be a fir&s;t Mover. 2. Nothing can be the <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> of it &s;elf, for then it &s;hould be both the Cau&s;e and the Effect, and be both <HI>before</HI> and <HI>after</HI> it &s;elf,
<PB N="34" REF="23">which is ab&s;urd; therefore all things have their beginning from one fir&s;t and &s;upreme Cau&s;e, which is <HI>God;</HI> And tho&s;e that will call it <HI>Nature,</HI> do not differ from this Notion of that more excellent and perfect. Being, but only change its <HI>Name,</HI> and rather &s;hew, they have a vain mi&s;taken Ambition of being <HI>thought Athei&s;ts,</HI> than that they have any Rea&s;on &s;trong enough to convince them to be &s;o. 3ly. Since all things what&s;oever, even tho&s;e with|out Life, Sen&s;e, and Rea&s;on, which cannot move voluntarily or intend an End, are yet directed Orderly to &s;ome certain <HI>End;</HI> It follows there mu&s;t be one Wi&s;e, Good and Chief <HI>Directer,</HI> or|dering and guiding all things, not only to their particular Ends, but al&s;o to &s;ome one Supream End, <HI>Prov.</HI> 16.4. 4ly. From tho&s;e degrees of Entity, Truth, and Goodne&s;s, which we undeni|ably find in the Creatures; we Collect, That there mu&s;t be one Chief Entity, Truth, Goodne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 5ly. The Apprehen&s;ion of a Deity is Innate and <HI>Connatural</HI> with Man; Never was Nation &s;o Bar|barous but they gave Te&s;timony to this Truth, and rather than be without a <HI>God,</HI> would fain to them&s;elves <HI>ridiculous Deities;</HI> nay &s;uch as have &s;tudied to become <HI>Athei&s;ts,</HI> could never totally blot this Truth out of their Con&s;ciences, but the Maje&s;ty of God hath Affrighted, and his Terrors made them a&s;toni&s;ht, in a Storm of <HI>Thunder,</HI> a Tempe&s;t <HI>at Sea,</HI> any great Calamity, or when they came to <HI>Die.</HI> 6ly. Miracles and the Signifi|cation of things to come, which by no Humane fore&s;ight, or Power or Natural Signs and Cau&s;es
<PB N="35" REF="23">could either be affected or di&s;covered, may con|vince that there is an Infinite Power that is above, and doth over-rule and Di&s;po&s;e of all things. This is <HI>Tullies</HI> Argument, <HI>Si e&s;t Divinatio, &s;unt Dii:</HI> If you grant <HI>Divination,</HI> you mu&s;t needs ac|knowledge a <HI>Deity.</HI> 7ly. The extraordinary Pro|vidences, as Revolutions of States, overthrow of Kingdoms, protection of Princes, di&s;covery and puni&s;hment of &s;ecret Trea&s;ons, Murther, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Vi|&s;ible Judgments on notorious &s;inners, and pre&s;er|vation of good men, and e&s;pecially of the Church, are &s;o many demon&s;trations of that Sovereign Ju|&s;tice which pre&s;ides over all things. 8ly. The Acts of Con&s;cience in <HI>Excu&s;ing</HI> and comforting in well-doing again&s;t all the Di&s;graces, Slanders and Per&s;ecutions of the World; and its <HI>Accu&s;ing</HI> and terrifying for &s;ins &s;ecretly committed, which ne|ver did nor &s;hall come to the knowledge of Men; its exciting to Holine&s;s, and curbing from Ini|quity, are a manife&s;t proof that there is a <HI>Supream Judge,</HI> who hath given a Law hinding the Con&s;ci|ence, doth ob&s;erve all our Devices, Words and Works, and will call us to an account and reck|oning. 9ly. The beauty, harmony and order which appear in the Creatures, the wonderful Fa|culties of mans Soul, the Lu&s;tre of the <HI>Sun,</HI> the Glory of the innumerable <HI>Stars,</HI> the Wonders of the <HI>Ocean,</HI> the Fertility of the <HI>Earth,</HI> and its variety of productions, are all illu&s;trious Arguments both of the <HI>Being,</HI> and infinite <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of the <HI>Creator.</HI> La&s;tly, the Holy Scriptures do mo&s;t effectuall and clearly above all other means, teach and &s;ati&s;|fy
<PB N="36" REF="24">us, that <HI>there is a God;</HI> as all <HI>pious &s;ouls</HI> by the Renewing, Quickning and Con&s;olation of the Holy Spirit are &s;en&s;ible and can te&s;tify, and are ready to &s;uffer a thou&s;and deaths with mo&s;t exqui|&s;ite Tortures, rather than deny.</P>
<P N="3">III. <HI>ATHEISTS</HI> are of Three &s;orts, 1. <HI>Practi|cal,</HI> &s;uch as in words acknowledg God, but in works deny him. The World, (I wi&s;h I could not &s;ay, <HI>the Church</HI>) is full of <HI>the&s;e Athei&s;ts;</HI> and they make too great a figure even among&s;t the fir&s;t rate profe&s;&s;ors of Chri&s;tianity. Their Under&s;tand|ings are convinc'd, but their <HI>Wills</HI> &s;tand out in Rebellion. If men had it once throughly impre&s;s'd upon their &s;pirits, That there was a mo&s;t Holy, Ju&s;t, all-&s;eeing power that will bring all their thoughts, words and actions to Judgment; and an Eternal life of Retribution certainly to follow, ei|ther in Joy or Torment, it would &s;eem impo&s;&s;ible they &s;hould lead &s;uch lives as they do; the truth is, all willful &s;in hath this Malignity in it, that in effect it denyeth that there is a God, by denying his Pow|er, Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, his Holine&s;s, Truth and Ju&s;tice. A Chri&s;tian asking an Infidel how he could quiet his Con&s;cience in &s;uch a de&s;perate &s;tate? <HI>I rather wonder</HI> (reply'd the other) <HI>how you can quiet your Con&s;cience in &s;uch a common carele&s;s cour&s;e of life, believing as you do? If I believ'd &s;uch things as you profe&s;s, I &s;hould think no Care, Deligence and Holyne&s;s enough.</HI> 2dly. <HI>Pragmatical,</HI> The&s;e are a di&s;puting, inqui&s;itive &s;ort of people, who be|cau&s;e they could be glad there were <HI>no God</HI> to pu|ni&s;h
<PB N="37" REF="24">them, or out of vanity to &s;eem <HI>wi&s;er</HI> than their Neighbours, pre&s;ume to que&s;tion and argue again&s;t his Being that made them, tho yet in their private calm thoughts they are them&s;elves con|vinc'd of it. 3ly. <HI>Dogmatical,</HI> who do really hold and believe there is no God; &s;uch men have offer'd violence to their own Natures, razed out tho&s;e notions which are born with us, and cannot arrive at &s;o dreadful a State but through a long cour&s;e of &s;in, which (by the Concurrence of Gods ju&s;t Judg|ment in puni&s;hing thereof) deadens and &s;cars their Con&s;ciences, and gives them utterly up to a Re|probate &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">IV. God being Infinite and Incomprehen&s;ible cannot be known by us, or defined as he is in him|&s;elf; but two ways we do obtain &s;ome knowledge of Him, <HI>viz.</HI> Naturally, and Supernaturally; the Natural way is threefold.</P>
<P N="1">1. By way of <HI>Eminence,</HI> whereby we know that what perfection &s;oever can be found in any Crea|ture, as Wi&s;dom, Ju&s;tice, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> is more Emi|nently in God.</P>
<P N="2">2. By way of <HI>Negation,</HI> we know what He is not, rather than what he is; and therefore we re|move from our Conceptions of God whatever Im|perfections we ob&s;erve in the Creatures: Thus we &s;ay he is Immortal, Infinite, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. By way of <HI>Cau&s;ation,</HI> by the Creatures as ef|fects we come to know God as the Cau&s;e, and that therefore he mu&s;t needs be All-wi&s;e, mo&s;t powerful, Good, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="5"><PB N="38" REF="25">V. The <HI>Supernatural</HI> way whereby we come to the knowledge of God, is by tho&s;e Revelations he hath been pleas'd to make of him&s;elf in the Holy Scriptures; where we learn, <HI>That there is one only living true God, Eternal, Incorporeal, without Parts, without Pa&s;&s;ions, of infinite Power, Wi&s;dom, and Goodne&s;s, the Creator of all things, vi&s;ible and invi&s;ible, mo&s;t Ju&s;t and Holy, who will be a Rewarder of tho&s;e that diligently &s;eek him and obey his Laws, and puni&s;h the di&s;obedient either here or hereafter:</HI> And that in the Unity of this Deity there are three Per|&s;ons of the &s;ame Sub&s;tance, Power, and Eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Gho&s;t, our <HI>Creator, Redeemer,</HI> and <HI>Sanctifyer.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>1. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>There be Gods many,</HI> 1. Cor. 8.5.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>There are not many Gods in re&s;pect of E&s;&s;ence, but according to &s;ome peoples Error in Calling and Counting the Planets and their Idol Gods; or in re&s;pect of &s;ome &s;imilitude, as Magi&s;trates are called Gods.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>2. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>God is &s;poken of both in the pa&s;t and future Ten&s;es, therefore is not Eternal.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="39" REF="25" MS="y">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Such Expre&s;&s;ions do not &s;ignify as if God were thereby Changed, but becau&s;e his Eternity com|prehends all <HI>Ten&s;es</HI> or <HI>Times.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>3. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The Holy Scriptures mention Gods having a</HI> Mouth, Eys, Hands, <HI>&amp;c. Therefore not Incorpore|al, which was the Here&s;y of the old</HI> Anthropomor|phites, <HI>and of our</HI> Muggletonians <HI>of late.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The&s;e Parts are Attributed to God, not really and according to them&s;elves, but after a certain Similitude, and in re&s;pect of the Acts, as the act of the Eye is to See, whence when mention is made of the Eye of God, it &s;ignifies the Power he hath to &s;ee Man intelligibly, not in a &s;en&s;ible man|ner: The like is to be under&s;tood of all other Expre&s;&s;ions of that kind.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>4. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>God is &s;aid to</HI> Repent, Gen. 6.6. <HI>and to be &s;ub|ject to other pa&s;&s;ions, as to be Angry,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="40" REF="26">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Repentance is Attributed to God by a Figure, call'd <HI>Anthropopathy,</HI> or &s;peaking after the manner of men, becau&s;e he did &s;ometimes after the man|ner of a man, repenting, as to the Effect, not as to the Affect, and the like in other Pa&s;&s;ions.</P>
<P N="6">VI. God has di&s;covered his E&s;&s;ence in his Word Two ways, by his Names, and by his Properties.</P>
<P>The Names of God are taken either from his E&s;&s;ence, As <HI>Jehovah,</HI> and <HI>Jah</HI> (which in our Engli&s;h Tran&s;lations is rendred Lord, and gene|rally put in Capitals thus, <HI>THE LORD</HI>) or from his Power, as <HI>El, Elohim;</HI> or from his All-&s;uffi|ciency, as <HI>Shaddai,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The Name of <HI>Jehovah</HI> is Gods chief and mo&s;t proper Name, being derived from the Root <HI>Ha|jah,</HI> He was; thereby denoting the <HI>&s;elf-E&s;&s;en&s;e</HI> of God; who, was, is, and is to come, from Eternity to Eternity, whereas all other things have their Being from him, and in time; the Name <HI>Elohim</HI> is of the plural Number, yet is a Per&s;onal, but E&s;&s;en|tial Name of God, &s;poken of one God, and of each Per&s;on; For there are not Three <HI>Elohims,</HI> but one <HI>Elohim,</HI> P&s;a. 7. <HI>Elohim Zaddick,</HI> the ju&s;t God.</P>
<P N="7">VII. The divine properties are Gods <HI>Attri|butes,</HI> by which he is pleas'd to make him&s;elf known to us weak Mortals; and is by them di&s;tingui&s;h'd
<PB N="41" REF="26">from the Creatures, for they are not Qualities nor Accidents, neither &s;eparable from his E&s;&s;ence, nor from each other.</P>
<P>The&s;e Attributes are either wholly <HI>Incommuni|cable</HI> to the Creatures, or <HI>Communicable</HI> in &s;ome Analogical effects, or re&s;emblances.</P>
<P>Of the fir&s;t Rank, are his <HI>Simplicity,</HI> and <HI>In|finity.</HI></P>
<P>Gods <HI>Simplicity</HI> is that by which he is known to be truly One, and free from all Compo&s;ition.</P>
<P>His <HI>Infinity</HI> is that by whith he is known to be an Entity infinitely true and good, and without mea&s;ure or bounds.</P>
<P N="8">VIII. From the&s;e Two Attributes we may ga|ther the&s;e Truths, 1. That God is an Entity truly and mo&s;t &s;imply <HI>One.</HI> 2dly. That there is therefore nothing in God, which is not God him|&s;elf. 3ly. That Gods E&s;&s;ence is to us Incompre|hen&s;ible; There being no proportion between an Infinite Being, and our Finite Under&s;tandings. 4ly. That God is altogether All; All in him&s;elf, all in all things, all in every thing, and all out of every thing. 5ly. That God is neither Cir|cum&s;cribed, nor Defined by place, not Included within it, nor Excluded without it. 6ly. That God is Eternal, that is, without Beginning, with|out End, without Change.</P>
<P N="9">IX. The Properties of God, which are in &s;ome re&s;pects Communicable to men, are <HI>Life,</HI> or the Attribute of his Being, his <HI>&V;nder&s;tanding,</HI> of know|ing
<PB N="42" REF="27">his <HI>Will,</HI> of Commanding, and his <HI>Power</HI> of Executing: Whence we learn,</P>
<P N="1">1. That whereas the <HI>Life</HI> of God is mo&s;t Sim|ple and Infinite, it follows, 1. That his <HI>Life</HI> and his <HI>Actual Living</HI> is all one. 2ly. That tho he hath no other <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> than him&s;elf by which he li|veth, yet he is the <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> of Life in all living Crea|tures; in re&s;pect of whom their Life is but as it were begg'd or borrow'd. 3ly. That the Life of God is mo&s;t perfect, mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed and Immutable.</P>
<P N="2">2. Gods <HI>&V;nder&s;tanding</HI> being mo&s;t &s;imple and infinite, it follows, 1. That he knows all things mo&s;t exqui&s;itely, tho they are not Revealed to the Creatures. 2ly. That he knoweth all things by him&s;elf. 3dly. And that too, by one mo&s;t &s;imple Act, for he needs no Revelation, nor di&s;cour&s;e either from the Effect, or from the Cau&s;e, or from that which is more known to that which is le&s;s known; for all things to him are alike. 4ly. Things pa&s;t, and things to come, no le&s;s than things <HI>pre&s;ent,</HI> for &s;uch to him are all things. 5ly. His Knowledge is Infinite, therefore free from all Ignorance and Oblivion.</P>
<P N="3">3. Whereas the Will of God is mo&s;t &s;imple, ther|fore in him, 1. There are neither two or more, or contrary Wills; for tho there may by us be conceived diver&s;e di&s;trictions of his Will, yet they are rather <HI>Nominal</HI> than <HI>Real.</HI> 2ly. That the Will of God is mo&s;t free. 3ly. That the Will of God according to its diver&s;e Objects hath diver&s;e Names, to wit, of Holyne&s;s, Goodne&s;s, Love, Grace, Wrath, Mercy, Ju&s;tice and the like.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="43" REF="27">4. Whereas the Power of God is mo&s;t Simple and Infinite, it follows, 1. That he is truly Om|nipotent. 2ly. That his Power is Irre&s;i&s;tible. 3ly. That from the power of God we mu&s;t not infer the Act or Being of a thing, unle&s;s when his Will and Power are joyned together. 4ly. That the object of Gods Omnipotency is whatever is not repugnant to his Nature, or implies not a con|tradiction; Therefore <HI>to Lye,</HI> to make a thing done, <HI>undone,</HI> &amp;c. cannot be a&s;cribed to God, &s;ince the&s;e are actions not of power, but of <HI>Im|potency.</HI></P>
<P N="10">X. The Per&s;ons of the Deity are <HI>&s;ub&s;i&s;tencies,</HI> each of which hath the whole E&s;&s;ence of <HI>God,</HI> dif|fering notwith&s;tanding in their Incommunicable properties.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>Father</HI> is the <HI>Fir&s;t</HI> Per&s;on of the Deity, exi&s;ting from Him&s;elf, begetting the <HI>Son</HI> from Eternity, and with Him producing the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Son is the <HI>Second</HI> Per&s;on, begotten of the <HI>Father</HI> from Eternity, and with the <HI>Father</HI> producing the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t, P&s;a.</HI> 2.7. <HI>Prov.</HI> 8.23. <HI>John</HI> 17.5. <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 1.15.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> is the <HI>Third</HI> Per&s;on of the Deity, proceeding of the <HI>Father,</HI> and the <HI>Son,</HI> from Eternity. <HI>John</HI> 14.26. and Ch. 15.26.</P>
<P N="11">XI. The <HI>Words, Per&s;on, Trinity,</HI> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, [that is, of the &s;ame E&s;&s;ence] altho they be not
<PB N="44" REF="28">found in the Holy Scriptures in the &s;ame Syllables, yet they are Con&s;onant thereunto, and profita|bly u&s;ed by the Church. The word <HI>Hypo&s;ta&s;is</HI> or <HI>Sub&s;i&s;tence,</HI> Heb. 1.3. denotes the &s;ame thing as <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> only is of larger extent, &s;ignifying any Individual Sub&s;tance, whereas <HI>Per&s;on</HI> imports an Individual Sub&s;tance, compleat, rational, and dif|fering by Incommunicable Properties from one a|nother: And as touching the Word <HI>Trinity,</HI> tis ex|pre&s;sly &s;aid, <HI>There are Three that bear Record in Heaven; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Gho&s;t, and the&s;e Three are One,</HI> 1 John. 5.7. where you have a plain proof of the <HI>Trinity</HI> in <HI>&V;nity;</HI> For as from <HI>One</HI> follows <HI>&V;nity,</HI> or when I &s;ay, there is a God, it mu&s;t needs be concluded from thence, that there is a Deity; &s;o from <HI>Three</HI> does nece&s;&s;a|rily follow a <HI>Trinity;</HI> which that we might un|der&s;tand it of the Per&s;ons, and not of the Divine E&s;&s;ence, 'tis pre&s;ently added, that the&s;e <HI>Three</HI> are <HI>One:</HI> Of which we have &s;ome Re&s;emblance in that Glorious Creature, wherein there is the <HI>Light,</HI> and <HI>Heat,</HI> and <HI>Beam,</HI> which <HI>Three</HI> make but one <HI>Sun.</HI></P>
<P N="12">XII. The Doctrin of the <HI>Trinity</HI> is not a <HI>bare Tradition of the Church,</HI> but expre&s;s'd &s;ufficiently and taught in Holy Scripture, For</P>
<P N="1">1. Altho in the Old Te&s;tament the &s;ame was more ob&s;cure, yet it was not altogether Unreveal|ed, for it is intimated in the very fir&s;t Words of the Bible in the Original; for there it is &s;aid, <HI>In
<PB N="45" REF="28">the Beginning Elohim</HI> [a Noun Plural, as if we &s;hould &s;ay <HI>The Gods] He Created</HI> [a Verb Singu|lar] <HI>the Heavens and the Earth,</HI> Gen. 1.1. In which Text, the Verb of the Singular Number &s;ignifies the mo&s;t &s;imple E&s;&s;ence of God, but the Noun in the Plural denotes the Three Per&s;ons; &s;o in the 26. <HI>v.</HI> of the &s;ame Chap. Let <HI>&V;s</HI> make man in our Image; And Chap. 19.24. <HI>The Lord</HI> rain'd upon <HI>Sodom</HI> and upon <HI>Gomorrah</HI> Brim&s;tone and Fire <HI>from the Lord</HI> out of Heaven. Here the per|&s;on raining it down is di&s;tingui&s;h't from the per|&s;on <HI>from whom</HI> it rain'd; That is, the <HI>Son</HI> from the <HI>Father:</HI> So <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 33.6. by the Word of the Lord the Heavens were made, and by the Breath of his Mouth all the Ho&s;ts thereof: <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 6.3. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Ho&s;ts, and <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 63.9. The Angel [that is the Son] of his Countenance [to wit, of God the Father] &s;aved them: And <HI>v.</HI> 10. They rebell'd and grieved his Holy Spirit.</P>
<P N="2">2. But in the New Te&s;tament there are clearer Te&s;timonies of this Sacred Truth; at the Bapti&s;m of Chri&s;t, <HI>Math.</HI> 3.16. and <HI>John</HI> 1.32. The voice of the Father is heard from Heaven, <HI>This is my beloved Son in whom I am well plea&s;ed.</HI> Math. 28.19. <HI>Baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> Not in the <HI>Names,</HI> but <HI>Name,</HI> to denote the <HI>&V;nity</HI> of the <HI>Trinity:</HI> So 2. Cor. 13.33. <HI>The Grace of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Gho&s;t be with <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ou all,</HI> And 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.7. There are <HI>Three</HI> which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ear Witne&s;s in Heaven, <HI>the Father, the Son, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">he Holy Spirit.</HI></P>
<PB N="46" REF="29">
<P>In Particular,</P>
<P>The God-head of the <HI>Son</HI> is proved,</P>
<P N="1">1. From his Divine <HI>Names;</HI> in the Old Te&s;ta|ment he is called <HI>the Angel of the Covenant,</HI> Mat. 3.1. That is to &s;ay, he who oft-times appeared to the Patriarchs to fore&s;hew his Incarnation, was the Son of God, being called <HI>Jehovah</HI> and <HI>God, Gen.</HI> 16.13. and Ch. 18.1. and Ch. 32.1. (which place compare with <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 12.6.) <HI>Exod.</HI> 3.15. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 6.2. and <HI>Zach.</HI> 2.12. But more clearly in the New Te&s;tament, <HI>John</HI> 1.1. <HI>The Word was God: John</HI> 20.31. The&s;e things are written that you may believe that <HI>Je&s;us is the Chri&s;t, the Son of God: Acts</HI> 20.28. God Redeemed the Church with his own Blood, [where the Name of God is &s;poken Hypo&s;tatically, not E&s;&s;entially, of the per&s;on of the Son, not of the whole Trinity:] <HI>Rom.</HI> 9.5. Chri&s;t who is over all, God ble&s;&s;ed for ever. <HI>Tit.</HI> 2.13. the <HI>mighty God and our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. From the Divine <HI>Properties</HI> a&s;cribed to him, as <HI>Eternity,</HI> before <HI>Abraham</HI> was I am, <HI>John</HI> 8.58. I am <HI>Alpha</HI> and <HI>Omega,</HI> which was, which is, and which is to come, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1.8. <HI>Omni&s;cience,</HI> He knew all men and needed not that any &s;hould te&s;tify of man, for he knew what was in man, <HI>John</HI> 2.24. <HI>Omnipre&s;ence,</HI> I will be with you to the end of the World, <HI>Matt.</HI> 28.20. <HI>Omnipotency,</HI> what&s;oever the Father doth, that likewi&s;e doth the Son, <HI>John</HI> 5.19.</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="47" REF="29">3. From his Divine <HI>Works,</HI> Believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father; if not, at lea&s;t believe for the Works &s;ake; The Mira|cles wrought by our Saviour were &s;ufficient Te&s;ti|monies of his Divinity.</P>
<P N="4">4. From the Divine <HI>Honours</HI> given to him, we mu&s;t believe in him, <HI>John</HI> 3.16. We mu&s;t Baptize in his Name, <HI>Math.</HI> 28.19. At his Name every Knee &s;hall Bow, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.10.</P>
<P>So likewi&s;e the God-head of the Holy Gho&s;t is proved.</P>
<P N="1">1. From his <HI>Names,</HI> being entituled <HI>God</HI> in the Holy Scriptures; for when <HI>Peter</HI> had demanded of <HI>Ananias, Acts</HI> 5.3. why hath Satan filled thy heart again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t? he &s;ubjoyns <HI>v.</HI> 4. thou ha&s;t not Lyed again&s;t man, but again&s;t God.</P>
<P N="2">2. From his Divine <HI>Properties,</HI> as <HI>Eternity,</HI> the Spirit (in the beginning) moved upon the Face of the Waters, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.2. <HI>Omnipre&s;ence,</HI> whether &s;hall I go from thy Spirit? <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 139. <HI>Omni&s;cience,</HI> the Spirit &s;earcheth all things, even the deep things of God, 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.10. <HI>Omnipotence,</HI> which is known by his Works, he Created all things, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 33.6. <HI>John</HI> 26.13. he Anointed Chri&s;t; the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becau&s;e he hath Anointed me, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 61.1. he is the Author of the gifts of Tongues and Miracles; there be divess gifts but the &s;ame Spirit, 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.4.</P>
<P N="3">3. From his Divine <HI>Honours,</HI> we mu&s;t believe in him according to the Creed, we mu&s;t Baptize
<PB N="48" REF="30">in his Name, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19. to him we mu&s;t direct our prayers, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.3.</P>
<P N="13">XIII. The difference of the Divine Per&s;ons is &s;een, 1&s;t. In the Order, becau&s;e the Father is &s;aid to be the Fir&s;t, the Son the Second, and the Holy Gho&s;t the Third Per&s;on. 2ly. In Proper|ties, becau&s;e the Father is from him&s;elf, not only by rea&s;on of his E&s;&s;ence, but al&s;o of his Per&s;onali|ty: The Son is from the Father, not as an effect from the Cau&s;e (for that were to infer a priori|ty, and a dependency, and a diver&s;ity of &s;ub&s;tan|ces in the <HI>Trinity</HI>) but as the Under&s;tanding is from the Soul, or light from the Sun. 3ly. They differ in manner of working; becau&s;e the Father worketh from him&s;elf, the Son from the Father, the Holy Spirit from Both.</P>
<P N="14">XIV. The <HI>Trinity</HI> of the Per&s;ons take not a|way the <HI>&V;nity</HI> of E&s;&s;ence; For tho there are Three Per&s;ons, there is but One only God. Hear, O <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> the Lord your God is One God, <HI>Deut.</HI> 6.4. which is cited by our Saviour, <HI>Mark.</HI> 12.29. God is One, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.20. there is One God, and One Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, 1. <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.5. The&s;e Three are One, 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.7. Thus &s;aith the Lord, the King of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and his Redeemer the Lord of Ho&s;ts, I am the fir&s;t, and I am the la&s;t, and be&s;ides me there is no God, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 44.6. There is no other God but One. 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.6.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objections">
<PB N="49" REF="30" MS="y">
<HEAD>Some Objections again&s;t the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity An&s;wer'd.</HEAD>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>1. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>This Doctrene &s;eems to imply a Contradiction, for there is One God, not Three; but there would be Three Gods, if the</HI> Father <HI>be God, and the</HI> Son <HI>God, and the</HI> Holy Gho&s;t <HI>God he that &s;ays a Per&s;on, &s;ays two things, a</HI> being, <HI>and a</HI> manner <HI>of &s;ub&s;i&s;tenc.</HI></P>
<DIV5 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>It is true, That in Created things a <HI>triplicity</HI> of <HI>E&s;&s;ence</HI> is nece&s;&s;arily inferred from a Trinity of per&s;ons, but not &s;o in <HI>Divine:</HI> When we &s;ay a per&s;on of the Holy Trinity, we mean <HI>One E&s;&s;ence</HI> common to all the Three Per&s;ons; becau&s;e Cre|ated things are finite, their &s;ub&s;i&s;tence mu&s;t needs be &s;everal; &s;o <HI>Socrates, Plato, Ari&s;totle,</HI> tho in a common re&s;pect they are <HI>all men,</HI> yet not <HI>one man,</HI> but <HI>Three;</HI> but becau&s;e here the E&s;&s;ence is <HI>Infinite,</HI> therefore the three &s;ub&s;i&s;tences therein, tho they are truly <HI>Three,</HI> yet are all but <HI>One</HI> God.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>2. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Where there are</HI> One <HI>thing, and</HI> Three <HI>things, there are</HI> Four; <HI>but the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are</HI> Three, <HI>and the</HI> E&s;&s;ence <HI>is none of the&s;e</HI>&mdash;Ergo.</P>
<DIV5 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="50" REF="31">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>There is one E&s;&s;ence in God, and the three Per&s;ons are three Manners of &s;ub&s;i&s;ting. Now <HI>Modes</HI> or the manner of things, do not <HI>Number</HI> things, but are <HI>Numbred in them,</HI> becau&s;e they include the things, and &s;o cannot be &s;aid to be different from them. Thus if there be three Degrees in Light, for Example, <HI>Morning-Light, Noon-Light,</HI> and <HI>Evening-Light,</HI> the <HI>Light</HI> will not be a fourth different thing in re&s;pect of the&s;e Degrees; but the&s;e Degrees are to be Num|bred in <HI>one Light.</HI></P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>3. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>To a&s;&s;ert, That one and the &s;ame Numerical E&s;&s;ence is all in One, and all in Three, &s;eems ab&s;urd.</HI></P>
<DIV5 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The Divine E&s;&s;ence is One, and Infinite, and &s;o is all in one Per&s;on, and all in Three; Nor ought this be counted impo&s;&s;ible, &s;ince the E&s;|&s;ence of the Rational Soul is All in All, and All in every part of Man: And &s;ome Re&s;em|blance hereof we may ob&s;erve in this, That a multitude of Men are &s;till One in re&s;pect of <HI>Species,</HI> or Human Nature.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>4. Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>A per&s;on is either Finite, or Infinite; If</HI> Finite, <HI>then not God; If</HI> Infinite, <HI>then there are three</HI> Infinites.</P>
<DIV5 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>There is but One Infinite, <HI>viz.</HI> The Divine
<PB N="51" REF="31"><HI>E&s;&s;ence;</HI> That Infinity is not a per&s;onal proper|ty, but E&s;&s;ential; &s;o that a per&s;on as per&s;on, is neither Finite, nor Infinite, but the E&s;&s;ence is In|finite, and that being but One, there is but One Infinite; Not three Infinite Gods, but three Per&s;ons is One Infinite <HI>E&s;&s;ence.</HI></P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. III. <HI>Of</HI> Creation <HI>in general; of Angels; of Man; how Created in God's Image; of the Soul of Man; of</HI> Providence.</HEAD>
<P>VVE now proceed to con&s;ider the works of God, <HI>viz.</HI> Creation and Provi|dence.</P>
<P N="1">I. <HI>Creation</HI> is that work of God [<HI>Jehovah Elohim,</HI> the undivided Trinity] whereby accord|ing to his Free-will by his word only, he in (or rather together with) Time, produced the world, and the things therein from Not being, into Be|ing: Or, that Divine Efficiency whereby the <HI>World,</HI> of <HI>Nothing,</HI> was in the beginning made very good.</P>
<P>That the World was Created, or made <HI>out of nothing</HI> appears, becau&s;e there was not any thing from Eternity but <HI>God;</HI> Therefore whatever is, mu&s;t be either the Creator, or a Creature: But the Creatures were not made of the Sub&s;tance of
<PB N="52" REF="32">God, for then they mu&s;t be the &s;ame with God (or Gods) which is ab&s;urd; Therefore they were made of nothing. For God being Omni|potent, needed not any pre-exi&s;tent <HI>matter.</HI> 'Tis true, the greate&s;t glory of the Works of Nature or Men is, if they can, when they have <HI>matter,</HI> give it a curious <HI>Fa&s;hion;</HI> but this All powerful Arti&s;t, fir&s;t gave a Being to <HI>matter,</HI> then to that <HI>matter</HI> a <HI>Form,</HI> and to that Form, <HI>Beauty</HI> and <HI>Perfection.</HI> He <HI>&s;pake, and it was done: He com|manded, and it was Created,</HI> P&s;al. 33.9. and 148.5. So <HI>Hebr.</HI> 11.3. <HI>The things that we &s;ee were mace,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>not of things that did appear,</HI> that is, out of no apparent matter.</P>
<P>Yet we are to Note, That as Creation &s;trict|ly and mo&s;t properly taken, is the production of &s;omething immediately <HI>out of nothing,</HI> and &s;o is to be under&s;tood, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.1. &s;o &s;econdarily (and &s;till properly too) it is &s;aid of a mediate production out of a matter, when that <HI>matter is created out of nothing,</HI> and al&s;o is in it &s;elf alto|gether <HI>unapt</HI> for &s;uch a production; as likewi&s;e, becau&s;e the <HI>Form was immediately out of nothing,</HI> in which Sen&s;e the Word is u&s;ed, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.21. there being no aptitude or di&s;po&s;ition in the <HI>Du&s;t</HI> or <HI>Clay</HI> of the Earth to Man's Body, which was &s;o miraculou&s;ly produced thence. And be&s;ides the <HI>Form</HI> or <HI>Soul,</HI> which con&s;tituted him a Man, was out of nothing. The&s;e different Modes of Crea|tion are intimated in the Sacred Text by &s;everal words; of the fir&s;t it is &s;aid, <HI>Be it,</HI> or <HI>Let it be;</HI> of the &s;econd, <HI>Let it produce,</HI> or <HI>Let us make.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="53" REF="32">II. The Work and Honour of <HI>Creation</HI> belongs to <HI>God alone,</HI> and not to Angels, or any other Creatures. <HI>Thou art worthy, O Lord! to rec ive Glory, and Honour, and Power; For thou ha&s;t crea|ted all things, and by thy Will they are and have been created,</HI> Rev. 4.11. <HI>For by him were all things created which are in Heaven, and which are in Earth,</HI> Colo&s;&s;. 1.26. <HI>By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the Ho&s;t of them by the Breath of his Mouth,</HI> P&s;al. 33.6.</P>
<P>An infinite Arm is required to produce things out of nothing; All Beings, by participation, mu&s;t be from that which has its <HI>Being of it &s;elf,</HI> which is only <HI>God.</HI> He who is without any Beginning, gave a Beginning to Time, and to the World in Time. To begin that for which there was no <HI>Pattern;</HI> Nay, no <HI>Matter,</HI> whereto there was no <HI>Inclination,</HI> and wherein was no <HI>po&s;&s;ibility</HI> of what it &s;hould be, is proper only to the Infinite power of an Infinite Creator, who having &s;hewn him|&s;elf able to fetch <HI>all things out of no hing,</HI> we ought not in the lea&s;t to di&s;tru&s;t him in <HI>any thing,</HI> but firmly acquie&s;ce on his word in all our Di|&s;tre&s;&s;es, Believing in <HI>Hope, even again&s;t Hope in Him who calleth tho&s;e things that are not, as if they were,</HI> Rom. 4.17.</P>
<P N="3">III. There was no Acce&s;&s;ion of Perfection ac|cru'd to God by creating the world; neither did he create it becau&s;e he <HI>needed it,</HI> or could be <HI>bet|ter'd</HI> by it, (For he was from all Eternity com|pleatly
<PB N="54" REF="33">happy, and infinitely perfect in him&s;elf) but merely out of his own <HI>free good Plea&s;ure,</HI> for the manife&s;tation of his Power and Wi&s;dom, and that his <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> might be communicated to the Creatures, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19.1. <HI>Prov.</HI> 16.4. <HI>Of Him, and through Him, and from Him are all things,</HI> Rom. 11.36.</P>
<P N="4">IV. That the world is not <HI>Eternal,</HI> appears from <HI>Natural Rea&s;on;</HI> for as from the Scriptures, the years from the Creation may with a &s;uffi|cient certainty be numbred; but there is no probable Presence or Account of any great Actions or Revolutions before that time, (for the <HI>Dyna&s;ties</HI> of the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> and boa&s;ts of the <HI>Chine&s;es,</HI> and Dreams of the <HI>Pre-Adamites</HI> are wholly vain and fabulous;) &s;o if the World had <HI>no Beginning,</HI> then it mu&s;t be <HI>God;</HI> and there would be actually &s;everal <HI>Infinites,</HI> and all <HI>its Parts</HI> would be <HI>Eternal</HI> and <HI>Immutable,</HI> (whereas we find the direct contrary); the Generations of Men too would be infinite, and con&s;equently the <HI>Grand&s;on</HI> as old as the <HI>Grandfather,</HI> with many other Ab&s;urdities.</P>
<P>But though by the Te&s;timony of Nature we may know that the World was <HI>not always,</HI> yet 'tis chiefly by <HI>Faith</HI> (grounded on Divine Revelation) that we know it to have been <HI>Created out of No|thing,</HI> according to that forecited Text, <HI>Through Faith we under&s;tand that the World was framed by the Word of God, &s;o that things which are &s;een, were not made of things which do appear,</HI> Hebr. 11.3.</P>
<PB N="55" REF="33">
<P>The Epicurean conceit, that &s;o Beautiful and Regular a &s;tructure &s;hould be produced by a for|tuitous Concour&s;e of <HI>Atoms,</HI> is &s;o gro&s;s, that as it was long &s;ince exploded by the mo&s;t con&s;iderate Philo&s;ophers of the <HI>Heathen,</HI> &s;o much le&s;s is it worthy the thoughts of a <HI>Chri&s;tian.</HI></P>
<P N="5">V. This Creation was either of the Species (or kinds) with <HI>all</HI> the Individuals (or particu|lars) as, all the <HI>Angels, Stars</HI> and <HI>Elements</HI> were at once Created together re&s;pectively; Or, of the Species with <HI>&s;ome Individuals</HI> only, endued with an innate power of propagating others, as Man, Bea&s;ts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="6">VI. The Method Almighty God was plea&s;ed to u&s;e in Creating the World, and all things therein in &s;ix days, is expre&s;&s;ed in the beginning of <HI>Gene&s;is.</HI></P>
<P>How ought we to <HI>deliberate</HI> in all our Actions, who are &s;o &s;ubject to Imperfection, &s;ince even <HI>He</HI> that is infinitely perfect, thought fit (not out of need, but of his own Free will) to take &s;o many <HI>days</HI> in compleating his Works, which he could have fini&s;ht in an In&s;tant!</P>
<P>Again, we ought to ob&s;erve, that many of the Creatures were made before tho&s;e others, which now are ordinarily their <HI>Cau&s;es;</HI> whereby we may learn, that the Lord is not bound to any Creature, or means. Thus the Sun was not Cre|ated before the 4th day, and yet <HI>days</HI> (which now are cau&s;ed by the Ri&s;ing of the Sun) were
<PB N="56" REF="34">before that: So <HI>Trees</HI> and <HI>Plants</HI> were Created the third day, but the <HI>Sun, Moon, and Stars</HI> (by who&s;e Heat and Influences they are now nouri&s;hed, and made to grow) were not Created till after|wards.</P>
<P N="7">VII. But of all Creatures, <HI>ANGELS</HI> and <HI>MEN</HI> are chiefly to be con&s;idered; becau&s;e on them God be&s;towed his Image; for although the <HI>&V;niver&s;e</HI> is (as it were) a <HI>Looking-Gla&s;s,</HI> or Re|pre&s;entation of Gods power, Wi&s;dom and Boun|ty; yet in a &s;pecial manner his <HI>Image</HI> is Attri|buted to them; Becau&s;e that Image or Similitude doth con&s;i&s;t partly in <HI>natural Gifts,</HI> as the invi&s;ible and &s;imple &s;ub&s;tance of Angels and Mens Soul; and in their Life, Under&s;tanding, Will and Im|mortality, but e&s;pecially in <HI>Supernatural Endow|ments,</HI> as their primitive ble&s;&s;edne&s;s in the up|rightne&s;s of their Intellect and Will, or (as the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;es it, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.24.) in <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s and true Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P N="8">VIII. ANGELS are intelligent Creatures, void of Earthly Bodies, or Cele&s;tiall Spirits: who&s;e Mini&s;try God often u&s;es for the Execution of his good plea&s;ure.</P>
<P>That there are &s;uch Glorious Incorporeal &s;ub|&s;tances may be gathered,</P>
<P N="1">1. From <HI>Rea&s;on;</HI> becau&s;e otherwi&s;e the Scale or Gradation of Creatures would be imperfect; for as there are many Bodies in the World <HI>with|out any kind of Life,</HI> as Stones, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Others on|ly endued with a <HI>Vegetative Life,</HI> as Plants; others
<PB N="57" REF="34">both Vegetative and Sen&s;itive, but <HI>wholly Mortal,</HI> as Bea&s;ts; others that have Bodies, and are both Vegetative, Sen&s;itive and Intellectual, in <HI>part Mortal,</HI> and in <HI>part Immortal,</HI> as Men: It &s;eems requi&s;ite to the compleating of the Univer&s;e, that there &s;hould be al&s;o &s;ome Creatures of an higher Cla&s;s, without any &s;uch gro&s;s Bodies, that are <HI>wholy Spirituous,</HI> Intellectual, Immortal Beings; which yet are &s;aid to be of a &s;imple or uncom|pounded &s;ub&s;tance, only comparatively to other Creatures, &s;ince God alone is &s;uch <HI>E&s;&s;entially,</HI> and they were in their own Nature &s;ubject to <HI>Mutation,</HI> as the Fall of many of them Demon|&s;trates.</P>
<P N="2">2. From Scripture, Math. 22.30. <HI>In the Re&s;ur|rection they neither Marry, nor are given in Marri| but are as the Angels of God in Heaven,</HI> Ch. 24.31. <HI>He &s;hall &s;end his Angels with a great &s;ound of a Trumpet,</HI> Hebr. 1.4. <HI>Chri&s;t is made &s;o much better than the Angels.</HI> And Heb. 2.16. <HI>He in no &s;ort took on him the Nature of Angels; with many other like places.</HI></P>
<P N="9">IX. That Angels were Created, is no le&s;s evi|dent, Gen. 2.1. <HI>Thus the Heavens and the Earth were fini&s;ht, and all the Ho&s;t of them,</HI> Exod. 2.11. <HI>In &s;ix days the Lord made the Heaven and the Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is,</HI> P&s;al. 104.4. <HI>Who maketh his Angels Spirits; his Mini&s;ters a fla|ming Fire,</HI> Colo&s;&s;. 1.16. <HI>For by him were all things Created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, Vi&s;ible and Invi&s;ible: Whether they be Thrones or
<PB N="58" REF="35">Dominions, or Principalities or Powers, all things were Created by him, and for him.</HI></P>
<P>The Rea&s;on why <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> does not expre&s;ly men|tion the Creating of Angels, may be (as is con|ceived) becau&s;e he only &s;ets forth the particular Formation of things Vi&s;ible; and therefore not only omits them, but Minerals and other things hidden in the Bowels of the Earth; neither are we certain on what day they were Created. Some think on the fir&s;t day, for which they alledge <HI>Job</HI> 38.7. St. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> was of the &s;ame Opinion as to the day, but thought they were included in tho&s;e words, <HI>Let there be Light:</HI> Others Attri|bute their Creation to the &s;ixth day after Man; Their Rea&s;on is, becau&s;e the Order of Creation &s;eems all along to have proceeded from Vi&s;ibles to Invi&s;ibles, from the le&s;s to the more Noble, as Mans Soul was Created after his Body.&mdash;But the truth is, &s;ince God in his Word has not been plea&s;ed to Reveal it, to inquire thereof &s;eems vain Curio&s;ity; to affirm, Pre&s;umption.</P>
<P N="10">X. The Offices of Angels declared in Scripture are Two-fold, in re&s;pect of God, and in re&s;pect of Men.</P>
<P N="1">1. In re&s;pect of God&mdash;and that either,</P>
<P N="1">1. In prai&s;ing and magnifying him, as P&s;alm. 148.2. <HI>Prai&s;e ye him all his Angels, prai&s;e ye him all his Ho&s;t, I&s;</HI> 63.1. <HI>The</HI> Seraphim <HI>cryed one to another, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Ho&s;ts, the whole World is full of thy Glory.</HI> So Rev. 4 8. <HI>They cea&s;ed not day nor night, &s;aying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which
<PB N="59" REF="35">was, and which is, and which art to come.</HI> Hence that &s;aying of <HI>Theodoret,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> The Liturgy (or <HI>Divine Service</HI>) of Angels is a con&s;tant P&s;almody, or <HI>Singing of Hymns</HI> to God's Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. In Executing his Commands; whence they have their Name [the word <HI>Angelus</HI> in Greek &s;igni|fying a Me&s;&s;enger]&mdash;<HI>prai&s;e the Lord ye his Angels that excel in &s;trength, that do his Commandment in obeying his Word,</HI> P&s;. 103.20. And from their rea|dine&s;s and &s;wiftne&s;s therein, they are in Scripture vi&s;ions repre&s;ented with Wings, <HI>Ezech.</HI> 1.6.</P>
<P>In re&s;pect of Men,&mdash;their Office is manifold &mdash; <HI>Are they not all Mini&s;tring Spirits, &s;ent forth to Mini&s;ter for their &s;akes, who &s;hall be Heirs of Salvation? Heb.</HI> 1.14. Thus they are A&s;&s;i&s;tant to good Men, not only in their Life by guarding and delivering them, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 91.11. 2 <HI>King.</HI> 6.17. <HI>Acts</HI> 12.8. By executing Gods Judgments on the Enemies of the Church, <HI>Gen.</HI> 19.10. 2 <HI>King.</HI> 19.35. By &s;ug|ge&s;ting pious thoughts, and &s;tirring them up to goodne&s;s, <HI>Acts</HI> 10.14. and by helping and com|forting them in their Afflictions and Di&s;tre&s;&s;es, <HI>Gen.</HI> 16.7. <HI>Acts</HI> 27.23. But al&s;o in their Death, be|ing ready to &s;tand by them in their la&s;t Agonies, and Convey their departing Souls to Bli&s;s, <HI>Luke</HI> 16.22. And la&s;tly, in the end of the World they &s;hall gather together the &s;cattered du&s;t of the Saints, that being reunited to their Souls, they may ri&s;e again to Life, <HI>Matth.</HI> 24.31. And will &s;eparate the wicked from the righteous, ca&s;ting the former into the Furnace of Fire, and intro|ducing
<PB N="60" REF="36">the latter into the Kingdom of Glory, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13.41. That there together with them, they may to all Eternity joyntly &s;ing Hallelujahs to <HI>Jehovah</HI> their Maker.</P>
<P N="11">XI. Yet as God needeth not the Mini&s;try of Angels, but for the greater Manife&s;tation of his power, and the more to engage our Love and Gratitude, is graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to employ tho&s;e glorious Creatures in our Service: <HI>So neither are we obliged, nor is it lawful for us to a&s;cribe any part of his glory unto them by any Religious Adoration (praying to) or Wor&s;hipping them.</HI></P>
<DIV3 TYPE="reasons">
<HEAD>The Rea&s;ons.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Our Lord Chri&s;t &s;aith, thou &s;halt Wor&s;hip the Lord thy God, and in him</HI> only <HI>&s;halt thou &s;erve, Matth.</HI> 4.10. Where note, that the word <HI>only</HI> is not in the Old Te&s;tament Texts, <HI>Deut.</HI> 6.13. or <HI>Ch.</HI> 10.20. Whence tho&s;e words are cited, but our Saviour puts it in, to &s;hew the meaning to be, that God, <HI>and none but Hee,</HI> is the Object of Reli|gious Wor&s;hip and Service.&mdash;which word [Service] quite de&s;troys that fained di&s;tinction of <HI>Latria</HI> and <HI>Doulia</HI> [Wor&s;hip and Religious Service] of which &s;ome &s;ay, the former belongs indeed only to God, but the latter may be appli|ed to the Creature: Whereas both here, and in &s;everal other places of Holy Writ, they are re|ciprocally u&s;ed, and appropriated wholly to God. &mdash;No le&s;s vain is that other Di&s;tinction of <HI>Su|perior</HI> and ab&s;olute Wor&s;hip, as due to God, and
<PB N="61" REF="36"><HI>Inferior</HI> or Relative Wor&s;hip, as applicable to Creatures: For if by Inferior and Relative, be meant Religious Wor&s;hip, (and &s;o it mu&s;t be meant, or el&s;e it comes not up to the matter in que&s;tion) there is no Foundation for any &s;uch di|&s;tinction in the whole Book of God; But on the contrary, we are there a&s;&s;ured, that our God is a <HI>jealous Lord,</HI> and will not &s;uffer his Glory to be given to another.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are expre&s;ly fore-warn'd again&s;t this Invocation or Wor&s;hip of <HI>Angels</HI> by St. <HI>Paul,</HI> Colo&s;&s;. 2.18. <HI>Let no Man beguil you of your re|ward in a voluntary Humility and Wor&s;hip of An|gels, intruding into tho&s;e things which he hath not &s;een, vainly puft up in his fle&s;hly mind; and not holding the Head, from which all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nouri&s;hment mini&s;tred, and knit together, increa&s;eth with the encrea&s;e of God &mdash; where the Apo&s;tle &s;ets forth,</HI> 1. The pretence of &s;uch VVor|&s;hip, <HI>viz.</HI> a voluntary (or fooli&s;h affectation of) Humility; For the&s;e Angel-VVor&s;hippers blam'd tho&s;e of Pre&s;umption, that would Addre&s;s their Petitions &s;treight to God, and u&s;e no under-means, be&s;ides Chri&s;t. 2ly. That they devi&s;ed their VVill-VVor&s;hip of them&s;elves, and had no good grounds for it; but that notwith&s;tanding their &s;hew of Humility, it did indeed proceed from Pride, their fle&s;hly minds willing to bring in &s;omething in Re|ligion, more than God had Commanded. And 3ly. That the &s;ame was injurious to Chri&s;t, rob'd him of his Honour, and was in effect a denial of him, who is our only Interce&s;&s;or and Advocate;
<PB N="62" REF="37">and alone &s;ufficient both to nouri&s;h and Encrea&s;e his whole Body the Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. As Men ought not to give this VVor&s;hip, &s;o good Angels are more &s;en&s;ible of their Maker's Ho|nour, and their own Condition, than to receive it; For twice, when St. <HI>John</HI> was about to fall down before the Angel (who had revealed to him great My&s;teries) to VVor&s;hip him, he was earne&s;tly re|proved&mdash;<HI>&s;ee thou do it not.</HI>&mdash;And the rea&s;on given; <HI>for I am thy fellow Servant, Rev.</HI> 19.10. and <HI>Ch.</HI> 22.9. The word is <GAP DESC="foreign">, thy fellow in <HI>Doulia,</HI> or equally with thee bound to VVor|&s;hip God. It cannot be imagined, that the Be|loved Di&s;ciple intended to VVor&s;hip this Angel as God; Therefore 'tis plain, the Angel did refu&s;e and di&s;claim any kind of Religious Adoration what&s;oever to him&s;elf, and directs where the &s;ame mu&s;t be intirely paid&mdash;<HI>Wor&s;hip thou God,</HI> as much as to &s;ay, he is the only Object of all Re|ligious VVor&s;hip.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Gen.</HI> 48.16. <HI>Jacob</HI> Ble&s;&s;ing <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> two Sons, &s;ays,&mdash;<HI>The Angel which hath Redeemed me from all Evil, Ble&s;s the Lads</HI> &mdash; Here the Holy Patriarch Invocates or Prays to an Angel, for a Ble&s;&s;ing upon the Youths.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>VVhat Angel &s;hould this be, that could of him|&s;elf Redeem <HI>Jacob</HI> from all Evil? The &s;ame that
<PB N="63" REF="37">is here &s;aid to be an Angel, is in the words immedi|ately foregoing twice called God.&mdash;<HI>The God be|fore whom my Fathers did walk; the God which hath fed me all my Life long unto this day; the</HI> Angel <HI>which hath redeemed me from all Evil, Ble&s;s,</HI> &amp;c. Hence 'tis plain, that by Angel in this Text, is meant the Second Per&s;on of the Adorable Trinity, the Eternal Son of God, who <HI>Mal.</HI> 3.1. is called <HI>the Angel of the Covenant;</HI> and <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 63.9. The <HI>Angel of Gods Pre&s;ence,</HI> and <HI>Rev.</HI> 8.3. The <HI>Angel with the Golden Cen&s;er Offering up the Prayers of the Saints.</HI> And indeed he it was that often ap|peared to the Patriarchs in the Shape of Man, as a Prodromus or Fore-running of his Incarnation; For <HI>Gen.</HI> 18.13. after the mention of an Angel's appearing, 'tis &s;aid of the &s;ame, The Lord &s;aid to <HI>Abraham,</HI> why doth <HI>Sarah</HI> laugh? And <HI>Gen.</HI> 32.28. Thou ha&s;t prevailed with an Angel; which is thus explained, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 12.4. He prevailed with God. Tho &s;till we deny not but Created Angels have &s;ometimes appeared to Men, and even in vi&s;i|ble a&s;&s;umed Shapes; but this we affirm, that they were never lawfully VVor&s;hiped; we never read of any Created Angel that was plea&s;ed with, or de&s;ired to be VVor&s;hiped, but the Devil. For</P>
<P N="12">XII. Tho all Angels, as the re&s;t of the Creation, were at fir&s;t Created <HI>Good</HI> (and of &s;uch we have hitherto treated) yet &s;ome of them quickly for|&s;ook their Integrity: For being made, tho good, yet <HI>Mutable;</HI> they fell from that Ble&s;&s;ed State; and as by the depravity of their own VVills, without
<PB N="64" REF="38">any Temptation, they are become Evil and Mi&s;|chievous in the highe&s;t degree: So God in his ju&s;t Judgment Bani&s;ht them Heaven: and they remain doom'd to a pre&s;ent and irrecoverable Mi&s;ery, tho the full Accompli&s;hment of their Puni&s;hment be re&s;erved until the end of the World, <HI>Jude</HI> 6. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.4. 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.3. <HI>Matth.</HI> 25.41. The&s;e the Scripture calls <HI>Evil Angels,</HI> and <HI>Angels of Dark|ne&s;s,</HI> Malignant and <HI>&V;nclean Spirits,</HI> and in the Singular Number (as carrying on all one and the &s;ame Mi&s;chievous De&s;ign) <HI>The Devil</HI> (which &s;ig|nifies a <HI>Slaunderer,</HI> becau&s;e their Bu&s;ine&s;s is to Mi&s;|repre&s;ent God to Men, and good Men to God, and one Man to another) and <HI>Satan</HI> (that is, <HI>an Ad|ver&s;ary,</HI> &s;ince they are Capital Enemies both to God and Man) and the <HI>Old Serpent,</HI> for their Sub|tle Temptations; And the great <HI>Dragon,</HI> for their de&s;troying of Souls.</P>
<P N="13">XIII. As to the exact <HI>Time,</HI> or certain <HI>Number,</HI> or by what <HI>Special Sin</HI> the&s;e Angels fell, the Scrip|ture is not expre&s;s; And therefore we are not to be too Inqui&s;itive: Only tis certain they fell be|fore Man, &s;ince through their Temptation he Tran&s;|gre&s;t; And that there are many of them, <HI>Luke</HI> 8.30. And that their Sin whatever it was, whether <HI>Pride, Envy,</HI> or Hatred of Truth (or rather a com|plication of all the&s;e and more, &s;ince it was an utter falling away from God, and that Holy State he had placed them in) was not without the Highe&s;t <HI>Pre&s;umption,</HI> &s;ince Pride is joyned to every Sin that is committed Maliciou&s;ly, and with De|liberation.</P>
<P N="14"><PB N="65" REF="38">XIV. If it be inquired, Why the Fall of the&s;e Angels is without hope of Re&s;titution, whereas Man was put into a po&s;&s;ibility of Recovery after his Fall?&mdash;It may be an&s;wer'd, (I conceive) That the Ca&s;e was different in many re&s;pects: For,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Angels &s;in'd without any Temptation, and that too maliciou&s;ly, thereby committing the &s;in again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, (<HI>Matth.</HI> 12.31: 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.16.) which is proved by their conti|nual ob&s;tinate Rebellion and Hatred again&s;t God.</P>
<P N="2">2dly, (Which indeed ought to have been men|tioned in the fir&s;t place) becau&s;e their Re&s;titu|tion, if they &s;hould fall, was not comprehended in the Eternal Decree of God for that pur|po&s;e.</P>
<P>And 3dly, Becau&s;e they had therefore none ap|pointed to make their <HI>Atonement,</HI> or be a <HI>Mediator</HI> and <HI>Interce&s;&s;or</HI> for them, of which the Apo&s;tle takes Notice, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 2.16. <HI>Chri&s;t in no &s;ort took on him the Nature of Angels.</HI></P>
<P>So if it be askt, Why the good Angels that continued in their glorious &s;tate after the others, have not nor can at any time fall? Our An&s;wer mu&s;t be, That it is not from their own Nature, (which was &s;ubject to Mutability as well as the re&s;t) but from God's Mercy and Grace, confirm|ing them in their well-being, that they might never fall by &s;in from their fir&s;t ble&s;&s;ed E&s;tate, whence they are call'd <HI>the Elect Angels,</HI> 1 Tim. 5.21.</P>
<P N="15"><PB N="66" REF="39">XV. The &s;ub&s;tance of the&s;e lap&s;ed Angels remain'd, that is, they were &s;till living, incorrup|tible, incorporeal, indivi&s;ible, intangible, and in|vi&s;ible, and they did &s;till retain their natural knowledge, emprov'd by a long Experience, whence they are call'd <GAP DESC="foreign">. But &s;uch their knowledge being devoid of Charity, without any love to God or Man, but an ob&s;tinate re&s;tle&s;s ma|lice again&s;t both, and a total de&s;pair of happine&s;s, can afford them no comfort, but rather &s;trikes them with perpetual horror&mdash;<HI>What have we to do with thee, Je&s;us thou Son of God? Art thou come to torment us before our time?</HI> Mat. 8.29. <HI>Thou believe&s;t there is one God, thou doe&s;t well: the Devils al&s;o believe, and tremble,</HI> Jam. 2.19.</P>
<P N="16">XVI. There remains al&s;o in them great natu|ral <HI>power</HI> and <HI>activity,</HI> whence the Devil is call'd <HI>the &s;trong Man armed,</HI> and <HI>the Prince of the Air,</HI> and <HI>a roaring Lyon, continually going about, &s;eeking whom he may devour:</HI> So that they can rai&s;e Tem|pe&s;ts, remove huge Bodies out of their places, hurt the Creatures that &s;hould &s;erve for our com|fort, afflict Men with &s;trange Di&s;ea&s;es, and &s;ome|times murder them, delude the Sen&s;es, work upon the Pa&s;&s;ions, and ferment our natural Humors (and above others, <HI>Melancholy</HI>) into Extravagance; and e&s;pecially by &s;ugge&s;ting and injecting (by various ways and means after an almo&s;t imper|ceptible manner) into our minds ill Thoughts, lewd Imaginations, and Temptations of all &s;orts.</P>
<P N="17"><PB N="67" REF="39">XVII. But in all the&s;e Things as they are <HI>re|&s;trained,</HI> and can do nothing without God's per|mi&s;&s;ion, as appears in the Ca&s;e of <HI>Job,</HI> and that they could not &s;o much as enter into the Herd of Swine without leave, <HI>Mat.</HI> 8.31. &s;o the &s;ame is never permitted, but either to try the Godly, or puni&s;h the Reprobate for Sin; and though to the la&s;t he affords no defence, yet to the former he hath given Armor of proof, even his mo&s;t Holy Word, which being duly made u&s;e of, is able <HI>to quench all the fiery darts of Satan.</HI></P>
<P N="18">XVIII. Therefore from this Doctrin con|cerning evil Angels, we may learn,</P>
<P N="1">1. To tremble at the Lord's &s;everity towards them, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.4. and to be thankful for his Bounty and Mercies towards our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="2">2dly, To con&s;ider, That if God &s;pared not tho&s;e &s;piritual Creatures &s;inning again&s;t him, much le&s;s will he &s;pare us rebelling again&s;t his Maje&s;ty, if we get not an Intere&s;t in the <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us,</HI> who alone can make a Reconciliation for us.</P>
<P N="3">3dly, To arm our &s;elves with <HI>the Shield of Faith,</HI> and <HI>the whole Armor of God,</HI> wherewith we may be plentifully furni&s;ht in his Word, &s;ince we have &s;uch powerful and active Enemies to combat with, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.11. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.9.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, To be comforted with this a&s;&s;u|rance, That though the Devil be powerful, and mo&s;t malicious and vigilant again&s;t us, yet our Lord and Captain Chri&s;t hath broken his Head,
<PB N="68" REF="40"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15. and (if we believe firmly in him, and obey his Commandments according to the Go&s;pel) will certainly tread Satan under our Feet, <HI>Rom.</HI> 16.20.</P>
<P N="19">XIX. The next Creature in dignity to <HI>AN|GELS,</HI> is <HI>MAN;</HI> and &s;o far above all others, That whereas Earth and Water at God's Com|mand brought forth the re&s;t, for his Formation there was, as it were, a Council of the Ble&s;&s;ed Tri|nity held, and greater deliberation u&s;ed&mdash;<HI>Let us make Man in our own Image,</HI> Gen. 1.26.</P>
<P N="20">XX. Man is a Creature con&s;i&s;ting of a Body, (which originally was formed of Earth, but &s;ince propagated by Generation or Traduction) and a rea&s;onable immortal Soul created of nothing, and immediately infu&s;ed by God&mdash;<HI>The Body of the fir&s;t Woman was formed of a Rib taken out of the &s;ide of the Man,</HI> Gen. 2.22. but her Soul im|mediately created and infu&s;ed like his, and they both are comprehended under the Name of <HI>Man. Thus God created Man in his own Image, in the Image of God he created him: male and female created he them,</HI> Gen. 1.27.</P>
<P>He was made the la&s;t of the Creatures, as being the mo&s;t excellent of all the works of God in this inferior world, and that he might glorifie his Maker for all the Creatures wherewith he &s;aw the world furni&s;ht for his &s;ake: As al&s;o becau&s;e the Lord would have him fir&s;t provided for, before he brought him into the world, that &s;o he might have
<PB N="69" REF="40">this world of which God had made him Prince, as it were his Palace richly accommodated with all Things convenient for him.&mdash;And if our mo&s;t gracious God had &s;uch care of Man even be|fore he was, how much more now he is?</P>
<P N="21">XXI. The Soul of Man (though it be hard to be defin'd, for as the Eye that &s;ees other Ob|jects &s;ees not it &s;elf; &s;o the Soul, by which we un|der&s;tand other things can difficultly comprehend its own E&s;&s;ence, yet) we may not unfitly de&s;cribe it to be&mdash;<HI>A &s;piritual &s;ub&s;tance created by God, which being united to the human Body, makes them both one &s;ub&s;i&s;tence or per&s;on, and &s;erves not only to animate (or enliven) the Body, and render its Or|gans apt for certain Functions and Actions, but al&s;o is the proper &s;ubject of all Vertues and Vices, Sciences and Arts, and has the rule of the Body, and ought to govern Man's whole life, and to excite him to the knowledge and wor&s;hip of God his Creator, and there|fore is endowed with five principal Faculties,</HI> Under|&s;tanding, Will, Affections, Memory, <HI>and</HI> Con|&s;cience: <HI>Which &s;piritual &s;ub&s;tance, though mo&s;t near|ly united to the Body, is yet &s;eparable from it, which &s;eparation is called Death, becau&s;e then immediately the Body peri&s;hes, but the Soul dies not, but remains immor|tal, and at the la&s;t day &s;hall again be reunited to its peculiar Body.</HI></P>
<P>Hence the Soul is called <HI>the Breath of God,</HI> Gen. 2.7. and <HI>Mal.</HI> 2.15. becau&s;e God made it not of any earthly matter (as he did the Body) nor of any of the Elements (as he did the other Crea|tures)
<PB N="70" REF="41">but immediately out of nothing, whereby is &s;ignifi'd the difference between the Soul of Man, which was made a &s;piritual, divine, everla&s;ting &s;ub|&s;tance, and the Soul or life of Bea&s;ts which cometh of the &s;ame matter whereof their Bodies are made, and therefore dieth with them. Whereas the Soul of Man cometh by God's Creation from without (in which re&s;pect God is &s;aid to be <HI>the Father of our &s;pirits,</HI> Hebr. 12.9.) and doth not ri&s;e as the Souls of Bea&s;ts do, of the Temper of the Elements, but is created of God, free from compo&s;ition, that it might be immortal, and free from the corruption, decay and death that all other Creatures are &s;ubject unto; and therefore as it had life in it &s;elf when it was join'd to the Body, &s;o it retaineth life when it is &s;eparated from the Body, and liveth for ever.</P>
<P N="22">XXII. That the Soul is altogether immortal, and neither <HI>totally peri&s;hes</HI> nor <HI>&s;leeps</HI> (as &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e) <HI>until the Re&s;urrection,</HI> is gather'd from &s;undry Texts of Scripture: As,</P>
<P N="1">1. It is &s;aid, <HI>That at Death the du&s;t &s;hall return to the earth as it was, and the &s;pirit to God who gave it&punc;</HI> Eccle&s;. 12.7.</P>
<P N="2">2dly, Our Saviour Chri&s;t, <HI>Luke</HI> 23.46. and his fir&s;t Martyr <HI>Stephen,</HI> Acts 7.59. at their death <HI>commended their &s;ouls unto God.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3dly, The Thief's Soul, immediately after &s;epa|ration from the Body, is promi&s;ed to be in <HI>Paradi&s;e Luke</HI> 23.43.</P>
<P N="4">4thly, The Soul cannot be killed by them that
<PB N="71" REF="41">kill the Body: <HI>Fear ye not them that kill the Body, but are not able to kill the Soul; but rather fear him who is able to de&s;troy both Soul and Body in hell,</HI> Mat. 10.28. <HI>God &s;hall deliver my Soul from the power of the Grave, for he will receive me,</HI> P&s;al. 49.15. <HI>I &s;aw under the altar the &s;ouls of them that had been killed for the Word of God,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Rev.</HI> 6.9.</P>
<P N="5">5thly, The horrors of Con&s;cience, and natural Fears of puni&s;hment for Sin proves the &s;ame.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, If it were otherwi&s;e, the hopes and comforts of good men would be utterly da&s;ht, or very much abated: <HI>For if in this life only we have hope, we are of all men mo&s;t mi&s;erable,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.19.</P>
<P N="23">XXIII. That the Soul of Man is not propaga|ted by <HI>Traduction,</HI> (or begotten by the Parents) but immediately created by God and infu&s;ed into the Body, is generally granted for the&s;e Rea|&s;ons:</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e 'tis evident from <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.5. &amp; 7. That God created the fir&s;t Man's Soul of Nothing; but it cannot be proved, That God endu'd any Thing which he created <HI>immediately</HI> out of No|thing with power to propagate it &s;elf; but rather the contrary appears, if we make a particular In|duction from all the Creatures. Nothing is gene|rated of <HI>matter,</HI> but what in the beginning was created of <HI>matter;</HI> but the Soul of Man in the be|ginning was not created of <HI>matter,</HI> therefore it cannot generate other Souls.</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="72" REF="42">2. God in a peculiar manner is called, <HI>The God of the Spirits of all fle&s;h,</HI> Numb. 16.22. And &s;aid to have <HI>made the Breath</HI> (that is, the Soul) <HI>of man, I&s;a.</HI> 57.16. And more expre&s;ly, <HI>Job.</HI> 33.4. <HI>The Spirit of God hath made me, and the Breath of the Almighty hath given me life.</HI> And <HI>Zech.</HI> 12.1. <HI>The Lord &s;tretcheth out the Heavens, and layeth the foun|dation of the Earth, and formeth the Spirit of Man within him</HI>&mdash;Where this forming of the Spirit of Man &s;eems plainly reckoned among&s;t the works of Creation, though daily performed, and therefore <HI>Hebr.</HI> 12.9. God, under the Title of <HI>the Father of Spirits,</HI> or <HI>Souls,</HI> is put in contradi|&s;tinction to the Fathers of our Bodies&mdash;More|over, we have had the Fathers of our Bodies who corrected us, and we gave them Reverence, &s;hould we not much rather be in &s;ubjection unto the Fa|ther of our Spirits that we might live?</P>
<P N="3">3. Chri&s;t had truly an Human Soul, but the &s;ame was not by Traduction; for he was concei|ved not by the help of Man, but by the operation of the Holy Gho&s;t, of the Ble&s;&s;ed Virgins Blood, therefore our Souls are not by Traduction.</P>
<P N="4">4. Such is Man's Generation as his Di&s;&s;olution; but Man's Di&s;&s;olution is, <HI>That his Body returns to Du&s;t, and his Spirit to God that gave it,</HI> Eccl. 12.9. Wherefore &s;ince in his Di&s;&s;olution his Spirit re|turns immediately to God, doubtle&s;s it was im|mediately formed by him.</P>
<P N="5">5. Becau&s;e the Soul is Indivi&s;ible, therefore can|not be generated or die, but mu&s;t be immediately created of nothing.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="73" REF="42">6. The Soul cannot be produced out of any pre-exi&s;tent matter, either Corporeal, becau&s;e it is not a Body; nor Incorporeal, becau&s;e Spirits and Incorporeal Sub&s;tances admit no Change or Tran&s;mutation.</P>
<P N="7">7. If the Soul be by Traduction, it mu&s;t be ge|nerated of a Soul, or of a Body, or of both toge|ther; but it is not generated of a Soul, becau&s;e of that which is incorruptible nothing can be ge|nerated; nor of a Body, becau&s;e it is not Corpo|real; nor of a Soul and a Body together, becau&s;e &s;o it &s;hould be partly Corporeal, and partly Incor|poreal; &s;eeing then it is produced of nothing, it mu&s;t be immediately from God alone, who&s;e &s;ole Prerogative it is to make things of nothing.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>How can this con&s;i&s;t with tho&s;e Phy&s;ical Maxims, Like begets its Like, and Man begets Man? And be&s;ides, at this rate it &s;eems to follow, That Man is not endued with &s;o much power as Bea&s;ts, who wholly pro|pagate their own</HI> Species.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>It may, notwith&s;tanding God's Creation and Infu&s;ion of the Soul, be truly &s;aid, That Man be|gets; that is, is the efficient Cau&s;e of Man, th&ocirc; not according to all his parts, both becau&s;e a per|&s;on begets a per&s;on, as al&s;o for that by the Pa|rents the Body begot is as it were the Subject of the Soul, to which being united, the whole Man is brought into this World by means of Genera|tion: For as he is &s;aid to kill a Man that kills only his Body, &s;o Man is &s;aid to beget Man, th&ocirc;
<PB N="74" REF="43">he begets not the Soul. Nor yet is Man in this re&s;pect Ignobler than other living Creatures, but rather for this very Cau&s;e more excellent, in that, God's immediate Operation concurs with Nature's work in his Generation.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>2d Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>If God in every one creates the Soul, then, as often as any one is born of Fornication, Adultery or Ince&s;t, God &s;eems to co-operate therewith, and &s;o mu&s;t be the Author, or Approver of Sin, which is Bla&s;phemy.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>We mu&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h between an Action, as meer|ly an Action, and the &s;in or unlawfulne&s;s of that Action. God does not co-operate with the Sin, but only brings Good out of Evil: For as the Earth cheri&s;hes Seed &s;own, th&ocirc; &s;tolen by the Sower, yet is not therefore any way concern'd in the Theft; &s;o God animates the <HI>Embrio</HI> in the Womb, whether lawfully or unlawfully begot, th&ocirc; he approve not the wicked Copulation, but will &s;everely puni&s;h it. [This is St. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI>'s Compari&s;on and An&s;wer to this Objection, in his 28 <HI>Epist. ad Hieron.</HI>]</P>
<P>Man being thus created, and placed in Paradi&s;e, [or <HI>a Garden of delight,</HI> as the word &s;ignifies] was ve&s;ted with wonderful Happine&s;s, both <HI>Internal</HI> and <HI>External.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Inwardly.</HI> Fir&s;t, By that Image of God, or Di|vine &s;tate of Soul, and Integrity of Nature where|in he was created, that is, in Holine&s;s and Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, a clearne&s;s of Under&s;tanding, Liberty and Rectitude of Will, Moderation and Sanctity
<PB N="75" REF="43">of Affections, all which &s;hined in him without blemi&s;h. 2dly, In the Fruition of the favourable bli&s;sful pre&s;ence of his Creator, and a joyful &s;erving of him with full content in him&s;elf.</P>
<P><HI>Outwardly.</HI> Fir&s;t, In enjoying &s;o comely, per|fect, and admirable a Body, in which there was no infirmity, pain or &s;hame, th&ocirc; naked, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.25. And which too, th&ocirc; not &s;imply, yet in &s;ome &s;en&s;e might be &s;aid to be Immortal. For th&ocirc;, as it was compo&s;ed of the Elements, 'twas &s;ubject to be re|&s;olved into its Principles, yet, by Divine Cove|nant, it had a po&s;&s;ibility not to die.</P>
<P>Secondly, In his Dominion over all the Crea|tures, who freely &s;ubmitted to him, and to whom, as their Lord, he gave their original Names, and that too (which &s;hews his great under&s;tanding in natural things) according to the nature of each, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.19.</P>
<P N="25">XXV. All the&s;e Priviledges were not be&s;tow'd on Man, That he &s;hould live as he li&s;t, but that he might &s;erve the Lord his Maker, who therefore gave him a Law (written in his heart, being the &s;ub&s;tance of what we call the Moral Law) obli|ging him for ever to all Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;|ne&s;s. And for a further manife&s;tation of his own Sovereignty and Trial of Man's Obedience, gave him likewi&s;e a &s;pecial Command, viz. <HI>That he &s;hould not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,</HI> Gen. 2.17. (Which was &s;o called from the Event; for by ta&s;ting thereof, Man, by woful Ex|perience, came to know how great the Happine&s;s and Good was which he had lo&s;t, and how great
<PB N="76" REF="44">Evil and Mi&s;ery he had brought upon him|&s;elf.)</P>
<P>As God was Man's Creator, and in that re&s;pect his ab&s;olute Sovereign, Man mu&s;t needs owe him an intire Obedience, e&s;pecially &s;ince he required no more than what he had enabled him to per|form; and therefore to make trial of his Loyalty and Humility, God might mo&s;t ju&s;tly enjoin him to ab&s;tain from &s;ome Act in it&s;elf indifferent, for no other Rea&s;on apparent, but becau&s;e he was &s;o com|manded. This general Law and &s;pecial Command|ment was reinforc'd with all the u&s;ual attendants of all ju&s;t Laws, <HI>viz.</HI> a Sovereign Right in the Le|gi&s;tator, a &s;ufficient Promulgation, a full Ability in the Subject to perform them, Reward promi&s;ed to Obedience, and Puni&s;hment threatned in ca&s;e of Failure, If he tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed, <HI>he &s;hould &s;urely dye, Gen.</HI> 2.17. But if he obey'd, he and his Po&s;terity &s;hould continue in that good e&s;tate; of which the Tree of Life &s;eems to have been intended either for a means by its innate quality to pre&s;erve Man's Life, as &s;ome gather from <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.22. or at lea&s;t a Sign or Seal (whence many Divines call both it and the Tree of Knowledge <HI>Sacramental</HI>) of the good plea&s;ure of God to continue Man per&s;i&s;ting in Obedience, in full vigor here, till he &s;hould think fit to tran&s;late him (like <HI>Enoch</HI>) to Hea|ven.</P>
<P>So much touching the Creation of the world.</P>
<P N="26">XXVI. The other work of God to be con&s;ider'd, is the &s;u&s;taining and Government thereof, which is
<PB N="77" REF="44">called his <HI>actual Providence;</HI> For God is not like an Architect, that is the cau&s;e only of the making, but cannot maintain his Building again&s;t all Acci|dents: But he is &s;uch a cau&s;e of Being to all Crea|tures, as the <HI>Sun is of Light</HI> to the Day, &s;o that without his continual operation, all would return to Nothing or Confu&s;ion, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104.29.</P>
<P>God's Providence therefore is, <HI>That by which he both &s;u&s;tains, pre&s;erves, and al&s;o freely, according to his infinite Wi&s;dom, Goodne&s;s, Power, Ju&s;tice and Mercy, rules and governs all his Creatures.</HI></P>
<P>That &s;uch an actual Providence does pre&s;ide over the world, appears</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, By <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> from that agreement of Ele|ments and Things which are mo&s;t contrary, and would con&s;ume each other, if not thereby hindred, from the means of our daily pre&s;ervation and nou|ri&s;hment; For Meat, Drink and Cloathing, being void of heat and life, could not pre&s;erve the life of man, and continue heat in him, unle&s;s there were a &s;pecial Providence of God to give vertue to them, without which, Wheat would no more nouri&s;h us than Sand. From the Order, Harmo|ny, and Connexion we &s;ee every where in the world; the Rewards promi&s;ed, Puni&s;hments threat|ned, and both accompli&s;hed; the various di&s;tri|bution of the endowments of Body and Mind; the pre&s;ervation and tran&s;lation of Empires, &s;trange Di&s;coveries of &s;ecret Crimes, &s;ignal Judg|ments on the wicked, and wonderful protection or &s;upports of good Men, and many other daily Occurrences ar illu&s;trious Arguments hereof.</P>
<PB N="78" REF="45">
<P>And indeed to deny this Providence, is to deny God him&s;elf; For he could not be God, if he did not order things to their re&s;pective Ends; and if he were not good and prudent, both which Attri|butes are no le&s;s di&s;play'd in the ordering, than in the creating of the World.</P>
<P>Secondly, The &s;ame appears by various <HI>expre&s;s Texts</HI> of Scripture, as <HI>Matth.</HI> 5.17. <HI>My Father worketh hitherto, and I al&s;o work,</HI> meaning in the continuance and con&s;ervation of the Creatures: <HI>For in him we live and move, and have our being,</HI> Acts 17.28. and <HI>Hebr.</HI> 1.3. 'tis &s;aid of our Lord Chri&s;t, <HI>That he upholds all things by the word of his power.</HI> The whole 104th <HI>P&s;alm</HI> is a particular De|claration of this Divine Providence; and we are taught the &s;ame extends to the minute&s;t Actions, and even tho&s;e that &s;eem the mo&s;t ca&s;ual: <HI>Are not two Sparrows &s;old for a farthing? Yet one of them &s;hall not fall to the ground without your Father, for even the hairs of your head are numbred,</HI> Mat. 10.29. <HI>The Lot is ca&s;t into the lap: but the whole di&s;po&s;ing thereof is from the Lord,</HI> Prov. 16.33.</P>
<P>Thus there really is no &s;uch thing in the world as <HI>Chance</HI> or <HI>Fortune,</HI> in re&s;pect of God, but in re|&s;pect of Man that knoweth not future things, or is ignorant of the Cau&s;es of &s;omewhat pre&s;ent, many things appear to be Ca&s;ual, and &s;o in com|pliance with their Notions, the Scripture u&s;eth tho&s;e terms, to expre&s;s the &s;uddenne&s;s and unex|pectedne&s;s of a thing, as when it &s;aith, <HI>Time and Chance happen to all,</HI> Eccl. 9.11. <HI>And, By chance there came down a certain Prie&s;t that way,</HI> Luke 10.21.</P>
<P N="27"><PB N="79" REF="45">XXVII. By God's Providence both <HI>Good</HI> and <HI>Evil</HI> are governed, <HI>viz. good</HI> things by an effica|cious action, or effectual working, <HI>evil</HI> by an actual permi&s;&s;ion; as likewi&s;e by re&s;training the &s;ame within certain bounds, and directing it to &s;ome good I&s;&s;ue.</P>
<P>Yet &s;till God's Providence remains pure, ju&s;t and undefiled, even in tho&s;e Actions that are di&s;|order'd and &s;inful: For,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, 'Tis one thing to be the <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> of an Action, merely as 'tis an Action, and another thing to be the Cau&s;e of the Evil, or adhering vitio&s;ity of that Action; as he that rides a lame Hor&s;e cau&s;eth him to &s;tir, but is not the cau&s;e of his halting.</P>
<P>Secondly, He who quenches a Fire that it rage no further, is far from being the cau&s;e of the Fire.</P>
<P>Thirdly, As it is a commendable skill to pre|pare a Compo&s;ition with a mixture of Poy&s;on in it, which yet &s;hall not be poy&s;onous, but highly medicinal; &s;o the power and wi&s;dom of God is the more di&s;play'd in his guiding and managing the poy&s;on of &s;in, &s;o as to turn it in the end to his own glory, and the good of his Church.</P>
<P>Therefore alth&ocirc; the Scripture a&s;cribes many times the &s;ame action, or work to God, to the Devil, and to wicked men, as <HI>Gen.</HI> 45.8. <HI>Job</HI> 1.21. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 22.22. And particularly both <HI>Ju|das,</HI> the <HI>Jews,</HI> and <HI>Pilate,</HI> are &s;aid <HI>to have given Chri&s;t to death;</HI> and the &s;ame expre&s;&s;ion is u&s;ed both of God the Father, and our Lord Chri&s;t him|&s;elf,
<PB N="80" REF="46"><HI>Acts</HI> 2.23. and 4.28. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.32. yet the cau&s;ing of Sin cannot in any wi&s;e be imputed to God, &s;ince the manner and purpo&s;es are different and contrary:</P>
<P>For the Actions of the wicked are di&s;cernable from the work of God therein.</P>
<P N="1">1. In the <HI>ground</HI> from whence they ari&s;e; as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Brethren of envy &s;ent him into <HI>Egypt,</HI> but God in love and mercy; <HI>Shimei</HI> cur&s;ed <HI>David</HI> out of malice, God permitted it in ju&s;tice to mortifie <HI>David</HI> for his Adultery and Murder. The Devil from hate to Mankind was a lying Spirit in the mouths of all <HI>Ahab</HI>'s Prophets, God permitted it as a puni&s;hment for his Idolatry; <HI>Pilate</HI> of Am|bition and Fear; the <HI>Jews</HI> of Malice, Envy, and Ignorance; and <HI>Judas</HI> out of Covetou&s;ne&s;s, but God of love gave Chri&s;t to death; and therefore the Action as it was from God, was mo&s;t holy, righ|teous, and merciful.</P>
<P>Secondly, In the <HI>Scope</HI> or <HI>End</HI> to which they tend:</P>
<P>Thus <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Brethren &s;ent him away, to the end he &s;hould not come to the Honour foretold by his Dream, but God &s;ent him to provide for his Church, and fulfil what was &s;o foretold.</P>
<P><HI>Shimei</HI> cur&s;ed, to drive <HI>David</HI> to de&s;pair, but God directed it for exerci&s;ing <HI>David</HI>'s pa|tience.</P>
<P>The Devil lyed in the fal&s;e Prophets to &s;educe <HI>Ahab,</HI> God permitted it ju&s;tly as a puni&s;hment for his Idolatry.</P>
<P>So in our Lord's Crucifixion, the end of <HI>Pilate</HI>
<PB N="81" REF="46">was to humor the People, and keep him&s;elf in <HI>Cae|&s;ar</HI>'s Favor.</P>
<P>Of <HI>Judas</HI> to get Money, and of the <HI>Jews</HI> to gra|tifie their Malice, but God's de&s;ign was to redeem Mankind.</P>
<P>XXVIII. God's Providence is either <HI>Ordinary,</HI> or <HI>Extraordinary.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Ordinary</HI> or u&s;ual Providence is, when God proceeds in that Order as in the beginning he did endue things withal, as for the Sun to run his Di|urnal and Annual Circuit; Fire to burn and con|&s;ume, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And thus every thing, according to its innate property, acts or &s;uffers upon or by another, and Effects like &s;o many Links of a Chain depend up|on their Cau&s;es; which common vertue and &s;ub|ordination of things is that which we call NA|TURE.</P>
<P>The <HI>Extraordinary</HI> is, when God by his Sove|reign Prerogative, contradicts or &s;u&s;pends tho&s;e &s;etled Laws of Nature, <HI>as to make the Sun &s;tand &s;till; the fiery Furnace not to burn the three Children ca&s;t into it,</HI> &amp;c. All which (by a <HI>Metonymie</HI> of the effect) are called MIRACLES.</P>
<P>XXIX. From this Doctrin of Providence we ought to learn,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, To acknowledge and adore the Power, Wi&s;dom, and Goodne&s;s of God, as in the Cre|ation, &s;o in the Continuation, Pre&s;ervation, and Government of all things; and to dread to of|fend his Maje&s;ty, who every moment can arm all the Creatures again&s;t us.</P>
<PB N="82" REF="47">
<P>Secondly, To love and repo&s;e our Tru&s;t in him as our Father that continually is taking care for us, to acquie&s;ce under his protection, &s;ince all the dangers we can apprehend, and the malice of Sa|tan and all his In&s;truments are &s;ubject to his over|ruling re&s;traint and good plea&s;ure; and therefore to bani&s;h all &s;lavi&s;h Fear from our hearts, as know|ing nothing can come to pa&s;s without the Provi|dence of God.</P>
<P>Thirdly, As this Con&s;ideration &s;hould in pro&s;|perity, and when things &s;ucceed according to our de&s;ires, advance our Gratitude to God, to give him the prai&s;e and glory thereof, and not <HI>&s;acrifice to our own nets,</HI> (Hab. 1.16.) or regard only the next In&s;truments, without looking up to him by who&s;e &s;pecial Providence we enjoy tho&s;e mer|cies; &s;o in Adver&s;ity, and when things an&s;wer not our Expectation, it ought to teach us Patience and Humility under the hand of the Lord in all affli|ctions, &s;aying, <HI>It is the Lord, let him do what he plea&s;eth,</HI> 1 Sam. 3.18.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Not to neglect any means which God hath ordained, if we can procure them, (for that is to tempt God) nor yet to depend &s;olely on them, without having an Eye to him who can pre|&s;ently render them ineffectual; much le&s;s &s;hould we pre&s;ume to venture on any means that are un|lawful or &s;inful, &s;ince we are &s;ure not to obtain any ble&s;&s;ing in &s;uch Cour&s;es.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, If means be wanting, yet &s;till we ought to confide in him who can work as well without means as with them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="83" REF="47">
<HEAD>CHAP. IV. <HI>Of the Covenant of</HI> Works. <HI>The</HI> Fall <HI>of our fir&s;t Parents, with the Mi&s;eries thence con|tracted on them&s;elves and their Po&s;terity. Of</HI> Sin, <HI>Original and Actual. Of the &s;in again&s;t the</HI> Holy Gho&s;t.</HEAD>
<P N="1">I. MAn is to be con&s;ider'd here on earth as in a Threefold State, <HI>viz.</HI> of <HI>Innocence,</HI> of <HI>Mi&s;ery,</HI> and of <HI>Grace;</HI> And afterwards in a Fourth, to wit, that of Everla&s;ting Glory or Perdition.</P>
<P>Of the State of <HI>Innocency</HI> we have partly &s;poken in the foregoing Chapter, &s;hewing how perfectly he was made and richly endowed both in Soul and Body, and how God pre&s;cribed him a Law, and enabled him with Power to perform the &s;ame; and &s;o left him in the hand of his own Coun&s;el either to &s;tand or fall; which Government of man is called the <HI>Covenant or Works,</HI> becau&s;e grounded on condition of perfect Obedience by that &s;trength wherewith God had endued him at his fir&s;t Cre|ation. &mdash; <HI>Do this</HI> [that is, keep all my Com|mandments in thought word and deed] <HI>and thou &s;halt live;</HI> [that is, enjoy the reward of Ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s and Everla&s;ting life.] <HI>But if thou doe&s;t it not, thou &s;halt dye the death;</HI> [that is, incur the Cur&s;e of God, many Mi&s;eries both of Soul and Body with Temporal death in this World, and (where this
<PB N="84" REF="48">Cur&s;e is not taken away) Everla&s;ting death (that is, endle&s;s torment of both Soul and Body) in the World to come.]</P>
<P N="2">II. Man tho he was made good, yet being Mu|table (for as God gave him a po&s;&s;ibility of &s;tand|ing if he would, &s;o he left his Will free, that if he would he might fall,) did not continue in &s;uch his Integrity, but pre&s;ently broke that Covenant of Works, willfully (through Satans Temptation) tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing that Holy Law which was given him, and becoming Guilty of many &s;ins at once by eat|ing of that Fruit which alone in the whole Garden was forbidden him; thereby plunging him&s;elf and all his Po&s;terity into a State of &s;in and wretched|ne&s;s, which is called <HI>the fall of man. By the di&s;o|bedience of one, &s;in raigned unto death, and death went over all,</HI> Rom. 5.12.</P>
<P>God (to whom all things are pre&s;ent) knew well, that man would tran&s;gre&s;s; yet he was not therefore to forbear giving him a mo&s;t ju&s;t and ea&s;y Precept whereby to &s;hew his own Soveraign|ty over him; nor yet bound to uphold him to whom he had given &s;ufficient Power to per&s;i&s;t in Innocence if he would; And therefore when Mans Will at Satans &s;ugge&s;tion began to encline to evil, God did &s;uffer him to fall, as knowing how to manage the &s;ame for the Manife&s;tation of his own. Mercy, Ju&s;tice and Glory.</P>
<P N="3">III. The manner of the Temptation is &s;et forth in <HI>Cene&s;is</HI> the third, <HI>viz.</HI> That the Devil, being
<PB N="85" REF="48">him&s;elf faln from his fir&s;t happy and glorious State, out of an Envious and Murtherous mind, that he might bring Man into as wretched a con|dition as him&s;elf, making u&s;e of the Serpent (the &s;ubtle&s;t bea&s;t in the Field that is, as the word u&s;ed &s;ignifies in the Original, the mo&s;t nimble and &s;ly to turn and wind it &s;elf any way, and &s;o the fitte&s;t to creep into the Garden un&s;een) did in it acco&s;t <HI>Eve</HI> (the weaker ve&s;&s;el) in the ab&s;ence of her Hu&s;|band with a crafty Que&s;tion defign'd to make her doubt whether the Word of God were true or not; And finding her to an&s;wer not directly as God had &s;poken, but fir&s;t by a kind of repining additi|on, that they were bound not to touch the Fruit of that Tree, whereas God only commanded not to eat thereof, And 2dly. By a term of doubting &mdash;le&s;t ye dye; whereas God had &s;aid, ye &s;hall &s;urely dye; he proceeds to a&s;&s;ure her, that they &s;hould not dye, but have their Eyes open'd, and receive Knowledge, and be as Gods, In&s;inuating that God out of Jealou&s;y of his own Superiority or Envy to Man, had laid that Prohibition le&s;t they &s;hould know as much as He; which bla&s;phe|mous Lye the Woman crediting did eat of the fa|tal Fruit, and gave thereof to her Husband, who by her allurement did the like.</P>
<P N="4">IV. This Eating of the <HI>Forbidden Fruit</HI> was no little offence (as to &s;ome it may &s;eem) but an horrible Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, no le&s;s than a breach of the <HI>whole Law of God;</HI> Or total Apo&s;ta&s;ie where|by they withdrew them&s;elves from his obedience,
<PB N="86" REF="49">and with a mo&s;t outragious Rebellion rejected and trampled on his Sovereignty: For,</P>
<P N="1">1. As the heinou&s;ne&s;s of a Crime is not to be mea&s;ured by the thing done, but by the dignity of the per&s;on again&s;t whom it is committed, which here was their Almighty and mo&s;t Indulgent Cre|ator, &s;o by how much the Command was the more ea&s;ie to be kept, (as to ab&s;tain from one only Fruit in &s;o great a variety and plenty) by &s;o much was their &s;in the more grievous in breaking it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Th&ocirc; God did &s;pecially try their Obedience in that Fruit, yet there were a multitude of other mo&s;t vile &s;ins which hereby they became guilty of, as Infidelity and Contempt of God, in hearkning to, and believing the Devil, rather than his Word; prodigious Ingratitude, Curio&s;ity and Ambition, in affecting greater Knowledge than he thought fit to inve&s;t them with. Here was al&s;o Lying, in mi&s;reporting God's Command. Pre&s;umption, In|temperance and Theft, in laying hand on that which was another's, without the Owner's con|&s;ent. Reproachful Bla&s;phemy, by con&s;enting to the Sayings of the Devil, in which he charged God with lying and envying their Happine&s;s. Mur|ther, &s;ince by this Fact they precipitated them|&s;elves and all their Po&s;terity into Condemnation and Death both of Body and Soul. Lu&s;t, by a wandring defire of the Eyes, and inordinate ap|petite of the Ta&s;te after that only Fruit which God had re&s;train'd them from. An a&s;&s;enting to a fal&s;e Witne&s;s, and receiving an unju&s;t Accu&s;ation again&s;t God him&s;elf. La&s;tly, Evil Concupi&s;cence,
<PB N="87" REF="49">or coveting that to which they had no Right, not being &s;atisfied with all the other delicacies of the Garden.</P>
<P N="5">V. The Effects or Con&s;equents of this Tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion were,</P>
<P N="1">1. A defacing of God's Image in all the Noble Faculties of their Souls, and a depravation of the powers of their Bodies.</P>
<P N="2">2. A &s;tream of actual &s;ins in the whole cour&s;e of their life following, which pre&s;ently appear'd in <HI>Adam</HI>'s flying from God, and affirming fal&s;ly, <HI>That it was his Nakedne&s;s made him flie;</HI> and in, both his, and <HI>Eve</HI>'s excu&s;ing their &s;in, and laying of it, he, upon the <HI>Woman;</HI> and &s;he, upon the <HI>Serpent.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, They became &s;ubject to a threefold death, <HI>viz. of the Soul</HI> by &s;in, whereby it being de|prived of the pre&s;ence of the Holy Spirit, (which is the Soul's Soul) it became dead to God and Goodne&s;s, and alive only to Sin and Satan; to <HI>Natural Death,</HI> which is the &s;eparation of the Soul from the Body, and to a &s;eparation of both Soul and Body from God, which is <HI>Death Eternal.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>Adam</HI> in this matter is to be con&s;i|dered not as a private, but publick per&s;on, (the Pa|rent, Head and Root of all Mankind:) So that what he received and lo&s;t, concerned not only him&s;elf, but all his Po&s;terity; and therefore by this primitive &s;in, all human kind was vitiated, &s;o that as the Per&s;on then infected the Nature, &s;o ever &s;ince the Nature (of all that come into the world by ordinary Generation) infects the Per&s;on, and that mo&s;t ju&s;tly too. For,</P>
<PB N="88" REF="50">
<P>As <HI>Adam</HI>'s Felicity &s;hould have been ours if he had per&s;evered therein, &s;o was his voluntary &s;elf-contracted Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and Mi&s;ery ours too, who are his De&s;cendents. And as in the &s;econd Cove|nant (whereof we &s;hall &s;peak by and by) the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of the &s;econd <HI>Adam,</HI> viz. <HI>Chri&s;t Je|&s;us the Mediator,</HI> is reckoned to all tho&s;e that are begotten of him by &s;piritual Regeneration, to wit, tho&s;e that &s;incerely believe in his Name. So in the fir&s;t Covenant the &s;in of the fir&s;t <HI>Adam</HI> (who herein &s;u&s;tained the part of a common per&s;on) is reckoned to all the Po&s;terity that de&s;cend from him by carnal Generation, as being in his Loins when he fell, and &s;o by the Law of Propagation &s;inned in him; as in Attainders for Trea&s;on the Criminal not only &s;uffers, but his Blood is cor|rupted, and all his Off-&s;pring for ever lo&s;e the bene|fit of his Honours and E&s;tate, and become mixt in equal condition with the Rabble, unle&s;s the King in Favor re&s;tore them, as God in his mercy hath done us. Or rather, as a Man that becomes a Slave, his Progeny, to the hundredth Generation, &s;hall continue in a &s;tate of Villainage and Slave|ry, unle&s;s they be manumitted. So the natural man, how free &s;oever he may think him&s;elf, is no other than a Bond&s;lave to Sin and Satan, and in that wretched &s;tate he and all his I&s;&s;ue &s;hall for ever remain, <HI>unle&s;s the Son do make him free,</HI> John 8.33. <HI>Rom.</HI> 6.17. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.19.</P>
<P N="6">VI. This privation of original Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and native Corruption derived into the whole
<PB N="89" REF="50">Man, and to all the Race of Mankind, naturally de&s;cending from <HI>Adam,</HI> is called ORIGINAL SIN: (The proximate cau&s;e of which, is the guilt of the afore&s;aid fir&s;t Sin, in re&s;pect whereof 'tis a mo&s;t ju&s;t puni&s;hment from God, <HI>viz. a part of that death threatned to man.</HI>)</P>
<P>And in Scripture, by way of Eminence, 'tis termed <HI>Sin,</HI> and <HI>the Body of Sin,</HI> or <HI>Old Man,</HI> Rom. 6.6. <HI>Concupi&s;cence,</HI> Rom. 7.7. <HI>Sin in|habiting, ver.</HI> 17. and <HI>the Law of our Members,</HI> ver. 23.</P>
<P N="7">VII. Original Sin &s;tandeth not in the follow|ing [or imitating] of <HI>Adam,</HI> (as the <HI>Pelagians</HI> do vainly talk) but it is the Fault and Corruption of the Nature of every Man that naturally is in|gendred of the Off-&s;pring of <HI>Adam,</HI> whereby Man is very far gone from original Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and is of his own Nature inclined to Evil, &s;o that the Fle&s;h lu&s;teth always contrary to the Spirit, and therefore in every per&s;on born into this world, it de&s;erveth God's wrath and damnation; and this Infection of Nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated, whereby the <HI>Lu&s;ts of the Fle&s;h,</HI> called in <HI>Greek</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, which &s;ome do expound the <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> &s;ome the <HI>Sen&s;uality,</HI> &s;ome the <HI>Affection,</HI> &s;ome the <HI>De&s;ire of the Fle&s;h,</HI> is not &s;ubject to the Law of God. And al&s;o there is no <HI>Condemnation</HI> for them that <HI>believe</HI> and are <HI>baptized,</HI> yet the Apo&s;tle [<HI>Rom.</HI> 6.6. and 7.5.] doth con|fe&s;s, that <HI>Concupi&s;cence</HI> and <HI>Lu&s;t</HI> hath, of it&s;elf, the Nature of Sin. [9th. <HI>Article of the Church of</HI> England.]</P>
<P N="8"><PB N="90" REF="51">VIII. The condition of Man after the Fall of <HI>Adam</HI> is &s;uch, that he cannot turn and prepare him&s;elf by his own Natural &s;trength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God; where|fore we have no power to do good Works plea|&s;ant and acceptable to God, without the Grace of God by Chri&s;t preventing us, that we may have a good Will, and working with us when we have that good Will. [<HI>Ibid. Art.</HI> 10.</P>
<P>For Man by &s;uch his Fall hath wholly lo&s;t all Ability of Will to any Spiritual good accompa|nying Salvation; So as a Natural Man being al|together aver&s;e from that good, and dead in Sin, is not able by his own &s;trength to convert him&s;elf, or to prepare him&s;elf thereunto. But when God converts a &s;inner and tran&s;lates him into the State of Grace, He freeth him from this his Natural Bondage under Sin, and by his Grace alone, ina|bles him freely to Will and to do that which is Spiritually good; yet &s;o, as that by rea&s;on of his remaining corruption he doth not perfectly nor only Will that which is good, but doth that al&s;o which is evil; for tis in the State of Glory that his Will is made perfectly and immediately free to Good alone.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Object. 1.</HEAD>
<P><HI>God Commands Men that they turn or convert them|&s;elves unto him and believe, As</HI> Zach. 1.3. Mark 1.15. <HI>and many other places; Therefore they can do this, otherwi&s;e it were commanded in vain: And be&s;ides it were Tyrannical to puni&s;h any one, becau&s;e he hath not done that, which he was &s;o far from being able to do, that he could not &s;o much as Will it.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="91" REF="51">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>To argue from the Command to the Power in this Ca&s;e will not hold, becau&s;e Man had Origi|nally a Power, but by his own default lo&s;t and forfeited it; therefore there is no Tyranny in puni&s;hing him, nor are tho&s;e precepts in vain, for though of our &s;elves (now) we cannot perform them, yet we can do it when fir&s;t excited there|to by the divine Grace, &s;o that being acted, we act, God gives what he Commands and helps what he hath given; without Him we cannot make our &s;elves good Men, and without our &s;elves He is not wont to do it. Be&s;ides, the&s;e Commands re|peated &s;ince the Fall are of great u&s;e, that Man finding the Impo&s;&s;ibility he has plunged him&s;elf into, of an&s;wering them, may fly to Chri&s;t (in whom the faithful can do all things) and &s;o they become efficacious means, which (together with his Grace) God u&s;es, for converting of Souls, that what was impo&s;&s;ible to corrupt Nature, may by Grace become fea&s;ible and ea&s;y.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Object. 2.</HEAD>
<P><HI>God puni&s;hes not one and the &s;ame Sin</HI> twice; <HI>but he puni&s;hed the Sin of</HI> Adam <HI>in him, therefore not in us.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The Sin of <HI>Adam</HI> was not one Numerically but Specifically, and of the whole Species; for as He, &s;o we in Him &s;inned, and therefore are in our &s;elves ju&s;tly puni&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Object. 3.</HEAD>
<P><HI>How does this Doctrine of Original Sin con&s;i&s;t
<PB N="92" REF="52">with that Text, Ezech.</HI> 18.20. The Son &s;hall not bear the Iniquity of his Father.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The Son &s;hall not bear (or An&s;wer for) the Per&s;onal Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions of his Father, but the Sin of the fir&s;t Man was common to the whole Na|ture; &s;o that when any is puni&s;hed for <HI>Adams</HI> Sin, he al&s;o &s;uffers for his own.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Object. 4.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Concupi&s;cence or pronene&s;s to Evil, is di&s;tin|gui&s;h't from Sin, as the Cau&s;e from the effect,</HI> James 1.15. <HI>therefore &s;eems not to have in it &s;elf the Na|ture of Sin.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Concupi&s;cence is there di&s;tingui&s;h't from Actu|al Sin, or the outward Fact perpetrated, but &s;till it has of it &s;elf the Nature of Sin, becau&s;e it yeilds not Obedience to the Divine Law, but directly violates that Command, <HI>Thou &s;halt not Covet,</HI> Exod. 20.17. And therefore is expre&s;ly called Sin in &s;e|veral places of Holy Scripture, As <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.7. and 19. <HI>Math.</HI> 5.28. and 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.16.</P>
<P N="9">IX. Hence it follows, that Works done before the Grace of Chri&s;t and the In&s;piration of His Spi|rit, are not plea&s;ing to God, fora&s;much as they &s;pring not of Faith in Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace, or (as the School-Authors &s;ay) de&s;erve Grace of Congruity; yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we
<PB N="93" REF="52">doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin, [<HI>Art.</HI> 13. of the Ch. of <HI>Engl.</HI></P>
<P>For &s;uch Works done by meer Natural (that is, unregenerate) Men, although for the matter of them, they may be what God Commands, and of good u&s;e both to them&s;elves and others, yet be|cau&s;e they proceed not from an heart purified by Faith, nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word, nor to a right End, <HI>viz. the Glory of God,</HI> they are therefore defective, and &s;o &s;inful, and cannot plea&s;e God, or make a Man meet to receive Grace from him; and yet Mens neglect of &s;uch Works is much more &s;inful and di&s;plea&s;ing to God, without who&s;e &s;pecial Grace no excellent thing can be performed, and therefore what&s;oever good the <HI>Gentiles</HI> did, being mixed with much Vain-glory, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> their mo&s;t celebrated Vertues were in God's &s;ight but <HI>Splendida Peccata,</HI> Glit|tering Enormities.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection 1.</HEAD>
<P><HI>God has rewarded &s;ome Works of Infidels, as for Example the</HI> Egyptian <HI>Midwives,</HI> Exod. 1.21. <HI>whence &s;uch Works &s;eem to be well plea&s;ing to him.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>From every kind of Temporal Reward that God does be&s;tow, we cannot ju&s;tly conclude that &s;uch or &s;uch a Work does in it &s;elf perfectly plea&s;e him, &s;o as to de&s;erve or make him that does it meet for &s;piritual Grace.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection 2.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The</HI> Gentiles <HI>do by nature the things contained
<PB N="94" REF="53">in the Law,</HI> Rom. 2.14. <HI>But &s;o to do, is well-plea&s;ing to God.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The <HI>Gentiles</HI> do by nature things contained in the Law, in certain outward Duties, but not in re|&s;pect of all requi&s;ite Circum&s;tances, becau&s;e not of Faith, and to the Glory of the true God.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection 3.</HEAD>
<P>Cornelius <HI>was a</HI> Gentile, <HI>and yet before his Conver&s;ion, his Alms-deeds are recommended,</HI> Acts 10.1. <HI>whence it &s;eems, that his good Works did di&s;|po&s;e him to Grace, or merit the &s;ame of Congruity.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Cornelius</HI> is &s;aid, <HI>ver.</HI> 2. to be a godly or devout Man, and one that prayed to God always, &s;o that he cannot be counted an Infidel, but mu&s;t be &s;up|po&s;ed before his Bapti&s;m to be converted to the knowledge of the true God, and not altogether void of Faith in the <HI>Me&s;&s;ias</HI> to come, otherwi&s;e his Prayers nor Alms could not have been accepted: <HI>For without Faith it is impo&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God,</HI> Hebr. 11.6. So that he was already regenerate, though not fully in&s;tructed in the Doctrin of Chri&s;t, as not knowing that he was yet come in the Fle&s;h, for which rea&s;on <HI>Peter</HI> was &s;ent to teach him more fully.</P>
<P N="10">X. From this original depravation of our Na|ture as from an invenom'd Fountain, and Satan's Temptations, there do daily flow the poy&s;onous &s;treams of <HI>ACT&V;AL SIN,</HI> which is the viola|tion of God's holy Law, by evil thoughts, de&s;ires, words, or deeds.</P>
<PB N="95" REF="53">
<P>There are four Degrees ob&s;ervable, by which men do ordinarily proceed in the committing of Actual Sin.</P>
<P N="1">1. Temptation to &s;in, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 11.2. <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.14. which then only is &s;in in us, when either it ari&s;eth from our own corrupt Imaginations, or from out|ward occa&s;ions, to which we have carele&s;ly, ra&s;hly, or pre&s;umptuou&s;ly expo&s;ed our &s;elves.</P>
<P N="2">2. Concupi&s;cence, which brings Sin to Concep|tion, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.15. by entertaining the Sin where|unto we are tempted, and &s;uffering it to have abode in our mind or thoughts, thereby withdraw|ing the heart from God and his Commandments, and con&s;ulting, as it were, whether that Sin (which at the fir&s;t Overture we ought to hate and abominate) may be done, or not, and &s;o ta|king a liking to it.</P>
<P N="3">3. Con&s;ent, which brings Sin to the Birth.</P>
<P N="4">4. Repetition, by continuance in Sin, whereby the heart is hardned, (<HI>Hebr.</HI> 3.13.) and Sin comes to a perfection or ripene&s;s, getting &s;uch &s;trength, that it ruleth as a Ma&s;ter doth his Slave; and this is call'd <HI>the Reign or Dominion of Sin,</HI> in which e&s;tate whoever continueth, mu&s;t look for eternal death.</P>
<P N="11">XI. No Sin of its own Nature is venial, or &s;o &s;mall as not to merit damnation, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.10. and <HI>Jam.</HI> 2.10. becau&s;e it is always an offence again&s;t an Infinite Maje&s;ty and Purity; yet in re&s;pect of the Event, <HI>viz.</HI> through Chri&s;t's Merits, and God's Favour in him, all Sins are venial or pardonable,
<PB N="96" REF="54">except final Infidelity, and the Sin again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Not as though even tho&s;e were greater than Grace and Chri&s;t's Merit, but becau&s;e they re&s;i&s;t and de&s;pi&s;e both.</P>
<P>The Sin again&s;t the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> called al&s;o in Holy Scripture, <HI>the Sin unto Death,</HI> (by way of Eminence) is &s;uch as precipitates tho&s;e that com|mit it, without any hopes of Remi&s;&s;ion, into eternal Damnation.</P>
<P>To determine the certain and particular <HI>&s;pe|cies</HI> of this dreadful Sin, is &s;omewhat difficult, and therefore our &s;afe&s;t way will be to con&s;ult all the &s;everal Texts of Scripture where it is, or may &s;eem to be mentioned, that we may di&s;cover both what it is, and what it is not.</P>
<P N="1">1. We read, 1 <HI>John</HI> 5.16. the Apo&s;tle in|&s;tructing us about praying one for another, &s;aith, <HI>If any man &s;ee his Brother &s;in a &s;in which is not unto death, he &s;hall ask, and he &s;hall give him life for them that &s;in not unto death.</HI> There is a &s;in unto death, I do not &s;ay that he &s;hall pray for it; <HI>All unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s is &s;in, and there is a &s;in not unto death.</HI> Here this Sin unto death is di&s;tingui&s;ht from unrighte|ou&s;ne&s;s, which is, the <HI>Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion</HI> of the whole Law; whence I gather, That this Sin again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t is not any Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of the Moral Law, either univer&s;al or particular; whether com|mitted either of Ignorance, or Infirmity, or Ma|lice.</P>
<P N="2">2. We may call to mind that place, <HI>Matth.</HI> 12.31. <HI>All manner of Sin and Bla&s;phemy &s;hall be
<PB N="97" REF="54">forgiven unto Men, but the Bla&s;phemy against the Holy Gho&s;t &s;hall not be forgiven. And who&s;oever &s;peaketh a word again&s;t the Son of Man, it &s;hall be forgiven him: But who&s;oever &s;peaketh again&s;t the Ho|ly Gho&s;t, it &s;hall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.</HI> And that of <HI>Paul,</HI> who, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.13. confe&s;&s;es that he had been a bla&s;phemous Per&s;ecutor of Chri&s;t, but yet had ob|tained mercy, becau&s;e he did it ignorantly through Unbelief. From whence I collect, That Bla&s;phe|my again&s;t, and Per&s;ecution of Chri&s;t and his Go&s;|pel, which proceeds of Ignorance, is not this un|pardonable Sin.</P>
<P N="3">3. Ob&s;erve we the Sin of <HI>Peter,</HI> who, again&s;t his Con&s;cience, denied his dear Lord Chri&s;t, and that too with Cur&s;ing, <HI>Mat.</HI> 26.74. but out of dread of the pre&s;ent danger, his Judgment not agreeing with his Tongue, and his Faith (for which our Lord had pray'd <HI>that it might not fail,</HI> Luk. 12.32.) not wholly extinct, but working &s;till within; for el&s;e he had joyn'd with the Per&s;ecutors, whereas on the contrary he got him out of doors, and wept bitterly. Whence I al&s;o infer, That the denial of Chri&s;t that ari&s;es from Infirmity, and not out of Re&s;olution intirely to reject him, which is not the Sin again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, th&ocirc; very near ap|proaching thereunto.</P>
<P N="4">4. Having thus con&s;idered what this Sin is not, for our under&s;tanding affirmatively <HI>what it is,</HI> we mu&s;t return to that before-cited Text, <HI>Mat.</HI> 12.31. where our Lord lays Bla&s;phemy again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t to the charge of the <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> who not on|ly
<PB N="98" REF="55">contemn'd him and his Go&s;pel, but &s;lander'd him by &s;aying, <HI>That he ca&s;t out Devils by</HI> Beelzebub <HI>the Prince of Devils,</HI> and had an unclean Spirit, when yet out of the Prophets, and by his Doctrin and Miracles, they could not but know that he was the Chri&s;t, and that &s;uch his Works were perform'd by the power of the Holy Gho&s;t. Whence I gather, that the matter or generical difference of the Sin again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, is to deny Chri&s;t and his Go&s;pel when known, and again&s;t a Man's own Knowledge and Con&s;cience to a&s;cribe that work to Satan, which is proper to the Holy Spirit.</P>
<P>This is one manner, or (as it were) Species of this horrid Sin, <HI>viz.</HI> of the <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> and in like manner of all tho&s;e, who tho' convinced of the Truth of the Go&s;pel, do yet refu&s;e to &s;ubmit unto, and profe&s;s the &s;ame, but on the contrary do brand it with Reproaches and Calumnies, as Heretical, Erroneous, and Diabolical.</P>
<P><HI>La&s;tly,</HI> That place, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 6.4. offers it &s;elf, <HI>it is impo&s;&s;ible for tho&s;e who were once enlightned, and have ta&s;ted of the Heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Gho&s;t; and have ta&s;ted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come: If they &s;hall fall away</HI> [that is, not into any particular Sin again&s;t the fir&s;t or &s;econd Table, but into a total Apo&s;tacy from Chri&s;t] <HI>it is im|po&s;&s;ible to renew them again unto Repentance, &s;eeing they Crucifie to them&s;elves the Son of God afre&s;h, and put him to open &s;hame.</HI> With which agrees the 26, 27, 28, 29 <HI>ver&s;es</HI> of the 10th Chap. of the &s;ame
<PB N="99" REF="55"><HI>Epi&s;tle. If we &s;in wilfully</HI> [that is, by ca&s;ting off the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel, for of that he is there &s;peaking, as appears <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 23.] <HI>after that ye have re|ceived the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and very Indignation, which &s;hall devour the Adver&s;aries. He that de&s;pi&s;ed</HI> Mo&s;es<HI>'s Law, died without mercy, under two or three Wit|ne&s;&s;es. Of how much &s;orer puni&s;hment &s;uppo&s;e ye, &s;hall he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified, an unholy thing, and done de&s;pite unto the Spirit of Grace?</HI></P>
<P>Hence we di&s;cover the other manner or kind of this Sin, <HI>viz.</HI> That it is when Men after they have truly known Chri&s;t and his Go&s;pel by the Holy Spirit enlightning their Hearts, and profe&s;&s;ed the &s;ame, &s;hall totally and with full a&s;&s;ent fall away, deny the Lord that bought them, and of prepens'd Malice Per&s;ecute his Truth with all their &s;trength, and Revile him and it with Reproaches, contem|ning his ine&s;timable Sacrifice.</P>
<P>Of the fir&s;t &s;ort, tho&s;e beforementioned <HI>Pha|ri&s;ees</HI> were an In&s;tance: For they not only <HI>knew that Chri&s;t was of God,</HI> John 3.2. but al&s;o <HI>who he was. Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am,</HI> John 7.28.</P>
<PB N="100" REF="56">
<P>And yet they cea&s;ed not, again&s;t the Dictates of their Con&s;ciences, to detract from his Divine Works, and out of hatred to the known Truth per&s;ecuted him even to death. Such too were &s;ome of the <HI>Jews,</HI> Acts 6.10. who, when they were not able to re&s;i&s;t the evidence of the Spirit &s;peaking by St. <HI>Stephen,</HI> yet endeavor'd to oppo&s;e it: For th&ocirc; there were, no doubt, many among&s;t them, that were enraged by an ignorant zeal for their Law, (whence <HI>Peter</HI> recovered 3000 of them at once to Repentance, who had been guilty of crucifying our Saviour) but 'tis plain, there were others that re&s;i&s;ted and acted out of malici|ous Impiety again&s;t the Doctrin, which they were not ignorant was of God.</P>
<P>Examples of the latter kind are <HI>Judas</HI> and <HI>Ju|lian,</HI> &s;irnamed the <HI>Apo&s;tate;</HI> he, once an Apo&s;tle, yet maliciou&s;ly betray'd his Ma&s;ter: This, at fir&s;t rightly educated in the Chri&s;tian Religion, in which he for &s;ome time eminently profe&s;s'd, but afterwards renounced the &s;ame, became an open Enemy to the Chri&s;tian Name, and died with de&s;|perate Bla&s;phemy in his mouth.</P>
<P>From what has been &s;aid, appears why this Sin is &s;pecially &s;aid to be committed again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, <HI>viz</HI> not in re&s;pect of the E&s;&s;ence, or Divine per&s;on of the Spirit, (For the dignity of the Spi|rit is not greater than that of the Father or Son, nor can one per&s;on of the Trinity be offended, but the Injury will redound to the whole Deity) but in re&s;pect of Grace and Illumination, which is the proper and immediate Office of the Holy Gho&s;t,
<PB N="101" REF="56">as Creation is more peculiarly attributed to the Father, and Redemption to the Son.</P>
<P>Thus much of the Sin again&s;t the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t;</HI> whereon I have the larger in&s;i&s;ted, becau&s;e weak Chri&s;tians are often apt to be perplexed in their Thoughts about it.</P>
<P N="13">XIII. The Degrees of other Sins are to be judged of by the Circum&s;tances, which do either aggravate or extenuate them.</P>
<P>For Example: The Sin of a Superior is greater than of an Inferior, &s;ince Sin is &s;o much the more con&s;picuous and &s;preading, by how much the more eminent he is that commits it. The Sin of De&s;ire is greater than the Sin of Thought alone. A Sin committed in Word and Deed, greater than that in Thought or De&s;ire. Done with Affectation or Pre&s;umption, greater than that of Ignorance or Incogitancy. Sins of Commi&s;&s;ion, greater than of Omi&s;&s;ion in the &s;ame kind. A Sin properly a|gain&s;t God, greater than again&s;t Man: And in re&s;pect of Men greater, when again&s;t One to whom we are mo&s;t beholding, than again&s;t an|other, as a Sin again&s;t our Parents is greater if it be in the &s;ame kind, than again&s;t a Brother; &s;o a Scandal again&s;t a weak Brother is greater than again&s;t a &s;tronger.</P>
<P N="14">XIV. The Con&s;equents of Sin are, 1. Guilt, whereby we become ju&s;tly liable to the Cur&s;e of God. 2. Puni&s;hment, which is the actual execu|tion of God's wrath, whereby Man for his Sin is
<PB N="102" REF="57">deliver'd up to &s;everal &s;evere Judgments in this Life, and at la&s;t into the power of Corporal and Eternal Death begun here, and to be accompli&s;h'd in the Life to come.</P>
<P N="15">XV. Eternal Death is the &s;tate of the Damned, con&s;i&s;ting in the Everla&s;ting Privation of the chief Good, that is, they are for ever excluded from God and the Fellow&s;hip of the Ble&s;&s;ed, ex|pre&s;&s;ed by that Phra&s;e, <HI>Matth.</HI> 25.41. <HI>Go ye Cur&s;ed:</HI> And the Infliction of the greate&s;t Evil, that is, Communion for ever with the Devil and his An|gels, &s;ignified by the words following, <HI>into everla&s;t|ing Fire prepared for the Devil,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="16">XVI. The Place of this Puni&s;hment in Scrip|ture is frequently called Hell, and &s;ometimes <HI>Ge|henna</HI> (Matth. 5.22.) a Fiery Furnace (<HI>Matth.</HI> 13.42.) The place of Torment (<HI>Luke</HI> 26.28.) The bottomle&s;s Pit (<HI>Rev.</HI> 9.1.) The Lake of Fire, or Lake burning with Fire and Brim&s;tone (<HI>Rev.</HI> 20.15. and 21.8.) But where the &s;ame is, or &s;hall be &s;ci|tuate, &s;ince the Scriptures are &s;ilent, we are not to be Inqui&s;itive.</P>
<P N="17">XVII. The Pains of the Damned are either <HI>Spiritual,</HI> expre&s;&s;ed in Scripture by the Worm of Con&s;cience, and an extream and inexpre&s;&s;ible &s;orrow and angui&s;h, <HI>Rom</HI> 2.9. Or Corporal, un|der&s;tood by that phra&s;e (<HI>Matth.</HI> 13.42.) of un|quenchable Fire (than which in this Life there is to greater In&s;trument) <HI>And Weeping and gna&s;hing
<PB N="103" REF="57">of Teeth</HI> (Matth. 22.13.) Tho&s;e being Symptoms of the greate&s;t Pain and Torture; and both the&s;e are ETernal, whence no deliverance nor any mitiga|tion is to be expected; <HI>Their Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched,</HI> I&s;a. 66.24. <HI>Mark</HI> 9.44. <HI>The &s;moak of their Torment &s;hall a&s;cend for ever and ever,</HI> Rev. 14.11. See al&s;o <HI>Luke</HI> 16.26.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. V. <HI>Of the</HI> Second Covenant. <HI>Of our Lord and Saviour</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t. <HI>His Per&s;on and Offices.</HI> Ju&s;tification, Faith, <HI>and</HI> Re|pentance.</HEAD>
<P>VVE have con&s;idered <HI>Man</HI> in his Primitive State of Excellency and Innocence; As al&s;o in that deplorable Condition, whereinto by Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion he plunged him&s;elf, and by which <HI>Adam,</HI> and all we his Po&s;terity, did and are become unable by any means to make &s;atisfaction for our Sins, or appea&s;e the Divine Wrath conceived a|gain&s;t them; but on the contrary, continually encrea&s;ing our Debt, and (in the Apo&s;tles phra&s;e) heaping up <HI>Wrath again&s;t the day of Wrath,</HI> are ju&s;tly and inevitably liable to all Calamities of this Life, and Eternal Damnation in the World to come, had not Almighty God in his infinite Love, Wi&s;dom, and Coun&s;el found out, and decreed a way beyond either the Ability or Imagination of Men or Angels, whereby to effect the Re&s;titution
<PB N="104" REF="58">of &s;o many as &s;hould be effectually called and lay hold thereon; And &s;o to di&s;play the Riches of his unbounded Mercy; yet at the &s;ame time with full &s;atisfaction to his Ju&s;tice, in their Salvation.</P>
<P N="1">I. This Divine and Wonderful Expedient for the Re&s;tauration of Man, is call'd, <HI>The New Covenant</HI> (becau&s;e by it we are renewed.) The Covenant of Grace, Life and Salvation: <HI>The New Te&s;tament,</HI> and the Go&s;pel; that is to &s;ay, <HI>Glad Tidings;</HI> Or a &s;e|cond Contract, which God was plea&s;ed of his own Free Grace to enter into with Man after the Fall, for re&s;toring him to Favour and a &s;tate of Everla&s;ting Happine&s;s by the means of a Redeemer and Medi|ator, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.21. <HI>viz.</HI> by &s;ending his only begotten Son (the Second Per&s;on of the adorable Trinity) into this World to a&s;&s;ume our nature, and therein by perfect Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Obedience in his mo&s;t Holy, Exemplary Life, and full Satisfaction to the Ju&s;tice of God by his Death, obtain everla&s;ting Life for all that &s;hould truly Believe in him.</P>
<P N="2">II. This Covenant or Promi&s;e of a <HI>Redeemer</HI> was made immediately afer the Fall; God (who&s;e Mercy is over all his Works) propounding the Re|medy, even before he pronounced the Sentence of Judgment, in tho&s;e Life-re&s;toring Words, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15. <HI>I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed: it &s;hall brui&s;e thy bead, and thou &s;halt brui&s;e his heel.</HI></P>
<P>That <HI>Adam</HI> did from this Promi&s;e look to Chri&s;t by an Eye of Faith for deliverance, may be gathered from the Name, which then, and not be|fore he gave his Wife, <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.20. He called her
<PB N="105" REF="58">Name <HI>EVE,</HI> becau&s;e &s;he was to be the Mother of all <HI>Living:</HI> that is, &s;he was to be the Mother of him who was to Enliven all; for without this re&s;pect he might more properly have call'd her the Mo|ther of all Dying. And this Faith, no doubt, he taught his Po&s;terity; for &s;o the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.4. tells us, <HI>By Faith</HI> Abel <HI>offered a Sacrifice;</HI> which mu&s;t be Belief in the Per&s;on &s;ignified by that Sa|crifice: For his Sacrifice in all probability was accompanied with humble Thank&s;giving to God for making that gracious Promi&s;e, and devout Pe|titions for the ha&s;tning the fulfilling thereof, and the appearance of that Seed whereby he was to be Redeemed; And that he con&s;idered the demerit of his own &s;in, as de&s;erving the Wrath of God and Eternal Death, which his Sacrifice, being but the Blood of a Bea&s;t, was not able to take away, but did typically refer unto, and repre&s;ent the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah;</HI> this the very Nature of his Sacrifice, which was bloody, and the Character which the Apo&s;tle gives of his Faith, plainly intimates. But as for <HI>Cain,</HI> he did not act Faith in the promi&s;ed Seed, but only brought of the Fruits of the Ground as a Pre&s;ent, not a bloody Sacrifice, and &s;o the &s;ame was not a &s;ignification of his Sin, nor any way a Type of Chri&s;t's Suffering, he owning God only as a Creator, without any re&s;pect to him as a Redeemer, and therefore God had no re|gard to his Offering.</P>
<P N="3">III. This Covenant was renewed afterwards to <HI>Abraham,</HI> and the Redeemer's De&s;cent (accord|ing to the Fle&s;h) appropriated to his Po&s;terity.
<PB N="106" REF="59"><HI>In thee &s;hall allh te Families of the Earth be Ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> Gen. 12.3. And then Circumci&s;ion was in&s;tituted to be as a Seal thereof: The time of the Mani|fe&s;tation of the Me&s;&s;iah is intimated by <HI>Jacob, Gen.</HI> 49.10. <HI>The Scepter &s;hall not depart from</HI> Judah, <HI>nor a Lawgiver from between his Feet, until</HI> Shiloh <HI>come.</HI> When the Law was given to the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> the Ceremonial parts had a reference unto, and was to &s;hadow out Chri&s;t's Death, and taking away our Sins: To <HI>David</HI> was vouch&s;af'd a more &s;pecial Promi&s;e, That the Saviour &s;hould be of his particular Family; and &s;o, as Light encrea&s;es from the fir&s;t Dawning more and more, till the Sun appears above the Horizon, &s;o as the Accom|pli&s;hment grew nearer, there were more ample Di&s;coveries thereof made by the &s;everal Prophets, and the time very exactly mea&s;ured out, when they were to expect him, by the Prophet <HI>Daniel.</HI></P>
<P N="4">IV. Accordingly in the <HI>Fulne&s;s of time</HI> (that is, at that time determined by God and foretold by his Prophets) <HI>viz.</HI> very near 4000 years from the Creation, and now about 1689 years ago, the Eternal Son of God did become the Son of Man, by a&s;&s;uming to him&s;elf a true Body and a rea|&s;onable Soul, being conceived by the Power of the Holy Gho&s;t in the Womb of the Ble&s;&s;ed Virgin <HI>Mary,</HI> and born of her, yet without Sin, and &s;o continueth to be God and Man, in two di&s;tinct Natures, in&s;eparably united in one Per&s;on for ever. <HI>There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us,</HI> 1 Tim. 2.5. <HI>The
<PB N="107" REF="59">Word was made Fle&s;h, and dwelt among&s;t us,</HI> John 1.14.</P>
<P>The mighty work of <HI>Reconciliation</HI> could not be effected, unle&s;s he that was to be the Mediator between God and Man, were conjoin'd to, and of the &s;ame Nature with either party, and con&s;equent|ly both God and Man: For that he &s;hould be God was requi&s;ite in re&s;pect of both Parties; on the one &s;ide, the Maje&s;ty of God required it; on the other &s;ide our Wants; the greatne&s;s of the Evil that was to be removed, and of the Good that was to be re&s;tored: That he &s;hould be Man was no le&s;s nece&s;&s;ary; the Divine Nature could not &s;uffer, and without &s;hedding of Blood there could be no Re|mi&s;&s;ion of Sin, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 9.22. And the &s;trictne&s;s of God's Ju&s;tice required that the &s;ame Nature that &s;inned &s;hould &s;uffer. The Eternal Son of God therefore took our Nature. 1. That he might &s;uffer Death for us, and thereby &s;atisfie Divine Ju|&s;tice, and pay a &s;ufficient Ran&s;om for Sin. 2dly. To Sanctifie our Nature. 3dly. That we might have Acce&s;s with greater boldne&s;s to the Throne of Grace. <HI>Fora&s;much as the Children are partakers of Fle&s;h and Blood, he al&s;o him&s;elf took part of the &s;ame, that through Death he might de&s;troy him that had the power of Death, which is the Devil,</HI> Hebr. 2.14. <HI>We have an High Prie&s;t that cannot be touched with feeling of our Infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without Sin; let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace,</HI> Hebr. 4.15.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="108" REF="60">V. This our <HI>Melchi&s;edech,</HI> as he had no Mother in re&s;pect of one of his Natures, &s;o he was to have no Father in regard of the other, but mu&s;t be born of a pure and immaculate Virgin, without the help of any Man; which was nece&s;&s;ary, as for other re&s;pects, &s;o for the exemption of the a&s;&s;u|med Nature from the imputation and pollution of <HI>Adam</HI>'s Sin: For Sin having by that one Man en|tred into the world, every Father becometh an <HI>Adam</HI> unto his Child, and conveyeth the corrup|tion of his own Nature unto all tho&s;e whom he doth beget; therefore our Saviour a&s;&s;uming, in truth, the &s;ub&s;tance of our Nature, but not by the ordinary way of natural Generation, is thereby freed from all taint of the corruption of our fle&s;h; and &s;o being made <HI>of Man,</HI> but not <HI>by Man,</HI> and becoming the immediate Fruit of the <HI>Womb,</HI> and not of the <HI>Loins,</HI> mu&s;t be acknowledged to be <HI>that Holy Thing,</HI> which born of the Ble&s;&s;ed Vir|gin, was indeed, and properly to be called <HI>the Son of God,</HI> Luke 1.35.</P>
<P N="6">VI. How this wonderful Connexion of two &s;o infinitely differing <HI>Natures</HI> in the <HI>&V;nity of One Per&s;on,</HI> was effected, we are not curiou&s;ly to en|quire, it being far above the Comprehen&s;ion of our &s;hallow Capacities; therefore in the Ark of the Covenant, the Faces of the Cherubims, <HI>Exod.</HI> 37.9. were directed to be towards <HI>the Mercy Seat,</HI> (the Type of our Saviour) to intimate that the&s;e are the things which the Angels de&s;ire to look into,
<PB N="109" REF="60">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.12. Only this we may &s;afely &s;ay, and mu&s;t believe, that as the di&s;tinction of the Per&s;ons in the Holy Trinity, hindreth not the Unity of the Nature of the Godhead, alth&ocirc; every per&s;on intire|ly holdeth his own incommunicable properties, &s;o neither doth the di&s;tinction of the two Natures in Chri&s;t any way infringe the Unity of his Per&s;on, alth&ocirc; each Nature remains intire in it&s;elf, and re|taineth the properties agreeing thereunto, without any Conver&s;ion, Compo&s;ition, Commixion, or Con|fu&s;ion.</P>
<P N="7">VII. All the Actions and Pa&s;&s;ions of Chri&s;t are referr'd to his <HI>Per&s;on,</HI> as their proper term; and hence ari&s;es <HI>The Communication of Properties,</HI> or that manner of &s;peaking which we often find in Scrip|ture, attributing the Properties of one Nature, either to the whole Per&s;on, as when Chri&s;t is &s;aid to have <HI>died,</HI> which was only proper to the Hu|mane Nature, and to have been in the <HI>Beginning,</HI> which is proper to the Divine; or to the other Nature for the Per&s;on, as when God is &s;aid <HI>to be received up into Glory,</HI> 1 Tim. 3.16 and <HI>Cruci|fied,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.8. which do not properly agree to the <HI>Divine Nature,</HI> but only the <HI>Humane.</HI> Or when the Properties of the whole per&s;on are attributed to <HI>either Nature,</HI> as, when the <HI>Man Chri&s;t is &s;aid</HI> to be the Mediator between God and Man, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.5. which yet agrees not to Chri&s;t as Man, but as he is both God and Man. And the Rea&s;on of all this is, becau&s;e as both Natures truly &s;ub&s;i&s;t in Chri&s;ts Per&s;on, &s;o the Properties of both Natures are common to him.</P>
<PB N="110" REF="61">
<P>But Note, we mu&s;t here di&s;tingui&s;h the u&s;e of the concrete words, <HI>God, Man,</HI> from tho&s;e in the Ab&s;tract, God-head, Man-hood: For tho&s;e be|long to the Per&s;on, the&s;e to either Nature. There|fore tho we may truly &s;ay, God is Man, and Man is God, yet we cannot &s;ay, that the Deity is the Humanity, or the Humanity the Deity.</P>
<P N="8">VIII. That the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> is come, and that Je&s;us Chri&s;t born of the Virgin <HI>Mary</HI> is he, we prove again&s;t the <HI>Jews.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e the places in which it was foretold by the Prophets, he &s;hould be born and Educated, Teach and Suffer, are long &s;ince <HI>laid wa&s;te,</HI> and no more known; as al&s;o the time in which, according to the Prophetical Oracles, he was to come, is pa&s;t; for we read he was to be born in <HI>Bethlehem,</HI> Mich. 5.2. to be Educated in <HI>Nazareth,</HI> I&s;ai. 11.1. to enter <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> whil&s;t the &s;econd Temple &s;tood, <HI>Zach.</HI> 9.9. <HI>Hagg.</HI> 2.7, 9. The Scepter not being totally departed from the <HI>Jews, Gen.</HI> 49.10. within 70 (Prophetical) Weeks, that is to &s;ay, 490 Years, from the time of the going forth of the Commandment, to rebuild <HI>Je|ru&s;alem,</HI> after the <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Captivity, <HI>Dan.</HI> 9.24. But <HI>Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and the Se|cond <HI>Temple,</HI> are long &s;ince de&s;troyed, the Scepter totally departed from <HI>Judah, Daniels</HI> Weeks (how&s;oever interpreted) accompli&s;hed; therefore the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> mu&s;t needs be come. Secondly, Be|cau&s;e all the&s;e and other Prophecies relating to the Me&s;&s;iah were exactly fulfilled in Je&s;us of <HI>Na|zareth,</HI> as by comparing them with the Evange|li&s;ts,
<PB N="111" REF="61">and Chronology will appear. Thirdly, From the mighty Miracles which he performed, the perfect Holine&s;s of his Life, the power of his Re&s;urrection and A&s;cen&s;ion, and that pure Di|vine Doctrin which he left to the World, and which (notwith&s;tanding all Per&s;ecutions) does yet &s;urvive and continue atte&s;ted with the Blood of in|numerable Martyrs.</P>
<P N="9">IX. The <HI>Hi&s;tory of Chri&s;t</HI> both in the &s;tate of his Humiliation, that is to &s;ay, his Incarnation, Birth, &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the legal Ceremonies, Per&s;e|cutions in his Infancy, Obedience to his Parents, Bapti&s;m, holy, humble Life, going about Preach|ing the Go&s;pel for the Salvation of Souls, and at the &s;ame time healing Infirmities of the Body; and La&s;tly, his bitter Agonies, being betray'd, de|ferted, &s;courged, contemn'd, and mo&s;t cruel and ignominious Death; As al&s;o, in the &s;tate of his Exaltation, <HI>viz.</HI> his Re&s;urrection, whereby he Triumph'd over Death, his giving forth Commi&s;&s;i|on to his Di&s;ciples to Preach the Go&s;pel to all Nations, his glorious A&s;cen&s;ion into Heaven, and &s;itting at the right Hand of God, is &s;ufficiently &s;et forth by the Holy Evangeli&s;ts and Apo&s;tles Wherewe learn,</P>
<P N="10">X. That the Offices of Chri&s;t are three-fold, <HI>Prophetical, Sacerdotal,</HI> and <HI>Regal.</HI> 1. He is our Prophet to make known to us the whole Will of his Father, in the performance where of we &s;hall be &s;ure to be accepted and rewarded by him. (For
<PB N="112" REF="62">it was the work of a Prophet of old, not only to Foretell, but to Teach, and thence the Apo&s;tle calls Preaching, Prophe&s;ying) And this he did in tho&s;e many Sermons and Precepts we find &s;et down in the Go&s;pel, and continues to perform the &s;ame by his Word and by his Spirit. 2. He is our Prie&s;t in once offering up him&s;elf a Sacrifice on the Cro&s;s to &s;atisfie Divine Ju&s;tice for our Sins, and in ma|king continual Interce&s;&s;ion for us. He &s;its on the right Hand of God, and makes Reque&s;t for us, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.34. 3ly. He is our King in the Govern|ment of his Church, and pre&s;cribing Laws there|unto; in &s;ubduing us to him&s;elf by his Grace, there|by ruling and defending us, re&s;training and final|ly vanqui&s;hing all his and our Enemies.</P>
<P N="11">XI. Chri&s;t is our <HI>&s;ole and only Mediator and In|terce&s;&s;or,</HI> and by that once offering up of him&s;elf upon the Cro&s;s made a full &s;atisfaction for the &s;ins of all tho&s;e that believing in him, do heartily bewail and for&s;ake them &mdash; Chri&s;t was once of|fer'd to bear the &s;ins of many, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 9.28. We are Sanctified through the offering of the Body of Je&s;us Once for all, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 10.10. By one offering Chri&s;t hath perfected for ever them that are San|ctified, <HI>v.</HI> 14. There is no more offering for &s;in, <HI>v.</HI> 18. Chri&s;t hath once &s;uffered for Sins, that he might bring us to God, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.18.</P>
<P>Hence it appears, That the modern Doctrin of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> which Teaches, That in the Lord's Supper (which they call <HI>the Ma&s;s</HI>) the the Mini&s;ter is <HI>properly a Prie&s;t,</HI> and doth <HI>offer up
<PB N="113" REF="62">Chri&s;t's Body and Blood, as a Sacrifice to God for obtaining the Pardon of Sin, and the Remi&s;&s;ion of Pain and Guilt for the Living and the Dead,</HI> is contrary to Scripture, and injurious to that All-&s;ufficient Sacrifice of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Indeed a real outward <HI>Sacrifice</HI> is again&s;t the Nature of a <HI>Sacrament,</HI> e&s;pecially the <HI>Supper of the Lord;</HI> for one end thereof is to &s;hew forth or keep in Memory the Sacrifice of Chri&s;t; be&s;ides, in a Sacrament God <HI>gives</HI> Chri&s;t to us; whereas in a real Sacracifice God <HI>receives</HI> from Man; and &s;o in the <HI>Roman</HI> Sacrifice of the Ma&s;s, the Prie&s;t pretends to give Chri&s;t to God.</P>
<P>If it be objected, That they acknowledge Chri&s;t is the Chief High Prie&s;t, but that them&s;elves are <HI>&s;ecundary</HI> Prie&s;ts, and offer their Sacrifices in &s;ub|&s;erviency to his.&mdash;It may be an&s;wer'd, Either they offer the <HI>very &s;ame</HI> Sacrifice, which Chri&s;t offered on the Cro&s;s, or another: If they offer an|other, then they go point blank contrary to the before recited Scriptures. If the &s;ame, then the&s;e Ab&s;urdities will follow. 1. That Chri&s;t offered <HI>for him&s;elf;</HI> for the&s;e offer <HI>for them&s;elves.</HI> 2. Whereas in our Lords Oblation the Prie&s;ts and Sacrifice was the <HI>&s;ame thing,</HI> they mu&s;t therefore be a Sacrifice at lea&s;t in the &s;econd place. Nor can we admit their di&s;tinction of a <HI>Bloody</HI> and <HI>unbloody Sacrifice,</HI> for &s;o there will not be <HI>one Sacrifice,</HI> which thwarts the for|mer Texts, and Remi&s;&s;ion &s;hould be obtained by <HI>an unbloody Sacrifice,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle expre&s;ly de|nies, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 9.12.</P>
<PB N="114" REF="63">
<P>If they &s;ay, That there is but one Sacrifice of Redemption and Expiation for Sin, and that was the Sacrifice of the Cro&s;s, but that there are other Sacrifices of <HI>Application,</HI> to apply that to us. <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> This di&s;tinction is frivilous; who ever heard of one Plai&s;ter made to apply another? Or a Ran&s;om paid the &s;econd time to apply the former Payment? Certainly the <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Sacra|ments</HI> and Spirit of Chri&s;t, entertain'd with <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> are &s;ufficient to apply Chri&s;t's <HI>Sa|crifice.</HI></P>
<P N="12">XII. As Chri&s;t by his perfect Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Sufferings hath purcha&s;ed for us <HI>everla&s;ting Life,</HI> &s;o one main end of his coming into this World, and of his very Death, was to plant and promote <HI>Good Life, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Holine&s;s</HI> among&s;t Men. He came to call Sinners to Repentance, <HI>Matth.</HI> 9.13. God &s;ent his Son Je&s;us to ble&s;s us, in turning every one of us from our Iniquities, <HI>Acts</HI> 3.26. <HI>Who gave him&s;elf for our Sins, that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity, and purifie to him&s;elf a peculiar people, zealous of Good Works,</HI> Tit. 2.14. <HI>therefore let every one that calleth on the Name of the Lord</HI> [that is, that expects any bene|fit by Chri&s;ts Pa&s;&s;ion] <HI>depart from Evil: For with|out Holine&s;s, no Man &s;hall &s;ee God.</HI></P>
<P N="13">XIII. Our Ju&s;tification is an Act of God, where|by he Acquitteth every penitent and believing Sin|ner, by not imputing to him his Sins, and imputing to him the perfect Satisfaction and Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="note">
<PB N="115" REF="63">
<HEAD>Where Note,</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. That to <HI>Ju&s;tifie</HI> in Scripture, does not &s;igni|fie to Puni&s;h, nor yet to infu&s;e inherent or habi|tual Righteou&s;ne&s;s; but imports to ab&s;olve, or pronounce a per&s;on <HI>acquitted</HI> or di&s;charged from &s;ome Guilt or Accu&s;ation, as <HI>Prov.</HI> 17.15. He that JUSTIFIES the <HI>Wicked, and he that condemn|eth the Ju&s;t, are both an Abomination to the Lord,</HI> &s;o <HI>Deut.</HI> 25.1. They <HI>&s;hall ju&s;tifie the Righteous and condemn the Wicked,</HI> in both which places, as al&s;o <HI>Rom</HI> 8.33, 34. <HI>Who &s;hall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect? It is God that ju&s;tifieth, who is he that condemneth?</HI> It is taken for a <HI>Judicial Sentence</HI> oppo&s;ed to Condemnation: Now as to Condemn is not the putting any Evil into the Nature of the party Condemned, but the pronouncing of him Guilty, and binding him to Puni&s;hment; &s;o Ju&s;tifying is the Judges Declaration, that the Law is &s;atisfied, and the Per&s;on quitted from Guilt and Puni&s;hment.</P>
<P N="2">2. That the Righteou&s;ne&s;s for which the Be|liever is Ju&s;tified, is in Chri&s;t by <HI>Inhe&s;ion,</HI> in us by <HI>Imputation. But of him are ye in Chri&s;t, who of God is made unto us Wi&s;dom and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and San|ctification and Redemption,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.30. <HI>Abraham believed God, and it was accounted</HI> [or Imputed] <HI>un|to him for Righteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> For to him that worketh is the Reward not reckon'd of Grace, but of Debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that Ju&s;tifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteou&s;ne&s;s, even as <HI>David,</HI> who de&s;cribeth the Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s of the Man unto whom God will
<PB N="116" REF="64">impute Righteou&s;ne&s;s without works, &s;aying, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they who&s;e Iniquities are forgiven, and who&s;e Sins are cover'd. Ble&s;&s;ed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin,</HI> Rom. 4.3. &amp;c. <HI>A man is not ju&s;tified by the works of the Law, but by the Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> Gal. 2.16. <HI>I account all things lo&s;s and dung that I may gain Chri&s;t, and may be found in him, not having my own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is by the Law, but that which is by the Faith of Chri&s;t, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is of God by Faith,</HI> Philip. 3.8.</P>
<P N="3">3. That Chri&s;t alone Ju&s;tifies us <HI>Meritoriou&s;ly:</HI> Faith alone <HI>in&s;trumentally,</HI> and God works <HI>declara|tively.</HI> For when we &s;ay we are ju&s;tified by Faith, we mean no more than that we are ju&s;tified by Chri&s;t's Merits apprehended by Faith; and Faith is &s;aid alone to ju&s;tifie in re&s;pect of Works; which are nece&s;&s;ary Effects, not Cau&s;es of Ju&s;tification: For they do not precede in him that is to be ju&s;tifi|ed, but follow; or to &s;peak more &s;trictly, always accompany every one that is ju&s;tified: For tho' ju&s;tifying Faith be never alone, but joyned with good Works, yet it alone is the In&s;trument where|by we lay hold on Chri&s;t's Merits, and &s;o are en|tituled unto Ju&s;tification. For as the Sun is not in Heaven alone, yet it alone makes the day; &s;o tho' true Faith is never alone, but always worketh by Love, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.6. yet we mu&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h Ju&s;ti|fication from Sanctification, looking upon the latter as a nece&s;&s;ary Effect, but not as the Cau&s;e of our Ju&s;tification: For Sanctification (as the Re|newal of our Nature, by mortifying the old Man,
<PB N="117" REF="64">and in&s;tead thereof living to God, or the produ|ction of Habits of Righteou&s;ne&s;s in us) being on|ly begun in this Life and imperfect, how can it ju&s;tifie us in the &s;ight of God? Therefore tho' both Ju&s;tification and Sanctification go together, yet they are differently to be con&s;idered, as Heat and Light are always conjoyn'd; yet we cannot &s;ay, that the Light burns the Wood, but only the Heat. Thus the Righteou&s;ne&s;s whereby we are ju&s;tified, is inherent in Chri&s;t for us; this of San|ctification in us from him; the one follows from the Merit, the other from the efficacy of the Life and Death of Chri&s;t: In the one, Faith is only as an Hand, receiving; in the other as a co-work|ing Vertue. The one is in all Believers at all times alike; the other wrought differently and by degrees; and tho' the end of both be Eternal Life, yet the one is <HI>inter Cau&s;as Regnandi,</HI> a Cau&s;e of Reigning, the other only as <HI>Via ad Regnum,</HI> the way to the Kingdom.</P>
<P N="14">XIV. As this ine&s;timable benefit of Ju&s;tifi|cation is applied unto, and apprehended by us through Faith, &s;o Faith is a firm A&s;&s;ent to the Truth of the whole Word of God, and therein, e&s;pecially &s;uch a fiducial Reception of, and Reli|ance on the Promi&s;es of Reconciliation, freely given through and for the &s;ake of Chri&s;t our Me|diator, as cau&s;eth the Soul to embrace the &s;ame on the Terms offered in the Go&s;pel, and build its Eternal Happine&s;s thereon. <HI>Or</HI> [in the words of the Church of <HI>England</HI> in the Homily of Faith]
<PB N="118" REF="65"><HI>a true Tru&s;t and Confidence of the Mercy of God through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and a &s;tedfa&s;t Hope of all good things to be received at God's hand for his only Sons &s;ake, di&s;tingui&s;hed in kind from Hi&s;torical, or the Faith of meer A&s;&s;ent, which is in the Devils and the Damned &mdash; God &s;o loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting Life;</HI> John 3.16. <HI>Believe on the Lord Je&s;us, and thou &s;halt be &s;aved,</HI> Acts 16.31. By him all that believe are Ju&s;tified from all things, from which you could not be ju&s;tified by the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es, Acts</HI> 13.39. <HI>The Devils Believe and Tremble,</HI> James 2.19.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="note">
<HEAD>Where Note,</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. That the Word <HI>Faith</HI> in Scripture is taken two ways. 1. For the things to be believed, even the whole Doctrin of Faith, or points of Religi|on, which we are to profe&s;s and believe, as <HI>Acts</HI> 6.7. The Word of God encrea&s;ed, and the num|ber of the Di&s;ciples multiplied in <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and a great company of the Prie&s;ts were obedient to the Faith, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.23. <HI>He which per&s;ecuted us in times pa&s;t, now preacheth the Faith which once he de&s;troy'd.</HI> 2 For the Action apprehending or believing the &s;ame, <HI>viz.</HI> That Work of God in Man whereby he giveth A&s;&s;ent and Credence to God in his Word, and not only &s;o, but applieth what is ge|nerally promi&s;ed to him&s;elf in particular. For</P>
<P N="2">2. Tho' the general Object of true &s;aving Faith, be the whole Truth of God revealed; yet the &s;pecial Object of Faith, as it ju&s;tifieth, is the pro|mi&s;e of Remi&s;&s;ion of Sins by the Lord Je&s;us: For
<PB N="119" REF="65">as the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> with the &s;ame Eye whereby they looked upon the <HI>Brazen Serpent,</HI> &s;aw other things, but were not healed by beholding any thing el&s;e, but only the <HI>Brazen Serpent;</HI> &s;o, tho' by the &s;ame Faith whereby I cleave to Chri&s;t for Remi&s;&s;ion of Sins, I believe every Truth Revealed, yet I am not Ju&s;tified by believing any Truth, but the Pro|mi&s;e of Grace in the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="15">XV. <HI>Repentance</HI> from dead Works, and Con|ver&s;ion, is when being &s;mitten for, and deeply &s;en&s;ible of our Natural Corruption and Sins, and the deplorable Condition wherein we are, we do upon the tender of the Go&s;pel, by the Grace of God, embrace the &s;ame through Faith in Chri&s;t, heartily re&s;olving to live no longer under the power of Sin, but to accept him for our Prophet to Teach us, and our King to Rule us, as well as our Prie&s;t to make Atonement for us. <HI>Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their Hearts, and &s;aid, Men and Brethren, what &s;hall we do? And</HI> Peter <HI>&s;aid, Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> Acts 2.37.</P>
<P N="16">XVI. The <HI>Rule</HI> of our Sanctification, or the Line by which we are to &s;quare all our Thoughts, Words, and Actions, is, <HI>The whole Word of God:</HI> but our Duty is more compendiou&s;ly &s;umm'd up in the <HI>Ten Words</HI> or Commandments, written by the Finger of the Almighty on Tables of Stone, and delivered to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and &s;o publi&s;hed and delivered to the Church for all Ages, as the Royal Law of
<PB N="120" REF="66">our Obedience&mdash;Which we &s;hall Treat of par|ticularly in a &s;ub&s;equent Chapter.</P>
<P N="17">XVII. The principal means God has appointed f r working and encrea&s;ing in us Repentance. Faith and Holine&s;s. 1. His <HI>Word</HI> read and preached. 2. The <HI>Sacraments</HI> by him In&s;tituted in his Church as Seals of the Covenant of Grace. 3. Humble, frequent and fervent <HI>Prayer. How &s;hall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how &s;hall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how &s;hall they hear without a Preacher?</HI> Rom. 8.14.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI. <HI>Of the</HI> Church; <HI>What is to be under&s;tood by the</HI> Catholick Church <HI>in the Creed. The</HI> Roman <HI>not the</HI> Catholick Church. <HI>Chri&s;t the</HI> Churches <HI>Head;</HI> Peter <HI>had no greater Power than other Apo&s;tles. The</HI> Church <HI>not Infallible. The Notes of the</HI> Church. <HI>The de&s;cription of</HI> Antichri&s;t.</HEAD>
<P N="1">I. THe Company of tho&s;e that from the Begin|ning of the World, have or do, or &s;hall profe&s;s to Wor&s;hip God through Faith in Chri&s;t, are called, <HI>The Church.</HI></P>
<DIV3 TYPE="observation">
<PB N="121" REF="66">
<HEAD>Here Ob&s;erve,</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. That our Ble&s;&s;ed Saviour was, and &s;till is <HI>The Rock</HI> on which the Univer&s;al Church, both be|fore and &s;ince his coming (Incarnate) into the World, was built. He was promi&s;ed pre&s;ently after <HI>Adam</HI>'s Fall (as we &s;hewed before) <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.15. And then &s;ucce&s;&s;ively by all the Prophets&mdash; <HI>God hath rai&s;ed up an Horn of Salvation for us, as he &s;pake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets, which have been &s;ince the World began,</HI> Luke 1.69, 70. Begin|ning at <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and all the Prophets, he expounded to them through all the Scriptures the things con|cerning him&s;elf, <HI>Luke</HI> 24.27. His Death was a Propitiation as well for the Sins of tho&s;e who lived before, as ours who live after it. For this, cau&s;e he is the Mediator of the <HI>New Te&s;tament,</HI> that by means of (His) Death for the Redemption of the Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions that were under the fir&s;t Te&s;tament, <HI>They which are called might receive the Promi&s;e of Eternal Inheritance,</HI> Hebr. 9.15. Tho&s;e Promi&s;es of the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> being &s;uch as all the Pa|triarchs, Prophets, and Pious Men before Chri&s;t did know and believe. <HI>The&s;e all died in Faith, not having received the Promi&s;es, but having &s;een them afar off, were per&s;waded of them, and embraced them,</HI> Heb. 11.13. Hence <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith, <HI>I know that my Re|deemer liveth, and that he &s;hall &s;tand at the latter day upon the Earth; and tho' after my skin worms de&s;troy this body, yet in my Fle&s;h I &s;hall &s;ee God,</HI> Job. 19.25, 26. So the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.8. tells us, <HI>That the Go&s;pel was Preached unto</HI> Abraham: And te&s;ti|fies, <HI>Acts</HI> 26.22. <HI>That he Preached no other things
<PB N="122" REF="67">than tho&s;e which the Prophets and</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>did &s;ay &s;hould come.</HI> The difference only is, That they believed in the Me&s;&s;iah that was to be exhibited; We in Chri&s;t actually manife&s;t: Their Faith was more imperfect and implicit; ours (&s;ince he is come, and the Go&s;pel clearly publi&s;ht, much more perfect and explicite.</P>
<P N="2">2. That the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign">, which we render <HI>Church,</HI> is derived from the Verb <GAP DESC="foreign">, which &s;ignifies to <HI>call forth,</HI> being u&s;ed by the <HI>Grecians</HI> for tho&s;e legal, orderly A&s;&s;emblies of the Citizens, when they were called from their private Hou&s;es by the publick <HI>Cryer</HI> to meet &s;o|lemnly in a Body, in order to the hearing &s;ome Vote or Law pa&s;s'd by the Senate; from which &s;ecular &s;en&s;e it is mo&s;t fitly tran&s;lated to &s;ignifie, the A&s;&s;embly of tho&s;e whom God by the Preach|ers of his word (the Heralds of his Go&s;pel) does call out of the World into the Kingdom of his Son&mdash;But</P>
<P N="3">3. This Word <HI>Church</HI> in Scripture, is &s;ome|times taken &s;trictly for the multitude of True Believers only; &s;ometimes more largely for the Body of all tho&s;e that own them&s;elves Chri&s;tians; and this either in &s;ome one City or Country, call'd a <HI>particular Church,</HI> or diffu&s;ed throughout the World, and therefore called <HI>the Catholick</HI> or <HI>&V;ni|ver&s;al Church;</HI> in which &s;en&s;e it comprehends <HI>Hy|pocrites</HI> as well as tho&s;e that are truly Pious; and therefore in the definition above, I added the words, <HI>Profe&s;s to Wor&s;hip God through Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="123" REF="67">II. The Church of God, according to its &s;eve|ral parts, is to be con&s;idered, either as <HI>Trium|phant,</HI> that is to &s;ay, tho&s;e that have already at|tain'd their Crown in Heaven; or <HI>Militant, viz.</HI> Tho&s;e that are &s;till fighting again&s;t, and wra&s;t|ling with, the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Devil, here on Earth: And this latter is &s;aid to be either <HI>Invi&s;ible,</HI> con&s;i&s;ting only of the Elect, <HI>The Lord alone knows who are his,</HI> 2 Tim. 2.19. Or <HI>Vi&s;ible,</HI> that is, The whole Company of all that are call'd in common, and profe&s;s Faith in Chri&s;t whether they be &s;incerely obedient or not.</P>
<P N="3">III. The Church in re&s;pect of its Members con|&s;i&s;ts of <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;tors,</HI> and of the <HI>People</HI> or <HI>Flock;</HI> and the former are to have a peculiar, law|ful Call or Ordination to that Work. <HI>Chri&s;t gave &s;ome Apo&s;tles, and &s;ome Prophets, and &s;ome Pa&s;tors, and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Mini&s;try, for the Edifying of the Body,</HI> &amp;c. Ephe&s;. 4.11. <HI>No man taketh this Honour to him&s;elf, but he that is called of God,</HI> Heb. 5.4.</P>
<P>But here Two <HI>Queries</HI> may ari&s;e.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="query">
<HEAD>Query. 1.</HEAD>
<P><HI>What are we to under&s;tand, when in the Creed we &s;ay,</HI> I Believe the Catholic Church?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> The word <HI>CATHOLIC</HI> is originally Greek, and &s;ignifies as much in <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> as <HI>Whole</HI> or <HI>&V;niver&s;al.</HI> And &s;o <HI>Catholic Church.</HI></P>
<P N="1"><PB N="124" REF="68">1. Mo&s;t properly &s;ignifies the <HI>whole</HI> Church of God Triumphant and Militant, or the Univer&s;al Company of the Elect, even as many as ever &s;hall be &s;aved; who are all but <HI>one Body</HI> knit together in one Faith, under one Head, <HI>viz.</HI> the Lord Je&s;s Chri&s;t, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.28. <HI>For ye are all one in Chri&s;t,</HI> Eph. 4.4. <HI>There is one Body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one Hope:</HI> And this is the &s;en&s;e of the word in the Creed, <HI>I believe the holy Catho|lick Church,</HI> that is to &s;ay, I firmly believe, that notwith&s;tanding all the Endeavours of Satan or his In&s;truments, this Holy Elect Company &s;hall remain and be compleated; and not only, That there is &s;uch a Church in general, but that we our &s;elves appertain to it. This <HI>Catholick Church</HI> is frequently &s;tyled in Scripture the Body and Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t, as al&s;o the Univer&s;al A&s;&s;embly <HI>of the fir&s;t born written in Heaven,</HI> Heb. 12.23. <HI>Jeru&s;alem which is above, the Mother of us all,</HI> Gal. 4.26. Of whom therefore that famous &s;aying of St. <HI>Cy|prian</HI> is mo&s;t properly to be under&s;tood, <HI>How can he have God for his Father, that hath not the Church for his Mother?</HI> At lea&s;t that he meant it not of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> is evident, becau&s;e him&s;elf at the &s;ame time &s;tood out in oppo&s;ition to her, and wrote again&s;t her Bi&s;hop. So St. <HI>Agu&s;tine</HI> in his Tract <HI>De Catechizandis Rudibus, Cap.</HI> 12. &s;peaks thus, <HI>All they that be Holy and Sanctified, which are, have been, and &s;hall be, are Citizens of Heavenly Je|ru&s;alem.</HI> And <HI>Gregory,</HI> a Pope, in his Morals, <HI>Lib.</HI> 28. <HI>Cap.</HI> 9. &s;ays, <HI>All the Elect are embraced in the Bo&s;om of the Church, and all the Reprobates are without.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="125" REF="68">2. The Epithet <HI>Catholic,</HI> when joyned to <HI>Church</HI> in a le&s;s proper &s;en&s;e, is u&s;ed to expre&s;s only the <HI>Vi&s;ible Militant Church,</HI> and &s;eems fir&s;t to have grown into general u&s;e (tho' I remember it not in Scripture) in the Primitive times, to denote the <HI>Exten&s;ion</HI> of the Church of God, as no longer con|fined to the <HI>Jews;</HI> but, the Partition-wall (as the the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.14.) <HI>being broken down, univer&s;ally &s;pread abroad in every Nation</HI> (Jew or Gentile) <HI>where the Go&s;pel was preacht and entertain'd;</HI> and thus it comprehends all the <HI>&s;eve|ral Churches</HI> on the face of the Earth, as of <HI>Jeru|&s;alem, Antioch, Britain, Rome,</HI> &amp;c. and all Chri|&s;tians in tho&s;e Churches, whether <HI>&s;incere</HI> or <HI>Hypo|crites,</HI> that make an outward Profe&s;&s;ion of Faith, as all the Boughs of a Tree, however &s;pread and &s;catter'd one from another, and &s;ome <HI>dead</HI> and withering whil&s;t others flouri&s;h, are united in one common Stem, tho' not equally deriving <HI>Sap</HI> from the <HI>Root.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. In this <HI>latter</HI> Signification, as all the parti|cular Churches in the World are denoted, &s;o when the <HI>Donati&s;ts</HI> about the Fourth <HI>Century</HI> be|gan to hold erroneous Opinions, and withal to confine the Church of God to tho&s;e of their own Sect in a corner of <HI>Africk,</HI> St. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> and others frequently urged again&s;t them, <HI>That the Church was Catholic;</HI> (that is, <HI>&V;niver&s;al,</HI> not coop'd up to their narrow Limits) and maintain'd a &s;ounder Doctrin: whence it came to pa&s;s, That tho' the more ancient Fathers never u&s;ed this Term, <HI>Catholic,</HI> to di&s;tingui&s;h the pure Churches from the
<PB N="126" REF="69">Heretical, but called the former <HI>Orthodox,</HI> that is, holding the right Doctrin; yet in proce&s;s of time by rea&s;on that the <HI>Orthodox</HI> Churches held and maintained the Church of Chri&s;t to be <HI>Catho|lic</HI> or Univer&s;al; the&s;e two words <HI>Catholic</HI> and <HI>Orthodox,</HI> were taken in one and the &s;ame &s;ignifi|cation. Nor was it incongruous; for what&s;oever Churches did faithfully keep intire that Go&s;pel that had been Preached by the Apo&s;tles <HI>every where,</HI> and which being Truth, was to continue for <HI>all times,</HI> might ju&s;tly be entituled <HI>Catholic</HI> Chri&s;tian Churches. And in this &s;en&s;e a particu|lar Church as 'tis <HI>Pure and Orthodoxal</HI> may be call|ed a <HI>Catholic Church,</HI> tho' not <HI>The Catholic Church,</HI> and is more or le&s;s <HI>Catholic</HI> proportiona|bly as its more or le&s;s pure.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="query">
<HEAD><HI>Query</HI> 1.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Does the Title of the</HI> Catholic Church <HI>in any of the&s;e Three &s;en&s;es belong to the pre&s;ent Church of</HI> Rome?</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>No, not in the <HI>Fir&s;t;</HI> For then all the Faithful under the Old Te&s;tament, and va&s;t numbers of Churches and Chri&s;tians &s;ince, and at this day, far exceeding for multitude her Members, that never were nor are of her Communion (that is, never own'd them&s;elves &s;ubject to the <HI>Pope</HI> of <HI>Rome</HI> as the alone <HI>Vi&s;ible Head</HI> of the Church, which with them is the Characteri&s;tic Mark of being of their Church and nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Vid. Extrav. C. Unam Sanctam &amp; Bellarm. de Eccle&s;. Milit. l. 3. c. 2. &amp; 5.</NOTE>) mu&s;t
<PB N="127" REF="69">be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven. Nor will they, &s;ure, pretend that all and every of their Members are undoubtedly &s;aved, tho' they offer abundance more, and ea&s;ier ways for that purpo&s;e than Almighty God has revealed in his <HI>Word.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Not in the <HI>Second;</HI> Becau&s;e the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> ever was, and is a <HI>particular Church,</HI> and (when at be&s;t) but one Member of the Church <HI>Catholic.</HI> Which is &s;o called, not that it is al|ways <HI>every where,</HI> but for that no Country is ex|cluded, nor any place <HI>priviledg'd.</HI> So that there may be a thou&s;and Churches be&s;ides that of <HI>Rome;</HI> and no place being priviledg'd, even <HI>Rome</HI> it &s;elf may be cut off from the Church. For particular Churches may not only be Corrupted, but <HI>totally fail</HI> and Apo&s;tatize. For tho' they may be called <HI>Catholic</HI> as long as they hold the Primitive Faith intire, yet that imports not, that a <HI>Catholic,</HI> that is, in this &s;en&s;e an <HI>Orthodox</HI> Church mu&s;t always be where once it has been: For in what a condi|tion now are the once famous Seven Churches of <HI>A&s;ia?</HI> Where are the Churches of <HI>Carthage?</HI> Of <HI>Hippo, &amp;c.</HI> And therefore <HI>Vincentius Lyrinen|&s;is</HI> ju&s;tly takes a difference between a Catholic in <HI>place</HI> and in <HI>time. If</HI> (&s;ays he) <HI>any new Infection goes on to corrupt not a part, but the whole Church, then mu&s;t we cleave to Antiquity.</HI> And again, <HI>That Church is</HI> Catholic <HI>which holds the Religion which hath been ever hitherto embraced.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><PB N="128" REF="70">3. Neither can the pre&s;ent Church of <HI>Rome</HI> in the <HI>Third</HI> &s;en&s;e be properly &s;tyled <HI>Catholic:</HI> For thereby is meant a <HI>pure Church</HI> that holds entire the Ancient Primitive Doctrin delivered by Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, without any Corruptions that may endanger or overthrow the &s;ame. But we know and can prove, That <HI>&s;he</HI> is deeply Guil|ty of altering and dimini&s;hing Chri&s;t's Ordinances, adding to the Scriptures and Sacraments, intro|ducing and impo&s;ing as nece&s;&s;ary for Salvation divers Doctrins and Practices that have no ground in Scripture, and were unknown to the Primitive Church. Nay, as for truly Chri&s;tian and Apo&s;tolical Antiquity (the only root and e&s;&s;ential Character of Catholic Doctrin) they cannot name any one Article proper to their own <HI>Roman Faith,</HI> that is in this &s;en&s;e <HI>True</HI> or <HI>Ancient;</HI> and as for tho&s;e Articles which they hold in com|mon with us, 'tis &s;ad to con&s;ider how they abu&s;e them, and &s;ubvert the whole de&s;ign of the Go&s;|pel by the intermixture of their peculiar <HI>Roman Ones.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The Church of</HI> Rome <HI>does not reckon her &s;elf to be the Catholic Church</HI> collectively <HI>or exten&s;ively, but vertually and eminently, becau&s;e &s;he has power over, and the Government of all other Chri&s;tian Churches.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Tho' this Notion of calling a particular Church, <HI>Catholic,</HI> from a &s;uppo&s;ed Power of Empire over all other Churches, be very odd, and altogether unknown to Antiquity, yet the greater difficulty
<PB N="129" REF="70">is in the <HI>Thing</HI> it &s;elf, how it can be made appear, That the <HI>Roman</HI> Church has any &s;uch Power. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. There is not the lea&s;t ground or colour for it in Holy Scripture; and how could the Apo&s;tle &s;ay, <HI>That he had revealed the whole Council of God,</HI> if &s;o important a point, &s;o ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary (as they pretend) for preventing <HI>Schi&s;ms,</HI> cru&s;h|ing Errors, and pre&s;erving Unity and Truth, were concealed and left in the dark? But &s;o far &s;ilent are the Scriptures herein, that the whole New Te&s;tament, where there is mention of &s;o many other Churches by Name, has not any &s;uch words as <HI>The Church of Rome</HI> For tho' we are &s;atisfied there was a Church there (and very famous too, for its vigour of Faith and Piety) yet this omi&s;&s;i|on of Calling it &s;o in Divine Writ, may &s;eem de|&s;igned as a Curb to its fore-&s;een future U&s;urpati|ons.</P>
<P N="2">2. As the Church or Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome</HI> for &s;e|veral hundreds of Years never <HI>claimed</HI> nor <HI>exerted</HI> this Power (for as for their &s;warms of pretended <HI>decretal Epi&s;tles,</HI> they have long &s;ince by all Wi&s;e Men been exploded as <HI>&s;purious</HI>) &s;o it was unknown to, and unheard of among&s;t the Primitive Churches and Fathers: As for in&s;tance, St. <HI>Cyprian</HI> and St. <HI>Agu&s;tine,</HI> who are &s;trict for keeping clo&s;e to the <HI>Catholic Church,</HI> are yet jealous at the &s;ame time, again&s;t &s;ubmitting them&s;elves or their Churches to the plea&s;ure of that of <HI>Rome.</HI> How in&s;olent were mo&s;t of the Fathers towards the Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome</HI> of their times, if they believ'd them their
<PB N="130" REF="71"><HI>Monarchs,</HI> to treat them in &s;o familiar a &s;tile, as that of <HI>Their Brethren and Fellow Servants,</HI> and no more? When did St. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> or St. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> &s;wear Cano|nical Obedience to his Holine&s;s? How much <HI>Money</HI> did they &s;end to <HI>Rome</HI> when they obtain'd from thence their Epi&s;copal Pall? Nay, did not Pope <HI>Gregory</HI> him&s;elf 600 Years after Chri&s;t, ex|pre&s;s his abhorrence of the Title of <HI>&V;niver&s;al Bi&s;hop,</HI> as a mark of <HI>Antichri&s;t?</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. We have the Te&s;timony of another that was afterwards <HI>Pope</HI> him&s;elf, That before the <HI>Nicene Council</HI> other Chri&s;tian Churches <HI>little regarded</HI> (by way of Ob&s;ervance as to a Superior) <HI>the Roman Church</HI> [<HI>Aen. Sylvius Epi&s;t. L.</HI> 1.] And all the World may know how &s;hamefully (or rather &s;hamele&s;ly) two <HI>Canons</HI> were forged on that <HI>Ni|cene</HI> Council, by the Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome,</HI> to colour their de&s;igned U&s;urpation in the matter of Ap|peals, and detected by the Council of <HI>Carthage</HI> about the Year 418.</P>
<P N="4">IV. The Head of the Univer&s;al Church is the Lord Je&s;us, and he only and alone. God hath given Chri&s;t to be Head over all things to his Church, which is the Body, <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.2. As the Hu&s;|band is the Head of the Wi&s;e, &s;o Chri&s;t is the Head of the Church, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.23. This al&s;o appears from the Properties of the Head, as to be highe&s;t, to pre&s;cribe Laws, <HI>James</HI> 4.12. To convey the Power of Life and Motion into all the Members; and la&s;tly to be the Saviour of the Body, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.23. All which &s;olely appertain to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="131" REF="71">V. Chri&s;t inve&s;ted all his Apo&s;tles with equal Power and Authority. For</P>
<P N="1">1. They were all immediately called by him to their Apo&s;tle&s;hip (except <HI>Matthias,</HI> who of two that were nominated by the common con&s;ent, not only of all the Apo&s;tles, but al&s;o of all the other <HI>Brethren,</HI> being about 120 in number, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.15. and 23. was cho&s;en by Lot.)</P>
<P N="2">2. They <HI>all</HI> had their Commi&s;&s;ion immediately from <HI>him,</HI> and therein the very &s;ame power given to them <HI>all.</HI> So it was when fir&s;t, <HI>before</HI> his Pa&s;&s;i|on, he &s;ent them to the <HI>Jews only, Mark</HI> 3.14. He ordained Twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might &s;end them out to Preach, <HI>Matth.</HI> 10.1.6, and 7. When <HI>he had called his Twelve Di&s;ciples, he gave them power over un|clean Spirits,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>And commanded them, &s;aying,</HI> &amp;c. So likewi&s;e it was, when after his Re&s;urrection they had Commi&s;&s;ion given them to Preach <HI>to all Nations;</HI> for we read <HI>Matth.</HI> 28.16, 19, and 20. He appointed <HI>all the Eleven</HI> to meet him at a Mountain in <HI>Galilee,</HI> and &s;aid to them (all joynt|ly and &s;everally) <HI>All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth, Go YE therefore, Teach all Nations,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>And lo! I am with YO&V; always to the end of the World.</HI></P>
<P>Hence 'tis evident, all were equally called, all e|qually &s;ent, all equally impower'd; no difference nor di&s;tinction of Per&s;ons as to any Priviledge or Su|periority above the re&s;t; no degree of Juri&s;diction or Authority more or greater in one than every
<PB N="132" REF="72">one; much le&s;s was any one appointed Prince or Ruler over the re&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. When the Di&s;ciples were at &s;trife among&s;t them&s;elves which &s;hould be accounted the great|e&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 22.24. what a fit occa&s;ion was there offered for declaring St. <HI>Peter</HI>'s Supremacy, if it had ever been intended him? but on the contrary our Lord cuts &s;hort all &s;uch Expectations. <HI>The Kings of the Gentiles exerci&s;e Lord&s;hip over them,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>but among&s;t you it &s;hall not be &s;o.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Even after Chri&s;t's A&s;cen&s;ion, neither the other Apo&s;tles knew of, or own'd any &s;uch Supre|macy in <HI>Peter,</HI> nor did he ever pretend to it. They &s;ent him on a Me&s;&s;age, <HI>Acts</HI> 8.14. They called him to give an account touching his eating with Men uncircumci&s;ed, <HI>Acts</HI> 11.1, and 2. <HI>I was not</HI> (&s;aith St. <HI>Paul,</HI> 2 Cor. 11.5.) <HI>a whit inferiour to the very chiefe&s;t of the Apo&s;tles.</HI> And again, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.11. <HI>When</HI> Peter <HI>was come to</HI> Antioch, <HI>I with|&s;tood him to the Face.</HI> How improper had all this been if <HI>Peter</HI> were their Sovereign? Nay, St. <HI>Pe|ter</HI> him&s;elf in his Epi&s;tles, as he qualifies him&s;elf only with the title of an Apo&s;tle, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. and of an Elder and Witne&s;s of the Sufferings of Chri&s;t, <HI>Chap.</HI> 5.1 &s;o in the 3d <HI>ver&s;.</HI> of that Chapter, he di&s;claims in him&s;elf, as well as forbids in others, the Lording over God's Heritage. <GAP DESC="foreign">.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>1&s;t Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>It is &s;aid to</HI> Peter, <HI>Matth.</HI> 16.18. Thou art <HI>Peter,</HI> and upon this Rock I will build my Church; <HI>therefore</HI> Peter <HI>was the Rock on which the Church was built.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="133" REF="72">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>The Rock on which the Church is built, is not the Per&s;on of <HI>Peter,</HI> but fir&s;t and principally the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t, that Rock of Ages, whom in the words immediately fore-going he had truly con|&s;e&s;s'd to be the Son of God. 2ly. That Confe&s;&s;ion of his was a Doctrinal Rock or Foundation of the Church according to that of <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.24. <HI>He that hears my words and does them, builds upon a Rock.</HI> And in one of the&s;e &s;en&s;es the ancient Fathers and all &s;ound Interpreters have under&s;tood the&s;e words. 3dly In an inferior &s;en&s;e, not only <HI>Peter,</HI> but all the Apo&s;tles are &s;aid to be Rocks or Foun|dations on whom (that is, by who&s;e Mini&s;try) the Church is Built. The Church is a Spiritual Hou&s;e, which is built upon the Foundation of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t being the chief corner &s;tone,</HI> 1 Peter 2.5. compared with <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.20. And St. <HI>John</HI> &s;peaking of the <HI>New Jeru&s;alem</HI> or Church of God, &s;aith, <HI>The City had Twelve Foun|dations, and in them the names of the Twelve Apo&s;tles of the Lamb,</HI> Rev. 21.14.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>2d Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>In the &s;ame Text of St.</HI> Matthew, <HI>it is added,</HI> I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and what&s;oever thou &s;halt bind, <HI>&amp;c. Therefore to</HI> Peter <HI>was committed the Rule and Go|vernment of the whole Church.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Our Saviour in this place does not actually give the Power of the Keys (be it what it will) but promi&s;e that he will give it. 2. This promi&s;e
<PB N="134" REF="73">is afterwards made good, <HI>Matth,</HI> 18.18. but not only to <HI>Peter,</HI> but equally to all the Apo&s;tles as well as him. <HI>Verily I &s;ay unto you</HI> ('tis all of them he &s;peaks to, as appears, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1.) <HI>What&s;oever you &s;hall Bind,</HI> &amp;c. And &s;o <HI>John</HI> 20.21, 22, 23. The Di&s;ciples being all a&s;&s;embled together, Chri&s;t comes to them, and &s;ays to them all, <HI>As the Father &s;ent me, &s;o &s;end I you; and he breathed on them and &s;aid, Receive the Holy Gho&s;t, who&s;e&s;oever &s;ins ye remit, they are remitted, and who&s;e &s;ins ye retain, they are retained.</HI> In which la&s;t Text, tho' the power of the Keys be not expre&s;ly named, yet the thing mu&s;t needs be intended: To retain and remit here, &s;ig|nifying the very &s;ame with binding and loo&s;ing in <HI>Matthew.</HI> So that 'tis manife&s;t the power of the Keys was as much given to all the re&s;t of the Apo|&s;tles as to <HI>Peter;</HI> and how will they prove St. <HI>Pe|ter</HI>'s Supremacy over all the Apo&s;tles, from his ha|ving a power, which every Apo&s;tle had as well as he?</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>3d Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Our Saviour,</HI> John 21.15. <HI>&s;ays to</HI> Peter, Feed my Sheep, <HI>and repeats it thrice: The word</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI> there, commonly tran&s;lated to Feed, &s;ignifies al&s;o to Rule, and Chri&s;t &s;peaks generally my Sheep, that is, all my Sheep; con&s;equently</HI> Peter <HI>was to Rule the whole Church, and had a Supremacy over the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles (for they were part of Chri&s;t's Sheep) as well as others.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="135" REF="73">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. If this Power which they pretend, was given to St. <HI>Peter</HI> by the&s;e words &s;poken after Chri&s;t's Re&s;urrection, then he had it not before, and &s;o the Texts in the other two Objections mentioned, or any other that were before Chri&s;t's Pa&s;&s;ion, mu&s;t be impertinently alledged. 2dly. <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies properly <HI>to Feed,</HI> and only metaphorical|ly <HI>to Rule;</HI> from that allu&s;ion and re&s;emblance there is between a good Prince and his People, and a Shepherd and his Flock: Be&s;ides, in the fir&s;t and la&s;t of the&s;e &s;ayings, <HI>Feed my Lambs, Feed my Sheep,</HI> that is not the word in the original, but <GAP DESC="foreign"> in <HI>Sophocles, I am fed with Wind.</HI> 3dly. St. <HI>Paul, Acts</HI> 20.28. charges the the Pres byters of <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> to Feed the Church. And St. <HI>Peter,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.2. Exhorts the Elders to Feed the Flock (the words in both places are <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">.) So that this Feeding was every Pres|byters Office as well as St. <HI>Peter</HI>'s 4thly. 'Tis vainly urged that the&s;e words, <HI>My Sheep</HI> are general, for 'tis plain, they are indefinite, and all the World knows, that an indefinite Propo&s;ition in a matter contingent, is but equivalent to a particular, as when we &s;ay Men are Rich, we mean not that all Men, but &s;ome Men are &s;o; &s;o when Chri&s;t bids <HI>Peter</HI> feed his Sheep; the meaning can be no more than to feed &s;uch of them, as by opportunities of time and place he &s;hould be able to Feed; which is far from e&s;tating him in a Government over the whole Church, or above the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles, who had as much and as extended a power to
<PB N="136" REF="74">Feed Chri&s;t's Sheep as he; for every one of them had this mo&s;t ample Commi&s;&s;ion, <HI>Go ye into all the World and Preach the Go&s;pel to every Creature,</HI> Mark 16.15. La&s;tly, This Text by the Ancient Fathers and mo&s;t unbia&s;s'd Interpreters is very rationally under&s;tood to be rather intended for a Re&s;titution of <HI>Peter</HI> to his Office of an Apo&s;tle, which he might &s;eem to have forfeited by his Fall, than a communication of any new Power or Of|fice: For he having thrice denied his Ma&s;ter, the Que&s;tion, Whether he loved him? was thrice propo&s;ed, and that command of <HI>Feeding,</HI> as oft repeated, both to authorize and quicken him in that Duty incumbent on all the Apo&s;tles. And &s;o in the Text <HI>Peter</HI> him&s;elf &s;eems to have taken it, for 'tis &s;aid, He was grieved at this thrice repeat|ed Que&s;tion, which no doubt was out of Reflecti|on on his triple denial; for he had not rea&s;on to be grieved or troubled, if he had apprehended, That by tho&s;e words, <HI>Feed my Sheep,</HI> Chri&s;t had conferr'd upon him &s;o great a Dignity as to have a Supream Authority and Juri&s;diction over all the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles and whole Church of God, which was to devolve to his peculiar Succe&s;&s;ors for all Ages.</P>
<P N="6">VI. Altho' the Catholic Vi&s;ible Church doth not Err in the Fundamentals of Faith, &s;o as at any time to cea&s;e utterly to be, yet &s;he is not infalli|ble, or wholly exempt from Error, &s;eeing there is no Member of her perfect in this Life. And as the Light of the Moon encrea&s;eth and decrea&s;|eth,
<PB N="137" REF="74">tho' her &s;ub&s;tance never wa&s;teth, &s;o tho' Chri&s;t hath had from the beginning a Vi&s;ible Church upon Earth; that is, &s;ome Companies of Believers making profe&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame common Faith, yet &s;ometimes through Apo&s;tacy or Per&s;e|cution, they may be &s;o dimini&s;hed or &s;cattered, as not to appear in any great number, nor hardly be known unto, or have entercour&s;e one with ano|ther, as in the days of <HI>Elias,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 19.10. And in that grand defection or falling away, foretold by the Apo&s;tle under the Reign of Antichri&s;t, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.3. when the Church was to fly into the Wilderne&s;s, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12.6.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>1 Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>If the Church be not Infallible, then the Gates of Hell may prevail again&s;t it, which is contrary to Chri&s;ts promi&s;e,</HI> Matth. 16.18.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. The Que&s;tion here is of the vi&s;ible Church, but Chri&s;t &s;peaks of the invi&s;ible. 2. The Gates of Hell prevail not again&s;t the vi&s;ible Church, as it con&s;i&s;ts of the Elect, nor in as much and &s;o long as it departs not from Chri&s;t; but our Saviour him&s;elf complains that the vi&s;ible Church was be|come a Den of Thieves. 3. The Devil does not always prevail where there are Errors; he indeed A&s;laults the Church by Errors, but does not always overthrow it. 4. This Promi&s;e &s;ecures the Church from damnable Sins as much as from damnable Errors, for the Gates of Hell prevail as &s;urely and as frequently by one as the other. If there|fore notwith&s;tanding this Text, Popes have fallen
<PB N="138" REF="75">into damnable Sins, they may con&s;equently fall into damnable Here&s;ies; but the former is con|fest, <HI>Ergo.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>2d Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>If the Church may Err, then Chri&s;t does de&s;ert her, but he has promi&s;ed not to de&s;ert his Church,</HI> John 14.18. Matth. 21. <HI>ver&s;e</HI> la&s;t.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Chri&s;t does not de&s;ert his Church for all kinds of Errors. 2. He de&s;erts not the Church un|le&s;s &s;he fir&s;t leave him; but when &s;he abandons him, he de&s;erts her. 3. In Promi&s;es there is a mutual Stipulation; God promi&s;ed he would walk in the mid&s;t of the people of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> &s;hall we therefore conclude they could not Err? A Hus|band promi&s;es to be Faithful to his Spou&s;e during Life; therefore the Spou&s;e cannot become an Adultre&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>3d Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The Church is called the Pillar and Ground of Truth,</HI> 1 Tim. 3.15. <HI>Therefore cannot Err.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. This is &s;poken of that Church wherein <HI>Timo|thy</HI> was placed which was that of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> But who will &s;ay that Church hath not Erred? 2 The term of Pillar notes the &s;olidity, but not the in|fallibility of the Church; it may &s;ignifie the diffi|culty of its removal, but not the impo&s;&s;ibility. 3. This phra&s;e may denote the Churches Duty, not her Practice; what &s;he ought to be, not what &s;he always is. So 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.3. Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works, but to the
<PB N="139" REF="75">Evil; &s;hall we therefore conclude, that never any Rulers were, nor can be a terror to good works? 4. This Argument proceeds from a Declaration of the Churches pre&s;ent &s;tate, (for all that the Text a&s;&s;erts, <HI>that the Church was then a pillar of truth</HI>) to an a&s;&s;urance of its perpetual continu|ance in that &s;tate; which is as ab&s;urd as if we &s;hould argue, that becau&s;e it is once &s;aid to be a &s;eat of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, therefore &s;he mu&s;t always be &s;o; whereas the Prophet complains, <HI>the faith|ful City</HI> (<HI>viz.</HI> &s;he that was &s;o) <HI>is become an Har|lot, &s;he was full of judgment, righteou&s;ne&s;s lodged in it; but now murtherers,</HI> I&s;a. 1.12.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Object. 4.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The Church is compared to a great and con&s;picuous Mountain, and to a City &s;eated on an Hill,</HI> Dan. 2. I&s;a. 2. Micah 4. Mat. 5.4. <HI>But the&s;e cannot be hid, therefore the Church can never be ob&s;cure.</HI></P>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="answer">
<HEAD><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1.</HEAD>
<P>The Church is compared to a great Mountain for its firmne&s;s and &s;tability; and to a City on an Hill, not for its Vi&s;ibility, but Excellence and Sub|limity above all other A&s;&s;emblies.</P>
<P N="2">2. Tho&s;e Texts &s;peak either of the amplitude of the Chri&s;tian Church in re&s;pect of the <HI>Jewi&s;h,</HI> or of the calling of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> and &s;piritual re|&s;ort to the Church, or of the Doctrin and Lives of the Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P N="7"><PB N="140" REF="76">VII. The Notes of the Vi&s;ible Church, are the pure preaching of the Word of God, and lawful Admini&s;tration of the Sacraments accord|ing to Chri&s;t's In&s;titution, which are nece&s;&s;arily required thereunto&mdash;<HI>Go ye and teach all Na|tions, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Gho&s;t, teaching them to ob|&s;erve all things which I have commanded you,</HI> Matth. 28.19, 20. <HI>And they continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apo&s;tles Doctrin, and Fellow&s;hip, and in breaking of Bread, and Prayers,</HI> Acts 2.42.</P>
<P>The&s;e Notes belong to all Churches alike, &s;o far as concerneth the Fundamentals of Religion; But in re&s;pect of Accidentals, they are in &s;ome Churches more, in &s;ome le&s;s. We are not there|fore pre&s;ently to doubt of the truth of any par|ticular Church, or &s;eparate from it, becau&s;e of every Error or Abu&s;e, &s;o that there be not a razing of the Foundation, or falling off from the main hinge of Salvation, <HI>viz.</HI> from the two Tables of the Law and Faith in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>The Marks or Notes of the Church a&s;&s;ign|ed by Cardinal</HI> Bellarmine.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 TYPE="answers">
<HEAD>An&s;wers thereunto.</HEAD>
<P>Notes ought to be proper, be|longing to that of which they are Notes, and nothing el&s;e, and to be in&s;eparable from it, but mo&s;t of the&s;e are not &s;uch: For,</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="141" REF="76">1. <HI>Its having the Name Ca|tholick Church and Chri&s;tian.</HI></P>
<P>The impo&s;ing of Names is a matter of Fact, rather than Right, therefore an Argument taken from the Name is of no Force, unle&s;s the thing an&s;wer to the Name, Rev. 3.1. <HI>Thou ha&s;t a Name to live, but thou art dead.</HI> Scarce any Hereticks but a&s;&s;ume the&s;e Names.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Antiquity.</HI></P>
<P>This belongs not to the Church <HI>alone,</HI> nor <HI>always:</HI> Not <HI>alone,</HI> for the old Serpent is of great Antiquity who is the Chur|ches greate&s;t Enemy: Not al|ways, for the Church hath not been always Ancient, there being a time when &s;he was Young. True Antiquity is the fir&s;t principle of things, which as it's fir&s;t, &s;o it is mo&s;t true; The Antiquity of the Apo&s;tolical Church is to be reck|on'd from the preaching of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles: But the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> as it is at this day, aro&s;e long after the Apo&s;tles: And An|tiquity, without Truth, is but a Grey-headed Error.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>A con&s;tant duration with|out interrup|tion.</HI></P>
<P>This is indeed a property of the Vi&s;ible Catholick Church, but depending on God's promi&s;es doth more appear to Faith, than
<PB N="142" REF="77">to Sen&s;e. And as it is not true Antiquity which depends not from the fir&s;t Principle, &s;o there can be no true Duration which hath not its Original from the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>large exten|&s;ion and multi|tude of Belie|vers.</HI></P>
<P>This belongs not always to the Church, as we &s;ee in the days of <HI>Noah, Abraham,</HI> &amp;c. yea, this Note is not natural to the Church, for there is &s;till the greater num|ber among&s;t the wicked; thence Chri&s;t calls his Church, <HI>a little Flock,</HI> Luk. 12.32. and we are charged <HI>to &s;trive to enter in at the &s;trait gate,</HI> Mat. 7.13.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>The &s;ucce&s;|&s;ion of Bi&s;hops.</HI></P>
<P>This is neither the Churches Note alone, nor always. Not al|ways, for in the beginning of the Church there was no &s;uch Succe&s;|&s;ion: Not alone, for in the Fal&s;e Church there is found a Succe&s;&s;ion of Bi&s;hops; we mu&s;t therefore look rather to the Succe&s;&s;ion of Doctrin, than of per&s;ons; and the per&s;ons are to be judged by their Doctrin, not the Doctrin by the per&s;ons.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="143" REF="77">6. <HI>An Agree|ment in doctrin with the an|cient Church.</HI></P>
<P>This is indeed a true Note, but the &s;ame with ours, <HI>viz. the purity of the Word and Sacraments,</HI> as it was in the time of the Apo&s;tolical Church, from which we affirm the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> is degenerated, and are ready to joyn I&s;&s;ue with them thereupon.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>The &V;nion of the Mem|bers with their Head the Pope, and among&s;t them&s;elves.</HI></P>
<P>The former part of this may be a true Note of the pre&s;ent Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> but not of the Church of Chri&s;t, who placed no &s;uch Head as the Pope over his Church, but is him&s;elf its Head, with whom all true living Mem|bers have Union and Communion. The latter part cannot be attribu|ted to the Church alone; For there are many that confederate in Evil, and there is a &s;ort of Union among&s;t the Devils, <HI>Mat.</HI> 12.8. Nor is it truly applicable to the Modern Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> there being many and con&s;iderable dif|ferences among&s;t its Members, as for In&s;tance, Whether the Pope be above a Council, or a Council above the Pope? and in which of the two Infallibility re&s;ides, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="8"><PB N="144" REF="78">8. <HI>Holine&s;s of Doctrin.</HI></P>
<P>This is the &s;ame with the 6th.</P>
<P N="9">9. <HI>Efficacy of Doctrin.</HI></P>
<P>This al&s;o an&s;wers the 6th, and our Notes too, but no way do ei|ther of them &s;uit the <HI>Roman</HI> Church; For as her Novel Do|ctrins oppo&s;e real &s;erious Holi|ne&s;s, &s;o if the Sword had not been more prevalent with them than the Word, and carnal politick Con&s;iderations, about the efficacy of their teaching, Popery had never &s;pread &s;o far, nor conti|nued &s;o long in the world.</P>
<P N="10">10. <HI>Holine&s;s of Life in the fir&s;t Authors and Planters of Religion.</HI></P>
<P>This Holine&s;s of the fir&s;t Au|thors and Planters, if it be refer|red to the Prophets, or Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, we acknowledge they were holy, and what they planted mo&s;t true. But yet this cannot be a perpetual Note of the Church any further than it imi|tates them, and per&s;i&s;ts in their Doctrin; for their Holine&s;s is no further or longer in the Church. Again, if this be referred to o|thers, it is either inward or out|ward; if inward, it cannot be a mark of the Vi&s;ible Church. <HI>He
<PB N="145" REF="78">is a true Jew that is &s;o in &s;ecret, Rom.</HI> 2.29. God only knoweth who are his; if outward, it mu&s;t not always be depended on, for <HI>Satan can transform him&s;elf into an angel of light,</HI> 2 Cor. 11.14. The <HI>Donati&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Hereticks</HI> call'd <HI>Ca|thari,</HI> pretended to the highe&s;t Sanctity, therefore the Church is to be judged by her Doctrin, not by the Life of her Doctors, <HI>Mat.</HI> 23.2. <HI>What&s;oever they bid you ob|&s;erve,</HI> (that is con&s;onant to God's Word) <HI>ob&s;erve and do, but do not you after their works.</HI></P>
<P N="11">11. <HI>The glory of Miracles.</HI></P>
<P N="12">12. <HI>The light of Prophe&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P>The gifts of Miracles and Pro|phe&s;ie were extraordinary, given to confirm the Go&s;pel, which are cea&s;ed, and &s;o can now be no lon|ger a mark of the true Church, any further than it holds the &s;ame Truths, which tho&s;e Miracles were wrought to confirm; therefore the Apo&s;tles make no promi&s;es of other Miracles and Prophecy; but rather make the boa&s;ting there|of a Note of the Antichri&s;tian Church, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.9. <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.13. And Chri&s;t him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>He will not know &s;uch,</HI> Mat. 7.22. The ancient true Miracles atte&s;ted that
<PB N="146" REF="79">Doctrin which we teach and be|lieve; other modern pretended ones, were either Impo&s;tures of ill men, or lying Wonders of bad Spirits. Nor does it &s;eem any &s;trange thing, that God &s;hould permit &s;ome <HI>true Wonders</HI> to be done, to delude them who have <HI>forged &s;o many</HI> to deceive the world.</P>
<P N="13">13. <HI>The Con|fe&s;&s;ion of Ad|ver&s;aries, as Heretiques, Jews,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>If the Te&s;timony of Adver&s;a|ries mu&s;t be one mark of a true Church, then certainly there ne|ver was a true Church, for Adver|&s;aries have always &s;poken again&s;t the true Church. But in truth the Authority of &s;uch Te&s;timo|nies is no more than that of the Adver&s;aries them&s;elves, by who&s;e acce&s;&s;ion nothing is added, and by their want nothing dimini&s;hed.</P>
<P N="14">14. <HI>The unhap|py end of tho&s;e who have oppo|&s;ed the Church.</HI></P>
<P><HI>And,</HI></P>
<P N="15">15. <HI>The happi|ne&s;s of tho&s;e who have de|fended Her.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e are both &s;o uncertain, as not to de&s;erve the Title of Notes or Marks of the true Church. A di&s;a&s;trous Death, as to outward appearance, is common to the true Servants of God with the Enemies of the Church, and the&s;e, no le&s;s than they, enjoy outward pro&s;|perity; &s;o that we may &s;ay with
<PB N="147" REF="79"><HI>Solomon,</HI> of &s;uch, Man knoweth not either love or hatred, <HI>Eccle&s;</HI> 9.3. Yea, it may rather be &s;aid to be a Note of the Fal&s;e Church, for the Churches condition in this Life is for the mo&s;t part calami|tous and &s;ad, <HI>John</HI> 16.20. <HI>Verily, verily, I &s;ay unto you, ye &s;hall weep and lament, but the world &s;hall re|joice.</HI> And the Scripture te&s;tifies, that temporal Felicity rather hap|pens to the ungodly, who&s;e whole portion is in this life, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73.3, 4, 5.</P>
<P N="8">VIII. This much of the True Church, who&s;e Enemies are either <HI>open,</HI> as <HI>Heathens, Jews,</HI> and <HI>Mahumetans;</HI> or <HI>&s;ecret</HI> and <HI>counterfeit,</HI> as <HI>Hereticks</HI> and <HI>Schi&s;maticks.</HI></P>
<P N="9">IX. <HI>Hereticks</HI> are they, who &s;tubbornly and ob|&s;tinately maintain, after &s;ufficient Conviction, and again&s;t the plain light of Truth, &s;ome Error, which overthrows directly, or by nece&s;&s;ary con&s;e|quence, the Fundamentals of Chri&s;tian Faith.</P>
<P N="10">X. <HI>Schi&s;maticks</HI> are they, which, without ju&s;t cau&s;e, refu&s;e Communion with, and &s;eparate from a particular Church; or, out of Ambition, with|draw them&s;elves from the Univer&s;al Church. Like the <HI>Donati&s;ts</HI> of old, of whom <HI>St. Augu&s;tin</HI> te&s;tifies, That they a&s;&s;umed to them&s;elves [exclu&s;ively to all others] the Name of <HI>Catholique,</HI> and &s;aid that their Sect was the only true Church, and &s;o dam|ned all other Chri&s;tians; and upon this Heretical Opinion, they Schi&s;matically &s;eparated from the
<PB N="148" REF="80">whole Church. <HI>[Augu&s;t in Collat. cum Donati&s;tis.]</HI> We need not &s;eek far for a Parallel.</P>
<P N="11">XI. The grand Enemy of the Church is in Scri|pture denoted by the Name of <HI>the Antichri&s;t,</HI> &s;o called, by way of Eminence, as a greater Oppo&s;er of Chri&s;t, than others who in a common &s;en&s;e de|&s;erve that Name. He is al&s;o &s;tiled, <HI>the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Of this Antichri&s;t the Scripture gives us this <HI>graphical De&s;cription</HI> following,</P>
<P N="1">1. The My&s;tery of this Antichri&s;t is &s;aid to be|gin to work in the Apo&s;tles times, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.7. 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.3. (that is, the Seeds already began to be &s;own, whence in time he &s;hould ari&s;e) but he &s;hould not be revealed, till after he that letteth (which by Interpreters is generally under&s;tood of the <HI>Roman</HI> Emperor) were taken out of the way, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.7. And that he &s;hould not be totally de|&s;troyed till at or near Chri&s;t's &s;econd coming; whence it undeniably follows, That this Anti-chri&s;t cannot be any one only individual per&s;on, (for how then &s;hould he &s;o long continue?) but as 'tis u&s;ual in Scripture under a &s;ingle Name or Form to repre&s;ent the whole Race of &s;uch a King|dom or Monarchy, as <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. &s;o here it &s;ignifies a certain &s;tate or order of men, one for the mo&s;t part at a time, but many by &s;ucce&s;&s;ion carrying on the &s;ame de&s;ign after each other.</P>
<P N="2">2. He is rai&s;ed by Satan, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.9. his coming &s;hall be with the power of Satan, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.4. The Dragon gave him power, whereas otherwi&s;e Magi|&s;trates are rai&s;ed by God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.2. <HI>&amp;</HI> 3.</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="149" REF="80">3. He is a Chri&s;tian in Name, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.4. He &s;its in the Temple of God, that is, in the Church; But yet really is a bitter Enemy to Chri&s;t and his Church, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.5. He denieth Chri&s;t to be come in the Fle&s;h (that is, by the &s;e|quel of his Doctrin) and makes War with the Saints, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17.6. He hath Horns like the Lamb, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17.11. that is, arrogates to him&s;elf that which belongs to Chri&s;t, but he fights again&s;t the Lamb, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14. All which is agreeable to the notation of the word Antichri&s;t: For the Prepo&s;ition, <HI>Anti</HI> may be <HI>Engli&s;ht</HI> either again&s;t, or, for, and in&s;tead of; in which la&s;t &s;en&s;e 'tis u&s;ed, <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.27. <GAP DESC="foreign"> for thee and me, and the like el&s;ewhere in the New Te&s;tament: And &s;o <GAP DESC="foreign"> in Profane Authors are u&s;ed often for a Vice-Roy or Lieutenant General. So that Antichri&s;t may be rendred either Chri&s;t's Enemy, or his Vicar, as including both, the fir&s;t in reality, the &s;econd in pretence and u&s;urpa|tion.</P>
<P N="4">4. He &s;its in the Temple of God, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.4. Not in that of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> which is long &s;ince de|moli&s;ht; but in the Church, which is God's Tem|ple, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.16. in which he &s;its, that is, Domi|neers and Reigns, as 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.4. He &s;its as God, and exalts him&s;elf above every thing that is called God, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18.7.</P>
<P N="5">5. The Seat of his Empire is in that great City, which (in the time of St. <HI>John</HI>) Reigned over the Kings of the Earth, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17.18. Situate on 7 Hills, and that has been under 7 Hills, and that
<PB N="150" REF="81">has been under 7 Kings or Forms of Government, and Enva&s;alizes many people and Nations, as ap|pears in the &s;ame Chapter.</P>
<P N="6">6. He e&s;tabli&s;hes him&s;elf by pretending to Mi|racles and lying Wonders, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.9. <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.13.</P>
<P N="7">7. He cau&s;es every one great and &s;mall to re|ceive his Mark on their Right-hands or Fore|heads, and &s;uffers none to buy or &s;ell, but &s;uch as have his Mark, or Name, or Number of his Name; which number is 666.</P>
<P N="8">8. His Idolatry by a Phra&s;e familiar in Scrip|ture, is &s;hadowed out by a <HI>Whore, Rev.</HI> 17.2. His boundle&s;s Ambition, appears by the fore-cited place in the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians;</HI> his Covetou&s;ne&s;s is noted by his gainful Merchandizing, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18.11. His Cruelty is &s;et out by the Bea&s;t drunk with the Blood of Martyrs, <HI>Rev.</HI> 7.6. His Impurity, by Sins heaped up to Heaven, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18.5. And all the&s;e in general by tho&s;e My&s;tical names of <HI>Sodom, Egypt, Babylon,</HI> and <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> in which, My&s;tical Chri&s;t, that is, Chri&s;t in his Members, is Crucifi|ed, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.8. and 14.8.</P>
<P N="9">9. He is to be Revealed in the la&s;t times, for he that letteth mu&s;t fir&s;t be taken out of the way, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.7, 8. That is, the <HI>Roman</HI> Emperors, for &s;o long as they lived in <HI>Rome,</HI> it hindred the revealing of <HI>Antichri&s;t;</HI> and there mu&s;t precede a great Apo&s;tacy or falling away from the purity of the Chri&s;tian Faith and Manners, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 3.</P>
<P N="10">10. The occa&s;ions of which Apo&s;tacy, and &s;ome of the &s;pecial Doctrins of Antichri&s;t, are &s;et forth
<PB N="151" REF="81">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.1, 2, 3. <HI>Now the Spirit &s;peaketh expre&s;ly, that in the latter times &s;ome &s;hall depart from the Faith, giving heed to &s;educing Spirits, and Doctrins of De|vils; &s;peaking Lies in Hypocri&s;ie, having their Con|&s;cience &s;eared with an hot iron. Forbidding to Mar|ry, and commanding to ab&s;tain from Meats.</HI></P>
<P N="12">12. His De&s;truction is foretold to be two ways, fir&s;t, he &s;hall be con&s;umed by the Spirit of Chri&s;t's Mouth, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.8. With the Sword of his Word which proceedeth out of his Mouth, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19.21. That is, his Power &s;hall be much impaired by the &s;incere Preaching of the Go&s;pel. Whereby his Fal&s;hood being di&s;covered, the Lo|vers of the Whore &s;hall hate her, and make her de&s;olate and naked, and burn her with Fire. And finally by the glorious coming of Chri&s;t he &s;hall be utterly aboli&s;ht, and together with all his Ad|herents ca&s;t into the Lake of Fire which burns with Brim&s;tone, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19.20.</P>
<P>This is the de&s;cription of Anti-chri&s;t laid down in Holy Scripture; which I conceive needs no further <HI>Comment</HI> to lead us to an <HI>Application.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="152" REF="82">
<HEAD>CHAP. VII. <HI>Of the Sacraments. That there are but Two e&s;tabli&s;ht in the New Te&s;tament. Of Bap|ti&s;m; Of the Lord's Supper; Of Tran&s;ub|&s;tantiation; Touching, Receiving in both Kinds.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="1">I. THE Sacraments of the New Te&s;tament are not only Notes or Marks of our Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ion, but rather certain Te&s;timonies and <HI>efficacious Signs</HI> of the Grace and Good Will of God toward us, by which he invi&s;ibly works in us, and not only enlivens, but likewi&s;e confirms our Faith in him. Or Ordinances of God, where|in by giving and receiving of outward Symbolical Elements, according to his Will, the Promi&s;es of Grace made in the Blood of Chri&s;t being re|pre&s;ented, exhibited and applied unto us, are fur|ther Signed and Sealed between God and Man, for the &s;trengthning of our Faith, and bringing us more effectually to the Practice of God's Com|mandments: Or more briefly, <HI>Signs divinely In&s;ti|tuted, that declare, &s;eal, and in their right u&s;e exhi|bit the Grace of God in Chri&s;t to Believers.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The Word <HI>Sacrament</HI> which of old was u&s;ed for a Military Oath, entred into by Soldiers to their General; and &s;ometimes for Money depo|&s;ited as a Pledge by tho&s;e who were in Suit at
<PB N="153" REF="82">Law, is not unfitly applied in the Church to the &s;igns of Grace: For by the Sacraments, as it were by &s;olemn Oaths we are bound to ob&s;erve what is promi&s;ed and required in the Covenant on our parts; and the &s;ame are to us as pledges of Grace promi&s;ed in the Covenant on Gods behalf: And therefore if the Word be not expre&s;ly found in Scripture, yet the things thereby de&s;igned be|ing found there, it may properly and convenient|ly be u&s;ed.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is al&s;o called <HI>A My&s;tery,</HI> as it &s;ignifieth a Secret and Divine Thing propo&s;ed in Signs and Types; yet the word My&s;tery reaches further than the word <HI>Sacrament,</HI> for tho' every Sacra|ment be a My&s;tery, yet all My&s;teries are not Sa|craments.</P>
<P N="2">II. The Sacraments of the New Te&s;tament are only Two, <HI>viz.</HI> Bapti&s;m and the Lord's Supper. The fir&s;t, of the admi&s;&s;ion of God's Children into the Church, there to be partakers of an everla&s;t|ing Communion with Chri&s;t. The &s;econd, of their Pre&s;ervation and Nouri&s;hment therein, to a&s;&s;ure them of their continual increa&s;e in Chri&s;t; in which re&s;pect the former is once only; the latter often to be admin&s;tred and received.</P>
<P>That there are no more Sacraments appears,</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e the&s;e Two Seals a&s;&s;ure us of all God's Graces; As of our Regeneration and In|grafting into Chri&s;t, &s;o of our growth and conti|nuance in him&punc; <HI>We are all Baptized into one Body, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit,</HI> 1 Cor.
<PB N="154" REF="83">12.13. As in the bodily Life we need no more but to be born, and then to have this Life pre&s;er|ved; &s;o our Birth in Chri&s;t being repre&s;ented by Bapti&s;m, and our Nouri&s;hment after that New Birth, by the Lords Supper, there is no need of any other Sacraments.</P>
<P N="2">2. In every Sacrament (according to the pro|per acceptation of the Word in Divinity) there are five Conditions required. 1. That it be In&s;ti|tuted by Chri&s;t him&s;elf immediately. 2. That it have &s;ome &s;en&s;ible Element or Sign. 3. That it have the Promi&s;e of God concerning &s;aving Grace and Eternal Life added to the Sign. 4. That it repre&s;ent, and to worthy Receivers &s;eal and apply Chri&s;t and the Benefits of the New Cove|nant. 5 That it be given to the whole Church to continue to the end of the World. But the&s;e Conditions agree only to tho&s;e two Sacraments which we have mentioned: Not to confirmation Penance, Orders, Extream Unction, or Matri|mony, which &s;ome would have to be Sacraments of the Go&s;pel, thereby to compleat the number of Seven.</P>
<P N="3">3. Nor were there any other e&s;teemed as pro|per Sacraments of the Go&s;pel by the Primitive Churches or Fathers. <HI>Peter Lombard</HI> the School|man, who Flouri&s;h'd but about the Year 1140, being the fir&s;t Man that ever pre&s;um'd to fix the number <HI>Seven;</HI> nor was the &s;ame generally re|ceiv'd or e&s;tabli&s;ht by any Council, until that of <HI>Florence,</HI> which ended but in the Year 1439.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="155" REF="83">4. Tho' with Antiquity we ju&s;tly di&s;own the other Five to be proper Sacraments, yet as to the things them&s;elves, we retain and make u&s;e of them (all but one) to &s;uch good ends and purpo&s;es as they &s;erve for: For 1. As touching <HI>Confirmati|on,</HI> &s;ee the Office appointed for it in the Liturgy, which duly ob&s;erv'd, does tend much more to the promoting of Knowledge and Godline&s;s than as 'tis practi&s;ed in the Church of <HI>Rome.</HI> 2. Nor do we attribute the Title of <HI>Sacrament</HI> to <HI>Holy Or|ders</HI> (or the calling of Per&s;ons to the work of the Mini&s;try) becau&s;e they belong not to the whole <HI>Church,</HI> but to &s;ome particulars, which we ac|knowledge ought to be undertaken and conferr'd with the greate&s;t Caution, Reverence, and So|lemnity, both in the <HI>Ordainers</HI> and tho&s;e Ordained. 3. Touching <HI>Matrimony,</HI> tho' we grant that it is capable of a &s;ignification of the <HI>My&s;tical &V;nion</HI> between Chri&s;t and his Church; and that it is an <HI>Honourable State</HI> in&s;tituted by God in Paradi&s;e, yet we cannot count it a <HI>Sacrament;</HI> for then a Sacrament of the Go&s;pel &s;hould be common to <HI>Heathens;</HI> for with the &s;ame Apo&s;tle we judge it to <HI>be Honourable in all Men,</HI> and particularly that it may lawfully be undertaken by the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel as well as other Chri&s;tians; St. <HI>Peter</HI> him&s;elf being a <HI>Married Man,</HI> and others of the Apo&s;tles, as is intimated by St. <HI>Paul: Have we not power to lead about a Si&s;ter, a Wife, as well as other Apo&s;tles and Cephas?</HI> 1 Co. 9.5. A Bi&s;hop mu&s;t be blamele&s;s, the <HI>Husband of one Wife,</HI> 1 Tim. 3.2. <HI>Their Wives mu&s;t be grave and &s;ober,</HI> v. 11.
<PB N="156" REF="84">Forbidding to <HI>Marry</HI> is branded as a Doctrin of Devils, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.3. And we cannot but admire the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> &s;hould at the &s;ame time ad|vance it to a <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and yet &s;o &s;everely for|bid all her Clergy the u&s;e of it, and reckon them a more Holy &s;ort of per&s;ons that make <HI>Vows</HI> a|gain&s;t it. 4thly. Touching <HI>Penance,</HI> tho' we do not with the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> exact from people that unnece&s;&s;ary, or indeed impo&s;&s;ible Task of <HI>a particu|lar Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> to the Prie&s;t of all private Sins as ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation; nor &s;end them on long Pilgrimages to this or the other Image; nor to give them&s;elves &s;o many La&s;hes, or mum|ble over &s;o many <HI>Pater No&s;ters</HI> or <HI>Ave Maria</HI>'s without either Under&s;tanding or Devotion (which external Drudgeries &s;ignifie very little to amend the Soul, but rather tend to de&s;troy it by leaning on &s;uch <HI>Formalities</HI>) yet we pre&s;s them to the great and indi&s;pen&s;ible Duties of &s;incere <HI>Repentance</HI> and <HI>Reformation,</HI> without which they cannot be pardoned; And that they &s;hould confe&s;s their Sins to God with &s;hame and &s;orrow, and &s;peedi|ly and throughly for&s;ake the &s;ame; as al&s;o advi&s;e them, when they find their Con&s;ciences burthened or perplext, to impart their condition to the Mi|ni&s;ter for Direction and Comfort; and in &s;ome ca&s;es of notorious, open, &s;candalous Offences, a <HI>public Penance</HI> is enjoyned, and a general Confe&s;|&s;ion and Ab&s;olution pre&s;cribed in our Liturgy. La&s;tly, As for <HI>Extream &V;nction,</HI> as 'tis practis'd in the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> it has no Warrant from Scripture, for the <HI>anointing</HI> mention'd, <HI>Mark</HI> 16.13.
<PB N="157" REF="84">or <HI>James</HI> 5.14. was intended for the Health of the <HI>Body,</HI> and the u&s;age &s;eems to have cea&s;ed with the Gift of <HI>Miracles;</HI> but they pretend it for the benefit of the Soul, and therefore u&s;e it not commonly till they perceive no hopes of Reco|very; for which Ceremony, as there is no Com|mand of God, &s;o neither any promi&s;e of Spiritu|al Benefit thereby, but the &s;ame is attended with much Super&s;tition, and, we fear, betrays many a poor Soul (depending on it) to De&s;truction.</P>
<P N="3">III. The Efficacy of the Sacraments depends not upon the Intention of the per&s;on that Admini|&s;ters them, but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of In&s;titution, containing a precept for the u&s;e of them, and a promi&s;e of the benefit by them. <HI>Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth, but it is God that giveth the Encrea&s;e,</HI> 1 Cor. 3.7.</P>
<P>The <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> by making the Efficacy of the Sacraments depend on the Intention of the Prie&s;t, [See, Council of <HI>Trent, Se&s;&s;.</HI> 7. <HI>Can.</HI> 11. and the common Opinion of their Doctors] do &s;u&s;pend their Faith and Salvation upon great Uncertain|ties; For as they hold, That they cannot be faved without Bapti&s;m: So they al&s;o hold, That the external Act of Bapti&s;m is no Bapti&s;m, if the Prie&s;t did not intend to make it a Sacrament; And how on they be &s;ure of the Prie&s;t's Intentions? Nay, thus they cannot be &s;ure that they have any Sa|craments or Prie&s;ts among&s;t them, for they mu&s;t be Infallibly certain that he is a Prie&s;t that Con|&s;ecrates,
<PB N="158" REF="85">and that he hath an Intention to make a Sacrament. But how can they be a&s;&s;ured of his Prie&s;thood? They mu&s;t fir&s;t be a&s;&s;ured of the Prie&s;thood of him that Baptized him, and of the Bi&s;hop that Ordain'd him, and of the Archbi&s;hop that Ordain'd, and of the real Intention of all the Three; which is impo&s;&s;ible, &s;o that accord|ing to their own <HI>Principles</HI> the people have no cer|tainty that they are Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P N="4">IV. Nor do the Sacraments confer Grace by the meer Work done, or Sacramental Action. We grant the Sacraments are not meer Signs, but Efficacious to Work Grace, if they be rightly u&s;ed; not by the meer work done, but by the power and operation of the Spirit, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.13. <HI>Matth.</HI> 3.11. As <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI>'s Bough made Iron to &s;wim, or <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>'s Rod divided the Red Sea, not by inherent Vertue in it &s;elf, but by the Power of God. Nor is the Efficacy of Sacraments tied to that moment of time, wherein they are admini|&s;tred, <HI>John</HI> 3.18. But they become effectual means of Salvation to &s;uch only as by Faith receive them, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.21. Bapti&s;m doth Save, not by putting away the Filth of the Fle&s;h, but the An&s;wer of a good Con&s;cience, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.28, 29. <HI>Let a man examin him&s;elf, and &s;o let him eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own Damnation.</HI> We are not to think that the Sacramental Signs, as Water in Bapti&s;m, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> tho' joyned with the words of In&s;titution barely pronounc'd, have in
<PB N="159" REF="85">them&s;elves inherent Vertue to work and produce Grace, as Phy&s;ick to cure, or Fire to burn; For &s;uch a Conceit is, 1. Injurious to God, for he only who made the Heart can &s;anctifie it; the clean&s;ing of the Soul by Grace being as great a work as Creation. 2dly. The word Preached doth not Profit without Faith, therefore not the Sa|craments. 3dly. Did the Sacrament confer Grace upon <HI>Judas?</HI> Or did <HI>Simon Magus</HI> receive Grace by Bapti&s;m? St. <HI>Peter</HI> te&s;tifies the contrary, <HI>Acts</HI> 8.13. compared with <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 23. We may therefore conclude with that Axiom of St. <HI>Augu&s;tine, Non Sacramentum, &s;ed Fides Sacramenti Ju&s;tificat.</HI> We are not Ju&s;tified by the Sacrament, but by the Faith of the Sacrament.</P>
<P N="5">V. The principal ends for which God hath In|&s;tituted the Sacraments, are 1. To help our in|&s;ight as clear Gla&s;&s;es, for &s;o the Apo&s;tle tells the <HI>Galathians, That before their Eyes</HI> [that is, in the Sacrament] <HI>Chri&s;t had been evidently &s;et forth, Cru|cified among&s;t them,</HI> Gal. 3.1. 2dly. To relieve our Memories as la&s;ting Monuments, <HI>Luke</HI> 22.19. <HI>This do in Remembrance of me,</HI> 1 Cor. 11.26. <HI>As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ye do &s;hew forth the Lords Death till he come.</HI> 3dly. More e&s;pecially to confirm and &s;trengthen our Faith, as mo&s;t certain Seals and Pledges, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.11. Whereby, 4thly. they become our Bonds of Obe|dience, and the Marks and Badges of our Profe&s;|&s;ion; &s;o that in &s;hort, they were appointed, and are to be made u&s;e of for the clearing of our
<PB N="160" REF="86">Knowledge, for the helping of our Memories, for the &s;trengthening our Faith, and for the quickning of our Obedience.</P>
<P N="6">VI. Bapti&s;m is the fir&s;t or initial Sacrament of the New Te&s;tament, by which tho&s;e that rightly receive it, are admitted into the vi&s;ible Church, and the Priviledges thereof; the wa&s;hing of Wa|ter by our Lord's In&s;titution, not only repre&s;ent|ing the Powerful wa&s;hing away of our Sins by the Blood of Chri&s;t, but al&s;o confirming and vi&s;ibly &s;ealing the Promi&s;es of Regeneration and Adop|tion; in which we are buried with Chri&s;t, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6.3. and die to Sin by vertue of his Death, and ri&s;e again to newne&s;s of Life by the power of his Re&s;urrection. Whence 'tis called, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.21. [<GAP DESC="foreign">] the Sti|pulation of a good Con&s;cience towards God, or a mutual Contract; becau&s;e as God thereby ad|mits and receives a per&s;on into his Church, and Seals unto him the Covenant of Grace, &s;o the party Baptized does &s;olemnly Vow, and Seals it by undertaking that Ordinance, <HI>To for&s;ake the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Devil, and to Live to Chri&s;t and the Glory of God in Obedience, Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, and Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P N="7">VII. This Sacrament was brought into the Church at the Commandment of God (<HI>John</HI> 1.13.) by the Mini&s;try of <HI>John,</HI> therefore call'd the <HI>Bapti&s;t</HI> (<HI>Mat.</HI> 3.1.) but after wards &s;anctified and confirm|ed by our Saviour Chri&s;t him&s;elf, being <HI>Baptized</HI> by
<PB N="161" REF="86"><HI>John</HI> (<HI>Matth.</HI> 3 13.) and giving Commi&s;&s;ion to his Apo&s;tles and Mini&s;ters to continue the &s;ame in his Church to the Worlds End, <HI>Matth.</HI> 28.18.</P>
<P N="8">VIII. The outward Matter of this Sacrament is only <HI>Water,</HI> there being a natural fitne&s;s there|in to expre&s;s the inward invi&s;ible My&s;teries there|by &s;ignified. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. Water is a nece&s;&s;ary Element; the Natural Life of Man cannot be without it, and the Blood of Chri&s;t is as nece&s;&s;ary to his Spiritual Life.</P>
<P N="2">2. Water is a Refre&s;hing Element, <HI>The Hart panteth after the Water Brooks,</HI> P&s;al. 42.1. The Thir&s;t of the Body cannot be quenched but by Water (or that which proceeds from it) whence the height of Mi&s;ery is de&s;cribed by a barren and dry ground, where no Water is, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 63.1. So the Thir&s;t of the Soul cannot be quenched but by the Blood of Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.13.</P>
<P N="3">3. Water is a free, cheap, obvious, common Element, ea&s;ie to come by without Co&s;t; any may go to the River and drink. So is the Blood of Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 51.1. <HI>Ho! He that thir&s;teth come and drink freely.</HI> 'Tis offered as generally to All, Rich and Poor, High and Low, Bond and Free, every one may lay claim to, and have an intere&s;t in it, <HI>John</HI> 1.12. Whoever receiveth, whoever believeth the Propo&s;al, is without re|&s;traint, none can &s;ay I am &s;hut out or excepted.</P>
<P N="4">4. Water is a copious and plentiful Element, there is no le&s;s in the River for thy drinking of it; &s;o is the Blood of Chri&s;t All-&s;ufficient, an in|exhau&s;tible
<PB N="162" REF="87">Fountain of Grace and Salvation; of his Fulne&s;s we may all receive, and yet he be ne|ver the more empty; whence the Scripture &s;peaks of plenteous Redemption.</P>
<P N="5">5. More e&s;pecially Water is a clean&s;ing and a purifying Element, and it re&s;embles the Blood of Chri&s;t fitly in that; For the Blood of Chri&s;t clean&s;eth us from all Sin, 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.7. Which therefore was long before expre&s;&s;ed by the Pro|phet under the name of Water, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 36.25. <HI>I will &s;prinkle clean water upon you, and you &s;hall be clean from all your filthine&s;s.</HI> For as in the begin|ning the Spirit moved on the Waters, and was the cau&s;e of Generation, &s;o in the Bapti&s;m of Water and the Spirit, is effected our Regene|ration.</P>
<P>But be&s;ides all this, we mu&s;t have an Eye to God's Divine In&s;titution, appointing and ordain|ing this Element to typifie to the Soul Chri&s;t Cru|cified in his clean&s;ing Quality; For otherwi&s;e, tho' there were never &s;uch an aptne&s;s in the Crea|ture, yet it ought not to be made u&s;e of in the Sa|crament, unle&s;s the Lord do &s;pecially appropri|ate it to &s;uch a purpo&s;e; And then with God's In&s;titution there goeth a Ble&s;&s;ing, and a peculiar Power and Vertue attends on a Divine Ordinance. That which makes the outward Signs &s;ignificant, being God's Word and Appointment, and there|fore we cannot allow of <HI>Oyl, Salt, Spittle,</HI> &amp;c. which the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> u&s;es and enjoyns in this Sacrament, becau&s;e they are the meer Inven|tions and Additions of Men.</P>
<P N="9"><PB N="163" REF="87">IX. <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> tho' admini&s;tred but once, is of a continual u&s;e throughout a Chri&s;tian's whole Life: Its vertue and efficacy lo&s;eth not its &s;trength by time. In all thy Doubts and Fears, look back to thy Bapti&s;m, and the Promi&s;es of God &s;ealed up unto thee there: Lay hold on them by Faith, and thou &s;halt have the actual Comfort of thy Bapti&s;m, and &s;till feel the &s;weet effects of it. In all thy failings, &s;lips, and revolts, to recover thy &s;elf have recour&s;e to thy Bapti&s;m New Bapti&s;m &s;hall not need, the Covenant and Seal of God &s;tandeth firm, he changeth not; only renew thy Repentance, renew thy Faith in tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed Pro|mi&s;es of Grace, &s;ealed to thee in thy Bapti&s;m; renew thy Vows then entred into, and renew thy Re&s;olutions to ob&s;erve them more &s;trictly for the future, and thou &s;halt find it of wonderful Efficacy and Comfort to thy Soul.</P>
<P N="10">X. THE LORD's SUPPER (&s;o called 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.20. becau&s;e our Lord &s;itting at his la&s;t Supper In&s;tituted it the Evening before he &s;uffer'd) is the other Sacrament of the New Te&s;tament, wherein God, by the &s;igns of Bread and Wine, &s;anctified according to Chri&s;t's Appointment, and rightly received by the Communicant, doth &s;ignifie, &s;eal, and &s;piritually exhibit to Believers the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, broken and &s;hed for their &s;akes, whereby they are nouri&s;hed and a&s;&s;ured of their growth in Grace unto Eternal Life.</P>
<PB N="164" REF="88">
<P>This Ordinance is al&s;o called by a Metony my of the Effect, THE COMMUNION, <HI>viz.</HI> of the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.16. of which worthy Receivers are therein partakers, as al&s;o becau&s;e the Members of the Church are there|by more firmly United one to another in Charity. 2dly. Thence it was al&s;o anciently term'd <HI>Synaxis,</HI> the coming together or A&s;&s;embly; for as that was one main end of their &s;olemn Religious A&s;&s;em|blies, &s;o they all generally communicated (which condemns the <HI>Roman</HI> private Ma&s;&s;es, where none receives but the Prie&s;t.) 3dly. By a Metonymy of the Subject 'tis &s;tyled <HI>The Lord's Table,</HI> 1 Cor. 10.21. And 4thly. &s;ometimes the <HI>Euchari&s;t</HI> (by the Ancient Fathers) that is to &s;ay, <HI>Thanksgiving,</HI> becau&s;e the rendring of Thanks to God, always accompanied it. But that it was, or ought to be called either <HI>The Ma&s;s</HI> or <HI>Sacrament of the Altar,</HI> we find not in Scripture, nor in the Genuine Writings of the purer Ages of the Church.</P>
<P N="11">XI. The external Matter of the Lord's Supper are the vi&s;ible Signs, <HI>viz. Bread</HI> and <HI>Wine;</HI> which being the chiefe&s;t means of Man's Corporeal Su&s;te|nance, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 104.14. were mo&s;t aptly made choice of to repre&s;ent our Spiritual Nouri&s;hment. The inward or heavenly Matter is the thing &s;ig|nified, to wit, Chri&s;t and all the Benefits of his Pa&s;&s;ion and Mediation; and whil&s;t the Sign is given by the Mini&s;ter, the Faithful do actually re|ceive the thing &s;ignified; For we deny not the Pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t, or of his Body or Blood in the
<PB N="165" REF="88">Action of the Sacrament, for be&s;ides that he is pre&s;ent in his Divine Per&s;on, he is not wanting in the pre&s;ence of his Spirit to his own Body and Blood, not locally, but <HI>Sacramentally.</HI></P>
<P>For you are to ob&s;erve, That there is a three|&s;old Pre&s;ence, be&s;ides that which is local, <HI>viz.</HI> 1. <HI>Symbolical,</HI> when things are repre&s;ented to the mind by &s;ome Sign or Symbol, as things by words or voices, Man by his Image. 2. Spiritual, when we repre&s;ent to our Selves by Faith; &s;ome Spiritual thing, either not yet exi&s;tent, or not lo|cally pre&s;ent; &s;o <HI>Abraham</HI> &s;aw Chri&s;t's day, <HI>John</HI> 8.58. 3dly. Vertual, when that which is di&s;tant in place, is pre&s;ent in Power and Efficacy, as the Sun. The&s;e three ways of Pre&s;ence meet in the <HI>Sacrament.</HI> For the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t are pre&s;ent to us. 1. Symbolically, as they are repre&s;ented by an external Sign. 2dly. Spiritually, as we apply by Faith to our &s;elves Chri&s;t's Body and Blood, with his Merits. 3dly. Vertually, as we perceive the Fruits thereof in our Hearts. The fir&s;t degree of Sacramental Pre&s;ence belongs to all, the &s;econd and third to the Faithful only. Therefore tho' Chri&s;t's Body by local pre&s;ence is as far di&s;tant from the Symbols, as Heaven is from Earth, yet there is a Sacramental Pre&s;ence: Pre&s;ence not being oppo&s;ed to Di&s;tance, but to Ab&s;ence.</P>
<P N="13">XIII. The Sacraments are not therefore bare empty Signs, becau&s;e the Symbol, and thing &s;ignified are not locally united, or there remain notwith&s;tanding, 1. The Signs <HI>Signifying.</HI> 2. <HI>Ex|hibiting.</HI> 3. <HI>Applying.</HI> 4. <HI>Sealing.</HI></P>
<PB N="166" REF="89">
<P>For Signs are either &s;ignificant only, as a Paint|ed Image &s;ignifieth a Man; or exhibiting al&s;o, as a Sceptre, Keys, a Turf of Earth, and &s;uch like, which being exhibited, Regal Power is al&s;o con|ferr'd, and leave to enter the Hou&s;e, and Po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion granted of the Premi&s;es; Or they are ap|plying Signs, as that Promi&s;e of God to pre&s;erve the 144000, <HI>Rev.</HI> 7.3. which the Angel applied to each one, by &s;etting a mark on his Fore-head. Or, La&s;tly, they are confirming Signs, as Ear|ne&s;ts, Seals, and &s;uch like. Now the&s;e four &s;orts of Signs meet in the Sacraments. For 1. The outward Symboles do &s;ignifie and repre&s;ent Chri&s;t's Body and Blood. 2dly. Together with the Sign, the thing &s;ignified is exhibited; yet not in the Sign, but in the Sacramental Action; the Mini&s;ter exhibiting the Sign, and Chri&s;t the thing &s;ignified is exhibited. 3dly. The thing &s;ignified, generally promi&s;ed to the Faithful in the Go&s;pel, by the exhibition of the Sign, is applied to each Believer. 4thly. The &s;ame Promi&s;e is confirmed by the Sacraments; whence they are not only call'd Signs, but Seals al&s;o, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.11.</P>
<P N="13">XIII. From this Union and Relation of the thing &s;ignified, to and with the Sign there ari&s;eth a Sacramental Phra&s;e or Speech, in which the thing &s;ignified is &s;poken of the Sign; but &s;uch manner of Speech expre&s;&s;es what the&s;e outward Signs &s;ignifie, rather than what they are in them|&s;elves, or of their own Nature.</P>
<PB N="167" REF="89">
<P>Thus, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17.9. Circumci&s;ion is called <HI>The Covenant,</HI> but <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. properly <HI>The Sign of the Covenant.</HI> So <HI>Exod.</HI> 12.11. The Lamb is called <HI>The Pa&s;&s;over;</HI> and the like &s;aying is u&s;ed <HI>Luke</HI> 22.1. and <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8, 11, 12, 15. In the &s;ame &s;en&s;e are all tho&s;e places to be under&s;tood in which <HI>Expia|tion</HI> is attributed to <HI>Sacrifices,</HI> and Purification to Water and Wa&s;hings. In the &s;ame manner, in In&s;tituting this <HI>Sacrament, While they were eating, Je&s;us took Bread, and when he had Ble&s;&s;ed, brake</HI> IT, <HI>and gave</HI> IT <HI>to his Di&s;ciples, &s;aying, Take, Eat,</HI> THIS <HI>is my</HI> BODY; <HI>likewi&s;e taking the Cup, and having given Thanks, he gave to them, &s;aying, Drink ye</HI> ALL <HI>of THIS, for THIS is the Blood of the New Te&s;tament,</HI> &amp;c. Matth. 26.26, 27, and 28. So 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.4. The <HI>Rock</HI> was <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> Nay, the very &s;ame is &s;een in other Speeches, be&s;ides Sa|cramental, as <HI>Gen.</HI> 41.37. The <HI>Seven Cows</HI> are <HI>Seven Years,</HI> Rev. 17.9. The <HI>Seven Heads</HI> are <HI>Seven Hills,</HI> and <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12 <HI>The Ten Horns</HI> are <HI>Ten Kings.</HI></P>
<P>Now where-ever things of <HI>different Natures</HI> are affirmed or joyned by the coupling of the Words, &s;uch Speech mu&s;t needs be either fal&s;e or tropical; whereas then the word <HI>is,</HI> in this &s;aying, <HI>This is my Body,</HI> conjoyns things of different Natures, to wit, <HI>Bread</HI> and Chrin's <HI>Body;</HI> either the Speech mu&s;t be <HI>fal&s;e,</HI> which to &s;ay is <HI>Bla&s;phemy;</HI> or el&s;e <HI>Tropical,</HI> as indeed it is, the meaning and true Interpretation thereof, and of all &s;uch Speeches being plain. <HI>Bread</HI> is the <HI>Body of Chri&s;t;</HI> that is, <HI>a Sacrament</HI> of his Body; Circumci&s;ion is God's
<PB N="168" REF="90">Covenant, that is, a Sign or <HI>Sacrament</HI> thereof, <HI>Seven Kine</HI> are <HI>Seven Years,</HI> that is, <HI>Types and Figures</HI> of <HI>Seven</HI> Years, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="14">XIV. The Bread and Wine in this Sacrament are not changed in nature, but in u&s;e. For the words of eating and drinking do properly belong to tho&s;e outward Elements, and by a borrowed Speech are &s;aid of the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, to note unto us the Communion we have with our Saviour, of whom we are as verily partakers by a Lively Faith, as of the Bread and Wine by eat|ing and drinking them. And thus we &s;ay, That the&s;e Elements are changed in u&s;e, becau&s;e being &s;eparated from a common u&s;e, they are Con&s;ecrated to Sign and Seal unto us our Spiritual Nouri&s;h|ment and Growth by the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t Je&s;us (<HI>Luke</HI> 22.19. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.3, 4. (For as the Sacrament of Bapti&s;m doth Seal to us a Spiritu|al Regeneration, &s;o the Lord's Supper, a Spiritu|al Feeding. And even as well the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t is in Bapti&s;m given us for Cloathing, as they are given in the Lord's Supper for Nouri&s;h|ment Therefore the Bread and Wine are not the true proper Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, but the &s;igns and tokens of them as in Bapti&s;m, the water was only a &s;ign of Chri&s;t's Blood, not the Blood it &s;elf.</P>
<P N="15">XV. VVe cannot therefore admit, nor ought to believe the Doctrin of the Carnal Pre&s;ence, or Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation, which is made a prime Arti|cle
<PB N="169" REF="90">of Faith in the <HI>Roman Church,</HI> viz. <HI>That in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper</HI> (or <HI>Ma&s;s,</HI> as they call it) <HI>the whole &s;ub&s;tance of the Bread and Wine, is by the words of Con&s;ecration, truly, really, and &s;ub|&s;tantially turned into the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and &s;o into whole Chri&s;t, without any of the &s;ub&s;tance of Bread and Wine remaining.</HI> [The&s;e are the words of their Council of <HI>Trent, Se&s;&s;.</HI> 13. <HI>C.</HI> 4. and <HI>Can.</HI> 1. and 2.]</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="arguments">
<HEAD>Arguments again&s;t Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. As for that &s;aying <HI>This is my Body,</HI> if the&s;e <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> will abide by the &s;trict litteral words, they make nothing for their Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation; for he that &s;ays, <HI>This is my Body,</HI> does not &s;ay, <HI>This is Tran&s;ub&s;tantiated into my Body.</HI> And if in any u&s;ual intelligible &s;en&s;e it may be his Body without this Notion of Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation, then cannot Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation be from thence infer'd. Now the &s;en&s;e will be very u&s;ual and intelligible, if the words be taken figuratively, as much as to &s;ay, <HI>This Bread &s;ignifies, repre&s;ents, or exhibits my Body;</HI> for the like figurative Expre&s;&s;ions are fre|quent in Scripture, as we &s;hewed before, <HI>Article</HI> XIII. To which we may add, That Chri&s;t is &s;aid to be a <HI>Door, John</HI> 10.9. A <HI>Vine,</HI> nay a <HI>true Vine, John</HI> 15.1. So Believers are &s;aid to be all <HI>one Bread,</HI> 1 Cor. 10.4. And 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.27. <HI>Ye are the Body of Chri&s;t.</HI> Now will any Man in his Wits argue from the&s;e Texts, That our Ble&s;&s;ed
<PB N="170" REF="91">Saviour was &s;ub&s;tantially a Rock? or a Vine? or that the <HI>Corinthians</HI> were Tran&s;ub&s;tantiated into the Body of Chri&s;t? If not, why will he &s;train this one Text to a &s;en&s;e alike ab&s;urd?</P>
<P>E&s;pecially &s;ince this figurative way of &s;peak|ing is rather to be expected in the In&s;titution of a <HI>Sacrament;</HI> the very nature of which is to repre|&s;ent and exhibit &s;ome invi&s;ible Grace and Benefit by an outward &s;ign and figure; Nor can it be de|nied, but Chri&s;t in the In&s;titution of this very Sacrament u&s;eth figurative Expre&s;&s;ions, which cannot be taken &s;trictly and literally, as, <HI>This Cup is the New Te&s;tament in my Blood,</HI> &amp;c. Where|as therefore the <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> urge that it is ab&s;urd to conceive tropical Phra&s;es which are ob&s;cure, in Chri&s;t's la&s;t Will and Legacy. 1. Their Suppo&s;i|tion is not true, that tropical Phra&s;es are ob&s;cure, for we u&s;e Tropes often to illu&s;trate, there being many times greater light and a more lively Idea carried to the mind by a borrowed, than in a proper Speech. 2dly. It is al&s;o a mi&s;take that Tropes are not u&s;ed in Wills and Te&s;taments, for <HI>Jacob</HI>'s Will &s;hews the contrary, <HI>Gen.</HI> 49. And <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>'s, Deut. 33. And them&s;elves are forc'd to grant a Trope in the&s;e words, <HI>This Cup is the New Te&s;tament.</HI> Indeed it was impo&s;&s;ible that the Di&s;ciples &s;hould under&s;tand the&s;e words, <HI>This is my Body,</HI> literally, becau&s;e they not only &s;aw, felt, and ta&s;ted, that what he gave them was Bread and Wine; but &s;aw likewi&s;e as plainly, that it was not his Body which was given, but his Body which gave that which was given; not his
<PB N="171" REF="91">Body broken and his Blood &s;hed; becau&s;e they &s;aw him alive at that very time, and beheld his Body whole and unpierced, therefore they mu&s;t needs under&s;tand him, as we do, <HI>Sacramentally,</HI> having been u&s;ed to the like Expre&s;&s;ions in the Scriptures, as is evident by the many Texts here|in before cited to that purpo&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. St. <HI>Paul</HI> divers times calls it Bread, even af|ter the Con&s;ecration, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. <HI>As oft as ye eat this</HI> BREAD <HI>and drink this Cup, ye do &s;hew forth the Lord's Death till he come.</HI> Who&s;oever &s;hall <HI>eat this</HI> BREAD, <HI>and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthi|ly,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="3">3. Chri&s;t's Body remains in Heaven, and there|fore is not here on Earth. <HI>Chri&s;t &s;its at the right Hand of God,</HI> Colo&s;. 3.1. <HI>Whom the Heavens mu&s;t contain until the Re&s;titution of all things,</HI> Acts 3.21.</P>
<P N="4">4. It includes great Ab&s;urdities, As that Chri&s;t held his whole Body in his Hands, yea did eat him&s;elf whil&s;t yet he &s;at whole and entire with his Di&s;ciples at the Table. That his Body mu&s;t be in a thou&s;and places at once, and his whole Body be much le&s;s in quantity than the lea&s;t Limb of his Body, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> By all which they &s;eem to vio|late an Article of Faith, and in effect deny the verity of our Lords Humane Body.</P>
<P N="5">5. It &s;ubverts the Credibility of the Chri&s;tian Religion, for that is mainly built on the Mira|cles wrought by our Saviour and his Apo&s;tles, which depended on the &s;en&s;es of tho&s;e that &s;aw them, but if our &s;en&s;es may not be credited, touch|ing
<PB N="172" REF="92">their proper objects, but I mu&s;t believe what my eyes, ta&s;te, feeling, and &s;melling inform me to be a Wafer or Wine, to be real &s;ub&s;tantial Fle&s;h and Blood, where is the certainty of any Miracle? For a Miracle is only a &s;upernatural Ef|fect evident to &s;en&s;e.</P>
<P N="6">6. If the Bread be a very Body of Chri&s;t, then there will remain no &s;ign of the thing &s;ignified, and &s;o no Sacrament. For a Sacrament always con&s;i&s;ts of a &s;ign, a thing &s;ignified, and the Analogy between them. Now if the Bread be the Body, the &s;ign and the thing &s;ignified is the &s;ame, and &s;o there can be no Analogy; to &s;ay the Accidents as whitene&s;s, roundne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> without the &s;ub&s;tance of Bread, are the &s;ign, is ab&s;ur'd, for &s;uch Acci|dents do not nouri&s;h, nor can &s;ignifie Communi|on, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. It introduces Idolatry, for the <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> Adore and give Divine Wor&s;hip to the Ho&s;t or Sacrament, and require the &s;ame of all who have Communion with them: Now if this Opinion of Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation be not true (as we have &s;hewed to be fal&s;e) 'tis plain, and them&s;elves cannot deny, but they are guilty of gro&s;s Idola|try; nor will it excu&s;e them to &s;ay, They wor&s;hip not the Bread but Chri&s;t, &s;uppo&s;ing the Bread to be Chri&s;t, for tho&s;e Heathens that wor&s;hipped the <HI>Sun</HI> or <HI>Jupiter,</HI> did &s;uppo&s;e them to be Gods. And if &s;uch a Plea were good, mo&s;t Idolaters would be excu&s;ed. But the Apo&s;tle teaches otherwi&s;e; <HI>When ye knew not God, ye did &s;ervice to them which by nature are no Gods,</HI> Gal. 4.8.</P>
<P N="8"><PB N="173" REF="92">8. The Primitive Church knew nothing of this Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation; The Fathers mention it not, nay rather explode any &s;uch Conceit. St. <HI>Chry&s;o|&s;tom</HI> (in <HI>Epi&s;tol. ad Cae&s;ar. Monach.</HI>) &s;aith, <HI>Before the Bread is con&s;ecrate, we call it (common) Bread, but the Divine Grace &s;anctifying it, 'tis taken off from the appellation of Bread, and accounted worthy to be called the Lord's Body, altho' the nature of Bread does therein remain</HI>&mdash;And again (in <HI>Opere im|perfecto in Matth. Homil.</HI> 11.) he has the&s;e words, <HI>In the Sacrament, not the true Body of Chri&s;t, but the My&s;tery of his Body is contained.</HI> So St. <HI>Au|gu&s;tine (contra Adimaent. c.</HI> 12.) <HI>The Lord doubted not to &s;ay,</HI> This is my Body, <HI>when he gave the &s;ign of his Body.</HI> And yet more full and expre&s;s is the &s;ame Father in his Book <HI>De Doctrin&acirc; Chri&s;tian&acirc;,</HI> where delivering &s;everal Rules for the right un|der&s;tanding of Scripture, he gives this for one,
<Q>If any Sentence of Scripture &s;eem to command any horrid thing or crime, it is figurative; for Example, <HI>Except ye eat the Fle&s;h of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you;</HI> This &s;eems to command an hainous Wicked|ne&s;s and Crime, therefore it is a Figure, com|manding us to communicate of the Pa&s;&s;ion of our Lord, <HI>and with delight and advantage to lay up in our Memory that his Fle&s;h was crucified and wounded for us.</HI></Q> Thus the Father.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="query">
<HEAD>Query.</HEAD>
<P><HI>But how then came &s;o &s;trange a Notion to be fir&s;t en|tertain'd by any Chri&s;tians?</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="174" REF="93">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>One Error begot another. You mu&s;t know that about the Year of our Lord 715, a fierce Di&s;pute aro&s;e about Images; the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> and a Council held there, were for Images; but the <HI>Greek Church</HI> and a Council at <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> condemned them: The Popes were &s;o hot and violent in this worthy Quarrel, that <HI>Gregory</HI> the Second Excommunicated the Emperour <HI>Philip,</HI> and <HI>Gregory</HI> the Third, the Emperour <HI>Leo</HI> the Third, becau&s;e they oppo&s;ed Images; And at la&s;t in the Second Council of <HI>Nice,</HI> about the Year 788, got Image-wor&s;hip e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
<P>Now one of the great Arguments of the before-mentioned Synod of <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> again&s;t Images was this, <HI>That our Lord Chri&s;t having left us no other Image of him&s;elf but the Sacrament in which the &s;ub&s;tance of Bread is the Image of his Body, we ought therefore to make no other Image of our Lord.</HI> To avoid the force of this Argument, the Bi&s;hops at the following <HI>Nicence Council,</HI> who were for Images, did declare, <HI>That the Sacrament after Con&s;ecration, is not the Image or Anti-type of Chri&s;ts Body and Blood, but it is properly his Body and Blood.</HI></P>
<P>This Doctrin being fir&s;t broached on this oc|ca&s;ion (which was in or about the Year 788) one <HI>Pa&s;cha&s;ius</HI> Abbot of <HI>Corbey</HI> about the Year 818, did much propagate and advance it in the <HI>Latin</HI> Church, tho' not without vigorous oppo&s;ition, fir&s;t by <HI>Rabanus Maurus</HI> Archbi&s;hop of <HI>Mentz,</HI> one of the mo&s;t Learned and Eminent Men of that
<PB N="175" REF="93">Age. And afterwards by <HI>Berengarius, Bertram,</HI> and others. But the Doctrin in it &s;elf making for the Honour of Prie&s;thood, was eagerly em|braced by mo&s;t of the Clergy; and poor <HI>Beren|garius</HI> forced to Recant, fir&s;t in a Council held at <HI>Rome</HI> by Pope <HI>Nicholas</HI> the Second, and after|wards again under Pope <HI>Gregory</HI> the Seventh, about the Year 1079. And to declare, <HI>That the Bread and Wine are &s;ub&s;tantially changed into the true and proper Body of Chri&s;t, and after Con&s;e cration are the true Body which was born of the Virgin, and did hang on the Cro&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>But tho' they had invented <HI>the thing,</HI> I do not find they had got <HI>a name</HI> for it, till the Council of <HI>Lateran</HI> under Pope <HI>Innocent</HI> the Third, in the Year 1215, became its Godfathers, and call'd it TRANSUBSTANTIATION. So that from the fir&s;t &s;tarting to the compleating of the Opinion, and e&s;tabli&s;hing it for a general Article of Faith, was above 400 Years; and that too the mo&s;t wretched time for Blindne&s;s and Ignorance that ever the Church labour'd under, and no wonder if whil&s;t Chri&s;tians were generally a&s;leep, the evil one took advantage to &s;ow his Tares; for in this dark period it was, that not only this, but mo&s;t other Popi&s;h Errors (as Image-Wor&s;hip, Purgatory, Indulgences, and Auricular Con|fe&s;&s;ion, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) received, if not their ri&s;e, yet their main growth and reputation in the World.</P>
<P N="16"><PB N="176" REF="94">XVI. The <HI>Lord's Supper</HI> ought to be admini|&s;tred in both kinds (not only the Bread, but al&s;o the Cup) to, and received by all the Faithful, or whole Congregation of Communicants, as well as by the Mini&s;ter or Prie&s;t: For,</P>
<P N="1">1. Chri&s;t In&s;tituted it in both kinds, with a Command to keep up the Celebration thereof till his &s;econd coming, <HI>Matth.</HI> 26.27. <HI>He took the Cup and gave it them, &s;aying, Drink ye all of it;</HI> and fortifies this Legacy and Command with a &s;trong Rea&s;on, <HI>For this is my Blood of the New Te&s;tament, which is &s;hed for many for the remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins.</HI> So <HI>Mark</HI> 14.23. <HI>He took the Cup, and when he had given Thanks, he gave it to them, and they All drank of it.</HI> And 'tis remarkable, that he doth not &s;ay, <HI>Eat ye All</HI> (tho' they were to do &s;o) <HI>but drink ye All,</HI> as fore-&s;eeing the &s;acrilegious Attempts of taking away from the People.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>But the Apo&s;tles only were then pre&s;ent, and they were Prie&s;ts.</HI></P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. 'Tis evident that the eating and the drink|ing belong to the &s;ame Per&s;ons; If the one be re&s;trained, &s;o mu&s;t the other; and &s;ince 'tis con|confe&s;s'd, That eating belongs to the people by vertue of this Precept <HI>[Eat of it]</HI> by the &s;ame rea|&s;on doth drinking belong to them, by vertue of the Precept <HI>[Drink ye all of it.]</HI> 2dly. Tho' the Apo&s;tles were Mini&s;ters, yet in this Act they were in the peoples &s;tead, and Chri&s;t was the Mini&s;ter
<PB N="177" REF="94">or Di&s;pen&s;er of this Sacrament. And as they were Mini&s;ters, he commanded them: <HI>Do this in remembrance of me,</HI> that is, take and di&s;tribute Bread and Wine to the People, as he had to them; and if they are commanded to give the Bread to the People, they are commanded to give the Wine al&s;o. 3dly. St. <HI>Paul</HI> clearly expounds, and applies this to all Believers; for having recited our Lord's words, thus he writes to all the <HI>Corin|thians, Let a man examine him&s;elf, and &s;o let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup,</HI> 1 Cor. 11. Where in four ver&s;es he in&s;eparably joyns eating and drinking together.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Commemoration of Chri&s;t's Blood poured out at his Death, belongs to the Commu|nion of the Cup, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.25. but that Comme|moration ought to be made by all Laymen as well as Prie&s;ts.</P>
<P N="3">3. To a Te&s;tament confirm'd by Death, none ought to add or dimini&s;h, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.15. But the partaking of the Cup by all, no le&s;s than the u&s;e of the Bread, is the Te&s;tament of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.25.</P>
<P N="4">4. If taking away one kind, takes away the thing &s;ignified by the Sacrament, and the Ana|logy between the perfect Nutrition, by a Banquet Corporal and Spiritual, then the Communion ought to continue in both kinds; but the fir&s;t is true, for Bread with Drink does not &s;ignifie a perfect Nouri&s;hment, nor can the Bread alone re|pre&s;ent Chri&s;t's Blood &s;hed for us.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="178" REF="95">5. It is confe&s;&s;ed by the mo&s;t Learned <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> That the whole Church of God (Lay and Cler|gy) for about 1200 Years, received in both kinds, even the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> it &s;elf. This is atte&s;ted by <HI>Lindanus (in Panopli&acirc;, L.</HI> 4. <HI>C.</HI> 56.) Cardinal <HI>Bona (de Rebus Liturgicis, L.</HI> 2. <HI>C.</HI> 18.) and others. Nay after that, in <HI>Thomas Aquinas</HI>'s time (who died in the Year of our Lord 1274, according to <HI>Trithemius</HI>) it was but in &s;ome Churches that the Cup was denied to the Laity [<HI>Aquinas, Part.</HI> 3. <HI>Quae&s;t.</HI> 8. <HI>Art.</HI> 12.] And &s;o the Famous Je&s;uit <HI>Gregory de Valentia (De Legit. u&s;u Euchari&s;t. C.</HI> 10.) owns that the cu&s;tom of communicating in one kind began generally to obtain, even in the <HI>La|tin</HI> Church, not long before the Council of <HI>Con|&s;tance,</HI> which was held in the Year 1414.</P>
<P>And remarkable is the Confidence of that Council, who not ignorantly, but with an expre&s;s <HI>Non ob&s;tante</HI> to Chri&s;t's In&s;titution, and the exam|ple of the primitive Church, deprived the people of half the Sacrament, for the&s;e are their words [<HI>Concil. Con&s;tan. Se&s;&s;.</HI> 1.3.] <HI>Altho Chri&s;t In&s;tituted and Admini&s;tred to his Di&s;ciples this Venerable Sacra|ment under both kinds of Bread and Wine, and al&s;o in the Primitive Church it was received in both kinds; yet notwith&s;tanding, for avoiding &s;ome dangers and &s;candals; this Cu&s;tom is, upon rea&s;onable grounds in|troduced, that it be received by Lay-people under the kind of Bread only.</HI> And then they proceed to de|clare &s;uch as per&s;i&s;t to maintain the contrary, &s;hall be expell'd as <HI>Hereticks,</HI> and grievou&s;ly pu|ni&s;ht; and enjoyn, <HI>That no Prtoe&s;t under pain of Ex|communication
<PB N="179" REF="95">&s;hall admini&s;ter it in both kinds to any Lay-per&s;on.</HI></P>
<P>It may, po&s;&s;ibly, be &s;ome &s;atisfaction to the Reader, to know what were tho&s;e frightful dan|gers and &s;candals mentioned in this Decree; Now <HI>John Ger&s;on</HI> who was pre&s;ent at that Council and wrote in defence thereof, particularly nominates them, as follows. 1. <HI>Becau&s;e the Liquor may by &s;ome cau&s;ualty be &s;pilt.</HI> 2. <HI>Becau&s;e it cannot be car|ried about among&s;t the People, but &s;ome will be apt to be pour'd over, for &s;ome may be troubled with the Pal&s;ie.</HI> 3. <HI>The Chalices or Ve&s;&s;els (which ought to be kept Sacred) will be defiled by being touch'd and han|dled by Lay-men.</HI> 4. <HI>The Laymen have long Beards on which &s;ome of the Con&s;ecrated Wine may &s;tick.</HI> 5. <HI>In keeping it for the u&s;e of the Sick, it may in Winter freeze, and in Summer grow &s;owre and turn to Vin|eager, or putrifie, and Worms (or Flies) be bred in it.</HI> 6. <HI>By that means, or by Di&s;ea&s;ed Per&s;ons drinking of it before, others may happen to loath it.</HI> 7. <HI>Some per|&s;ons do naturally nau&s;eate Wine.</HI> 8. <HI>In &s;ome Coun|tries Wine is not to be had, or not but at very chargea|ble rates. La&s;tly, It would give occa&s;ion to the peo|ple to believe that which is fal&s;e, as that Lay-people as to the receiving of the Sacrament, are of equal Dig|nity with the Prie&s;ts.</HI></P>
<P>&mdash; Thus <HI>Ger&s;on</HI> in <HI>Tractat. cont. Haere&s;. de Commun. &s;ub utraque &s;pecie.</HI></P>
<P>As if our Ble&s;&s;ed Lord could not fore-&s;ee all this, yet he &s;trictly commands, <HI>Drink ye All:</HI> As if people had not hands and beards, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> for the fir&s;t Thou&s;and Years: Yet all the while the
<PB N="180" REF="96">Church Admini&s;tred the Cup to the Laity; as if upon imaginary Inconveniences from, or to, &s;ome very few, Chri&s;t's Sacred Ordinance mu&s;t be vio|lated; what God had joyned might be &s;eparated, and the far greater part of Chri&s;tians deprived of one half of the Sacrament, without which indeed, the other is not the Sacrament In&s;tituted by Chri&s;t &mdash; But I think I need not &s;tand longer to winnow this Chaff. And therefore (having &s;poken of that which they call <HI>The Sacrifice of the Ma&s;s,</HI> before, <HI>Chap,</HI> 5. <HI>Art.</HI> 11.) &s;hall ha&s;ten to &s;ome more u&s;ual Ob&s;ervations.</P>
<P N="18">XVIII. The outward matter or &s;igns of the Sa|crament of the Lord's Supper, are Bread and Wine; the inward matter is Chri&s;t, with all his Satisfaction and Merit.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Bread and Wine were In&s;tituted to be the &s;igns of Chri&s;t's Body and Blood, for the analogy, &s;imili|tude, propriety, and effect that there is between the &s;ign and thing &s;ignified.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. As touching the Bread.</P>
<P N="1">1. As Corporal Life is chiefly &s;u&s;tain'd by Bread, &s;o by Chri&s;t (the true Bread) is the Soul nouri&s;h'd to Spiritual and Eternal Life.</P>
<P N="2">2. As Bread &s;upplies the Hunger of the Body, &s;o does the Merit of Chri&s;t that of the Soul.</P>
<P N="3">3. As Bread is u&s;eful and de&s;irable only to tho&s;e that Hunger, not to tho&s;e that are full Fed; &s;o the Vertue of Chri&s;t's Body profits only tho&s;e
<PB N="181" REF="96">that hunger after Righteou&s;ne&s;s; but tho&s;e that are puft up with their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and &s;eem to be full and need nothing, neither regard, nor obtain benefit by it.</P>
<P N="4">4. As one Loaf of Bread is made up of innu|merable Grains of Wheat, &s;o we that are many are under one My&s;tical Body of Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>As concerning the Wine.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. As Wine is a mo&s;t &s;weet and refre&s;hing Li|quor that makes glad the Heart of Man, and flows from that mo&s;t u&s;eful of Vegetables the Vine; &s;o the Blood of Chri&s;t is the mo&s;t delicious Drink of the Soul, that exhilerates the inward Man; being poured out for us from the &s;ide of Chri&s;t, who is the true Vine.</P>
<P N="2">2. As Wine quenches our Thir&s;t, warms the Body, and renders us more apt for the Functions of Life; &s;o the Blood of Chri&s;t received by Faith, allays the Thir&s;t of the Soul, excites it to Good Works, and enflames it with Charity or Love towards God and our Neighbour.</P>
<P N="18">XVIII. The &s;pecial ends of the&s;e Sacraments are,</P>
<P N="1">1. To renew in our Souls the Memory and Vertue of Chri&s;t's Death. 2. to augment our Faith, begotten by the Word Preached; and to confirm unto us our Nouri&s;hment, therein by the means of Chri&s;t's Pa&s;&s;ion and Merits. 3. To en|crea&s;e our Love, our Joy in the Holy Gho&s;t, our
<PB N="182" REF="97">Peace of Con&s;cience, our Hope of Eternal Life, and all other Divine Graces in us. 4. To &s;tir us up with greater Re&s;olution to Profe&s;s Chri&s;t than we had done, and quicken our Hearts to all Holy Duties. 5. To excite us to greater Thankfulne&s;s to God for his Mercies be&s;towed upon us in Chri&s;t. 6. To unite us more near in Charity and good Will one to another. 7. To difference us from Heathens and other Enemies of Chri&s;t; and the better to pre&s;erve the publick Mini&s;try of the Word and Prayer in Chri&s;tian A&s;&s;emblies.</P>
<P N="19">XIX. The Duties of Worthy Communicants are to be con&s;idered either as <HI>before,</HI> or <HI>at,</HI> or <HI>after</HI> the time of Receiving.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Before,</HI> by way of Preparation; <HI>Let a man examin him&s;elf, and &s;o let him eat that Bread,</HI> &amp;c. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.28 He mu&s;t examin 1. His Under&s;tand|ing, whether he knows the Nature and Ends of this Sacrament (which are briefly explain'd be|fore.) 2. His Con&s;cience, to be throughly &s;en&s;ible what need he has of it, partly by his wretched e&s;tate by Nature, prone to all Evil; and partly by his weak e&s;tate by Grace, &s;ubject to daily Infirmi|ties and Failings, where let him take a full Survey of his &s;everal Sins, both in their kinds and degrees, and aggravations, e&s;pecially &s;uch as by his com|plexion, cu&s;tom, or other Temptations he is mo&s;t frequently guilty of; making an humble, hearty confe&s;&s;ion of them all to God, with a deep humi|liation and &s;orrow for the &s;ame, e&s;pecially that he &s;hould &s;o grievou&s;ly offend &s;o good a God, who
<PB N="183" REF="97">&s;ent his Son to die for him. 3. Therefore let him examin his Faith, whether he do truly believe, and can, with an humble a&s;&s;urance, look towards the Mercy-&s;eat, even to him who alone is our <HI>propitia|tion, Rom.</HI> 3.25. <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the &s;ins of the world,</HI> John 1.29. which he cannot do, without a firm re&s;olution of aban|doning his evil cour&s;es, and immediately to begin and per&s;evere in the practice of Vertue and Piety. 4. His Charity, That he love God and his Neigh|bor; For this Sacrament is a Seal both of our conjunction with Chri&s;t, and of our &s;ociety one with another, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.17. and thence 'tis call'd <HI>the Communion.</HI> But what Communion can there be, where there is Malice and Envy, Backbiting and Whi&s;pering, &s;ecret Repining at the e&s;tate of our Superiors or proud di&s;dainful contempt of our Inferiors, or where there are no bowels of compa&s;|&s;ion towards tho&s;e that are in mi&s;ery, nor inclina|tion to relieve to the utmo&s;t of our power &s;uch as are in poverty want, or any kind of di&s;tre&s;s ei|ther in body or mind? We mu&s;t know that true Repentance purgeth our Malice and Uncharitable|ne&s;s among&s;t other &s;ins, and a &s;ound Faith always worketh by love towards God and our Brethren, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5.22, 23. <HI>James</HI> 1.19. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.1. <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.6. La&s;tly, That all this may not be done &s;lightly, but with &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s that &s;o important a matter re|quires, it will be convenient to &s;et apart &s;ome time, and withdraw him&s;elf from worldly Affairs, to meditate on the&s;e things for the rai&s;ing up of his Soul to a devout and heavenly temper, fit to en|tertain
<PB N="184" REF="98">&s;uch a gracious My&s;tery; giving him&s;elf to frequent Prayer with all zeal and earne&s;tne&s;s, that God would fit and prepare him &s;o, that he may not appear at this Nuptial Fea&s;t without having on a Wedding Garment.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>At,</HI> and <HI>during the time of Receiving,</HI> they ought to u&s;e all reverent attention, meditating on their own Unworthine&s;s, and Chri&s;t's Sufferings, and his ine&s;timable Love, <HI>Hereby perceive we the love of God towards us, becau&s;e he laid down his life for us,</HI> 1 John 3.16. And to &s;tir up their Souls to Love and Gratitude again to him for the &s;ame, re|&s;olving to give up them&s;elves wholly to be go|vern'd by him, and walk in Obedience to his Com|mands.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>After receiving,</HI> offer up with all po&s;&s;ible Devotion Thanks and Prai&s;es for that great Mer|cy, and beg the A&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Divine Spirit, for enabling thee to perform the Vow which thou ha&s;t now renewed and entred into; that the Cru|cified Je&s;us, of who&s;e Body and Blood thou ha&s;t been admitted to be partaker, would by the power of his Death &s;ubdue and mortifie all thy Corrupti|ons. For after every participation of this Holy Ordinance, we mu&s;t endeavour to find an encrea&s;e of our Faith in Chri&s;t, Love to God and his Saints, power to vanqui&s;h Sin, and practi&s;e Obe|dience; a further Mortification of the Old Man, and &s;o a greater mea&s;ure of dying unto Sin; a further &s;trength of the New Man, and &s;o a greater care to walk more &s;teadily in the ways of God all our days.</P>
<P>And if we receive no Refre&s;hment by this Spi|ritual
<PB N="185" REF="98">Fea&s;t, we may ju&s;tly &s;u&s;pect it is becau&s;e &s;ome &s;ecret unmortified Lu&s;t remaineth in us, like <HI>Achan</HI>'s VVedge of Gold, &s;ome beloved &s;in (ei|ther not &s;een, or not &s;ufficiently &s;orrowed for, and re&s;olved again&s;t) lieth glowing in the Heart, which cau&s;eth God to frown upon our Services; in which ca&s;e a Man ought to de&s;cend into him|&s;elf, and make a more &s;trict &s;earch into his Con|&s;cience, that he may again come before the Lord with better preparedne&s;s, and God will, in due time, give Con&s;olation to every one that unfeig|nedly &s;eeketh after, and waiteth upon him in his Ordinances.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VIII. <HI>Of good</HI> Works, Merit, Supererogation, <HI>the</HI> Moral Law; <HI>A brief</HI> Comment <HI>on the</HI> TEN COMMANDMENTS.</HEAD>
<P N="1">I. THE &s;tudy and practice of <HI>good Works,</HI> is throughout all the Scriptures mo&s;t &s;evere|ly enjoyned, and they are ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary as the <HI>way</HI> and <HI>means</HI> to obtain everla&s;ting life, th&ocirc; not as the <HI>meriting Cau&s;e</HI> thereof.</P>
<P N="1">1. This di&s;tinction is grounded on plain Scri|pture, for St. <HI>Paul</HI> te&s;tifies, <HI>That Eternal Life is the Gift of God,</HI> Rom. 6.23. Now a Gift is free, and cannot be merited, for then it werea purcha&s;e, ac|cording to the &s;ame Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.4. To him that works the Reward is reckon'd not of Grace, but of
<PB N="186" REF="99">Debt: Chri&s;t alone is the Storehou&s;e of our Merits; every true Believer is worthy not by his own Works, but in Chri&s;t, and by his Merits and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.8. <HI>By grace ye are &s;aved through faith, and that not of our &s;elves; it is the gift of God, Not of works, le&s;t any man &s;hould boa&s;t.</HI> Tit. 3.5. <HI>Not by works of righteou&s;ne&s;s which we have done, but according to his mercy he hath &s;aved us.</HI> For, 1. Our be&s;t works are imperfect; nay, St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith of him&s;elf, <HI>Though I know nothing by my &s;elf, yet am I not thereby ju&s;tified,</HI> 1 Cor. 4.4. 2. There is a va&s;t di&s;proportion between them and the glory to come. 3. They are Debts which we owe to God, we are bound to do them; &s;o that if we &s;hould do all, yet we mu&s;t confe&s;s &s;till <HI>we are unprofitable &s;ervants,</HI> Luke 17.10.4. As good, they are not our own, but proceed from the Spirit of God, th&ocirc; they are done by us, yet they are not of us; <HI>We are not &s;ufficient of our &s;elves to think any thing as of our &s;elves, but our &s;ufficiency is of God,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.5. <HI>He works in us both the will and the deed.</HI> And what Merit can there be in paying an old Debt, e&s;pecially when he to whom it is paid, lends us at pre&s;ent the money? 5. We do not profit God by them; <HI>If thou be righteous, what give&s;t thou to God? or what receiveth he at thy hands?</HI> Job 35.7. Why then &s;hould we qualifie our imperfect due, borrowed, unprofitable works (unprofitable, I mean, in this re&s;pect, of ju&s;tifying us in God's fight) with the arrogant title of Merits? To &s;ay, That Chri&s;t by his Death merited, that our works &s;hould merit everla&s;ting life, is an un&s;criptural
<PB N="187" REF="99">Expre&s;&s;ion, tending to repre&s;ent our &s;elves as Chri&s;t's Partners, and &s;o, in effect, our own Sa|viours and Redeemers.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>But the word</HI> Reward <HI>is often mentioned in Scri|pture, as</HI>&mdash;He &s;hall reward every man according to his works, <HI>Mat.</HI> 16.27. Great is your reward in Heaven, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5.12. <HI>He had re&s;pect to the re|compence of reward,</HI> Hebr. 11.26.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>There is a <HI>Reward of Mercy and Grace,</HI> and of <HI>De&s;ert or Merit;</HI> the one may be of Bounty far above any thing due to the Party, but &s;o is not the other. This is St. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI>'s di&s;tinction, [<HI>Epi&s;t. l.</HI> 1] <HI>There is</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>one kind of Reward of Liberality, and another of the wages of Vertues.</HI> Thus God rewards two ways, either in <HI>meer Ju|&s;tice,</HI> and &s;o he rewards the wicked ju&s;tly de&s;erv|ing damnation; or <HI>in Ju&s;tice and Mercy both,</HI> and &s;o he rewards &s;incere Believers; fir&s;t in Ju&s;tice, as well in re&s;pect of Chri&s;t's meriting Reward for &s;uch, as for that God having promi&s;ed a Reward, will, in his Ju&s;tice, perform it. But this is &s;till al&s;o in mercy, both in re&s;pect of our &s;elves de|&s;erving no &s;uch Reward, and of the moving cau&s;e which was meerly his own good plea&s;ure. Again, the Reward here is not promi&s;ed to the work, but to the per&s;on, and 'tis not &s;aid for his works, as noting any cau&s;e of the Reward, but according to his works: For there are many other Rewards
<PB N="188" REF="100">temporal and &s;piritual, which God may in &s;ome re&s;pect proportion to Mens virtues and zeal, th&ocirc; yet Eternal Life (which is beyond all &s;uch pro|portion) be freely be&s;tow'd for the alone merits of Chri&s;t, which being infinite, are only of an adequate value thereunto. And 'tis plain, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had re&s;pect to the recompence of Reward upon God's promi&s;e made, and not upon the merit of his own doing; for he makes not his own Act the procurer of the Recompence, but the certainty of the Recompence the Excitement to the work.</P>
<P N="2">2. Hence appears the unfoundne&s;s of the Do|ctrin of <HI>Supererogation,</HI> that is, that we are able to do &s;ome good works more than by the Law are required, and thereby of putting (as it were) an obligation on Almighty God: For tho&s;e that hold that Opinion, di&s;tingui&s;h God's Commands from Evangelical Coun&s;els; the former they make nece&s;&s;ary, but the doing of the latter (a|mong&s;t which they place their Vows of <HI>&s;ingle Life, Poverty, Regular Obedience,</HI> &amp;c.) highly merito|rious, for that a Man is not bound to do &s;uch things; and therefore they think that &s;uch as do them &s;hall have greater glory in Heaven, and in&s;i|nuate as if they could transfer &s;uch their <HI>overplus</HI> Merits, and thereby help others. But the Holy Scriptures tell us plainly, <HI>When you have done all, &s;ay you are unprofitable &s;ervants,</HI> Luke 17.10. <HI>How &s;hall a man be ju&s;t with God, if he will contend with him?</HI> Job 9.2. <HI>There is not a ju&s;t man upon earth that doth good, and &s;inneth not,</HI> Eccle&s;. 7.20. <HI>If we
<PB N="189" REF="100">&s;ay we have no &s;in, we deceive our &s;elves,</HI> 1 John 1.8. <HI>In many things we offend all,</HI> Jam. 3.2. The truth is, we are &s;o far from being able to &s;upererogate, that we cannot perfectly keep the Law, but even in the be&s;t of our works are deficient, as the Church and St. <HI>Paul</HI> confe&s;&s;es, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 64.6. <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.6. <HI>&amp;</HI> 21. But this Inability is not from the Nature of the Law, but the voluntary corruption of Man. And &s;o we are to under&s;tand the ancient Fathers when they &s;ay, and &s;ay truly, <HI>That God doth not re|quire things impo&s;&s;ible;</HI> &s;ince el&s;ewhere they affirm, <HI>That the highe&s;t perfection of a Chri&s;tian in this life, is to &s;ee his own Imperfection;</HI> Not an un&s;inning Obedience, but an Obedience &s;incere, all the per|fection here attainable being when the Will habi|tually entertains nothing that is contrary to the Will of God. So that the good works of the be&s;t Men while they are Travellers here, are im|perfect; the &s;tate of Glory &s;hall be their &s;tate of Perfection. Nor is this contrary to tho&s;e Texts, wherein the Saints are &s;aid <HI>to walk perfectly, and not to turn to the right hand or the left; that</HI> David <HI>was a Man after God's own heart: Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect,</HI> &amp;c. For in tho&s;e pla|ces is not to be under&s;tood &s;o much an ab&s;olute perfection, as the hearty de&s;ire and endeavors after it; a &s;incerity and integrity whereby the Faithful (th&ocirc; the Scripture el&s;ewhere &s;peaks of their &s;ins and Failings) do yet in the whole bent of their Lives &s;tudy to &s;erve God in the &s;implicity of their hearts without hypocri&s;ie. And yet even this their imperfection is cover'd with Chri&s;t's per|fection,
<PB N="190" REF="101">in which re&s;pect the Church is &s;aid to be without &s;pot or wrinkle; wherefore if no man be able exactly to fulfil the Law of God, much le&s;s is he able to &s;upererogate, or do more that can be acceptable to God above or beyond his Law; be&s;ides, to beg daily for pardon of our &s;ins (which our Saviour has enjoin'd us to do) and yet to boa&s;t of &s;uch works, are things incon&s;i&s;tent.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Mat.</HI> 19.12. <HI>There be Eunuchs which have made them&s;elves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of God. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.</HI> Is not here a coun&s;el to a &s;ingle Life beyond a Command? So in the 21&s;t <HI>Ver&s;e, If thou wilt be perfect, &s;ell all that thou ha&s;t, and give it to the poor.</HI> Is not here a <HI>Coun|&s;el</HI> to voluntary Poverty?</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Divine <HI>Coun&s;els</HI> are <HI>Commands,</HI> and cannot be de&s;pi&s;ed without &s;in and puni&s;hment, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 107.11. <HI>Prov.</HI> 1.25. <HI>Luke</HI> 7.30. And accordingly the&s;e Texts are to be under&s;tood; they are Commands, th&ocirc; particular, and given only to certain per&s;ons according to the exigency of their condition and gifts. In the fir&s;t Text, &s;ingle Life is not only coun&s;elled, but commanded on two conditions&mdash;<HI>If the Kingdom of Heaven doth &s;o require it; and if one be a&s;&s;ured of the Gift of Continency.</HI> Now every Man is bound to avoid all hindrances in his pa&s;&s;age to Heaven, according to that of Chri&s;t, <HI>If thy right Eye offend thee, pluck it out,</HI> &amp;c. So he
<PB N="191" REF="101">that hath the Gift of Continency, and knows that Marriage would hinder him, mu&s;t make him&s;elf an Eunuch, not literally, (as <HI>Origen</HI> is &s;aid to have mi&s;taken it) but live (as an Eunuch) unmar|ried: And this not by way of coun&s;el only, but as a Duty to further his own &s;alvation. After the &s;ame manner, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. &s;ingle Life in a large Di&s;|cour&s;e is enjoin'd to them that have the Gift of Continency, not &s;imply, but becau&s;e it was expe|dient in tho&s;e times of difficulty and per&s;ecution. Neither is the 2d Text a Coun&s;el, but a Command given to the Young Man, who had an&s;wer'd more arrogantly than truly, and given fal&s;e Te&s;timony of him&s;elf, <HI>That he had kept all the Commandments from his Youth-up,</HI> when yet he was apparently co|vetous, <HI>Mark</HI> 10.22. To &s;uppre&s;s which exce&s;s of Pride, and to try and manife&s;t his Folly, our Lord thus &s;peaks to him; Not to &s;et forth any new Doctrin, or way to perfection not contained in the Law.</P>
<P N="3">3. But th&ocirc; we are not to expect Ju&s;tification by the Law, or our own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, yet (I re|peat it again, for it can never be too often, or too much inculcated) we are bound, as ever we hope for &s;alvation, to practi&s;e and pre&s;s after Holine&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and all good Works: Therefore when the Apo&s;tle argueth vehemently again&s;t Ju|&s;tification by the Works of the Law, yet he doth pre&s;s the Duties of the Law &mdash; <HI>Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid; yea, we e&s;tabli&s;h the Law, Rom.</HI> 3.21. The Law continueth as our Rule, th&ocirc; not as a Covenant;
<PB N="192" REF="102">th&ocirc; not appointed to ju&s;tifie, yet commanded as the way we &s;hould walk in; becau&s;e God's Or|der is to communicate the benefits of Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s to none but &s;uch as &s;hall by Faith receive him, and walk obediently to his Com|mands. He has freely and graciou&s;ly promi&s;ed Rewards far beyond our be&s;t Works, and Pardon and Remi&s;&s;ion for our Defects and Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, but the &s;ame are not to be be&s;towed on tho&s;e who either &s;tand idle, or employ them&s;elves in Evil, but on the Labourers in his Vineyard, who pro|voke them&s;elves and others to good Works, and from time to time bewail their Sins and Failings, &s;triving continually for a Ma&s;tery over all their Corruptions. How &s;trong and pathetical is that exhortative Command of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Philip.</HI> 4.8. <HI>Finally, my Brethren, what&s;oever things are true, what|&s;oever things are hone&s;t, what&s;oever things are ju&s;t, what&s;oever things are pure, what&s;oever things are lovely, what&s;oever things are of good report: if there be any vertue, and if there be any prai&s;e, think on the&s;e things.</HI> A Text, which as it &s;ingly comprehends more than all the Volumes of the Philo&s;ophers Morals, &s;o if it were but &s;ufficiently regarded by Chri&s;tians, we &s;hould &s;oon perceive an higher im|provement in their Lives, Dealings, and Conver|&s;ations! However, 'tis a grand and mo&s;t unju&s;t Calumny, That the Prote&s;tant Doctrin condemns or neglects good Works; For none do more vi|gorou&s;ly urge the nece&s;&s;ity of an holy Life, and that too upon &s;olid Scripture grounds, whereby alone the &s;ame is attainable. And what&s;oever the
<PB N="193" REF="102">Church of <HI>Rome</HI> may boa&s;t in this matter, one main Rea&s;on why we reject &s;everal of her Doctrins (as <HI>Purgatory, Indulgences, Perfunctory Confe&s;&s;ions, Penances and Ab&s;olutions,</HI> &amp;c.) is, be|cau&s;e they tend to loo&s;ne&s;s of Life, and not to that &s;erious Mortification and real Godline&s;s which the Chri&s;tian Religion in its purity requires.</P>
<P N="2">II. The Rule of good Works, or that where|by we are to &s;quare all our Affections, Thoughts, Words, and Actions, is the Moral Law of God, briefly comprized in the <HI>Decalogue,</HI> that is, the TEN WORDS or COMMANDMENTS deli|vered to <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> and more fully expounded in the Books of the Prophets, Apo&s;tles, and other in&s;pi|red Penmen of the Holy Scriptures.</P>
<P>The&s;e Commandments were written in Tables of Stone, (<HI>Deut.</HI> 10.4.) partly to &s;ignifie the perpetual obligation and continuance of the u&s;e of them to the end of the world; partly to &s;hew the &s;tony hardne&s;s of our hearts in which this Law was to be written, and to declare how hard it is to bring us to the obedience of them. And they were &s;o written by the Finger of God, be|cau&s;e none but he can write his Law in our hearts.</P>
<P N="3">III. The general Rules to be ob&s;erved for the under&s;tanding and right interpreting of this Law, are the&s;e:</P>
<P N="1">1. That the Law is &s;piritual, reaching to the Soul, and all the powers thereof, and binding the
<PB N="194" REF="103">Heart, Thoughts and Con&s;cience, as well as the outward Man, to entire and perfect Obedience&mdash;<HI>The Law is &s;piritual,</HI> Rom. 7.14. <HI>He that looketh on a Woman to lu&s;t after her, hath committed Adul|tery,</HI> Mat. 5.28. <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy &s;oul,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Mat.</HI> 22.37.</P>
<P N="2">2. That whereas the Precepts are all deli|ver'd with great brevity, there is in each of them to be under&s;tood a <HI>Syncedoche,</HI> or borrowed &s;peech including more than is nakedly expre&s;s'd: For 1. What&s;oever the Law commandeth, it forbid|deth the contrary: And what&s;oever it prohibits, the contrary Duty is enjoin'd. 2. What it com|mands or forbids in one kind, it commandeth or forbiddeth all of the &s;ame kind, and all the de|grees thereof, as likewi&s;e the Cau&s;es, Occa&s;ions, and all Provocations and Furtherances thereunto, each of which bear the name of that Sin, which by name is prohibited; &s;o Chri&s;t calls a la&s;civious look <HI>Adultery,</HI> Mat. 5.28. And St. <HI>John</HI> affirms, <HI>He that hateth his Brother is a Murtherer,</HI> 1 John 3.5.</P>
<P N="3">3. Of the Ten Commandments &s;ome are &s;et down <HI>affirmatively,</HI> telling what we &s;hould do; others <HI>negatively,</HI> telling us what we &s;hould not do. And the&s;e <HI>la&s;t</HI> are more in number than the former (for they are only the 4th and 5th) both to put us in mind of our corruption, which need|eth greatly to be re&s;trained, and that we mu&s;t abandon Sin before we can do any good work; as al&s;o becau&s;e the <HI>Negative</HI> bindeth more &s;trongly.
<PB N="195" REF="103">For the Negative Precept obligeth <HI>always</HI> and <HI>in|ce&s;&s;antly,</HI> or to all moments of time; the Affirma|tive <HI>always,</HI> but not <HI>ince&s;&s;antly,</HI> or to all moments, as for Example, we are always bound to do our Neighbour good, but not ince&s;&s;antly; for there are not continual occa&s;ions to do him good; but on the contrary it is never lawful to hurt our Neighbour.</P>
<P N="4">4. All the Commandments run in the Second Per&s;on of the Singular Number, <HI>Thou &s;halt, or Thou &s;halt not,</HI> &amp;c. Not You, or no Man, or every Man, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Becau&s;e God being no Re&s;pecter of Per&s;ons, &s;peaketh to all Men alike, as well the Rich as the Poor, High as Low; as likewi&s;e becau&s;e no Man &s;hould put off the Commandments of God from him&s;elf, as th&ocirc; they did not concern him; it being a common Abu&s;e to e&s;teem that which is generally &s;poken, as if it were &s;poken to none. Thus we find it frequent for Men to con|fe&s;s that God is ju&s;t, and that he commandeth this, and forbiddeth that, and yet they u&s;ually &s;o behave them&s;elves, and &s;hift off the matter to the general, as if it did nothing belong to them in particular, and they might notwith&s;tanding live as they li&s;t: whereas every Soul ought to apply the Commands to him&s;elf, as much as if God had &s;poken to him by Name, and is accordingly to be affected therewith. Furthermore, all the&s;e Pre|cepts are propounded in the Future Ten&s;e, <HI>Thou &s;halt not,</HI> &amp;c. Becau&s;e it is not enough if we had kept the Commandments of God heretofore, ex|cept
<PB N="196" REF="104">we continue in the &s;incere performance of them to the end of our Lives.</P>
<P N="4">IV. The Commandments are divided into two Tables; the fir&s;t Table, comprehending the Four fir&s;t Precepts, contains our Duty to God. The &s;econd Table, in the other &s;ix, comprizes our Duty to Man.</P>
<P>The Sum of the fir&s;t Table is, <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy &s;trength,</HI> Deut. 6.5. Mat. 22.37. Luke 10.27. The Sum of the &s;econd Table, <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy Neighbour as thy &s;elf,</HI> Lev. 19.18. Mat. 22.39. So that Charity, or the love of God and our Neighbour, is the Sum total of the whole Law.</P>
<P>The love of God is the ground of our love to our Neighbour; and our love to our Neighbour a te&s;timony of our love to God, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.20. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.8. Hence the &s;econd Table is &s;aid to be like unto the fir&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 22.39. Becau&s;e they go &s;o hand in hand together, that no Man can perform the one, unle&s;s he accompli&s;h the other.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="comment">
<PB N="197" REF="104">
<HEAD>A Brief Comment on the <HI>Decalogue</HI> or <HI>Ten Commandments.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of</HI> Egypt, <HI>out of the Hou&s;e of Bondage.</HI>]</P>
<P>This is as a Preface to all the Commandments, wherein 1. The Lord a&s;&s;erts his Legi&s;lative Pow|er and right of Commanding; For being our Lord and our God, that gave us and all things, Being, both by creating them at fir&s;t, and pre|&s;erving and directing them continually, 'tis high|ly rea&s;onable that he &s;hould be obeyed. 2dly. He is not only the Lord our Maker, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 100 3. but al&s;o our God and Saviour, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.10. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 36.6. And therefore he inforces this to the <HI>I&s;ra|elites</HI> (to whom the Law was fir&s;t promulgated) by the memory of their then late deliverance out of <HI>Egypt;</HI> which as it was a type of our Redempti|on by Chri&s;t, &s;o in that &s;piritual &s;en&s;e, it con|tinues continually to oblige us Chri&s;tians to the ob&s;ervance of God's Commandments.</P>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Fir&s;t Commandment. <HI>[Thou &s;halt have no other Gods before me.]</HI></HEAD>
<P>Tho' there be but One God, yet Men are too apt to devi&s;e unto them&s;elves divers things, which they place in <HI>God's &s;tead,</HI> and to which they give
<PB N="198" REF="105">that Honour which is proper unto God, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.4. <HI>We know that an Idol is nothing, and that there is none other God but one, yet there be that are called Gods,</HI> &amp;c And <HI>Chap.</HI> 10.20. <HI>The things which the Gentiles &s;acrifice, they &s;acrifice to Devils, and not unto God.</HI></P>
<P>Therefore this Command requires, That <HI>Jeho|vah Elohim</HI> (One in Sub&s;tance, and Three in Per&s;ons) the Creator and Governor of all things, and the Redeemer of his People, be entertained for the only true God in all the Powers of our Soul. That the <HI>inward and &s;piritual Wor&s;hip</HI> of the Heart, wherein God e&s;pecially delighteth, and which is the ground of the <HI>outward,</HI> is to be given to him and none other: And that &s;incerely without Hypocri&s;ie, as in his &s;ight, who &s;earch|eth and knoweth the Heart, which is denoted by the&s;e words, <HI>before Me,</HI> or <HI>before my Face</HI> (as &s;ome read it.) For thereby God declares, That he con|demneth as well the corrupt thoughts of Man's Heart concerning his Maje&s;ty, as the wicked Pra|ctice of the Body, &s;ince our thoughts are before his Face. So that there is Condemn'd</P>
<P N="1">1 <HI>Athei&s;m,</HI> which is the having, that is, the acknowledging of no God at all; for tho' all men men mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity have (and &s;hall one day find) a God above them; yet many either impiou&s;ly de|ny him (&s;ome in Words, more in their Works) or el&s;e endeavour not, as they ought, to <HI>know</HI> Him, or &s;eem not to regard him, and &s;o (as much as in them lies) make him no God. For to acknow|ledg any for God, is to believe, to place tru&s;t
<PB N="199" REF="105">and confidence in him; to love and fear him a|bove all things, to &s;ubmit patiently to his Will, and to acknowledg all good things for his Gifts.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Polythei&s;m,</HI> the having many Gods, or gro&s;s outward Idolatry, &s;uch as that of the Heathens. As likewi&s;e all kinds of Compacts with the Devil, expre&s;s or implicite, &s;uch as tho&s;e of Conjurers, Negromancers, and the like black Arti&s;ts de|pending on the Prince of Darkne&s;s, and &s;uch as believe and put confidence in them.</P>
<P N="3">3. All <HI>inward Idolatry,</HI> whereby men &s;et up an Idol in their Heart in&s;tead of God, either a&s;crib|ing thereunto that which is proper to him, or giving unto it any part of Spiritual Adoration; that is to &s;ay, all tho&s;e who <HI>fear, love, relie upon,</HI> or magnifie any created things, what&s;oever they be, either above or equal with God, are guilty of violating this Commandment.</P>
<P>The <HI>Means</HI> to a&s;&s;i&s;t us to ob&s;erve this Precept, that is, to &s;ettle and &s;upport us in this Spiritual Wor&s;hip of God are, 1. To endeavour to attain and encrea&s;e in the knowledg of him in Je&s;us Chri&s;t. 2. To con&s;ider what great things he hath done for us, in all our ways, taking notice of his Pre&s;ence, Promi&s;es, and Providence. 3. Pray|er with a &s;imple contrite Heart, de&s;irous of Know|ledge. 4. Reading and Hearing of the Word of God, with Devout Meditation thereon. 5. Keep|ing Godly Company, and refraining, as much as po&s;&s;ibly, being infected by the Contagion of A|thei&s;ts, Idolaters, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="Commandment">
<PB N="200" REF="106">
<HEAD>The Second Commandment.</HEAD>
<P><HI>[Thou &s;halt not make to thy &s;elf any graven Image, or any likene&s;s of any thing that is in Heaven above, or that is in the Earth beneath, or that is in the Water under the Earth; Thou &s;halt not bow down to them, nor &s;erve them: For I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, vi&s;iting the Iniquity of the Fa|thers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation, of them that hate me, and &s;hewing mercy unto thou&s;ands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments.]</HI></P>
<DIV5 TYPE="observation">
<HEAD>Here Ob&s;erve,</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. That as the Fir&s;t Commandment enjoyns the <HI>true Object</HI> of Religion, or entertainment of none but the living God in our Hearts, &s;o the other Three of the fir&s;t Table (which compre|hends our whole Duty to God as was &s;aid before) do pre&s;cribe the <HI>means</HI> of his Service; which are either &s;uch as are to be perform'd at <HI>all times,</HI> laid down in this Second and the next following Pre|cept; or &s;uch as concern the peculiar time to be &s;et apart for his Wor&s;hip, which is directed by the Fourth.</P>
<P N="2">2. That the &s;cope of this Command, is, to bind all Men to that &s;olemn Form of Religious Wor|&s;hip which God him&s;elf in his Word pre&s;cribeth; That we &s;erve him not after our own Fancies, but according to his own Will. <HI>What thing &s;oever I command you, ob&s;erve to do it, thou &s;halt not add there|to, nor dimini&s;h from it,</HI> Deut. 12.32. And as the
<PB N="201" REF="106">inward and outward VVor&s;hip of God ought to go together, &s;o whereas in the Fir&s;t Command|ment the Lord requires we &s;hould <HI>have no other Gods before him,</HI> that is, in the &s;ecret of our Hearts whereof he alone can take notice; &s;o in this Se|cond by the words <HI>Make, Bow, Wor&s;hip,</HI> he for|biddeth any outward Service of Religion to be given unto any other. <HI>Thou &s;halt Wor&s;hip the Lord thy God, and him only &s;halt thou &s;erve,</HI> Deut. 6.13. Which words by our Saviours own Interpretation <HI>Mat.</HI> 4.10. &s;ignifie no le&s;s than, <HI>Thou &s;halt Wor|&s;hip the Lord thy God, and him only &s;halt thou &s;erve;</HI> which general prohibition excludes not only the Devili&s;h Idols of the Gentiles, but all other Crea|tures how excellent &s;oever, from all Religious Wor&s;hip, of which indeed there can be but one kind, &s;ince there is but one only lawful Object thereof, which is God ble&s;&s;ed for ever.</P>
<P N="3">3 Becau&s;e of all &s;orts of fal&s;e Wor&s;hip, that, of and by <HI>Images,</HI> has always been mo&s;t common and pernicious; and Man is very prone thereunto, as delighting to have a God of his own making, or &s;ome &s;en&s;ible Object to repre&s;ent the Divine Ma|je&s;ty, or be to him in God's &s;tead; that &s;o by pay|ing thereto &s;ome ea&s;ie &s;uperficial: outward Ho|nours and Adotations, he may be excu&s;ed for the neglect of that Cordial Reverence and Wor&s;hip which he ought to pay unto <HI>Jehovah;</HI> therefore the Lord chu&s;es to comprehend the prohibition of all fal&s;e ways of Wor&s;hip under that of Images.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="202" REF="107">4. That this Commandment does forbid, 1. The <HI>making</HI> of any <HI>Images</HI> or Repre&s;entations of God, or any of the Per&s;ons of the Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Trinity.</HI> 2. The making of the Images or Pictures of any Creature what&s;oever for Religious Ends or U&s;es. 3dly. It prohibits all Religious Adoration and Wor&s;hip outward or inward to be given to any Images of God, or of the <HI>Saints,</HI> or of any other Creature when they are made: For,</P>
<P>As the <HI>Fir&s;t Command</HI> forbids fal&s;e Gods, &s;o <HI>This</HI> the Wor&s;hipping of the True God by a fal&s;e means, and e&s;pecially by <HI>Images,</HI> prohibiting all manner of Religious Wor&s;hip and Honour of them whether ab&s;olutely or relatively, mediately or ultimately; for it &s;aith, <HI>Thou &s;halt not bow down to them nor &s;erve them;</HI> intimating the Idolatrous Wor&s;hip of Images con&s;i&s;teth in two things. 1. <HI>Adoration,</HI> as by uncovering of the Head, bow|ing of the Body, bending of the Knee, and &s;uch like Ge&s;tures. 2. In any kind of Religious <HI>Ser|vice,</HI> as when they are trimmed up with Gold, Silver, and Jewels, when Incen&s;e is burnt to them and they &s;et on high places, when Vows are made to them, when they are honour'd with Pilgrimages, <HI>Oblations, Wax Candles, Tapers,</HI> and other &s;uch like Ceremonies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>1&s;t Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Was not this Commandment</HI> Ceremonial <HI>and pro|per only to the</HI> I&s;raelites? <HI>Or at lea&s;t are not Idols, or the Images of</HI> fal&s;e Gods <HI>only forbidden here?</HI></P>
<DIV6 TYPE="answer">
<PB N="203" REF="107">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>This Commandment is part of the <HI>Moral Law,</HI> and cannot be Ceremonial, or binding to the <HI>Jews</HI> only, becau&s;e the rea&s;on of it is immutable, and the &s;ame is &s;o far from being repealed, that it is ratified in the Go&s;pel, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.23.25. 2dly. E|very Image, Picture, or Statue made for Reli|gious Wor&s;hip is <HI>an Idol,</HI> whether it be of fal&s;e gods, or pretending to repre&s;ent the True God, as appears by the Expo&s;ition of this Command given by <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> him&s;elf, for thus he &s;aith, <HI>Deut.</HI> 4.12. <HI>The Lord &s;pake unto you, ye heard the voice, but &s;aw no &s;imilitude, only heard the voice; Take therefore good heed (for ye &s;aw no manner of &s;imili|tude) le&s;t ye corrupt your &s;elves, and make you a gra|ven Image, the &s;imilitude of any Figure,</HI> &amp;c. Whence 'tis evident, That the Second Commandment forbids the Wor&s;hipping the True God by Images; for <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>'s Argument is, That God did therefore forbear to &s;hew him&s;elf in any vi&s;ible &s;hape at the delivery of the Law, to the end they &s;hould make no Image of him, and that it might be better known that the Wor&s;hipping of Images, not only as they have reference to the Creatures or fal&s;e Gods, but al&s;o as (in the intention of the Makers) they might have relation to him&s;elf, did come within the compa&s;s of Idolatry.</P>
<P N="3">3dly. The Scripture in &s;undry places atte&s;ts, That tho&s;e who erect Images to God, and in and by them think to Wor&s;hip God, are guilty of horrible Idolatry. Thus the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> by making
<PB N="204" REF="108">a Golden Calf committed Idolatry; they could not be &s;o &s;illy as to think that the Calf which they made was the God that brought them out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> but becau&s;e the <HI>Egyptians</HI> wor&s;hipped their fal&s;e Gods by an Hieroglyphick repre&s;entation in the &s;hape of an <HI>Ox,</HI> they would wor&s;hip <HI>Jehovah</HI> in like manner, as appears by the very words of the Text, <HI>Exod.</HI> 32.5. <HI>Aaron after he had made a Golden Calf, built an Altar before it, and made Pro|clamation and &s;aid, To morrow is a Fea&s;t to the Lord</HI> (Jehovah.) So <HI>Micah</HI> made his Image in Honour of <HI>Jehovah,</HI> Judges 17.3. <HI>I had wholly dedicated the Silver unto the Lord</HI> (Jehovah;) and <HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 13. <HI>Now I know that the Lord</HI> (Jehovah) <HI>will do me good becau&s;e I have a Levite to my Prie&s;t.</HI> Nay <HI>Jeroboam</HI>'s Calves were made to repre&s;ent not fal&s;e Gods, but <HI>Jehovah;</HI> for &s;o we read, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 12.18. <HI>Behold thy Gods, O I&s;rael! which brought thee up out of the Land of</HI> Egypt. But &s;o far is the Almighty and Jealous God from accepting &s;uch Wor&s;hip, that he declares in his Word, <HI>That &s;uch Wor&s;hip|pers of him by Images, committed Idolatry, and were indeed Wor&s;hippers of the Devil. They provoked him to Jealou&s;ie with &s;trange Gods, they Sacrificed unto Devils</HI> Deut. 32.17. <HI>They made a Calf in tho&s;e days, and Sacrificed to the Idol,</HI> Acts, 7 41. Where the Gol|den Calf is called an Idol, and the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> are &s;aid to Sacrifice to the Devil; which cannot be under&s;tood of the Judgment and Intention of the Men Wor&s;hipping it, as if they did de&s;ign to Wor|&s;hip the Devil and fal&s;e Gods thereby, but of the truth of the thing, and of the Judgment of God
<PB N="205" REF="108">te&s;tifying that &s;uch Wor&s;hip being contrary to his Command, did di&s;plea&s;e him, and had the Devil for its Author, and &s;o, whatever they intended, was indeed the Wor&s;hipping of Devils and fal&s;e Gods.</P>
</DIV6>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Second Objection.</HEAD>
<P>We know (<HI>&s;aith St.</HI> Paul, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.4.) that an Idol is nothing in the world; <HI>whence it &s;hould &s;eem, that Images are of things really exi&s;tent, but Idols of things not exi&s;tent,</HI> viz. <HI>&s;uch as never had any being in the world; and con&s;equently that the Pictures of God, Chri&s;t, the Virgin</HI> Mary, <HI>Saints,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>though Religiou&s;ly made, kept, or adored, cannot be Idols.</HI></P>
<DIV6 N="1" TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer 1.</HEAD>
<P>St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks not &s;o much with reference to the Object which it repre&s;ents, as in re&s;pect of the Vertue and Efficacy of Idols, which indeed is nothing. 2dly. We know that the Heathens had Idols not only of things feigned, but al&s;o of &s;ome things that were or had been truly exi&s;tent; If any Emperor &s;hould require his own Statue, or that of his Father or Predece&s;&s;or to be reverenc'd with di|vine Honours (which is thought to be at lea&s;t one of the original cau&s;es of this mode of fal&s;e Wor&s;hip) will any Chri&s;tian &s;ay, That complying herewith is not Idolatry, becau&s;e &s;uch Images were Repre|&s;entations of a real Per&s;on? 3dly. The Images of God, the Ble&s;&s;ed Trinity, Chri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> are Lies; For God's Glorious and Incomprehen&s;ible Na|ture cannot be repre&s;ented to Men by any Image,
<PB N="206" REF="109">but in a way of infinite di&s;paragement to him; nor Chri&s;t, for he is both God and Man; to paint his Divinity is both unlawful and infinitely more difficult than that of the Poet, <HI>Pinge &s;onum,</HI> Paint a voice; and if they mean it only of his Body, from whence &s;hould they have the true Copy, there be|ing no Images or Pictures thereof talkt of till fome hundreds of Years after his Death and A&s;cen&s;ion; and tho&s;e Pictures they now have and Adore, are not alike in &s;hape, lineaments, or colour. And as for the Saints (not to mention that there are Images abroad of &s;uch as never were, as St. <HI>Chri|&s;topher,</HI> &amp;c) it is an affront and unbecoming tho&s;e Glorified Spirits to repre&s;ent them in dull and &s;en&s;ele&s;s Images, much more to pay &s;uch Honours to them as they cannot but di&s;claim and con|demn.</P>
</DIV6>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Third Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>But the Honour of God &s;eems to require the Wor|&s;hip of his Image, for that redounds to God; as he that honours his Prince, will honour his Picture; and we &s;hew our Reverence to the King by being uncovered in the Pre&s;ence Chamber, tho' the King be ab&s;ent.</HI></P>
<DIV6 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>That we ought not to make any Image of God is proved before; And as to the compari&s;on, if a King forbid any Picture of him&s;elf to be made or &s;et up, and any over officious Subject &s;hould not|with&s;tanding &s;et up the King's Picture pretend|ing to do it in re&s;pect to the King; &s;uch Prince
<PB N="207" REF="109">would undoubtedly e&s;teem him&s;elf not Honour'd but highly Di&s;honour'd thereby, &s;ince his Com|mands are broken, his Authority violated and de|&s;pi&s;ed. Again, if a King require &s;uch Reverence to be given to his Pre&s;ence-Chamber, it is fit he &s;hould be obeyed, &s;eeing it is only a Civil, not Re|ligious Wor&s;hip; but &s;ince God hath &s;everely for|bidden any Religious Wor&s;hip to be given to any Images or Pictures, there is good rea&s;on his Pro|hibition &s;hould be ob&s;erv'd. Nor does any more di&s;honour redound to God from our &s;lighting or de&s;troying tho&s;e Images which he forbids, though pretending to repre&s;ent him, than does to the King by cutting to pieces that Adulterate Money, whereon (the more to deceive) fal&s;e Traitors have &s;tampt the Royal Effigies.</P>
</DIV6>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="4" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Fourth Objection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Tho' &s;ome Chri&s;tians u&s;e Images to put them in mind of God, Chri&s;t, or the Saints, yet how do you know that there are any that do make them Objects of Di|vine Wor&s;hip, or think to Wor&s;hip God, Chri&s;t, or the Saints in or by them?</HI></P>
<DIV6 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Not only the Practices of Thou&s;ands daily be|fore our eyes in &s;everal parts of <HI>Europe</HI> that pro|fe&s;s them&s;elves <HI>Roman Catholics</HI> may a&s;&s;ure us there|of; but the Second Council of <HI>Nice,</HI> and that of <HI>Trent</HI> (tho' the la&s;t more covertly) do command the Wor&s;hipping of Images; and their own <HI>Azo|rius</HI> affirms, <HI>It is the con&s;tant Opinion of Divines</HI>
<PB N="208" REF="110">(that is, of his Church of <HI>Rome) that an Image is to be Honour'd and Wor&s;hip'd with the &s;ame Honour and Wor&s;hip which is to be given to him who&s;e Image it is.</HI> And <HI>Bellarmine</HI> in his Treati&s;e on this Sub|ject expre&s;ly di&s;putes for this, <HI>That Images are not only to be Wor&s;hipt as Exemplars, but al&s;o properly and by them&s;elves, &s;o as the Wor&s;hip may be terminated in them; and con&s;equently an Image of God or Chri&s;t may be Wor&s;hipped with the &s;ame Adoration which we pay to God him&s;elf, which indeed &s;eems the re&s;ult of the Council of</HI> Trent; <HI>for if I Wor&s;hip Chri&s;t by his Image, and the Honour I pay to the Image redounds to Chri&s;t, then I mu&s;t give the &s;ame Wor&s;hip to the Image which I ought to give Chri&s;t, becau&s;e in that ca&s;e the Image is to me in Chri&s;t's &s;tead, or his Repre|&s;entative, and to give it le&s;s Honour, will be a Di&s;ho|nour to him.</HI> Which is &s;uch a Doctrin &s;o evident|ly oppo&s;ite to God's Law, that 'tis no wonder if the Teachers thereof have left out this Second Commandment in many of their vulgar Catechi&s;ms and Books, and in&s;tead thereof, that the people might &s;till have the number of Ten, do divide the Tenth into Two.</P>
<P>About what time, and after, with what oppo&s;ition Image Wor&s;hip was fir&s;t brought into the Church, is &s;hewn in the former Chapter. And whereas 'tis alledged that they are <HI>Lay mens Books;</HI> I &s;hall on|ly &s;ay, That our Laity, God be Prai&s;ed, have (and long may they continue to have) the <HI>Holy Bible</HI> and other better Books to in&s;truct them, for want of which not a few poor Souls abroad, have made the&s;e Sen&s;ele&s;s Blocks, not their Books, but
<PB N="209" REF="110">their Gods; and what kind of Books the&s;e Idols are, and what Doctrin they teach, we find in the Word of God, <HI>viz.</HI> Jer. 10.14, 15. <HI>Every man is become bruti&s;h in his knowledge, every Founder is con|founded by the graven Image; for his molten Image is fal&s;hood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the works of error, in the time of their vi&s;itation they &s;hall peri&s;h.</HI> So <HI>Hab.</HI> 2.19. <HI>What profiteth the graven Image, that the maker thereof hath graven it, the molten Image,</HI> a teacher of lyes, <HI>that the maker thereof tru&s;teth therein, to make dumb Idols? Wo unto him that &s;aith to the wood, Awake; and to the dumb &s;tone, Ari&s;e, it &s;hall teach.</HI></P>
<P>Which <HI>WO</HI> is &s;ufficiently intimated and threat|ned in the Rea&s;ons annexed unto and u&s;ed to &s;trengthen this Commandment&mdash;<HI>For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God;</HI>] denoting his great wrath and indignation again&s;t Idolatry, by an allu&s;ion to the re&s;entments a Man conceives again&s;t his Wife when &s;he violates his Bed; whence Idolatry is often in Scripture expre&s;s'd by the term of Adul|tery, or Spiritual Fornication&mdash;<HI>Vi&s;iting the Sins of the Fathers,</HI> &amp;c.] A &s;evere Threatning, That God will vi&s;it all &s;uch as (how&s;oever pretending Love and Honour to him) do thus declare their hatred of him, and will puni&s;h them both in them|&s;elves and their Children to many Generations, which we are to under&s;tand e&s;pecially of Children following their Fathers ill &s;teps, and partaking in their Idolatries; as on the other &s;ide here is a gra|cious promi&s;e of mercy to all tho&s;e that pre&s;erve them&s;elves from Idolatry and Fal&s;e Wor&s;hip; a
<PB N="210" REF="111">Ble&s;&s;ing &s;hall be upon them and their Children, not only to the Third and Fourth, but for many Generations. Where ob&s;erve 'tis &s;aid, <HI>That he will &s;hew MERCY to them that love him, and keep his Commandments.</HI> To teach us, that the be&s;t deeds of the be&s;t Men cannot merit or de&s;erve any thing at God's hands, but had need to be received of him in mercy.</P>
</DIV6>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Third Commandment.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Thou &s;halt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him Guiltle&s;s that taketh his Name in vain.</HEAD>
<P><HI>His Name.]</HI> As a Man is known by his Name, &s;o hereby is &s;ignified God him&s;elf, both in his E&s;|&s;ence and Maje&s;ty, and in his Properties and At|tributes, Word and Works, together with his whole Wor&s;hip, and all the Ordinances apper|taining thereunto, what&s;oever he is or ought to be honour'd, reverenc'd, and glorifi'd by.</P>
<P><HI>In vain.]</HI> That is, ra&s;hly, negligently, unnece&s;|&s;arily, fal&s;ly, or prophanely.</P>
<P><HI>Will not hold him Guiltle&s;s.]</HI> That is, will cer|tainly and &s;everely puni&s;h him.</P>
<P>So that hereby is forbidden every wrong offer'd to the glory of God, the doing of ought that may any way reproach the Lord, or cau&s;e him to be the le&s;s reverenc'd, all unholy u&s;e of his ado|rable Name, and prophaning of his Titles, Pro|perties, Actions and Ordinances, either by word or deed. Particularly</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="211" REF="111">1. Bla&s;phemy, which is a &s;peaking evil of God, and may al&s;o be committed by thinking any thing unworthy of him: For he, to whom the Secrets of all hearts are open, takes notice of that di&s;honour; we may al&s;o be guilty thereof in our actions, when we who profe&s;s to be the Servants of God live &s;o wickedly, as to bring on him a di&s;honour whom we own to be our Ma&s;ter and Lord, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.24. <HI>Through you the Name of God is bla&s;phemed among&s;t the Gentiles.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Unlawful Swearing: An Oath is the cal|ling the God of Truth to witne&s;s; which in it &s;elf being duly performed is lawful, being com|manded by God, <HI>Thou &s;halt fear the Lord thy God, and &s;wear by his Name,</HI> Deut. 6.13. And accor|dingly we read, that God him&s;elf and his Angels have &s;worn, <HI>Gen.</HI> 22.16. <HI>Rev.</HI> 10.6. But this is never to be u&s;ed but in things weighty and law|ful; and then it mu&s;t be done, 1. <HI>In truth;</HI> affirm|ing nothing but what we know to be true, and verifying by deed what we &s;o undertake, accord|ing as the Oath is either a&s;&s;ertory, or promi&s;&s;ory. 2. <HI>In judgment;</HI> that is, with a due con&s;ideration both of the nature and importance of an Oath, which is no le&s;s than the &s;taking of our Souls, and calling Almighty God to witne&s;s and revenge it upon us, if we deal fal&s;ly. 3. <HI>In righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> which implies, 1. <HI>A due Form,</HI> &s;uch as God's Word allows, that is, it mu&s;t be by God alone, not by Creature or Idol, becau&s;e God only is the Searcher of hearts, and able to avenge &s;ecret Perjuries; and al&s;o becau&s;e every Oath is joined with Invo|cation
<PB N="212" REF="112">(expre&s;s'd or implied) which belongs to God alone. 2. <HI>A right end,</HI> viz. for the confir|mation of Truth, the deci&s;ion of Strife, the glory of God, and peace among&s;t Men.</P>
<DIV5 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Hence appears the horrid Evil</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Of Perjury, or &s;wearing fal&s;ly, whereby a Man by calling the God of Truth to be a Wit|ne&s;s to his Lye, circumvents and &s;candalizes his Neighbour, and does, as it were, with his lips &s;eal his own damnation.</P>
<P N="2">2. Of vain light Oaths (as they are common|ly called) in Conver&s;ation, th&ocirc; indeed they are heavy &s;ins in the &s;ight of God, becau&s;e again&s;t his command, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5.34. derogatory to his Maje&s;ty, by intere&s;ting his Holy Name, and calling him to witne&s;s about Trifles; and leading to Perjury, for he that makes no Con&s;cience of common Swearing, does often for&s;wear him&s;elf. Be&s;ides, 'tis an impertinent Sin, no temptation of profit or plea&s;ure in it, nothing but a lewd Cu&s;tom and ri|diculous Conceit that there is &s;omething of Gal|lantry or Ornament in it; but &s;uch Wretches do but glory in their &s;hame, for there is nothing more di&s;honourable, or that renders them more loath|&s;om and contemptible both to God and Man, their repeated Oaths making them the le&s;s to be credi|ted in any thing they &s;ay: <HI>For he that will Swear, will Lye,</HI> &s;aith the Proverb, grounded on univer&s;al Experience. So that be&s;ides the Offence to God, and Scandal to Men, and the Injuries thereby done
<PB N="213" REF="112">to a Man's own Soul, it is prejudicial to his Repu|tation and Fortunes even in this world, &s;o that every one that has any regard either to Con&s;cience or Intere&s;t, is bound to for&s;ake this fooli&s;h, but de&s;tructive Vice.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>Remedies again&s;t the Wicked Cu&s;tom of SWEARING.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Con&s;ider of the great guilt and danger of this Sin, and that in the dreadful day of Judgment; it will be no good Plea to alledge, <HI>That it was the Mode, and all the Fa&s;hion;</HI> you mu&s;t then come to <HI>account for every idle word,</HI> Matth. 12.36. much more then for every wicked profane Oath.</P>
<P N="2">2. Labour to have thy heart continually po&s;|&s;e&s;s'd with the Awe and Reverence of God, and to that purpo&s;e meditate often on the greatne&s;s of his Power and Perfections, That he is a God terrible in his Judgments, fearful in his Prai&s;es, doing Wonders; what infinite Love he hath &s;hewn to|wards thee in &s;ending his only beloved Son to dye for thee whil'&s;t thou wer't in a &s;tate of En|mity and Rebellion; &s;uch thoughts will certain|ly bani&s;h from thy mouth that contrary cu&s;tom of prophaning the Divine Maje&s;ty.</P>
<P N="3">3. Accu&s;tom thy &s;elf to exact truth in all thou &s;peake&s;t, &s;o &s;halt thou have no need to confirm it with an Oath; and watch over thy &s;elf, <HI>That thou offend not with thy Tongue;</HI> refrain all occa&s;ions that may betray thee to this Vice, as <HI>Drink, Pa&s;|&s;ion, Ill Company, Gaming,</HI> or the like: For he that
<PB N="214" REF="113">would avoid the <HI>End,</HI> mu&s;t avoid the Means and Temptations</P>
<P N="4">4. Th&ocirc; ill Habits long continued are not with|out great difficulty removed, yet 'tis utterly fal&s;e and vain for any man to pretend he cannot for|bear this Sin. If he were certain to be &s;ent to the Gallies, or broken on the Wheel for the <HI>next Oath</HI> he &s;wore, you &s;hould &s;ee how circum&s;pect he would be, &s;trugling with vitious Cu&s;tom; and is not Hell and Damnation as terrible? And is it not the mo&s;t certain thing in the world that the&s;e will be their portion, who continue in this Sin without Repentance, and for&s;aking of it? 'Twere well if tho&s;e that were Rich, would oblige them|&s;elves to give &s;o much in Alms to the Poor for every Oath they &s;wore, and the Poor to receive &s;o many Stripes, and charge their Familiars faithfully to exact and impo&s;e this on them as often as they tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed; I have known this cour&s;e reclaim &s;everal inveterate Swearers.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, to all the endeavours mu&s;t be added <HI>Prayer,</HI> that God will enable thee to overcome this wicked Cu&s;tom; and if thou &s;ette&s;t thy &s;elf &s;incerely to the work, doubt not of his a&s;&s;i&s;tance to vanqui&s;h it.</P>
<P N="3">3. A third Breach of this Command is in <HI>Ex|ecrations,</HI> when wickedly we cur&s;e our &s;elves or others, e&s;pecially that mo&s;t horrid, th&ocirc; too com|mon, Phra&s;e of daring or challenging <HI>God to Damn them;</HI> a Speech undoubtedly fir&s;t dictated by the <HI>Devil,</HI> and u&s;ed by none but his Chil|dren.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="215" REF="113">4. Other idle irreverent u&s;e of the Name of God, without due con&s;ideration of his treme|dous Maje&s;ty, as in our common talk crying out, <HI>O Lord! O God! O Je&s;u!</HI> Or by way of Admi|ration, <HI>Good God! Good Lord!</HI> &amp;c. in trifling matters, and of no moment. As al&s;o all abu&s;e of Scripture Phra&s;es to prophane <HI>Je&s;ting,</HI> or in <HI>Hypocri&s;y</HI> to deceive.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Fourth Commandment.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the &s;eventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Man-&s;ervant, nor thy Maid-&s;ervant, nor thy Cattel, nor thy Stran|ger that is within thy Gates. For in &s;ix days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and re&s;ted the &s;eventh day: wherefore the Lord ble&s;&s;ed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.</HEAD>
<P>This Command requires of every Man one day of &s;even in every week to be &s;et apart unto an holy Re&s;t, and enjoins all per&s;ons to &s;eparate them&s;elves from their ordinary labours and cal|lings concerning this life on the &s;ame, and to at|tend wholly to the wor&s;hip of God alone: For th&ocirc; we ought to &s;erve God in our lawful Callings all the other &s;ix days, yet on this day we are e&s;|pecially and wholly to regard the &s;ame, &s;o as to keep it holy to the Lord both publickly and pri|vately
<PB N="216" REF="114">in the practice of the Duties of Nece&s;&s;ity, Piety, and Mercy.</P>
<P>In this Precept there are two parts, the Precept it&s;elf, and the Confirmation thereof. The Pre|cept is, That we <HI>&s;anctifie the Sabbath,</HI> which is illu&s;trated,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, By an admonitory Particle, <HI>Remem|ber,</HI> &amp;c. either for that the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> had before been warned to &s;anctify it, by rea&s;on of their oppre&s;&s;i|ons in <HI>Egypt,</HI> and had di&s;continued and neglected it; or to &s;ignifie, that alth&ocirc; all the Command|ments ought diligently to be remembred, yet this more e&s;pecially, as having the lea&s;t &s;ight of Na|ture to direct us to the ob&s;ervance of it, and be|cau&s;e we are naturally apt to be mo&s;t negligent in it.</P>
<P>Secondly, By declaring the Precept in oppo&s;ing by an <HI>Antithe&s;is</HI> the works which were to be done the &s;ix days, to tho&s;e that &s;hould not be done the 7th day.</P>
<P>Thirdly, By a di&s;tribution of the Subjects, Men or Bea&s;ts, the Men either Natives or Strangers, and both tho&s;e either Superiors or Inferiors, all mu&s;t enjoy and ob&s;erve this Re&s;t. The Confirmation is grounded on God's Example: <HI>For in &s;ix days,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>In this Precept of &s;anctifying the Sabbath, we di&s;tingui&s;h between that which is Ethical or Mo|ral, and that which is Typical or Ceremonial; it was Ceremonial as far as concern'd the &s;anctifying of the 7th day preci&s;ely, by that means to &s;eparate <HI>Jews</HI> from <HI>Gentiles;</HI> but Moral, in that one day of
<PB N="217" REF="114">&s;even mu&s;t be &s;anctified for God's Service: For th&ocirc; from the beginning of the world till Chri&s;t's Re&s;urrection the la&s;t day of the week, commonly called, <HI>The Seventh Day,</HI> or <HI>Saturday,</HI> was the day appointed thereunto, and which the People of God con&s;tantly ob&s;erv'd in memory of the Creation, becau&s;e God then cea&s;ed from all his works, and ble&s;&s;ed and &s;anctified it, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.2. But as God re&s;ted from his labour on the la&s;t day of the week, &s;o the Re&s;urrection of the ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us (whereon he cea&s;ed from all his labour and afflictions) being on the fir&s;t day of the week, the Chri&s;tian Church hath &s;anctified, or &s;et apart the fir&s;t Day for Di|vine Wor&s;hip: For as the one was &s;pecially &s;an|ctified in regard of the Creation of the world, &s;o the other in re&s;pect of the Re&s;tauration and Re|demption of the world, which is a greater work than the Creation; the Rea&s;ons of this change are:</P>
<P N="1">1. To be a thankful Memorial of Chri&s;t's Re|&s;urrection.</P>
<P N="2">2. Nor does it &s;eem to want Divine In&s;titu|tion, becau&s;e as Chri&s;t on that day aro&s;e, &s;o he al&s;o on that day appeared to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>John</HI> 20.19. And again another time, <HI>ver.</HI> 26. Accor|dingly the Apo&s;tles met on the fir&s;t day, <HI>Acts</HI> 20.7. And it appears to have been generally their day of a&s;&s;embling for Religious Exerci&s;es, <HI>Acts</HI> 16.2. And therefore it is called <HI>the Lord's-Day, Rev.</HI> 1.10. which could be only in regard of the &s;pecial Dedication of it to the Lord's Service, for
<PB N="218" REF="115">otherwi&s;e all days are the Lords, and he is to be Served and Wor&s;hipped in them. The general Sins here forbidden are all neglecting of the Du|ties of that day, as of Prayer, Meditation, Thank&s;|giving, Examination of our Hearts, at lea&s;t for the Week pa&s;t, how God hath dealt with us in Benefits and Cha&s;ti&s;ements, and how we have dealt with him in keeping or breaking his Command|ments, that by both we may find matter to com|fort and humble us, to move us to Thankfulne&s;s for Mercies received, and earne&s;t Prayer for par|don of our Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, and &s;upply of all Nece&s;&s;a|ries; In fine, all kind of prophaning that Holy Day by needle&s;s Works, Words, or Thoughts, about our Callings or Recreations, are here pro|hibited; As on the contrary, there is required private Prayer, re&s;orting to Church, reverent and attentive Behaviour there, joyning in the &s;o|lemn Prayers and the Sacrament, when admini|&s;tred, taking heed to the Word Preached, Pray|ing with, and in&s;tructing our private Families, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Tho&s;e that Religiou&s;ly ob&s;erve this Command|ment &s;hall be Ble&s;&s;ed, 1. Spiritually in all the Holy Exerci&s;es and Ordinances then perform'd, which &s;hall contribute to their further encrea&s;e both in the Knowledge and Fear of God, and all other Heavenly Graces accompanying Salvation. 2dly. In matters of this Life, we &s;hall not be hin|dred by keeping the Sabbath, but more encrea&s;ed than if we did work that day. As on the other &s;ide, what &s;eems to be got by entrenching on the
<PB N="219" REF="115">Lord's Day, &s;hall by the ju&s;t Cur&s;e of God melt and vani&s;h away, what &s;hew &s;oever it may have of Profit, and will bring &s;ome Cur&s;e or other up|on our Labours in the week days, which in them|&s;elves are hone&s;t and lawful.</P>
<P>Thus much, tho very <HI>briefly,</HI> according to our method in this &s;hort Treati&s;e (wherein we leave many things unmentioned, which each pious Soul conver&s;ant in God's Word may collect) touching the <HI>Fir&s;t Table,</HI> or our Duty towards God, the due ob&s;ervation whereof is call'd <HI>Piety.</HI> We now proceed to the Second Table pre&s;cribing our Du|ty one to another, which is called <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> or <HI>Right|eou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> laid down in the Six following Com|mandments.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Fifth Commandment.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.</HEAD>
<P>The general meaning and &s;cope of this Com|mand, is, that the Quality of Mens Per&s;ons and Places in what&s;oever E&s;tate, Natural, Civil, or Eccle&s;ia&s;tiaal, and with what&s;oever Relation to us, be duly acknowledged; requiring the per|formance of all Duties that one Man oweth to another, either Superiors, Inferiors, or Equals; for as it enjoyns all due Carriage of Inferiours to their Superiors; and by con&s;equence of Superi|ors to their Inferiors; &s;o likewi&s;e by analogy, of
<PB N="220" REF="116">Equals among&s;t them&s;elves; and all this under the &s;weet endearing Realtion of Parents and Chil|dren, and Brethren of the &s;ame Family.</P>
<P>The Duties of Inferiors to their Superiors, are Reverence, Obedience, and Gratitude; of Su|periors to their Inferiors, Benovelence, Ju&s;tice, Diligence or Vigilancy; Of Equals between them|&s;elves, that they Live Lovingly and Sociably, and affording due re&s;pect to each other.</P>
<P>Reverence is that whereby we pay unto our Superiors due Honour by thinking well of them, &s;peaking re&s;pectfully to and of them, bearing with their Infirmities, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Obedience is a volun|tary and hearty doing of that which Superiors Command, with a ready mind to &s;ubmit our &s;elves to their Government, who are &s;et over us, pati|ently bearing their Admonitions and Correcti|ons.</P>
<P>The Duties of Subjects to Magi&s;trates, are, 1. Reverence and Honour, which is to be paid not only in outward words and ge&s;tures, but even in the Cogitations of our Hearts; <HI>Thou &s;halt not &s;peak Evil of the Ruler of thy People,</HI> Exod. 22.28. <HI>Acts</HI> 23.5. <HI>Cur&s;e not the King, no not in thy Thought,</HI> Eccle&s;. 10.20. Tho&s;e that de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>Saul,</HI> and &s;aid, <HI>How &s;hall this man &s;ave us?</HI> are called Sons of <HI>Belial,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 10.27. 2dly. Obedience, <HI>Let every &s;oul be &s;ubject to the higher Powers, for there is no Power but of God, the Powers that be are ordained of God. Who&s;oever therefore re&s;i&s;teth the Power, re&s;i&s;teth the Ordinance of God, and they that re&s;i&s;t shall receive unto them&s;elves Damnation,</HI> Rom. 13.1, 2. <HI>Put
<PB N="221" REF="116">them in mind to be &s;ubject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magi&s;trates, to be ready to every good Work,</HI> Tit. 3.1. <HI>Submit your &s;elves to every Ordinance of Man, for the Lord's &s;ake, whether it be to the King as Supream; or unto Governors, as unto them that are &s;ent by him, for the Puni&s;hment of evil doers, and prai&s;e of them that do well; for &s;o it is the Will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to &s;ilence the ignorance of fooli&s;h men,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.13. We mu&s;t be &s;ubject not only to good and godly Magi&s;trates, but even if they &s;hould happen to be otherwi&s;e; for the Com|mand is general, <HI>Submit to every Ordinance of Man;</HI> and accordingly we have Examples of the <HI>I&s;ra|elites</HI> obeying <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> Exod. 3. and <HI>Daniel</HI>'s obeying <HI>Nebuchadnezzar, Dan.</HI> 2. Only they are not to be obeyed in things <HI>morally Evil,</HI> and con|trary to God's Word; for &s;o we are taught by the Example of the Midwives, <HI>Exod.</HI> 1. of <HI>Saul</HI>'s Ser|vants, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 22.17. Of <HI>Daniel, Dan.</HI> 6. And of the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Acts</HI> 4.19. &s;aying, <HI>Whether it be right in the &s;ight of God to obey you rather than God, judge ye.</HI> But yet even in this ca&s;e we ought pa|tiently to &s;uffer what they &s;hall inflict, notwith|&s;tanding it be without ju&s;t Cau&s;e, or exce&s;&s;ive in degree. 3dly. Tribute and Cu&s;tom is to be freely and willingly paid unto them: <HI>For this cau&s;e pay you Tribute al&s;o: For they are God's Mini&s;ters, at|tending continually on this very thing: Render there|fore to all their dues, Tribute to whom Tribute, Cu|&s;tom to whom Cu&s;tom, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour,</HI> Rom. 13.6, 7. 4thly. We are to have a high e&s;teem of our Prince, and to be ready
<PB N="222" REF="117">to defend him and the Government we live under, with our Per&s;ons and Fortunes&mdash;<HI>The people an&s;wered to</HI> David, <HI>Thou art worth Ten thou&s;and of us,</HI> 2 Sam. 18.3. And <HI>Chap.</HI> 21.17. when the &s;ame <HI>David</HI> had e&s;caped the danger of his life, be|ing a&s;&s;aulted by <HI>I&s;hbibenob</HI> a Giant of the <HI>Phi|li&s;tines, Abishai</HI> interpo&s;ed, and &s;lew the Giant; And the Men of <HI>David</HI> &s;wore unto him, &s;aying, <HI>Thou shalt go no more out with us to Battel, that thou quench not the light of</HI> I&s;rael; &s;o highly they va|lued his life and &s;afety. La&s;tly, it is our Duty to <HI>pray</HI> for them; <HI>I exhort therefore, that fir&s;t of all, Supplications, Prayers, Interce&s;&s;ions, and giving of Thanks be made for all Men: For Kings, and for all that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty,</HI> 1 Tim. 2.1, &amp; 2.</P>
<P>The Duties of Magi&s;trates towards Subjects are,</P>
<P N="1">1. To regard them with a tender, paternal Affection, and as Members (th&ocirc; inferior) of the &s;ame Body&mdash;<HI>Let not his heart be lifted up above his Brethren,</HI> Deut. 17.20.</P>
<P N="2">2. To endeavour to promote the publick Weal, or general good and &s;afety of that Com|munity over which they pre&s;ide.</P>
<P N="3">3. In order thereunto, to cau&s;e whol&s;om Laws to be ordain'd for encouraging of Vertue, and &s;uppre&s;&s;ion of Vice, and &s;ee the &s;ame diligently and impartially executed.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, to cau&s;e Ju&s;tice to be equally ad|mini&s;tred
<PB N="223" REF="117">to and between all their Subjects with|out partiality, delay or corruption.</P>
<P>The Duty of Chri&s;tian People towards their Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Superiors or Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, are,</P>
<P N="1">1. To pay them a &s;ingular love and regard&mdash;<HI>We be&s;eech you, Brethren, to know them which labour among&s;t you, and are over you in the Lord, and ad|moni&s;h you; And to e&s;teem them very highly for their works &s;ake,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5.12. <HI>Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, e&s;pecially tho&s;e that labour in the word and doctrin,</HI> 1 Tim. 5.17.</P>
<P N="2">2. To receive and obey their Doctrin agree|able to God's Word with gladne&s;s of heart&mdash;<HI>Remember them that are &s;et over you, who have &s;poken unto you the Word of God, who&s;e Faith follow, con|&s;idering the end of their Conver&s;ation. Obey them, and &s;ubmit your &s;elves, for they watch for your &s;ouls,</HI> Hebr. 13.7. &amp; 17. <HI>We thank without cea&s;ing, be|cau&s;e when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the Word of God,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 2.13.</P>
<P N="3">3. To afford them maintenance&mdash;<HI>Let him that is taught in the Word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good things,</HI> Gal. 6.6. <HI>For &s;o hath the Lord ordained, that they who preach the Go&s;pel, should live of the Go&s;pel,</HI> 1 Cor. 9.14.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, To pray for them; &s;o &s;aith St. <HI>Paul, Eph.</HI> 6.17, 19. having commanded them to <HI>pray for all Saints,</HI> adds&mdash;<HI>And for me, that utterance may be
<PB N="224" REF="118">given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the my&s;tery of the Go&s;pel:</HI> And the like, <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 4.3.</P>
<P>The Duties of Mini&s;ters to the People are e&s;|pecially the&s;e:</P>
<P N="1">1. To be faithful and painful in di&s;pen&s;ing to them the Will of God, in&s;tructing them &s;incerely in the way of Salvation, and breaking unto them daily the Bread of Life, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.12. <HI>Acts</HI> 20.26.</P>
<P N="2">2. To reprove ill Livers, reclaim in the &s;pirit of meekne&s;s &s;uch as Err; re&s;i&s;t Gain&s;ayers, com|fort the Afflicted, and &s;trengthen the Weak.</P>
<P N="3">3. To be an Example to all&mdash;<HI>Be thou an example unto Believers in word, in conver&s;ation, in charity, in &s;pirit, in faith, in purity,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.12.</P>
<P>The common Duties reciprocal between Hu&s;|bands and Wives, are conjugal Love, delight in each others Society, mutual help both in Sickne&s;s and Health, &s;trict Loyalty and Fidelity to each other both in thoughts and actions; particu|larly,</P>
<P>The Wife is, fir&s;t to be &s;ubject to her Husband in a gentle and moderate way, acknowledging and reverencing him as her Head. The Man is the Woman's Head, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.3. <HI>Wives &s;ubmit your &s;elves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the wives head, even as Chri&s;t is the head of the Church,</HI> Ephe&s;. 5.22. This the Woman was &s;entenc'd unto for being fir&s;t in the tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ion
<PB N="225" REF="118">&mdash;<HI>Thy de&s;ire shall be &s;ubjected unto thine husband, and he shall rule over thee,</HI> Gen. 3.16.</P>
<P N="2">2. To obey him, <HI>Let the wife &s;ee that she reve|rence her husband,</HI> Ephe&s;. 5.33. <HI>Likewi&s;e ye wives be in &s;ubjection to your own husbands,</HI> 1 Pet 3.1. <HI>Even as</HI> Sarah <HI>obeyed</HI> Abraham, <HI>calling him Lord, ver.</HI> 6.</P>
<P N="3">3. To be faithful to him both in a &s;trict Cha|&s;tity, avoiding not only the Fault, but al&s;o the &s;u&s;|pition of di&s;hone&s;ty or lightne&s;s, and in carefully and providently managing what he intru&s;ts her with.</P>
<P N="4">4. She mu&s;t be an helper to him, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.18. to his Soul, by her godly Behaviour, and Chri|&s;tian humble mode&s;t Admonitions and Prayers; to his Mind, by endeavouring to mitigate his Cares, and &s;weeten his Troubles; to his Body; by her tender love and diligence; and to his E&s;tate, by her Frugality, and di&s;creet ordering of things in the Family.</P>
<P>On the other &s;ide, the Duties of the Husband to his Wife are,</P>
<P N="1">1. An entire love to her&mdash;<HI>Husbands love your Wives, even as Chri&s;t al&s;o loved the Church. So ought Men to love their Wives as their own bodies: He that loveth his Wife, loveth him&s;elf. For no Man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and che|risheth it,</HI> Ephe&s;. 5.22, 29.</P>
<P N="2">2. To provide for and allow her (according to his condition and ability) what is meet and comely during his life, and al&s;o that &s;he may be
<PB N="226" REF="119">Provided for after his death, if it &s;o fall out.</P>
<P N="3">3. Faithfulne&s;s of the Bed is as well and as much required of him as of her; For th&ocirc; cu&s;tom has made it le&s;s &s;candalous in the Man, yet the Sin is equal before God, or rather greater in him than her, becau&s;e he is the Head, and ought to &s;et her a good Example.</P>
<P N="4">4. To dwell with her as one of knowledge; to govern, direct, and in&s;truct her both in mat|ters of Religion, and civil Prudence; and there|fore St. <HI>Paul</HI> bids the Wives learn of their Hu&s;|bands at home, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.36. which mu&s;t be done with all tenderne&s;s, &s;weetne&s;s, and affability. For,</P>
<P>La&s;tly, He is to <HI>give honour unto her as the weaker ve&s;&s;el,</HI> 1 Pet. 3.7. that is, to bear with her infir|mities; to defend and protect her; to make ac|count of her as of his Companion or Yokefel|low, remembring, that when the Woman was fir&s;t Form'd, &s;he was not taken out of <HI>Adam</HI>'s Head, becau&s;e &s;he was not to Rule over him; nor out of his Feet, becau&s;e &s;he was not intended as his Ser|vant or Va&s;&s;al, but out of his Side to the end that Man &s;hould take her as his Mate; and therefore the Husband is to &s;uffer him&s;elf &s;ometimes to be admoni&s;hed, or advi&s;ed by her; it was God's Com|mandment to <HI>Abraham</HI> concerning <HI>Sarah</HI> his Wife <HI>What</HI> Sarah <HI>shall &s;ay unto thee, hear her voice,</HI> Gen. 21.12. Thus <HI>Elkanah</HI> was willing to &s;ub&s;cribe unto his Wife <HI>Hannah</HI>'s coun&s;el for her tarrying at home till the Child was weaned, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 1.23.
<PB N="227" REF="119"><HI>And</HI> Elkanah <HI>her husband &s;aid unto her, Do what &s;eemeth thee be&s;t, tarry till thou ha&s;t weaned him; only the Lord accomplish his word.</HI> This re&s;pect of Hu&s;|bands to their Wives, was taken notice of even by the Heathen, for <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> in the 8th Book of his <HI>Ethics</HI> tells us, <HI>That the Ma&s;ter of a Family exerci|&s;eth (after a &s;ort) a Power Tyrannical over his Servants; a Power Regal over his Children, becau&s;e Kings are Fathers of their Common-weals; but in re|&s;pect of his Wife, he exerci&s;eth a Power Ari&s;tocrati|cal, not after his own Will, but agreeable to the Honour and Dignity of the married E&s;tate.</HI></P>
<P>We proceed now to the Duties of Children to their Parents, which are,</P>
<P N="1">1. To reverence and obey them&mdash;<HI>Chil|dren obey your Parents in the Lord, for this is right, Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.1. For which we have the Example of our ble&s;&s;ed Lord, who, th&ocirc; the Eternal Son of God, and Lord of all, &s;ubmitted him&s;elf to his earthly Parents, <HI>viz.</HI> his Mother the ble&s;&s;ed Vir|gin, and <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> his &s;uppo&s;ed Father&mdash;<HI>He went down with them, and came to</HI> Nazareth, <HI>and was &s;ub|ject to them,</HI> Luke 2.51. And this re&s;pect is to be paid not only to our natural Parents, but al&s;o to Stepfathers and Mothers; For &s;o <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>'s Fa|ther-in-law &s;ays unto him&mdash;<HI>Hear now my voice, I will give thee coun&s;el, and God shall be with thee, Exod.</HI> 18.19. And <HI>Ruth</HI> unto <HI>Naomi</HI> her Mother|in law&mdash;<HI>All that thou bidde&s;t me, I will do,</HI> Ruth 3.5.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>We</HI> are &s;o far to reverence our Parents, as
<PB N="228" REF="120">that alth&ocirc; we are not to follow them in evil, yet we are not therefore to contemn them, or think our &s;elves di&s;obliged from our Devoir, but rather to make it our bu&s;ine&s;s to cover and conceal even their real Crimes, <HI>Gen.</HI> 9.23. much le&s;s are we t&ocirc; di&s;regard or di&s;own them for their Poverty, or In|firmities of Age&mdash;<HI>Hearken to thy Father that begat thee, and de&s;pi&s;e not thy Mother when she is old,</HI> Prov. 24.22. <HI>For the Eye that mocketh his Father, and de&s;pi&s;eth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the vallies shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall eat it,</HI> Prov. 30.17.</P>
<P N="3">3. This ob&s;ervance of Children towards their Parents is e&s;pecially manife&s;ted in their Marriage, that it be not entred into without their con&s;ent: For as the Parent is the principal Di&s;po&s;er of the Child; &s;o alth&ocirc; his Authority be not &s;o great, as that the Child is to be forced and compelled by him; yet the reverent and dutiful re&s;pect which the Child ought to bear thereunto, &s;hould be a &s;trong inducement not to di&s;&s;ent or renounce that Advice, without great and weighty cau&s;e; and the Child is bound to endeavor by all manner of dutiful Carriage to over come, or at lea&s;t mitigate the Parents &s;everity in that behalf.</P>
<P N="4">4. 'Tis the Duty of Children to aid and re|lieve their Parents, to a&s;&s;i&s;t and mini&s;ter to them in all their wants of what kind &s;oever&mdash;<HI>Let Children and Nephews learn fir&s;t to shew prety at home, and to requite their Parents: for that is good and ac|ceptable before God,</HI> 1 Tim. 5.4. The nece&s;&s;ity of the performance of the&s;e Duties is &s;o great, that
<PB N="229" REF="120">if any Child neglecteth them, and doth the con|trary by ill u&s;age of Parents, either in word or deed, he or &s;he is worthy of Death, even by <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI>'s Law, <HI>Exod.</HI> 21.15. <HI>He that &s;miteth his Fa|ther or his Mother, &s;hall die the Death.</HI></P>
<P>The Offices of Parents to their Children, are, 1. To In&s;truct them in Religion, as they are able to receive it. <HI>Ye Fathers bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,</HI> Ephe&s;. 6.4. 2dly. To ob&s;erve the Capacities and Inclinations of their Children, and as far as their own Abili|ty will reach, to apply them accordingly, in due time, to &s;ome good hone&s;t Calling, that &s;o being Train'd up to Indu&s;try, and in &s;uch a Trade as they are fitte&s;t for, they may not afterwards live idly, or be without means of a comfortable &s;ub|&s;i&s;tance. 3. In Educating their Children, they are fir&s;t to encourage them, by making them in Love with their Duty by Rewards and Commendati|ons when they do well; not to be always har&s;h and &s;evere towards them, but to take St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Advice, when he bids <HI>Parents not to provoke their Children to Wrath,</HI> Col. 3.21. That is, not to di&s;courage or give them occa&s;ion of thinking hardly of their Parents as they will be apt to do, if they &s;ee they cannever plea&s;e them. But if Children cannot be won to Vertue and Indu&s;try by this mild, gentle Method, then the Parents are not to fail of Correcting them, which ought to be <HI>&s;e|vere,</HI> that they may fear it, <HI>not too often,</HI> or for <HI>&s;light faults,</HI> for that will harden them; and to be inflicted not in <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> or any indecent Lan|guage,
<PB N="230" REF="121">but &s;uch a Gravity as they may &s;ee it is contrary to your own Inclinations, and wholly for their Good. <HI>He that &s;pareth the Rod, hateth his Son,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> Prov. 13.24. Thou&s;ands of Children are daily ruined for want of due Cha&s;ti&s;e|ment in their Youth. 4ly. Parents are to &s;eek out and provide for their Children &s;uitable Marriages in time convenient. 5ly. In all things to give them good Examples, to Pray for, and Ble&s;s them. <HI>La&s;tly,</HI> not only to maintain them in their youth, but as far as lawfully they can, by Indu&s;try and Frugality, to provide that they may live hone&s;tly afterwards, di&s;tributing their Goods among&s;t them, what they can &s;pare in their Life-time, and the re&s;t at their Death.</P>
<P>The Duties of Servants to their Ma&s;ters, are 1. To obey all their lawful Commands. <HI>Servants in all things obey your Ma&s;ters,</HI> Ephe&s;. 6.6. And this mu&s;t be done freely and chearfully, with good will, doing Service, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 7. 2dly. To be Faith|ful, that is, neither carele&s;ly wa&s;ting, nor fraudu|lently embezilling or purloyning their Ma&s;ters Goods. 3dly. To be diligent, di&s;patching the Duties of their Employment, without &s;loth or idlene&s;s, or &s;pending time unprofitably; and this not only when their Ma&s;ters Eye is over them, or they think he may perceive and puni&s;h them, but even where he can never di&s;cover it; for tho' he do not, God doth &s;ee and will avenge &s;uch wilful breach of Duty to your Ma&s;ters; therefore the Apo&s;tle requires Obedience from Servants in &s;in|glene&s;s of Heart, <HI>not with eye-&s;ervice, as men-plea|&s;ers,
<PB N="231" REF="121">but as the Servants of Chri&s;t, doing the will of God from the heart,</HI> Eph. 6.5, 6. 4ly. To bear patiently and meekly the Reproofs and Correcti|ons inflicted by their Ma&s;ters, <HI>Not an&s;wering again,</HI> Tit. 2.9. For &s;urely rude replies do ju&s;tly encrea&s;e their Ma&s;ters di&s;plea&s;ure and their own fault; whereas when they are ju&s;tly reprehended, they &s;hould be thankful for it, and re&s;olve to amend and never offend in the like kind; nay, tho' they are rebuked or corrected where they are in no fault, they are not clamorou&s;ly or prerem|ptorily to defend or ju&s;tifie them&s;elves, but take it patiently, as a ju&s;t Puni&s;hment for their other Sins. This is St. <HI>Peter</HI>'s Rule, <HI>Servants be &s;ubject to your Ma&s;ters, with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but al&s;o to the froward: For this is thank|worthy, if a man for Con&s;cience towards God endure Grief, &s;uffering wrongfully: For what Glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye &s;hall take it pa|tiently? But if when you do well and &s;uffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.20.</P>
<P>The Duties of Ma&s;ters are, 1. To have a care to in&s;truct and Catechi&s;e their Servants, and to teach them the Fear of the Lord, 2. To be ju&s;t in performing tho&s;e conditions on which they were hired, to afford them &s;ufficient Food and Ray|ment &s;uitable to their Condition, and not to with-hold or dimini&s;h their Wages, for then he becomes an Oppre&s;&s;or. 3. Not to impo&s;e too hard or exce&s;&s;ive Labours upon them, but to u&s;e them with Kindne&s;s and Bounty, and with that mode|ration and good Example, as may &s;hew he forgets
<PB N="232" REF="122">not <HI>That he him&s;elf al&s;o hath a Ma&s;ter in Heaven,</HI> Eph. 6.9. <HI>La&s;tly,</HI> To <HI>Pray</HI> with and for them; and plentifully to recompence their Service when they part from them, according as the Lord hath Ble&s;&s;ed them by their Labour; or when they have &s;pent their Youth and Strength in our Service, not to turn them off, but provide a Competency to maintain them in their Age. <HI>When thou &s;ende&s;t him out free from thee, thou &s;halt not let him go away empty,</HI> Deut. 15.13. <HI>Thou &s;halt not oppre&s;s an hired Servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy Brethren, or of the Strangers that are in thy Land within thy Gates. At his day thou &s;halt give him his Hire, neither &s;hall the Sun go down upon it, for he is poor, and &s;etteth his Heart upon it; le&s;t he cry again&s;t thee unto the Lord, and it be &s;in unto thee,</HI> Deut. 24.14. I have in&s;i&s;ted the longer on the&s;e relative Duties, becau&s;e of the frequent failings which we may ob&s;erve therein, and the grand Evils and Confu&s;ions that en&s;ue thereupon.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Sixth Commandment. <HI>Thon &s;halt not Kill.</HI></HEAD>
<P>The general effect of this Precept is, That the Life and Per&s;on of Man (as bearing the Image of God) be not invaded, but pre&s;erved; and there|fore that we are not to hurt our own Per&s;ons, or the Per&s;on of our Neighbour, but to procure, as much as in us lies, the &s;afety thereof; &s;o that here is forbidden all kind of Evil tending to the
<PB N="233" REF="122">impeachment of the &s;afety and health of Man's Per&s;on, with every hurt done, threatned, or in|tended to the Soul or Body either of our &s;elves or our Neighbours.</P>
<P>In particular, all Murders, making away of our &s;elves, or impairing our own or others health by Intemperance, as Gluttony, Drunkenne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So likewi&s;e all Duels, Man&s;laughter, Wounding or Maiming of others, Hatred, Malice, Calumny, Detraction, taking away or dimini&s;hing any Man's good Name: Anger, unju&s;t Wrath, <HI>&amp;c. He that &s;heddeth man's Blood, by man &s;hall his Blood be &s;hed, becau&s;e God made man in his own Image,</HI> Gen. 9.6. <HI>Bloody and deceitful men &s;hall not live out half their days,</HI> P&s;al. 55.23. <HI>Who&s;oever hateth his brother, is a murtherer,</HI> 1 John 3.15. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall &s;ay to his brother</HI> Racha, <HI>&s;hall be in danger of the Council, but whoever shall &s;ay, Thou fool, he &s;hall be in danger of Hell-fire,</HI> Mat. 5.22. <HI>Be not ha&s;ty in thy &s;pirit, to be angry,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> Eccle&s;. 7.9. And, <HI>Thou shalt not avenge, or bear a grudge,</HI> &s;aith God by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> Lev. 19.18.</P>
<P>But this Law does not prohibit, but e&s;tabli&s;h the execution of vindicative Ju&s;tice by the Magi&s;trate, who is to be a Terror to Evil Doers, by curbing Offences with fit Puni&s;hments, that one may ra|ther peri&s;h than the Community, and others by that Example be deterr'd from Wickedne&s;s. To which is oppo&s;ite too much lenity, &s;uch as <HI>Eli</HI> the High Prie&s;t was guilty of, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. which begets and encrea&s;es a greater liberty in &s;inning. And not only it is a Sin to kill, but al&s;o not to kill,
<PB N="234" REF="123">when the Law of God requires it, as appears in the ca&s;e of <HI>Saul,</HI> 1 Sam. 15.</P>
<P>Nor does this Command forbid a ju&s;t War, but the &s;ame may lawfully be waged by Chri&s;tians, as of old by the <HI>Jews,</HI> becau&s;e the &s;ame is not pro|hibited in the New Te&s;tament, but on the con|trary the Captain of the <HI>Capernaites,</HI> Matth. 8. and <HI>Cornelius</HI> the <HI>Centurion, Acts</HI> 10. are reckon'd among&s;t the Faithful; neither did <HI>John</HI> dehort the Soldiers from War-fare, but advi&s;ed them to be content with their pay, and not to commit inju|&s;tice, <HI>Luke</HI> 3. Now that War is ju&s;t, which is nece&s;&s;ary, on a ju&s;t cau&s;e, and warranted by the Supream Magi&s;trate, and not managed by private Authority.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e mo&s;t of the violations of this Com|mand proceed from Pa&s;&s;ion and inordinate Wrath, it will be nece&s;&s;ary to fortifie our Souls with</P>
<DIV5 TYPE="considerations">
<HEAD>Certain Con&s;iderations tending to the prevention or re&s;training our <HI>ANGER.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="1">1. The Fir&s;t Rule in this Ca&s;e is, That as &s;oon as ever we perceive our Blood boil, and that we are moved, we mu&s;t endeavour to repre&s;s and mo|derate our re&s;entment; and if we cannot altoge|ther appea&s;e the Emotion within, yet by all means guard thy Tongue from breaking forth into out|ragious Speeches, for that Breath will but blow the Coals to a greater combu&s;tion both in thy &s;elf and thine Adver&s;ary; where as if thou confine and &s;tifle the flame within, there is hope that it may
<PB N="235" REF="123">quickly be quenched; e&s;pecially if in&s;tead of raving at him that hath offended thee, thou betake thy &s;elf to Prayer, laying before God thine Infirmity, and be&s;eeching him to guard thee in that temptation.</P>
<P N="2">2. Con&s;ider often the excellency, loveline&s;s and benefits of Patience and Meekne&s;s, and on the contrary the deformity and mi&s;chiefs of <HI>Rage</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion;</HI> how it di&s;torts the Vi&s;age, captivates Rea&s;on, and during the Fit, renders a Man per|fectly <HI>mad</HI> and di&s;tracted; di&s;inabling him either to &s;peak Rea&s;on, or hear it, and expo&s;ing him&s;elf to all kind of di&s;advantages; whereas he that pre&s;erves his mind in a calm, &s;edate temper, &s;ees how to remedy the Ill, and is fure to triumph over his Adver&s;ary in the thoughts of all judicious Men: For he that revenges an ill turn, is at mo&s;t but <HI>even</HI> with him that did it; but he that <HI>neglects</HI> or forgives it, &s;hews him&s;elf his Superior.</P>
<P N="3">3. Con&s;ider further the great Di&s;commodities attending this pa&s;&s;ion; mo&s;t true is our Proverb, <HI>An ha&s;ty Man never wants Wo;</HI> he deprives him|&s;elf of the Crown of Glory which is promi&s;ed to the meek; he becomes the Slave and In&s;trument of the Devil; he kills his own Soul, to wound another's Body; he forfeits Wi&s;dom, for his Un|der&s;tanding is blinded; he lo&s;es <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> for the <HI>wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> James 1.20. He deprives him&s;elf of <HI>Friends,</HI> and the benefits of Society&mdash;<HI>Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go,</HI> Prov. 22.24. And, above all, he deprives him&s;elf of the &s;plendor and illumina|tion
<PB N="236" REF="124">of the Holy Gho&s;t; for God hath promi&s;ed that his Spirit &s;hall re&s;t on none but the <HI>humble and peaceable,</HI> I&s;a. 66.2.</P>
<P N="4">4. When we &s;ee the Exce&s;&s;es of others, we ought to remind our own Faults, and how often and grievou&s;ly <HI>we our &s;elves offend</HI>other men; that &s;o the con&s;ideration of our own infirmities may render us apt to excu&s;e the Failures of others; but e&s;pecially by thinking how heinou&s;ly and fre|quently we <HI>tre&s;pa&s;s again&s;t God,</HI> and that if he &s;hould have been &s;o &s;evere to mark all that we have done ami&s;s, we had long &s;ince been cut off: let us therefore imitate his patience and long-&s;uf|fering, who hath commanded us to pray <HI>to be for|given our tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, as we forgive them that tre&s;pa&s;s again&s;t us.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. E&s;pecially we ought to &s;et before us the Example of the Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, who endured all Reproaches and Torments for our &s;akes with a perfect patience; and <HI>when he was reviled, reviled not again,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.23. Now if he, the Lord of Glory-&s;uffer'd thus unju&s;tly, and yet <HI>&s;o meekly</HI> from his own Creatures, with what Face can we com|plain of petty Injuries done to us? Rather we ought to remember how great puni&s;hments our &s;ins have <HI>de&s;erved,</HI> and then, whether our Sufferings be from God or man, we mu&s;t acknowledg them to be far le&s;s than what is due to us, and &s;o cannot but be a&s;hamed to be impatient at them. In fine, 'tis the Office of a Chri&s;tian Man in this life, <HI>to do good, and &s;uffer evil,</HI> and to per&s;evere therein with patience and joy unto the end, in imitation of Je&s;us Chri&s;t his Head.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="Commandment">
<PB N="237" REF="124">
<HEAD>The Seventh Commandment. <HI>Thou &s;halt not commit Adultery.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Here, under the name of <HI>Adultery,</HI> are &s;ignified all &s;ins of <HI>that &s;ort,</HI> committed either in the Body, or in the Mind of per&s;ons, whether married or unmarried. To &s;hew the vilene&s;s of the breach of this Commandment, the &s;cope of which is, <HI>That all &V;ncleanne&s;s and Impurity,</HI> together with all means and provocations unto <HI>Lu&s;t,</HI> be avoided; and all Purity, hone&s;t Behaviour, continent and cha&s;te U&s;age towards our &s;elves, and our Neigh|bours, con&s;erved.</P>
<P>This Sin not only &s;pendeth a man's <HI>Goods,</HI> hurt|eth, wa&s;teth, and con&s;umeth his <HI>Body,</HI> Prov. 5.10. and bereaveth him of his <HI>judgment</HI> and <HI>under&s;tand|ing&mdash;Whoredom and Wine take away the heart Ho&s;.</HI> 4.11. but mo&s;t certainly throws him into a, &s;tate of damnation, if not repented of: <HI>For Whore|mongers and Adulterers God will judge,</HI> Hebr. 13.4. <HI>Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abu&s;ers of them&s;elves with Mankind</HI> &amp;c <HI>&s;hall inherit the Kingdom of God,</HI> 1 Cor. 6.9. The Helps to avoid it are, 1. <HI>Labour</HI> in our ho|ne&s;t Vocations; Idlene&s;s is the Mother of Un|cleanne&s;s. 2. Keeping a firm apprehen&s;ion on our minds of the <HI>Omnipre&s;ence</HI> of God, who &s;ees all our Actions th&ocirc; in the dark, and never &s;o &s;e|cret. This Con&s;ideration arm'd <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> again&s;t the Temptations of his Mi&s;tri&s;s, <HI>How can I do this great wickedne&s;s, and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> Gen. 39.9. 3. Care to keep <HI>a good Con&s;cience&mdash;I find more
<PB N="238" REF="125">bitter than death, the woman who&s;e heart is &s;nares and nets, and her hands as bands; he that is good before God &s;hall e&s;cape from her, but the &s;inner &s;hall be taken by her,</HI> Eccle&s;. 7.26. 4. <HI>Temperance</HI> in Meats and Drinks, e&s;pecially avoiding all Exce&s;s either in quantity or quality, and learn to mortifie and &s;ub|due your Body with Fa&s;ting. 5. <HI>To &s;hun all occa&s;ions,</HI> make a Covenant with our Eyes, <HI>Job</HI> 31.1. All o|ther Vices may be conquer'd by <HI>Combat</HI> and <HI>Re&s;i&s;t|ance,</HI> but <HI>Carnality</HI> is to be vanqui&s;ht only by flight; therefore St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Fly Fornication,</HI> 1 Cor. 6.18. La&s;tly, <HI>Fervent Prayer to God;</HI> for this <HI>un|clean Devil</HI> is of that kind of which our Lord &s;aith, They are not to be ca&s;t out, <HI>but by Fa&s;ting and Prayer,</HI> Mat. 17.21.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Eighth Commandment. <HI>Thou &s;halt not Steal.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Hereby is forbidden what&s;oever is prejudicial to our own, or our Neighbor's Wealth, that we no way hinder, dimini&s;h or abu&s;e the &s;ame; but that we give to every one that which is his, and do our be&s;t (as far as our Callings and Means will &s;uffer) to pre&s;erve his Goods, and (as occa&s;ion &s;erveth) help to encrea&s;e them by all lawful cour&s;es and hone&s;t dealing&mdash;<HI>Let him that &s;tole, &s;teal to more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4:28. <HI>Not purloining, but &s;hew|ing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the Doctrin of God our Saviour in all things,</HI> Tit. 2.10.</P>
<P>By this Commandment Property is e&s;tabli&s;ht,
<PB N="239" REF="125">and their Error confuted who hold Community of Goods: For whereas Theft is forbidden, it ne|ce&s;&s;arily implies di&s;tinct po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, or <HI>Meum &amp; Tuum;</HI> &s;ome things mine, and &s;ome things thine.</P>
<P>The occa&s;ion of this Precept was, that Cove|tou&s;ne&s;s, which naturally adheres unto us, whereby it comes to pa&s;s that we are not contented with our E&s;tate and Means, but lu&s;t and long after o|ther mens, and u&s;e of all our endeavours to com|pa&s;s them, whether by right or wrong; from whence ari&s;e Frauds, Cheating, Injuries, Oppre&s;|&s;ions, Thefts and Robberies. All which are here prohibited, not only when committed directly, as when by open violence; or privately, without the Owner's con&s;ent, we take away another Man's Goods: But al&s;o when it is done indirectly, by de|ceit in buying or &s;elling, u&s;ing fal&s;e Weights or Mea&s;ures, perverting of Ju&s;tice, over-reaching one another in Contracts, taking unlawful U&s;ury, running into Peoples Debt, when we know we are not able, or do not u&s;e our utmo&s;t Endeavors, or make Con&s;cience to pay them, and the like.</P>
<P>In all &s;uch Ca&s;es if we have done any wrong, we mu&s;t, to our utmo&s;t Ability, make Re&s;titu|tion either to the Party or his Heirs, if known; or if unknown, by be&s;towing the value in charitable U&s;es to the Poor: For God &s;trictly requires, that if any thing be unju&s;tly gotten, either by Vio|lence, or by Fraud and Deceit, or any other ill way, <HI>Re&s;titution</HI> be made to the true Owner, <HI>Lev.</HI> 6.2. <HI>Numb.</HI> 5.6. of which we have Examples <HI>before the Law</HI> in <HI>Jacob</HI> and his Sons, <HI>Gen.</HI> 43.12,
<PB N="240" REF="126">and 21. <HI>under the Law</HI> by the profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Sa|muel,</HI> 1 Sam. 12.4. and the practice of <HI>Micah, Judges</HI> 17.2. who th&ocirc; an Idolater, yet made Con|&s;cience of it; and <HI>under the Go&s;pel</HI> in <HI>Zacheus, Luke</HI> 19.8.</P>
<P>This <HI>Re&s;titution</HI> is a Duty nece&s;&s;arily to be per|formed by all that hope for Salvation: For with|out it we can neither have any true Faith to per|&s;wade us, <HI>That our &s;in of Theft is remitted;</HI> nor any &s;incere Repentance: For God pardons no Sin which we will pertinaciou&s;ly retain and live in, <HI>Prov.</HI> 28.13. But he that re&s;toreth not ill-got|ten Goods, liveth &s;till in his Theft, and repent|eth not of it, &s;eeing Re&s;titution is an in&s;eparable Fruit of Repentance, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 33.15.</P>
<P>Now this Re&s;titution ought to be of all the <HI>whole</HI> that is unju&s;tly gotten, either by Force or Fraud; by Contract, or out of Contract; by Calumny, Fal&s;e Accu&s;ation, Lying, Oppre&s;&s;ion, or any other ill Cour&s;e; if the Party be able; or at lea&s;t &s;o much to the utmo&s;t as he is able: yea, the Law of God required that to the principal, <HI>a fifth part</HI> &s;hould be added, <HI>Lev.</HI> 6.5. <HI>Num.</HI> 5.7. And even Equity it&s;elf requires, that be&s;ides the prin|cipal, &s;o much more be added as the per&s;on is damnified by this unju&s;t detention of his Goods.</P>
<P>Nor is this work to be put off unto the end of our Lives, or <HI>after our death;</HI> but as &s;oon as ever we heartily repent, and de&s;ire Forgivene&s;s, we mu&s;t confe&s;s, bewail and for&s;ake our Sin, that God may be reconciled unto us, and then we mu&s;t make &s;atisfaction to our wronged Neighbor; <HI>If thou
<PB N="241" REF="126">bring thy Gift before the Altar, and there remem|bre&s;t that thy Brother hath ought again&s;t thee, leave there thy Gift before the Altar, and go thy way; fir&s;t be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift.</HI></P>
<P>There are Four Vertues mu&s;t concur in the right u&s;e of our Goods. 1. <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> in getting them. 2. <HI>Par&s;imony</HI> or Thrift in keeping them, whereby we hone&s;tly pre&s;erve them that they be not vainly and unprofitably mi&s;pent. 3. <HI>Frugali|ty</HI> in enjoying them; whereby we di&s;po&s;e of our Goods ju&s;tly and hone&s;tly gotten, to fit and nece&s;|&s;ary U&s;es in a fober and moderate manner. 4. <HI>Li|berality</HI> in communicating them.</P>
<P>To this la&s;t Vertue the Holy Scriptures invite us, 1. By po&s;itive <HI>Commands,</HI> enforced with mo&s;t urgent <HI>Rea&s;ons,</HI> Luke 6.30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. <HI>Give to every man that asketh of thee&mdash;And as ye would that men &s;hould do to you, de ye to them likewi&s;e. For if ye love them who love you, what thank have ye? for &s;inners al&s;o do even the &s;ame. And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have ye? for &s;inners al&s;o lend to &s;inners, to receive as much again. But love ye your Enemies, and do good, and lend hoping for nothing again, and your Reward &s;hall be great, and ye &s;hall be the Children of the mo&s;t High: For he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father is al&s;o merci|ful.</HI> 2. By mo&s;t endearing <HI>Promi&s;es, Ver.</HI> 38. <HI>Give, and it &s;hall be given unto you;</HI> e&s;pecially of Life Eternal. <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.34, 35, 36. <HI>Come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>I was hungry, and ye gave me Food.
<PB N="242" REF="127">Naked, and ye cloathed me. Sick, and in Pri&s;on, and ye vi&s;ited me.</HI></P>
<P>On the contrary, covetous per&s;ons commit a <HI>double Theft:</HI> 1. Again&s;t their Neighbours, &s;eeing God hath not made them ab&s;olute Owners of their Riches, but <HI>Stewards,</HI> who mu&s;t di&s;po&s;e of them al&s;o for the good of others; which if they do not, they rob them of their right, <HI>James</HI> 5.1, 2, 3. 2. Again&s;t them&s;elves, in defrauding their own Souls of tho&s;e Ble&s;&s;ings which God hath allowed them, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 4.8</P>
<P>As for &s;uch Mi&s;ers: 1. None are more <HI>wicked,</HI> &s;eeing they are neither good for them&s;elves nor others, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 14.5. 2. None <HI>poorer,</HI> &s;ince th&ocirc; they po&s;&s;e&s;s much, yet they enjoy nothing, and want as well what they have, as what they have not. 3. None more <HI>fooli&s;h,</HI> &s;eeing they want for fear of wanting, and live poor that they may die Rich, not knowing who &s;hall enjoy it. And 'tis generally ob&s;ervable, that what is &s;crap'd toge|ther by &s;ordid Covetou&s;ne&s;s, is lavi&s;ht out by vain Prodigality; or (if I may be allowed to &s;peak it in the language of one <HI>[Cartwright]</HI> of the be&s;t Poets of the la&s;t Age)</P>
<P><Q><HI>This Cur&s;e, Fate ju&s;tly makes the Mi&s;er's Lot, The</HI> young Fool <HI>&s;pends, what e're the</HI> old Knave <HI>got.</HI></Q> 4. None are <HI>more wretched,</HI> &s;eeing they deprive them&s;elves both of the comforts of this life, and of the joys of the life to come.</P>
<P>I have the more in&s;i&s;ted on this filthy Vice of Covetou&s;ne&s;s, of which our Saviour <HI>bids us be|ware,</HI> Luke 12.15. and which is by the Scripture
<PB N="243" REF="127">pronounced to be <HI>Idolatry,</HI> Mat. 6.24. Colo&s;&s;. 3.5. Ephe&s;. 5.5. and the <HI>Root of all Evil,</HI> 1 Tim. 6.10. Becau&s;e there are none more upbraided with it as this day, (how ju&s;tly, let them examin their own hearts) than the generality of tho&s;e that pretend highe&s;t to the profe&s;&s;ion of true Chri|&s;tianity, unto whom I would &s;eriou&s;ly recommend the peru&s;al of <HI>James</HI> 5.1. <HI>Go too now you rich men, weep and howl for the mi&s;eries that &s;hall come upon you. Your Riches are corrupted, and your Garments are moth-eaten. Your Gold and Silver is cankred, and the Ru&s;t of them &s;hall be a witne&s;s again&s;t you, and &s;hall eat your fle&s;h as it were fire,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The other Extreme, is <HI>Profu&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Wa&s;teful|ne&s;s;</HI> whereby People by &s;pending above their means in unnece&s;&s;ary, di&s;hone&s;t, and riotous cour|&s;es expo&s;e them&s;elves to the Devil's Temptations, in u&s;ing unlawful means either to recover what they have mi&s;pent, or to &s;upply their Extrava|gance: And &s;o Luxury becometh the Mother of Covetou&s;ne&s;s, and Covetou&s;ne&s;s the Nur&s;e of Lux|uriou&s;ne&s;s, one Sin being naturally apt to beget another, tho' &s;eeming of a quite contrary nature.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Ninth Commandment. <HI>Thou &s;halt not bear fal&s;e witne&s;s again&s;t thy Neighbor.</HI></HEAD>
<P>As the 6th Commandment &s;ecured Mens <HI>Lives,</HI> the 7th their <HI>Cha&s;tity,</HI> and the 8th their <HI>Goods,</HI> thereby &s;etling and promoting <HI>Peace, Purity,</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;tiee</HI> in the world; &s;o the end of this Precept is the con&s;ervation of truth among&s;t Men, and of our own and our Neighbor's Fame and good Nam.</P>
<PB N="244" REF="128">
<P>For &s;uch is our Natural Corruption, that it maketh us prone to Lie; As &s;oon as they are Born they &s;peak Lies, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 58.3. <HI>Every Man is a Liar,</HI> Rom. 3.4. Nay, we are apt to Lie not only for Advantage, but without any Cau&s;e, out of meer Vanity; and no le&s;s ready are we to Tre&s;pa&s;s again&s;t the Fame and good Name of o|thers, which ari&s;eth out of Envy and Pride, di&s;|po&s;ing us to Aba&s;e others to Advance our &s;elves.</P>
<P>The&s;e Evils are re&s;train'd and condemn'd by this Command which generally forbiddeth all Un|truth, and Fal&s;e, Vain, Offen&s;ive Speeches, comprehended under the term of Bearing Fal&s;e Witne&s;s, as being the chief, and of all others the mo&s;t pernicious to our Neighbour's fame and e&s;tate.</P>
<P>'Tis an ill, tho' common, Proverb, and of bad Tendency, That <HI>Words are but Wind;</HI> for great Care is to be had of our Speech, &s;eeing it is an excellent Faculty peculiar to Man, and be|ing a &s;pecial Gift of God, it mu&s;t not be Abu&s;ed to his Di&s;honour, our Neighbours hurt, and our own De&s;truction; neither are Words &s;lightly to be regarded, &s;eeing we mu&s;t for every Idle Word give an Account, <HI>And by our Words we &s;hall be Ju|&s;tified, or Condemned,</HI> Matth. 12.37. And the Wi&s;e Man a&s;&s;ures us, <HI>That Life and Death are in the power of the Tongue,</HI> Prov. 18.21. And that a whole&s;ome Tongue is a Tree of Life, whereas a Bad Tongue <HI>is an unruly Evil, and full of dead|ly Poi&s;on,</HI> James 3.8. Which if we do not &s;ubdue and Rule, what&s;oever profe&s;&s;ion we make of Re|ligion, it is all in Vain, <HI>James</HI> 1.29.</P>
<PB N="245" REF="128">
<P>Our Speeches therefore mu&s;t be both <HI>true</HI> and <HI>charitable;</HI> For the&s;e mu&s;t always go in&s;eparably together, &s;ince Charity rejoiceth in Truth, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.6. and the Truth mu&s;t be &s;poken in Love, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.15.</P>
<P>There are divers great and weighty Rea&s;ons which &s;hould di&s;&s;uade and terrifie all per&s;ons from this odious Sin of Lying. As, 1. Becau&s;e God is true, and the Author of Truth, and the Devil a Lyar, and the Father of Lyes: And as Truth ma|keth us like unto God, &s;o Lyes render us like the Devil. 2. Becau&s;e it is &s;trictly forbidden in the Scriptures, <HI>Lev.</HI> 9.11. <HI>Exod.</HI> 23.7. <HI>Col.</HI> 3.9. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.25. and condemned as the Spawn of the old Serpent, <HI>John</HI> 8.44. and a thing abominable and odious unto God, <HI>Prov.</HI> 12.22. whence the Lyar is &s;aid to &s;in grievou&s;ly, not only again&s;t his Neighbour, but al&s;o again&s;t God him&s;elf, as in effect thereby denying his Omni&s;cience, <HI>Lev.</HI> 6.2.3. Becau&s;e it perverteth the u&s;e of Speech, taketh away all Credit and Faith between Man and Man, and tends to overthrow all Human Society, which cannot &s;tand without Contracts, Commerce, and Te&s;timonies; nor they without Truth. 4 Be|cau&s;e God &s;everely puni&s;hed Lyars, <HI>Prov.</HI> 19.5. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 5.6. <HI>Acts</HI> 5.3. And that both in this life with Infamy and Di&s;grace, (for it maketh a man ba&s;e, infamous, and of no credit, &s;o that u&s;ual Lyars are not believed even when they &s;peak truth) and in the Life to come; For it excludeth out of Heaven, <HI>Rev.</HI> 22.15. and ca&s;teth Men in|to that Lake which burneth with Fire and Brim|&s;tone, <HI>Rev.</HI> 21.8.</P>
<PB N="246" REF="129">
<P>That we may not be guilty of violating our Neighbour's Good Name, (which to a good Man is no le&s;s dear than his Life, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.2. <HI>Prov.</HI> 15.30.) we mu&s;t ob&s;erve the&s;e Duties,</P>
<P N="1">1. To maintain an inward di&s;po&s;ition, care and &s;tudy, to pre&s;erve it; &s;incerely to be glad of, and rejoice in, his fair Reputation, and to be grieved when it is Sullied and Blemi&s;hed; as al&s;o willingly and chearfully to hear his Prai&s;es, which is a &s;ign of an hone&s;t Heart untainted with Envy and Self Love.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;hut our Ears again&s;t, and di&s;counte|nance, <HI>Tale-bearers, Whi&s;perers,</HI> and <HI>Slanderers,</HI> for their detractions cannot hurt our Neighbour's Good Name if we will not hear and believe them. <HI>The North Wind driveth away Rain: &s;o doth an Angry Countenance a Back biting Tongue,</HI> Prov. 25.23. And 'tis one of the Characters of him that &s;hall be admitted a Citizen of Heaven, that he mu&s;t be one, <HI>That Backbiteth not with his Tongue, nor doth Evil to his Neighbour, nor taketh up a Re|proach again&s;t his Neighbour,</HI> P&s;al. 15.3.</P>
<P N="3">3. Not to Nouri&s;h hard <HI>Su&s;picious Conceits</HI> of our Neighbour, but when they ari&s;e to &s;uppre&s;s them, if the grounds of them be not evident, or very probable; we are not ra&s;hly to believe Evil of him, not &s;ini&s;terly to con&s;true all things well done and &s;poken by him, and to Interpret and take things doubtful in the mo&s;t favourable &s;en&s;e, and better part.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Silence</HI> and <HI>Secre&s;ie,</HI> for it is a Chri&s;tian Du|ty to keep &s;ecret our Neighbour's faults which
<PB N="247" REF="129">proceed from Infirmity and Humane Frailty: we are not to publi&s;h them to his Reproach, much le&s;s to divert our &s;elves, or others, with making &s;port at them, for therein we Contract on our &s;elves his Guilt, and offend wor&s;e than he, &s;uch things being matter of Sorrow, not Merriment. In fine, we are never to divulge, or &s;peak of them, unle&s;s it be either, Fir&s;t, To amend him by Admonition, and grave, mode&s;t, &s;ea&s;onable, Reproof, <HI>Lev.</HI> 19.17. <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.15. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.11. Or Secondly, To give nece&s;&s;ary warning to the Hearer, that he may prevent &s;ome Evil that is intended again&s;t him, or danger which he may incur, <HI>Jer.</HI> 40.14. <HI>Acts</HI> 23.16. Or Third|ly, To pre&s;erve him, that he be not infected with the Contagion of his &s;in, with whom he Con|ver&s;eth. Or La&s;tly, When a Man is nece&s;&s;itated for the Publick Weal to di&s;cover anothers Faults and Crimes for the &s;ake of Ju&s;tice, and le&s;t by &s;i|lence he him&s;elf become Acce&s;&s;ary unto them, as in Ca&s;es of Trea&s;on, Murther, Felony, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. To con&s;ider the Odious Nature of this &s;in of Detraction, or the blacking and branding of our Neighbour's Good Name by &s;ecret and mali|cious Words, or, (as the manner of too many is,) by giving <HI>&s;u&s;pitious Hints,</HI> and <HI>dark Innuen|do</HI>'s, which is <HI>as certain</HI> a way of Murthering any Man's Reputation, and <HI>more likely</HI> than the <HI>broad|e&s;t Calamities,</HI> for it affords him not the opportu|nity of <HI>clearing his Innocence;</HI> and therefore this Vile Practice in the Holy Scriptures is compared to <HI>Bows and Arrows that Shoot in &s;ecret,</HI> Jer. 9.3,
<PB N="248" REF="130">and 8. P&s;al. 64.3. <HI>To Coals of Juniper,</HI> P&s;al. 120.4. <HI>To a Sword,</HI> Prov. 12.18. <HI>To a Razor,</HI> P&s;al. 52.2. <HI>To the Tongue of a Serpent,</HI> P&s;al. 104.3. Eccle&s;. 10.11. Moreover it is generally the &s;ign of <HI>an Hypocrite,</HI> for &s;uch will declaim again&s;t the &s;ins of others, that them&s;elves may be thought very Good and Religious; and above other &s;ins it maketh Men like unto the Devil, who hath his Name from Slandering, as having made it his bu|&s;ine&s;s from the beginning, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.3. And as there are few of the&s;e Whi&s;perers that &s;peak <HI>truly</HI> of other Men's Faults, but either devi&s;e Ca|lumnies of things that are not at all, or add at lea&s;t &s;omething that is untrue of their own; &s;o, tho' a Man &s;hould in &s;uch Ca&s;e &s;peak <HI>nothing but the Truth,</HI> yet if it be Maliciou&s;ly to do Hurt, or out of a vain Cu&s;tom to keep his Tongue in Ure, he is a <HI>Slaunderer;</HI> and offendeth if not again&s;t Truth, yet again&s;t <HI>Charity.</HI> So much of this too prevalent Vice of <HI>Back biting,</HI> and Wounding our Neighbours Good Name in private, or or|dinary Di&s;cour&s;es.</P>
<P>That which this Precept more expre&s;sly for bids is, <HI>Fal&s;hood</HI> and <HI>Corruption</HI> in <HI>Publick Te&s;timonies,</HI> and <HI>Legal Proceedings,</HI> which are to be regarded above others, becau&s;e it is the Judgment which <HI>God</HI> maketh, rather than Man, <HI>Deut.</HI> 1.17. 2 <HI>Chron</HI> 19.6. And therefore he that perverteth this Judgment, maketh <HI>God him&s;elf,</HI> as much as in him lies, guilty of his &s;in of <HI>Inju&s;tice.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Perjury</HI> is a &s;in mo&s;t Odious and Abominable to God and Man, <HI>Prov.</HI> 6.18. and therefore God
<PB N="249" REF="130">made Choice thereof as mo&s;t Hainous, to com|prehend under it all &s;ins of the like kind; as in the other Commandments, Murther, Adultery, Theft. For he that giveth a fal&s;e Te&s;timony in a Court of Ju&s;tice, Sins fir&s;t, Again&s;t the <HI>Judg</HI> whom he la|boureth to pervert; Secondly, Again&s;t <HI>the Party</HI> concern'd; and Thirdly, Mo&s;t of all again&s;t his <HI>own Soul;</HI> for a Fal&s;e Witne&s;s &s;hall not be <HI>unpu|ni&s;ht,</HI> Prov. 19.5.</P>
<P>Under this Head al&s;o all perver&s;ion of Ju&s;tice and Right, either by Judges, Jurors, Advocates, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> is included.</P>
<P>As we are not by any means to Violate our Neighbour's Good Name, &s;o we are bound to pre&s;erve our own.</P>
<P>Now the means of getting and pre&s;erving a Good Name, are</P>
<P N="1">1&s;t, Above all things to &s;eek <HI>God's Glory,</HI> in a &s;erious &s;tudy to walk before him in Holine&s;s of Life, and the Exerci&s;e of all Good Works. 2dly, To <HI>avoid Vain Glory,</HI> whereby Men &s;eek more the prai&s;e of Men than of God. 3dly, To prefer the Te&s;timony of <HI>a good Con&s;cience</HI> before the Applau&s;e of Men, and therefore to take more care to <HI>be really good,</HI> than to <HI>&s;eem &s;o;</HI> and ra|ther to approve our Hearts unto God, than our outward Actions unto Men. 4thly, To <HI>avoid Hypocri&s;ie</HI> and Di&s;&s;imulation, which tho' for a time it may gain a Reputation among&s;t Men, yet at length God will pull off this fal&s;e Vizard, and expo&s;e the Hypocrite to Shame and Contempt. 5thly, To avoid that Glory which &s;ome Men &s;eek
<PB N="250" REF="131">to gain by <HI>Villany,</HI> or <HI>Vanity,</HI> which were to <HI>Glo|ry in our Shame.</HI> 6thly, To abhor <HI>Flatterers</HI> and <HI>Parafites,</HI> and to love tho&s;e who faithfully Ad|moni&s;h us when we Err, and Reprove us when we Offend. 7thly, To be <HI>&s;evere</HI> in Judging <HI>our &s;elves,</HI> and <HI>Charitable</HI> in Cen&s;uring <HI>others;</HI> for if we think well of others, they likewi&s;e will think well of us. La&s;tly, Not to attempt <HI>great matters</HI> above our power, to gain an Opinion of great Parts and Abilities, but to be lowly in our own Eyes. And tho' we mu&s;t &s;eek God's Glory <HI>by good Report, and evil Report,</HI> (2 Cor. 6.8.) yet if he &s;hall be plea&s;ed to Ble&s;s us with <HI>unaffected Fame,</HI> and an Honourable Reputation, we are thankfully to accept it, and u&s;e it as an Encou|ragement in well doing.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="Commandment">
<HEAD>The Tenth Commandment. <HI>Thou &s;halt not Covet thy Neighbour's Hou&s;e, thou &s;halt not Covet thy Neighbour's Wife, nor his Man-Servant, nor his Maid Servant, nor his Oxe, nor his A&s;s, nor any thing that is His.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Some there are that <HI>divide</HI> this Tenth Com|mandment into Two, making one to concern our Neighbour's Hou&s;e, the other his Wife, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But that &s;uch their di&s;tinction is frivolous and un|lawful, as well as their Confounding of the two fir&s;t Commandments into one; appears 1&s;t, Be|cau&s;e the general Clo&s;ure, <HI>Nor any thing that is his,</HI> &s;hews it to be but one Command. 2dly, The &s;ub&s;tance of the Precept is in the&s;e words, <HI>Thou
<PB N="251" REF="131">&s;halt not Covet,</HI> as St. <HI>Paul</HI> Cites them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.7. 3dly, They are contain'd in one Ver&s;e and Sen|tence, whereas the re&s;t, tho' &s;hort, are &s;et down in di&s;tinct Ver&s;es. 4thly, In <HI>Deuteron.</HI> 5. the Coveting our Neighbour's Wife is fir&s;t hand|led; &s;o that if the&s;e were Two Precepts, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> of the Tenth &s;hould there have made the Ninth.</P>
<P>The proper <HI>Objects</HI> of this Precept are Men's Appetites, Thoughts and Affections, towards them&s;elves and Neighbours; and the <HI>End</HI> of it is to &s;hew that God's mediate Wor&s;hip is to be performed not in outward Actions only, but in in|ward Affections al&s;o. And as the fir&s;t Com|mandment is the Rule of the fir&s;t Table; &s;o is this of the &s;econd Table; for as the fir&s;t Precept directs the Heart, &s;o the re&s;t the Actions al&s;o: So the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th, Precepts Or|der our Actions, but the 10th our very Heart. Whence 'tis evident, that this Precept is not &s;u|perfluous.</P>
<P>For hereby God &s;hews the perfection of that Charity which in his Law he requireth of us, and the Excellency of it above all Humane Laws; for as God is a Spirit, who is Omni&s;cient and &s;earcheth the Heart, &s;o he requires Spiritual Obe|dience, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.14. And bindeth by his Law, (which is &s;piritual like him&s;elf,) not only the Hand, Tongue, and outward Man, as Men do by Humane Laws, but even the mo&s;t inward hidden, and &s;ecret Thoughts and De&s;ires of the Mind and Heart; &s;o that as we mu&s;t not Imagin, or de&s;ire any thing tending to our Neighbour's Hurt, but
<PB N="252" REF="132">with all the powers of our Souls, exerci&s;e Chari|ty in doing them good, not &s;eeking our own good only, but theirs al&s;o, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.5. Teaching us chiefly to ob&s;erve our Hearts, and &s;uppre&s;s the fir&s;t and inward Motions of &s;in. <HI>Keep thy Heart with all diligence, for out of it are the I&s;&s;ues of Life,</HI> Prov. 4.23.</P>
<P><HI>His Wife.</HI>] The Wife of another mu&s;t not be coveted; for &s;uch is the Union in Marriage between Man and Wife, that it is unlawful to covet an|other Man's Wife, not only to commit Adultery, but to enjoy for his own, tho' by lawful means, and after the other's death; For he cannot &s;o covet her, but he mu&s;t withal wi&s;h the Husband's death.</P>
<P><HI>His Man &s;ervant, nor his Maid &s;ervant.</HI>] The&s;e we are forbidden to covet, much more to u&s;e any means to intice them from their Ma&s;ters to come to us; For tho' this were a greater Sin among&s;t the <HI>Jews,</HI> becau&s;e they had a propriety in them, their Servants being part of their Goods: yet it is a Sin al&s;o among&s;t us, as being again&s;t Chari|ty, and the common Rule of Ju&s;tice, which en|joineth us to let every one have his own, and to do unto another as we would have him do unto us.</P>
<P><HI>His Ox nor his A&s;s.</HI>] The&s;e are named, to comprehend all other Goods moveable or im|moveable, becau&s;e they are of mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary u&s;e. And le&s;t we &s;hould think it lawful to covet any other thing not here named, 'tis added&mdash;<HI>Nor any thing that is thy Neighbors,</HI> whether it be for ne|ce&s;&s;ity, profit, or delight.</P>
<PB N="253" REF="132">
<P>In the affirmative part this Precept requires at all times a pure, ju&s;t, and charitable heart towards our Neighbours, and continually to make War again&s;t the Fle&s;h, and the Lu&s;ts thereof.</P>
<P>Some Helps towards the fulfilling of this Com|mand, are,</P>
<P N="1">1. To mortifie Self-Love, and not to <HI>&s;eek our own, but every man anothers wealth,</HI> 1 Cor. 10.24.</P>
<P N="2">2. To bani&s;h Envy from our Brea&s;ts.</P>
<P N="3">3. To labour to be content, to which end con&s;ider Fir&s;t, How many want tho&s;e good things which thou enjoye&s;t, who are far more worthy of them. Secondly, Thine own unworthine&s;s of the lea&s;t of God's Benefits. Thirdly, Meditate and relie upon God's Providence and Fatherly Care, who provideth all things nece&s;&s;ary for thy Good and Salvation.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, Tho' we cannot in our pre&s;ent &s;tate of Corruption entirely and exactly keep this Com|mand; <HI>For who can &s;ay his heart is clean? Prov.</HI> 20.9. which &s;hould humble us in the &s;ight and &s;en&s;e of our &s;ins, which have made us &s;ubject to the wrath of God, and the cur&s;e of the Law; that &s;o de&s;pairing in our own Merits, we may with the more ardent de&s;ires flie unto the mercies of God in the &s;atisfaction and obedience of Je|&s;us Chri&s;t; &s;o being by Chri&s;t freed from the cur&s;e of the Law, we are to &s;tudy, and with the highe&s;t diligence endeavor to conform our &s;elves, our Souls and Lives to the pre&s;cript Rule of this holy and mo&s;t perfect Law; and that mortifying the Fle&s;h, with all the Carnal Concupi&s;cences and
<PB N="254" REF="133">Lu&s;ts thereof, we be daily more and more re|newed unto the Image of God in all Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and walk worthy of our high Calling, and that profe&s;&s;ion we make of being the Followers of the Holy Je&s;us. In order to which <HI>PRAYER</HI> for the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Holy Spirit, being ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary, I &s;hall in the next place treat thereof.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX. <HI>Of</HI> Prayer, <HI>it ought not to be in an</HI> Un|known Tongue; <HI>To</HI> Angels, <HI>or</HI> Saints <HI>departed unlawful; nor warrantable for the Dead.</HI> A <HI>&s;hort</HI> Expo&s;ition <HI>on tho</HI> Lord's Prayer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">I. <HI>PRayer</HI> is a Religious fiducial calling upon God, in the Name of Chri&s;t, with the heart, and &s;ometimes with the voice, according to his Will for our &s;elves and others, con&s;i&s;ting generally of <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion of Sin, Petition for Grace,</HI> and <HI>giving of Thanks.</HI></P>
<P>It is both a <HI>Duty,</HI> and at the &s;ame time the highe&s;t <HI>Priviledge;</HI> whereby the poore&s;t Soul can at any time approach the Throne of Grace, and pour out the de&s;ires of his Heart in all <HI>Straits,</HI> and for &s;upply of all <HI>Wants,</HI> to the great and glo|rious Monarch of the Univer&s;e, as to a Father and a Friend, with a&s;&s;urance of being heard. It is the Hand of Faith, the Key of God's Trea&s;ury,
<PB N="255" REF="133">the Soul's Solicitor. It procureth all Ble&s;&s;ings, preventeth Judgments, <HI>&s;anctifieth</HI> all Creatures that they may do <HI>us good,</HI> &s;ea&s;oneth all <HI>Cro&s;&s;es</HI> that they can do <HI>us no hurt.</HI> It keeps the Heart in hu|mility, the Life in &s;obriety, &s;trengthneth all Gra|ces, overcomes all Temptations, &s;ubdueth our Corruptions, purgeth our Affections, makes our Duties acceptable to God, our Lives profitable unto Men, and both Life and Death comfortable to our &s;elves; the end of it being God's <HI>Glory,</HI> and our <HI>Salvation.</HI></P>
<P N="2">II. From this Definition or De&s;cription of Prayer, as we are taught the excellency and ne|ce&s;&s;ity thereof, &s;o likewi&s;e, that for per&s;ons to u&s;e Prayers in a <HI>Language</HI> that they do not un|der&s;tand; or to pre&s;cribe that the publick Prayers and Service of God in the Church, be performed in a <HI>Tongue &V;nknown,</HI> or not under&s;tood by the generality of the People, is a great abu&s;e and prophanation of this holy Duty, and, indeed, no better than <HI>vain Babling,</HI> or a <HI>mocking of God.</HI></P>
<P>Becau&s;e, 1. The very e&s;&s;ence of Prayer con|&s;i&s;teth in the hearty concurrence of the Under|&s;tanding and Will, for want of which the Lord complains, <HI>This people draweth nigh to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Nor is a general devout Intention &s;uffi|cient, becau&s;e God requires, <HI>That we pray with the Spirit, and with the &V;nder&s;tanding al&s;o,</HI> 1 Cor. 14.15. Throughout which whole <HI>Chapter,</HI> St. <HI>Paul</HI> pro|fe&s;&s;edly argues again&s;t praying and &s;peaking in an <HI>&V;nknown Language</HI> in the Church, even in tho&s;e
<PB N="256" REF="134">on whom the Gift of Tongues was miraculou&s;ly conferr'd.</P>
<P N="3">III. We ought to pray to God alone, and to addre&s;s our &s;elves in and through the Mediation of Chri&s;t only. <HI>Mat.</HI> 4.10. <HI>Thou &s;halt wor&s;hip the Lord thy God, and him only.</HI> P&s;al. 50.15. <HI>Call upon me in the day of trouble.</HI> I&s;a. 42.8. <HI>My glory I will not give to another.</HI> Luke 11.2. <HI>When ye pray, &s;ay, Our Father which art in heaven.</HI> Col. 2.18. <HI>Let no man beguile you in a voluntary humility, and wor&s;hiping of Angels.</HI> 1 Tim. 2.5. <HI>There is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> John 14.3. <HI>No man comes to the Father but by me,</HI> with many other the like expre&s;s Texts.</P>
<P N="4">IV. Hence it follows, that praying to <HI>Angels,</HI> or <HI>Saints departed,</HI> is unlawful; which further ap|pears, by the following Con&s;iderations.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e <HI>praying to Saints departed</HI> is not only <HI>vain</HI> and <HI>impertinent,</HI> &s;ince tho&s;e that u&s;e it cannot &s;hew how 'tis po&s;&s;ible, or &s;o much as probable, that the Saints &s;hould <HI>know their Prayers;</HI> and the Scri|pture &s;eems to teach the contrary&mdash;(<HI>The dead know nothing more,</HI> Eccle&s;. 9 5. that is, none of the Tran&s;actions of this lower World. And <HI>Job</HI> 14.21. &s;peaking of the dead, &s;aith, <HI>Whether his Children &s;hall be noble or ignoble, he &s;hall not under|&s;tand.</HI>) But the &s;ame is al&s;o very dangerous, be|cau&s;e <HI>Omni&s;cience</HI> and <HI>Omnipre&s;ence,</HI> which be God's peculiar Attributes, are, by this practice, a&s;cribed to tho&s;e Creatures, at lea&s;t by the natu|ral tendency of the Action, tho' perhaps the Wor|&s;hiper does not apprehend it &s;o: For how el&s;e,
<PB N="257" REF="134">for Example, &s;hall the Ble&s;&s;ed Virgin <HI>Mary</HI> hear a thou&s;and Suppliants in a thou&s;and different pla|ces calling upon her for &s;everal things at one and the &s;ame in&s;tant?</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e we mu&s;t pray to none, but to whom we may do it in Faith without doubting, and up|on good grounds, believing that <HI>we &s;hall obtain, Mat.</HI> 21.22. <HI>James</HI> 1.5. But what Faith can we have in a practice uncommanded, nay, prohibited by God? What Faith when we are not, nay can|not be &s;ure that the Saints we addre&s;s to, do hear our Prayers, much le&s;s that they will or can grant them? We do not believe in Angels or Saints, therefore <HI>how &s;hall we call on them on whom we have not believed?</HI> Rom. 10.14.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e the &s;ame is injurious to the Honour of Chri&s;t, who is our &s;ole Mediator, not only of Redemption, but of Interce&s;&s;ion too, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.24. <HI>Hebr.</HI> 7.25. Our great and onely Ma&s;ter of Re|que&s;ts in the Court of Heaven, hath not on|ly both invited and commanded us to apply our &s;elves to none but him, but graciou&s;ly promi&s;ed to an&s;wer us. <HI>John</HI> 14.6. <HI>No man comes to the Fa|ther but by me.</HI> And <HI>ver.</HI> 3. <HI>What&s;oever ye &s;hall ask in my Name, I will do it.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1 Object. <HI>To evade the Force of the&s;e Argu|ments, the</HI> Romani&s;ts <HI>wonderfully puzzle them&s;elves. Sometimes they alledge, That they give not the Honour due to God to the&s;e glorious Creatures, and to that purpo&s;e they invent Di&s;tinctions where there is no dif|ference, as between</HI> Latria <HI>and</HI> Dulia, <HI>and tell us of Religious Wor&s;hip,</HI> Supreme <HI>and</HI> Subordinate, Ab&s;o|lute
<PB N="258" REF="135"><HI>and</HI> Relative, Terminate <HI>and</HI> Tran&s;ient, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> But we have proved before, That there is but <HI>one only Object</HI> of Religious Wor&s;hip, and &s;o the &s;ame can be but of <HI>one kind,</HI> (tho' Civil Ho|nours may be various, becau&s;e the Objects are &s;o, as one &s;ort of Re&s;pect is paid to a Father, another to our Prince, another to a &s;ubordinate Magi|&s;trate, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and &s;o all this Smoke vani&s;hes; For Prayer being an Act of Religion, of Wor&s;hip, and of Faith, ought not to be offered to any Crea|ture.</P>
<P N="2">2 Object. <HI>Sometimes they pretend, They only ho|nour the Saints in Heaven, as they do good Men on Earth, and do but pray to them for the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of their Prayers; and that God, by &s;ome means, makes known &s;uch their Prayers to the Saints.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> To this I an&s;wer, 1. That this Pre|tence is contrary to their Practice; for in their ordinary Prayers, Prai&s;es and Thank&s;givings, they mo&s;t commonly join the Virgin <HI>Mary</HI> with God, <HI>Je&s;u Maria!</HI> coming in one word out of their mouths; and, <HI>Glory be to God and the ble&s;&s;ed Vir|gin,</HI> makes but one complete <HI>Doxology</HI> at the end of mo&s;t of their Books. 2. Be&s;ides the va&s;t dif|ference between de&s;iring the Prayers of a good Man pre&s;ent here on Earth, and praying to Saints in Heaven; for the former of which we have Precept, and various Examples, but none of the latter. I &s;ay, this Sugge&s;tion is contrary to their Council of <HI>Trent,</HI> which <HI>Se&s;s.</HI> 25. delares, <HI>That 'tis good and profitable,</HI> [it &s;eems them&s;elves thought
<PB N="259" REF="135">it not nece&s;&s;ary] &s;upplicit&egrave;r Invocare, <HI>as humble Suppliants to invoke or call upon the Saints, who reign together with Chri&s;t, and to flie not only to their Pray|ers, but help and a&s;&s;i&s;tance too, for obtaining benefits from God, through his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord, who is our only</HI> [they would not &s;ay Interce&s;&s;or, but] <HI>Redeemer and Saviour.</HI> 3. If the Saints cannot know our Prayers till God acquaints them there|with; as for Example, when a <HI>Roman</HI> Catholick Seaman prays to St. <HI>Nicholas</HI> (the reputed tute|lar Saint of that profe&s;&s;ion) to pre&s;erve him from Shipwrack, God mu&s;t &s;ignifie to that St. <HI>Ni|cholas</HI> who it is calls upon him, and for what, be|fore the Saint can u&s;e any Interce&s;&s;ion in the Af|fair; why then &s;hould not the poor Creature much rather go immediately to God, whom he is &s;urc <HI>the Winds and the Seas obey?</HI> Is God le&s;s kind and merciful than the Saints?</P>
<P N="3">3 Object. <HI>To help them&s;elves out here, they &s;ay, 'Tis more humble to go to God by the good Offices of the Saints, than rudely to pre&s;s in upon the Divine Maje&s;ty, as when we have to do with a Prince, we get &s;ome Favourite to facilitate our admi&s;&s;ion, and countenance our Petition.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> This Compari&s;on is di&s;honourable to the Almighty, his ways are not as the ways of men, nor his thoughts as their thoughts. The be&s;t and greate&s;t of Princes, tho' analogically cal|led <HI>Gods,</HI> are yet really but men, to whom we can|not &s;peak <HI>when</HI> and <HI>where</HI> we would, but to God
<PB N="260" REF="136">who is everywhere, and always pre&s;ent, we may. Man, perhaps, &s;ometimes, thr&ocirc; <HI>Pride</HI> will not, or, thr&ocirc; <HI>Carele&s;ne&s;s,</HI> regards not; thr&ocirc; <HI>Ignorance</HI> knows not, or, thr&ocirc; <HI>Bu&s;ine&s;s,</HI> cannot hear and re|dre&s;s the Grievances of &s;uch as &s;ue unto him: Or his Attendants may keep off Petitioners, and not allow them Acce&s;s. But there are no &s;uch Impe|diments in God, therefore no &s;uch need of ma|king an Intere&s;t in the Saints to addre&s;s our Sup|plications to him, <HI>who is a God hearing Prayers,</HI> and to whom therefore alone the <HI>de&s;ires of all fle&s;h</HI> &s;hould come.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, <HI>They alledge, That their praying to Saints is not injurious to God or Chri&s;t, becau&s;e they pray not to them</HI> as to God, <HI>but addre&s;s their Prayers only as to his</HI> Mother, <HI>his</HI> Friends <HI>and Favourites, whom they &s;uppo&s;e to intercede only in his Name and Mediation.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If Prayer be an Act of Religious Wor|&s;hip, and &s;o due only to God, you ought not to offer it to any Creature, tho' never &s;o much a Friend; <HI>For the Lord is a jealous God.</HI> Now &s;up|po&s;e a married Woman accu&s;ed of lying every Night with her Neighbour, not able to deny the Fact, &s;hould go about to ju&s;tifie it, by maintaining the Act is not Adultery, becau&s;e &s;he never lies with him as her Husband, but as her Husband's &s;pecial Friend and near Relation, Would &s;uch a Plea be allow'd in any Judicatory? 'Tis the pro|per Office of the Lord Je&s;us, to offer up the Pray|ers of his People to be our Advocate with the Fa|ther, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.1. And to appear in the pre&s;ence of God for us, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 9.24. Therefore to apply our
<PB N="261" REF="136">&s;elves to any other Mediators in Heaven, to repre|&s;ent our Prayers to God, in what manner, or up|on what pretence &s;oever it be, is highly deroga|tory to the Honour and Office of the Ble&s;&s;ed Je|&s;us &mdash; This much was thought fit to be &s;aid touching the Object of our Prayers, or who we are to direct them to.</P>
<P N="5">V. The Subjects of Prayer or Per&s;ons for whom we are to pray, are our &s;elves, and others; in general, <HI>all Men living,</HI> even our <HI>Enemies,</HI> Mat. 5 44. but principally for tho&s;e that are of the <HI>Hou&s;hold of Faith.</HI> For all <HI>&s;orts</HI> and <HI>degrees</HI> of Men, e&s;pecially publick per&s;ons, as <HI>Rulers,</HI> and &s;uch as are in Authority; or <HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> who watch over our Souls: As al&s;o for our <HI>Relations, Friends, Benefactors,</HI> and &s;uch as <HI>de&s;ire,</HI> or for whom we have <HI>promi&s;ed</HI> our Prayers. But it is not our Duty to pray for the <HI>Dead,</HI> becau&s;e</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>What&s;oever is done without Faith, is &s;in,</HI> Rom. 14.23. But for praying for the Dead we have no Command from God, nor Promi&s;e to be heard, nor Example in Holy Scripture, and con&s;equently we cannot do it in Faith. 2. Such Prayers are vain and unprofitable; <HI>Now the Child is dead, why &s;hould I fa&s;t and pray,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David?</HI> 2 Sam. 12.23. <HI>As the Tree falleth, &s;o it lieth;</HI> And <HI>as Death leaveth a Man, &s;o will Judgment find him. They that dye in the Lord are ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> Rev. 14.13. and need not our Prayers; and tho&s;e that dye in their Sins, can have no benefit by them: <HI>For out of Hell there is no Redemption.</HI></P>
<P N="6">VI. We have a pre&s;cript Rule, and perfect
<PB N="262" REF="137">pattern of Prayer of all kinds, left us in that Prayer which our Lord and Saviour Chri&s;t taught his Di&s;ciples, (and in them all &s;ucceeding Ages) thence call'd, <HI>The Lord's Prayer.</HI></P>
<P>This is both a <HI>Prayer</HI> which we both may and ought to pray; and al&s;o a <HI>platform of Prayer,</HI> whereunto we are to conform, and by which we ought to regulate all ours; and therefore, as St. <HI>Matthew</HI> biddeth us, <HI>pray after this &s;ort,</HI> Mat. 6.9. &s;o St. <HI>Luke</HI> biddeth us, <HI>when we pray, &s;ay, Our Fa|ther,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Luke</HI> 11.2. The one propounding it as the mo&s;t perfect Model to be imitated, the other as the mo&s;t excellent Form to be u&s;ed of all Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>The Lord's Prayer con&s;i&s;teth of three parts 1. A Preface. 2 Petitions. 3. A Conclu&s;ion The Preface is contain'd in the&s;e words, <HI>Our Fa|ther which art in Heaven.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Our Father.</HI>] The&s;e words contain 1. A Duty. 2. A Prerogative. The Duty is implied in the fir&s;t word <HI>Our,</HI> whereby we are taught what Cha|rity and Affection &s;hould reign in the hearts of Chri&s;tians, that they are bound to pray one for another, as well as each for him&s;elf. As the Eye &s;eeth not for it&s;elf alone, but for the good of the whole Body; and the Hand laboureth not for it &s;elf alone, but for the whole Body: &s;o &s;hould we be Suitors to <HI>Our</HI> God and Father for all Graces and good Things for our Brethren, all that are or may be Children of the &s;ame Father with us. The Prerogative is &s;ignified by the word <HI>Father,</HI> where|by
<PB N="263" REF="137">we are taught, that God in Chri&s;t is become our Father, and giveth us both the priviledge, (<HI>John</HI> 1.12.) and Spirit of Sons (<HI>Gal.</HI> 4.6.) &s;o to call him. By Father therefore here is not only under&s;tood the fir&s;t per&s;on of the Trinity, but the whole Trinity; For as God is &s;aid to be our Fa|ther in re&s;pect of Creation, Redemption, and Pre|&s;ervation, &s;o the whole Trinity have their parts in them all; And as the Name of <HI>Father,</HI> when it is put with any other per&s;on of the Trinity, is taken per&s;onally, that is, for the fir&s;t per&s;on of the Trinity; &s;o when it is put with his Creatures, it is taken e&s;&s;entially for the whole Trinity; &s;o that in Chri&s;t our Mediator, we that were by nature the Children of wrath, are become the Sons of God, and Heirs of eternal life, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.3. Herein, 1. The wonderful Love of God is manife&s;ted, <HI>Be|hold what Love the Father hath &s;hewed unto us, that we &s;hould be called the Sons of God,</HI> 1 Joh 31.2. That we have good warrant to call God <HI>Father,</HI> for we have God's promi&s;e, <HI>You &s;hall be my people, and I will be your God,</HI> Ezek. 36.28. We have Chri&s;t's Com|mand here, <HI>When ye pray, &s;ay, Our Father;</HI> And we have the Holy Gho&s;t's In&s;truction, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.15. <HI>Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.</HI> 3. Hereby our Faith is much &s;trength|ned in our prayers, &s;ince we pray not to an inex|orable Judge, but to a merciful, tender, loving Father&mdash;<HI>If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more &s;hall your Fa|ther which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him?</HI> Mat. 7.11.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="264" REF="138">4. If God be our Father, there is to this Privi|ledge annext a nece&s;&s;ary Duty on our parts, that we &s;hould both reverence and imitate him as our Father&mdash;<HI>A Son honoureth his Father, and a Ser|vant his Ma&s;ter: If then I be a Father, where is mine Honour? If a Ma&s;ter, where is my Fear?</HI> Mal. 1.6.</P>
<P><HI>Which art in Heaven</HI>] The&s;e words direct us to meditate on the Greatne&s;s, Glory, powerful Providence, Wi&s;dom and Holine&s;s of that infi|nite God, to whom in our Prayers we approach, in which re&s;pects he is &s;aid <HI>to dwell in the High and Holy Place,</HI> P&s;al. 11.4. I&s;a. 57.15. Not that he is excluded from Earth, or included in Heaven, or any place; For he filleth all places, and the Hea|ven of Heavens is not able to contain him, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23.24. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 8.27. But he is e&s;pecially &s;aid <HI>to be in Heaven,</HI> for the&s;e four Cau&s;es. 1. Becau&s;e his Glory is mo&s;t manife&s;ted there; even as the Head or the Heart may be &s;aid to be the Seat of the Soul, becau&s;e its Operations are there mo&s;t &s;een, tho' it be not in any one part of the Body included; &s;o the Lord is &s;aid to be in Heaven, becau&s;e his glorious Maje&s;ty doth there mo&s;t ap|pear. 2. Becau&s;e Heaven is the place where Chri&s;t's Body is, the Palace of Angels, and Court of Saints, where they behold the glorious Face of God, and where we all expect the Con&s;umma|tion of our Happine&s;s. 3. Becau&s;e God doth there Reign perfectly, that is, ab&s;olute Obedience is there paid unto him. 4. Becau&s;e from thence he manife&s;teth him&s;elf unto us by Revelations,
<PB N="265" REF="138">Vi&s;ions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and from thence governeth the World, &s;ending Light, Heat, Rain, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;o that whereas God our Father is &s;aid to be in Heaven, his Maje&s;ty doth not only appear, but al&s;o his Dominion and Power, to which all things in Hea|ven and Earth are &s;ubject; For as his Goodne&s;s in the word, <HI>Father;</HI> &s;o his power in the&s;e words, <HI>Which art in Heaven,</HI> are manife&s;ted.</P>
<P>This therefore teacheth us, 1. That we mu&s;t humble our &s;elves in our Prayers before the great God of Heaven and Earth, who is able to damn both Body and Soul in Hell-fire; and that we ought to come before him with all po&s;&s;ible Reve|rence, becau&s;e tho' he vouch&s;afes us the Honour to call him <HI>Father,</HI> yet he is not an ignoble or earthly, but an heavenly Father, and a mo&s;t glo|rious and tremendous Maje&s;ty. 2. That we ought, when we pray, to elevate our hearts to Heaven, and there be as it were pre&s;ent with God. 3. That we ought e&s;pecially to pray for heavenly things, look for all good things for Body and Soul from thence, and take care likewi&s;e that our Conver&s;a|tions be holy and heavenly.&mdash;Thus far of the Preface.</P>
<P>The Petitions of the <HI>Lord's Prayer</HI> are in num|ber &s;ix; whereof the fir&s;t three (like the fir&s;t Table of the Law) e&s;pecially concern God's Glory; the other three (as the &s;econd Table) our own good.</P>
<P>This Order is ob&s;erv'd, to put us in mind, that the Glory of God is to be prefer'd above all things; and yet &s;o kind and merciful is our Lord,
<PB N="266" REF="139">that both the Petitions in this Prayer, and the Precepts of the fir&s;t Table of his Commandments (which both principally relate to his own Wor|&s;hip) are likewi&s;e as pertinent to that which tends to the pre&s;ervation and happine&s;s of Man|kind, as the other which more immediately refer to our Welfare and Nece&s;&s;ities.</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="petition">
<HEAD>The Fir&s;t Petition.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Hallowed be thy Name.]</HI> That is, that in all things God may be glorified; that He, who in him&s;elf, his Word and Works is mo&s;t holy and glorious, may be acknowledg'd and honour'd as &s;uch, by us and all Mankind, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 96.8. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.9. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. By <HI>Hallowed</HI> or <HI>Sanctified,</HI> is not meant that we &s;hould or can add Holine&s;s to God; but to acknowledg God's Maje&s;ty holy, and every way excellent as it is. The like phra&s;e being u&s;ed, <HI>Luke</HI> 7.35. <HI>Wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified of her Children;</HI> that is, acknowledged and declared to be ju&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. By the <HI>Name</HI> of God, we are to under&s;tand God him&s;elf, (1 <HI>Kings</HI> 5.5. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26.8) as he maketh known to us the <HI>Fame</HI> and <HI>Glory</HI> of his Nature, otherwi&s;e <HI>unconceivable;</HI> the Nature of a thing being in Scripture call'd <HI>its Name,</HI> as <HI>Acts</HI> 1.15. So that in this Petition we de&s;ire the&s;e three things: 1. That we may be enlightned to know the Maje&s;ty of God aright as far as we are capable, and it is expedient for us. 2. That we may confe&s;s and acknowledg the Lord to be &s;uch an One as the Scriptures have Recorded of him
<PB N="267" REF="139">concerning his Greatne&s;s, Worthine&s;s, and Attri|butes. 3. That we may give unto him due Ho|nour, and bear his Image of Holine&s;s before the World; in our <HI>Hearts,</HI> by loving and believing in him; in our <HI>Tongues,</HI> by reverent &s;peaking of Him, his Word, and Works; as al&s;o by praying unto, and prai&s;ing of him. In the <HI>whole Man,</HI> by obeying him, and holy living to him.</P>
<P>The&s;e therefore fail in the performance of this fir&s;t Petition: 1. All Athei&s;ts, that in their hearts acknowledg no God. 2. All Heathen and other Idolaters; as al&s;o wilfully or negligently igno|rant per&s;ons, that wor&s;hip not God aright. 3. All proud per&s;ons that &s;eek not God's Glory, but their own. 4. All Bla&s;phemers, Swearers, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that Ireverently take the Name of this Great JEHOVAH in their mouths. 5. All tho&s;e ob|durate hearts that will neither be allured by God's Mercies, nor moved by his Judgments; or that are unthankful for the Benefits continually received from him. All that are negligent in of|fering up the &s;piritual Sacrifice of Prayer, and call not upon his Name. And <HI>in fine,</HI> All ungod|ly Livers what&s;oever, as Adulterers, Thieves, Drunkards, Lyars, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> For none of the&s;e can truly pray that God's Name may be glorified, whil'&s;t they per&s;i&s;t in Rebellion again&s;t his Laws, and by their practices bring the greate&s;t di&s;honour upon God, as &s;ugge&s;ting either that there is no &s;uch <HI>Being,</HI> or that <HI>He is &s;uch an one as them&s;elves,</HI> not regarding or puni&s;hing evil Actions.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="petition">
<PB N="268" REF="140">
<HEAD>The Second Petition.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Thy Kingdom come.]</HI> This Word <HI>Thy,</HI> &s;hew|eth that there is a double Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of Satan, called the <HI>Kingdom of darkne&s;s,</HI> Col. 1.13. We pray there|fore, that Sin may not reign in our Mortal Bodies, that we may not be Bond&s;laves to the Prince of the Air, but that the Lord would admit us into his Kingdom; that is, Rule and Reign over us by his holy Word and Spirit here; and receive us into Glory hereafter.</P>
<P>The Kingdom of God is taken in Scripture ei|ther 1 For the Government of the whole world, di&s;po&s;ing all Creatures to their proper Ends, as P&s;al. 145.13. <HI>Thy Kingdom is an everla&s;ting Kingdom, and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Ages.</HI> 2d. For that Government whereby the Lord Ruleth and reigneth in the hearts of his &s;ervants in this world, which is called <HI>the Kingdom of Grace;</HI> of which it is &s;aid, <HI>The Kingdom of God is within us,</HI> Luke 17.21. 3. For that Government whereby he Ruleth in Heaven mo&s;t perfectly in the Saints and Angels, called <HI>the Kingdom of Glory,</HI> in which the Elect &s;hall reign with Chri&s;t for ever, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 94.14. Now in this <HI>Petition,</HI> we are not to take the word <HI>Kingdom</HI> &s;o much in the fir&s;t, as in the &s;econd and third Acceptations. So that in this Petition we de&s;ire the&s;e three things, 1. That the Lord would build in us the Kingdom of Grace, and Rule in our hearts by his Word and Spirit, &s;anctifying us to all Obedience and Godli|ne&s;s.
<PB N="269" REF="140">2. That this Kingdom of Grace may be increa&s;ed in us daily, that we may grow in Grace and Godline&s;s from the mea&s;ure of the gift of Chri&s;t, to the mea&s;ure of the age of the fulne&s;s of Chri&s;t, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.3. That our hearts may be in|flamed to long for, and de&s;ire the Kingdom of Glory, that Sin and all Wickedne&s;s being con|founded, we may perfectly glorifie our heavenly Creator, as <HI>Paul</HI> prayed, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.23. <HI>I de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olved, and be with Chri&s;t.</HI> And as the Saints of God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.23. <HI>We that have received the fir&s;t fruits of the Spirit, even we do &s;igh and mourn, wait|ing for the Adoption, even the Redemption of the Body.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e therefore fail in the performance of this &s;econd Petition: 1. All they that &s;uffer Sin to reign in their hearts, and yield obedience there|unro. 2. All they that quench the Spirit of God, and will not be ruled by the good motions and holy directions of the &s;ame. 3. They that make no Con&s;cience of their ways, but contemn or ne|glect the hearing of the Word of God, and pray not heartily for the continuance, free pa&s;&s;age and flouri&s;hing e&s;tate of the &s;ame. 4. They that labour not for perfection in Grace, that are not prepared for the coming of Chri&s;t, or do not wi&s;h and long for his appearance in Glory.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="petition">
<HEAD>The Third Petition.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.]</HI> The Will of God is &s;aid to be twofold: 1. His hidden Will, which is the immutable purpo&s;e &amp; decree of future Events, which Will is always done, neither
<PB N="270" REF="141">can it be changed or altered by any. <HI>My coun&s;el &s;hall &s;tand, and I will do what&s;oever I will,</HI> I&s;a. 46.10. None can re&s;i&s;t it, for <HI>there is no wi&s;dom, no under|&s;tanding nor coun&s;el again&s;t the Lord,</HI> Prov. 21.30. 2. The Will of God is taken for what&s;oever doth declare his Will, and proceed from the &s;ame, as his Precepts, Coun&s;els and Laws, which the A|po&s;tle calleth <HI>the good Will of God,</HI> Rom. 12.2. and is commonly called his <HI>Revealed Will,</HI> becau&s;e it is revealed unto us by his Word. Of this Will we read, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 103.21. <HI>Prai&s;e ye the Lord all ye his &s;ervants which do his Will;</HI> that is, his Commandments. And this is the Will which here we pray may be done. So that in this Petition we de&s;ire, 1. To know God's Will, without which we cannot do it. 2. To deny our &s;elves, and our own Wills, and to do the Will of God, &s;ubmitting our Wills to his, as well in Adver&s;ity, as Pro&s;perity 3. To perform the Will of God without delay, <HI>in earth;</HI> that is, whil&s;t we are upon the face of the earth breathing. 4. To do it as the Angels do it <HI>in Heaven,</HI> that is, zealou&s;ly, readily, carefully, &s;in|cerely, and wholly, (not doing one of his Com|mands, and leaving another undone.)</P>
<P><HI>Even as]</HI> The&s;e words do not &s;ignifie Equali|ty, but Similitude; we are to imitate them in the <HI>manner,</HI> tho' we know we cannot equal them in <HI>mea&s;ure</HI> and <HI>degree</HI> of obedience. In which &s;en&s;e al&s;o God him&s;elf faith, <HI>Be ye holy as I am holy, Lev.</HI> 11.44. that is, Imitate me in Holine&s;s: For tho' we cannot do God's Will on Earth &s;o per|fectly as the ble&s;&s;ed Angels perform it in Heaven,
<PB N="271" REF="141">yet we ought to &s;trive for perfection, and re&s;olve on perfect obedience to his Will.</P>
<P>The&s;e therefore fail in the performance of this third petition. 1. They that follow their own Wills either in Life or Judgment, and will not inquire after and obey the Will of God. 2. They that will not with patience &s;ubmit their Wills to Gods Will in Adver&s;ity. 3. They that po&s;t off their Obedience till their Death-Bed, and refu&s;e to give their whole Life to the doing of God's Will on earth. 4. They that are lukewarm, and not zealous in the Service of God, contented with imperfect Obedience, taking Men, and not Angels for their Example. La&s;tly, They that do God's Will in outward matters only to be &s;een of Men, that &s;eem to do it, but not &s;incerely, as all Hypo|crites.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="petition">
<HEAD>The Fourth Petition.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Give us this day our daily Bread.]</HI> The &s;um of which is, that God would provide for us compe|tent means, and &s;uch a portion of outward Ble&s;|&s;ings as he &s;hall &s;ee mete for us; and give us grace to rely upon his providence, and re&s;t contented with that allowance which he is plea&s;ed to afford us; and likewi&s;e ble&s;s the Creatures to our nou|ri&s;hment and u&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Give us]</HI> to put us in mind, that we hold all that we enjoy, of God's Bounty: For tho' in re|gard of our Labour, or buying any thing, it may be called <HI>Ours,</HI> yet we mu&s;t &s;till own it as the Gift of God, both becau&s;e we are unable by any &s;ervice or labour to de&s;erve the lea&s;t crum of
<PB N="272" REF="142">Bread, or drop of Water at his hands; and be|cau&s;e our labour and diligence cannot prevail without his ble&s;&s;ing, nor the Creatures be profi|table to us when we have them; &s;o that the Rich are to u&s;e this Petition as well as the poore&s;t, pray|ing therein not &s;o much for the outward things, as for God's ble&s;&s;ing upon them.</P>
<P><HI>This Day, our daily]</HI> To teach us, both that we &s;hould humbly pray to God every day, and that we ought not to perplex our &s;elves with Anxiety for the time to come, but to re&s;t in God's providence, and pre&s;ent ble&s;&s;ing; without &s;uf|fering our Affections to run out too far in cark|ing Care for outward things, and heaping up of Riches for after-times.</P>
<P><HI>Our]</HI> It &s;hould be our own Bread that we de|&s;ire to eat, that is, &s;uch as cometh to us by the ble&s;&s;ing of God on our lawful Labours in an hone&s;t Vocation; not the <HI>Bread of Iniquity,</HI> got|ten by di&s;hone&s;t means; nor the <HI>Bread of Idle|ne&s;s: For he that will not labour, &s;hould not eat,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 3.8.</P>
<P><HI>Bread.]</HI> Hereby is meant all things nece&s;&s;ary to this temporary Life, as Meat, Drink, Cloath|ing, Habitation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But we mu&s;t de&s;ire Bread, not Delicacies; &s;uch a portion of worldly Ac|commodations as (in God's &s;ight, not our own vain imaginations and de&s;ires) are convenient for us; not va&s;t Riches and Superfluities to con|&s;ume on our Vanities and Lu&s;ts.</P>
<P>So that in this Petition we de&s;ire, 1. That God would in Chri&s;t vouch&s;afe us all things nece&s;&s;ary
<PB N="273" REF="142">for the maintenance of this mortal Life. 2. That he would ble&s;s our pains and labours in our Vo|cations to this end and purpo&s;e. 3. That he would give them unto us at &s;uch times and &s;o often as Nature's nece&s;&s;ity requireth, which is daily and hourly. The&s;e therefore fail in the performance of this Petition, 1. Who attribute to the Creature vertue of refre&s;hing, which cometh meerly from the ble&s;&s;ing of the Creator. 2. Who di&s;tru&s;tfully hoard up for time to come, as the Fool, <HI>Luke</HI> 12.19. <HI>Soul take thy re&s;t, for thou ha&s;t Goods laid up for many years.</HI> 3. They eat not their own Bread, as Thieves, Cheaters, Oppre&s;|&s;ors, idle common Beggars, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and all &s;uch as &s;pend their days idly without pains and labour in &s;ome lawful Vocation. 4. That pray for &s;uper|fluous things, and depend not upon God's Provi|dence for the lea&s;t things, as a Mor&s;el of Bread; or are covetous, and not contented with that which they have more or le&s;s; &s;eeing 'tis more than we de&s;erve, and is di&s;tributed by a mo&s;t wi&s;e and loving Father, who knows what is fit for us, infinitely better than we our &s;elves.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="5" TYPE="petition">
<HEAD>The Fifth Petition. <HI>And forgive us our Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, as we forgive them that tre&s;pa&s;s again&s;t us.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Our Sins are called <HI>Debts</HI> in the Go&s;pel of St. <HI>Luke, Chap.</HI> 11.4. and the word here tran&s;lated <HI>Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es</HI> &s;ignifies the &s;ame, which term is u&s;ed in regard of the re&s;emblance between them; For as
<PB N="274" REF="143">a Debt doth bind a Man either to make &s;atisfa|ction, or el&s;e go to Pri&s;on; &s;o our Sins bind us, either to &s;atisfie God's Ju&s;tice, or el&s;e to &s;uffer Eternal Damnation. And becau&s;e we cannot of our &s;elves &s;atisfie the one, nor willingly would in our &s;elves &s;uffer the other, therefore we &s;ue to the Lord in Chri&s;t to forgive them. Under which words Forgivene&s;s of Sins are under&s;tood, not on|ly the guilt, but al&s;o the puni&s;hment due to the &s;ame; as likewi&s;e the benefits of Ju&s;tification, Sanctification, Redemption, and Glorification.</P>
<P><HI>As we forgive,</HI> &amp;c.] The&s;e words &s;erve, 1. For our <HI>In&s;truction</HI> to teach us, that God requireth this at our hands, that we &s;hould Forgive as we would be Forgiven; that we &s;hould be merciful, as he is merciful; which is notably expre&s;t by the parable of the Servant, that having his Debt remitted, would not Forgive his Brother, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18.34. 2. For our <HI>Comfort,</HI> to give us to under&s;tand, that if we which are &s;inful Men can remit Wrongs and Injuries done again&s;t us, much more will our hea|venly Father <HI>(who&s;e mercy is above all his works)</HI> Forgive his Children, when, by true Repentance, they &s;hall turn unto him.</P>
<P>Here we are to Note, That tho' we may and ought to Forgive the Injury done again&s;t us, yet we cannot the Sin therein done again&s;t God, for God alone forgiveth Sins: He that &s;tealeth of|fendeth the Law, the Injury is done again&s;t him from whom he &s;teals; but the Sin again&s;t God's Law, <HI>Thou &s;halt not &s;teal,</HI> the party may Forgive the Injury, but God only mu&s;t the Sin.</P>
<PB N="275" REF="143">
<P>So that in this Petition we reque&s;t of God, 1. Grace feelingly to know, and frankly and tremblingly to confe&s;s, without excu&s;e or exte|nuation, the great Debt of our Sins, and our ut|ter Inability to &s;atisfie for the &s;ame, or the lea&s;t part thereof. 2. That upon our confe&s;&s;ion and true humiliation for Sin, it would plea&s;e the Lord not to lay to our charge either the guilt or pu|ni&s;hment of our Sins, but that for the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s and unutterable pa&s;&s;ion of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he would raze them out of his Book. 3. That by the infallible te&s;timony of his good Spirit, he would a&s;&s;ure our Con&s;ciences of the free remi&s;|&s;ion of them, and <HI>&s;eal us unto the day of redem|ption,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4.30. 4. Seeing God requireth the like Forgivene&s;s at our hands towards our Bre|thren, we further entreat his grace, that we may as heartily Forgive Injuries done again&s;t us, as we de&s;ire Forgivene&s;s of our own Sins at the hands of God.</P>
<P>The&s;e therefore fail in the performance of this Fifth Petition: 1. The <HI>Hereticks,</HI> call'd <HI>Nova|tians,</HI> are here condemn'd, who denied Forgive|ne&s;s of Sins committed after Bapti&s;m. 2. The Church of <HI>Rome</HI> maintaining that God doth re|mit the Fault, but not the puni&s;hment. 3. The <HI>Ca|ahari&s;ts,</HI> who think they can be without Sin in this life. 4. All tho&s;e that confe&s;s not their Sins to God, and grieve not for Corruptions, with an hearty Re&s;olution to for&s;ake and watch again&s;t them for the Future. 5. All that do not endeavor to keep
<PB N="276" REF="144">a clear Con&s;cience towards God and Man, and to be po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ed of that peace within, which the world can neither give, nor take away. La&s;tly, tho&s;e that are &s;o maliciou&s;ly bent again&s;t their Brethren, that by no means they can be brought to forgive them; which per&s;ons are &s;o far from Forgivene&s;s at the hands of God, as, in effect, they pray that he would never forgive them. A matter of dreadful con&s;ideration, and much to be lamented.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="6" TYPE="petition">
<HEAD>The Sixth Petition. <HI>And lead us not into Temptation: But deliver us from Evil.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Here we pray for Sanctification and &s;trength again&s;t our Sins, that they may not only be pardon'd to us, (as in the former Petition) but mortify'd in us; and we either kept by the Providence of God from Temptations, or pre&s;er|ved by his Grace from being hurt thereby.</P>
<P><HI>Lead us not]</HI> That is, expo&s;e us not &s;o to Temptations, as to be overcome and en&s;nared therewith, (as a Fi&s;h is ta|ken with a Net,) to our de&s;truction. Now God is &s;aid to lead into Temptation in the&s;e two Re&s;pects: 1. Becau&s;e he <HI>permitteth</HI> Satan to tempt us. 2. Becau&s;e in his <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> he u&s;eth him as an In&s;trument of his wrath.</P>
<P><HI>Into Temptation.]</HI> Temptation in Scripture is taken two ways: 1. For that Temptation wherewith the Lord doth prove and try tho&s;e that are his, of which <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;peaks, Exod. 20.20. <HI>Fear not, for the Lord is come to prove you.</HI> That is, whether you will obey his Precepts as you promi&s;ed, <HI>Chap.</HI> 19.8. And &s;o, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 66.10. <HI>Thou, O God, ha&s;t proved, thou ha&s;t tryed us, even as &s;ilver is tryed:</HI> For God's Tryals always tend to his own Glory, and the good of his Chil|dren. 2. It is taken (and that more generally) for that Temptation wherewith the Devil doth a&s;&s;ault us, and this is any enticement of the &s;oul or heart (either by the cor|ruption of Man's Nature, the allurements of the World, or the more immediate &s;ugge&s;tions of Satan) to any &s;in: And in this &s;en&s;e God is &s;aid, <HI>Not to tempt any man,</HI> James 1.13. Hence &s;ome of the Ancients define <HI>Temptation</HI> to be a corrupt affection, tending or enticing to Evil, and to imagin this to come from God, is horrible Bla&s;phemy:
<PB N="277" REF="144">For the matter of Temptation is in us, even our own Con|cupi&s;cence, the Devil needeth but to bring his Bellows to this Fire, and it is forthwith kindled.</P>
<P><HI>But deliver us from Evil.]</HI> This expoundeth the former by a flat Contrary, as thus&mdash;<HI>Lead us not into Temptation,</HI> but <HI>pull us out of it,</HI> (even when we fall into it by our own Infirmity) and that with <HI>Force.</HI> For by <HI>delivering,</HI> here is meant a <HI>forcible re&s;cuing</HI> of our Nature, neither able nor willing to help it &s;elf out of the&s;e dangers, therefore the Church &s;aith, <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.4. <HI>Draw me, we will run.</HI> And Chri&s;t, <HI>John</HI> 6.44. <HI>No man can come to me except the Father draw him.</HI></P>
<P>By <HI>Evil</HI> is not here meant <HI>Temptation,</HI> for Temptations are many times profitable, whence we are bid count it <HI>all Joy, when we fall into divers Temptations,</HI> (that is, of <HI>probation,</HI> for &s;o it appears by the words following) <HI>knowing that the tryal of your Faith worketh patience,</HI> Jam. 1.2, 3. But by <HI>Evil</HI> is here under&s;tood the <HI>&s;in</HI> to which we &s;hall be tempt|ed, either by the Devil, the World, or our own Corruption, which is of it&s;elf &s;imply evil: As much as to &s;ay&mdash;If it be thy good plea&s;ure &s;uffer us not to be tempted, left we mi&s;carry; or at lea&s;t if we be tempted, &s;uffer us not to be overcome, and led away captive thereby.</P>
<P>So that in this la&s;t Petition we de&s;ire 1. That &s;ince we cannot be tempted without the Will of God, <HI>John</HI> 1.10. nor re&s;i&s;t Temptation without his power, he would gra|ciou&s;ly be plea&s;ed to remove tho&s;e things that expo&s;e us to it, tye up Satan, and re&s;train his malice, or el&s;e make us wi&s;e and able to know and avoid the Charms of all our &s;pi|ritual Enemies. 2. That in our Tryals (if he &s;ee good to prove us) he would keep us from all murmuring and re|pining, as charging him with Inju&s;tice, or hard mea&s;ure; and give us grace to behold his holy hand therein, and make that good u&s;e of them for which he &s;ent them. 3. That therefore he would not take his holy Spirit from us in our Tryals, but &s;upport us in and again&s;t our Temptations; or if he leave us at any time for our humiliation to our own weakne&s;s, he would yet graciou&s;ly rai&s;e us again with in|crea&s;e of &s;piritual &s;trength and courage. 4. That he would pre&s;erve us from all carnal Security, and both from de&s;pair
<PB N="278" REF="145">and pre&s;umption of his mercies, finally putting an end to all Tryals, and in his own good time treading Satan, with all his Forces, under our Feet.</P>
<P>The&s;e therefore fail in the performance of this Petition, 1. All that imagin God to be the Author of Sin. 2. The&s;e that pre&s;umptuou&s;ly think that, <HI>of them&s;elves,</HI> they are able to with&s;tand Temptations. 3. Tho&s;e that are carele&s;s, and regard not whether they overcome, or be overcome of Tem|ptations, as ready to yield to evil motions, as the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Devil are to &s;ugge&s;t them, and &s;eek not to be delivered from this damnable E&s;tate. 4. All tho&s;e who do not with diligence flie from and avoid the appear|ance of Evil, that prevent not the occa&s;ions and beginnings of Sin, as, <HI>Ill Company, Idlene&s;s, Intemperance,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>We come now to the Conclu&s;ion of this Prayer expre&s;&s;ed in the&s;e words:
<Q><HI>For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever ever, Amen.</HI></Q></P>
<P>This Conclu&s;ion is a Doxology, implying, that <HI>Prai&s;e</HI> or <HI>Thanksgiving</HI> ought to be in&s;eparably joyned with <HI>Prayer,</HI> the acknowledging of one mercy, being the readie&s;t way to obtain another.</P>
<P>And tho' the&s;e words be not repeated by St. <HI>Luke,</HI> yet they are expre&s;ly mentioned by St. <HI>Matthew chap.</HI> 6.13. and therefore ought not to be omitted, becau&s;e we are to ground our a&s;&s;urance of obtaining what we pray for on God, from whom all things we ask do flow, and con&s;e|quently to him all Glory mu&s;t return.</P>
<P><HI>For thine is the Kingdom]</HI> The Kingdom is &s;aid to be the Lords (according to the general &s;tream of Interpreters) for the&s;e two Cau&s;es. 1. Becau&s;e he is Owner of all things that are. 2. Becau&s;e he hath sovereign Rule over all things at his will, therefore we ought to pray unto him, and to none el&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>The Power]</HI> Hereby is meant the Omnipotency of God, whereby he is able to do all things, which is an encourage|ment to pray to him, who is able to effect any thing we
<PB N="279" REF="145">de&s;ire according to his Will, and to &s;trengthen us to any thing which in Duty we ought to do, altho' there be no &s;trength in us.</P>
<P><HI>And the Glory.]</HI> We are in our Prayers to a&s;cribe all Glory to the Lord our God: 1. Becau&s;e the Rea&s;on <HI>why we pray to God,</HI> is, for that whatever we have, we have it from him, for he is King &amp; Lord over all; And what&s;oever &s;trength of Grace we have, 'tis deriv'd from him the Fountain and Giver of all Grace. 2. The Rea&s;on why we would have our Prayers granted, is, That God's Kingdom, Power and Glory may be advanced; becau&s;e the Kingdom and Power is the Lords, to him we pray; and becau&s;e all Glory ap|pertaineth to him, we return to him Thank&s;giving, and the Glory of all, &s;aying with the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, Not to us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the Glory,</HI> P&s;al. 115.2.</P>
<P>The&s;e therefore fail in the right knowledge of this Conclu&s;ion: 1. Who deny the general Providence and Government of God, thinking that all things come by Na|ture, Fortune, or Chance. 2 Such as deny his Omnipo|tency, or re&s;t upon their own Abilities. 3. All tho&s;e that either take to them&s;elves, or give to any other the Wor|&s;hip, Glory and Honour which are due only unto the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>Amen.]</HI> This la&s;t word is taken two ways, 1. For a Te&s;timony of our Faith, and &s;o it &s;ignifies as much as&mdash; <HI>It &s;hall be &s;o:</HI> That is, that we firmly believe that the Lord, in his good time, will grant our Reque&s;ts. 2. For a Te&s;ti|fication of our fervent de&s;ires, and then the acceptance of this word is, <HI>So be it;</HI> denoting our earne&s;t de&s;ires, that the Lord would grant our Petitions. By the fir&s;t, we are ad|moni&s;hed to pray <HI>Faithfully.</HI> By the &s;econd, <HI>Fervently.</HI> And therefore in <HI>Publick Prayers,</HI> this word is to be &s;aid as well by the Mini&s;ter as the People.</P>
<P>As <HI>this</HI> is a mo&s;t ab&s;olute Form of Prayer, which being pre&s;cribed by our Lord, to refu&s;e the u&s;e of it, &s;avours of a proud Contempt of Chri&s;t's Ordinance, &s;o we are not con|fined always to the &s;ame words, for that would argue Neg|ligence in this Duty; wherein oftentimes variety of expre&s;|&s;ions, according to our pre&s;ent Wants and Circum&s;tances are nece&s;&s;ary, for the pouring out our Souls before the Lord,
<PB N="280" REF="146"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 14.3. So as &s;ometimes one Petition is more than the re&s;t to be importuned and in&s;i&s;ted upon; for both Chri&s;t him&s;elf (<HI>John</HI> 17.1.) and his Apo&s;tles (<HI>Acts</HI> 4.24.) are Recorded to have prayed in other words, which yet are referrable to the&s;e; So that we may be allowed to pray in other Expre&s;&s;ions, provided they are agreeable to this Pattern, and that we pray with Spirit and Affection and with Under&s;tanding al&s;o, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.15.</P>
<P>In fine, whenever we pray, which ought to be continu|ally, that is, at all times, when we have occa&s;ion, which being every moment, though we cannot &s;o frequently have opportunities of &s;olemn prayer, yet we ought at all times to be in a devout frame of Spirit for that Duty, and &s;et apart &s;ome times every day, (as the morning, going to meals, and after them, and when we go to re&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) for this Duty to be &s;olemnly performed.</P>
<P>Which mu&s;t always be done, 1. with Reverence and due Apprehen&s;ion of the glorious Maje&s;ty, Per&s;ons, and Attributes of the Godhead. 2ly, With Faith and Holy Confidence in Chri&s;t thy Mediator, and in the Promi&s;es of Gods Word general and particular. 3ly, With ferven|cy, from a deep &s;en&s;e of wants, weakne&s;&s;es, and impor|tance of our &s;uits. 4ly, With Humility, by rea&s;on of Sin, Corruption, and Impotency. 5ly, Thankfulne&s;s for Mercies and Promi&s;es abundant, all &s;ufficient. 6ly, Cha|rity, for others Welfare, the Church, the Magi&s;trate, the Mini&s;ter, thy Friends, tho&s;e that have begged thy Prayers, or have thy promi&s;e to pray for them, and for all that are afflicted. 7ly, With care and watchfulne&s;s to put away the throng of worldly thoughts, before thou be|ginne&s;t, le&s;t they di&s;tract thy mind; and in the Action it &s;elf, how thou praye&s;t or ha&s;t prayed, never re&s;ting in the outward work done, unle&s;s thou feel &s;ome in|ward Affection and Fruit of thy prayers.</P>
<P>As to our outward Behaviour in prayer, we are to u&s;e &s;uch comely Reverent Ge&s;tures of Body, as may expre&s;s us &s;en&s;ible both of our own vilene&s;s, and the Maje&s;ty of that God with whom we have to deal. As the bowing of our Knees, <HI>Eph.</HI> 3.14. The lifting up of our hands and
<PB N="281" REF="146">eyes to Heaven, <HI>Lam.</HI> 3.41. <HI>John</HI> 17.1. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Which yet are not always or ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary, <HI>Luke</HI> 18.13. pro|vided our hearts be lifted up, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 25.1. and our &s;tub|born Souls bowed down, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.10. And nothing done unbe&s;eeming the Company with whom we pray and the kind of prayer we are engaged in, which if <HI>publick</HI> re|quires &s;uch behaviour as may witne&s;s our Communion one with another, and de&s;ire of mutual Edification.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. X. <HI>Of Death, Remedies again&s;t its Terror; Of Purgatory. The Re&s;urrection, la&s;t Judgment, Heaven and Hell.</HI></HEAD>
<P>WE now proceed to the <HI>four la&s;t things,</HI> which every Man ought in the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> place to mind, <HI>viz. Death, Judgment, Heaven</HI> and <HI>Hell.</HI></P>
<P>That it is appointed for all Men <HI>to dye,</HI> is not only de|clared by God's Word, but manife&s;t to all Per&s;ons Ex|perience, who cannot but <HI>&s;ee</HI> that their Ance&s;tors are gone, and behold every day one or other carried to the Grave; Yet mo&s;t Men Cark and Care, Plot and Contrive, as if they were to live here for ever; &s;ome are &s;o &s;lavi&s;hly afraid of Death, that it renders their whole Life un|comfortable, others &s;carce ever think of it, till they are &s;urprized by it, and then are &s;wallowed up with hor|ror and a&s;toni&s;hment. All the&s;e Errors are to be a|voided, we are to keep our Souls throughly &s;en&s;ible of our Mortal Condition, and that every day, every mo|ment may be our la&s;t; Death is to be expected and pro|vided for, not frightfully feared.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="remedies">
<PB N="282" REF="147">
<HEAD>Certain Remedies again&s;t the fear of Death.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. To con&s;ider, that 'tis as Natural to Dye as to be Born; a Nece&s;&s;ity from which none are exempt, and why &s;hould&s;t thou complain or be afraid of <HI>that,</HI> which all Men, even the greate&s;t Princes are &s;ubject unto?</P>
<P N="2">2. To number our days, and &s;o apply our hearts unto wi&s;dom, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 9.12.</P>
<P N="3">3. To acquaint our &s;elves with <HI>Death</HI> before we come to Dye; To contemplate oft thereon, and con&s;ider that we have every night an Emblem or <HI>Memento</HI> to it, when, we put off our Cloaths and go to &s;leep.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Sting of Death is <HI>Sin;</HI> 'tis this Arms it with terrors; let us therefore keep our Hearts in a con&s;tent fear of <HI>Sin,</HI> more than of <HI>Death,</HI> and then Death will be nothing frightful.</P>
<P N="5">5. To di&s;intangle and take off our Affections from the things of this Life, remembring that they are not ob|tained but with Toil, nor kept but with Solicitude. As they encrea&s;e, they procure envy; and in their quitting us, are apt to afflict us with &s;orrow and heavine&s;s.</P>
<P N="6">6. As we mu&s;t expect once to dye, &s;o we mu&s;t not think to dye well and all at once; we mu&s;t with the Apo&s;tle learn <HI>to dye daily,</HI> and with <HI>Solomon, to prepare our work without, and make it ready in the field.</HI> If we would not <HI>dye in Sin,</HI> we mu&s;t practi&s;e a <HI>dying to it.</HI> We mu&s;t not leave any thing to do at Death, but to dye.</P>
<P N="7">7. We mu&s;t look <HI>beyond Death,</HI> as well as on it; that the thoughts of the Fire of Hell may drive out the Fire of Lu&s;t; and the Contemplation of the Joys of Hea|ven, make us be weary of this vale of Sin and Mi&s;ery,
<PB N="283" REF="147">and de&s;ire with St. <HI>Paul to be di&s;&s;olved and be with Chri&s;t.</HI> For,</P>
<P>La&s;tly, The only certain Cordial and Pre&s;ervative that can keep us undi&s;mayed on a Death-Bead is <HI>Faith</HI> in our Ble&s;&s;ed Lord and Redeemer, who by his Pa&s;&s;ion and Re|&s;urrection hath <HI>&s;wallowed up death it &s;elf in victory,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. and enabled us Triumphantly to &s;ay, <HI>O death where is thy &s;ting?</HI> So that Death which was, and is &s;till to the wicked the <HI>King of Terrors,</HI> becomes to all true Chri|&s;tians, their <HI>Re&s;t,</HI> their <HI>Harve&s;t,</HI> their <HI>Conque&s;t</HI> and their <HI>Crown.</HI></P>
<P>After Death follows JUDGMENT, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9.27. that is, the pronouncing and executing of the irrevoca|ble Sentence of Ab&s;olution or Condemnation; which is done, <HI>partly</HI> on every Man in particular at the hour of Death, his Soul being received into Bli&s;s, or doomed to endle&s;s Torments. But <HI>fully</HI> and generally upon all Men both Soul and Body, at the &s;econd coming of Chri&s;t, <HI>Acts</HI> 17.31. The death of every one &s;everally going im|mediately before the particular Judgment; The general Re&s;urrection of all preceding the final Judgment which &s;hall be at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>The Church of <HI>Rome</HI> maintains, That be&s;ides Heaven and Hell, there is a Third place, where Souls depart|ing out of this World in the Grace of God, mu&s;t make Satisfaction for the Temporal Sins for which they have not here fully &s;atisfied, which place they call <HI>Pur|gatory.</HI></P>
<P>For they teach, That although God freely gives to all, that are in a &s;tate of Grace, (that is, Confe&s;&s;ed unto and Ab&s;olved by a Prie&s;t) forgivene&s;s of the guilt of all their Mortal Sins, and freedom from Eternal Death, yet &s;atisfaction mu&s;t notwith&s;tanding be made for the Temporal Puni&s;hments due to tho&s;e Sins; Wherefore, and for as much al&s;o, as Per&s;ons have much Venial Sin and Corruption in them, in which they oftentimes dye; therefore it is nece&s;&s;ary, that they &s;hould for the Expi|ation
<PB N="284" REF="148">of the&s;e Sins, and for the Satisfaction of God's Ju&s;tice, as to the Temporal Puni&s;hments, either do or &s;uffer &s;uch Penances, Fa&s;tings, Prayers, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as may effect the &s;ame here, or (where tho&s;e are not &s;uffici|ently performed) &s;uffer the pains of Purgatory, where (as in a Pri&s;on) they mu&s;t remain in grievous Tor|tures, till they have made full Satisfaction, and are compleatly Purged; and then they are admitted into Heaven; which Relea&s;e may be ha&s;ten'd, or their pains mitigated, either by the good Works of their &s;urvi|ving Friends, as by their Prayers and procuring of Ma&s;&s;es to be &s;aid, or by Indulgences obtained from the Pope.</P>
<P>But this whole Notion is altogether built upon the Sand borrowed from the Fables of the <HI>Heathen Poets,</HI> and promoted for &s;ecular ends,</P>
<P>For, 1. 'Tis grounded on &s;everal &s;al&s;e Doctrins, as that &s;ome Sins are <HI>Venial;</HI> That good works <HI>merit</HI> of God, and tho&s;e of the Living avail for the Dead, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> all which are refuted before.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is highly derogatory to the Honour of Chri&s;t to &s;ay that Men are purged by &s;uffering pains in Purga|tory, where they &s;atisfie for le&s;&s;er Sins, and for the Temporal Puni&s;hment of their greater Sins; for the Blood of Chri&s;t is the only Purgatory of all our Sins, <HI>Heb.</HI> 1.3. Who, <HI>when he had by him&s;elf purged our &s;ins, &s;at down at the right hand of the Maje&s;ty on high.</HI> And Chap. 9.14. <HI>How much more &s;hall the Blood of Chri&s;t, who through the eternal Spirit offered him&s;elf without &s;pot to God, purge your con&s;ciences from dead works, to &s;erve the living God?</HI> Whence he is called a <HI>Ran&s;ome for all,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.6. Chri&s;t is a compleat Saviour; his Blood clean&s;eth us from all &s;in, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.7. He is able (and &s;ure he is no le&s;s willing) to &s;ave to the utmo&s;t tho&s;e that come to him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.25.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Scripture teaches us no &s;uch <HI>Middle place</HI> of Souls after Death, as Purgatory; But the quite contra|ry, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.18. <HI>The things which are &s;een are temporal, but the things which are not &s;een are eternal.</HI> Whence it
<PB N="285" REF="148">follows, That there is no place invi&s;ible after this place, which is not everla&s;ting, therefore no Purgatory. Again, the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, That the whole Church, all the Family whereof Chri&s;t is Head, is either in Heaven or upon the Earth, <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.10. <HI>That in the fulne&s;s of time, he might gather together in one, all things in Chri&s;t, both which are in Heaven, and which are on Earth.</HI> And, Chap. 3.15. &s;peak|ing of Chri&s;t, he &s;aith, <HI>In whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. John</HI> 5.24. <HI>Verily, verily. I &s;ay unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that &s;ent me, hath everla&s;ting life, and &s;hall not come into condem|nation: but is pa&s;&s;ed from death to life:</HI> If he come not into Condemnation, he cannot be ca&s;t into a place of puni&s;hment.</P>
<P N="4">4. 'Tis &s;aid, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14.13. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the dead that dye in the Lord, for they re&s;t from their labour:</HI> Where Re&s;t is, there is no Torment; <HI>Ergo,</HI> no Purgatory. If any did ever need &s;atisfactory Purgation after Death, &s;ure that <HI>Thief</HI> who was Converted upon the Cro&s;s, ought to have &s;uffered the pains of Purgatory many years; yet our Lord &s;aith to him. <HI>This day &s;halt thou be with me in paradice,</HI> Luke 23.43.</P>
<P N="5">5. Were it nece&s;&s;ary, that Believers mu&s;t &s;atisfie God for Temporal puni&s;hments arrear, and for le&s;&s;er &s;ins, then &s;uch of them as &s;hall be alive upon Earth, at Chri&s;ts &s;econd coming, mu&s;t fir&s;t go into Purgatory, be|fore they can meet the Lord in the Air, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4.17.</P>
<P N="6">6. Since they own the Apocryphal Books for Canoni|cal, what will they &s;ay to that of <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> 3.1. The Souls of the Righteous are in the hand of God, and <HI>there &s;hall no Torments touch them?</HI></P>
<P>Object. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall &s;peak</HI> again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t, it &s;hall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor that which is to come, <HI>Matth.</HI> 12.31. <HI>Wherefore it &s;eems there is &s;ome Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins in the World to come, which cannot be either in Heaven or Hell, therefore mu&s;t be in</HI> Pur|gatory.</P>
<PB N="284" REF="149">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="285" REF="149">
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<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 'Tis childi&s;h from two Negations to infer an Af|firmation; As if one &s;hould argue, <HI>Peter</HI> neither in this World, nor the World to come &s;hall be made an Angel; <HI>Ergo,</HI> &s;ome &s;hall be made Angels in the World to come: The Words &s;ignifie no more than this, That <HI>that</HI> &s;in &s;hall never be remitted: and &s;o is interpreted, <HI>Mark</HI> 3.29. <HI>He that bla&s;phemeth again&s;t the holy Gho&s;t, hath never forgivene&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Luke</HI> 12.10. <HI>It &s;hall not be forgiven.</HI></P>
<P>Object. <HI>He &s;hall be</HI> &s;aved &s;o as by fire, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.15.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 'Tis plain this is the &s;ame fire intended, <HI>ver.</HI> 13. which cannot be that of Purgatory. 1&s;t, Becau&s;e 'tis the fire of the Day of Judgment, when Purgatory is con|fe&s;&s;ed by them that maintain it, (or rather are maintained by it) to end. 2dly, This fire burns the works of Men, only their Hay and Stubble, not their Per&s;ons as Purgatory is &s;uppo&s;ed to do. 3dly, This fire tries both Good and Bad, all pa&s;s through it, the Gold no le&s;s than the Stubble. The Text is only a figurative way of &s;peak|ing frequent in Scripture and common Di&s;cour&s;e, as the delivered Jews are &s;aid to be as <HI>Firebrands pluckt out of the burning,</HI> Amos 4.11. So here, <HI>He &s;hall be &s;aved &s;o as by fire,</HI> that is, <HI>not without difficulty,</HI> and the fire &s;hall con&s;ume &s;o much of his works as were Hay and Stubble, &s;o that he &s;hall lo&s;e that part of his Reward.</P>
<P>The immediate Antecedents of the general Judgment are, 1. The <HI>coming of Chri&s;t,</HI> that is, his return from Hea|ven, to which he is a&s;cended, in his humane vi&s;ible Body (but with un&s;peakable Glory) environ'd with a flame of fire, attended with all the Ho&s;t of Elect Angels, to Judge all the Inhabitants of the Earth. 2dly, The Re&s;ur|rection of the Dead, whereby at the Voice of Chri&s;t and the &s;ound of the Trumpet attending him, both the Dead &s;hall be rai&s;ed with their own Bodies, and every part there|of, though never &s;o di&s;per&s;ed, and change the living, &s;o that it &s;hall be with them as if they had been long dead.</P>
<PB N="287" REF="150">
<P>This return of Chri&s;t to Judgment was revealed even in the Patriarchs times, <HI>Jude</HI> 14. <HI>Enoch al&s;o, the &s;eventh from Adam, prophe&s;ied of the&s;e, &s;aying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thou&s;and of his &s;aints, to execute judgment upon all, and to con|vince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>David</HI> al&s;o foretels it, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 50.3.4.5, &amp; 6. It is te&s;tified by Angels, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.11. <HI>This &s;ame Je&s;us which is taken up from you into heaven, &s;hall &s;o come, in like manner as ye have &s;een him go into heaven.</HI> And St. <HI>Peter</HI> not only a&s;&s;ures us of the cer|tainty, but acquaints us with &s;omething of the manner of it, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. where, <HI>ver.</HI> 10. he &s;aith, <HI>The day of the Lord &s;hall come as a thief in the night,</HI> (&s;urprizing and unexpected) <HI>in the which the heavens &s;hall pa&s;s away with a great noi&s;e, and the elements &s;hall melt with fervent heat, the earth al&s;o and the works that are therein &s;hall be burnt up.</HI> From which de&s;tructi|on of this vi&s;ible World the Apo&s;tle rai&s;es a mo&s;t powerful Argument to pre&s;s us to holine&s;s of life, <HI>ver.</HI> 11. <HI>Seeing then that all the&s;e things &s;hall be di&s;&s;olved, what manner of per&s;ons ought ye to be in all holy conver&s;ation and godline&s;s!</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Re&s;urrection of the Dead,</HI> the Scripture proves, 1. By many expre&s;s Te&s;timonies, as <HI>Job</HI> 19.25. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. through|out the whole Chapter, and many other the like Texts. 2dly, By Examples of diver&s;e that were rai&s;ed from the Dead. 3dly, By Types, as <HI>Aaron</HI>'s Rod budding, the Jews returning from <HI>Babylon, Ezech.</HI> 37. and the A&s;&s;umption of <HI>Enoch</HI> and <HI>Eliah.</HI> 4thly, By rea&s;ons drawn, from the Cove|nant of God which is not broken by Death <HI>Matth.</HI> 22.30. From the promi&s;es of Life Eternal, and e&s;pecially from our Lord Chri&s;t, who is not only the Type and Example of our Re&s;urrection, but the beginning al&s;o thereof for from the Life of the Head, we irrefragably conclude the Life of the My&s;tical Body.</P>
<P>Though the Re&s;urrection of the Dead is above Nature, and man's corrupt Rea&s;on, yet is neither again&s;t Nature nor right Rea&s;on: For right Rea&s;on teacheth, That<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> Dead can be rai&s;ed, and &s;hall be rai&s;ed, the<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters">+ferred from Gods Omnipotence, the later<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> for as it is ju&s;t that &s;ome &s;ins be puni<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> &s;o 'tis no le&s;s ju&s;t that the Body which<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span">
<PB N="288" REF="151">in &s;in, &s;hould &s;hare in the pain; nor can any &s;carce imagine it to be again&s;t Nature, who has &s;een the rare Experiments performed by Chymical Art in the rai&s;ing up of de&s;troyed Vegetables. In the Re&s;urrection the Godly &s;hall be freed, not only from Corruption and bodily Defects, but &s;hall be al&s;o crowned with Glory, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.4.2.</P>
<P>The form of the great and tremendous Judgment is ex|pre&s;&s;ed by the manner of the proceedings in Courts of Ju&s;tice, to which belong, 1. <HI>The Cognizance of the Cau&s;e;</HI> And &s;o it is &s;aid, <HI>The Books were opened,</HI> Rev. 20.12. 2dly, <HI>The Act of Judgment,</HI> in pronouncing &s;entence, which to the wicked &s;hall be full of horrour, <HI>Go ye cur&s;ed into everla&s;ting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels.</HI> But to the godly un&s;peakably comfortable, <HI>Come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father, po&s;&s;e&s;s the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World,</HI> Matth. 25. 3dly, <HI>The Execution of Judgment</HI> which &s;hall imme|diately follow the pronouncing of the Sentence, &s;o that the wicked in the pre&s;ence of the godly &s;hall be carryed away to <HI>Hell,</HI> but the godly being caught up to meet Chri&s;t &s;hall with him enter into <HI>Life Eternal,</HI> Matth. 25. ver. the la&s;t, and 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.17.</P>
<P>The God of all Wi&s;dom and Con&s;olation teach us to know his Will, and to practi&s;e what we know more and more to his Glory and our own everla&s;ting Comfort, that being partakers of the <HI>fir&s;t Re&s;urrection</HI> from Sin to Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, the <HI>&s;econd <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">ath may have no power</HI> over us; but we may in that great day of Account, when all fle&s;h &s;hall ap|pear before the Tribunal of <HI>Jehovah,</HI> be numbred among the <HI>Sheep,</HI> and not the <HI>Goats,</HI> and Reign for ever with our glorious Redeemer: To whom with the <HI>Father,</HI> and the Holy Spirit, be a&s;cribed all Honour and Glory, Thank&s;|giving and Prai&s;e, Adoration and Dominion, both now and for evermore, World without end. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
